scholarly journals Safety Assessment of Urban Intersection Sight Distance Using Mobile LiDAR Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9259
Author(s):  
Omar Kilani ◽  
Maged Gouda ◽  
Jonas Weiß ◽  
Karim El-Basyouny

This paper proposes an automated framework that utilizes Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud data to map and detect road obstacles that impact drivers’ field of view at urban intersections. The framework facilitates the simulation of a driver’s field of vision to estimate the blockage percentage as they approach an intersection. Furthermore, a collision analysis is conducted to examine the relationship between poor visibility and safety. The visibility assessment was used to determine the blockage percentage as a function of intersection control type. The safety assessment indicated that intersections with limited available sight distances (ASD) exhibited an increased risk of collisions. The research also conducted a sensitivity analysis to understand the impact of the voxel size on the extraction of intersection obstacles from LiDAR datasets. The findings from this research can be used to assess the intersection without the burden of manual intervention. This would effectively support transportation agencies in identifying hazardous intersections with poor visibility and adopt policies to enhance urban intersections’ operation and safety.

2007 ◽  
Vol 191 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Page ◽  
Shakoor Hajat ◽  
R. Sari Kovats

BackgroundSeasonal fluctuation in suicide has been observed in many populations. High temperature may contribute to this, but the effect of short-term fluctuations in temperature on suicide rates has not been studied.AimsTo assess the relationship between daily temperature and daily suicide counts in England and Wales between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2003 and to establish whether heatwaves are associated with increased mortality from suicide.MethodTime-series regression analysis was used to explore and quantify the relationship between daily suicide counts and daily temperature. The impact of two heatwaves on suicide was estimated.ResultsNo spring or summer peak in suicide was found. Above 18 °, each 1 ° increase in mean temperature was associated with a 3.8 and 5.0% rise in suicide and violent suicide respectively. Suicide increased by 46.9% during the 1995 heatwave, whereas no change was seen during the 2003 heat wave.ConclusionsThere is increased risk of suicide during hot weather.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 903-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
OMAR RAHMAN ◽  
JANE MENKEN ◽  
RANDALL KUHN

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the co-residence of spouses and children affects self-reported general health among older men and women in a rural area of Bangladesh. Binary logistic regression has been used to explore the impact of spouses and children on self-reported health, with particular attention to the gender of children and interactions with chronic disease. The data are from the Matlab Health and Socio-Economic Survey. A sample of 765 women and 979 men aged 60 or more years with at least one surviving child was available. The principal result is that for an older woman, optimum self-reported health is most likely when a spouse and at least one son and one daughter are present. Any deviation from this family pattern (either no spouse or children of only one sex) leads to a significantly increased risk of poor self-reported health. On the other hand, among older men there were no differences in self-reported health among the various spouse-child combinations. The relationship between a balanced gender distribution of children and optimum self-reported health among older women may explain the levelling out of fertility at roughly three children per women despite intensive family planning promotion in the area. Further reductions in fertility (an important policy concern) may depend on improving the substitutability of sons and daughters in the support of their elderly mothers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (03) ◽  
pp. 287-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Qayyum Rana ◽  
Hamza Ansari ◽  
Abdul Rehman M. Qureshi ◽  
Eraad Rahman

