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Sample records for close combat behaviors

  1. Developing close combat behaviors for simulated soldiers using genetic programming techniques.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pryor, Richard J.; Schaller, Mark J.

    2003-10-01

    Genetic programming is a powerful methodology for automatically producing solutions to problems in a variety of domains. It has been used successfully to develop behaviors for RoboCup soccer players and simple combat agents. We will attempt to use genetic programming to solve a problem in the domain of strategic combat, keeping in mind the end goal of developing sophisticated behaviors for compound defense and infiltration. The simplified problem at hand is that of two armed agents in a small room, containing obstacles, fighting against each other for survival. The base case and three changes are considered: a memory of positions using stacks, context-dependent genetic programming, and strongly typed genetic programming. Our work demonstrates slight improvements from the first two techniques, and no significant improvement from the last.

  2. Are there atheists in foxholes? Combat intensity and religious behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wansink, Brian; Wansink, Craig S

    2013-09-01

    After battle, the moral and mortality stresses influence different soldiers in different ways. Using two large-scale surveys of World War II veterans, this research investigates the impact of combat on religiosity. Study 1 shows that as combat became more frightening, the percentage of soldiers who reported praying rose from 42 to 72%. Study 2 shows that 50 years later, many soldiers still exhibited religious behavior, but it varied by their war experience. Soldiers who faced heavy combat (vs. no combat) attended church 21% more often if they claimed their war experience was negative, but those who claimed their experience was positive attended 26% less often. The more a combat veteran disliked the war, the more religious they were 50 years later. While implications for counselors, clergy, support groups, and health practitioners are outlined, saying there are no atheists in foxholes may be less of an argument against atheism than it is against foxholes.

  3. The Commanders' Integrated Training Tool for the Close Combat Tactical Trainer 3: Final Prototype Development

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Flynn, Michael

    2001-01-01

    ...) for the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT), a system of armored vehicle manned-module simulators and workstations that allows units to train collective armor and infantry tasks at the platoon through battalion task force level...

  4. Inclusion on the ground fighting techniques in the system of close combat in the Army of the Czech Republic.

    OpenAIRE

    Král, Pavel

    2013-01-01

    Title of thesis: Inclusion on the ground fighting techniques in the system of close combat in the Army of the Czech Republic. Aim of thesis: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of termination, the risk of injury and severity of selected techniques of fighting on the ground in order to create a theoretical model for the incorporation of new techniques into close combat training in the Army of the Czech Republic. Methods: This thesis is processed by multivariate preferences. ...

  5. The Commanders' Integrated Training Tool for the Close Combat Tactical Trainer - 2: Second Generation Design and Prototype Development

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gossman, J

    2000-01-01

    ...) for the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT), a system of armored vehicle manned-module simulators and workstations that allows units to train collective armor and infantry tasks at the platoon through battalion task force level...

  6. Appetitive aggression and adverse childhood experiences shape violent behavior in females formerly associated with combat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mareike eAugsburger

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the impact of violent experiences during childhood, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD and appetitive aggression on everyday violent behavior in Burundian females with varying participation in war. Moreover, group differences in trauma-related and aggression variables were expected. Appetitive aggression describes the perception of violence perpetration as fascinating and appealing and is a common phenomenon in former combatants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 157 females, either former combatants, supporters of armed forces or civilians during the civil war in Burundi. The PTSD Symptom Scale Interview was used to assess PTSD symptom severity, the Appetitive Aggression Scale to measure appetitive aggression and the Domestic and Community Violence Checklist to assess both childhood maltreatment and recent aggressive behavior. Former combatants had experienced more traumatic events, perpetrated more violence and reported higher levels of appetitive aggression than supporters and civilians. They also suffered more severely from PTSD symptoms than civilians but not than supporters. The groups did not differ regarding childhood maltreatment. Both appetitive aggression and childhood violence predicted ongoing aggressive behavior, whereas the latter outperformed PTSD symptom severity. These findings support current research showing that adverse childhood experiences and a positive attitude towards aggression serve as the basis for aggressive behavior and promote an ongoing cycle of violence in post-conflict regions. Female members of armed groups are in need of demobilization procedures including trauma-related care and interventions addressing appetitive aggression.

  7. Crowd Behavior Algorithm Development for COMBAT XXI

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-05-30

    non-combatants to military operations in an urban area. We show how to link this model with COMBATXXI at the application programming interface (API...level so that the model can be run in tight conjunction with COMBATXXI. TRAC and other anaytic organizations can use this type of crowd model to... organizations , and materiel. crowd, agent-based modeling , combat models , COMBATXXI, NetLogo, mega-cities, civilians on the battlefield Unclassified U U U U 39

  8. Effects of combat deployment on risky and self-destructive behavior among active duty military personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomsen, Cynthia J; Stander, Valerie A; McWhorter, Stephanie K; Rabenhorst, Mandy M; Milner, Joel S

    2011-10-01

    Although research has documented negative effects of combat deployment on mental health, few studies have examined whether deployment increases risky or self-destructive behavior. The present study addressed this issue. In addition, we examined whether deployment effects on risky behavior varied depending on history of pre-deployment risky behavior, and assessed whether psychiatric conditions mediated effects of deployment on risky behavior. In an anonymous survey, active duty members of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy (N = 2116) described their deployment experiences and their participation in risky recreational activities, unprotected sex, illegal drug use, self-injurious behavior, and suicide attempts during three time frames (civilian, military pre-deployment, and military post-deployment). Respondents also reported whether they had problems with depression, anxiety, or PTSD during the same three time frames. Results revealed that risky behavior was much more common in civilian than in military life, with personnel who had not deployed, compared to those who had deployed, reporting more risky behavior and more psychiatric problems as civilians. For the current time period, in contrast, personnel who had deployed (versus never deployed) were significantly more likely to report both risky behavior and psychiatric problems. Importantly, deployment was associated with increases in risky behavior only for personnel with a pre-deployment history of engaging in risky behavior. Although psychiatric conditions were associated with higher levels of risky behavior, psychiatric problems did not mediate associations between deployment and risky behavior. Implications for understanding effects of combat deployment on active duty personnel and directions for future research are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. The Impact of Combat Status on Veterans' Attitudes Toward Help Seeking: The Hierarchy of Combat Elitism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashley, Wendy; Brown, Jodi Constantine

    2015-01-01

    Many veterans do not seek assistance for mental health concerns despite the staggering prevalence of trauma-related symptomatology. Barriers to service provision include personal and professional stigma and inter-veteran attitudes that dictate who is more or less deserving of services. Veteran attitudes are shaped by military culture, which promotes a hyper-masculine paradigm upholding combat experience as the defining feature of the "ideal soldier." The stratification of soldiers into combat or non-combat status creates a hierarchy of combat elitism that extends far beyond active duty. This pilot study surveyed veterans (n = 24) to explore how combat experience may affect attitudes toward help seeking. Findings indicate combat and non-combat veterans are less accepting of non-combat veterans' help-seeking behavior, supporting the notion that veterans' attitudes toward help seeking are influenced by combat status. Despite limitations, the results of this study reflect a need for increased attention to the attitudes veterans have about each other and themselves.

  10. Why Does Military Combat Experience Adversely Affect Marital Relations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gimbel, Cynthia; Booth, Alan

    1994-01-01

    Describes investigation of ways in which combat decreases marital quality and stability. Results support three models: (1) factors propelling men into combat also make them poor marriage material; (2) combat causes problems that increase marital adversity; and (3) combat intensifies premilitary stress and antisocial behavior which then negatively…

  11. Simulating barrier penetration during combat. Technical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Laquil, P. III.

    1980-04-01

    A computer program, BARS, simulates combat between an adversary group attempting to hijack special nuclear material and escort personnel attempting to protect it. BARS is designed to investigate how various combat strategies and levels of performance affect the time required to penetrate barriers (armor, deterrent systems, etc.) against forcible entry. A Monte Carlo code, BARS uses a game theoretic approach to allocate the attacking and defending forces. Combat suppression is simulated using a stochastic state-transition model for the behavior of individuals under combat stress. The BARS program was developed as part of the overall combat modelling effort of the transportation safeguards program

  12. A naturalistic decision making model for simulated human combatants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HUNTER, KEITH O.; HART, WILLIAM E.; FORSYTHE, JAMES C.

    2000-01-01

    The authors describe a naturalistic behavioral model for the simulation of small unit combat. This model, Klein's recognition-primed decision making (RPD) model, is driven by situational awareness rather than a rational process of selecting from a set of action options. They argue that simulated combatants modeled with RPD will have more flexible and realistic responses to a broad range of small-scale combat scenarios. Furthermore, they note that the predictability of a simulation using an RPD framework can be easily controlled to provide multiple evaluations of a given combat scenario. Finally, they discuss computational issues for building an RPD-based behavior engine for fully automated combatants in small conflict scenarios, which are being investigated within Sandia's Next Generation Site Security project

  13. Atypical Modulations of N170 Component during Emotional Processing and Their Links to Social Behaviors in Ex-combatants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trujillo, Sandra P; Valencia, Stella; Trujillo, Natalia; Ugarriza, Juan E; Rodríguez, Mónica V; Rendón, Jorge; Pineda, David A; López, José D; Ibañez, Agustín; Parra, Mario A

    2017-01-01

    Emotional processing (EP) is crucial for the elaboration and implementation of adaptive social strategies. EP is also necessary for the expression of social cognition and behavior (SCB) patterns. It is well-known that war contexts induce socio-emotional atypical functioning, in particular for those who participate in combats. Thus, ex-combatants represent an ideal non-clinical population to explore EP modulation and to evaluate its relation with SCB. The aim of this study was to explore EP and its relation with SCB dimensions such as empathy, theory of mind and social skills in a sample of 50 subjects, of which 30 were ex-combatants from illegally armed groups in Colombia, and 20 controls without combat experience. We adapted an Emotional Recognition Task for faces and words and synchronized it with electroencephalographic recording. Ex-combatants presented with higher assertion skills and showed more pronounced brain responses to faces than Controls. They did not show the bias toward anger observed in control participants whereby the latter group was more likely to misclassify neutral faces as angry. However, ex-combatants showed an atypical word valence processing. That is, words with different emotions yielded no differences in N170 modulations. SCB variables were successfully predicted by neurocognitive variables. Our results suggest that in ex-combatants the links between EP and SCB functions are reorganized. This may reflect neurocognitive modulations associated to chronic exposure to war experiences.

  14. Atypical Modulations of N170 Component during Emotional Processing and Their Links to Social Behaviors in Ex-combatants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra P. Trujillo

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Emotional processing (EP is crucial for the elaboration and implementation of adaptive social strategies. EP is also necessary for the expression of social cognition and behavior (SCB patterns. It is well-known that war contexts induce socio-emotional atypical functioning, in particular for those who participate in combats. Thus, ex-combatants represent an ideal non-clinical population to explore EP modulation and to evaluate its relation with SCB. The aim of this study was to explore EP and its relation with SCB dimensions such as empathy, theory of mind and social skills in a sample of 50 subjects, of which 30 were ex-combatants from illegally armed groups in Colombia, and 20 controls without combat experience. We adapted an Emotional Recognition Task for faces and words and synchronized it with electroencephalographic recording. Ex-combatants presented with higher assertion skills and showed more pronounced brain responses to faces than Controls. They did not show the bias toward anger observed in control participants whereby the latter group was more likely to misclassify neutral faces as angry. However, ex-combatants showed an atypical word valence processing. That is, words with different emotions yielded no differences in N170 modulations. SCB variables were successfully predicted by neurocognitive variables. Our results suggest that in ex-combatants the links between EP and SCB functions are reorganized. This may reflect neurocognitive modulations associated to chronic exposure to war experiences.

  15. Combat exposure, posttraumatic stress symptoms and risk-taking behavior in veterans of the Second Lebanon War.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svetlicky, Vlad; Solomon, Zahava; Benbenishty, Rami; Levi, Ofir; Lubin, Gadi

    2010-01-01

    Prior research has revealed heightened risk-taking behavior among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined whether the risktaking behavior is a direct outcome of the traumatic exposure or whether this relationship is mediated by posttraumatic stress symptoms. The sample was comprised of 180 traumatized Israeli reserve soldiers, who sought treatment in the wake of the Second Lebanon War. Combat exposure was indirectly associated with risk-taking behavior primarily through its relationship with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results of the multivariate analyses depict the implication of posttraumatic stress symptoms in risk taking behavior, and the role of self-medication and of aggression in traumatized veterans.

  16. The sintering behavior of close-packed spheres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjørk, Rasmus; Tikare, V.; Frandsen, Henrik Lund

    2012-01-01

    The sintering behavior of close-packed spheres is investigated using a numerical model. The investigated systems are the body-centered cubic (bcc), face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close-packed spheres (hcp). The sintering behavior is found to be ideal, with no grain growth until full dens...... density is reached for all systems. During sintering, the grains change shape from spherical to tetrakaidecahedron, similar to the geometry analyzed by Coble [R.L. Coble, J. Appl. Phys. 32 (1961) 787]....

  17. Enhancing Brigade Combat Team Adaptability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-11

    Developing Learning Infrastructures (Training, Education , Practice, Research, Doctrine) -Create a shared vision -Build the business case (assess/Buy...To effectively respond to the characteristics of the operational environment, Brigade Combat Teams must be able to learn constantly from experience...behavior. Organizational adaptive behavior consists of three supporting emergent behaviors which are: self-organization, learning , and organizational

  18. Reinforcement Sensitivity and Social Anxiety in Combat Veterans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimbrel, Nathan A.; Meyer, Eric C.; DeBeer, Bryann B.; Mitchell, John T.; Kimbrel, Azure D.; Nelson-Gray, Rosemery O.; Morissette, Sandra B.

    2017-01-01

    Objective The present study tested the hypothesis that low behavioral approach system (BAS) sensitivity is associated with social anxiety in combat veterans. Method Self-report measures of reinforcement sensitivity, combat exposure, social interaction anxiety, and social observation anxiety were administered to 197 Iraq/Afghanistan combat veterans. Results As expected, combat exposure, behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity, and fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS) sensitivity were positively associated with both social interaction anxiety and social observation anxiety. In contrast, BAS sensitivity was negatively associated with social interaction anxiety only. An analysis of the BAS subscales revealed that the Reward Responsiveness subscale was the only BAS subscale associated with social interaction anxiety. BAS-Reward Responsiveness was also associated with social observation anxiety. Conclusion The findings from the present research provide further evidence that low BAS sensitivity may be associated with social anxiety over and above the effects of BIS and FFFS sensitivity. PMID:28966424

  19. FELIN: tailored optronics and systems solutions for dismounted combat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milcent, A. M.

    2009-05-01

    The FELIN French modernization program for dismounted combat provides the Armies with info-centric systems which dramatically enhance the performances of the soldier and the platoon. Sagem now has available a portfolio of various equipments, providing C4I, data and voice digital communication, and enhanced vision for day and night operations, through compact high performance electro-optics. The FELIN system provides the infantryman with a high-tech integrated and modular system which increases significantly their detection, recognition, identification capabilities, their situation awareness and information sharing, and this in any dismounted close combat situation. Among the key technologies used in this system, infrared and intensified vision provide a significant improvement in capability, observation performance and protection of the ground soldiers. This paper presents in detail the developed equipments, with an emphasis on lessons learned from the technical and operational feedback from dismounted close combat field tests.

  20. Combat ocular trauma and systemic injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weichel, Eric D; Colyer, Marcus H

    2008-11-01

    To review the recent literature regarding combat ocular trauma during hostilities in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, describe the classification of combat ocular trauma, and offer strategies that may assist in the management of eye injuries. Several recent publications have highlighted features of combat ocular trauma from Operation Iraqi Freedom. The most common cause of today's combat ocular injuries is unconventional fragmentary munitions causing significant blast injuries. These explosive munitions cause high rates of concomitant nonocular injuries such as traumatic brain injury, amputation, and other organ injuries. The most frequent ocular injuries include open-globe and adnexal lacerations. The extreme severity of combat-related open-globe injuries leads to high rates of primary enucleation and retained intraocular foreign bodies. Visual outcomes of intraocular foreign body injuries are similar to other series despite delayed removal, and no cases of endophthalmitis have occurred. Despite these advances, however, significant vision loss persists in cases of perforating globe injuries as well as open and closed-globe trauma involving the posterior segment. This review summarizes the recent literature describing ocular and systemic injuries sustained during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. An emphasis on classification of ocular injuries as well as a discussion of main outcome measures and complications is discussed.

  1. Closing-in behavior: Compensation or attraction?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambron, Elisabetta; Beschin, Nicoletta; Cerrone, Chiara; Della Sala, Sergio

    2018-03-01

    Closing-in behavior (CIB) defines the abnormal misplacement of the copy performance, positioned very closed to or on the top of the model. This symptom is observed in graphic copying by patients suffering from different neurological diseases, most commonly dementia. The cognitive origins of this behavior are still a matter of investigation, and research of the last 10 years has been focused on exploring 2 main accounts of CIB, the compensation and the attraction hypotheses, providing evidence in both directions. While the first account defines CIB as a compensatory strategy to overcome visuospatial and/or working memory deficits during copying tasks, the attraction hypothesis looks at CIB as primitive default behavior in which attention and action are closely coupled and movements are performed toward the focus of attention. We explored these 2 hypotheses in a sample of patients with and without CIB, and controls in 5 experiments: Experiments 1 and 2 tested the attraction hypothesis and, respectively, the prediction that CIB can be elicited in a noncopying dual task condition loading upon attentional resources or by irrelevant attentional grabbing stimuli. The other experiments investigated the compensation hypothesis manipulating the distance between model and copying space (Experiment 3), the task demand (single or dual task loading on verbal working memory; Experiment 4), the task requirements (copying and tracing) and visual demand (visual copy and memory; Experiment 5). The results support the attraction hypothesis of CIB. CIB reflects an impairment of the attention and action system, rather than a compensatory strategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Intelligently interactive combat simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogel, Lawrence J.; Porto, Vincent W.; Alexander, Steven M.

    2001-09-01

    To be fully effective, combat simulation must include an intelligently interactive enemy... one that can be calibrated. But human operated combat simulations are uncalibratable, for we learn during the engagement, there's no average enemy, and we cannot replicate their culture/personality. Rule-based combat simulations (expert systems) are not interactive. They do not take advantage of unexpected mistakes, learn, innovate, and reflect the changing mission/situation. And it is presumed that the enemy does not have a copy of the rules, that the available experts are good enough, that they know why they did what they did, that their combat experience provides a sufficient sample and that we know how to combine the rules offered by differing experts. Indeed, expert systems become increasingly complex, costly to develop, and brittle. They have face validity but may be misleading. In contrast, intelligently interactive combat simulation is purpose- driven. Each player is given a well-defined mission, reference to the available weapons/platforms, their dynamics, and the sensed environment. Optimal tactics are discovered online and in real-time by simulating phenotypic evolution in fast time. The initial behaviors are generated randomly or include hints. The process then learns without instruction. The Valuated State Space Approach provides a convenient way to represent any purpose/mission. Evolutionary programming searches the domain of possible tactics in a highly efficient manner. Coupled together, these provide a basis for cruise missile mission planning, and for driving tank warfare simulation. This approach is now being explored to benefit Air Force simulations by a shell that can enhance the original simulation.

  3. Women in Combat: The Medical and Behavioral Health Effects on Women Who Have Served in Combat

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-13

    urinary tract infections or bacterial vaginosis while deployed, and with limited medical care available, could lead to long-term reproductive issues......experience (Gaylord 2006). Several studies have been conducted on pregnancy outcomes in female Soldiers who have deployed to combat, such as fertility

  4. Behaviorism and the beginnings of close reading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gang, Joshua

    2011-01-01

    Many of close reading's most enduring assumptions and techniques have their origins in psychological behaviorism. Beginning with I. A. Richards's critical work from the 1920s, this article demonstrates the central place of behaviorist ideas in New Critical theories of poetry. Despite explicitly disparaging Richards's behavioristic poetics, Brooks's Well Wrought Urn and Wimsatt and Beardsley's "intentional fallacy" perpetuated behaviorism's influence on literary criticism. This article traces how the New Critics translated behavioristic psychology into poetic formalism and discusses the implications of this for contemporary critical practice.

  5. Appetitive Aggression in Women: Comparing Male and Female War Combatants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danie eMeyer-Parlapanis

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Appetitive aggression refers to positive feelings being associated with the perpetration of violent behavior and has been shown to provide resilience against the development of PTSD in combatants returning from the battlefield. Until this point, appetitive aggression has been primarily researched in males. This study investigates appetitive aggression in females. Female and male combatants and civilians from Burundi were assessed for levels of appetitive aggression. In contrast to non-combatants, no sex difference in appetitive aggression could be detected for combatants. Furthermore, each of the female and male combatant groups displayed substantially higher levels of appetitive aggression than each of the male and female civilian control groups. This study demonstrates that in violent contexts, such as armed conflict, in which individuals perpetrate numerous aggressive acts against others, the likelihood for an experience of appetitive aggression increases- regardless of whether the individuals are male or female.

  6. Common functional correlates of head-strike behavior in the pachycephalosaur Stegoceras validum (Ornithischia, Dinosauria and combative artiodactyls.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric Snively

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pachycephalosaurs were bipedal herbivorous dinosaurs with bony domes on their heads, suggestive of head-butting as seen in bighorn sheep and musk oxen. Previous biomechanical studies indicate potential for pachycephalosaur head-butting, but bone histology appears to contradict the behavior in young and old individuals. Comparing pachycephalosaurs with fighting artiodactyls tests for common correlates of head-butting in their cranial structure and mechanics. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Computed tomographic (CT scans and physical sectioning revealed internal cranial structure of ten artiodactyls and pachycephalosaurs Stegoceras validum and Prenocephale prenes. Finite element analyses (FEA, incorporating bone and keratin tissue types, determined cranial stress and strain from simulated head impacts. Recursive partition analysis quantified strengths of correlation between functional morphology and actual or hypothesized behavior. Strong head-strike correlates include a dome-like cephalic morphology, neurovascular canals exiting onto the cranium surface, large neck muscle attachments, and dense cortical bone above a sparse cancellous layer in line with the force of impact. The head-butting duiker Cephalophus leucogaster is the closest morphological analog to Stegoceras, with a smaller yet similarly rounded dome. Crania of the duiker, pachycephalosaurs, and bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis share stratification of thick cortical and cancellous layers. Stegoceras, Cephalophus, and musk ox crania experience lower stress and higher safety factors for a given impact force than giraffe, pronghorn, or the non-combative llama. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Anatomy, biomechanics, and statistical correlation suggest that some pachycephalosaurs were as competent at head-to-head impacts as extant analogs displaying such combat. Large-scale comparisons and recursive partitioning can greatly refine inference of behavioral capability for fossil animals.

  7. POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS AND AVERSION TO AMBIGUOUS LOSSES IN COMBAT VETERANS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruderman, Lital; Ehrlich, Daniel B; Roy, Alicia; Pietrzak, Robert H; Harpaz-Rotem, Ilan; Levy, Ifat

    2016-07-01

    Psychiatric symptoms typically cut across traditional diagnostic categories. In order to devise individually tailored treatments, there is a need to identify the basic mechanisms that underlie these symptoms. Behavioral economics provides a framework for studying these mechanisms at the behavioral level. Here, we utilized this framework to examine a widely ignored aspect of trauma-related symptomatology-individual uncertainty attitudes-in combat veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Fifty-seven combat veterans, including 30 with PTSD and 27 without PTSD, completed a risk and ambiguity decision-making task that characterizes individual uncertainty attitudes, distinguishing between attitudes toward uncertain outcomes with known ("risk") and unknown ("ambiguity") probabilities, and between attitudes toward uncertain gains and uncertain losses. Participants' choices were used to estimate risk and ambiguity attitudes in the gain and loss domains. Veterans with PTSD were more averse to ambiguity, but not risk, compared to veterans without PTSD, when making choices between possible losses, but not gains. The degree of aversion was associated with anxious arousal (e.g., hypervigilance) symptoms, as well as with the degree of combat exposure. Moreover, ambiguity attitudes fully mediated the association between combat exposure and anxious arousal symptoms. These results provide a foundation for prospective studies of the causal association between ambiguity attitudes and trauma-related symptoms, as well as etiologic studies of the neural underpinnings of these behavioral outcomes. More generally, these results demonstrate the potential of neuroeconomic and behavioral economic techniques for devising objective and incentive-compatible diagnostic tools, and investigating the etiology of psychiatric disorders. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. The role of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in committing violence during combat: A cross-sectional study with former combatants in the DR Congo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haer, Roos; Hermenau, Katharin; Elbert, Thomas; Moran, James K; Hecker, Tobias

    2017-05-01

    It has been postulated that the violent behavior that characterizes armed conflict is reinforced by the possibility of receiving rewards. The present study examined the potential influence of two types of rewards in an ongoing setting of conflict: extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Former combatants active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (N = 198) were interviewed and questioned about the way they were recruited, the offenses they committed during combat, their level of perceived intrinsic rewards (i.e., appetitive perception of violence), and the number of received extrinsic rewards during their time in the armed group (e.g., money, extra food, alcohol, or drugs). A moderated multiple regression analysis showed that the number of received extrinsic rewards and the level of intrinsic rewards were significantly positively related to the number of different types of offenses committed. In contrast to our expectations and previous findings, the recruitment type (forced conscription vs. voluntary enlistment) did not moderate this relation. Our findings suggest that both types of rewards play a role in committing violence during combat. We suggest, therefore, that reintegration programs should not only consider the influence of extrinsic rewards, but also need to address the influence of intrinsic rewards to counter violent behavior among former combatants. Aggr. Behav. 43:241-250, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Combating Corruption Relates Money Laundering Activities in Indonesia: a Hope and Reality

    OpenAIRE

    Handoyo, Sigit

    2008-01-01

    Corruption in Indonesia has become a culture and systemic so that it could not be eradicated in the short period of time. As corruption is closely related to money laundering activities, it is not impossible that combating corruption also means combating money laun-dering activities. PPATK (Pusat Pengkajian dan Analisis Transaksi Keuangan) as the Indone-sia's FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) has hard works to reveal those money laundering and corruptions activities. Beside its obstacles, PPA...

  10. Development and evaluation of an emulsion containing lycopene for combating acceleration of skin aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Letícia Caramori Cefali

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Lycopene, a carotenoid and potent antioxidant is found in large quantities in tomatoes. Lycopene combats diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and different types of cancer, including prostate cancer. However, its topical use in emulsion form for the combat of skin aging is under-explored. The aim of the present study was to develop an emulsion containing lycopene extracted from salad tomatoes and evaluate its cytotoxicity, stability, rheological behavior, antioxidant activity and phytocosmetic permeation. The developed cosmetic comprised an oil phase made up of shea derivatives and was evaluated in terms of its physiochemical stability, spreadability, thermal analysis, rheological behavior, microbiological quality, cytotoxicity, antioxidant activity, cutaneous permeation and retention. The results demonstrate that this phytocosmetic is stable, exhibits satisfactory rheological behavior for a topical formula and is a promising product for combating skin aging.

  11. Combating Corruption Relates Money Laundering Activities in Indonesia: A Hope and Reality

    OpenAIRE

    Handoyo, Sigit

    2009-01-01

    Corruption in Indonesia has become a culture and systemic so that it could not be eradicated in the short period of time. As corruption is closely related to money laundering activities, it is not impossible that combating corruption also means combating money laun-dering activities. PPATK (Pusat Pengkajian dan Analisis Transaksi Keuangan) as the Indone-sia’s FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) has hard works to reveal those money laundering and corruptions activities. Beside its obstacles, PPA...

  12. [Psychiatric, Cognitive and Emotional Profile in Ex-combatants of Illegal Armed Groups in Colombia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tobón, Carlos; Aguirre-Acevedo, Daniel Camilo; Velilla, Lina; Duque, Jon; Ramos, Claudia Patricia; Pineda, David

    2016-01-01

    Exposure to armed conflict produces biological adaptations oriented to handle the highly stressful conditions in war environments. The special features of The Colombian armed create a special scenario to evaluate the human behavior. In this study, psychiatric, cognitive and emotional processing characteristics of a group of Colombian armed illegal forces of ex-combatants are described. Sixty-three ex combatants and 22 controls were assessed with WAIS (IQ), INECO frontal screening (executive functions), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (empathy), emotional features recognition and MINI (psychiatric profile). When compared to the control group, ex-combatants showed higher frequency of antisocial personality disorder (P=.031) and behavioral dissocial disorder (P=.017). In cognitive profile, the ex-combatants showed a lower score in the executive function test (Me=18.50; RQ=4.00), control (Me=23.00; RQ=5.25), with a poor personal distress in emphatic profile (Me=10.00; RQ=5.00) compared to control group (Me=37.00; RQ=7.25). We found differences in cognitive and psychiatric profile in ex-combatants in comparison with controls. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  13. Behavioral Correlates of Coping Strategies in Close Relationships

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claude Bélanger

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between specific coping strategies and problem-solving/communication behaviors in close relationships. The sample consisted of 72 couples who completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Marital Coping Questionnaire and who also participated in a filmed 30-minute discussion where they had to solve a relational problem. Observed behaviors were coded using a macroscopic coding system for dyadic interactions. For both men and women, results show significant relationships between coping strategies, marital interaction, and marital adjustment. For women, coping strategies and behavioral dimensions independently accounted for observed fluctuations in marital satisfaction scores. Theoretical implications of these results are discussed.

  14. Worldwide actions to combat abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-01-01

    This paper reports several developments on the global efforts to combat abuse and violence against women and children. It is noted that in South Africa, Belem, Brazil, and Lesotho, protest actions were conducted against women and child abuse. Although the protests were made separately, the protests generally called for implementation of initiatives from the government to address the issue of child and women abuse. In the context of preventing abusive behaviors, a study by the University of Cape Town in South Africa on the appropriateness and feasibility of short-term community-based group therapy concluded that such an approach might be effective in treating delinquent behavior. In Indonesia, the Rifka Annisa Women's Crisis Centre is working to combat violence against women by providing services to victims; while in Israel, a media campaign is aiming to increase awareness and support for women's help centers. In addition, the government of Bangladesh has established a Cell Against Violence Against Women that provides legal counseling and assistance for civil and criminal cases related to violence against women. Furthermore, the WHO and the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have collaborated to conduct a joint workshop to explore how violence against women can be eliminated.

  15. Behavioral analysis of differential Hebbian learning in closed-loop systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kulvicius, Tomas; Kolodziejski, Christoph; Tamosiunaite, Minija

    2010-01-01

    Understanding closed loop behavioral systems is a non-trivial problem, especially when they change during learning. Descriptions of closed loop systems in terms of information theory date back to the 1950s, however, there have been only a few attempts which take into account learning, mostly...... measuring information of inputs. In this study we analyze a specific type of closed loop system by looking at the input as well as the output space. For this, we investigate simulated agents that perform differential Hebbian learning (STDP). In the first part we show that analytical solutions can be found...

  16. Relation between coping and posttrauma cognitions on PTSD in a combat-trauma population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheerin, Christina M; Chowdhury, Nadia; Lind, Mackenzie J; Kurtz, Erin D; Rappaport, Lance M; Berenz, Erin C; Brown, Ruth C; Pickett, Treven; McDonald, Scott D; Danielson, Carla Kmett; Amstadter, Ananda B

    2018-01-01

    Individual differences in cognitive processes and coping behaviors play a role in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the large numbers of combat-exposed service members returning from the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) conflicts, exploring individual differences in cognitive-affective processes is important for informing our understanding of PTSD etiology and early intervention in military samples. The present study examined the unique main and interactive effects of negative posttrauma cognitions (i.e., negative beliefs about self [NS], the world [NW], and self-blame [SB]) and coping strategies (i.e., positive behavioral, positive cognitive, avoidant coping, and social and emotional coping) on PTSD diagnosis within 155 ( M age = 30.7, SD = 4.48) OEF/OIF/OND combat trauma-exposed veterans recruited from an ongoing study examining the effects of combat trauma and stress reactivity. In the final, stepwise logistic regression analysis, avoidant coping, but no other coping strategy, was significantly positively related to PTSD diagnosis in the initial step. Higher levels of NS, but not NW, were significantly associated with having a PTSD diagnosis, while SB was associated with decreased likelihood of PTSD, above and beyond coping strategies. A significant interaction effect was found between NS and positive cognitive coping, such that greater positive cognitive coping weakened the relationship between NS and PTSD. Examining and addressing coping behaviors and negative thoughts of self jointly may benefit assessment and intervention approaches in a combat-trauma population.

  17. Unusual Crystallization Behavior Close to the Glass Transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desgranges, Caroline; Delhommelle, Jerome

    2018-03-01

    Using molecular simulations, we shed light on the mechanism underlying crystal nucleation in metal alloys and unravel the interplay between crystal nucleation and glass transition, as the conditions of crystallization lie close to this transition. While decreasing the temperature of crystallization usually results in a lower free energy barrier, we find an unexpected reversal of behavior for glass-forming alloys as the temperature of crystallization approaches the glass transition. For this purpose, we simulate the crystallization process in two glass-forming Copper alloys, Ag6 Cu4 , which has a positive heat of mixing, and CuZr, characterized by a large negative heat of mixing. Our results allow us to identify this unusual behavior as directly correlated with a nonmonotonic temperature dependence for the formation energy of connected icosahedral structures, which are incompatible with crystalline order and impede the development of the crystal nucleus, leading to an unexpectedly larger free energy barrier at low temperature. This, in turn, promotes the formation of a predominantly closed-packed critical nucleus, with fewer defects, thereby suggesting a new way to control the structure of the crystal nucleus, which is of key importance in catalysis.

  18. Maintaining close relationships: gratitude as a motivator and a detector of maintenance behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubacka, Kaska E; Finkenauer, Catrin; Rusbult, Caryl E; Keijsers, Loes

    2011-10-01

    This research examined the dual function of gratitude for relationship maintenance in close relationships. In a longitudinal study among married couples, the authors tested the dyadic effects of gratitude over three time points for approximately 4 years following marriage. They found that feelings of gratitude toward a partner stem from the partner's relationship maintenance behaviors, partly because such behaviors create the perception of responsiveness to one's needs. In turn, gratitude motivates partners to engage in relationship maintenance. Hence, the present model emphasizes that gratitude between close partners (a) originates from partners' relationship maintenance behaviors and the perception of a partner's responsiveness and (b) promotes a partner's reciprocal maintenance behaviors. Thus, the authors' findings add credence to their model, in that gratitude contributes to a reciprocal process of relationship maintenance, whereby each partner's maintenance behaviors, perceptions of responsiveness, and feelings of gratitude feed back on and influence the other's behaviors, perceptions, and feelings.

  19. Abductive networks applied to electronic combat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, Gerard J.; Hess, Paul; Hwang, Jong S.

    1990-08-01

    A practical approach to dealing with combinatorial decision problems and uncertainties associated with electronic combat through the use of networks of high-level functional elements called abductive networks is presented. It describes the application of the Abductory Induction Mechanism (AIMTM) a supervised inductive learning tool for synthesizing polynomial abductive networks to the electronic combat problem domain. From databases of historical expert-generated or simulated combat engagements AIM can often induce compact and robust network models for making effective real-time electronic combat decisions despite significant uncertainties or a combinatorial explosion of possible situations. The feasibility of applying abductive networks to realize advanced combat decision aiding capabilities was demonstrated by applying AIM to a set of electronic combat simulations. The networks synthesized by AIM generated accurate assessments of the intent lethality and overall risk associated with a variety of simulated threats and produced reasonable estimates of the expected effectiveness of a group of electronic countermeasures for a large number of simulated combat scenarios. This paper presents the application of abductive networks to electronic combat summarizes the results of experiments performed using AIM discusses the benefits and limitations of applying abductive networks to electronic combat and indicates why abductive networks can often result in capabilities not attainable using alternative approaches. 1. ELECTRONIC COMBAT. UNCERTAINTY. AND MACHINE LEARNING Electronic combat has become an essential part of the ability to make war and has become increasingly complex since

  20. Sleep quality affects cognitive functioning in returning combat veterans beyond combat exposure, PTSD, and mild TBI history.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martindale, Sarah L; Morissette, Sandra B; Rowland, Jared A; Dolan, Sara L

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine how sleep quality affects cognitive functioning in returning combat veterans after accounting for effects of combat exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history. This was a cross-sectional assessment study evaluating combat exposure, PTSD, mTBI history, sleep quality, and neuropsychological functioning. One hundred and nine eligible male Iraq/Afghanistan combat veterans completed an assessment consisting of a structured clinical interview, neuropsychological battery, and self-report measures. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, combat experiences and mTBI history were not directly associated with sleep quality. PTSD was directly associated with sleep quality, which contributed to deficits in neuropsychological functioning independently of and in addition to combat experiences, PTSD, and mTBI history. Combat experiences and PTSD were differentially associated with motor speed. Sleep affected cognitive function independently of combat experiences, PTSD, and mTBI history. Sleep quality also contributed to cognitive deficits beyond effects of PTSD. An evaluation of sleep quality may be a useful point of clinical intervention in combat veterans with cognitive complaints. Improving sleep quality could alleviate cognitive complaints, improving veterans' ability to engage in treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. SOCIAL REABILITATION MODEL FOR TEENAGERS WITH DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IN CLOSED-TYPE INSTITUTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. V. Moskvina

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers educational practices in the closed-type institutions for teenagers with deviations in legal, intellectual and psychoemotional behavior, and reveals a social rehabilitation model for this category of teenagers. The model is based on A. V. Petrovsky’s concept of the three phases of personality development in adolescence – adaptation, individualization and integration. The author presumes that any deviation in a teenager’s behavior increases as the result of negative experience, developed and retained in asocial surroundings. The goal of teaching staff in closed-type institutions is to transform the trend of deviant behavior into the normal attitude of social adaptation. The author emphasizes a need for positive experience of passing the above phases in friendly atmosphere with adequate behavior patterns. Preventive work implies the priority changes – i.e. the prevalence of the future over the past, self-determination (revision of goals, meanings, and attitudes to a free choice, reorientation from ≪I don’t want, I can’t, I don’t have to≫ to the positive connotations of ≪I have to, I can, I want≫. The paper denotes the methods and ways of pedagogical facilitation, relating to different phases of educational process, and provides a technique for regular monitoring of personal behavior changes, including the key evaluation positions and scales. The paper is addressed to the teaching staff involved in rehabilitation of teenagers with deviant behavior.

