bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Open access to knowledge: a new right created by globalization
Authors: Gaitán-Duarte Hernando
Published: December 2015

It emerges from the blurring of borders between countries, less independent control of the State over its citizens (1), and shorter effective time between an event occurring and news of it traveling around the world people (2). There are several reasons that explain the emergence of this paradigm: technological developments like the World Wide Web that has given rise to social media such as Facebook, by no means subject to physical borders; immediate access to information either through traditional media like television or press, or through new media like Twitter or YouTube (we all have a clear recall of the live broadcast on television of the attack against the Twin Towers); and, finally, the creation of supranational agencies charged with the role of ensuring respect for human rights, as is the case of the International Criminal Court (ICC) (3).

Some authors explain that globalization originates in the prevalent economic tenets of the day: capitalism and the market economy. The idea is to have increasingly larger markets for the consumption of goods and services and to diminish control over international money transactions and investments (4). Hence the talk about global companies like The Coca-cola Company, free trade agreements, and capital flows between countries (1).

In this new scenario, weak economies are subjected to pressures imposed by transnational companies or their representatives (5). Added to economic consequences, there are social effects like impacts on workers and population migrations unseen in the recent past, as is the case of crowds fleeing to Europe from places like Syria and North Africa.
El patrimonio cultural desde las voces de los jóvenes. Un punto de partida para la educación patrimonial
Authors: Careaga Adriana
Published: December 2015

Esta investigación tiene como principal objetivo indagar acerca de las concepciones sobre patrimonio cultural que tienen los adolescentes del primer ciclo de enseñanza media a partir de una experiencia de una propuesta didáctica basada en el aprendizaje experiencial denominada “Tras la muralla perdida” que comprende un recorrido por los restos de fortificaciones coloniales con un taller musical. Se realizó en un espacio cultural, ámbito de educación no formal que promueve la educación patrimonial, situado en el casco histórico de la capital del país durante los años 2013 y 2014. Se analizaron los productos logrados en el taller en forma de décimas poéticas improvisadas con acompañamiento musical, así como también los testimonios escritos que, de forma voluntaria, dejaron en la pizarra al culminar el paseo y las observaciones realizadas por el investigador.El interés de la investigación se centró en dilucidar qué piensan los jóvenes acerca del patrimonio cultural y su relación con la ciudad en la que habitan, perspectiva poco explorada en la educación escolar formal.De esta manera, primero se abordan las principales nociones teóricas acerca del patrimonio cultural y sus alcances en la educación. Luego se presenta el detalle del recorrido, prestando especial atención al proceso de construcción de las décimas poéticas objeto de este estudio y procediendo a su análisis y categorización. Finalmente se establecen algunas conclusiones acerca de la importancia del lugar que debe ocupar la educación patrimonial para lograr conformar una ciudadanía crítica, activa y democrática.
Presentación
Authors: Vaillant Denise
Published: December 2015

Este número de Cuadernos de Investigación Educativa presenta artículos de especial interés para la comunidad de investigadores del campo social tanto por la relevancia de las temáticas abordadas como por la rigurosidad en su tratamiento. Se trata de trabajos seleccionados mediante un proceso de evaluación de pares y referidos a muy diversos contextos y niveles educativos.
New business strategies of football clubs
Authors: András Krisztina , Havran Zsolt
Published: December 2015

The study investigates new strategies of football clubs in function of last few years’ trends in European football leagues. There were many changes in international professional football during the last 10-15 years that had significant effect on the success of certain clubs. We show empirical evidences about these effects based on data about revenues, transfer balance, financial and sport successes. We focus on Western European leagues and classify clubs based on their business and sport strategies.
Information content of a sports undertaking’s statements serving different purposes – particularly with reference to the player rights
Authors: Szőke Réka , Bács Zoltán , Dékán Tamásné Orbán Ildikó , Dékán Tamás
Published: December 2015

