GIS Potential in Management of Pedestrian Accidents in Developing Countries

The main objective of this work was to investigate the potential of utilizing geographic information systems (GISs) in identifying hazardous pedestrian accident-prone locations. The study was performed for roads in Irbid city-Jordan for the years 2002 and 2003. Pedestrian accident data was analyzed by pedestrian characteristics, driver characteristics, accident time and location, environmental conditions, vehicle speed and characteristics, and accident severity. Pedestrian accidents were correlated to operational factors, including traffic volume, vehicle speed, pedestrian volume, street length, and access points. Hazardous locations of vehicle-pedestrian accidents were identified using a GIS query builder. Results showed that there was a high potential for GISs in studying pedestrian accidents

Spatial Mapping of Traffic Noise Levels in Urban Areas

This paper combines field data with an analytical approach to spatially map noise levels due to traffic movements at relatively high traffic volume signalized intersections utilizing the potential of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Noise data were collected using a discrete mapping technique at 29 signalized intersections, as well as between intersections, and at their respective neighborhood areas in Amman, capital of Jordan. Data were collected in three different highly congested traffic peak periods: 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. A portable precision sound level meter capable of measuring noise levels from 34 to 134 decibels (dB) was used during the data collection process. The highest recorded noise level at some signals was 80 dB, while the lowest was 34 dB. In fact, some signalized intersections showed higher noise levels than the acceptable or the standard ones, i.e., 65 dB for daytime and 55 dB for nighttime in residential areas at city center. Two-dimensional (2D) vector and raster maps of noise levels, at different time periods for signals' areas and neighborhoods, were spatially displayed. Results showed that the developed GIS maps could be useful for city planning and other environmental management applications for the purpose of: 1) temporal monitoring and queries of noise level changes as a function of time, 2) spatial queries to find the highest noise disturbance location and its time of the day, 3) development of an online noise information system, 4) using noise level based spatial maps as indicators of variation in land prices, and 5) forecasting and current assessment of the acoustic climate of urban areas

Traffic Accidents at Hazardous Locations of Urban Roads

This study aims at highlighting the most contributing and influential factors to accident occurrence at hazardous locations of local urban roads, and correlating accident characteristics to different factors including geometric elements, traffic speed, pavement type, lighting conditions, type of collisions, pedestrian facilities existence and traffic conditions. The study was conducted using twenty-eight hazardous locations at Amman-Jordan roads. Each of the hazardous locations had at least twenty accidents and two fatality records per year. Data were collected through different sources that included Great Amman Municipality, Traffic Institute, Police Traffic Department and field studies. Different stepwise statistical regression models were developed to correlate accident characteristics with the studied variables. It was found that the logarithmic and linear models were the most significant and realistic models that can be used to predict the relationship between the accident characteristics as a dependent variable and the other studied variables as independent variables. The developed models were strong and predictable because the coefficient of multiple determinations was very close to the adjusted coefficient of multiple determinations. The following variables were found to be the most significant contributors to traffic accidents at hazardous locations: average running speed, posted speed, maximum and average degree of horizontal curves, number of vertical curves, median width, type of road surface, lighting (day or night), number of vehicles per hour, number of pedestrian crossing facilities and percentage of trucks. The study could open the door for planners and traffic engineers to overcome the problems associated with traffic accident occurrence at hazardous locations and enhance their safety. The developed models showed that accident characteristics such as number of accidents, number of fatalities, number of injuries, type of accident and number of vehicles involved in accidents, and statistics of hazardous locations could be predicted if the traffic conditions, geometric elements and environmental variables are known. The study could also be enhanced if incorporated with drivers’ characteristics including socio-economic data

Potential of Computer-Vision Cellular-Phone Based System to Extract Traffic Parameters

This research work investigates the potential of computer – vision cellular – phone based systems to extract traffic and pedestrian parameters; using handheld smartphones with different camera characteristics; i.e. resolution, sensor size and image depth. Various locations with different geometry and functions were selected. Different traffic parameters were extracted: vehicle spot speed and three state vehicle speed profiles (steady, acceleration and deceleration), vehicle speed and time headway relation, vehicle classifications, roadway level of service and pedestrian walking and crossing speed in light and congested traffic area. The difference between actual and measured parameters defined as error and the relationship between error and camera characteristics were investigated. Also, a linear regression models were developed to express actual measured parameters as function of smartphone measures, error as function of camera characteristics. Analysis of extracted parameters showed there was a high correlation between camera characteristics and the accuracy of measured parameters. In fact, increasing camera resolution and sensor size would give high accuracy results for all studied parameters. The percentage of error was consistently ranged, for vehicle speeds it ranged between (1.4% - 10%), for pedestrian speeds it ranged between (0.5% - 9%) and for vehicles dimensions it ranged between (10% - 25%). The outcomes of this research showed high potential accuracy of smartphone – based vision systems in extracting traffic parameters and opened the door to integrate smartphones in different transportation engineering and civil engineering applications

A Knowledge-based System for Pedestrian’s Roadway Crossing Behavior through Video Cameras

