Discrete Choice Models and Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Predicting the Determinants of Transport Mode Choice--A Systematic Review

Forecasting travel demand requires a grasp of individual decision-making behavior.However,transport mode choice(TMC)is determined by personal and contextual factors that vary from person to person.Numerous characteristics have a substantial impact on travel behavior(TB),which makes it important to take into account while studying transport options.Traditional statistical techniques frequently presume linear correlations,but real-world data rarely follows these presumptions,which may make it harder to grasp the complex interactions.Thorough systematic review was conducted to examine how machine learning(ML)approaches might successfully capture nonlinear correlations that conventional methods may ignore to overcome such challenges.An in-depth analysis of discrete choice models(DCM)and several ML algorithms,datasets,model validation strategies,and tuning techniques employed in previous research is carried out in the present study.Besides,the current review also summarizes DCM and ML models to predict TMC and recognize the determinants of TB in an urban area for different transport modes.The two primary goals of our study are to establish the present conceptual frameworks for the factors influencing the TMC for daily activities and to pinpoint methodological issues and limitations in previous research.With a total of 39 studies,our findings shed important light on the significance of considering factors that influence the TMC.The adjusted kernel algorithms and hyperparameter-optimized ML algorithms outperform the typical ML algorithms.RF(random forest),SVM(support vector machine),ANN(artificial neural network),and interpretable ML algorithms are the most widely used ML algorithms for the prediction of TMC where RF achieved an R2 of 0.95 and SVM achieved an accuracy of 93.18%;however,the adjusted kernel enhanced the accuracy of SVM 99.81%which shows that the interpretable algorithms outperformed the typical algorithms.The sensitivity analysis indicates that the most significant parameters influencing TMC are the age,total trip time,and the number of drivers.

Editor-in-Chief articles of choice and comments at the year-end of 2023

As the Editor-in-Chief of World Journal of Gastroenterology,every week prior to a new issue’s online publication,I perform a careful review of all encompassed articles,including the title,clinical and/or research importance,originality,novelty,and ratings by the peer reviewers.Based on this review,I select the papers of choice and suggest pertinent changes(e.g.,in the title)to the Company Editors responsible for publication.This process,while time-consuming,is very important for assuring the quality of publications and highlighting important articles that Readers may revisit.

The Ethical Choice of Business English Interpreters under Chesterman’s Model of Translation Ethics

This paper explores the ethical challenges encountered by business English interpreters using Chesterman’s Model of Translation Ethics,set against the context of economic globalization and the“Belt and Road”initiative.With the increasing demand for interpreters,the paper delves into the ongoing discussion about the role of AI in translation and its limitations,especially concerning cultural subtleties and ethical issues.It highlights the importance of human interpreters’cross-cultural understanding and the ethical principles that inform their work,such as the Ethics of Representation,Service,Communication,Norm-based Ethics,and Commitment.Moreover,the paper examines how these ethical models are applied in practical business situations,including business banquets,business negotiations,business talks and business visits,etc.,and investigates the cultural misunderstandings that may occur during these interactions.The study concludes that although AI provides efficiency and cost savings,human interpreters are essential for their capacity to handle the intricacies of cross-cultural communication with cultural awareness and ethical discernment.

The Influence of Social Media on College Choice among Undergraduates Majoring in Big Data Management and Application in China:Taking Guilin University of Electronic Technology as an Example

This study aims to investigate the influence of social media on college choice among undergraduates majoring in Big Data Management and Application in China.The study attempts to reveal how information on social media platforms such as Weibo,WeChat,and Zhihu influences the cognition and choice process of prospective students.By employing an online quantitative survey questionnaire,data were collected from the 2022 and 2023 classes of new students majoring in Big Data Management and Application at Guilin University of Electronic Technology.The aim was to evaluate the role of social media in their college choice process and understand the features and information that most attract prospective students.Social media has become a key factor influencing the college choice decision-making of undergraduates majoring in Big Data Management and Application in China.Students tend to obtain school information through social media platforms and use this information as an important reference in their decision-making process.Higher education institutions should strengthen their social media information dissemination,providing accurate,timely,and attractive information.It is also necessary to ensure effective management of social media platforms,maintain a positive reputation for the school on social media,and increase the interest and trust of prospective students.Simultaneously,educational decision-makers should consider incorporating social media analysis into their recruitment strategies to better attract new student enrollment.This study provides a new perspective for understanding higher education choice behavior in the digital age,particularly by revealing the importance of social media in the educational decision-making process.This has important practical and theoretical implications for higher education institutions,policymakers,and social media platform operators.

