bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular basis and genetics of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasias
Authors: Kovalskaia V. A. , Cherevatova T. , Polyakov A. V. , Ryzhkova O. P.
Published: November 2023

Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) is a heterogeneous group of hereditary diseases of the skin and its appendages, which are characterized by impaired development and/or homeostasis of two or more ectoderm derivatives, including: hair, teeth, nails, sweat glands and their modifications (mammary glands, for instance). The overall prevalence of ectodermal dysplasia remains precisely unknown not only in Russia, but also in the world, nor is known the contribution of individual genes to its structure. This complicates the DNA diagnosis establishment of this disease due to the lack of an accurate diagnostic algorithm and a universal cost-effective method of analysis. To date, the most highly-researched genes involved in the development of anhydrous or hypohidrotic forms of ED are EDA, EDAR, EDARADD and WNT10A. The ectodysplasin A (EDA) gene is the cause of the most common X-linked form of ED, a gene from the Wnt family (WNT10A) is responsible for the autosomal recessive form of the disease, and two other genes (EDAR and EDARADD) can cause both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant forms. This review provides the characteristics of the genes involved in ED, their mutation spectra, the level of their expression in human tissues, as well as the interrelation of the aforementioned genes. The domain structures of the corresponding proteins are considered, as well as the molecular genetic pathways in which they are involved. Animal models for studying this disorder are also taken into consideration. Due to the cross-species genes conservation, their mutations cause the disruption of the development of ectoderm derivatives not only in humans, but also in mice, cows, dogs, and even fish. It can be exploited for a better understanding of the etiopathogenesis of ectodermal dysplasias. Moreover, this article brings up the possibility of recurrent mutations in the EDA and WNT10A genes. The review also presents data on promising approaches for intrauterine ED treatment.
Soil Alveolata diversity in the undisturbed steppe and wheat agrocenoses under different tillage
Authors: Naumova N. B. , Barsukov P. A. , Baturina O. A. , Rusalimova O. A. , Kabilov M. R.
Published: November 2023

Microeukaryotes are vital for maintaining soil quality and ecosystem functioning, however, their communities are less studied than bacterial and fungal ones, especially by high throughput sequencing techniques. Alveolates are important members of soil microbial communities, being consumers and/or prey for other microorganisms. We studied alveolate diversity in soil under the undisturbed steppe (US) and cropped for wheat using two tillage practices (conventional, CT, and no-till, NT) by amplifying the ITS2 marker with ITS3_KYO2/ITS4 primers and sequencing amplicons using Illumina MiSeq. A total of 198 Alveolata OTUs were identified, with 158 OTUs attributed to the Ciliophora phylum, containing five classes: Litostomatea, Spirotrichea and Oligohymenophorea, Nassophorea and Phyllopharyngea. Litostomatea and Phyllopharyngea were more abundant in US as compared with CT and NT. The observed OTU richness was higher in US than in CT and NT. The β-biodiversity of soil ciliates also very distinctly differentiated the US field from CT and NT. In the US, Nassophorea and Spirotrichea correlated positively with sand and negatively with clay, silt and SOM contents. This is the first report about soil ciliates diversity in Siberia as assessed by metabarcoding technique. The revealed clear effect of land use on the relative abundance of some taxa and a lack of tillage effect suggest the importance of the quantity and quality of plant material input for shaping the prey for ciliates. The ITS-metabarcoding technique was used for the first time in the research of ciliates diversity; further studies, embracing diverse aspects of soil ciliates by combining -omics methodology with the traditional one, are needed to get a better insight on the ecological roles of the main ciliate taxa in the complex soil system.
Trends in Transport Intensity across Europe
Authors: Stead Dominic
Published: November 2023

Transport energy use and transport volumes have closely followed trends in economic activity over recent decades. This is not the case however for total energy consumption (across all sectors of the economy), which is not now increasing in many countries even though economic growth is still taking place. Some kind of decoupling has occurred. If this decoupling were to take place in the transport sector, it would present opportunities to reduce the consumption of energy and other resources without reducing economic competitiveness. Decoupling would also offer opportunities for the reduction of congestion and transport emissions. Consequently, there is increasing interest in how decoupling can occur. Although the decoupling of economic activity and total energy consumption has been reported for a number of European countries, the extent to which transport demand and economy activity has been decoupled has not been examined in so much detail. Using international statistical sources for all European countries and detailed data for the UK, this paper explores the extent to which transport demand is currently linked with economic indicators (such as Gross Domestic Product and Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare) and examines whether this link has changed over time. The paper contributes to understanding about the definition of transport intensity and the relationships between transport demand and economic activity in Europe
Transport and the Greenhouse Effect
Authors: Anne Annema Jan Anne , Van Wee Bert
Published: November 2023

