Specific Crossings Research Articles

EVATL: A novel framework for emergency vehicle communication with adaptive traffic lights for smart cities

AbstractFixed cycle traffic lights primarily regulate road traffic, in which traffic light control systems are for specific lanes or crossings in urban areas. Also, not being appropriately installed can prolong the congestion delay and unnecessarily long wait times for crossing intersections, which can cause emergency vehicles to become stuck at intersections. Adaptive signal timing management technique that is more computationally viable than current fixed cycle signal control systems and can improve network‐wide traffic operations by reducing traffic delay and energy consumption. Even though specific adaptive control systems exist, there is no mechanism to communicate with emergency vehicles, which is crucial for smart cities. Motivated by this problem, a novel framework, Emergency Vehicle Adaptive Traffic Light (EVATL), is proposed for smart cities where an adaptive mode of operation for traffic lights is employed with emergency vehicle communication, improving their functioning and reducing overall congestion delay. EVATL detects emergency vehicle location using GPS with the Internet of Things(IoT), which integrates with traffic signals and works adaptively according to vehicle density at the traffic signal using YOLOv8. So, the primary goal of the proposed EVATL is to prioritise an emergency vehicle while simultaneously integrating adaptive traffic signals for smart cities. A GUI is developed for evaluating the proposed model by creating different scenarios for an adaptive traffic light and emergency vehicle communication. While analysing the simulation results of the proposed model EVATL, a clear improvement can be seen in the wait time of vehicles at a traffic light with the timely detection of an emergency vehicle at a set distance.

Spontaneous off-stoichiometry as the knob to control the dielectric properties of gapped metals.

Using first-principles calculations and La3Te4 as an example of an n-type gapped metal, we demonstrate that gapped metals can develop spontaneous defect formation resulting in off-stoichiometric compounds. Importantly, these compounds have different free carrier concentrations and can be realized by optimizing the synthesis conditions. The ability to tune the free carrier concentration allows the tailoring of the intraband and interband transitions, thus controlling the optoelectronic properties of materials in general. Specifically, by realizing different off-stoichiometric La3-xTe4 compounds, it is possible to reach specific crossings of the real part of the dielectric function with the zero line, reduce the plasma frequency contribution to the absorption spectra, or, more generally, induce metal-to-insulator transition. This is particularly important in the context of optoelectronic, plasmonic, and epsilon-near-zero materials, as it enables materials design with a target functionality. While this work is limited to the specific gapped metal, we demonstrate that the fundamental physics is transferable to other gapped metals and can be generally used to design a wide class of new optoelectronic/plasmonic materials.

People in Motion: Introduction to Transnational Movements and Transwar Connections in the Anthropological and Genetic Study of Human Populations

People in Motion: Introduction to Transnational Movements and Transwar Connections in the Anthropological and Genetic Study of Human Populations

Results of a numerical study of currents in the vicinity of a damless water intake

The problem of sustainable water intake in the conditions of significant fluctuations of flow rates and water level is significantly exacerbated by erosion of river beds. A typical example of such conditions is the damless water intake into the Karshi Main Canal (KMC) where the main flow of the Amudarya river continuously moves along a wide floodplain, changing the direction of currents. As a result, it is very difficult to withdraw the required volume of water from the river to the canal especially during dry years due to the high instability of currents at the entrance to the canal.Within the framework of the performed numerical studies, the conditions of flow spreading (vectors of depth-average velocities) were studied in the specific time intervals and crossings in the water intake area. The results of the study confirmed that without special engineering measures it is practically impossible to assure stable water diversion into the canal. As a preliminary solution of the problem, it was proposed to make a trench along the right bank in the area of water intake into the canal.

Effectiveness of crossings as wildlife passages for mammals in the Yungas of Argentina

Irrigation canals are an important cause of wild mammal mortality in the Piedmont forest of the Argentine Yungas. To improve the permeability of this infrastructure, specific wildlife crossings were added to the existing non-wildlife crossings built for other purposes. However, the effectiveness of these wildlife-specific crossings has still not been evaluated. Here, we identified the mammalian species that use the crossings, determined the global frequency of use of each crossing through a use index, and evaluated the possible predilection of a species for a particular crossing type using species-specific models. We found that 50 % of species in the study area used the crossings. The highest percentages of use corresponded to tapeti (Sylvilagus brasiliensis, 25.4 %), lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris, 21.5 %), agouti (Dasyprocta punctata, 20.7 %), crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous, 9.1 %) and tayra (Eira barbara, 6.3 %).The global model shows that crossing type, openness and vegetation vertical structure were the best predictors of crossing use. Species-specific models show in general that variables related to the structure of the crossings were better able to explain animal movement. The dry season increased the use of the crossings. We concluded that the presence of both wildlife-specific and non-wildlife-specific crossings would contribute to reducing the barrier effect and, therefore, to mammal conservation. In this connection we recommend that simple, low-cost wildlife-specific crossings be taken into account.

