Gait parameters while walking in a head-mounted display virtual environment and the real world

Full-body motion tracking data was collected for six subjects during free walking. Each participant was asked to walk to a previously seen target under four experimental conditions: eyes closed within the real world, eyes closed wearing a head-mounted display (HMD), eyes open in the real world, and eyes open wearing a HMD. We report three gait parameters for each of these four conditions: stride length, walking velocity, and head-trunk angle. This data reveals that these gait parameters within a HMD virtual environment (VE) are different than those in the real world. A person wearing a HMD and backpack walks slower, and takes a shorter stride length than they do in a comparable real world condition. In addition, head-trunk angle while walking to a target on the ground plane is lowest when walking with eyes open in a HMD VE

Beverage preferences and associated drinking patterns, consequences and other substance use behaviours.

BACKGROUND: Studies about beverage preferences in a country in which wine drinking is relatively widespread (like Switzerland) are scarce. Therefore, the main aims of the present study were to examine the associations between beverage preferences and drinking patterns, alcohol-related consequences and the use of other substances among Swiss young men. METHODS: The analytical sample consisted of 5399 Swiss men who participated in the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF) and had been drinking alcohol over the preceding 12 months. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to study the associations between preference for a particular beverage and (i) drinking patterns, (ii) negative alcohol-related consequences and (iii) the (at-risk) use of cigarettes, cannabis and other illicit drugs. RESULTS: Preference for beer was associated with risky drinking patterns and, comparable with a preference for strong alcohol, with the use of illicit substances (cannabis and other illicit drugs). In contrast, a preference for wine was associated with low-risk alcohol consumption and a reduced likelihood of experiencing at least four negative alcohol-related consequences or of daily cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the likelihood of negative outcomes (alcohol-related consequences; use of other substances) increased among people with risky drinking behaviours, independent of beverage preference. CONCLUSIONS: In our survey, beer preference was associated with risky drinking patterns and illicit drug use. Alcohol polices to prevent large quantities of alcohol consumption, especially of cheaper spirits like beer, should be considered to reduce total alcohol consumption and the negative consequences associated with these beverage types

Reanalysis of the FEROS observations of HIP 11952

Aims. We reanalyze FEROS observations of the star HIP 11952 to reassess the existence of the proposed planetary system. Methods. The radial velocity of the spectra were measured by cross-correlating the observed spectrum with a synthetic template. We also analyzed a large dataset of FEROS and HARPS archival data of the calibrator HD 10700 spanning over more than five years. We compared the barycentric velocities computed by the FEROS and HARPS pipelines. Results. The barycentric correction of the FEROS-DRS pipeline was found to be inaccurate and to introduce an artificial one-year period with a semi-amplitude of 62 m/s. Thus the reanalysis of the FEROS data does not support the existence of planets around HIP 11952.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Examining the Effects of Passenger Conversation on Older Adult Driving

Older adults have impaired driving performance compared to other age groups, and auditory stimuli has adverse effects on driving performance (Karthaus & Falkenstein, 2016). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to expand knowledge of driving and passenger conversation within the older adult population. Participants (n = 17) completed a drive of 7.8 miles on a driving simulator twice; once without conversation and again with conversation. Both drives used the same simulated driving tasks to examine driving performance with and without conversation. Participants exhibited poorer driving performance from the first drive without conversation to the second drive with conversation, specifically in time over the speed limit and average speed. Descriptive statistics also indicated that participants demonstrated poorer driving performance between the first drive and the second drive. Taken together, these findings indicated that passenger conversation negatively impacted driving performance in older adults. Therefore, older adults should be cautious about engaging in conversation while driving, as it can impair their safety

Profiles of drug users in Switzerland and effects of early-onset intensive use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis on other illicit drug use.

QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY / PRINCIPLES: The main aim of this study was to investigate profiles of drug users, with a particular focus on illicit drugs other than cannabis, and to explore the effect of early-onset intensive use (drunkenness, daily smoking, high on cannabis) on profiles of illicit drug use. METHODS: Baseline data from a representative sample of 5,831 young Swiss men in the ongoing Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors were used. Substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and 15 types of other illicit drug) and age of onset of intensive use were assessed. The Item Response Theory (IRT) and prevalence rates at different ages of onset were used to reveal different profiles of illicit drug use. RESULTS: In addition to cannabis, there were two profiles of other illicit drug use: (a) "softer" drug users (uppers, hallucinogens and inhaled drugs), among which ecstasy had the highest discriminatory potential (IRT slope = 4.68, standard error (SE) = 0.48; p <0.001); and (b) "harder" drug users (heroin, ketamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate/gamma-hydroxylactone, research chemicals, crystal meth and spice), among which ketamine had the highest discriminatory potential (slope = 4.05; SE = 0.63; p <0.001). Onset of intensive use at the age of 12 years or younger also discriminated between these two profiles. CONCLUSION: Both the IRT model and the effect of onset of intensive use enabled two groups of illicit drugs to be identified. In particular, very early onset (at 12 years or younger) intensive use of any substance was a marker for later use of the second group of drugs

Non-medical prescription drug and illicit street drug use among young Swiss men and associated mental health issues.

Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is increasing among the general population, particularly among teenagers and young adults. Although prescription drugs are considered safer than illicit street drugs, NMUPD can lead to detrimental consequences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between drug use (NMUPD on the one side, illicit street drugs on the other side) with mental health issues and then compare these associations. A representative sample of 5719 young Swiss men aged around 20 years filled in a questionnaire as part of the ongoing baseline Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF). Drug use (16 illicit street drugs and 5 NMUPDs, including sleeping pills, sedatives, pain killers, antidepressants, stimulants) and mental health issues (depression, SF12) were assessed. Simple and multiple linear regressions were employed. In simple regressions, all illicit and prescription drugs were associated with poorer mental health. In multiple regressions, most of the NMUPDs, except for stimulants, were significantly associated with poorer mental health and with depression. On the contrary, the only associations that remained significant between illicit street drugs and mental health involved cannabis. NMUPD is of growing concern not only because of its increasing occurrence, but also because of its association with depression and mental health problems, which is stronger than the association observed between these problems and illicit street drug use, excepted for cannabis. Therefore, NMUPD must be considered in screening for substance use prevention purposes

E-cigarette use in young Swiss men : is vaping an effective way of reducing or quitting smoking ?

QUESTION UNDER STUDY: To test longitudinally differences in conventional cigarette use (cigarettes smoked, cessation, quit attempts) between vapers and nonvapers. METHODS: Fifteen months follow-up of a sample of 5 128 20-year-old Swiss men. The onset of conventional cigarette (CC) use among nonsmokers, and smoking cessation, quit attempts, changes in the number of CCs smoked among smokers at baseline were compared between vapers and nonvapers at follow-up, adjusted for nicotine dependence. RESULTS: Among baseline nonsmokers, vapers were more likely to start smoking at follow-up than nonvapers (odds ratio [OR] 6.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.81, 12.88 for becoming occasional smokers, and OR = 12.69, 95% CI 4.00, 40.28 for becoming daily smokers). Vapers reported lower smoking cessation rates among occasional smokers at baseline (OR = 0.43 (0.19, 0.96); daily smokers: OR = 0.42 [0.15, 1.18]). Vapers compared with nonvapers were heavier CC users (62.53 vs 18.10 cigarettes per week, p <0.001) and had higher nicotine dependence levels (2.16 vs 0.75, p <0.001) at baseline. The number of CCs smoked increased between baseline and follow-up among occasional smokers (b = 6.06, 95% CI 4.44, 7.68) and decreased among daily smokers (b = -5.03, 95% CI -8.69, -1.38), but there were no differential changes between vapers and nonvapers. Vapers showed more quit attempts at follow-up compared with nonvapers for baseline occasional smokers (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.81, 95% CI 1.24, 2.64; daily smokers IRR 1.28, 95% CI 0.95, 1.73). CONCLUSIONS: We found no beneficial effects of vaping at follow-up for either smoking cessation or smoking reduction

Substance Use in Young Swiss Men: The Interplay of Perceived Social Support and Dispositional Characteristics.

Social environment plays a central role in substance use behaviors. However, it is not clear whether its role varies as a function of individual dispositional characteristics. To investigate the interaction between dispositional characteristics (i.e. sensation seeking, anxiety/neuroticism) and social environment (i.e. perceived social support [PSS]) in association with substance use. A representative sample of 5,377 young Swiss males completed a questionnaire assessing substance use, sensation seeking, anxiety/neuroticism, and PSS from friends and from a significant other. Sensation seeking and anxiety/neuroticism were positively related to most substance use outcomes. PSS from friends was significantly and positively related to most alcohol and cannabis use outcomes, and significantly and negatively associated with the use of hard drugs. PSS from a significant other was significantly and negatively associated with most alcohol and cannabis use outcomes. The associations of sensation seeking with drinking volume, alcohol use disorder and the use of illicit drugs other than cannabis were stronger in individuals reporting high levels of PSS from friends than those with low levels. The associations of sensation seeking with risky single-occasion drinking and the use of hard drugs were weaker in participants reporting high levels of PSS from a significant other than in those with low levels. Sensation seeking and anxiety/neuroticism may constitute risk factors for substance use and misuse. PSS from friends may amplify the risk for alcohol and illicit drug use (other than cannabis) associated with high sensation seeking, whereas the PSS from a significant other may reduce it