Home | About |  AERADE@yoursite | Contact us | Help

Aerospace medicine

A Benefit Analysis for Aircraft 16G Dynamic Seats Configured without Enhancements to Head Injury Criteria

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority document (CAA Paper 2005/03) dated October 2005. This study was supported by FAA funding and considers the life-saving potential of '16G Seats' without enhancements to Head Injury Criteria. The results indicate that 39% of the fatality benefit is associated with the enhanced Head Injury Criteria, together with 46% of the serious injuries benefit. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the paper is available in PDF format from the CAA website.

A Milestone of Aeromedical Research Contributions to Civil Aviation Safety: The 1000th Report in the CARI/OAM Series

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-5/3) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in March 2005 and was written by W. E. Collins and K. Wade. A historical, largely photographic retrospective is presented in recognition of the 1000th published report emanating from the FAA aeromedical research center officially established as the Civil Aeromedical Research Institute (CARI) in August 1960. The publications include 57 CARI reports (1961-1963), 1 CARI technical publication (1963), and 942 reports (1964-present) under the aegis of the (now) Office of Aerospace Medicine (OAM). The retrospective includes an historical section on the early development of civil aeromedical research. Additional, theme-related sections provide an indication of some of the varied research contributions and safety achievements of the Institute and cite some of the many individuals who contributed to the Institute’s accomplishments. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

A Rapid and Inexpensive PCR-Based STR Genotyping Method for Identifying Forensic Specimens

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-06/14) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aviation Medicine in 2006 and was written by Doris M. Kupfer, Mark Huggins, Brandt Cassidy, Nicole Vu, Dennis Burian and Dennis V. Canfield. Situations arise where forensic samples can be inadvertently misidentified during field collection. Samplesidentified in the field as being from the same person that return conflicting toxicological results may suggest suchmisidentification. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based human identity testing provides a reliable andindependent method to confirm sample identification. In the study presented here, the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation’s human Combined DNA Identity System (CODIS) loci were used on a rapid, inexpensive microfluidics chip electrophoresis platform to confirm the identity of forensic samples from an aircraft accident site. Absolute allele identification was not achieved with this method, but it was found to be suitable for comparative analysis, as demonstrated by validation of the results and conclusions from capillary electrophoresis. The nine CODIS Short Tandem Repeat loci and a gender discrimination locus used in this study have a greater than 5E+07 matching probability suitable for small sample sizes. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

A Strategy for Research in Space Biology and Medicine into the Next Century

This web site provides access to a report prepared by the National Research Council's Committee on Space Biology and Medicine, National Academy Press, 1998. The reports presents a review of ground-based and space research in eleven disciplines, ranging from bone physiology to plant biology. It establishes the Committee's priorities for NASA supported research, its recommendations for high-priority research in individual disciplines, and its recommendations for overall priorities for NASA-sponsored research across disciplinary boundaries. The report also highlights concerns in the programme and policy arena and offers related recommendations. The executive summary is available in HTML format, and the full text is accessible online in Open Book format.

Accidents and Incidents Involving Alcohol and Drugs in Australian Civil Aviation: 1 January 1975 to 31 March 2006

This web site provides access to an Australian Bureau of Air Safety Investigation Research and Analysis Report B20060169_001 written by David G. Newman dated June 2006. Drug and alcohol use in pilots can have a detrimental impact on aviation safety. Important cognitive and psychomotor functions necessary for safe operation of an aircraft can be significantly impaired by drugs and alcohol. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and nature of drug and alcohol-related accidents and incidents in Australian civil aviation. A search of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s accident and incident database was conducted for all occurrences in which drugs or alcohol were recorded between 1 January 1975 and 31 March 2006. There were 36 drug and alcohol-related events (31 accidents and five incidents). The majority of these occurrences were related to alcohol (22 occurrences). The drugs identified included prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and illegal drugs (including heroin and cannabis). Drug and alcohol events accounted for only 0.02 per cent of all the occurrences listed on the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s database. Drug and alcohol-related accidents accounted for 0.4 per cent of all accidents. Furthermore, 89 per cent of drug and alcohol occurrences resulted in an accident, with the proportion of these 32 occurrences that resulted in an accident quite high, at 86.5 per cent. Fatal accidents accounted for 67 per cent of all drug and alcohol occurrences. The results of this study show that the prevalence of drug and alcohol-related accidents and incidents in Australian civil aviation is very low, but that the related accident and fatality rates are high. The planned introduction of a mandatory drug and alcohol testing program into the Australian civil aviation industry will provide a more prescriptive approach to the issue of drug and alcohol use in pilots. Education and training remain important elements of an overall approach to reducing the significant impact of drug and alcohol use on flight safety. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Accurate Assignment of Ethanol Origin in Postmortem Urine : A Case Study

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-04/13) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in August 2004 and was written by Robert D. Johnson, Russell J. Lewis, Dennis V. Canfield, Kurt M. Dubowski and C. LeRoy Blank. Specimens from fatal aviation accident victims are submitted to the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute for toxicological analysis. During toxicological evaluations, ethanol analysis is performed on all cases. Care must be taken when interpreting a positive ethanol result due to the potential for postmortem ethanol formation. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Adaptation and acclimatisation in aerospace medicine

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-82, dated March 1971. This report contains excerpts from the welcoming addresses during the opening ceremony of the 27th ASMP Meeting and 20 papers presented at this meeting, which was held at the Convention Hall of Sheridan Kaserne Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, from the 14th to the 18th September 1970. The main theme was "Adaptation and Acclimatisation in Aerospace Medicine". The programme was divided into the following sessions: 1. Noise, 2. Acceleration, 3. Behavioural Adaptation 4. Thermoregulation and 5. Miscellaneous. Eighty-three delegates from institutes, research centres, universities and other organisations, both civilian and military, attended the meeting, representing thirteen NATO nations. The volume closes with the Panel Chairman's conclusions and with a Technical Evaluation Report prepared by Col. H.J. Grunhofer, GAF, MC. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents and the full text (33.21MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Advanced Oxygen Systems for Aircraft

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARDograph, RTO-AG-286, dated April, 1996. It is authored by John Ernsting and Richard L. Miller and sponsored by the Aerospace Medical Panel. Many of the oxygen systems fitted to present NATO aircraft are unsatisfactory as they employ liquid oxygen which requires a complex and expensive supply chain, they impose undesirable physiological loads on the aircrew, particularly high resistance to breathing, and they do not provide pressure breathing with +Gz or effective protection to the respiratory tract and eyes against NBC agents. Advanced Oxygen Systems (AOS), which provide on board generation of breathing gas, impose a low physiological load on the aircrew and provide pressure breathing with G and at high altitude and protection against NBC agents, are required in the new generation of very agile high performance combat aircraft now under development by the NATO nations. This monograph provides a comprehensive review of the present state of development of AOS for combat aircraft and provides practical guidelines for the future development of these systems. The monograph comprises an Introduction (Chapter 1); conventional US and UK Oxygen systems and their deficiencies (Chapter 2); the history of development of on-board oxygen generating systems, OBOGS (Chapter 3); operational requirements and design of AOS (Chapter 4); physiological requirements for AOS (Chapter 5); molecular sieves, pressure swing adsorption and oxygen concentrators (Chapter 6); breathing gas regulators and masks for AOS (Chapter 7); current molecular sieve oxygen generation systems (Chapter 8); sensors, indicators and controls for AOS (Chapter 9); practical aspects of design of AOS (Chapter 10); and effects of contaminants, including chemical warfare agents, on molecular sieve oxygen generators; and an Index. This monograph will be of value to all those concerned with the design, procurement and operational use of Advanced Oxygen Systems to be fitted to future high performance combat aircraft. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format. The full text can be accessed online in PDF format (22.7 Mb) from the RTO's web site.

Advanced Technologies for Human Support in Space

This is the report of a study conducted by the National Research Council Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Committee. It was intended to evaluate and review the NASA Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications (OLMSA) programs in Human Support and assess their effectiveness in meeting the strategic goals of the Office. The executive summary is shown in HTML while the full report version is shown in Book Object format, and is best viewed by a browser capable of viewing tables.

Aeromedical Aspects of Aircraft-Assisted Pilot Suicides in the United States, 1993-2002

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-6/5) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in March 2006 and was written by R. D. Johnson, R. J. Lewis, J. E. Whinnery and E. M. Forster. All aviation accidents are tragic, but few are more avoidable than aircraft-assisted suicide. Aircraft-assisted suicide may precipitate as a result of clinical depression, marital or financial difficulties, or numerous other problems. While aircraft-assisted suicide attempts almost always result in pilot fatalities, they also have the serious and unfortunate potential to cause collateral damage to property and life. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Aeromedical Aspects of Aircrew Training

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-021, Paris, June 1999. The documents contains papers presented at the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) Workshop held in San Diego, USA, 14-18 October 1998. The objectives of the workshop were to discuss current aeromedical training programmes and to present some new approaches to training. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (7.97 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Aeromedical Support Issues in Contingency Operations

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings, AGARD-CP-599, dated September 1998. These proceedings include the Technical Evaluation Report, two Keynote Addresses, 53 papers and the edited Discussions of the Symposium sponsored by the NATO/RTO Aerospace Medical Panel. It was held in Rotterdam, NE from 29 September - 1 October 1997. Contingency Operations constitute military missions such as peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, peacemaking/enforcement, full scale offensive operations and relief operations other than war, such as aid to civil powers in counterterrorism and in natural disasters. Increasingly, these operations will involve greater NATO participation in the post Post-Cold-War" era. Significantly, NATO nations are turning to the application of science and technology, particularly computer resources, to address the unique problems associated with Contingency Operations. From a medical standpoint, there are many logistic, support and environmental factors which impede effective health and critical care medicine in Contingency Operations. This Symposium considered both the aeromedical problems encountered and the role of technological solutions as aids to resolving the issues in: (a) sustained and continuous operations, (b) medical management in remote locations, (c) medical information, and (d) adaptation to operational conditions.These proceedings will be of interest to heads of military health services, military and civilian officers concerned with the health and safety of personnel in air and support operations, research scientists, and those requiring a state-of-the-art review of medical lessons learned" in Contingency Operations. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-12/3) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in February 2012 and was written by Skaggs VJ, Norris AI, Johnson R. The annual Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook reports descriptive characteristics of all active U.S. civil aviation airmen and the aviation medical examiners (AMEs) that perform the required medical examinations. This information has not been published since 1998, so in response to recent need, we reinstated the annual report. The 2010 annual handbook documents the most recent and most widely relevant data on active civil aviation airmen and AMEs. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Aerospace Toxicology : Overview

This gives access to a Federal Aviation Administration Aerospace Medicine Technical Report DOT/FAA/AM-09/8 written by Arvind K. Chaturvedi and dated April 2009. The field of aerospace toxicology is composed of aerospace and toxicology. The term aerospace—that is, the environment extending above and beyond the surface of the Earth—is also used to represent the combined fields of aeronautics and astronautics. Aviation is another term frequently and interchangeably used with aerospace and aeronautics and is explained as the science and art of operating powered aircraft. Toxicology is the basic science of poisons. It deals with the adverse effects of substances on living organisms. Any substance could be poisonous, depending upon its exposure amount and frequency. Although toxicology borrows knowledge from the fields of biology, chemistry, immunology, pathology, physiology, and public health, the most closely related field to toxicology is pharmacology. Economic toxicology, environmental toxicology, and forensic toxicology are 3 main branches of toxicology. Toxicology is a multidisciplinary field. Aerospace toxicology could be considered closely related to aerospace medicine. In this overview, a literature search for the period of 1960–2007 was performed, covering aerospace toxicologyrelated subject matter. The article is divided into the sections of introduction, agricultural aviation (aerial application), aviation combustion toxicology, postmortem aviation forensic toxicology, cabin air contamination, and references. Further readings are also suggested. It is anticipated that this overview article would be a reference source for the topics related to aerospace toxicology. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is rquired in order to read it.

no title available

no description supplied

Air Travel and Health

This web site provides access to the text of the 5th report prepared by the House of Commons, Science and Technology Committee, dated 15th November 2000. The report makes a series of recommendations aimed at safeguarding the health of airline passengers. It covers a number of areas on concern including: deep vein thrombosis (DVT); seating; ventilation; air quality; transmission of infection; filtration; noise; stress; in-flight medical emergencies; information for passengers, and complaints procedures. The report highlights a number of areas for further research including: the epidemiology of DVT; the demography of air travellers and the types and frequency of travel undertaken; real time monitoring of air quality and other aspects of the cabin environment; testing of blood oxygen levels across the whole spectrum of air travellers; the interaction between different aspects of the aircraft cabin environment; and the study of medical records of aircrew concerning any long-term effects from exposure to the aircraft cabin environment.

Aircraft Accidents: Trends in Aerospace Medical Investigation Techniques

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-532, dated September 1992. These proceedings include the Technical Evaluation Report and 58 papers of the Symposium sponsored by the AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel held at the Altin Yunus Hotel, Cesme, Turkey, April 27 - May1 , 1992. Since the commencement of aviation, accidents have occurred for a variety of reasons in both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. As the complexity of aviation systems increased, so did the task of investigating aircraft accidents. At the same time, advanced techniques in aviation and weapon systems have exacerbated greatly the physiological and cognitive demands on aircrews. The result is that aircraft accidents due to material causes have diminished progressively while the percentage of human factor-caused accidents has not. For individual titles, see N93-19654 through N93-19710. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (120.42MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Aircraft Fire Safety

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings, AGARD-CP-587, dated September 1997. It was sponsored by the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development. The Propulsion and Energetics Panel Symposium on Aircraft Fire Safety was held in Dresden, Germany from 14-17 October 1996. It dealt with military and civil aspects of fire safety, covering combat-induced damage and technical sources of fire, fire prevention, fire fighting, fire damage control, and fire damage to humans and equipment. Environmental issues including Halon replacement were addressed. There were 7 sessions (37 papers) and a keynote address: Aircraft Fire Safety; Fires and Fire Handling; On-board Fire Extinguishing Systems; Certification and Testing; Materials and Structure Design for Fire Safety; Aeromedical Aspects Including Smoke Toxicity; and Passenger Protection and Behaviour. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (77 Mb) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Aircrew Fatigue : A Review of Research Undertaken on Behalf of the UK Civil Aviation Authority

This is UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) CAA Paper 2005/04, prepared by the CAA's Safety Regulation Group (SRG), 31 October 2005. This report reviews the programme of work related to the sleep and wakefulness of the airline pilot that has been carried out by the QinetiQ, Centre for Human Sciences (CHS) and its predecessor organisations (DERA, DRA and RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine) for the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The results of the research have been used to develop and validate the 'SAFE' (System for Aircrew Fatigue Evaluation) model. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (1.2 mb) from the CAA's web site.

An Investigation of Sensory Information, Levels of Automation, and Piloting Experience on Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Performance

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-12/4) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in March 2012 and was written by Williams KW. The current experiment was intended to examine the effect of sensory information on pilot reactions to system failures within a UAS control station simulation. This research also investigated the level of automation used in controlling the aircraft and the level of manned flight experience of the participants, since these also have been shown to influence pilot effectiveness. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Analysis of En Route Operational Errors : Probability of Resolution and Time-On-Position

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-12/2) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in February 2012 and was written by Bailey L. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control Organization Safety Management System (SMS) is designed to prevent the introduction of unacceptable safety risk into the National Airspace System. One of the most important safety metrics used in the Air Traffic Organization’s SMS is the rate and severity of air traffic control operational errors (OEs). While OE rates tell us about the frequency of occurrence, the rates in and of themselves do not provide a direct assessment of safety risk. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Analysis of In-flight Passenger Injuries and Medical Conditions:1st January 1975 to 31st March 2006

This web site provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report (B20060171) dated October 2006. Approximately 1.5 to 2 billion passengers fly on the world’s civil aircraft each year. As the population ages, the number of air travellers increases and longer routes are flown by bigger aircraft, the number of medical events involving passengers is anticipated to increase. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, nature, type and extent of medical problems and injuries occurring in passengers on board civil registered aircraft. The aim, in particular, was to determine the most common in-flight medical problems in passengers, and what proportion of these events result in an aircraft diversion. A search of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s accident and incident database was conducted for medical conditions and injuries in passengers between 1 January 1975 and 31 March 2006. There were 284 passenger medical events and injuries (defined as 15 accidents, one serious incident and 268 incidents). These events accounted for only 0.18 of a percentage point of all the occurrences listed on the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s database. In-flight deaths accounted for only 3 per cent of the total passenger injury events. The most common cause of in-flight death, at 44 per cent, was heart attack. Serious injuries accounted for slightly more than a third of reported occurrences. Minor injuries accounted for the majority of cases, at 53 per cent. The most common medical event in passengers was minor musculoskeletal injury (26 per cent of cases). Ninety-five flights were diverted (33 per cent). Of the known medical conditions, heart attack was the most common reason for an aircraft diversion (33 cases out of 95), followed by a fitting episode (in six cases). The results of this study are consistent with other published international experience. There is a low risk of passengers sustaining either an injury or a medical event as a consequence of travel on a civil aircraft. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Analysis of the U.S. Pilot Population From 1983-2005 : Evaluating the Effects of Regulatory Change

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine Report DOT/FAA/AM-09/9 written by Paul Rogers ...[et al] and dated May 2009. The size of the U.S. civil aviator community has been of interest to researchers, policy makers, and special interest groups. A strict definition for membership in the U.S. pilot population was used that was based on Scientific Information System principles. This approach provides methods for scientists to describe, quantify, and predict changes in this population over the 23-year study period. The Bioinformatics Research Team at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) analyzed and modeled the counts of the U.S. pilot population using a segmented linear regression model.Methods A dataset was constructed, based upon the methods prescribed by Scientific Information System principles of data construction, from 1983 to 2005. This methodology was selected since the data represent the entire population of pilots, rather than just a sample. Thus, the statistical results are population parameters, rather than estimates, and are not subject to sampling error. The airmen population was constructed and examined for each year of the study period. The criterion for membership of the U.S. civil pilot population is based on the medical examination that each airman must pass to hold a pilot certificate. A segmented linear regression model was chosen because of its flexibility in accounting for any policy changes that occurred over the 23-year study period. Discussion The CAMI Scientific Information System provided the foundation to build a segmented linear regression model pertaining to the counts of the U.S. civil pilot population; from these results it was possible for the first time to explain the changing frequencies over time and make fact-based predictions concerning future population numbers. The capability now exists to categorize the population by gender, medical class, age, and experience over a two-decade time period, which may provide hints at some of the changes taking place within the aviation community as a whole. Conclusion The model constructed clearly shows a decline in the overall U.S. civil aviator community. This decline is most evident in second-and third-class medical certificate holders. The percentage of women in the largely male-dominated population remained relatively stable over the study years. The age composition of both men and women changed substantially from the beginning of the study in 1983 to the end in 2005. Both segments of this population have grown significantly older. As a group, men were older than women over the study period. Therefore, when average flight time was calculated and categorized by medical class and gender, men were shown to have more flight experience. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat is required in order to read it.

