Abstract: The impact of noise upon live quality has become an
important aspect to make both urban and environmental policythroughout
Europe and in Turkey. Concern over the quality of urban
environments, including noise levels and declining quality of green
space, is over the past decade with increasing emphasis on designing
livable and sustainable communities. According to the World Health
Organization, noise pollution is the third most hazardous
environmental type of pollution which proceeded by only air (gas
emission) and water pollution. The research carried out in two
phases, the first stage of the research noise and plant types providing
the suction of noise was evaluated through literature study and at the
second stage, definite types (Juniperus horizontalis L., Spirea
vanhouetti Briot., Cotoneaster dammerii C.K., Berberis thunbergii
D.C., Pyracantha coccinea M. etc.) were selected for the city of
Konya. Trials were conducted on the highway of Konya. The biggest
value of noise reduction was 6.3 dB(A), 4.9 dB(A), 6.2 dB(A) value
with compared to the control which includes the group that formed
by the bushes at the distance of 7m, 11m, 20m from the source and
5m, 9m, 20m of plant width, respectively. In this paper, definitions
regarding to noise and its sources were made and the precautions
were taken against to noise that mentioned earlier with the adverse
effects of noise. Plantation design approaches and suggestions
concerning to the diversity to be used, which are peculiar to roadside,
were developed to discuss the role and the function of plant material
to reduce the noise of the traffic.
Abstract: Road signs are the elements of roads with a lot of
influence in driver-s behavior. So that signals can fulfill its function,
they must overcome visibility and durability requirements,
particularly needed at night, when the coefficient of retroreflection
becomes a decisive factor in ensuring road safety. Accepting that the
visibility of the signage has implications for people-s safety, we
understand the importance to fulfill its function: to foster the highest
standards of service and safety in drivers. The usual conditions of
perception of any sign are determined by: age of the driver, reflective
material, luminosity, vehicle speed and emplacement. In this way,
this paper evaluates the different signals to increase the safety road.
Abstract: In today-s hip hop world where everyone is running
short of time and works hap hazardly,the similar scene is common on
the roads while in traffic.To do away with the fatal consequences of
such speedy traffics on rushy lanes, a software to analyse and keep
account of the traffic and subsequent conjestion is being used in the
developed countries. This software has being implemented and used
with the help of a suppprt tool called Critical Analysis Reporting
Environment.There has been two existing versions of this tool.The
current research paper involves examining the issues and probles
while using these two practically. Further a hybrid architecture is
proposed for the same that retains the quality and performance of
both and is better in terms of coupling of components , maintainence
and many other features.
Abstract: This paper presents an effective method for detecting vehicles in front of the camera-assisted car during nighttime driving. The proposed method detects vehicles based on detecting vehicle headlights and taillights using techniques of image segmentation and clustering. First, to effectively extract spotlight of interest, a segmentation process based on automatic multi-level threshold method is applied on the road-scene images. Second, to spatial clustering vehicle of detecting lamps, a grouping process based on light tracking and locating vehicle lighting patterns. For simulation, we are implemented through Da-vinci 7437 DSP board with near infrared mono-camera and tested it in the urban and rural roads. Through the test, classification performances are above 97% of true positive rate evaluated on real-time environment. Our method also has good performance in the case of clear, fog and rain weather.
Abstract: Road crashes not only claim lives and inflict injuries but also create economic burden to the society due to loss of productivity. The problem of deaths and injuries as a result of road traffic crashes is now acknowledged to be a global phenomenon with authorities in virtually all countries of the world concerned about the growth in the number of people killed and seriously injured on their roads. However, the road crash scenario of a developing country like Bangladesh is much worse comparing with this of developed countries. For developing proper countermeasures it is necessary to identify the factors affecting crash occurrences. The objectives of the study is to examine the effect of district wise road infrastructure, socioeconomic and demographic features on crash occurrence .The unit of analysis will be taken as individual district which has not been explored much in the past. Reported crash data obtained from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) from the year 2004 to 2010 are utilized to develop negative binomial model. The model result will reveal the effect of road length (both paved and unpaved), road infrastructure and several socio economic characteristics on district level crash frequency in Bangladesh.
