Modelling risk at low exposure railway level crossings : supporting an argument for low-cost level crossing warning devices with lower levels of safety integrity

This paper describes a risk model for estimating the likelihood of collisions at low-exposure railway level crossings, demonstrating the effect that differences in safety integrity can have on the likelihood of a collision. The model facilitates the comparison of safety benefits between level crossings with passive controls (stop or give-way signs) and level crossings that have been hypothetically upgraded with conventional or low-cost warning devices. The scenario presented illustrates how treatment of a cross-section of level crossings with low cost devices can provide a greater safety benefit compared to treatment with conventional warning devices for the same budget.

Improving level crossing safety through enhanced data recording and reporting : The CRC for Rail Innovation’s Baseline Rail Level Crossing Video project

This paper describes the work being conducted in the baseline rail level crossing project, supported by the Australian rail industry and the Cooperative Research Centre for Rail Innovation. The paper discusses the limitations of near-miss data for analysis obtained using current level crossing occurrence reporting practices. The project is addressing these limitations through the development of a data collection and analysis system with an underlying level crossing accident causation model. An overview of the methodology and improved data recording process are described. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of benefits this project is expected to provide the Australian rail industry.

Review : alternative splicing (AS) of genes as an approach for generating protein complexity

Prior to the completion of the human genome project, the human genome was thought to have a greater number of genes as it seemed structurally and functionally more complex than other simpler organisms. This along with the belief of “one gene, one protein”, were demonstrated to be incorrect. The inequality in the ratio of gene to protein formation gave rise to the theory of alternative splicing (AS). AS is a mechanism by which one gene gives rise to multiple protein products. Numerous databases and online bioinformatic tools are available for the detection and analysis of AS. Bioinformatics provides an important approach to study mRNA and protein diversity by various tools such as expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences obtained from completely processed mRNA. Microarrays and deep sequencing approaches also aid in the detection of splicing events. Initially it was postulated that AS occurred only in about 5%; of all genes but was later found to be more abundant. Using bioinformatic approaches, the level of AS in human genes was found to be fairly high with 35-59%; of genes having at least one AS form. Our ability to determine and predict AS is important as disorders in splicing patterns may lead to abnormal splice variants resulting in genetic diseases. In addition, the diversity of proteins produced by AS poses a challenge for successful drug discovery and therefore a greater understanding of AS would be beneficial.

Genotypes of the MTHFR C677T and MTRR A66G genes act independently to reduce migraine disability in response to vitamin supplementation

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a chronic disabling neurovascular condition that may in part be caused by endothelial and cerebrovascular disruption induced by hyperhomocysteinaemia. We have previously provided evidence indicating that reduction of homocysteine by vitamin supplementation can reduce the occurrence of migraine in women. The current study examined the genotypic effects of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) gene variants on the occurrence of migraine in response to vitamin supplementation. METHODS: This was a 6-month randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of daily vitamin B supplementation (B(6), B(9) and B(12)) on reduction of homocysteine and of the occurrence of migraine in 206 female patients diagnosed with migraine with aura. RESULTS: Vitamin supplementation significantly reduced homocysteine levels (P<0.001), severity of headache in migraine (P=0.017) and high migraine disability (P=0.022) in migraineurs compared with the placebo effect (P>0.1). When the vitamin-treated group was stratified by genotype, the C allele carriers of the MTHFR C677T variant showed a higher reduction in homocysteine levels (P<0.001), severity of pain in migraine (P=0.01) and percentage of high migraine disability (P=0.009) compared with those with the TT genotypes. Similarly, the A allele carriers of the MTRR A66G variants showed a higher level of reduction in homocysteine levels (P<0.001), severity of pain in migraine (P=0.002) and percentage of high migraine disability (P=0.006) compared with those with the GG genotypes. Genotypic analysis for both genes combined indicated that the treatment effect modification of the MTRR variant was independent of the MTHFR variant. CONCLUSION: This provided further evidence that vitamin supplementation is effective in reducing migraine and also that both MTHFR and MTRR gene variants are acting independently to influence treatment response in female migraineurs.

Detecting anomalous events at railway level crossings

Collisions between pedestrians and vehicles continue to be a major problem throughout the world. Pedestrians trying to cross roads and railway tracks without any caution are often highly susceptible to collisions with vehicles and trains. Continuous financial, human and other losses have prompted transport related organizations to come up with various solutions addressing this issue. However, the quest for new and significant improvements in this area is still ongoing. This work addresses this issue by building a general framework using computer vision techniques to automatically monitor pedestrian movements in such high-risk areas to enable better analysis of activity, and the creation of future alerting strategies. As a result of rapid development in the electronics and semi-conductor industry there is extensive deployment of CCTV cameras in public places to capture video footage. This footage can then be used to analyse crowd activities in those particular places. This work seeks to identify the abnormal behaviour of individuals in video footage. In this work we propose using a Semi-2D Hidden Markov Model (HMM), Full-2D HMM and Spatial HMM to model the normal activities of people. The outliers of the model (i.e. those observations with insufficient likelihood) are identified as abnormal activities. Location features, flow features and optical flow textures are used as the features for the model. The proposed approaches are evaluated using the publicly available UCSD datasets, and we demonstrate improved performance using a Semi-2D Hidden Markov Model compared to other state of the art methods. Further we illustrate how our proposed methods can be applied to detect anomalous events at rail level crossings.

