bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human rights organizations’ use of the Internet as a communication medium in Egypt
Authors: Ayyad Khayrat
Published: July 2013

This study examines how human rights organizations (HROs) use various Internet platforms as a communication tool in Egypt. It attempts to investigate four issues: (1) main themes related to human rights posted on the websites of HROs in Egypt; (2) visual and technical aspects utilized in these websites; (3) websites use of interactive communication facilities with different publics; and (4) perceptions of HRO directors about the Internet as an effective communication tool to reach out to the target publics. The researcher analysed websites of the main 34 human rights organizations in Egypt to explore how they employ these websites as suitable communication tools. A questionnaire was designed to examine how personnel and executives of HROs perceive the value of the Internet.

Findings of the study show that the HROs in Egypt use all available means to reveal violations of human rights, including their Internet sites. These bodies are mainly concerned with issues relating to basic human rights such as rights to be treated equally and not to be violated in custodies and prisons. The HROs use their websites also to present and manifest issues related to people’s rights to express their opinions through assemblies and media. The websites of the HROs applied some visual aspects in their presentations of issues related to human rights and neglected others. The analysed websites are poorly presented in terms of using tables, graphics, audio and video clips. Lack of visual and technical aspects used in the websites may be understood in terms of limited resources available to them. As for using feedback facilities by the websites of HROs, findings indicate that mutual communication and interactivity are far from being applied through the websites.
Findings also show that nearly all respondents recognize that the most important usage of the Internet is for e-mails to contact HROs’ members and to provide information to their publics. Building relationships with audiences was among the common uses of the Internet as a communication medium. On the other hand, respondents approached for this research did not perceive categories of interactive communication as common uses of the Internet. They also believed that the key objective of using the Internet is to reinforce concepts of human rights. Participants in the study also perceived that their websites had the potential to provide new advantages to their organizations such as flexibility to avoid state control and censorship that are usually imposed by the government in Egypt. Despite the fact that governments may impose censorship through procedures of licences and regulations or filtering Internet content through control of the servers, they believed that the Internet is still the most free medium in comparison to other traditional mass media.
Re-membering through film practices: Diasporic film culture and identity beyond the ‘homeland’
Authors: Smets Kevin
Published: July 2013

Contributing to the expanding field of cinema and diaspora studies, this article reports on a critical media ethnographic study of the Moroccan diaspora in Antwerp (Belgium) and its engagements with ‘homeland’ films. Unlike most previous studies on diasporic film culture, this case focuses on how a diasporic group deals with a relatively small homeland film industry. It was found that Moroccan films are especially linked to memories and nostalgia as well as to active social positionings vis-à-vis various socio-cultural formations. Hence, the notion of ‘re-membering’ is introduced to capture this dual engagement with homeland films. Further, the relative marginal position of ‘homeland’ films among the diaspora is used to reflect on the centrality of national homelands in conceptualizations of diaspora. Based on this study, sub- and supranational as well as local and religious belongings are highlighted as crucial markers of diasporic identity.
Writing out otherness
Authors: Coorlawala Uttara Asha
Published: July 2013

Increasingly, global–local situations call for theory to honour culturally diverse discourses and histories. This article is concerned with the ways that critical writings affect material concerns of dancers. The article stages crises of alterity; writing from the underside, I call attention to the need to acknowledge multiple subjectivities and locations. Alterity compels Asian artists to negotiate whiteness as praxis, and as theories of performance. However, even as writings valorize resistance and interventions of performance, by what theories are we restraining performers?2 Is the dancer-as-subaltern3 always to be the data that validates western theory and theorizing – regardless of the origin and commitments of the writer? How may the other, redefine himself or herself and be heard? I attend to the discomforts of participant-observation when writing about performances; to the discomforts produced by dichotomizing gazes on bodies that perform nationality. I attend to the performance of pluralities of Asianness from within the glass walls of a hothouse inside Euro-American dance discourse. Much has been said about intertexts and performance, but what about tacit knowledge that flies below the radar of ‘the cultural’?4 We need to consider intracultural epistemologies of perception such as the Natya Shastra discourses. This article asks how do we write non-violently so that identities can travel amidst moving spaces, cultural, personal, theoretical, performative spaces.
Innovativeness of MNC subsidiaries in Brazil: The effects of global and local integration
Authors: Marin Anabel , Costa Ionara
Published: July 2013

