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In this study, a modeling framework for population exposure to traffic-related PM2.5 with high spatiotemporal resolution is proposed and applied to the I-575/I-75 Northwest Corridor (NWC) in Atlanta, GA, for environmental equity analysis. The analyses retrieved trip data from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC) Activity-Based Model 2020 (ABM2020), after implementing path retention algorithms (Zhao, et al., 2019) to generate individual travel paths for more than 20 million predicted vehicle trips. Emission rates for each link were retrieved from MOVES-Matrix given the ABM link speed and facility type, the ARC’s county-level fleet composition data, and regional fuel properties and I&M program parameters. High-resolution downwind concentration profiles were predicted using EPA’s AERMOD microscale dispersion model with AERMET meteorology profiles for a huge array of receptors. Trip-end locations were derived from the ABM trip data, and the on-road trajectories for each person-trip (vehicle trace data) were derived from the travel paths through network. ABM synthetic household and person data were used in demographic assessment, and linked to representative household latitude and longitude locations in the Epsilon 2019 household demographic dataset. Individual exposure to traffic-related PM2.5 in time and space (average hourly concentration) was assessed by overlaying the second-by-second person location profiles (for 24 hours) against the hourly predicted PM2.5 concentration profiles. The analyses summarize the results across 16 demographic groups and the aggregate population exposure are compared to assess potential impact differences across demographics. High-income households in the corridor were exposed to less traffic-related air pollution as they tended to live further from the freeways. The analyses did not reveal large disproportionate negative impacts on low income groups along this specific corridor, but lager disproportionate negative impacts are expected elsewhere in the metro area due to the spatial clustering of income groups along other corridors. Overall, the research demonstrates the applicability of the modeling framework and describes how the various elements (e.g., link screening, dispersion modeling, path tracing, etc.) are optimized on the supercomputing cluster. View the NCST Project Webpage

The Distributional Equity Analysis (DEA) is an analytical framework that allows for the evaluation of the distributional equity of utility resource investments in combination with benefit-cost analysis. This guide serves as a resource for organizations to develop an engagement strategy for a DEA that is accessible, inclusive, and grounded in community interests. It is organized by the guiding principles of engagement for a DEA, summarized in the figure on the right, and offers a compendium of resources for further support and learning.

Catalyzed by how the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the structural inequalities at the root of stark racial and other social disparities in health outcomes, California H.R. 39 (2021) sought to “reduc[e] the unintended negative consequences of bills and [prevent] health and economic disparities” in policymaking by exploring methods to integrate equity considerations more formally into the state legislature’s daily activities. More specifically, H.R. 39 aims “to continue the Assembly’s commitment to investing in equity solutions and maximizing benefits for underserved and marginalized communities” by authorizing the exploration of adopting equity impact analysis into the existing committee hearing and floor action process – the public-facing portion of the legislative process during which legislators seriously consider proposed legislation. Through a review of literature about equity in policymaking and existing legislative equity analysis models and interviews with 10 local and state government staff implementing and/or supporting legislative equity impact assessments, this paper aims to provide information that will help evaluate the potential of, and potentially guide, the development of an equity analysis framework for state legislatures. In total, 14 state, county, and local governments have developed and implemented legislative equity analysis models that are included for analysis in this paper.