Current status of pharmacogenomics testing for anti-tumor drug therapies : approaches to non-melanoma skin cancer

Skin cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancer types, with substantial social, physical, and financial burdens on both individuals and societies. Although the role of UV light in initiating skin cancer development has been well characterized, genetic studies continue to show that predisposing factors can influence an individual's susceptibility to skin cancer and response to treatment. In the future, it is hoped that genetic profiles, comprising a number of genetic markers collectively involved in skin cancer susceptibility and response to treatment or prognosis, will aid in more accurately informing practitioners' choices of treatment. Individualized treatment based on these profiles has the potential to increase the efficacy of treatments, saving both time and money for the patient by avoiding the need for extensive or repeated treatment. Increased treatment responses may in turn prevent recurrence of skin cancers, reducing the burden of this disease on society. Currently existing pharmacogenomic tests, such as those that assess variation in the metabolism of the anticancer drug fluorouracil, have the potential to reduce the toxic effects of anti-tumor drugs used in the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) by determining individualized appropriate dosage. If the savings generated by reducing adverse events negate the costs of developing these tests, pharmacogenomic testing may increasingly inform personalized NMSC treatment.

Pten and Ndufb8 aberrations in cervical cancer tissue

Cervical cancer is one of the world's major health issues. Despite many studies in this field, the carcinogenetic events of malignant conversion in cervical tumours have not been significantly characterised. The first aim of this project was to investigate the mutation status of the tumour suppressor gene- Phosphatase and Tension Homolog (PTEN)- in cervical cancer tissue. The second aim of this study was the analysis in the same cervical cancer tissue for aberrations in the mitochondrial electron transport chain subunit gene NDUFB8, which is localised to the same chromosomal contig as PTEN. The third aim was the evaluation of the potential therapeutic anti-cancer drug 2,4-Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) and its affect in regulating the PTEN protein in a cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). To approach the aims, paraffin-embedded cancerous cervical tissue and non-cancerous cervical tissue were obtained. DNA recovered from those tissues was then used to investigate the putative genomic changes regarding the NDUFB8 gene utilising SYBR Green I Real-Time PCR. The PTEN gene was studied via Dual-Labelled probe Real-Time PCR. To investigate the protein expression change of the PTEN protein, HeLa cells were firstly treated with different concentrations of 2,4-Thiazolidinediones and the level of PTEN protein expression was then observed utilising standard protein assays. Results indicated that there were putative copy-number changes between the cancerous cervical tissue and non-cancerous cervical tissue, with regard to the PTEN locus. This implies a potential gain of the PTEN gene in cancerous cervical tissue. With regards to normal cervical tissue versus cancerous cervical tissue no significant melting temperature differences were observed with the SYBR Green I Real-Time PCR in respect to the NDUFB8 gene. A putative up-regulation of PTEN protein was observed in TZD treated HeLa cells. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Evaluating ITS interventions at railway level crossings using a driving simulator

This paper assesses Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to identify safety systems that are most likely to reduce driver errors at railway crossings. ITS technologies have been integrated in order to develop improved evaluation tools to reduce crashes at railway crossings. Although emerging technologies, knowledge, innovative interventions have been introduced to change driver behaviour, there is a lack of research on the impact of integrating ITS technologies and transportation simulation on drivers. The outcomes of ITS technologies for complementing traditional signage were compared with those of current safety systems (passive and active) at railway crossings. Three ITS technologies are compared with current treatments, in terms of compliance rate and vehicle speed profiles. It is found that ITS technologies improve compliance rate by 17~30% and also encourage drivers to slow down earlier compared to current passive and active crossings when there is a train approaching the railway crossings.

A basis for instrusion detection in distributed systems using kernel-level data tainting

This project was a step forward in developing intrusion detection systems in distributed environments such as web services. It investigates a new approach of detection based on so-called "taint-marking" techniques and introduces a theoretical framework along with its implementation in the Linux kernel.

