Critical Transport Research Articles

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANAGEMENT MODELS FOR REGIONAL PROGRAMS OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE OPERATION AT CRITICAL TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES

The objects of the critical transport infrastructure are located in all regions of Ukraine, and the question of the safety of these objects is extremely relevant. A functional approach should be used to form an effective safety management unit for critical transport objects. Therefore, in order to achieve an acceptable level of safety of the critical transport infrastructure, it is necessary to have an effective mechanism for achieving this result, which can be achieved through the formation and efficient management of regional programs for the safe operation of critical transport infrastructure objects. Management models for regional safety programs at critical transport infrastructure facilities based on the existing approaches to construction of models of program and project management are proposed in the article. Critical transport infrastructure includes highways, state-owned transport enterprises, subway facilities, gas stations, bridges, sea and river ports, airports, and pipelines. These facilities are strategic for the state, and as a consequence, vulnerable, so they require special protection. To form an effective apparatus for environmental safety management in critical transport infrastructure facilities, the application of a program approach is proposed in the article. To assess the life cycle of regional environmental safety programs of critical transport infrastructure facilities based on the Deming cycle, a spiral model was developed, which is the environment for the operation of schematic, system, and service models of the environmental safety management program. Development of approaches to the management of regional programs for the environmentally safe operation of critical transport infrastructure facilities, based on the formation of strategic objectives and their decomposition, will be aimed not only at solving existing problems of critical transport infrastructure in the region but factors related to the occurrence of dangerous events for them and the elimination of the causes leading to these problems. A system model for managing regional safety programs for objects of critical transport infrastructure is proposed.

Credible pigeon permissioned blockchain traceability platform integrated with IoT based on HACCP

The pigeon food production industry from breeding to processing into food for market circulation involves many stages and people, which is prone to food safety issues and difficult to regulate. To address these problems, one possible solution is to establish a traceability system. However, in traditional traceability systems, a number of stages involved and each of them provides their own data accumulated in the database. Therefore, complex traceability data are compose of too many stages easily result in confusing information for customers. Besides, centralized data storage makes data vulnerable to be tampered with. To solve these problems, hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) principles have been utilized in our work which is a comprehensive traceability system. In this work, we analyze the pigeon food production industry through HACCP principles and determine some critical control points (CCPs), including incubation, breeding, transportation, slaughtering, processing, and logistics. With the help of these CCPs, we are able to build a traceability system with critical and abundant data but not too complicated for users. To further improve the system, there are different kinds of techniques integrated into it. Firstly, a permissioned blockchain, Hyperledger Fabric, is selected as blockchain module to enhance trustworthiness of data. Secondly, the system contains various IoT devices for automatically collecting environmental parameter data with the aim of reducing human interference. Besides, it is worth mentioning that the proposed information management device can decrease the data entry burden. Consequently, the implementation of the traceability system increase consumers’ confidence in pigeon food production. To summarize, it is a new application of modern agricultural information technique in food safety and a bold experiment in the field of poultry, particularly pigeons.

Bus Route Design Problem for Rural Tourism Objectives: A Multiobjective Approach

Rural tourism bus routes are an essential component of rural public transport systems, intending to serve tourist trips with passengers moving between critical regional transport nodes and tourist attractions. This paper presents a methodology for the optimal design of rural tourism bus routes by minimizing total travel costs for tourists and maximizing the total quality of tourism bus services. Road scenery, road design attributes, and route popularity elements are integrated into the evaluation of tourism bus service quality. The constraints for the bus route planning and tourism demand are taken into account to guarantee the rational design of rural tourism bus routes. A solution approach is put forward based on the initial solution set generation procedure and strengthens the elitist genetic algorithm. Finally, the bus network in a rural tourism destination of Nanjing is taken as the case study to validate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed model.

