Design and Evaluate Coordinated Ramp Metering Strategies for Utah Freeways

MPC-641During the past few decades, ramp metering control has been widely implemented in many U.S. states, including Utah. Numerous studies and applications have demonstrated that ramp metering control is an effective strategy to reduce overall freeway congestion by managing the amount of traffic entering the freeway. Ramp metering controllers can be implemented as coordinated or uncoordinated systems. Currently, Utah freeway on-ramps are operated in an uncoordinated way. Despite improvements to the operational efficiency of mainline flows, uncoordinated ramp metering will inevitably create additional delays to the ramp flows. Therefore, this project aims to assist the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) in deploying coordinated ramp metering systems and evaluating the performance of deployed systems. First, we leverage a method to identify existing freeway bottlenecks using current UDOT datasets, including PeMs and ClearGuide. Based on this, we select the site that may benefit from coordinated ramp metering from those determined locations. A VISSIM model is then developed for this selected corridor and the VISSIM model is calibrated based on collected traffic flow data. We apply the calibrated VISSIM model to conduct simulations to evaluate system performance under different freeway mainline congestion levels. Finally, the calibrated VISSIM model is leveraged to evaluate the coordinated ramp metering strategy of the bottleneck algorithm from both operational and safety aspects

Three-dimensional reconstruction optimization of tunnel face and intelligent extraction of discontinuity orientation based on binocular stereo vision

In the process of grading and dynamically optimizing the design and construction parameters of the surrounding rock mass of a rock tunnel face, efficiently and accurately acquiring the geometrical parameters of the rock discontinuities is an important basic task. To address the problems of time consuming, low accuracy, and high danger associated with traditional methods of obtaining the structural information of rock mass, this paper proposes a method for three-dimensional reconstruction and intelligent information extraction of tunnel face based on binocular stereo vision (BSV). First, the parallel binocular device with a single camera was improved, calibrated using the checkerboard calibration method. By integrating with the semi-global matching algorithm, the BSV based method for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the rock mass of the tunnel face was optimized. Furthermore, based on the results from on-site engineering applications, this study leveraged two parameters, point cloud density and algorithm runtime, to determine the optimal values for the disparity range and window size parameters within the semi-global stereo matching algorithm. This enhancement improved the performance of the 3D reconstruction method based on binocular stereo vision. Finally, efficient and refined intelligent methods for extracting structural parameters of the rock mass were proposed based on k-nearest neighbor search and kernel density estimation. The research results can provide reliable technical support for the intelligent and efficient acquisition of rock mass structural information in rock tunnel engineering faces

Identification of a novel prognostic and therapeutic prediction model in clear cell renal carcinoma based on Renin-angiotensin system related genes

BackgroundClear cell renal cell carcinoma is the most predominant type of renal malignancies, characterized by high aggressiveness and probability of distant metastasis. Renin angiotensin system (RAS) plays a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance within the human body, and its involvement in tumorigenesis is increasingly being uncovered, while its role in ccRCC remains unclear.MethodsWGCNA was used to identify RAS related genes. Machine learning was applied to screen hub genes for constructing risk model, E-MTAB-1980 dataset was used for external validation. Transwell and CCK8 assays were used to investigate the impact of SLC6A19 to ccRCC cells.ResultsSLC6A19, SLC16A12 and SMIM24 were eventually screened to construct risk model and the predictive efficiency for prognosis was validated by internal and external cohorts. Moreover, the differences were found in pathway enrichment, immune cell infiltration, mutational landscapes and drug prediction between high and low risk groups. Experimental results indicated that SLC6A19 could inhibit invasion and proliferation of ccRCC cells and GSEA pinpointed that SLC6A19 was intimately correlated with fatty acid metabolism and CPT1A.ConclusionThe risk model based on the three RAS-related genes have a robust ability to predict the prognosis and drug sensitivity of ccRCC patients, further providing a valid instruction for clinical care

Removal of Hepatitis B virus surface HBsAg and core HBcAg antigens using microbial fuel cells producing electricity from human urine