On-road driving studies to understand why drivers behave as they do at regional rail level crossings

Improving safety at rail level crossings is an important part of both road and rail safety strategies. While low in number, crashes between vehicles and trains at level crossings are catastrophic events typically involving multiple fatalities and serious injuries. Advances in driving assessment methods, such as the provision of on-road instrumented test vehicles with eye and head tracking, provide researchers with the opportunity to further understand driver behaviour at such crossings in ways not previously possible. This paper describes a study conducted to further understand the factors that shape driver behaviour at rail level crossings using instrumented vehicles. Twenty-two participants drove an On-Road Test Vehicle (ORTeV) on a predefined route in regional Victoria with a mix of both active (flashing lights with/without boom barriers) and passively controlled (stop, give way) crossings. Data collected included driving performance data, head checks, and interview data to capture driver strategies. The data from an integrated suite of methods demonstrated clearly how behaviour differs at active and passive level crossings, particularly for inexperienced drivers. For example, the head check data clearly show the reliance and expectancies of inexperienced drivers for active warnings even when approaching passively controlled crossings. These studies provide very novel and unique insights into how level crossing design and warnings shape driver behaviour.

Governing drug use among young people : crime, harm and contemporary drug use practices

Taking an empirical, critical approach to the problem of drugs, this thesis explores the interaction of drug policies and young people's drug use in Brisbane. The research argues that criminalising drug users does not usually prevent harmful drug use, but it can exacerbate harm and change how young people use drugs. Contemporary understandings of drug use as either recreational or addictive can create a false binary, and influence how illicit drugs are used. These understandings interact with policy responses to the drug problem, with some very real implications for the lived experiences of drug users. This research opens up possibilities for new directions in drug research and allows for a redefinition of drug related harm.

Understanding pedestrian behaviour at railway level crossings : is there a need for more research?

Aim Collisions between trains and pedestrians are the most likely to result in severe injuries and fatalities when compared to other types of rail crossing accidents. Currently, there is a growing emphasis towards developing effective interventions designed to reduce the prevalence of train–pedestrian collisions. This paper reviews what is currently known regarding the personal and environmental factors that contribute to train–pedestrian collisions, particularly among high-risk groups. Method Studies that reported on the prevalence and characteristics of pedestrian accidents at railway crossings up until June 2012 were searched in electronic databases. Results Males, school children and older pedestrians (and those with disabilities) are disproportionately represented in fatality databases. However, a main theme to emerge is that little is known about the origins of train–pedestrian collisions (especially compared to train–vehicle collisions). In particular, whether collisions result from engaging in deliberate violations versus making decisional errors. This subsequently limits the corresponding development of effective and targeted interventions for high-risk groups as well as crossing locations. Finally, it remains unclear what combination of surveillance and deterrence-based and education-focused campaigns are required to produce lasting reductions in train–pedestrian fatality rates. This paper provides direction for future research into the personal and environmental origins of collisions as well as the development of interventions that aim to attract pedestrians’ attention and ensure crossing rules are respected.

A large scale quantitative study of pedestrian railway level crossing behaviour : deliberate violations, errors and deterrence

Every year a number of pedestrians are struck by trains resulting in death and serious injury. While much research has been conducted on train-vehicle collisions, very little is currently known about the aetiology of train-pedestrian collisions. To date, scant research has been undertaken to investigate the demographics of rule breakers, the frequency of deliberate violation versus error making and the influence of the classic deterrence approach on subsequent behaviours. Aim This study aimed to to identify pedestrians’ self-reported reasons for engaging in violations at crossing, the frequency and nature of rule breaking and whether the threat of sanctions influence such events. Method A questionnaire was administered to 511 participants of all ages. Results Analysis revealed that pedestrians (particularly younger groups) were more likely to commit deliberate violations rather than make crossing errors e.g., mistakes. The most frequent reasons given for deliberate violations were participants were running late and did not want to miss their train or participants believed that the gate was taking too long to open so may be malfunctioning. In regards to classical deterrence, an examination of the perceived threat of being apprehended and fined for a crossing violation revealed participants reported the highest mean scores for swiftness of punishment, which suggests they were generally aware that they would receive an “on the spot” fine. However, the overall mean scores for certainty and severity of sanctions (for violating the rules) indicate that the participants did not perceive the certainty and severity of sanctions as very high. This paper will further discuss the research findings in regards to the development of interventions designed to improve pedestrian crossing safety.

Waiting for warning: Driver Situation awareness at rural rail level crossings

Driver behaviour at rail level crossings represents a key area for further research. This paper describes an on-road study comparing novice and experienced driver situation awareness at rural rail level crossings. Participants provided verbal protocols while driving a pre-determined rural route incorporating ten rail level crossings. Driver situation awareness was assessed using a network analysis approach. The analysis revealed key differences between novice and experienced drivers' situation awareness. In particular, the novice drivers seemed to be more reliant on rail level crossing warnings and their situation awareness was less focussed on the environment outside of the rail level crossing. In closing, the implications for rail level crossing safety are discussed.