Bridging the Gap: Developing a Tool to Support Local Civilian and Military Disaster Preparedness

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2010/RAND_TR764.pdf

Bridging the Gap Developing a Tool to Support Local Civilian and Military Disaster Preparedness
Melinda Moore, Michael A. Wermuth,
Laura Werber Castaneda, Anita Chandra,
Darcy Noricks, Adam C. Resnick, Carolyn Chu,
James J. Burks
Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense


This is an interim report for the first phase of a larger study that aims to develop a disaster preparedness support tool for local military and civilian planners. It reflects the formative research carried out from October 2006 through May 2009. It describes the current policy context for domestic emergency preparedness, risk analysis, and capabilities-based planning— the starting points for local planning—as well as results from interviews with local military and civilian planners at five selected sites. All of this information forms the basis for the proposed tool that is described in the final chapter of the report. The next phase of the study will
include development and field testing of a proof-of-concept prototype of the tool, which will be supported by funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Law Enforcement Head-Borne Personal Protective Equipment Hearing Attenuation

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA498436&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Law Enforcement Head-Borne Personal Protective
Equipment Hearing Attenuation


Li, Qi; Haijeck, Joshua; and Burchfield, Tom (Li Creative Technologies)

Test methods were developed to quantify and assess the effects of personal protection equipment (PPE) on hearing. The tests use a head and torso simulator that is able to don PPE and employs advanced acoustic, signal processing, and measurement techniques. The tests measure localization and speech intelligibility effects of PPE. The methods also assess the effects of noise generated by PPE fabric and/or electro/mechanical noise. Localization effects are evaluated in terms of the Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF). Speech intelligibility is
evaluated using the Speech Transmission Index (STI). Results show that HRTF and STI scores are significantly altered with various PPE and PPE-created noise.

Assessment and Classification of Cognitive Decrements Associated with High Workload and Extended Work Periods in a UAV Setting

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA515591&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Assessment and Classification of Cognitive Decrements Associated with High Workload and Extended Work Periods in a UAV Setting


AFRL-RH-WP-TP-2010-0015

Regina Schmidt, Glenn Wilson, Margaret Funke
Iris Davis
John A. Caldwell

The present study investigated high workload and time-on-task effects through the assessment of performance and physiological measures during the continuous performance of a complex uninhabited air vehicle UAV task. This study systematically explored the effects of time-on-task, while also incorporating a variety of workload conditions designed to simulate an actual UAV operation. Subjective sleepiness and workload were monitored, as well as performance, on a psychomotor vigilance task. Electroencephalographic data were collected in order to establish physiological evidence of fatigue due to time-on-task. The results of this study demonstrated that performance remained stable throughout the 4-hour continuous mission on all workload conditions. In addition, no physiological evidence of fatigue was identified.

Attentional Drift: An Exploratory Study Into the Development of an Attention Monitoring System Based on Human Eye Fixation

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA518630&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Attentional Drift: An Exploratory Study Into the Development of an Attention Monitoring System Based on Human Eye Fixation


LCDR Douglas M. Magedman

This study was designed to determine if future research into the development of an attention monitoring device based on eye fixation duration is both feasible and warranted. Attentional Drift is an insidious form of distraction where primary task attention is slowly eroded by secondary tasking. It most often occurs in very low or very high cognitive demand situations. Recent studies have shown that eye fixation duration and glance duration measures are related to attentional demand in visual tasks. In this study, participants completed two 20-minute driving periods in a STISIMTM simulator wearing a head-mounted eye-tracking system. Eye fixation measures recorded in a single-task low mental demand test did not show an expected increase in eye fixation duration over time in all but a few participants. A second test incorporating dual tasking through conversation did show that eye fixation duration values were affected by the added cognitive workload. Eye fixation measures showed statistically significant changes in duration as a direct result of varying secondary cognitive demand. It is concluded that further experimentation with significantly lengthened test runs incorporating an eye blink rate factor, a gaze dwell time function, and a fixed-base eye-tracking system is both feasible and warranted.