Investigating impacts of different building contents on the post-earthquake evacuation time using an agent-based model with considering turning behavior

Accurate assessment of crowd evacuation inside the post-earthquake environment is critical from many perspectives,but this issue receives much less attention compared to the seismic losses of structural and non-structural components.This could be attributed to the fact that post-earthquake evacuation analysis is complex due to the interaction between human behavior and the actual built environment induced by different building contents.This study attempts to tackle this problem by investigating the impacts of different building contents on post-earthquake evacuation time by using an agent-based model that considers turning behavior.To this end,the agent-based model is first described,including:properties of the agent-based model with turning behavior,key aspects in its formulation considering different evacuation stages,and influence of different building contents(namely,debris from partition walls and ceiling systems,and various types of equipment)on the agent’s behavior.Subsequently,a school building is used as a benchmark problem to validate the model without earthquake,and the findings indicate that the agent-based model can match the real safety drill results reasonably well.After the validation,the school building is subsequently designed in accordance with modern seismic design codes,and the influence of debris and equipment on post-earthquake evacuation time is quantitatively studied using a suite of pulse-type ground motions as input.Based on this case study,recommendations are made for structural and architectural designers in an effort to reduce the potential evacuation time.Specifically,debris induced by partition walls or ceiling systems should be controlled as it has the greatest impact on the total evacuation time.

A comparison of model choice strategies for logistic regression

Purpose:The purpose of this study is to develop and compare model choice strategies in context of logistic regression.Model choice means the choice of the covariates to be included in the model.Design/methodology/approach:The study is based on Monte Carlo simulations.The methods are compared in terms of three measures of accuracy:specificity and two kinds of sensitivity.A loss function combining sensitivity and specificity is introduced and used for a final comparison.Findings:The choice of method depends on how much the users emphasize sensitivity against specificity.It also depends on the sample size.For a typical logistic regression setting with a moderate sample size and a small to moderate effect size,either BIC,BICc or Lasso seems to be optimal.Research limitations:Numerical simulations cannot cover the whole range of data-generating processes occurring with real-world data.Thus,more simulations are needed.Practical implications:Researchers can refer to these results if they believe that their data-generating process is somewhat similar to some of the scenarios presented in this paper.Alternatively,they could run their own simulations and calculate the loss function.Originality/value:This is a systematic comparison of model choice algorithms and heuristics in context of logistic regression.The distinction between two types of sensitivity and a comparison based on a loss function are methodological novelties.

Editor-in-Chief articles of choice and comments from January to June 2024

As the Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Gastroenterology,I carefully review all articles every week before a new issue’s online publication,including the title,clinical and research importance,originality,novelty,and ratings by the peer reviewers.Based on this review,I select the papers of choice and suggest pertinent changes(e.g.,in the title or text)to the company editors responsible for publication.This process,while time-consuming,is essential for assuring the quality of publications and highlighting important articles that readers may revisit.

Discrete Choice Analysis of Temporal Factors on Social Network Growth

Social networks like Facebook, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn provide an interaction and communication environment for users to generate and share content, allowing for the observation of social behaviours in the digital world. These networks can be viewed as a collection of nodes and edges, where users and their interactions are represented as nodes and the connections between them as edges. Understanding the factors that contribute to the formation of these edges is important for studying network structure and processes. This knowledge can be applied to various areas such as identifying communities, recommending friends, and targeting online advertisements. Several factors, including node popularity and friends-of-friends relationships, influence edge formation and network growth. This research focuses on the temporal activity of nodes and its impact on edge formation. Specifically, the study examines how the minimum age of friends-of-friends edges and the average age of all edges connected to potential target nodes influence the formation of network edges. Discrete choice analysis is used to analyse the combined effect of these temporal factors and other well-known attributes like node degree (i.e., the number of connections a node has) and network distance between nodes. The findings reveal that temporal properties have a similar impact as network proximity in predicting the creation of links. By incorporating temporal features into the models, the accuracy of link prediction can be further improved.

Factors Influence Hanoians’ Choice of Non-Motorized Transport Mode to Access Bus Stations

Hanoi’s rapid urbanization has led to a surge in private vehicle ownership, particularly motorcycles, amidst inadequate public transportation infrastructure. Despite government efforts, many still prefer motorized transport, citing mobility and safety concerns, exacerbated by insufficient pedestrian infrastructure. This study examines the motivations behind this reliance on motorized vehicles, particularly motorcycles, in Hanoi. Findings reveal safety and convenience as primary factors driving motorized transport use, especially for accessing bus stations. Economic incentives could promote non-motorized travel and public transport adoption. Policy implications highlight the importance of addressing economic factors and improving access infrastructure to manage motorized vehicle reliance and foster sustainable urban mobility in Hanoi.

