bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-site evaluation to reduce parameter uncertainty in a conceptual hydrological modeling within the GLUE framework
Authors: Lin Kairong , Liu Pan , He Yanhu , Guo Shenglian
Published: January 2014

Reducing uncertainty of hydrological modeling and forecasting has both theoretical and practical importance in hydrological sciences and water resources management. This study focuses on reducing parameter uncertainty by multi-sites validating for the conceptual Xinanjiang model. The generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) method was used to conduct the uncertainty analysis with Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM-UA) sampling. The discharge criterion of interior gauge station was added to select the behavioral parameters, and then two comparable schemes were established to illustrate how well the uncertainty can be reduced by considering the observations of the interior sites’ flow information. The Dongwan watershed, a sub-basin of the Yellow River basin in China, was selected as the case study. The results showed that the number and standard deviation of behavioral parameter sets decreased, and the simulated runoff series by the Xinanjiang model with the behavioral parameter sets can fit better with the observed runoff series when setting the threshold value at the interior sites. In addition, considering the interior sites’ flow information allows one to derive more reasonable prediction bounds and reduce the uncertainty in hydrological modeling and forecasting to some degree.
Problems on Yield Criterion and Dilatancy of Limit Analysis Finite Elements to Bearing Capacity of Geomaterials
Authors: Kong Wei-Xue , Zheng Ying-Ren , Yan Lu-Hui
Published: January 2014

The theoretical basis of classic geotechnical engineering stability problems is limit analyis thereom. Incremen-tal loading finite elements and strength reduction finite elements were put forward by Zienkiewicz in 1975 and the meth-ods are called by the authors Limit Analysis Finite Elements (abbreviation LAFE for short). It has been successfully ap-plied to slope engineering, and used to bearing capacity problems foundations. The LAFE method is still in initial stage, with problems in engineering practice. Key problems on yield criterion and dilatancy angle were also discussed in detail. The paper proved again that same ultimate bearing capacity and slip line are obtained in slip line field theory under asso-ciated and nonassociated flow rule, with the only difference of velocity vector direction. Meanwhile, the dilatancy angle should be φ/2 when nonassociated flow rule is employed under plane strain, and corresponding volumetric strain is zero. Thus the correctness of the theoretical solution in literature [19] is proved, and LAFE method is also proved a very prom-ising approach in solving bearing capacity problems of foundations. Rigorous theoretical basis is available for finite ele-ments incremental loading to solve the bearing capacity problems of foundations, and the approach is simple to use. In the numerical simulation process, not only the ultimate bearing capacity and load-displacement curve are obtained, but also the failure mechanism proved same as the one by traditional limit analysis approach is achieved. Only the yield criterion matched with practical engineering problems can generate a precise result. Under plane strain the results by Mohr-Coulomb inscribed circle yield criterion (DP3) for associated flow rule, and Mohr-Coulomb match yield criterion (DP5) for nonassociated flow rule are close to the accurate theoretical solution by Prandtl. The achievements can be applied in practical geotechnical engineering purposes.
Epigraphic and archaeological evidence contributing to identifying the location and character of Timacum Maius
Authors: Petrovic Vladimir , Filipovic Vojislav
Published: January 2014

Systematic archaeological excavation in the area of the village of Nisevac
near Svrljig, southeast Serbia, of a Roman settlement site, possibly Timacum
Maius station on the main Roman road Lissus-Naissus-Ratiaria connecting the
Adriatic and the Danube, has been going on for five years. Epigraphic and
etymological analysis of an inscription dedicated to Hera Sonketene (dat.
H?? ?????????) provides evidence for the possible balneological character of
the entire area of Timacum Maius, which was geomorphologically similar to
and connected by a road network with the Thracian region of Denteletika
centred on Pautalia, where the dedicant, Tiberius Claudius Theopompus served
as strategos. The archaeological evidence complements the conclusions
suggested by the epigraphic material. The recently discovered secondcentury
Roman structure furnished with a hypocaust system using perforated circular-
sectioned pebble-filled ceramic tubuli for heating the floors and outer
walls of the building may have served a balneal purpose. A sizeable Roman
bathhouse, with remains of two pools and two rooms with a hypocaust and
ceramic tubuli, has also been partially explored. In the broader area of
Svrljig Valley (near the village of Prekonoga), a luxurious Roman villa with
a marble hexagon, numerous rooms and a bath, recently subjected to a rescue
excavation, has been completely cleared and recorded. The first geophysical
survey on the Timacum Maius site has also been undertaken.
Some types of introductory formulas in Greek klephtic (heroic) epic
Authors: Mutavdzic Predrag , Djordjevic Sasa
Published: January 2014

