bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating a Canadian Profession: The Nuclear Engineer, c. 1940-68
Authors: Johnston Sean F.
Published: December 2016

Canada, as one of the three Allied nations collaborating on atomic energy development during the Second World War, had an early start in applying its new knowledge and defining a new profession. Owing to postwar secrecy and distinct national aims for the field, nuclear engineering was shaped uniquely by the Canadian context. Alone among the postwar powers, Canadian exploration of atomic energy eschewed military applications; the occupation emerged within a governmental monopoly; the intellectual content of the discipline was influenced by its early practitioners, administrators, scarce resources, and university niches; and a self-recognized profession coalesced later than did its American and British counterparts. This paper argues that the history of the emergence of Canadian nuclear engineers exemplifies unusually strong shaping of technical expertise by political and cultural context.
The Scottish Presbyterian Movement in 1596
Authors: Goodare Julian
Published: December 2016

In the century or so after the Reformation, Scottish religious radicals can often be identified as presbyterians, although they organized and campaigned on a number of issues. The evidence of 1596, when the movement attempted a coup d'état, displays it at a particularly assertive moment, and illustrates its membership and organization. The movement was a mixed lay and clerical network, comprising ministers, nobles, lairds, burgesses, and common people. Scottish presbyterians can helpfully be compared with English puritans.
Italy in the Twilight of the Empire: The Decline of Roman Law and Culture under Theoderic the Great (c. 493-526)
Authors: Lafferty Sean D. W.
Published: December 2016

The goal of this study is to contribute to the understanding of how Roman law continued to survive and evolve in Italy to reflect changes  social, political, and cultural  taking place in the peninsula from the fourth century to sixth. Evidence for this is drawn primarily from the Edictum Theoderici, a collection and emendation of Roman law comprising 154 edicts in addition to a prologue and epilogue. Composed by an unknown group of Roman jurisprudents working under the Ostrogothic king Theoderic the Great (493-526), and intended as a guidebook for settling disputes between Goths and Romans, the ET is a body of source material that yields valuable historical insights into Italy's transition from Roman province to barbarian kingdom. It also raises important questions as to just how peaceful, prosperous, and Roman-like Theoderic’s Italy really was.
Manliness in the Life and Posthumous Reputation of Robert Falcon Scott
Authors: Cavell Janice
Published: December 2016

Polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) was deeply uncomfortable with and sometimes critical of the traditional masculine role into which he had been forced as a naval officer and national hero. Yet it was necessary for him to accept this role in order to fulfill his family obligations. Scott's life story suggests that the "flight from domesticity" postulated by John Tosh may not tell the full truth about late-Victorian and Edwardian masculinity. This article uses Scott's case to reconsider the standard picture of British manliness during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It describes the influence of gender roles and ideologies on Scott's formative years, then examines representations of him in biographical literature. The combination of "masculine" and "feminine" traits in Scott's character intrigued his early biographers. In contrast, some later writers viewed him as effeminate and therefore unheroic. Their criticisms indicate that the ideal of "hard" manliness among imperial heroes may be a construction of the post-imperial age.
US-Romanian Relations during the Presidency of Gerald R. Ford
Authors: Mount Graeme S.
Published: December 2016

Throughout Gerald Ford’s presidency (9 August 1974-20 January 1977), the Romanian government of Nicolae Ceauşescu was one of the most totalitarian governments of Communist Europe. Yet, President Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had a friendly personal relationship with Ceauşescu, primarily in the hope that he would help to undermine the Soviet Empire. Kissinger had limited interest in democratic practices outside the United States, and Ceauşescu’s Stalinist tendencies were of limited concern to him. Ceauşescu sought to use the United States as a counterweight to the Soviet Union and to gain economic benefits for Romania.

Ford and Kissinger were willing to grant Romania most favored nation (MFN) status, but Congress had reservations. Would Romanian Jews have the right to emigrate? Would Ceauşescu’s government respect the language “rights” of Transylvania’s ethnic Hungarians and Germans? Would Romania’s Protestants and Roman Catholics enjoy freedom of worship?
From Pacifist to Warrior: Gladys Arnold and the European Years, 1935-40
Authors: Young Robert J.
Published: December 2016

Saskatchewan-born Gladys Arnold became a national celebrity briefly during the Second World War. Based in Ottawa, she worked tirelessly for General de Gaulle’s Free France movement and subsequently for the post-war French embassy. This study focuses primarily on her years in France where, in the 1930s, she worked as a journalist for the Canadian Press. She left Canada a committed pacifist, but within 3 years had decided that the risks of fighting Hitler were less than the risks of appeasing him. The paper explores the nature of her early pacifism, then advances a series of explanations for her change of heart.
Brass Hats behind Bamboo Palisades: Senior Officer POWs in Singapore, Taiwan, and Manchukuo, 1942-45
Authors: Ion Hamish
Published: December 2016

