FAA Designated Pilot Examiner System Insights

As part of the Reauthorization Act of 2018 the FAA was required to assign to the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) a review of the current Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) policies. The ARAC in turn assigned this task to the Designated Pilot Examiner Reforms Working Group (DPERWG). This Group delivered its recommendations to the FAA in June 2021, with an FAA response to the Group due by June 2022. The purpose of this research project is to provide more insight regarding the current DPE system from all stakeholders prior to that deadline. Survey data from both current DPE’s and flight schools nationwide will be shared. These surveys address stakeholder perceptions on components of the DPE system including: 1) wait times for check rides, 2) activity level of DPE’s, 3) the effect rescinding constraints on geographical regions and the ability to do up to three check rides per day has had, 4) the prevalence of applicants and/or examiners traveling to check ride sites other than their home airport, and 5) feedback on a number of specific recommendations made by the DPERWG. These items include changes to the DPE application process, the development of an applicant feedback system, changes to the number of events per day which can effectively be conducted, a national DPE oversight model versus the current FSDO oversight model, the treatment of oral and flight tests as separate events, and the effectiveness of the DPE locator on the FAA website

FAA Designated Pilot Examiner System Insights

As part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018 the FAA was required by Congress to review Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) policies and procedures. This task was delegated to the Designated Pilot Examiner Reforms Working Group (DPERWG). This Group delivered its recommendations to the FAA in June 2021, and this research study was conducted in late January of 2022 to attempt to provide additional insights to the agency prior to its required response to the DPERWG in June of 2022. This research project aimed to provide perceptions of the current DPE system from both DPEs and flight schools nationwide, as well as feedback on selected DPERWG recommendations. Surveys of these two populations were conducted seeking stakeholder perceptions on the current DPE system including: 1) wait times for scheduling check rides, 2) the level of activity of DPE’s, and 3) the prevalence of applicants and/or examiners traveling to check ride sites other than their home airport. Feedback on specific recommendations made by the DPERWG were also solicited including: 1) the implementation of a confidential survey applicant feedback system, 2) the possibility of moving to a national oversight model for the DPE system, 3) the perceptions of and improvements seen as necessary for the current FAA DPE locator website, 4) the possibility of treating oral and flight exams as separate events, and 5) changing medical certificate requirements for DPEs. There were significant differences in perceptions of DPEs and flight training providers regarding the wait times incurred when scheduling check rides, but there was general consensus regarding the travel of both applicants and DPEs for the conduct of those rides. There was also consensus between the two surveyed groups regarding most of the DPERWG recommendations which were examined by the surveys

Hybrid approach for hypoplastic left heart syndrome and its variants: the fate of the pulmonary arteries

OBJECTIVES To analyse the results of hybrid palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) patients and its variants with an emphasis on the long-term fate of the pulmonary arteries. METHODS We analysed 28 neonates (2006-11) with HLHS and its variants, who underwent bilateral pulmonary artery banding, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stenting and balloon atrial septostomy using a true hybrid approach. Median age and weight were 4 (0-36) days and 3 (1.9-3.7) kg respectively. Diagnoses included 23 HLHS and 5 variants. The fate of all surviving branch pulmonary arteries (PA) after a hybrid approach were compared with their counterparts in 29 Norwood I survivors (2002-11). RESULTS Four of 28 hybrid procedures needed to be converted to a Norwood procedure. Mortality after stage I hybrid palliation was 3/24 (12.5%). All 21 acute survivors underwent a comprehensive stage II at a median age of 4 (2.3-5.7) months, without any mortality (0%). Eleven of 21 comprehensive stage II survivors have undergone extracardiac Fontan; including 1 who underwent a rescue Fontan at 7 months of age and died (1/11: 9%). While 18/21 (86%) needed branch PA intervention in the hybrid group during the median follow-up duration of 39 (10-81) months, 9/29 (31%) needed the same in the Norwood group during a median follow-up duration of 58 (16-128) months (P < 0.001). Eight of 21 (38%) needed stenting [all on the left pulmonary artery (LPA)] in the hybrid group vs 5/29 (17%) in the Norwood group (P = 0.097). Ten of 21 (48%) patients had surgical/catheter intervention on both branch PA in the hybrid group vs 2/29 (7%) in the Norwood group (P = 0.001). Pre-Fontan Nakata index was significantly better in the Norwood group 206 (118-406) compared with the hybrid group 153 (56-230) mm2/m2 (P = 0.01). The comparable lower lobe indices were 149 (103-333) and 137 (45-178) mm2/m2 (P = 0.04), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Hybrid approach can be pursued with a low mortality. However, the high frequency of catheter and/or surgical interventions, and the sluggish growth of the branch PA pre-Fontan need innovative solutions. A comparison of the neurodevelopmental outcome for the hybrid vs the Norwood cohort would define the role of the hybrid strategy in the treatment of HLHS and its variant

