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The article presents the methodology used by the Colombia Consortium to negotiate the first transformative agreements (TAs) in Latin America. These TAs are a strategy to manage costs associated with Article Processing Charges (APCs), facilitate the transition to Open Access (OA) and increase the visibility of Colombian publications. The road map for the design of TAs in Colombia is based on a methodology that considers both qualitative and quantitative aspects, with a key element being the analyses the scientific publication trends in Colombian institutions. This methodological route allowed the Colombia Consortium to sign with three commercial publishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly increasing demand for heavy vehicles in the transportation sector has led to more severe road damage and significantly higher road maintenance costs. Investigation of active suspension system incorporating vehicle–road interaction (VRI) can provide effective means to reduce the road damage and improve the ride comfort of vehicles. In this paper, an active vehicle suspension controller based on the strongly stable and robust linear–quadratic regulator (LQR) principle is developed for the time-varying VRI system. The coupled system is modeled by a quarter-car traveling on the road modeled by an Euler–Bernoulli beam resting on a viscoelastic foundation. Two types of road irregularities, deterministic sine wave and random, are considered in the numerical studies. A time-frozen technique, by which the linear time-varying system is converted to a time sequence of time-invariant systems, is applied to solve for the coupled responses. Three variables, the dynamic tire load, vehicle body acceleration, and suspension relative displacement, are used to assess the effectiveness of the LQR-based controller in comparison to the passive suspension system. The performance of the active control is investigated for different vehicle speeds, vehicle loads, and road profiles. Numerical studies show that the controller can effectively reduce the road damage and improve the ride comfort, with a slight increase in the suspension relative displacement. This work lays a useful foundation in the problem formulation and system parameter influences for future vehicle suspension design and road damage mitigation including VRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) is an emerging magnesium-based cementitious material gaining attention increasingly in construction and road maintenance because of its advantages. However, MOS cement made from lightly-calcined magnesia (LCM) with low activities (around 60 %) has too low setting rates. Increasing the MgO activity can accelerate the setting but often results in a material that sets too rapidly and is too weak to be useful in practical engineering operations. To address this challenge, we developed a novel method to produce MOS cement with the appropriate setting and mechanical strength required by practical engineering operations. The method involves ball-milling raw materials of LCM with an activity exceeding 80 % and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO 4 ⋅7H 2 O) to effectively promote particle aggregation and bonding, thereby contributing to an enhanced ability to properly control the hydration reaction process in subsequent cement preparation. Based on this new method, we utilized both low- and high-activity raw LCM materials to prepare MOS cement samples and analyzed their characteristics, including setting time, mechanical strength, water resistance, chemical composition, and microstructure. The results indicate that with highly active MgO raw material, the new method can prepare the MOS cement samples that not only have a practical engineering-needed setting time of around 1 h but also increase the compressive strength fourfold. This study offers a promising technique for producing a cementitious material suitable for prompt emergency repairs of transportation roads and infrastructures. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-nuclear density gauges, also known as Pavement Quality Indicators (PQIs), offer several advantages over widely used destructive test methods and nuclear density gauges (NDGs) for asphalt density measurement. Replacing NDGs with PQIs would simplify regulatory requirements and reduce the cost and complexity of in-situ asphalt density measurement. This is due to the absence of nuclear materials and the ability of PQIs to provide measurements rapidly. However, PQIs have not gained widespread use in Australia due to concerns regarding accuracy. This work assesses the suitability of PQIs for both acceptance and quality control testing by analysing a dataset collected over an extended period and across a wide range of construction sites in Australia. Accuracy was evaluated based on the strength of the relationship between gauge measurements and core density results. Although some evidence supporting the use of PQIs for quality control purposes has been found, their use for acceptance testing remains unwarranted. Recommendations for establishing standard testing methods are provided to encourage wider adoption of PQIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In recent years, political science has produced a wealth of literature exploring the causes and characteristics of violence between ethnic groups and ethnic conflicts. However, there has been a notable lack of attention given to the emergence of violent intra‐ethnic conflicts, particularly in the diverse continent of Africa. This study explores the nature, causes, consequences, actors, and politics of the Kusume intra‐ethnic conflict. The study employed the instrumentalist theory of ethnicity to underpin its argument. It incorporated both primary and secondary data sources to conduct the research. Data collection involved document analysis, in‐depth interviews, observations, and focus group discussions. A total of 25 interviews were conducted, with 15 interviewees chosen