Recent evidence coming from the spillover literature convincingly shows that only innovative subsidiaries generate positive effects in host emerging economies. However, we know little about what encourages multinational subsidiaries to become innovative in these types of contexts. In this article, we shed light on this question by exploring how different degrees of subsidiaries’ integration into the host economy and their corporation, and changes over time regarding these two types of integration, are associated with the intensity of innovative activity of subsidiaries in Brazil. Our findings indicate that local integration by itself is not associated with high innovative intensity. Indeed, only subsidiaries that are simultaneously integrated into their global corporation as well as into the host economy are highly innovative. Furthermore, when dynamic effects are added to the analysis, we find that substantial improvements in subsidiaries’ innovative behaviour occur in subsidiaries which have moved over time towards higher levels of local and corporate integration.
Technology transfer and innovation: The role of the Brazilian TTOs
Authors: Dos Santos Marli Elizabeth Ritter , Torkomian Ana Lúcia Vitale
Published: July 2013

Currently, Brazil is going through a very particular moment, in which we can recognize a paradigm shift in the role of economic actors – universities, companies and government – which are working together to generate the technological innovation necessary for the country’s sovereignty. This integration is of crucial importance because although the country is responsible for a significant part of world scientific production, the transformation of knowledge into wealth has yet to achieve similar success. This article aims to discuss the context of universities–companies–government cooperation in Brazil, giving special attention to the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), established in the country under the Technological Innovation Law, which is named as Technological Innovation Nucleus (NIT). Its function is to serve as a facilitator-interface to provide corporate access to universities, and to encourage technology transfer through licensing and/or through the creation of spin-offs,.
Beyond Action Research
Authors: Gómez Aitor , Elboj Carmen , Capllonch Marta
Published: July 2013

In this article we show how the communicative methodology of research (CMR) makes it possible to implement evidence-based policies to improve people's lives. Drawing on theories and methods developed under other paradigms and based on dialogue, the CMR is now a solid body of theory that researchers can put into practice. As researchers engage in egalitarian dialogic interactions with the members of society who are engaged in the research with them, they construct knowledge together. The researchers contribute empirical knowledge to the dialogue, and the social actors contribute by describing, and reflecting on, their life experiences. The final results are oriented toward transforming society through actions based on this jointly developed evidence.
From Educational Segregation to Transformative Inclusion
Authors: Petreñas Cristina , Puigdellívol Ignasi , Campdepadrós Roger
Published: July 2013

Recent studies conducted in Europe using communicative methodology highlight that different ways of grouping students has a direct effect on their academic output. This article analyzes how said research methodology identifies and analyzes those student groupings that provide greater academic success and improve classroom coexistence at Spanish educational centers. Said methodology entails all of the research participants—researchers, teachers, families, and students—reflecting on the consequences of streaming, mixture, and inclusion for student academic achievement. Following this, our conclusions are compared with the policies and educational practices implemented in Spanish schools, which are not based on scientific knowledge and do not usually lead to academic success. Finally, recommendations are presented for future educational policies with the aim of providing an alternative for teachers and educational managers that would substantially improve student academic success.
Boar sperm tyrosine phosphorylation patterns in the presence of oviductal epithelial cells: in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models
Authors: Luño Victoria , López-Úbeda Rebeca , García-Vázquez Francisco Alberto , Gil Lydia , Matás Carmen
Published: July 2013

Spermatozoa transport through the oviduct is a controlled process that regulates sperm capacitation. A crucial event involved in capacitation is protein tyrosine phosphorylation (TP). This study was undertaken to determine whether similarities exist in protein TP distribution between spermatozoa bound or unbound to oviductal epithelial cells (OEC) in three different conditions: i)in vitro, spermatozoa coincubated with OEC cultures; ii)ex vivo, spermatozoa deposited in porcine oviductal explants from slaughtered animals; iii)in vivo, in which sows were inseminated and the oviduct was recovered. The localization of phosphotyrosine protein was determined using indirect immunofluorescence. The distribution of protein TP was significantly (P<0.05) different between bound and unbound cell populations in all experiments. In sows inseminated close to ovulation, spermatozoa were found mainly in the utero–tubal junction, where spermatozoa exhibited higher proportion of flagellum phosphorylation. Spermatozoa not bound to OEC exhibited high levels of protein phosphorylation (phosphorylated equatorial subsegment and acrosome and/or phosphorylated flagellum) in theex vivoandin vivoexperiments (P<0.05). However, unbound spermatozoa coincubated with OEC inin vitroconditions tended to show intermediate levels of TP (equatorial subsegment with or without phosphorylated flagellum). In spermatozoa bound to OEC, protein TP was located in the equatorial subsegment or presented no phosphorylation (P<0.05). Although sperm capacitation conditionsin vivowere not reproduciblein vitroin our experimental conditions, sperm and OEC binding seemed to be a mechanism for selecting spermatozoa with a low level of TP inin vivo,ex vivo, andin vitroexperiments.
Phosphorylated histone H2A.x in porcine embryos produced by IVF and somatic cell nuclear transfer
Authors: Bohrer Rodrigo C , Che Limei , Gonçalves Paulo B D , Duggavathi Raj , Bordignon Vilceu
Published: July 2013

