Potential Benefits of Animal-Detecting Automatic Emergency Braking Systems Based on U.S. Driving Data

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110124
Author(s):  
Jeremy A. Decker ◽  
Samantha H. Haus ◽  
Rini Sherony ◽  
Hampton C. Gabler
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Emergency Braking ◽  
Target Populations ◽  
Light Trucks ◽  
Naturalistic Driving Study ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Crash Characteristics

In 2015, there were 319,195 police reported vehicle-animal crashes, resulting in 275 vehicle occupant fatalities. Animal-detecting automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems are a promising active safety measure which could potentially avoid or mitigate many of these crashes by warning the driver, utilizing automatic braking, or both. The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize a target population of vehicle-animal crashes applicable to AEB systems and to analyze the potential benefits of an animal-detecting AEB system. The study was based on two nationally representative databases, Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the National Automotive Sampling System’s General Estimates System, and a naturalistic driving study, SHRP 2. The target population was restricted to vehicle-animal crashes that were forward impacts or road departures and involved cars and light trucks, with no loss of control. Crash characteristics which may influence the performance of AEB such as lighting, weather, pre-crash movement, relation to junction, and first and worst harmful events, were analyzed. The study found that the major influences on the effectiveness of animal AEB systems were: weather, lighting, pre-crash movements, and the crash location. Six potential target populations were used to analyze the potential effectiveness of an animal AEB system, with effectiveness ranging between 21.6% and 97% of police reported crashes and between 4.1% and 50.8% of fatal vehicle-animal crashes. An AEB system’s ability to function in low light and poor weather conditions may enable it to avoid a substantially higher proportion of crashes.

scholarly journals National Serosurvey of Cytomegalovirus in Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1181-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Seale ◽  
C. Raina MacIntyre ◽  
Heather F. Gidding ◽  
J. L. Backhouse ◽  
Dominic E. Dwyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Protective Efficacy ◽  
Vaccination Program ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Target Populations ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Australian Community ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Representative Samples

ABSTRACT In anticipation of the development of a vaccine against cytomegalovirus (CMV), we conducted a large, nationally representative serosurvey to examine the seroprevalence of CMV in Australia. Sera were collected opportunistically from laboratories around Australia. Age- and gender-representative samples were tested for CMV antibody. The population-weighted rate of CMV seropositivity in subjects between 1 and 59 years of age was 57% (95% confidence interval, 55.2 to 58.6%). An association between CMV seroprevalence and increasing age was recognized; however, little overall difference in seroprevalence between the sexes was found. The finding that high levels of CMV exposure occur in the first few years of life suggests that for a universal vaccination program to have maximal impact, the vaccine would need to be delivered to infants and have a long duration of protective efficacy. This is the first national serosurvey looking at cytomegalovirus in the Australian community. This study provides valuable information that can be used to examine the incidence of infection in the community and help focus the administration of a future CMV vaccine to appropriate target populations.

scholarly journals Weather Literacy in Times of Climate Change

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine Fleischhut ◽  
Stefan M. Herzog ◽  
Ralph Hertwig
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
The Public ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
The Future ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Weather Risks

AbstractAs climate change unfolds, extreme weather events are on the rise worldwide. According to experts, extreme weather risks already outrank those of terrorism and migration in likelihood and impact. But how well does the public understand weather risks and forecast uncertainty and thus grasp the amplified weather risks that climate change poses for the future? In a nationally representative survey (N = 1004; Germany), we tested the public’s weather literacy and awareness of climate change using 62 factual questions. Many respondents misjudged important weather risks (e.g., they were unaware that UV radiation can be higher under patchy cloud cover than on a cloudless day) and struggled to connect weather conditions to their impacts (e.g., they overestimated the distance to a thunderstorm). Most misinterpreted a probabilistic forecast deterministically, yet they strongly underestimated the uncertainty of deterministic forecasts. Respondents with higher weather literacy obtained weather information more often and spent more time outside but were not more educated. Those better informed about climate change were only slightly more weather literate. Overall, the public does not seem well equipped to anticipate weather risks in the here and now and may thus also fail to fully grasp what climate change implies for the future. These deficits in weather literacy highlight the need for impact forecasts that translate what the weather may be into what the weather may do and for transparent communication of uncertainty to the public. Boosting weather literacy may help to improve the public’s understanding of weather and climate change risks, thereby fostering informed decisions and mitigation support.

