Mode Choice Research Articles

51 She Moves - A comparative study examining the perception of the built environment between men and women

Abstract Sustainable urban transport and active travel are part of policy and practice worldwide, with a strong focus on strengthening the relationship between transport and health (US PHA, 2021; NICE, 2012; EU Commission, 2013; ISPAH, 2020). The gap we see in physical activity with males globally being more active than their female counterparts is also evident in transport, with a male bias in planning and design and gender a determinant in modal choice (UN, 2017; ITF, 2018; TII, 2019). This research aims to explore the perceptions of the built environment from a male and female perspective and how this implicates physical activity levels. Walking and cycling for active transport have substantial health benefits, however women are less inclined to use AT than men (Mueller et al, 2015; Garrad et al, 2008; Heesch & Sahlqvist, 2013). This is due to the gendered nature of cites being designed for the use of men and not women (Bassam, 2023). This study utilised a quantitative approach. A survey was made available nationally (Ireland) on Microsoft Forms, it was available to all genders and both rural and urban individuals. The aim of this survey is gather an in depth understanding of women’s perceptions of the built environment and it’s correlation to activity levels, active travel behaviour and health, and how this differs to men. The Healthy Ireland protocol has been used to gather baseline data, general health and demographic information. The findings have been analysed using SPSS. The results of this study will be complete before August 2024. The survey is currently available to be completed online. Results are to be published in an academic journal. The aim of this study is to highlight the difference in perceptions of an individuals built environment dependent on gender. The results from this study will inform policy surrounding the design of cities and towns with infrastructure that is accessible and u​tilized by all. It will inform how we redesign cities for the use of all and have a gender-neutral perspective on city design, active travel and transport. Support/Funding Source This research has been funded by Technological University Dublin.

Nuclear Imaging in Orthopaedic Practice: A Critical Analysis Review.

» Nuclear imaging techniques, including bone scintigraphy, labeled leukocyte scintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) combined with computed tomography (CT), have wide applications in orthopaedics for evaluating trauma, painful total joint arthroplasty, musculoskeletal infection, and orthopaedic oncology.» Three-phase bone scintigraphy is a first-line, highly sensitive nuclear medicine study for evaluating orthopaedic pathology when initial studies are inconclusive. However, its specificity is limited, and findings may be falsely positive for up to 2 years after total joint arthroplasty because of physiologic bone remodeling.» Labeled leukocyte scintigraphy or gallium scintigraphy can improve diagnostic accuracy in patients with a positive bone scan and suspected musculoskeletal or periprosthetic joint infection.» 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing bone neoplasms, infections, and metabolic disorders. Emerging PET/magnetic resonance imaging technology offers reduced radiation exposure and greater soft-tissue detail but presents technical and cost challenges.» SPECT/CT provides valuable functional and anatomic detail for characterizing the extent and location of bone pathology, serving as an important adjunct to other imaging modalities.» Ultimately, the choice of nuclear imaging modality should consider the specific clinical context, diagnostic accuracy, impact on management, and cost-effectiveness on a case-by-case basis.

A pilot randomised controlled trial of a telehealth-delivered brief ‘Sleeping Sound Autism’ intervention for autistic children

