Relocation Behavior Research Articles

Route learning and transport of resources during colony relocation in Australian desert ants.

Many ant species can respond to dramatic changes in local conditions by relocating the entire colony to a new location. While we know that careful learning walks enable the homing behavior of foraging ants to their original nest, we do not know whether additional learning is required to navigate to the new nest location. To answer this question, we investigated the nest relocation behavior of a colony of Australian desert ants (Melophorus bagoti) that relocated their nest in response to heavy rainfall in the semidesert terrain of Alice Springs. We identified five types of behavior: exploration between nests (Old-to-New nest and New-to-Old nest), transport from Old to New nest, and relearning walks at Old and New nests. Initially, the workers performed relearning walks at the Old nest and exploratory walks between the Old and New nests. Once they completed the exploratory walks, the workers transported resources and brood to the new nest. Finally, we observed the workers performing relearning walks at the New nest. While the relearning walks at the Old nest were slow and appear to enable exploratory walks to the New nest, the relearning walks at the new nest were faster and appeared to enable homing from foraging trips. These observations shed insight on how learning helps these ants to respond to sudden changes in their environment.

The call of the green: The role of green spaces in residential relocations across the life course in Germany

AbstractResearch on the benefits of green living environments in urban settings has gained attention, but comprehensive comparisons across life course phases remain scarce. Furthermore, the importance of green spaces in the context of residential relocations has been underexplored. This study addresses this research gap by testing hypotheses derived from a general theory of well‐being generation and a three‐stage migration model, using data from a two‐wave population survey with 1856 randomly selected respondents in two major German cities. The results show that private, shared, and neighbourhood green spaces are relevant at the very beginning of relocation decision‐making processes, when individuals form their moving intentions. Private gardens deter families from considering and planning relocation, shared green yards have a similar effect across all subgroups, and satisfaction with the availability of green spaces in the neighbourhood decreases the probability of families and older adults considering and planning relocations. Our study highlights the importance of subjective assessments of neighbourhood green spaces, which have a more pronounced impact on forming relocation intentions compared to objective geocoded data. When estimating relocation behaviour in the second study wave, it appears that neither private nor public green spaces seem to have an influence. Recognizing the relevance of green spaces in residential relocations requires considering the longitudinal nature of the decision‐making process.

Evaluating relocation behavior of establishments: Evidence for the short-term effects of COVID-19

Due to the significant effects of establishments’ relocations on travel patterns and land-use conditions, investigating establishments’ relocation behavior is an important issue. In recent years, many establishments closed or relocated because of a downturn economy, health concerns, interrupted supply chains, and work-from-home caused by the pandemic. Hence, this study aims to propose a modeling approach to assess and compare the relocation behavior of establishments before, during, and after the pandemic. Establishments’ relocation behavior is modeled in two steps: relocation decision and relocation action. The former provides insights into behavioral factors associated with establishment relocation and the latter models likelihood of spatial relocation choice. Using the data collected from the state of Tennessee, USA, the Random Forest classification approach is incorporated to model both steps, where the model validation results showed the promising accuracy of this modeling approach. Moreover, statistical analyses are applied to evaluate the differences between the spatial relocation choices throughout the time. Results showed that in post-Covid conditions, the importance of establishment characteristics on relocation decisions was reduced by half and relocations occurred more due to office profile and accessibility. Results of modeling relocation action indicated the high importance of accessibility, even though the attractiveness of accessibility was reduced by 20.9% in post-Covid analysis. The findings of this study enrich the knowledge on establishment relocation behavior and provide valuable information regarding the effect of the pandemic, which can be used in policy development and travel behavior modeling by urban and transportation planners.

Relations between individual residence trajectory and macro social transformation: Passive relocation migrants in shanty town in Shanghai, China

In the context of socio-economic transformations, Chinese cities have entered the era of inventory land renewal, large-scale urban renewal, and old city renovation, which have triggered a large number of passive relocation behaviors, which led to intra-urban movements and migration. It is essential to understand what the Chinese family is undergoing before and after the relocation and how the macro social power impacts the trajectory of residence and living patterns of individual families step by step. Based on the oral history of Hongzhen Old Street informal settlement in Shanghai, using a qualitative research method, this article takes the life course of passive relocation migrants as a starting point, and summarizes a migrant residence transformation pedigree and survival mechanism from the gradual and struggling spatial practice before relocation, the decision-making and negotiation process, to the life after relocation with difficulty in taking root and community re-connection. This study reveals that in the long process of top-down land expropriation, residents have always been in an unsettled and temporary state, with their dynamic residential needs ignored, accelerating the decay and disorder of their neighborhood. In addition, although they have improved their spatial living conditions after the relocation, they still face the marginalization and deprivation of social resources. These problems reflect land economy, social capital, housing policy, and urban development mode.