Phosphorylated histone H2A.x (H2AX139ph) is a key factor for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and the presence of H2AX139ph foci indicates the sites of DSBs. In this study, we characterized the presence of H2AX139ph during in vitro development of porcine embryos produced by IVF and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Pronuclear stage embryos produced by IVF had, on average, 9.2 H2AX139ph foci per pronucleus. The number of H2AX139ph foci was higher in the 2-cell-stage embryos than in the 4-cell-stage embryos fixed at 48 h post-fertilization. The percentage of H2AX139ph-positive nuclei was higher in SCNT embryos that were activated with ionomycin (ION) alone than in those activated with ION and strontium chloride (ION+Sr2+). A negative correlation was found between the percentage of H2AX139ph-positive cells and the total number of cells per embryo in day 7 blastocysts produced by IVF or SCNT. Based on the detection of H2AX139ph foci, the findings of this study indicate that DSBs occur in a high proportion of porcine embryos produced by either IVF or SCNT; fast-cleaving embryos have fewer DSBs than slow-cleaving embryos; the oocyte activation protocol can affect DNA integrity in SCNT embryos; and better-quality blastocysts have fewer DSBs. We propose that the presence of H2AX139ph foci can be a useful marker of embryo quality.
Clonal Cytophagic Histiocytic Panniculitis in Children May Be Cured by Cyclosporine A
Authors: Bader-Meunier Brigitte , Fraitag Sylvie , Janssen Carl , Brochard Karine , Lamant Laurence , Wouters Carine , Bodemer Christine
Published: July 2013

Cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis (CHP) is a rare panniculitis in childhood, associated either with nonmalignant conditions or with subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL), and often also associated with macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Discriminating between these 2 conditions is therapeutically important because nonmalignant CHP often improves under cyclosporine and prednisone, whereas most cases of SPLT may be best treated with more aggressive therapy. We report the cases of a 6-month-old boy and a 16-month-old girl who, after viral infection, developed multiple infiltrating skin nodules on the limbs and face, associated with MAS. Histopathologic findings for skin biopsy specimens revealed CHP associated with heavily cellular lobular panniculitis. Hemophagocytosis and immunohistochemical staining features were consistent with typical characteristics of in situ MAS in adipose tissue: the lymphocytes were mostly TCD8+ cells with an activated phenotype (human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -DR+) and expressed interferon-γ; CD68+ macrophages expressed tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. A monoclonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor γ gene was present in skin tissue but not in peripheral blood or bone marrow lymphocytes. Cyclosporine A treatment resulted in the complete remission of cutaneous and systemic manifestations in both patients for 66 and 29 months, respectively. This report suggests that the diagnosis of a reactive T-cell lymphoproliferation should be the treatment of choice in young children with severe CHP, even if there is a SPTCL-like aspect with an in situ T-cell clonality. It also suggests that CSA is the optimal treatment of this condition and postulates the possible pathologic process underlying this efficacy.
The Relationship Between Parents’ and Children’s Television Viewing
Authors: Bleakley Amy , Jordan Amy B. , Hennessy Michael
Published: July 2013

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the effect of parental television viewing on children’s television viewing compared with traditional predictors such as household television access, parental rules, and demographic characteristics of the child, parent, and household.

METHODS:

An online survey using national samples of 1550 parents with children in 3 age groups (children ≤5 years, children aged 6–11 years, and adolescents aged 12–17 years), weighted to be representative of US parents with children in each age group. Adolescents (n = 629) of participating parents were also surveyed.

RESULTS:

Parent television time is associated with child television time and had a stronger relationship to child time than access to television in the home or the child’s bedroom, as well as parental rules about television viewing and coviewing. This pattern persisted across all age groups of children.

CONCLUSIONS:

Educating parents about the relationship between their own and their child’s viewing may be a useful strategy for interventions that aim to reduce children’s excessive television viewing. Additionally, health professionals can engage parents in a discussion about how family television time is associated with increased television time for children.
Preventing Dental Caries in Children <5 Years: Systematic Review Updating USPSTF Recommendation
Authors: Chou Roger , Cantor Amy , Zakher Bernadette , Mitchell Jennifer Priest , Pappas Miranda
Published: July 2013

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Screening and preventive interventions by primary care providers could improve outcomes related to early childhood caries. The objective of this study was to update the 2004 US Preventive Services Task Force systematic review on prevention of caries in children younger than 5 years of age.

METHODS:

Searching Medline and the Cochrane Library (through March 2013) and reference lists, we included trials and controlled observational studies on the effectiveness and harms of screening and treatments. One author extracted study characteristics and results, which were checked for accuracy by a second author. Two authors independently assessed study quality.

