Driver fatigue: a vision-based approach to automatic diagnosis

In this paper, we describe a system that locates and tracks the eyes of a driver. The purpose of such a system is to perform detection of driver fatigue. By mounting a small camera inside the car, we can monitor the face of the driver and look for eye movements which indicate that the driver is no longer in condition to drive. In such a case, a warning signal should be issued. This paper describes how to find and track the eyes. We also describe a method that can determine if the eyes are open or closed. The primary criterion for this system is that it must be highly non-intrusive. The system must also operate regardless of the texture and the color of the face. It must also be able to handle changing conditions such as changes in light, shadows, reflections, etc. Initial experimental results are very promising even when the driver moves his/her head in a way such that the camera does not have a frontal view of the driver’s face.     

The Demise of a Tropical Coastal Lagoon as Breeding Habitat for Ground-Nesting Waterbirds: Unintended,but Anticipated Consequences of Development

Laguna Cuyutlán (Colima, Mexico), an Important Bird Area, used to provide breeding habitat for ground-nesting waterbirds. During 2014 and 2015, nesting efforts of laughing gull, black skimmer, and royal, gull-billed and Forster's terns failed almost completely due to inundation, while least terns and snowy plovers fared the same during 2014. No anomalies in rainfall, tidal level, or coseismic subsidence explained such failure. Rather, the inundations were due to the enlarging of Canal Tepalcates that connects the lagoon with the sea, which was widened from 100 to 300 m and dredged to 17-m deep. Before this, the hydrodynamics were regulated by evaporation and runoff. Now, increased seawater volumes dominate the basin's hydrodynamics. The failure of Laguna Cuyutlán as a breeding habitat for these birds is an important threat for these species, as this lagoon held one of the < 20 colonies known for several of these species along the western coast of North and Central America. Documenting this demise of Laguna Cuyutlán for ground-nesting waterbirds transcends the regional scale as it emphasizes the little consideration still given to biodiversity vs. economic development, and is a warning for coastal projects in other developing areas of the world.     

Estimating travel time functions for urban roads: options and issues

Travel time functions specify the relationship between the travel time on a road and the volume of traffic on the road. Until recently, the parameters of travel time functions were rarely estimated in practice; however, a compelling case can be made for the empirical examination of these functions. This paper reviews, and qualitatively evaluates, a range of options for developing a set of travel time functions. A hierarchy of travel time functions is defined based on four levels of network detail: area, corridor, route and link. This hierarchy is illustrated by considering the development of travel time functions for Adelaide. Alternative sources of data for estimating travel time functions are identified.

In general, the costs and benefits increase as the travel time functions are estimated at finer levels of network detail. The costs of developing travel time functions include data acquisition costs and analysis costs. The benefits include the potential for reducing prediction errors, the degree of application flexibility and the policy sensitivity of the travel time functions.     

融合可持续理念的交通规划方案比选方法——以亚特兰大大都市区为例

越来越多的机构开始为交通系统的可持续发展定义,并试图将这一概念融入区域交通规划过程.然而,只有极少数的区域规划机构意识到了交通系统和土地利用变化给经济、环境和社会生活质量(这三者通常被认为是可持续交通系统的三个基本方面)带来的广泛影响.首先,论述了使用多个可持续发展指标的多准则决策方法,并应用其评估亚特兰大大都市区的三...     

Monitoring Human Activity in an Area Dedicated to the Protection of the Endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal

Mediterranean monk seal populations have declined dramatically and survive in subpopulations scattered throughout their original distribution. The National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades is the first marine protected Area dedicated to the protection of the species in the Mediterranean. A Monitoring and Awareness Project has been carried out in the area from 1993 to 2000, the results of which have produced a detailed profile of the human usage pattern of the Park and indicated a significant reduction of illegal activities in the area. The pattern of human usage has enabled the monitoring team to adjust their efforts in the Park over time and provided essential baseline data for future management. The combined monitoring and awareness efforts have contributed significantly to the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal by successfully protecting pupping sites and reducing human-induced mortality of the species in the area.     

Economic Valuation of Coastal and Marine Resources: Bohol Marine Triangle,Philippines

This article provides results on the net benefits generated from the natural resources in the Bohol Marine Triangle (BMT) in the Philippines. The BMT spans over 112,000 ha and its coastal ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and provide economic opportunities to the coastal communities. With a 10% discount rate, the accumulated total net benefits for the BMT resources over a 10-year period is US$11.54 million. Tourism and the municipal fisheries are the most important direct use values of the coastal and marine resources of the BMT accounting for 44% and 39% of the total net benefits. Annual revenues attributed to ecosystems were as follows: coral reefs, US$1.26 million; beach/intertidal area, US$1.12 million; marine waters, US$646,501; mangrove, US$239,561; and seagrass, US$105,990. The large market values indicate the dependence of the local community on the BMT coastal and marine resources. In the same way, non-market values show the important life-support functions of coastal and marine ecosystems. The net benefits reflect the magnitude of potential losses due to improper management of coastal and marine resources in the BMT. This valuation highlights the importance of the coastal services to the BMT economy and draws attention to the benefits the local stakeholders derive from BMT coastal resources. Policy measures can now take into account these values to justify a sufficient investment in coastal management efforts to sustain the flow of coastal services in the interest of current and future generations.     

Some Thoughts on Flags of Convenience

The purpose of this article is to formulate the problem, to assess its magnitude, and at the same time to suggest the areas that must be investigated before any practical policy recommendations can be made.     

Inventory,Classification, and Analysis of Special Management Areas Associated with U.S. Coastal Programs

Area-based management approaches may be beneficial in integrating sectoral, single-purpose laws and regulations; however, these benefits may not be attained if special area designations are equally sectoral or single-purpose in nature. Over 60 types of special management areas were documented under U.S. coastal programs, and a new classification scheme was developed to allow comparisons and analyses across programs. Results indicate that requirements and incentives for special area designations under the Coastal Zone Management Act did little to standardize or influence area-based management systems associated with state and territory coastal programs. Further, the absence of clear patterns within and between coastal programs with respect to special area policies suggests a limited commitment to this important aspect of coastal management. Continued research is needed to document the effectiveness of the various area-based management approaches presented in this article.     

Evaluation of general aviation management at Denver Stapleton airport

The potential benefits of general aviation management at a major airport is examined in this paper. The three general aviation management techniques investigated are volume reduction, runway segregation and time restriction.

First, a methodology for analyzing these techniques is discussed. The various effects on each user group are quantified for economic comparison between each management technique attempted. A computer simulation model was used to measure the delay effects. Then, these techniques are applied to Denver Stapleton Airport to measure their effects in present and future scenarios.

The results show that the best general aviation management technique is volume restriction. The use of peak‐hour pricing mechanism provided better results than random rejection, particularly if only a small degree of diversion is desired. The construction of a new general aviation runway provided equivalent results to the best technique tested.     

The future of the American seaman

This paper analyses the occupational future of the American merchant seaman. Reasons for the decline, foreign competition, technological change, effective manning and the feast or famine cycle are analysed. Strategies for the resurgence of the occupation are discussed.