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Motor Vehicles (motor + vehicle)
Terms modified by Motor Vehicles Selected AbstractsPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents With Motor Vehicle,Related InjuriesJOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN PEDIATRIC NURSING, Issue 3 2003Kathleen A. Zink MSN ISSUES AND PURPOSE Motor vehicle crashes account for the greatest number of childhood injuries, but there has been little study of the psychological responses. DESIGN AND METHODS This longitudinal, descriptive study included 143 children 7 to 15 years of age who experienced a motor vehicle,related injury. Parents/guardians completed the Child Behavior Checklist Behavioral Problem Scale. Each child and parent completed the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) section of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents at 2 and 6 months postinjury. RESULTS Twenty-two percent of the children met criteria for PTSD. There were no associations for presence or absence of PTSD with age, gender, race, injury, or cause of injury. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Children who are injured in motor vehicle crashes are at risk for PTSD. Anticipatory guidance about behavioral distress symptoms should be provided to parents of children who experience motor vehicle related injuries. [source] The On-Road Difficulties of Older Drivers and Their Relationship with Self-Reported Motor Vehicle CrashesJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 11 2009Joanne M. Wood PhD OBJECTIVES: To quantify the driving difficulties of older adults using a detailed assessment of driving performance and to link this with self-reported retrospective and prospective crashes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: On-road driving assessment. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred sixty-seven community-living adults aged 70 to 88 randomly recruited through the electoral roll. MEASUREMENTS: Performance on a standardized measure of driving performance. RESULTS: Lane positioning, approach, and blind spot monitoring were the most common error types, and errors occurred most frequently in situations involving merging and maneuvering. Drivers reporting more retrospective or prospective crashes made significantly more driving errors. Driver instructor interventions during self-navigation (where the instructor had to brake or take control of the steering to avoid an accident) were significantly associated with higher retrospective and prospective crashes; every instructor intervention almost doubled prospective crash risk. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that on-road driving assessment provides useful information on older driver difficulties, with the self-directed component providing the most valuable information. [source] Age of Drinking Onset and Injuries, Motor Vehicle Crashes, and Physical Fights After Drinking and When Not DrinkingALCOHOLISM, Issue 5 2009Ralph W. Hingson Background:, Earlier age of drinking onset has been associated with greater odds of involvement in motor vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, and physical fights after drinking. This study explores whether early drinkers take more risks even when sober by comparing potential associations between age of drinking onset and these outcomes after drinking relative to when respondents have not been drinking. Method:, From a national sample, 4,021 ever-drinkers ages 18 to 39 were asked age of drinking onset, not counting tastes or sips. They were also asked if they were ever in motor vehicle crashes, unintentionally injured, or in physical fights after drinking and when not drinking. GEE logistic regression models for repeated measures dichotomous outcomes compared whether odds ratios between age of onset and these adverse outcomes significantly differed when they occurred after drinking versus when not drinking, controlling for respondents' demographic characteristics, cigarette and marijuana use, family history of alcoholism, ever experiencing alcohol dependence, and frequency of binge drinking. Results:, Compared with persons who started drinking at age 21+, those who started at ages <14, 14 to 15, 16 to 17, and 18 to 20 had, after drinking, respectively greater odds: 6.3 (2.6, 15.3), 5.2 (2.2, 12.3), 3.3 (1.5, 7.3), and 2.2 (0.9, 5.1) of having been in a motor vehicle crash; 6.0 (3.4, 10.5), 4.9 (3.0, 8.6), 3.7 (2.4, 5.6), and 1.9 (1.2, 2.9) of ever being in a fight; and 4.6 (2.4, 8.7), 4.7 (2.6, 8.6), 3.2 (1.9, 5.6), and 2.3 (1.3, 4.0) of ever being accidentally injured. The odds of experiencing motor vehicle accidents or injuries when not drinking were not significantly elevated among early onset drinkers. The odds of earlier onset drinkers being in fights were also significantly greater when respondents had been drinking than not drinking. Conclusion:, Starting to drink at an earlier age is associated with greater odds of experiencing motor vehicle crash involvement, unintentional injuries, and physical fights when respondents were drinking, but less so when respondents had not been drinking. These findings reinforce the need for programs and policies to delay drinking onset. [source] Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents With Motor Vehicle,Related InjuriesJOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN PEDIATRIC NURSING, Issue 3 2003Kathleen A. Zink MSN ISSUES AND PURPOSE Motor vehicle crashes account for the greatest number of childhood injuries, but there has been little study of the psychological responses. DESIGN AND METHODS This longitudinal, descriptive study included 143 children 7 to 15 years of age who experienced a motor vehicle,related injury. Parents/guardians completed the Child Behavior Checklist Behavioral Problem Scale. Each child and parent completed the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) section of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents at 2 and 6 months postinjury. RESULTS Twenty-two percent of the children met criteria for PTSD. There were no associations for presence or absence of PTSD with age, gender, race, injury, or cause of injury. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Children who are injured in motor vehicle crashes are at risk for PTSD. Anticipatory guidance about behavioral distress symptoms should be provided to parents of children who experience motor vehicle related injuries. [source] Trauma Team Activation Criteria as Predictors of Patient Disposition from the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 1 2004Michael A. Kohn MD Many trauma centers use mainly physiologic, first-tier criteria and mechanism-related, second-tier criteria to determine whether and at what level to activate a multidisciplinary trauma team in response to an out-of-hospital call. Some of these criteria result in a large number of unnecessary team activations while identifying only a few additional patients who require immediate operative intervention. Objectives: To separately evaluate the incremental predictive value of individual first-tier and second-tier trauma team activation criteria for severe injury as reflected by patient disposition from the emergency department (ED). Methods: This was a prospective cohort study in which activation criteria were collected prospectively on all adult patients for whom the trauma team was activated during a five-month period at an urban, Level 1 trauma center. Severe injury disposition ("appropriate" team activation) was defined as immediate operative intervention, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), or death in the ED. Data analysis consisted of recursive partitioning and multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 305 activations for the mainly physiologic first-tier criteria, 157 (51.5%) resulted in severe injury disposition. The first-tier criterion that caused the greatest increase in "inappropriate" activations for the lowest increase in "appropriate" activations was "age > 65." Of the 34 additional activations due to this criterion, seven (20.6%) resulted in severe injury disposition. Of the 700 activations for second-tier, mechanism-related criteria, 54 (7.7%) resulted in ICU or operating room admissions, and none resulted in ED death. The four least predictive second-tier criteria were "motorcycle crash with separation of rider,""pedestrian hit by motor vehicle,""motor vehicle crash with rollover," and "motor vehicle crash with death of occupant." Of the 452 activations for these four criteria, only 18 (4.0%) resulted in ICU or operating room admission. Conclusions: The four least predictive second-tier, mechanism-related criteria added little sensitivity to the trauma team activation rule at the cost of substantially decreased specificity, and they should be modified or eliminated. The first-tier, mainly physiologic criteria were all useful in predicting the need for an immediate multidisciplinary response. If increased specificity of the first-tier criteria is desired, the first criterion to eliminate is "age > 65." [source] Methadone and impairment in apprehended driversADDICTION, Issue 3 2009Jean-Paul Bernard ABSTRACT Aims According to Norwegian guidelines, patients who are in opioid-assisted rehabilitation programmes are permitted to drive a motor vehicle provided that certain requirements are met. The purpose of this study was to investigate apprehended drivers who had methadone in their blood at the time of apprehension and, further, the relationship between blood methadone concentration and impairment as measured by the clinical test of impairment (CTI). Methods The division of Forensic Toxicology and Drug Abuse (DFTDA) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Heath analyses blood samples from all drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs nation-wide. Cases with positive results for methadone in blood were collected over the period 2001,2006. Results A total of 635 drivers with methadone found in their blood samples were identified. The majority of drivers were men (>80%), aged between 30 and 40 years. Methadone was the only psychoactive drug detected in blood in only 10 cases. Benzodiazepines were a frequent finding (in approximately 90% of cases). A significant difference in blood methadone concentration was found between cases where only methadone was detected [median 0.46 mg/l (range 0.19,0.65)] and cases where methadone was detected in combination with other psychoactive drugs [median 0.28 mg/l (range 0.06,1.24)]. A CTI had been carried out, in conjunction with blood sampling, in 577 of the cases. A concentration,impairment relationship was not seen for methadone in these cases. Conclusions Cases of driving impairment involving methadone alone were very rare, with combination use most frequent. No correlation between methadone concentration and impairment as judged by the CTI was seen either for these cases or for the material as a whole. [source] The Effect of Seatbelt Use on Injury Patterns, Disposition, and Hospital Charges for EldersACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2002Andrew Coley MD Objective: To study the relationships between seatbelt use and injury patterns, hospital charges, morbidity, and mortality in elder motor vehicle crash victims. Methods: A retrospective review of individuals at least 65 years old presenting to an urban emergency department (ED) after a motor vehicle crash. Results: Over a two-year period, 339 patients had documentation of seatbelt use or non-use at the time of the crash. Of these, 241 (71%) patients had been wearing a seatbelt and 98 (29%) had not. Elders