bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interleukin 18 (IL-18) as a target for immune intervention.
Authors: Wawrocki Sebastian , Druszczynska Magdalena , Kowalewicz-Kulbat Magdalena , Rudnicka Wieslawa
Published: February 2016

Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in the regulation of innate and acquired immune response. In the milieu of IL-12 or IL-15, IL-18 is a potent inducer of IFN-gamma in natural killer (NK) cells and CD4 T helper (Th) 1 lymphocytes. However, IL-18 also modulates Th2 and Th17 cell responses, as well as the activity of CD8 cytotoxic cells and neutrophils, in a host microenvironment-dependent manner. It is produced by various hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells, including dendritic cells and macrophages. In an organism, bioactivity of the cytokine depends on the intensity of IL-18 production, the level of its natural inhibitory protein - IL-18BP (IL-18 binding protein) and the surface expression of IL-18 receptors (IL-18R) on the responding cells. This review summarizes the biology of the IL-18/IL-18BP/IL-18R system and its role in the host defense against infections. The prospects for IL-18 application in immunotherapeutic or prophylactic interventions in infectious and non-infectious diseases are discussed.
Principles and applications of Ligation Mediated PCR methods for DNA-based typing of microbial organisms.
Authors: Krawczyk Beata , Kur Józef , Stojowska-Swędrzyńska Karolina , Śpibida Marta
Published: February 2016

A significant number of DNA-based techniques has been introduced into the field of microorganisms' characterization and taxonomy. These genomic fingerprinting methods were developed to detect DNA sequence polymorphisms by using general principles, such as restriction endonuclease analysis, molecular hybridization, and PCR amplification. In recent years, some alternative techniques based on ligation of oligonucleotide adapters before DNA amplification by PCR, known as Ligation-Mediated PCR methods (LM PCR), have been successfully applied for the typing of microorganisms below the species level. These molecular methods include: Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP), Amplification of DNA fragments Surrounding Rare Restriction Sites (ADSRRS), PCR Melting Profiles (PCR MP), Ligation Mediated PCR/Shifter (LM PCR/Shifter), Infrequent-Restriction-Site Amplification (IRS PCR), double digestion Ligation Mediated Suppression PCR (ddLMS PCR). These techniques are now applied more and more often because they involve less time, are comparably inexpensive, and require only standard lab equipment. Here, we present a general review of this group of methods showing their possibilities and limitations. We also identify questions and propose solutions which may be helpful in choosing a particular LM PCR method for the achievement of the required goal.
Genetic improvement of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) through introgression of yield enhancing traits and estimation of genetic parameters
Authors: Reddy Yerasu Suresh , Talukdar Akshay , Dikshit Harsh Kumar , Singh V. P. , Rana Mukesh , Chand Daya
Published: February 2016

Enormous genetic variability was created as expressed in terms of range, mean and the coefficient of variations in all F2 populations studied. The crosses viz., L-830 × P-1117, JL-3 × P-22211 and SKL-259 × P-22211 produced higher percentage of transgressive segregants with desirable traits. Days to 50% flowering and days to maturity manifested high heritability, coupled with low genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) and genetic gain, indicating requirement of selections for several successive generations for their improvement. Low to medium heritability accompanied by high coefficients of variation and genetic advance for seed yield indicates complexity of the character improvement through simple selection. High heritability accompanied by moderate to high GCV and genetic gain were observed for other yield components studied, which could be improved by simple selection in early generations. Thus, the study exhibited the possibilities of improving lentil genotypes through introgression of useful traits from exotic and indigenous germplasm.
Analysis of morphological characters inter-relationships in the germplasm of mungbean [Vigna radiate (L.) Wilezek] in the hot arid climate
Authors: Vir Om , Singh A. K.
Published: February 2016

The 38 indigenous and exotic accessions of mungbean were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replicates during summer and kharif seasons of fragile climate of Rajasthan to estimate the presence of genetic variability, inter-characters associations, to identify a suitable short duration accession for cultivation during summer and to compare the relative performance of the genotypes in two seasons. The high degree of genetic variability was estimated during both seasons for seed yield per plant (g), 100-seed weight (g.), number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of branches per plant, number of clusters per plant, plant height (cm.), number of days to 50% flowering and number of days to maturity. The moderate to high heritabilities coupled with moderate to high expected genetic advance were observed for all studied traits. Number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of clusters per plant, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity had positive and significant correlations with seed yield per plant. The accession IC 39289-P4 had been identified to be of short duration of 50 days. The accessions PLG 62, EC 520035, IC 305291, IC 39383, IC 39333, IC 39403 during summer season and EC 511379, PLM-14, IC 324021, EC 511371, IC 370497 during kharif seasonexhibited superiority in terms of seed yield over best check.
Identification of SSR marker associated with rust resistance in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) using bulk segregant analysis
Authors: Uma* M.S. , Hegde Niranjan , Hittalmani Shailaja
Published: February 2016

