In-vehicle workload assessment: effects of traffic situations and cellular telephone use

PROBLEM: Assessment of drivers' on-road workload is an important traffic safety consideration. This study was conducted to examine the effects of cellular phone communication on driving performance, with particular emphasis on variations in task demand in different traffic situations. METHOD: Twelve participants were asked to drive on urban roads and motorways with or without concomitant mathematical-addition tests relayed via cellular phone. Measurements included task and driving performance, physiological responses, and compensatory behavior. RESULTS: Analysis of task performance revealed that mean response time was markedly increased (11.9%) for driving on urban roads compared to motorways. The mean driving speed only decreased 5.8% in the presence of phone tasks in comparison to normal driving without distractions. In addition, overall physiological workload increased through compensatory behavior in response to the phone tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Driving with phone use in different traffic environments induced measurable variations in driver workload. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: When faced with heavy traffic, a greater safety margin is typically adopted, with more lowered driving speed and restricted phone use, and it can be assumed that there is a general trade-off between tasks to preserve driving safety.     

RF Exposure Health Risk Perception—A Field Study on the Egyptian Public

Summary This work addresses one of the crucial problems regarding the confusion between the existence of any actual health hazard as documented and the public perception of this hazard. The wide spread use of Radio Frequency (RF) fields in general and in mobile communication in particular has warranted a careful assessment of the public response especially in developing nations. This study comes in response to the growing penetration rate of about 10% of mobile phones in Egypt, which almost exceeds the current rate of fixed lines. It is based on a survey conducted in 2003 and includes different age groups, different levels of education, sex and standard of living. The proposed work discusses the misconceptions and health concerns of the public as far as the spread of mobile communication is concerned and compare it with similar surveys in different countries and calibrate the results with established scientific facts.     

多源数据融合的市县国土空间规划人口城镇化模式——以扬州市为例

围绕“人、地、财”等新型城镇化三大核心问题,衍生出人口流动的社会、空间、经济属性,构建多源数据融合的人口城镇化概念模型。基于迁移流、位置识别和企业关联网络等方法,展开实证研究。结果表明：（1）区域层面：受落户门槛、家庭权益、社会保障等限制,人口流动比资本流动更为谨慎,也更遵从行政区经济和城镇等级体系。（2）市域层面：城镇化形式主要表现为城市和乡村的直接联系,重点镇辐射和吸纳作用不强。（3）新经济使后发地区弯道超车成为可能。研究发现此概念模型适用性较好,能够合理识别经济社会联系的主体格局,为城镇开发边界划定和国土空间格局优化起到一定的支撑作用,对市县国土空间规划的区域协调研究具有较强的参考价值。     

Gap acceptance behavior at unsignalized intersections: Effects of using a phone and a music player while driving

Objectives: The present study is an attempt to analyze and compare the distraction effects caused by the use of a phone and a music player at unsignalized intersections.

Method: Eighty-eight participants performed simulated driving experiments where they faced a sequence of gaps in the major road traffic at 2 unsignalized intersections. In this process, their driving behavior was evaluated in terms of gap acceptance probability, accepted lag, and maneuver completion time. These parameters were modeled with a generalized estimating equation (GEE) method by considering distraction, demographic factors, driving history, maneuver types, and driving attributes in the approach and completion zones as independent variables.

Results: The results showed that gap acceptance probability decreased by 46% during the conversation task, whereas it increased by 66% during the music player task. Lower gap acceptance could be a compensatory behavior adopted by drivers during the conversation task, whereas no such measure was adapted during the music player task. The results indicate that a higher approach speed during the music player task might have led to increased gap acceptance. Further, though the effect of distraction on the accepted lag was not evident, the completion time was reduced during the conversation task.

Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that drivers are more likely to adopt a compensatory measure in complex driving situations only if they perceive a high risk. Hence, drivers are exposed to a greater risk while operating a music player, because this is not perceived as risky behavior.     

Excessive chromium may cause dietary toxicity in parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

A bibliographical review on the possible effects of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) from wireless telecommunications on living organisms and its impact on amphibians is presented. The technical characteristics of this new technology and the scientific discoveries that are of interest in the study of their effects on wild fauna and amphibians are described. Electromagnetic pollution (in the microwave and in the radiofrequency range) is a possible cause for deformations and decline of some amphibian populations. Keeping in mind that amphibians are reliable bio-indicators, it is of great importance to carry out studies on the effects of this new type of contamination. Finally, some methodologies that could be useful to determine the adverse health effects are proposed.     

