Barreras e incentivos de la movilidad en un sistema de bicicletas compartidas en un municipio español / Barriers and incentives for mobility in a bike-sharing system in a Spanish municipality / Obstáculos e incentivos à mobilidade num sistema de partilha de bicicletas num município espanhol

Resumen: Introducción: El interés por el ciclismo urbano está aumentando y el número de programas de bicicletas compartidas ha crecido rápidamente durante los últimos años. Por ello, el objetivo que se pretende alcanzar en este estudio es saber si los factores como las estaciones, los trayectos y las altitudes afectan el uso del sistema compartido de bicicletas en un municipio español. Método: Se ha diseñado un estudio cuantitativo y longitudinal con recogida y análisis de datos del BSS de Vilagarcía de Arousa, que registra un total de 84 183 observaciones (hombres n = 59 159; mujeres n = 25 024). Los datos extraídos del sistema fueron recolectados y analizados estadísticamente, a través del programa IBM SPSS versión 21.0. Se ha establecido un valor de significación p < 0,05. Resultados: La estación más utilizada fue la que se sitúa en el centro de la ciudad y representa un total del 39 % de las observaciones. La elevación neutra, es decir, salir de una estación y depositar la bicicleta en otra con la misma altitud, representó el 65,5 % de los registros totales. Conclusiones: El municipio de Vilagarcía de Arousa reúne unas características topográficas favorables para ser un servicio rentable que fomente unos hábitos saludables, como un medio de transporte activo de desplazamiento en el entorno urbano, una mejora de la movilidad urbana y un entorno menos contaminado.

Abstract: Introduction: Interest in urban cycling is increasing and the number of shared bike programs has grown rapidly in recent years. Therefore, the objective that is intended to be achieved in this study is to know if factors such as seasons, routes and altitudes affect the use of the shared bicycle system in a Spanish municipality. Methods: A quantitative and longitudinal study has been designed with the collection and analysis of data from the BSS of Vilagarcía de Arousa, registering a total of 84,183 observations (men n = 59,159; women n = 25,024). The data extracted from the system was collected and statistically analyzed through the IBM SPSS version 21.0 program. A significance value of p < 0.05 has been established. Results: The most used station was the one located in the center of the city, representing a total of 39% of the observations. The neutral elevation, that is, leaving a station and depositing the bicycle in another with the same altitude, represented 65.5% of the total records. Conclusions: The municipality of Vilagarcía de Arousa has some favorable topographical characteristics to be a profitable service that promotes healthy habits as a means of active transportation in the urban environment, as well as an improvement in urban mobility and a less polluted environment.

Resumo: Introdução: O interesse pelo ciclismo urbano está aumentando e o número de programas de bicicletas compartilhadas cresceu rapidamente nos últimos anos. Assim, o objetivo que se pretende atingir neste estudo é saber se fatores como estações do ano, percursos e altitudes afetam a utilização do sistema de bicicletas partilhadas num município espanhol. Método: Foi desenhado um estudo quantitativo e longitudinal com recolha e análise de dados do BSS de Vilagarcía de Arousa, registando-se um total de 84.183 observações (homens n = 59.159; mulheres n = 25.024). Os dados extraídos do sistema foram coletados e analisados estatisticamente por meio do programa IBM SPSS versão 21.0. Foi estabelecido um valor de significância de p < 0,05. Resultados: A estação mais utilizada foi a localizada no centro da cidade, representando um total de 39% das observações. A cota neutra, ou seja, sair de uma estação e depositar a bicicleta em outra de mesma altitude, representou 65,5% do total de registros. Conclusões: O município de Vilagarcía de Arousa apresenta algumas características topográficas favoráveis para ser um serviço rentável que promova hábitos saudáveis como meio de transporte ativo no meio urbano, bem como uma melhoria da mobilidade urbana e um meio ambiente menos poluído.

