Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

EEG-Based Mental Workload and Perception-Reaction Time of the Drivers While Using Adaptive Cruise Control

Car driving is a complex activity, consisting of an integrated multi-task behavior and requiring different interrelated skills. Over the last years, the number of Advanced Driver Assistance systems integrated into cars has grown exponentially. So it is very important to evaluate the interaction between these devices and drivers in order to study if they can represent an additional source of driving-related distraction. In this study, 22 subjects have been involved in a real driving experiment, aimed to investigate the effect of the use of the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on mental workload and Perception-Reaction Time of the drivers. During the test physiological data, in terms of brain activity through Electroencephalographic technique and eye gaze through Eye-Tracking devices, and vehicle trajectory data, through a satellite device mounted on the car, have been recorded. The results obtained show that the use of ACC caused an increase in mental workload and Perception-Reaction Time of the drivers