bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jovan Ristic: Écrivain et historien
Authors: Jovanovic Slobodan
Published: January 2015

L?un des plus grands hommes d??tat serbes du XIXe si?cle, Jovan Ristic
(1831-1899) fut ?galement historien distingu? qui contribua largement au
d?veloppement de l?histoire diplomatique en tant que discipline en Serbie,
pr?c?dant de tels histo?riens remarqu?s comme Mihailo Gavrilovic et Grgur
Jaksic . Ayant ?tudi? ? Berlin et ? Heidelberg, Ristic se d?veloppa sous
l?influence d?cisive du grand ma?tre allemand de l??poque qui fut Leopold
von Ranke. L?auteur examine les ?crits majeurs de Ristic questionnant son
approche m?thodologique et la notion de l?objectivit? ? la lumi?re des
d?bats du XIXe si?cle. En analysant l?exp?rience de Ristic en tant qu?homme
poli?tique, Jovanovic met l?accent sur la distinction entre m?moires et
histoire dans l?oeuvre de cette figure illustr?e de la vie politique et
culturelle serbe.
Stojan Novakovic et la politique étrangère de la Serbie
Authors: Vojvodic Mihailo
Published: January 2015

Cet article d?crit le r?le capital de Stojan Novakovic (1842-1915) dans la
politique ?trang?re du Royaume de Serbie durant les derni?res d?cennies du
XIXe et au d?but du XXe si?cle. Diplomate, premier ministre et ministre des
Affaires ?trang?res, chef politique du Parti progressiste, Novakovic
s?occupait profond?ment des questions les plus importantes de la politique
serbe et balkanique de l??poque telles les questions de la Vieille Serbie et
de la Mac?doine, de l?int?gration nationale serbe ainsi que des perspectives
de l?unification yougoslave et de la conf?d?ration balkanique. Confrontant
les aspects divers de la politique des grandes puissances dans les Balkans au
tournant des si?cles, l?auteur cherche ? ?largir la compr?hension des id?es
politiques de Novakovic en tant qu?homme d??tat, intellectuel et id?ologue
national.
Croatian pretensions to Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1848
Authors: Krestic Vasilije
Published: January 2015

Since the early 1860s many Croat politicians, both prominent (from Ante
Starcevic and Ante Pavelic to Franjo Tudjman) and little known, have been
openly expressing the ambition to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia at
a favourable moment and under certain conditions, invoking Croatian state and
historical right in support of their pretensions. These pretensions, born out
of the belief that the unfortunately shaped territory of Croatia, Slavonia
and Dalmatia lacks the necessary strategic depth, have led to a fully-fledged
strategy for creating an ethnically and religiously pure Greater Croatia and
to constant conflict with the Serb side which also lays claims, predominantly
ethnic, to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Serbia, the Serbo-Albanian conflict and the First Balkan War
Authors: Batakovic Dusan
Published: January 2015

After the restoration of Serbia in 1830, the areas of medieval Serbia left
out of her borders were dubbed Old Serbia - Kosovo, Metohija, Rascia (the
former sanjak of Novi Pazar and the neighbouring areas). Old Serbia (from
1877 onwards the vilayet of Kosovo) was dominated by local Albanian pashas,
whereas the Christian Orthodox Serbs and their villages were attacked and
pillaged by Muslim Albanian brigands. The religious antagonism between
Muslims and Christians expanded into national conflict after the 1878
Albanian League had claimed the entire ?Old Serbia for Greater Albania?. The
position of Christian Orthodox Serbs, who accounted for a half of the
population at the end of the nineteenth century, was dramatically aggravated
due to Muslim Albanians' tribal anarchy, Austria-Hungary's pro-Albanian
agitation and, after 1908, frequent Albanian rebellions. All efforts of
Serbia to reach a peaceful agreement with Muslim Albanian leaders in Old
Serbia before the First Balkan War had ended in failure. The First Balkan War
was the most popular war in Serbia?s history as it was seen as avenging the
1389 Battle of Kosovo which had sealed the Ottoman penetration into the
Serbian lands. In October 1912, Serbia liberated most of Old Serbia, while
Montenegro took possesion of half of the Rascia area and the whole of
Metohija. While the decimated and discriminated Serb population greeted the
Serbian and Montenegrin troops as liberators, most Albanians, who had sided
with the Ottomans, saw the establishment of Serbian rule as occupation.
Modernization mixed with nationalism
Authors: Nikiforov Konstantin
Published: January 2015

This essay reflects on a particular manner in which modernisation have taken
place in the Balkans in modern history, from the 1878 Berlin Congress
onwards. The Balkan countries faced twofold difficulties in their
development: they had to overcome their backwardness stemming from the
centuries of the Ottoman yoke and catch up with modern Western Europe, and
resolve their numerous mutual territorial and political disputes. The latter
task was especially difficult due to the constant interference in Balkan
affairs on the part of Great Powers. This interference further aggravated
nationalistic tensions between the Balkan states. The peculiar mixture of
modernisation efforts and nationalism remains to this day when the entire
region strives to join the European Union.
Are we witnessing a renesance of the dialectology?
Authors: Topolinjska Zuzana
Published: January 2015

