bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing Accident Modification Functions
Authors: Elvik Rune
Published: September 2009

This paper discusses how accident modification functions describing the effects of road safety measures can be developed on the basis of evaluation studies. An accident modification function is a continuous function that describes the effect of a road safety measure as a function of one or more characteristics of the measure or the context of its use. Accident modification functions should be based on data that are easily available before a measure is implemented and that can be used to predict its effect. The following steps in developing accident modification functions are outlined: ( a) development of hypotheses regarding systematic variation in effects of a road safety measure (i.e., identifying the independent variables of accident modification functions); ( b) exploratory analysis of patterns in an evaluation study designed to propose a first version of an accident modification function; ( c) testing of the accident modification function on a new evaluation study employing the same study design as the one used to develop the first version of the accident modification function; ( d) synthesis of results obtained for the two evaluation studies by means of a revised accident modification function; ( e) testing of the revised accident modification function by means of a third evaluation study; ( f) synthesis of results obtained from three evaluation studies by means of a revised and possibly refined accident modification function; and ( g) repetition of Steps 5( e) and ( f) each time a new evaluation study is reported. The procedure is illustrated using evaluations of the road safety effects of bypass roads and the conversion of intersections to roundabouts as examples. In the first of these cases, an accident modification function was successfully developed. In the second case, development was not successful.
Elementary Units of Exposure
Authors: Elvik Rune , Erke Alena , Christensen Peter
Published: September 2009

Most road safety studies rely on summary measures of exposure. The term “summary measure” denotes any aggregate indicator of exposure that does not directly identify and count the number of opportunities for accidents to occur. This paper shows how elementary units of exposure can be developed on the basis of known aggregate measures, such as annual average daily traffic (AADT). An elementary unit of exposure refers to any event that generates an opportunity for an accident to occur. Four such events are identified: ( a) encounters (i.e., vehicles passing each other in opposite directions of travel); ( b) simultaneous arrivals at points of intersection between potentially conflicting directions of travel, in particular vehicles entering intersections at the same time or within a very short time interval; ( c) change of travel lane on multilane highways; and ( d) braking or stopping. These events describe traffic movements that occur before a wide range of crash types. The only major group of accidents that is not directly related to particular events is running off the road. The number of events expected to occur for each of the four types identified is estimated on the basis of the following assumptions: ( a) AADT is known [when estimating the number of events, mean hourly volume (AADT/24) is used]; ( b) vehicles or road users arrive at a point of potential conflict according to a Poisson process; and ( c) simultaneous arrivals within a very short time interval (such as 1 s) have the potential to generate a conflict. The number of encounters and simultaneous arrivals in intersections increases considerably faster than AADT. The number of events that may generate conflicts involving lane changes, braking, or stopping increases more slowly than does AADT.
Empirical Evaluation of Alternative Approaches in Identifying Crash Hot Spots
Authors: Huang Helai , Chin Hoong Chor , Haque Md. Mazharul
Published: September 2009

This study proposes a framework of a model-based hot spot identification method by applying full Bayes (FB) technique. In comparison with the state-of-the-art approach [i.e., empirical Bayes method (EB)], the advantage of the FB method is the capability to seamlessly integrate prior information and all available data into posterior distributions on which various ranking criteria could be based. With intersection crash data collected in Singapore, an empirical analysis was conducted to evaluate the following six approaches for hot spot identification: ( a) naive ranking using raw crash data, ( b) standard EB ranking, ( c) FB ranking using a Poisson-gamma model, ( d) FB ranking using a Poisson-lognormal model, ( e) FB ranking using a hierarchical Poisson model, and ( f) FB ranking using a hierarchical Poisson (AR-1) model. The results show that ( a) when using the expected crash rate–related decision parameters, all model-based approaches perform significantly better in safety ranking than does the naive ranking method, and ( b) the FB approach using hierarchical models significantly outperforms the standard EB approach in correctly identifying hazardous sites.
Safety Effectiveness of Lane and Shoulder Width Combinations on Rural, Two-Lane, Undivided Roads
Authors: Gross Frank , Jovanis Paul P. , Eccles Kimberly
Published: September 2009

There is a need to evaluate low-cost safety strategies that states may implement as part of their Strategic Highway Safety Plan. FHWA organized a pooled fund study of 26 states to evaluate several low-cost safety strategies, including the reallocation of total paved width. This study identifies whether it is safer to increase lane width or increase shoulder width given a fixed total width. Geometric, traffic, and crash data were obtained for more than 52,000 mi of roadway in Pennsylvania and Washington State. A case-control approach was applied to evaluate the safety effectiveness of various lane–shoulder configurations. There was a general reduction in the odds ratio as total paved width, lane width, and shoulder width increased individually; this is consistent with previous research. However, the primary research objective was to estimate the safety effectiveness of reallocating a fixed total paved width. Individual state results did not indicate a clear trade-off between lane and shoulder width for a fixed total width. Supplementing the results of this study with previous research, crash modification factors (CMFs) are provided for several lane–shoulder combinations. The selected values present a more apparent trade-off, indicating a slight benefit to increasing lane width for a fixed total width. Importantly, the results differ from other studies that developed CMFs without considering the interaction between lane and shoulder width, including those studies currently referenced in the Highway Safety Manual. This raises the question of whether CMFs should reflect the interaction between lane and shoulder width.
Analysis of Effects of Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity on Traffic Crash Frequency on Highways in North Carolina
Authors: Donnell Eric T. , Karwa Vishesh , Sathyanarayanan Sudhakar
Published: September 2009

