The selection of flying roller as an effort to increase the power of scooter-matic as the main power of centrifugal pump for fire fighter motor cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadi Sutrisno, Himawan

2018-03-01

In densely populated settlements, fires often occur and cause losses. In some instances, the process of the occurrence of fires takes place so quickly that to reduce and avoid the occurrence of a fire disaster effort is required in accordance with the existing environmental condition. Fire fighter motorcycle by using motorcycle scooter-matic is considered suitable as one alternative to combating fire hazard in densely populated residential settlements. The use of motorcycle engines as the driving force of the pump often leads to unstable and not optimum power. Thus, the water spray on the centrifugal pump also becomes not maximum. To increase the engine power at scooter-matic engine idle rotation (700-2000 rpm), then the flying roller replacement with certain mass weight becomes an option. By selecting a 10 to 14 gram flying roller mass, the power analysis using a dynotest engine produces several variations. Of the calculation, the mass of a 14 gram flying roller provides a significant increase in motor power on the upper rotation. Meanwhile, on the lower power rotation using a flying roller with a mass of 10 grams provides an increase in power compared to a standard flying roller on a scooter matic motor engine. As a reference to the use of scooter-matic motor power as the pump power, the result of use of the flying roller with a mass of 10 grams becomes the best option.

Motion estimation by integrated low cost system (vision and MEMS) for positioning of a scooter "Vespa"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guarnieri, A.; Milan, N.; Pirotti, F.; Vettore, A.

2011-12-01

In the automotive sector, especially in these last decade, a growing number of investigations have taken into account electronic systems to check and correct the behavior of drivers, increasing road safety. The possibility to identify with high accuracy the vehicle position in a mapping reference frame for driving directions and best-route analysis is also another topic which attracts lot of interest from the research and development sector. To reach the objective of accurate vehicle positioning and integrate response events, it is necessary to estimate time by time the position, orientation and velocity of the system. To this aim low cost GPS and MEMS (sensors can be used. In comparison to a four wheel vehicle, the dynamics of a two wheel vehicle (e.g. a scooter) feature a higher level of complexity. Indeed more degrees of freedom must be taken into account to describe the motion of the latter. For example a scooter can twist sideways, thus generating a roll angle. A slight pitch angle has to be considered as well, since wheel suspensions have a higher degree of motion with respect to four wheel vehicles. In this paper we present a method for the accurate reconstruction of the trajectory of a motorcycle ("Vespa" scooter), which can be used as alternative to the "classical" approach based on the integration of GPS and INS sensors. Position and orientation of the scooter are derived from MEMS data and images acquired by on-board digital camera. A Bayesian filter provides the means for integrating the data from MEMS-based orientation sensor and the GPS receiver.

Adaptive Driving Equipment: Selection and Major Considerations [and] Battery Powered Scooters and 3-Wheelers. Information Support Packets #1 and #2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, John H.

Two brief guides offer suggestions for persons with physical disabilities who are considering the purchase of adaptive driving equipment, battery-powered scooters, or three wheelers. The first guide offers guidelines for individuals considering purchase of special hand controls or other modifications or a van lift to enhance their independence in…

Towards Hybrid Urban Mobility: Kick Scooter as a Means of Individual Transport in the City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostrzewska, Małgorzata; Macikowski, Bartosz

2017-10-01

The characteristic feature of a contemporary city is its inconvenience and oppressiveness caused by the hitherto dominant paradigm of urban planning based on car mobility. As a result, the inhabitants have to cope with air pollution, noise, spatial barriers, sedentary lifestyle and other factors which worsen their health and quality of life. Ecological and physically activating urban mobility thus plays an increasingly important role in the process of creating a friendly and healthy city. For many years, a steadily increasing share of bicycles in urban traffic has been observed. There are also other trending forms of non-motorized transport, such as in-line skates, skateboards, kick scooters, etc. Riding each of them can be regarded as a form of recreation or sport, but also as an ecological, physically activating means of urban mobility. The paper discusses the different forms of recreational mobility in the context of the possibility of combining it with city public transport, with particular emphasis on kick scooters. Kick scooters are becoming more and more popular, not only among children and youth, but also among adults, who use it mainly as a means of the non-motorised urban transport. Numerous publications from different parts of the world show a dynamic growth of this phenomenon. The aim of the article is also to answer the question in what extent the design of public space takes into consideration the use of these new forms of transport and recreation and, consequently, what aspects and requirements should be taken into account in the planning and design process. The paper presents the conclusions of a field study carried out with a group of students in Szczecin and Berlin. The aim of the research was to evaluate the possibilities of using kick scooters in big cities as a means of hybrid mobility combined with public transport by exploring the spectrum of public spaces (streets, squares, traffic nodes and hubs, public buildings, etc.) and testing the existing urban infrastructure. The experiment and research results seem to confirm the vast possibilities granted by kick scooters in this regard.

Fall prevalence in people with multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs and scooters.

PubMed

Rice, Laura; Kalron, Alon; Berkowitz, Shani H; Backus, Deborah; Sosnoff, Jacob J

2017-09-01

Falls are a serious health concern for persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) who use wheelchairs or scooters as their primary mode of mobility. Unfortunately, little is known about the fall prevalence and characteristics of this large segment of the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and circumstances of falls in wheelchair and scooter users living with MS. Forty-four PwMS were recruited from research and medical centers in the United States and Asia. Participants completed a survey focusing on prevalence of falls, frequency of injurious falls, circumstances of the fall, and various quality of life indicators. A total of 44 individuals (32 females/11 males/1 not reported) aged 27 to 82 years (mean = 58 yrs) completed the survey. Seventy-five percent (n = 33) reported falling at least once in 6 months and 48% (n = 12) of those that fell sustained an injury. The majority (87.5%) of the falls occurred inside the home. Most individuals (76.7%; n = 33) reported concerns about falling and 65.9% (n = 29) limited their activities because of their concern of falling. Falls are prevalent in wheelchair and scooter users with MS. The observations highlight the need for interventions targeting this segment of the MS community.

All-terrain vehicle, trampoline and scooter injuries and their prevention in children.

PubMed

Levine, Deborah

2006-06-01

Childhood injuries are the leading cause of death in children and result in significant healthcare utilization. Injuries specifically related to all terrain vehicles, trampolines and scooter usage can be devastating and are often preventable. Our understanding of how and why these injuries occur can aid in preventing morbidity and mortality. The popularity of all-terrain vehicles, nonmotorized scooters and trampolines has soared over recent years. This increased usage has led to a tremendous rise in injuries in children utilizing these recreational activities. Many of the injuries occur in younger children who may not possess the motor and cognitive skills necessary to safely engage in these activities. These activities lead to a number of head and extremity injuries, most of which can be attenuated by the use of protective gear such as helmets and protective padding. Understanding the nature of these injuries can lead to advocacy and hopefully legislation to prevent further injuries from occurring.

Fall prevalence in people with multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs and scooters

PubMed Central

Rice, Laura; Kalron, Alon; Berkowitz, Shani H.; Backus, Deborah; Sosnoff, Jacob J.

2017-01-01

Abstract Falls are a serious health concern for persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) who use wheelchairs or scooters as their primary mode of mobility. Unfortunately, little is known about the fall prevalence and characteristics of this large segment of the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and circumstances of falls in wheelchair and scooter users living with MS. Forty-four PwMS were recruited from research and medical centers in the United States and Asia. Participants completed a survey focusing on prevalence of falls, frequency of injurious falls, circumstances of the fall, and various quality of life indicators. A total of 44 individuals (32 females/11 males/1 not reported) aged 27 to 82 years (mean = 58 yrs) completed the survey. Seventy-five percent (n = 33) reported falling at least once in 6 months and 48% (n = 12) of those that fell sustained an injury. The majority (87.5%) of the falls occurred inside the home. Most individuals (76.7%; n = 33) reported concerns about falling and 65.9% (n = 29) limited their activities because of their concern of falling. Falls are prevalent in wheelchair and scooter users with MS. The observations highlight the need for interventions targeting this segment of the MS community. PMID:28858096

[Scooter accidents in children at Aristide Le Dantec, Unversity Hospital of Dakar: a study of 74 cases].

PubMed

Mohamed, Azhar Salim; Ngom, Gabriel; Sow, Mamadou; Mbaye, Papa Alassane; Camara, Souleymane; Seck, Ndeye Fatou; Ndour, Oumar

2016-01-01

Scooter accidents are becoming more frequent in Dakar. The purpose of this study is to report the epidemiological and lesional aspects of these accidents on children in Dakar. A retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in Pediatric Surgery Unit of the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital in Dakar from January 1st, 2009 to December 31, 2011. Various parameters were studied. These parameters include: frequency, sociodemographic and lesional aspects. Scooter accidents represent 12% of highway accidents. They were more frequent in the day, from 12 am to 2 pm (27%) and in the night, from 6 pm to 8 pm (28.4%). They might occur every day but were more frequent during April (17.6%) and June (13.5%). They occurred mainly in the suburban district of Dakar (78%). The age group most affected was the one from 3 to 8 years (60.8%). Male gender was predominant (sex ratio 1.5). Pedestrians are the most vulnerable (93.2%). The fall was the dominant mechanism (98.7%). Lesions affected mainly the lower limb (51.1%) and were essentially constituted by fracture. The frequency of scooter accidents in children is related to the galloping urbanization and to the increase of the number of cars on the roads in the peninsula. Victims are essentially pedestrians and present most of the time fractures.

Examining curricular coherence in an exemplary elementary school program.

PubMed

Ennis, Catherine D

2008-03-01

A coherent curriculum is characterized by visible connections between purposes and experiences so that students acknowledge the content's immediate value. This study examined an exemplary elementary physical education curriculum for coherence components. Research questions examined the role of coherence in connecting and engaging students meaningfully in physical education. Observations and interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data in one program for 22 weeks. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Results described two units, Balls Skills, leading to modified basketball, and Scooter City, a theme-based unit emphasizing student choice and responsibility. Students reported that both units were enjoyable. Although the Balls Skills unit was well planned, taught, and managed, some students commented that the skill and games content was valuable only in basketball. In the Scooter City unit, students identified numerous connections to out-of-school activities that enhanced content value. Comparisons with Beane's coherence criteria suggested that students valued Scooter City based on concrete connections to their lived experiences.

Low-Cost MEMS Sensors and Vision System for Motion and Position Estimation of a Scooter

PubMed Central

Guarnieri, Alberto; Pirotti, Francesco; Vettore, Antonio

2013-01-01

The possibility to identify with significant accuracy the position of a vehicle in a mapping reference frame for driving directions and best-route analysis is a topic which is attracting a lot of interest from the research and development sector. To reach the objective of accurate vehicle positioning and integrate response events, it is necessary to estimate position, orientation and velocity of the system with high measurement rates. In this work we test a system which uses low-cost sensors, based on Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, coupled with information derived from a video camera placed on a two-wheel motor vehicle (scooter). In comparison to a four-wheel vehicle; the dynamics of a two-wheel vehicle feature a higher level of complexity given that more degrees of freedom must be taken into account. For example a motorcycle can twist sideways; thus generating a roll angle. A slight pitch angle has to be considered as well; since wheel suspensions have a higher degree of motion compared to four-wheel motor vehicles. In this paper we present a method for the accurate reconstruction of the trajectory of a “Vespa” scooter; which can be used as alternative to the “classical” approach based on GPS/INS sensor integration. Position and orientation of the scooter are obtained by integrating MEMS-based orientation sensor data with digital images through a cascade of a Kalman filter and a Bayesian particle filter. PMID:23348036

Low-Cost MEMS sensors and vision system for motion and position estimation of a scooter.

PubMed

Guarnieri, Alberto; Pirotti, Francesco; Vettore, Antonio

2013-01-24

The possibility to identify with significant accuracy the position of a vehicle in a mapping reference frame for driving directions and best-route analysis is a topic which is attracting a lot of interest from the research and development sector. To reach the objective of accurate vehicle positioning and integrate response events, it is necessary to estimate position, orientation and velocity of the system with high measurement rates. In this work we test a system which uses low-cost sensors, based on Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, coupled with information derived from a video camera placed on a two-wheel motor vehicle (scooter). In comparison to a four-wheel vehicle; the dynamics of a two-wheel vehicle feature a higher level of complexity given that more degrees of freedom must be taken into account. For example a motorcycle can twist sideways; thus generating a roll angle. A slight pitch angle has to be considered as well; since wheel suspensions have a higher degree of motion compared to four-wheel motor vehicles. In this paper we present a method for the accurate reconstruction of the trajectory of a "Vespa" scooter; which can be used as alternative to the "classical" approach based on GPS/INS sensor integration. Position and orientation of the scooter are obtained by integrating MEMS-based orientation sensor data with digital images through a cascade of a Kalman filter and a Bayesian particle filter.

Exploring manufacturing competencies of a two wheeler manufacturing unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deep Singh, Chandan; Singh Khamba, Jaimal; Singh, Rajdeep; Singh, Navdeep

2014-07-01

The two wheeler industry of India is one of the most dependable industries as every person has at least a two wheeler with him, if not any four wheeler. Earlier there were scooters like Bajaj Chetak, Priya but with evolution of motorcycles like splendor, splendor+, etc. the scooter market started declining but with arrival of gearless scooters like Honda Activa, Scooty Pep, etc. the market place has become increasingly competitive in recent time and industries are facing tough test of improving products and thus market share. The competitiveness among industries is an important issue. Competency development is a vital tool to enhance the competitiveness of industries. Based, on aggregate performance of a firm, it comprehensively explores the varying importance of manufacturing competencies and drives of industrial competitiveness. Hence by, exploring the manufacturing competencies of a two wheeler industry, one can reflect the competitiveness of two wheeler manufacturing industry as a whole. This study presents various factors of manufacturing competencies affecting industrial competitiveness as the significance of these competencies is increasing day by day in two wheeler manufacturing industry.

The Influence of Ambulatory Aid on Lower-Extremity Muscle Activation During Gait.

PubMed

Sanders, Michael; Bowden, Anton E; Baker, Spencer; Jensen, Ryan; Nichols, McKenzie; Seeley, Matthew K

2018-05-10

Foot and ankle injuries are common and often require a nonweight-bearing period of immobilization for the involved leg. This nonweight-bearing period usually results in muscle atrophy for the involved leg. There is a dearth of objective data describing muscle activation for different ambulatory aids that are used during the aforementioned nonweight-bearing period. To compare activation amplitudes for 4 leg muscles during (1) able-bodied gait and (2) ambulation involving 3 different ambulatory aids that can be used during the acute phase of foot and ankle injury care. Within-subject, repeated measures. University biomechanics laboratory. Sixteen able-bodied individuals (7 females and 9 males). Each participant performed able-bodied gait and ambulation using 3 different ambulatory aids (traditional axillary crutches, knee scooter, and a novel lower-leg prosthesis). Muscle activation amplitude quantified via mean surface electromyography amplitude throughout the stance phase of ambulation. Numerous statistical differences (P < .05) existed for muscle activation amplitude between the 4 observed muscles, 3 ambulatory aids, and able-bodied gait. For the involved leg, comparing the 3 ambulatory aids: (1) knee scooter ambulation resulted in the greatest vastus lateralis activation, (2) ambulation using the novel prosthesis and traditional crutches resulted in greater biceps femoris activation than knee scooter ambulation, and (3) ambulation using the novel prosthesis resulted in the greatest gastrocnemius activation (P < .05). Generally speaking, muscle activation amplitudes were most similar to able-bodied gait when subjects were ambulating using the knee scooter or novel prosthesis. Type of ambulatory aid influences muscle activation amplitude. Traditional axillary crutches appear to be less likely to mitigate muscle atrophy during the nonweighting, immobilization period that often follows foot or ankle injuries. Researchers and clinicians should consider these results when recommending ambulatory aids for foot or ankle injuries.

Numerical Investigation on Head and Brain Injuries Caused by Windshield Impact on Riders Using Electric Self-Balancing Scooters

PubMed Central

Zheng, Yanting; Shen, Ming; Yang, Xianfeng

2018-01-01

To investigate head-brain injuries caused by windshield impact on riders using electric self-balancing scooters (ESS). Numerical vehicle ESS crash scenarios are constructed by combining the finite element (FE) vehicle model and multibody scooter/rider models. Impact kinematic postures of the head-windshield contact under various impact conditions are captured. Then, the processes during head-windshield contact are reconstructed using validated FE head/laminated windshield models to assess the severity of brain injury caused by the head-windshield contact. Governing factors, such as vehicle speed, ESS speed, and the initial orientation of ESS rider, have nontrivial influences over the severity of a rider's brain injuries. Results also show positive correlations between vehicle speed and head-windshield impact speeds (linear and angular). Meanwhile, the time of head-windshield contact happens earlier when the vehicle speed is faster. According to the intensive study, windshield-head contact speed (linear and angular), impact location on the windshield, and head collision area are found to be direct factors on ESS riders' brain injuries during an impact. The von Mises stress and shear stress rise when relative contact speed of head-windshield increases. Brain injury indices vary widely when the head impacting the windshield from center to the edge or impacting with different areas. PMID:29770161

Test-retest reliability and agreement of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument in two Nordic countries.

PubMed

Sund, Terje; Iwarsson, Susanne; Anttila, Heidi; Helle, Tina; Brandt, Ase

2014-07-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate test-retest reliability, agreement, internal consistency, and floor- and ceiling effects of the Danish and Finnish versions of the Satisfaction with the Assistive Technology Services (SATS) instrument among adult users of powered wheelchairs (PWCs) or powered scooters (scooters). Test-retest design, two telephone interviews 7-18 days apart of 40 informants, with mean age of 67.5 (SD 13.09) years in the Danish; and 54 informants with mean age of 55.6 (SD 12.09) years in the Finnish sample. The intra-class correlation coefficient varied between 0.57 and 0.93 for items in the Danish and between 0.41 and 0.93 in the Finnish sample. The percentage agreement varied between 54.2 and 79.5 for items in the Danish and between 69.2 and 81.1 in the Finnish sample, while the Cronbach's alpha values varied between 0.87 and 0.96 in the two samples. A ceiling effect was found in all items of both samples. This study indicates that the SATS may be reliably administered for telephone interviews among adult PWC and scooter users, and give information about aspects of the service delivery process for quality development improvement purposes. Further psychometric testing of the SATS is required.

Documentation of and satisfaction with the service delivery process of electric powered scooters among adult users in different national contexts.

PubMed

Sund, Terje; Iwarsson, Susanne; Andersen, Mette C; Brandt, Åse

2013-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how different service delivery systems for assistive devices were associated with the service delivery process (SDP) and user satisfaction in two national contexts when electric powered scooters were provided. The study had a follow-up design based on a consecutive inclusion of 50 Danish and 86 Norwegian adults as they were about to be provided a scooter. A study-specific structured questionnaire for documentation of the SDP was administered. The Satisfaction with Assistive Technology Services was used for documenting user satisfaction with the SDP. Besides descriptive statistics, regression analysis was used to identify contributors of variance and predictors of user satisfaction. The various steps of the SDP were carried out to a various degree. Significantly more total time was spent in the SDP in the Danish sample (p < 0.001). About 80% of the informants were satisfied/very satisfied with different aspects of the SDP. Time spent in the different steps was not associated with user satisfaction with the SDP. This study supports the assumption that structure of the service impacts on the SDP, but not that the process impacts on outcomes in terms of user satisfaction with the SDP. It may, however, be questioned whether this actually is an outcome.

Effectiveness of motorcycle antilock braking systems (ABS) in reducing crashes, the first cross-national study.

PubMed

Rizzi, Matteo; Strandroth, Johan; Kullgren, Anders; Tingvall, Claes; Fildes, Brian

2015-01-01

This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of motorcycle antilock braking systems (ABS) in reducing real-life crashes. Since the European Parliament has voted on legislation making ABS mandatory on all new motorcycles over 125 cc from 2016, the fitment rate in Europe is likely to increase in the coming years. Though previous research has focused on mostly large displacement motorcycles, this study used police reports from Spain (2006-2009), Italy (2009), and Sweden (2003-2012) in order to analyze a wide range of motorcycles, including scooters, and compare countries with different motorcycling habits. The statistical analysis used odds ratio calculations with an induced exposure approach. Previous research found that head-on crashes were the least ABS-affected crash type and was therefore used as the nonsensitive crash type for ABS in these calculations. The same motorcycle models, with and without ABS, were compared and the calculations were carried out for each country separately. Crashes involving only scooters were further analyzed. The effectiveness of motorcycle ABS in reducing injury crashes ranged from 24% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12-36) in Italy to 29% (95% CI, 20-38) in Spain, and 34% (95% CI, 16-52) in Sweden. The reductions in severe and fatal crashes were even greater, at 34% (95% CI, 24-44) in Spain and 42% (95% CI, 23-61) in Sweden. The overall reductions of crashes involving ABS-equipped scooters (at least 250 cc) were 27% (95% CI, 12-42) in Italy and 22% (95% CI, 2-42) in Spain. ABS on scooters with at least a 250 cc engine reduced severe and fatal crashes by 31% (95% CI, 12-50), based on Spanish data alone. At this stage, there is more than sufficient scientific-based evidence to support the implementation of ABS on all motorcycles, even light ones. Further research should aim at understanding the injury mitigating effects of motorcycle ABS, possibly in combination with combined braking systems.

