Application of NETSIM in modeling B‐signals

NETSIM is a powerful microscopic simulation model and has been applied to numerous traffic studies. However, it appears that there are few attempts to use it to study bus operations. One of the possible reasons may be the difficulty in modeling some of the unique characteristics in bus operations. A similar challenge was faced when a recent evaluation on bus operations involving priority signals (B‐signals) was undertaken in Singapore. This paper describes the difficulties faced when NETSIM was applied in modeling bus priority signals and the techniques adopted to overcome them. This study shows that, by incorporating innovative techniques, NETSIM can be effectively used to model bus operations along with other traffic in a network.     

暗挖双连拱隧道穿越浅基础高层楼群区施工技术

北京城市铁路东直门区间采用双连拱隧道结构形式 ,在富水松散地层中从两栋浅基础高层居民楼中间采用浅埋暗挖法通过 ,施工难度极大。本文主要阐述针对该段复杂的施工边界及约束条件 ,在处理地层与结构、隧道施工与既有建筑物相互作用 ,所采用的技术方法和特殊条件下的高层建筑防护技术 ,以及监测在施工中的应用 ,以期为今后类似工程的施工提供参考和借鉴。     

Planktonic community structure and carbon cycling in the Arabian Sea as a result of monsoonal forcing: the application of a generic model

The Arabian Sea exhibits a complex pattern of biogeochemical and ecological dynamics, which vary both seasonally and spatially. These dynamics have been studied using a one-dimensional vertical hydrodynamic model coupled to a complex ecosystem model, simulating the annual cycle at three contrasting stations. These stations are characterised by seasonally upwelling, mixed-layer-deepening and a-seasonal oligotrophic conditions, respectively, and coincide with extensively measured stations on the two JGOFS ARABESQUE cruises in 1994. The model reproduces many spatial and temporal trends in production, biomass, physical and chemical properties, both qualitatively and quantitatively and so gives insight into the main mechanisms responsible for the biogeochemical and ecological complexity. Monsoonal systems are typified by classical food web dynamics, whilst intermonsoonal and oligotrophic systems are dominated by the microbial loop. The ecosystem model (ERSEM), developed for temperate regions, is found to be applicable to the Arabian Sea system with little reparameterisation. Differences in in-situ physical forcing are sufficient to recreate contrasting eutrophic and oligotrophic systems, although the lack of lateral terms are probably the greatest source of error in the model. Physics, nutrients, light and grazing are all shown to play a role in controlling production and community structure. Small-celled phytoplanktons are predicted to be dominant and sub-surface chlorophyll maxima are robust centers of production during intermonsoon periods. Analysis of carbon fluxes indicate that physically driven outgassing of CO₂ predominates in monsoonal upwelling systems but ecological activity may significantly moderate CO₂ outgassing in the Arabian Sea interior.     

Optimal Active Suspension Design Using a Frequency-shaping PID Filter

By the incorporation of frequency-shaping into the linear quadratic methods used in active suspension design it is possible to achieve improvements in both body frequency response and road-holding. The use of a PID filter for this purpose also leads to robustness of the system to disturbance forces. Zero steady-state deflections are achieved for applied body loads by the integral action with excellent attenuation of the transient response. The resulting system consists of a hydraulic actuator in parallel with a body spring of arbitrary stiffness and is optimal with equivalent full state feedback.     

Privatization trends at the world's top-100 container ports

Over recent years, the role of the private sector in seaports has been greatly expanded. Yet, in practice, the extent of privatization in ports can vary significantly, in part due to the different methods employed to bring about private sector participation. This paper identifies and analyses, through a survey of ports, recent trends in regard to privatization at the world's top-100 container ports. The survey has benefitted from, and seeks to extend, a previous survey undertaken by the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH). Findings suggest that, although the influence of private sector actors in ports is growing, the role of public sector agencies also remains significant.     

Development and Evaluation of a High Voltage Supply Unit for Electrorheological Fluid Dampers

Controllable dampers using electrorheological (ER) fluids have attracted considerable interest in recent years. They are proposed for use in semi-active suspensions for ground vehicles. The main advantages of ER fluid dampers are their fast response, ease of control, simple construction and low power requirements. This paper describes the development and testing of a high-voltage supply unit for modulating the damping force of an ER fluid damper. Experimental results on the vibration isolation characteristics of an ER fluid damper with different control strategies, obtained using a quarter-car model test rig, are also presented.     

Observations on colony formation by the cosmopolitan phytoplankton genus Phaeocystis

Few marine phytoplankton have heteromorphic life cycles and also often dominate the ecosystems in which they occur. The class Prymnesiophyceae contains a notable exception: the genus Phaeocystis includes three species that form gelatinous colonies but also occur within their ranges as solitary cells. Phaeocystis antarctica and P. pouchetii are exclusively high latitude taxa, and are notable for regionally tremendous blooms of the colony stage. P. globosa occurs circumglobally, yet its colony blooms primarily are confined to colder waters within its range. Three additional species are warm water forms that have been reported only as solitary cells or loose aggregations that bear little resemblance to the organized colonies of the other taxa. Interpretation of existing data indicates that resource availability (light, temperature and nutrients) by itself is not sufficient to explain this distinction between cold-water colony-forming taxa and warm water solitary cell taxa, nor why colony development in P. globosa is essentially a spatially restricted phenomenon within a much broader geographic range. Colony development by P. globosa in situ has been observed at temperatures ≥20 °C, but only rarely and generally under conditions of seasonally or anthropogenically elevated nutrient supply. Data presented here demonstrate colony development at 20–22 °C in natural plankton communities from oligotrophic waters that were pre-screened through 63 μm mesh (i.e. lacking mesozooplankton and large microzooplankton), but not in unscreened communities containing microzooplankton and >63 μm zooplankton. Reduction of colony proliferation at higher temperatures by mesozooplankton grazing remains as an intriguing possibility that is consistent with available evidence to help explain differences in latitudinal extent of in situ colony development. These data are interpreted within a theoretical framework regarding the potential advantages and disadvantages of the two life cycle stages.     

An evaluation of vehicle deceleration profiles

Vehicles stopping at signalized intersections were examined for the purpose of evaluating the validity of the common assumption of constant and uniform deceleration rates. The data set consisted of the first vehicles to stop upon the onset of the yellow signal interval with measurements of the initial approach speed, deceleration time, and deceleration distance. The deceleration rate may be computed using only two of the three measured values; thus the rate for each vehicle can be determined by three different equations. With nonuniform deceleration profiles, the equations will produce different values; and the degree of nonuniformity can be determined by comparing the differences in the computed deceleration rates. The analysis of the field observations indicated that 69 percent of the vehicles demonstrated deceleration profiles associated with nonuniform deceleration rates. Furthermore, the deceleration profile and the degree of nonuniformity were found to be a function of the initial approach speed.