Improving the visibility of bicycle infrastructure

The visual characteristics of road infrastructure play a major role in a substantial number of single-bicycle crashes. The focus of this research was on finding the most common situations that result in a poorly visible bicycle infrastructure, and investigating how to improve these conditions for vulnerable cyclist populations, specifically the visually impaired and the older cyclist. Three studies were performed, a questionnaire study amongst visually impaired cyclists, focus group discussions with older cyclists, and an experiment on a closed track where participants’ vision, in particular their contrast sensitivity, was impaired. The results from the questionnaire study and the focus group discussions revealed that bollards, kerbs, and cycle path markings/shoulders are the most critical visual elements in the road infrastructure. In addition, cycling performance and cyclists’ feelings of safety worsened in conditions where the visibility of obstacles and the road’s course were the poorest. Visibility can be enhanced by placing red-white bollards, painting kerbs white, by enhancing clearness of the road’s shoulder, or by applying high contrast road markings on the side of the cycle path/road

Effect of sport-tinted contact lenses for contrast enhancement on retinal straylight measurements

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of two tinted contact lenses (CL) designed for outdoor sports activity on the psychometric determination of retinal straylight using the compensation comparison method. METHODS: Thirteen emmetropic subjects were randomly fitted with two different tinted Nike Maxsight (Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY, USA) CL in one eye, while the contralateral eye was fitted with a clear lens made of the same material (Optima 38, Bausch & Lomb). Three valid straylight measurements were taken on each eye before and a few minutes after lens insertion, when lens stabilization had occurred. RESULTS: The subjects' mean straylight values were 0.90 +/- 0.09 at baseline and 0.95 +/- 0.10 with the clear Optima 38 CL. Straylight values were 0.97 +/- 0.10 and 1.0 +/- 0.10 log units with the amber and grey-green tinted CL, respectively. Differences in straylight between baseline (without CL) and with the clear CL in place were neither statistically significant (p = 0.066) nor was there a significant difference between baseline and the amber CL (p = 0.052). However, the grey-green CL showed a statistically significant difference from baseline (p = 0.006). Differences in straylight with the clear CL compared with the grey-green CL were also statistically different from zero (p = 0.002) showing an increased straylight value for the tinted CL. These differences were variable, but consistent for each subject, thus those showing higher or lower changes with one tinted lens tended to show the same trend with the second lens (r(2) = 0.736). CONCLUSIONS: Despite increases having been found in straylight values with tinted contact lenses, those changes are not likely to induce clinically significant changes in visual function under photopic conditions, even for the grey-green CL, which seems to increase straylight values more significantly than the amber CL. This difference between the tinted CL could suggest a wavelength dependence of straylight values, although this should be investigated further by controlling for pupil size and subjects' pigmentation, as well as by using neutral density filters

Control task substitution in semi-automated driving: does it matter what aspects are automated?

Objective: The study was designed to show how driver attention to the road scene and engagement of a choice of secondary tasks are affected by the level of automation provided to assist or take over the basic task of vehicle control. It was also designed to investigate the difference between support in longitudinal control and support in lateral control. Background: There is comparatively little literature on the implications of automation for drivers’ engagement in the driving task and for their willingness to engage in non-driving-related activities. Method: A study was carried out on a high-level driving simulator in which drivers experienced three levels of automation: manual driving, semiautomated driving with either longitudinal or lateral control provided, and highly automated driving with both longitudinal and lateral control provided. Drivers were free to pay attention to the roadway and traffic or to engage in a range of entertainment and grooming tasks. Results: Engagement in the nondriving tasks increased from manual to semiautomated driving and increased further with highly automated driving. There were substantial differences in attention to the road and traffic between the two types of semiautomated driving. Conclusion: The literature on automation and the various task analyses of driving do not currently help to explain the effects that were found. Lateral support and longitudinal support may be the same in terms of levels of automation but appear to be regarded rather differently by drivers

