text: Predicting Components of Closed Road Driving Performance From Vision TestsHIGGINS, KENT E. PhD, FAAO; WOOD, JOANNE M. OD, PhD, FAAOOptometry and Vision Science: August 2005 - Volume 82 - Issue 8 - p 647-656 doi: 10.1097/01.opx.0000174725.32907.86 Original Article Abstract Author Information Article Outline Purpose. Mild cataracts can interfere with visually dependent everyday activities, although they only minimally affect static visual acuity. This study compared the effects of simulated cataracts with that of optical blur on driving performance and determined the extent to which acuity could account for variations in driving performance either alone or in combination with supplementary vision tests. Methods. Closed road driving performance was measured in 24 young, normally sighted subjects under five binocular acuity levels, four produced by different levels of optical blur (6/4.5, 6/12, 6/30, 6/60) and one by frosted lenses simulating mild cataracts (6/12c). Driving measures included gap perception, total driving time, sign recognition, road hazard avoidance, maneuvering time, and errors. Subjects were also tested with the Pelli-Robson chart, SKILL card, and Berkeley Glare Test under comparable acuity levels. Results. Total driving time, sign recognition, and hazard avoidance were linearly related to the acuity degradation produced by blur; performance in the 6/12c condition was similar to that in the 6/60 blur condition. Static acuity predicted 30% to 60% of the variance in these driving measures when the 6/12c condition was excluded from analysis; this proportion was reduced by a factor of two to three when the 6/12c condition was included. However, using any one of the three supplementary tests with visual acuity in a multiple regression analysis recaptured much of the lost variance. Conclusions. Static acuity can only predict variations in closed road driving performance measured under degraded conditions that include simulated mild cataracts when it is combined with supplementary vision tests. The Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute, Lighthouse International, New York (KEH), and the Center for Eye Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia (JW) Abstract METHODS Experimental Design Subjects Binocular Distance Acuity Levels Closed Road Driving Circuits and Measures of Driving Perfor... Main test circuit Maneuvering test circuit Test vehicle Supplementary Vision Tests RESULTS Closed Road Driving Measures Main Test Course Maneuvering Test Course Supplementary Vision Test Results Relationship Between Driving and Vision Test Performance Effect of Test Order DISCUSSION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REFERENCES Acontinuing issue confronting motor vehicle licensing agencies concerns the selection of a vision test (or test battery) that will enable the accurate prediction of driving safety.1,2 Numerous researchers, following the lead of Albert Burg, attempted to address this issue by correlating measured visual characteristics of licensed drivers (e.g., visual acuity) with some index of driver performance.3–7 Typically, traffic accident records were used as the measure of driving performance, and with large samples, significant correlations between vision test results and driving record were obtained. However, the magnitude of the correlations, approximately 0.1, indicated that little of the variance in the crash database could be attributed to variations in visual characteristics within the driving sample. At various times, it has been suggested that this apparent failure of vision tests to predict significant aspects of driver performance may, in part, be the result of limitations inherent in the methodological approach used by Burg and his successors.8,9 First, the use of licensed drivers is likely to have eliminated most, if not all, of those with generally poor vision, thereby biasing the sample toward individuals with generally good vision. Second, real-world crashes are statistically rare events10 and, for that reason, are unlikely to provide a fine-grained measure of differences in driving performance among the sample of drivers. One noteworthy attempt to improve the sensitivity of the Burg et al.3 approach is represented by the more recent work of Ball et al.11 These investigators examined the relationship between vision test results and crashes in a sample of elderly drivers that were selected to represent different frequencies of crash involvement (0, 1, and 3 or more "at-fault" crashes) during the previous 5 years. This approach ensured that crash record would, in principle, provide a finer-grained discrimination among drivers. In addition, by selecting a group of elderly drivers, Ball et al. ensured that their sample would manifest a greater range of performance on vision tests (e.g., visual acuity, contrast sensitivity) than would occur in the general population. However, notwithstanding these improvements, Ball et al.11 found that although there were significant correlations between vision test performance and crash frequency, the magnitude of the relationships remained relatively weak. They noted that "no single value of acuity, contrast sensitivity, or peripheral vision could be adopted that would place persons in the high-risk category without including a significant number of crash-free drivers in this category as well."11 The most significant predictor of crash involvement was the Useful Field of View (UFOV), a test that provides a measure of higher-order processing of visual information under conditions requiring divided and selective attention but is not particularly demanding in terms of its acuity and visual field size requirements. Closed road driving assessments provide another approach for attempting to improve the sensitivity of the paradigm used to investigate the effect of different levels of simulated12 and real13 visual impairments on driving performance. We used the same approach to investigate the effect of different kinds (blur vs. simulated cataract) and amounts (6/4.5 to 6/60) of visual acuity degradation on closed road driving performance.9,14 We reported that some, but not all, measures of driving performance were significantly and linearly related to the level of acuity degradation when the acuity degradation was produced by optical blur.9 In addition, acuity degradation could explain as much as 50% to 60% of the variance in sign recognition and road hazard avoidance measures of driving performance. In this article, we consider the effect of optical blur and simulated cataracts14 on driving performance and, further, the need for supplementing high contrast acuity measurements with results from at least one additional test to account for the effects of different mechanisms (e.g., uncorrected refractive error vs. cataract) by which visual acuity may be degraded. Conceptually, the approach represented by this research on driving is similar to studies by Elliott et al.15 and Anand et al.16 regarding the effects of simulated cataracts on pedestrian mobility and postural stability. Back to Top | Article Outline METHODS Experimental Design A repeated-measures experimental design was used to test young visually normal subjects on two different closed road driving circuits and on each of four vision tests (static acuity plus three supplementary tests) under each of five binocular visual acuity levels. One level represented normal viewing, and the remaining four represented differing kinds and amounts of simulated acuity loss. Back to Top | Article Outline Subjects Twenty-four young, visually normal adults (15 males, 9 females), ages 20 to 35 years (mean 23.1 ± 3.8 years) participated in this research. Subjects were recruited from the staff and students at the School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology. All were in good health, free of eye disease, and had a distance visual acuity of 6/6 or better. All held a currently valid driver's license and reported that they drove regularly. The study was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Queensland University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee. All subjects were given a full explanation of the experimental procedures, and written informed consent was obtained with the option to withdraw from the study at any time. Back to Top | Article Outline Binocular Distance Acuity Levels The driving performance of each participant was measured under each of five binocular distance acuity levels, one representing their normal acuity and the remaining four representing degraded acuity levels. Distance acuity was determined for each subject under the outdoor illumination conditions (shade, not direct sunlight) present at the test track using a standard high-contrast Bailey-Lovie Chart (Australian Vision Chart no. 5). This chart is designed for a working distance of 4 meters and visual acuity was scored on a letter-by-letter basis. For each condition, subjects wore a pair of modified swimming goggles that provided a field of view equivalent to that provided by standard 38-mm diameter trial lenses. For the normal acuity condition, subjects drove while wearing the goggles but without any additional optical device other than their normal distance spectacle correction, which was incorporated into the goggles using standard wide-aperture trial lenses. The average normal visual acuity of the 24 subjects was 6/4.5. Plus lens blur was used to produce three of the four degraded distance acuity levels. Specifically, binocular plus lenses were used to reduce each subject's binocular distance acuity to each of three levels: 6/12, 6/30, and 6/60. (These are equivalent to 20/40, 20/100, and 20/200, respectively, in the U.S. notation.) The average amounts of plus lens blur necessary to reduce the subjects' average distance acuity to each of these levels were 1.82 (± 0.85), 3.13 (±0.90), and 4.85 (±0.99) D, respectively. The cataract simulators described previously17 were used to produce the fourth degraded acuity level. These cataract simulators reduced Bailey-Lovie distance acuity to an average level of approximately 6/12 (6/11.4 to be exact). Most of the subjects (80%) were still able to meet the minimum 6/12 acuity level required for driver licensure. To distinguish this 6/12 viewing condition from the 6/12 condition produced by optical blur, it will hereafter be referred to as the 6/12c acuity level, the "c" referring to the cataract simulators. To characterize the difference between the two 6/12 acuity conditions, the Vistech Chart18 was used to measure spatial contrast sensitivity of all subjects under normal viewing conditions and under the 6/12 optical blur and 6/12c simulated cataract conditions. These measurements were undertaken in the laboratory. The test distance was 3 meters and the chart background luminance was approximately 90 cd/m2, with a variation of approximately 5% across the surface of the chart. The degraded acuity levels were tested first, and the normal viewing condition was tested last. Figure 1 illustrates the difference between the simulated cataract (6/12c) and 6/12 optical blur conditions compared with normal binocular viewing. This figure compares the mean contrast sensitivity of the subjects under each of the three conditions measured using the Vistech chart. Compared with normal binocular viewing (6/4.5), the 6/12 optical blur condition produced a predominantly high spatial frequency loss in sensitivity. The cataract simulator produced a similar magnitude of loss in high spatial frequency sensitivity plus an additional loss at low spatial frequencies. The magnitude of the loss at 1.5 c/deg was approximately 0.5 log unit. One of the authors (JW) has more recently found a similar magnitude of low frequency loss using the cataract simulator with a CRT-based contrast sensitivity test system. Figure 1. The order of testing was balanced across the four degraded acuity conditions using a Latin square design. This design was used in an attempt to distribute any learning (memorization) effects across the four degraded acuity conditions. The normal acuity condition