Using original data collected from a national survey, this research examines the perceptions of administrators in the functional areas of Admissions, Dean of Students, and Student Affairs regarding the use of criminal history questions in undergraduate admissions. We use a lens of equity mindedness to analyze whether administrators connect criminal history questions in admissions to inequalities of punishment, and find that administrators working for institutions that require disclosure overwhelmingly agree or somewhat agree with the practice.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the equity of nursing human resource allocation in Jiangxi Province, China, and forecast future trends in the next five years. Methods: We used the related data from the China Statistical Yearbook, China Health Statistics Yearbook, and Jiangxi Statistical Yearbook (2003–2022). The equity of nursing human resource allocation was evaluated using Lorenz curves, Gini coefficients, and Theil index, from the perspective of population and geographical area. Demands for nursing human resource in Jiangxi Province from 2023 to 2027 were forecasted using the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Grey (1,1) models. Results: From 2003 to 2022, all the key nursing human resource indicators continuously increased; the number of registered nurses in Jiangxi Province increased by 109,786, with an average annual growth rate of 7.80%. Registered nurses per 1,000 population rose by 2.21, while nurses per square kilometer increased by 0.66. Jiangxi Province has surpassed the national level in several nursing resource indicators, including registered nurses as a percentage of health technicians, registered nurses per square kilometer, and doctor-to-nurse ratio. Within the province, all indicators in cities are higher than those in county-level regions. Among the cities in Jiangxi Province, Ganzhou City had the highest number of registered nurses, Xinyu City led in the doctor-to-nurse ratio, and Nanchang City had the highest bed-to-nurse ratio. In 2022, the Gini coefficients for registered nurses in Jiangxi Province were 0.09 by population and 0.34 by geographical area, reflecting the allocation of registered nurses in Jiangxi Province is highly equitable by population but relatively equitable by geographical area. Forecasting results suggested that the number of registered nurses in Jiangxi Province will reach 170,100 by 2027, indicating continued growth and improvement in nursing resource allocation. Conclusions: Over the past two decades, the human nursing resources in Jiangxi Province have grown substantially. The absolute fairness of nurse human resources allocation by population highlights significant progress, although regional disparities persist. These findings provide a foundation for optimizing future nursing resource allocation to ensure equitable access to healthcare services.

Abstract A balanced and equitable bus network layout plays a crucial role in the efficient operation of cities. The layout of urban bus networks is influenced by various factors, including urban planning, population size, industrial distribution, and road network layout. Forming a comprehensive indicator system and analyzing the balance and fairness of bus network layouts are key research areas. This paper proposes a framework for quantitatively analyzing the balance and fairness of bus network services from the perspective of bus route service capacity (the maximum passenger transport capacity, the number of bus routes available for transfer, resource allocation), considering the spatial characteristics of urban road networks and surrounding facilities, and utilizing methods such as spatial accessibility and space syntax. A comprehensive index for quantitatively measuring bus routes was constructed. The results show that the comprehensive index values of Xiamen bus routes decrease from the inner island to the outer areas, reflecting a relatively balanced bus network layout in Xiamen. Combining the comprehensive index with various influencing factors, bus routes with high service fairness are characterized by concentrated layouts and dense nearby populations, while routes with scattered layouts and sparse nearby populations exhibit low service fairness. The research results provide fundamental data, theoretical and technical support for analyzing the balance and fairness of the bus network layout in Xiamen.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the current status and equity of older adult resource allocation in the 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) of mainland China, and to offer recommendations for the optimization of these allocations.MethodsFour key indicators, namely, the number of older adult institutions, employees, professionals, and beds in mainland China in the year 2020, were used and analyzed using various methods and tools, including agglomeration analysis, the Gini coefficient, and the Lorenz Curve. These methods were applied to evaluate the equity of older adult resource allocation across the different provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and regions of China, using two dimensions, namely, the geographical area and the older adult population.ResultsOverall, the number of older adult resource allocations was found to be increasing in China, while the number of employees with educational levels of junior college or above was relatively low and the population structure was aging. In terms of the equity of older adult resource allocation, the results showed that this was good according to the dimensions of the older adult population but was on the low side based on the dimension of geographical area, and the Gini coefficient of the western region, in particular, was in an alarming state. Different provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) were found to have an uneven allocation of resources for older adults, with large differences, with some areas having a serious under-allocation of resources, while others showed resource over-allocation.ConclusionWhile China’s allocation of older adult resources is relatively equitable, there is nevertheless a need to take into account recent changes in the older adult population and strengthen the construction of a reasonably structured, high-quality team of professionals and technicians, as well as consider factors such as geographical area and the older adult population, and rationally allocate older adult resources in the eastern, middle, and western regions, to achieve a balanced allocation in terms of equity and efficiency and enhance social capital, to better satisfy the demands for older adult services in older adults at multiple levels.

