Automotive Laminated Side Glazing Rollover Performance When Subjected to Roadway Abrasion and Occupant Loading

Destructive testing of commercial automotive movable laminated side glass was conducted to document the occupant retention characteristics of this glazing system in quarter-roll crashes with a prolonged slide distance. That is, in some overturns a vehicle will slide to a halt on its side with a window adjacent both to an occupant’s position and to the moving roadway. It is known by field experience that this situation can result in injurious ejection of the occupant through the adjacent window if the window is constructed of tempered glass and the window has fractured. When tempered glass fractures, the window disintegrates and fully opens the portal. With the laminated side glazing that is used on some passenger vehicles, fracture of the inboard and outboard glass plies will not necessarily cause the “sandwiched” PVB interlayer to be compromised. This PVB interlayer allows the glass plies to remain in place and resist the sliding interaction. This diminishes the ejection hazard that is associated with tempered side glass. The three drag tests described within this technical paper used a single model of sport utility vehicle driver’s position door and factory installed laminated side door glass. The testing replicated the interaction of the exterior surface of the laminated glass against the moving roadway while the glazing was pre-fractured and the interior glass ply was subjected to significant simulated occupant loading. These conditions ensured contact of the exterior glass ply against the moving abrasive roadway. The detached and slightly modified driver’s door was pulled at near highway speed over a substantial distance against abrasive asphalt, simulating a rollover accident with the side of the vehicle sliding to halt. The results of these tests show that the exterior surface of the glazing, primarily consisting of the hard ceramic SiO2, is sufficiently wear resistant and durable to wear but not rupture or pull out of the peripheral channel. This testing shows that laminated glass is the superior glazing material for this accident mode from an occupant containment perspective.

Professional development in the creative industries: Methods and insights from regional practitioners

Professional development for those pursuing a career in creative industries is typically driven by individual practitioners, given most areas (e.g. photography, design, film) do not require membership with a regulatory organisation or evidence of continuing skills development. For those based regionally, opportunities for professional development are also less available than for those in capital cities. This paper reports on the findings of a survey (N = 151) and follow-up interviews (N = 29) with current creative industries practitioners in the regional city of Townsville in northern Australia, in relation to professional development opportunities and issues faced as a result of being located a substantial distance from the nearest capital city. The findings reveal a range of key challenges for regional practitioners due to distance and access to specialists in the field, yet at the same time a number of opportunities for those who display human agency and who are agentic learners.

Unusual Deviation of the Main Foramen from the Root Apex

The relationship of the main foramen to the anatomic root apex has been the subject of several studies. Although they are anatomically close, they rarely coincide, and their distance can vary according to age or tooth type, ranging from 0.2 to 3.0 mm. The aim of this short communication was to evaluate the distance between the main foramen of independent middle mesial canals (MMCs) and the anatomical mesial root apex of mandibular first molars using the micro-computed tomography. Twenty-five mandibular first molars with MMCs were scanned (resolution of 9.9 µm), and the distance from its main foramen to the anatomical apex was evaluated. Overall, the distance ranged from 0.2 to 2.4 mm; however, in 3 specimens the distance was greater than 3 mm. This report demonstrates that the exit of the main foramen of the MMC varies considerably and could approach a substantial distance from the anatomical apex greater than previously reported in the literature.

Small size ionic heterogeneities in the human heart can attract rotors

Rotors occurring in the heart underlie the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias. Answering the question whether or not the location of rotors is related to local properties of cardiac tissue has important practical applications. This is because ablation of rotors has been shown to be an effective way to fight cardiac arrhythmias. In this study, we investigate, in silico, the dynamics of rotors in two-dimensional and in an anatomical model of human ventricles using a Ten Tusscher-Noble-Noble-Panfilov (TNNP) model for ventricular cells. We study the effect of small size ionic heterogeneities, similar to those measured experimentally. It is shown that such heterogeneities cannot only anchor, but can also attract, rotors rotating at a substantial distance from the heterogeneity. This attraction distance depends on the extent of the heterogeneities and can be as large as 5–6 cm in realistic conditions. We conclude that small size ionic heterogeneities can be preferred localization points for rotors and discuss their possible mechanism and value for applications.

