Clothoid Curve-based Emergency-Stopping Path Planning with Adaptive Potential Field for Autonomous Vehicles

The Potential Field (PF)-based path planning method is widely adopted for autonomous vehicles (AVs) due to its real-time efficiency and simplicity. PF often creates a rigid road boundary, and while this ensures that the ego vehicle consistently operates within the confines of the road, it also brings a lurking peril in emergency scenarios. If nearby vehicles suddenly switch lanes, the AV has to veer off and brake to evade a collision, leading to the "blind alley" effect. In such a situation, the vehicle can become trapped or confused by the conflicting forces from the obstacle vehicle PF and road boundary PF, often resulting in indecision or erratic behavior, even crashes. To address the above-mentioned challenges, this research introduces an Emergency-Stopping Path Planning (ESPP) that incorporates an adaptive PF (APF) and a clothoid curve for urgent evasion. First, we design an emergency triggering estimation to detect the "blind alley" problem by analyzing the PF distribution. Second, we regionalize the driving scene to search the optimal breach point on the road PF and the final stopping point for the vehicle by considering the possible motion range of the obstacle. Finally, we use the optimized clothoid curve to fit these calculated points under vehicle dynamics constraints to generate a smooth emergency avoidance path. The proposed ESPP-based APF method was evaluated by conducting the co-simulation between MATLAB/Simulink and CarSim Simulator in a freeway scene. The simulation results reveal that the proposed method shows increased performance in emergency collision avoidance and renders the vehicle safer, in which the duration of wheel slip is 61.9% shorter, and the maximum steering angle amplitude is 76.9% lower than other potential field-based methods.Comment: 14 pages, 20 figures, journal paper in submissio

A comparative study on growth indicators of children born with low birth weight and normal birth weight in 2 years after birth.

Low birth weight ( LBW, Birth Weight<2500g) is a significant health problem of children. Many studies have made it apparent that there is a direct relationship between low birth weight and infant motality. One of the most important measurements to prevent children morbidity is growth monitoring and the present study was set up to compare the growth Indexes of 2 year old children born with low weight with those weighting 2500 g and more at birth ( mormal birth weight, NBW). This research is a retrospective cohort study and the samples include 218 two year old infants (109 LBW infants, 109 NBW infants). Selection criteria for the LBW and NBW infants were factors such as having birth weight < 2500 gr in LBW group and 2500 –4000 in NBW group, absence of congenital anomalies , born from singleton pregnancies etc. Needed data were collected in questionnaires by researcher and for this purpose the measurements of children weight , height and head circumference at ages in 2 years after birth that had been recorded in their health files were used. Statistical analysis was carried out with help of t-test and X test. Our findings revealed that the group of LBW children had a statistically significant lower body weight , shorter height, smaller head circumferences and lower weight – for- age, height –for –age and weight- for – height indexes in two year children than the group of NBW children. Moreover, the weight percentile of LBW children at 2 years of age was lower than one in the NBW group . The data suggest that low birth weight adversely affects on child’s growth in early life. Therefore , LBW infants require special considerations about growth follow up and monitoring after birth

Flowsim: A Modular Simulation Platform for Microscopic Behavior Analysis of City-Scale Connected Autonomous Vehicles

As connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) become increasingly prevalent, there is a growing need for simulation platforms that can accurately evaluate CAV behavior in large-scale environments. In this paper, we propose Flowsim, a novel simulator specifically designed to meet these requirements. Flowsim offers a modular and extensible architecture that enables the analysis of CAV behaviors in large-scale scenarios. It provides researchers with a customizable platform for studying CAV interactions, evaluating communication and networking protocols, assessing cybersecurity vulnerabilities, optimizing traffic management strategies, and developing and evaluating policies for CAV deployment. Flowsim is implemented in pure Python in approximately 1,500 lines of code, making it highly readable, understandable, and easily modifiable. We verified the functionality and performance of Flowsim via a series of experiments based on realistic traffic scenarios. The results show the effectiveness of Flowsim in providing a flexible and powerful simulation environment for evaluating CAV behavior and data flow. Flowsim is a valuable tool for researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals who are involved in the development, evaluation, and deployment of CAVs. The code of Flowsim is publicly available on GitHub under the MIT license

Subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. isolated from humans in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the subtyped Blastocystis sp. isolated from humans in Iran. Background: Blastocystis sp. is an anaerobic intestinal protozoan that infects humans as well as domestic and wild animals, i.e. mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and arthropods. Methods: A comprehensive search for papers published before April 2022 was undertaken utilizing English and Persian databases. The following MeSH keywords were used in the electronic search: (Blastocystis sp.) AND (molecular OR subtype) AND (prevalence OR epidemiology) AND Iran. The quality of the included studies was evaluated. Thereafter, a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence and odds ratios regarding the included studies. Results: A total of 32 studies comprised of five case-control studies and 27 cross-sectional studies met the eligibility criteria. The overall pooled prevalence of subtyped Blastocystis sp. in Iran was estimated to be 10% (95% confidence interval: 6 to 15%). Eight subtypes of Blastocystis sp. (ST1- ST7 and ST9) were identified in our study, of which ST3 was the most common subtype (0.04); 0.02-0.07). The difference in subtypes between two case and control groups in reported studies was not significant, but the odds ratio of infection by ST3 (0.98; 95% CI, 0.30 to 3.20) was higher in cases. Conclusion: The current systematic review showed that with the exception of ST8 and ST12, all human Blastocystis sp. subtypes reported in the world are found in different parts of Iran

The relationship between ultra processed food consumption and premature coronary artery disease: Iran premature coronary artery disease study (IPAD)

BackgroundUltra-processed foods (UPF) consumption may affect the risk of PCAD through affecting cardio metabolic risk factors. This study aimed to evaluate the association between UPFs consumption and premature coronary artery disease (PCAD).MethodsA case–control study was conducted on 2,354 Iranian adults (≥ 19 years). Dietary intake was assessed using a validated 110-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and foods were classified based on the NOVA system, which groups all foods according to the nature, extent and purposes of the industrial processes they undergo. PCAD was defined as having an stenosis of at least single coronary artery equal and above 75% or left main coronary of equal or more than 50% in women less than 70 and men less than 60 years, determined by angiography. The odds of PCAD across the tertiles of UPFs consumption were assessed by binary logistic regression.ResultsAfter adjustment for potential confounders, participants in the top tertile of UPFs were twice as likely to have PCAD compared with those in the bottom tertile (OR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.97–3.23). Moreover, those in the highest tertile of the UPFs consumption had more than two times higher risk for having severe PCAD than those in the first tertile (OR: 2.64; 95% CI: 2.16–3.22). In addition, there was a significant upward trend in PCAD risk and PCAD severity as tertiles increased (P-trend &lt; 0.001 for all models).ConclusionHigher consumption of UPFs was related to increased risk of PCAD and higher chance of having severe PCAD in Iranian adults. Although, future cohort studies are needed to confirm the results of this study, these findings indicated the necessity of reducing UPFs intake

Consequences of chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age - A scoping review

Funding Information: This work supported in part by the LTC INTER COST, Evaluation of the Potential for Reducing Health and Social Expenses for Elderly People Using the Smart Environment, through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic, under Project LTC18035; and in part by the project of Excellence, University of Hradec Kralove, FIM, Czech Republic (ID: 2205–2019). First author – Petra Maresova is principle investigator of LTC18035 INTER COST project, from which Petra Maresova, Ondrej Krejcar and Kamil Kuca are funded for all expenses including personal costs. Ehsan Javanmardi is funded from project of Excellence ID: 2205–2019 for personal costs. Sabina Barakovic, Jasmina Barakovic Husic and Signe Tomsone are members of COST ACTION 16226 of which also Petra Maresova and Ondrej Krejcar are paticipants, while this article also ACKnowledge this project CA16226. Funding Information: The authors would like to hereby acknowledge COST Action CA16226 for their networking support. The Indoor Living Space Improvement: Smart Habitat for the Elderly played a role of networking platform for knowledge sharing and interchanging ideas for joint research and publication, what was the base for creating this study. Based on CA16226 project LTC18035 INTER COST was proposed for national funding support of COST ACTION Framework. COST is a funding agency that helps innovation and research networks. Our Action was instrumental in connecting research programmes throughout the EU region. Their contribution has made it possible for scientists to connect with each other and share their ideas and findings. This allows for more research and better innovation. More information can be found at www.cost.eu. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Excellence 2019 internal research project, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 The Author(s).Background: The phenomenon of the increasing number of ageing people in the world is arguably the most significant economic, health and social challenge that we face today. Additionally, one of the major epidemiologic trends of current times is the increase in chronic and degenerative diseases. This paper tries to deliver a more up to date overview of chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age and provide a more detailed outlook on the research that has gone into this field. Methods: First, challenges for seniors, including chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age, are specified. Second, a review of seniors' needs and concerns is performed. Finally, solutions that can improve seniors' quality of life are discussed. Publications obtained from the following databases are used in this scoping review: Web of Science, PubMed, and Science Direct. Four independent reviewers screened the identified records and selected relevant publications published from 2010 to 2017. A total of 1916 publications were selected. In all, 52 papers were selected based on abstract content. For further processing, 21 full papers were screened." Results: The results indicate disabilities as a major problem associated with seniors' activities of daily living dependence. We founded seven categories of different conditions - psychological problems, difficulties in mobility, poor cognitive function, falls and incidents, wounds and injuries, undernutrition, and communication problems. In order to minimize ageing consequences, some areas require more attention, such as education and training; technological tools; government support and welfare systems; early diagnosis of undernutrition, cognitive impairment, and other diseases; communication solutions; mobility solutions; and social contributions. Conclusions: This scoping review supports the view on chronic diseases in old age as a complex issue. To prevent the consequences of chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age related problems demands multicomponent interventions. Early recognition of problems leading to disability and activities of daily living (ADL) dependence should be one of essential components of such interventions.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Global, regional, and national progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 for neonatal and child health: all-cause and cause-specific mortality findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 has targeted elimination of preventable child mortality, reduction of neonatal death to less than 12 per 1000 livebirths, and reduction of death of children younger than 5 years to less than 25 per 1000 livebirths, for each country by 2030. To understand current rates, recent trends, and potential trajectories of child mortality for the next decade, we present the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 findings for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in children younger than 5 years of age, with multiple scenarios for child mortality in 2030 that include the consideration of potential effects of COVID-19, and a novel framework for quantifying optimal child survival. Methods We completed all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality analyses from 204 countries and territories for detailed age groups separately, with aggregated mortality probabilities per 1000 livebirths computed for neonatal mortality rate (NMR) and under-5 mortality rate (USMR). Scenarios for 2030 represent different potential trajectories, notably including potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of improvements preferentially targeting neonatal survival. Optimal child survival metrics were developed by age, sex, and cause of death across all GBD location-years. The first metric is a global optimum and is based on the lowest observed mortality, and the second is a survival potential frontier that is based on stochastic frontier analysis of observed mortality and Healthcare Access and Quality Index. Findings Global U5MR decreased from 71.2 deaths per 1000 livebirths (95% uncertainty interval WI] 68.3-74-0) in 2000 to 37.1 (33.2-41.7) in 2019 while global NMR correspondingly declined more slowly from 28.0 deaths per 1000 live births (26.8-29-5) in 2000 to 17.9 (16.3-19-8) in 2019. In 2019,136 (67%) of 204 countries had a USMR at or below the SDG 3.2 threshold and 133 (65%) had an NMR at or below the SDG 3.2 threshold, and the reference scenario suggests that by 2030,154 (75%) of all countries could meet the U5MR targets, and 139 (68%) could meet the NMR targets. Deaths of children younger than 5 years totalled 9.65 million (95% UI 9.05-10.30) in 2000 and 5.05 million (4.27-6.02) in 2019, with the neonatal fraction of these deaths increasing from 39% (3.76 million 95% UI 3.53-4.021) in 2000 to 48% (2.42 million; 2.06-2.86) in 2019. NMR and U5MR were generally higher in males than in females, although there was no statistically significant difference at the global level. Neonatal disorders remained the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years in 2019, followed by lower respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, congenital birth defects, and malaria. The global optimum analysis suggests NMR could be reduced to as low as 0.80 (95% UI 0.71-0.86) deaths per 1000 livebirths and U5MR to 1.44 (95% UI 1-27-1.58) deaths per 1000 livebirths, and in 2019, there were as many as 1.87 million (95% UI 1-35-2.58; 37% 95% UI 32-43]) of 5.05 million more deaths of children younger than 5 years than the survival potential frontier. Interpretation Global child mortality declined by almost half between 2000 and 2019, but progress remains slower in neonates and 65 (32%) of 204 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, are not on track to meet either SDG 3.2 target by 2030. Focused improvements in perinatal and newborn care, continued and expanded delivery of essential interventions such as vaccination and infection prevention, an enhanced focus on equity, continued focus on poverty reduction and education, and investment in strengthening health systems across the development spectrum have the potential to substantially improve USMR. Given the widespread effects of COVID-19, considerable effort will be required to maintain and accelerate progress. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd

Exploring Grey Systems Theory-Based Methods and Applications in Analyzing Socio-Economic Systems

The present study seeks to provide an overview of studies dealing with the grey systems theory from the perspective of socio-economic systems. A scoping review is conducted to explore the studies focusing grey systems theory and its applications in socio-economic systems. The publications selected for analysis were collected through searching the databases of the Web of Science, Scopus, and Science Direct. The publications were selected from 2010 to 2019, and the following keywords were used to detect them: grey systems, grey relational, grey model, grey prediction, grey control, grey incidence, grey cluster, grey decision, and grey input-output plus social, economic, and socioeconomic. Out of the 2375 records found, 147 full papers were screened. Results obtained from the studies were separated into the following categories: social network, healthcare, financial issues, sustainability, tourism, social and cultural, public sectors, urbanization, development, business, economics, demographics, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Findings showed that complexity, uncertainty, and a lack of access to a large collection of data directed researchers to rely on grey systems theory-based socio-economic systems. Furthermore, theory-based grey systems were more effective than other approaches of decision-making and analysis. Drawing on the grey systems theory-based holistic approaches and systems thinking methods helped to obtain better results in analyzing socio-economic systems

Towards High-Definition 3D Urban Mapping: Road Feature-Based Registration of Mobile Mapping Systems and Aerial Imagery

Various applications have utilized a mobile mapping system (MMS) as the main 3D urban remote sensing platform. However, the accuracy and precision of the three-dimensional data acquired by an MMS is highly dependent on the performance of the vehicle’s self-localization, which is generally performed by high-end global navigation satellite system (GNSS)/inertial measurement unit (IMU) integration. However, GNSS/IMU positioning quality degrades significantly in dense urban areas with high-rise buildings, which block and reflect the satellite signals. Traditional landmark updating methods, which improve MMS accuracy by measuring ground control points (GCPs) and manually identifying those points in the data, are both labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a novel and comprehensive framework for automatically georeferencing MMS data by capitalizing on road features extracted from high-resolution aerial surveillance data. The proposed framework has three key steps: (1) extracting road features from the MMS and aerial data; (2) obtaining Gaussian mixture models from the extracted aerial road features; and (3) performing registration of the MMS data to the aerial map using a dynamic sliding window and the normal distribution transform (NDT). The accuracy of the proposed framework is verified using field data, demonstrating that it is a reliable solution for high-precision urban mapping