2019 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2019. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2019 statewide survey documents the continued effect associated with law enforcement, related education, and general public attitude

Development of an Improved Method for Determining Advisory Speeds on Horizontal Curves

Horizontal curves are an integral part of the highway alignment. However, a disproportionately high number of severe crashes occur on them. One method transportation agencies use to reduce the number crashes at horizontal curves is the installation of curve warning signs which post an appropriate advisory speed. Appropriate curve advisory speeds can be determined using several methods. Some of these methods are time-consuming to perform and are error-prone. The purpose of this research was to find the most efficient and accurate data collection method for determining curve advisory speeds. Several processes were developed and tested. They were then validated against the results of a manual process referred to as the Direct Method and other traditional methods (such as the ball-bank indicator), which are generally assumed to produce accurate results. Comparing the results of these methods allow researchers evaluate their accuracy and usefulness for setting advisory speeds. The results illustrate the potential of a more user-friendly methodology that allows for efficient and accurate data collection. The advisory speeds determined by this research will assist the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to properly sign horizontal curves. Previous research suggests that posting appropriate advisory speeds results in a safer driving experience

2018 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2018. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2018 statewide survey documents the continued increase in usage associated with the change in the law to allow primary enforcement and related education and enforcement

2017 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

The use of safety belts and child safety seats is a proven means of reducing injuries to motor vehicle occupants involved in traffic crashes. The objective of the survey summarized in this report was to establish a statewide safety belt usage rate in Kentucky for 2017. This rate can be compared to those determined from previous surveys. The 2017 statewide survey documents the continued increase in usage associated with the change in the law to allow primary enforcement and related education and enforcement

From transaction to collaboration: redefining the academic-archivist relationship in business collections

Collaboration has risen up the agenda for archives and universities in recent years, yet there is unrealized potential for co-productive modes of research between archivists and academics, with business collections facing particular obstacles. This article, co-written by an archivist and a historian, presents the findings of a project that aims to support business archivists to develop co-designed research projects that mobilize business collections in rigorous ways to meet present-day business priorities (and so demonstrate to parent organizations the value of their archives and expert archivists). The project involved a collaborative process of workshops, interviews and a survey, which has allowed the project network to develop guidance materials. The authors discuss three key themes that emerged from the process, reflecting the distinctive concerns of archivists working in organizational repositories and the factors that influence their pursuit of academic collaborations. There then follows an analysis of ‘mind-set’ barriers to collaboration: questions of professional culture and practice or intellectual stance that can influence attitudes to and pursuit of collaborative projects between historians and archivists. The authors argue for an open and dialogic approach to designing collaborative research, acknowledging the constraints and imperatives for archivists and academics and recognizing the complementarity of their expertise

2022 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

Each year Kentucky Transportation Center researchers conduct a safety belt usage survey to estimate Kentucky’s statewide safety belt usage rate. In 2022, the safety belt usage rate in Kentucky was 86.72 percent, which represents a 3.06 decline over 2021. Safety belt usage peaked in 2018 at 89.99 percent. Declines in safety belt usage rate over the past couple years may be attributable in part to changes in driver behaviors and traffic dynamics following the COVID-19 pandemic. If Kentucky wants to increase safety belt usage rates, the state may need ramp up enforcement of safety belt laws or bolster educational outreach in targeted areas

Coaxing HIS Data from Mandli Pavement Scans

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Division of Planning’s Highway Information Systems (HIS) database provides geometric information about horizontal and vertical curves, but its accuracy is unknown. An updated method of pavement analysis collects data by scanning the pavement as a van equipped with Mandli software drives the area of interest. The scans provide detailed information that can be used to calculate roadway geometry characteristics (e.g., curve radius, cross slope/superelevation, and grade). This study evaluated the ability of the Mandli data to support curve advisory calculations and find a way to utilize Mandli data to improve the existing HIS database. To this end, the report includes a literature review to determine applicability of data, a series of data validation steps to define Mandli’s accuracy, and an evaluation of tools that convert Mandli into usable HIS data. The data attributes of focus are horizontal curve radius, grade, and cross slope. Horizontal curve radii values were evaluated using University of Nevada Reno’s ArcMAP plugin, Florida DOT’s curvature extension tool, and the University of Kentucky’s Curvature Automatic Tool (UKCAT). These tools were tested for usability, efficiency, and accuracy. Vertical curve attributes, including grade and cross slope, were evaluated by comparing Mandli data to manual field measurements, design plans, and other data collection methods. After data collection and analysis, researchers outline a newly developed method for converting Mandli data into a usable form and implementing it in HIS

Conjoint analysis of researchers' hidden preferences for bibliometrics, altmetrics, and usage metrics

The amount of annually published scholarly articles is growing steadily, as is the number of indicators through which impact of publications is measured. Little is known about how the increasing variety of available metrics affects researchers' processes of selecting literature to read. We conducted ranking experiments embedded into an online survey with 247 participating researchers, most from social sciences. Participants completed series of tasks in which they were asked to rank fictitious publications regarding their expected relevance, based on their scores regarding six prototypical metrics. Through applying logistic regression, cluster analysis, and manual coding of survey answers, we obtained detailed data on how prominent metrics for research impact influence our participants in decisions about which scientific articles to read. Survey answers revealed a combination of qualitative and quantitative characteristics that researchers consult when selecting literature, while regression analysis showed that among quantitative metrics, citation counts tend to be of highest concern, followed by Journal Impact Factors. Our results suggest a comparatively favorable view of many researchers on bibliometrics and widespread skepticism toward altmetrics. The findings underline the importance of equipping researchers with solid knowledge about specific metrics' limitations, as they seem to play significant roles in researchers' everyday relevance assessments

Restriction of arginine induces antibiotic tolerance in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a substantial number of invasive infections globally each year. These infections are problematic because they are frequently recalcitrant to antibiotic treatment. Antibiotic tolerance, the ability of bacteria to persist despite normally lethal doses of antibiotics, contributes to antibiotic treatment failure in S. aureus infections. To understand how antibiotic tolerance is induced, S. aureus biofilms exposed to multiple anti-staphylococcal antibiotics are examined using both quantitative proteomics and transposon sequencing. These screens indicate that arginine metabolism is involved in antibiotic tolerance within a biofilm and support the hypothesis that depletion of arginine within S. aureus communities can induce antibiotic tolerance. Consistent with this hypothesis, inactivation of argH, the final gene in the arginine synthesis pathway, induces antibiotic tolerance. Arginine restriction induces antibiotic tolerance via inhibition of protein synthesis. In murine skin and bone infection models, an argH mutant has enhanced ability to survive antibiotic treatment with vancomycin, highlighting the relationship between arginine metabolism and antibiotic tolerance during S. aureus infection. Uncovering this link between arginine metabolism and antibiotic tolerance has the potential to open new therapeutic avenues targeting previously recalcitrant S. aureus infections