Freight Demand Model for Southern California Freeways with Owner–Operator Truck Drivers

This study evaluates the demand for truck-only toll lanes on Southern California freeways with owner–operator truck drivers. The study implemented the stated preference survey method to estimate the value placed by drivers on time, reliability, and safety measures using various scenarios geared towards assessing those values. The project team met face-to-face with owner- operator truck drivers near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to understand the drivers’ perspectives regarding truck-only toll lanes on Southern California freeways. A data set containing 31 survey responses is obtained and used for statistical data analysis using analysis of variable (ANOVA) and two sample t-tests. The analysis results showed that 75.27% of the owner– operator truck drivers responded are willing to pay toll fees when they choose routes. The tolerated average toll fees are $13.77/ hr and$12.82/hr for weekdays and weekends, respectively. The analysis results also showed that owner–operator truck drivers will take truck-only toll lanes when they take the routes used in four comparisons out of six comparisons according to the three measures such as values of time, reliability, and safety, despite sharing a common origin and destination. The highest toll fee per mile on any day that drivers are willing to pay when the main factor being compared is value of time is $0.31/mile or$18.35/hr. The toll fees associated with reliability and safety measures are $0.30/mile or$8.94/hr and $0.22/mile or$11.01/hr, respectively. These results are meaningful for legislators and transportation agencies as the behaviors and route choice characteristics of owner–operator truck drivers help them better understand the utility and demand for truck-only toll lanes

Processing ambiguous fault signals with three models of feedforward neural networks

In the industrial technological field, running equipment or processes usually is monitored through automatic diagnosis systems. Within several Technologies for implementing such systems, the artificial neuronal networks are the most successful and widely spread. The data signals coming from the equipments or processes under supervision are interpreted by the neuronal networks so as to diagnose the presence of any fault. In this work three models of artificial neural networks and two methods of training are analyzed so as to establish, based on real experiences, the best combination of the neuronal model and the training method for recognizing in an efficient way the ambiguous patterns of faults.Presentado en el I Workshop Procesamiento de señales y Sistemas de Tiempo Real (WPSTR)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Del campo a la ciudad: la migración y la busqueda de nuevas oportunidades

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso apresentado ao Instituto Latino-Americano de Economia, Sociedade e Política da Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana, como requisito parcial à obtenção do título de Bacharel em Desenvolvimento Rural e Segurança Alimentar. Orientadora: Prof. Silvia Aparecida ZimmermannEl presente trabajo presenta definiciones sobre migración, éxodo rural y pobreza que buscan acercarnos a la investigación realizada en el barrio 8 de diciembre de Ciudad del Este, República del Paraguay. Para la elaboración del trabajo fue hecha revisión bibliográfica y la elaboración y aplicación de un cuestionario semiestructurado a 15 familias en el barrio. El objetivo del trabajo es entender las razones por las cuales las personas pasan del campo a la ciudad, así, utilice los datos de la investigación bibliográfica en la primera parte del mismo donde se trae a conocimiento lo conceptos de migración y pobreza. La segunda parte del trabajo presenta los datos recolectados en las encuestas y nos ayudan a entender el hecho por el cual las personas deciden migrar del rural al urbano y cuáles son las principales consecuencias que acarrean dichas mudanzas en el estilo de vida de las personas. La mayoría dice que se trata de una búsqueda de una mejor vida y buscar un nuevo rumbo para sus familias. Ya estando en las ciudades se dan cuenta que la realidad es completamente diferente a la que ellos imaginaban y, aunque hay personas que logran salir adelante y desarrollarse económicamente, otras quedan sin tener oportunidades sobre todo por la falta de educación y capacitación. Viven a merced de trabajos informales con remuneraciones bajas, que sirven más que para vivir en situaciones precarias sin poder garantizar las llamadas necesidades básicas para tener una vida digna. Además las respuestas a las encuestas destacan que la razón principal por la cual migran las personas es a causa de búsqueda de un trabajo que genere un mejor ingreso económico para mantener a la familia ya que en el campo se ven opacados por las grandes plantaciones, y prefieren vender sus tierras y mudarse.Este trabalho apresenta definições de migração, êxodo rural e pobreza que buscam abordar a pesquisa realizada no bairro de 8 de dezembro de Ciudad del Este, República do Paraguai. Para a elaboração do trabalho foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica e elaborado um questionário semiestruturado aplicado em 15 famílias do bairro. O objetivo do trabalho é entender as razões pelas quais as pessoas se mudam do campo para a cidade. Portanto, usei os dados da pesquisa bibliográfica na primeira parte, onde os conceitos de migração e pobreza são discutidos. A segunda parte do trabalho apresenta os dados coletados nos questionários e nos ajudam a entender os motivos que levam as pessoas decidirem migrar do rural para o urbano e quais são as principais consequências dessas mudanças no estilo de vida das pessoas. Muitos dizem que a mudança ocorre em busca de uma vida melhor e uma nova direção para suas famílias. Já estando nas cidades, percebem que a realidade é completamente diferente do que imaginavam e, embora existam pessoas que conseguem avançar e se desenvolver economicamente, outras ficam sem oportunidades, principalmente por falta de educação e capacitação. Vivem à mercê de empregos informais com baixos salários, que servem apenas para viver em locais precários, sem poder garantir as chamadas necessidades básicas para uma vida decente. Além disso, as respostas dos questionários destacam que a principal razão pela qual as pessoas migram é a busca de um emprego que permita uma melhor renda econômica para sustentar a família, já que no campo elas são ofuscadas por grandes plantações, e preferem vender suas terras e se mudar

