Elderly Drivers Research Articles

Glocal map-matching algorithm for high-frequency and large-scale GPS data

The global positioning system (GPS) trajectory data are extensively utilized in various fields, such as driving behavior analysis, vehicle navigation systems, and traffic management. GPS sensors installed in numerous driving recorders and smartphones facilitate data collection on a large-scale in a high-frequency manner. Therefore, map-matching algorithms are indispensable to identify the GPS trajectories on a road network. Although the local map-matching algorithm reduces computation time, it lacks sufficient accuracy. Conversely, the global map-matching algorithm enhances matching accuracy; however, the computations are time consuming in the case of large-scale data. Therefore, this study proposes a method to improve the accuracy of the local map-matching algorithm without affecting its efficiency. The proposed method first executes the incremental map-matching algorithm. It then identifies the mismatching links in the results based on the connectivity of the links. Finally, the shortest path algorithm and the longest common subsequence are used to correct these error links. An elderly driver’s driving recorder data were used to conduct the experiment to compare the proposed method with four state-of-the-art map-matching algorithms in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method can significantly increase the accuracy and efficiency of the map-matching process when considering high-frequency and large-scale data. Particularly, compared with the two-benchmark global map-matching algorithms, the proposed method can reduce the error rate of map-matching by nearly half, only consuming 18% and 58% of the computation time of the two global algorithms, respectively.

Dietary restriction and the transcription factor clock delay eye aging to extend lifespan in Drosophila Melanogaster

Many vital processes in the eye are under circadian regulation, and circadian dysfunction has emerged as a potential driver of eye aging. Dietary restriction is one of the most robust lifespan-extending therapies and amplifies circadian rhythms with age. Herein, we demonstrate that dietary restriction extends lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster by promoting circadian homeostatic processes that protect the visual system from age- and light-associated damage. Altering the positive limb core molecular clock transcription factor, CLOCK, or CLOCK-output genes, accelerates visual senescence, induces a systemic immune response, and shortens lifespan. Flies subjected to dietary restriction are protected from the lifespan-shortening effects of photoreceptor activation. Inversely, photoreceptor inactivation, achieved via mutating rhodopsin or housing flies in constant darkness, primarily extends the lifespan of flies reared on a high-nutrient diet. Our findings establish the eye as a diet-sensitive modulator of lifespan and indicates that vision is an antagonistically pleiotropic process that contributes to organismal aging.

Research on Neck Response of Elderly Drivers in Rear Collision.

In order to study the neck response of elderly drivers in rear collision, a finite element model for elderly neck was built. By comparing the cadaver experiment data in the literature, the simulation reliability of the head and neck model of the elderly under dynamic load was verified. Through the C-NCAP rear-end collision test on the elderly model, the study showed that the neck of the elderly driver had good dynamic response characteristics. The verified finite element model was used to analyze the head and neck collision response and injury risk of the elderly under different distances between the head and the headrest (vertical distance and horizontal distance). By analyzing the head and neck injuries of occupants at different distances, it was found that when the horizontal distance was 50 mm, and the vertical distance was between +10 and ~+20 mm, the headrest could play the best role in protecting the neck of the elderly driver and could reduce the degree of injury of the elderly driver in the process of rear collision.

Age Differences in Hazard Perception of Drivers: The Roles of Emotion.

With the increasingly powerful functions of vehicle-mounted entertainment facilities, people (especially young drivers) like to listen to music while driving to render different atmospheres and emotions. However, emotions are important factors affecting drivers’ decisions, behavior and may reduce drivers’ hazard perception (HP), even promote dangerous driving behaviors of drivers. The purpose of this study is to explore the young and elderly drivers in assessing the HP difference under different emotional states. We conducted a 3 × 2 mixed experimental design with emotion as a within-participants variable and age as a between-participants factor. A sample of 14 young drivers (mean age = 22.21, SD = 1.05) and 13 elderly drivers (mean age = 54.08, SD = 2.72) completed the HP self-assessment of road traffic warning signs under negative emotion, neutral emotion, and positive emotion, randomly. The results showed that the young had the highest self-assessment HP under the negative emotion arousal condition, while the old had the highest self-assessment HP under the positive emotion arousal condition. In addition, When both groups were in a positive arousal state, the older group perceived more hazards than the young group. The results could help designers create driving emotions suitable for different driver groups, thus improving their perception of hazards and reducing risky driving.

