Detection of braking intention in diverse situations during simulated driving based on EEG feature combination.

OBJECTIVE: We developed a simulated driving environment for studying neural correlates of emergency braking in diversified driving situations. We further investigated to what extent these neural correlates can be used to detect a participant's braking intention prior to the behavioral response. APPROACH: We measured electroencephalographic (EEG) and electromyographic signals during simulated driving. Fifteen participants drove a virtual vehicle and were exposed to several kinds of traffic situations in a simulator system, while EEG signals were measured. After that, we extracted characteristic features to categorize whether the driver intended to brake or not. MAIN RESULTS: Our system shows excellent detection performance in a broad range of possible emergency situations. In particular, we were able to distinguish three different kinds of emergency situations (sudden stop of a preceding vehicle, sudden cutting-in of a vehicle from the side and unexpected appearance of a pedestrian) from non-emergency (soft) braking situations, as well as from situations in which no braking was required, but the sensory stimulation was similar to stimulations inducing an emergency situation (e.g., the sudden stop of a vehicle on a neighboring lane). SIGNIFICANCE: We proposed a novel feature combination comprising movement-related potentials such as the readiness potential, event-related desynchronization features besides the event-related potentials (ERP) features used in a previous study. The performance of predicting braking intention based on our proposed feature combination was superior compared to using only ERP features. Our study suggests that emergency situations are characterized by specific neural patterns of sensory perception and processing, as well as motor preparation and execution, which can be utilized by neurotechnology based braking assistance systems.

Electrophysiology-based detection of emergency braking intention in real-world driving.

OBJECTIVE: The fact that all human action is preceded by brain processes partially observable through neuroimaging devices such as electroencephalography (EEG) is currently being explored in a number of applications. A recent study by Haufe et al (2011 J. Neural Eng. 8 056001) demonstrates the possibility of performing fast detection of forced emergency brakings during driving based on EEG and electromyography, and discusses the use of such neurotechnology for braking assistance systems. Since the study was conducted in a driving simulator, its significance regarding real-world applicability needs to be assessed. APPROACH: Here, we replicate that experimental paradigm in a real car on a non-public test track. MAIN RESULTS: Our results resemble those of the simulator study, both qualitatively (in terms of the neurophysiological phenomena observed and utilized) and quantitatively (in terms of the predictive improvement achievable using electrophysiology in addition to behavioral measures). Moreover, our findings are robust with respect to a temporary secondary auditory task mimicking verbal input from a fellow passenger. SIGNIFICANCE: Our study serves as a real-world verification of the feasibility of electrophysiology-based detection of emergency braking intention as proposed in Haufe et al (2011 J. Neural Eng. 8 056001).

Effect of exposure duration of ovaries and oocytes at ambient temperature on parthenogenetic development of porcine follicular oocytes.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of exposing porcine ovaries to 30-33 C during transportation for 4 h and subsequently room temperature (25 C) for 6 h of storage on in vitro maturation (IVM) and subsequent parthenogenetic development of oocytes collected from the ovaries. After IVM, oocytes having a tight oopalsm membrane and no signs of degeneration were exposed to Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) with 7% ethanol (v/v) for 7 min to induce parthenogenetic activation. Moreover, we also determined whether exposure of the collected oocytes to room temperature for 1, 2 and 4 h in DPBS or porcine follicular fluid (pFF) affected parthenogenetic development. When porcine ovaries were stored after transportation, oocytes collected from the stored ovaries showed a significantly higher rate of degeneration after 65 h of IVM (58.4%) and a significantly lower rate of cleavage after parthenogenetic activation (40.1%) than oocytes collected from ovaries immediately after transportation (38.9% and 47.4%, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in developmental rates to the morula and blastocyst stages between these two groups (14.4% and 14.3%, respectively). The duration of preservation, 1, 2, and 4 h, of oocytes in DPBS did not affect parthenogenetic development. In contrast, when preserved for 4 h in pFF, the developmental rates of the oocytes were significantly decreased. This suggested that some factor(s) in follicular fluid affects the developmental rate of oocytes with the passage of time in ambient conditions. These results suggest that even after 6 h storage of ovaries, oocytes having normal morphology after IVM have the same rate of parthenogenetic development as oocytes collected from ovaries just after 4 h of transportation, except for a lower cleavage rate, and that exposure of oocytes to room temperature for 4 h in DPBS does not affect their parthenogenetic developmental competence.

Haploidy influences Bak and Bcl-xL mRNA expression and increases incidence of apoptosis in porcine embryos.

The objective of this study was to determine developmental pattern, total cell number, apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression in haploid and diploid embryos following parthenogenetic activation. In vitro-matured porcine oocytes were activated by electrical pulses and cultured in the absence or presence of cytochalasin B for 3 h. Zygotes with two polar bodies (haploid) and one polar body (diploid) were carefully selected and were further cultured in NCSU 23 medium containing 0.4% bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 7 days. The percentage of development to blastocyst stage was higher (p < 0.01) in the diploid than in the haploid parthenotes. In haploid blastocysts, average total cell number was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) and apoptosis was increased at day 7. The relative abundance of Bcl-xL and Bak mRNA in the diploid blastocysts was similar to that of in vivo-fertilized embryos. However, Bcl-xL was significantly decreased, and Bak mRNA was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in haploid parthenotes compared with the diploid parthenotes. These results suggest that the haploid state affects apoptosis-related gene expression which results in increased apoptosis and decreased developmental competence of haploid parthenotes.