A human factors approach to analysing military command and control

This paper applies the Event Analysis for Systemic Teamwork (EAST) method to an example of military command and control. EAST offers a way to describe system level 'emergent properties' that arise from the complex interactions of system components (human and technical). These are described using an integrated methods approach and modelled using Task, Social and Knowledge networks. The current article is divided into three parts: a brief description of the military command and control context, a brief description of the EAST method, and a more in depth presentation of the analysis outcomes. Numerous findings emerge from the application of the method. These findings are compared with similar analyses undertaken in civilian domains, where Network Enabled Capability (NEC) is already in place. The emergent properties of the military scenario relate to the degree of system reconfigurability, systems level Situational Awareness (SA), team-working and the role of mediating technology. It is argued that the EAST method can be used to offer several interesting perspectives on designing and specifying NEC capability in military context

Lack of Ultrametricity in the Low-Temperature phase of 3D Ising Spin Glasses

We study the low-temperature spin-glass phases of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick (SK) model and of the 3-dimensional short range Ising spin glass (3dISG). For the SK model, evidence for ultrametricity becomes clearer as the system size increases, while for the short-range case our results indicate the opposite, i.e. lack of ultrametricity. Our results are obtained by a recently proposed method that uses clustering to focus on the relevant parts of phase space and reduce finite size effects. Evidence that the mean field solution does not apply in detail to the 3dISG is also found by another method which does not rely on clustering

Using more healthcare areas for placements

The need for private, voluntary and independent placements in nursing programmes has become more important in recent years due to changes in where health services are delivered. These placements can be used effectively within nursing programmes to show students the realities of healthcare, and to challenge myths and attitudes. Dedicated time and resources need to be provided to discover and maintain these placements, and to ensure appropriate, high-quality learning opportunities. This article presents the findings of a national Higher Education Academy workshop, held at the University of Derby in November 2012. It explores three key issues discussed at the workshop: current practice and opportunities for learning; myths, attitudes and solutions; and maintaining the quality of placements. The use of PVI placements is seen as valuable and a set of recommendations are provided to assist in their use

The Electric System on Automobiles

[Introduction]:; The electric system as applied to automobiles has met with the approval of all operators because of its efficiency and convenience. But very few people have more than a working knowledge of how to operate the system and very few realize its cost. In my thesis I will describe the electric systems in detail, show the things the manufacturers have to consider in its design and show the cost of its operation

Primary Position Deviation in Duane\u27s Syndrome

The diagnosis of an esotropic patient as having Duane\u27s syndrome is not always clinically evident. There has been a paucity of attention directed to the size of the esodeviation in patients with this syndrome. The purpose of this paper is to point out the diagnostic significance of the size of the primary deviation in patients with, or suspected of having Duane\u27s syndrome

Clinical utility of viscoelastic testing (TEG and ROTEM analyzers) in the management of old and new therapies for hemophilia

Hemophilia A and B are rare inherited bleeding disorders resulting from deficiency of coagulation factors VIII and IX respectively. In the past few decades, the field of hemophilia has witnessed pivotal management challenges and therapeutic advances. Routine coagulation and factor assays, while useful in the classification of severity and treatment monitoring in hemophilia patients, have been shown to be of limited use in managing clinical presentations and outcomes. This prompted the investigation of viscoelastic studies in hemophilia care, which have established their utility in various bleeding and thrombotic states. In this review, we will discuss and critically assess the current literature highlighting the use of viscoelastic studies in various aspects of hemophilia including the determination of clinical phenotype, management of patients with inhibitors, perioperative management, and monitoring of novel agents.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146857/1/ajh25319_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146857/2/ajh25319.pd

Key questions in the new hemophilia era: update on concomitant use of FVIII and emicizumab in hemophilia A patients with inhibitors

Introduction: Immune tolerance induction (ITI) is the primary therapeutic strategy and only proven method to eradicate inhibitors to coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) in hemophilia A. Emicizumab, a humanized bispecific monoclonal antibody that mimics the function of activated FVIII, has expanded options to treat hemophilia A. The availability of emicizumab necessitates a revisit of recommendations for managing patients with inhibitors. Areas covered: Current evidence is reviewed about the concomitant use of emicizumab and FVIII concentrates during and after ITI. Areas where data are lacking are highlighted and ongoing studies designed to address these issues are described. Expert opinion: Inhibitor eradication remains a desirable goal. All patients with inhibitors should be offered at least one attempt at ITI. Emicizumab monotherapy is an option for inhibitor patients who are not candidates for ITI. Evidence is emerging about the use of emicizumab during ITI to prevent bleeds. Studies are currently addressing the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of concomitant emicizumab and FVIII in ITI. As evidence regarding the risk of inhibitor recurrence and need for continued FVIII to maintain immune tolerance post-ITI is limited, the role of emicizumab alone or in combination with FVIII after ITI is the subject of an upcoming studyThis review is based on presentations from a Grifols-sponsored symposium at the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis 2020 Virtual Congress. The paper is otherwise not funde

Where do we go from here? An assessment of navigation performance using a compass versus a GPS unit

The Global Positioning System (GPS) looks set to replace the traditional map and compass for navigation tasks in military and civil domains. However, we may ask whether GPS has a real performance advantage over traditional methods. We present an exploratory study using a waypoint plotting task to compare the standard magnetic compass against a military GPS unit, for both expert and non-expert navigators. Whilst performance times were generally longer in setting up the GPS unit, once navigation was underway the GPS was more efficient than the compass. For mediumto long-term missions, this means that GPS could offer significant performance benefits, although the compass remains superior for shorter missions. Notwithstanding the performance times, significantly more errors, and more serious errors, occurred when using the compass. Overall, then, the GPS offers some clear advantages, especially for non-expert users. Nonetheless, concerns over the development of cognitive maps remain when using GPS technologies

Reactive Attachment Disorder in maltreated young children in foster care

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is one of the least researched and most poorly understood psychiatric disorders. Very little is known about the prevalence and stability of RAD symptoms over time. Until recently it has been difficult to investigate RAD due to limited tools for informing a diagnosis. Utilising a newly developed observational tool along with the Disturbances of Attachment Interview. this short-term prospective longitudinal study explored RAD symptoms in maltreated young children in Scotland (n=100, age range =12-62 months) over 12 months. Children were recruited as part of The Best Services Trial (BeST ), in which all infants who came in to the care of the local authority in Glasgow due to child protection concerns were invited to participate. Prevalence of RAD was found to be 5.0% (n=5, 95% CI [0.7-9.3]) when children were first placed in to foster care. Following at least 1 year of improved care conditions, prevalence in the 76 children remaining in the study was 2.1% (n=2, 95% CI [below 0-4.7]). RAD was associated with some mental health and cognitive difficulties. While levels of carer-reported RAD symptoms decreased significantly over time, observed symptoms did not. Findings suggest that RAD resolved in a small majority of cases but further exploration in larger samples would be invaluable