Bulked segregant analysis was undertaken to tag gene(s) controlling rust resistance using molecular markers in cowpea, to permit rapid selection of superior desirable rust resistant genotypes in the breeding program. For this purpose, the C-152, cultivated variety with high yielding, semi determinate plant type, good protein content and highly rust susceptible was crossed with genotype IC202778, the landrace from Himachal Pradesh, India having determinate, semi spreading and rust resistant characters. The parental genotypes were analyzed with 92 SSR markers for detection of polymorphism and only 13 markers showed polymorphism between the parents. Using each of these 13 SSR primers, we carried out bulked segregate analysis on F2 plants representing two extremes of rust disease resistance and susceptible trait. Three SSR markers VuUGM02, VuUGM08 and VuUGM19 were found to be associated with rust resistance. This was further confirm through selective genotyping. The co-segregation data on these molecular markers and rust resistance on F2 plants were analysed by means of single-marker linear regression approach. Significant regression suggested linkage between VuUGM02 and rust resistance gene.
Analysis of nutritional components of peas after sterilization treatment with gamma radiation
Authors: Munir Neelma , Moazzam Sundas , Haq Rukhama , Saleem Faiza , Naz Shagufta
Published: February 2016

In the present study, peas were exposed to three different doses of gamma radiation i.e. 1, 1.5, 2.5 kGy. The nutritional value of peas after radiation was analyzed to determine the effect of gamma radiation on proximate composition. In the light of results, it was found that 1 kGy is optimized dose that has little effect on the nutritional value of peas. At 1 kGy the sensory properties remain unchanged and the shelf life of peas was increased up to 9 days at room temperature.
Bioefficacy of new ready mixed insecticide (novaluron 5.25% + indoxacarb 4.5%SC) against pigeon pea pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera Hubner)
Authors: Ghosal* A. , Dolai A.K. , Chatterjee M.L.
Published: February 2016

The effect of different treatment schedules of Novaluron 5.25% + Indoxacarb 4.5% SC against pod borer of pigeon pea gave superlative effect over the sole insecticide Novaluron and Indoxacarb and standard check Lamda-cyhalothrin; though, all the treated plots with chemicals were significantly superior in their performance over that of control plots. Among the three selected dose of Novaluron 5.25% + Indoxacarb 4.5% SC (750, 825, 875 ml ha-1); the said chemical @ 875 ml ha-1 was recorded as best in managing Helicoverpa armigera population up to harvesting period (mean 0.03% infested pod of both years), while, @ 825 ml ha-1 also recorded remarkable effect on the target pest. The maximum yield (23.40 q ha-1) was obtained from the plots treated with Novaluron 5.25% + Indoxacarb 4.5% SC @ 875 ml ha-1 closely followed by @ 825 ml ha-1 (22.98 q ha-1). The yield increase was also of high order. Highest cost-benefit ratio (2.07) was recorded in Novaluron 5.25% + Indoxacarb 4.5% SC @ 825 ml ha-1 closely followed by @ 875 ml ha-1.
Impact analysis of front line demonstrations on horsegram in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan (India) under rainfed condition
Authors: Sharma R. K. , Sharma S. K. , Yadav C. M.
Published: February 2016

During the period from 2006 to 2011, 80 frontline demonstrations were conducted on the horsegram production technology to transfer the technologies among the farmers of Bhilwara district in semi-arid region of south Rajasthan with the objective to evaluate the economic feasibility of technology transfer and adoption. Adoption of improved technology had significant impact on seed yield vis-a-vis yield gaps in horsegram. Improved technology enhanced horsegram yield from 294 kg/ha (farmer’s practice) to 537 kg/ha (improved practice), an overall increase of 40.83%. There was a wide yield variation between potential and demonstration yields of horsegram mainly due to technology and extension gaps. Extension yield gaps varied to the extent of 96 to 180 kg/ ha whereas technology yield gaps varied from 288 to 413 kg/ ha. Technology index varied from 34.91 to 50.06 %, which indicate for further scope of improvement in productivity of horsegram in the region. The marginal difference between benefit-cost ratio of improved practice and farmer’s practice proves of adoption of improved technologies by the farmers. However, to further bridge up the gap between technology developed and technology transferred, there is a need to strengthen the extension network besides emphasis on specific local recommendations.
Effect of nitrogen and zinc on nodulation, growth and yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)
Authors: Upadhyay* R.G. , Singh Anita
Published: February 2016