from local elders, Kebele leaders, youths, and civil servants. The remaining 10 interviewees were chosen from five Woreda Offices of D'irashe. Sixteen participants were selected for focus group discussions. Qualitative data analysis was used to analyze the data and draw scientific findings and recommendations. The study revealed that various factors influenced the conflict in the area. These included issues such as inadequate infrastructure development (e.g., clean water, electricity, and road construction), the prevalence of injustices, lack of good governance, and unequal job opportunities. Furthermore, the conflict was aggravated by the dissolution of the Segen Zone, delayed responses from local and regional governments, ethnic elite competition, and the complex nature of the conflict itself. The consequences of the conflict encompassed material destruction, loss of life, displacement, and disruption of socio‐economic and political interactions in the area. The study suggests that federal and regional governments should intervene appropriately to address these issues and prevent similar conflicts in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Norwegian Environment Agency is responsible for updating a map of undisturbed nature, which is performed every five years based on aerial photos. Some of the aerial photos are already up to five years old when a new version of the map of undisturbed nature is published. Thus, several new nature interventions may have been missed. To address this issue, the timeliness and mapping accuracy were improved by integrating Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for the detection of new roads across Norway. The focus on new roads was due to the fact that most new nature interventions include the construction of new roads. The proposed methodology is based on applying U-Net on all the available summer images with less than 10% cloud cover over a five-year period, with an aggregation step to summarize the predictions. The observed detection rate was 98%. Post-processing steps reduced the false positive rate to 46%. However, as the false positive rate was still substantial, the manual verification of the predicted new roads was needed. The false negative rate was low, except in areas without vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete is the most extensively used construction material in the world due to its widespread availability and ease of placement. However, the hydration process after concrete placement generates a significant amount of heat. For beams, columns, and slabs that have a large surface area-to-volume ratio, this heat dissipates easily through the surface. However, for dams, raft foundations, and bridge abutments, heat dissipation is slow due to the small surface area-to-volume ratio. Such units are identified as 'Mass concrete' and require special consideration for managing this heat generation and thermal behaviour to avoid thermal cracking. This article presents a case study where cracking was observed during the construction of a highway bridge abutment in Oman. The study discusses forensic measurements and uses numerical modelling to investigate and identify the cause of cracking. The numerical model used showed good agreement with the field measurements and revealed that the cracking occurred due to a thermal shock caused by the early exposure of the mass concrete surface to low ambient temperature. The study also proposes measures to control and minimise thermal cracking in arid regions like Oman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New roads bring new opportunities including access to employment. However, new employment opportunities might encourage early school dropout and school absenteeism. We investigate the link between rural roads, children's labor allocation, and educational outcomes by focusing on the recent Ethiopian road construction program. In the analysis, we combine household panel data with novel road network data. To address endogeneity concerns, we combine a difference-in-difference estimation model with a matching technique. Our findings consistently show that road access does not encourage school absenteeism or school dropouts to join the labor force. The findings remain consistent across gender and age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A massive landslide occurred in Domeshi area, District Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, in two distinct phases: an initial movement on August 1, followed by complete failure on August 4, 2023. The landslide movement persisted for 96 h, with a runout distance of 500 m. The event destroyed numerous residential structures, impacting multiple families, and causing extensive damage to cultivated land and road infrastructure. To comprehensively understand the failure mechanisms, a detailed study was undertaken, encompassing site investigations, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography, geotechnical and geophysical investigations, petrographic analysis, kinematics, and numerical simulations. The field evidence indicates that the active deformation along the Jhelum Fault (JF) within the landslide's main body weakened the surrounding rock formations. Intense rainfall saturated pre-existing fractures, creating critical zones of weakness. Highly plastic clays along fault plane contributed significantly to volume changes, especially during and after rainfall events. Kinematic analysis identified bedding joints as prevalent failure planes for planar sliding. Geophysical survey revealed a layer of unconsolidated material extending 25–30 m below the landslide's scarp, accompanied by various fractures, including a deep fracture (i.e., JF) up to 300 m depth. Petrographic investigations showed microfractures, micro faults, and intragranular mineral breakage, indicative of intense tectonic stresses. Slope stability analysis indicated factors of safety (FoS) and strength reduction factor (SRF) less than 1, suggesting the potential for further failure in the lower sections