Station Site Research Articles

Unraveling the Impact of Spatial Configuration on TOD Function Mix Use and Spatial Intensity: An Analysis of 47 Morning Top-Flow Stations in Beijing (2018–2020)

Urban rail transportation is an important public transportation network for realizing the dual carbon strategy and sustainable transportation development. A top-stream station is an important node in this network. This paper focuses on 47 top-stream station sites during the peak hours of workdays from 2018 to 2020 in Beijing (26 inbound and 22 outbound, with Beijing South Station as a double-stream station) and collects and analyzes information such as station area spatial texture, spatial organization efficiency, land use function, land use mix, POI (Point of Interest) distribution and functional mix, construction intensity, and population heat distribution. Through an analysis of the network topological structure characteristics of each station area, comparison of spatial efficiency differences, analysis of land use function composition and mix characteristics, and distribution of spatial construction intensity, this paper discusses the relationship between the spatial structure, spatial function, spatial intensity characteristics and key indicators of the built environment of station areas from the perspective of urban design. The conclusion shows that there is a close relationship between the function, structure, and strength of the overall built environment of the station domain at the theoretical level. The regression test, to some extent, confirms the close relationship between key indicators and expands the indicator system for measuring the fit relationship. The comparison between general station sites and headstream station sites shows that the fit relationship of indicators for headstream station sites is not completely the same as that for general station sites, indicating that the influencing factors for headstream station sites are diverse. This reminds investment, design, construction, and management teams in practice that the measurement and planning of the built environment space structure of the station domain should be based on local conditions and be closely related to the topological structure of the station domain’s rail network and road network structure. At the same time, whether the stability of the indicator system and the specific R-squared value have differences in various cities requires further verification. This paper explores and tries to raise questions about the research methodology of the built environment space structure, the measurement of the station domain, and the concepts of station-city coordination and development.

Siting of electric vehicle charging stations method addressing area potential and increasing their accessibility

The intensive growth of cities and transport systems makes its specific problems, the most serious of them include pollution and noise caused by individual transport in urban areas. The transition towards green solutions makes it possible to reduce the negative effects of conventional internal combustion engines used in vehicles. A considerable limitation experienced while attempting to introduce electric vehicles into cities is the network of charging stations. The article proposes a charging station siting method which takes into account distances between charging stations for location charging stations out appropriately within a particular urban area using a GIS-based approach. The results of the method can be verified and changed, depending on the chosen scenario, assuming different numbers of charging stations, by analysing the aspect of pedestrian accessibility within the given area. It also refers to a specific example of the method application in the city of Katowice in Poland. To compare the scenarios, the accessibility of charging stations was analysed using pedestrian access isochrones. The results obtained for the five-minute isochrone show that an increase in the number of stations from 33 to 99 makes it possible to increase the coverage area by nearly 199%. The results thus obtained confirm the efficiency of the method in question when used for planning the distribution of vehicle charging stations. What this method enables is adapting the iterative process of charging station siting to the city budget, which is an important additional element.

Detailed sedimentary structure of the Mianning segment of the Anninghe fault zone revealed by H/V spectral ratio

The Anninghe fault is a major left-lateral strike-slip fault in southwest China and a seismic gap with a potential earthquake larger than MW 7.0 lies in the Mianning-Xichang segment according to recent observations. The shallow structure of this region can offer a glimpse into the geometry of the fault, which plays an important role in earthquake hazard mitigation. To further investigate the sedimentary structure of the Anninghe fault zone, two dense linear arrays with a station spacing of around 80 ​m were deployed across the fault. In this study, the H/V spectral ratio (HVSR), together with its peak frequency at each station site, was obtained by applying the Nakamura method. Our findings demonstrate that the peak frequency behaves in high correlation with lithology and is controlled by topography. HVSR in foothills or regions with magmatic intrusion shows a single peak at about 2–3 ​Hz. In locations with abundant Quaternary sedimentation, such as Anninghe valleys and fracture zones, another low-frequency peak around 0.4 ​Hz can be noticed in HVSR. By using the empirical relationship, the thickness of the sedimentary layer around the fault fracture zone is estimated to be 300–600 ​m. Furthermore, the sedimentary interface shows a downward dip to the east, possibly influenced by the east-west extrusion stress. Considering the resonance effect, buildings with 6–9 stories in the valley area of the Anninghe require additional attention in earthquake hazard prevention.