Design and simulation of a lithium-ion battery with a phase change material thermal management system for an electric scooter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khateeb, Siddique A.; Farid, Mohammed M.; Selman, J. Robert; Al-Hallaj, Said

A lithium-ion battery employing a novel phase change material (PCM) thermal management system was designed for an electric scooter. Passive thermal management systems using PCM can control the temperature excursions and maintain temperature uniformity in Li-ion batteries without the use of active cooling components such as a fan, a blower or a pump found in air/liquid-cooling systems. Hence, the advantages of a compact, lightweight, and energy efficient system can be achieved with this novel form of thermal management system. Simulation results are shown for a Li-ion battery sub-module consisting of nine 18650 Li-ion cells surrounded by PCM with a melting point between 41 and 44 °C. The use of aluminum foam within the PCM and fins attached to the battery module were studied to overcome the low thermal conductivity of the PCM and the low natural convection heat transfer coefficient. The comparative results of the PCM performance in the presence of Al-foam and Al-fins are shown. The battery module is also simulated for summer and winter conditions. The effect of air-cooling on the Li-ion battery was also studied. These simulation results demonstrate the successful use of the PCM as a potential candidate for thermal management solution in electric scooter applications and therefore for other electric vehicle applications.

Preventing head injuries in children

MedlinePlus

Concussion - preventing in children; Traumatic brain injury - preventing in children; TBI - children; Safety - preventing head injury ... Playing contact sports, such as lacrosse, ice hockey, football Riding a skateboard, scooter, or in-line skates ...

Mobility Aids

MedlinePlus

... or have an injury. They include Crutches Canes Walkers Wheelchairs Motorized scooters You may need a walker or cane if you are at risk of ... You should be fitted for crutches, canes and walkers. If they fit, these devices give you support, ...

On the outdoor annoyance from scooter and motorbike noise in the urban environment.

PubMed

Paviotti, Marco; Vogiatzis, Konstantinos

2012-07-15

The health impacts of environmental noise are a growing concern amongst both the general public and policy-makers in Europe. Environmental noise - especially from road transportation - is widely accepted as an important environmental impact factor that can be taken as a start for the process of evaluating the impact of annoyance on the exposed urban population. Extensive urbanisation and the increase of road transport define the main driving forces for the environmental noise exposure of the population. In urban conditions, it is rather common, regarding road transportation noise, to hear from people that, especially, PTW (Powered Two Wheelers) are annoying, and many times are actually the most annoying environmental noise sources introducing a degradation of the urban environment. In this research, in Athens city centre, both scooters and motorbikes operation patterns are analysed, in the basis of their environmental impact through ad-hoc tests to establish if specific features of their emitted noise are annoying and affect the quality of life. It resulted that PTW are a relevant cause of specific environmental annoyance on pedestrians when low background noise levels and sparse traffic flow allow identifying the PTW. Based on the results of a measurement campaign, both L(max) and roughness indices are identified as characteristic noise signatures of the PTW. Results are compared to laboratory studies on annoyance found in literature and to a specific set of interviews with a large number of pedestrians in selected sites. Annoyance caused by scooters and motorbikes is analysed in the findings and conclusions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Barriers to wheelchair use in the winter.

PubMed

Ripat, Jacquie D; Brown, Cara L; Ethans, Karen D

2015-06-01

To test the hypothesis that challenges to community participation posed by winter weather are greater for individuals who use scooters, manual and power wheelchairs (wheeled mobility devices [WMDs]) than for the general ambulatory population, and to determine what WMD users identify as the most salient environmental barriers to community participation during the winter. Cross-sectional survey organized around 5 environmental domains: technological, natural, physical, social/attitudinal, and policy. Urban community in Canada. Convenience sample of WMD users or their proxy (N=99). Not applicable. Not applicable. Forty-two percent identified reduced outing frequency in winter months, associated with increased age (χ(3)=6.4, P=.04), lack of access to family/friends for transportation (χ(2)=8.1, P=.04), and primary type of WMD used in the winter (scooter χ(2)=8.8, P=.003). Most reported tires/casters becoming stuck in the snow (95%) or slipping on the ice (91%), difficulty ascending inclines/ramps (92%), and cold hands while using controls or pushing rims (85%); fewer identified frozen wheelchair/scooter batteries, seat cushions/backrests, or electronics. Sidewalks/roads were reported to be problematic by 99%. Eighty percent reported needing additional help in the winter. Limited community access in winter led to a sense of loneliness/isolation, and fear/anxiety related to safety. Respondents identified policies that limited participation during winter. People who use WMDs decrease their community participation in cold weather because of multiple environmental barriers. Clinicians, researchers, and policymakers can take a multidimensional approach to mitigate these barriers in order to enhance community participation by WMD users in winter. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Management of a traumatic tracheal tear: a case report.

PubMed

Barrett, Eric

2011-12-01

This case report describes a posterior tracheal tear in a healthy 8-year-old girl. The child sustained the injury while riding her scooter, when the handlebars of the scooter dislodged after running into the curb, causing the shaft to strike her in the manubrium of the sternum. The child presented with subcutaneous emphysema of the neck and the supraclavicular region bilaterally. Before the patient's arrival, the surgical and anesthesia team had extensive discussion regarding the child's perioperative management, which included the need to maintain spontaneous ventilation to avoid opening the tracheal tear and producing a further increase in the size of the pneumomediastinum. The anesthesia machine was prepared for a general anesthetic along with a wide array of appropriately sized endotracheal tubes. In addition to appropriately sized laryngoscope blades, a fiberoptic scope and video laryngoscope were immediately available. Spontaneous respirations were maintained throughout the procedure, and the case proceeded uneventfully. This case represents the need for proper preparation and communication between providers to manage all possible scenarios of a traumatic tracheal tear.

42 CFR 410.38 - Durable medical equipment: Scope and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... vehicle whose steering is operated by an electronic device or a joystick to control direction and turning) or a power-operated vehicle (a three or four-wheeled motorized scooter that is operated by a tiller..., physical examination, diagnostic tests, summary of findings, diagnoses, treatment plans and/or other...

42 CFR 410.38 - Durable medical equipment: Scope and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... vehicle whose steering is operated by an electronic device or a joystick to control direction and turning) or a power-operated vehicle (a three or four-wheeled motorized scooter that is operated by a tiller..., physical examination, diagnostic tests, summary of findings, diagnoses, treatment plans and/or other...

42 CFR 410.38 - Durable medical equipment: Scope and conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... vehicle whose steering is operated by an electronic device or a joystick to control direction and turning) or a power-operated vehicle (a three or four-wheeled motorized scooter that is operated by a tiller..., physical examination, diagnostic tests, summary of findings, diagnoses, treatment plans and/or other...

Energy: Simple Experiments for Young Scientists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Larry

This book contains simple experiments through which students can learn about the properties of energy. These experiments include making a kitchen "volcano," a soda-pop "cannon," and a puffed-rice "scooter." Topics include: energy and work, fossil fuels, solar energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, mechanical energy, heat energy, sound energy,…

Disability, Technology, and Compromises with Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleischer, Doris Zames

2007-01-01

Because of New York City's proximity to water, edifices were built with one step as a barrier to potential flooding. The increase in the disability population made it evident that this step formed a barrier to people who could not negotiate level changes, especially those in wheelchairs and motorized scooters. The Americans with Disabilities Act…

49 CFR 571.123 - Standard No. 123; Motorcycle controls and displays.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...'s right hand from the throttle. Each control located on a left handlebar shall be operable by the operator's left hand throughout its full range without removal of the operator's left hand from the... rear brake control, the control shall be located on the left handlebar. If a scooter with an automatic...

49 CFR 571.123 - Standard No. 123; Motorcycle controls and displays.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...'s right hand from the throttle. Each control located on a left handlebar shall be operable by the operator's left hand throughout its full range without removal of the operator's left hand from the... rear brake control, the control shall be located on the left handlebar. If a scooter with an automatic...

49 CFR 571.123 - Standard No. 123; Motorcycle controls and displays.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...'s right hand from the throttle. Each control located on a left handlebar shall be operable by the operator's left hand throughout its full range without removal of the operator's left hand from the... rear brake control, the control shall be located on the left handlebar. If a scooter with an automatic...

49 CFR 571.123 - Standard No. 123; Motorcycle controls and displays.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...'s right hand from the throttle. Each control located on a left handlebar shall be operable by the operator's left hand throughout its full range without removal of the operator's left hand from the... rear brake control, the control shall be located on the left handlebar. If a scooter with an automatic...

An Analysis of US Emergency Department Visits From Falls From Skiing, Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Roller-Skating, and Using Nonmotorized Scooters.

PubMed

Nathanson, Brian H; Ribeiro, Kara; Henneman, Philip L

2016-07-01

We analyzed the US incidence of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for falls from skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, roller-skating, and nonmotorized scooters in 2011. The outcome was hospital admission from the ED. The primary analysis compared pediatric patients aged 1 to 17 years to adults aged 18 to 44 years. The analysis used ICD-9 E-codes E885.0 to E885.4 using discharge data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Approximately 214 000 ED visits met study criteria. Skiing injuries had the highest percentage of hospitalizations (3.30% in pediatric patients and 6.65% in adults 18-44 years old). Skateboard and snowboard injuries were more likely to require hospitalization than roller skating injuries in pediatric patients (odds ratio = 2.42; 95% CI = 2.14-2.75 and odds ratio = 1.83; 95% CI =1.55-2.15, respectively). In contrast, skateboard and snowboard injuries were less severe than roller-skating injuries in adults. © The Author(s) 2015.

Prevalence of helmet use by users of bicycles, push scooters, inline skates and skateboards in Toronto and the surrounding area in the absence of comprehensive legislation: an observational study.

PubMed

Page, Jessica L; Macpherson, Alison K; Middaugh-Bonney, Tara; Tator, Charles H

2012-04-01

Legislation in the province of Ontario, Canada, mandates users under the age of 18 to wear a helmet when they ride a bicycle, and legislation has been shown to significantly increase rates of bicycle helmet use. Legislation does not exist in Ontario for older bicyclists or for users of other non-motorised modes of transportation, and there are no current data available regarding rates of helmet use in these categories. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of helmet use among users of bicycles, skateboards, push scooters and inline skates in Toronto, Ontario, and the surrounding area. Further analysis was performed to examine factors associated with helmet use. We performed a cross-sectional, observational study. Three trained, stationary observers captured 6038 users of bicycles (5783), skateboards (77), inline skates (165) and push scooters (13) in the summer of 2009. Observations were separated into three time periods capturing commuters, midday users and recreational users. A general linear model was used to assess the factors associated with helmet use among bicyclists. Helmets were worn by 48.9% of all users observed and 50.0% of all bicyclists. Among bicyclists, females were more likely to wear helmets than males (prevalence ratio 1.27, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.36), while children were significantly more likely to wear helmets than adults (prevalence ratio 1.17, 95% CI 1.37 to 2.15). Significant behavioural variation was observed among users during the three observation periods (p<0.001), with commuters being the most likely to wear a helmet. In the absence of comprehensive legislation encompassing all ages of users, only half of users of non-motorised, wheeled transportation devices are choosing to wear a helmet to protect against traumatic brain injury. Implementation of evidence-based strategies to increase helmet use, such as the introduction of legislation encompassing all ages and all equipment, is required.

75 FR 49020 - CFMOTO Powersports, Inc., Receipt of Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-12

... clutch other than a scooter is equipped with a supplemental rear brake control, the control shall be... brake control, the control shall be on the right side and operable by the operator's right foot. A supplemental control shall provide brake actuation identical to that provided by the required control of Table...

Libert-E Motor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sieloff, Susan F.; Kinnunen, Raymond; Chevarley, Joseph

2011-01-01

Kei Yun Wong has big dreams. She has been entrusted with the United States launch of Libert-E Motor, a new line of Chinese-manufactured electric scooters. With only $750,000 of her original budget of $3 million left, she needs to make sure that the launch succeeds, as it represents the initial step in her desire to create the first Chinese global…

QUT Para at TREC 2012 Web Track: Word Associations for Retrieving Web Documents

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

zero for the QUTParaTQEg1 sys- tem (and the best performance across all participants was non-zero), included: 1. Topic 157: The beatles rock band 2...Topic 162: dnr 3. Topic 163: arkansas 5 4. Topic 167: barbados 5. Topic 170: scooters 6. Topic 179: black history 7. Topic 188: internet phone service

From Trash to Treasure--Rebuilding a '66 Vespa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boissonnault, Tom

2010-01-01

This article describes how the author got his 8th-grade students thinking about greener modes of transportation--and got them excited about technology education--in the course of rebuilding a badly damaged 1966 Vespa scooter. This turned out to be a wonderful project because it included almost the entire 8th grade, and showed students that…

Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint practices in paratransit vehicles.

PubMed

Frost, Karen; Bertocci, Gina; Smalley, Craig

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS) usage in paratransit vehicles based on observations of wheelchair and scooter (wheeled mobility devices, collectively, "WhMD") passenger trips. A retrospective review of on-board video monitoring recordings of WhMD trips was conducted. Four hundred seventy-five video recordings were collected for review and analysis. The use of all four tiedowns to secure the WhMD was observed more frequently for power WhMDs (82%) and manual WhMDs (80%) compared to scooters (39%), and this difference was significant (p< 0.01). Nonuse or misuse of the occupant restraint system occurred during 88% of WhMD trips, and was most frequently due to vehicle operator neglect in applying the shoulder belt. Despite the absence of incidents or injuries in this study, misuse and nonuse of WTORS potentially place WhMD seated passengers at higher risk of injury during transit. These findings support the need for improved vehicle operator training and passenger education on the proper use of WTORS and development of WTORS with improved usability and/or alternative technologies that can be automated or used independently.

Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint practices in paratransit vehicles

PubMed Central

Smalley, Craig

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS) usage in paratransit vehicles based on observations of wheelchair and scooter (wheeled mobility devices, collectively, “WhMD”) passenger trips. A retrospective review of on-board video monitoring recordings of WhMD trips was conducted. Four hundred seventy-five video recordings were collected for review and analysis. The use of all four tiedowns to secure the WhMD was observed more frequently for power WhMDs (82%) and manual WhMDs (80%) compared to scooters (39%), and this difference was significant (p< 0.01). Nonuse or misuse of the occupant restraint system occurred during 88% of WhMD trips, and was most frequently due to vehicle operator neglect in applying the shoulder belt. Despite the absence of incidents or injuries in this study, misuse and nonuse of WTORS potentially place WhMD seated passengers at higher risk of injury during transit. These findings support the need for improved vehicle operator training and passenger education on the proper use of WTORS and development of WTORS with improved usability and/or alternative technologies that can be automated or used independently. PMID:29304035

Novice riders and the predictors of riding without motorcycle protective clothing.

PubMed

de Rome, Liz; Ivers, Rebecca; Haworth, Narelle; Heritier, Stephane; Du, Wei; Fitzharris, Michael

2011-05-01

While helmet usage is often mandated, few motorcycle and scooter riders make full use of protection for the rest of the body. Little is known about the factors associated with riders' usage or non-usage of protective clothing. Novice riders were surveyed prior to their provisional licence test in NSW, Australia. Questions related to usage and beliefs about protective clothing, riding experience and exposure, risk taking and demographic details. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to identify factors associated with two measures of usage, comparing those who sometimes vs rarely/never rode unprotected and who usually wore non-motorcycle pants vs motorcycle pants. Ninety-four percent of eligible riders participated and usable data was obtained from 66% (n=776). Factors significantly associated with riding unprotected were: youth (17-25 years) (RR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.50-2.65), not seeking protective clothing information (RR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.07-1.56), non-usage in hot weather (RR = 3.01, 95% CI: 2.38-3.82), awareness of social pressure to wear more protection (RR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.12-1.95), scepticism about protective benefits (RR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.22-3.28) and riding a scooter vs any type of motorcycle. A similar cluster of factors including youth (RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04-1.32), social pressure (RR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.16-1.50), hot weather (RR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.19-1.41) and scooter vs motorcycles were also associated with wearing non-motorcycle pants. There was no evidence of an association between use of protective clothing and other indicators of risk taking behaviour. Factors strongly associated with non-use of protective clothing include not having sought information about protective clothing and not believing in its injury reduction value. Interventions to increase use may therefore need to focus on development of credible information sources about crash risk and the benefits of protective clothing. Further work is required to develop motorcycle protective clothing suitable for hot climates. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wheelchair securement and occupant restraint system (WTORS) practices in public transit buses.

PubMed

Frost, Karen L; Bertocci, Gina; Salipur, Zdravko

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS) usage in public transit buses based on observations of wheelchair and scooter (wheeled mobility device: WhMD) passenger trips. A retrospective review of on-board video surveillance recordings of WhMD trips on fixed-route, large accessible transit vehicles (LATVs) was performed. Two hundred ninety-five video recordings were collected for review and analysis during the period June 2007-February 2009. Results showed that 73.6% of WhMDs were unsecured during transit. Complete use of all four tiedowns was observed more frequently for manual wheelchairs (14.9%) and power wheelchairs (5.5%), compared to scooters (0.0%), and this difference was significant (p=0.013). Nonuse or misuse (lap belt use only) of the occupant restraint system occurred during 47.5% of WhMD trips. The most frequently observed (52.5%) use of the lap belt consisted of bus operators routing the lap belt around the WhMD seatback in an attempt to secure the WhMD. These findings support the need for development and implementation of WTORS with improved usability and/or WTORS that can be operated independently by WhMD passengers and improved WTORS training for bus operators.

DoD Traffic Safety Program. Change 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-02

powered and non-powered scooters, skateboards, roller skates , in- line skates , and other similar equipment not meeting DOT motor vehicle standards for...DoD civilian personnel in a duty status, on or off a DoD installation. d. All persons in or on a Government-owned or -leased motor vehicle...Glossary. 4. POLICY. It is DoD policy to: a. Eliminate motor vehicle-related mishaps and the resulting deaths, injuries, and property damage

Effect of Motorized Scooters on Quality of Life and Cardiovascular Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

in the context of 30% f patients having increased the dosage of their baseline ipid medications, 10% of patients beginning statin therapy , % starting...a fibrate, and 4% who initiated niacin therapy . riglycerides (179 96 to 170 107 mg/dl, p 0.44) and igh-density lipoprotein cholesterol (51 20... lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase oncentration.14,15 Exercise also reduces serum triglyc- rides and total serum cholesterol and might also de- rease low

America Promises to Come Back: Our New National Security Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-23

Captain Larry Seaquist, U.S. Navy, Office of the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Strategy and Resources); Vice Admiral James Service...to be primarily based on U.S. forces in being. Under the new national security strategy, deterrence of the Soviet threat will largely be based upon a...Cheney’s IISS remarks were followed by I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Strategy and Resources), who provided

Simulated Students and Classroom Use of Model-Based Intelligent Tutoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koedinger, Kenneth R.

2008-01-01

Two educational uses of models and simulations: 1) Students create models and use simulations ; and 2) Researchers create models of learners to guide development of reliably effective materials. Cognitive tutors simulate and support tutoring - data is crucial to create effective model. Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center: Resources for modeling, authoring, experimentation. Repository of data and theory. Examples of advanced modeling efforts: SimStudent learns rule-based model. Help-seeking model: Tutors metacognition. Scooter uses machine learning detectors of student engagement.

Test-retest reliability and cross validation of the functioning everyday with a wheelchair instrument.