Abstract: Road transportation system is the most important
method of transporting the goods. Considering the most suitable
geographical situation of Iran to transport the goods between Europe
and Asia and placement of this country in direction of international
corridors (east- west) , (north-south) and Asian land transport to
infrastructure development “A.L.T.I.D" and Transport corridor
Europe - Caucasus - Asia “T.R.A.C.E.C.A", noticing the security of
road transportation system in this country is so important. In this
paper the main factors of accidents on the roads of Iran are
categorized regarding the rate of accidents occurred. Then apart from
studying the main reasons of accidents of every category, the main
factors of these events are studied and its strategies in Iran are
introduced.
Abstract: This paper tries to study the effect of geosynthetic inclusion on the improvement of the load-settlement characters of two layered soil. In addition, the effect of geogrid and geotextile in reduction of the required thickness of subbase layer in unpaved roads is studied. Considering the vast application of bearing ratio tests in road construction projects, this test is used in present investigation. Bearing ratio tests were performed on two layered soil including a granular soil layer at the top (as the subbase layer) and a weak clayey soil placed at the bottom (as the subgrade layer). These tests were performed for different conditions including unreinforced and reinforced by geogrid and geotextile and three thicknesses for top layer soil (subbase layer). In the reinforced condition the reinforcing element was placed on the interface of the top granular layer and the beneath clayey layer to study the separation effect of geosynthetics. In all tests the soils (both granular and clayey soil layers) were compacted according to optimum water content. At the end, the diagrams were plotted and were compared with each other. Furthermore, a comparison between geogrids and geotextiles behaviors on two layer soil is done in this paper. The results show an increase in compression strength of reinforced specimen in comparison with unreinforced soil sample. The effect of geosynthetic inclusion reduces by increasing the subbase thickness. In addition it was found that geogrids have more desirable behavior rather than geotextiles due to interlocking with the subbase layer aggregates.
Abstract: Studies on the distribution of traffic demands have
been proceeding by providing traffic information for reducing
greenhouse gases and reinforcing the road's competitiveness in the
transport section, however, since it is preferentially required the
extensive studies on the driver's behavior changing routes and its
influence factors, this study has been developed a discriminant model
for changing routes considering driving conditions including traffic
conditions of roads and driver's preferences for information media. It
is divided into three groups depending on driving conditions in group
classification with the CART analysis, which is statistically
meaningful. And the extent that driving conditions and preferred
media affect a route change is examined through a discriminant
analysis, and it is developed a discriminant model equation to predict a
route change. As a result of building the discriminant model equation,
it is shown that driving conditions affect a route change much more,
the entire discriminant hit ratio is derived as 64.2%, and this
discriminant equation shows high discriminant ability more than a
certain degree.
Abstract: A combination of image fusion and quad tree decomposition method is used for detecting the sunspot trajectories in each month and computation of the latitudes of these trajectories in each solar hemisphere. Daily solar images taken with SOHO satellite are fused for each month and the result of fused image is decomposed with Quad Tree decomposition method in order to classifying the sunspot trajectories and then to achieve the precise information about latitudes of sunspot trajectories. Also with fusion we deduce some physical remarkable conclusions about sun magnetic fields behavior. Using quad tree decomposition we give information about the region on sun surface and the space angle that tremendous flares and hot plasma gases permeate interplanetary space and attack to satellites and human technical systems. Here sunspot images in June, July and August 2001 are used for studying and give a method to compute the latitude of sunspot trajectories in each month with sunspot images.
Abstract: One of the most importance of intelligence in-car and
roadside systems is the cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system. In
Thailand, ITS technologies are rapidly growing and real-time vehicle
information is considerably needed for ITS applications; for example,
vehicle fleet tracking and control and road traffic monitoring
systems. This paper defines the communication protocols and
software design for middleware components of B-VIS (Burapha
Vehicle-Infrastructure System). The proposed B-VIS middleware architecture serves the needs of a distributed RFID sensor network and simplifies some intricate details of several communication standards.
