Biomedical subjects

Anders Nyberg

Publications and source records attributed to Anders Nyberg.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Practicing in relation to the outcome of the driving test.

In Sweden, a written and a driving test must be passed for licensure, and these two examinations are the only means of verifying that learner drivers have acquired the competencies stipulated in the national curriculum. The present study investigated 18-24-year olds regarding the effects of personal background and mode of driver education instruction on the outcome of the driving test. This was done by analysing the following for individual subjects: data on practicing obtained using a questionnaire, and test results of license tests. The results suggest that among the candidates under study, there are equal opportunities in the context of obtaining a driver's license independent of a person's background. The rate of passing was higher for those who started behind-the-wheel training at 16 and applied to take the driving test via a driving school, than for those who started the training at an older age and applied to take the test in person. It was also found that the probability of passing the test was greater if there is successful cooperation between learner and driving school instructor, and if a large proportion of the training been devoted to the task speed adaptation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Safety halls--an evaluation.

PROBLEM: In most countries, drivers licensing systems usually include teaching some aspects of using safety equipment (e.g., airbags and seat belts). However, there is now evidence worldwide that such education is inadequate, as indicated by, for example, the overrepresentation of young drivers who do not use seat belts. METHOD: A randomized controlled study was conducted in Sweden to evaluate the effects of visiting a facility known as a "safety hall" in combination with the mandatory skid training. The results were assessed to determine the effects of the knowledge and attitudes of learner drivers in the following subjects: airbags, securing loads, seat belts, sitting posture, speed, and tires. An experimental group and a control group comprising 658 and 668 learners, respectively, answered identical questionnaires on three different occasions (pretest, posttest 1, and posttest 2). RESULTS: The results show that, for most of the topics considered, knowledge and attitudes in both groups were better at posttest 2 than at the pretest, and in general, the best knowledge and attitudes were found in the experimental group. The combined safety/skid training seems to have had the greatest effect on seat belts and loads. The findings also indicate that the safety halls can be further improved to achieve an even better effect. IMPACT ON TRAFFIC SAFETY: The use of safety halls has improved the knowledge and attitudes of learner drivers concerning several important areas related to traffic safety. Since knowledge and attitudes are important predictors of behavior, implementing safety halls can be expected to lead to improvements, especially regarding the use of safety belts and securing loads.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2003

Accident involvement among learner drivers--an analysis of the consequences of supervised practice.

It is a well-known fact that experience is important for safe driving. Previously, this presented a problem since experience was mostly gained during the most dangerous period of driving-the first years with a licence. In many countries, this "experience paradox" has been addressed by providing increased opportunities to gain experience through supervised practice. One question, however, which still needs to be answered is what has been lost and what has been gained through supervised practice. Does this method lead to fewer accidents after licensing and/or has the number of accidents in driving practice increased? There were three aims in the study. The first was to calculate the size of the accident problem in terms of the number of accidents, health risk and accident risk during practising. The second aim was to evaluate the solution of the "experience paradox" that supervised practice suggests by calculating the costs in terms of accidents during driving practice and the benefits in terms of reduced accident involvement after obtaining a licence. The third aim was to analyse conflict types that occur during driving practice. National register data on licence holders and police-reported injury accidents and self-reported exposure were used. The results show that during the period 1994-2000, 444 driving practice injury accidents were registered, compared to 13657 accidents during the first 2 years with a licence. The health risk during the period after licensing was 33 times higher and the accident risk 10 times higher than the corresponding risk during practice. The cost-benefit analysis showed that the benefits in terms of accident reduction after licensing were 30 times higher than the costs in terms of driving practice accidents. It is recommended that measures to reduce such accidents should focus on better education of the lay instructor, but not on introducing measures to reduce the amount of lay-instructed practice.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMed2003

Luteococcus sanguinis sp. nov., isolated from human blood.

An unusual catalase-positive, Gram-positive, coccus-shaped bacterium that originated from a human blood specimen was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Cell-wall murein and lipid composition analyses indicated that the unknown isolate was a member of the genus Luteococcus. The results of comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis were consistent with chemotaxonomic findings and showed that the unidentified bacterium represents a hitherto unknown sublineage within the genus Luteococcus that is closely related to, but distinct from, Luteococcus japonicus. On the basis of both phenotypic and phylogenetic evidence, it is proposed that the unknown bacterium from human blood should be classified as Luteococcus sanguinis sp. nov., with the type strain CCUG 33897(T) (=CIP 107216(T)).

Blood↗