© 2019, The Author(s). Microbial electrochemical technology is emerging as an alternative way of treating waste and converting this directly to electricity. Intensive research on these systems is ongoing but it currently lacks the evaluation of possible environmental transmission of enteric viruses originating from the waste stream. In this study, for the first time we investigated this aspect by assessing the removal efficiency of hepatitis B core and surface antigens in cascades of continuous flow microbial fuel cells. The log-reduction (LR) of surface antigen (HBsAg) reached a maximum value of 1.86 ± 0.20 (98.6% reduction), which was similar to the open circuit control and degraded regardless of the recorded current. Core antigen (HBcAg) was much more resistant to treatment and the maximal LR was equal to 0.229 ± 0.028 (41.0% reduction). The highest LR rate observed for HBsAg was 4.66 ± 0.19 h−1 and for HBcAg 0.10 ± 0.01 h−1. Regression analysis revealed correlation between hydraulic retention time, power and redox potential on inactivation efficiency, also indicating electroactive behaviour of biofilm in open circuit control through the snorkel-effect. The results indicate that microbial electrochemical technologies may be successfully applied to reduce the risk of environmental transmission of hepatitis B virus but also open up the possibility of testing other viruses for wider implementation

Connected Vehicle System Design for Signalized Arterials

It can be expected that connected vehicles (CVs) systems will soon go beyond testbed and appear in real-world applications. To accommodate a large number of connected vehicles on the roads, traffic signal control systems on signalized arterials would require supports of various components such as roadside infrastructure, vehicle on-board devices, an effective communication network, and optimal control algorithms. In this project, we aim to establish a real-time and adaptive system for supporting the operations of CV-based traffic signal control functions. The proposed system will prioritize the communication needs of different types of CVs and best utilize the capacity of the communication channels. The CV data sensing and acquisition protocol, built on a newly developed concept of Age of Information (AoI), will support the feedback control loop to adjust signal timing plans. Our multidisciplinary research team, including researchers from transportation engineering and electrical engineering, will carry out the project tasks along four directions that capitalized on the PIs’ expertise: (i) Data collection and communication, in which the proposed system will be based on the AoI, prioritize the data needs of different types of CVs, and optimize the communication network; (ii) Dynamic traffic signal coordination, which will concurrently facilitate the progression of traffic flows along multiple critical paths; (iii) Smart traffic signal control, where both operational efficiency and safety improvement are accounted for at signalized intersections; and (iv) Multimodal system design, which will integrate transit signal priority (TSP) and suppression controls for accommodating connected buses. This project addresses the urgent needs in CV system designs and offers control foundations to support the operations of urban signalized arterial in a CV environment

Green Function of Steady Motion in Finite Water Depth

The Green function associated with a steady translating source on a straight horizontal course in water with finite constant depth and infinite horizontal extent satisfying the classical free surface condition is studied by decomposing it into three parts: an array of Rankine singularities A, local disturbance D, and downstream wave part S. Each of the three parts is studied by several methods. This is used to verify the numerical scheme and find the most time-efficient procedure. The method of repeated averaging of partial sums for oscillating series is efficiently used to evaluate the infinite sum of Rankine singularities and the downstream wave part. The local disturbance needed in vertical force and pitch moment calculations is most demanding. The Green function is used in combination with thin ship theory to calculate wave resistance, vertical force, pitch moment, and far-field wash for a Wigley hull. The results are compared with Tuck's (1966) slender body theory for shallow water and experimental and theoretical results of wave resistance by Everest and Hogben (1970). The agreement is satisfactory. A shallow water wave resistance ratio r expressing the ratio between wave resistance in finite depth and infinite depth is introduced as an indirect way to minimize wash. It is demonstrated that a large influence of critical depth Froude number requires the ratio between fluid depth and ship length to be small.</jats:p

Denitrification of overlying water by microbial electrochemical snorkel

A novel microbial electrochemical snorkel (MES) bioreactor was constructed by inserting an iron rod into the sediment of a simulated natural water body for the first time. Its nitrate removal performance and mechanism were investigated. The DNA high-throughput sequencing analysis indicates that denitrifying bacteria were grown on the iron rod in the overlying solution. The XRD analysis on the oxides formed on the surface of the iron rod indicates that they are goethite and green rust. In the MES system, the green rust on the iron rod can concentrate nitrate and denitrifying bacteria, forming an anaerobic biocathode. The denitrifying bacteria can reduce the nitrate into nitrogen with the electrons moved from the sediment. The nitrate removal efficiency reached 98% in 16 days. This novel MES system showed excellent in-situ nitrate removal performance by moving and concentrating the electrons in sediment and the nitrate in overlying solution in an anaerobic microenvironment. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Major Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [91434132]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [31570118, 51378020, 21077001]; Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China [ZR2015CM029]; Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of Ministry of Education of China [NCET-10-0208]; Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Environmental QualitySCI(E)[email protected]