Potential of APSIS-InSAR for measuring surface oscillations of tropical peatlands.

Tropical peatland across Southeast Asia is drained extensively for production of pulpwood, palm oil and other food crops. Associated increases in peat decomposition have led to widespread subsidence, deterioration of peat condition and CO2 emissions. However, quantification of subsidence and peat condition from these processes is challenging due to the scale and inaccessibility of dense tropical peat swamp forests. The development of satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has the potential to solve this problem. The Advanced Pixel System using Intermittent Baseline Subset (APSIS, formerly ISBAS) modelling technique provides improved coverage across almost all land surfaces irrespective of ground cover, enabling derivation of a time series of tropical peatland surface oscillations across whole catchments. This study aimed to establish the extent to which APSIS-InSAR can monitor seasonal patterns of tropical peat surface oscillations at North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest, Peninsular Malaysia. Results showed that C-band SAR could penetrate the forest canopy over tropical peat swamp forests intermittently and was applicable to a range of land covers. Therefore the APSIS technique has the potential for monitoring peat surface oscillations under tropical forest canopy using regularly acquired C-band Sentinel-1 InSAR data, enabling continuous monitoring of tropical peatland surface motion at a spatial resolution of 20 m.

Isolating the Effect of Off-Road Glance Duration on Driving Performance: An Exemplar Study Comparing HDD and HUD in Different Driving Scenarios.

OBJECTIVE: We controlled participants' glance behavior while using head-down displays (HDDs) and head-up displays (HUDs) to isolate driving behavioral changes due to use of different display types across different driving environments. BACKGROUND: Recently, HUD technology has been incorporated into vehicles, allowing drivers to, in theory, gather display information without moving their eyes away from the road. Previous studies comparing the impact of HUDs with traditional displays on human performance show differences in both drivers' visual attention and driving performance. Yet no studies have isolated glance from driving behaviors, which limits our ability to understand the cause of these differences and resulting impact on display design. METHOD: We developed a novel method to control visual attention in a driving simulator. Twenty experienced drivers sustained visual attention to in-vehicle HDDs and HUDs while driving in both a simple straight and empty roadway environment and a more realistic driving environment that included traffic and turns. RESULTS: In the realistic environment, but not the simpler environment, we found evidence of differing driving behaviors between display conditions, even though participants' glance behavior was similar. CONCLUSION: Thus, the assumption that visual attention can be evaluated in the same way for different types of vehicle displays may be inaccurate. Differences between driving environments bring the validity of testing HUDs using simplistic driving environments into question. APPLICATION: As we move toward the integration of HUD user interfaces into vehicles, it is important that we develop new, sensitive assessment methods to ensure HUD interfaces are indeed safe for driving.

A Perceptual Color-Matching Method for Examining Color Blending in Augmented Reality Head-Up Display Graphics.

Augmented reality (AR) offers new ways to visualize information on-the-go. As noted in related work, AR graphics presented via optical see-through AR displays are particularly prone to color blending, whereby intended graphic colors may be perceptually altered by real-world backgrounds, ultimately degrading usability. This work adds to this body of knowledge by presenting a methodology for assessing AR interface color robustness, as quantitatively measured via shifts in the CIE color space, and qualitatively assessed in terms of users' perceived color name. We conducted a human factors study where twelve participants examined eight AR colors atop three real-world backgrounds as viewed through an in-vehicle AR head-up display (HUD); a type of optical see-through display used to project driving-related information atop the forward-looking road scene. Participants completed visual search tasks, matched the perceived AR HUD color against the WCS color palette, and verbally named the perceived color. We present analysis that suggests blue, green, and yellow AR colors are relatively robust, while red and brown are not, and discuss the impact of chromaticity shift and dispersion on outdoor AR interface design. While this work presents a case study in transportation, the methodology is applicable to a wide range of AR displays in many application domains and settings.

U can't touch this! Face touching behaviour whilst driving: implications for health, hygiene and human factors.

