Evaluation of a hospital-based injury surveillance system for monitoring road traffic deaths in Phuket,Thailand

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate and injury surveillance (IS) system’s ability to monitor road traffic deaths and the coverage of road traffic injury and death surveillance in Phuket, Thailand.

Methods: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on surveillance system evaluation were used to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate IS. Interviews with key stakeholders focused on IS’s usefulness, simplicity, flexibility, acceptability, and stability. Active case finding of 2014 road traffic deaths in all paper and electronic hospital record systems was used to assess system sensitivity, positive predictive value, and data quality. Electronic data matching software was used to determine the implications of combining IS data with other provincial-level data sources (e.g., death certificates, electronic vehicle insurance claim system).

Results: Evaluation results indicated that IS was useful, flexible, acceptable, and stable, with a high positive predictive value (99%). Simplicity was limited due to the burden of collecting data on all injuries and use of paper-based data collection forms. Sensitivity was low, with IS only identifying 55% of hospital road traffic death cases identified during active case finding; however, IS cases were representative of cases identified. Data accuracy and completeness varied across data fields. Combining IS with active case finding, death certificates, and the electronic vehicle insurance claim system more than doubled the number of road traffic death cases identified in Phuket.

Conclusion: An efficient and comprehensive road traffic injury and death surveillance system is critical for monitoring Phuket’s road traffic burden. The hospital-based IS system is a useful system for monitoring road traffic deaths and assessing risk behaviors. However, the complexity of data collection and limited coverage hinders the ability of IS to fully represent road traffic deaths in Phuket Province. Combining data sources could improve coverage and should be considered.     

Pedestrian distraction: The effects of road environment complexity and age on pedestrian’s visual attention and crossing behavior

Introduction: Little is known about how characteristics of the environment affect pedestrians’ road crossing behavior. Method: In this work, the effect of typical urban visual clutter created by objects and elements in the road proximity (e.g., billboards) on adults and children (aged 9–13) road crossing behavior was examined in a controlled laboratory environment, utilizing virtual reality scenarios projected on a large dome screen. Results: Divided into three levels of visual load, results showed that high visual load affected children’s and adults’ road crossing behavior and visual attention. The main effect on participants’ crossing decisions was seen in missed crossing opportunities. Children and adults missed more opportunities to cross the road when exposed to more cluttered road environments. An interaction with age was found in the dispersion of the visual attention measure. Children, 9–10 and 11–13 years old, had a wider spread of gazes across the scene when the environment was highly loaded—an effect not seen with adults. However, unexpectedly, no other indication of the deterring effect was found in the current study. Still, according to the results, it is reasonable to assume that busier road environments can be more hazardous to adult and child pedestrians. Practical Applications: In that context, it is important to further investigate the possible distracting effect of causal objects in the road environment on pedestrians, and especially children. This knowledge can help to create better safety guideline for children and assist urban planners in creating safer urban environments.     

Annoyance due to aircraft noise has increased over the years—Results of the HYENA study

In the HYENA study (HYpertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports) noise annoyances due to aircraft and road traffic noise were assessed in subjects that lived in the vicinity of 6 major European airports using the 11-point ICBEN scale (International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise). A distinction was made between the annoyance during the day and during the night. L_den and L_night were considered as indicators of noise exposure. Pooled data analyses showed clear exposure–response relationships between the noise level and the noise annoyance for both exposures. The exposure–response curves for road noise were congruent with the EU standard curves used for predicting the number of highly noise annoyed subjects in European communities. Annoyance ratings due to aircraft noise, however, were higher than predicted by the EU standard curves. The data supports other findings suggesting that the people's attitude towards aircraft noise has changed over the years, and that the EU standard curve for aircraft noise should be modified.     

Assessing the toxicity of sodium chloride to the glochidia of freshwater mussels: implications for salinization of surface waters

Chloride concentrations in surface waters have increased significantly, a rise attributed to road salt use. In Canada, this may be a concern for endangered freshwater mussels, many with ranges limited to southern Ontario, Canada’s most road-dense region. The acute toxicity of NaCl was determined for glochidia, the mussel’s larval stage. The 24 h EC50s of four (including two Canadian endangered) species ranged from 113-1430 mg Cl L⁻¹ (reconstituted water, 100 mg CaCO₃ L⁻¹). To determine how mussels would respond to a chloride pulse, natural river water (hardness 278-322 mg CaCO₃ L⁻¹) was augmented with salt. Lampsilis fasciola glochidia were significantly less sensitive to salt in natural water (EC50s 1265-1559 mg Cl L⁻¹) than in reconstituted water (EC50 285 mg L⁻¹). Chloride data from mussel habitats revealed chloride reaches levels acutely toxic to glochidia (1300 mg L⁻¹). The increased salinization of freshwater could negatively impact freshwater mussels, including numerous species at risk.     