Application of DNA Profiling in Resolving Aviation Forensic Toxicology Issues

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office for Aerospace Medicine report DOT/FAA/AM-09/19 written by A.K Chaturvedi ...[et al]and dated October 2009. Biological samples from the victims of aviation accidents are submitted to the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) for toxicological evaluation. Body components of aviation accident fatalities are often scattered, disintegrated, commingled, contaminated, and/or putrefied at accident scenes. These situations may impose difficulties in victim identification and tissue matching, thereby in the toxicological analysis of authentic samples and the interpretation of the associated analytical results. The use of DNA typing has been exemplified in the literature to resolve the sample misidentification issue. However, the prevalence of this type of issue in relation to aviation accident forensic toxicology has not been well-established. Therefore, the CAMI toxicology database was searched for the period of 1998-2008 for those accidents/cases wherein DNA profiling was performed. During this period, samples from 3523 accidents were received by CAMI. Of these, there were 3366 aviation accidents wherein at least one fatality had occurred. Biological samples from a total of 3319 pilots were received. Of these, 3275 were fatally injured. The 3319 pilots translated into the equivalent number of aviation accidents. Of the 3319 accidents, there were only 15 (approximately 0.5%) accidents wherein DNA profiling was performed on the biological samples. Six occupants (four fatalities and two injured victims) were involved in one accident and five (two fatalities and three injured victims) in another. Three fatalities occurred in three accidents each, two fatalities in eight accidents each, and one fatality in one accident. In one accident, there were two occupants with non-fatal injuries. DNA profiling was conducted upon the requests of families in two accidents, of accident investigators in three, and of pathologists in four. In six accidents, contradictory toxicological findings—such as selective presence of analytes in samples—led the CAMI laboratory to initiate DNA profiling. The requests made by families and investigators were primarily triggered by the inconsistency between the toxicological results and the history of the use of the drugs by the victims, while by the pathologists because of the commingling of samples. In three (20%) of the 15 accidents, at least one submitted sample was misidentified or mislabeled. The low number of the accident cases requiring DNA profiling suggests that the sample-submitting agencies take extensive precautionary measures to ensure that the origin of the submitted biological samples are correctly identified. Furthermore, the present study confirms that DNA typing can be used as a tool for establishing the authenticity of the aviation biosamples, thereby their associated toxicological conclusions. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Army Medical Department Transformation. Executive Summary of Five Workshops

This technical report (MG-416-A) was published by The RAND Corporation in 2006 and was written by David E. Johnson, Gary Cecchine and Jerry M. Sollinger. A series of Army Medical Command workshops assessed the effect of the Future Force doctrine on the Health Service Support system’s ability to deliver medical care on the battlefield. The authors summarize the findings from the five workshops. Based on the scenarios and the data gathered during the five workshops, the authors conclude that the distances envisioned for the Future Force battlefield pose problems for medical support. The dispersion creates a situation in which it will be unlikely that a medic will be nearby when a soldier is wounded and in which ground evacuation of casualties will be difficult. Given the challenges posed by these scenarios, it also appeared that the medical echelons above the Unit of Action could expect a substantial patient load. Finally, they concluded that better simulations are needed to help the Army Medical Department explore questions of medical force structure in more detail. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Assessment Methods for Personal Active Noise Reduction Validated in an International Round Robin

This is a Research and Technology Organisation Technical Report, RTO-TR-HFM-094, prepared by the the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM), dated August 2004. Methods used for the assessment of helmets and headsets equipped with Active Noise Reduction (ANR) are different from the (standardized) methods used for passive systems. ANR systems may introduce electronic noise and possess non-linear behaviour at high noise levels. Therefore standard methods like comparison of subjective performance at threshold may not be valid. Alternative methods have been developed and compared in various laboratories. The performance of a number of test methods was assessed in an international Round Robin. The passive and active sound attenuation of five headsets, all equipped with active noise reduction and an intercom, were determined. Several measuring methods were adopted including methods that are based on a human head, artificial head and artificial ear. This study presents a comparison of the validity of these methods. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format and the full text of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Assessment of General Aviation Pilot Performance During Simulated Flight

This web site provides access to an Australian Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI)Research and Analysis Report (Grant – B2004/0242) written by Dr. Mark Wiggins and dated April 2006. This study was designed to create a dataset that captured the performance of general aviation pilots during a simulated flight from Wagga Wagga to Bankstown, NSW. A total of 34 pilots were tested, ranging in experience from 25 hours of total flying experience to 8500 hours of total flying experience. Each pilot was provided with a meteorological briefing, maps, and all the equipment necessary to conduct the flight as it would occur within the operational environment. The performance of pilots was assessed at three levels of analysis, the broadest of which involved pilots’ self-reports of their performance in general, and their performance during the flight. At a more detailed level, the performance of pilots was rated by an observer across each of the five legs of the flight. A number of dimensions of performance were assessed, including the accuracy with which the aircraft was controlled, the accuracy of track-keeping, the accuracy in maintaining the prescribed altitude, and the level of fatigue management. The final level of analysis involved objective data that were recorded throughout the flight by the flight simulator. Although the primary aim of the study was the collection of a dataset that captured performance, some comparative analyses were conducted, primarily to establish the basis for the differences in performance that were evident amongst pilots. Overall, the data indicated that performance during the flight was due less to pilots’ qualifications and recent experience and more to the stage of flight during which the assessment took place. Specifically, the final leg of the flight was associated with the greatest variability in performance and was associated with relatively poorer performance than the preceding stages of the flight. The results are discussed in terms of the impact of the nature of the task, and the impact of fatigue. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Audio Effectiveness in Aviation

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings, AGARD-CP-596, dated June 1997. These proceedings include the Technical Evaluation Report, a Keynote Address, three overview addresses of key technical areas, 34 solicited papers, and a Summary paper of the Symposium sponsored by the AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel held in Copenhagen, DE, from 7-11 October 1996. Topics addressed during this Symposium were: Audio Displays Noise Control, Passive Technique Noise Control, Active Technique Noise Control, Applications Communication in Stressful Environment, and Voice Control. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (126 Mb) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Aviation Health Institute

This is a non-profit registered charity aimed at promoting the health and well-being of airline passengers. It provides background information, news and health advice.
The objectives of the AH are to investigate the effects of flying on the health of passengers and on the course of common diseases; to promote awareness and prevention of such conditions, so as to increase the productivity of frequent flyers. We provide an invaluable, independent source of reference, information and comment on aviation health issues. It also encourages airlines and passengers to take action to address the problems.
AH is concerned with four public health issues. It also promotes appropriate preventive measures.

1. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
2. Air Quality In-flight
3. Cosmic radiation
4. In-flight Medical Incidents

Aviation Medicine Home Page

This resource is maintained by Dr Dougal Watson of the Institute of Aviation Medicine in Edinburgh (Australia) and is sponsored by the Environmental Tectonics Corporation and the Aviation Medical Society of Australia and New Zealand. The site provides a collection of links to Web resources including full text papers, books, journals, magazines, mailing lists, courses, societies, associations, organisations and search engines about all aspects of aviation medicine.

Aviation Medicine Orders and Directives

The Office of Aviation Medicine is part of the US Federal Aviation Administration and deals with activities such as accident investigation and aeromedical certification. This site provides the full text of orders and directives in HTML format.

Aviation Organophosphate Information Site

AOPIS is a non-commercial organisation committed to raising awareness amongst the aviation community of the potential health hazards from exposure to organophosphates and other harmful chemicals. The site provides access to a range of information resources. These include a discussion forum, press articles, regulations and legislation, as well as links to safety incidents and reports. A section of the site presents an overview of the issues involved. A number of articles and papers are available in full text. These include Indoor Air Quality: Recommendations Relevant to Aircraft Passenger Cabins by Professor M.B. Hocking, and Comparison of the Constituents of Two Jet Engine Lubricating Oils and Their Volatile Pyrolytic Degradation Products, by C. van Netten and V. Leung.

Avoidance Of Fatigue in Air Crews

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority document, Civil Aviation Paper CAP 371, 4th edition, 16 January 2004. The regulations set a work pattern for flight crews and cabin staff designed to prevent the onset of fatigue, and yet allow an operator to pursue business interests. The text of CAP 371 is available in PDF format (456 KB), from the CAA's web site.

Biodynamics Database

The database is produced and maintained by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). It contains data from approximately 7,000 acceleration impact tests conducted at the Biodynamics and Acceleration Branch of AFRL, as well as information on the associated test facilities, test programs, and test subjects. The test data include measured forces, accelerations, and motions of both human and manikin subjects. Tables containing peak values of the data, along with restraint parameters and acceleration profiles for each test, are also available. General information on test programs such as objective, investigators, test matrix, and results, as well as Subject anthropometry measurements and manikin mass properties data are also provided. There is an online registration form which users must complete in order to apply for an ID and password.

Boeing Company : Cabin Air Quality

This area of the Boeing web site presents the company's perspective on the issues surrounding aircraft cabin air quality. The site presents an overview of how cabin air systems operate, and highlights a number of "myths" and "facts". Access is provided to two full text papers (PDF) entitled, "Commercial airliner environmental control system : engineering aspects of cabin air quality" and "The airplane cabin environment : issues pertaining to flight attendant comfort". There is also a series of tips given for air passenger comfort.

BRE Study of Air Quality in the Aircraft Cabin

This page provides access to the introduction, executive summary and final report of a study by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) published in March 2004. The House of Lords report entitled 'Air Travel and Health' was published on 22nd November 2000. The report considered a range of effects on health of travelling by air, and a number of recommendations were made to ensure that concern for passenger and crew health becomes a firm priority. One of the areas considered in the report was that of air quality. Potential cabin atmosphere contaminants were discussed, alongside aspects of ventilation, environmental control systems, air re-circulation and air filtration. However, clear scientific evidence was not available as to the levels of pollutants in the aircraft cabin, how these levels varied during different phases of a flight, or how they varied between different types of aircraft. One of the actions taken by Government in response to the House of Lords report was the setting up of the Aviation Health Working Group (AHWG). This group brings together, under the Chairmanship of the Department of Transport, key players in relation to air travel and health in order to co-ordinate action in the interest of improving the travelling publics' health. Under the aegis of the AHWG, a research sub-group, chaired by the Department of Health, has been overseeing the commissioning of a programme of research in a number of areas, including that of cabin air quality. The following report describes a project funded by the AHWG and undertaken by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) between July 2002 and October 2003. The aim was to monitor aircraft cabin air quality aboard older aircraft types used in high volume, short haul, operations. This work was commissioned to supplement a European funded project (CabinAir) which was also being led by BRE and which was monitoring key air quality parameters on board four 'flagship' commercial passenger aircraft types.

British Airways : Health Services

Part of the British Airways site, these pages provide information on health and well-being for air travellers. There is a Health and Medical Information section providing information to help you prepare for your health needs before, during and after your flight as well as information if you require additional assistance. There are sections on a well-being programme during flight and travel clinics with further links to information on immunisations and other medical conditions. There are some articles in PDF form which include titles like: 'A Guide to Good Health for Travellers'; 'The Healthy Journey Leaflet'; and 'In-flight exercises'. There is also a 'sleep guide' developed in collaboration with Dr Sleep.

Cabin Air Quality in Commercial Aircraft : Exposure, Symptoms and Signs

This is the full text of a PhD thesis by Torsten Lindgren, which was presented to Uppsala University in 2003. The objective of the dissertation was to study the cabin environment, and identify personal and environmental risk factors, associated with symptoms, and perception of cabin air quality. Another objective was to study if a ban on smoking, and increased relative air humidity on intercontinental flights, could have a beneficial health effect. The results show that low air humidity are important environmental factors in aircraft, and that atopy, and work stress could be significant risk factors for symptoms and environmental perceptions. The thesis is available in PDF format.

Cardiopulmonary Aspects in Aerospace Medicine

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-LS-189, dated October 1993. This Lecture Series will update the information presented in the 1987 AGARD Short course on the Cardiopulmonary Aspects of Aerospace Medicine, and will be of primary relevance to military internists and cardiologists with an interest in aviation medicine, and to military Flight Surgeons. Topics to be discussed will include the following: screening to asymptomatic coronary artery disease in an aircrew population; the aeromedical disposition of aviators with coronary disease; the utility of screening aircrew candidates with echocardiography and echocardiographic findings in trained aircrew; etc. The Lecture Series is designed to be interactive rather than strictly didactic to encourage discussion of problems particular to participating NATO countries. For individual titles, see N94-23314 through N94-23328. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (8.51MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Cervical Spinal Injury From Repeated Exposures to Sustained Acceleration

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report, RTO-TR-004, Paris, February 1999. The report was prepared by the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HMF) on the results of a Technology Watch established by the former AGARD Aerospace Medicine Panel (AMP). It presents a review of current studies by several nations on cervical neck injury, spinal degeneration and related topics. It also examines the biomechanics of the cervical spine and predictive models on cervical injury from sustained G exposures. A model on the relationship between aging and sustained G exposures on cervical spinal degeneration is presented. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (11.9 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library

Civil Aviation Authority : Safety Regulation Group : Research Programme 2003/2004

This document contains details of projects that are managed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Safety Regulation Groupo (SRG). The projects are presented under sub-headings which, largely, correspond with technology areas within SRG. An appendix contains projects with which SRG are either associated or interested in but which are being carried out by other organisations. The document also lists the reports and papers produced during the period April 2002 to March 2003 as a result of SRG funded or managed work. The text of the document is available in PDF (2.8 Mb)format.

Civil Aviation Authority: Aviation Health Unit

The Aviation Health Unit (AHU) is concered with passenger and crew health. It was formed on 1 December 2003. Based at Gatwick within the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA’s) Medical Department, its main role is to advise government, through the Aviation Health Working Group* (AHWG), on passenger and crew health issues. As this is a different requirement from the safety regulation role of the CAA, the Department for Transport (DfT) retains responsibility for any policy changes arising from health recommendations. From 1 April 2007 the Unit's funding has been provided by industry in common with the other functions of the CAA. The subject ‘aviation health’ encompasses a wide range of individual topics, such as deep venous thrombosis, cabin air quality, transmission of infection, cosmic radiation and the provision of information. A responsibility of the AHU will therefore be to review research and other relevant information on aviation health and to ensure timely communication on relevant issues.

Combined Exposures to Hydrogen Cyanide and Carbon Monoxide in Army Operations : Final Report

This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press written by Committee on Toxicology, Committee on Exposures to Hydrogen Cyanide and Carbon Monoxide in Army Operations and dated 2008. To determine whether the air quality inside armored-vehicle cabins can meet exposure guidelines under deployment conditions, the Army assessed possible synergistic toxic effects from potentially harmful substances. This book, the final of two reports on the subject from the National Research Council, addresses whether the approach discussed in the technical context section of the Army's proposed guidance is appropriate, or whether an alternative assessment method should be developed. Combined Exposures to Hydrogen Cyanide and Carbon Monoxide in Army Operations provides several conclusions and recommendations, including the use of alternative instrumentation for monitoring gas, conducting experiments on human subjects, and seeking advice from additional groups involved with personnel training and field deployment. [Taken from abstract]. The full text os available to read online in open book format.

Comparison of Amplification Methods to Produce Affymetrix GeneChip® Target Material

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AM-07/9 written by Denis Burian ...[et al] dated April 2007. Whole blood from living subjects is a convenient matrix to use as a source of RNA for microarray experiments with human subjects especially when subject material is collected at a location other than the collaborating site conducting the microarray work. Collection methods for whole blood that include stabilization of the RNA are known but suffer from issues of decreased sensitivity due to the large amount of globin RNA present from reticulocyte lysis. The experiments presented here were designed to test a globin-RNA reduction protocol in conjunction with three different amplification methods. Statistical analysis of the six different protocols, coupled with post-hybridization quality assurance methods, revealed that an amplification protocol that yielded a fragmented biotin-labeled cDNA product resulted in the highest Percent Present calls from the Affymetrix analysis software and the least methodology based variability. Based on these results, this amplification protocol is expected to lead to the greatest sensitivity and accuracy for differential expression testing of the six amplification methods tested. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is avialable in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Comparison of Baseline Hearing Thresholds Between Pilots and Non Pilots and the Effects of Engine Noise

This provides access to a Federal Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA AM-05/12 by Dennis B. Beringer and Howard C. Harris, dated July 2005. Observations in similar studies suggested that the older segments of the general aviation population were having difficulty hearing specific auditory warnings in the cockpit. These observations, in combination with data from Tobias (1968a; 1968b; 1972) prompted a reexamination of the hearing capabilities of pilots and non-pilots. In Phase 1, threshold data were collected for 150 non-pilots and 150 pilots using stratified age sampling. The usual higher-frequency decrements attributable to aging and general environmental exposure were found in both samples. Significant differences were found between the non-pilot and pilot samples, with greater threshold shifts between 2 and 6 kHz in evidence among the pilots. In Phase 2, participants were measured during both a quiet condition and during exposure to simulated aircraft engine noise. Results of both phases are discussed in terms of implications for the design of auditory warnings for general aviation aircraft. [Taken from abstract] The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Comparison of Pilot Medical History and Medications Found In Postmortem Specimens

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-06/12) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in 2006 and was written by Dennis V. Canfield, Guillermo J. Salazar, Russell J. Lewis and James E. Whinnery. Pilots are required by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations to report all medications and medical conditions to the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine for review and consideration as to the overall suitability of the pilot for flight activities. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Contact Lens Use in the Civil Airman Population : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AM-02/6, by Van B. Nakagawara Kathryn J. Wood and Ron W. Montgomery, dated May 2002. This study examined the civil airman population�s experience with contact lens use for a 30-year period (1967-97). The information will help guide future medical certification decisions, policy revisions, and education safety programs for aeromedical and flight crew personnel. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA.