BackgroundAccess to behavioural sleep intervention is beneficial for autistic children, yet many families face barriers to access associated with location and time. Preliminary evidence supports telehealth-delivered sleep intervention. However, no studies have evaluated brief telehealth sleep intervention. To address this, we evaluated telehealth delivery of the brief behavioural Sleeping Sound Autism intervention, using a two-armed, parallel-group, non-blinded, pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) design (trial registration: ANZCTR12620001276943). MethodSixty-one families of autistic children without intellectual disability (5–12 years, 46% female) with caregiver-reported moderate–severe behavioural sleep problems participated Australia-wide, randomised to an intervention (n = 30) or treatment as usual control group (n = 31). Intervention group participants were invited to attend two video-conference telehealth sessions and one follow-up phone call with a trained clinician. Survey data was collected from caregivers at baseline and three- and six-months post-randomisation, to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy. Ten intervention group caregivers participated in end-of-study semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences. ResultsForty-nine caregivers completed surveys. At baseline, 87% felt positive and 84% felt confident about participating via telehealth, and 75% believed the program would improve child sleep. At three-months, intervention group caregivers (n = 24) reported the usefulness (100%) of and preference for (71%) telehealth, and 95.8% would recommend this sleep program to other families. A significant group by time difference was observed in child sleep (Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire) with large effect sizes (d = 0.87–1.05), emotion and behaviour (Developmental Behavior Checklist 2) with moderate effect sizes (d = 0.40–0.57), and caregiver mental health (Kessler 10) with small to moderate effect sizes (d = 0.60–0.28), favouring the intervention group (n = 23). There were no significant group differences in child (Child Health Utility instrument) or caregiver (Assessment of Quality of Life) quality of life. However, there were individual differences in the clinical significance of improved child sleep. Qualitative data showed that whilst telehealth was convenient for caregivers, without attenuating the benefits of most key intervention features, not all children were able to engage effectively with the clinician via telehealth. ConclusionsThis first pilot RCT of a brief telehealth behavioural sleep intervention for primary-school-aged autistic children suggests that telehealth delivery is acceptable, feasible and likely efficacious in improving sleep in the short-term. Providing families with ongoing choice of mode of delivery (telehealth/in-person) and examining the person-environment fit of telehealth for autistic children is important.

Strategic logistics service choices for online platforms: self-operated, third-party or agency logistics?

Self-operated and third-party products in platform retailing can be delivered by self-operated or third-party physical distribution. However, how choosing the best logistics service mode represents a difficult problem for online platforms and sellers in practice. This paper analyzes the strategic logistics service mode choices for retail sales on an online platform. Equilibrium strategies are derived by solving game models considering three logistics service modes: self-operated, third-party and agency. The results show that the platform has an incentive to provide self-operated physical distribution to the seller when the distribution commission exceeds a threshold. More specifically, it achieves a win–win situation with the seller in the self-operated logistics service mode when the distribution commission falls within a moderate range. The platform is unwilling to provide any logistics services with a sufficient low distribution commission. Except in the case of high distribution commission and low self-operated distribution quality, the seller would prefer to accept the platform’s self-operated physical distribution. In addition, the third-party physical distribution company generally prefers the agency logistics service mode unless the self-operated distribution quality and commission are high.

Using multimodal resources to design EFL classroom lead-ins—A multimodal pedagogical stylistics perspective

The study explores the ways EFL teachers use multimodal resources to design classroom lead-ins on the basis of multimodal stylistic analyses of the lead-ins in six award-winning classroom demonstrations. Results show that verbal mode and image mode are mainly used in the lead-ins to establish cognitive framework for the new teaching topics, and body language, such as eye movements, facial expressions, and gestures, is particularly important in attracting students’ attention and motivate their participation. The foregrounded complementary reinforcement relationships within the multimodal ensembles in the lead-ins play significant roles in designing students’ learning experiences. Discussions on the multimodal stylistic features and their teaching effects also indicate that topic relevance, closeness to life, mode conciseness, proper use of body language, complementary reinforcement within mode ensembles, and dynamicity of mode choices are general guidelines for the design of effective multimodal classroom lead-ins. The study not only verifies the effectiveness of the multimodal pedagogical stylistic theory but also provides feasible implications for the design and implementation of multimodal classroom lead-ins in EFL teaching.

