In the last few years, increasing attention has been provided to research Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) communication systems. These V2P systems serve different purposes (safety or convenience) and ...cater to different Vulnerable Road User (VRU) groups. Also, these V2P systems employ different communication technologies, and use different mechanisms to interact with the users. An effective V2P system also needs to consider varying characteristics of different VRUs. These various elements may be considered as design parameters of the V2P system. In this paper, we discuss such elements and propose a design framework for the V2P system based on them. We also provide an extensive survey of existing V2P efforts for safety and convenience applications and their design considerations. We perform a case study that compares the different approaches of V2P safety system for different VRU groups under different pre-crash scenarios. Finally, we discuss a few technological challenges in integration of VRUs into V2X systems.
Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, world is trending toward high mobility and dynamics. In this context, intersection management (IM) as one of the most crucial elements of the ...transportation sector demands high attention. Today, road entities including infrastructures, vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as motorcycles, moped, scooters, pedestrians, bicycles, and other types of vehicles such as trucks, buses, cars, emergency vehicles, and railway vehicles like trains or trams are able to communicate cooperatively using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications and provide traffic safety, efficiency, infotainment and ecological improvements. In this paper, we take into account different types of intersections in terms of signalized, semi-autonomous (hybrid) and autonomous intersections and conduct a comprehensive survey on various intersection management methods for heterogeneous connected vehicles (CVs). We consider heterogeneous classes of vehicles such as road and rail vehicles as well as VRUs including bicycles, scooters and motorcycles. All kinds of intersection goals, modeling, coordination architectures, scheduling policies are thoroughly discussed. Signalized and semi-autonomous intersections are assessed with respect to these parameters. We especially focus on autonomous intersection management (AIM) and categorize this section based on four major goals involving safety, efficiency, infotainment and environment. Each intersection goal provides an in-depth investigation on the corresponding literature from the aforementioned perspectives. Moreover, robustness and resiliency of IM are explored from diverse points of view encompassing sensors, information management and sharing, planning universal scheme, heterogeneous collaboration, vehicle classification, quality measurement, external factors, intersection types, localization faults, communication anomalies and channel optimization, synchronization, vehicle dynamics and model mismatch, model uncertainties, recovery, security and privacy.
Vehicle Classification (VC) is a key element of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Diverse ranges of ITS applications like security systems, surveillance frameworks, fleet monitoring, traffic ...safety, and automated parking are using VC. Basically, in the current VC methods, vehicles are classified locally as a vehicle passes through a monitoring area, by fixed sensors or using a compound method. This paper presents a pervasive study on the state of the art of VC methods. We introduce a detailed VC taxonomy and explore the different kinds of traffic information that can be extracted via each method. Subsequently, traditional and cutting edge VC systems are investigated from different aspects. Specifically, strengths and shortcomings of the existing VC methods are discussed and real-time alternatives like Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) are investigated to convey physical as well as kinematic characteristics of the vehicles. Finally, we review a broad range of soft computing solutions involved in VC in the context of machine learning, neural networks, miscellaneous features, models and other methods.
Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the brain and crucial to ensure the metabolic supply of neurons and their synapse formation. Overnutrition as present in patients suffering from obesity ...causes astrogliosis in the hypothalamus. Other diseases accompanied by malnutrition appear to have an impact on the brain and astrocyte function. In the eating disorder anorexia nervosa (AN), patients suffer from undernutrition and develop volume reductions of the cerebral cortex, associated with reduced astrocyte proliferation and cell count. Although an effect on astrocytes and their function has already been shown for overnutrition, their role in long-term undernutrition remains unclear. The present study used primary rat cerebral cortex astrocytes to investigate their response to chronic glucose starvation. Cells were grown with a medium containing a reduced glucose concentration (2 mM) for 15 days. Long-term glucose starvation increased the expression of a subset of pro-inflammatory genes and shifted the primary astrocyte population to the pro-inflammatory A1-like phenotype. Moreover, genes encoding for proteins involved in the unfolded protein response were elevated. Our findings demonstrate that astrocytes under chronic glucose starvation respond with an inflammatory reaction
.
With respect to the multiple functions of astrocytes, an association between elevated inflammatory responses due to chronic starvation and alterations found in the brain of patients suffering from undernutrition seems possible.