Hydrogen generation by photocatalytic reforming of potential biofuels: polyols, cyclic alcohols and saccharides

We have studied hydrogen gas production using photocatalysis from C2-C5 carbon chain polyols, cyclic alcohols and mono and di-saccharides using palladium nanoparticles supported on a TiO2 catalyst. For many of the polyols the hydrogen evolution rate is found to be dictated by the number of hydroxyl groups and available α-hydrogens in the structure. However the rule only applies to polyols and cyclic alcohols, while the sugar activity is limited by the bulky structure of those molecules. There was also evidence of ring opening in photocatalytic reforming of cyclic alcohols that involved dehydrogenation and decarbonylation of α Csingle bondC bond

Appreciative Methods Applied to the Assessment of Complex Systems

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Appreciative Methods Applied to the Assessment of Complex Systems

Complex systems have characteristics that challenge traditional systems engineering processes and methods. These characteristics have been defined in various ways. INCOSE has previously identified characteristics of complex systems and potential methods to deal with complexity in system development. The purpose of this paper is to provide definitions and describe distinguishing characteristics of complexity using example systems to illustrate approaches to assessing the extent of complexity. The paper applies Appreciative Inquiry to identify and assess complex system characteristics. The characteristics are used to examine several different examples of systems to illuminate areas of complexity. These examples range from seemingly simple systems to complicated systems to complex systems. Different tiers of complexity are identified as a result of the assessment. The paper also identified and introduces topics on managing complexity and the integrating system perspective that represent new directions for the engineering of complex systems. The Appreciative Inquiry approach provides a method for systems engineering practitioners to more readily identify complexity when they encounter it, and to deal more effectively with this complexity once it has been identified

Using Actiwatch to monitor circadian rhythm disturbance in Huntington' disease: A cautionary note

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that is well recognised as producing progressive deterioration of motor function, including dyskinetic movements, as well as deterioration of cognition and ability to carry out activities of daily living. However, individuals with HD commonly suffer from a wide range of additional symptoms, including weight loss and sleep disturbance, possibly due to disruption of circadian rhythmicity. Disrupted circadian rhythms have been reported in mice models of HD and in humans with HD. One way of assessing an individual's circadian rhythmicity in a community setting is to monitor their sleep/wake cycles, and a convenient method for recording periods of wakefulness and sleep is to use accelerometers to discriminate between varied activity levels (including sleep) during daily life. Here we used Actiwatch® Activity monitors alongside ambulatory EEG and sleep diaries to record wake/sleep patterns in people with HD and normal volunteers. We report that periods of wakefulness during the night, as detected by activity monitors, agreed poorly with EEG recordings in HD subjects, and unsurprisingly sleep diary findings showed poor agreement with both EEG recordings and activity monitor derived sleep periods. One explanation for this is the occurrence of 'break through' involuntary movements during sleep in the HD patients, which are incorrectly assessed as wakeful periods by the activity monitor algorithms. Thus, care needs to be taken when using activity monitors to assess circadian activity in individuals with movement disorders

