A dynamic link-based eco-indicator for supporting equitable traffic management strategies

This paper presents a methodology for building a link-based eco-indicator which includes different impacts of road traffic. The proposed traffic management tool can be updated in real-time through multiple information sources and translated into a cost factor to be straightforwardly applied into eco-routing algorithms and/or intelligent road pricing systems. The link-based eco-indicator has been tested in several urban and rural links of heterogeneous characteristics during peak and off-peak hours. It has been shown that both dynamic adjustment factors related to online background concentrations and/or citizen's activity may lead to different sustainable traffic management strategies. When evaluating and comparing costs of a single link-based eco-based indicator with National Average (without taking in account people exposure) and a Vulnerability Factor (VF), the total costs using VF increase 158%. In the origin-destination routing problem performed using the distance and travel time as criteria, the costs (for off-peak hours) using VF factor are 80% and 15% higher, respectively. The results achieved in this paper highlight the importance of taking into account vulnerability of people exposure when implementing eco traffic management measures.publishe

Optimizing facility use restrictions for the movement of hazardous materials

The modeling tools that have been developed over the last 25 years for the identification of routes for hazmat shipments emphasize the tradeoffs between cost minimization to the shipper/carrier and controlling the "natural" consequences that would stem from an accident. As the terrorist threat has grown, it has become clear that a new perspective, which allows for the representation of the goals and activities of terrorists, must be incorporated into these routing models. Government agencies can determine which specific facilities to restrict for each class of material and for which times of the day and/or week. This paper develops a game-theoretic model of the interactions among government agencies, shippers/carriers and terrorists as a framework for the analysis. It also develops an effective solution procedure for this game. Finally, it illustrates the methodology on a realistic case study.Hazardous materials Routing Game theory

Identifying geographically diverse routes for the transportation of hazardous materials

Often, the carrier/shipper of hazardous materials is interested in a collection of routes with approximately the same performance so that they can switch between different routes to avoid exposing the same population and potentially as a security measure. We develop a K shortest path algorithm for which the performance of each highway facility, with respect to each objective, can be stochastic and can vary over time. We also devise a mixed integer program to identify a subset of paths, which represents an acceptable trade-off between geographic diversity and performance. These models are then applied to a realistic case study.Hazardous materials Stochastic dynamic network Routing K shortest path problem Genetic algorithm

Tobacco Control in Tennessee: Stakeholder Analysis of the Development of the Non¬Smoker Protection Act, 2007

In 2007, although Tennessee was (and still is) the third largest tobacco¬producing state, it enacted the Non¬Smoker Protection Act (NSPA), making most enclosed public and workplaces, and restaurants 100% smoke-free. This study triangulates archival documents with interviews, legislative debates and quantitative data for a stakeholder analysis of why and how the diverse interests in the state collaborated to develop the policy and identifies areas and opportunities for improvement. The study utilizes the policy cycle and stages of policy development approach and three public policy models – garbage can or multiple streams, policy networks, and socio¬economic influences – to give us understanding of the phases of the development of the NSPA – agenda-setting, legislative development, and implementation. While the dominant thesis for the origin of this smoke¬free policy (SFP) was government¬centered, the activities of non¬governmental actors, such as efforts by students of University of Tennessee in Knoxville to have smoke¬free domitories and that of Campaign for Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) to repeal preemption (nongovernmental¬centered thesis), and societal changes (bubble¬up thesis) contributed to its emergence. The SFP entered the state’s policy agenda when the problem of tobacco use in the state (health consequences and costs) and policy solutions (including SFP) became coupled with favorable political circumstances involving Governor Phil Bredesen’s unexpected announcement of support for a statewide SFP during smoke¬free state buildings bill signing ceremony in June 2006. This announcement created a window of opportunity for SFP change, which was seized by a change agent in the state, CHART. In February 2007, the Governor included SFP in the administration's legislative package for the 105th Legislative Session. Additionally, SFP bills were sponsored in both houses of the Legislature to make SFP a priority item on the state’s policy agenda. The development of the NSPA was facilitated by factors, such as the administration’s continuous support for the SFP, activities of CHART, public support for the SFP, U¬turn in the position of Tennessee Restaurant Association (now Tennessee Hospitality Association) to support 100% SFP and limited opposition from tobacco interests in the state. Although implementation of the NSPA has generally proceeded smoothly, about half of the stakeholders prefer that the exemptions are repealed, particularly those for age¬restricted venues, non¬enclosed areas of public places and private businesses with three or fewer employees. This study suggests that there is high level of knowledge on tobacco use (the problem) and control (policy solutions) in policy circles and the key remaining factors for policy change are favorable political environment and a change agent. The development of the NSPA suggests that proponents for policy change should know and understand their policy and political environment and be alert for any change that will facilitate the development of an SFP

The convulsive action of 2, 5-dicarbethoxy 3, 4-dihydroxythiophane (dicetol)

Antimetabolites have been used for some time in the treatment of malignant disorders. Farber et al. (1) used folic acid antagonists and, since then, a number of antimetabolites of purines and pyrimidines have been investigated. One of the important drawbacks of all such compounds is their toxicity to host cells due to non-specicity of action. An ideal drug, therefore, would be one which would have a preferential action on tumour cells. This would be possible if tumour cells were shown to have a distinct biochemical pattern different from that of the host cells. Gadekar and Sahasrabudhe (2) have put forward evidence that there is a relative preponderence of the hexose monophosphate (HMP) pathway activity in neoplastic tissue. On the basis of this suggestion, Sahasrabudhe et al. (3) have reported 2, 5-dicarbethoxy, 3, 4-dihydroxythiophane (dicetol) to be effective in blocking the HMP pathway preferentially in tumour tissue. They have also reported anticancer properties for this compound in transplanted fibrosarcoma in Swiss mice (2-4). Since the compound showed promising results in experimental cancer, it was decided to investigate some of its pharmacological actions. Dicetol was found to produce marked pharmacodynamic effects in experimental animals. Various aspects of this problem are presented in this paper