Slavistics is a relatively young linguistic discipline. Its beginnings, in
the period of domination of the historical linguistics, are characterized
with the rapid development of the ?classical? dialectology, which means
field-work in the domain of comparative phonetics and inflection leading to
the defining of the kinship relations in the Slavic group of the IndoEuropean
languages. Only after the First World War observe a shift to the synchronic
linguistics with the focus on the functional analysis of standard Slavic
languages. In the period between the two World Wars in the Northern Slavic
countries dialectology is not a part of the university program, while in the
South it has more pertinent position. The dominant analytical studies follow
the line: form > function > meaning, and concentrate mainly on the
grammatical and not on the lexical language structure. In the period after
the Second World War multiply theories starting with the sense analysis. It
is in the framework of these theories and in connection with the trend to
interdisciplinary ?human-studies? in historical anthropology, ethnology,
psychology, history of the material and spiritual culture that the
dialectology is rediscovered as a rich source of new information. Macedonian
dialects, which for a long period evolved without the pressure of a standard
norm are especially interesting from that point of view.
Protivitel'nye sloznosocinennye predlozenija v serbskom jazyke XII-XV vekov
Authors: Pavlovic Slobodan
Published: January 2015

V nastojascej rabote rassmatrivajutsja protivitel'nye otnosenija na urovne
sloznosocinennogo predlozenija na materiale drevneserbskoj pis'mennosti
XII-XV vekov. Obscim (invariantnym) znaceniem kategorii adversativnosti na
etom urovne javljaetsja sopostavlenie situacij vyrazaemyh klauzami.
Sootnosenie mezdu dvumja sravnivaemymi situacijami mozet byt' razlicnym po
tipu konflikta. Soglasno tipologiceskim opisanijam rassmatrivajutsja tri tipa
protivitel'nosti: 1) oppozitivnaja protivitel'nost', gde neposredstvenno
sravnivajutsja dve razlicnye situacii s pomosc'ju leksiceskih (jazykovyh i
kontekstual'nyh antonimov) i grammaticeskih sredstv (Ja rabotaju, a ty
spis'), 2) korrigirujuscaja protivitel'nost', v kotoroj dlja govorjascego
vazno podcerknut' nesootvetstvie mezdu pervoj otricaemoj i vtoroj besspornoj
situaciej (Oleg ezdil ne v Moskvu, a v Odessu) i 3) neozidaemaja
protivitel'nost', podcerkivajuscaja kontrast mezdu nedostatocnym ili
otvergaemym osnovaniem i neadekvatnym sledstviem (Ja okliknul ego, no on ne
ogljanulsja).
On the idiom ne gine (gibi) mi (ti etc.): Syntactic structure, semantics, and lexicographic status
Authors: Vuckovic Marija
Published: January 2015

The paper deals with the idiom ne gine mi (ti etc.) and its variant ne gibi
mi (ti etc.). The research is based on the historical and contemporary corpus
that also comprises the dialectological material. After pointing out
chronological and areal characteristics of the two idiom variants, their
syntactic structure as well as semantics are discussed. In the domain of
semantics the special attention is paid to the change of the axiological
component of the idiomatic meaning. It is argued that there might be the
interrelation between this change and the syntactic structure of the idiom.
The final segment of the paper is concerned with the status of the analysed
idiomatic phrases in the most important monolingual general and
phraseological dictionaries.
Pasture vegetation near the village of Idjos
Authors: Knezevic Aleksa , Ljevnaic-Masic Branka , Dzigurski Dejana , Cupina Branko
Published: January 2015

A pasture on the solonchakic solonetz soil in the vicinity of the village of
Idjos (Banat, Serbia) was found to harbor 137 plant taxa (129 species, 7
subspecies and 1 variety). The plant cover they formed was specific from the
ecological, phytogeographical and phytocoenological points of view. The
specific ecological feature of the surveyed plant cover was that 47 or 34.31%
of the recorded taxa were rated with the ecological index S+ due to their
ability to grow in saline soil. The specific phytogeographical feature of the
surveyed plant cover was the presence of two Pannonian endemics, Plantago
schwarzenbergiana Schur and Statice gmelini subsp. hungaricum (Klokov) So?,
and two subendemics, Puccinellia limosa Holmb. and Roripa kerneri Menyh. The
specific phytocoenological feature of the surveyed plant cover was the
presence of two phytocoenoses from the class Phragmitetea Tx. et Prsg. 1942
(ass. Scirpo-Phragmitetum medioeuropaeum and ass. Bolboschoenetum maritimi
continentale), one phytocoenose from the class Molinio- Arrhenatheretea
Tx.1937 p.p., Br.-Bl. et Tx. 1943 p.p. (ass. Trifolio-Lolietum perennis) and
ten phytocoenoses from the class Festuco-Puccinellietea So? 1968 (ass.
Puccinellietum limosae, ass. Pholiuro-Plantaginetum tenuiflorae, ass.
Hordeetum histricis, ass. Agrostio-Alopecuretum pratensis, ass.
Agrostio-Beckmannietum, ass. Halo-Agropyretum repentis, ass.
Poeto-Alopecuretum pratensis halophyticum, ass. Artemisio-Festucetum
pseudovinae, ass. Trifolio-Festucetum pseudovinae and ass.
Achilleo-Festucetum pseudovinae). The presence of 34.31% of taxa rated with
the ecological index S+, the presence of two Pannonian and two sub-Pannonian
floristic elements and the predominance of stands from the class
Festuco-Puccinellietea So? 1968 led us to conclusion that the pasture near
the village of Idjos (Banat, Serbia) is a part of the halobiome of the
Pannonian Plain.
Euphorbia davidii - an invasive weed species in the fields of Serbia
Authors: Vajgand Dragan , Micic Nenad , Purger Dragica
Published: January 2015

