A driving simulator study to explore the effects of text size on the visual demand of in-vehicle displays

Modern vehicles increasingly utilise a large display within the centre console, often with touchscreen capability, to enable access to a wide range of driving and non-driving-related functionality. The text provided on such displays can vary considerably in size, yet little is known about the effects of different text dimensions on how drivers visually sample the interface while driving and the potential implications for driving performance and user acceptance. A study is described in which sixteen people drove motorway routes in a medium-fidelity simulator and were asked to read text of varying sizes (9 mm, 8 mm, 6.5 mm, 5 mm, or 4 mm) from a central in-vehicle display. Pseudo-text was used as a stimulus to ensure that participants scanned the text in a consistent fashion that was unaffected by comprehension. There was no evidence of an effect of text size on the total time spent glancing at the display, but significant differences arose regarding how glances were distributed. Specifically, larger text sizes were associated with a high number of relatively short glances, whereas smaller text led to a smaller number of long glances. No differences were found in driving performance measures (speed, lateral lane position). Drivers overwhelmingly preferred the ‘compromise’ text sizes (6.5 mm and 8 mm). Results are discussed in relation to the development of large touchscreens within vehicles

Machine-learning of atomic-scale properties based on physical principles

We briefly summarize the kernel regression approach, as used recently in materials modelling, to fitting functions, particularly potential energy surfaces, and highlight how the linear algebra framework can be used to both predict and train from linear functionals of the potential energy, such as the total energy and atomic forces. We then give a detailed account of the Smooth Overlap of Atomic Positions (SOAP) representation and kernel, showing how it arises from an abstract representation of smooth atomic densities, and how it is related to several popular density-based representations of atomic structure. We also discuss recent generalisations that allow fine control of correlations between different atomic species, prediction and fitting of tensorial properties, and also how to construct structural kernels---applicable to comparing entire molecules or periodic systems---that go beyond an additive combination of local environments

Dynamic Behaviour and Catenary Action of Axially-restrained Steel Beam Under Impact Loading

In this paper, the dynamic behaviour and catenary action of axially restrained steel beam under impact loadings is examined through a combination of experimental and numerical investigations. It describes and discusses the results of six impact tests on the axially restrained welded H-beams by means of the drop hammer test machine. The main behavioural patterns and the key response characteristics including the development of impact force, deformation and strain, as well as failure modes are examined, with emphasis on the effect of impact energy and the width to thickness ratio of beam flange. Finite element models are also developed and validated against the available testing results. It is demonstrated that the detailed FE model can capture the response of the welded H-beams under impact loadings. Moreover, the mechanism of catenary action was identified based on the development of the internal force in the welded H-beams

Benefits Of Using Fiber on Impact Resistance of FRC Slabs

The recent increase in terrorist attacks and natural disasters has led to increased requirements for concrete structures to be impact resistant. Concrete normally has excellent impact resistance to such extreme loads in comparison with other construction materials. Nevertheless, existing concrete structures designed without consideration of the impact or blast load with high strain rate are endangered by those unexpected extreme loads. Therefore, the impact resistances of two-way concrete slabs were studied by conducting the multiple impact test. Various fiber reinforcements (Hooked-steel fiber, straight-steel fiber) were considered as variables. In the impact test, the impact load was applied to each specimen by dropping weight on the specimen from a certain height. The applied impact load level was adjusted by changing the height of the weight. Specimens were used for impact loading test, each measuring 1,600mm long, 1,600mm wide, and 105mm thick. All slabs were doubly reinforced (top and bottom layer) and each layer in a specimen had the same reinforcement layout. The performances of the specimens under the impact load were evaluated by comparing their reaction force, deflection, and surface damage. The impact test was stopped when the measured reaction force started to decrease. Based on the impact test, it was observed that the resistance against impact load can be improved by using fiber reinforced concrete

A liquid crystalline copper phthalocyanine derivative for high performance organic thin film transistors