Apropriação dos espaços urbanos na infância e na velhice em Brasília (DF) / Occupation of urban spaces in childhood and old age in Brasilia, Brazil / Apropiación de espacios urbanos en la infancia y en la vejez en Brasília, Brasil

Os estudos sobre as relações mútuas entre as pessoas e o ambiente buscam subsidiar melhorias no contexto urbano a partir de métodos e técnicas pautados na compreensão do uso de espaços públicos e privados. A crescente demanda pela promoção de ambientes amigáveis para idosos e crianças nos cenários urbanos direcionou esta pesquisa e elencou dois componentes: o panorama relativo à população local e o arcabouço teórico da psicologia ambiental. Para tanto, buscou-se identificar as principais atividades realizadas por crianças e idosos em seus respectivos locais de moradia. Foram avaliados os principais usos e atividades desses dois grupos, em duas vizinhanças, diferenciando-os de acordo com suas especificidades em termos de demandas individuais e ambientais. As observações sistemáticas a partir da técnica de mapeamento comportamental centrado no lugar (MCCL) ocorreram na cidade de Brasília, Distrito Federal (DF) e permitiram compreender o processo de apropriação dos espaços na infância e na velhice e suas repercussões em termos da congruência pessoa-ambiente. Cada um destes setores organizados a partir de elementos específicos direciona as ações dos participantes para determinados tipos de comportamentos, observados de maneira a compor um roteiro em que a brincadeira (lazer ativo) surge como central na infância e a caminhada (circulação) como mais potente para a população idosa. Os resultados demonstram que o diálogo entre a psicologia ambiental e a ciência do desenvolvimento humano tem sido bastante profícuo e tem contribuído para a compreensão de aspectos da relação pessoa-ambiente em diferentes momentos do ciclo de vida.(AU)

Studies on the mutual relations between people and the environment seek to support improvements in the urban context from methods and techniques based on understanding the use of public and private spaces. The growing demand for the promotion of friendly urban environments for older people and children guided this research, with two notable components: the panorama related to the local population and the theoretical framework of Environmental Psychology. Therefore, we sought to identify the main activities carried out by children and older people in their respective dwellings. The main uses and activities of these two groups were evaluated in two neighborhoods, differentiating them according to their specificities in terms of individual and environmental demands. Systematic observations using the place-centered behavioral mapping technique took place in the city of Brasília, Federal District, and allowed us to understand the process of appropriation of spaces in childhood and old age and its repercussions in terms of person-environment congruence. Each of these sectors, organized from specific elements, directs the participants' actions towards certain types of behavior, observed in order to compose a script in which playing (active leisure) emerges as central in childhood and walking (circulation) as more potent for the older people. The results demonstrated that the dialogue between environmental psychology and the science of human development has been very fruitful and has contributed to the understanding of aspects of the person-environment relationship at different times in the life cycle.(AU)

Los estudios sobre las relaciones mutuas entre las personas y el medio ambiente buscan aportar mejoras en el contexto urbano mediante métodos y técnicas basados en la comprensión del uso de los espacios públicos y privados. La creciente demanda de la promoción de ambientes amigables para las personas mayores y los niños en entornos urbanos guio esta investigación y enumeró dos componentes: el panorama relacionado con la población local y el marco teórico de la Psicología Ambiental. En este contexto, buscamos identificar las principales actividades que realizan los niños y las personas mayores en sus respectivas viviendas. Se evaluaron los principales usos y actividades de estos dos grupos en dos barrios, diferenciándolos según sus especificidades en cuanto a las demandas individuales y ambientales. Las observaciones sistemáticas utilizando la técnica de mapeo conductual centrado en el lugar (MCCL) ocurrieron en la ciudad de Brasília, Distrito Federal (Brasil) y nos permitieron comprender el proceso de apropiación de espacios en la infancia y la vejez y sus repercusiones en la congruencia persona-ambiente. Cada uno de estos sectores, organizados a partir de elementos específicos, orienta las acciones de los participantes hacia determinados comportamientos, observados para componer un guion en el que el juego (ocio activo) emerge como central en la infancia y el caminar (circulación) como el más potente para las personas mayores. Los resultados demuestran que el diálogo entre la Psicología Ambiental y la ciencia del desarrollo humano ha sido muy fructífero y ha contribuido a la comprensión de aspectos de la relación persona-entorno en diferentes momentos del ciclo de vida.(AU)

Impact of Different Transportation Modes on the Transmission of COVID-19: Correlation and Strategies from a Case Study in Wuhan, China.

Transportation is the main carrier of population movement, so it is significant to clarify how different transportation modes influence epidemic transmission. This paper verified the relationship between different levels of facilities and epidemic transmission by use of the K-means clustering method and the Mann-Whitney U test. Next, quantile regression and negative binomial regression were adopted to evaluate the relationship between transportation modes and transmission patterns. Finally, this paper proposed a control efficiency indicator to assess the differentiated strategies. The results indicated that the epidemic appeared 2-3 days earlier in cities with strong hubs, and the diagnoses were nearly fourfold than in other cities. In addition, air and road transportation were strongly associated with transmission speed, while railway and road transportation were more correlated with severity. A prevention strategy that considered transportation facility levels resulted in a reduction of the diagnoses of about 6%, for the same cost. The results of different strategies may provide valuable insights for cities to develop more efficient control measures and an orderly restoration of public transportation during the steady phase of the epidemic.

