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In Asian countries, including Japan, the rapid demolition and new construction of housing continues, causing demand for old housing stock to fall. Employing unit-level listing information obtained from a real estate portal in the Tokyo rental housing market, this study differentiates vacancies by time dimension and documents that old properties are likely to spend a long time on the market, exceeding several months. This low demand for old houses can be attributed to functional obsolescence (lack of contemporary housing amenities and services) and owner resignation (lack of adequate countermeasures to fill vacancies regardless of their effectiveness). Our results indicate that even in popular property segments and neighbourhoods at the macro level, low demand broadly arises among old houses and is not always socially inefficient. Moreover, accelerating early redevelopment may improve social welfare by avoiding older properties sitting on the market for long periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a methodology for optimization of service headway and stop spacing along a low-demand bus route that minimizes operator and user costs. This study develops analytical cost models that are representative of low-demand routes by using negative binomial distribution for passenger demand for boarding and alighting pattern to estimate the probability of stopping and both random and planned arrival of passengers are considered to estimate the waiting time. Pareto optimal solutions obtained using multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, NSGA-II indicate that optimal values of headway and stop spacing are underestimated if optimized based on assumptions typical of high-demand routes which is passenger demand for boarding and alighting at bus stops randomly following a Poisson process. With the aid of the study methodology, transit planners will be able to improve the service utilization and passenger accessibility along an under-performing low demand routes by recommending minimal modifications to the existing route and bus schedule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity consumption is a major part of the financial crisis. Mostly in India the poor earning people and moderate salary people play a vital role in the population. This paper studies the electricity consumption of 30 different states with daily unit consumption for nearly two years on the Covid-19 situation that is 17 months of time series data with 30 plus attributes including date, and state names in India. The time series data with daily basis electricity consumption on Mega unit basis. By Data Expansion and Attribute selection, the monthly data of two different countries were compared and produced certain results as average stability of the highest peak consumption, which leads to the highest demand for electricity. The minimal usage day with the lowest demand for electricity. The statistical method helps to achieve the mean value and variance value for consumption. This shows the stability of consumption long lasted from mid to end of the month. The weather also impacts the changes in the consumption of electricity. Finally, it results in the value for a variance from one state to another state consumption in the same month with low and high demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial globalisation has given issuers more freedom to carry out jurisdiction shopping. As a policy response, a growing number of stock markets have introduced the dual-class share structure to enhance global competitiveness. However, does the dual-class share structure help stock markets attract issuers? It is a question rarely examined empirically in existing scholarly work. This paper explores the practices of three jurisdictions with global financial centres, ie the US, China and Hong Kong, to narrow the research gap. Based on hand-collected data, it explains the infrequent listings with the dual-class share structure in China and Hong Kong in the post-reform era in two ways: low demand due to the use of substitutes; and limited allowance caused by the harsh ex ante regulation, and is the first comparative quantitative study in this field. Drawing on the empirical lessons, this paper recommends that China relax its ex ante regulation and suggests the wider community consider the necessity of introducing the dual-class share structure and the balance they aim to achieve between investor protection and market openness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Semi-flexible transit (SFT) service pattern coupled with real-time dynamic scheduling of passenger requests and dynamic route assignment of vehicles is considered as a cost-effective alternative to serving public transportation users in low demand conditions. Transit agencies tend to provide SFT by delivering it in-house by public transit agencies or contracting-out to private operators like transportation network-, taxi- or microtransit companies. Past studies focussing on economic issues in implementing SFT delivery models mostly used rudimentary information provided by transit agencies to quantify the operating cost, including budgetary inputs such as average annual maintenance, fuel, and administrative costs. These aggregate costs imply a uniform cost for SFT operation per unit time; however, the cost is subjected to change through spatial and temporal variations in demand and service. This study developed analytical disaggregate operating cost models that could account for marginal variations in cost due to the change in demand and service characteristics. Such model can assist policymakers while evaluating the economic feasibility of SFT delivery models. Rigorous and approximate operating cost models are developed for two