Multiple Alarms and Driving Situational Awareness

There is increasing interest in actively mitigating safety in vehicles beyond that of improving crash worthiness. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are more than 40,000 deaths on highways each year. This number may be decreasing with increasing active public concern and awareness for the use of safety restraints, but the numbers are still in excess of 40,000 deaths annually. Focusing on crash-worthiness as a measure of safety in vehicles will eventually reach a point of diminishing return, thus there is a need for automotive manufacturers to shift their safety focus to crash avoidance safety systems (Runge, 2002). In the public domain, significant progress and advancements have been made under the Intelligent Vehicles Initiative (IVI) set up by U.S. Department of Transportation to prevent motor vehicle crashes by assisting drivers in avoiding hazardous mistakes (U.S DOT, 1998). One IVI focus area is facilitating the rapid deployment of Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS) in vehicles. Collision Avoidance Systems are a subset of Advanced Vehicle Control Safety Systems (AVCSS) which come under the umbrella of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). These Collision Avoidance Systems warn drivers of imminent collisions and can potentially help to save lives. Primary directions of research in CAS are determining implementation strategies and technologies in vehicles and roadway infrastructure, as well as optimizing the driving performance of different populations of drivers when using CAS. In CAS implementation, vehicles will communicate with other vehicles as well as with the roadway infrastructure via sensors and telecommunication networks. The data obtained can then be used in Collision Avoidance Systems. Vehicle-to-vehicle CAS include warnings that trigger when a vehicle is about to collide with another vehicle. Examples include Frontal Warning, Rear Warning and Blind Spot Detection Warnings. Vehicle-to-infrastructure CAS include warnings that trigger when a vehicle is about to have a collision with the roadway infrastructure. Examples include Intersection Warnings, Lane Departure Warnings, Curve Speed Warnings and Road-condition Warnings. Driving in a dynamic environment has become increasingly complex, such that drivers must visually track objects, monitor a constantly changing system, manage system information, to include the explosion of telematics, and make decisions in this dynamic and potentially high mental workload environment. Introducing Collision Avoidance Systems into vehicles could add to the complexity of this dynamic environment as different drivers will respond differently to Collision Avoidance Systems and there are many critical human factors issues that require investigation.Prepared for Ford Motor Co

Integrating Multiple Alarms & Driver Situation Awareness

This study addresses this gap in CAS and intelligent alarm research by examining whether or not a single master alarm warning versus multiple warnings for the different collision warning systems conveys adequate information to the drivers. Intelligent driver warning systems signaling impending frontal and rear collisions, as well as unintentional lane departures were used in this experiment, and all the warnings were presented to drivers through the auditory channel only. We investigated two critical research questions in this study: 1. Do multiple intelligent alarms as opposed to a single master alarm affect drivers’ recognition, performance, and action when they experience a likely imminent collision and unintentional lane departure? 2. Is driver performance and overall situation awareness under the two different alarm alerting schemes affected by reliabilities of the warning systems?Prepared For Ford Motor Compan

Growth and nutritional responses of 'Eucalyptus' and 'Corymbia' species during plantation establishment using effluent irrigation and organic compost on mine over burden in the Hunter Valley, NSW

In an attempt to make the communities which have developed in the Hunter Valley sustainable in the long-term, local government, community groups, regulators and mining operators want to ensure that the long-term legacy of mining in the region is minimised and that potential benefits are maximised. Rehabilitation efforts are focused on activities that will benefit the community after the extraction process has been completed. Regional planning has identified that commercial native forest plantations are considered as an opportunity for mine rehabilitation. While current rates of tree growth are not considered to be commercially viable, practical solutions are available to reduce current limitations and improve the viability of overburden stockpiles for production of forests with enhanced growth rates. In 1999, Muswellbrook Shire Council and the University of New England formed a partnership to research the feasibility of establishing commercial forests on coal mine overburden using effluent irrigation and organic compost, at a site in the Upper Hunter Valley. This thesis examines the effectiveness of using these techniques to enhance the establishment of Corymbia maculata, and seven Eucalyptus species, on coal mine overburden

Adopting and growing a community-based early language program: Challenges and solutions for implementation success

The number of interventions focused on early language development in young children has increased over the past decade. There is a paucity of research on the adoption and implementation of these programs in real-world community settings. This study presents findings from qualitative interviews with leadership, staff, and past participants of a community-based early language development intervention. Themes related to program implementation challenges and solutions are presented. Previous program participants (n=16) identified facilitators and barriers to successful program implementation and provided specific recommendations for program improvements. Interviews with the program leadership and staff (n=6) revealed two main themes: Servant leadership and implementation facilitators. Servant leadership, perseverance and dedication to the families and community, was the premise on which the majority of the program successes could be attributed. The curriculum and structure of the program are important, but based upon the leadership and staff interviews, it is apparent that beyond the content and curriculum, relationships and addressing needs of participants are critical to achieving the goals of the program. Implementation in real-world contexts may require adaptations and enhancements of community-based programs, while maintaining fidelity to core program components, to successfully reach the targeted population and achieve program related outcomes

Impacting Maternal and Prenatal Care Together: A Collaborative Effort to Improve Birth Outcomes