Weiszfeld, tree-seed, and whale optimization algorithms comparison via locating transportation facilities with weightings considering the vulnerability and uncertainty.

Searching for an optimum transportation facility location with emergency equipment and staff is essential for a specific region or a country. In this direction, this study addresses the following problems. First, the performances of the Weiszfeld, tree-seed, and whale optimization algorithms are compared, which is the first of its kind in the literature. Second, a new approach that tests the importance parameters' effectiveness in searching for an optimum transportation facility location with emergency equipment and staff is proposed. The Weiszfeld algorithm finds viable solutions with compact data, but it may not handle big data. In contrast, the flexibility of the tree-seed and whale optimization algorithm is literally an advantage when the number of parameters and variables increases. Therefore, there is a notable need to directly compare those algorithms' performances. If we do, the significance of extending the number of parameters with multiple weightings is appraised. According to the results, the Weiszfeld algorithm can be an almost flexible technique in continuous networks; however, it has reasonable drawbacks with discrete networks, while the tree-seed and whale optimization algorithms fit such conditions. On the other hand, these three methods do not show a fluctuating performance compared to one another based on the locating transportation facilities, and thus they deliver similar performance. Besides, although the value of accuracy is high with the application of the conventional technique Weiszfeld algorithm, it does not provide a significant performance accuracy advantage over the meta-heuristic methods.

Experimental Study on the Evaluation and Influencing Factors on Individual's Emergency Escape Capability in Subway Fire.

Studying an individual's emergency escape capability and its influencing factors is of great practical significance for evacuation and escape in subway emergencies. Taking Zhengzhou Zijing Mountain Subway station as the prototype, and using VR technology, a virtual subway fire escape scene was built. Combined with the total escape time, the total contact time with fire, and the total contact time with smoke, it proposed a calculation formula on emergency escape capability. A total of 34 participants with equal gender distribution were recruited to carry out the virtual subway fire escape experiment, and participants' physiological data (heart rate variability, skin conductance) were real-time recorded by ErgoLAB V3.0 throughout the whole experiment. The emergency escape capability of each participant was evaluated quantitatively, and the related influencing factors were analyzed. The results show that for the age ranges (19-22 years old) in the experiment, the emergency escape capability of women is significantly lower than that of men (p < 0.05); although there is no significance in emergency escape capability in DISC personality types (p > 0.05), the mean emergency escape capability of people with influence personality type is the worst, and that of people with compliance type is the best; during virtual fire escape vs. baseline, Mean_SC and Mean_HR both increased very significantly (all p < 0.01), and participants were under stress during their virtual fire escape. There is a significant negative correlation between emergency escape capability and LF_increase_rate (p < 0.05), and a remarkably significant negative correlation between emergency escape capability and LF/HF_increase_rate (p < 0.01); the greater the increase rate of LF or LF/HF, the smaller the emergency escape capability, with excessive stress probably not being conducive to emergency escape. There is a very significant negative correlation between an individual's emergency escape capability and the degree of familiarity with the Zijing Mountain subway station (p < 0.01). The findings provide references and suggestions on the emergency management and emergency evacuation for government and subway departments.

Effects of substances released from a coal tar-based coating used to protect harbor structures on oysters.

Products coal tar-based are largely used as concrete structures as protective coatings but some questions about leaching and potential toxic effects remain unclear. A laboratory experiment exposing oysters to miniaturized concrete pillars painted with Lackpoxi N1761 over time was performed and trace elements and 17 PAH were monitored in seawater exposure media, and oyster tissues. The original paint composition was also analyzed, and high concentrations of trace elements and PAH were detected. Sharp increases in PAH concentrations were observed after 6-96 h in exposure media and oyster tissues, suggesting that these compounds were leached from the painted structures. In parallel, the integrity of the hemocytes lysosomal membranes of exposed organisms has been damaged. Based on the response of this biomarker, the use of Lackpoxi N1761 is potentially harmful to the environment and it is required that coal tar-based paints be evaluated according to the environmental risk assessment protocols.

Preventing carbon monoxide poisoning in the Hudson River Tunnel in 1921: recounting history.

