A Software Framework for Vehicle-Infrastructure Cooperative Applications

A growing category of vehicle-infrastructure cooperative (VIC) applications requires telematics software components distributed between an infrastructure-based management center and a number of vehicles. This article presents an approach based on a software framework, focusing on a Telematic Management System (TMS), a component suite aimed to run inside an infrastructure-based operations center, in some cases interacting with legacy systems like Advanced Traffic Management Systems or Vehicle Relationship Management. The TMS framework provides support for modular, flexible, prototyping and implementation of VIC applications. This work has received the support of the European Commission in the context of the projects REACT and CyberCars

Industry transfer, from traffic prediction to collaborative navigation solutions

LaRA (La Route Automatisé), the Joint Research Unit between IMARA Lab at INRIA and CAOR Lab at Mines Paris, improves the state of the art of traffic prediction technology through statistical modeling based on instrumented probe vehicles. Working together with European industrial and research partners like TNO, Motorola and Intempora, the European project REACT demonstrated a breakthrough technology based on integrated in-car sensing and a traffic management center. SENDA, an INRIA's spin-off company licensing LaRA's traffic modeling technology, learned lessons out of REACT to overcome technical issues for cooperative system's deployment

Electro-Discharge Machining of Ceramics: A Review

Conventional machining techniques of ceramics such as milling, drilling, and turning experience high cutting forces as well as extensive tool wear. Nevertheless, non-contact processes such as laser machining and electro-discharge machining (EDM) remain suitable options for machining ceramics materials, which are considered as extremely brittle and hard-to-machine. Considering the importance of ceramic machining, this paper attempts to provide an insight into the state of the art of the EDM process, types of ceramics materials and their applications, as well as the machining techniques involved. This study also presents a concise literature review of experimental and theoretical research studies conducted on the EDM of ceramics. Finally, a section summarizing the major challenges, proposed solutions, and suggestions for future research directions has been included at the end of the paper

Comparative study of analytical formulae for the fire resistance of steel beam-columns

peer reviewedThis paper investigates the difference between the buckling formulae published in the Eurocode 3 part 1.2 and the recommendations made in the final report of the Buckling Curves in Case of Fire (BCCF) research project. This study compares the critical temperatures obtained with both formulations to assess the impact on the fire endurance of steel columns subjected to axial compression and bending. An extensive comparison of the ultimate temperatures obtained with both formulations has been performed (382 profiles, buckling about the strong and weak axis, 12 column lengths, 6 M/N ratios and uniform and triangular bending moment distributions). Failure temperatures between 400°C and 860°C have been considered. The formulations are also compared with Finite Elements (F.E.) calculations performed for a S235 HEA 200 at 600ºC. This analysis shows that for buckling about the strong axis the BCCF method is better than the EC3 but for buckling about the weak axis the EC3 predicts failure temperatures closer to the F.E. model than the BCCF formulation. Finally, the ultimate temperatures predicted by the two formulations have also been compared with experimental results from the database SCOFIDAT. This comparison shows that there is no major difference between the two formulations for small and large bending moments. This study concludes that the EC3 and BCCF formulations are generally equivalent and that either formulation can be used

STUDY OF SLA PRINTING PARAMETERS AFFECTING THE DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY OF THE PATTERN AND CASTING IN RAPID INVESTMENT CASTING

Dimensional accuracy and geometric characteristics of the manufactured parts bear significant importance in product assembly. In Rapid Investment Casting, these characteristics can be affected by the printing parameters of the Additive Manufacturing method used in the pattern production process. Stereolithography is one of the important AM techniques mostly exploited in RIC due to its accuracy, smooth surface, and precision. However, the effect of SLA printing parameters on the dimensional accuracy and geometric characteristics have not been studied thoroughly. This study considers an experimental approach to study the effect of SLA printing parameters such as layer thickness, build angle, support structure density, and support touchpoint size on the dimensional accuracy and geometrical characteristics of the Castable Wax printed patterns and the Al cast parts. Taguchi’s Design of Experiment was used to define the number of experimental runs. SolidCast simulation was used to design the orientation of casting feeder to achieve directional solidification. Coordinate Measuring Machine measurements of deviations in the printed and cast parts were analyzed using the “Smaller-the-better” scheme in the two-step optimization method of Taguchi experiments. Build angle and Layer thickness were identified to be the first and the second most impactful parameters, respectively, affecting both the dimensional and geometric accuracy of Castable Wax patterns and Al cast parts, with optimal values of 0 deg and 0.25 μm, respectively. Both printed and cast parts had twice as many deviations in geometry as in dimensions. The sphere roundness and angularity were found to be the most and least accurate geometric characteristics, respectively. The dimensions in the Z direction were more accurate than in the X-Y directions, showing the smallest size deviations for height measurements and large deviations in the length, width, and diameter of the hole

Industry transfer, from traffic prediction to collaborative navigation solutions

LaRA (La Route Automatisé), the Joint Research Unit between IMARA Lab at INRIA and CAOR Lab at Mines Paris, improves the state of the art of traffic prediction technology through statistical modeling based on instrumented probe vehicles. Working together with European industrial and research partners like TNO, Motorola and Intempora, the European project REACT demonstrated a breakthrough technology based on integrated in-car sensing and a traffic management center. SENDA, an INRIA's spin-off company licensing LaRA's traffic modeling technology, learned lessons out of REACT to overcome technical issues for cooperative system's deployment

Il tempo dedicato alle cure palliative nella formazione di base degli infermieri in una sede di Corso di laurea italiana