A Study of the Self-efficacy of Viola Majors in Chinese Universities Regarding Career Choice

This study examined and analysed the impact of self-efficacy on the career decisions of 52 viola students enrolled in Chinese universities.According to the findings,the level of self-efficacy influences the learning and career decisions of students directly.Higher self-efficacy can positively affect how individuals perceive their past experiences and those of others.Therefore,a high degree of self-efficacy can be advantageous.Self-efficacy is primarily influenced by a person’s prior experiences,alternative experiences,verbal persuasion,and physical and emotional state during work-based learning.Schools may offer courses that foster and improve the development of self-efficacy in order to help viola majors in improving their self-efficacy effectively.

Choice of Adaptation Strategies to Climate Variability among Smallholder Farmers in the Maize Based Cropping System in Namutumba District, Uganda

Smallholder farmers in Namutumba district draw on a combination of adaptation strategies to respond to effects of climate variability. However, there is limited scholarly evidence and explanation that has been conducted on the factors that influence the choice of alternative sets of strategies that smallholder farmers use in response to climate variability specific stress and literature that disentangles climatic stressors specific adaptation options. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select the study area and household respondents. The study used cross-sectional research design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Household data was collected from 160 respondents with a structured questionnaire supported by key informant interviews. Multinomial logit modeling (MNL) was used to determine the relative influence of selected household socio-demographic factors on the choice of adaptation strategies against the dry spell. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was used to create weighted adaptation index for categorizing various similar adaptation strategies. In order to respond to the impact of climate variability stresses, smallholder farmers have adapted growing drought-resistant crops (12.2%), extension of the agricultural frontier into wetlands during the dry spells (37%), whereas use of crop rotation (9.8%) is the most dominant strategies used to manage pest and diseases, similarly soil and water conservation (15.3%) and climate-smart planning basin (11%) are the most dominant adaptation strategies use to manage flood. Empirical results from multinomial logit modeling showed that predictor variables gender, level of education, years of farming, house size, access to credit, and own radio have a significant influence on the choice of adaptation strategies with differences significant level during the dry spell. The study recommends that future policies should focus on strengthening the existing extension training package, strengthening the existing farmer’s groups and cooperatives, encouraging informal social networks in order to boost smallholder farmers’ adaptation to climate variability.

The Connotation and Path Choice of Socialist Core Value System

The socialist core value system(scVs)is a multi-layered systematic logical structure:with Marxism as the backbone which determines the fundamental nature of this value system;the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics as the embodiment of its goals;national spirit and the spirit of the times as its spiritual power;and the concept of honor as its moral foundation.SCVS construction focuss on practice,and its implementation includes the following three aspects;focusing on people's livelitood to increase the attractiveness of sCVs;vigorously developing productivity and expanding the material basis of the guiding functions of SCVS;and establishing an effective mechanism for publicity and education.While practicing SCVs,objective laws need to be followed and public enthusiasm need to be mobilized,path choice for development subjects and objective practice need to be highlighted,and policy system need to be improved gradually in practice,so that a linkage mechanism for all people to participate can be formed.

澳洲坚果主导品种Own Choice的品种配置研究

为了明确澳洲坚果园主导品种Own Choice(O.C)的最适配置品种,选择HAES863、D、D4、HAES816、HAES906、HAES294、HAES900、A4等8个品种为O.C授粉,统计分析不同授粉处理的着果率、杂交不亲和性程度指数、着果花序率、每果序着果数、落果率、壳果横径等指标。结果表明,以着果率及着果花序率统计的杂交不亲和性程度指数发现,HAES863、D、D4、HAES816、HAES906与O.C的杂交亲和性高于A4、HAES294、HAES900。供试品种处理的着果率与着果花序率之间存在正相关关系,初步推断可使用着果花序率代替着果率评价O.C与不同品种的杂交不亲和性程度;8个授粉处理的平均着果花序率为40.60%,可以此推断O.C与不同授粉品种的田间杂交不亲和性程度。综合分析推断,澳洲坚果主导品种O.C的最适配置品种为HAES863和D4,根据小气候可选择性搭配种植D、HAES906、HAES816。

Consumers’experiences and preferences for plant-based meat food:Evidence from a choice experiment in four cities of China

