bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Quality of Life of Suburbanities: A Case Study of the Gdańsk Agglomeration
Authors: Masik Grzegorz
Published: December 2010

The Quality of Life of Suburbanities: A Case Study of the Gdańsk Agglomeration

The article explains the meaning of the concept of ‘quality of life’, placing emphasis on its subjective dimension. As the concept is more and more discussed in the literature, the author intends to examine the satisfaction within public spaces for which local government is responsible. According to research made in Canada it is worth measuring not only satisfaction as such but also the importance of its constituent dynamics. Therefore, a survey made in the suburbs of the Gdańsk agglomeration asked respondents about their satisfaction with public transport, roads, environment, etc., including questions about the relative importance of such issues. The combination of satisfaction and importance provide the overall quality of life. At the end of the paper the author considers if there is a chance to improve the quality of life through a brief analysis of local governments expenditure.
Implementation of TPA (Third Party Access) principle in Polish energy sector
Authors: Lech Aleksandra
Published: December 2010

The liberalization of energy sector in Poland is conducted according to the conclusions deriving from the criticism of the traditional theory of regulation – the TPA principle is an instrument enabling introducing competition in energy trade subsector. However, in spite of formal assurance that the right to change electricity supplier is granted to all recipients, only a small number of entitled entities exercise this privilege. It is only the group of big industrial buyers among whom growing interest to exercise the TPA principle can be observed. The barriers to changing electricity supplier include economic, technical and formal ones. Removing them in the future will result in the increase of competition scale in energy sector.
Creative products in international trade statistics
Authors: Wyszkowska-Kuna Joanna
Published: December 2010

The products generated by the “creative industries” consist of creative goods and creative services. The goal of this publication is to show that most creative products that are classified in international transactions as creative goods are, in fact, creative services embodied in goods. In practice it means that in international trade in creative products it is the service products that dominate and international trade in creative services is highly underestimated. Changes in international statistics relating to the methods of classifying trade transactions in goods and services are analyzed in the further part of this paper. The author of the study makes also an attempt to evaluate if these changes are aimed at increasing the inclusion of embodied services and services delivered electronically into the value of international trade in services.
Effect of admixture species on the growth of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in a plantation established using the Szymanski Method
Authors: Andrzejczyk Tadeusz , Głodowski Zbigniew
Published: December 2010

Wpływ gatunków domieszkowych na wzrost i pokrój dębu szypułkowego (Quercus roburL.) w uprawie założonej metodą Szymańskiego
Climate change and forest ecosystems: current climate policy
Authors: Kornatowska Bożena , Smogorzewska Małgorzata
Published: December 2010

Zmiany klimatu a ekosystemy leśne: aktualna polityka klimatyczna
Response of adult large pine weevils (Hylobius abietis L.) to neonicotinoids (chloronicotinyls) and fenylpirazoles insecticides
Authors: Malinowski Henryk
Published: December 2010

Reakcja chrząszczy szeliniaka sosnowca (Hylobius abietisL.) na insektycydy z grupy neonikotynoidów (chloronikotynyli) i fenylopirazoli
The effectiveness of biodiversity protection given by FSC and PEFC certification systems in the context of forest management in Poland
Authors: Referowska-Chodak Ewa
Published: December 2010

Ochrona różnorodności biologicznej w systemach certyfikacji FSC i PEFC a gospodarka leśna w Polsce
Sport beyond Moral Good and Evil
Authors: Kosiewicz Jerzy
Published: December 2010

Sport beyond Moral Good and Evil

Sport is - and should be - an amoral phenomenon (what should not be confused with an immoral one); that is, a phenomenon which is completely independent from ethics, except of, possibly, deontological ethics which concerns professionals who have professional obligations towards their employers and other persons who are provided with and influenced by their services.

Conduct according to rules of a given sport has no moral character. It has only pragmatic character, similarly as conduct in compliance with principles of the administrative code, the civil code or the penal code. Of course, when you act in accordance with rules of sports rivalry you can additionally realize also other aims - like, for example, aesthetic, spectacular or moral ones. However, in each case rules of the game and legal norms have priority, because they are the most important regulative determinant of conduct in various societies, including variously defined human teams. The above mentioned legal and sports regulations are not moral norms. They can, however, influence moral behaviours if they are in conflict with the law or rules of the game.

From that viewpoint moral norms are exterritorial in their relation to assumptions and rules of a particular sport. Contestants and people responsible for them - like, for example, coaches or sports officials - as well as their employers are neither required to account for their moral beliefs, nor for their moral behaviours, if only they act in compliance with rules of sports rivalry.
Should Philosophy of Sport Matter More?
Authors: Kretchmar R.
Published: December 2010

Should Philosophy of Sport Matter More?