Suppression of Magnetic Reconnection at Saturn's Low‐Latitude Magnetopause

AbstractObservations from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer/Electron Spectrometer (CAPS/ELS) are used in an in‐depth investigation of the occurrence and location of reconnection at Saturn's magnetopause. Heated, streaming electrons parallel and/or antiparallel to the magnetic field in the magnetosheath adjacent to the magnetopause indicate that reconnection is occurring somewhere on the boundary. In these instances, the Cassini spacecraft is connected to open magnetic field lines that thread the magnetopause boundary. A survey of 99 crossings with sufficient pitch angle coverage from CAPS/ELS indicates that 65% of the crossings had this evidence of reconnection. Specific crossings from this survey are used to demonstrate that there are times when reconnection at Saturn's low‐latitude magnetopause may be suppressed.

In-situ measurement of tension and contact forces for weaving process monitoring: Application to 3D interlock

This study is focused on the monitoring of 3D interlock weaving, which is a process used for structural composite reinforcements. As high-density weaving leads to significant damage on warp tows, the standard execution of the process is impacted. To increase the production rate, tow-to-tow interactions need to be clearly understood, which is the aim of in-situ measurements on a sequential weaving loom. Tension and contact force between tows were measured using specific sensors. Great differences in tension and contact force were highlighted as a function of the type of crossing during the weaving cycle. Specific tow crossings generate very high peaks of tension and contact force. A significant difference has been noticed between the impact of the raising and lowering of tows during shedding motion on the tension and force values. A spectral analysis of the tension signal has shown an interesting potential for indirect tow damage monitoring and detection.

Magnetic field and orientation dependence of solid-state CIDNP.

The magnetic field dependence of Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (CIDNP) in solid-state systems is analyzed theoretically with the aim to explain the puzzling sign change of polarization found at low fields [D. Gräsing et al., Sci. Rep. 7, 12111 (2017)]. We exploit the analysis of polarization in terms of level crossings and level anti-crossings trying to identify the positions of features in the CIDNP field dependence with specific crossings between spin energy levels of the radical pair. Theoretical treatment of solid-state CIDNP reveals a strong orientation dependence of polarization due to the spin dynamics conditioned by anisotropic spin interactions. Specifically, different anisotropic CIDNP mechanisms become active at different magnetic fields and different molecular orientations. Consequently, the field dependence and orientation dependence of polarization need to be analyzed together in order to rationalize experimental observations. By considering both magnetic field and orientation dependence of CIDNP, we are able to explain the previously measured CIDNP field dependence in photosynthetic reaction centers and to obtain a good qualitative agreement between the experimental observations and theoretical results.

Study on Safety of Railway/Highway Grade Crossings in the Philippines

This study aims to determine the crossing characteristics that contribute to accidents and propose mitigating procedures. Each railway/highway grade crossing was evaluated based on their existing characteristics namely: type of crossing, type of barrier, warning device, and the volume of traffic using the highway. Using hazard indices, each characteristic was evaluated individually. Two-way crossing has higher hazard index compared to one-way crossing, half barriers also exhibited higher hazard compared to full barriers. In the case of warning device, crossings with two different sets of warning device on each direction have exhibited the highest hazard index and 30-40 thousand for the vehicle traffic volume. Using chi-squared test, two combinations of characteristics passed the test, namely: the daily traffic volume versus barrier type and alarm device type versus crossing type. An assessment of all the characteristics for specific crossings was also made to evaluate the hazard index of a specific level crossing.

Matter, Consciousness, and the Human in Wessex Poems

Thomas Hardy drew thirty-one illustrations for Wessex Poems (1898). Noting both the human potential for and the limits of anthropocentrism, Hardy uses image and text to situate the human in retreat. He explores metaphor and allegory as rhetorical tropes of connection in poems, while exploiting visual and verbal borderlands between the human and nature, dirt, stone, and glass. This essay aims to advance nineteenth-century illustration studies by examining the capaciousness of visual-verbal fields and contact zones. It focuses on specific thematic and aesthetic boundary crossings within one volume to understand how imagetext relations function by challenging traditional perspectives and reshaping meanings.

