Static tire properties analysis and static parameters derivation to characterising tire model using experimental and numerical solutions

Tire-ground interaction plays substantial role in determining vehicle kinetics and kinematics yet a clear understanding of such an interaction outputs is complex process. The present study aims at static analysis of tire parameters using both experimental and numerical based finite element method (FEM) solutions. To this end, tire cross section shape with different inflation pressures, vertical stiffness together with the footprint were measured using controlled apparatus and then are compared with the simulation results in order that the accuracy of the FE tire model in static condition can be validated. The 3D tire model was obtained by revolving the 2D axisymmetric tire model, and static stiffness and footprint were predicted using the 3D model. Inflation pressure analysis was presented by comparing the tire cross-section shape variation at different inflation pressures. The conclusions will serve future investigations as a concise knowledge source to develop improved tire models

Rebels Lead to the Doctrine of the Mean: Opinion Dynamic in a Heterogeneous DeGroot Model

We study an extension of the DeGroot model where part of the players may be rebels. The updating rule for rebels is quite different with that of normal players (which are referred to as conformists): at each step a rebel first takes the opposite value of the weighted average of her neighbors' opinions, i.e. 1 minus that average (the opinion space is assumed to be [0,1] as usual), and then updates her opinion by taking another weighted average between that value and her own opinion in the last round. We find that the effect of rebels is rather significant: as long as there is at least one rebel in every closed and strongly connected group, under very weak conditions, the opinion of each player in the whole society will eventually tend to 0.5.Comment: 7 pages, Proceedings of The 6th International Conference on Knowledge, Information and Creativity Support Systems, Beijing, 201

Biophysical and photobiological modulations of cellular pathways in Alzheimer's disease

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on April 23, 2014).The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.VitaThe overall goal of this thesis work is to study the effects of biomodulations on Alzheimer's disease (AD) related cellular pathways, using biophysical and photobiological methods, including secretory phospholipase A2, various fatty acids treatments and low energy light irradiation. By increasing membrane fluidity in neuronal cells, secretory phospholipase A2 and unsaturated fatty acids with 4 or more double bonds are able to increase the secretion of neuroprotective and neurotrophic [alpha]-secretase-cleaved soluble APP (sAPP[alpha]). Low energy laser at 632.8 nm is able to suppress amyloid-[beta] peptide (A[beta])-induced oxidative and inflammatory responses in primary astrocytes, suggesting it has neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress and inflammation in AD. This thesis work provides insights into potential therapeutic treatments and prevention of AD.Includes bibliographical reference

A Totally Astar-based Multi-path Algorithm for the Recognition of Reasonable Route Sets in Vehicle Navigation Systems

AbstractCompared with a Dijkstra-based or partially Astar-based one, a totally Astar-based algorithm is proposed in the paper for vehicle navigation systems. It has a better performance such as computing speed and veracity in a large-scale road network than a Dijkstra-based one because the computational complexity of Astar algorithm has little connection with the overall scale of a road network. To recognize all the reasonable routes between a specific OD pair, this algorithm takes all the geometrically reasonable routes into account and considers several constraints that meet the drivers’ preferences like circuitous route, the number of turns and traffic control strategy (for example, no left turn). Two numerical examples demonstrate the operation and efficiency of the algorithm