While the philosophy of sport has registered significant gains in stature over the past 40 years, and while its future looks bright quite apart from any enhanced interventions by ourselves, I suggest that the philosophy of sport should still matter more. The achievement of this end, I argue, can be expedited by heeding Spinoza's philosophy of unity, Merleau-Ponty's emphasis on embodiment, and Dewey's focus on the aesthetics of experience. While other philosophers and their works might be used for the same purpose, I claim that it would be difficult to find three more accommodating allies. The major portion of the essay is devoted to defending this assertion.
Lost in Translation: Heidegger and Ski Jumping in Slovenia
Authors: Kreft Lev
Published: December 2010

Lost in Translation: Heidegger and Ski Jumping in Slovenia

Heidegger developed his non-concept Gelassenheit after World War II. Its meaning remains uncertain and controversial, something different from notions of everyday conversation. In Slovene, however, it has been translated as sproščenost, which is parallel to English ‘relaxedness’, thus producing hybridity between notions of relaxedness, relaxation and releasement, which is, together with letting-go, a proper English translation of Gelassenheit.

This hybridity was (ab)used for political slogans during the 2004 elections, when Heidegger's term was repeated on and on, until it entered popular discourse as well as other domains such as the economy, culture, and media. This phenomenon was examined by Boris Vezjak in The Relaxed Ideology of Slovenes (The Peace Institute, Ljubljana 2007). Relaxedness-releasement entered sport jargon as well, but Vezjak's book did not cover this field. At first abundant, this term more or less disappeared later. With one exception: in ski jumping, where it became one of the main words used to explain what was missing from Slovenian ski jumping during 2004-2009 period. In Slovenia, ski jumping is a national sport, and the absence of excellence during this long period created additional pressures on athletes and the whole ski jumping commonwealth.

To examine the numerous cases where releasement was used to explain what is wrong with ski jumpers, or what they finally achieved in rare examples of success during that period, the only Slovene sport daily, "Ekipa" (The Team), was consulted for research. This study revealed that releasement was indeed lost in translation, appearing in ads as a signifier without any certain signified, and functioning as a je-ne-sais-quoi of sport performance and excellence. Through cases of repeated use of releasement as mystical and at the same time scientific (instead of relaxation) and colloquial notion (which is relaxedness, even carelessness), we get at inoculation of kinesiological mechanicism and psychological technique with philosophical mysticism.
Analyzing Body Values in the Context of Postmodern Youth Education. A Comparative Study Between Italy, Latvia and Romania
Authors: Isidori Emanuele , Abele Agita , Sandor Josif , Ganea Ioan , Taddei Francesco , Maulini Claudia
Published: December 2010

Analyzing Body Values in the Context of Postmodern Youth Education. A Comparative Study Between Italy, Latvia and Romania

Nowadays, research on the body and the values it embodies is considered fundamental in the research field of sport studies. There is a correlation between the choice of values preferred by youth and changes taking place in contemporary society. The postmodern society is a society in which body values prevail over all other ones; the type of body values dominant in a capitalist society are mostly those which are connected to the hedonistic, esthetic and emotional dimension of the body itself.

Starting from this background, this study aims to draw the hierarchy of body values, focusing on sport sciences students at Italian, Latvian and Romanian universities, who will be future educators and professionals of body care and well-being in the European society, in order to understand their preferences and the possible cultural differences that can emerge from the three societies.

To carry out the research, a randomized sample of 300 subjects - female and male students (100 per country) - attending first-, second- and third-year sport sciences courses at the University of Rome "Foro Italico", the Latvian Academy of Sport Education in Riga, and Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca were selected.

The students' values hierarchy was obtained through a Likert-scale-based questionnaire adapted and translated into Italian, Latvian and Romanian. The aim of the questionnaire was to detect the level of agreeability or disagreeability shown by each student when presented with words regarding 10 main body values models: biological body; ecological body; instrumental body; dynamic/sporting body, emotional/social body; ethical body; esthetical body; religious body; intellectual body; pleasure body.

The data obtained were statistically processed and compared. The results showed that the hierarchy of body values in young students of sports sciences is broadly in line with those of postmodern society and education, and that there are differences in the perception of values among students due to cultural differences and the traditions of the societies in which they live. The research also highlighted the need to develop a more effective moral education, one that focuses on ethics, in the curricula of the three universities studied.
Elite Sport and Leisure Sport in Hungary: The Double Trouble
Authors: Gál Andrea
Published: December 2010

Elite Sport and Leisure Sport in Hungary: The Double Trouble

The main purpose of this study is to give insight into the current status of two big areas of sport in Hungary: elite sport and leisure sport. As the expression ‘double trouble’ in the title indicates, in Hungary there are several problems in both areas.