A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effect of zinc and nitrogen on growth, nodulation pattern and yield of cowpea. The treatments were four levels of nitrogen ( 0 , 10, 20 and 30 kg/ha) and four levels of zinc (0, 5, 10 and 15 kg/ha). Application of various levels of nitrogen significantly increased dry matter production/plant , plant height number of branches/ plant, effective nodules/ plant, total nodule / plant, effective nodules weight /plant, pods/plant , seeds/pod and grain yield. Similarly zinc significantly increased plant height, branches / plant, number of leaves/plant, dry matter /plant, effective nodules weight /plant and grain yield . There was no significant interaction between nitrogen and zinc on grain yield.
Measuring willingness-to-pay for water and sanitation by people living with HIV and AIDs in South Africa
Authors: Makaudze Ephias M.
Published: February 2016

The ill-provision of water and sanitation services poses the greatest risk to people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa – a majority of whom reside in slum settlements. People living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) die after succumbing to opportunistic infections, especially water-borne diseases (e.g., diarrhoea, cholera). This study was based on 485 individuals with HIV and AIDs drawn from three types of settlements (rural, peri-urban and urban slums) and sampled from three selected provincial districts of Khayelitsha (Western Cape), Ukhahlamba (Eastern Cape) and Groblersdal (Limpopo). The results show PLWHA having higher willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sanitation at ZAR448.40/month compared to water (ZAR428.60). Those living in urban slum settlements show the highest WTP for sanitation (ZAR552.70), followed by the ones in rural areas (ZAR500.24). The results underscore important implications: PLWHA face greater sanitation challenges relative to water; those in slum settlements endure the worst sanitation insecurity compared to counterparts living in other settlement types; higher WTP for sanitation implies that PLWHA will derive greater benefits from improvements in sanitation services relative to water. To conclude, it is imperative for municipal authorities to prioritize the provision of sanitation facilities to PLWHA especially in urban slums as part of the ‘pro-poor service delivery’ campaigns.
Odor removal by powdered activated carbon (PAC) in low turbidity drinking water
Authors: He Qiulai , Zhong Lin , Wang Hongyu , Zou Zhuocheng , Chen Dan , Yang Kai
Published: February 2016

The potential of powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption for odor removal in low turbidity drinking water was investigated. The batch experiments were conducted under various conditions including PAC species, dosage, contact time and dosing point. The effects of pre-chlorination and PAC dosage on turbidity were also studied. Results showed that adsorption was quite vulnerable to initial threshold odor number (TON), and higher influent TON required a larger dosage. Both PAC species (derived from coal and wood) presented excellent adsorption capacity for odorants. The adsorption process versus time had three steps and the adsorption kinetics were well fitted by the second order model. Pre-chlorination had an adverse effect on both raw water TON and odor removal. PAC adsorption was enhanced by dosing during coagulation and could, in turn, save coagulant dosage.
Poly-(acryl amine–co-dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride) graft starch flocculant for cleaning-up of wastewater
Authors: Zhang Changhu , Yang Juxiang , Li Jiangtao , Fang Zhenhua , He Yaping
Published: February 2016

Graft starch flocculant (GSF) was synthesized by copolymerization of carboxymethylated soluble starch, acryl amine and dimethyldiallyl ammonium chloride using ceric ammonium nitrate (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6 as the polymerization initiator. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscope, the structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the surface area was measured by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. The experimental results showed that the GSF had huge pore volume, high specific area and proper reaction groups, which could enhance its ability to adsorb heavy metal ions. The adsorption behavior was investigated through batch experiments in simulated Cu2+and Pb2+ ions wastewater, and adsorption characteristics were affected by many factors, such as flocculant concentration, pH of the solution and adsorption time. Finally, the optimal adsorption parameters were gained, with GSF density of 0.024 mg·L−1, pH of 8 and a reaction time of 30 min. Application experiments adequately demonstrated that the removal ratio of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions for the local wastewater reached about 50% based on the above optimized condition.
Use of botulinum toxin type A for the treatment of radiation therapy–induced myokymia and neuromyotonia in a dog
Authors: Rogatko Cleo P. , Glass Eric N. , Kent Marc , Hammond James J. , de Lahunta Alexander
Published: February 2016

CASE DESCRIPTION A 5-year-old castrated male Maltese was evaluated for intermittent clinical signs of muscle cramping and abnormal movements of the skin of the right pelvic limb at the site where an infiltrative lipoma had twice been resected. After the second surgery, the surgical field was treated with radiation therapy (RT). The clinical signs developed approximately 14 months after completion of RT.

CLINICAL FINDINGS When clinical signs were present, the right biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles in the area that received RT were firm and had frequently visible contractions, and the skin overlying those muscles had episodic vermiform movements. Electromyography of those muscles revealed abnormal spontaneous activity with characteristics consistent with myokymic discharges and neuromyotonia. Magnetic resonance imaging of the affected leg revealed no evidence of tumor regrowth. The myokymia and neuromyotonia were considered secondary to RT.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME 4 U of Clostridium botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) neurotoxin complex was injected into the affected muscles at each of 6 sites twice during a 24-hour period (ie, 48 U of BoNT-A were administered). The clinical signs were completely resolved 10 days after BoNT-A treatment and were controlled by repeated BoNT-A treatment every 3 to 4 months for > 1 year.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE To our knowledge, this is the first report of myokymia and neuromyotonia secondary to RT in a dog. For the dog of this report, injection of BoNT-A into the affected muscles was safe, effective, and easy to perform.
Urinary bladder retroversion and neourethrocystostomy for treatment of inadvertent prostatectomy and urethrectomy in a dog
Authors: Flesher Kathryn , Weisse Chick , Berent Allyson , Lin Rebecca
Published: February 2016

CASE DESCRIPTION A 15-month-old male Newfoundland was examined because of an inability to urinate, lethargy, inappetence, and intermittent vomiting that first became evident after bilateral cryptorchidectomy 2 days previously. The patient was referred for further evaluation and treatment.

CLINICAL FINDINGS Results of physical examination, serum biochemical analysis, and abdominocentesis led to a diagnosis of uroperitoneum. Retrograde cystography indicated urinary tract obstruction. In view of the history of recent elective cryptorchidectomy, a diagnosis of uroperitoneum with urethral obstruction secondary to iatrogenic prostatectomy and urethrectomy was made.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME During a ventral midline celiotomy, the inadvertent prostatectomy and urethrectomy were found to have resulted in insufficient urethral length for primary repair. Surgical repair of the urethral defect was achieved by means of a novel technique of bladder retroversion and neourethrocystostomy at the apex of the bladder. A urethral stricture evident 1.5 months after surgery was initially treated with balloon dilatation, followed by temporary and then permanent placement of a self-expanding metallic stent. At the last follow-up 6.6 years after stent placement, the dog remained continent while receiving phenylpropanolamine and the owner was highly satisfied with the outcome.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE Caudal intraabdominal bladder retroversion with apex neourethrocystostomy may be a viable alternative to more complex urethral lengthening procedures in dogs and can potentially preserve lower urinary tract function. This treatment might be considered for patients with urethral trauma or malignant neoplasia necessitating extensive urethral resection. Urethral strictures may be effectively managed with stenting.
The Use of Video-Tacheometric Technology for Documenting and Analysing Geometric Features of Objects
Authors: Woźniak Marek , Świerczyńska Ewa , Jastrzębski Sławomir
Published: February 2016

This paper analyzes selected aspects of the use of video-tacheometric technology for inventorying and documenting geometric features of objects. Data was collected with the use of the video-tacheometer Topcon Image Station IS-3 and the professional camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II. During the field work and the development of data the following experiments have been performed: multiple determination of the camera interior orientation parameters and distortion parameters of five lenses with different focal lengths, reflectorless measurements of profiles for the elevation and inventory of decorative surface wall of the building of Warsaw Ballet School. During the research the process of acquiring and integrating video-tacheometric data was analysed as well as the process of combining “point cloud” acquired by using video-tacheometer in the scanning process with independent photographs taken by a digital camera. On the basis of tests performed, utility of the use of video-tacheometric technology in geodetic surveys of geometrical features of buildings has been established.
Robust and Efficient Broadcast Scheme of Event-Driven Warning Messages for Vehicular Environments
Authors: Ou Dongxiu , Yang Yuchen , Xue Lixia , Dong Decun , Zhuang Qianqian
Published: February 2016

In vehicular ad hoc networks, it is important to broadcast time-sensitive and event-driven warning messages to vehicles. To improve traffic safety, a robust and efficient dissemination protocol is proposed for vehicle-to-vehicle communication aimed at supporting the dissemination of event-driven warning messages to approaching vehicles in an emergency situation. The objective is to minimize the number of rebroadcasting transmissions while simultaneously achieving low transmission latency and reducing redundant messages. To guarantee efficiency, the scheme time parameters are designed according to the mobility and the number information of neighboring vehicles. To guarantee robustness, the message dissemination performance of multiple vehicles is analyzed under various traffic conditions. Simulation studies are conducted with the ns-2.35 network simulation, and the robust and efficient dissemination protocol and two existing protocols (Flood, DV-CAST) are compared in transmission latency, delivery ratio, and total packets transmitted.
Localization and Driving Behavior Classification with Smartphone Sensors in Direct Absence of Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Authors: Antoniou Constantinos , Gikas Vassilis , Papathanasopoulou Vasileia , Danezis Chris , Panagopoulos Athanasios D. , Markou Ioulia , Efthymiou Dimitrios , Yannis George , Perakis Harris
Published: February 2016

