Safe Conditions Research Articles

Study on the maximum ceiling temperature and downstream temperature distribution in inclined tunnel fire

Constrained by various factors, including terrain, tunnels frequently exhibit slopes. While existing research on fires in inclined tunnels predominantly focuses on the characteristics of smoke flow in large slope tunnels, there is a notable lack of attention given to the study of micro-slope tunnels and important factors such as induced air inflow. Therefore, in this paper, the numerical simulation method is used to study the maximum ceiling temperature rise and downstream temperature distribution in inclined tunnel fire under the conditions of micro-slope and large slope. The results show that the main factors affecting the ceiling temperature rise are not only the tunnel slope, but also the HRR and the downstream length. These effects can be expressed by the stack effect intensity. When the inclined tunnel fire occurs, the maximum ceiling temperature and the downstream temperature distribution characteristics show two states. When the stack effect in the tunnel is diminished, there is no significant alteration in the maximum ceiling temperature and temperature distribution within the tunnel when compared to a horizontal tunnel. In a tunnel with a strong stack effect, the maximum temperature decreases as the stack effect increases, and the temperature distribution differs greatly from a horizontal tunnel. The theoretical analysis of this paper identifies the demarcation point of the two state changes as the dimensionless induced air inflow velocity of 0.1. On this basis, a piecewise prediction model for the maximum ceiling temperature of the inclined tunnel fire is established. Because the temperature distribution between the fire source and the maximum temperature position is not regular. Thus, using the maximum ceiling temperature as a reference point, an accurate segmented prediction model of temperature distribution is proposed for downstream Region 1. This study offers guidance for designing tunnel structures with high-temperature resistance and assessing safety conditions within the tunnel.

Determining calf traceability and cow–calf relationships in extensive farming using geolocation collars and BLE ear tags

Extensive farming is often considered very beneficial to animals for its potential to enhance animal welfare, providing animals with free-range access to their natural environment where they can engage in innate behaviors like grazing and exploration. However, despite these benefits, extensive production still faces welfare and health challenges due to unpredictable weather conditions and limited supervision by stockholders. Moreover, increasing consumer demand for information regarding food quality, safety, and production conditions poses a challenge for extensive farming, where animals are less controlled. Precision livestock farming (PLF) emerges as a possible solution by enabling the continuous real-time monitoring of the health, welfare, and behavior of animals. A novel approach combining geolocation collars for cows and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) ear tags for calves appears promising to enhance traceability and monitoring in extensive farming. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including limitations in the data transmission capacity and associated costs. This study evaluated the effectiveness of combining geolocation collars and BLE ear tags for monitoring calf traceability and cow–calf relationships across three scenarios: 1) Equilibrated: same collar/ear tag ratio; good coverage; 2) intermediate: more collars than ear tags; fair coverage; 3) worst: more ear tags than collars; lousy coverage. Our results indicate that the equilibrated scenario (ES) with an equal number of geolocation collars and BLE ear tags, was the best scenario, demonstrating the highest fix rate (22%) and the longest mean consecutive days of detecting the same ear tag (22.30 days), followed by the intermediate scenario (IS) and the worst scenario. In all scenarios, there was a mean period of 14–15 d without detecting a calf. However, this shortcoming can be overcome as calves usually graze alongside their mothers, ensuring comprehensive traceability in farm breeding. Additionally, by comparing differences in the number of ear tags received from offspring compared to other calves, the BLE ear tags successfully associated every mother with their calf in the ES and IS. Finally, this valuable information, would enable the development of a traceability system that ensures transparency and reliability throughout the supply chain and could allow consumers to access to product information related to animal welfare.

Short-Circuit Conditions and Thermal Behaviour of Different Cable Formations

Modern electrical installations widely use cable formations consisting of a few single cables connected in parallel. In this article, the short-circuit problem is analysed with its influence on cable temperature. In the assumed case study of supply lines, five equivalent cases were considered. Calculations of temperature increase during faults were performed using a simplified method and FEM model. This study shows the differences in calculation methods and points to better solutions in cable arrangements due to safety and operating conditions in cases of faults. Additionally, some problems in the simplified method were identified and pointed out in the range of its application.

