Development and Deployment of Public Transport Policy and Planning in Taiwan

Over the past decade, the escalating roadway congestion and environmental deterioration due to heavy use of private vehicles have provoked the Taiwan government to realize the importance of public transport systems. Under the “carrot-and-stick” rationales, the government has formulated public transport policies and exercised a series of related initiatives by providing sufficient and higher quality of public transport services so as to attract more private vehicle users. In this paper, the planning philosophy and policy formulation of Taiwan’s public transport development are highlighted. The most important initiatives, including the Five-year Enhancement of Mass Transportation Program and the upgrading public transport schemes in the National Development Plan are examined. Based on previous experience and lessons, we point out the most challenging issues that the government will encounter. Suggestions for the future of public transport planning are also addressed.     

Analysis of Driver's Decelerating Strategy in a Car-following Situation

This report describes a decelerating driver-model expressed by driving mode transition in car-following situations. The assumptions for constructing the model are that decelerating strategy of a driver is classified into several simple driving modes and that a driver changs his driving modes based on his perceptible characteristics and experiential rules. Deceleration action is divided into three states; following, standing and braking, which are applied to the model. The model has two paths for driver's decelerating action, one of which is selected by the driver based on the perceptible characteristics and experiential rules. The suitability of the model has been experimentally verified.     

Multiphysic modelling of railway vehicles equipped with pneumatic suspensions

This article presents a multidisciplinary approach of railway pneumatic suspension modelling: both multibody and pneumatic aspects are taken into account. The work aims at obtaining a realistic model of the secondary suspension and coupling it with a multibody model of a train. Various components of the pneumatic circuit such as bellows, tanks, pipes and valves are taken into account. The article focuses on the bellow-pipe-tank subsystem for which several modelling approaches are presented and compared. Differences between differential and algebraic models are highlighted, and an application-dependent choice between them is suggested. A complete model of the pneumatic circuit is then obtained and coupled with a multibody model of the train. As a result, the behaviour of a suburban train equipped with a pneumatic secondary suspension is analysed, in particular undesired oscillating motions which affect the comfort. Topological modifications and improvements of the suspension are also investigated and discussed.     

将触摸屏查询系统应用于医保患者实时费用核查的设计实践

本文重点介绍了采取新的思路将现有医院触摸屏查询系统扩展运用于住院医保患者自付费用的实时核查,并将运算结果进一步共享运用在医院信息系统(HIS)各个功能模块。     

基于电子海图的重力异常图的显示技术

为了直观形象地研究惯性／重力匹配组合导航系统，同时满足实时性与工程化的需要，根据数字地球重力异常数据制作数字地球重力异常图。根据导航模块提供的信息，调用电子海图和数字地球重力异常图，从而实现地图分层显示以及导航信息显示的功能；     

T_H1 AND T_H2 CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTORS IN EXPERIMENTAL LEISHMANIASIS

Ｔ_Ｈ１ＡＮＤＴ_Ｈ２ＣＥＬＬＡＮＴＩＧＥＮＲＥＣＥＰＴＯＲＳＩＮＥＸＰＥＲＩＭＥＮＴＡＬＬＥＩＳＨＭＡＮＩＡＳＩＳＳｔｅｖｅｎＬ．Ｒｅｉｎｅｒ，ＷａｎｇＺｈｉ＇ｅｎ；ＦａｒａｈＨａｔａｍ，ＰｈｉｌｌｉｐＳｃｏｔｔ，ＲｉｃｈａｒｄＭ．Ｌｏｃｋｓｌｅｙ（...     

孕妇外周血PCR技术用于胎儿产前性别诊断的可靠性分析

采用多聚酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）技术，以Ｙ染色体特异重复序列Ｙ１．１、Ｙ１．２和ＳＲＹ基因编码区Ｐ１、Ｐ２为引物，分析了用孕妇外周血进行胎儿性别诊断的可靠性，并与绒毛样本进行了对比。结果表明：用孕妇外周血时，Ｙ１．１，Ｙ１．２引物的诊断符合率为７５％；Ｐ１、Ｐ２引物不能扩增出Ｙ特异ＤＮＡ序列。而用绒毛样本时，两种引物的诊断符合率均为１００％。结果提示：孕妇外周血ＰＣＲ技术用于胎儿性别诊断尚有待改进，而采用绒毛样本进行胎儿性别诊断更为可靠。     

Impact of information technology on public transport fares data

The work described was undertaken as part of the CASSIOPE project in the EC DRIVE programme. A range of fare collection procedures in public transport is described, and the importance of these for data collection by operators is stressed. It is suggested that such data management could be standardized and to this end four case studies were carried out in different European cities. Data models were built for each city, and these models are merged into a preliminary version of a generalized model. The need and uses for such a fare collection data model is explained.     

Should the user pay?

The paper puts the case that historical analysis helps to understand current discussions on user-pays principles and practice. In particular, (a) it is demonstrated that the nature of funding systems is dominated by political considerations, and (b) user-pays systems lead to inadequate funding of infrastructure when politically controlled, but provide funds for expansion when “market-driven” (in pursuit of profit maximisation). The case is illustrated by reference to the experience of interregional transport infrastructure in 19th century in England and 20th century Australia. Revenue deficiencies arising from government-controlled rates can lead to the demise of private transport infrastructure. The problem is considered in the context of the history of interregional roads and railways in England between the 15th and 19th century in England and in Australia in the 19th and 20th century. The current embrace by government of the user-pays system in transport services arises from fiscal deficiencies, as much from economic philosophy. User-pays policies are part of the global re-emergence of economic rationalism since the 1970s. The lesson for other nations from Australia's experience is twofold. First, in a federal system of government, despite the efficiency benefits of user-pays in interregional land transport, fiscal and political objectives will prevail. Second, in sparsely populated and/or developing countries, deregulation of long distance road transport will make funding a national highway system a critical concern.     

The market for second-hand ships: Further results on efficiency using cointegration analysis

This paper examines the dynamic behaviour of second-hand prices of tankers and dry-cargo vessels over various time periods, with a view to determining whether or not the markets for such assets are efficient. It extends and re-analyses the results of an earlier study by Hale and Vanags, published in this journal in 1992. Using a more modern method of testing for cointegration, it is shown that both the tanker and dry cargo markets appear to be cointegrated, a fact which would suggest that these markets are inefficient. It is suggested that the existence of cointegration does not necessarily imply market inefficiency, if the factors that create the common trends are themselves stochastic in nature. With this in mind, it is argued that the evidence put forward in this paper is still consistent with market efficiency in the long run.