bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Congestion States from Basic Safety Messages by Using Big-Data Graph Analytics
Authors: Vasudevan Meenakshy , Negron Daniel , Feltz Matthew , Mallette Jennifer , Wunderlich Karl
Published: February 2016

In a connected-vehicle environment, wireless subsecond data exchange connects vehicles, the infrastructure, and travelers’ mobile devices. These data have the promise to transform the geographic scope, precision, and latency of transportation system control; fulfillment of that promise could result in significant safety, mobility, and environmental benefits. However, the new data influx also has the potential to overburden legacy computational and communication systems. Although connected-vehicle technology can facilitate ubiquitous system coverage, the existing prediction methods, computational platforms, and data management methods are insufficient to process the data within a reasonable time frame for real-time predictions. An investigation of the ways in which advanced (big-data) analytics might be applied to realize the full potential of connected-vehicle technology is particularly relevant now as this technology evolves from research to deployment. This paper presents an approach combining big-data graph analytics with high-performance computing to predict traffic congestion by analyzing nearly 4 billion basic safety messages generated by the safety pilot model deployment conducted in 2012–2013. This paper provides an alternative approach for predicting congestion in 30.5-m segments anywhere on the network at 1-min intervals 30 to 60 min before actual congestion over a time window of 1 h. Despite sparseness of data, the proposed framework predicted highly congested locations 40% of the time. Severity of congestion was predicted with an accuracy of 77%. This combination of rapid computation and predictive accuracy may provide significant value in future real-time decision support systems that leverage connected-vehicle data.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Built Environment through the Introduction of Induced Impacts via Transportation
Authors: Anderson John E. , Wulfhorst Gebhard , Lang Werner
Published: February 2016

The built environment, accounting for the building and transportation sectors, is the dominant source of environmental impacts. While significant research has assessed environmental impacts in the built environment, existing research is strongly separated by the scale of analysis: individual buildings or the urban scale. However, assessing buildings as isolated objects ignores their urban context, while concentrating on urban-scale projects does not represent the actual scale of construction: growth within existing cities. As such, environmental impacts resulting from the interplay of individual buildings and their urban context, induced impacts, have yet to be determined. This paper presents a new methodology for capturing induced impacts in the built environment. The new methodology was applied to the urban region of Munich, Germany, at three geographical resolutions (traffic cell, city neighborhood, and district) to illustrate the significance of induced impacts. The research contributes to the literature through the integration of the assessment of the transportation infrastructure in addition to the traditional focus on operational impacts. Transportation embodied impacts were found to account for approximately 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, transportation impacts (embodied and operational) were summarized at three locations: city center, city periphery, and rural. Consequently, the work has identified a missing impact category, expanded the assessment methodology, and provided quantitative analysis for holistic evaluation of the built environment. The inclusion of induced impacts allows for innovative policies to achieve environmental goals within the built environment.
Office Rent Premiums with Respect to Light Rail Transit Stations
Authors: Nelson Arthur C. , Eskic Dejan , Hamidi Shima , Petheram Susan J. , Ewing Reid , Liu Jenny H.
Published: February 2016

It seems an article of faith that because ridership catchment receives the largest share of riders within the first 0.5 mi (0.80 km), the design of transit-oriented development should be limited to 0.5 mi (0.80 km). But design of transit-oriented development requires another consideration: how the commercial real estate market responds. Unfortunately, much of the research into the commercial real estate value or rent premiums associated with transit station proximity is designed to reinforce the 0.5-mi (0.80 km) presumption. This paper reviews the literature and implications of ridership studies and research into commercial value and rent premiums with respect to distance from a transit station. The paper then reports research into transit station–related office rent premiums in the Dallas, Texas, metropolitan area. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the largest of its type undertaken on this question. Among the findings are that the premium extends 1.85 mi (2.98 km) from transit stations, with 25% of the premium—not a trivial amount— existing to 0.93 mi (1.50 km), with higher shares closer to the stations. The paper offers a reconsideration of both worker-based ridership and research on commercial real estate premiums to suggest that planning areas for transit-oriented development may extend beyond 0.5 mi (0.80 km), perhaps to 1 mi (1.61 km).
Investigating the Role of Built Environment and Lifestyle Choices in Active Travel for Weekly Home-Based Nonwork Trips
Authors: Daisy Naznin Sultana , Habib Muhammad Ahsanul
Published: February 2016