Comprehensive survey of the truck transportation process: The impact of team driving on health and safety conditions

BackgroundGiven the limited research conducted on the role of a human co-driver in mitigating occupational health and safety risks, this study aims to investigate the impact of a co-driver on health and safety conditions in the truck transportation process. MethodsThe truck transportation process was divided into three main stages: truck loading, driving, and unloading. Using the job safety analysis (JSA) method, an analysis of the tasks within each stage was conducted, allowing for the identification of essential and safe tasks and conditions. A questionnaire, based on this information, was developed, validated, and used in this study. ResultsThe findings of this study demonstrate that a human co-driver positively impacted the drowsiness and alertness levels of truck drivers. Furthermore, improvements were observed in driving and parking performance, alongside a reduction in strenuous tasks and subsequent fatigue. The results conclusively indicate that the presence of a human co-driver significantly enhances health and safety conditions, particularly during the driving stage in comparison to the other stages of the truck transportation process.

Green energy: a modern view in conditions of environmental safety

Expansion of the use of renewable energy sources (RES) became possible due to technical progress in this area, which allowed, first of all, to significantly reduce the cost of electricity production by wind and solar power plants of various types. Since 2000, wind power has developed with an average annual growth rate of more than 21%. In the early years of wind power deployment, Europe was the key region for global wind turbine installations. In 2010, the region accounted for 47 % of global onshore wind turbine deployments. After 2010, other regions, especially China, have seen rapid wind energy development. By 2018, China had overtaken Europe to become the largest onshore wind energy market with nearly one-third of the world's installed capacity. Some experts estimate that onshore wind power installations will need to have an average annual growth rate of more than 7 % over the next three decades. Offshore wind energy technologies allow countries to exploit generally higher and sometimes more stable wind resources, by implementing gigawatt projects near densely populated coastal areas common in many parts of the world. This makes wind power an important addition to the portfolio of low-carbon technologies available to the energy sector in many countries. Green energy, in terms of environmental impact, leads to a more environmentally friendly process. Energy obtained from naturally occurring sources such as wind, sun and water, i.e. renewable energy is better for the environment because energy production does not produce greenhouse gases – gases that enter the atmosphere, trap heat and cause global warming. The main goal of our work is to analyze the experience of large-scale development of renewable energy sources in a number of countries, its impact, including negative ones, on traditional generation and the electricity market, with the development of relevant specific recommendations for overcoming specific challenges and ensuring environmental safety in each country

Снижение числа несчастных случаев и аварий при управлении поездом в автоматическом режиме

Railroad transport is the main element of economic development of Russian regions; it ensures reliable communication between industrial enterprises and raw material supply bases in Russia. Transportation of enterprise employees and freights is an integral part of the successful functioning of any industrial company. Ensuring safe conditions of train traffic is a matter of high priority for all participants in the transportation process. The article provides external and internal parameters affecting the safety of rolling stock. The impact of external factors, such as weather conditions, optical visibility, illumination, and air transparency on the operation of technical vision systems when driving a train in automatic mode have been analyzed. Taking the impact of these factors into account is necessary to limit the speed of rolling stock in the sectors of low visibility and sharp reduction of visibility range of obstacles, which is crucial to ensure safe train movement when calculating the braking curve. Such a dependence requires the introduction of correcting coefficients into algorithms of the train movement model and considering the correction when calibrating and configuring computers and devices of the technical vision system. In order to determine the internal parameters of rolling stock, an algorithm for the calculation of the coordinates of a technical object has been proposed. For a moving object, the coordinates are calculated on the orthodromic trajectory using the existing dependence between the current longitude and latitude of the object and the speed projections measurements of the rolling stock on the axis of the geographic coordinate system. The proposed options to determine the rolling stock parameters improve the quality and accuracy of determining speed and coordinates and reduce computing and hardware costs aboard a locomotive, which, in turn, affects the time of decision-making to ensure optimal control of rolling stock and prevention of accidents and emergencies.

