The Effect of Combat on Aircrew Subjective Readiness and LSO Grades During Operation Desert Shield/Storm

The effect of operational tasking on aircrew readiness during combat operations continues to be an area of intense investigation within the U.S. Navy. The recent Persian Gulf War provided a unique opportunity to collect data examining aircrew work/rest cycles and operational tasking in a combat environment. For 4 consecutive weeks during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 18 A-6 and 18 F-14 aviators onboard the USS AMERICA (CV-66) completed daily work/rest logs of their activities while conducting operations from the Red Sea. Activities on the work/rest logs were coded to a resolution of one-half hour. Several flight parameters were also obtained including: 1) takeoff and landing time, 2) flight duration, 3) mission type, 4) consecutive days during which a flight occurred, 5) landing signal officer (LSO) scores, and 6) arresting wire engaged on landing. In addition, after each mission aircrew provided a subjective assessment of the amount of time that they needed to rest before another air-to-ground strike mission could be flown (a measure of subjective readiness). Multiple regression analysis indicates that flight duration, the number of flights per day, and the time-of-day that the flight occurred, impact heavily on subjective evaluations of aircrew readiness. Few consistent relationships were observed between the independent measures and LSO grades. The data obtained here represent a unique look at aircrew work/rest patterns as they effect aircrew readiness during armed conflict. These data provide unique and valuable information to air wing commanders and senior mission planners when tasking carrier-based aviators. In addition, these data provide an essential database for squadron and air wing flight surgeons to draw upon when assessing aircrew readiness

Work/Rest Schedules and Performance of S-3 Aviators During Fleet Exercise 1992

We examined the effect that a fleet exercise has on the work/rest patterns, fatigue, and cognitive performance of S-3 aviators. For 10 days during Fleet Exercise 1992, 21 S-3 aviators from CARRIER AIR WING SEVENTEEN (CVW-17) aboard USS SARATOGA (CV-60) completed detailed daily-activity logs while performing their usual tasks. Subjective measures of fatigue, quality of rest, and sleep need were also collected. A subset of eight aviators completed a brief battery of computer tasks as soon before flying as possible and again after flight debrief. Results indicated that, although the fleet exercise appeared to be below average in difficulty, there were statistically significant performance changes from pre- to post-flight on a fatigue-sensitive reaction time task. Average sleep onset was delayed over the course of the fleet exercise, peaking at past 0300 by day 8. A continuation of this pattern could lead to circadian desynchrony and serious sleep problems. Responses to questions on fatigue, sleep need, and readiness to fly a strike mission were consistent with circadian factors. Further research in this area is needed to determine the magnitude and extent of this problem. We recommend that additional data be collected on a variety of fleet exercises with particular effort made to include S-3 squadrons affected by the reductions in manning and increased tasking. The additional data will provide an objective means of fully evaluating the impact of these operational changes on the S-3 community

Work/Rest Schedules and Performance of F/A-18 Aviators During Fleet Exercise 1992

As a continuation of our previous work during Operation Desert Shield/Storm, we examined the effect a fleet exercise has on the work/rest patterns, fatigue, and cognitive performance of F/A-18 aviators. For 10 days during Fleet Exercise 1992, 25 pilots from VFA-81 and VFA-83 completed daily work/rest logs while performing their usual tasks. Subjective measure of fatigue, quality of rest, and sleep need were also collected. A subset of these F/A-18 pilots completed a brief battery of cognitive tasks as soon before flying as possible and again after the flight debrief. As a group, the pilots were adequately rested with little or no problem sleeping, and they operated on a typical work/rest schedule for deployed F/A-18 aviators. However, in some instances during which late night missions were flown, sleep onset was delayed, coupled with shorter sleep periods and additional sleep problems. Several work/rest and flight related parameters were related to subjective measures of aircrew combat readiness, including: (1) flight quartile, (2) number and order of flights per day, (3) flight duration, (4) flight hours 72 h before a mission, (5) total work 24 h before a mission, (6) total sleep 12 h before a mission, and (7) total hours continuously awake before a mission. All seven variables significantly contributed to a multiple regression model derived using subjective strike delay, accounting for 51 percent of the variance. Moreover, statistically significant changes were observed from pre- to post-flight on a fatigue-sensitive reaction time task