To date, 84 nations have signed the so-called Kyoto Protocol on the control of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. In the Netherlands the Kyoto agreement has resulted in quantitative national targets for 2008-2012 of -6% GHG emission reduction compared to 1990; this is a reduction of 19% compared to the emission forecasted for 2010. Two years ago the Dutch government launched a policy-making process for meeting the Kyoto target. In both the development and the evaluation of Dutch Kyoto-related policy, research has played a major role. For the transport sector no (a priori) targets were set; however, a list of measures and instruments to reduce transport GHG emissions were discussed in the Kyoto-related policymaking process. Nearly all transport instruments and measures on this list appeared to be car-related. The reason for this focus was an a priori choice of policymakers. However, costeffective options for other vehicle categories (road and non-road transport) may be available. The transport options finally chosen for the Policy document will reduce GHG emissions from transport by 3-5% compared to the forecasted 2010 emissions. Researchers estimated that tax differentiation for new cars and in-car instruments such as fuel economy meters and cruise control will be the most effective instruments. The selected transport measures were not really chosen to induce a technology push; rather, the selection was mainly policy driven to meet short-term targets. Although research played a significant role in the policy-making process, several research improvements can still be made. Important improvements identified are: a) using a better and clearer method for the calculation of the costs of the measures and b) using a broader evaluation method of measures; this will mean including more environmental, economic and social indicators.
Efficient Pricing in Transport
Authors: Runhaar Hens
Published: November 2023

The Gap between Theory and Practice

Many transport economists agree on the need for ‘efficient pricing’ in transport, as this would improve allocative efficiency and raise social welfare. Although the principle of efficient pricing is gaining ground in many countries, up to now it has been applied only rarely because of strong social resistance. But how can so many people be opposed to a principle which aims to increase social welfare? In this paper, I explore the major reasons underlying this paradox and examine the validity of arguments for and against efficient pricing. It appears that most arguments against efficient pricing can be refuted easily. However, everything stands or falls on the basic assumption that efficient pricing will increase social welfare, the validity of which appears to be practically impossible to prove. The main cause of this difficulty is the lack of complete information on the welfare effects of efficient pricing.
Alternative Ways of Funding Public Transport
Authors: Ubbels Barry , Nijkamp Peter , Verhoef Erik , Potter Steve , Enoch Marcus
Published: November 2023

Public transport traditionally has been, and still is, heavily subsidised by local or national governments, which have been motivated by declining average cost arguments, social considerations, and the desire to offer an alternative to private car use. Conventional sources for funding, including general taxes on labour, in many occasions have become harder to sustain for various reasons. This paper explores alternative, increasingly implemented, sources of funding, i.e., local charges or taxes that are hypothecated to support (urban) public transport (such as local sales taxes, parking charges etc.). Based on an overview of several case-studies all over the world, it is found that there is a large potential for applying unconventional charging mechanisms. Not only as means of raising financial support for public transport systems, but also as a method of sending appropriate (from a sustainable point of view) pricing signals to transport use.
Mainports as Integrators of Passenger, Freight and Information Networks. From Transport Nodes to Business Generators; the Dutch Case
Authors: Priemus Hugo
Published: November 2023

In the process of increasing globalization, mainports play an important role. A number of gateways have emerged as transport nodes in the networks of air and sea routes which crisscross the globe. Here, millions of travellers are transferred and millions of tonnes of freight are transhipped. Both Japan and the Netherlands play an important part in these ‘hub and spoke’ networks. In this contribution we will deal with the dynamics of mainports in general, and more specifically with the mainports of the Netherlands. Our argument is that their function goes far beyond that of infrastructure, transport and logistics. Although they started out as transport nodes, the mainports in the Netherlands are now evolving into fully fledged business generators. The economic function of mainports will be strengthened by integrating mainport and brainport functions. It will be further reinforced by seizing the opportunity to combine the traditional mainport functions. This will involve connecting airlines with road and rail transport networks, connecting ocean shipping with inland shipping, cargo trains, trucks and pipelines and connecting transport nodes with an infrastructural node of ICT (information and communications technology) networks. For the Randstad Holland (the Netherlands’ economic heartland in the west), we conclude that a stronger integration of gateway Rotterdam and mainport Amsterdam Schiphol could be considered. This could be achieved not only by strengthening their transport infrastructure, but first and foremost by planning, developing and integrating the ICT mainport functions.
Book Review
Authors: Priemus Hugo
Published: November 2023