Certain types of introductory formulas typical of klephtic epic songs are
synoptically demonstrated and analyzed. The introduction outlines the
historical development of this category of folk songs, based on occasionally
opposing views of literary historians and scholars concerned with the study
of Greek folklore. The analysis, performed on a selected corpus of Greek
klephtic epic songs, reveals basic structural principles that the anonymous
folk singer abided by whilst composing these songs.
Specific initial (introductory) formulas in Albanian (decasyllabic) songs of the frontier warriors
Authors: Sivacki Ana
Published: January 2014

This paper primarily seeks to demonstrate the position and importance of
specific initial (introductory) formulas in the Albanian songs of the
frontier warriors (Alb. k?ng? kreshnik?sh, k?ng? t? kreshnik?ve), proposing
their classification into several categories. The analysis performed on the
corpus consisting of 102 songs has resulted in a typology similar to the one
in Detelic 1996. Such a classification serves as a starting point for further
research and future mandatory study of structural and other concordances
between the corresponding formulas in South Slavic epic, which could be
useful in shedding light on the issue of originality of the Albanian songs.
The return of epic formulas in various Italian translations of Kosovka djevojka (The Kosovo maiden)
Authors: Bradas Marija
Published: January 2014

This paper makes a comparative analysis of the various Italian translations
of the famous Serbian popular poem Kosovka djevojka [The Kosovo Maiden] and
illustrates the different interpretations and consequent translations of epic
formulas in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Italy. The Parry-Lord oral
formulaic theory, together with other important contributions in the field of
oral studies, is a starting point for this analysis, which also takes into
consideration the socio-cultural context in which these translations were
produced. Translation solutions are therefore brought into relation with the
poetics of individual translators and especially with the socio-cultural
context of their time. Particular attention is devoted to the centuriesold
Italian rhetorical tradition, which influenced even the greatest experts in
popular poetry in their interpretation of the figures and clich?s typical of
oral production.
Temporal formulas in Serbian oral epic songs
Authors: Peric Dragoljub
Published: January 2014

This paper seeks to present time as one of the most important parameters in
epic songs, shown in the example of temporal formulas. Time also represents
the principle of organizing section sequences in the song (linear, successive
and chronological, or discontinuous and retrospective). The paper further
examines the temporal formulas in a broad and a narrow sense, with regard to
whether the temporal markers refer to the narrative shifts in the development
of the story, or to some archaic meanings related to expressions which mark
the determinants of real time (year and its parts, days of the week, time of
the day, etc.).
Patterns of national identity development among the Balkan orthodox Christians during the nineteenth century
Authors: Markovich Slobodan
Published: January 2014

The paper analyses the development of national identities among Balkan
Orthodox Christians from the 1780s to 1914. It points to pre-modern political
subsystems in which many Balkan Orthodox peasants lived in the Ottoman Empire
at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The Serbian and Greek
uprisings/revolutions are analyzed in the context of the intellectual climate
of the Enlightenment. Various modes of penetration of the ideas of the Age of
Revolution are analyzed as well as the ways in which new concepts influenced
proto-national identities of Serbs and Romans/Greeks. The author accepts
Hobsbawm?s concept of proto-national identities and identifies their
ethno-religious identity as the main element of Balkan Christian Orthodox
proto-nations. The role of the Orthodox Church in the formation of
ethno-religious proto-national identity and in its development into national
identity during the nineteenth century is analyzed in the cases of Serbs,
Romans/ Greeks, Vlachs/Romanians and Bulgarians. Three of the four Balkan
national movements fully developed their respective national identities
through their own ethnic states, and the fourth (Bulgarian) developed
partially through its ethnic state. All four analyzed identities reached the
stage of mass nationalism by the time of the Balkan Wars. By the beginning of
the twentieth century, only Macedonian Slavs kept their proto-national
ethno-religious identity to a substantial degree. Various analyzed patterns
indicate that nascent national identities coexisted with fluid and shifting
protonational identities within the same religious background. Occasional
supremacy of social over ethnic identities has also been identified.
Ethnification of the Orthodox Church, in the period 1831-1872, is viewed as
very important for the development of national movements of Balkan Orthodox
Christians. A new three-stage model of national identity development among
Balkan Orthodox Christians has been proposed. It is based on specific aspects
in the development of these nations, including: the insufficient development
of capitalist society, the emergence of ethnic states before nationalism
developed in three out of four analyzed cases, and an inappropriate social
structure with a bureaucratic class serving the same role as the middle class
had in more developed European nationalisms. The three phases posed three
different questions to Balkan Christian Orthodox national activists. Phase 1:
Who are we?; Phase 2: What to do with our non-liberated compatriots; and
Phase 3: Has the mission of national unification been fulfilled?
Analysis of finite tolerance effect of critical pole on characteristics of selective RC active special Gegenbauer filters
Authors: Pavlovic Vlastimir , Ilic Aleksandar , Cvetkovic Zlata
Published: January 2014

