Improving anytime behavior for traffic signal control optimization based on NSGA-II and local search

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) and transport simulators have been widely utilized to optimise traffic signal timings with multiple objectives. However, traffic simulations require much processing time and need to be called repeatedly in iterations of MOEAs. As a result, traffic signal timing optimisation process is time-consuming. Anytime behaviour of an algorithm indicates its ability to return as good solutions as possible at any time during its implementation. Therefore, anytime behavior is desirable in traffic signal timing optimisation algorithms. In this study, we propose an optimisation strategy (NSGA-II-LS) to improve anytime behaviour based on NSGAII and local search. To evaluate the validity of the proposed algorithm, the NSGA-II-LS, NSGA-II and MODEA are used to optimize signal durations of an intersection in Andrea Costa scenario. Results of the experiment show that the optimization method proposed in this study has good anytime behaviour in the traffic signal timings optimization problem

Transmission electron microscopy investigation of segregation and critical floating-layer content of indium for island formation in InGaAs

We have investigated InGaAs layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on GaAs(001) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. InGaAs layers with In-concentrations of 16, 25 and 28 % and respective thicknesses of 20, 22 and 23 monolayers were deposited at 535 C. The parameters were chosen to grow layers slightly above and below the transition between the two- and three-dimensional growth mode. In-concentration profiles were obtained from high-resolution TEM images by composition evaluation by lattice fringe analysis. The measured profiles can be well described applying the segregation model of Muraki et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 61 (1992) 557]. Calculated photoluminescence peak positions on the basis of the measured concentration profiles are in good agreement with the experimental ones. Evaluating experimental In-concentration profiles it is found that the transition from the two-dimensional to the three-dimensional growth mode occurs if the indium content in the In-floating layer exceeds 1.1+/-0.2 monolayers. The measured exponential decrease of the In-concentration within the cap layer on top of the islands reveals that the In-floating layer is not consumed during island formation. The segregation efficiency above the islands is increased compared to the quantum wells which is explained tentatively by strain-dependent lattice-site selection of In. In addition, In0.25Ga0.75As quantum wells were grown at different temperatures between 500 oC and 550 oC. The evaluation of concentration profiles shows that the segregation efficiency increases from R=0.65 to R=0.83.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, sbmitted in Phys. Rev.

Relative fluorine concentrations in radio frequency/electron cyclotron resonance hybrid glow discharges

The relative concentration of atomic fluorine was measured in a radio frequency (rf) glow discharge and a modified electron cyclotron resonance microwave/rf hybrid discharge in CF4 using an actinometric technique. The dependence of fluorine concentration on rf and microwave power, pressure, flow, and excitation source are presented. Anomalous behavior with rf power at constant microwave power was observed when using the Ar 750‐nm line as the actinometric species.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70900/2/APPLAB-60-7-818-1.pd

Editorial: Microbial exopolymers: Sources, chemico-physiological properties, and ecosystem effects in the marine environment

A large proportion of the total carbon in theWorld Ocean is in the formof dissolved organic matter (DOM), which is comparable in mass to the carbon in atmospheric CO2 (Hansell and Carlson, 1998). A major source of this material derives from the synthesis and release of exopolymers, or extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), mainly by bacteria and eukaryotic phytoplankton (Verdugo, 1994; Aluwihare et al., 1997). An initial understanding on the secretion of EPS by microorganisms, and their potential stabilizing effects for microbial cells, emerged during the last century with the first report by ZoBell and Allen (1935). We now know that most bacteria, and other microorganisms, occur associated with biofilms, either attached to surfaces or as suspended-aggregates in the water column. Exopolymer secretions thus serve important functions in marine environments, where they may be involved in microbial adhesion to solid surfaces and biofilm formation (Thavasi and Banat, 2014). They have also been shown to be involved in emulsification of hydrocarbon oils to enhance biodegradation (Gutierrez et al., 2013), mediating the fate and mobility of heavymetals and tracemetal nutrients (Bhaskar and Bhosle, 2005; Gutierrez et al., 2008, 2012), or interacting with dissolved and/or particulate organic matter (Long and Azam, 2001). This wide spectrum of functional activity is reflected not merely in the complex chemistry of these biopolymers, but also in the diversity of bacterial and phytoplankton genera found producing them

Protocols for the assurance of microarray data quality and process control

Microarrays represent a powerful technology that provides the ability to simultaneously measure the expression of thousands of genes. However, it is a multi-step process with numerous potential sources of variation that can compromise data analysis and interpretation if left uncontrolled, necessitating the development of quality control protocols to ensure assay consistency and high-quality data. In response to emerging standards, such as the minimum information about a microarray experiment standard, tools are required to ascertain the quality and reproducibility of results within and across studies. To this end, an intralaboratory quality control protocol for two color, spotted microarrays was developed using cDNA microarrays from in vivo and in vitro dose-response and time-course studies. The protocol combines: (i) diagnostic plots monitoring the degree of feature saturation, global feature and background intensities, and feature misalignments with (ii) plots monitoring the intensity distributions within arrays with (iii) a support vector machine (SVM) model. The protocol is applicable to any laboratory with sufficient datasets to establish historical high- and low-quality data