41: Effect of reimbursement costs on the choice of modality for brain stereotactic radiosurgery in Japan

41: Effect of reimbursement costs on the choice of modality for brain stereotactic radiosurgery in Japan

Improving Air Quality in Urban Areas by Enhancing Walking to School Programs: Addressing Mode Choice Barriers and Optimizing Walking Distance for Elementary School Students

Improving Air Quality in Urban Areas by Enhancing Walking to School Programs: Addressing Mode Choice Barriers and Optimizing Walking Distance for Elementary School Students

Impact assessment of future fleet compositions in vehicle emissions in urban areas: A methodological framework and a case study

This study explores the impact of emerging vehicle technologies on direct urban traffic emissions. It investigates emission reduction potential from shifts in fleet compositions and modal choices, especially considering climate change. To achieve this, three key research areas are explored for historical, current, and future scenarios (up to 2050): mode choice, emission factors for different vehicle categories, and diverse vehicle propulsion technologies. The estimation of the modal split is pivotal, developing a methodology utilizing Stated Preference survey data, discrete choice modeling, Monte Carlo simulations, and macroscopic traffic simulations. Future scenarios derive from the reference year’s modal split, and emission factors and fleet compositions are predetermined via an extensive literature review, aiding the assessment of their respective emissions. A subsequent sensitivity analysis identifies the impact of specific parameters on emissions, guiding future research focus. Study results underscore differences in greenhouse gas emissions and primary air pollutants between base and future scenarios.

Impacts of automated trucks on U.S. freight movements: application and enhancement of the random-utility-based multiregional input-output model

ABSTRACT Fully automated trucks (ATrucks) will impact the US freight flow patterns, due to time and cost savings compared to human-driven trucks (HTrucks). This paper advances the random-utility-multiregional input-output (RUBMRIO) model to have explicit mode’s commodity-pricing impacts and predicts impacts of ATrucks on freight mode and origin choices across 20 commodity sectors across US. Assuming ATrucks’ operating cost to be 60% of that for HTrucks, results suggest that time and cost savings from the use of ATrucks not only accommodate the need to acquire high-value goods from more closer locations but also facilitates the transportation of goods with the same value from farther away. HTrucks’ shares diminish as distance rises, with ATrucks’ mode share in transported value fairly stable (at 50% across all distances). Rail’s share is minimal for shorter distances but rises to approximately 20% for trips longer than 250 miles. Overnight-travel time savings raise the total value and ton-miles of goods transported by ATrucks, peaking at an increase of 11% for trips between 500 and 750 miles. ATrucks transport three times the ton-miles of HTrucks with an 80% cost reduction and still double the ton-mileswith a 40% increased cost, thanks to time savings.

The nonlinear effect of atmospheric conditions on middle-school students’ travel mode choices

Atmospheric conditions have non-negligible impacts on middle-school student travel. This paper aims to compare and explore the effect of atmospheric conditions on middle-school students’ travel mode choices in Beijing based on generalized additive mixed models (GAMM). Many atmospheric conditions, including temperature, humidity, and air pollutants, were found to have significant nonlinear effects on middle-school students’ travel mode choices, which vary by variables. For example, the increase in the lowest temperature motivates middle-school students to choose active travel modes and cars. Humidity exceeding 50% is negatively correlated with the percentage of students walking. Increased PM2.5 concentration benefits the percentage of bike use but negatively affects public transport use. Moreover, O3 concentration has a V-shaped effect on walking and car use, which is the opposite of bike and public transport. These findings advance the understanding of effects of atmospheric conditions on middle-school students’ travel behavior and provide references for policymakers.

Active travel, public transport and the built environment in youth: Interactions with perceived safety, distance to school, age and gender

IntroductionThis study examined interactive effects of the built environment, perceived safety, age and gender on active travel and public transport use among adolescents for school journeys. MethodThis study used cross-sectional data from 440 adolescents (mean age 15.4 ± 1.5 years, 58% girls) in Melbourne, Australia. Adolescents self-reported their school travel modes, perceptions of traffic and personal safety. Exclusive active travel and public transport use to/from school were determined. Objective built environment features around home and school (1 km buffer) were generated. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate main and interactive associations. ResultsOverall, 18% travelled exclusively by active travel and 32% by public transport. Distance to school was negatively associated with exclusive active school travel (OR = 0.44, 95%CI: 0.34, 0.56). Distance to school moderated the association between some built environment attributes (land use mix, residential density around home, distance to public transport stops) and odds of active school travel. There was a positive association between residential density around school and active school travel among those who perceived their traffic environment to be safer. Boys were more likely than girls to use public transport if they lived further from school. A negative association between distance to a public transport stop from home and the odds of public transport use was observed among those who perceived their environment to be less safe. ConclusionThe findings highlight the complexity of influences on mode choice for the school journey. Distance to school remains one of the most important predictors of active travel/public transport use. Supportive built environment attributes, such as a diverse mix of land use around home had facilitating effects on active travel among adolescents who lived closer to school. Multilevel interventions that target both the environment and perceived safety are needed to promote active travel and public transport use among adolescents.

