Modelling columnarity of pyramidal cells in the human cerebral cortex

For modelling the location of pyramidal cells in the human cerebral cortex, we suggest a hierarchical point process in that exhibits anisotropy in the form of cylinders extending along the z-axis. The model consists first of a generalised shot noise Cox process for the xy-coordinates, providing cylindrical clusters, and next of a Markov random field model for the z-coordinates conditioned on the xy-coordinates, providing either repulsion, aggregation or both within specified areas of interaction. Several cases of these hierarchical point processes are fitted to two pyramidal cell data sets, and of these a final model allowing for both repulsion and attraction between the points seem adequate. We discuss how the final model relates to the so-called minicolumn hypothesis in neuroscience.     

Homosexual not Homogeneous: A Motivation-Based Typology of Gay Leisure Travelers Holidaying in Cape Town,South Africa

ABSTRACT

The gay traveler, a segment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) travel market, is perceived to be a homogeneous market segment as a result of the assumption that gay men have a unique “homosexual lifestyle.” This assumption is problematic as it conceals many other important variables, and it may hinder effective destination marketing. A Web-based electronic survey was completed by 469 gay male travelers, and attribute-based benefit segmentation was carried out by applying a hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward’s procedure with Euclidean distances. The typology is based on the push and pull framework; the motivations of travelers were assessed both in terms of their socio-psychological motivations and destination attributes of Cape Town. The typology empirically suggests that gay travelers are not homogeneous, and that sexuality influences the travel behavior of a minority of gay men. Consequently, not all gay travelers or activities by these travelers can be labeled as “gay” tourism.     

Strengthening urban community governance through geographical information systems and participation: An evaluation of my Google Map and service coordination

It is increasingly common for urban planners and local policymakers to adopt interactive technologies, such as geographical information systems (GISs), to inform their decision making and to enhance performance. This paper aimed to assess the role that interactive technology can play in enhancing urban governance to meet social needs by improving local organisations’ capacities, client access, and service effectiveness and responsiveness, as well as community building. Using the previous research framework on mapping community capacity developed by Brudney et al. (Community Development Journal, 2016, 52, 354) and Çöltekin et al. (Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 2009, 36, 5–17), we examined a simulated online interactive map for service provision in Hong Kong and interviewed around 20 local community organisations and 100 local residents about their user experience, their willingness to support its long-term adoption and their challenges. Our findings reveal that local residents find the interactive map helpful, particularly in improving service access, whereas local organisations are more reluctant to adopt such technology due to high maintenance costs. The implications of our study include the need to develop incentives to encourage technology adoption, to improve the capacity of local organisations and to establish better links between community organisations and local residents to identify sustainable financing (through crowdsourcing) for GIS applications to improve urban community governance.     

“结对竞赛”:城市基层治理创新的一种新机制

本文聚焦近年来在城市基层治理转型前沿发生的制度性变革，即基层政府的职能重心从传统的发展经济转向公共服务与社会治理领域，使得上级政府对其治理绩效难以清晰衡量，而更依赖于“印象政绩”的评估与考核。在此条件下，基层治理场域出现了一种上级“条条”部门与下级“块块”“结对竞赛”的新机制。“结对竞赛”有助于条块部门之间紧密合作，携手实现治理创新，克服以前的条块分割问题，以便向上级发送政绩信号；但与此同时也带来了一些负向激励，导致过度创新和成功的创新经验难以扩散到竞争性地区等问题。本研究结合A区民政部门推动“社区分析工具”创新实践的案例进一步呈现了“结对竞赛”的运作机制与组织逻辑，并与“晋升锦标赛”和“项目制”等传统治理机制进行了比较。     

公私合作模式对中国城市物流规划的借鉴

针对中国现阶段城市物流规划所出现的目标不明确,缺乏评价体系,盲目建设物流园区等问题,尝试将公私合作模式应用于城市物流规划是有效的解决途径之一,国外的城市物流项目规划与建设中,应用公私合作模式的具体表现形式不同,但都取得了良好的效果。中国的城市物流规划在借鉴公私合作模式时应结合自身情况,具体实现途径有:明确政府地位、物流涉及者共同参与、设置协调监督机制、搭建公共信息平台。     

Agrarian Transformation and Rural Diversity in Globalizing East Asia

Abstract: In East Asia the rural society is not a society based upon agricultural industry anymore and the peasant society with its long history has been disappearing. The occupation and income sources of rural inhabitants have diversified and among them those who specialized in farming are the minority. There is a shortage of rural labor, which used to be abundant in the past, and presently it is not as easy to hire the farm workers. The reason for the diversification of the rural occupations is, to put it simply, because people cannot live merely on farm income. Indeed the farm operation costs have become more expensive due to labor saving techniques, but the livelihood costs have become more expensive due the new uniform lifestyle standards from globalization. Electric machines and education are the typical of these increased costs. The background of this rural change is industrialization and urbanization in the context of globalization and its strong impact is penetrating into the rural society through the regional urban center as the relay point of the global mechanism. This change is different based upon the location of each rural society. Generally, rural societies around a big urban center enjoy opportunities for the younger generation, but remote areas have serious problems with few employment opportunities and a smaller youth population. To reproduce and sustain the regional society as a whole, it is necessary to attract younger people and make them stay. We should plan to develop a variety of industries and the resultant diversified work opportunities in the broader region beyond the narrowly demarcated village and community. Subsistence and commercial agriculture might merely be a part of such diversity.     

生态城市理论研究综述

:回顾了生态城市内涵认识的变迁,对国内外生态城市理论进展和生态城市建设实践进行了较为全面的总结,指出了这一领域研究存在的主要问题,并展望了生态城市理论发展的前景。     

Quantifying urban forest structure,function, and value: the Chicago Urban Forest Climate Project

This paper is a review of research in Chicago that linked analyses of vegetation structure with forest functions and values. During 1991, the regions trees removed an estimated 5575 metric tons of air pollutants, providing air cleansing worth 9.2 million. Each year they sequester an estimated 315 800 metric tons of carbon. Increasing tree cover 10% or planting about three trees per building lot saves annual heating and cooling costs by an estimated 50 to 90 per dwelling unit because of increased shade, lower summertime air temperatures, and reduced neighborhood wind speeds once the trees mature. The net present value of the services trees provide is estimated as 402 per planted tree. The present value of long-term benefits is more than twice the present value of costs.     

技术创新与产业集群系统演化

以复杂系统及其演化的一般规律为基础分析产业集群,指出它是一个演化复杂系统,进而从演化复杂系统模型将系统内部的各层次以及系统环境联系起来,既研究微观要素的学习与创新,又探讨由此诱发的整个产业集群系统结构和功能演进。     

簇群经济的持续发展与地方政府的作用--对陕西中小型锅炉企业群的案例分析

认为簇群是某一特定领域内互相联系的,在地理位置上集中的公司和机构的集合。它具有产业(链)的集中和地理的集聚双重特征。由于簇群内企业的特定关系,簇群也经常被视为一种介于企业与市场之间的中间组织。簇群的出现和发展是一种市场行为,但是在一定条件下,市场却无法实现簇群的持续演进,这时(地方)政府的积极介入可能是有益的。通过继而解析陕西锅炉企业簇群发展停滞的原因,提出合理的政府干预可以有效的提升簇群竞争力,诱发簇群内新一轮的制度演化,推动簇群向更高阶段迈进。