Secure Authentication and Key Management Protocol for Deployment of Internet of Vehicles (IoV) Concerning Intelligent Transport Systems

Intelligent transport systems amalgamated with advanced technologies are an important element of the automotive industry, including critical infrastructure and transportation. Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is the modern technological framework designed for intelligent transportation. IoV creates a network of information relations among vehicles, thus contributing to reduced congestion, roadside infrastructure, driver/traveller safety, and traffic efficiency through wireless communication and sensing technology. However, a significant challenge in IoV applications is security, as criminals could potentially exploit these applications. It is clear that despite increasing industry awareness, the potential danger posed by security vulnerabilities and cyber threats is high. In this study, we have designed a new system called AKAP-IoV, which supports secure communication, mutual authentication, and key management among vehicles, roadside units, and fog and cloud servers. AKAP-IoV was tested and verified using Scyther and Tamarin to ensure its resistance to cyber threats. Furthermore, we conducted a formal security analysis using the Real-or-Random (RoR) oracle model to assess security properties logically. In addition, a detailed, comprehensive comparative study was considered to evaluate the performance, functionality, efficiency and security features supported by AKAP-IoV compared to those of recently developed schemes.

Numerical study on the dynamic response of the long-span bridge under potential landslide tsunami

In a tsunami disaster, long-span bridges in coastal areas form critical transport channels for relief so it is crucial that they survive tsunami wave forces. Here we establish a dynamic response analysis framework for long-span bridges and applied it to a landslide tsunami scenario impacting a sea-crossing cable-stayed bridge near Hong Kong, China. First, a meshless numerical approach called Tsunami Squares (TS) simulated the movement of a plausible submarine landslide and its generated near-source waves. Second, we propagated the tsunami ∼300 km to the bridge site and computed wave forces on the bridge substructure. Third, we constructed a dynamic response analysis of the long-span bridge due to those forces. Results show that transverse and longitudinal forces on the bridge substructure reach maximum at different times and transverse load is larger than longitudinal load. The transverse displacement of the cable-stayed bridge dominates both longitudinal and torsional displacements but falls below the safety level even under the most extreme tsunami conditions. Landslide features have non-linear effects on tsunami waves and structural responses so a wide parameter space should be considered. The framework developed here provides effective means for assessing the dynamic state of long-span bridges during tsunami disasters.

High-speed rail effects on station area-level business commercial agglomeration: Evidence from 110 stations in China

As a critical transportation infrastructure, high-speed rail (HSR) greatly enhances accessibility and shortens the spatial-temporal distance among cities. It is well documented that HSR significantly impacts regions and cities’ economic development and spatial structure. The proportion and frequency of business passenger trips are increasing yearly, and the demand for “station as the final destination” is becoming more and more prominent. Given the pivotal role of the design and construction of HSR station areas in achieving “station as the final destination,” the study of their development characteristics and patterns has important implications for urban planning. Previous studies have focused extensively on the macro impact of the HSR operation on regional economies, urban industries, and tourism development, whereas only a few were conducted at the station level. Furthermore, the business-commercial agglomeration effects of the HSR operation on the development and construction of station areas have neither been studied nor accurately measured. To fill this gap, we first constructed a panel data set consisting of the point of interest (POI) data, China City Statistical Yearbook data, and the HSR station operation data from 2012 to 2017. Next, we developed difference-in-differences (DID) models to decipher the impact of the HSR operation on the station-level business and commercial agglomeration. The results show that the HSR operation has increased the business-commercial agglomeration index (BCAI), the commercial agglomeration index (BAI), and the business agglomeration index (CAI) by 28.3%, 29%, and 21.3%, respectively. In other words, the HSR operation has significant business-commercial agglomeration effects in the station area, and the agglomeration effect size of business is more extensive than that of commerce. Interestingly, the BCAI grew slowly in the first 3 years after the HSR operation but started to rise much faster from the fourth year, which HSR’s catalytic effects can explain. The results also reveal that the business-commercial agglomeration effects have a clear spatial threshold as the BCAI tends to decrease from 1500 m to 3000 m away from HSR stations. The plausibility of the results has been confirmed by the parallel trend, placebo, and robustness tests.

