Travel time data and variability of travel times can be used to quantify the network performance as an important aspect of sustainable development in modern cities. We introduce a data collection and ...analysis framework to be employed as an integral part of a neighbourhood sustainability assessment (NSA). The proposed framework performs a targeted selection and evaluation of indicators based on publicly available traffic data, specifically addressing short-term observations of travel times and traffic counts. Entailing a hybrid and modular approach, we demonstrate the applicability of travel time reliability measures by combining different datasets, various variability estimators, and visualisation methods, to advance the interpretation strength of the assessment. Implemented are regression methods based on cosinor models, which allow us to analyse the rhythmic behaviour of travel time trends. These models can be applied to assess the differential rhythmicity among different factors, like route, weather conditions and type of day (i.e., weekend or workday). Further, the same datasets are used to evaluate two reliability metrics, i.e., a travel time index and a planning time index. We demonstrate the application of the suggested framework on several strategic routes associated with three testbed neighbourhoods in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The results show that average travel times and their variations are affected by route, day of the week, and weather conditions, and correlate with vehicles count data. Analyses of rhythmicity give straightforward insights into travel time trends, appropriate for comparative analysis and thus well-suited for use in NSA and monitoring practices. To the best of our knowledge, this work presents the first study quantifying reliability indicators intended for integration with NSA standards.
•Travel time distributions are analysed to formulate indicators for the neighbourhood sustainability assessment (NSA)•We enhance NSA methods based on short-term observations of travel times and traffic counts•Cosinor regression is applied for detection and characterization of rhythmicity of travel times•The interchangeable use and integration of two data sources, Google Direction API and roadway counters, is examined•The study provides recommendations for the straightforward analysis and presentation of travel times and their variability
Traffic counts are among the most frequently employed data to assess the traffic patterns and key performance indicators of next generation sustainable cities. Automatised counting is often based on ...conventional traffic monitoring systems such as inductive loop counters (ILCs). These are costly to install, maintain, and support. In this paper, we investigate the possibilities to complement and potentially replace the existing traffic monitoring infrastructure with crowdsourcing solutions. More precisely, we investigate the capabilities to predict the ILC-obtained data using Telraam counters, low-cost camera counters voluntarily employed by citizens and freely accessible by the general public. In this context, we apply different exploratory data analysis approaches and demonstrate a regression procedure with a selected set of regression models. The presented analysis is demonstrated on different urban and highway road segments in Slovenia. Our results show that the data obtained from low-cost and easily accessible counters can be used to replace the existing traffic monitoring infrastructure in different scenarios. These results confirm the prospective to directly apply the citizen engagement in the process of planning and maintaining sustainable future cities.
Increasing reliance on mobile broadband (MBB) networks for communication, vehicle navigation, healthcare, and other critical purposes calls for improved monitoring and troubleshooting. While recent ...advances in monitoring with crowdsourced and network infrastructure-based methods allow us to tap into a number of performance metrics from all layers of networking, huge swaths of data remain poorly explored due to a lack of tools suitable for fast, interactive, and rigorous MBB data analysis. In this paper we present RICERCANDO, a solution that enables rapid exploration of large heterogeneous MBB measurement data as well as the identification and explanation of unusual patterns detected in such data. RICERCANDO consists of a preprocessing module ensuring that time-series data is stored in the most appropriate form for mining, a rapid exploration module enabling iterative analysis of time-series and geomobile data to detect and single-out anomalies, and the advanced mining module that lets the analyst deduce root causes of observed anomalies. We implement and release RICERCANDO in open-source, and validate its usability on case studies from a pan-European MBB measurement testbed.
Increasing reliance on mobile broadband (MBB) networks for communication, vehicle navigation, healthcare, and other critical purposes calls for improved monitoring and troubleshooting of such ...networks. While recent advances in monitoring with crowdsourced as well as network infrastructure-based methods allow us to tap into a number of performance metrics from all layers of networking, huge swaths of data remain poorly or completely unexplored due to a lack of tools suitable for rapid, interactive, and rigorous MBB data analysis. In this paper we present RICERCANDO, a MBB data mining toolkit developed in a unique collaboration of networking and data mining experts. RICERCANDO consists of a preprocessing module that ensures that time-series data is stored in the most appropriate form for mining, a rapid exploration module that enables iterative analysis of time-series and geomobile data, so that anomalies are detected and singled out, and the advanced mining module that lets the analyst deduce root causes of observed anomalies. We implement and release RICERCANDO as open-source software, and validate its usability on case studies from MONROE pan-European MBB measurement testbed.
Quantum-dot cellular automaton (QCA) is an emergent technology that is not hindered by quantum effects that limit the scaling of CMOS technology, but instead employs them to perform computation. ...However, this brings its own impediments, such as the influence of the thermodynamic effects. Beside that, QCA has to be coupled with CMOS circuitry of different size features to enable clocking. We discussed all these facts and devised a floorplan which would facilitate manufacturability. Based on it we developed the process of QCA layout design and defined the design rules that must be considered in order to ensure correct operation. These instructions enable the automatization of designing a QCA circuit layout.
Deteriorated arterial function and high incidence of cardiovascular events characterise diabetes mellitus. Metformin and recent antidiabetic drugs, SGLT2 inhibitors, reduce cardiovascular events. We ...explored the possible effects of empagliflozin's effect on top of metformin treatment on endothelial function and arterial stiffness parameters in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients.
Forty T1DM patients were randomised into three treatment groups: (1) empagliflozin (25 mg daily), (2) metformin (2000 mg daily) and (3) empagliflozin/metformin (25 mg daily and 2000 mg daily, respectively). The fourth group received placebo. Arterial function was assessed at inclusion and after 12 weeks treatment by: endothelial function brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), reactive hyperaemia index (RHI), arterial stiffness pulse wave velocity (PWV) and common carotid artery stiffness (β-stiffness). For statistical analysis one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post-test was used.
Empagliflozin on top of metformin treatment significantly improved endothelial function as did metformin after 12 weeks of treatment: FMD 2.6-fold (P < 0.001) vs. 1.8-fold (P < 0.05) and RHI 1.4-fold (P < 0.01) vs. 1.3-fold (P < 0.05). Empagliflozin on top of metformin treatment was superior to metformin in improving arterial stiffness parameters; it significantly improved PWV and β-stiffness compared to metformin by 15.8% (P < 0.01) and by 36.6% (P < 0.05), respectively. Metformin alone did not influence arterial stiffness.
Empagliflozin on top of metformin treatment significantly improved arterial stiffness compared to metformin in T1DM patients. Endothelial function was similarly improved in all treatment groups. Empagliflozin seems to possess a specific capacity to decrease arterial stiffness, which could support its cardioprotective effects observed in large clinical studies. Trial registration Clinical trial registration: NCT03639545.
The seminal contributions by Sonogashira, Cassar and Heck in mid 1970s on Pd/Cu- and Pd-catalysed (copper-free) coupling of acetylenes with aryl or vinyl halides have evolved in myriad applications. ...Despite the enormous success both in academia and in industry, however, critical mechanistic questions of this cross-coupling process remain unresolved. In this study, experimental evidence and computational support is provided for the mechanism of copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. In contrast to the consensus monometallic mechanism, the revealed pathway proceeds through a tandem Pd/Pd cycle linked via a multistep transmetallation process. This cycle is virtually identical to the Pd/Cu tandem mechanism of copper co-catalysed Sonogashira cross-couplings, but the role of Cu
is played by a set of Pd
species. Phosphine dissociation from the square-planar reactants to form transient three-coordinate Pd species initiates transmetallation and represents the rate-determining step of the process.
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