Mobile phone use while driving: Predicting drivers’ answering intentions and compensatory decisions

The current study considered, for the first time, compensatory decisions within the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to explain why people use mobile phones while driving. The effects of age, gender, and mobile phone mode on respondents’ answering intentions and compensatory decisions were mainly examined. A series of questions were administered to 333 drivers (ages 25-59), which included (1) demographic measures, (2) scales that measured prior mobile use activities in both driving and ordinary contexts, (3) a question to measure drivers’ perceptions of the safety of hands-free phones, and (4) TPB measures, which measured answer intention and two compensatory behavioural decisions (i.e., reminding the caller that he/she is driving, limiting the length of a conversations (including perceived its limits)), along with predictive variables. Drivers reported a moderate likelihood of answering intention and a strong tendency to engage in the two compensatory behaviours. Answering intention and compensatory decisions, perceived behavioural control, perceived risk, and usage frequency were more dependent on mobile phone mode and age group than gender. The regression models explained 64% and 67% of the variance in answering intention in the handheld and hands-free scenario separately. Attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural risk and control (PBRC), and prior answering behaviour emerged as common predictors. The predictive models explained 31% and 37% of the variance for perceived limits of a conversation length in handheld and hands-free scenarios, respectively. Answering intention and PBRC consistently predicted most of the variance (handheld: 28%; hands-free: 32%) for this compensatory perception limits. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.     

基于智能手机平台的环境噪声监测研究

通过对传统噪声监测和评价方法的分析,借助智能手机平台开发了1套环境噪声监测系统,并以鼓浪屿为案例进行了研究。结果表明:1)利用智能手机能很好地区分不同环境功能区的噪声情况;2)能方便地获取监测点位坐标、用户感受等信息;3)能及时将监测结果分享给好友和数据中心。基于智能手机平台进行环境噪声监测,一方面降低了噪声监测的技术门槛,方便公众随时随地感知和分享身边的噪声情况;另一方面,借助公众的广泛参与,能够大大增加噪声采样点的数量,拓展数据的采集范围,形成公众环境噪声监测网。     

An investigation of the effects from the user’s hand and head over received level and adaptive power control of a GSM mobile phone in typical operating environment

Current evolution of wireless personal communications has necessitated a comprehensive understanding of electromagnetic interactions between handset antennas and nearby human body. In this work the handset–human body interactions were evaluated in various configurations (with and without user’s hand; with and without user’s head, and combinations of them) in order to obtain statistical averages of the overall performance for system link evaluations. The measurements were performed using the random-field measurement (RFM) method, and thus the acquisition of large amounts of data about human–mobile phone interactions in typical operating environment with measured the received RF signal strength (RXLEV), and the output power level (TXLEV) on mobile station. The RXLEV and the TXLEV was measured over the air interface in the networks on two Bulgarian GSM mobile operators (Mtel and Vivatel). Both uplink and downlink measurements were performed in urban area in three cities. Each measurements were carried out in a building included both line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight propagation of the electromagnetic waves between mobile station and base station. The results showed that the user’s hand and head induces more significant changes on the received RF signal strength in case when broadcast control channel (BCCH) levels are up to −60 dBm. Also the alterations of receiving RF signal strength and output power level of the MS are influence stronger from the larger size of the hand and head of user. The influence from presence of the head and hand of the subscriber in talk position over the alteration of the receiving RF signal strength is in boundaries from 14.21 dBm to 19.1 dBm (man) and from 8.5 dBm to 12.05 dBm (woman). The presence of the user’s hand and head increased the output power level of mobile station with 12 dBm to 14 dBm (man) and with 10 dBm to 12 dBm (woman) compare to output power level without user’s hand and head.     

废旧手机电池中钴和锂的回收及再利用研究

废旧手机电池进行人工拆解后,将正极浸入N-甲基吡咯烷酮(NMP)中,使正极活性物质与铝箔分离.再利用酸浸-碱出方法回收正极活性物质中的钴和锂.确定最佳工艺参数为:0.8 molg·L-1的硫酸溶液,反应温度50℃,固液比1∶20g· L-1,水浴加热60 min.用饱和Na2CO3溶液沉淀锂得到Li2CO3,NaOH溶液将钴沉淀,400℃煅烧3h得到Co3 O4.按化学计量比将Co3O4与Li2CO3混合,预处理后700℃煅烧7h得到LiCoO2粉末.对再生的LiCoO2进行了结构和形貌测试,表明再生后生成了颗粒均匀、结晶度较好的LiCoO2.     

Tracing the physiological response and behavioral performance of drivers at different levels of mental workload using driving simulators

Introduction: The use of mobile phones while driving is known to be a distraction factor and a cause of accidents. The way in which different kinds of conversations affect the behavioral performance of the driver as well as the persistence of the effects are not yet fully understood. Method: In this study, in addition to comparing brain function and behavioral function in dual task conditions in three conversations types, the persistent effects of these types of conversations have also been traced. Results: The results show that the content of the mobile phone conversation while driving is the cause of the persistent changes in behavioral and brain functions. Increased time headway and lane departure was observed during and up to 5 min after the emotional conversation was finished. EEG bands also varied in different types of conversations. Cognitive conversations caused an increase in the activity of the alpha and beta bands while emotional conversations enhanced the rate of gamma and beta bands. A meaningful correlation was found between changes in the theta and alpha bands and changes in behavioral performance both during the dual task condition and after the conversation was finished, was also observed. Conclusions: The content of the conversation is one of the most important factors that increase the risk of road accidents. This can also deteriorate the behavioral performance of the driver and can have persistent effects on behavioral performance and the brain. Practical applications: The findings of this study provide a basis to measure and tracing drivers’ cognitive distractions induced by different levels of mental workload through physiological and behavioral performances.