An Improved Methodology for Individualized Performance Prediction of Sleep-Deprived Individuals with the two-process model

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA518396&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

An Improved Methodology for Individualized Performance Prediction of Sleep-
Deprived Individuals with the Two-Process Model

Srinivasan Rajaraman, PhD; Andrei V. Gribok, PhD; Nancy J. Wesensten, PhD; Thomas J. Balkin, PhD; Jaques Reifman, PhD


We present a method based on the two-process model of sleep regulation for developing individualized biomathematical models that predict performance impairment for individuals subjected to total sleep loss. This new method advances our previous work in two important ways. First, it enables model customization to start as soon as the first performance
measurement from an individual becomes available. This was achieved by optimally combining the performance information obtained from the individual’s performance measurements with a priori performance information using a Bayesian framework, while retaining the strategy of transforming the nonlinear optimization problem of finding the optimal estimates of the two-process model parameters into a series of linear optimization problems. Second, by taking advantage of the linear representation of the two-process model, this new method enables the analytical computation of statistically based measures of reliability for the model predictions in the form of prediction intervals. Two distinct data sets were used to evaluate the proposed method

Citation: Rajaraman S; Gribok AV; Wesensten NJ; Balkin TJ; Reifman
J. An improved methodology for individualized performance prediction
of sleep-deprived individuals with the two-process model. SLEEP
2009;32(10):1377-1392.

PAYING DOWN THE SLEEP DEBT: REALIZATION OF BENEFITS DURING Subsequent sleep restriction and recovery

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA505715&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

PAYING DOWN THE SLEEP DEBT: REALIZATION OF BENEFITS DURING
SUBSEQUENT SLEEP RESTRICTION AND RECOVERY


T. L. Rupp, N. J. Wesensten, P. D. Bliese, and T. J. Balkin



The study objective was to determine whether sleep
extension (a) improves alertness and performance during
subsequent sleep restriction and (b) mediates the rate at
which alertness and performance are restored by postrestriction
recovery sleep. Twenty-four healthy adult
participants (ages 18-39) were randomly assigned to an
Extended [10 hours time in bed (TIB)] or Habitual [mean
(SD) = 7.09 (0.7)] sleep group for one week, followed by
one Baseline (10 hours or habitual TIB), seven Sleep
Restriction (3 hours TIB), and five Recovery Sleep
nights (8 hours TIB) with performance [Psychomotor
Vigilance Task (PVT)] and alertness [Maintenance of
Wakefulness Test (MWT); Stanford Sleepiness Scale
(SSS)] tests administered hourly throughout. We
conclude that the extent to which sleep restriction
impairs alertness and performance, and the rate at which
these impairments are subsequently reversed by recovery
sleep, varies as a function of the amount of nightly sleep
obtained prior to the sleep restriction period

Sleep and Performance Measures in Soldiers Undergoing Military Relevant Training

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA505791&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Sleep and Performance Measures in Soldiers Undergoing Military Relevant Training
W.D. Killgore
A. Estrada
R.M. Wildzunas
T.J. Balkin


Inadequate sleep is known to impair a variety of
cognitive capacities, including attention, vigilance,
concentration. memory encoding, and some aspects of
higher order reasoning and judgment. The ability to
unobtrusively measure fatigue and predict its effects on
cognitive performance is vital to successful military
operations. Wrist actigraphy is one such method, but its
ability to accurately measure and predict performance in
militarily relevant activities is not well validated.
Healthy military volunteers (N = 108) were fitted with
wrist actigraphs (Actiwatch; Minimitter Inc.) while
undergoing one ofsix military education programs
lasting between 4 to 6 weeks. Sixty-four Actiwatches
were worn consistently and yielded valid data.
Actigraphic sleep data were analyzed with Actiware 3.41
using automated scoring algorithms. Indices ofsleep
duration, latency, and quality were used to predict
academic success in these courses. Averaging across all
courses and volunteers, Soldiers obtained 5.8 hours of
sleep per night (SD = 0.5). Sleep duration was typically
reduced to 4.6 (SD = 1.5) hours the night preceding an
exam. Regardless of course type or test content,
academic performance was significantly predicted by
total sleep time (48 hours before, r =.60, p < .00 I; 24
hours before, r = .54,P < .00 I), sleep latency (48 hours
before, r = -.46, p = .002; 24 hours before, r = -.46, p =
.002), number of immobile minutes (48 hours before, r=
.58, p < .00 I; 24 hours before, r = .52, p = .00 I), and
fragmentation index (48 hours before, r = .29, p = .05; 24
hours before, r = .28, p =.05), but not total activity level
(48 hours before, r = .06, ns; 24 hours before, r = .07,
ns). Regardless ofcourse or exam content, academic
performance was significantly related to the amount and
quality of sleep obtained within the 48-hour period
preceding the exams. Actigraphy appears to be a valid
and unobtrusive method for predicting academic
performance in military courses, although issues of
participant compliance and detection of off-wrist periods
need to be improved.

