Agent-based Traffic Operator Training Environments for Evacuation Scenarios

Realistic simulation environments play a vital role in the effective training of traffic controllers to respond to large-scale events such as natural disasters or terrorist threats. BAE SYSTEMS is developing a training environment that comprises of: a physical traffic control centre environment, a 3D visualisation and a traffic behaviour model. In this paper, we describe how an agent-based approach has been essential in the development of the traffic operator training environment, especially for constructing the required behavioural models. The simulator has been applied to an evacuation scenario, for which an agent-based model has been developed which models a variety of relevant driver evacuation behaviours. These unusual behaviours have been observed occurring in real-life evacuations but to date have not been incorporated in traffic simulators. In addition, our agent-based approach includes flexibility within the simulator to respond to the variety of decisions traffic controllers can make, as well as achieving a strong degree of control for the scenario manager

Modelling Driver Interdependent Behaviour in Agent-Based Traffic Simulations for Disaster Management

Accurate modelling of driver behaviour in evacuations is vitally important in creating realistic training environments for disaster management. However, few current models have satisfactorily incorporated the variety of factors that affect driver behaviour. In particular, the interdependence of driver behaviours is often seen in real-world evacuations, but is not represented in current state-of-the art traffic simulators. To address this shortcoming, we present an agent-based behaviour model based on the social forces model of crowds. Our model uses utility-based path trees to represent the forces which affect a driver's decisions. We demonstrate, by using a metric of route similarity, that our model is able to reproduce the real-life evacuation behaviour whereby drivers follow the routes taken by others. The model is compared to the two most commonly used route choice algorithms, that of quickest route and real-time re-routing, on three road networks: an artificial "ladder" network, and those of Lousiana, USA and Southampton, UK. When our route choice forces model is used our measure of route similarity increases by 21%-93%. Furthermore, a qualitative comparison demonstrates that the model can reproduce patterns of behaviour observed in the 2005 evacuation of the New Orleans area during Hurricane Katrina

Effect of disorder on condensation in the lattice gas model on a random graph

The lattice gas model of condensation in a heterogeneous pore system, represented by a random graph of cells, is studied using an exact analytical solution. A binary mixture of pore cells with different coordination numbers is shown to exhibit two phase transitions as a function of chemical potential in a certain temperature range. Heterogeneity in interaction strengths is demonstrated to reduce the critical temperature and, for large enough degree of disorder, divides the cells into ones which are either on average occupied or unoccupied. Despite treating the pore space loops in a simplified manner, the random-graph model provides a good description of condensation in porous structures containing loops. This is illustrated by considering capillary condensation in a structural model of mesoporous silica SBA-15.Comment: 22 pages, 16 figure

Ice Scours in the Sediments of Glacial Lake Iroquois, Prince Edward County, Eastern Ontario