Since 1995, Springer Verlag has published the series ‘Advances in Spatial Science’, in which studies have appeared about ‘Sustainable Cities and Energy Policies’ (R. Capello, P. Nijkamp & G. Pepping), Geographical Information and Planning (J. Stillwell, S. Geertman & S. Openshaw, eds.) and ‘Spatial Dynamics of European Integration’ (H.M. Fischer & P. Nijkamp, eds.) and so forth. In 2000, the book ‘Information, Place and Cyberspace. Issues in Accessibility’ appeared, published by Don Janelle and David Hodge. The book was a consequence of a workshop in the context of the Varenius project and funded by the National Science Foundation, held in November 1998 in Pacific Grove (California). The theme of the conference was ‘Measuring and Representing Accessibility in the Information Age’. It was sponsored by the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA). The objectives of the book are to broaden understanding of conceptual and analytical approaches to accessibility research appropriate to the information age, and to demonstrate possible contributions for geographic information science in representing the geographies of the information society. In seeking to meet these objectives, the editors and authors highlight significant linkages among information resources, traditional places, and cyberspace, and focus on expanding models of space (and time) that encompass both the physical and virtual worlds
Safety Assessment of Driver Assistance Systems
Authors: Carsten O.M.J , Nilsson L.
Published: November 2023

This paper reviews issues in and procedures for the safety evaluation of in-vehicle Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. Contrasts are drawn between the two main areas of driver assistance systems — on the one hand information systems which interact with the driver and on the other hand intervening systems which interact directly with the vehicle. Navigation systems are typical of the former category and adaptive cruise control of the latter. It is argued that, for information systems it is possible to develop a “generic” safety assessment procedure, with a single generic test. A contrast is drawn with In the area of intervening systems (driver warning and vehicle control systems), where no such generic evaluation by means of a single test is possible. Such systems differ widely in their purpose, in their intended operating environment, in their functionality and in their operating envelope. The authors propose a structured procedural approach for the safety assessment of intervening systems.
ADAS Impact Assessment by Micro-Simulation
Authors: Hoogendoorn S.P. , Minderhoud M.M.
Published: November 2023

This article presents the results of a ex-ante impact assessment study of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. It focuses on two systems supporting longitudinal driving tasks, namely Autonomous Intelligent Cruise Control and Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA). The article addresses and compares the impacts of these systems on efficiency, reliability, driving comfort and safety by micro-simulation, for different penetration levels and bottleneck layouts. The analysis reveals that deployment of cruise control improves bottleneck capacity, while on the contrary, the bottleneck reliability generally reduces. The impact on traffic safety is undetermined, and the cruise control has a negative impact on driver comfort. ISA has no considerable effect on capacity. Also, no substantial contribution to the bottleneck reliability could be established. The expected safety benefits of ISA could generally not be established using the assessment methodology applied in this research.
Impact of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems on Urban Traffic Network Conditions
Authors: Golias John , Yannis George , Antoniou Constantinos
Published: November 2023

This research deals with the investigation of the advanced driver assistance systems impact on urban traffic network conditions through the use of a traffic network simulation model. Information obtained through microscopic simulation was used as input to a network traffic simulation and assignment model (SATURN). SATURN was applied to the road network of the greater Athens area in an attempt to investigate the impact of two ADAS systems [variable speed limiter (VSL) and adaptive cruise control (ACC)] for different combinations of flow and market penetration levels. It was observed that the ADA systems' impact increases proportionally with the market penetration of these systems and that as traffic flow level increases, the average speed increase becomes smaller (when all other parameters remain unchanged). Furthermore, it appears that ACC offers better network efficiency results than VSL (up to twice as significant) and the benefits of a combined ACC and VSL system are only marginally better than the ACC system alone. The proposed methodology and the related findings can support system developers and policy makers in the process of further ADAS development and promotion.
Searching for the Rail Bonus
Authors: Axhausen K. W. , Haupt T. , Heidl U.
Published: November 2023

The inherent superiority of rail-based public transport options over bus-based alternatives, all other things being equal, has been stipulated in the literature and in the public policy discussion for some time. The exact strength of any such rail bonus is important to a public transport operator which has to consider the replacement of rail-based services by bus services. The public transport operator of the city of Dresden (DVB), while generally upgrading its services, has to consider this option, in particular where the continuing tram operation would require a costly rehabilitation of the tracks. The measurement of any such systematic preference for rail-based modes is difficult, as is requires either a before-and-after study of such a switch, controlled for the other relevant service attributes, e.g. frequency, speed, reliability, price, route, etc., or a study of a network, in which rail- and road-based modes offer comparable types of services, with bus services in
particular not restricted to feeder services to rail/tram lines. Both are rare for obvious reasons. A recent service change of the DVB offered the opportunity to look at the issue in detail. A series of surveys were undertaken for this purpose before and after:

• A one-day travel diary (including a household questionnaire)

• A survey of the image of the services

• A between-mode stated preference exercise focusing on the choice between public transport and private motorised transport where public transport was provided by either bus or tram (7 choice situations)

• A within-mode stated preference exercise looking at the trade-offs between public transport modes, in particular levels of comfort, travel times and transfers (7 choice situations).

