Individual Movement Research Articles

Analysis of Consumer Preferences for Used Cars Using K-Means Clustering as a Basis for Building Business Actions

Transportation is a crucial aspect of modern mobility, enabling the movement of goods and individuals. Private vehicles, such as motorcycles and cars, are the dominant choice for many due to their convenience and practicality. However, with numerous car options, consumers often struggle to select used cars that match their needs and preferences. In this research, data mining is employed to cluster used cars based on consumer preferences for price, rating, and performance using the K-Means Clustering algorithm. The data consists of used car information from various sources. The K-Means algorithm groups the cars into clusters based on price, rating, and performance criteria. The results reveal three consumer groups with different preferences in these areas. This information provides valuable insights for consumers to make informed decisions and offers guidance to the automotive industry for designing more effective business actions.

Effect of Local Vibration Therapy on Pain, Joint Position Sense, Kinesiophobia, and Disability in Cervical Disc Herniation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background/Objectives: Vibration therapy approaches are an effective and safe treatment option for musculoskeletal disorders. This study examines the effects of vibration therapy using a percussion massage gun (PMG) on joint position sense, range of motion, pain, functionality, and kinesiophobia in individuals with cervical disc herniation (CDH). Methods: This single-blind randomized controlled trial involved 44 CDH patients divided into a Vibration Group (VG) and a Conventional Group (CG). The CG underwent a standard physiotherapy treatment heat application, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), and exercises for range of motion and strengthening. VG received conventional therapy augmented with vibration therapy (VT) via a PMG. Joint position sense (JPS) using the Laser Pointer Assisted Angle Repetition Test; pain intensity with the Visual Analog Scale, kinesiophobia with the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, and cervical dysfunction with the Neck Disability Index were assessed. Results: Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in pain, kinesiophobia, disability, and proprioception after treatment (p < 0.05). When comparing the difference values between groups, the VG was found to be more effective than the CG in the parameters of VAS activity (p = 0.013). The CG had more improvement in JPS neck left rotation than the VG (p = 0.000). Conclusions: VT, when combined with conventional physiotherapy, is effective in improving pain, proprioception, and functionality in individuals with CDH. These findings support the inclusion of VT as a beneficial adjunct therapy. Further research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups is recommended to validate these results and explore the long-term effects of VT on CDH.

Can a Novel Light Weight Minimal Support Lifting Exoskeleton Modify Lifting Movement in People without Low Back Pain?

Low back pain (LBP) is a major contributor to lifting-related disabilities. To minimize the risk of back pain, emerging technologies known as lifting exoskeletons were designed to optimize lifting movements. However, it is currently unknown whether a minimally supportive exoskeleton can alter the lifting movement in people without LBP. This study aims to investigate if wearing a novel lightweight exoskeleton that minimally supports the back, hip, and knee can alter the lifting range of motion and movement variations in people without LBP. This study also aims to investigate if wearing this novel exoskeleton can result in a reliable between-day lifting movement. In two separate sessions (each one week apart), fourteen participants lifted a box (that weighed 10% of their body weight) ten times, once while wearing an exoskeleton and once while not wearing an exoskeleton. Wearing the novel exoskeleton during lifting produced moderate-high, test-retest reliability (Trunk: ICC3,1 = 0.89, 95% CI [0.67, 0.96], SEM = 9.34°; Hip: ICC3,1 = 0.63, 95% CI [0.22, 0.88], SEM = 2.57°; Knee: ICC3,1 = 0.61, 95% CI [0.23, 0.87], SEM = 2.50°). Wearing an exoskeleton significantly decreased the range of motion of the knee (F1,4 = 4.83, p = 0.031, ηp2 = 0.06). Additionally, wearing an exoskeleton significantly decreased hip (diff = 8.38, p = 0.045) and knee (diff = -8.57, p = 0.038) movement variability; however, wearing an exoskeleton did not decrease the movement variability of the body's trunk (diff = 0.60, p = 1.00). Therefore, minimally supported lifting through the use of exoskeletons can modify movement in people without LBP and produce reliable lifting movements. Wearing the novel exoskeleton is also desirable for monitoring lifting movements. Future studies should investigate the use of sensors and IMU to monitor lifting movement at work with the least amount of intrusion on an individual's movement.