ABSTRACT Objective: While much research has been conducted toward understanding the relationship between prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) and generalized anxiety, little has been done considering additional influential factors in the relationship by means of a large ethnically diverse sample. Our study strives to fulfill these deficits in the literature as we set out to determine the impact of progression of PD, age, gender, and Hoehn and Yahr (H and Y) staging of PD on generalized anxiety. Methods: A retrospective chart review analysis was performed on PD patients who were regularly examined in a community-based PD and movement disorders center from 2005 to 2010. Results: This study consisted of 310 patients with PD among whom 12% had generalized anxiety. Neither age nor gender was significant onset predictors at P = 0.05. The impact of progression of H and Y Stages 2–3 and 2–4 increased the odds of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) prevalence though it was statistically insignificant at P = 0.05. Conclusions: Clinicians should not expect the risk of developing anxiety to depend on gender nor change as a function of age though it may increase with symptomatic progression of PD as outlined by H and Y. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest and most ethnically diverse prevalence study with a focus on generalized anxiety and PD. Significant Outcomes and Limitations: The symptomatic progression of PD, but not age or gender, may be associated with an increased risk for GAD. This study lacked adjustment for potential confounders such as depression and PD medications.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique Cotchi Simbo Muela ◽  
Jose Jayme Galvão De Lima ◽  
Luis Henrique W. Gowdak ◽  
Flávio J. de Paula ◽  
Luiz Aparecido Bortolotto

Background.High serum uric acid (UA) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk in the general population. The impact of UA on CV events and mortality in CKD is unclear.Objective.To assess the relationship between UA and prognosis in hemodialysis (HD) patients before and after renal transplantation (TX).Methods.1020 HD patients assessed for CV risk and followed from the time of inception until CV event, death, or TX (HD) or date of TX, CV event, death, or return to dialysis (TX).Results.821 patients remained on HD while 199 underwent TX. High UA (≥428 mmol/L) was not associated with either composite CV events or mortality in HD patients. In TX patients high UA predicted an increased risk of events (P=0.03, HR 1.6, and 95% CI 1.03–2.54) but not with death. In the Cox proportional model UA was no longer significantly associated with CV events. Instead, a reduced GFR (<50 mL/min) emerged as the independent risk factor for events (P=0.02, HR 1.79, and % CI 1.07–3.21).Conclusion.In recipients of TX an increased posttransplant UA is related to higher probability of major CV events but this association probably caused concurrent reduction in GFR.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Marco Haid ◽  
Sabine Graschitz ◽  
Peter Heimerl

Abstract This article examines whether and how several audit-specific attributes influence auditor’s motivation. Following the literature, the research project focuses mainly on the impact of risk preference, task complexity and the liability situation in this issue. A 2x2 mixed-subjects case-based experiment was conducted to gain data for in-depth insights. In sum 209 master students with a major in accounting and auditing participated in the experiment. The results indicate that increased risk aversion leads to a higher observed task motivation. Regarding the task complexity, data analysis shows that increasing task complexity lowers auditor’s motivation. This study contributes to the stream of judgment and decision making literature and offers new insights in to the relationship and dependence of inherent auditor-specific factors.


PRiMER ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesar A. Gonzalez ◽  
Natalie E Gentile ◽  
Kurt B Angstman ◽  
Julia R Craner ◽  
Robert P. Bonacci

Background: Lack of wellness among physicians has been associated with increased risk for physical and mental illness, interpersonal discord, and occupational liability. In academic primary care practices, physician wellness and self-care behaviors have been associated with improved patient outcomes. With the increase in team-based care structures in primary care clinics and residencies there may be opportunities to promote wellness among primary clinicians, particularly among resident physicians who are at increased risk for decreased well being. The primary objective of the study was to test an a priori hypothesis that family medicine residents’ perception of support from preceptor team leads would be associated with wellbeing. A secondary objective of the study was to test a post hoc hypothesis that examined whether the relationship between residents’ perception of support from their preceptor team leads would be associated with residents’ well being, while controlling for self-care behaviors. Methods: Our study utilized a prospective cross-sectional design with purposive sampling to survey family medicine residents. Data were collected in February 2016. The survey was sent out to 58 family medicine residents across three family medicine residencies at Mayo Clinic. The survey response rate was 55% (n=32); Ten (31.3%) residents reported being in their PGY-1, 11 (34.4%) in PGY-2; and 11 (34.4%) in PGY-3; participants included 19 (59.4%) women and 13 (40.6%) men. The Brief Resident Wellness Profile (BRWP) was utilized to assess family medicine residents’ perceived sense of professional accomplishment and mood in the past week. Results: In bivariate correlational analyses, increased perception of support from preceptor team leads (r=.40, P&lt;.01) and reporting a male gender (r=.43, P&lt;.01) was associated with increased resident wellness. In exploratory multivariate analysis, results suggested that while controlling for gender, frequency of self-care behaviors, and perceived preceptor team lead support, a one-point change on rating of perceived team leader support is associated with a 1.69 increase in resident wellness score on the BRWP. Conclusions: Our results provide preliminary evidence to support the relationship between preceptor team lead support and resident wellness in team-based care, above and beyond the impact that self-behaviors have on wellness. Our findings suggest evidence for the subsequent study of the impact of preceptor team lead relationship quality on resident wellness. 


