Lane-change detection using a computational driver model

OBJECTIVE: This paper introduces a robust, real-time system for detecting driver lane changes. Background: As intelligent transportation systems evolve to assist drivers in their intended behaviors, the systems have demonstrated a need for methods of inferring driver intentions and detecting intended maneuvers. METHOD: Using a "model tracing" methodology, our system simulates a set of possible driver intentions and their resulting behaviors using a simplification of a previously validated computational model of driver behavior. The system compares the model's simulated behavior with a driver's actual observed behavior and thus continually infers the driver's unobservable intentions from her or his observable actions. RESULTS: For data collected in a driving simulator, the system detects 82% of lane changes within 0.5 s of maneuver onset (assuming a 5% false alarm rate), 93% within 1 s, and 95% before the vehicle moves one fourth of the lane width laterally. For data collected from an instrumented vehicle, the system detects 61% within 0.5 s, 77% within 1 s, and 84% before the vehicle moves one-fourth of the lane width laterally. CONCLUSION: The model-tracing system is the first system to demonstrate high sample-by-sample accuracy at low false alarm rates as well as high accuracy over the course of a lane change with respect to time and lateral movement. APPLICATION: By providing robust real-time detection of driver lane changes, the system shows good promise for incorporation into the next generation of intelligent transportation systems.     

Control of phosphatidylserine biosynthesis through phosphatidylserine-mediated inhibition of phosphatidylserine synthase I in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) synthesis in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells occurs through the exchange of L-serine with the base moiety of phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine. The synthesis is depressed on the addition of PtdSer to the culture medium. A CHO cell mutant named mutant 29, whose PtdSer biosynthesis is highly resistant to this depression by exogenous PtdSer, has been isolated from CHO-K1 cells. In the present study, the PtdSer-resistant PtdSer biosynthesis in the mutant was traced to a point mutation in the PtdSer synthase I gene, pssA, resulting in the replacement of Arg-95 of the synthase by lysine. Introduction of the mutant pssA cDNA, but not the wild-type pssA cDNA, into CHO-K1 cells induced the PtdSer-resistant PtdSer biosynthesis. In a cell-free system, the serine base-exchange activity of the wild-type pssA-transfected cells was inhibited by PtdSer, but that of the mutant pssA-transfected cells was resistant to the inhibition. Like the mutant 29 cells, the mutant pssA-transfected cells grown without exogenous PtdSer exhibited an approximately 2-fold increase in the cellular PtdSer level compared with that in CHO-K1 cells, although the wild-type pssA-transfected cells did not exhibit such a significant increase. These results indicated that the inhibition of PtdSer synthase I by PtdSer is essential for the maintenance of a normal PtdSer level in CHO-K1 cells and that Arg-95 of the synthase is a crucial residue for the inhibition.     

A 0.18-μm 256-Mb DDR-SDRAM with low-cost post-mold tuning methodfor DLL replica

A 200-MHz double-data-rate synchronous-DRAM (DDR-SDRAM) was developed. The chip contains a delay-locked loop (DLL) which performs over a wide range of operating conditions. Post-mold-tuning allows precise replica programming. A 200-MHz intra-chip data bus is suitable for DDR operation     

Recent progress in emulsion technology to study fragmentation reactions of high energetic ion beams

The R&D project to study nuclear fragmentation using emulsion in attempt to improve the accuracy of dose calculation in carbon ion radiotherapy has been carried out at NIRS-HIMAC since 2003. Based on the developed techniques, we are accumulating experimental data of fragmentation reactions for various beams and target combinations. In this program we are also developing the practical application of hybrid apparatus of emulsion and CR-39 and performing basic study of gold deposition development in order to improve measurement of ionization.     

Application of a semi-automatic ROI setting system for brain PET images to animal PET studies

ProASSIST, a semi-automatic ROI (region of interest) setting system for human brain PET images, has been modified for use with the canine brain, and the performance of the obtained system was evaluated by comparing the operational simplicity for ROI setting and the consistency of ROI values obtained with those by a conventional manual procedure. Namely, we created segment maps for the canine brain by making reference to the coronal section atlas of the canine brain by Lim et al., and incorporated them into the ProASSIST system. For the performance test, CBF (cerebral blood flow) and CMRglc (cerebral metabolic rate in glucose) images in dogs with or without focal cerebral ischemia were used. In ProASSIST, brain contours were defined semiautomatically. In the ROI analysis of the test image, manual modification of the contour was necessary in half cases examined (8/16). However, the operation was rather simple so that the operation time per one brain section was significantly shorter than that in the manual operation. The ROI values determined by the system were comparable with those by the manual procedure, confirming the applicability of the system to these animal studies. The use of the system like the present one would also merit the more objective data acquisition for the quantitative ROI analysis, because no manual procedure except for some specifications of the anatomical features is required for ROI setting.     