was always tested last to minimize the possibility that subjects would memorize the numerous signs and obstacles along the roadway. Back to Top | Article Outline Closed Road Driving Circuits and Measures of Driving Performance Each subject's driving performance was assessed using two test circuits. Back to Top | Article Outline Main test circuit The main test circuit consisted of a 5.1-km closed bitumen roadway with hills, curves, straightaways, intersections, and an abundance of roadway signage. The roadways were bordered by a series of large trees that produced numerous shadows. In addition, a number of additional roadway objects were introduced to obtain some of the measures of driving performance described subsequently. Total driving time: The total time required to complete the 5.1-km course was recorded for each subject and acuity condition. Sign recognition/peripheral awareness: Subjects were instructed to identify each sign that they saw while they drove around the main test circuit under each of the five different acuity levels. Of the 65 signs along the main test course, 10 were primarily informational (e.g., street names, road curvature information) and the remainder were regulatory (e.g., stop and speed limit signs). The total number correctly detected was recorded for each test drive. It is important to note that none of the participants were able to report all of the signs, even when driving with their normal vision. Road hazard recognition/avoidance: Subjects were informed that there would be a number of "road hazards" positioned throughout the main test course. These consisted of nine 1 m × 2.2-m sheets of 8-cm thick gray foam rubber "speedbumps" placed at different locations throughout the course. One subject described them as resembling blocks of concrete lying across the roadway. These obstacles did not interfere with vehicle control when struck, although participants could "feel" when they ran over them. Participants were told to indicate verbally when they saw one of the hazards and to avoid it by steering around it. Interestingly, when driving with degraded acuity, there were a number of occasions on which subjects mistook the shadows of trees on the roadway for the hazards and steered around them. On each test drive, subjects received a score for the number of hazards seen, the number seen too late to avoid hitting, and the total number hit (irrespective of whether they were seen or not). Gap clearance measures: This task was patterned after the one described by Betts et al.19 Pairs of high-contrast orange traffic cones, with variable lateral separation, were positioned in the driving lane at nine different locations throughout the main test course. The lateral separation between cones was set at one of nine values relative to the outer width of the vehicle's wheelbase (tires). The specific separations used were -20, -10, -5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 cm, with negative numbers representing separations that were smaller than the width of the vehicle's wheelbase. As they approached each pair of high-contrast cones, subjects were instructed to indicate verbally whether the gap clearance was sufficient to drive between them and, if so, to attempt to do so. If, however, they perceived the cone separation to be too narrow, they were instructed to drive around the cones. Cone separations were varied from one test run to the next. Each subject received three scores for this task: the number of reported correct perceptions of gap clearance, the number of attempts to make a safe passage between a cone pair because the gap was correctly perceived to be sufficiently wide, and the number of such attempts on which the subject was successful in maneuvering between the cones without hitting them. Back to Top | Article Outline Maneuvering test circuit After completing the main test circuit, subjects were required to slalom twice through a series of nine traffic cones, with successive cones separated by approximately 1.5 car lengths. The normally high-contrast orange cones were covered with three different shades of gray cloth to reduce their contrast and make this task more visually dependent. In addition, an element of uncertainty was introduced by adding a randomly determined lateral offset to the positioning of successive cones. The two measures recorded for each subject were the total time it took to drive through the course and the total number of cones hit during two passes (once in each direction) through the course. Back to Top | Article Outline Test vehicle The test vehicle used for this research was a full-sized (Australian) Ford station wagon. Two experimenters, one beside the driver and a second in the rear seat, scored the subject's driving performance. A third experimenter, driving a "chase" car, followed the research vehicle for the purpose of resetting any of the test track objects that may have been hit during passage of the test vehicle and to randomize the cone separations between successive runs for the gap clearance task. Back to Top | Article Outline Supplementary Vision Tests The three supplementary tests described subsequently were administered in the laboratory both for practical reasons and to ensure that testing conditions were standardized. Each of the supplementary tests was administered under each of the five binocular acuity conditions. The four degraded acuity levels were tested in the same order that was used at the test track for the driving tests and was balanced across the four degraded acuity conditions using the aforementioned Latin square design. Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Test:20 Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart at a working distance of 1 meter. Subjects were instructed to look at a line of letters and forced to guess the letter when they were not sure. The test was scored letter by letter as suggested by Elliott et al.,21 and the results were expressed in terms of log contrast sensitivity. Two versions of the chart were used, and subjects alternated between the two versions in an attempt to minimize chart memorization. The background luminance of the chart was approximately 90 cd/m2. To ensure that the level of optical blur when viewing this test at 1 meter would be equivalent to that used for the driving tests, a +1.0-D lens was added to the distance correction required to produce the different acuity levels at the test track. Smith-Kettlewell Institute Low Luminance (SKILL) Card:22 One side of the SKILL card represents a conventional high-contrast/high-luminance acuity test. The other side contains low-contrast (14%) letters against a dark gray (low luminance) background. The effective luminance of the two sides differs by approximately 1 log unit.22 The test was administered at the recommended distance of 40 cm and illuminated to ensure that the background luminance of the light side of the card was 100 cd/m2. To correct for the near distance of this test, a +2.5-D plus lens was added to the distance corrections used to produce the different acuity levels at the test track. Each side of the SKILL Card was scored letter by letter. The difference, or SKILL, score was calculated as the difference between the numbers of letters correctly identified on the two sides. Berkeley Glare Test:23 This test consists of opaque, triangular acuity charts similar in design to the high reflectance side of the SKILL Card except that the letters are low (10%) in contrast. The test distance was 1 meter. Like in the case of the Pelli-Robson test, a +1.0-D lens was added to the distance corrections used to produce the different acuity levels at the test track. The charts were front-illuminated at a luminance of 80 cd/m2, and the effect of glare was measured by comparing the measurement of low-contrast acuity without the glare source and with the surrounding opal Plexiglas "glare" screen back-illuminated at the maximum level of 3000 cd/m2. Two different but equivalent low-contrast charts were used for the glare versus no-glare measurements to minimize the effects of memory on test performance. In addition, the glare condition was always tested before the no-glare condition. Acuity was scored letter by letter for the glare and no-glare conditions. The difference score, or Disability Glare Index (DGI), was calculated by subtracting the number of letters correct in the glare condition from the number correct in the no-glare condition. Back to Top | Article Outline RESULTS Closed Road Driving Measures Preliminary analyses revealed that a number of measures of driving performance needed to be excluded, either because they were highly correlated with another measure or evidenced zero variance. For example, there was a high negative correlation between the number of road hazards seen and the number hit. When driving with normal acuity, all of the subjects saw all of the road hazards, thereby resulting in a zero-variance measure. However, although they saw all of the hazards, there were a number of instances in which subjects hit them because they saw them too late to avoid them. Because, in the final analysis, hitting the hazards was deemed more significant to driving safely than simply seeing them, only the number hit was used in the data analysis. To further minimize the zero- or near-zero-variance problem for this single measure, all driving performance measures for the four degraded acuity conditions were normalized with respect to the scores for the normal 6/4.5 acuity level. Thus, the number of driving measures was reduced to six for a repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Four were from the main test course (total driving time, number of signs read, number of hazards hit, number of correct gap perceptions) and two were from the maneuvering course (number of cones hit and total driving time). A preliminary 2 gender by 4 (normalized) acuity level by 6 driving measure MANOVA indicated that acuity level was the only significant factor. Gender was not significant and did not interact with acuity level for any of the driving measures. A corresponding analysis of the vision test scores produced a similar result. Accordingly, to simplify description of the results, both MANOVAs were recalculated with gender excluded. These analyses indicated that acuity level was significant for the driving measures (Wilkes λ = 0.045; F[6,18] = 7.08, p < 0.011) and for the supplementary vision test scores (Wilkes λ = 0.033; F[9,15] = 49.01, p < 0.001). For the latter analysis, scores of the four degraded acuity levels were also normalized with respect to scores obtained in the normal (6/4.5) acuity condition. Back to Top | Article Outline Main Test Course Table 1 shows the results of the univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) for the effect of acuity degradation on the normalized driving performance measures across the 6/12, 6/12c, 6/30, and 6/60 acuity conditions. Acuity degradation did not have a significant effect on either gap perception or errors on the shorter maneuvering course. Acuity degradation did, however, have a significant effect on the remaining three measures derived from the main test course (sign recognition, road hazard avoidance, total driving time) and total driving time from the maneuvering course (see Table 1). TABLE 1 Figures 2A-C show the dependence of total driving time (main course), sign recognition, and road hazard avoidance on acuity level expressed in terms of minimum angle of resolution (MAR). Corresponding Snellen fractions are shown across the top of each figure. The open circles in these three figures represent the average performance of the 24 subjects when tested with their normal acuity level (mean = 6/4.5, MAR = 0.77) and when tested under each of the three degraded levels that were produced by optical blur and plotted at MARs of 2, 5, and 10 arcmin. The filled circle in each figure represents the average results for the same individuals when tested under the 6/12c condition. Error bars represent ± 1 standard deviation. Figure 2. Figure 2A shows the significant effect of acuity degradation