A precise analytical method for finding the explicit expression for the
characteristic function of special Gegenbauer filters applicable to the
design of RC active filters is suggested in this paper. The adverse parasite
effects of limited finite gain-bandwidth product of operational amplifiers
are decreased by using filters with the low pass-band attenuation. The new
class of continual filter functions generated by analytical method by
extremal Christoffel-Darboux formula for orthogonal Gegenbauer polynomials
has two parameters. One is the filter order, n, and the second one is real
free parameter, v, which provides a wide range of the amplitude responses. In
this paper, a detailed analysis of attenuation and insertion loss in the
bandwidth and around the stop-band cut-off frequency, wcs, are carried out
using 3D plots and using examples of the effect of finite tolerance of
quality factor module, Q, of critical conjugate-complex poles of considered
RC active filter functions.
2D constellation design based on geometric Z2 lattice and polar quantization of circularly symmetric sources
Authors: Peric Zoran , Milovic Daniela
Published: January 2014

In this paper we propose 2D constellation design based on geometric lattice
for circularly symmetric sources as it allows easier performance evaluation.
Geometric Z2 lattice quantization of Gaussian source is analyzed.
Constellation design provides lower energy for the same error probability. It
enables more efficient data transmission and energy saving for wireless
systems. The exact error probability is also determined.
Thermodynamic model of the protector cooling system with applications
Authors: Dankovic Nikola , Mitic Darko , Milojkovic Marko , Stankov Stanko , Milovanovic Miroslav
Published: January 2014

This paper presents thermodynamic model of the system for rubber strip
(protector) cooling. This model is used for determining the number of cooling
system cascades, and rubber contraction coefficient, important parameters in
mechanical model of the system which is the starting point of designing
control system for rubber strip cooling. The correlation between the working
velocity and rubber strip dimension, as well as the relation for the cooling
water flow per cascade is also given.
Synthesis and characterization of μ-hydroxido- and μ-polycarboxylato-bridged iron(III) complexes with 2,2’-bipyridine
Authors: Tasic Nikola , Rogan Jelena , Poleti Dejan , Radovanovic Lidija , Brankovic Goran
Published: January 2014

Four novel polymeric iron(III) complexes with 2,2?-bipyridine (bipy) and
different aromatic polycarboxylato ligands as anions of phthalic (pht),
isophthalic (ipht), terephthalic (tpht) and pyromellitic (pyr) acid were
synthesized by ligand exchange reaction. The complexes were characterized by
elemental and TG/DSC analysis, FTIR and diffuse reflectance UV-VIS-NIR
spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Based on analytical
and spectral data the formulae of the complexes are {[Fe4(bipy)2
(H2O)2(OH)6(pht)3]?2H2O}n (1), {[Fe4(bipy)2(Hipht)2(ipht)2(OH)6]?4H2O}n (2),
{[Fe4(bipy)2(Htpht)2(OH)6(tpht)2]?4H2O}n (3) and {[Fe4(bipy)(H2O)8(OH)4
(pyr)2]?H2O}n (4). All complexes are red brown and low-spin with a distorted
octahedral geometry and FeO6 or FeN2O4 chromophore. Polycarboxylato ligands
have a bridging role in all cases, whereas monodentate COO groups are present
in 2 and 3, bridging and chelate COO groups are established in 1 and 4. The
thermal behaviour of 1-4 was investigated in detail and the molar dehydration
enthalpies were calculated. According to the all those results, the
structural formulae of the complexes 1-4 were proposed.
Larvas output and influence of human factor in reliability of meat inspection by the method of artificial digestion
Authors: Djordjevic Vesna , Savic Marko , Vasilev Sasa , Djordjevic Milovan
Published: January 2014

On the basis of the performed analyses of the factors that contributed the
infected meat reach food chain, we have found out that the infection occurred
after consuming the meat inspected by the method of collective samples
artificial digestion by using a magnetic stirrer (MM). In this work there are
presented assay results which show how modifications of the method, on the
level of final sedimentation, influence the reliability of Trichinella larvas
detection in the infected meat samples. It has been shown that use of
inadequate laboratory containers for larva collecting in final sedimentation
and change of volume of digestive liquid that outflow during colouring
preparations, can significantly influence inspection results. Larva detection
errors ranged from 4 to 80% in presented the experimental groups in regard to
the control group of samples inspected by using MM method, which had been
carried out completely according to Europe Commission procedure No 2075/2005,
where no errors in larva number per sample was found. We consider that the
results of this work will contribute to the improvement of control of the
method performance and especially of the critical point during inspection of
meat samples to Trichinella larvas in Serbia.
Brucella canis at the territory of Serbia in the period from 2004. to 2011.
Authors: Stevic Natasa , Bogunovic Danica , Radojicic Sonja , Valcic Miroslav
Published: January 2014