Introduction

Opera has generally been regarded as an art of extravagance, dedicated to the melodramatic, the hyperbolic, the sentimental, a form of expression that prefers feeling to thought, sensation to reflection. Given its interest in producing effects that are overdrawn and exaggerated - at times, even kitschy - opera would seem to stand at a substantial distance from the cool formalism we often associate with modernism. Admittedly, the idea that modernism is detached and abstracted - presided over by a God indifferently paring his fingernails - has been justifiably challenged in recent years.

Effect of Simulated Wind-Driven Rain on Duration and Distance of Dispersal of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri from Canker-Infected Citrus Trees

Dynamics of dispersal of the bacteria that causes citrus canker (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri) were assessed in simulated wind-driven rain splash. The wind/rain-splash events were simulated using electric blowers to generate turbulent wind (15 to 20 m s-1) and sprayer nozzles to produce water droplets entrained in the wind flow. The splash was blown at an inoculum source of canker-infected trees 1 m downwind. The splash downwind of the source of the infected trees was collected by vertical panel samplers and funnel samplers. The duration over which bacteria were dispersed in spray was assessed in continuous wind at intervals from 0 to 52 h after commencing the simulated rain splash event. In one experiment on 11 February 2003, a total of 1.48 × 106 bacteria were collected by panels 1 m downwind from the inoculum source during the first 10 min of dispersal, but the numbers declined to 3.60 × 105 bacteria after 1 h and ranged between 1.42 × 105 and 1.93 × 104 up to 52 h. In a more detailed study (15 July 2003) of dispersal duration over 4 h, the greatest quantity of bacteria collected by panel samplers were dispersed in the first 5-min period (1.01 × 108 bacteria collected). By 10 min after initiation of dispersal, approximately one-third (3.09 × 107 bacteria collected) of the initial number was being dispersed, and by the end of the first hour, only one-tenth (1.31 × 107 bacteria collected) of the initial quantity was dispersed. Funnel samplers placed at ground level under the trees showed a similar trend. The distance to which bacteria were dispersed in wind-blown splash was also tested under simulated conditions: on 18 September 2003, bacteria were collected by panel samplers at all distances sampled (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 m) with the greatest number of bacteria deposited at 1 m (4.93 × 106 bacteria collected), while 2.22 × 103 bacteria were deposited over a 10-min period 12 m from the inoculum source. Wind speed declined from 19.5 m s-1 upwind of the trees to 2.8 m s-1 1 m downwind, and by 4 m downwind from the inoculum source, movement was similar to the surrounding air. The data on duration and distance of dispersal were best described by power law regression models compared to exponential models. Citrus canker is readily dispersed in wind-driven rain and is dispersed in large quantities immediately after the stimulus occurs, upon which wind-driven splash can disperse inoculum over a prolonged period and over a substantial distance.

Distal projection of insufflated gas during tracheal gas insufflation

Tracheal gas insufflation (TGI) flushes expired gas from the ventilator circuitry and central airways, augmenting CO2 clearance. Whereas a significant portion of this washout effect may occur distal to the injection orifice, the penetration and mixing behavior of TGI gas has not been studied experimentally. We examined the behavior of 100% oxygen TGI injected at set flow rates of 1–20 l/min into a simulated trachea consisting of a smooth-walled, 14-mm-diameter tube. Models incorporating a separate coaxial TGI injector, a rough-walled trachea, and a bifurcated trachea were also studied. One-hundred percent nitrogen, representing expiratory flow, passed in the direction opposite to TGI at set flow rates of 1–25 l/min. Oxygen concentration within the “trachea” was mapped as a function of axial and radial position. Three consistent findings were observed: 1) mixing of expiratory and TGI gases occurred close to the TGI orifice; 2) the oxygenated domain extended several centimeters beyond the endotracheal tube, even at high-expiratory flows, but had a defined distal limit; and 3) more distally from the site of gas injection, the TGI gas tended to propagate along the tracheal wall, rather than as a central projection. We conclude that forward-directed TGI penetrates a substantial distance into the central airways, extending the compartment susceptible to CO2 washout.