  2. Combat Power Analysis is Combat Power Density

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-17

    Lanchester equations, Weapon Effectiveness Index (WEI), Weighted Unit Value (WUV), Armored Division Equivalents (ADE), and Unit Frontages. The research...6 Lanchester Equations... Lanchester Equations ............................................................................................... 53 Appendix C: Relative Combat Power

  3. Parenting and antisocial behavior: a model of the relationship between adolescent self-disclosure, parental closeness, parental control, and adolescent antisocial behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieno, Alessio; Nation, Maury; Pastore, Massimiliano; Santinello, Massimo

    2009-11-01

    This study used data collected from a sample of 840 Italian adolescents (418 boys; M age = 12.58) and their parents (657 mothers; M age = 43.78) to explore the relations between parenting, adolescent self-disclosure, and antisocial behavior. In the hypothesized model, parenting practices (e.g., parental monitoring and control) have direct effects on parental knowledge and antisocial behavior. Parenting style (e.g., parent-child closeness), on the other hand, is directly related to adolescent self-disclosure, which in turn is positively related to parental knowledge and negatively related to adolescents' antisocial behavior. A structural equation model, which incorporated data from parents and adolescents, largely supported the hypothesized model. Gender-specific models also found some gender differences among adolescents and parents, as the hypothesized model adequately fit the subsample of mothers but not fathers. Mothers' closeness to girls predicted their knowledge of their daughters' behavior; mothers' control predicted boys' antisocial behavior.

  4. Methods for combating microorganisms in cooling water systems - a literature study and a market inventory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thierry, D.

    1989-01-01

    One of the greatest current problems in both closed and open cooling water systems is that of micro- and macro-organisms. In view of the environmental effects associated with the discharge of chemicals, the range of biocides and alternative methods for combating micro-organisms has increased during recent years. This report presents a brief description of the organisms which contribute to corrosion problems and the mechanisms associated with microbial corrosion. Thereafter descriptions are given of 15 different biocides which are used in both open and closed cooling systems. In each case, details are given of their chemical compositions and mode of action and of their effects on metals and on the environment. Finally, alternative methods of combating micro-organisms in cooling water systems are briefly described. The report also includes a survey of the biocides for cooling water systems which are available on the Swedish market. (author)

  5. Emotional Behavior Problems, Parent Emotion Socialization, and Gender as Determinants of Teacher-Child Closeness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardack, Sarah; Obradovic´, Jelena

    2017-01-01

    Research Findings: Drawing from a diverse community sample of 89 children, ages 4-6, their primary caregivers and teachers, this study examined the interplay of child emotional behavior problems, parent emotion socialization practices, and gender in predicting teacher-child closeness. Teachers reported on perceptions of closeness with children.…

  6. Comparison of Efficacy of Eye Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Therapeutic Methods for Reducing Anxiety and Depression of Iranian Combatant Afflicted by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narimani, M.; Sadeghieh Ahari, S.; Rajabi, S.

    This research aims to determine efficacy of two therapeutic methods and compare them; Eye Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for reduction of anxiety and depression of Iranian combatant afflicted with Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after imposed war. Statistical population of current study includes combatants afflicted with PTSD that were hospitalized in Isar Hospital of Ardabil province or were inhabited in Ardabil. These persons were selected through simple random sampling and were randomly located in three groups. The method was extended test method and study design was multi-group test-retest. Used tools include hospital anxiety and depression scale. This survey showed that exercise of EMDR and CBT has caused significant reduction of anxiety and depression.

  7. An Investigation of the Impact of Aerodynamic Model Fidelity on Close-In Combat Effectiveness Prediction in Piloted Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Persing, T. Ray; Bellish, Christine A.; Brandon, Jay; Kenney, P. Sean; Carzoo, Susan; Buttrill, Catherine; Guenther, Arlene

    2005-01-01

    Several aircraft airframe modeling approaches are currently being used in the DoD community for acquisition, threat evaluation, training, and other purposes. To date there has been no clear empirical study of the impact of airframe simulation fidelity on piloted real-time aircraft simulation study results, or when use of a particular level of fidelity is indicated. This paper documents a series of piloted simulation studies using three different levels of airframe model fidelity. This study was conducted using the NASA Langley Differential Maneuvering Simulator. Evaluations were conducted with three pilots for scenarios requiring extensive maneuvering of the airplanes during air combat. In many cases, a low-fidelity modified point-mass model may be sufficient to evaluate the combat effectiveness of the aircraft. However, in cases where high angle-of-attack flying qualities and aerodynamic performance are a factor or when precision tracking ability of the aircraft must be represented, use of high-fidelity models is indicated.

  8. Performance differences between male and female marines on standardized physical fitness tests and combat proxy tasks: identifying the gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jameson, Jason; Pappa, Leon; McGuire, Brian; Kelly, Karen R

    2015-01-01

    For decades women have been restricted from direct assignment to certain military occupational specialties such as infantry. These restrictions can limit the advancement of women through the ranks of military leadership. Thus, the purpose of this effort was to identify those physical requirements most likely to serve as barriers for women wanting to enter closed combat arms positions, and to evaluate the quality of existing physical fitness tests as potential measures of assessment of combat readiness. Data were collected from 3 different sites within the US Marine Corps Training and Education Command. All participants (409 male, 379 femaile) were active-duty Marines who recently completed the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and Combat Fitness Test (CFT). Participants completed 6 physical tasks: 120-mm tank loading drill, 155-mm artillery round carry, negotiating an obstacle course wall while wearing a fighting load (≈30 lb), pull-ups, deadlift, and clean and press. Overall, there was a high rate of successful completion on the combat proxy tasks (men, ≈80% to 100%; women, ≈70% to 100%), with the notable exception being the clean and press (men, 80%; women, 9%) and pull-ups (men, 16±4; women, 4±2). The PFT and CFT components tasks were also related, strongly in some cases, with performance on combat-related proxy tasks (Spearman's ρ typically ranged from 0.60 to 0.80). Estimates of fat-free mass and VO2max were also strongly related to an overall measure of combat readiness (Spearman's ρ=0.77 and ρ=0.56, respectively). The primary physical obstacle for women is upper body strength. However, some women could successfully complete all of the proxy tasks and thus are physically capable of meeting the demands of closed combat occupations. The fact that some female Marines could complete the most challenging upper body strength tasks suggests that these barriers are not inherent but may be due to a lack of training specificity.

  9. A wirelessly-powered homecage with animal behavior analysis and closed-loop power control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaoyao Jia; Zheyuan Wang; Canales, Daniel; Tinkler, Morgan; Chia-Chun Hsu; Madsen, Teresa E; Mirbozorgi, S Abdollah; Rainnie, Donald; Ghovanloo, Maysam

    2016-08-01

    This paper presents a new EnerCage-homecage system, EnerCage-HC2, for longitudinal electrophysiology data acquisition experiments on small freely moving animal subjects, such as rodents. EnerCage-HC2 is equipped with multi-coil wireless power transmission (WPT), closed-loop power control, bidirectional data communication via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and Microsoft Kinect® based animal behavior tracking and analysis. The EnerCage-HC2 achieves a homogeneous power transfer efficiency (PTE) of 14% on average, with ~42 mW power delivered to the load (PDL) at a nominal height of 7 cm by the closed-loop power control mechanism. The Microsoft Kinect® behavioral analysis algorithm can not only track the animal position in real-time but also classify 5 different types of rodent behaviors: standstill, walking, grooming, rearing, and rotating. A proof-of-concept in vivo experiment was conducted on two awake freely behaving rats while successfully operating a one-channel stimulator and generating an ethogram.

  10. Architecture oriented modeling and simulation method for combat mission profile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CHEN Xia

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In order to effectively analyze the system behavior and system performance of combat mission profile, an architecture-oriented modeling and simulation method is proposed. Starting from the architecture modeling,this paper describes the mission profile based on the definition from National Military Standard of China and the US Department of Defense Architecture Framework(DoDAFmodel, and constructs the architecture model of the mission profile. Then the transformation relationship between the architecture model and the agent simulation model is proposed to form the mission profile executable model. At last,taking the air-defense mission profile as an example,the agent simulation model is established based on the architecture model,and the input and output relations of the simulation model are analyzed. It provides method guidance for the combat mission profile design.

  11. Assessing Faculty Perceptions and Techniques to Combat Academic Dishonesty in Online Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paullet, Karen; Chawdhry, Adnan A.; Douglas, David M.; Pinchot, Jamie

    2016-01-01

    Online Education is growing as it provides an added convenience to students, especially ones who have life circumstances that prevent them from attending traditional classes. With this growing trend, faculty and universities are facing increased risks with validating student identities in online courses and combatting unethical student behavior.…

  12. Closed-Loop Resuscitation of Hemorrhagic Shock: Novel Solutions Infused to Hypotensive and Normotensive Endpoints

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kramer, George C

    2007-01-01

    .... Our long-term goal is to develop efficient and efficacious resuscitation regimens for combat casualty care and to develop a microprocessor controlled closed-loop resuscitation system that will...

  13. Compressive Deformation Behavior of Closed-Cell Micro-Pore Magnesium Composite Foam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Wang

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The closed-cell micro-pore magnesium composite foam with hollow ceramic microspheres (CMs was fabricated by a modified melt foaming method. The effect of CMs on the compressive deformation behavior of CM-containing magnesium composite foam was investigated. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for observation of the microstructure. Finite element modeling of the magnesium composite foam was established to predict localized stress, fracture of CMs, and the compressive deformation behavior of the foam. The results showed that CMs and pores directly affected the compressive deformation behavior of the magnesium composite foam by sharing a part of load applied on the foam. Meanwhile, the presence of Mg2Si phase influenced the mechanical properties of the foam by acting as the crack source during the compression process.

  14. Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) RCS: DD-A&T(Q&A)823-479 Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) As of FY 2017 President’s Budget Defense Acquisition...Name Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) DoD Component Air Force Responsible Office References SAR Baseline (Development Estimate) Defense Acquisition... Helicopter (CRH) system will provide Personnel Recovery (PR) forces with a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that is quickly deployable and

  15. Littoral Combat Vessels: Analysis and Comparison of Designs

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Christiansen, Bryan J

    2008-01-01

    .... The candidates are a Littoral Combat Ship with a surface warfare module, a National Security Cutter augmented with offensive and defensive weaponry, a "Sea Lance" inshore combat vessel, and a Combat...

  16. CONCEPTUALISATION ONTOLOGIQUE DE LA REPRÉSENTATION DU COMBAT CONCEPTUALISATION ONTOLOGIQUE DE LA REPRÉSENTATION DU COMBAT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvain Rheault

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available En adoptant une perspective existentielle, on peut tenter d'expliquer la représentation du combat au moyen de concepts comme les positions de SOI et de L'AUTRE ainsi que les statuts de l'ÊTRE et de la CHOSE, qui, une fois combinés, définissent des domaines ontologiques. Le combat devient alors, conceptuellement, l'action de forcer une conscience à passer d'un domaine à un autre. On observe qu'en modifiant l'intensité des positions (polarisation, des statuts (hiérarchisation et des actions (dosage, on peut expliquer les variations possibles des représentations du combat. Il restera à valider la pertinence de ces concepts en multipliant les analyses.En adoptant une perspective existentielle, on peut tenter d'expliquer la représentation du combat au moyen de concepts comme les positions de SOI et de L'AUTRE ainsi que les statuts de l'ÊTRE et de la CHOSE, qui, une fois combinés, définissent des domaines ontologiques. Le combat devient alors, conceptuellement, l'action de forcer une conscience à passer d'un domaine à un autre. On observe qu'en modifiant l'intensité des positions (polarisation, des statuts (hiérarchisation et des actions (dosage, on peut expliquer les variations possibles des représentations du combat. Il restera à valider la pertinence de ces concepts en multipliant les analyses.

  17. A combined group treatment for nightmares and insomnia in combat veterans: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swanson, Leslie M; Favorite, Todd K; Horin, Elizabeth; Arnedt, J Todd

    2009-12-01

    Insomnia and nightmares are hallmarks of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleep disturbances in PTSD negatively impact clinical course and functioning. In this open clinical trial, the preliminary effects of a combined treatment for insomnia and nightmares in combat veterans with PTSD were assessed. Ten combat veterans participated in a 10-session group treatment combining cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia with exposure, rescripting, and relaxation therapy. Participants maintained daily sleep and dream diaries and completed self-report measures of sleep quality and PTSD symptoms pre- and posttreatment. Participants reported improvements in sleep and nightmares following treatment. Future research using controlled designs to evaluate this treatment is warranted.

  18. Battlemind Training: Transitioning Home from Combat

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Castro, Carl A; Hoge, Charles W; Milliken, Charles W; McGurk, Dennis; Adler, Amy B; Cox, Anthony; Bliese, Paul D

    2006-01-01

    .... Destruction, injury, and death were ever present in the combat zone. Transitioning from combat to home can be difficult, and many Soldiers encounter readjustment problems ranging from elevated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD...

  19. Disruption of bradycardia associated with discriminative conditioning in combat veterans with PTSD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jay P Ginsberg

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Jay P Ginsberg1,2, Edwin Ayers3, Louisa Burriss1, Donald A Powell1,41Shirley L. Buchanan Neuroscience Laboratory, Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA; 2Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, 4Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; 3Department of Psychology, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC, USAAbstract: The effects of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD on heart rate (HR responding associated with a discriminative delay eyeblink (EB conditioning paradigm are reported. Combat PTSD+, Combat PTSD−, and Noncombat PTSD− veterans were assessed with psychometric self-report measures, and baseline heart rate variability (HRV was measured before receiving a 72-trial session of discriminative EB classical conditioning. Two types (red or green light of conditioned stimuli (CS were used: one (CS+ predicted a tone, followed immediately by an aversive stimulus (corneal airpuff; the other (CS− predicted a tone alone, not followed by the airpuff. The light signal was presented for 5 seconds, during which HR was measured. On all psychometric measures, the PTSD+ subgroup was significantly different from the PTSD− subgroups (Combat + Noncombat, and the PTSD− subgroups did not significantly differ from each other. A linear deceleration in HR to CS+ and CS− signals was found in the combined PTSD− subgroup and on CS− trials in the PTSD+ subgroup, but was not present on CS+ trials in the PTSD+ subgroup. Results are interpreted with respect to a behavioral stages model of conditioned bradycardia and in terms of neural substrates which are both critical to HR conditioning and known to be abnormal in PTSD.Keywords: bradycardia, PTSD, combat veterans, classical conditioning

  20. A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Prazosin vs. Paroxetine in Combat Stress-Induced PTSD Nightmares and Sleep Disturbance

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Raskind, Murray; Peskind, Elaine; McFall, Miles; Peterson, Kris; Doyle, Michael; Engel, Charles

    2007-01-01

    ... and overall function in recently combat-exposed returnees from OIF and OEF. A secondary goal is to evaluate the effects of the SSRI paroxetine on behavioral symptoms and overall function in this population...

  1. A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Prazosin vs. Paroxetine in Combat Stress-Induced PTSD Nightmares and Sleep Disturbance

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Raskind, Murray; Peskind, Elaine; McFall, Miles; Peterson, Kris; Doyle, Michael; Engel, Charles

    2008-01-01

    ... and overall function in recently combat-exposed returnees from OIF and OEF. A secondary goal is to evaluate the effects of the SSRI paroxetine on behavioral symptoms and overall function in this population...

  2. The Behavior of Opening and Closing Prices Noise and Overreaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sumiyana Sumiyana

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available This study extends several previous studies that conclude that noise and overreaction on intraday data occur. Those studies have yet to be clear about the kind of price that explains for this noise and overreaction. This study examines the opening price and closing price behavior, and tries to explain the noise and overreaction on the Indonesia Stock Exchange using intraday data in every 30-minute interval. Sample is firms listed in LQ45 index. Sequentially, this research sample is filtered to stocks that are the most actively traded on the Indonesia Stock Exchange based on trading frequency in an observation period from January to December 2006. This research finds that noise and overreaction phenomena always occur in the opening and closing prices. In addition, investors actually correct the noise and overreaction that occur simultaneously at the first 30-minute interval on every trading day.

  3. Social Cognitive Training Improves Emotional Processing and Reduces Aggressive Attitudes in Ex-combatants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trujillo, Sandra; Trujillo, Natalia; Lopez, Jose D.; Gomez, Diana; Valencia, Stella; Rendon, Jorge; Pineda, David A.; Parra, Mario A.

    2017-01-01

    Emotional processing (EP) is a complex cognitive function necessary to successfully adjust to social environments where we need to interpret and respond to cues that convey threat or reward signals. Ex-combatants have consistently shown atypical EP as well as poor social interactions. Available reintegration programs aim to facilitate the re-adaptation of ex-combatants to their communities. However, they do not incorporate actions to improve EP and to enhance cognitive-emotional regulation. The present study was aimed at evaluating the usefulness of an intervention focused on Social Cognitive Training (SCT), which was designed to equip ex-combatants enrolled in the Social Reintegration Route with EP and social cognition skills. A group of 31 ex-combatants (mean age of 37.2, 29 men) from Colombian illegal armed groups were recruited into this study. Of these, 16 were invited to take part in a SCT and the other continued with the conventional reintegration intervention. Both groups underwent 12 training sessions in a period 12–14 weeks. They were assessed with a comprehensive protocol which included Psychosocial, Behavioral, and Emotion Processing instruments. The scores on these instruments prior to and after the intervention were compared within and between groups. Both groups were matched at baseline. Ex-combatants receiving the SCT experienced significant improvements in EP and a reduction in aggressive attitudes, effects not observed in those continuing the conventional reintegration intervention. This is the first study that achieves such outcomes in such a population using SCT intervention. We discuss the implications of such results toward better social reintegration strategies. PMID:28428767

  4. Human Behavior Representation - Recent Developments

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Tolk, Andreas

    2003-01-01

    .... Although in other application areas expert systems and rule systems as well as neural nets were used to find solutions to similar problems, in the closed combat community these approaches are still...

  5. Born to fight? Genetics and combat sports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emerson Franchini

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the influence of genetics on sports performance has received increased attention from many researchers. In combat sports, some investigations have also been conducted. This article’s main objective was to review the representation of specific gene polymorphisms in combat sports athletes compared to controls. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science and SportDiscus. The terms used in this search involved combat sports (boxing, karate, judo, mixed martial arts, taekwondo and wrestling, genes, genetics and candidate genes. Articles published until November 2013 were included if combat sports athletes were considered as a single group (i.e., not mixed with athletes of other sports. Seven studies were found, with two presenting no difference between combat sports athletes and controls, two presenting higher frequencies of candidate genes related to a more endurance-related profile compared to controls, and three where a more power-related gene overrepresentation was found in comparison to controls. Taken together, the initial studies about the genetic characteristics of combat sports athletes are controversial, which is probably due to the mixed (aerobic and anaerobic characteristic and to the multifactorial performance determinants of these sports.

  6. The Combat with Short Edged Weapons in Persian SwordsmanshiP

    OpenAIRE

    Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani

    2012-01-01

    The combat with short-edged weapons has a long tradition in Iran. There are several traditional types of Persian knives and daggers. They can generally be classified into three main categories that were used by Persian warriors in close cambat: kārd (knife), xanjar (dagger), and pišqabz (a type of knife/dagger with an S-shaped blade). The pišqabz was also called dešne. The following article presents these different weapons, analyzing their basic features and variations, the way of carrying an...

  7. Behavioral health leadership: new directions in occupational mental health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adler, Amy B; Saboe, Kristin N; Anderson, James; Sipos, Maurice L; Thomas, Jeffrey L

    2014-10-01

    The impact of stress on mental health in high-risk occupations may be mitigated by organizational factors such as leadership. Studies have documented the impact of general leadership skills on employee performance and mental health. Other researchers have begun examining specific leadership domains that address relevant organizational outcomes, such as safety climate leadership. One emerging approach focuses on domain-specific leadership behaviors that may moderate the impact of combat deployment on mental health. In a recent study, US soldiers deployed to Afghanistan rated leaders on behaviors promoting management of combat operational stress. When soldiers rated their leaders high on these behaviors, soldiers also reported better mental health and feeling more comfortable with the idea of seeking mental health treatment. These associations held even after controlling for overall leadership ratings. Operational stress leader behaviors also moderated the relationship between combat exposure and soldier health. Domain-specific leadership offers an important step in identifying measures to moderate the impact of high-risk occupations on employee health.

  8. Combat Leadership Styles: Empowerment versus Authoritarianism

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-12-01

    Combat Leadership Styles : Empowerment versus Authoritarianism FARIS R. KIRKLAND Recent research in Israel and the United States suggests that...Combat Leadership Styles : Empowerment versus Authoritarianism 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d

  9. Challenging the conclusion that lower preinduction cognitive ability increases risk for combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder in 2,375 combat-exposed, Vietnam War veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, William W; Gottesman, Irving I

    2008-06-01

    Among U.S. Vietnam War veterans, we assessed whether preinduction cognitive abilities were associated with the risk of developing combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sample included 2,375 single-term, enlisted, male, Army, Vietnam War veterans who reported exposure to combat during the war. There were two measures of cognitive abilities obtained before military induction, the Armed Forces Qualification Test and the General Technical Examination. Associations of ability with current and lifetime diagnoses of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition Revised, combat-related PTSD were assessed. An index was used to grade the severity of combat exposure. Among low-combat exposure veterans, higher preinduction cognitive abilities decreased the risk for lifetime, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition Revised, combat-related PTSD. For veterans with higher levels of combat exposure, higher scores for preinduction cognitive abilities had no effect on reducing the risk for lifetime diagnosis of combat-related PTSD. For a current diagnosis of combat-related PTSD, approximately 20 years after the stressful life events, preinduction cognitive abilities had no effect on the rates of combat-related PTSD. We found significant interactions between preinduction cognitive abilities and severity of combat exposure for the lifetime diagnosis of combat-related PTSD among Army Vietnam War veterans. High levels of combat exposure are likely to exhaust intellectual resources available for coping with stressful life events. Lower scores for cognitive abilities are not uniformly disadvantageous, and this should be considered by military manpower policymakers.

  10. MILITARY MISSION COMBAT EFFICIENCY ESTIMATION SYSTEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ighoyota B. AJENAGHUGHRURE

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Military infantry recruits, although trained, lacks experience in real-time combat operations, despite the combat simulations training. Therefore, the choice of including them in military operations is a thorough and careful process. This has left top military commanders with the tough task of deciding, the best blend of inexperienced and experienced infantry soldiers, for any military operation, based on available information on enemy strength and capability. This research project delves into the design of a mission combat efficiency estimator (MCEE. It is a decision support system that aids top military commanders in estimating the best combination of soldiers suitable for different military operations, based on available information on enemy’s combat experience. Hence, its advantages consist of reducing casualties and other risks that compromises the entire operation overall success, and also boosting the morals of soldiers in an operation, with such information as an estimation of combat efficiency of their enemies. The system was developed using Microsoft Asp.Net and Sql server backend. A case study test conducted with the MECEE system, reveals clearly that the MECEE system is an efficient tool for military mission planning in terms of team selection. Hence, when the MECEE system is fully deployed it will aid military commanders in the task of decision making on team members’ combination for any given operation based on enemy personnel information that is well known beforehand. Further work on the MECEE will be undertaken to explore fire power types and impact in mission combat efficiency estimation.

  11. Rating of Perceived Exertion for Quantification of Training and Combat Loads During Combat Sport-Specific Activities: A Short Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slimani, Maamer; Davis, Philip; Franchini, Emerson; Moalla, Wassim

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this short review was to summarize data pertaining to the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) methods (RPE value and session-RPE) during combat sport-specific activities (i.e., competition and training) based on many factors, including contest type (i.e., official vs. simulated vs. training), combat rounds, age of participants and muscle groups, and their correlation with physiological variables (i.e., blood lactate concentration [La] and heart rate [HR]). The current review shows higher RPE in a match of mixed martial arts (MMAs) than Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing matches and during the competitive period compared with the precompetitive period. This could be explained by the longer duration of bouts, the higher percentage contribution of aerobic metabolism in MMA than other combat sports and contest type differences (simulated vs. official matches). Thus, this review found significant correlations between RPE or session-RPE, [La] and HR. Particularly, there was a stronger correlation between RPE and [La] during official striking (r = 0.81) than grappling combat sports matches (r = 0.53). In addition, a variation of correlation (moderate to large) between session-RPE and HR-based methods has been reported (i.e., Edwards' training load [r ranged between 0.58 and 0.95] and Banister training impulse [r ranged between 0.52 and 0.86]). Specifically, stronger correlation was apparent in combat sport competition that required a much higher percentage contribution of aerobic metabolism (e.g., karate) and in adult athletes than anaerobic-based combat sports (e.g., taekwondo) and young athletes, respectively. Indeed, the current review highlights that the correlations between session-RPE and HR-based methods were higher during official competition than training sessions. Session-RPE was affected by participants' competitive level, the intensity of session (high vs. low), the training modalities (tactical-technical vs. technical-development vs. simulated

  12. Indirect Relations Between Transgressive Acts and General Combat Exposure and Moral Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frankfurt, Sheila B; Frazier, Patricia; Engdahl, Brian

    2017-11-01

    Moral injury describes the deleterious effects of acts of commission (e.g., killing noncombatants), omission (e.g., failing to prevent a massacre), or betrayal (i.e., by a trusted authority figure) during military service that transgress accepted behavioral boundaries and norms. Transgressive acts are proposed to lead to a guilt- and shame-based syndrome consisting of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, demoralization, self-handicapping, and self-injury. In this study, we tested a frequently cited model of moral injury and assessed the associations between potentially transgressive acts, moral injury outcomes, and guilt and fear. Additionally, we sought to clarify the relative contribution of transgressive and nontransgressive/general combat exposure to moral injury. On the basis of previous research and theory, we anticipated that the transgressive acts would be related to outcomes through guilt and that nontransgressive combat exposure would be related to outcomes through fear. Secondary analysis was conducted on data from a sample of combat-exposed male veterans at a Midwestern Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center (N = 190) who participated in a larger parent study on postdeployment readjustment. Structural equation modeling was used to test the pathways from transgressive and nontransgressive combat exposure to PTSD symptoms and suicidality through combat-related guilt and combat-related fear. The institutional review boards of the Midwestern VA medical center and the university of the affiliated researchers approved the study. In total, 38% (n = 72) of the sample reported a potentially transgressive act as one of their three worst traumatic events. The most common potentially transgressive act was killing an enemy combatant (17%; n = 32). In structural equation modeling analyses. potentially transgressive acts were indirectly related to both suicidality (β = 0.09, p < 0.01) and PTSD symptoms (β = 0.06, p < 0.05) through guilt. General combat

  13. Combat Stress Decreases Memory of Warfighters in Action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado-Moreno, Rosa; Robles-Pérez, José Juan; Clemente-Suárez, Vicente Javier

    2017-08-01

    The present research aimed to analyze the effect of combat stress in the psychophysiological response and attention and memory of warfighters in a simulated combat situation. Variables of blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood glucose, blood lactate, body temperature, lower body muscular strength manifestation, cortical arousal, autonomic modulation, state anxiety and memory and attention through a postmission questionnaire were analyzed before and after a combat simulation in 20 male professional Spanish Army warfighters. The combat simulation produces a significant increase (p body temperature post, HF post/correct sound, body temperature post/glucose post, CFFTpre/lactate post, CFFT post/wrong sound, glucose post/AC pre, AC post/wrong fusil, AS post/SC post and SC post/wrong olfactory; and negative correlations: LF post/correct sound, body temperature post/lactate post and glucose post/lactate post. This data suggest that combat stress actives fight-flight system of soldiers. As conclusion, Combat stress produces an increased psychophysiological response that cause a selective decrease of memory, depending on the nature, dangerous or harmless of the objects.

  14. A survey on the measure of combat readiness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Kwong Fook; Nor, Norazman Mohamad; Soon, Lee Lai

    2014-09-01

    Measuring the combat readiness in military forces involves the measures of tangible and intangible elements of combat power. Though these measures are applicable, the mathematical models and formulae used focus mainly on either the tangible or the intangible elements. In this paper, a review is done to highlight the research gap in the formulation of a mathematical model that incorporates tangible elements with intangible elements to measure the combat readiness of a military force. It highlights the missing link between the tangible and intangible elements of combat power. To bridge the gap and missing link, a mathematical model could be formulated that measures both the tangible and intangible aspects of combat readiness by establishing the relationship between the causal (tangible and intangible) elements and its effects on the measure of combat readiness. The model uses multiple regression analysis as well as mathematical modeling and simulation which digest the capability component reflecting its assets and resources, the morale component reflecting human needs, and the quality of life component reflecting soldiers' state of satisfaction in life. The results of the review provide a mean to bridge the research gap through the formulation of a mathematical model that shows the total measure of a military force's combat readiness. The results also significantly identify parameters for each of the variables and factors in the model.

  15. The Combat with Short Edged Weapons in Persian SwordsmanshiP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The combat with short-edged weapons has a long tradition in Iran. There are several traditional types of Persian knives and daggers. They can generally be classified into three main categories that were used by Persian warriors in close cambat: kārd (knife, xanjar (dagger, and pišqabz (a type of knife/dagger with an S-shaped blade. The pišqabz was also called dešne. The following article presents these different weapons, analyzing their basic features and variations, the way of carrying and unsheathing them, and the corresponding techniques of use of each weapon.

  16. The Influence of Combat Experience on Psychologically Healthy Soldiers' Attentiveness to Environmental Threats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranes, Bethany; Long, Chris P; Traynham, Stephanie; Hayes, Amanda

    2017-07-01

    main effect for Combat Exposure Scale scores on VAS ratings [F (1, 27) = 5.19, p = 0.031], with high scorers demonstrating a generally higher expectancy of the white noise burst throughout the entire experimental sequence. Results suggest that within subclinical populations of Soldiers, the intensity of one's combat experience is positively associated with their attention to threats. These findings suggest that Soldiers who experience combat should be observed for signs of increased threat-attention bias, as this may indicate that their capacities for information processing, decision-making, and emotion regulation could be compromised. The positive relationship we observe between a level of combat experience and attentional biases toward threatening stimuli may also help to explain why these veterans engage in "externalizing" behaviors that are risky, aggressive, or violent as well as relational problems and antisocial behaviors that are reported in higher-than-average rates among these populations of Soldiers. Acknowledging that increased threat attention may be a preclinical indication of developing PTSD or other related psychological conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety) should motivate clinicians to more actively diagnose and treat this condition. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  17. Combat Wound Initiative program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stojadinovic, Alexander; Elster, Eric; Potter, Benjamin K; Davis, Thomas A; Tadaki, Doug K; Brown, Trevor S; Ahlers, Stephen; Attinger, Christopher E; Andersen, Romney C; Burris, David; Centeno, Jose; Champion, Hunter; Crumbley, David R; Denobile, John; Duga, Michael; Dunne, James R; Eberhardt, John; Ennis, William J; Forsberg, Jonathan A; Hawksworth, Jason; Helling, Thomas S; Lazarus, Gerald S; Milner, Stephen M; Mullick, Florabel G; Owner, Christopher R; Pasquina, Paul F; Patel, Chirag R; Peoples, George E; Nissan, Aviram; Ring, Michael; Sandberg, Glenn D; Schaden, Wolfgang; Schultz, Gregory S; Scofield, Tom; Shawen, Scott B; Sheppard, Forest R; Stannard, James P; Weina, Peter J; Zenilman, Jonathan M

    2010-07-01

    The Combat Wound Initiative (CWI) program is a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and interservice public-private partnership that provides personalized, state-of-the-art, and complex wound care via targeted clinical and translational research. The CWI uses a bench-to-bedside approach to translational research, including the rapid development of a human extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) study in complex wounds after establishing the potential efficacy, biologic mechanisms, and safety of this treatment modality in a murine model. Additional clinical trials include the prospective use of clinical data, serum and wound biomarkers, and wound gene expression profiles to predict wound healing/failure and additional clinical patient outcomes following combat-related trauma. These clinical research data are analyzed using machine-based learning algorithms to develop predictive treatment models to guide clinical decision-making. Future CWI directions include additional clinical trials and study centers and the refinement and deployment of our genetically driven, personalized medicine initiative to provide patient-specific care across multiple medical disciplines, with an emphasis on combat casualty care.

  18. The Long War and Parental Combat Deployment: Effects on Military Children and At-Home Spouses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lester, Patricia; Peterson, Kris; Reeves, James; Knauss, Larry; Glover, Dorie; Mogil, Catherine; Duan, Naihua; Saltzman, William; Pynoos, Robert; Wilt, Katherine; Beardslee, William

    2010-01-01

    Objective: Given the growing number of military service members with families and the multiple combat deployments characterizing current war time duties, the impact of deployments on military children requires clarification. Behavioral and emotional adjustment problems were examined in children (aged 6 through 12) of an active duty Army or Marine…

  19. Development of data analysis tool for combat system integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seung-Chun Shin

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available System integration is an important element for the construction of naval combat ships. In particular, because impeccable combat system integration together with the sensors and weapons can ensure the combat capability and survivability of the ship, the integrated performance of the combat system should be verified and validated whether or not it fulfills the requirements of the end user. In order to conduct systematic verification and validation, a data analysis tool is requisite. This paper suggests the Data Extraction, Recording and Analysis Tool (DERAT for the data analysis of the integrated performance of the combat system, including the functional definition, architecture and effectiveness of the DERAT by presenting the test results.

  20. Medical rescue of naval combat: challenges and future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Hai; Hou, Li-Jun; Fu, Xiao-Bing

    2015-01-01

    There has been no large-scale naval combat in the last 30 years. With the rapid development of battleships, weapons manufacturing and electronic technology, naval combat will present some new characteristics. Additionally, naval combat is facing unprecedented challenges. In this paper, we discuss the topic of medical rescue at sea: what challenges we face and what we could do. The contents discussed in this paper contain battlefield self-aid buddy care, clinical skills, organized health services, medical training and future medical research programs. We also discuss the characteristics of modern naval combat, medical rescue challenges, medical treatment highlights and future developments of medical rescue at sea.

  1. [Gastrointestinal diseases and abdominal pain in combat veterans].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pal'tsev, A I; Torgashov, M N; Popova, O S

    2013-01-01

    To analyze the role of consequences of combat stress in the development of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) diseases. One hundred and sixty-one combat veterans aged 24 to 69 years were examined. All underwent a clinical and neurological examination using the McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ), Beck depression inventory, Kotenev trauma stress questionnaire, and visual analogue scale to determine pain intensity. Anxiety, impairments in memory and sleep, and depression were identified. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to estimate quality of life in the patients. Gastric secretory function was investigated; esophagogastroduodenoscopy, X-ray and ultrasound studies, clinical and biochemical blood tests, coprological examinations, fecal tests for dysbiosis, if indicated, occult blood were made. Combat stress and its consequences as posttraumatic stress disorder have been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of GIT diseases and in the development of chronic abdominal pain. GIT diseases in combat veterans are in larger measure a sequel of impaired processes of adjustment to combat stress. Chronic abdominal pains were heterogeneous. On the one hand, chronic GIT disease serves as a source of pain syndrome; on the other hand, the central nervous system is of importance in the development of chronic abdominal pain. In addition to therapy for GIT and hepatobiliary diseases, the treatment of GIT diseases in this category of patients involves psychotherapy and neuroprotection, aimed at reducing the consequences of combat stress in combat veterans.

  2. Physical Training Strategies for Military Women's Performance Optimization in Combat-Centric Occupations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nindl, Bradley C

    2015-11-01

    The physiological differences, particularly of upper-body strength and power, between women and men, and the rigors of combat-centric occupational demands would seem to place women at a significant disadvantage, as the U.S. military opens up previously closed combat-arms military occupational specialties (MOSs) to women. This inherent disadvantage can be significantly mitigated by implementing effective and comprehensive physical training (PT) regimens for women targeting those fitness components most critical for those tasks considered most essential for solider warfighting duties (i.e., strength and power). Regrettably, the military historical and legacy overemphasis on aerobic fitness and on "field expediency" as the major criteria for implementing training have limited the extent to which the military has fully operationalized state-of-the-science PT policies. This continued legacy approach could be problematic regarding fully enhancing women's abilities to perform physically demanding combat-centric occupations and could place the successful integration of women into ground combat MOSs at significant risk. Seminal studies from the literature indicate that (a) a minimum of 6 months of periodized combined resistance/endurance training preparedness is recommended for untrained women considering entering combat-arms MOS training; (b) any comprehensive PT program should incorporate and emphasize progressive load carriage training; (c) a greater emphasis on upper body on strength/power development in military women is needed; (d) heavy resistance training in the range of 3-8 repetition maximum sets should be incorporated into training programs to target type II motor units and muscle fibers (those fibers that produce the most force and have the greatest capacity to hypertrophy); (e) low-volume, high-intensity interval training should be considered as a time-efficient training method to improve aerobic fitness while protecting against lower-body musculoskeletal

  3. Psycho-physiological response of soldiers in urban combat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vicente J. Clemente-Suárez

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Current armed conflicts are asymmetrical and are developed m urban areas. These new requirements have not been studied for current literature. The aim of this study was to analyse changes in cortical arousal, blood lactate, muscle strength, autonomic modulation and rate of perceived exertion in a simulated urban combat. We analyzed 20 soldiers before and after an urban combat simulation. The results showed how urban combat produced high sympathetic nervous system activation, increasing the muscle strength, heart rate and blood lactate concentration of the soldiers. Despite this effort, rate of perceived exertion were not consistent with the physiological response that soldiers presented, the rate of perceived exertion was lower than the physiological response evaluated. Furthermore, the information processing and cortical arousal decreased after the urban combat simulation. These results have showed the psycho-physiological response of soldiers in combat, helping to better understanding and enabling an improvement of current training methods of soldiers.

