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This study describes a method of evaluating the level of service of road networks, based on the average travel time and travel time reliability using electronic toll collection (ETC) data. The authors focused on the variance in travel time under normal circumstances, thus, traffic accidents were removed from the database, and any effect of individual vehicle preference was excluded. They evaluated the travel time distribution based on the average travel time from ETC data for each 15-min interval. The level of service in an actual intercity highway network was analysed using the proposed method. This analysis showed that the level of service fluctuated according to the road section analysed, the month and the time of day. These findings were confirmed by the shape of the cumulative distribution and indices of average travel time and travel time reliability. Using the evaluation method described here, the analysis also confirmed the change in travel time distribution between major interchanges after the opening of a new intercity highway route. As a great change in the traffic conditions occurred, the authors analysed the relationship between traffic demand and the level of service using detector data.

The focuses of this paper are optimal traffic regulation after a major disaster and evaluation of capacity reliability of a network. The paper firstly discusses the context of traffic regulation and its importance after a major disaster. Then, this problem is formulated as an optimisation program in which the traffic regulator attempts to regulate the amount of traffic movements or access to some areas so as to maximise the traffic volumes in the network while (a) link flows must be less than link capacities and (b) re-routing effect due to changes of traffic condition in the network is allowed. The re-routing behaviour is assumed to follow Probit Stochastic User's Equilibrium (SUE). The paper explains an optimisation algorithm based on an implicit programming approach for solving this problem with the SUE condition. With this optimisation problem, the randomness of the link capacities (to represent random effects of the disaster) is introduced and the paper describes an approach to approximate the capacity reliability of the network using Monte-Carlo simulation. The paper then adopts this approach to evaluate the performances of different traffic regulation policies with a small network and a test network of Kobe city in Japan. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2006

This paper developed a model to analyze the influence of introducing road pricing schemes to convert car commuters to public transportation by applying the covariance structural analyses. Surveys were performed by interviews and questionnaires to companies and employees in Osaka city. The model estimation was conducted based on these data. Calculation by using this model showed that road pricing with 500 yen is needed to convert about 10 % of car commuters to public transportation in Osaka city. 1 Introduction Many large cities such as Tokyo and Osaka suffer from congestion and environmental problems related to road traffic. The time lost by congestion is

Background A direct renin inhibitor (DRI) had a benefit in decreasing albuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients having already been treated with angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB), suggesting that aliskiren may have another effect other than blockade of the traditional renin–angiotensin system (RAS). Recently, prorenin bound to (pro)renin receptor ((P)RR) was found and shown to evoke two pathways; the generation of Ang peptides and the receptor-dependent activation of extracellular signal–related protein kinase (ERK). Because (P)RR is present in the podocytes, a central component of the glomerular filtration barrier, we hypothesized that aliskiren influences the (P)RR-induced two pathways in human podocytes. Methods Human podocytes were treated with 2nmol/l prorenin in the presence and absence of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) imidaprilat, an ARB candesartan, a DRI aliskiren, or the siRNA knocking down the (P)RR mRNA and the intracellular AngII levels and the phosphorylation of ERK were determined. Results The expression of (P)RR mRNA of human podocytes was unaffected by the treatment with RAS inhibitors, but decreased by 69% with the siRNA treatment. The basal levels of intracellular AngII and the prorenin-induced increase in intracellular AngII were significantly reduced by aliskiren and siRNA treatment, compared with imidaprilat and candesartan. The prorenin-induced ERK activation was reduced to control level by the siRNA treatment, but it was unaffected by imidaprilat, candesartan, or aliskiren. Conclusions Aliskiren is the most potent inhibitor of intracellular AngII levels of human podocytes among RAS inhibitors, although it is incapable of inhibiting the (P)RR-dependent ERK phosphorylation.

A case of preeclampsia with fetal death at 32 weeks' gestation is reported. Liver examination of the patient revealed network patterns on ultrasonography and linear calcifications on unenhanced CT scans in the liver. These findings are typical of those of chronic schistosomal infection. Indeed, liver biopsy specimens showed eggs of schistosoma japonicum. We diagnosed her case as preeclampsia with liver cirrhosis due to chronic schistosomiasis japonica. Schistosomal placentitis may have been present and may have contributed to preeclampsia and fetal death.