SOI-DRAM circuit technologies for low power high speed multigigascale memories

This paper describes a silicon on insulator (SOI) DRAM which has a body bias controlling technique for high-speed circuit operation and a new type of redundancy for low standby power operation, aimed at high yield. The body bias controlling technique contributes to super-body synchronous sensing and body-bias controlled logic. The super-body synchronous sensing achieves 3.0 ns faster sensing than body synchronous sensing and the body-bias controlled logic realizes 8.0 ns faster peripheral logic operation compared with a conventional logic scheme, at 1.5 V in a 4 Gb-level SOI DRAM. The body-bias controlled logic also realizes a body-bias change current reduction of 1/20, compared with a bulk well-structure. A new type of redundancy that overcomes the standby current failure resulting from a wordline-bitline short is also discussed in respect of yield and area penalty     

A 1.2- to 3.3-V wide voltage-range/low-power DRAM with acharge-transfer presensing scheme

A charge-transfer presensing scheme (CTPS) for 0.8-V array operation with a 1/2 V_cc bit-line precharge achieves a five times larger readout voltage and 40% improvement in sensing speed compared with conventional sensing schemes. Operation over a 1.2- to 3.3-V range is achieved. A nonreset row block control scheme (NRBC) for power-consumption improvement in data-retention mode is proposed which decreases the charge/discharge number of the row block control circuit. By combining CTPS and NRBC, the data-retention current is reduced by 75%     

Involvement of Sac1 phosphoinositide phosphatase in the metabolism of phosphatidylserine in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Sac1 is a phosphoinositide phosphatase that preferentially dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate. Mutation of SAC1 causes not only the accumulation of phosphoinositides but also reduction of the phosphatidylserine (PS) level in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we characterized the mechanism underlying the PS reduction in SAC1‐deleted cells. Incorporation of ³²P into PS was significantly delayed in sac1? cells. Such a delay was also observed in SAC1‐ and PS decarboxylase gene‐deleted cells, suggesting that the reduction in the PS level is caused by a reduction in the rate of biosynthesis of PS. A reduction in the PS level was also observed with repression of STT4 encoding phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase or deletion of VPS34 encoding phophatidylinositol 3‐kinase. However, the combination of mutations of SAC1 and STT4 or VPS34 did not restore the reduced PS level, suggesting that both the synthesis and degradation of phosphoinositides are important for maintenance of the PS level. Finally, we observed an abnormal PS distribution in sac1? cells when a specific probe for PS was expressed. Collectively, these results suggested that Sac1 is involved in the maintenance of a normal rate of biosynthesis and distribution of PS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intracellular redistribution of truncated La protein produced by poliovirus 3Cpro-mediated cleavage

The La autoantigen (also known as SS-B), a cellular RNA binding protein, may shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm, but it is mainly located in the nucleus. La protein is redistributed to the cytoplasm after poliovirus infection. An in vitro translation study demonstrated that La protein stimulated the internal initiation of poliovirus translation. In the present study, a part of the La protein was shown to be cleaved in poliovirus-infected HeLa cells, and this cleavage appeared to be mediated by poliovirus-specific protease 3C (3Cpro). Truncated La protein (dl-La) was produced in vitro from recombinant La protein by cleavage with purified 3Cpro at only one Gln358-Gly359 peptide bond in the 408-amino-acid (aa) sequence of La protein. The dl-La expressed in L cells was detected in the cytoplasm. However, green fluorescence protein linked to the C-terminal 50-aa sequence of La protein was localized in the nucleus, suggesting that this C-terminal region contributes to the steady-state nuclear localization of the intact La protein in uninfected cells. The dl-La retained the enhancing activity of translation initiation driven by poliovirus RNA in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. These results suggest that La protein is cleaved by 3Cpro in the course of poliovirus infection and that the dl-La is redistributed to the cytoplasm. dl-La, as well as La protein, may play a role in stimulating the internal initiation of poliovirus translation in the cytoplasm.