Detection of Driver Dynamics with VGG16 Model

Abstract One of the most important factors triggering the occurrence of traffic accidents is that drivers continue to drive in a tired and drowsy state. It is a great opportunity to regularly control the dynamics of the driver with transfer learning methods while driving, and to warn the driver in case of possible drowsiness and to focus their attention in order to prevent traffic accidents due to drowsiness. A classification study was carried out with the aim of detecting the drowsiness of the driver by the position of the eyelids and the presence of yawning movement using the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture. The dataset used in the study includes the face shapes of drivers of different genders and different ages while driving. Accuracy and F1-score parameters were used for experimental studies. The results achieved are 91 % accuracy for the VGG16 model and an F1-score of over 90 % for each class.

Entry phase in men's backward dive pike: association between the shoulder joint and trunk angles.

A high prevalence of lower back pain has been observed in competitive divers. Hyperextension of the lumbar vertebrae during water entry is considered the main mechanism behind the incidence of lower back pain in divers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of the shoulder angle on the entry alignment. Posture angles of 13 male drivers (age: 16.8±2.9 years) who were invited to the national training camp in 2012 by Japan Swimming were recorded at the time of water entry via 201B using a high-speed camera. A negative correlation was observed between shoulder joint flexion and trunk extension angles on water entry. In addition, the trunk angle was significantly different between groups. For the lower back pain group, 210.4±5.7°, and in the non-lower back pain group, 199.9±9.0°, angles were observed with a larger extension of the trunk on water entry in the lower back pain group. The alignment on water entry was associated with the occurrence of lower back pain. Which suggested that enough shoulder flexibility can prevent the incidence of lower back pain.

Mantra yoga as a probable measure in improving sleep and reaction time among commercial drivers: An exploratory pilot study

Problem consideredRoad accidents are a growing concern in developing countries that needs immediate attention. The present study evaluated the role of Maha Mrityunjaya mantra (MMM), a vedic practice in reducing reaction time, burnout and improving sleep among commercial drivers. MethodsFifty commercial drivers (Age 39.92 ± 8.64) were enrolled for a 2 months MMM chanting session (21 rounds, 15 min daily, 5 sessions/week). The effects were measured at the baseline and at the end of 2 months using ruler drop test (RDT), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Oldenburg burnout inventory (OLBI). ResultsThe average work experience and duration of working hours per day were 15.1 ± 7.75 years and for 8.7 ± 1.7 h respectively. We observed significant changes in PSQI scores (Pre- 7.44 ± 3.9, Post- 4.82 ± 2.32; p < 0.01), OLBQI (Pre-38.24 ± 3.22, Post-34.24 ± 2.64; p < 0.01, effect size 1.000) and RDT scores (Pre-16 ± 3.9, Post-10.28 ± 2.79; p < 0.01). Spearman's correlation revealed a weak positive association between improvement in sleep with reaction time (rs = 0.247) and burnout scores (rs = 0.097). ConclusionThe present study concludes MMM chanting may be beneficial in improving the reaction time among drivers, which may be useful as a strategy in preventing road traffic accidents. However, robust randomized control trials are warranted before making generalized recommendations.

Large-scale chromatin reorganization reactivates placenta-specific genes that drive cellular aging.