This study includes examination of dogs from the territory of Serbia during
the period from 2004. To 2011. Most of the dogs were from the territory of
Belgrade. The total of 193 blood serum samples of proprietary dogs and 120
blood serum samples of stray dogs were tested for the presence of antibodies
against Brucella canis. For diagnostics there was used the method of slow
serum agglutination in test tubes with 2- mercaptoethanol. During eight
years? period of investigation, out of 193 tested serums taken from
proprietary dogs, 29 serum samples, or 15.03%, had undoubtedly positive titre
of 1/200. During 2011. Out of 120 tested blood samples taken from stray dogs
from Belgrade territory, positive titre of 1/200 had 8 samples, or 6.67%. The
results of this investigation point out to a very high seroprevalence of
antibodies against B.canis in dogs population from the teritiry of the
Republic of Serbia.
Toward an Integrated Vision of Undergraduate Liberal and Accounting Education in the Public Interest: The Holistic Development of Persons and Institutions
Authors: Shapiro Brian P. , Naughton Michael
Published: January 2014

This paper puts forward a vision that integrates liberal and accounting education to engage students with the idea of vocation and pursuit of the common good through their chosen field of accounting. We adopt a common good definition of the public interest that seeks to advance not only the good of institutions and communities (mutual interests) but also the good of individuals (private interests). This approach engages students to critically reflect on how their life experiences, personal commitments, and future professional work can relate to one another. We first discuss disciplinary fragmentation in higher education and its implications for integrating liberal and accounting education. Next, we describe general learning objectives and concepts that support the integration of liberal learning and accounting education with a public interest orientation. We then apply the approach to critique accounting practices that arguably harm the public interest. The concluding section provides a summary and describes how accounting educators may adapt and scale an approach that fits their institutional setting.
Top Management Resignation and Firms' Subsequent Bankruptcy
Authors: Beams Joseph D. , Huang Hua-Wei , Yan Yun-Chia
Published: January 2014

Agency theory indicates that a moral hazard occurs when an agent (manager) with superior information has an incentive to behave inappropriately from the perspective of the principal (investor) with inferior information. Because of the superior information that top executives have, they will recognize if the company is declining before outside investors. This gives the executives an opportunity to resign prior to the investors' awareness of the decline. An executive can use this private information to benefit at the expense of the investing public. This study investigates a sample of 9,942 firm-years from 2008 and 2009 and our logistic regression results show a significant relationship between CEO and CFO resignations and the firm's subsequent bankruptcy, even after controlling for other predictors of bankruptcy. However, when both variables are included in the model, only CFO resignation is significant. Due to the significance of these resignations, when some investors have greater details of the reasons for the resignations or receive the information before others, the requirements of the full disclosure principle are not being met. Requiring more timely and forthcoming disclosures about executive resignations may prevent the public from being at a disadvantage when a top executive resigns.

Data Availability: Available upon request.
Triple Bottom Line Accounting and Energy-Efficiency Retrofits in the Social-Housing Sector: A Case Study
Authors: Bewley Kathryn , Schneider Thomas
Published: January 2014

This paper reports the findings of a case study conducted to learn about the information, actors, actions, and processes involved in energy-efficiency investment decisions in the social-housing sector. These decisions draw on environmental, social, and economic factors, which are studied from a “triple bottom line” (TBL) accounting perspective. The quantitative methods we use rely on Levels I, II, and III fair-value measures similar to those used in financial accounting. The qualitative methods rely primarily on interviews conducted and transcribed by the researchers. Our main findings show that a pure financial bottom-line approach would not fully indicate the overall desirability of the type of energy-efficiency investment undertaken in this case. By factoring in other quantitative and qualitative outcomes drawn from the research methods applied, a different conclusion may be reached.

Data Availability: Available upon request from the authors.
The Symptoms and Consequences of Fiscal Distress in Municipalities: An Investigation of Reductions in Public Services
Authors: Trussel John M. , Patrick Patricia A.
Published: January 2014

This paper uses survival analysis to investigate financial indicators of impending reductions of public services provided by U.S. municipalities. We hypothesize that reductions in public services are positively correlated with revenue risk and debt usage, and negatively correlated with organizational slack and entity resources. We develop and test a model to predict whether a municipality will significantly reduce public services. The model correctly classifies up to 83 percent of the sampled municipalities. The results show that the most important signal of an impending reduction in public services is a high level of intergovernmental revenues relative to total revenues. These results provide important information to citizens, policy-makers, and stakeholders interested in preventing, detecting, and mitigating fiscal conditions that could lead to a reduction in public services.