Logics of Generalization: Derrida, Grammatology and Transdisciplinarity

This article seeks to explore some issues regarding the different modes of generality at stake in the formation of transdisciplinary concepts within the production of ‘theory’ in the humanities and social sciences. Focused around Jacques Derrida’s seminal account of ‘writing’ in his 1967 book Of Grammatology, the article outlines what it defines as a logic of generalization at stake in Derrida’s elaborations of a quasi-transcendental ‘inscription in general’. Starting out from the questions thereby raised about the relationship between such forms of generality and those historically ascribed to philosophy, the article concludes by contrasting Derrida’s generalized writing with more recent returns to ‘metaphysics’ in the work of Bruno Latour and others. Against the immediately ‘ontological’ orientation of much recent ‘new materialist’ or ‘object-oriented’ thought, the article argues for the necessity of ‘different levels of writing in general’ through a continual folding back of absolute generalization into historically specific disciplinary crossings and exchanges; something suggested by but never really developed in Derrida’s own work.

Pollen tube growth and self incompatibility in Matricaria recutita

Understanding of fertilization procedures and crossing barriers is essential for various plant breeding methods. Growth or inhibition of pollen tubes, therefore, is a crucial issue in terms of propagation, in particular concerning the determination of self incompatible (SI-) plants. In German Chamomile, vegetatively propagated SI-plants would be a highly appreciated breeding tool for the formation of maternal lines for specific crossings. Following the idea to enhance knowledge of aspects of pollination and to develop a fast procedure of determination of SI-plants, two different methods of microscopic analysis of pollen tube growth in pistils were developed. Under light and under fluorescence microscopy diverse stages of pollen tube growth could be made visible. These included growth starts at the stigma, active pollen tubes with regular callose deposits on their way through the style and globular stage embryos in the ovary. Furthermore, SI-tests and selections within six accessions of German Chamomile and among 220 plants were carried out. In this case, self incompatibility (SI) was determined as staying seedless after multiple hand pollination under crispac bag isolation, observed at not less than three flower heads per plant. Diploid varieties showed a tendency to establish SI, rather than their tetraploid relatives, although a high variability between accessions was given. An overall accordance between SI, examined via seed set, and evidence of pollen tubes could not be assessed. Nevertheless, new and detailed insight in fertilization procedures in German chamomile could be gained.

Older people's experiences of using tactile paving

Tactile paving has been designed in response to the needs of vision-impaired pedestrians to be independent, mobile, confident and safe when using the external environment. Tactile paving is not without its critics because it can adversely affect other pedestrians particularly older people, and those with mobility impairments. Interviews were conducted at eight selected road crossing sites in Edinburgh to determine older people's experiences of using specific road crossings, in particular their views and experiences of using tactile paving. Two hundred participants were interviewed who were aged 65 years and older, and who appeared not to have a significant health issue or disability that was affecting their mobility. In addition, eight pedestrians who had significant mobility issues and 30 pedestrians who had moderate to severe vision impairment were interviewed. Findings demonstrate the importance of training in tactile paving for pedestrians with a vision impairment; the need for a review of the guidance on tactile paving such that greater emphasis is placed on detectability and tonal contrast, and tonal contrast; a consideration as to whether seven types of tactile paving is too many; and the need to minimise the effects of topography, particularly slope at road crossings.

A Model for Evaluating Countermeasures at Highway-Railway Grade Crossings

Current collision prediction models fail to account for the full spectrum of relevant factors affecting the number of collisions at specific Highway-Railway grade crossings. A number of reasons contribute to this failure, including biases in model parameters resulting from collinearity in the model inputs, absence of important variables in the prediction model caused by lack of statistical significance, the inability of models to consider higher-order interactions, and the presence of unexplained variation in the prediction estimates. These problems have compromised the use of collision prediction models in decisions concerning the development and evaluation of cost-effective Safety treatments or counter-measures for application at specific crossings. This paper introduces a stratified collision prediction model for Highway-Railway grade crossings. The development of this model involves three steps: (a) crossing inventory variables are expressed in terms of a limited number of orthogonal (nonlinear) under...