Analysis of thirty-one hours of video-data documenting 36 experienced drivers highlighted the prevalence of face-touching, with 819 contacts identified (mean frequency: 26.4 face touches/hour (FT/h); mean duration: 3.9-seconds). Fewer face-touches occurred in high primary workload conditions (where additional physical/cognitive demands were placed on drivers), compared to low workload (4.4 and 26.1 FT/h, respectively). In 42.5% of touches (or 11.2 FT/h), mucous membrane contact was made, with fingertips (33.1%) and thumbs (35.6%) most commonly employed. Individual behaviours differed (ranging from 5.1 to 90.7 FT/h), but there were no significant differences identified between genders, age-groups or hand used. Results are of relevance from an epidemiological/hygiene perspective within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (and can therefore inform the design of practical solutions and encourage behavioural change to reduce the risk of self-inoculation while driving), but they also help to elucidate how habitual human behaviours are imbricated with the routine accomplishment of tasks.

Practitioner summary: The study highlights the propensity of face touching whilst driving through the analysis of on-road video datasets. Results have implications for the design of technological interventions (such as touchless interfaces and driver monitoring systems) and can inform awareness campaigns to reduce the risk of self-inoculation and infection transmission while driving.

Exploring the effectiveness of a digital voice assistant to maintain driver alertness in partially automated vehicles.

OBJECTIVE: Vehicle automation shifts the driver's role from active operator to passive observer at the potential cost of degrading their alertness. This study investigated the role of an in-vehicle voice-based assistant (VA; conversing about traffic/road environment) to counter the disengaging and fatiguing effects of automation. METHOD: Twenty-four participants undertook two drives- with and without VA in a partially automated vehicle. Participants were subsequently categorized into high and low participation groups (based on their proportion of vocal exchanges with VA). The effectiveness of VA was assessed based on driver alertness measured using Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), eye-based sleepiness indicators and glance behavior, NASA-TLX workload rating and time to gain motor readiness in response to take-over request and performance rating made by the drivers. RESULTS: Paired samples t-tests comparison of alertness measures across the two drives were conducted. Lower KSS rating, larger pupil diameter, higher glances (rear-mirror, roadside vehicles and signals in the drive with VA) and higher feedback ratings of VA indicated the efficiency of VA in improving driver alertness during automation. However, there was no significant difference in alertness or glance behavior between the driver groups (high and low-PR), although the time to resume steering control was significantly lower in the higher engagement group. CONCLUSION: The study successfully demonstrated the advantages of using a voice assistant (VA) to counter these effects of passive fatigue, for example, by reducing the time to gain motor-readiness following a TOR. The findings show that despite the low engagement in spoken conversation, active listening also positively influenced driver alertness and awareness during the drive in an automated vehicle.

Groin dissections in skin cancer: Effect of a change in prophylactic antibiotic protocol.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether groin dissection surgical site infection (SSI) incidence changed with shorter post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis. BACKGROUND: Post-operative prophylaxis changed due to antimicrobial stewardship, from regular oral antibiotics until drain removal, to three intravenous doses. Both groups had a single intravenous dose at induction. METHODS: A prospective database of groin dissections for metastatic skin cancer was retrospectively reviewed for SSI according to Public Health England criteria. Eighty groin dissections in 79 consecutive patients were included: 40 had oral antibiotics until drain removal [mean 26±7 (range 19-36) days] and 39 had three post-operative intravenous doses. RESULTS: Longer prophylaxis was associated with lower SSI incidence [10 (25%) versus 21 (54%), odds ratio (OR) 3.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-9.08, p = 0.009], fewer deep infections [5 (13%) versus 16 (41%), OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.57-15.13, p = 0.004], fewer readmissions for infection [5 (13%) versus 15 (38%), OR 4.38, 95% CI 1.40-13.65, p = 0.008], but similar seroma incidence [18 (45%) versus 16 (41%), OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.35-2.07, p = 0.72] and wound dehiscence [7 (18%) versus 5 (13%), OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.20-2.40, p = 0.56]. BMI ≥30 (n = 21) was associated with SSI, occurring in 13 of 21 (62%) (OR 3.859, 95% CI 1.34-11.10, p = 0.01). Median infection onset was 22 days (IQR 12-27) versus 17 (IQR 13-22), (p = 0.53). Multiple organisms were cultured in 21 of 31 (68%) patients with positive microbiological samples. CONCLUSIONS: SSI rates doubled with shorter prophylaxis; deep infections and readmissions for infection tripled. Obesity was independently associated with infection. Seroma and wound dehiscence incidence were unchanged. Infections mainly occurred in the third week after surgery and were polymicrobial.

