Accident and Speed Studies in Construction Zones

DOT-FH-11-8121The report includes results of two studies of construction zone traffic control. The first study involved analysis of traffic accidents occurring in 79 zones in seven states. Results indicate a before to during accident rate increase of 6.8%. Results also include breakdowns by accident types, severity, light conditions, roadway type, area type, work area roadway type, construction type and state. The second study was field testing of speed reduction methods. Speeds, erratic maneuvers and conflicts were measured at three sites--an urban freeway, a rural freeway, and an urban street. The field studies examined the effect of the following construction zone parameters on vehicle speeds and safety: Sequential flashing arrow boards; speed zoning (advisory and regulatory); enforcement; transverse striping; obliteration of nonappropriate pavement markings; taper length; lane width reduction; and active warning of speed zoning. Recommended guidelines for construction zone traffic controls are also included

The case for altruism in institutional diagnostic testing

Amid COVID-19, many institutions deployed vast resources to test their members regularly for safe reopening. This self-focused approach, however, not only overlooks surrounding communities but also remains blind to community transmission that could breach the institution. To test the relative merits of a more altruistic strategy, we built an epidemiological model that assesses the differential impact on case counts when institutions instead allocate a proportion of their tests to members\u27 close contacts in the larger community. We found that testing outside the institution benefits the institution in all plausible circumstances, with the optimal proportion of tests to use externally landing at 45% under baseline model parameters. Our results were robust to local prevalence, secondary attack rate, testing capacity, and contact reporting level, yielding a range of optimal community testing proportions from 18 to 58%. The model performed best under the assumption that community contacts are known to the institution; however, it still demonstrated a significant benefit even without complete knowledge of the contact network

Cost-Effectiveness and Safety of Alternative Roadway Delineation Treatments for Rural Two-Lane Highways. Vol. IV Appendix B, Development and Description of Computerized Data Base

DOT-FH-11-8587Under this research study, the effect of various delineation treatments on accident rates was assessed by analyzing accident data from more than 500 roadway sites in 10 States for tangent, winding and isolated horizontal curve sections on two-lane rural highways. Cost-benefit and cost models for evaluating specific delineation treatments were developed and guidelines formulated by executing the cost-benefit models for selected delineation treatments. This volume describes in detail the development of the computerized data base used in the study including the development of compatible data codes and resolution of coding discrepancies

161. The Potential Role of Extensor Muscle Fatigue in the Onset of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A Novel In Vivo Model

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Occupation is strongly correlated to low back pain (LBP). Specific occupational activities associated with low back pain include poor posture, whole body vibration, and repetitive lifting. These activities have a common link: they result in fatigue of the primary spinal extensor musculature. This fatigue may lead to increased intervertebral loading - a stimulus for disc degeneration. If true, this association could provide a vital connection between detrimental physical activities and LBP. However, the link between muscle fatigue and increased load across the disc space has never been quantified in vivo. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a wireless multi-axial force-sensing implant and large animal model of primary extensor muscle fatigue. Combined, these tools allow measurement of in vivo spinal forces during muscle fatigue to quantify changes in spine loading

Cost-Effectiveness and Safety of Alternative Roadway Delineation Treatments for Rural Two-Lane Highways. Vol. II Final Report

DOT-FH-11-8587Under this research study, the effect of various delineation treatments on accident rates was assessed by analyzing accident data from more than 500 roadway sites in 10 States for tangent, winding and isolated horizontal curve sections on two-lane rural highways. Cost-benefit and cost models for evaluating specific delineation treatments were developed and guidelines formulated by executing the cost-benefit models for selected delineation treatments. This Volume is the research report and describes all aspects of the study. It includes a discussion of the study design, site selection, data collection, and analysis, results of model development and delineation guidelines

Cost-Effectiveness and Safety of Alternative Roadway Delineation Treatments for Rural Two-Lane Highways. Vol. V Appendix C, Statistical Model Development

DOT-FH-11-8587Under this research study, the effect of various delineation treatments on accident rates was assessed by analyzing accident data from more than 500 roadway sites in 10 States for tangent, winding and isolated horizontal curve sections on two-lane rural highways. Cost-benefit and cost models for evaluating specific delineation treatments were developed and guidelines formulated by executing the cost-benefit models for selected delineation treatments. This volume describes in detail the statistical model development, descriptive statistics, evaluation of alternative dependent variables, and the results of the statistical analysis

Cost-Effectiveness and Safety of Alternative Roadway Delineation Treatments for Rural Two-Lane Highways. Vol. VI Appendixes D & E, Cost of Roadway Accidents and Cost and Service Life of Roadway Delineation Treatments

DOT-FH-11-8587Under this research study, the effect of various delineation treatments on accident rates was assessed by analyzing accident data from more than 500 roadway sites in 10 States for tangent, winding and isolated horizontal curve sections on two-lane rural highways. Cost-benefit and cost models for evaluating specific delineation treatments were developed and guidelines formulated by executing the cost-benefit models for selected delineation treatments. This volume contains two appendixes. Appendix D discusses various alternative accident cost information and presents the rationale for using specific accident cost data. Appendix E discusses the cost and service life information of delineation treatments used in the study. Over 20 references are cited and the information presented provides the background for the inputs to the cost-benefit model

'Education, education, education' : legal, moral and clinical

This article brings together Professor Donald Nicolson's intellectual interest in professional legal ethics and his long-standing involvement with law clinics both as an advisor at the University of Cape Town and Director of the University of Bristol Law Clinic and the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic. In this article he looks at how legal education may help start this process of character development, arguing that the best means is through student involvement in voluntary law clinics. And here he builds upon his recent article which argues for voluntary, community service oriented law clinics over those which emphasise the education of students

Predicting new molecular targets for known drugs

Although drugs are intended to be selective, at least some bind to several physiological targets, explaining side effects and efficacy. Because many drug–target combinations exist, it would be useful to explore possible interactions computationally. Here we compared 3,665 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved and investigational drugs against hundreds of targets, defining each target by its ligands. Chemical similarities between drugs and ligand sets predicted thousands of unanticipated associations. Thirty were tested experimentally, including the antagonism of the β1 receptor by the transporter inhibitor Prozac, the inhibition of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter by the ion channel drug Vadilex, and antagonism of the histamine H4 receptor by the enzyme inhibitor Rescriptor. Overall, 23 new drug–target associations were confirmed, five of which were potent (less than 100 nM). The physiological relevance of one, the drug N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) on serotonergic receptors, was confirmed in a knockout mouse. The chemical similarity approach is systematic and comprehensive, and may suggest side-effects and new indications for many drugs