Pavement markings provide useful visual and navigational guidance information to motorists. Current warrants for the application of pavement markings in the United States are based on traffic volume, traveled way width, and number of travel lanes. To be effective, pavement markings must be visible to drivers, particularly at night. The purpose of this paper is to perform an exploratory analysis to determine if a relationship between pavement marking retroreflectivity and crash frequency exists. First, models of pavement marking retroreflectivity degradation were developed from selected highways in North Carolina using artificial neural networks. Monthly estimates of pavement marking retro-reflectivity levels were then appended to roadway inventory and crash frequency data. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the monthly target crash frequency. The results indicate that the regression parameter estimates for yellow and white edgeline pavement markings were negative, but neither was statistically significant for the two-lane highway nighttime target crash frequency model. For multilane highways, all of the pavement marking retro-reflectivity parameter estimates were statistically significant. The white pavement marking retroreflectivity parameter estimates were negative, as expected. The yellow pavement marking retroreflectivity parameter estimate was positive.
Road Data Aggregation and Sectioning Considerations for Crash Analysis
Authors: Koorey Glen
Published: September 2009

Increasingly, road authorities are collecting a variety of data sets related to their networks, including horizontal and vertical alignment, cross section, traffic volumes, crashes, and the location of features such as intersections and passing lanes. These data may be a mixture of point locations, fixed length records, and variable length records. A critical question concerning computational ease and practical usefulness is how best to aggregate or section the available data into appropriate road segments for operational and safety analyses. This issue is becoming more pertinent with the development of tools such as the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) and the Highway Safety Manual, which require a logical partition of roads based on many different attributes. The guidance on how to do this, however, is rather scant. Analysis of traffic exposure versus crash risk is also affected by the use of fixed or variable length segments. Research is nearing completion in New Zealand to combine road feature, geometry, and crash data on the national rural state highway network. The resulting database will enable better analysis of crash patterns against different types of road elements and will be used to calibrate IHSDM for New Zealand use. This paper outlines the investigation done to determine a rational method for aggregating the available data into logical road segments. The resulting method uses horizontal alignment, significant cross-section changes, and changes in speed limit. It also attempts to minimize the number of very short segments. The resulting data set contains approximately 83,400 segments generated from 20,900 lane km (13,000 lane mi) of highway.
Safety Evaluation of Curve Delineation Improvements
Authors: Montella Alfonso
Published: September 2009

The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety effectiveness of treatments aimed at improving horizontal curve delineation. Different target crash types were considered in the analysis: total, nighttime, daytime, rainy, nonrainy, run-off-road, non-run-off-road, injury, and property damage only. The treatment sites for this study were 15 curves of the motorway A16 Naples–Canosa in Italy. All curves were characterized by small radius, large deflection angle, available sight distance smaller than the stopping sight distance, and superelevation smaller than the demanded one at both the design and the operating speed. Treatment typologies included installation of chevron signs; installation of curve warning signs and chevron signs; and installation of curve warning signs, chevron signs, and sequential flashing beacons along the curve. An empirical Bayes observational before-and-after study was performed. Results indicate statistically significant crash reductions in total, nighttime, daytime, rainy, nonrainy, run-off-road, and property-damage-only crashes. Total crash reduction is estimated to be 39.4%. Treatment effectiveness is greater for curves with radius less than or equal to 300 m and for curves with deflection angle greater than 60 gon (100 gon = 90°). Total crash reduction is estimated to be 52.2% for curves with radius less than or equal to 300 m and 51.0% for curves with deflection angle greater than 60 gon. The most effective treatment was the installation of curve warning signs, chevron signs, and sequential flashing beacons along the curve. The statistically significant estimate of total crash reduction for this treatment is 47.6%.
Traffic Microsimulation Modeling to Study a Traffic Signal Incident Reduction Function
Authors: Young William , Archer Jeffery
Published: September 2009