In the 21st century, sport is not just a fun, social cohesive force but also a business; it has become an independent industry by now and several countries possess developed sport markets. According to estimates, sport accounts for 4% of the EU’s GDP. The actuality of our research is given by the fact that the economic aspect of sports develops continuously which is also due to that more and more amounts already stream into sports in our days. In Hungary, sport is mainly state aided and has mostly financing problems while the sport businesses existing in the more developed Western Europe are principally sponsored by the private sector. The government considers sport as a strategic branch (HERCZEG et al, 2015) and manages as such because they see the international breakthrough potencies in sport as well. Sport companies must also adapt the business-based thinking, which requires the strategic planning and operation (BECSKY, 2011). The research covers the subject of economic approach of the players’ rights. The task of accounting is to give a true and fair image about the property, income and financial situation of an undertaking. Information provided by accounting is essential for both the management decisionmaking and the market operators. In Hungary, the sports undertakings, as each managing entity, have to prepare their statements according to the Act C of 2000 on Accounting (AoA.) (NAGY – BÁCSNÉ BÁBA, 2014). The purpose of this research is to examine how a domestic sports undertaking demonstrates the value of available players in the books and how the incomes and expenditures incurred with the players are accounted for, based on the regulations of the Hungarian, international associations and the Union of European Football Associations (hereinafter: UEFA). In order that the leaders of the businesses can make quick and appropriate economic decisions, it is essential in this intensively changing world that an enterprise should have a well-functioning accounting system based on up-to-date information. International Financial Reporting Standards (hereinafter: IFRS) are intended to provide the comparability across borders. Firstly, we deal with the accounting reporting system, both the Hungarian, international financial reporting standards and, relating to UEFA, the investigation of the intangible assets to a great extent during analysing the balance sheets. Then, we examine the income statements from the viewpoint player transfers. To what extent the rules of a statement laid down by UEFA differ from the ones of a statement prepared according to AoA? What is the difference in domestic and international relations? In this study, we search after the answers for questions mentioned before.
Proposals for low-carbon agriculture production strategies between 2020 and 2030 in Hungary
Authors: Fogarassy Csaba , Nábrádi András
Published: December 2015

When viewed from the perspective of climate policy, agriculture as a separate sector is one of the most difficult development areas to assess. One of the reasons for this is the problem of the localization of greenhouse gas emitters, caused by the fact that production takes place in small or dispersed production units. The special circumstance that unit production takes place in complex interactive systems (food, feed, energy sources, main products, by-products, etc.) is yet another special factor, which in addition makes it significantly more difficult to measure and identify the GHGs they emit than if they were a uniform production plant. Additionally, there are few sectors outside agriculture where decision-makers encounter such strong opposition and lobby interests when developing limiting regulations. This stems from the fact that following World War II, European decision-makers and the Common Agricultural Policy elevated agriculture to a prominent role whose importance was indisputable. As a result, both climate policy and other measures that would result in any reduction of the priority of the sector are very difficult to implement, since the players involved always reason that limitations would restrict their competiveness and the security of their production. In addition, the uncertain nature of regulatory elements also poses a grave problem. As an example, the name of the sector itself – the LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry) sector – shows that the strategy for reducing the greenhouse gasses emitted by the whole sector would be significantly different if these units were treated separately (agricultural land use, forest, not-cultivated areas). Taking the above into account, the present study aims to identify development directions that in turn allow those low-carbon development directions to be pinpointed within animal husbandry and plant production that have the greatest feasibility and can contribute to decreasing the GHG environmental load exerted by agriculture.
New tools and opportunities in growth and climate friendly greening for small and medium enterprises in the European Union
Authors: Szanyi-Gyenes Xénia , Mudri György , Bakosné Böröcz Mária
Published: December 2015

The role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is unquestionable in the European economies, while financial opportunities are still inadequate for them. The more than 20 million SMEs play a significant role in European economic growth, innovation and job creation. According to the latest EC Annual Report , SMEs are accounting for 99% of all non-financial enterprises, employing 88.8 million people and generating almost EUR 3.7 tn in added value for our economy. Despite the fact that there is plenty of EU funding available for these SMEs, for certain reasons these funds hardly reach them. But we have to see that the EU supports SMEs by various way, e.g. by grants, regulatory changes, financial instrument, direct funds. On the other hand, SMEs and decision makers realised that the environmental sustainability has to be attached to the economic growth, therefore more and more tools are available for these enterprises. Over the last few years, public institutions, the market, the financial community and non-governmental associations have explicitly demanded that firms improve their environmental performance. One of the greatest opportunities might lay in the Climate- and Energy Strategy till 2030 as 20% of the EU budget is allocated to climate-related actions, however the easy access to finance is still a key question. Does the EU recognise the actual difficulties? Is there a systemic reason behind the absorption problems? Is the EU creating a more businessfriendly environment for SMEs, facilitating access to finance, stimulates the green and sustainable growth and improving access to new markets? The paper analyses the current European situation of the SMEs and the effectiveness of some new tools, which are specially targeting SMEs.