Identification of suitable sites for electric vehicle charging stations; a geographical information systems based multi criteria decision making approach

ABSTRACT The zero emission characteristics of Electric Vehicles (EVs) play an important role in both reducing carbon emissions and creating an alternative to fossil-based fuels. Battery capacity and availability of EV charging stations are the most important criteria for EVs to become widespread. This study focuses on using location-based criteria to determine suitable locations for EV charging stations. Six criteria were determined based on academic literature and expert opinions. Euclidean distance and kernel density analysis for the criteria were determined from Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and the weights for the criteria were determined using Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA). C2 was found to be the most significant criterion with a weight of 0.316 and C5 the least important with a weight of 0.088. The six criteria maps were combined as a weighted map and 21 potential locations within the range of 0–0.175 pixel values were identified in the study area. The locations were ranked using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method to determine the most suitable sites. According to the pixel values of the criteria maps, CS5 determined as the most suitable site, followed by CS2 and CS4. This study presents a new perspective for the selection of suitable sites for EV charging stations, using a GIS based SWARA and TOPSIS methods.

Comparative assessment of ground-level air quality in the metropolitan area of Prague using local street canyon modelling

Metropolitan areas have recently been identified as hotspots in terms of air quality and pollution-related diseases caused by gaseous pollutants and particulate matter primarily from road emissions. This study was carried out to investigate the suitability of the air dispersion modelling for predicting the short-term concentration of selected pollutants within the asymmetric street canyon geometries. The geographic projection covered a modelling domain of 0.5 × 1.4 km, with a grid resolution of 2 m mapped to the receptor site of an operational ambient air quality monitoring station in Prague, Czech Republic. Basic street canyon simulation showed the best performance metric for the prediction of PM10 concentration. High spatiotemporal performance was found by the advanced street canyon simulation in predicting hourly averages of NOx and PM10. The underprediction of the modelled NOx concentration corresponded to those of previous studies with FB value of 0.11 and NMSE <4. The slightly overprediction of PM10 concentration with the obtained FB value of −0.19, the NMSE value of 0.04, and the FAC2 of 0.53 were in agreement with previous modelling work. The simulation results provided additional evidence for the underpredicted concentration of PM2.5 in different model configurations. Advanced street canyon simulation improves the accuracy of ADMS-Urban by a maximum of 34%. The underprediction of short-term emission was graphically analysed in time-series profiles. The validation results and significant remarks greatly contribute to the essential optimization of urban street canyon model to better represent observations in the street canyon geometries of historic European building architectures.

Evaluation of small pod pepper varieties (Capsicum frutescens L.) at Kellem Wellega and West Wellega zones

Small pod hot pepper (chili pepper) is a seasonal plant of the family Solanaceae. It is grown as an annual crop and produced for its fruits (pods). It is one of the most important vegetable crops for fresh consumption (as chilies), for processing and as a spice (for making stew)and it the main source of income. A field experiment was conducted at Haro Sabu on station and Meti (Sayo Woreda) sub sites of Kellem Wollega zone, Western Ethiopia, during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 main cropping season. A total of five small pod hot pepper varieties collected from Melkasa and Bako Agricultural Research centers and one local check variety were used as testing materials. The combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) for total yield and other agronomic traits of six small pod hot pepper varieties grown at two locations revealed significant difference on days to flowering, days to maturity, number of primary branches per plant, number of fruit (pods) per plant, fruit diameter, fruit length and fruit weight total pod dry weight. Likewise there was highly significant difference of variety on pod anthracnose and cercospora leaf spot (frog eye). In this experimentation, Melka Oli and Melka Dera Dinsire varieties were found superior in terms of total dry pod yield and other important yield related parameters. Melka Oli and Melka Dera varieties are also tolerant to major hot pepper diseases. Thus these varieties were recommended for demonstration and wider production in the studied areas and similar agro-ecologies in the Western Oromia in particular and hot pepper producing regions of Ethiopia in general under main natural rain fed condition.

Battery-Swapping Station Site Selection and Distribution in Material Vehicles Scheduling Based on NSGA-II

The location planning of battery-swapping stations needs to consider many factors. This paper is based on the location planning of battery-swapping stations and considers limits on the number of electric material vehicles and battery packs. Firstly, a rapid vehicle exchange model for battery-swapping stations is established. On this basis, a steady-state model of the vehicle transporting materials is established, which describes the regular and dynamic operation of the whole vehicle dispatching system based on maximizing the number of vehicles always transporting materials on the road. Finally, a material transportation target planning model is established. NSGA-II is used to solve the maximum material transportation target planning function for the best selection of battery-swapping station sites and the best number of vehicles and battery packs for material transportation.

