Sharif Digital Repository

The use of cell phone is a significant source of driver distraction. Phone use while driving can impair a number of factors critical for safe driving which can cause serious traffic safety problems. The objective of this paper was to investigate the frequency of using cell phones while driving in Iran's roads through an observational survey with a random sample of drivers, to recognize contributing factors to cell phone usage and to understand the magnitude of the problem. A total of 1794 observations were collected from 12 sites at controlled intersections, entrance and exit points of highways. The cell phone use rate among drivers (talking or texting) was estimated at 10% which is... 

The use of cell phone is a significant source of driver distraction. Phone use while driving can impair a number of factors critical for safe driving which can cause serious traffic safety problems. The objective of this paper was to investigate the frequency of using cell phones while driving in Iran's roads through an observational survey with a random sample of drivers, to recognize contributing factors to cell phone usage and to understand the magnitude of the problem. A total of 1794 observations were collected from 12 sites at controlled intersections, entrance and exit points of highways. The cell phone use rate among drivers (talking or texting) was estimated at 10% which is... 

Purpose: This work aims to study factors, such as driver characteristics, environmental conditions, and vehicle characteristics, that affect different crash types with a special focus on distraction parameters. For this purpose, distraction factors are divided into five groups: cellphone usage, cognitive distractions, passengers distracting the driver, outside events attracting the driver’s attention, and in-vehicle activities. Methods: Taking the crashes that occurred in the USA into account, the crash types are divided into two main groups, single-vehicle crashes and two-vehicle crashes. Since there were different crash types (alternatives) in the dataset and the probable correlation in... 

This study provides a comprehensive literature review to summarize all contributing factors and the logit-based models that were used to predict the severity of crashes. Using the General Estimates Systems (GES) dataset, as a subset and a branch of the National Automotive Sampling System in the US, a Generalized Ordered Logit (GLM) model is developed to predict the crash severity. The developed severity model detects the most important parameters based on characteristics of the driver, the environment, the vehicle, the road, and the type of crash. This study aims to take a more in-depth look into the distraction-related factors as one of the most important groups of contributing factors to... 

In the present work, nano-composites of Ni-P-SiO2-Al2O3 were coated on AZ91HP magnesium alloy. The surface morphology of the nano-composite coating was studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The amount of SiO2 in the coating was determined by energy-dispersive analysis of x-ray (EDX), and the crystalline structure of the coating was examined by x-ray diffractometer (XRD). All the experiments concerning the corrosion behavior of the coating carried out in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution and evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization technique. The results showed that an incorporation of SiO2 and Al2O3 in Ni-P coating at the SiO2 concentration of... 

Performing maneuvers such as braking and lane changing can hinder the occurrence of a crash. The driver tends to escape from the crash occurrence or reduce its severity by doing the maneuver, so finding the factors affecting this type of maneuver can help the driver to react better. This work aims to discover the effect of distraction-related factors on the performance of a crash avoidance maneuver. In order to pave the way for a more thorough comprehension of this matter, variables related to the characteristics of the driver, road, crash, vehicle, and environmental properties are also considered in the analysis. The used data is based on General Estimate System 2010 dataset, a dataset... 

The axisymmetric contact problem of a rigid inclusion embedded in the piezoelectric bimaterial frictionless interface subjected to simultaneous far-field compression and electric displacement is addressed. With the aid of a robust technique, the coupled governing integral equations of this mixed boundary-value problem are reduced to decoupled Fredholm integral equations with a constraint equation. A useful limiting case for the contact problem of transversely isotropic bimaterials is addressed. The present solution is analytically in agreement with the existing solution for an isotropic bimaterial. Selected numerical results of interest to engineering applications including the radius of... 

A carbon paste electrode (CPE), modified with novel hydroquinone/TiO2 nanoparticles, was designed and used for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA) and folic acid (FA). The magnitude of the peak current for modified TiO2-nanoparticle CPE (MTNCPE) increased sharply in the presence of ascorbic acid and was proportional to its concentration. A dynamic range of 1.0-1400.0 μM, with the detection limit of 6.4x10-7M for AA, was obtained using the DPV technique (pH=7.0). The prepared electrode was successfully applied for the determination of AA, UA, and FA in real samples  

A carbon paste electrode (CPE) chemically modified with TiO2 nanoparticles and quinizarine (QZ) was used as a selective electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous determination of minor amounts of d-penicillamine (D-PA) and tryptophan (Trp). This modified electrode showed very efficient electrocatalytic activity for anodic oxidation of both d-PA and Trp. Substantial decreases of anodic overpotentials for both compounds made this analysis possible. Results of square wave voltammetry (SWV) using this modified electrode showed two well-resolved anodic waves for the oxidation of d-PA and Trp, which makes the simultaneous determination of both compounds possible. The peak potential for the... 