of the landslide. Multiple factors, including slope geometry, active tectonics, material composition, and anthropogenic factors (i.e., slope loading and cutting for road and building construction, improper drainage distribution), contributed to the landslide's occurrence, however, the rainfall emerged as the primary triggering event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding older adults' driving behavior based on their personal assessment, along with challenges they encounter when driving will support community leaders and policymakers to develop effective supportive strategies for their safety on the road. This study uses a mixed methodology approach, including a survey and an interview to examine older drivers' perceptions and concerns regarding their driving habits. Collecting data from cities in Texas and Nevada, to achieve diverse perspectives on older adults who live in environments with different land use patterns and road geometry. Using the survey to understand the older adults' self-evaluated driving skills, where most consider themselves very good drivers even though they have some challenges, based on the roads, their reflexes changing over the years, and the impact of their physical and cognitive health. Supplementing the survey results with the interview allows the study to identify older drivers' major challenges including adverse weather, construction sites, and in-vehicle distractions. Supporting that visual and cognitive challenges are limiting older adults' driving patterns (e.g., not driving at night). To avoid any conflicts with aggressive drivers, the older adults are passively driving, and if accessible, utilizing in-vehicle technologies to increase their safety. However, older drivers suggested that all drivers, particularly younger drivers, should have access to more educational materials. They recommended that older adults' licensing requirements should be evaluated based on their health condition rather than age. Participants' concern regarding roadway infrastructure elements and driver behavior can be resolved through improvements in road design and driver education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of excavation waste soil will be produced during highway construction, which will lead to environmental pollution and construction site occupation. To make full use of the excavation waste soil, hydraulic pile-forming equipment with a maximum pressure of 200 t is developed based on the principle of building clean transportation infrastructure. In addition, a precast pile with modified waste soil (PPMS) is proposed to achieve the large-scale consumption of the excavation waste soil. The PPMS has the advantages of regular shape, reliable quality, and stable bearing capacity. The relevant production standards and construction processes are proposed in this paper. The static pressure test analysis of the PPMS and lime–soil compaction pile was performed to verify the feasibility of the PPMS in reinforcing soft foundations. The test results show that the bearing capacity of a single PPMS could reach 600 kN. Under the upper load of 400 kPa, the settlement of the PPMS-reinforced soft foundation is 30% smaller than that of the lime–soil compaction pile. The PPMS has the advantages of high bearing capacity and economic and environmental protection, which is suitable for reinforcing soft foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we introduce a resiliencefocused framework designed to enhance the operational robustness of urban road networks that interact with potentially hazardous industrial enterprises. Employing network theory, we introduce a unique metric grounded in system reliability and network connectivity to gauge the resilience-driven performance of a road transportation network. Referred to as NIP in our paper, the development of this resilience-oriented metric systematically incorporates factors such as network topology, redundancy levels, structural reliability, and the distribution of hazard sources. This approach enables a standardized assessment of risk mitigation alternatives, aimed at fortifying the resilience of urban road networks. Additionally, we propose a decision-making methodology to identify optimal solutions from various alternatives, including new construction possibilities, offering opportunities to bolster network resilience by modifying its existing topology. We present a bi-objective model aiming to maximize the resilience metric value while minimizing capital investment, employing the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) for solution optimization. Finally, we validate the proposed method using the hazard source area of Lanzhou city as a representative example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitumen, which is crucial to road and asphalt construction, significantly impacts the long-term viability and performance of transportation infrastructure. Understanding bitumen's intricate molecular composition and behavior is crucial to improving its properties and developing practical materials and methods. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) have recently become popular as a powerful method of molecular-level study of bitumen. The article's study describes MD simulations' applications and advanced features regarding three types of bitumen: AAA-1, AAK-1, and AAM-1. It discusses the interactions between molecules, the behavior of phases, the mechanical properties of bitumen, and the effects of temperature. The review's conclusion states that the potential of MDS to facilitate further advances in the study of bitumen is evident; this will lead to an enhanced understanding of the material and improved bitumen products and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly road construction materials increases, corn stalk fiber modified with NaOH is a promising candidate due to its renewable and eco-friendly nature. This study employs an orthogonal experimental design to optimize the investigation of multiple factors (corn stalk fiber