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The increase in repetitive strain injuries to the hand underscores the need for assessing and preventing musculoskeletal overuse associated with hand-intensive tasks. This study investigates the risk of overload injuries in soft tissue structures of the hand by analyzing the pressure distribution and location of peak pressure in the hand during snap-fit connection assembly in the automotive industry. The influence of the surface geometry of automotive trim components the pressure distribution and force imparted during strikes with the palm and the fist are investigated in a cohort of 30 subjects with extensive experience installing trim parts with snap-fit connections. Using the palm or fist (ulnar hand side) of the dominant hand, the subjects struck a simulation device with a flat, rounded, or edged surface geometry. The average peak force applied was 600 N (±122 N), nearly 3 times the force required to overcome the technical resistance of the snap-fit connector (220 N). Fist strikes exerted a 40% higher mean peak pressure and 18% higher mean pressure than did palm strikes. The pressure distribution in the region of the thenar eminence and soft tissue of the ulnar side of the hand did not differ between fist strikes on flat and edged surfaces. Considering the delicate anatomy of the hand, especially the hypothenar muscles on the ulnar side, assembling connection claps using the fist instead of the palm may prevent repetitive blunt trauma to the sensitive blood vessels and nerves in the palm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Encouraging alternatives to the car such as walking, cycling or public transport is a key cross-sector policy priority to promote population and planetary health. Individual travel choices are shaped by individual and environmental contexts, and changes in these contexts – triggered by key events – can translate to changes in travel mode. Understanding how and why these changes happen can help uncover more generalisable findings to inform future intervention research. This study aimed to identify the mechanisms and contexts facilitating changes in travel mode. Methods: Prospective longitudinal qualitative cohort study utilising semi-structured interviews at baseline (in 2021), three- and six-month follow up. Participants were residents in a new town in Cambridgeshire, UK, where design principles to promote walking, cycling and public transport were used at the planning stage. At each interview, we followed a topic guide asking participants about previous and current travel patterns and future intentions. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Data analysis used the framework approach based on realist evaluation principles identifying the context and mechanisms described by participants as leading to travel behaviour change. Results: We conducted 42 interviews with 16 participants and identified six mechanisms for changes in travel mode. These entailed increasing or reducing access, reliability and financial cost, improving convenience, increasing confidence and raising awareness. Participants described that these led to changes in travel mode in contexts where their existing travel mode had been disrupted, particularly in terms of reducing access or reliability or increasing cost, and where there were suitable alternative travel modes for their journey. Experiences of the new travel mode played a role in future travel intentions. Implications: Applying realist evaluation principles to identify common mechanisms for changes in travel mode has the potential to inform future intervention strategies. Future interventions using mechanisms that reduce access to, reduce reliability of, or increase the financial cost of car use may facilitate modal shift to walking, cycling and public transport when implemented in contexts where alternative travel modes are available and acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare traumatic spinal injury patterns between motorcyclists and occupants of other nonheavy motor vehicles using data from the National Spinal Cord and Column Injury Registry of Iran. All drivers/riders and passengers of motorcycles, cars, pick-up trucks, and vans registered between January 2017 to July 2023, met the inclusion criteria for the present study. The logistic regression models were used to compare the patterns of vertebral fracture between the 2 groups. One thousand seven hundred twenty-six spinal fracture patients were identified, 385 (22.3%) motorcyclists and 1341 (77.7%) car occupants with mean ages 33.2 ± 14.3 and 36.1 ± 13.6 years, respectively (P < 0.001). Only 45 (11.7%) motorcyclists used helmets, whereas 856 (63.8%) car occupants used seat belts (P < 0.001). The average numbers of fractured vertebrae were 3.9 ± 1.4 and 3.7 ± 1.1 among car occupants and motorcyclists, respectively (P = 0.004). The proportions of motorcyclists and car occupants with injuries in each spinal region are as follows: lumbar (50.5% of motorcyclists vs. 40.4% of car occupants; P = 0.003), thoracic (39.2% vs. 30.9%; P = 0.01), cervical (24.3% vs. 37.0%; P < 0.001), and sacral (1.3% vs. 7.5%; P < 0.001). The AO Spine type C injuries were present in 6.1% of motorcyclists and 10.1% of car occupants (P = 0.03). Motorcyclists were younger, less educated, had a higher proportion of males, and less commonly used safety devices than car occupants. The most commonly fractured spine region among both groups was the lumbar region. The cervical and sacral vertebrae fractures were significantly more common in car occupants, whereas the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae fractures were significantly more common in motorcyclists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axle-box bearings are directly affected by wheel–rail impacts as fixedly connected to wheelset. As an inevitable wheel-failure, wheel flat can cause severe wheel-rail impact, which may deteriorate the performance of axle-box bearings, even threatening train running safety. To investigate the dynamic response of axle-box bearings excited by wheel flat, two rigid-flexible coupled vehicle dynamics models of motor and trailer cars are developed. The axle-box bearing, flexible axle-box and wheelset are thoroughly established in trailer car model. The gear transmission system and flexible gearbox are further integrated into motor car model relative to trailer model. The accuracies of models are verified by the field-test results. The dynamic responses of axle-box bearings excited by wheel flat are analyzed. Results indicate that the vibration and dynamic forces acting on axle-box bearing augment with the increasing of flat length. The vibrations intensify gradually from wheelset, inner ring, and outer ring to axle-box, particularly increasing significantly with long flat lengths. Moreover, the dynamic forces within axle-box bearing first increase before decreasing with the growing operating speed. Being structurally difference, wheel flat exerts more significant effects on the axial and radial forces within the bearings of motor car than those of trailer car. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMobility practices in everyday life are often highly routinised and resistant to change. But they can also change significantly over the life course, reflecting sudden ruptures linked to incisive life events and more gradual shifts related to changing societal and environmental conditions. Combining insights from practice-theoretical mobility studies and mobility biographies research, this paper critically examines the role of material, social and cultural elements in transforming routine mobility practices, focusing on car ownership and use across the life course. Drawing on mobility-biographical interviews with people who live in Munich (Germany) and who do not own a car, it reveals the complexity of both one-off and daily decisions that help to establish and routinise carless mobility practices, linking them to social and material conditions past and present. The paper also documents the role of environmental and climate-related arguments in the transition towards carlessness, alongside shifts in infrastructure, social and economic circumstances and mobility-related skills and meanings. It concludes with some recommendations for sustainable mobility policy that works with the dynamics of car ownership and use across the life course and that incorporates both social and material aspects underpinning people’s decision to give up their private car. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conventional gasoline automobiles, the engine powers the air conditioning system and engine noise can somewhat mask the noise and vibration of the air conditioning system. In pure electric vehicles, however, the absence of an engine makes the air conditioning system's noise more noticeable, concentrated in a limited frequency range at constant speeds. As a result, aerodynamic noise from the air conditioning system is a primary noise source in electric vehicles. Pipeline silencers are the main method for reducing this noise. The current silencer design uses plane wave acoustic theory but when cavity modal resonance occurs, the transmission loss error is relatively high. This article addresses the issue of non-planar wave cavity resonance, studying the cavity modal of a muffler using the finite element method to reveal the transmission loss under cavity mode resonance. A dual cavity expansion structure of an impedance composite muffler is proposed, with sound-absorbing materials placed in the cavity to enhance acoustic performance. The analysis of the transmission loss characteristics of the impedance composite muffler provides a theoretical basis for noise control in pure electric vehicle air conditioning systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear-dependent variables are typically modeled through the Spearman correlation, a classical statistical technique. In reality, the dependence between the data cannot always be linear. The copula approach has often been a popular tool for modeling dependent data in these cases. Archimedean copulas, which can model mostly symmetrical data, are also among the copula families used for this purpose. Recently, asymmetric copula models have been developed to model unsymmetrical-dependent variables. The dependency measure is calculated using directional dependency coefficients instead of the Spearman correlation when the data is asymmetrical. Appropriate asymmetric model selection is made with the help of these measurements. In the study, first, dependency parameters corresponding to different Spearman coefficients were obtained for Archimedean copula families, and asymmetric copulas were derived from them. Then, simulation data were obtained for these parameter values to determine the effect of asymmetry on data modeling, and directional dependency measures were found. In addition, the study methodology was applied to automobile bodily injury claims data, which is a real dataset with an asymmetric structure. Here, we used two different asymmetric models: the Khoudraji copula KC models, which are created by multiplying independent and Archimedean copulas, and the LCC models, which are linear-convex combinations of Archimedean copulas. Finally, the appropriate model was selected according to the directional dependency coefficients, and the results were interpreted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In example‐based learning, examples are often combined with generative activities, such as comparative self‐explanations of example cases. Comparisons induce heavy demands on working memory, especially in complex domains. Hence, only stronger learners may benefit from comparative self‐explanations. While static text‐based examples can be compared easily, this is challenging for transient video‐based modelling examples used in complex domains because simultaneous processing of two videos is not feasible. Objectives: To allow for such comparisons, we combined video‐based modelling examples with static representations (i.e., summarizing tables) of the observed optimal and a suboptimal solution of the problem‐solving process. A comparative self‐explanation prompt asked learners to compare the different solution approaches. Our study investigated the impact of video‐based modelling examples versus independent problem‐solving on cognitive load and problem‐solving skill development. Moreover, we investigated the effects of comparative versus sequential self‐explanation prompts, depending on learners' prior knowledge. Methods: In an experiment, 118 automotive apprentices learned a car malfunction diagnosis strategy. Apprentices were divided into