Exploring relationships between observed activation rates and functional attributes of lane departure prevention

Objective: Drivers’ use of lane departure warning and prevention systems is lower than use of other crash avoidance technologies and varies significantly by manufacturer. One factor that may affect use is how well a system prevents unintended departures. The current study evaluated the performance of systems that assist in preventing departures by providing steering or braking input in a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, 2016 Ford Fusion, 2016 Honda Accord, and 2018 Volvo S90. These vehicles were selected because a prior observational study found that the percentage of privately owned vehicles that had lane departure prevention systems turned on varied among these 4 automakers.

Method: In each vehicle, a test driver induced 40 lane drifts on left and right curves by steering the vehicle straight into the curve so that vehicles departed in the opposite direction and 40 lane drifts on straightaways by slight steering input to direct the vehicle to left and right lane markers.

Results: Vehicles from automakers with higher observed lane departure prevention use rates (Volvo, Chevrolet) featured systems that provided steering input earlier and more often avoided crossing lane markers by more than 35?cm compared to vehicles from automakers with lower observed use rates (Ford, Honda).

Conclusion: The study identified functional characteristics (i.e., timing of steering input, prevention of departures more than 35?cm) of lane departure prevention systems that were strongly associated with observed activation of these systems in privately owned vehicles. Although this relationship does not imply causation, the findings support the hypothesis that functional characteristics of lane departure prevention systems affect their use. Designers may be able to use these results to maximize driver acceptance of future implementations of lane departure prevention.     

Fume Control in Rubber Processing By Direct-Flame Incineration

The application of direct-flame incineration to successfully eliminate a smoke-oil-mist and odor problem in the manufacture of rubber-base rug underlay, is presented. The investigation of various air pollution control processes leading to the development and adoption of the direct-flame incineration system, is covered. The rug-underlay curing process incorporating the direct-flame incineration system with primary heat recovery is described. Results and discussion of a source test to determine the effectiveness of direct-flame incineration in this application are included.     

Health hazards from exposure to cobalt with special reference to carcinogenic,mutagenic and teratogenic effects†

Occupational exposure to cobalt‐containing dust may cause a severe type of pneumoconiosis as well as obstructive lung disease. Peroral exposure to cobalt chloride may under certain circumstances precipitate cardiomyopathy.

There are only a limited number of experimental studies available which deal with the carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects of cobalt and its salts. Single or repeated injections of cobalt powder or cobalt chloride have been shown to induce malignant tumours at the site of injection in rats, but not in mice. In vitro studies have shown that cobalt chloride has mutagenic and teratogenic properties. There are no data available on cancer incidence among workers occupationally exposed to cobalt. Thus the possible role of cobalt in human carcinogenesis is still an open question.     

Editorial: über die Zukunft deutschsprachiger wissenschaftlicher Zeitschriften

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The age of E-mail Submission has passed — The Age of ESS Submission has arrived

Preface

The age of E-mail Submission has passed — The Age of ESS Submission has arrived     

ASSESSMENT OF METHODS FOR MEASURING EMBEDDEDNESS: APPLICATION TO SEDIMENTATION IN FLOW REGULATED STREAMS1

Abstract: Five commonly used methods for measuring embeddedness the — degree to which fine particles surround coarse substrate on the surface of the streambed — are assessed and used to evaluate the sedimentation pattern resulting from impoundment on tributaries of the Connecticut River. Results show that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) method best reflects the sediment regime on these rivers. On the Ompompanoosuc River, regulated by a run-of-the-river/flood control dam, embeddedness increases significantly directly downstream of the dam. On the unregulated White River, no downstream trends in embeddedness are observed. The USEPA results on the Ompompanoosuc River reflect the movement of a local decrease in embeddedness, interpreted as a moving region of scour, with a calculated transport rate of approximately 5 to 25 m/day. Observed transport rates are similar to previously measured sediment transport rates and consistent with results from a multifraction sediment transport model. Application of the USEPA method to an additional regulated tributary demonstrates the effects of dam management on embeddedness. Flow regulation with high sediment trapping efficiency results in a decrease in embeddedness downstream of the dam. Results provide insight into the utility of available methods for evaluating the effects of management practice on streambed composition.