This paper demonstrates the use of a discrete event traffic micro-simulation model to study the safety impacts of the introduction of an incident reduction (IR) function into a vehicle-actuated traffic signal controller. The IR function is based on that used in signal controllers in Sweden. The IR function is designed to reduce the number of stop-or-go decisions by drivers when caught in the dilemma zone at the onset of the amber signal. A correctly adapted IR function was found to greatly enhance the safety performance of signalized intersections. The simulation experiment described in the paper is based on empirical data from a suburban vehicle-actuated signalized intersection. It was conducted specifically to investigate the effects of the standard IR function on three proximal safety indicators: time to collision, red light violations, and required braking rates. The simulation results demonstrate a significant improvement in the time to collision (22%), red light violations (6%), and required braking rate when the IR function was in operation and a small positive influence on traffic movement through the intersection. Importantly, this study has illustrated the potential for using traffic microsimulation modeling for traffic safety evaluation.
Comparison of Simulated Freeway Safety Performance with Observed Crashes
Authors: Cunto Flávio , Duong David , Saccomanno Frank F.
Published: September 2009

This paper provides a link between simulated measures of safety performance and observed crash occurrence. Safety performance is expressed by using a crash potential index (CPI), established as a function of individual vehicle deceleration rates required to avoid a crash and of braking capabilities. Safety performance is compared with a sample of crashes observed on an instrumented segment of freeway. Three test results are reported: ( a) comparing safety performance in 1-min increments for a period 5 min before the precise crash time, ( b) comparing safety performance in 1-min increments over 5 min for matching crash and noncrash cases, and ( c) comparing average safety performance with observed crash rates for a 1-h period at the same site. The results of this study confirm that crashes tend to occur when measures of safety performance at a given site are higher than normal and that this measure increases with the approaching time to crash. The results provide basic evidence that the CPI measure of safety performance tends to reflect or explain increased crash risk subject to real-time changes in traffic conditions.
Incorporating Traffic Operation Measures in Safety Analysis at Signalized Intersections
Authors: Wang Xuesong , Abdel-Aty Mohamed , Almonte Ana Maria , Darwiche Ali Lotfi
Published: September 2009

Level of service (LOS) is applied to measure traffic operation conditions and is used as a performance measure in transportation planning. Safety is an important issue in operation and transportation planning. Although it is generally agreed that operational conditions have an effect on traffic safety, their relationship has not been well defined at a level of detail that adequately supports operation and planning performance measurements. Signalized intersections are the most complex locations on the roadway network and are vital to the efficiency and safety of transportation systems. Based on data collected on 164 four-legged signalized intersections in the state of Florida, this study investigated the relationship between LOS and safety at signalized intersections. The LOS was calculated for three time periods: a.m. peak, midday, and p.m. peak. The generalized estimating equations with a negative binomial link function were applied to fit crash frequency models for total crashes, rear-end and sideswipe crashes, angle and left-turn crashes, and severe crashes for the selected intersections. Among operational measures, the study found that the six-level LOS indicator was better than the average delay in the crash frequency models. Overall, the LOS indicator was a significant factor for predicting crash occurrence at intersections. However, the models showed that the operational condition itself (by only including the LOS indicator) was not sufficient to predict the safety status. LOS D was a desirable level that was associated with fewer total crashes, rear-end and sideswipe crashes, and right-angle and left-turn crashes.
Analyzing Different Parameterizations of the Varying Dispersion Parameter as a Function of Segment Length
Authors: Geedipally Srinivas Reddy , Lord Dominique , Park Byung-Jung
Published: September 2009

Until a few years ago, the dispersion parameter of Poisson–gamma models had been assumed to be invariant of the characteristics of the observations under study, but recent research in highway safety has shown that the dispersion parameter can depend on the covariates of the model. To account for this dependence, some researchers have reported that the dispersion parameter should be modeled solely as a function of segment length. The primary objective of this research was to examine empirically whether the dispersion parameter should be characterized using only the length of the segment. If not, the secondary objective consisted of determining alternative parameterizations using other covariates that would offer a better approach for characterizing the variance function of Poisson–gamma models. To accomplish the study objectives, 10 parameterizations describing the varying dispersion parameter were estimated with three different data sets collected in Texas, California, and Washington State. Flow-only models were used for comparing the parameterizations. The Akaike information criterion and other related goodness-of-fit (GOF) measures were used for evaluating and comparing the different models. The results of this study show that no single functional form or parameterization is suitable for all the data sets. Traffic flow was more significantly associated with the structured variation observed in the data than segment length. It is therefore recommended that transportation safety analysts evaluate different parameterizations and select the most appropriate one using a combination of GOF criteria, including the significance of the model's coefficients.
Upper Bound on Blocking Probability for Vertically Stacked Optical Banyan Networks with Link Failures and Given Crosstalk Constraint
Authors: Khandker M. R. , Sultana B.
Published: September 2009