La producción de becerros en Chihuahua: un análisis económico marginal

El uso de los recursos con productividad (eficiencia, eficacia, calidad y economía) deben ser el objeto de uso en el sector agropecuario. Se realizó un análisis para cuantificar la situación económica marginal de costos, ingresos y utilidad en productores con 40, 100, 200 y 500 vacas del sistema vaca-becerro, en las cuatro principales zonas productoras del estado de Chihuahua. Los datos se analizaron con el programa de simulación MEXSIM, utilizado por la SAGARPA para analizar los principales sistemas de producción agropecuaria de México y desarrollado por Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC), de la Universidad de Texas A&M (TAMU). La situación económica fue precautoria para todas las escalas de producción, debido a bajas precipitaciones que provocaron la disminución del forraje producido y de los becerros destetados. Sin embargo, el 100% de las unidades de producción analizadas son rentables; asimismo, es variable entre escalas de producción y se incrementa a mayor escala de producción. La utilidad marginal promedio fue de 1,656.82 $/vaca, 115.18$/ha, 2,563.41 $/ becerro y 16.34$/kg de becerro. El sistema de producción muestra una ineficiencia de 32%, provocada por los productores de menor escala

A Parametric Sizing Model for Molten Regolith Electrolysis Reactors to Produce Oxygen from Lunar Regolith

We present a parametric sizing model for a Molten Electrolysis Reactor that produces oxygen and molten metals from lunar regolith. The model has a foundation of regolith material properties validated using data from Apollo samples and simulants. A multiphysics simulation of an MRE reactor is developed and leveraged to generate a vast database of reactor performance and design trends. A novel design methodology is created which utilizes this database to parametrically design an MRE reactor that 1) can sustain the required mass of molten regolith, current, and operating temperature to meet the desired oxygen production level, 2) can operate for long durations via joule heated, cold wall operation in which molten regolith does not touch the reactor side walls, 3) can support a range of electrode separations to enable operational flexibility. Mass, power, and performance estimates for an MRE reactor are presented for a range of oxygen production levels. The effects of several design variables are explored, including operating temperature, regolith type/composition, batch time, and the degree of operational flexibility

Processing ambiguous fault signals with three models of feedforward neural networks

In the industrial technological field, running equipment or processes usually is monitored through automatic diagnosis systems. Within several Technologies for implementing such systems, the artificial neuronal networks are the most successful and widely spread. The data signals coming from the equipments or processes under supervision are interpreted by the neuronal networks so as to diagnose the presence of any fault. In this work three models of artificial neural networks and two methods of training are analyzed so as to establish, based on real experiences, the best combination of the neuronal model and the training method for recognizing in an efficient way the ambiguous patterns of faults.Presentado en el I Workshop Procesamiento de señales y Sistemas de Tiempo Real (WPSTR)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Mexico-UK Sub-millimeter Camera for AsTronomy

MUSCAT is a large format mm-wave camera scheduled for installation on the Large Millimeter Telescope Alfonso Serrano (LMT) in 2018. The MUSCAT focal plane is based on an array of horn coupled lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors optimised for coupling to the 1.1mm atmospheric window. The detectors are fed with fully baffled reflective optics to minimize stray-light contamination. This combination will enable background-limited performance at 1.1 mm across the full 4 arcminute field-of-view of the LMT. The easily accessible focal plane will be cooled to 100 mK with a new closed cycle miniature dilution refrigerator that permits fully continuous operation. The MUSCAT instrument will demonstrate the science capabilities of the LMT through two relatively short science programmes to provide high resolution follow-up surveys of Galactic and extra-galactic sources previously observed with the Herschel space observatory, after the initial observing campaigns. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the overall instrument design as well as an update on progress and scheduled installation on the LMT.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Journal of Low Temperature Detector