Urban Structure Simulator Considering Individual Building Replacement and Personal Relocation Behavior, Utilizing 3D City Models

Urban Structure Simulator Considering Individual Building Replacement and Personal Relocation Behavior, Utilizing 3D City Models

Economic Analysis of the Relocation of the Raiders

Initially stationed in Oakland, the Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982, then back to Oakland in 1995, before relocating to Las Vegas in time for the 2020 season. Raider's departure has had a different economic impact on both Oakland and Las Vegas. This article analyzes the relocation behavior of the Raider's Department from the perspective of two cities and concludes that the Raider's Department has an economic impact on both Oakland and Las Vegas, the context and timing of which will depend on how the government regulations it.

Forest conversion into pasture selects dung beetle traits at different biological scales depending on species pool composition.

The conversion of forests into open areas has large effects on the diversity and structure of native communities. The intensity of these effects may vary between regions, depending on the existence of native species adapted to open habitats in the regional pool or the time since habitat change.We assess the differences in species richness and functional diversity of dung beetle communities (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) between native forests and novel pasturelands of the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado, two biomes with contrasting histories of human occupation in Brazil. We conducted standardized surveys in seven forest fragments and adjacent pastures in each region and measured 14 traits in individuals collected in each type of habitat at each particular site. We calculated functional richness, functional evenness, functional divergence, and community-weighted mean of traits for each area, and analyzed individual variation through nested variance decomposition and Trait Statistics.Communities were richer and more numerous at the Cerrado. We did not find any consistent relationship between functional diversity and forest conversion beyond the changes in species diversity. Although landscape changes were more recent at the Cerrado, the colonization of the new habitat by native species already adapted to open habitats lessens the functional loss in this biome. This indicates that habitat change's effects on trait diversity depend on the regional species pool rather than on time since land conversion.Forest conversion effects were primarily due to internal filtering. The effects of external filtering only appear at the intraspecific variance level, with contrasting differences between the Cerrado, where traits related to relocation behavior and size are selected, and the Atlantic Forest, where selection operates for traits related to relocation behavior and flight. These results evidence the importance of considering individual variance to address the responses of dung beetle communities to forest conversion.

Using Machine Learning to Understand Relocation Drivers of Urban Coastal Populations in Response to Flooding

Abstract Many urban coastal communities are experiencing more profound flood impacts due to accelerated sea level rise that sometimes exceed their capacity to protect the built environment. In such cases, relocation may serve as a more effective hazard mitigation and adaptation strategy. However, it is unclear how urban residents living in flood-prone locations perceive the possibility of relocation and under what circumstances they would consider moving. Understanding the factors affecting an individual’s willingness to relocate because of coastal flooding is vital for developing accessible and equitable relocation policies. The main objective of this study is to identify the key considerations that would prompt urban coastal residents to consider permanent relocation because of coastal flooding. We leverage survey data collected from urban areas along the East Coast, assessing attitudes toward relocation, and design an artificial neural network (ANN) and a random forest (RF) model to find patterns in the survey data and indicate which considerations impact the decision to consider relocation. We trained the models to predict whether respondents would relocate because of socioeconomic factors, past exposure and experiences with flooding, and their flood-related concerns. Analyses performed on the models highlight the importance of flood-related concerns that accurately predict relocation behavior. Some common factors among the model analyses are concerns with increasing crime, the possibility of experiencing one more flood per year in the future, and more frequent business closures resulting from flooding.