HEAT ACCLIMATISATION AND ACTIVE BODY COOLING STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE HEAT STRESS for operations involving bullet proof vests

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA505760&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

HEAT ACCLIMATISATION AND ACTIVE BODY COOLING STRATEGIES TO MITIGATE HEAT STRESS FOR OPERATIONS INVOLVING BULLET PROOF VESTS



L. Law and C. L. Lim
Defence Medical & Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories,
Singapore

Heat acclimatization (HA) and personal body-cooling are
effective methods of heat stress mitigation. HA involves
conditioning the body to function under hot conditions by
exposing the individual to an incremental level of heat stress
daily over 10 to 14 days. Although HA improves
thermoregulation during heat exposure, effective physical
heat exchange between the body and environment must still
take place. Operating with body armour may limit the
benefits of HA due to the increased physical workload and
greater coverage of body surface. In terms of personal
cooling, substantial amount of research has shown that a
significant amount of body heat can be removed with the
use of a personal body cooling system

HUMAN SYSTEMS INTEGRATION DOMAIN TRADE-OFFS IN OPTIMIZED MANNING: The task effectiveness scheduling tool

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA529246&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
HUMAN SYSTEMS INTEGRATION DOMAIN TRADE-OFFS IN OPTIMIZED MANNING:
THE TASK EFFECTIVENESS SCHEDULING TOOL

Anthony P. Tvaryanas and Nita Lewis Miller
Naval Postgraduate School
NPS-OR-10-006


The Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness (SAFTE) model is a biomathematical model that uses information about sleep history, duration of wakefulness, and circadian phase to forecast an individual’s future task effectiveness. It has seen practical application in the Defense Department within the Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool (FAST). At present, given a personnel duty schedule with work and sleep periods, it is possible to obtain future predicted task effectiveness using FAST. It is not possible, however, to directly address the inverse question: given a task effectiveness threshold, what is the optimal schedule in terms of the time of sleep-wake periods and the assignment of performance sensitive duties? Such questions can now be addressed by importing data generated from FAST simulations into the Task Effectiveness Scheduling Tool (TEST). TEST is a mixed integer program that assigns persons to wake-sleep cycles and variable duty periods to provide coverage of a system function using the minimum quantity of personnel, while simultaneously ensuring individuals exceed a specified task effectiveness criterion during duty periods. The program then ensures that the temporal scheduling of duty periods maximizes averaged predicted task effectiveness over a 24-hour period. Accordingly, TEST allows analysts to mathematically determine optimal staffing and shift scheduling solutions via a deterministic model.

Using the Mean Shift Algorithm to Make Post Hoc Improvements to the Accuracy of Eye-Tracking Data Based on Probable Fixation Locations

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528607&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Using the Mean Shift Algorithm to Make Post Hoc Improvements to the
Accuracy of Eye Tracking Data Based on Probable Fixation Locations

University of Oregon,Department of Computer and Information
Science,Eugene,OR,97403-1202

In eye tracking research, there is almost always a disparity between a participant?s actual gaze location and the location recorded by the eye tracker. In this paper, we propose a mean shift error correction method that can reliably reduce the systematic error?which tends to stay constant over time?and restore the fixations to their true locations. We show that the method is reliable when the visual objects of the experiment are arranged in an irregular manner, such as not on a grid in which all fixations could be shifted to adjacent locations using the same directional adjustment. Using the mean shift method, the disparity between fixations and their nearest objects are calculated and plotted on a graph in terms of their x and y deviations. The highest density point in this graph, calculated using the mean shift algorithm, is shown to correctly capture the magnitude and direction of the systematic error. This paper presents the
method, an extended demonstration, and a validation of the efficacy of the error correction technique.

Contingency Pest Management Guide. 2010 Edition

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528966&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Contingency Pest Management Guide. 2010 Edition

Technical Guide No. 24


The purpose of the Contingency Pest Management Guide is to provide basic information on using pesticides to control insects that transmit disease and other pests during deployment situations worldwide. Use pesticides only as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program. IPM is an approach that combines a variety of pest management methods-- including physical, mechanical, educational, biological and chemical--to prevent medical injury or economic damage from pests and disease vectors. This Guide is not intended to be a substitute for the instructions found on all pesticide labels. Remember, when applying pesticides around U.S. personnel or as part of a U.S. operation, the pesticide label is the law.
This guide is intended to assist DoD service members, civilians and contract personnel plan for and perform best pest management practices during contingency operations in the absence of a formalized Theater or an installation/base camp approved IPM Plan. When such a plan exists, that document takes precedence over this technical guide. Commanders are responsible for implementing a pest management program to include a pest management plan, and a plan should be written and implemented for any operation that is expected to endure for an extended period.
See the AFPMB web site at http://www.afpmb.org for contingency-related entomological information.

