Recent Trends and Innovations in Modelling City Logistics

AbstractThere are many challenges associated with moving goods within cities as urban areas become larger and elderly residents require more healthcare in their homes. Air quality is also impacted by urban freight vehicles. This paper presents a review of recent trends and innovations in modelling city logistics. New techniques for modelling city logistics developed in the areas of emissions, healthcare and mega-cities are outlined. This paper describes the formulation, solution methodologies and applications of these models

Location and Routing Problems of Debris Collection Operation after Disasters with Realistic Case Study

AbstractDebris removal after disasters presents challenges unique to each disaster. The transportation routing as well as disposal sites issue will be the subject of this study. The uniqueness of debris collection operation is due to the limited access from one section to the other, as a result of the blocked access by debris. Therefore a new constraint i.e. access possibility constraint was added to the classical L-CARP. Case studies on a test network and on realistic instances based on estimates of debris due to likely large scale natural disaster in Tokyo Metropolitan Area have also been reported under various scenarios

Sensitization of organic photovoltaic cells based on interlayer excitation energy transfer

We incorporated an additional p-type organic semiconductor layer (APL) between the anode and the phthalocyanine layer, which is an indispensable p-type semiconductor layer (IPL) in forming a p/n junction with a fullerene C-60 layer. We used two thiophene/phenylene co-oligomers as the APL. The incorporation increases the short-circuit current density (J(SC)) and enhances incident photon-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) over the wavelength region where the APL shows strong absorption. Combined dependence of the APL/IPL implies that Forster resonance excitation transfer is the main factor in J(SC) and IPCE enhancements. We demonstrate clearly that the 'positive' hole injection barrier at the interface between the APL and the IPL impacts the smooth transportation of holes to the indium-tin-oxide anode. However, the small positive hole barrier of 0.1 eV has no noticeable influence on the fill factor of the current density versus voltage characteristic under photoirradiation, or on those devices with 'negative' hole barriers.ArticleOrganic Electronics. 11(4):700-704 (2010)journal articl

Komunikasi Budaya Kesenian Tari Keling Guno Joyo di Dukuh Mojo Desa Singgahan Kecamatan Pulung Kabupaten Ponorogo

Kesenian Tari Keling Guno Joyo merupakan kesenian tradisional masyarakat dukuh Mojo. Rumusan masalah yang hendak dikaji adalah “Bagaimana Komunikasi Budaya yang ditampilkan dalam Kesenian Tari Keling Guno Joyo di Dukuh Mojo Desa Singgahan Kec. Pulung Kab. Ponorogo?” Untuk mengungkap persoalan tersebut secara menyeluruh dan mendalam, dalam penelitian ini digunakan metode penelitian kualitatif dengn pendekatan Deskriptif. kemudian data tersebut dianalisis menggunakan model Miles dan Huberman dan dikritisi melalui teori persepsi. Dari hasil penelitian ini ditemukan bahwa komunikasi budaya dalam pementasan kesenian Tari Keling Guno Joyo dilakukan dengan cara komunikasi verbal dan nonverbal yakni melalui candra, tembang dan nyanyian-nyanyian keling dan alat musik pengiring tari (gamelan). Dalam pementasan terdapat pesan yang disampaikan sehingga kesenian tari keling dapat digunakan sebagai media komunikasi tradisional. Beberapa saran yang diperkirakan dapat dijadikan bahan pertimbangan bagi peningkatan kualitas kesenian tari Keling Guno Joyo ialah memperhatikan fenomena yang terjadi pada kesenian zaman sekarang khususnya kesenian Tari Keling Guno Joyo. Dan untuk peneliti berikutnya, perlu dikaji lebih dalam tentang seberapa besar manfaat kesenian Tari Keling untuk masyarakat sekitar, agar diperoleh hasil yang lebih komprehensif

Urban logistics by rail and waterways in France and Japan

This article aims to identify some commonalities and differences in intermodal freight in France and Japan, focusing on urban zones. This comparison puts into perspective two spatial situations linked with land pressure. It helps us identify opportunities for knowledge transfer of best practices for the promotion of modal shift and for land use and planning policies that favor intermodal freight. Research works have been carried out on intermodal logistic policies at national scales. However, in urban areas, the use of intermodal services has specific characteristics. Intermodal services are difficult to implement for last mile deliveries, as waterways and railways are used for high volume flows. Nevertheless, during the last decade, an increasing number of projects including intermodal services for the “mile before last” have been set up. Document type: Conference objec

A highly efficient sublimation purification system using baffles with orifices

Here we report a highly efficient sublimation purification system using baffles with orifices in the sublimation tube. It is clearly demonstrated that the purity of materials is increased largely by introducing some pieces of baffles with orifices in the high-temperature region (sublimation region), which was confirmed by comparing the melting point (T-m) and the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purity with those of purified one by a conventional system. The driving voltages of electroluminescence (EL) devices were also compared and showed the same tendency with the T-m and HPLC purity data. Not only the purity but also the effective yield of purified materials was also increased by introducing baffles in low-temperature region. Some expected mechanisms of improving the purification efficiency by introducing baffles were also discussed.ArticleOrganic Electronics. 11(5):794-800 (2010)journal articl

Studies of the efficacy and safety of methotrexate at dosages over 8 mg/week using the IORRA cohort database

The maximum dosage of methotrexate (MTX) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) formally approved in Japan is 8 mg/week. We intended to examine the efficacy and safety of MTX at dosages over 8 mg/week in Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients using the large Institute of Rheumatology, Rheumatoid Arthritis (IORRA) cohort database. Among 9,122 patients registered in the IORRA database from the October 2000 survey to the October 2007 survey, 5,201 patients who had been treated with MTX were selected. We attempted to overcome the drawbacks innate to nonrandomized studies by using longitudinal analyses and multifactorial logistic regression analyses. Cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from the October 2007 survey indicated that dosages of MTX higher than 8 mg/week were used in 27.5% of patients treated with MTX. Longitudinal analyses based on data from three consecutive phases showed that final Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) values were significantly lower [n = 260, mean difference 0.563, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.438–0.688, P < 2.2 × 10−22, two-sided paired t test] than initial values when MTX was increased from 8 mg/week or lower to over 8 mg/week. In addition, longitudinal analyses based on data from two consecutive phases indicated decreases in DAS28 values of 0.26 ± 1.04 (n = 690, P = 6.78 × 10−11, two-sided paired t test) when MTX dosages were increased from 8 mg/week or lower to over 8 mg/week, compared with decreases of 0.07 ± 0.89 (n = 2,125, P = 0.000307) when the dosage was maintained at 8 mg/week. The decreases in DAS28 values were significantly larger in the former than the latter (P = 2.27 × 10−6, two-sided unpaired t test). Concerning safety of MTX at dosages over 8 mg/week, we performed logistic regression analysis in which the objective variable was the existence or nonexistence of self-reported side-effects and the explanatory variable was the MTX dosage in the former phase, with adjustments made for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), steroid administration, folic acid administration, concomitant pulmonary diseases, and renal dysfunction. The results indicated that MTX dosages over 8 mg/week did not have any association with either severe or severe + moderate side-effects. These data regarding both efficacy and safety of MTX at dosages over 8 mg/week in Japanese RA patients would provide the basis for use of the drug at dosages currently not formally approved by the Japanese government