OBJECTIVE This investigation aims to determine if more expensive running shoes provide better cushioning of plantar pressure and are more comfortable than low-cost alternatives from the same brand. METHODS Three pairs of running shoes were purchased from three different manufacturers at three different price ranges: low (40-45 pounds), medium (60-65 pounds) and high (70-75 pounds). Plantar pr...

In footwear research, comfort has become an increasingly popular topic. Commonly used assessment tools include the visual analogue scale, Likert scale and self-reported ranking (Lindor...

A number of variables may influence the outcome of complete denture therapy. The objective of this study was to verify possible correlations between previous experience with dentures, patient expectation and the number of post-delivery adjustments with patient satisfaction after treatment. One hundred patients (mean age 61·9 ± 10·3) rated their previous experiences with complete dentures and th...

Introduction: The intensive care unit often causes major distress and anxiety in patients. Music interventions have been used to reduce anxiety and distress and improve physiological functioning in medical patients. Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of music on pain, anxiety and comfort in patients who are in the intensive care unit (ICU) with the diagnosis of Cerebrovascu...

Plantar forefoot pain is common in older people and is related to increased peak pressures under the foot during gait. Variations in the hardness of the shoe sole may therefore influence both the magnitude of loading under the foot and the perceived comfort of the shoe in this population. The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of varying shoe sole hardness on plantar pressure...

The effects of music amplitude on participants' response time to randomly presented, unexpected, visual events were investigated. Ninety participants completed a motor-reaction task without music and with music played at 60, 70, or 80 dBA. Males preferred more intense music than females did, with males selecting a comfort level of 72 dBA and females, 66 dBA. However, participants' reaction time...

This paper describes an evaluation of the effects of three practical display design variables on air refueling boom operator estimates of distance, ratings of image stability and ratings of visual comfort. Eight combinations of three design variables were tested. Two separate display systems, one collimated and the other direct view, were set up such that stereopsis and head tracking could be t...

In this article we present a novel approach to model visual comfort based on supervised statebased machine learning with Hidden Markov Models and one easy-to-obtain variable (illuminance measurements at the horizontal work-plane; Edesk). Data mining was performed on sensor data recorded for two years in a single-occupant office room and the developed model classifies workplane illuminances into...