Objectives To describe the development of a collaborative partnership to improve birth outcomes in Harris County, Texas. Methods State and city-level maternal and infant health data were re-analyzed and presented to stakeholders at the zip-code level to generate a renewed response to health issues in these populations, particularly infant mortality. Public and private sector stakeholders convened to form the Impacting Maternal and Prenatal Care Together (IMPACT) Collaborative, identifying four priority areas that required collaborative action. Results Priority area action groups are currently working on strategies to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Collaborative strategies include: raising patient and provider awareness, campaign partnerships, advocating for legislative change, and implementing community based programs. As a collaborative, IMPACT received funding to implement an evidence-based health education intervention for women at risk of having poor birth outcomes. Conclusions Through the leveraging of resources, expertise, and leadership, collaborative partnerships are capable of formulating innovative ideas, developing sustainable solutions, and generating change at multiple levels

Indirect dark matter searches at ultrahigh energy neutrino detectors

High to ultrahigh energy neutrino detectors can uniquely probe the properties of dark matter $$ by searching for the secondary neutrinos produced through annihilation and/or decay processes. We evaluate the sensitivities to dark matter thermally averaged annihilation cross section $⟨⁢⟩$ and partial decay width $Γ_{→\overline{}}⁢$ (in the mass scale $10^7≤_/GeV≤10^{15})$ for next generation observatories like POEMMA (Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics) and GRAND (Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection). We show that in the range $10^7≤/GeV≤10^{11}$, space-based Cherenkov detectors like POEMMA have the advantage of full-sky coverage and rapid slewing, enabling an optimized dark matter observation strategy focusing on the Galactic Center. We also show that ground-based radio detectors such as GRAND can achieve high sensitivities and high duty cycles in radio quiet areas. We compare the sensitivities of next generation neutrino experiments with existing constraints from IceCube and updated 90% C.L. upper limits on $⟨⁢⟩$ and $Γ_{→⁢\overline{}}$ using results from the Pierre Auger Collaboration and Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna. We show that in the range $10^7≤_/GeV≤10^{11}$, POEMMA and GRAND10k will improve the neutrino sensitivity to particle dark matter by factors of 2 to 10 over existing limits, whereas GRAND200k will improve this sensitivity by 2 orders of magnitude. In the range $10^{11}≤/GeV≤10^{15}$, POEMMA’s fluorescence observation mode will achieve an unprecedented sensitivity to dark matter properties. Finally, we highlight the importance of the uncertainties related to the dark matter distribution in the galactic halo, using the latest fit and estimates of the galactic parameters

Assessing a Quality Improvement Project in a Georgia County Health Department

The study and evaluation of quality improvement among Georgia’s public health systems continues to be a major priority for the Georgia Public Health Practice Based Research Network (GAPH-PBRN). This article focuses on the application and evaluation of a Quality Improvement project in a Georgia County Health Department. The QI team sought to reduce the waiting time in the teen clinic; thereby, increasing the Quality Improvement culture one project at a time in this Health Department. The project revealed that Quality Improvement is a continuous process that requires change and adaptation by employees. This initial Quality Improvement project was the first step in helping to establish Quality Improvement culture in the County Health Department

Atherosclerosis in Indigenous Tsimane: A Contemporary Perspective

The Horus and other research teams have found that atherosclerosis is not uncommon in ancient people through the study of their mummified remains (Murphy et al., 2003; Allam et al., 2009, 2011; Thompson et al., 2013, 2014). However, some have postulated that traditional hunter-gatherers are in some ways healthier than modern people and that they had very little atherosclerotic disease (O’Keefe et al., 2010). The aim of this study was to evaluate the burden of atherosclerosis in a population alive today but living a traditional lifestyle similar to that experienced by past populations. This led to the Tsimane Health and Life History Project Team (THLHP) (Gurven et al., 2017) and the Horus Study Team combining efforts to evaluate the prevalence and extent of coronary atherosclerosis in the Tsimane of Bolivia (Kaplan et al., 2017)

10 Years of Meaningful Co-design

The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is the founding partner in the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI). Launched in partnership with the University of Edinburgh in 2013, the core partners in the DHI are currently The University of Strathclyde and The GSA. As a core partner, The GSA brings expertise in design-led innovation and world-class research in health and care to the DHI. We are a multi-disciplinary team of Design Researchers and Creative Technologists based at The GSA’s Innovation School in Glasgow and Moray. We work across urban and rural contexts – locally, nationally, and internationally. Our participatory design approach to innovation is person-centred, not technology-driven, focusing on understanding the lived experience of people and their preferable future ways of living and working. Participants with lived experience are supported to share their stories, challenges and ideas using bespoke methods and tools. Through visualisation, collaborative making, prototyping, and simulation we enable new ways of collaborative working and the translation of insights into future health and care products, services, and systems. This is a selection of projects to celebrate ten years of meaningful co-design at the DHI. We have chosen examples of lived experience engagements that informed concepts for innovating health and care across a range of diverse contexts and topics. The exhibition was part of the Highland Campus Summer Show, 2023. ​​​​​​This event showcased the rich learning experiences offered at The Innovation School, and celebrates the outstanding research undertaken at the Highland Campus