Accessibility Index Research Articles

A multi-dimensional access index: Exploring emergency food assistance in New York City

Access to resources and services needs to be considered from a multi-dimensional perspective to capture the complex landscape of human experience. The robust body of research exploring food access has multiple limitations that create an incomplete view of food access, like studies limited to only one mode of transit and inconsistent methods across studies which limit generalizability. This study proposes a framework to formulate a multi-dimensional access index that considers travel time, operating hours, and availability of transit infrastructure across space. We use food pantries in New York City as a case study since there are relatively few of them and they have limited opening hours. We propose an index that quantifies spatiotemporal access by different modes of transportation and takes operating hours of food pantries into account during a one week time period. We compare our results to two traditional access measures and demonstrate that our index provides a significantly different measure of access. We utilize this index to highlight areas of high need but low resources, which shows the importance of this tool to policy makers and service providers. We use our experience of developing this index to highlight the challenges with quantitative analysis of human experience. Our tool is reproducible through an open-access software, which allows researchers and policy-makers to utilize it with parameters that reflect their communities.

Drivers of overseas labour migration, migration intensity, and destination choice among farming households in Nepal

ABSTRACT In recent years, overseas labour migration has become a lifeline for many households in Nepal. Using survey data from 465 randomly selected households and 227 overseas labour migrants, this paper examines the factors influencing overseas labour migration and migration intensity in farming households by employing a generalised two-part fractional regression model, and migrants’ destination choice by using the probit model. We find that a higher proportion of educated members in the household, along with household’s credit access, indebtedness, and contacts with manpower agencies significantly increase the likelihood of overseas labour migration and migration intensity in the households, whereas the presence of employed members in the household, larger farms, irrigation access, and higher asset index significantly lower such likelihood. We find a lower likelihood of migration to Malaysia and the Middle East countries among individuals with employed household members and a higher asset index, while those connected to manpower agencies are more likely to choose these countries as destinations. Our findings emphasise the significance of creating and providing decent economic opportunities, including strengthening the agriculture sector, to address the existing surge in overseas labour migration from farming households in Nepal.

Development, practical challenges, and application of a state-wide transport model system in Australia

ABSTRACT This paper develops a regional strategic travel model system to predict expected changes in traffic volumes and public transport patronage up to 2056. On the supply side, we develop transport network datasets for four linehaul modes – train, coach, car, and plane, incorporating travel times, fares, costs, and service frequency. On the demand side, an aggregate modal share logit model for three trip purposes is estimated to identify the role of various trip attributes and socioeconomic characteristics to forecast modal shares in the base year 2016. The resulting models produce an accessibility index asess each mode role in defining the accessibility to each Statistical Area level 2 in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. This index informs a residential population model to identify the relationship between population and accessibility, highlighting the wider impact of transport improvements on the regional economy. The model links population changes to travel demand and predicts induced demand under a business-as-usual scenario. The application of the model system is illustrated using a corridor between Sydney and Newcastle.

Click train elicited local gamma synchrony: differing performance and pharmacological responsivity of primary auditory and prefrontal cortices

Auditory neural networks in the brain naturally entrain to rhythmic stimuli. Such synchronization is an accessible index of local network performance as captured by EEG. Across species, click trains delivered ∼ 40 Hz show strong entrainment with primary auditory cortex (Actx) being a principal source. Imaging studies have revealed additional cortical sources, but it is unclear if they are functionally distinct. Since auditory processing evolves hierarchically, we hypothesized that local synchrony would differ between between primary and association cortices. In female SD rats (N = 12), we recorded 40 Hz click train-elicited gamma oscillations using epidural electrodes situated at two distinct sites; one above the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and another above the Actx, after dosing with saline (1 ml/kg, sc) or the NMDA antagonist, MK801 (0.025, 0.05 or 0.1 mpk), in a blocked crossover design. Post-saline, both regions showed a strong 40 Hz auditory steady state response (ASSR). The latencies for the N1 response were ∼ 16 ms (Actx) and ∼ 34 ms (PFC). Narrow band (38–42 Hz) gamma oscillations appeared rapidly (<40 ms from stim onset at Actx but in a more delayed fashion (∼200 ms) at PFC. MK801 augmented gamma synchrony at Actx while dose-dependently disrupting at the PFC. Event-related gamma (but not beta) coherence, an index of long-distance connectivity, was disrupted by MK801. In conclusion, local network gamma synchrony in a higher order association cortex performs differently from that of the primary auditory cortex. We discuss these findings in the context of evolving sound processing across the cortical hierarchy.

