Dynamic Route Choice Behaviour and Simulation-Based Dynamic Traffic Assignment Model for Mixed Traffic Flows

Ta-Yin Hu,Chee-Chung Tong,Tsai-Yun Liao,Li-Wen Chen 대한토목학회 2018 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.22 No.2

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) focus on increasing the efficiency of existing surface transportation systems through the use of advanced computers, electronics, and communication technologies. In order to perform advanced traffic management and provide travel information, dynamic traffic assignment models need to be developed to provide time-dependent estimates of traffic flows on networks in order to efficiently utilize possible advanced traffic information as well as traffic control measures. Traffic assignment distributes Origin-Destination (OD) trips in a network and determines the flow patterns in a traffic network. This research aims at developing simulation-based algorithm for dynamic traffic assignment problems under mixed traffic flow considerations. Four different physical vehicle types are explicitly considered and modeled, including car, bus, motorcycle, and truck. Four different behavioral rules, pre-specified-path driver, user-equilibrium driver, system-optimization driver, and real-time information driver, are considered in the solution procedure. The DTA algorithm consists of an inner loop that incorporates a direction finding mechanism for the search process for System Optimization (SO) and User Equilibrium (UE) classes based on the simulation results of the current iteration, including experienced vehicular trip times and marginal trip times. In order to understand tripmaker acceptance toward route guidance, a survey is conducted to explore possible behavioral classifications and associated percentages. Numerical experiments are conducted in a test network and a real city network to illustrate the capabilities of the simulation-based DTA procedures, and to observe how system performs under multiple user class’s conditions, including multiple user behavior rules and multiple physical vehicle classes.

Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy

Fa-Po Chung,Chin-Yu Lin,Yenn-Jiang Lin,Shih-Lin Chang,Li-Wei Lo,Yu-Feng Hu,Ta-Chuan Tuan,Tze-Fan Chao,Jo-Nan Liao,Ting-Yung Chang,Shih-Ann Chen 대한심장학회 2018 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.48 No.10

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is predominantly an inherited cardiomyopathy with typical histopathological characteristics of fibro-fatty infiltration mainly involving the right ventricular (RV) inflow tract, RV outflow tract, and RV apex in the majority of patients. The above pathologic evolution frequently brings patients with ARVD/C to medical attention owing to the manifestation of syncope, sudden cardiac death (SCD), ventricular arrhythmogenesis, or heart failure. To prevent future or recurrent SCD, an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) is highly desirable in patients with ARVD/C who had experienced unexplained syncope, hemodynamically intolerable ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation, and/or aborted SCD. Notably, the management of frequent ventricular tachyarrhythmias in ARVD/C is challenging, and the use of antiarrhythmic drugs could be unsatisfactory or limited by the unfavorable side effects. Therefore, radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has been implemented to treat the drug-refractory VT in ARVD/C for decades. However, the initial understanding of the link between fibro-fatty pathogenesis and ventricular arrhythmogenesis in ARVD/C is scarce, the efficacy and prognosis of endocardial RFCA alone were limited and disappointing. The electrophysiologists had broken through this frontier after better illustration of epicardial substrates and broadly application of epicardial approaches in ARVD/C. In recent works of literature, the application of epicardial ablation also successfully results in higher procedural success and decreases VT recurrences in patients with ARVD/C who are refractory to the endocardial approach during long-term follow-up. In this article, we review the important evolution on the delineation of arrhythmogenic substrates, ablation strategies, and ablation outcome of VT in patients with ARVD/C.

Entomopathogenic fungi-mediated biological control of the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Yang Tzu-Hao,Wu Li-Hsin,Liao Chung-Ta,LIDONGWEI,Young Shin Tae,Jae Su Kim,Nai Yu-Shin 한국응용곤충학회 2023 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.26 No.1

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is an important pest of palms, and difficult to control by conventional methods. Therefore, microbial control is an alternative strategy for controlling RPW. Herein, a total of 15 entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs) were subjected to primary pathogenicity screening against last stage of RPW larvae. The preliminary data showed that four Beauveria bassiana isolates (JEF-484, 158, 462 and 507) and one Isaria fumosorosea isolate (JEF-014) resulted in 100 % mortality within 5–10 days post inoculation (d.p.i.), respectively. According to the time required for RPW mortality, JEF-484, 158, 462 and 014 were further sub jected to bioassays using 10 7 conidia/ml suspensions by spraying method. Based on the results, JEF-484 showed the highest mortality and shortest LT 50 on the last stage of RPW larvae, followed by JEF-158. The two isolates also showed good conidial production and high thermal stability compared to the other isolates. Therefore, JEF-484 and JEF-158 were selected for bioassays against RPW egg and the last larval stage with different concen trations of 10 5 , 10 6 and 10 7 conidia/ml conidial suspensions by spraying method. For the bioassay at the egg stage, JEF-158 showed a significantly higher ovicidal effect than JEF-484. In the larval bioassay, both EPF isolates showed a dosage-dependent effect on the RPW larvae. JEF-484 caused higher mortality in RPW larvae than JEF-158. In summary, the combination of the 2 promising EPF isolates might provide an opportunity for the practical microbial control of RPW at different life stages in palm tree fields.

The accuracy and clinical applicability of a sensor based electromagnetic nonfluoroscopic catheter tracking system

Shinya Yamada,Li-Wei Lo,Yenn-Jiang Lin,Shih-Lin Chang,Fa-Po Chung,Yu-Feng Hu,Ta-Chuan Tuan,Tze-Fan Chao,Jo-Nan Liao,Chin-Yu Lin,Shih-Ann Chen 대한심장학회 2019 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.49 No.1

Background and Objectives: The differences between electromagnetic-based mapping (EM) and impedance-based mapping (IM) in 3D anatomical reconstruction have not been fully clarified. We aimed to investigate the anatomical accuracy between EM (MediGuide™) and IM (EnSite Velocity™) systems. Methods: We investigated 15 consecutive patients (10 males, mean age 58±9 years) who underwent pulmonary veins (PVs) isolation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) image of the left atrium (LA) was acquired before ablation and the 3D geometry of the LA was constructed using EM during ablation procedure. We measured the 4 PV angles between the main trunk of each PV and the posterior LA after field scaling. Additionally, the posterior LA surface area was measured. The variables were compared to those of CT-based geometry. A control group of 40 patients who underwent conventional PVs isolation using IM were also evaluated. Results: The actual and relative changes of EM and CT-based geometry in all PV angles and posterior LA were significantly smaller compared to those of IM and CT-based geometry. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between EM and CT-based geometry were 0.871 (right superior pulmonary vein [RSPV]), 0.887 (right inferior pulmonary vein [RIPV]), 0.853 (left superior pulmonary vein [LSPV]), 0.911 (left inferior pulmonary vein [LIPV]), and 0.833 (posterior LA). On the other hand, ICC between IM and CT-based geometry were 0.548 (RSPV), 0.639 (RIPV), 0.691 (LSPV), 0.706 (LIPV), and 0.568 (posterior LA). Conclusions: Image integration with EM enables high accurate visualization of cardiac anatomy compared to IM in PAF ablation.