Evaluation of Medical Waste Generated from Government Hospitals and Healthcare Centers in the City of Hodeidah, Yemen

In the present study, the current status of medical waste management in the city of Hodeidah was presented in terms of its definition, components, sources, and threats that may result from improper handling. This investi-gation aims to study the potential environmental and health impacts of existing medical waste produced by the government hospitals and healthcare entities in Hodeidah City, in addition to comparing the applied methods and procedures with the methods and procedures that are applied in developed countries. The research study was carried out from January 2022 until January 2023, and targeted ten government hospitals and healthcare institutions in Hodeidah City. It relied on descriptive and analytical scientific methods, which aim to describe and analyze medical solid waste generated from the selected institutions. The result of the study showed that the total quantities of waste produced in all studied government health facilities amounted to approximately 599,038 kg/year. The percentage of non-hazardous waste was about 67% against hazardous waste which was 33%. Hospitals that receive more patients and have more beds as well as a multiplicity of their specialties generate larger medical wastes. The present research investigation revealed that government hospitals and healthcare centers in the city of Al-Hodeidah have low levels of health and safety conditions. They do not meet the local and international standards and requirements in the Medical Waste Management Guides and Recommendations. The poor management situation of medical waste could expose Yemeni citizens to danger. The healthcare insti-tutions should be supervised and controlled and ensure management of medical waste following environmental regulations and laws.

Developing a Culture of Safety for Sustainable Development and Public Health in Manufacturing Companies—A Case Study

One of the most important values in human life is health and safety. This is reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG3, SDG8), which were presented by the United Nations in 2015. These goals emphasize the importance of ensuring healthy lives, promoting well-being for all, and fostering inclusive and sustainable economic growth through decent work and safe working conditions. Taking into account the importance of issues related to safety, including occupational safety and human health, research was carried out to examine the impact of the development of a safety culture during employees’ work on improving public health. In order to conduct the research, a survey questionnaire was developed, consisting of 20 questions relating to 10 attributes of safety culture. The research surveys were carried out among 363 employees in a production enterprise, and an interview questionnaire was administered to 3 employees of the Occupational Health and Safety Service of this enterprise. The results revealed that the enterprise’s employees rate the level of safety culture very highly. Along with the improvement of working conditions in the enterprise, the level of safety increases, the number of accidents at work decreases, and thus the protection of employee health is higher. Therefore, a high level of safety culture is correlated with a high value attached to the health and life of employees, and this, in turn, affects public health. Moreover, fostering a strong safety culture aligns with the principles of sustainable development, contributing to long-term societal well-being and aligning with global goals for responsible and ethical growth.

Design and modifications of boiler mounting device in Asmara brewery factory

Energy and environment are closely related and important issues in the present all over world. Present industrial and others organization thought the unique of energy utilization and diverse source reviles such as coal, oil, gas, nuclear, hydropower, solar, wind and biofuel. The Non-renewable energy sources are being limited in this world and energy conservation is one of growing need nowadays. The major issues in the world’s energy consumption are getting used in boilers. Thus, this energy used has to be wisely consumed with great efficiency in industries. Boilers are considered as an important and an expensive property in many industries. In addition to initial cost, boilers have high operational and maintenance cost in order to secure production in safe and acceptable working conditions. In this study concerned with an energy saving, economic and environmental analysis of the fire tube boiler in ASMARA BREWERY. In this project, we concentrated on the improvement of boiler efficiency by recovering a portion of heat content of the flue gas. This is possible due to the most dominant device which is the economizer. The preexisting boiler was designed without an economizer. The present modification involved about the design of economizer in the boiler to reduce fuel consumption and thermal shock. Furthermore, in this type of boiler attain higher efficiency and little enhancement in the efficiency of the boiler will save an outsized amount of fuel and also help to reduce CO2 emission.

Development of a patient-specific model of the human coronary system for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty balloon catheter training and testing

