Researchers’ Experiences, Positive and Negative, in Integrative Landscape Projects

Integrative (interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary) landscape research projects are becoming increasingly common. As a result, researchers are spending a larger proportion of their professional careers doing integrative work, participating in shifting interdisciplinary teams, and cooperating directly with non-academic participants. Despite the growing importance of integrative research, few studies have investigated researchers’ experiences in these projects. How do researchers perceive the outcomes of integrative projects, or career effects? Do they view the projects generally as successes or failures? This study analyses researchers’ experiences in integrative landscape studies and investigates what factors shape these experiences. The data stems from 19 semi-structured qualitative interviews and a Web-based survey among 207 participants in integrative landscape research projects. It finds that researchers experience participation in integrative projects as positive, in particular discussions among participants, networking, teamwork, and gaining new insights and skills. Furthermore, most researchers perceive the projects as successful and as having a positive effect on their careers. Less positive aspects of integration relate to publications and merit points. Factors found to contribute to positive experiences include reaching a high degree of integration amongst the involved disciplines, common definitions of integrative research concepts, and projects that include a large share of fundamental research as well as projects with many project outcomes. Based on these findings, we advise future projects to plan for integration, facilitate discussions, and reach agreement on integrative concepts. We suggest that aspects of fundamental research be included in integrative projects. We also suggest that planning be done at an early stage for peer-reviewed publications, to ensure that participants gain merit points from their participation in integrative research efforts.     

Long-term outcome after intrauterine laser treatment for twin–twin transfusion syndrome

Twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a severe complication occurring in about 10% of monochorionic twin pregnancies. The chronic unbalanced transfusion of blood across placental vascular communications from the donor to the recipient twin may lead to impairment of various organ systems in the affected twins. In Hamburg, Germany, since 1995 patients with TTTS were treated with fetoscopic laser coagulation as the first causal therapeutic strategy. All survivors after laser surgery were followed up in the University Children's Hospital in Bonn, Germany. In this article, we summarize long-term follow-up studies from our German study population and compare our results with data from the literature. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

机场运行安全规划中安全指标体系的构建

通过对机场运行安全规划中安全指标体系定位的分析,遵循可接受、可实施、可量化、可调控的原则,以结果和过程管理思想为指导,结合风险管理理论,构建机场运行安全规划中的安全指标体系。这个体系包括3个子体系,它们分别涉及运行安全的结果、运行安全的业务过程和运行安全管理绩效3个方面。其中,有关运行安全结果的子指标体系包括事故、事故征候、其他不安全事件3个维度11项指标;有关运行安全业务过程的子指标体系包括飞行区管理、机坪运行管理等7个维度20项指标;有关安全管理绩效的子指标体系包括安全政策与目标、风险管理等4个维度7项指标。     

Injury outcomes and costs for cross-median and median barrier crashes

Introduction

The objective of this research was to quantify the injury outcomes and develop reliable and comprehensive injury costs for cross-median crashes (CMC) and median barrier crashes (MBC).

Method

A three-step methodology was developed to quantify the crash costs for each crash severity and type. All CMC and MBC between 2001 and 2007 in Wisconsin were identified and used in this analysis. The Wisconsin CODES database provided comprehensive injury costs based on the injury types and severities suffered by participants in study crashes.

Results

As expected, multi-vehicle CMC result in more total injuries and more severe injuries than single-vehicle CMC. Injury costs for the same injury level on KABCO scale are different for different crash types. Injury costs for concrete MBC are 33% to 50% less than those of multi-vehicle CMC, while the injury costs of concrete MBC for lower severities (B and C) are similar to those of single-vehicle CMC for the same severities; but for incapacitating injuries the costs are 30% less. As expected, concrete MBC result in lower severities than CMC. The costs, by crash severity, vary significantly between different crash types. Concrete median barrier injury crashes are roughly 20% of multi-vehicle CMC costs and 50% of single-vehicle CMC costs.

Conclusions

Results indicate that using one set of crash costs for all crash types biases any evaluation. Therefore, it is recommended that crash-type-specific costs be used in applications such as development of median barrier warrant where specific types of crashes are considered (CMC and MBC).

Impact on industry

Using crash specific costs can lead to a more realistic benefit-cost analysis and enable better decision-making.