Ridehailing use, travel patterns and multimodality: A latent-class cluster analysis of one-week GPS-based travel diaries in California

Based on the analysis of one-week GPS-based travel diary data from the four largest metropolitan areas in California, this study performs a latent-class cluster analysis and identifies four distinctive traveler groups with varying levels of multimodality. These groups are characterized by their distinctive use of five travel modes (i.e., single-occupant vehicles, carpooling, public transit, biking, and walking) for both work and non-work trips. Two of these groups are more car-oriented and less multimodal (i.e., drive-alone users and carpoolers), whereas the other two are less car-oriented and display higher levels of multimodality (i.e., transit users and cyclists). Results from this study reveal the unique profiles of each traveler group in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics and built-environment attributes. The study further investigates the different characteristics of each traveler group in relation to ridehailing adoption, trip frequency and trip attributes. Transit users are found to have the highest rate of ridehailing adoption and usage. They are also more prone to use pooled ridehailing services in comparison to other groups. In terms of mode substitution, if ridehailing were not available, respondents tend to choose the mode they use most frequently. In other words, car-based travelers are more likely to substitute ridehailing trips with car trips, whereas non-car-based travelers are more likely to replace ridehailing with less-polluting modes. The findings from this study will prove valuable for transit agencies and policymakers interested in integrating ridehailing with other modes and promoting more multimodal and less car-dependent lifestyles

Achieving construct clarity through perceived workplace exclusion : a critical literature analysis and proposed model

There are many researchers who believe that workplace exclusion is a unique construct and worthwhile to study; however, there is also significant inconsistency across existing research in definitions and explanations. These variations illustrate the practical and investigative need for a more precise approach that can be consistently utilized to facilitate a common and deeper understanding of workplace exclusion. To this end, we build a bridge across the different perspectives to establish a clearer conceptual foundation. Our work focuses on the target's belief that they are being excluded, represented by the proposed concept of perceived workplace exclusion. We first analyze definitions and theoretical logic drawn from representative publications found across literatures on exclusion, mistreatment, and diversity by applying Suddaby's criteria for construct clarity. Our results show the presence of multiple definitions, an absence of clear differentiation from similar constructs, confusing contextual descriptions and approaches, and utilization of multiple, inconsistent theoretical perspectives. We then utilize valuable insights from our analysis, along with logic drawn from the perceived organizational membership framework, to craft the concept of perceived workplace exclusion. Through our work, we generate propositions and research questions to stimulate future research efforts that will result in significant theoretical advancement and accumulated knowledge

Seasonal variation and risk assessment of exposure to aflatoxin M1 in milk, yoghurt, and cheese samples from Ilam and Lorestan Provinces of Iran

The current study aimed to evaluate aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in a total number of 240 samples collected during four consecutive seasons (from January to November 2022) from two western Iranian provinces (Ilam and Lorestan). AFM1 was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector after the toxin extraction with immunoaffinity columns. The results showed 100% of AFM1 contamination in all the surveyed matrices. Considering the seasonal variability, AFM1 mean values in milk, cheese, and yoghurt samples collected during the summer were significantly higher than those detected in samples from other seasons (p < 0.01), and the lowest concentrations were observed in samples collected during the winter. AFM1 levels in cheese samples appeared safe, but an alarming rate of 46.6% of milk samples and 100% of the yoghurt samples exceeded the maximum permissible limit set by the European Union (50 ng/kg). Moreover, while the deterministic risk assessment demonstrated no risk of developing liver cancer in adults through the consumption of these dairy products, it showed significant concerns for children consuming milk and yoghurt (hazard index above 1). Overall, the results of this research indicate the necessity of a periodical monitoring program for AFM1 in milk and other dairy products

What do we talk about when we talk about leisure? Conceptualising leisure through the lived experiences of vocational pupils

By adopting a unique approach that allowed participants to define leisure from their own perspective, this study employed semi-structured and photo-elicitation interviews to gain a deeper understanding of how young people from vocational education perceive and conceptualise leisure. The analysis revealed four crucial elements that are essential for experiencing leisure: (1) perceived freedom, where individuals have control over their time and activities; (2) enjoyment and pleasant experiences; (3) personal time for self-improvement or relaxation; and (4) social interactions with others. Notably, the notion of freedom emphasised young people's perception of independence and lack of adult control over their leisure. The findings suggest a disparity between young people's views on leisure and those of adults, who tend to have a future-oriented and instrumental perspective. This difference may be attributed to the lifeworlds in which young people find themselves, with limited opportunities for future-oriented leisure. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of considering young people's living conditions and backgrounds when designing policies to promote equal opportunities for leisure. Future research should explore the interrelationships between the identified leisure components and further investigate the concept of freedom in different contexts