Small towns limit dispersal and reduce genetic diversity in populations of Texas horned lizards.

There is a general expectation that urban populations will be fragmented and the movement of individuals will be restricted leading to low effective population sizes, low genetic diversity, higher inbreeding, and higher differentiation than populations living in more continuous habitat. In this study, we compare the genetic diversity and differentiation of Texas horned lizards that are found in four small towns (Kenedy, Karnes City, Rockdale, and Smithville) in Texas and at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma to populations that occur in 16 natural areas and to an introduced population in South Carolina. We also present more detailed spatial genetic data and home range data for several of the towns. Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) living in small towns have lower genetic diversity, higher differentiation, and smaller effective population sizes than populations located in more natural areas. There was evidence for human-mediated movement of lizards into town; however, it has not been enough to counteract the effects of drift. Home range size is smaller in town than in more natural areas. Genetic patterns suggest dispersal occurs over short distances and is inhibited across areas with a high percent of impervious surface and major roads. These data suggest that effective planning to maintain suitable habitat and corridors to facilitate movement is critical to maintaining small terrestrial species like the Texas horned lizard and must be integrated into the early stages of urban development.

Motility and pairwise interactions of chemically active droplets in one-dimensional confinement.

Self-propelled droplets serve as ideal model systems to delve deeper into understanding the motion of biological microswimmers by simulating their motility. Biological microorganisms are renowned for showcasing a diverse array of dynamic swimming behaviors when confronted with physical constraints. This study aims to elucidate the impact of physical constraints on swimming characteristics of biological microorganisms. To achieve this, we present observations on the individual and pairwise behavior of micellar solubilized self-propelled 4-cyano-4'-pentyl-biphenyl (5CB) oil droplets in a square capillary channel filled with a surfactant trimethyl ammonium bromide aqueous solution. To explore the effect of the underlying Péclet number of the swimming droplets, the study is also performed in the presence of additives such as high molecular weight polymer polyethylene oxide and molecular solute glycerol. The capillary confinement restricts droplet to predominantly one-dimensional motion, albeit with noticeable differences in their motion across the three scenarios. Through a characterization of the chemical and hydrodynamic flow fields surrounding the droplets, we illustrate that the modification of the droplets' chemical field due to confinement varies significantly based on the underlying differences in the Péclet number in these cases. This alteration in the chemical field distribution notably affects the individual droplets' motion. Moreover, these distinct chemical field interactions between the droplets also lead to variations in their pairwise motion, ranging from behaviors like chasing to scattering.

Handwave Harmony: Transforminggestures into Words

Our project introduces a real-time gesture recognition system using ResNet50 and OpenCV. This innovative technology offers precise interpretation of sign movements for individuals with hearing difficulties. This represents a form of interpersonal connection where individuals convey understanding, empathy, or agreement through the subtle movements of their hands. The system is trained on a diverse dataset for flexibility and utilizes ResNet50's capabilities while integrating OpenCV for reduced latency, ensuring effective communication. Rigorous testing validates its accuracy, with user input fosters iterative learning. The study highlights the Importance of continuous enhancement and collaboration with the deaf and hard-of-hearing community for greater inclusiveness.