Rules mining on hybrid electric vehicle consumer complaint database

The hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a critical transportation disruptive technology that is expected to be widely adopted in the current and future marketplace. Many nations are promoting the success of HEVs. As the technologies and designs of these vehicles are significantly different from conventional vehicles, it is also important to understand the technical and body-related issues associated with these vehicles. This study used the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle owner’s complaint database to explore the potential issues associated with HEVs. The acquired dataset was divided into two groups based on their involvement in traffic crashes. The study applied association rule mining and text mining methods to analyze vehicle consumer complaint data. The results of association rule mining showed a significant association between hybrid electric all-wheel-drive vehicles manufactured between 2010 and 2021 that do not have anti-lock brakes and cruise control in the crash-related vehicle complaints dataset. Non-HEV vehicles, manufactured between 1992 and 1999, with cruise control and anti-braking systems as well as 5-10 cylinders, appeared frequently in the crash-related complaint dataset. Mileage-related issues and comparatively older HEVs (2000-2009) are dominant in non-crash-related data. The results from the text mining method show that brakes, mileage, failure, and crash are key features for consumer complaints related to crashes and brakes, battery, power, and recall are the key features for consumer complaints not related to crashes. The sentiment analysis results show slightly higher negative sentiments in complaint reports associated with crashes. The findings of this study can provide some insights into this unexplored research area.

Conscientiousness and cognitive skills in security sphere: Associations and configurations

In balancing the mission of state security forces and bodies, private security guards are expected to provide partial fulfillment to society’s sturdy desire for safety and security. They exert responsibility for protecting housing and commercial communities, as well as institutions and critical infrastructure systems, including manufacturing, utilities, transportation, and health and educational facilities. Acknowledging that these individuals must possess specific capabilities for a satisfactory level of performance, this study aims to empirically explore how those capabilities interact to obtain a good fit for their job. In order to accomplish this objective, the paper scrutinizes the insights of 94 Colombian security guards. It examines the potential associations (through a partial least squares-structural equation modeling) and configurations (through a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis) between the personality trait of conscientiousness and two relevant cognitive skills: mental agility and visual memory. The findings revealed coincidences and contradictions between techniques and addressed constructs’ arrangements to understand how individual capabilities are associated with work outcomes. Even though conscientious individuals tend to perceive strong compatibility with the security job, the skills under study display signs of being contingent on obtaining the same work attachment effect. This study concludes that a security guard’s job specification must privilege the possession of a conscientiousness trait and, if possible, self-perception of proficiency in cognitive skills, such as mental agility and visual memory, to obtain a correct fitting for the job.

Aerosol formation during processing of potentially infectious samples on Roche immunochemistry analyzers (cobas e analyzers) and in an end-to-end laboratory workflow to model SARS-CoV-2 infection risk for laboratory operators.

To assess aerosol formation during processing of model samples in a simulated real-world laboratory setting, then apply these findings to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to assess the risk of infection to laboratory operators. This study assessed aerosol formation when using cobas e analyzers only and in an end-to-end laboratory workflow. Recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was used as a surrogate marker for infectious SARS-CoV-2 viral particles. Using the HBsAg model, air sampling was performed at different positions around the cobas e analyzers and in four scenarios reflecting critical handling and/or transport locations in an end-to-end laboratory workflow. Aerosol formation of HBsAg was quantified using the Elecsys® HBsAg II quant II immunoassay. The model was then applied to SARS-CoV-2. Following application to SARS-CoV-2, mean HBsAg uptake/hour was 1.9 viral particles across the cobas e analyzers and 0.87 viral particles across all tested scenarios in an end-to-end laboratory workflow, corresponding to a maximum inhalation rate of <16 viral particles during an 8-hour shift. Low production of marker-containing aerosol when using cobas e analyzers and in an end-to-end laboratory workflow is consistent with a remote risk of laboratory-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection for laboratory operators.

