A systematic methodology to assess the impact of human factors in ship design

Evaluating ship layout for human factors (HF) issues using simulation software such as maritimeEXODUS can be a long and complex process. The analysis requires the identification of relevant evaluation scenarios; encompassing evacuation and normal operations; the development of appropriate measures which can be used to gauge the performance of crew and vessel and finally; the interpretation of considerable simulation data. Currently, the only agreed guidelines for evaluating HFs performance of ship design relate to evacuation and so conclusions drawn concerning the overall suitability of a ship design by one naval architect can be quite different from those of another. The complexity of the task grows as the size and complexity of the vessel increases and as the number and type of evaluation scenarios considered increases. Equally, it can be extremely difficult for fleet operators to set HFs design objectives for new vessel concepts. The challenge for naval architects is to develop a procedure that allows both accurate and rapid assessment of HFs issues associated with vessel layout and crew operating procedures. In this paper we present a systematic and transparent methodology for assessing the HF performance of ship design which is both discriminating and diagnostic. The methodology is demonstrated using two variants of a hypothetical naval ship

A study of response behaviour in a theatre during a live performance

This paper presents the results of an unannounced theatre evacuation involving some 1200 people. The evacuation took place towards the end of a live theatre performance in the Marlowe Theatre in the UK. In particular response phase behaviours are discussed and response time data is presented. A key finding of this work which is different to other reported work is that the occupant response time distribution, while following the typical log-normal distribution is related to the geometrical positioning of the occupants relative to proximity to exit aisles and exit rows. Response time is found to increase relative to distance (seating location) from the exit aisles and exit rows

Meeting Report: Application of Genotyping Methods to Assess Risks from Cryptosporidium in Watersheds

A workshop titled "Application of Genotyping Methods to Assess Pathogen Risks from Cryptosporidium in Drinking Water Catchments" was held at the International Water Association biennial conference, Marrakech, Morocco, 23 September 2004. The workshop presented and discussed the findings of an interlaboratory trial that compared methods for genotyping Cryptosporidium oocysts isolated from feces. The primary goal of the trial and workshop was to assess the utility of current Cryptosporidium genotyping methods for determining the public health significance of oocysts isolated from feces in potable-water-supply watersheds. An expert panel of 16 watershed managers, public health practitioners, and molecular parasitologists was assembled for the workshop. A subordinate goal of the workshop was to educate watershed management and public health practitioners. An open invitation was extended to all conference delegates to attend the workshop, which drew approximately 50 interested delegates. In this report we summarize the peer consensus emerging from the workshop. Recommendations on the use of current methods by watershed managers and public health practitioners were proposed. Importantly, all the methods that were reported in the trial were mutually supporting and found to be valuable and worthy of further utility and development. Where there were choices as to which method to apply, the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene was considered to be the optimum genetic locus to target. The single-strand conformational polymorphism method was considered potentially the most valuable for discriminating to the subtype level and where a large number of samples were to be analyzed. A research agenda for protozoan geneticists was proposed to improve the utility of methods into the future. Standardization of methods and nomenclature was promoted

Data collection methodologies used in the SAFEGUARD project to collect human factors data

This paper represents the methodologies used to collect human factors data relating to the passenger assembly process on large passenger ships at sea undertaken as part of the EU FP7 SAFEGUARD project. As part of the data collection exercise, passenger response time data was collected using video cameras and passenger starting location, end location and assemble time data was collected using a novel infra-red (IR) based position logging system. Questionnaires were also used to collect demographic data and to understand the behaviour of the passengers. This paper describes the development and testing of the data acquisition systems

IN02, A Positive Regulator of Lipid Biosynthesis, Is Essential for the Formation of Inducible Membranes in Yeast

Expression of the 180-kDa canine ribosome receptor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae leads to the accumulation of ER-like membranes. Gene expression patterns in strains expressing various forms of p180, each of which gives rise to unique membrane morphologies, were surveyed by microarray analysis. Several genes whose products regulate phospholipid biosynthesis were determined by Northern blotting to be differentially expressed in all strains that undergo membrane proliferation. Of these, the INO2 gene product was found to be essential for formation of p180-inducible membranes. Expression of p180 in ino2Δ cells failed to give rise to the p180-induced membrane proliferation seen in wild-type cells, whereas p180 expression in ino4Δ cells gave rise to membranes indistinguishable from wild type. Thus, Ino2p is required for the formation of p180-induced membranes and, in this case, appears to be functional in the absence of its putative binding partner, Ino4p