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A difficult challenge for today’s driver monitoring systems is the detection of cognitive distraction. The present research presents the development of a theory-driven approach for cognitive distraction detection during manual driving based on temporal control theories. It is based solely on changes in the temporal variance of driving-relevant gaze behavior, such as gazes onto the dashboard (TDGV). Validation of the detection method happened in a field and in a simulator study by letting participants drive, alternating with and without a secondary task inducing external cognitive distraction (auditory continuous performance task). The general accuracy of the distraction detection method varies between 68% and 81% based on the quality of an individual prerecorded baseline measurement. As a theory-driven system, it represents not only a step towards a sophisticated cognitive distraction detection method, but also explains that changes in temporal dashboard gaze variance (TDGV) are a useful behavioral indicator for detecting cognitive distraction.

The drivers’ distraction plays a crucial role in road safety as it is one of the main impacting causes of road accidents. The phenomenon of distraction encompasses both psychological and environmental factors and, therefore, addressing the complex interplay contributing to human distraction in automotive is crucial for developing technologies and interventions for improving road safety. In scientific literature, different works were proposed for the distraction characterization in automotive, but there is still the lack of a univocal measure to assess the degree of distraction, nor a gold-standard tool that allows to “detect” eventual events, road traffic, and additional driving tasks that might contribute to the drivers’ distraction. Therefore, the present study aimed at developing an EEG-based “Distraction index” obtained by the combination of the driver’s mental workload and attention neurometrics and investigating and validating its reliability by analyzing together subjective and behavioral measures. A total of 25 licensed drivers were involved in this study, where they had to drive in two different scenarios, i.e., City and Highway, while different secondary tasks were alternatively proposed in addition to the main one to modulate the driver’s attentional demand. The statistical analysis demonstrated the reliability of the proposed EEG-based distraction index in identifying the drivers’ distraction when driving along different roads and traffic conditions (all p < 0.001). More importantly, the proposed index was demonstrated to be reliable in identifying which are the most impacting additional driving tasks on the drivers’ distraction (all p < 0.01).

The current paper was performed within the HADRIAN project and focuses on exploring the effects of innovative Human–Machine Interface (HMI) prototypes on safety, driving performance, and driver perceptions. Employing driving simulator experiments and questionnaires, this study investigates whether HADRIAN innovative HMI enhances safety and receives positive evaluations from drivers. Specifically, the research centers on a driving simulator experiment that evaluates novel HMI prototypes designed to improve automated driving at SAE Levels 2 or 3. To facilitate HMI assessment, a tailored safety and impact assessment methodology was developed using unique Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). To benchmark and generate a total score for the HADRIAN HMI, data envelopment analysis was deployed based on the aforementioned KPIs. The findings shed light on the influence of HADRIAN HMI innovations on safety and perceived impact when compared to a baseline “state-of-the-art” HMI. Subsequently, a comprehensive discussion unfolds, highlighting the key KPIs that contributed significantly to the safety and perceived impact scores. This method and its outcomes can serve as a valuable resource for other HMI stakeholders, enabling them to employ similar human-centered assessment methodologies to assess the safety and perceived impact of potential HMI configurations.

Social, anthropomorphic robots are increasingly used in professional work environments to collaborate with humans. However, little is known about how these robots affect human workers in performance-critical aspects, such as feedback. The present study investigates differences between the effects of a robot and a human feedback giver on self-esteem, intrinsic motivation, and psychophysiological reactions. Using a mixed model design for subjective data and a between-subject design for psychophysiological data, we tested 72 participants who performed a cognitive task on working memory, namely the 3-back task. The results indicate that people are more motivated to perform the task when receiving feedback from a robot, but their electrodermal activity and heart rate are higher after receiving positive feedback from a human. There is no difference in electrodermal activity following negative feedback from a human or a robot. Additional analyses show that individuals report feeling less comfortable and perceiving less social warmth when receiving feedback from a robot compared to a human. Furthermore, individuals exhibit higher skin conductance responses when perceiving greater social warmth in their interactions, regardless of whether their interaction partner is a human or a robot. The results suggest that social robots may serve as surrogates for social interaction. However, they seem to have less social presence, which leads to reduced psychophysiological reactions. This knowledge may be used to calibrate arousal in feedback situations.

Background Understanding how past climatic oscillations have affected organismic evolution will help predict the impact that current climate change has on living organisms. The European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur , is a warm-temperature adapted species and a long distance migrant that uses multiple flyways to move between Europe and Africa. Despite being abundant, it is categorized as vulnerable because of a long-term demographic decline. We studied the demographic history and population genetic structure of the European turtle dove using genomic data and mitochondrial DNA sequences from individuals sampled across Europe, and performing paleoclimatic niche modelling simulations. Results Overall our data suggest that this species is panmictic across Europe, and is not genetically structured across flyways. We found the genetic signatures of demographic fluctuations, inferring an effective population size ( Ne ) expansion that occurred between the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, followed by a decrease in the Ne that started between the mid Holocene and the present. Our niche modelling analyses suggest that the variations in the Ne are coincident with recent changes in the availability of suitable habitat. Conclusions We argue that the European turtle dove is prone to undergo demographic fluctuations, a trait that makes it sensitive to anthropogenic impacts, especially when its numbers are decreasing. Also, considering the lack of genetic structure, we suggest all populations across Europe are equally relevant for conservation.

Conservation of migratory birds requires knowledge of breeding and nonbreeding ranges and the connections between them. European turtle doves (Streptopelia turtur) are Palearctic-African long-distance migrants with wintering areas in the Sub-Saharan belt that are classed as vulnerable due to strong population declines. However, detailed non-breeding locations of individuals from different migratory flyways are unknown. To identify wintering regions of turtle doves, we measured stable isotopes of feathers grown on the wintering grounds and used a dual-isotope (hydrogen (δ2Hf) and carbon (δ13Cf)) probabilistic assignment to analyse origins of individuals migrating through the western and central/eastern flyways. The most probable wintering areas for turtle dove samples from both flyways were in the western and central Sub-Sahara. However, we found differences in δ2Hf and δ13Cf values between turtle doves following different migratory routes (western vs central/eastern flyway). This result suggests a higher likelihood of origins in the central Sub-Sahara for central and eastern migrants, while turtle doves using the western flyway originated primarily in the western Sub-Sahara, highlighting the importance of both regions for the future conservation of turtle doves from European breeding populations. The establishment of migratory connectivity of populations requires sampling from birds from the European as well as Asian continent; however, we provide important results that can be used to test hypotheses regarding population declines resulting from factors experienced over the full annual cycle for some populations.

Background: Understanding how past climatic oscillations have affected organismic evolution will help predict the impact that current climate change has on living organisms. The European turtle dove, Streptopelia turtur, is a warm-temperature adapted species and a long distance migrant that uses multiple flyways to move between Europe and Africa. Despite being abundant, it is categorized as vulnerable because of a long-term demographic decline. We studied the demographic history and population genetic structure of the European turtle dove using genomic data and mitochondrial DNA sequences from individuals sampled across Europe, and performing paleoclimatic niche modelling simulations. Results: Overall our data suggest that this species is panmictic across Europe, and is not genetically structured across flyways. We found the genetic signatures of demographic fluctuations, inferring an effective population size (Ne) expansion that occurred between the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, followed by a decrease in the Ne that started between the mid Holocene and the present. Our niche modelling analyses suggest that the variations in the Ne are coincident with recent changes in the availability of suitable habitat. Conclusions: We argue that the European turtle dove is prone to undergo demographic fluctuations, a trait that makes it sensitive to anthropogenic impacts, especially when its numbers are decreasing. Also, considering the lack of genetic structure, we suggest all populations across Europe are equally relevant for conservation.

\"I am maddened by your reportage of the 'civilian' deaths in Gaza. What you have neglected to add to this is the fact that on Thursday, after [the] killing [of] a father of four on Wednesday, there were no less than 50 Kassams and Grad (Katyusha) rockets shot at Sderot, Ashkelon and other sites within Israel proper - i.e., not 'settlements.' On Friday there were more than 32, one Grad slamming into an apartment building in Ashkelon with devastating consequences. Sir, - We should tell the civilian population of Gaza directly that while it is more than unfortunate that they are injured and, at times, killed by Israeli strikes on the terrorists, it is also true that they were the ones who elected the Hamas regime in the first place, and it is therefore they who must absorb the natural consequences of that vote. We should appeal to them as well to overthrow this regime and, by so doing, work to undermine Hamas from the \"inside.\" If they do so, the crossings can be reopened and a sense of normalcy can return (\"What does international law say about bombing homes from which rockets are fired?\" Dan Izenberg, March 3) Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i should understand that the foreign media is waiting for errors in speech with which to attack Israel. \"Ye Sages, be heedful of your words\" (\"Vilna'i's 'shoah' comment misinterpreted as warning of a holocaust in Gaza Strip,\" March 2).