62 research outputs found
There's a way out for me: Insights from support intervention for low-income women who smoke.
No full textBased on an assessment of low-income women’s support needs and preferences, an intervention was designed consisting of 14 weekly group support sessions encompassing peer and professional facilitators and volunteer buddies. Participants (n=44) completed a 13-item semi-structured qualitative interview following the intervention and an 8-item semi-structured interview three months later. Most women reported that the support group mobilized and reinforced their intentions to quit smoking. Participants enjoyed opportunities to interact with women facing similar challenges and to receive emotional, informational, affirmation and practical support. Women indicated that the program provided useful information about life skills; improved their selfesteem; taught them smoking reduction and cessation strategies; offered an opportunity to share feelings and life experiences; and helped them to relax and enjoy their time together through exercises and crafts. The intervention addressed multiple issues in low-income women’s lives, suggesting that tobacco cessation for vulnerable populations require comprehensive intensive intervention
Use of routine interventions in vaginal labour and birth: Findings from the Maternity Experiences Survey.
No full textBackground: Intervention rates in maternity practices vary considerably across Canadian provinces and territories. The objective of this study was to describe the use of routine interventions and practices in labor and birth as reported by women in the Maternity Experiences Survey of the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System. Rates of interventions and practices are considered in the light of current evidence and both Canadian and international recommendations. Methods: A sample of 8,244 estimated eligible women was identified from a randomly selected sample of recently born infants drawn from the May 2006 Canadian Census and stratified primarily by province and territory. Birth mothers living with their infants at the time of interview were invited to participate in a computer-assisted telephone interview conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of the Public Health Agency of Canada. Interviews averaged 45 minutes long and were completed when infants were between 5 and 10 months old (9–14 mo in the territories). Completed responses were obtained from 6,421 women (78%). Results: Women frequently reported electronic fetal monitoring, a health care practitioner starting or speeding up their labor (or trying to do so), epidural anesthesia, episiotomy, and a supine position for birth. Some women also reported pubic or perineal shaves, enemas, and pushing on the top of their abdomen. Conclusions: Several practices and interventions were commonly reported in labor and birth in Canada, although evidence and Canadian and international guidelines recommend against their routine use. Practices not recommended for use at all, such as shaving, were also reported
Optimisation of speed camera locations using genetic algorithm and pattern search
No full textRoad traffic accidents continue to be a public health problem and are a global issue due to the huge financial burden they place on families and society as a whole. Speed has been identified as a major contributor to the severity of traffic accidents and there is the need for better speed management if road traffic accidents are to be reduced.
Over the years various measures have been implemented to manage vehicle speeds. The use of speed cameras and vehicle activated signs in recent times has contributed to the reduction of vehicle speeds to various extents. Speed cameras use punitive measures whereas vehicle activated signs do not so their use depends on various factors. Engineers, planners and decision makers responsible for determining the best place to mount a speed camera or vehicle activated sign along a road have based their decision on experience, site characteristics and available guidelines (Department for Transport, 2007; Department for Transport, 2006; Department for Transport, 2003). These decisions can be subjective and indications are that a more formal and directed approach aimed at bringing these available guidelines together in a model will be beneficial in making the right decision as to where to place a speed camera or vehicle activated sign is to be made. The use of optimisation techniques have been applied in other areas of research but this has been clearly absent in the Transport Safety sector.
This research aims to contribute to speed reduction by developing a model to help decision makers determine the optimum location for a speed control device.
In order to achieve this, the first study involved the development of an Empirical Bayes Negative Binomial regression accident prediction model to predict the number of fatal and serious accidents combined and the number of slight accidents. The accident prediction model that was used explored the effect of certain geometric and traffic characteristics on the effect of the severity of road traffic accident numbers on selected A-roads within the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire regions of United Kingdom. On A-roads some model variables (n=10) were found to be statistically significant for slight accidents and (n=6) for fatal and serious accidents.
The next study used the accident prediction model developed in two optimisation techniques to help predict the optimal location for speed cameras or vehicle activated signs. Pattern Search and Genetic Algorithms were the two main types of optimisation techniques utilised in this thesis. The results show that the two methods did produce similar results in some instances but different in others. Optimised results were compared to some existing sites with speed cameras some of the results obtained from the optimisation techniques used were within proximity of about 160m. A validation method was applied to the genetic algorithm and pattern search optimisation methods. The pattern search method was found to be more consistent than the genetic algorithm method. Genetic algorithm results produced slightly different results at validation in comparison with the initial results. T-test results show a significant difference in the function values for the validated genetic algorithm (M= 607649.34, SD= 1055520.75) and the validated pattern search function values (M= 2.06, SD= 1.17) under the condition t (79) = 5.15, p=0.000.
There is a role that optimisation techniques can play in helping to determine the optimum location for a speed camera or vehicle activated sign based on a set of objectives and specified constraints. The research findings as a whole show that speed cameras and vehicle activated signs are an effective speed management tool. Their deployment however needs to be carefully considered by engineers, planners and decision makers so as to achieve the required level of effectiveness. The use of optimisation techniques which has been generally absent in the Transport Safety sector has been shown in this thesis to have the potential to contribute to improve speed management. There is however no doubt that this research will stimulate interest in this rather new but high potential area of Transport Safety
Optimisation of speed camera locations using genetic algorithm and pattern search
No full textRoad traffic accidents continue to be a public health problem and are a global issue due to the huge financial burden they place on families and society as a whole. Speed has been identified as a major contributor to the severity of traffic accidents and there is the need for better speed management if road traffic accidents are to be reduced.