This paper examines the influence of the built environment and individual lifestyle choices on weekly frequency of active transportation (AT) for home-based nonwork trips in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. The growing trend of auto-oriented lifestyle choices and dependency not only intensifies environmental emissions and energy use but leads to decreased AT use for daily activities. Studies show that the built environment plays a significant role in active mode choice for nonwork trips, which are more flexible in time and location. However, research investigating the effect of lifestyle and attitudes combined with built-environment attributes for AT use has been limited, particularly for weeklong nonwork trips. Accordingly, this study investigated weekly active travel for nonwork trips on the basis of data from the Halifax Household Mobility and Travel Survey. Factor analysis captured the effects of lifestyle choices and attitudes, which were categorized by individuals' attitudes toward (a) travel modes and (b) land use and the environment. From loading the factors of the lifestyle choice variables, nine attitudinal variables were obtained. The study employed an ordered probit modeling framework to examine relative contributions of relevant socioeconomic characteristics, built-environment attributes, and attitudinal factors. Model results revealed that attitudes and factors of lifestyle choice played important roles in weekly AT frequency for nonwork trips. For example, individuals with prowalk–probike and protransit attitudes were likely to use AT more frequently for non-work-related trips than their counterparts. Although the impact of individuals' attitudes on AT trips was evident, this model also demonstrated that the built environment significantly influences the frequency of AT trips.
Distracted Driving Performance Measures
Authors: Bao Shan , Guo Zizheng , Flannagan Carol , Sullivan John , Sayer James R. , LeBlanc Dave
Published: February 2016

This study introduced and applied the signal processing algorithm fast Fourier transform (FFT) to the calculation of vehicle-control variations during distracted driving. This methodology has proved to be useful in extracting behavioral features by converting a signal from the time domain to the frequency domain. Previous studies generally used the variations calculated in the time domain, such as standard deviation, as an indicator to predict distracted driving. In this study, the use of FFT and spectral power analysis provided new prospective ways to analyze driver performance and vehicle-control data. The spectral power analysis showed that cell phone use resulted in vehicle lateral control variations. Drivers' lane position–keeping profiles were bumpiest during visual–manual tasks, as demonstrated by the largest average spectral power value and the greatest variation range compared with the other two conditions. Baseline driving appeared to have the smoothest lateral controls. Older drivers had the highest lateral control variations among the three age groups when conducting visual–manual tasks; this result suggests that they are less capable of controlling the wheels while engaging in secondary tasks that require their visual and manual inputs. The results of this study suggest that the FFT method provides a meaningful measure in extracting variations in distracted-driving behavior. Comparisons between the features in the frequency domain and the time domain should be conducted in future studies.
Evaluating Awareness and Perception of Waiting Time at Signalized Intersections: Field Study
Authors: Vreeswijk Jaap , Van Berkum Eric , Van Arem Bart
Published: February 2016

Transportation researchers increasingly acknowledge that the perceived level of service of the traffic system reflects drivers' experience much better than does the observed level of service. Especially when traffic management measures change the level of service, understanding how this change is perceived by drivers is vital to the prediction of whether drivers will adapt their behavior. Psychological and behavioral literature indicates that user awareness of changes is usually limited and that many changes go unnoticed; however, empirical evidence in a transportation context is scarce. This study focused on stopped delay at signalized intersections and addressed the accuracy of drivers' perception of absolute waiting time at signalized intersections and drivers' level of awareness of differences in waiting time. Data were collected by means of interviews and manual waiting time measurements. The results showed that on average respondents could estimate fairly accurately the size and direction of the absolute waiting time, but had little sense of relative differences in waiting time. In addition, small waiting times were found to be overestimated, but waiting times greater than 55 s were underestimated, and the perception error never exceeded the maximum actual waiting time. An unpredicted finding was that the vast majority of the respondents stated that their waiting time was shorter than expected, even in the case of long waiting times. Finally, the perception error was found to double when drivers thought that their expectations were violated.
Driving Simulator Fidelity and Emergency Driving Behavior
Authors: Tu Huizhao , Li Zhenfei , Li Hao , Zhang Ke , Sun Lijun
Published: February 2016

Driving behavior in (emergency) hazy weather conditions differs strongly from driving behavior in clear weather conditions. Yet the quantitative changes of driving behavior in emergency conditions and the effects of changes in driving simulator fidelity on driving performance are still unknown. In this study, a high-fidelity driving simulator was used to investigate the impact of hazy weather conditions on driving behavior. Four scenarios with clear and hazy weather conditions and two driving simulator fidelities were set up for the investigation; the weather conditions were defined by the visibilities. The driving simulator fidelities were classified by the degree of freedom (df) of motion platforms: static driving simulator with 0 df and dynamic driving simulator with 8 df. The results showed that the impacts of hazy weather conditions on driving behavior were significant, with substantial reductions in the values of the behavioral variables. Dynamic and static driving simulators give different estimations on the relative behavioral changes, which refer to the average behavioral performance and the heterogeneity in driving behavior, caused by hazy weather conditions. This difference implies that in case of an emergency condition, the fidelity of the driving simulator has significant impacts on the research on driving behavior and should be chosen carefully for studying emergency driving behavior.
Impact of Transportation Investment on Economic Growth in China
Authors: Mikesell John L. , Wang Janey Qian , Zhao Zhirong Jerry , He Yang
Published: February 2016