American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable on Exertional Heat Stroke V Return to Duty/Return to Play

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA529041&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable on
Exertional Heat Stroke V Return to Duty/Return
to Play: Conference Proceedings


O’CONNOR, F.G., D.J. CASA, M.F. BERGERON, R. CARTER, P. DEUSTER, Y. HELED, J. KARK, L. LEON,
B. MCDERMOTT, K. O’BRIEN, W.O. ROBERTS, and M. SAWKA. American college of sports medicine roundtable on exertional heat stroke V return to duty/return to play: conference proceedings. Curr. Sports Med. Rep., Vol. 9, No. 5, pp. 314-321, 2010. On October 22-23, 2008, an ACSM Roundtable was convened at the Uniformed Services University (Bethesda, MD)
to discuss return-to-play or return-to-duty for people who have experienced exertional heat illness (EHI) and to develop consensus-based recommendations. The conference assembled experts from the civilian sports medicine community and the Department of Defense to
discuss relevant EHI issues, such as potential long-term consequences, the concept of thermotolerance, and the role of thermal tolerance testing in return-to-play decisions. Although the group was unable to move forward with new consensus recommendations, they clearly
documented critical clinical concerns and scientific questions, including the following: 1) no uniform core definitions of EHI; 2) limited validated criteria to assess recovery from exertional heat stroke (EHS); and 3) inadequate ability to predict who may be predisposed to a subsequent heat injury after EHS. Areas of potential future research are identified.

Effect of Acceleration Frequency on Spatial Orientation Mechanisms

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA529816&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Effect of Acceleration Frequency on Spatial Orientation Mechanisms

NAMRL-10-55

Frederick R. Patterson; Joseph F. Chandler

Extreme motion environments can induce loss of visual acuity, motion sickness, and spatial disorientation. Understanding how human sensory integration of acceleration stimuli affects spatial awareness will improve models of spatial disorientation and mishap analysis. Vestibular gaze reflex data were successfully collected from 10 subjects, each of whom completed three separate trials at sequences of low, medium, and high off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) spin rates. The results of these tests revealed no significant change in horizontal and torsional eye movements between the low OVAR spin frequency of 0.03 Hz and the predicted crossover point of 0.25 Hz; however, there did appear to be a trend toward reduction of horizontal eye movement when the high OVAR rate of 0.55 Hz was compared with the low (0.03 Hz) and medium (0.25 Hz) rates. Based upon the collected data, a revised crossover rate of 0.42 Hz was extrapolated as the most probable spin frequency for inducing gaze reflex changes with the potential for triggering motion sickness. The results of this study have identified a potential range of circular motion with potential implications for designing future flight simulators used for
training or assessment of cockpit designs.

Medical Attrition of Battlefield Airmen Trainees

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA530133&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Medical Attrition of Battlefield Airmen Trainees

Brett R. Nishikawa, Maj, USAF, MC, FS
Paul A. Sjoberg, Col, USAF, BSC
Gen M. Maupin, MPH

The Air Education and Training Command (AETC), tasked to identify methods to provide preventive medicine oversight and reduce injury risk related to physical training of Battlefield Airmen trainees, requested the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine/Epidemiology Consult Service to identify types of injuries and illnesses that occurred in each course by week of training and location of training, to identify the injuries/illnesses to determine cost of treatment, to identify the training cost linked to injuries/illnesses (e.g., lost training days), and to provide recommendations for preventive medicine countermeasures. We queried the Technical Training Production Analysis (TTPA) section of the AETC Decision Support System (ADSS) for all training-related events from 1 January 2004 to 20 April 2010 and obtained medical encounter and cost data from the Military Health System Mart for all inpatient and outpatient military treatment facility care and all inpatient care rendered in a civilian hospital. There were 38 unique course identifiers in ADSS for Battlefield Airmen representing 7,953 different individuals. The attrition rate since 2004 for all courses combined was 51%. Medical-related training events accounted for 15% of all attrition. The highest rates were found for Special Operaton Weathermen Slection [sic], Tactical Air Command and Control Apprentice, Pararescue Indoctrination, Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice, Pararescue Indoctrination Course (Enlisted), and Combat Control Apprentice. For most courses, the most frequent types of medical encounters were for either musculoskeletal diagnoses or respiratory illnesses. We recommend the following: expand the current ADSS/TTPA surveillance to include all training sites, including non-Air Force installations; allow for better capture of medical events occurring during training; enable specific medical oversight of Battlefield Airmen pipeline training; and provide more detailed evaluation of events and attrition for the courses that carry a disproportionately high burden of cost mentioned above.