This study is about the prisoner of war experiences of generals and senior officers who surrendered to the Japanese at Singapore in February 1942. It sheds further light on some of the salient issues that emerge from their experiences including nationality-inspired differences between senior officer POWs (vividly seen when British. American, and Dutch generals and senior colonial officials are imprisoned together in Taiwan and, later, Manchukuo) and how the stress of captivity brings out personality traits that tell us something about these officers as military leaders. Differing combinations of character, circumstances, priorities, and possibilities influenced their responses to prison camp life, but certain traits, such as staff officer mentality, the appeasement reflex, and self-imposed pressure to restore personal reputations, stand out among leading figures including Lt. General A. E. Percival whose surrender of the naval base at Singapore remains one of the major controversies of the Second World War in Asia.
The Politics of the Formation of Alliance Governments in Multi-Ethnic States: A Case Study of the Nigerian First Alliance Government, 1954-57
Authors: Ojo Emmanuel Oladipo
Published: December 2016

The formation of alliances is one of the features of the politics of most multi-ethnic states. This is because, more often than not, extreme ethnicity and competition for the control of the “structural frame” and “system of rewards” always prevent the existence of nation-wide or country-wide political associations and the emergence of nationally acknowledged political leaders. Yet, in order to guard against the domination of the “minorities” by the “majorities,” the constitutions of most federal and non-federal multi-ethnic states often stipulate that the centre governments of such states must be formed by the parties or candidates with the overall majority of either parliamentary seats or total votes cast. Since this is always difficult to achieve, particularly in Nigeria where appeal to ethnic sentiments is almost always a predominant issue in electioneering campaigns, the formation of alliance-governments has become inevitable. In the formation of these alliances however, a lot of political manoeuvring takes place. This article discusses the politics behind, the factors responsible for, as well as the consequences of, the formation of Nigeria's first alliance government.
The Self Separated from Violence: Spectacle, Material Appropriation, and Voices of Resistance on the Western Front, 1914-18
Authors: Schultz Christopher
Published: December 2016

Trench culture is a field of First World War studies that, until recently, has received primarily descriptive attention. It is, however, a key element in avoiding oversimplified and occasionally facile analyses of participants ' wartime experiences. Employing a multi-sensory analytical style, this article explores topics in visuality, materiality, and aurality in an attempt to trace both continuities and contradictions in these aspects of trench culture. Moreover, this article pleads for a mode of analysis that distances trench culture from "purpose-driven " narratives  these too often resulting in participants 'experiences becoming subordinated to military objectives and war aims. By analyzing the aforementioned concepts, one sees firstly that trench culture is not necessarily attached to any sense of military pragmatism, and secondly that war participants often were required to negotiate the potentially deadly lines between the spectacular and the terrific.
The American Civil War and British Intervention: The Threat of Anglo-American Conflict
Authors: Carroll Francis M .
Published: December 2016

The American Civil War had serious international repercussions, particularly in Great Britain. Although the British Government hoped to remain neutral, the Trent affair in 1861 and discussions by Cabinet members to offer mediation in 1862 threatened to bring Britain into the conflict. Caution and forbearance on both sides prevented events from slipping out of control, but the circumstances were threatening.
Le contrôle des Tsiganes en Europe de la fin du XIXe siècle aux années trente
Authors: Filhol Emmanuel
Published: December 2016

Entre la fin du XIXe siècle et les années trente, les Tsiganes d’Europe ont été soumis à des politiques nationales de fichage et de contrôle discriminatoires. Comme en témoignent, en France, le recensement des bohémiens effectué en 1895, au même titre que les propositions formulées ensuite lors des débats parlementaires, puis le projet de loi présenté en 1908 par Georges Clemenceau, avec pour prolongement la loi de 1912 sur les « nomades ». Mentionnons également les mesures d'identification et de surveillance prises en Allemagne, ou encore le projet de conférence internationale sur « la question tsigane » que proposa la Suisse en 1909. Durant l'entre-deux-guerres, ces pays, parmi d'autres, adoptèrent des directives destinées au renforcement du contrôle administratif et policier envers les Tsiganes nomades. Les différentes étapes de stigmatisation et rejet dont les Tsiganes ont été l'objet contribuèrent à préparer le terrain des persécutions commises à leur encontre pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
“Involuntarily We Listen”: Hearing the Aurora Borealis in Nineteenth-Century Arctic Exploration and Science
Authors: McCorristine Shane
Published: December 2016

