Background Stillbirths do not count in routine worldwide data-collating systems or for the Millen... more Background Stillbirths do not count in routine worldwide data-collating systems or for the Millennium Development Goals. Two sets of national stillbirth estimates for 2000 produced similar worldwide totals of 3·2 million and 3·3 million, but rates diff ered substantially for some countries. We aimed to develop more reliable estimates and a time series from 1995 for 193 countries, by increasing input data, using recent data, and applying improved modelling approaches.
In a bi-criteria optimization problem, often the user is interested in a subset of solutions lyin... more In a bi-criteria optimization problem, often the user is interested in a subset of solutions lying in the knee region. On the other hand in many problem-solving tasks, often one or a few methodologies are commonly used. In this paper, we argue that there is a link between the knee solutions in bi-criteria problems and the preferred methodologies when viewed from a conflicting bi-criterion standpoint. We illustrate our argument with the help of a number of popularly used problem-solving tasks. Each task, when perceived as a bicriteria problem, seems to exhibit a knee or a knee-region and the commonly-used methodology seems to lie within the knee-region. This linking is certainly an interesting finding and may have a long-term implication in the development of efficient solution methodologies for different scientific and other problem-solving tasks.
A knee point is almost always a preferred trade-off solution, if it exists in a bicriteria optimi... more A knee point is almost always a preferred trade-off solution, if it exists in a bicriteria optimization problem. In this article, an attempt is made to improve understanding of a knee point and investigate the properties of a bicriteria problem that may exhibit a knee on its Pareto-optimal front. Past studies are reviewed and a couple of new definitions are suggested. Additionally, a knee region is defined for problems in which, instead of one, a set of knee-like solutions exists. Edge-knee solutions, which behave like knee solutions but lie near one of the extremes on the Pareto-optimal front, are also introduced. It is interesting that in many problem-solving tasks, despite the existence of a number of solution methodologies, only one or a few of them are commonly used. Here, it is argued that often such common solution principles are knee solutions to a bicriteria problem formed with two conflicting goals of the underlying problem-solving task. The argument is illustrated on a number of tasks, such as regression, sorting, clustering and a number of engineering designs.
Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the ... more Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the national and state levels in India. Methods: We reviewed the 2 publicly accessible data sources in India for the availability of data related to traffic injuries and deaths: (1) the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and (2) the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH). Using the World Health Organization (WHO) manual for the comprehensive assessment of road safety data, we developed a checklist of indicators required for comprehensive road safety assessment. These indicators were then used to assess the availability of road safety data in India using the NCRB and MORTH data. We assessed the availability of data on outcomes and exposures indicators (i.e., number of crashes, injuries, deaths, timing of deaths, gender and age distribution of injuries and deaths), safety performance indicators (i.e., with reference to select risk factors of speeding, alcohol, and helmet use), and cost indicators (i.e., medical costs, material costs, intervention costs, productivity costs, time costs, and losses to quality of life). Results: Information on outcome indicators was the most comprehensive in terms of availability. Both NCRB and MORTH databases had data for most of the need areas specified by the WHO under outcomes and exposure indicators. Regarding outcome and exposure indicators, data were available for 81 and 91 percent of specified need areas at the national level from NCRB and MORTH databases, respectively. At the state level, data on outcome and exposure indicators were available for only 54 percent of need areas from either of the 2 sources. There were no data on safety performance indicators in the NCRB database. From the MORTH database, data availability on safety performance indicators was 60 percent at both national and state levels. Data availability on costs and process indicators was found to be below 20 percent at the national and state levels. Conclusion: Overall, there is an urgent need to improve the publicly available road safety data in India. This will enhance monitoring of the burden of traffic injuries and deaths, enable sound interpretation of national road safety data, and allow the formulation effective road safety policies.
Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the ... more Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the national and state levels in India. Methods: We reviewed the 2 publicly accessible data sources in India for the availability of data related to traffic injuries and deaths: (1) the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and (2) the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH). Using the World Health Organization (WHO) manual for the comprehensive assessment of road safety data, we developed a checklist of indicators required for comprehensive road safety assessment. These indicators were then used to assess the availability of road safety data in India using the NCRB and MORTH data. We assessed the availability of data on outcomes and exposures indicators (i.e., number of crashes, injuries, deaths, timing of deaths, gender and age distribution of injuries and deaths), safety performance indicators (i.e., with reference to select risk factors of speeding, alcohol, and helmet use), and cost indicators (i.e., medical costs, material costs, intervention costs, productivity costs, time costs, and losses to quality of life). Results: Information on outcome indicators was the most comprehensive in terms of availability. Both NCRB and MORTH databases had data for most of the need areas specified by the WHO under outcomes and exposure indicators. Regarding outcome and exposure indicators, data were available for 81 and 91 percent of specified need areas at the national level from NCRB and MORTH databases, respectively. At the state level, data on outcome and exposure indicators were available for only 54 percent of need areas from either of the 2 sources. There were no data on safety performance indicators in the NCRB database. From the MORTH database, data availability on safety performance indicators was 60 percent at both national and state levels. Data availability on costs and process indicators was found to be below 20 percent at the national and state levels. Conclusion: Overall, there is an urgent need to improve the publicly available road safety data in India. This will enhance monitoring of the burden of traffic injuries and deaths, enable sound interpretation of national road safety data, and allow the formulation effective road safety policies.