The paper reports detailed results from this study addressing the differences in preferences between the waves (effects of familiarity with an alternative) from both separate and joint stated preference and stated preference/revealed preference models. The modelling so far indicates a consistent, but weak preference for the rail option through a higher value-of-time for rail usage, higher valuation of new rail vehicles in comparison to new busses, although they are partially balanced by a higher transfer penalty.
Activity Patterns and Pollution Exposure
Authors: Marquez Leorey , Smith Nariida , Trinidad Gerardo , Guo Jessica
Published: November 2023

In recent times there has been increasing interest in modelling policies to limit impacts of air pollution due to motor vehicles. Impacts of air pollution on human health and comfort depend on the relationship between the distribution of pollutants and the spatial distribution of the urban population. As emissions, weather conditions and the location of the population vary with time of day, day of month and season of the year, the problem is complex. Travel demand models with activity-based approaches and a focus on the overall structure of activity/travel relations, not only spatially, but temporally can make a valuable contribution. They are often used to estimate emissions due to the travel patterns of city populations but may equally be used to provide distributions of urban populations during the day. A case study for Melbourne, Australia demonstrates the use of activity data in the estimation of population exposure. Additionally the study shows some marked differences in activity between seasons and even greater the differences in effect of that activity on exposure to air pollution. Numbers of cities will have seasonal pollutant patterns similar to Melbourne and others will benefit from exploring such patterns.
Flexibility of Freight Transport Sectors
Authors: Runhaar Hens , Van Der Heijden Rob , Kuipers Bart
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we explore how government policies in the field of transport may affect future freight rates, transit times, and delivery reliability. In particular, attention is paid to the ‘absorptive capacity’ of freight carriers, i.e. the extent to which they can reduce the effects of such policies by adapting their operations. Two policy scenarios are examined: one in which marginal social cost pricing becomes policy in the European Union, and one in which investment in infrastructure networks is insufficient to accommodate the future increase in traffic demand, inducing a strong increase in congestion. Six modes of transportation are included in the analysis, namely road haulage, rail transport, inland navigation, short sea shipping, airfreight, and deep sea container shipping. The study relied on experts’ opinions and estimations, which were collected by means of a Delphi survey. The expectation is that notably road transport will face difficulties in coping with the two scenarios. Its absorptive capacity proves to be the lowest, which deteriorates its competitive position vis-à-vis other modes. Yet, a weakened competitive position of road haulage is also expected autonomously.
Traffic Composition during the Morning Peak Period
Authors: Cherrett Tom , McDonald Mike
Published: November 2023

Using registration plate analysis, this paper investigates 1) the proportions of ‘unique’ vehicles, 2) the proportions of vehicles re-appearing from day-to-day and their individual arrival variances and 3) the numbers of locally registered vehicles among those seen during the morning commute period on three roads in Southampton. During incidents, a traffic controller would hope to divert the more familiar drivers onto less congested parts of the network using VMS and other media. Knowing the proportions of regular and unique drivers which make up the peak commuting periods would help in the timely dissemination of this traffic information. The proportions of unique vehicles varied significantly with road and time. Vehicles appearing on more than one day formed 80% of the traffic before 08:15 but only 60% between the 08:45 and 09:00 peak period during the 1996 Bassett Avenue survey. Although the proportions of vehicles re-appearing from day to day varied significantly with road, their arrival variances were found to be very similar. On average, 65% of the returning vehicles re-appeared within +/- 5 minutes of their previous day’s time implying that this frequency of arrival could be part of an habitual behaviour pattern. The results suggest that for occasions where congestion can be anticipated in advance, such as prior to emergency roadworks or special events, warning messages would be most effective before 08:30 a.m. when the largest proportion of regular vehicles would be using the roads. If regular users are more familiar with the local road network than one-off ‘unique’ vehicles, and would be more likely to divert on receiving incident information relevant to their route, then later in the morning, the proportion of knowledgeable local drivers falls substantially. (Some mathematical expressions are not shown, please refer to the paper)
Book Review
Authors: Köhler Uwe
Published: November 2023

To write a book with such a special subject as City Logistics is not an easy venture. But Taniguchi, Thompson, Yamada and van Duin succeeded to submit a scientifically sound report of this subject, where the main stress is centred on the modelling of city logistics. The book shows clearly, that freight transport and especially urban freight transport, which up to now is generally dealt by the road transport system, leads more and more to traffic problems in cities.
Prospects for Transport Research under the European Sixth Framework Programme
Authors: Stead Dominic
Published: November 2023

The European Commission provides an important source of funding for research and development in many sectors including transport. Recent analysis indicates that the European Commission currently funds almost a quarter of all publicly financed research and development projects in the European Union (Schelhowe, 2002). The vast majority of European research funding comes from the EU’s research ‘framework programmes’: multiannual programmes for research, technological development and demonstration (RTD) activities. The current framework programme, the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5), sets European research priorities for RTD activities up to 2002. Beyond 2002, a new framework programme, the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), will set EU research priorities. Preparations are now well underway within the European Commission for this new framework programme, which will identify European research priorities for RTD activities up to 2006. At the time of writing (early 2002), the European Commission is close to adopting proposals regarding the specific programmes and the implementation of FP6. This article examines the draft proposals for FP6 and identifies the prospects for transport research funding from the European Commission over the next few years. Of course it is possible that the content of the Sixth Framework Programme will not exactly match the draft proposals reported in this paper although it is most unlikely that any of the main areas of research will change.
Reducing Transport Intensity
Authors: Banister David , Stead Dominic
Published: November 2023

In this paper, transport intensity concerns the economic or energy efficiency of transport. The focus of the paper is the measurement and use of indicators of transport intensity. Most research has concentrated on the volume and distance measures, which show continuous increases over time, normally at a rate that is higher than the growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is argued that an additional element needs to be included, namely transport efficiency, which relates to modes, technologies, organisational structures, the use of resources and prices. The measurement of GDP also needs to be extended. Measures of economic and transport energy efficiency are applied to EU countries and contrasted with similar measures for the USA and Canada. The empirical evidence is then placed in the wider context of globalisation and economic change, and the case for real decoupling is made for both the freight and passenger sectors.
Integrating Transport, Land-Use Planning and Environment Policy in European Countries
Authors: Geerlings Harry , Stead Dominic
Published: November 2023

Various recent policy documents stress the need for the integration of sector policies. Several studies have recently been carried out looking at various aspects of policy integration, especially with respect to the integration of transport, land use planning and environment policy. Although literature in this area of research is growing, it is still however quite limited and rather sectoral. Most of the research is mainly technical and mainly focuses on policy options, instruments or assessment methods, rather than on decision-making processes and/or implementation issues. Little attention has been given to organisational and/or institutional aspects of policy integration and how this relates to theories from organisational, policy or political sciences. This paper provides an overview of theoretical frameworks for analysing policy integration and reviews policy documents and recent major research projects with links to policy integration (particularly within Europe). The paper aims to give a historical perspective on policy integration, summarise recent research, identify key ressearch gaps, consider the transferability of research results and identify promising new areas for future research. The paper is divided into four sections. The first section provides a historical overview of changes and trends in policy perspectives, focusing on the European level. The second section contains a review of literature (from both policy documents and theoretical literature) concerning policy integration. The third section summarises recent research projects (mainly funded by the European Commission) relevant to the integration of transport, land use planning and environment policy. This section also considers the issue of policy transfer. The final section contains conclusions and a number of recommendations for future research in this area.
Controlled Experiments to Derive Walking Behaviour
Authors: Daamen Winnie , Hoogendoorn Serge P.
Published: November 2023

To assess the design of walking infrastructure such as transfer stations, shopping malls, sport stadiums, etc., as well as to support planning of timetables for public transit, tools to aid the designer are needed. To this end, microscopic and macroscopic pedestrian flow models can and have been applied. To calibrate and validate such models, as well as to gain more insight into the characteristics of pedestrian flows under a variety of circumstances, very detailed pedestrian flow data are required. This is why Delft University of Technology has recently carried out experimental pedestrian flow research. This paper describes the experimental design (determination of process variables, measurement set-up, etc.), the resulting microscopic pedestrian data, as well as some first results for the narrow bottleneck experiment. Both microscopic and macroscopic characteristics of pedestrian flows are presented. Interesting first results pertain to the way in which the narrow bottleneck is used under saturated flow conditions, and the use of the space (or rather, width) upstream of the bottleneck in case of congestion.
European Perspectives
Authors: Stead Dominic
Published: November 2023

