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Rapid advances in technology for highly automated vehicles (HAVs) have raised concerns about coexistence of HAVs and human road users. Although there is a long tradition of research into human road user interactions, there is a lack of shared models and terminology to support cross-disciplinary research and development towards safe and acceptable interaction-capable HAVs. Here, we review the main themes and findings in previous theoretical and empirical interaction research, and find large variability in perspectives and terminologies. We unify these perspectives in a structured, cross-theoretical conceptual framework, describing what road traffic interactions are, how they arise, and how they get resolved. Two key contributions are: (1) a stringent definition of “interaction”, as “a situation where the behaviour of at least two road users can be interpreted as being influenced by the possibility that they are both intending to occupy the same region of space at the same time in the near future”, and (2) a taxonomy of the types of behaviours that road users exhibit in interactions. We hope that this conceptual framework will be useful in the development of improved empirical methodology, theoretical models, and technical requirements on vehicle automation.

Mitochondria possess transport mechanisms for import of RNA and DNA. Based on import into isolated Solanum tuberosum mitochondria in the presence of competitors, inhibitors or effectors, we show that DNA fragments of different size classes are taken up into plant organelles through distinct channels. Alternative channels can also be activated according to the amount of DNA substrate of a given size class. Analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana knockout lines pointed out a differential involvement of individual voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) isoforms in the formation of alternative channels. We propose several outer and inner membrane proteins as VDAC partners in these pathways.

Driving behaviours have been proved sensitive to the cultural background. This study aims to investigate the heterogeneity of car-following behaviour between and within Chinese and German driver groups. A driving simulator-based experiment was designed and conducted. Participants were asked to drive through two scenarios: (i) Leading vehicle with high speed; braking after a specific distance. (ii) Leading vehicle with a frequently changing speed; braking after a specific distance. Totally 41 participants’ (20 Chinese; 21 German) car-following behaviours were recorded. Desired safety margin (DSM) model was used to conclude each participant's driving character in car following. Heterogeneity between and within participant groups was investigated through statistical analysis of five driving behaviour parameters. Results showed that Chinese participants had a higher degree of heterogeneity for acceleration sensitivity parameter in Scenario 2. German participants had a higher value of the lower limit of DSM in Scenario 1. The authors also found that four out of five driving behaviour parameters were observed sensitive to the scenario . This study may provide support for researches on the traffic flows’ cross-cultural difference and the technique transferring from developed country to developing country.

Purpose An ideal learning analytics tool for programming exercises performs the role of a lecturer who monitors the code development, provides customized support and identifies students at risk to drop out. But a reliable prediction and prevention of drop-out is difficult, due to the huge problem space in programming tasks and variety of solutions and programming strategies. The purpose of this paper is to tackle this problem by, first, identifying activity patterns that indicate students at risk; and, second, finding reasons behind specific activity pattern, for identification of instructional interventions that prevent drop-out. Design/methodology/approach The authors combine two investigation strategies: first, learning analytic techniques (decision trees) are applied on features gathered from students, while completing programming exercises, in order to classify predictors for drop-outs. Second, the authors determine cognitive, motivational and demographic learner characteristics based on a questionnaire. Finally, both parts are related with a correlation analysis. Findings It was possible to identify generic variables that could predict early and later drop-outs. For students who drop out early, the most relevant variable is the delay time between availability of the assignment and the first login. The correlation analysis indicates a relation with prior programming experience in years and job occupation per week. For students who drop out later in the course, the number of errors within the first assignment is the most relevant predictor, which correlates with prior programming skills. Originality/value The findings indicate a relation between activity patterns and learner characteristics. Based on the results, the authors deduce instructional interventions to support students and to prevent drop-outs.

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) must share space with pedestrians, both in carriageway cases such as cars at pedestrian crossings and off-carriageway cases such as delivery vehicles navigating through crowds on pedestrianized high-streets. Unlike static obstacles, pedestrians are active agents with complex, interactive motions. Planning AV actions in the presence of pedestrians thus requires modelling of their probable future behaviour as well as detecting and tracking them. This narrative review article is Part I of a pair, together surveying the current technology stack involved in this process, organising recent research into a hierarchical taxonomy ranging from low-level image detection to high-level psychology models, from the perspective of an AV designer. This self-contained Part I covers the lower levels of this stack, from sensing, through detection and recognition, up to tracking of pedestrians. Technologies at these levels are found to be mature and available as foundations for use in high-level systems, such as behaviour modelling, prediction and interaction control., Accepted for publication in the IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems

Bei der Konzeption und Realisierung eines Remote-Labors fehlt es wegen der häufigspezifischen Ausprägung auf technischer und didaktischer Ebene an praktikablen Schablonen. Folglich kann die Inbetriebnahme eines Remote-Labors immer nur der Startpunkt einer kontinuierlichen Weiterentwicklung sein, die auf eine Verbesserung der Features und Konfigurationsparameter, der Lehrkonzepte, aber auch konkreter Aufgabenstellungen abzielt. Zunächst muss dafür eine geeignete Feedbackstrategie entwickelt werden, die die Rückmeldungen und Kritiken der Studierenden systematisch erfasst. In der Analysephase gilt es, entsprechende Stellschrauben zu identifizieren und daraus eine Strategie zur Anpassung des Labors zu entwickeln. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt dieses Vorgehen anhand eines Remote-Labors für eingebettete Systeme, das in einem Zeitraum von drei Jahren ausgehend von einer Vorgängerinstallation weiterentwickelt wurde. Grundlage der Anpassungen waren quantitative Befragungen der Studierenden, qualitative Interviews mit Studierenden und Tutor*innen sowie die Analyse der Nutzer*innendaten. Im Ergebnis zeigte sich, dass neben der Korrektur vermeintlich intuitiver Lösungen auch konzeptionell substanziell adaptiert werden musste.

The mitochondria of flowering plants have large and complex genomes whose structure and segregation are modulated by recombination activities. Among unresolved questions is what are the pathways responsible for the late steps of homologous recombination: while the loss of mitochondrial recombination is not viable, a deficiency in RECG1-dependent branch migration has little impact on plant development. Here we present an additional pathway required for the processing of organellar recombination intermediates, the one depending on RADA . RADA is similar in structure and activity to bacterial RadA/Sms, and in vitro it binds to ssDNA and accelerates strand-exchange reactions initiated by RecA. RADA-deficient plants are severely impacted in their development and fertility, correlating with increased mtDNA ectopic recombination and replication of recombination-generated subgenomes. The radA mutation is epistatic to recG1 , indicating that RADA drives the main branch migration pathway of plant mitochondria. In contrast, the double mutation radA recA3 is lethal, revealing the importance of an alternative RECA3-dependent pathway. Interestingly, the radA developmental phenotypes could not be correlated with obvious defects in mitochondrial gene expression. Rather, it seems that it is the activation of genes that repress cell cycle progression that is partially the cause of the stunted growth of radA mutants. SYNOPSIS Arabidopsis RADA is a main branch migration activity in plant mitochondria, whose deficiency leads to mtDNA instability by recombination, and suppression of plant growth by the activation of repressors of cell cycle progression.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate and compare the anatomical features of the nasolacrimal drainage system (NDS) in three brachycephalic dog breeds with those of normocephalic dogs, taking into account how the NDS was related to the malformed brachycephalic head.AnimalsFifty-one brachycephalic dogs were examined, comprising 23 Pugs, 18 French Bulldogs, and 10 English Bulldogs. Six normocephalic dogs of different breeds served as a comparison.MethodsComputed tomographic dacryocystography was performed. Parameters such as length, angulation, and gradient were determined. Crossing of the nasolacrimal duct (NLD) beneath the maxillary canine root, as well as the incidence of an accessory opening, were also analyzed.Results and conclusionsIn all three brachycephalic breeds, the NDS was grossly malformed. We regard this as a further consequence of exaggerated breeding for a short head conformation. While the length of the NLD was substantially reduced by 41 to 57 percent in brachycephalic dogs, their lacrimal canaliculi were two to three times as long as those of normocephalic dogs. Varying parts of the nasolacrimal drainage system followed an inverse direction in short-headed dogs, giving the entire nasolacrimal apparatus an anomalous U- or V-shaped appearance. The NLD exhibited a three to five times steeper alignment in brachycephalic dogs than in normocephalic ones. Obviously, this strong slope did not cause clinical symptoms only because there was an aberrant outflow pathway. The brachycephalic dogs consistently exhibited an accessory opening, through which most of fluid escaped into the posterior nasal cavity instead of through the common route into the nasal vestibule via the nasolacrimal ostia.

With recent advancements in head-mounted displaying technologies, virtual reality pedestrian simulators have become a common tool for traffic safety research. In contrast to field studies, test track studies and traffic observations, simulators enable researchers to analyze pedestrian behavior in a safe and controlled environment. However, creating the necessary virtual environments is time-consuming, especially in terms of meeting today’s expectations regarding graphical level of detail and realism. Furthermore, VR experiments often lack a body representation or require additional sensors to create an avatar. Due to the laboratory setting, VR simulators might fail to convey the feeling of standing on an actual street. In addition, simulators on the one hand and real-world testing on the other hand leave a methodological gap on the reality-virtuality continuum. This paper presents a novel approach for an augmented reality pedestrian simulator. With this simulator, the participant experiences virtual vehicles, augmented on a real scenario, allowing for safe and controlled testing in a realistic setting. In a between-subject design, 13 participants experienced a gap acceptance scenario with virtual vehicles, while 30 participants experienced the same scenario with real vehicles in the same environment. These participants were instructed to initiate a street crossing if they considered that the gap between the two experimental vehicles was safe to cross the street. Results indicate similar, but also offset behavior for both conditions. Lower acceptance rates and later crossing initiation times could be observed in the augmented reality condition. Still, it was shown that augmented reality renders a promising tool for pedestrian research but also features limitations depending on the use case.