JEL classification: Q18
Experiences of Cultural Activities provided by the Employer in Finland
Authors: Tuisku Katinka , Houni Pia
Published: December 2015

The increasing mental demands of healthcare work call for developing complementary health promotion strategies. Cultural leisure activities have long been recognized as a source of wellbeing and coping for employees. Yet, little is known about implementation of employer-provided cultural activities—how they are encountered and experienced. In this study, a public sector hospital department offered monthly cultural events for personnel: Theater, concerts, musicals, dance-performances, museum visits and sight-seeing. A digital questionnaire was sent to hospital staff (N = 769) to ask about their participation in employer-provided cultural activities during the past 6 months. The motives and obstacles for participation, and the quality of experience of the cultural events, were explored quantitatively and qualitatively. The main motives for participation were related to well-being, content of cultural events and invitations from employer or colleagues. For some, the participation was hampered by work-shifts and missing information. The participants experienced recreation, relaxation and psychological detachment from strain, which is essential for recovery. Community participation was more common than individual participation. Shared cultural experiences among employees may increase the social capital at workplace, but equal access for all employees should be guaranteed.
Passion and Exploitation Among Young Adults with Different Labor Market Status in Europe
Authors: Bergqvist Tuula , Eriksson Birgitta
Published: December 2015

The aim of this article is to describe and analyze the relationship between attitudes to work, wellbeing, and labor market status among young adults in Europe and to discuss the extent to which the relationship can be understood in terms of passion or exploitation. This aim is made concrete in the following research questions: To what extent do young adults in Europe have a passionate attitude to work? Are there differences between groups with various labor market status and nationalities? Are there differences in levels of well-being between the groups of young adults with different labor market status, and differences between the countries? The results are based on an individual survey conducted with three categories of young people (18–34 years old): long-term unemployed, those in precarious employments, and those regularly employed. The study had a cross-national comparative design and the countries included were France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Do Low-quality Leader-Member Relationships Matter for Subordinates? Evidence from Three Samples on the Validity of the Norwegian LMX Scale
Authors: Furunes Trude , Mykletun Reidar J. , Einarsen Ståle , Glasø Lars
Published: December 2015

Theories on the relations between leaders and subordinates have been of interest to researchers for decades; however, these theories have received less attention in the Nordic countries. The aim of this study is twofold: to investigate the validity of the Leader-Member-Exchange Scale, LMX-7, in three Norwegian samples, and to explore potentially negative relationships between leader–member relationships and work-environment quality indicators. Data were collected from teachers (n = 409), industrial workers (n = 406), and bus drivers (n = 1024). All hypotheses were supported. Results supported use of the measure LMX-7 as indicated by factor structure, high construct validity, sufficient criterion-related validity, discriminant validity, and internal reliability as measured by Cronbach’s alpha above 0.90. Poor quality relationships were associated with higher levels of role conflict, stress, bullying, turnover intentions, age discrimination, and negative affectivity, and lower levels of job satisfaction, commitment, skills utilization, autonomy, participation, perceived fairness, and social support. Potential consequences of low-quality relations and implications of findings are discussed.
Informal Practices of Inequality in Recruitment in Finland
Authors: Koivunen Tuija , Ylöstalo Hanna , Otonkorpi-Lehtoranta Katri
Published: December 2015

In this article, we explore the policies and processes of selection and recruitment from the perspective of equality. Focusing on tacit ideas of the ‘ideal worker,’ ideal recruitment, and selection that direct the recruitment process, we examine the ways in which implicit ideas and recruitmentrelated settings of daily interaction become informal practices of inequality. In this analysis, we rely on the conceptual framework of inequality regimes. The qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews focuses on the categories of gender, ethnicity, and age. We identified three categories of informal practices of inequality, which we have named as recruitment by the book, relocation of responsibility, and recruiting by addressing the difference. The findings suggest that although recruiters follow the legislation concerning equal treatment in recruitment, they do so because they want to avoid problems and possible litigation rather than because they are committed to promoting equality as an end in itself. However, equality promotion requires that gender, ethnicity, and age equality is itself the goal. If equality serves other goals, such as avoiding litigation or boosting business, the everyday practices of recruitment may turn into informal practices of inequality.
Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Both-Bones Forearm Fractures*
Authors: Nauth Aaron , McKee Michael D.
Published: December 2015

Compared with closed reduction or older fixation methods, open reduction and compression plate fixation has dramatically improved the outcomes of displaced diaphyseal forearm fractures. However, the procedure can be technically demanding, with implant choice, surgical approach, accuracy of reduction, and sufficient fracture stability to allow early postoperative motion all having been shown to affect outcome.

The procedure is performed with the following steps:

The patient is positioned supine on the operating room table with the arm on a hand-table and a tourniquet applied to the upper arm.

After skin preparation and draping, a longitudinal incision is made over the volar aspect of the forearm between the flexor carpi radialis tendon and the radial artery, centered over the radial fracture site.

The interval between the flexor carpi radialis and the radial artery is developed, and, depending on the location, the deeper musculature is reflected from the bone adjacent to the fracture site, which is debrided of hematoma, irrigated, and cleaned.

The fracture is reduced and is provisionally fixed with a Kirschner wire, or lag screw if possible. A small-fragment compression plate that provides at least three bicortical screws proximal and distal to the fracture is selected and is applied with one screw each proximally and distally.