Critical Incident Stress Management in Air Traffic Control

This technical note (Number 2004-15) was published by the Eurocontrol Experimental Centre in November 2004 and was written by Marc Baumgartner. Following a number of air disasters, several countries have introduced a programme designed to decrease the psychological impact on the air traffic controller, primarily using an approach known as Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). This approach helps controllers deal with suffering a loss of separation incident or accident. This report first considers the task of the air traffic controller, and then reviews theories and models of stress, relating these to air traffic management and losses of separation. Methods of dealing with such stress and/or trauma are then reviewed, leading to a focus on the ‘Mitchell Method’ and CISM. The results of a survey of CISM applications worldwide are then reviewed to see the state of practice of CISM in Air Traffic Management. [Taken from abstract]. This is in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Current Aeromedical Issues in Rotary Wing Operations

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-019, Paris, August 1999. The documents contains papers presented at the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel Symposium, held in San Diego, USA, 19-21 October 1998. This symposium provided a review of the state-of-the-art concerning the various human factors implicated in helicopter operations, new methods and systems for increasing safety and efficiency of the helicopter operations, and new methods and systems for increasing safety and efficiency of the helicopter crew. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (36.8 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Current Concepts on G-Protection Research and Development

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Lecture Series report, AGARD-LS-202, dated May 1995. A new class of fighter aircraft is emerging that will be operational or in advanced Test and Evaluation (T&E) by 1995. These aircraft (e.g. MiG 31, YF-22, Eurofighter, Rafale) are capable of developing G far in excess of 9G (i.e. 12G will be a realistic capability). The operational envelope of these agile aircraft will depend upon the G protection provided to the aircrew. In response to this challenge, established and new laboratories using human-use centrifuges are developing new aircrew protection methods. These laboratories include Armstrong Laboratory (US), SAM (UK), DCIEM (CA), LAMAS (FR), SAM (RU), KONIGSBRUCK Laboratory (GE) and FOA Laboratory (SW). In 1995, much of this research will have produced prototype flight-worthy equipment/methods with advanced understanding of their physiological bases. This lecture series reviews (1) pathophysiology of high sustained G (9G and above) and (2) recent equipment development and reports on T&E. For individual titles, see N95-34051 through N95-34060. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (22 Kb) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Damage Risk from Impulse Noise

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Educational Note, RTO-EN-011, dated September 2000. The document was produced by the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) and the Consultant and Exchange Programme of RTO in support of a Lecture Series presented on 5-6 June 2000 in Maryland, USA and on 15-16 June 2000 in Meppen, Germany. This publication comprises papers from an RTO Lecture Series on Damage Risk From Impulse Noise. High-level impulse noise (weapons noise) can cause auditory as well as non-auditory damage, which may limit combat effectiveness and may result in communication impairments as a consequence of noise-induced hearing loss. Recent research has shown that the present damage risk criteria have to be adjusted. This has major implications for the protective measures that have to be taken when using weapon systems. Protection equipment can be very effective when properly used, but everyday practice shows that the results in the field fall short of what could be achieved. In addition, hearing protection may interfere with communication. New developments in the design of hearing protectors: level dependent, active noise reduction... show how the protection and communication requirements can be combined and satisfied. Educational programs, emphasizing the new developments, may help to improve the effectiveness of hearing conservation and reduce the number of non-auditory accidents. Topics covered by individual papers are: • techniques and procedures for the measurement of impulse noise • a draft ANSI standard on auditory risk criteria • performance of hearing protectors • communication and localisation with hearing protectors • individual susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss • new perspectives in the treatment of acute noise trauma • cost effectiveness of hearing conservation programmes • non-auditory damage risk assessment for impulse noise. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (9 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

This is produced by the United Kingdom's Department for Transport (DfT) and brings together two studies on Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Air travel and deep vein thrombosis describes the results of the WRIGHT (World Health Organisation Research Into Global Hazards of Travel) project, published 21 December 2005. The Extent of Aspirin Use for the Prophylaxis of DVT on Long Haul Flights, presents the results of research into Aspirin use on long haul flights, published 28 April 2006. The full text of both reports are available in HTML and PDF formats.

Department for Transport : Health in Aircraft Cabins : Stage 2

This report has been produced as part of the UK Government's response to The House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology investigation into Air Travel and Health, which was published 15 November 2000. This second phase study was commissioned in March 2001 from the Building Research Establishment. It followed the publication of the first phase study carried out by the Institute for Environmental Health in January 2001, which was titled, The Possible Effects on Health of Aircraft Cabin Environments. The aim of the present report was to identify and assess the research available on each of the issues identified in Stage 1, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), aircraft cabin air quality, especially filtration, the effect of recirculated air, the risk and effect of organophosphate leakage, and humidity, the transmission of infection, cosmic radiation, and jet lag and work patterns. The text is available in HTML, PDF (536 Kb) and Word (427 Kb) formats.

Determination of Etomidate in Human Postmortem Fluids and Tissues

This is provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aerospace Medicine report DOT/FAA/AM-09/3 written by Robert Johnson and Russell Lewis dated April 2009. Following an aviation accident, biological specimens from the operator of the aircraft are submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute for toxicological analysis. During the course of medical treatment following an aviation accident, pilots who later died as a result of their injuries may have been administered etomidate as an intravenous anesthetic. Our laboratory has developed a sensitive method for the identification and quantitation of etomidate in the biological specimens received from these pilots. Furthermore, we have evaluated the distribution of this compound in various postmortem tissues and fluids from 3 fatal aviation accident cases. When available, 10 specimen types were analyzed for each case, including blood, urine, vitreous humor, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, lung, spleen, heart muscle, and brain. Specimens were extracted using solid-phase base extraction and analyzed by GC/MS. Deuterated etomidate was not available as an internal standard, so to eliminate any possible matrix effects during extraction all quantitative values in specimens other than blood were determined through standard addition. Blood etomidate concentrations in these three cases ranged from 12 to 41 ng/mL. Distribution coefficients for etomidate were determined for each of the specimen types analyzed. These coefficients are expressed relative to the blood concentration in that case. To our knowledge, this is the first report presenting the distribution of etomidate in humans at therapeutic concentrations. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Deterministic Intracellular Modeling

This is the full text of a thesis by Jacqueline B. Young which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2003. The United States Air Force is interested in the potential side effects�at the cellular level�from exposure to mission-essential chemicals. Presently, Air Force toxicology studies are conducted to help shed light in identifying potential hazards to workers. However, it takes a considerable amount of money, resources, and time to obtain and analyze experimental results from toxicology studies. The necessity for innovative methods that enable researchers to more effectively generate and analyze data is apparent. Mathematical modeling is a viable option to become a valuable tool for the researcher. Mathematical models can rapidly generate informative predictions on how a cell reacts to a certain toxicant exposure. Moreover, information is readily available when generated by mathematical models. This research involves the study of one non-biological reaction system and four biological, intracellular reaction systems. Each system is converted into a mathematical model using the rate-equation approach. Numerical simulation results from these mathematical models are obtained using two novel software modeling tools and MATLAB. Results obtained from the novel modeling tools are compared to MATLAB�s results in order to ascertain the accuracy of each novel modeling tool. The experience that is gained in deriving mathematical models and using novel tools to perform numerical simulations for these reaction systems should help the Air Force develop intracellular models to assist in future toxicology studies. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the thesis is availble in PDF format and is provided by the Air University ResearchWeb site.

Diabetes Mellitus and its Effects on Pilot Performance and Flight Safety: a review

This web site provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau Aviation Research and Analysis Report(B2005/0027) by Dr. David G. Newman dated June 2005. Diabetes mellitus is a disease with a wide spectrum of severity and many potential complications if inadequately treated. Historically, diabetic pilots have been permanently disqualified from flying duties. This policy was based on the increased risk of sudden incapacitation in-flight due to hypoglycaemia and cardiovascular disease in diabetics. In recent decades, a shift in worldwide aeromedical policy has occurred. This has resulted in diabetic pilots in several countries, including the United States and Australia, being granted limited flying certification. These pilots are required to satisfy a number of stringent medical criteria to achieve this certification. Aeromedical policy must be based on an appropriate risk management strategy, taking into account all relevant issues. Australian guidelines for the certification of diabetic pilots are designed to limit certification to all but the most well-controlled, motivated, and well supervised diabetic with no disease-related complications [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format and is provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau web site.

Distribution of Oxycodone in Postmortem Fluids and Tissues

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technical report DOT/FAA/AM-10/11 written by Sabra Blotch ...[et al] and dated June 2010. Oxycodone is a heavily used and abused analgesic agent. Its pharmacological effects, including euphoria, respiratory depression, nausea, and drowsiness, have the potential to adversely affect performance. The postmortem distribution of oxycodone has not been well characterized, particularly at sub-lethal levels. Therefore, an attempt was made to evaluate the distribution of oxycodone in postmortem specimens collected from aviation accidents. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDf format from the online catalogue of the FAA william J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Drug Usage in Pilots Involved in Aviation Accidents Compared With Drug Usage in the General Population : From 1990 to 2005

This gives access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office for Aerospace Medicine report DOT/FAA/AM-08/10 written by Sabra Botch and Robert Johnson dated May 2008. Civil aviation pilots represent a small subsection of the general population. Therefore, one might expect to see the same\types of drugs used by pilots that are found in the general population. The purpose of this study was to compare usage of both illegal drugs and abused prescription medications in pilots involved in civil aviation accidents from 1990 to 2005 with that of the general population in the United States. Comparisons included abused drugs routinely screened for by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) such as marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy, as well as prescription medications—barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opiates, and ketamine. The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute’s (CAMI’s) Forensic Toxicology Research Laboratory analyzes postmortem specimens collected from pilots involved in civil aviation accidents. Toxicological information for cases in which pilots were found positive for prescription or illicit compounds was obtained from CAMI’s ToxFlo™ (DiscoverSoft Development, LLC) toxicology database. Statistics on drug usage, trends, and demographics of users in the United States were obtained from National Institute on Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Trends in illicit and prescription drug use in pilots of civil aviation accidents are comparable to those seen in emergency departments (ED) and community data from major metropolitan areas collected by DAWN and Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG). Of the 5,321 pilots involved in aviation accidents during the examined time period, there were 467 occurrences of either illicit drugs or commonly abused prescription drugs accounting for 11% of all pilots that were involved in aviation accidents. The average age of the pilots that were found positive for the compounds discussed in this study was typically older than that seen in emergency departments or in CEWG communities. Marijuana or its metabolite tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THCA) were the most commonly seen compounds detected in pilots involved in civil aviation accidents. These compounds were seen approximately twice as often as all other drugs in the study. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so ADobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Echocardiography in NATO Aircrew: A Multi-National Study

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Advisory Report, AGARD-AR-351, dated April 1997. It was sponsored by the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development. The report explains; Based on physiologic considerations and observations in animal experiments, a serious concern was raised: that repeated exposures to increased radial acceleration forces (+Gz) might have a deleterious effect on the pilot's heart. This concern was supported by the results of a preliminary echocardiographic (heart ultrasound) study carried out by French researchers and reported to AGARD in 1985. There were a number of uncontrolled variables in that initial study, including the amount of exercise and smoking. The investigators cautioned against forming any definite conclusion and recommended further studies. Because of these potentially serious occupational concerns and the findings of the preliminary study, the AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel initiated a carefully controlled study using echocardiography to compare current NATO pilots flying high-sustained G (HSG) aircraft with a control group of transport and rotary wing pilots. HSG aircraft were arbitrarily defined as those designed to maintain greater than +7Gz for at least 15 seconds, e.g. F-15, F-16, F-18, Mirage 2000, Hawk. Working Group 13 designed a protocol by which investigators from many NATO countries could contribute data to a central database. The study was carried out by Working Group 18 and involved over 30 investigators from 13 NATO countries. Data were collected and transmitted for analysis and quality control to a central database at the USAF Armstrong Laboratory at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. Over 1600 echocardiograms were entered into the database. Data analyses compared 289 pilots of high sustained G (HSG) aircraft with 254 control pilots. The results conclusively show that there is no effect of HSG flight on the heart. The conclusions are limited to the resolution of the technology employed (echocardiography) and to the flight envelopes utilized in the current generation of NATO HSG fighter aircraft. The study serves as a model by which other military occupational medical questions may be addressed quickly and efficiently by the AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format and the full text is available in PDF format (11 Mb)from the RTO's web site.

Effects of Fluid Load on Human Urine Characteristics Related to Workplace Drug Testing

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-12/5) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in March 2012 and was written by Chaturvedi AK, Sershon JL, Craft KJ, Cardona PS, Soper JW, Canfield DV, Dubowski KM, Whinnery JE, Leyva MJ, Aston CE, Blevins SM, Wright JE, Fraser AD, Kuntz DJ. During workplace drug testing, urine specimens are also tested for sample dilution, substitution, and adulteration. Often when urine sample validity testing indicates such sample modifications, donors argue that these irregularities are due to medical or health conditions, working conditions, dietary habits, or genetic differences. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Enantiomeric Analysis of Ephedrines and Norephedrines

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/8) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in April 2005 and was written by S.M. Wanga, R.J. Lewis, D. Canfield, T.L. Lia and R.H. Liu. Concerned with variations in abuse potential and control status among various isomers of ephedrines and norephedrines, this study was conducted to develop an effective method for the simultaneous analysis of eight ephedrine-related compounds along with structurally similar cathinones. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Environmental and Health Impact of Aviation : Final Study

This full text study has been published by the Scientific and Technical Options Assessment (STOA) Panel of the European Parliament's Directorate General for Research. The study summarises policy options and provides background information on the environment and human health. Impacts considered include noise, emissions, resources, cosmic radiation, cabin air quality, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The study is dated March 2001 and is available in PDF format.

Epidemiology of Toxicological Factors in Civil Aviation Accident Pilot Fatalities, 1999-2003

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/20) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in November 2005 and was written by Arvind K. Chaturvedi, Kristi J. Craft, Dennis V. Canfield and James E. Whinnery. Prevalence of drug and ethanol use in aviation is monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under such monitoring, epidemiological studies for the 1989-1993 and 1994-1998 periods indicated lower percentages of the presence of illegal (abused) drugs than that of prescription and nonprescription drugs in aviation accident pilot fatalities. In continuation of these studies, an epidemiological assessment was made for an additional period of 5 years. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Evaluation of a Head Injury Criteria Component Test Device

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-04/18) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in November 2004 and was written by Richard L. DeWeese and David M. Moorcroft. Aircraft seats that are certified to meet the requirements of 14 CFR Parts 23.562, 25.562, 27.562 and 29.562 must protect the occupant from serious head injury as defined by the Head Injury Criterion (HIC). Currently this is demonstrated during a dynamic sled test that includes a 50% male-size test dummy, the seat, and any surrounding aircraft structure that could be impacted by the occupant�s head. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Evaluation of Next-Generation Vision Testers for Aeromedical Certification of Aviation Personnel

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aersoapce Medicine Report DOT/FAA/AM-09/13 written by V.B Nakagawara, R.W. Montgomery and K J Wood dated July 2009. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows the use of a variety of vision screening devices to evaluate a pilot applicant’s vision performance for medical certification purposes. This study compares human subject test scores obtained using two new vision testing instruments (Optec 5000 and Titmus i400) with those from previously approved counterparts (Optec 2000 and Titmus 2A), which have been discontinued by their manufacturers. Method:Testing included near, intermediate, and distant visual acuity, when appropriate, as well as heterophoria and color perception. Aside from color vision deficiencies, visual performance for all subjects was within the minimum Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) vision requirements for Class II airmen. The test subject population included 36 individuals who ranged in age from 18 to 66 (34.4 ± 14.2). Six subjects were 50 years of age or over, requiring intermediate vision testing and 12 were color deficient. Analysis was designed to detect statistically significant differences between the test scores obtained with the new instruments vs. the older models. Results:The results of this study indicate that both new instruments provided visual acuity and heterophoria scores that are statistically equivalent to the older models. Color vision test scores for the Titmus i400 were found to be statistically equivalent to those of the Titmus 2A, with little or no change in failure rate. Although the color vision scores of the Optec 5000 were statistically equivalent to those of the Optec 2000, it failed 50% of the color normal subjects in the study. Conclusion:FAA approval is recommended for the Titmus i400 for use in all applicable aviation vision tests. Conditional approval is recommended for the Optec 5000, provided the Aviation Medical Examiner has an appropriate alternate color vision test should individuals be identified as color deficient during the certification exam. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

FAA Aerospace Medicine Online Library

The site provides access to information produced by the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). This is a special library primarily committed to serving the unique information needs of research staff. Although the primary focus of the collection is on aviation medicine, materials on human factors, engineering, management, and general reference are available. There are links to the full-text of Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports which lists aviation research reports from 1961 available in PDF format and indexes are available by subject and author.