three groups: (1) modelling examples with comparative self‐explanation prompts, (2) modelling examples with sequential prompts, and (3) no examples or prompts. Diagnostic knowledge and skills were assessed before and after the intervention. Cognitive load was measured retrospectively. Results and conclusions: Despite no observed effects on cognitive load, modelling examples enhanced diagnostic knowledge and diagnostic skills with scaffolds, though not independent diagnostic skills without scaffolds. The need for more practice opportunities to foster independent diagnostic skills is assumed. Additionally, comparative prompts seem promising for learners with higher prior knowledge. Takeaways: Video‐based modelling examples were more beneficial for learning than practising to apply the diagnostic strategy. Static representations allow for comparisons of video examples and comparative prompts are promising for learners with higher prior knowledge (cf. expertise‐reversal effect). Further research, especially on the effects on cognitive load, is necessary. Lay Description: What is already known about the topic?: Text and video examples that model how to solve a problem are widely used in education.Text examples often include self‐explanation prompts that ask learners to compare several examples.For video examples, such comparison prompts have seldom been investigated, because comparisons are difficult to implement for transient videos. What does this paper add?: This paper shows that video examples combined with static summaries of processes that have been shown in the video example are effective and allow for comparisons of video examples.Such comparisons seem to be more promising for learners with higher prior knowledge. Implications for practice: Practitioners could combine video examples with static summaries of the processes shown in the video examples to allow for comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unbundled residential off-street car parking, where spaces are purchased or rented separately to housing, has been shown to reduce car ownership and use, and improve housing affordability. However, there is little understanding of the potential for unbundling parking in the context of residential apartment buildings, including the characteristics of apartment residents who are receptive to unbundling. This research explores the potential for unbundling off-street car parking based on a survey of apartment residents (n = 424) in Melbourne, Australia. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression modelling, supplemented by qualitative comments from survey respondents. Over one-third (35%) of apartment households were found to experience a mismatch between the supply and demand of their allocated off-street car parking, either having too much or too little parking relative to the number of cars they owned. Around 42% of apartment residents indicated receptiveness to unbundling off-street car parking. Living in a household with 2+ cars was found to increase the odds of being receptive to unbundling by over 3 times. Given the misallocation of off-street car parking relative to household car ownership in apartment buildings, the results imply that efforts could be directed towards unbundling off-street car parking from apartment housing, while carefully managing any associated risks. Future research could seek to explore the potential for unbundling car parking for other land uses and in other jurisdictions. • Draws on a survey of apartment residents (n = 424) in Melbourne, Australia. • 35% of respondents experienced a mismatch in their allocation of off-street car parking. • 42% of respondents indicated receptiveness to unbundling off-street car parking. • Living in a household with 2+ cars increased the odds of being receptive to unbundling by >3 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming part of the everyday. During this transition, people's intention to use AI technologies is still unclear and emotions such as fear are influencing it. In this paper, we focus on autonomous cars to first verify empirically the extent to which people fear AI and then examine the impact that fear has on their intention to use AI-driven vehicles. Our research is based on a systematic survey and it reveals that while individuals are largely afraid of cars that are driven by AI, they are nonetheless willing to adopt this technology as soon as possible. To explain this tension, we extend our analysis beyond just fear and show that people also believe that AI-driven cars will generate many individual, urban and global benefits. Subsequently, we employ our empirical findings as the foundations of a theoretical framework meant to illustrate the main factors that people ponder when they consider the use of AI tech. In addition to offering a comprehensive theoretical framework for the study of AI technology acceptance, this paper provides a nuanced understanding of the tension that exists between the fear and adoption of AI, capturing what exactly people fear and intend to do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Field Ornithology is the property of Resilience Alliance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Computer Measurement & Control is the property of Magazine Agency of Computer Measurement & Control and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study analyzes the current state of car-sharing in Moscow. Different approaches are used to analyze consumer behavior in the domain of transport services. Special emphasis is placed on the social practice theory that allows focusing on those aspects which can be left beyond the focus of other approaches. The role of the importance of the car-sharing practice to its spreading is evaluated. A population pyramid analysis is made to evaluate the potential of expanding the car-sharing practice. A set of analytical and forecasting tools for evaluating the passenger traffic of various modes of transport is presented. Two scenarios of car-sharing prospects in Moscow are considered within the framework of which the passenger traffic of car-sharing and other modes of transport, required car-sharing fleet size, and car-sharing usage frequency are forecast. It is concluded that, by 2045, the demand for car-sharing in Moscow can rise by at least 150% by 2045. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]