Türkiye in the Kazakh socio-political thought of the early twentieth century

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate Turkish issues in the Kazakh socio-political thought of the early twentieth century. To conduct this study, a set of scientific methods was used, such as general scientific methods of information analysis and synthesis, methods of system analysis and content analysis; specialised methods of historical science – source methods (classification of sources, analysis and comparison, synthesis of information received), historical-system method, comparative-historical method, problematic-chronological method. The main method of the study is the historical-system method, using which a structural and functional analysis of the problem was carried out. The results of this study disclose the specific features of the socio-political life of Kazakhs at the beginning of the twentieth century, provides data on their party movements and the publishing house of national mass media, substantiates the role of Türkiye in the context of Pan-Turkism aspirations of individual political movements and personalities. The materials of this study are of practical value for an in-depth study of the history of Kazakhstan in the twentieth century, history of Pan-Turkism movements, and further research of such scientific issues as the role of intellectuals, public associations, and national Kazakh printed publications in the acquisition of statehood of Kazakhstan.

Is There a Pathologic Running Motion Associated with Running-Related Injuries? A Methodological Study Using a Motion Analysis System Without Sensors.

(1) Background and objectives: Running-related injuries (RRIs) are commonly attributed to improper running posture and overuse. This study aims to analyze the running motions of individuals with and without RRIs using a sensor-free method, which offers a user-friendly and straightforward approach. (2) Materials and Methods: A total of 155 runners were divided into two groups: the normal runner group (runners who had never been injured, n = 50) and the RRI group (runners who had experience at least one injury while running, n = 105). The forward head posture (FHP), trunk lean, hip rotation, horizontal movement of the center of gravity (COG), vertical movement of the COG, pelvic rotation, hip hike, and type of strike were measured for posture analysis. (3) Results: We found that the left-right balance of the pelvis and the spinal posture during running were associated with RRIs. The difference in hip hike and FHP emerged as key predictors of running-related musculoskeletal injury occurrence from our logistic regression analysis. (4) Conclusions: Identifying pathological movements in runners through running motion analysis without the use of sensors can be instrumental in the prevention and treatment of RRIs.

The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on lumbar range of motion and lumbar fascia characteristics in healthy individuals

ObjectivesTo investigate the effect of Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on lumbar fascia thickness, lumbar flexion angle, and lumbar curvature in healthy people. DesignRandomized, clinical trial. Subjects100 healthy individuals. InterventionsParticipants were randomized into the active TENS group (n = 50) and placebo TENS group (n = 50). Subjects received 10 sessions of TENS in the lumbar region for 2 weeks. Main measuresLumbar fascia thickness, lumbar flexion angle, and lumbar curvature examined by ultrasonography, flexible ruler, and spinal mouse three times (before and after the intervention sessions, and two weeks after the last intervention session-follow up) ResultsSubjects in the TENS group showed a significant reduction in lumbar fascia thickness (P ≤ 0.002), an increase in lumbar flexion angle (P = 0.000), and an increase in lumbar curvature angle (P = 0.000) before and after the intervention sessions. The results of the follow-up evaluations showed the stability of the changes in the mentioned variables. ConclusionThe improvements in the lumbar fascia thickness and lumbar flexibility suggest that TENS may be effective in healthy subjects. Data indicate that biomechanical properties of lumbar fascia and lumbar flexibility are directly linked, and other mechanisms could be more influential in contributing to improvement.

Predictability of human mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

Human mobility is fundamental to a range of applications including epidemic control, urban planning, and traffic engineering. While laws governing individual movement trajectories and population flows across locations have been extensively studied, the predictability of population-level mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic driven by specific activities such as work, shopping, and recreation remains elusive. Here we analyze mobility data for six place categories at the US county level from 2020 February 15 to 2021 November 23 and measure how the predictability of these mobility metrics changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We quantify the time-varying predictability in each place category using an information-theoretic metric, permutation entropy. We find disparate predictability patterns across place categories over the course of the pandemic, suggesting differential behavioral changes in human activities perturbed by disease outbreaks. Notably, predictability change in foot traffic to residential locations is mostly in the opposite direction to other mobility categories. Specifically, visits to residences had the highest predictability during stay-at-home orders in March 2020, while visits to other location types had low predictability during this period. This pattern flipped after the lifting of restrictions during summer 2020. We identify four key factors, including weather conditions, population size, COVID-19 case growth, and government policies, and estimate their nonlinear effects on mobility predictability. Our findings provide insights on how people change their behaviors during public health emergencies and may inform improved interventions in future epidemics.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Kinesiophobia, Foot and Ankle Function and Physical Activity of Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability

Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are common in athletes and 40% lead to chronic ankle instability (CAI). CAI is characterised by recurrent sprains and limitation of motion. Our study investigated the relationship between kinesiophobia, foot-ankle function, and physical activity in athletes with chronic ankle instability. In our study, 112 individuals with CAI who have been doing regular sports for at least 5 years were included. Tampa kinesiophobia test, Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Short Version) were administered to the included individuals via Google form. IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 26.0 (SPSS inc, Chicago, IL, USA) was used. Pearson's test analysis was used in the study, and statistical significance was taken as p ≤ 0.05 for all measurements in two directions. 115 participants (75 males and 40 females) were included in the study. The participants were 20.43±3.921(years) years old, 176.14±9.288(cm) tall, and 67.88±11.571(kg) weight. In addition, the subjects' International Physical Activity Score (Short Version) showed that 34 were inactive, 54 were minimally active, and 27 were very active. There was a moderate negative correlation between the Tampa Kinesiophobia score and FAAM sport and DLA subscores (p&amp;lt;.001). Individuals with increased kinesiophobia scores had decreased Foot and Ankle Ability Measure scores. According to the studies, studies on foot and ankle range of motion, position perception, and balance in individuals with CAI may decrease kinesiophobia.

Association of meeting the 24-h movement guidelines with high blood pressure in adolescents: a cross-sectional study

The 24-h movement guidelines for children and adolescents comprise recommendations for adequate sleep, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB). However, whether adolescents who meet these 24-h movement guidelines may be less likely to have high blood pressure (HBP) has not been established. The present study assessed the association between meeting 24-h movement guidelines and HBP in a school-based sample of 996 adolescents between 10–17 years (13.2 ± 2.4 years, 55.4% of girls). Blood pressure was measured using a digital oscillometric device, while sleep, MVPA and SB were measured using the Baecke questionnaire. The association between the 24-h movement guidelines and HBP was performed using binary logistic regression adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and body mass index. It was observed that less than 1% of the sample meet the three 24-h movement guidelines. The prevalence of HBP was lower in adolescents who meet all three movement 24-h guidelines (11.1%) compared to those who did not meet any guidelines (27.2%). Individual 24-h movement guidelines analysis showed that adolescents with adequate sleep were 35% less likely to have HBP (OR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.46–0.91). Meeting sleep guidelines combined with meeting MVPA (OR = 0.69; 95% CI 0.50–0.95) or SB (OR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.48–0.94) was inversely associated with HBP. Adolescents who meet two or three 24-h movement guidelines were respectively 47% (OR = 0.53; 95% CI 0.29–0.98) and 34% (OR = 0.66; 95% CI 0.48–0.91) less likely to have HBP. In adolescents, meeting sleep and 24-h movement guidelines were inversely associated with HBP.

Dynamics of a spatiotemporal SIS epidemic model with distinct mobility range

In this study, we consider an epidemic model for susceptible-infected-susceptible populations with nonlocal dffusion, described by convolution operators. Our main objective is to model different diffusion strategies for the susceptible and infected populations by using distinct kernel functions in the convolution operator to model the different movements of individuals for each class. This approach eliminates the simplification of reducing the stationary problem to a single equation, which makes the analysis more challenging. However, we have shown the existence of at least one positive endemic steady state when the basic reproduction number is greater than one, using the index degree theory of Leray-Schauder. Additionally, we investigated the asymptotic profile of the endemic equilibrium state for both, large and small diffusion rates, to demonstrate the persistence or extinction of the disease. Overall, our study indicates that restricting individual movements only partially cannot eliminate the disease unless the total population size is small.