The New York Bridge and Tunnel Commission began planning for a tunnel beneath the lower Hudson river to connect Manhattan to New Jersey in 1919. At 8,300 feet, it would be the longest tunnel for passenger vehicles in the world. A team of engineers and physiologists at the Yale University Bureau of Mines Experiment Station was tasked with calculating the ventilation requirements that would provide safety from exposure to automobile exhaust carbon monoxide (CO) while balancing the cost of providing ventilation. As the level of ambient CO which was comfortably tolerated was not precisely defined, they performed human exposures breathing from 100 to 1,000 ppm CO, first on themselves and subsequently on Yale medical students. Their findings continue to provide a basis for carbon monoxide alarm requirements a century later.

Marinas and sustainability: Directions for future research.

Marinas have ceased to be ports dedicated exclusively to recreational boating and nautical sports. Nowadays, marinas offer a variety of services that complement the tourist offering of its locality in addition to auxiliary activities that arise from its main activity. There are considerable economic and social resources generated by these types of facilities that benefit their localities, but they can also have negative effects such as compromising the sustainability of the environment. The objective of this article is to examine the terms related to changes in the ecosystem derived from marinas through the Keywords Plus and the Author Keywords extracted from the WoS database and obtain results that explain how several themes have evolved and how these concepts relate to each other and to other variables. In this way, it will be possible to critically examine the selection of terms that appear in scientific documents. The results show that pollution, antifouling paints, and invasive species are the terms of greatest concern and on which particular emphasis should be placed for future lines of research.

Non-indigenous macrophytes in Central Mediterranean ports, marinas and transitional waters: Origin, vectors and pathways of dispersal.

Non-indigenous species are confirmed to be among the biggest threats for marine biodiversity. Among them, non-indigenous macrophytes (NIM) are well known to have local negative effects, especially in coastal ecosystems. Since transitional waters (TWs), ports and also marinas are recognized as very vulnerable coastal ecosystems, greatly subjected to biological invasions, the present study analysed the available scientific literature on NIM in such areas in the Central Mediterranean Sea (CMED), in the period 1970-2019. The analysis underlined that 27 NIM were recorded in CMED TWs, marinas and ports. Around 37% of them (10 species) are marked as invasive, while about 11% (3 species) are considered as potentially invasive. Maricultural activities resulted the key vector of introduction, while the primary pathway of NIM dispersion is related to maritime activities. The paper also discusses why in CMED TWs, marinas and ports, currently, less NIM were detected than in similar Adriatic areas.

Performance trends of environmental management in European ports.

This paper presents the current status and trends over time in the environmental situation of European ports, based on the results of a wide representation of EcoPorts members (90 ports). All the information presented in this research comes from the Self-Diagnosis Method (SDM), a concise checklist managed by European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), against which ports can self-assess their environmental management. The results provide data on a total number of 54 indicators, being the existence of an inventory of environmental legislation the indicator with the highest implementation (96,7%), followed by the existence of an environmental policy (95,7%). Waste is the environmental issue that is being more monitored by ports. Air quality continues as the top environmental priority, followed by energy consumption and noise. It is interesting to highlight the growing awareness of Climate change among ports as well as the increasing implementation of green initiatives in ports.

Case-comparison study protocol for gauging effects of neighbourhood trends and sickness: examining the perceptions of transit-Induced gentrification in Prince George's County.

INTRODUCTION: Impoverished neighbourhoods and communities of colour often bear the brunt of unintended transit-oriented development (TOD) impacts. These impacts have been known to come in the form of transit-induced gentrification (TIG), a socioeconomic by-product of TOD defined as a phenomenon that occurs when the provision of transit service, particularly light rail transit (LRT), 'up-scales' nearby neighbourhood(s) and displaces existing residents. Consequently, TIG or even the perception of TIG can impact health outcomes (eg, anxiety) and social determinants of health (SDOH) (eg, crime). METHODS/ANALYSIS: In 2022, the purple line (PL), a 16.2 mile LRT line, is opening in Prince George's County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, comprised of over 80% African American and Hispanic residents. By taking advantage of this natural experiment, we are proposing the GENTS (Gauging Effects of Neighborhood Trends and Sickness: Examining the Perceptions of Transit-Induced Gentrification in Prince George's County) Study in order to evaluate perceived TIG and associated health outcome and SDOH changes, at two points in time, among Prince George's County adults in a prospective case-comparison design during the pre-PL LRT period. Descriptive analysis and latent growth curve modelling will be used to examine these changes over time. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval has been granted by the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board. The GENTS Study will identify temporal changes in perceived TIG, health outcomes and SDOH among case and comparison residents before the completion and operation of the PL LRT, an under researched period of TOD. The dissemination of GENTS Study findings will be able to address research questions and policy issues that are specifically tailored to PG County while also providing more effective procedural solutions for other regions undergoing TOD and TIG risks.