Abstract: ERP systems are the largest software applications adopted by universities, along with quite significant investments in their implementation. However, unlike other applications little research has been conducted regarding these systems in a university environment. This paper aims at providing a critical review of previous research in ERP system in higher education with a special focus on higher education in Australia. The research not only forms the basis of an evaluation of previous research and research needs, it also makes inroads in identifying the payoff of ERPs in the sector from different perspectives with particular reference to the user. The paper is divided into two parts, the first part focuses on ERP literature in higher education at large, while the second focuses on ERP literature in higher education in Australia.
Abstract: The Bangalore City is facing the acute problem of
pollution in the atmosphere due to the heavy increase in the traffic
and developmental activities in recent years. The present study is an
attempt in the direction to assess trend of the ambient air quality
status of three stations, viz., AMCO Batteries Factory, Mysore Road,
GRAPHITE INDIA FACTORY, KHB Industrial Area, Whitefield
and Ananda Rao Circle, Gandhinagar with respect to some of the
major criteria pollutants such as Total Suspended particular matter
(SPM), Oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and Oxides of sulphur (SO2). The
sites are representative of various kinds of growths viz., commercial,
residential and industrial, prevailing in Bangalore, which are
contributing to air pollution. The concentration of Sulphur Dioxide
(SO2) at all locations showed a falling trend due to use of refined
petrol and diesel in the recent years. The concentration of Oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) showed an increasing trend but was within the
permissible limits. The concentration of the Suspended particular
matter (SPM) showed the mixed trend. The correlation between
model and observed values is found to vary from 0.4 to 0.7 for SO2,
0.45 to 0.65 for NOx and 0.4 to 0.6 for SPM. About 80% of data is
observed to fall within the error band of ±50%. Forecast test for the
best fit models showed the same trend as actual values in most of the
cases. However, the deviation observed in few cases could be
attributed to change in quality of petro products, increase in the
volume of traffic, introduction of LPG as fuel in many types of
automobiles, poor condition of roads, prevailing meteorological
conditions, etc.
Abstract: Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) is one of the most
commonest constructed asphalts in Iran and the quality control of
constructed roads with HMA have been always paid due attention by
researchers. The quality control of constructed roads with this
method is being usually carried out by measuring volumetric
parameters of HMA marshall samples. One of the important
parameters that has a critical role in changing these volumetric
parameters is “compaction temperature"; which as a result of its
changing, volumetric parameters of Marshall Samples and
subsequently constructed asphalt is encountered with variations. In
this study, considering the necessity of preservation of the
compaction temperature, the effect of various temperatures on Hot
Mix Asphalt (HMA) samples properties has been evaluated. As well,
to evaluate the effect of this parameter on different grading, two
different grading (Top coat index grading and binder index grading)
have been used and samples were compacted at 5 various
temperatures.
Abstract: The current study describes a multi-objective optimization technique for positioning of houses in a residential neighborhood. The main task is the placement of residential houses in a favorable configuration satisfying a number of objectives. Solving the house layout problem is a challenging task. It requires an iterative approach to satisfy design requirements (e.g. energy efficiency, skyview, daylight, roads network, visual privacy, and clear access to favorite views). These design requirements vary from one project to another based on location and client preferences. In the Gulf region, the most important socio-cultural factor is the visual privacy in indoor space. Hence, most of the residential houses in this region are surrounded by high fences to provide privacy, which has a direct impact on other requirements (e.g. daylight and direction to favorite views). This investigation introduces a novel technique to optimally locate and orient residential buildings to satisfy a set of design requirements. The developed technique explores the search space for possible solutions. This study considers two dimensional house planning problems. However, it can be extended to solve three dimensional cases.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to revisit the concept of
rape as represented by professionals in the literature as well as its
perception (beliefs and attitudes) in the population at large and to
propose methodological improvements to its measurement tool. Rape
is a serious crime threatening its victim-s physical and mental health
and integrity; and as such is legally prosecuted in all modern
societies. The problem is not in accepting or rejecting rape as a
criminal act, but rather in the vagueness of its interpretations and
“justifications" maintained in the mentality of modern societies -
known in the literature as the phenomenon of "rape-myth". The rapemyth
can be studied from different perspectives: criminology,
sociology, ethics, medicine and psychology. Its investigation requires
rigorous scientific objectivity, free of passion (victims of rape are at
risk of emotional bias), free of activism (social activists, even if wellintentioned
are also biased), free of any pre-emptive assumptions or
prejudices. To apply a rigorous scientific procedure, we need a solid,
valid and reliable measurement. Rape is a form of heterosexual or
homosexual aggression, violently forcing the victim to give-in in the
sexual activity of the aggressor against her/his will. Human beings
always try to “understand" or find a reason justifying their acts.