Distinct Motion Control Strategy during Unanticipated Landing: Transitioning from Copers to Chronic Ankle Instability

Background: Patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) demonstrated altered movement patterns during unanticipated landing compared to coper patients. Understanding the effects of kinematics, dynamics and energetics on individual movement patterns during landing could enhance motor control strategies for patients with ankle sprains while avoiding the transition of coper patients to CAI patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in movement patterns of coper patients compared to CAI patients during the unanticipated landings; Methods: Fifteen individuals with CAI (age: 22.8±1.4 years; height: 180.1±4.2 cm; weight: 81.5±5.8 kg) and fifteen copers (age: 23.1±1.2 years; height: 179.8±4.4 cm, weight: 80.4±6.2 kg) participated in an unanticipated landing task, during which three-dimensional motion capture, ground reaction force (GRF), and muscle activation data were collected. A musculoskeletal model was used to estimate muscle force and joint power among these two groups. Joint power was calculated as the product of angular velocity in the sagittal plane and joint moment data, reflecting the energy transfer at the ankle, knee, and hip joints. Furthermore, energy dissipation and generation within these joints were determined by integrating specific regions of the joint power curve; Results: Individuals with CAI demonstrated a greater muscle force in the vastus lateralis compared copers during the unanticipated landing task, while copers exhibited higher peak muscle forces in the medial gastrocnemius (p=0.007), lateral gastrocnemius (p=0.002), soleus (p=0.004). The muscle activation patterns of CAI patients also differ from those of coper patients. Compared to copers, CAI patients exhibit earlier activation of the rectus femoris (p&lt;0.001) and lateral gastrocnemius muscles (p=0.042). Conversely, copers demonstrate earlier activation of the soleus (p=0.004) and medial gastrocnemius (p=0.003) muscles. In addition, joint power in CAI individuals during unanticipated landing shifted from the ankle to the knee and hip (p&lt;0.001); Conclusions: These findings suggest that individuals with CAI exhibit a change in motion control strategy during unanticipated landing tasks. The variations in peak forces and the ability of proximal muscles to generate force might enable them to offset the deficits noted in distal muscles. Energy redistribution issues observed in CAI patients may help to prevent the transition of coper patients towards developing CAI patients.

Biochemical versus stomatal acclimation of dynamic photosynthetic gas exchange to elevated CO2 in three horticultural species with contrasting stomatal morphology.

Understanding photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 (eCO2) is important for predicting plant physiology and optimizing management decisions under global climate change, but is underexplored in important horticultural crops. We grew three crops differing in stomatal density-namely chrysanthemum, tomato, and cucumber-at near-ambient CO2 (450 μmol mol-1) and eCO2 (900 μmol mol-1) for 6 weeks. Steady-state and dynamic photosynthetic and stomatal conductance (gs) responses were quantified by gas exchange measurements. Opening and closure of individual stomata were imaged in situ, using a novel custom-made microscope. The three crop species acclimated to eCO2 with very different strategies: Cucumber (with the highest stomatal density) acclimated to eCO2 mostly via dynamic gs responses, whereas chrysanthemum (with the lowest stomatal density) acclimated to eCO2 mostly via photosynthetic biochemistry. Tomato exhibited acclimation in both photosynthesis and gs kinetics. eCO2 acclimation in individual stomatal pore movement increased rates of pore aperture changes in chrysanthemum, but such acclimation responses resulted in no changes in gs responses. Although eCO2 acclimation occurred in all three crops, photosynthesis under fluctuating irradiance was hardly affected. Our study stresses the importance of quantifying eCO2 acclimatory responses at different integration levels to understand photosynthetic performance under future eCO2 environments.