The axisymmetric problem of a concentric set of energetically consistent annular and penny-shaped cracks in an infinite piezoelectric body subjected to uniform far-field electromechanical loading is addressed. With the aid of a robust innovated technique, the pertinent four-part mixed boundary value problem (MBVP) is reduced to a decoupled Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. The results of two limiting cases of a single penny-shaped crack and a single annular crack are recovered. The contour plots of dimensionless intensity factors (IFs) at each crack front provide the stress and electric displacement intensity factors (SIFs and EDIFs, respectively) for all combination of crack... 

The analytical treatment of an energetically consistent annular crack in a piezoelectric solid subjected to remote opening electromechanical loading is addressed. Potential functions and Hankel transform in combination with a robust technique are employed to reduce the solution of the mixed boundary value problem into a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. The limiting case of a penny-shaped crack in a piezoelectric medium with energetically consistent boundary conditions over the crack faces is extracted for the first time. The electrical discharge phenomenon within the crack gap is modeled utilizing a non-linear constitutive law and the effects of the breakdown field on the... 

This paper presents a neuro-predictive controller for temperature control of automotive air conditioning system. A numerical model for the automotive refrigeration cycle, which includes transient operating conditions, has been employed in simulations. In this model, which has been created from numerous laboratory tests on a typical passenger car, the vehicle is divided into two linked modules representing the air conditioning (A/C) system as well as the passenger compartment climate. Moreover, the thermal loads have been considered. This system demonstrates variable and large time delays, which is the case in reality. The simulation results show good performance of the proposed controller. ©... 

The practicality of robust model predictive control of systems with model uncertainties depends on the time consumed for solving a defined optimization problem. This paper presents a method for the computational complexity reduction in a robust model predictive control. First a scaled state vector is defined such that the objective function contours in the defined optimization problem become vertical or horizontal ellipses or circles, and then the control input is determined at each sampling time as a state feedback that minimizes the infinite horizon objective function by solving some linear matrix inequalities. The simulation results show that the number of iterations to solve the problem... 

This paper presents a robust model predictive control algorithm with a time-varying terminal constraint set for systems with model uncertainty and input constraints. In this algorithm, the nonlinear system is approximated by a linear model where the approximation error is considered as an unstructured uncertainty that can be represented by a Lipschitz nonlinear function. A continuum of terminal constraint sets is constructed off-line, and robust stability is achieved on-line by using a variable control horizon. This approach significantly reduces the computational complexity. The proposed robust model predictive controller with a terminal constraint set is used in tracking set-points for... 

This paper presents some computationally efficient algorithms for online tracking of set points in robust model predictive control context subject to state and input constraints. The nonlinear systems are represented by a linear model along with an additive nonlinear term which is locally Lipschitz. As an unstructured uncertainty, this term is replaced in the robust stability constraint by its Lipschitz coefficient. A scheduled control technique is employed to transfer the system to desired set points, given online, by designing local robust model predictive controllers. This scheme includes estimating the regions of feasibility and stability of the related equilibriums and online switching... 

In the present paper, the use of a novel carbon paste electrode modified by N,N'(2,3-dihydroxybenzylidene)-1,4-phenylenediamine (DHBPD) and TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by a simple and rapid method for the determination of dopamine (DA) was described. In the first part of the work, cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the redox properties of this modified electrode at various solution pH values and at various scan rates. A linear segment was found with slope value of about 48 mV/pH in the pH range 2.0 -12.0. The apparent charge transfer rate constant (ks) and transfer coefficient (α) for electron transfer between DHBPD and TiO2 nanoparticles-carbon paste electrode were calculated. In... 

In the present paper, the use of a carbon paste electrode modified by 2,2′-[1,2 buthanediylbis (nitriloethylidyne)]-bis-hydroquinone (BH) and TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by a simple and rapid method was described. The modified electrode showed an excellent character for electrocatalytic oxidization of norepinephrine (NE), acetaminophene (AC) and folic acid (FA). Using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), a highly selective and simultaneous determination of NE, AC and FA has been explored at the modified electrode. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) peak currents of NE, AC and FA increased linearly with their concentration at the ranges of 4.0-1100.0 μM, 12.5-500.0 μM and 200.0-3200.0 μM,... 

The problem of edge dislocation inside the wall of a multi-walled nanotube accounting for the surface effects is addressed. Within the framework of surface elasticity the stress field is obtained, using complex potentials. Furthermore, the stress field and image forces acting on the dislocation, with and without an account of the surface stress, are compared together and discussed