Vertical stacking of multiple copies of an optical banyan network is a novel scheme for building nonblocking optical switching networks. The resulting network, namely vertically stacked optical banyan (VSOB) network, preserves all the properties of the banyan network, but increases the hardware cost significantly under first order crosstalk-free constraint. However, stringent crosstalk constraint may not always be necessary. Considering the fact that some designer may want to compromise the blocking probability and crosstalk constraint to a certain degree with the hardware cost, blocking behaviour of such VSOB networks have been analyzed to studying network performance and finding a graceful compromise between hardware costs and blocking probability under or without crosstalk constraint. In this paper, we present the simulation results for upper bound on blocking probability of VSOB networks with link failures and given degree of crosstalk constraint. We show how crosstalk adds a new dimension to the performance analysis on a VSOB networks. The simulation results presented in this paper can guide network designer in finding the trade-off among the blocking probability, the degree of crosstalk and the hardware cost in terms of vertical copies of banyan network in the presence of link failures.Keywords: Banyan networks; Blocking probability; Vertical stacking; Link-failures; Crosstalk.© 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved.DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.1191       J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 484-494 (2009)
CNS Activity of the Methanol Extracts of Sapindus emarginatus Vahl in Experimental Animal Models
Authors: Srikanth J. , Muralidharan P.
Published: September 2009

The aim of the present study is to investigate central nervous system (CNS) activity of the methanol extract of Pericarp of Sapindus emarginatus (Sapindaceae) in Swiss albino mice and Wistar albino rats. A daily dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg of the extract was administered to the animals for 15 days, after which various CNS experiments were recorded and compared with the control animals. General behavior, exploratory behavior, muscle relaxant activity cocaine induced hyperactivity and phenobarbitone sodium-induced sleeping time were studied. The results revealed that the methanol  extract  of  Pericarp of Sapindus emarginatus at 100 and 200  mg/kg  caused  a  significant  reduction  in  the  spontaneous activity (general behavioral profile), remarkable decrease in exploratory behavioral  pattern (Y-maze  and  head  dip  test), a reduction in muscle relaxant activity (rotarod and traction tests), inhibition of cocaine induced hyperactivity and also significantly potentiated phenobarbitone sodium–induced sleeping time. The results suggest that methanol extract of Sapindus emarginatus exhibit CNS depressant activity in tested animal models. Keywords: Sapindus emarginatus; Cocaine; CNS activity; Experimental animals. © 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237(Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.1772      J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 583-593 (2009)
An Inventory Model with Exponential Demand Rate, Finite Production Rate and Shortages
Authors: Begum R. , Sahu S. K. , Sahoo R. R.
Published: September 2009

The paper contains an order-level inventory model having the demand rate to be a function of time. Here shortages are allowed and completely backlogged. An optimal model is developed by considering exponential demand which minimizes the total average cost. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the developed model. Sensitivity analysis of the optimal solution with respect to major parameters is carried out.  Keywords: Inventory; EOQ; Finite production; Shortages; Exponential demand. © 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved.  DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.2054              J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 473-483 (2009)
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Screening of the Metal Complexes with Cyanex 302
Authors: Alam M. A. , Pal T. K.
Published: September 2009

The synthesis and characterization of metal complexes of the Cyanex 302 [bis(2, 4, 4-trimethylpentyl) monothiophosphinic acid] are reported. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductivity, molecular mass determination and magnetic measurements, infrared and electronic spectral studies. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the ligand and metal complexes have also been investigated. They have the stoichiometry of the type 1. [MgL2].H2O, 2. [Ca L2].H2O, 3. [ZrOL2].H2O, 4. [FeL3] and 5. [NiL2]. Electronic spectral data and the magnetic moment values suggested the complexes 1 and 2 are tetrahedral geometry, while the complexes 3, 4 and 5 are square pyramidal, octahedral and square planar geometry around the central metal ions, respectively. Besides, magnetic susceptibility measurements of the complexes also revealed that complexes 1-3 and 5 are diamagnetic in nature, except complex 4, which is paramagnetic. The metal complexes showed stronger antibacterial and antifungal activities than the ligand.  Keywords: Antibacterial, antifungal; Bis(2, 4, 4-trimethylpentyl) mothiophosphinic acid; Cyanex 302. © 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.2259              J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 647-654 (2009)
Antioxidant Activity of Actinodaphne Hookeri Meissn Leaves
Authors: Prajapati D. D. , Patel N. , Mruthunjaya K. , Savadi R.
Published: September 2009

Leaves of Actinodaphne hookeri (AH) Meissn (family, lauraceae, pisa) are used traditionally in the treatment of diabetes, disorders of the urinary tract which are more common in Chhattisgarh and eastern part of India. It contains flavonoids and quercetin-3-rhamnoside as an important constituent. The leaves were extracted with 70% hydro alcoholic solvent. Preliminary phytochemical investigation showed the presence of triterpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides and carbohydrates. The antioxidant activity of 70% hydro alcoholic extracts of AH was evaluated in vitro by various experimental parameters such as b-carotene-linoleic acid, lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity. Our results showed that Actinodaphne hookeri leaves displayed potent antioxidant properties, supporting the ethnomedical use given to this plant to treat diabetes and urinary disorder. Keywords: Actinodaphne hookeri; Antioxidant; Lipid peroxidation; Total antioxidant capacity. © 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved.DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.2266              J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 606-614 (2009)
Preparation, Investigation and Theoretical Study of α-chloroacetamide-N-(p-substituted) phenyl
Authors: Al-Hazam Hanan A
Published: September 2009

