Risk Analysis and Land Use Planning

Natural hazards are potentially damaging physical events and phenomena, which may cause the loss of life; injury or human life disruption; property damage; social, economic, and political disruption; or environmental degradation. Systematic approach to the natural hazard research on the base of risk concept is a very fruitful and progressive method. Areas of possible disaster events could be the places of the highest risk at the natural risk maps of the territories. It is necessary to use big databases and data banks and GIS technologies for such map constructions. Sometimes people have to live in such dangerous places. It is necessary for people living under natural risk to understand and estimate this risk and to know how to overcome it and how to act in case of crises events. Risk management concept is a good instrument for systematic approach to the problems of the rational land use

Use of Active Video Gaming in Children with Neromotor Dysfunction: A Systematic Review

Background and Purpose: Active video games (AVG) are gaining popularity as a strategy for improving motor function in children with neurologically-based movement disorders, but there is no consensus regarding AVG’s utility or effectiveness in this population. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine current evidence on the use of AVG to improve motor function in children 2-17 years of age with neurologically-based movement disorders. Methods: Authors followed standard criteria for systematic review conduct and rating quality of evidence including the PRISMA checklist. Databases searched were Scopus, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Systematic reviews, randomized control trials, or longitudinal studies were included if they investigated AVG for improving movement-related outcomes in children aged 2-17 years with neurologically-based movement disorders. Parameters studied included: health condition, strength of evidence, delivery methods or systems for AVG, capacity for adjusting to individual needs and skill levels, outcomes addressed with AVG, effectiveness for achieving targeted outcomes [primarily activity-level motor outcomes (n=36)], and challenges/limitations. Results: The 20 articles included in the review varied in quality from high (n=6), to moderate (n=4) to low (n=8) with two strong quality single subject research design (SSRD) studies. Studies involved children with 6 neurologic conditions using AVG in clinical, home or school settings for 49 different outcomes. Frequency and duration of dosage varied. Choice of games played and difficulty level were controlled by therapists (n=6) or the child (n=14). The most commonly reported limitations were small sample sizes and difficulty providing task-specific practice of functional movements via AVG. All studies reported improvement with AVG, though differences were not consistently significant compared to traditional therapy. Discussion: Heterogeneity of measurement tools and target outcomes prevented meta-analysis or development of formal recommendations. However, AVG has demonstrated feasibility and shows potential for improving activity-level outcomes (including those assessing balance, gross motor function, and upper and lower limb function) of children with neuromotor disorders, and should be considered when developing plans of care for this population. Additional research with larger samples, and investigations that explore dosing variables and utility for extending practice by home programming are merited

Most common sports-related orofacial injuries & effectiveness of mouthguards in their prevention: a systematic review

Background/Aims: There is lack of research on the effectiveness of MG in preventing orofacial trauma. The aim of this study was to determine, through a systematic review; the most common type of trauma experienced by sports players across a range of sports, the prevalence of use of MG and the most common type used. Furthermore, to determine the effectiveness of MG at preventing orofacial trauma. Material and Methods: Searches were performed at EMBSCO- Medline Complete, Ovid and ProQuest using the inclusion, exclusion criteria. After that, studies were evaluated regarding their methodology quality and risk of bias. Results: A total of 72 articles were identified. After applying the eligibility criteria, 18 studies were selected for the systematic review. It included 13 studies focusing on the prevalence of dental trauma and exploring the most common dental injuries experienced by players across a range of sports. In addition, there are 5 studies mainly exploring the effectiveness of mouth guards in sports players. Conclusion: Crown fracture is the most common orofacial injury experienced by participants across a range of sports. Mouthguards are effective in preventing and reducing the severity of orofacial trauma experienced. The prevalence of use of mouthguard varies in different sports modalities Among the users of mouthguards, the most used type was ‘’boil and bite’’, followed by stock type MG.Objetivos: Falta investigación sobre la efectividad de la MG en la prevención del trauma orofacial. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar, a través de una revisión sistemática; el tipo más común de trauma experimentado por los deportistas en una variedad de deportes, la prevalencia del uso de protectores bucales y el tipo más común utilizado. Además, determinar la efectividad de la protector bucales en la prevención del trauma orofacial. Material y Métodos: Se realizaron búsquedas en EMBSCO- Medline Complete, Ovid y ProQuest utilizando los criterios de inclusión, exclusión. Posteriormente, los estudios fueron evaluados en cuanto a la calidad de su metodología y el riesgo de sesgo. Resultados: Se identificaron un total de 72 artículos. Después de aplicar los criterios de elegibilidad, se seleccionaron 18 estudios para la revisión sistemática. Incluyó 13 estudios que se centraron en la prevalencia del trauma dental y exploraron las lesiones dentales más comunes que experimentan los jugadores en una variedad de deportes. Además, hay 5 estudios que exploran principalmente la efectividad de los protectores bucales en deportistas. Conclusión: La fractura de la corona es la lesión orofacial más común experimentada por los participantes en una variedad de deportes. Los protectores bucales son efectivos para prevenir y reducir la gravedad del trauma orofacial experimentado. La prevalencia de uso de protectores bucales varía en las diferentes modalidades deportivas Entre los usuarios de protectores bucales, el tipo más utilizado fue “hervir y morder”, seguido del tipo MG estándar.Odontologí