On the Relocation Behavior of Ride-sourcing Drivers

ABSTRACT Ride-sourcing drivers, as individual service suppliers, can freely adopt their own relocation strategies, including waiting, cruising freely, or following the platform recommendations. These decisions substantially impact the balance between supply and demand, and consequently affect system performance. We conducted a stated choice experiment to study the searching behaviour of ride-sourcing drivers and examine novel policies. A unique dataset of 576 ride-sourcing drivers working in the US was collected and a choice modelling approach was used to estimate the effects of multiple existing and hypothetical attributes. The results suggest that ride-sourcing drivers’ relocation strategies vary considerably between different drivers groups. Surge pricing significantly stimulates drivers to head toward the designated areas. However, the distance between the driver’s location and surge or high-demand areas demotivates them from following the platform repositioning recommendations. We discuss the implications of our findings for various platform policies on real-time information sharing and platform repositioning guidance.

A Realistic Framework for Modeling Residential Relocation Behavior Considering Past, Present, and Future Using DDCM: A Sydney Case Study

A Realistic Framework for Modeling Residential Relocation Behavior Considering Past, Present, and Future Using DDCM: A Sydney Case Study

Melting and relocation behavior of metal and force balance analysis of metallic droplet

In this paper, the heating, melting and relocation behavior of zinc was carried out based on the MEREA (Metal mElting and RElocation progression Apparatus) facility. Metal melt tests with different axial power distributions were conducted. The visualizing data, temperature profiles and parameters of the relocation process were obtained. As the temperature rises, the metal melted and relocated downward. The melt solidified in lower colder parts and formed melt accumulations. The increasing volume of accumulations causes some bulges on the metal surface and further cracks. Then melt flowed out through the cracks and aggregated into some metallic droplets. As the droplet volume increases, it relocated downward as a rivulet driven by gravity. Besides, some droplets might depart at the surface and fall into the lower head in an approximately free fall. The onset of melt droplet motion (slip or departure) was analyzed based on the force balance method. Some important model parameters and criteria of the droplet motion were also obtained based on the MEREA experimental data. The results of this research can provide a better understanding of the relocation behavior of metal and offer references for model development and verification.

A trait-based framework for dung beetle functional ecology.

Traits are key for understanding the environmental responses and ecological roles of organisms. Trait approaches to functional ecology are well established for plants, whereas consistent frameworks for animal groups are less developed. Here we suggest a framework for the study of the functional ecology of animals from a trait-based response-effect approach, using dung beetles as model system. Dung beetles are a key group of decomposers that are important for many ecosystem processes. The lack of a trait-based framework tailored to this group has limited the use of traits in dung beetle functional ecology. We review which dung beetle traits respond to the environment and affect ecosystem processes, covering the wide range of spatial, temporal and biological scales at which they are involved. Dung beetles show trait-based responses to variation in temperature, water, soil properties, trophic resources, light, vegetation structure, competition, predation and parasitism. Dung beetles' influence on ecosystem processes includes trait-mediated effects on nutrient cycling, bioturbation, plant growth, seed dispersal, other dung-based organisms and parasite transmission, as well as some cases of pollination and predation. We identify 66 dung beetle traits that are either response or effect traits, or both, pertaining to six main categories: morphology, feeding, reproduction, physiology, activity and movement. Several traits pertain to more than one category, in particular dung relocation behaviour during nesting or feeding. We also identify 136 trait-response and 77 trait-effect relationships in dung beetles. No response to environmental stressors nor effect over ecological processes were related with traits of a single category. This highlights the interrelationship between the traits shaping body-plans, the multi-functionality of traits, and their role linking responses to the environment and effects on the ecosystem. Despite current developments in dung beetle functional ecology, many knowledge gaps remain, and there are biases towards certain traits, functions, taxonomic groups and regions. Our framework provides the foundations for the thorough development of trait-based dung beetle ecology. It also serves as an example framework for other taxa.

Raman spectroscopy of eutectic melting between boride granule and stainless steel for sodium-cooled fast reactors

To understand the eutectic reaction mechanism and the relocation behavior of the core debris is indispensable for the safety assessment of core disruptive accidents (CDAs) in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). This paper addresses reaction products and their distribution of the eutectic melting/solidifying reaction of boron carbide (B4C) and stainless-steel (SS). The influence of the existence of carbon on the B4C-SS eutectic reaction was investigated by comparing the iron boride (FeB)-SS reaction by Raman spectroscopy with Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR) analysis. The scanning electron microscopy with dispersive X-ray spectrometer was also used to investigate the elemental information of the pure metals such as Cr, Ni, and Fe. In the B4C-SS samples, a new layer was formed between B4C/SS interface, and the layer was confirmed that the formed layer corresponded to amorphous carbon (graphite) or FeB or Fe2B. In contrast, a new layer was not clearly formed between FeB and SS interface in the FeB-SS samples. All samples observed the Cr-rich domain and Fe and Ni-rich domain after the reaction. These domains might be formed during the solidifying process.