Diagnosis of Pleural Mesothelioma: Is Everything Solved at the Present Time?

Ranked high in worldwide growing health issues, pleural diseases affect approximately one million people globally per year and are often correlated with a poor prognosis. Among these pleural diseases, malignant pleural mesothelioma (PM), a neoplastic disease mainly due to asbestos exposure, still remains a diagnostic challenge. Timely diagnosis is imperative to define the most suitable therapeutic approach for the patient, but the choice of diagnostic modalities depends on operator experience and local facilities while bearing in mind the yield of each diagnostic procedure. Since the analysis of pleural fluid cytology is not sufficient in differentiating historical features in PM, histopathological and morphological features obtained via tissue biopsies are fundamental. The quality of biopsy samples is crucial and often requires highly qualified expertise. Since adequate tissue biopsy is essential, medical or video-assisted thoracoscopy (MT or VATS) is proposed as the most suitable approach, with the former being a physician-led procedure. Indeed, MT is the diagnostic gold standard for malignant pleural pathologies. Moreover, this medical or surgical approach can allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures: it provides the possibility of video-assisted biopsies, the drainage of high volumes of pleural fluid and the administration of sterile calibrated talcum powder under visual control in order to achieve pleurodesis, placement of indwelling pleural catheters if required and in a near future potential intrapleural therapy. In this context, dedicated diagnostic pathways remain a crucial need, especially to quickly and properly diagnose PM. Lastly, the interdisciplinary approach and multidisciplinary collaboration should always be implemented in order to direct the patient to the best customised diagnostic and therapeutic pathway. At the present time, the diagnosis of PM remains an unsolved problem despite MDT (multidisciplinary team) meetings, mainly because of the lack of standardised diagnostic work-up. This review aims to provide an overview of diagnostic procedures in order to propose a clear strategy.

Driving Towards Sustainable Transportation Systems: A bottom-up Traffic Modal Choices Analysis Using Responsible Management for Future Development Planning

The transportation sector wields substantial influence on society, encompassing economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Recognising environmentally conscious actions initiated by individuals, particularly at grassroots levels, fosters the development of a pro-environmental social identity. The article aims to analyse the transportation systems from a bottom-up perspective within a municipality. Consequently, three objectives are proposed for this research paper: investigate citizen behaviour regarding transportation, assess the strengths and weaknesses of communities based on citizen perspectives and generate ideas for improving transit through responsible management principles using a bottom-up approach. It has been determined that private car is the most commonly used mode of transportation. The number of cars is the only variable that influences the choice of transportation. A significant positive relationship has been identified between the number of cars and car travels, while a negative relationship has been observed between the number of cars and travels by transit, pedestrian or bicycle. In addition to this, other significant relationships were determined. Regarding the second objective, the majority of the interviewees perceive that the commune lacks any significant strengths. In terms of enhancement opportunities, respondents express a desire for improvements in pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, transit facilities and the addition of more lanes and roads.