First vaccine confidence and access index in Argentina: Comparison of results from 2019 to 2022

In this article, we present and empirically illustrate two concepts about vaccines and the way they are perceived by the Argentinean population and the easiness in accessing vaccination in developing countries. First, we focus on the perceptions of people about vaccines in general and develop a confidence index, and second, we analyze barriers to vaccination, measuring the burden citizens have when they intend to receive immunization (or as caretakers, trying to comply with the vaccination calendar of children and adolescents): for this second concept, we develop an access index.The data comes from representative annual surveys from Argentina from 2019 until 2022 (each one with approximately 7000 responders), which allows us to describe trends and check for changes in the confidence in vaccines and barriers towards vaccination. We find high confidence in vaccines in Argentina, although there is a “structural break” in the confidence for all years after 2020. Because we changed the questionnaire and methodology regarding the access to vaccines index in 2022, the discussion focuses on the cross-section of 2022, observing that barriers to vaccination tend to affect less educated caretakers.

An event-related potential investigation of the influence of bilingualism on disambiguating homonyms in older adults.

Ambiguity is ubiquitous in language; lexical ambiguity refers to instances where a single word has multiple meanings. The current investigation examined homonyms, words that have the same orthography and pronunciation in English but multiple meanings (e.g., BANK, meaning "financial institution" or "river's edge"). The processing of homonyms requires the engagement of executive control processes, for example, to select the appropriate meaning of the homonym while reducing interference from other meanings. Executive function processes are known to change over the lifespan and may be impacted by experiential factors such as bilingualism. The present study uses event-related brain potentials as an index of lexical access to examine whether bilingualism influences homonym processing in older adults. The results indicate that patterns of lexical access differ as a function of bilingual status in older adults and compared to young adults, suggesting that language experience may moderate language processing in both young and older adults, at least in situations where language processing is demanding on executive function, such as in the processing of homonyms. Importantly, we show that older bilinguals show a somewhat similar pattern of ambiguity processing as their younger counterparts, while age differences were observed in monolinguals when comparing across studies. This suggests that bilingual language experience may have a mitigating impact on age-related changes in ambiguity processing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Event-related Potential Measures of Visual Word Processing in Monolingual and Bilingual Children and Adults: A Focus on Word Frequency Effects.

How does language background influence the neural correlates of visual word recognition in children? To address this question, we used an ERP lexical decision task to examine first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) visual word processing in monolingual and bilingual school-aged children and young adults (n = 123). In particular, we focused on the effects of word frequency (an index of lexical accessibility) on RTs and the N400 ERP component. Behaviorally, we found larger L1 versus L2 word frequency effects among bilingual children, driven by faster and more accurate responses to higher-frequency words (no other language or age group differences were observed). Neurophysiologically, we found larger L1 word frequency effects in bilinguals versus monolinguals (across both age groups), reflected in more negative ERP amplitudes to lower-frequency words. However, the bilingual groups processed L1 and L2 words similarly, despite lower levels of subjective and objective L2 proficiency. Taken together, our findings suggest that divided L1 experience (but not L2 experience) influences the neural correlates of visual word recognition across childhood and adulthood.

The persistence of spatial mismatch in metropolitan America: New evidence on disparities facing Black workers and low-wage workers

ABSTRACT Despite implementation of policies designed to mitigate spatial mismatch by reducing segregation and increasing mobility, scholars have shown that disparities in access to jobs experienced by Black workers may persist because of structural racism in housing markets, and that low-wage workers and other marginalized groups may also experience spatial mismatch. We provide new evidence on the severity of spatial mismatch experienced by Black workers and low-wage workers in metropolitan America in 2019 for automobile- and transit-based commutes at two time thresholds (i.e., 30 and 60 min) using two measures, job accessibility and accessibility-based dissimilarity index (ADI). We test the hypotheses: Black workers experienced greater spatial mismatch than white workers; and low-wage workers experienced greater spatial mismatch than middle-/high-wage workers. We find ADI provides more theoretically valid measures of spatial mismatch because it accounts for workers’ housing distribution; whereas job accessibility tends to underestimate the severity of spatial mismatch for Black workers. We find Black/white disparities universal for auto-dependent Black workers across metropolitan areas, but Black transit commuters do not face disadvantaged statuses in 43 of 100 metros. Disparities experienced by low-wage workers relative to middle-/high-wage workers are not as severe as those of Black workers relative to white workers. Renewed focus on eliminating disparities is warranted.