Fatality and Injury Rates for Two Types of Rotorcraft Accidents

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/17) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in October 2005 and was written by D. Palmerton. An analysis of the frequency of four different types of rotorcraft accidents was conducted to determine if the number of fatalities and injuries between accident conditions was different. Accidents involving rollover, no rollover, fire, and no fire were studied to determine if accidents with a rollover or fire might be creating evacuation delays that contribute to the fatality and injury rates. A search of the FAA Accident Incident Data System from January1986 to March 1997 produced 2704 accident records for this analysis. A Chi-Square test for independence was used to determine the difference between the rollover and no rollover and fire and no fire accident categories. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Fatigue Management in the New Zealand Aviation Industry

This web site provides access to an Australian Bureau of Air Safety Investigation Research and Analysis Report (Grant 20040048) written by Leigh Signal, Denise Ratieta, Phillipa Gander and dated April 2006. The aim of the study was to determine how New Zealand aviation organisations are managing fatigue. Three questionnaires (one each for management, rostering, and line pilots) were sent to each organisation holding a Part 119 air operator certificate. One hundred and fifty-three questionnaires (out of 480) were returned from 55% of the companies study packs were sent to. Ten of the responding companies were large aircraft operators (Part 121 operators), 10 were medium aircraft operators (Part 125 operators), and the remaining 77 were general aviation or helicopter operators (Part 135 operators). Most Part 125 and Part 135 organisations reported adhering to the prescriptive flight and duty time limits, while Part 121 organisations had either a Fatigue Management Scheme (FMS) or another company-specific accredited scheme in place. Comparisons between organisations that complied with the prescriptive limits and those that indicated their company had a FMS or other accredited scheme, showed no differences in ratings of how well fatigue was managed, the number of fatigue management strategies in place, and their frequency of use. Part 121 and Part 125 organisations reported using more fatigue management strategies compared with Part 135 operators. Monitoring the flight and duty times of pilots, and monitoring pilot workload were the most frequently used strategies while fewer organisations report educating their rostering staff or reviewing company processes for managing fatigue. Comparisons between management and line pilots in the same organisation showed that significantly more management staff considered that their company educated their pilots and management staff compared with line pilots. Management personnel were also more likely to indicate that their organisation monitored pilot workload, identified and managed fatigued personnel, and reviewed company processes for managing fatigue. The findings of this study indicate that there are air transport operators in New Zealand who are taking a comprehensive approach to fatigue management. However, for many operators the findings suggest that fatigue is not particularly well understood or managed. The findings of this study strongly suggest that there is a need to raise industry awareness of the causes and consequences of fatigue, and processes for its management. This may also be relevant to the Australian aviation industry. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

no title available

no description supplied

Fear and Loathing in the Air:Combat Fear and Stress in the Air Force

This is the full text of a thesis by Phillip Hamilton USAF, which was presented to the faculty of the School of Air Power Studies, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama in 2005. This thesis is about the Air Force’s organizational response to acute combat fear and stress—past and present. Despite the practical experience of dealing with this issue from World War II to Vietnam, the Air Force’s response has become muddled in recent years. Anecdotal evidence indicates that some airmen have proven unable or unwilling to do their duty in the air, but little data exists to corroborate the stories or record the response. In order to answer a series of related questions about the genesis and state of the Air Force’s organizational response to acute combat fear and stress, I have broken this work into four parts: an examination of the related literature on combat stress; a review of the Air Force’s actions in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; a look at the actors and policies that form the contemporary organizational response; and a report on the formulation and results of the Combat Stress Survey—an instrument designed to provide contemporary data on the subject. This study demonstrates that the Air Force’s organizational response to combat fear and stress has been a combination of medical and administrative policies designed to balance the needs of affected pilots with the war-fighting demands of the Air Force. Unfortunately, there is little balance in the current approach to the issue. Survey results indicate that commanders—the first line of defense—have proven unwilling to take long-term administrative actions in the aftermath of stark failures. The Air Force needs to confront this issue with discussion, Air Force-wide policy, and education so that commanders have the requisite tools and knowledge to deal with a problem that is likely to return in future conflicts. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format and is provided by the Air University Research Web site.

Feature Selection for Predicting Pilot Mental Workload

The site provides access to an Air University Air Force Institute of Technology MSc Thesis, by Second Lieutenant Julia A. East, USAF, AFIT/GOR/ENS/00M-09, dated March 2000. This thesis examines the analysis of psychophysiological features such as heart, eye and respiration measures to identify pilot mental workload. Citation details and an abstract are available in HTML format. The full text can be accessed in PDF format (997,388 bytes). The document is part of the Air University Research Database.

Field Evaluation of Whole Airliner Decontamination Technologies for Narrow-Body Aircraft

This provides access to a U.S. FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-08/2 dated January 2008. The outcome of a field evaluation of AeroClave’s thermal decontamination system is discussed. This exercise evaluated the system both as a stand-alone technology and as a means of delivering STERIS vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP®)*. The report is submitted in the context of a decontamination technology selection exercise and work conducted on the efficacy of thermal decontamination. The field evaluation, performed on a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft, determined that the stand-alone thermal decontamination system exhibited reasonable temperature and relative humidity control capabilities. Indeed, the system reproduced the environmental conditions needed to be efficacious as an antiviral process, based on an earlier study. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Flight Attendant Fatigue, Part V : Comparative Study of International Flight Attendant Fatigue Regulations and Collective Bargaining Agreements

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine report DOT/FAA/AM-09/22 written by J.O.Banks ...[et al] and dated November 2009. In 2008, Congress directed the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) to conduct follow-on studies of six recommendation areas noted in an integrated report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and CAMI regarding flight attendant fatigue. The report concluded that some degree of fatigue-related performance affects were likely under current prescriptive rules. Internationally, fatigue risk is managed almost solely through prescriptive rules based on the maximum hours of work and minimum hours of rest. Traditional prescriptive rules, however, have limited applications to round-the-clock operations, often excluding fatigue-contributing factors such as time zone transitions, layover and recovery, time of day, and circadian rhythms (Cabon et al, 2009). Prescriptive rules directly affect crew scheduling and are critical to operator viability; however, due to economic recession, operators are routinely scheduling up to the regulation limits, which could result in an increased likelihood of fatigue and fatigue-related mishaps (Nesthus, Schroeder, Connors, et al., 2007). [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

FlightWeb

This is a website dedicated to Air Medical Professionals around the world.

This includes EMS Pilots, Flight Nurses, Flight Medics, Flight RTs, Flight MDs, Comm Specs, Maintenance, Administration, and all others involved in the air medical transport industry.

The primary goal of the site is to provide timely news, information, and resources. In addition, communications between the various specialties are facilitated by hosting forums such the Flightmed mailing list.

There are links to related sites that are organised under subject headings such as flight programs, industry vendors, air medical resources and military medical transport.

Regular visitors to the site can sign up for a logon account. Benefits include access to certain features, the ability to post comments in the forums, and receive new headlines daily via email.

Formation of Ethanol in Postmortem Tissues

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AM-04/4 by Robert Johnson ...[et al] dated February 2004. During the investigation of aviation accidents, postmortem samples obtained from fatal accident victims are submitted to the FAA�s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute for toxicological analysis. During toxicological evaluations, ethanol analysis is performed on all cases. Many species of bacteria, yeast and fungi have the ability to produce ethanol and other volatile organic compounds in postmortem specimens. The potential for postmortem ethanol formation complicates the interpretation of ethanol-positive results from accident victims. Therefore, the prevention of ethanol formation at all steps following specimen collection is a priority. Sodium fluoride is the most commonly used preservative for postmortem specimens. Several studies have been published detailing the effectiveness of sodium fluoride for the prevention of ethanol formation in blood and urine specimens; however, our laboratory receives blood or urine in approximately 70% of cases. Thus, we frequently rely on tissue specimens for ethanol analysis. The postmortem tissue specimens received by our laboratory have generally been subjected to severe trauma and may have been exposed to numerous microbial species capable of ethanol production. With this in mind, we designed an experiment utilizing unadulterated tissue specimens obtained from aviation accident victims to determine the effectiveness of sodium fluoride at various storage temperatures for the prevention of microbial ethanol formation. We found that without preservative, specimens stored at 4�C for 96 h showed an average increase in ethanol concentration of 1470%. At 25�C, these same specimens showed an average ethanol increase of 1432% after 48 h. With the addition of 1.00% sodium fluoride, there was no significant increase in ethanol concentration at either temperature. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA.

Functional Genomics Group : Program Description

This provides access to a US Federal Aviation Administration Office of Aerospace Medicine technical report DOT/FAA/AM-08/5 written by Dennis Burian and dated April 2008. Regulation of gene expression is a complex process that exquisitely responds to the environment to maintain cellular and, ultimately, organismal homeostasis. Gene expression research is undertaken at the Federal Aviation Administration as a means of discovering sets of biomarkers that change in response to environmental factors that affect aviation safety. This article reviews mechanisms of gene regulation and discusses how genomics is changing the way medicine is practiced today as a means of demonstrating that molecular medicine is here to stay. Next, the protocols that have been developed into a cohesive workflow to perform gene expression analysis are presented. Environmental factors currently under investigation are delineated followed by a discussion of other factors of interest for future research. We believe this research will benefit the aviation industry by improving the accuracy of the data used to write regulation, thus improving the already remarkable safety record of the aviation industry and decreasing medical risks to flight crew. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

no title available

no description supplied

Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Differentiation of Atenolol, Metoprolol, Propranolol, and an Interfering Metabolite Product of Metoprolol

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-04/15) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in October 2004 and was written by Mike K. Angier, Russell J. Lewis, Arvind K. Chaturvedi and Dennis V. Canfield. Pilots who successfully control their hypertension with medications, diet, and/or exercise can be medically certified to fly an aircraft. At the present time, approximately 8% of active pilots are designated as "hypertensive with medication" by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). One of the groups of antihypertensives is the beta-blocker. Of this group, atenolol, metoprolol, and propranolol are commonly prescribed, and they also have chemical and structural similarities. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Guidance for Medical Screening of Commercial Aerospace Passengers

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-06/1) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in January 2006 and was written by M. J. Antuñano, D. L. Baisden, J. Davis, J. Hastings, R. Jennings, D. Jones, J. L. Jordan, S. Mohler, C. Ruehle, G. J. Salazar, W. S. Silberman, P. Scarpa, F. E. Tilton and J. E. Winnery. This document provides general guidance for operators of manned commercial aerospace flights (suborbital and orbital) in the medical assessment of prospective passengers. This guidance is designed to identify those individuals who have medical conditions that may result in an inflight medical emergency or inflight death, or may compromise in any other way the health and safety of any occupants (crew members and passengers) onboard a commercial aerospace vehicle. Space flight exposes individuals to an environment that is far more hazardous than what is experienced by passengers who fly onboard current airline transports. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Gulf War and Health : Volume 6. Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress

This is a full text book made availanle by National Academies Press written by Committee on Gulf War and Health: Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress dated 2008. Given the committee’s charge from VA—to assess the long-term health effects of deployment-related stress—the committee began by defining the deployment in question as “deployment to a war zone.” Combat is one of the most potent stressors that a person can experience, but as military conflicts have evolved to include more guerilla warfare and insurgent activities, restricting the definition of deployment-related stressors to combat may fail to acknowledge other potent stressors experienced by military personnel in a war zone or in the aftermath of combat. Those stressors include constant vigilance against unexpected attack, the absence of a defined front line, the difficulty of distinguishing enemy combatants from civilians, the ubiquity of improvised explosive devices, caring for the badly injured or dying, duty on the graves registration service, and being responsible for the treatment of prisoners of war. Deployment stressors associated with armed conflict include not only combat stressors but noncombat stressors. Non-combat-related stressors that might be experienced by deployed personnel are separation from family, friends, and colleagues; loss of or reduction in income; and concern over employment status when deployment ends. Therefore, the committee considered that military personnel deployed to a war zone, even if direct combat was not experienced, have the potential for exposure to deployment-related stressors and that the emotional and physical reactions of military personnel to those stressors can vary widely. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available to read online in open book format.

How Should Air Force Expeditionary Medical Capabilities Be Expressed?

This gives access to a Rand Organization publication written by Don Snyder ...[et al] dated 2009. This report devises a new metric for measuring expeditionary medical support (EMEDS) and develops a framework for applying it across three Air Force medical mission areas: deployed support to the warfighter, humanitarian relief, and defense support to civil authorities. The operational emphasis of EMEDS is on patient flow. An injured patient receives limited treatment locally and is then moved from the point of injury to an EMEDS facility as quickly as possible. There, the patient is further evaluated, stabilized, triaged, treated, and evacuated to a higher level of care. Each level of care is designed to be sufficient for immediate needs, not to provide definitive care. This emphasis on flow streamlines capabilities that need to be deployed and places the definitive care in the most capable facilities. The current measure of EMEDS capabilities, the number of available beds, is inadequate because the components of the expeditionary medical system are not intended to hold patients. The new metric developed in this study focuses on the rate at which each component of the deployment system can evaluate, stabilize, triage and treat, and evacuate patients, or the medical STEP rate. This measure more closely captures the requirement at the time of need and holds the promise of providing a more agile, responsive, and effective medical deployment capability. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Human Consequences of Agile Aircraft

This web site provides access to a NATO Research and Technology Organization document titled: Human Consequences of Agile Aircraft, RTO-EN-012, March 2000. The report presents a number of papers presented as part of a lecture series. It evaluates the human factors implications for pilots of superagile flight, with specific reference to agile airframes and rapidly configurable systems. The citation and abstract information is in HTML format, and the full text is available online in PDF format (8 Mbytes).

Human Consequences of Agile Aircraft

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report, RTO-TR-015, dated May 2001. The report was sponsored by the the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM). This report contains the following: While historically agile flight was first seen as an issue of airframe agility with a consequent emphasis on acceleration issues, there has been an evolution in the understanding of agility. WG 27 adopted WG 19's recommendations that airframe agility is only one aspect of agility which when combined with weapons agility and systems agility results in "operational agility." The experienced pilots that we interviewed saw a real operational need for agile aircraft. They consistently rated both high angle-of-attack/nose pointing and off-boresight missiles/helmet-mounted display/sight systems as very important capabilities. They denied physiologic problems related to acceleration or spatial disorientation, although their sorties to date have been with a clear sky, in active control. Experts predict an increase in both G-LOC and spatial disorientation mishaps in future agile aircraft. In particular, there are significant gaps in our understanding of the effects of multi-axis accelerations. With minimal constraints on angle-of-attack and expanded weapon launch envelopes, novel displays will be required that enable pilots to fly with references well beyond conventional fields-of-view. Intelligent interfaces, and automated subsystems will be required to help pilots cope with the tactical situation, while also maintaining situational awareness. Efficient controls are also needed to enable pilots to command and operate equipment quickly and accurately. The thrust-vectoring and post-stall operations should be fully integrated into the flight control system. Pilots still prefer controlling aircraft functions via HOTAS (hands-on-throttle-and-stick) although voice and gaze-based control may also be useful. Current pilot protection systems will be inadequate in an unconstrained flight envelope and during ejection. Both basic and applied research will be needed to ensure that the potential benefits of increased agility are realised. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (8.2 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Human Factors and Aviation Medicine

This bimonthly newsletter was one of the seven separate Flight Safety Foundation publications that were superseded by AeroSafety World in 2006. The primary concern of the newsletter was the physical and psychological conditions of pilots and how they influence flight safety. Each issue of the newsletter addresses a single topic. Articles from more recent issues may be viewed in PDF format. Older issues are available from 1988 and onwards.

Human Factors in the 21st Century

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-077, Paris, May 2002. The document contains papers presented at the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) Specialists Meeting, held in Paris, France, 11-13 June 2001. The meeting was particularly concerned with Human Factors problems which have appeared since what is known as the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) dating from the end of the Cold War. The meeting was held in parallel with a workshop on decision making in the 21 century from 13 to 15 June 2001, organised jointly by the DGA (The General Armaments Delegation of the French Ministry of Defence), the ONRIFO (Office of Naval Research Field Office) and the company THALES. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (2.94 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Human Factors in the International Certification of Transport Category Aircraft

This is the full text of a paper presented at the Third Global Flight Safety and Human Factors Symposium, which was held in Auckland, New Zealand in April 1996. It is made available on the Web by the Industry CRM Developers Group, who exist to facilitate development of crew resource management and human factors resources and products.