Background General practitioners (GPs) are gatekeepers of residents' health, the rational allocation of resources is the basic guarantee for achieving fairness in health services. At present, research on the allocation of GPs in China mainly focuses on the whole country and individual provinces, lack of research on the allocation of human resources for general practitioners in the western region as the research object. Objective To comprehensively evaluate the current situation of GPs resource allocation in western China from 2015 to 2020, provide a reference for optimizing the resources distribution of GPs in the western region of China. Methods The data for this study were derived from the China Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbook (2016-2017), the China Health Statistics Yearbook (2018-2022), and the China Statistical Yearbook (2016-2022). Using Atkinson index and location entropy to calculate and decompose the overall allocation of GPs resources in the western region. Using grey prediction model to predict the demand for GPs in the western region from 2022 to 2025. Results From 2015 to 2020, the number of GPs in the western region increased from 39 290 to 94 652, with an average annual growth rate of 19.23%. The Atkinson Index by population, economy, and geography in 2015 and 2020 respectively were 0.1265 and 0.049 3, 0.124 4 and 0.038 2, 0.786 5 and 0.694 4. The location entropy of population, economy, and geographical indicators in the western provinces in 2020 respectively ranged from 0.794 3 to 1.219 0, 0.697 0 to 1.337 3, and 0.043 2 to 7.7270. The location entropy of geographical allocation in the southwest region is greater than 1, while the location entropy of population allocation in the northwest region is better than geographical allocation.The location entropy of economic indicators in Gansu, Qinghai and Guangxi is greater than 1 during the research period.The grey model predicts that the resources of GPs in the western region will show an increasing trend from 2022 to 2025. Conciusion The allocation level of GPs in the western region is gradually improving, and the structure is gradually optimizing. However, there are still problems such as insufficient total quantity, uneven distribution, low registration rate, and poor fairness. Suggestions should be based on geographical classification as the standard, with the principle of "Adjust increment and optimize inventory", the goal of occupational attractiveness, and the guidance of resource integration and regional collaboration to further optimize the resource allocation of GPs in the western region.

Intermittent water supply (IWS) is a frequent operation approach in developing countries. A number of factors contribute to IWS, such as leakage and water shortage, leading to inequitable water distribution. A way to reduce the inequity in IWS systems is by planning or adapting the network for equitable water distribution, which requires software capable of describing IWS conditions, including not only pressurized flow but also free-surface. In this paper, a new index for equity analysis is presented and compared with the existing indices available in scientific literature. The comparison is based on the EPA-SWMM modelling framework and standard IWS operations, including pipe emptying and filling, have been considered. Results reveal that EPA-SWMM has great potential in simulating IWS systems, especially in the application for equity analyses, as it provides a more realistic description of the pipe filling and emptying operations compared to standard water distribution modelling software. Furthermore, a novel equation called volumetric coefficient was developed which has a significant advantage in identifying the nodes with a higher impact on network equity, and ensuring the fair distribution of supply along the distribution network, considering the relevance of nodal demand, which none of the other indexes in the literature were addressed. HIGHLIGHTS A novel equation was developed for calculating the supply equity in the network, named volumetric coefficient (VC).; The findings indicate that the VC has an advantage over other equations found in recent literature, on the analysis of equity in intermittent supply.; Simulation of flow patterns in the network during filling and emptying operations was analysed using EPA-SWMM.;

The use of two-dimensional images to teach students about three-dimensional molecules continues to be a prevalent issue in many classrooms. As affordable visualization technologies continue to advance, there has been an increasing interest to utilize novel technology, such as augmented reality (AR), in the development of molecular visualization tools. Existing evaluations of these visual--spatial learning tools focus primarily on student performance and attitude, with little attention toward potential inequity in student participation. Our study adds to the current literature on introducing molecular visualization technology in biochemistry classrooms by examining the potential inequity in a group activity mediated by AR technology. Adapting the participatory equity framework to our specific context, we view equity and inequity in terms of access to the technological conversational floor, a social space created when people enter technology-mediated joint endeavors. We explore three questions: What are the different ways students interact with an AR model of the potassium channel? What are salient patterns of participation that may signify inequity in classroom technology use? What is the interplay between group social dynamics and the introduction of AR technology in the context of a technology-mediated group activity? Pairing qualitative analysis with quantitative metrics, our mixed-methods approach produced a complex story of student participation in an AR-mediated group activity. The patterns of student participation showed that equity and inequity in an AR-mediated biochemistry group learning activity are fluid and multifaceted. It was observed that students who gave more explanations during group discussion also had more interactions with the AR model (i.e., they had greater access to the technological conversational floor), and their opinion of the AR model may have greater influence on how their group engage with the AR model. This study provides more nuanced ways of conceptualizing equity and inequity in biochemistry learning settings.

