Shrinkage Estimation in the Random Parameters Logit Model

In this paper, we explore the properties of a positive-part Stein-like estimator which is a stochastically weighted convex combination of a fully correlated parameter model estimator and uncorrelated parameter model estimator in the Random Parameters Logit (RPL) model. The results of our Monte Carlo experiments show that the positive-part Stein-like estimator provides smaller MSE than the pretest estimator in the fully correlated RPL model. Both of them outperform the fully correlated RPL model estimator and provide more accurate information on the share of population putting a positive or negative value on the alternative attributes than the fully correlated RPL model estimates. The Monte Carlo mean estimates of direct elasticity with pretest and positive-part Stein-like estimators are closer to the true value and have smaller standard errors than those with fully correlated RPL model estimator.

Investigating safety and liability of autonomous vehicles:Bayesian random parameter ordered probit model analysis

Purpose–This study aims to investigate the safety and liability of autonomous vehicles(AVs),and identify the contributing factors quantitatively so as to provide potential insights on safety and liability of AVs.Design/methodology/approach–The actual crash data were obtained from California DMV and Sohu websites involved in collisions of AVs from 2015 to 2021 with 210 observations.The Bayesian random parameter ordered probit model was proposed to reflect the safety and liability of AVs,respectively,as well as accommodating the heterogeneity issue simultaneously.Findings–The findings show that day,location and crash type were significant factors of injury severity while location and crash reason were significant influencing the liability.Originality/value–The results provide meaningful countermeasures to support the policymakers or practitioners making strategies or regulations about AV safety and liability.

Exploring traffic safety climate with driving condition and driving behaviour:a random parameter structural equation model approach

This study aimed to explore traffic safety climate by quantifying driving conditions and driving behaviour.To achieve the objective,the random parameter structural equation model was proposed so that driver action and driving condition can address the safety climate by integrating crash features,vehicle profiles,roadway conditions and environment conditions.The geo-localized crash open data of Las Vegas metropolitan area were collected from 2014 to 2016,including 27 arterials with 16827 injury samples.By quantifying the driving conditions and driving actions,the random parameter structural equation model was built up with measurement variables and latent variables.Results revealed that the random parameter structural equation model can address traffic safety climate quantitatively,while driving conditions and driving actions were quantified and reflected by vehicles,road environment and crash features correspondingly.The findings provide potential insights for practitioners and policy makers to improve the driving environment and traffic safety culture.

基于WRF模式的风电场短期风速集成预报方法研究

风能始源于大气的运动,具有很大的随机性和间歇性。风速预测是风电场风功率预测的基础,其准确性具有重要的意义。对于复杂地形条件下,风速的预报一直是各国研究的难点和重点。为了提高风电场短期风速预报的准确性,本研究采用多种边界层参数化方案来集成预报风速,将各单一边界层参数化方案预报的风速及相应的实测风速数据,应用随机森林算法建立集成预报模型,对风电场的短期风速进行集成预报研究。试验结果表明,采用集成预报风速方法,预报的风速误差相比于单一边界层参数化方案预报的风速误差明显减小,对研究区域的风速、风向等气象要素有着较好的模拟效果,能够有效提高风速预报的准确率。

单张树木图片中被遮挡枝干的贝叶斯推理及重建

采用单张树木图像作为输入,仅需用户简单勾勒,即可自动生成图片中该树木三维可见枝干。为了构建被叶片遮挡的枝干不可见部分,依据树木植物学特征建立了枝条模型样本库,设计了针对不可见枝干建模的评价策略,提出了基于贝叶斯推理的枝干参数优化算法。实验结果表明,基于贝叶斯推理的轻量级树木建模方法能够有效的改进树木三维模型的效果,可为基于单张图片的树木三维建模及优化提供了新的思路。

Households’Willingness-to-Pay for Wastewater Treatment in Traditional Agro-Food Processing Villages,Nhue-Day River Basin,Vietnam:Case Study in Hanoi City

Despite the number of studies focusing on the financial analysis of production activities, conducting on technical solutions, and improving water quality, no study has been conducted on the application of economic instruments that apply to water quality management in craft villages, and several studies of WTP also. This study aimed to estimate the households’ willingness-to-pay for wastewater treatment in selected traditional agro-food processing villages in Nhue-Day River Basin, Vietnam. A pilot Choice Experiment (CE) technique in Choice Modelling (CM) approach was applied for this study with 267 selected agro-food processing households by using the conditional logit (CL) and random parameter logit (RPL) models. The results showed that total annual environmental fee for wastewater treatment from agro-food processing households is estimated as 1089 million VND (equal to US$47,868 per year) for the total of 902 agro-food processing households in three research sites in Nhue-Day River Basin. This estimated budget for wastewater treatment accounted for 55.85% of total annual operation and maintenance costs only. In addition, the technology is improved to enable 90% of treated wastewater. Overall, the results of this study suggest the new wastewater treatment plant construction and improved wastewater collection system by increasing the investment in order to improve the water quality in Nhue-Day River Basin that brings about the reducing environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and human health risks.

Exploring the stimulative effect on following drivers in a consecutive lane change using microscopic vehicle trajectory data

Improper lane-changing behaviours may result in breakdown of traffic flow and the occurrence of various types of collisions.This study investigates lane-changing behaviours of multiple vehicles and the stimulative effect on following drivers in a consecutive lanechanging scenario.The microscopic trajectory data from the HighD dataset are used for driving behaviour analysis.Two discretionary lane-changing vehicle groups constitute a consecutive lane-changing scenario,and not only distance-and speed-related factors but also driving behaviours are taken into account to examine the impacts on the utility of following lane-changing vehicles.A random parameters logit model is developed to capture the driver’s psychological heterogeneity in the consecutive lane-changing situation.Furthermore,a lane-changing utility prediction model is established based on three supervised learning algorithms to detect the improper lane-changing decision.Results indicate that 1)the consecutive lane-changing behaviours have a significant negative effect on the following lane-changing vehicles after lane change;2)the stimulative effect exists in a consecutive lane-change situation and its influence is heterogeneous due to different psychological activities of drivers;and 3)the utility prediction model can be used to detect an improper lane-changing decision.

A Novel Methodological Approach to Estimate the Impact of Natural Hazard-Induced Disasters on Country/Region-Level Economic Growth

With the increased frequency of extreme weather events and large-scale disasters, extensive societal and economic losses incur every year due to damage of infrastructure and private properties, business disruptions,fatalities, homelessness, and severe health-related issues. In this article, we analyze the economic and disaster data from1970 through 2010 to investigate the impact of disasters on country/region-level economic growth. We leveraged a random parameter modeling approach to develop the growth-econometrics model that identifies risk factors significantly influencing the country/region-level economic growth in the face of natural hazard-induced disasters,while controlling for country/region-and time-specific unobserved heterogeneities. We found that disaster intensity in terms of fatalities and homelessness, and economic characteristics such as openness to trade and a government's consumption share of purchasing power parity(PPP), are the significant risk factors that randomly vary for different countries/regions. Other significant factors found to be significant include population, real gross domestic product(GDP), and investment share of PPP converted GDP per capita. We also found that flood is the most devastating disaster to affect country/region-level economic growth. This growth-econometrics model will help in the policy and decision making of governmentsrelated to the investment needs for pre-and post-disaster risk mitigation and response planning strategies, to better protect nations and minimize disaster-induced economic impacts.