Construction and validation of the Wingate index model for elite athletes

ObjectiveThe gold standard for measuring anaerobic fitness is the power cycle ergometer test, but this method is expensive and time-consuming, and it has negative effects on pre-competition performance. This study aims to utilize the strong correlation between accessible body composition indices and less accessible anaerobic power bicycle indices to establish and verify a Wingate Index Model. MethodsA cohort of 993 male (age: 22.56 ± 3.30 years) and 450 female (age: 21.47 ± 2.70 years) athletes who participated in diverse sports were enrolled and completed the high-intensity power cycle test and body composition test, and the model formula was established based on these data. Totally, 283 participants were randomly selected to verify the formula using SPSS 22.0 and GraphPad Prism 9.4.1. ResultsThere was no significant difference between the value derived from the confirmed formula and the measured value of the instrument among the elite athletes (p > 0.05). The probabilities that the values obtained by the formula would fall within the 95 % confidence interval were as follows: Mpower(mean power): 94.7 %, Mpower/W(mean power/weight): 96.8 %, total work: 94.7 %, Ppower(peak power): 94.7 %, Ppower/W(peak power/weight): 95.8 %, and fatigue index: 93.6 %. ConclusionBy constructing and validating multiple regression equations for the anaerobic power cycle and body composition indices, this study showed that the probabilities of the values obtained from the equations falling within the 95 % confidence interval were 94.7 % for Mpower, 96.8 % for Mpower/W, 94.7 % for total work, 94.7 % for Ppower, 95.8 % for Ppower/W, and 93.6 % for fatigue index. Therefore, these equations may have some practical value in predicting the elite athlete population.

How accessible are cities for visually impaired pedestrians? A case of Greater London

Urban planning and design aim to encourage active mobility by promoting various models that assess a city’s transportability and accessibility. In practice, these models are not attuned to a huge part of the population that have mobility impairments, therefore they uphold a flawed city design and prevent these populations from being an equal part of the inclusive city vision. We suggest an approach to develop new visually impaired mobility accessibility indices of urban space using open-source geospatial data and showcase them across different wards and boroughs in Greater London. Results show the various urban accessibility levels for visually impaired pedestrians, pointing to existing problems this community faces when navigating the city, such as challenging street network connectivity and dangerous walking areas. These indices can be used for more inclusive city planning and design, enhancing urban mobility and walkability equality, and improving this community’s quality of life.

Robot base placement and tool mounting optimization based on capability map for robot-assistant camera holder

Abstract In the field of laparoscopic surgery, research is currently focusing on the development of new robotic systems to assist practitioners in complex operations, improving the precision of their medical gestures. In this context, the performance of these robotic platforms can be conditioned by various factors, such as the robot’s accessibility and dexterity in the task workspace. In this paper, we present a new strategy for improving the kinematic and dynamic performance of a 7-degrees of freedom robot-assisted camera-holder system for laparoscopic surgery. This approach involves the simultaneous optimization of the robot base placement and the laparoscope mounting orientation. To do so, a general robot capability representation approach is implemented in an innovative multiobjective optimization algorithm. The obtained results are first evaluated in simulation and then validated experimentally by comparing the robot’s performances implementing both the existing and the optimized solution. The optimization result led to a 2% improvement in the accessibility index and a 14% enhancement in manipulability. Furthermore, the dynamic performance criteria resulted in a substantial 43% reduction in power consumption.

Resolving Charging Station Placement Issues for Electric Vehicles: Hybrid Optimization-Assisted Multi-Objective Framework

As new energy technology has advanced to a respectable level, Electric Vehicles (EV) have gained recognition from people all over the world and have become increasingly popular in a number of nations. Effective charging station placement is critical for the rapid growth of electric vehicles, as it is vital to provide convenience for electric vehicles while also ensuring the effectiveness of traffic networks. The location of an EV charging station is simply an application situation for the facility location problem. Traditional works often pay attention to the mileage concerns of electric vehicle customers while ignoring their competitive and strategic charging tactics. This research aims to frame the allocation of charging stations issue as a multi-faceted venture by assessing the aspects economically along with the characteristics of the power grid like “cost, Voltage stability, Reliability, and Power loss (VRP) index, waiting time, and accessibility index”. Further, we proposed a hybrid artificial intelligence to resolve the allocation issue. The proposed new Artificial Intelligence (AI) based algorithm is termed as Hybridized Salp and Harris Algorithm (HS-HA). The effectiveness and scalability of the presented algorithm for the charging station placement issue are also assessed through different plans in the IEEE 33-bus distribution systems. Finally, the efficiency of the presented approach is proved over the existing approaches with respect to various measures.