JEL Classifications: H72, H83, M48

Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in this study.
Developing a Conceptual Framework to Appraise the Corporate Social Responsibility Performance of Islamic Banking and Finance Institutions
Authors: Khan M. Mansoor
Published: January 2014

This paper fills some of the theoretical and empirical deficiencies regarding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) dimensions in Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions (IBFIs). The firms' CSR initiatives are the key to secure success in modern business and society, and there is a scope to develop a broader understanding of CSR in globally integrated business and financial markets. This paper provides the Islamic perspective of CSR, which is etho-religious based and, thus, more meaningful and intensified. It proposes a CSR framework for IBFIs based on principles of Islamic economics and society. The proposed framework urges IBFIs to engage in community-based banking, work toward the betterment of the poor, ensure the most efficient and socially desirable utilization of financial resources, develop their institutional frameworks, infrastructures, and innovative products to facilitate the wider circulation of wealth and sustainable development in the world. This paper observes that IBFIs have failed to deal with underlying CSR challenges due to lack of commitment and expertise in the field. The CSR-based outlook of IBFIs can only ensure their legitimacy, sustainability, and long-term success.
Accounting PAC Contributions and Committee Speech during the 107th U.S. Congress
Authors: Thornburg Steven W.
Published: January 2014

This study tests the hypothesis that political action committee (PAC) contributions paid by the accounting profession are indirectly associated with the speech performance of congressional committee members debating issues related to auditor independence during the 107th Congress (2001–2002). The hypothesis is based on the assumption that PAC contributions represent payments for access to lobby legislators and a theory of lobbying as legislative subsidy that predicts legislators who are granted legislative subsidies will increase their participation and effort. Legislative effort is measured as the qualitatively coded speech counts of 126 individual committee members during 17 hearings related to financial auditing held over 21 days by 6 committees of the U.S. House of Representatives. The results indicate a positive association between aggregate PAC contributions paid by the Big 5 and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and anti-regulatory speech counts of House committee members. No association was found for aggregate contributions and pro-regulatory speech counts. Results are mixed when PAC contributions are disaggregated by funding source indicating heterogeneity among firms in their contribution patterns.
Nano-titanium oxide doped with gold, silver, and palladium — synthesis and structural characterization
Authors: Ziemkowska Wanda , Basiak Dariusz , Kurtycz Patrycja , Jastrzębska Agnieszka , Olszyna Andrzej , Kunicki Antoni
Published: January 2014

Nano-titania doped with noble metals (Au/TiO2, Ag/TiO2, Pd/TiO2) has been synthesized by mild hydrolysis of the mixture of metal salts or complexes and titanium isopropoxide ((iPr-O)4Ti). After thermal decomposition of the obtained precursors, nanomaterials were formed. Morphological characterization of the nanomaterials was provided by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and stereological analysis, determining the BET specific surface area, and BJH nanoporosity (pore volume, pore size). It has been found that the structure of nanomaterials (size of nanoparticles and agglomerates) depended strongly on the method of the (iPr-O)4Ti hydrolysis. A minor dependence on the kind of solvents and precursors of noble metals was observed. The presence of doping metal nanoparticles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Nanomaterial phases were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). According to the XRD patterns, Ag/TiO2 and Pd/TiO2 products with doping metals in their oxidized form contain Ag-Ti and Pd-Ti phases. Peaks of the metal oxides Ag2O and PdO are absent in the XRD patterns. The average size of TiO2 nanoparticles is situated in the region of 20–60 nm, whereas metals are present as about 10–15 nm sized particles and fine nanoparticles.
Correlation of fine needle aspiration cytology with histopathology findings in cases of thyroid lesions in Bir Hospital
Authors: Thapa PB , Shrestha D , Pradhananga JP
Published: January 2014

Aims: To correlate the findings of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with the histopathology( HPE) of the excised nodule or specimen and to assess the accuracy and efficacy of FNAC in the diagnosis of the thyroid nodules. Materials and methods: This is a prospective study conducted at the Department of Ear Nose Throat (ENT) & Head & NecK Surgery( HNS), National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu from 2nd January 2009 to 29th December 2011. One hundred patients with thyroid nodule were included in the study. Results: Out of 100 patients 77 were females and 23 males. The age ranged from 11-60 years. Statistical analysis of results for Benign Thyroid lesion showed 98.6% sensitivity, 75 % specificity. Likewise, results for Malignant thyroid lesions showed 75 % sensitivity, 98.6 % specificity . Conclusion: FNAC has high accuracy in the diagnostic evaluation of thyroid lesions. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2013, Vol-9, No-1, 23-29 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v9i1.9670
Infections in acute leukemia in Indian Children
Authors: Roy B , Biswas Arnab , Chaterjee A , Pan A , Basu K
Published: January 2014