Euphorbia davidii Subils (Euphorbiaceae) or toothed spurge is a plant native
to North America, but in Europe it is an alien weed. The populations of this
weed were recorded in the Province of Vojvodina (Serbia) for the first time
in 2007 in the arable fields in two localities: between the villages of
Aleksa Santic and Pacir and also between the villages of Pacir and Djurdjin.
There were no previous published data about the occurrence of this species in
Serbia, nor about management measures in crops to suppress this agricultural
invader. In this paper, we present experiences with several herbicide
treatments applied to suppress populations of toothed spurge from the crop
fields in Serbia during the last six years. The most effective was treatment
with a high concentration of glyphosate in the early phases of toothed spurge
growing. The populations of this invasive weed spread and formed more or less
dense patches in the crop field, the area of distribution increased from 3 ha
to 7 ha. Observations and experiences with treatments suggest that Euphorbia
davidii, as an invasive plant, has significant impact on crop fields,
therefore further investigation of suppression measures and monitoring of its
population is needed.
Seasonal dynamics of coper and zinc acumulation in shots of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex Steud., Typha latifolia L. and Typha angustifolia L.
Authors: Maksimovic Tanja , Borisev Milan , Stankovic Zivko
Published: January 2015

The concentrations of Cu and Zn were measured in shoots of plants Phragmites
australis (Cav.) Trin ex Steud., Typha latifolia L. and Typha angustifolia
L. at four locations in the area Bardaca (Necik - neglected fishpond, Lug -
fishpond used for recreation activities, Sinjak - active fishpond and Matura
- river connected to some of the fishponds). In all these types of water
bodies, Zn and Cu concentrations were the highest in young plants (May-June)
and then declined until the end of the season, especially in September.
Phragmites australis has accumulated higher amounts of Zn than Typha
latifolia and Typha angustifolia, whereas for Cu the difference between
species was not so clear. In relation to the site, the largest
concentrations of Zn and Cu were recorded in plants from the sites Sinjak
and Matura, followed by Necik and Lug respectively. Such site specific
differences are related to specific ecological conditions at each habitat.
Development of Novel Software to Generate Anthropometric Norms at Perinatal Autopsy
Authors: Cain Matthew D. , Siebert Joseph R. , Iriabho Egiebade , Gruneberg Alexander , Almeida Jonas S. , Faye-Petersen Ona Marie
Published: January 2015

Fetal and infant autopsy yields information regarding cause of death and the risk of recurrence, and it provides closure for parents. A significant number of perinatal evaluations are performed by general practice pathologists or trainees, who often find them time-consuming and/or intimidating. We sought to create a program that would enable pathologists to conduct these examinations with greater ease and to produce reliable, informative reports. We developed software that automatically generates a set of expected anthropometric and organ weight ranges by gestational age (GA)/postnatal age (PA) and a correlative table with the GA/PA that best matches the observed anthropometry. The program highlights measurement and organ weight discrepancies, enabling users to identify abnormalities. Furthermore, a Web page provides options for exporting and saving the data. Pathology residents utilized the program to determine ease of usage and benefits. The average time using conventional methods (ie, reference books and Internet sites) was compared to the average time using our Web page. Average time for novice and experienced residents using conventional methods was 26.7 minutes and 15 minutes, respectively. Using the Web page program, these times were reduced to an average of 3.2 minutes ( P < 0.046 and P < 0.02, respectively). Participants found our program simple to use and the corrective features beneficial. This novel application saves time and improves the quality of fetal and infant autopsy reports. The software allows data exportation to reports and data storage for future analysis. Finalization of our software to enable usage by both university and private practice groups is in progress.
Understanding the Text of the Bible 65 Years after the Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Authors: Tov Emanuel
Published: January 2015

The focus of this study is the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls, 65 years after their discovery near the Dead Sea, with the purpose of improving our understanding of the text of Hebrew Scripture. The Qumran finds (more than 200 fragmentary scrolls) reflect textual plurality, and all the biblical texts were probably considered authoritative. At the same time, the 25 Scripture scrolls from sites in the Judean Desert outside Qumran are virtually identical to the medieval MT.
Research utilization among nurses: barriers and facilitators
Authors: Sapkato S
Published: January 2015