scholarly journals The Potential Benefits Of Real-Time Monitoring Of Combined Sewer Overflows In The City Of Toronto

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romak Kordnejad
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Real Time Monitoring ◽  
Combined Sewer Overflows ◽  
Combined Sewer ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Sewer Overflows ◽  
The City

This thesis focuses on the current state of combined sewer overflows (CSO) in the City of Toronto and the potential benefits of utilizing real-time monitoring system to explore options for optimizing current models and reducing future overflows. CSOs containing sanitary and stormwater sewage over spill during wet weather conditions, contaminating bodies of water. Antiquated sewer systems built to support population at the time, no longer have the required capacity to support exponential growth causing environmental damage. Key research findings include exploring the current CSO state in the City of Toronto, remediation plans executed by the City in hopes to reduce CSO and finally concluding the City’s progress to date. Extensive research on CSOs in North American cities has shown initiative towards reducing CSOs while using real-time monitoring systems which can be utilized in the City of Toronto. Future research is required to find effective and efficient ways of implementing such systems.

scholarly journals Performance Assessment of Motorized Solar Photovoltaic Louvers System Using PVSYST Software

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Safwat Hasan ◽  
Humor Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Photovoltaic System ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Market Penetration ◽  
Simulation Tools ◽  
Building Facades ◽  
Internal Network ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic System

In the realm of technological market penetration of solar photovoltaiclouvers (PVL) addressing environmental difficulties and the industrialrevolution, a new avenue of renewable energy is introduced. Moreover,solar energy exploitation through building façades was addressedthrough motorized solar photovoltaic louvers (MPVL). On the otherhand, proponents exalted the benefits of MPVL overlooking the typicalanalyses. In this communication, we attempted to perform a thoroughindustrial system evaluation of the MPVL. This communication presentsa methodology to validate the industrial claims about MPVL devices andtheir economic efficiency and the insight on how geographical locationinfluences their utilization and augment their potential benefits. This taskis carried out by evaluating the extent of solar energy that can be harvestedusing solar photovoltaic system (PVSYST) software and investigatingwhether existing product claims are associated with MPVL are feasible indifferent locations. The performance and operational losses (temperature,internal network, power electronics) were evaluated. To design and assessthe performance of different configurations based on the geographicalanalogy, simulation tools were successfully carried out based on differenttopographical locations. Based on these findings, various factors affect theemployment of MPVL such as geographical and weather conditions, solarirradiation, and installation efficiency. tt is assumed that we successfullyshed light and provided insights into the complexity associated withMPVL.

Studying Driving Behavior on Horizontal Curves using Naturalistic Driving Study Data

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (17) ◽  
pp. 83-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bashar Dhahir ◽  
Yasser Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Driving Behavior ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Output Analysis ◽  
Horizontal Curves ◽  
Naturalistic Driving Study ◽  
Naturalistic Driving ◽  
Design Consistency ◽  
Favorable Weather

Many studies have been conducted to develop models to predict speed and driver comfort thresholds on horizontal curves, and to evaluate design consistency. The approaches used to develop these models differ from one another in data collection, data processing, assumptions, and analysis. However, some issues might be associated with the data collection that can affect the reliability of collected data and developed models. In addition, analysis of speed behavior on the assumption that vehicles traverse horizontal curves at a constant speed is far from actual driving behavior. Using the Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) database can help overcome problems associated with data collection. This paper aimed at using NDS data to investigate driving behavior on horizontal curves in terms of speed, longitudinal acceleration, and comfort threshold. The NDS data were valuable in providing clear insight on drivers’ behavior during daytime and favorable weather conditions. A methodology was developed to evaluate driver behavior and was coded in Matlab. Sensitivity analysis was performed to recommend values for the parameters that can affect the output. Analysis of the drivers’ speed behavior and comfort threshold highlighted several issues that describe how drivers traverse horizontal curves that need to be considered in horizontal curve design and consistency evaluation.

