The epidermis and sensory organs of Dugesia tigrina (Turbellaria: Tricladida)

The epidermis of D. tigrina was examined using the scanning electron microscope. Both dorsal and ventral surfaces are extremely irregular in contour, as well as being permeated by large numbers of pores. Cilia are restricted to the ventral surface, the auricles and that part of the dorsum adjacent to the auricles. Club-shaped receptors, as well as cilia, were seen in the auricles. The epidermis anteriad to the eyespots is indistinguishable from that covering the remainder of the dorsal surface. Light rays could not enter the eyespot through this rough epidermal surface without becoming diffracted in an irregular fashion. It was therefore concluded that visual image perception is not a function of the planarian eyespot.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47672/1/441_2004_Article_BF00221599.pd

Street Earnings Activation Delay

Street earnings are non-GAAP earnings, adjusted for consistency with the analyst majority basis and disseminated by forecast data providers (FDPs). We find that the time it takes an FDP to incorporate street earnings in its products (activation delay, hereafter) reflects variation in the difficulty of constructing street earnings, investor demand for timely street earnings, and FDPs' limited attention and resources. Furthermore, the market reaction to reported earnings is more timely when activation delay is shorter, and price discovery is highly concentrated during the hour after street earnings are activated. Finally, activation delay increases the delay with which street earnings are incorporated in analyst forecasts. We conclude that frictions in information processing prevent market participants from instantaneously constructing and incorporating street earnings in their decisions, and that FDPs play a key role in alleviating these frictions

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) light vehicle extended pilot test summary report

This report describes the conduct and findings from an extended pilot test (EPT) for the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program light vehicle platform. The crash warning functionalities developed in this program addresses several crash types, including rear-end, road departure, lane drift, lane change, merging, and curve-speed crashes. The EPT was conducted to demonstrate that the program is ready to launch the light-vehicle field operational test (FOT). The specific criteria for readiness are: 1) positive driver acceptance of the integrated system, 2) integrated system performance in naturalistic driving that is consistent with expectations, 3) reliable operation of the hardware and software onboard the test vehicles, and 4) operational processes that are practical and efficient for conducting the FOT and maintaining the necessary quality standards. The IVBSS light vehicle EPT has demonstrated that after minor revisions are made to the warning system and the experimental process, the program is ready for the full-scale FOT.U.S. Department of Transportationhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63005/1/102285.pd

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) light vehicle platform field operational test data analysis plan

This document presents the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute’s plan to perform analysis of data collected from the light vehicle platform field operational test of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program. The purpose of the IVBSS program is to evaluate the effectiveness of, and driver acceptance for, state-of-the-art integrated crash warning systems for both passenger cars and commercial trucks. The light vehicle platform in the IVBSS FOT includes four integrated crash-warning subsystems (forward crash, lateral drift, curve speed, and lane-change/merge crash warnings). The integrated crash warning system is installed into a fleet of 16 passenger cars, each of which is instrumented to capture detailed data regarding the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. The cars will be operated by 108 randomly selected, licensed drivers from southeast Michigan. Each driver operates the instrumented car in place of the car they normally drive for a period of 40 days—including a 12-day baseline period. Data on driver acceptance for the integrated system are being collected through a post-drive survey and debriefings. The plan describes analyses that emphasize a summary of integrated crash warning system activity, examine how the integrated system affects driver behavior, and assess driver acceptance for the integrated system. The analyses are intended to be complementary to analyses being performed by an independent evaluator, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64505/1/102497.pd

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) heavy truck platform field operational test data analysis plan

This document presents the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute’s plan to perform analysis of data collected from the heavy truck platform field operational test of the Integrated Vehicle- Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program. The purpose of the IVBSS program is to evaluate the effectiveness of, and driver acceptance for, state-of-the-art integrated crash warning systems for both passenger cars and commercial trucks. The heavy truck platform in the IVBSS FOT includes three integrated crash-warning subsystems (forward crash, lateral drift, and lane-change/merge crash warnings) installed into a fleet of ten Class 8 tractors operated by Con-way Freight. Each truck is instrumented to capture detailed data regarding the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. Twenty commercial truck drivers from Con-way Freight are operating the Class 8 tractors for ten months in place of the trucks they normally drive. Data on driver acceptance for the integrated system are being collected through a post-drive survey and debriefings. The plan describes analyses that emphasize a summary of integrated crash warning system activity, examine how the integrated system affects driver behavior, and assess driver acceptance for the integrated system. The analyses are intended to be complementary to analyses being performed by the program’s independent evaluator, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64453/1/102427.pd