not using seatbelts were more likely to require hospitalization (29% unbelted vs. 17% belted) and had a higher mortality rate. Injury patterns were different in the two groups. Emergency department charges were significantly different between belted and unbelted elders ($351 vs. $451, p = 0.01) and head computed tomography (CT) utilization was higher in the unbelted group (25.6% vs 12.7%, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Improved seatbelt compliance in elders can reduce injuries, hospitalization rates, ED charges, and mortality resulting from motor vehicle crashes. [source] Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents With Motor Vehicle,Related InjuriesJOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN PEDIATRIC NURSING, Issue 3 2003Kathleen A. Zink MSN ISSUES AND PURPOSE Motor vehicle crashes account for the greatest number of childhood injuries, but there has been little study of the psychological responses. DESIGN AND METHODS This longitudinal, descriptive study included 143 children 7 to 15 years of age who experienced a motor vehicle,related injury. Parents/guardians completed the Child Behavior Checklist Behavioral Problem Scale. Each child and parent completed the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) section of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents at 2 and 6 months postinjury. RESULTS Twenty-two percent of the children met criteria for PTSD. There were no associations for presence or absence of PTSD with age, gender, race, injury, or cause of injury. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Children who are injured in motor vehicle crashes are at risk for PTSD. Anticipatory guidance about behavioral distress symptoms should be provided to parents of children who experience motor vehicle related injuries. [source] Age of Drinking Onset and Injuries, Motor Vehicle Crashes, and Physical Fights After Drinking and When Not DrinkingALCOHOLISM, Issue 5 2009Ralph W. Hingson Background:, Earlier age of drinking onset has been associated with greater odds of involvement in motor vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, and physical fights after drinking. This study explores whether early drinkers take more risks even when sober by comparing potential associations between age of drinking onset and these outcomes after drinking relative to when respondents have not been drinking. Method:, From a national sample, 4,021 ever-drinkers ages 18 to 39 were asked age of drinking onset, not counting tastes or sips. They were also asked if they were ever in motor vehicle crashes, unintentionally injured, or in physical fights after drinking and when not drinking. GEE logistic regression models for repeated measures dichotomous outcomes compared whether odds ratios between age of onset and these adverse outcomes significantly differed when they occurred after drinking versus when not drinking, controlling for respondents' demographic characteristics, cigarette and marijuana use, family history of alcoholism, ever experiencing alcohol dependence, and frequency of binge drinking. Results:, Compared with persons who started drinking at age 21+, those who started at ages <14, 14 to 15, 16 to 17, and 18 to 20 had, after drinking, respectively greater odds: 6.3 (2.6, 15.3), 5.2 (2.2, 12.3), 3.3 (1.5, 7.3), and 2.2 (0.9, 5.1) of having been in a motor vehicle crash; 6.0 (3.4, 10.5), 4.9 (3.0, 8.6), 3.7 (2.4, 5.6), and 1.9 (1.2, 2.9) of ever being in a fight; and 4.6 (2.4, 8.7), 4.7 (2.6, 8.6), 3.2 (1.9, 5.6), and 2.3 (1.3, 4.0) of ever being accidentally injured. The odds of experiencing motor vehicle accidents or injuries when not drinking were not significantly elevated among early onset drinkers. The odds of earlier onset drinkers being in fights were also significantly greater when respondents had been drinking than not drinking. Conclusion:, Starting to drink at an earlier age is associated with greater odds of experiencing motor vehicle crash involvement, unintentional injuries, and physical fights when respondents were drinking, but less so when respondents had not been drinking. These findings reinforce the need for programs and policies to delay drinking onset. [source] Injury Deaths of US Citizens Abroad: New Data Source, Old Travel ProblemJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2009Daniel J Tonellato BA Candidate Background Global travel continues to increase, including among US citizens. The global burden of injuries and violence, accounting for approximately 5 million deaths worldwide in 2000, is also growing. Travelers often experience heightened risk for this biosocial disease burden. This study seeks to further describe and improve our understanding of the variable risk of travel-related injury and death. Methods Information on US civilian citizen deaths from injury while abroad was obtained from the US Department of State Web site. This information was categorized into regional and causal groupings. The groupings were compared to each other and to injury deaths among citizens in their native countries. Results From 2004 to 2006, there were 2,361 deaths of US citizens overseas due to injury. Of these US citizen injury deaths, 50.4% occurred in the Americas region. Almost 40% (37.8%) of US citizen injury deaths in the low- to middle-income Americas were due to vehicle crashes compared to about half that (18.9%) (proportional mortality ratio [PMR] = 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.59,1.62) for low- to middle-income Americas citizen injury deaths. Similar differences between US citizen injury death abroad and the in-country distributions were also found for vehicle crashes in Europe (35.9% vs 16.5%, PMR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.78,2.64; p < 0.0005), for drowning deaths in the Americas (13.1% vs 4.6%, PMR = 2.67, 95% CI 2.29,3.11) and many island nations (63.5% vs 3.5%, PMR = 11.38, 95% CI 8.17,15.84), and for homicides in the low- to middle-income European countries (16.9% vs 10.5%, PMR = 1.52, 95% CI .90,2.57). Conclusions US citizens should be aware of regional variation of injury deaths in foreign countries, especially for motor vehicle crashes, drowning, and violence. Improved knowledge of regional variations of injury death and risk for travelers can further inform travelers and the development of evidence-based prevention programs and policies. The State Department Web site is a new data source that furthers our understanding of this challenging travel-related health issue. [source] Risk of first-generation H1 -antihistamines: a GA2LEN position paperALLERGY, Issue 4 2010M. K. Church To cite this article: Church MK, Maurer M, Simons FER, Bindslev-Jensen C, van Cauwenberge P, Bousquet J, Holgate ST, Zuberbier T. Risk of first-generation H1 -antihistamines: a GA2LEN position paper. Allergy 2010; 65: 459,466. Abstract Background: First-generation H1 -antihistamines obtained without prescription are the most frequent form of self-medication for allergic diseases, coughs and colds and insomnia even though they have potentially dangerous unwanted effects which are not recognized by the general public. Aims:, To increase consumer protection by bringing to the attention of regulatory authorities, physicians and the general public the potential dangers of the indiscriminate use first-generation H1 -antihistamines purchased over-the counter in the absence of appropriate medical supervision. Methods:, A GA2LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma European Network) task force assessed the unwanted side-effects and potential dangers of first-generation H1-antihistamines by reviewing the literature (Medline and Embase) and performing a media audit of US coverage from 1996 to 2008 of accidents and fatal adverse events in which these drugs were implicated. Results:, First-generation H1 -antihistamines, all of which are sedating, are generally regarded as safe by laypersons and healthcare professionals because of their long-standing use. However, they reduce rapid eye movement (REM)-sleep, impair learning and reduce work efficiency. They are implicated in civil aviation, motor vehicle and boating accidents, deaths as a result of accidental or intentional overdosing in infants and young children and suicide in teenagers and adults. Some exhibit cardiotoxicity in overdose. Conclusions:, This review raises the issue of better consumer protection by recommending that older first-generation H1 -antihistamines should no longer be available over-the-counter as prescription- free drugs for self-medication of allergic and other diseases now that newer second- generation nonsedating H1 -antihistamines with superior risk/benefit ratios are widely available at competitive prices. [source] Blink rate variability in patients with panic disorder: New trial using audiovisual stimulationPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 5 2002MAKI KOJIMA Abstract Several lines of evidence have implicated central dopaminergic pathways in the modulation of spontaneous blink rate (BR). Furthermore, previous studies have indicated a relationship between spontaneous BR and anxiety and/or depression. However, to our knowledge, there is no report on the examination of BR in a group of patients with panic disorder (PD). During the conditions of rest and with audiovisual stimulation, exposed to a video of imaginary experiences, such as driving a motor vehicle or diving into the sea, BR was examined in 11 male patients with PD and compared with the BR of 16 age-matched normal controls. The BR was significantly higher in PD patients relative to normal controls under both conditions. In particular, the PD group had a higher BR score during the sea scene as relaxation compared with the normal controls. In conclusion, although the sample size was small the present preliminary study, these findings suggest that BR may have potential for application in the assessment of anxiety state, which is consistent with previous studies. [source] Fatal Passenger Vehicle Crashes With At Least 1 Driver Younger Than 15 Years: A Fatality Analysis Reporting System StudyTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2007Larry Frisch MD ABSTRACT:,Context: A small number of fatalities continue to occur due to motor vehicle crashes on highways in which at least 1 passenger vehicle (automobile, van, or small truck) is driven by a child younger than 15 years. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to extend previous work suggesting that such crashes occur frequently in the Southern states and have relatively high rates in rural areas in the South and Great Plains. Methods: This study utilizes data for the 5-year period 1999-2003 from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's online Fatality Analysis Reporting System. All cases were identified in which at least 1 conventional passenger vehicle in a fatal crash was being driven by a child younger than 15 years. Findings: During the 5-year period, 350 fatal crashes occurred with at least 1 driver younger than 15 years involved. Twenty-one of these drivers were licensed (11) or driving with a learner's permit (10). A total of 987 individuals in 419 vehicles were involved in these crashes, and 402 deaths resulted (1.16 deaths/crash). These crashes occurred primarily in Texas, Florida, Arkansas, and Arizona, but the highest rates per 100,000 children were found in North and South Dakota and predominantly in a band of Intermountain and Plains states. There was a strong correlation between crash rates and several measures of rurality. Conclusions: Crashes involving young, largely unlicensed, drivers account for about 70 