In western science the Aurora Borealis has been a fiercely contested site of inquiry with little agreement as to its nature until the twentieth century. This essay surveys the history of auroral science up to the nineteenth century and then complicates the traditional indigenous/western dichotomy regarding supernatural or anomalous experiences by examining occasions when nineteenth-century Arctic explorers, scientists, and fur traders became enchanted by the Aurora Borealis. Drawing mainly on cases from the period of the British quest for the Northwest Passage through the (now Canadian) Arctic (c.1818-59), it demonstrates how scientific uncertainty allowed for occasions when Arctic explorers, scientists, and other travellers could self-consciously become enchanted by aurorae. If we work from the contention that cycles of re-enchantment rather than sudden disenchantment constitute the modernising process, then we can challenge the notion of a stable scientific observer of the Aurora Borealis.
Bismarck and Blowitz at the Congress of Berlin
Authors: Stone James J.
Published: December 2016

During his years in power Bismarck rarely granted interviews to reporters. When he did finally grant an interview to Henri de Blowitz at the Congress of Berlin, the statements he made to the Times (London) correspondent created an international sensation. Although this interview has been often cited by contemporaries and historians as evidence for certain fundamental aspects of Bismarck’s personality and statesmanship, this incident has not been subjected to a detailed scholarly analysis. A closer look at this episode confirms that it has a great deal to tell us about German foreign policy after 1871, and that its true significance has not been fully grasped by previous researchers.
Impact of a Loan-Based Public Transport Fare System on Fare Evasion: Experience of Transantiago, Santiago, Chile
Authors: Bucknell Christopher , Muñoz Juan Carlos , Schmidt Alejandro , Navarro Matías , Simonetti Carolina
Published: December 2016

With the arrival of Transantiago, the integrated public transport system of Santiago, Chile, a new payment method was implemented: the smart card. A critical aspect for smart cards is the loading network. Transantiago had a weak loading network, and, to tackle fare evasion, a loan was given through the smart card to those with insufficient funds, to complete one additional trip. The benefit was active from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. (the next day). No extensive analyses have examined the benefit—specifically whether the operating hours were optimal to reduce fare evasion. On May 1, 2014, an unannounced pilot plan extended the time window of the benefit until 11 a.m. Data analysis showed that this extension could effectively reduce fare evasion, as new smart card users took advantage of the benefit, effectively lowering failed trip attempts of users with positive but insufficient funds, and slightly increasing failed trip attempts by users with negative funds (who previously used the benefit). Estimates showed that 6,000 trips per day were no longer evaded as a result of the extension. On November 24, 2014, the benefit was publicly announced, after which failed trip attempts increased. Suggestions for the future are made to reduce fare evasion.
Reducing Subway Crowding: Analysis of an Off-Peak Discount Experiment in Hong Kong
Authors: Halvorsen Anne , Koutsopoulos Haris N. , Lau Stephen , Au Tom , Zhao Jinhua
Published: December 2016

Increases in ridership are outpacing capacity expansions in several transit systems. By shifting their focus to demand management, agencies can instead influence how customers use the system and get more out of their present capacity. This paper uses Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system as a case study to explore the effects of crowding reduction strategies and how to use fare data to support these measures. The MTR system introduced a discount in September 2014 to encourage users to travel before the peak and reduce onboard crowding. To understand the impacts of this intervention, first, existing congestion patterns were reviewed and a clustering analysis was used to reveal typical travel patterns among users. Then, changes to users’ departure times were studied at three levels to evaluate the promotion’s effects. Patterns of all users were measured across both the whole system and for specific rail segments. The travel patterns of the user groups, who have more homogeneous usage characteristics, were also evaluated and revealed groups who had differing responses to the promotion. The incentive was found to have affected morning travel, particularly at the beginning of the peak hour period and among users with commuter-like behavior. Aggregate and group-specific elasticities were developed to inform future promotions and the results were also used to suggest other potential incentive designs.
BusViz: Big Data for Bus Fleets
Authors: Anwar Afian , Odoni Amedeo , Toh Nelson
Published: December 2016

Transit agencies in major cities make hundreds of decisions every day on how to best allocate scarce resources. How adequate and reliable is service on a given bus route? When should capacity be added to a popular route? How should a bus route serve a neighborhood? Transit planners make decisions by using whatever information is available. This information includes ground surveys, public feedback, and a large element of experience and intuition. This paper presents BusViz, a web-based application that helps bus service operators and transit regulators to make better decisions by using large streams of field data to monitor and visualize the performance of bus fleets. The paper describes the system architecture and user interface of the application and illustrates how the Singapore Land Transport Authority is using it to iterate and evaluate ideas with data-driven rigor and to share quality of service statistics with various stakeholders.
Capturing the Benefits of a Variable Advisory Speed System in Portland, Oregon: Empirical Before and After Evaluation
Authors: Downey Matthew , Bertini Robert L.
Published: December 2016

