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Losing a point in tennis could result from poor shot selection or faulty stroke execution. To explore how the brain responds to these different types of errors, we examined feedback-locked EEG activity while participants completed a modified version of a standard three-armed bandit probabilistic reward task. Our task framed unrewarded outcomes as the result of either errors of selection or errors of execution. We examined whether amplitude of a medial frontal negativity (the feedback-related negativity [FRN]) was sensitive to the different forms of error attribution. Consistent with previous reports, selection errors elicited a large FRN relative to rewards, and amplitude of this signal correlated with behavioral adjustment after these errors. A different pattern was observed in response to execution errors. These outcomes produced a larger FRN, a frontocentral attenuation in activity preceding this component, and a subsequent enhanced error positivity in parietal sites. Notably, the only correlations with behavioral adjustment were with the early frontocentral attenuation and amplitude of the parietal signal; FRN differences between execution errors and rewarded trials did not correlate with subsequent changes in behavior. Our findings highlight distinct neural correlates of selection and execution error processing, providing insight into how the brain responds to the different classes of error that determine future action.

Road risk analysis is one of the key research areas in transport, where the impact of perceived risk on choices, especially in a dynamic setting, has been long recognised. However, due to the lack of dynamic data and the difficulty in capturing risk perception, the existing studies typically resort to static and stated approaches to infer the experienced level of risk of individuals. In this paper, we aimed to address this research gap through developing a hybrid choice model that jointly employed dynamic data on cycling behaviour in virtual reality and neural data to evaluate how the fluctuations in momentary risk perception influence the behaviour of cyclists. The results of the developed model confirm our hypotheses, demonstrating that cyclists reduce their speed when approaching a junction as the potential for a collision with passing cars increases. Moreover, the latent component allowed us to establish a link between the neural data, the amplitude of alpha brainwaves, and objective risk measures. In line with our hypothesis, we found that decreased alpha amplitude is associated with higher perceived risk which in turn increases the likelihood of braking. The implications of our study are manifold. On the one hand, it shows the ability of virtual reality to elicit complex cyclists’ behaviour and the feasibility of a joint collection of dynamic neural and choice data. On the other hand, we demonstrate the potential of the employment of neural data in a hybrid model framework as an indicator of risk that allows us to gain a better understanding of cycling behaviour and associated neural processing. These promising findings pave the way for future studies that would explore the advantages of neuroscientific inputs in the choice models.

Immersive technologies in transport research are gaining popularity, allowing for data collection in a controlled dynamic setting. Nonetheless, their ecological validity is still to be established hence their use in mathematical modelling in a transport setting has been scarce. We aim to fill this gap by conducting a study of cycling behaviour where non-immersive and immersive presentation methods are used in a virtual reality setting. The results confirm our hypothesis that participants behave differently when shown a choice scenario in non-immersive and immersive settings. In particular, cycling in an immersive setting is characterised by a higher degree of engagement. We also captured neural activity during task performance. We focussed on oscillations in the alpha (α) band where we found increased suppression in this signal in response to the immersive condition relative to the non-immersive. These results complement the behavioural findings and indicate that immersive environments may increase levels of task-engagement.

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The energy loss through building components resulting in higher energy consumption, thus energy saving has become an essential aspect in design and comfort. This study aims to optimize the thermal insulation of red clay bricks used in the walls of buildings by using a multiscale method. The finite element approach in ABAQUS software has been used to simulate the bricks under different configurations and conditions. Due to cost and time challenges and difficulties in simulation and complex calculations, simplified and applicable equations have been derived to calculate thermal insulation properties. The results show that the paper’s brick design has a significant thermal conductivity reduction that could reach more than one-third of the other corresponding studies. The study goes to fill the hollow bricks by the insulation polyurethane foam (PUF) and comparing the results with air hollow bricks. Besides its other advantages, the outcomes reveal that using the PUF has a noticeable desired-influence in thermal insulation when considering the heat transfer by convection and radiation inside the air cavity of bricks.

A research survey on aerodynamic with/without vibration effect and investigations for turbine components of gas turbine engines is presented. Experimental and numerically predicted results are presented from investigations undertaken over the past 70 years. The aerodynamics between the turbine blades is very important as it determines the overall system performance. The importance of aerodynamics is being in the pressure distribution above and below each airfoil, the locations of the vortices occurring, their number, distribution, direction, and shedding, and the determination of the regions of fluid separation from the wall that is directly related to the fluid velocity. Many ranges of vibration that affect different bodies were taken, and some of these ranges were small (10-200 Hz), and others had large ranges from 1.5 to 10 KHz. therefore the result evolution and shedding of vortices corresponding to the deformation in fluid structure depends on the Reynolds number and value of amplitude and frequency for vibration. The Mach number is a clear indicator to represent these characteristics. It also includes studying the theoretical methods used and simulations of the researchers’ aerodynamics, the accuracy of the results reached, the representation of the body contour and the diagrams for each of the pressure and Mach number, the pressure (Cp ) and lift (CL ) coefficients, and their amount of change occurring at each location of the airfoil. The importance of the above topics has motivated us to prepare a comprehensive review mostly of the aerodynamics of turbine blades and the effect of the vibration on the flow. The main concepts of aerodynamics, such as Cp and CL as well as vibration frequency are presented. It also highlights the performance of the turbine blades as a result of vibration

