Near Peripheral Motion Contrast Threshold Predicts Older Drivers\u27 Driving Simulator Performance

The method of descending limits assessed motion contrast thresholds of 11 young participants (17–28), and 21 older drivers (63–86) for 0.4 cycle/degree drifting Gabor stimuli at 15 degrees eccentricity. Peripheral motion contrast thresholds (PMCT) of younger participants (M = –45.5 dB, SD = 1.66 dB) and older participants (M = –43.3 dB, SD = 3.79 dB) differed (t(29) = 2.295, p < .05 (all p-values one-tailed)). Older drivers performed UFOV® tests and a high-fidelity driving simulation. Between independent variables, significant correlations were PMCT with UFOV2 (r = .74, p < .001), PMCT with UFOV3 (r = .50, p < .01), PMCT with age (r =.73, p < .001), UFOV2 with age (r = .48, p < .05), and UFOV3 with age (r = .44, p < .05). Between vision and simulator measures, PMCT and UFOV2 significantly predicted rater’s simulator score (r = .66, p < .001; r = .58, p < .01 respectively), and simulator crashes ( r = .63, p < .001; r = .72, p < .001 respectively). Thus, PMCT and UFOV2 strongly predicted simulator performance. Partial correlations showed that: substantial association between PMCT and UFOV2 was not age–related; PMCT and UFOV2 tapped a common visual function; and PMCT assessed a component not captured by UFOV2. The descending limits procedure is as reliable and faster than forcedchoice. A practicable PMCT test that informs at-risk drivers about visual deficits may help them compensate effectively by learning voluntary scanning techniques and by otherwise modifying their driving techniques

Near Peripheral Motion Detection Threshold Predicts Detection Failure Accident Risk in Younger and Older Drivers

Motion contrast thresholds for 0.4 cycle/degree drifting Gabor stimuli were assessed at 15-degrees eccentricity for 16 younger drivers (ages 24 to 42), and 15 older drivers (ages 65 to 84), using a temporal two-alternative forced choice staircase procedure. Two self-report questionnaires assessed detection failure accident risk—the Driver Perception Questionnaire (DPQ5), and an abridged Aging Driver Questionnaire (ADQ15). The UFOV® test battery was also administered. Mean peripheral motion contrast thresholds (PMCT) of younger and older participants were –39.3 dB and –33.8 dB, respectively. For younger drivers, the correlation between PMCT and DPQ5 scores was .62 (p\u3c.01), and between DPQ5 and ADQ16 (new and validated self-report measures, respectively) was .59 (p\u3c.01). For older drivers, correlation between PMCT and DPQ5 scores was .49 (p\u3c.01), between DPQ5 and ADQ16 was .73 (p\u3c.01), and between PMCT and age was .49 (p\u3c.05). For drivers overall, correlation was .48 (p\u3c.01) between PMCT and DPQ5 scores, .63 (p\u3c.0001) between DPQ5 and ADQ16, and .69 (p\u3c.0001) between PMCT and age. For drivers overall, correlation was .30 (p\u3c.05) between UFOV1 and age, .67 (p\u3c.0001) between UFOV2 and age, .56 (p\u3c.001) between UFOV2 and PMCT, .80 (p\u3c.0001) between UFOV3 and age, and .58 (p\u3c.001) between UFOV3 and PMCT. Holding age constant, partial correlation of PMCT with DPQ5 was .55 (p\u3c.001), and of PMCT with ADQ15 was .39 (p\u3c.05). PMCT significantly predicted self-reported driving performance in a laboratory setting, and worsened significantly with age. PMCT assessment should be made practicable. Informing high-risk drivers may encourage appropriate risk reduction countermeasures

Molecules with ALMA at Planet-forming Scales (MAPS). XVI. Characterizing the impact of the molecular wind on the evolution of the HD 163296 system

Funding: I.C. was supported by NASA through the NASA Hubble Fellowship grant HST-HF2-51405.001-A awarded by the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., for NASA, under contract NAS5-26555. J.D.I. acknowledges support from the Science and Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom (STFC) under ST/T000287/1. C.W. acknowledges financial support from the University of Leeds, STFC, and UKRI (grant Nos. ST/R000549/1, ST/T000287/1, MR/T040726/1).During the main phase of evolution of a protoplanetary disk, accretion regulates the inner-disk properties, such as the temperature and mass distribution, and in turn, the physical conditions associated with planet formation. The driving mechanism behind accretion remains uncertain; however, one promising mechanism is the removal of a fraction of angular momentum via a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) disk wind launched from the inner tens of astronomical units of the disk. This paper utilizes CO isotopologue emission to study the unique molecular outflow originating from the HD 163296 protoplanetary disk obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. HD 163296 is one of the most well-studied Class II disks and is proposed to host multiple gas-giant planets. We robustly detect the large-scale rotating outflow in the 12CO J = 2 - 1 and the 13CO J = 2 - 1 and J = 1 - 0 transitions. We constrain the kinematics, the excitation temperature of the molecular gas, and the mass-loss rate. The high ratio of the rates of ejection to accretion (5-50), together with the rotation signatures of the flow, provides solid evidence for an MHD disk wind. We find that the angular momentum removal by the wind is sufficient to drive accretion though the inner region of the disk; therefore, accretion driven by turbulent viscosity is not required to explain HD 163296's accretion. The low temperature of the molecular wind and its overall kinematics suggest that the MHD disk wind could be perturbed and shocked by the previously observed high-velocity atomic jet. This paper is part of the MAPS special issue of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations : live performance sector