length, content, and modifier concentration) in the experiments, ensuring that the effects of different factors on the high and low temperature performance of asphalt binder can be independently estimated. Dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests were conducted. The bonding between fiber and asphalt was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy, and the action mechanism of fiber in asphalt was revealed from a microscopic perspective by scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Evidently, the concentration of modifier is the main factor affecting the rheological properties of fiber asphalt mortar. Considering the influence of various factors on the rheological properties of modified corn stalk fiber asphalt mortar, the optimal modifier concentration is 7%, the fiber length is 6mm, and the content is 1.5%. After adding modified corn stalk fiber, the asphalt mortar did not produce new characteristic peaks, and the fiber and asphalt were mainly bonded by physical action. The large surface roughness of the modified corn stalk fiber determines its good adsorption capacity, which is conducive to increasing the bonding force of the asphalt. Fibers with a large aspect ratio are easy to bridge with each other, restraining the expansion of cracks and thus enhancing the crack resistance of the mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateritic soil, a prevalent geological material in tropical regions, often exhibits poor engineering properties, leading to road pavement failures. Meanwhile, the alarming rise in plastic waste poses environmental concerns. This innovative study explores the potential of utilizing waste plastics as a lateritic soil addictive for sustainable road construction. Varying percentages by weight of shredded waste plastic (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%) were incorporated into lateritic soil samples, evaluating its effects on soil geotechnical properties. The results revealed that lateritized plastic (shredded plastic waste and lateritic soil) containing 2% shredded plastic waste gave the optimum maximum dry density of 1.985 g/cm3, and the lateritized plastic containing 10% shredded plastic waste gave the highest optimum moisture content of 18%. However, the lower California bearing ratio obtained on the addition of plastic waste showed that the lateritized plastic is relatively weak and can only be used for roads with low traffic. The incorporation of shredded plastic waste into lateritic soil for stabilization is a promising polymer science-based method. By reducing the need for conventional materials and diverting plastic waste from landfills, this approach contributes to a more environmentally friendly infrastructure supporting the achievement of United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of forming a reliable and sustainable structure of crumb-rubber-modified binder is an important scientific and technical task. The quality of this task will increase the technical and economic efficiencies of road construction materials. This work is dedicated to developing a scientifically justified method of directed thermomechanical devulcanization, which ensures the solubility of the crumb rubber in the complex structure of a polydisperse composite material, preventing the formation of aggregates consisting of unsaturated crumb rubber particles, whose elastic aftereffect causes intensive cracking, especially during low-temperature road operations. The novelty in the first part of this article is due to the fact that, for the first time, the quantitative ratio of the polymer component in the crumb rubber was experimentally determined. The ratio of the polymer component to the total content of the other rubber components in the crumb rubber (CR) was determined to be, on average, 93.3 ± 1.8%. The stabilities of the compositions of crumb rubber from different batches were experimentally studied. The nature of the polymer component in the crumb rubber was determined. A hypothesis was formulated to obtain a thermodynamically stable and sustainable binder modified with crumb rubber. To evaluate the compatibility of hydrocarbon plasticizers with the studied CR samples, the following semi-empirical and thermodynamic compatibility parameters were calculated: Hildebrand solubility parameters based on evaporation energy and surface tension, Barstein's compatibility parameter |X|, Traxler coefficient, and the mass ratio of paraffin naphthene:asphaltenes. It was shown that for the substances under study, it is advisable to justify the choice of plasticizer based on chemical compatibility criteria. It was established that a supramolecular plasticization mechanism occurs in the "hydrocarbon plasticizer–crumb rubber" systems under consideration. In the development of the crumb-rubber-modified binder, it was found that the use of activated crumb rubber (ACR) from large tires does not ensure the achievement of a stable and resilient structure of the crumb-rubber-modified bitumen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are extreme weather events that have major impacts on the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems worldwide. Due to anthropogenic climate change, the occurrence of MHWs is predicted to increase in future. There is already evidence linking MHWs with reductions in biodiversity and incidence of mass mortality events in coastal ecosystems. However, because MHWs are unpredictable, the quantification of their effects on communities is challenging.Here, we use the Helgoland Roads long‐term time series (German Bight, North Sea), one of the richest marine time series in the world, and implement a modified before‐after control‐impact (BACI) design to evaluate MHW effect on mesozooplankton communities. Mesozooplankton play an essential role in connecting primary producers to higher trophic levels, and any changes in their community structure could have far‐reaching impacts on the entire ecosystem.The responses of mesozooplankton community to MHWs in terms of