After provisional fixation of the radius, a similar process is carried out for the ulna, with use of an approach along the subcutaneous border between the flexor carpi ulnaris and extensor carpi ulnaris. Then the forearm is carefully examined clinically and radiographically to ensure accurate reduction of the fractures and motion/stability of the elbow and wrist.

The remainder of the screws are inserted, the fascia of the forearm is not closed, and a standard closure of subcutaneous tissue and skin is performed.

Open fractures of the forearm can typically be treated with irrigation, debridement, and immediate fixation. A volar approach is preferred over a dorsal approach for most radial fractures to minimize the risk to the posterior interosseous nerve. Anatomic reduction, especially restoration of the radial bow, is critical for restoration of motion and function. Bone-grafting is rarely indicated, even in comminuted fractures. A rapid return to function, union rates of ≥95%, restoration of forearm strength and stability, and low complication rates have been reported in multiple studies of this technique.
Identifiability of Location and Magnitude of Flow Barriers in Slightly Compressible Flow
Authors: Kahrobaei S.. , Mansoori Habibabadi M.. , Joosten G. J. , Van den Hof P. M. , Jansen J. D.
Published: December 2015

Classic identifiability analysis of flow barriers in incompressible single-phase flow reveals that it is not possible to identify the location and permeability of low-permeability barriers from production data (wellbore pressures and rates), and that only averaged reservoir properties in between wells can be identified. We extend the classic analysis by including compressibility effects. We use two approaches: a twin experiment with synthetic production data for use with a time-domain parameter-estimation technique, and a transfer-function formalism in the form of bilaterally coupled four-ports allowing for an analysis in the frequency domain. We investigate the identifiability, from noisy production data, of the location and the magnitude of a low-permeability barrier to slightly compressible flow in a 1D configuration. We use an unregularized adjoint-based optimization scheme for the numerical time-domain estimation, by use of various levels of sensor noise, and confirm the results by use of the semianalytical transfer-function approach. Both the numerical and semianalytical results show that it is possible to identify the location and the magnitude of the permeability in the barrier from noise-free data. By introducing increasingly higher noise levels, the identifiability gradually deteriorates, but the location of the barrier remains identifiable for much-higher noise levels than the permeability. The shape of the objective-function surface, in normalized variables, indeed indicates a much-higher sensitivity of the well data to the location of the barrier than to its magnitude. These theoretical results appear to support the empirical finding that unregularized gradient-based history matching in large reservoir models, which is well-known to be a severely ill-posed problem, occasionally leads to useful results in the form of model-parameter updates with unrealistic magnitudes but indicating the correct location of model deficiencies.
Effect of Nanofluids of CuO and ZnO in Polyethylene Glycol and Polyvinylpyrrolidone on the Thermal, Electrical, and Filtration-Loss Properties of Water-Based Drilling Fluids
Authors: Ponmani Swaminathan , Nagarajan R.. , Sangwai Jitendra S.
Published: December 2015

The challenges in drilling problems such as formation damage, pipe sticking, lost circulation, poor hole cleaning, and fluid loss need better solutions. Nanotechnology, by means of nanofluids, provides potential solutions for the development of improved water-based mud (WBM). This work presents the use of nanofluids of CuO and ZnO prepared in various base fluids, such as xanthan gum, polyethylene glycol, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), which are commonly used in oilfield operations, for the development of nanofluid-enhanced drilling mud (NWBM). In this paper, formulations of various nanofluids with varying concentrations of nanoparticles, such as 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt%, were investigated for their effect on the thermal, electrical, and fluid-loss properties of NWBM. In addition, these results also were compared with those obtained with microfluids of CuO and ZnO for the microfluid-enhanced drilling mud (MWBM) to understand the effect of particle size. It is observed that the use of nanofluids in WBM helps to improve their thermal properties, with an associated direct impact on their cooling efficiency at downhole and surface conditions compared with those using microfluid. Filtration-loss and filter-cake-thickness studies on WBM, MWBM, and NWBM were also carried out with an American Petroleum Institute (API) filter press. It is observed that the fluid loss decreases with addition of the nanofluids and microfluids in WBM, with nanofluids showing an improved efficacy over microfluids. The studies, in general, bear testimony to the efficacy of nanofluids in the development of next-generation improved water-based drilling fluids suitable for efficient drilling.
A Methodology for Classifying Operating Regimes in Underbalanced-Drilling Operations
Authors: Aarsnes Ulf Jakob , Di Meglio Florent , Graham Robert , Aamo Ole Morten
Published: December 2015