Identification of Sildenafil (Viagra®) and Its Metabolite (UK 103,320) in Six Aviation Fatalities

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-6/3) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in February 2006 and was written by R. D. Johnson and R. J. Lewis. During the investigation of aviation accidents, postmortem samples from victims are submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute for toxicological analysis. This report presents a rapid and reliable method for the identification and quantitation of sildenafil (Viagra®) and its active metabolite, UK-103,320. This procedure utilizes sildenafil-d8 as an internal standard for more accurate and reliable quantitation. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Impact Head Injury: Responses, Mechanisms, Tolerance, Treatment and Countermeasures

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings, AGARD-CP-597, dated November 1997. These proceedings include the Technical Evaluation Report, a Keynote Address, and 23 invited papers, of the Specialists' Meeting sponsored jointly by the AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel, the Stapp Car Crash Conference Advisory Committee and the Society of Automotive Engineers. Severe head injury resulting from vehicular accidents is a major concern to military and civilian health care workers. Significant advances have been made in the understanding of the causes of severe brain injury and in the factors, both direct and indirect, that contribute to the pathophysiological changes that follow from a severe head injury. Moreover, advances in design and the proper use of countermeasures can significantly reduce head injuries causing death. This Specialists' Meeting addressed the issues of severe head injury from the point of view of: (a) the dynamic response of the head during impacts; (b) brain injury mechanisms in diffuse axonal injury; (c) physical and computer models for assessing injury severity; (d) human tolerance and injury criteria; (e) head injury assessment and treatment; (f) epidemiology in head injury mishaps; (g) harmonization and enforcement of standards for protective head gear; (h) personal protective systems in aircraft; and (i) computer simulations for optimizing head impact protective designs. These proceedings will be of interest to military and civilian medical professionals, accident investigators, safety engineers and research scientists concerned with safety issues in vehicular crash protection. They will also benefit the research manager and scientist or flight surgeon requiring a state-of-the-art review of relevant research in the field of impact head protection. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (45 Mb) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Impacts of Gender Differences on Conducting Operational Activities

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Meeting Proceeding RTO-MP-HFM-158, dated October 2008. This symposium addressed issues related to the growing involvement of women in NATO military forces. This integration of female soldiers affects all military operations since most, if not all, military jobs are open to women. All dimensions of women’s integration were considered in this symposium: physiology, anthropometry, pathology, training, psychology, sociology. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

In-Flight Medical Incapacitation and Impairment of U.S. Airline Pilots: 1993 to 1998

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-04/16) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in October 2004 and was written by Charles A. DeJohn, Alex M. Wolbrink and Julie G. Larcher. Although it is not known when the first accident due to pilot in-flight medical incapacitation occurred, a recent survey showed that almost one-third of all pilots who responded had experienced an incapacitation requiring another crewmember to take over their duties, with safety of flight significantly threatened in 3% of cases. The importance of in-flight medical incapacitation and impairment can be better understood when it is realized that each in-flight medical incapacitation or impairment could potentially lead to an aircraft accident. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Inactivating Influenza Viruses on Surfaces Using Hydrogen Peroxide or Triethylene Glycol at Low Vapor Concentrations

This gives access to a Federal Aviation Administration, Aerospace Medicine Technical Report DOT/FAA/AM-09/7 written by Stephen Rudnick ...[et al] dated April 2009. Any of the exposed surfaces in airplanes can become contaminated with infectious viruses, such as influenza, and facilitate transmission of disease. In this study, we disinfected surfaces contaminated with influenza viruses. Selection of the specific decontamination agents used in this study was based on three criteria: 1) no harm would be caused to the mechanical components or avionics of the airplane, 2) no potentially harmful residue would be left behind, and 3) the airplane could quickly be returned to service. We chose two decontamination agents that we believed fulfilled these criteria: 1) hydrogen peroxide (HP) at vapor concentrations in air below 100 ppm and 2) triethylene glycol (TEG) saturated air, which has a TEG vapor concentration of about 2 ppm at 25°C. For influenza viruses deposited on stainless-steel coupons and exposed for 15 min to 10 to 90 ppm of HP vapor, the number of log reductions of active viruses ranged from 3.6 to 4.7. The number of log reductions, however, was not linear with time; log reduction rate decreased significantly with increasing exposure time. For example, at a HP vapor concentration of 57 ppm, the number of log reductions was 3.2 after 2.5 min but just 4.0 after 10 min. Even after 60 min, the number of log reductions was only 5.6. At a HP vapor concentration of 10 ppm, the number of log reductions was 2.0 after 2.5 min. This corresponds to 99% inactivation of viruses, a significant reduction for such a low HP vapor concentration. For air saturated with TEG at 25-29°C, the number of log reductions of influenza viruses versus exposure time followed a linear relationship reasonably well. The decontamination rate was equal to 1.3 log reductions per hour. The potential for damage to the mechanical components or avionics of the airplane at a TEG vapor concentration of 2 ppm would be expected to be minimal. In addition, at a 2 ppm TEG vapor concentration, there is essentially no health risks to people. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDf format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read.

Increased Cannabinoids Concentrations Found in Specimens From Fatal Aviation Accidents Between 1997 and 2006

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine Report written by Dennis Canfield ...[et al] and dated June 2009. The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute’s toxicology laboratory receives biological specimens from more than 90% of all fatal aviation accidents that occur in the United States and its territories. As a part of the routine analysis of pilot specimens, the laboratory tests all cases for the presence of marijuana (cannabis). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reported a 1.5-fold increase in the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of street cannabis seizures from1997-2001 to 2002-2006. This study was conducted to compare the changes, over those years, in blood and urine cannabinoid concentrations with the potency of THC reported in the cannabis plant. In our laboratory, cannabinoids are screened using radioimmunoassay (RIA) for blood and fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) for urine and confirmed using GC/MS. A total of 95 individuals were found to be using cannabis from a total number of 2769 (3.4%) individuals tested over the period 1997 through 2006. Blood was received for analysis from 1676 fatally injured individuals. Urine was received for analyses from 1650 fatalities. Cannabinoids were found in 88 of the 1676 (5.3%) blood specimens received for analysis, and 64 of the 88 were from pilots. Cannabinoids were found in 68 of the 1650 (4.1%) urine specimens received for analysis, and 57 of the 68 were from pilots. Other impairing drugs were found in 39% of the cannabinoids-positive individuals. The mean concentration of THC in blood for 1997-2001 was 2.7 ng/mL; for 2002-2006, it was 7.2 ng/mL, a 2.7-fold increase in the mean THC concentration of specimens from aviation fatalities, compared to a 1.5-fold increase in cannabis potency reported by the NIDA and ONDCP over the 10 years of this study. The median age for cannabis users was 42 years (range 18-72) for aviation fatalities. For all blood and urine specimens tested from aviation fatalities, the mean age of the individuals with negative test results was 50 years (range 14-92). More than half of the fatalities tested were 50 years or older, whereas 80% of the positive cannabis users were under 50. THC concentrations in blood ranged from 0 ng/mL to 68 ng/mL, with a mean concentration of 5.5 ng/mL. Concentrations of 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THC-COOH) found in blood ranged from 0 ng/mL to 179 ng/mL, with a mean concentration of 17.5 ng/mL. Urine concentrations for THC-COOH ranged from 2 to 1,113 ng/mL, with a mean concentration of 137.9 ng/mL. [Taken from abstract]. The full text os available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Index of International Publications in Aerospace Medicine 2007

This provides access to a Federal Aviation administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AM-07/2 by Melchor Antunano and Katherine Wade dated March 2007. The Index of International Publications in Aerospace Medicine is a comprehensive listing of international publications in clinical aerospace medicine, operational aerospace medicine, aerospace physiology, environmental medicine/physiology, diving medicine/physiology, aerospace human factors, as well as other topics directly or indirectly related to aerospace medicine. The Index is divided into six major sections: I) Open Publications in General Aerospace Medicine, II) Government Publications in General Aerospace Medicine, III) Publications in Other Topics Related to Aerospace Medicine, IV) Proceedings From Scientific Meetings in Aerospace Medicine and Psychology, V) Journals, Newsletters, and Bulletins in Aerospace Medicine and Aerospace Human Factors, and VI) On-line Databases Containing Bibliographic and Regulatory Information in Aerospace Medicine and Related Disciplines. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format form the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Index of International Publications in Aerospace Medicine : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AM-01/15, by Melchor J. Antu�ano and Katherine Wade, dated August 2001. The Index of International Publications in Aerospace Medicine is a comprehensive listing of international publications in clinical aerospace medicine, operational aerospace medicine, aerospace physiology, environmental medicine/physiology, diving medicine/physiology, aerospace human factors, as well as other topics directly or indirectly related to aerospace medicine. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA.

Index to FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Reports : 1961 through 2008

This provides access to a U.S. FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-09/1 dated Hanuary 2009. An index to Federal Aviation Administration Office of Aerospace Medicine Reports (1964-2008) and Civil Aeromedical Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. The index lists all FAA aerospace medicine technical reports published from 1961 through 2008: chronologically, alphabetically by author, and alphabetically by subject. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Index to FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Reports: 1961 Through 2004

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-11/1) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in January 2005 and was written by William E. Collins, Michael E. Wayda and Katherine Wade. An index to Federal Aviation Administration Office of Aerospace Medicine Reports (1964-2004) and Civil Aeromedical Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. The index lists all FAA aerospace medicine technical reports published from 1961 through 2004: chronologically, alphabetically by author, and alphabetically by subject. A foreword describes the index's sections and explains how to obtain copies of published Office of Aerospace Medicine technical reports. A historical vignette describes the earliest efforts to establish new medical leadership at Washington headquarters and the Civil Aeromedical Research. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Indian Journal of Aerospace Medicine

The Indian Journal of Aerospace Medicine (IJASM) is published bi-annually by the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM). The journal showcases the research work being carried out by specialists in the field of aerospace medicine in India. The full text of all articles published since 2000 are available in PDF format.

Individual Differences in the Adaptability to Irregular Rest-Work Rhythms/Status of the Use of Drugs in Sleep-Wakefulness Management

This site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-031, Paris, March 2000. These proceedings include the Technical Evaluation Report, two Keynote Addresses and 20 solicited papers of the Workshop sponsored by the NATO Human Factors and Medicine Panel and held at the Scuola Navale Militare Francesco Morosini" in Venice, Italy, from 3-4 June 1999. NATO Contingency Operations provide new challenges to military personnel's health, safety and performance. In fact, these operations are commonly characterized by the need for effective performance at any time of the day or night. There is a growing body of knowledge pointing to the existence of important individual psychophysiological differences that may enable some individuals to better adapt to irregular rest-work rhythms. Furthermore, selected categories of drugs may be employed in operational conditions. The purpose of this Workshop was to address both the individual difference implications during irregular sleep-wake regimens and the state of the art in the pharmacological management of sleep-wake rhythms. The papers addressed the individual difference implications in: a) sustained and continuous operations; b) flash adaptation to shift work and to new time zones; c) tendency to fall asleep; d) sleep deprivation; e) polyphasic rest-work schedules and napping strategies; f) sleep inertia. In addition, the papers also addressed the usefulness in operational settings of: a) bright light therapy; b) melatonin therapy; c) hypnotics to promote sleep; d) stimulants to sustain performance. These proceedings will be of interest to those who are concerned with the sleep-wake management of personnel in air, sea and land operations; to aerospace scientists, as well as to people working in the field of applied sleep research, wanting an updated review of relevant research in the field of individual difference implications and the pharmacological/non-pharmacological management of irregular rest-work schedules. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (12Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Injury Prevention in Aircraft Crashes: Investigative Techniques and Applications

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Lecture Series, AGARD-LS-208, dated February 1998. It is sponsored by the Aerospace Medicine Panel and the Consultant and Exchange Programme of AGARD, presented on 24-25 November 1997 in Farnborough, UK, and 1-2 December 1997 in Madrid, Spain. This Lecture Series addresses a critical aspect of the investigations related to the factors implied in the prevention of potential injuries among aircraft occupants as a consequence of impact and post-crash fires, heat and toxic fumes. It comprises a review of the critical aspects of injury prevention. The topics covered include a description of the acceleration vectors involved, how they may have an influence on the aircraft, and how the acceleration forces might be tolerated by the aviator. In addition, the physical analysis of impact and crash survivability is discussed, focusing on what happens during a mishap. Furthermore a review is made on how to evaluate the tolerable deceleration forces and occupiable space required to sustain life. A part of this LS is devoted to answering questions such as, when did the injury occur, the nature of the forces that produced the injury, and their relationship to a mishap. Injury types related to the thermal and intrusive impact of the deceleration forces are also discussed, as are aspects related to the collection of medical information that would help identify the potential causes and the effects on an individual; in particular, the way in which the occupant moves in response to the forces applied. These forces may have a profound effect upon the nature and severity of the injury. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

International Aviation Safety Association

The International Aviation Safety Association (IASA) was officially founded in New York on 04 Mar 99 but had been operating informally as a loose association of aviation safety proponents since the Swissair Flight 111 MD11 accident in September 1998. The site is intended to highlight and publicise global air safety issues. It provides access to a large collection of information resources including commentaries, articles and other full text documents (pdf format) covering a wide range of flight safety topics and regulations. It includes a "target" list of air safety issues, notably aircraft wiring, and offers a resource guide to aircraft wiring arcing fires. A section of the site is concerned with cabin safety issues. The site also contains video clips, news items, press releases, newsletter (PDF format), as well as links to Air Safety Week Magazine, and a large collection of links to other avaion safety related internet sites.

Interpretation of Carboxyhemoglobin and Cyanide Concentrations in Relation to Aviation Accidents

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/9) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in May 2005 and was written by Dennis V. Canfield, Arvind K. Chaturvedi and Kurt M. Dubowski. Carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) are combustion products of organic material, but their production depends on material constituents and environmental conditions. Non-nitrogenous organic materials generate CO, whereas nitrogenous organic materials also produce HCN. For fire-involved aviation accidents, it is important to determine if the fire occurred during flight or after the crash and to establish the source(s) of the toxic gases. Therefore, this study was pursued. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Interpretation of Measured Alcohol Levels in Fatal Aviation Accident Victims

This web site provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research Analysis Report by Dr. Shelley Robertson dated January 2005. The determination of blood ethanol concentration in a deceased pilot is an important part of the accident investigation. The finding of an elevated blood alcohol level in such a case may have significant implications, both medico-legal and social. It is therefore important to ensure that the finding of an elevated blood alcohol concentration is valid. It is known that micro-organisms involved in the process of putrefaction after death can produce alcohol, usually a mixture of ethanol and other volatile substances. This process occurs when a body is not refrigerated soon after death and is hastened by environmental conditions such as high temperatures and when the body has been traumatised. Older methods of analysis could not distinguish between ethanol and mixtures of other volatile compounds. Current methodology (gas chromatography) can isolate ethanol and identify other substances. There is a range of specimens in which ethanol can be measured. Their suitability for analysis can be determined by microbiological studies although this would not be routinely performed in most laboratories. Medico-legal and forensic implications are associated with a �blood alcohol concentration�.49 It therefore seems most useful to measure the ethanol level in a specimen of blood, but this may not always be available depending on the state of the body. Vitreous is the next specimen of choice, and valid conclusions regarding the ingestion of alcohol can usually be made based on the results of its analysis. Urine analysis may also be helpful, particularly in conjunction with blood and vitreous. Comparison of levels of these three specimens is probably the ideal means of interpreting blood alcohol concentrations. If none of these specimens is available, resort can be made to other organ and tissue samples but there are difficulties in both methodology and interpretation of results relating any alcohol present to ingested ethanol. Ethanol in gastric contents generally indicates recent ingestion, but the rapid absorption of ethanol and post-mortem diffusion from the stomach may limit the usefulness of analysis of gastric contents. The presence of volatile compounds in addition to ethanol (seen by gas chromatography methods) may suggest post-mortem production by micro-organisms but also needs to be interpreted cautiously. It is possible to measure parameters which are associated with or indicate ethanol consumption. These are qualitative only and do not enable the blood ethanol concentration to be calculated or estimated. They have applications in a clinical setting where they address the issue of alcohol consumption in previous days. This is not usually the main issue in a fatal aviation accident investigation, where the �bottle to throttle� rule applies, and the issue is what factors were influencing the pilot�s capacity to fly the aircraft. Two of these measurements, ethyl glucuronide and the 5-HTOL: 5-HIAA may have some application in the future of fatal aviation accident investigation but they are not currently performed routinely. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format and is provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau web site.

Invisible Wounds of War : Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery

saThis give access to a study published by the Rand Organization edited by Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox dated 2008. The study discussed in this monograph focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury, not only because of current high-level policy interest but also because, unlike the physical wounds of war, these conditions are often invisible to the eye, remaining invisible to other servicemembers, family members, and society in general. All three conditions affect mood, thoughts, and behavior; yet these wounds often go unrecognized and unacknowledged. The effect of traumatic brain injury is still poorly understood, leaving a large gap in knowledge related to how extensive the problem is or how to address it. RAND conducted a comprehensive study of the post-deployment health-related needs associated with these three conditions among OEF/OIF veterans, the health care system in place to meet those needs, gaps in the care system, and the costs associated with these conditions and with providing quality health care to all those in need. This monograph presents the results of our study, which should be of interest to mental health treatment providers; health policymakers, particularly those charged with caring for our nation’s veterans; and U.S. service men and women, their families, and the concerned public. All the research products from this study are available at http://veterans.rand.org. Data collection for this study began in April 2007 and concluded in January 2008. Specific activities included a critical review of the extant literature on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury and their short- and long-term consequences; a population-based survey of servicemembers and veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq to assess health status and symptoms, as well as utilization of and barriers to care; a review of existing programs to treat servicemembers and veterans with the three conditions; focus groups with military servicemembers and their spouses; and the development of a microsimulation model to forecast the economic costs of these conditions over time. Among our recommendations is that effective treatments documented in the scientific literature — evidence-based care — are available for PTSD and major depression. Delivery of such care to all veterans with PTSD or major depression would pay for itself within two years, or even save money, by improving productivity and reducing medical and mortality costs. Such care may also be a cost-effective way to retain a ready and healthy military force for the future. However, to ensure that this care is delivered requires system-level changes across the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. health care system. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Isolation of RNA from Peripheral Blood Cells : A Validation Study for Molecular Diagnositcs by Microarray and Kinetic RT-PCR Assays - Application in Aerospace Medicine.

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT?FAA/AM-04/1 by Nicole Vu [et al] dated January 2004. Gene expression studies in clinical diagnostic settings involve a large number of samples collected at different time points requiring effective methods for collection, transportation , storage and isolation of RNA to maintain the integrity of expression profiles.Human whole blood is a vital source of RNA for anlaysis of environmental exposure, performance evaluation, and pathogenesis of diseases because blood constituents maintain homeostasis, effect immunity and inflammation (1), or function as mediators in stress signaling (2-3) and in cellular communication of vascular associated tissues including those of the central nervous system (4-7). However, whole blood is a challenging tissue, since RNA information primarily resides in the small number of circulating blood leukocytes (8). Leukocytes comprise only 0.1% of the blood cellular fraction with approximately 5% of erythrocytes being in different stages of maturation and, therefore, having preformed mRNAs (9). Thus, isolation strategies using whole blood should recognize the limited quantities of useful RNA that must be protected from the hostile leukocyte ribonucleases, in addition to the abundance of preformed mRNA in reticulocytes, high protein content, and transcriptional activation of cells during sample processing in vitro. The challenges are how to preserve valid gene expression profiles from sample collection to isolation and how to maximize RNA yields and purity for sensitive downstream analyses. While different uses of nucleic acids have motivated many different ways for mRNA enrichment, the efficiency of these methods has not been determined for expression profiling of human whole blood. This report presents data demonstrating that the collection, treatment, and storage of collected blood samples can affect subsequent RNA isolation and analysis. Further, this report shows that total RNA isolated from human whole blood using the modified procedure of PAXgeneAEE Blood RNA reagent kit is suitable for gene expression analysis by cDNA microarray and kinetic RT-PCR assays. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF formate, from the online catalogue of the FAA.

