Human Factors in security: User-centred and socio-technical perspectives

Over the last 25 years, security research and knowledge has developed in many ways. There have been increased numbers of taught courses relating to criminology and security, high-impact research being published in dedicated journals and, from that, more guidance and support communicated to corporate and private security practitioners (Fisher and Gill, 2012). Some aspects of security research have been driven by recent trends in radicalisation (for example, al Shabab and Islamic State); high-profile terrorist attacks (such as the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi and Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris); or the need to secure major events (such as the recent Olympics). However, all these developments have seen a growing emphasis on the need to identify indicators of hostile or criminal intent and safeguard public and crowded spaces against potential attacks. In addition, underlying and enduring issues in security have gained prominence, such as the increasing need to consider civil and ethical concerns and responsibilities of those conducting security, along with a clearer understanding of the social and operational contexts and practices of detecting crime

Deception in context: coding nonverbal cues, situational variables and risk of detection

There are many situations in which deception may arise and understanding the behaviors associated with it are compounded by various contexts in which it may occur. This paper sets out a coding protocol for identifying cues to deception and reports on three studies, in which deception was studied in different contexts. The contexts involved manipulating risks (i.e., probability) of being detected and reconnaissance, both of which are related to terrorist activities. Two of the studies examined the impact of changing the risks of deception detection, whilst the third investigated increased cognitive demand of duplex deception tasks including reconnaissance and deception. In all three studies, cues to deception were analyzed in relation to observable body movements and subjective impressions given by participants. In general, the results indicate a pattern of hand movement reduction by deceivers, and suggest the notion that raising the risk of detection influences deceivers? behaviors. Participants in the higher risk condition displayed increased negative affect (found in deceivers) and tension (found in both deceivers and truth-tellers) than those in lower risk conditions

Non-technical skills in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest management: A scoping review

IntroductionCurrent United Kingdom resuscitation guidance advocates the use of non-technical skills (NTS) such as teamwork, decision-making and communication for ad-hoc teams managing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). It is unknown which NTS are advantageous or commonly used, or if there is supporting literature. This scoping review sought to establish a literature base and identify key NTS relevant to ad-hoc teams managing an OHCA.MethodsArksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework was used to perform a scoping review to identify relevant literature from the medical domain. Thematic analyses were used to identify relevant NTS in relation to OHCA management.ResultsA total of 12 articles were identified and selected for detailed analysis. The articles represented a range of study designs, with most commenting on observed simulated practice from in-hospital practice. There was a paucity of literature for NTS associated with ad-hoc OHCA teams. Three common NTS were identified: leadership, teamwork and communication, with improved team performance associated with a hands-off team leader. Barriers were also identified and included low confidence in communicating and hierarchical difficulties in resuscitation teams.ConclusionWe believe this scoping review provides the first comprehensive review of its kind and identifies important knowledge gaps, NTS themes and recommendations for paramedic-led OHCA teams. Three NTS from in-hospital cardiac arrest management can be related to OHCA management, but further research is needed to identify specific NTS for ad-hoc teams managing an OHCA

Telling the difference between deceiving and truth telling: An experiment in a public space

The behavioral experiment presented in this paper investigated deception tasks (both concealment and lying) undertaken in a public space. The degree of risk of deception detection and the demands of self-regulation when deceiving were manipulated. The results showed a significant interaction effect between veracity and risk of deception detection, emerged for the body movement of “hand(s) in pocket(s)”. The incidence of “hand(s) in pocket(s)” was found to increase from truth telling to deceiving conditions when the risk of deception detection was higher, and to decrease from truth telling to deceiving conditions when the risk was lower. Higher risk of deception detection was also found in magnifying the “overall negative and controlled impression” displayed by both deceivers and truth tellers, compared to the lower risk of detection condition. We also discussed the possible effects of risk of deception detection and depletion of self-regulation, on deception behavior. Further studies and the connection between this study and the research community of computer vision and multimodel interaction is also discussed

FluoRAS Sensor - Online organic matter for optimising recirculating aquaculture systems