scholarly journals Modified Directly Observed Therapy for Antiretroviral Therapy: A Primer from the Field

2007 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 472-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Goggin ◽  
Robin J. Liston ◽  
Jennifer Adelson Mitty
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Staff Training ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Directly Observed Therapy ◽  
Federally Funded ◽  
Target Populations ◽  
Sufficient Detail ◽  
Minimum Requirements ◽  
Efficacy Studies

Modified directly observed therapy (mDOT), in which a portion of total doses of a medication regime is ingested under supervision, has demonstrated efficacy as an intervention to assist patients in maintaining adherence to complicated antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although findings are favorable, existing efficacy studies fail to provide sufficient detail to guide others who wish to implement mDOT interventions. The aim of this article is to provide a primer for practitioners and researchers who wish to implement mDOT interventions. Drawing on the experience of 10 federally funded research projects, we provide guidance on critical questions for program implementation, including: who should be targeted, length/duration/content/location/tapering of sessions, staffing, incentives, and approaches to data collection. In addition, guidance on staff training and minimum requirements for mDOT interventions is offered along with real-world examples of mDOT interventions. mDOT is feasible and easily adapted to many settings and target populations. Interventions should match the specific needs of the target population and setting and be flexible in terms of design and delivery. mDOT should be considered among the spectrum of adherence interventions.

scholarly journals Global, regional, and national estimates of target population sizes for covid-19 vaccination: descriptive study

BMJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. m4704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Qianhui Wu ◽  
Juan Yang ◽  
Kaige Dong ◽  
Xinghui Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Target Populations ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
National Estimates ◽  
Country Specific

AbstractObjectiveTo provide global, regional, and national estimates of target population sizes for coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) vaccination to inform country specific immunisation strategies on a global scale.DesignDescriptive study.Setting194 member states of the World Health Organization.PopulationTarget populations for covid-19 vaccination based on country specific characteristics and vaccine objectives (maintaining essential core societal services; reducing severe covid-19; reducing symptomatic infections and stopping virus transmission).Main outcome measureSize of target populations for covid-19 vaccination. Estimates use country specific data on population sizes stratified by occupation, age, risk factors for covid-19 severity, vaccine acceptance, and global vaccine production. These data were derived from a multipronged search of official websites, media sources, and academic journal articles.ResultsTarget population sizes for covid-19 vaccination vary markedly by vaccination goal and geographical region. Differences in demographic structure, presence of underlying conditions, and number of essential workers lead to highly variable estimates of target populations at regional and country levels. In particular, Europe has the highest share of essential workers (63.0 million, 8.9%) and people with underlying conditions (265.9 million, 37.4%); these two categories are essential in maintaining societal functions and reducing severe covid-19, respectively. In contrast, South East Asia has the highest share of healthy adults (777.5 million, 58.9%), a key target for reducing community transmission. Vaccine hesitancy will probably impact future covid-19 vaccination programmes; based on a literature review, 68.4% (95% confidence interval 64.2% to 72.6%) of the global population is willing to receive covid-19 vaccination. Therefore, the adult population willing to be vaccinated is estimated at 3.7 billion (95% confidence interval 3.2 to 4.1 billion).ConclusionsThe distribution of target groups at country and regional levels highlights the importance of designing an equitable and efficient plan for vaccine prioritisation and allocation. Each country should evaluate different strategies and allocation schemes based on local epidemiology, underlying population health, projections of available vaccine doses, and preference for vaccination strategies that favour direct or indirect benefits.

scholarly journals Discovering Insightful Rules among Truck Crash Characteristics using Apriori Algorithm

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungyeol Hong ◽  
Reuben Tamakloe ◽  
Dongjoo Park
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Association Rules ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Parametric Models ◽  
Apriori Algorithm ◽  
Drowsy Driving ◽  
Crash Data ◽  
Rainy Weather ◽  
Crash Characteristics ◽  
Strength Of Association