Nuclear deformation, a hallmark frequently observed in senescent cells, is presumed to be associated with the erosion of chromatin organization at the nuclear periphery. However, how such gradual changes in higher-order genome organization impinge on local epigenetic modifications to drive cellular mechanisms of aging has remained enigmatic. Here, through large-scale epigenomic analyses of isogenic young, senescent, and progeroid human mesenchymal progenitor cells (hMPCs), we delineate a hierarchy of integrated structural state changes that manifest as heterochromatin loss in repressive compartments, euchromatin weakening in active compartments, switching in interfacing topological compartments, and increasing epigenetic entropy. We found that the epigenetic de-repression unlocks the expression of pregnancy-specific beta-1 glycoprotein (PSG) genes that exacerbate hMPC aging and serve as potential aging biomarkers. Our analyses provide a rich resource for uncovering the principles of epigenomic landscape organization and its changes in cellular aging and for identifying aging drivers and intervention targets with a genome-topology-based mechanism.

Automatic Discrimination of Task Difficulty Predicted by Frontal EEG Activity During Working Memory Tasks in Young and Elderly Drivers

It is desirable to prevent traffic accidents by focusing on elderly people’s brain characteristics. The attention level during driving depends on the amount of information-processing resources. This study first aimed at investigating the effects of the change in attention levels on the electroencephalogram (EEG) waves during the graded working memory tasks for a traffic situation. With the increase in memory loads, reaction times were delayed in the elderly than the young group. The difficult tasks activated the induced [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] powers in the frontal midline area primarily in the elderly, during the selective task for a target. The elderly could retain the attention level because of the activated slow EEG responses, regardless of the task performance, although the increased [Formula: see text] wave may reflect drowsiness. Because the assistance system based on drivers’ brain signals can prevent car accidents, this study also aimed at evaluating the analytical method to automatically discriminate the different attentional tasks from the EEG signals. Compared with [Formula: see text]-nearest neighbors and artificial neural networks, support vector machines more accurately classified attention levels (i.e., task difficulty) during working memory tasks reflecting a change in the induced [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] waves. This result can be related to a brain-computer interface system to judge the task difficulty during driving and alert a driver to danger. The experimental tasks for this study were limited because they involved simulations only in which participants recognized guided boards and removed irrelevant information. Real-time judgments should be investigated using EEG data to improve systems that can alert drivers to oncoming dangers.

Toward Elucidating Epigenetic and Metabolic Regulation of Stem Cell Lineage Plasticity in Skin Aging.

Skin is the largest organ in human body, harboring a plethora of cell types and serving as the organismal barrier. Skin aging such as wrinkling and hair graying is graphically pronounced, and the molecular mechanisms behind these phenotypic manifestations are beginning to unfold. As in many other organs and tissues, epigenetic and metabolic deregulations have emerged as key aging drivers. Particularly in the context of the skin epithelium, the epigenome and metabolome coordinately shape lineage plasticity and orchestrate stem cell function during aging. Our review discusses recent studies that proposed molecular mechanisms that drive the degeneration of hair follicles, a major appendage of the skin. By focusing on skin while comparing it to model organisms and adult stem cells of other tissues, we summarize literature on genotoxic stress, nutritional sensing, metabolic rewiring, mitochondrial activity, and epigenetic regulations of stem cell plasticity. Finally, we speculate about the rejuvenation potential of rate-limiting upstream signals during aging and the dominant role of the tissue microenvironment in dictating aged epithelial stem cell function.

RNA sequencing profiles reveal dynamic signaling and glucose metabolic features during bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell senescence

BackgroundStem cell senescence is considered as a significant driver of organismal aging. As individuals age, the number of stem cells is declined, and the ability to proliferate and survive is also weakened. It has been reported that metabolism plays an important role in stem cell self-renewal, multilineage differentiation, senescence and fate determination, which has aroused widespread concerns. However, whether metabolism-related genes or signalling pathways are involved in physiological aging remain largely undetermined.ResultsIn the current study, we showed 868 up-regulated and 2006 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from old rats in comparison with that from young rats by performing RNA sequence. And DEGs functions and pathways were further selected by function enrichment analysis. The results indicated that the high expression of DEGs might participate in cell differentiation, growth factor binding and etc., while the down-regulated DEGs were majorly enriched in metabolism process, such as the cellular metabolic process and mitochondria. Then, we screened and verified DEGs related to glucose metabolism and investigated the glycolysis levels. We identified that glucose uptake, lactate secretion, ATP production and relative extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) were all diminished in MSCs from old rats. More importantly, we conducted microRNA prediction on the key DEGs of glycolysis to elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms of glucose metabolism affecting MSC senescence.ConclusionsOur study unravelled the profiles of DEGs in age-associated MSC senescence and their functions and pathways. We also clarified DEGs related to glucose metabolism and down-regulated glycolysis level in age-associated MSC senescence. This study will uncover the metabolic effects on regulating stem cell senescence, and provide novel therapeutic targets for ameliorating age-associated phenotypes.