The first variable advisory speed (VAS) system in Portland, Oregon, was recently installed on OR-217. This system, designed to be responsive to both congestion and weather, was installed to address issues along the corridor, including unreliable travel times, high crash rates, and substantial declines in performance during adverse weather. To assess the merits and effectiveness of the VAS system, a before and after analysis of corridor performance in terms of capacity, reliability, and safety is being conducted. This paper summarizes the findings of the before analysis and presents results from the after analysis during the first 9 months of operation. Before the system’s activation, OR-217 suffered from highly variable travel times, frequent severe bottlenecks, a high rate of rear-end collisions, and significant speed differentials between adjacent lanes. Though the system was activated in the summer of 2014 and the system’s long-term effects are not yet definitely established, some notable evidence of travel time reliability improvements has already been documented. The system’s safety impacts will be the subject of ongoing analysis.
Lane Departure Warning and Prevention Systems in the U.S. Vehicle Fleet: Influence of Roadway Characteristics on Potential Safety Benefits
Authors: Scanlon John M. , Kusano Kristofer D. , Gabler Hampton C.
Published: December 2016

Road departure crashes account for one-tenth of all crashes but nearly one-third of all fatal crashes. Lane departure warning (LDW) and lane departure prevention (LDP) active safety systems could mitigate these crashes by warning the driver of a lane departure or automatically navigating the vehicle back into the lane. The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of certain roadway characteristics on the effectiveness of LDW and LDP systems within the U.S. vehicle fleet. This study used 478 real-world drift-out-of-lane road departure crashes and simulated them as if the vehicles had been equipped with LDW or LDP systems. The simulations were then repeated as if ( a) all of the roadways had lane markings, ( b) the roadway shoulders were expanded, and ( c) lane markings were present and the shoulder widths were expanded. With the existing roadway infrastructure, LDW and LDP were found to potentially prevent 28% to 32% of U.S. road departure crashes and 21% to 28% of cases of serious driver injury. When lane markings were added to the roadways, LDW and LDP could prevent 32% to 36% of crashes and 27% to 31% of cases of serious driver injury. When only shoulder widths were expanded, LDW and LDP could prevent 50% to 54% of crashes and 44% to 48% of cases of serious driver injury. When lane markings were present and the shoulders were expanded, LDW and LDP could prevent 72% to 78% of crashes and 60% to 65% of cases of serious driver injury. The findings of this study highlight the important influence of roadway infrastructure on the performance of LDW and LDP.
Determining the Readiness of Automated Driving Systems for Public Operation: Development of Behavioral Competency Requirements
Authors: Nowakowski Christopher , Shladover Steven E. , Chan Ching-Yao
Published: December 2016

Automated driving systems (ADSs) present several challenges to the existing regulatory framework for road vehicles at both the national and the state level. NHTSA has been primarily responsible for automotive safety, and states have been responsible for the regulations that govern vehicle registration and the training, evaluation, and licensing of drivers. Regulatory development has been further complicated by NHTSA’s deciding to proceed cautiously and deliberatively, and several state legislatures have pushed for the rapid adoption of state regulations in advance of federal regulations. One of the key challenges in this process has been balancing the need to protect public safety without federal or industry standards, while still encouraging an innovation in technology that could ultimately lead to large improvements in transportation safety, efficiency, and convenience. This paper provides an update on the progress and ongoing challenges in developing regulations for the deployment of ADSs to the public in the state of California. In prior work, the authors postulated that ADS safety would depend on both behavioral competency and functional safety. The focus of this paper is to expand on the method used and the results of the authors’ earlier work to establish minimum behavioral competency requirements for ADSs to be deployed on public roads. The behavioral competencies described in this paper provide a starting point for specifying the minimum ADS performance requirements and the testing procedures needed to verify that those requirements have been met.
Parking Sensing and Information System: Sensors, Deployment, and Evaluation
Authors: Chen Xiao , Qian Zhen (Sean) , Rajagopal Ram , Stiers Todd , Flores Christopher , Kavaler Robert , Williams Floyd
Published: December 2016

This paper describes a smart parking sensing and information system that disseminates parking availability information to public users in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The hardware framework of the system is built on advanced wireless sensor networks and cloud service over the Internet, and the system is highly scalable. The parking information provided to the users is set in the form of occupancy rates and expected cruising time. Both are obtained from an analytical algorithm that processes historical and real-time data and are then visualized in a color theme. The entire parking system is deployed and extensively evaluated at Stanford University, California, Parking Structure 1.
Investigating Driver Response Time to Freeway Merge Advisories in a Connected Vehicle Environment
Authors: Hayat M. Tanveer , Park Hyungjun , Smith Brian Lee
Published: December 2016

