On-ramp merging strategy for connected and automated vehicles based on complete information static game

Improper handling of vehicle on-ramp merging may hinder traffic flow and contribute to lower fuel economy,while also increasing the risk of collisions.Cooperative control for connected and automated vehicles(CAVs)has the potential to significantly reduce negative environmental impact while also improve driving safety and traffic efficiency.Therefore,in this paper,we focus on the scenario of CAVs on-ramp merging and propose a centralized control method.Merging sequence(MS)allocation and motion planning are two key issues in this process.To deal with these problems,we first propose an MS allocation method based on a complete information static game whereby the mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium is calculated for an individual vehicle to select its strategy.The on-ramp merging problem is then formulated as a bi-objective(total fuel consumption and total travel time)optimization problem,to which optimal control based on Pontryagin's minimum principle(PMP)is applied to solve the motion planning issue.To determine the proper parameters in the bi-objective optimization problem,a varying-scale grid search method is proposed to explore possible solutions at different scales.In this method,an improved quicksort algorithm is designed to search for the Pareto front,and the(approximately)unbiased Pareto solution for the bi-objective optimization problem is finally determined as the optimal solution.The proposed on-ramp merging strategy is validated via numerical simulation,and comparison with other strategies demonstrates its effectiveness in terms of fuel economy and traffic efficiency.

Essential role of Msx1 in regulating anterior-posterior patterning of the secondary palate in mice

Development of the secondary palate displays molecular heterogeneity along the anterior-posterior axis;however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. MSX1 is an anteriorly expressed transcription repressor required for palate development. Here, we investigate the role of Msx1 in regional patterning of the secondary palate. The Wnt1-Cre-mediated expression of Msx1(Rosa Msx1^(Wnt1-Cre))throughout the palatal mesenchyme leads to cleft palate in mice, associated with aberrant cell proliferation and cell death. Osteogenic patterning of the hard palate in Rosa Msx1^(Wnt1-Cre)mice is severely impaired, as revealed by a marked reduction in palatine bone formation and decreased expression of the osteogenic regulator Sp7. Overexpression and knockout of Msx1 in mice show that the transcription repressor promotes the expression of the anterior palate-specific Alx1 but represses the expression of the medialposterior palate genes Barx1, Meox2, and Tbx22. Furthermore, Tbx22 constitutes a direct Msx1 target gene in the secondary palate, suggesting that Msx1 can directly repress the expression of medial-posterior specific genes. Finally, we determine that Sp7 is downstream of Tbx22 in palatal mesenchymal cells,suggesting that a Msx1/Tbx22/Sp7 axis participates in the regulation of palate development. Our findings unveil a novel role for Msx1 in regulating the anterior-posterior growth and patterning of the secondary palate.