Transit Network Frequency Setting With Multi-Agent Simulation to Capture Activity-Based Mode Substitution

We propose a bilevel transit network frequency setting problem in which the upper level consists of analytical route cost functions and the lower level is an activity-based market equilibrium derived using MATSim-NYC. The use of MATSim in the lower-level problem incorporates sensitivity of the design process to competition from other modes, including ride-hail, and can support large-scale optimization. The proposed method is applied to the existing Brooklyn bus network, which includes 78 bus routes, 650,000 passengers per day, 550 route-km, and 4,696 bus stops. MATSim-NYC modeling of the existing bus network has a ridership-weighted average error per route of 21%. The proposed algorithm is applied to a benchmark network and confirms their predicted 20% growth in ridership using their benchmark design. Applying our proposed algorithm to their network with 78 routes and 24 periods, we have a problem with 3,744 decision variables. The algorithm converged within 10 iterations to a delta of 0.064%. Compared with the existing scenario, we increased ridership by 20% and reduced operating cost by 25%. We improved the farebox recovery ratio from the existing 0.22 to 0.35, 0.06 more than the benchmark design. Analysis of mode substitution effects suggest that 2.5% of trips would be drawn from ride-hail while 74% would come from driving.

Developing the Fringe Routing Protocol

<p>An ISP style network often has a particular traffic pattern not typically seen in other networks and which is a direct result of the ISP’s purpose, to connect internal clients with a high speed external link. Such a network is likely to consist of a backbone with the clients on one ‘side’ and one or more external links on the other. Most traffic on the network moves between an internal client and the external world via the backbone. But what about traffic between two clients of the ISP? Typical routing protocols will find the ‘best’ path between the two gateway routers at the edge of the client stub networks. As these routers connect the stubs to the ISP core, this route should be entirely within the ISP network. Ideally, from the ISP point of view, this traffic will go up to the backbone and down again but it is possible that it may find another route along a redundant backup path. Don Stokes of Knossos Networks has developed a protocol to sit on the client fringes of this ISP style of network. It is based on the distance vector algorithm and is intended to be subordinate to the existing interior gateway protocol running on the ISPs backbone. It manipulates the route cost calculation so that paths towards the backbone become very cheap and paths away from the backbone become expensive. This forces traffic in the preferred direction unless the backup path ‘shortcut’ is very attractive or the backbone link has disappeared. It is the analysis and development of the fringe routing protocol that forms the content of this ME thesis.</p>

Developing the Fringe Routing Protocol

<p>An ISP style network often has a particular traffic pattern not typically seen in other networks and which is a direct result of the ISP’s purpose, to connect internal clients with a high speed external link. Such a network is likely to consist of a backbone with the clients on one ‘side’ and one or more external links on the other. Most traffic on the network moves between an internal client and the external world via the backbone. But what about traffic between two clients of the ISP? Typical routing protocols will find the ‘best’ path between the two gateway routers at the edge of the client stub networks. As these routers connect the stubs to the ISP core, this route should be entirely within the ISP network. Ideally, from the ISP point of view, this traffic will go up to the backbone and down again but it is possible that it may find another route along a redundant backup path. Don Stokes of Knossos Networks has developed a protocol to sit on the client fringes of this ISP style of network. It is based on the distance vector algorithm and is intended to be subordinate to the existing interior gateway protocol running on the ISPs backbone. It manipulates the route cost calculation so that paths towards the backbone become very cheap and paths away from the backbone become expensive. This forces traffic in the preferred direction unless the backup path ‘shortcut’ is very attractive or the backbone link has disappeared. It is the analysis and development of the fringe routing protocol that forms the content of this ME thesis.</p>

Analysis of Stability-To-Chaos in the Dynamic Evolution of Network Traffic Flows under a Dual Updating Mechanism

This paper proposes a traffic-flow evolutionary model under a dual updating mechanism that describes the day-to-day (DTD) dynamics of traffic flow and travel cost. To illustrate the concept, a simple two-route network is considered. Based on the nonlinear dynamic theory, the equilibrium stability condition of the system is derived and the condition for the division between the bifurcation and chaotic states of the system is determined. The characteristics of the DTD dynamic evolution of network traffic flow are investigated using numerical experiments. The results show that the system is absolutely stable when the sensitivity of travelers toward the route cost parameter (θ) is equal to or less than 0.923. The bifurcation appears in the system when θ is larger than 0.923. For values of θ equal to or larger than 4.402, the chaos appears in the evolution of the system. The results also show that with the appearance of chaos, the boundary and interior crises begin to appear in the system when θ is larger than 6.773 and 10.403, respectively. The evolution of network traffic flow is always stable when the proportion of travelers who do not change the route is 84% or greater.