BackgroundTo treat stenosed coronary arteries, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) balloon catheters must combine pushability, trackability, crossability, and rewrap behavior. The existing anatomic track model (ASTM F2394) for catheter testing lacks 3D morphology, vessel tortuosity, and compliance, making evaluating performance characteristics difficult. This study aimed to develop a three-dimensional patient-specific phantom (3DPSP) for device testing and safe training for interventional cardiologists.MethodsA range of silicone materials with different shore hardnesses (00–30–45 A) and wall thicknesses (0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm) were tested to determine compliance for creating coronary vessel phantoms. Compliance was assessed using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and compared to values in the literature. Stenosis was induced using multilayer casting and brushing methods, with gypsum added for calcification. The radial tensile properties of the samples were investigated, and the relationship between Young’s modulus and compliance was determined. Various methods have been introduced to approximate the friction between silicone and real coronary vessel walls. Computerized tomography (CT) scans were used to obtain patient-specific anatomy from the femoral artery to the coronary arteries. Artery lumens were segmented from the CT scans to create dissolvable 3D-printed core models.ResultsA 15A shore hardness silicone yielded an experimental compliance of 12.3–22.4 mm2mmHg·103\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\frac{m{m}^{2}}{mmHg}\\cdot {10}^{3}$$\\end{document} for stenosed tubes and 14.7–57.9 mm2mmHg·103\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\frac{m{m}^{2}}{mmHg}\\cdot {10}^{3}$$\\end{document} for uniform tubes, aligning closely with the literature data (6.28–40.88 mm2mmHg·103\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\frac{m{m}^{2}}{mmHg}\\cdot {10}^{3}$$\\end{document}). The Young’s modulus ranged from 43.2 to 75.5 kPa and 56.6–67.9 kPa for the uniform and calcified materials, respectively. The dependency of the compliance on the wall thickness, Young’s modulus, and inner diameter could be shown. Introducing a lubricant reduced the silicone friction coefficient from 0.52 to 0.13. The 3DPSP was successfully fabricated, and comparative analyses were conducted among eight commercially available catheters.ConclusionThis study presents a novel method for crafting 3DPSPs with realistic mechanical and frictional properties. The proposed approach enables the creation of comprehensive and anatomically precise setups spanning the right femoral artery to the coronary arteries, highlighting the importance of such realistic environments for advancing medical device development and fostering safe training conditions.

USSC-YOLO: Enhanced Multi-Scale Road Crack Object Detection Algorithm for UAV Image.

Road crack detection is of paramount importance for ensuring vehicular traffic safety, and implementing traditional detection methods for cracks inevitably impedes the optimal functioning of traffic. In light of the above, we propose a USSC-YOLO-based target detection algorithm for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) road cracks based on machine vision. The algorithm aims to achieve the high-precision detection of road cracks at all scale levels. Compared with the original YOLOv5s, the main improvements to USSC-YOLO are the ShuffleNet V2 block, the coordinate attention (CA) mechanism, and the Swin Transformer. First, to address the problem of large network computational spending, we replace the backbone network of YOLOv5s with ShuffleNet V2 blocks, reducing computational overhead significantly. Next, to reduce the problems caused by the complex background interference, we introduce the CA attention mechanism into the backbone network, which reduces the missed and false detection rate. Finally, we integrate the Swin Transformer block at the end of the neck to enhance the detection accuracy for small target cracks. Experimental results on our self-constructed UAV near-far scene road crack i(UNFSRCI) dataset demonstrate that our model reduces the giga floating-point operations per second (GFLOPs) compared to YOLOv5s while achieving a 6.3% increase in mAP@50 and a 12% improvement in mAP@ [50:95]. This indicates that the model remains lightweight meanwhile providing excellent detection performance. In future work, we will assess road safety conditions based on these detection results to prioritize maintenance sequences for crack targets and facilitate further intelligent management.

Inbound friend or foe: how motion bistability is resolved under threat

Anxiety prepares us to deal with unpredictable threats, such as the approaching of an unknown person. Studies have shown our innate tendency to see approaching motion in ambiguous walkers in what was termed facing-the-viewer (FTV) bias. Here we investigated if anxiety states further contributed to this bias, hypothesizing that such states would increase overall FTV biases. Throughout three Experiments, we asked participants to judge the motion direction of ambiguous point-light walkers and measured their respective FTV biases under safe and anxiety-related conditions induced via imagery (Experiment 1), screaming sounds (Experiment 2), and threat of shock (Experiment 3). Across all experiments, we showed that anxiety does not affect our tendency to perceive an approaching behavior in ambiguous walkers. Based on our findings, and the discrepancies found in the literature, we emphasize the need for future studies to paint a clearer picture on the nature and aspects capable of affecting this bias.