Enhancing public transport accessibility: Exploring hybrid car sharing systems for improved connectivity

Transportation networks within a region are vital. They link individuals from their starting points to their destinations. Nonetheless, even highly effective transportation systems may not ensure optimal performance, service quality, or fairness for users unless they are extensively interconnected and accessible to as many people as possible. In this context, we present a planning framework for complementing public transit (PT) systems with other cost-effective mobility systems, such as car-sharing (CS) systems, to improve performance in terms of connectivity and accessibility. These metrics are evaluated by using the suitably introduced Connectivity and Accessibility Index (CAI). Specifically, in the present research, we first introduce a novel methodology for assessing the connectivity and accessibility values of existing PT systems. Then, the proposed approach provides an optimization-based design model for a hybrid CS system comprising both one-way (OW) and two-way (TW) models. To evaluate the capabilities of the proposed approach, a real-world case study of the PT system of the city of Trento (Italy) is evaluated.

Confronting Inequalities and Bridging the Divide: A Retrospective Study Assessment of Country-Level COVID-19 Vaccine Equality with a Cox Regression Model.

COVID-19 vaccination is vital in reducing illness, hospitalization, and mortality in the face of this global pandemic. However, COVID-19 vaccination rates worldwide remain below WHO public health targets, and persistent structural inequities reduce vaccine uptake likelihood among populations of low socioeconomic status. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on publicly available data from the Our World in Data project. We included all 124 countries with available open epidemic data and a population of more than 5 million. We used a Cox Regression Model, with population, population density, median age, human development index, GDP per capita, gender inequality index, healthcare access and quality index, hospital beds per thousand people, completion rate of primary education, infection cases of COVID-19 by the end of 2022, and death rate due to COVID-19 by the end of 2022 as predictors for model hazard rates of completion of 50% population vaccination. According to our study, countries with higher populations, higher population density, higher human development index, lower gender inequality index, and lower hospital beds per 1000 people had a higher hazard rate, which means they were more likely to achieve 50% population vaccination faster. By utilizing the time to achieve vaccination rate goals as our primary endpoint, we evaluated inequity from a dual perspective, considering both the differences in vaccination rates and the duration required to attain them. Consequently, this study employed survival analysis approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of vaccine drivers and population-level trends nationally and inform all communities from a statistical perspective to prepare for health emergencies. Development-level standing modified the effects of equal access to COVID-19 vaccination on cumulative cases and mortality, for which countries of low or medium human development tended to fare worse in outcomes than high human development countries. As COVID-19 vaccination efforts evolve, healthcare professionals, scholars, and policymakers need to identify the structural impediments to equitable vaccination awareness, access, and uptake so that future vaccination campaigns are not impeded by these barriers to immunization. Recognizing the complex nature of this significant barrier, it is evident that no single statistical analysis method can comprehensively address all intricacies.

How to quantify the regional effects of ocean temperature rise due to climate change: implications of Octopus maya ecophysiology on food security of the Yucatan shelf artisanal fishermen

The vital survival, maturation, and reproduction rates of Octopus maya were formulated according to the thermal preferences in each stage (juvenile and adult) and the bottom temperature of the Yucatan shelf projected from different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs): SSP1-5, to describe the species population growth in shallow waters. The dispersion of each individual in the population and the spread of the offshore population were incorporated with an integrodifference equation. For each SSP, the food security of the artisanal fishermen in the Western, Central, and Eastern Yucatan shelf region was analyzed based on the proposed availability, access, and utilization indices of Octopus maya as food. The analysis was complemented with an average monthly protein and income poverty indicators that this species’ shallow water fishery would have the capacity to supply by the year 2100. Although the proportion of the legally O. maya catchable population may be favored with the gradual increase in temperature in the coming years, this increase may not translate into greater food security for the artisanal fishermen who catch this species in shallow waters. Moreover, this fishery alone may not have the capacity to supply the average annual intake of 10.6 kg of protein per person recommended and maintain fishermen and their families above the income poverty line by 2100.

