Search results for "Sports"
showing 10 items of 4839 documents
Accident ahead? Difficulties of drivers with and without reading impairment recognising words and pictograms in variable message signs
2017
A timely and accurate acquisition of the information provided by variable message signs (VMS) can be crucial while driving. In the current study, we assess the difficulties of adults with dyslexia acquiring the information shown in VMS and provide evidence to discuss the controversial use of pictograms as potential countermeasures. Twenty-two adults with dyslexia and 22 matched controls completed a simulated driving session. The legibility of 12 VMS was assessed, including six text messages (e.g. "ACCIDENT") and six single pictograms (e.g. the icon for "accident ahead"). On average, participants with dyslexia started reading text messages when they were closer to the VMS. In addition, while…
The impact of rear-view mirror distance and curvature on judgements relevant to road safety
2011
We report two experiments that investigate the impact of rear-view mirror distance and curvature on distance, spacing, and time-to-contact (TTC) judgements. The variation in mirror distance had a significant effect on TTC judgements, but only marginally influenced distance and spacing estimations. As mirror distance increased, TTC was overestimated, which is potentially dangerous. Control conditions with identical visual angles across different mirror distances revealed that effects were not solely caused by variation in visual angle. The impact of mirror curvature moderated the effect. While observers were unable to compensate for the mirror distance effect, they could do so for the distor…
Convex rear view mirrors compromise distance and time-to-contact judgements
2007
Convex rear view mirrors increasingly replace planar mirrors in automobiles. While increasing the field of view, convex mirrors are also taken to increase distance estimates and thereby reduce safety margins. However, this study failed to replicate systematic distance estimation errors in a real world setting. Whereas distance estimates were accurate on average, convex mirrors lead to significantly more variance in distance and spacing estimations. A second experiment explored the effect of mirrors on time-to-contact estimations, which had not been previously researched. Potential effects of display size were separated from effects caused by distortion in convex mirrors. Time-to-contact est…
Driving on the motorway: the effect of alternating speed on driver's activation level and mental effort
2002
When most of the driving tasks are performed automatically, a driver's level of alertness may decline, as has been pointed out in the study of the phenomenon called 'highway hypnosis'. One possible countermeasure is to periodically vary the speed (Wertheim 1978), but the authors have not found any studies that directly assess the effectiveness of this countermeasure. The objective of our study has been to provide empirical evidence regarding the effects of this strategy on the level of driver activation on a motorway route in real traffic. In the present study activation level as indexed by a relative measure based on slow EEG activity tended to be significantly higher when speed was modifi…
Semantic distance as a critical factor in icon design for in-car infotainment systems
2017
In-car infotainment systems require icons that enable fluent cognitive information processing and safe interaction while driving. An important issue is how to find an optimised set of icons for different functions in terms of semantic distance. In an optimised icon set, every icon needs to be semantically as close as possible to the function it visually represents and semantically as far as possible from the other functions represented concurrently. In three experiments (N = 21 each), semantic distances of 19 icons to four menu functions were studied with preference rankings, verbal protocols, and the primed product comparisons method. The results show that the primed product comparisons me…
The long-term effects of rally driving on spinal pathology
2000
Abstract Objectives. To investigate the consequences of rally driving on lumbar degenerative changes. Background. Vehicular driving is suspected to accelerate disc degeneration through whole-body vibration, leading to back problems. However, in an earlier well-controlled study of lumbar MRI findings in monozygotic twins, significant effects of lifetime driving on disc degeneration were not demonstrated. Another study of machine operators found only long-term exposure to vibration on unsprung seats led to a reduction in disc height. Design. Case-control study comparing rally drivers with population sample. Methods. Eighteen top rally drivers and co-drivers, mean age 43 yrs (SD, 10), voluntee…
NEUROMUSCULAR PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF OPEN-WHEEL AND RALLY DRIVERS
2005
The purpose of the present study was to investigate neuromuscular performance characteristics in open-wheel and rally drivers using the cross-sectional study design. The subjects (N = 28) consisted of experienced international-level open-wheel drivers (n = 9), experienced international-level rally drivers (n = 9) and a physically active nondriving male control group (n = 10). In 3 separate test sessions, speed, muscle strength, and endurance tests were performed. The rally drivers had higher (p < 0.05) grip, shoulder flexion, and ankle plantar flexion strength, as compared to the control group. The open-wheel drivers showed higher strengths (p < 0.05) than the controls in neck forces, grip,…
Instability training, assessing the impact of level of difficulty on balance: A randomized clinical trial
2018
Background: Most human movements are executed while in a state of postural instability. For this reason, instability training is a highly-specific method that is intended to improve balance and postural control. This research aimed to determine the effect of instability training on the balance of individuals with similar baseline abilities, who initiated training within different stability conditions. Research question: Does the level of difficulty with which instability training is performed determine improvements in balance? Method: A two-arm randomized trial was undertaken, for which 22 and 21 participants were included in the experimental and control groups, respectively. The experiment…
Diet high in protein-rich foods with structured sport activity may be useless to lose fat mass and maintain fat-free mass
2020
Background The aim of this study was to demonstrate that a normal protein diet along with minimal sports activity can be enough to lose fat mass and maintain muscle mass. Methods All participants were prescribed a hypocaloric nutritionally balanced Mediterranean-style diet tailored to the individual for 8 weeks. Body composition and energy expenditure were measured. Sedentary patients (G1) were only recommended to perform minimal aerobic training, while sport subjects (G2) were prescribed structured physical activity and higher calorie and protein contents in the diet. Results There were no significant differences between the two groups for any of the measured parameters. Conclusions The mo…
Calf Blood Compound (CFC) and Homeopathic Drug Induce Differentiation of Primary Human Skeletal Muscle Cells.
2019
AbstractThe use of injections to treat structural muscle injuries is controversially discussed. In our controlled in vitro study, we investigated the biological impact of Actovegin and Traumeel alone and in combination on primary human skeletal muscle cells. Cells were characterized by immunofluorescence staining for myogenic factor 5 (Myf5) and MyoD, and cultured with or without Actovegin and / or Traumeel. The effects of these agents were assayed by cell viability and gene expression of the specific markers MyoD, Myf5, neural adhesion molecule (NCAM), and CD31. Myotube formation was determined by myosin staining. Neither Actovegin nor Traumeel showed toxic effects or influenced cell viabi…