on driving time across the 6/12, 6/12c, 6/30, and 6/60 acuity conditions. From Figure 2A, it is clear that subjects took longer to complete the main test course because acuity was degraded by increasing amounts of optical blur. The increase in driving time for the 6/12c condition was more similar to the increase produced by the 6/60 optical blur condition than the 6/12 optical blur condition. When results of the 6/12c condition were excluded from the analysis, there was a significant linear trend across the 6/12, 6/30, and 6/60 optical blur conditions (F[1,23] = 25.56, p < 0.001). This trend is represented by the solid line in Figure 2A, which has been extrapolated to include the average performance obtained under the normal viewing condition. When the 6/12c condition was included, the cubic (F[1,23] = 28,84, p < 0.001) and linear (F[1,23] = 7.08, p = 0.014) components were both significant, indicating that there was no longer a simple linear relationship between acuity level and driving time. Further pairwise comparisons indicated that the means of the 6/12, 6/30, and 6/60 conditions varied significantly from one another (p < 0.003). However, the 6/12c condition did not differ significantly from the 6/60 optical blur condition (p = 0.142). Figure 2B indicates that increased acuity degradation produced increasingly poorer sign recognition performance, with performance in the 6/12c condition being more similar to that in the 6/60 optical blur condition than the 6/12 optical blur condition. From Table 1, it is clear that the effect of acuity on sign recognition was significant when results for all four degraded acuity conditions were included in the analysis. The effect of acuity degradation was also significant when the three degraded conditions produced by optical blur were considered separately (F[2,44] = 53.7, p < 0.05). Furthermore, for the latter three conditions, there was a significant linear trend (F[1,23] = 90.61, p < 0.001), which is represented by the solid line in Figure 2B. Including the 6/12c condition in the analysis produced significant linear (F[1,23] = 44.30, p < 0.001) and cubic (F[1,23] = 41.19, p < 0.001) trend components. Pairwise comparisons indicated that although the means of the 6/12, 6/30, and 6/60 conditions differed significantly from one another (p < 0.002), the mean of the 6/12 c condition did not differ from the 6/60 condition (p = 0.081). Finally, from Figure 2C and Table 1, it is evident that acuity degradation had a significant effect on subjects' ability to avoid hitting the large low-contrast road hazards. Like with the preceding two measures, pairwise comparisons indicated that although the means of the 6/12, 6/30, and 6/60 conditions differed significantly from one another (p < 0.001), performance in the 6/12c condition was essentially identical to that in the 6/60 optical blur condition (p = 0.632), and performance in both of these conditions was poorer than that in the 6/12 optical blur condition. Including results of the 6/12c condition again produced significant linear (F[1,23] = 32.25, p < 0.001) and cubic (F[1,23] = 67.03, p < 0.001) trend components. When the results of the 6/12c condition were excluded from the analysis, there was a significant linear trend (F[1,23] = 116.43, p < 0.001) across the remaining three degraded conditions (solid line in Fig. 2C) produced by different amounts of optical blur. Back to Top | Article Outline Maneuvering Test Course As Table 1 indicates, acuity degradation had a significant effect on the total time required to complete the test course. Although statistically significant, the effect of acuity degradation across conditions was relatively small, although there was a significant linear trend across the three degraded acuity conditions produced by optical blur (F[1,23] = 5.17, p < 0.033). Back to Top | Article Outline Supplementary Vision Test Results Figures 3A-C show the effect of the different acuity levels on Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity, the SKILL score, and DGI score. Results are plotted using the same conventions as used to plot the driving performance results. Open circles represent individual data obtained under the four conditions differing in optical blur and the filled circles represent results obtained for the same individuals when tested in the simulated cataract condition. Figure 3. Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity: Variations in Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity across the five conditions are shown in Figure 3A. The effect of acuity level on contrast sensitivity was significant (Table 1). Note also that the simulated cataract condition, 6/12c, produced a loss in contrast sensitivity greater than that observed in the 6/60 optical blur condition. A further analysis, excluding the results of the 6/12c condition, revealed a significant linear decline, albeit small, in Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity with increasing optical blur (F[1,23] = 200.39, p < 0.001); the rate of decline was 0.09 log units/D. SKILL score: Figure 3B illustrates the effect of the five acuity levels on the SKILL score. Variations in the SKILL score across the four degraded acuity conditions were significant (Table 1). However, as is evident from Figure 3B, the effect was largely the result of the inclusion of the 6/12c condition. When the latter was excluded from the analysis, there remained a small, but significant, variation in SKILL score across the 6/12, 6/30, and 6/60 conditions (F[2,46] = 4.33, p = 0.019). Further analysis revealed the variation to consist of a small linear trend (F[1,23] = 10.26, p = 0.004) that is, as Figure 3B shows, barely discernible across the three conditions. In other words, the SKILL score was relatively insensitive to the level of optical blur. Parenthetically, it may be noted that, for the high luminance side of the SKILL card (effectively a near-distance version of the Bailey-Lovie acuity chart) performance in the 6/12c condition was comparable to that of the 6/12 optical blur level measured with the Bailey-Lovie chart at the test track. For the low-luminance/low-contrast side of the test, the 6/12c condition produced a selective decrement in performance, producing a SKILL score roughly 2.5 times greater than that for any of the optical blur conditions. DGI score: Figure 3C shows the variation in the DGI obtained using the Berkeley Glare Test. The effect of acuity level on DGI was significant across the four degraded conditions (Table 1). However, this difference was largely the result of the inclusion of the 6/12c condition. When the latter condition was excluded from the analysis, there was no effect of acuity level on DGI across the three degraded acuity conditions produced by different amounts of optical blur (F[2,46] = 0.6, p = 0.58). Thus, the DGI was also relatively independent of optical blur. Back to Top | Article Outline Relationship Between Driving and Vision Test Performance The results described in the preceding sections indicated that some measures of driving performance were linearly related to acuity level when, that is, the acuity levels were produced by different amounts of optical blur. However, the simulated mild cataract degraded performance by an amount that was disproportionate considering the relatively minor effect it had on visual acuity. In addition, results of the supplementary vision tests indicated that although some vision test scores were either relatively independent of (the SKILL and DGI scores) or only modestly affected by (Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity, different levels of optical blur, they were disproportionately degraded by the simulated cataract. The remainder of this section considers the implications of the results in the preceding two sections for screening the visual acuity of driver applicants by licensing agencies that do not distinguish between mild acuity losses resulting from uncorrected refractive error and similar magnitudes of acuity loss resulting from, for example, mild cataracts. More specifically, licensing agencies record a single datum for each prospective driver, an acuity level. Individuals having the same visual acuity are treated equally. Thus, two individuals, both having 6/12 acuity, would be treated equally and both would meet the minimum acuity criterion required by most states and provinces for an unrestricted driver's license, although both evidenced a small loss in acuity. However, the preceding results indicated that not all individuals with 6/12 acuity drive equally well. Rather, the performance of drivers with 6/12 acuity depended significantly on the cause of the mild acuity loss (optical blur vs. simulated cataract). Accordingly, a number of regression analyses were performed to determine the proportion of variance in driving time, sign recognition, hazard avoidance, and maneuvering time that could be explained either by high-contrast Bailey-Lovie distance acuity alone or by Bailey-Lovie acuity combined with each of the three supplementary vision test scores in a multiple regression format, both with and without results from the simulated cataract, 6/12c, condition. For the multiple regression analyses, distance acuity was entered as the first variable and the supplementary vision measure was entered second, the assumption being that licensing agencies are unlikely to question the primary importance of the acuity standard. The solid lines in Figures 2A-C represent the linear regression lines fit to the individual (not mean) data obtained under the 6/4.5, 6/12, 6/30, and 6/60 conditions for each of the driving performance measures. In each figure, two rows of values are listed. Values listed in the top row indicate the correlation coefficient (r) between acuity and the driving performance measure and the proportion of variance (r2) in the driving measure attributable to acuity variations. Thus, the low correlation with acuity is for the driving time measure (0.55) and the highest correlations are for sign recognition (0.76) and hazard avoidance (0.78). The proportions of variance in the three driving measures explained by acuity variations are 0.30, 0.58, and 0.61, respectively. These proportions (times 100) are listed in column 1 of Table 2. It should be noted that adding each of the three supplemental vision measures did not produce any significant increment (or decrement) in the proportion of explained variance. Thus, if the only cause of acuity loss was optical blur (uncorrected refractive error), acuity would explain significant percentages of variation in these three driving measures, and there would be no need for a supplemental vision measure. TABLE 2 The second row of values in Figures 2A-C indicates that when results from the 6/12c condition were included in the regression analysis, there were still significant correlations between acuity and the driving measures. However, the magnitude of the correlations between acuity and each of the driving measures decreased, as did the proportion of variation in the driving measures attributable to acuity alone. Thus, for the hazard avoidance measure (Fig. 2C), the proportion of explained variance dropped from 0.61 to 0.26 with the inclusion of the 6/12c results. The smaller proportions of explained variance (times 100) for each driving measure resulting from inclusion of the 6/12c condition are shown in the second column of Table 2. Columns 3 to 5 of Table 2, however, indicate that significant proportions of the variance lost as a result of inclusion of the 6/12c results can be recovered by using each of the supplementary vision test scores with Bailey-Lovie acuity in a multiple regression format. Including the 6/12c results decreased the percentage of explained variance in driving time, sign recognition, and hazard avoidance from 30%, 58%, and 61% to 10%, 30%, and 26%, respectively. As column 3 (Table 2) indicates, using Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity in addition to Bailey-Lovie acuity, increased the percentage of explained variation to 26%, 57%, and 58% for the respective