A Model for Evaluating Countermeasures at Highway–Railway Grade Crossings

Current collision prediction models fail to account for the full spectrum of relevant factors affecting the number of collisions at specific highway– railway grade crossings. A number of reasons contribute to this failure, including biases in model parameters resulting from collinearity in the model inputs, absence of important variables in the prediction model caused by lack of statistical significance, the inability of models to consider higher-order interactions, and the presence of unexplained variation in the prediction estimates. These problems have compromised the use of collision prediction models in decisions concerning the development and evaluation of cost-effective safety treatments or countermeasures for application at specific crossings. This paper introduces a stratified collision prediction model for highway–railway grade crossings. The development of this model involves three steps: ( a) crossing inventory variables are expressed in terms of a limited number of orthogonal (nonlinear) underlying attributes or factors; ( b) factor scores are estimated for each crossing and factor, and these scores are used as “seed points” in a subsequent clustering exercise to yield groups or clusters of crossings with similar underlying attributes; and ( c) for each cluster, separate collision prediction models are developed and include important treatment input variables of interest to decision makers and planners. The paper describes an application of a stratified collision prediction model to Canadian highway–railway grade crossing inventory and collision occurrence data for the period 1993 to 2001. The usefulness of the model in estimating collision reduction benefits of selected treatments is illustrated with reference to two countermeasure strategies: upgrades in the type of warning device and the removal of whistle prohibition.

Divergência genética e descarte de variáveis em alface cultivada sob sistema hidropônico

It was studied the genetic variability of 17 lettuce cultivars, types Butter, Crisp and Iceberg, according to agronomic traits and multivariate procedures. It aims to select divergent cultivars with better performance designed to hydroponic system culture. The importance of the traits for divergence was, also, evaluated by the sequential discards of the variables, according its relative contributions. The trial was carry out in greenhouse, Epamig, Viçosa-MG, in summer of 1999, using randomized blocks with three replicates. Six plants were harvested 46 days after the sowing, and evaluated in ten traits related to the yield. The data were analyzed by Tocher, single linkage, and canonical variables grouping methods. The Mimosa, Brisa, Regina, Monalisa and OGR are the most appropriated cultivars to integrate in specific crossings programs for hydroponic culture. They were more genetically divergent and had good agronomic qualities. Some traits did not affect the original grouping, so they could be eliminated in future studies of lettuce genetic divergence

Entanglement generation by adiabatic navigation in the space of symmetric multiparticle states

We propose a technique for robust and efficient navigation in the Hilbert space of entangled symmetric states of a multiparticle system with externally controllable linear and nonlinear collective interactions. A linearly changing external field applied along the quantization axis creates a network of well separated level crossings in the energy diagram of the collective states. One or more transverse pulsed fields applied at the times of specific level crossings induce adiabatic passage between these states. By choosing the timing of the pulsed field appropriately, one can transfer an initial product state of all N spins into (i) any symmetric state with n spin excitations and (ii) the N-particle analog of the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state. This technique, unlike techniques using pulses of specific area, does not require precise knowledge of the number of particles and is robust against variations in the interaction parameters. We discuss potential applications in two-component Bose condensates and ion-trap systems.

Brief treatment with an aromatase inhibitor during sex differentiation causes chromosomally female salmon to develop as normal, functional males

AbstractAlthough many studies implicate sex steroids in the process of sexual differentiation, the exact role played by these substances in lower vertebrates, especially teleost fish, is not clear, since it is not conclusively known whether sex steroids are the cause or an early consequence of sex differentiation. By hormonal manipulation and specific crossings, it is possible to produce all‐female stocks of the otherwise gonochoristic chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). These all‐female stocks are an excellent model to study the effects of steroids on sexual differentiation since the genetic sex is known before the actual differentiation of the embryonic gonads takes place. In the present study, we show that treatment with a nonsteroidal inhibitor of aromatase, the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion from androgens to estrogens, for only 2 hours when the gonads were bipotent, caused genetic females to develop into normal males. Furthermore, these males had testes which were indistinguishable both in size and in structure from those of genetic males, and completed all the stages of spermatogenesis. At 2 years of age, these males produced viable sperm capable of inducing normal embryonic development when used to fertilize eggs, with a resulting all‐female progeny. These results provide strong support for Yamamoto's theory (Yamamoto, '69) that androgens and estrogens are natural sex inducers in gonochoristic fish, and suggest that aromatase plays a pivotal role in the sex differentiation of salmon. Thus, by brief treatment with an aromatase inhibitor at a specific time in development, an organism was induced to develop a funtional, phenotypic sex different from its genetic sex. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.