Global navigation satellite systems have tremendous impact and potential in the development of intelligent transportation systems and mobility services and are expected to deliver significant benefits, including increased capacity, improved safety, and decreased pollution. However, there are situations in which there might not be direct location information about vehicles, for example, in tunnels and in indoor facilities such as parking garages and commercial vehicle depots. Various technologies can be used for vehicle localization in these cases, and other sensors that are currently available in most modern smartphones, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, can be used to obtain information directly about the driving patterns of individual drivers. The objective of this research is to present a framework for vehicle localization and modeling of driving behavior in indoor facilities or, more generally, facilities in which global navigation satellite system information is not available. Localization technologies and needs are surveyed and the adopted methodology is described. The case studies, which use data from multiple types of sensors (including accelerometers and gyroscopes from two smartphone platforms as well as two reference platforms), provide evidence that the opportunistic smart-phone sensors can be useful in identifying obstacles (e.g., speed humps) and maneuvers (e.g., U-turns and sharp turns). These data, when cross-referenced with a digital map of the facility, can be useful in positioning the vehicles in indoor environments. At a more macroscopic level, a methodology is presented and applied to determine the optimal number of clusters for the drivers’ behavior with a mix of suitable indexes.
Novel Algorithm for Variable Speed Limits and Advisories for a Freeway Corridor with Multiple Bottlenecks
Authors: Lu Xiao-Yun , Shladover Steven E. , Jawad Iman , Jagannathan Ram , Phillips Thomas
Published: February 2016

Most previous algorithms for variable speed limit and variable speed advisory (VSL-VSA) for bottleneck flow maximization are local and occupancy measurement–based. Some algorithms for freeway networks with multiple bottlenecks were proposed on the basis of the second-order METANET model, but these were rather complicated. This paper proposes ( a) a novel simple VSL-VSA control algorithm for bottleneck flow improvement based on speed measurements and ( b) a strategy to expand to a freeway network with multiple bottlenecks by using a distance-based interpolation. The algorithm was validated with a well-calibrated traffic network model for I-66 inside the Capital Beltway around Washington, D.C. Simulation results showed that overall system performance was improved even with a 10% compliance rate, and the improvement was not sensitive to the compliance rate if the latter was greater than 10%. The performance parameters included total travel time, total travel distance, total number of stops, average speed variation, total delays, and flow at the bottlenecks. The VSL-VSA algorithm can be implemented by using infrastructure-to-vehicle communication to a display or to determine the set speed for an adaptive cruise control system or variable message signs on the roadside. The algorithm was conceptually tested with three vehicles that used the VSL as a set speed for their infrastructure-to-vehicle cooperative adaptive cruise control systems.
Freeway Short-Term Travel Time Prediction Based on Dynamic Tensor Completion
Authors: Tan Huachun , Li Qin , Wu Yuankai , Wang Wuhong , Ran Bin
Published: February 2016

Short-term travel time prediction is one of the key technologies of intelligent transportation systems. Reliable systems that are able to provide accurate travel time information are needed for advanced traffic management systems and advanced traveler information systems. Various methods have been proposed and developed to predict travel time. However, travel time prediction is difficult because of its complex multimodal properties in time and space. Making full use of spatial– temporal information to predict travel time accurately is still a problem. To deal with this shortcoming, a method based on dynamic tensor completion is proposed to predict travel time; this method can make full use of the spatial–temporal correlations of travel time by constructing the travel time data into dynamic four-way tensor streams, and real-time prediction through the dynamic tensor completion model can be realized. Experiments with real traffic speed data collected by 40 detectors on I-405 were used to verify the performance of the proposed approach. For evaluation, two strategies of tensor completion were tested on travel time derived from the I-405 freeway speed data. The experiment results showed that dynamic tensor completion outperformed offline tensor completion and two other benchmarks.
Investigation into the Role of Rational Ethics in Crashes of Automated Vehicles
Authors: Kumfer Wesley , Burgess Richard
Published: February 2016

Traffic engineers, vehicle manufacturers, technology groups, and government agencies are anticipating and preparing for the emergence of fully automated vehicles into the American transportation system. This new technology has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of transportation, particularly safety. However, fully automated vehicles may not create the truly crash-free environment predicted. One particular problem is crash assignment, especially between automated vehicles and nonautomated vehicles. Although some researchers have indicated that automated vehicles will need to be programmed with some sort of ethical system in order to make decisions on how to crash, few, if any, studies have been conducted on how particular ethical theories will actually make crash decisions and how these ethical paradigms will affect automated vehicle programming. The integration of three ethical theories—utilitarianism, respect for persons, and virtue ethics—with vehicle automation is examined, and a simple programming thought experiment is used to demonstrate the difficulty in selecting and implementing different ethical decisions. A simple crash scenario is introduced; an automated vehicle must choose between three crash types on the basis of a randomly assigned ethical theory. The results of the experiment indicate that in specific crash scenarios, utilitarian ethics may reduce the total number of fatalities that result from automated vehicle crashes, although other ethical systems may be useful for developing rules used in machine learning. The experiment demonstrates that understanding rational ethics is crucial for developing safe automated vehicles.
Development of California Regulations to Govern Testing and Operation of Automated Driving Systems
Authors: Nowakowski Christopher , Shladover Steven E. , Chan Ching-Yao , Tan Han-Shue
Published: February 2016