Climate change, malaria and neglected tropical diseases: a scoping review.

To explore the effects of climate change on malaria and 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and potential effect amelioration through mitigation and adaptation, we searched for papers published from January 2010 to October 2023. We descriptively synthesised extracted data. We analysed numbers of papers meeting our inclusion criteria by country and national disease burden, healthcare access and quality index (HAQI), as well as by climate vulnerability score. From 42 693 retrieved records, 1543 full-text papers were assessed. Of 511 papers meeting the inclusion criteria, 185 studied malaria, 181 dengue and chikungunya and 53 leishmaniasis; other NTDs were relatively understudied. Mitigation was considered in 174 papers (34%) and adaption strategies in 24 (5%). Amplitude and direction of effects of climate change on malaria and NTDs are likely to vary by disease and location, be non-linear and evolve over time. Available analyses do not allow confident prediction of the overall global impact of climate change on these diseases. For dengue and chikungunya and the group of non-vector-borne NTDs, the literature privileged consideration of current low-burden countries with a high HAQI. No leishmaniasis papers considered outcomes in East Africa. Comprehensive, collaborative and standardised modelling efforts are needed to better understand how climate change will directly and indirectly affect malaria and NTDs.

The fibrosis-4 index is a prognostic factor for cholangiocarcinoma patients who received immunotherapy.

Research of immunotherapy for cholangiocarcinoma has yielded some results, but more clinical data are needed to prove its efficacy and safety. Moreover, there is a need to identify accessible indexes for selecting patients who may benefit from such treatments. The medical records of 66 cholangiocarcinoma patients who underwent immunotherapy were retrospectively collected. The effectiveness of immunotherapy was assessed by tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS), while safety was evaluated by adverse events during treatment. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic risk factors for PFS and OS, and Kaplan-Meier curves of potential prognostic factors were drawn. Overall, in this study, immunotherapy achieved an objective response rate of 24.2% and a disease control rate of 89.4% for the included patients. The median PFS was 445 days, and the median OS was 772.5 days. Of the 66 patients, 65 experienced adverse events during treatment, but none had severe consequences. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that tumor number is a prognostic risk factor for disease progression following immunotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma patients, while tumor differentiation and the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index are independent risk factors for OS. In general, immunotherapy for cholangiocarcinoma is safe, with adverse events remaining within manageable limits, and it can effectively control disease progression in most patients. The FIB-4 index may reflect the potential benefit of immunotherapy for patients with cholangiocarcinoma.

The Impact of Individual Capabilities on Ecosystem Services and Farmers’ Well-Being: A Case Study of the Loess Plateau, China

Exploring the impact of individual capabilities on ecosystem services and farmers’ well-being is conducive to discovering the complex relationship between ESs and human well-being, and has clear practical value for the sustainable management and improvement of farmers’ well-being in ecologically fragile areas in China. An importance–accessibility index of ESs was constructed and the objective well-being and subjective well-being of farmers were assessed. Subsequently, the relationship among capabilities, ESs, and well-being was elucidated based on a structural equation model. The results showed that fruits, pest control, fuelwood, water conservation, and wild food were the ES types that contributed most to farmers’ well-being. There were some similarities and differences between the dimensions of objective and subjective well-being. For example, farmers with adequate leisure time reported higher leisure satisfaction and farmers with relatively adequate income levels reported the lowest income satisfaction. The direct effect of capabilities on ESs and objective well-being was significant, and the direct effect of capabilities on their subjective well-being was not significant. Their capabilities had a significant indirect impact on their objective well-being by influencing ESs and did not have a significant indirect impact on their subjective well-being by influencing ESs; their capabilities had a significant indirect impact on their subjective well-being by influencing the ESs and objective well-being. Physical health, mental health, and agricultural skills were the key types of capabilities that influenced the farmers’ access to ESs and well-being. Improving these capabilities can enable local farmers to more fully access ESs and improve their well-being.

Histone H2B lysine 122 and lysine 130, as the putative targets of Penicillium oxalicum LaeA, play important roles in asexual development, expression of secondary metabolite gene clusters, and extracellular glycoside hydrolase synthesis.