community structure and densities occurred mainly in spring and autumn. Abundances of seven taxa, including some of the most abundant groups (e.g. copepods), were affected either positively or negatively in response to MHWs. In contrast, we observed no clear evidence of an impact of summer and winter MHWs; instead, the density of the most common taxa remained unchanged.Our results highlight the seasonally dependent impacts of MHWs on mesozooplankton communities and the challenges in evaluating those impacts. Long‐term monitoring is an important contributor to the quantification of effects of MHWs on natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing new roads and upgrading existing roads are two common approaches to address congestion caused by increasing traffic volumes. But they can also impact local communities if roads are built through neighborhoods or existing roads and intersections are widened and placed closer to nearby homes. In this paper, we estimate how local communities are impacted by these changes using data on housing prices near roads and roadway construction projects. We find that homes near major roads sell for less than homes further away, but that congestion-reducing road improvements only lead to small average increases in nearby home prices. Our results suggest that major roads in close proximity negatively impact housing prices by affecting neighborhood aesthetics, and this relationship is not contingent upon the level of traffic on the roads. Our results can help policymakers consider the external costs borne by local communities when conducting cost–benefit analyses of roadway expansions or improvements. • Homes near roadways face price penalty, regardless of traffic on the roadway. • Roadway construction increases home prices only slightly. • Co-located amenities likely mute effect of traffic on home prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mobile phone use while driving remains a road safety concern for road transport authorities. • The driving context plays a role in the decision to engage in mobile phone use while driving. • Even after the intention to use the mobile phone while driving is formed, the moment where engagement occurs will be determined by the demands of the driving context. Mobile phone use is one of the most frequent causes of distraction among drivers. While there have been a significant number of studies that have examined individuals' intentions to use a mobile phone while driving, the influence of individuals' in-situ judgement of driving conditions has received considerably less attention. The aim of this investigation was to provide a systematic understanding of how factors associated with the driving context and environment influence a driver's decision to engage in mobile phone use while driving. Following a systematic classification scheme, 41 research articles from the years 2011 to 2020 were reviewed and synthesised to identify the contextual determinants of mobile phone distraction. Overall, the findings provided support for the role that contextual features play in influencing individuals' mobile phone use engagement. This finding was particularly the case in instances where mobile phone tasks required relatively high cognitive and physical demands on an individual, such as texting and/or reading mails. The findings also indicated that as contextual complexity increases, mobile phone use decreases as well. A deeper understanding of the relationship between contextual factors and phone use while driving may aid in the design of more efficient driver support systems and the development of distraction-sensitive road design guides. This understanding can also assist in the identification of mobile phone use hotspots and the improvement of law enforcement and educational strategies to prevent the behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control systems (ACC-AVs) are prevalent and the ensuing issue is the feasibility of ACC-AVs' operation on the roads. This study investigates the feasibility of road horizontal curve designs for ACC-AVs from a vehicle dynamics perspective. Following the scenario generation framework, we created and tested several scenarios featuring horizontal geometric elements and design speeds, conducting a safety evaluation based on the critical adhesion coefficient, lateral acceleration, lateral-load transfer rate, together with driving comfort indicators. Results indicate that ACC-AV can navigate on road curves designed with a common minimum radius (Rmin_com) effectively at speeds over 60 km/h , comparable to conventional vehicles. However, both Rmin_com and limited minimum radius (Rmin_lim) designs show limitations. Additionally, the feasible radius ranges for ACC-AV reveal the capability to safely handle sharper curves and maintain higher speeds, suggesting potential for adaptable road design in complex environments. Finally, minimum radius ranges were summarized for ACC-AV safe and comfortable operation on road curves, unveiling the potential risks and reminding designers in curve design controls for ACC-AVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of urban-rural roads construction on inequality. As the main roads connecting urban and rural areas, the urban-rural roads have greatly influenced the economic growth and poverty alleviation in rural areas. We collect the data of urban-rural roads from 2003 to 2021 and matched with the income inequality and night light intensity data, we find that the impact of urban-rural roads construction on inequality between urban and rural areas will first increase and then rebound, showcasing an inverted U-shaped curve. Further analysis shows that the inverted U-shaped trend could be attributed to the economic growth gap between urban and rural areas. The results in this study provide evidence that a developing country such as China could enhance urban-rural roads construction to reduce inequality between urban and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern urban environments, visual sensors are