The 2022 Certified Transport Registered Nurse Pulse Survey

ObjectiveThe certified transport registered nurse (CTRN) credential independently validates a registered nurse's advanced knowledge, skills, and abilities in critical care ground transport nursing. After multiple years of mostly modest growth, the number of CTRNs surged in 2020 and 2021 and continues to post strong growth into 2022. The aim of the 2022 Certified Transport Registered Nurse Pulse Survey was to better understand the ways in which CTRN-certified registered nurses value this national ground transport specialty credential and gain insight into factors that may have contributed to the recent surge in CTRN certification. MethodsThe Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing e-mailed individuals in its database of CTRN credential holders and invited them to complete an 11-question online survey between March 15 and March 28, 2022. Participation in the survey was voluntary. Sixty-three of 297 verified CTRN holders who received the survey responded for a response rate of 21.2%. The survey instrument included discrete field and open-ended questions. Data were deidentified for analysis, and institutional review board exemption was received. Descriptive statistics were used, and counts and percentages are reported. ResultsThe highest percentage of respondents (42.9%) have 10 or more years of experience in ground transport nursing, and nearly half (46%) are employed by a stand-alone transport program. Forty-three percent of all respondents reported that ground transport makes up at least 50% of their current role, whereas one third (33.3%) indicated they do ground transport 100% of the time. Critical thinking (87.5%) in the ground transport environment, confidence as a ground transport nurse (87.5%), and a sense of accomplishment and pride (94.6%) were the top 3 perceived benefits of being a CTRN-certified nurse. ConclusionThe 2022 CTRN pulse survey identified current CTRN demographics, practice environments, and perceived benefits of the CTRN credential. The findings suggest CTRNs are highly experienced and perceive multiple intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of CTRN certification, many of which are essential to safe, evidence-based nursing practice in the autonomous, complex, and dynamic ground transport environment.

Evaluation of cubic, PC-SAFT, and GERG2008 equations of state for accurate calculations of thermophysical properties of hydrogen-blend mixtures

Hydrogen (H2) is a clean fuel and key enabler of energy transition into green renewable sources and a method of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Underground H2 storage (UHS) is a prominent method offering a permanent solution for a low-carbon economy to meet the global energy demand. However, UHS is a complex procedure where containment security, pore-scale scattering, and large-scale storage capacity can be influenced by H2 contamination due to mixing with cushion gases and reservoir fluids. The literature lacks comprehensive investigations of existing thermodynamic models in calculating the accurate transport properties of H2-blend mixtures essential to the efficient design of various H2 storage processes. This work benchmarks cubic equations of state (EoSs), namely Peng–Robinson (PR) and Soave Redlich–Kwong (SRK) and their modifications by Boston–Mathias (PR-BM) and Schwartzentruber–Renon (SR-RK), for their reliability in predicting the thermophysical properties of binary and ternary H2-blend mixtures, including CH4, C2H6, C3H8, H2S, H2O, CO2, CO, and N2, in addition to Helmholtz-energy-based EoSs (i.e., PC-SAFT and GERG2008). The benchmarked models are regressed against the experimental data for vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) that covers a wide range of pressures (0.01 to 101 MPa), temperatures (92 K to 367 K), and mole fractions (0.001 to 0.90) of H2. The novelty of this work is in benchmarking and optimizing the parameters of the mentioned EoSs to study VLE envelopes, densities, and other critical transport properties, such as heat capacity and the Joule–Thomson coefficient of H2 mixtures in a wide range of associated conditions. The results highlight the significant effect of the temperature-dependent binary interaction parameters on the calculations of thermophysical properties. The SR-RK EoS demonstrated the highest agreement with VLE data among the cubic EoSs with a low root mean square error and absolute average deviation. The PC-SAFT VLE models demonstrated results comparable to the SR-RK. The sensitivity analysis highlighted the high influence of impurity on changing the thermophysical behavior of H2-blend streams during the H2 storage process.

Effect of metallic particle addition to the filling powders on the superconducting properties of ex situ processed MgB2 tapes using milled powders