Research utilization is the implementation of research-based findings in practice clinical setting to provide services to consumers. It is the critical way to strengthen the discipline and practice of nursing to provide quality nursing care to consumers of nursing that may be individual, family or community but different factors/barriers preventing the nurses to implement the research finding into the practice. The aims of this article are firstly to introduce about research utilization among nurses, secondly to present barriers of research utilization to nurses and lastly to discuss the ways of promoting research utilization among nurses in developed and developing countries like Nepal. For these purposes, different electronic and database literatures related to research utilization among nurses are searched, reviewed and presented here to by giving meaningful organization and presentation. This article presents progress in development of research utilization in developed and developing countries, barriers of research utilization including valid scale to measure barriers of research utilization and ways of promoting research utilization among nurses. Most common barriers that prevent nurses from implementing research findings include not having enough time; lack of institutional or financial support; insufficient support from colleagues; shortage of personnel and resources; not able to understand research reports; lack of knowledge; and the dependence of nurses on doctors and managers in making changes in clinical practice. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v4i4.11955
Electroconvulsive therapy in mood diorders
Authors: Adhikari S R
Published: January 2015

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the less used somatic treatments in mood disorders, especially depressive phase. ECT use has importance during acute bipolar episode when patient extremely violent, suicidal and extreme psychomotor retardation. The aim of this study was to know about socio-demographic profile and therapeutic efficacy of the use of ECT in mood disorders. Methods: This is a prospective comparative study between patients who received ECT and who did not. Psychopathology was evaluated using Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) between the groups at admission, at discharge, at 1st month, at 6th month and at 12th month. Modified ECT was performed using general anesthetic agent. Results: Twenty five patients received ECT as compared to 32 patients who were non-receivers. There was significant decrease in HDRS in ECT receiver as compared to non-receivers in patients with depression (both unipolar and bipolar) at discharge, 1st month, and 12th month; in YMRS in patient with mania at discharge, 1st month and at 12th month.Discussion: There was significant improvement in overall psychopathology and psycho-social status of patients who received ECT as compared to non-receivers. The improvement was shown by decrement in scores in HDRS and YMRS at the time of discharge, 1st month, 6th month and 1st year which were statistically significant.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v4i4.11958
Pap smear coverage and effect of knowledge and attitude regarding cervical cancer on utilization of the test by women in Udayapur district of Nepal
Authors: Ranabhat S , Dhungana G , Neupane M , Shrestha R , Tiwari M
Published: January 2015

Background: Cervical cancer prevention, the most common cancer in women in Nepal, is almost nonexistent because of very low pap smear coverage. Material and methods: This study was done to find out pap smear coverage, to assess women’s knowledge about cervical cancer and cervical pap smear, to assess women’s attitude towards cervical pap smear, and to find out association of demographic variables, attitude of women towards pap smear test, and knowledge of cervical cancer and cervical pap smear test with its practice. It was a cross sectional analytical observational study which was carried out in a one-day free health camp organized in Udayapur district of Nepal jointly by Chitwan Medical College and Satya Sai Organization on January 5 of 2013. Participants were interviewed with the help of structured questionnaire. Fisher’s exact test was done to detect association of the variables with pap smear practice. Results: Fisher’s exact test showed that knowledge about pap smear test and attitude towards the test were the only variables which significantly influenced pap smear utilization (p= 0.04). Pap smear utilization was not associated with age-at-marriage, age-at-menarche, parity and age-at-first-childbirth. Conclusion: Pap smear coverage was found to be 7.8% (at 95% CI was 0.02-0.13) which is lower than the average for developing countries. This study has shown that knowledge about pap smear test and attitude towards the test significantly influence pap smear utilization. Therefore, work should be done towards that end to increase pap smear coverage. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v4i4.11969
Stress among nurses working in critical care areas at a tertiary care teaching hospital, Nepal
Authors: Mehta R K , Singh I K
Published: January 2015

Stress is a part of our life. Stress can also create positive and negative influence in our daily lives. As a positive influence stress is a motivating force towards progress and it can create new awareness and exciting new perspective. As a negative influence it creates feeling of distress, rejection, depression, which leads to variety of physical and psychological problems. The aim of the study was to assess stress among nurses working in critical care areas at BPKIHS. A Descriptive explorative design was used to conduct the study in critical care areas of BPKIHS Dharan. Fifty staff nurses working in critical care areas with at least one year of critical care experience were included in this study. Random sampling technique was used to select the sample from random number table. Self administered structured questionnaire and Modified Expanded Nursing Stress Scale were used for the collection of data. Study findings revealed that majority of the respondents 56% had moderate stress followed by mild stress 34%, sever stress 6%, where as very less number of respondents 4% had no stress in their job setting. This study finding also indicate that Nepalese nurses rated factors such as lack of opportunity to discuss problems with peers 36% and inadequate emotional preparation 30%, being sexually harassed 24%, experiencing discrimination because of race or ethnicity 20%, and experiencing discrimination on the basis of gender 10% as low on the stress scale. Stress factors rated “Moderately and very much stressful” were shortage of staff to adequately cover the unit 82%, being blamed for anything that goes wrong 70%, not enough equipment supplies/not functioning well 62%, physician not being present in a medical emergency 62%, patients’ family making unreasonable demands 62%, lack of support from nursing administration 52%, having to work through breaks 54%, not enough time to complete all nursing tasks 46%. This study provides valuable insight into the actual and perceived stressful experiences of critical care nurses, thus contributing to the ongoing effort to reduce burnout in this population.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v4i4.11972
Optimizing High-Speed Rail and Air Transport Intermodal Passenger Network Design
Authors: Allard Ryan F. , Moura Filipe Manuel Mercier Vilaça e
Published: January 2015