As China has experienced rapid economic growth and increased urbanization in recent decades, a crucial policy challenge for its government has been the development of urban transportation. Although conventional wisdom suggests that more infrastructure investment will stimulate economic development, empirical evidence is mixed. With the use of a panel data model (1999–2011 across Chinese provinces), transportation investment was found to have had significant impacts on economic growth, after which variables were controlled for that measured provincial openness, human capital, and government size. Transportation investment in one province not only promoted economic growth in that province but also had external effects on neighboring provinces. External effects were strong for highways, whereas internal effects were strong for urban roads. [In this analysis, highways in China meant controlled-access highways (freeways).] The results of the study can have policy implications for mechanisms used to fund transportation in China.
High-Occupancy Toll Lane Decision Making: Income Effects on I-85 Express Lanes, Atlanta, Georgia
Authors: Sheikh Adnan , Misra Aditi , Guensler Randall
Published: February 2016

The I-85 express lanes were the first value pricing facility in the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan region. This study investigated the behavior and decision making of users and nonusers of those high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. The study used a unique combination of express lane data and household demographic data, obtained from a private marketing firm, to examine decision making at the trip level for users from different income segments and demographic clusters. Trip characteristics (e.g., toll amount and trip length, operating conditions on HOT and general purpose lanes) and socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., household income and size) were incorporated into the choice models. This study also provided a summary of express lane use characteristics by income segments and investigated trip speeds by lane types and income categories. Lane choice decisions were modeled with binary logit methods to examine potential determinants of HOT lane use. Households were segmented into lower-, medium-, and higher-income groups to illustrate the differences in responses across these categories. In addition, households were clustered by their demographic characteristics to compare lane choice determinants across similar households. Elasticities for the various factors were calculated. The results showed slightly higher rates of HOT use among the higher-income segment, inelastic demand sensitivities for most factors, and few differences between lane choice determinants across income groups. With goodness-of-fit values that ranged from .18 to .21, these disaggregate models left most lane choice variation unexplained.
The Shock Heard round the Suburbs: Assessing the Vulnerability, Resilience, and Transportation Affordability of Higher Fuel Price Scenarios
Authors: Marshall Wesley E. , Henao Alejandro
Published: February 2016

With transportation the second highest household expenditure, understanding the disproportionate impact that a drastic increase in the gas price might have on a major city and region is vital. This study sought to increase the understanding of resiliency, vulnerability, and transportation affordability issues by asking the following questions: What would happen if the cost to drive suddenly doubled or tripled? Who would be better off and why? How much would residency near downtown or near one's job make a difference? What would matter in terms of transit infrastructure? How much of a role would current travel behavior play? This study derived resiliency scenarios in which the cost to drive increased one and one-half, two, and three times with the use of a multinomial logistic regression mode choice model developed with major travel surveys conducted in 1997 and 2008, a time period during which gas prices more than tripled. The focus of this study was on work trips, which were those trips most likely to be nondiscretionary. The annual cost to commute was estimated as a percentage of the median household income. Transit infrastructure, active transportation, built environment, land use, and socioeconomic status were assessed for their influences on resiliency, vulnerability, and transportation affordability. Although high income represented one path to resilience, the study results suggested that higher resilience could also be found in locations with proximity to high levels of employment, with more compact and connected street networks, and with better transit infrastructure. Beyond current travel behaviors, a significant option value to transit was also found in the resiliency scenarios. Transportation choice was found to create network redundancy and to facilitate adaptability under extreme conditions.
Chasing Sustainability
Authors: Langlois Myriam , van Lierop Dea , Wasfi Rania A. , El-Geneidy Ahmed M.
Published: February 2016

One of the solutions suggested for mitigating the detrimental effect of motor vehicles on society is to implement transit-oriented development (TOD). This type of development is intended to reduce automobile use and urban sprawl as well as to provide communities with more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable neighborhoods that offer a variety of mobility choices. This study attempted to find out whether new residents adopted more sustainable modes of transportation after their relocation to a TOD. The analysis determined which factors influenced travel mode switching decisions by specifying a multilevel multinomial logistic regression model. Data for the analysis were drawn from a travel behavior survey conducted on residents in seven North American TODs in 2013. The results showed that newcomers adopted more sustainable travel modes for amenities and leisure trips after they relocated to a TOD but that they were less likely to do so for work and shopping trips. To encourage more sustainable travel modes, the study findings suggested that transit incentives coupled with workplace parking charges needed to be considered. Factors that were found to increase the probability that new TOD residents would switch to a more sustainable mode of transportation included their awareness of the environmental impact of each travel mode, the ease with which it was possible to walk through the neighborhood and to various destinations, and the proximity to transit stops. However, larger household size, homeownership, and the addition of a new car had negative impacts. The findings provided new insights into TOD planning and its link to travel behavior; these insights could benefit planners, engineers, and policy makers who have adopted the TOD approach to development with the goal of mitigating car usage.
Building a Metaframework for Sustainable Transport Indicators
Authors: Cornet Yannick , Gudmundsson Henrik
Published: February 2016