Aims: In the present study acute leukemic children were studied to determine the incidence and principal site of infection, correlation with absolute neutrophil count, causative organisms and to standardize the initial empirical anti microbial therapy. Materials and methods: A total 40 children in the age group 6 month to 12 year with acute leukemia relapse were included in this study. A total 82 infectious episodes including 61 febrile episodes were investigated for infectious etiology. Results: We found that the frequency of infections increased significantly with the degree of immunocompromisation specially neutropenia (ANC < 500/cmm). The skin and soft tissue was the commonest site of infection (26.83%), followed by respiratory tract (21.95%). Staphylococcus nonhemolytic coagulase-negative (34%), followed by Klebsiella (17%) were the most common organisms isolated from blood. Staphylococcus non-hemolytic coagulase-negative was also the commonest isolate (26%) from other sites of infection. Most strains were sensitive to Cloxacillin, cephalosporin and aminoglycosides. Conclusion: For the treatment of febrile episodes, empirical use of beta-lactamase resistant penicillin e.g. Cloxacillin or cephalosporin combined with an aminoglycosides with a broad spectrum antifungal like fluconazole in selective cases at the first sign of infection is recommended. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2013, Vol-9, No-1, 40-47 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v9i1.9672
Hemangioma presenting as a painful neck mass: A case report
Authors: Ansari Sajid , Dhungel K , Ahmad K , Gupta MK , Rauniyar RK , Amanullah Md. F
Published: January 2014

Hemangiomas of muscles are rare congenital benign vascular tumors usually seen on the trunk and extremities, but can also appear on the head and neck regions. In a young adult with soft tissue attenuation mass in the skeletal muscle, hemangioma should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Ultrasound and computed tomography are the useful imaging modalities for the diagnosing of hemangioma and complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice. We report a case of 24 year old woman with an intramuscular hemangioma involving the posterior neck muscles who presented to our department with painful neck mass. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2013, Vol-9, No-1, 56-59 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v9i1.9674
Restructuring from a Central Business District–Focused to a Decentralized Transit System
Authors: Bhattacharya Torsha , Brown Jeffrey R. , Jaroszynski Michal , Batuhan Tuna
Published: January 2014

The relationship between a transit system's design and the pattern of urban development affects the level and pattern of accessibility in a community. A mismatch between the two renders some destinations inaccessible to people who rely primarily on transit to serve their transportation needs. System design is critical to accessibility and to equity, but thus far, the research literature has largely neglected this important issue. The relationship between system design and accessibility was examined through a study of the July 11, 2011, restructuring of StarMetro, the bus system in Tallahassee, Florida. The focus was on the change in riders’ accessibility provided by shifting from a transit network that was downtown-oriented and radial before restructuring to one that was decentralized and multidestination after restructuring. System restructuring increased the time for people to walk to bus stops, but once people reached the stops, the more direct travel connections provided by the new system reduced travel times and increased access to destinations. The net result of the service change was a reduction in total travel time and thus increased accessibility for most trip interchanges. The restructuring neither disproportionately harmed nor disproportionately benefited neighborhoods with larger numbers of transit-dependent, low-income, or minority residents. The restructuring did not disproportionately benefit, nor disproportionately harm, neighborhoods with large numbers of college students either. StarMetro was a system largely dominated by college students and transit-dependent residents before restructuring, as well as after. However, there was a modest increase in the use of the system by infrequent riders after restructuring.
Generating Route-Level Mutually Exclusive Service Areas
Authors: Lee Sang Gu , Tong Daoqin , Hickman Mark
Published: January 2014

Willing-to-walk distance was investigated as a means of measuring spatial accessibility of bus stops and of examining the effectiveness of alternative methods of generating mutually exclusive transit service areas at the route level. First, the walking distance to and from a transit stop was investigated with onboard survey data. Two methods in geographical information systems—the combination of Thiessen polygon and buffer and the network distance-based service area—were compared as strategies for generating mutually exclusive service areas. For the examination of the effectiveness of these two methods, all mutually exclusive service areas were validated with a spider diagram generated from an onboard survey. Measures of urban form were also statistically tested for comparison of the two methods. A case study of a single route, serving the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota, metropolitan area, was performed with data from various sources, such as Google's General Transit Feed Specification, an onboard survey, parcel-level land uses, and the U.S. Census street network. Validation with onboard survey data demonstrates the strengths of each method. Results also show that the network-based service area, a popular geographical information system method for service area analysis, does not yield a more meaningful strategy for generating mutually exclusive transit catchment areas, especially when spacing between stops is very small.
Effects of Scale and Boundary Selection in Assessing Equity of Transit Supply Distribution
Authors: Bertolaccini Kelly , Lownes Nicholas E.
Published: January 2014

The equitable distribution of transit services is a major concern of transportation planners and policy makers worldwide. In the United States, planners are required by executive order to consider equity concerns when investing in new transportation infrastructure and services. However, equity can be difficult to assess in a consistent, objective, and quantitative way. Australian researchers recently developed a single, systemwide measure that reflects the equity of transit service distribution in a metropolitan area. This measure, known as a Gini coefficient, measures specifically how well transit supply meets transit demand. Transit supply is measured with a modified form of an established supply index, and demand is estimated with population and employment data. Although the idea of a single measure for assessing the equity of a transit system is appealing, researchers and practitioners must be careful when they implement Gini coefficients for comparative purposes. This research investigated the effect of selecting various scales, boundaries, and demand measures for calculating Gini scores for interregional comparisons. Gini coefficients were calculated for six urban transit systems within two boundaries (metropolitan statistical area and transit service area) at two scales (census tract and block group) with two demand measures (population and population plus employment). Results suggest that calculations with Gini coefficients on the basis of various boundary definitions can lead to drastically different comparative results, whereas the different scales and demand measures had little impact on interregional comparisons.
Riding More Frequently
Authors: Frei Charlotte , Mahmassani Hani S.
Published: January 2014