Hungary is a small country, but its Olympic teams were traditionally very successful in the Games. However, at the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, Hungarian athletes performed below expectations, winning only three gold medals. The sport's political leaders and the public were very disappointed, therefore many experts tried to analyse the main reasons for the failure. They suggested that there were four problems in the background: the continuous disintegration of the sport clubs system; the low prestige of coaches and professionals working in sport; insufficient financial support and its inadequate timing; and the deficiency of sports science and its health care background. The second trouble concerns the sporting habits of Hungarian society. The country has faced the same problem for many decades: only a very low percentage of the Hungarian population takes part regularly in leisure sport programs. The latest empirical research shows that more than 60% of Hungarians do not do sports with suitable regularity. In comparing previous research results, there are a few changes among Hungarians according to gender, age and status of residence.

How can this double trouble be resolved, or at least, how could both areas be somewhat improved? In Hungary, it is not really an easy task.
Importance and Limitations of the Leicester Group Theory towards the Comprehension of Delinquent Behaviour of Ultra Groups of Oporto
Authors: Seabra Daniel
Published: December 2010

Importance and Limitations of the Leicester Group Theory towards the Comprehension of Delinquent Behaviour of Ultra Groups of Oporto

With this paper and the communication that will be presented, I will produce the results of an investigation about four Ultra groups that support the top three football clubs of Oporto, known in Portugal as claques. I intend to state the main reasons that allow me to consider the Leicester Group theory the best in order to understand the hooliganism and delinquent behaviour of some members of Ultra groups in Oporto. The main points of the theory will be compared with the corresponding empirical data that confirms it. There are 47 neighbourhoods in Oporto, which makes it the Portuguese city with the greatest number of these neighbourhoods. More than 20,000 people - 20% of the population of Oporto - live in this type of well-identified territory in urban space. Quantitative and qualitative data, obtained through participant observation, interviews, life stories and inquiry by questionnaire, reveal the presence of a social configuration that the Leicester Group proposes in order to explain football hooliganism. This data also allows me to confirm that delinquent behaviour and some violence that could be observed in a football context can be seen as a social reproduction of a delinquent course already present in everyday life. The limitations of the Leicester Group theory will also be considered. This investigation has found that these supporters have a strong sense of belonging to their community and to their city, which is also symbolically reproduced in football stadiums. Finally, I will propose the concept of social experience as an adequate concept to study this kind of social phenomenon.
Conceptions And Interpretations of Human Rights in Europe and Asia: Normative Aspects
Authors: Drzewicka Bożena
Published: December 2010

Conceptions And Interpretations of Human Rights in Europe and Asia: Normative Aspects

The issue of confronting values between civilizations has become very important. It influences not only the level of international politics but also the international normative activity. It is very interesting for the modern international law and its doctrine. The most important factor of causing huge changes in the system of international law is still the international human rights protection and the international humanitarian law which is related to it. It is very difficult to create one catalogue of executive instruments and procedures but it is possible to influence the attitude toward the basic paradigms. The frictions appear from time to time and move to other planes. The West and Asia are still antagonists in the dialogue on the future of the world. The article is a contribution to the intercivilizational dialogue.
La procreazione medicalmente assistita tra diritti e doveri della coppia
Authors: Helzel Paola
Published: December 2010

La procreazione medicalmente assistita tra diritti e doveri della coppia
Polish Catholic Church -Ecumenical Contexts
Authors: Sawa-Czajka Elżbieta , Michalski Mirosław
Published: December 2010

Polish Catholic Church -Ecumenical Contexts

Polish Catholic Church operates in its parishes as well as ecumenical cooperation with other Catholic Churches. Moreover, there is also an important ecumenical dialogue conducted with the Roman Catholic Church. Polish Catholic Church is also active in the Polish Ecumenical Council.
Two Prayers for the Sick from the Euchology of Sinai
Authors: Mrňávek Tomáš
Published: December 2010

Two Prayers for the Sick from the Euchology of Sinai

The present publication offers 2 prayers out of the 50 related to sick persons and contained in the Euchologium Sinaiticum Slavicum (a manuscript from the 10th/11th century). These texts, concerning mainly psychological pathologies, have not yet been properly studied, albeit they embody a peculiar importance both for the understanding of illnesses in ancient Christian communities and for the way how they were treated in those days. This work, thus, presents first the prayers in their Old Slavonic version accompanied by the Greek version. We thought it opportune to add a Czech translation with basic references to the New Testament; a short commentary touching upon cultural and social milieux envisaged by the texts will then follow.
Discrete Spherical Harmonic Transforms for Equiangular Grids of Spatial and Spectral Data
Authors: Blais J.
Published: December 2010

Discrete Spherical Harmonic Transforms for Equiangular Grids of Spatial and Spectral Data

