Search results for "Reliability and Quality"
showing 10 items of 386 documents
Epistemic uncertainty in fault tree analysis approached by the evidence theory
2012
Abstract Process plants may be subjected to dangerous events. Different methodologies are nowadays employed to identify failure events, that can lead to severe accidents, and to assess the relative probability of occurrence. As for rare events reliability data are generally poor, leading to a partial or incomplete knowledge of the process, the classical probabilistic approach can not be successfully used. Such an uncertainty, called epistemic uncertainty, can be treated by means of different methodologies, alternative to the probabilistic one. In this work, the Evidence Theory or Dempster–Shafer theory (DST) is proposed to deal with this kind of uncertainty. In particular, the classical Fau…
To what extent do our walking and cycling behaviours relate to each other, and do we cycle as well as we think we do? Piloting the Walking and Cyclin…
2022
Greater uptake of active transport has been argued as necessary for the transport system to achieve relevant sustainability and public health goals; however, the research tools used to investigate behaviour when using these modes are far less well-developed than those used to investigate driving behaviour. This study takes two self-report behavioural measures, the Walking Behaviour Questionnaire (WBQ) and the Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire (WBQ), and pilots them in the UK. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with data from 428 respondents revealed factor structures different to those described in the limited number of previous studies that used the CBQ and WBQ. Across both questio…
Emergent vulnerabilities in Integrated Operations: A proactive simulation study of economic risk
2009
Abstract The protection of critical infrastructure requires an understanding of the effects of change on current and future safety and operations. Vulnerabilities may emerge during the rollout of updated techniques and integration of new technology with existing work practices. Managers need to understand how their decisions, often focused on economic priorities, affect the dynamics of vulnerability over time. Such understanding is difficult to obtain, as the historical data typically used for decision support, prediction and forecasting may not be available. We report on the use of group model building and simulation to consider proactively the effects of a 10-year, multi-billion dollar mo…
Impact of Dietary Fiber Enrichment on the Sensory Characteristics and Acceptance of French Baguettes
2013
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consequences of dietary fiber (DF) enrichment in standard or superior quality French baguettes. Sensory characteristics of five experimental breads and seven commercial breads were described by a trained panel using a conventional sensory profile. The same set of breads was also evaluated by a panel of consumers who had to rate their expected liking based on the external appearance of a whole bread and then their perceived liking based on the tasting of a sample of that bread. DF enrichment was responsible for deterioration in the expected and perceived liking of breads. However, this deterioration was less substantial when the DF enrichment was…
Smartphone-based bridge monitoring through vehicle-bridge interaction: analysis and experimental assessment
2022
AbstractIn this study, the results of a vast experimental campaign on the applicability of a smartphone-based technique for bridge monitoring are presented. Specifically, the vehicle–bridge interaction (VBI)-based approach is exploited as a cost-effective means to estimate the natural frequencies of bridges, with the final aim of possibly developing low-cost and diffused infrastructure monitoring system. The analysis is performed using a common hybrid vehicle, fully equipped with classical piezoelectric accelerometers and a smartphone MEMS accelerometer, to record its vertical accelerations while passing over the bridge. In this regard, the experimental campaign is carried out considering t…
HPTLC Phenolic Profiles as Useful Tools for the Authentication of Honey
2018
The present study reveals the utility of high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) fingerprinting of phenolic constituents for the authentication of monofloral honeys. The obtained data enables a more complete assessment of honey quality and the identification of emerging threats to honey quality. The developed procedure facilitates differentiation of varietal honeys and detection of honey adulterations. We used an HPTLC fingerprint analysis to determine the characteristic patterns of different honey types (willow, buckwheat, heather, pine honeydew, and manuka honey). The HPTLC chromatograms were used to determine the differences in the botanical origin of the honey samples on the…
Can crumb rubber modifier effectively replace the use of polymer- modified bitumen in asphalt mixture?
2021
Laboratory scale mechanical performances on six plant produced mixtures; three semi-dense surface courses and three dense binder courses modified with engineered crumb rubber (ECR) using the dry process are presented. The two types of mixtures produced and investigated fulfilled for the most part, the requirements of the Swiss and/or US standards regarding volumetric properties, water sensitivity and rutting. In advanced testing where no requirements exist, the dense ECR mixtures performed similar to the reference polymer modified mixtures and slightly worse for semi-dense mixtures in high temperature tests, where the binder becomes viscous in the rubber-binder composite and its ability to …
Socio-economic inequalities in mortality due to injuries in small areas of ten cities in Spain (MEDEA Project).
2011
Abstract Objectives To analyse socio-economic inequalities in mortality due to injuries among census tracts of ten Spanish cities by sex and age in the period 1996–2003. Methods This is a cross-sectional ecological study where the units of analysis are census tracts. The study population consisted of people residing in the cities during the period 1996–2003. For each census tract we obtained an index of socio-economic deprivation, and estimated standardized mortality ratios using hierarchical Bayesian models which take into account the spatial structure of the data. Results In the majority of the cities, the geographical pattern of total mortality from injuries is similar to that of the soc…
Driver training interests of a Spanish sample of young drivers and its relationship with their self-assessment skills concerning risky driving behavi…
2013
Abstract Poor driving self-assessment skills (e.g., over-confidence) have been pointed out as an important explanatory factor behind young drivers’ accident involvement. This paper explores (1) what young drivers miss in their training as drivers in order to analyze whether an assessment of one's own driving skills plays an important role in their desire to improve as drivers, and (2) how these training interests are related to an estimate of their self-assessment skills concerning risky driving behavior. For this purpose, a study was conducted using a survey with a blocked sampling design of novice drivers. The survey solicited respondents’ self-report about (1) the contents of training co…
Acceptance of truck platooning by professional drivers on German highways. A mixed methods approach.
2020
Abstract Truck platoon driving is a current branch of automated driving, which has the potential to radically change the work routine of professional drivers. In a platoon system, one truck (semi-)automatically follows a lead truck with a reduced distance, which produces significant savings in fuel and enables better traffic flow. In a current application of truck platoon driving, the following vehicle operates at level-2 automation. Thus, the driver of the following truck merely has to supervise the semi-automated system, which takes over steering and speed control when engaged. Level-2 truck platoon driving had not been tested with professional drivers in real traffic before. We hypothesi…