A study on cercarial dermatitis in Khuzestan province, south western Iran

BACKGROUND: Cercarial dermatitis' or swimmer's itch' is an itchy inflammatory response to the penetration of the skin by non-human schistosome parasites. In the hot season, (May to September) in Khuzestan province in the south west of Iran, swimming in canals and agriculture activities in swampy areas are common. This survey was made on people from villages north of Ahwaz city in south west Iran, to estimate cercarial dermatitis in this region. METHODS: 2000 people were observed for clinical signs of cercarial dermatitis. Also 2000 Lymnaea gedrosiana snails were collected from agriculture canals and examined for animal schistosome cercariae during 1998–2000. RESULTS: From this survey 1.1% of people had pruritic maculopapular rash on their feet, hands or other parts of body. From the total of examined snails, 2.4% were found to be infected with bird schistosome cercariae including Trichobilharzia species. CONCLUSION: Cercarial dermatitis could be a health problem in this area. This is the first report of cercarial dermatitis from this region of Iran

Integrated vehicle-based safety systems field operational test final program report

This document presents results from the light-vehicle and heavy-truck field operational tests performed as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program. The findings are the result of analyses performed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to examine the effect of a prototype integrated crash warning system on driver behavior and driver acceptance. Both platforms included three integrated crash-warning subsystems: forward crash; lateral drift; and lane-change/merge crash warnings. The light-vehicle platform also included curve-speed warning. The integrated systems were introduced into two vehicle fleets: 16 light vehicles and 10 Class 8 tractors. The light vehicles were operated by 108 volunteer drivers for 6 weeks, and the heavy trucks were driven by 18 commercial-truck drivers for a 10-month period. Each vehicle was instrumented to capture detailed data on the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. Data on driver acceptance was collected through post-drive surveys and debriefings. Key findings indicate that use of the integrated crash warning system resulted in improvements in lane-keeping, fewer lane departures, and increased turn-signal use. Both the passenger car and commercial drivers accepted the integrated crash warning system and benefited from improved awareness of vehicles around them. No negative behavioral-adaptation effects of using the integrated system were observed in either driver group.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/84378/1/102747.pd

The future of hybrid imaging—part 1: hybrid imaging technologies and SPECT/CT

Since the 1990s, hybrid imaging by means of software and hardware image fusion alike allows the intrinsic combination of functional and anatomical image information. This review summarises in three parts the state-of-the-art of dual-technique imaging, with a focus on clinical applications. We will attempt to highlight selected areas of potential improvement of combined imaging technologies and new applications. In this first part, we briefly review the origins of hybrid imaging and comment on the status and future development of single photon emission tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT). In short, we could predict that, within 10 years, we may see all existing dual-technique imaging systems, including SPECT/CT, in clinical routine use worldwide. SPECT/CT, in particular, may evolve into a whole-body imaging technique with supplementary use in dosimetry applications

Integrated vehicle-based safety systems heavy-truck field operational test key findings report

This document presents key findings from the heavy-truck field operational test conducted as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems program. These findings are the result of analyses performed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to examine the effect of a prototype integrated crash warning system on driving behavior and driver acceptance. The heavy-truck platform included three integrated crash-warning subsystems(forward crash, lateral drift, and lane-change/merge crash warnings) installed on a fleet of 10 Class 8 tractors and operated by 18 commercial drivers for 10 months. Each truck was instrumented to capture detailed data on the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. Data on driver acceptance was collected through a postdrive survey and debriefings. The key findings indicate that integrated crash warning systems not only offer benefits relative to improved driver performance (e.g., improved headway keeping), but that the majority of commercial drivers accepted the system and reported subjective benefits from the integrated system they used. Of the drivers who participated, 15 out of 18 stated that they preferred a truck with the integrated system, stating that they would also recommend that their company consider the purchase of vehicles with integrated safety systems installed. No negative behavioral adaptation effects from the drivers’ 10-month use of the integrated system were observed.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77988/1/102672.pd

Integrated vehicle-based safety systems light-vehicle field operational test key findings report

This document presents key findings from the light-vehicle field operational test conducted as part of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems program. These findings are the result of analyses performed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to examine the effects of a prototype integrated crash warning system on driving behavior and driver acceptance. The light-vehicle platform included four integrated crash-warning subsystems (forward-crash, lateral-drift, lane-change/merge crash, and curve-speed warnings) installed on a fleet of 16 passenger cars and operated by 108 randomly-sampled drivers for a period of six weeks each. Each car was instrumented to capture detailed data on the driving environment, driver behavior, warning system activity, and vehicle kinematics. Data on driver acceptance was collected through a post-drive survey, debriefings and focus groups. Key findings indicate that use of the integrated crash warning system resulted in improvements in lane-keeping, fewer lane departures, and increased turn-signal use. The research also indicated that drivers were slightly more likely to maintain shorter headways with the integrated system. No negative behavioral adaptation effects were observed as a result of drivers’ involvement in secondary task behaviors. Drivers generally accepted the integrated crash warning system and 72 percent of all drivers said they would like to have an integrated warning system in their personal vehicles. Drivers also reported that they found the blind-spot detection component of the lane-change/merge crash warning system to be the most useful and satisfying aspect of the integrated system.U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration ITS Joint Program Officehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/84379/1/102748.pd