PubMed

Mills, Tamara L; Holm, Margo B; Schmeler, Mark

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the test-retest reliability and content validity of an outcomes tool designed to measure the effectiveness of seating-mobility interventions on the functional performance of individuals who use wheelchairs or scooters as their primary seating-mobility device. The instrument, Functioning Everyday With a Wheelchair (FEW), is a questionnaire designed to measure perceived user function related to wheelchair/scooter use. Using consumer-generated items, FEW Beta Version 1.0 was developed and test-retest reliability was established. Cross-validation of FEW Beta Version 1.0 was then carried out with five samples of seating-mobility users to establish content validity. Based on the content validity study, FEW Version 2.0 was developed and administered to seating-mobility consumers to examine its test-retest reliability. FEW Beta Version 1.0 yielded an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) Model (3,k) of .92, p < .001, and the content validity results revealed that FEW Beta Version 1.0 captured 55% of seating-mobility goals reported by consumers across five samples. FEW Version 2.0 yielded ICC(3,k) = .86, p < .001, and captured 98.5% of consumers' seating-mobility goals. The cross-validation study identified new categories of seating-mobility goals for inclusion in FEW Version 2.0, and the content validity of FEW Version 2.0 was confirmed. FEW Beta Version 1.0 and FEW Version 2.0 were highly stable in their measurement of participants' seating-mobility goals over a 1-week interval.

Visible-Near Infrared Imaging Spectrometer Data of Explosion Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, T. G.

2005-01-01

In a continuing study to capture a realistic terrain applicable to studies of cratering processes and landing hazards on Mars, we have obtained new high resolution visible-near infrared images of several explosion craters at the Nevada Test Site. We used the Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) to obtain images in 224 spectral bands from 0.4-2.5 microns [1]. The main craters that were imaged were Sedan, Scooter, Schooner, Buggy, and Danny Boy [2]. The 390 m diameter Sedan crater, located on Yucca Flat, is the largest and freshest explosion crater on Earth that was formed under conditions similar to hypervelocity impact cratering. As such, it is effectively pristine, having been formed in 1962 as a result of the detonation of a 104 kiloton thermonuclear device, buried at the appropriate equivalent depth of burst required to make a "simple" crater [2]. Sedan was formed in alluvium of mixed lithology [3] and subsequently studied using a variety of field-based methods. Nearby secondary craters were also formed at the time and were also imaged by AVIRIS. Adjacent to Sedan and also in alluvium is Scooter, about 90 m in diameter and formed by a high-explosive event. Schooner (240 m) and Danny Boy (80 m, Fig. 1) craters were also important targets for AVIRIS as they were excavated in hard welded tuff and basaltic andesite, respectively [3, 4]. This variation in targets will allow the study of ejecta patterns, compositional modifications due to the explosions, and the role of craters as subsurface probes.

A paediatric case of bilateral mandibular condyle fracture presenting with bloody otorrhoea following trauma.

PubMed

Chan, Yat Chun; Au-Yeung, Kwan Leong

2017-04-22

A 7-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with bilateral bloody otorrhoea after falling from his scooter. Skull base fracture was suspected. CT showed no evidence of skull base fracture but bilateral mandibular condyle and external acoustic canals fractures. We report this case to illustrate a rare possibility of bilateral external acoustic canal fracture associated with condylar fracture in trauma patients presented with bloody otorrhoea. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Rare Complete Metacarpal Pseudoepiphysis in a Teenager With a Scaphoid Fracture.

PubMed

Geffen, Rachel B; Colberg, Ricardo E

2017-11-01

A 13-yr-old adolescent boy presented with wrist pain after falling off a scooter onto his outstretched hand. Radiographs revealed a nondisplaced hairline fracture of the scaphoid bone and an irregular radiolucent line in the proximal metaphysis of the second metacarpal bone, consistent with an anomalous growth plate, or complete pseudoepiphysis. Complete pseudoepiphysis is a rare finding, with only a few cases reported. Learning about the common locations of growth plates and the radiographic differences between normal, injured, and anomalous growth plates can help decrease physician error and improve patient outcomes.

Design features that affect the maneuverability of wheelchairs and scooters.

PubMed

Koontz, Alicia M; Brindle, Eric D; Kankipati, Padmaja; Feathers, David; Cooper, Rory A

2010-05-01

To determine the minimum space required for wheeled mobility device users to perform 4 maneuverability tasks and to investigate the impact of selected design attributes on space. Case series. University laboratory, Veterans Affairs research facility, vocational training center, and a national wheelchair sport event. The sample of convenience included manual wheelchair (MWC; n=109), power wheelchair (PWC; n=100), and scooter users (n=14). A mock environment was constructed to create passageways to form an L-turn, 360 degrees -turn in place, and a U-turn with and without a barrier. Passageway openings were increased in 5-cm increments until the user could successfully perform each task without hitting the walls. Structural dimensions of the device and user were collected using an electromechanical probe. Mobility devices were grouped into categories based on design features and compared using 1-way analysis of variance and post hoc pairwise Bonferroni-corrected tests. Minimum passageway widths for the 4 maneuverability tasks. Ultralight MWCs with rear axles posterior to the shoulder had the shortest lengths and required the least amount of space compared with all other types of MWCs (P<.05). Mid-wheel-drive PWCs required the least space for the 360 degrees -turn in place compared with front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive PWCs (P<.01) but performed equally as well as front-wheel-drive models on all other turning tasks. PWCs with seat functions required more space to perform the tasks. Between 10% and 100% of users would not be able to maneuver in spaces that meet current Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities specifications. This study provides data that can be used to support wheelchair prescription and home modifications and to update standards to improve the accessibility of public areas.

Meteorology of Jupiter's Equatorial Hot Spots and Plumes from Cassini

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, David Sanghun; Showman, Adam P.; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; Simon-Miller, Amy A.

2013-01-01

We present an updated analysis of Jupiter's equatorial meteorology from Cassini observations. For two months preceding the spacecraft's closest approach, the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) onboard regularly imaged the atmosphere. We created time-lapse movies from this period in order to analyze the dynamics of equatorial hot spots and their interactions with adjacent latitudes. Hot spots are relatively cloud-free regions that emit strongly at 5 lm; improved knowledge of these features is crucial for fully understanding Galileo probe measurements taken during its descent through one. Hot spots are quasistable, rectangular dark areas on visible-wavelength images, with defined eastern edges that sharply contrast with surrounding clouds, but diffuse western edges serving as nebulous boundaries with adjacent equatorial plumes. Hot spots exhibit significant variations in size and shape over timescales of days and weeks. Some of these changes correspond with passing vortex systems from adjacent latitudes interacting with hot spots. Strong anticyclonic gyres present to the south and southeast of the dark areas appear to circulate into hot spots. Impressive, bright white plumes occupy spaces in between hot spots. Compact cirrus-like 'scooter' clouds flow rapidly through the plumes before disappearing within the dark areas. These clouds travel at 150-200 m/s, much faster than the 100 m/s hot spot and plume drift speed. This raises the possibility that the scooter clouds may be more illustrative of the actual jet stream speed at these latitudes. Most previously published zonal wind profiles represent the drift speed of the hot spots at their latitude from pattern matching of the entire longitudinal image strip. If a downward branch of an equatorially-trapped Rossby wave controls the overall appearance of hot spots, however, the westward phase velocity of the wave leads to underestimates of the true jet stream speed.

Investigation of Jupiter's Equatorial Hotspots and Plumes Using Cassini ISS Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, David S.; Showman, A. P.; Vasavada, A. R.; Simon-Miller, A. A.

2012-01-01

We present updated analysis of Jupiter's equatorial meteorology from Cassini observations. For two months preceding the spacecraft's closest approach, the ISS onboard regularly imaged the atmosphere. We created time-lapse movies from this period in order to analyze the dynamics of equatorial 5-micron hot spots and their interactions with adjacent latitudes. Hot spots are quasi-stable, rectangular dark areas on visible-wavelength images, with defined eastern edges that sharply contrast with surrounding clouds, but a diffuse western edge serving as a nebulous boundary with adjacent equatorial plumes. Hot spots exhibit significant variations in size and shape over timescales of days and weeks. Some of these changes correspond with passing vortex systems from adjacent latitudes interacting with hot spots. Strong anticyclonic gyres present to the south and southeast of the dark areas appear to circulate into hot spots. Impressive, bright white plumes occupy spaces in between hot spots. Compact cirrus-iike 'scooter' clouds flow rapidly through the plumes before disappearing within the dark areas. This raises the possibility that the plumes and fast-moving clouds are at higher altitudes, because their speed does not match previously published zonal wind profiles. Most profiles represent the drift speed of the hot spots at their latitude from pattern matching of the entire longitudinal image strip. If a downward branch of an equatorially-trapped Rossby waves controls the overall appearance of hot spots, however, the westward phase velocity of the wave leads to underestimates of the true jet stream speed. Instead, our expanded data set demonstrating the rapid flow of these scooter clouds may be more illustrative of the actual jet stream speed at these latitudes. This research was supported by a NASA JDAP grant and the NASA Postdoctoral Program.

A new two-phase homopolar switched reluctance motor for electric vehicle applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Mi-Ching; Huang, Chien-Chin; Huang, Zheng-Yi

2003-12-01

This paper presents a novel 2-phase homopolar switched reluctance motor (SRM), whose design successfully avoids dead-zone problems that afflict low cost 1- and/or 2-phase SRMs. Unlike conventional radial-winding-radial-gap motors, the proposed SRM has an interior stator that is of the pancake type with axial winding. Such a design allows for a high slot-fill factor and is suitable for implementation as a flat pancake-shaped stator. An efficient, compact prototype was produced with TMS320F240 DSP driving control unit. Experimental results indicate that the present SRM design has the potential to be used for electric bicycles and scooters.

Gasoline Prices and Their Relationship to Rising Motorcycle Fatalities, 1990–2007

PubMed Central

Stimpson, Jim P.; Hilsenrath, Peter E.

2009-01-01

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among young adults. Although automobile fatalities have declined in recent years, motorcycle fatalities are rapidly increasing. The purpose of our research was to quantify the relationship between changing fuel prices and motorcycle fatalities. Our findings suggest that people increasingly rely on motorcycles to reduce their fuel costs in response to rising gasoline prices. We estimate that use of motorcycles and scooters instead of 4-wheeled vehicles results in over 1500 additional motorcycle fatalities annually for each dollar increase in gas prices. Motorcycle safety should receive more attention as a leading public health issue. PMID:19696374

Underwater noise of small personal watercraft (jet skis).

PubMed

Erbe, Christine

2013-04-01

Personal watercraft (water scooters, jet skis) were recorded under water in Bramble Bay, Queensland, Australia. Underwater noise emissions consisted of broadband energy between 100 Hz and 10 kHz due to the vibrating bubble cloud generated by the jet stream, overlain with frequency-modulated tonals corresponding to impeller blade rates and harmonics. Broadband monopole source levels were 149, 137, and 122 dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m (5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles). Even though these are lower than those of small propeller-driven boats, it is not necessarily the broadband source level that correlates with the bioacoustic impact on marine fauna.

PIA01492

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-10-30

This picture of Neptune was produced from the last whole planet images taken through the green and orange filters on NASA's Voyager 2 narrow angle camera. The images were taken at a range of 4.4 million miles from the planet, 4 days and 20 hours before closest approach. The picture shows the Great Dark Spot and its companion bright smudge; on the west limb the fast moving bright feature called Scooter and the little dark spot are visible. These clouds were seen to persist for as long as Voyager's cameras could resolve them. North of these, a bright cloud band similar to the south polar streak may be seen. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01492

A new method to discriminate secondary organic aerosols from different sources using high-resolution aerosol mass spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heringa, M. F.; Decarlo, P. F.; Chirico, R.; Tritscher, T.; Clairotte, M.; Mohr, C.; Crippa, M.; Slowik, J. G.; Pfaffenberger, L.; Dommen, J.; Weingartner, E.; Prévôt, A. S. H.; Baltensperger, U.

2011-10-01

Organic aerosol (OA) represents a significant and often major fraction of the non-refractory PM1 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter da < 1 μm) mass. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is an important contributor to the OA and can be formed from biogenic and anthropogenic precursors. Here we present results from the characterization of SOA produced from the emissions of three different anthropogenic sources. SOA from a log wood burner, a Euro 2 diesel car and a two-stroke Euro 2 scooter were characterized with an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS) and compared to SOA from α-pinene. The emissions were sampled from the chimney/tailpipe by a heated inlet system and filtered before injection into a smog chamber. The gas phase emissions were irradiated by xenon arc lamps to initiate photo-chemistry which led to nucleation and subsequent particle growth by SOA production. Duplicate experiments were performed for each SOA type, with the averaged organic mass spectra in the m/z range 12-250 showing Pearson's r values >0.94 for the correlations between the different SOA types after 5 h of aging. High-resolution mass spectra (HR-MS) showed that the dominant peaks in the MS, m/z 43 and 44, are dominated by the oxygenated ions C2H3O+ and CO2+, respectively, similarly to the relatively fresh semi-volatile oxidized OA (SV-OOA) observed in the ambient aerosol. The atomic O : C ratios were found to be in the range of 0.25-0.55 with no major increase during the first 5 h of aging. On average, the diesel SOA showed the lowest O : C ratio followed by SOA from wood burning, α-pinene and the scooter emissions. Grouping the fragment ions based on their carbon number revealed that the SOA source with the highest O : C ratio had the largest fraction of small ions. Fragment ions containing up to 3 carbon atoms accounted for 66%, 68%, 72% and 76% of the organic spectrum of the SOA produced by the diesel car, wood burner, α-pinene and the scooter, respectively. The HR data of the four sources could be clustered and separated using principal component analysis (PCA). The model showed a significant separation of the four SOA types and clustering of the duplicate experiments on the first two principal components (PCs), which explained 79% of the total variance. Projection of ambient SV-OOA spectra resolved by positive matrix factorization (PMF) showed that this approach could be useful to identify large contributions of the tested SOA sources to SV-OOA. The first results from this study indicate that the SV-OOA in Barcelona is strongly influenced by diesel emissions in winter while in summer at SIRTA at the southwestern edge of Paris SV-OOA is more similar to alpha-pinene SOA. However, contributions to the ambient SV-OOA from SOA sources that are not covered by the model can cause major interference and therefore future expansions of the PCA model with additional SOA sources is recommended.

Hybrid systems with lead-acid battery and proton-exchange membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jossen, Andreas; Garche, Juergen; Doering, Harry; Goetz, Markus; Knaupp, Werner; Joerissen, Ludwig

Hybrid systems, based on a lead-acid battery and a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) give the possibility to combine the advantages of both technologies. The benefits for different applications are discussed and the practical realisation of such systems is shown. Furthermore a numerical model for such a hybrid system is described and results are shown and discussed. The results show that the combination of lead-acid batteries and PEMFC shows advantages in case of applications with high peak power requirements (i.e. electric scooter) and applications where the fuel cell is used as auxiliary power supply to recharge the battery. The high efficiency of fuel cells at partial load operation results in a good fuel economy for recharging of lead-acid batteries with a fuel cell system.

Physiscope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gaumer, Olivier

2010-10-22

Peut-on survivre à une décharge de 100000 volts? Le corps humain est-il conducteur? Qu'est-ce la charge électrique? L'air est-il conducteur? Quel est le meilleur conducteur connu? Autant de question que l'on se posera durant cette découverte de la physique et le l'électricité, par une approche originale, ludique et participative. Venez glisser en lévitation sur une trottinette supraconductrice! [Can we survive a discharge of 100,000 volts? Is the human body conductive? What is the electric charge? Is the air conductive? What is the best known driver? As much question as one will ask during this discovery of the physics and the electricity, bymore » an original, playful and participative approach. Come levitate on a superconducting scooter!]« less

A Novel Transverse Flux Machine for Vehicle Traction Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wan, Zhao; Ahmed, Adeeb; Husain, Iqbal

2015-10-05

A novel transverse flux machine topology for electric vehicle traction application using ferrite magnets is presented in this paper. The proposed transverse flux topology utilizes novel magnet arrangements in the rotor that are similar to Halbach-array to boost flux linkage; on the stator side, cores are alternately arranged around a pair of ring windings in each phase to make use of the entire rotor flux that eliminates end windings. Analytical design considerations and finite element methods are used for an optimized design of a scooter in-wheel motor. Simulation results from Finite Element Analysis (FEA) show the motor achieved comparable torquemore » density to conventional rare-earth permanent magnet machines. This machine is a viable candidate for direct drive applications with low cost and high torque density.« less

Opportunity, Choice, and Burglary Victimization in Taiwan.

PubMed

Kuo, Shih-Ya

2015-07-01

This study examined burglary victimization in Taiwan with an application of the structure-choice model that included four theoretical dimensions: proximity to crime, exposure to crime, target attractiveness, and guardianship. Drawing on the 2000 Taiwan Areas Criminal Victimization Survey, the results of the current study showed a moderate effect of the opportunity model on Taiwan's burglary victimization. Also, this study found both consistent and conflicting findings in the current data. The null effect of motorcycles (including scooters) that represented the concept of target attractiveness in relation to burglary risk reflected a difference in population density and transportation needs between Taiwan and the West. Clearly, the role of social context needs to be understood when studies apply a Western model to a non-Western context. © The Author(s) 2014.

Detection of Vehicle Tracks and Vegetation Damages Caused by use of Snowmobiles in the Longyearbyen Area on Svalbard using Unmanned Aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storvold, R.; Karlsen, S. R.; Solbø, S. A.; Johansen, B.; Johansen, K.; Høgda, K. A.; Tømmervik, H.; Zmarz, A.; Joly, D.

2013-12-01

The study area in the surroundings of Longyearbyen on Svalbard, Arctic Norway, located at 71.2°N and 16°E is characterized by dry Arctic climate with a snow season of more than eight months, annual precipitation of less than 200mm, and a mean July temperature of about 6°C. Longyearbyen is the main settlement on Svalbard, with about 2000 inhabitants. During the last two decades the number of snowmobiles have increased from a few hundred to a number almost equals the number of inhabitants, and snowmobile trips are today the one of the main leisure activities. In addition, thousands of tourist visits every spring, and many of these go on organized snowmobile trips. Due to the often thin snow cover, and use of snowmobile even during the spring snow melt in May and early June, the rapid growth in use of snowmobile has made some damage to the vegetation. Damage on the fragile vegetation caused by the skids and belts of the snowmobile can be observed in most parts of the Adventdalen valley, close to Longyearbyen. The main aim of this study is to explore the feasibility and accuracy of using data from Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to identify vehicle tracks and damages on vegetation caused by the use of snowmobiles. Use of UAS give the opportunity to carry out research in a manner that minimizes the environmental footprint of the research activities. Small unmanned aircraft, combining both fixed wing multi rotor types allow us to collect image data for vegetation mapping without having any personnel walking into the field disturbing the sensitive High Arctic ecosystems. UAS used here are inexpensive and simple to operate. They are being developed with the goal of providing airborne capabilities for scientists at an affordable cost. The aircraft were instrumented with a normal Canon Powershot S100 RGB compact camera and a modified Canon Powershot SX230 NDVI camera. The fixed wing aircraft was taking pictures from 100 meters altitude with ground resolution of 2.5 cm mapping 2-3 sq.km per flight. The multirotor helicopter were mapping areas of a few hundred square meters with ground resolution as high as 1 mm. An automated technique using HSV (Hue, Saturation and Value) was used instead of RGB color space to automatic detect tracks and quantify area affected. This may be used to monitor future changes and effect of regulatory actions. The 2.5 cm resolution data easily detected tracks on the flat valley floor. These areas have mixed vegetation of mires and dry areas. The dry areas have silty substrate, which is easily compressed by the skids and belts of the snow scooters. The vegetation in these areas is scattered, but rather species rich. Most common is the small Arctic Willow (Salix polaris), several bryophytes and graminoides, and the small shrubs White Arctic bell heather (Cassiope tetragona) and Mountain Avens (Dryas ocopetala). Among these species Mountain Avens seems to be most affected by the scooter activity. The mires seem to be less affected by the snow scooter activity. The slopes of the valley are dominated by Mountain Avens ridges, heaths, and spots with moss tundra. However, tracks were only detected on the ridges of the valley slopes.

High Resolution Digital Elevation Models of Pristine Explosion Craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, T. G.; Krabill, W.; Garvin, J. B.