An attempt was made to investigate behavioral responses for pedestrian crossing roadways using a normal-based camera setup and a Personal Computer (PC)-based vision system along with an expert system developed specifically to help non-experienced people to perform a safe roadway crossing. This process was demonstrated by studying conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles as an indicator for a pedestrian crash. Two normal-based cameras were used to film pedestrian-traffic movements. A vision system was used to extract about 3317 conflict observations through digital images at six different locations in Irbid-City, Jordan. A database of pedestrian, traffic and geometric related information was developed. The collected variables in this database included: pedestrian’s speed, vehicle’s speed, vehicle distance, type of vehicle, geometry of the road, land use, location of conflict, pedestrian facility, pedestrian distance from the crossing location, age of pedestrian, gender of pedestrian and angle of crossing. Statistical regressions were carried out to establish useful models to estimate pedestrian’s speed from the mentioned variables. An expert system with the basic If... Then forward and backward chaining of the knowledge-based rules along with decision trees was developed using the VP-Expert Shell in order to help nonexperienced pedestrians in making safe decisions to perform roadway crossing. The system was validated and checked with actual data of pedestrians crossing in different locations for both: safe crossing and not crossing cases. Results of this investigation indicated that: 1) The linear multiple regression model was the most significant model to predict the relationship between pedestrian’s speed and the developed database variables; 2) Vehicle’s speed, gender of pedestrian, distance between vehicles, geometry of the road, land use and location of the road, and pedestrian’s facility variables were found to be the most significant contributors to pedestrian behavior while crossing the road; 3) Normal-base camera setup has proven to be a useful, practical and accurate camera configuration and data acquisition system for pedestrian and traffic studies; 4) Conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians can be used as an indicator for pedestrian crashes; and 5) Expert systems have proven to be useful educational systems to assist non-experienced pedestrians to perform decisions regarding safe roadway crossing

FORMULATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN GROWTH HORMONE DELIVERY

Growth hormone treatment has many indications including the treatment of growth hormone deficiency, Prader–Willi syndrome, chronic renal insufficiency, Turner syndrome, AIDS-related wasting, idiopathic short stature in children, and accumulation of fat which related in adults with lipodystrophy. Conventional therapy was achieved using intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. However, noncompliance was very high. To solve this; many studies have been attempted to prepare long-acting formulations and new to make derivatives of growth hormone and to use alternative routes of administration which term as noninvasive routes such as intranasal, pulmonary, transdermal and oral. New delivery systems were also used such as needle-free and auto-injector devices. In this review, different formulations, technologies, and routes of growth hormone delivery will be presented with the discussion of the principles of formulations and selected additives that were used to achieve improved growth hormone formulations

Cost-effective Authenticated Solution (CAS) for 6G-Enabled Artificial Intelligence of Medical Things (AIoMT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of interconnected objects, which congregate and exchange gigantic amounts of data. Usually, pre-deployed embedded sensors sense this massive data. Soon, several applications of IoT are anticipated to exploit emerging 6G technology. Healthcare is one of them, where the 6G-inspired paradigm may facilitate the users to exchange information through hundreds of sensors under the assumption of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT). Integration of medical sensors with AIoT is known as Artificial Intelligence of Medical Things (AIoMT). The secure and seamless interactions among 6G-enabled AIoMT users should be the primary challenge. Furthermore, resource-constrained wearable sensing devices, with their inability to execute complex security solutions, provide an ideal attraction for malicious entities to launch diverse attacks. These challenges have motivated us to design a cost-effective authenticated solution (CAS) for 6G-enabled AIoMT healthcare applications. Our CAS protocol not only prevents cyber threats like impersonation session key secrecy, but it can also prevent physical threats like hardware tampering. We observe formal and informal security validations to endorse its robustness and effectiveness. Performance comparison reveals that CAS protocol offers maximum security enrichment. Moreover, CAS is cost-effective as it has achieved 33% and 60% reduction in computation and communication overheads, respectively, compared to contemporary competing related protocols

Minimal invasive treatment of urethral strictures: An experimental study of the effect of Paclitaxel coated balloons in the wall of strictured rabbit’s urethra

Purpose: The aim of this study is the evaluation of the distribution of Paclitaxel (PTX) released by a coated balloon in the layers of rabbit’s urethra. Methods: 18 rabbits were included. A Laser Device was used for the stricture formation. After two weeks, dilation of the strictured urethra was performed by using Advance 35LP PTA balloons and Advance 18 PTX PTA balloons. The experimental models were divided into 3 groups. The group Α included two rabbits without any intervention except for the stenosis procedure. Group B compromised six rabbits that underwent dilation with Advance 35LP PTA balloons. Group C consisted of 10 rabbits to which dilation with both Advance 35LP PTA balloons and Advance 18 PTX PTA balloons was applied. Histological evaluation and Immunohistochemistry were performed on all specimens. Results: Inflammation, fibrosis and ruptures were detected in the specimens of the study. In specimens of Group C the decrease of inflammation and fibrosis rate was greater. Anti-PTX antibody was detected in the epithelium, lamina propria and smooth muscle layer of all specimens of urethras that have been harvested immediately and 1 day after the dilation with Advance 18 PTX PTA balloon and it was not observed in any layer of the urethral wall of the rest of the examined specimens of Group C. Conclusions: PTX’s enrichment was detected in the smooth muscle layer of all specimens that have been harvested immediately and 24h after the dilation with Advance 18 PTX PTA balloons. PTX may play an inhibitive role in the recurrence of the stenosis