Cardiorespiratory motion characteristics and their dosimetric impact on cardiac stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Cardiac stereotactic body radiotherapy (CSBRT) is an emerging and promising noninvasive technique for treating refractory arrhythmias utilizing highly precise, single or limited-fraction high-dose irradiations. This method promises to revolutionize the treatment of cardiac conditions by delivering targeted therapy with minimal exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. However, the dynamic nature of cardiorespiratory motion poses significant challenges to the precise delivery of dose in CSBRT, introducing potential variabilities that can impact treatment efficacy. The complexities of the influence of cardiorespiratory motion on dose distribution are compounded by interplay and blurring effects, introducing additional layers of dose uncertainty. These effects, critical to the understanding and improvement of the accuracy of CSBRT, remain unexplored, presenting a gap in current clinical literature. To investigate the cardiorespiratory motion characteristics in arrhythmia patients and the dosimetric impact of interplay and blurring effects induced by cardiorespiratory motion on CSBRT plan quality. The position and volume variations in the substrate target and cardiac substructures were evaluated in 12 arrhythmia patients using displacement maximum (DMX) and volume metrics. Moreover, a four-dimensional (4D) dose reconstruction approach was employed to examine the dose uncertainty of the cardiorespiratory motion. Cardiac pulsation induced lower DMX than respiratory motion but increased the coefficient of variation and relative range in cardiac substructure volumes. The mean DMX of the substrate target was 0.52cm (range: 0.26-0.80cm) for cardiac pulsation and 0.82cm (range: 0.32-2.05cm) for respiratory motion. The mean DMX of the cardiac structure ranged from 0.15 to 1.56cm during cardiac pulsation and from 0.35 to 1.89cm during respiratory motion. Cardiac pulsation resulted in an average deviation of -0.73% (range: -4.01%-4.47%) in V25 between the 3D and 4D doses. The mean deviations in the homogeneity index (HI) and gradient index (GI) were 1.70% (range: -3.10%-4.36%) and 0.03 (range: -0.14-0.11), respectively. For cardiac substructures, the deviations in D50 due to cardiac pulsation ranged from -1.88% to 1.44%, whereas the deviations in Dmax ranged from -2.96% to 0.88% of the prescription dose. By contrast, the respiratory motion led to a mean deviation of -1.50% (range: -10.73%-4.23%) in V25. The mean deviations in HI and GI due to respiratory motion were 4.43% (range: -3.89%-13.98%) and 0.18 (range: -0.01-0.47) (p<0.05), respectively. Furthermore, the deviations in D50 and Dmax in cardiac substructures for the respiratory motion ranged from -0.28% to 4.24% and -4.12% to 1.16%, respectively. Cardiorespiratory motion characteristics vary among patients, with the respiratory motion being more significant. The intricate cardiorespiratory motion characteristics and CSBRT plan complexity can induce substantial dose uncertainty. Therefore, assessing individual motion characteristics and 4D dose reconstruction techniques is critical for implementing CSBRT without compromising efficacy and safety.

Killer Phonon Caught: Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy Identifies Phonon-Induced Control of Photophysics in Rubrene Derivatives.

Molecular reaction coordinates are defined by the interplay of a number of orthogonal nuclear coordinates and are inherently multidimensional for large molecules. Identifying how specific nuclear motions along these reaction coordinates can be used to drive and control chemical processes is a promising approach for the optimization of chemical outcomes and targeted synthetic design. Here, we used femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) to quantify the effects of individual phonon nuclear motions on singlet fission in rubrene derivatives. Rubrene readily undergoes singlet fission and is amendable to chemical derivatization, yet the factors that impact the singlet fission yield are not fully understood. Crystal packing is known to play a significant role in both fission and carrier transport, and thus, we focused on the impact of phonon nuclear motions on the photophysics. We used four halogen-substituted rubrene crystals and successfully identified one specific phonon mode that suppresses singlet fission in these crystals. We used FSRS with single-pulse excitation and double-pulse excitation to coherently amplify each phonon mode and quantify its effects on the excited-state process. We found that coherent amplification of the specific phonon vibration involving twisting of the peripheral phenyl rings and tetracene core motions resulted in less ground-state depletion and fewer triplet state absorption. Our study demonstrated that it is possible to use coherent phonon excitation to influence the photophysical outcome, while also showing that FSRS with double-pulse excitation can be a successful tool for quantifying mode-selective contributions to photophysics.