Background Stillbirths do not count in routine worldwide data-collating systems or for the Millen... more Background Stillbirths do not count in routine worldwide data-collating systems or for the Millennium Development Goals. Two sets of national stillbirth estimates for 2000 produced similar worldwide totals of 3·2 million and 3·3 million, but rates diff ered substantially for some countries. We aimed to develop more reliable estimates and a time series from 1995 for 193 countries, by increasing input data, using recent data, and applying improved modelling approaches.
In a bi-criteria optimization problem, often the user is interested in a subset of solutions lyin... more In a bi-criteria optimization problem, often the user is interested in a subset of solutions lying in the knee region. On the other hand in many problem-solving tasks, often one or a few methodologies are commonly used. In this paper, we argue that there is a link between the knee solutions in bi-criteria problems and the preferred methodologies when viewed from a conflicting bi-criterion standpoint. We illustrate our argument with the help of a number of popularly used problem-solving tasks. Each task, when perceived as a bicriteria problem, seems to exhibit a knee or a knee-region and the commonly-used methodology seems to lie within the knee-region. This linking is certainly an interesting finding and may have a long-term implication in the development of efficient solution methodologies for different scientific and other problem-solving tasks.
A knee point is almost always a preferred trade-off solution, if it exists in a bicriteria optimi... more A knee point is almost always a preferred trade-off solution, if it exists in a bicriteria optimization problem. In this article, an attempt is made to improve understanding of a knee point and investigate the properties of a bicriteria problem that may exhibit a knee on its Pareto-optimal front. Past studies are reviewed and a couple of new definitions are suggested. Additionally, a knee region is defined for problems in which, instead of one, a set of knee-like solutions exists. Edge-knee solutions, which behave like knee solutions but lie near one of the extremes on the Pareto-optimal front, are also introduced. It is interesting that in many problem-solving tasks, despite the existence of a number of solution methodologies, only one or a few of them are commonly used. Here, it is argued that often such common solution principles are knee solutions to a bicriteria problem formed with two conflicting goals of the underlying problem-solving task. The argument is illustrated on a number of tasks, such as regression, sorting, clustering and a number of engineering designs.
Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the ... more Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the national and state levels in India. Methods: We reviewed the 2 publicly accessible data sources in India for the availability of data related to traffic injuries and deaths: (1) the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and (2) the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH). Using the World Health Organization (WHO) manual for the comprehensive assessment of road safety data, we developed a checklist of indicators required for comprehensive road safety assessment. These indicators were then used to assess the availability of road safety data in India using the NCRB and MORTH data. We assessed the availability of data on outcomes and exposures indicators (i.e., number of crashes, injuries, deaths, timing of deaths, gender and age distribution of injuries and deaths), safety performance indicators (i.e., with reference to select risk factors of speeding, alcohol, and helmet use), and cost indicators (i.e., medical costs, material costs, intervention costs, productivity costs, time costs, and losses to quality of life). Results: Information on outcome indicators was the most comprehensive in terms of availability. Both NCRB and MORTH databases had data for most of the need areas specified by the WHO under outcomes and exposure indicators. Regarding outcome and exposure indicators, data were available for 81 and 91 percent of specified need areas at the national level from NCRB and MORTH databases, respectively. At the state level, data on outcome and exposure indicators were available for only 54 percent of need areas from either of the 2 sources. There were no data on safety performance indicators in the NCRB database. From the MORTH database, data availability on safety performance indicators was 60 percent at both national and state levels. Data availability on costs and process indicators was found to be below 20 percent at the national and state levels. Conclusion: Overall, there is an urgent need to improve the publicly available road safety data in India. This will enhance monitoring of the burden of traffic injuries and deaths, enable sound interpretation of national road safety data, and allow the formulation effective road safety policies.
Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the ... more Objective: To assess the availability and coverage of publicly available road safety data at the national and state levels in India. Methods: We reviewed the 2 publicly accessible data sources in India for the availability of data related to traffic injuries and deaths: (1) the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and (2) the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH). Using the World Health Organization (WHO) manual for the comprehensive assessment of road safety data, we developed a checklist of indicators required for comprehensive road safety assessment. These indicators were then used to assess the availability of road safety data in India using the NCRB and MORTH data. We assessed the availability of data on outcomes and exposures indicators (i.e., number of crashes, injuries, deaths, timing of deaths, gender and age distribution of injuries and deaths), safety performance indicators (i.e., with reference to select risk factors of speeding, alcohol, and helmet use), and cost indicators (i.e., medical costs, material costs, intervention costs, productivity costs, time costs, and losses to quality of life). Results: Information on outcome indicators was the most comprehensive in terms of availability. Both NCRB and MORTH databases had data for most of the need areas specified by the WHO under outcomes and exposure indicators. Regarding outcome and exposure indicators, data were available for 81 and 91 percent of specified need areas at the national level from NCRB and MORTH databases, respectively. At the state level, data on outcome and exposure indicators were available for only 54 percent of need areas from either of the 2 sources. There were no data on safety performance indicators in the NCRB database. From the MORTH database, data availability on safety performance indicators was 60 percent at both national and state levels. Data availability on costs and process indicators was found to be below 20 percent at the national and state levels. Conclusion: Overall, there is an urgent need to improve the publicly available road safety data in India. This will enhance monitoring of the burden of traffic injuries and deaths, enable sound interpretation of national road safety data, and allow the formulation effective road safety policies.
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