  4. Evidence of combat in triceratops.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew A Farke

    Full Text Available The horns and frill of Triceratops and other ceratopsids (horned dinosaurs are interpreted variously as display structures or as weapons against conspecifics and predators. Lesions (in the form of periosteal reactive bone, healing fractures, and alleged punctures on Triceratops skulls have been used as anecdotal support of intraspecific combat similar to that in modern horned and antlered animals. If ceratopsids with different cranial morphologies used their horns in such combat, this should be reflected in the rates of lesion occurrence across the skull.We used a G-test of independence to compare incidence rates of lesions in Triceratops (which possesses two large brow horns and a smaller nasal horn and the related ceratopsid Centrosaurus (with a large nasal horn and small brow horns, for the nasal, jugal, squamosal, and parietal bones of the skull. The two taxa differ significantly in the occurrence of lesions on the squamosal bone of the frill (P = 0.002, but not in other cranial bones (P > 0.20.This pattern is consistent with Triceratops using its horns in combat and the frill being adapted as a protective structure for this taxon. Lower pathology rates in Centrosaurus may indicate visual rather than physical use of cranial ornamentation in this genus, or a form of combat focused on the body rather than the head.

  5. The Role of Leadership and Peer Behaviors in the Performance and Well-Being of Women in Combat: Historical Perspectives, Unit Integration, and Family Issues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, Mady Wechsler; Smith, David G; Segal, David R; Canuso, Amy A

    2016-01-01

    This article analyzes how the behaviors of leaders and peers affect the performance and well-being of military women. Locating our analysis within the conceptual model in this issue, we summarize the empirical literature and make practice and policy recommendations. We synthesize results about unit integration, such as research on the conditions for successful integration of previously excluded groups and on the relationship between cohesion and performance. We apply lessons learned from the history of diversity integration in military and civilian organizations, analyzing the treatment of military personnel by race, gender, and sexual orientation. The opening of ground combat specialties and units to women is the latest step in personnel policy changes broadening the recruitment base. We analyze research on gender integration in contemporary armed forces, focusing on positive and negative effects on women of leader and peer behaviors. We discuss conditions for successfully integrating women and those that tend to lead to failure. We analyze military women's family issues, including the effects of deployments and how leaders and peers can help ameliorate problems-or exacerbate them with inappropriate or unsupportive behavior. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  6. Technical-tactical and physiological demands of wrestling combats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bianka Miarka

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Technical-tactical and physiological demand analyses of wrestling combats are important because they reveal essential information for the development of contextual training and specific physical preparation of wrestlers. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the characteristics of wrestling combats in freestyle, female and Greco-roman styles. The time-motion analysis presented in this article is the main component to carry out inferences on intensity and effort: pause ratio of combat actions. After rules modification in 2013, wrestling combats showed quicker and more diversified actions, especially in the lighter categories. For Greco-roman wrestling, most studies showed takedowns as the most effective techniques in World competitions for the period 2009-2011. For the same period, foot/leg techniques were the most effective in female and freestyle wrestling, followed by takedown attacks. Recent analyses, developed after 2013 rules modification, showed that the decisive offensive actions were applied on foot and in par terre situations – especially gutwrenches techniques and derivatives of suplex movements. The knowledge on the determinant and predominant actions of wrestling combats can be applied in future research, as well as can be used practically for training, physical preparation and assessments of similar combat actions. It also allows interventions to prevent injuries resulting from technical and tactical wrestling actions.

  7. Barriers to Implementing a Single Joint Combat Camouflage Uniform

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-01

    opportunities, threats (SWOT), and political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analyses; examines the requirements and role of each of the...SUBJECT TERMS ground combat uniform, combat camouflage uniform history , combat camouflage uniform pattern, camouflage pattern testing 15. NUMBER...methodology applies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT), and political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) analyses

  8. Family Communication Patterns and Relational Maintenance Behavior: Direct and Mediated Associations with Friendship Closeness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ledbetter, Andrew M.

    2009-01-01

    In this study, both face-to-face and online relational maintenance behaviors were tested as mediators of family communication patterns and closeness with a same-sex friend. Participants included 417 young adults recruited from communication courses at a large university in the Midwestern United States. The obtained structural model demonstrated…

  9. Medical rescue of naval combat: challenges and future

    OpenAIRE

    Jin, Hai; Hou, Li-Jun; Fu, Xiao-Bing

    2015-01-01

    There has been no large-scale naval combat in the last 30?years. With the rapid development of battleships, weapons manufacturing and electronic technology, naval combat will present some new characteristics. Additionally, naval combat is facing unprecedented challenges. In this paper, we discuss the topic of medical rescue at sea: what challenges we face and what we could do. The contents discussed in this paper contain battlefield self-aid buddy care, clinical skills, organized health servi...

  10. Combat sports for persons with disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kasum Goran

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In literature, the term adapted sport indicates sports activities, modified and adapted to persons with disabilities. In spite of their highly prominent values, combat sports are underrepresented among persons with disabilities in Serbia. The benefits of combat sports practicing are numerous, and at some international hospitals, martial sports and arts already have an important role in the treatment of traumatized and disabled persons. Currently, the programme of Paralympic Games includes only two sports, these are fencing and judo, in male and female competition. Almost certainly, karate will also be included in the programme of Paralympic Games, and there are similar ambitions in the case of taekwondo as well. In addition to these sports, some martial arts, especially aikido, thai-chi-chuan and qigong, have obtained significant representation and interest among persons with disabilities. The reasons for weaker interest in other martial sports and arts, should be sought in the fact that they are underrepresented among this population, and that these persons are not offered the possibility of organized practice of such sports. Orientation towards a combat sport brings great refreshment and powerful emotional experience to each practitioner, and this fact has special significance to persons with disabilities. In Serbia, combat sports are not widely represented among persons with disabilities, and only the wrestlers with impaired hearing have achieved significant success on the international stage. On the other hand, the popularity of combat sports among persons with disabilities in the world is significantly growing. It is necessary to take concrete steps to make it so in Serbia as well.

  11. Urban Combat Advanced Training Technology Architecture (Architecture de technologie avancee pour l’entrainement au combat urbain)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-01-01

    NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION AC/323(MSG-098)TP/740 www.sto.nato.int STO TECHNICAL...REPORT TR-MSG-098 Urban Combat Advanced Training Technology Architecture (Architecture de technologie avancée pour l’entraînement au combat urbain...NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION AC/323(MSG-098)TP/740 www.sto.nato.int STO TECHNICAL

  12. Building Software Tools for Combat Modeling and Analysis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Yuanxin, Chen

    2004-01-01

    ... (Meta-Language for Combat Simulations) and its associated parser and C++ code generator were designed to reduce the amount of time and developmental efforts needed to build sophisticated real world combat simulations. A C++...

  13. Combats escènics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pawel Rouba Billowicz

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available “Combats Escènics” és un treball que tracta sobre la interpretació artística de la violència d’artistes de l’espectacle per tal de divertir el públic i emetre un missatge humanista mitjançant una coreografia ritual. En aquest estudi es presenta una classificació del combat escènic des del doble vessant agonista/antagonista, es realitza un passeig històric de la representació artística del combat a través de les diferents etapes i de les diverses cultures, s’aborda la preparació escènica de l’actor i del coreògraf, i s’entreveuen les perspectives de futur d’aquesta modalitat artística. Estudi realitzat per Pawel Rouba Billewicz (Inowroclaw, Polònia, 1939 - Barcelona, 2007, director, coreògraf, actor, mestre d’armes, mestre del gest i de la pantomima i professor de l’INEF de Catalunya. Aquest article, editorialment inèdit, es publica postmortem per Apunts. Educació Física i Esports com a homenatge i reconeixement de l’autor per la seva extraordinària i polivalent aportació al camp de l’art i l’Activitat Física i l’Esport.

  14. Combating Desertification and Mitigating the Effects of Drought

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Awuondo, C.O

    2001-01-01

    The paper discusses the effects of desertification and drought on the well-being of humankind and therefore it important for them to be combated and mitigated. Desertification is the process that turns fertile lands into desert; drought is defined as lack of sufficient precipitation to sustain plant and human life. In an effort to discuss how to combat desertification, the author has subdivided the paper into five sections namely; introduction, ecological crisis, strategies for combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought and finally the conclusion

  15. Analysis of Error Propagation Within Hierarchical Air Combat Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    values alone are propagated through layers of combat models, the final results will likely be biased, and risk underestimated. An air-to-air...values alone are propagated through layers of combat models, the final results will likely be biased, and risk underestimated. An air-to-air engagement... PROPAGATION WITHIN HIERARCHICAL AIR COMBAT MODELS by Salih Ilaslan June 2016 Thesis Advisor: Thomas W. Lucas Second Reader: Jeffrey

  16. Unit Reconstitutions: Combat Stress as an Indicator of Unit Effectiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-13

    doctrinally “Combat and Operational Stress Reactions:” A. Shell shock B. War neurosis C. Battle fatigue D. Combat exhaustion E. Combat stress F...... neurosis . The approach that evolved–proximity, immediacy, and expectancy–was a formula that incorporated some of the best practices to increase the

  17. Selected Foreign Counterparts of U.S. Army Ground Combat Systems and Implications for Combat Operations and Modernization

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-18

    responsibility is to defeat other nations’ combat formations on the battlefield. In order to accomplish this, nations indigenously develop, maintain, and improve...defeat other nations’ combat formations on the battlefield. In order to accomplish this, nations indigenously develop, maintain, and improve a variety...catastrophic kill. A number of foreign tracked IFVs mount either hard kill 13 or soft kill 14 APS and the Army is presently examining both non

  18. Report on combating of illicit trafficking. The Illicit Trafficking Combat Project Group. January 2000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-01-01

    of spot-checks, the authority can then convince itself that the operator is fulfilling the requirements. The legislation should also impose heavy sanctions and penalties for all criminal activities related to illicit trafficking. As a direct measure to combat illicit trafficking on the national level, the State supervisory and law enforcement authorities should establish co-operation between themselves and with authorities in other countries and international organisations. Special national committees for combating illicit trafficking should be set up and should use intelligence and open sources information. Regions of States should investigate and implement joint task forces for combating illicit trafficking. Improvements on the International level by the IAEA: The IAEA should assist States in the practical implementation of measures and means for combating illicit trafficking and for the evaluation of threat scenarios. To improve that process in an efficient way, the IAEA should apply the principle of public access to information on its operations to a greater extent. Among other measures for promoting the development of more efficient tools and systems for combating illicit trafficking, the IAEA should: in assisting States, establish rules about duties and responsibilities for operators, authorities and individuals in the NPT area, through appropriate documentation; promote assistance programmes to States in consultation with NPT States, as need may be, of technical equipment and competent staff for the combating of illicit trafficking; provide experts and establish standards and procedures, across borders, for the investigation of serious cases of illicit trafficking, in consultation with national and international nuclear and law enforcement authorities and organisations; incorporate a more modern safeguards inspection technique of the national systems for accountancy and control, in accordance with standards and procedures that were intended to be established

  19. Report on combating of illicit trafficking. The Illicit Trafficking Combat Project Group. January 2000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-01-01

    . By means of spot-checks, the authority can then convince itself that the operator is fulfilling the requirements. The legislation should also impose heavy sanctions and penalties for all criminal activities related to illicit trafficking. As a direct measure to combat illicit trafficking on the national level, the State supervisory and law enforcement authorities should establish co-operation between themselves and with authorities in other countries and international organisations. Special national committees for combating illicit trafficking should be set up and should use intelligence and open sources information. Regions of States should investigate and implement joint task forces for combating illicit trafficking. Improvements on the International level by the IAEA: The IAEA should assist States in the practical implementation of measures and means for combating illicit trafficking and for the evaluation of threat scenarios. To improve that process in an efficient way, the IAEA should apply the principle of public access to information on its operations to a greater extent. Among other measures for promoting the development of more efficient tools and systems for combating illicit trafficking, the IAEA should: in assisting States, establish rules about duties and responsibilities for operators, authorities and individuals in the NPT area, through appropriate documentation; promote assistance programmes to States in consultation with NPT States, as need may be, of technical equipment and competent staff for the combating of illicit trafficking; provide experts and establish standards and procedures, across borders, for the investigation of serious cases of illicit trafficking, in consultation with national and international nuclear and law enforcement authorities and organisations; incorporate a more modern safeguards inspection technique of the national systems for accountancy and control, in accordance with standards and procedures that were intended to be

  20. Corneal and Corneoscleral Injury in Combat Ocular Trauma from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlasov, Anton; Ryan, Denise S; Ludlow, Spencer; Coggin, Andrew; Weichel, Eric D; Stutzman, Richard D; Bower, Kraig S; Colyer, Marcus H

    2017-03-01

    To examine the incidence and the etiology of corneal and corneoscleral injuries in the setting of combat ocular trauma, and to determine what effect these injuries have on overall visual impairment from combat ocular trauma. Retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series, analyzing U.S. service members who were evacuated to the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). Primary outcome measures were types of corneal injuries, length of follow-up at WRAMC, globe survival, and anatomical causes of blindness. Secondary outcome measures included surgical procedures performed, use of eye protection, source of injury, and visual outcomes. Between 2001 and 2011, there were 184 eyes of 134 patients with corneal or corneoscleral injuries. The average age was 26 years (range, 18-50); 99.3% were male, 31.9% had documented use of eye protection. The average follow-up was 428.2 days (3-2,421). There were 98 right-eye and 86 left-eye injuries. There were 169 open-globe and 15 closed-globe injuries with corneal lacerations occurring in 73 eyes with injuries to Zone I. Most injuries were attributable to an intraocular foreign body (IOFB; 48%), followed by penetrating (19.6%) and perforating (16.3%) injuries. The most common presenting visual acuity was hand motion/light perception (45.7%), yet, at the end of the study, visual acuity improved to 20/40 or better (40.8%). The majority of injuries in eyes with visual acuity worse than 20/200 involved the cornea and retina (58%). Injuries solely to the cornea accounted for only 19% of all injuries sustained. Ocular injuries in military combat have led to significant damage to ocular structures with a wide range of visual outcomes. The authors describe corneal and corneoscleral injuries in combat ocular trauma by classifying injuries by the anatomical site involved and identifying the main source of decreased visual acuity. In combat ocular trauma, corneal or corneoscleral injuries are not the sole etiology for poor

  1. Effectiveness of a Driving Intervention on Safe Community Mobility for Returning Combat Veterans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-05-01

    integration Deployment and  Driving • Combat Veterans (CV)  self ‐report (Lew et al. 2011; Zamorski & Kelley, 2012) – driving  fast and unpredictably...1, 2) a car and truck pull out in front of the driver, and (3) a lead vehicle brakes suddenly because of a cyclist. The drive also includes six...anxiety, potentially leading to driving errors. They include: (1) a car pulls out from the right and swerves, (2) a trash can located close to the

  2. The mental health of UK ex-servicemen with a combat-related or a non-combat-related visual impairment: does the cause of visual impairment matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevelink, Sharon A M; Malcolm, Estelle M; Gill, Pashyca C; Fear, Nicola T

    2015-08-01

    Since the start of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the numbers of young service personnel who have sustained a combat-related visual impairment have increased. This cross-sectional study examined the mental well-being of ex-servicemen (aged 22-55 years) with a visual impairment and determined if the mental health of those with a combat-related visual impairment differed from those whose visual impairment is not combat-related. Male ex-service personnel with a visual impairment completed a telephone interview assessing the presence of depressive symptomatology, probable anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and alcohol misuse. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. 77 participants were included in the study, reflecting a response rate of 76.2%. Of those with complete data (n=74), 20 ex-servicemen had a combat-related visual impairment. Among ex-service personnel with a combat-related visual impairment, 10.0% (95% CI 0 to 23.2) screened positive for a probable depression, 25.0% (95% CI 6.0 to 44.0) for probable anxiety and 10.0% (95% CI 0 to 23.2) for probable PTSD. The prevalence of probable depression and probable PTSD differed among those with a non-combat-related visual impairment, namely 18.5% (95% CI 8.1 to 28.9) and 16.7% (95% CI 6.8 to 26.7), respectively. Probable anxiety was 18.5% (95% CI 8.1 to 28.9) among non-combat-related visually impaired ex-service personnel. 45.0% (95% CI 23.2 to 66.8) of combat-related visually impaired personnel reported hazardous drinking, compared with 20.4% (95% CI 9.7 to 31.2) of those with a non-combat-related visual impairment. Mental health problems were prevalent among visually impaired younger ex-servicemen. No statistically significant differences were found in the prevalence of mental health problems among ex-servicemen with a combat-related visual impairment compared with those with a non-combat-related visual impairment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited

  3. Dutch National Plan combat nuclear accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    This document presents the Dutch National Plan combat nuclear accidents (NPK). Ch. 2 discusses some important starting points which are determining for the framework and the performance of the NPK, in particular the accident typology which underlies the plan. Also the new accident-classification system for the Dutch nuclear power plants, the standardization for the measures to be taken and the staging around nuclear power plants are pursued. In ch. 3 the legal framework of the combat nuclear accidents is described. In particular the Nuclear-power law, the Accident law and the Municipality law are pursued. Also the role of province and municipality are described. Ch. 4 deals with the role of the owner/licensee of the object where the accident occurs, in the combat of accident. In ch. 5 the structure of the nuclear-accident combat at national level is outlined, subdivided in alarm phase, combat phase and the winding-up phase. In ch.'s 6-12 these phases are elaborated more in detail. In ch.'s 10-13 the measures to be taken in nuclear accidents, are described. These measures are distinguished with regard to: protection of the population and medical aspects, water economy, drinking-water supply, agriculture and food supply. Ch. 14 describes the responsibility of the burgomaster. Ch.'s 15 and 16 present an overview of the personnel, material, procedural and juridical modifications and supplements of existing structures which are necessary with regard to the new and modified parts of the structure. Ch. 17 indicates how by means of the appropriate education and exercise it can be achieved that all personnel, services and institutes concerned possess the knowledge and experience necessary for the activities from the NKP to be executed as has been described. Ch. 18 contains a survey of activities to be performed and a proposal how these can be realized. (H.W.). figs.; tabs

  4. Soft behavior of a closed massless state in superstring and universality in the soft behavior of the dilaton

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vecchia, Paolo Di [The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen,Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark); Nordita, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, Roslagstullsbacken 23, SE-10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Marotta, Raffaele [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli,Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo ed. 6, via Cintia, 80126, Napoli (Italy); Mojaza, Matin [Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam (Germany)

    2016-12-06

    We consider the tree-level scattering amplitudes in the NS-NS (Neveu-Schwarz) massless sector of closed superstrings in the case where one external state becomes soft. We compute the amplitudes generically for any number of dimensions and any number and kind of the massless closed states through the subsubleading order in the soft expansion. We show that, when the soft state is a graviton or a dilaton, the full result can be expressed as a soft theorem factorizing the amplitude in a soft and a hard part. This behavior is similar to what has previously been observed in field theory and in the bosonic string. Differently from the bosonic string, the supersymmetric soft theorem for the graviton has no string corrections at subsubleading order. The dilaton soft theorem, on the other hand, is found to be universally free of string corrections in any string theory.

  5. Soft behavior of a closed massless state in superstring and universality of the soft behavior of the dilaton

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    di Vecchia, Paolo; Marotta, Raffaele; Mojaza, Matin

    2016-01-01

    We consider the tree-level scattering amplitudes in the NS-NS (Neveu-Schwarz) massless sector of closed superstrings in the case where one external state becomes soft. We compute the amplitudes generically for any number of dimensions and any number and kind of the massless closed states through...... the subsubleading order in the soft expansion. We show that, when the soft state is a graviton or a dilaton, the full result can be expressed as a soft theorem factorizing the amplitude in a soft and a hard part. This behavior is similar to what has previously been observed in field theory and in the bosonic string....... Differently from the bosonic string, the supersymmetric soft theorem for the graviton has no string corrections at subsubleading order. The dilaton soft theorem, on the other hand, is found to be universally free of string corrections in any string theory....

  6. Personality Factors Affecting Pilot Combat Performance: A Preliminary Investigation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Siem, Frederick M; Murray, Michael W

    1997-01-01

    .... The present research was designed to examine the relationship between personality and combat performance using the "Big Five" model of personality and a multicomponent model of pilot combat performance...

  7. Combat desertification, arret deforestation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tin-Latt; Soe-Win-Hlaing

    2000-01-01

    This article presents the major progress on the actions of the Forest Department and Dry Zone Greening Department to arrest forestation and to combat desertification in the dry zone of central Myanmar

  8. Promotion of good governance and combating corruption and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Melvin Mbao and G.G Komboni criticise the legal regime and institutional arrangements designed to promote good government and to combat corruption and maladministration in Botswana, a country widely acclaimed as Africa's success story. Using internationally accepted benchmarks on good governance and combating ...

  9. Combating student plagiarism an academic librarian's guide

    CERN Document Server

    Lampert, Lynn D

    2014-01-01

    This practical book introduces readers to the current issues facing todays academic reference and instruction librarians grappling with the growing problem of student plagiarism. The book provides up-to-date overviews of student plagiarism, examples of ways in which librarians can educate students through proven instructional techniques, collaboration approaches and outreach methods, and discusses common problems and questions librarians may encounter when incorporating current anti-plagiarism instruction into their instructional services. Topics include: role of the academic librarian in combating student plagiarism, discipline-based approaches to combating student plagiarism, information literacy techniques and faculty/librarian collaboration. Investigates the issues surrounding the growth of instances of student plagiarism Discusses the academic librarian's role in combating student plagiarism Recommends effective outreach techniques and instructional methods for preventing plagiarism.

  10. Report on combating of illicit trafficking. The Illicit Trafficking Combat Project Group. January 2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    of spot-checks, the authority can then convince itself that the operator is fulfilling the requirements. The legislation should also impose heavy sanctions and penalties for all criminal activities related to illicit trafficking. As a direct measure to combat illicit trafficking on the national level, the State supervisory and law enforcement authorities should establish co-operation between themselves and with authorities in other countries and international organisations. Special national committees for combating illicit trafficking should be set up and should use intelligence and open sources information. Regions of States should investigate and implement joint task forces for combating illicit trafficking. Improvements on the International level by the IAEA: The IAEA should assist States in the practical implementation of measures and means for combating illicit trafficking and for the evaluation of threat scenarios. To improve that process in an efficient way, the IAEA should apply the principle of public access to information on its operations to a greater extent. Among other measures for promoting the development of more efficient tools and systems for combating illicit trafficking, the IAEA should: in assisting States, establish rules about duties and responsibilities for operators, authorities and individuals in the NPT area, through appropriate documentation; promote assistance programmes to States in consultation with NPT States, as need may be, of technical equipment and competent staff for the combating of illicit trafficking; provide experts and establish standards and procedures, across borders, for the investigation of serious cases of illicit trafficking, in consultation with national and international nuclear and law enforcement authorities and organisations; incorporate a more modern safeguards inspection technique of the national systems for accountancy and control, in accordance with standards and procedures that were intended to be established

  11. Fresh whole blood transfusions in coalition military, foreign national, and enemy combatant patients during Operation Iraqi Freedom at a U.S. combat support hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spinella, Philip C; Perkins, Jeremy G; Grathwohl, Kurt W; Repine, Thomas; Beekley, Alec C; Sebesta, James; Jenkins, Donald; Azarow, Kenneth; Holcomb, John B

    2008-01-01

    United States military doctrine permits the use of fresh whole blood (FWB), donated by U.S. military personnel on site, for casualties with life-threatening injuries at combat support hospitals. U.S. Military Medical Department policy dictates that all patients treated at military facilities during combat (coalition military personnel, foreign nationals, and enemy combatants) are to be treated equally. The objectives of this study were to describe admission vital signs and laboratory values and injury location for patients transfused with FWB, and to determine if FWB was employed equally among all patient personnel categories at a combat support hospital. This retrospective cohort study evaluated admission vital signs and laboratory values, injury location, and personnel category for all patients receiving FWB at a U.S. Army combat support hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, between January and December 2004. Eighty-seven patients received 545 units of FWB. Upon admission, the average (+/-S.D.) heart rate was 144 bpm (+/-25); systolic blood pressure, 106 mmHg (+/-33); base deficit, 9 (+/-6.5); hemoglobin, 9.0 g/dl (+/-2.6); platelet concentration, 81.9 x 10(3)/mm(3) (+/-81); international normalized ratio (INR), 2.0 (+/-1.1); and temperature 95.7 degrees F (+/-2.6). The percentages of intensive care patients who received FWB by personnel category were as follows: coalition soldiers, 51/592 (8.6%); foreign nationals, 25/347 (7.2%); and enemy combatants, 11/128 (8.5% (p = 0.38). The amount of FWB transfused by personnel category was as follows: coalition soldier, 4 units (1-35); foreign national, 4 units (1-36); and enemy combatant, 4 units (1-11) (p = 0.9). Fresh whole blood was used for anemic, acidemic, hypothermic, coagulopathic patients with life-threatening traumatic injuries in hemorrhagic shock, and it was transfused in equal percentages and amounts for coalition soldiers, foreign nationals, and enemy combatants.

  12. Impact of mobile apps to combat obesity in children and adolescents: A systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quelly, Susan B; Norris, Anne E; DiPietro, Jessica L

    2016-01-01

    This review examines the impact of mobile app technology on obesity-related anthropometric, psychosocial, and behavioral outcomes in children and adolescents. Nine research articles retrieved from a systematic review of the literature met criteria. Evidence is limited and mixed, but argues for an impact of mobile app use on motivation and goal-setting behavior, and supports further study of the impact on childhood obesity-related outcomes such as attitudes, perceptions, physical activity, and dietary habits. Nurses can use this evidence to discuss potential benefits of health promotion mobile apps with parents, children, and adolescents to combat childhood obesity. © 2015, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. From the combat medic to the forward surgical team: the Madigan model for improving trauma readiness of brigade combat teams fighting the Global War on Terror.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohn, Vance Y; Miller, Joseph P; Koeller, Craig A; Gibson, Steven O; Azarow, Kenneth S; Myers, Jerome B; Beekley, Alec C; Sebesta, James A; Christensen, Jon B; Rush, Robert M

    2007-03-01

    Medics assigned to combat units have a notable paucity of trauma experience. Our goal was to provide intense trauma refresher training for the conventional combat medic to better prepare them for combat casualty care in the War on Terror. Our Tactical Combat Casualty Care Course (TC3) consisted of the following five phases: (1) One and one-half-day didactic session; (2) Half-day simulation portion with interactive human surgical simulators for anatomical correlation of procedures and team building; (3) Half-day of case presentations and triage scenarios from Iraq/Afghanistan and associated skills stations; (4) Half-day live tissue lab where procedures were performed on live anesthetized animals in a controlled environment; and (5) One-day field phase where live anesthetized animals and surgical simulators were combined in a real-time, field-training event to simulate realistic combat injuries, evacuation problems, and mass casualty scenarios. Data collection consisted of surveys, pre- and posttests, and after-action comments. A total of 1317 personnel participated in TC3 from October 2003 through May 2005. Over the overlapping study period from December 2004 to April 2005, 327 soldiers participated in the formal five-phase course. Three hundred four (94%) students were combat medics who were preparing for combat operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. Of those completing the training, 97% indicated their confidence and ability to treat combat casualties were markedly improved. Moreover, of those 140 medics who took the course and deployed to Iraq for 1 year, 99% indicated that the principles taught in the TC3 course helped with battlefield management of injured casualties during their deployment. The hybrid training model is an effective method for training medical personnel to deal with modern battle injuries. This course increases the knowledge and confidence of combat medics deploying and fighting the Global War on Terrorism.

  14. Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Lessons Learned from Clinical, Sports, and Combat Concussions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judy C. Kelly

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Over the past forty years, a tremendous amount of information has been gained on the mechanisms and consequences of mild traumatic brain injuries. Using sports as a laboratory to study this phenomenon, a natural recovery curve emerged, along with standards for managing concussions and returning athletes back to play. Although advances have been made in this area, investigation into recovery and return to play continues. With the increase in combat-related traumatic brain injuries in the military setting, lessons learned from sports concussion research are being applied by the Department of Defense to the assessment of blast concussions and return to duty decision making. Concussion management and treatment for military personnel can be complicated by additional combat related stressors not present in the civilian environment. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the interventions that has been successful in treating symptoms of postconcussion syndrome. While we are beginning to have an understanding of the impact of multiple concussions and subconcussive blows in the sports world, much is still unknown about the impact of multiple blast injuries.

  15. Combating gender stereotypes in the education system: success stories

    OpenAIRE

    Alvarez, Teresa

    2015-01-01

    GEC 2015. Conferência realizada em Helsínquia, de 9-10 october 2014. Conferência de Abertura do Painel 2 – Combating gender stereotypes in the education system: success stories, da Conferência promovida pelo Conselho da Europa sobre “Combating gender stereotypes in and through education”. Apresentam-se alguns desafios decorrentes do combate ao sexismo na escola e propõem-se algumas linhas de ação, ao nível individual, coletivo, organizacional e institucional. info:eu-repo/semantics/pub...

  16. Differentiation of pain ratings in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraus, Anja; Geuze, Elbert; Schmahl, Christian; Greffrath, Wolfgang; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Bohus, Martin; Vermetten, Eric

    2009-06-01

    Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with chronic pain, preliminary evidence suggests reduced experimental pain sensitivity in this disorder. The questions addressed in the present study were whether pain perception would also be reduced in PTSD patients who are not suffering from chronic pain symptoms, and whether a reduction in pain sensitivity would also be present in combat veterans who did not develop PTSD. For this, we determined thermal detection and pain thresholds in 10 male combat-related PTSD patients, 10 combat control subjects (no PTSD) and 10 healthy controls without combat experience. All subjects were pain free. First, we measured thermal sensory thresholds with ramped heat and cold stimuli using the method of limits. Ramped thermal sensory stimulation revealed no deficits for the detection of (non-noxious) f2.1thermal stimuli between groups. In contrast, heat and cold pain thresholds in both combat groups (PTSD and combat controls) were significantly increased compared to healthy controls. However, these stimuli could not distinguish between the two groups due to ceiling effects. When using longer-lasting heat stimulation at different temperatures (30s duration; method of fixed stimuli), we found significantly lower frequency of pain reports in PTSD patients compared with both combat and healthy controls, as well as significantly lower pain ratings. Our results suggest an association of PTSD with reduced pain sensitivity, which could be related to PTSD-related (neuro-)psychological alterations or to a pre-existing risk factor for the disorder.

  17. Impact of Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan on Family Functioning: Findings from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Land Combat Study

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Huge, Charles W; Castro, Carl A; Eaton, Karen M

    2006-01-01

    .... However, most studies of the impact of combat on military families have not been conducted proximal to the time of deployments, and there are many research gaps in understanding the full impact of combat deployment...

  18. Void consolidation during open-die forging for ultralarge rotor shafts. (1. Formulation of void-closing behavior)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ono, Shin-ichi; Minami, Katsuyuki; Ochiai, Tomoyuki; Iwadate, Tadao; Nakata, Shin-ichi.

    1995-01-01

    Open-die forging experiments using different die geometries under hot isothermal conditions and three-dimensional simulations using rigid-plastic finite-element method were performed to formulate a void-closing behavior using only two factors; the integral of hydrostatic stress and the equivalent strain. First, upsetting, side-upsetting and V-shape die cogging of several cylinders with a spherical void at the center are carried out and the information on the void volume reduction is obtained. Seconds, the same forgings, but without voids is treated numerically and the development of stress and strain at the location of voids is investigated. Then, by combining these results, and using regression analysis, it is found that the void volume reduction is expressed as a polynomial function of the two factors. When the polynomial function is used, various forging methods can be evaluated quantitatively in terms of void-closing behavior. Therefore it is beneficial to optimize the forging process for a large rotor shaft. (author)

  19. University Research Initiative Program for Combat Readiness

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-05-01

    microscope image of one of the lenses. This array was selected for testing because it is fabricated in a relatively inexpensive polyacrylic material, the...potent analogues of the potassium -sparing diuretic, amiloride. However, our results 179 University Reasearch Initiative for Combat Readiness Annual Report...for Combat Readiness Annual Report for the period June 1, 1998 - June 30, 1999 Roger H. Sawyer University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 May

  20. Combating weight-based cyberbullying on Facebook with the dissenter effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Jenn; Bresnahan, Mary; Musatics, Catherine

    2014-05-01

    Weight-based cyberbullying is prevalent among youth and adolescents and can have lasting negative psychological effects on the victims. One way to combat these negative effects is through modeling dissenting behavior. When a bystander challenges the bully or supports the victim, this models dissenting behavior. In this study, 181 participants were exposed to message manipulations posted on a Facebook page aimed at testing the conformity effect, the dissenter effect, and the bystander effect in response to enactment of weight-based bullying. Facebook is a common social media site where cyberbullying is reported. Results indicate that in the dissenting condition, participants' comments were significantly more positive or supporting for the victim, as compared to other conditions. This effect was more pronounced for men than for women. In addition, in the dissenting condition, men were less likely to consider the victim unhealthy than women and men in other conditions. These results support the effectiveness of efforts to model dissenting behavior in the face of bullies and extend them to online contexts. Implications are discussed.

  1. The incidence of and risk factors for emergence delirium in U.S. military combat veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGuire, Jason M

    2012-08-01

    The purpose of this research was to identify the incidence and potential risk factors for emergence delirium (ED) in a U.S. military combat veteran surgical population at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. ED is a postanesthetic phenomenon that occurs immediately after emergence from general anesthesia and is characterized by agitation, confusion, and violent behavior. Clinical evidence suggests that ED is increasingly seen among military personnel returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the incidence of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are higher in this population than in noncombat troops or nonmilitary populations. The incidence of ED in this sample of 130 postoperative military personnel with combat exposure was 20% (n=26). Those previously diagnosed with a psychological disorder had a higher rate of ED (50%) than those who did not (17.5%), χ(2)=5.53, PPTSD symptoms, and depression [state anxiety: r(128)=0.40, PPTSD: r(128)=0.35, PPTSD, and depression as risk factors. Regression modeling suggested that state-anxiety served as the best predictor. These findings increase clinicians' understanding of ED among combat veterans and give direction to future studies that should focus on preventive treatment. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. LOS tercios en España: el combate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorraine WHITE

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available RESUMEN: Durante el siglo ??? hubo un importante incremento de la actividad militar en la Península Ibérica. Las tropas hubieron de luchar en su propio territorio y contra otros subditos del rey de España. Este artículo se centra en el combate de los ejércitos españoles en la Península. Examina el componente humano de estas fuerzas, los motivos para servir o para desertar, el conflicto de lealtades, los riesgos y las realidades del combate, así como la asistencia médica y espiritual que recibían.ABSTRACT: There was a significant rise in military activity in the Iberian Peninsula during the seventeenth century. Troops fought on 'home' territory and against fellow subjects of the Spanish king. This article looks at combat in Spain's home-based armies. It explores the human component of these forces, the motives and disincentives for serving, the conflict of loyalties, the risks and realities of combat, and medical and spiritual care.

  3. Combating trafficking: the Swiss approach

    OpenAIRE

    Sebastian Rauber

    2006-01-01

    Switzerland is committed to combating and preventingtrafficking in human beings. Effective policy implementationin a federal structure depends on networking,effective information exchange and development ofrobust cooperation mechanisms.

  4. 597 Days: A Division’s Morale During Sustained Combat

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-05-22

    The army broke combat exhaustion into two groups: new replacements and veterans. For new replacements the symptoms of combat exhaustion appeared...through the initial effects of combat to fall into the veteran group. The manifestation of symptoms for veterans generally occurred around the 120th...concentrated strength” that the German Army was simply overrun. The battle turned into a “ gigantic mopping- up operation,” one that saw the Red Bulls solidify

  5. Combat to social exclusion, awareness, and action through nuclear energy applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Komatsu, Cintia Nagako, E-mail: cintia@ctmsp.mar.mil.br [Centro Tecnologico da Marinha em Sao Paulo (CTMSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Aquino, Afonso Rodrigues de, E-mail: araquino@ipen.com [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    Gradually the world becomes more and more supportive and human. Small actions in our daily behavior contribute in a positive way to the social inclusion of people who has not the same opportunities due to physical appearance, social position or education level. The Companies, the basis of our Economy, can also demonstrate this social inclusion mission offering benefits that do not meet only one social layer, but everybody. This paper aims to make a research about the actions that have that awareness to combat social exclusion, emphasizing nuclear technology as a tool to disseminate of such solidarity actions. (author)

  6. Combat-related, chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: implications for group-therapy intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makler, S; Sigal, M; Gelkopf, M; Kochba, B B; Horeb, E

    1990-07-01

    The patient with combat-related chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder suffers from a wide spectrum of maladaptive behaviors. This paper delineates the work that has been done with such a population in group therapy. The plan that is proposed takes into account three interrelated sets of factors: factors important for creating an effective working relation; curative factors; and particular themes. Each of these factors is analyzed in the light of the particularities of group work with such a population. Each of the points discussed is based upon the relevant literature, upon the experience of the therapist, and illustrated with examples.

