A novel qualitative prospective methodology to assess human error during accident sequences

Numerous theoretical models and techniques to assess human error were developed since the 60's. Most of these models were developed for the nuclear, military, and aviation sectors. These methods have the following weaknesses that limit their use in industry: the lack of analysis of underlying causal cognitive mechanisms, need of retrospective data for implementation, strong dependence on expert judgment, focus on a particular type of error, and/or analysis of operator behaviour and decision-making without considering the role of the system in such decisions. The purpose of the present research is to develop a qualitative prospective methodology that does not depend exclusively on retrospective information, that does not require expert judgment for implementation and that allows predicting potential sequences of accidents before they occur. It has been proposed for new (or existent) small and medium- scale facilities, whose processes are simple. To the best of our knowledge, a methodology that meets these requirements has not been reported in literature thus far. The methodology proposed in this study was applied to the methanol storage area of a biodiesel facility. It could predict potential sequences of accidents, through the analysis of information provided by different system devices and the study of the possible deviations of operators in decision-making. It also enabled the identification of the shortcomings in the human-machine interface and proposed an optimization of the current configuration.Fil: Calvo Olivares, Romina Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida por Computadora; ArgentinaFil: Rivera, Selva Soledad. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida por Computadora; ArgentinaFil: Núñez Mc Leod, Jorge Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida por Computadora; Argentin

Fuzzy Human Reliability Analysis: Applications and Contributions Review

The applications and contributions of fuzzy set theory to human reliability analysis (HRA) are reassessed. The main contribution of fuzzy mathematics relies on its ability to represent vague information. Many HRA authors have made contributions developing new models, introducing fuzzy quantification methodologies. Conversely, others have drawn on fuzzy techniques or methodologies for quantifying already existing models. Fuzzy contributions improve HRA in five main aspects: (1) uncertainty treatment, (2) expert judgment data treatment, (3) fuzzy fault trees, (4) performance shaping factors, and (5) human behaviour model. Finally, recent fuzzy applications and new trends in fuzzy HRA are herein discussed

Latent failures on biodiesel plants

The process to obtain biodiesel is simple, however it is a chemical process in which toxic and flammable substances are used or variables like temperature or pressure should be controlled to avoid any kind of incident. Literature report accidents where most human errors are related to the confidence of operators by this simplicity. Much of these accidents are influenced by a number of factors involved constituting latent failures. This paper presents a summary of latent failures identified on biodiesel plants and a description of their causes and the accepted practices to eliminate them.Fil: Rivera, Selva S.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida Por Computadora; ArgentinaFil: Núñez Mc Leod, Jorge Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida Por Computadora; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Calvo Olivares, Romina Daniela. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida Por Computadora; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza; Argentin

LFE as a development tool for next generation earthquake professionals

In January 2017 the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute in partnership with the National Research Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (CIGIDEN) led a five-day travel study program in Chile in which students and young professionals engaged in learning from earthquakes activities. The 16 participants attended lectures and field trips and completed two resilience projects to contribute to the body of knowledge about recovery since the 2010 Maule earthquake while also becoming familiar with reconnaissance tools and techniques. The program was created to provide learning-from-earthquakes opportunities for younger members outside the limited postevent reconnaissance teams; and to engage younger members in EERI activities and train them for future reconnaissance, which might include long-term resilience and recovery components. The success of the program can be attributed to the strong partnership with CIGIDEN, experienced mentors who accompanied the group, senior academics and practitioners who lectured and led tours, as well as a strong interdisciplinary team of participants who worked extremely hard interviewing locals and compiling the data for their resilience project

Creative Artificial Intelligence: Generation of New Objects

This paper presents an introduction to Artificial Intelligence and creativity. Creativity is analyzed from a biological point of view based on the concept of neuroplasticity of the human brain. It seeks to understand the process associated with the creative act to formalize it. He analyzes biological neural networks not from the point of view of their topology, but from the process, they carry out during the creative process.The focus of attention is placed on the generation of new objects. It seeks to formalize the creative act to propose a model of creativity with the ultimate goal of building a Creative Artificial Intelligence. To understand this process, well-documented examples from real life were studied. From them, the creativity process is analyzed and deconstructed into basic elements to later formalize it.Throughout history, various authors have studied the creative act and this has given rise to different theories. The proposed model is analyzed taking into account traditional approaches, constituting a tool for technological improvement that will complement human creativity.Fil: Rivera, Selva Soledad. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida por Computadora; ArgentinaFil: Núñez Mc Leod, Jorge Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida por Computadora; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Núñez Mac Leod, Noelia E.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Capacitación Especial y Desarrollo de Ingeniería Asistida por Computadora; Argentin

Stakeholder Perceptions about Guam Police Department Service Provision: Community Perceptions Survey

This project, ‘Stakeholder Perceptions about Guam Police Department Service Provision’ was commissioned by the Guam Police Department in December 2017. The project was actioned under a Memorandum of Agreement between the Guam Police Department and the University of the South Pacific. A letter of Agreement for Research Collaboration was entered among the University of the South Pacific, University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, University of Guam and the Guam Police Department to undertake the study. The project was funded by the Guam Police Department. The USP Ethics Approval Number for the project is FALE11/18. The project also has formal approval from the University of Guam Committee on Human Research Subjects – Approved CHRS#19-16 (Reference Date: 03/14/2019 and Expiration Date:02/12/2020). All participation in the project was voluntary

The Berkeley Contact Lens Extended Wear Study. Part I : Study design and conduct.