Jet Lag : Prevent Jet Lag with the Anti-Jet-Lag Diet

A scientific diet developed to prevent jet lag and proven in military flight. The Anti-Jet-Lag Diet can reduce or prevent jet lag for anyone travelling east or west across three or more time zones. Developed by Argonne National Laboratory biologists studying the body's inner clocks, the Anti-Jet-Lag Diet uses nature's time cues to help the body adjust quickly to a new time zone. The site has information on the diet and frequently asked questions along with the full-text of an article in the journal 'Military Medicine' which reports on a study of the diet used by National Guard troops.

Kingdom in the Sky - Earthly Fetters and Heavenly Freedoms : The Pilot's Approach to the Military Flight Environment

This web site provides access to a NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) document, RTO AGARDograph 338, July 2000; prepared by V.Ponomarenko et al, sponsored by the Human Factors and Medicine panel (HFM) of RTO. This publication presents a view of the psychology of pilots from a Russian perspective. It covers a number of topics including: flight hazards; the impact of aircraft accident investigations on flight crew; human factors and flight safety; ergonomics; and aspects of aerospace medicine. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (12.5 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Landings

Landings is an established aviation directory service. It provides access to a wide variety of aviation related resources. It includes mediated expert forums covering topic areas such as GPS, maintenance, aviation medicine and law. There are listings of newsgroups and e-mail groups. An extensive reference section includes links to various databases of FAA Regulations, Canadian Regulations, Service Difficulty Reports, Airworthiness Alerts, NTSB Briefs, N Numbers and many more. The reference section also includes coverage of aerospace companies, museums, reports and other publications. Landings also has sections devoted to aircraft/parts; air transport/airports; services; general aviation; government/military: and pilot supplies.

Logistic Regression Analysis of Operational Errors and Routine Operations Using Sector Characteristics

This provides access to a U.S. FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-09/4 dated March 2009. Two separate logistic regression analyses were conducted for low- and high-altitude sectors to determine whether a set of dynamic sector characteristics variables could reliably discriminate between operational error (OE) and routine operation (RO) traffic samples. OE data were derived from SATORI re-creations of OEs occurring at the Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center between 9/17/2001 and 12/10/2003. RO data were extracted from System Analysis Recordings (SARs) taped between 5/8/2003 and 5/10/2003. Dynamic sector characteristics submitted as potential predictors were: Average Control Duration, Number of Handoffs, Number of Heading Changes, Number of Intersecting Flight Paths, Number of Point Outs, and Number of Transitioning Aircraft. In the low-altitude sector model, backward stepwise elimination reduced the variables to the Number of Intersecting Flight Paths, the Number of Point Outs, and the Number of Handoffs with 75% overall classification accuracy. In the high-altitude sector model, backward stepwise elimination reduced the variables to the Number of Intersecting Flight Paths, the Number of Heading Changes, the Number of Transitioning Aircraft, and Average Control Duration with 79% overall classification accuracy. Classification rates achieved through the use of the selected sector characteristics support the assumption that elements of the sector environment contribute to the occurrence of OEs. Continued investigations along these lines may highlight complexity factors that should be addressed to ensure that separation is maintained. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Manual on Air Passenger Health Issues

This is a document produced by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC). It was adopted by Recommendation ECAC/28-1 on Air Passenger Health Issues, and was published 21 April 2005. The document warns that unless supplementary efforts are made, medical incidents affecting passengers in-flight are likely to rise in the years to come. The reason for this lies in a number of factors, including the forecast growth in air transport, the upsurge in air travel amongst older people, and the development of ultra long-haul services on wide-body aircraft which carry larger numbers of persons in flight for longer periods. The document recommends that medical experts of the industry and regulators in conjunction with other relevant bodies should develop best practices or guidelines, taking into account relevant technical and economical issues, in the following areas: specifications for on-board medical equipment; training of cabin crew with regard to assistance to passengers; use of air/ground/air communications to assist in establishing diagnosis and treatment, and in making decisions to divert the aircraft; guidelines regarding aircraft design and/or cabin lay-out, to facilitate medical treatment of passengers on board; and organisation of medical assistance at the airport. It also suggests that the legal aspects of assistance to passengers need to be considered, and in particular ways to facilitate the provision of emergency medical care onboard by a passenger doctor or other health professional, and communication with the passengers on health related issues should be improved, in particular by developing improved information sources. The aim of the document is to provide guidance on good practice where possible, and to provide recommendations where further work is required in order to develop or refine these guidelines. The text of the document is available in PDF format (297 Ko)

Measuring the Strategic Value of the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA)

This provides access to a a Rand Organization document written by James H. Bigelow, Katherine M. Harris, and Richard Hillestad dated 2008. The Military Health System (MHS) provides health care to active duty service members and their families, retirees and their families, and Guard and Reserve members serving on active duty and their families. In January 2004, the MHS began implementation of the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA), DoD's global electronic health record system. AHLTA will ultimately be used by all providers in the military's direct care system at the point of care. The authors describe a four-part framework they recommend that DoD adopt in measuring AHLTA's contribution to MHS performance: (1) outcome measures capturing valued domains of system performance plausibly influenced by the presence of AHLTA; (2) “treatments” — ways of using AHLTA that are expected to influence one or more outcome measures, (3) a logic model describing the mechanisms or processes by which uses of AHLTA (i.e., treatments) influence outcome measures, and (4) an evaluation design for estimating AHLTA's effect on outcome measures in quantitative terms. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDf format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Medical Guidelines for Airline Passengers

This document has been prepared by the Aerospace Medical Association, Alexandria, VA, May 2002. It is written by Michael Bagshaw et al. It has been prepared for interested air travelers. It is informational only and should not be interpreted by the reader as prescriptive. The issues addressed include: in-flight medical care, infectious diseases, cabin air quality, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pregnancy and pulmonary (lung) diseases. It is available in Word format.

Medical Guidelines for Airline Travel

This document has been prepared by the Aerospace Medical Association, Medical Guidelines Task Force, Alexandria, VA, May 2003. The guidelines are intended for primary care and specialist physicians so they will be better prepared to advise patients who are contemplating air travel. The reader is cautioned that the material applies only to passengers and not to airline crews or cabin attendants. The text of the document is available in PDF format (224 Kb).

Medical Screening of Subjects for Acceleration and Positive Pressure Breathing

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Advisory Report, AGARD-AR-352, dated July 1997. The AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel sponsored a Workshop on the Medical Surveillance of Subjects for Acceleration Research. There remain unanswered questions about the possible long-term medical complications of repetitive exposure to G forces. The outcome of the Workshop includes a consensus protocol for medical screening of subjects for acceleration research, and a protocol for a database to track medical occurrences of NATO centrifuges. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format and the full text is available in PDF format from the RTO's web site.

Medical Surveillance Programs for Aircraft Maintenance Personnel Performing Nondestructive Inspection and Testing

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-5/21) which was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in November 2005 and was written by V. B. Nakagawra, R. W. Montgomery and G. W. Good. The Visual inspection and nondestructive inspection and testing (NDI/NDT) are performed routinely to ensure that aircraft are maintained in safe operating condition. Inspectors must make critical judgments about the condition of aircraft and aircraft components using their eyes, basic visual aids (magnifiers, mirrors, and flashlights), and complicated NDI/NDT techniques to detect anomalies. Failure to detect observable defects has been implicated in several aviation accidents. This study examines the medical surveillance programs employed by aircraft maintenance facilities in the United States, including specific vision standards and tests used for inspection personnel. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Medication for Military Aircrew: Current Use, Issues, and Strategies for Expanded Options

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report, RTO-TR-014, dated June 2001. The report was sponsored by the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM). The report examines the current state of aeromedical issues for treatment of certain commonly encountered conditions in military, aircrew. Medications identified as candidates for immediate study for the benefit of military aircrew and their air forces are used for hypertension, lipid disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, malaria prevention, promotion of performance during prolonged sleepless periods, and promotion of sleep for short periods of time to support sustained operations. Recommendations are presented on ways of enhancing knowledge between nations about aeromedical research on medications effects and aeromedical experience with medication. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (1.02 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

MedWeb

MedWeb is a resource provided by the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library of Emory University. It takes the form of a catalogue of health related Web sites and is both searchable by keyword and browseable by subject area. One of the subjects is Aerospace Medicine. A link to the resources and a brief description are provided. There is also a facility to suggest a site for inclusion.

Minimum Colour Vision Requirements for Flight Crew : Use of Colour Signals and the Assessment of Colour Vision Requirements in Aviation Part I

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) paper 2006/04 Part I dated August 2006. This paper details an examination as to whether the current colour vision tests and standards for professional pilots are still appropriate for modern aviation. This is part of a study to develop a new colour vision test and establish standard norms for the chromatic sensitivity that can be used to quantify the severity of colour vision lots. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Minimum Colour Vision requirements for Professional Flight Crew : Task Analysis Part II

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) paper 2006/04 Part II dated August 2006. As part of a study to develop a new colour vision test for professional pilots, a task analysis was undertaken on an Airbus A321 and Boeing 757. This paper summarises the methodology used and the results of the task analysis. {Taken from abstract]. The full text of this document is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Models for Aircrew Safety Assessment : Uses, Limitations and Requirements

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-20, Paris, August 1999. The document contains papers presented at the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) Specialists' Meeting held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA, 26-28 October 1998. The meeting covered modelling of human body responses to environmental stressors, and the systems with which the body reacts for impact, emergency escape, sustained acceleration, motion sickness, high altitude, mechanical shock, vibration, blast, extreme thermal conditions, directed energy, and live fire. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (36.7 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

NATO Force Health Protection Requirements from Pre- to Post-Deployment : Population Health for the Military

This is Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-109, Paris, December 2003. The document contains papers due to be presented at the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) Symposium which was scheduled to be held in Antalya, Turkey, 7-9 April 2003 but cancelled due to circumstances beyond TTO's control. The papers focus on the integration of all kinds of protection possibilities for different health threats that the military encounter during periods of deployment. In particular, the measures that can be done before, during and post deployment are addressed. The symposium programme focused on both the required interventions as well as the systems that can monitor health risks, exposure or health changes. A table of contents, and the full text (9.3 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library

no title available

no description supplied

Neil Krey's CRM Developers Forum

This site provides a means to identify needs, coordinate processes, and facilitate development of crew resource management and human factors resources and products. The site provides a careers service where job seekers can post their details and organisations post details of vacancies, a mailing list called crm-devel, extensive links to relevant Web sites and full text publications, and the full text of 'CRM Advocate', a newsletter which was published between 1993 and 1996.

Neurological Limitations of Aircraft Operations: Human Performance Implications

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings, AGARD-CP-579, dated April 1996. This proceedings was sponsored by the AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel and held at the Deutsche Forschunosanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt, Linder Hohe, Cologne, GE from 9- 12 October 1995. NATO air operations in the future will have improved capabilities for mobility, flexibility, rapid augmentation and situation awareness, The rapid changes and sophisticated innovations taking place in technology imply that air warfare will become more knowledge intensive and, accordingly, more dependent on a well conditioned nervous system. Advancements in technology are also driving air and the concomitant support operations into the outer limits of humun mental and physical endurance. There is also the requirement of doing more work with fewer resources. The purpose of this Symposium was to address some of the factors that impose limitations on the nervous system, and to consider the practical challenges for enhancing neurological performance in such operational conditions as described above. The papers addressed neurological limitations imposed by: (1) the Gz environment; (2) the hypoxia environment; (3) disease and trauma; (4) neurosensory limitations; (5) fatigue and sleepiness in workload; (6) stress effects; (7) sustained operations. The practical challenges in enhancing neurological performance were addressed for: (1) heavy jet operations; (2) rotary wing operations; (3) air traffic control operations; and (4) ground and support operations. These proceedings will be of interest to those concerned with the health and safety of personnel in the air and support operations, and the aerospace scientist wanting a review of relevant research in the field of air operations neuroscience. For individual titles, see N96-36140 through N96-36171. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (49 Mb) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

New Refractive Surgery Procedures and Their Implications for Aviation Safety

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-6/9) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in April 2006 and was written by V. B. Nakagawa, K. J. Wood and R. W. Montgomery. Since the early 1980s, civil airmen have been allowed to correct refractive error (i.e., myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) with corrective surgery. Prior Federal Aviation Administration research studies have shown that the number of civil airmen with refractive surgery continues to increase. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Nutrition, Metabolic Disorders and Lifestyle of Aircrew

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-533, dated March 1993. These proceedings include the Technical Evaluation Report and 30 papers of the symposium sponsored by the AGARD Aerospace Medical Panel and held in Oslo, Norway from 19-23 Oct. 1992. The theme of the symposium was to review and update the knowledge pertaining to diet and nutrition as it applies to aircrew. The metabolic disorders, including hyperlipidemia and alterations of carbohydrate metabolism, are common problems in aviation medicine that demand specific attention and management by NATO flight surgeons. Hyperlipidemia is a cardiovascular risk factor that by itself or when combined with cigarette smoking and sedentary behavior as well as other risk factors presents a formidable problem for all NATO Air Forces as this directly impacts at pilot performance. Performance may also be affected by inadequate crew rest, environmental extremes and time zone shifts, all of which were illustrated in the Persian Gulf Conflict. For individual titles, see N93-32241 through N93-32269. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (49.32MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Operational Colour Vision in the Modern Aviation Environment

The site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report RTO-TR-016, prepared by the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) of RTO, dated March 2001. The reports in part sets out to review the latest data on colour perception, and examines the equipment and procedures available for testing professional colour sense. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (23.3 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Operational Fatigue

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Meeting Proceeding RTO-MP-HFM-151, dated December 2007. Fatigue is the state of reduced human performance capability caused by an inability to continue to cope with physiological stressors. It decreases vigilance and there appears to be a lack of awareness of this decrease in vigilance. In a life time career perspective it is concluded that an ongoing personal need for high performance can induce severe fatigue, without being noticed as such. From research on environmental stressors it appears that heat production during dynamic exercise can elevate core temperature rapidly. Such hyperthermia during prolonged exercise in hot environments is an independent cause of exercise fatigue. The monitoring of soldiers for impending performance degradation is done effectively by their good leaders. In some special cases, it can also be done by another person with sensors and remote monitoring. Technologies to do this same kind of monitoring automatically are not yet reliable in their prediction. Affordable near term potential countermeasures to fatigue include: training to build resilience, rest and recovery strategies, “pre-habilitation”(physical therapy in advance of failure), nutrition and dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, assistive technologies, “mindfulness” training and rescheduling of work schemes. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Operational Issues of Aging Crewmembers

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-33, Paris, August 2000. The documents contains papers presented at the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel Symposium, held in Toulon, France, 11-14 October 1999. Topics covered at the meeting include amongst others: G tolerance; jet lag; spinal disease; ECG findings during centrifuge training; hypoxia tolerance; sleep; fatigue; risk taking; psychological performance; cognitive and sensory limitations; endocrine responses to training programs, biochemical-metabolic indices; cardiovascular risk factors; ocular problems; and visual acuity. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (19.5 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Operational Medical Issues in Hypo- and Hyperbaric Conditions

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-062, Paris, June 2001. The documents contains papers presented at the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel Symposium, held in Toronto, Canada, 16-19 October 2000. Themes addressed by the Symposium were decompression illness, breathing gas composition, hypoxia, hyperbaric oxygen treatment of combat injuries, selection, training and adaptation of personnel for special operations, Eustachian tube function, barotrauma, alternobaric vertigo, positive pressure breathing and long term health damage in divers. Relevant technical issues were also discussed. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (13.3 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Operational use of contact lenses by military aircrew

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AG-334, dated October 1992. The text discusses the operational requirements of military personnel relative to the use of contact lenses (CL) and particular emphasis is given to the experience of those NATO air forces that currently have aircrew flying with contact lenses. Topics such as lens optical performance, user compliance, and a definition of adequate eye-care supervision are highlighted. The text seeks to identify the critical factors to be taken into account when the decision is made to permit the use of contact lenses by military aircrew, and weights medical considerations and military field conditions, in this regard. Finally, specific military aeromedical conditions in modern aircraft are discussed, with emphasis on the advantages and disadvantages of CL visual correction. Based on extensive deliberations in the group, WG 16 offers a detailed list of recommendations for the use of CL by military aircrews. These recommendations will also be useful for military medical authorities supervising visual correction guidelines for non-flying personnel. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (7.07MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Operator Functional State Assessment

This site provides access to a Research and Technology Organisation Technical Report, RTO-TR-HFM-104, Paris, February 2004. The report has been prepared by the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) Task Group HFM-056/TG-008. The material in this publication also supported a Lecture Series under the sponsorship of the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) presented on 8-9 September 2003 in Kiev, Ukraine; 11-12 September 2003 in Brussels, Belgium; and 2-3 October 2003 in San Diego, USA. The goal of this report is to assemble the pertinent information concerning the factors that produce suboptimal performance in human operators. It provides a comprehensive survey of the risk factors that impact human performance and the assessment methods for measuring these effects. Theoretical concerns are presented as a framework for the risk factors that reduce the functioning of human operators. Methods for detecting impaired operator functional state are presented and include physiological, performance, and subjective assessment procedures. The rationale for each measure is presented along with the technological required to make the measurements. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, individual papers and the full text of the document (5.2 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

no title available

no description supplied

Perceptions and Efficacy of Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) Programs Among Small-scale Operators

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-12/1) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in January 2012 and was written by Lowe SE, Pfleiderer EM, Chidester TR. Despite safety and economic advantages, as well as endorsements by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, and Congress, voluntary Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) participation has not been fully implemented in the United States (GAO, 2010), particularly among small operators. Pilots’ concern about data misuse continues to be one of the primary factors preventing participation in voluntary safety programs.[Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Physical fitness in flying including the aging and aged aircrew