Core histones in the nucleosome are subject to a wide variety of posttranslational modifications (PTMs), such as methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, and acetylation, all of which are crucial in shaping the structure of the chromatin and the expression of the target genes. A putative histone methyltransferase LaeA/Lae1, which is conserved in numerous filamentous fungi, functions as a global regulator of fungal growth, virulence, secondary metabolite formation, and the production of extracellular glycoside hydrolases (GHs). LaeA's direct histone targets, however, were not yet recognized. Previous research has shown that LaeA interacts with core histone H2B. Using S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) as a methyl group donor and recombinant human histone H2B as the substrate, it was found that Penicillium oxalicum LaeA can transfer the methyl groups to the C-terminal lysine (K) 108 and K116 residues in vitro. The H2BK108 and H2BK116 sites on recombinant histone correspond to P. oxalicum H2BK122 and H2BK130, respectively. H2BK122A and H2BK130A, two mutants with histone H2B K122 or K130 mutation to alanine (A), were constructed in P. oxalicum. The mutants H2BK122A and H2BK130A demonstrated altered asexual development and decreased extracellular GH production, consistent with the findings of the laeA gene deletion strain (ΔlaeA). The transcriptome data showed that when compared to wild-type (WT) of P. oxalicum, 38 of the 47 differentially expressed (fold change ≥ 2, FDR ≤ 0.05) genes that encode extracellular GHs showed the same expression pattern in the three mutants ΔlaeA, H2BK122A, and H2BK130A. The four secondary metabolic gene clusters that considerably decreased expression in ΔlaeAalso significantly decreased in H2BK122A or H2BK130A. The chromatin of promotor regions of the key cellulolytic genes cel7A/cbh1 and cel7B/eg1 compacted in the ΔlaeA, H2BK122A, and H2BK130A mutants, according to the results of chromatin accessibility real-time PCR (CHART-PCR). The chromatin accessibility index dropped. The histone binding pocket of the LaeA-methyltransf_23 domain is compatible with particular histone H2B peptides, providing appropriate electrostatic and steric compatibility to stabilize these peptides, according to molecular docking. The findings of the study demonstrate that H2BK122 and H2BK130, which are histone targets of P. oxalicum LaeA in vitro, are crucial for fungal conidiation, the expression of gene clusters encoding secondary metabolites, and the production of extracellular GHs.

Modeling the effect of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the accessibility of the transportation network

The utilization of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has emerged as a pivotal factor in addressing the rising costs and safety concerns associated with modern travel. As technology advances and traffic challenges intensify, enhancing accessibility stands out as a critical goal for transportation experts. Accessibility, constrained by factors like travel time, underscores the increasing need for AVs to mitigate these limitations. This study aimed to model the influence of AVs on the accessibility index within transportation networks and discuss system optimization based on user equilibrium (UE) and system optimum (SO) outcomes. The research conducted numerical analysis employing the Hearn network as a fundamental system to validate a mixed assignment model and ascertain baseline accessibility. Additionally, the Sioux Falls network, a medium-sized network, was employed for analysis. A hybrid heuristic assignment algorithm was introduced, concurrently assigning different percentages of AV presence alongside the remaining non-AV percentage in three distinct scenarios. These scenarios ranged from 0 to 100% AV presence: the first scenario maintained constant network capacity, the second scenario adjusted network capacity based on AV presence, and the third scenario incorporated capacity adjustments in the assignment stage. In all three scenarios, network accessibility was evaluated using gravity and accessibility index methods derived from the hybrid assignment model output. The findings demonstrated that as the percentage of AVs increased, accessibility improved in both Hearn and Sioux Falls networks across all scenarios. The second and third scenarios exhibited higher accessibility increases compared to the first, attributable to augmented capacity resulting from increased AV presence. In the Sioux Falls network, the first scenario showed enhanced SO and UE due to increased AV presence and enhanced system operator management. Conversely, the second and third scenarios, with increased AVs and subsequent capacity increments, displayed reduced UE and SO results. Despite the decline in UE and SO, traffic flow assignment and overall network accessibility improved. These findings highlight the positive correlation between AV presence, network capacity, and enhanced accessibility. The study underscores the potential benefits of AV integration in optimizing transportation networks and improving overall accessibility, albeit with nuances in capacity adjustments impacting traffic flow dynamics. Further research avenues could explore complex traffic flow scenarios and delve into more specific optimization strategies.