ObjectiveThe primary aim of the Berkeley Contact Lens Extended Wear Study (CLEWS) was to test the hypotheses that extended wear of rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses with greater oxygen permeability (Dk) reduces the incidence of contact lens-associated keratopathy (CLAK) and increases the survival rate in RGP extended wear (EW). In this article we describe the clinical trial design in detail, present the results of subject recruitment and retention, and provide the baseline demographic and ocular characteristics of the CLEWS subjects, whose data will be analyzed to address the study aims in a companion article.DesignA randomized, concurrently controlled clinical trial.InterventionSubjects were fitted with day wear (DW) high-Dk RGP lenses and then adapted to EW. Subjects who adapted to EW were then randomly assigned to either high- or medium-Dk RGP lenses for 12 months of 6-nights/week EW.Main outcome measuresSlit-lamp assessment and grading of 17 possible keratopathies, measurement of refractive error and corneal curvature, and symptoms. Follow-up data were collected every 3 months.ResultsFrom 545 subjects entering the DW adaptation phase, 201 adapted to EW and were randomly assigned to medium- or high-Dk lenses for 12 months of EW. The baseline characteristics of the two study groups were similar and did not differ from the 344 DW subjects who failed to adapt to EW. The distributions of oxygen transmissibility for the two study groups were disjoint, indicating that each group received distinctly different levels of hypoxia.ConclusionsWe show that CLEWS was appropriately designed to address the study hypotheses, was conducted with regard for the safety of the subjects, and adhered to rigorous protocols designed to control for bias and ensure the integrity of study data. We establish the internal validity of between-group statistical comparisons and characterize our study population to permit informed evaluation of the applicability of our results to the contact lens-wearing population in general

The Berkeley Contact Lens Extended Wear Study. Part II : Clinical results.

ObjectiveTo describe the principal clinical outcomes associated with 12 months use of rigid gas-permeable (RGP) extended wear contact lenses and address two primary study questions: (1) does extended wear (EW) of high oxygen transmissibility (Dk/t) RGP lenses reduce the incidence of ocular complications, and (2) does the wearing of high-Dk/t lenses reduce the rate of failure to maintain 6-night RGPEW over 12 months?DesignA randomized, concurrently controlled clinical trial.InterventionSubjects who adapted to EW with high Dk (oxygen permeability) RGP lenses were randomized to either high Dk or medium-Dk RGP lenses for 12 months of 6-night EW.Main outcome measuresContact lens-associated keratopathies (CLAK), changes in refractive error and corneal curvature, and survival in EW.ResultsTwo hundred one subjects were randomized to medium or high-Dk lenses for 12 months of EW. Sixty-two percent of the subjects in each group completed 12 months of EW; however, the probability of failure was significantly greater for the medium-Dk group. Although the risk of complications was similar for the two groups, the number of CLAK events that led to termination were 16 versus 5 for the medium-Dk and high-Dk groups, respectively. This suggests that the type of adverse response or the inability to reverse an adverse event was different for the group being exposed to the lower oxygen dose.ConclusionsThe level of oxygen available to the cornea has a significant impact on maintaining successful RGP extended contact lens wear, but not on the initial onset of CLAK. The number of clinical events leading to termination was substantially higher for the medium Dk group, which suggests that corneal hypoxia is an important factor in the development of CLAK. Although overnight contact lens wear should be recommended with caution and carefully monitored for early detection of ocular complications, it appears that high-Dk RGP lenses can be a safe and effective treatment for correction of refractive error for most individuals who can adapt to EW

Genomic epidemiology of the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from native and invasive amphibian species in Chile

Emerging fungal diseases represent a threat to food security, animal and human health worldwide. Amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been associated with catastrophic and well-documented amphibian population declines and extinctions. For the first time, Bd was cultured from native and non-native wild amphibians in Chile. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that Chilean isolates AVS2, AVS4 and AVS7 group within the global panzootic lineage of Bd (BdGPL) in a single highly supported clade that includes a genotype previously isolated from the United Kingdom. Our results extend the known distribution of BdGPL in South America and suggest a single and relatively recent introduction of BdGPL into the country, providing additional support to the role of anthropogenic activity in the global spread of this panzootic lineage

Acute Renal Failure in Association with Community-Acquired Clostridium difficile Infection and McKittrick-Wheelock Syndrome

We report the case of a 65-year-old Caucasian woman who experienced two separate episodes of acute renal failure within an 18-month period, both requiring emergency admission and complicated treatment. Each episode was precipitated by hypovolaemia from intestinal fluid losses, but from two rare and independent pathologies. Her first admission was attributed to community-acquired Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) and was treated in the intensive therapy unit. She returned 18 months later with volume depletion and electrolyte disturbances, but on this occasion a giant hypersecretory villous adenoma of the rectum (McKittrick-Wheelock syndrome) was diagnosed following initial abnormal findings on digital rectal examination by a junior physician. Unlike hospital-acquired C. difficile, community-acquired infection is not common, although increasing numbers are being reported. Whilst community-acquired CDAD can be severe, it rarely causes acute renal failure. This case report highlights the pathological mechanisms whereby C. difficile toxin and hypersecretory villous adenoma of the rectum can predispose to acute renal failure, as well as the values of thorough clinical examination in the emergency room, and early communication with intensivist colleagues in dire situations