The Effect of Combat on the Work/Rest Schedules and Fatigue of A-6 and F-14 Aviators During Operation Desert Shield/Storm

During Operation Desert Shield/Storm, A-6 and F-14 aviators aboard USS AMERICA completed daily activity logs and provided subjective measures of fatigue. Aviators flew frequently at night during Desert Storm, but without substantial sleep-related fatigue or problems. A likely contributing factor was the large number of naval aviation assets brought into the combat theater, allowing workload to be shared and activity and rest times to be properly managed. However, raster plots of the data suggest that there may have been an additional contributing factor. The AMERICA travelled eastward from the east coast through seven time zones and became involved in combat shortly after arrival in the Red Sea. This pattern of travel may have given AMERICA\u27s aircrew flying at night a significant advantage over those already operating in the area. If the circadian clocks of AMERICA\u27s aircrew had not fully adapted to local time upon arrival, local night fights were closer to being evening flights on body time. Aircrew may not have been experiencing troughs in their circadian cycles during local night fights, at least for the early part of the war. This would result in a smaller physical challenge to overcome. This situation would likely not hold for aircrew who had been in the region for longer periods, nor would it occur for future conflicts closer to the originating time zone. We recommend the incorporation into battle strategy of information about the circadian phase of combatants (as well as sleep logistics) to help prepare them to fight at suboptimal times

Tyrosine as a Countermeasure to Performance Decrement During Sleep Loss

The fatigue and cognitive performance deficits associated with sleep loss and stress have motivated the search for effective nonpharmacological countermeasures. The purpose of the present study was to examine the potential behavioral effects of tyrosine, an amino-acid presursor to dopamine and norepinephrine, during an episode of continuous nighttime work involving one night of sleep loss

IoT Smart Parking System Based on the Visual-Aided Smart Vehicle Presence Sensor: SPIN-V

Humanity is currently experiencing one of the short periods of transition thanks to novel sensing solutions for smart cities that bring the future to today. Overpopulation of cities demands the development of solid strategic plannings that uses infrastructure, innovation, and technology to adapt to rapid changes. To improve mobility in cities with a larger and larger vehicle fleet, a novel sensing solution that is the cornerstone of a smart parking system, the smart vehicular presence sensor (SPIN-V, in its Spanish abbreviation), is presented. The SPIN-V is composed of a small single-board computer, distance sensor, camera, LED indicator, buzzer, and battery and devoted to obtain the status of a parking space. This smart mobility project involves three main elements, namely the SPIN-V, a mobile application, and a monitoring center, working together to monitor, control, process, and display the parking space information in real-time to the drivers. In addition, the design and implementation of the three elements of the complete architecture are presented.ITESO, A.C

A Study of Time-Dependent CP-Violating Asymmetries and Flavor Oscillations in Neutral B Decays at the Upsilon(4S)

We present a measurement of time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in neutral B meson decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The data sample consists of 29.7 ${\rm fb}^{-1}$ recorded at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance and 3.9 ${\rm fb}^{-1}$ off-resonance. One of the neutral B mesons, which are produced in pairs at the $\Upsilon(4S)$, is fully reconstructed in the CP decay modes $J/\psi K^0_S$, $\psi(2S) K^0_S$, $\chi_{c1} K^0_S$, $J/\psi K^{*0}$ ($K^{*0}\to K^0_S\pi^0$) and $J/\psi K^0_L$, or in flavor-eigenstate modes involving $D^{(*)}\pi/\rho/a_1$ and $J/\psi K^{*0}$ ($K^{*0}\to K^+\pi^-$). The flavor of the other neutral B meson is tagged at the time of its decay, mainly with the charge of identified leptons and kaons. The proper time elapsed between the decays is determined by measuring the distance between the decay vertices. A maximum-likelihood fit to this flavor eigenstate sample finds $\Delta m_d = 0.516\pm 0.016 {\rm (stat)} \pm 0.010 {\rm (syst)} {\rm ps}^{-1}$. The value of the asymmetry amplitude $\sin2\beta$ is determined from a simultaneous maximum-likelihood fit to the time-difference distribution of the flavor-eigenstate sample and about 642 tagged $B^0$ decays in the CP-eigenstate modes. We find $\sin2\beta=0.59\pm 0.14 {\rm (stat)} \pm 0.05 {\rm (syst)}$, demonstrating that CP violation exists in the neutral B meson system. (abridged)Comment: 58 pages, 35 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Measurement of the Branching Fraction for B- --> D0 K*-