2004-01-01

In order to effectively capture a realistic terrain applicable to studies of cratering processes and landing hazards on Mars, we have obtained high resolution digital elevation models of several pristine explosion craters at the Nevada Test Site. We used the Airborne Terrain Mapper (ATM), operated by NASA's Wallops Flight Facility to obtain DEMs with 1 m spacing and 10 cm vertical errors of 4 main craters and many other craters and collapse pits. The main craters that were mapped are Sedan, Scooter, Schooner, and Danny Boy. The 370 m diameter Sedan crater, located on Yucca Flat, is the largest and freshest explosion crater on Earth that was formed under conditions similar to hypervelocity impact cratering. As such, it is effectively pristine, having been formed in 1962 as a result of a controlled detonation of a 100 kiloton thermonuclear device, buried at the appropriate equivalent depth of burst required to make a simple crater. Sedan was formed in alluvium of mixed lithology and subsequently studied using a variety of field-based methods. Nearby secondary craters were also formed at the time and were also mapped by ATM. Adjacent to Sedan and also in alluvium is Scooter, about 90 m in diameter and formed by a high-explosive event. Schooner (240 m) and Danny Boy (80 m) craters were also important targets for ATM as they were excavated in hard basalt and therefore have much rougher ejecta. This will allow study of ejecta patterns in hard rock as well as engineering tests of crater and rock avoidance and rover trafficability. In addition to the high resolution DEMs, crater geometric characteristics, RMS roughness maps, and other higher-order derived data products will be generated using these data. These will provide constraints for models of landing hazards on Mars and for rover trafficability. Other planned studies will include ejecta size-frequency distribution at the resolution of the DEM and at finer resolution through air photography and field measurements, correlation of ejecta size and composition with radar and visible-thermal IR remote sensing signatures, and comparison of these results with similar measurements of Mars. The final DEMs, ancillary data sets, and derived data products will be made available to the community.

Novel Transverse Flux Machine for Vehicle Traction Applications: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wan, Z.; Ahmed, A.; Husain, I.

2015-04-02

A novel transverse flux machine topology for electric vehicle traction applications using ferrite magnets is presented in this paper. The proposed transverse flux topology utilizes novel magnet arrangements in the rotor that are similar to the Halbach array to boost flux linkage; on the stator side, cores are alternately arranged around a pair of ring windings in each phase to make use of the entire rotor flux that eliminates end windings. Analytical design considerations and finite-element methods are used for an optimized design of a scooter in-wheel motor. Simulation results from finite element analysis (FEA) show that the motor achievedmore » comparable torque density to conventional rare-earth permanent magnet (PM) machines. This machine is a viable candidate for direct-drive applications with low cost and high torque density.« less

Introductory Education for Mechanical Engineering by Exercise in Mechanical Disassembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsui, Yoshio; Asakawa, Naoki; Iwamori, Satoru

An introductory program “Exercise for engineers in mechanical disassembly” is an exercise that ten students of every team disassemble a motor scooter to the components and then assemble again to the initial form in 15 weeks. The purpose of this program is to introduce mechanical engineering by touching the real machine and learning how it is composed from various mechanical parts to the students at the early period after the entrance into the university. Additional short lectures by young teachers and a special lecture by a top engineer in the industry encourage the students to combine the actual machine and the mechanical engineering subjects. Furthermore, various educations such as group leader system, hazard prediction training, parts filing are included in this program. As a result, students recognize the importance of the mechanical engineering study and the way of group working.

Physiscope

ScienceCinema

Gaumer, Olivier

2018-05-24

Peut-on survivre à une décharge de 100000 volts? Le corps humain est-il conducteur? Qu'est-ce la charge électrique? L'air est-il conducteur? Quel est le meilleur conducteur connu? Autant de question que l'on se posera durant cette découverte de la physique et le l'électricité, par une approche originale, ludique et participative. Venez glisser en lévitation sur une trottinette supraconductrice! [Can we survive a discharge of 100,000 volts? Is the human body conductive? What is the electric charge? Is the air conductive? What is the best known driver? As much question as one will ask during this discovery of the physics and the electricity, by an original, playful and participative approach. Come levitate on a superconducting scooter!

A New Hybrid Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cells-Battery Power System with Efficiencies Considered

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Chung-Hsing; Shieh, Jenn-Jong

Hybrid systems, based on lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries and proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), give the possibility of combining the benefit of both technologies. The merits of high energy density and power density for different applications are discussed in this paper in recognition of the practical realization of such hybrid power systems. Furthermore, experimental data for such a hybrid system is described and the results are shown and discussed. The results show that the combination of lead-acid batteries or lithium-ion batteries and PEMFCs shows advantages in cases of applications with high peak power requirements, such as electric scooters and applications where the fuel cell (FC) is used as an auxiliary power-supply to recharge the battery. The high efficiency of FCs operating with a partial load results in a good fuel economy for the purpose of recharging batteries within a FC system.

Analysis of the minimum swerving distance for the development of a motorcycle autonomous braking system.

PubMed

Giovannini, Federico; Savino, Giovanni; Pierini, Marco; Baldanzini, Niccolò

2013-10-01

In the recent years the autonomous emergency brake (AEB) was introduced in the automotive field to mitigate the injury severity in case of unavoidable collisions. A crucial element for the activation of the AEB is to establish when the obstacle is no longer avoidable by lateral evasive maneuvers (swerving). In the present paper a model to compute the minimum swerving distance needed by a powered two-wheeler (PTW) to avoid the collision against a fixed obstacle, named last-second swerving model (Lsw), is proposed. The effectiveness of the model was investigated by an experimental campaign involving 12 volunteers riding a scooter equipped with a prototype autonomous emergency braking, named motorcycle autonomous emergency braking system (MAEB). The tests showed the performance of the model in evasive trajectory computation for different riding styles and fixed obstacles. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching physical activities to students with significant disabilities using video modeling.

PubMed

Cannella-Malone, Helen I; Mizrachi, Sharona V; Sabielny, Linsey M; Jimenez, Eliseo D

2013-06-01

The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of video modeling on teaching physical activities to three adolescents with significant disabilities. The study implemented a multiple baseline across six physical activities (three per student): jumping rope, scooter board with cones, ladder drill (i.e., feet going in and out), ladder design (i.e., multiple steps), shuttle run, and disc ride. Additional prompt procedures (i.e., verbal, gestural, visual cues, and modeling) were implemented within the study. After the students mastered the physical activities, we tested to see if they would link the skills together (i.e., complete an obstacle course). All three students made progress learning the physical activities, but only one learned them with video modeling alone (i.e., without error correction). Video modeling can be an effective tool for teaching students with significant disabilities various physical activities, though additional prompting procedures may be needed.

Improvement on Gabor order tracking and objective comparison with Vold Kalman filtering order tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Min-Chun; Liao, Shiu-Wei; Chiu, Chun-Chin

2007-02-01

The waveform-reconstruction schemes of order tracking (OT) such as the Gabor and the Vold-Kalman filtering (VKF) techniques can extract specific order and/or spectral components in addition to characterizing the processed signal in rpm-frequency domain. The study first improves the Gabor OT (GOT) technique to handle the order-crossing problem, and then objectively compares the features of the improved GOT scheme and the angular-displacement VKF OT technique. It is numerically observed the improved method performs less accurately than the VKF_OT scheme at the crossing occurrences, but without end effect in the reconstructed waveform. As OT is not exact science, it may well be that the decrease in computation time can justify the reduced accuracy. The characterisation and discrimination of riding noise with crossing orders emitted by an electrical scooter are conducted as an example of the application.

Food Access Patterns and Barriers among Midlife and Older Adults with Mobility Disabilities

PubMed Central

Huang, Deborah L.; Rosenberg, Dori E.; Simonovich, Shannon D.; Belza, Basia

2012-01-01

We examined where midlife and older adults with a mobility disability accessed food outside the home in King County, Washington, USA, how they travelled to these food destinations, and facilitators and barriers to food access using qualitative interviews. Thirty-five adults aged ≥50 years with a mobility disability (defined as use of an assistive device for mobility) were interviewed. Supplemental objective information was obtained from a Global Positioning System device worn by participants for 3 days. Participants primarily accessed food at grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops/cafés. The most common transportation modes were walking, obtaining a ride from friends, motorized chair/scooter, and public transit. Location and proximity of food destinations were factors affecting participants' ability to access these destinations. Adequate space, ease of entry, available amenities such as restrooms, and helpful people were facilitators for participants to access food outside the home. PMID:23056944

Motorized mobility scooters – The use of training/intervention and technology for improving driving skills in aging adults - A Mini-Review

PubMed Central

Toosizadeh, Nima; Bunting, Matthew; Howe, Carol; Mohler, Jane; Sprinkle, Jonathan; Najafi, Bijan

2014-01-01

Background Motorized mobility scooters (MMS) have become the most acceptable powered assistive device for those with impaired mobility, who have sufficient upper body strength and dexterity, and postural stability. Although several benefits have been attributed to MMS usage, there are likewise risks of use, including injuries and even deaths. Objective The aim of the current review was to summarize results from clinical studies regarding the enhancement of MMS driver safety with a primary focus on improving driving skills/performance using clinical approaches. We addressed three main objectives: 1) to identify and summarize any available evidence (strong, moderate, or weak evidence based on the quality of studies) regarding improved driving skills/performance following training/intervention; 2) to identify types of driving skills/performance that might be improved by training/intervention; and 3) to identify the use of technology in improving MMS performance or training procedure. Methods Articles were searched for in the following medical and engineering electronic databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, EI Compendix, IEEE Explore, and REHABDATA. Inclusion criteria included: aging adults or those with ambulatory problems; intervention or targeted training; and clinical trial. Outcomes included: MMS skills/performance. Results Six articles met the inclusion criteria and are analyzed in this review. Four of the six articles contained training approaches for MMS drivers including skill trainings using real MMS inside and outside (i.e., in community) and in a 3D virtual environment. The other two studies contain infrastructural assessments (i.e., the minimum space required for safe maneuverability of MMS users) and additional mobility assistance tools to improve maneuverability and to enhance driving performance. Conclusions Results from the current review showed improved driving skills/performance by training, infrastructural assessments, and incorporating mobility assistance tools. MMS driving skills that can be improved through driver training include: weaving, negotiating with and avoiding pedestrian interference, simultaneous reading of signs and obstacle avoidance in path, level driving, forward and reverse driving, figure 8s, turning in place, crossing left slope, maneuvering down a 2-inch curb, and driving up and down inclines. However, several limitations exist in the available literature regarding evidence of improved driving skills/performance following training/intervention, such as small sample sizes, lack of control groups and statistical analysis. PMID:24481257

Exploring Winter Community Participation Among Wheelchair Users: An Online Focus Group

PubMed Central

Ripat, Jacquie; Colatruglio, Angela

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The aim of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of what people who use wheeled mobility devices (WMDs; e.g., manual and power wheelchairs, and scooters) identify as environmental barriers to community participation in cold weather climates, and to explore recommendations to overcome environmental barriers to community participation. Researchers conducted an online asynchronous focus group that spanned seven days, with eight individuals who use WMDs. Each day, participants were asked to respond to a moderator-provided question, and to engage with one another around the topic area. The researchers analyzed the verbatim data using an inductive content-analysis approach. Four categories emerged from the data: (1) winter barriers to community participation; (2) life resumes in spring and summer; (3) change requires awareness, education, and advocacy; and (4) winter participation is a right. Participants confirmed that it is a collective responsibility to ensure that WMD users are able to participate in the community throughout the seasons. PMID:26295488

Consumers' Kansei Needs Clustering Method for Product Emotional Design Based on Numerical Design Structure Matrix and Genetic Algorithms.

PubMed

Yang, Yan-Pu; Chen, Deng-Kai; Gu, Rong; Gu, Yu-Feng; Yu, Sui-Huai

2016-01-01

Consumers' Kansei needs reflect their perception about a product and always consist of a large number of adjectives. Reducing the dimension complexity of these needs to extract primary words not only enables the target product to be explicitly positioned, but also provides a convenient design basis for designers engaging in design work. Accordingly, this study employs a numerical design structure matrix (NDSM) by parameterizing a conventional DSM and integrating genetic algorithms to find optimum Kansei clusters. A four-point scale method is applied to assign link weights of every two Kansei adjectives as values of cells when constructing an NDSM. Genetic algorithms are used to cluster the Kansei NDSM and find optimum clusters. Furthermore, the process of the proposed method is presented. The details of the proposed approach are illustrated using an example of electronic scooter for Kansei needs clustering. The case study reveals that the proposed method is promising for clustering Kansei needs adjectives in product emotional design.

Consumers' Kansei Needs Clustering Method for Product Emotional Design Based on Numerical Design Structure Matrix and Genetic Algorithms

PubMed Central

Chen, Deng-kai; Gu, Rong; Gu, Yu-feng; Yu, Sui-huai

2016-01-01

Consumers' Kansei needs reflect their perception about a product and always consist of a large number of adjectives. Reducing the dimension complexity of these needs to extract primary words not only enables the target product to be explicitly positioned, but also provides a convenient design basis for designers engaging in design work. Accordingly, this study employs a numerical design structure matrix (NDSM) by parameterizing a conventional DSM and integrating genetic algorithms to find optimum Kansei clusters. A four-point scale method is applied to assign link weights of every two Kansei adjectives as values of cells when constructing an NDSM. Genetic algorithms are used to cluster the Kansei NDSM and find optimum clusters. Furthermore, the process of the proposed method is presented. The details of the proposed approach are illustrated using an example of electronic scooter for Kansei needs clustering. The case study reveals that the proposed method is promising for clustering Kansei needs adjectives in product emotional design. PMID:27630709

Investigation on improved Gabor order tracking technique and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Min-Chun; Chiu, Chun-Ching

2006-08-01

The study proposes an improved Gabor order tracking (GOT) technique to cope with crossing-order/spectral components that cannot be effectively separated by using the original GOT scheme. The improvement aids both the reconstruction and interpretation of two crossing orders/spectra such as a transmission-element-regarding order and a structural resonance. The dual function of the Gabor elementary function can affect the precision of tracked orders. In the paper, its influence on the computed Gabor expansion coefficients is investigated. For applying the improved scheme in practical works, the separation and extraction of close-order components of vibration signals measured from a transmission-element test bench is illustrated by using both the GOT and Vold-Kalman filtering OT methods. Additionally, comparisons between these two schemes are summarized from processing results. The other experimental work demonstrates the ranking of noise components from a riding electric scooter. Singled-out dominant noise sources can be referred for subsequent design-remodeling tasks.

Mobile electric power. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bloomfield, D.P.; Bloomfield, V.J.; Grosjean, P.D.

1995-12-01

The objective of this program was to develop a mobile fuel cell power supply for use by soldiers. The Century Series of 100 through 500 watt fuel cell power supplies was developed. The Century Series fuel cell power supplies are made up of a fuel cell stack, chemical hydride hydrogen supply, a fan and a controller. The FC-200, the 200 watt Century Series power supply, weighs 8.8 ib. and has a volume of 322 in.3. The operating point is 0.7 volt/cell at 125 ASF; a power density of 22.7 watts/lb. or 0.62 watts/in.3 and an energy density of 110 whr/lb.more » The prototype 750 whr hydrogen supply weighs 7 lbs. and has a volume of 193 in.3. The fuel elements weigh 0.45 lb. and require 0.79 lbs. of water. The FC-200 has powered a scooter requiring a starting current of three times the rated current of the stack. It has also powered a microclimate cooler. (KAR) P. 1.« less

Mobile electric power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloomfield, David P.; Bloomfield, Valerie J.; Grosjean, Paul D.; Kelland, James W.

1995-02-01

The objective of this program was to develop a mobile fuel cell power supply for use by soldiers. The Century Series of 100 through 500 watt fuel cell power supplies was developed. The Century Series fuel cell power supplies are made up of a fuel cell stack, chemical hydride hydrogen supply, a fan and a controller. The FC-200, the 200 watt Century Series power supply, weighs 8.8 lb. and has a volume of 322 cu in. The operating point is 0.7 volt/cell at 125 ASF; a power density of 22.7 watts/cu in. or 0.62 watts/cu in. and an energy density of 110 whr/lb. The prototype 750 whr hydrogen supply weighs 7 lbs. and has a volume of 193 cu in. The fuel elements weigh 0.45 lb. and require 0.79 lbs. of water. The FC-200 has powered a scooter requiring a starting current of three times the rated current of the stack. It has also powered a microclimate cooler.

Semantic Enrichment of Movement Behavior with Foursquare--A Visual Analytics Approach.

PubMed

Krueger, Robert; Thom, Dennis; Ertl, Thomas

2015-08-01

In recent years, many approaches have been developed that efficiently and effectively visualize movement data, e.g., by providing suitable aggregation strategies to reduce visual clutter. Analysts can use them to identify distinct movement patterns, such as trajectories with similar direction, form, length, and speed. However, less effort has been spent on finding the semantics behind movements, i.e. why somebody or something is moving. This can be of great value for different applications, such as product usage and consumer analysis, to better understand urban dynamics, and to improve situational awareness. Unfortunately, semantic information often gets lost when data is recorded. Thus, we suggest to enrich trajectory data with POI information using social media services and show how semantic insights can be gained. Furthermore, we show how to handle semantic uncertainties in time and space, which result from noisy, unprecise, and missing data, by introducing a POI decision model in combination with highly interactive visualizations. Finally, we evaluate our approach with two case studies on a large electric scooter data set and test our model on data with known ground truth.

Assessing the reliability and validity of direct observation and traffic camera streams to measure helmet and motorcycle use.

PubMed

Zaccaro, Heather N; Carbone, Emily C; Dsouza, Nishita; Xu, Michelle R; Byrne, Mary C; Kraemer, John D

2015-12-01

There is a need to develop motorcycle helmet surveillance approaches that are less labour intensive than direct observation (DO), which is the commonly recommended but never formally validated approach, particularly in developing settings. This study sought to assess public traffic camera feeds as an alternative to DO, in addition to the reliability of DO under field conditions. DO had high inter-rater reliability, κ=0.88 and 0.84, respectively, for cycle type and helmet type, which reinforces its use as a gold standard. However, traffic camera-based data collection was found to be unreliable, with κ=0.46 and 0.53 for cycle type and helmet type. When bicycles, motorcycles and scooters were classified based on traffic camera streams, only 68.4% of classifications concurred with those made via DO. Given the current technology, helmet surveillance via traffic camera streams is infeasible, and there remains a need for innovative traffic safety surveillance approaches in low-income urban settings. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Determinants of personal protective equipment (PPE) use in UK motorcyclists: exploratory research applying an extended theory of planned behaviour.

PubMed

Norris, Emma; Myers, Lynn

2013-11-01

Despite evident protective value of motorcycle personal protective equipment (PPE), no research has assessed considerations behind its uptake in UK riders. A cross-sectional online questionnaire design was employed, with riders (n=268) recruited from online motorcycle forums. Principal component analysis found four PPE behavioural outcomes. Theoretical factors of intentions, attitudes, injunctive and descriptive subjective norms, risk perceptions, anticipated regret, benefits and habit were also identified for further analysis. High motorcycle jacket, trousers and boots wear, middling high-visibility wear and low non-Personal Protective Equipment wear were found. Greater intentions, anticipated regret and perceived benefits were significantly associated with increased motorcycle jacket, trousers and boots wear, with habit presence and scooter use significantly associated with increased high-visibility wear. Lower intentions, anticipated regret and risk perceptions, being female, not holding a car licence and urban riding were significantly associated with increased non-PPE wear. A need for freedom of choice and mixed attitudes towards PPE use were evident in additional comments. PPE determinants in this sample provide a preliminary basis for future uptake interventions. Larger scale and qualitative research is needed to further investigate relevant constructs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Function combined method for design innovation of children's bike

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiaoli; Qiu, Tingting; Chen, Huijuan

2013-03-01

As children mature, bike products for children in the market develop at the same time, and the conditions are frequently updated. Certain problems occur when using a bike, such as cycle overlapping, repeating function, and short life cycle, which go against the principles of energy conservation and the environmental protection intensive design concept. In this paper, a rational multi-function method of design through functional superposition, transformation, and technical implementation is proposed. An organic combination of frog-style scooter and children's tricycle is developed using the multi-function method. From the ergonomic perspective, the paper elaborates on the body size of children aged 5 to 12 and effectively extracts data for a multi-function children's bike, which can be used for gliding and riding. By inverting the body, parts can be interchanged between the handles and the pedals of the bike. Finally, the paper provides a detailed analysis of the components and structural design, body material, and processing technology of the bike. The study of Industrial Product Innovation Design provides an effective design method to solve the bicycle problems, extends the function problems, improves the product market situation, and enhances the energy saving feature while implementing intensive product development effectively at the same time.

Men's and women's perspectives on using a powered mobility device: benefits and societal challenges.

