Multidimensional Sequence Alignment Methods for Activity‐Travel Pattern Analysis: A Comparison of Dynamic Programming and Genetic Algorithms

Quantitative comparisons of space‐time activity‐travel patterns have been made at length in regional science. Traditionally, Euclidean Hamming distances have been widely used to measure the similarity between activity‐travel patterns that involve several attribute dimensions such as activity type, location, travel mode, accompanying person, etc. Other techniques, such as pattern recognition in signal processing theory, have also been introduced for this purpose. All these measures, however, lack the ability to capture the sequential information embedded in activity‐travel patterns. Recently, the sequence alignment methods (SAMs), developed in molecular biology that are concerned with the distances between DNA strings, have been introduced in time use research. These SAMs do capture the similarity of activity‐travel patterns, including sequential information, but based on a single attribute only. Unfortunately, the extension of the unidimensional SAMs to a multidimensional method induces the problem of combinatorial explosion. To solve this problem, this paper introduces effective heuristic methods for the comparison of multidimensional activity‐travel patterns. First, following a brief review of existing measures of activity‐travel pattern comparison, the problem of multidimensional sequential information comparison and the combinatorial nature of the method are discussed. The paper then develops alternative multidimensional SAMs employing heuristics based on dynamic programming and genetic algorithms, respectively. These heuristic SAMs are compared using empirical activity‐travel pattern data. The paper ends by discussing avenues of future research.     

Integrating Transportation Network and Regional Economic Models to Estimate the Costs of a Large Urban Earthquake

In this paper we summarize an integrated, operational model of losses due to earthquake impacts on transportation and industrial capacity, and how these losses affect the metropolitan economy. The procedure advances the information provided by transportation and activity system analysis techniques in ways that help capture the most important ecomonic implications of earthquakes. Network costs and origin-destination requirements are modeled endogenously and consistently. Indirect and induced losses associated with direct impacts on transportation and industrial capacity are distributed across zones and ecomonic sectors. Preliminary results are summarized for a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on the Elysian Park blind thrust fault in Los Angeles.     

康熙三十四年建太和殿大木结构研究

本文在王璞子、傅熹年先生的基础上,通过深入研究《太和殿纪事》所记载的大木尺寸,详细测量、分析太和殿木结构的现状尺寸,得出以下结论1、康熙三十四年所建太和殿平面丈尺是用清尺在明代遗留建筑基址上量度确定的,明清大木侧脚设计有所差异;2、太和殿通檐柱高(柱脚至挑檐枋上皮)等于明间开间;3、金柱高(至上层檐)为通檐柱高的1.5倍;4、上下层斗拱在此基础上深化设计、权衡尺寸,总出挑凑足整尺寸,并通盘考虑以适合檐步举架尺寸;5、按照前后挑檐檩间距的1/3确定屋架正心桁之间的总举架高度。     

Industrial Policy in the 21st Century

Industrial policy is back at the centre stage of policy debate, while the world is undergoing dramatic transformations. This article contributes to the debate by developing a new theory of industrial policy, incorporating some issues that have been neglected so far and taking into account the recent changes in economic reality. The authors explore how the incorporation of some of the neglected issues — commitments under uncertainty, learning in production, macroeconomic management (especially demand management), and conflict management — changes the theory. They then examine how the theory of industrial policy should be modified in light of recent changes in economic reality: the rise of the global value chain, financialization and new imperialism. This contribution aims at promoting a pragmatic approach to industrial policy and pointing to new areas for policy intervention in a changing world.     

Possible rheumatoid arthritis found in the human skeleton collected from the tomb of Joseon Dynasty,Korea, dating back to the 1700s AD

We report a possible rheumatoid arthritis (RA) case found in a Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) tomb encapsulated by a lime‐soil mixture barrier (LSMB). The tomb is thought to have been constructed during the 1700s AD (1760 AD by carbon dating). In our anthropological examination, joint destruction, erosion or fusion (signs of polyarthritis) were identified mainly in the peripheral skeleton. Especially in both sides of the wrist bones, severe destruction/joint fusion possibly caused by polyarthritis was observed. A similar polyarthritis pattern also was seen in the right foot bones, even though we failed to confirm this symmetry due to the missing left foot bones. Despite these findings, signs suggestive of polyarthritis are very rarely seen in axial bones, even though bony fusions are found in the atlanto‐occipital joint or thoracic vertebrae (TV) 9–10. By the osteological signs observed in this case, the individual, a female, might have been suffering from a very late stage of RA and died in her 40s, even though other forms of chronic arthritis could not be ruled out completely. Though the current case could not provide evidence to decisively settle the debates on the antiquity of RA, our report could be a stepping stone for forthcoming studies on RA cases found in East Asian countries. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical Characteristics of Explicit Method for Nonlinear Systems

Numerical properties of the Newmark explicit method in the solution of nonlinear systems are evaluated by introducing a parameter, which is named the instantaneous degree of nonlinearity, to monitor the variation of stiffness with time. Stability analysis reveals that the upper stability limit is inversely proportional to the square root of the instantaneous degree of nonlinearity and thus it is no longer equal to 2 for nonlinear systems. In fact, it is shrunk as instantaneous degree of nonlinearity is larger than 1 while it is enlarged as instantaneous degree of nonlinearity is less than 1. It is also proved that the satisfaction of stability limits for each time step implies a stable computation in the complete step-by-step integration procedure. Accuracy analysis shows that the relative period error is increased with the increase of the instantaneous degree of nonlinearity for a given product of the initial natural frequency and time step. Furthermore, a rough guideline is proposed for accurate integration of nonlinear systems and its appropriateness is confirmed with numerical examples.     

Multiple Degrees of Freedom Positioning Correction for Hybrid Simulation

This study proposes a high-precision positioning correction method for multiple degree-of-freedom loading units in hybrid simulation. These loading units can impose inaccurate displacements to the specimens due to the elastic deformation at the reaction wall or connections. To compensate for these displacement errors, an online correction method adjusts the displacement command by the difference between the target and achieved displacement. This correction method also accompanies an accurate 6DOF monitoring system to detect the displacement errors. Two examples of hybrid simulation tests are provided to demonstrate the precise displacements attained on the specimens through this control method.