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Showing papers by "Margaret Bell published in 1993"


Journal Article
TL;DR: MRI was used to assess the extent of intra-abdominal (IA) and subcutaneous abdominal (SA) fat deposition in 11-year-old boys and girls, and to identify the most useful anthropometric indicators of IA adiposity in children.
Abstract: Although the metabolic complications accompanying visceral deposition of fat are well-established, the onset and extent of such fat patterning in children has not been fully documented. This has been due to the problem of computerized tomography exposing children to a prohibitive radiation risk. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has provided a feasible alternative. Specifically, the purposes of this study were to use MRI (i) to assess the extent of intra-abdominal (IA) and subcutaneous abdominal (SA) fat deposition in 11-year-old boys and girls, and (ii) to identify the most useful anthropometric indicators of IA adiposity in children. Twenty-five boys and 25 girls were selected to represent, by quintiles, the body mass index range for their age. IA fat, SA fat, and total cross-sectional areas were measured from an MRI scan at the umbilicus. Body density was assessed by hydrostatic weighing, and skinfold thicknesses, circumferences and related ratios, and stage of sexual maturity were measured. Results showed that a wide variation in IA fat deposition was present with amounts ranging from 6 to 58 cm2 (mean = 17.8 +/- 10.0) for boys and 15 to 50 cm2 (mean = 24.8 +/- 8.8) for girls. Percentage of cross-sectional area taken up by visceral fat appears to be less than in normal weight adults. Fourteen children had intra-abdominal/subcutaneous abdominal fat ratios that have been associated with higher health risk in obese adults. Waist-hip circumference ratio (WHR), which is widely used as an indicator of IA deposition in adults, was not a useful predictor in these children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

138 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: A new method for analyzing data from partial registration-plate surveys is described that uses an analysis method that incorporates safeguards that are designed to ensure that spurious registration matches are not made.
Abstract: Registration-plate surveys are an established technique in transport engineering for measuring a wide variety of traffic characteristics. For example, surveys can be used to determine routing patterns and trip times by noting the vehicle registration at a range of key sites in the survey area. Similarly, turning flows at intersections can be measured by noting the registration of vehicles that enter and leave the intersection. This paper describes a new method for analyzing data from partial registration-plate surveys that uses an analysis method that incorporates safeguards that are designed to ensure that spurious registration matches are not made. The method uses time windows and other safeguards to ensure all registration matches are genuine. The method is described in detail.

5 citations


01 Jan 1993
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduce new and potential users to the Instrumented City facility and give a brief history of the instrumented city project and the data resources available to users.
Abstract: This guide is intended to introduce new and potential users to the Instrumented City facility. The guide begins by giving a brief history of thie Instrumented City project. Much of the real-time traffic data stored within the facility comes from the SCOTT (Split, Cycle and Offset Optimisation Technique) Urban Traffic Control system and so, in section 3, the operation of SCOTT, and UNTRG's (University of Nottingham Transport Research Group) communications links with the Leicester and Nottingham SCOTT systems, are described. In section 4, an overview is given of the equipment used by the Instrumented City project, while in section 5 the data resources available to users are reviewed. The ways in which data are stored, and the different ways in which data can be supplied to users, are also described in this section. In section 6, some notes on how to become an Instrumented City user are given, while section 7 contains some guidelines for existing users.

5 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: The paper describes a new way of observing registration plates, decided that it was not possible to track all vehicles accurately enough using roadside interviews, travel diaries, video recording, or time-lapse photography.
Abstract: This paper is the first in a series of three that describe the survey design and the computer methods that were used in measuring turning movement from traffic detector flows, monitored across a signal- controlled network in the City of Leicester, England. Leicester's traffic network is a series of connected radial and ring roads; in 1988, its fixed-time signal control system was replaced by the demand-responsive traffic signal control system SCOOT. The SCOOT Region 'R' was chosen for the study, because its spatial geometry offers alternative routes to traffic entering and leaving the city centre. Numberplate matching was adopted, because it was decided that it was not possible to track all vehicles accurately enough using roadside interviews, travel diaries, video recording, or time-lapse photography. The paper describes a new way of observing registration plates. One challenge that was met was the training of 50 people to use the method, and ensuring that they were sent to the right places at the right time. Each observer was given a training session of one hour. Reports from supervisors and random checks on the reliability of the data transcription both verified that information transfer was accurate. The use of a wide range of recording equipment was investigated, including portable data-loggers and hand-held computers.

4 citations


01 Jan 1993
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a comprehensive analysis of three origin-destination surveys carried out on the second Wednesday in May in three consecutive years 1989, 1990 and 1991, where every vehicle was tracked into, across and out of a demand-responsive signal control sub-area of Leicester city, whilst simultaneously collecting detector flow data.
Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of three origin- destination surveys carried out on the second Wednesday in May in three consecutive years 1989, 1990 and 1991. The surveys were unique in that every vehicle was tracked into, across and out of a demand- responsive signal control sub-area of Leicester city, whilst simultaneously collecting detector flow data. The initial project had three main objectives. (1) To commission a computer link with the SCOOT computer at Leicester and to begin collecting and sorting data. (2) To carry out a registration plate survey to establish the origin destination traffic of actual traffic movement before the schemes were set up. (3) To establish a methodology to monitor continually and analyse SCOOT and other detector data. The research demonstrated that shifts in route patterns following traffic management and road schemes can be identified based on traffic flow data obtained from a demand- responsive signal control system. The study also suggested that drivers' responses to network changes do not always conform to expectations. This comprehensive research programme has produced the fundamental databases which allow further research and development of Informing Technologies for Transport. For the covering abstract see IRRD 861794.

3 citations



Proceedings ArticleDOI
12 Oct 1993
TL;DR: The initial development of the Instrumented City project, which involves constructing a database of road traffic data provided by Leicestershire County Council for use throughout the UK academic transport research community is described, and a possible architecture for a general transport database is outlined.
Abstract: The initial development of the Instrumented City project, which involves constructing a database of road traffic data provided by Leicestershire County Council for use throughout the UK academic transport research community is described. A possible architecture for a general transport database is outlined. The Instrumented City project and database are then described in some detail, and possible future developments are discussed.

2 citations


01 Jan 1993
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the current research activities of the Nottingham University Transport Research Group (NUTRG) which is seeking to develop a completely integrated approach to traffic and transport management and control in real-time.
Abstract: This paper describes the current research activities of the Nottingham University Transport Research Group (NUTRG) which is seeking to develop a completely integrated approach to traffic and transport management and control in real-time. Basic research is being carried out to develop parameters and methods of statistical analysis to allow continuous monitoring of the performance of the total system both in terms of delay to traffic, levels of air pollution emissions and public transport operations. An Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) is developed to accommodate the data and information that is appropriate for the real-time control and management of a traffic and transport system.

1 citations