Aquesta publicació s'elabora a partir de les contribucions de cadascú dels membres nacionals que integren la Network of Eufound Correspondent. Pel cas d'Espanya la contribució ha estat realitzada per l'Alejandro GodinoThis study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the live performance sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of Eurofound's studies on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the EU Member States. This study identified EURO-MEI, FIA and FIM - representing employees - and PEARLE* - representing employers - as the representative European-level social partner organisations in the live performance sector

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations : audiovisual sector

Aquesta publicació s'elabora a partir de les contribucions de cadascú dels membres nacionals que integren la Network of Eufound Correspondent. Pel cas d'Espanya la contribució ha estat realitzada per l'Alejandro GodinoThis study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the audiovisual sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of Eurofound's studies on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in the EU Member States. This study identifies EURO-MEI, EFJ, FIA and FIM - representing employees - and ACT, AER, CEPI, the EBU and the FIAPF - representing employers - as the representative European-level social partner organisations in the audiovisual sector

ADP Ribosylation Factor Like 2 (Arl2) Regulates Breast Tumor Aggressivity in Immunodeficient Mice

We have previously reported that ADP ribosylation factor like 2 (Arl2), a small GTPase, content influences microtubule dynamics and cell cycle distribution in breast tumor cells, as well as the degree and distribution of phosphorylated P53. Here we show, in two different human breast adenocarcinoma models, that Arl2 content has a major impact on breast tumor cell aggressivity both in vitro and in vivo. Cells with reduced content of Arl2 displayed reduced contact inhibition, increased clonogenic or cluster formation as well as a proliferative advantage over control cells in an in vitro competition assay. These cells also caused larger tumors in SCID mice, a phenotype which was mimicked by the in vivo administration of siRNA directed against Arl2. Cells with increased Arl2 content displayed reduced aggressivity, both in vitro and in vivo, with enhanced necrosis and were also found to contain increased PP2A phosphatase activity. A rt-PCR analysis of fresh human tumor breast samples suggested that low Arl2 expression was associated with larger tumor size and greater risk of lymph node involvement at diagnosis. These data underline the role of Arl2, a small GTPase, as an important regulator of breast tumor cell aggressivity, both in vitro and in vivo

Mediterran

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: Għal Ġorġ Pisani ta’ Joe Zammit Tabona – Din gżira niexfa ta’ Clare Azzopardi – Ersaqt lejn il-baħar ta’ Charles Bezzina – Passaġġi ta’ Ġorġ Borg – Firenze ta’ Louis Briffa – Riħet ix-xemgħa ta’ John Caruana – Jum ir-riflessjoni ta’ Antoine Cassar – Fjura fqajra ta’ Carmel Ġ. Cauchi – Qatra ta’ Maria Grech Ganado – Lill-bufula ta’ fuq iz-zuntier ta’ Maurice Mifsud Bonnici – Tinsinix! ta’ Joe Zammit Tabona – In-nanna lbieraħ u jien illum! – tifkiriet ta’ Lina Brockdorff – L-għaddas ta’ Alex Vella Gera – Għassa ta’ Adrian Grima – It-tfajla tal-ħolm ta’ Anne Marie Scerri – Meta tagħmel l-ewwel xita ta’ Trevor Żahra – Ħajta deni ta’ Jordi Punti, traduzzjoni ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – Arnarstapi, l-Iżlanda ta’ Susan Richardson, traduzzjoni ta’ Simone Inguanez – Ħuta ta’ Aki Salmela, traduzzjoni ta’ Simone Inguanez – Ma kellniex triq oħra ta’ Roman Simic, traduzzjoni ta’ Immanuel Mifsud – Mediterran ta’ Cruciani Valerio, traduzzjoni ta’ Antoine Cassar.peer-reviewe

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI &lt;18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For school&#x2;aged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI &lt;2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI &gt;2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit