Choice of speed under compromised Dynamic Message Signs.

This study explores speed choice behavior of travelers under realistic and fabricated Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) content. Using web-based survey information of 4,302 participants collected by Amazon Mechanical Turk in the United States, we develop a set of multivariate latent-based ordered probit models participants. Results show female, African-Americans, drivers with a disability, elderly, and drivers who trust DMS are likely to comply with the fabricated messages. Drivers who comply with traffic regulations, have a good driving record, and live in rural areas, as well as female drivers are likely to slow down under fabricated messages. We highlight that calling or texting, taking picture, and tuning the radio are distracting activities leading drivers to slow down or stop under fictitious scenarios.

Comparative Study of Two Systems for the Assessment of Static Balance in Veterans with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, the diagnosis of postural instability relies on the clinical examination of static balance. In recent years, computerized technologies have provided a new approach for the accurate detection of positional changes during functional balance. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences between two electronic systems, NeuroCom and BioSensics, and their application in the clinical assessment of impaired balance in American veterans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the sway around the center of mass during static balance conditions in 25 veterans with mild traumatic brain injury, using the two electronic systems. These patients met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for their impaired balance at the District of Columbia Veterans Affair Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. RESULTS: There were six static balance tests conducted on either NeuroCom or BioSensics system in triplicate. Of the data for 36 sets of statistical data analyses, there were significant correlations among those for eight data sets (22.2%) between the two systems. The strongest positive correlation between the data from the two systems was found during the baseline test, when inputs from visual, vestibular and sensorymotor sources were uninterrupted. The data from the remaining experimental conditions did not correlate significantly with one another. CONCLUSIONS: Both NeuroCom and BioSensics provided comparable data in eight out of 36 experimental conditions in the assessment of static balance in patients with mild traumatic brain injury. The findings clarified the ambiguities in the application of NeuroCom versus BioSensics, provided new knowledge for the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation, and improved the clinical assessment of static balance in patients with mTBI.