Higher levels of road vehicle automation pose a regulatory challenge in the United States. At the national level, NHTSA has been responsible for ensuring vehicle safety through the mandatory Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and the voluntary New Car Assessment Program. Although NHTSA typically regulates the technology aspects of vehicle safety, state agencies, such as the department of motor vehicles, are responsible for the regulations governing training, evaluation, and licensing of drivers and the registration of vehicles. Automation that allows drivers to disengage from monitoring and control tasks introduces safety concerns related to the vehicle technology (typically regulated by NHTSA) and to the automated vehicle's driving behavior and compliance with vehicle codes (typically regulated by states). Issues that need to be addressed in support of state regulations for manufacturers' testing of automated vehicles on public roads and the general public's operation of automated driving systems are detailed. The key challenges for these regulations are how to ensure public safety without discouraging technical innovations and how to define meaningful requirements in the absence of existing technical standards for automated driving systems. The topics covered include regulatory models of certification, driver training and licensing requirements, and a discussion of the distinction between behavioral competency (how well the automation handles the environment) and functional safety (how well the vehicle handles internal faults and failures). This information is reported here so that other jurisdictions and institutions that will need to grapple with the same issues will be able to benefit from what has been learned in the process of developing the first comprehensive set of state regulations governing road vehicle automation.
Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control
Authors: Shladover Steven E. , Nowakowski Christopher , Lu Xiao-Yun , Ferlis Robert
Published: February 2016

Cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) includes multiple concepts of communication-enabled vehicle following and speed control. Definitions and classifications are presented to help clarify the distinctions between types of automated vehicle-following control that are often conflated with each other. A distinction is made between vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) CACC, based on vehicle–vehicle cooperation, and infrastructure-to-vehicle CACC, in which the infrastructure provides information or guidance to the CACC system (such as the target set speed value). In V2V CACC, communication provides enhanced information so that vehicles can follow their predecessors with higher accuracy, faster response, and shorter gaps; the result would be enhanced traffic flow stability and possibly improved safety. A further distinction is made between CACC, which uses constant-time-gap vehicle following (forming CACC strings), and automated platooning, which uses tightly coupled, constant-clearance, vehicle-following strategies. Although adaptive cruise control (ACC) and CACC are examples of Level 1 automation as defined by both SAE and NHTSA, the vehicle-following performance that can be achieved under each scenario is representative of the performance that should be expected at higher levels of automation. Implementation of CACC in practice will also require consideration of more than the lowest level of vehicle-following and speed regulation performance. Because CACC requires interactions between adjacent equipped vehicles, strategies are needed such as ad hoc, local, or global coordination to cluster CACC vehicles. Some of the challenges that must be overcome to implement the clustering strategies are discussed as well as strategies for separating CACC clusters as they approach their destinations, as potential traffic improvements from CACC will be negated if the vehicles cannot disperse effectively.
Predicting Travel Impacts of New Development in America's Major Cities
Authors: Weinberger Rachel , Dock Stephanie , Cohen Liza , Rogers Jonathan D. , Henson Jamie
Published: February 2016

There is a widespread belief that the available tools for predicting travel impacts of urban development are not as strong as they could be. The implications are that cities ( a) may be hindered in developing appropriate travel impact mitigations, ( b) lack good information to communicate to existing residents about potential travel impacts of proposed development, and ( c) with better tools would be able to make stronger policy on the basis of more reliable understanding of development impacts. The most frequently used tool for estimating travel impacts is the ITE informational report on vehicle trip generation. The ITE report contains information primarily on single-use suburban automobile-oriented environments. As travel characteristics are inherently different in urban areas, a wide body of research has sought to create additional data-driven tools to estimate multimodal trip impacts of developments on the basis of urban-context characteristics. This paper compares the estimated trip generation outputs of the ITE and other models to field counts and surveys conducted for the District Department of Transportation at 16 locations in Washington, D.C. The findings here support the widely held belief that existing tools are not well suited to trip generation estimation in urban contexts. The paper is part of a larger study effort that seeks to develop a robust data set of urban trip generation that will be a foundation in the creation of better models.
Traffic Generated by Mixed-Use Developments
Authors: Tian Guang , Ewing Reid , White Alex , Hamidi Shima , Walters Jerry , Goates J. P. , Joyce Alex
Published: February 2016