This paper introduces a novel centralized autonomous inclusive intersection management mechanism (CAI 2 M 2 ) for heterogeneous connected vehicles (HCVs). The system embraces a diverse array of ...human-driven vehicles, each possessing unique characteristics. The proposed system navigates vehicles through the intersection safely and efficiently considering various road conditions including dry (D), wet (W), snowy (S), and icy (I). The communication relies on dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) to facilitate the seamless exchange of traffic information between roadside unit (RSU) and vehicles. The coordination policy takes into account parameters such as vehicle types, arrival times, intersection rules, road priorities, and prevailing road conditions. To enhance safety and prevent collisions, vehicles are classified based on distinctive safety features and dynamics, such as reaction distance (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">{d_{r}}</tex-math></inline-formula>), stopping distance (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">{d_{s}}</tex-math></inline-formula>), braking distance (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">{d_{b}}</tex-math></inline-formula>), braking lag distance (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">{d_{bl}}</tex-math></inline-formula>), acceleration (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">acc.</tex-math></inline-formula>), deceleration (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">dec.</tex-math></inline-formula>), load, and velocity (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">v</tex-math></inline-formula>). The paper evaluates the system performance through metrics encompassing average travel time (ATT), packet loss rate (PLR), throughput, intersection busy time (IBT), and channel busy rate (CBR) across several traffic scenarios with different densities and distribution patterns. Additionally, the study compares the system efficiency with signalized intersections under various road conditions, aiming to identify an optimal control approach for autonomous intersection management
Anorexia nervosa (AN) can probably be regarded as a "model" for studying the interaction of nutrition with the gut-brain axis, which has drawn increased attention from researchers and clinicians ...alike. The gut microbiota influences somatic effects, such as energy extraction from food and body weight gain, as well as appetite, gut permeability, inflammation and complex psychological behaviors, such as depression or anxiety, all of which play important roles in AN. As nutrition is one of the main factors that influence the gut microbiota, nutritional restriction and selective eating in AN are likely influencing factors; however, nutritional rehabilitation therapy is surprisingly understudied. Here, we review the general mechanisms of the interactions between nutrition, the gut microbiota and the host that may be relevant to AN, paying special attention to the gut-brain axis, and we present the first specific findings in patients with AN and corresponding animal models. In particular, nutritional interventions, including food selection, supplements, and pre-, pro- and synbiotics that have the potential to influence the gut microbiota, are important research targets to potentially support future AN therapy.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an often chronic, difficult to treat illness that leads to brain volume reductions in gray and white matter. The underlying pathophysiology is poorly understood, despite its ...potential importance in explaining the neuropsychological deficits and clinical symptoms associated with the illness. We used the activity-based anorexia model (ABA), which includes food reduction and running wheel access in female rats to study brain changes after starvation and refeeding. Longitudinal animal MRI and post-mortem brain sections confirmed a reduction in the mean brain volumes of ABA animals compared to controls. In addition, the mean number of astrocytes was reduced by over 50% in the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum, while the mean number of neurons was unchanged. Furthermore, mean astrocytic GFAP mRNA expression was similarly reduced in the ABA animals, as was the mean cell proliferation rate, whereas the mean apoptosis rate did not increase. After refeeding, the starvation-induced effects were almost completely reversed. The observation of the astrocyte reduction in our AN animal model is an important new finding that could help explain starvation-induced neuropsychological changes in patients with AN. Astrocyte-targeted research and interventions could become a new focus for both AN research and therapy.
Mutations leading to a reduced or loss of function in genes of the leptin-melanocortin system confer a risk for monogenic forms of obesity. Yet, gain of function variants in the ...melanocortin-4-receptor (MC4R) gene predispose to a lower BMI. In individuals with reduced body weight, we thus expected mutations leading to an enhanced function in the respective genes, like leptin (LEP) and MC4R. Therefore, we have Sanger sequenced the coding regions of LEP and MC4R in 462 female patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), and 445 healthy-lean controls. In total, we have observed four and eight variants in LEP and MC4R, respectively. Previous studies showed different functional in vitro effects for the detected frameshift and non-synonymous variants: (1) LEP: reduced/loss of function (p.Val94Met), (2) MC4R: gain of function (p.Val103Ile, p.Ile251Leu), reduced or loss of function (p.Thr112Met, p.Ser127Leu, p.Leu211fsX) and without functional in vitro data (p.Val50Leut). In LEP, the variant p.Val94Met was detected in one patient with AN. For MC4R variants, one patient with AN carried the frameshift variant p.Leu211fsX. One patient with AN was heterozygous for two variants at the MC4R (p.Val103Ile and p.Ser127Leu). All other functionally relevant variants were detected in similar frequencies in patients with AN and lean individuals.
Zusammenfassung
Die Anorexia nervosa ist eine der häufigsten chronischen Erkrankungen des Jugendalters mit einer hohen Mortalität. Ihre Behandlungsbedürftigkeit hat während der COVID-19-Pandemie vor ...allem im Kindes- und Jugendalter zugenommen. Der Artikel zeigt neue Forschungsergebnisse zur Ätiologie der Erkrankung auf, insbesondere zur genetischen Disposition und zu metabolischen Veränderungen. Vor dem Hintergrund der steigenden Behandlungszahlen während der COVID-19-Pandemie wird die Bedeutung der Gen-Umwelt-Interaktion diskutiert. Der zweite Schwerpunkt des Artikels bezieht sich auf neue Behandlungsmethoden. Neben dem experimentellen Einsatz biologischer Interventionen werden auch neue psychotherapeutische Behandlungsstrategien vorgestellt. Im Vergleich zur früheren Behandlung der Anorexia nervosa wird der intensiven Einbeziehung der Eltern in die Therapie eine hohe Bedeutung beigemessen. Dies zeigt sich insbesondere durch die Entwicklung der Behandlung zu Hause (Home Treatment). Die Konzeption der Anorexia nervosa als metabopsychiatrische Erkrankung ist mit der Hoffnung auf neue Forschungs- und Therapieansätze verbunden.
Introduction: Brain volume deficits of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) are
often found in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). However, until recently, little was known
about the influencing ...factors of these brain volume alterations, nor their exact quantification and
rehabilitation.
Methods: This review addresses these open questions and further explores what is now known
about the underlying pathobiology and the clinical consequences including human studies as well as
animal studies mimicking anorexia nervosa in rodents.
Results: GM was reduced by 3.7% in adults and 7.6% in adolescents with AN. WM was reduced on
average 2.2% in adult patients and 3.2% in adolescents. Most volume deficits in adults are reversible
after long-term recovery; for adolescents, data are less clear. The main influencing factors for
GM were absolute lowest weight at admission and illness duration. Cerebellar and WM reductions
at admission predicted clinical outcome at one year follow-up. New studies found GABA receptor
changes in GM and astrocyte loss in both GM and WM, as well as a possible role for oestrogen
deficit. All three could partly explain clinical symptoms of anxiety, rigidity and learning impairments
in patients with AN.
Conclusion: Brain volume deficits in AN seem to play a causal role in the course and the prognosis
of AN. A better understanding of these brain changes could lead to more targeted therapies for patients
with AN, including astrocyte-directed approaches.
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