  7. Combat to social exclusion, awareness, and action through nuclear energy applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komatsu, Cintia Nagako; Aquino, Afonso Rodrigues de

    2013-01-01

    Gradually the world becomes more and more supportive and human. Small actions in our daily behavior contribute in a positive way to the social inclusion of people who has not the same opportunities due to physical appearance, social position or education level. The Companies, the basis of our Economy, can also demonstrate this social inclusion mission offering benefits that do not meet only one social layer, but everybody. This paper aims to make a research about the actions that have that awareness to combat social exclusion, emphasizing nuclear technology as a tool to disseminate of such solidarity actions. (author)

  8. Depression and HIV risk behavior practices among at risk women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Hugh; Elifson, Kirk W; Sterk, Claire E

    2008-01-01

    In this study, we examined the relationship between depression and HIV-related risk behavior practices in a sample of 250 at risk, predominantly African American women living in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Interviews were conducted between August 1997 and August 2000. Street outreach efforts were used to identify potential study participants, with further expansion of the sample via targeted sampling and ethnographic mapping procedures. Our conceptual model hypothesized a relationship between depression and HIV risk in which depression and condom-related attitudes were construed as intervening (or mediating) variables. A multivariate analysis was used to determine the relationship between depression and women's risk behaviors. The results showed that depression was a key-mediating variable, having its primary influence on women's risky practices through its impact upon their attitudes toward using condoms. Factors associated with depression, included religiosity, closeness of family relationships, financial problems, childhood maltreatment experiences, and drug-related problems. The implications of these findings for prevention and intervention efforts are: (1) heightening faith community involvement and religious participation to decrease depression; (2) working with women whose familial bonds are in need of strengthening to combat depression; (3) providing mental health and counseling services to women who were emotionally and/or sexually abused during their formative years seems to help these women to recover from unresolved issues that may be fueling depression; (4) assisting at risk women who need training in money management issues to minimize their risk for depression; and (5) helping women drug abusers to receive treatment for their drug problems to combat their depression and lower their HIV risk.

  9. Combating Training-Stress Syndromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voight, Mike

    2002-01-01

    Addresses the nature and ramifications of various training stress syndromes (overtraining, under-recovery, distress, staleness, and burnout) that can accompany inappropriate training practices, examining the interventions that players and coaches can use to combat these syndromes (including physical, psychological, and performance interventions),…

  10. Combating trafficking: the Swiss approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Rauber

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Switzerland is committed to combating and preventingtrafficking in human beings. Effective policy implementationin a federal structure depends on networking,effective information exchange and development ofrobust cooperation mechanisms.

  11. Development of Two Courses-of-Fire: Night Fire with Aiming Lights and Combat Field Fire

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    on the same GFE (specifically, the M68 close combat optic (CCO), the TWS, and the PAQ -4C and PEQ-2A ALs which were used with NVGs). Some platoon...29 hits). Practice qualification and final qualification were executed for the CCO, ALs ( PAQ - 4C and PEQ-2A), and TWS. Soldiers who did not qualify...Qualification 29.50 18 39 5.94 First attempt at Qualification 29.79 14 38 5.94 Final Qualification 30.79 23 38 4.01 ALs ( PAQ -4C & PEQ-2A) – nightfire

  12. New Technologies for Treating Severe Bleeding in Far-Forward Combat Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    conditions have been utilized to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Combat Gauze. Combat Gauze ( kaolin -coated gauze) was recently distributed by US...woven medical gauze (50% polyester and 50% rayon) impregnated with a contact (intrinsic) pathway activating clotting agent, kaolin . The prototype...Military Tourniquet (EMT). 5.0 CONCLUSION Future combat scenarios where the troops will be more dispersed , imply that evacuation times of

  13. The use of QuikClot combat gauze in cervical and vaginal hemorrhage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Vilardo

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available QuikClot combat gauze is a synthetic hemostatic dressing used for hemorrhage control. There is a paucity of data describing the clinical use and hemostatic results of combat gauze in the obstetric and gynecologic setting. This case series demonstrates the use of combat gauze as an effective hemostatic agent when used as vaginal packing in cervical and vaginal hemorrhage. Hemostasis was achieved rapidly in all cases and further interventions were avoided. The combat gauze remained in place for a mean time of 15 h with no adverse side effects observed. The use of combat gauze as vaginal packing may provide an alternative option in the treatment of cervical and vaginal hemorrhage when other traditional conservative and surgical interventions fail or are unavailable.

  14. The Closed-End Funds Puzzle: A Survey Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Charrón

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to explore the most salient research aimed at explaining the closed-end fund puzzle from both the traditional and behavioral finance perspectives. It provides a better understanding of closed-end fund behavior and motivates further research of closed-end funds, market efficiency, asset pricing and the traditional and behavioral finance paradigms. So far, none of the possible explanations from either traditional finance or behavioral finance have been able to fully account for the occurrence of the puzzle. It continues to be an important issue in the long standing debate between traditional finance and behavioral finance.

  15. Combatant Commanders Informational Series, USEUCOM

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Burton, Steven

    1996-01-01

    ...) and the diverse challenges it faces require it to maintain one of the highest operational and personnel tempos of the combatant command, are limited in the opportunity of personnel new to the command...

  16. Casualties of War: Combat Trauma and the Return of the Combat Veteran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiely, Denis O.; Swift, Lisa

    2009-01-01

    The experience of the combat soldier and the road back to civilian life are recurrent themes in American literature and cinema. Whether the treatment is tragic (Stephen Crane's "Red Badge of Courage", Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", or Tony Scott's "Blackhawk Down"), satirical (Joseph Heller's "Catch Twenty-Two" and Robert Altman's…

  17. Army Combat Medic Resilience: The Process of Forging Loyalty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, Preetha A; Russell, Dale W; Huffman, Sarah; Deuster, Patricia; Gibbons, Susanne W

    2018-03-01

    This study presents a grounded theory analysis of in-depth interviews of United States Army Combat Medics (CMs) who had served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. The study explores how 17 CMs nominated by their peers as resilient cope with military stressors in order to identify the factors that enable them to thrive amidst harsh conditions. Four distinct categories of characteristics unique to this group emerged: (1) social bonding, (2) readiness, (3) dual loyalty as performance, and (4) leader by example. Forging loyalty underpins these characteristics and represents the main process used by resilient CMs and comprised three behavior patterns: (1) commitment to the family, (2) commitment to the military mission, and (3) commitment to their guiding religious and spiritual beliefs. Prominent behavioral tendencies of forging loyalty likely developed during childhood and re-enforced by families, friends, and other role models. Based on the findings, new training and education efforts should focus on developing positive emotional, environmental, and social resources to enhance the health and well-being of service members and their families.

  18. The Measurement of Combat Stress in the Field: A Product Development Study

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Cotton, A

    1998-01-01

    .... In the early nineties, however, a need was perceived to improve the individual combat capability of the infantry soldier in order to improve the combat capability of the Army as a whole. This led to the creation of Project WUNDURRA (an aboriginal word meaning "warrior"), which subsequently became known as Project LAND125 (Soldier Combat System Enhancement Study).

  19. Smoking among troops deployed in combat areas and its association with combat exposure among navy personnel in Sri Lanka

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de Silva Varuni

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Among military personnel alcohol consumption and binge-drinking have increased but cigarette smoking has declined in the recent past. Although there is a strong association between smoking and PTSD the association between combat exposure and smoking is not clear. Methods This cross sectional study was carried out among representative samples of SLN Special Forces and regular forces deployed in combat areas. Both Special Forces and regular forces were selected using simple random sampling. Only personnel who had served continuously in combat areas during the one year period prior to end of combat operations were included in the study. Females were not included in the sample. The study assessed several mental health outcomes as well as alcohol use, smoking and cannabis use. Sample was classified according to smoking habits as never smokers, past smokers (those who had smoked in the past but not within the past year and current smokers (those smoking at least one cigarette within the past 12 months. Results Sample consisted of 259 Special Forces and 412 regular navy personnel. Prevalence of current smoking was 17.9% (95% CI 14.9-20.8. Of the sample 58.4% had never smoked and 23.7% were past smokers. Prevalence of current smoking was significantly higher among Special Forces personnel compared to regular forces. (OR 1.90 (95% CI 1.20-3.02. Personnel aged ≥35 years had the lowest prevalence of smoking (14.0%. Commissioned officers had a lower prevalence (12.1% than non commissioned officers or other ranks. After adjustment for demographic variables and service type there was significant association between smoking and combat experiences of seeing dead or wounded [OR 1.79 (95%CI 1.08-2.9], handling dead bodies [OR 2.47(95%CI 1.6-3.81], coming under small arms fire [OR 2.01(95%CI 1.28-3.15] and coming under mortar, missile and artillery fire [OR 2.02(95%CI 1.29-3.17]. There was significant association between the number of

  20. Assessment of dissociation among combat-exposed soldiers with and without posttraumatic stress disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbaros Özdemir

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Dissociation is a disruption of and/or discontinuity in the normal, subjective integration of one or more aspects of psychological functioning, including memory, identity, consciousness, perception, and motor control. A limited number of studies investigated combat-related dissociation. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between dissociative symptoms and combat-related trauma. Method: This study included 184 individuals, including 84 patients who were exposed to combat and diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD (Group I, 50 subjects who were exposed to combat but were not diagnosed with PTSD (Group II, and 50 healthy subjects without combat exposure (Group III. The participants were evaluated using the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES to determine their total and sub-factor (i.e., amnesia, depersonalization/derealization, and absorption dissociative symptom levels. In addition, Group I and Group II were compared with respect to the relationship between physical injury and DES scores. Results: The mean DES scores (i.e., total and sub-factors of Group I were higher than those of Group II (p30 was highest in Group I, followed by Group II and Group III. When we compared combat-exposed subjects with high total DES scores, Group I had higher scores than Group II. In contrast, no relationship between the presence of bodily injury and total DES scores could be demonstrated. In addition, our results demonstrated that high depersonalization/derealization factor scores were correlated with bodily injury in PTSD patients. A similar relationship was found between high absorption factor scores and bodily injury for Group II. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that the level of dissociation was significantly higher in subjects with combat-related PTSD than in subjects without combat-related PTSD. In addition, combat-exposed subjects without PTSD also had higher dissociation levels than

  1. Technical-tactical and physiological demands of wrestling combats

    OpenAIRE

    Bianka Miarka

    2016-01-01

    Technical-tactical and physiological demand analyses of wrestling combats are important because they reveal essential information for the development of contextual training and specific physical preparation of wrestlers. Therefore, the aim of this review is to describe the characteristics of wrestling combats in freestyle, female and Greco-roman styles. The time-motion analysis presented in this article is the main component to carry out inferences on intensity and effort: pause ratio of comb...

  2. Note nuclear accidents combat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    In this document the starting points are described which underlie the new framework for the nuclear-accident combat in the Netherlands. All the elaboration of this is indicated in main lines. The juridical consequences of the proposed structure are enlightened and the sequel activities are indicated. (H.W.). 6 figs.; 8 tabs

  3. Meeting the Challenge - Developing Leaders for Army National Guard Combat Units

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Keolanui, Stan

    2000-01-01

    ...). Capable and qualified leaders are a necessity in complex organizations like the eSB. These leaders will insure that Guard combat units meet all readiness and deployment standards necessary for future combat...

  4. New Russian Combat Small Boats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandr F. Mitrofanov

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The article presents an overview of small combat boats. The author provides a description and gives an analysis of the characteristics of the boat "Raptor", boat "BK-16", boat "Strizh-4-1 DSh", and assault boat "BK-10".

  5. [International cooperation in combatting illicit drugs in Mozambique].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buvana, Flávia; Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena

    2011-06-01

    Countries from Southern Africa have formed a Development Community (SADC) to stimulate common actions in several areas, among them illicit drugs combat. In this context, the goal of this qualitative study was to identify information and perception about the cooperation set up between Mozambique and other SADC members in combatting illicit drugs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with public employees developing actions directed at the implementation of the Protocol to Combat Drugs in SADC. After transcriptions, the interviews were analyzed by content analysis and resulted in the categories: "Mozambique as a drugs corridor", "Cooperation Initiatives on Drugs among African countries", "Cooperation Difficulties in Africa", "Problems in Protocol Implementation" and "Difficulties to implement a control policy". As a consequence, there is a need to review and update the policies and strategies in the drugs area, as they are not contextualized in the country's current reality.

  6. INTERNATIONALLY LEGAL MEASURES TO COMBAT TERRORIST FINANCING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuniarti Yuniarti

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Following the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11th, 2001, it was discovered that money laundering was a significant source of finance for terrorists. Although, the amount of money that involve is not as involve as in drug and gun trafficking, terrorist financing had been the most important substance to be monitor. Further, various legal measures have been taken internationally in order to combat terrorist financing. This research analyses the legal measures that have been taken internationally and at EU level to combat terrorist financing. Key words: Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, International Legal measures, EU.

  7. THE POSSIBLY PREVENTION AND COMBATING TAX EVASION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela P. POPA

    2014-11-01

    - A faulty legislation that allows them to circumvent the failure to pay taxes. Measures to combat tax evasion must act in the areas of legislative, administrative and educational. The legislative drafting tax legislation seeks appropriate, clear, concise, stable and consistent. It is also necessary to eliminate or withdrawal of exemptions, reductions and deductions that give rise to multiple interpretations. In terms of administrative measures aimed at creating a comprehensive and operational information system, ensuring adequate administrative structures and instruments effectively combating tax evasion and training specialists with morality and professionalism required of shapes and sizes evasion.

  8. Meta-path based heterogeneous combat network link prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jichao; Ge, Bingfeng; Yang, Kewei; Chen, Yingwu; Tan, Yuejin

    2017-09-01

    The combat system-of-systems in high-tech informative warfare, composed of many interconnected combat systems of different types, can be regarded as a type of complex heterogeneous network. Link prediction for heterogeneous combat networks (HCNs) is of significant military value, as it facilitates reconfiguring combat networks to represent the complex real-world network topology as appropriate with observed information. This paper proposes a novel integrated methodology framework called HCNMP (HCN link prediction based on meta-path) to predict multiple types of links simultaneously for an HCN. More specifically, the concept of HCN meta-paths is introduced, through which the HCNMP can accumulate information by extracting different features of HCN links for all the six defined types. Next, an HCN link prediction model, based on meta-path features, is built to predict all types of links of the HCN simultaneously. Then, the solution algorithm for the HCN link prediction model is proposed, in which the prediction results are obtained by iteratively updating with the newly predicted results until the results in the HCN converge or reach a certain maximum iteration number. Finally, numerical experiments on the dataset of a real HCN are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed HCNMP, in comparison with 30 baseline methods. The results show that the performance of the HCNMP is superior to those of the baseline methods.

  9. Combating corruption in global health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackey, Tim K; Kohler, Jillian; Lewis, Maureen; Vian, Taryn

    2017-08-09

    Corruption is a critical challenge to global health efforts, and combating it requires international action, advocacy, and research. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  10. Is Persuasive Advertising Always Combative in a Distribution Channel?

    OpenAIRE

    Chi-Cheng Wu; Ying-Ju Chen; Chih-Jen Wang

    2009-01-01

    The existing marketing literature suggests that persuasive advertising elicits counteractions from competing manufacturers and consequently leads to wasteful cancellation of the advertising effects. Thus, persuasive advertising is widely perceived to be combative in nature. A series of previously published papers demonstrates that appropriate targeting may partially mitigate the combative nature of persuasive advertising in that either the rival manufacturer or the retailer may benefit. In th...

  11. Trained and Ready Combat Forces: The Role of Training Devices in Sustaining Combat Force Proficiency During Deployments

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Taylor, James

    1997-01-01

    ... (MOOTW). The Army's ground combat forces, even while engaged in MOOTW activities, must maintain proficiency to wage war in the event that peacetime engagement, deterrence and conflict prevention fail...

  12. Prevalence estimates of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Lisa K; Frueh, B Christopher; Acierno, Ronald

    2010-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to provide a critical review of prevalence estimates of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military personnel and veterans, and of the relevant factors that may account for the variability of estimates within and across cohorts, including methodological and conceptual factors accounting for differences in prevalence rates across nations, conflicts/wars, and studies. MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were examined for literature on combat-related PTSD. The following terms were used independently and in combinations in this search: PTSD, combat, veterans, military, epidemiology, prevalence. The point prevalence of combat-related PTSD in US military veterans since the Vietnam War ranged from approximately 2% to 17%. Studies of recent conflicts suggest that combat-related PTSD afflicts between 4% and 17% of US Iraq War veterans, but only 3-6% of returning UK Iraq War veterans. Thus, the prevalence range is narrower and tends to have a lower ceiling among combat veterans of non-US Western nations. Variability in prevalence is likely due to differences in sampling strategies; measurement strategies; inclusion and measurement of the DSM-IV clinically significant impairment criterion; timing and latency of assessment and potential for recall bias; and combat experiences. Prevalence rates are also likely affected by issues related to PTSD course, chronicity, and comorbidity; symptom overlap with other psychiatric disorders; and sociopolitical and cultural factors that may vary over time and by nation. The disorder represents a significant and costly illness to veterans, their families, and society as a whole. Further carefully conceptualized research, however, is needed to advance our understanding of disorder prevalence, as well as associated information on course, phenomenology, protective factors, treatment, and economic costs.

  13. INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON COMBAT SPORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew M. Lane

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Combat Sports Special Issue Editorial INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON COMBAT SPORT The World heavyweight professional boxing championship is arguable the biggest prize in sport. Why is this the case? It is not just the glamour that is appealing, but also the intriguing appeal of two combatants in a fixed environment. All combat sports share this similarity and in doing so, combat sports become appealing for spectators to watch, provide competitors with their ultimate challenge, and provide sport scientists and medics with a rich environment to apply their work. The role of research and theory driven interventions is key to the credibility of sport science and sports medicine. An intervention and/or treatment must be based on sound reason and the effects should be considered beforehand, both positive and negative. Equally, the nature of combat sport, where the aim is to strike, throw, or grapple with an opponent which can lead to injury, invariably raises questions on whether it is morally acceptable for these activities to be called a sport. Therefore, thorough investigation of the nature of medical issues is needed. The case for banning boxing in inextricably linked to the notion that the aim of the sport is to cause harm to the opponent; if harm was minimized and injury became less of an injury, the case for banning boxing would be weak. Quite clearly there are a plethora of arguments that point to a need for theory driven research in combat sport, and plugging this gap in the literature is an aim of this special issue of the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Possibly the most convincing argument for me to get involved in driving this issue stems from experiences in applied work with professional boxers (Hall and Lane, 2001; Lane and Hall, 2003, amateur boxers (Lane, 2002, kickboxers (Lane, et al., 1999 and tae-kwon-do athletes (Chapman et al., 1997 in which a raft of situations and issues were presented that required answers based

  14. Combat Internist: The Internal Medicine Experience in a Combat Hospital in Afghanistan

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    massive trans- fusion protocol.6 As such, critical care included frequent monitoring of hemoglobin and coagulation parameters with administration of...ongoing resuscitation. With the rise in nutritional supplement use, it was no sur- prise that they were frequently used in the combat zone. Numerous...recommendations on standard precautions and further care of his vaccine site. Education and Administration There were many opportunities to train and

  15. Personality traits and combat exposure as predictors of psychopathology over time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koffel, E; Kramer, M D; Arbisi, P A; Erbes, C R; Kaler, M; Polusny, M A

    2016-01-01

    Research suggests that personality traits have both direct and indirect effects on the development of psychological symptoms, with indirect effects mediated by stressful or traumatic events. This study models the direct influence of personality traits on residualized changes in internalizing and externalizing symptoms following a stressful and potentially traumatic deployment, as well as the indirect influence of personality on symptom levels mediated by combat exposure. We utilized structural equation modeling with a longitudinal prospective study of 522 US National Guard soldiers deployed to Iraq. Analyses were based on self-report measures of personality, combat exposure, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Both pre-deployment Disconstraint and externalizing symptoms predicted combat exposure, which in turn predicted internalizing and externalizing symptoms. There was a significant indirect effect for pre-deployment externalizing symptoms on post-deployment externalizing via combat exposure (p personality on residualized changes in externalizing symptoms were found. Baseline symptom dimensions had significant direct and indirect effects on post-deployment symptoms. Controlling for both pre-exposure personality and symptoms, combat experiences remained positively related to both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Implications for diagnostic classification are discussed.

  16. Stigma associated with PTSD: perceptions of treatment seeking combat veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittal, Dinesh; Drummond, Karen L; Blevins, Dean; Curran, Geoffrey; Corrigan, Patrick; Sullivan, Greer

    2013-06-01

    Although stigma associated with serious mental illness, substance abuse disorders, and depression has been studied very little is known about stigma associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This study explored stigma related to PTSD among treatment-seeking Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) combat veterans. Sixteen treatment-seeking OEF/OIF veterans with combat-related PTSD participated in focus groups. We used qualitative methods to explore PTSD-related stigma. Common perceived stereotypes of treatment-seeking veterans with PTSD included labels such as "dangerous/violent," or "crazy," and a belief that combat veterans are responsible for having PTSD. Most participants reported avoiding treatment early on to circumvent a label of mental illness. Participants initially reported experiencing some degree of self-stigma; however, following engagement in treatment they predominantly resisted these stereotypes. Although most participants considered combat-related PTSD as less stigmatizing than other mental illnesses, they reported difficulties with reintegration. Such challenges likely stem from both PTSD symptoms and veterans' perceptions of how the public views them. Most reported that fellow combat veterans best understood them. Awareness of public stereotypes impacts help seeking at least early in the course of illness. Peer-based outreach and therapy groups may help veterans engage in treatment early and resist stigma. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. The Temperature Effect on the Compressive Behavior of Closed-Cell Aluminum-Alloy Foams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Movahedi, Nima; Linul, Emanoil; Marsavina, Liviu

    2018-01-01

    In this research, the mechanical behavior of closed-cell aluminum (Al)-alloy foams was investigated at different temperatures in the range of 25-450 °C. The main mechanical properties of porous Al-alloy foams are affected by the testing temperature, and they decrease with the increase in the temperature during uniaxial compression. From both the constant/serrated character of stress-strain curves and macro/microstructural morphology of deformed cellular structure, it was found that Al foams present a transition temperature from brittle to ductile behavior around 192 °C. Due to the softening of the cellular structure at higher temperatures, linear correlations of the stress amplitude and that of the absorbed energy with the temperature were proposed. Also, it was observed that the presence of inherent defects like micropores in the foam cell walls induced further local stress concentration which weakens the cellular structure's strength and crack propagation and cell-wall plastic deformation are the dominant collapse mechanisms. Finally, an energy absorption study was performed and an optimum temperature was proposed.

  18. 2006 Combat Vehicles Conference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-10-25

    stressed or worn out beyond economic repair due to combat operations by repairing, rebuilding, or procuring replacement equipment. These...lives Vehicle Hardening Logistics Solutions for the Warfighter • Unique and economical surge capability • Support in coordination with op tempo...Speed, • Diagnostics Indicators – DECU Health Check Indicator, Utility Bus Comm Failure, 1553 Bus Comm Failure; MPU Critical Failure, Cautions and

  19. Infrared behavior of closed superstrings in strong magnetic and gravitational fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiritsis, E.; Kounnas, C.

    1995-01-01

    A large class of four-dimensional supersymmetric ground states of closed superstrings with a non-zero mass gap are constructed. For such ground states we turn on chromo-magnetic fields as well as curvature. The exact spectrum as function of the chromo-magnetic fields and curvature is derived. We examine the behavior of the spectrum, and find that there is a maximal value for the magnetic field H max similar M planck 2 . At this value all states that couple to the magnetic field become infinitely massive and decouple. We also find tachyonic instabilities for strong background fields of the order O (μM planck ) where μ is the mass gap of the theory. Unlike the field theory case, we find that such ground states become stable again for magnetic fields of the order O (M 2 planck ). The implications of these results are discussed. (orig.)

  20. Improving Relative Combat Power Estimation: The Road to Victory

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-13

    was unthinkable before. Napoleon Bonaparte achieved a superior warfighting system compared to his opponents, which resulted in SOF. Napoleon’s...observations about combat power estimation and force empoloyment, remain valid. Napoleon also offered thoughts about combat power and superiority whe he...force. However, Napoleon did not think one- sidedly about the problem. He also said: “The moral is to the physical as three to one.”11 This dual

  1. Transfusion-Associated Microchimerism in Combat Casualties

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dunne, James R; Lee, Tzong-Hae; Burns, Christopher; Cardo, Lisa J; Curry, Kathleen; Busch, Michael P

    2007-01-01

    ...) in civilian trauma patients receiving allogenic red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. We explored the incidence of TA-MC in combat casualties receiving FrWB compared with patients receiving standard stored RBC transfusions. Methods...

  2. Study on combat effectiveness of air defense missile weapon system based on queuing theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Z. Q.; Hao, J. X.; Li, L. J.

    2017-01-01

    Queuing Theory is a method to analyze the combat effectiveness of air defense missile weapon system. The model of service probability based on the queuing theory was constructed, and applied to analyzing the combat effectiveness of "Sidewinder" and "Tor-M1" air defense missile weapon system. Finally aimed at different targets densities, the combat effectiveness of different combat units of two types' defense missile weapon system is calculated. This method can be used to analyze the usefulness of air defense missile weapon system.

  3. Regulating and Combating Underground Banking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borgers, M.J.

    2009-01-01

    In combating and regulating underground banking, a choice can be made of roughly two models, the risk model and the assimilation model. The risk model comes down to a complete prohibition of underground banking combined with an active investigation and prosecution policy. In the assimilation model,

  4. Detecting and combating malicious email

    CERN Document Server

    Ryan, Julie JCH

    2014-01-01

    Malicious email is, simply put, email with a malicious purpose. The malicious purpose could be fraud, theft, espionage, or malware injection. The processes by which email execute the malicious activity vary widely, from fully manual (e.g. human-directed) to fully automated. One example of a malicious email is one that contains an attachment which the recipient is directed to open. When the attachment is opened, malicious software is installed on the recipient's computer. Because malicious email can vary so broadly in form and function, automated detection is only marginally helpful. The education of all users to detect potential malicious email is important to containing the threat and limiting the damage. It is increasingly necessary for all email users to understand how to recognize and combat malicious email. Detecting and Combating Malicious Email describes the different types of malicious email, shows how to differentiate malicious email from benign email, and suggest protective strategies for both perso...

  5. Using agility to combat cyber attacks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kerry

    2017-06-01

    Some incident response practitioners feel that they have been locked in a battle with cyber criminals since the popular adoption of the internet. Initially, organisations made great inroads in preventing and containing cyber attacks. In the last few years, however, cyber criminals have become adept at eluding defence security technologies and rapidly modifying their exploit strategies for financial or political gains. Similar to changes in military combat tactics, cyber criminals utilise distributed attack cells, real-time communications, and rapidly mutating exploits to minimise the potential for detection. Cyber criminals have changed their attack paradigm. This paper describes a new incident response paradigm aimed at combating the new model of cyber attacks with an emphasis on agility to increase the organisation's ability to respond rapidly to these new challenges.

  6. Combat Risk and Pay: Theory and Some Evidence

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-01

    1776) theory of compensating differences, and Rosen (1986) devised what has become the standard neoclassical economic theory relating wages to the...I N S T I T U T E F O R D E F E N S E A N A L Y S E S IDA Paper P-4774 October 2011 Combat Risk and Pay: Theory and Some Evidence Curtis J. Simon...OCT 2011 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Combat Risk and Pay: Theory and Some Evidence 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

  7. Combat Resource Management (11bm) Applied Research Project (ARP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-12-01

    tactiques de combat embarquées, comme partie du processus C2 naval militaire, définit un domaine application qui implique à la fois des décideurs humains ...combat ships defending against incoming threats and where coordination of their respective resources is a complex problem of capital importance...the case of the several frigates defending against incoming threats, multi-agent coordi- nation is a complex problem of capital importance. Better

  8. A comparative approach to closed-loop computation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, E; Sponberg, S; Cowan, N J

    2014-04-01

    Neural computation is inescapably closed-loop: the nervous system processes sensory signals to shape motor output, and motor output consequently shapes sensory input. Technological advances have enabled neuroscientists to close, open, and alter feedback loops in a wide range of experimental preparations. The experimental capability of manipulating the topology-that is, how information can flow between subsystems-provides new opportunities to understand the mechanisms and computations underlying behavior. These experiments encompass a spectrum of approaches from fully open-loop, restrained preparations to the fully closed-loop character of free behavior. Control theory and system identification provide a clear computational framework for relating these experimental approaches. We describe recent progress and new directions for translating experiments at one level in this spectrum to predictions at another level. Operating across this spectrum can reveal new understanding of how low-level neural mechanisms relate to high-level function during closed-loop behavior. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The food and weight combat. A problematic fight for the elite combat sports athlete.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, Stefan; Pipping Ekström, Marianne; Berg, Christina M

    2012-10-01

    Weight reduction in athletes is motivated by optimisation of performance, aesthetic reasons or to achieve a pre-designated weight. Previous research has shown that dietary restraint and short term weight regulation frequently takes place among combat sports athletes such as wrestlers and judokas. The aim of this study was to explore negative experiences related to dietary strategies and weight-making practises used by elite combat sports athletes. Using semi-structured interviews, 14 Swedish national team athletes in wrestling, judo and taekwondo were asked about their dietary intake and their engagement in both long- and short-term weight regulation practises. Content analysis of the transcribed interviews, display a constant struggle regarding nutritional standpoints. Sport demands such as achieving an optimal weight and nutritional intake were considered as central in order for excellent performance. Adhering to these demands was found to be problematic however, primarily because of; (1) negative physiological responses and (2) opposing ideals of a non-sport related nature, such as the importance of the athletes to be healthy and social in their everyday lives. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. "Shell Shock": An Entity that Predated Combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ragul Ganesh

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the last century, numerous soldiers had been diagnosed with various post combat disorders. The terminology that has been utilized to describe such patients include combat fatigue, combat stress reaction, soldier′s heart, effort syndrome, non-ulcer dyspepsia, effects of agent orange and gulf war syndrome. The initial description of such post combat disorder was probably ′shell shock′ which came into vogue during the World War I. The soldiers, undergoing unyielding artillery bombardment, in the trenches suffered persistent symptoms of headache, behavioural changes and memory impairment, and was designated at the time as ′shell shock′. Myers and Mott, independently studied numerous soldiers to elucidate the features and aetiology of the entity. An attempt was made to restrict the usage of the term, but the psychological distress of the soldiers persisted to be addressed in some manner or the other, culminating in the genesis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

  11. 2001 Industry Studies: Land Combat Systems

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Alyaqout, Faisal

    2001-01-01

    .... The days when production lines and factories hummed at peak capacity are gone. Orders for land combat systems have been reduced by nearly two-thirds since 1990, and competition for what few procurement dollars remain is stiff...

  12. The consistency of combat exposure reporting and course of PTSD in Vietnam War veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koenen, K C; Stellman, S D; Dohrenwend, B P; Sommer, J F; Stellman, J M

    2007-02-01

    Self-reports of traumatic events are often used in clinical and epidemiologic studies. Nevertheless, research suggests combat exposure reports may be biased by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, leading to an inflated dose-response relation between combat exposure and PTSD. The authors examined the consistency in combat exposure reports and their relation to PTSD symptoms in Vietnam Veteran American Legionnaires who responded to two mailed surveys (1984, 1998; N = 1,462). Combat exposure reports were highly reliable (test-retest correlation = 0.87). However, changes in exposure reporting were related to changes in PTSD symptoms, specifically reexperiencing symptoms. The effect size of the dose-response relation attributable to changes in reporting was smaller for continuous than categorical measures. Findings are discussed in relation to recent controversies over veterans' combat exposure reports.

  13. Childhood trauma, combat trauma, and substance use in National Guard and reserve soldiers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vest, Bonnie M; Hoopsick, Rachel A; Homish, D Lynn; Daws, Rachel C; Homish, Gregory G

    2018-02-27

    The goal of this work was to examine associations among childhood trauma, combat trauma, and substance use (alcohol problems, frequent heavy drinking [FHD], current cigarette smoking, and current/lifetime drug use) and the interaction effects of childhood trauma and combat exposure on those associations among National Guard/reserve soldiers. Participants (N = 248) completed an electronic survey asking questions about their military experiences, physical and mental health, and substance use. Childhood trauma and combat exposure were examined jointly in regression models, controlling for age, marital satisfaction, and number of deployments. Childhood trauma was associated with current drug use (trend level, odds ratio [OR] = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97, 2.14; P = .072) in the main effect model; however, there was not a significant interaction with combat. Combat exposure had a significant interaction with childhood trauma on alcohol problems (b = -0.56, 95% CI: -1.12, -0.01; P = .048), FHD (b = -0.27, 95% CI: -0.47, -0.08; P = .007), and lifetime drug use (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.04, 3.04; P = .035). There were no associations with either of the trauma measures and current cigarette smoking. These results demonstrate that childhood and combat trauma have differential effects on alcohol use, such that combat trauma may not add to the effect on alcohol use in those with greater child maltreatment but may contribute to greater alcohol use among those with low child maltreatment. As expected, childhood and combat trauma had synergistic effects on lifetime drug use. Screening for multiple types of trauma prior to enlistment and/or deployment may help to identify at-risk individuals and allow time for early intervention to prevent future adverse outcomes.

  14. Prevalence and patterns of combat sport related maxillofacial injuries

    OpenAIRE

    Shirani, Gholamreza; Kalantar Motamedi, Mohammad Hosein; Ashuri, Alireza; Eshkevari, Pooyan Sadr

    2010-01-01

    Aim: This study was designed to assess the prevalence, distribution, and patterns of injury among athletes engaged in combat sports and compare the prevalence, pattern, and types of oral and maxillofacial trauma in these athletes. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 male athletes engaged in four combat sports (boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, and Muay Thai) who had sustained bodily trauma were studied; 95 subjects with at least one traumatic injury to the face requiring treatment were referre...

  15. Stakeholder Analysis of Integrating Women Into Ground Combat Units

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-01

    number 21 was titled, “ Nike Store, Men’s Clearance Shoes, Clothing and Gear.” If a link to an article or media site did not work, then that data...Brown, K. (2007). Co-ed combat: The new evidence that women shouldn’t fight the nation’s wars. New York: Penguin Group (USA), Inc . Burrelli, David...L. (2013). Deadly consequences: How cowards are pushing women into combat. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, Inc . 110 Maginnis, R. L. (n.d

  16. Identifying Military and Combat Specific Risk Factors for Child Adjustment: Comparing High and Low Risk Military Families and Civilian Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    separation and the potentially destabilizing impact of deployment on the remaining caregiver and daily routines. The project entails the assessment of...milestones, and; 2) examine the role of spousal-perceived Service Member risk on caregiver behaviors associated with parental deployment in the prediction...n/a INTRODUCTION There is an emerging consensus that parental combat deployment may increase risk for child development; but details on what the

  17. Use of recombinant factor VIIA for control of combat-related haemorrhage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodruff, Susan I; Dougherty, Amber L; Dye, Judy L; Mohrle, Charlene R; Galarneau, Michael R

    2010-02-01

    Recombinant activated human coagulation factor VII (rFVIIa), an intravascular strategy to promote clotting, is being used as an adjunct to surgical control of bleeding in combat trauma patients. To describe the initial experiences with rFVIIa administered to combat casualties at US Navy-Marine Corps medical treatment facilities in Iraq, and to compare survival outcomes of those treated with rFVIIa to controls not receiving rFVIIa. Medical encounter data from the US Navy-Marine Corps Combat Trauma Registry were retrospectively reviewed to identify all battle-injured patients documented as having received rFVIIa during the period May 2004 to January 2006 of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Available clinical and injury related data are presented to characterise the patients. To assess effects of rFVIIa on survival outcomes, rFVIIa cases were matched to controls on injury severity and age. 22 battle-injured patients from the Combat Trauma Registry received rFVIIa. Primarily young US Marines, these patients typically had penetrating injuries from improvised explosive devices and gunshot wounds. Injuries were often abdominal. The average dose used was similar to that reported in another study of civilian trauma patients, although dosing varies widely in the existing experimental and anecdotal literature. Over two-thirds (68%) of the rFVIIa patients survived-an identical outcome seen for a matched control group of 22 patients. Survival of seriously injured combat casualties was good, although identical to that of a control group. Methodological limitations of this retrospective study preclude making firm conclusions about the effectiveness of rFVIIa. Future controlled studies are needed for safety and efficacy testing of rFVIIa in combat trauma patients.

  18. Combat Neurosis in the Battered Teacher.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Science News, 1978

    1978-01-01

    Investigates the effect of school violence on classroom teachers. The study of 253 Los Angeles inner city classroom teachers reveals that many of them have developed conditions similar to the combat neurosis found in soldiers at war. (HM)

  19. Cultural and Religious Awareness: The Key to Analyzing and Combating the Relative Combat Power for Islamic-Based Terrorism

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Khan, Muhammad M

    2005-01-01

    ... terrorists. Second, the United States must conduct cultural awareness/cultural intelligence training for all military personnel who are deploying to combat the GWOT, and for all staff in the regional standing...

  20. Is effective mass in combat sports punching above its weight?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenetsky, Seth; Nates, Roy J; Brughelli, Matt; Harris, Nigel K

    2015-04-01

    The segmental and muscular complexity of the human body can result in challenges when examining the kinetics of impacts. To better understand this complexity, combat sports literature has selected effective mass as a measure of an athlete's inertial contribution to the momentum transfer during the impact of strikes. This measure helps to clarify the analysis of striking kinetics in combat sports. This paper will review: (1) effective mass as a concept and its usage as a measure of impact intensity in combat sports, (2) the neuromuscular pattern known as "double peak muscle activation" which has been theorized to help enhance initial hand velocity upon impact and joint stiffening during impact, (3) the methods and equations used to calculate effective mass, and (4) practitioner recommendations based on the literature. We will argue in this manuscript that the act of punching presents unique challenges to the current understanding of effective mass due to additional force application during impact. This review will improve the understanding of effective mass and its roles in effective striking serving to underpin future research into performance enhancement in striking based combat sports. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Assessment of combating-desertification strategies using the linear assignment method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan Sadeghravesh, Mohammad; Khosravi, Hassan; Ghasemian, Soudeh

    2016-04-01

    Nowadays desertification, as a global problem, affects many countries in the world, especially developing countries like Iran. With respect to increasing importance of desertification and its complexity, the necessity of attention to the optimal combating-desertification alternatives is essential. Selecting appropriate strategies according to all effective criteria to combat the desertification process can be useful in rehabilitating degraded lands and avoiding degradation in vulnerable fields. This study provides systematic and optimal strategies of combating desertification by use of a group decision-making model. To this end, the preferences of indexes were obtained through using the Delphi model, within the framework of multi-attribute decision making (MADM). Then, priorities of strategies were evaluated by using linear assignment (LA) method. According to the results, the strategies to prevent improper change of land use (A18), development and reclamation of plant cover (A23), and control overcharging of groundwater resources (A31) were identified as the most important strategies for combating desertification in this study area. Therefore, it is suggested that the aforementioned ranking results be considered in projects which control and reduce the effects of desertification and rehabilitate degraded lands.

  2. Terrorism and the behavioral sciences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schouten, Ronald

    2010-01-01

    Terrorism has existed for millennia and is a phenomenon well-known to many parts of the world. Americans were forced to recognize this phenomenon, and our vulnerability to it, by two sets of events in 2001: the attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, and the anthrax mailings that followed shortly thereafter. Psychiatry, psychology, and other behavioral and social sciences have been looked to for assistance in collecting and analyzing intelligence data, understanding terrorism, and developing strategies to combat terrorism. In addition to reviewing areas in which the behavioral sciences have made contributions in addressing this problem, this article discusses the developing roles for behavioral scientists in this field.

  3. Effective Protection or Effective Combat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lemberg-Pedersen, Martin

    2016-01-01

    alternative routes. On the other hand, European border control and its ‘combat against smugglers’ has emerged as a massively lucrative market for the European arms industry, both in terms of contracts to guard the EU’s external borders and in terms of the export of weapons and control systems to North African...

  4. Teaching Combative Sports through Tactics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozub, Francis M.; Kozub, Mary L.

    2004-01-01

    Martial arts have become popular in the United States and have transitioned from being spectator sports to avenues for active participation by people of all ages. The purpose of this article is to highlight tactical similarities in selected combative sport activities and to provide martial arts and wrestling instructors with an alternative…

  5. Weight Loss Strategies in Combat Sports and Concerning Habits in Mixed Martial Arts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barley, Oliver R; Chapman, Dale W; Abbiss, Chris R

    2017-12-28

    Combat sports are typically divided into weight classes and body mass manipulation to reach a weight class is commonplace. Previous research suggests that mixed martial arts (MMA) weight loss practices may be more extreme than other combat sports. We sought to investigate the magnitude of weight lost and prevalence of weight loss strategies in different combat sports. Competitors (n=637) from Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ), boxing, judo, MMA, muay Thai/kickboxing (MT/K), taekwondo (TKD) and wrestling completed an online questionnaire seeking information regarding their weight loss practices. Body mass manipulation was commonly undertaken by all combat sports athletes, with a particularly high incidence of gradual dieting, increased exercise and fluid restriction. Skipping meals was higher in TKD and wrestling (84%) compared with the other combat sports (~58%), whilst training in heated rooms and forced oral fluid loss (spitting) was higher in wrestling (83% and 47%, respectively) compared with other combat sports (~45% and ~19%, respectively). MMA athletes reported the highest usage of sauna (76%) and water loading (67%) whilst also reporting the second highest use of training in rubber/plastic suits (63%). Body mass manipulation was present in all combat sports with the prevalence and magnitude of acute weight loss greater in MMA. The incidence of and practices reported will assist support staff to be fully aware of the variety of methods these athletes and coaches may use to achieve weight loss. Additionally, the results could aid regulatory bodies in the further development of policies on weight cutting.

  6. A Pilot Project Demonstrating that Combat Medics Can Safely Administer Parenteral Medications in the Emergency Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schauer, Steven G; Cunningham, Cord W; Fisher, Andrew D; DeLorenzo, Robert A

    2017-12-01

    Introduction Select units in the military have improved combat medic training by integrating their functions into routine clinical care activities with measurable improvements in battlefield care. This level of integration is currently limited to special operations units. It is unknown if regular Army units and combat medics can emulate these successes. The goal of this project was to determine whether US Army combat medics can be integrated into routine emergency department (ED) clinical care, specifically medication administration. Project Design This was a quality assurance project that monitored training of combat medics to administer parenteral medications and to ensure patient safety. Combat medics were provided training that included direct supervision during medication administration. Once proficiency was demonstrated, combat medics would prepare the medications under direct supervision, followed by indirect supervision during administration. As part of the quality assurance and safety processes, combat medics were required to document all medication administrations, supervising provider, and unexpected adverse events. Additional quality assurance follow-up occurred via complete chart review by the project lead. Data During the project period, the combat medics administered the following medications: ketamine (n=13), morphine (n=8), ketorolac (n=7), fentanyl (n=5), ondansetron (n=4), and other (n=6). No adverse events or patient safety events were reported by the combat medics or discovered during the quality assurance process. In this limited case series, combat medics safely administered parenteral medications under indirect provider supervision. Future research is needed to further develop this training model for both the military and civilian setting. Schauer SG , Cunningham C W, Fisher AD , DeLorenzo RA . A pilot project demonstrating that combat medics can safely administer parenteral medications in the emergency department. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):679-681.

  7. Combat aircraft noise

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sgarbozza, M.; Depitre, A.

    1992-04-01

    A discussion of the characteristics and the noise levels of combat aircraft and of a transport aircraft in taking off and landing are presented. Some methods of noise reduction are discussed, including the following: operational anti-noise procedures; and concepts of future engines (silent post-combustion and variable cycle). Some measurement results concerning the noise generated in flight at great speeds and low altitude will also be examined. Finally, the protection of the environment of French air bases against noise will be described and the possibilities of regulation examined.

  8. Littoral Combat Ship: Need to Address Fundamental Weaknesses in LCS and Frigate Acquisition Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP Need to Address Fundamental Weaknesses in LCS and Frigate Acquisition Strategies Report to...Office Highlights of GAO-16-356, a report to congressional committees June 2016 LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP Need to Address Fundamental Weaknesses in...capabilities of the LCS—a small surface combatant (SSC) consisting of a ship and reconfigurable mission packages built by two shipyards as different

  9. Close Combat Missile Methodology Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-14

    Modeling: Industrial Applications of DEX.” Informatica 23 (1999): 487-491. Bohanec, Marko, Blaz Zupan, and Vladislav Rajkovic. “Applications of...Lisec. “Multi-attribute Decision Analysis in GIS: Weighted Linear Combination and Ordered Weighted Averaging.” Informatica 33, (1999): 459- 474

  10. Logistical Analysis of the Littoral Combat Ship

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Rudko, David

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is to provide the Navy with an affordable, small, multi-mission ship capable of independent, interdependent, and integrated operations inside the littorals...

  11. Heterotopic ossification resection after open periarticular combat-related elbow fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Kevin W; Dickens, Jonathan F; Heckert, Reed; Tintle, Scott M; Keeling, John J; Andersen, Romney C; Potter, Benjamin K

    2013-01-01

    A retrospective review was performed to evaluate the outcomes and complications following heterotopic ossification (HO) resection and lysis of adhesion procedures for posttraumatic contracture, after combat-related open elbow fractures. From 2004 to 2011, HO resection was performed on 30 blast-injured elbows at a mean 10 months after injury. Injuries included 8 (27%) Gustilo-Anderson type II fractures, 8 (27%) type III-A, 10 (33%) III-B, and 4 (13%) III-C. Mean preoperative flexion-extension range of motion (ROM) was 36.4°, compared with mean postoperative ROM of 83.6°. Mean gain of motion was 47.2°. Traumatic brain injury, need for flap, and nerve injury did not appear to have a significant effect on preoperative or postoperative ROM. Complications included one fracture, six recurrent contractures, and one nerve injury. The results and complications of HO resection for elbow contracture following high-energy, open injuries from blast trauma are generally comparable to those reported for HO resection following lower energy, closed injuries.

  12. Rushing to Failure Impacts of a Gender-Neutral Military on Combat Effectiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-16

    muscular strength and aerobic capacity place women at a distinct disadvantage when performing tasks required for direct ground combat specialties...order to preserve readiness, grow the talented pool of women, and ensure combat effectiveness of the military force. Proponents that advocate for

  13. New approaches to combat Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerits, Evelien; Verstraeten, Natalie; Michiels, Jan

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT In nature, bacteria predominantly reside in structured, surface-attached communities embedded in a self-produced, extracellular matrix. These so-called biofilms play an important role in the development and pathogenesis of many infections, as they are difficult to eradicate due to their resistance to antimicrobials and host defense mechanisms. This review focusses on the biofilm-forming periodontal bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis. Current knowledge on the virulence mechanisms underlying P. gingivalis biofilm formation is presented. In addition, oral infectious diseases in which P. gingivalis plays a key role are described, and an overview of conventional and new therapies for combating P. gingivalis biofilms is given. More insight into this intriguing pathogen might direct the development of better strategies to combat oral infections. PMID:28473880

  14. Towards a theory of ex-combatant reintegration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stina Torjesen

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper encourages the development of a theoretical framework for the study of the reintegration of ex-combatants after war. It takes the first steps towards this by proposing a new definition of reintegration, where the processes ex-combatants experience, rather than the programmatic support offered by international and national agencies, take centre stage. The article links the study of reintegration to two broader disciplines; political economy and sociology, and in particular to the two disciplines’ account of power and group belonging. It argues that a political economy approach is particularly useful for making sense of the context in which reintegration processes unfold. The article also suggests some relevant research questions and highlights methodological concerns related to research on reintegration.

  15. Planning the annual cycle in groups of cadet combat sports perfection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ananchenko Konstantin

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Within a large training cycle in conditions of high general level of stress the authors recommend optimal implementation of planning undulating dynamics of cadets’ combat exercise stress. The article proves the efficiency of one-cycle construction of training highly- qualified single-combat cadets at the stage of maximal realization of sporting possibilities, which includes both features of traditional cycles (preparatory, competitional, transitional and module-sectional composition of training. It scientifically substantiates, that the choice of those or other types of microcycles which present the structure of mesocycles is determined by a few basic factors which must be necessarily taken into account while planning the training process of sportsmen of different qualification. It is suggested to use certain varieties of microcycles in the practice of preparation of single combat cadets. It is substantiated that accounting in planning the annual cycle in groups of sporting perfection of students of the educed types of microcycles for every type of single combats is an actual task of further scientific research.

  16. Excellence in fleet combat replacement squadrons: predicting carrier qualification success

    OpenAIRE

    Smith, Martin P.

    1988-01-01

    This thesis presents a two-part analysis of excellence criteria for fleet combat replacement squadrons. Part one focuses on the qualitative issues and management techniques identified in outstanding fleet combat replacement squadrons. Part two develops and presents a regression model for predicting a fleet replacement squadron pilot's carrier qualification grade. The model was derived using standard linear regression techniques and the SPSSx software package of the Naval Postgraduate School. ...

  17. U.S. Navy Bloodhounds: Establishing A New Maritime Security Combatant

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    economy- car ’ standards, but it would move on Corvette engines: twin HP General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engines.”55 Considered sports cars of...and defense leaders craving something more high tech than inexpensive combat workhorses. Based on this assumption, the Perry class’ high-end...to restructure the LCS program for development of a new small surface combatant.195 This brief identifies that, beginning with FY 2019 construction

  18. Medical capability team: the clinical microsystem for combat healthcare delivery in counterinsurgency operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Susz; Van Steenvort, Jon K

    2008-01-01

    Today's operational environment in the support of counterinsurgency operations requires greater tactical and operational flexibility and diverse medical capabilities. The skills and organizations required for full spectrum medical operations are different from those of the past. Combat healthcare demands agility and the capacity for rapid change in clinical systems and processes to better support the counterinsurgency environment. This article proposes the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) develop and implement the medical capability team (MCT) for combat healthcare delivery. It discusses using the concept of the brigade combat team to develop medical capability teams as the unit of effectiveness to transform frontline care; provides a theoretical overview of the MCT as a "clinical microsystem"; discusses MCT leadership, training, and organizational support, and the deployment and employment of the MCT in a counterinsurgency environment. Additionally, this article proposes that the AMEDD initiate the development of an AMEDD Combat Training Center of Excellence to train and validate the MCTs. The complexity of combat healthcare demands an agile and campaign quality AMEDD with joint expeditionary capability in order to promote the best patient outcomes in a counterinsurgency environment.

  19. A New Approach to Weapon-Target Assignment in Cooperative Air Combat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-zhe Chang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A new approach to solving weapon-target assignment (WTA problem is proposed in this paper. Firstly, relative superiority that lays the foundation for assignment is calculated based on the combat power energy of the fighters. Based on the relative superiority, WTA problem is formulated. Afterwards, a hybrid algorithm consisting of improved artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA and improved harmony search (HS is introduced and furthermore applied to solve the assignment formulation. Finally, the proposed approach is validated by eight representative benchmark functions and two concrete cooperative air combat examples. The results show that the approach proposed in this paper achieves good performances in solving WTA problem in cooperative air combat.

  20. Maturity In The Petrochemical Industry Features, Motives And Combating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farag, H.; El Messirie, A.

    2004-01-01

    Petrochemicals give the highest value from crude oil and natural gas but suffers from maturity like any other business. Petrochemicals companies are promoting their business in the direction from oil and gas commodities. Specialities and life science. Reasons of maturity are expired patents, low demand, over capacity, intense competition. Actions to combat maturity are to restructure capacity achieving mega sizes, do downstream, and restructuring business practices. Strategies followed by some companies to combat maturity include exit, focus on core business and exploit a competitive advantage

  1. Effect of Parachute Jump in the Psychophysiological Response of Soldiers in Urban Combat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Molina, Joaquín; Robles-Pérez, José J; Clemente-Suárez, Vicente J

    2017-06-01

    The study of organic and psychological response during combat situations has been poorly reported despite its importance for soldiers training and specific instruction, so it was proposed as aim of the present investigation to analyze the effect of a tactical parachute simulated jump in psycho-physiological response of paratroopers' warfighters during an urban combat simulation. 19 male paratroopers (31.9 ± 6.2 year old; 173.6 ± 5.3 cm; 73.8 ± 8.3 Kg) of the Spanish Army were divided in two groups: parachute jump group (n:11) that conducted a simulated parachute jump and a urban combat maneuver and a non-parachute jump group (n:8) that only conducted an urban combat maneuver. We analyzed before and after the maneuver the rated perceived exertion, legs strength manifestation, blood lactate, cortical activation, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation and pressure, skin temperature, fine motor skills, and anxiety state. A tactical parachute simulated jump prior to an urban combat maneuver produce significantly (p jump situation in professional Army paratroopers. Independently of the parachute jump, an urban combat maneuver produces a significant increase in rated perceived exertion, blood lactate, heart rate, legs strength, sympathetic modulation and anxiety response as well as a significant decrease in blood oxygen saturation and parasympathetic modulation.

  2. Project VALOR: Trajectories of Change in PTSD in Combat-Exposed Veterans

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-01

    Post - traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), military sexual trauma (MST), suicide, combat-exposed veterans, PTSD ...develop the first longitudinal registry of combat-exposed men and women with post - traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), 1649 participants from across the...Keane, T. M. (2012). Project VALOR: Design and methods of a longitudinal registry of post - traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) in

  3. Assured communications and combat resiliency: the relationship between effective national communications and combat efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allgood, Glenn O.; Kuruganti, Phani Teja; Nutaro, James; Saffold, Jay

    2009-05-01

    Combat resiliency is the ability of a commander to prosecute, control, and consolidate his/her's sphere of influence in adverse and changing conditions. To support this, an infrastructure must exist that allows the commander to view the world in varying degrees of granularity with sufficient levels of detail to permit confidence estimates to be levied against decisions and course of actions. An infrastructure such as this will include the ability to effectively communicate context and relevance within and across the battle space. To achieve this will require careful thought, planning, and understanding of a network and its capacity limitations in post-event command and control. Relevance and impact on any existing infrastructure must be fully understood prior to deployment to exploit the system's full capacity and capabilities. In this view, the combat communication network is considered an integral part of or National communication network and infrastructure. This paper will describe an analytical tool set developed at ORNL and RNI incorporating complexity theory, advanced communications modeling, simulation, and visualization technologies that could be used as a pre-planning tool or post event reasoning application to support response and containment.

  4. EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0220 TITLE: EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Mark Henkemeyer...as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Ad 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH...neuronal and has functions in vascular endothelial cells. 6. We have also carried out computational analysis of potantial docking/binding of chemical

  5. Legislations combating counterfeit drugs in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, C W; Chan, W K

    2013-08-01

    To understand legislation combating counterfeit drugs in Hong Kong. This study consisted of two parts. In part I, counterfeit drugs–related ordinances and court cases were reviewed. In part II, indepth interviews of the stakeholders were described. Hong Kong. All Hong Kong ordinances were screened manually to identify those combating counterfeit drugs. Court cases were searched for each of the identified cases. Then, the relevant judgement justifications were analysed to identify sentencing issues. Indepth interviews with the stakeholders were conducted to understand their perceptions about such legislation. Trade Marks Ordinance, Patents Ordinance, Trade Descriptions Ordinance, and Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance were current legislative items combating counterfeit drugs. Sentencing criteria depended on: intention to deceive, quantity of seized drugs, presence of expected therapeutic effect or toxic ingredients, previous criminal records, cooperativeness with Customs officers, honest confessions, pleas of guilty, types of drugs, and precautionary measures to prevent sale of counterfeit drugs. Stakeholders’ perceptions were explored with respect to legislation regarding the scale and significance of the counterfeit drug problem, penalties and deterrents, drug-specific legislation and authority, and inspections and enforcement. To plug the loopholes, a specific law with heavy penalties should be adopted. This could be supplemented by non-legal measures like education of judges, lawyers, and the public; publishing the names of offending pharmacies; and emphasising the role of pharmacists to the public.

  6. MEDICIÓN DE LA IRA EN EL DEPORTE DE COMBATE: VALIDACIÓN DEL STAXI-2 EN DEPORTISTAS MEXICANOS/ MEASUREMENT OF ANGER IN COMBAT SPORT:VALIDATION OF STAXI-2 IN MEXICAN SPORTSMEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nazira Calleja Bello**

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available RESUMENLa ira es una emoción que juega un papel fundamental en la ejecución de los deportes de combate. El propósito delpresente estudio fue desarrollar una versión para deportistas de combate del Inventario de Expresión de la Ira Estado-Rasgo, STAXI-2, versión española. La muestra estuvo conformada por 303 deportistas que formaban parte de las seleccionesnacionales mexicanas de cinco deportes de combate. Los resultados mostraron una estructura factorial similar a la versiónespañola, que reporta tres escalas: Ira-Estado, Ira-Rasgo y Expresión de Ira; sin embargo, de los 49 reactivos iniciales sólose conservaron 28, que se agruparon en siete factores y no en las nueve subescalas que conformaban el instrumento original.Los índices de consistencia interna fueron aceptables y se obtuvieron correlaciones significativas entre los factores, exceptocon el Control de la ira. El inventario obtenido es un instrumento válido y confiable para su utilización en la medición de laira en el deporte de combate.ABSTRACTThe anger is an emotion that plays a fundamental role in combat sports execution. The purpose of the present study wasto develop a version for combat sportsmen of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, STAXI-2, Spanish version. Thesample was conformed by 303 sportsmen that were part of the selections national Mexicans of five combat sports. Theresults showed a similar factorial structure to the Spanish version which reports three scales: Anger-State, Anger-Trait andAnger-Expression; however, of the 49 initial items only 28 were conserved that grouped in seven factors and not in the ninesubscales that consisted the original instrument. The indexes of internal consistency were acceptable and significantcorrelations were obtained among the factors, except with the Anger-Control. The obtained inventory is a reliable and validfor its use in anger mensuration in combat sports.

  7. Critical concerns in Iraq/Afghanistan war veteran-forensic interface: combat-related postdeployment criminal violence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sreenivasan, Shoba; Garrick, Thomas; McGuire, James; Smee, Daniel E; Dow, Daniel; Woehl, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    Identifying whether there is a nexus between Iraq and Afghanistan combat injuries and civilian violence on return from deployment is complicated by differences in reactions of individuals to combat exposure, the overlapping effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the low base rate of civilian violence after combat exposure. Moreover, the overall prevalence of violence among returning Iraq and Afghanistan combat war veterans has not been well documented. Malingered symptoms and either exaggeration or outright fabrication of war zone exposure are challenges to rendering forensic opinions, with the risk reduced by accessing military documents that corroborate war zone duties and exposure. This article serves as a first step toward understanding what may potentiate violence among returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. We offer a systematic approach toward the purpose of forensic case formulation that addresses whether combat duty/war zone exposure and associated clinical conditions are linked to criminal violence on return to civilian life.

  8. Establishing capabilities for combating illicit trafficking: the Syrian experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Othman, I.; Suman, H.

    2008-01-01

    Since the late 80's, Syria has been taking steps towards combating illicit trafficking or inadvertent movement involving radioactive or nuclear material within the country or across its border. By applying the proper combination of technical and procedural measures, an acceptable level of performance has been achieved. The measures undertaken by AECS include anticipative measures, which aim at identifying potential loss of control over radioactive sources and potential illicit trafficking within the country, as well as defensive measures which aim at detection of and response to events of illicit trafficking. In addition, a tight follow up of radiation source along their entire lifetime in the Syrian territory, supported by proper data analysis is one of the most efficient tools for identifying potential loss of control over sources. AECS has established Border Monitoring Centers (BMC) in almost all border crossings. They work in close cooperation with the customs and other relevant authorities at the Syrian borders. AECS has been also providing the necessary training for the frontline officers. (author)

  9. Establishing capabilities for combating illicit trafficking: the Syrian experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Othman, I.; Suman, H.

    2008-01-01

    Since the late 80 's, Syria has been taking steps towards combating illicit trafficking or inadvertent movement involving radioactive or nuclear material within the country or across its border. By applying the proper combination of technical and procedural measures, an acceptable level of performance has been achieved. The measures undertaken by AECS include anticipative measures, which aim at identifying potential loss of control over radioactive sources and potential illicit trafficking within the country, as well as defensive measures which aim at detection of and response to events of illicit trafficking. In addition, a tight follow up of radiation source along their entire lifetime in the Syrian territory, supported by proper data analysis is one of the most efficient tools for identifying potential loss of control over sources. AECS has established Border Monitoring Centers (BMC) in almost all border crossings. They work in close cooperation with the customs and other relevant authorities at the Syrian borders. AECS has been also providing the necessary training for the front-line officers. (author)

  10. Defense Acquisitions: 2009 Review of Future Combat System Is Critical to Program's Direction

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Francis, Paul L

    2008-01-01

    The Future Combat System (FCS) program which comprises 14 integrated weapon systems and an advanced information network is the centerpiece of the Army's effort to transition to a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force...

  11. Women in Combat Compendium

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-01-01

    support area • Location of unit TOC or HQ • Location of actual combat operations • No basis to answer this question 4. Given the U.S. Army’s current...welfare issue. I recall that part of General Order #1 was no sexual relations when deployed. Obviously, soldiers discovering pregnancy in the middle of...and had discussion about sexual relations and the 60 effect on unit cohesion, pregnancy testing, and affairs of the heart; whether appropriate or

  12. Global Combat Support System - Army Increment 2 (GCSS-A Inc 2)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    2016 Major Automated Information System Annual Report Global Combat Support System - Army Increment 2 (GCSS-A Inc 2) Defense Acquisition...Secretary of Defense PB - President’s Budget RDT&E - Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation SAE - Service Acquisition Executive TBD - To Be...Date Assigned: Program Information Program Name Global Combat Support System - Army Increment 2 (GCSS-A Inc 2) DoD Component Army Responsible

  13. Combating illicit trafficking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biro, L.L.; Grama, E.V.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) is the national authority, which is contact point for illicit trafficking and coordinates all measures and activities to combat and prevent illicit trafficking with nuclear material and radioactive sources. Legal framework regarding illicit trafficking has been improved due to new Physical Protection Regulations, Regulations on using the DBT, Regulations on requirements for qualification of guards and physical protection personnel, Design Basis Threat for each nuclear facility to avoid the unauthorized removal or theft of nuclear material or radioactive sources. New amendments of the Law for the safe deployment of nuclear activities, Law no. 111/1996, republished, in respect of illicit trafficking with nuclear material and radioactive sources are in the process to be approved by the Parliament. CNCAN is member of the Romanian Non-proliferation Group that is an interdepartmental mechanism of cooperation entered into force in August 1999. During the sessions of this group there are discussions focused on the preventing and combating illicit trafficking with nuclear material and radioactive sources. CNCAN is member of the Interministerial Council that controls import and export with strategic products including nuclear material, non nuclear material and equipment pertinent for proliferation of nuclear weapons. An Emergency Mobile Unit has been created in 2001 that contains instruments (gamma dose rate instruments portable and personal, contaminometers, mini MCA with CdZnTe detector, a CANBERRA Inspector with Nal, CdZnTe and HPGe detectors and 2 FiedSPEC, a mobile laboratory, 2 cars and individual equipment). CNCAN is cooperating with the Police through a National Plan to verify the authorization holders in order to prevent and combat illicit trafficking, and to find the orphan sources. CNCAN is the beneficiary of the PECO Project initiated by the European Commission in cooperation with the IAEA and

  14. Integrated Assessment of Prevention and Restoration Actions to Combat Desertification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bautista, S.; Orr, B. J.; Vallejo, R.

    2009-12-01

    Recent advances in desertification and land degradation research have provided valuable conceptual and analytical frameworks, degradation indicators, assessment tools and surveillance systems with respect to desertification drivers, processes, and impacts. These findings, together with stakeholders’ perceptions and local/regional knowledge, have helped to define and propose measures and strategies to combat land degradation. However, integrated and comprehensive assessment and evaluation of prevention and restoration strategies and techniques to combat desertification is still lacking, and knowledge on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the proposed strategies over a wide range of environmental and socio-economic conditions is very scarce. To address this challenge, we have launched a multinational project (PRACTICE - Prevention and Restoration Actions to Combat Desertification. An Integrated Assessment), funded by the European Commission, in order to link S & T advances and traditional knowledge on prevention and restoration practices to combat desertification with sound implementation, learning and adaptive management, knowledge sharing, and dissemination of best practices. The key activities for pursuing this goal are (1) to establish a platform and information system of long-term monitoring sites for assessing sustainable management and actions to combat desertification, (2) to define an integrated protocol for the assessment of these actions, and (3) to link project assessment and evaluation with training and education, adaptive management, and knowledge sharing and dissemination through a participatory approach involving scientists, managers, technicians, financial officers, and members of the public who are/were impacted by the desertification control projects. Monitoring sites are distributed in the Mediterranean Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal), Africa (Morocco, Namibia, South Africa), Middle East (Israel), China, and South and North

  15. Innovative contracting strategies for combating climate change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-01

    The state of Maryland has made a strong commitment to combating climate change and reducing : greenhouse gas emissions. This research investigated the state of practice of innovative contracting : solutions to reduce emissions from highway constructi...

  16. Natural Course of Co-Occurring PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder Among Recent Combat Veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Possemato, Kyle; Maisto, Stephen A; Wade, Michael; Barrie, Kimberly; Johnson, Emily M; Ouimette, Paige C

    2017-06-01

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly co-occur in veterans, yet little is known about the longitudinal course of PTSD and drinking in comorbid populations. This study assessed the natural course of daily alcohol consumption and weekly changes in PTSD symptoms in 112 recent combat veterans over the course of 11 months. Latent class growth mixture modeling was used to classify individuals into distinct classes with similar PTSD symptom and alcohol use growth trajectories. We then investigated theorized predictors of class membership including sociodemographics; pre-, peri-, and postdeployment factors; coping; symptom severity; and number of mental health/substance use appointments attended. Results revealed that most participants had severe and nonremitting PTSD. Trajectories for alcohol use included gradual and drastic declines, and chronic low-level drinking. The use of behavioral health services (odds ratio = 2.47) and fewer current stressors (odds ratio = 0.42) predicted AUD remission. Because little variation was observed in the PTSD course, our study did not observe coordinated fluctuations of PTSD symptoms and heavy drinking. Our findings suggest that treatment impacts the course of AUD and that recent combat veterans who do not seek PTSD treatment may have chronic and severe PTSD symptoms. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

  17. The Aftermath of Combat-Related PTSD: Toward an Understanding of Transgenerational Trauma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearrow, Melissa; Cosgrove, Lisa

    2009-01-01

    The number of military personnel who are involved in combat situations continues to increase. As a result, researchers have identified risk factors associated with the development of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors of this article review some of the characteristics of military personnel involved in these conflicts,…

  18. Effect of Corrupt Behavior of the Forestry Bureaucrats on the Forest Sustainability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudarsono Soedomo

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available 800x600 This article show that corrupt bureaucrats do not always result in a negative effect on the forest sustainability. Even under a certain condition, a corrupt behavior may result in a positive effect on the forest sustainability. An inappropriate policy is more important a cause of the forest sustainability than a corrupt behavior. Therefore, fixing this structural mistake needs to be prioritized in combating the forest destruction, for this structural mistake is the real primary cause of the forest destruction in Indonesia. Fixing this structural mistake is much more effective in combating the forest destruction than finding honest bureaucrats. Keywords:     Birokrat, Distortionary, Nondistortionary, Kelestarian, Korup. Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

  19. An analysis of auditory cues for inclusion in a close quarters battle room clearing operation

    OpenAIRE

    Greenwald, Thomas W.

    2002-01-01

    Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited The purpose of this thesis is to examine which auditory cues need to be included in a virtual representation of a Close Quarters Combat Room Clearing Operation. Future missions of the United States Armed Forces, especially those of the Army and Marine Corps, are increasingly likely to be conducted in cities or built-up areas. A critical need exists for MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) training by our armed forces, and the en...

  20. Home range, social behavior, and dominance relationships in the African unstriped ground squirrel, Xerus rutilus

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Shea, Thomas J.

    1976-01-01

    A field study of home range, social behavior, and dominance relationships in the African unstriped ground squirrel, Xerus rutilus, was conducted in semi-arid bushland near Kibwezi, Kenya. Ground squirrels lived alone or in small groups in isolated burrow systems and had broadly overlapping home ranges. They were neither territorial or colonial. Home ranges were estimated by visual observation of marked animals and those of males were considerably larger (mean=7.01 hectares (ha); n=4) than those of females (mean=1.37 ha; n-6). A continuum of agonistic behavior ranging from threat to combat is described, although actual combat was rarely observed. Sexual behavior includes a stereotypical tail display by adult males. Dominance relationships, based on 542 observed encounters between marked individuals, include a consistent male dominance over females and a fairly constant linear hierarchy among all individuals with shared home ranges. Similarities in the behavior of African ground squirrels and tree squirrels (Sciurus) are discussed.

  1. Effectiveness of battlefield-ethics training during combat deployment: a programme assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner, Christopher H; Appenzeller, George N; Mobbs, Angela; Parker, Jessica R; Warner, Carolynn M; Grieger, Thomas; Hoge, Charles W

    2011-09-03

    Breakdowns in the ethical conduct of soldiers towards non-combatants on the battlefield are of grave concern in war. Evidence-based training approaches to prevent unethical conduct are scarce. We assessed the effectiveness of battlefield-ethics training and factors associated with unethical battlefield conduct. The training package, based on movie vignettes and leader-led discussions, was administered 7 to 8 months into a 15-month high-intensity combat deployment in Iraq, between Dec 11, 2007, and Jan 30, 2008. Soldiers from an infantry brigade combat team (total population about 3500) were randomly selected, on the basis of company and the last four digits of each soldier's social security number, and invited to complete an anonymous survey 3 months after completion of the training. Reports of unethical behaviour and attitudes in this sample were compared with a randomly selected pre-training sample from the same brigade. The response patterns for ethical behaviour and reporting of ethical violations were analysed with chi-square analyses. We developed two logistic regression models using self-reported unethical behaviours as dependent variables. Factors associated with unethical conduct, including combat experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were assessed with validated scales. Of 500 randomly selected soldiers 421 agreed to participate in the anonymous post-training survey. A total of 397 soldiers of the same brigade completed the pre-training survey. Training was associated with significantly lower rates of unethical conduct of soldiers and greater willingness to report and address misconduct than in those before training. For example, reports of unnecessary damage or destruction of private property decreased from 13·6% (54 of 397; 95% CI 10·2-17·0) before training to 5·0% (21 of 421; 2·9-7·1) after training (percent difference -63·2%; pethics training positively influenced soldiers' understanding of how to interact with and treat non-combatants

  2. Weight Management Practices of Australian Olympic Combat Sport Athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reale, Reid; Slater, Gary; Burke, Louise M

    2017-09-05

    Combat sport athletes undertake chronic and rapid weight loss (RWL) practices to qualify for weight divisions lower than their training weight. Variation between sports in the prevalence, methods, and magnitude of weight loss as well as recovery practices may be influenced by factors including competition level and culture. Differences in methodologies of previous research in combat sports make direct comparisons difficult, thus this study aimed to examine weight loss practices among all Olympic combat sports in Australia, using standardised methodology. High calibre competitors in wrestling, boxing, judo and taekwondo (n=260) at Australian competitions were surveyed using a validated tool which provides quantification of how extreme an athlete's weight loss practices are; the RWL score (RWLS). Additional qualitative and quantitative survey data were also collected. Neither sport, sex or weight division group had an effect on RWLS however a significant effect of athlete calibre was detected [F (2,215) = 4.953, MSE = 4.757, p = 0.00792]. Differences between sports were also evident for: most weight ever lost in order to compete [H = 19.92, p = 0.0002), age at which weight cutting began (H = 16.34, p = 0.001) and selected methods/patterns of RWL (p < 0.001). Weight cycling between competitions was common among all sports as were influences on athlete's behaviours. While many similarities in weight loss practices and experiences exist between combat sports, specific differences were evident. Nuanced, context/culturally specific guidelines should be devised to assist fighters' in optimising performance while minimising health implications.

  3. Applying behavioral science to behavior change communication: the pathways to change tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petraglia, Joseph; Galavotti, Christine; Harford, Nicola; Pappas-DeLuca, Katina A; Mooki, Maungo

    2007-10-01

    Entertainment-education (EE) is a popular vehicle for behavior change communication (BCC) in many areas of public health, especially in the developing world where soap operas and other serial drama formats play a central role in encouraging people to avoid risky behavior. Yet BCC/EE developers have been largely unable to integrate behavioral theory and research systematically into storylines and scripts, depending instead on external, technical oversight of what should be an essentially local, creative process. This article describes how the Modeling and Reinforcement to Combat HIV/AIDS project at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a set of tools through which creative writers can exercise greater control over the behavioral content of their stories. The Pathways to Change tools both guide scriptwriters as they write BCC/EE storylines and help project managers monitor BCC/EE products for theoretical fidelity and sensitivity to research.

  4. A Simple Probabilistic Combat Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-13

    Government may violate any copyrights that exist in this work. This page intentionally left blank. ABSTRACT The Lanchester ...page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No.Abstract iii List of Illustrations vii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. DETERMINISTIC LANCHESTER MODEL...This page intentionally left blank. 1. INTRODUCTION The Lanchester combat model1 is a simple way to assess the effects of quantity and quality

  5. Characterizing Center of Mass and Moment of Inertia of Soldiers' Loads Packed for Combat

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hasselquist, Leif; Bensel, Carolyn K; Norton, Karen; Piscitelle, Louis; Schiffman, Jeffrey M

    2004-01-01

    ...) location and moment of inertia (MOI) may be influenced in combat load packing. In addition, the physical properties of the combat loads were compared to the properties of a laboratory fabricated backpack...

  6. Strategic Misstep: ’Immortal’ Robotic Warfare, Inviting Combat to Suburban America

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-01

    locations of those combatants.59 Predator “ Porn ” – Immoral, or Just “Freaking Cool” Air Force RPA combatant operators and those around them will likely...accessed February 4, 2010). Predator “feeds” have been renamed in military circles to Predator “ porn ”. For reference see Mockenhaupt, “We’ve Seen the

  7. Contributions of Women to U.S. Combat Operations

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Burnes, Thresa

    2008-01-01

    .... combat operations from the Revolutionary War to present-day conflicts. The U.S. military continues to fight a transnational, dispersed enemy that employs irregular tactics and asymmetric warfare...

  8. Combat veterans and the death penalty: a forensic neuropsychiatric perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wortzel, Hal S; Arciniegas, David B

    2010-01-01

    With our nation's present conflicts, a new generation of veterans are returning home, many of whom have substantial psychopathology and are encountering significant barriers in accessing care. Headlines from around the nation reflect that some of these wounded warriors go on to commit offenses that are potentially punishable by death. Existing circumstances speak to the urgency with which the subject of combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or both facing capital crimes ought to be addressed. This publicity has led to a recent call for a legislatively or judicially enacted, narrow, categorical exclusion for combat veterans who were affected by either PTSD or TBI at the time of their capital offenses. In the present article, we illustrate the reality that combat veterans who commit capital offenses may face execution, summarize legal arguments offered in favor of a categorical exclusion, and provide a neuropsychiatric perspective on PTSD, TBI, and aggression, to help inform further dialogue on this weighty subject.

  9. Systems Engineering Approach To Ground Combat Vehicle Survivability In Urban Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    GROUND COMBAT VEHICLE SURVIVABILITY IN URBAN OPERATIONS 5. FUNDING NUMBERS N/A 6. AUTHOR(S) Luhai Wong 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS...distance of 100m in the model , which is reasonable due to the constrained nature of an urban environment. This thesis also uses the key parameters...ENGINEERING APPROACH TO GROUND COMBAT VEHICLE SURVIVABILITY IN URBAN OPERATIONS by Luhai Wong September 2016 Thesis Advisor: Christopher A

  10. Rebelle De Fatou Keita Ou le Combat Feminin Contre la Patriarchie ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Le combat féministe est un sujet d'actualité dans une Afrique toujours gouvernée par des systèmes phallocentriques qui emprisonnent la femme ou l'enterrent dans la misère. L'écriture, parmi d'autres moyens, est une arme par excellence utilisée dans le combat contre le système patriarcal. L'écrivaine féministe s'en sert ...

  11. Life near the Roche limit - Behavior of ejecta from satellites close to planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobrovolskis, A. R.; Burns, J. A.

