TOPSIS method for spherical fuzzy MAGDM based on cumulative prospect theory and combined weights and its application to residential location

Nowadays, how to choose a comfortable and relatively satisfactory residence is one of the multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) issues which people are paying more and more attention. However, since the inaccuracy and fuzziness of the information are given by decision makers (DMs) in practical decision-making and psychological factors of DMs should be considered in the decision-making process, this paper presents TOPSIS approach based on cumulative prospect theory (CPT) to deal with the MAGDM issues under the spherical fuzzy environment. Furthermore, considering the objective relationship between the attributes, the combined weights are used to get attribute weights in spherical fuzzy sets (SFSs). Finally, an example of residential location is introduced to prove the validity of our proposed approach by comparing with spherical fuzzy TOPSIS(SF-TOPSIS) method and spherical fuzzy WASPAS (SF-WASPAS) method.

Rental Location Choice Characteristics and Tendencies of Migrants in Guangzhou, China

The inner-urban residential location choice is a topic of continuing interest in urban geography. However, not much research has been done on migrants’ rental location choices. Based on data from a questionnaire completed by 276 migrant renters in Guangzhou, this paper analyzes the demographics and social class characteristics of migrants, and the condition and location of housing preferred by this population. The results show that the migrants in Guangzhou mainly rent in the Center Business District (CBD) area (Tianhe District) and Huangpu, Panyu and Haizhu districts. The main reason for this choice of location choices is the houses’ convenience to their workplaces. A second reason is that nearby subways make travel convenient, for consumption and daily life, for children to go to school, and for access to large shopping centers/malls.

The Neighborhood Effect on Keeping Non-Commuting Journeys within Compact and Sprawled Districts

The neighborhood effect on keeping non-commuting trips inside neighborhoods has not yet been investigated in developing countries. The modeling of non-commuting trips inside neighborhoods helps understand how to avoid unnecessary journeys by car into different parts of the city. This paper, therefore, attempts to clarify (1) the similarities and differences in the socioeconomic characteristics and the perceptions of people in sprawled and compact neighborhoods, (2) correlations between, on the one hand, the choice of destinations of non-commuting trips for shopping and entertainment activities and, on the other, the socioeconomic features, travel behavior, and perceptions of residents in the two large Pakistani cities of Lahore and Rawalpindi, (3) the similarities and differences in the determinants of non-commuting destinations inside neighborhoods in compact and sprawled districts. The paper develops four Binary Logistic (BL) regression models, with two models for each type of neighborhood. The findings show that trips to shopping areas inside compact districts are correlated with a sense of belonging to the neighborhood, frequency of public transport use, residential location, and mode choice of non-commuting trips to destinations both inside and outside the neighborhood. On the other hand, the number of non-commuting trips, mode choice for non-commuting trips outside the neighborhood, frequency of public transport use, the attractiveness of shops, and monthly income (please see the Note) are significant determinants for trips to the shopping area in sprawled districts. Age, gender, possession of a driver’s license, income, number of non-commuting trips, mode choice for non-commuting trips outside of the neighborhood, car ownership, and attractiveness of shops in a neighborhood are correlated with trips to entertainment locations inside the neighborhood in compact districts. Finally, the attractiveness of shops, quality of social and recreational facilities, a sense of belonging to a neighborhood, choice of residential location, gender, age, possession of a driver’s license, number of cars in the household, and income are determinants of trips to entertainment locations in sprawled districts. A chi-square test confirms the differences across gender, daily activity, monthly income, frequency of public transport use, residential location choice, and the quality of social and recreational facilities for sprawled and compact districts in Pakistan.