Six new compounds of α-chloroacetamide-N-(p-substituted) phenyl of general formula ClCH2CONHPhX; where X = H,  Me,  OMe,  Br,  Cl  and NO2 have been prepared and investigated spectroscopically and theoretically.  AM1 and PM3 semi empirical methods were confirmed that compounds existed as amide form. Keywords: IR; 13CNMR; α-chloroacetamide-(N-P-X) phenyl; Correlation analysis; AM1 semi-empirical calculation.© 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.2301                 J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 576-582 (2009)
Antimicrobial Activity of Phoebe lanceolata and Stephania glabra; Preliminary Screening Studies
Authors: Semwal D. K. , Rawat U. , Bamola A. , Semwal R.
Published: September 2009

Ethanolic extracts of Phoebe lanceolata stem bark and Stephania glabra tubers were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against five bacterial species, Staphylococcus aureus (along with ten hospital strains), Staphylococcus mutans, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and six fungal species Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillum citranum, Microsporum gypseum, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, obtained from different culture media. The plants/parts extracts were found active against most of the tested microorganism with MIC range of 50-100µg/ml. The MIC was taken at the lower concentration where inhibition ceased. Novobiocin (15 µg/ml) and erythromycin (15 µg/ml) were used as positive controls for bacterial and fungus species respectively.  Keywords:Antimicrobial activity; Streptococcus mutans; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Microsporum gypseum; Nutrient and Sabouraud’s dextrose agar medium. © 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.2423               J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 662-666 (2009)
Study of Convex Sublattices of a Lattice by a New Approach
Authors: Rahman R. M. H
Published: September 2009

The set of all convex sublattices CS(L) of a lattice L have been studied by a new approach. Introducing a new partial ordering relation "≤" it is shown that CS(L) is a lattice. Moreover L and CS(L) are in the same equational class. A number of properties of (CS(L); ≤) has also been included. Keywords: Convex sublattices; Standard element; Neutral element; Congruence.© 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved.DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.2484       J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 558-562 (2009)
Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization and Theoretical Study of Schiff Bases Derived from Phenylsulfonylamide
Authors: Hadi J. S. , Alsalam B. K. , Essa A.H.
Published: September 2009

The synthesis, characterization, and theoretical study of two Schiff bases of ligands derived from condensation of sulphoacetamide sodium with 4-methoxy benzaldehyde and salicalaldehyde arereported. Spectroscopic techniques, including IR, UV, 1H NMR, and CHN analysis were used to identify the product. The calculated HOMO is largely localized on the N-benzylideneaniline fragment, while the calculated LUMO of the studied molecule is seen to be substantially localized along the C–C axis of the conjugated system. Keyword: Sulphoacetamide sodium complex; Schiff bases; Sulpha drug; Semi-empirical (PM3) methods.  © 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved.  DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i3.2589            J. Sci. Res. 1 (3), 563-568 (2009)
Selected Risk Factors for Myocardial Infarction among the Patients Admitted in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital
Authors: Rahsid Abdur , Islam Md Mofakkurul , Islam Md Rafiqul
Published: September 2009

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the common form of coronary heart disease. A large number of modifiable risk factors had been identified. This descriptive study was done to observe selected risk factors among the MI patients admitted in CCU of cardiology department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in the month of March to June 2005. Data were collected from 200 patients using a closed end questionnaire. Anterior, inferior and non-Q types of MI occupied the major (25%, 24.5% & 20.5%) portion of study subjects, CK-MB level was high in all MI patients, majority (57.5%) of the patients were smoker & most of them had smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day except Non-Q and antero-septal MI patients. Majority (57%) of the patients had systolic blood pressure (SBP) above 140mmHg but had normal diastolic blood pressure (DBP <90mmHg). Serum cholesterol level was high in all patients but majority (55.5%) had LDL within normal range. Less than half (46%) of the patients were diabetic (RBS >8mmol/l).   doi: 10.3329/taj.v18i1.3302 TAJ 2005; 18(1): 37-42
The Church of Scotland and the English Apocalyptic Imagination, 1630 to 1650
Authors: GRIBBEN CRAWFORD
Published: September 2009

This article explores the evolution of the eschatological identity of the Church of Scotland within the framework of English puritan apocalyptic thought in the period 1630–50. From the beginnings of reformation, English protestant theologians constructed an elaborate series of readings of Biblical apocalyptic texts through which they attempted to understand contemporary events. By the 1630s, English puritan exegetes had begun to identify within the Biblical text a distinctive role for Scottish Presbyterianism. The Scottish church, which, in the opinion of many English puritans, moved towards a more rigorously reformed ecclesiology as the 1630s progressed, was identified as a harbinger of the millennial glory that English puritans would shortly share. But as the relationship between Parliament and Presbytery turned sour, English puritans increasingly identified the Scottish church as the apocalyptic menace that stood in the way of their millennial fulfilment – a feeling made vivid in the rhetoric of the Cromwellian invasion.
The Arrival, Spread and Impact of Myxomatosis in Scotland during the 1950s
Authors: BARTRIP PETER
Published: September 2009

