The Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences has published the journal article “Swimming Performance of Sauger Sander Canadensis in Relation to Fish Passage” on its website. The article, authored by David Dockery, Thomas MaMahon, Kevin Kappenman, and Matt Blank, discusses research to study the swimming abilities of sauger, a migratory species, in order to inform the design of fish passage strutures and help prevent habitat fragmentation for this species. The research is a collaboration among WTI, the MSU Department of Ecology, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Month: February 2017
Montana State University highlights WTI research.
Montana State University is highlighting WTI research on its website this week. MSU News posted a feature article about Natalie Villwock-Witte’s research on the transportation preferences of rural Millennials, and the publicity it has received by national publications including Wired Magazine. If you missed it, you can read the article here.
WTI Director appointed to National Advisory Committee
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation has re-appointed WTI Director Steve Albert to the USDOT’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program Advisory Committee for a two-year term. The committee serves as a national forum on ITS advancements, and the members provide guidance and recommendations on ITS research to the USDOT. Members include prominent transportation leaders from both the public and private sector; Steve was specifically selected to represent rural interests. An original member, Steve has served on the committee continuously since its inception in 2007.
MDT Highlights WTI Research Projects
The Montana Department of Transportation selected multiple MDT/WTI collaborative research projects to highlight in its Winter 2017 Research Newsletter. Eli Cuelho’s project to develop a standard specification for a new gravel base course design was featured on the front page (“Development of a ¾-inch Minus Base Course Type A Specification for Montana”). The newsletter also provides an update on the Traffic Safety Culture Transportation Pooled Fund, which is a joint effort by the Center for Health and Safety Culture, WTI, MDT and nine other states. In addition, there is a feature article about one of the Pooled Fund projects (“An Assessment of Traffic Safety Culture Related to Driving After Cannabis Use”), a study conducted by Nic Ward, Jay Otto, Kari Finley, and Kelly Green. To read the full issue of MDT’s newsletter “Solutions,” click here.
Journal Article Proposes Global Remote Camera Networks to Preserve Biodiversity
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, the journal of the Ecological Society of America, has published “Scaling-up camera traps: monitoring the planet’s biodiversity with networks of remote sensors,” which was co-authored by Tony Clevenger of WTI’s Road Ecology program, and 15 colleagues from the United States and Canada. The article documents the growth of remote-camera technology in environmental conservation, and proposes that integrating systems of camera networks on a global scale has the potential to advance many international biodiversity and ecosystem preservation goals.
Citation:
Robin Steenweg, Mark Hebblewhite, Roland Kays, Jorge Ahumada, Jason T Fisher, Cole Burton,Susan E Townsend, Chris Carbone, J Marcus Rowcliffe, Jesse Whittington, Jedediah Brodie, J Andrew Royle, Adam Switalski, Anthony P Clevenger, Nicole Heim, and Lindsey N Rich. Scaling-up camera traps: monitoring the planet’s biodiversity with networks of remote sensors. Frontiers in Ecolology and the Environment 2017; 15(1): 26–34, doi:10.1002/fee.1448.
MnDOT to publish WTI research
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has announced the release of the final report for“Mobility Mindset of the Millennial in Small Urban and Rural Areas.” Authored by P.I. Natalie Villwock-Witte and Karalyn Clouser, the report focuses on a survey of residents in four states to understand whether Millennials in small urban and rural communities have the same mobility mindset as those in large cities. The collaborative research was sponsored by the University Transportation Center program, through the Small Urban and Rural Livability Center (SURLC). MnDOT offers an excellent fact sheet on the project, as well as the full report.
Center for Health and Safety Culture releases report for “An Assessment of Traffic Safety Culture Related to Engagement in Efforts to Improve Traffic Safety.”
Are you a good (traffic safety) citizen? The Center for Health and Safety Culture (CHSC) has released the final report for “An Assessment of Traffic Safety Culture Related to Engagement in Efforts to Improve Traffic Safety.” Conducted in partnership with the Transportation Pooled Fund on Traffic Safety Culture, this research explored the specific aspects of traffic safety culture that predict engagement in traffic safety citizenship behaviors. Examples of “safety citizenship” behaviors include asking someone to put on a seat belt or to refrain from using a cell phone while driving. Instead of trying to reduce risky behaviors among a small group of individuals, the goal is to instill a sense of responsibility in everyone for the safety of others. The results of this project as well as information about methodology and analysis can be found in the final report.
Download Report DirectlySAFETY_CITIZENSHIP_FINAL_REPORT
Download SummarySAFETY_CITIZENSHIP_PSR
New Publication: A Comparison of the Effects of Continuous versus Discontinuous Movement Patterns on Parkinsonian Rigidity and Reflex Responses to Passive Stretch and Shortening
Anbu Muthumani co-authored an article for the Journal of Nature and Science with colleagues in the MSU Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department. “A Comparison of the Effects of Continuous versus Discontinuous Movement Patterns on Parkinsonian Rigidity and Reflex Responses to Passive Stretch and Shortening” summarizes a project to study the effects of stretching on the movement of patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
Citation: Powell D, Muthumani A, Xia R. A Comparison of the Effects of Continuous versus Discontinuous Movement Patterns on Parkinsonian Rigidity and Reflex Responses to Passive Stretch and Shortening. Journal of Nature and Science (JNSCI), 2(8):e201, 2016.
Researchers from WTI’s Winter Maintenance program collaborated on “Accelerated Laboratory Test Suggests the Importance of Film Integrity of Sealers on the Protection of Concrete from Deicer Scaling” for the Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. The project compared the performance of five different sealers that protect concrete.
Citation: Dang, Y., Shi, X., Xie, N., McVey, E., and Kessel, A. (2016). “Accelerated Laboratory Test Suggests the Importance of Film Integrity of Sealers on the Protection of Concrete from Deicer Scaling.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001579, 04016065.