Assessment of liver and renal function tests among gasoline exposed gas station workers in Mekelle city, Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Volatile organic compounds such as gasoline and other fuels are associated with a wide variety of deleterious health effects including liver and kidney diseases. Gasoline station workers are exposed to a mixture of hydrocarbons during dispensing. However, no published studies investigated the liver and renal function tests of gasoline station workers in Ethiopia. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess liver and renal function tests among gasoline station workers. METHOD: A comparative cross sectional study was conduct from January 2018 to April 2018 at Mekelle city, Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia. Liver and renal function tests were analyzed on gasoline exposed (n = 43) and controls (n = 47) by Pentra C400 automated clinical chemistry analyzer. Student independent t-test and one way-ANOVA statistical methods were employed using SPSS Ver23. P-value < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. RESULT: The mean level of ALT, AST, Urea, creatinine, and uric acid was significantly higher among gasoline stations workers when compared to control study participants. There was also a significant increase in ALT, AST, Urea, creatinine and uric acid among gasoline stations with above 6 years exposure when compared with those exposed for ≤2 and3-6years. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that increasing liver and renal parameters may be associated with exposure to gasoline and it is dependent on time of exposure to gasoline.

The Physiological Experimental Study on the Effect of Different Color of Safety Signs on a Virtual Subway Fire Escape-An Exploratory Case Study of Zijing Mountain Subway Station.

Safety signs play a very important role in people's evacuation during emergencies. In order to explore the appropriate color for subway safety signs, four safety signs of different color combinations are designed, and the virtual reality, eye-tracking technology, and physiological indicator measurement are used in a virtual subway fire escape experiment. A total of 96 participants with equal distribution in gender and four different color combination groups were recruited. Participants' eye-tracking and physiological data (heart rate, skin conductance) were real-time recorded through ErgoLAB V3.0 in the whole experiment. The relationship between Color_of_safety_sign and escape performance, eye-tracking indicators, and physiological indicators is discussed respectively through SPSS. The results show that "Green and black" group has the best evacuation escape performance, low cognitive load, high search efficiency on safety signs, and the highest stress level and immersion and "Green and black" can be the most appropriate color for safety sign. This research is of certain significance for improving the function of subway fire-fighting infrastructure and the resilience of the metro system. Moreover, it can provide references and advice on risk management, emergency evacuation, and so on.

Horseback riding pathways and harbors at the beginning of the colonial era in Mexico.

The introduction of horses in the New World changed the way of traveling on complex terrains. This change reconfigured the land transport network connecting harbors in the region. However, data of horseback riding pathways among harbors is scarce. We analyzed the case of Mexico at the beginning of the colonial period to recreate routes that connected ancient harbors and to identify the network characteristics of a large-scale system of routes. We used the complex systems approach as a framework in which we applied the least cost path analysis to reconstruct a network of horseback paths, and we computed the node betweenness centrality to identify the most probable locations that controlled de flow of travels. Findings suggest that horses modified the transportation system by expanding the connections and increasing the speed of traveling across the New Spain territory. The node betweenness centrality suggests that some locations organized the flow of traveling based on a few harbors located at the central region. Therefore, the horse allowed the Spaniards to reshape the spatial organization in the colonial era in Mexico.

Where did the vessels go? An analysis of the EU fishing fleet gravitation between home ports, fishing grounds, landing ports and markets.

The mobile nature of fishing activity entails dynamic spatial relations and dependencies between coastal communities and fishing grounds drawn by the movement of fishing vessels. Analysing these spatial relations is essential to allocate the socio-economic impact of the fishing activity into the relevant coastal communities. In addition, such spatial information gives the possibility, on the one hand, to assess the impacts from fisheries on the marine environment and, on the other, to manage competing uses of the sea space between different activities. In this paper, we use AIS data, which is individual vessels' positioning data, to examine the activity of the EU large-scale fishing fleets, their home ports, high intensity fishing areas (i.e., main fishing grounds), main ports and coastal communities involved.

Walkability and its association with walking/cycling and body mass index among adults in different regions of Germany: a cross-sectional analysis of pooled data from five German cohorts.