A new microscopic traffic-flow model based on the spatiotemporal continuous system concept considering nonlinear human response

A brand-new traffic model is introduced to precisely simulate the individual movement of vehicles, departing from the traditional macroscopic perspective (Eulerian scope or fluid dynamics concept) to adopt a microscopic approach (Lagrangian scope). This model is built on the first principle of Newton’s kinetic equation, explicitly incorporating nonlinear relations to represent human responses to a physical stimulus (observed information), such as the velocity gap between one’s own vehicle and a certain targeted one or the gap to a preceding vehicle, unlike the conventional car-following concept. The model posits that a driver’s recognition occurs intermittently rather than continuously, following specific probabilistic distributions of which the formulation is physically justified. Overall, the model can be described as a spatiotemporally continuous formulation unlike cellular automaton (CA) traffic models, crucial for capturing traffic dynamics at the micro and macro levels. The model is validated using a real traffic-flow dataset from a highway, and the results of the conventional CA traffic model are compared with those of the present one” along with a note for authorial verification. Animated simulations confirm that the present model can reproduce realistic flow dynamics characterized by smoother acceleration and deceleration compared to the conventional CA traffic model. The complete simulation source code for replicating the model is made publicly available.

Mirror game as a tool to influence interpersonal spontaneous behavior after performance.

Mirror game (MG) is an exercise in which participants imitate each other. Our study explored its spontaneous behavioral consequences after performance. In a baseline (BL) phase, two participants performed a joint Simon task. Then, they performed a lure task during which we measured the interpersonal distance they spontaneously adopted. The BL phase was followed by two phases (in counterbalanced order). The MG phase started with a MG, before a procedure like the BL phase. The individual movement (IM) phase started with movements performed alone before a procedure like the BL phase. Interpersonal distance analysis suggested that MG enhanced spontaneous approach toward the partner, whereas IM induced spontaneous avoidance. Moreover, the joint Simon effect (JSE) tended to be smaller after IM, suggesting a decreasing inclination to integrate the partner's response in one's own action plan. Furthermore, in IM phase, JSE decreased as interpersonal distance increased.

The effect of immediate neuromuscular training on ankle biomechanics in individuals with functional ankle instability

Functional ankle instability arises from recurrent ankle sprains. Neuromuscular training is employed to enhance ankle stability in individuals who experience functional ankle instability. The study involved 24 male university students with functional ankle instability, undergoing ankle neuromuscular training on three surfaces. The OpenSim musculoskeletal model assessed effects on ankle kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity. Using one-way repeated measures ANOVA and one-dimensional statistical non-parametric mapping to distinguish differences among training surfaces. The study aimed to compare biomechanical characteristics of ankle motion in individuals with functional ankle instability undergoing immediate neuromuscular training on a foam cushion surface versus training on level-ground and artificial turf. Results showed foam cushion training significantly increased tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius medial activation during walking (p &lt; 0.05), with no differences observed in peak ankle plantarflexion, peroneus longus, and gastrocnemius lateral. Foam cushion training further increased activation in four muscles and peak ankle plantarflexion moment during jogging and fast running (p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, foam cushion training reduced subtalar mobility (p &lt; 0.05) and showed greater dorsiflexion angles during jogging and fast running (p &lt; 0.05). Therefore, immediate ankle neuromuscular training on a foam cushion is more advantageous in enhancing ankle stability among individuals with functional ankle instability, positively impacting functional ankle instability improvement.