This new regular section looks at emerging issues with a definite pan-European focus and high significance for transport and/or infrastructure research. Three general inter-related themes will be examined in the new section − policy , practice and research . The connections between these themes will also be the focus of the section. Sometimes the section will primarily address one of these themes and at other times it will address two or all three of the themes. The policy theme will include recent developments in European transport policy and also recent developments in environmental, regional development and economic policy where there are specific implications for transport. The practice theme will include issues such as European benchmarking and pilot projects as well as recent developments in different transport industries across Europe (shipping, aviation and rail for example) and prospects for the future. The research theme will include topics such as recent developments in European research priorities and funding opportunities for transport and/or infrastructure research.
Recent progress in the measurement of external costs and implications for transport pricing reforms
Authors: Lindberg Gunnar
Published: November 2023

The external cost of transport has been discussed in the European transport policy since the 60s. However, it was not until the mid-90s that the European Commission decided on a pricing policy for the transport sector. This policy has stimulated a wide array of new research on the external cost of transport. A survey of some of the most recent studies in the area displays a clear picture; the latest studies are clearly focused on the marginal external cost and based on detailed bottom-up methods. The paper summarise the methods used to estimate some of the components of the marginal cost of transport - marginal infrastructure cost, congestion and scarcity cost, accident and environmental cost. The survey displays the huge variation in the estimates that follows from the use of more detailed databases. While this may be perceived as a problem for blunt pricing policies the paper suggests that it highlights the need for a more refined pricing policy in the transport sector.
EST Case Studies and Perspectives in Japan
Authors: Moriguchi YuichiE , Kato Hirokazu
Published: November 2023

Results and discussion of the Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Case Study for Japan are introduced within this paper. According to procedures defined in the EST project by the OECD, the targets for a major reduction of environmental load within the transport sector are defined to be CO2, NOx, PM, and VOC. Three scenarios to accomplish these reduction targets, with respect to these environmental loads are detailed: a technooptimistic scenario (EST1), a transport demand management scenario (EST2), and a composite scenario (EST3). All of the scenarios are examined and compared to the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. Policy instruments to realize these scenarios and their socioeconomic impacts were, to date, not assessed within the study. Utilizing a “back casting” methodology, expected changes in technology and transport behavior in order to meet an ultimate target of emissions reduction were examined by each of the scenarios. The objective areas consisted of a national study, encompassing the whole of Japan, and a regional (Aichi prefecture) study.

The forecasts indicate that CO2 emissions increase by about 10% in Japan but are almost stable in Aichi prefecture. NOx and HC emissions in 2030 are about half, and PM emissions around one quarter of those in 1990 in Aichi prefecture. The results of the back casting indicate that CO2 and NOx reduction targets have severely restrictive conditions. The achievement of targets utilizing only EST1 and EST2 is totally unfeasible. Even in the combined EST3 scenario, and in light of current trends requirements must include strong recommendations for change such as the significant wide spread use of fuel cell vehicles and the reduction of freight transport demands, and hence the scenario still needs to be discussed further.
A Gradient Projection Algorithm for Side-constrained Traffic Assignment
Authors: Prashker Joseph N. , Toledo Tomer
Published: November 2023

Standard static traffic assignment models do not take into account the direct effects of capacities on network flows. Separable link performance functions cannot represent bottleneck and intersection delays, and thus might load links with traffic volumes, which far exceed their capacity. This work focuses on the side-constrained traffic assignment problem (SCTAP), which incorporates explicit capacity constraints into the traffic assignment framework to create a model that deals with capacities and queues. Assigned volumes are bounded by capacities, and queues are formed when capacity is reached. Delay values at these queues are closely related to Lagrange multipliers values, which are readily found in the solution. The equilibrium state is defined by total path travel times, which combine link travel times and delays at bottlenecks and intersections for which explicit capacity constraints have been introduced.

This paper presents a new solution procedure for the SCTAP based on the inner penalty function method combined with a path-based adaptation of the gradient projection algorithm. This procedure finds a solution at the path level as well as at the link level. All intermediate solutions produced by the algorithm are strictly feasible. The procedure used to ensure that side-constraints are not violated is efficient since it is only performed on constrained links that belong to the shortest path.
Choice Set Generation for Multi-modal Travel Analysis
Authors: Fiorenzo-Catalano Stella , van Nes Rob , Bovy Piet H.L.
Published: November 2023