measures. Columns 4 and 5 indicate that using the SKILL and DGI scores also produced significant increments in explained variance, albeit the magnitude of the increments were, on average, somewhat smaller than for Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity. Back to Top | Article Outline Effect of Test Order To evaluate the possibility that testing order, not acuity level, may have had a significant effect, results for the four driving measures and the three supplementary vision measures were analyzed as a function of test order. For the driving measures, there was a significant effect of test order (Wilkes λ = 0.086; F[12,12] = 10.62, p < 0.001a), but only for total driving time measured on the main test course (F[3,69] = 13.42, p < 0.001). Briefly, subjects drove more slowly on the first test drive than on any of the remaining test drives, irrespective of the acuity condition. For the supplementary vision measure, the effect of test order was not significant (Wilkes λ = 0.853; F[9,15] = 0.29, p = 0.97). These analyses confirmed that acuity level, not test order, was the significant factor determining performance in the present study. Back to Top | Article Outline DISCUSSION The results indicate that the sudden imposition of acuity degradation on otherwise normal subjects had a selective effect on the different driving tasks measured on the main driving circuit. Clearly, the sudden imposition of such visual restrictions is an artificial situation and is likely to produce a greater impairment of performance than if the visual impairment had been introduced (or developed) slowly so that the individual had time to adapt. The study was done, without a period of adaptation, to isolate the effects of visual impairment on driving performance without introducing contaminating factors such as differences in experience and risk-taking. However, even without a period of adaptation, driving performance on the maneuvering test course was, at most, minimally affected and showed no significant relationship with either static acuity or any of the supplementary vision measures. One possible explanation for this finding is that the close spacing of the traffic cones forced the subjects to drive so slowly that they were effectively able to compensate for their acuity degradation and the degradation of the traffic cones' visibility. If so, a higher speed version of the maneuvering task might evidence a greater dependence on visual degradation. Slow driving speed cannot, however, easily explain the failure of acuity degradation to affect performance on the gap clearance task on the main test course. A more likely explanation is that the orange cones were of sufficiently high contrast to provide adequate visibility under all of the degraded acuity conditions. Owens and Tyrrell,24 for example, have shown that optical blur and severe reductions in luminance level produce significant losses in focal visual ability (e.g., acuity) but have little affect on the steering ability and accuracy of young subjects, a finding they interpreted as indicating that steering is mediated by ambient, not focal, visual abilities. It is also possible that the results for this task may have been different if the contrast of the cones had been degraded to approximate the contrast of the road hazards, or more likely that these tasks tap higher-order processes that are only minimally affected by visual degradation. Acuity degradation did, however, affect time to complete the course, sign recognition, and hazard avoidance measures from the main test course. In particular, when acuity was degraded by optical blur, these three measures were linearly related to acuity degradation with acuity variations alone accounting for 30%, 58%, and 61% of the variance in driving time, sign recognition, and hazard avoidance, respectively. The dependence of total driving time on acuity variations produced by optical blur suggests that the subjects, to some extent, were aware of, and attempted to compensate for, their degraded vision by driving slower. This was not unexpected because many but not all of the subjects represented staff and students of an optometry school. However, even visually knowledgeable individuals overestimated their ability to see and compensate for their degraded vision. Although they drove more slowly because their acuity was decreased by larger levels of optical blur, they did not slow down enough to eliminate errors in sign recognition and road hazard avoidance. In this respect, their behavior provides a partial parallel to real-world drivers who drive as fast at night as they do during the daytime, although their vision is partially degraded at night.25 A strong relationship between sign recognition and acuity under the optical blur conditions was expected because road signs contain small, high-contrast detail when viewed at the long distances associated with normal driving. Indeed, as noted by Bailey and Sheedy,1 the current rule for road sign design requires that the letter height should be 1 inch for every 50 feet of the required recognition distance, corresponding roughly to an acuity of approximately 6/6.9. The finding of an equally strong linear relationship between road hazard avoidance and acuity under the same conditions was particularly interesting, because the spatial dimensions of the hazards were quite large relative to the angular dimensions of the detail of common roadway signage and the detail of optotypes on standard acuity charts. However, the task was included for this very reason; the road hazards were included to represent real-world objects that can be large relative to the spatial resolution limits of the normal eye, yet be low in contrast. Some of these "objects" have little significance for a driver. One example would be newly repaired roadway areas that have only a small difference in reflectance relative to the original roadway surface. Other real-world objects (e.g., potholes, real-world speed bumps, roadside pedestrians, and vehicles at night) are significant in that they require the driver to take some kind of evasive action to avoid an accident. Overall, these results provide partial empirical support for the continuing reliance of licensing agencies on static acuity measurements as an indicator of the integrity of central visual function. If the only cause of acuity loss was uncorrected refractive error, static visual acuity would, by itself, suffice to explain much of the variance in an attentive driver's daytime performance in sign recognition and road hazard avoidance tasks. When, however, other potential sources of acuity reduction are considered (e.g., mild cataracts), other vision tests provide an important supplement to the conventional static acuity test. Including results from the 6/12c condition in the analysis decreased the proportion of variance in the driving measures that could be explained by acuity alone. Although the cataract simulators produced only a mild loss in visual acuity, their effect on sign recognition, road hazard avoidance, and total driving time were more similar to the 6/60 condition than to the 6/12 optical blur condition. This finding is in agreement with previous studies that looked at the effect of simulated17 and real cataracts13,26 on driving performance; both studies found that driving performance was significantly impaired, although the visual acuity of all drivers was equal to or better than the 6/12 licensing standard. Importantly, the present results indicate that Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity, the SKILL score, and the DGI are each capable of measuring the component of visual disability introduced by the cataract simulators that cannot be detected by static acuity alone. In addition, our results suggest that Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity may be slightly more sensitive to this component of disability than are the SKILL and DGI scores. It is also likely that all three measures are effective because they are relatively independent of optical blur but extremely sensitive to the light-scattering/contrast-reducing properties of the cataract simulators. The resistance of these three indices of visual function to optical blur has also been noted by previous investigators.22,27–30 Cataracts have recently been shown to be a risk factor in at-fault accidents,31 and cataract surgery26,32 has been shown to mitigate this risk factor and improve driving performance, very likely by reducing the severe contrast sensitivity impairment that drivers experience resulting from cataracts.33 Finally, the present results suggest that licensing agencies can more effectively detect vision problems resulting from cataracts by supplementing the standard static acuity test with one of the three tests used in this study. Back to Top | Article Outline ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Kent Higgins was supported in part by a Visiting Research Fellowship awarded by the Queensland University of Technology. The authors thank Queensland Transport for allowing them to use the facilities at the Mt. Cotton Driver Training Centre, the Staff of the Mt. Cotton Centre for their generous cooperation and support, Alan Tait and Annette Hattam for assistance with data collection, and David Cades for assistance in the preparation of the manuscript. Received December 20, 2004; accepted March 21, 2005. Kent E. Higgins, PhD, FAAO Lighthouse International 111 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022-1202 e-mail: email@example.com to Top | Article Outline REFERENCES1. Bailey IL, Sheedy JE. Vision Screening for Driver Licensure. Special Report 218, Vol. 2. Transportation in an aging society: improving mobility and safety for older persons. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board, National Research Council; 1988:294-324. Cited Here... 2. Charman WN. Vision and driving—a literature review and commentary. Ophthal Physiol Opt 1997;17:371–91. Cited Here... 3. Burg A. The Relationship Between Vision Test Scores and Driving Record: General Findings. Report No. 68-27. Los Angeles: University of California, Los Angeles Department of Engineering; 1967. Cited Here... 4. Henderson RL, Burg A. Vision and Audition in Driving. Report No. DOT-HS-801-265. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 1974. Cited Here... 5. Shinar D. Driver Visual Limitations, Diagnosis and Treatment: Final Report. Report No. DOT-HS-803. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 1977. Cited Here... 6. Decina LE, Staplin L. Retrospective evaluation of alternative vision screening criteria for older and younger drivers. Accid Anal Prev 1993;25:267–75. Cited Here... 7. Johnson CA, Keltner JL. Incidence of visual field loss in 20,000 eyes and its relationship to driving performance. Arch Ophthalmol 1983;101:371–5. Cited Here... 8. Higgins KE. Low vision driving among normally-sighted drivers. In: Cole, RG, Rosenthal BP, eds. Remediation and Management of Low Vision. St. Louis: Mosby; 1996:225-36. Cited Here... 9. Higgins KE, Wood J, Tait A. Vision and driving: selective effect of optical blur on different driving tasks. Hum Factors 1998;40:224–32. Cited Here... 10. Owens DA, Helmers G, Sivak M. Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems: a call for user-centered design. Ergonomics 1993;36:363–9. Cited Here... 11. Ball K, Owsley C, Sloane ME, Roenker DL, Bruni JR. Visual attention problems as a predictor of vehicle crashes in older drivers. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1993;34:3110–23. Cited Here... 12. Wood JM, Troutbeck R. Effect of restriction of the binocular visual field on driving performance. Ophthal Physiol Opt 1992;12:291–8. Cited Here... 13. Wood JM, Troutbeck R. Effect of age and visual impairment on driving and vision performance. In: Research Issues on Bicycling, Pedestrians, and Older Drivers. Transportation Research Board Record; Report 1438. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1994:89-94. Cited Here... 14. Wood JM, Higgins KE. How well does high contrast acuity predict driving performance? In: Gale, AG, Brown ID, Haslegrave CM, Taylor SP, eds. Vision in Vehicles, VII. London: Elsevier; 1999:33-42. Cited Here... 15. Elliott DB, Bullimore MA, Patla AE, Whitaker D. Effect of a cataract simulation on clinical and real world vision. Br J Ophthalmol 1996;80:799–804. Cited Here... 16. Anand V, Buckley JG, Scally A, Elliott DB. Postural stability changes in the elderly with cataract simulation and refractive blur. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2003;44:4670–5. Cited Here... 17. Wood JM, Troutbeck R. Effect of visual impairment on driving. Hum Factors 1994;36:476–87. Cited Here... 18. Ginsburg AP. A new contrast sensitivity vision test chart. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 1984;61:403–7. Cited Here... 19. Betts TA, Knight R, Crowe A, Blake A, Harvey P, Mortiboy D. Effect of beta-blockers on psychomotor performance in normal volunteers. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1985;28(suppl):39–49. Cited Here... 20. Pelli DG, Robson JG, Wilkins AJ. The design of a new letter chart for measuring contrast sensitivity. Clin Vision Sci 1988;2:187–99. Cited Here... 21. Elliott DB, Bullimore MA, Bailey IL. Improving the reliability of the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity test. Clin Vision Sci 1991;6:471–5. Cited Here... 22. Haegerstrom-Portnoy G, Brabyn J, Schneck ME, Jampolsky A. The SKILL Card. An acuity test of reduced luminance and contrast. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1997;38:207–18. Cited Here... 23. Bailey IL, Bullimore MA. A new test for the evaluation of disability glare. Optom Vis Sci 1991;68:911–7. Cited Here... 24. Owens DA, Tyrrell RA. Effects of luminance, blur, and age on nighttime visual guidance: a test of the selective degradation hypothesis. J Exp Psychol Appl 1999;5:115–28. Cited Here... 25. Leibowitz HW, Owens DA. We drive by night: and when we do, we often misjudge our visual capabilities, courting disaster. Psychol Today 1986;20:54–8. Cited Here... 26. Wood JM, Carberry TP. Older drivers and cataracts. Measures of driving performance before and after cataract surgery. In: Highway Safety: Older Persons; Traffic Law Enforcement; Management and Trucking. Transportation Research Board Record; Report 1865. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board; 2004:7–13. Cited Here... 27. Bradley A, Hook J, Haeseker J. A comparison of clinical acuity and contrast sensitivity charts: effect of uncorrected myopia. Ophthal Physiol Opt 1991;11:218–26. Cited Here... 28. Bradley A, Thomas T, Kalaher M, Hoerres M. Effects of spherical and astigmatic defocus on acuity and contrast sensitivity: a comparison of three clinical charts. Optom Vis Sci 1991;68:418–26. Cited Here... 29. Rubin GS, Roche KB, Prasada-Rao P, Fried LP. Visual impairment and disability in older adults. Optom Vis Sci 1994;71:750–60. Cited Here... 30. Zhang L, Pelli DG, Robson J. The effect of luminance, distance, and defocus on contrast sensitivity as measured by the Pelli-Robson chart. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1989;30(suppl):406. Cited Here... 31. Owsley C, Stalvey B, Wells J, Sloane ME. Older drivers and cataract: driving habits and crash risk. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 1999;54:M203-11. Cited Here... 32. Owsley C, McGwin G Jr, Sloane M, Wells J, Stalvey BT, Gauthreaux S. Impact of cataract surgery on motor vehicle crash involvement by older adults. JAMA 2002;288:841–9. Cited Here... 33. Owsley C, Stalvey BT, Wells J, Sloane ME, McGwin G Jr. Visual risk factors for crash involvement in older drivers with cataract. Arch Ophthalmol 2001;119:881–7. Cited Here... Keywords:driving performance; vision; visual acuity; contrast sensitivity; SKILL score; Disability Glare Index (DGI) © 2005 American Academy of Optometry


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Bioinformatic approaches suggest several putative functional roles of SARS coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
Suche in Medline nach
|26. Mai 2004
SARS coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (SARS-CoV RdRp) belongs to a subfamily of template-dependent polynucleotide polymerases. Seven sequence motifs (motifs A to G) are conserved among different viral RdRps [Ref. 1]. They are involved in various functions such as metal-ion binding, binding of the incoming nucleotide, discrimination of deoxyribonucleotides versus ribonucleotides and the polymerization reaction itself. Actually, the active site of the SARS-CoV polymerase is constituted from these motifs. On the basis of structural templates of unrelated viral RdRps, a structural model was recently proposed, which included residues 376 to 932 of the full-length protein [Ref. 2].
Most remarkable, however, is the N-terminal part of the SARS-CoV RdRp, which comprises about 380 residues. Apparently, this sequence region is unique for coronaviral RdRps, since the corresponding regions of other, unrelated RdRps differ significantly in sequence and length. Moreover, the N-terminal region of coronaviral RdRps is of yet unknown function due to the absence of superfamily-assigning motifs.
Here, the first 300 residues of the SCoV RdRp are proposed to share a common 3D fold with the RNase H of bacteriophage T4, an enzyme that exhibits 5´-3´ exonuclease activity. The active site of the T4 exonuclease is characterized by two Mg2+-ions. Several aspartate residues are arranged in this active site and are conserved in the corresponding SARS-CoV RdRp sequence. However, these aspartates are lacking in HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63, indicating a possible unique function in the infectious metabolism of SARS coronavirus. Using a threading approach, a structural model is suggested, in which acidic residues may form an acidic cleft capable of binding one magnesium or manganese ion.
Residues 298-310 within the N-terminal part of SCoV RdRp contain a cysteine-rich sequence displaying similarity to the cysteine-rich motif of the HIV-1 transactivator (Tat) protein. In the case of Tat, these cysteines act as ligands for zinc-ions and are involved in a Zn2+-dependent dimerisation reaction [Ref. 3]. Strikingly, four out of six cysteines are conserved in the SARS-CoV RdRp-N sequence, implying also a possible role in Zn2+-ion binding.
Based on these preliminary investigations, SARS-CoV RdRp is assumed to encompass at least three different functional domains: (I), Mg2+/Mn2+-dependent exonuclease (residues 1-297); (II), a zinc-binding domain (residues 298-375); and (III), the polymerase domain (residues 376-932).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
As the curtain goes down on 2011, Broadway.com is looking ahead to the new year. We've asked the brightest stars on Broadway to reflect on their personal highlights from the past year and to reveal their hopes for 2012. Check out what they had to say, and have a Happy New Year!
EMILY PADGETT (Sherrie in Rock of Ages)
Highlight of 2011: My biggest highlight was being able to work on two beautiful, provocative shows. One was White Noise, and the other was Peter and I. I have been extremely fortunate to be involved in a few big commercial Broadway shows, but working on those two smaller shows was an unbelievable experience. I grew so much as an actor, and being able to come back to Rock of Ages "eight months wiser" was icing on the cake!
Resolution for 2012: My resolution is definitely watching my sugar intake... I could eat my way through the holidays! And keeping life in perspective :)
Keep checking for more resolutions from your favorite stars.


text:
Modifying a Hanja word is similar to the process for adding a Hanja word.
Select a Hanja word from the User Dictionary and click the Modify button.
Edit the Hangul associated with the Hanja in the Add/Modify dialog box. Then use Control-K to commit the Hangul characters you want to associate with the Hanja.
In the Hanja field, type the Hanja associated with the modified Hangul.
Use the character-by-character methods described in Using Hangul/Hanja Conversion to Enter Hanja.
Click the Modify button.


text:
School's out but there are plenty of activities across Leeds to help entertain youngsters this summer.
Robots are set to rise today as the city's annual Breeze Arts Festival rolls into town.
Youngsters are set to make electronic music by creating their very own robot orchestra from circuit toys.
They will then record a live track at Greenmount Studio.
Creative children are also being encouraged to create their own Lego models to create their own movie inspired by the smash-hit Lego movie.
Now in its 18th year the Breeze festival is back and bigger than ever.
The event, which is for youngsters aged 11 to 19, is set to finish on Sunday.
The majority of events are free or have a Breezecard discount.
Events take place all over the city; in libraries, First Floor, Trinity Shopping Centre, Hyde Park Cinema and Leeds Town Hall.
This year a group of young people have helped the festival team plan, programme and manage the festival.
The group of nine young people, who are aged between 11 and 18, have chosen the projects and performances that make up the festival, been involved in designing the posters and marketing.
Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, executive member responsible for digital and creative technologies, culture and skills, said:"Breeze Arts Festival continues to offer a huge range of opportunities for young people to get involved in the arts, and I'm proud to support the festival.
"Breeze Arts Festival partners with a lot of different organisations who all put in a lot of hard work to create the excellent range of activities and events."
Councillor Judith Blake, executive member responsible for children and families said:"It is great that young people have been on the organising panel and have helped create a festival which will appeal to a young people with a wide range of interests."
She continued: "Child Friendly Leeds all is about listening to our children and young people, and by getting involved in this year's festival these youngsters will not only have had a fantastic experience themselves they will have also produced an event which is relevant and exciting for other young Leeds citizens to enjoy."
Over the next six weeks the Yorkshire Evening Post will feature some of the city's highlights for children over the summer holidays.
*Over the next six weeks the Yorkshire Evening Post will feature a round-up of fun summer events for children.
And we are calling on attractions, community groups and organisations from across Leeds to share their summer line-ups.
Whether it is a fun day, workshops for children or an exhibition for families we want to hear your news.
Email your summer events to firstname.lastname@example.com to feature in our special weekly What's On guide.


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Education and Training
Master of Divinity, (M.Div.) General Theological Seminary, New York, New York, 1969
Master of Science in Educational Counseling, (M. Sc.) University of Southern California, 1981
Doctor of Ministry, (D.Min.) Graduate Theological Foundation, Indiana
Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy, Blanton Peale Institute, New York, New York, 2006
Certificate in Psychoanalysis, Blanton Peale Institute, New York, New York
Doctor of Psychology, Graduate Theological Foundation
Licensed and Certified
New York 000563-1
New Jersey 48PA00001000
Professional Organizations
Clinical Member, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists
Fellow, American Association of Pastoral Counselors
Member, National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis
Faculty, China American Psychoanalytic Alliance
Faculty, Tau Fong Shan, Hong Kong


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Hunter Silides, center, pushes her son, Christian, 4, Wednesday on a swing set on Gold Street as she holds her 1-year-old daughter, Grace. The Silides family moved to Juneau from Fairbanks on Nov. 1 and they are enjoying the mild weather. Hunter's husband, George, is the new pastor at the Church of the Holy Trinity.