Various metallic particles A were added to the filling powder in ex situ processed MgB2 tapes. The superconducting properties such as critical temperature (Tc) and transport critical current density (Jc) of those sintered tapes depend on the additives. Some additives such as Te can enhance the Jc property, whereas the others such as Mo, Nb and W can cause a Jc deterioration. The Jc enhancement is due to the improved grain connectivity and the enhancement in both upper critical field (Hc2) and irreversibility field (Hirr), whereas the origin of the Jc deterioration is the Tc reduction which is probably brought about by the reaction of the additives with MgB2. The detrimental additives possibly substitute the Mg site, Mg1−yAyB2. In contrast, the other additives which do not cause significant Jc deterioration neither form borides, ApBq, nor cause substitution reaction influencing the superconducting properties. Thus, neither reduction of superconducting phase MgB2 in the core layer nor Tc reduction occurs. Te addition reduces the optimal sintering temperature (Tsin) at which best performance in transport Jc at 4.2 K and 10 T is obtained by only 30 °C, from 710 °C to 680 °C. This Tsin reduction is much smaller than that for Sn addition, about 100 °C. Nevertheless, when sintered at temperatures of 530–560 °C, the Jc values of the tapes with Te addition are around 150 A/mm2, which is comparable to those with Sn addition and twice as large as those of the tapes without addition. Thus, Te is effective for improving the Jc property over a wide range of Tsin among various additives.

Mitigating water blockage in shale matrix by acidizing or oxidizing treatment: Evidence from transport pathway change and diffusivity enhancement

A relatively large number of pH-sensitive minerals (e.g., calcite, dolomite, siderite) and redox-sensitive compositions (e.g., organic matter, siderite, pyrite, and chlorite) are present in gas-bearing shale formations. During hydraulic fracturing, some of these compositions can be dissolved under acidic or oxic condition and may generate critical transport pathways to bypass water blockage within the fracture-matrix interface. This paper reports the effects of 5% HCl or 15% H2O2 reactive fluids on transport pathway and methane diffusion capacity of Longmaxi shale samples. Experiments show that these sensitive minerals are distributed evenly throughout the shale matrix as dispersed or isolated grains. Reactivity differences between sensitive compositions and non-sensitive minerals cause heterogeneous dissolution at micrometer scale and generate substantial new pore space in the reaction zones, giving an overall pore volume increase by 4.6–6.6 vol % calculated using μCT data. Apart from dissolution pores, many oxidation-related microfractures with a spacing less than 10 μm are also observed in H2O2-treated shale. Due to resolution limitations of SEM and μCT imaging, these new transport pathways appearing as separated void spaces are actually connected by much smaller pores at nanoscale, leading to a greater than 3.7-fold increase in macropore diffusivity. Despite more water imbibition into the H2O2-treated shales, the largest increase in diffusivity is also observed post oxidizing treatment. Our study clearly demonstrates that the newly formed transport pathways can reduce the diffusion pathway length and tortuosity of nanopore systems, thereby significantly improving wet shales’ diffusivity. These observed changes in transport pathway and diffusivity indicate that acidizing or oxidizing treatment may be a possible method for mitigating water blockage within fracture-matrix interface of hydraulically fractured Longmaxi shale gas formation.

Functional flexibility: The potential of morphing composites

From plants tracking the sun to the aerodynamics of bird wings, shape change is key to the performance of natural structures. After years of reliance on mechanical joints, human engineering now focuses on improving aerodynamic efficiency through smooth, full form changes in material geometry, achieved using technologies such as morphing composites. Promising improved power generation and efficiency in wind turbines and safer more sustainable aircraft and cars, these materials can achieve both large geometric changes with low energy requirements by cycling between several stable physical states and more gradual changes in geometry by exploiting coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch and structural anisotropy, shape memory polymers and 4D printing. The merits and limitations of these various shape change systems are the subject of extensive and ongoing academic research and both commercial and defence industry trials to improve the viability of these technologies for widespread adoption. Shape change capabilities are often associated with problems in material cost, mass, mechanical properties, manufacturability, and energy requirements. Nonetheless, the considerable and rapid advances in this technology, already resulting in successful trials in advanced civilian and military aircraft and high-performance cars, indicate that future research and development of this materials platform could revolutionise many of our most critical power generation, defence and transport systems.