Multi-modal trips are a common travel phenomenon, which are expected to become more important in the future because of their expected contribution to sustainable urban transportation. However, multiple different types of travel choices, such as transport service types, travel modes, and transfer locations, are involved in a multi-modal trip, making it difficult to model multi-modal traveling. We present a method that generates choice sets of multi-modal routes using a supernetwork, which might be used for prediction purposes. This method considers stochasticity in the perception of the network attributes as well as in the preferences for the different trip components. The primary objective of the paper is to analyze the comparison of generated route sets and observed route sets. Three options for generating route sets have been studied, i.e.: variation in the network attributes only, variation in traveler preferences only, and the combination of both. The latter case proved to yield the best match with observed route sets. Furthermore, the analysis shows that variation in travelers’ preferences is more important than variation in network attributes. Recommendations for further improvement of the choice set generation method are included. The analysis revealed insights into the possibilities of generating realistic multi-modal route sets and it is proved that the randomization approach is feasible providing good coverage of the observed routes. By far the best results are obtained by randomizing both network attributes and variation in traveler preferences.
A Critical Review of the Standards and Design Processes for Motorway Diverges in the UK
Authors: Wall G.T. , Hounsell N.B.
Published: November 2023

This paper contains a critical review of design standards for motorway diverges in the UK over the last 40 years. These standards have been progressively updated at regular intervals and their evolving nature has been assessed. Most changes have been minor as a result of changes to traffic flow, driver behaviour or vehicle performance. A brief comparison has also been made between standards for diverges in the UK and those in other selected EU countries. This paper particularly focuses on the diverging flow-region diagram contained in the latest Government Standard TD22/92 ‘The Layout of Grade-Separated Junctions’. This diagram is used by traffic engineers as a tool in order to select the most appropriate diverge layout for a particular site. The historical background leading to its derivation is reviewed along with a discussion of comments made by five practicing traffic engineers as to its effectiveness and usage. These comments have been used along with other analysis to make recommendations as to how the diagram should be interpreted and how it could be improved.
Book Review
Authors: Berechman Joseph
Published: November 2023

This book is a compilation of papers presented in a seminar on “Policy and project evaluation: context, theory and methods”, held in Brussels in 2000 and which was organized by the Interdisciplinary Center for Comparative Research in Social Sciences with support from the European Commission. In addition to the introductory chapter, written by two of the editors, the book contains 7 papers. These are roughly divided between 3 papers, which describe the “European scene”, and 4 papers, which review approaches and methods of transport evaluation. Needless to say, in a book of this nature some overlap between chapters is largely unavoidable. In general, however, I find the book to be well organized and the chapters quite informative and well written.
Decoupling Transport from Economic Growth
Authors: Tight M.R. , Delle Site Paolo , Meyer-Rühle Olaf
Published: November 2023

This paper reports on a research project that aimed to identify and assess measures which could be used to reduce travel demand while maintaining economic growth and enhancing environmental quality. The research methodology involved a detailed review of past research; contact with over 600 experts from around Europe and elsewhere for ideas on potential measures; detailed questionnaires from over 100 of these experts; and a series of three panel sessions held in different parts of Europe, each of which involved around 16 experts debating the merits of different measures and identifying case study evidence of their effectiveness. The end result was a shortlist of 13 measures, indicative of broad types, which are considered to be effective, and an indication of their effectiveness if applied across the European Union.

Seven illustrative measures are discussed which stand out from the results as having proven potential (though not necessarily at a European scale) to influence transport intensity and/or unit environmental load whilst not having large detrimental effects on GDP. These are the areas where it is felt that European transport policy could most usefully be focussed in terms of decoupling of transport demand and economic growth.
A Novel Communication and Radar System for Underground Railway Applications
Authors: Lienard Martine , Degauque Pierre , Laly Pierre
Published: November 2023

A system allowing data to be exchanged between two successive trains in a tunnel, while simultaneously measuring the distance between them, would help to optimize train traffic in very long tunnels, without lowering safety standards. A study including both theoretical and experimental phases was conducted to design and optimize such a system and focused on the Channel Tunnel, between France and England, where a minimum range of 5 km is necessary for operational use. A prototype, operating at 2.45 GHz and based on this new concept, produced successful results. Given that this technique would also be useful in any underground rail system, particularly those that are automated, the prototype was also tested on subway lines, in Lille and Paris.
European Perspectives:
Authors: Stead Dominic
Published: November 2023

Urban transport systems are critical elements of the urban fabric. They ensure that people have access to goods, services, employment and recreation opportunities, that freight circulates efficiently and they enable local economies to flourish. However, if the high density of buildings is the first defining characteristic of towns and cities, then high volumes of traffic is now the second. Traffic has significant impacts on the environment and on the health of urban citizens, as well as on the overall quality of life in towns. Rising congestion levels are hampering mobility, with increasing costs for the economy (0.5% of Community GDP for road traffic congestion, rising to 1% by 2010).
Book Review
Authors: Wegman Fred
Published: November 2023