Several recent papers presented at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere have reported on efforts to make sustainability manageable. To this end, the papers suggested the use of indicators and performance measures to help conceptualize and operationalize sustainability for transportation-related planning and decision making. Often these studies presented frameworks that would allow sustainability indicators and measures to be included in, for example, agency strategies and practices. Moreover, some papers suggested criteria for the selection of individual indicators and performance measures. The studies, however, did not always agree on the definition of a framework or how to use one to make sustainability-based decisions, and they tended to differ on underscored aspects and concerns. The current study addressed the issue of frameworks more generically and explored what was termed a “metaframework” with a set of associated criteria to guide the framing of indicators for sustainable transportation. On the basis of an explicit framework theory, the three functions of conceptualization, operationalization, and utilization were found to provide a logical structure of complementary features with which to build indicator frameworks. Characteristics of robust indicator frameworks were evaluated in terms of their significance for the three key functions, and they were collected in a list of criteria. A review of the Brundtland Report provided an example of how a more finely grained understanding of sustainability can inform the conceptualization criterion ranking of sustainability impacts. The metaframework was intended primarily as a basis for empirical analysis and for meta-evaluation of existing practice frameworks with respect to the strength of the level of sustainability that they are likely to provide.
Evaluating Health Impacts from a Bus Rapid Transit System Implementation in India: Case Study of Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Authors: Mahendra Anjali , Rajagopalan Lakshmi
Published: February 2016

Sustainable transportation interventions affect public health in three ways: through ( a) reduced pollution emissions, ( b) increased physical activity, and ( c) reduced road accidents. The public health benefits that can be achieved through investment in sustainable transport thus are substantial. This study sought to estimate benefits from sustainable transport intervention in the city of Indore in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh through the construction of a bus rapid transit (BRT) system along a main traffic corridor. The benefits were estimated with a health impact assessment methodology developed on the basis of modal shift and vehicle kilometers traveled. With the introduction of a BRT system, the study found that about 14 lives could be saved per year as a result of an increase in walking or cycling, a decrease in private vehicle use, and a reduction in air pollution exposure. Also, more than 96 deaths could be prevented from 2013 to 2017 along the BRT corridor when compared with current trends in motorization with no BRT system investment. The reduction in emissions between a business-as-usual scenario and post-BRT scenario was 11%. The mortality risk from exposure to particulate matter of up to 2.5 mm in size could be reduced by 1.1%. Even given the limitations with respect to the data and the assumptions made in the study, the results were significant enough to recommend that public health aspects be considered in the formulation of transport policy and in the maximization of benefits.
Varieties of Transportation Justice
Authors: Gordon Cameron
Published: February 2016

Transportation policy has long been concerned with the achievement of direct outcomes (e.g., maximum mobility, reduced unit travel times, increased access) and with indirect outcomes (e.g., regional economic development). More recently, a distinct concern has arisen about equity and justice in transportation and, in a broad sense, about whether all transport system users have equal access and fair burden and benefit distributions. The equity policy framework in the United States rests on and is closely bound up with the post–Civil War struggle for civil rights. This paper (a) describes what American conceptions of civil rights have come to mean in U.S. policy and legal spheres, (b) discusses the extent to which transportation is seen as a civil right, (c) discusses what the limits of those rights are and how those definitions have changed over time, and (d) suggests some current issues for U.S. policy makers that, going forward, must be considered in a civil rights approach to transportation equity.
New Path Size Formulation in Path Size Logit for Route Choice Modeling in Public Transport Networks
Authors: Tan Rui , Adnan Muhammad , Lee Der-Horng , Ben-Akiva Moshe E.
Published: February 2016