Spherical Harmonic Transforms (SHTs) which are non-commutative Fourier transforms on the sphere are critical in global geopotential and related applications. Among the best known global strategies for discrete SHTs of band-limited spherical functions are Chebychev quadratures and least squares for equiangular grids. With proper numerical preconditioning, independent of latitude, reliable analysis and synthesis results for degrees and orders over 3800 in double precision arithmetic have been achieved and explicitly demonstrated using white noise simulations. The SHT synthesis and analysis can easily be modified for the ordinary Fourier transform of the data matrix and the mathematical situation is illustrated in a new functional diagram. Numerical analysis has shown very little differences in the numerical conditioning and computational efforts required when working with the two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transform of the data matrix. This can be interpreted as the spectral form of the discrete SHT which can be useful in multiresolution and other applications. Numerical results corresponding to the latest Earth Geopotential Model EGM 2008 of maximum degree and order 2190 are included with some discussion of the implications when working with such spectral sequences of fast decreasing magnitude.
The Integration of TLS and Continuous GPS to Study Landslide Deformation: A Case Study in Puerto Rico
Authors: Wang G. , Philips D. , Joyce J. , Rivera F.
Published: December 2010

The Integration of TLS and Continuous GPS to Study Landslide Deformation: A Case Study in Puerto Rico

Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies provide comprehensive information on ground surface deformation in both spatial and temporal domains. These two data sets are critical inputs for geometric and kinematic modeling of landslides. This paper demonstrates an integrated approach in the application of TLS and continuous GPS (CGPS) data sets to the study of an active landslide on a steep mountain slope in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico. Major displacements of this landslide in 2004 and 2005 caused the closing of one of three remaining access roads to the national forest. A retaining wall was constructed in 2009 to restrain the landslide and allow the road reopen. However, renewed displacements of the landslide in the first half of 2010 resulted in deformation and the eventual rupture of the retaining wall. Continuous GPS monitoring and two TLS campaigns were performed on the lower portion of the landslide over a three-month period from May to August 2010. The TLS data sets identified the limits and total volume of themoving mass, while the GPS data quantified the magnitude and direction of the displacements. A continuous heavy rainfall in late July 2010 triggered a rapid 2-3 meter displacement of the landslide that finally ruptured the retaining wall. The displacement time series of the rapid displacement is modeled using a fling-step pulse from which precise velocity and acceleration time series of the displacement are derived. The data acquired in this study have demonstrated the effectiveness and power of the integrating TLS and continuous GPS techniques for landslide studies.
Orientation of the Geometrically Best fitting Triaxial Lunar Ellipsoid with Respect to the Mean Earth/Polar Axis Reference Frame
Authors: Iz H. , Shum C. , Ding X. , Dai C.
Published: December 2010

Orientation of the Geometrically Best fitting Triaxial Lunar Ellipsoid with Respect to the Mean Earth/Polar Axis Reference Frame

This study provides new estimates for the orientation of a geometrically best fitting lunar triaxial ellipsoid with respect to the mean Earth/polar axis reference frame calculated from the footprint positions of the Chang'E-1 (CE-1), SELenological and ENgineering Explorer (SELENE) laser altimetry measurements and Unified Lunar Control Networks 2005, (ULCN 2005) station coordinates. The semi-principal axes of the triaxial ellipsoid and the coordinates of its geometric center are also calculated simultaneously. All the estimated parameters from all three data sets are found to be consistent. In particular, the RMS differences of the semi-principal axes of the triaxial ellipsoids and the locations of their geometric centers from solutions with and without modeling Euler angles (orientation of the triaxial ellipsoid) using uniformly distributed laser altimetry (LAL) footprints are 29 and 31 m respectively. The misclosures of all the solutions indicate a better fit for the triaxial ellipsoid to the footprint and station coordinates if the Euler angles are included in the models.
Extremal dynamic errors in linear dynamic systems
Authors: Górecki H. , Zaczyk M.
Published: December 2010

Extremal dynamic errors in linear dynamic systems

Two different analytical methods of determining extremal dynamic errors in linear dynamic systems are presented. The main idea of these methods is based on finding certain additional equations. These additional equations are obtained due to the assumption that an extremal point τ obtained from the necessary condition , is also an extremum point with respect to initial conditions, that is, .
Visual data analysis with computational intelligence methods
Authors: Kruse R. , Steinbrecher M.
Published: December 2010