How does one quantitatively analyze intermodal passenger systems? Can high-speed rail links reduce costs to airline services? A method for analyzing transportation networks that involve more than one mode is presented. With intermodal costs considered in detail from both the operator and the traveler aspects (including time costs and service benefits and negative costs), optimal network designs that reduce overall costs for both stakeholders are created. As a case study, the potential impact on optimization of transportation network design for air and high-speed rail travel around the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe is examined. Key aspects of the model design and assumptions, including the sparse and contrasting intermodal valuations used, weighting of the cost components, and the cost to implement inter modality are evaluated. The optimization procedure, using a linear Boolean mathematical program, shows that the benefits of intermodality are best captured when a more holistic intermodal product is offered, and that high-speed rail becomes progressively less competitive as traveler costs rise and there is a discernible shortage of traveler valuations of intermodal service attributes.
Bicycle Network Connectivity for Passenger Rail Stations
Authors: Mueller Jonathan D. , Hunter-Zaworski Katharine
Published: January 2015

Interest in improving and adding intercity passenger rail service is growing in the United States and the rest of the world. Passenger rail development is complex and includes many factors including how well it is integrated into cities. Transportation trends in the United States show that more people are choosing alternative transportation options and that auto ownership is declining. The development of new rail systems and improvement of existing systems need to consider all users, including those who access stations with alternative transportation such as bicycles. An analysis approach is proposed to compare how well rail stations allow access to bicycles by studying their connectivity to low-stress bicycle links and how well they allow access to workplaces and residences. The approach is demonstrated with a case study in Salem, Oregon. This city is on Amtrak's Cascades Corridor and is currently undergoing an environmental impact study for improved service. The existing station and two alternative station locations are analyzed. The results indicate that the two stations located adjacent to downtown provide superior bicycle connectivity to workplaces and residences compared with the station located near the airport.
Railway Train Wheel Maintenance Model and Its Application
Authors: Zhang Di , Hu Hao , Liu Yutao , Dai Lei
Published: January 2015

Railways are required to operate with a high level of reliability and safety for transporting passengers. Because the wheel is one of the key subsystems of a railway train, it can contribute significantly to the train's reliability and safety. One important way to meet the requirements is to implement proper maintenance activities. A modeling approach is developed on the basis of Petri nets for the maintenance analysis of wheels. The detailed maintenance and renewal options to be explored for wheel maintenance are discussed. The model is solved with Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the effectiveness of maintenance actions. Moreover, the developed model can be flexible, and different ways in which the complexity of the model can be extended are discussed. A case study is conducted to demonstrate the execution of the model. Analysis of the results shows that the model is useful in predicting life-cycle wheel maintenance activities and costs throughout the train's life, and this information can be used in maintenance optimization.
Assignment of Freight Shipment Demand in Congested Rail Networks
Authors: Hwang Taesung , Ouyang Yanfeng
Published: January 2015

Railroads have long been serving the largest portion of freight ton-miles in the U.S. freight shipment market. The rising demand for rail transportation is expected to continue in the foreseeable future, and considerable network congestion and inefficiency will result. Thus, a systematic methodology is needed to predict freight flow concentrations and congestion patterns in the rail network. A customized network assignment model for rail freight shipment demand is proposed; in this model, single-and double-track lines are represented by an equivalent directed graph. A railroad-specific link cost function adjusted for single and double tracks is developed to capture traffic delay, and an adapted convex combination algorithm is developed to find the shipment routing equilibrium. This model is applied to an empirical case study for the U.S. rail network with national freight shipment demand in 2007. The resulting freight flow pattern is visualized graphically and validated with empirical data. The proposed modeling framework could be used to help public agencies and private companies predict rail network traffic and develop infrastructure investment strategies to reduce adverse social impacts imposed by rail traffic delay.
Fully Coupled Three-Dimensional Train-Track-Soil Model for High-Speed Rail
Authors: Huang Hai , Gao Yin , Stoffels Shelley
Published: January 2015