Vehicular conflict is one of the major causes of congestion in freeway merge areas. With the emerging connected vehicle environment, more proactive strategies can be developed and implemented to improve merging operations with enhanced safety and mobility. The freeway merge assistance system, made possible with connected vehicles, ensures smoother merging through the early identification and dynamic notification of merging opportunities by advisory message. However, given that the effectiveness of this mobility application depends entirely on drivers’ responses to the advisory messages, a proper understanding of driver response to the new generation of dynamic advisory messages is a necessity. A detailed analysis of driver response time to advisory messages from the freeway merge assistance system was conducted on the basis of the data collected in a field test with 68 naive participants. The analysis results showed that the perception–reaction time increased as the available gap size decreased. An estimated 0.64-s difference was observed between cases with large and small gaps and implies varied perception–reaction times for various traffic conditions. Second, the perception–reaction time decreased as the advisory became more direct and proactive, with an observed 1.30-s decrease in perception–reaction time between the most direct and indirect advisories. It is therefore recommended that advisory messages should be direct and clear. The actual lane-changing time did not change much, regardless of advisory type or available gap size. The implications of these results are of significance in the design and implementation of connected vehicle–enabled mobility applications.
Capacity Drops at Merges: Analytical Expressions for Multilane Freeways
Authors: Leclercq Ludovic , Marczak Florian , Knoop Victor L. , Hoogendoorn Serge P.
Published: December 2016

This paper deals with the derivation of analytical formulas to estimate the effective capacity at freeway merges in a multilane context. The paper extends the findings presented in two previous papers describing studies that were based on the same modeling framework but that were restricted to a single lane on the freeway (or to the analysis of the right lane only). The analytical expression for the one-lane capacity was recursively applied to all lanes. Lane-changing maneuvers (mandatory for the on-ramp vehicles and discretionary for the other vehicles) were divided into two nonoverlapping local merging areas. Discretionary lane changes were transformed into a lane-changing flow by the use of appropriate analytical formulas. These formulas defined a system of equations whose unknowns were the capacity on all lanes and the inserting flow coming from the on-ramp. A sensitivity analysis showed that vehicle acceleration and the truck ratio were the parameters that most influenced the total capacity. The results obtained with the analytical formulas were proven to match the numerical results obtained from a traffic simulator that fully describes vehicle dynamics. Finally, the results provide good estimates in comparison with experimental data for an active merge on the M6 Motorway in the United Kingdom.
Calibration of the Fundamental Diagram Based on Loop and Probe Data
Authors: Clairais Aurélien , Duret Aurélien , El Faouzi Nour-Eddin
Published: December 2016

The fundamental diagram is a key component of traffic flow. This diagram describes equilibrium traffic states and their propagation on a traffic network. Knowledge of traffic parameters is of paramount importance to understand traffic properties and characteristics. It is also critical to calibrate the elements of dynamic traffic flow simulation models and reproduce traffic states on road networks. This paper describes the development of a method for estimating fundamental diagram parameters that combines loop data and probe data. Loop data are considered boundary conditions of the problem. The travel times between any points located in the loop can be estimated on the basis of the fundamentals of the kinematic wave theory. The optimal fundamental diagram parameters are computed so that the discrepancy between estimated travel times and the actual travel times determined with probe vehicles is minimal. The method is validated by the use of simulated error-free data. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the method when it is applied to an error-free data set. The method is then implemented with realistic data, that is, data that were aggregated and noised beforehand. The robustness of the method is demonstrated, and the results are encouraging for the development of an algorithm that calibrates fundamental diagram parameters online and automatically.
Application of Bayesian Stochastic Learning Automata for Modeling Lane Choice Behavior on High-Occupancy Toll Lanes on State Road 167
Authors: Morgül Ender Faruk , Ozbay Kaan , Kurkcu Abdullah
Published: December 2016

This paper investigates the learning behavior of users of State Road 167 high-occupancy toll lanes by use of toll transaction data collected over a 6-month period. The Bayesian stochastic learning algorithm theory was used to model drivers’ sequential lane choice decisions. Reward and penalty parameters were used to update users’ lane choice probabilities. The results showed that the effect of reward parameters that increased the probability of selection of an alternative after a satisfactory experience was more obvious than the effect of penalty parameters that decreased the probability of selection of an unfavorable choice. Low magnitudes of learning parameters might indicate strong habit formation of users. Moreover, the posterior distributions of learning parameters indicated that user perception heterogeneity existed when the outcomes of choices were evaluated. Finally, user familiarity was investigated with a subsample of less experienced users, and it was shown that the learning rates of more familiar users were lower than those of less familiar users.
Shifts in Long-Distance Travel Mode Due to Automated Vehicles: Statewide Mode-Shift Simulation Experiment and Travel Survey Analysis
Authors: LaMondia Jeffrey J. , Fagnant Daniel J. , Qu Hongyang , Barrett Jackson , Kockelman Kara
Published: December 2016

