The sharing economy and the job market: the case of ride-hailing drivers in Chile

Transportation - Ride-hailing (ridesourcing) companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Didi Chuxing have been a disruptive force in the urban mobility landscape around the world during the past decade. In...     

Commodity flow estimation for a metropolitan scale freight modeling system: supplier selection considering distribution channel using an error component logit mixture model

Freight forecasting models have been significantly improved in recent years, especially in the field of goods vehicle behavior modeling. On the other hand, the improvements to commodity flow modeling, which provide inputs for goods vehicle simulations, were limited. Contributing to this component in urban freight modeling systems, we propose an error component logit mixture model for matching a receiver to a supplier that considers two-layers in supplier selection: distribution channels and specific suppliers. The distribution channel is an important element in freight modeling, as the type of distribution channel is relevant to various aspects of shipments and vehicle trips. The model is estimated using the data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Freight Survey. We demonstrate how typical establishment survey data (i.e. establishment and outbound shipment records) can be used to develop the model. The model captures the correlation structure of potential suppliers defined by business function and provides insights on the differences in the supplier choice by distribution channel. The reproducibility tests confirm the validity of the proposed approach, which is currently integrated into a metropolitan-scale agent-based freight modeling system, for practical use.

     

胎儿中枢神经系统畸形的超声诊断及其形成机理

中枢神经系统畸形是胎儿畸形的重要部分 ,可导致胎儿死亡 ,给孕妇及家庭带来巨大的痛苦。及早准确地发现各种中枢神经系统畸形 ,对临床及时处理、治疗以及优生优育均有着极其重要的价值。1　资料与方法1.1　临床资料　 148例孕妇胎儿中枢神经系统畸形为1993～ 1998年美国加州奥克兰ＡｌｔａＢａｔｅｓ产前诊断中心的孕妇超声检查结果 ,所有病例均经引产后病理或生后证实为中枢神经系统畸形 ,年龄 2 0～ 41岁 ,孕龄 15～ 39周。1.2　主要仪器及方法　美国Ａｃｕｓｏｎ - 12 8、Ａｃｕｓｏｎ -12 8ＸＰ5以及Ｓｅｑｕｏｉａ彩色电脑声像仪。按…     

Mathematical model for optimising the sequence for clearing snow from the manoeuvring area during winter operations

This article considers the optimisation of the sequence for clearing snow from stretches of the manoeuvring area of an airport. This issue involves the optimisation of limited resources to remove snow from taxiways and runways thereby leaving them in an acceptable condition for operating aircraft. The airfield is divided into subsets of significant stretches for the purpose of operations and target times are established during which these are open to aircraft traffic. The document contains several mathematical models each with different functions, such as the end time of the process, the sum of the end times of each stretch and gap between the estimated and the real end times. During this process, we introduce different operating restrictions on partial fulfilment of the operational targets as applied to zones of special interest, or relating to the operation of the snow‐clearing machines. The problem is solved by optimisation based on linear programming. The article gives the results of the computational tests carried out on five distinct models of the manoeuvring area, which cover increasingly complex situations and larger areas. The mathematical model is particularised for the case of the manoeuvring area of Adolfo Suarez Madrid—Barajas Airport. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Highlights
• Optimal sequence for clearing snow from the manoeuvring area of an airport.
• Contains optimising algorithms solved using CPLEX LP‐based tree search.
• Restrictions on partial fulfilment of operational targets applied to subsets of significant stretches, used for planning the operation of snow‐clearing machines.
• Model applied to the case of the manoeuvring area of Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport.
• Conclusions are given on the results of the computational tests carried out. There are five models of the manoeuvring area which cover increasingly complex situations and larger areas.

     

统计学在近代中国的演变——从社会统计到数理统计

从19世纪末期至20世纪初期,统计学在中国完成了从传入到发展的第一个进程.在近半个世纪的时间里,中国统计学的发展浓缩了西方统计学近两百年的发展历程,较之其他的西学知识在近代中国的传播和发展,统计学的历史则表现出了其自身的独特性,这种发展受到当时的社会政治、经济、文化等方面的影响甚大.这是由当时中国的社会背景以及统计学这门学科知识的特殊性质所决定的.     