PubMed

Pettersson, Cecilia; Iwarsson, Susanne; Brandt, Ase; Norin, Lizette; Månsson Lexell, Eva

2014-11-01

To describe how men and women experience their use of powered wheelchairs (PW) and powered scooters (PS) in everyday occupations, in the home and in society at large. A qualitative research approach with focus-group methodology was used. Four focus groups were created, with men and women as well as PW and PS users in different groups. Applying a descriptive approach, data were analysed according to the principles described by Krueger. Three categories emerged and revealed that even though use of PW and PS increased independence and enabled everyday occupations, participants struggled to be independent powered mobility device (PMD) users. They experienced many accessibility problems in dwellings and in society, described similarly by users of PW and PS. Men and women experienced their use of (PMD) differently, especially in relation to the service delivery process. The study contributes with new knowledge on accessibility for PW and PS users and related service delivery processes, stating that gender differences regarding provision and training must be taken into account. Occupational therapists can contribute to an enhanced understanding of PMD users' challenges in person-environment-occupation transactions in the home and society, and thereby promote occupational justice for PMD users.

Wheeled mobility device transportation safety in fixed route and demand-responsive public transit vehicles within the United States.

PubMed

Frost, Karen L; van Roosmalen, Linda; Bertocci, Gina; Cross, Douglas J

2012-01-01

An overview of the current status of wheelchair transportation safety in fixed route and demand-responsive, non-rail, public transportation vehicles within the US is presented. A description of each mode of transportation is provided, followed by a discussion of the primary issues affecting safety, accessibility, and usability. Technologies such as lifts, ramps, securement systems, and occupant restraint systems, along with regulations and voluntary industry standards have been implemented with the intent of improving safety and accessibility for individuals who travel while seated in their wheeled mobility device (e.g., wheelchair or scooter). However, across both fixed route and demand-responsive transit systems a myriad of factors such as nonuse and misuse of safety systems, oversized wheeled mobility devices, vehicle space constraints, and inadequate vehicle operator training may place wheeled mobility device (WhMD) users at risk of injury even under non-impact driving conditions. Since WhMD-related incidents also often occur during the boarding and alighting process, the frequency of these events, along with factors associated with these events are described for each transit mode. Recommendations for improving WhMD transportation are discussed given the current state of

Ergonomic evaluation of a wheelchair transportation securement system.

PubMed

Ahmed, Madiha; Campbell-Kyureghyan, Naira; Frost, Karen; Bertocci, Gina

2012-01-01

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifies guidelines covering the securement system and environment for wheeled mobility device (WhMD) passengers on the public bus system in the United States, referred to as the wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS). The misuse or disuse of the WTORS system can be a source of injury for WhMD passengers riding the buses. The purpose of this study was to quantify the risks posed to the bus driver while performing the WTORS procedure using traditional ergonomic analysis methods. Four bus drivers completed the WTORS procedure for a representative passenger seated in three different WhMDs: manual wheelchair (MWC), scooter (SCTR), and power wheelchair (PWC). Potential work-related risks were identified using the four most applicable ergonomic assessment tools: PLIBEL, RULA, REBA, and iLMM. Task evaluation results revealed high levels of risk to be present to drivers during the WTORS procedure. The securement station space design and equipment layout were identified as contributing factors forcing drivers to adopt awkward postures while performing the WTORS task. These risk factors are known contributors to injury and the drivers could opt to improperly secure the passengers to avoid that risk.

Investigation of wheelchair instability during transport in large accessible transit vehicles.

PubMed

Salipur, Zdravko; Frost, Karen; Bertocci, Gina

2012-01-01

Large accessible transit vehicles (LATVs, fixed-route intracity buses), generally considered safe, may not be as safe for wheelchair-seated passengers. Transit provider practices vary regarding use of wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint systems (WTORSs), while recent research suggests high levels of WTORS disuse and misuse. We sought to better understand wheelchair and wheelchair passenger instabilities related to WTORS disuse and misuse on LATVs. This article presents a retrospective review of 295 video surveillance records of wheelchair passenger trips on LATVs. Wheelchair trips involving disuse and misuse of WTORS were quantified and categorized based on WTORS configurations. Cases of wheelchair and wheelchair passenger instability were categorized based on severity, type, and direction. Three adverse events involving severe wheelchair and/or passenger instability were examined in greater detail. Results showed 20.3% of records involved wheelchair-related adverse events (95% minor instabilities, 5% severe instabilities). Scooters were most likely to be unstable, followed by manual and power wheelchairs. In most instability cases, no tiedowns were used to secure the wheelchair and no lap belt was used to restrain the wheelchair passenger properly. In many instances, the lap belt was misused in an attempt to secure the wheelchair, whereas the shoulder belt was never used.

A new method to discriminate secondary organic aerosols from different sources using high-resolution aerosol mass spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heringa, M. F.; Decarlo, P. F.; Chirico, R.; Tritscher, T.; Clairotte, M.; Mohr, C.; Crippa, M.; Slowik, J. G.; Pfaffenberger, L.; Dommen, J.; Weingartner, E.; Prévôt, A. S. H.; Baltensperger, U.

2012-02-01

Organic aerosol (OA) represents a significant and often major fraction of the non-refractory PM1 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter da < 1 μm) mass. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is an important contributor to the OA and can be formed from biogenic and anthropogenic precursors. Here we present results from the characterization of SOA produced from the emissions of three different anthropogenic sources. SOA from a log wood burner, a Euro 2 diesel car and a two-stroke Euro 2 scooter were characterized with an Aerodyne high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS) and compared to SOA from α-pinene. The emissions were sampled from the chimney/tailpipe by a heated inlet system and filtered before injection into a smog chamber. The gas phase emissions were irradiated by xenon arc lamps to initiate photo-chemistry which led to nucleation and subsequent particle growth by SOA production. Duplicate experiments were performed for each SOA type, with the averaged organic mass spectra showing Pearson's r values >0.94 for the correlations between the four different SOA types after five hours of aging. High-resolution mass spectra (HR-MS) showed that the dominant peaks in the MS, m/z 43 and 44, are dominated by the oxygenated ions C2H3O+ and CO2+, respectively, similarly to the relatively fresh semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA) observed in the ambient aerosol. The atomic O:C ratios were found to be in the range of 0.25-0.55 with no major increase during the first five hours of aging. On average, the diesel SOA showed the lowest O:C ratio followed by SOA from wood burning, α-pinene and the scooter emissions. Grouping the fragment ions revealed that the SOA source with the highest O:C ratio had the largest fraction of small ions. The HR data of the four sources could be clustered and separated using principal component analysis (PCA). The model showed a significant separation of the four SOA types and clustering of the duplicate experiments on the first two principal components (PCs), which explained 79% of the total variance. Projection of ambient SV-OOA spectra resolved by positive matrix factorization (PMF) showed that this approach could be useful to identify large contributions of the tested SOA sources to SV-OOA. The first results from this study indicate that the SV-OOA in Barcelona is strongly influenced by diesel emissions in winter while in summer at SIRTA at the southwestern edge of Paris SV-OOA is more similar to alpha-pinene SOA. However, contributions to the ambient SV-OOA from SOA sources that are not covered by the model can cause major interference and therefore future expansions of the PCA model with additional SOA sources is recommended.

Neptune Blue-green Atmosphere

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-02-16

Neptune's blue-green atmosphere is shown in greater detail than ever before by the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it rapidly approaches its encounter with the giant planet. This color image, produced from a distance of about 16 million kilometers, shows several complex and puzzling atmospheric features. The Great Dark Spot (GDS) seen at the center is about 13,000 km by 6,600 km in size -- as large along its longer dimension as the Earth. The bright, wispy "cirrus-type" clouds seen hovering in the vicinity of the GDS are higher in altitude than the dark material of unknown origin which defines its boundaries. A thin veil often fills part of the GDS interior, as seen on the image. The bright cloud at the southern (lower) edge of the GDS measures about 1,000 km in its north-south extent. The small, bright cloud below the GDS, dubbed the "scooter," rotates faster than the GDS, gaining about 30 degrees eastward (toward the right) in longitude every rotation. Bright streaks of cloud at the latitude of the GDS, the small clouds overlying it, and a dimly visible dark protrusion at its western end are examples of dynamic weather patterns on Neptune, which can change significantly on time scales of one rotation (about 18 hours). https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02245

Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults Who Do Not Drive: Association With Mobility Resources and Perceived Transportation Barriers

PubMed Central

Choi, Namkee G.; DiNitto, Diana M.

2016-01-01

Purpose of the Study: To examine alternative means of mobility that nondriving older adults rely on and their impact on well-being. Design and Methods: Data from the 2011 (T1, N = 6,680) and 2012 (T2, N = 5,413) interview waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study were used to examine sample characteristics by driving status, use of alternative mobility resources, and perceived transportation-related barriers among ex-drivers and nondrivers, and their association with depressive symptoms. Results: A majority of nondrivers relied on their informal support system and/or paid assistance to drive them to places. About half reported walking/using a wheelchair or scooter. A significant proportion of never drivers also used public transportation and van/shuttle services, whereas a smaller proportion of ex-drivers used them. Nondrivers who walked for transport had lower depressive symptoms than those who did not walk at either T1 or T2, and perception of transportation barriers to visiting friends/family was associated with higher depressive symptoms at T1 only. Implications: Older adults’ mobility needs should be met through increasing walkability, public and paratransit transportation, supplemental senior transportation, and increasing informal caregivers-transportation providers’ ability to aid older adults. PMID:25601389

A cross-sectional study examining multiple mobility device use and fall status among middle-aged and older adults with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Finlayson, Marcia L; Peterson, Elizabeth W; Asano, Miho

2014-01-01

To document the prevalence of multiple mobility device use among adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) (≥ 55 years) and examine the association between falls status (faller/non-faller) and the number of mobility devices used. Cross-sectional data generated through telephone interviews with 353 participants was used for this secondary analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to address the first study purpose. Multiple device use was measured by the number of devices used, which ranged from 0 (never use a cane, walker, manual wheelchair, or power wheelchair/scooter) to 4 (use all four mobility devices at least some of the time). Logistic regression analysis was used to address the second purpose, with fall status used as the dependent variable (non-fallers [<1 per year] versus fallers [≥ 1 per year]). Just under 60% of participants reported the use of at least two mobility devices. For each additional mobility device used, the odds of being a faller increased by 1.47 times (95% CI = 1.14-1.90). Multiple mobility device use was common and the greater number of devices used, the greater the likelihood of being a faller. To prevent falls, this association requires further research to determine directionality.

Neptune's blue-green atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Neptune's blue-green atmosphere is shown in greater detail than ever before by the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it rapidly approaches its encounter with the giant planet. This color image, produced from a distance of about 16 million kilometers, shows several complex and puzzling atmospheric features. The Great Dark Spot (GDS) seen at the center is about 13,000 km by 6,600 km in size -- as large along its longer dimension as the Earth. The bright, wispy 'cirrus-type' clouds seen hovering in the vicinity of the GDS are higher in altitude than the dark material of unknown origin which defines its boundaries. A thin veil often fills part of the GDS interior, as seen on the image. The bright cloud at the southern (lower) edge of the GDS measures about 1,000 km in its north-south extent. The small, bright cloud below the GDS, dubbed the 'scooter,' rotates faster than the GDS, gaining about 30 degrees eastward (toward the right) in longitude every rotation. Bright streaks of cloud at the latitude of the GDS, the small clouds overlying it, and a dimly visible dark protrusion at its western end are examples of dynamic weather patterns on Neptune, which can change significantly on time scales of one rotation (about 18 hours).

Exploration of health perceptions and assistive technology use by driving status as related to transportation independence in New Delhi, India.

PubMed

Beyene, Nahom M; Steinfeld, Aaron; Pearlman, Jon; Cooper, Rory A

2012-07-01

This study investigates travel tendencies among people with disabilities and senior citizens in New Delhi, India to reveal relationships between the desire for transportation independence, use of assistive technology for mobility, travel frequency, and satisfaction with available modes of transportation. Study volunteers received invitations to complete a one-time, three-part questionnaire. The survey included an assessment battery developed by the Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center, questions featured in the 2002 National Transportation Availability and Use Survey, and a variation on the PARTS/M and FABS/M questionnaires. 80 study participants completed the questionnaire, and were grouped according to driving status as No Driving Experience (NDE), Ceased Driving (CD), and Continue To Drive (CTD). Participants in the NDE group were less likely to use transportation more than twice daily. However, the CD group had the lowest perceived value for available transportation options, with transportation use comparable to the CTD group and an enduring desire to continue driving. Study findings suggest an inner drive for transportation independence. The rise of driving culture internationally presents driver rehabilitation services with challenges due to the need for vehicle modifications and driving assessment using manual transmission automobiles, scooters, and motorcycles.

A small sample test of the factor structure of postural movement and bilateral motor integration using structural equation modeling.

PubMed

Lin, Chin-Kai; Wu, Huey-Min; Lin, Chung-Hui; Wu, Yuh-Yih; Wu, Pei-Fang; Kuo, Bor-Chen; Yeung, Kwok-Tak

2012-10-01

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between the validity of postural movement and bilateral motor integration in terms of sensory integration theory. Participants in this study were 61 Chinese children ages 48 to 70 months. Structural equation modeling was applied to assess the relation between measures tapping postural movement and bilateral motor integration: for postural movement, the measures involve the Monkey Task, Side-Sit Co-contraction, Prone on Elbows, Wheelbarrow Walk, Airplane, and Scooter Board Co-contraction from the DeGangi-Berk Test of Sensory Integration, and Standing Balance with Eyes Closed/Opened in Southern California Sensory Integration Tests. For bilateral motor integration, the measures chosen were the Rolling Pin Activity, Jump and Turn, Diadokokinesis, Drumming, and Upper Extremity Control from the DeGangi-Berk Test of Sensory Integration, and Cross the Midline in Southern California Sensory Integration Tests (SCSIT). Postural movement was highly correlated with the bilateral motor integration. The factor structure fit the theoretical conceptualization, classifying postural movement and bilateral motor integration together in the same category. Therapists could combine two separate objectives (postural movement and bilateral motor integration) of intervention in an activity to improve the adaptive skills based on the vestibular-proprioceptive integration.

Rehabilitative technology use among individuals with Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Pandya, Shree; Andrews, Jennifer; Campbell, Kim; Meaney, F John

2016-01-01

To document use of rehabilitative technology among individuals with Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DBMD) among sites of the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research network (MD STARnet). Data from 362 caregivers who participated in the MD STARnet caregiver interview between April 2006 and March 2012 (54.7% response rate) were analyzed to assess the type, frequency and duration of use of assistive technology. Caregiver reports of technology use by individuals with DBMD across five MD STARnet sites in the US demonstrated significant regional differences in the proportion of individuals who had ever used night splints (36.9%-73.0%), standers (3.1%-22.2%) and scooters (10.7%-54.5%). Among individuals who used night splints 59.7% stopped using them at a mean age of 10.3 years after a mean duration of 2.9 years in spite of the current recommendation to continue using them through the non-ambulatory phase. Results of this comprehensive survey document the frequency of assistive device use by individuals with DBMD in the USA and also provides data on differences across the sites. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for and the impact of these differences on clinical outcomes and health related quality of life of individuals with DBMD.

Implementation issues of the nearfield equivalent source imaging microphone array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Mingsian R.; Lin, Jia-Hong; Tseng, Chih-Wen

2011-01-01

This paper revisits a nearfield microphone array technique termed nearfield equivalent source imaging (NESI) proposed previously. In particular, various issues concerning the implementation of the NESI algorithm are examined. The NESI can be implemented in both the time domain and the frequency domain. Acoustical variables including sound pressure, particle velocity, active intensity and sound power are calculated by using multichannel inverse filters. Issues concerning sensor deployment are also investigated for the nearfield array. The uniform array outperformed a random array previously optimized for far-field imaging, which contradicts the conventional wisdom in far-field arrays. For applications in which only a patch array with scarce sensors is available, a virtual microphone approach is employed to ameliorate edge effects using extrapolation and to improve imaging resolution using interpolation. To enhance the processing efficiency of the time-domain NESI, an eigensystem realization algorithm (ERA) is developed. Several filtering methods are compared in terms of computational complexity. Significant saving on computations can be achieved using ERA and the frequency-domain NESI, as compared to the traditional method. The NESI technique was also experimentally validated using practical sources including a 125 cc scooter and a wooden box model with a loudspeaker fitted inside. The NESI technique proved effective in identifying broadband and non-stationary sources produced by the sources.

Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults Who Do Not Drive: Association With Mobility Resources and Perceived Transportation Barriers.

PubMed

Choi, Namkee G; DiNitto, Diana M

2016-06-01

To examine alternative means of mobility that nondriving older adults rely on and their impact on well-being. Data from the 2011 (T1, N = 6,680) and 2012 (T2, N = 5,413) interview waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study were used to examine sample characteristics by driving status, use of alternative mobility resources, and perceived transportation-related barriers among ex-drivers and nondrivers, and their association with depressive symptoms. A majority of nondrivers relied on their informal support system and/or paid assistance to drive them to places. About half reported walking/using a wheelchair or scooter. A significant proportion of never drivers also used public transportation and van/shuttle services, whereas a smaller proportion of ex-drivers used them. Nondrivers who walked for transport had lower depressive symptoms than those who did not walk at either T1 or T2, and perception of transportation barriers to visiting friends/family was associated with higher depressive symptoms at T1 only. Older adults' mobility needs should be met through increasing walkability, public and paratransit transportation, supplemental senior transportation, and increasing informal caregivers-transportation providers' ability to aid older adults. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Hoverboards: spectrum of injury and association with an uncommon fracture.

PubMed

Schapiro, Andrew H; Lall, Neil U; Anton, Christopher G; Trout, Andrew T

2017-04-01

Self-balancing electric scooters, commonly known as hoverboards, are a new and popular consumer item with recognized fall hazards. The spectrum of injuries associated with hoverboard use has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to determine the spectrum of radiologically apparent injuries associated with hoverboard use. We retrospectively reviewed all imaging studies interpreted at our institution for hoverboard-related injuries during an 8-month period. We recorded patient demographics and injury characteristics. Thirty-two of the 47 pediatric patients imaged for hoverboard-related injury had radiologically detectable injuries, all fractures. Fifty percent of these 32 patients were female and 50% were male, with a mean age of 12.4 years. There were 42 fractures total, all involving the appendicular skeleton, with 74% in the upper extremities and 26% in the lower extremities. Thirty-eight percent of the fractures involved the physis. A distinct injury pattern was seen in three patients who sustained open distal phalanx juxta-epiphyseal fractures. Most of the fractures sustained during hoverboard use are commonly seen in everyday pediatric radiology practice, with an overall pattern paralleling that reported in association with skateboard use. However an otherwise uncommon fracture, the distal phalanx juxta-epiphyseal fracture, was identified in association with hoverboard use, and this finding has important treatment implications including need for irrigation and debridement, antibiotic therapy, and potential surgical fixation.

Voyager: Neptune Encounter Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Voyager encounter data are presented in computer animation (CA) and real (R) animation. The highlights include a view of 2 full rotations of Neptune. It shows spacecraft trajectory 'diving' over Neptune and intercepting Triton's orbit, depicting radiation and occulation zones. Also shown are a renegade orbit of Triton and Voyager's encounter with Neptune's Magnetopause. A model of the spacecraft's complex maneuvers during close encounters of Neptune and Triton is presented. A view from Earth of Neptune's occulation experiment is is shown as well as a recreation of Voyager's final pass. There is detail of Voyager's Image Compensation technique which produces Voyager images. Eighteen images were produced on June 22 - 23, 1989, from 57 million miles away. A 68 day sequence which provides a stroboscopic view - colorization approximates what is seen by the human eye. Real time images recorded live from Voyager on 8/24/89 are presented. Photoclinometry produced the topography of Triton. Three images are used to create a sequence of Neptune's rings. The globe of Neptune and 2 views of the south pole are shown as well as Neptune rotating. The rotation of a scooter is frozen in images showing differential motion. There is a view of rotation of the Great Dark Spot about its own axis. Photoclinometry provides a 3-dimensional perspective using a color mosaic of Triton images. The globe is used to indicate the orientation of Neptune's crescent. The east and west plumes on Triton are shown.