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This is incredible. This kicks the crap out of any dubsteb, this actually takes talent.
I have always loved classical pieces mixed with metal (I.E Nightwish, Symphony X, Kansas.) and you did a fantastic job. In the future, I hope to ask you to do some work for one of my songs, heck for as good as this is, I might beg. lol
Really well made!
I really like this! It's a shame to find out you never came out on top, because you can hear the great efforts you put into this. It's also really well mastered for many different breeds of instrument. I really like the electric guitar.
Hope you still keep on uploading here! :D
Please contact me if you would like to use this in a project. We can discuss the details.


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SOUTHERN Bohemia, part of the Czech Republic, lies along Austria's northern border.
It is an area that time has passed by, still retaining walled towns, monasteries, castles, towers and medieval town centres.
They were important towns centuries ago, at the crossroads of trade routes, and today they stand out as full of character and charm, having preserved their unique graffiti decorated facades, bright red roofs and cobbled squares (that are anything but "square").
These are real discovery destinations.
You can fly to Vienna, pick up a car and drive (2 hours) or via Prague (3 hours), or go by train and bus from Prague. The countryside varies, from vast prairie-style, mono-culture fields of maize or grain, to the "Czech Canada" area of lakes, rivers and pine forests.
Each dip in the landscape reveals a river, bridge and picturesque town or village with its own castle. Vineyards make superb wines, including one for a very special customer, as I will explain later.
My trip was organised, and we crossed the border by train to Breclav, which has one of the worst stations I have ever encountered, an example of a Communist-era concrete block building of the severest style imaginable.
From here we went to Lednice, home to an amazing, huge chateau, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1996. It took many years to build and the project altered the whole countryside. Vast parks surround it, with lakes and islands, rivers were diverted, and broad vistas opened up.
A chapel, in one wing, is big enough to be a tourist attraction in its own right. A tour of the chateau reveals amazing woodwork, including an unbelievable spiral staircase, intricately carved, made from a single tree. There is a lot to see in Lednice; good places to lunch and stay – for my hotel, which has its own wine cellar and organic wine, go to www.myhotel.cz.
We drove to Mikulov, a town where you could easily spend a week or two. There are historical areas, such as the Jewish quarter, very important before the last war, cycling, horseback, fishing, swimming sports, hiking and many other activities.
A chateau sits on a hill overlooking the town, and a wonderful hotel can be viewed at www.zamecekmikulov.cz. Run by the energetic family Sevcikova, it is modern, clean, bright and welcoming. It has an extensive wine cellar, and the wine tastings leave you certainly light headed.
Mr Sevcikova told me he supplied wine to the Pope, who visited the region last year. A competition was held to select a wine to present to his Holiness, and the hotel's sparkling wine won. Pope Benedict XVI liked it so much he placed an order and is now a regular customer. Quite a recommendation!
From here we continued to Slavonice, a charming, small town, clustered round a triangular "square". The hotel Dum U Ruze www.dumuruze.cz is at one end of the attractive cobbled rendezvous, which has a central statue/monument to Our Lady.
Across the top of the "square" is the old monastery, and through its arches an ancient church. Leaning heavily to one side is a massive stone tower, open daily during the summer. A spiralling stone staircase takes you to the wooden bell chamber, and continuing up and up you eventually reach the balcony, and the office where you pay. What a location! The man on duty issued us with our "tickets" – miniature fridge magnets of the tower.
From there, you can see just how small the town is. The towers with arched gateways are still the ways into Slavonice. Important houses lining the main street are covered in graffiti-style decoration, and many have false frontages. A two-storey house has a third-storey front wall built on, sometimes with painted false windows. Bright-red roof tiles are now obligatory, to maintain the character of the town.
We stayed a night and continued on to Landsteijn, which has an almost roofless castle dating back to at least 1222. It used to be a major power base, securing the border with the Austrians. A good way to clear the head of local wine is to climb up to the top of the castle tower which offers a view of the "Czech Canada" region.
Pine forests spread out as far as you can see, and lakes and rivers dot the landscape. A good English language booklet is available, see ISBN 978-88-87216-04-0.
After all this exploration, it was good to find our hotel, the Concertino (www.concertino.cz) at Jindrichuv Hradec, one of those Czech names difficult for us; the Germans called it Neuhaus, which is easier.
Jindrichuv Hradec has another wonderful castle, the Black Tower (gave this one a miss because of the 149 stairs to climb), which houses wonderful paintings and historical objects, and the Rondell, a circular building popular for weddings and concerts.
The decoration is over the top but it is described as the peak of the Renaissance renovation of the castle, which was completed in 1596. Dinner was superb at the hotel/restaurant Pod-Vezi (www.pod-vezi.eu).
As well as a large range of Czech wines, they also have an equally large range of the superb beers that the Czechs are famous for. Then it was back to the hotel Concerto, situated in a corner of the square, with a plaque on a façade to one of the many great Czech composers, Michna. On entering, the hotel opens up to seemingly many times the size of the exterior, like Dr Who's Tardis.
The railway station has an interesting feature, a narrow gauge line from outside the main terminal. We joined one of the many summer steam specials, enjoying the two-hour ride in an open coach before pulling in to Nova Bystrice, where we left for our final destination, Cesky Krumlov, a town Walt Disney pretty and unbelievable.
It is situated on a loop of the river, sitting there on an almost island of land, with a massive castle dominating the other side of the river; another UNESCO site and a tourist magnet. It was the weekend before Czech national day, and it was jam packed with tourists being entertained to folk dancing and music in many locations. There is a lot to see here, look at www.ckrumlov.cz/info.
From here, it was a short drive over the border to Austria to make our way home.
The people everywhere were very friendly, a lot of English is spoken, and it is easy to get around. The roads are good and not too busy, the scenery wonderful, food excellent, wines and beers superb, and costs reasonable.
The currency is the Czech crown, although Euros seemed to be accepted in many places. At a honey stall in the main car park at Lednice I bought a small jar and didn't have Czech crowns so he accepted Euros.
He worked out the change in crowns, wasn't happy that he had given me enough, and gave me a cup full of his home-made honey wine to drink. Altogether an area well worth discovering.


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Sturrock: We are disappointed
Southend's good unbeaten run has ended with them suffering defeat at Gillingham on Tuesday night, much to Paul Sturrock's "disappointment".
Sturrock didn't think that the referee did much to help his side in the 1-0 defeat: 'We are disappointed. The referee's decision has been a feature of the game. We had a certain penalty denied.'
Even so The Shrimpers boss thought his side had enough of the game to have got a point, but would have had an even better chance had the final finish not let his side down: 'Coming here to a difficult place, they are the form team at the minute and we competed with them all night. Their goalie had more saves to make than ours. I was disappointed with our final ball, that final cross and that final finish which let us down a bit in the second half.
'I just felt that one or two of our players were off the pace compared to the weekend but we have to take the positives throughout the game. I didn't think we deserved to lose the game. The substitutions were dictated by injuries which didn't help things and we were chasing the game with our height and it just didn't seem to be our night.'


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MEXICO CITY - 20 Nov 2013: Tecnologico de Monterrey and IBM (NYSE: IBM) Mexico today announced the opening of the Innovation and Digital Marketing Center at the University's Santa Fe Campus. With a $3.1 million investment, the center will offer the latest Big Data, analytics and smarter marketing tools to faculty, students and entrepreneurs.
Students will be able to use the center to develop next-generation digital marketing skills, including customizing marketing strategies, modeling purchasing patterns, and using tools to measure return-on-investment to maximize effectiveness of digital campaigns.
"This new Center will be a laboratory for innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity," said Daniel Moska Arreola, General Director of Tecnologico de Monterrey, Santa Fe Campus. "It will help students succeed in the constantly evolving world of digital marketing and is the latest chapter in the university's 50-year collaboration with IBM."
Salvador Martinez Vidal, IBM Mexico General Manager, added, "IBM looks forward to encouraging today's graduates, and the next generation of chief marketing officers, to develop the right skills as marketing is transformed by mobile and cloud computing and becomes more personalized."
The center will use technology built on the IBM POWER 7 platform as well as an array of Smarter Commerce software used by thousands of companies around the world to improve the ins-store shopping experience across mobile, social and digital channels.
Other collaborations between IBM and Tecnologico de Monterrey include the System Z Experience Center in the State of Mexico Campus and Power Center in Santa Fe Campus, both programs to advance the latest programming skills, and the Smarter Traffic Center in the State of Mexico Campus, where students and IBMers explore how Big Data and analytics can solve the world's traffic congestion problems.
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Phillips begins interim phase with desire to hold job permanentlyDecember 9, 2013
What the Texans do in their last three games should have nothing to do with what owner Bob McNair thinks about Wade Phillips as a candidate to get the head coaching job on a full-time basis.
McNair said last week when he fired Gary Kubiak and promoted Phillips that the defensive coordinator would be interviewed.
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Anyone who knows Phillips understands how badly he wants the job. He won't campaign for it, but he didn't try to hide his interest when he met with the media after a light workout on Monday.
"I think I have something to give," Phillips said. "If you look at the record, I have a lot to offer as a head coach, but that's for somebody else to decide."
That somebody would be McNair, who will hire Kubiak's replacement with input from general manager Rick Smith and vice chairman Cal McNair.
To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.
Phillips' regular-season record is 82-61 as the head coach at Denver, Buffalo and Dallas. He's 3-4 as the interim coach at New Orleans and Atlanta. He's 1-5 in the playoffs.
