Search

Traffic travel mode identification and classification are crucial for the development of intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). At present, scholars have investigated the classification of motorized and nonmotorized traffic travel in various road environments; however, the classification of walking and bicycle modes in nonmotorized travel has been largely ignored. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate nonmotorized traffic travel and propose a new low-cost nonmotorized traffic travel mode classification system, known as the Wi-Fi classification (Wi-CL) system that uses Wi-Fi signal detectors and the refined characteristics of nonmotorized travel modes. The Wi-CL system includes four modules: data acquisition module, data processing module, feature extraction module, and mode classification module. In the data acquisition module, the proposed system detects the Wi-Fi signals of traffic participants in road environments. In addition, we propose a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) filtering algorithm for hybrid traffic networks that effectively addresses surrounding obstacles and environmental noise. In the feature extraction module, we extract relevant traffic features to construct a mode classification model. Finally, a recurrent neural network (RNN) framework based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm is successfully implemented in the mode classification module for traffic travel mode identification. To validate the effectiveness of the Wi-CL system, extensive experiments were conducted using field data collected by Wi-Fi detectors installed at the South China University of Technology (SCUT). The experimental results show that the proposed RSSI filtering algorithm achieves excellent signal filtering results in real road traffic environments. In addition, the constructed travel speed estimation algorithm outperforms other baseline models in four different scenarios (flat-peak walking, midday peak walking, flat-peak cycling, and midday peak cycling), achieving an overall classification accuracy of 97.92%. In summary, our Wi-CL system is a feasible approach for nonmotorized traffic travel mode classification., Author(s): Runnan Xu [1]; Zilin Huang (corresponding author) [2]; Sikai Chen [2]; Jinlong Li [3]; Pan Wu [3]; Yongjie Lin [3] 1. Introduction Intelligent transportation systems (ITSs) and city surveillance [...]

The objectives of this study are to investigate the structural and physicochemical properties of a novel acetylated lotus seed starch (LSA). LSA is successfully prepared using an aqueous phase method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) proves that a carbonyl C=O vibration at 1737 cm−1 are due to the introduced acetyl groups. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that the acetylation treatment does not change the crystal structure, but reduces the relative crystallinity of starch. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that the surface of LSA with 12% of acetic anhydride (LS‐12A) becomes the roughest. Moreover, compared with lotus seed starch (LS), the particle size, transparency, swelling power, and solubility of LSA are increased to 18.01 ± 0.66 µm, 15.30% ± 0.30%, 9.59 ± 1.78 g g−1, and 6.06% ± 0.99% at 55 °C with the additional content of acetic anhydride. However, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) shows that the melting enthalpy of LSA decreases compared with LS. This work provides some theoretical basis for the study and development of acetylated starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on S-transform a dual threshold editing method was proposed to address the issues of poor acceleration of editing performance in S-transform editing. Firstly, this method performed an S-transform on the load spectrum to obtain the maximum amplitude spectrum. Then the method retained the corresponding load spectrum segments based on the amplitude spectrum segments which were recognized and retained by the dual threshold method to assemble the accelerated load spectrum. Finally, the statistical parameters, power spectral density, breakdown count, and fatigue simulation results of the acceleration spectra edited by the S-transform dual threshold editing method and the S-transform editing method were compared and analyzed. The results indicate that the S-transform dual threshold editing method may significantly compress the original load time, and the compression efficiency is higher than that of S-transform editing method. The fatigue damage and life analysis errors of the steering joint are smaller, which verifies the proposed method is suitable for accelerated editing research of automotive component load spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study numerically investigates the impacts of an elliptical spacer on the flow and mass transfer within a desalination membrane channel. We consider the effects of the fluid Reynolds number, the elliptical spacer position yin/H, the flow attack angle θ and the aspect ratio B of spacer on the fluid flow, concentration polarization, and permeation flux. Our findings reveal that the elliptical spacers can improve both the mass transfer and permeation flux compared with the traditional circular spacers. Placing the spacer near the membrane surface effectively disrupts