Visual data analysis with computational intelligence methods

Visual data analysis is an appealing and increasing field of application. We present two related visual analysis approaches that allow for the visualization of graphical model parameters and time-dependent association rules. When the graphical model is defined over purely nominal attributes, its local structure can be interpreted as an association rule. Such association rules comprise one of the most prominent and wide-spread analysis techniques for pattern detection, however, there are only few visualization methods. We introduce an alternative visual representation that also incorporates time since patterns are likely to change over time when the underlying data was collected from real-world processes. We apply the technique to both an artificial and a complex real-life dataset and show that the combined automatic and visual approach gives more and faster insight into the data than a fully-automatic approach only. Thus, our proposed method is capable of reducing considerably the analysis time.
Negative refraction of photonic and polaritonic waves in periodic structures
Authors: Kempa K. , Rose A.
Published: December 2010

Negative refraction of photonic and polaritonic waves in periodic structures

Negative refraction can be achieved in photonic crystals. We briefly summarize recent studies in this field, and show that such effects are also possible in polaritonic and plasmonic structures, such as the dipole crystal. We propose a practical realization of this crystal, a periodic lattice of dielectric spheres. We study its mode structure, and preliminary results demonstrate the negative refraction on a polaritonic band.
On job models in power management problems
Authors: Różycki R. , Węglarz J.
Published: December 2010

On job models in power management problems

In the paper a model of job processing is presented where processing speed is related to the amount of power allotted to this job at a moment. Basic time-optimal results are showed assuming that energy is treated as a scarce doubly-constrained resource in a computer system. The proposed approach is applicable to the practical power management problems appearing in modern portable device systems.
The Revolt against Americanism: Cultural Pluralism and Cultural Relativism as an Ideology of Liberation
Authors: MATTHEWS F. H.
Published: December 2010

One of the more important tasks facing the intellectual historian is to chart the changing meaning of "liberalism" from 1900 to the present and to understand the transition in American thought from the tradition of 18th and 19th century individualism to the modified organi­cism of the mid 20th century. Until the 20th century most Americans took for granted the "Lockean" postulate of government as a rational compact between free and equal individuals. The liberal model of an active human nature, oriented toward goals formulated in the present and realizable in a better future, seemed natural and inevitable.1
Samuel Beckett and the Radiophonic Body: Beckett and the BBC
Authors: Porter Jeff
Published: December 2010

This essay examines the radiophonic body in Beckett's All That Fall. All of Beckett's plays focus on the body, with an intensity unprecedented in the history of the stage. Typically filled with down-and-out characters who exist in a state of lack or negativity, Beckett's theatre explores the defects of man and woman as a spectacle of ruin. This essay endeavours to rethink the body in Beckett's drama in light of his first radio play. Like his earlier work, All That Fall reflects the familiar modernist constants of sterility, paralysis, decay, and death. But unlike anything Beckett had written before, this radio play gives his negativist philosophy an unusual twist, particularly in its representation of female subjectivity. By pushing the acoustic possibilities of radio, Beckett endows his protagonist, Maddy Rooney, with surprising presence. That Beckett should allow one of his characters such fullness of being is unexpected, especially in light of his radical minimalism, and suggests how writing for radio altered, even if only temporarily, the ontological parameters of his theatre.
Seriousness Redeemed by Frivolity: Ayckbourn's Intimate Exchanges
Authors: Dukore Bernard F.
Published: December 2010

The comic and theatrical characteristics of Alan Ayckbourn's plays, which have enjoyed widespread commercial success, are integral to their underlying seriousness. Not only do these qualities embody themes, ideas, character relationships, and social attitudes; their very frivolity enables us to consider their seriousness in ways we would not otherwise do. What is fun about them enriches what is other than fun. Furthermore, it is in the theatre that his plays “work”; that is, function at their best. “Seriousness Redeemed by Frivolity” focuses on Intimate Exchanges, a major Ayckbourn comedy that is his largest and most substantial endeavour: eight plays, each with two final scenes. Both despite and because of its comedy and ingenious theatricality, it is very dark. When a male character dies the scene is funny, as it is when a female character has a mental breakdown. When a writer expends the effort on so sizeable a project and invites audiences to see its components on several days to enjoy variations that derive from different choices characters make at the end of a given scene, he reveals, intentionally or not, a great deal about his art. Apart from its length, Intimate Exchanges is intrinsically important and a remarkable accomplishment.
Slouching towards Raftery's Hill: The Devolving Patriarch in Marina Carr's Midlands Plays
Authors: Doyle Maria
Published: December 2010

This essay sets out to re-evaluate the critical focus on Marina Carr as a writer with primarily female-centred concerns by examining her development of the figure of the destructive patriarch. The argument links Carr's vision of masculinity and communal insularity to the seminal presentation of these issues in John B. Keane's The Field and places particular emphasis on how earlier father figures in Carr's plays evolve into the central character of On Raftery's Hill.
The Difference a Smile Can Make: Interracial Conflict and Cross-Racial Performance inKimchee and Chitlins
Authors: Kim Ju Yon
Published: December 2010