With the increase of train speed, track modeling has faced great challenges as traditional static or quasi-static analyses become insufficient. Many track models have not had a train model and defined the wheel–rail interaction force as a stationary, independent, and empirical loading profile. In fact, the wheel–rail contact force is a function of train–track interaction and is difficult to predetermine. Another limitation of two-dimensional track models is the lack of sophisticated three-dimensional soil parts; this deficiency becomes critical when train speed is high enough to cause significant wave motion in the subgrade soil. A fully coupled three-dimensional train-track-soil model is developed and verified by a benchmark finite element program. Case studies are then described to demonstrate the capability of this track model.
Influence of Size and Shape Properties of Railroad Ballast on Aggregate Packing
Authors: Boler Huseyin , Qian Yu , Tutumluer Erol
Published: January 2015

Railroad ballast is uniformly graded coarse aggregate placed between and immediately underneath the ties to provide drainage and structural support for the loading applied by trains. In the United States, several ballast gradation recommendations are suggested by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA). Most of these recommended uniform gradations have somewhat wide ranges at their control sieves; this range often creates significantly different grain-size distributions within the same gradation band. In this analysis, AREMA No. 24 gradation was studied for controlled changes in grain-size distributions within its band. Gradations were created by using three control sieves within the AREMA No. 24 gradation band. In addition, to emphasize the significance of particle shape, three sets of particles having high-, medium-, and low-angularity indexes quantified by image analysis were also considered in the packing simulations carried out with an image-aided ballast aggregate assembly modeling approach with the discrete element method (DEM). The significance of passing each control sieve as well as the importance of particle angularity on number of contacts, coordination number (average number of contacts that one particle makes with its neighbors), and porosity was analyzed by using analyses of variance and regression in the DEM packing simulations. The results indicated that increasing the number of particles between ballast nominal maximum sieve size and its half size would increase the number of particle contacts created in the granular assembly. When the imaging-based angularity indexes of the aggregate particles increased, the number of contacts also increased to give a higher coordination number. The ballast DEM simulations proved to be a powerful tool to study and optimize ballast gradations.
Railroad Track Transitions with Multidepth Deflectometers and Strain Gauges
Authors: Mishra Debakanta , Tutumluer Erol , Boler Huseyin , Hyslip James P. , Sussmann Theodore R.
Published: January 2015

Railway transitions such as bridge approaches experience differential movements related to differences in track system stiffness, track damping characteristics, foundation type, ballast settlement from fouling or degradation, as well as fill and subgrade settlement. Identification of factors contributing to this differential movement and developing design and maintenance strategies to mitigate the problem are imperative for the safe and economical operation of both freight and passenger rail networks. Findings are presented from an ongoing research study at the University of Illinois that focuses on the instrumentation and performance monitoring of railroad bridge approaches with multidepth deflectometers. Sensors installed at the selected approaches are introduced, and details of the instrumentation activity are explained. Track settlement data acquired over time are presented to compare the contributions of different substructure layers with the permanent deformation accumulation. Similarly, transient track deformation data gathered under dynamic train loading are analyzed to quantify the contribution of individual track substructure layers to the total transient deformations. Finally, a new approach is presented; it quantifies the support conditions under instrumented ties and assesses the percentage of the wheel load carried by the instrumented tie. Instrumentation of track transitions with multidepth deflectometers has been shown to quantify the contributions of substructure layers to track settlement adequately. In the bridge approaches instrumented with multidepth deflectometer technology, the ballast layers appear to be the primary source of accumulation for both permanent and transient deformations.
Road Usage Charges in Washington State?
Authors: Buxbaum Jeffrey N. , Griffith Reema , Opiola Jack
Published: January 2015

After years of studies that pointed toward road usage charging as a possible approach to the future of road funding, Washington State embarked on a methodical process first to assess the feasibility of road usage charging and then to evaluate the business case. The process involved educating a broad-based steering committee on the experience of road usage charging worldwide and potential policy objectives and then evaluating a wide range of illustrative high-level operational concepts, from simple to complex. The resultant finding was that road usage charging could be feasible. The next phase involved creating a smaller set of potential concepts, articulating policy objectives, and evaluating the business case from the standpoint of dollars and cents and the ability to achieve the objectives. It was found that there was value to a methodical approach. Moving too quickly toward pilot programs or implementation could create a backlash resulting from a lack of understanding of the problem to be solved and its potential solutions. There was also value in a transparent and open process that remained low key and did not try a large-scale public involvement process until a broad-based steering committee could work through the difficult issues. Although there were no perfect solutions, it will be easier to make informed choices about the future of transportation finance with a set of goals, guiding principles, and an objective business case.
Assessment of Economic Impacts of Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee for Passenger Vehicles in Nevada
Authors: Paz Alexander , Nordland Andrew , Veeramisti Naveen , Khan Alauddin , Sanchez-Medina Javier
Published: January 2015

