In this paper we present a novel hybrid algorithm, in which ideas from the genetic algorithm and the GRASP metaheuristic are cooperatively used and intertwined to dynamically adjust a key parameter of the corridor method, i.e., the corridor width, during the search process. In addition, a fine-tuning technique for the corridor method is then presented. The response surface methodology is employ...

Measuring the dispersal of wildlife through landscapes is notoriously difficult. Recently, the categorical least cost path algorithm that integrates population genetic data with species distribution models has been applied to reveal population connectivity. In this study, we use this method to identify the possible dispersal corridors of five plant species (Castanopsis tibetana, Schima superba,...

An overall objective of the REORIENT project is to develop a business case for a new rail service between the Nordic countries and countries in Centraland South Eastern Europe. We developed, conducted, and used information from a survey conducted by the REORIENT project among intermodal freight shippers in countries within the REORIENT Corridor to identify essential factors for attracting freig...

Corridors are frequently proposed to connect patches of habitat that have become isolated due to human-mediated alterations to the landscape. While it is understood that corridors can facilitate dispersal between patches, it remains unknown whether corridors can mitigate the negative genetic effects for entire communities modified by habitat fragmentation. These negative genetic effects, which ...

nowadays, using public transportation vehicles like metro in large cities are of significance, and exposure to whole-body vibration for the metro passengers is one of the physical contaminations. this paper is conducted with the aim of evaluating the passengers’ convenience and health both in sitting and standing conditions. the present study was done on the passengers of lines 1, 2, and 4 of t...

We study the Minimum-Length Corridor (MLC) problem. Given a rectangular boundary partitioned into rectilinear polygons, the objective is to find a corridor of least total length. A corridor is a set of line segments each of which must lie along the line segments that form the rectangular boundary and/or the boundary of the rectilinear polygons. The corridor is a tree, and must include at least ...

We consider the problem of designing hierarchical two layer ring networks. The top layer consists of a federal-ring which establishes connection between a number of node disjoint metro-rings in a bottom layer. The objective is to minimize the costs of links in the network, taking both the fixed link establishment costs and the link capacity costs into account. Hierarchical ring network design p...

These global economic trends tend to favor large metropolitan areas. For reasons of industrial clustering, human capital, and financial resources, metro areas have captured most of the jobs in the new economy. Between 1978 and 1997 employment in metro areas in the South increased by 63.7% while employment in nonmetro areas grew by only 28.9%. And in many nonmetro counties lower-paying jobs in s...