Peculiarities of working conditions for employees with a remote form of employment

Today, the problem of improving working conditions and improving their organization is quite urgent, in particular, the issue of working conditions for workers with non-standard forms of employment, in particular remote employment, which is gaining importance today, needs to be resolved. The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities of working conditions for employees with remote employment, to identify problems and to propose ways to eliminate them. It is noted that with the appearance of non-typical (non-traditional) forms of employment on the domestic labor market, both practitioners and scientists are increasingly questioning the employer’s ability to fulfill the duty assigned to him to guarantee employees whose work does not fit into the traditional framework of labor relations, safe and healthy working conditions. Therefore, the employer using this type of employment should also take care of additional protection of employees, in particular, in matters of occupational health and safety, especially today, when the danger is different, external, military. At the same time, analyzing the current labor legislation, it was established that the employer is responsible only for “the safety and proper technical condition of the equipment and means of production, which are transferred to the employee to perform remote work”, and he does not have the obligation to ensure safe and harmless working conditions for the employee. Therefore, supporting other researchers of this issue, it is suggested that among the special conditions of the labor contract on remote work, there should also be a condition on ensuring labor safety, in order to oblige the employer to ensure the safety of the work of employees of the remote form of employment, in particular, to make sure that the assigned work can be performed safely at home by such an employee, has appropriate equipment and tools for safe work at home, received appropriate information, instructions and training (including in the event of an emergency), and also took measures to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of employees. Since remote work should not entail any restrictions on the scope of labor rights of employees, that is, a remote worker should have the same rights and obligations as other employees.

Efficient triethylamine sensing achieved by in-situ Zn2+ doping regulated Mo-MOFs derived MoO3/ZnMoO4 heterostructures

Triethylamine (TEA) poses severe safety hazards to industrial production and human health. To accurately detect TEA concentrations and rapidly warn of leakage, a simple reflux condensation method was deployed to successfully incorporate Zn2+ in situ into Mo-MOFs precursor in a green, safe, and time-efficient synthesis condition. Subsequently, through calcination, MoO3/ZnMoO4-X (MMZ-X) were prepared, which exhibited an increased number of defects and enriched porosity, facilitating the access and interaction of TEA with adsorption sites. Simultaneously, rationally built in situ MoO3/ZnMoO4 heterostructures accelerated carrier migration and induced a drastic resistive change. MMZ-2 demonstrated outstanding TEA sensing performance, exhibiting extremely high sensitivity (R = 572.3, 100 ppm), along with superior selectivity, repeatability and stability, rapid response and recovery times, and a low detection limit. Moreover, the key intrinsic parameters of the heterostructure on the atomic scale were determined by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, providing a detailed elucidation of the sensing enhancement mechanism of the MoO3/ZnMoO4 heterostructure. The simple and efficient synthesis method and the related mechanistic analysis pave a new path for designing high-performance TEA gas sensors with practical applications.

Some traits of ecology and demography in settlements of the common hamster (<i>cricetus cricetus</i>, cricetidae, rodentia) under different levels of environmental comfort in a Simferopol city park

The spatial and demographic structure of two common hamster settlements was studied in two adjacent areas in a park of Simferopol City, Crimea, one differing in a lower vegetation storey (protective factor) while the other in the frequency of human visits (disturbance factor). We counted environmental comfort as the sum of scores (on a ten-point scale) of safe conditions (positive value) and disturbance factors (negative value). A strong positive relation was found between environmental comfort and the following characteristics of the settlements: (a) the number of burrows per area unit; (b) a nonrandom number of aggregative burrows; and (c) the percentage of juveniles in the population. The seldom visited places with a dense cover of grass and bushes appear to be the most favorable habitats, yet these are not typical of an urban landscape. However, it is those places that seem to serve as the sources that support the existence of hamster populations in less favorable city territories. Preservation of such places is one of the essential factors determining the survival of urban populations of the hamster.

Abstracting Effect Systems for Algebraic Effect Handlers

Many effect systems for algebraic effect handlers are designed to guarantee that all invoked effects are handled adequately. However, respective researchers have developed their own effect systems that differ in how to represent the collections of effects that may happen. This situation results in blurring what is required for the representation and manipulation of effect collections in a safe effect system. In this work, we present a language λ EA equipped with an effect system that abstracts the existing effect systems for algebraic effect handlers. The effect system of λ EA is parameterized over effect algebras , which abstract the representation and manipulation of effect collections in safe effect systems. We prove the type-and-effect safety of λ EA by assuming that a given effect algebra meets certain properties called safety conditions . As a result, we can obtain the safety properties of a concrete effect system by proving that an effect algebra corresponding to the concrete system meets the safety conditions. We also show that effect algebras meeting the safety conditions are expressive enough to accommodate some existing effect systems, each of which represents effect collections in a different style. Our framework can also differentiate the safety aspects of the effect collections of the existing effect systems. To this end, we extend λ EA and the safety conditions to lift coercions and type-erasure semantics , propose other effect algebras including ones for which no effect system has been studied in the literature, and compare which effect algebra is safe and which is not for the extensions.