The path size logit (PSL) aims at capturing correlations between path alternatives by including a correction term, path size, to the multinomial logit (MNL). Several path size formulations have been proposed in the literature and applied to various route choice models extensively in road networks. However, the path size formulation has rarely been studied in the public transport context considering the special characteristics of the public transport network. This paper proposes a new path size formulation for route choice modeling in public transport networks. The new path size formulation accounts for both the correlation attributed to spatial overlapping of path alternatives and the correlation attributed to frequency variations. Direct application of existing path size formation in route choice model estimation and prediction based on smart card data from the Singapore public transport network were used in a comparative analysis of the new path size formulation against an MNL and a base PSL. The results show that the new path size formulation has outperformed other models in both estimation and prediction.
Spiral Plot Analysis of Variation in Perceptions of Urban Public Transport Performance between International Cities
Authors: Currie Graham , Delbosc Alexa
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a method for comparing perceptions of transit service attributes across different customer groups. It compares customer perceptions across 22 service attributes in nine major world cities (Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York City; San Francisco, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne, Australia; and London) by using an importance–performance analysis (IPA) framework. This paper proposes a new approach to displaying results of IPA, a spiral plot analysis (SPA), to highlight similarities and differences across a large range of attributes between disaggregate groups in the case cities. Results showed a general consistency between cities in the importance of service attributes. Greater variation in performance of attributes was found. The IPA suggested the average target area (high importance–low performance) attributes for the nine cities were (in order): “feeling safe traveling on public transport at night,” “the ability of operators to deal with service disruptions quickly,” “unexpected service disruptions don't happen very often,” “quality of service on public transport,” “public transport operating frequently,” and “having public transport travel options available when and where I need them.” Results stressed how important unplanned disruptions were to passengers in all cities. Results for some individual cities were slightly different, although these attributes were critical for all. The SPA method more concisely illustrated similarities and differences between cities as well as highlighted which attribute scores were more important to customers. The SPA illustrated that Melbourne had some of the largest gaps between expectations and performance, whereas New York City tended to have the smallest. Areas for future research are discussed.
Effect of Real-Time Passenger Information Systems on Perceptions of Transit's Favorable Environmental and Traffic Reduction Roles
Authors: McCord Mark R. , Mishalani Rabi G. , Ettefagh Mahsa
Published: February 2016

A two-wave survey of faculty, staff, and students at a large university was conducted to study the perceptions of and attitudes toward several dimensions of the university bus service before and after the implementation of a real-time passenger information system. In this study, community perceptions of the bus service's role in enhancing the environment and reducing traffic were investigated. Results showed that both users and nonusers of the bus service had positive perceptions of the bus service's environmental and traffic reduction roles, that those who noticed the recently implemented real-time information system had more positive attitudes, and that the effect of the information system on the perceptions was as great or greater for those who did not use the bus service as it was for those who used the service. It is hypothesized that these results, especially if confirmed in different communities, could motivate transit agencies to promote environmental and traffic reduction benefits of transit to gain public support of nonusers for transit subsidies and to market high-tech and progressive investments to increase support among nonusers.
Views on Triglav through History
Authors: Jezernik Božidar
Published: February 2016

Avtor obravnava začetke zanimanja in raziskovanja najvišje gore v Julijskih Alpah v obdobju razsvetljenstva, ko je med evropskimi intelektualci potekala živahna debata o starosti sveta in pravilnosti svetopisemskih poročil o nastanku sveta.
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The author discusses early interest in and research on the highest mountain in the Julian Alps during the Enlightenment, when a lively debate took place among the European intelligentsia on the age of the world and the accuracy of Biblical accounts of its creation.
Heritages in Museums and Museum Collections of National and Regional Parks and Protected Areas in Slovenia
Authors: Hudales Jože
Published: February 2016

V okviru raziskovalnega projekta Triglavski narodni park (TNP). Dediščine, akterji – strategije, vprašanja in rešitve je avtor opravil raziskavo o tem, kako se dediščina parka kaže, ustvarja in predstavlja različnim deležnikom TNP oziroma kako jo ti sprejemajo v specifični govorici muzejev in muzejskih zbirk, ki delujejo v TNP in na njegovem obrobju. V članku podrobneje analizira nekatere najznačilnejše in/ali najzanimivejše interpretacije dediščine v publikacijah, na spletnih straneh in v nekaterih muzejih in muzejskih zbirkah v parku.
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The author conducted a study within the framework of the Triglav National Park (TNP): Heritages, Acteurs – Strategies, Questions, and Solutions project on how the park’s heritage manifests itself, how it is constructed and displayed to various stakeholders of the TNP, and how they perceive it through the specific language of museums and museum collections, operating within the framework of the TNP or on its margins. In this paper, detailed analysis is devoted to some of the most typical and/or most interesting interpretations of heritage in publications, on websites and in some of the museums or museum collections within the Park.
Development of Business Anthropology in Slovenia and Abroad. Problems and Perspectives
Authors: Bezjak Mlakar Alenka , Podjed Dan
Published: February 2016