The lengthy 1990 boycott of the Family Red Apple Grocery in New York City and the 1992 Los Angeles riots have come to exemplify the so-called Black–Korean conflict of the late 1980s and early 1990s in the United States. The numerous accounts of antagonistic relations between black customers and Korean American merchants in inner-city neighbourhoods that circulated during and after these events evinced a recurrent interest in the role that the daily conduct of store owners and employees may have played in aggravating the communities in which they ran their businesses. Focusing on ostensibly trivial behaviours such as making eye contact and giving change, media depictions of these tensions tended to assume and perpetuate notions of a fundamental “culture clash” between African Americans and recent Korean immigrants. Offering a pointed rejoinder to mainstream media accounts of the 1990 boycott, Elizabeth Wong's play Kimchee and Chitlins tests, instead, the possibilities of cross-racial performance for representing and reconciling, and thus doubly “mediating,” these disputes. Exploring the implications of assuming the gestures, mannerisms, and speech of those positioned as other, the play grapples with the risks and limitations of such re-enactments, even as it imagines that traversing racial boundaries and mixing theatrical and journalistic conventions might elucidate the complex entanglements of habitual behaviours and habituated perceptions that inform both interracial tensions and their public narration.
Integration of Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide Distresses with Local Performance Indices
Authors: Schram Scott A. , Abdelrahman Magdy
Published: December 2010

The pavement management system (PMS) is the organizational entity within a state highway agency responsible for the condition of the pavement network. Visual distress surveys are typically combined into an index to provide an overall measure of performance. Decision makers use these familiar indices in a number of facets. A recent survey suggests every state highway agency has implemented or plans to implement the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). As they do so, maintaining the role these local indices play is critical for upholding the system's continuity. However, using the MEPDG output directly in calculating performance indices becomes problematic because local distresses and MEPDG distresses are not always congruent. Therefore, there is a need to develop procedures for calculating local performance indices with locally calibrated MEPDG output. Doing so will allow interchangeable use of both while preserving the role of the local indices. The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) PMS serves as a model case. NDOR employs three indices in network-level PMS analyses for flexible pavements. MEPDG flexible distress models were calibrated by using local agency data and input into the existing index functions. This paper explores how the current measures of network condition used in decision making can coexist with the new design methodology. This connection allows mechanistic–empirical analyses of fund allocation, needs estimations, performance modeling, planning, and remaining service life. In addition, local indices can provide much more meaningful failure criteria in the MEPDG to local designers. Practical methods for index calculations are introduced. Detailed guidance for local calibration is also presented.
Pavement Performance Modeling Using Piecewise Approximation
Authors: Li Jianhua , Luhr David R. , Uhlmeyer Jeff S.
Published: December 2010

A successful pavement management system requires an accurate pavement performance prediction model. A novel pavement performance model using the piecewise approximation approach was developed to estimate the pavement serviceable life. It can be broadly applied to estimate pavement performance of any distress types or indexes. The basic theory of the piecewise approximation is to divide the whole pavement serviceable life into three zones: Zone 1 for early age pavement distress, Zone 2 in rehabilitation stage, and Zone 3 for overdistressed situations. Historical pavement performance data are regressed independently in each time zone. This approach can accurately predict pavement distress progression trends in each individual zone by eliminating possible impacts from biased data in other zones. This paper describes the theoretical piecewise approximation process of data classification and model regression and then demonstrates an implementation for a group of Washington State Department of Transportation asphalt concrete pavements. The results are compared with the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide incremental damage approach, the current Washington State Pavement Management System (WSPMS) exponential model, and ordinary regression on all data points. Results indicate that the proposed approach is able to estimate the most accurate rehabilitation due year and to predict the performance trends for each divided zone. The piecewise approximation approach is planned for implementation into the WSPMS and will play an important role in decision making for future pavement rehabilitations.
Use of Pavement Management Information System for Verification of Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide Performance Predictions
Authors: Kim Sunghwan , Ceylan Halil , Gopalakrishnan Kasthurirangan , Smadi Omar
Published: December 2010

The performance models used in the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) are nationally calibrated with design inputs and performance data obtained primarily from the national Long-Term Pavement Performance database. It is necessary to verify and calibrate MEPDG performance models for local highway agencies’ implementation by taking into account local materials, traffic information, and environmental conditions. This paper discusses the existing pavement management information system (PMIS) with respect to the MEPDG and the accuracy of the nationally calibrated MEPDG prediction models for Iowa highway conditions. All the available PMIS data for Interstate and primary road systems in Iowa were retrieved from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) PMIS. The retrieved databases were then compared and evaluated with respect to the input requirements and outputs for Version 1.0 of the MEPDG software. Using Iowa DOT's comprehensive PMIS database, researchers selected 16 types of pavement sections across Iowa (not used for national calibration in the NCHRP 1-37A study). A database of MEPDG inputs and the actual pavement performance measures for the selected pavement sites were prepared for verification. The accuracy of the MEPDG performance models for Iowa conditions was statistically evaluated. The verification testing showed promising results in terms of MEPDG's performance prediction accuracy for Iowa conditions. Recalibrating the MEPDG performance models for Iowa conditions is recommended to improve the accuracy of pavement performance predictions.
Developing an Overall Combined Condition Index for Pervious Concrete Pavements Using a Specific Panel Rating Method
Authors: Golroo Amir , Tighe Susan L.
Published: December 2010