Society of U.S. Air Force Surgeons’ 2010 State of the Flight Surgeon Survey: The Medical Treatment Facility Commander’s Perspective

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA529986&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Society of U.S. Air Force Surgeons’ 2010 State of the Flight Surgeon Survey: The Medical Treatment Facility Command

AFRL-SA-BR-SR-2010-0003

Theresa B. Goodman, Maj, USAF, MC, FS er’s Perspective



In May 2003, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Surgeon General (SG) called upon the Society of USAF Flight Surgeons to report on the state of the flight surgeon from a perspective external to the traditional chain of command. This survey is the third inquiry aimed at garnering the opinion of medical treatment facility (MTF) commanders on the quality of today’s flight surgeons, the level of training of new flight surgeons, and the level of preparation of aerospace medicine specialists who graduate from the Residency in Aerospace Medicine. Overall, MTF commanders appear to approve of flight surgeon oversight of aerospace medicine programs, the Aerospace Medicine Primary (AMP) Course, and the Residency in Aerospace Medicine training program. Negative opinions about the level of training or satisfaction with flight surgeons in general were overwhelmingly due to lack of experience, inadequate manning, and/or lack of base-level mentorship. These results may indicate a frustration with the level of manning and an inability to resource time to provide necessary "on-the-job" training in the first years out of the AMP. Caution should be used in making large-scale curriculum changes based on the results of one study, as it is only sampling one of the three main stakeholders (the others being flight surgeons and the line units that the flight surgeons support). Per USAF Surgeon General’s direction, future "State of the Flight Surgeon" surveys will be a consolidation of all three stakeholders and presented once every SG cycle. This new format of the survey may give a more complete picture of the state of the flight surgeon.

Flight surgeon, aerospace medicine, training programs, survey

Combat Fitness a Concept Vital to National Defense

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA530226&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Combat Fitness a Concept Vital to National Defense
Major Christopher P. Larkin, U.S. Air Force
Masters Thesis


Current combat operations have uncovered some disturbing issues in the ground combatant‘s mental and physical ability to withstand the extreme demands of continuous combat operations in the harsh environmental conditions, such as those seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. These issues are creating significant problems in the American military‘s ability to sustain a healthy force able to handle the country‘s most difficult tasks. This research paper takes a critical look at the Service level physical fitness programs to determine if the fitness training currently being conducted is sufficient to train and sustain the ground combatants throughout their military careers. In today‘s environment of a tightening budget, reduced manpower and rising healthcare costs, it is imperative that the DoD take the appropriate actions to prepare and maintain its most vital weapons system, the human. Therefore, the DoD must embrace and incorporate modern physical fitness training systems, techniques, technology, and testing to better train and prepare ground combatants for the rigors of combat, including improved battlefield effectiveness and prolonged individual operational longevity, while minimizing the rash of short- and long-term injuries currently plaguing the force.

The Effects of Visual Degradation on Attended Objects and the Ability to Process Unattended Objects within the Visual Array

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA529361&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

The Effects of Visual Degradation on Attended Objects and the Ability to
Process Unattended Objects within the Visual Array


USAARL Report No. 2010-19

Jeremy R. Athy
Dr. Dale S. Klopfer
Stephanie M. Moon
Gina M. Jurek

Previous studies have demonstrated different levels of processing for visual stimuli dependent upon whether the objects were attended to or not. This study consisted of two manipulations to further diagnose the processing of unattended objects. First, the attended object was visually degraded on some trials to determine if this would negatively influence the processing of unattended images. Second, the number of unattended objects within a trial was varied. Previous studies used one unattended object, while this study will use both one and three unattended objects within a trial. Although the degradation of the attended object did result in
significantly longer reaction times in their naming, both degradation of the attended object and the amount of unattended objects did not influence the processing of unattended objects.


Visual Processing, Visual Attention, Object Processing

Optical Filter Effects on Night Vision Goggle Acuity and Preservation of Dark Adaptation

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA529412&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Optical filter effects on night vision goggle acuity and preservation of ark adaptation.
Aviat Space Environ Med 2010; 81: 869 – 72 .


Roger S. Thomas , Steve T. Wright , Patrick J. Clark ,
William T. Thompson , and John M. Gooch

The high output of night vision goggles (NVGs) can cause a loss of dark adaptation, resulting in suboptimal unaided vision. Optical filters have been designed to mitigate this problem by changing the overall output characteristics of the NVGs. Methods: Several aspects of visual performance related to NVG use were studied in a repeated measures design, fi lters versus no fi lters. NVG acuity was assessed using a 25% contrast chart, while preservation of dark adaptation after NVG use was measured with a scotopic sensitivity tester (SST) and a low luminance acuity chart. Testing was accomplished at two light levels, roughly corresponding to starlight and quarter moon conditions. Results: Use of the filters resulted in a statistically signifi cant loss of acuity of about a 1/2 line (approximately 2.5 letters) at both light levels. The second part of the study identified a 47% improvement in preservation of dark adaptation under simulated starlight conditions and a 31% improvement under simulated quarter moon conditions with fi lter use; however, only the starlight finding was statistically signifi cant. No significant differences in performance were seen with the low luminance chart.
Discussion:
Despite a small loss of visual acuity with filter use, the improvement in retention of dark adaptation may be benefi cial in certain operational environments. Aviators, airmen, and commanders should evaluate how the potential for slightly poorer visual acuity and improved recovery of dark adapted vision relates to their mission specifi c requirements prior to implementing use of NVG filters.

