| 1. |
- Bastos, Jorge Tiago, et al.
(författare)
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Road safety performance in Brazil : towards a composite indicator
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The monitoring of the road safety level in Brazil and particularly in its member states traditionally focuses on the available traffic fatality rates. However, this approach does not offer practical suggestions on how to improve road safety. In this context, the usage of Road Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) is a growing and promising tendency. This research deals with the construction of a set of SPIs intended to serve as good indicators of the operational conditions of the road traffic system in each of the 27 Brazilian states. The set of 28 selected SPIs represents three domains (road user, environment and vehicle) and consists of further subdivisions. The hierarchical structure of the 28 indicators manifests the traditional distinction between the road user (RU), the environment (E) and the vehicle (V) domain of SPIs. In the first domain (1st to 10th indicator), road user behavior decomposes into alcohol (A), cell-phone (CP), protective systems (PS) and speeding (S). Protective systems decompose into seatbelt (SB) and helmet (H). In the second domain, environmental SPIs decompose into road (R) and health system (HS). Road (11th to 20ht indicator), decomposes into central division (CD), signing (SG) and roadside (RS). Signing decomposes into road markings (RM) and vertical signs (VS). Road markings decompose into central (C) and lateral (L). Health system (21st to 23rd indicator) decomposes into health professionals (HP) and health expenditure (HE). In the third domain, vehicle related SPIs (24th to 27th indicator), decompose into fleet composition (FC) and age of the fleet (AF). This paper aims to describe this innovative SPI research in Brazil, using data envelopment analysis to aggregate the SPIs into a composite indicator, as well as to show the potential for supporting future improvements on the theme.
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| 2. |
- De Ceunynck, Tim, et al.
(författare)
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Sharing is (s)caring? Interactions between buses and bicyclists on bus lanes shared with bicyclists
- 2017
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Ingår i: Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. - : Elsevier BV. - 1369-8478. ; 46, s. 301-315
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents the results of an observation study of interactions between bicyclists and buses on shared bus lanes. The aim of the paper is to analyse bicyclists' safety on bus lanes shared with bicyclists. Straight sections of two bus lanes shared with bicyclists in Belgium are observed. All interactions between bicyclists and buses over two full weeks are recorded and analysed. Additionally, the lateral position and riding speed of bicyclists that are in interaction with buses are compared with the behaviour of bicyclists that are not in interaction with buses. One of the observed bus lanes is in line with road design guidelines in a number of countries that state that a sufficiently narrow bus lane (<3.5. m) is hypothesised to be safer than a somewhat wider bus lane; the other observed bus lane is deemed too wide according to these guidelines and is hypothesised to lead to close overtaking manoeuvres.The results show that close interactions between bicyclists and buses are relatively frequent on both types of analysed bus lanes. Close overtaking manoeuvres (a bus overtakes a bicyclist with a lateral distance less than 1. m) as well as close bicycle-following situations (a bus drives behind a bicyclist with a time gap less than 2. s) are quite common on both analysed bus lanes. The analyses could not confirm the hypothesis that a sufficiently narrow bus lane is safer than a wider bus lane. On the contrary, close interactions seem even slightly more common on the narrower bus lane. Slightly more close overtaking manoeuvres take place on the narrower bus lane, but the difference is not statistically significant. Additionally, more bicycle-following situations take place on the narrower bus lane because overtaking is more difficult. The results show that buses often maintain a close time gap in these situations. The overtaking speed of the buses is, however, significantly higher on the wider bus lane compared to the narrower one.Moreover, the presence of a bus has an influence on the behaviour of bicyclists. Bicyclists who get overtaken by a bus ride more closely to the edge of the road than bicyclists who are not in interaction with a bus. While the road design guidelines assume that bicyclists take up a width of one meter from the edge on bus lanes shared with bicyclists, the observations show that bicyclists take up much less space while being overtaken. The presence of a bus does not have a significant influence on the standard deviation of the lateral position of the bicyclist. On the narrower bus lane, some findings suggest that bicyclists who are involved in an interaction with a bus ride faster than bicyclists who are not involved in an interaction with a bus.
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| 3. |
- Langereis, Jeroen D, et al.
(författare)
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Modified Lipooligosaccharide Structure Protects Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae from IgM-Mediated Complement Killing in Experimental Otitis Media
- 2012
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Ingår i: mBio. - : American Society for Microbiology: mBio / American Society for Microbiology. - 2161-2129 .- 2150-7511. ; 3:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a Gram-negative, human-restricted pathogen. Although this bacterium typically colonizes the nasopharynx in the absence of clinical symptoms, it is also one of the major pathogens causing otitis media (OM) in children. Complement represents an important aspect of the host defense against NTHi. In general, NTHi is efficiently killed by complement-mediated killing; however, various resistance mechanisms have also evolved. We measured the complement resistance of NTHi isolates isolated from the nasopharynx and the middle ear fluids of OM patients. Furthermore, we determined the molecular mechanism of NTHi complement resistance. Complement resistance was strongly increased in isolates from the middle ear, which correlated with decreased binding of IgM. We identified a crucial role for the R2866_0112 gene in complement resistance. Deletion of this gene altered the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) composition of the bacterium, which increased IgM binding and complement-mediated lysis. In a novel mouse model of coinfection with influenza virus, we demonstrate decreased virulence for the R2866_0112 deletion mutant. These findings identify a mechanism by which NTHi modifies its LOS structure to prevent recognition by IgM and activation of complement. Importantly, this mechanism plays a crucial role in the ability of NTHi to cause OM. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanIMPORTANCE Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) colonizes the nasopharynx of especially young children without any obvious symptoms. However, NTHi is also a major pathogen in otitis media (OM), one of the most common childhood infections. Although this pathogen is often associated with OM, the mechanism by which this bacterium is able to cause OM is largely unknown. Our study addresses a key biological question that is highly relevant for child health: what is the molecular mechanism that enables NTHi to cause OM? We show that isolates collected from the middle ear fluid exhibit increased complement resistance and that the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) structure determines IgM binding and complement activation. Modification of the LOS structure decreased NTHi virulence in a novel NTHi-influenza A virus coinfection OM mouse model. Our findings may also have important implications for other Gram-negative pathogens harboring LOS, such as Neisseria meningitidis, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Bordetella pertussis.
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| 4. |
- Shen, Yongjun, et al.
(författare)
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International benchmarking of road safety : State of the art
- 2013
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference Road Safety on Four Continents. - Linköping : Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The road traffic crashes and consequent injuries and fatalities, traditionally regarded as random, unavoidable ‘accidents’, have been more and more recognized as a preventable public health problem. Given the fact that more and more countries are taking steps to improve their road safety situation, there is a growing need for these countries to work together more closely, because there are quite a number of common problems that can be identified in close cooperation, and improvement can be expected by learning lessons from existing best practices in other countries. As a consequence, comparison between a range of countries in terms of their road safety performance and development or − using state-of-the-art terminology − inter-national benchmarking of road safety, is currently widely advocated by most countries and international bodies. However, performing a successful road safety benchmarking practice is by no means easy. Challenges exist from the definition of benchmarking framework at the very beginning to the final decisions in terms of identification of best practices and establishment of a continuous process of mutual learning. In this paper, based on a brief review of the concept of benchmarking, a benchmarking cycle for road safety is proposed. Moreover, as a valuable benchmarking tool, the development of a road safety index is highlighted, a number of recent studies are presented, and some theoretical and practical issues are discussed.
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