Generating broadband cylindrical vector modes based on polarization-dependent acoustically induced fiber gratings using the dispersion turning point

Cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) with special polarization distribution have been extensively investigated due to the unique ways of interacting with matter. Although several configurations have been developed to generate CVBs, such as Q-plates and subwavelength gratings, the bandwidth of a single CVB is inherently narrow due to the phase geometry, which would limit its application for femtosecond lasers. Here, a broadband CVB mode converter based on an acoustically induced fiber grating (AIFG) and a tuning method of dispersion turning point (DTP) is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally with the 3-dB bandwidth of 125 nm, which is more than 10 times that of conventional AIFGs. Not only can the DTP wavelength be tuned from the original 1500 nm to 1650 nm by thinning the fiber, but also the stable generation of a single broadband HE21odd/even mode can be controllably implemented by adjusting the polarization state of the incident light, owing to the larger beat length difference between HE21 and other CV modes. Additionally, the femtosecond CVBs and orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes are successfully generated and amplified by combining the broadband AIFG with a figure-9 mode-locked fiber laser. Meanwhile, it is verified by simulation that the choice of broadband CV mode and the tunability of DTP wavelength can be realized by designing ring-core fibers with different structures, which can furthermore improve the flexibility of generating high purity CVBs. This study provides a highly controllable technique for the generation of broadband CVBs and OAMs paving the way for high-capacity CVBs communication.

Public transport mode choice behavior of different-income passengers during large-scale public health incidents

Public transport ridership has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries. Investigating passengers' public transport mode choice behavior during large-scale public health incidents can uncover the major influential factors and help propose policies and strategies to reduce the pandemic transmission and recover the public transport revenue. This study develops an integrated choice and latent variables (ICLV) model by income based on structural equation model to model passengers' public transport choice behavior during the normalized stage of the pandemic. The model considers passengers' socioeconomic attributes, travel attributes, and attitude-perception attributes, and can appropriately capture passengers' psychological latent attributes. Taking Beijing China as an example, we collect some revealed preference survey data online. The modeling results show that the risk perception as a mediator variable has a significant impact on mode preference. Moreover, the convenience of public transport has the largest influence on risk perception. These findings suggest that risk perception and the convenience of public transport play a major role in passengers' mode choice behavior. In addition, the impacts of the various influential factors on the public transport mode choices are significantly different across different income groups. Further, the ICLV model can achieve better performance and is superior to the traditional Multinomial Logit model. The modeling framework can help propose targeted and instructive strategies during the normalized stage of the pandemic by uncovering the major influential factors in passengers’ public transport mode choices, which is applicable to similar pandemics in the future.

The Impacts of Remote Work and Attitudinal Shifts on Commuting Reductions in Post-COVID Melbourne, Australia

This paper analyses the commuting frequencies and modal choices of travellers in Melbourne, using a dataset reflecting travel behaviour before and after COVID-19. A factor analysis of 63 latent variables identified seven key factors, which were used in cluster analysis to examine the relationships between latent constructs, land use, and socio-demographic variables, as well as commuting behaviours. The analysis categorised white-collar employees into four groups based on their remote work engagement, with socio-demographics and industry type as key factors. The analysis shows that female clerical and administrative workers who worked from home during the pandemic are now returning to the office, raising gender equality concerns within society. Meanwhile, the education and training sector mandates office attendance despite the feasibility of remote work, as universities prioritise in-person attendance to attract more international students, impacting societal norms around telecommuting. The analysis revealed that saving on commute costs, reducing travel time, and spending more time with family are the among the primary factors influencing travel behaviour among white-collar employee’s post-pandemic. The study found that the decrease in public transport trips is associated with increased telecommuting rather than service dissatisfaction, especially among Central Business District (CBD) employees who still rely on public transport. This trend suggests that the CBD sector’s growing acceptance of remote work is reducing daily commutes, which puts additional pressure on public transport providers to sustain and improve their services. A decline in service quality could further reduce ridership, highlighting the need for consistent, high-quality public transport. Furthermore, the study found that increased telecommuting is likely to reduce car trips in the future, especially among healthcare and social workers who prefer driving due to public transport’s unreliability for their demanding schedules. By examining variables like the advantages and disadvantages of working from home, convenience, accessibility, and the efficiency of public transport, this study enhances the understanding of transport behaviour and underscores the need to improve public transport reliability to support sustainable cities as remote work grows.