This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012Bottom-gate, bottom-contact organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated using solvent soluble copper 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octakis(hexyl)phthalocyanine as the active semiconductor layer. The compound was deposited as 70 nm thick spin-coated films onto gold source–drain electrodes supported on octadecyltrichlorosilane treated 250 nm thick SiO2 gate insulators. The performance of the OTFTs was optimised by investigating the effects of vacuum annealing of the films at temperatures between 50 0C and 200 0C, a range that included the thermotropic mesophase of the bulk material. These effects were monitored by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and XRD measurements. Device performance was shown to be dependent upon the annealing temperature due to structural changes of the film. Devices heat treated at 100 0C under vacuum (≥10-7 mbar) were found to exhibit the highest field-effect mobility, 0.7 cm2 V^-1 s^-1, with an on–off current modulation ratio of~107, a reduced threshold voltage of 2.0 V and a sub-threshold swing of 1.11 V per decade.UK Technology Strategy Board (Project no: TP/6/EPH/6/S/K2536J) and UK National Measurement System (Project IRD C02 ‘‘Plastic Electronics’’, 2008–2011)

α-Synuclein Transgenic Drosophila As a Model of Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleinopathies

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a major component of protein inclusions known as Lewy bodies, which are hallmarks of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD). The α-Syn gene is one of the familial PD-causing genes and is also associated with an increased risk of sporadic PD. Numerous studies using α-Syn expressing transgenic animals have indicated that α-Syn plays a critical role in the common pathogenesis of synucleinopathies. Drosophila melanogaster has several advantages for modeling human neurodegenerative diseases and is widely used for studying their pathomechanisms and therapies. In fact, Drosophila models expressing α-Syn have already been established and proven to replicate several features of human PD. In this paper, we review the current research on synucleinopathies using α-Syn Drosophila models and, moreover, explore the possibilities of these models for comprehensive genetic analyses and large-scale drug screening towards elucidating the molecular pathogenesis and developing therapies for synucleinopathies

A novel mechanism of neovascularization in peritoneal dissemination via cancer-associated mesothelial cells affected by TGF-β derived from ovarian cancer

名古屋大学NAGOYA University博士(医学)doctoral thesi

Time-of-flight analysis of charge mobility in a Cu-phthalocyanine-based discotic liquid crystal semiconductor

We used a time-of-flight method to study the charge carrier mobility properties of a molecular-aligned discotic liquid crystal semiconductor based on Cu-phthalocyanine. The heated isotropic-phase semiconductor material was sandwiched between transparent electrodes coated onto glass substrates without conventional alignment layers. This was then cooled, and a discotic liquid crystal semiconductor cell was obtained, which we used to make mobility measurements. The material had a fixed molecular alignment due to the supercooling of the hexagonal columnar mesophase. It was clarified that the carrier mobility for electrons was as high as it was for holes at room temperature. The maximum value of negative charge mobility reached 2.60x10(-3) cm(2)/V s, although negative carrier mobility is often much lower than positive carrier mobility in other organic semiconductors, including conventional Cu-phthalocyanine vacuum-deposited films.ArticleAPPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS. 85(16):3474-3476 (2004)journal articl

Non-catalytic after-treatment for diesel particulates using carbon-fiber filter and experimental validation

Recently, the stricter diesel emission standards have been setting and an after-treatment of exhaust gas is needed. In this study, as a potential non-catalytic system, the after-treatment using a carbon-fiber filter was investigated, where soot particulates are burned by an electric heater. In the vehicle tests, the experimental validation for our proposed system was conducted, where the soot volume fraction and particle size distribution in diesel exhaust gas were measured. Since the filter was attached to the exhaust pipe, the filter backpressure increased with higher soot emission. Thus, the performance of the filter was evaluated under the same pressure condition. It is confirmed that, the soot emission is greatly reduced by trapping the diesel soot. In addition, the particle number concentration is smaller, so that most of soot particulates are trapped and burned inside the filter. However, in the after-treatment process, particulates less than 30 nm are newly formed. In experiments, the information on the soot oxidation process was limited, and the numerical simulation was performed to investigate temperature field and soot oxidation rate in the filter. It is found that the continuous regeneration is largely promoted by increasing the filter wall temperature. Hence, it is necessary to pay more attention on the effect of filter wall temperature on the particle size for more reduction of smaller particulates.journal articl