Do they do as they say?

Abstract This paper responds to Bathelt and Li’s (2020) call for selecting more appropriate methods and improving their rigour by evaluating the feasibility of using factorial surveys to anticipate future relocation behaviour. By utilising a case study approach, focussing on Brexit and the UK FinTech industry, the paper examines to what extent business managers’ relocation intentions are driven by factors similar to those known to drive actual relocation behaviour and compares business managers’ relocation intentions with their companies’ actual relocation outcomes. We use a factorial survey conducted in 2018, which allows us to quantitatively analyse the impact of different Brexit scenarios and selected company characteristics on business managers’ likelihood to intend to relocate their UK business unit (or some functions thereof) to the EU and/or the US. Additionally, we collected qualitative secondary data on the actual relocation outcomes of the surveyed companies in February 2022 by investigating online platforms, such as LinkedIn, Companies House, and Crunchbase, as well as company webpages. The results of this mixed-methods approach highlight a significant variation in business managers’ intentions, and the importance of geographical and institutional proximity for relocation intentions and outcomes. We show that business managers’ relocation intentions are driven by factors similar to those known to drive actual relocation behaviour, such as their perception of the economic consequences of different Brexit scenarios, their territorial embeddedness, as well as their nationality. Most importantly, our findings indicate that, although factorial surveys are only moderately accurate when predicting the exact extent and destination of actual relocation, they are highly accurate when predicting whether a company relocates or not.

Metal fuel relocation experiments with pressure injection

A pool-type sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) using metal fuels has a number of inherent safety features that can support benign consequences for design basis accidents (DBAs). Even in postulated severe accident conditions, the core is designed to remain under sub-critical condition in a passive coolable geometry. In case of the postulated severe accidents in SFRs, fuel relocation in the core region along the coolant channel is an important negative reactivity feedback factor that lowers the reactor power level and consequently eliminates the possibility of recriticality. Therefore, understanding the relocation behavior of fuels and the coolability of the relocated fuels in the postulated severe accident is one of the most important factors in the safety assessment of SFRs. In the present study, the relocation behavior of the metal fuel in a pin bundle geometry was investigated by injecting the metal fuels into the coolant channels with pressure. The first metal fuel relocation with pressure injection (RPI-1) experiment showed that many of the metal fuels levitated to upper plenum. In case of RPI-2 experiment, the Real Time X-ray Video System (RTXVS) was constructed and used to obtain a real time X-ray video of the experiment. This real time X-ray video clearly showed the relocation behavior of the pressure injected metallic uranium in the sodium coolant channel. Through this video, it was confirmed that part of the fuel was dispersed downward and part of the fuel was dispersed upward, and the relocation behavior of the injected fuel proceeded simultaneously in the downward and upward directions. It can be concluded that in case of pressure injection of the metallic fuel, there is a possibility that the metallic fuel can be quickly removed from the core region, resulting in a negative reactivity feedback effect.

Resilient Urban Public Transportation Infrastructure: A Comparison of Five Flow-Weighted Metro Networks in Terms of the Resilience Cycle Framework

Real-world infrastructures modeled as complex networks have been popular topics in recent decades. As these infrastructures develop, becoming critical to support millions of people, their resilience in the face of disasters and attacks becomes an increasing concern to the engineers and stakeholders. Using a graph theory and complex network approach, we conducted an empirical study on the resilience of five metro, or subway systems selected globally. A multi-phase resilience framework was implemented from the resilience cycle concept, including preparedness, robustness, recovery, and adaptation. It also incorporated the historical flow data into the resilience analysis to account for user behavior impacts. The paper demonstrates a systematic comparison of five metro networks and explores trends in each resilience phase. Generally, diverse performances were observed among the five metro networks, with the Singapore metro showing the best resilience. It is robust to both random disruption and targeted attacks. Analysis suggests its advantage may come from both its moderate heterogeneous topology and the flow pattern, exhibiting the smallest average travel distance. Besides, the result highlights the significance of commuters’ relocation behavior between neighboring stations in the recovery stage. For the adaptation from a long-term perspective, we developed a screening tool to investigate the impact of the network expansion on the existing part of network by mapping its relationship with the characteristics of the newly connected nodes. In general, the observation of the networks’ different behaviors in flow-weighted analysis symbolizes that flow is necessary for consideration in the resilience design of real-world transportation systems.