Although vehicle automation technology has experienced rapid gains in recent years, little research has been conducted on the potential impacts of self-driving vehicles on long-distance personal travel, a major area of travel growth in the United States. Automated vehicles (AVs) offer flexible trip time and origin–destination pairings at travel time costs perceived to be lower; thus, AVs have the potential to dramatically change how travelers pursue long-distance tours. This study analyzed travel surveys and then developed a statewide simulation experiment of long-distance travel to anticipate the impact of AVs on long-distance travel choices. The research explored the Michigan State 2009 Long-Distance Travel Survey and estimated a long-distance trip generation model and a modal-agnostic long-distance mode-choice model. These models were applied in a statewide simulation experiment in which AVs were introduced as a new mode with lower perceived travel time costs (via lowered values of travel time en route) and higher travel costs (to reflect the initially high price of complete vehicle automation). This experiment highlighted the potential shifts in mode choices across different trip distances and purposes. For travel of less than 500 mi, AVs tended to draw from the use of personal vehicles and airlines equally. Airlines were estimated to remain preferred for distances greater than 500 mi (43.6% of trips greater than 500 mi were by air, and 70.9% of trips greater than 1,000 mi were by air). Additionally, at certain AV travel time valuations, travel cost was not a significant factor. The findings showed that as the perceived travel time benefits from hands-free travel rose, monetary costs became less important.
Fundamental Linkages Between Activity Time Use and Subjective Well-Being for the Elderly Population: Joint Exploratory Analysis Framework for In-Home and Out-of-Home Activities
Authors: Ravulaparthy Srinath K. , Konduri Karthik C. , Goulias Konstadinos G.
Published: December 2016

For elderly people (those 65 years of age or older), transportation mobility is critical to meeting activity engagement needs and maintaining life satisfaction and well-being. This paper explores the underlying correlation structure between activity time-use patterns and the degree of episode well-being (or happiness) of the elderly population. The research presented here was based on data from the 2009 Disability and Use of Time survey, which included senior couples with an average age of 68 years. The survey also recorded reported levels of episode well-being indicators related to calmness, happiness, frustration, worrying, tiredness, sadness, pleasantness, and pain. The latent class cluster analysis framework was used with the scores on these indicators to construct a composite degree of activity satisfaction experienced by an individual. These well-being measures estimated a set of regression models that jointly analyzed episode duration and satisfaction separately for in-home and out-of-home activities with a broad array of covariates of sociodemographics, activity and travel characteristics, and global well-being indicators. Model estimation results revealed a strong negative correlation between episode duration and well-being, with a pronounced impact on in-home activities. The results indicated the presence of satiation effects related to the activity time use and episode well-being of the elderly. The results also suggested that companionship and altruism have a strong and positive effect on episode well-being and time-use patterns. The model findings show that elderly individuals who are happy with their life tend to engage in happy activities for longer periods.
On Good Neighbors and Distant Friends in the Online Era
Authors: Schaap Nina T. W. , Hoogendoorn-Lanser Sascha , Berveling Jaco
Published: December 2016

Internet use continues to increase, and the range of online applications for maintaining social relationships is rapidly evolving. Changes in the quality, quantity, and distance of contacts in social circles might affect mobility. On the basis of literature and data derived from the Netherlands Mobility Panel (MPN), the world of social circles (online and offline) and the activities of initiating and maintaining friendships are examined. MPN data on Internet use for 2,775 respondents and statements scored by them on a 5-point Likert scale are analyzed, and reported changes in the quantity, quality, and distance of contacts in social circles due to the Internet are examined. A key finding is that engaging in social activities online can lead to both an increase and a decrease in the desire to meet with social contacts face-to-face, as well as a change in how social circles are maintained. Respondents report an increase in the number of social contacts, the distance between contacts in the social circle, and the distances traveled to meet with their contacts. They also report a decrease in engagement in certain social activities and changes in the ways in which they engage in them. Maintaining social contacts online can simultaneously stimulate, redistribute, substitute for, enrich, and supplement travel, all depending on the situation and the activity at hand. The presence of multiple effects for specific types of activities indicates the importance of including the particularities of quality, quantity, and distance in future studies of the effects of online social activities on mobility.
Use of Social Networking Data to Explore Activity and Destination Choice Behavior in Two Metropolitan Areas
Authors: Chen Ying , Mahmassani Hani S.
Published: December 2016

On the basis of data from online location-based social networks, the spatiality of destinations in the context of social networks and the influence of social networks on travelers’ destination choices are explored through check-in behavior. Analysis results show that social relationships play a role in travelers’ destination choices and that distance plays a strong role in social networks and in location choice. Comparison of check-in behavior of travelers in two social networks identified in two metropolitan areas (Chicago, Illinois, and New York City) and examination of interactions in the largest communities in each social network indicate that the denser a social network is, the greater the likelihood that travelers will be influenced by their friends in their choice of destination. However, travelers’ own experiences appear to exert greater influence on their decision making than do friendships.
Identifying Indicators for Fatigue Cracking in Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavements Using Viscoelastic Continuum Damage Principles
Authors: Mensching David J. , Rahbar-Rastegar Reyhaneh , Underwood B. Shane , Daniel Jo Sias
Published: December 2016