Stop-level transit elasticities with respect to service frequency are estimated and discussed. Public transportation ridership is typically studied at an aggregate level, with variables influencing ridership averaged over time and space for a metropolitan area. Understanding transit rider-ship at a finer temporal and spatial level is generally limited to mode choice models. Most aggregate analyses are unable to capture important effects at the parcel or block level. Such analyses also cannot account for variation in demand over time of day, an issue that has been addressed to some extent by time series modeling. Data for the Chicago, Illinois, transit system were used, and results suggest that aggregate analyses overestimate the effect of service frequency on demand. In the context of other disaggregate analyses, these findings suggest that walking quality results in distinct increases in ridership, even after accounting for land use and for population and other demographics. A headway elasticity of rider-ship was estimated to be −0.263 to −0.277, very similar to recent disaggregate analysis of New York City transit data. The case is made for a better spatio temporal understanding of transit ridership for the effective allocation of resources.
Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit in Boston, Massachusetts
Authors: Perk Victoria , Bovino Steven , Catalá Martin , Reader Steven , Ulloa Steven
Published: January 2014

As bus rapid transit (BRT) continues to grow in popularity in the United States, a better understanding of the mode's impacts on land uses and property values continues to be needed. This research sought to quantify the impacts of access to BRT stations on the sale prices of surrounding condominiums located along Washington Street in Boston, Massachusetts, where Phase 1 of the Silver Line BRT began operating in 2002. The hypothesis that the BRT stations had an impact on market value similar to light rail transit projects (considering the level and permanence of the investment) was tested with a hedonic regression methodology for estimating the impact of access to BRT stations on sale prices of condominium units. A key result was that, for condominium sales in 2007 or 2009, the BRT premium was approximately 7.6%. For condominium sales in 2000 and 2001, before the opening of the Silver Line, no sales premium existed for proximity to the corridor. These results suggest that access to high-quality transit service, not necessarily the mode itself, induces this premium. Although this study is specific to the Boston Silver Line Washington Street corridor, further research into the impacts of BRT is encouraged as a means to provide policy makers and the transit industry with the best information possible for making optimal transit investment decisions in their communities.
Who Rides Airport Railways?
Authors: Schabas Matthew
Published: January 2014

A new methodology is proposed for postproject analysis of airport railways for guidance in planning airport ground access. The concept is to determine the type of rail passenger (air passenger or employee, business or leisure, and resident or nonresident) by comparison of hourly rail ridership, air passenger volumes, air traffic movements, and geographic location of trip ends. A test is proposed for each possible ridership group to determine who is using the railway. A case study of London City Airport is used to illustrate the value of the method with Oyster smartcard ridership data from Transport for London. Findings confirm that the impressive 51% Docklands Light Railway mode share for air passengers from small sample surveys is realistic: the railway connection is predominantly used by air passengers and not employees. The airport characteristics—predominantly business travelers, relatively central location, and local employees—simplify the analysis. Geographical information system analysis revealed one major surprise: the busiest station by trip ends is Woolwich Arsenal in southeast London. However, the general findings are as expected: trip ends concentrate in the financial and business districts. The policy recommendation for future airport railway projects is to apply this methodology to a range of comparable airports. This will aid transport planners in designing a rail service optimized for the groups most likely to use the railway.
Robust Dynamic Distribution of Security Assets in Transit Systems
Authors: Nair Rahul , Kumi Jonathan , Denny Kevin , Miller-Hooks Elise
Published: January 2014

A robust, mixed-integer, multistage program is presented: it seeks to secure a transit system in which risk is considered to be dynamic and varies over time. A time-varying risk measure reflects the unique nature of transit systems: accumulation of passengers at transfer facilities, stations, and transit vehicles is dynamic and increases the vulnerability of the transit users and system to adverse events. The model is robust under uncertainty and matches security assets at stations better in the face of time-varying risk by redistributing them. The volume-dependent risk measure and subsequent deployment of security assets were developed for the transit system in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate the variable nature of risk and response. The value of considering a robust solution was demonstrated by a comparison of the strategies developed from a robust approach with those from an expected value approach. Five scenarios, designed on recent events on the system, replicate the operational conditions of the transit system for the morning peak hour period and show the effectiveness of the developed deployment strategies.
Users’ Evaluation of Rail Systems in Mass Events
Authors: Kaysi Isam , Alshalalfah Baha , Shalaby Amer , Sayegh Arwa , Sayour Mounira , Gutub Adnan
Published: January 2014

