Reconstructing the Traffic State by Fusion of Heterogeneous Data

Abstract: We present an advanced interpolation method for estimating smooth spatiotemporal profiles for local highway traffic variables such as flow, speed and density. The method is based on the “adaptive smoothing method” which takes as input stationary detector data as typically collected by traffic control centers. We generalize this method to allow for fusion with floating car data or other traffic information. The resulting profiles display transitions between free and congested traffic in great detail, as well as fine structures such as stop‐and‐go waves. We establish the accuracy and robustness of the method and demonstrate three potential applications: (1) compensation for gaps in data caused by detector failure; (2) separation of noise from dynamic traffic information; and (3) the fusion of floating car data with stationary detector data.     

Toward Scalable Fabrication of Hierarchical Silica Capsules with Integrated Micro‐, Meso‐, and Macropores

Hierarchical porous structures are ubiquitous in biological organisms and inorganic systems. Although such structures have been replicated, designed, and fabricated, they are often inferior to naturally occurring analogues. Apart from the complexity and multiple functionalities developed by the biological systems, the controllable and scalable production of hierarchically porous structures and building blocks remains a technological challenge. Herein, a facile and scalable approach is developed to fabricate hierarchical hollow spheres with integrated micro‐, meso‐, and macropores ranging from 1 nm to 100 μm (spanning five orders of magnitude). (Macro)molecules, micro‐rods (which play a key role for the creation of robust capsules), and emulsion droplets have been successfully employed as multiple length scale templates, allowing the creation of hierarchical porous macrospheres. Thanks to their specific mechanical strength, these hierarchical porous spheres could be incorporated and assembled as higher level building blocks in various novel materials.     

Mechanisms for spatio-temporal pattern formation in highway traffic models

A key qualitative requirement for highway traffic models is the ability to replicate a type of traffic jam popularly referred to as a phantom jam, shock wave or stop-and-go wave. Despite over 50 years of modelling, the precise mechanisms for the generation and propagation of stop-and-go waves and the associated spatio-temporal patterns are in dispute. However, the increasing availability of empirical datasets, such as those collected from motorway incident detection and automatic signalling system (MIDAS) inductance loops in the UK or the next-generation simulation trajectory data (NGSIM) project in the USA, means that we can expect to resolve these questions definitively in the next few years. This paper will survey the essence of the competing explanations of highway traffic pattern formation and introduce and analyse a new mechanism, based on dynamical systems theory and bistability, which can help resolve the conflict.     

Intercalibration of SUMER and CDS on SOHO. III. SUMER and CDS-GIS. Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

Simultaneous observation of the same solar sources with different instruments is one way to test prelaunch radiometric calibrations and to detect changes in responsivity with time of extreme-ultraviolet instruments in space. Here we present the results of intercalibration of the SUMER (Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation) spectrometer (detectors A and B) and the GIS (Grazing Incidence Spectrometer), one of two spectrometers that compose the CDS (Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The two instruments observed simultaneously radiances of emission lines at or near the center of the solar disk. The emission line chosen for intercomparison was Ne VIII at 770 A. However, such an intercomparison of the SUMER and CDS-GIS measurements means comparing two data sets with large differences in resolution and field of view. The latter difference, especially, introduces differences in the measured intensities caused by the solar variability that is relatively strong in the 770-A line. Using a statistical approach to overcome this problem, we found that the ratio of the GIS to the SUMER average radiances amounted to 2.6 +/- 0.9 before the SOHO's loss of attitude and to 2.1 +/- 0.7 afterward. These findings confirm earlier estimates of the GIS's responsivity being too low, and an update of the GIS calibration is recommended. Despite the large differences in resolution and field of view of the two instruments, the shapes of their normalized and rescaled histograms of the radiances agree well and therefore represent characteristic features of the Ne VIII line.     

Toward an Understanding of the Determinants of Anger.