How to find potential business ideas using Open Data - a case study on Swedish Open Data Portal and Road Safety Data in UK

As more and more governmental datasets are going from being locked inside a drawer to being public accessible for free, there is a consensus about the fact that the Open Data provides companies with great opportunities to create value and new revenue streams. Based on the two cases of Open Data published by the Swedish Open Data Portal and by by the Department for Transport in UK in combination with current Open Data business model, this paper has identified and presets several business opportunities that arise from this. These opportunities are followed by a discussion about the common denominators of the opportunities. The discussion also covers the current state of art of Open Data as well as what might be the biggest current constraints for why it has not yet reached its full potential in regards to value creation

How to find potential business ideas using Open Data - a case study on Swedish Open Data Portal and Road Safety Data in UK

As more and more governmental datasets are going from being locked inside a drawer to being public accessible for free, there is a consensus about the fact that the Open Data provides companies with great opportunities to create value and new revenue streams. Based on the two cases of Open Data published by the Swedish Open Data Portal and by by the Department for Transport in UK in combination with current Open Data business model, this paper has identified and presets several business opportunities that arise from this. These opportunities are followed by a discussion about the common denominators of the opportunities. The discussion also covers the current state of art of Open Data as well as what might be the biggest current constraints for why it has not yet reached its full potential in regards to value creation

Applied Biomechanics: Sport Performance and Injury Prevention

This Special Issue had, as its main objective, the compilation of biomechanical studies on sports performance and its relationship with musculoskeletal injuries. It is a collection of research on eight different sports (soccer, volleyball, swimming, cycling, skiing, golf, athletics, and hockey) considering injuries in general and specific injuries such as hamstring muscle injury, anterior cruciate ligament of the knee, and pain of the pubic symphysis. Additionally, it is noteworthy that most of the studies considered both men and women. Classical biomechanical tools have been used, such as 2D and 3D motion analysis, force platforms, and electromyography

Sports Performance and Health

Sports performance is primarily associated with elite sport, however, recreational athletes are increasingly attempting to emulate elite athletes. Performance optimization is distinctly multidisciplinary. Optimized training concepts and the use of state-of-the-art technologies are crucial for improving performance. However, sports performance enhancement is in constant conflict with the protection of athletes’ health. Notwithstanding the known positive effects of physical activity on health, the prevention and management of sports injuries remain major challenges to be addressed. Accordingly, this Special Issue on "Sports Performance and Health" consists of 17 original research papers, one review paper, and one commentary, and covers a wide range of topics related to fatigue, movement asymmetries, optimization of sports performance by training, technique, and/or tactics enhancements, prevention and management of sports injuries, optimization of sports equipment to increase performance and/or decrease the risk of injury, and innovations for sports performance, health, and load monitoring. As this Special Issue offers several new insights and multidisciplinary perspectives on sports performance and health, readers from around the world who work in these areas are expected to benefit from this Special Issue collection

Commercial exergames for rehabilitation of physical health and quality of life: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials with adults in unsupervised home environments

BackgroundCommercial exergames are widely available tools that can support physical rehabilitation at home. However, the effects of the unsupervised use of commercial exergames in home environments are not yet clear. Hence, we provide a systematic review on the effects of unsupervised commercial exergaming at home on adults' physical health (RQ1) and quality of life (RQ2). We also scrutinize adults' experiences with exergaming at home regarding participant support, adherence, and adverse outcomes (RQ3).MethodsWe searched Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL for peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials with adults in need of rehabilitation. Overall, 20 studies (1,558 participants, 1,368 analyzed) met our inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias tool.ResultsEffects of unsupervised commercial exergaming at home on physical health were higher in seven studies and similar in five studies regarding the respective comparison or control conditions; eight studies reported non-significant findings. Of the 15 studies that also examined effects on quality of life, improvements were higher in seven studies and similar in two studies regarding the respective comparison or control conditions; results were non-significant in six studies. Participant support consisted of setup of the exergaming system, instructions, training, and contact with participants. Adherence was high in eight studies, moderate in six studies, and low in one study. Adverse outcomes related to exergaming were found in four studies and were at most moderate. Concerning the quality of evidence, six studies were related to a high risk of bias due to outcome reporting bias or ceiling effects in the primary outcome. Additionally, 10 studies yielded some concerns, and four studies were related to a low risk of bias.DiscussionThis systematic review summarizes promising evidence that the unsupervised use of commercial exergames can support and complement rehabilitation measures in home environments. Still, future studies based on larger samples and using more recent commercial exergames are needed to obtain more high-quality evidence on the effects of different exercise prescriptions. Overall, considering the necessary precautions, the unsupervised use of commercial exergames at home can improve the physical health and quality of life in adults with needs for physical rehabilitation.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022341189, identifier: PROSPERO, Registration number: CRD42022341189