A Review of Central Nervous System (CNS)/Cognitive Effects Due to Blast

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528766&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

A Review of Central Nervous System (CNS)/Cognitive Effects Due to Blast
Rigby, Paul, H.: Chan, Philemon, C.

AFRL-RH-BR-TR-2007-0072


An extensive literature review of central nervous system (CNS)/cognitive effects due to blast overpressure has been performed to support the assessment of human effects due to flashbang devices. Epidemiology and laboratory data have shown evidence that correlates CNS injuries to blast, but the primary mechanism of injury on the gross and molecular level is not understood. Laboratory data have suggested blast induced brain injuries have similarities to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Full body blast test animals have shown an increase in certain molecules linked with nerve cell apoptosis and cognition dysfunction. Data also suggest blast overpressure can cause adverse cognitive effects resulting in executive deficit similar to that produced in other TBI models. Long term cognitive effects of blast include disturbances in attention and memory, and a delayed reaction time in problem solving. Veterans returning with blast injury also exhibit post concussion symptoms similar to those seen in other forms of TBI. Since the mechanism relating blast and cognitive deficit is not known, the authors recommend that an effort should characterize of CNS/cognitive effects due to blast since potential CNS injuries must be taken seriously, and data suggest a correlation between blast and cognitive effects.

Inhalation Exposure to let Fuel (JPS) Among U.S. Ai r Forcc Personnel

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528449&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Inhalation Exposure to let Fuel (JPS) Among U.S. Ai r Forcc Personnel

Kristen W. Smith. Susan P. Proctor, Al Ownoff, Michael D. McClean


As jet fuel is a common occupational exposure among military and civilian populations, this study was conducted to characterize jet fuel (JP8) exposure among active duty US Air Force Personnel. Personnel (n=24) were divided a priori into high, moderate, and low exposurc groups. Questionnaires and personal air samples (breathing zone) were collected from each worker ovcr 3 consecutive days (72 worker-days) and analYLed for total hydrocarbons (THC), benzene, toluence, ethylbenzene. xylenes, and napthalene. Air Samples wcre collected from inside the fuel tank and analyzed for the same analytes. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the exposure data. Our results show that the correlation ofTHC (a measure of overall JP8
inhalation exposure) with all other analytes was moderate to strong in the a priori high and moderate exposure groups combined. Inhalation exposure to all analytes varied significantly by self-reported JP8 exposure (THC levels higher among workersreporting JP8 exposure), a priori exposure group (THC levels in high group > moderate group > low group), and more specific job
task groupings.

Toward an Operational Definition of Workload: A Workload Assessment of Aviation Maneuvers

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528341&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Toward an Operational Definition of Workload: A Workload Assessment of
Aviation Maneuvers

USAARL Repo rt No. 2010-15

Catherine M. Webb
Steven J. Gaydos
Arthur Estrada
Lana S. Milam

As there is no one agreed upon definition of workload, there is no one accepted way to measure the construct. However, workload is an important variable in nearly every aviation-related research protocol. The primary objective of the study was to explore a new measure of workload assessment in an effort to move towards an operational definition of workload. Using this new workload assessment and definition, the present study characterized aviators’ retrospective assessments of the workload involved in base and mission tasks related to the UH-60 A/L aircraft. A secondary objective was to examine the role of experience in workload
assessments. Eligible participants were UH-60 Black Hawk instructor pilots or pilots enrolled in the UH-60 instructor pilot course at Fort Rucker. The present study demonstrated the new workload assessment was sensitive to various tasks and various workload dimensions. The results of this study also have applications for return-to-duty assessments for H-60 model aviators.