Myxomatosis is a highly infectious disease of European wild rabbits. Discovered in the 1890s, it was introduced in Australia in 1950–1 and France in 1952 for the purpose of rabbit control. The French outbreak spread across much of Europe, including most of the United Kingdom. The first Scottish outbreak, started intentionally, occurred near Durris in July 1954. By the end of that year myxomatosis was widespread. Rabbits are not native to Scotland but have been present for centuries. Though long valued for their meat and fur, by the twentieth century they were widely considered serious pests. In 1952 scientists began unsuccessful experiments with myxomatosis in the Hebrides. The history of Scotland's first outbreak is curious in several respects. Not only was the country affected earlier than much of England, owing to the extent of deliberate transmission, but also the decimation of rabbits appears to have been viewed with greater equanimity than elsewhere in Britain. Several Scottish institutions advocated deliberate transmission, as did elements of the press in Scotland; again, this contrasted with other parts of the United Kingdom. Scotland was also prominent in establishing the rabbit clearance societies that some hoped would exterminate a pest whose numbers had been slashed by myxomatosis. To the extent that Scotland was enthusiastic or open-minded about myxomatosis, the explanation probably lies in the demanding and marginal nature of much Scottish farming which meant that rabbit depredation hit Scotland particularly hard. Evidence suggests that the decline in the rabbit population provided short and medium term benefits to Scottish agriculture.
A Proline-Based Neuraminidase Inhibitor: DFT Studies on the Zwitterion Conformation, Stability and Formation
Authors: Yang Zhi-Wei , Wu Xiao-Min , Zhou Li-Jun , Yang Gang
Published: September 2009

The designs of potent neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors are an efficient way to deal with the recent “2009 H1N1” influenza epidemic. In this work, density functional calculations were employed to study the conformation, stability and formation of the zwitterions of 5-[(1R,2S)-1-(acetylamino)-2-methoxy-2-methylpentyl]-4-[(1Z)-1-propenyl]-(4S,5R)-D-proline (BL), a proline-based NA inhibitor. Compared to proline, the zwitterion stability of BL is enhanced by 1.76 kcal mol-1 due to the introduction of functional groups. However, the zwitterion of BL will not represent a local minimum on the potential energy surface until the number of water molecules increases up to two (n = 2). With the addition of two and three water molecules, the energy differences between the zwitterions and corresponding canonical isomers were calculated at 3.13 and -1.54 kcal mol-1, respectively. The zwitterions of BL are mainly stabilized by the H-bonds with the water molecules, especially in the case of three water molecules where the carboxyl-O atoms are largely coordination-saturated by three H-bonds of medium strengths, causing the zwitterion stability even superior to the canonical isomer. With the presence of two and three water molecules, the energy barriers for the conversion processes from the canonical isomers to the zwitterions are equal to 4.96 and 3.13 kcal mol-1, respectively. It indicated that the zwitterion formation is facile to take place with addition of two molecules and further facilitated by more water molecules. Besides, the zwitterion formation of BL is finished in a single step, different from other NA inhibitors. Owing to the above advantages, BL is a good NA inhibitor candidate and more attention should be paid to explorations of BL-based drugs.
Ion-Sensitive Field-Effect Transistor for Biological Sensing
Authors: Lee Chang-Soo , Kim Sang  Kyu , Kim Moonil
Published: September 2009

In recent years there has been great progress in applying FET-type biosensors for highly sensitive biological detection. Among them, the ISFET (ion-sensitive field-effect transistor) is one of the most intriguing approaches in electrical biosensing technology. Here, we review some of the main advances in this field over the past few years, explore its application prospects, and discuss the main issues, approaches, and challenges, with the aim of stimulating a broader interest in developing ISFET-based biosensors and extending their applications for reliable and sensitive analysis of various biomolecules such as DNA, proteins, enzymes, and cells.
Comparison of Vent Effects between a Solid Earmold and a Hollow Earmold
Authors: Kuk Francis , Keenan Denise , Lau Chi-chuen
Published: September 2009