丝绸之路经济带中国段后备可利用水土资源空间分布格局研究

丝绸之路经济带横跨我国东部到西部,水土资源的空间分异特征明显,对该区域水土资源的空间分布格局和分异规律进行监测和评价,能有效地引导经济带开发的空间布局。基于GIS空间分析与统计数据定量分析,通过计算研究区各地级市的后备可利用土地资源和水资源进行分析:(1)后备可利用水土资源总量的空间分布特征及其地域分异规律;(2)人均后备可利用水土资源的空间分布格局和资源丰度分异规律;(3)人均后备可利用土地资源与水资源的分布匹配程度,以及区域人均后备可利用水土资源的空间分异规律分析。结果表明:研究区共有后备可利用土地资源309 849.6 km~2,后备可利用水资源1 512.21亿m~3;后备可利用水土资源人均占有量呈现由南往北、由西向东递减的趋势,水土资源空间分布不均,且土地资源与水资源的空间分布不相匹配。     

The Influence of Traffic Noise on Vertebrate Road Crossing Through Underpasses

Noise produces multiple effects on ecosystems and it influences habitat use by vertebrates near roads. Thus, it may reduce the effectiveness of mitigation measures installed on roads to alleviate population fragmentation. This study analyses the effects of noise on the use by vertebrates of 19 underpasses at a motorway. It employs generalised linear models to test the effect of three noise indicators at the underpasses and in their vicinity on the crossing frequency of eight animal species. The results show that the road crossings are subjected to high and variable noise levels. Nevertheless, there is no consistent response to noise by vertebrates. This suggests that wildlife use of underpasses is determined more by habitat characteristics than by the levels of noise tolerated. The conclusion is that noise abatement measures on roads in areas of faunal sensitivity should focus on general noise reduction rather than on making individual crossing places quieter.     

高风险城市环境地铁小净距隧道近接隧道群施工方案优选

为优选高风险城市环境中小净距隧道近接施工方案,依托北京地铁19号线新草区间新建小净距隧道近接隧道群工程,利用有限差分软件FLAC3D,对工程采取管棚管幕预加固措施和改变施工顺序2种施工方案,并对2种方案下的位移控制效果进行研究.研究结果表明:采用管棚管幕预加固措施,并以东侧隧道完工后西侧隧道开挖的顺序施工,可有效控制位...     

Road Traffic Noise Prediction Model under Interrupted Traffic Flow Condition

The objective of this study is to develop an empirical traffic noise prediction model under interrupted traffic flow conditions using two analytical the approaches, the first being the acceleration lane approach and second being the deceleration approach. The urban road network of Bangalore city has been selected as the study area. Sixteen locations are chosen in major traffic junctions of the study area. The traffic noise data collected from the study locations were analyzed separately for both acceleration and deceleration lanes when vehicles leave an intersection on a green traffic light and come to a stop on red traffic light. Based on the study, a regression noise prediction model has been developed for both acceleration and deceleration lanes.     

Evolution of road risk disparities at small-scale level: example of Belgium

PROBLEM: Road accident outcomes are traditionally analyzed at state or road network level due to a lack of aggregated data and suitable analytical methods. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate usefulness of a simple spatiotemporal modeling of road accident outcomes at small-scale geographical level. METHOD: Small-area spatiotemporal Bayesian models commonly used in epidemiological studies reveal the existence of spatial correlation in accident data and provide a mechanism to quantify its effect. The models were run for Belgium data for the period 2000-2005. Two different scale levels and two different exposure variables were considered under Bayesian hierarchical models of annual accident and fatal injury counts. The use of the conditional autoregressive (CAR) formulation of area specific relative risk and trend terms leads to more distinctive patterns of risk and its evolution. The Pearson correlation tests for relative risk rates and temporal trends allows researchers to determine the development of risk disparities in time. RESULTS: Analysis of spatial effects allowed the identification of clusters with similar risk outcomes pointing toward spatial structure in road accident outcomes and their background mechanisms. From the analysis of temporal trends, different developments in road accident and fatality rates in the three federated regions of Belgium came into light. Increasing spatial disparities in terms of fatal injury risk and decreasing spatial disparities in terms of accident risk with time were further identified. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The application of a space-time model to accident and fatal injury counts at a small-scale level in Belgium allowed identification of several areas with outstandingly high accident (injury) records. This could allow more efficient redistribution of resources and more efficient road safety management in Belgium.