We present a measurement of the branching fraction for the decay B- --> D0 K*- using a sample of approximately 86 million BBbar pairs collected by the BaBar detector from e+e- collisions near the Y(4S) resonance. The D0 is detected through its decays to K- pi+, K- pi+ pi0 and K- pi+ pi- pi+, and the K*- through its decay to K0S pi-. We measure the branching fraction to be B.F.(B- --> D0 K*-)= (6.3 +/- 0.7(stat.) +/- 0.5(syst.)) x 10^{-4}.Comment: 7 pages, 1 postscript figure, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications

Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars: Results From The Initial Detector Era

We present the results of searches for gravitational waves from a large selection of pulsars using data from the most recent science runs (S6, VSR2 and VSR4) of the initial generation of interferometric gravitational wave detectors LIGO (Laser Interferometric Gravitational-wave Observatory) and Virgo. We do not see evidence for gravitational wave emission from any of the targeted sources but produce upper limits on the emission amplitude. We highlight the results from seven young pulsars with large spin-down luminosities. We reach within a factor of five of the canonical spin-down limit for all seven of these, whilst for the Crab and Vela pulsars we further surpass their spin-down limits. We present new or updated limits for 172 other pulsars (including both young and millisecond pulsars). Now that the detectors are undergoing major upgrades, and, for completeness, we bring together all of the most up-to-date results from all pulsars searched for during the operations of the first-generation LIGO, Virgo and GEO600 detectors. This gives a total of 195 pulsars including the most recent results described in this paper.United States National Science FoundationScience and Technology Facilities Council of the United KingdomMax-Planck-SocietyState of Niedersachsen/GermanyAustralian Research CouncilInternational Science Linkages program of the Commonwealth of AustraliaCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research of IndiaIstituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare of ItalySpanish Ministerio de Economia y CompetitividadConselleria d'Economia Hisenda i Innovacio of the Govern de les Illes BalearsNetherlands Organisation for Scientific ResearchPolish Ministry of Science and Higher EducationFOCUS Programme of Foundation for Polish ScienceRoyal SocietyScottish Funding CouncilScottish Universities Physics AllianceNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOTKA of HungaryLyon Institute of Origins (LIO)National Research Foundation of KoreaIndustry CanadaProvince of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development and InnovationNational Science and Engineering Research Council CanadaCarnegie TrustLeverhulme TrustDavid and Lucile Packard FoundationResearch CorporationAlfred P. Sloan FoundationAstronom

Measurement of the quasi-elastic axial vector mass in neutrino-oxygen interactions

The weak nucleon axial-vector form factor for quasi-elastic interactions is determined using neutrino interaction data from the K2K Scintillating Fiber detector in the neutrino beam at KEK. More than 12,000 events are analyzed, of which half are charged-current quasi-elastic interactions nu-mu n to mu- p occurring primarily in oxygen nuclei. We use a relativistic Fermi gas model for oxygen and assume the form factor is approximately a dipole with one parameter, the axial vector mass M_A, and fit to the shape of the distribution of the square of the momentum transfer from the nucleon to the nucleus. Our best fit result for M_A = 1.20 \pm 0.12 GeV. Furthermore, this analysis includes updated vector form factors from recent electron scattering experiments and a discussion of the effects of the nucleon momentum on the shape of the fitted distributions.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 6 table