Straight or slightly curved ice scours are found in thin glacilacustrine sediment of eastern Lake Iroquois, especially near the crest of an escarpment in Prince Edward County. They are large (to 3.57 km long and 174 m wide), shallow (about 1 m deep) and oriented in a nearly westerly direction. Irregular ridges of sediment have been pushed up along the sides and at the western end of some scours. Bedrock is near the ground surface, but had little influence on the formation of the scours. Based on their shape, location and pattern, we conclude that the scours were most likely formed in shallow water of the short-lived Sydney phase of Lake Iroquois by lake ice driven by prevailing northeasterly winds from the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet.On trouve des sillons glaciels, rectilignes ou courbes, dans des sédiments lacustres de l'est du Lac Iroquois, en particulier près du sommet d'un escarpement dans le comté de Prince Edward. Ces sillons sont larges (jusqu'à 3,57 km de longueur et 174 m de largeur), peu profonds (environ 1 m) et orientés vers l'ouest. Des bourrelets irréguliers de sédiments apparaissent en bordure et à l'extrémité ouest de quelques dépressions. Le substratrum affleure presque, mais a eu peu d'influence sur la formation des sillons. En se fondant sur leur forme, leur emplacement et leur agencement, on en conclut que les sillons ont été formés dans les eaux peu profondes du Lac Iroquois au cours de la courte phase de Sydney, par les glaces du lac poussées par les vents dominants du nord-est, en provenance de l'Inlandsis laurentidien alors en retrait.,1EZlOBbIE B0P03Zlbl B HAHOCAX 3AMEP3lilErO HP0KE3CK0r0 03EPA. TPAOCTBO nPMHU 3ZtBAPZl. BOCTOMHbM OHTAPHO. B TOHKHX JieaOBblX HaHOCaX B BOCTOi-lHOH HacTH Hpok-e3Ckoro 03epa ocoôeHHO pa/ioM c rpefiHeM KpyToro ck'JioHa rpa(|)CTBa flpnnu dnsapn MOAHO na6^ioziaTb npSMbie tum cnerka HSBHBaiolilnecn .neaoBbie 6opo3AU. OHM HMeioT fkyibunie pa3Mepw (no 3.57 KM B JWHHy H 174 M B mnpnHyi. MCAKM H opueH TnpoBanbi npenMylilecTBeHHO Ha 3anaa. HepeperyjiapHbie rpefJHH HaHocoB HaxoflflT-CJi no fjoKaM H B 3anaziHbix OKOHLiaHiiax HeKOTopwx 6opo3/j. HecMOTpa Ha TO. MTO nopo/ia HaxoziHTCfi 6^H3KO OT noBepxHocTH rpyHTa. eë B^nflnne Ha (|K>pMnpoBaHHe mix 6opo34 HeBCiHKO. Ha ocHOBaHiin (tjopMbl, pacnano*eHHfl H piicyHKa 5opo3/t /icnaeTC" BUBO/1, MTO OHH. CKOpee BCerO. f)W/lH ClpOpMHpOBaHbl B MeJIKHX BOZiaX MpOKe3CKOrO 03epa BO BpeMfl KopoTkOH (ba3bi Cn/iHeiï nozi B03,aeHCTBi(eM 03ëpnoro j\t>j\a, HaitccetiHoro /lOMHHHpyiOlilHMH CeBepOBOCTOMHhlMH BeTpaMH OT OTcTynaioUJero /laBpenTHitcKoro MaTepnKOBoro neaHHKa

Capillary condensation in one-dimensional irregular confinement

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Amino Acids and Peptides. XIV, Synthesis of a Tetrapeptide Sequence (A5-A8) of Glucagon

Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305A synthesis of the tetrapeptide sequence A5-A8 of glucagon is described that employs various blocking groups, coupling procedures, and routes

The Anisotropic Bak-Sneppen model

The Bak-Sneppen model is shown to fall into a different universality class with the introduction of a preferred direction, mirroring the situation in spin systems. This is first demonstrated by numerical simulations and subsequently confirmed by analysis of the multitrait version of the model, which admits exact solutions in the extremes of zero and maximal anisotropy. For intermediate anisotropies, we show that the spatiotemporal evolution of the avalanche has a power law `tail' which passes through the system for any non-zero anisotropy but remains fixed for the isotropic case, thus explaining the crossover in behaviour. Finally, we identify the maximally anisotropic model which is more tractable and yet more generally applicable than the isotropic system

Epidemics in Networks of Spatially Correlated Three-dimensional Root Branching Structures

Using digitized images of the three-dimensional, branching structures for root systems of bean seedlings, together with analytical and numerical methods that map a common 'SIR' epidemiological model onto the bond percolation problem, we show how the spatially-correlated branching structures of plant roots affect transmission efficiencies, and hence the invasion criterion, for a soil-borne pathogen as it spreads through ensembles of morphologically complex hosts. We conclude that the inherent heterogeneities in transmissibilities arising from correlations in the degrees of overlap between neighbouring plants, render a population of root systems less susceptible to epidemic invasion than a corresponding homogeneous system. Several components of morphological complexity are analysed that contribute to disorder and heterogeneities in transmissibility of infection. Anisotropy in root shape is shown to increase resilience to epidemic invasion, while increasing the degree of branching enhances the spread of epidemics in the population of roots. Some extension of the methods for other epidemiological systems are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure