Resilience Assignment Framework using System Dynamics and Fuzzy Logic.

This paper is concerned with the development of a conceptual framework that measures the resilience of the transport network under climate change related events. However, the conceptual framework could be adapted and quantified to suit each disruption’s unique impacts. The proposed resilience framework evaluates the changes in transport network performance in multi-stage processes; pre, during and after the disruption. The framework will be of use to decision makers in understanding the dynamic nature of resilience under various events. Furthermore, it could be used as an evaluation tool to gauge transport network performance and highlight weaknesses in the network. In this paper, the system dynamics approach and fuzzy logic theory are integrated and employed to study three characteristics of network resilience. The proposed methodology has been selected to overcome two dominant problems in transport modelling, namely complexity and uncertainty. The system dynamics approach is intended to overcome the double counting effect of extreme events on various resilience characteristics because of its ability to model the feedback process and time delay. On the other hand, fuzzy logic is used to model the relationships among different variables that are difficult to express in numerical form such as redundancy and mobility

A network mobility indicator using a fuzzy logic approach

This paper introduces a methodology to assess the mobility of a road transport network from the 3 network perspective. In this research, the mobility of the road transport network is defined as the 4 ability of the road transport network to connect all the origin-destination pairs within the network with 5 an acceptable level of service. Two mobility attributes are therefore introduced to assess the physical 6 connectivity and the road transport network level of service. Furthermore, a simple technique based 7 on a fuzzy logic approach is used to combine mobility attributes into a single mobility indicator in 8 order to measure the impact of disruptive events on road transport network functionality. 9 The application of the proposed methodology on a hypothetical Delft city network shows the ability of the technique to estimate variation in the level of mobility under different scenarios. The method allows the study of demand and supply side variations on overall network mobility, providing a new tool for decision makers in understanding the dynamic nature of mobility under various events. The method can also be used as an evaluation tool to gauge the highway network mobility level, and to highlight weaknesses in the network

Mesure de température par pyrométrie 2D à bande spectrale et pyrométrie spectrale de métaux chauffés par laser dans un environnement fortement oxydant

La calibration et la validation de deux techniques de mesure de température complémentaires basées toutes les deux sur la pyrométrie optique (pyrométrie 2D monobande et pyrométrie spectrale), utilisables dans le cadre de l'étude des métaux chauffés dans des conditions hautement oxydantes et plus généralement au cours des procédés laser sur des métaux dans la gamme de température 2000-4000 K ont été réalisées. Une bonne correspondance des résultats des deux méthodes est obtenue lorsque l'émissivité de l'objet est connue et varie peu, mais seule la pyrométrie spectrale est performante lors de grandes variations d'émissivité, fournissant à la fois une mesure de température et d'émissivité au cours du procédé. Les incertitudes ont été calculées et représentent respectivement 6 et 3% dans une gamme de 1800 à 4500 K pour la pyrométrie 2D et la pyrométrie spectrale

An operational indicator for network mobility using fuzzy logic.

This paper proposes a fuzzy logic model for assessing the mobility of road transport networks from a network perspective. Two mobility attributes are introduced to account for the physical connectivity and road transport network level of service. The relative importance of the two mobility attributes has been established through the fuzzy inference reasoning procedure that was implemented to estimate a single mobility indicator. The advantage of quantifying two mobility attributes is that it improves the ability of the mobility indicator developed to assess the level of mobility under different types of disruptive events. A case study of real traffic data from seven British cities shows a strong correlation between the proposed mobility indicator and the Geo distance per minute, demonstrating the applicability of the proposed fuzzy logic model. The second case study of a synthetic road transport network for Delft city illustrates the ability of the proposed network mobility indicator to reflect variation in the demand side (i.e. departure rate) and supply side (i.e. network capacity and link closure). Overall, the proposed mobility indicator offers a new tool for decision makers in understanding the dynamic nature of mobility under various disruptive events

Temperature measurement of laser heated metals in highly oxidizing environment using 2D single-band and spectral pyrometry

Calibration and validation of two temperature measurement techniques both using optical pyrometry, usable in the framework of the study of the heated metals in highly oxidizing environments and more generally during laser processing of materials in the range of 2000-4000 K have been done. The 2D single-band pyrometry technique using a fast camera provides 2D temperature measurement, whereas spectral pyrometry uses a spectrometer analyzing the spectra emitted by a spot on the observed surface, with uncertainties calculated to be, respectively, within ±3 and 6 of the temperature. Both techniques have been used simultaneously for temperature measurement of laser heated V, Nb, Ta, and W rods under argon and to measure the temperature of steel and iron rods during combustion under oxygen. Results obtained with both techniques are very similar and within the error bars of each other when emissivity remains constant. Moreover, spectral pyrometry has proved to be able to provide correct measurement of temperature, even with unexpected variations of the emissivity during the observed process, and to give a relevant value of this emissivity. A validation of a comsol numerical model of the heating cycle of W, Ta, Nb, V rods has been obtained by comparison with the measurement

A study of the relationship between health awareness, lifestyle behaviour and food label usage in Gauteng

Background: The objectives of the study were to determine whether consumers who read food labels, were also more aware of health and lifestyle issues, in terms of nutrition and other health-related lifestyle behaviours, and whether there was a relationship between food-label reading, health awareness and lifestyle behaviour. A quantitative descriptive (survey) design was selected to investigate the relationship between food-label reading on the one hand, and health awareness and lifestyle behavior on the other.Method: A two-stage, stratified-proportionate and systematic sampling strategy was applied to select a sample of 357 Gauteng respondents to complete a telephonic questionnaire. Respondents who were most likely to read food label information were selected. Food label information is prescribed by comprehensive label legislation. Data report on respondents’ label-reading habits, attitudes towards health awareness, lifestyle behaviour and biographic data. Nonparametric analysis, scale reliability tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni multiple comparisons of means tests were used to analyse the results.Results: Results indicate that the two-thirds of respondents who, to some extent read nutritional information on food labels, were concerned about their personal health, were interested in health-related information, and followed a healthy lifestyle, such as regularly eating fresh fruit and vegetables, cutting back on alcohol, and other positive lifestyle behaviours. They were unsure about how their own knowledge of nutrition,and their understanding of nutrition information on food labels, compared with that of other consumers.Conclusion: A relationship was found between patterns of reading food labels, health awareness and lifestyle behaviour. People who often read food labels were more health-conscious, and maintained a healthier lifestyle.Keywords: health awareness, lifestyle, food labels, South Africa, consumer

Temperature measurement of laser heated metals in highly oxidizing environment using 2D single-band and spectral pyrometry

Calibration and validation of two temperature measurement techniques both using optical pyrometry, usable in the framework of the study of the heated metals in highly oxidizing environments and more generally during laser processing of materials in the range of 2000-4000 K have been done. The 2D single-band pyrometry technique using a fast camera provides 2D temperature measurement, whereas spectral pyrometry uses a spectrometer analyzing the spectra emitted by a spot on the observed surface, with uncertainties calculated to be, respectively, within ±3 and 6 of the temperature. Both techniques have been used simultaneously for temperature measurement of laser heated V, Nb, Ta, and W rods under argon and to measure the temperature of steel and iron rods during combustion under oxygen. Results obtained with both techniques are very similar and within the error bars of each other when emissivity remains constant. Moreover, spectral pyrometry has proved to be able to provide correct measurement of temperature, even with unexpected variations of the emissivity during the observed process, and to give a relevant value of this emissivity. A validation of a comsol numerical model of the heating cycle of W, Ta, Nb, V rods has been obtained by comparison with the measurement

Strategies for feeding the world more sustainably with organic agriculture

The authors are grateful for the inputs from Caterina Batello, Jan Breithaupt, Carlo Cafiero, Marianna Campeanu, Reto Cumani, Rich Conant, Piero Conforti, Marie-Aude Even, Karen Franken, Andreas Gattinger, Pierre Gerber, Frank Hayer, Jippe Hoogeven, Stefan Hörtenhuber, Mathilde Iweins, John Lantham, Robert Mayo, Eric Meili, Soren Moller, Jamie Morrison, Alexander Müller, Noemi Nemes, Monica Petri, Tim Robinson, Nicolas Sagoff, Henning Steinfeld, Francesco Tubiello, Helga Willer, and thank Robert Home for checking the language. KHE gratefully acknowledges funding from ERC-2010-Stg-263522 (LUISE). The input of PS contributes to the DEVIL project (NE/M021327/1), funded under the Belmont Forum / FACCE-JPI. This paper contributes to the Global Land Project (www.globallandproject.org). The authors acknowledge funding for open access publication by the Institute of Environmental Decisions, Federal Institutes of Technology, Zurich.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The evaluation of redundancy for road traffic networks.

This paper presents two redundancy indices for road traffic network junctions and also an aggregated network redundancy index. The proposed redundancy indices could be implemented to identify optimal design alternatives during the planning stage of the network junctions whereas the aggregated network redundancy index could assess the best control and management policies under disruptive events. Furthermore, effective measures of network redundancy are important to policy makers in understanding the current resilience and future planning to mitigate the impacts of greenhouse gases. The proposed junction indices cover the static aspect of redundancy, i.e. alternative paths, and the dynamic feature of redundancy reflected by the availability of spare capacity under different network loading and service level. The proposed redundancy indices are based on the entropy concept, due to its ability to measure the system configuration in addition to being able to model the inherent uncertainty in road transport network conditions. Various system parameters based on different combinations of link flow, relative link spare capacity and relative link speed were examined. However, the two redundancy indices developed from the combined relative link speed and relative link spare capacity showed strong correlation with junction delay and volume capacity ratio of a synthetic road transport network of Delft city. Furthermore, the developed redundancy indices responded well to demand variation under the same network conditions and supply variations. Another case study on Junction 3A in M42 motorway near Birmingham demonstrated that the developed redundancy index is able to reflect the impact of the Active Traffic Management scheme introduced in 2006