Endocrine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bushra Shahida ◽  
Kleoniki Tsoumani ◽  
Tereza Planck ◽  
Vijayachitra Modhukur ◽  
Pernilla Asp ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Treatment of Graves´ disease (GD) with radioiodine increases the risk of developing Graves´ ophthalmopathy (GO), and the link between thyroid and orbital tissue may be the presence of TSH-receptors. Radioiodine increases the titers of TRAb and the aim was to investigate the relationship between GO and TRAb titers after treatment with radioiodine and to define the impact of risk genes. Methods GD patients without ophthalmopathy or previous treatment with radioiodine were prospectively included at treatment with radioiodine for hyperthyroidism. A follow-up was performed 1 year later for the registration of GO development. The study was performed at a University Hospital Clinic; a referral center of all patients treated with radioiodine in the south of Sweden. The main outcome measures were the development of TRAb, anti-TPO, and anti-TG after 3 months and GO after 12 months and relationship to the genetic background (HLA, CTLA-4, and CYR61). Results Three months of radioiodine TRAb titers increased in two thirds of patients (p < 0.0005) but not in the other third. Anti-TPO titers were associated with TRAb (R = 0.362, p < 0.0001) but not anti-TG. At follow-up 1 year later (n = 204) 32 patients developed GO with a proportion of 70% in the group increasing in TRAb titers and 30% in the group with unchanged or lower TRAb titers (p-value < 0.0005). Patients with GO had higher titers of TRAb than patients without GO. CTLA-4 (rs231775 SNP) was significantly (p < 0.005) associated with TRAb titers above the median three months after radioiodine. Conclusions The increase in TRAb titers after treatment with radioiodine is associated with GO and a genetic variation in CTLA-4 is associated with higher titers of TRAb.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bushra Shahida ◽  
Kleoniki Tsoumani ◽  
Tereza Planck ◽  
Vijayachitra Modhukur ◽  
Pernilla Asp ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction. Treatment of Graves´ disease (GD) with radioiodine increases the risk of developing Graves´ ophthalmopathy (GO) but the link between thyroid and orbital tissue remains undefined.The aim was to investigate the relationship between GO and TRAb after treatment with radioiodine and to define the impact of risk genes.Methods. GD patients without ophthalmopathy or previous treatment with radioiodine were prospectively included at treatment with radioiodine for hyperthyroidism. A follow-up was performed one year later for registration of GO development. The study was performed at a University Hospital Clinic; referral center of all patients treated with radioiodine in the south of Sweden. The main outcome measures were development of TRAb, anti-TPO, anti-TG after three months and GO after 12 months and relationship to the genetic background (HLA, CTLA-4, CYR61).Results. Three months of radioiodine TRAb increased in two thirds of patients (p<0.0005) but not in the other third. Anti-TPO was associated with TRAb (R=0.362, p <0.0001) but not anti-TG. At follow-up one year later (n=204) 32 patients developed GO with a proportion of 70% in the group increasing in TRAb and 30 % in the group with unchanged or lower TRAb (p-value <0.0005). Patients with GO had higher levels of TRAb than patients without GO. CTLA-4 (rs231775 SNP) was significantly (p<0.005) associated with TRAb levels above the median three months after radioiodine.Conclusions. The increase in TRAb after treatment with radioiodine is associated with GO and a genetic variation in CTLA-4 is associated with higher levels of TRAb.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Jin ◽  
Junji He ◽  
Chuan Dong ◽  
Luhong Cao ◽  
Xing Qi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide. However, the impact of lipid profile and lipid-lowering treatment on clinical endpoints in COVID-19 have not previously been investigated. Methods In this retrospective, multicenter cohort study, we consecutively enrolled 430 adult COVID-19 patients from two Chinese hospitals (one each in Chengdu and Wuhan) admitted during February 2020 and followed-up until April 30. Demographic, metabolic profile, laboratory, treatment and clinical endpoint data including in-hospital death and recurrence of COVID-19, were collected. Results In Chengdu patients, univariable and multivariable Cox regression showed that the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) dyslipidemia on admission was associated with the recurrence of COVID-19 during the follow-up period. In Wuhan cohort, the patients with triglycerides hyperlipemia had an increased risk of in-hospital death. However, in both cohorts, statin therapy during COVID-19 course did not affect these clinical endpoints. Compared to the Chengdu cohort, the Wuhan patients tended to have more severe COVID-19 but, unexpectedly, had lower levels of serum lipid. It is of interesting to notice that the relationship between the observed biomarkers of inflammation and lipid do not match the relationship between the organ function measures and this lipid. Conclusions The baseline dyslipidemia should be considered as a risk factor for poor prognosis and recurrence of COVID-19. The lipid level may be altered during COVID-19 course, since lipidology may be distinctly affected by both inflammation and organic damage for SARS-CoV-2. Further investigation is needed on the role of use of lipid-lowering therapy among patients with COVID-19 infections.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E Tran ◽  
Morgan Cheeks ◽  
Abel Kakuru ◽  
Mary K Muhindo ◽  
Paul Natureeba ◽  
...  