Phillips was asked if, considering his résumé, he thinks it's fair for him to be evaluated as a head coaching candidate based on remaining games against Indianapolis, Denver and Tennessee.
"I don't, because I've got a lot more to worry about than that," he said.
Dodges the question
Then Phillips was asked if he would consider staying as the defensive coordinator under the new coach if he's passed up as Kubiak's replacement.
"I would never say that, because then they wouldn't hire you as the head coach," Phillips said, laughing. "I'm not going to fall for that one."
This is the third time Phillips has been named an interim coach, and he was passed up at New Orleans and Atlanta.
"When you come in, there's a reason," he said about being an interim coach. "They've lost a lot of games. I'm familiar with this situation. I've been a head coach and an interim head coach.
"You have to try to mold the team the way you feel like it ought to (be). The strengths, you need to utilize them, and the weaknesses, you need to try (to minimize). It's hard to do in a short amount of time. That's where the interim part is really tough."
Indeed, the Texans have an embarrassing 11-game losing streak and a humiliating 2-11 record, the worst in the NFL. Now they go to Indianapolis, where they have an 0-11 record.
Phillips replaced Kubiak for the Arizona game because the head coach suffered a mini-stroke and couldn't make the trip.
"It's, obviously, a lot different than when Gary was sick," Phillips said. "I tried to keep things going the way they were and wait until he got back, keep the seat warm.
"This is a different situation. We know there's been a change, and we've got to go for it from there."
A hand in all aspects
Phillips said he'll be involved with offense, defense and special teams. He called the firing of special teams coordinator Joe Marciano, an original Texans coach, "a team decision."
Phillips said Bob Ligashesky, who had been Marciano's assistant, would have "some different ideas."
Phillips said he would try to "influence some things" offensively but didn't say if offensive coordinator Rick Dennison would call plays, only that they would meet later. He said he would try to "delegate" more on defense.
"I'm up to my rear in alligators," he said.
But at least he has a job. Kubiak doesn't.
"It affects you personally because we've been great friends," Phillips said about Kubiak's firing. "I appreciate him hiring me.
"I've been a coach for a long time, and I know this: They've fired good coaches, too. They get fired, (and) sometimes they go on and do well."
Present company included.


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Romancing the Space
A decorator uses bold color and contrasting patterns with confidence in her own home.
Roger Davies
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Why We Love It
This is a modest-sized room from , and therefore has lessons that apply to our own, less-than-palatial palaces. Decorator Fran Keenan has packed this small space with big style.
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Gonorrhea is one of the most common diseases that infect both men and women. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease and mostly found in the sexually active teenagers and other people. The bacterium named Gonorrhea is responsible for the disease that impacts a large population. Even though it can harm both men and women but men often face more risks for the disease.
What causes gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is the result of the dangerous bacteria Neisseria Gonorrhea that can transmit through sexual intercourse problems and infected bodily fluids. It has been seen that the Neisseria Gonorrhea bacterium grows at an alarming speed in the warm places. The most comfortable places for this bacterium in men is the Urethra (Urinal Tube), Mouth, Throat, and Anus.
As per the details and medical observations, the Gonorrhea disease can impact a man in multiple ways. It is even inherited to the next generation. The adverse impact of the disease can be observed as the situation worsens. The different medical study has proven that the Gonorrhea mostly occurs for multiple sex partners.
However, unfortunate body fluid transfusion can be a reason for it as well. Even Oral Sex can lead to this disease. It can harm men by multiple ways but here are the different symptoms that are found in men in case of the disease.
Symptoms of Gonorrhea in Men
There are many complications of this disease but here are the most common signs and symptoms that are found.
Enlarged testicles and pain in the same are two of the most common symptoms of this disease. However, the swelling in the testicles can differ for a different individual. The pain tends to increase with the time for this disease.
Excessive burning sensation during urinating is one of the common symptoms. Many have a complaint about pain during the urination as well. The burning sensation and the pain differ but it tends to increase with the severity.
There will discharge from the penis. The frequency of the discharge may vary with the individual and the severity of the disease. The most common color is either Greenish Yellow or whitish. However, the color does not represent any severity of the condition. It may change for an individual as well. The discharge can also create burning sensation or pain.
Burning sensation in the throat or swellings of the throat is also a very common symptom for the Gonorrhea disease. These are mainly the symptoms for those men who have got the bacteria transmission due to Oral Sex.
The most difficult part of the Gonorrhea disease is that the symptoms appear late. It is observed that symptoms appear after 14 days of infection and sometimes it appears even later. It becomes very difficult to diagnose the disease in such conditions.
How do you diagnose gonorrhea?
The diagnosis of that disease is also very important with respect to the severity of the issue. As far as the process is concerned, the diagnosis is done on the basis of body fluid. Often another sexually transmitted disease named as Chlamydia is found along with Gonorrhea. The doctors need to identify both the disease in order to go ahead for the treatment.
What is the best treatment for gonorrhea?
The treatment of the disease is generally a full course of antibiotics. This is a treatable disease if the patient shows up early and the disease is diagnosed well in advance. It is also important that a person completes the antibiotic course in order to be cured. Sometimes, people do not really follow the entire course as it looked that they have already come around. However, even traces of the bacterium can cause a relapse of the disease.
It is also very important that a person takes equal measures to prevent this disease rather than treating this. The safe sex is the best prevention for this disease in men. Also, one must ensure that nobody fluid is transferred from unknown or known source.
What are the effects of gonorrhea if not treated?
The disease can have adverse and life threatening impact for men. If the disease is left untreated or not get treated for a long time, then the size of the testicles can get increased by a large amount. It can create unbearable pain and further cause infertility problems. The reduction of sexual drive is very common for Gonorrhea. This condition is generally known as Epididymitis. The Gonorrhea enhances the chance of HIV infection by a considerable amount. According to medical research, a person is more vulnerable to HIV if he is already infected with Gonorrhea. The chances of AIDS due to HIV increases even more with Gonorrhea. The report suggests that a man is more vulnerable to AIDS when he has both HIV and Gonorrhea than when he has only Gonorrhea.
Gonorrhea can be disastrous for a man. It can lead to sexual complications and impact the sexual drive as well. It can even cause infertility and even death.


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Kristi Gustafson is a blogger for the Times Union, but you may also recognize her if she's ever featured you on Nightcam or taken your picture for the Seen gallery. She is also a regular guest on FLY 92.3. Want to be just like Kristi? Start by listening to the music she loves best:
""Beautiful Day" by U2: This is just such a beautiful, happy song. It can completely transform my mood and makes me want to dance in my seat at my desk. It's also featured in "The Devil Wears Prada," one of my favorite movies (and soundtracks).
"Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson: I've always lived a "safe," close-to-home life virtually void of risk-taking. I listen to this song to be reminded that risks — and not being afraid — can often lead to happiness, not failure.
"Christmas Canon Rock" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra: I listen to this song whenever I'm feeling stressed (even if it's the middle of July and Christmas is but a distant memory). It's so peaceful and relaxing.
"Crash" by Dave Matthews Band: DMB is my favorite band, but this song tops them all. It reminds me of my college roommate, Gerilyn. We would turn off all the lights, light the candles and sing along till our throats hurt.
"Doin' It" by L.L. Cool J: This song came out the year I graduated high school and it reminds me of that transition from high school to college. That was, by far, the most difficult year of my life. But now that I'm far enough removed, I can look back and realize how important that period was to shaping who I am today.
"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey: People always make fun of the fact I adore Journey, but I've loved them since high school. Every time I hear this song I think of Stephen and Lauren (LC) on "The Hills" as Stephen blasted it in his car after on of their dates. I loved that moment.
"Lose Yourself" by Eminem: I love the movie "8 Mile" and this song is really well-written. The way the words are woven together shows pure talent.
"Halo" by Beyonce: I had written about how couples all seem to have a song, but how The Boyfriend and I did not have one. Shortly after that column, I heard "Halo." The lyrics speak to how I feel about him.
"I Run For Life" by Melissa Etheridge: Breast cancer is especially personal to me. Whenever I hear this song when working out I'm able to speed up or power through. It's inspiring.
"In My Life" by the Beatles (and Dave Matthews): I prefer the Dave Matthews version but, no matter who is performing this song, I love how it speaks to the fact that no matter what point you are in life you will always remember the significant people from your past.
"Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus: I don't care for Miley — at all — but this song makes me want to get up and dance and sing along. I love the song so much that, for my weekly segment on Fly 92, Brian and Chrissy created a theme for me to the tune of "Party in the USA."
"Take My Breath Away" by Jessica Simpson: Cindy (my sister) and I were huge "Newlywed" fans. We also adored Jessica Simpson and always play her music — and sing to it — in the car. Some of my happiest times are spent with my sister, yet she doesn't live in the area. Listening to Jessica Simpson makes me think of our time together.
"True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper or Phil Collins: I'm actually not a huge fan of either of these artists, but the song is enough for me to make the performer a distant second. I love the message it sends about confidence, acceptance and looking at how each and every person matters.


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Not so long ago, my life was divided into "good" days and "bad" days. The determining factors were how flat my stomach was in the morning, how much I weighed, how my pants fit that day (which was especially risky had they been recently washed), and how I stuck to the diet I'd obsessively planned out the day before. Complete self-torture.
Because what defined "good" for me was driven by need for my body to be perfect, almost every day became a "bad" day. Whether walking along the busy street, working out at the gym or reading blogs, my sense of self was determined by how I looked compared to everyone else I ran into on the streets or gym or someone's blog… and on my most days, I couldn't compete. Today I try not to live like that anymore.