Background: Hollow earmolds have become a popular type of earmold used in thin-tube, microsize hearing aid fittings. It is desirable for clinicians to be familiar with their characteristics and limitations. Purpose: This investigation compared the effects of vent diameter
between a traditional solid earmold and a hollow earmold that is used in modern thin-tube hearing aid fittings. Research Design: A single-blind, 2 × 4 factorial design was used. Study Sample: Eight adults with a high-frequency hearing loss participated. Intervention:
Custom earmolds for use with thin-tube hearing aids were made for each participant. Two types of earmolds were made: a solid earmold with a traditional vent length and a hollow earmold where the thickness of the shell was the length of the vent. Vent diameters were 0, 1, 2, and 3 mm. Data
Collection and Analysis: The vent effect was evaluated on real-ear aided response, real-ear occluded response during vocalization, subjective occlusion rating, insertion loss, and maximum available gain before feedback. Real-ear measurements were made with the Fonix 6500 probe-microphone
real-ear system. Vocalizations from the participants were analyzed with a custom MATLAB program, and statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS software. Results: A systematic vent effect was seen with each earmold type as the nominal vent diameter changed. For the same vent diameter,
the vent effect seen with the hollow earmold was greater than that of the solid earmold. Conclusions: Because of the difference in vent length (and thus acoustic mass) between a solid and a hollow earmold, the effect of vent diameter in a hollow earmold is more pronounced than that
seen in a solid earmold of the same nominal vent diameter. Thus, a smaller vent diameter will be needed in a hollow earmold than in a solid earmold to achieve similar vent effects.
Morphological Changes in the Middle Latency Response Using Maximum Length Sequence Stimuli
Authors: Nagle Stephanie , Musiek Frank E.
Published: September 2009

Background: The middle latency response (MLR) can be a powerful tool for assessing integrity of cortical and subcortical auditory structures. Most research on the MLR, however, is constrained to relatively slow repetition rates by the time window necessary for response acquisition.
Maximum length sequence (MLS) paradigms enable the recording of the MLR at high repetition rates, which could reduce test time and provide information about the behavior of auditory structures at rapid rates of stimulation. Purposes: To examine potential timing advantages and differences
in waveforms between an MLS-MLR paradigm compared to a conventional MLR paradigm (Experiment 1), and to examine effects of rate on MLR morphology within the MLS paradigm (Experiment 2). Research Design: A repeated measures study. All subjects within each experiment underwent every condition
for that experiment. Study Sample: Ten young adult female subjects participated in each experiment of this study. All subjects had normal hearing and negative neurological history. Data Collection and Analysis: Latency and amplitude values as well as the presence/absence of Na,
Pa, Nb, and Pb components of the MLR were measured. Comparisons were made between the MLS-MLR and conventional MLR paradigms, as well as between repetition rates within the MLS-MLR paradigm. Results: Significant latency and amplitude differences were found between MLS and conventional
MLR paradigms. The late components of the MLR (Nb, Pb) were present significantly more often when the MLS paradigm was used. No timing advantage was found with the MLS-MLR paradigm. Within the MLS paradigm, as repetition rate increases, latency becomes significantly shorter and amplitude significantly
lower. Conclusions: Middle latency responses evoked by the MLS-MLR paradigm show significant differences from those evoked by a conventional MLR paradigm. The MLS-MLR paradigm can reliably evoke the late components (Nb, Pb) of the MLR and may be an important clinical tool for future
investigation of these elements.
Observations on Hearing Aid Users' Strategies for Controlling the Level of Their Own Voice
Authors: Laugesen Søren , Nielsen Claus , Maas Patrick , Jensen Niels Søgaard
Published: September 2009

Background: Evidence suggests that hearing-aid users have difficulties with own-voice level control, most likely because their auditory feedback is affected by hearing-aid amplification. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how changes to auditory feedback
affect the voice level of hearing-aid users. Research Design: A correlational study was set up to investigate the relation between voice level and hearing-aid amplification. Study Sample: Seven hearing-impaired speakers participated. All were experienced hearing-aid users. Data
Collection and Analysis: The speakers projected their voice to a passive listener across different speaker-listener distances and with different prescriptions of gain in an experimental hearing aid. For each combination of conditions, produced voice level and self-perceived voice level
was measured. These data were subjected to an analysis of variance assuming a mixture of random and fixed effects. In addition, all speakers took part in interviews. Results: Three speakers reacted to the changes in auditory feedback in agreement with previous experiments with normal-hearing
speakers: they compensated by changing produced voice level. In contrast, the voice levels in the other four speakers were largely unaffected by the changes to auditory feedback. A secondary observation was that while all speakers increased their voice level with distance, the two subgroups
produced different growth rates of vocal level versus distance. Conclusions: It is hypothesized that the speakers in the former subgroup relied on auditory feedback for solving the experimental task, whereas the latter subgroup had developed an own-voice level-control strategy based
on proprioceptory feedback, possibly because they have lost faith in their auditory feedback mechanism, which indeed is changed by both hearing loss and hearing-aid amplification. Comparison to “target” voice levels suggests that proprioceptory feedback is less effective than auditory
feedback for achieving adequate level-distance growth rate.
Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) Testing: Normative Threshold Response Curves and Effects of Age
Authors: Janky Kristen L. , Shepard Neil
Published: September 2009