OBJECTIVES: To examine three walkability measures (points of interest (POI), transit stations and impedance (restrictions to walking) within 640 m of participant's addresses) in different regions in Germany and assess the relationships between walkability, walking/cycling and body mass index (BMI) using generalised additive models. SETTING: Five different regions and cities of Germany using data from five cohort studies. PARTICIPANTS: For analysing walking/cycling behaviour, there were 6269 participants of a pooled sample from three cohorts with a mean age of 59.2 years (SD: 14.3) and of them 48.9% were male. For analysing BMI, there were 9441 participants of a pooled sample of five cohorts with a mean age of 62.3 years (SD: 12.8) and of them 48.5% were male. OUTCOMES: (1) Self-reported walking/cycling (dichotomised into more than 30 min and 30 min and less per day; (2) BMI calculated with anthropological measures from weight and height. RESULTS: Higher impedance was associated with lower prevalence of walking/cycling more than 30 min/day (prevalence ratio (PR): 0.95; 95% CI 0.93 to 0.97), while higher number of POI and transit stations were associated with higher prevalence (PR 1.03; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05 for both measures). Higher impedance was associated with higher BMI (ß: 0.15; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.25) and a higher number of POI with lower BMI (ß: -0.14; 95% CI -0.24 to 0.04). No association was found between transit stations and BMI (ß: 0.005, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.12). Stratified by cohort we observed heterogeneous associations between BMI and transit stations and impedance. CONCLUSION: We found evidence for associations of walking/cycling with walkability measures. Associations for BMI differed across cohorts.

[Health protection guideline of passenger transport stations and transportation facilities during COVID-19 outbreak].

During COVID-19 outbreak, the transportation industries are faced with the more burdensome tasks of outbreak prevention and control as well as ensuring smooth transportation. It is important to organize transportation in order to restore the order of production and life, ensure the normal economic and social operation, and control the outbreak in the whole society. From the perspective of health, this guideline puts forward technical requirements on the operation management, personnel requirements and health protection of passenger transportation places such as aviation, railway, subway, bus, taxi, ship, etc., which reduces the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the transportation industry and personal health risks.

Environmental and Health Effects of Ventilation in Subway Stations: A Literature Review.

Environmental health in subway stations, a typical type of urban underground space, is becoming increasingly important. Ventilation is the principal measure for optimizing the complex physical environment in a subway station. This paper narratively reviews the environmental and health effects of subway ventilation and discusses the relevant engineering, environmental, and medical aspects in combination. Ventilation exerts a notable dual effect on environmental health in a subway station. On the one hand, ventilation controls temperature, humidity, and indoor air quality to ensure human comfort and health. On the other hand, ventilation also carries the potential risks of spreading air pollutants or fire smoke through the complex wind environment as well as produces continuous noise. Assessment and management of health risks associated with subway ventilation is essential to attain a healthy subway environment. This, however, requires exposure, threshold data, and thereby necessitates more research into long-term effects, and toxicity as well as epidemiological studies. Additionally, more research is needed to further examine the design and maintenance of ventilation systems. An understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms and aerodynamic characteristics of various pollutants can help formulate ventilation strategies to reduce pollutant concentrations. Moreover, current comprehensive underground space development affords a possibility for creating flexible spaces that optimize ventilation efficiency, acoustic comfort, and space perception.

An optimization model for fleet sizing and empty pallet allocation considering CO2 emissions.

Pallets are the most common equipment for transporting and storing goods. More and more companies are willing to rent pallets. Pallet rental companies need to transport pallets from their pallet rental service stations to customers and take these pallets back when they are unloaded. Hence, managers should scientifically configure vehicles for their pallet rental service stations. The fleet size, which indicates the amount and types of vehicles, can significantly affect the efficiency and costs of empty pallet allocation. Therefore, an optimization model for fleet sizing and empty pallet allocation is proposed using the methods of mixed-integer programming and stochastic programming. The objectives of this model are to maximize the profits of pallet rental companies and minimize carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from vehicles. A particle swarm optimization algorithm with inertia weight (IPSO) is developed to solve the proposed model because IPSO can avoid becoming trapped in local optima and is able to find a globally optimal solution within a reasonable number of iterations. A numerical example proves the effectiveness of the proposed model and IPSO. The results of numerical tests show that the amount of CO2 emissions from vehicles can affect the decision on fleet sizing and empty pallet allocation. However, if the price, rental fees, or idle costs of the vehicles with low CO2 emissions are too high, managers would not choose them.