Validation of the Aggregate Wakefulness And Readiness Estimator(AWARE) using On-the-Job Security Forces Personnel

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528182&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Validation of the Aggregate Wakefulness And Readiness Estimator(AWARE) using On-the-Job Security Forces Personnel

AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2010-0110

J. Lynn Caldwell, Christienne Ruth
Margaret Funke, Lindsey McIntire
William F. Storm
Julia Sundstrom
Tom Beltran

The present study sought to document the work/rest schedule as well as subjective and objective fatigue levels of Air Force security forces personnel and apply these data to a performance prediction model. Participants were asked to complete a sleep diary each morning and mood and performance tests every 2 hours during their work days, and upon rising, 10 hours into the day, and then prior to bedtime on days off. Due to the participation variability among shifts and bases, the results from the study do not allow direct comparison of shift schedules nor time on shift as hoped. However, the data were able to show that as time on shift increased, both subjective and objective fatigue generally increased, particularly on the 12-hr shifts.

Military Medicine. Volume 175, August 2010, Supplement. Total Force Fitness for the 21st Century: a new paradigm

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528391&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf


Military Medicine. Volume 175, August 2010, Supplement. Total Force
Fitness for the 21st Century A New Paradigm



TOTAL FORCE FITNESS FOR THE 21st CENTURY
A NEW PARADIGM
Guest Editors:
Wayne B. Jonas, Francis G. O’Connor, Patricia Deuster, and Christian Macedonia

The Charge: Humans Are the Most Important Asset

On Total Force Fitness in War and Peace
ADM Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Current Department of Defense Guidance for Total Force Fitness
COL Beverly C. Land, MC USA

Why Total Force Fitness?
LTC Wayne B. Jonas, MC USA (Ret.); COL Francis G. O’Connor, MC USA; Patricia Deuster, PhD, MPH;
Jonathan Peck, PhD; CAPT Caron Shake, MSC USN (Ret.); CAPT Stephen S. Frost, MC USN (Ret.)
The Domains of Total Force Fitness

Physical Fitness
MAJ Tanja C. Roy, SP USA; COL Barbara A. Springer, SP USA; MAJ Vancil McNulty, SP USA;
LTC Nikki L. Butler, SP USA

Psychological Fitness
Mark J. Bates, PhD; COL Stephen Bowles, MS USA; Jon Hammermeister, PhD; Charlene Stokes, PhD; Evette Pinder, MPH; Monique Moore, PhD; Matthew Fritts, MPH; CDR Meena Vythilingam, USPHS; MAJ Todd Yosick, MS USA; Jeffrey Rhodes, DMin; LTC Craig Myatt, MS USA; CAPT Richard Westphal, NC USN; David Fautua, PhD; CAPT Paul Hammer, MC USN; LTC Greg Burbelo, MS USA

Behavioral and Occupational Fitness
Robert M. Bray, PhD; James L. Spira, PhD; Kristine Rae Olmsted, MSPH; CPT Joseph J. Hout, MS USA

Medical and Environmental Fitness
COL Francis G. O’Connor, USA MC; Patricia A. Deuster, PhD, MPH; David W. DeGroot, PhD;
MAJ Duvell W. White, MS USA

Nutritional Fitness
Scott J. Montain, PhD; Christina E. Carvey, MS, RD; CAPT Mark B. Stephens, MC USN

Spiritual Fitness
David J. Hufford, PhD; Matthew J. Fritts, MPH; Jeffrey E. Rhodes, DMin

Social Fitness
Ian Coulter, PhD; CPT Paul Lester, USA; LTC Jeffrey Yarvis, USA

Family Fitness
CAPT Richard J. Westphal, NC USN; Kirsten R. Woodward, MSW

Evaluating Total Force Fitness

Program Evaluation of Total Force Fitness in the Military
Joan A. Walter, PA; Ian Coulter, PhD; Lara Hilton, MPH; Amy B. Adler, PhD; LTC Paul D. Bliese, MSC USA; Maj Rena A. Nicholas, USAF BSC

A Survey of Multidimensional Health and Fitness Indexes
Kimberly M. Firth, PhD; Katherine Smith, MPH

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Lessons Unlearned, Education Forfeited: Military Hygiene Enters the 21st Century
COL Stephen C. Craig, MC USA (Ret.)

The Principal Challenge of Realizing Total Force Fitness: Changing Our Readiness Culture
BG Michael Rounds, USA (Ret.)

The Effect of Blast Exposure on Sleep and Daytime Sleepiness in U.S. Marine Corps Breachers

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528334&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

The Effect of Blast Exposure on Sleep and Daytime Sleepiness in U.S. Marine
Corps Breachers

Amanda Kelley
Jeremy Athy
Melinda Vasbinder
Jim Chiaramonte
Edna Rat

USAARL Report No. 2010-16


Traumatic brain injury resulting from blast exposure is an increasingly common problem among Soldiers returning from combat deployment. In order to understand the extent of damage resulting from blast exposure, this study examined students and instructors at the United States Marine Corps Methods of Dynamic Entry School during a two week training period. The results of the study suggest that actigraphy and subjective sleep measures are sensitive to changes in sleep quality/quantity as well as daytime sleepiness over the training session. The extent to which these changes are associated with blast exposure rather than other factors related to the
training period will be explored further in a large scale study of breacher crewmen.