RESULTS:

No study evaluated effects of screening by primary care providers on clinical outcomes. One good-quality cohort study found pediatrician examination associated with a sensitivity of 0.76 for identifying a child with cavities. No new trials evaluated oral fluoride supplementation. Three new randomized trials were consistent with previous studies in finding fluoride varnish more effective than no varnish (reduction in caries increment 18% to 59%). Three trials of xylitol were inconclusive regarding effects on caries. New observational studies were consistent with previous evidence showing an association between early childhood fluoride use and enamel fluorosis. Evidence on the accuracy of risk prediction instruments in primary care settings is not available.

CONCLUSIONS:

There is no direct evidence that screening by primary care clinicians reduces early childhood caries. Evidence previously reviewed by the US Preventive Services Task Force found oral fluoride supplementation effective at reducing caries incidence, and new evidence supports the effectiveness of fluoride varnish in higher-risk children.
A Low Electron Voltage Approach to Increase Spatial Resolution of Temperature Mapping in Thermal Scanning Electron Microscopy
Authors: Wu Xiaowei , Hull Robert
Published: July 2013

Thermal scanning electron microscopy is a new temperature mapping technique based on thermal diffuse scattering in electron backscatter diffraction in a scanning electron microscope. It provides both nano-scale resolution and far-field non-contact temperature mapping capabilities no other methods can adequately combine. While a calculated spatial resolution of less than 100 nm has already been realized using 20 keV electrons, lower energy incident electrons should enable still higher spatial resolution (even down to 10 nm). In this paper, the feasibility of this approach is examined.
Advanced Characterization Techniques for Nanoparticles for Cancer Research: Applications of SEM and NanoSIMS for Locating Au Nanoparticles in Cells
Authors: Kempen Paul J , Hitzman Chuck , Sasportas Laura S , Gambhir Sanjiv S , Sinclair Robert
Published: July 2013

The ability of nano secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) to locate and analyze Raman active gold core nanoparticles (R-AuNPs) in a biological system is compared with the standard analysis using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The same cell with R-AuNPs on and inside the macrophage was analyzed with both techniques to directly compare them. SEM analysis showed a large number of nanoparticles within the cell. Subsequent NanoSIMS analysis showed fewer R-AuNPs with lower spatial resolution. SEM was determined to be superior to NanoSIMS for the analysis of inorganic nanoparticles in complex biological systems.
Effect of Silver thickness and Annealing on Optical and Electrical Properties of Nb2O5/Ag/Nb2O5 Multilayers as Transparent Composite Electrode on Flexible Substrate
Authors: Dhar Aritra , Alford T. L.
Published: July 2013

Multilayer structures of Nb2O5/Ag/Nb2O5 have been deposited onto flexible substrates by sputtering at room temperature to develop indium free composite transparent conductive electrodes. The optical and electrical properties of the multilayers are measured by UV–Visible spectroscopy, Hall measurement and four point probe and the effect of Ag thickness has been studied. The critical thickness of Ag to form a continuous conducting layer is found to be 9.5 nm and the multilayer stack has been optimized to obtain a sheet resistance of 7.2 Ω/sq and an average optical transmittance of 86 % at 550 nm. The Haacke figure of merit (FOM) has been calculated for the films, and the multilayer with 9.5 nm thick Ag layer has the highest FOM with 31.5 x 10-3 Ω/sq, which is one of the best FOM reported till date for room temperature deposition on flexible substrates. The multilayered samples are annealed in vacuum, forming gas, air and O2 environments and the optical and electrical properties are compared against the as-deposited samples.
Exothermic and Recursive Reaction of Self-Sinterable Silver Ink for Flexible Electronics
Authors: Shin Dong-Youn , Chun Sangki
Published: July 2013

For the construction of highly conductive printed electrodes on a polymeric substrate with a low glass transition temperature, the development of a low temperature sinterable conductive ink has been a crucial issue in printed electronics and display applications. In this work, we introduce a novel type of self-sinterable silver ink, whose sintering is triggered at a low temperature and completed with the aid of its own exothermic reaction, and propose its exothermic reaction mechanism. Although individual components of this self-sinterable silver ink, Ag2O and silver carboxylate, exhibit endothermic behaviors, their mixture form shows a strong exothermic reaction when heated at 150 °C. It is found that the dissociated form of the used silver carboxylate contributes to the reduction of Ag2O to Ag through its recursive reaction and produces silver nanoparticles. The major source of an exothermic reaction results from the nucleation and fusion of silver nanoparticles.
Biosensor based on DNA directed immobilization of enzymes onto optically sensitive porous Si
Authors: Shtenberg Giorgi , Massad-Ivanir Naama , Moscovitz Oren , Engin Sinem , Sharon Michal , Fruk Ljiljana , Segal Ester
Published: July 2013