Investigating the interaction between age and liability for crashes at stop-sign-controlled intersections

The present study examined State of Michigan Traffic Crash Reports filed between 2015 and 2019 to explore the interaction between age and liability for crashes at stop-sign-controlled intersections. A driver’s liability for a crash was derived from the “Hazardous Action” field in each crash report. The likelihood of assigning liability to an elderly driver was examined in light of pre-crash actions defined in each report’s “Actions Prior to Crash” field. Logistic regression was applied to calculate odds ratios used to explain the likelihood. Furthermore, Random Forest machine learning technique was used to predict driver liability based on pre-crash actions. Distraction, number of travel lanes, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs were significant predictors of the likelihood that an elderly driver was at-fault in a crash. A “going straight” pre-crash action by an elderly driver was the best indicator of liability, regardless of the pre-crash action by a young driver. For interaction scenarios, an elderly driver going straight at a stop-sign-controlled intersection was associated with a lower likelihood of being liable for a crash. Turning actions increased the likelihood of the elderly driver being liable for a crash. The results can be used to appraise countermeasures that improve the safety of elderly drivers at stop-controlled intersections.

The TM2.50 Aspartate of the TM1‐2‐7 Hydrogen‐Bond Network Modulates Signaling Bias Effects in G Protein‐Coupled Receptor 19 (GPR19)

G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) are successful drug targets due to their functional involvement in nearly every biological process. GPCRs can generate functional signals via both G proteins and β‐arrestins. Our research has demonstrated that an additional non‐G protein signaling function may exist for GPCRs, i.e. the GIT2 (GRK interacting transcript 2) signaling pathway. The structural bases of differential signaling paradigm control in GPCRs are still relatively unclear. Through structural modification of conserved structural motifs in GPCRs, we have sought to unravel this conundrum. The hydrogen‐bond network, including transmembrane helix 1 (TM1) Asparagine (N1.50), TM2 Aspartate (D2.50), and TM7 Asparagine (N7.49), is conserved across the majority of Rhodopsin‐like GPCRs and is known to affect GPCR signal initiation. Human GPR19 however possesses a natural variation in this network, i.e. a Lysine substitution for the TM7 Asparagine N7.49. Here we have introduced selective point mutations to several of these conserved sites and have investigated how these changes affect G protein, β‐arrestin, and GIT2 signaling bias effects. We have investigated both the proteomic cellular response to expression level variation of wild type (WT) and mutant (MT) GPR19 forms, as well as the physical interactome of WT and MT forms by using quantitative mass spectrometry. With these data we have performed targeted bioinformatic analyses to investigate signaling bias effects at GPR19. Our results have demonstrated that the TM2 MT D2.50A was able to indeed shift signaling bias from β‐arrestin paradigms to GIT2 signaling paradigms. Our research, as well as others, have shown that β‐arrestin and GIT2 signaling can act in an opposite manner regarding stress resistance and DNA damage (both drivers of aging and age‐related disease), with the former facilitating damage and the latter attenuating damage. Controlling the ability of a GPCR to selectively regulate these pathways could show beneficial effects concerning DNA damage in the context of aging and age‐related disease.