Cybersickness Onset With Reflexive Head Movements During Land and Shipboard Head-Mounted Display Flight Simulation

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA528015&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Cybersickness Onset With Reflexive Head Movements During Land
and Shipboard Head-Mounted Display Flight Simulation

Frederick Patterson; Eric Muth

NAMRL Report Number 10-43

Military communities have long recognized the value of using flight simulations for enhancement of mission performance. Although flight simulators depicting virtual images of mission profiles are known to improve situational awareness, pilots using head-mounted display virtual reality (HMD/VR) environments often report increased signs and symptoms associated with simulator sickness. With shipboard deployment of HMD/VR training devices, disparity between VR visual flight conditions and ship induced vestibular accelerations may generate changes in reflexive head movement, and thereby influence risk of simulator sickness. In this study, nine subjects flew a head-mounted display HMD/VR flight simulation during land based and shipboard conditions. Reflexive head positioning and simulator sickness questionnaires (SSQ)
were used to evaluate differences between the two conditions. Results indicate that both land and shipboard HMD/VR flight simulations produced optokinetic cervical reflex (OKCR) responses (p< 0.001) in both coronal and sagittal planes; however between land and sea conditions, these OKCR variations were not statistically significant. In contrast, land and sea OKCR head yaw did show a significant increase during shipboard trials. With respect to simulator sickness, SSQ scores were significantly elevated after exposure to both land and sea HMD/VR conditions; however SSQ differences (between land and sea conditions) did not reach a significant level. In summary, non-motion (land) HMD/VR flight simulations provoke significant coronal and sagittal OKCR responses that do not change when low sea state shipboard motion is introduced; however, low sea-state shipboard motion did appear to trigger significant increases
in OKCR head yaw. With regard to predicting the early onset of cybersickness, correlations between coronal OKCR and SSQ data suggest the possibility of an inverse trend between reported simulator sickness and head movement.

The Utility of fMRI for Assessing and Predicting Individual Differences in Fatigue Vulnerability

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA527954&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

The Utility of fMRI for Assessing and Predicting Individual Differences in Fatigue Vulnerability

J. Lynn Caldwell, Regina M. Schmidt, Nadia Lopez, Christienne Ruth et al

AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2010-0107

Several studies have shown that fatigue from inadequate sleep is associated with serious performance decrements, increases in safety risks, and adverse health costs. Little has been done to explore the nature of individual differences in performance or the degree to which these differences can be predicted prior to sleep loss. The present study sought to replicate studies in which brain activation may identify those individuals who are susceptible to the effects of sleep deprivation. Following baseline cognitive testing and an fMRI, 11 participants underwent a complete sleep-deprivation study in which they were repeatedly given a battery of surveys and cognitive and mood tests at 2-hr intervals for 23 hours. Near the end of the 30-hr period, an additional fMRI examination identical to the first was performed for each participant. While in the scanner, participants took two cognitive tasks (Sternberg memory tasks and a binary detection task) and a magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan. The results indicated individuals who perform poorly during long hours of wakefulness may not have the cognitive reserve necessary to resist the effects of sleep deprivation. More research is necessary to determine whether fMRI can be a useful tool in identification of individuals who are resistant to the effects of long hours of wakefulness.

Creation of an Expanded Barell Matrix to IdentifyTraumatic Brain Injuries of U.S. Military Members

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA529724&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Creation of an Expanded Barell Matrix to IdentifyTraumatic Brain
Injuries of U.S. Military Members

This paper describes the creation ofa new traumatic brain injury (TBI) dassification system, the Barell+ system, derived by the Center for Army Medical Department Strategic Stud ies, The Barell+ system is an expansion of the standard international Sarell body region by nature of injury diagnosis matrix developed by the Intemational Collaborative Effort on Injury Statistics.The expanded version (Barell+) was created as a result of a mapping effort between the original Sarell matrix and the Department of Defense severity class ification system used for surveillance by the Defense and Veteran Brain Injury Center (DVBIC). Starting with the Barell TBI category definitions, 19 additional TBI-related diagnosis codes from the DVBIC classification were mapped into the resulting Sarell+ matrix. The new Sarell+ system is compared with the original Barel I matrix and the DVBIC classification system. We recommend using the TBI
frequency distributions created by the Sarell+ system as input data in U.S. military medical modeling and simulation efforts because it better reflects the actual distribution ofTB I injuries.