A critical distress in asphalt concrete pavements is fatigue cracking, which results in decreased ride quality and fuel economy, and provides an avenue for water intrusion, which causes a pavement system to deteriorate rapidly. Given the poor state of the infrastructure network, changes are needed in the current mixture design process to promote innovation and alternative approaches to production. This study addressed this need by pursuing the following objectives: ( a) relate mixture stiffness, fatigue, and pavement system characteristics for performance-based mixture design; ( b) identify a simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) output parameter that most clearly distinguishes between poor and satisfactory performance when combined with dynamic modulus information; and ( c) evaluate the impact of recycled materials on performance indicators for fatigue cracking. The results show that a pavement structure selection process related to the S-VECD failure criterion produces better performance predictions than does a stiffness-based approach. Promising correlations with performance exist for the pseudostiffness at failure and storage modulus for an Interstate pavement structure, phase angle for a state highway surface and base course, and model term alpha for the same state highway base course.
Pedestrian Gap Acceptance Behavior in Street Designs with Elements of Shared Space
Authors: Kaparias Ioannis , Hirani Jignesh , Bell Michael G. H. , Mount Bill
Published: December 2016

Recent developments in the field of urban street design have seen the emergence of the concept of “shared space,” a term that refers to a range of streetscape treatments aiming at creating a better public realm by asserting the function of streets as places and designing more to a scale aimed at easier pedestrian movement and lower vehicle speeds. In light of this shift in focus toward the pedestrian, an examination was done on the aspect of pedestrian gap acceptance behavior and how this may have changed as a result of the implementation of street layouts with elements of shared space. With the use of video data from London’s Exhibition Road site during periods before and after its conversion from a conventional dual carriageway to a layout featuring a number of elements of shared space, the study looked at changes in key gap acceptance variables, such as waiting time, crossing time, crossing speed, and critical gap. The effects of several traffic- and pedestrian-specific attributes on gap acceptance were also investigated by means of binary logistic regression modeling. Results suggest that pedestrians felt more comfortable and confident in their interaction with vehicles post-redevelopment of the site because they not only tended to accept shorter gaps in traffic but also appeared to be more at ease when crossing. In particular, elderly people and pedestrians traveling with children seemed to benefit the most, no longer appearing to be any less comfortable when crossing the road than other pedestrians.
Road, Traffic, and Human Factors of Pedestrian Crossing Behavior: Integrated Choice and Latent Variables Models
Authors: Papadimitriou Eleonora , Lassarre Sylvain , Yannis George , Tselentis Dimitrios I.
Published: December 2016

This study analyzed road, traffic, and human factors of pedestrian crossing behavior through the development of integrated choice and latent variables models. The analysis used recent research as a starting point, in which a two-stage approach was successfully tested, including a separate estimation of human factors and choice models. Data from a dedicated field survey were used: pedestrian field observations of road crossing behavior in different road and traffic scenarios were combined with a questionnaire on pedestrian attitudes, perceptions, motivations, and declared behaviors. The integrated choice and latent variables models were developed for four road types: major urban arterials, main roads, secondary roads, and residential roads. Results suggest that the effect of traffic conditions on pedestrian crossing choices was more important on main and secondary urban roads, whereas on major urban arterials and on residential roads it was nonsignificant. In regard to the effects of human factors, a risk latent variable was found to enhance the explanatory power of most of the models. This variable was estimated on the basis of different indicators in each case, reflecting a clear risk-taking tendency on major and main roads and an optimization tendency on minor roads. Overall, it is indicated that the integration of human factors in pedestrian crossing models provides meaningful and insightful results, and they may be advantageous compared with the two-stage approach.
Variables Influencing Efficacy of Gateway In-Street Sign Configuration on Yielding at Crosswalks
Authors: Bennett Miles K. , Van Houten Ron
Published: December 2016

This study examined the effects of several variables influencing the effectiveness of the in-street sign used in a gateway configuration. This experiment compared the R1-6 gateway treatment with the sign message present and with the sign message absent (use of the fluorescent yellow green background without the symbol message) on drivers yielding right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks. Results show that the use of yellow–green blanks without the sign message produced an average increase in yielding from 7% to 33% while the addition of the message increased yielding to 78%. Data were also collected to compare various configurations of the in-street sign on drivers yielding right-of-way to pedestrians at three sites. Results show that the full gateway was the most effective configuration, placement of the edge signs in the gutter pan was only slightly more effective than placement of the edge signs on top of the curb face, partial installation of the gateway was less effective than the full gateway alone, and substitution of a very durable flexible delineator post for the lane line signs resulted in 60% of drivers yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.
Better in-hospital outcome among hypertensive subjects developing acute myocardial infarction-study in a tertiary cardiac care center in Bangladesh
Authors: Das Prabir Kumar , Hasan Sayed Md , Siddique Salehuddin , Murshed Munzur , Rahman AKM Fazlur
Published: December 2016