Preference Planning and Unsustainable Desires: A Hypothesis toward 'How' Contextual and Psychological Factors Influence Travel Attitudes through Qualitative and Quantitative Measures

<p>Counter to the prevailing view that sees travel attitudes as influencing neighbourhood location decisions, this dissertation sets out to examine if where individuals choose to live has an effect on travel attitudes. To achieve this, both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the relationship between travel attitudes, place attachment and length of tenure is performed. An association between place attachment and travel attitudes would suggest that travel attitudes, and subsequent travel behaviours, are a result of neighbourhood location considerations rather than an influencing factor on them. This too is the case for an association between length of tenure and travel attitudes. While previous research identifies associations between contextual physical factors or psychological factors and travel behaviour, how these factors exert their influence is relatively undefined. With the proposition of an association between travel attitudes, place attachment and length of tenure, an underlying mechanism to these previous associates is tested. Because place attachment occurs over time and after a decision has been made to reside in a particular neighbourhood, and likewise because length of tenure is time dependent, a connection between either of these factors and travel attitudes supports the hypothesis that travel attitudes may just as likely be a result of residential location choices as they are an influence on them. For this reason, both of these variables are referred to as post-decision reasoning factors and are perceived as the mechanisms through which decisions are justified after they have been made. While travel behaviour literature is currently focused on the role latent travel attitudes have on residential location choices, housing choice literature consistently finds travel attitudes or neighbourhood factors a distant second to dwelling considerations. Dwelling size versus price, housing quality, yard and overall house size all have a greater influence on residential location decisions. Even when neighbourhood considerations are made in addition to dwelling characteristic factors, travel attitudes again rank lower than school quality, perceived safety and even the image of the neighbourhood. This dissertation is placed to add clarity to the discrepancy between travel behaviour and housing choice literature. An initial pilot study examined the relation between liveability and density and guided this dissertation toward travel behaviour, neighbourhood location decisions and the important role of attitudes to these two domains. Typically travel behaviour is compared between two neighbourhood typologies. These are either conventional or traditional. The former reflects status-quo land development with long winding cul-de-sacs, separated uses, a lack of centeredness and low connectivity. The latter is more akin to neighbourhoods developed before the Second World War and have higher densities, mixed uses, and are generally directed towards pedestrians rather than the automobile. Two traditional and two conventional neighbourhoods from Canada and New Zealand were used as case studies for the main research. Three-hundred households in each of the four case studies received a survey that inquired about residents' preferences toward travel modes and neighbourhood types and included psychological variables used for the prediction of travel behaviour as well as typical socio-demographic variables and the two post-decision reasoning factors of place attachment and length of tenure. This survey was analysed using multiple regression to determine the influence of post-decision reasoning variables. In addition to this quantitative survey, an on-line qualitative survey assessed residents' opinions for what motivates their travel and neighbourhood location decisions. The relative discourse patterns that developed from the qualitative survey provide a context against which the quantitative findings are interpreted. This provides validation to the quantitative findings as well as a theoretically robust method to infer causation. Findings indicated that attitudes were not correlated to post-decision reasoning variables but that they may still have formed after a neighbourhood selection decision was made and not prior. Here an unanticipated correlation between perceived behavioural control and travel attitudes was observed. Likewise, another unanticipated result suggests a greater mismatch between travel preferences and behaviours than previous studies have found. While the focus in environmental psychology is on segmenting survey populations into personality cohorts, with the aim of tailoring policy to these subgroups, the findings from the present study suggest a greater concentration should be paid to the context within which diverse populations develop. Here, both the qualitative and quantitative results indicate that rather than attitudes informing environmentally supportive behaviours, such as travel behaviour, an individual's social and physical context may afford them opportunities to hold environmentally supportive attitudes instead of the other way around. While the vast majority of research within this field appears satisfied with correlating varying attitudes to positive environmental behaviour rather than explaining why these differences exist, the present study explores a hypothesis toward this rationalization. Here, post-decision reasoning provides a reliable explanation of travel behaviour and this understanding further informs how to more effectively engage with groups and individuals toward increased sustainable behaviour.</p>