    1980-01-01

    A study of the dynamics of nearby debris from impact craters was made to explain the distinctive features seen on Phobos, Deimis, and Amalthea. The planetary tides and satellite rotation were considered, and the usual pseudo-energy (Jacobi) integral was numerically calculated in the framework of a restricted body problem where satellites are modelled as triaxial ellipsoids rather than point masses. Iso-contours of this integral show that Deimos and Amalthea are entirely closed by Roche lobes, and the surfaces of their model ellipsoids lie nearly along equipotentials. Presently, the surface of Phobos overflows its Roche lobe, except for regions within a few km of the sub-Mars and anti-Mars points. The behavior of crater ejecta from the satellites of Mars were also examined by numerical integration of trajectories for particles leaving their surfaces in the equatorial plane.

  12. Injuries associated with combat sports, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2010-2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-05-01

    The practice of combat sports creates a potential for training- and sports-related injuries among military members. During the 4-year surveillance period, there were 12,108 cases of injuries associated with combat sports among active component service members; the overall incidence rate was 21.0 per 10,000 person-years (p-yrs). The rates were higher among service members who were male, Hispanic, in the youngest age groups, in the Army, junior enlisted, and in combat-specific occupations. The rate among recruit/ trainees (779.4 per 10,000 p-yrs) was more than 165 times the rate among all other active component service members (non-recruits) (4.7 per 10,000 p-yrs). Sprains, strains, and contusions accounted for more than one-half of the primary (first-listed) diagnoses associated with combat sports cases. More serious conditions such as concussions/head injuries and skull/face fractures/intracranial injuries were reported among 3.9% and 2.1% of all cases and were more common among boxing-related cases. Hand/wrist fractures were also common among boxing cases. Wrestling had comparatively greater proportions of dislocations and open wounds. Although the combat sport training provides many physical and mental benefits to the individual, safety practices should be enforced to reduce the most frequent and serious injuries.

  13. Object-Oriented Modular Architecture for Ground Combat Simulation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Luqi; Berzins, V; Shing, M; Saluto, M; Williams, J

    2000-01-01

    .... It describes the effective use of computer-aided prototyping techniques for re-engineering the legacy software to develop an object-oriented modular architecture for the Janus combat simulation system. Janus...

  14. Behavior of aerosols undergoing Brownian coagulation, Brownian diffusion and gravitational settling in a closed chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okuyama, Kikuo; Kousaka, Yasuo; Yoshida, Tetsuo

    1976-01-01

    The behavior of aerosols undergoing Brownian coagulation. Brownian diffusion and gravitational settling in a closed chamber was studied by solving the basic equation, the so-called population balance equation, numerically for a polydisperse aerosol system and analytically for a monodisperse system, and then the results were examined by experiment. In solving the basic equation, two dimensionless parameters, which are determined by the initial properties of an aerosol and the chamber dimension and also characterize the relative effects of Brownian coagulation and Brownian diffusion to gravitational settling, were introduced in order to generalize the behavior under arbitrary conditions. The calculated results, the time-dependent changes in particle number concentration and particle size distribution for a polydisperse system, were presented graphically by using the above two parameters. And further using these parameters, the domains of the three controlling factors were mapped to show the extent of each effect of these factors under various conditions for a monodisperse system. Some of the calculated results were compared with the experimental results obtained by the ultramicroscopic size analysis previously developed by the authors. (auth.)

  15. Empirical research on complex networks modeling of combat SoS based on data from real war-game, Part I: Statistical characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lei; Kou, Yingxin; Li, Zhanwu; Xu, An; Wu, Cheng

    2018-01-01

    We build a complex networks model of combat System-of-Systems (SoS) based on empirical data from a real war-game, this model is a combination of command & control (C2) subnetwork, sensors subnetwork, influencers subnetwork and logistical support subnetwork, each subnetwork has idiographic components and statistical characteristics. The C2 subnetwork is the core of whole combat SoS, it has a hierarchical structure with no modularity, of which robustness is strong enough to maintain normal operation after any two nodes is destroyed; the sensors subnetwork and influencers subnetwork are like sense organ and limbs of whole combat SoS, they are both flat modular networks of which degree distribution obey GEV distribution and power-law distribution respectively. The communication network is the combination of all subnetworks, it is an assortative Small-World network with core-periphery structure, the Intelligence & Communication Stations/Command Center integrated with C2 nodes in the first three level act as the hub nodes in communication network, and all the fourth-level C2 nodes, sensors, influencers and logistical support nodes have communication capability, they act as the periphery nodes in communication network, its degree distribution obeys exponential distribution in the beginning, Gaussian distribution in the middle, and power-law distribution in the end, and its path length obeys GEV distribution. The betweenness centrality distribution, closeness centrality distribution and eigenvector centrality are also been analyzed to measure the vulnerability of nodes.

  16. Networked sensors for the combat forces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klager, Gene

    2004-11-01

    Real-time and detailed information is critical to the success of ground combat forces. Current manned reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) capabilities are not sufficient to cover battlefield intelligence gaps, provide Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) targeting, and the ambush avoidance information necessary for combat forces operating in hostile situations, complex terrain, and conducting military operations in urban terrain. This paper describes a current US Army program developing advanced networked unmanned/unattended sensor systems to survey these gaps and provide the Commander with real-time, pertinent information. Networked Sensors for the Combat Forces plans to develop and demonstrate a new generation of low cost distributed unmanned sensor systems organic to the RSTA Element. Networked unmanned sensors will provide remote monitoring of gaps, will increase a unit"s area of coverage, and will provide the commander organic assets to complete his Battlefield Situational Awareness (BSA) picture for direct and indirect fire weapons, early warning, and threat avoidance. Current efforts include developing sensor packages for unmanned ground vehicles, small unmanned aerial vehicles, and unattended ground sensors using advanced sensor technologies. These sensors will be integrated with robust networked communications and Battle Command tools for mission planning, intelligence "reachback", and sensor data management. The network architecture design is based on a model that identifies a three-part modular design: 1) standardized sensor message protocols, 2) Sensor Data Management, and 3) Service Oriented Architecture. This simple model provides maximum flexibility for data exchange, information management and distribution. Products include: Sensor suites optimized for unmanned platforms, stationary and mobile versions of the Sensor Data Management Center, Battle Command planning tools, networked communications, and sensor management software. Details

  17. Virtual Individual Combatant Trainer for Embedded Rehearsal (VICTER)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Barham, Paul

    2002-01-01

    Report developed under SBIR contract. Reality by Design, Inc. (RBD) presents its Phase 2 Plus results of developing a modular, man-in-the-loop, embedded simulation system for Individual Combatant (IC...

  18. Combat exposure severity as a moderator of genetic and environmental liability to post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, E J; Mitchell, K S; Koenen, K C; Miller, M W

    2014-05-01

    Twin studies of veterans and adults suggest that approximately 30-46% of the variance in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is attributable to genetic factors. The remaining variance is attributable to the non-shared environment, which, by definition, includes combat exposure. This study used a gene by measured environment twin design to determine whether the effects of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the etiology of PTSD are dependent on the level of combat exposure. The sample was drawn from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry (VETR) and included 620 male-male twin pairs who served in the US Military in South East Asia during the Vietnam War era. Analyses were based on data from a clinical diagnostic interview of lifetime PTSD symptoms and a self-report measure of combat exposure. Biometric modeling revealed that the effects of genetic and non-shared environment factors on PTSD varied as a function of level of combat exposure such that the association between these factors and PTSD was stronger at higher levels of combat exposure. Combat exposure may act as a catalyst that augments the impact of hereditary and environmental contributions to PTSD. Individuals with the greatest exposure to combat trauma were at increased risk for PTSD as a function of both genetic and environmental factors. Additional work is needed to determine the biological and environmental mechanisms driving these associations.

  19. Neural indicators of interpersonal anger as cause and consequence of combat training stress symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilam, G; Lin, T; Fruchter, E; Hendler, T

    2017-07-01

    Angry outbursts are an important feature of various stress-related disorders, and commonly lead to aggression towards other people. Findings regarding interpersonal anger have linked the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) to anger regulation and the locus coeruleus (LC) to aggression. Both regions were previously associated with traumatic and chronic stress symptoms, yet it is unclear if their functionality represents a consequence of, or possibly also a cause for, stress symptoms. Here we investigated the relationship between the neural trajectory of these indicators of anger and the development and manifestation of stress symptoms. A total of 46 males (29 soldiers, 17 civilians) participated in a prospective functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment in which they played a modified interpersonal anger-provoking Ultimatum Game (UG) at two-points. Soldiers were tested at the beginning and end of combat training, while civilians were tested at the beginning and end of civil service. We assumed that combat training would induce chronic stress and result in increased stress symptoms. Soldiers showed an increase in stress symptoms following combat training while civilians showed no such change following civil service. All participants were angered by the modified UG irrespective of time point. Higher post-combat training stress symptoms were associated with lower pre-combat training vmPFC activation and with higher activation increase in the LC between pre- and post-combat training. Results suggest that during anger-provoking social interactions, flawed vmPFC functionality may serve as a causal risk factor for the development of stress symptoms, and heightened reactivity of the LC possibly reflects a consequence of stress-inducing combat training. These findings provide potential neural targets for therapeutic intervention and inoculation for stress-related psychopathological manifestations of anger.

  20. Regenerative medicine applications in combat casualty care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleming, Mark E; Bharmal, Husain; Valerio, Ian

    2014-03-01

    The purpose of this report is to describe regenerative medicine applications in the management of complex injuries sustained by service members injured in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Improvements in body armor, resuscitative techniques and faster transport have translated into increased patient survivability and more complex wounds. Combat-related blast injuries have resulted in multiple extremity injuries, significant tissue loss and amputations. Due to the limited availability and morbidity associated with autologous tissue donor sites, the introduction of regenerative medicine has been critical in managing war extremity injuries with composite massive tissue loss. Through case reports and clinical images, this report reviews the application of regenerative medicine modalities employed to manage combat-related injuries. It illustrates that the novel use of hybrid reconstructions combining traditional and regenerative medicine approaches are an effective tool in managing wounds. Lessons learned can be adapted to civilian care.

  1. Advanced protection technology for ground combat vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosse, Timothy G

    2012-01-01

    Just as highway drivers use radar detectors to attempt to stay ahead of police armed with the latest radar technology, the Armed Forces are locked in a spiral to protect combat vehicles and their crews against the latest threats in both the contemporary operating environment and the anticipated operating environment (ie, beyond 2020). In response to bigger, heavier, or better-protected vehicles, adversaries build and deploy larger explosive devices or bombs. However, making improvements to combat vehicles is much more expensive than deploying larger explosives. In addition, demand is increasing for lighter-weight vehicles capable of rapid deployment. Together, these two facts give the threat a clear advantage in the future. To protect vehicles and crews, technologies focusing on detection and hit avoidance, denial of penetration, and crew survivability must be combined synergistically to provide the best chance of survival on the modern battlefield.

  2. THE HARMONISATION OF LEGISLATION ON COMBATTING TAX EVASION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DANIELA IANCU

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Combating tax evasion is part of the Lisbon Strategy. Tax fraud created a significant distortion in the functioning of the internal market and prevented fair competition.In its resolution of 2th of September 2008 on a coordinated strategy to improve the fight against fiscal fraud (2008/2033 (INI the European Parliament stressed that the Member States cannot combat cross-border fraud in isolation and called on the Commission to propose mechanisms to promote cooperation between Member States.This paper aims to analyse the main mechanisms to combat the tax evasion at the European level and, also, the changes that our country had to make in the field of legislation in order to achieve the EU standard on the fight against tax evasion.

  3. A balance and proprioception intervention programme to enhance combat performance in military personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funk, Shany; Jacob, T; Ben-Dov, D; Yanovich, E; Tirosh, O; Steinberg, N

    2018-02-01

    Optimal functioning of the lower extremities under repeated movements on unstable surfaces is essential for military effectiveness. Intervention training to promote proprioceptive ability should be considered in order to limit the risk for musculoskeletal injuries. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a proprioceptive intervention programme on static and dynamic postural balance among Israel Defense Forces combat soldiers. Twenty-seven male soldiers, aged 18-20 years, from a physical fitness instructor's course, were randomly divided into two groups matched by age and army unit. The intervention group (INT) underwent 4 weeks of proprioceptive exercises for 10 min daily; the control group underwent 4 weeks of upper body stretching exercises for 10 min daily. All participants were tested pre and postintervention for both static and dynamic postural balance. Significant interaction (condition*pre-post-test*group) was found for static postural balance, indicating that for the INT group, in condition 3 (on an unstable surface-BOSU), the post-test result was significantly better compared with the pretest result (pbalance on unstable surfaces, and improved the correlation between static postural balance in the eyes closed condition and dynamic postural balance following fatigue. Further longitudinal studies are needed to verify the relationship between proprioception programmes, additional weight bearing and the reduction of subsequent injuries in combat soldiers. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  4. Assessment of Psychophysiological Response and Specific Fine Motor Skills in Combat Units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Molina, Joaquín; Robles-Pérez, José J; Clemente-Suárez, Vicente J

    2018-03-02

    Soldiers´ training and experience can influence the outcome of the missions, as well as their own physical integrity. The objective of this research was to analyze the psycho-physiological response and specific motor skills in an urban combat simulation with two units of infantry with different training and experience. psychophysiological parameters -Heart Rate, blood oxygen saturation, glucose and blood lactate, cortical activation, anxiety and heart rate variability-, as well as fine motor skills were analyzed in 31 male soldiers of the Spanish Army, 19 belonging to the Light Infantry Brigade, and 12 to the Heavy Forces Infantry Brigade, before and after an urban combat simulation. A combat simulation provokes an alteration of the psycho-physiological basal state in soldiers and a great unbalance in the sympathetic-vagal interaction. The specific training of Light Infantry unit involves lower metabolic, cardiovascular, and anxiogenic response not only previous, but mainly after a combat maneuver, than Heavy Infantry unit's. No differences were found in relation with fine motor skills, improving in both cases after the maneuver. This fact should be taken into account for betterment units´ deployment preparation in current theaters of operations.

  5. Combating Forest Corruption: the Forest Integrity Network

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gupta, A.; Siebert, U.

    2004-01-01

    This article describes the strategies and activities of the Forest Integrity Network. One of the most important underlying causes of forest degradation is corruption and related illegal logging. The Forest Integrity Network is a timely new initiative to combat forest corruption. Its approach is to

  6. Predictive Methods for Dense Polymer Networks: Combating Bias with Bio-Based Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-16

    Combating bias with bio - based structures 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Andrew J. Guenthner...unlimited. PA Clearance 16152 Integrity  Service  Excellence Predictive methods for dense polymer networks: Combating bias with bio -based...Architectural Bias • Comparison of Petroleum-Based and Bio -Based Chemical Architectures • Continuing Research on Structure-Property Relationships using

  7. Warrior Resilience Training in Operation Iraqi Freedom: combining rational emotive behavior therapy, resiliency, and positive psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarrett, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    Warrior Resilience Training (WRT) is an educational class designed to enhance Warrior resilience, thriving, and posttraumatic growth for Soldiers deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Warrior Resilience Training uses rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), Army leadership principles, and positive psychology as a vehicle for students to apply resilient philosophies derived from Army Warrior Ethos, Stoic philosophy, and the survivor and resiliency literature. Students in WRT are trained to focus upon virtue, character, and emotional self-regulation by constructing and maintaining a personal resiliency philosophy that emphasizes critical thinking, rationality, virtue, and Warrior Ethos. The author, an Army licensed clinical social worker, executive coach, REBT doctoral fellow, and former Special Forces noncommissioned officer, describes his initial experience teaching WRT during Operation Iraqi Freedom to combat medics and Soldiers from 2005 to 2006, and his experience as a leader of a combat stress control prevention team currently in Iraq offering mobile WRT classes in-theater. Warrior Resilience Training rationale, curriculum, variants (like Warrior Family Resilience Training), and feedback are included, with suggestions as to how behavioral health providers and combat stress control teams might better integrate their services with leaders, chaplains, and commands to better market combat stress resiliency, reduce barriers to care, and promote force preservation. Informal analysis of class feedback from 1168 respondents regarding WRT reception and utilization is examined.

  8. Guilt is more strongly associated with suicidal ideation among military personnel with direct combat exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryan, Craig J; Ray-Sannerud, Bobbie; Morrow, Chad E; Etienne, Neysa

    2013-05-15

    Suicide rates in the U.S. military have been rising rapidly in the past decade. Research suggests guilt is a significant predictor of suicidal ideation among military personnel, and may be especially pronounced among those who have been exposure to combat-related traumas. The current study explored the interactive effect of direct combat exposure and guilt on suicidal ideation in a clinical sample of military personnel. Ninety-seven active duty U.S. Air Force personnel receiving outpatient mental health treatment at two military clinics completed self-report symptom measures of guilt, depression, hopelessness, perceived burdensomeness, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation. Generalized multiple regression analyses indicated a significant interaction of guilt and direct combat exposure (B=.124, SE=.053, p=.020), suggesting a stronger relationship of guilt with suicidal ideation among participants who had direct combat exposure as compared to those who had not. The interactions of direct combat exposure with depression (B=.004, SE=.040, p=.926), PTSD symptoms (B=.016, SE=.018, p=.382), perceived burdensomeness (B=.159, SE=.152, p=.300) and hopelessness (B=.069, SE=.036, p=.057) were nonsignificant. Although guilt is associated with more severe suicidal ideation in general among military personnel, it is especially pronounced among those who have had direct combat exposure. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Estratégias utilizadas no combate a resistência bacteriana Recent achievements to combat bacterial resistance

    OpenAIRE

    Gustavo Pozza Silveira; Faruk Nome; José Carlos Gesser; Marcus Mandolesi Sá; Hernán Terenzi

    2006-01-01

    This article provides an overview on the recent achievements to combat Gram-positive bacteria and the mechanisms related to antimicrobial activity and bacterial resistance. Selected synthetic methodologies to access structurally diverse bioactive compounds are presented in order to emphasize the most important substances currently developed to overcome multiresistant strains. The main properties of vancomycin and related glycopeptide antibiotics are also discussed as a background to understan...

  10. New Equipping Strategies for Combat Support Hospitals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Combat and Doctrine Development and COL Timothy Lamb , supported by MAJ Gary Cooper, included members of our team in visits to Sierra Army Depot and...aspect of improving materiel stew - ardship is improving the quality of data related to the procurement, maintenance, and upgrading of equipment

  11. On shelterbelt design for combating sand invasion.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mohammed, A.E.; Stigter, C.J.; Adam, H.S.

    1996-01-01

    After a review of the scarce literature on using trees against sand encroachment, a quantitative experiment with a wide shelterbelt to combat sand invasion is reported on. Experimental work was carried out at the northwestern border of the Gezira Scheme (Sudan), an area of severe land degradation

  12. Unintended Relevance: The Role of the Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the Decisive Action Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-05-25

    its_time_to_create_a_megacities_combat_unit_110717.html. 47 Steve Krippel and Chris Ricci, “The Stryker Brigade Combat Team: America’s Early Entry Force,” Infantry, July...vehicles to transport the large amounts of equipment to do their job , which is to fight dismounted in complex terrain. Light infantry is necessary...2015_National_Military_Strategy.pdf. Krippel, Steve , and Chris Ricci. “The Stryker Brigade Combat Team: America’s Early Entry Force.” Infantry, July-September 2014

  13. If you want to get a job done, you need the right tools: Next steps for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toulmin, Camilla

    2006-10-15

    Is the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) bringing the right set of tools to the task of addressing the problems facing dryland peoples around the world? Many of the challenges that face the drylands are not addressed by the current CCD toolkit. Three principal areas where attention should now be focused are working closely with the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) to identify strategies to help the drylands adapt to climate change, engaging with the changing aid architecture, and securing rights to land and natural resources for dryland populations.

  14. Nanoscale phase transition behavior of shape memory alloys — closed form solution of 1D effective modelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, M. P.; Sun, Q. P.

    2018-01-01

    We investigate the roles of grain size (lg) and grain boundary thickness (lb) on the stress-induced phase transition (PT) behaviors of nanocrystalline shape memory alloys (SMAs) by using a Core-shell type "crystallite-amorphous composite" model. A non-dimensionalized length scale lbarg(=lg /lb) is identified as the governing parameter which is indicative of the energy competition between the crystallite and the grain boundary. Closed form analytical solutions of a reduced effective 1D model with embedded microstructure length scales of lg and lb are presented in this paper. It is shown that, with lbarg reduction, the energy of the elastic non-transformable grain boundary will gradually become dominant in the phase transition process, and eventually bring fundamental changes of the deformation behaviors: breakdown of two-phase coexistence and vanishing of superelastic hysteresis. The predictions are supported by experimental data of nanocrystalline NiTi SMAs.

  15. Roles of scholars in the practice of combating-desertification: a case study in northwest China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lihua; Lan, Zhiyong; Wu, Jianguo

    2010-08-01

    This study investigated the perceived importance of scholars' participation in combating-desertification programs in northwest China and analyzed the underlying factors and mechanisms. Our results show that, while various experts, professors, and researchers have participated in combating-desertification programs, their actions were often not effective. Only those scholars who understood the local situations adequately had important and positive impacts. These scholars served as information brokers between the governments and other stakeholders, entrepreneurial activity organizers for farmers, governmental representatives, or advocators for local affairs themselves. They played indispensible roles in facilitating efforts in combating desertification. The study also identified key factors that led to the success of scholars' participation in combating-desertification activities. Our findings have practical implications for improving the effectiveness of scholars' participation in land restoration and environmental management.

  16. Training Strategies to Mitigate Expectancy-Induced Response Bias in Combat Identification: A Research Agenda

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greitzer, Frank L.; Andrews, Dee H.

    2008-04-15

    Historical assessments of combat fratricide reveal principal contributing factors in the effects of stress, continuous operations or sleep deprivation, poor situational awareness, emotions, and lack of training. This paper discusses what and how improvements in combat identification (CID) may be achieved through training. In addition to skill-based training, CID training must focus on countering the negative effects of expectancy in the face of heightened anxiety and stressors of continuous operations that lead to combat errors or fratricide. The paper examines possible approaches to training for overcoming erroneous expectancies and emotional factors that may distort or limit accurate "blue force" identification.

  17. Training Strategies to Mitigate Expectancy-Induced Response Bias in Combat Identification: A Research Agenda

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greitzer, Frank L.; Andrews, Dee H.

    2009-12-01

    Historical assessments of combat fratricide reveal principal contributing factors in the effects of stress, continuous operations or sleep deprivation, poor situational awareness, emotions, and lack of training. This paper discusses what and how improvements in combat identification (CID) may be achieved through training. In addition to skill-based training, CID training must focus on countering the negative effects of expectancy in the face of heightened anxiety and stressors of continuous operations that lead to combat errors or fratricide. The paper examines possible approaches to training for overcoming erroneous expectancies and emotional factors that may distort or limit accurate "blue force" identification.

  18. Marksmanship Requirements from the Perspective of Combat Veterans - Volume 2: Summary Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-01

    M. McInroy who provided input to the questionnaire and insured that the Army’s Centers of Excellence were aware of the importance of their students ...combat gear Qualify with weapon in combat gear Hit targets at night using aiming lights & night vision goggles Hit targets at night with thermal ...conditions, the junior and some of the senior enlisted were not comfortable under these conditions making it unsatisfactory. 10 Engineer. Different

  19. Glasgow Coma Scores, Early Opioids, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Combat Amputees

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-04-01

    extracted from in- theater patient encounter forms by Expeditionary Medical En- counter Database trauma nurses . GCS scores of 3 to 12 in- dicate moderate to...that may negatively impact hemodynamics (Fox et al., 1995). Combat-trauma anes- thesiologists are advised to minimize these side effects when managing...the most seriously injured and/or hemodynamically unstable patients. The present findings are consistent with this principle of combat casualty care by

  20. Conforming and nonconforming personality and stress coping styles in combat athletes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernacka Ryszarda Ewa

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to investigate whether the personality dimension of conformism/nonconformism was a predictor of stress coping styles in athletes training combat sports, and to present the characteristics of this personality dimension in the context of the competitors’ adaptive/innovative sport performance. Scores of 346 males practising combat sports such as kick boxing, MMA, thai boxing, boxing and wrestling were analyzed. The participants completed the Creative Behaviour Questionnaire (KANH III measuring the conformity/nonconformity personality dimension and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS measuring stress coping styles. The comparative analyses were conducted only for the groups of conformists and nonconformists. Differences in stress coping styles between conformists and nonconformists training combat sports were found as nonconformists tended to prefer the task-oriented coping style. Conclusively, a higher rate of nonconformity was associated with increasingly frequent occurrence of task-oriented coping and decreasingly frequent emotion-oriented coping.

  1. Combatives for Alienated Youth: Problems and Prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellison, Don

    Combative activities (boxing, wrestling, kung fu, etc.) are seen as having a positive influence on alienated inner city youth. Potential contributions of such activities in a school curriculum or recreation program include involvement, security, self-concept, and self-realization. Participants may be able to free themselves from such stereotype…

  2. Prevalence and patterns of combat sport related maxillofacial injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirani, Gholamreza; Kalantar Motamedi, Mohammad Hosein; Ashuri, Alireza; Eshkevari, Pooyan Sadr

    2010-10-01

    This study was designed to assess the prevalence, distribution, and patterns of injury among athletes engaged in combat sports and compare the prevalence, pattern, and types of oral and maxillofacial trauma in these athletes. A total of 120 male athletes engaged in four combat sports (boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, and Muay Thai) who had sustained bodily trauma were studied; 95 subjects with at least one traumatic injury to the face requiring treatment were referred to us by the physician team. The type of injury (facial laceration, facial fractures, jaw dislocation, etc.), site of facial injury (jaw, nose, malar bone, teeth, etc.), dental injuries (tooth fracture, displacement, luxation, and avulsion), causative sport (boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, and Muay Thai) as well as demographic data were recorded. Injuries were examined clinically and radiographically, and treated accordingly by a specialist. Treatment data and demographics were recorded for each subject. Recorded data were assessed, and χ(2), ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to statistically analyze and compare the data. Of 120 subjects, 95 male subjects (79.2%), aged 18-25 years (avg. 20 years), had at least one traumatic injury to the face requiring medical treatment. These injuries included facial laceration, bone fractures (nose, mandible, and zygoma), dental injuries (displacement, luxation, fracture, and avulsion), and mandibular dislocation which were recorded in 83 (69.2%), 55 (45.1%), 53 (44.2%), and 8 (6.7%) cases respectively. Statistically significant differences were encountered among various injuries and the sports; kickboxing caused the most maxillofacial injuries and was identified as more injurious. Tooth fractures (59.7%) were the most common dental injuries, and the nose (84.7%) was the most frequently fractured facial bone. Lacerations were more common in Thai-boxers (93.3%). Injuries were significantly greater in professional rather than amateur athletes. In this study

  3. Prevalence and patterns of combat sport related maxillofacial injuries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shirani Gholamreza

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: This study was designed to assess the prevalence, distribution, and patterns of injury among athletes engaged in combat sports and compare the prevalence, pattern, and types of oral and maxillofacial trauma in these athletes. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 male athletes engaged in four combat sports (boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, and Muay Thai who had sustained bodily trauma were studied; 95 subjects with at least one traumatic injury to the face requiring treatment were referred to us by the physician team. The type of injury (facial laceration, facial fractures, jaw dislocation, etc., site of facial injury (jaw, nose, malar bone, teeth, etc., dental injuries (tooth fracture, displacement, luxation, and avulsion, causative sport (boxing, taekwondo, kickboxing, and Muay Thai as well as demographic data were recorded. Injuries were examined clinically and radiographically, and treated accordingly by a specialist. Treatment data and demographics were recorded for each subject. Recorded data were assessed, and c2 , ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to statistically analyze and compare the data. Results: Of 120 subjects, 95 male subjects (79.2%, aged 18-25 years (avg. 20 years, had at least one traumatic injury to the face requiring medical treatment. These injuries included facial laceration, bone fractures (nose, mandible, and zygoma, dental injuries (displacement, luxation, fracture, and avulsion, and mandibular dislocation which were recorded in 83 (69.2%, 55 (45.1%, 53 (44.2%, and 8 (6.7% cases respectively. Statistically significant differences were encountered among various injuries and the sports; kickboxing caused the most maxillofacial injuries and was identified as more injurious. Tooth fractures (59.7% were the most common dental injuries, and the nose (84.7% was the most frequently fractured facial bone. Lacerations were more common in Thai-boxers (93.3%. Injuries were significantly greater in professional rather

  4. Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Somali ex-combatants: A validation study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rockstroh Brigitte

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Somalia, a large number of active and former combatants are affected by psychological problems such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD. This disorder impairs their ability to re-integrate into civilian life. However, many screening instruments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder used in post-conflict settings have limited validity. Here we report on development and validation of a screening tool for PTSD in Somali language with a sample of ex-combatants. Methods We adapted the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS to reflect linguistic and cultural differences within the Somali community so that local interviewers could be trained to administer the scale. For validation purposes, a randomly selected group of 135 Somali ex-combatants was screened by trained local interviewers; 64 of them were then re-assessed by trained clinical psychologists using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI and the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20. Results The screening instrument showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .86, convergent validity with the CIDI (sensitivity = .90; specificity = .90 as well as concurrent validity: positive cases showed higher SRQ-20 scores, higher prevalence of psychotic symptoms, and higher levels of intake of the local stimulant drug khat. Compared to a single cut-off score, the multi-criteria scoring, in keeping with the DSM-IV, produced more diagnostic specificity. Conclusion The results provide evidence that our screening instrument is a reliable and valid method to detect PTSD among Somali ex-combatants. A future Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Program in Somalia is recommended to screen for PTSD in order to identify ex-combatants with special psycho-social needs.

  5. Role of Occupational Therapy in Combating Human Trafficking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorman, Kathleen W; Hatkevich, Beth Ann

    Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery that includes sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and trafficking of children. It is estimated that 35.8 million people are enslaved around the world. Because of the traumatic experiences that victims of human trafficking encounter, the needs of victims are extensive and require the services of several providers, including health care providers, for victims to transform into survivors and thrivers. Currently, the role of occupational therapy is minimal and unexplored. The profession of occupational therapy has the capacity of having a profound role in both providing client-centered care services to victims and survivors of human trafficking and partaking in preventive advocacy efforts to combat human trafficking. Further advocacy efforts are required to promote the profession of occupational therapy in combating human trafficking. Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

  6. Examining the Effects of Parental Combat Deployment on the Body Mass Index and Eating Behaviors and Attitudes of Adolescent Female Military Dependents

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-07-13

    other committee members: CAPT Mark Stephens, Dr. Rusan Chen, and Dr. Eleanor Mackey. Your military leadership, statistical expertise, and patience...civilian families. Military adolescents exhibited lower rates of juvenile delinquency , lower likelihood of alcohol or drug abuse, higher grades, and... statistics provide a sobering view of the impact of parental combat deployments on children and adolescents in terms of the physical separation, injury, and

  7. Improving Air-to-Air Combat Behavior through Transparent Machine Learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toubman, A.; Roessingh, Jan Joris; Spronck, P.H.M.; Plaat, A.; van den Herik, H.J.

    2014-01-01

    Training simulations, especially those for tactical training, require properly behaving computer generated forces (CGFs) in the opponent role for an effective training experience. Traditionally, the behavior of such CGFs is controlled through scripts. There are two main problems with the use of

  8. Candid Voices - Agile Combat Support From the OC-ALC Engine Shop Viewpoint. Volume XXII, Number 4

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Larvick, Jon

    1998-01-01

    .... This article will take the Agile Combat Support initiative -the focus of combat support shifts from maintaining massive inventories to establishing a response capability-as the goal and will focus...

  9. PTSD, combat injury, and headache in Veterans Returning from Iraq/Afghanistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afari, Niloofar; Harder, Laura H; Madra, Naju J; Heppner, Pia S; Moeller-Bertram, Tobias; King, Clay; Baker, Dewleen G

    2009-10-01

    To examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, combat injury, and headache in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Previous investigations suggest that a relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and primary headache disorders exists and could be complicated by the contribution of physical injury, especially one that results in loss of consciousness. These associations have not been systematically examined in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. In this observational cross-sectional study, a battery of self-report, standardized questionnaires was completed by 308 newly registered veterans between March and October 2006. The Davidson Trauma Scale was used to determine the degree of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and combat-related physical injury was assessed by self-report. The presence of headache was based on a symptom checklist measure and self-reported doctor diagnoses. Logistic regression analysis was performed to predict presence of headache and determine odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals associated with demographic, military, in-theatre, and mental health characteristics. About 40% of the veterans met the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder; 40% self-reported current headache, 10% reported a physician diagnosis of migraine, 12% a physician diagnosis of tension-type headache, and 6% reported both types of headache. Results from the logistic regression model indicated that combat-related physical injury (odds ratio: 2.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.17-4.33) and posttraumatic stress disorder (odds ratio: 4.13; 95% confidence interval: 2.44-6.99) were independent predictors of self-reported headache. Additional analyses found that veterans with both tension and migraine headache had higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (chi-square [d.f. = 3] = 15.89; P = .001) whereas veterans with migraine headache alone had

  10. A Theory of Combative Advertising

    OpenAIRE

    Yuxin Chen; Yogesh V. Joshi; Jagmohan S. Raju; Z. John Zhang

    2009-01-01

    In mature markets with competing firms, a common role for advertising is to shift consumer preferences towards the advertiser in a tug-of-war, with no effect on category demand. In this paper, we analyze the effect of such “combative” advertising on market power. We show that, depending on the nature of consumer response, combative advertising can reduce price competition to benefit competing firms. However, it can also lead to a procompetitive outcome where individual firms advertise to incr...

  11. Moral engagement, combat trauma, and the lure of psychiatric dualism: why psychiatry is more than a technical discipline.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinghorn, Warren

    2015-01-01

    Psychiatry is not only a technical discipline concerned with matching appropriate means to pre-specified ends; it is also a discipline of moral engagement and discernment in which clinicians and patients explore the ends that patients will pursue. Moral engagement is intrinsic to psychiatric practice, particularly when psychiatrists engage issues such as combat trauma in which patients' moral self-evaluations are relevant to the perpetuation of psychological distress. Relative to technical models of practice, however, the space of moral engagement and discernment conveys risk for psychiatrists as it is less "scientific," more prone to exploitation and abuse, and the occasion for social-political critiques of psychiatry. Three prevalent forms of psychiatric dualism, each manifest in the care of combat veterans, seem to allow psychiatrists to avoid this contested moral space: dualism of the self and the self's body, dualism of the self and the self's quantifiable experience and behavior, and dualism of the self and the self's "values." Each of these dualisms is alluring but ultimately unable to protect psychiatrists from the space of moral engagement. Psychiatrists must rather cultivate practices for inhabiting that space in a morally transparent, self-questioning, and responsible way.

  12. Role of infection control in combating antibiotic resistance

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ] that impacts on human health and may potentially have a major effect on the global economy.[2] The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified four core actions to combat this challenge, i.e. surveillance, ...

  13. Strategies for Small Volume Resuscitation: Hyperosmotic-Hyperoncotic Solutions, Hemoglobin Based Oxygen Carriers and Closed-Loop Resuscitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, George C.; Wade, Charles E.; Dubick, Michael A.; Atkins, James L.

    2004-01-01

    Introduction: Logistic constraints on combat casualty care preclude traditional resuscitation strategies which can require volumes and weights 3 fold or greater than hemorrhaged volume. We present a review of quantitative analyses of clinical and animal data on small volume strategies using 1) hypertonic-hyperosmotic solutions (HHS); 2) hemoglobin based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) and 3) closed-loop infusion regimens.Methods and Results: Literature searches and recent queries to industry and academic researchers have allowed us to evaluate the record of 81 human HHS studies (12 trauma trials), 19 human HBOCs studies (3trauma trials) and two clinical studies of closed-loop resuscitation.There are several hundreds animal studies and at least 82 clinical trials and reports evaluating small volume7.2%-7.5% hypertonic saline (HS) most often combined with colloids, e.g., dextran (HSD) or hetastarch(HSS). HSD and HSS data has been published for 1,108 and 392 patients, respectively. Human studies have documented volume sparing and hemodynamic improvements. Meta-analyses suggest improved survival for hypotensive trauma patients treated with HSD with significant reductions in mortality found for patients with blood pressure blood use and lower mortality compared to historic controls of patients refusing blood. Transfusion reductions with HBOC use have been modest. Two HBOCs (Hemopure and Polyheme) are now in new or planned large-scale multicenter prehospital trials of trauma treatment. A new implementation of small volume resuscitation is closed-loop resuscitation (CLR), which employs microprocessors to titrate just enough fluid to reach a physiologic target . Animal studies suggest less risk of rebleeding in uncontrolled hemorrhage and a reduction in fluid needs with CLR. The first clinical application of CLR was treatment of burn shock and the US Army. Conclusions: Independently sponsored civilian trauma trials and clinical evaluations in operational combat conditions of

  14. Simulation and Effectiveness Analysis on One versus One Beyond Visual Range Air Combat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haoyu Liu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A kind of one versus one beyond visual range (BVR air combat model has been established, which includes functional models of radar, missile and fighter and the process of several combat stages. Air combat effectiveness ratio (ACER is defined to analyse the result. The 2k factor design method is used to design combat test case and analyses the influence of three factors (fighter stealth character, missile range and flight height on ACER. Simulation result reveals that when RCS of one fighter is reduced from 0dBm2 to -10dBm2 which cannot remarkably affect the opposition fighter’s radar detection distance and missile launch distance, the RCS factor has small influence and the missile range factor has great influence. When RCS of one fighter is reduced from -10dBm2 to -20dBm2, the opposition fighter’s radar detection distance will be reduced and lead the result of its missile launch distance be less than its missile range. Compared with the former case, the effect of RCS factor increases and the effect of missile range factor decreases. However, the effect of height is not significant.

  15. Is Democratization a Sound Strategy for Combating Fundamentalist Islam

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Johnson, Anthony J

    2008-01-01

    .... This paper examines the premise that "universal human rights", as the basis for democracy, is compatible with Islamic culture and is therefore a sound strategy for combating the spread of "Islamic...

  16. MEG Working Memory N-Back Task Reveals Functional Deficits in Combat-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ming-Xiong; Nichols, Sharon; Robb-Swan, Ashley; Angeles-Quinto, Annemarie; Harrington, Deborah L; Drake, Angela; Huang, Charles W; Song, Tao; Diwakar, Mithun; Risbrough, Victoria B; Matthews, Scott; Clifford, Royce; Cheng, Chung-Kuan; Huang, Jeffrey W; Sinha, Anusha; Yurgil, Kate A; Ji, Zhengwei; Lerman, Imanuel; Lee, Roland R; Baker, Dewleen G

    2018-04-13

    Combat-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a leading cause of sustained cognitive impairment in military service members and Veterans. However, the mechanism of persistent cognitive deficits including working memory (WM) dysfunction is not fully understood in mTBI. Few studies of WM deficits in mTBI have taken advantage of the temporal and frequency resolution afforded by electromagnetic measurements. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and an N-back WM task, we investigated functional abnormalities in combat-related mTBI. Study participants included 25 symptomatic active-duty service members or Veterans with combat-related mTBI and 20 healthy controls with similar combat experiences. MEG source-magnitude images were obtained for alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (15-30 Hz), gamma (30-90 Hz), and low-frequency (1-7 Hz) bands. Compared with healthy combat controls, mTBI participants showed increased MEG signals across frequency bands in frontal pole (FP), ventromedial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and anterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), but decreased MEG signals in anterior cingulate cortex. Hyperactivations in FP, OFC, and anterior dlPFC were associated with slower reaction times. MEG activations in lateral FP also negatively correlated with performance on tests of letter sequencing, verbal fluency, and digit symbol coding. The profound hyperactivations from FP suggest that FP is particularly vulnerable to combat-related mTBI.

  17. Combat exposure and mental health: the long-term effects among US Vietnam and Gulf War veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gade, Daniel M; Wenger, Jeffrey B

    2011-04-01

    Using a random sample of more than 4000 veterans, we test the effects of combat exposure on mental health. We focus on two cohorts of veterans: those who served in Vietnam (1964-1975) and the Gulf War (1990-1991). Combat exposure differed between these groups in intensity, duration and elapsed time since exposure. We find that combat exposure generally, and exposure to dead, dying, or wounded people, specifically, is a significant predictor of mental health declines as measured by an individual's Mental Component Summary score. Under our general specifications, the negative effects of combat on mental health were larger for Gulf war veterans than for Vietnam veterans as of 2001. These effects persist after controlling for demographic characteristics, insurance coverage, income and assets. Using discrete factor, nonparametric maximum likelihood (DFML) estimation we controlled for unobserved heterogeneity as well as the factors above. In the DFML specifications we find a negative impact of exposure to dead, wounded or dying people for both Gulf and Vietnam veterans, but find no statistically significant effect for combat exposure overall for Vietnam veterans as of 2001. Based on our Gulf war parameters, we estimate that the costs of mental health declines to be between $87 and $318 per year for each soldier with combat service and exposure to dead, dying and wounded people. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Motion analysis systems as optimization training tools in combat sports and martial arts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa Polak

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Over the past years, a few review papers about possibilities of using motion analysis systems in sport were published, but there are no articles that discuss this problem in the field of combat sports and martial arts. Aim: This study presents the diversity of contemporary motion analysis systems both, those that are used in scientific research, as well as those that can be applied in daily work of coaches and athletes in combat sports and martial arts. An additional aim is the indication of example applications in scientific research and range of applications in optimizing the training process. It presents a brief description of each type of systems that are currently used in sport, specific examples of systems and the main advantages and disadvantages of using them. The presentation and discussion takes place in the following sections: motion analysis utility for combat sports and martial arts, systems using digital video and systems using markers, sensors or transmitters. Conclusions: Not all types of motion analysis systems used in sport are suitable for combat sports and martial arts. Scientific studies conducted so far showed the usefulness of video-based, optical and electromechanical systems. The use of research results made with complex motion analysis systems, or made with simple systems, local application and immediate visualization is important for the preparation of training and its optimization. It may lead to technical and tactical improvement in athletes as well as the prevention of injuries in combat sports and martial arts.

  19. Sodium bicarbonate ingestion increases glycolytic contribution and improves performance during simulated taekwondo combat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes-Silva, João Paulo; Da Silva Santos, Jonatas Ferreira; Artioli, Guilherme Giannini; Loturco, Irineu; Abbiss, Chris; Franchini, Emerson

    2018-04-01

    To investigate the effect of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) on performance and estimated energy system contribution during simulated taekwondo combat. Nine taekwondo athletes completed two experimental sessions separated by at least 48 h. Athletes consumed 300 mg/kg body mass of NaHCO 3 or placebo (CaCO 3 ) 90 min before the combat simulation (three rounds of 2 min separated by 1 min passive recovery), in a double-blind, randomized, repeated-measures crossover design. All simulated combat was filmed to quantify the time spent fighting in each round. Lactate concentration [La - ] and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured before and after each round, whereas heart rate (HR) and the estimated contribution of the oxidative (W OXI ), ATP (adenosine triphosphate)-phosphocreatine (PCr) (W PCR ), and glycolytic (W [ La - ] ) systems were calculated during the combat simulation. [La - ] increased significantly after NaHCO 3 ingestion, when compared with the placebo condition (+14%, P = 0.04, d = 3.70). NaHCO 3 ingestion resulted in greater estimated glycolytic energy contribution in the first round when compared with the placebo condition (+31%, P = 0.01, d = 3.48). Total attack time was significantly greater after NaHCO 3 when compared with placebo (+13%, P = 0.05, d = 1.15). W OXI , W PCR , VO 2 , HR and RPE were not different between conditions (P > 0.05). NaHCO 3 ingestion was able to increase the contribution of glycolytic metabolism and, therefore, improve performance during simulated taekwondo combat.

  20. Legal Principles and Solutions to Combat Money Laundering in the International System

    OpenAIRE

    Majid Karimi

    2013-01-01

    This study focuse on combat money laundering legal principles and solutions to in the International System. As its clear Money laundering is the attempt to disguise the proceeds of illegal activity so that they appear to come from legitimate sources. Money is laundered through banking systems and credit institutions, non financial institutions and non financial economic activities. Combating money laundering phenomenon dates back to the 1980s. In 1989, Financial Action Task Force was set up t...

  1. The role of locus of control and coping style in predicting longitudinal PTSD-trajectories after combat exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karstoft, Karen-Inge; Armour, Cherie; Elklit, Ask; Solomon, Zahava

    2015-05-01

    While longitudinal posttraumatic stress responses are known to be heterogeneous, little is known about predictors of those responses. We investigated if locus of control (LOC) and coping style are associated with long-term PTSD-trajectories after exposure to combat. Six hundred and seventy five Israeli soldiers with or without combat stress reaction (CSR) from the Lebanon war were assessed 1, 2, and 20 years after the war. Combat exposure, LOC, and coping style were then investigated as covariates of the trajectories of resilience, recovery, delayed onset, and chronicity. Symptomatic trajectories in the CSR and the non-CSR group were significantly associated to varying degrees with perceived life threat during combat (ORs: 1.76-2.53), internal LOC (0.77-0.87), emotional coping style (0.28-0.34), and low use of problem-focused coping (2.12-3.11). In conclusion, assessment of LOC and coping can aid prediction of chronic PTSD outcomes of combat exposure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Online fathering: the experience of first-time fatherhood in combat-deployed troops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schachman, Kathleen A

    2010-01-01

    More than 90% of fathers in the United States attend the births of their children. Each year, thousands of fathers are absent during this important life transition because of military deployment in combat regions; however, it is unknown how this population experiences new fatherhood. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of first-time fatherhood from the unique perspective of military men deployed to combat regions during birth. A phenomenological approach was used. Seventeen men who were stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and had returned recently from a combat deployment participated. Unstructured, in-depth interviews were conducted 2 to 6 months after the births. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Disruption of the protector and provider role was a main theme that encompassed four theme clusters: (a) worry-a traumatic and lonely childbirth; (b) lost opportunity; (c) guilt-an absent father; and (d) fear of death and dismemberment-who will be the father? Although their absence interfered with their ability to fulfill the fatherhood role as they perceived it, this was offset by the theme cluster Communication: The ties that bind, highlighting the role of online communication with their partner (e.g., e-mail, instant messaging, Facebook, blogs, and chat rooms) in restoring balance to the protector and provider role. Insight is provided into the needs of first-time fathers who are combat-deployed during the births of their babies. Understanding these experiences assists nurses in identifying better ways to prepare and to support men in an involved fatherhood role, despite the limitations of a stressful combat environment and geographic separation. This information can set the stage for a healthy reunion, which may take place at military bases and within communities across the globe, and thus is of benefit to all nurses working with military families.

  3. A Decade of War: Prospective Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Deployed US Military Personnel and the Influence of Combat Exposure (Publisher’s Version)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-27

    physical health (5) of service mem- bers. In addition, previous research indicates that exposure to combat may increase the likelihood of negative health ... physical , and behavioral health , studies have shown few negative effects of deployment with respect to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (10...American Journal of Epidemiology Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 2017. This

  4. Associations between Family Communication Patterns, Sibling Closeness, and Adoptive Status

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samek, Diana R.; Rueter, Martha A.

    2011-01-01

    Previous research has demonstrated the protective effect of family and sibling closeness on child adjustment, but fewer studies have investigated how closeness is promoted within families. Guided by Family Communication Patterns Theory, we tested the association between family communication and sibling emotional and behavioral closeness, and…

  5. 75 FR 56558 - Office of the Secretary: Combating Exploitative Child Labor by Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-16

    ... and its root causes, and the importance of education for all children and mobilizing a wide array of..., education, and sustainable livelihoods, and the capacity of national institutions to combat child labor... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Office of the Secretary: Combating Exploitative Child Labor by Promoting...

  6. Energy Harvesting Combat Boot for Satellite Positioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haluk Akay

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Most portable electronic devices are power-limited by battery capacity, and recharging these batteries often interrupts the user’s experience with the device. The product presented in this paper provides an alternative to powering portables by converting regular human walking motion to electricity. The device harvests electric power using air bulbs, distributed in the sole of a shoe to drive a series of micro-turbines connected to small DC motors. The number and position of air bulbs is optimized to harvest the maximum airflow from each foot-strike. The system is designed to continuously drive the micro-turbines by utilizing both outflow and inflow from the air bulbs. A prototype combat boot was fitted on the right foot of a 75 kg test subject, and produced an average continuous power on the order of 10 s of mW over a 22 Ω load during walking at 3.0 mph. This combat boot provides enough electric power to a passive GPS tracker that periodically relays geographical coordinates to a smartphone via satellite without battery replacement.

  7. Soldier use of dietary supplements, including protein and body building supplements, in a combat zone is different than use in garrison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, Krista G; McLellan, Tom M; Farina, Emily K; McGraw, Susan M; Lieberman, Harris R

    2016-01-01

    United States Army personnel in garrison who are not deployed to combat theater report using dietary supplements (DSs) to promote health, increase physical and mental strength, and improve energy levels. Given the substantial physical and cognitive demands of combat, DS use may increase during deployment. This study compared DS use by garrison soldiers with DS use by personnel deployed to a combat theater in Afghanistan. Prevalence and patterns of DS use, demographic factors, and health behaviors were assessed by survey (deployed n = 221; garrison n = 1001). Eighty-two percent of deployed and 74% of garrison soldiers used DSs ≥ 1 time·week(-1). Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for significant demographic and health predictors of DS use, showed deployed personnel were more likely than garrison soldiers to use protein, amino acids, and combination products. Deployed females were more likely to use protein supplements and deployed males were more likely to use multivitamins, combination products, protein, and body building supplements than garrison respondents. Significantly more deployed (17%) than garrison (10%) personnel spent more than $50∙month(-1) on DSs. Higher protein supplement use among deployed personnel was associated with higher frequency of strength training and lower amounts of aerobic exercise for males but similar amounts of strength training and aerobic exercise for females. Protein supplements and combination products are used more frequently by deployed than garrison soldiers with the intent of enhancing strength and energy.

  8. Combat Trains Command Post (CTCP) Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-28

    development through the execution of several validation exercises leading up to the NTC rotation. The squadron utilized home station training opportunities at...evolving problem as the troop 1SG had the responsibility to tie in all disabled vehicles awaiting parts into the security plan. The crews of those...Additionally, depth of knowledge in critical equipment would have assisted the CTCP [i.e. only one operator for the Combat-Service- Support Automated

  9. Combat Stress and Substance Use Intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Additionally, excessive alcohol use in the military has been linked to serious consequences and loss of productivity , both of which are detrimental...and absenteeism among Iraq war veterans. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(1), 150– 153. Jakupcak, M., Tull, M. T., McDermott, M. J., Kaysen, D...2015, 2016) 106 1 Product Line Review (PLR) Meeting Technology- Facilitated Monitoring and Treatment in Mental Health 21 August 2012 Combat

  10. Combating Corruption in International Business Transactions

    OpenAIRE

    Celentani, Marco; Ganuza, Juan-José; Peydró, José-Luis

    2004-01-01

    International business transactions pose the problem of deterring bribing of public officials by foreign firms. We first analyse a convention styled after the OECD's 'Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions', which requires signatory countries to proceed against firms that have bribed public officials of any foreign country. We then study the case in which the convention requires signatory countries to proceed against firms that have ...

  11. Combating cyberspace fraud in Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Grobler, M

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available in Africa Marthie Grobler, Joey Jansen van Vuuren Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Defence, Peace, Safety & Security © CSIR 2007 www.csir.co.za Combating cyber crime in Africa is a reality • Computer crime... www.csir.co.za Reduction of Cyber Crime was given as one of the major objectives during the State of the Nation address by President Zuma on 3 June 2009. “Amongst other key initiatives, we will start the process of setting up a Border Management...

  12. Social, psychological and psychosomatic disorders in the people with combat stress in their medical histories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. V. Gracheva

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The authors examined three groups of patients – military men (40 men in each group with combat stress of different intensity in their medical histories (two main groups and a  control group – without combat stress. The results showed that the military men with a high level combat stress in the past (more than 5 years ago more frequently demonstrated socialmental disadaptation against the background of subclinical chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD. The conclusion is that this group of people requires dynamic followup and adequate medicopsychological aid.

  13. Russia's Chechen Wars 1994-2000: Lessons from Urban Combat

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Oliker, Olga

    2001-01-01

    This report provides an analysis of Russian combat in Chechnya beginning with the first modern Chechen war of 1994-1996 and comparing and contrasting it with the ongoing conflict that began in 1999...

  14. Management of colonic injuries in the combat theater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, S David; Kiraly, Laszlo N; Flaherty, Stephen F; Herzig, Daniel O; Lu, Kim C; Schreiber, Martin A

    2010-05-01

    Combat injuries are more often associated with blast, penetrating, and high-energy mechanisms than civilian trauma, generating controversy about the management of combat colonic injury. Despite implementation of mandatory colostomy in World War II, recent civilian data suggest that primary repair without diversion is safe and feasible. This study describes the modern management of battle-related colonic injuries and seeks to determine whether management strategy affects early complications. Records from the combat theater (downrange) and tertiary referral center in Germany were retrospectively reviewed from 2005 to 2006. Patient characteristics, management strategy, treatment course, and early complications were recorded. Comparison groups by management strategy were as follows: primary repair, diversion, and damage control. A total of 133 (97% male) patients sustained colonic injuries from penetrating (71%), blunt (5%), and blast (23%) mechanisms. Average injury severity score was 21 and length of stay in the referral center was 7.1 days. Injury distribution was 21% ascending, 21% descending, 15% transverse, 27% sigmoid, and 25% rectum. Downrange complications for primary repair, initial ostomy, and damage control groups were 14%, 15%, and 30%, respectively. On discharge from the center, 62% of patients had undergone a diversion. The complication rate was 18% overall and was unrelated to management strategy (P = .16). Multivariate analysis did not identify independent predictors of complications. Early complications were similar by mechanism, anatomic location, severity of injury, and management strategy. More diversions were performed for rectosigmoid injury. Good surgical judgment allows for low morbidity and supports primary repair in selected cases. Damage control surgery is effective in a multinational theater of operations.

  15. Changes in Resting EEG in Colombian Ex-combatants ith Antisocial Personality Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Claudia; Duque-Grajales, Jon; Rendón, Jorge; Montoya-Betancur, Alejandro; Baena, Ana; Pineda, David; Tobón, Carlos

    Although the social and economic consequences of Colombian internal conflicts mainly affected the civilian population, they also had other implications. The ex-combatants, the other side of the conflict, have been the subject of many studies that question their personality structures and antisocial features. Results suggest that ex-combatants usually have characteristics of an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) that is related with their behaviour. Quantitative EEG (qEEG) was used to evaluate differences in cortical activity patterns between an ex-combatants group and a control group. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was used to assess the presence of ASPD in the ex-combatants group, as well as the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) for other mental disorders classified in the DCI-10. There are significant differences in psychopathy levels between groups, as well as in alpha-2 and beta waves, especially in left temporal and frontal areas for alpha-2 waves and left temporal-central regions for beta waves. qEEG measurements allow spectral resting potential to be differentiated between groups that are related with features typically involved in antisocial personality disorder, and to correlate them with patterns in the questionnaires and clinical interview. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  16. Violence associated with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: The importance of anger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novaco, Raymond W; Chemtob, Claude M

    2015-09-01

    The importance of anger with regard to violence among veterans with combat-related PTSD has received little attention. We previously proposed that in PTSD the activation of threat-related cognitive networks strongly potentiates anger in a positive feedback loop and that inhibitory controls on aggression can be overridden when PTSD and anger activation are conjoined. We predicted that violence would be intensified when combat-related PTSD was conjoined with anger. We used the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) public use data set, selecting the male combat theater veterans, which entailed 1,200 from the main survey (Study 1) and 259 from the clinical interview component (Study 2). Anger indices were constructed from NVVRS variables. PTSD was assessed by continuous symptom scores and by clinical diagnostic measures. Conjoined anger and PTSD was associated with greatly increased violence. PTSD was not associated with violence in the absence of anger. This result was obtained using alternative measures of PTSD and of anger in both the main survey and the clinical interview component. These findings call for reconceptualizing the association of PTSD and violence. Concerted attention should be given to anger as a risk factor for violence in the assessment and treatment of combat-related PTSD, and as an important portal of entry for treatment. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Inter-Agency Cooperation in Combating Terrorism in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... phenomenon through the analysis of its various definitions, its nature and consequences. Based on the analysis, the paper proffers a ten-point policy recommendation for enhancing the existing instruments and frameworks in the security services that would foster interagency cooperation in combating terrorism in Nigeria.

  18. Africanity: A Combative Ontology | Mafeje | CODESRIA Bulletin

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Africanity: A Combative Ontology. Archie Mafeje. AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL · AJOL's Partners · Terms and Conditions of Use · Contact AJOL · News. OTHER RESOURCES... for Researchers · for Journals · for Authors · for Policy ...

  19. New development thoughts on the bio-inspired intelligence based control for unmanned combat aerial vehicle

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2010-01-01

    Bio-inspired intelligence is in the spotlight in the field of international artificial intelligence,and unmanned combat aerial vehicle(UCAV),owing to its potential to perform dangerous,repetitive tasks in remote and hazardous,is very promising for the technological leadership of the nation and essential for improving the security of society.On the basis of introduction of bioinspired intelligence and UCAV,a series of new development thoughts on UCAV control are proposed,including artificial brain based high-level autonomous control for UCAV,swarm intelligence based cooperative control for multiple UCAVs,hy-brid swarm intelligence and Bayesian network based situation assessment under complicated combating environments, bio-inspired hardware based high-level autonomous control for UCAV,and meta-heuristic intelligence based heterogeneous cooperative control for multiple UCAVs and unmanned combat ground vehicles(UCGVs).The exact realization of the proposed new development thoughts can enhance the effectiveness of combat,while provide a series of novel breakthroughs for the intelligence,integration and advancement of future UCAV systems.

  20. The effects of surfing and the natural environment on the well-being of combat veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caddick, Nick; Smith, Brett; Phoenix, Cassandra

    2015-01-01

    Although researchers have identified the benefits of physical activity on well-being, there is little evidence concerning the effects of nature-based physical activity. We investigated the effect of one nature-based activity-surfing-on the well-being of combat veterans experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted interviews and participant observations with a group of combat veterans belonging to a United Kingdom-based veterans' surfing charity. Our primary analytical approach was dialogical narrative analysis. Based on our rigorous analysis and findings, we suggest that surfing facilitated a sense of respite from PTSD. Respite was a fully embodied feeling of release from suffering that was cultivated through surfing and shaped by the stories veterans told of their experiences. We significantly extend previous knowledge on physical activity, combat veterans, and PTSD by highlighting how nature-based physical activity, encapsulated in the conceptual notion of the "blue gym," can promote well-being among combat veterans. © The Author(s) 2014.

  1. Combat exposure, social relationships, and subjective well-being among middle-aged and older Veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Mai See; Burr, Jeffrey A

    2016-01-01

    This study described the association of subjective well-being with combat exposure and social relationships among middle-aged and older Veteran men in the USA. The stress-buffering hypothesis, which predicts social relationships may moderate the association between combat exposure and subjective well-being, was also examined. Data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study (N = 2961) were used to estimate logistic regression models, focusing on three measures of subjective well-being: depression, life satisfaction, and self-reported health. In the fully adjusted models, there were no statistically significant relationships between combat exposure and the three indicators of subjective well-being. However, compared to Veterans who had lower scores on the social relationship index, Veterans who had higher scores were less likely to be depressed and less likely to report poor or fair health. Veterans who had higher scores on the social relationships index reported higher levels of life satisfaction than those Veterans who had lower scores. There was no evidence for a social relationships buffering effect. The results of this study demonstrated that combat exposure did not have a long-term relationship with subjective well-being. Longitudinal research designs with more comprehensive indicators of combat exposure may help researchers better understand some of the underlying complexity of this relationship. Complementary research with samples of women Veterans, as well as samples of Hispanic, and non-Black, non-White Veterans, is also needed.

  2. Combating Youth Violence Through Anti-Violence Coalitions in Three West Virginia Counties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronda Sturgill

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Kids Win was funded by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for Cabell, Mason and Wayne Counties in West Virginia. The goal of the project was to develop anti-violence coalitions in the three counties and to develop a strategic plan for a pilot program combating youth violence. The pilot program was designed to use the Second Step and Hazelden Anti-Bullying curricula at the three middle schools. Evaluation methods included a survey of teachers, a survey of students, and a comparison of results of a state mandated school discipline report. All three data sources support the conclusion that violence was reduced significantly because of the Kids Win Program. Kids Win has demonstrated what can be accomplished by teaching students the behavioral skills needed to resolve problems without escalating violence. This program merits replication and expansion and can serve as a model for other programs.

  3. Logistics Operations in Combat Operations Against an Insurgent Force

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hatcher, Clay

    2007-01-01

    .... The road networks are generally not secure and put soldiers at risk. How do we distribute supplies and reduce the risk or avoid the enemy's threat to our combat logistics patrols in an insurgent environment...

  4. To reiterate the concept of self-aid and buddy-aid for combat wounded

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhong-jie HE

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Explore new concept of self-aid and buddy-aid for combat wounded based on the emergency timeliness and the challenges we are going to face in the future combats, the importance of self-aid, buddy-aid and rescue are discussed. The concept and characteristics of self-aid and buddy-aid in our army are reviewed, and the care of the wounded in foreign armies were reviewed. Based on the experiences gained from previous combats, and the results of "Medical Service Mission-2014 Drill", it was believed that the emergency rescue of battle wounded should follow the timeliness rule and the principle of self-aid and buddy-aid technology. It might be beneficial to use cell protective agent, urgent relief of life-threatening conditions such as profuse bleeding from extremities, suffocation, pneumothorax, and traumatic shock etc., in order to stabilize the general condition of the wounded, according to the regime of "Platinum 10 minutes" and "golden 1 hour", self-aid and buddy-aid might play an important role in preventing early death and late morbidity of the wounded, thus helps reduce the mortality rate or the victims of combat wounds. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2015.11.01

  5. The future of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion in combat operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Shane A; Hilsden, R; Beckett, A; McAlister, V C

    2017-08-09

    Damage control resuscitation and early thoracotomy have been used to increase survival after severe injury in combat. There has been a renewed interest in resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in both civilian and military medical practices. REBOA may result in visceral and limb ischaemia that could be harmful if use of REBOA is premature or prolonged. The purpose of this paper is to align our experience of combat injuries with the known capability of REBOA to suggest an implementation strategy for the use of REBOA in combat care. It may replace the resuscitative effect of thoracotomy; can provide haemostasis of non-compressible torso injuries such as the junctional and pelvic haemorrhage caused by improvised explosive devices. However, prehospital use of REBOA must be in the context of an overall surgical plan and should be restricted to deployment in the distal aorta. Although REBOA is technically easier than a thoracotomy, it requires operator training and skill to add to the beneficial effect of damage control resuscitation and surgery. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  6. Videojuego de rol táctico de estética retro basado en combates por turnos

    OpenAIRE

    García García, Juan de la Cruz

    2010-01-01

    Videojuego de rol basado en combates por turnos con estética retro, de nombre comercial TierraCuadrada, donde el jugador podrá llevar a cabo partidas en modo historia, involucrando combates con la Inteligencia Artificial, y partidas contra rivales humanos.

  7. Optimizing the recovery efficiency of Finnish oil combating vessels in the Gulf of Finland using Bayesian Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehikoinen, Annukka; Luoma, Emilia; Mäntyniemi, Samu; Kuikka, Sakari

    2013-02-19

    Oil transport has greatly increased in the Gulf of Finland over the years, and risks of an oil accident occurring have risen. Thus, an effective oil combating strategy is needed. We developed a Bayesian Network (BN) to examine the recovery efficiency and optimal disposition of the Finnish oil combating vessels in the Gulf of Finland (GoF), Eastern Baltic Sea. Four alternative home harbors, five accident points, and ten oil combating vessels were included in the model to find the optimal disposition policy that would maximize the recovery efficiency. With this composition, the placement of the oil combating vessels seems not to have a significant effect on the recovery efficiency. The process seems to be strongly controlled by certain random factors independent of human action, e.g. wave height and stranding time of the oil. Therefore, the success of oil combating is rather uncertain, so it is also important to develop activities that aim for preventing accidents. We found that the model developed is suitable for this type of multidecision optimization. The methodology, results, and practices are further discussed.

  8. Plan for Combat Operations (Battlefield Function 18) as Accomplished by a Heavy Brigade. Volume 2: Assessment Package

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Mullen, William

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of the overall research program was to document the synchronization required by command and control tasks performed within the armored brigade, to include combat support and combat service support units...

  9. The Way of the Gun: Applying Lessons of Ground Combat to Pilot Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-29

    i AU/ACSC/2016 AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE AIR UNIVERSITY THE WAY OF THE GUN : APPLYING LESSONS OF GROUND COMBAT...teaching officers, for example, that the guns go quiet in combat inoculates them from suspecting a bad lot of ammunition or firearm malfunction when...their guns go “pop” instead of “bang.”41 This 17 first piece of the puzzle is called Survival Stress Management, and it is the most basic level

  10. NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION: U.S. Efforts to Combat Nuclear Smuggling

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    2002-01-01

    ...) information about efforts to combat nuclear smuggling at U.S. borders. My statement today is based on the results of our May 16, 2002, report on this subject1 and information we obtained from the U.S...

  11. An experimental study on crib fires in a closed compartment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dhurandher Bhisham Kumar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available An experimental investigation on burning behavior of fire in closed compartments is presented. Fire experiments were performed in a closed compartment of interior dimensions 4 × 4 × 4 m (length × width × height with ply board cribs as fire source. The parameters including the gas temperature, mass loss rate, heat flux, flame temperature, and compartment pressure were measured during the experiments. Experimental results indicated that the providing sudden ventilation to the closed compartment had great influence on the behavior of fire. The mass loss rate of the burning crib increased by 150% due to sudden ventilation which results in the increase in heat release rate by 198 kW. From the perspective of total heat flux, compartment pressure, and gas temperatures closed compartment with sudden ventilation were more hazardous.

  12. E-Cheating: Combating a 21st Century Challenge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMurtry, Kim

    2001-01-01

    Discusses electronic cheating in higher education made possible by new technologies. Highlights include statistics on plagiarism; using Web search engines and paper mills; and ways to combat cheating, including academic honesty policies, designing writing assignments with specific goals and instructions, being aware of what is available on the…

  13. Combating Ukraine’s Health Crisis : Lessons from Europe

    OpenAIRE

    Rekha Menon

    2010-01-01

    This knowledge brief synthesizes the important findings of a recent study. It spotlights key issues and challenges facing Ukraine's health sector and suggests strategies for improvement. To combat the current health crisis, Ukraine could look at the lessons learned by other European countries that have faced similar health crises.

  14. Minding the close relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, J H; Omarzu, J

    1997-01-01

    In this theoretical analysis, we argue that a process referred to as minding is essential for a couple to feel mutually close and satisfied in a close relationship over a long period Minding represents a package of mutual self-disclosure, other forms of goal-oriented behavior aimed at facilitating the relationship, and attributions about self's and other's motivations, intentions, and Mort in the relationship. Self-disclosure and attribution activities in minding are aimed at getting to know the other, trying to understand the other's motivations and deeper disposition as they pertain to the relationship, and showing respect and acceptance for knowledge gained about other. We link the concept of minding to other major ideas and literatures about how couples achieve closeness: self-disclosure and social penetration, intimacy, empathy and empathic accuracy, and love and self-expansion. We argue that the minding process articulated here has not previously been delineated and that it is a useful composite notion about essential steps in bonding among humans. We also argue that the minding concept stretches our understanding of the interface of attribution and close relationships. We present research possibilities and implications and consider possible alternative positions and counter arguments about the merits of the minding idea for close relationship satisfaction.

  15. Human performance modeling for system of systems analytics: combat performance-shaping factors.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawton, Craig R.; Miller, Dwight Peter

    2006-01-01

    The US military has identified Human Performance Modeling (HPM) as a significant requirement and challenge of future systems modeling and analysis initiatives. To support this goal, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has undertaken a program of HPM as an integral augmentation to its system-of-system (SoS) analytics capabilities. The previous effort, reported in SAND2005-6569, evaluated the effects of soldier cognitive fatigue on SoS performance. The current effort began with a very broad survey of any performance-shaping factors (PSFs) that also might affect soldiers performance in combat situations. The work included consideration of three different approaches to cognition modeling and how appropriate they would be for application to SoS analytics. This bulk of this report categorizes 47 PSFs into three groups (internal, external, and task-related) and provides brief descriptions of how each affects combat performance, according to the literature. The PSFs were then assembled into a matrix with 22 representative military tasks and assigned one of four levels of estimated negative impact on task performance, based on the literature. Blank versions of the matrix were then sent to two ex-military subject-matter experts to be filled out based on their personal experiences. Data analysis was performed to identify the consensus most influential PSFs. Results indicate that combat-related injury, cognitive fatigue, inadequate training, physical fatigue, thirst, stress, poor perceptual processing, and presence of chemical agents are among the PSFs with the most negative impact on combat performance.

  16. Influence of aromatherapy on medication administration to residential-care residents with dementia and behavioral challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Suzanne G; Clair, Alicia Ann

    2002-01-01

    Thirteen older persons (seven men and six women) in residential care participated as subjects in this study. All participants had histories of confusion due to dementia and were identified by staff as being consistently resistant to medication administration as indicated by vocal outbursts, moving away, or physical combativeness. Subjects were exposed to four aroma interventions during medication administration: 1) lavender vera (lavendula officinalis); 2) sweet orange (citrus aurantium); 3) tea tree (malaleuca alternifolia); and 4) no aroma (control). All medication administrations were videotaped for later data collection. Observers were trained to record frequency and duration of resistive behaviors during medication administration in allfour interventions for each subject. Reliability between two observers was extremely high. Results showed no statistically significant differences across all aroma conditions for either resistive behavior or duration of administration. Also, there were no statistically significant differences based on gender. This study indicates that aromatherapy does not reduce combative, resistive behaviors in individuals with dementia. Research with a larger sample in future studies may yield other results.

  17. Cumulative trauma and midlife well-being in American women who served in Vietnam: effects of combat exposure and postdeployment social support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Crystal L; Wachen, Jennifer Schuster; Kaiser, Anica Pless; Mager Stellman, Jeanne

    2015-01-01

    Research increasingly demonstrates that trauma exposure can have cumulative effects, yet much remains to be learned about effects of cumulative trauma, particularly regarding longer term adjustment. One such trauma, combat exposure, is insufficiently understood, especially for women, who are increasingly engaged in professional combat activities. The study comprised a cross-sectional survey assessing multiple aspects of current well-being in women approximately 25 years after their service in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Participants were 1374 women (78% military and 22% nonmilitary; mean age = 59.7). This study investigated the relations between three separate categories of trauma exposure (childhood, adulthood, and combat) and well-being and examined whether perceived social support at return from Vietnam moderated the association between combat exposure and well-being. While both childhood and adulthood trauma exposure related to midlife well-being, combat exposure still uniquely predicted outcomes. Further, postdeployment perceived social support moderated the association of combat and well-being: recollected higher perceived social support at homecoming buffered participants from the links between combat exposure and well-being. These results may have important implications for interventions to reduce the impact of traumatic experiences, particularly in light of the increasing exposure of women to direct combat events.

  18. Future Combat Systems (FCS) Creates Cannon and Mortar Synergy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Beard, Kirby; James, Jeff; Tolbert, Vincent J

    2008-01-01

    .... The NLOS-C is one of the eight MGVs. Program Manager FCS (Brigade Combat Team (PM FCS(BCT)) is leveraging previous and current research and development efforts to create synergy between cannons and mortars, without duplication of effort...

  19. Decreased somatosensory activity to non-threatening touch in combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badura-Brack, Amy S; Becker, Katherine M; McDermott, Timothy J; Ryan, Tara J; Becker, Madelyn M; Hearley, Allison R; Heinrichs-Graham, Elizabeth; Wilson, Tony W

    2015-08-30

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric disorder prevalent in combat veterans. Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that patients with PTSD exhibit abnormal responses to non-threatening visual and auditory stimuli, but have not examined somatosensory processing. Thirty male combat veterans, 16 with PTSD and 14 without, completed a tactile stimulation task during a 306-sensor magnetoencephalography (MEG) recording. Significant oscillatory neural responses were imaged using a beamforming approach. Participants also completed clinical assessments of PTSD, combat exposure, and depression. We found that veterans with PTSD exhibited significantly reduced activity during early (0-125 ms) tactile processing compared with combat controls. Specifically, veterans with PTSD had weaker activity in the left postcentral gyrus, left superior parietal area, and right prefrontal cortex in response to nonthreatening tactile stimulation relative to veterans without PTSD. The magnitude of activity in these brain regions was inversely correlated with symptom severity, indicating that those with the most severe PTSD had the most abnormal neural responses. Our findings are consistent with a resource allocation view of perceptual processing in PTSD, which directs attention away from nonthreatening sensory information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Project Guardian: Optimizing Electronic Warfare Systems for Ground Combat Vehicles

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Parks, Jack G; Jackson, William; Revello, James; Soltesz, James

    1995-01-01

    .... The study, Project Guardian, represents a new process for determining the optimum set of sensors and countermeasures for a specific vehicle class under the constraints of threat projection, combat...

  1. Strategic Implications of U.S. Fighter Force Reductions: Air-to-Air Combat Modeling Using Lanchester Equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF US FIGHTER FORCE REDUCTIONS: AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT MODELING USING LANCHESTER ...TO-AIR COMBAT MODELING USING LANCHESTER EQUATIONS GRADUATE RESEARCH PAPER Presented to the Faculty Department of Operational Sciences...MODELING USING LANCHESTER EQUATIONS Ronald E. Gilbert, BS, MBA Major, USAF Approved

  2. Decreased Somatosensory Activity to Non-threatening Touch in Combat Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

    OpenAIRE

    Badura-Brack, Amy S.; Becker, Katherine M.; McDermott, Timothy J.; Ryan, Tara J.; Becker, Madelyn M.; Hearley, Allison R.; Heinrichs-Graham, Elizabeth; Wilson, Tony W.

    2015-01-01

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric disorder prevalent in combat veterans. Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that patients with PTSD exhibit abnormal responses to non-threatening visual and auditory stimuli, but have not examined somatosensory processing. Thirty male combat veterans, 16 with PTSD and 14 without, completed a tactile stimulation task during a 306-sensor magnetoencephalography (MEG) recording. Significant oscillatory neural responses were i...

  3. Public Affairs Capacity Building: A Soft Tool for Combatant Commanders

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Salata, Jason P

    2008-01-01

    Public affairs capacity building is a valuable soft component of the Combatant Commander's Theater Campaign Plan that builds habitual relationships, fosters transparency, and enhances the ability to shape the AOR...

  4. Predicting malicious behavior tools and techniques for ensuring global security

    CERN Document Server

    Jackson, Gary M

    2012-01-01

    A groundbreaking exploration of how to identify and fight security threats at every level This revolutionary book combines real-world security scenarios with actual tools to predict and prevent incidents of terrorism, network hacking, individual criminal behavior, and more. Written by an expert with intelligence officer experience who invented the technology, it explores the keys to understanding the dark side of human nature, various types of security threats (current and potential), and how to construct a methodology to predict and combat malicious behavior. The companion CD demonstrates ava

  5. Neural and Behavioral Correlates of PTSD and Alcohol Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-12-01

    Rezayof A, Hosseini SS, Zarrindast MR (2009) Effects of Morphine on Rat Behaviour in the Elevated Plus Maze: The Role of Central Amygdala Dopamine...The current research takes a multi-level approach to study the psychological , behavioral, cognitive and neural relationships between PTSD and alcohol...presented with combat-associated stimuli, an effect mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex. PTSD was associated with heightened anterior cingulate

  6. A study on the nondestructive test optimum design for a ground tracked combat vehicle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim Byeong Ho; Seo, Jae Hyun; Gil, Hyeon Jun [Defence Agency for Technology and Quality, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Seon Hyeong [Hanwha Techwin Co.,Ltd., Changwon (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Sang Chul [Changwon National University, Changwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    In this study, a nondestructive test (NDT) is performed to inspect the optimal design of a ground tracked combat vehicle for self-propelled artillery, tank, and armored vehicles. The minimum qualification required for personnel performing the NDT of a ground tracked combat vehicle was initially established in US military standards, and then applied to the Korean defense specifications to develop a ground tracked combat vehicle. However, the qualification standards of an NDT inspector have been integrated into NAS410 through the military and commercial specifications unification project that were applied in the existing aerospace/defense industry public standard. The design method for this study was verified by applying the optimal design to the liquid penetrant testing Al forging used in self-propelled artillery. This confirmed the reliability and soundness of the product.