Optical biosensor for monitoring proteolytic activity is constructed by DNA-directed immobilization of enzymes onto porous Silicon nanostructures. This sensor configuration allows both protease recycling and easy surface regeneration for subsequent biosensing analysis by means of mild dehybridization conditions. We demonstrate real-time analysis of minute quantities of proteases paving the way for substrate profiling and the identification of cleavage sites. The biosensor is compatible with common proteomic methods and allows for a successful downstream mass spectrometry analysis of the reaction products.
Conceptual model describing smear zone caused by mandrel action
Authors: RUJIKIATKAMJORN C. , ARDANA M.D.W. , INDRARATNA B. , LEROUEIL S.
Published: July 2013

In this study the characteristics and extent of the smear zone are investigated using a large, undisturbed sample. The aim of using such a sample is to capture the realistic characteristics of the smear zone in relation to the in situ soil structure during the installation of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) using a mandrel. The extent of the smear zone for Bulli clay (New South Wales, Australia) is determined on the basis of normalised permeability (kh/khu) and the reduction in the water content upon consolidation. The permeability and compressibility of the soil are investigated to determine the extent to which the soil surrounding the PVD has become disturbed. In laboratory testing, the soil consolidation behaviour due to a PVD is studied using a large-scale consolidometer apparatus. The numerical results have shown that the writers' solutions give excellent agreement with laboratory observations.
Statistical fitting of undrained strength data
Authors: HOULSBY N.M.T. , HOULSBY G.T.
Published: July 2013

An approach is described, based on Bayesian statistical methods, that allows the fitting of a design profile to a set of measurements of undrained strengths. In particular allowance is made for the automatic determination of not only the positions of boundaries between geological units, but also the selection of the number of units to model the data in an appropriate way.
Modeling Energy Consumption in Membrane Bioreactors for Wastewater Treatment in North Africa
Authors: Skouteris George , Arnot Tom C. , Jraou Mouna , Feki Firas , Sayadi Sami
Published: July 2013

Two pilot‐scale membrane bioreactors were operated alongside a full‐sized activated sludge plant in Tunisia in order to compare specific energy demand and treated water quality. Energy consumption rates were measured for the complete membrane bioreactor systems and for their different components. Specific energy demand was measured for the systems and compared with the activated sludge plant, which operated at around 3 kWh m−3. A model was developed for each membrane bioreactor based on both dynamic and steady‐state mass balances, microbial kinetics and stoichiometry, and energy balance. Energy consumption was evaluated as a function of mixed‐liquor suspended solids concentration, net permeate fluxes, and the resultant treated water quality. This work demonstrates the potential for using membrane bioreactors in decentralised domestic water treatment in North Africa, at energy consumption levels similar or lower than conventional activated sludge systems, with the added benefit of producing treated water suitable for unrestricted crop irrigation.
A Note on the Benefits of Aggregate Evaluation of Budget Proposals
Authors: Schwartz Steven T. , Sudbury Austin , Young Richard A.
Published: July 2013

Budgeting admits significant management control problems due to information asymmetries within organizations. We extend the Antle, Bogetoft and Stark (1999) principal agent analysis of budgeting, performing comparative statics on the potential benefit of bundling projects. Bundling projects confers a type of diversification benefit similar to portfolio diversification. We find this benefit is maximized at intermediate levels of profitability. The rationale for this finding is that at high levels of profitability the control problem is trivial and at low levels of profitability individual evaluation is necessary to screen for only the most profitable projects. For similar reasons bundling is most beneficial at intermediate levels of slack potential. We further find that when bundling is strictly beneficial to the principal its benefit is decreasing in the correlation between the projects' profitability. The intuition for this finding is (positive) correlation diminishes the diversification benefit found with aggregation. Finally, we sketch a setting with heterogeneous projects that differ with respect to ex ante profitability. We demonstrate that the benefit of aggregation is decreasing in project heterogeneity. The intuition is that when projects are sufficiently heterogeneous the ability to tailor the contracts to the individual projects dominates the diversification benefits.
Is Bariatric Surgery an Appropriate Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes?
Authors: Cline Camber D.
Published: July 2013

IN BRIEF

Given the well-documented relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes, it is a logical hypothesis that reduction in body weight from bariatric surgery would improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The evidence is even more compelling with the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure, which often results in improved glycemic control even before significant weight loss has occurred. Many hypotheses have been proposed regarding the mechanisms of this phenomenon. This article reviews those hypotheses, as well as the risks and benefits of bariatric surgery for adults with type 2 diabetes.
Efficient placement of nest boxes for Siberian flying squirrels Pteromys volans: effects of cavity density and nest box installation height
Authors: Suzuki Kei , Yanagawa Hisashi
Published: July 2013