Preference Planning and Unsustainable Desires: A Hypothesis toward 'How' Contextual and Psychological Factors Influence Travel Attitudes through Qualitative and Quantitative Measures

<p>Counter to the prevailing view that sees travel attitudes as influencing neighbourhood location decisions, this dissertation sets out to examine if where individuals choose to live has an effect on travel attitudes. To achieve this, both a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the relationship between travel attitudes, place attachment and length of tenure is performed. An association between place attachment and travel attitudes would suggest that travel attitudes, and subsequent travel behaviours, are a result of neighbourhood location considerations rather than an influencing factor on them. This too is the case for an association between length of tenure and travel attitudes. While previous research identifies associations between contextual physical factors or psychological factors and travel behaviour, how these factors exert their influence is relatively undefined. With the proposition of an association between travel attitudes, place attachment and length of tenure, an underlying mechanism to these previous associates is tested. Because place attachment occurs over time and after a decision has been made to reside in a particular neighbourhood, and likewise because length of tenure is time dependent, a connection between either of these factors and travel attitudes supports the hypothesis that travel attitudes may just as likely be a result of residential location choices as they are an influence on them. For this reason, both of these variables are referred to as post-decision reasoning factors and are perceived as the mechanisms through which decisions are justified after they have been made. While travel behaviour literature is currently focused on the role latent travel attitudes have on residential location choices, housing choice literature consistently finds travel attitudes or neighbourhood factors a distant second to dwelling considerations. Dwelling size versus price, housing quality, yard and overall house size all have a greater influence on residential location decisions. Even when neighbourhood considerations are made in addition to dwelling characteristic factors, travel attitudes again rank lower than school quality, perceived safety and even the image of the neighbourhood. This dissertation is placed to add clarity to the discrepancy between travel behaviour and housing choice literature. An initial pilot study examined the relation between liveability and density and guided this dissertation toward travel behaviour, neighbourhood location decisions and the important role of attitudes to these two domains. Typically travel behaviour is compared between two neighbourhood typologies. These are either conventional or traditional. The former reflects status-quo land development with long winding cul-de-sacs, separated uses, a lack of centeredness and low connectivity. The latter is more akin to neighbourhoods developed before the Second World War and have higher densities, mixed uses, and are generally directed towards pedestrians rather than the automobile. Two traditional and two conventional neighbourhoods from Canada and New Zealand were used as case studies for the main research. Three-hundred households in each of the four case studies received a survey that inquired about residents' preferences toward travel modes and neighbourhood types and included psychological variables used for the prediction of travel behaviour as well as typical socio-demographic variables and the two post-decision reasoning factors of place attachment and length of tenure. This survey was analysed using multiple regression to determine the influence of post-decision reasoning variables. In addition to this quantitative survey, an on-line qualitative survey assessed residents' opinions for what motivates their travel and neighbourhood location decisions. The relative discourse patterns that developed from the qualitative survey provide a context against which the quantitative findings are interpreted. This provides validation to the quantitative findings as well as a theoretically robust method to infer causation. Findings indicated that attitudes were not correlated to post-decision reasoning variables but that they may still have formed after a neighbourhood selection decision was made and not prior. Here an unanticipated correlation between perceived behavioural control and travel attitudes was observed. Likewise, another unanticipated result suggests a greater mismatch between travel preferences and behaviours than previous studies have found. While the focus in environmental psychology is on segmenting survey populations into personality cohorts, with the aim of tailoring policy to these subgroups, the findings from the present study suggest a greater concentration should be paid to the context within which diverse populations develop. Here, both the qualitative and quantitative results indicate that rather than attitudes informing environmentally supportive behaviours, such as travel behaviour, an individual's social and physical context may afford them opportunities to hold environmentally supportive attitudes instead of the other way around. While the vast majority of research within this field appears satisfied with correlating varying attitudes to positive environmental behaviour rather than explaining why these differences exist, the present study explores a hypothesis toward this rationalization. Here, post-decision reasoning provides a reliable explanation of travel behaviour and this understanding further informs how to more effectively engage with groups and individuals toward increased sustainable behaviour.</p>

