What are the significant turning demands of match play of an English Premier League soccer team?

This study aimed to compare the significant turning demands of English Premier League soccer match play relative to playing position using LiDAR technology. Turning data were collected from an English Premier League soccer team (2020-2021 season; 18 fixtures) using a Sportlight® LiDAR tracking system. Turns were tracked during match play, sub-categorised by entry speed (<3.0, 3.0-5.5, 5.5-7.0 and >7.0 m/s) and turning angle (Low: 20-59°; Medium: 60-119°; High: 120-180°). Turning metric frequencies were compared between playing positions (centre backs, full-backs, central midfielders, wide midfielders, and central forwards). On average, per match, central midfielders performed more total turns (~38 vs ~18-27), turns with entry speeds <3.0 (~15 vs ~7-10) and 3.0-5.5 m/s (~21 vs ~8-15) and low (~4 vs ~1-2), medium (~10 vs ~3-6) and high angled turns (~24 vs ~12-18) compared to all other playing positions (p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.96-2.74). Approximately, 90% of turns during matches were performed with entry speeds <5.5 m/s and ~63-70% were high angled turns. This study provides unique insights into the turning demands of English Premier League soccer matches , which can be used to inform position-specific physical preparation strategies, turning testing battery selection, agility drill construction, and rehabilitation and return to play standards.

Night-time driving visibility associated with LED streetlight dimming.

New LED streetlighting designs and dimming are being introduced worldwide, however, while their cost savings are well established, their impact on driving performance has received little attention. This study investigated the effect of streetlight dimming on night-time driving performance. Participants included 14 licensed drivers (mean age 34.2 ± 4.9 years, range 27-40 years) who drove an instrumented vehicle around a closed circuit at night. Six LED streetlights were positioned along a 250 m, straight section and their light output varied between laps (dimming levels of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of maximum output; L25, L50, L75 and L100 respectively; at 100% average road surface luminance of 1.14 cd/m2). Driving tasks involved recognition distances and reaction times to a low contrast, moving target and a pedestrian walking at the roadside. Participants drove at an average driving speed of 55 km/hr in the streetlight zone. Streetlight dimming significantly delayed driver reaction times to the moving target (F3,13.06 = 6.404; p = 0.007); with an average 0.4 s delay in reaction times under L25 compared to L100, (estimated reduction in recognition distances of 6 m). Pedestrian recognition distances were significantly shorter under dimmed streetlight levels (F3,12.75 = 8.27; p = 0.003); average pedestrian recognition distances were 15 m shorter under L25 compared to L100, and 11 m shorter under L50 compared to L100. These data suggest that streetlight dimming impacts on driver visibility but it is unclear how these differences impact on safety; future studies are required to inform decisions on safe dimming levels for road networks.

The effect of the eye's surface topography on the total irradiance of ultraviolet radiation on the inner canthus.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most commonly occurring skin cancer in sub tropical climates. The link between ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and basal cell carcinomas (BCC) is strong. Numerous studies have investigated the spatial distribution of BCCs over the head and neck region and the relative UVR dose, with little or no correlation found between the UVR dose and occurrence rates. This is particularly noted in the inner canthus region. The inner canthus' field of view is restricted by the eye brow ridge, eye orbit and the cheek bone. Yet, the occurrence rate here of BCC's when compared to other regions that are more directly exposed to the environment is significantly higher. A possible causal effect for the increase in occurrence rate in this region is the focussed reflection of UVR from the tear film surface associated with the eye not previously considered in earlier studies. This paper investigates the potential for the surface topography of the eye to reflect focussed radiation towards the inner canthus using a ray tracing programme where the analysis is conducted at a cellular level. Defined hot spots, or striations, of increased irradiation were evidenced across the surface of the inner canthus. This increase in irradiation was not observed with macroscopic detectors which also possibly explain why this increased dose has not previously been detected during environmental measurements with large detectors on manikins or humans.

UVR reflections at the surface of the eye.

Sunlight plays an etiological role in the formation of skin cancers [Phys. Med. Biol. 24 (1979) 931]. Non-melanoma skin cancers commonly arise in sun-exposed parts of the body, especially on the head and neck regions [Int. J. Dermatol. 34 (6) (1995) 398] although the amount of sun exposure that is required for the formation of skin cancers is still unknown. It is known that the larger the dose of UVR, and in particular the erythemal action spectrum, the more likely it is to form the non-melanoma skin cancers, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). A number of regions on the face exhibit a seemingly high rate of occurrence of BCCs in relation to apparent direct exposure. One of these regions is the inner canthus located next to the eye on the bridge of the nose which has an occurrence rate of 7.1% of all BCCs that occur on the head and neck [Gen. Surg. 51 (6) (1981) 576, Aust. NZ J. Surg. 60 (1990) 855, Malignant Skin Tumours, Longman Singapore Publishers, Singapore, 1991]. The inner canthus seems to be well protected from large direct doses of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and to explain the higher incidence of BCCs on the inner canthus it is proposed that a significant proportion of the incident UVR on the eye and surrounding areas is reflected onto the inner canthus. This paper presents a preliminary investigation of the contribution of UVR reflected to the inner canthus from the tear film covering the eye using a two-dimensional theoretical model on the horizontal plane (0 degrees elevation angle). Calculations show that up to 30% of the total radiation that is received on the inner canthus on a cellular level in this plane is reflected from the eye. A three-dimensional computer-generated ray tracing model of the eye, surrounding facial features and the inner canthus is being created to investigate the effect that these reflections have on the total dose of UVR.