Interceptive timing (IntT) is a fundamental ability underpinning numerous actions (e.g. ball catching), but its development and relationship with other cognitive functions remains poorly understood. Piaget (1955) suggested that children need to learn the physical rules that govern their environment before they can represent abstract concepts such as number and time. Thus, learning how objects move in space and time may underpin the development of related abstract representations (i.e. mathematics). To test this hypothesis, we captured objective measures of IntT in 309 primary school children (4-11 years), alongside ‘general motor skill’ and ‘national standardized academic attainment’ scores. Bayesian estimation showed that IntT (but not general motor capability) uniquely predicted mathematical ability even after controlling for age, reading and writing attainment. This finding highlights that interceptive timing is distinct from other motor skills with specificity in predicting childhood mathematical ability independent of other forms of attainment and motor capability.

Purpose: Feasibility testing of a novel volume renders technology to display optical coherence tomography data (OCT) in a virtual reality (VR) environment.\ud \ud \ud \ud Methods: A VR program was written in C++/OpenGL to import and display volumetric OCT data in real time with 180 frames per second using a high-end computer and a tethered head-mounted display. Following exposure, participants completed a Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) to assess for nausea, disorientation, and oculomotor disturbances. A user evaluation study of this software was conducted to explore the potential utility of this application.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results: Fifty-seven subjects completed the user testing (34 males and 23 females). Mean age was 48.5 years (range, 21–77 years). Mean acquired work experience of the 35 ophthalmologists (61.40%) included in the group was 15.46 years (range, 1–37 years). Twenty-nine participants were VR-naïve. The SSQ showed a mean total score of 5.8 (SD = 9.44) indicating that the system was well tolerated and produced minimal side effects. No difference was reported between VR-naïve participants and experienced users. Overall, immersed subjects reported an enjoyable VR-OCT presence effect.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusions: A usable and satisfying VR imaging technique was developed to display and interact with original OCT data.\ud \ud \ud \ud Translational Relevance: An advanced high-end VR image display method was successfully developed to provide new views and interactions in an ultra high-speed projected digital scenery using point-cloud OCT data. This represents the next generation of OCT image display technology and a new tool for patient engagement, medical education, professional training, and telecommunications.

Background\ud Recent reviews suggest that the way in which surgeons prepare for a procedure (warm up) can affect performance. Operating lists present a natural experiment to explore this phenomenon. The aim was to use a routinely collected large data set on surgical procedures to understand the relationship between case list order and operative performance.\ud \ud Method\ud Theatre lists involving the 35 procedures performed most frequently by senior surgeons across 38 private hospitals in the UK over 26 months were examined. A linear mixed‐effects model and matched analysis were used to estimate the impact of list order and the cost of switching between procedures on a list while controlling for key prognosticators. The influence of procedure method (open versus minimally invasive) and complexity was also explored.\ud \ud Results\ud The linear mixed‐effects model included 255 757 procedures, and the matched analysis 48 632 pairs of procedures. Repeating the same procedure in a list resulted in an overall time saving of 0·98 per cent for each increase in list position. Switching between procedures increased the duration by an average of 6·48 per cent. The overall reduction in operating time from completing the second procedure straight after the first was 6·18 per cent. This pattern of results was consistent across procedure method and complexity.\ud \ud Conclusion\ud There is a robust relationship between operating list composition and surgical performance (indexed by duration of operation). An evidence‐based approach to structuring a theatre list could reduce the total operating time.

Purpose: One suggested advantage of human binocular vision is the facilitation of sophisticated motor control behaviours via stereopsis – but little empirical evidence exists to support this suggestion. We examined the functional significance of stereopsis by exploring whether stereopsis is used to perform a highly skilled real-world motor task essential for the occupational practice of dentistry. Methods: We used a high fidelity virtual reality simulator to study how dentists’ performance is affected by the removal of horizontal retinal image disparities under direct and indirect (mirror) observation. Thirteen qualified dentists performed a total of four different dental tasks under non-stereoscopic and stereoscopic vision conditions, with two levels of task complexity (direct and indirect observation) using a virtual reality dental simulator. Results: Depth related errors were significantly higher under non-stereoscopic viewing but lateral errors did not differ between conditions. Indirect observation led to participants drilling less of the target area compared to direct viewing, but this did not interact with the stereopsis manipulation. Conclusions: The data confirm that dental practitioners use stereopsis and its presence results in improved dental performance. It remains to be determined whether individuals with stereo-deficits can compensate adequately. Nevertheless, these findings suggest an important role for stereopsis within at least one occupation and justify the design of simulators with 3D displays.