Design of Rotorcraft Performance-Based Navigation Routes and Procedures: Current Challenges and Prospects

Helicopters play a relevant role in society due to their extraordinary versatility. However, they are particularly vulnerable to adverse weather conditions as the majority of operations are carried out under visual flight rules. This is partly due to the shortage of tailored helicopter instrument flight procedures and routes. The emergence of the performance-based navigation concept supported by the latest satellite navigation technologies has opened up new possibilities for rotorcraft operations in the last few years. This paper presents an extensive overview of the state of the art in the design of performance-based navigation routes for helicopters from two main standpoints: instrument flight procedures and route spacing. Apart from summarizing recent and current major initiatives to implement helicopter low-level routes and flight procedures, this paper provides an outlook on the latest advances and ongoing efforts by the International Civil Aviation Organization in the field of helicopter procedure and route design to ensure flyability, obstacle clearance, strategical separation, and segregation of traffic flows. In addition, several gaps in the current design criteria are identified and suggestions for future research and development are outlined

Design and Testing of a Vertically Guided High Precision Approach into Salzburg Airport

The approach to landing on runway 33 of Salzburg Airport, Austria is severely impacted by mountainous terrain on the extended runway centerline. This renders all straight-in approaches but those based on Required Navigation Performance (RNP) Authorization Required (AR) impossible. Only the high navigation accuracy available under RNP AR minimizes the required obstacle protection areas sufficiently to be not penetrated by terrain. The combination of RNP AR and Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (LPV) makes it furthermore possible to use a more precise angular guidance for the final approach. In Salzburg, this enables a reduction of the decision height from 368 ft to 218 ft above aerodrome level as critical terrain and obstacles now fall outside of the protection areas. A Level D full flight simulator test with an Airbus A350 showed that advanced RNP 0.1 coding is sufficient to achieve RNP 0.1 performance under all permitted environmental conditions

Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli

Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts.  Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins.  Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets

Goodbye Hartmann trial: a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study on the current use of a surgical procedure developed a century ago

Background: Literature suggests colonic resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) instead of Hartmann's procedure (HP) for the treatment of left-sided colonic emergencies. We aim to evaluate the surgical options globally used to treat patients with acute left-sided colonic emergencies and the factors that leading to the choice of treatment, comparing HP and RPA. Methods: This is a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A total 1215 patients with left-sided colonic emergencies who required surgery were included from 204 centers during the period of March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020. with a 1-year follow-up. Results: 564 patients (43.1%) were females. The mean age was 65.9 ± 15.6 years. HP was performed in 697 (57.3%) patients and RPA in 384 (31.6%) cases. Complicated acute diverticulitis was the most common cause of left-sided colonic emergencies (40.2%), followed by colorectal malignancy (36.6%). Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3b) were higher in the HP group (P < 0.001). 30-day mortality was higher in HP patients (13.7%), especially in case of bowel perforation and diffused peritonitis. 1-year follow-up showed no differences on ostomy reversal rate between HP and RPA. (P = 0.127). A backward likelihood logistic regression model showed that RPA was preferred in younger patients, having low ASA score (≤ 3), in case of large bowel obstruction, absence of colonic ischemia, longer time from admission to surgery, operating early at the day working hours, by a surgeon who performed more than 50 colorectal resections. Conclusions: After 100 years since the first Hartmann's procedure, HP remains the most common treatment for left-sided colorectal emergencies. Treatment's choice depends on patient characteristics, the time of surgery and the experience of the surgeon. RPA should be considered as the gold standard for surgery, with HP being an exception

Practical example of the benefits of an RNP-AR to LPV merge in mountainous areas

Proposed evolution of RNP-AR concepts reported first attempts to integrate an RNP AR approach with an LPV final segment. This paper presents a further attempt to merge an RNP AR approach with an LPV in a challenging environment and describes in some detail the results and the methodology used during the design process and the simulator assessment. Lastly, a number of changes needed to enable future implementations are suggested

Implementing precision approaches supported by satellite-based augmentation systems in the Austrian Alps