This paper examined consumers’experiences in and preferences for plant-based meat(PBM)food and their respective correlates,based on data from an online survey of 579 consumers in four major cities in China in early 2021.We first described consumers’experiences in consuming and purchasing PBM food and their correlates,and then analyzed consumer preferences using hypothetical choice experiment.The experiment offered consumers various options to purchase burgers made from PBM or animal-based meat(ABM),combined with different countries of origin(COO),taste labels,and prices.Our data showed that respondents hold overall positive attitudes toward PBM food;85 and 82%of respondents reported experience in eating and purchasing PBM food,respectively.More than half of them ate PBM food because they wanted to try new food(58%),or were interested in healthy food(56%).Income,religion,and dietary restrictions were significantly correlated with consumers’experiences in PBM food consumption.Results from the Random Parameter Logit Model based on the hypothetical choice experiment data showed that 79%of respondents chose PBM burgers and were willing to pay an average of 88 CNY for a PBM burger.We also found that 99.8 and 83%of respondents are willing to buy burgers made in China and those with a taste label,with a willingness to pay(WTP)of 208 and 120 CNY,respectively.The heterogeneity test revealed that females and those with at least a bachelor’s degree,higher income,religious beliefs,and dietary restrictions are more likely to buy PBM burgers than their counterparts.

Leave or Stay?Antecedents of High-level Talent Migration in the Pearl River Delta Megalopolis of China:from a Perspective of Regional Differentials in Housing Prices

Rapid urbanization and population growth have triggered an increase in urban housing demand and rising housing prices,which can influence the migration intention of high-level talents.Much work within the literature has focused more on the migration of the general public.However,antecedents of migration intention and the impact of housing prices on the migration of high-level talents remain unclear.Therefore,based on the push-pull theory,this study investigates the influencing factors of talent migration intention and explores the role of housing prices.This study reveals a complex mechanism underlying migration decisions by using logistic regression models and survey data of high-level talents in the Pearl River Delta(PRD)megalopolis of China.The results indicate that:1)in high house-price regions,social integration is the primary push factor,and the main factors for retaining talents are the expectation of future work and intimate family relationships;2)in medium house-price regions,the main factors that attract talents are the current salary level and close family ties;3)in low house-price regions,living convenience is a determining factor in retaining talents.This study provides a new perspective for talent mobility research and offers valuable inputs for retaining and attracting talents in different economic development regions.Findings are of great significance for formulating talent introduction policies and forming a new pattern of rational spatial docking and effective allocation of human resources.

Chromatic and achromatic differences of melanin-and carotenoid-based plumage coloration in five minivet species(Pericrocotus spp.)under conspecific and predator visual systems

Adaptive mate choice has been accepted as the leading theory to explain the colorful plumage of birds.This theory hypothesizes that conspicuous colors act as signals to advertise the qualities of the owners.However,a dilemma arises in that conspicuous colors may not only attract mates,but also alert predators.The"private channels of communication"hypothesis proposes that some intraspecific signals may not be visible to heterospecific animals because of different visual systems.To better understand the evolution of plumage colors and sexual selection in birds,here we studied the chromatic difference and achromatic differences of melanin-and carotenoid-based plumage coloration in five minivet species(Pericrocotus spp.)under conspecific and predator visual systems.We found that either the chromatic or achromatic difference among male or female minivets’plumage was consistently higher under conspecific vision than under predator vision for all five studied species of minivets.This result indicated that individual differences in plumage colors of minivets were visible to the conspecific receivers and hidden from potential predators as a result of evolution under predation risk and conspecific communication.However,males were under a higher risk of predation because they were more conspicuous than females to the vision of a nocturnal predator.

Game theory model of exit selection in pedestrian evacuation considering visual range and choice firmness

Exit choice is one of the most important pedestrian behaviors during evacuation.Distance to the exit is a generally recognized factor influencing expected moving time to the exit.Visual range determines how much information a pedestrian can perceive,thus the number of pedestrians within the visual field can be used to estimate waiting time at the exit.Besides,the choice firmness that reflects the degree to which a pedestrian would persist in his/her previous choice of exit is proposed.By integrating game theory into a cellular automata simulation framework,the pedestrian exit choice mechanism is investigated and explicitly modeled in this paper.A systematic analysis of the key factors influencing pedestrian evacuation is conducted,including visual radius and choice firmness of a pedestrian,initial crowd distribution of the room,exit layout as well as exit width.It is found that low choice firmness level can lead to unnatural pedestrian behavior such as wandering,which is adverse to evacuation.The longer the pedestrian's visual radius,the earlier the pedestrian can determine his/her final selection of the exit.Compared with the scenario where the pedestrians are randomly distributed,pedestrians clustered together in a corner of the room lead to high crowd density and imbalanced use of exits.Furthermore,the exit layout and exit width also have a certain influence on pedestrian evacuation process.The results of this paper may be of benefit to the formulation of behavioral rules in other pedestrian simulation models.

