Passenger car equivalents (PCE) present a very important parameter for capacity calculation and road service level as well as a planning segment of road capacity. There are many ways of calculating PCE and most of them are based on Greenshield’s basic method. This paper studies the PCE calculation methodology and conditions under which it is applied. The first part of the paper is about role of PCE in analyzing traffic flow, and the rest of the paper is presenting methodologies for computation of PCE. Example of the latest method for determining PCE according to HCM-2010 is given in this paper. The goal of the research is presented by structural, parameter and functional analysis of methods. Further research directions of PCE are shown as well.

The paper describes the mechanical properties and the corrosion behaviour of three Al?Si alloys in 0.5 M NaCl solution. The alloys have exhibited similar values of hardness, but the highest tensile strength and the lowest elongation have shown the specimens of alloy with 11.38 % of silicon. Higher content of both copper and magnesium has contributed to better tensile strength and lower elongation of as-cast hypoeutectic alloys. The harmful effects of iron on mechanical properties of all alloys have been reduced to some extent by nickel and cobalt addition. The differences in the values of the open circuit potential of the examined alloys were insignificant. The thickness of the protective oxide layer has increased over time, and the layer has become very compact. Slight differences in the values of the corrosion potential of the alloys were determined, whereas the lowest value of the corrosion current was indicated for the hypereutectic alloy. The presence of intermetallic phases in the alloys has shown that the oxide film was not consistent. The severe pits have not been found at the surface of the corroded samples. Based on the obtained results, the examined alloys may be used for the manufacturing of the internal combustion engine parts.

BackgroundConflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) was committed on a large scale against women across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) during the 1990’s war, and research has shown both negative and positive psychosocial outcomes following such acts of interpersonal violence. We aim to determine the capacity for posttraumatic growth (PTG) among a population of women who experienced CRSV, and to what extent it is impacted by factors such as coping and optimism.MethodsThis study sought to examine the relationship between PTG (posttraumatic growth inventory), symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Harvard Trauma Questionnaire) and dispositional factors such as coping (COPE) and optimism (Life-Orientation Test-Revised) in a sample of n = 104 women. We first conducted bivariate correlations and then hierarchical linear regression analyses, and hypothesized that approach coping strategies and optimism will act to enhance PTG.ResultsFindings showed that the average total score for PTG in this study was 58.94 (SD = 23.01), and current PTSD symptomatology above a threshold of > 2.5 was detected in 92.3% (n = 96) participants (mean score 3.18, SD = .45). Bivariate correlations showed that higher levels of PTG were associated with greater optimism, greater approach coping strategies positive reinterpretation and planning, and lower avoidance strategies behavioural disengagement and substance use. When entered into a regression model, only positive reinterpretation and behavioural disengagement remained, the R-square of the total set of predictors was 0.16, thus explaining 16% of PTG total score.ConclusionTwo types of coping (namely capacity of both greater positive reinterpretation and lower behavioural disengagement) most strongly predicted growth after trauma in this sample of CRSV survivors from BiH. These dimensions of coping confirm the role of coping strategies in the development of PTG. Further research would be useful in corroborating these findings in other post-conflict settings, and delving further into the possibility of a dual mechanism of growth and distress after CRSV.

Designing the Invisible provides a foundational collection of the main definitions, theories, and concepts necessary for understanding and learning about the Service Design field. The main aim of t...

We study the problem of maximizing privacy of data sets by adding random vectors generated via synchronized chaotic oscillators. In particular, we consider the setup where information about data sets, queries, is sent through public (unsecured) communication channels to a remote station. To hide private features (specific entries) within the data set, we corrupt the response to queries by adding random vectors. We send the distorted query (the sum of the requested query and the random vector) through the public channel. The distribution of the additive random vector is designed to minimize the mutual information (our privacy metric) between private entries of the data set and the distorted query. We cast the synthesis of this distribution as a convex program in the probabilities of the additive random vector. Once we have the optimal distribution, we propose an algorithm to generate pseudo-random realizations from this distribution using trajectories of a chaotic oscillator. At the other end of the channel, we have a second chaotic oscillator, which we use to generate realizations from the same distribution. Note that if we obtain the same realizations on both sides of the channel, we can simply subtract the realization from the distorted query to recover the requested query. To generate equal realizations, we need the two chaotic oscillators to be synchronized, i.e., we need them to generate exactly the same trajectories on both sides of the channel synchronously in time. We force the two chaotic oscillators into exponential synchronization using a driving signal. Simulations are presented to illustrate our results.

Our second issue of ACM THRI this year brings together another collection of insightful and thoughtful articles pushing the boundaries of thought in Human-Robot Interaction. Furthering ideas at the meeting of HRI and artificial intelligence, our first article, from Heard et al., presents a human workload assessment algorithm to enable dynamic task allocation that improves the collective performance of human-robot teams. Stefanov et al. use artificial neural networks for the generation of robot gaze directions in dialogues including multiple individuals that analyze human behavior across combinations of movement and speech signals. The middle section of this issue focuses on the perspectives of older adults and their acceptance of robotic technology. Yeh et al. deliver findings that that can improve acceptance of robots through establishing personal relevance, even though such populations tend to have more negative initial reactions to robots. Jung and Ludden explored the potential for robotic exoskeletons to be accepted by older adults as viable mobility aids, yielding insights that will be important for the design of usable devices with this technology. The