Cellular senescence

Cellular senescence defines a state of stable and generally irreversible proliferative arrest associated with various morphological, structural and functional changes (Figure 1), including enhanced expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory and tissue-remodelling mediators. This state is crucial in tissue physiology and pathology and arises as a response to potentially damaging stress signals. Whether the activation of a senescence state provides benefits or detriments for tissue function and homeostasis is strictly dependent on the context. Cell senescence acts as a potent tumour-suppressive mechanism limiting the proliferation of cells at risk of malignant transformation and supports the repair of acute tissue damage, but also represents a key driver of ageing and age-related diseases.

자동차 운전원의 작업환경, 일-생활 균형, 건강문제에 관한 연령대별 특성 비교

Objective: This study analyzes working conditions, work-life balance and health-related problems of drivers according to age group.<BR>Background: Currently, Aging is progressing in Korea and the proportion of elderly drivers is rapidly increasing. Accordingly, a systematic analysis of the working environment, work-life balance, exposure to hazard factors, and health-related problems of elderly drivers is required.<BR>Method: 827 drivers were extracted from the 5th Korean Working Condition Survey data. Among them, 211 were less than 50 years old, 349 were between 50 and 59 years old, and 267 were older than 60 years old. Statistical analysis of the working environment, exposure to hazard factors, work-life balance, and health-related problems of drivers by age is done.<BR>Results: It was found that there were age group differences in working conditions such as educational background, wage, experience, and working hours per week. For the degree of exposures to ergonomic hazard factors and emotional hazard factors, there were more exposures over the age of 60 in the sitting posture, direct customer service, and dealing with angry customers, while there were more exposures to handling heavy objects for those under the age of 50. In terms of work-life balance, work-life balance in their 50s was generally poor, and in health-related problems, respondents in their 50s and 60s complained upper extremity pain, lower extremity pain, and back pain more.<BR>Conclusion: Working hours per week in their 50s are causing work-life imbalance, so it is necessary to reduce working hours in their 50s. For the severity of musculoskeletal disorders, efforts to improve working conditions of elderly drivers are needed.<BR>Application: The results can be used as basic data on improving working condition especially for the working hours and reducing occupational hazard factors and health-related problems of the drivers.

Driver Response Time and Age Impact on the Reaction Time of Drivers: A Driving Simulator Study among Professional-Truck Drivers

Drivers’ response time means that drivers act after a judgment is made when an emergency action signal is needed. Drivers have different feelings while driving, and the response time to sudden situations differs. The main purpose of this study was to verify whether the mean reaction time of professional drivers is at the level of one second, which is the value usually used for practical purposes, and to verify the impact of age on the reaction times of drivers. Two different studies with a total of 120 participants—professional drivers—were conducted on the simulator, with 116 drivers participating in the first experiment and four drivers participating in the second experiment using eye-tracking technology. The determination of the mean reaction time was realized using statistical tests. The evaluation of the impact of age on the reaction time of professional drivers was carried out using statistical testing, a regression model, and clustering. The results of this study can be immediately used in practice for professional drivers, as the mean reaction time is usually used as a benchmark in several calculations in transport, for forensic and educational purposes, and for planning traffic and modelling different traffic situations.

Requirements of Elderly Drivers for the HMI of Automated Vehicles

Requirements of Elderly Drivers for the HMI of Automated Vehicles

Effects of traffic sign design and personal characteristics on the usability of traffic signs

BACKGROUND: Previous researchers examined the effects of either drivers’ personal characteristics or traffic sign design features on the usability of traffic signs. Their research indicated a connection existed between personal characteristics and usability and between design features and usability. OBJECTIVES: The focus of this study was to investigate which personal characteristics of drivers and which features of traffic sign design affect traffic sign usability the most. METHODS: The study was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, the participants filled out a questionnaire designed to record each driver’s personal characteristics. In the second stage, a System Usability Scale (SUS) was used to evaluate the subjective usability of traffic signs. The SUS had 10 statements that participants (N = 386) scored on a 5-point Likert-type scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. In the third stage, these participants assigned from 0 to 100 points to 20 signs based on participant perception of the five design features of familiarity, concreteness, simplicity, meaningfulness, and semantic distance. RESULTS: The results showed that four of the five personal characteristics studied (age, education level, possession of a driving license, and formal driving experience) correlated significantly with traffic sign usability. The exception was gender, which did not correlate significantly. Additionally, it was found that the five traffic sign design features correlated in varying degrees of significance with each other and with specific traffic signs. CONCLUSIONS: Traffic sign usability depends mostly both on driver education level and age group and on the design feature of meaningfulness. These findings have implications for how drivers should be trained and how signs should be designed.