Pervious concrete pavement (PCP) has the potential to provide significant sustainability benefits. To understand better the significance of PCP, its performance should be evaluated comprehensively throughout its service life. Because PCP performance has not been investigated thoroughly, no condition indices have been developed for it. This paper aims to develop an overall combined condition index to investigate PCP performance. To develop the index, a specific panel rating method and field performance investigations were conducted. The panel subjectively evaluated surface conditions and permeability rates of various PCP sections. The field investigations involved objective measurements of surface conditions and permeability rates of the same PCP sections. It is not practical to conduct a panel rating for PCP condition evaluation in the future; conducting field investigations (objective assessments) is more practical and cost-effective. Thus, regression analyses were applied to relate objective surface condition measures to subjective surface condition ratings. After objective surface condition measures were evaluated, subjective surface condition ratings were computed using the regression relationship. Permeability rates were combined with subjective surface condition ratings using adequate weighting factors to obtain the overall combined condition index.
Necessary Assessment of Use of State Pavement Management System Data in Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide Calibration Process
Authors: Mamlouk Michael , Zapata Claudia E.
Published: December 2010

Calibration and validation of the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for state department of transportation (DOT) networks requires detailed information for a variety of pavement inputs. The biggest database resource that most states possess is their pavement management system (PMS). It is understandable for any DOT to maximize the use of this resource to the greatest extent possible. However, before any state uses PMS data in MEPDG calibration, it is important that a careful comparison be made of the equality of the measurements, data, and so forth in the PMS database with national Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) values. The purpose of this paper is to review possible differences between several key data found in a state PMS database and the LTPP database. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) PMS data are used for this purpose. The specific variables examined in this paper deal with distress type (rutting, cracking, and roughness) and nondestructive deflection testing (NDT) backcalculated moduli to predict in situ pavement layer properties. It was concluded that significant differences did exist between the ADOT PMS values and LTPP measurements. Differences were found between ADOT's NDT measurements and LTPP data in rut measurements, asphalt cracking, international roughness index, and all layer backcalculated moduli. Consequently, ADOT may incur significant expense to calibrate the MEPDG to Arizona conditions. The paper discusses several possible reasons for differences between the PMS data of a specific agency and those in the LTPP database.
Effect of Frequency of Pavement Condition Data Collection on Performance Prediction
Authors: Haider Syed Waqar , Baladi Gilbert Y. , Chatti Karim , Dean Christopher M.
Published: December 2010

Monitoring pavement surface conditions over time is essential for pavement management and performance models. Time series distress data can be used to determine the remaining service life at the project level, which can then be used for all projects to assess the overall health of the pavement network. Observed field performance is also crucial for calibrating performance prediction models for pavement design purposes. Therefore, highway agencies collect pavement condition data to accomplish both policy and engineering objectives. However, differences exist among agencies between the monitoring frequency used for pavement surface distress (imaging) and that used for sensor-measured features. These differences pertain primarily to the relative difficulties in collecting and processing imaging data. Many agencies collect sensor data more frequently than images. Most highway agencies monitor pavement condition at 1-, 2-, or 3-year frequencies. Discrepancies between performance model predictions and observed field performance are conventionally attributed solely to errors in predicted pavement distresses. In fact, inherent uncertainty may also be present in measured pavement distresses due to spatial variability, sampling, and measurement errors. The frequency of distress data collection adds further uncertainty in performance prediction. This paper explores the effect of pavement condition monitoring frequency on pavement performance prediction. Analyses of observed pavement performance show that condition data collection frequency can significantly affect performance prediction. Therefore, more frequent data collection for image-based methods can reduce the associated risk in performance prediction and thus be more effective for better decision making for pavement management.
Quantitative Performance Evaluation Algorithms for Pavement Distress Segmentation
Authors: Kaul Vivek , Tsai Yichang (James) , Mersereau Russell M.
Published: December 2010