This paper proposes an extension to an existing operating-envelope technique used for underbalanced drilling (UBD) to enhance control of bottomhole pressure and inflow parameters. With the use of an implementation of the drift-flux model (DFM) with boundary conditions typically encountered in underbalanced operations (UBO), a steady-state analysis of the system is performed. Through this analysis, four distinct operating regimes are identified, and the behavior in each of them is investigated through steady-state calculations and transient simulations. In particular, the analysis reveals that a section of the operating envelope previously believed to be unstable/transient is, in fact, stable/steady when a fixed choke opening is used as an independent variable in place of a fixed wellhead pressure (WHP). This results in the steady-state operating envelope being extended, and gives an increased understanding of the well behavior encountered in UBO toward enabling the introduction of automated control. Finally, we investigate the mechanism behind severe slugging in UBO and argue that the cause is different from that of the slugging encountered in production and multiphase transport.
Scenedesmus quadricauda for Nutrient Removal and Lipid Production in Wastewater
Authors: Wong Y.K. , Yung K.K.L. , Tsang Y.F. , Xia Y. , Wang L. , Ho K.C.
Published: December 2015

Scenedesmus quadricauda, a local freshwater microalga, was used to treat primary settled and filtrate wastewater and to produce algal lipid. For the primary settled wastewater, the maximum biomass concentrations of acclimated and unacclimated microalgae were 0.995 g/L and 0.940 g/L, respectively. Over 90% orthophosphate and 95% ammonia nitrogen in the acclimated and unacclimated cultures, respectively, were removed after five days. The lipid contents of the microalgae were higher than 13% in all cultures. The highest growth rate occurred in the 25% filtrate culture. Over 80% phosphate was removed under the 25% and 50% filtrate cultures within six days, while over 90% ammonia nitrogen was removed within five days under both conditions. The lipid content was the highest (18.1%) under the 50% filtrate condition. C16:0, C18:2n6, and C18:3n3 were dominant fatty acids. In conclusion, S. quadricauda is a viable candidate for wastewater treatment and lipid production.
High‐Rate Anaerobic Side‐Stream Reactor (ASSR) Processes to Minimize the Production of Excess Sludge
Authors: Park Chul , Chon Dong‐Hyun
Published: December 2015

High‐rate anaerobic side‐stream reactor (ASSR) processes were developed to minimize excess sludge production during wastewater treatment. New ASSRs were operated in 2.5‐day solids retention time (SRT), much shorter than 10‐day SRT used by the commercial sludge reduction process. The 2.5‐day was selected based on literature review and preliminary studies, showing that maximum solublization of key floc components, such as divalent cations, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and protease, occur within 2 to 3 days of anaerobic digestion. The laboratory reactor study showed that 2.5‐day ASSR systems produced approximately 60 and 20% less sludge than the control (no ASSR) and the 10‐day ASSR, respectively. The experimental systems showed acceptable effluent quality, despite minimal sludge wastage. This was possible because sludge EPS were continuously released/degraded and regenerated as sludge underwent recirculation between ASSR and the aerobic basin. The results supported that the activated sludge process incorporating small ASSRs significantly decrease the production of excess sludge during wastewater treatment.
Biochar from Pyrolysis of Biosolids for Nutrient Adsorption and Turfgrass Cultivation
Authors: Carey D. E. , McNamara P. J. , Zitomer D. H.
Published: December 2015

At water resource recovery facilities, nutrient removal is often required and energy recovery is an ever‐increasing goal. Pyrolysis may be a sustainable process for handling wastewater biosolids because energy can be recovered in the py‐gas and py‐oil. Additionally, the biochar produced has value as a soil conditioner. The objective of this work was to determine if biochar could be used to adsorb ammonia from biosolids filtrate and subsequently be applied as a soil conditioner to improve grass growth. The maximum carrying capacity of base modified biochar for NH3−N was 5.3 mg/g. Biochar containing adsorbed ammonium and potassium was applied to laboratory planters simulating golf course putting greens to cultivate Kentucky bluegrass. Planters that contained nutrient‐laden biochar proliferated at a statistically higher rate than planters that contained biosolids, unmodified biochar, peat, or no additive. Nutrient‐laden biochar performed as well as commercial inorganic fertilizer with no statistical difference in growth rates. Biochar from digested biosolids successfully immobilized NH3−N from wastewater and served as a beneficial soil amendment. This process offers a means to recover and recycle nutrients from water resource recovery facilities.
National Geographic Magazine and the Power of Media: How an Elite Society Influenced American Perception
Authors: Welsch Michelle
Published: December 2015