To improve the effectiveness of research into the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans, we investigated the optimal placement of nest boxes. Of the 96 boxes which we installed under various conditions at 10 sites, 47 were occupied by Siberian flying squirrels between spring and autumn. Nest‐box height was positively correlated with box occupation; 90% of boxes installed at 2‐2.8 m height were used. Cavity density was negatively correlated with occupation, with boxes more frequently used in forests with < 2 cavities/ha. Research in Siberian flying squirrels can thus be made more efficient if nest boxes are installed at a height of 2‐2.8 m in forests with < 2 cavities/ha, and by doing observations between spring and autumn.
Marine Highway Transport of Toxic Inhalation Hazard Materials
Authors: Protopapas Annie , Kruse C. James , Olson Leslie E. , Donelan Michael B. , Hutson Nathan
Published: July 2013

This paper presents highlights of research conducted under Phase 2 of the Transportation Research Board's National Cooperative Freight Research Program 17 and reported in North American Marine Highways. The possibility of transporting greater volumes of chlorine and anhydrous ammonia via the marine highway system was investigated. Currently, there is no coast-to-coast (and only limited inland waterway) activity related to transportation of either chemical. The researchers identified major obstacles to development and expansion and corresponding potential courses of action. Geographical dispersion of producers and consumers works against greater waterborne volumes. Chlorine and anhydrous ammonia are characterized by mature, low-growth markets. Expansion of marine services will require significant capital costs and time to set up new terminals. There is great concern over the current condition of the system of locks and dams. Marine carriers face the same economic ramifications from risk of catastrophic accidents as rail carriers, necessitating the establishment of a new risk paradigm. The federal government could provide initial funds and expedite the permit process to allow new marine highway ventures to develop more rapidly and could also identify and assist potential new import points for both chemicals into the United States. Finally, the federal government must indicate its commitment to maintain the current inland waterway system. However, with no measures that can overcome the geographical dispersion of producers and users, the lack of density in any given corridor, and the already mature markets, significant expansion of the transport of toxic inhalation hazard materials via marine highways is not anticipated.
Abating Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Oxides Emissions from Container Shipping
Authors: Doudnikoff Marjorie , Lacoste Romuald
Published: July 2013

This paper examines the impacts on the container shipping markets of two future environmental policies aimed at reducing ship-based emissions: the low-sulfur fuel requirements from the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships in sulfur emission control areas (SECA) and a European market-based instrument on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Two regulatory scenarios are defined as well as a cost model for liner services. The paper assesses the cost implications as of the year 2018 of sulfur and CO2 policies for a typical North Europe–Asia service and two feeder lines in North Europe articulated with this transcontinental service through transshipments. The results are examined through a comparative evaluation of the impacts of these policies on deep-sea shipping and feedering (short sea shipping dedicated to transportation on feeder ships), depending on the options of compliance to the low-sulfur fuel requirements. A discussion on the possible strategies of reorganization of the container maritime networks to deal with these environmental extra costs leads to the conclusion that avoiding SECAs and CO2 scope for transcontinental routes and extending the feeder routes to capitalize on the savings from scrubbing in SECAs might rarely prove cost-effective.
Assessing the Sensitivity of Transportation Assets to Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change
Authors: Rowan Emily , Evans Christopher , Riley-Gilbert Marybeth , Hyman Rob , Kafalenos Rob , Beucler Brian , Rodehorst Beth , Choate Anne , Schultz Peter
Published: July 2013

Transportation officials are increasingly faced with challenging decisions about how to design, plan, and manage infrastructure to confront changes in climate and extreme weather events. An understanding of which impacts affect infrastructure and at what point damage begins to occur is a critical step toward assessing overall vulnerability and risk. However, few resources exist to help managers and designers identify key thresholds and indicators of sensitivity to weather and climate impacts. This paper introduces a sensitivity matrix, a tool developed for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Gulf Coast Study, Phase 2, adaptation pilot project in Mobile, Alabama. This matrix is an important step toward a more comprehensive understanding of relationships between climate and transportation. Transportation planners can use this matrix to screen for assets that are particularly sensitive and, therefore, potentially vulnerable to climate change. Where possible, the matrix includes key thresholds at which damage may be observed. This resource can assist the transportation community in conducting climate vulnerability and risk assessments. This sensitivity matrix reveals three main conclusions about the sensitivity of the transportation system to climate stressors. First, transportation assets tend to be more sensitive to extreme events than to incremental changes in the mean of climate variables. Second, services such as maintenance, traffic conveyance, and safety often are more sensitive to climate stressors than are physical assets. Finally, an asset is often sensitive to stressors whose occurrence is relatively unlikely in comparison with typical weather variability.
Spatial Analysis of Maritime Accidents Using the Geographic Information System
Authors: Huang Dao-Zheng , Hu Hao , Li Yi-Zhou
Published: July 2013