This study aims to discover hidden patterns and potential relationships in risk factors in freight truck crash data. Existing studies mainly used parametric models to analyze the causes of freight vehicle crashes. However, predetermined assumptions and underlying relationships between independent and dependent variables have been cited as its limitations. To overcome these limitations and provide a better understanding of factors that lead to truck crashes on the expressways, we applied the Association Rules Mining (ARM) technique, which is a nonparametric method. ARM quantifies the interrelationships between the antecedents and consequents of truck-involved crashes and provides researchers with the most influential set of factors that leads to crashes. We utilized a freight vehicle-involved crash data consisting of 19,038 crashes that occurred on the Korean expressways from 2008 to 2017 for this investigation. From the data, 90,951 association rules were generated through ARM employing the Apriori algorithm. The lift values estimated by the Apriori algorithm showed the strength of association between risk factors, and based on the estimated lift values, we identified key crash contributory factors that lead to truck-involved crashes at various segment types, under different weather conditions, considering the driver’s age, crash type, driver’s faults, vehicle size, and roadway geometry type. From the generated rules, we demonstrated that overspeeding with medium-weight trucks was highly associated with crashes during the rainy weather, whereas drowsy driving during the evening was correlated with crashes during fine weather. Segment-related crashes were mainly associated with driver’s faults and roadway geometry. Our results present useful insights and suggestions that can be used by transport stakeholders, including policymakers and researchers, to create relevant policies that will help reduce freight truck crashes on the expressways.

E-Cigarette Advice to Patients From Physicians and Dentists in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1228-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Drouin ◽  
Robert C. McMillen ◽  
Jonathan D. Klein ◽  
Jonathan P. Winickoff
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fisher Exact Test ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
The Past ◽  
Random Digit Dialing ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Nationally Representative

Purpose: To report on adults’ recall of discussion by physicians and dentists about e-cigarettes. Design: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey (Internet and random digit dialing) in the United States. Participants: Adults who ever used e-cigarettes. Measures: Participant-reported discussion about the potential benefits and harms of e-cigarettes with their doctor, dentist, or child’s doctor in the past 12 months. Analysis: Fisher exact test for the analysis between benefits and harms for each type of provider and for rates of advice between provider types. Results: Among the 3030 adults who completed the survey, 523 (17.2%) had ever used e-cigarettes. Of those who had seen their doctor, dentist, or child’s doctor in the last year, 7.3%, 1.7%, and 10.1%, respectively, reported discussing potential harms of e-cigarettes. Conversely, 5.8%, 1.7%, and 9.3% of patients who had seen their doctor, dentist, or child’s doctor in the last year reported that the clinician discussed the potential benefits of e-cigarettes. Each clinician type was as likely to discuss harms as benefits. Rates of advice were similar between doctors and child’s doctors but lower for dentists. Rates were comparable when the analysis was limited to current e-cigarette users, participants with children, or those who reported using both e-cigarettes and combusted tobacco. Conclusions: Few physicians and dentists discuss either the harms or benefits of e-cigarettes with their patients. These data suggest an opportunity to educate, train, and provide resources for physicians and dentists about e-cigarettes and their use.

Home and School Environmental Influences on Adolescents’ Sociopolitical Group Participation: Implications for Increasing Youth Involvement

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 871-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Youth Civic Engagement ◽  
Civics Education ◽  
Service Programs ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Community Service Programs ◽  
Home And School ◽  
Group Involvement

The potential benefits associated with sociopolitical group involvement for participating youth have been well documented in the existing literature. Yet, little is known about what motivates voluntary participation in such programs among youth. The purpose of this study is to explore what environmental factors influence youth civic engagement through participation in sociopolitical groups (e.g., service-learning or community service programs). To do this, several independent variables captured in The Commission on Youth Voting and Civic Knowledge Youth Post Election Survey 2012 dataset and the respondents’ reported participation in social or political groups while in high school were observed. Binary and ordinal logistic regression modeling were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that several factors in the home and school environment are related to an increased probability of youth joining a sociopolitical group at school, away from school, or both. These findings suggest that the messages crafted to encourage youth participation in sociopolitical groups should account for the demographic (i.e., racial, gender, and cultural) and experiential (i.e., civics education quality) differences present within the target population.

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