Prispevek predstavi razvoj poslovne antropologije od tridesetih let prejšnjega stoletja do danes. Avtorja najprej podvomita o položaju te vede v znanosti in poslovnem svetu ter izpostavita glavne dogodke, ki so jo zaznamovali in soustvarili. Poleg tega opišeta prednosti in slabosti uporabe antropoloških metod v poslovnem svetu ter predstavita ovire (in priložnosti) za počasnejši razvoj poslovne antropologije pri nas.
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This article presents the development of business anthropology since the 1930s. The authors examine the position of business anthropology in science and the business world, and highlight the key events that marked and shaped the discipline. The authors also delineate the advantages and drawbacks of using anthropological methods in the business world, and present the obstacles to, and opportunities for, the development of business anthropology in Slovenia.
Interview with Thomas Hylland Eriksen: “Global Political Engagement for Positive Change Always Has to Start Locally”
Authors: Ličen Daša
Published: February 2016

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Mirko Ramovš’s Path in Ethnochoreology
Authors: Kunej Rebeka
Published: February 2016

V članku je analizirana raziskovalna dejavnost Mirka Ramovša, ki je v zadnjih treh desetletjih prejšnjega stoletja odločilno zaznamoval etnokoreološke raziskave v Sloveniji, saj je bil kot raziskovalec ljudskega plesa med letoma 1966 in 2003 zaposlen v Glasbenonarodopisnem inštitutu ZRC SAZU. Članek ovrednoti njegova raziskovalna prizadevanja, usmeritve in spoznanja in poudari tri področja njegovega delovanja: zbiranje gradiva in ustvarjanje zbirke zapisov ljudskih plesov, preučevanje gradiva in objava študij ter aplikativnost njegovih etnokoreoloških raziskav.
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This article analyzes the research activity of Mirko Ramovš, who had a decisive impact on ethnochoreology research in Slovenia in the last three decades of the twentieth century as a folkdance researcher employed from 1966 to 2006 at the ZRC SAZU Institute of Ethnomusicology. This article evaluates his research efforts, orientations, and findings, and it emphasizes three areas of his work: collecting material and creating collections of folkdance notations, studying the material and publishing his research, and the application of his ethnochoreology studies.
Symbolic Equivalences in Belief Tales about Female Nature Spirits
Authors: Kropej Telban Monika
Published: February 2016

Ljudsko izročilo o vilah se pogosto prepleta z izročilom o divjih ženah, morskih deklicah, sibilah, rojenicah, čarovnicah in mnogih drugih ženskih bajeslovnih bitjih in demonih. Ženski duhovi narave se lahko pojavljajo v raznovrstnih pripovednih žanrih in tudi motivi v njih so pogosto povsem heterogeni – toda, po Alanu Dundesu – jih lahko pojasnimo kot vzporedne motive oz. alomotive. Ti imajo različno vsebino, toda sorodno simbolično sporočilnost. Na osnovi bogatega gradiva o bajeslovnih bitjih z območij, kjer se stapljajo slovanske, romanske in germanske kulture, je raziskano, kakšno vlogo v verovanjskih sistemih ljudi so imeli na teh območjih ženski duhovi narave. Raziskane so simbolične ekvivalence vzporednih alomotivov in memov, ki se pojavljajo v značilnih pomenskih zvezah.
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The folklore about fairies often interwines with folk narratives about wild women, mermaids, fates, sybils, witches, and many other supernatural female beings and demons. These nature spirits can appear in diverse types of narratives, and also the motifs in these folktales can be heterogeneous. But – as Alan Dundes stressed – they can be understood as paralell motifs, or allomotifs. These allomotifs have different contents but they have similar symbolical meaning. On the basis of the rich material – about these supernatural beings from the regions where Slavic, German and Romance cultures have intertwined – is researched what role had these nature spirits played in belief system of the population in these regions. On the basis of this narrative material are researched symbolical equvalences of the parallel allomotifs and memes, which appear in characteristic topics.
A Survey of MAC Layer Protocols to Avoid Deafness in Wireless Networks Using Directional Antenna
Authors: Sharma Rinki , Kadambi Govind , Vershinin Yuri A. , Mukundan K. N.
Published: February 2016

Directional antennas have gained immense popularity among researchers working in the area of wireless networks. These antennas help in enhancing the performance of wireless networks through increased spatial reuse, extended communication range, energy efficiency, reduced latency, and communication reliability. Traditional Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols such as IEEE 802.11 are designed based on use of omnidirectional antennas. Therefore, suitable design changes are required to exploit the benefits of directional antennas in wireless networks. Though directional antennas provide many benefits to enhance network performance, their inclusion in the network also results in certain challenges in network operation. Deafness is one such problem that occurs among nodes using directional antennas. This chapter concentrates on the problem of deafness, which is introduced due to the use of directional antennas in wireless ad-hoc, sensor, and mesh networks. Many researchers have provided numerous solutions to deal with the problem of deafness in these networks. In this chapter, the authors first explain the problem of deafness and then present an extensive survey of solutions available in the literature to deal with the problem of deafness in wireless ad-hoc, sensor, and mesh networks. The survey is accompanied by a critical analysis and comparison of available solutions. Drawbacks of available solutions are discussed and future research directions are presented.
Theory U and Team Performance
Authors: Hays Jay
Published: February 2016