Dynamics of Non-equilibrium Short-wave-length Phonons in Semiconductor Heterostructures

The behavior of short-wave-length acoustic phonons in the vicinity of a quantum well in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure has been investigated. Hot two-dimensional electrons in the well produce longitudinal optical phonons, which decay into almost monoenergetic short-wave-length longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons. The latter undergo elastic scattering and down-conversion into transverse acoustic (TA) phonons. The distribution of the LA and TA phonons over frequency and distance to the well have been found by solving semi-analytically a system of two kinetic equations with nontrivial boundary conditions and nonlinear dispersion. The distribution functions have essentially non-temperature form even at substantial distance from the well.

Nest utilisation and recognition by juvenile gryllacridids (Orthoptera : Gryllacrididae)

Gryllacridid ensiferans (Orthoptera : Gryllacrididae) appear to display a degree of nest-site fidelity comparable to that of most social insects. The nesting behaviour of juvenile gryllacridids was studied to determine when nests were first built and whether juveniles were able to subsequently recognise their own nests. Additionally, the hypothesis that juvenile gryllacridids could orient to their nest over distance by chemical means was examined via a directional choice experiment within a simple olfactometer. Juveniles of a known ‘nest-building’ gryllacridid constructed nests within days of hatching, reflecting current ideas that nesting is an integral component of gryllacridid biology. Such nests were occupied preferentially over extended periods. Furthermore, individual juveniles were capable of recognising their own nest from that of their conspecifics. Such a result supports recent findings of an individual/nest-specific chemical odour amongst adult gryllacridids. However, the results provide no evidence that juvenile gryllacridids are able to detect the presence of their own nest over any substantial distance and some mechanism other than chemically based orientation is necessary to explain the apparent homing ability of these orthopterans.

Resource partitioning between coyotes and swift foxes: space, time, and diet

In its current distribution and abundance, the swift fox (Vulpes velox) has been significantly reduced from its historic range. A possible cause is competition with, and predation by, coyotes (Canis latrans). We investigated the level of spatial, temporal, and dietary resource use overlap between swift foxes and coyotes at the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeastern Colorado. We captured and radio-tracked 73 foxes and 24 coyotes from April 1997 to August 1998. We collected 10 832 and 5350 locations of foxes and coyotes, respectively. Overall, home-range sizes of foxes and coyotes were 7.6 ± 0.5 (mean ± SE) and 19.8 ± 1.9 km2, respectively. A high degree of interspecies spatial overlap was apparent, with fox home ranges being overlapped by coyote home ranges by as much as 100% and coyote sign (tracks and scats) being evident in all swift fox home ranges. There was no evidence of temporal avoidance of coyotes in fox movement patterns. Coyotes traveled significantly farther than foxes during diurnal hours; foxes spent the majority of diurnal hours in or on top of dens. Coyotes and foxes showed a high index of overlap for dietary resources, although some dietary partitioning was apparent. Swift foxes specialized in small prey, such as insects and rodents, while coyotes used greater proportions of large prey, such as lagomorphs and ungulates. Interference competition was evident, with 48% (12/25) of fox mortalities identified as confirmed or probable coyote-caused deaths. In each case, death occurred outside either the fox's home range or the 85% isopleth of that range, indicating that coyotes are more likely to attack a fox successfully when it is a substantial distance from a den. We propose that swift foxes are able to coexist with coyotes, owing to year-round den use and a degree of dietary partitioning.