The viscosity effect on marine particle flux: A climate relevant feedback mechanism

Oceanic uptake and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are strongly driven by the marine “biological pump,” i.e., sinking of biotically fixed inorganic carbon and nutrients from the surface into the deep ocean (Sarmiento and Bender, 1994; Volk and Hoffert, 1985). Sinking velocity of marine particles depends on seawater viscosity, which is strongly controlled by temperature (Sharqawy et al., 2010). Consequently, marine particle flux is accelerated as ocean temperatures increase under global warming (Bach et al., 2012). Here we show that this previously overlooked “viscosity effect” could have profound impacts on marine biogeochemical cycling and carbon uptake over the next centuries to millennia. In our global warming simulation, the viscosity effect accelerates particle sinking by up to 25%, thereby effectively reducing the portion of organic matter that is respired in the surface ocean. Accordingly, the biological carbon pump's efficiency increases, enhancing the sequestration of atmospheric CO2 into the ocean. This effect becomes particularly important on longer time scales when warming reaches the ocean interior. At the end of our simulation (4000 A.D.), oceanic carbon uptake is 17% higher, atmospheric CO2 concentration is 180 ppm lower, and the increase in global average surface temperature is 8% weaker when considering the viscosity effect. Consequently, the viscosity effect could act as a long-term negative feedback mechanism in the global climate system

Adult infiltrating gliomas with WHO 2016 integrated diagnosis: additional prognostic roles of ATRX and TERT

The “integrated diagnosis” for infiltrating gliomas in the 2016 revised World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the central nervous system requires assessment of the tumor for IDH mutations and 1p/19q codeletion. Since TERT promoter mutations and ATRX alterations have been shown to be associated with prognosis, we analyzed whether these tumor markers provide additional prognostic information within each of the five WHO 2016 categories. We used data for 1206 patients from the UCSF Adult Glioma Study, the Mayo Clinic and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) with infiltrative glioma, grades II-IV for whom tumor status for IDH, 1p/19q codeletion, ATRX, and TERT had been determined. All cases were assigned to one of 5 groups following the WHO 2016 diagnostic criteria based on their morphologic features, and IDH and 1p/19q codeletion status. These groups are: (1) Oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted; (2) Astrocytoma, IDH-mutant; (3) Glioblastoma, IDH-mutant; (4) Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype; and (5) Astrocytoma, IDH-wildtype. Within each group, we used univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models to assess associations of overall survival with patient age at diagnosis, grade, and ATRX alteration status and/or TERT promoter mutation status. Among Group 1 IDH-mutant 1p/19q-codeleted oligodendrogliomas, the TERT-WT group had significantly worse overall survival than the TERT-MUT group (HR: 2.72, 95% CI 1.05–7.04, p = 0.04). In both Group 2, IDH-mutant astrocytomas and Group 3, IDH-mutant glioblastomas, neither TERT mutations nor ATRX alterations were significantly associated with survival. Among Group 4, IDH-wildtype glioblastomas, ATRX alterations were associated with favorable outcomes (HR: 0.36, 95% CI 0.17–0.81, p = 0.01). Among Group 5, IDH-wildtype astrocytomas, the TERT-WT group had significantly better overall survival than the TERT-MUT group (HR: 0.48, 95% CI 0.27–0.87), p = 0.02). Thus, we present evidence that in certain WHO 2016 diagnostic groups, testing for TERT promoter mutations or ATRX alterations may provide additional useful prognostic information

Time-resolved single-particle x-ray scattering reveals electron-density as coherent plasmonic-nanoparticle-oscillation source

Dynamics of optically-excited plasmonic nanoparticles are presently understood as a series of sequential scattering events, involving thermalization processes after pulsed optical excitation. One important step is the initiation of nanoparticle breathing oscillations. According to established experiments and models, these are caused by the statistical heat transfer from thermalized electrons to the lattice. An additional contribution by hot electron pressure has to be included to account for phase mismatches that arise from the lack of experimental data on the breathing onset. We used optical transient-absorption spectroscopy and time-resolved single-particle x-ray-diffractive imaging to access the excited electron system and lattice. The time-resolved single-particle imaging data provided structural information directly on the onset of the breathing oscillation and confirmed the need for an additional excitation mechanism to thermal expansion, while the observed phase-dependence of the combined structural and optical data contrasted previous studies. Therefore, we developed a new model that reproduces all our experimental observations without using fit parameters. We identified optically-induced electron density gradients as the main driving source.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures, 1 supporting information document include