Estimating spatial efficiency using cyber search,GIS, and spatial optimization: a case study of fire service deployment in Los Angeles County

ABSTRACT

The efficiency of public investments and services has been of interest to geographic researchers for several decades. While in the private sector inefficiency often leads to higher prices, loss of competitiveness, and loss of business, in the public sector inefficiency in service provision does not necessarily lead to immediate changes. In many cases, it is not an entirely easy task to analyze a particular service as appropriate data may be difficult to obtain and hidden in detailed budgets. In this paper, we develop an integrative approach that uses cyber search, Geographic Information System (GIS), and spatial optimization to estimate the spatial efficiency of fire protection services in Los Angeles (LA) County. We develop a cyber-search process to identify current deployment patterns of fire stations across the major urban region of LA County. We compare the results of our search to existing databases. Using spatial optimization, we estimate the level of deployment that is needed to meet desired coverage levels based upon the location of an ideal fire station pattern, and then compare this ideal level of deployment to the existing system as a means of estimating spatial efficiency. GIS is adopted throughout the paper to simulate the demand locations, to conduct location-based spatial analysis, to visualize fire station data, and to map model simulation results. Finally, we show that the existing system in LA County has considerable room for improvement. The methodology presented in this paper is both novel and groundbreaking, and the automated assessments are readily transferable to other counties and jurisdictions.     

Optimal routing for waste collection: a case study in Singapore

ABSTRACT

To collect and dispose growing amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW) changed to be a hot topic along with the rapid urbanization in past decades. Cities are more and more dependent on the incineration instead of landfilling due to the cost-efficiency and environmental concerns. Considering the limited number of incineration plants and complicated situation of transportation in both spatial and temporal dimensions in different cities, the optimal routing for waste collection turns to be meaningful research topic. In this research, the ant colony optimization (ACO)-based multi-objective routing model coupled with min-max model and Dijkstra’s algorithm is proposed to address the question of which route to take from these waste-generating points to the target incineration plant(s) considering travel time, accident probability (black spots), and population exposure, so as to support the routing decision-making. The model is successfully implemented in Singapore and the effectiveness of the model has also been justified. Besides, few limitations of this research have also been discussed, some of which would also be the future directions of our research, especially the design and integration of a web-based routing decision-making support system.     

基于数据传输特性的卫星广播通道参数优化方法与应用

中国气象局卫星广播系统（CMACast）是全球对地观测广播系统（GEONETCast）框架下三大对地广播系统之一,在世界气象组织信息系统（WIS）和综合卫星数据分发服务系统(IGDDS)框架下,承担亚太地区气象数据广播分发的职责。随着气象业务的发展,广播系统数据量由180 GB/天增长至460 GB/天,在广播带宽资源有限而广播数据种类和大小各异的情况下,系统管理员越来越难以通过经验对广播通道参数调整以保持广播系统播发效率,造成部分通道数据播发时效下降严重,不能满足业务时效要求。通过对不同气象数据传输特性的定量分析,获得各类数据的精细化数据传输样本,在此基础上对各类数据广播通道参数进行科学、定量的计算和优化,使数据播发时效明显提升,应用到实际广播业务中效果明显。     

随钻测量、随钻测井与录井工具

摆动阀泥浆脉冲器本身可以产生较高频率的载波,成为高速泥浆脉冲传输的较好选择。由于工作时负载力矩复杂,影响因素众多,为电机输出特性研究带来较大困难。利用在井下工作时的动力学平衡方程,通过水循环实验方式测量得到摆动阀电机在最大转矩比电流控制方式下的位置角度和输出电流数据,进而计算井下工作时电机输出转矩和输出功率,并对其影响因素进行综合分析。结果表明,受惯性转矩、弹性转矩和动态水力转矩的影响,电机输出转矩在不同工作频段表现为不同特征;低频段时,电机输出转矩的变化幅度随载波频率的增大而减小,输出功率随载波频率的增大而缓慢增大;中低频段时,电机输出转矩和输出功率在该频段幅度变化较小,相对比较稳定;高频段时,电机输出转矩和输出功率均随频率的增大而快速增大。可以通过增大扭杆刚度系数和降低摆动阀转子轴系转动惯量的方式降低电机在高频段的输出,以保证电机在额定转矩和额定功率下可以控制摆动阀在井下实现高频快速的摆动,产生稳定高载波频率下的泥浆脉冲压力波形,实现高频载波的目的,为随钻测井数据的高速传输提供了保障。