Evaluation of vegetation communities, water table, and peat composition as drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in lowland tropical peatlands.

Tropical peatlands are globally important source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, but data on carbon fluxes from these ecosystems is limited due to the logistical challenges of measuring gas fluxes in these ecosystems. Proposals to overcome the difficulties of measuring gas carbon fluxes in the tropics include remote sensing (top-down) approaches. However, these require information on the effect of vegetation communities on carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes from the peat surface (bottom-up). Such information will help reducing the uncertainty in current carbon budgets and resolve inconsistencies between the top-down and bottom-up estimates of gas fluxes from tropical peatlands. We investigated temporal and spatial variability of CO2 and CH4 fluxes from tropical peatlands inhabited by two contrasting vegetation communities (i.e., mixed forest and palm swamp) in Panama. In addition, we explored the influence of peat chemistry and nutrient status (i.e., factorial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition) on greenhouse gas fluxes from the peat surface. We found that: i) CO2 and CH4 fluxes were not significantly different between the two vegetation communities, but did vary temporally across an annual cycle; ii) precipitation rates and peat temperature were poor predictors of CO2 and CH4 fluxes; iii) nitrogen addition increased CH4 fluxes at the mixed forests when the water table was above the peat surface, but neither nitrogen nor phosphorus affected gas fluxes elsewhere; iv) gas fluxes varied significantly with the water table level, with CO2 flux being 80% greater at low water table, and CH4 fluxes being 81% higher with the water table above the surface. Taken together, our data suggested that water table is the most important control of greenhouse gas emissions from the peat surface in forested lowland tropical peatlands, and that neither the presence of distinct vegetation communities nor the addition of nutrients outweigh such control.

Feel the noise: Mid-air ultrasound haptics as a novel human-vehicle interaction paradigm.

Focussed ultrasound can be used to create the sensation of touch in mid-air. Combined with gestures, this can provide haptic feedback to guide users, thereby overcoming the lack of agency associated with pure gestural interfaces, and reducing the need for vision - it is therefore particularly apropos of the driving domain. In a counter-balanced 2 × 2 driving simulator study, a traditional in-vehicle touchscreen was compared with a virtual mid-air gestural interface, both with and without ultrasound haptics. Forty-eight experienced drivers (28 male, 20 female) undertook representative in-vehicle tasks - discrete target selections and continuous slider-bar manipulations - whilst driving. Results show that haptifying gestures with ultrasound was particularly effective in reducing visual demand (number of long glances and mean off-road glance time), and increasing performance (shortest interaction times, highest number of correct responses and least 'overshoots') associated with continuous tasks. In contrast, for discrete, target-selections, the touchscreen enabled the highest accuracy and quickest responses, particularly when combined with haptic feedback to guide interactions, although this also increased visual demand. Subjectively, the gesture interfaces invited higher ratings of arousal compared to the more familiar touch-surface technology, and participants indicated the lowest levels of workload (highest performance, lowest frustration) associated with the gesture-haptics interface. In addition, gestures were preferred by participants for continuous tasks. The study shows practical utility and clear potential for the use of haptified gestures in the automotive domain.

Evaluating secondary input devices to support an automotive touchscreen HMI: A cross-cultural simulator study conducted in the UK and China.