deaths yearly. [source] The Effect of State Regulations on Motor Vehicle Fatalities for Younger and Older Drivers: A Review and AnalysisTHE MILBANK QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2001David C. Grabowski Policymakers have had a long-standing interest in improving the motor vehicle safety of both younger and older drivers. Although younger and older drivers share the distinction of having more crashes and fatalities per mile driven than other age groups, the problems posed by these two groups stem from different origins and manifest in different ways. A number of state-level policies and regulations may affect the number of motor vehicle crashes and fatalities in these two high-risk groups. A critical review of the existing literature in regard to the risk factors and the effects of various policy measures on motor vehicle crashes in these two high-risk populations provides direction for policymakers and high-priority areas of interest for the research community. [source] On-line evaluation of the stability of an inspection processAPPLIED STOCHASTIC MODELS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, Issue 6 2009Isabel González Abstract This article proposes control charts to monitor an inspection process based on the defective proportion of the inspected parts. The focus is on inspection process where the incoming parts form a sequence of independent units, such as unrelated clients arriving at a service facility. An example of this kind of inspection process is the periodic motor vehicle (PMVI) inspection. The effectiveness of the proposed control is evaluated using Monte Carlo experiments and is applied to an actual PMVI station. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Impaired vision and other factors associated with driving cessation in the elderly: the Blue Mountains Eye StudyCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 3 2001Jagjit Singh Gilhotra MBBS ABSTRACT The aim of present study was to review vision and other factors associated with the cessation of driving. As part of the Blue Mountains Eye Study, detailed demographic information, driving status and medical history were taken. Visual acuity was measured during a standardized refraction and visual fields documented. Potential risk factors were decided a priori. Among the 3654 Eye Study participants, 2831 (77.5%) had driven a motor vehicle in the past, of whom 2379 (84.0%) were current drivers and 452 (16.0%, 95% CI 14.6,17.4%) said they had stopped driving. Older persons and women were more likely to have stopped driving. After adjusting for age and sex, sensory impairment affecting vision and hearing, plus chronic medical conditions and benzodiazepine use were significantly associated with cessation of driving. The study found that sensory impairment, particularly visual parameters, was associated with the decision to stop driving by older subjects. [source] Roads to Poverty Reduction?DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 4 2008Exploring Rural Roads' Impact on Mobility in Africa Within current poverty reduction programmes, focus on the social-welfare millennium development goals is widening to embrace a concern with infrastructural investment, particularly for remote areas. The previously popular assumption that rural disadvantage can be remedied by road-building is resurfacing. Using survey data from Ethiopia, Zambia and Vietnam, this article explores how effective such investment is in addressing mobility and social-service accessibility in rural areas. The findings indicate that, in extremely remote areas, road improvements may catalyse the expansion of social-service provision, as evidenced in Ethiopia. However, given the poor's relative lack of motor vehicles and ability to pay for public transport, they are, by no means, a sufficient condition for enhancing the mobility of the rural poor. [source] Impact of Mandatory Physician Reporting on Accident Risk in EpilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 8 2007Richard S McLachlan Summary:,Background: In some jurisdictions, physicians are required by law to report patients with seizures to the department of motor vehicles. We assessed the hypothesis that mandatory reporting reduces the risk of automobile accidents in people with epilepsy. Methods: A retrospective survey of driving and accident rates was done by mailed questionnaire to two groups of subjects with epilepsy in Canada, one living in Ontario where reporting is mandatory and the other in Alberta where it is not. Responses were obtained from a control group without epilepsy for comparison. Results: The epilepsy (n = 425) and control (n = 375) groups were comparable in age and sex. Seventy-three percent of the epilepsy group were or had been licensed drivers compared to 94% of the controls (rr 0.77, 95% CI 0.73,0.83, p < 0.001). Lifetime accident rate of licensed drivers was 58% in epilepsy and 60% in controls (rr 0.99, 95%CI 0.82,1.19, ns) while 9% of the epilepsy group and 9% of the controls had an accident in the previous year (rr 1.00, 95%CI 0.95,1.06, ns). All those with epilepsy in Ontario (n = 202) and Alberta (n = 223), also comparable in age and sex, had equal lifetime accident rates of 45 and 46% (rr 0.99, 95%CI 0.67,1.47, ns) and 1-year rates of 11 and 8% (rr 1.38, 95%CI 0.59,3.27, ns). In Ontario, 20% of drivers were unlicensed compared to 9% in Alberta (rr 2.39, 95%CI 1.17,4.89, p = 0.01) Conclusion: Although it is clearly dangerous for many people with ongoing seizures to drive, the findings provide no support for the hypothesis that mandatory reporting of patients by physicians reduces accident risk and suggest that concerns about the impact of epilepsy on driving compared to other medical and nonmedical risk factors may be excessive. [source] eCorner: Propulsion by Hub MotorsADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2008B. Gombert Abstract The requirements of motor vehicles are constantly increasing, both in terms of consumption and emissions, as well as comfort and safety. Through the integration of sensors, the replacement and the intelligent processing of data and information, a lot of driver assistance functions have emerged. The evolving trend towards intelligent driver assistance systems and self autonomous driving is feasible nowadays. The vision of the car of the future could lie in the realisation of the eCorner. Here, every one of the four wheels can be controlled, steered and braked individually, through "by-wire" commands. [source] Road traffic accidents and the elderlyGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2009Suzan Abou-Raya Aim: To identify and evaluate the causes and characteristics of road traffic accidents (RTA) and to analyze injury patterns in elderly road traffic victims in order to apply appropriate measures for the prevention of RTA in the elderly. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-eight elderly road traffic victims admitted to the Emergency and Traumatology Departments of our institution were enrolled. Complete data about the circumstances surrounding the accident, mechanism of injury, specific injury, comorbid conditions and drug history were recorded. All subjects underwent a physical and mental function examination. Results: The majority of road traffic victims were pedestrians. Most elderly pedestrian accidents were due to falls. Accidents by elderly car drivers occurred frequently at intersections. Craniocerebral and extremity injuries formed the majority of the injuries in pedestrian and cyclist victims whereas chest injuries were commoner in car accident victims. Medical problems and medication usage was common among RTA victims. Conclusion: The fragility of elderly car occupants and pedestrians should be taken into consideration and strategies aimed at the road-user safety including periodic medical screening, improvement of road structure and facilities, and the improved design of motor vehicles should be implemented. [source] Indoor/outdoor concentrations and elemental composition of PM10/PM2.5 in urban/industrial areas of Kocaeli City, TurkeyINDOOR AIR, Issue 2 2010B. Pekey Abstract, This study presents indoor/outdoor PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations measured during winter and summer in 15 homes in Kocaeli, which is one of the most industrialized areas in Turkey. Indoor and outdoor PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations and elemental composition were determined using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Quantitative information was obtained on mass concentrations and other characteristics such as seasonal variation, indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratio, PM2.5/PM10 ratio, correlations and sources. Average indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations were 29.8 and 23.5 ,g/m3 for the summer period, and 24.4 and 21.8 ,g/m3 for the winter period, respectively. Average indoor and outdoor PM10 concentrations were 45.5 and 59.9 ,g/m3 for the summer period, and 56.9 and 102.3 ,g/m3 for the winter period, respectively. A varimax rotated factor analysis (FA) was performed separately on indoor and outdoor datasets in an effort to identify possible heavy metal sources of PM2.5 and PM10 particle fractions. FA of outdoor data produced source categories comprising polluted soil, industry, motor vehicles, and fossil fuel combustion for both PM fractions, while source categories determined for indoor data for both PM2.5 and PM10 comprised industry, polluted soil, motor vehicles, and smoking, with an additional source category of cooking activities detected for the PM2.5 fraction. Practical Implications In buildings close to industrial areas or traffic arteries, outdoor sources may have an important effect on indoor air pollution. Therefore, indoor and outdoor investigations should be conducted simultaneously to assess the relationship between indoor and outdoor pollution. This study presents the simultaneous measurement of PM fractions (PM2.5 and PM10) and their elemental compositions to determine the sources of respirable PM and the heavy metals bound to these particles in indoor air. Factor analysis of indoor data indicated that the contribution of outdoor pollutant sources to indoor pollution was about 70%, making these sources the most significant for indoor heavy metal pollution, wheras other sources of indoor pollution included smoking and cooking activities. [source] Drag reduction by flow separation control on a car after bodyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 11 2009Mathieu Rouméas Abstract New development constraints prompted by new pollutant emissions and fuel consumption standards (Corporate Average Economy Fuel) require that automobile manufacturers develop new flow control devices capable of reducing the aerodynamic drag of motor vehicles. The solutions envisaged must have a negligible impact on the vehicle geometry. In this context, flow control by continuous suction is seen as a promising alternative. The control configurations identified during a previous 2D numerical analysis are adapted for this purpose and are tested on a 3D geometry. A local suction system located on the upper part of the rear window is capable of eliminating the rear window separation on simplified fastback car geometry. Aerodynamic drag reductions close to 17% have been obtained. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Bioethanol: fuel or feedstock?JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Jeppe Rass-Hansen Abstract Increasing amounts of bioethanol are being produced from fermentation of biomass, mainly to counteract the continuing depletion of fossil resources and the consequential escalation of oil prices. Today, bioethanol is mainly utilized as a fuel or fuel additive in motor vehicles, but it could also be used as a versatile feedstock in the chemical industry. Currently the production of carbon-containing commodity chemicals is dependent on fossil resources, and more than 95% of these chemicals are produced from non-renewable carbon resources. The question is: what will be the optimal use of bioethanol in a longer perspective? Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Strategic Responses to Environmental Regulation in the U.K. Automotive Sector: The European Union End-of-Life Vehicle Directive and the Porter HypothesisJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2006Jo Crotty Summary As of 1 January 2006 all automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and component manufacturers operating within the European Union will need to comply with the End-of-Life Vehicle Directive (referred to hereafter as the EU ELV Directive). The EU ELV Directive compels all OEMs to take back and dismantle all motor vehicles for domestic use at the end of their useful lives. Each component part will then be either reused or recycled. To this end, the ultimate goal of the EU ELV Directive is that all motor vehicles for domestic use will have a reuse or recyclable content of 85% at the end of their useful lives, moving toward 95% by 2015. The burden of the EU ELV Directive falls on both the OEMs and their component manufacturers, forcing them to innovate and "design for disassembly." This being the case, it offers a unique real world example with which to test the Porter Hypothesis. Porter asserts that strict, correctly formulated environmental regulation can offer a firm secondary benefits through improved product design and the reduction of waste. This in turn allows the firm to offset the cost of compliance. Because the EU ELV Directive has been fashioned to force firms into a process of innovation and redesign, the magnitude of these so-called offsets can be judged. This article employs Rugman and Verbeke's 1998 strategic matrix of firm response to environmental regulation to examine qualitative details of the strategic response of automotive component manufacturers and OEMs in the United Kingdom to the demands of the directive to judge the volume of offsets generated. This analysis shows no support for the Porter Hypothesis and challenges the assumptions of Rugman and Verbeke's model. [source] Cement Manufacture and the Environment: Part I: Chemistry and TechnologyJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Hendrik G. van Oss Summary Hydraulic (chiefly portland) cement is the binding agent in concrete and mortar and thus a key component of a country's construction sector. Concrete is arguably the most abundant of all manufactured solid materials. Portland cement is made primarily from finely ground clinker, which itself is composed dominantly of hydraulically active calcium silicate minerals formed through high-temperature burning of limestone and other materials in a kiln. This process requires approximately 1.7 tons of raw materials per ton of clinker produced and yields about 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, of which cal-cination of limestone and the combustion of fuels each con-tribute about half. The overall level of CO2 output makes the cement industry one of the top two manufacturing industry sources of greenhouse gases; however, in many countries, the cement industry's contribution is a small fraction of that from fossil fuel combustion by power plants and motor vehicles. The nature of clinker and the enormous heat requirements of its manufacture allow the cement industry to consume a wide variety of waste raw materials and fuels, thus providing the opportunity to apply key concepts of industrial ecology, most notably the closing of loops through the use of by-products of other industries (industrial symbiosis). In this article, the chemistry and technology of cement manufacture are summarized. In a forthcoming companion ar-ticle (part II), some of the environmental challenges and op-portunities facing the cement industry are described. Because of the size and scope of the U.S. cement industry, the analysis relies primarily on data and practices from the United States. [source] The Role of Alliance Network Redundancy in the Creation of Core and Non-core TechnologiesJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 2 2009Wim Vanhaverbeke abstract This paper studies the effect of a focal firm, and its partners' local alliance actions, on the creation of technological innovations by the former. More specifically, we study how two types of redundancy in a focal firm's ego network affect its ability to create new technologies in its technology core areas (exploitation) and/or non-core areas (exploration). We analyse this empirically in three different industry settings: chemicals, motor vehicles, and pharmaceuticals. One of our key findings is that individual firms can indeed boost both types of innovative output by shaping the degree of redundancy in their local alliance network, but that the way in which this should be done differs between the creation of core and non-core technologies. Next, we find that it is very useful to unpack the rather abstract notion of redundancy into more specific types of redundancy in ego networks. Overall, these findings reflect an action-oriented view on the role of individual firms in collaborative networks, which may complement the dominant view in the alliance literature emphasizing the role of the overall network structure and firms' network position within it. [source] Visualization approaches for the prototype improvement problemJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 1-2 2008Roman Statnikov Abstract One of the basic engineering optimization problems is improvement of the prototype. This problem is often encountered by industrial and academic organizations that produce and design various objects (e.g. motor vehicles, machine tools, ships, and aircrafts). This paper presents an approach for improving the prototype by constructing the feasible and Pareto sets while performing multicriteria analysis. We introduce visualization methods that facilitate construction of the feasible and Pareto sets. Using these techniques developed on the basis of Parameter Space Investigation method, an expert can correctly state and solve the problem under consideration in a series of dialogues with the computer. Finally, we present a case study of improving the ship prototype. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Transesophageal monitoring of aortic blood flow during nonemergent canine surgeriesJOURNAL OF VETERINARY EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE, Issue 1 2002Piper L. Wall Abstract Objective: To establish baseline values for descending thoracic aortic blood flow parameters as determined with a transesophageal combined M-mode and pulsed Doppler ultrasound-based monitoring method. Design: Preliminary observational study. Setting: University small animal teaching hospital. Animals: The study population consisted of anesthetized canine patients undergoing nonemergent surgeries. Prospectively set criteria for inclusion were adequate body size for placement of the esophageal probe and a nonemergent reason for surgery. The criterion for exclusion was recent trauma. Interventions: Placement of the transesophageal probe. Measurements and main results: Data was collected during 15 surgeries. Data from three dogs was excluded from data analysis (two recently hit by motor vehicles, one recently having undergone a total hip replacement). Each parameter was stable across time within each individual dog. The ranges of the descending thoracic aortic parameters across the 12 nonemergent cases were as follows: blood flow, 0.038,0.085 L min,1 kg,1; blood flow per beat, 0.31,0.84 mL kg,1; blood acceleration, 6,29 m s2,1; blood peak velocity, 38,105 m s,1; left ventricular ejection time interval 331,492 ms; and diameter, 0.30,0.93 mm kg,1. Conclusions: The range of descending thoracic aortic blood flow parameters encountered in this small group of dogs during nonemergent surgeries was broad; however, each parameter was quite stable across time with little change occurring in any dog during monitoring. [source] Chinese response to allergy and asthma in Olympic athletesALLERGY, Issue 8 2008J. Li China is going to host the Games of the XXIX Olympiad from 8,24 August 2008 in Beijing. The number of athletes and accompanying individuals expected to arrive at China for the Beijing Olympics is estimated at over 10 000 and among them at least 2 000 (20%) are suspected to suffer from respiratory allergies. It is important to monitor the pollen counts and improve air quality in Beijing because Olympic athletes would be exposed to airborne allergens and pollutants during competitions which could hinder peak performance. The main pollen and spore families in Beijing are Artemisia, Ambrosia, Chenopodiaceae and Gramineae. They can reach around 307 000 grains of pollen/1000 m3 of air in August. Economic development in China is usually linked with worsening of air quality. Due to the adoption of various control measures, the ambient air quality in a number of areas in Beijing has actually improved. The ambient air TSP and SO2 levels in Beijing have been decreasing in the last decade. However, ambient air NOx level has been increasing due to the increased number of motor vehicles. Nevertheless, dedicated medical facilities in Beijing will provide medical services to athletes and delegations from all over the world during the Beijing Olympic Games. [source] Nonfatal work-related motor vehicle injuries treated in emergency departments in the United States, 1998,2002AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2009Guang X. Chen MD Abstract Background Current data on nonfatal work-related motor vehicle injuries are limited and fragmented, often excluding government workers, self-employed workers, and workers on small farms. This study seeks to bridge the present data gap by providing a national profile of nonfatal work-related motor vehicle injuries across all industries and occupations. Methods Study subjects were people who suffered nonfatal work-related motor vehicle injuries and were treated in a hospital emergency department in the United States. Subjects were identified from a stratified probability sample of emergency departments. National estimates and rates were computed. Results From 1998 to 2002, the average annual rate of nonfatal work-related motor vehicle injuries was 7 injuries per 10,000 full-time equivalents. The rate was three times higher in men than in women. The rates were higher in workers 15,19 years of age and in workers 70 years or older. Justice, public order, and safety workers had the largest number of injuries, and taxicab service employees had the highest injury rate of all industries. Truck drivers had the largest number of injuries, and police and detectives, public service employees had the highest injury rate of all occupations. Conclusion Future efforts need to develop and enhance the use of surveillance information at the federal and state level for work-related nonfatal motor vehicle injuries. Prevention efforts need to address occupational motor vehicle safety for both commercial truck/bus drivers and workers who are not commercial drivers but who drive light motor vehicles on the job. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:698,706, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||