the concentration boundary layer, thereby amplifying the local concentration polarization surrounding the spacer. A single recirculation vortex behind the spacer induces numerous large vortices around the membrane, resulting in a significant increment in freshwater production. By changing θ and B, the system's stability can be reduced, potentially leading to a 16.0% increment in permeation flux when compared with the traditional circular spacers. Furthermore, the drag and lift coefficients acting on the elliptical spacer are greater than those of circular spacers, which is the main reason for the transition of flow condition. Our findings provide a reference for the design of the efficient structures in reverse osmosis membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of general control non-derepressible 2 (GCN2) on osteoarthritis (OA) in vivo and in vitro. First, anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT)-induced rat model and interleukin (IL)-1β-induced ATDC5 chondrocyte were established. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and safranin O/fast green staining were employed for analyzing the histological changes in the rat cartilage. In addition, immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining were employed for examining cartilage degeneration-, inflammation-, autophagy-, and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-associated genes expression. Moreover, 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein acetoacetic acid probe was utilized for examining the intracellular reactive oxygen species. In addition, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine assay and flow cytometry were applied for detecting chondrocyte proliferation and apoptosis IL-1β-treated ATDC5 chondrocytes. GCN2 overexpression ameliorated articular cartilage degeneration and inflammation but promoted chondrocyte autophagy in ACLT-induced OA rats. Similarly, we demonstrated that the upregulation of GCN2 could promote chondrocyte proliferation, suppress chondrocyte apoptosis, attenuate chondrocyte inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation, and promote chondrocyte autophagy. Moreover, GCN2 overexpression could inhibit the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in IL-1β-induced ATDC5 chondrocyte. Furthermore, 3-methyladenine neutralized the protective and autophagy-promoting effects of GCN2 overexpression on ATDC5 chondrocytes. GCN2 could attenuate inflammation and cartilage degeneration, promote chondrocyte autophagy, and inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation in OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The graphical progression method can obtain grand coordinated schemes with minimal computational complexity. However, there is no standardized solution for this method, and only a few related studies have been found thus far. Therefore, based on the in-depth discussion of the graphical optimization theory mechanism, a process-oriented and high-efficiency graphical method for symmetrical bidirectional corridor progression is proposed in this study. A two-round rotation transformation optimization process of the progression trajectory characteristic lines (PTC lines) is innovatively proposed. By establishing the updated judgment criteria for coordinated mode, the first round of PTC line rotation transformation realizes the optimization of coordinated modes and initial offsets. Giving the conditions for stopping rotation transformation and determining rotation points, rotation directions, and rotation angles, the second round of PTC line rotation transformation achieves the final optimization of the common signal cycle and offsets. The case study shows that the proposed graphical method can obtain the optimal progression effect through regular graphing and solving, although it can also be solved by highly efficient programming., Author(s): Kai Lu [1,2]; Shuyan Jiang [1]; Yiming Zhao [1]; Yongjie Lin (corresponding author) [1]; Yinhai Wang [3] 1. Introduction Intersections are the road network nodes that frequently cause traffic [...]

To study the influence mechanism of dedicated bus lanes on the urban road network, this paper proposes a novel analytical model of macroscopic fundamental diagram (MFD) and passenger macroscopic fundamental diagram (p-MFD) and the corresponding indicators based on MFD and p-MFD to evaluate the operation of the network. Taking the grid network as an example, this paper collects traffic flow to calibrate the developed MFD and p-MFD and evaluates the network performance under different proportions of dedicated bus lanes. The simulation results show that the larger the proportion of dedicated bus lanes, the greater the impact on the rising section and the stable section of MFD and the descending section and post-stable section of p-MFD. Further analysis for the sensitivity of simulation experiments found that the strategy of setting dedicated bus lanes will improve the efficiency of vehicle and passenger transport when the road network is in a smooth state and ensure the continuous output of passengers when the network is in a congested state., Author(s): Yingying Ma [1]; Yuanqi Xie [1]; Yongjie Lin (corresponding author) [1] 1. Introduction The increasing number of vehicles causes the traffic demand for the road network in cities to [...]