Family Planning: Choosing Contraceptive Methods in Kongo Central Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background: In developing countries, access to modern contraceptive methods remains a concern, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although satisfactory progress in increasing family planning use has been observed worldwide, demand and unmet need continue to grow. This study describes the different reasons that push women in rural and urban areas of Kongo Central province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to choose one of the modern contraceptive methods. Methods: A cross-sectional, analytical study on the 705 clients recruited during the family planning mini-campaigns organized from January to March 2021 in 8 health zones of the Kongo Central Province in DRC. Community Contraceptive Methods Distributors (CCMD) collected the data, community health workers (CHW) trained in clinical providers’ community family planning service. The Pearson’s Chi2 test was used to compare the proportions of the methods chosen in the different study variables categories, and logistic regression was done to analyze the strength of association between the uses of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) with the study variables. Results: The mean age (SD) of the clients was 25.7 years. The median number of living children was 2 children and that of pregnancies carried per client was 3. Three (3) clients under the age of 20 out of 126 (2.4%) have 3 to 4 living children and one a up to 6 living children. Out of a total of 705 clients, 11.1% aged under 20 and 39.1% of clients aged 20 to 24 requested LARC. Divorced and unmarried women chose SAC and married and common-law women chose LARC more, compared to other categories of women. Unemployed women prefer SACs more than other professional categories, and women farmers prefer LARC. The level of education has no influence on the choice of method. The use of LARC increased with the number of pregnancies carried, children alive, and children who died. The age and number of children who died did not influence the association between LARC and alive children. Conclusion: The choice of modern contraceptive methods is guided by the age of the mother and the number of children living in her life. Younger women are more likely to choose short-acting contraceptive methods in the eight health zones of Kongo Central province. The high number of living children influences the choice of LARC regardless of age.

Evaluation of the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) Program in Third through Fifth Graders in Northern Illinois

Background: The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) is a school-based health education program, grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), and designed to improve dietary habits and increase physical activity among children and adolescents. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CATCH program, delivered by dietetic interns and Northern Illinois University (NIU) students, to 3rd-5th graders in Northern Illinois, in increasing their nutrition knowledge and healthy choices behavior. Methods: In total, 167 elementary school children in grades 3 - 5 in Northern Illinois participated in a non-experimental program evaluation study. We delivered 6 CATCH lessons throughout the academic year to five elementary schools. Lessons were focused on “Go, Slow, and Whoa” food categories to help children understand healthier food choices. Validated questionnaires from the CATCH Global Foundation were administered in classrooms and online, pre/post intervention, to assess nutritional knowledge and healthy choices. Results: Children in third through fifth grades significantly increased their knowledge about nutrient dense foods, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively. Fourth and fifth graders exhibited a significant increase in their ability to make healthier food choices, p = 0.03 and p = 0.007, respectively. As grade level increased from third to fifth grade, improvement in nutrition knowledge and adoption of healthy food choices did not increase significantly, p = 0.973 and p = 0.637, respectively. Conclusion: We conclude that children in grades 3 - 5 who participated in the 6 lessons of the CATCH program expanded their nutritional knowledge and 4th and 5th graders improved their ability to make healthier choices. Conducting evaluations of health promotion programs is imperative to determine the impact of the program, as well as to explore possible improvements in content and delivery for future implementation.

Driving factors and the implications of work choices of rural laborers in ecologically vulnerable areas in North China

Using rural survey data for the year 2009,we provide evidence of work choices of rural laborers in ecologically vulnerable areas in North China,and model these choices as a function of characteristics of individuals,households,and land endowments.The findings reveal large differences between males and females,and between non-farm employment and part-time farming engagement Land scarcity is still an important driving factor in non-farming participation of rural laborers in the study area;and in the current case of land productivity and the total amount of land,there are still surplus rural labor forces in the study area.Diversification of livelihood reduces the pressure on land,thus facilitating ecosystem conservation.So,the paper concludes with the argument that establishing coordination mechanisms among non-farm employment of rural laborers,agricultural production,and restoration of ecosystems are essential for mitigating the conflicts of ecological security,agricultural production,and rural development in mis area.