Ensuring Safety for Artificial-Intelligence-Based Automatic Speech Recognition in Air Traffic Control Environment

This paper describes the safety assessment conducted in SESAR2020 project PJ.10-W2-96 ASR on automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology implemented for air traffic control (ATC) centers. ASR already now enables the automatic recognition of aircraft callsigns and various ATC commands including command types based on controller–pilot voice communications for presentation at the controller working position. The presented safety assessment process consists of defining design requirements for ASR technology application in normal, abnormal, and degraded modes of ATC operations. A total of eight functional hazards were identified based on the analysis of four use cases. The safety assessment was supported by top-down and bottom-up modelling and analysis of the causes of hazards to derive system design requirements for the purposes of mitigating the hazards. Assessment of achieving the specified design requirements was supported by evidence generated from two real-time simulations with pre-industrial ASR prototypes in approach and en-route operational environments. The simulations, focusing especially on the safety aspects of ASR application, also validated the hypotheses that ASR reduces controllers’ workload and increases situational awareness. The missing validation element, i.e., an analysis of the safety effects of ASR in ATC, is the focus of this paper. As a result of the safety assessment activities, mitigations were derived for each hazard, demonstrating that the use of ASR does not increase safety risks and is, therefore, ready for industrialization

Experimental investigation and thermodynamic prediction of the Bi-Sb-Zn phase diagram

Phase diagram of the ternary Bi-Sb-Zn system was investigated experimentally by DTA and SEM-EDS methods and analytically by CALPHAD method. The liquidus projection, invariant equilibria, several vertical sections and isothermal section at 300 degrees C were predicted using COST 531 thermodynamic database. Phase transition temperatures of alloys along three predicted vertical sections of the Bi-Sb-Zn ternary system with molar ratio Bi:Sb = 1, Bi:Zn = 1 and Sb:Zn = 1, were measured by differential thermal analysis (DTA). Predicted isothermal section at 300 degrees C was compared with the results of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analysis from this work

Experimental investigation and thermodynamic prediction of the Ni-Pb-Sb phase diagram

The phase diagram of the ternary Ni-Pb-Sb system was investigated experimentally by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) methods, and predicted using the calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) method. The phase transition temperatures of alloys along three predicted vertical sections of the Ni-Pb-Sb ternary system, with molar ratio Ni : Sb = 1: 3, Ni : Pb = 1, and x(Sb) = 0.6, were measured by DSC. The predicted isothermal section at 700 degrees C was compared with the results of the SEM-EDS analysis in this work

Spatial and vertical distribution of Cs-137 in soils in the erosive area of southeastern Serbia (Pinja and South Morava River Basins)

The area of southeastern Serbia, the Pinja and South Morava River Basins, is under the influence of very strong erosion, and the aim of this study was to investigate the vertical and spatial distribution of the Cs-137 in the eroded soils of this area. Vertical soil profiles were collected with 5-cm increments from the uppermost layer down to 20, 25, 30, 40, and 50 cm of depth, depending on the thickness of the soil layers, i.e., down to the underlying parent rocks. Measurements of Cs-137 activity concentration were performed by using the HPGe gamma-ray spectrometer ORTEC-AMETEK (34 % relative efficiency and high resolution 1.65 keV at 1.33 MeV for Co-60), from its gamma-ray line at 661.2 keV. The mean Cs-137 activity concentration across all 18 soil profiles (for all soil layers) was found to be 20 Bq kg(-1). In the greatest number of soil profiles, the Cs-137 activity concentration was generally highest in the first soil layer (0-5 cm) and decreased with soil depth, while in a few soil profiles, the peak of either the Cs-137 activity concentration occurred in the second soil layer (5-10 cm) or the Cs-137 activity concentration was almost equal throughout the entire soil profile. The mean Cs-137 activity concentration in the first soil layer (0-5 cm) was found to be 61 Bq kg(-1), and the high coefficient of variation of 92 % pointed out high spatial variability and large range of the Cs-137 activity concentrations in the study area. The obtained results indicate that in the greatest number of soil profiles, Cs-137 is present in the upper layers, with concentration decreasing with depth, as is typical in uncultivated soil. Its spatial distribution was very uneven among the surface soil layers of the investigated sites. One of the main reasons for such pattern of Cs-137 in the study area may be soil erosion. Additional investigations which would support this hypothesis are required.General Assembly of the European-Geosciences-Union (EGU), May 02, 2014, Vienna, Austri

Immunomodulatory Properties of Nanoparticles Obtained by Ultrasonic Spray Pirolysis from Gold Scrap