Aerodromes located in mountainous areas are seldom served by approaches with three-dimensional guidance based on instrument landing systems due to the lack of flexibility to define glide paths free of obstacles. But, three-dimensional approaches are always preferred due to their effectiveness against controlled flight into terrain. Free access to three-dimensional angular approaches is possible today without special authorization and ground infrastructure. Some airports in mountainous areas of the United States, Canada, and Europe already benefit from them due to the latest advances in satellite-based augmentation techniques. The majority of these procedures have not been developed as category-one precision approaches, even though the latest operational service level foresees it. Reported here are the signal assessment and procedure design carried out to enable the first category-one precision approach supported by satellite-based augmentation system at an Austrian airport surrounded by one of the most challenging terrains worldwide. The design and implementation of such a procedure in mountainous terrain is feasible after a thorough signal quality assessment. It can be placed where a classical instrument landing-system-based approach procedure does not work and provides precision guidance for aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions. This in turn enables a higher runway throughput and reduces cost for the users. When the controlling obstacle is located outside of the precision segment, special attention should be put on the availability requirements

Como mulheres avaliam expressões faciais de alegria e dor?

The facial expression of pain can provoke different behavioral reactions. However, it is not clear whether the face of pain evokes slower or faster motor responses when compared with positive valence expression and its interaction with the gender of the person who demonstrates facial expression. The objective of this work was to evaluate the motor response pattern of women in a task of recognizing facial expressions of happiness and pain in female and male faces. In the experimental task, 32 students classified dynamic facial emotions of men and women among the options of happiness and pain, and manual reaction time (MRT) responses were recorded. The ANOVA indicated a difference between male and female faces only for the identification of pain (p = 0.001), but not happiness (p = 0.064). In this case, the pain was recognized more quickly on the male face (TRM = 625.1 ms) compared to the female face (TRM = 668.0 ms). It is considered that this pattern of motor response may be related to the detection of potentially threatening situations in the environment, with the possibility of being studied in people with chronic pain.La expresión facial del dolor puede provocar diferentes reacciones conductuales. Sin embargo, aún no está claro si el rostro de dolor evoca respuestas motoras más lentas o más rápidas, en comparación con la expresión con valencia positiva, y su interacción con el sexo de la persona que demuestra expresión facial. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el patrón de respuesta motora de las mujeres en una tarea de reconocimiento de expresiones faciales de alegría y dolor en rostros femeninos y masculinos. En la tarea experimental, 32 estudiantes clasificaron las emociones faciales dinámicas de hombres y mujeres entre las opciones de alegría y dolor, y se registraron las respuestas de tiempo de reacción manual (TRM). El ANOVA indicó una diferencia entre los rostros masculinos y femeninos solo para la identificación del dolor (p = 0.001), pero no alegría (p = 0.064). En este caso, el dolor se reconoció más rápidamente en el rostro masculino (TRM = 625.1 ms) comparado al rostro femenino (TRM = 668.0 ms). Se considera que este patrón de respuesta motora puede estar relacionado con la detección de situaciones potencialmente amenazantes en el entorno, con posibilidad de ser estudiado en personas con dolor crónico.A expressão facial de dor pode provocar diferentes reações comportamentais. Todavia, ainda não está claro se a face de dor evoca respostas motoras mais lentas ou mais rápidas, quando comparada à expressão com valência positiva, e sua interação com o sexo da pessoa que demonstra a expressão facial. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o padrão de resposta motora de mulheres em uma tarefa de reconhecimento de expressões faciais de alegria e dor em faces femininas e masculinas. Na tarefa experimental, 32 estudantes classificaram emoções faciais dinâmicas de homens e mulheres entre as opções de alegria e dor, sendo registradas as respostas de tempo de reação manual (TRM). A ANOVA indicou uma diferença entre faces masculinas e femininas apenas para a identificação da dor (p = 0,001), mas não da alegria (p = 0,064). Neste caso, a dor foi reconhecida mais rapidamente na face masculina (TRM = 625,1 ms) que na face feminina (TRM = 668,0 ms). Considera-se que este padrão de resposta motora pode estar relacionado à detecção de situações potencialmente ameaçadoras no ambiente, com possibilidade de ser estudado em pessoas com dor crônica