Optimal train control on various track alignments considering speed and schedule adherence constraints

The methodology discussed in this dissertation contributes to the field of transit operational control to reduce energy consumption. Due to the recent increase in gasoline cost, a significant number of travelers are shifting from highway modes to public transit, which also induces higher transit energy consumption expenses. This study presents an approach to optimize train motion regimes for various track alignments, which minimizes total energy consumption subject to allowable travel time, maximum operating speed, and maximum acceleration/deceleration rates. The research problem is structured into four cases which consist of the combinations of track alignments (e.g., single vertical alignment and mixed vertical alignment) and the variation of maximum operating speeds (e.g., constant and variable). The Simulated Annealing (SA) approach is employed to search for the optimal train control, called golden run . To accurately estimate energy consumption and travel time, a Train Performance Simulation (TPS) is developed, which replicates train movements determined by a set of dynamic variables (e,g., duration of acceleration and cruising, coasting position, braking position, etc.) as well as operational constraints (e.g., track alignment, speed limit, minimum travel time, etc.) The applicability of the developed methodology is demonstrated with geographic data of two real world rail line segments of The New Haven Line of the Metro North Railroad: Harrison to Rye Stations and East Norwalk to Westport Stations. The results of optimal solutions and sensitivity analyses are presented. The sensitivity analyses enable a transit operator to quantify the impact of the coasting position, travel time constraint, vertical dip of the track alignment, maximum operating speed, and the load and weight of the train to energy consumption. The developed models can assist future rail system with Automatic Train Control (ATC), Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and Positive Train Control (PTC), or conventional railroad systems to improve the planning and operation of signal systems. The optimal train speed profile derived in this study can be considered by the existing signal system for determining train operating speeds over a route

内科的に治療された心房性機能性僧帽弁閉鎖不全症患者の予後と心臓イベントの予測因子

京都大学新制・論文博士博士(医学)乙第13420号論医博第2228号新制||医||1052(附属図書館)(主査)教授 川上 浩司, 教授 湊谷 謙司, 教授 山下 潤学位規則第4条第2項該当Doctor of Medical ScienceKyoto UniversityDGA

TYPOPHOTO: The Visual Dimensionality

This thesis will first document how both typography and photography have merged into a pure form of communication: typophoto. Simultaneously, the study will refine the visual parameters for understanding the concept of typophoto through an examination of the works of a number of designers, design movements and visual theories. The final goal of this thesis study will be to explore a new interpretation of typophoto and to extend its use in the new digital era. In 1925, the designer, painter, photographer and film maker Laszl6 Moholy-Nagy first mentioned the concept or theory of typophoto in Malerei Photographic Film. Typophoto was a manifesto of visual communication which closely integrated typography and photography to give an unambiguous message through different planes and media. Exploring typography and photography, Moholy-Nagy sought to understand how both disciplines had been influenced by other art training and how they had developed by means of techniques and time constraints. Furthermore, the idea of typophoto was extended into other fields such as film, where, as a kinetic form of the media, it could interpret the concept of typophoto efficiently (See Appendix A). Today\u27s fast-paced trends and fashions in visual communication require an increased understanding of and accessibility to a complex system of information and media as they move toward \u27Motion\u27 or \u27Kinetic\u27 art. The designer needs not only to implement the application, but he/she is also required to be a messenger : a visual communicator or commentator. As media development and technological constraints have became increasingly diversified, the task and responsibility of the designer in problem-solving has become more difficult and complicated. Simultaneously, in light of Moholy-Nagy\u27s progressive and innovative approaches to use two disciplines as a unified form, today\u27s designers and artists must acquire cross-field abilities and experiences. Consequently, typophoto provides us with an effective if complex way to develop our creativity. This thesis documentation first discusses what typophoto is and then explores how the visual message can be made unambiguous by incorporating the notion of typographic and photographic communication. In other words, typophoto could be a powerful vehicle for solving the problem of the ultimate goal of communication: to send a message

Photoreductive Dissolution of Iron Oxides Trapped in Ice and Its Environmental Implications