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-81, dated March 1971. This report illustrates the outcome of a Specialist meeting on Physical fitness in flying including the aging and aged aircrew. At the first meeting of the committee of the special clinical and Physiological Problems in military aviation held in London in 1968 the committee made the proposal to the ASMP to cover questions of Physical fitness in flying by a symposium to be held in 1970. The term Physical fitness should in this instance not include psychological and psychiatric problems, but deal with the following questions: 1. Is there any operation value in being physically fit? 2. How to measure physical fitness for flying? 3. What kind of physical training is necessary to keep aircrew fit for flying? The other question, "What is the effect of the aging process on fitness for flying?" led t o the Committee's second proposal t o cover this problem also by a symposium. The ASMP agreed last year in Florence that, since this is a topic on which there many differing opinions are and which is related to the first equally difficult subject, namely "Physical Fitness in Flying", both these subjects should be considered in one symposium. It is of utmost importance to maintain a man in his optimum physical and mental condition t o protect and to assist him in overcoming the influences of a hostile environment. This can only be achieved if motivated and skilled scientists cooperate in this task with their specialised knowledge. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents and the full text (15.34MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Poppy Seed Consumption or Opiate Use: The Determination of Thebaine and Opiates of Abuse in Postmortem Fluids and Tissues

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/11) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in June 2005 and was written by Robert D. Johnson, Russell J. Lewis and Rachael A. Hattrup. Opiates are some of the most widely prescribed drugs in America. Some opiate compounds are highly addictive and are often abused. Opiate abuse transcends all social, racial, and economic boundaries. Demonstrating the presence or absence of opiate compounds in postmortem fluids and/or tissues derived from fatal civil aviation accidents can have serious legal consequences and may help determine the cause of impairment and/or death. However, the consumption of poppy seed products can result in a positive opiate drug test. Therefore, the interpretation of positive opiate results must be viewed with caution. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Predictive Validity of the Aviation Lights Test for Testing Pilots With Color Vision Deficiencies

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-04/14) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in September 2004 and was written by Nelda J. Milburn and Henry W. Mertens. The color filters of the Farnsworth Lantern (FALANT) were changed to meet the Federal Aviation Administration�s signal color specifications, thereby creating a job-sample color vision test called the Aviation Lights Test (ALT) that is used for secondary screening of air traffic control specialist applicants in the terminal option. The purpose of this experiment was two-fold: to determine whether the ALT could be used in place of the FALANT for testing pilots and whether the altered filters in the ALT (primarily, a more highly saturated red) improved its predictive validity with the criterion instrument called the signal light gun (SLG). The SLG is used by air traffic controllers to communicate with pilots in aircraft experiencing radio failure within the airport terminal area. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Prevention of Cold Injuries

This site provides access to the Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-HFM-126. The papers are from the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel(HFM) Specialists' Meeting held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands,19-20 May 2005. The stated objectives of the meeting were: i) To review the latest scientific information on protective mechanisms for cold injuries; ii) To develop strategies for optimal prevention; and iii) To initiate an international database on cold induced vasodilatation and cold injury occurrence to monitor the effects of preventative measures. Objective i) and ii) were addressed by the papers presented at the meeting, objective iii) was not. It is recommended that future work gives particular attention to: i) Knowledge transfer from the laboratory to the field: the best mechanism and format for getting scientifically underpinned advice to the end users in the field; ii) Knowledge transfer from the field to the laboratory: more than ever before data can be collected remotely. This should enable relevant assessment of clothing and equipment, as well as help elucidate the aetiology of cold injury; iii) Identification of the benefits and insights to be gained from other associated fields (e.g. peripheral neuropathies); and iv) The causes, identification and treatment of cold injury. The full text of the papers can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Principles of biodynamics applicable to manned aerospace flight prolonged linear and radial acceleration

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AG-150 , dated March 1971. The Biodynamics Committee of the Aerospace Medical Panel of AGARD-NATO observed in 1961 that, because of the burgeoning of scientific talent into the aerospace biomedical fields, there was a need to inform the new scientists of the basic principles which had been accumulated over many years of earlier aeromedical research. In an attempt to clarify the area of its own specialty, the Biodynamics Committee of the Aerospace Medical Panel, AGARD-NATO, received permission from the Aerospace Medical Panel to compile a "Comparative Table of Acceleration Terminologies. The Biodynamics Committee concluded that it could assist further by compiling a series of monographs covering the generally accepted basic information in the fields of prolonged radial and linear acceleration, including the physics, physiology, and tolerance limits. The current volume has been expanded over the previous addition, principally by the inclusion of an annotated bibliography, which covers, in addition to publications in the area of acceleration, selected references in the areas of impact, vibration and combined stresses. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents and the full text (47.63MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Protection of Air Crew from Cosmic Radiation : Guidance Material

This guidance material is provided by the UK Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. It was drawn up as a response to EU Directive 96/29 which was implemented in 13 May 1996. It addresses the issue of cosmic radiation, considering topics such as harmful effects, dosages, occupational exposure by air crew, high flying aircraft, pregnant women, means of compliance and monitoring compliance. The text can be viewed in HTML format and is available for downloading.

Psychophysiological assessment methods (including a register of psychophysiologists on microfiches)

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AR-324, dated May 1994. The study of human-centered operationally-relevant problems in aerospace and aviation research and development can be enhanced by the inclusion of psychophysiological techniques. By measuring physiological variables in conjunction with performance and subjective measures, a more thorough understanding about the processes underlying performance can be obtained. This report presents a summary of the general utility of psychophysiological assessments, the types of applied problems which can be addressed with these assessments, and the qualities of several psychophysiological techniques. In addition, safety and ethical considerations, guidelines for making determinations about the most appropriate research strategy, and three research examples are discussed. The report concludes with a series of appendixes which offer the reader information on how to collect and analyze each of the psychophysiological measures. This Advisory Report was sponsored by the Aerospace Medical Panel of the Advsiory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD). Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (42.16MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

PTSD Compensation and Military Service

This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press written by Committee on Veterans Compensation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council and dated 2007. The scars of war take many forms: the limb lost, the illness brought on by a battlefield exposure, and, for some, the psychological toll of encountering an extremely traumatic event. PTSD Compensation and Military Service presents a thorough assessment of how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates veterans with possible posttraumatic stress disorder and determines the level of disability support to which they are entitled. The book presents a history of mental health disability compensation of military personnel and reviews the current compensation and pension examination procedure and disability determination methodology. It offers a number of recommendations for changes that would improve the fairness, consistency, and scientific foundation of this vital program. This book will be of interest and importance to policy makers, veterans affairs groups, the armed forces, health care organizations, and veterans themselves. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available to read online in open book format.

Recent Issues and Advances in Aeromedical Evacuation (MEDEVAC)

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings report, AGARD-CP-554, dated February 1995. Recent experience has demonstrated NATO's difficulty in planning and coordinating International Aeromedical Evacuation of acutely sick, injured and wounded patients. There is much discussion which seeks to clarify and define NATO's role in medical air evacuation. Papers in this Symposium updated available data in medicine research and development and provided a focal point for discussion of specialized equipment and techniques required to care for patients in the NATO Medevac System. The Symposium covered also the role, training, procedures as well as command and control in the management of casualties in the aeromedical evacuation system. There is a clear operational need to provide medical planners within NATO and Alliance Nations with a generic concept of integrated aeromedical evacuation to improve the effectiveness of NATO forces. For individual titles, see N95-29605 through N95-29629. A table of contents, and the full text (20.16 MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Reconsideration of the Effects of Impulse Noise

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report, RTO-TR-017, dated April 2003. The report was sponsored by the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM). This report contains the main outcome of the work constituted by NATO Research Study Group RSG.29 "Reconsideration of the effects of impulse noise". The main objective of the work of RSG.29 was to assess the risk of hearing loss from exposure to impulse sounds, by identifying occurrences which are hazardous and by developing measures which will protect hearing. This final report is not a consensus report of the entire RSG. It focuses on the risk of auditory damage from impulse noise (rifles and blasts) and gives recommendations for good and safe criteria for the exposure to impulse noise generated by weapons. It contains a chapter on a model to predict the risk of hearing damage (AHAAH model) and a chapter on hearing protection, primarily based on data from large caliber impulses. Furthermore, attention is given to hearing conservation programs and to the treatment of acute noise trauma. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (4 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Review of National Work Programme on the Long Term Effects of Sustained High G on the Cervical Spine

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report RTO-TR-HFM-083, dated December 2008. Empirical evidence, as well as long term studies with radiographic techniques, suggests that flying high performance aircraft has an adverse effect on the cervical spine of aviators. The RTO Group HFM-083 was created to determine the extent of the effects due to long term exposures to sustained G levels and to develop mitigation recommendations. Contributing nations have focused on diverse aspects of the problem, such as Aircrew questionnaires, countermeasures, treatment, characterization of the spinal pain beyond questionnaires, muscular activity (EMG), imaging (MRI), and modelling. Recommendations for future work are provided. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Review of the Scientific Basis for the Mandatory Separation of an Air Traffic Control Specialist at Age 56

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/6) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in April 2005 and was written by Dana Broach and David Schroeder. Under Public Law 92-297, air traffic control specialists (ATCS or controller) are required to retire at age 56. A review of the literature relevant to the mandatory retirement of controllers was conducted. The scope of the review was limited to studies relevant to the specific rationales proferred in support of mandatory separation of controllers at age 56. The review was not a comprehensive examination of the extensive literature on aging, health, stress, shiftwork, cognitive abilities, or job performance, including errors, as related to the air traffic control specialist (ATCS) occupation. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET)

This web site provides access to citations, as well as unclassified unlimited documents that have been entered into the Technical Reports Collection of the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) from late December 1974 to present. The resource has been significantly enhanced with the addition of a growing full text collection. This includes all recently added unclassified, unlimited (September 1998 to Present) and unclassified, limited full text reports (December 1999 to Present). The site offers individual and multiple database searching. As well as DTIC's own databases, the multiple database searching functionality offers access to other US federal servers, including NASA, DOE etc. It is possible to "cut & paste" terms from the DTIC thesaurus to enhance retrieval from the reports database. The site now also provides access to the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory (NAMRL) database. This contains technical report citations added by DTIC since late December 1974 and full text documents available since September 1998. The content covers a wide range of aviation medicine, allied sciences research, and development projects conducted at NAMRL, NAS Pensacola, Florida.

Simultaneous Quantitation of Atenolol, Metoprolol, and Propranolol in Biological Matrices Via LC/MS

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/10) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in May 2005 and was written by Robert D. Johnson and Russell J. Lewis. Hypertension is a growing medical concern in the United States. With the number of Americans suffering from hypertension increasing, the use of antihypertensives such as beta-blockers is increasing as well. In fact, three beta-blockers � atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol � were among the 200 most prescribed medications in the United States in 2003. Pilots that successfully manage their hypertension can remain certified to fly. The Federal Aviation Administration currently designates approximately 8% of active pilots as �hypertensive with medication.� The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) performs toxicological evaluation on victims of fatal aviation accidents. At CAMI beta-blockers are analyzed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Situation Awareness: Limitations and Enhancement in the Aviation Environment

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings report, AGARD-CP-575, dated January 1996. These proceedings include the Technical Evaluation Report, two keynote addresses and 25 papers from the Symposium sponsored by the Aerospace Medical Panel and held in Brussels, Belgium 24-27 April 1995. Situational Awareness is seen as key to mission success and aircraft safety. There are several questions that the Symposium addressed: how effectively Situation Awareness can be measured, whether it is possible to select for it and whether training strategies can improve it. The Symposium also examined the research carried out into the contribution of new Cockpit Technologies to enhance it. Los s of Situation Awareness has been the predominant cause of fatal accidents in both military and civil aviation and several examples were cited where the aircraft had been lost or put in jeopardy due to pilot error. These proceedings will be of interest to those involved in cockpit system design, human performance, human perception, cognition and accident investigation. For individual titles, see N96-25907 through N96-25932. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (71 kB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Sleep / Wakefulness Management in Continuous / Sustained Operations

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Educational Note, RTO-EN-016, dated November 2002. The material in this publication was assembled to support a Lecture Series under the sponsorship of the Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) and the Consultant and Exchange Programme of RTO presented on 17-18 June 2002 in Fort Rucker, Alabama, United States, on 24-25 June 2002 in Warsaw, Poland, and on 27-28 June 2002 in Paris, France. A number of the lecture presentations examine factors that induce disturbances to biological rhythms such as jet lag and sleep deprivation. Others explore key physiological, ergonomic and pharmacological aspects of sleep-wakefulness management. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (9.33 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Solar Radiation Alert System

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-05/14) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in July 2005 and was written by Kyle Copeland, Herbert H. Sauer and Wallace Friedberg. A solar radiation alert (SRA) system has been developed to continuously evaluate measurements of high-energy protons made by instruments on Geosynchronous Operational Environmental satellites. If the measurements indicate the likelihood of a substantial elevation of effective dose rates at aircraft flight altitudes, the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute issues an SRA to the aviation community via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Wire Service. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Selected Airborne Contaminants : Volume 4

This site provides access to a report prepared by the National Research Council's Subcommittee on Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations, National Academy Press, 2000. This report is part of a series which seeks to establish safe exposure limits to spacecraft contaminants for up to 180 days (for normal space station operations) and for short-term (1-24 hr) emergency exposures to a high level of contaminants. Volume 4 includes 15 compounds, while Volume 1 covers 11 compounds, Volume 2, 12 compounds, and Volume 3, 12 compounds. A brief abstract is available in HTML format, and the full text can be accessed online in Open Book format.

Spaceline

SPACELINE is a cooperative venture of NLM and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Its purpose is to consolidate the growing body of space life sciences research into a single, easily accessible resource. It should be noted that not all records in SPACELINE are directly attributable to space flight research. There are many citations in the database which discuss basic research related to the space life sciences. Examples of these include basic bone and muscle physiology, psychological effects of isolation, and gravitational effects on plants. Updates and document types - Weekly, with approximately 500 new citations added each month; the file contains about 140,000 records. Document Types: Journal articles; technical reports; books and book chapters; conference proceedings, conference papers, and meeting abstracts; bibliographies; and audiovisuals.

Spatial Disorientation in Military Vehicles : Causes, Consequences and Cures

This web site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-086, Paris, February 2003. The documents contains papers presented at the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel (HFM) Symposium, held in La Coru�a, Spain, 15-17 April 2002. The Symposium presents a review of current knowledge of the causes of Spatial Disorientation (SD) and preventative measures, applicable to air, land and maritime environments. The papers cover a range of topics including causal mechanisms, operational and psychophysiological consequences of SD, Incidence of SD in air, land and maritime environments; SD training programmes and training devices, and cognitive and sensory aids for the maintenance of spatial orientation, with an emphasis on the use of tactile cues. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (20.5 Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Spatial Disorientation Training – Demonstration and Avoidance

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report RTO-TR-HFM-118, dated October 2008. Recent accident statistics reveal that Spatial Disorientation (SD) is still a major threat to flight safety in many NATO countries. A review of SD training programmes as applied in most NATO countries, in agreement with STANAG 3114, shows that SD training is not fully developed. The goal of the report is to provide the necessary information to improve these SD training programmes. To this purpose, the report provides many detailed examples of ground-based and in-flight SD training scenarios. Ground-based training devices range from Barany chairs to Full Flight Simulators; in-flight SD training scenarios are described for rotary wing as well as for fixed wing aircraft. A separate chapter is devoted to SD avoidance training for Night Vision Devices. The report also pays attention to the optimization of the SD training programme by selecting the appropriate SD scenarios, by choosing and training the right personnel and by the suitable integration of basic and continuation SD courses into the pilot training programme. An adequate training programme will enhance SD awareness, and consequently, flight safety. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Statistical Information on Air Passenger Numbers and Characteristics

The UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology provides access to a compilation of statistics which were collected for the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee inquiry into Air Travel and Health, in October 2000. The site also provides a link to a supplementary paper giving further detail on some of the issues raised.

Stress and Performance. A Review of the Literature and Its Applicability to the Military

This technical report (TR-192-RC) was published by The RAND Corporation in 2005 and was written by Jennifer Kavanagh. There are many stressors associated with military life, particularly with deployments, and it is important to understand how such stressors affect individual functioning and performance. This report reviews literature on how stress affects performance generally and applies the most relevant findings to military operations and training. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Stress and Psychological Support in Modern Military Operations

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Technical Report RTO-TR-HFM-081, dated April 2008. NATO Task Group HFM-081/RTG on “Stress and Psychological Support in Modern Military Operations” has produced, in the form of a Military Leaders Guide, a series of guidelines for psychological support in military operations across the deployment cycle. The guidelines are based on best practices identified by psychological support professionals and confirmed by military leaders. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Study on the Possible Effects on Health of Aircraft Cabin Environments : Stage 1

Published on the 2nd March 2001, this final report was prepared by the Institute for Environment and Health for the UK Department for Transport (DFT). The primary objectives of the exercise were to establish potential concerns about adverse effects of aircraft cabin environments, identify those who could contribute to understanding and to report on areas requiring further study. The report describes the methodology used, summarises workshop discussions and provides a summary of the conclusions reached. The three most pressing areas of concern were deep vein thrombosis (DVT), air quality and provision of advice to travellers. It is available in HTML, PDF (272 Kb) and Word (214 Kb) formats.