crucial for enhancing the functionality of navigation systems, particularly for devices designed for visually impaired individuals. The high-resolution images captured by these sensors form the basis for understanding the surrounding environment and identifying key landmarks. However, the core challenge in the semantic segmentation of blind roads lies in the effective extraction of global context and edge features. Most existing methods rely on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), whose inherent inductive biases limit their ability to capture global context and accurately detect discontinuous features such as gaps and obstructions in blind roads. To overcome these limitations, we introduce Dual-Branch Swin-CNN Net(DSC-Net), a new method that integrates the global modeling capabilities of the Swin-Transformer with the CNN-based U-Net architecture. This combination allows for the hierarchical extraction of both fine and coarse features. First, the Spatial Blending Module (SBM) mitigates blurring of target information caused by object occlusion to enhance accuracy. The hybrid attention module (HAM), embedded within the Inverted Residual Module (IRM), sharpens the detection of blind road boundaries, while the IRM improves the speed of network processing. In tests on a specialized dataset designed for blind road semantic segmentation in real-world scenarios, our method achieved an impressive mIoU of 97.72%. Additionally, it demonstrated exceptional performance on other public datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Amazonian streams, damming caused by road construction changes the system's hydrological dynamics and biological communities. We tested whether the degree of specialization in fish (Bryconops giacopinii) individuals is higher in pristine stream environments with intact ecological conditions than in streams dammed due to the construction of a highway in the Amazon rainforest. To achieve this, stomach content data and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in tissues with varying isotopic incorporation rates (liver, muscle, and caudal fin) were used to assess the variation in consumption of different prey over time. The indices within‐individual component (WIC)/total niche width (TNW) and individual specialization were employed to compare the degree of individual specialization between pristine and dammed streams. The condition factor and stomach repletion of sampled individuals were used to infer the intensity of intraspecific competition in the investigated streams. The species B. giacopinii, typically considered a trophic generalist, has been shown to be, in fact, a heterogeneous collection of specialist and generalist individuals. Contrary to our expectations, a higher degree of individual specialization was detected in streams dammed by the highway. In dammed streams, where intraspecific competition was more intense, individuals with narrower niches exhibited poorer body conditions than those with broader niches. This suggests that individuals adopting more restricted diets may have lower fitness, indicating that individual specialization may not necessarily be beneficial for individuals. Our results support the notion that intraspecific competition is an important mechanism underlying individual specialization in natural populations. Our results suggest that environmental characteristics (e.g., resource breadth and predictability) and competition for food resources interact in complex ways to determine the degree of individual specialization in natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, under field conditions (on the lane of a city road for public transport), using modeling and traffic flow analysis methods, the formation of ruts on an asphalt concrete pavement is studied. The maximum total rut depth on the road section under consideration reaches 110 mm. 715 buses and 25 trucks pass along a separate lane of the road per day, the relative rutting impact of which is from 5.68 to 16.41 compared to the design vehicle. The design of the road pavement on the experimental section with a total thickness of 48 cm is too weak for the actual traffic flow, which was the main reason for the premature failure of the road due to unacceptable rut sizes on the asphalt concrete pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used vibration testing signals of soil samples under external loading to identify modal parameters (including natural frequencies and damping ratios) with different compaction degrees. Based on these parameters, a novel approach was proposed for reliable roadbed vibration compaction control and compaction process optimization. The experimental section utilized six soil samples with varying compaction degrees as experimental subjects, using the hammering method as the excitation mode. Subsequently, the frequency response function and modal parameters of the sample system were obtained through the acquisition, analysis, and parameter identification of samples' acceleration signals. Firstly, samples with compaction degrees ranging from 88 % to 97 % primarily exhibited three modes, with the second modal frequency response displaying the weakest amplitude, and the fundamental mode being the dominant one. Additionally, parameter identification results revealed that the fundamental modal frequency exhibited a significant negative exponential growth with increasing compaction degree, while the second and third modal frequencies showed significant linear growth. Furthermore, the average damping ratio also demonstrated a tendency toward linear change with increasing compaction degree. Finally, the feasibility of modal parameters being actively used in practical engineering is discussed. Consequently, this study aimed to propose an indicator system for accurately assessing the bearing level of compacted soils from a modal dynamics perspective and to integrate modal dynamic indicators with density-class indicators into further optimization design work on road compaction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities are related to obtain economic, technical, social and environmental benefits. The road construction process participants and road users have direct or indirect benefits from elaboration of new infrastructure. The number of the benefits received by individual entities is publicly discussed by politicians, lobbyists, experts and other decision-makers without having quantitative estimates of benefits, i.e., often relying on intuition or considering theoretical reasoning. The paper suggests a system of 19 benefit entities (criteria) assigned the ranks given by experts. The study involved three categories of experts, including 35 road engineers, 36 transport engineers and 61 road users. The values of the concordance coefficients obtained as a result of the conducted research were found significantly higher than critical values and showed that the opinions of the experts in each category were consistent (not contradictory). This made it possible to consider the average of the opinions of the expert group as a reliable result of solving the problem. Rank averages were replaced by the normalized weights of criteria using Average Rank Transformation into Weight-Linear (ARTIW-L) and - Nonlinear (ARTIW-N) methods. The global averages of criterion weights were used employing the Inverse Hierarchy for Assessment Main Criteria Importance (IHAMCI) method thus calculating the normalized weights of the road-related classified entities (three main criteria). The findings prove that road users benefit the most (weight 0.3485), the road construction contractor (weight 0.3325) is in the next position and the road owner (investor) takes the weight equal to 0.3190. The generated research data can be used for justifying the rationality of road investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable management of forestry activities, together with changes in vegetation due to deforestation or degradation, contributes to sediment risk and increases the risk of surface runoff. Changes in meteorological criteria, such as precipitation and temperature, as a result of global climate change are also significant factors affecting sediment risk. In this study, sediment risk was predicted spatially and temporally for 65 provinces in Turkey using criteria related to average forest road construction rates and average wood harvesting rates for the period between 2017 and 2021, as well as climate change models (GFDL-ESM2M, HadGEM2-ES, and MPI-ESM-MR) and their scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for five-year periods between 2022 and 2096. In addition, changes in sediment risk in the short and long terms—that is, trends—were determined in spatially and temporally. Entropy-based WASPAS and fuzzy clustering analysis were used together to determine sediment risk in this context. The results show that, in terms of sediment risk, criteria related to forestry activities had a higher weight than criteria related to climate change when looking at the overall criterion weights. In addition, it was generally observed that the contribution of the average precipitation criterion to sediment risk increased in weight over five-year periods in the context of climate change models and scenarios. Regarding climate change models and scenarios, it was found that provinces consistently in the highest risk category (R1) over five-year periods were mainly located in the Black Sea and Marmara regions. In addition, provinces showing an increase or decrease in sediment risk trends between two consecutive five-year periods were mostly found in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions. When evaluating the 15-year time intervals, differences in sediment risk trends were found between the geographical regions. In conclusion, the study results indicate that, regionally, Turkey's northern regions, especially the Black Sea and Marmara regions, as well as the southern Mediterranean and western Aegean regions, will become increasingly vulnerable to sediment risk over time owing to the impact of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitumen, a vital component in road pavement construction, exhibits complex chemo-mechanical properties that necessitate thorough characterization for enhanced understanding and potential modifications. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy emerges as a valuable technique for probing the structural and compositional features of bitumen. This review presents an in-depth exploration of the role of NMR spectroscopy in bitumen characterization, highlighting its diverse applications in determining bitumen content, group composition, molecular dynamics, and interaction with additives. Various NMR techniques, including free induction decay (FID), Carr–Purcell–Meilboom–Gill (CPMG), and Pulsed Field Gradient Stimulated Echo (PFGSE), are discussed in the context of their utility in bitumen analysis. Case studies, challenges, and limitations associated with NMR-based bitumen characterization are critically evaluated, offering insights into potential future research directions. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art in NMR-based bitumen characterization and identifies avenues for further advancement in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle detection in remote sensing images is a crucial aspect of intelligent transportation systems. It plays an essential role in road planning, congestion control, and road construction in cities. However, detecting vehicles in remote sensing images is challenging due to their small size, high density, and noise. Most current detectors that perform well in conventional scenes fail to achieve better results in this context. Thus, we propose a quad-layer decoupled network to improve the algorithm's performance in detecting vehicles in remote sensing scenes. This is achieved by introducing modules such as a Group Focus downsampling structure, a quad-layer decoupled detector, and the GTAA label assignment method. Experiments demonstrate that the designed algorithm