Touchscreen Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) are a well-established and popular choice to provide the primary control interface between driver and vehicle, yet inherently demand some visual attention. Employing a secondary device with the touchscreen may reduce the demand but there is some debate about which device is most suitable, with current manufacturers favouring different solutions and applying these internationally. We present an empirical driving simulator study, conducted in the UK and China, in which 48 participants undertook typical in-vehicle tasks utilising either a touchscreen, rotary-controller, steering-wheel-controls or touchpad. In both the UK and China, the touchscreen was the most preferred/least demanding to use, and the touchpad least preferred/most demanding, whereas the rotary-controller was generally favoured by UK drivers and steering-wheel-controls were more popular in China. Chinese drivers were more excited by the novelty of the technology, and spent more time attending to the devices while driving, leading to an increase in off-road glance time and a corresponding detriment to vehicle control. Even so, Chinese drivers rated devices as easier-to-use while driving, and felt that they interfered less with their driving performance, compared to their UK counterparts. Results suggest that the most effective solution (to maximise performance/acceptance, while minimising visual demand) is to maintain the touchscreen as the primary control interface (e.g. for top-level tasks), and supplement this with a secondary device that is only enabled for certain actions; moreover, different devices may be employed in different cultural markets. Further work is required to explore these recommendations in greater depth (e.g. during extended or real-world testing), and to validate the findings and approach in other cultural contexts.

Exploring drivers of litter decomposition in a greening Arctic: results from a transplant experiment across a treeline.

Decomposition of plant litter is a key control over carbon (C) storage in the soil. The biochemistry of the litter being produced, the environment in which the decomposition is taking place, and the community composition and metabolism of the decomposer organisms exert a combined influence over decomposition rates. As deciduous shrubs and trees are expanding into tundra ecosystems as a result of regional climate warming, this change in vegetation represents a change in litter input to tundra soils and a change in the environment in which litter decomposes. To test the importance of litter biochemistry and environment in determining litter mass loss, we reciprocally transplanted litter between heath (Empetrum nigrum), shrub (Betula nana), and forest (Betula pubescens) at a sub-Arctic treeline in Sweden. As expansion of shrubs and trees promotes deeper snow, we also used a snow fence experiment in a tundra heath environment to understand the importance of snow depth, relative to other factors, in the decomposition of litter. Our results show that B. pubescens and B. nana leaf litter decomposed at faster rates than E. nigrum litter across all environments, while all litter species decomposed at faster rates in the forest and shrub environments than in the tundra heath. The effect of increased snow on decomposition was minimal, leading us to conclude that microbial activity over summer in the productive forest and shrub vegetation is driving increased mass loss compared to the heath. Using B. pubescens and E. nigrum litter, we demonstrate that degradation of carbohydrate-C is a significant driver of mass loss in the forest. This pathway was less prominent in the heath, which is consistent with observations that tundra soils typically have high concentrations of "labile" C. This experiment suggests that further expansion of shrubs and trees may stimulate the loss of undecomposed carbohydrate C in the tundra.

Steering the conversation: A linguistic exploration of natural language interactions with a digital assistant during simulated driving.

Given the proliferation of 'intelligent' and 'socially-aware' digital assistants embodying everyday mobile technology - and the undeniable logic that utilising voice-activated controls and interfaces in cars reduces the visual and manual distraction of interacting with in-vehicle devices - it appears inevitable that next generation vehicles will be embodied by digital assistants and utilise spoken language as a method of interaction. From a design perspective, defining the language and interaction style that a digital driving assistant should adopt is contingent on the role that they play within the social fabric and context in which they are situated. We therefore conducted a qualitative, Wizard-of-Oz study to explore how drivers might interact linguistically with a natural language digital driving assistant. Twenty-five participants drove for 10 min in a medium-fidelity driving simulator while interacting with a state-of-the-art, high-functioning, conversational digital driving assistant. All exchanges were transcribed and analysed using recognised linguistic techniques, such as discourse and conversation analysis, normally reserved for interpersonal investigation. Language usage patterns demonstrate that interactions with the digital assistant were fundamentally social in nature, with participants affording the assistant equal social status and high-level cognitive processing capability. For example, participants were polite, actively controlled turn-taking during the conversation, and used back-channelling, fillers and hesitation, as they might in human communication. Furthermore, participants expected the digital assistant to understand and process complex requests mitigated with hedging words and expressions, and peppered with vague language and deictic references requiring shared contextual information and mutual understanding. Findings are presented in six themes which emerged during the analysis - formulating responses; turn-taking; back-channelling, fillers and hesitation; vague language; mitigating requests and politeness and praise. The results can be used to inform the design of future in-vehicle natural language systems, in particular to help manage the tension between designing for an engaging dialogue (important for technology acceptance) and designing for an effective dialogue (important to minimise distraction in a driving context).

