Comparing verbal media for alarm handling: Speech versus textual displays

The rise of computers in command and control domains has meant that control operations can be performed via desk-based visual display terminals. This trend has also produced the potential to display information to operators in a variety of formats. Of particular interest has been the use of text-based displays for alarm presentation. There are possible limitations to the use of text for alarm presentation, not least of which is the need for a dedicated alarms display screen (or, at least, a display page). Given the capability of computers to synthesize speech, it is possible that speech-based alarms could generate the same information as text-based displays without the need for dedicated screen space. In this paper an experimental comparison of speech-based and text-based displays for presentation of alarms is reported. The findings show that speech leads to longer response times than text displays, but that it has minimal effect on the efficacy of fault handling. The results are discussed within the alarm initiated activities framework and implications for alarm system design are outlined

Task analysis for error identification: Theory, method and validation

This paper presents the underlying theory of Task Analysis for Error Identification. The aim is to illustrate the development of a method that has been proposed for the evaluation of prototypical designs from the perspective of predicting human error. The paper presents the method applied to representative examples. The methodology is considered in terms of the various validation studies that have been conducted, and is discussed in the light of a specific case study

WESTT (Workload, Error, Situational Awareness, Time and Teamwork): An analytical prototyping system for command and control

Modern developments in the use of information technology within command and control allow unprecedented scope for flexibility in the way teams deal with tasks. These developments, together with the increased recognition of the importance of knowledge management within teams present difficulties for the analyst in terms of evaluating the impacts of changes to task composition or team membership. In this paper an approach to this problem is presented that represents team behaviour in terms of three linked networks (representing task, social network structure and knowledge) within the integrative WESTT software tool. In addition, by automating analyses of workload and error based on the same data that generate the networks, WESTT allows the user to engage in the process of rapid and iterative “analytical prototyping”. For purposes of illustration an example of the use of this technique with regard to a simple tactical vignette is presented

The Duality of Subtyping

Subtyping is a concept frequently encountered in many programming languages and calculi. Various forms of subtyping exist for different type system features, including intersection types, union types or bounded quantification. Normally these features are designed independently of each other, without exploiting obvious similarities (or dualities) between features. This paper proposes a novel methodology for designing subtyping relations that exploits duality between features. At the core of our methodology is a generalization of subtyping relations, which we call Duotyping. Duotyping is parameterized by the mode of the relation. One of these modes is the usual subtyping, while another mode is supertyping (the dual of subtyping). Using the mode it is possible to generalize the usual rules of subtyping to account not only for the intended behaviour of one particular language construct, but also of its dual. Duotyping brings multiple benefits, including: shorter specifications and implementations, dual features that come essentially for free, as well as new proof techniques for various properties of subtyping. To evaluate a design based on Duotyping against traditional designs, we formalized various calculi with common OOP features (including union types, intersection types and bounded quantification) in Coq in both styles. Our results show that the metatheory when using Duotyping does not come at a significant cost: the metatheory with Duotyping has similar complexity and size compared to the metatheory for traditional designs. However, we discover new features as duals to well-known features. Furthermore, we also show that Duotyping can significantly simplify transitivity proofs for many of the calculi studied by us

The Duality of Subtyping (Artifact)

This artifact contains the Coq formalization associated with the paper The Duality of Subtyping submitted in ECOOP 2020. This document explains how to run the Coq formalization. Artifact can either be compiled in the pre-built docker image with all the dependencies installed or it could be built from the scratch. Sections 1-7 explain the basic information about the artifact. Section A explains how to get the docker image for the artifact. Section B explains the prerequisites and the steps to run coq files from scratch. Section C explains coq files briefly. Section D shows the correspondence between important lemmas discussed in paper and their respective Coq formalization. The term MonoTyping used in artifact corresponds to the standard subtyping systems

The price of the lockdown - the effects of social distancing on the Indian economy and business during the COVID-19 pandemic

The decision on immediate lockdown in India put economic, social and religious activities to a grinding halt. The paper examines the impact of the lockdown and social distancing policies on economic activities in India, using a multivariate econometric model for the data collected in the period from 1st January to 31st August 2020. While the social distancing policy is captured in terms of internal movement, domestic travel and international travel restrictions, its effect on the economic activity and the business activity is captured through stock prices, purchasing managers’ index and the exchange rate. Confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths are also used as the independent variables. The results reveal a significant negative impact of social distancing policies on the economic activity and the business activity, the stock market and the exchange rate. Furthermore, the economic stimulus provided by the Government could not bring a positive influence on the stock market

Free triiodothyronine (T3) is negatively associated with fasting ghrelin serum levels in a population sample of euthyroid subjects

Purpose: Ghrelin is an orexigenic peptide hormone secreted in times of stress and hunger. It is deeply involved in the regulation of metabolism and energy homeostasis, promoting energy intake and inhibiting energy expenditure on a metabolic level. In this regard, it has in many ways antagonistic effect on the thyroid hormones, which increase metabolism and thus energy expenditure. While there is reasonable evidence of a negative association between ghrelin and hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT-) axis from studies in patients with thyroid dysfunction and small intervention studies, large-scale studies in healthy subjects are lacking. Therefore, we studied the relationship between total ghrelin serum levels and serum levels of the thyroid hormones in a large sample of euthyroid subjects. Methods: Total ghrelin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4) and free triiodothyronine (fT3) were determined after an overnight fast in 1666 subjects participating in a population-based cross-sectional study ('LIFE') including 10,000 adults. 1012 subjects were included in this analysis. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: FT3 was negatively associated with serum ghrelin; total sample: β = - 0.0001, p < 0.001; men: β = - 0.0002, p = 0.013; women: β = - 0.0001, p = 0.010, adjusted for age, BMI, alcohol consumption, serum levels of TSH and fT4 and smoking status. No associations were found between ghrelin serum levels and serum levels of fT4 or TSH. Conclusion: This is to date the largest study investigating the relationship between total serum ghrelin and thyroid hormones. The results point to a complex interaction and should initiate further research