"Is it time to stop driving?": A randomized clinical trial of an online decision aid for older drivers.

Many older adults face the difficult decision of when to stop driving. We sought to test whether an online driving decision aid (DDA) would improve decision quality. This prospective two-arm randomized trial enrolled English-speaking licensed drivers (age ≥70 years) without significant cognitive impairment but with ≥1 diagnosis associated with increased likelihood of driving cessation; all participants received primary care in clinics associated with study sites in three states. The intervention was the online Healthwise® DDA for older adults addressing "Is it time to stop driving?"; control was web-based information for older drivers only. The primary outcome was decision conflict as estimated by the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS; lower scores indicate higher quality). Secondary outcomes were knowledge and decision self-efficacy about driving decisions. We examined postrandomization differences in primary and secondary outcomes by study arm using generalized linear mixed-effects models with adjustment for site and prerandomization scores. Among 301 participants (mean age: 77.1 years), 51.2% identified as female and the majority as non-Hispanic (99.0%) and white (95.3%); 98.0% lived in an urban area. Participant characteristics were similar by study arm but differed across sites. Intervention participants had a lower mean DCS score (12.3 DDA vs 15.2 control; adjusted mean ratio [AMR] 0.76, 95%CI 0.61-0.95; p=0.017). Intervention participants had higher mean knowledge scores (88.9 DDA vs. 79.9 control; OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.01-1.27, p=0.038); there was no difference between groups in self-efficacy scores. The DDA had high acceptability; 86.9% of those who viewed it said they would recommend it to others in similar situations. The online Healthwise® DDA decreased decision conflict and increased knowledge in this sample of English-speaking, older adults without significant cognitive impairment, although most chose to continue driving. Use of such resources in clinical or community settings may support older adults as they transition from driving to other forms of mobility. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier "Advancing Understanding of Transportation Options (AUTO)" NCT04141891.

Role of sleep quality in the acceleration of biological aging and its potential for preventive interaction on air pollution insults: Findings from the UK Biobank cohort.

Sleep has been associated with aging and relevant health outcomes, but the causal relationship remains inconclusive. In this study, we investigated the associations of sleep behaviors with biological ages (BAs) among 363,886 middle and elderly adults from UK Biobank. Sleep index (0 [worst]–6 [best]) of each participant was retrieved from the following six sleep behaviors: snoring, chronotype, daytime sleepiness, sleep duration, insomnia, and difficulties in getting up. Two BAs, the KDM‐biological age and PhenoAge, were estimated by corresponding algorithms based on clinical traits, and their residual discrepancies with chronological age were defined as the age accelerations (AAs). We first observed negative associations between the sleep index and the two AAs, and demonstrated that the change of AAs could be the consequence of sleep quality using Mendelian randomization with genetic risk scores of sleep index and BAs. Particularly, a one‐unit increase in sleep index was associated with 0.104‐ and 0.119‐year decreases in KDM‐biological AA and PhenoAge acceleration, respectively. Air pollution is another key driver of aging. We further observed significant independent and joint effects of sleep and air pollution (PM2.5 and NO2) on AAs. Sleep quality also showed a modifying effect on the associations of elevated PM2.5 and NO2 levels with accelerated AAs. For instance, an interquartile range increase in PM2.5 level was associated with 0.009‐, 0.044‐, and 0.074‐year increase in PhenoAge acceleration among people with high (5–6), medium (3–4), and low (0–2) sleep index, respectively. Our findings elucidate that better sleep quality could lessen accelerated biological aging resulting from air pollution.