Dairy farm roadway surface materials as a P-source within the nutrient transfer continuum framework

Internal farm roadways are connectors within agricultural landscapes, which act as sub-components of the nutrient transfer continuum (NTC). On dairy farms, roadway surface runoff dissolved and particulate phosphorus (P) sources stem from a combination of cow excreta deposited at locations that impede animal flow, soil deposited from cow hooves or machinery tyres, run-on from up-gradient fields, public roadways or farmyards and incidental spill of organic/inorganic fertilizers. The present study investigates the storage and potential release of P from the underlying roadway material (i.e. composite of soil and stone aggregates) as this source component is not considered in the NTC framework or documented in the literature. Herein, farm roadway materials were sampled (to 1 cm depth) at 17 locations avoiding fresh cow excreta. Multiple location types were selected e.g. straight roadway sections, roadway junctions, before and adjacent standoff areas associated with cattle underpasses, with all locations varying in distance from the farmyard. Roadway samples were analysed for phosphorus (P) and metals (Al, B, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, and Mn) content. Results showed that the soil component of roadway materials are significant P legacy sources and are in themselves a P-storage component that merits inclusion in the NTC framework. All sampled locations, when compared with fresh roadway stone aggregates or surrounding fields, had highly elevated P with plant available Morgans P &amp;gt; 8 mg L-1 (Index 4, ranging from 10 – 110 mg L-1). Sampling points within 100 m of the farmyard together with roadway junctions and underpasses beyond this distance had highest P concentrations. Critical source areas, where source, mobilisation and transport of P to waters coincided, formed at three locations. Possible mitigation measures are a) divert roadway runoff into fields using low-cost surface water breaks, b) disconnect cattle underpass tanks from receiving waters and c) change roadway infrastructure to improve cow flow and minimise source build-up. Future research should examine P loads in runoff from roadway sections across farm typologies and roadway material types.

Assessing Public Transportation Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise:A Case Study Application

The potential for sea level rise inundation of critical transportation infrastructure rises as the threat of climate change continues. Inundation of public transportation including railroads and bus routes, specifically those located in low-lying coastal areas, are vulnerable to these impacts. Therefore, identifying vulnerable facilities in order to implement adaptation planning practices is essential to protecting these facilities and avoiding impacts on mobility. This research focuses on the application of the Transit Inundation Modeling Method (TIMM) to a transit network (railways and bus routes) in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. TIMM is developed based on the need to identify transit infrastructure systems that are vulnerable to sea level rise using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Applying TIMM to a real-world transit network provides an example for how transit agencies throughout the nation can begin to identify at-risk links and nodes based on potential sea level rise inundation levels.

Simulation Strategies for Measuring Impedance Response of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The battery as an electrochemical system can be considered a Blackbox with no way of observing processes occurring within it in a nondestructive manner1. However, most physical, and chemical processes in electrochemical systems are shown to be distinguishable by their distinct characteristic time constant. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) can therefore be a valuable tool to distinguish between internal processes within batteries based on their frequency response2–4.Numerical approaches for understanding battery systems have long been explored by researchers in academia and industry alike2,4,5. Generally, it is computationally expensive to develop a high fidelity multiscale and multiphysics model with high predictive capability that can estimate critical transport parameters and material decay. Thus, model development traditionally starts with simplistic models where more physics is added as per requirements. Many approaches to mathematical modelling of the battery at different length scales and complexity are available today6.The impedance response of the battery can also be simulated coupled with various other parameters using the battery models7. Basic equivalent circuit models of the battery are commonly used for this but they suffer from lack of physical interpretability and model degeneracy8. The impedance response based on models are obtained in a physics-based model by linearizing the non-linear models and transforming equations in the time-domain into the frequency domain5,9. This generally is achieved by applying a Laplace transform to the system of linearized equations. Now, based on the complexity of the model, these equations can be solved analytically or after separating the real and imaginary parts for numerical simulation.Therefore, there are varied solution strategies appropriate for individual battery models that depend on underlying scale and physics involved. Through this work we aim to comprehensively compile these solution strategies and present the best approach for the individual electrochemical model based on criteria such as faster convergence times and error minimization.