Implementation of guidance and control algorithms for ship models at Flanders Maritime Laboratory

Flanders Hydraulics and the Maritime Technology Division of Ghent University have proposed a hybrid testing platform for the development and validation of motion control algorithms for autonomous navigation in shallow and confined water, which consists of towing tank facilities and simulators. Within this framework, the towing tank at Flanders Maritime Laboratory, Ostend, Belgium, featured in large size, tuneable water depth, and a state-of-the-art free-running system, a series of autonomous manoeuvering tests with increasing complexity are designed and carried out. These manoeuvres, including acceleration with heading keeping, path following, speed control, and their combinations, are enabled by implementing guidance and control algorithms on a physical ship model, namely the benchmark ship KVLCC2 at a scale of 1/75. The controllable environment and large space of the tank basin facilitate the upgrade of the existing algorithms and the development of new algorithms. The definition of the autonomous manoeuvres, experimental setup, and parameter settings are elaborated and the effect of implementing different guidance strategies is discussed. Recorded results demonstrate good agreement between the measurements and the expectations, and control accuracy is quantified with evaluation indices. In summary, the feasibility and flexibility of the testing platform and the effectiveness of the algorithms are proved through extensive experiments

Environmental factors of equine osteochondrosis and fetlock osteochondral fragments : a scoping review : part 1

Various environmental and genetic risk factors are linked to the pathogenesis of equine osteochondrosis and osteochondral fragments in the fetlock joint. Therefore, a scoping review was conducted to describe current evidence linking genetic factors and environmental factors of these osteochondral disorders. This article constitutes the first part of this scoping review and focuses on environmental factors, with the second part addressing genetic factors. To identify potentially relevant papers online bibliographical databases PubMed and Web of Science were utilised, supplemented with articles listed on the OMIA website (OMIA:000750-9796). After entry collection, removing duplicates, screening titles, abstracts, and full-text documents for eligibility, and manually searching reference lists of the remaining articles, a total of 212 studies was identified for this scoping review. First, an overview of the current understanding of the etiopathogenesis of equine osteochondrosis and osteochondral fragments in the fetlock joint is given. Subsequently, the article delves into the environmental factors associated with the prevalence of these disorders, which are categorized into foetal programming, biomechanical trauma and exercise, growth, anatomic conformation, nutrition, weaning, hormonal factors, bacterial infection, sex, date of birth, and other environmental factors. In conclusion, future research should adopt a multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing longitudinal studies and precise phenotype definitions. This strategy will help elucidate the complex relationships between environmental factors and OC, DOF, and POF, considering the dynamic nature, varying phenotypes, and scarcity of research in some domains of these osteochondral disorders. This approach will be crucial in developing effective management strategies aimed at improving equine orthopaedic health

Opening doors to more intra-party democracy? Local politicians’ perspectives on including voters in candidate selection processes in Flanders (Belgium)

Political parties, and especially the ‘party on the ground’ which refers to the party’s members, voters and local sections, have witnessed a decline in Western Europe. This spurred parties to undertake organizational reforms, among others by giving their members a larger say in the selection of electoral candidates and party leaders. At the same time, parties are increasingly embracing the ‘multispeed’ membership model (Scarrow: changing approaches to partisanmobilization, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014) involving also non-members in the party’s internal functioning. These diferent forms of afliation raise questions about whether and to what extent non-members should have a say in the selection of party candidates for elections. While previous research has mainly focussed on opinions of those who select (party members and voters), this paper studies opinions of those who are selected, i.e. local politicians. We investigate which local politicians are in favour of opening up the candidate selection process to voters Leveraging data from a large-scale survey conducted in Flanders (Belgium) during Spring 2022 (N>1000), our analysis delves into the complex interplay of ideological factors, notions of democracy and rational considerations driving local politicians’ attitudes towards opening up candidate selection