Analysis Method for the Substitution Effect of the Alternative Energy Storage of Power Grid Functions Based on the Annual Cost Method

New energy storage is an important technology and fundamental equipment for building a new electric power system, an important support for achieving the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and also a development focus for emerging strategic industries. In light of typical situations, such as a lack of station site resources and large-scale access to distributed new energy for power supply on a sea island, new energy storage is proposed to solve power supply capacity or quality problems in local areas and to replace or postpone power transmission and distribution investment. Considering the different life cycles of energy storage and power grid facility projects, we proposed an assessment method for the substitution effect of alternative energy storage on power grid functions based on the annual cost method and measured its cost-effectiveness under typical application scenarios.

Statistical Characterization and Modeling of Indoor RF-EMF Down-Link Exposure

With the increasing use of wireless communication systems, assessment of exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) has now become very important due to the rise of public risk perception. Since people spend more than 70% of their daily time in indoor environments, including home, office, and car, the efforts devoted to indoor RF-EMF exposure assessment has also increased. However, assessment of indoor exposure to RF-EMF using a deterministic approach is challenging and time consuming task as it is affected by uncertainties due to the complexity of the indoor environment and furniture structure, existence of multiple reflection, refraction, diffraction and scattering, temporal variability of exposure, and existence of many obstructions with unknown dielectric properties. Moreover, it is also affected by the existence of uncontrolled factors that can influence the indoor RF-EMF exposure such as the constant movement of people and random movement of furniture and doors as people are working in the building. In this study, a statistical approach is utilized to characterize and model the total indoor RF-EMF down-link (DL) exposure from all cellular bands on each floor over the length of a wing since the significance of distance is very low between any two points on each floor in a wing and the variation of RF-EMF DL exposure is mainly influenced by the local indoor environment. Measurements were conducted in three buildings that are located within a few hundred meters vicinity of two base station sites supporting several cellular technologies (2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G). We apply the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test on the measurement data, and we prove that the indoor RF-EMF DL exposure on each floor over the length of a wing is a random process governed by a Gaussian distribution. We validate this proposition using leave-one-out cross validation technique. Consequently, we conclude that the indoor RF-EMF DL exposure on each floor over the length of a wing can be modeled by a Gaussian distribution and, therefore, can be characterized by the mean and the standard deviation parameters.

Physical and biogeochemical controls on seasonal iron, manganese, and cobalt distributions in Northeast Atlantic shelf seas

Dissolved (<0.2 μm) trace metals (dTMs) including iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co) are micronutrients that (co-) limit phytoplankton growth in many ocean regions. Here, we present the spatial and seasonal distributions of dFe, dMn, and dCo on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin (Celtic Sea), along a transect across the shelf and two off-shelf transects along a canyon and a spur. Waters on the continental shelf showed much higher dTM concentrations (dFe 0.07–6.50 nmol L−1, average 1.41 ± 0.96 nmol L−1, n = 138; dMn 0.868–14.8 nmol L−1, 2.75 ± 2.37 nmol L−1, n = 148; dCo 54.8–217 pmol L−1, 109 ± 32 pmol L−1, n = 144) than on the slope (dFe 0.03–1.90 nmol L−1, 0.65 ± 0.43 nmol L−1, n = 454; dMn 0.223–1.14 nmol L−1, 0.58 ± 0.20 nmol L−1, n = 458; dCo 27.3–122 pmol L−1, 71.7 ± 11.7 pmol L−1, n = 441), attributed to strong dTM contributions from a low-salinity endmember, i.e., riverine discharge. Benthic sedimentary input via reductive dissolution (especially for dFe and dMn), delineated by short-lived radium (Ra) isotopic activities (223Raxs and 224Raxs), was only prominent at a station (Site A) characterized by fine sediments. On the continental slope, dMn levels at depth were mainly determined by the formation of insoluble Mn oxides and the intrusion of Mediterranean Outflow Waters. In contrast, dFe and dCo concentrations at depth were balanced by the regeneration from remineralization of sinking organic particles and scavenging removal. In addition, bottom and intermediate nepheloid layers along the slope illustrated both elevated dTM concentrations and Ra isotopic activities. The presence of nepheloid layers is especially significant along the canyon transect relative to the spur transect, demonstrating the importance of slope topography on the off-shelf transport of dTMs into the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.As a seasonal stratified shelf sea, dTMs and nutrients showed synchronized seasonal variations on the shelf, indicating the influence of biological processes in addition to source effects. Surface dFe and dCo were depleted in summer due to enhanced biological uptake, while sub-surface dFe and dCo were elevated in summer and autumn ascribed to the remineralization of sinking organic particles. In contrast, surface dMn levels were predominantly controlled by the seasonal variations in photoreduction, while sub-surface dMn concentrations were relatively constant throughout the year. The combined effects of fluvial and benthic sources, topographical controls, and biological processes shape the seasonal variations of dTM distributions. Such seasonal variations in dTMs and biological activities can affect the biological carbon pump on the Northeast Atlantic continental margin, and may further influence the carbon cycle in the Atlantic Ocean via the dynamic dTM exchange between continental margins and the open ocean.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Content and Human Health Risk of Orogodo River, Delta State, Nigeria

