Integrated durability analysis of a vehicle through virtual simulation.

The intent of this research is to create a high fidelity multibody dynamics model of a compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) using CATIA, ADAMS and NASTRAN software suites. These software packages together are used to conduct virtual proving ground simulations. An MTS 329 series Road Test Simulator (RTS), which uses servo-hydraulic actuators to replicate vehicle proving ground is used to correlate results. The overall objective is to be able to predict component failure earlier in the design process, and to reduce the amount of time spent conducting physical durability tests. This thesis builds on research currently being conducted by many auto manufacturers in the area of virtual road test simulation. The development of a complete durability model is very complex, and involves many steps in simulating physical phenomena. This research focuses primarily on model creation techniques that are used to build a virtual multibody dynamics model, with an emphasis being placed on the construction, implementation and background theory of flexible bodies. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Mechanical, Automotive, and Materials Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2003 .W66. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-01, page: 0428. Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2003

Development and field assessment of a quantitative PCR for the detection and enumeration of the noxious bloom-former Anabaena planktonica

Anabaena planktonica is a harmful, bloom-forming freshwater cyanobacterium, which has arrived recently in New Zealand. In the short time since its incursion (<10 yr), A. planktonica has spread rapidly throughout lakes in the North Island. To date, the identification and enumeration of A. planktonica has been undertaken using light microscopy. There is an urgent demand for a highly sensitive and specific quantitative detection method that can be combined with a high sample processing capability in order to increase sampling frequency. In this study, we sequenced 36 cyanobacterial 16S rRNA genes (partial), complete intergenic transcribed spacers (ITS), and 23S rRNA genes (partial) of fresh-water cyanobacteria found in New Zealand. The sequences were used to develop an A. Planktonica specific TaqMan QPCR assay targeting the long ITS1-L and the 5´ terminus of the 23S rRNA gene. The QPCR method was linear (R2 = 0.999) over seven orders of magnitude with a lower end sensitivity of approximately five A. planktonica cells in the presence of exogenous DNA. The quantitative PCR (QPCR) method was used to assess the spatial distribution and seasonal population dynamics of A. planktonica from the Lower Karori Reservoir (Wellington, New Zealand) over a five-month period. The QPCR results were compared directly to microscopic cell counts and found to correlate significantly (95% confidence level) under both bloom and non-bloom conditions. The current QPCR assay will be an invaluable tool for routine monitoring programs and in research investigating environmental factors that regulate the population dynamics and the blooming of A. planktonica

The Case for Medium-Sized Regional Data Centres

Cloud computing is widely associated with majorcapital investment in mega data centres, housing expensive bladeservers and storage area networks. In this paper we argue that amodular approach to building local or regional data centres usingcommodity hardware and open source hardware can produce acost effective solution that better addresses the goals of cloudcomputing, and provides a scalable architecture that meets theservice requirements of a high quality data centre.In support of this goal, we provide data that supports threeresearch hypotheses:1. that central processor unit (CPU) resources are notnormally limiting;2. that disk I/O transactions (TPS) are more oftenlimiting, but this can be mitigated by maximizing theTPS-CPU ratio;3. that customer CPU loads are generally static andsmall.Our results indicate that the modular, commodity hardwarebased architecture is near optimal. This is a very significantresult, as it opens the door to alternative business models for theprovision of data centres that significantly reduce the need formajor up-front capital investment

Guest Editor Foreword

This issue encompasses some of the finest minds of financing public education in America today

Condition Scoring for Your Horse

In a world where millions of people are taking steps to improve their own physical condition in order to live healthier lives, it only stands to reason that this same concept would be applied to other aspects of their lives and businesses. In Kentucky where horses are a multi-billion dollar industry, the health and welfare (condition) of the horses are of utmost importance to their owners. The ability to accurately assess a horse’s body condition, which is vital to its welfare, weighs heavily on the industry

Euler Found the First Binary Digit Extraction Formula for π in 1779

In 1779 Euler discovered two formulas for π which can be used to calculate any binary digit of π without calculating the previous digits. Up until now it was believed that the first formula with the correct properties (known as a BBP-type formula) for this calculation was published by Bailey, Borwein and Plouffe in 1997

Guest Editor Foreword

This issue encompasses some of the finest minds of financing public education in America today

Table of contents and editorial information for Vol. 21, no. 2, Spring 1994

Table of contents and editorial information for Vol. 21, no. 2, Spring 1994, a theme issue on cutting edge problems in education finance

Educational Considerations, vol. 21 (2) Full Issue

Educational Considerations, vol. 21 (2) Spring 1994 - Full issu