An information model for highway operational risk management based on the IFC-Brick schema

With the development of highways, new technologies should be continuously introduced to improve highway traffic safety. Digital twin (DT) has been an emerging field of research in recent years. To develop a digital twin management system, a data model is essential. In the field of highway operational risk management (HORM), however, the development of data models is still in its infancy. Motivated by the concept of linked data, in this paper, we attempt to propose an information model for HORM. The main achievements of this paper include data architecture, identification and classification code methods, data interaction method, and the developed system. Based on data needs analysis, the highway information model architecture for risk management is defined as five layers: basic highway products, traffic sensors and equipment, traffic rules, traffic flow, and weather. Furthermore, according to the concepts of semantic data, these five layers can be classified into three categories: highway product data, topology data, and sensor data. Although the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standard and Brick schema were first proposed and applied in the building domain, some of their entities and relationships can also be applied to highways. To this end, we defined some new classes, a specific ontology, and an integrated framework for HORM. Finally, a case study was carried out. Applying such information model to highways has broad potential. It changes the file-based exchange method to the data-based one, which can promote highway data exchange and applications. The proposed information model could be of great significance for HORM.</p

Construction of a ceRNA Network and Comprehensive Analysis of lncRNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

To explore the RNA biomolecular marker associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis, we constructed a regulatory network of competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), which provides favorable conditions for the early diagnosis, prognostic monitoring, and personalized treatment of HCC. In this study, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of patients with HCC were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus. We identified 574 upregulated genes and 274 downregulated genes relevant to HCC occurrence (p &lt; 0.05). Subsequently, we constructed the protein&ndash;protein interaction (PPI) network using these DEGs and identified the hub genes from the PPI. We then determined the expression and prognostic values of the hub genes from the GEPIA and Kaplan&ndash;Meier plotter databases. After the upstream microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were respectively identified by miRTarBase and miRNet, we validated the expression of the key miRNAs in the serum using qPCR experiments. Moreover, we identified a two-lncRNA (LINC01184 and ADORA2A-AS1) signature from the upstream lncRNA that effectively predicted overall survival and had promotive effects for HCC. To verify the clinical significance of the signature, we validated the expression of the lncRNA in HCC tissues. Finally, we discovered and identified four mRNAs, four miRNAs, and five lncRNAs associated with the prognosis of HCC and constructed a new ceRNA regulatory network, which will be beneficial for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of HCC

Effectiveness of Active Luminous Lane Markings on Highway at Night: A Driving Simulation Study

Road lane markings play an essential role in maintaining traffic order and improving traffic safety and efficiency. Active luminous lane markings have emerged with advances in technology recently. However, it is still not completely clear what impact their application will have on drivers. This paper aimed to study the effectiveness of active luminous lane markings on highways at night. A driving simulation experiment was carried out based on advanced driving simulators at Tongji University. The driving simulation experiment involved 31 participants and 9 simulation scenes with 6 different types of lane markings models and the same 2-way highway segment, which was 5300-m long with four 3.75-m wide driving lanes. The study participants drove through the simulated highway while the vehicle operation data and the driver&rsquo;s eyes changing data were continuously captured. Overall, the pupil area change rate, steering wheel speed, brake pedal force, gas pedal, lane departure, and operating speed indicators were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of the active luminous lane markings. The results are shown as follows: (1) the active luminous lane markings have excellent visual recognition performance at night. Compared with the passive luminous lane markings, the active luminous markings can reduce the mental and physical loads of drivers, increase the early braking distance significantly, improve the lane-keeping ability and smooth the operating speed; (2) for the specific parameter settings of the active luminous lane markings at night, the yellow lane markings are better than the white ones, the point-line-type lane markings are superior to the conventional-type ones, and the blinking frequency is reasonable to set, at a moderate level, as 40 times per min. The results suggest that there are positive effects of active luminous lane markings on the promotion of highway traffic safety and efficiency at night, providing theoretical support for the popularization and application of active luminous road lane markings

Effectiveness of Active Luminous Lane Markings on Highway at Night: A Driving Simulation Study