Neptune encounter highlights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1989-11-01

Voyager encounter data are presented in computer animation (CA) and real (R) animation. The highlights include a view of 2 full rotations of Neptune. It shows spacecraft trajectory 'diving' over Neptune and intercepting Triton's orbit, depicting radiation and occulation zones. Also shown are a renegade orbit of Triton and Voyager's encounter with Neptune's Magnetopause. A model of the spacecraft's complex maneuvers during close encounters of Neptune and Triton is presented. A view from Earth of Neptune's occulation experiment is is shown as well as a recreation of Voyager's final pass. There is detail of Voyager's Image Compensation technique which produces Voyager images. Eighteen images were produced on June 22 - 23, 1989, from 57 million miles away. A 68 day sequence which provides a stroboscopic view - colorization approximates what is seen by the human eye. Real time images recorded live from Voyager on 8/24/89 are presented. Photoclinometry produced the topography of Triton. Three images are used to create a sequence of Neptune's rings. The globe of Neptune and 2 views of the south pole are shown as well as Neptune rotating. The rotation of a scooter is frozen in images showing differential motion. There is a view of rotation of the Great Dark Spot about its own axis. Photoclinometry provides a 3-dimensional perspective using a color mosaic of Triton images. The globe is used to indicate the orientation of Neptune's crescent. The east and west plumes on Triton are shown.

Dimensionnement des actionneurs électriques alimentés à fréquence variable sous faible tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biedinger, J.-M.; Vilain, J.-P.

1999-09-01

In Part I we present a multidisciplinary analysis model for the prediction of functional connections between the design variables and the electromagnetical, electrical and thermal performances of a brushless permanent magnet motor. In this paper we have elaborated a design methodology for electrical motors supplied from a variable-frequency low-voltage source. The objective is to take into account the influence of the inverter's dynamics from the beginning of the design, for the same reasons as we do for electromechanical and thermal constraints. The procedure is based on a Sequential Quadratic Programming optimization method. Two techniques are used to take into account the influence of the inverter: the first one develops the performance analysis with the multidisciplinary model; the second one considers the inverter's current reference as a supplementary optimization variable for the control of the design. Optimization difficulties linked to the chopping of the converter are discuted in connection with a sensitivity analysis of the torque, with respect to the inverter's current reference; a method is proposed to enhance the performances of the algorithm. The method has been applied to the design of a permanent magnet brushless DC motor used in the propulsion system of an electrical scooter; evolution of the design with the complexity level of analysis model is evidenced. Dans une première partie nous avons développé un modèle d'analyse pluridisciplinaire qui établissait les dépendances fonctionnelles entre les variables de conception et les performances magnéto-électro-thermiques d'un moteur brushless à aimants permanents. Dans cet article nous décrivons une procédure de dimensionnement adaptée à la conception de la machine alimentée à fréquence variable sous faible tension. L'objectif est d'intégrer la dynamique du convertisseur électronique dès la phase initiale du dimensionnement, au même titre que les spécifications électromécaniques et thermiques. La procédure est gérée par une méthode d'optimisation déterministe de type Programmation Quadratique Séquentielle. Elle intègre l'influence du convertisseur au moyen de deux spécificités : la première consiste à évaluer les fonctions du problème d'optimisation sur la base du module d'analyse pluridisciplinaire ; la deuxième permet de contrôler l'évolution du dimensionnement au travers de variables d'optimisation dont la liste inclut les consignes de la commande en courant du convertisseur. Les difficultés d'optimisation liées au mode de fonctionnement discret du convertisseur sont discutées au regard du calcul de la sensibilité du couple électromagnétique envers la consigne de courant du convertisseur ; une méthode est proposée pour assurer la robustesse de la procédure en présence du convertisseur. L'application porte sur le dimensionnement d'un moteur à aimants permanents de type “brushless trapézoïdal" destiné à la traction d'un scooter électrique ; l'évolution de la structure optimale avec le degré de complexité du module d'analyse est mise en évidence.

The buzz on buzz.

PubMed

Dye, R

2000-01-01

Word-of-mouth promotion has become an increasingly potent force, capable of catapulting products from obscurity into runaway commercial successes. Harry Potter, collapsible scooters, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, and The Blair Witch Project are all recent examples of the considerable power of buzz. Yet many top executives and marketing managers are misinformed about the phenomenon and remain enslaved to some common myths. In her article, author Renée Dye explores the truth behind these myths. Myth 1: Only outrageous or edgy products are buzz-worthy. That's simply not true. The most unlikely products, like prescription drugs, can generate tremendous buzz. Myth 2: Buzz just happens. Not so, says Dye. Buzz is increasingly the result of shrewd marketing tactics in which companies seed a vanguard group, ration supplies, use celebrity endorsements, leverage the power of lists, and initiate grassroots marketing. Myth 3: The best buzz-starters are your best customers. Often, a counterculture has a greater ability to start buzz. Myth 4: To profit from buzz, you must act first and fast. In fact, copycat companies can reap substantial profits if they know when and when not to jump in. Myth 5: The media and advertising are needed to create buzz. When used either too early or too much, the media and advertising can squelch buzz before it ignites. As globalization and brand proliferation continue, writes Dye, buzz may come to dominate the shaping of markets. Indeed, companies that are unable to control buzz may soon find the phenomenon controlling them.

Low cost balancing unit design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golembiovsky, Matej; Dedek, Jan; Slanina, Zdenek

2017-06-01

This article deals with the design of a low-cost balancing system which consist of battery balancing units, accumulator pack units and coordinator unit with interface for higher level of battery management system. This solution allows decentralized mode of operation and the aim of this work is implementation of controlling and diagnostic mechanism into an electric scooter project realized at Technical university of Ostrava. In todays world which now fully enjoys the prime of electromobility, off-grid battery systems and other, it is important to seek the optimal balance between functionality and the economy side of BMS that being electronics which deals with secondary cells of batery packs. There were numerous sophisticated, but not too practical BMS models in the past, such as centralized system or standalone balance modules of individual cells. This article aims at development of standalone balance modules which are able to communicate with the coordinator, adjust their parameters and ensure their cells safety in case of a communication failure. With the current worldwide cutting cost trend in mind, the emphasis was put on the lowest price possible for individual component. The article is divided into two major categories, the first one being desing of power electronics with emphasis on quality, safety (cooling) and also cost. The second part describes development of a communication interface with reliability and cost in mind. The article contains numerous graphs from practical measurements. The outcome of the work and its possible future is defined in the conclusion.

Increasing Physical Activity and Participation in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Review.

PubMed

Backus, Deborah

2016-09-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting >2.5 million people worldwide. Damage to neurons in the CNS causes various sensorimotor and cognitive symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, spasticity, memory deficits, and impairment of mobility. Until the late 1990s, it was believed that symptoms of MS would be worsened with physical exertion and people with MS were encouraged to limit physical activity and exertion. Not only has emerging evidence suggested that physical activity, including exercise, is safe for people with MS, there is also evidence that at least some of the disability that occurs after MS is due to secondary deconditioning from the sedentary lifestyle adopted because of the symptoms of MS, not just CNS damage alone. Therefore, not only is physical activity safe, it is also required for maintaining function and health in people with MS. The purpose of this article is to review the unique physical and social barriers to physical activity in people with MS, including those with moderate to severe disability who use a wheelchair or scooter for mobility. We will discuss how existing guidelines for physical activity may not meet the needs of people with MS and present evidence-based considerations for promoting physical activity in people with MS. Ultimately, the goal is to overcome the barriers to physical activity and improve health, participation, and quality of life in people with MS. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Injuries and helmet use related to non-motorized wheeled activities among pediatric patients.

PubMed

Lindsay, H; Brussoni, M

2014-07-01

Patients presenting to emergency departments (ED) for injuries resulting from recreational activities represent a unique source of information on important directions for injury prevention efforts. We describe the epidemiology of non-motorized wheeled activity-related injury in pediatric patients presenting to Canadian EDs as well as patients' helmet use. Data for the years 2004 to 2009 were abstracted from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), a national ED injury surveillance program in fifteen hospitals. Most of the 28 618 children aged 1 to 16 years injured during non-motorized wheeled activities were injured while cycling, followed by skateboarding. Most injuries occurred among boys. Children injured on scooters tended to be younger whereas skateboarders were the oldest. On average, the number of all injuries decreased by 6% over the time period. Falls were the most common mechanism of injury; 8.3% of patients had head injuries, which were seen more often among cyclists than other wheeled-activity users. Helmet use was greatest among cyclists (62.2%) and lowest among skateboarders (32.9%). Injured patients presenting to EDs in jurisdictions with legislation mandating helmet use had 2.12 greater odds of helmet use and 0.86 lesser odds of head injury compared with those presenting in jurisdictions without helmet laws. These results provide further evidence that legislation mandating helmet use may be an effective way of reducing injury among all wheeled-activity users. The small number of patients who presented with helmet use and protective gear (59.4% overall) suggests that this remains an area for intervention.

Prevalence and etiological factors related to dental injuries amongst 18-22-year-olds in United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Fakhruddin, Kausar Sadia; Kawas, Sausan Al

2010-10-01

Dental injuries in children and adolescents living across the globe are a serious public health problem. There are no data on dental injuries in United Arab Emirates (UAE). For the development of effective preventive measures, the present study was conducted to investigate the etiology and environment where dental injuries occurred, and to assess the relationship between traumatic dental injuries and socioeconomic status. This study was undertaken in different colleges of University of Sharjah, UAE. 412 participants aged 18-22 years were screened using Dental Trauma Index (DTI), following the questionnaire phase of the study. Prevalence of dental injury was 25.9%, mostly (46.9%) with restored teeth; followed by 42.3% of minor injury (untreated enamel fracture), affecting one upper central incisor (53%). The mean age at the time of dental injury was 10.5 years (SD = 1.52; range 8-13 years) in females vs 14 years (SD = 1.71; range 12-16 years) in males. Dental injuries among males mostly occurred at public places such as on streets (27%) with (19%) of injuries were related to motor bike/micro scooters followed by bicycles (17%) and traffic accidents (9%). Socioeconomic indicators chosen were not statistically significant with the exception of family income (P = 0.01). The findings of this study show that dental traumas are prevalent among middle and high socioeconomic groups. There is a need for potential interventions like educating parents, caretakers, and older siblings on how to reduce the risk factors related to dental injuries. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Pain and fracture-related limitations persist 6 months after a fragility fracture.

PubMed

Sale, Joanna E M; Frankel, Lucy; Thielke, Stephen; Funnell, Larry

2017-08-01

Our objective was to examine the experience of pain after a fracture beyond the conventional healing duration of 6 months. We conducted a phenomenological study in participants who were deemed high risk for future fracture and recruited through an urban fracture clinic in Toronto, Canada. In-depth interviews were conducted with questions addressing the experience of pain, the status of recovery from the fracture, ways in which the fracture affected one's daily activities, and interactions with health care providers. Two researchers coded the transcripts within the phenomenological perspective to develop a structure of the pain experience, promoting rigour through the use of multiple analysts, searching for negative cases, and supporting claims with direct quotations from participants. We interviewed 21 participants who had sustained fractures of the wrist (n = 4), hip (n = 6), vertebrae (n = 2), and multiple or other locations (n = 9). All patients were ambulatory, had a range of socioeconomic status, and lived in the community. Eleven of the 21 participants reported persistent pain at the site of the fracture. Of the 10 participants who reported no pain, four indicated they had ongoing difficulties with range of motion and specific activities and two others described persistent pain from a previous fracture or reliance on a scooter for mobility. Our study demonstrated that over two-thirds of older adults reported fracture-related pain and/or limitations at, or beyond, 6 months post-fracture. We suggest that health care providers ask questions about post-fracture pain and/or limitations when assessing fracture status beyond 6 months.

Impact of Pilates Exercise in Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Duff, Whitney R D; Andrushko, Justin W; Renshaw, Doug W; Chilibeck, Philip D; Farthing, Jonathan P; Danielson, Jana; Evans, Charity D

2018-01-01

Pilates is a series of exercises based on whole-body movement and may improve mobility in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Pilates on walking performance in people with MS. 30 individuals with MS who were not restricted to a wheelchair or scooter (Patient-Determined Disease Steps scale score <7) were randomized to receive Pilates (twice weekly) and massage therapy (once weekly) or once-weekly massage therapy only (control group). The Pilates was delivered in a group setting (five to ten participants per session). The primary outcome was change in walking performance (6-Minute Walk Test) after 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included functional ability (Timed Up and Go test), balance (Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale), flexibility (sit and reach test), body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), core endurance (plank-hold test), and muscle strength and voluntary activation (quadriceps). Intention-to-treat analysis was performed using a two-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance. Walking distance increased by a mean (SD) of 52.4 (40.2) m in the Pilates group versus 15.0 (34.1) m in the control group (group × time, P = .01). Mean (SD) time to complete the Timed Up and Go test decreased by 1.5 (2.8) seconds in the Pilates group versus an increase of 0.3 (0.9) seconds in the control group (group × time, P = .03). There were no other significant differences between groups over time. Pilates improved walking performance and functional ability in persons with MS and is a viable exercise option to help manage the disease.

The meaning ascribed to wheeled mobility devices by individuals who use wheelchairs and scooters: a metasynthesis.

PubMed

Ripat, Jacquie; Verdonck, Michele; Carter, Roger Jaffrey

2018-04-01

To synthesize qualitative study findings on the meaning ascribed to wheelchairs and wheeled mobility devices (WMD) by WMD users. Bibliographic databases were systematically searched up to January 2015 to identify relevant papers. Reviewers selected studies, assessed methodological quality and thematically synthesized findings using a metasynthesis process described by Thomas and Harden (2008). Twenty articles were included. Four descriptive themes emerged: physical environment interaction; sociocultural experiences; participation in activities and occupations; and WMD-self relationship. WMD use was found to be a complex experience that can fluctuate through interaction with aspects of the environment and opportunities for participation. The analytic theme, dynamic duality of WMD experience, addressed the simultaneous enabling and disabling aspects of WMD use. Metasyntheses enable researchers to gain a deeper understanding of issues by examining findings across studies. Findings of this study provide a framework for understanding the complexity of WMD use. The framework has practical applications for clinicians and users of WMD in understanding the experience of WMD to be neither singular nor static. Implications for Rehabilitation The meaning of wheeled mobility device (WMD) use is dynamically influenced by the environment and opportunities afforded for occupational and social participation. A duality of experiences can emerge for WMD users, where wheeled mobility use can be at the same time positive and negative, based on the interaction with the environment. Clinicians need to determine the meaning that each individual user ascribes to the WMD, and to consider how that meaning may change over time. By understanding the meaning ascribed to WMD use by individuals, clinicians can be better prepared to work with the WMD users to address negative reinforcers of the experience in physical and sociocultural environments as well as highlighting the positive experiences.

Epidemiology of road traffic injury patients presenting to a tertiary hospital in Hyderabad, India.

PubMed

Howley, Isaac W; Gupta, Shivam; Tetali, Shailaja; Josyula, Lakshmi K; Wadhwaniya, Shirin; Gururaj, Gopalkrishna; Rao, Mohan; Hyder, Adnan A

2017-12-01

Road traffic injuries kill more people in India than in any other country in the world, and these numbers are rising with increasing population density and motorization. Official statistics regarding road traffic injuries are likely subject to underreporting. This study presents results of a surveillance program based at a public tertiary hospital in Hyderabad, India. All consenting patients who presented to the casualty ward after a road traffic injury over a 9-month period were enrolled. Interviews were performed and data abstracted from clinical records by trained research assistants. Data included demographics, injury characteristics, risk factors, safety behaviors, and outcomes. A total of 5,298 patients were enrolled; their mean age was 32.4 years (standard deviation 13.8) and 87.3% were men; 58.2% of patients were injured while riding a motorcycle or scooter, 22.5% were pedestrians, and 9.2% used motorized rickshaws. The most frequent collision type was skid or rollover (40.9%). Male victims were younger than female victims and were overrepresented among motorized 2-wheeler users. Patients were most frequently injured from 1600 to 2400. A total of 27.3% of patients were admitted. Hospital mortality was 5.3%, and 48.2% of deaths were among motorized 2-wheeler users. This is one of the few prospective, hospital-based studies of road traffic injury epidemiology in India. The patient population in this study was similar to prior hospital-based studies. When compared to government surveillance systems, this study showed motorized 2-wheeler users to be more frequently represented among the overall population and among fatalities. Further research should be done to develop interventions to decrease mortality associated with 2-wheeled vehicles in India. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Mobility device use in older adults and incidence of falls and worry about falling: findings from the 2011-2012 national health and aging trends study.

PubMed

Gell, Nancy M; Wallace, Robert B; LaCroix, Andrea Z; Mroz, Tracy M; Patel, Kushang V

2015-05-01

To examine the prevalence of mobility device use in community-dwelling older adults in the United States and to investigate the incidence of falls and worry about falling according to type and number of mobility devices used. Analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the 2011-12 National Health and Aging Trends Study. In-person interviews in the homes of study participants. Nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries (n=7,609). Participants were asked about mobility device use (e.g., canes, walkers, wheelchairs and scooters) in the last month, 1-year fall history and worry about falling. Twenty-four percent of adults aged 65 and older reported mobility device use in 2011, and 9.3% reported using multiple devices within the last month. Mobility device use increased with advancing age and was associated with nonwhite race and ethnicity, female sex, lower education level, greater multimorbidity, and obesity (all P<.001). Adjusting for demographic and health characteristics and physical function, the incidence of falls and recurrent falls was not associated with the use of multiple devices or any particular type of mobility device. Activity-limiting worry about falling was significantly higher in cane-only users than in nonusers. The percentage of older adults reporting mobility device use is higher than results from previous national surveys, and multiple device use is common in those who use any device. Mobility device use is not associated with greater incidence of falls. Cane-only users may compensate for worry about falling by limiting activity. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

A hybrid model for predicting carbon monoxide from vehicular exhausts in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gokhale, Sharad; Khare, Mukesh

Several deterministic-based air quality models evaluate and predict the frequently occurring pollutant concentration well but, in general, are incapable of predicting the 'extreme' concentrations. In contrast, the statistical distribution models overcome the above limitation of the deterministic models and predict the 'extreme' concentrations. However, the environmental damages are caused by both extremes as well as by the sustained average concentration of pollutants. Hence, the model should predict not only 'extreme' ranges but also the 'middle' ranges of pollutant concentrations, i.e. the entire range. Hybrid modelling is one of the techniques that estimates/predicts the 'entire range' of the distribution of pollutant concentrations by combining the deterministic based models with suitable statistical distribution models ( Jakeman, et al., 1988). In the present paper, a hybrid model has been developed to predict the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration distributions at one of the traffic intersections, Income Tax Office (ITO), in the Delhi city, where the traffic is heterogeneous in nature and meteorology is 'tropical'. The model combines the general finite line source model (GFLSM) as its deterministic, and log logistic distribution (LLD) model, as its statistical components. The hybrid (GFLSM-LLD) model is then applied at the ITO intersection. The results show that the hybrid model predictions match with that of the observed CO concentration data within the 5-99 percentiles range. The model is further validated at different street location, i.e. Sirifort roadway. The validation results show that the model predicts CO concentrations fairly well ( d=0.91) in 10-95 percentiles range. The regulatory compliance is also developed to estimate the probability of exceedance of hourly CO concentration beyond the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of India. It consists of light vehicles, heavy vehicles, three- wheelers (auto rickshaws) and two-wheelers (scooters, motorcycles, etc).

Effects of transit bus interior configuration on performance of wheeled mobility users during simulated boarding and disembarking.

PubMed

D'Souza, Clive; Paquet, Victor; Lenker, James A; Steinfeld, Edward

2017-07-01

The emergence of low-floor bus designs and related regulatory standards in the U.S. have resulted in substantial improvements in public transit accessibility. However, passengers using wheeled mobility devices still experience safety concerns and inefficiencies in boarding, disembarking, and interior circulation on low-floor buses. This study investigates effects of low-floor bus interior configuration and passenger crowding on boarding and disembarking efficiency and safety. Users of manual wheelchairs (n = 18), powered wheelchairs (n = 21) and electric scooters (n = 9) simulated boarding and disembarking in three interior layout configurations at low and high passenger crowding conditions on a full-scale laboratory mock-up of a low-floor bus. Dependent measures comprised task times and critical incidents during access ramp use, fare payment, and movement to and from the doorway and wheeled mobility securement area. Individual times for unassisted boarding ranged from 15.2 to 245.3 s and for disembarking ranged from 9.1 to 164.6 s across layout and passenger crowding conditions. Nonparametric analysis of variance showed significant differences and interactions across vehicle design conditions, passenger load and mobility device type on user performance. The configuration having electronic on-board fare payment, rear-bus entrance doorways and adjacent device securement areas demonstrated greatest efficiency and safety. High passenger load adversely impacted efficiency and frequency of critical incidents during on-board circulation across all three layouts. Findings have broader implications for improving transit system efficiency and quality of service across the spectrum of transit users. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life-space mobility of middle-aged and older adults at various stages of usage of power mobility devices.

