Modeling an Elastic-Demand Bimodal Transport Network with Park-and-Ride Trips

This paper presents a network equilibrium formulation for modeling commuters＇ travel choices in a bimodal transport system with park-and-ride （P＆R） trips while the total demand is elastic to the congestion level of the network. A super-network approach is adopted in the proposed model. It is assumed that commuters＇ trips are categorized into two types, auto mode only and a combined mode with both auto and transit modes. The former is referred to as the pure mode trip and the latter as the P＆R mode trip. The proposed model simultaneously considers the commuter＇s choice of the pure mode versus the P＆R mode, the choice of parking location for the pure mode, the choice of transfer point for the P＆R mode, as well as the route choice for each mode. The demand elasticity of transport system, the capacity constraints of transport facilities, and the congestion interaction throughout the super-network are also explicitly incorporated into the proposed model. The results of the numerical experiment show the following key findings： （i） traditional parking/P＆R models may overestimate or underestimate travel demand distribution over network; （ii） parking/P＆R, transit scheduling, and carpooling schemes bring significant impacts on commuters＇ travel behavior and network performance; and （iii） different transport policies may be to some extent mutually substituted .     

带交叉肋方形截面通道内强制对流换热的实验研究

在雷诺数为 5 0 0 0～ 4 0 0 0 0的范围内 ,对以不同角度 (45°、6 0°、75°)布置的、具有不同高度 (4mm、5mm)的交叉肋条的方形截面通道内的强制对流换热进行了实验研究 .实验结果表明 :对交叉布置的肋条 ,其角度越大 ,高度越高 ,对流换热增强得越明显 ,但同时阻力也大为增加 ;与平行布置的肋条相比 ,交叉布置的肋条虽能使对流换热有所增强 ,但阻力增加的程度大于换热的增加 .就换热与阻力的总体效果来说 ,在雷诺数较低时 ,交叉肋条有一定的优越性 ,但在高雷诺数下 ,交叉布置的肋条相对于平行布置的肋条并无优势     

Adaptive Under-Frequency Load Shedding

Under-frequency load shedding （UFLS） is used in the power industry to rescue systems facing extreme disturbances to avoid system collapse. Traditionally, many computations are repeated to seek the proper power system settings such that the UFLS provides the desired good performance for selected scenarios. An adaptive UFLS method based on the genetic algorithm was developed to automate the finding of optimal parameters to minimize the repetitive trial-error calculations. Simulations demonstrate that the method has better performance than previous schemes and reduces the time and effort of the repetitive simulations.     

New developments in enzymatic peptide synthesis

This review article describes new enzymatic methods developed for the efficient and irreversible synthesis of peptides based on native and modified proteases, and for the synthesis of polypeptides containing D- and/or unnatural amino acids. Potential opportunities for future developments in the field based on new enzymes, tailormade catalytic antibodies, and on the technique of in vitro mutagenesis are also described.     

Potential aldose reductase inhibitors: 1,2,4-triazolidine-3,5-diones and 2-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)-4,4-diethyl-3,5-isoxazolidinedione .

1,2,4-Triazolidine-3,5-diones and the 3,5-isoxazolidinedione were observed to be potent inhibitors of rat lens aldose reductase activity. In vivo in streptozotocin-diabetic rats, selected agents at 20 mg/kg/day, orally for 21 days reduced significantly the sorbitol levels of rbc, lens and sciatic nerves, suggesting that these derivatives may have some usefulness to treat clinical complications of diabetes mellitus.     

Complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, an opportunistic pathogen

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that is one of the top three causes of opportunistic human infections. A major factor in its prominence as a pathogen is its intrinsic resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants. Here we report the complete sequence of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1. At 6.3 million base pairs, this is the largest bacterial genome sequenced, and the sequence provides insights into the basis of the versatility and intrinsic drug resistance of P. aeruginosa. Consistent with its larger genome size and environmental adaptability, P. aeruginosa contains the highest proportion of regulatory genes observed for a bacterial genome and a large number of genes involved in the catabolism, transport and efflux of organic compounds as well as four potential chemotaxis systems. We propose that the size and complexity of the P. aeruginosa genome reflect an evolutionary adaptation permitting it to thrive in diverse environments and resist the effects of a variety of antimicrobial substances.     

Collapse of stiff conjugated polymers with chemical defects into ordered, cylindrical conformations

The optical, electronic and mechanical properties of synthetic and biological materials consisting of polymer chains depend sensitively on the conformation adopted by these chains. The range of conformations available to such systems has accordingly been of intense fundamental as well as practical interest, and distinct conformational classes have been predicted, depending on the stiffness of the polymer chains and the strength of attractive interactions between segments within a chain. For example, flexible polymers should adopt highly disordered conformations resembling either a random coil or, in the presence of strong intrachain attractions, a so-called 'molten globule'. Stiff polymers with strong intrachain interactions, in contrast, are expected to collapse into conformations with long-range order, in the shape of toroids or rod-like structures. Here we use computer simulations to show that the anisotropy distribution obtained from polarization spectroscopy measurements on individual poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyl)oxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene] polymer molecules is consistent with this prototypical stiff conjugated polymer adopting a highly ordered, collapsed conformation that cannot be correlated with ideal toroid or rod structures. We find that the presence of so-called 'tetrahedral chemical defects', where conjugated carbon-carbon links are replaced by tetrahedral links, divides the polymer chain into structurally identifiable quasi-straight segments that allow the molecule to adopt cylindrical conformations. Indeed, highly ordered, cylindrical conformations may be a critical factor in dictating the extraordinary photophysical properties of conjugated polymers, including highly efficient intramolecular energy transfer and significant local optical anisotropy in thin films.     

Telomere dysfunction impairs DNA repair and enhances sensitivity to ionizing radiation

Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein complexes that serve as protective caps of linear eukaryotic chromosomes. Loss of telomere function is associated with rampant genetic instability and loss of cellular viability and renewal potential. The telomere also participates in processes of chromosomal repair, as evidenced by the 'capture' or de novo synthesis of telomere repeats at double-stranded breaks and by the capacity of yeast telomeres to serve as repositories of essential components of the DNA repair machinery, particularly those involved in non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Here we used the telomerase-deficient mouse, null for the essential telomerase RNA gene (Terc), to assess the role of telomerase and telomere function on the cellular and organismal response to ionizing radiation. Although the loss of telomerase activity per se had no discernable impact on the response to ionizing radiation, the emergence of telomere dysfunction in late-generation Terc-/- mice imparted a radiosensitivity syndrome associated with accelerated mortality. On the cellular level, the gastrointestinal crypt stem cells and primary thymocytes showed increased rates of apoptosis, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) showed diminished dose-dependent clonogenic survival. The radiosensitivity of telomere dysfunctional cells correlated with delayed DNA break repair kinetics, persistent chromosomal breaks and cytogenetic profiles characterized by complex chromosomal aberrations and massive fragmentation. Our findings establish a intimate relationship between functionally intact telomeres and the genomic, cellular and organismal response to ionizing radiation.     

The Immersive Cockpit System for Capturing Natural Heritage

1 Introduction1 Preserving natural heritage has been identified as an important task in many countries. However, if damage to such heritage is unavoidable during the development, we may want to record the natural heritage before damaging it. One way is to acquire the 3D geometric information of the natural heritage. So that we can render it later. However, if the natural heritage is very large in scale and very complex in geometry, acquisition of such large-scale environment is infeasible an…