Driving without wings: The effect of different digital mirror locations on the visual behaviour, performance and opinions of drivers.

Drivers' awareness of the rearward road scene is critical when contemplating or executing lane-change manoeuvres, such as overtaking. Preliminary investigations have speculated on the use of rear-facing cameras to relay images to displays mounted inside the car to create 'digital mirrors'. These may overcome many of the limitations associated with traditional 'wing' and rear-view mirrors, yet will inevitably effect drivers' normal visual scanning behaviour, and may force them to consider the rearward road scene from an unfamiliar perspective that is incongruent with their mental model of the outside world. We describe a study conducted within a medium-fidelity simulator aiming to explore the visual behaviour, driving performance and opinions of drivers while using internally located digital mirrors during different overtaking manoeuvres. Using a generic UK motorway scenario, thirty-eight experienced drivers conducted overtaking manoeuvres using each of five different layouts of digital mirrors with varying degrees of 'real-world' mapping. The results showed reductions in decision time for lane changes and eyes-off road time while using the digital mirrors, when compared with baseline traditional reflective mirrors, suggesting that digital displays may enable drivers to more rapidly pick up the salient information from the rearward road scene. Subjectively, drivers preferred configurations that most closely matched existing mirror locations, where aspects of real-world mapping were largely preserved. The research highlights important human factors issues that require further investigation prior to further development/implementation of digital mirrors within vehicles. Future work should also aim to validate findings within real-world on-road environments whilst considering the effects of digital mirrors on other important visual behaviour characteristics, such as depth perception.

The effect of introducing a Trauma Network on patient flow, hospital finances and trainee operating.

In April 2012 the National Health Service in England introduced the Trauma Network system with the aim of improving the quality of trauma care. In this study we wished to determine how the introduction of the Trauma network has affected patient flow, hospital finances and orthopaedic trauma training across our region. The overall pattern of trauma distribution was not greatly affected, reflecting the relative rarity of major trauma in the UK. A small decrease in the total number of operations performed by trainees was noted in our region. Trainees at units designated as Major Trauma Centres gained slightly more operative experience in trauma procedures overall, and specifically in those associated with high energy, such as long bone nail insertion and external fixation procedures. However, there have been no significant changes in this pattern since the introduction of the Trauma Networks. Falling operative numbers presents a challenge for delivering high quality training within a surgical training programme, and each case should be seen as a vital educational opportunity. Best practice tariff targets for trauma were delivered for 99% of cases at our MTCs. Future audit and review to analyse the evolving role of the MTCs is desirable.

The effect of different navigation voices on trust and attention while using in-vehicle navigation systems.

INTRODUCTION: Automobiles are suffused with computers and technology designed to support drivers at all levels of the driving hierarchy. Classic secondary devices, such as in-vehicle navigation systems (IVNS), present strategic and tactical information to drivers. In order to mitigate the potential distraction and workload when interacting with these devices while driving, IVNS often employ voices to deliver navigational instructions. In contrast, voices are used during interpersonal encounters to engage the listener, provide clues about the speaker's personality and make judgments about them, for example, whether to like them and to trust them. METHOD: A study conducted within a fixed-based medium-fidelity driving simulator investigated if drivers made similar 'personality' attributions to voices emanating from an IVNS and if this subsequently affected how they engaged with the device while driving. Twenty-nine experienced drivers and IVNS users drove to a specified destination with a simulated IVNS and authentically reproduced UK road signage to support their route-finding. Either of two navigation voices were used; one considered 'high-trust' and the other 'low-trust.' Presented with a conflict scenario, where the verbal route guidance differed to the road signs, 22 drivers followed the IVNS instruction rather than the road signs. Of these, the majority were using the 'high-trust' voice. RESULTS: A post-drive questionnaire revealed that, despite the fact that message content and delivery remained equivalent, participants recognized different attributes ('personalities') associated with each of the navigation voices. This influenced their attitudes towards them, including how much they liked them, their preferences for use, and the level of trust that they associated with each voice. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: While these, so-called, social responses may be invited and indeed encouraged in other contexts, in the automotive domain they are likely to conflict with the intended benefits of using a voice to deliver route guidance and therefore have implications for road safety and design.