Background:In-hospital complications and mortality in hypertensives developing acute myocardial infarction(AMI) may be different from those of normotensive counterpart.The aim of the current study was to analyze in-hospital complication and outcome of AMI in hypertensive patients and compare it with age and sex matched normotensive AMI patients.Methods: In-hospital complications of 112 hypertensive patients with AMI admitted over a period of 1 year (April 2014 to March 2015) were compared with the control group. Location and types of AMI were determined by ECG. Patients were considered to be hypertensive if they were taking antihypertensive treatment or were found to have a systolic blood pressure (SBP) e140 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) e90 mmHg on repeated measurements. Both groups were studied prospectively. The results were analyzed by SPSS software.Results:Out of total 112 patients 69 were male and 43 were female in each group. Male: female ratio was 1.6:1. Mean age of the study population was 67.3±10.2 yrs (range 41 to 83 yrs). Mean blood pressure values were 145.7±11.5/88.3±8.9 mmHg in the hypertensive and 127.3±9.7/75.8±5.6 mmHg in normotensive group respectively. A significantly higher prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic kidney disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease were found in the hypertensive compared with the normotensive subjects. Hypertensive AMI patients had higher left ventricular ejection fraction compared with the normotensives(0.51±0.13 vs 0.47±0.15). A higher frequency of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF) (10.7% vs 7.1%, P<0.05) and a lower frequency of atrioventricular block (5.4 % vs 8.0%), ventricular fibrillation (2.7% vs 4.5%), cardiogenic shock (4.5% vs 9.8%, P<0.01) and a lower inhospital mortality(6.2% vs 10.7%, P<0.01) were found among the hypertensives compared with the normotensives.Conclusion: Hypertensive AMI patients had a significantly higher incidence of AF, lower incidence of cardiogenic shock and an overall better inhospital outcome compared with the normotensives, probably owing to a better preserved left ventricular function, prior use of cardioprotective drugs and yet undefined mechanism.Bangladesh Heart Journal 2016; 31(1) : 10-17
Frequency, Clinical Presentation and Immediate Outcome of Hypernatraemic Dehydration in Children with Acute Diarrhoea
Authors: Sultana Azmeri , Salim AFM , Hanif Mohammed , Nazir MFH , Parvin Ruma , Sadia Nayeema , Nahid Khan Lamia
Published: December 2016

Background: Diarrhoea is a leading cause of illness & death among children in developing countries. Hypernatraemia is a serious complication in acute diarrhoea. It is usually associated with high case fatality rate.Objective: This study, was undertaken to measure the frequency of hypernatraemia, its clinical presentation and the immediate outcome of the problem in Specialized Paediatric Hospital settings.Methods: This was cross sectional observational study. A total of hundred and seven children with acute diarrhoea aged between 2 months to 60 months of both sex admitted in the inpatient department of Dhaka Shishu Hospital and ICH and SSF Hospital, Mirpur-2, over a period of 6 months from August 2011 to February 2012 were included randomly in the study. Serum electrolytes was checked in all the study children just after admission before starting any treatment and at 24 and 72 hours after admission.Results: Among 107 children, hypernatraemia accounted for 12(11.2%) of children. Patients who developed hypernatraemia 4(33.3%) were mild, 5(41.7%) moderate and 3(25%) severely hypernatraemic. The proportion of children with consciousness at baseline and after 24 hours was staggeringly lower in severe hypernatraemic children than that in mild and moderate children. Intact sensory function was found in all mild &severe hypernatraemic children at baseline. Twenty percent of moderate hypernatraemic children had paresthesia at baseline and another 20% after 72 hours, while 33.3% of severe hypernatraemic patients exhibited after 24 hours. All of the patients had signs of severe dehydration at baseline in the three groups. Forty percent of moderate and 33.3% of severe hypernatraemic children had some signs of dehydration after 24 hours and 50% of mild, 40% of moderate and 66.7% of severe hypernatraemic patients after 72 hours. All of the mild and moderate and 1(33.3%) in severe hypernatraemic children improve after treatment and 2(66.7%) of 3 severe hypernatraemic children died during treatment.Conclusion: Hypernatremia is a serious complication of acute diarrhoea in children, which is associated with increased mortality.Bangladesh J Child Health 2015; VOL 39 (1) :18-23