Current methods of traffic impact analysis, which rely on rates and adjustments from ITE, are believed to understate the traffic benefits of mixed-use developments (MXDs) and therefore to lead to higher exactions and development fees than necessary and to discourage otherwise desirable developments. The purpose of this study was to improve methodology for predicting the traffic impacts of MXDs. Standard protocols were used to identify and generate data sets for MXDs in 13 large and diverse metropolitan regions. Data from household travel surveys and geographic information system databases were pooled for these MXDs, and travel and built-environment variables were consistently defined across regions. Hierarchical modeling was used to estimate models for internal capture of trips within MXDs and for walking, biking, and transit use on external trips. MXDs with diverse activities on site were shown to capture a large share of trips internally, so that the traffic impacts of the MXDs were reduced relative to conventional suburban developments. Smaller MXDs in walkable areas with good transit access generated significant shares of walk, bike, and transit trips and thus also mitigated traffic impacts.
Steering in Video-Based Driving Simulation with Stereo Depth Maps: Dynamic Perspective Corrections
Authors: Brogan Michael , Markham Charles , Commins Sean , Deegan Catherine
Published: February 2016

This paper describes a video-based driving simulator that allows the user to steer through a video sequence acquired by a mobile mapping system. This mapping system acquired geotagged stereo video at a rate of 10 Hz. The video data were collected from a standard vehicle, which was driven along a road under normal road conditions. With the use of the stereo image data, a method that allowed a participant to steer through a video was implemented. An experiment to assess a driver's response to this steering is presented. Drivers were found to respond to the geometry of the video sequence by steering left or right when expected.
Peak Car Travel in the United States: Two-Decade-Long Phenomenon at the State Level
Authors: Garceau Timothy J. , Atkinson-Palombo Carol , Garrick Norman
Published: February 2016

Peak car travel is an international phenomenon that became evident in the United States on a national scale in 2004. Potentially related to peak car travel is the decoupling of economic growth from driving levels. A wealth of research has addressed these phenomena on a national scale in the United States and other developed countries. Yet few studies have been undertaken on other geographic scales, especially the statewide scale in the United States. This study investigated U.S. state-level driving and economic patterns from 1980 to 2011 to understand occurring changes. The research results showed that peak car travel first occurred at the state level as early as 1992 in Washington State, whereas another 10 states peaked in 2000. By 2011, 48 of the 50 states had peaked. The longevity of this phenomenon at the state level provided evidence that peak car travel in the United States was a more permanent phenomenon than previously thought. In addition, the decoupling of economic growth from driving was evident at the state level. In the 1980s, these indicators were positively correlated at the state level. A significant change occurred by the 2000s, however, when any significant connection ceased for most states. For four of the earliest peak car travel states, the relationship between economic growth and driving turned negative. This finding showed that decreases in driving were not associated with negative economic consequences. Rather, in several states, driving reductions were now associated with increased, rather than decreased, economic growth.
Fuel Tax versus Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fee
Authors: Kastrouni Eirini , Gkritza Konstantina , Hallmark Shauna L. , Stephenson W. Robert
Published: February 2016

The vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fee has been widely suggested as an alternative funding mechanism to the current state of practice, the fuel tax per gallon. The VMT fee has drawn researchers' and policy makers' attention, particularly regarding its equity performance in various social groups. With the introduction of the concept of vulnerable households, and with the use of socioeconomic-, geographic-, and vehicle-specific attributes from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, the social groups in the United States that were most likely to be affected under each funding mechanism were identified through the estimation of three-stage least squares models at the national level. The results showed that households located in states with lower fuel taxation operated vehicles of lower fuel efficiency and thus contributed a larger portion of revenues generated by the fuel tax. In contrast, households with higher fuel-efficiency vehicles or with a higher average income generated more trips annually and thus would pay higher VMT fees at the household level. The study also examined whether the identified vulnerable households at the national level were different at the state level. With the use of the state of Iowa as a case study, the results suggested that, despite some similarities in the characteristics of the vulnerable households at the two levels of analysis, the development of state-specific models was statistically supported.
The Farside Story
Authors: Diab Ehab I. , El-Geneidy Ahmed M.
Published: February 2016

Determining the proper location of bus stops is an important planning decision in the transit planning field. While previous efforts in the literature have suggested several advantages and disadvantages of certain bus stop placements, there has been little effort toward understanding the impacts of bus stop location on the transit system performance at the stop level of analysis. This paper evaluates the impact of bus stop location on bus stop time and stop time variation. The paper uses stop level data collected from the Société de Transport de Montréal's automatic vehicle location and automatic passenger counting systems in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The study findings show that stop times occurring on the nearside of intersections are on average 4.2 to 5.0 s slower than stop times occurring on the farside of intersections, with no impact on stop time variation. A validation model was used to confirm the impacts of bus stop placements on stop time with data from TriMet's automated bus dispatch system in Portland, Oregon. This study offers transit planners and policy makers a better understanding of the effects of bus stop location on stop time and its variation to improve service quality while minimizing service variation at the stop level.
All-Door Boarding in San Francisco, California
Authors: Lee Jason , Papas David
Published: February 2016

