Using Intelligent Simulation to Enhance Human Performance in Aircraft Maintenance

Human factors research and development investigates the capabilities and limitations of the human within a system. Of the many variables affecting human performance in the aviation maintenance system, training is among the most important. The advent of advanced technology hardware and software has created intelligent training simulations. This paper describes one advanced technology training system under development for the Federal Aviation Administration

Economic Impact of Fusarium Head Blight in Malting Barley: Blending Margins and Firm-Level Risk

FHB and DON present significant challenges to producers, grain elevators, and the brewing industry. Yield reductions and price discounts incurred by producers in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota averaged about $45.3 million annually during the years 1998 through 2000. Losses are more substantial when secondary economic impacts are considered. For every$1 of scab losses incurred by the producer, $2 in losses are incurred in other areas of rural and state economies. One way of mitigating these losses is to blend barley with DON and barley without DON. Results from the grain blending model show a sharp decline of DON discounts and losses after blending. The average discount fell from$0.57/bu to $0.17/bu in 1998,$0.48/bu to $0.14/bu in 1999, and$0.38/bu to $0.15/bu in 2000. However, producers may not benefit from blending margins (gains from improved quality less blending costs) because these margins are the primary source of revenue for grain elevators. It should also be noted that the aggregate costs of DON to grain handlers are difficult to estimate because DON is subject to an unusual amount of measurement uncertainty, and penalties for excess DON pose an unusual level of risk.Crop Production/Industries,

IMPACTS OF DON IN THE MALTING BARLEY SUPPLY CHAIN: AGGREGATE COSTS AND FIRM-LEVEL RISKS

DON is a toxic byproduct of fusarium head blight (FHB), a fungal disease of small grains. Beginning in 1993, a prolonged outbreak of FHB occurred in the Upper Midwest, the traditional source of most six-rowed malting barley produced in the United States. Price discounts associated with DON in barley have been significant. This paper has two objectives. The first is to estimate the impact of DON on the value of malting barley grown in the Upper Midwest. Using crop quality data, we use a linear programming model to derive optimal blends of barley supplies, given discount schedules and the distribution of quality factors. The premise is that blending activities, on a regional scale, allow a larger fraction of the crop to be sold as malting. The second objective is to assess the risks associated with DON in the context of a firm-level blending model. We frame a nonlinear optimization problem in which an elevator seeks to maximize the expected sales value of the barley in its bins. Price discounts for several quality factors are incorporated in the analysis, along with probability distributions for DON. Treating DON as a random quality factor adds some interesting complexity to the standard grain blending problem. Attachments: <a href="/Data/ndsu/aem187a.xls">aem187a.xls</a> <a href="/Data/ndsu/aem187a.xls">aem187b.xls</a> <a href="/Data/ndsu/aem187a.xls">aem187c.xls</a> <a href="/Data/ndsu/aem187a.xls">aem187d.xls</a>barley, malt, DON, fusarium head blight, grain quality, blending, Production Economics,

Is Cannabis Effective in Reducing Muscle Spasticity and Body Pain Amongst Patients with Multiple Sclerosis?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not cannabis is effective in reducing muscle spasticity and body pain amongst patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review of three peer-reviewed studies published between the years of 2003 and 2012. DATA SOURCES: Three randomized control trials (RCTs) evaluating if cannabis can reduce muscle spasticity and body pain for patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. All three sources were selected from PubMed and examined for outcomes that were patient oriented. OUTCOMES MEASURED: The two primary outcomes measured include: muscle spasticity measured by the Ashworth scale, and the patient’s perception of body pain measured by a subjective Category Rating Scale (CRS). RESULTS: The study conducted by Bloom et al.7 showed a significant reduction in muscle spasticity by an average of 2.74 points more than the placebo group on the Ashworth scale. Furthermore, the treatment reduced body pain by an average of 5.28 points more than the placebo group when assessed on a Visual Analogue CRS. The MUSEC trial conducted by Zajicek et al8 showed the relief from muscle stiffness after 12 weeks was almost twice as high with cannabis extract than with placebo (29.4% vs 15.7%; OR 2.26; 95% CI 1.24 to 4.13; p=0.004, one sided). Patient-reported body pain was also improved. The CAMS study conducted by Zajieck et al9 found that treatment with cannabinoids did not have a beneficial effect on spasticity when assessed with the Ashworth scale, but did find subjective improvement in spasticity and pain via CRSs and asking patients direct questions about their overall opinion of symptom improvement. CONCLUSIONS: The result of three RCTs reveals conflicting evidence in regards to muscle spasticity assessed by the Ashworth scale. However, clinically significant improvements of patient-reported muscle spasticity and pain were recorded via use of CRSs in each trial. Due to the limitations of these studies, further research is warranted

Eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophilic granuloma, and eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy in 75 dogs (2006-2016).