This chapter applies Scharmer's Theory U to team performance, productivity, and learning. Key topics covered include counterproductive thought patterns, or habits, and how they can be overcome; the complementary notions of collective presence and authenticity; and the critical contributions of shared reflection and dialogue to team learning and evolution. These and other elements of Scharmer's Theory U enable extraordinary collaborative effort and confer team advantages in terms of innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability. Strategies presented for promoting team evolution help readers to see how Theory U might be put into practice in their respective organisations and communities.
The Homeostatic Classroom
Authors: Montgomery John M.
Published: February 2016

This chapter will propose a new theoretical and practical framework that can be utilized in any type of classroom, including multicultural classrooms, and that creates an optimal learning environment while also being highly protective against potentially traumatic experiences for both students and teachers. The chapter will also introduce the “choose love” tool, which can be used in any classroom to connect the students and the teacher to the “homeostatic drive” – a global force or drive within each of us that is biologically and evolutionarily designed to keep us in states of homeostasis, or equilibrium, at all levels, and that is, the chapter will argue, the force of all love and self-love, including all “love” of learning.
The Wisconsin Spring Revisited
Authors: Jorstad James , Manrique Cecilia G.
Published: February 2016

Five years have passed since the origins of the Arab Spring in Tunisia took place. It has been almost three years since the impact of the Wisconsin Spring on Scott Walker's attempts at policy changes in the state occurred. At that time the effect of social media on public awareness and public participation in political events was considered new and innovative. Since then Walker had been through a recall election and won. He has been through a re-election and also won. In addition, Walker attempted a presidential run in the Republican primary. This article is an update on what has transpired since then and the impact of social media on the events that have taken place in Wisconsin determining whether social media has had an impact on political participation in the state.
QSPR-Modeling for the Second Virial Cross-Coefficients of Binary Organic Mixtures
Authors: Mokshyna Elena , Polishchuk Pavel , Nedostup Vadim , Kuz'min Victor
Published: February 2016

The second virial cross-coefficient is an important characteristic of the pair intermolecular interactions that describes solely the heterogeneous interactions. In the current study, the authors made the first attempt to develop rigorous QSPR models for analysis and prediction of the second virial cross-coefficient. Novel descriptors to describe pair intermolecular interactions were implemented. Statistical characteristics of the obtained models showed high performance. Prediction errors are comparable to the errors of data. Theoretically predicted values of the second virial cross-coefficient may be used to derive PVT-properties of mixtures at the different temperatures as well as to calculate intermolecular pair potential.
Museum Personalization Based on Gaming and Cognitive Styles
Authors: Naudet Yannick , Antoniou Angeliki , Lykourentzou Ioanna , Tobias Eric , Rompa Jenny , Lepouras George
Published: February 2016

This paper details and discusses experimental results obtained towards personalizing a museum visit through a personal mobile guide, using an approach relying on users' cognitive style, gaming, social networks, and recommendations. It describes the personalization system, which relies on a Facebook game to infer users' cognitive style, visiting style and interests, and a recommendation algorithm offering sequences of points of interests to visit. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of an experiment conducted in a museum is given, offering first conclusions and perspectives on the approach.
The pearl of FDG PET/CT in preoperative assessment of patients with potentially operable non-small-cell lung cancer and its clinical impact
Authors: Kung Boom , Yong Ting , Tong Cheuk
Published: February 2016

The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the clinical impact and efficacy of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) on management decisions for patients suffering from clinically operable non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A retrospective review of 186 potentially operable NSCLC patients who underwent whole-body PET/CT examination in 2012 was performed. The patients were further analyzed via the electronic patient record (ePR) system for relevant findings. Overall change in management was assigned if a patient avoided unnecessary surgery due to disease upstaging or if a patient underwent further neoadjuvant treatment or investigation before the curative surgery. Of all 186 subjects, 65 (34.9%) became inoperable after PET/CT due to disease upstaging. The remaining 121 (65.1%) of patients remained operable after PET/CT examination. Nineteen out of 121 potentially operable patients did not receive curative surgery eventually, as 11 patients had poor clinical condition and 8 patients refused surgery. One hundred two out of 186 (54.8%) patients received curative operation following PET/CT. Among these 102 individuals, 97 patients (95%) proceeded to surgery without further neoadjuvant treatment or other investigatory procedures. Of the remaining 5 patients, 4 (3.9%) received neoadjuvant treatment and 1 (1.0%) had further investigation after PET/CT. Seventy of the 186 (37.6%) patients underwent changes in management plans after PET/CT study. Out of the 186 individuals, a subgroup of 141 (75.8%) patients underwent dedicated CT thorax before PET/CT examination. Forty-seven (33.3%) patients had avoided futile surgery due to disease upstaging. Fifty-one of the 141 (36.2%) patients underwent changes in management plans after PET/CT. PET/CT had great clinical impact, with significant reduction of futile curative surgery.
Promises, Promises: Lessons in Research Ethics from the Belfast Project and ‘The Rape Tape’ Case
Authors: Inckle Kay
Published: February 2016