For generations, the transit industry has had to balance the desire for faster boarding with the need to collect fares. On July 1, 2012, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) in California addressed this challenge by becoming North America's first multimodal transit operator to implement all-door boarding systemwide. Customers with valid fare media may enter through any door of any vehicle at any time. Unlike other transit providers that used proof of payment, SFMTA still allowed customers to pay cash on board vehicles at surface stops, thus avoiding the expenses associated with wayside ticket vending machines. San Francisco's operating environment provided ideal conditions to demonstrate the potential benefits of all-door boarding. Serving the nation's second-densest major city with crowded transit vehicles largely operating in mixed traffic, SFMTA must make efficient use of every minute in revenue service and cannot afford excessive time at stops. Two years after the policy's implementation, a comprehensive and multi-factor analysis revealed incremental improvements in dwell times and fare compliance. Overall bus speeds increased slightly despite ridership growth and a population and employment boom.
Evaluation of Intersection Confirmation Lights with Targeted Enforcement to Reduce Red Light Running Violations at Freeway Ramp Intersections
Authors: Schrock Steven D. , Udaipurwala Mazharali T. , Fitzsimmons Eric J.
Published: February 2016

Red light running (RLR) is an event where a vehicle enters an intersection when the red signal is indicated. These events are known to cause hundreds of fatalities, thousands of injuries, and tens of thousands of property damage crashes annually. The objective of this research study was to evaluate the changes in RLR events at freeway on-ramp intersections in the presence of targeted enforcement stationed on the adjacent on-ramp. The enforcement officers were aided by confirmation lights that could only be seen by the officers stationed on the on-ramps. The primary performance metric used was the change in RLR rates between the before period and 1 month and 3 months after installation. It was found that the treatment sites experienced statistically significant reductions of 60% and 56% in violation rates during the respective study periods. The control sites also experienced 39% and 60% reductions in violation rates during the respective study periods. Additional analysis of the number of officers deployed and citations written was conducted to determine a possible reason for the reduction in violation rates at the control sites, but the results indicated no change in the enforcement structure between the before-and-after periods. It is possible that the effects at the study sites changed driver behavior over a wider area, which may have unexpectedly been observed at the control sites. This study showed that confirmation lights, when used in combination with targeted enforcement, can have a beneficial impact in reducing RLR violations at on-ramp signalized intersections, possibly over a wider area than expected.
Combined Use of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Sheet Transplantation and Local Injection of SDF-1 for Bone Repair in a Rat Nonunion Model
Authors: Chen Guangnan , Fang Tingting , Qi Yiying , Yin Xiaofan , Di Tuoyu , Feng Gang , Lei Zhong , Zhang Yuxiang , Huang Zhongming
Published: February 2016

Bone nonunion treatments pose a challenge in orthopedics. This study investigated the joint effects of using mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) sheets with local injection of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) on bone formation. In vitro, we found that migration of MSCs was mediated by SDF-1 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, stimulation with SDF-1 had no direct effect on the proliferation or osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Furthermore, the results indicated elevated expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein 2, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and vascular endothelial growth factor in MSC sheets compared with MSCs cultured in medium. New bone formation in fractures was evaluated by X-ray, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Safranin-O staining, and immunohistochemistry in vivo. In the rat bone fracture model, the MSC sheets transplanted into the injured site along with injection of SDF-1 showed significantly more new bone formation within the gap. Moreover, at 8 weeks, complete bone union was obtained in this group. In contrast, the control group showed nonunion of the bone. Our study suggests a new strategy involving the use of MSC sheets with a local injection of SDF-1 for hard tissue reconstruction, such as the healing of nonunions and bone defects.
Case studies on the formation of chalcogenide self-assembled monolayers on surfaces and dissociative processes
Authors: Tong Yongfeng , Jiang Tingming , Bendounan Azzedine , Harish Makri Nimbegondi Kotresh , Giglia Angelo , Kubsky Stefan , Sirotti Fausto , Pasquali Luca , Sampath Srinivasan , Esaulov Vladimir A
Published: February 2016

This report examines the assembly of chalcogenide organic molecules on various surfaces, focusing on cases when chemisorption is accompanied by carbon–chalcogen atom-bond scission. In the case of alkane and benzyl chalcogenides, this induces formation of a chalcogenized interface layer. This process can occur during the initial stages of adsorption and then, after passivation of the surface, molecular adsorption can proceed. The characteristics of the chalcogenized interface layer can be significantly different from the metal layer and can affect various properties such as electron conduction. For chalcogenophenes, the carbon–chalcogen atom-bond breaking can lead to opening of the ring and adsorption of an alkene chalcogenide. Such a disruption of the π-electron system affects charge transport along the chains. Awareness about these effects is of importance from the point of view of molecular electronics. We discuss some recent studies based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that shed light on these aspects for a series of such organic molecules.