Over the years various measures have been implemented to manage vehicle speeds. The use of speed cameras and vehicle activated signs in recent times has contributed to the reduction of vehicle speeds to various extents. Speed cameras use punitive measures whereas vehicle activated signs do not so their use depends on various factors. Engineers, planners and decision makers responsible for determining the best place to mount a speed camera or vehicle activated sign along a road have based their decision on experience, site characteristics and available guidelines (Department for Transport, 2007; Department for Transport, 2006; Department for Transport, 2003). These decisions can be subjective and indications are that a more formal and directed approach aimed at bringing these available guidelines together in a model will be beneficial in making the right decision as to where to place a speed camera or vehicle activated sign is to be made. The use of optimisation techniques have been applied in other areas of research but this has been clearly absent in the Transport Safety sector.
This research aims to contribute to speed reduction by developing a model to help decision makers determine the optimum location for a speed control device.
In order to achieve this, the first study involved the development of an Empirical Bayes Negative Binomial regression accident prediction model to predict the number of fatal and serious accidents combined and the number of slight accidents. The accident prediction model that was used explored the effect of certain geometric and traffic characteristics on the effect of the severity of road traffic accident numbers on selected A-roads within the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire regions of United Kingdom. On A-roads some model variables (n=10) were found to be statistically significant for slight accidents and (n=6) for fatal and serious accidents.
The next study used the accident prediction model developed in two optimisation techniques to help predict the optimal location for speed cameras or vehicle activated signs. Pattern Search and Genetic Algorithms were the two main types of optimisation techniques utilised in this thesis. The results show that the two methods did produce similar results in some instances but different in others. Optimised results were compared to some existing sites with speed cameras some of the results obtained from the optimisation techniques used were within proximity of about 160m. A validation method was applied to the genetic algorithm and pattern search optimisation methods. The pattern search method was found to be more consistent than the genetic algorithm method. Genetic algorithm results produced slightly different results at validation in comparison with the initial results. T-test results show a significant difference in the function values for the validated genetic algorithm (M= 607649.34, SD= 1055520.75) and the validated pattern search function values (M= 2.06, SD= 1.17) under the condition t (79) = 5.15, p=0.000.
There is a role that optimisation techniques can play in helping to determine the optimum location for a speed camera or vehicle activated sign based on a set of objectives and specified constraints. The research findings as a whole show that speed cameras and vehicle activated signs are an effective speed management tool. Their deployment however needs to be carefully considered by engineers, planners and decision makers so as to achieve the required level of effectiveness. The use of optimisation techniques which has been generally absent in the Transport Safety sector has been shown in this thesis to have the potential to contribute to improve speed management. There is however no doubt that this research will stimulate interest in this rather new but high potential area of Transport Safety
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Once FITS, Always FITS? Astronomical Infrastructure in Transition
No full textThe FITS file format has become the de facto standard for sharing, analyzing, and archiving astronomy data over the last four decades. FITS was adopted by astronomers in the early 1980s to overcome incompatibilities between operating systems. On the back of FITS’ success, astronomical data became both backwards compatible and easily shareable. However, new advances in astronomical instrumentation, computational technologies, and analytic techniques have resulted in new data that do not work well within the traditional FITS format. Tensions have arisen between the desire to update the format to meet new analytic challenges and adherence to the original edict for FITS files to be backwards compatible. We examine three inflection points in the governance of FITS: a) initial development and success, b) widespread acceptance and governance by the working group, and c) the challenges to FITS in a new era of increasing data and computational complexity within astronomy
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Maintaining FITS! Some lessons from (and perils of) successful long-term software maintenance
No full text
Confl Health
No full textBackgroundRefugees are at high risk for communicable diseases due to overcrowding and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions. Handwashing with soap removes pathogens from hands and reduces disease risk. A hepatitis E outbreak in the refugee camps of Maban County, South Sudan in 2012 prompted increased hygiene promotion and improved provision of soap, handwashing stations, and latrines. We conducted a study 1 year after the outbreak to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the refugees in Maban County.MethodsWe conducted a cross sectional survey of female heads of households in three refugee camps in Maban County. We performed structured observations on a subset of households to directly observe their handwashing practices at times of possible pathogen transmission.ResultsOf the 600 households interviewed, nearly all had soap available and 91\ua0% reported water was available \u201calways\u201d or \u201csometimes\u201d. Exposure to handwashing promotion was reported by 85\ua0% of the respondents. Rinsing hands with water alone was more commonly observed than handwashing with soap at critical handwashing times including \u201cbefore eating\u201d (80\ua0% rinsing vs. 7\ua0% washing with soap) and \u201cbefore preparing/cooking food\u201d (72.3\ua0% vs 23\ua0%). After toilet use, 46\ua0% were observed to wash hands with soap and an additional 38\ua0% rinsed with water alone.ConclusionsDespite intensive messaging regarding handwashing with soap and access to soap and water, rinsing hands with water alone rather than washing hands with soap remains more common among the refugees in Maban County. This practice puts them at continued risk for communicable disease transmission. Qualitative research into local beliefs and more effective messaging may help future programs tailor handwashing interventions.20152015-12-20T00:00:00Z26702295PMC4689052660
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