Despite the tremendous efforts of maritime organizations to achieve a safe and secure maritime transportation system, the losses through maritime accidents and incidents are still increasing. This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of maritime accidents occurring from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2011, based on the Marine Casualties and Incidents module of the Global Integrated Shipping Information System. The geographic information system, an effective and efficient tool for spatial analysis with high visualization, is used to carry out the analysis. Hot-spot analysis of maritime accidents identifies the hot spots. Buffer analysis is used to calculate accidents that occurred in coastal areas. Finally, the following two important results are obtained from the analysis. First, the identification of hot spots reveals the area around the United Kingdom as the area with the greatest number of accidents and the coastal areas around East Asian countries (such as China, Japan, and South Korea) and the Mediterranean Sea as the areas with the next highest number of accidents. These results compare well with a previously published paper. Second, maritime accidents may not frequently occur in the open sea; however, accidents frequently happen in coastal areas, with 51.1% of the total accidents happening within 25 mi of the continents and 62.2% within 50 mi.
Modeling Human Behavior in Vessel Maneuver Simulation by Optimal Control and Game Theory
Authors: Hoogendoorn S. P. , Daamen W. , Shu Y. , Ligteringen H.
Published: July 2013

This paper presents an innovative way to model the decision-making process of the bridge team of a ship. The model aims to provide methods to include human decision making in comprehensive simulation models that can describe the movement of vessels, including hydrodynamic effects; external effects due to wind, current, and waves; waterway geometry; and the interaction with other vessels. The paper uses a simple model to describe a vessel's dynamics and the impact of the control decisions on these dynamics, although generalization to more comprehensive maneuver models is straightforward. The mathematical modeling framework is presented on the basis of a set of behavioral assumptions. The model is described as a differential game in which the bridge team is assumed to react on the expected behavior of other vessels. Different behavioral strategies (risk prone, average risk, and neutral risk) lead to the different models described in the paper. The dynamics of the model are illustrated by simple examples. The results are plausible and clearly show the potential of the approach. The paper offers some direction for future development.
Are Mariner near Misses Influencing Design?
Authors: McSweeney K. , Craig B. , Curry J. , Zhu W.
Published: July 2013

In an ongoing research effort by the American Bureau of Shipping, Lamar University, and vessel operators, more than 18,000 reports of maritime near misses have been collected. The focus of this paper is on near-miss reports that included a recommended design change on or to the vessel and any related quality or safety management system. Limited consistency was found in the definition of a near miss and the type of near-miss data being collected. Most of the near-miss reports for this study contained some form of recommendation or corrective action. This review also found apparent differences in vessel operator safety program maturity among the companies providing near-miss data. As a result, this investigation focused on the recommended corrective actions and associated hazard-control processes. Additionally, based on the findings of limited consistency, this paper discusses core components for near-miss reporting and for an effective near-miss management system.
Water Spray Endurance Test Investigation
Authors: Koefod Scott , Tremblay Marc Mario
Published: July 2013

A modified water spray endurance test (WSET) was adapted from SAE Standard AS5901B and used to study the anti-icing endurance of a variety of sodium chloride–based highway anti-icer liquids. Freezing precipitation immediately forms rime ice on surfaces with no anti-icer treatment. On surfaces treated with anti-icer, freezing precipitation goes through a series of stages and initially forms a liquid brine layer, then nonadherent glaze ice, and finally rime ice. The modified WSET was used to study the effect of a variety of additives in sodium chloride anti-icing liquids. High-molecular-weight organic polymer additives were found to strongly inhibit the onset of rime ice formation. The delay in the onset of rime ice formation caused by anti-icers is postulated to be the result of an enhancement of surface melting, increasing the size of the quasiliquid layer at the ice surface and favoring glaze rather than rime ice formation until the anti-icer has been sufficiently diluted. The same surface melting enhancement caused by anti-icer chemicals may also contribute to the observed effectiveness of low concentrations of anti-icer in preventing ice adhesion to pavement surfaces. In this context, the use of the modified WSET to evaluate rime ice growth rates is discussed as a possible way to compare the relative precipitation resistance (and therefore “effective lifetime”) of different anti-icer formulas.
Remote Sensing of Weather and Road Surface Conditions
Authors: Ewan Levi , Al-Kaisy Ahmed , Veneziano David
Published: July 2013