Road lane markings play an essential role in maintaining traffic order and improving traffic safety and efficiency. Active luminous lane markings have emerged with advances in technology recently. However, it is still not completely clear what impact their application will have on drivers. This paper aimed to study the effectiveness of active luminous lane markings on highways at night. A driving simulation experiment was carried out based on advanced driving simulators at Tongji University. The driving simulation experiment involved 31 participants and 9 simulation scenes with 6 different types of lane markings models and the same 2-way highway segment, which was 5300-m long with four 3.75-m wide driving lanes. The study participants drove through the simulated highway while the vehicle operation data and the driver’s eyes changing data were continuously captured. Overall, the pupil area change rate, steering wheel speed, brake pedal force, gas pedal, lane departure, and operating speed indicators were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of the active luminous lane markings. The results are shown as follows: (1) the active luminous lane markings have excellent visual recognition performance at night. Compared with the passive luminous lane markings, the active luminous markings can reduce the mental and physical loads of drivers, increase the early braking distance significantly, improve the lane-keeping ability and smooth the operating speed; (2) for the specific parameter settings of the active luminous lane markings at night, the yellow lane markings are better than the white ones, the point-line-type lane markings are superior to the conventional-type ones, and the blinking frequency is reasonable to set, at a moderate level, as 40 times per min. The results suggest that there are positive effects of active luminous lane markings on the promotion of highway traffic safety and efficiency at night, providing theoretical support for the popularization and application of active luminous road lane markings

An Improved Evaluation Methodology for Mining Association Rules

At present, association rules have been widely used in prediction, personalized recommendation, risk analysis and other fields. However, it has been pointed out that the traditional framework to evaluate association rules, based on Support and Confidence as measures of importance and accuracy, has several drawbacks. Some papers presented several new evaluation methods; the most typical methods are Lift, Improvement, Validity, Conviction, Chi-square analysis, etc. Here, this paper first analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of common measurement indicators of association rules and then puts forward four new measure indicators (i.e., Bi-support, Bi-lift, Bi-improvement, and Bi-confidence) based on the analysis. At last, this paper proposes a novel Bi-directional interestingness measure framework to improve the traditional one. In conclusion, the bi-directional interestingness measure framework (Bi-support and Bi-confidence framework) is superior to the traditional ones in the aspects of the objective criterion, comprehensive definition, and practical application

An information model for highway operational risk management based on the IFC-Brick schema

With the development of highways, new technologies should be continuously introduced to improve highway traffic safety. Digital twin (DT) has been an emerging field of research in recent years. To develop a digital twin management system, a data model is essential. In the field of highway operational risk management (HORM), however, the development of data models is still in its infancy. Motivated by the concept of linked data, in this paper, we attempt to propose an information model for HORM. The main achievements of this paper include data architecture, identification and classification code methods, data interaction method, and the developed system. Based on data needs analysis, the highway information model architecture for risk management is defined as five layers: basic highway products, traffic sensors and equipment, traffic rules, traffic flow, and weather. Furthermore, according to the concepts of semantic data, these five layers can be classified into three categories: highway product data, topology data, and sensor data. Although the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standard and Brick schema were first proposed and applied in the building domain, some of their entities and relationships can also be applied to highways. To this end, we defined some new classes, a specific ontology, and an integrated framework for HORM. Finally, a case study was carried out. Applying such information model to highways has broad potential. It changes the file-based exchange method to the data-based one, which can promote highway data exchange and applications. The proposed information model could be of great significance for HORM.</p

Transcriptomics Integrated with Changes in Cell Wall Material of Chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume) during Storage Provides a New Insight into the &ldquo;Calcification&rdquo; Process