competing service patterns: commonly adopted fixed-route bus transit (FRBT) and proposed SFT. Assuming in-house delivery of FRBT, SFT operating cost Eq.s are derived for two service delivery models, namely Contract-Out Taxi, and In-House Transit. Subsequently, these cost models are used to identify the critical passenger demand, where service patterns or delivery models could replace one another to minimize the total cost of operation. Study models can be used as part of a decision support tool to establish contracting, planning, and operating policies to optimize SFT operation subjected to required service quality. • Performed economic analysis of semi-flexible transit (SFT) for low-demand bus route. • SFT classified by delivery models include: in-house transit and contract-out taxi. • Operating cost models compare performance of SFT to fixed route bus transit (FRBT). • Cost models identify critical demand to switch between SFT and FRBT service patterns. • Methodology establishes contracting, planning, and operating policies for SFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 30% to 70% of products in retail and services experience low demand, including spare parts and components for nearly all types of machinery and equipment industries. A detailed analysis of stock forecasting methods for the low demand represents a research gap in inventory management. The existing clustering methods, that is, ABC analysis and XYZ analysis (based on coefficient of variation), do not allow identification of the consumption process dynamics and, therefore, cannot be used for the classification and improvement of forecasting models for stock consumption. This paper surveys special cases of inventory management with low demand. The results of one- and two-dimensional stock classifications are presented. The limitations of the economic order quantity (EOQ) model for inventory management strategies are determined. Methods of inventory parameter calculations for products with low demand are suggested. Integrated time series forecasting models, along with algorithms to estimate the inventory forecasting parameters, are proposed with regard to products with low demand. The basis for the suggested models is the following concept: all the available sources of quantitative and qualitative information should be used for managerial decision-making under uncertainty and risk. Calculations for time series with low demand are conducted for testing purposes. The obtained results confirm the adequateness of the suggested concept, aimed at solving the problem of cost reduction in supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medial penetration of the helical blade into the hip joint after fixation of trochanteric fractures using the proximal femur nail antirotation (PFN-A) is a potential failure mode. In low demand patients a blade exchange with cement augmentation may be an option if conversion to total hip arthroplasty is unfeasible to salvage the cut-through. This article describes a technique to avoid intraarticular cement leakage using a cement plug to close the defect in the femoral head caused by the cut-through. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tesla recently introduced its Powerwall line of batteries, aimed at a sector of housing with solar electricity installed. This paper considers the economics behind mass introduction of batteries in the housing sector in the UK from the perspective of peak demand management. Utilities use differential tariffs (such as the Economy 7 tariff on Southern Electric in the UK) to encourage more homogeneous loads. Given current costs of battery systems, this work considers the rates of return that may be possible by buying electricity from the grid in times of low demand, and reselling at peak demand from the perspective of an average UK household. We consider the regulatory framework that would have to be in place to make this feasible and look at the effect a mass uptake of battery technology would have on peak demand management in the UK scenario. Overall however, it is found to not be economically feasible at current prices without heavy government subsidies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efforts of providing attractive transport service to residents in sparse communities have previously focused on operating flexible transit services. This paper identifies a new category of transit policies, called demi-flexible operating policies, to fill the gap between flexible transit services and conventional fixed-route systems. The passenger cost function is defined as the performance measure of transit systems and the analytic work is performed based on a real-world flag-stop transit service, in which we compare its system performance with another two comparable systems, the fixed-route and flex-route services, at expected and unexpected demand levels in order to be closer to reality. In addition, the dynamic-station policy is introduced to assist the flex-route service to better deal with unexpectedly high demand. Experiments demonstrate the unique advantages of demi-flexible operating policies in providing affordable, efficient, and reliable transport service in low-demand operating environments and this work is helpful to optimize the unifying framework for designing public transit in suburban and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, demand rate and hazardous event frequency considerations which effect to the error on the SIL calculation will be discused. The various value of hazardous event frequency and demand rate will be evaluated in this paper. The result of this paper is when hazardous event frequency 10E- 06/year and PFD's safeguard 0.00002, with test interval 1 year, the SILs of low and high demand start showing different SIL at demand 5.1/year. At