Subjective Workload Ratings and Eye Movement Activity Measures

This technical report (DOT/FAA/CT-05/32) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in December 2005 and was written by Ulf Ahlstrom and Ferne Friedman-Berg. In the present study, we evaluated the possibility of using eye movement activity measures as a correlate of cognitive workload. Using data from a high-fidelity human-in-the-loop weather simulation, we explored eye activity measures like pupil diameter, blink duration, and saccade distance, and assessed their relationship to subjective workload ratings. In our initial analysis, we established that although there was no significant effect of weather tool use on subjective workload ratings, there was a significant relationship between subjective workload ratings and our task load variable aircraft density. We found a linear increase in workload ratings with an increasing number of aircraft in the sector. In a subsequent analysis, we assessed the relationship between eye movement activity measures and aircraft density. We found that the mean blink duration and the mean saccade distance decreased as aircraft density increased, while the mean pupil diameter increased with an increasing number of aircraft in the sector. After establishing the relationship between these eye activity metrics and subjective workload, we evaluated whether we could use changes in eye movement activity along with other system state variables, like distance to weather from the outer marker, to measure ongoing controller workload. We developed both individual controller models and a general model (across controllers) to assess whether it was possible to predict the minute-by-minute number of aircraft in the sector. Using both multiple regression modeling and neural network models, we were able to produce individual controller models and general models with good prediction performances. We discuss possible applications for these findings in future air traffic control (ATC) research, in adaptive automation, and in ATC interface design. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Survival at Sea for Mariners, Aviators and Search and Rescue Personnel

This is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARDograph RTO-AG-HFM-152, dated February 2008. This AGARDograph summarizes the current scientific knowledge of sea survival for mariners, aviators, search and rescue technicians and medical staff. The text discusses key issues such as drowning through cold shock and swimming failure induced by immersion in water particularly below 15 Celsius, survival prediction curves and non-freezing cold injuries. It emphasizes the importance of integrating good human engineering practices at the beginning of a project involving survival equipment such as lifejackets, life rafts and lifeboats. Manikin testing to evaluate survival suit insulation is described. The latest helicopter ditching statistics and helicopter underwater escape protocols are presented. Practical advice is given on the causes and treatment of seasickness. Finally a discussion is had on the importance of understanding how humans mentally process information under stress and why this should be included in every survival school curriculum. A table of contents, and the full text of the document can be accessed online in HTML format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Testing MiniSTR Primers for Addition to a PCR-Based Forensic Specimen Identification Protocol

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine report DOT/FAA/AM-09/21 written by L. Guzman, D.M Kupfer and D. Burian dated November 2009. An assay has been developed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based human identity testing using the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s human Combined DNA Identity System (CODIS) primers. Recent forensic literature has identified difficulties using these primers due to amplicon size and the degraded nature of DNA from forensic samples. Primers termed mini Short-Tandem Repeat (STR) primers targeted to the same loci as the CODIS primers but which have smaller amplicons have been developed. Two of the three miniSTR primer pairs examined with our established assay were successfully tested with forensic DNA. This allowed the substitution of new primers for detection of a locus, D16S539, which was poorly defined in our assay and the addition of a primer pair for a locus, FGA, not previously included. The replacement of the D16S539 CODIS primers with the miniSTR primers will provide more accurate results for this locus. The addition of the FGA mini STR primers to the core set of tested loci will increase the overall power of discrimination of our assay. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

The AeroMed-List

A specialised mailing list aimed at aeromedical practitioners, Aeromed-list was established in 1996, and now has over 600 members worldwide. Users must register to join the list, so previous communications are not visible to unregistered visitors. List members can use the list to search for particular topics in aviation medicine, and a medical publishing database is being developed, to allow list members to search publication references by keyword.

The Clinical Basis for Aeromedical Decision Making

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-553, dated September 1994. This symposium addressed the rationale behind aeromedical decisions. Lack of available data required decision-makers to be conservative when deciding who should fly or not. Papers in this symposium updated available data and provided a focal point for discussion and re-evaluation of aeromedical selection and retention standards. Discussion periods allowed for open exchange on particular topics of concern, i.e., cardiovascular and neurological problems and HIV. Our purpose was to exchange data, experience, and management rationales dealing with the very difficult task of aeromedical decision-making. Information sharing would enable nations to update management protocols based upon experience and collectively more powerful data. The elimination of costly redundant research, the focusing of future research, and collaborative efforts between AGARD member nations is the hope of this exchange. For individual titles, see N95-19414 through N95-19443. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (21.66MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

The Contrast Acuity Assessment (CAA) Test

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report, CAA Paper 2001/5, June 2001. The report was prepared by Catharine M. Chisholm and John L. Barbur of the Applied Vision Research Centre, Department of Optometry and Visual Science, City University, London. The report describes the development of a contrast acuity test that can be used to assess the subject�s dynamic visual performance under photopic and mesopic light adaptation. The CAA test parameters (target size, light level and effective visual field) are based on a detailed study of modern flight deck instrumentation design. The text of CAA Paper 2001/5 is available in PDF format (1.5mb), from the CAA's web site

The Effect of Laser Refractive Surgery on Visual Performance and its Implications for Commercial Aviation

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report, CAA Paper 2001/4, June 2001. The report was prepared by the Applied Vision Research Centre, Department of Optometry and Visual Science, City University, London. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of excimer laser surgery on the visual performance of the eye with reference to the implications for commercial pilots. The text of CAA Paper 2001/4 is available in PDF format (532 kb), from the CAA's web site

The Effect of Prolonged Military Activities in Man. Physiological and Biochemical Changes. Possible Means of Rapid Recuperation

This site provides access to a Research and Technology Organization Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-042, Paris, March 2001. The document contains papers presented at the former DRG Workshop held in Oslo, Norway, 3-5 April 1995. This publication was sponsored by the Human Factors and Medicine Panel(HFM) of RTO. New technology and operational concepts have provided new challenges to military personnel's health, safety and performance. These proceedings include ten papers, dealing with different aspects of the biomedical consequences of continuous military operations. The papers show large alterations in hormones, metabolites, red and white blood cells, as well as mental performance. There was an adrenergic desensitization, decrease in thyroid function due to energy deficiency, and decrease in androgens due to physical exercise. Unspecific immune function (granulocytes and monocytes) were stimulated, while specific immune function (lymphocytes) were inhibited. Acute sleep deprivation mainly affects mental functions and have limited influence on endocrine, metabolic and immune functions. The key questions addressed by the workshop were how to select and train personnel for continuous operations, and how to intervene to enhance physical and mental performance by such means as nutrition, sleep, work-rest schedules and drugs. The optimal treatment for soldiers' recovery and reentry to the battlefield following high intensity direct action missions was also discussed. The participants agreed that there is a need for more realistic field studies with systematic interventions with different stress factors to reveal their relative significance and to find counter measures. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (2.2Mbytes) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

The Impact of NATO/Multinational Military Missions on Health Care Management

This site provides access to a Research and Technology Organisation (NATO) Meeting Proceedings, RTO-MP-068. The Specialists' meeting was sponsored by the RTO Human Factors and Medicine Panel(HFM)and held in Kiev, Ukraine, 4-6 September 2000. Recent major events across the world and at national levels have radically altered the global picture and have reshaped the NATO strategy from one aimed at resolving international conflict to one predominantly aimed at missions other than war (peacekeeping, humanitarian, disaster relief, etc.). Most of these missions are performed by multinational forces, which requires the cooperation of all military services including the medical support systems. The new objectives require radical changes in the organizational structure, management, and supply of national and allied military health systems. The purpose of this Specialists' Meeting was to exchange information and experience on Health Service Support (HSS) of multinational troops, to review the development of interoperable forms of multinational HSS in the field, to examine the lessons learned during actual operational deployment of multinational medical facilities, and to discuss the interplay between multinational, alliance/NGO, and civil/military operations in coping with disasters which require alliance or EAPC assistance. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (1.4Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

The Impact of Speech "Under Stress" on Military Speech Military Technology

This site provides access to a Research and Technology Organisation (NATO) Technical Report, RTO-TR-010, Paris, March 2000. As the report for the Information System Technology Panel (IST) explains, Military operations are often conducted under conditions of stress induced by high workload, sleep deprivation, fear and emotion, confusion due to conflicting information, psychological tension, pain, and other typical conditions encountered in the modern battlefield context. These conditions are known to affect the physical and cognitive abilities of human speech characteristics, and this study was intended to determine the actual effects of stress on voice production quality. It is suggested that the effect of operator based stress factors on voice is likely to be detrimental to the effectiveness of communication in general, in particular to the performance of communication equipment and weapon systems equipped with vocal interfaces (e.g., advanced cockpits, command, control, and communication systems, information warfare). Progress in the field of military based speech technology, including advances in speech based system design has been restricted due to the lack of availability of databases of speech under stress. In particular, the type of stress which an operator may experience in the modern battlefield context is not easily simulated, and therefore it is difficult to systematically collect speech data for use in research and speech system training. It is foreseen that in the future it will be necessary to improve the coordination of multi-national military forces. The need therefore exists for planned simulations with military personnel using a wide range of speech technology and addressing factors such as high workload, sleep deprivation, fear and emotion, confusion, psychological tension, pain, etc. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (9 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

The LC/MS Quantitation of Vardenafil (Levitra®) in Postmortem Biological Specimens

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-6/17) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in July 2006 and was written by R. D. Johnson, R. J. Lewis and M. K. Angler. During the investigation of aviation accidents, postmortem specimens from accident victims are submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) for toxicological analysis. As new medications are introduced to the market and are subsequently used by aviation accident victims, CAMI’s forensic toxicology laboratory is tasked with developing analytical methods for the determination of these compounds. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

The musculoskeletal and vestibular effects of long term repeated exposure to sustained high-G

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AR-317, dated May 1994. Medical concerns of mechanical loading of biological systems during repeated sustained acceleration exposure of high performance aircraft were expressed during an AGARD conference of 24th-28th April 1989 (AGARD-CP-471) entitled 'Neck Injury in Advanced Military Aircraft Environments'. Biological systems of primary concern were direct effects on the spine causing neurological injury and on the otoliths of the vestibular system causing disorientation related pathologies. In addition, secondary vestibular effects can occur from cervical pathologies. The technical evaluation and overview of that conference expressed concerns that 'large gaps exist in our clinical and biomechanical knowledge of the problems of neck injury in high performance aircraft'. Advisory Report (AR) 317 addresses those concerns with an in-depth review of available pertinent information with recommendations on several courses of action directed towards the spine and vestibular systems. Specific topics covered include: (1) the physical environment of aerial combat maneuvers; (2) anatomy and biomechanics of the spine; (3) G-loading effects on the musculoskeletal system of the spine including risk factors and the prevention of injuries; (4) imaging considerations; (5) high sustained G effects on the vestibular system and methods to test organ dysfunctions; and (6) topical research proposals. Recommendations include: (1) study requirements; (2) aircrew selection training and education; (3) equipment modifications and development; and (4) research requirements. AR 317 contains 215 references. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (6.88MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

The Prevention of Aircraft Accidents Through the Collection and Analysis of Human Factor/Aeromedical Aircraft Accident Data

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Advisory Report, AGARD-AR-361, dated February 1998. It was sponsored by the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development. The overall goal of Working Group 23 was to improve the application of human factors analysis to operational enhancement and mishap prevention programs. Through different chapters, a variety of related topics were discussed in relation to the current status and approaches to aircraft accident/incident investigation, taking into account the human factors involved, procedures, categorization, tabulation and analysis. In addition, following a questionnaire which was widely distributed among all NATO countries, current data concerning the number of accidents, human factors studies, organizational aspects and the data collection were compiled and discussed. Also the possible approaches to conceptual models were described as a potential framework for the support and organisation of the principles and topics to be included in human factors/aeromedical data base. The Working Group reviewed current training programmes and discussed a common approach, in which human factors play a definite role. Examples of data bases currently in use are enclosed. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format and the full text is available in PDF format (18.57Mb)from the RTO's web site.

The Role of Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA

This report was published by the Committee on Microgravity Research, the Space Studies Board, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences of the US National Research Council in 2001. This document reports on Phase I of a two phase study which aims to develop a mission statement for NASA's programme in microgravity and physical sciences. Chapters include 'Role of NASA's Physical Sciences Division' and 'New opportunities at the nanoscale and at the interface between biology and the physical and engineering sciences'. The report is available in PDF format.

The Support of Air Operations under Extreme Hot and Cold Weather Conditions

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-540, dated October 1993. Extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, can severely restrict the ability of aircrew and support personnel to accomplish their missions. Under emergency conditions of bail-out, ejection, and ditching of fixed or rotary-wing aircraft on land or in water, the survival rate of aircrew and passengers is also affected by the intensity of thermal stress experienced and the duration of exposure to the thermal stress. This has all recently been borne out by the experience of intense air operations in the Gulf War. This symposium reviewed the operational conditions experienced under extreme hot and cold weather. The papers presented at this symposium highlighted recent advances in thermal physiology, clothing sciences, personal flying equipment, and microclimate cooling. Emphasis was placed on the potential applications of these advances in situations where thermal stress may confound the efficient achievement of mission objectives. For individual titles, see N94-28421 through N94-28453. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (57.82MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Transport Canada : Civil Aviation Medicine Division (CAM)

The Civil Aviation Medicine Branch (CAM) is responsible the performance of medical assessments required for the certification of Licensed Aviation Personnel. The web site provides access to the full text of Canadian Guidelines for the Fitness Assessment of Pilots, Flight Engineers and Air Traffic Controllers. These include guides covering cardiovascular fitness, diabetes mellitus, neurological fitness, and the Civil Aviation Handbook for Medical Examiners. The site also links to relevant Canadian Aviation Regulations and Standards(CARs).

Understanding the Human Factors Associated With Visual Flight Rules Flight Into Instrument Meteorological Conditions

This provides access to a U.S. FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-08/12 dated May 2008. Visual Flight Rules (VFR) into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) accidents are a major concern in the aviation industry. More than 70% of the fatal weather-related accidents involved General Aviation (GA) pilots operating under visual flight rules (VFR) that continued into IMC. The purpose of this study was to pair GA accident causal factors that had been classified with the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) categories and traditional demographic data in an effort to present a more complete picture of VFR flight into IMC accidents. To accomplish this, GA accidents associated with VFR flight into IMC were examined to determine if there were any causal factors that set these accidents apart from the rest of GA (RoGA) accidents. GA accident data (14 CFR Part 91) from 1990-2004 were analyzed. The dataset was divided into accidents that had VFR into IMC (VFR-IMC; N = 609) cited as a cause or factor versus the rest of the GA accidents (RoGA; N = 18,528). Analyses were performed examining the human error associated with these accidents. The results indicated that skill-based errors were more prevalent in RoGA than in VFR-IMC (odds ratio = 4.167, χ2 = 332.531, p <.001). VFR-IMC pilots were more likely to commit a decision error (odds ratio = 2.062, χ2 = 77.961, p <.001); experience a perceptual error (odds ratio = 3.179, χ2 = 118.350, p <.001); and commit a violation (odds ratio = 29.960, χ2 = 2454.198, p <.001) than RoGA. The injury severity for VFR-IMC accidents was much greater than for RoGA (80.3% vs. 18.8%). RoGA pilots held a higher number of multiple certificates and earned more flight hours across the board than the VFR-IMC pilots. These data provide a more detailed view of the VFR into IMC accidents and will facilitate the development of future data-driven intervention strategies. Current interventions include weather cameras and other pilot aids for decision making with regard to weather. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

University of Texas Human Factors Research Project

The main aim of this project is to investigate individual, team, and organizational factors determining performance and safety in aviation, space, and medicine. It is also charged with developing new measures of performance in these environments and assessing the impact of human factors training on attitudes and behavior. It is funded by grants from NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration and contains an overview of the project in addition to listings of recent publications by the project group. The latter are available in PDF format, so you will require an Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view them.

US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratories (USAARL)

The objectives of USAARL�s research programs are to prevent or minimise health hazards in the military operations environment and sustain the aviator�s individual performance. The laboratory conducts research into acoustics, vision, crew workload, stress and fatigue, and life support systems. The site provides further details, a searchable database of technical reports with full text, and press releases.

Use of Alternative Primers for Gender Discrimination in Human Forensic Genotyping

This provides access to a U.S. FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-08/8 dated April 2008. An assay using the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s human Combined DNA Identity System (CODIS) primers has been developed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based human identity testing. Recent forensic literature has identified several human populations that carry a deletion mutation in the Y-chromosome copy of the amelogenin locus. This is the standard locus used for gender determination in CODIS. Additionally, the amelogenin male PCR products are very close in size requiring manual annotation of PCR electrophoresis results for this locus. This study was designed to test several gender-specific primers which are to loci outside the amelogenin region, have well-separated PCR products, and could serve as additions or replacements to amelogenin in our human identity testing assay. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP®) Decontamination of a Section of a Boeing 747 Cabin

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AM-6/10) was produced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aerospace Medicine in April 2006 and was written by R. M. Shaffstall, R. P. Garner, J. Bishop, L. Cameron-Landis, D. L. Eddington, G. Hau, S. Spera, T. Mielnik and J. A. Thomas. The use of STERIS Corporation's Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP®)* technology as a potential biocide for aircraft decontamination was demonstrated in a cabin section of the Aircraft Environment Research Facility (an FAA-owned Boeing 747). [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Veterans and Agent Orange : Update 2006

This is a full text bookmade available by National Academies Press written by Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Sixth Biennial Update), Institute of Medicine and dated 2007. From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. military sprayed herbicides over Vietnam to strip the thick jungle canopy that could conceal opposition forces, to destroy crops that those forces might depend on, and to clear tall grasses and bushes from the perimeters of U.S. base camps and outlying fire-support bases. In response to concerns and continuing uncertainty about the long-term health effects of the sprayed herbicides on Vietnam veterans, Veterans and Agent Orange provides a comprehensive evaluation of scientific and medical information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam. The 2006 volume is the seventh update in this biennial series. It will be of interest to policy makers and physicians in the federal government, veterans and their families, veterans' organizations, researchers, and health professionals. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available to read online in open book format.

Your patient and air travel : a guide to physicians

This guide is provided by British Airways Health Services, which is involved in dispensing advice and information to air travellers. As part of this service, this full text report is available free of charge in PDF format. The report is aimed at physicians, but would be relevant to all those with an interest in this area. Issues such as oxygen, stretchers, contraindictions and pre-flight assessment and medical clearance are addressed.

Free flight to the information you need - fast!

Home | Aerospace & defence | DEVISE |
Reports Archive | | ConferenceBrief | JobsBrief UK | NewsBrief

© Cranfield University