The Orogodo River is a major source of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, fishing, washing and recreation for the resident community. Apparently, anthropogenic activities threaten the sustainability of this resource, hence, the need for environmental monitoring studies. This study was carried out to investigate heavy metal content and to assess human health risk of Orogodo River vis-a-vis its suitability for human consumption. Water samples were collected from four sampling stations established along the stretch of the river with the upstream station at Site 1, two midstream stations (Sites 2 and 3) and the downstream station being Site 4 and analyzed for seven heavy metals: iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) concentrations using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results obtained from the study showed that the mean values for Fe (2.77±0.00 mg/l) in Site 4, Ni (0.15±0.19 mg/l) in Site 2, Pb (0.05±0.02 mg/l) in Site 3, Mn (0.30±0.30 mg/l) in Site 3 and Cr (0.06±0.03) in Sites 2 and 3 exceeded the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) maximum permissible limits (Fe: 0.3 mg/l; Ni: 0.02 mg/l; Pb: 0.01 mg/l; Mn: 0.2 mg/l and Cr: 0.05 mg/l) for Nigerian freshwater and thus warranted health risk assessment. Health risk assessment for all sites indicated that with exemptions of Cr (1.33 in Sites 2 and 3 for children), other metals showed no potential health risk, but their cumulative effects as indicated by the hazard index (1.19 and 2.50 for adult and children in Site 2; 1.22 and 2.91 for adult and children in Site 3 and 1.36 for children in Site 4) could be of serious concern. This calls for caution for both adults and children exposed to the water through ingestion and the dire need for enforcement of water resource management regulations by the concerned authorities.

Agreement in extreme precipitation exposure assessment is modified by race and social vulnerability.

Epidemiologic investigations of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) often rely on observations from the nearest weather station to represent individuals' exposures, and due to structural factors that determine the siting of weather stations, levels of measurement error and misclassification bias may differ by race, class, and other measures of social vulnerability. Gridded climate datasets provide higher spatial resolution that may improve measurement error and misclassification bias. However, similarities in the ability to identify EPEs among these types of datasets have not been explored. In this study, we characterize the overall and temporal patterns of agreement among three commonly used meteorological data sources in their identification of EPEs in all census tracts and counties in the conterminous United States over the 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals period and evaluate the association between sociodemographic characteristics with agreement in EPE identification. Daily precipitation measurements from weather stations in the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) and gridded precipitation estimates from the Parameter-elevation Relationships on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) and the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) were compared in their ability to identify EPEs defined as the top 1% of precipitation events or daily precipitation >1 inch. Agreement among these datasets is fair to moderate from 1991 to 2020. There are spatial and temporal differences in the levels of agreement between ground stations and gridded climate datasets in their detection of EPEs in the United States from 1991 to 2020. Spatial variation in agreement is most strongly related to a location's proximity to the nearest ground station, with areas furthest from a ground station demonstrating the lowest levels of agreement. These areas have lower socioeconomic status, a higher proportion of Native American population, and higher social vulnerability index scores. The addition of ground stations in these areas may increase agreement, and future studies intending to use these or similar data sources should be aware of the limitations, biases, and potential for differential misclassification of exposure to EPEs. Most importantly, vulnerable populations should be engaged to determine their priorities for enhanced surveillance of climate-based threats so that community-identified needs are met by any future improvements in data quality.