Tobacco Control in Tennessee: Stakeholder Analysis of the Development of the Non¬Smoker Protection Act, 2007

In 2007, although Tennessee was (and still is) the third largest tobacco¬producing state, it enacted the Non¬Smoker Protection Act (NSPA), making most enclosed public and workplaces, and restaurants 100% smoke-free. This study triangulates archival documents with interviews, legislative debates and quantitative data for a stakeholder analysis of why and how the diverse interests in the state collaborated to develop the policy and identifies areas and opportunities for improvement. The study utilizes the policy cycle and stages of policy development approach and three public policy models – garbage can or multiple streams, policy networks, and socio¬economic influences – to give us understanding of the phases of the development of the NSPA – agenda-setting, legislative development, and implementation. While the dominant thesis for the origin of this smoke¬free policy (SFP) was government¬centered, the activities of non¬governmental actors, such as efforts by students of University of Tennessee in Knoxville to have smoke¬free domitories and that of Campaign for Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) to repeal preemption (nongovernmental¬centered thesis), and societal changes (bubble¬up thesis) contributed to its emergence. The SFP entered the state’s policy agenda when the problem of tobacco use in the state (health consequences and costs) and policy solutions (including SFP) became coupled with favorable political circumstances involving Governor Phil Bredesen’s unexpected announcement of support for a statewide SFP during smoke¬free state buildings bill signing ceremony in June 2006. This announcement created a window of opportunity for SFP change, which was seized by a change agent in the state, CHART. In February 2007, the Governor included SFP in the administration's legislative package for the 105th Legislative Session. Additionally, SFP bills were sponsored in both houses of the Legislature to make SFP a priority item on the state’s policy agenda. The development of the NSPA was facilitated by factors, such as the administration’s continuous support for the SFP, activities of CHART, public support for the SFP, U¬turn in the position of Tennessee Restaurant Association (now Tennessee Hospitality Association) to support 100% SFP and limited opposition from tobacco interests in the state. Although implementation of the NSPA has generally proceeded smoothly, about half of the stakeholders prefer that the exemptions are repealed, particularly those for age¬restricted venues, non¬enclosed areas of public places and private businesses with three or fewer employees. This study suggests that there is high level of knowledge on tobacco use (the problem) and control (policy solutions) in policy circles and the key remaining factors for policy change are favorable political environment and a change agent. The development of the NSPA suggests that proponents for policy change should know and understand their policy and political environment and be alert for any change that will facilitate the development of an SFP

Tobacco Control in Tennessee: Stakeholder Analysis of the Development of the Non¬Smoker Protection Act, 2007

In 2007, although Tennessee was (and still is) the third largest tobacco¬producing state, it enacted the Non¬Smoker Protection Act (NSPA), making most enclosed public and workplaces, and restaurants 100% smoke-free. This study triangulates archival documents with interviews, legislative debates and quantitative data for a stakeholder analysis of why and how the diverse interests in the state collaborated to develop the policy and identifies areas and opportunities for improvement. The study utilizes the policy cycle and stages of policy development approach and three public policy models – garbage can or multiple streams, policy networks, and socio¬economic influences – to give us understanding of the phases of the development of the NSPA – agenda-setting, legislative development, and implementation. While the dominant thesis for the origin of this smoke¬free policy (SFP) was government¬centered, the activities of non¬governmental actors, such as efforts by students of University of Tennessee in Knoxville to have smoke¬free domitories and that of Campaign for Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) to repeal preemption (nongovernmental¬centered thesis), and societal changes (bubble¬up thesis) contributed to its emergence. The SFP entered the state’s policy agenda when the problem of tobacco use in the state (health consequences and costs) and policy solutions (including SFP) became coupled with favorable political circumstances involving Governor Phil Bredesen’s unexpected announcement of support for a statewide SFP during smoke¬free state buildings bill signing ceremony in June 2006. This announcement created a window of opportunity for SFP change, which was seized by a change agent in the state, CHART. In February 2007, the Governor included SFP in the administration's legislative package for the 105th Legislative Session. Additionally, SFP bills were sponsored in both houses of the Legislature to make SFP a priority item on the state’s policy agenda. The development of the NSPA was facilitated by factors, such as the administration’s continuous support for the SFP, activities of CHART, public support for the SFP, U¬turn in the position of Tennessee Restaurant Association (now Tennessee Hospitality Association) to support 100% SFP and limited opposition from tobacco interests in the state. Although implementation of the NSPA has generally proceeded smoothly, about half of the stakeholders prefer that the exemptions are repealed, particularly those for age¬restricted venues, non¬enclosed areas of public places and private businesses with three or fewer employees. This study suggests that there is high level of knowledge on tobacco use (the problem) and control (policy solutions) in policy circles and the key remaining factors for policy change are favorable political environment and a change agent. The development of the NSPA suggests that proponents for policy change should know and understand their policy and political environment and be alert for any change that will facilitate the development of an SFP.Tennessee, tobacco¬producing, smoke¬free policy, tobacco control, legislation, American Politics, Health Policy, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation, Policy History, Theory, and Methods, Political Science, Public Health, Social Policy