achieves a mean average precision (mAP) of 49.4 and operates at a speed of 3.0 ms on the RTX3090 within a multi-class vehicle detection dataset constructed based on the xView dataset. It outperforms various real-time detectors in terms of detection accuracy and speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian highway bridge design code (CHBDC) uses the concept of a target reliability index for evaluating the load-carrying capacity of existing bridges. This index, which is based on risk to human life, is related to three aspects of uncertainties inherent in a bridge: element behaviour, system behaviour and inspection level. Analysis is yet another uncertainty in bridge evaluation. It is assumed that all bridge inspections are manual. Citing examples of tests on many instrumented bridges, another level of inspection is proposed, carried out with the help of electronic instruments and tests under controlled vehicle loads. Simple additions to the clauses of the CHBDC are proposed, which can be used to determine the optimum load-carrying capacities of existing bridges where structural monitoring information is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pavement deflection is generally obtained by means of Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) tests, which provide an evaluation of the structural behavior of highway constructions and indicate the evolution of pavement damage through time. This paper evaluated FWD data, backcalculated moduli, and deflection basin parameters (DBPs) (radius of curvature, area, structural curvature index, base damage index, and base curvature index) to analyze the structural performance of an experimental road pavement test section with four different asphalt pavement segments. The segments had different base layer materials, and they were constituted by one flexible structure (unbound granular base layer), one semi-rigid (cement-treated base layer), one cold recycled asphalt mixture layer stabilized with asphalt emulsion (CRAM-EM), and one cold recycled asphalt mixture layer stabilized with foamed asphalt (CRAM-AF). The field monitoring had eight surveys that included the evaluation of surface distresses and deflection measurements along 3 years of study. The backcalculated moduli of the asphalt layer, base, and remaining pavement structure presented an overall good correlation with the DBPs evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) Maintenance Division is concerned about the use of certain aggregates in asphalt mixture because of their durability and performance issues. Good performance of the pavements can be ensured by selecting good-quality aggregates along with asphalt binders that can produce compatible aggregate–binder systems. The primary goal of this research was to determine proper asphalt binders and aggregates for the construction of highways in Arkansas. Three performance grade (PG) asphalt binders, namely PG 64-22, PG 70-22, and PG 76-22, prepared from two different crude sources, were investigated. This study also included four types of ARDOT-commissioned aggregates, namely gravel, sandstone, limestone, and dolomite, from four quarries throughout Arkansas. Selected properties of asphalt binders and aggregates (e.g., physical, mechanical, and chemical) were evaluated by performing a series of routine laboratory tests. To evaluate the performance of the asphalt mixtures, work of cohesion, work of adhesion, and boiling resistance tests were conducted. These aggregates, binders, and aggregate–binder systems were ranked based on the properties obtained from laboratory tests. In general, any combination of dolomite or limestone with a stiffer binder such as PG 76-22 or PG 70-22 is expected to be superior to an asphalt mixture with either sandstone or gravel. The outcomes of this research will help highway agencies and pavement professionals in selecting suitable asphalt binders and aggregates for long-lasting pavement construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road crashes continue to be a leading cause of death globally, with most of these crashes reportedly occurring due to human factors. Traditional road safety assessment utilises geometric and traffic parameters that consider road design inadequacies and identify traffic conflicts. However, previous studies do not represent risky driving behavior and its influence on crash occurrence. Incorporating human factors into safety evaluation is crucial to enhance the prediction and subsequent prevention of unsafe events. This research establishes a methodology to identify risky driving behavior using driving performance measures. These measures are computed based on continuous driving profiles collected using instrumented vehicles from a sample set of drivers on an expressway and are compared with historical crash data. The results indicate the significance of driving performance measures in evaluating road safety. The performance measures find application in collision avoidance systems, assessing the road design quality, testing safety countermeasures and guide for policymakers.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land for the Nagas in Northeastern India reflects the local, culturally shaped concepts of physical space, ethnic relations, and social identity. It embodies the political security and the symbolic universe that determine the interpersonal relations and distribution system between various regional groups. Based on an ethnographic exploration, the paper traces how land once imbued in traditions such as sacred lands, monolithic spaces, and ancestral properties are expropriated into state highways. It argues how these new roads become a kind of contact space where the interface between cultural differences, historical memories, and notions of modernity and traditions are conflated and negotiated. The paper seeks to document the issues pertaining to the (re)shaping and (re)configuration of ethnic landscapes through the intrusion of the roadscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]