An algorithm for self-organization of driverless vehicles of a car-rental service

[EN] The solution of fleet assignment problems is one of the core points in the management of a car-rental company. These problems arise from the restrictions imposed by the acceptance of reservations of the customers and from the necessity of an arrangement of the cars at the different depots for attending these bookings. However, with the coming of driverless cars, the rearrangement of vehicles among the depots can be simplified since no staff must be responsible of these tasks. In this note, we show a heuristic algorithm that permits to minimize the number of cars that have to be subcontracted from an external provider in order to attend a list of reservations from customers. Its efficacy is shown in comparison with the solution given by the integer linear programming method. These results can be of interest for other autonomous systems that need to be controlled.The first author is supported by MEC Project MTM2013-47093-P. The third author is supported by MEC Project MTM2012-33073. When adapting the paper to the template we missed out the acknowledgements to the research projects that support our research.Conejero, JA.; Jordan-Lluch, C.; Sanabria-Codesal, E. (2016). An algorithm for self-organization of driverless vehicles of a car-rental service. Nonlinear Dynamics. 84(1):107-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-015-2237-4S107114841Abara, J.: Applying integer linear programming to the fleet assignment problem. Interfaces 19(4), 20–28 (1989)Ahuja, R.K., Magnati, T.L., Orlin, J.B.: Networks Flows: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1993)Bodin, L., Golden, B., Assad, A., Ball, M.: Routing and scheduling of vehicles and crews: the state of the art. Comput. Oper. Res. 10, 63–212 (1983)Cacchiani, V., Caprara, A., Toth, P.: A Lagrangian heuristic for a train-unit assignment problem. Discrete Appl. Math. 161, 1707–1718 (2013)Cacchiani, V., Caprara, A., Toth, P.: Solving a real-world train unit assignment problem. Math. Program. Ser. B 124, 207–231 (2010)CNN. Driverless car tech gets serious at CES http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/09/tech/innovation/self-driving-cars-ces/ . Last visit on June 18th, 2015Conejero, J.A., Jordan, C., Sanabria-Codesal, E.: An iterative algorithm for the management of an electric-car-rental service. J. Appl. Math. 2014, Article ID 483734, 11 (2014)DARPA Grand Challenge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_DARPA_Grand_Challenge#2005_Grand_Challenge . Last visit on June 18th, 2015Fraile, A., Larrod, E., Magren, A., Sicilia, J.A.: Decision model for siting transport and logistic facilities in urban environments: A methodological approach. J. Comput. Appl. Math. doi: 10.1016/j.cam.2014.12.012Evans, J.R., Minieka, E.: Optimization Algorithms for Networks and Graphs. Dekker, USA (1992)Fink, A., Reiners, T.: Modeling and solving the short-term car rental logistics problem. Transp. Res. Part E 42, 272–292 (2006)Google driverless cars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car . Last visit on June 18th, (2015)Heikkilä, S.: Mobility as a service A proposal for action for the public administration. Case Helsinki. Master Thesis. School of Engineering. Aalto UniversityHertz, A., Schindl, D., Zufferey, N.: A solution method for a car fleet management problem with maintenance constraints. J. Heuristics 15, 425–450 (2009)Kennington, J.L., Helgason, R.V.: Algorithms for Network Programming. Wiley, New York (1980)Lohatepanont, M., Barnhart, C.: Airline schedule planning: integrated models and algorithms for schedule design and fleet assignment. Transp. Sci. 38, 19–32 (2004)Mobincity Project. http://www.mobincity.eu/ . Last visit on June 18th, (2015)RelayRides. https://relayrides.com/ Last visit on June 18th, (2015)ROADEF Challenge. Description of the problem. http://www.prism.uvsq.fr/~vdc/ROADEF/CHALLENGES/1999/ (1999) Last visit on June 18th, (2015)Superhub Project: SUstainable and PERsuasive Human Users moBility in future cities. http://superhub-project.eu/ . Last visit on June, 18th (2015)Yan, S., Chen, C.H.: Optimal flight scheduling models for cargo airlines under alliances. J. Sched. 11, 175–186 (2008)Yan, S., Tang, C.H., Lee, M.C.: A flight scheduling model for Taiwan airlines under market competitions. Omega 35, 175–186 (2007)Yan, S., Tseng, C.H.: A passenger demand based model for airline flight scheduling. Comput. Oper. Res. 29, 1559–1581 (2002)Yang, Y., Jin, W., Hao, X.: Car rental logistics problem: A review of literature. IEEE International Conference on Service Operations and Logistics, and Informatics, pp. 2815 - 2819. E-ISBN: 978-1-4244-2013-1 (2008

Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): A UK-wide citizen science project for water quality assessment

The Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is a UK-wide citizen science project focused on river water quality assessment. There are currently >2000 ARMI volunteers monitoring >1600 sites that are organized into 35 regional hubs across the UK. ARMI is effective in the early detection of water pollution and complements the routine monitoring undertaken by the UK statutory environment agencies. ARMI volunteers are trained to take standardized 3-min kick-samples of freshwater invertebrates from a river site, and use these samples to produce an ARMI score based on the abundance of key pollution-sensitive taxa. ARMI scores and standard invertebrate monitoring metrics are closely correlated. Each sampling site has a ‘trigger level’ score set by the national regulatory authority—e.g., the Environment Agency (EA) in England. If the ARMI score falls below this trigger level, the regulatory authority is notified and agency officers investigate the cause of the low score. This process has resulted in many reports of pollution incidents that otherwise may have gone undiscovered but were instead rapidly detected and neutralized. In some cases, investigations resulted in fines being levied against those responsible. ARMI data have also proved useful in assessing the effectiveness of river restoration schemes. Here, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the ARMI as a structured citizen science program in enhancing the environmental protection of rivers. We also show that the ARMI program complements the work of statutory authorities and describe how it promotes community engagement with river environments.© 2019 by The Society for Freshwater Science. The attached file is the published pdf (embargo period has expired)

Propuesta de la Sociedad Española de Farmacia Comunitaria sobre prácticas tuteladas

La asignatura Prácticas Tuteladas (PT) es obligatoria en el grado de Farmacia, siendo la de mayor carga lectiva, entre 24 y 30 ECTS. Su objetivo es completar la formación del alumno e iniciarlo en las actividades asistenciales desarrolladas en la farmacia comunitaria (FC) y/o en la farmacia de hospital. Una gran mayoría de estudiantes las realizan en la FC donde, por primera vez, entran en contacto real con la profesión. Sin embargo cada universidad establece de manera autónoma la forma en que se imparten la asignatura, existiendo una gran diversidad en el desarrollo de las PT entre las distintas facultades de Farmacia.La Sociedad Española de Farmacia Comunitaria (SEFAC) elabora este documento para contribuir a homogeneizar la docencia de esta asignatura y unificar criterios entre todas las partes implicadas: responsables académicos, profesores asociados y farmacéuticos tutores encargados de la formación de los estudiantes. En definitiva, para contribuir a mejorar su calidad docente.Se propone la creación de un Departamento específico de PT, actualmente inexistente, se abordan los criterios para acreditar farmacias y farmacéuticos tutores (FT), se revisan las funciones del profesor asociado (PA) y de los coordinadores académicos, los requisitos que deben cumplir los alumnos para cursar esta asignatura, las competencias y habilidades mínimas que necesitan adquirir y los contenidos del programa docente. También se abordan la evaluación del alumno por el FT así como la evaluación de los profesores, de la metodología docente y de las FC donde se realizan las estancias por los estudiantes

Heptagon-Containing Nanographene Embedded into [10]Cycloparaphenylene

We report the synthesis and characterization of a novel type of nanohoop, consisting of a cycloparaphenylene derivative incorporating a curved heptagon-containing π-extended polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) unit. We demonstrate that this new macrocycle behaves as a supramolecular receptor of curved π-systems such as fullerenes C60 and C70, with remarkably large binding constants (ca. 107 M−1), as estimated by fluorescence measurements. Nanosecond and femtosecond spectroscopic analysis show that these host-guest complexes are capable of quasi-instantaneous charge separation upon photoexcitation, due to the ultrafast charge transfer from the macrocycle to the complexed fullerene. These results demonstrate saddle-shaped PAHs with dibenzocycloheptatrienone motifs as structural components for new macrocycles displaying molecular receptor abilities and versatile photochemical responses with promising electron-donor properties in host-guest complexes

Trapped in the prison of the mind: notions of climate-induced (im)mobility decision-making and wellbeing from an urban informal settlement in Bangladesh

The concept of Trapped Populations has until date mainly referred to people ‘trapped’ in environmentally high-risk rural areas due to economic constraints. This article attempts to widen our understanding of the concept by investigating climate-induced socio-psychological immobility and its link to Internally Displaced People’s (IDPs) wellbeing in a slum of Dhaka. People migrated here due to environmental changes back on Bhola Island and named the settlement Bhola Slum after their home. In this way, many found themselves ‘immobile’ after having been mobile—unable to move back home, and unable to move to other parts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, or beyond. The analysis incorporates the emotional and psychosocial aspects of the diverse immobility states. Mind and emotion are vital to better understand people’s (im)mobility decision-making and wellbeing status. The study applies an innovative and interdisciplinary methodological approach combining Q-methodology and discourse analysis (DA). This mixed-method illustrates a replicable approach to capture the complex state of climate-induced (im)mobility and its interlinkages to people’s wellbeing. People reported facing non-economic losses due to the move, such as identity, honour, sense of belonging and mental health. These psychosocial processes helped explain why some people ended up ‘trapped’ or immobile. The psychosocial constraints paralysed them mentally, as well as geographically. More empirical evidence on how climate change influences people’s wellbeing and mental health will be important to provide us with insights in how to best support vulnerable people having faced climatic impacts, and build more sustainable climate policy frameworks

Educafarma 5.0: continuación y mejora de un programa de formación continuada de profesores y estudiantes de la Facultad de Farmacia con recursos propios

Memoria ID-0103. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2016-2017