Psychological literature provides multiple clinical and experimental
examples of it; just to mention the famous studies by Milgram on the
level of electroshock delivered by the “teacher" towards the “learner"
if “scientifically justifiable" or the studies on the behavior of
“prisoners" and the “guards" and many other experiments and field
observations. Sigmund Freud presented the phenomenon of
unconscious justification and called it rationalization. The multiple
justifications, rationalizations and repeated opinions about sexual
behavior contribute to a myth maintained in the society. What kind of
“rationale" our societies apply to “understand" the non-consensual
sexual behavior? There are many, just to mention few:
• Sex is a ludistic activity for both participants, therefore –
even if not consented – it should bring pleasure to both.
• Everybody wants sex, but only men are allowed to manifest
it openly while women have to pretend the opposite, thus men have
to initiate sexual behavior and women would follow.
• A person who strongly needs sex is free to manifest it and
struggle to get it; the person who doesn-t want it must not reveal
her/his sexual attraction and avoid risky situations; otherwise she/he
is perceived as a promiscuous seducer.
• A person who doesn-t fight against the sexual initiator
unconsciously accepts the rape (does it explain why homosexual
rapes are reported less frequently than rapes against women?).
• Women who are raped deserve it because their wardrobe is
very revealing and seducing and they ''willingly'' go to highly risky
places (alleys, dark roads, etc.).
• Men need to ventilate their sexual energy and if they are
deprived of a partner their urge to have sex is difficult to control.
• Men are supposed to initiate and insist even by force to have
sex (their testosterone makes them both sexual and aggressive).
The paper overviews numerous cultural beliefs about masculine
versus feminine behavior and their impact on the “rape myth".
Abstract: The uses of road map in daily activities are numerous
but it is a hassle to construct and update a road map whenever there
are changes. In Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, research on Automatic
Road Extraction (ARE) was explored to solve the difficulties in
updating road map. The research started with using Satellite Image
(SI), or in short, the ARE-SI project. A Hybrid Simple Colour Space
Segmentation & Edge Detection (Hybrid SCSS-EDGE) algorithm
was developed to extract roads automatically from satellite-taken
images. In order to extract the road network accurately, the satellite
image must be analyzed prior to the extraction process. The
characteristics of these elements are analyzed and consequently the
relationships among them are determined. In this study, the road
regions are extracted based on colour space elements and edge details
of roads. Besides, edge detection method is applied to further filter
out the non-road regions. The extracted road regions are validated by
using a segmentation method. These results are valuable for building
road map and detecting the changes of the existing road database.
The proposed Hybrid Simple Colour Space Segmentation and Edge
Detection (Hybrid SCSS-EDGE) algorithm can perform the tasks
fully automatic, where the user only needs to input a high-resolution
satellite image and wait for the result. Moreover, this system can
work on complex road network and generate the extraction result in
seconds.