The history of the National Geographic Magazine has largely evaded the same readers who have adored its editions. Originally intended as a private platform for a select group of white bureaucrats and Washington-D.C. elite, the National Geographic Society achieved commercial success once it included the general public. In time, its publications made foreign lands and scientific discovery accessible to the masses. The magazine’s articles thrilled the American audience as readers could browse foreign destinations from the safety of their homes. Fascination with the elite combined with powerful platforms of photography and text influenced perception of portrayed subjects. "Exotic" topics established a division between observer and the observed, and published content revealed undertones of racial and gender hierarchy. Early editions provide evidence that caution reader of the impact media can have both on and within cultures and the accompanying importance of questioning the intent of publications. Crossing the Border: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Vol.3(1) 2015: 3-10
Development Impacts of Globalization and Education: Evidence from the Asia-Pacific Countries
Authors: Neupane Pramila , Sapkota Jeet Bahadur
Published: December 2015

This article compares globalization, education and development indicators of high-growth and low-growth countries in terms of their GDP per capita in the Asia-Pacific region from 1970 to 2010. Although development is multifaceted, this study mostly considers growth alone as the measure of development. It finds that countries with high level of education at 1970 have achieved high-growth along with rapid globalization over time, and vice versa. Similarly, panel data analysis of selected countries shows that globalization and education significantly enhance the growth. However, despite high level of education and globalization, the Philippines has surprisingly low-growth, high poverty and inequality, which indicates that good policies and institutions should complement globalization and educational base for rapid development. Crossing the Border: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Vol.3(1) 2015: 21-40
Acupuncture and Modern Medicine
Authors: De Asis , De Abhijit
Published: December 2015

It is estimated that acupuncture has been practiced in China for more than 4000 years. It has now gained increasing acceptance in many countries as an option for treatment of certain painful conditions. Chinese medicine works to balance the Qi (chi) energy in the body, balancing the body’s female (yin) and male (yang) energies. Acupuncturists use needle to stimulate the 14 main meridians and up to 2000 points to prevent and treat diseases by regulating ! ow of chi through a person’s energy channels within the body. There are five elements in acupuncture: fire, earth, metal, water and wood. They along with other six exogenous factors such as wind, cold, summer heat, damp, dryness and fire heat and miscellaneous pathogenic factors influence the energy flow through the body’s five organ networks. According to WHO, acupuncture can be useful in pain management, organic lesions, substance abuse, gynecological disorders, neurological and psychiatric problems. Although it was originated in China, it has slowly spread through the years to Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Europe, and America. Different styles and modifications have been developed over the centuries and many of the countries have been integrating ancient Chinese medicine into modern medicine for treating patients. More importantly, it harmonizes our body energy, calms our mind and spirit and thereby enhances our capacity to enjoy life and attain happiness.Crossing the Border: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Vol.3(1) 2015: 99-106
Rock Slopes Asset Management: Selecting the Optimal Three-Dimensional Remote Sensing Technology
Authors: Lato Matthew J. , Gauthier Dave , Hutchinson D. Jean
Published: December 2015

Transportation corridors are classified as critical infrastructure in the United States and Canada. Successfully maintaining these corridors in safe, operational condition requires strategies that address individual hazard classes and manage associated risks. Natural and constructed slopes along transportation corridors represent one such category of hazard; typical risk management strategies involve quantitative measurements and qualitative evaluations of their present condition and the hazards that they pose to infrastructure, people, and shipments along the route. At some sites, traditional field-based observations are supplemented by high-resolution remotely acquired three-dimensional (3-D) imaging data of the ground surface, generated from various sensors and platforms, including terrestrial lidar and photogrammetry, airborne lidar, and oblique aerial photogrammetry. The collection, processing, and implementation of 3-D data collection and analysis into a slope management system are complex and frequently result in poorly collected, poorly understood, and underused data. Furthermore, the intricacies of the applications and limitations of different technologies generally are well understood only by specialists. As a result, the industry is reluctant to implement these technologies in active slope management systems. Practical procedures for remote data collection are illustrated, and the applications and limitations of the previously mentioned technologies are explained. The current capabilities of these technologies are presented; because the field is advancing rapidly, innovation and development soon will enhance the applicability of these technologies.
Frost Depth: General Prediction Model
Authors: Rajaei Pegah , Baladi Gilbert Y.
Published: December 2015

Accurate frost depth prediction is an important aspect of engineering design for infrastructure including pavement, building and bridge foundations, and utility lines. Actual frost depth is affected by material type, soil thermal properties, and soil water content as well as climatic conditions such as temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and solar radiation. Numerical or analytical modeling techniques could be used to estimate frost depth; however, the required input data are unavailable or expensive to collect. Therefore, the use of numerical and analytical models entails estimating missing data that affect the reliability of the results. The accuracy of three analytical and semiempirical frost depth prediction models (Stefan, modified Berggren, and Chisholm and Phang empirical) were tested with soil temperature data from the Michigan Road Weather Information System. Because none of the models yielded accurate results, revised empirical models developed for different soil types required only daily high and low air temperatures as inputs. The predicted frost depths were more accurate than in previous models. Finally, by using thermal conductivity values for each soil type, the models were combined into one general model that required thermal conductivity and average air temperature as inputs.
Climate Projections for Transportation Infrastructure Planning, Operations and Maintenance, and Design
Authors: Hayhoe Katharine , Stoner Anne , Abeysundara Sachith , Daniel Jo Sias , Jacobs Jennifer M. , Kirshen Paul , Benestad Rasmus
Published: December 2015