Developing national selection processes for entry into postgraduate specialty training: the case of trauma and orthopedics in the United Kingdom.

A large body of international research has been done investigating best practice selection across many occupational groups, but there is relatively little research on developing selection methodology for entry to postgraduate training. Hitherto, various selection processes have been used, some of which relied heavily on patronage. Developments in Medical Education, including curriculum design, formal work-based place assessment, alongside the introduction of MMC (Modernizing Medical Careers) paved the way for significant change. Trauma and orthopedics in England is the last surgical specialty to adopt National Selection and did so first in 2013. This paper sets out that journey, the implementation of National selection in 2013, what has been learned, and our goals for the future.

Heterogeneity in coal composition and implications for lung cancer risk in Xuanwei and Fuyuan counties, China.

BACKGROUND: Xuanwei and Fuyuan counties in Yunnan Province, China have among the highest lung cancer rates in the country. This has been associated with the domestic combustion of bituminous coal (referred to as "smoky" coal). Additionally, significant geographical variation in cancer rates among smoky coal users has been observed, suggesting heterogeneity in fuel source composition and/or combustion characteristics. Research thus far has indicated that smoky coal emits high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and contains high concentrations of fine grained crystalline quartz, however, much of this research is limited in terms of sample size and geographic scope. In order to more fully characterise geochemical and elemental compositions of smoky and smokeless coal use in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, we carried out a large exposure assessment study in households in this region. METHODS: Fuel samples representing smoky and "smokeless" (anthracite, the major alternative coal type in the region) coals were collected from 137 homes in Xuanwei and Fuyuan. Rock-Eval, Leco-CS, XRF analysis and electron microscopy were used to establish hydrocarbon content (to represent volatile organic compounds), major and trace element composition and mineral composition respectively. Heterogeneity in coal characteristics between and within coal types was assessed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: 145 coal samples (116 smoky and 29 smokeless coals) were analysed. Statistically significant differences between smoky and smokeless coals with regard to hydrocarbon content, sulfur, trace elements and mineral composition were observed. Of note, smoky coal contained between 5 and 15 times the amount of volatile organic matter and twice the amount of quartz (including respirable quartz) than smokeless coal. Smoky coal generally had lower levels of trace elements (plus aluminium) than smokeless coal. Significant variation was also observed between smoky coal samples from different geographical areas with regard to hydrocarbon content and elemental composition (including aluminium and silicon). DISCUSSION: This paper has identified compositional differences between and within smoky and smokeless coals sourced from Xuanwei and Fuyuan counties. A decreased ratio of aluminium to silicon in smoky coal suggests elevated free silica, a finding consistent with observed higher levels of quartz. Elevated volatile organic matter content in smoky coal (when compared to smokeless coal) is consistent with the geochemical expectations for smoky and smokeless coals. These findings also reflect previous observations of elevated volatile compound emissions (notably PAHs) from smoky coal in the area. The observed heterogeneity in coal composition between and within coal types may provide leads to the observed heterogeneity in cancer risk observed in this area.

Silica-volatile interaction and the geological cause of the Xuan Wei lung cancer epidemic.

Parts of Xuan Wei County, Yunnan Province, China have the highest known lung cancer mortality in nonsmoking women. This high mortality displays a clear spatial relationship to the mines producing coal from the uppermost Permian. Geochemical, petrographic, and grainsize analyses were undertaken on a set of coal samples from Xuan Wei. Results demonstrate that the single geochemical property that makes this coal unusual is its high concentration of quartz (13.5 wt %) of which 35-55% occurs as <10 microm grains. We propose the potential for silica-volatile interaction (PSVI) as a new method for assessing the combined influence of silica and volatile organic matter and use this as a basis for re-evaluating existing ecological data. Published lung cancer mortality values are more strongly correlated with PSVI values for Xuan Wei coal than with volatiles or silica alone and the PSVI values measured are distinct from those of other coals. Finally we propose that the localization of this epidemic to Xuan Wei results from enhanced weathering of the local Emeishan basalts as a consequence of geochemical perturbations at the Permo-Triassic Boundary.