Patterns of precursory rockfall prior to slope failure

In this paper we examine data generated using high-resolution three-dimensional laser scanning monitoring of coastal rock cliffs. These data are used to identify spatial and temporal patterns in rockfall activity behavior prior to slope failure. Analysis of the data suggests that given sufficient measurement precision precursory behavior, here manifest as the rate of rockfall activity prior to failure, can be detected, measured, and monitored. Environmental conditions appear to have a diminishing influence on the occurrence of increasingly large slope failures. The monitoring data implies a time-dependent sequence in the occurrence of smaller rockfalls in the period leading to the largest failures recorded. This behavior is attributed to the mechanisms of strain accumulation in the rock mass resulting from brittle failure of the slope. The implication is that combining these data with models of failure mechanisms may allow failure time to be forecast from wide-area monitoring of precursory behavior. These findings have implications for the management of potentially unstable slopes, the understanding of slope failure mechanisms, and the generation of a new type of slope failure warning systems

A facile route to model catalysts: the synthesis of Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticles on y-Fe2O3 (0001)

A straightforward method of synthesising Au@Pd core–shell particles on a well characterised γ-Fe2O3 (0001) substrate has been developed which will enable fundamental studies into the surface chemistry of these catalytically interesting systems. Au and Pd were sequentially deposited onto a γ-Fe2O3 (0001) substrate in ultra high vacuum by metal vapour deposition and probed by LEIS and STM. Deposition of Au followed by heating at 573 K formed nanoparticles of 5 to 10 nm in diameter whereas subsequent deposition of Pd produced smaller nanoparticles of 2 to 4 nm diameter. At this stage, LEIS shows both metals to be present but heating the combined system to 573 K resulted in the loss of the Au signal in the LEIS and disappearance of the smaller particles from the STM images indicating the formation of Au@Pd core–shell structures

Intrauterine Blood Plasma Platelet-Therapy Mitigates Persistent Breeding-Induced Endometritis, Reduces Uterine Infections, and Improves Embryo Recovery in Mares

Microorganisms, including pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria and fungi, may gain access to the uterus during breeding, and infectious endometritis plays a major role in equine subfertility. This study aimed to assess the post-breeding inflammatory response, endometrial culture, and embryo recovery of mares susceptible to persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) treated with plasma-rich (PRP) or -poor (PPP) plasma. Mares (n = 12) susceptible to PBIE had three cycles randomly assigned to receive intrauterine infusions of lactate ringer solution (LRS, control), or autologous PRP or PPP pre- (−48 and −24 h) and post-breeding (6 and 24 h). Mares were bred with fresh semen from one stallion. Intrauterine fluid accumulation (IUF) and endometrial neutrophils were assessed every 24 h up to 96 h post-breeding. Uterine cytokines (Ilβ, IL6, CXCL8, and IL10) were evaluated before (0 h), 6, and 24 h post-breeding, and endometrial culture three and nine days after breed. Embryo flushing was performed 8 days post-ovulation. Data were analyzed with mixed model, Tukey’s post-hoc test, and multivariate regression. PRP treatment reduced endometrial neutrophils, post-breeding IUF, and pro-inflammatory cytokines when compared to control-assigned cycles, but not significantly different than PPP. Controls had a significantly higher percentage of positive bacterial cultures (33%) in comparison to PRP-assigned cycles (0%), whereas cycles treated with PPP were not significantly different from the other groups (25%). The PRP-assigned cycles had significantly greater embryo recovery rates (83%) than the control (33%), though not significantly different than PPP (60%). Plasma infusion reduced the duration and intensity of the post-breeding inflammatory response and improved embryo recovery in mares susceptible to PBIE. Platelets incrementally downregulate PBIE and appear to have a dose-dependent antimicrobial property