Analysis of Stability-To-Chaos in the Dynamic Evolution of Network Traffic Flows under a Dual Updating Mechanism

This paper proposes a traffic-flow evolutionary model under a dual updating mechanism that describes the day-to-day (DTD) dynamics of traffic flow and travel cost. To illustrate the concept, a simple two-route network is considered. Based on the nonlinear dynamic theory, the equilibrium stability condition of the system is derived and the condition for the division between the bifurcation and chaotic states of the system is determined. The characteristics of the DTD dynamic evolution of network traffic flow are investigated using numerical experiments. The results show that the system is absolutely stable when the sensitivity of travelers toward the route cost parameter (θ) is equal to or less than 0.923. The bifurcation appears in the system when θ is larger than 0.923. For values of θ equal to or larger than 4.402, the chaos appears in the evolution of the system. The results also show that with the appearance of chaos, the boundary and interior crises begin to appear in the system when θ is larger than 6.773 and 10.403, respectively. The evolution of network traffic flow is always stable when the proportion of travelers who do not change the route is 84% or greater.

Comparison of predicted and actual states in tunnels: lessons to be learned from the Gerede Water Transmission Tunnel, Turkey

The Gerede Tunnel is a large inter-basin project in Turkey. As with many long tunnels, some of the predictions in the project report and the tender contract have not been realized. Completion of the tunnel has been delayed for more than twice the time given in the tender contract. Unexpectedly complex geological–tectonic–hydrogeological conditions and the selection of tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) are the main reasons for this long delay. There were some discrepancies between the predicted and actual geology. The groundwater pressure encountered was much higher than expected. Plastic clays in the limestone and breccia and loose agglomerates with a high water pressure in the faults decreased the advance rate and led to several long stoppages. One of the three double-shield TBMs became stuck in the tunnel and could not be recovered. The last quarter of the tunnel was excavated more slowly, but without severe problems, by a modified earth pressure balance shield TBM. As a result, the TBM type, drive direction, length, route, cost and completion date of the Gerede Tunnel have all changed.

Improving Route Selections in ZigBee Wireless Sensor Networks

The ZigBee wireless communication specifications forecast the use of multihop routes between nodes and define that nodes select their routes based on their costs. The specifications define how to compute a route cost from the probability of successfully transmitting on each of the routes’ links; and it is recommended that such probabilities be obtained by counting received link status messages or averaging link quality indicators from received packets. In this paper, we study the performance of these two recommended procedures, show that they can lead to degraded route selections, and propose a procedure that can improve route selections without modifications to the ZigBee protocol or frame formats. Our procedure estimates the probability of successful transmission on each link, based on information from the medium access layer during unicast packet transmissions, and includes a modification into how ZigBee nodes treat routing messages internally in order to reduce variations in the link cost estimates. Focusing on a home environment with one or two hops, our simulation results show that, in several scenarios, our procedure performs better than either of the two procedures recommended in the ZigBee specifications.

Mesenchymal stem cell therapies for liver cirrhosis: MSCs as “conducting cells” for improvement of liver fibrosis and regeneration

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be cultured relatively easily and can be obtained not only from the bone marrow, but also from medical waste such as adipose tissue and umbilical cord tissue. Because of its low antigenicity, allogeneic MSC injection is safe. MSCs have been evaluated in more than 900 clinical trials in a variety of fields, with more than 50 clinical trials related to liver diseases. Experiments have suggested that MSCs function as “conducting cells” to affect various “effective cells” such as T cells, B cells, and macrophages. Recent clinical trials have focused on allogeneic MSCs. Thus, studies are needed to determine the most effective cell source, culture conditions, cell numbers, administration frequency, administration route, cost, safety, and liver disease treatments. Recently, the functions of exosomes have gained attention, and cell-free therapy may become possible as an alternative therapy for liver disease. In this review, we introduce general information, mechanism, representative clinical study data, recently started or planned clinical trials, and possibility of cell-free therapy of MSCs.

Study on Multi-Priority and Multi-Path QoS Routing Protocol for Airborne Heterogeneous Networks

In order to guarantee the QoS requirements of multiple services in airborne all-domain heterogeneous and flexible networks, we propose a novel multi-priority and multi-path based QoS routing (MP2R) protocol in this paper. In the protocol, in terms of the route effectiveness and reliability, the route cost penalty function is constructed based on the multi-priority M/M/1 queueingqueuing system with the preemptive-resume policy. The minimum value of the function is derived through the optimization theory, and the optimum routing solution is acquired. The simulation results show that the MP2R protocol not only has the capabilities of differentiation services for different kinds of traffic and QoS provision, but also can utilize the network resource rationally, avoid congestion, achieve the load balancing, and meet the requirements of airborne all-domain heterogeneous and flexible networks effectively.