Each year during the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, more than 2 million Muslim pilgrims from around the world travel to the Holy City of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for Hajj, an annual religious pilgrimage. A significant milestone in the effort to improve the existing transport system in the Holy City was the introduction of the Southern Masha'er Rail Line during the 2010 pilgrimage season. In the first year of operation, the line operated at only 30% of its full capacity before full implementation in the following year, when the line operated at full capacity of 72,000 passengers per hour. Results are presented of a users’ survey that aimed to assess the performance of the rail line from the perspective of its users. The analysis revealed that rail users faced longer access, waiting, and egress times compared with regular rail operations standards. However, survey results showed that the majority of pilgrims found these times to be tolerable. Moreover, the majority of users found the rail line and its stations to be of excellent quality and gave positive recommendations for using the rail line in the future. The analysis also produced some interesting observations that may be of relevance to rail operation in similar crowded events. Those observations are highlighted.
Framework for Innovative Public Spaces
Authors: Harvey Nina , Jaynes Carla , Khuong Yennga , Riscica Vincent
Published: January 2014

The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) is experimenting with creating new public spaces quickly in the public right-of-way. Through the use of painted asphalt, planters, folding chairs, rotating public art, and other temporary materials, construction time and costs are minimal. This innovative strategy allows the department to create immediate neighborhood change while formalized design and construction move through a longer capital planning process. Five reclaimed spaces were analyzed, and the way that people interact with these plazas, each other, and traffic while they enjoy new view corridors and experiences in the city was evaluated. Goals of this research were to understand how plaza design elements affect plaza use and to provide recommendations for informing development of plazas in other cities. This project was conducted in collaboration with Project for Public Spaces. Observational data were used to gain information about physical aspects of the site and patrons’ patterns of use. Each site was filmed from a bird's-eye view during peak periods of weekday plaza use. Video data were used to analyze site geometry and features and to conduct activity mapping, spot counts, and user path tracking. User surveys provided direct feedback on aspects of the plaza. Study findings provide guidelines for reallocating street space for pedestrians to maximize use, safety, and appeal. The New York City DOT provided report feedback but did not participate in the development of the analytical approach, the data collection, or the analysis.
Empirical Evacuation Response Curve during Hurricane Irene in Cape May County, New Jersey
Authors: Li Jian , Ozbay Kaan , Bartin Bekir , Iyer Shrisan , Carnegie Jon A.
Published: January 2014

Understanding evacuation response behavior is critical for public officials in deciding when to issue emergency evacuation orders for an impending hurricane. Such behavior is typically measured by an evacuation response curve that represents the proportion of total evacuation demand over time. This study analyzes evacuation behavior and constructs an evacuation response curve on the basis of traffic data collected during Hurricane Irene in 2011 in Cape May County, New Jersey. The evacuation response curve follows a general S-shape with sharp upward changes in slope after the issuance of mandatory evacuation notices. These changes in slope represent quick response behavior, which may be caused in part by an easily mobilized tourist population, lack of hurricane evacuation experience, or the nature of the location, in this case a rural area with limited evacuation routes. Moreover, the widely used S-curves with different mathematical functions and the state-of-the-art behavior models are calibrated and compared with empirical data. The results show that the calibrated S-curves with logit and Rayleigh functions fit empirical data better. The evacuation behavior analysis and calibrated evacuation response models from this hurricane evacuation event may benefit evacuation planning in similar areas. In addition, traffic data used in this study may also be valuable for the comparative analysis of traffic patterns between the evacuation periods and regular weekdays and weekends.
No-Notice Evacuation Management
Authors: Machiani Sahar Ghanipoor , Murray-Tuite Pamela , Jahangiri Arash , Liu Sirui , Park Byungkyu (Brian) , Chiu Yi-Chang , Wolshon Brian
Published: January 2014

To promote smoother freeway traffic flow during evacuations, ramps may be closed and thus reduce the number of merging and related speed reduction points. Deciding which ramps to close can be treated as an optimization problem in which the decision variables are integers that indicate whether the ramp is open or closed. This paper examines the problem under multiple demand and budget scenarios for no-notice evacuations. Through the optimization formulation and solution method, optimized closure plans are developed for each scenario and compared with the do-nothing case, and an existing plan is developed with professional judgment. The optimized plans outperform the others in the evacuees' total travel time but are sometimes associated with decreases in overall network throughput. Three ramp closures, consistent across the scenarios, are explored as a reduced closure plan, and evacuee benefits are identified for all of the scenarios over the do-nothing option except in the most congested background traffic scenario. However, even in the most congested case, the three-ramp closure plan improved evacuees' travel times over the plan developed without analytical and simulation support. Although the exact optimized ramp closure plan varies across scenarios and budgets, overlap of the plans can help generate a smaller closure plan that provides benefits over plans that are strictly judgment based and over the do-nothing option in less congested cases.