Fundamental Design Criteria for Logical Scenarios in Simulation-based Safety Validation of Automated Driving Using Sensor Model Knowledge

Scenario-based virtual validation of automated driving functions is a promising method to reduce testing effort in real traffic. In this work, a method for deriving scenario design criteria from a sensor modeling point of view is proposed. Using basic sensor technology specific equations as rough but effective boundary conditions, the accessible information for the system under test are determined. Subsequently, initial conditions such as initial poses of dynamic objects are calculated using the derived boundary conditions for designing logical scenarios. Further interest is given on triggers starting movements of objects during scenarios that are not time but object dependent. The approach is demonstrated on the example of the radar equation and first exemplary results by identifying relevance regions are shown

Exercise as an add-on treatment in individuals with schizophrenia: results from a large multicenter randomized controlled trial

Current treatment methods do not achieve recovery for most individuals with schizophrenia, and symptoms such as negative symptoms and cognitive deficits often persist. Aerobic endurance training has been suggested as a potential add-on treatment targeting both physical and mental health. We performed a large-scale multicenter, rater-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled clinical trial in individuals with stable schizophrenia. Participants underwent a professionally supervised six-month training comprising either aerobic endurance training (AET) or flexibility, strengthening, and balance training (FSBT, control group), follow-up was another six months. The primary endpoint was all-cause discontinuation (ACD); secondary endpoints included effects on psychopathology, cognition, functioning, and cardiovascular risk. In total, 180 participants were randomized. AET was not superior to FSBT in ACD and most secondary outcomes, with dropout rates of 59.55% and 57.14% in the six-month active phase, respectively. However, both groups showed significant improvements in positive, general, and total symptoms, levels of functioning and in cognitive performance. A higher training frequency additionally promoted further memory domains. Participants with higher baseline cognitive abilities were more likely to respond to the interventions. Our results support integrating exercise into schizophrenia treatment, while future studies should aim to develop personalized training recommendations to maximize exercise-induced benefits

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Kompetenzorientierung in der Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung auf eine solide Grundlage stellen. – Praxisbericht über ein Projekt der PH Zürich für die Ausbildung von Lehrpersonen in der Berufsbildung

In der Ausbildung von Lehrpersonen in der Berufsbildung ist die Orientierung an vorgegebenen Standards seit Jahren zwingend vorgeschrieben und Voraussetzung, damit ein Studiengang durch den Bund anerkannt werden kann. Die Herausforderung besteht darin, dass der Bund seine «Standards» zwar mit «Handlungskompetenzen» von Lehrpersonen und Berufsbildungsverantwortlichen gleichsetzt, sie aber als Mindestanforderungen versteht, die zudem sehr offen formuliert sind. Die konkrete Ausgestaltung der «Standards» und die Übersetzung in die Ausbildungspraxis überlässt der Bund ausdrücklich den ausbildenden Institutionen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird gezeigt, wie die Vorgaben des Bundes an der PH Zürich umgesetzt werden. Der beschriebene Prozess vermag zugleich zu illustrieren, wie eine Institution in der Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung, die sich «Kompetenzorientierung» auf die Fahne schreibt, diese auch realisieren kann. Beschrieben wird ein Vorgehen in drei Schritten: Es braucht erstens ein gemeinsames Verständnis des Kompetenzbegriffs, zweitens einen Katalog von Kompetenzen, der die Ausbildungsinhalte in Form von Zielbeschreibungen definiert, und drittens die Operationalisierung dieser Kompetenzen mithilfe von Kompetenzrastern. Erst wenn diese Voraussetzungen erfüllt sind, hat die eigentliche Gestaltung der Ausbildung – Studienpläne erstellen, Ausbildungsgefässe entwickeln, Prüfungskriterien definieren usw. – eine solide Grundlage. Mit den Kompetenzrastern steht den Studierenden zudem ein Instrument zur Verfügung, mit dem sie selbst ihren Entwicklungsstand einschätzen und ihren Entwicklungsbedarf ermitteln können.So as to be recognized and validated by the Swiss Federal Government, teacher training programmes for vocational education and training (VET) teachers in Switzerland have to be oriented to given standards. This requirement has proved to provide a challenge for educational institutions, because the Federal Government puts its «standards» on a level with «practical skills» which are to be understood as «minimal requirements», although they are formulated very openly. The concrete definition of the «standards» and their actual implementation in teacher training programmes is explicitly delegated to the individual educational institutions. This paper shows how the federal requirements have been implemented at the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PH Zurich). With this report we hope to illustrate how teacher training institutions are able to successfully implement skills-oriented training programmes. For providing a solid basis for skills-oriented VET teacher training programmes, we propose an approach consisting of three steps: Firstly, it is essential to arrive at a common understanding of the notion of «skills» (German «Kompetenz»), i.e. a mutually agreed-on definition of the central term; secondly, the educational institution needs to define the contents of its study programmes with a list of the skills that have to be acquired or developed in the course the programmes; and thirdly, these skills have to be operationalized in the form of skills matrices. This preliminary work is essential to the provision of a solid basis for the actual design and organization of the study programmes, i.e. for the development of the curriculum and the individual courses, the definition of exam criteria etc. Furthermore, the skills matrices are a valuable tool for students for assessing their current state of development and for planning their further skills development

Swiss English or simply non-native English? A discussion of two possible features

No abstract available

Road Spray in Lidar and Radar Data for Individual Moving Objects

Simulation-based testing supports the challenging task of safety validation of automated driving functions. Virtual testing always entails the modeling of automotive perception sensors and their environment. In the real world, these sensors are not only exposed to weather conditions like rain, fog, snow etc., but environmental influences also appear locally. Road spray is one of the more challenging occurrences, because it involves other moving objects in the scenario. This data set is designed to systematically analyze the influence of road spray on lidar and radar sensors. It consists of sensor measurements of two vehicle classes driving over asphalt with three water levels to differentiate multiple influence factors

Environmental Conditions in Lidar and Radar Data

Safety validation of automated driving functions is a major challenge that is partly tackled by means of simulation-based testing. The virtual validation approach always entails the modeling of automotive perception sensors and their environment. In the real world, these sensors are exposed to adverse influences by environmental conditions like rain, fog, snow etc. Therefore, such influences need to be reflected in the simulation models. In this publication, a novel data set is introduced. This data set contains lidar data with synchronized reference measurements of weather conditions from a stationary long-term experiment. Recorded weather conditions comprise fog, rain, snow and direct sun light. Next to the named funding projects, the dataset was also funded by VIVID, promoted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, based on a decision of the Deutsche Bundestag