Publications by authors named "A K Cobb"
The use of transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, is widespread in many US cities, including those with good transit. However, transit use produces smaller externalities relative to private vehicles and is cheaper but can increase travel time. Here we compare the benefits and costs of real TNC trips in Chicago to a counterfactual in which they are performed by transit.
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- Patchy data on litter decomposition in wetlands limits understanding of carbon storage, prompting a global study involving over 180 wetlands across multiple countries and climates.
- The study found that freshwater wetlands and tidal marshes had more organic matter remaining after decay, indicating better potential for carbon preservation in these areas.
- Elevated temperatures positively affect the decomposition of resistant organic matter, with projections suggesting an increase in decay rates by 2050; however, the impact varies by ecosystem type and highlights the need to recognize both local and global factors influencing carbon storage.
Background: Non-Hispanic Black women have lower breast cancer incidence but twice the mortality of non-Hispanic White women. Recent data suggest that the overall survival difference may not be observed in older women. This study aims to determine overall survival in women aged ≥70 years with operable breast cancer by race and ethnicity and factors contributing to overall survival.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-yield atmospheric water capture via bioinspired material segregation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Transforming atmospheric water vapor into liquid can help provide water in dry areas for drinking, thermal management, and hydrogen production.
- Current methods are slow and rely on solid materials, while this new approach uses a liquid salt solution for capturing water, making the process more efficient.
- The proposed method utilizes a hydrogel membrane for rapid water capture, showing potential to supply enough water for two to three people per square meter in arid conditions.
We assess racial disparities in the service quality of app-based ride-hailing services, like Uber and Lyft, by simulating their operations in the city of Chicago using empirical data. To generate driver cancellation rate disparities consistent with controlled experiments (up to twice as large for Black riders as for White riders), we estimate that more than 3% of drivers discriminate by race. We find that the capabilities of ride-hailing technology to rapidly rematch after a cancellation and prioritize long-waiting customers heavily mitigates the effects of driver discrimination on rider wait times, reducing average discrimination-induced disparities to less than 1 min-an order of magnitude less than traditional taxis.
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