BackgroundEosinophilic lung disease is a poorly understood inflammatory airway disease that results in substantial morbidity.ObjectiveTo describe clinical findings in dogs with eosinophilic lung disease defined on the basis of radiographic, bronchoscopic, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) analysis. Categories included eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), eosinophilic granuloma (EG), and eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP).AnimalsSeventy-five client owned dogs.MethodsMedical records were retrospectively reviewed for dogs with idiopathic BAL fluid eosinophilia. Information abstracted included duration and nature of clinical signs, bronchoscopic findings, and laboratory data. Thoracic radiographs were evaluated for the pattern of infiltrate, bronchiectasis, and lymphadenomegaly.ResultsThoracic radiographs were normal or demonstrated a bronchial pattern in 31 dogs assigned a diagnosis of EB. Nine dogs had intraluminal mass lesions and were bronchoscopically diagnosed with EG. The remaining 35 dogs were categorized as having EBP based on radiographic changes, yellow green mucus in the airways, mucosal changes, and airway collapse. Age and duration of cough did not differ among groups. Dogs with EB were less likely to have bronchiectasis or peripheral eosinophilia, had lower total nucleated cell count in BAL fluid, and lower percentage of eosinophils in BAL fluid compared to dogs in the other 2 groups. In contrast to previous reports, prolonged survival (&gt;55 months) was documented in dogs with EG.Conclusions and clinical importanceDogs with eosinophilic lung disease can be categorized based on imaging, bronchoscopic and BAL fluid cytologic findings. Further studies are needed to establish response to treatment in these groups

REPRESENTATIONS OF MULTI-ATTRIBUTE GRAIN QUALITY

Grain quality is typically measured via several attributes. As these attributes vary across shipments and time, grain quality can be described using multivariate probability or frequency distributions. These distributions are important in modeling blending opportunities inherent in various grain shipments. For computational reasons, it is usually necessary to represent these distributions with a small set of discrete points and probabilities. In this analysis, we suggest a representation method based on Gaussian quadrature. This approach maintains the blending opportunities available by preserving moments of the distribution. The Gaussian quadrature method is compared to a more commonly used representation in a barley blending model.Crop Production/Industries,

An intelligent tutoring system for space shuttle diagnosis

An Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) transcends conventional computer-based instruction. An ITS is capable of monitoring and understanding student performance thereby providing feedback, explanation, and remediation. This is accomplished by including models of the student, the instructor, and the expert technician or operator in the domain of interest. The space shuttle fuel cell is the technical domain for the project described below. One system, Microcomputer Intelligence for Technical Training (MITT), demonstrates that ITS's can be developed and delivered, with a reasonable amount of effort and in a short period of time, on a microcomputer. The MITT system capitalizes on the diagnostic training approach called Framework for Aiding the Understanding of Logical Troubleshooting (FAULT) (Johnson, 1987). The system's embedded procedural expert was developed with NASA's C-Language Integrated Production (CLIP) expert system shell (Cubert, 1987)

Pastoral Burnout of African American Pastors: Creating Healthy Support Systems and Balance

Pastoral self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout in ministry. Caught up in the daily demands of ministry, pastors are under tremendous stress as they try to serve God’s people in multiple roles in ministry. Often, pastors are called upon to be counselors, preachers, project managers, students, social activists, and a moral compass for those they lead. Too often, pastors are expected to perform duties with superhuman perfection, life and ministry can get so crowded with obligations and emergencies that pastor’s maintenance of a healthy lifestyle can become unbalanced or cease to exist. This research study will complement the literature on pastor burnout, physical and spiritual exhaustion, and ministry resiliency. Research information will be a collection of qualitative and quantitative methods. African American pastors of various ages will be interviewed and surveyed about ministry support systems and balances. The perspectives of the research participants are essential to understanding the complexities involved in the increasing number of persons living and serving without healthy support systems and balance. This research study goals and purpose is to develop and implement personal self-care plans, and self-care practices, pastors will learn how to support and equip themselves to handle the ongoing demands of life and ministry

Microcomputer Intelligence for Technical Training (MITT): The evolution of an intelligent tutoring system

Microcomputer Intelligence for Technical Training (MITT) uses Intelligent Tutoring System (OTS) technology to deliver diagnostic training in a variety of complex technical domains. Over the past six years, MITT technology has been used to develop training systems for nuclear power plant diesel generator diagnosis, Space Shuttle fuel cell diagnosis, and message processing diagnosis for the Minuteman missile. Presented here is an overview of the MITT system, describing the evolution of the MITT software and the benefits of using the MITT system

A Cu\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3eS Model for the Nitrous Oxide Reductase Active Sites Supported Only by Nitrogen Ligands

To model the (His)7Cu4Sn (n = 1 or 2) active sites of nitrous oxide reductase, the first Cu4(μ4-S) cluster supported only by nitrogen donors has been prepared using amidinate supporting ligands. Structural, magnetic, spectroscopic, and computational characterization is reported. Electrochemical data indicates that the 2-hole model complex can be reduced reversibly to the 1-hole state and irreversibly to the fully reduced state