Algorithms for pavement distress image segmentation are crucial to developing an automatic pavement distress detection and classification system. Many algorithms for pavement distress segmentation have been developed in the past decade; however, the lack of good methods to evaluate their performance quantitatively hinders the focused development of better segmentation algorithms. In this paper, a novel method is developed to quantitatively evaluate the performance of different pavement distress segmentation algorithms. This method uses the buffered Hausdorff distance to estimate the deviation of the cracks in the automatically segmented image from the ground truth cracks. The proposed method captures the local effectiveness of segmentation methods around the crack region without compromising its robustness to isolated pixel deviations caused by noise. Besides real pavement images, synthetic images simulating extreme pavement distress conditions are used to evaluate the capability of the proposed method and show its merits. The proposed method outperforms four other possible quantification methods and demonstrates its superior capability in providing a better score separation to distinguish the performance of different segmentation algorithms.
Characterization and Development of Truck Axle Load Spectra for Implementation of New Pavement Design Practices in Louisiana
Authors: Ishak Sherif , Shin Hak-Chul , Sridhar Bharath Kumar , Zhang Zhongjie (Doc)
Published: December 2010

This study addresses the traffic data needs and requirements associated with the adoption of the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide in Louisiana. The objective of the study is to develop the truck axle load spectra from existing data and to identify possible improvements in data collection techniques. Data collected from portable weigh in motion (WIM) sites were screened by using data validation tests and were used to develop axle load spectra for different axle configurations (single, tandem, and tridem) of the primary vehicle class. A significant variation in vehicle class distributions was observed for the same roadway functional classification, and therefore an alternative grouping method based on the truck traffic classification (TTC) procedure was recommended. The results showed that Class 9 was the dominant vehicle class for single axle loads at most of the portable WIM sites located on Interstates and principal arterials. The majority of tandem axles in TTC groups appeared to belong to Class 9, whereas the majority of tridem axles in TTC groups appeared to belong to Class 10. For single axle load spectra, the developed spectra were very similar to the default values, except for TTC 5. For both tandem and tridem axle load spectra, the developed spectra appeared to differ significantly from the default values. It was strongly recommended that traffic data from portable WIM stations be collected for a longer monitoring period and that calibration be done more frequently. Another strong recommendation was to develop a strategic plan for installing permanent WIM sites and tap into axle load data from existing weight enforcement sites to supplement the data collected by portable WIM sites.
Optical Texture-Based Tools for Monitoring Pavement Surface Wear and Cracks Using Digital Images
Authors: Amarasiri Saumya , Gunaratne Manjriker , Sarkar Sudeep , Nazef Abdenour
Published: December 2010

Evaluation of traffic and environmental impact on pavements using digital images has become increasingly popular in recent years because of the improved efficiency it brings to pavement management. Meanwhile, significant leaps have been made in the sciences of computer vision and image processing. Although automated pavement distress evaluation using digital images has benefitted from the advances in image processing, innovative techniques used in computer vision, such as image characterization using quantification of optical texture properties of images, has not been exploited adequately in pavement evaluation. Several widely used optical texture techniques for characterization of digital images are introduced in this paper, and their useful applications in pavement evaluation are highlighted. Automated and accurate detection of correspondences in progressive images of the same pavement captured during different times is essential for close monitoring of cracks or wear at the project level. Two reliable methods for determining correspondences among pavement images irrespective of the illumination at capture are (a) texture masking and minimum texture distance method, applicable to locations with no significant distress, and (b) homogeneous coordinate geometrical matching and the maximum texture distance to detect the locations of distress. Scaled scattering index, which is a parameter ideal for estimating the size of texture primitives required for texture analysis and characterization of the pavement surface composition, is also introduced. Finally, texture characterization is applied to detection of exact locations of crack propagation and excessive pavement wear.
CalME, a Mechanistic–Empirical Program to Analyze and Design Flexible Pavement Rehabilitation
Authors: Ullidtz Per , Harvey John , Basheer Imad , Jones David , Wu Rongzong , Lea Jeremy , Lu Qing
Published: December 2010

A computer program known as CalME has been developed for analysis and design of new flexible pavements and rehabilitation of existing pavements. The paper describes the overlay design procedure and the calibration of the models for reflection cracking and permanent deformation through heavy vehicle simulator (HVS) tests. To simplify the input process, the program includes databases for traffic loading, climatic conditions, and standard materials. A companion program was developed for backcalculation of layer moduli, and the results may be automatically imported into the CalME database. The program incorporates the existing, empirical California Department of Transportation design methods as well as an incremental–recursive analysis procedure based on the mechanistic–empirical method. The effects of different pavement preservation and rehabilitation strategies on pavement damage may be studied with several options for triggering timing of placement. The influence of within-project variability on the propagation of damage can be evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation. The program also permits importation of the results of HVS or track tests into the database and simulation of the experiments on the computer. This feature is useful for the calibration of the mechanistic–empirical models but may also be used for in-depth interpretation of accelerated pavement testing results. An HVS experiment that was used for calibration of the reflection cracking and the permanent deformation models is described.