This study evaluated the effectiveness and equity of a fee for vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for passenger vehicles in Nevada. In the evaluation of the fee's effectiveness, the collection capabilities, as well as the fee's impact on the number of miles users drove, were considered. Equity was evaluated by considering the impact of the VMT fee on various population groups on the basis of socioeconomics, demographics, household type, location, and ownership of fuel-efficient vehicles. To estimate the impacts on various VMT fees, a linear regression model was developed with the use of data from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, which provided a mechanism to estimate VMT in Nevada as a function of the cost to drive, among other characteristics. The effectiveness and the equity of two alternative VMT fees were compared with the existing fuel tax system. These fees were calculated on the basis of the average fuel efficiency of vehicles in Nevada and the historical revenue from the state fuel tax. In general, a VMT fee of 3.3 cents per mile seemed to be more effective than both the existing fuel tax and a VMT fee of 2.91 cents per mile. Although the 3.3 cents per mile fee had a slightly greater impact on various population groups, its equitable distribution of the tax burden among 71.1% of households created a small average cost increase of just 0.37% per household. Thus, a 3.3 cents per mile fee would provide the necessary revenue without significantly affecting Nevada households.
Socioeconomic Assessment
Authors: Khoeini Sara , Guensler Randall
Published: January 2015

High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes use dynamic pricing to manage demand for lane use and to maintain acceptable traffic flow and traffic speeds. However, minimum occupancy and toll payment requirements raise potential socioeconomic questions concerning disparate negative effects across demographic groups. The objective of this study was to improve the knowledge about socioeconomic aspects of congestion pricing by using the I-85 high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) to HOT conversion in Atlanta, Georgia, as a case study. To evaluate the effects across user groups, more than 1.5 million license plate records were collected during a 2–year period, 1 year before and 1 year after the conversion. Analyses compared collected records with state motor vehicle registration databases to identify the vehicles and link census block group level and marketing household level socioeconomic attributes. In addition, results of a 2-day travel diary survey conducted by Volpe 6 months before and 6 months after the conversion were assessed. This study used all three sources of data in parallel to undertake a socioeconomic evaluation of the HOV-to-HOT conversion. Whereas previous studies were built on only one data source with significantly smaller sample sizes, the use of three distinctive sources of socioeconomic data and an exceptionally large sample size advanced the understanding of the potential socioeconomic effects of managed lanes. Furthermore, with the noted advantages and disadvantages of these data sources, this study provided valuable insight for general demographic analysts.
Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance
Authors: Nichols Brice G. , Kockelman Kara M.
Published: January 2015

Vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) can greatly affect crash risk and, therefore, insurance costs, but accurately assessing VMT has been challenging for insurance agencies. Affordable technology now allows insurance companies to track VMT better and has prompted pilot programs and further research of mileage-based, or pay-as-you-drive (PAYD), insurance. Research shows that PAYD programs can discourage extraneous driving and thereby save drivers money (but reduce consumer welfare by less than consumer cost savings) and reduce crash risks, insurers’ costs, and externalities. Studies consider aggregate, national, and statewide effects of PAYD policies, with some focus on equity effects, but much heterogeneity is ignored. This study bolsters existing work by predicting PAYD effects with the use of National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data. These data are used to model driver response to driving cost changes and an insurance pricing model (per vehicle) according to actual loss data and risk factors by vehicle type. This study anticipates PAYD impact variations across a sample of NHTS households and vehicle types and finds that on average households save enough on reduced insurance and travel costs to cover lost welfare from VMT reductions. Results suggest that the average (light-duty) vehicle will be driven 2.7% less (237 fewer annual miles per year), with average consumer benefits of only $2.00 per vehicle with a premium that is partially fixed and partially mileage based. Drivers with the lowest annual VMT needs are expected to receive the largest welfare benefits, thanks to a convex relationship between VMT and crash losses. This analysis provides support to existing literature that PAYD policies can reduce VMT and insurance pricing equity without harming driver welfare.
Local Government Funding and Financing of Roads in Virginia
Authors: Ohlms Peter B.
Published: January 2015

Several Virginia localities have used local funding and financing sources to complete major street improvement projects when state or federal funding was not available. Many other localities have combined local funding sources with state or federal funds or both to accelerate a project of importance to the locality. In addition to lessons learned, this research documented through case studies what local governments have been able to accomplish under Virginia statutes that enabled various types of funding and financing tools in addition to the lessons learned. As cities, counties, and towns in Virginia increasingly fund and administer their own roadway projects because of scarce state funds, the experience of Virginia localities becomes more and more transferrable to localities in other states.
New Tool to Understand Value-for-Money Analysis Concepts in Evaluating Public–Private Partnership Options
Authors: DeCorla-Souza Patrick
Published: January 2015

This paper presents a new public–private partnership (PPP) financial evaluation tool, PPP-VALUE (Public–Private Partnership Value-for-Money Analysis to Learn and Understand Evaluation). The tool is intended to help states learn how to assess quantitatively whether a PPP is appropriate for specific projects and to understand the relative impacts of the key drivers of value for money. The tool is focused on decisions about infrastructure delivery options to achieve the best value for the public. PPP-VALUE helps states learn how to assess the procuring agency's costs for providing a project through the PPP procurement model and to compare that result with conventional procurement costs. The tool guides state officials in their efforts to understand better the impacts of project risk, revenue, and financing on public agency costs and helps them better understand the key financial variables in making a procurement decision. This paper demonstrates the use of PPP-VALUE with a simplified hypothetical project to help readers understand the basic concepts of value-for-money analysis and to appreciate the complexity of more detailed financial modeling needed to conduct a full-fledged analysis.
Emerging Public–Private Partnerships in China's Rail Mass Transit
Authors: Luan Xiaofan , Lin Xiongbin , McGuinness Eugene , Yang Jiawen
Published: January 2015

Chinese cities have embarked on a task to construct rail mass transit systems on an unprecedented scale. Little has been reported on how China's municipalities have managed to secure funding for capital investment and operational subsidy, particularly concerning how private or overseas investors have become involved. Using Shenzhen as a case study, this paper reveals three elements that make public–private partnership work for China's urban mass transit: (a) a deep knowledge of China's formal and informal institutions, (b) a realignment of the goals and constraints for transit operation, and (c) a redesign of the mechanism for revenue stabilization.
Public–Private Infrastructure Cooperative
Authors: Kim Julie
Published: January 2015

A state-level public–private infrastructure cooperative (iCoop) is proposed as an effective means of financing public–private partnership (PPP) transportation projects. iCoop is an independent state-level infrastructure bank dedicated to financing PPP projects and is operated like a banking cooperative with guaranteed minimum returns to its investors. Its ownership is founded on a public–private partnership, and its initial capitalization draws on the state's noncapital contribution in the form of PPP participation guarantees, private capital contributions from local and global investors, and its own bank deposits. iCoop's business model eliminates the state's need for PPP “subsidies” resulting from toll revenue shortfalls and converts them into additional debt capacity with returns for reinvestment. iCoop helps to lower the overall PPP financing costs and reduce perceived risks associated with greenfield construction financing. iCoop is also designed explicitly to mitigate key political risks underlying PPP projects. Through iCoop, the state can effectively increase its infrastructure debt capacity without jeopardizing its current debt limit and do so with no direct capital contributions. For global investors, iCoop provides a new vehicle to access a portfolio of infrastructure assets, thereby offering them the opportunity to further diversify their risks. iCoop gives a face to the much-talked-about infrastructure bank idea with a sound business rationale and a clear implementation strategy.
Pavement Raveling Detection and Measurement from Synchronized Intensity and Range Images
Authors: Mathavan S. , Rahman M. M. , Stonecliffe-Jones M. , Kamal K.
Published: January 2015

Raveling on asphalt surfaces is a loss of fine and coarse aggregates from the asphalt matrix. The severity of raveling can be an indicator of the state of pavements, as excessive raveling not only reduces the ride quality but eventually leads to pothole formation or cracking. Hence, raveling must be detected and quantified. In this study and for the first time, raveling was quantified from a combination of two- and three-dimensional images. First, a texture descriptor method called Laws’ texture energy measure was used in conjunction with Gabor filters and other morphological operations to distinguish road areas. Then, digital signal processing techniques were used to detect and to quantify raveling. Hundreds of images captured by an automated pavement surveying system were used to test and to show the promise of the proposed algorithm.
Alternative Approach for Interpreting Traffic Speed Deflectometer Results
Authors: Zofka Adam , Sudyka Jacek , Maliszewski Maciej , Harasim Przemyslaw , Sybilski Dariusz
Published: January 2015

This paper presents an alternative approach for interpreting data collected with the traffic speed deflectometer (TSD). Although the idea of measuring pavement deflections at traffic speeds in a continuous manner is not new, worldwide interest is recent, in part because of the availability of a commercial TSD device. As with any new device, there is a need for robust, scientifically sound, yet practical interpretation procedures. This paper describes the details of such a procedure recently developed at the Road and Bridge Research Institute in Poland. In addition to a detailed description of the proposed algorithm and its unique features, this study demonstrates an example application that uses data collected by the TSD operated by the Road and Bridge Research Institute. The proposed approach can be successfully applied to the TSD data and allows for deep customization for a user's and customer's needs and applications.
Comparative Testing of Lasers for Ride Quality Measurement on Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavements
Authors: Fernando Emmanuel G. , Walker Roger S. , Mikhail Magdy
Published: January 2015

The Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) is implementing a smoothness specification based on inertial profile measurements. For quality assurance testing, this smoothness specification includes pay adjustment schedules that are tied to the average international roughness index. The acceptance criteria used in this specification are based on surface profile measurements collected with the traditional single-point lasers, which the department has been using to monitor pavement smoothness on the state highway network. Since the Texas DOT implemented its smoothness specification, developments in sensor technology have included multipoint and wide-footprint lasers for noncontact height measurements. There is a need to verify ride quality measurements from these newer lasers to assess their impact on quality assurance tests conducted under the Texas DOT's existing ride specification. This paper presents a comparison of ride quality measurements from tests conducted with various lasers on hot-mix asphalt concrete pavements. Of particular importance to this comparison is the verification of ride quality measurements determined from the lasers tested with corresponding reference profile measurements.