Optimalisasi Pengelolaan Kualitas Air Terhadap Kelangsungan Hidup Udang Vaname (Litopenaeus Vannamei) di Farm Vannamei Reborn Probolinggo Jawa Timur

Water quality management means efforts made to maintain water parameters so that they are in a safe condition, the standard of cultivation mediab required. Poor water quality will be the start of disease for shrimp and cn cause stress. Poor water quality can affect growth, metabolic processes and survival. Shrimp become low. The aim of this research is to find out whether the optimal quality management for the survival of vannamei shrimp (litopenaeus vannamei) at the reborn vannamei farm is optimal. The data alalysis method in this research uses quantitative descriptive analiysis techniques.The survival percentage of vaname shirmp from plot A 93,78%, plot B 92,68%, plot C 92,40% and plot D 90,38%. All plot showed a high survival rate from the standard value set by PT. Proteina Central Prima or CP Prima.

Occupational Risk Management in OHS Based on Risk Assessment and Control

Abstract Nowadays, occupational risk management presents a significant challenge for enterprises and occupational health and safety (OHS) services. Economic changes drive efforts to verify working conditions and optimize production processes involving human participation. Employers are obligated to provide safe and hygienic working conditions using all available technical and organizational solutions. However, many enterprises still marginalize the correlation between reliable occupational risk assessments and employee absenteeism. Employers often fear high economic costs with potentially low returns. Such actions often stem from the lack of precise analyses clearly determining the costs of inadequate employee safety and ignorance of the possible consequences of workplace accidents. A well-prepared occupational risk assessment can beneficially impact employee safety, company profits, and the reduction or elimination of material and financial losses. This article discusses appropriate remedial measures for accurately determining occupational risk levels and the elements of its control. The reliability of the assessment will determine the effectiveness of the adopted OHS policy and management overall.

INTEGRATED CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS APPLICATION FOR ROAD TRAFFIC EFFICIENCY

Road traffic is a problem that every country has to face for the benefit of its population. Everything related to the transportation of people, goods, and services can be delayed due to a deplorable infrastructure. From minor tasks like individual shopping to important services like ambulances and fire trucks, all vehicles in Romania will eventually pass through a traffic light-controlled intersection that is not managed in real-time and that is also highly inefficient. At such a location, it is critical for traffic flow to be as smooth as possible to prevent time losses, and for traffic information to be stored into a cloud for process optimization. The purpose of the developed application is to reduce the real-time traffic jams to allow the optimal vehicles movement in safe conditions for all traffic participants. Using deep learning (DL) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, the application is based on two convolutional neural networks (CNN’s), respectively one for real-time detection of cars and people, and another one for real-time detection of cars license plates. The cars detections with CNN’s is important for road traffic optimization, for the efficient pedestrian detection necessary for crosswalks, and the car licence plates detection necessary for preventing traffic violations. The developed application contains several modules that operate based on deep learning and devices that communicate with each other, ensuring efficient data saving in cloud, data visualization, real-time traffic light control, and the information processing from traffic cameras.

The Questionnaire on the Use of Public Transportation and Well-Being (QUPTW): A national survey and validation in Paraguay

IntroductionThe impact of public transportation on the human emotional well-being is certainly under-studied, especially in the developing countries. This study proposes and validates a questionnaire aimed to assess the emotional well-being in the context of public transportation use in Paraguay (as in any other Spanish country). MethodsWe conducted an observational cross-sectional study using an online survey to address the relationship between the transport systems and mental health. The newly developed Questionnaire on the Use of Public Transportation and Well-Being (QUPTW) was evaluated for content and construct validity, criterion validity, and reliability. ResultsFindings from 918 respondents have shown that the QUPTW reports strong psychometric properties, including validity and reliability. Participants, primarily young, university-educated women residing in Greater Asunción, reported dissatisfaction with the public transportation services. Long commute times, discomfort, and poor hygiene and safety conditions are significant contributors leading to emotional distress. These findings underscore the potential impact of the inadequate public transportation systems on mental well-being, suggesting the need for policy interventions to enhance accessibility, comfort, and safety. ConclusionsThis study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the public transportation use and the emotional well-being and provides a valuable tool for further research and policy development.