Disparities in access to surgery for glioblastoma multiforme at high-volume Commission on Cancer–accredited hospitals in the United States

OBJECTIVE Although it has been shown that surgery for glioblastoma (GBM) at high-volume facilities (HVFs) may be associated with better postoperative outcomes, the use of such hospitals may not be equally distributed. The authors aimed to evaluate racial and socioeconomic differences in access to surgery for GBM at high-volume Commission on Cancer (CoC)–accredited hospitals. METHODS The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with GBM that was newly diagnosed between 2004 and 2015. Patients who received no surgical intervention or those who received surgical intervention at a site other than the reporting facility were excluded. Annual surgical case volume was calculated for each hospital, with volume ≥ 90th percentile defined as an HVF. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify patient-level predictors for undergoing surgery at an HVF. Furthermore, multiple subgroup analyses were performed to determine the adjusted odds ratio of the likelihood of undergoing surgery at an HVF in 2016 as compared to 2004 for each patient subpopulation (by age, race, sex, educational group, etc.). RESULTS A total of 51,859 patients were included, with 10.7% (n = 5562) undergoing surgery at an HVF. On multivariable analysis, Hispanic White patients (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.49–0.69, p < 0.001) were found to have significantly lower odds of undergoing surgery at an HVF (reference = non-Hispanic White). In addition, patients from a rural residential location (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.41–0.72, p < 0.001; reference = metropolitan); patients with nonprivate insurance status (Medicare [OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.71–0.86, p < 0.001], Medicaid [OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.60–0.78, p < 0001], other government insurance [OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52–0.86, p = 0.002], or who were uninsured [OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.51–0.72, p < 0.001]); and lower-income patients ($50,354–$63,332 [OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.63–0.74, p < 0.001], $40,227–$50,353 [OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76–0.92, p < 0.001]; reference = ≥ $63,333) were also found to be significantly associated with a lower likelihood of surgery at an HVF. Subgroup analyses revealed that elderly patients (age ≥ 65 years), both male and female patients and non-Hispanic White patients, and those with private insurance, Medicare, metropolitan residential location, median zip code–level household income in the first and second quartiles, and educational attainment in the first and third quartiles had increased odds of undergoing surgery at an HVF in 2016 compared to 2004 (all p ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, patients with other governmental insurance, patients with a rural residence, and those from a non-White racial category did not show a significant difference in odds of surgery at an HVF over time (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The present analysis from the National Cancer Database revealed significant disparities in access to surgery at an HVF for GBM within the United States. Furthermore, there was evidence that these racial and socioeconomic disparities may have widened between 2004 and 2016. The findings should assist health policy makers in the development of strategies for improving access to HVFs for racially and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

Residential location choice and its effects on travel satisfaction in a context of short-term transnational relocation

Temporary opportunities for studying and working abroad have been growing globally and intensifying the movement of highly skilled temporary populations. To attract this group, cities need to address their residential and mobility needs. This study focuses on factors influencing residential and travel satisfaction of transnational temporary residents, highlighting the occurrence of residential self-selection, its impacts on residential and travel choices and on derived levels of satisfaction. We have estimated a Bayesian Structural Equations Model and found that lower levels of residential satisfaction (residential dissonance) are associated with lower rents, living farther away from the place of study or work, and having higher transport expenditures. In contrast, higher levels of residential satisfaction (residential consonance) are related to individuals’ stronger preferences for active modes, lower levels of public transport use, and reduced transport monthly expenditures, which suggest shorter commuting distances. These findings reveal the tradeoffs involving residential location, monthly rent, and transport expenditures, highlighting that providing good public transport connections can reduce the burden of commuting distances. Our results indicate that better transport supply and land-use balance near the residence can improve both residential and travel satisfaction.