We prepared 5 different fractions of nanoparticles from the gold scrap, by using a new technology, Ultrasonic Spray Pirolysis (USP). The aim of this study was to characterize the microstructure and cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles along with their immunomodulatory properties, using Concanavaline A (ConA)-treated rat splenocytes as a model of activated immune cells. Fractions 1 and 2, composed of pure gold nanoparticles, although non-cytotoxic, reduced cellular proliferation. Fraction 2, containing particles smaller in size and lesser agglomerated than fraction 1, up- and down-regulated the production of IL-2 and IL-10, respectively, by activated splenocytes. Fraction 3, containing nanoparticles composed of Au and up to 3 at.% Cu, was non-cytotoxic, but reduced IL-2 production and cell proliferation. Fractions 4 and 5, contaminated with alloying elements from the gold scrap, were cytotoxic. The extent of cytotoxicity and subsequent reduction of cytokine production, as well as the mode of cell death, depended on their composition. In conclusion, we showed that USP enables the synthesis of gold nanoparticles, which could be suitable for various biological applications, and that ConA-treated splenocytes represent a reliable model for fast and accurate evaluation of the immunotoxicological profiles of these particles. However, it is necessary to improve this technology and investigate further some of the immunomodulatory mechanisms using more specific immunological tests

R-WAKE - System Release 1 Document

This report is the Deliverable 4.1 R-WAKE Release 1 Document, resulting from half of WP4 activities. It provides details on the early results regarding the simulation framework and validation activities, as described in previous deliverables D2.1, D2.2, D2.3, and D3.1. In this document, together with other documents attached as annexes, three main topics are addressed: 1) the implementation status of the software tool for the micro-analysis of en-route wake vortex encounters and the level of confidence of its outputs; 2) the execution of the safety assessment to define a preliminary version of the Severity Matrix (the first tangible outcome of the project); and 3) the implementation status of the simulation framework for the macro-analysis of the project. The R-Wake project addresses the SESAR 2020 Exploratory Research work-programme topic ER-07- 2015 - Separation Management and Separation Standards, within the area of Advanced Air Traffic Services (ATS). The R-Wake project overall objective is to investigate the risks and hazards of potential wake vortex encounters in the en-route airspace, in current and futuristic operational scenarios, in order to assess the potential enhancements to the Separation Standards and Separation Management methods in Europe

R-WAKE - System Release 1 Document

This report is the Deliverable 4.1 R-WAKE Release 1 Document, resulting from half of WP4 activities. It provides details on the early results regarding the simulation framework and validation activities, as described in previous deliverables D2.1, D2.2, D2.3, and D3.1. In this document, together with other documents attached as annexes, three main topics are addressed: 1) the implementation status of the software tool for the micro-analysis of en-route wake vortex encounters and the level of confidence of its outputs; 2) the execution of the safety assessment to define a preliminary version of the Severity Matrix (the first tangible outcome of the project); and 3) the implementation status of the simulation framework for the macro-analysis of the project. The R-Wake project addresses the SESAR 2020 Exploratory Research work-programme topic ER-07- 2015 - Separation Management and Separation Standards, within the area of Advanced Air Traffic Services (ATS). The R-Wake project overall objective is to investigate the risks and hazards of potential wake vortex encounters in the en-route airspace, in current and futuristic operational scenarios, in order to assess the potential enhancements to the Separation Standards and Separation Management methods in Europe.Postprint (published version

R-WAKE - System design document

This report is the Deliverable 3 . 1 R - WAKE System Design Document , resulting from WP3 activities. It provides details on the design of the resear ch methodology, simulation fram ework and validation activities, as described in previous deliverables D2.1, D2.2 and D2.3, and whose contents are updated in this document with an incremental perspective and with the appropriate level of detail for this sta ge of the project. The R - Wake project addresses the SESAR 2020 Exploratory Research work - programme topic ER - 07 - 2015 - Separation Management and Separation Standards , within the area of Advanced Air Traffic Services (ATS). The R - Wake project overall object ive is to investigate the risks and hazards of potential wake vortex encounters in the en - route airspace, in current and futuristic operational scenarios, in order to assess the potential enhancements to the Separation Standards and Separation Management m ethods in Europe

Título: Conferences Monastiques Pour le Dimanche dans l'Octave de Noel, les Dimanches aprés l'Epiphanie et le Dimanche de la Septuagesime ...

This report is the Deliverable 3 . 1 R - WAKE System Design Document , resulting from WP3 activities. It provides details on the design of the resear ch methodology, simulation fram ework and validation activities, as described in previous deliverables D2.1, D2.2 and D2.3, and whose contents are updated in this document with an incremental perspective and with the appropriate level of detail for this sta ge of the project. The R - Wake project addresses the SESAR 2020 Exploratory Research work - programme topic ER - 07 - 2015 - Separation Management and Separation Standards , within the area of Advanced Air Traffic Services (ATS). The R - Wake project overall object ive is to investigate the risks and hazards of potential wake vortex encounters in the en - route airspace, in current and futuristic operational scenarios, in order to assess the potential enhancements to the Separation Standards and Separation Management m ethods in Europe