The availability of iron has been thought to be a main limiting factor for the productivity of phytoplankton and related with the uptake of atmospheric CO_2 and algal blooms in fresh and sea waters. In this work, the formation of bioavailable iron (Fe(II)_(aq)) from the dissolution of iron oxide particles was investigated in the ice phase under both UV and visible light irradiation. The photoreductive dissolution of iron oxides proceeded slowly in aqueous solution (pH 3.5) but was significantly accelerated in polycrystalline ice, subsequently releasing more bioavailable ferrous iron upon thawing. The enhanced photogeneration of Fe(II)_(aq) in ice was confirmed regardless of the type of iron oxides [hematite, maghemite (γ-Fe_2O_3), goethite (α-FeOOH)] and the kind of electron donors. The ice-enhanced dissolution of iron oxides was also observed under visible light irradiation, although the dissolution rate was much slower compared with the case of UV radiation. The iron oxide particles and organic electron donors (if any) in ice are concentrated and aggregated in the liquid-like grain boundary region (freeze concentration effect) where protons are also highly concentrated (lower pH). The enhanced photodissolution of iron oxides should occur in this confined boundary region. We hypothesized that electron hopping through the interconnected grain boundaries of iron oxide particles facilitates the separation of photoinduced charge pairs. The outdoor experiments carried out under ambient solar radiation of Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard, 78°55′N) also showed that the generation of dissolved Fe(II)_(aq) via photoreductive dissolution is enhanced when iron oxides are trapped in ice. Our results imply that the ice(snow)-covered surfaces and ice-cloud particles containing iron-rich mineral dusts in the polar and cold environments provide a source of bioavailable iron when they thaw

Electrochemical Production of Hydrogen Coupled with the Oxidation of Arsenite

The production of hydrogen accompanied by the simultaneous oxidation of arsenite (As(III)) was achieved using an electrochemical system that employed a BiO_x–TiO_2 semiconductor anode and a stainless steel (SS) cathode in the presence of sodium chloride (NaCl) electrolyte. The production of H_2 was enhanced by the addition of As(III) during the course of water electrolysis. The synergistic effect of As(III) on H_2 production can be explained in terms of (1) the scavenging of reactive chlorine species (RCS), which inhibit the production of H_2 by competing with water molecules (or protons) for the electrons on the cathode, by As(III) and (2) the generation of protons, which are more favorably reduced on the cathode than water molecules, through the oxidation of As(III). The addition of 1.0 mM As(III) to the electrolyte at a constant cell voltage (E_(cell)) of 3.0 V enhanced the production of H2 by 12% even though the cell current (I_(cell)) was reduced by 5%. The net effect results in an increase in the energy efficiency (EE) for H_2 production (ΔEE) by 17.5%. Furthermore, the value ΔEE, which depended on As(III) concentration, also depended on the applied E_(cell). For example, the ΔEE increased with increasing As(III) concentration in the micromolar range but decreased as a function of E_(cell). This is attributed to the fact that the reactions between RCS and As(III) are influenced by both RCS concentration depending on E_(cell) and As(III) concentration in the solution. On the other hand, the ΔEE decreased with increasing As(III) concentration in the millimolar range due to the adsorption of As(V) generated from the oxidation of As(III) on the semiconductor anode. In comparison to the electrochemical oxidation of certain organic compounds (e.g., phenol, 4-chlorophenol, 2-chlorophenol, salicylic acid, catechol, maleic acid, oxalate, and urea), the ΔEE obtained during As(III) oxidation (17.5%) was higher than that observed during the oxidation of the above organic compounds (ΔEE = 3.0–15.3%) with the exception of phenol at 22.1%. The synergistic effect of As(III) on H_2 production shows that an energetic byproduct can be produced during the remediation of a significant inorganic pollutant

Relativistic Nonlinear Thomson Scattering: Toward Intense Attosecond Pulse

Non

Digital Rule of Thumb: A Natural Experiment on Autocomplete in Search Engines

Search engines are an essential part of our lives. However, we do not fully understand what affects users\u27 search inputs. One of the most notable features affecting search inputs is autocomplete, an intelligent agent suggesting queries while typing. Understanding the impact of autocomplete helps eCommerce companies retain customers; examining its impact is difficult since all search engines have adopted it, and experiments are risky for firms. We overcome the challenges by leveraging a novel natural experiment of an eCommerce company. Our preliminary results suggest that the deactivation of autocomplete for the incorrect keyword led to a substantial drop in website visits in the PC channel compared to the mobile channel. In addition, website visits substantially shifted from the incorrect keyword to the correct keyword in the mobile channel but not in the PC environment. This short paper is expected to shed new light on our understanding of autocomplete\u27s impact