Chestnut &ldquo;calcification&rdquo; is the result of a series of physiological and biochemical changes during postharvest storage; however, the associated mechanisms are unclear. In this study, several potential calcification-related physicochemical parameters in chestnut, including moisture, cell wall materials, cellulose, lignin, and pectin, were measured. Transcriptome analysis was performed on chestnut seeds during different stages of storage. The results showed that the degree of calcification in the chestnut seeds was significantly negatively correlated with the moisture content (r = &minus;0.961) at room temperature (20&ndash;25 &deg;C) and a relative humidity of 50&ndash;60%. The accumulation of cell wall material in completely calcified seeds was 5.3 times higher than that of fresh seeds. The total content of cellulose and lignin increased during the storage process. Transcriptome analysis of 0% and 50% calcified chestnut was performed; a total of 1801 differentially expressed genes consisting of 805 up-regulated and 996 down-regulated genes were identified during the calcification process. Furthermore, response to water, water deprivation, and salt stress were most enriched by gene ontology (GO) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways related to chestnut calcification included purine metabolism, RNA degradation, the mRNA surveillance pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism, and were detected. Most of the genes involved in cellulose synthase, lignin catabolism, and pectin catabolism were down-regulated, while only two important genes, scaffold11300 and scaffold0412, were up-regulated, which were annotated as cellulose and pectin synthase genes, respectively. These two genes may contribute to the increase of total cell wall material accumulation during chestnut calcification. The results provided new insights into chestnut calcification process and laid a foundation for further chestnut preservation

An Improved Evaluation Methodology for Mining Association Rules

At present, association rules have been widely used in prediction, personalized recommendation, risk analysis and other fields. However, it has been pointed out that the traditional framework to evaluate association rules, based on Support and Confidence as measures of importance and accuracy, has several drawbacks. Some papers presented several new evaluation methods; the most typical methods are Lift, Improvement, Validity, Conviction, Chi-square analysis, etc. Here, this paper first analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of common measurement indicators of association rules and then puts forward four new measure indicators (i.e., Bi-support, Bi-lift, Bi-improvement, and Bi-confidence) based on the analysis. At last, this paper proposes a novel Bi-directional interestingness measure framework to improve the traditional one. In conclusion, the bi-directional interestingness measure framework (Bi-support and Bi-confidence framework) is superior to the traditional ones in the aspects of the objective criterion, comprehensive definition, and practical application

Investigation on Water Vapor Adsorption of Silica-Phosphonium Ionic Liquids Hybrid Material

Adsorption and diffusion of water vapor in phosphonium ionic liquid modified silica gel were studied, aiming to reduce the loading of water vapor in porous materials. The modified silica gel was prepared through a grafting method and characterized by FTIR, thermal gravity analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. N2 sorption isotherms at &minus;196 &deg;C and CO2 sorption isotherms at 0 &deg;C were also measured to analyzee the porosity. Water vapor adsorption equilibriums at 25 &deg;C up to 30 mbar were tested. The results indicate that the ionic liquids (ILs) phase acts as a protecting film which decreases water vapor adsorption. The improvement of water-resistant performance is also attributed to the decrease of micro-porosity and silanol groups on the silica surface. Diffusion behavior of water vapor on modified silica was determined on the basis of the adsorption equilibrium. The effective diffusivity of water vapor in modified silica is almost the same as in bare silica and decreases with the increasing of water vapor loading

A Lab-on-a-Chip Device Integrated DNA Extraction and Solid Phase PCR Array for the Genotyping of High-Risk HPV in Clinical Samples

Point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostics play a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. It is necessary to develop portable, easy-to-use, inexpensive and rapid molecular diagnostic tools. In this study, we proposed a lab-on-a-chip device that integrated DNA extraction, solid-phase PCR and genotyping detection. The ingenious design of the pneumatic microvalves enabled the fluid mixing and reagent storage to be organically combined, significantly reducing the size of the chip. The solid oligonucleotide array incorporated into the chip allowed the spatial separation of the primers and minimized undesirable interactions in multiplex amplification. As a proof-of-concept for POC molecular diagnostics on the device, five genotypes of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) (HPV16/HPV18/HPV31/HPV33/HPV58) were examined. Positive quality control samples and HPV patient cervical swab specimens were analyzed on the integrated microdevice. The platform was capable of detection approximately 50 copies of HPV virus per reaction during a single step, including DNA extraction, solid-phase PCR and genotype detection, in 1 h from samples being added to the chip. This simple and inexpensive microdevice provided great utility for the screening and monitoring of HPV genotypes. The sample-to-result platform will pave the way for wider application of POC molecular testing in the fields of clinical diagnostics, food safety, and environmental monitoring