In foul decision-making by football referees, visual search is important for gathering task-specific information to determine whether a foul has occurred. Yet, little is known about the visual search behaviours underpinning excellent on-field decisions. The aim of this study was to examine the on-field visual search behaviour of elite and sub-elite football referees when calling a foul during a match. In doing so, we have also compared the accuracy and gaze behaviour for correct and incorrect calls. Elite and sub-elite referees (elite: N = 5, Mage ± SD = 29.8 ± 4.7yrs, Mexperience ± SD = 14.8 ± 3.7yrs; sub-elite: N = 9, Mage ± SD = 23.1 ± 1.6yrs, Mexperience ± SD = 8.4 ± 1.8yrs) officiated an actual football game while wearing a mobile eye-tracker, with on-field visual search behaviour compared between skill levels when calling a foul (Nelite = 66; Nsub−elite = 92). Results revealed that elite referees relied on a higher search rate (more fixations of shorter duration) compared to sub-elites, but with no differences in where they allocated their gaze, indicating that elites searched faster but did not necessarily direct gaze towards different locations. Correct decisions were associated with higher gaze entropy (i.e. less structure). In relying on more structured gaze patterns when making incorrect decisions, referees may fail to pick-up information specific to the foul situation. Referee development programmes might benefit by challenging the speed of information pickup but by avoiding pre-determined gaze patterns to improve the interpretation of fouls and increase the decision-making performance of referees.
ObjectivesOsteoarthritis (OA) of the foot-ankle complex is understudied. Understanding determinants of pain and activity limitations is necessary to improve management of foot OA. The aim of the present study was to investigate demographic, foot-specific and comorbidity-related factors associated with pain and activity limitations in patients with foot OA.MethodsThis exploratory cross-sectional study included 75 patients with OA of the foot and/or ankle joints. Demographic and clinical data were collected with questionnaires and by clinical examination. The outcome variables of pain and activity limitations were measured using the Foot Function Index (FFI). Potential determinants were categorized into demographic factors (e.g., age, sex), foot-specific factors (e.g., plantar pressure and gait parameters), and comorbidity-related factors (e.g., type and amount of comorbid diseases). Multivariable regression analyses with backward selection (p-out≥0.05) were performed in two steps, leading to a final model.ResultsOf all potential determinants, nine factors were selected in the first step. Five of these factors were retained in the second step (final model): female sex, pain located in the hindfoot, higher body mass index (BMI), neurological comorbidity, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score were positively associated with the FFI score. The explained variance (R2) for the final model was 0.580 (adjusted R2 = 0.549).ConclusionFemale sex, pain located in the hindfoot, higher BMI, neurological comorbidity and greater psychological distress were independently associated with a higher level of foot-related pain and activity limitations. By addressing these factors in the management of foot OA, pain and activity limitations may be reduced.
Exploratory analyses are an important first step in psychological research, particularly in problem-based research where various variables are often included from multiple theoretical perspectives not studied together in combination before. Notably, exploratory analyses aim to give first insights into how items and variables included in a study relate to each other. Typically, exploratory analyses involve computing bivariate correlations between items and variables and presenting them in a table. While this is suitable for relatively small data sets, such tables can easily become overwhelming when datasets contain a broad set of variables from multiple theories. We propose the Gaussian graphical model as a novel exploratory analyses tool and present a systematic roadmap to apply this model to explore relationships between items and variables in environmental psychology research. We demonstrate the use and value of the Gaussian graphical model to study relationships between a broad set of items and variables that are expected to explain the effectiveness of community energy initiatives in promoting sustainable energy behaviors.
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The pace of technology advancements continues to accelerate, and impacts the nature of systems solutions along with significant effects on involved stakeholders and society. Design and engineering practices with tools and perspectives, need therefore to evolve in accordance to the developments that complex, sociotechnical innovation challenges pose. There is a need for engineers and designers that can utilize fitting methods and tools to fulfill the role of a changemaker. Recognized successful practices include interdisciplinary methods that allow for effective and better contextualized participatory design approaches. However, preliminary research identified challenges in understanding what makes a specific method effective and successfully contextualized in practice, and what key competences are needed for involved designers and engineers to understand and adopt these interdisciplinary methods. In this proposal, case study research is proposed with practitioners to gain insight into what are the key enabling factors for effective interdisciplinary participatory design methods and tools in the specific context of sociotechnical innovation. The involved companies are operating at the intersection between design, technology and societal impact, employing experts who can be considered changemakers, since they are in the lead of creative processes that bring together diverse groups of stakeholders in the process of sociotechnical innovation. A methodology will be developed to capture best practices and understand what makes the deployed methods effective. This methodology and a set of design guidelines for effective interdisciplinary participatory design will be delivered. In turn this will serve as a starting point for a larger design science research project, in which an educational toolkit for effective participatory design for socio-technical innovation will be designed.
The research, supported by our partners, sets out to understand the drivers and barriers to sustainable logistics in port operations using a case study of drone package delivery at Rotterdam Port. Beyond the technical challenges of drone technology as an upcoming technology, it needs to be clarified how drones can operate within a port ecosystem and how they could contribute to sustainable logistics. KRVE (boatmen association), supported by other stakeholders of Rotterdam port, approached our school to conduct exploratory research. Rotterdam Port is the busiest port in Europe in terms of container volume. Thirty thousand vessels enter the port yearly, all needing various services, including deliveries. Around 120 packages/day are delivered to ships/offices onshore using small boats, cars, or trucks. Deliveries can take hours, although the distance to the receiver is close via the air. Around 80% of the packages are up to 20kg, with a maximum of 50kg. Typical content includes documents, spare parts, and samples for chemical analysis. Delivery of packages using drones has advantages compared with traditional transport methods: 1. It can save time, which is critical to port operators and ship owners trying to reduce mooring costs. 2. It can increase logistic efficiency by streamlining operations. 3. It can reduce carbon emissions by limiting the use of diesel engines, boats, cars, and trucks. 4. It can reduce potential accidents involving people in dangerous environments. The research will highlight whether drones can create value (economic, environmental, social) for logistics in port operations. The research output links to key national logistic agenda topics such as a circular economy with the development of innovative logistic ecosystems, energy transition with the reduction of carbon emissions, societal earning potential where new technology can stimulate the economy, digitalization, key enabling technology for lean operations, and opportunities for innovative business models.
Laif & Nuver, a retail business in Groningen, have asked the Research Center for Built Environment at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences and House of Design for assistance with one of their waste streams: EPS – Ex-panded Polystyrene packaging (piepschuim). Laif & Nuver estimate that they produce 50 m3 of waste EPS once every six months. They currently dispose of this waste EPS in the general garbage bin. Laif & Nuver have been searching for interested parties to help them address this challenge and find alternative uses for their waste EPS. While they could accept the current status-quo and simply continue to dispose of the waste EPS in the gen-eral garbage bin, they have the idea that it can be transformed into innovative new materials and are motivated to explore this idea further. They have asked researchers at the Research Center for Built Environment and House of Design to help them develop the idea into knowledge and innovation. As a result, a partnership has been established between Laif & Nuver, Kastanje Wonen, FOLKconceptstore, House of Design and Hanze Uni-versity of Applied Sciences. In the first six-month phase of this new partnership an exploratory study of trans-forming waste EPS into new building and design material will be conducted.