A New Limit on the Neutrinoless DBD of 130Te

We report the present results of CUORICINO a cryogenic experiment on neutrinoless double beta decay (DBD) of 130Te consisting of an array of 62 crystals of TeO2 with a total active mass of 40.7 kg. The array is framed inside of a dilution refrigerator, heavily shielded against environmental radioactivity and high-energy neutrons, and operated at a temperature of ~8 mK in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory. Temperature pulses induced by particle interacting in the crystals are recorded and measured by means of Neutron Transmutation Doped thermistors. The gain of each bolometer is stabilized with voltage pulses developed by a high stability pulse generator across heater resistors put in thermal contact with the absorber. The calibration is performed by means of two thoriated wires routinely inserted in the set-up. No evidence for a peak indicating neutrinoless DBD of 130Te is detected and a 90% C.L. lower limit of 1.8E24 years is set for the lifetime of this process. Taking largely into account the uncertainties in the theoretical values of nuclear matrix elements, this implies an upper boud on the effective mass of the electron neutrino ranging from 0.2 to 1.1 eV. This sensitivity is similar to those of the 76Ge experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

The association between glucose metabolism status, diabetes severity and a history of fractures and recent falls in participants of 50 years and older-the Maastricht Study

Abstract Summary In this cohort of relatively young and well-treated participants with type 2 diabetes, we found no association between diabetes status and a history of previous fractures and recent falls. Furthermore, no association between diabetes severity and previous fractures or recent falls was found. Introduction In this study, we examined the association between glucose metabolism status and historical fractures or recent falls and the effect of diabetes severity (glucose control, insulin use, and diabetes duration) on falls and fractures in the participants with type 2 diabetes. Methods Cross-sectional data from 2005 participants of the Maastricht Study. Falls in the past 6 months and fractures ≥age 50 were assessed by questionnaire. Glucose metabolism status (normal glucose metabolism, impaired glucose metabolism, or type 2 diabetes) was based on the oral glucose tolerance test and medication use. Results In the completely adjusted model, the odds for a fall were not significantly higher in those with impaired glucose metabolism status (OR (95%CI) 1.28 (0.93-1.77)) or with type 2 diabetes (OR (95%CI) 1.21 (0.80-1.81)) compared with the group with normal glucose metabolism. Within the group with type 2 diabetes, there were no significant differences with regard to reported falls between participants with HbA1c >7 % (53 mmol/mol) versus HbA1c ≤7 % (OR (95%CI) 1.05 (0.58-1.90)), insulin users versus non-insulin users (OR (95%CI) 1.51 (0.79-2.89)), and with a diabetes duration >5 versus ≤5 years (OR (95%CI) 0.52 (0.46-1.47)). Similarly, neither glucose metabolism status nor diabetes severity was associated with prior fractures. Conclusions Glucose metabolism status was not significantly associated with previous fractures and recent falls. In addition, in this cohort of relatively young and well-treated participants with type 2 diabetes, diabetes severity was not associated with previous fractures and recent falls

The Search for Gravitational Waves

Experiments aimed at searching for gravitational waves from astrophysical sources have been under development for the last 40 years, but only now are sensitivities reaching the level where there is a real possibility of detections being made within the next five years. In this article a history of detector development will be followed by a description of current detectors such as LIGO, VIRGO, GEO 600, TAMA 300, Nautilus and Auriga. Preliminary results from these detectors will be discussed and related to predicted detection rates for some types of sources. Experimental challenges for detector design are introduced and discussed in the context of detector developments for the future.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, accepted J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phy

High-risk mammographic parenchymal patterns and anthropometric measures: a case–control study

Mammographic parenchymal patterns are related to breast cancer risk and are also affected by anthropometric measure. We carried out a case–control study comprising 200 cases with high-risk (P2 and DY) mammographic parenchymal pattern and 200 controls with low-risk (N1 and P1) patterns in order to investigate the effect of body size and shape and breast size on mammographic patterns. Women in the highest quartile of body mass index (BMI) distribution were significantly less likely to have a high-risk pattern (odds ratio (OR) = 0.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08–0.52, P-value for trend = 0.001) compared to those in the lowest quartile. Relative to women with a waist to hip ratio (WHR) of less than 0.75, the OR of having a high-risk pattern in women with a WHR greater than 0.80 was 0.30 (95% CI 0.14–0.63). Breast size as measured by cup size was significantly and negatively related to high-risk pattern. Our study indicates that both BMI and WHR are negatively associated with high-risk patterns. However, both phenomena are associated with increased risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. This negative confounding of two positive risk factors means that the effect of parenchymal patterns on risk will tend to be underestimated when not adjusted for BMI and WHR and vice versa. Thus we may have underestimated the importance of BMI and mammographic parenchymal patterns in the past. Further studies are needed to determine a measure of parenchymal density that is independent of anthropometric measures and breast size. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig