OBJECTIVE A pair of simulated driving experiments studied the effects of cognitive load on drivers' lane-keeping performance. BACKGROUND Cognitive load while driving often reduces the variability of lane position. However, there is no agreement as to whether this effect should be interpreted as a performance loss, consistent with other effects of distraction on driving, or as an anomalous per...

Researchers have reported on the importance of the rib cage in maintaining mechanical stability in the thoracic spine and on the validity of a compressive follower preload. However, dynamic mechanical testing using both the rib cage and follower load has never been studied. An in vitro biomechanical study of human cadaveric thoracic specimens with rib cage intact in lateral bending, flexion/ext...

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to develop a more realistic finite element (FE) model of the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tibial insertion and to analyze the stress distribution in the ACL internal fibers under load. METHODS The ACL tibial insertions were processed histologically. With Photoshop software, digital images taken from the histological slides were collaged, co...

Stooped, restricted, kneeling, and other awkward postures adopted during manual materials handling have frequently been associated with LBP onset. However, lift assessment tools have focused on materials handling performed in an upright, or nearly upright standing posture. Unfortunately, many of the tools designed to analyze standing postures are not easily adapted to jobs requiring restricted ...

We measured the load-displacement behavior of both single and paired sacroiliac (SI) joints in fresh cadaver specimens obtained from eight adults between the ages of 59 and 74 years. With both ilia fixed, static test loads were applied to the center of the sacrum along and about axes parallel and normal to the superior SI endplate. Test forces up to 294 N were applied in the superior, inferior,...

In the present study, the transient stress distribution caused by a break in the fibers of an adhesive bonding is investigated. Transient stress is a dynamic response of the system to any discontinuity in the fibers from detachment time till their equilibrium state (or steady state). To derive the governing dynamic equilibrium equations shear lag model is used. Here, it is assumed that the tens...

Reinforced concrete walls are commonly used as the primary lateral-force-resistingsystem for tall buildings. As the tools for conducting nonlinear response history analysis have improved and with the advent of performance-based seismic design, reinforced concrete walls and core walls are often employed as the only lateral-force-resisting-system. Proper modeling of the load versus deformation be...

A series of tests was conducted on six 2.7 m × 3.7 m shear wall specimens consisting of cold-formed steel framing sheathed on one side with sheet steel adhered to gypsum board and on the opposite side with plain gypsum board. The specimens were subjected to various sequences of simulated seismic shear deformation and fire exposure to study the influence of multi-hazard interactions on the later...

Reinforced concrete walls are commonly used as the primary lateral force-resisting system for tall buildings. As the tools for conducting nonlinear response history analysis have improved and with the advent of performancebased seismic design, reinforced concrete walls and core walls are often employed as the only lateral forceresisting system. Proper modelling of the load versus deformation be...

Recently, there have been a lot of earthquakes in Japan. It is necessary to promote seismic isolation devices for buildings. The devices have been hardly diffused in attached houses, because the devices are very expensive. We should develop a low-cost seismic isolation device for detached houses. We suggested a new seismic isolation device which uses a two-layer circular tube as a unit. If hyst...