Background The "Healthy China 2030" strategy has put forward higher demands for the allocation of health human resources, and more regional studies on the evaluation of the equity of health human resources have been conducted in China, but there is no overview of multiple categories of health human resources in various medical institutions from a national perspective. Objective To describe the trend and equity of 12 categories of health care institutions and 5 categories of health human resources in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) nationwide from 2005-2021, so as to provide reference for the optimization of human resource allocation in various health institutions in the future. Methods National data on health human resources was collected from China Public Health Statistical Yearbook (2006-2012), China Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbook (2013-2017) and China's Hygiene and Health Statistical Yearbook (2018-2022), demographic and economic data was collected from China Statistical Yearbook (2006-2022). The average annual growth rate and concentration index were calculated by collecting the per capita occupancy of each health human resource in medical and health institutions in each province (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) of China from 2005 to 2021, and the equity analysis was conducted based on the level of economic development. Results The total number of health personnel in China continued to rise, with an average annual growth rate of 5.58%, with faster growth in rural areas at an average annual growth rate of 10.87%; the number of health personnel in community health service centers (stations) had the fastest growth rate (average annual growth rate of 18.05%), the number of personnel in health supervision offices grew at a lower rate (average annual growth rate of 0.18%), and the number of personnel in disease prevention and control centers showed a decreasing trend (average annual growth rate of -0.39%). Except for community health service centers (stations), the concentration index of the total number of health personnel in all types of medical institutions was

This study evaluates the spatial equity of the educational service provided in the urban areas of Manizales and Villamaría based on the hypothesis that there is inequity in the provision of this service. Methodology involves GIS-based territorial accessibility analysis using average travel times from a network of transport infrastructures as well as the geographical location of all formal education establishments. This methodology is designed to be applied on different locations around the world. As the main results, the areas with mixed values concerning educational provision are in the lower strata, which directly correlates with low spatial educational equity rates.

Introduction Antenatal care (ANC) interventions improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, access to ANC may be inequitable due to sociocultural, monetary and time factors. Examining drivers of ANC disparities may identify those amenable to policy change.Methods We conducted an ANC services equity analysis in selected public facilities in Geita, Tanzania, where most services are free to the end-user, and Atlantique, Benin, where every visit incurs user fees. Data on total ANC contacts, quality of care (QoC) indicators and wait times were collected from representative household surveys in the catchment of 40 clinics per country and were analysed by education and wealth. We used indices of inequality, concentration indices and Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions to determine the distribution, direction and magnitude of inequalities and their contributing factors. We assessed out-of-pocket expenses and the benefit incidence of government funding.Results ANC clients in both countries received less than the recommended minimum ANC contacts: 3.41 (95% CI 3.36 to 3.41) in Atlantique and 3.33 (95% CI 3.27 to 3.39) in Geita. Wealthier individuals had more ANC contacts than poorer ones at every education level in both countries; the wealthiest and most educated had two visits more than the poorest, least educated. In Atlantique, ANC attendees receive similar QoC regardless of socioeconomic status. In Geita, there are wide disparities in QoC received by education or wealth. In Atlantique, out-of-pocket expenses for the lowest wealth quintile are 2.7% of annual income compared with 0.8% for the highest, with user fees being the primary expense. In Geita, the values are 3.1% and 0.5%, respectively; transportation is the main expense.Conclusions Inequalities in total ANC visits favouring wealthier, more educated individuals were apparent in both countries. In Atlantique, reduction of user-fees could improve ANC access. In Geita, training and equipping healthcare staff could improve QoC. Community health services could mitigate access barriers.