Research bearing on several popular conceptions of the major determinants of anger arousal indicates that the particular appraisals often identified as causes of anger frequently only serve to affect the intensity of the anger that is generated. Research into effects of physical pain or other physically unpleasant conditions or involving social stresses suggests that decidedly aversive conditions are a major spur to anger. Experiments are also reviewed showing that anger-related muscular movements can also lead to anger-related feelings, memories, cognitions, and autonomic responses. Alternative explanations for the findings are discussed. The authors urge emotion theorists to widen their methodology and analyses so that they give careful, detailed attention to the many different factors that can influence anger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job Performance Evaluation for Construction Companies: An Analytic Network Process Approach

This paper aims at presenting a job performance evaluation process for construction companies. Human resource is a core economic asset. Organizations are responsible for helping their employees work at their optimal level. Job performance evaluations become an essential organizational activity, which can sustain employee performance. Existing literature has suggested that the construction industry does not pay attention to the importance of job performance evaluation. This paper presents the use of the analytic network process (ANP) to assign weights to a set of job performance criteria. It also describes a process for job performance evaluation. An example is demonstrated to illustrate how to construct the supermatrix for ANP.     

Infrastructure of Partnering for Construction Projects

This paper highlights the importance of establishing an infrastructure for partnering. First, a structure of partnering is suggested. The structure represents the ability to develop and disseminate resources that can be shared among involved parties in the partnering organization. Second, an infrastructure of partnering is described. It has some core functions, such as receiving, storing, retrieving, coding, etc., and supports the running of partnering in a real environment as well as a virtual environment. Workshops are essential for face-to-face contacts in a real environment while computerization helps to facilitate interaction between parties in a virtual environment. Also, a computer-based network terminal and a codification system are presented. Finally, two cases are presented to illustrate the current practices of construction partnering and justify the functions of the infrastructure. Some practical implications are provided to make the infrastructure more available to the construction industry.     

Terror management theory and self-esteem: Evidence that increased self-esteem reduced mortality salience effects.

On the basis of the terror management theory proposition that self-esteem provides protection against concerns about mortality, it was hypothesized that self-esteem would reduce the worldview defense produced by mortality salience (MS). The results of Exps 1 (49 undergraduates) and 2 (50 undergraduates) confirmed this hypothesis by showing that individuals with high self-esteem (manipulated in Exp 1; dispositional in Exp 2) did not respond to MS with increased worldview defense, whereas individuals with moderate self-esteem did. The results of Exp 3 (48 undergraduates) suggested that the effects of the 1st 2 experiments may have occurred because high self-esteem facilitates the suppression of death constructs following MS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Terror management and cognitive-experiential self-theory: Evidence that terror management occurs in the experiential system.

The authors hypothesized, on the basis of terror management theory and cognitive-experiential self-theory, that participants in an experiential mode of thinking would respond to mortality salience with increased worldview defense and increased accessibility of death-related thoughts, whereas participants in a rational mode would not. Results from 3 studies provided convergent evidence that when participants were in an experiential mode, mortality salience produced the typical worldview defense effect, but when participants were in a rational mode it did not. Study 4 revealed that mortality salience also led to a delayed increase in the accessibility of death-related thoughts only when participants were in an experiential mode. These results supported the notion that worldview defense is intensified only if individuals are in an experiential mode when considering their mortality. Discussion focuses on implications for understanding terror management processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construction Partnering Process and Associated Critical Success Factors: Quantitative Investigation

This paper aims at examining a customized model of construction partnering in order to highlight the relationships between the critical success factors and individual partnering process stages. It used two surveys (a simple rating method and the analytic hierarchy process) to produce empirical evidence for identifying the critical success factors and the partnering process stages. Results suggest that this study is consistent with previous findings that a general partnering process consists of three stages (formation, application, and completion/reactivation). In addition, it reaffirms that there are critical common factors affecting the whole partnering process and critical functional factors influencing individual process stages. Specifically, the four critical common factors are top management support, open communication, effective coordination, and mutual trust. Also, the critical functional factors at the stage of partnering formation are team building, facilitator, and partnering agreement; those of partnering application are joint problem solving, adequate resources, and partnering goals’ achievement; those of partnering reactivation (or strategic partnering) are partnering experience, continuous improvement, learning climate, and long-term commitment. Finally, the paper provides implications to practical application and future theory testing efforts.