Abstract Background : Placental malaria is associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. While primigravidity has been reported as a risk factor for placental malaria, little is known regarding the relationship between gravidity, symptomatology and timing of Plasmodium falciparum infection and the development of placental malaria. Methods : Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the development of placental malaria and gravidity, timing of infection, and presence of symptoms. This is a secondary analysis of data from a double-blind randomized control trial of intermittent preventive therapy during pregnancy in Uganda. Women were enrolled from 12 to 20 weeks gestation and followed through delivery. Exposure to malaria parasites was defined as symptomatic (fever with positive blood smear) or asymptomatic (based on molecular detection of parasitemia done routinely every 4 weeks). The primary outcome was placental malaria diagnosed by histopathology, placental blood smear, and/or placental blood loop-mediated isothermal amplification. We performed subgroup analysis based on the presence of symptomatic malaria, gravidity, and timing of infection. Results : Of the 228 patients with documented maternal infection with malaria parasites during pregnancy, 101 (44.3%) had placental malaria. Primigravidity was strongly associated with placental malaria (aOR 8.90, 95% CI 4.34-18.2, p<0.001), and each episode of malaria was associated with over a 2-fold increase in placental malaria (aOR 2.35, 95% CI 1.69-3.26, p<0.001). Among multigravid women, the odds of placental malaria increased by 14% with each advancing week of gestation at first documented infection (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.27, p=0.02). When stratified by the presence of symptoms, primigravidity was only associated with placental malaria in asymptomatic women, who had a 12-fold increase in the odds of placental malaria (aOR 12.19, 95% CI 5.23-28.43, p<0.001). Conclusions : Total number of Plasmodium falciparum infections in pregnancy is a significant predictor of placental malaria. The importance of timing of infection on the development of placental malaria varies based on gravidity. In primigravidas, earlier asymptomatic infections were associated with placental malaria, whereas in multigravidas, parasitemias detected later in gestation were associated with placental malaria. Earlier initiation of an effective intermittent preventive therapy may help to prevent placental malaria and improve birth outcomes, particularly in primigravid women.


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