PubMed

Auger, Claudine; Demers, Louise; Gélinas, Isabelle; Miller, William C; Jutai, Jeffrey W; Noreau, Luc

2010-05-01

To examine whether the impact of power mobility devices (PMDs) varies as a function of stage of usage and to explore key factors associated with greater life-space mobility for middle-aged and older adults. Multicohort study with respondents grouped as a function of stage of PMD usage (reference group with mobility impairments, n=42; initial users, 1-6mo, n=35; long-term users, 12-18mo, n=39). Cohorts were compared with respect to life-space mobility in a continuum of environments ranging from home to outside town, using analysis of variance and chi-square tests. Baseline personal, assistive device, intervention, and environmental factors associated with life-space mobility were explored with age-adjusted linear regression models. Four Canadian rehabilitation centers. Random sample of middle-aged and older adults (N=116; 50-89y) living in the community or residential care. Procurement of a powered wheelchair or scooter. Life-Space Assessment composite score. Cohort comparisons showed higher frequency of outings for PMD users in the neighborhood (P<.001) and around home (P<.05) and significantly greater Life-Space Assessment composite scores for initial and long-term users than for the reference group (P<.05). Factors such as sex, the nature of activities, and device type explained variances in Life-Space Assessment composite score ranging from 15.9% to 18.0% (P<.006). Life-space mobility increases after PMD use and remains stable across the stages of initial and long-term use. To appreciate the impact of PMDs, clinicians should consider the environment and a combination of personal and device factors that are associated with the range of life-space mobility in the first 18 months after procurement.

Mobility Device Use Among Older Adults and Incidence of Falls and Worry About Falling: Findings From the 2011–2012 National Health and Aging Trends Study

PubMed Central

Gell, Nancy M.; Wallace, Robert B.; LaCroix, Andrea Z.; Mroz, Tracy M.; Patel, Kushang V.

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES To examine mobility device use prevalence among community-dwelling older adults in the U.S. and to investigate the incidence of falls and worry about falling by the type and number of mobility devices used. DESIGN Analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the 2011–2012 National Health and Aging Trends Study SETTING In-person interviews in the homes of study participants PARTICIPANTS Nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries(N=7609). MEASUREMENTS Participants were asked about mobility device use (e.g., canes, walkers, wheelchairs and scooters) in the last month, one-year fall history and worry about falling. RESULTS Twenty-four percent of adults age ≥65 reported mobility device use in 2011 and 9.3% reported using multiple devices within the last month. Mobility device use increased with advancing age and was associated with non-White race/ethnicity, female sex, lower education level, greater multi-morbidity, and obesity (all P-values < 0.001). Adjusting for demographic, health characteristics, and physical function, the incidence of falls and recurrent falls were not associated with the use of multiple devices or any one particular type of mobility device. Activity-limiting worry about falling was significantly higher in cane-only users, compared with non-users. CONCLUSION The percentage of older adults reporting mobility device use is higher compared to results from previous national surveys and multiple device use is common among those who use any device. Mobility device use is not associated with increased incidence of falls compared to non-device users. Cane-only users may compensate for worry about falling by limiting activity. PMID:25953070

Alcohol intoxication in non-motorised road trauma.

PubMed

Mitra, Biswadev; Charters, Kate E; Spencer, John C; Fitzgerald, Mark C; Cameron, Peter A

2017-02-01

To determine the proportion of non-motorised road users involved in road traffic crashes that presents to hospital intoxicated. We undertook a retrospective cohort study using data collected from the Alfred Trauma Registry. All patients presenting to an adult major trauma centre in Victoria, Australia from July 2009 to June 2014 who were involved in a road traffic crash as a non-motorised road user - pedestrians, pedal-cyclists, non-motorised scooter users, horse riders - were included. Patients who had a blood alcohol measurement were included, and intoxication was defined as a blood alcohol concentration ≥0.05 g/100 mL. There were 1323 patients included for analysis with data on presenting blood alcohol concentration. Alcohol was detected in 248 (18.7%; 95% CI: 16.7-20.9) patients, whereas 211 (15.9%; 95% CI: 14.1-18.0) were intoxicated. Among all included pedestrians, 161 (24.7%) were intoxicated; among all included pedal-cyclists, 47 (7.3%) were intoxicated. Intoxicated patients were significantly younger, and a higher proportion were males and more likely to present after hours and on public holidays (P < 0.01). Survival to hospital discharge and inpatient rehabilitation requirements were similar among intoxicated and non-intoxicated patients. Intoxication was common among non-motorised road users, and the proportion of intoxicated patients in this subgroup appears unchanged over time despite public awareness programmes. The true burden of intoxication in non-motorised road users remains unknown because of a lack of routine testing. Legislation directed at testing for intoxication of non-motorised users and introduction of penalties should be considered to improve safety of all road users. © 2016 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Morphologic and chemical composition of particulate matter in motorcycle engine exhaust.

PubMed

Chernyshev, V V; Zakharenko, A M; Ugay, S M; Hien, T T; Hai, L H; Kholodov, A S; Burykina, T I; Stratidakis, A K; Mezhuev, Ya O; Tsatsakis, A M; Golokhvast, K S

2018-01-01

Despite the fact that environmental pollution due to motorcycle exhaust gases reports a great increase, motorcycle production exhibits a great increase through the last years. Countries of Asia and Africa are reported to be the major regions where two-wheeled vehicles are a major transportation mode, with tens of millions of units sold per year. Motorcycle exhaust particles are considered to be the major contributor to environmental pollution due to their airborne dispersion, containing great amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study aims at reporting an objective analysis of the main sources of the ambient air pollution as also particle size distribution and chemical composition analysis of particulate matter originated from the exhausts of two-wheeled vehicles used in the territory of Vladivostok, Russia. Various types of two-wheeled vehicles were examined (motorcycles, ATVs, scooters and wet bikes) using different types of engine and fuel system. Experimental results showed that there was no clear relation to the particle size distribution with the engine displacement of motorcycle and the number of strokes and the fuel system. Instead, there were reported two clear assumptions. The first one is that regarding to the motorcycle brand, a few samples did not exhibit a great percentage of PM 10 fraction. The second one is that more modern vehicles, that have a harmful gas afterburning system, are usually the source of an increased percentage of PM 10 emitted particles. At last, it should be mentioned that the laser particle size analysis method is capable of determining the particle sizes after their agglomeration whereas the optical morphometry method allows to determine the real particle size of emissions. In conclusion, it can be pointed out that the agglomeration of particles can lead to the reduction in the toxicity of particles emissions originated from two wheeled-vehicles.

Impact of Pilates Exercise in Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Duff, Whitney R.D.; Andrushko, Justin W.; Renshaw, Doug W.; Chilibeck, Philip D.; Farthing, Jonathan P.; Danielson, Jana

2018-01-01

Abstract Background: Pilates is a series of exercises based on whole-body movement and may improve mobility in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Pilates on walking performance in people with MS. Methods: 30 individuals with MS who were not restricted to a wheelchair or scooter (Patient-Determined Disease Steps scale score <7) were randomized to receive Pilates (twice weekly) and massage therapy (once weekly) or once-weekly massage therapy only (control group). The Pilates was delivered in a group setting (five to ten participants per session). The primary outcome was change in walking performance (6-Minute Walk Test) after 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included functional ability (Timed Up and Go test), balance (Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale), flexibility (sit and reach test), body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), core endurance (plank-hold test), and muscle strength and voluntary activation (quadriceps). Intention-to-treat analysis was performed using a two-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: Walking distance increased by a mean (SD) of 52.4 (40.2) m in the Pilates group versus 15.0 (34.1) m in the control group (group × time, P = .01). Mean (SD) time to complete the Timed Up and Go test decreased by 1.5 (2.8) seconds in the Pilates group versus an increase of 0.3 (0.9) seconds in the control group (group × time, P = .03). There were no other significant differences between groups over time. Conclusions: Pilates improved walking performance and functional ability in persons with MS and is a viable exercise option to help manage the disease. PMID:29670495

Mandibular Fracture Patterns at a Medical Center in Central Taiwan: A 3-Year Epidemiological Review.

PubMed

Lin, Fu-Yu; Wu, Chao-I; Cheng, Hsu-Tang

2017-12-01

Mandibular fractures constitute a major portion of maxillofacial trauma and may lead to considerable functional and aesthetic sequelae if treatment is inadequate or delayed. An epidemiology study on mandibular fractures may guide the preventive efforts of the Taiwan public health care system. Therefore, a retrospective review was conducted at a medical center in central Taiwan to evaluate the current mandibular fracture epidemiology.The medical records and digitized radiographs of 198 patients who received treatment for mandibular fractures during a 3-year period (from October 2010 to September 2013) at a medical center in central Taiwan were reviewed to obtain demographic and injury data.The average age was 29.4 years (3-82 years). Patients aged 21 to 30 years sustained the most mandibular fractures (62 patients, 31.3%). The overall sex distribution (male to female) ratio was 1.8. Motor-vehicle accidents (MVAs) were the most common mechanism of injury (162 patients, 82%), and scooter and motorcycle riders wearing partial-coverage helmets constituted the majority of patients. A chart review identified 198 patients with 335 mandibular fractures; 113 patients (57.1%) had multiple mandibular fractures. The most common fracture sites were the symphysis and parasymphysis regions (38.9%), followed by the condyle (26.0%), angle (14.3%), body (14.3%), and ramus (6.6%).MVAs are the major cause of mandibular fractures in central Taiwan, and patients aged <30 years sustained the most mandibular fractures. Compared with previous studies, the present study has a higher percentage of women with mandibular fractures. In addition, inadequate mandibular protection by partial-coverage helmets may be a major reason for mandibular fractures most commonly localized in the symphysis and parasymphysis regions. The incidence and causes of mandibular fractures may reflect the trauma patterns within the community, thus facilitating the development of a preventive strategy for the socioeconomic and environmental background of central Taiwan. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-reported difficulty and preferences of wheeled mobility device users for simulated low-floor bus boarding, interior circulation and disembarking.

PubMed

D'Souza, Clive; Paquet, Victor L; Lenker, James A; Steinfeld, Edward

2017-11-13

Low ridership of public transit buses among wheeled mobility device users suggests the need to identify vehicle design conditions that are either particularly accommodating or challenging. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of low-floor bus interior seating configuration and passenger load on wheeled mobility device user-reported difficulty, overall acceptability and design preference. Forty-eight wheeled mobility users evaluated three interior design layouts at two levels of passenger load (high vs. low) after simulating boarding and disembarking tasks on a static full-scale low-floor bus mockup. User self-reports of task difficulty, acceptability and design preference were analyzed across the different test conditions. Ramp ascent was the most difficult task for manual wheelchair users relative to other tasks. The most difficult tasks for users of power wheelchairs and scooters were related to interior circulation, including moving to the securement area, entry and positioning in the securement area and exiting the securement area. Boarding and disembarking at the rear doorway was significantly more acceptable and preferred compared to the layouts with front doorways. Understanding transit usability barriers, perceptions and preferences among wheeled mobility users is an important consideration for clinicians who recommend mobility-related device interventions to those who use public transportation. Implications for Rehabilitation In order to maximize community participation opportunities for wheeled mobility users, clinicians should consider potential public transit barriers during the processes of wheelchair device selection and skills training. Usability barriers experienced by wheeled mobility device users on transit vehicles differ by mobility device type and vehicle configurations. Full-scale environment simulations are an effective means of identifying usability barriers and design needs in people with mobility impairments and may provide an alternative model for determining readiness for using fixed route buses or eligibility for paratransit.

Molecular hydrogen (H2) emissions from gasoline and diesel vehicles.

PubMed

Bond, S W; Alvarez, R; Vollmer, M K; Steinbacher, M; Weilenmann, M; Reimann, S

2010-08-01

This study assesses individual-vehicle molecular hydrogen (H2) emissions in exhaust gas from current gasoline and diesel vehicles measured on a chassis dynamometer. Absolute H2 emissions were found to be highest for motorcycles and scooters (141+/-38.6 mg km(-1)), approximately 5 times higher than for gasoline-powered automobiles (26.5+/-12.1 mg km(-1)). All diesel-powered vehicles emitted marginal amounts of H2 ( approximately 0.1 mg km(-1)). For automobiles, the highest emission factors were observed for sub-cycles subject to a cold-start (mean of 53.1+/-17.0 mg km(-1)). High speeds also caused elevated H2 emission factors for sub-cycles reaching at least 150 km h(-1) (mean of 40.4+/-7.1 mg km(-1)). We show that H2/CO ratios (mol mol(-1)) from gasoline-powered vehicles are variable (sub-cycle means of 0.44-5.69) and are typically higher (mean for automobiles 1.02, for 2-wheelers 0.59) than previous atmospheric ratios characteristic of traffic-influenced measurements. The lowest mean individual sub-cycle ratios, which correspond to high absolute emissions of both H2 and CO, were observed during cold starts (for automobiles 0.48, for 2-wheelers 0.44) and at high vehicle speeds (for automobiles 0.73, for 2-wheelers 0.45). This finding illustrates the importance of these conditions to observed H2/CO ratios in ambient air. Overall, 2-wheelers displayed lower H2/CO ratios (0.48-0.69) than those from gasoline-powered automobiles (0.75-3.18). This observation, along with the lower H2/CO ratios observed through studies without catalytic converters, suggests that less developed (e.g. 2-wheelers) and older vehicle technologies are largely responsible for the atmospheric H2/CO ratios reported in past literature. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Injuries among powered two-wheeler users in eight European countries: a descriptive analysis of hospital discharge data.

PubMed

Forman, Jason L; Lopez-Valdes, Francisco J; Pollack, Keshia; Heredero-Ordoyo, Rafael; Molinero, Aquilino; Mansilla, Alberto; Fildes, Brian; Segui-Gomez, Maria

2012-11-01

Powered two-wheelers (PTWs--mopeds, motorcycles, and scooters) remain the most dangerous form of travel on today's roads. This study used hospital discharge data from eight European countries to examine the frequencies and patterns of injury among PTW users (age≥14 years), the predicted incidence of the loss of functional ability, and the mechanisms of the head injuries observed (all in light of increased helmet use). Of 977,557 injured patients discharged in 2004, 12,994 were identified as having been injured in PTW collisions. Lower extremity injuries accounted for 26% (25.6-26.7, 95% C.I.) of the total injuries, followed by upper extremity injuries (20.7%: 20.3-21.2), traumatic brain injuries (TBI) (18.5%: 18-19), and thoracic injuries (8.2%: 7.8-8.5). Approximately 80% of the lower extremity injury cases were expected to exhibit some functional disability one year following discharge (predicted Functional Capacity Index, pFCI-AIS98<100), compared to 47% of the upper extremity injury cases and 24% of the TBI cases. Although it occurred less frequently, patients that were expected to experience some functional limitation from TBI were predicted to fair worse on average (lose more functional ability) than patients expected to have functional limitations from extremity injuries. Cerebral concussion was the most common head injury observed (occurring in 56% of head injury cases), with most concussion cases (78%) exhibiting no other head injury. Among the AIS3+ head injuries that could be mapped to an injury mechanism, 48% of these were associated with a translational-impact mechanism, and 37% were associated with a rotational mechanism. The observation of high rates of expected long-term disability suggests that future efforts aim to mitigate lower and upper extremity injuries among PTW users. Likewise, the high rates of concussion and head injuries associated with a rotational mechanism provide goals for the next phase of PTW user head protection. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cycling promotion and non-communicable disease prevention: health impact assessment and economic evaluation of cycling to work or school in Florence.

PubMed

Taddei, Cristina; Gnesotto, Roberto; Forni, Silvia; Bonaccorsi, Guglielmo; Vannucci, Andrea; Garofalo, Giorgio

2015-01-01

To estimate the effects of cycling promotion on major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and costs from the public healthcare payer's perspective. Health impact assessment and economic evaluation using a dynamic model over a ten-year period and according to two cycling promotion scenarios. Cycling to work or school in Florence, Italy. All individuals aged 15 and older commuting to work or school in Florence. The primary outcome measures were changes in NCD incidence and healthcare direct costs for the Tuscany Regional Health Service (SST) due to increased cycling. The secondary outcome was change in road traffic accidents. Increasing cycling modal share in Florence from 7.5% to about 17% (Scenario 1) or 27% (Scenario 2) could decrease the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 1.2% or 2.5%, and the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke by 0.6% or 1.2%. Within 10 years, the number of cases that can be prevented is 280 or 549 for type 2 diabetes, 51 or 100 for AMI, and 51 or 99 for stroke in Scenario 1 or Scenario 2, respectively. Average annual discounted savings for the SST are estimated to amount to €400,804 or €771,201 in Scenario 1 or Scenario 2, respectively. In Florence, due to the high use of vulnerable motorized vehicles (such as scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles), road traffic accidents are expected to decline in both our scenarios. Sensitivity analyses showed that health benefits and savings for the SST are substantial, the most sensitive parameters being the relative risk estimates of NCDs and active commuting. Effective policies and programs to promote a modal shift towards cycling among students and workers in Florence will contribute to reducing the NCD burden and helping long-term economic sustainability of the SST.

Participation in Physical Play and Leisure in Children With Motor Impairments: Mixed-Methods Study to Generate Evidence for Developing an Intervention.

PubMed

Kolehmainen, Niina; Ramsay, Craig; McKee, Lorna; Missiuna, Cheryl; Owen, Christine; Francis, Jill

2015-10-01

Participation in physical play/leisure (PPP) is an important therapy goal of children with motor impairments. Evidence for interventions promoting PPP in these children is scarce. The first step is to identify modifiable, clinically meaningful predictors of PPP for targeting by interventions. The study objective was to identify, in children with motor impairments, body function and structure, activity, environmental, and personal factors related to PPP and modifiable by therapists. This was a mixed-methods, intervention development study. The World Health Organization framework International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was used. Participants were children (6-8 years old) with motor impairments, mobilizing independently with or without equipment and seen by physical therapists or occupational therapists in 6 regions in the United Kingdom, and their parents. Self-reported PPP was assessed with the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment. Modifiable-factor data were collected with therapists' observations, parent questionnaires, and child-friendly interviews. The Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment, therapist, and parent data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression. Interview data were analyzed for emerging themes. Children's (n=195) PPP (X=18 times per week, interquartile range=11-25) was mainly 'recreational' (eg, pretend play, playing with pets) rather than 'active physical' (eg, riding a bike/scooter). Parents (n=152) reported positive beliefs about children's PPP but various levels of family PPP. Therapists reported 23 unique impairments (eg, muscle tone), 16 activity limitations (eg, walking), and 3 personal factors (eg, child's PPP confidence). Children interviewed (n=17) reported a strong preference for active play but indicated that adults regulated their PPP. Family PPP and impairment in the child's movement-related body structures explained 18% of the variation in PPP. Family PPP explained most of the variation. It is likely that the study had a degree of self-selection bias, and caution must be taken in generalizing the results to children whose parents have less positive views about PPP. The results converge with wider literature about the child's social context as a PPP intervention target. In addition, the results question therapists' observations in explaining PPP. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Risky behavior of drivers of motorized two wheeled vehicles in India.

PubMed

Dandona, Rakhi; Kumar, G Anil; Dandona, Lalit

2006-01-01

Motorized two-wheeled vehicles (MTV) account for a large proportion of road traffic in India and the riders of these vehicles have a high risk of road traffic injuries. We report on the availability of drivers licenses, use of a helmet, driver behavior, and condition of vehicles for MTV drivers in Hyderabad, a city in India Drivers of a MTV aged >16 years were interviewed at petrol filling stations There were 4,183 MTV drivers who participated in the study. Four hundred sixty one (11%; 95% CI 9.7-12.3%) drivers had not obtained a drivers license and 798 (21.4%) had obtained a license without taking the mandatory driving test. Two thousand nine hundred twenty (69.8%; 95% CI 67.9-71.7%) drivers reported no/very occasional use of a helmet, the significant predictors of which included that those driving borrowed a MTV (odds ratio 7.90; 95% CI 3.40-18.40) or driving moped/scooterette/scooter as compared with motorcycle (3.32; 2.76-3.98), lower education (3.10; 2.66-3.61), age >45 years (2.41; 1.63-3.57), and males (1.57; 1.16-2.13). Two thousand five hundred and eight (59.9%) drivers reported committing a traffic law violation at least once within the last 3 months. Overall, 1,222 (29.2%) drivers reported ever being caught by traffic police for a traffic law violation with data on violations available for 1,205 of these drivers, of whom 680 (56.4%) paid a fine, 310 (25.7%) paid by bribe, and 215 (17.8%) made no payment. The proportion of those who did not make payment for committed violation was significantly higher among females (46.8%) than males (16.3%). Two thousand fifty two (49%) of all MTVs had no rearview mirror These data suggest the need to enact and enforce policy interventions for improving the drivers license system, mandatory use of a helmet, effective traffic law enforcement, and ensuring good vehicle condition to reduce the risk factors that potentially contribute to mortality and morbidity in road traffic crashes in MTV drivers in Indian cities.