Abstract: The dynamic or complex modulus test is considered
to be a mechanistically based laboratory test to reliably characterize
the strength and load-resistance of Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixes
used in the construction of roads. The most common observation is
that the data collected from these tests are often noisy and somewhat
non-sinusoidal. This hampers accurate analysis of the data to obtain
engineering insight. The goal of the work presented in this paper is to
develop and compare automated evolutionary computational
techniques to filter test noise in the collection of data for the HMA
complex modulus test. The results showed that the Covariance
Matrix Adaptation-Evolutionary Strategy (CMA-ES) approach is
computationally efficient for filtering data obtained from the HMA
complex modulus test.
Abstract: Natural disasters, including earthquake, kill many people around the world every year. Society rescue actions, which start after the earthquake and are called LAST in abbreviation, include locating, access, stabilization and transportation. In the present article, we have studied the process of local accessibility to the injured and transporting them to health care centers. With regard the heavy traffic load due to earthquake, the destruction of connecting roads and bridges and the heavy debris in alleys and street, which put the lives of the injured and the people buried under the debris in danger, accelerating the rescue actions and facilitating the accessibilities are of great importance, obviously. Tehran, the capital of Iran, is among the crowded cities in the world and is the center of extensive economic, political, cultural and social activities. Tehran has a population of about 9.5 millions and because of the immigration of people from the surrounding cities. Furthermore, considering the fact that Tehran is located on two important and large faults, a 6 Richter magnitude earthquake in this city could lead to the greatest catastrophe during the entire human history. The present study is a kind of review and a major part of the required information for it, has been obtained from libraries all of the rescue vehicles around the world, including rescue helicopters, ambulances, fire fighting vehicles and rescue boats, and their applied technology, and also the robots specifically designed for the rescue system and the advantages and disadvantages of them, have been investigated. The studies show that there is a significant relationship between the rescue team-s arrival time at the incident zone and the number of saved people; so that, if the duration of burial under debris 30 minutes, the probability of survival is %99.3, after a day is %81, after 2days is %19 and after 5days is %7.4. The exiting transport systems all have some defects. If these defects are removed, more people could be saved each hour and the preparedness against natural disasters is increased. In this study, transport system has been designed for the rescue team and the injured; which could carry the rescue team to the incident zone and the injured to the health care centers. In addition, this system is able to fly in the air and move on the earth as well; so that the destruction of roads and the heavy traffic load could not prevent the rescue team from arriving early at the incident zone. The system also has the equipment required firebird for debris removing, optimum transport of the injured and first aid.
Abstract: Aerial and satellite images are information rich. They are also complex to analyze. For GIS systems, many features require fast and reliable extraction of roads and intersections. In this paper, we study efficient and reliable automatic extraction algorithms to address some difficult issues that are commonly seen in high resolution aerial and satellite images, nonetheless not well addressed in existing solutions, such as blurring, broken or missing road boundaries, lack of road profiles, heavy shadows, and interfering surrounding objects. The new scheme is based on a new method, namely reference circle, to properly identify the pixels that belong to the same road and use this information to recover the whole road network. This feature is invariable to the shape and direction of roads and tolerates heavy noise and disturbances. Road extraction based on reference circles is much more noise tolerant and flexible than the previous edge-detection based algorithms. The scheme is able to extract roads reliably from images with complex contents and heavy obstructions, such as the high resolution aerial/satellite images available from Google maps.
Abstract: Urbanization and related anthropogenic modifications
cause extent of habitat fragmentation and directly lead to decline of
local biodiversity. Conservation biologists advocate corridor creation
as one approach to rescue biodiversity. Here we examine the utility of
roads as corridors in preserving plant diversity by investigating
roadside vegetation in Yellow River Delta (YRD), China. We
examined the spatio-temporal distribution pattern of plant species
richness, diversity and composition along roadside. The results
suggest that roads, as dispersal conduits, increase occurrence
probability of new settlers to a new area, meanwhile, roads accumulate
the greater propagule pressure and favourable survival condition
during operation phase. As a result, more species, including native and
alien plants, non- halophyte and halophyte species, threatened and
cosmopolitic species, were found prosperous at roadside. Roadside
may be a refuge for more species, and the pattern of vegetation
distribution is affected by road age and the distance from road verge.