A key assumption in planning is that weather and climate events may vary from year to year but climate remains stable over the long term and can be predicted on the basis of past return values. This assumption underpins most design standards, operations and maintenance programs, and planning for transportation projects and programs. However, climate change is altering the risk of many types of weather extremes, including the frequency, severity, or both, of high temperatures, heavy precipitation events, coastal flooding, and storms. This concept of non-stationarity (i.e., that future climate conditions and weather risks will differ from those in the past) challenges scientists and engineers to incorporate climate change into present-day planning when the future is manifestly uncertain. A general framework is presented for incorporating observed and projected future climate trends into infrastructure planning. The issues that remain to be resolved, including the challenges confronted in translating climate and weather-related extremes to information that is directly relevant to assessing potential impacts on infrastructure, are highlighted.
Multivariate Full Bayesian Hot Spot Identification and Ranking
Authors: Sacchi Emanuele , Sayed Tarek , El-Basyouny Karim
Published: December 2015

The present study introduces a new technique for multivariate identification and ranking of hot spots based on the Mahalanobis distance. This approach aims to extend the univariate potential for safety improvement to cases in which multiple response variables are modeled jointly. Because the literature shows that ranking techniques based on Bayesian methods are superior to those that rely simply on the observed collision count, the proposed method was developed in a full Bayesian (FB) context. The new technique involves the following steps: (a) applying multivariate Poisson–lognormal regression models to the data by means of the FB method, (b) using the estimates of the Poisson posterior means for each site to compute the multivariate (Mahalanobis) distance from what is the normal Poisson mean for similar sites, and (c) preparing an ordered list of potentially hazardous sites. This method was applied to a sample of 173 signalized intersections in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for the years 2008 to 2012. The study also examines the consistency of the technique itself by analyzing the mathematical intersection of ranked sites identified in subsequent time periods. Finally, the consistency of the multivariate FB ranking was assessed against the independent (separate) univariate one that is still dominant in road safety evaluations.
Modeling Crash Rates for a Mountainous Highway by Using Refined-Scale Panel Data
Authors: Ma Xiaoxiang , Chen Feng , Chen Suren
Published: December 2015

Traditional traffic safety analyses on crash frequency or crash rate usually focus on highly aggregated cross-sectional data. The adoption of aggregated data ignores the time-varying nature of some critical factors, and their effects on traffic safety may be masked through data aggregation. For mountainous highways, weather- and environment-related variables become critical as a result of complex time- and spatial-varying characteristics as well as interactions with mountainous terrain. Therefore, refined-scale models are often desired to appropriately model crash safety risks on mountainous highways and disclose the inherent crash mechanism. An advanced random parameter Tobit model with panel data (time series cross-sectional data) in refined temporal scale was developed. This is so far the first reported effort on integrating random parameter Tobit model and refined-scale panel data to develop crash rate models. A random parameter model was adopted not only to handle unobserved heterogeneity explicitly, but also to account for serial correlations across observations in panel data. Refined-scale weather and traffic data in a panel formation were adopted to accommodate the varying nature of complex driving conditions. Interstate 70 (I-70) in Colorado is well known for its typical mountainous terrain, critical role for local and national traffic, and inclement weather. As a demonstration of the modeling techniques, crash rates for a segment of I-70 were investigated in refined temporal scale. Results showed that a random parameter Tobit model outperformed a fixed-parameter Tobit model, and factors related to traffic, weather, and surface conditions were found to play significant roles in an accident rate model.
Classification of Gaps at Uncontrolled Intersections and Midblock Crossings Using Support Vector Machines
Authors: Pawar Digvijay S. , Patil Gopal R. , Chandrasekharan Anita , Upadhyaya Shruti
Published: December 2015