that point, engineer shouldn't use simplified formula for low demand, because it will provide different SIL target than simplified high demand formula or the original exponential formula. The required SIL targets are SIL 2 and SIL 1, for simplified low demand formula and simplified high demand formula, respectively. Therefore, it should be taken more attention and consideration for various value of hazardous event frequency with various demand rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The IEC 61508 standard provides guidance on when to use PFD (Probability of Failure on Demand) and when to use PFH (Dangerous Failure Frequency) as a measure for risk reduction of a Safety Instrumented System (SIS). The standard relates this choice to the demand rate on the SIS, referring to low demand and high demand systems. However, this distinction seems somewhat arbitrary. The paper considers the question of appropriate use of PFD and PFH measures. A new approximation is derived for the average PFD, and demonstrates how this depends on the rate of demands on the SIS, assuming that these demands also serve as a functional test. Further, the Hazard Rate, HR, i.e. the rate of demands on the SIS occurring when the SIS is failed, is considered. Also relations between the average PFD, PFH and HR are provided. The main results are obtained for a single non-redundant SIS, but are valid also with respect to common cause failures of a redundant SIS. More general approximations can be obtained, as is exemplified for the 1-out-of-2 voting configuration of a redundant SIS unit. It is argued that the new general expression for average PFD or HR should be applied as measures for risk reduction for both low and high demand systems; the PFH being most relevant for systems operating in so-called continuous mode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Inventory control systems used in practice are quite often modeling the lead-time demand by a normal distribution. This may result in considerable errors when the real demand is low and discrete. For such demand, it is usually better to use a discrete demand distribution. However, this will increase the computational effort. A natural question is under what circumstances a normal approximation is feasible. This paper analyzes this question in a numerical study. Our study indicates that a normal approximation works reasonably well when the average lead-time demand is something like 10 or higher and the coefficient of variation is bounded by something like 2. The normal approximation works better for a high backorder cost or, equivalently, a high service level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Public transit structure is traditionally designed to contain fixed bus routes and predetermined bus stations. This paper presents an alternative flexible-route transit system, in which each bus is allowed to travel across a predetermined area to serve passengers, while these bus service areas collectively form a hybrid “grand” structure that resembles hub-and-spoke and grid networks. We analyze the agency and user cost components of this proposed system in idealized square cities and seek the optimum network layout, service area of each bus, and bus headway, to minimize the total system cost. We compare the performance of the proposed transit system with those of comparable systems (e.g., fixed-route transit network and taxi service), and show how each system is advantageous under certain passenger demand levels. It is found out that under low-to-moderate demand levels, the proposed flexible-route system tends to have the lowest system cost. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The thrust of current UK government policy on housing design and location is to get more of the population to live in more urban, higher density, better quality developments on reused brownfield land. Such thinking has been influenced by wider European trends and in particular New Urbanism theories from the US. It has been argued, however, particularly from the perspective of mass house builders, that UK policies run counter to what the house buying public actually want and aspire to. Further, can such policies really succeed in urban areas where there is low demand for housing and large numbers of existing properties lie empty and abandoned? This paper begins to address some of these issues by reviewing existing literature in the field and through discussing the results of an empirical project undertaken for NewcastleGateshead Pathfinder Housing Market Renewal Partnership, looking at the nature of some of the qualitative drivers behind people's housing choice and what these might mean for future policy directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to describe the relations between low demand, cash flow problems, employee dismissals, and temporary leaves experienced by Romanian companies during the economic lockdown in the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Romania (16 March–16 May 2020). For this purpose, we conducted a quantitative study using descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses applied to data collected from company decision-makers. Our results show that demand for products/services and cash flow in companies has decreased significantly, the workforce being affected by dismissals and temporary leaves/furloughing. Additionally, the average linear revenue of companies has been decreasing due to insufficient cash flow, higher absenteeism of workers, customers having been affected, and the demand going down. Therefore, employee dismissals, employee temporary leaves (furlough), and dismissal intentions have been positively correlated with insufficient cash flow in companies and an extremely low demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]