FluorRAS will develop a sensor that can save recycled fish farms 30% per year in water and energy consumption for water treatment, as well as optimize nitrogen removal. The sensor will be developed in a partnership between engineers (Krüger A / S) and researchers (DTU), and the product will be made available to the entire sector through Danish Aquaculture. Global aquaculture production is expected to double within the next 15 years. Recycling technology has a great potential for supporting environmentally and economically sustainable production. However, the technology has some challenges in balancing both the maintenance of necessary water quality and water treatment costs. Loss of production due to poor water quality is expensive and can be avoided with correct sensor systems. Accumulation of dissolved organic matter and nutrients in the water reduce the effectiveness of UV treatment, is a source of nutrition for opportunistic pathogens, and reduces the effectiveness of the biofilter's removing ammonia. Modern recycling systems are therefore dependent on a network of online sensors that monitor and respond to changes in water quality, but currently there is a need for a sensor to monitor the accumulation of organic matter. FluoRAS aims to fill this gap in technology by developing an online fluorescence sensor. The sensor is based on non-destructive, online optical technology that does not require chemicals and can run continuously

Passive Sidesticks and Hard Landings – Is there a Link?

During the period between 2007 to 2017 the number of commercial aircraft equipped with passive sidesticks has increased by over 200%. The location and stationary nature of passive, uncoupled sidesticks may limit the ability of the Pilot Monitoring (PM) to observe flight control inputs by the Pilot Flying (PF) which may affect the monitoring function. This study reviewed 106 accident reports involving hard landings in commercial jet aircraft fitted with both conventional coupled control inceptors (yokes) and passive sidesticks. The study is part of a wider program of research into Loss of Control Inflight (LoC-I) evaluating the effects of active, coupled/de-coupled sidesticks on pilot workload, performance and situation awareness

Controls on the composition and lability of dissolved organic matter in Siberia's Kolyma River basin

High-latitude northern rivers export globally significant quantities of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the Arctic Ocean. Climate change, and its associated impacts on hydrology and potential mobilization of ancient organic matter from permafrost, is likely to modify the flux, composition, and thus biogeochemical cycling and fate of exported DOC in the Arctic. This study examined DOC concentration and the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) across the hydrograph in Siberia's Kolyma River, with a particular focus on the spring freshet period when the majority of the annual DOC load is exported. The composition of DOM within the Kolyma basin was characterized using absorbance-derived measurements (absorbance coefficienta330, specific UV absorbance (SUVA254), and spectral slope ratio SR) and fluorescence spectroscopy (fluorescence index and excitation-emission matrices (EEMs)), including parallel factor analyses of EEMs. Increased surface runoff during the spring freshet led to DOM optical properties indicative of terrestrial soil inputs with high humic-like fluorescence, SUVA254, and low SRand fluorescence index (FI). Under-ice waters, in contrast, displayed opposing trends in optical properties representing less aromatic, lower molecular weight DOM. We demonstrate that substantial losses of DOC can occur via biological (∼30% over 28 days) and photochemical pathways (>29% over 14 days), particularly in samples collected during the spring freshet. The emerging view is therefore that of a more dynamic and labile carbon pool than previously thought, where DOM composition plays a fundamental role in controlling the fate and removal of DOC at a pan-Arctic scale

Seasonal contribution of terrestrial organic matter and biological oxygen demand to the Baltic Sea from three contrasting river catchments

To examine the potential influence of terrestrially derived DOM on the Baltic Sea, a year-long study of dissolved organic matter (DOM) was performed in three river catchments in Sweden. One catchment drains into the Bothnian Sea, while two southern catchments drain into the Baltic proper. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were positively correlated with discharge from forested catchments over the year. While the overall concentrations of DOC were several times higher in the southern two catchments, higher discharge in the northern catchment resulted in the annual loadings of DOC being on the same order of magnitude for all three catchments. Biological oxygen demand (BOD) was used as a proxy for the lability of carbon in the system. The range of BOD values was similar for all three catchments, however, the ratio of BOD to DOC (an indication of the labile fraction) in Ume river was four times higher than in the southern two catchments. Total annual BOD loading to the Baltic Sea was twice as high in the northern catchment than in the two southern catchments. Lower winter temperatures and preservation of organic matter in the northern catchment combined with an intense spring flood help to explain the higher concentrations of labile carbon in the northern catchment. Lower lability of DOM as well as higher colour in the southern catchments suggest that wetlands (i.e. peat bogs) may be the dominant source of DOM in these catchments, particularly in periods of low flow. With climate change expected to increase precipitation events and temperatures across the region, the supply and quality of DOM delivered to the Baltic Sea can also be expected to change. Our results indicate that DOM supply to the Baltic Sea from boreal rivers will be more stable throughout the year, and potentially have a lower bioavailability