     

区域产业布局优化及理论依据分析

目前关于产业布局的理论多强调其经济效益,在一定程度上忽视了环境效益和社会效益。从经济、社会与环境协调发展的角度对产业布局优化的内涵进行阐释,并论述实现区域产业布局优化的经济学、环境学及生态学理论依据。     

COMPARING TRADITIONAL METHODS FOR SELECTING CLASS INTERVALS ON CHOROPLETH MAPS*

The most common goal when classing data for choropleth maps is to create homogeneous classes which contain similar data values. None of the four traditional data classing methods examined here (quartile, equal interval, standard deviation, and natural breaks) consistently generalized the experimental data sets into homogeneous classes. These methods were most accurate for data sets with specific distributional characteristics, but none classed all of any type of distribution accurately. Only the optimization method produced reliable and accurate results for all of the experimental data.     

A Voronoi neighborhood-based search heuristic for distance/capacity constrained very large vehicle routing problems

Local search heuristics for very large-scale vehicle routing problems (VRPs) have made remarkable advances in recent years. However, few local search heuristics have focused on the use of the spatial neighborhood in Voronoi diagrams to improve local searches. Based on the concept of a k-ring shaped Voronoi neighbor, we propose a Voronoi spatial neighborhood-based search heuristic and algorithm to solve very large-scale VRPs. In this algorithm, k-ring Voronoi neighbors of a customer are limited to building and updating local routings, and rearranging local routings with improper links. This algorithm was evaluated using four sets of benchmark tests for 200–8683 customers. Solutions were compared with specific examples in the literature, such as the one-depot VRP. This algorithm produced better solutions than some of the best-known benchmark VRP solutions and requires less computational time. The algorithm outperformed previous methods used to solve very large-scale, real-world distance constrained capacitated VRP.     

粒子群神经网络混合模型在农用地分等中的应用

针对常规农用地分等模型因子权重计算存在人为干扰和神经网络模型自身优化过程中易陷入局部最优的情况,该文综合了BP神经网络非线性权重数据挖掘特性和粒子群的全局优化能力,建立了农用地分等计算的粒子群神经网络混合模型(PSO-BP网络模型),并应用于广东省揭西县农用地分等计算中,发现PSO-BP网络模型能避免定级因子权重确定的人为干扰,同时具有较高的优化效率,应用效果较好。     

Spatial variability and non-linearity of strong ground motion near a fault

We present observations of ground accelerations recorded at a small array close to the fault during the Düzce earthquake and its early aftershocks. The records show the strong spatial variability of ground acceleration over distances of only a few hundred metres. During the main shock, the peak horizontal acceleration values ranged from 0.3 to about 1.0 g at stations distant of 1.5 km only. We attribute this spatial variability to a fault zone site effect as peak ground acceleration steadily increases as the distance to the fault trace decreases. The spectral ratio between the ground motion recorded near the fault and the one outside the fault zone shows a shift of the spectral peak to lower frequencies with increasing peak accelerations. Such an observation suggests a non-linear behaviour of the fault zone due to the strong ground shaking. As much as a 45 per cent reduction in the shear wave velocity is necessary for the observed shifts. The opening of pre-existing cracks throughout the fault zone is the proposed mechanism to account for the observed shear wave reductions. The observation that elastic fault zone properties are soon recovered following episodes of large strains shows that cracks and fissures close rapidly after the strong shaking is over.     

基于缓解沙漠高速公路风沙危害的路基参数优化——以榆靖高速公路为例

在沙漠地区修筑高速公路时,风沙对公路路基的危害是公路安全和运营的最大影响因子之一。为了寻求最适合沙漠地区高速公路风沙危害最经济的理论路基断面形式,通过对榆（林）靖（边）沙漠高速公路各种路基实测数据应用数学模型进行定量分析,查明了影响路基沙害程度的主要参数,提出了减少路基沙害程度的设计理念,并对不同路基形式的沙害程度进行了比较,给出了路基沙害程度较小的路基断面形式及参数值。研究成果对今后在沙漠地区修筑高速公路设计及施工具有一定的指导意义。