La European Association of Palliative Care (EACP) nel documento Guida per lo sviluppo della formazione infermieristica in cure palliative in Europa, pone l'attenzione sulla necessití  di un percorso specifico in cure palliative all'interno della formazione sanitaria di base. L'apertura nel 2010 dell'Unití  Operativa (UO) di cure palliative all'interno dell'azienda socio-sanitaria di Varese (ASST Sette Laghi), nella quale gli studenti appartenenti all'Universití  degli Studi dell'Insubria svolgono attivití  di tirocinio clinico, ha fatto emergere l'utilití  di applicare queste raccomandazioni. I Tutor del corso di laurea e gli infermieri che seguono gli studenti nell'UO (assistenti di tirocinio) hanno creato un percorso mirato, con l'obiettivo di fornire ai futuri colleghi conoscenze e competenze da applicare in situazioni che richiedano un approccio palliativo non solo in UO specialistiche, ma in tutti gli ambiti ove sia richiesto. L'approfondimento di queste tematiche ha fatto nascere negli studenti un interesse sempre maggiore tanto da essere scelto da molti di loro come argomento per la tesi per il conseguimento della laurea. Con questo articolo si intende illustrare il percorso teorico-pratico che gli studenti affrontano nell'arco dei tre anni del Corso di laurea in infermieristica nella sezione di Corso di laurea di Varese dell'Universití  degli Studi dell'Insubria, che si sviluppa attraverso seminari, lezioni frontali e tirocini clinici. Ad oggi la consapevolezza dell'importanza delle cure palliative è in continua crescita nella sanití  italiana; ciò ha messo in evidenza la necessití  di sviluppare un linguaggio comune di conoscenze basate su programmi formativi coordinati e condivisi. In quest'ottica desideriamo condividere l'esperienza di Varese al fine di contribuire all'auspicabile confronto tra le diverse sedi formative.Parole chiave:"ˆcure palliative, studente infermiere, programma formativaThe time spended for palliative care in the nursing degree program at an italian UniversityThe European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) with the document Guide for the Development of Palliative Nurse Education in Europe, focuses on the need for a specific curriculum in palliative care area within the basic health professionals' training. In 2010 opened the palliative care unit of Varese's Hospital (ASST Sette Laghi), where students, belonging to the University of Insubria, perform clinical training activities; this event stressed the importance of implementing the application of EAPC's recommendations. Tutors and trainee assistants, created a targeted way in order to provide to the future colleagues knowledge and skills that can be applied in situations requiring a palliative approach not only in palliative settings but in general care also. The deepening of these issues has given rise to an increasing interest in students so to be chosen by many of them as a dissertation topic. The aim of this work is to illustrate the theoretical and practical courses that students face over the three years nursing degree program, which is developed through seminars, lectures and internships. Actually, awareness of the importance of palliative care is constantly growing in Italian healthcare; this has highlighted the need to develop a common knowledge base on coordinated and shared programmes of training. With this goal, we would like to share the experience of Varese, in order to contribute to the comparison between the various training venues. Key words: palliative care, nursing students, curriculu

Modeling of Material Removal Rate and Surface Roughness Generated during Electro-Discharge Machining

This study reports on the numerical model development for the prediction of the material removal rate and surface roughness generated during electrical discharge machining (EDM). A simplified 2D numerical heat conduction equation along with additional assumptions, such as heat effect from previously generated crater on a subsequent crater and instantaneous evaporation of the workpiece, are considered. For the material removal rate, an axisymmetric rectangular domain was utilized, while for the surface roughness, a rectangular domain where every discharge resides at the end of previous crater was considered. Simulated results obtained by solving the heat equation based on a finite element scheme suggested that results are more realistic by considering instantaneous evaporation of the material from the workpiece and the effect of residual heat generated from each spark. Good agreement between our model and previously published data validated the newly proposed models and demonstrate that instantaneous evaporation, as well as residual heat, provide more realistic predictions of the EDM process

THE POST-PROCESSING OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURED POLYMERIC AND METALLIC PARTS

The traditional manufacturing industry has been revolutionized with the introduction of additive manufacturing which is based on layer-by-layer manufacturing. Due to these tool-free techniques, complex shape manufacturing becomes much more convenient in comparison to traditional machining. However, additive manufacturing comes with its inherent process characteristics of high surface roughness, which in turn effect fatigue strength as well as residual stresses. Therefore, in this paper, common post-processing techniques for additive manufactured (AM) parts were examined. The main objective was to analyze the finishing processes in terms of their ability to finish complicated surfaces and their performance were expressed as average surface roughness (Sa and Ra). The techniques were divided according to the materials they applied to and the material removal mechanism. It was found that chemical finishing significantly reduces surface roughness and can be used to finish parts with complicated geometry. Laser finishing, on the other hand, cannot be used to finish intricate internal surfaces. Among the mechanical abrasion methods, abrasive flow finishing shows optimum results in terms of its ability to finish complicated freeform cavities with improved accuracy for both polymer and metal parts. However, it was found that, in general, most mechanical abrasion processes lack the ability to finish complex parts. Moreover, although most of post-processing methods are conducted using single finishing processes, AM parts can be finished with hybrid successive processes to reap the benefits of different post-processing techniques and overcome the limitation of individual process

Buckling curves of hot rolled H steel sections submitted to fire

Report of the research work at the base of the design equation introduced in Eurocode 3 (EN 1993-1-2) for the stability of steel columns under axial loading or combined axial and bending loading