Advances in road weather sensing technologies have made noninvasive road weather sensors a valuable component in many intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications. This study investigates the reliability of using such a sensor for a proposed weather-responsive variable speed limit system. The Vaisala surface state and temperature sensors (DSC-111 and DST-111) were selected for the proposed application. The sensors' ability to provide accurate and reliable data was tested under various conditions in a controlled laboratory environment. Specifically, four outputs of interest from the sensors were tested in this investigation: surface state, snow and ice depth, water depth, and grip level. Testing results showed that the sensors determined the surface state (dry, moist, wet, snowy, and icy) accurately and reliably. The sensors' snow depth readings were found to be inaccurate, while the sensors' ice depth measurements were found to be relatively close to the actual depths. For water depth, only a limited number of readings were close to the actual depths, while other readings were highly inaccurate. In an effort to test the potential of the sensor in providing reliable inputs to the proposed ITS application, a calibration was conducted for the sensor water depth measurements at various water depths and sensor installation angles. Calibration results showed that the water depth could be accurately estimated with the calibrated sensor measurements, regardless of water depth or sensor installation angle. Sensor estimates of grip level were found to be highly correlated to the coefficient of static friction for the conditions considered in this study.
Devising and Demonstrating an Extreme Weather Risk Indicator for Use in Transportation Systems
Authors: Leviäkangas Pekka , Molarius Riitta , Könönen Ville , Zulkarnain Zulkarnain , Hietajärvi Anna-Maija
Published: July 2013

This paper describes a novel risk indicator for extreme weather risks for use in transportation systems. The risk indicator is applied to the European transportation system indicating and ranking the risks for the 27 member states of the European Union (EU-27). The paper starts with definitions of hazards, vulnerability, and risk, based on relevant literature, and then operationalizes the risk, hazard, and vulnerability with the help of EU-27 data. Finally, the paper discusses the extreme weather risk indicator (EWRI) and evaluates its applicability and limitations. The risk indicator is a relative indicator: it should be viewed and treated as a ranking system. The devised indicator is able to assist decision makers at national and state as well as international and federal levels in the prioritization of extreme weather risks within their jurisdiction. The overall approach of EWRI is based on mainstream risk and vulnerability assessment research, following for the most part the existing conceptual models. The novelty of EWRI lies in its application area (transportation) and wide use of both empirical and statistical data. EWRI was used to assess the hazards, vulnerabilities, and risks of extreme weather for the EU-27, but nothing hinders its application, either in this form or a modified form, in other contexts.
Effect of Winter Weather and Road Surface Conditions on Macroscopic Traffic Parameters
Authors: Kwon Tae J. , Fu Liping , Jiang Chaozhe
Published: July 2013

This paper presents an empirical study focusing on identifying the main factors that affect the capacity and free-flow speed (FFS) of urban freeways under inclement winter weather conditions. The weather and road surface condition factors examined include air temperature, wind speed, hourly snow intensity, visibility, snow on ground, and road surface condition describing the road slipperiness caused mainly by snow events. Data on traffic operations and the associated weather and road conditions observed at two freeway locations over the 2010–2012 winter seasons were used in an extensive statistical analysis. Linear regression models were calibrated for both capacity and FFS reductions as related to various weather and road condition variables. It was found that visibility and road surface conditions had a statistically significant effect on both capacity and FFS. Snow intensity was found to be significant only when the visibility factor was excluded; this finding suggests a refutation of these two factors on capacity and FFS. The modeling results were compared with those recommended by the Highway Capacity Manual 2010, showing that, in many cases, the manual could underestimate or overestimate the effects of winter weather conditions and that the proposed models provided a more reasonable estimate at a higher level of granularity.
Modeling Temperature Distribution in Soil Profile
Authors: Xu Huining , Tan Yiqiu
Published: July 2013

Prediction of soil temperature is important to the simulation of transport infrastructure with significant earth contact. A one-dimensional numerical model for heat and moisture transfer in partially frozen soils has been developed and validated. In addition to modeling conduction heat transfer, model variations that included moisture transport, snow accumulation and melting, and soil freezing and thawing were investigated. This model was evaluated against measured data at depths of 0.5 and 1.0 m for two locations in the northern United States. The results showed that the model was capable of providing good simulations of the evolution of temperature for the whole year. Comparisons of simulation results with five combinations of modeled phenomena to experimental data demonstrated that both snow cover and freezing and thawing of soil were important when temperature for soil was modeled. However, temperature was not substantially affected by the moisture transport.
Spanish Imperial Destiny
Authors: Box Zira
Published: July 2013

The aim of this article is to analyze the meaning of the concept of empire during the first years of the Francoist regime and try to clarify the different meanings that the various political and ideological groups that were part of the dictatorship gave to this concept. As will be explained, it is possible to find two main meanings for the concept of empire. The first one was linked to the notion of Hispanidad and was developed by the Catholic and counter-revolutionary groups; in this case, empire was defined through the Catholic religion and the missionary role that Spain had played in the discovery of America, the moment that marked the beginning of the Spanish Empire. The second meaning was developed inside the Falangist party. It contained fascist values and was linked to an ideal of expansionism that would support specific policies. The aim here is to differentiate these meanings by paying attention to the different contexts in which they were produced.