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To cover the problem of dangerous state prediction ahead of vehicle rollover and rescue the vehicle under abrupt cornering condition, a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) merged robust control is developed to balance the vehicle ride comfort and handling performance. To discretize the automobile state attributes and prepare for the prediction, class attribute contingency coefficient (CACC) is adopted to pre-process the data conveniently and establish the category labels. The key contributions of this paper are efficient rollover prediction with probabilistic and numerical representation, a mapping rule from rollover probabilities to T–S fuzzy membership values, and an intelligent objective switchable control between ride comfort and roll stability. The co-simulation method is adopted to verify the effectiveness of this method with passive suspension, semi-active suspension, and optimal control active suspension. It is shown that the DBN-based robust control is able to reduce the roll angle by more than 27% compared to the passive suspension under double-lane change condition and has the best balancing performance. From the perspective of ride comfort testing on bounce sinusoidal roads, the vehicle DBN incorporating robust controllers can effectively reject vibrations and switch control objectives based on its running conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides insights into differences in carsharing users' attitudes, motives for joining carsharing, and transport behaviour between users with and without another car at their disposal. It builds on revealed and stated data about members of the oldest carsharing company in the Czech Republic. Carsharing adopters without a car utilise shared cars more intensively than carsharing users with a car available in their household. On the other hand, unlike the second group, they drive fewer kilometres by car in total. The car availability in households also influences the shift in car use after joining carsharing. The sale of a car thanks to adopting carsharing is a factor leading to a decrease in overall car use. Those who have a car at their disposal within their household have a lower probability of decreasing kilometres driven after joining carsharing. Households without an additional car available seem to be less car-dependent on average than those utilising carsharing as a second or third car. They tend to be more environmentally conscious and more inclined towards policies supporting alternative modes and restricting private car use, although both groups share these beliefs. The findings open a debate over whether carsharing increases the legitimacy of restrictive transport measures against private car ownership and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of automobiles in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." It discusses how automobiles became cultural signs in the 1930s, reflecting social class distinctions and cultural shifts during the Great Depression. It also explores how automobiles acted as vehicles for westward mobility but also revealed the limitations and gender dynamics within the family and delves into the symbolism of automobiles as technology and machinery.

Given the increasing competition and the impact of digital media in the automobile industry, dealerships need to understand the antecedents of customer happiness and brand love. The goals of the study are to analyse the combined influence of the cognitive and affective drivers of brand love for high-involvement products and its effects on behavioural intentions, paying special attention to the moderating role of susceptibility to information posted on social media. Using a sample of 317 Jordanian car buyers, a structural model is tested that confirms that the sales consultant’s empathy is a strong predictor of customer happiness during a car purchase and a stronger predictor of his/her trust in the car dealership. Happiness and trust translate into greater brand love, which in turn can generate resistance towards negative information posted on social media; positive electronic word-of-mouth; and willingness to pay more. Happiness fully mediated the relationship between empathy and car brand love. The effect of the impact of the perceived empathy of salespeople on customer happiness was stronger for consumers with low susceptibility to information posted on social media. This work expands the academic knowledge of the direct mediating and moderating effects of brand love.