Background: Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing has gained increased interest in the diagnosis of a variety of vestibular etiologies. P13/N23 latency, amplitude and threshold response curves have been used to compare pathologic groups to normal controls. Appropriate
characterization of these etiologies requires normative data across the frequency spectrum and age range. Purpose: The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that significant changes in VEMP responses occur as a function of increased age across all test stimuli as
well as characterize the VEMP threshold response curve across age. Research Design: This project incorporated a prospective study design using a sample of convenience. Openly recruited subjects were assigned to groups according to age. Study Sample: Forty-six normal controls
ranging between 20 and 76 years of age participated in the study. Participants were separated by decade into five age categories from 20 to 60 plus years. Normal participants were characterized by having normal hearing sensitivity, no history of neurologic or balance/dizziness involvement,
and negative results on a direct office vestibular examination. Intervention: VEMP responses were measured at threshold to click and 250, 500, 750, and 1000 Hz tone burst stimuli and at a suprathreshold level to 500 Hz toneburst stimuli at123 dB SPL. Data Collection and Analysis:
A mixed group factorial ANOVA (analysis of variance) and linear regression were performed to examine the effects of VEMP characteristics on age. Results: There were no significant differences between ears for any of the test parameters. There were no significant differences between
age groups for n23 latency or amplitude in response to any of the stimuli. Significant mean differences did exist between age groups for p13 latency (250, 750, and 1000 Hz) and threshold (500 and 750 Hz). Age was significantly correlated with VEMP parameters. VEMP threshold was positively
correlated (250, 500, 750, 1000 Hz); and amplitude was negatively correlated (500 Hz maximum). The threshold response curves revealed best frequency tuning at 500 Hz with the highest thresholds in response to click stimuli. However, this best frequency tuning dissipated with increased age.
VEMP response rates also decreased with increased age. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that minor differences in VEMP responses occur with age. Given the reduced response rates and flattened frequency tuning curve for individuals over the age of 60, frequency tuning curves may not
be a good diagnostic indicator for this age group.
PREPARATION OF GELATIN NANOPARTICLES WITH EGFR SELECTION ABILITY VIA BIOTINYLATED-EGF CONJUGATION FOR LUNG CANCER TARGETING
Authors: Tseng Ching-Li , Lin Feng-Huei
Published: September 2009

Lung cancer is the most malignant cancer today, and specific drug delivery has been developed for superior outcome. In this study, gelatin nanoparticles (GPs) were firstly employed as native carriers. Second, NeutrAvidinFITCwas then grafted on the particle surface (GP-Av); finally much more amount of biotinylated EGF were able to be conjugated with NeutrAvidinFITCforming ligand- binding nanoparticles (GP-Av-bEGF) to enhance the targeting efficiency. These nanoparticles were applied as EGFR-seeking agents to detect lung cancer cells.

Results of particle characterization show that the modification process had no influence on size (230 nm). Round and smooth nanoparticles were observed by AFM. The surface property of nanoparticles was characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and flowcytometry analysis as well as by examining the interaction of the modified EGF on particle surface with the ability to recognize EGFR.

The binding ability of GPs with or without EGF modification is different. SPR assay showed that EGF-conjugated particles (GP-Av-bEGF) have stronger and faster bonding signal than the unmodified one (GP-Av). Free EGF competition results from SPR and A549 cell (lung adenocarcinoma cells) culture also confirmed the EGF receptormediated endocytosis mechanism for nanoparticles with EGF-modified binding. The in vitro targeting ability was confirmed by the uptake rate of different cells via flow cytometry assay. GP-Av-bEGF resulted in higher entrance efficiency on A549 than on normal lung cells (HFL1) and U2-OS (osteosarcoma cells) due to A549 possessing more amounts of EGFR. The targeting ability of GP-Av-bEGF nanoparticles with specific EGFR tracing ability was proved, which holds promise for further anticancer drug applications.
DEVELOPMENT OF PHANTOM FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF MICRO-CT
Authors: Tsai Kevin Wen-Kai , Chueh Ho-Shiang , Chen Jyh-Cheng
Published: September 2009

Micro-X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT) has several characters such as non-invasive, high spatial resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio, providing three-dimensional volume information. Because micro-CT was utilized in many kinds of research field such as preclinical biomedical study, designing a performance phantom and developing analytic methods to objectively evaluate the performance of micro-CT are very important. In this study, the performance phantom and the analytic methods were developed for performance evaluation of micro-CT. The performance parameters extracted from different CT images including noise, linearity, spatial resolution, and hardware alignment were defined in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Report No. 1 and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E1695-95. Standard deviation, Pearson's correlation coefficient, edge response function, and visualization method were utilized to evaluate noise, linearity, spatial resolution, and hardware alignment, respectively. A digital uniform disk image was utilized to evaluate the accuracy of spatial resolution evaluation method. The physical phantom study was performed to evaluate a home-made micro-CT and a commercial micro-CT (Skyscan 1076). According to these results, the performance phantom and the analytic methods developed in this study have demonstrated their capability to evaluate performance of any micro-CT.