Using medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user crash circumstances and risk factors.

PubMed

Koppel, Sjaan; Bugeja, Lyndal; Smith, Daisy; Lamb, Ashne; Dwyer, Jeremy; Fitzharris, Michael; Newstead, Stuart; D'Elia, Angelo; Charlton, Judith

2018-02-17

This study used medico-legal data to investigate fatal older road user (ORU, aged 65 years and older) crash circumstances and risk factors relating to 4 key components of the Safe System approach (e.g., roads and roadsides, vehicles, road users, and speeds) to identify areas of priority for targeted prevention activity. The Coroners' Court of Victoria's (CCOV) Surveillance Database was searched to identify and describe the frequency and rate per 100,000 population of fatal ORU crashes in the Australian state of Victoria for 2013-2014. Information relating to the deceased ORU, crash characteristics and circumstances, and risk factors was extracted and analyzed. One hundred and thirty-eight unintentional fatal ORU crashes were identified in the CCOV Surveillance Database. Of these fatal ORU crashes, most involved older drivers (44%), followed by older pedestrians (32%), older passengers (17%), older pedal cyclists (4%), older motorcyclists (1%), and older mobility scooter users (1%). The average annual rate of fatal ORU crashes per 100,000 population was 8.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.0-10.2). In terms of the crash characteristics and circumstances, most fatal ORU crashes involved a counterpart (98%), of which the majority were passenger cars (50%) or fixed/stationary objects (25%), including trees (46%) or embankments (23%). In addition, most fatal ORU crashes occurred close to home (73%), on-road (87%), on roads that were paved (94%), on roads with light traffic volume (37%), and during low-risk conditions: between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. (44%), on weekdays (80%), during daylight (75%), and under dry/clear conditions (81%). Road user (RU) error was identified by the police and/or the coroner for the majority of fatal crashes (55%), with a significant proportion of deceased ORUs deemed to have failed to yield (54%) or misjudged (41%). RU error was the most significant factor identified in fatal ORU crashes, which suggests that there is a limited capacity of the road system to fully accommodate RU errors. Initiatives related to safer roads and roadsides, vehicles, speed zones, as well as behavioral approaches are key areas of priority for targeted activity to prevent fatal ORU crashes in the future.

Identifying factors affecting the safety of mid-block bicycle lanes considering mixed 2-wheeled traffic flow.

PubMed

Bai, Lu; Chan, Ching-Yao; Liu, Pan; Xu, Chengcheng

2017-10-03

Electric bikes (e-bikes) have been one of the fastest growing trip modes in Southeast Asia over the past 2 decades. The increasing popularity of e-bikes raised some safety concerns regarding urban transport systems. The primary objective of this study was to identify whether and how the generalized linear regression model (GLM) could be used to relate cyclists' safety with various contributing factors when riding in a mid-block bike lane. The types of 2-wheeled vehicles in the study included bicycle-style electric bicycles (BSEBs), scooter-style electric bicycles (SSEBs), and regular bicycles (RBs). Traffic conflict technology was applied as a surrogate measure to evaluate the safety of 2-wheeled vehicles. The safety performance model was developed by adopting a generalized linear regression model for relating the frequency of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and regular bikes to the operating speeds of BSEBs, SSEBs, and RBs in mid-block bike lanes. The frequency of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and bikes increased with an increase in the operating speeds of e-bikes and the volume of e-bikes and bikes and decreased with an increase in the width of bike lanes. The large speed difference between e-bikes and bikes increased the frequency of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and bikes in mid-block bike lanes. A 1% increase in the average operating speed of e-bikes would increase the expected number of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes and bikes by 1.48%. A 1% increase in the speed difference between e-bikes and bikes would increase the expected number of rear-end conflicts between e-bikes/bikes by 0.16%. The conflict frequency in mid-block bike lanes can be modeled using generalized linear regression models. The factors that significantly affected the frequency of rear-end conflicts included the operating speeds of e-bikes, the speed difference between e-bikes and regular bikes, the volume of e-bikes, the volume of bikes, and the width of bike lanes. The safety performance model can help better understand the causes of crash occurrences in mid-block bike lanes.

Participation in Physical Play and Leisure in Children With Motor Impairments: Mixed-Methods Study to Generate Evidence for Developing an Intervention

PubMed Central

Ramsay, Craig; McKee, Lorna; Missiuna, Cheryl; Owen, Christine; Francis, Jill

2015-01-01

Background Participation in physical play/leisure (PPP) is an important therapy goal of children with motor impairments. Evidence for interventions promoting PPP in these children is scarce. The first step is to identify modifiable, clinically meaningful predictors of PPP for targeting by interventions. Objective The study objective was to identify, in children with motor impairments, body function and structure, activity, environmental, and personal factors related to PPP and modifiable by therapists. Design This was a mixed-methods, intervention development study. The World Health Organization framework International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was used. Methods Participants were children (6–8 years old) with motor impairments, mobilizing independently with or without equipment and seen by physical therapists or occupational therapists in 6 regions in the United Kingdom, and their parents. Self-reported PPP was assessed with the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment. Modifiable-factor data were collected with therapists' observations, parent questionnaires, and child-friendly interviews. The Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment, therapist, and parent data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression. Interview data were analyzed for emerging themes. Results Children's (n=195) PPP (X=18 times per week, interquartile range=11–25) was mainly ‘recreational’ (eg, pretend play, playing with pets) rather than ‘active physical’ (eg, riding a bike/scooter). Parents (n=152) reported positive beliefs about children's PPP but various levels of family PPP. Therapists reported 23 unique impairments (eg, muscle tone), 16 activity limitations (eg, walking), and 3 personal factors (eg, child's PPP confidence). Children interviewed (n=17) reported a strong preference for active play but indicated that adults regulated their PPP. Family PPP and impairment in the child's movement-related body structures explained 18% of the variation in PPP. Family PPP explained most of the variation. Limitations It is likely that the study had a degree of self-selection bias, and caution must be taken in generalizing the results to children whose parents have less positive views about PPP. Conclusions The results converge with wider literature about the child's social context as a PPP intervention target. In addition, the results question therapists' observations in explaining PPP. PMID:25997950

Exposure factors of Victoria's active motorcycle fleet related to serious injury crash risk.

PubMed

Allen, T; McClure, R; Newstead, S V; Lenné, M G; Hillard, P; Symmons, M; Day, L

2016-11-16

The purpose of this study was to describe the nature and extent of current powered 2-wheeler (PTW) risk exposures in order to support future efforts to improve safety for this mode of transport. A cross-sectional analysis of the control arm of a population-based case-control study was conducted. The control sample was selected from 204 sites on public roads within 150 km of the city of Melbourne that were locations of recent serious injury motorcycle crashes. Traffic observations and measurements at each site were sampled for a mean of 2 h on the same type of day (weekday, Saturday, or Sunday) and within 1 h of the crash time. Photographs of passing riders during this observation period recorded data relating to characteristics of PTWs, age of riders, travel speed of PTWs and all vehicles, time gaps between vehicles, visibility, and protective clothing use. Motorcycles and scooters represented 0.6% of all traffic (compared with 4% of all vehicle registrations). Riders were significantly more likely to have larger time gaps in front and behind when compared to other vehicles. The average travel speed of motorcycles was not significantly different than the traffic, but a significantly greater proportion were exceeding the speed limit when compared to other vehicles (6 vs. 3%, respectively). The age of registered owners of passing motorcycles was 42 years. Over half of riders were wearing dark clothing with no fluorescent or reflective surfaces. One third of motorcyclists had maximum coverage of motorcycle-specific protective clothing. A very low prevalence of motorcyclists combined with relatively higher rates of larger time gaps to other vehicles around motorcycles may help explain their overrepresentation in injury crashes where another vehicle fails to give way. An increased risk of injury in the event of a crash exists for a small but greater proportion of motorcyclists (compared to other vehicle types) who were exceeding the speed limit. An apparent shift toward older age of the active rider population may be reducing injury crash risk relative to exposure time. There is significant scope to improve the physical conspicuity of motorcyclists and the frequency of motorcycle specific protective clothing use. These results can be used to inform policy development and monitor progress of current and future road safety initiatives.

Requirements and Markets for Nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoefflinger, Bernd

The semiconductor market grew 2010 by 70Bio. against 2009, more than in the previous 9 years taken together, and the semiconductor industry launched the biggest investment program in its history with 100Bio. over a 2-year period. This was the overture to a decade with great potential and great challenges. We look at the market segments and the required electronic functions, and we highlight four product and service areas: Approaching 6 Billion mobile-phone subscribers Access to education for any child One Carebot (personal robot) per family Efficient and safe personal mobility. At the level of over four billion active mobile phones 2010, it is clear that mobile electronic companions have become the drivers of nanoelectronic innovations with growth only limited by the creation and support of new, attractive features and services. Energy, bandwidth, size and weight requirements of these consumer products provide the largest pressure for System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures. Other exemplary new products are selected for their significance, some for their lengthy path into the market. Health care is such an example: The non-invasive glucose sensor and the portable ECG recorder" with automatic, neuroprocessor-driven event detection in the size of a quarter would serve hundreds of millions of people. Nanoelectronics for self-guided health is an area of public policy in view of the cost of "a posteriori" medical care. Access to information and education for any child/student will be provided by 1 tablets where service contracts and the spin-offs from surfing and cloud-computing will generate the revenue. Personal robots, coined by the ageing Japanese nation as the key product after the PC and ridiculed by others, will arrive as carebots for education, entertainment, rehabilitation, and home-service, accepted as a large-scale need by 2020 in most developed countries including China. Accident prevention systems on rail and road already would make millions of units per year, if required on all trucks and busses, and they would save many lives. For electric bikes, scooters and cars, there is no limit to more intelligent control and energy efficiency. Effective individual mobility, compatible with the environment, is another matter of global competition, of public well-being and of a related public policy.

The rise of electric two-wheelers in China: Factors for their success and implications for the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinert, Jonathan Xavier

This dissertation examines the rise, present use, and future growth of the electric two-wheeler (E2W, a.k.a. E2W or e-scooter) in China, the world's most successful electric-drive vehicle. The E2W market has been experiencing tremendous growth with over 30 million now in regular use on Chinese streets. The adoption of E2W technology is significant because, along with their air quality and energy (low-carbon) benefits compared to gasoline powered motorcycles, E2Ws are driving the development of improved and lower cost batteries and may lead to a shift toward larger three-and four-wheel electric vehicles (EV). This dissertation explores three questions: why the E2W market grew so rapidly in China, what factors are driving and resisting its growth, and how future growth might impact the adoption of electric vehicles. In Chapter 1, the context for this analysis is built by describing China's transportation past, present, and future challenges. E2Ws are also introduced and compared with gasoline-powered motorcycles on several metrics, such as performance, air emissions, and energy use. In Chapter 2, data from the literature was collected and analyzed to understand the history and important reasons for E2W growth in China. To supplement these data, the author and colleagues interviewed leaders of E2W and battery companies and toured several manufacturing plants. In Chapter 3, E2W and bicycles users were surveyed to understand how and why they use (or don't use) E2Ws. In Chapter 4, valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries commonly used in today's E2Ws were laboratory tested to determine their performance characteristics. Data were also compiled on their cost, and on the cost and performance of Li-ion batteries. In Chapter 5, the future of E2Ws in China was assessed by integrating data from the previous three chapters and from the literature to create a force-field analysis of the E2W market. This chapter concludes by examining the spillover effects E2W market growth may have on the development of a market for larger electric vehicles. Chapter 6 provides recommendations for policy makers on E2Ws and suggestions of future areas of research on this topic.

Advanced Battery Manufacturing (VA)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stratton, Jeremy

2012-09-30

LiFeBATT has concentrated its recent testing and evaluation on the safety of its batteries. There appears to be a good margin of safety with respect to overheating of the cells and the cases being utilized for the batteries are specifically designed to dissipate any heat built up during charging. This aspect of LiFeBATT’s products will be even more fully investigated, and assuming ongoing positive results, it will become a major component of marketing efforts for the batteries. LiFeBATT has continued to receive prismatic 20 Amp hour cells from Taiwan. Further testing continues to indicate significant advantages over the previously availablemore » 15 Ah cells. Battery packs are being assembled with battery management systems in the Danville facility. Comprehensive tests are underway at Sandia National Laboratory to provide further documentation of the advantages of these 20 Ah cells. The company is pursuing its work with Hybrid Vehicles of Danville to critically evaluate the 20 Ah cells in a hybrid, armored vehicle being developed for military and security applications. Results have been even more encouraging than they were initially. LiFeBATT is expanding its work with several OEM customers to build a worldwide distribution network. These customers include a major automotive consulting group in the U.K., an Australian maker of luxury off-road campers, and a number of makers of E-bikes and scooters. LiFeBATT continues to explore the possibility of working with nations that are woefully short of infrastructure. Negotiations are underway with Siemens to jointly develop a system for using photovoltaic generation and battery storage to supply electricity to communities that are not currently served adequately. The IDA has continued to monitor the progress of LiFeBATT’s work to ensure that all funds are being expended wisely and that matching funds will be generated as promised. The company has also remained current on all obligations for repayment of an IDA loan and lease payments for space to the IDA. A commercial venture is being formed to utilize the LiFeBATT product for consumer use in enabling photovoltaic powered boat lifts. Field tests of the system have proven to be very effective and commercially promising. This venture is expected to result in significant sales within the next six months.« less

A few seconds to have an accident, a long time to recover: consequences for road accident victims from the ESPARR cohort 2 years after the accident.

PubMed

Tournier, Charlène; Charnay, Pierrette; Tardy, Hélène; Chossegros, Laetitia; Carnis, Laurent; Hours, Martine

2014-11-01

The aim of the present study was to describe the consequences of a road accident in adults, taking account of the type of road user, and to determine predictive factors for consequences at 2 years. Prospective follow-up study. The cohort was composed of 1168 victims of road traffic accidents, aged ≥16 years. Two years after the accident, 912 victims completed a self-administered questionnaire. Weighted logistic regression models were implemented to compare casualties still reporting impact related to the accident versus those reporting no residual impact. Five outcomes were analysed: unrecovered health status, impact on occupation or studies, on familial or affective life, on leisure or sport activities and but also the financial difficulties related to the accident. 46.1% of respondents were motorised four-wheel users, 29.6% motorised two-wheel (including quad) users, 13.3% pedestrians (including inline skate and push scooter users) and 11.1% cyclists. 53.3% reported unrecovered health status, 32.0% persisting impact on occupation or studies, 25.2% on familial or affective life, 46.9% on leisure or sport activities and 20.2% still had accident-related financial difficulties. Type of user, adjusted on age and gender, was linked to unrecovered health status and to impact on leisure or sport activities. When global severity (as measured by NISS) was integrated in the previous model, type of user was also associated with impact on occupation or studies. Type of user was further associated with impact on occupation or studies and on leisure or sport activities when global severity and the sociodemographic data obtained at inclusion were taken into account. It was not, however, related to any of the outcomes studied here, when the models focused on the injured body region. Finally, type of road user did not seem, on the various predictive models, to be related to financial difficulties due to the accident or to impact on familial or affective life. Overall, victims were affected by their accident even 2 years after it occurred. The severity of lesions induced by the accident was the main predictive factor. However, considering lesion as intermediary factors between the accident and the recovery status at 2 year post-accident, impact on health status was lower for cyclists than M4W users or M2W users. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Technology to promote safe mobility in the elderly.

PubMed

Nelson, Audrey; Powell-Cope, Gail; Gavin-Dreschnack, Deborah; Quigley, Pat; Bulat, Tatjana; Baptiste, Andrea S; Applegarth, Shawn; Friedman, Yvonne

2004-09-01

New technologies designed to help prevent adverse events related to the mobility of geriatric patients (ie, patient falls, bed-rail entrapment, patient handling, and wandering) are described. Technology offers the potential to eliminate or mitigate preventable adverse events that interfere with treatment, delay rehabilitation, potentiate impairment, and compromise patient safety. Unchecked, these adverse events can have a negative impact on patient health, functional status, and quality of life. It is not surprising that the elderly constitute the population at highest risk for adverse events, based on poor health, chronic conditions, long hospitalizations, and institutional care. Patient falls are a high-risk, high-volume, and high-cost adverse event. Key technologies to prevent falls and fall-related injuries include hip protectors, wheelchair/scooter safety features, intelligent walkers, fall alarms, and environmental aids. Bed-rail entrapment is a serious adverse event, which includes patients being trapped, entangled, or strangled in beds. New technologies to prevent bed-rail entrapment include new hospital bed designs, height-adjustable low beds, devices to close gaps in legacy beds, and bedside floor mats. Patients with mobility impairments necessitate physical assistance in transfers and other patient-handling tasks, which increases risk for the caregiver and the patient. Featured technologies to prevent patient handling injuries include innovations in floor-based lifts, new ceiling-mounted patient lifts, and improvements in powered standing lifts, new friction-reducing devices, and new patient transport technology. Wandering affects 39% of cognitively impaired nursing home residents and up to 70% of community-residing elderly persons with cognitive impairments. New technologies to prevent adverse events associated with wandering include door alarms and signal-transmitting devices. Nurses in geriatric settings would benefit from exposure to technologies that could improve patient and caregiver safety. To maximize the benefits of technology, it is critical that front-line nursing staff be involved in the testing and selection of devices that will be used in their practice. Further, to reap the full benefits of technology, a careful plan for implementation needs to be developed that would include integrating the new technology with existing infrastructure. Training needs to be provided for all staff who will be using the technology, and efforts to ensure competency over time is needed. A major barrier to widespread use of new technology is cost. Further research is needed to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of these devices. Results from these studies will help to build a business case, demonstrating that initial capital investments will result in cost savings, improved quality of care, and other benefits.

Toxicity and health effects of vehicle emissions in Shanghai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Shun-Hua; Zhou, Wei; Song, Jian; Peng, Bao-Cheng; Yuan, Dong; Lu, Yuan-Ming; Qi, Ping-Ping

In China, the number of vehicles is increasing rapidly with the continuous development of economy, and vehicle emission pollution in major cities is more serious than ever. In this article, we summarized the results of a series of short-term assays, animal experiments and epidemiology investigations on the genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity and health effects of vehicle emissions in Shanghai, including gasoline exhausts (gas condensate and particles), diesel exhaust particles (DEP) and scooter exhaust particles (SEP). The results showed that: (1) Both gases and particulate phases of the exhausts of different kinds of vehicles showed strong mutagenicity in Ames test (TA98 and TA100 strains), rat hepatocyte unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay, and mouse micronucleus assay, and vehicle emissions could induce the transformation of Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells. DEP and SEP could induce the transformation of human diploid cell strain (KMB-13) cells, immunohistochemistry assay showed that c-myc and p21 proteins were highly expressed in the transformed cells. DEP and SEP could also inhibit the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) of BALB/C3T3 cells (2) Vehicle emissions could decrease the number of macrophages in the lung (bronchial alveolar lavage fluid) (BALF) of male SD rats. Vehicle emissions could also increase the proportion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), the content of cetyneuraminic acid (NA), the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkali phosphate (AKP), acid phosphate (ACP) in the lung BALF of the animals. (3) In epidemiology investigation, the proportion of those who have respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) in the workers who were exposed to DEP ( n=806) were much higher than those of the controls ( n=413). The OR (odd ratio) values of angina, nasal obstruction, phlegm, short of breath and COPD were 2.27, 3.08, 3.00, 3.19 and 2.32, respectively, and the proportion of those who have indisposed sensation of nose or laryngopharynx, cough, phlegm and pharyngitis in the workers who were occupationally exposed to gasoline exhausts ( n=157) were also higher than those of controls ( n=121), the OR values were 2.43, 3.76, 2.58, and 3.70, respectively, and in the 40 gasoline exhausts exposed workers, the frequencies of 6-TG (thioguanine), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and micronuclei in peripheral blood were markedly higher ( P<0.05) than those of controls. The SI (T lymphocytes transformation) activity, total E rosette, E active rosette, content of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and fibrin (FN) of the exposed group were significantly ( P<0.05) decreased compared with those of the control. All the results showed that vehicle emissions could not only induce adverse effects on respiratory and immune system of occupationally exposed people, but also have potential carcinogenicity to human beings.