This paper draws on two social research projects which have made headline news in the Republic of Ireland since 2011: The Belfast Project which was conducted by ex-paramilitary researchers in Northern Ireland in conjunction with Boston College in the USA, alongside what the media dubbed as ‘The Rape Tape’ case involving a postgraduate student from Maynooth University in the Republic of Ireland. Considered together, these cases highlight contrasting approaches to ethics which have significant lessons for sociologists teaching and conducting ethical research. The cases illustrate how sociologists need to model nuanced yet robust approaches to ethics if we are to avoid causing harm to research participants and to produce students with solid ethical skills which they can utilise in a range of contexts. Such an approach combines ontological foundations with reflexive, context specific applications. The paper begins with an outline of the two cases based on documentary sources. The cases are then considered in the context ethical definitions and protocols from academic texts and professional sociological bodies across the three affected jurisdictions (UK, Ireland, USA) in order to reflect on the lessons and implications for sociologists in conducting and teaching ethical research.
The success of emissions control legislation in mitigating air pollution is higher than previously estimated
Authors: Daskalakis Nikos , Tsigaridis Kostas , Myriokefalitakis Stelios , Fanourgakis George S. , Kanakidou Maria
Published: February 2016

Abstract. During the last 30 years significant effort has been made to improve air quality through legislation for emissions reduction. Global three-dimensional chemistry-transport simulations of atmospheric composition changes over the past three decades have been performed to assess the impact of these measures. The simulations are based on assimilated meteorology to account for the year-to-year observed climate variability and on different anthropogenic emissions scenarios of pollutants which may or may not account for air quality legislation application. The ACCMIP dataset historical emissions are used as the starting point. We show that air quality legislation has been more efficient than thought in limiting the rapid increase of air pollutants due to significant technology development. The achieved reductions in nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, black carbon and sulphate aerosols are found to be significant when comparing to simulations neglecting legislation for the protection of the environment. We also show the large tropospheric air-quality benefit from the development of cleaner technology. These 30-year hindcast simulations demonstrate that the actual benefit in air quality due to air pollution legislation and technological advances is higher than the gain calculated by a simple comparison against a constant anthropogenic emissions simulation, as is usually done. Our results also indicate that over China and India the beneficial technological advances for the air-quality have been masked by the explosive increase in local population and the disproportional increase in energy demand.
Multi-sensor analysis of convective activity in central Italy during the HyMeX SOP 1.1
Authors: Roberto N. , Adirosi E. , Baldini L. , Casella D. , Dietrich S. , Gatlin P. , Panegrossi G. , Petracca M. , Sanò P. , Tokay A.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. A multi-sensor analysis of convective precipitation events that occurred in central Italy in autumn 2012 during the HyMeX (Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean experiment) Special Observation Period (SOP) 1.1 is presented. Various microphysical properties of liquid and solid hydrometeors are examined to assess their relationship with lightning activity. The instrumentation used consisted of a C-band dual-polarization weather radar, a 2-D video disdrometer, and the LINET lightning network. Results of T-matrix simulation for graupel were used to (i) tune a fuzzy logic hydrometeor classification algorithm based on Liu and Chandrasekar (2000) for the detection of graupel from C-band dual-polarization radar measurements and (ii) to retrieve graupel ice water content. Graupel mass from radar measurements was related to lightning activity. Three significant case studies were analyzed and linear relations between the total mass of graupel and number of LINET strokes were found with different slopes depending on the nature of the convective event (such as updraft strength and freezing level height) and the radar observational geometry. A high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.856) and a slope in agreement with satellite measurements and model results for one of the case studies (15 October 2012) were found. Results confirm that one of the key features in the electrical charging of convective clouds is the ice content, although it is not the only one. Parameters of the gamma raindrop size distribution measured by a 2-D video disdrometer revealed the transition from a convective to a stratiform regime. The raindrop size spectra measured by a 2-D video disdrometer were used to partition rain into stratiform and convective classes. These results are further analyzed in relation to radar measurements and to the number of strokes. Lightning activity was not always recorded when the precipitation regime was classified as convective rain. High statistical scores were found for relationships relating lightning activity to graupel aloft.