Perceptions as drivers of residential mobility: A resonance analysis

Studies that analyse people's perceptions of their living environment as an explanatory factor for residential mobility are scarce at best. The study presented in this article addresses this deficit by investigating how people's perceptions of cities as living environments influence their relocation behaviour within metropolitan areas. After gathering information on relocation behaviour from 1,056 survey respondents in the Brussels Capital Region, we analysed the data using our self-developed ‘resonance analysis’ methodology. Our findings indicate that the variability of residential mobility is greatly influenced by people's perceptions of the city. They also demonstrate the ways in which qualitative data on people's perceptions and subjective experiences can be combined with quantitative data to improve statistical predictions of relocation behaviour.

Investigation on fuel cracking induced relocation behavior of dual-cooled annular fuel based on finite element simulation

Fuel relocation caused by fuel cracking plays a key role in the thermo-mechanical response of nuclear fuel elements. In this study, the Finite Element Method (FEM) was applied to simulate the relocation behavior of cracked fuel. Based on benchmarking with a well-established empirical model for solid fuel rods derived from large amounts of experimental data, it was proved that FEM is a reasonable and feasible methodology for simulation of fuel relocation. Based on the real morphology images of fuel fragments after in-pile irradiation, investigation on the fuel relocation of a dual-cooled annular fuel rod was carried out with consideration of fuel swelling. A bidirectional (inward and outward) relocation was observed in the simulation results, which can be divided into three different phases as burnup increases, including a relocation development phase, a relocation recovery phase, and a fuel-cladding hard contact phase. By calculating displacements of all the grid nodes on the fuel surface, the statistical fuel dimensions and gas gap widths were obtained. The maximum total gap reduction due to the bidirectional relocation was determined to be 78 µm, while the maximum allowable recovery fraction of the gap reduction was determined to be 55.1%. Based on the simulation results, a relocation model was then proposed for the dual-cooled annular fuel rod.

Adopting a random forest approach to model household residential relocation behavior

Although many studies have investigated the impact of residential relocation on travel behaviors, few studies examine how influencing factors affect residential relocation behavior. Using data from 903 families who have moved in Beijing (China), this study builds a random forest model to evaluate the relative importance and impact ways of the built environment, commuting distance, housing price, living area, and household socio-economic and demographic attributes on the residential relocation behavior of families with commuting workers or students. The results show that the built environment has the greatest influence on the relocation behavior, followed by housing price, commuting distance, socio-economic and demographic attributes, and the living area. In addition, this study finds that the effects of the built environment, commuting distance, and housing price on relocation behavior are nonlinear and have thresholds. This study can help urban planners and managers to quantitatively understand the impact of influencing factors on residential relocation behavior and provide reference values for planners and real estate development companies to plan and develop related land reasonably.

Research on the nuclear fuel rods melting behaviors by alternative material experiments

In a light water reactor, nuclear fuel element melting is critical. This paper will introduce the experimental studies on the melting and relocation behaviors of the single fuel rod and 3 × 3 fuel bundle imitators based on aluminum and zinc as alternative materials. The eutectic reaction can occur between Al and Zn. Moreover, the lower melting points of Al and Zn allow us to observe the experimental phenomena directly. In this paper, three single-rod experiments and a rod bundle experiment are discussed in detail. The results of the experiments are analyzed at both macro and micro levels. In the experiments of slowly increasing temperature, the melting phenomena of fuel rod imitators mainly include rod deformation, eutectic reaction, melting, erosion, and molten materials relocation. Among them, the existence of a eutectic reaction between materials will make the materials melt under their melting point, which significantly influences the melting time and behavior of the rod. Through this study, the nuclear fuel rods melting and relocation behaviors under the influence of the eutectic reaction can be observed, and the experimental results can provide data support for the development of related models.