Cycle highway effects: Assessing modal choice to cycling in the Netherlands

Cycle highways are regarded as a promising new type of infrastructure because they promote longer-distance cycling between (sub)urban residential areas and work and study centers. This study examines whether the emerging network of regional cycle highways in the Netherlands has contributed to a modal shift from car to bicycle. More specifically, we investigate the effect of these routes on commuting bicycle mode choice. Our main data sources are a national travel survey covering commuting journeys that were made between 2010 and 2021 and a comprehensive dataset we have compiled to document the exact timing and status of all cycle highways in the Netherlands. We employ a difference-in-differences approach with a binary logit model, comparing bicycle mode choice versus the car for trips that benefited from a new cycle highway, before and after the introduction of the new infrastructure, with a control group of trips that were not affected by the construction of a new route. We present results from a novel routing-based approach to measuring exposure to this new cycling facility, which allows us to establish the extent to which the fastest route to work traverses a newly constructed cycle highway. After controlling for relevant covariates, our main results indicate that the introduction of cycle highways has contributed to a shift in commuting behavior toward cycling, with an increase of approximately 10 % in cycling probability post-intervention for trips highly exposed to cycle highways. The results also indicate some heterogeneity in the effects of cycle highways across different groups of individuals. The findings of this study are especially important in the context of the Netherlands (or similar biking countries, such as Denmark). Although these countries have well-established cycling infrastructure, they can still derive benefits from new cycling routes and can support decision-makers in other countries who want to invest in cycling in the near future.

Segmenting the potential users of MaaS by combining latent class cluster analysis and structural equation modeling

To reduce problems caused by the excessive use of private vehicles, transportation planners have been actively looking for sustainable transport related solutions. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is gaining popularity due to its capability to integrate transport opportunities into one platform. Studies on travelers’ acceptance of MaaS have been conducted, but there remains a gap in understanding heterogeneity regarding intentions of using MaaS particularly concerning attitudinal factors. Based upon the extension of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, we plan to reveal travelers’ segmentation by using latent class cluster analysis and to examine path heterogeneities in the identified traveler clusters by applying a structural equation modeling. The results confirm that the traveler clusters consider the importance of the relatives and media's viewpoints toward MaaS, while the car user cluster is more interested in adopting MaaS if the service could promise enough flexibility of traveling in terms of time and destination. The results related to the heterogeneity in transport mode choice are useful for constructing MaaS packages. This study could be advantageous for MaaS operators as it enables them to understand some attitudinal factors influencing willingness to take up MaaS thus realizing suitable, effective promotions.

Exploring impacts of perceived and actual air pollution on commuters’ mode choice

Since people’s decisions are usually based on their perception, Air Pollution Perception (APP) can affect travel mode changes. This research examines the effects of APP and actual air pollution on commuters’ mode choice by developing a hybrid choice model. During a cross-sectional survey in Karaj, the fourth most populous city in Iran, 768 valid questionnaires were gathered including 2795 trips. The results show that APP had a negative effect on choosing public transit. Moreover, the findings indicate that commuters are more likely to use their cars when they feel less in control over air pollution. The findings may be useful in planning policies to manage people’s perception of air pollution in order to make public transit more desirable for car commuters, especially in polluted urban areas.

Making Switches: Key Strategic Decisions When Moving From a Local, Independent Operator to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary

ABSTRACTEntering a foreign market entails making the important mode decision of how to operate there. But the initial mode choice is not always forever and may be reassessed as business circumstances change. The mode shifting process—that is, how switches from one mode to another unfold—has scarcely been described, so we lack a systematic outline of this process. In this article, we take a first step toward such an outline. Adopting the established distinction between the formation and implementation phases of strategy making and execution, we describe the critical strategic decisions managers need to make about how to carry out a mode switch. Regarding the formation phases, we discuss the identification and consideration of entry mode switches as viable options, and whether companies plan or not for such shifts. Regarding the implementation phases, we differentiate between the integrating and collaborating decisions that define the type of switches made by companies.