What effect does a road safety measure have on the number of casualties, what are the costs, and are there any side effects to be mentioned? The Norwegian researchers Rune Elvik and Truls Vaa have tried to answer these elementary questions. They have done this in a handbook of more than 1000 pages. The authors themselves have admitted that "handbook" is not really the right name, because in a handbook you expect to find instructions or advices about how to draw up and implement the best road safety measures. The authors admit that an encyclopaedia or catalogue is a more accurate name.
Website Message
Authors: van Wee Bert , van Nispen tot Sevenaer Cleo
Published: November 2023

EJTIR now a free electronic journal
A Multi-mode, Multi-class Dynamic Network Model With Queues For Advanced Transportation Information Systems
Authors: Li Shu-Guang , Su Yan-Ming
Published: November 2023

In this paper we propose a composite Variational Inequality formulation for modeling multimode, multi-class stochastic dynamic user equilibrium problem in recurrent congestion networks with queues. The modes typically refer to different vehicle types such as passenger cars, trucks, and buses sharing the same road space. Each vehicle type has its own characteristics, such as free flow speed, vehicle size. We extend single mode deterministic point model to multimode deterministic point model for modeling the asymmetric interactions among various modes. Meanwhile, each mode of travelers is classified into two classes. Class 1 is equipped travelers following stochastic dynamic user-equilibrium with less uncertainty of travel cost, class 2 is unequipped travelers following stochastic dynamic user-equilibrium with more uncertainty of travel cost. A solution algorithm based on stochastic dynamic network loading for logit-based simultaneous route and departure time choices is adopted. Finally a numerical example is presented in a simple network.
Demand-Oriented Approach to Estimate the Operational Performance of Urban Networks With and Without Traffic Information Provision
Authors: Tsekeris Theodore , Stathopoulos Antony
Published: November 2023

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the operational performance of extended urban transport networks under different conditions of traffic information availability. The suggested approach employs a simulation procedure for the real-time estimation of the network state, based on the dynamic assignment of an O-D matrix, which is adjusted by the prevailing traffic conditions. Next, a different procedure is used for the online simulation of the route diversion behavior of users under the influence of route guidance information. Moreover, the approach provides the prediction of the network state by hypothesizing about the adjustment of the travel behavior of users to the new traffic conditions generated by the routing information. The implementation of the approach on a part of a real urban network led to the determination of suitable information updating frequencies for providing the largest improvements in the various performance measures. The results signify the important role of taking into account dynamic changes in the O-D demand size for the plausible evaluation of the impact of information provision on the network performance for real-time traffic operations and transport planning purposes.
Flying is the safest way to travel
Authors: Stoop John A. , Kahan James P.
Published: November 2023

Independent investigations of aviation accidents and incidents have been broadly accepted within the aviation sector throughout its history as a valuable tool to enhance safety. Such investigations enable the sector to learn by establishing the sequence of events that provides a satisfactory explanation of the accident leads to the drafting of recommendations to prevent reoccurrences. In addition, these investigations, which are publicly disseminated, encourage public confidence in the sector. Other transport sectors, including road, rail and water, have been slower in coming to enjoy the same acceptance of independent investigations; here, there is considerable variation amongst nations, and—with the exception of the International Civil Aviation Organization agreement—almost no international consistency. This article examines why aviation has had a different tradition in this regard. Reasons are found in parallel growth of aviation technology and the philosophy of investigative bodies, the inherently international aspect of commercial aviation, and the role of public and political pressure following major accidents. The safety investigative orientation of the aviation sector is gradually expanding to other transport sections and beyond that to other sectors such as fixed site production plants, health care, and management of natural disasters. With the newly installed Safety Investigation Board, the Netherlands has arguably placed itself at the head of this league table.
Book Review
Authors: Geerlings Harry
Published: November 2023

Over the last few decades there has been a growing attention for the role of innovation in society.. Innovation plays an important role in the transport sector as well: the transportation sector manifests itself as a sector of continuous technological innovation. We even observe a certain fascination when it comes to the role of technology. And it is indisputable that technology has contributed to a more efficient use of energy, materials and capital. As a result, the demand of transport has increased rapidly over the last few decades, as is reflected in an increased car ownership and the increased number of passenger and freight kms. But it is also clear that this development goes hand in hand with substantial negative side effects (such as emissions and congestion).