ObjectiveTo analyze the equity of medical and health resource allocation in 12 cities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and to provide policy suggestions for further optimizing the allocation of medical and health resources.MethodsBased on two dimensions of geography and population， a comprehensive evaluation of the equity of medical and health resource allocation was conducted using location entropy， health resource density index （HRDI）， entropy-weighted TOPSIS method， and GIS spatial analysis.ResultsLocation entropy showed that the allocation of medical resources in each league city exceeded or approached 1 in the population dimension， but less than 1 in the geography dimension. HRDI revealed that the number of health institutions in Tongliao City was 8.3 times that of Alxa League； the number of beds， health technical personnel， practicing （assistant） physicians， and registered nurses in Wuhai City was 20.3 times， 18.2 times， 15.2 times， and 22.7 times that of Alxa League. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method showed that the top three weighted indicators were registered nurses （24.14%）， health technical personnel （22.63%）， and practicing （assistant） physicians （21.13%）. Allocation of medical resources in Hulunbuir City， Xilinguole League， and Alashan League was significantly inequitable； GIS spatial analysis showed that the equity of medical resource allocation exhibited a decreasing distribution pattern from the central region to the western and eastern regions.ConclusionThere is a significant disparity in the equity of medical and health resource allocation among various leagues and cities， with resource allocation in the population dimension being better than in the geographical dimension. Allocation of medical and health human resources should be strengthened.

As an on-demand mobility service, parking reservations can greatly alleviate the issue of parking challenges. There are currently three primary strategies for parking reservation: first-come-first-served, permit reservation, and auction. In contrast to the first-come-first-served and permit-reserved strategies, the auction strategy uses dynamic pricing to allocate parking supplies efficiently based on the auction, which attracts more scholars for the research. However, parking reservations based on the auction process may have an inequity issue because drivers' age, gender, income level, and location of residence fluctuate. This inequity may limit the growth of reserved parking by influencing parking drivers' acceptance of reserved parking. But currently, very few scholars focus on the issue of reserved parking equity, and even fewer measure this nebulous and personal issue. In consideration of this, the Lorenz curve of parking reservation and the vertical equity index of parking reservation are proposed in this paper along with the calculation method for the index, which enables the problem of reserved parking vertical equity to be visualized and made concrete. The numerical experimental method is used to analyze the vertical equity of drivers with varying income levels, utilizing the Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) auction process as an example. According to the research, loss-averse drivers are more than gain-neutral and gain-seeking drivers when the income levels of the drivers using reserved parking are the same. With the increasing number of high-income drivers involved in the parking reservation, medium to low-income drivers would lose their chances of successful reservations because of their uncompetitive bid price which leads to inequity issues when the number is less than the number of parking spaces. In contrast, the vertical equity index changes more for gain-seeking drivers while being generally steady when loss-averse and gain-neutral drivers participate. For instance, when the profit and loss coefficient is 3 and 15% of drivers with high-income levels use the parking reservation platform, the vertical equity index rises from 0.09128 to 0.45434. The reference price has a moderating influence on the vertical equity index when the number of driver participants at high-income levels remains constant. In general, within a reasonable range, the higher the reference price, the more equitable the parking reservation procedure and the lower the vertical equity index., Author(s): Rong Chen [1]; Ge Gao (corresponding author) [1]; Fahui Pan [1]; Shuo Liu [1]; Xinbo Mao [1] 1. Introduction The rate of urbanization has been accelerating as China's economy [...]

Purpose – This study aims to analyze the characteristics of respondents who donate, visit, or endow Bogor Waqf Forest and the influence of brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty, and perceived quality on the purchase intention of Bogor Waqf Forest. Methodology – The data obtained in this study were primary data from questionnaires with 136 respondents and secondary data from literature studies such as foundations, journals, books, and related articles. The methods used in this research are descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling–partial least squares (SEM-PLS). Findings – The results of this study show that brand loyalty and perceived quality have a positive and significant influence. Implications – Maintaining and increasing perceived quality and brand loyalty so that consumer loyalty and perceptions remain high and well maintained. Originality – This research is original in measuring brand equity analysis of intention to purchase a Bogor Waqf Forest.