New optimal planning strategy for plug‐in electric vehicles charging stations in a coupled power and transportation network

AbstractThe use of plug‐in electric vehicles (PEV) and their developing technology can create new challenges to the smart power system. The type, method, and time of charging electric vehicles are also other issues. Allocating and determining the optimal capacity of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) is related to the technical requirements of the distribution network. This is economically important for the construction of charging stations. This paper proposes a new approach for optimal siting and sizing of PEV charging stations in a coupled electrical and transportation network. This work presents the problem from a techno‐economic point of view of the electrical network as a multi‐objective problem with the objectives of simultaneously reducing the cost of building EVCSs and active power losses. The Pareto method is used to solve the problem and to display optimal points. In order to carry out the simulation, the proposed method is tested on a case study of the standard IEEE 37‐bus network with a 25‐node transport system and the proposed solution in the subject environment. The Floyd–Warshall method is utilized to determine the shortest travel routes for PEVs. The obtained results confirm the effectiveness of the optimal planning of PEV charging stations.

Research on Base Station Site Planning Based on Cluster Analysis and Azimuth Analysis Model

With the rapid development of the information age, the construction of 5G mobile network has improved the speed of network transmission and the utilization rate of spectrum. However, at the same time, the coverage of base stations is correspondingly less and less. In order to improve the quality of mobile communication, this paper uses the normal distribution 3-standard deviation method, Euclidean distance and 0-1 planning site selection model to analyze and divide the macro and micro base stations and make the optimal solution of site planning. Furthermore, the azimuth analysis model and K-means clustering algorithm were used to optimize the site planning and coverage area. Finally, 331 macro stations and 6459 micro base stations needed to be built, with an optimized Angle of 47 degrees and a coverage area of 93.3%. This paper provides some reference ideas for solving the problem of selecting and planning the base station site in the communication network.

Efficacy of Environmental Cleaning Protocol Featuring Real-Time Feedback with and without PX-UV in Reducing the Contamination of Gram-Negative Microorganisms on High-Touch Surfaces in Four Intensive Care Units in Thailand

Environmental cleaning and disinfection practices have been shown to reduce microorganism bioburden in the healthcare environment. This study was performed in four intensive care units in Thailand. Five high-touch surfaces were sampled before and after terminal manual cleaning and disinfection, and after pulsed xenon UV (PX-UV). Five nursing station sites were collected on a weekly basis before and after terminal manual cleaning. There were 100 patient rooms-50 rooms in the intervention arm and 50 rooms in the control arm-plus 32 nursing station sites. In the intervention arm, rooms with positive Gram-negative microorganisms were reduced by 50% after terminal manual cleaning and disinfection (p = 0.04) and 100% after PX-UV disinfection (p < 0.001). On five nursing station sites, colony counts of Gram-negative contamination decreased by 100% (p < 0.001) in the intervention arm while decreasing by 65.2% (p = 0.03) in the control arm after terminal manual cleaning and disinfection. The in-room time use was 15.6 min per room. A PX-UV device significantly reduced the level of Gram-negative microorganisms on high-touch surfaces in intensive care units. The application of a PX-UV device was practical a in resource-limited setting without compromising cleaning and disinfection times.

Genetic Variations among Fleabane (Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronquist) Populations in Jordan and Their Susceptibility Levels to Contact Herbicides

A field demonstration and pot experiments were implemented to assess the effect of paraquat, oxadiazon, and oxyfluorfen herbicides in controlling selected populations of fleabane Conyza bonariensis (L.), grown in the central valley of Jordan. Conyza mature seeds were collected from six investigated sites (five from Jordan valley named P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and one from the University of Jordan Campus named P6). Only populations proved to be C. bonariensis via ITS assessment were involved in the glasshouse experiments at the University of Jordan in 2017 and 2019. Results showed that recommended or two-fold higher rates (2.5 and 5 kg ha−1) of paraquat failed to affect weed plants in a date palm orchard located at Tal-al-Ramel in the Central Jordan Valley. Paraquat, oxyfluorfen, and oxadiazon (2.5, 3.3, and 5 kg ha−1, respectively), failed to control plants of the same weed population grown in pot experiments. Treated plants at Tal-al-Ramel grew similarly to untreated control, mostly due to different genetic backgrounds. The other C. bonariensis populations (University Research Station, al-Twal, and University Campus) were effectively controlled with all herbicides. The application of recommended or 10-fold higher rates of herbicides failed to control or slightly injured the resistant population. Seed DNA analysis of the ITS region showed genetic differences among the investigated populations. It indicated that four populations are C. bonariensis (P1, P3, P4, and P6). At the same time, two are C. canadensis (a closely related species) collected from the University Research Station (P2) and al-Twal sites (P5), and also that the population of C. bonariensis in the date palm orchard was genetically distinct from the other C. bonariensis populations. It is concluded that C. bonariensis population in the Tal-al-Ramel site developed resistance to paraquat, oxadiazon, and oxyfluorfen herbicides. Thus, novel alternative practices in controlling the resistant weed population are necessary to prevent its possible spread to other regions in the country and obstruct the development of new herbicide-resistance weed populations.