Gap acceptance predictions provide very important inputs for performance evaluation and safety analysis of uncontrolled intersections and pedestrian midblock crossings. The focus of this paper is on the application of support vector machines (SVMs) in understanding and classifying gaps at these facilities. The SVMs are supervised learning techniques originating from statistical learning theory and are widely used for classification and regression. In this paper, the feasibility of the SVM in analyzing gap acceptance is examined by comparing its results with existing statistical methods. To accomplish that objective, SVM and binary logit models (BLMs) were developed and compared by using data collected at three types of uncontrolled intersections. SVM performance was found to be comparable with that of the BLM in all cases and better in a few. Also, the categorical statistics and skill scores used for validating gap acceptance data revealed that the SVM performed reasonably well. Thus, the SVM technique can be used to classify and predict accepted and rejected gap values according to speed and distance of oncoming vehicles. This technique can be used in advance safety warning systems for vehicles and pedestrians waiting to cross major stream vehicles.
Safety Impacts of a Statewide Centerline Rumble Strip Installation Program
Authors: Kay Jonathan , Savolainen Peter T. , Gates Timothy J. , Datta Tapan K. , Finkelman Jacob , Hamadeh Bachir
Published: December 2015

Lane departures are a precipitating event in most fatal crashes in the United States. This problem is particularly pronounced on high-speed undivided highways, which are prone to cross-centerline crashes. A common countermeasure to reduce such crashes involves installing centerline rumble strips (CLRS), which provide an audible and tactile warning to alert drivers of an impending lane departure event. This study assessed the safety effects of a statewide CLRS implementation program conducted by the Michigan Department of Transportation (DOT) between 2008 and 2010. This program included the installation of CLRS across the Michigan DOT–maintained network of rural, high-speed nonfreeway facilities. Shoulder rumble strips (SRS) were installed in combination with the CLRS at locations with paved shoulders at least 6 ft in width. The empirical Bayes method was used to assess the effectiveness of 4,077 mi of two-lane highways where CLRS were installed as part of this initiative. CLRS were found to reduce target cross-centerline crashes by 27.3% and by 32.8% when used in combination with SRS. Rumble strips were also effective in reducing crashes that occurred under adverse pavement conditions or involved passing maneuvers or driver impairment. This study also provides important insights as to the identification of target (i.e., cross-centerline) crashes. A comprehensive manual review of more than 70,000 crash report forms demonstrated that approximately 10% of target crashes were misclassified by crash type, which is the predominant field typically used to identify such crashes.
Empirical Bayes Before–After Study on Safety Effect of Narrow Pavement Widening Projects in Texas
Authors: Wu Hui , Han Zhe , Murphy Michael R. , Zhang Zhanmin
Published: December 2015

Texas has approximately 40,000 lane miles (64,000 lane kilometers) of two-lane farm-to-market (FM) and ranch-to-market (RM) roads with total paved widths of 18 to 22 ft (5.5 to 6.7 m), most of which are in rural areas. Narrow pavement widening in Texas typically involves adding lane width, a narrow shoulder, or both to increase the travel way in each direction of a narrow FM and RM road by 1 to 9 ft (0.3 to 2.7 m). The main reasons for roadway widening are usually to do any or all of the following: improve safety, increase structural capacity, and enhance pavement performance. The goal of this study was to investigate the safety effects of narrow pavement widening projects for rural two-lane FM and RM roads in Texas. A before–after comparison study was conducted with the empirical Bayes method to evaluate how wider lanes and shoulders affect crash occurrence, by type and severity. Of the 22 studied projects, analysis showed a 31.5% reduction in total crashes, a 35.7% reduction in run-off-the-road crashes, and a 55.4% reduction in head-on crashes after narrow widening projects were carried out. The projects were also effective in reducing fatal crashes and injuries by about 29.5%. These findings suggest that pavement widening is an effective safety countermeasure on narrow two-lane FM and RM roads in rural areas.
Transferability and Calibration of Highway Safety Manual Performance Functions and Development of New Models for Urban Four-Lane Divided Roads in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kaaf Khalid Al , Abdel-Aty Mohamed
Published: December 2015

The first edition of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) provides a number of safety performance functions (SPFs) that can be used to predict severe collisions on a roadway network. This paper examines the calibration of the HSM SPFs for urban four-lane divided roadway segments with angle parking in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the development of new SPFs. This study first calibrated the HSM SPFs by using HSM default crash modification factors (CMFs) and then proposed new local CMFs, which adjust the estimation of calibration factors by using fatal and injury crash data. In addition, new forms for specific SPFs were further evaluated to identify the best model by using the Poisson–gamma regression technique. It was found that the jurisdiction-specific SPFs provided the best fit of the data used in this study and would be the best SPFs for predicting severe collisions in the city of Riyadh. The best fatal and injury model describes the mean crash frequency as a function of the natural logarithm of the annual average daily traffic, segment length, speed limit, and driveway density. The study found that the HSM calibration using Riyadh local CMFs outperformed the calibration method using HSM default values. Based on these results, potential countermeasures were proposed to reduce the number of severe crashes on Riyadh urban roads, and the potential for HSM application in Saudi Arabia is addressed.