Comparing different types of the track side view in high speed train driving

The introduction of high speed trains featuring an increasing number of automated components raises imperative questions concerning the future tasks and the general role of the train driver. Previous work showed that train protection systems provoke train drivers to relocate their visual attention from the track side towards the displays within the cabin. The introduction of high speed routes allowing automatic train operation (ATO) has major implications that question the importance of the track side view for the train driver: (1) all relevant driving parameters are displayed within the cabin in high speed railway operations. (2) Supervisory tasks based on in-cab display information shift into the train driver´s focus. This study investigated the influence of three differently sized track side views (real size, monitor size, none) on a) the allocation of visual attention towards displays and the track, measured by Eye-Tracking parameters and b) the situation awareness of the train driver supervising a high speed train featuring ATO measured with the SPAM method. Empirical data are presented for both research questions. The implications are discussed in order to identify how the delivery of relevant information in the context of the changing train driver’s task can be facilitated

Elevated frequencies of leukemic myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells in acute myeloid leukemia with the FLT3 internal tandem duplication

Some 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients display an internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation in the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene. FLT3-ITDs are known to drive hematopoietic stem cells towards FLT3 ligand independent growth, but the effects on dendritic cell (DC) differentiation during leukemogenesis are not clear. We compared the frequency of cells with immunophenotype of myeloid DC (mDC: Lin−, HLA-DR+, CD11c+, CD86+) and plasmacytoid DC (pDC: Lin−, HLA-DR+, CD123+, CD86+) in diagnostic samples of 47 FLT3-ITD− and 40 FLT3-ITD+ AML patients. The majority of ITD+ AML samples showed high frequencies of mDCs or pDCs, with significantly decreased HLA-DR expression compared with DCs detectable in ITD− AML samples. Interestingly, mDCs and pDCs sorted out from ITD+ AML samples contained the ITD insert revealing their leukemic origin and, upon ex vivo culture with cytokines, they acquired DC morphology. Notably, mDC/pDCs were detectable concurrently with single lineage mDCs and pDCs in all ITD+ AML (n = 11) and ITD− AML (n = 12) samples analyzed for mixed lineage DCs (Lin−, HLA-DR+, CD11c+, CD123+). ITD+ AML mDCs/pDCs could be only partially activated with CD40L and CpG for production of IFN-α, TNF-α, and IL-1α, which may affect the anti-leukemia immune surveillance in the course of disease progression

Untersuchung des Fehlverhaltens von Verkehrsteilnehmern an einem Bahnübergang mit Blinklichtsicherung

An einem Bahnübergang mit Blinklichtsicherung im Braunschweiger Ortsteil Bienrode wurde während eines durchgängigen Untersuchungszeitraums von 15 Tagen das Verkehrsverhalten aller Verkehrsteilnehmer mit einem mobilen Multisensorsystem zur Verkehrserfassung untersucht. Im Untersuchungszeitraum gab es 286 Zugdurchfahrten. Trotz aktiver Sicherung wurden im Messzeitraum insgesamt 139 Rotlichtverstöße durch Straßenverkehrsteilnehmer ermittelt. 46 dieser Rotlichtverstöße fanden später als drei Sekunden nach Erleuchten der roten Blinklichter statt