The weaving area is an important junction that affects the efficiency and traffic safety at the municipal interchanges. To explore the factors affecting traffic efficiency and the spatial distribution characteristics of traffic risks in the weaving areas of municipal interchanges, this study employed a microscopic traffic software of Vissim to construct a simulation model of weaving areas and evaluate the impact of road and traffic design parameters in the short weaving on traffic efficiency and risks, which includes ramp delay, mainline through lane (TL) traffic delay, average ramp speed, TL average speed, and collision rate. Through variance analysis via a large number of simulation scenarios, the weaving length is identified as the most important factor affecting traffic efficiency and risks in the short weaving area. Subsequently, three different types of weaving lengths with 350m, 450m, and 550m were set to conduct the sensitivity analysis based on four performance indexes of mean acceleration and deceleration, acceleration range, deceleration range, and speed standard deviation as the representative variables of spatial risk distribution. The simulation results illustrate that a shorter weaving length has a significant influence on risk distribution, especially the highest risk probability at the positions after three-quarters of the inner and outer lanes in the short weaving area at the municipal interchange. Finally, this study verified the traffic risk reduction method of having traffic safety facilities and traffic organization at the complex interchange with double-entry and single-exit weaving areas in the city of Guangzhou, China. The research proposed a method to analyze the influence of the design parameters in the short weaving area on traffic efficiency and safety and provided a reference for the risk spatial distribution analysis and improvement in the short weaving area., Author(s): Xiaofei Wang [1]; Zhenzhong Ding [1]; Kai Guo [1]; Yongjie Lin (corresponding author) [1] 1. Introduction At municipal interchanges, merge and diverge weaving areas are usually dense and concentrated [...]

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) hosts significant lacustrine sedimentary boron-rich deposits, with the Xiongba Basin being a prominent region housing two large sedimentary boron-rich deposits. These deposits are closely associated with extensive Neogene volcanic rocks. This study investigates the origin and boron sources of Miocene volcanic rocks in the Xiangqu River area, located within the Xiongba Basin. The volcanic rocks in the basin comprise ultrapotassic andesites, ultrapotassic trachyte, potassic trachyte, and potassic trachyandeiste. The trace element content and the active/inert elements ratios of the studied volcanic rocks have indicated that they were generated in a subduction environment and were influenced by enrichment fluids derived from deep-sea sediments or altered oceanic crust during their formation. Accordingly, the studied volcanic rocks exhibit significant boron enrichment. The eruption of magma and subsequent hydrothermal activity released boron, which became the primary source for the lacustrine sedimentary boron-rich deposits within the basin. The arc-like trace element features (e.g., Nb-Ta depletion relative to La and K) and high B concentrations in these rocks were inherited from the mantle source, which had been enriched by melt/fluid of the subducted sediments. A two-stage evolutionary model is proposed to explain the enrichment of B in subduction environments, as well as the subsequent melting of the B-enriched source during a post-collisional setting. These findings highlight the potential for boron and lithium mineralization in similar volcanic rock-bearing regions across the QTP. Future exploration efforts in such areas could provide valuable insights into the formation processes of lacustrine sedimentary boron-rich deposits and contribute to the understanding of boron and lithium resource potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the relationship between femoral lateralization and femoral neck-shaft angle after intramedullary nail (IM) fixation for per trochanteric fractures. 70 patients (AO/OTA 31A1-2) were investigated. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral X-ray views pre- and post-operation were recorded. Patients were classified into three groups according to the position of the medial cortex of the head-neck fragment to that of the femoral shaft: being slightly superomedial (positive medial cortex support, PMCS), being smoothly contacted (neutral position, NP) or being displaced laterally (negative medial cortex support, NMCS). Patient demographics, femoral lateralization, and neck-shaft angle were measured and statistically analyzed pre- and post-operation. Functional recovery was evaluated by Harris score 3- and 6- months post-operation. All cases ultimately demonstrated radiographic fracture union. There was a tendency to have an increased neck-shaft angle (valgus alignment) in the PMCS group and increased femoral lateralization in the NP group (p < 0.05). Among those three groups, the change in femoral lateralization and neck-shaft angle was statistically different (p < 0.05). An inverse relationship between femoral lateralization and femoral neck-shaft angle was observed. Femoral