Search

Obsolescence in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems is a challenge that often frustrates practitioners. Obsolescence challenges require solutions many times over the life cycle [...]

BackgroundThe burden of pediatric critical illness and resource utilization by children with critical illness in resource limited settings (RLS) are largely unknown. Without specific data that captures key aspects of critical illness, disease presentation, and resource utilization for pediatric populations in RLS, development of a contextual framework for appropriate, evidence-based interventions to guide allocation of limited but available resources is challenging. We present this methods paper which describes our efforts to determine the prevalence, etiology, hospital outcomes, and resource utilization associated with pediatric acute, critical illness in RLS globally.MethodsWe will conduct a prospective, observational, multicenter, multinational point prevalence study in sixty-one participating RLS hospitals from North, Central and South America, Africa, Middle East and South Asia with four sampling time points over a 12-month period. Children aged 29 days to 14 years evaluated for acute illness or injury in an emergency department) or directly admitted to an inpatient unit will be enrolled and followed for hospital outcomes and resource utilization for the first seven days of hospitalization. The primary outcome will be prevalence of acute critical illness, which Global PARITY has defined as death within 48 hours of presentation to the hospital, including ED mortality; or admission/transfer to an HDU or ICU; or transfer to another institution for a higher level-of-care; or receiving critical care-level interventions (vasopressor infusion, invasive mechanical ventilation, non-invasive mechanical ventilation) regardless of location in the hospital, among children presenting to the hospital. Secondary outcomes include etiology of critical illness, in-hospital mortality, cause of death, resource utilization, length of hospital stay, and change in neurocognitive status. Data will be managed via REDCap, aggregated, and analyzed across sites.DiscussionThis study is expected to address the current gap in understanding of the burden, etiology, resource utilization and outcomes associated with pediatric acute and critical illness in RLS. These data are crucial to inform future research and clinical management decisions and to improve global pediatric hospital outcomes.

Obsolescence is a major challenge that affects all Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems. A proactive obsolescence management approach focusing on the planning and execution [...]

The Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve and Fox Island County Park bat communities were surveyed in 2018 and 2019 as a follow-up to the 2014 Indiana Academy of Science Bioblitz. We surveyed using acoustic detectors in the summer of 2018 and mist-nets in 2019, to confirm acoustic survey results. Sampling at 16 sites over 64 acoustic detector nights and 29 net nights, resulted in 6,390 bat call sequences and 50 captured bats. Nine bat species were detected in the acoustic survey, resulting in a Shannon Index of 1.43 [+ or -] 0.13 and an evenness of 0.64 [+ or -] 0.06 (averaged between the two automated identification programs). However, two Myotis spp. may have been misidentified by the automated identification software. In the mistnet survey, four bat species (including the state endangered and federally threatened northern long-eared bat, Myotis septentrionalis) were captured in four sites (two sites that weren't sampled with acoustics), resulting in a Shannon Index of 0.75 and an evenness of 0.54. Results suggest that Eagle Marsh and Fox Island hosts a healthy diversity of bat species, thus justifying restoration efforts and the need for additional conservation efforts in this part of the state. Keywords: Myotis septentrionalis, community ecology, biodiversity survey, restoration, northern long-eared bat, bat diversity, Eagle Marsh, Fox Island, INTRODUCTION Ecological community surveys provide population and presence/absence data across different taxa, and help gauge community health (Elton & Miller 1954). These survey data can then be used to justify [...]

Shared electric scooters (e-scooters) offer a potential strategy to mitigate environmental concerns and congestion. However, successfully addressing these issues with e-scooters requires adoption across a diverse array of consumers. Understanding the differences between users and non-users can improve shared e-scooter appeal, operation and safety. The objective of this paper is to compare shared e-scooter users and non-users in terms of their perceptions on safety, trip behaviors, other shared modes, risk propensity and willingness to adopt technology. A survey was conducted involving 210 (51.3%) users and 199 (48.7%) non-users of shared e-scooters. Binary logistic regression and chi-squared tests were performed. The results reveal that users demonstrated a higher risk propensity and were more likely to be early adopters of new technologies. Non-users tended to place higher importance on helmet use, while users have an overall increased feeling of safety associated with riding e-scooters in vehicle lanes, on sidewalks and being passed by e-scooters as a pedestrian. Overall, users also have a more positive perception of e-scooter sanitary levels than non-users, and a more positive perception on the sanitary levels and usability of e-scooters over e-bicycles. These findings can provide guidance to urban planners, municipal authorities and micromobility providers in developing infrastructure and policies to better support micromobility adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A driving simulator study was conducted to evaluate the longitudinal effects of an intervention and withdrawal of a lane keeping system on driving performance and cognitive workload.Background: Autonomous vehicle systems are being implemented into the vehicle fleet. However, limited research exists in understanding the carryover effects of long-term exposure.Methods: Forty-eight participants (30 treatment, 18 control) completed eight drives across three separate days in a driving simulator. The treatment group had an intervention and withdrawal of a lane keeping system. Changes in driving performance (standard deviation of lateral position [SDLP] and mean time to collision [TTC]) and cognitive workload (response time and miss rate to a detection response task) were modeled using mixed effects linear and negative binomial regression.Results: Drivers exposed to the lane keeping system had an increase in SDLP after the system was withdrawn relative to their baseline. Drivers with lane keeping had decreased mean TTC during and after system withdrawal compared with manual drivers. There was an increase in cognitive workload when the lane keeping system was withdrawn relative to when the system was engaged.Conclusion: Behavioral adaptations in driving performance and cognitive workload were present during automation and persisted after the automation was withdrawn.Application: The findings of this research emphasize the importance to consider the effects of skill atrophy and misplaced trust due to semi-autonomous vehicle systems. Designers and policymakers can utilize this for system alerts and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]