Integrating Space Syntax and Location-Allocation Model for Fire Station Location Planning in a China Mega City

The appropriate planning of infrastructure protects people’s lives and property. Fire stations are an essential part of a city’s infrastructure and they must be precisely located to shorten emergency response times and reduce casualties. Recently, the focus of the city emergency service has shifted from fire suppression to technical rescues. We compared the spatial distribution of fire suppression and technical rescues at a city scale to show the variation in their influences. An integrated road-network accessibility and location-allocation model (RNALA) for the location planning of a fire station was proposed. Specific sites for fire stations were identified using the L-A model. Then, the spatial design network analysis was performed to quantify areas around the selected site with high road network accessibility. The RNALA model was used to extend the selection from a point to a region by introducing road network accessibility to accomplish coverage and efficiency requirements. A quantitative and universal approach that focuses on fire station location planning based on emergency services is proposed. This methodology provides a practical solution for implementation, as a specific identified location might not be available for implementation. These results can serve as a reference for identifying fire station locations in cities.

A New Decision-Making Framework for Site Selection of Electric Vehicle Charging Station With Heterogeneous Information and Multigranular Linguistic Terms

As a key technology to perform sustainable development in transportation, electric vehicles have been largely welcomed due to their advantages in energy savings and low carbon emission. The main step in promoting these vehicles is the selection of the appropriate electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) site. EVCS site selection is a laborious task because it involves a series of conflicting quantitative and qualitative criteria from several dimensions. The quantitative criteria are usually expressed by numerical data, while qualitative criteria are commonly represented by linguistic terms. Furthermore, the linguistic terms generated by different decision makers are usually defined on multigranular linguistic term sets. In this article, we present a new decision-making framework to select sustainable EVCS sites within the context of heterogeneous information and multigranular linguistic terms. First, three information transformation mechanisms are defined to unify the heterogeneous information and multigranular linguistic terms into interval-valued belief structures. Afterward, shadowed sets theory is utilized to reflect the personalized individual semantics of linguistic terms. Then, with the aid of the evidential reasoning (ER) algorithm, a new information fusion method is proposed to generate the interval-valued expected utilities of alternatives. Subsequently, an improved minimax regret approach is developed to compare and rank the interval-valued expected utilities. The proposed decision-making framework is then implemented to solve a case study for EVCS site selection. Further analysis and comparisons with other methods are also conducted to show the applicability and feasibility of the current proposal.

The charging station and swapping station site selection with many-objective evolutionary algorithm

The charging station and swapping station site selection with many-objective evolutionary algorithm

Neuropathic pain: Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.

The physiopathology and neurotransmission of pain are of an owe inspiring complexity. Our ability to satisfactorily suppress neuropathic or other forms of chronic pain is limited. The number of pharmacodynamically distinct and clinically available medications is low and the successes achieved modest. Pain Medicine practitioners are confronted with the ethical dichotomy imposed by Hippocrates: On one hand the mandate of primum non nocere, on the other hand, the promise of heavenly joys if successful divinum est opus sedare dolorem. We briefly summarize the concepts associated with nociceptive pain from nociceptive input (afferents from periphery), modulatory output [descending noradrenergic (NE) and serotoninergic (5-HT) fibers] to local control. The local control is comprised of the "inflammatory soup" at the site of pain origin and synaptic relay stations, with an ATP-rich environment promoting inflammation and nociception while an adenosine-rich environment having the opposite effect. Subsequently, we address the transition from nociceptor pain to neuropathic pain (independent of nociceptor activation) and the process of sensitization and pain chronification (transient pain progressing into persistent pain). Having sketched a model of pain perception and processing we attempt to identify the sites and modes of action of clinically available drugs used in chronic pain treatment, focusing on adjuvant (co-analgesic) medication.