lateralization increased correspondingly when the neck-shaft angle continuously decreased from the PMCS group to the NP group and then to the NMCS group, and patients in the PMCS group had better functional recovery than the other two groups (p < 0.05). Femoral lateralization was commonly produced after IM fixation for per trochanteric fractures. The fracture fixed in PMCS mode possesses the slightest change in femoral lateralization while maintaining valgus alignment of the femoral neck-shaft angle and good functional outcome, which is superior to NP or NMCS mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydromagnesite Mg5CO34(OH)2⋅4H2O $\left({\mathsf{M}\mathsf{g}}_{5}{\left({\mathsf{C}\mathsf{O}}_{3}\right)}_{4}{(\mathsf{O}\mathsf{H})}_{2}\cdot 4{\mathsf{H}}_{2}\mathsf{O}\right)$ is a common hydrated magnesium carbonate mineral found in alkaline lakes on Earth, potentially present on Mars, and is also a key mineral for carbon capture and storage. However, mechanisms governing its formation in alkaline lakes remain enigmatic. Extensive hydromagnesite formed during the Holocene in the alkaline Dujiali Lake (DL), central Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, making it an ideal field site to constrain the process of hydromagnesite formation in a modern environmental context. In this study, we report a set of magnesium isotope ratios (Mg26/Mg24 ${}^{26}\mathsf{M}\mathsf{g}/{}^{24}\mathsf{M}\mathsf{g}$ expressed as δ26 Mg) data from DL on abiotic hydromagnesite (mean = −1.35‰ ± 0.14‰) modern lake waters (−0.07‰ to +0.46‰), and rivers and groundwater (−0.53‰ to −1.46‰). These differences in δ26 Mg (and also Mg/Ca) are most likely caused by low‐Mg carbonate precipitation, a process which fractionates Mg/Ca and δMg26 $\delta {}^{26}\mathsf{M}\mathsf{g}$ values. A semi‐quantitative box model of the lake chemistry was developed based on carbonate equilibria to investigate the behavior of Mg isotopes during the evolution of the lake chemistry. The modeling results indicate that evaporation concentrates solutes in the lake driving saturation of multiple minerals. Aragonite reaches saturation before hydromagnesite, preferentially removing Ca relative to Mg via aragonite precipitation. This process elevates the Mg/Ca of the lake and the saturation index of hydromagnesite, increasing the likelihood of hydromagnesite formation. Given that the Mg/Ca ratio of many alkaline lakes is far below than that required for the formation of hydromagnesite, our findings suggest that low‐Mg carbonate precipitation may be a common precursor process for abiotic hydromagnesite precipitation in evaporative environments in addition to a high Mg source likely derived from ultramafic rocks. Plain Language Summary: Hydromagnesite Mg5CO34(OH)2⋅4H2O $\left({\mathsf{M}\mathsf{g}}_{5}{\left({\mathsf{C}\mathsf{O}}_{3}\right)}_{4}{(\mathsf{O}\mathsf{H})}_{2}\cdot 4{\mathsf{H}}_{2}\mathsf{O}\right)$ is a common hydrated magnesium carbonate mineral on the Earth and is suspected to be present at the Jezero Crater on Mars. Hydromagnesite formation requires high Mg/Ca ratios, typically associated with the weathering of ultramafic rocks. However, the Mg/Ca ratios of the input waters associated with ultramafic rocks in most of the settings are seldom high enough for hydromagnesite precipitation in alkaline lakes. Our study suggests that although ultramafic Mg source rocks are important for hydromagnesite precipitation, the removal of Ca through Ca‐carbonate formation is an essential precursor process for increasing the Mg/Ca ratio under intense evaporation conditions to induce spontaneous hydromagnesite precipitation. Key Points: New Mg isotope data on Holocene hydromagnesite, modern lake, and river waters from the alpine Dujiali Lake, central Qinghai‐Tibetan PlateauA thermodynamic based box model simulates the behavior of the carbonate system and Mg isotopes during the evolution of the lake chemistryLow‐Mg carbonate precipitation may be a common precursor process for driving hydromagnesite precipitation in evaporative alkaline lakes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate ooids are a significant component of shallow water carbonate deposits in the present and geologic past, yet their origin and formation mechanism have been the subject of continuing debate. This study focuses on the well-preserved Holocene aragonitic ooids collected from the west Qaidam Basin, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The mineralogical and chemical compositions, and stable ( δ 13 C and δ 18 O ), and radiocarbon isotopes of the ooids were analyzed to investigate their formation and develop a depositional model. The ooids formed approximately 5377 ± 61 cal BP, and their cortices were composed of microcrystalline aragonite, with most nuclei being quartz grains. Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes indicate that authigenic aragonite precipitation is driven by evaporation and associated degassing of CO 2 under turbulence conditions in a shallow alkaline lakes. Furthermore, eletron microscopy showed no presence of microfossils in ooid cortices or other evidence of microbial activity. Therefore, we propose that aragonite precipitation during ooid formation is most likely induced abiotically by increasing alkalinity due to evapoconcentration of lake waters based on an absence of an efficient carbonate-inducing metabolic pathway. New observations and detailed analyses of aragonitic ooid samples in the Qaidam Basin provide an improved understanding of the origin and formation processes of carbonate ooid in modern environment and the geologic past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing innovation and development of Wi-Fi technology, its penetration in the various fields of industry and academia is becoming more and more profound. As the core infrastructure of traffic data collection in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Wi-Fi-based traffic detectors have great potential for use in traffic target positioning, perception, and pattern recognition due to their low cost and extensive infrastructure deployment. This paper conducts a comprehensive review of three major Wi-Fi-based traffic detection applications in the field of ITS: target positioning, traffic parameter extraction, and travel mode identification. Among these, target positioning is one of the most widespread applications of Wi-Fi technology, which is also the basis for two other research aspects. Moreover, Wi-Fi-based positioning can be divided into two categories: ranging-based positioning and range-free one; in the field of transportation, it can also be categorized into pedestrian positioning and vehicle positioning based on travel mode. To further demonstrate the effectiveness of Wi-Fi-based ITS applications in practice, this study compares the various Wi-Fi-involved models and algorithms around the world, as well as provides some ideas and inspiration along with this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to investigate the effect of synergistic enzymatic treatment on the properties and digestibility of a novel C-type lotus seed porous starch (LPS). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the densest and most complete pores were formed on the surface of LPS when the concentration of enzymes added was 1.5% (LS-1.5E). With increases in enzyme addition, the oil and water absorption of the porous starch increased and reached maxima at 1.5% of enzyme. Increased in the specific surface area, total pore volume and average pore diameter of LPS were determined by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, while when the enzymes exceeded 1.5%, there were no significant changes. Compared to lotus seed starch (LS), the particle size of LPS also decreased. With the increases in enzyme addition, LPS exhibited higher relative crystallinity and ordering structure by XRD and FTIR. The results by SAXS confirmed that LPS had higher ordered semi-crystalline lamellar and denser lamellar structure compared to LS. Low-field 1H NMR spectroscopy indicated that the proportion of bound water in LPS increased, while the proportion of bulk water decreased. Moreover, the degree of hydrolysis of LPS was lower than that of LS, and the content of rapidly digestible starch decreased, while the content of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch increased with the enzyme addition, which was consistent with the structural properties. • A novel C-type lotus seed porous starch treated by synergistic enzymatic treatment • LPS had higher oil and water absorption capacities compared to lotus seed starch. • With increases in enzyme addition, the pores of porous starch were increased. • With the enzyme addition, LS-1.5E had higher crystallinity and ordering structure. • LS-1.5E had lower degree of hydrolysis which was related to structural properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overlapping phase and split phase are two typical phase patterns at signalized intersections in practice. The existing bandwidth-oriented progression control schemes mainly focus on overlapping phase to adopt the various layout of intersections and volumes rather than split phase. To address this issue, a two-way signal progression model, namely Pband, is developed to simultaneously optimize phase pattern choice from overlapping phase or split phase, phase sequence, and offsets. Also, the proposed Pband is formulated with a mixed integer nonlinear programming technique to guarantee an optimal solution. A numerical test based on a field arterial from the county of Jiashan, Jiaxing, China is employed to validate Pband under designed traffic patterns and signal timings. Numerical results have indicated that the Pband can show promise in increasing progression bandwidths and reducing average travel delay and the number of stops via traffic simulation experiments compared with the conventional Multiband model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic congestion has become a major problem restricting the development of major cities. ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) can record the state of traffic and predict the future traffic state, then reasonably optimize the travel scheme, so as to achieve the purpose of alleviating traffic congestion. Meanwhile, traffic flow prediction can provide data support for ITS, so many researchers have done a lot of research on traffic flow prediction. Many researchers take the traffic network as an undirected graph, and use the GCN (Graph Convolution Network) model to study the traffic flow prediction, and have achieved good prediction results. However, the traffic network is directed, and the traffic network is regarded as an undirected graph, which loses the direction information of the road network. Therefore, this inspires us to propose a graph convolution operator DGCN (Directed GCN), which can make full use of the in degree and out degree information of each station in the traffic network. The experimental results show that the graph convolution neural network based on this operator has better prediction accuracy than the state-of-the-art models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term traffic speed prediction plays an important role in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Usually, traffic speed forecasting can be divided into single-step-ahead and multi-step-ahead. Compared with the single-step method, multi-step prediction can provide more future traffic condition to road traffic participants for guidance decision-making. This paper proposes a multi-step traffic speed forecasting by using ensemble learning model with traffic speed detrending algorithm. Firstly, the correlation analysis is conducted to determine the representative features by considering the spatial and temporal characteristics of traffic speed. Then, the traffic speed time series is split into a trend set and a residual set via a detrending algorithm. Thirdly, a multi-step residual prediction with direct strategy is formulated by the ensemble learning model of stacking integrating support vector machine (SVM), CATBOOST, and K-nearest neighbor (KNN). Finally, the forecasting traffic speed can be reached by adding predicted residual part to the trend one. In tests that used field data from Zhongshan, China, the experimental results indicate that the proposed model outperforms the benchmark ones like SVM, CATBOOST, KNN, and BAGGING. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to develop a fast data fusion method for recognizing metro-to-bus transfer trips based on combined data from smart cards and a GPS system. The method is intended to establish station- and time-specific elapsed time thresholds for overcoming the limitations of one-size-fits-all criterion which is not sufficiently convincing for different transfer pairs and personal characteristics. Firstly, a data fusion method with bus smart card data and GPS data is proposed to supplement absent bus boarding information in the smart card data. Then, a model for identifying metro-to-bus interchange trips is derived based on two rules about maximal allowable transfer distance and elapsed transfer time threshold. Finally, in tests that used half-monthly field smart card data and GPS data from Shenzhen, China, the results recognized by the proposed method were more consistent with the actual surveyed group transfer time with a P value of 0.17 determined by Mann–Whitney U test. The comparison analysis showed that the proposed method can be widely applied to successfully identify and interpret metro-to-bus interchange behavior beyond a static transfer time threshold of 30 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing of transit vehicles in urban networks, traditional active transit signal priority (TSP) control may fall short of efficiency and bring negative impacts to non-priority approaches due to overusing priority grants. To reduce the frequency of activating TSP under high bus volumes, this study presents a new model, named INTEBAND, to facilitate the platooning of both passenger-cars and buses along arterials. The model integrates the conventional signal progression model with bus progression model to balance the travel delay of car-users and bus-passengers. Taking Jingshi road in Jinan for example, this study employs VISSIM for model evaluations. Further sensitivity analysis reveals that INTEBAND could clearly outperform the two conventional models in reducing network person delay when the ratio of bus-passengers and car-users exceeds a threshold of 1.5. Moreover, a multi-classifier model based on simulation results is to conveniently answer when INTEBAND can yield more benefit than conventional progression models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gradation segregation strongly affects the service performance of asphalt pavement. However, rare studies focus on the influences of segregation on asphalt mixture as it is difficult to simulate segregation in a laboratory. This paper presents a research aiming to evaluate the effects of gradation segregation using the two dimensional (2D) discrete element method (DEM). To achieve this objective, the gradation segregation levels are defined according to the differences between control and segregated gradations. Based on this, asphalt mixtures with three gradations at three segregation levels were selected. The corresponding 2D DEM models were then built using Particle Flow Code 2D (PFC 2D). The aggregate skeletons in the asphalt mixture were determined separately by means of the contact point and contact force. Based on this, the variations on the aggregate skeleton, aggregate distribution, and mechanical properties of the asphalt mixture under vertical load were studied at three different segregation levels. This study indicates that the aggregate skeleton in asphalt mixture can be affected by the gradation segregation. The correlation between gradation segregation and mechanical property is also determined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]