In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations on Clean Energy, Sustainable Industrialization and Climate Change, there is an urgent call on Africa to decarbonize transportation. Achieving these goals requires that Africa grows its current, largely, non-existent EV fleet to a reasonable level in the near future, to counter harmful emissions from fossil fuel vehicles. This paper discusses the opportunities available to African entrepreneurs on investing in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. It also discusses the factors militating against the establishment of a viable automotive sector. To exploit the opportunities offered despite the limitations, the paper advocates a paradigm shift from the conventional vehicle assembly of foreign vehicles to one in which African original designs are made in low-cost, low-volume vehicle manufacturing plants consisting of general-purpose workshop equipment and intensive labour such that the whole value chain for vehicle manufacturing is developed

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy requires the removal of non-resonant background (NRB) to ensure spectral accuracy and quality. This study introduces a deep-learning-based algorithm that leverages its enhanced capability for NRB removal and spectra retrieval. A generative adversarial network is trained using simulated noisy CARS data, enabling straightforward analysis of real CARS spectra obtained from pork belly and living mice brains. The results highlight the algorithm's ability to accurately extract vibrational information in the CH region. Importantly, this method eliminates the need for additional experimental measurements or extensive data preprocessing or postprocessing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lead is one of the most nonessential toxic heavy metal agents found in automotive garages. The occupational exposure of garage workers to lead commonly poses acute and chronic health risks that can be prevented. In Ethiopia, there have been limited studies on lead exposure among garage workers, who overemphasize exposure to lead. This study aimed to assess occupational blood lead levels and associated factors in garage workers using a cross-sectional comparative design. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study design was used to compare the occupational blood lead levels of 36 randomly selected garage workers and 34 office workers who were matched by age and sex. Blood specimens were collected by trained medical laboratory experts. The collected blood samples were tested in a certified laboratory using a microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES) device at a wavelength of 405.78 nm. Excel and SPSS Version 26 were used for data management and analysis, respectively. Results: The mean (SD) age of the exposed group was 39.0 (7.5) years, whereas the mean age of the unexposed group was 38.0 (6.1) years. The occupational mean (SD) blood-lead-level in the exposed groups was 29.7 (12.2) µg/dl, compared to 14.8 (9.9) µg/dl among the unexposed groups. The mean blood-lead level among the exposed workers was significantly different from that among the unexposed workers (P < 0.01). Of all the study participants, only 22.2% of the exposed groups had blood lead levels higher than the World Health Organization's recommended limit of 40 µg/dl. The main significant predictors of occupational blood-lead-level exposure among workers were extra working hours, service years, and having a previous (prior) employment history in a garage. The occupations of the two groups did not significantly differ in terms of blood-lead levels (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The BLL of the Garage workers was significantly greater than that of the Non-Garage workers. Hence, it is advised that garage management should encourage workers to use exposure prevention methods, such as washing their hands before eating and taking showers after the completion of work, by providing regular occupational safety training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells has achieved unprecedented response rates in patients with certain hematological malignancies, this therapeutic modality is still far from fulfilling its remarkable potential, especially in the context of solid cancers. Antigen escape variants, off-tumor destruction of healthy tissues expressing tumorassociated antigens (TAAs), poor CAR-T cell persistence, and the occurrence of functional exhaustion represent some of the most prominent hurdles that limit CAR-T cell ability to induce long-lasting remissions with a tolerable adverse effect profile. In this review, we summarize the main approaches that have been developed to face such bottlenecks, including the adapter CAR (AdCAR) system, Boolean-logic gating, epitope editing, the modulation of cell-intrinsic signaling pathways, and the incorporation of safety switches to precisely control CAR-T cell activation. We also discuss the most pressing issues pertaining to the selection of co-stimulatory domains, with a focus on strategies aimed at promoting CAR-T cell persistence and optimal antitumor functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the upright balancing performance of the two-wheeled self-balancing car, this paper proposes an attitude estimation algorithm based on fuzzy Kalman filtering. Fuzzy logic is used to correct the inclination angle and angular velocity of the two-wheeled self-balancing car, thereby optimizing the state of the Kalman filter and ultimately improving the balancing performance of the car. This paper combines dual closed-loop PID control with the complementary filtering algorithm, Kalman filtering algorithm, and fuzzy Kalman filtering algorithm to conduct experiments on a physical two-wheeled self-balancing car. The experimental results validate the superiority of the fuzzy Kalman filtering algorithm proposed in this paper for improving the upright balancing performance of the two-wheeled self-balancing car. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Arabia aims to build a sustainable and diversified economy by 2030. The automotive industry presents a key opportunity to achieve these goals through localization and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. This research analyzes the impact of a developed localized production model for the automotive industry. The model promotes economic sustainability through domestic manufacturing, job creation and reduced oil dependence; environmental sustainability via the Industry 4.0 approach, which enhances customization, and social sustainability by developing human capital, transferring advanced technologies and stimulating job creation, thereby balancing the three spheres of sustainability. To attain the aim of the research, data were collected from 106 Saudi automobile companies. For the data collection, a questionnaire was designed, and authentication was performed according to the average level of use of Industry 4.0 and analysis of the level of implementation of the developed localized production model for the automotive industry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results shows that large automobile companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are employing the developed localized production model more than medium and smaller automobile companies, and as a result of this model employment, automobile companies' customer satisfaction through customization and revenue has improved in an agile and lean manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous driving is an area that has been growing in recent years. However, cars are unprepared to cooperate with others nearby, wasting resources and computational power. Thus, cooperative autonomous driving reveals its importance in the future. In this work-in-progress paper, we define, implement and test an architecture for a simulation environment where cooperative autonomous driving protocols can be tested. Additionally, a Manoeuvre Negotiation Protocol is implemented. This protocol will make an existing autonomous driving (AD) stack more resilient in real driving scenarios, improving its robustness and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While reflective supervision and trauma-informed care are often implemented separately within early care and education (ECE) settings, there is meaningful intersection between these two approaches that may support ongoing efforts to support young children who have experienced trauma. The current study presents secondary analysis of qualitative data from three focus groups with 11 ECE supervisors who attended a reflective supervision training, paired with reflective consultation. ECE supervisors who engaged in a reflective supervision training noted shifts in experience and practice that intersect with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA's) six principles of trauma-informed care: 1) safety, 2) trustworthiness and transparency, 3) peer support, 4) collaboration and mutuality, 5) empowerment, voice, and choice, and 6) cultural, historical, and gender issues. Reflective supervision may serve as an effective tool for organizations to invest in trauma-informed care, which creates a space for teachers to engage in relational learning. This investment can lead to enhanced support for young children, especially those who have experienced trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the US Air Force stresses reducing facility life-cycle costs in its design of air bases, supporting infrastructure including roads and utility lines is not figured into cost calculations. As such, the Air Force's current base design maximizes passive protections against outmoded attacks, often to the detriment of supporting infrastructure cost. By exploring how air base design will be altered when supporting infrastructure considerations are paired with updated adversarial attack scenarios, this study proposes a modernized base design that is more cost efficient and more effective at mitigating adversary attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Children are vulnerable to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, especially those with lower socioeconomic status. This study assesses the changes in prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in SHS exposure in children younger than 12 years old in Spain between 2016 and 2019. METHODS We conducted two cross-sectional studies among representative samples of households with children aged <12 years in Spain, in 2016 (n=2411) and 2019 (n=2412). Families were interviewed to assess children's SHS exposure in private settings and outdoor public venues and their adoption of home and car smoke-free rules. We used the education level of the home main earner as a proxy for socioeconomic position. Changes over time in the prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities of SHS exposure and smoke-free rules were estimated through adjusted Poisson regression models with robust variance according to sociodemographic covariates (adjusted prevalence ratios, APRs). RESULTS In 2019, 70.5% of children were exposed to SHS in Spain. No changes between 2016 and 2019 were found for overall SHS exposure, exposure at home, and at school entrances. SHS exposure increased at public transport stations (APR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.03-1.49) and outdoor hospitality venues (APR=1.17; 95% CI: 1.07-1.29) while it decreased in cars (APR=0.74; 95% CI: 0.56-0.98) and parks (APR=0.87; 95% CI: 0.77-0.98). Households with lower education level had higher prevalence of SHS exposure at home in 2019 compared with those with university studies (primary: APR=1.30; 95% CI: 1.11-1.51; secondary: APR=1.12; 95% CI: 1.00-1.25) and were less likely to adopt home indoor smoke-free rules (primary: APR=0.88; 95% CI: 0.79-0.99; secondary: APR=0.95; 95% CI: 0.89-1.02). Socioeconomic inequalities in SHS exposure at home persisted between 2016 and 2019 (p>0.05), while decreased in smoke-free rules in cars (p=0.039). CONCLUSIONS Reported SHS exposure among children in Spain remained high between 2016 and 2019. Inequalities persisted at home, highlighting the need for measures to reduce such exposure with an equity perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that informal workers in developing countries are exposed to occupational health problems (OHPs), and they work unsafely. However, little is known about how their religious beliefs influence their safety behavior at the workplace. This study explores the interaction between the automobile artisans' religious beliefs and their workplace safety behavior. Forty three male artisans (either Christian: n = 17; or Muslim: n = 26) were purposively interviewed. Even though their religious teachings are against risk-taking, the artisans took risks at their workplace. Specific programs like seminars and various outreaches for workers in religious settings influence their perception of OHP prevention. Religious organizations have a role to play in OHP prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]