What is that I am the one judging myself and making up crazy rules about how my day will turn out. Essentially, I am choosing to think badly or highly about myself. Why do I want to be that mean to myself, really? Has it helped me thus far? When I used to ask myself these questions, the answers were usually that I hated myself and it hasn't helped me. If I can choose to be negative, then I can certainly choose to think positively, and thus feel happier.
Today, I try not to define my days in such black-and-white terms. I can easily get caught up in negative self-talk, but when it happens, I am determined not to entertain it. I look at it like a symptom that's telling me something else is going on, and then I reframe my thoughts. None of us are perfect, but we all have positive qualities that make us who we are. For anyone struggling with these issues, I'm here to tell you, There Is hope.
My baby cat has completely stolen the picture!


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Kevin-Prince Boateng and Christian Abbiati are back in the Milan squad to face Chievo, but Daniele Bonera and Nicola Legrottaglie are out.
The Ghanaian international has been out of action for several weeks with a recurring groin problem and is an important boost for the Serie A leaders.
His services are needed considering Andrea Pirlo, Massimo Ambrosini, Marek Jankulovski and Gianluca Zambrotta are absent.
Bonera is not called up due to a strained toe, joining Legrottaglie, Flavio Roma, Pippo Inzaghi, Didac Vila and Rodney Strasser on the treatment table.
Goalkeeper Abbiati returns for his first match since suffering concussion in Tuesday's Champions League loss to Tottenham.
Milan squad: Abbiati, Amelia, Paleari, Abate, Antonini, Nesta, Oddo, Papastathopoulos, Thiago Silva, Yepes, Boateng, Emanuelson, Flamini, Gattuso, Merkel, Seedorf, Van Bommel, Cassano, Ibrahimovic, Pato, Robinho
See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk [11]


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<img src=http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/images1/new2.gif align=left border=0>Publicis Groupe appointments: Srikant Sastri named VivaKi Country Chair; Ambika Srivastava is Chairperson of IMX
VivaKi, the strategic unit created by Publicis Groupe to leverage the combined scale of its media and digital operations, has announced two key leadership appointments in India. Srikant Sastri, Managing Director of Solutions Digitas, becomes the VivaKi Country Chair for India, while Ambika Srivastava, CEO of ZenithOptimedia India, takes on additional responsibility as Chairperson of the India Media Exchange (IMX).
In his new role, Sastri will work collaboratively with the regional and local leadership of Digitas, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia to strengthen and grow the agencies. Country Chairs will support the brand leaders to drive cross-brand growth initiatives for VivaKi in India, as well as deliver against operational and financial goals. Sastri will report into the VivaKi Board of Directors.
Srivastava has been asked to preside over IMX, a media investment unit formed in 2007 to leverage the combined scale of Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia. She will continue to work with the marketplace and the VivaKi brand leadership to deliver textured, differentiated and context-specific solutions from media owners.
According to David Kenny, Managing Partner of VivaKi, India is one of the fastest growing marketing markets – having grown in billings more than 50 per cent since 2006.
Kenny said, "There are two strategic opportunities for VivaKi to leverage its powerful scale in India. One is to leverage our significant media buying clout, and the other is to aggregate additional resources and investment dollars to deliver new tools, digital capabilities and technology platforms to clients. We are fortunate to have two proven leaders uniquely qualified to deliver on the full potential of our scale in this robust and growing market. Srikant's digital expertise and capacity for activating solutions will benefit our brands in market. Ambika will bring her investment acumen and a reputation for innovation to IMX."
Sastri had co-founded Solutions Integrated in 1995 after spending 10 years at Unilever on the Pond's business, and also McCann-Erickson. He led Solutions to a leadership position in the market by offering an integrated suite of CRM, digital, experiential, and shopper marketing services. After Publicis Groupe acquired a majority stake in Solutions in 2006, and then aligned it to the Digitas network, Solutions Digitas has expanded rapidly in both India and South-East Asia. A celebrated industry pioneer, Srikant is an active speaker at industry events. Under his leadership, Solutions Digitas has also become the most awarded marketing services agency in India.
As Chairperson of IMX, Srivastava brings to her role more than 25 years of experience, working with India's premiere advertising agencies such as McCann Erickson, Lintas and HTA (now JWT). During her expansive career, she has launched and established brands for a number of clients, including Coca-Cola, Gillette, General Motors, Fidelity, HP, Nestle and Unilever, to name a few. With Srivastava at the helm of ZO India, the agency has emerged in a very short span as one of the top four media agencies in India's annual Brand Equity Reckoner listing. ZO also witnessed the launch of Zed Digital, and Zenith Consult, as well as the addition of new clients, Aviva, The Discovery Channel, Emaar MGF, Haier, Hyundai, Ministry of Tourism, The Oberoi Hotels and Times Business Solutions.
On her new role, Srivastava said, "I am very happy at being given the opportunity to lead India Media Exchange in what are challenging and exciting times. Today, IMX enjoys a formidable reputation as a strong buyer which is focused on delivering great value to the clients of both Starcom Worldwide and ZenithOptimedia. I am looking forward to working with our media partners and the exceptionally talented team at India Media Exchange to drive incremental value for our clients."
"The challenge of creating synergies for the business, whilst enabling SMG, Digitas and ZenithOptimedia to flourish in their own right is one that I relish. We have great opportunities to offer end-to-end digital marketing services by combining the strengths of the three brands. The Indian digital market is poised for take-off, and we want to be positioned well for this," said Sastri, adding, "Additionally, we're gearing up to tap synergies in the non-digital space by offering clients an array of consumer touch-points as part of a media-neutral strategy. I look forward to working with the brand CEOs to help liberate these assets, deliver growth and ultimately to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients and their future needs."
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Project aim
We are creating a family orientated state of the art practice, recording and performance facility, that will act as a hub for any music and arts activities within the Airdrie and North Lanarkshire area, offering the opportunity for tuition and practice for all age groups and levels.
As keen musicians and performers we recognise the importance and the amazing benefits music can have on individuals and families alike. We also understand the positive effect that can be had with tuition, top of the range equipment and a good surrounding and environment.
About the project
When you mention music in North Lanarkshire, bands such as Soup Dragons, BMX Bandits, Teenage Fan Club, Hue and Cry, The Silencers and The Vigo Thieves spring to mind and we hope to emulate their success. We envisage The Music and Comedy Studios will be the hub of music in this area.
Our focus is performance you can practice and record as much as you like but the buzz you get from hearing fans sing your songs back to you, from putting on a performance and seeing the smiling faces in the audience there is nothing in the world like it. We hope to give artistes the space to practice and perform in an arena where they feel comfortable, where they can express themselves, where they can bring their own music to life no matter the genre.
The premises (Clarkston Miners Club); is an old social club, we plan to develop it to include
- Main Stage/hall
- A 150 capacity hall for seated gigs; Standing audience to be confirmed.
- Fully established back line and lighting
- The main hall will be easily converted for functions such as race nights or parties: with seating for up to 210.
- Private area for bands
- Showcase and charity events;
- Video recording system for bands promotional material.
- Practice Studios
- Sound proof practice studios
- Fully equipped with desk, drums, speaker monitors and microphones
- Recording studio
- Kitchen area for snacks
- Bar facilities
- Beer Garden
Our space is totally flexible and will be available to all members of the local community for fund raising events, celebrations and functions. We will also be developing a system that will allow all members of a family to come and watch their big brothers or sisters, mums and dads perform on our stage.
What will the funding be used for?
We have had to increase our offer for the purchase of the building and the funding for this is close to being secured, however this has left us with a short fall for equipment and developing the practice rooms, it's with this we are asking for your assistance. As our aim is to create a new and exciting space to attract artistes from all over North Lanarkshire and beyond, we realise that our offering needs to be special and unique.
With that in mind your funding will enable us to:
- Build and populate the main stage with modern sound and lighting equipment fit for the most demanding of artistes.
- Sound proof and equip our two practice rooms.
- Create and equip a recording studio.
About us.
We have experience of hosting various events for a wide range of customers throughout North Lanarkshire and we now hope to bring that experience under one roof. We know there is a demand and a need for greater space and enhanced facilities which will take our offering to a new level.
The Financials.
Our additional costs for the items listed above are £35,000 and are running costs in Year 1 will be £55,057, in Year 2 £52,561 and in year 3 £52,154. Revenue in Year 1 is expected to be £161,172, in Year 2 £177,289.20 and in Year 3 £195,018.12. Our expected pre tax profit in Year 1 is £46,615.
The Rewards!
As the owner of a venue the possible rewards are immeasurable imagine being the venue owner who discovers the next big thing. As a fan imagine being in an audience who saw the next big band playing their first gig in your home town.....yes you really were one of those 150 people.
However we have also decided to offer something more tangible than memories.
If you support us to the value of
- £10 a thank you letter
- £50 a Music and Comedy Studio T shirt
- £100 we will send you a VIP card that will entitle you to £2 off a ticket to any gig. Most if not all our events will be ticketed and this may result in you getting a refund at the door.
- £200 One free event for you, your family or an organisation you are active with. This includes birthday parties, disco's, Karaoke night, race night, CD launch nights and concerts. It will not include catering. (All ticket sales and profits will remain with the group or organisation).
- £500 - Two free events per year plus the VIP card. All conditions above still apply.
Plus other attractive options.
Where we are now!
We have been named as the preferred bidder for the site and once the funding clears we will own The Music and Comedy Studios and our future is in our own hands.......You can be part of the journey with us!
If you would like to arrange to come and look at both the existing and new site please email