A Generalized Framework for the Alternate Load Path Redundancy Analysis of Steel Truss Bridges Subjected to Sudden Member Loss Scenarios

Owing to their distinct features, such as structural simplicity and excellent load-carrying capacity, steel truss bridges are widely applied as critical transportation networks. However, many previously designed steel truss bridges that are located in harsh environmental conditions are facing severe challenges of overloading and aging or deteriorating critical structural members due to increasing traffic load and corrosion problems (i.e., chloride-induced corrosion). As a consequence, these overloaded and deteriorated critical members may initialize localized damage (e.g., sudden member failure scenarios) and then trigger a disproportionate collapse (i.e., progressive collapse) of steel truss bridges. To this end, to protect the steel truss bridges from progressive collapse resulting from locally induced damages (e.g., sudden removal of a critical member), this paper proposed a generalized framework to identify the critical members and to qualify the alternate load path (ALP) redundancy of steel truss bridges subjected to sudden member loss of a critical member. Demand-to-capacity ratio (DCR) for linear elastic analysis and strain ratio (SR) for nonlinear dynamic analysis were employed as the design metrics and performance indicators to qualify the ALP redundancy of steel truss bridges. Effectiveness of the proposed framework in qualifying the ALP redundancy of steel truss bridges was demonstrated through the I-35W truss bridge under sudden member removal (MR) analyses. Results obtained from this study may provide beneficial information and could serve as good references for the protection of steel truss bridges that are vulnerable to sudden member loss scenarios.

Prognostic value of lactate transporter SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 as oncoimmunological biomarkers associating tumor metabolism and immune evasion in glioma.

Hypoxic microenvironment is immunosuppressive and protumorigenic, and elevated lactate is an intermediary in the modulation of immune responses. However, as critical lactate transporters, the role of SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 in immune infiltration and evasion of glioma is not fully elucidated. Gene expression in low- and high-grade glioma (LGG and GBM) was evaluated with TCGA database. The TISIDB, TIMER and CIBERSORT databases were utilized for the analysis of the correlation between SLC16A1 or SLC16A3 and immunocyte infiltration as well as immune checkpoints. Compared with normal tissues, a significant increase of both SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 was found in LGG and GBM, and closely related to the poor prognosis only in LGG. Cancer SEA indicated that SLC16A1 was involved in hypoxia while SLC16A3 contributed to metastasis and inflammation in glioma. The SLC16A3 expression was significantly correlated with neutrophil activation by GO analysis. TISCH showed the distribution of SLC16A1 on glioma cells and SLC16A3 on immune cells, which was correlated to tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils that are immunosuppressive. SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 were identified to tightly interacted with diverse immune checkpoints (especially PD1, PD-L1, PD-L2, Tim-3) and immunosuppressive factors (TGF-β andIL-10) in glioma. Furthermore, SLC16A3 had a positive correlation to activation markers of tumor-associated neutrophils and chemokines such as CCL2, CCL22, CXCR2, CXCR4 in LGG and CCL7, CCL20 CXCL8 in GBM, which could enhance infiltration of immunosuppressive cells to the tumor microenvironment. In general, our results suggest that SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 act as a bridge between tumor metabolism and immunity by promoting immunosuppressive cell infiltration, which contributes to immune evasion and a worse prognosis in glioma. Targeting SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 may provide novel therapeutic strategy for immunotherapy in glioma.

Lake Ice Will Be Less Safe for Recreation and Transportation Under Future Warming

AbstractMillions of lakes from around the world freeze during winter. These frozen surfaces provide essential ecosystem services that are vital to many northern communities. However, the availability of safe lake ice that is oftentimes required to support these services is under threat from climate change. Here we use a 100‐member ensemble of climate model simulations to investigate changes in the presence of safe lake ice for different recreation and provisioning activities across the Northern Hemisphere. Our projections suggest that the duration of safe ice for recreational purposes will shorten, on average, by 13, 17, and 24 days within a 1.5°C, 2°C, and 3°C warmer world (relative to 1900–1929), respectively. The projected change in the duration of safe ice will be greater in higher latitudes, but with the most densely populated lower‐latitude regions experiencing the greatest percent change. The use of lake ice to support critical transportation infrastructure will also be influenced by future warming through the loss of thicker ice this century. However, our projections suggest that the magnitude of change in the duration of safe ice will differ depending on the ice thickness requirements. For transportation that requires the thickest ice cover, the number of days with safe ice will decline by 90%, 95%, and 99% with 1.5°C, 2°C, and 3°C global warming, respectively. We highlight the need for the development and implementation of adaptation plans to address the imminent loss of critical wintertime transportation infrastructure across the Northern Hemisphere.