Approximations to the magic formula

Pacejka’s tire model is widely used and well-known by the automotive engineering community. The magic formula describes the brake force, side force and self-aligning torque in terms of the longitudinal slip and slip angle, plus several corrections. This paper uses approximation theory to obtain different types of approximations to the magic formula: rational functions (RA) resulting from the Remez algorithm, expansions in a series of Chebyshev polynomials (ACh), a series of Chebyshev rational polynomials (ARChPs), a series of rational orthogonal functions (ORF) and a series of ARChPs that result from grade-1 ORFs. The last expansion shows the fastest convergence and most effective computation. Jacobi rational polynomials can also be obtained to complement this expansion and facilitate fine-tuning in specific areas of the error curve. This work is complemented by obtaining the original rational approximations to the inverse tangent function, which take advantage of the curve symmetry to reduce the computation load and provide models that include the influence of the vertical load. The convergence properties of the development in series and the error values resulting from numeric examples for the three types of stress are shown. The proposed final ARChP expressions show very low error (1%) compared to the original magic formula. They can be computed 20 times faster; they can be evaluated, derived and integrated analytically easily; and their coefficients can be obtained from tests using common least-squares algorithms.     

Actors and Their Representations in Shipping Policy: Developing the European Maritime Safety Agency

This paper discusses the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). Through a chronological reconstruction, the study looks at the events that lead to the official birth of the Agency in 2003 and how it developed to its current state. The conceptual framework draws from cognitive policy analysis, a French political science perspective related to new institutionalisms. This approach emphasizes the role of the actors' own representations of their sector and the ways they fit within the socioeconomic system as a whole. This highlights the evolution of the stakeholders' positions and influence throughout the development process. Findings suggest that although considerable discrepancies between European representatives and those of the shipping industry were present in the context leading to EMSA's creation, the Agency has now established a working consensus confirming a greater implication of European authorities in the regulation of international shipping. The work also suggests that a greater attention to plays of power among stakeholders and how they translate in their representations could be pertinent to strengthen research in shipping policy.     

Are Longer and Heavier Vehicles (LHVs) Beneficial for Society? A Cost Benefit Analysis to Evaluate their Potential Implementation in Spain

Abstract

In this paper we carry out a thorough review of the current research related to the benefits and costs arising from the implementation of longer and heavier vehicles (LHVs). From this review we concluded that despite the many studies available, little has been said about the sensitivity of the benefits and costs to the ultimate performance of the key variables related to the evolution of the economy, road transport performance, safety, and so on. In order to fill this gap, we have designed a sensitivity approach based on a cost benefit analysis tool to determine which variables demonstrate the greatest influence on the benefits and costs stemming from the implementation of LHVs. In order to test the methodology, we have used it in an analysis of the Spanish trunk network. The results show that the benefits of LHVs for society are significant. Even in the least favorable scenario, the economic benefits are greater than €3500 million over 15 years, and the environment enhanced as well, for CO₂ emissions are reduced by 2 Million tonnes. Overall we noted how the results are not very sensitive to the evolution of key variables in determining the final outcome. However, we found that the variables that have the greatest affect on the final benefit, such as traffic growth and social discount rate, depend basically on the performance of the overall economy. Moreover, the private cost for haulers seems to be more important in determining the final benefit than externality costs.     

Incentives in Bus Concession Contracts: A Review of Several Experiences in Latin America

Abstract

This paper reviews the incentive structure of concession contracts in several Latin American transit reforms. It also presents a conceptual analysis of the optimal design of concession contracts. The conceptual discussion and case studies reviewed indicate that payment to operators should be linked to operational variables and that some demand risk should optimally be transferred to operators. Performance standards linked to fines and penalties are not sufficient to guarantee good quality of service, particularly in citywide reforms and where institutional capacity ― in terms of size, experience and expertise of staff ― is lacking and regulatory processes are slow, bureaucratic and cumbersome. This review may be useful for policy-makers designing transit reforms in other countries. The policy lessons of the paper are particularly relevant to cities in the developing world but they are also important for reforms in other countries.     

The economic impact of logistics infrastructure: the case of PLAZA – the Zaragoza Logistics Platform

Abstract

The economics literature offers many examples of studies of the economic impact of transportation infrastructure such as highways, ports, and airports; however, little attention has been paid to other types of infrastructure such as logistics platforms. This article is a first assessment of the economic effects of the largest logistics platform in Europe – PLAZA, the Zaragoza Logistics Platform – located in Spain. More precisely, this paper analyzes the economic significance of PLAZA on the economy of the Aragon region where it is located. The methodology is based on the application of input–output analysis to the final demand of logistics platform-based companies in a manner that is similar to well-established studies of the economic impacts of tourism on tourist expenditure. This makes it possible to quantify the various levels of economic effects (direct, indirect, and induced) in terms of jobs, salaries, and wages, turnover, gross operating surplus (GOS), and gross value added (GVA). The conclusions reveal the economic importance PLAZA has for the regional economy of Aragon, representing just over 2% of total GVA and 3% of turnover.