  7. Blended Training for Combat Medics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowlkes, Jennifer; Dickinson, Sandra; Lazarus, Todd

    2010-01-01

    Bleeding from extremity wounds is the number one cause of preventable death on the battlefield and current research stresses the importance of training in preparing every Soldier to use tourniquets. HapMed is designed to provide tourniquet application training to combat medics and Soldiers using a blended training solution encompassing information, demonstration, practice, and feedback. The system combines an instrumented manikin arm, PDA, and computer. The manikin arm provides several training options including stand-alone, hands-on skills training in which soldiers can experience the actual torque required to staunch bleeding from an extremity wound and be timed on tourniquet application. This is more realistic than using a block of wood to act as a limb, which is often how training is conducted today. Combining the manikin arm with the PDA allows instructors to provide scenario based training. In a classroom or field setting, an instructor can specify wound variables such as location, casualty size, and whether the wound is a tough bleed. The PDA also allows more detailed feedback to be provided. Finally, combining the manikin arm with game-based technologies, the third component, provides opportunities to build knowledge and to practice battlefield decision making. Not only do soldiers learn how to apply a tourniquet, but when to apply a tourniquet in combat. The purpose of the paper is to describe the learning science underlying the design of HapMed, illustrate the training system and ways it is being expanded to encompass other critical life-saving tasks, and report on feedback received from instructors and trainees at military training and simulation centers.

  8. Mediation and Moderation of the Relationship Between Combat Experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Active Duty Military Personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, Marshall; Germain, Anne; Campbell, Justin S

    2017-05-01

    Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a major health concern among the U.S. military population, affecting up to 12% to 24% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Sleep disturbances, neuroticism, and childhood trauma have all been associated with the development of PTSD in military populations, especially in relation to combat experiences. The effects of disrupted sleep and post-traumatic stress can affect the physical well-being of soldier and sailors in the field and impact them for years after deployment. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between self-reported measures of combat experiences, PTSD symptoms, sleep, neuroticism, and childhood adversity in an active duty military population. 972 U.S. Navy Sailors serving in Afghanistan were given anonymous surveys that assess scales of combat stressors, PTSD symptoms, sleep problems, neuroticism, adverse child experiences (ACEs), and other covariates. Sleep disturbances were hypothesized as moderators, having an indirect effect on the relationship between combat experiences and PTSD symptoms. Neuroticism scores and ACEs were proposed as moderators of the combat-PTSD symptom relationship. Mediation and moderation models were developed and tested using logistic regressions. Increased number of combat experiences was found to be a significant predictor of PTSD, even when adjusting for all covariates (p moderating factor. These results indicate that the presence of nightmares may partially explain how traumatic combat experiences lead to the development of PTSD. The study also reaffirms neuroticism as risk factor for developing PTSD symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of sleep hygiene and operational stress models in combat situations and may help stress control professionals address risk factors associated with PTSD symptoms. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  9. Exploiting Inhibitory Siglecs to Combat Food Allergies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0302 TITLE: Exploiting Inhibitory Siglecs to Combat Food Allergies PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Michael Kulis, Ph.D...CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599 REPORT DATES: October 2017 TYPE OF REPORT: Annual PREPARED FOR...Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services , Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite

  10. Barriers to combating human trafficking in Colombia

    OpenAIRE

    Wilcox, Daniel Joseph

    2015-01-01

    Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Despite international and domestic policies and programs intended to combat human trafficking, Colombia remains one of the countries with the highest instances of human trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. Factors contributing to human trafficking in Colombia, such as internal violence and displacement, drug trafficking, a weak central government, and widespread corruption, have overpowered what energies the government marshaled agai...

  11. A model management system for combat simulation

    OpenAIRE

    Dolk, Daniel R.

    1986-01-01

    The design and implementation of a model management system to support combat modeling is discussed. Structured modeling is introduced as a formalism for representing mathematical models. A relational information resource dictionary system is developed which can accommodate structured models. An implementation is described. Structured modeling is then compared to Jackson System Development (JSD) as a methodology for facilitating discrete event simulation. JSD is currently better at representin...

  12. U.S. Military Operations in Iraq: Planning, Combat, and Occupation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Phillips, Kate; Lauth, Shane; Schenck, Erin

    2006-01-01

    On November 2, 2005, a colloquium entitled "U.S. Military Operations in Iraq: Planning, Combat and Occupation" was held in Washington, DC, at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS...

  13. EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-14-1-0220 Project Title: EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction Principal Investigator Name: Mark...Pain and Addiction 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-14-1-0220 5c. PROGRAM...SUBJECT TERMS Chronic neuropathic pain, opioid addiction , synaptic plasticity, EphB1 receptor, ephrin-B2, NMDA receptor, drug discovery 16. SECURITY

  14. Plan for Combat Operations (Battlefield Function 18) as Accomplished by a Forward Support Battalion. Volume 1: Function Analysis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Whitley, Sam

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of the overall research program was to document the synchronization required by command and control tasks performed within the armored brigade, to include combat support and combat service support units...

  15. Status and tendencies in combating computer crime at European level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pisarić Milana

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Without certain adjustments to specifics of computer crime, as to a phenomenon of global proportions, detection, investigation and prosecution of this type of crime is almost impossible. Therefore, the need for setting up a legal framework for combating cyber crime has been identified, in order to define which activities related to information systems are considered computer crime; to determine the specific procedural rules, which would enable the access to data, computer and networks during investigating and prosecuting computer crime and to provide continuous training of members of the institutions responsible for countering this form of crime. This legal framework should consist of substantive and procedural rules adapted to this type of crime due its aim is the improvement of international cooperation in the framework of global and regional approach to combating cyber crime. In this this paper the current situation of strategic and legal framework of countering cyber crime is presented (at the level of the Council of Europe and of the European Union as well as trends in the development of systematic approach towards countering the mentioned abuses within these regional organizations. At the European level, the legal framework to combat cyber crime is set in the Council of Europe Convention on cyber crime and the Council of EU Framework Decision on attacks against information systems. In a series of documents organs of EU confirmed the strategic support of COE Convention and the encouragement of Member States to ratify the Convention. In addition, the Convention represent the base of the said Framework Decision. These two legal instruments have the same goal - removing the differences between national legislation, the introduction of new powers in the discovery and evidence of computer crime and improvement of the international cooperation in combating cyber crime. Although their legal nature and scope vary, its objectives will be achieved

  16. Male combat veterans' narratives of PTSD, masculinity, and health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caddick, Nick; Smith, Brett; Phoenix, Cassandra

    2015-01-01

    This article uniquely examines the ways a group of male combat veterans talk about masculinity and how, following post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they performed masculinities in the context of a surfing group, and what effects this had upon their health and wellbeing. Participant observations and life history interviews were conducted with a group of combat veterans who belonged to a surfing charity for veterans experiencing PTSD. Data were rigorously explored via narrative analysis. Our findings revealed the ways in which veterans enacted masculinities in accordance with the values that were cultivated during military service. These masculine performances in the surfing group had important effects both on and for the veterans' wellbeing. Significantly, the study highlights how masculine performances can be seen alternately as a danger and as a resource for health and wellbeing in relation to PTSD. The article advances knowledge on combat veterans and mental health with critical implications for the promotion of male veterans' mental health. These include the original suggestion that health-promoting masculine performances might be recognised and supported in PTSD treatment settings. Rather than automatically viewing masculinity as problematic, this article moves the field forward by highlighting how hegemonic masculinities can be reconstructed in positive ways which might improve veterans' health and wellbeing. A video abstract of this article can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaYzaOP1kAY. © 2015 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Surface Combatant Planning Since the End of the Cold War

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gillen, Daniel

    1998-01-01

    .... This reduction was part of the U.S. military transformation in the post-Cold War period. This thesis examined the major factors that influenced the change in surface combatant planning since 1990, i.e...

  18. The Warfighting Capacity of Air Combat Command's Numbered Air Forces

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hanser, Lawrence

    2000-01-01

    ...) of the Air Combat Command (ACC), General Richard E. Hawley, the ACC Commander, asked if RAND could offer an analysis of the number of NAFs that were needed by ACC to meet warfighting requirements...

  19. Military nurses and combat-wounded patients: a qualitative analysis of psychosocial care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagerty, Bonnie M; Williams, Reg Arthur; Bingham, Mona; Richard, Maggie

    2011-04-01

    The aims were to explore the lived experience of combat-wounded patients and the military nurses who care for them. The study was a qualitative phenomenological design, and focus groups were conducted with 20 nurses and 8 combat-wounded patients. Themes common to nurses and patients were coping, shared experiences, finding meaning, psychosocial nursing care, families, and bureaucratic structure. Thematic differences were the patients' perspectives "changed self" while nurses described "professional boundaries." The importance of finding meaning presents ideas that could help nurses and patients cope better with stressful situations regardless of the setting. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. More than Just a Game? Combat-Themed Gaming Among Recent Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Luther; Golub, Andrew; Price, Matthew; Bennett, Alexander

    2015-08-01

    This article examines recent combat veterans' experiences of "first-person shooter" (FPS) gaming and its relationship to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Current PTSD treatment approaches increasingly use virtual reality (VR) technologies, which have many similarities with FPS games. To explore these similarities, this article presents six case studies from recently separated veterans in New York City who reported both current PTSD symptoms and regular use of combat-themed FPS games. In open-ended interviews, participants discussed a range of benefits as well as the importance of regulating use and avoiding particular contextual dimensions of gaming to maintain healthy gaming habits. Findings demonstrate the need for more comprehensive study and dissemination of best-practices information about FPS gaming in the context of combat-related PTSD symptomatology.

  1. Optimization of Lyophilized Plasma for Use in Combat Casualties

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    ratio of NS infused at a rate of 165 ml/min, minus any given during the controlled hemorrhage to induce acidosis and coagulopathy. This reflects...antioxidant effect suggesting the potential to reduce acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ failure in combat casualties. This model

  2. 48 CFR 52.222-50 - Combating Trafficking in Persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ....222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons. As prescribed in 22.1705(a), insert the following clause...: ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ [Contracting Officer shall insert title of directive/notice; indicate the document is attached or provide source (such as website link) for obtaining document; and, indicate the contract performance location...

  3. El legionario romano en la época de las Guerras Púnicas : formas de combate individual, táctica de pequeñas unidades e influencias hispanas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Quesada Sanz

    2003-01-01

    -unit tactics of the Roman manipular army, discussing a new, emerging model. We agree with some recent scholarly research in that maniples fought in a a seemingly ‘disordered’ and quite open order, and that combat was much more prolonged, indecisive and tentative that is often assumed in the ‘standard’ model of Roman infantry tactics. Finaly, we maintain that the individual fighting techniques and small-unit combat tactics of the Roman army and of the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula closely resembled each other during Hannibal’s War and the early conquest of the Peninsula.

  4. Groundwork for a Theory of the Combatant

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-03

    moral status of an individual combatant might have to be relativized to particular roles, or particular missions, rather than the justice of his or her...contemporary scholars understand killing in war. However, such arguments can be very complex, which makes them of little practical value in actual moral ...is the collectivist, because it better captures the nature of the various morally relevant relationships involved. Those relationships are between

  5. The Big Issue: Command and Combat in the Information Age

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Potts, David

    2003-01-01

    This Occasional Paper considers command and combat in the information age. A small team in the British Army's conceptual "think tank," the Directorate General Development and Doctrine, worked together on this issue for 18 months...

  6. Technologies to Combat Aedes Mosquitoes: A Model Based on Smart City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza Silva, Geovanna Cristine; Peltonen, Laura-Maria; Pruinelli, Lisiane; Yoshikazu Shishido, Henrique; Jacklin Eler, Gabrielle

    2018-01-01

    Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya fever, zika virus fever, some of which can cause irreversible central nervous system problems and death. This study investigates what technologies are being used for combatting and monitoring the Aedes mosquitoes and to propose joining these technologies into a single and complete solution using the Smart Cities concept. A search for newscasts on Google and mobile apps in app stores were performed to identify technological solutions for combat to Aedes mosquitoes. Also, a model for joint technology was proposed. Results identified the following technologies: 170 software, two sensors, two drones, one electronic device, ten mosquito traps/lures, seven biological tools, six biotechnologies, and eight chemical formulations. Technological resources and adoption of preventive measures by the population could be a useful method for the mosquito control. Examples include a georeferenced model for identification and examination of larvae, application of chemical/biological products, real-time mapping, sending of educational materials via email or social media for the population, and alerts to health professionals in the zones of combat/risk. In combination, these technologies may indicate a better solution to the current problem.

  7. The role of locus of control and coping style in predicting longitudinal PTSD-trajectories after combat exposure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karstoft, K. I.; Armour, C.; Elklit, A.

    2015-01-01

    Israeli soldiers with or without combat stress reaction (CSR) from the Lebanon war were assessed 1, 2, and 20 years after the war. Combat exposure, LOC, and coping style were then investigated as covariates of the trajectories of resilience, recovery, delayed onset, and chronicity. Symptomatic...... trajectories in the CSR and the non-CSR group were significantly associated to varying degrees with perceived life threat during combat (ORs: 1.76-2.53), internal LOC (0.77-0.87), emotional coping style (0.28-0.34), and low use of problem-focused coping (2.12-3.11). In conclusion, assessment of LOC and coping...

  8. Behavioral economics

    OpenAIRE

    Camerer, Colin F.

    2014-01-01

    Economics, like behavioral psychology, is a science of behavior, albeit highly organized human behavior. The value of economic concepts for behavioral psychology rests on (1) their empirical validity when tested in the laboratory with individual subjects and (2) their uniqueness when compared to established behavioral concepts. Several fundamental concepts are introduced and illustrated by reference to experimental data: open and closed economies, elastic and inelastic demand, and substitutio...

  9. Combatting Domestic Terrorism: A Strategic Approach for the Twenty-First Century

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Sienrukos, John

    1999-01-01

    .... In order to reach sound, strategic recommendations for combating terrorism, the author will begin with some background on terrorism, review the various definitions as defined by the Department...

  10. EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    EphB1  as  a  Novel  Drug  Target  to  Combat  Pain  and   Addiction   Principal  Investigator  Name:   Mark...Principal  Investigator   Phone  and  Email:   Phone :  214-­‐645-­‐5916   Email:  Mark.Henkemeyer@UTSouthwestern.edu   Report  Date...31 Aug 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to Combat Pain and Addiction 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER EphB1 as a Novel Drug Target to

  11. The Role of Combatives Teaching in Physical Education, by Michal Vit and Zdenko Reguli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wojciech Cynarski

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Vit, M., & Reguli, Z. (2015. The Role of Combatives Teaching in Physical Education. Brno: Masaryk University. 128 pp. Retrieved from https://munispace.muni.cz/index.php/munispace/catalog/book/694 There is here a new book, dedicated to the application of martial arts elements in physical education. Sequentially are presented authors, the definition of 'combatives', discussed the contents of the book, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses. A short conclusion is finishing the review article.

  12. Look Again: An Investigation of False Positive Detections in Combat Models

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Wainwright, Ryan K

    2008-01-01

    .... Existing combat models tend to overlook or downplay false positive detections. Signal Detection Theory provides the framework for analysis of an observer's hits, misses, correct rejections, and false alarms...

  13. Combating (Child Human Trafficking: Building Capacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Winterdyk

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The presentation/paper focuses on the challenges and necessity of building capacity at local, national, and international levels with a focus of how to more effectively combat trafficking in human beings (THB. Insight from several of initiatives are shared with the aim of illustrating how to capitalize on the vast number of opportunities that already exist at these levels and how they might be coordinated to enable collaborative work in an informed and dynamic manner to combat human trafficking. Information from several recent research projects that focus on some of these same issues is also incorporated into this paper. El artículo se centra en los desafíos de la lucha contra el tráfico de personas y en la necesidad de aumentar la capacidad para ser más eficaces en ese sentido, local, nacional e internacionalmente. Nos hacemos eco de la visión de varias iniciativas, con el fin de ilustrar cómo capitalizar el gran número de oportunidades que ya existen en los ámbitos citados, y la forma en que se podrían coordinar para posibilitar la colaboración de una manera informada y dinámica para combatir la trata de personas. También se incluye en el artículo información emanada de diversos proyectos recientes de investigación sobre el tema que nos ocupa. DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=3086067

  14. Growth hormone deficiency after mild combat-related traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ioachimescu, Adriana G; Hampstead, Benjamin M; Moore, Anna; Burgess, Elizabeth; Phillips, Lawrence S

    2015-08-01

    Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been recognized as a cause of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in civilians. However, comparable data are sparse in veterans who incurred TBI during combat. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of GHD in veterans with a history of combat-related TBI, and its association with cognitive and psychosocial dysfunction. Single center prospective study. Twenty male veterans with mild TBI incurred during combat 8-72 months prior to enrollment. GHD was defined by a GH peak emotional, and quality of life of the GHD Veterans were described using Cohen's d. Large effect sizes were considered meaningful. Mean age was 33.7 years (SD 7.8) and all subjects had normal thyroid hormone and cortisol levels. Five (25%) exhibited a subnormal response to glucagon. Sixteen participants (80%) provided sufficient effort for valid neuropsychological assessment (12 GH-sufficient, 4 GHD). There were large effect size differences in self-monitoring during memory testing (d = 1.46) and inhibitory control (d = 0.92), with worse performances in the GHD group. While fatigue and post-traumatic stress disorder were comparable, the GHD group reported more depression (d = 0.80) and lower quality of life (d = 0.64). Our study found a 25% prevalence of GHD in veterans with mild TBI as shown by glucagon stimulation. The neuropsychological findings raise the possibility that GHD has adverse effects on executive abilities and mood. Further studies are needed to determine whether GH replacement is an effective treatment in these patients.

  15. Violation of human rights to combat terrorism.

    OpenAIRE

    2012-01-01

    LL.B. No one definition of terrorism has gained universal acceptance. The lack of agreement on a definition of terrorism has been a major obstacle to meaningful international countermeasures to combat terrorism. There are 12 International Conventions related to terrorism and an explicit definition is still missing. Many states have tried to define terrorism and none of these definitions has been implemented, either by the United Nations or these states. There are many International Convent...

  16. Combat Conditioning: The Need for Stronger Marines

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-02-18

    pounds. This leads to overuse injuries that can reduce a unit’s combat effectiveness. Typically the injuries are isolated to the lower...extremities in the form of femoral and hip stress fractures. The way to avoid these types of injuries is to strengthen the muscles around these areas as...shows how the average weight carried by warriors has increased over time. 3 “ CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program

  17. Lessons Worth Remembering: Combat In Urban Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-05-10

    vi Acronyms AQI Al Qaeda of Iraq ARVN Army of Vietnam CF Coalition Forces COP Combat Outpost IED Improvised...Finally, there was an unorganized criminal element that was interested in profiting from the general violence and lawlessness.181 The prime objective of...Ramadi. In June, the 1BCT ordered one of its battalion’s, TF 1/37 Armor, to establish COP Falcon in the southwest section of the city.201 The operation

  18. Enemy Combatant Detainees: Habeas Corpus Challenges in Federal Court

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-09-26

    Separation of Powers Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Eliminating Federal Court Jurisdiction Where There Is No State Court Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 1 542 U.S. 466 (2004). Enemy Combatant Detainees: Habeas Corpus Challenges in Federal Court In Rasul v. Bush,1 a divided Supreme Court declared that “a state

  19. S.A.C.I.: Incident Combat Support System; S.A.C.I.: Sistema de Apoio ao Combate de Incidentes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Macedo, Antonio R.L. [ARMTEC Tecnologia em Robotica, Fotrtaleza, CE (Brazil); Macedo, Antonio R.M. [Universidade de Fortaleza, CE (Brazil)

    2004-07-01

    The incidents that occur in the petrochemical industry are extremely dangerous, because of the range of temperature that it reaches and the radius of the explosion. For this reason the S.A.C.I. that is an Incident's Combat Support System was developed. The purpose of this paper is to present the complete operational capability of this machine, and also some of the construction design calculations. It is a controlled-by-distance robot that carries one water cannon that generates fog, stream or foam with a limit pressure of 125 psi. It works within 90 m from the operator, has 3 degrees of freedom and a minimum autonomy of 3 hours. Before this prototype was made, only the United Kingdom by Qinetiq and the Japan by the Tokyo Fire Department had this technology. This prototype is around 70% of the investment of the ones in the market. The tests shown in the paper were made in the training bunker of Ceara's Military Fire Corp. Headquarters and in an arena in the Gloria Marine in Rio de Janeiro. The results of this project is a national product that improves the incident's combat response time, saving the most important resource, that is the human been. (author)

  20. S.A.C.I.: Incident Combat Support System; S.A.C.I.: Sistema de Apoio ao Combate de Incidentes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Macedo, Antonio R.L. [ARMTEC Tecnologia em Robotica, Fotrtaleza, CE (Brazil); Macedo, Antonio R.M. [Universidade de Fortaleza, CE (Brazil)

    2004-07-01

    The incidents that occur in the petrochemical industry are extremely dangerous, because of the range of temperature that it reaches and the radius of the explosion. For this reason the S.A.C.I. that is an Incident's Combat Support System was developed. The purpose of this paper is to present the complete operational capability of this machine, and also some of the construction design calculations. It is a controlled-by-distance robot that carries one water cannon that generates fog, stream or foam with a limit pressure of 125 psi. It works within 90 m from the operator, has 3 degrees of freedom and a minimum autonomy of 3 hours. Before this prototype was made, only the United Kingdom by Qinetiq and the Japan by the Tokyo Fire Department had this technology. This prototype is around 70% of the investment of the ones in the market. The tests shown in the paper were made in the training bunker of Ceara's Military Fire Corp. Headquarters and in an arena in the Gloria Marine in Rio de Janeiro. The results of this project is a national product that improves the incident's combat response time, saving the most important resource, that is the human been. (author)

  1. The practice of the United Nations in combating terrorism from 1946-2008 : questions of legality and legitimacy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Ginkel, B.T.

    2010-01-01

    Over the last thirty years, the UN has shown an unmistakable interest in combating terrorism. In this study, the practice of the General Assembly and the Security Council in combating terrorism is analysed, in order to answer the question whether these organs, taking into account their powers and

  2. Catecholamine Responses to Virtual Combat: Implications for Post-Traumatic Stress and Dimensions of Functioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krista Beth Highland

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available PTSD symptoms can result in functional impairment among service members (SMs, even in those without a clinical diagnosis. The variability in outcomes may be related to underlying catecholamine mechanisms. Individuals with PTSD tend to have elevated basal catecholamine levels, though less is known regarding catecholamine responses to trauma-related stimuli. We assessed whether catecholamine responses to a virtual combat environment impact the relationship between PTSD symptom clusters and elements of functioning. Eighty-seven clinically healthy SMs, within 2 months after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, completed self-report measures, viewed virtual-reality (VR combat sequences, and had sequential blood draws. Norepinephrine responses to VR combat exposure moderated the relationship between avoidance symptoms and scales of functioning including physical functioning, physical-role functioning, and vitality. Among those with high levels of avoidance, norepinephrine change was inversely associated with functional status, whereas a positive correlation was observed for those with low levels of avoidance. Our findings represent a novel use of a virtual environment to display combat-related stimuli to returning SMs to elucidate mind-body connections inherent in their responses. The insight gained improves our understanding of post-deployment symptoms and quality of life in SMs and may facilitate enhancements in treatment. Further research is needed to validate these findings in other populations and to define the implications for treatment effectiveness.

  3. The Relevance of Hyperbaric Oxygen to Combat Medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    2001-06-01

    and Hyperbaric Conditions [les Questions medicales a caractere oprationel liees aux conditions hypobares ou hyperbares ] To order the complete...UNCLASSIFIED Defense Technical Information Center Compilation Part Notice ADPO 11081 TITLE: The Relevance of Hyperbaric Oxygen to Combat Medicine...following component part numbers comprise the compilation report: ADPO11059 thru ADP011100 UNCLASSIFIED 25-1 The Relevance of Hyperbaric Oxygen to

  4. Systems medicine and integrated care to combat chronic noncommunicable diseases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bousquet, Jean; Anto, Josep M.; Sterk, Peter J.; Adcock, Ian M.; Chung, Kian Fan; Roca, Josep; Agusti, Alvar; Brightling, Chris; Cambon-Thomsen, Anne; Cesario, Alfredo; Abdelhak, Sonia; Antonarakis, Stylianos E.; Avignon, Antoine; Ballabio, Andrea; Baraldi, Eugenio; Baranov, Alexander; Bieber, Thomas; Bockaert, Joël; Brahmachari, Samir; Brambilla, Christian; Bringer, Jacques; Dauzat, Michel; Ernberg, Ingemar; Fabbri, Leonardo; Froguel, Philippe; Galas, David; Gojobori, Takashi; Hunter, Peter; Jorgensen, Christian; Kauffmann, Francine; Kourilsky, Philippe; Kowalski, Marek L.; Lancet, Doron; Pen, Claude Le; Mallet, Jacques; Mayosi, Bongani; Mercier, Jacques; Metspalu, Andres; Nadeau, Joseph H.; Ninot, Grégory; Noble, Denis; Oztürk, Mehmet; Palkonen, Susanna; Préfaut, Christian; Rabe, Klaus; Renard, Eric; Roberts, Richard G.; Samolinski, Boleslav; Schünemann, Holger J.; Simon, Hans-Uwe; Soares, Marcelo Bento; Superti-Furga, Giulio; Tegner, Jesper; Verjovski-Almeida, Sergio; Wellstead, Peter; Wolkenhauer, Olaf; Wouters, Emiel; Balling, Rudi; Brookes, Anthony J.; Charron, Dominique; Pison, Christophe; Chen, Zhu; Hood, Leroy; Auffray, Charles

    2011-01-01

    ABSTRACT: We propose an innovative, integrated, cost-effective health system to combat major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular, chronic respiratory, metabolic, rheumatologic and neurologic disorders and cancers, which together are the predominant health problem of the 21st

  5. A new virtual instrument for estimating punch velocity in combat sports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urbinati, K S; Scheeren, E; Nohama, P

    2013-01-01

    For improving the performance in combat sport, especially percussion, it is necessary achieving high velocity in punches and kicks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of 3D accelerometry in a Virtual Instrumentation System (VIS) designed for estimating punch velocity in combat sports. It was conducted in two phases: (1) integration of the 3D accelerometer with the communication interface and software for processing and visualization, and (2) applicability of the system. Fifteen karate athletes performed five gyaku zuki type punches (with reverse leg) using the accelerometer on the 3rd metacarpal on the back of the hand. It was performed nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test to determine differences in the mean linear velocity among three punches performed sequentially (p sport.

  6. 239 Inter-Agency Cooperation in Combating Terrorism in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    In recent times, terrorism has become one of the most dangerous threats to .... groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience”. (ITSR ... terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon ..... Books. Imobighe, T.A. (2006b). “Combating Terrorism in Africa: An Integrated.

  7. Towards a Determination of the Physiological Characteristics Distinguishing Successful Mixed Martial Arts Athletes: A Systematic Review of Combat Sport Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Lachlan P; Haff, G Gregory; Kelly, Vincent G; Beckman, Emma M

    2016-10-01

    Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport underpinned by techniques from other combat disciplines, in addition to strategies unique to the sport itself. These sports can be divided into two distinct categories (grappling or striking) based on differing technical demands. Uniquely, MMA combines both methods of combat and therefore appears to be physiologically complex requiring a spectrum of mechanical and metabolic qualities to drive performance. However, little is known about the physiological characteristics that distinguish higher- from lower-level MMA athletes. Such information provides guidance for training interventions, performance testing and talent identification. Furthermore, while MMA incorporates techniques from both grappling and striking sports, it is unknown precisely how these disciplines differ physiologically. Understanding the relationship between higher-level competitors in grappling and striking combat sports can provide further insight into the development of the optimal performance profile of a higher-level MMA athlete. This article aims to analyse the scientific literature on MMA and the primary combat sports underpinning it to determine the physiological adaptations that distinguish superior competitors, with a view to defining the optimal physiological profile for higher-level MMA performance. Furthermore, this article will explore the differences in these capabilities between grappling- and striking-based combat sports in the context of MMA. A literature search was undertaken via PubMed, Web of Science, SportDiscus and Google Scholar. The following sports were included for systematic review based on their relevance to MMA: mixed martial arts, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai and wrestling. The inclusion criteria allowed studies that compared athletes of differing competition levels in the same sport using a physiological performance measure. Only male, adult (aged 17-40 years), able-bodied competitors

  8. Reactions to combat stress in Israeli veterans twenty years after the 1982 Lebanon war.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solomon, Zahava; Shklar, Rami; Singer, Yaffa; Mikulincer, Mario

    2006-12-01

    During the war or shortly thereafter, the most common manifestation of combat induced psychopathology is combat stress reaction (CSR). The long-term consequences of CSR have so far received little scientific attention. The aim of this study was to examine whether CSR is a marker for long-term PTSD and other psychiatric comorbidities. Two groups of veterans from the 1982 Lebanon war were assessed 20 years after the war: one comprised 286 CSR casualties and the other comprised 218 matched non-CSR soldiers. Participants were assessed for PTSD, psychiatric symptomatology, social functioning, physical health, and postwar life events. Twenty years after the war, veterans with antecedent CSR reported more PTSD, psychiatric symptomatology and distress, social dysfunction, and health problems than did non-CSR veterans. We conclude that CSR should be seen as a marker for long-term psychiatric distress and impairment. In addition, the implications of combat-related trauma are broad and varied, and go beyond the narrow scope of PTSD.

  9. Predictors of posttraumatic stress and appetitive aggression in active soldiers and former combatants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Corina Nandi

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: During the period between 1993 and 2005, the people of Burundi were trapped within a violent civil war. In post-conflict regions, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD were found to be widespread. At the same time, combatants often reported having perceived committing violence as exciting and appealing, an experience referred to as appetitive aggression. Both of these phenomena hamper the building of a functional and peaceful society. Objective: This study aims to investigate the factors that are associated with the level of PTSD and appetitive aggression in former and still active combatants. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 948 male Burundians: 556 active soldiers and 392 ex-combatants. PTSD symptom severity was assessed using the PTSD Symptom Scale Interview, while appetitive aggression was assessed using the Appetitive Aggression Scale. Results: Linear regression analyses revealed that the number of traumatic events, childhood maltreatment, and their interaction predicted PTSD symptom severity, whereas self-committed violence did not. The number of traumatic events and self-committed violence were associated with appetitive aggression. Childhood maltreatment alone was not associated with appetitive aggression; however, its interaction with self-committed violence did predict appetitive aggression. When controlling for predictors, ex-combatants reported a higher degree of PTSD symptomatology, whereas active soldiers reported a higher degree of appetitive aggression. Conclusion: We conclude that childhood maltreatment is an additional, significant risk factor that exacerbates the psychological consequences of violent conflicts. Self-committed violence may not necessarily engender trauma-related disorders, but is highly related to appetitive aggression.

  10. Artificial intelligence and its impact on combat aircraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ott, Lawrence M.; Abbot, Kathy; Kleider, Alfred; Moon, D.; Retelle, John

    1987-01-01

    As the threat becomes more sophisticated and weapon systems more complex to meet the threat, the need for machines to assist the pilot in the assessment of information becomes paramount. This is particularly true in real-time, high stress situations. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology offers the opportunity to make quantum advances in the application of machine technology. However, if AI systems are to find their way into combat aircraft, they must meet certain criteria. The systems must be responsive, reliable, easy to use, flexible, and understandable. These criteria are compared with the current status used in a combat airborne application. Current AI systems deal with nonreal time applications and require significant user interaction. On the other hand, aircraft applications require real time, minimum human interaction systems. In order to fill the gap between where technology is now and where it must be for aircraft applications, considerable government research is ongoing in NASA, DARPA, and three services. The ongoing research is briefly summarized. Finally, recognizing that AI technology is in its embryonic stage, and the aircraft needs are very demanding, a number of issues arise. These issues are delineated and findings are provided where appropriate.

  11. The Backpack Food Program's Effects on U.S. Elementary Students' Hunger and On-Task Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ecker, Meghan E.; Sifers, Sarah K.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the BackPack Food Program's effectiveness in combating students' hunger over the weekends and school breaks, as well as analyze the program's effects on students' on-task behavior in the classroom. Additionally, this study examined program satisfaction from students, parents, and…

  12. An adaptive maneuvering logic computer program for the simulation of one-on-one air-to-air combat. Volume 1: General description

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgin, G. H.; Fogel, L. J.; Phelps, J. P.

    1975-01-01

    A technique for computer simulation of air combat is described. Volume 1 decribes the computer program and its development in general terms. Two versions of the program exist. Both incorporate a logic for selecting and executing air combat maneuvers with performance models of specific fighter aircraft. In the batch processing version the flight paths of two aircraft engaged in interactive aerial combat and controlled by the same logic are computed. The realtime version permits human pilots to fly air-to-air combat against the adaptive maneuvering logic (AML) in Langley Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS). Volume 2 consists of a detailed description of the computer programs.

  13. Combat Trauma Lessons Learned from Military Operations of 2001 - 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-09

    suspected tension pneumothorax  Longer needle for needle decompression  Lateral approach for needle decompression  Vented chest seals for open...Defense Health Board Combat Trauma Lessons Learned from Military Operations of 2001-2013 March 9, 2015 OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF...

  14. Combate del moho gris (Botrytis cinerea de la fresa mediante Gliocladium roseum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Néstor Chaves

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available En la zona de Poasito de Alajuela, se evaluó la acción del antagonista Gliocladium roseum, en forma individual y en conjunto con los fungicidas empleados en la finca, para el combate de Botrytis cinerea en fresa; comparándose los resultados contra los obtenidos con el manejo comercial. Se empleó un diseño de bloques completos al azar con 4 repeticiones y se hicieron aplicaciones semanales del antagonista (a una concentración ³ 107 conidios ml-1 durante un período aproximado de 4 meses (julio-octubre del 2000. Se evaluó la incidencia de moho gris en condiciones de campo y poscosecha, así como el efecto de los fungicidas aplicados sobre la germinación de los conidios del antagonista, mediante una prueba in vitro. Se obtuvo un combate más efectivo de la enfermedad en condiciones de campo al emplear el biocontrolador sólo o en conjunto con los fungicidas, con respecto al manejo comercial que se hace de la misma. En poscosecha, el desempeño del antagonista fue estadísticamente igual al del combate químico. Estos resultados muestran que los fungicidas aplicados no afectan considerablemente al antagonista, lo que se corroboró con la prueba in vitro. Al emplear G. roseum para el combate de B. cinerea no sólo se logra combatir efectivamente a este, sino también el resto de los patógenos (Colletotrichum, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, Rhizopus,Alternaria, Fusarium, Verticillium y Penicillium, ya que el porcentaje de frutas sanas es mayor al integrar la acción del antagonista al manejo de enfermedades de la finca. Sin embargo, estas diferencias no son estadísticamente significativas. Por lo anterior se concluye que G. roseum constituye una posible alternativa de manejo integrado del moho gris en fresa.

  15. Study of developing a scale on attitudes towards the combat sports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatma ÇELİK KAYAPINAR

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The study is to develop a scale on the attitudes of 12-16 year-old athletes towards the combat sports. Material and Methods: In order to develop a scale; creating items, taking the expert’s opinions, pretesting, statistics of the validity and the reliability were done. In order to create item pool, two open-ended questions were asked to 60 licensed athletes dealing with combat sports. According to the answers given by athletes, the item pool consisting of 53 items was created. Taking the 3 domain experts, 1 educational specialist and 1 linguist’s opinions, trial scale consisting of 32 items were created for the pretesting step. The clarity and the intelligibility of the scale were tested by 60 athletes .The trial scale in the pretesting step was filled in by 251 licensed athletes (1-7 sports age consisting of 85 judo, 84 taekwondo and 82 karate athletes. Derived data were coded to the packaged software for statistical process and as a last step; the validity and reliability studies were done. Results: According to the results taken from the trial scale, taking the result of that the parameters of the 9 items should be less than r≤30, a scale of 23 items and 9 aspects remained. As the number of items in the aspects are a few, it was gathered in the 3 sub-aspects by the research team. These aspects were named as satisfaction, pleasure and fomentation. The internal consistency parameters of the aspects; satisfaction Cronbach’s Alpha=0.59, pleasure Cronbach’s Alpha=0.48 and fomentation Cronbach’s Alpha=0.44 were determined. The total reliability point Cronbach’s Alpha=.731 was determined. Conclusion: Scales having enough qualities to test the attitudes of 12-16 year-old athletes towards combat sports was gained. It can be determined whether the attitudes of the athletes are negative or positive by applying to the licensed combat athletes or the students at school for skill analysis.

  16. Now and Then: Combat Casualty Care Policies for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Compared With Those of Vietnam

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Cordts, Paul R; Brosch, Laura A; Holcomb, John B

    2008-01-01

    Between December 2004 and June 2007, 13 key Operation Iraqi Freedom/ Operation Enduring Freedom combat casualty care policies were published to inform medical practice in the combat theater of operations...

  17. Determining If the Actions of African American Combat Forces during World War I Positively Affected the Employment of African American Combat Soldiers during World War II

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Doward, Jr, Oscar W

    2007-01-01

    ... them to be combat multipliers for future conflicts. The thesis identifies trends in African Americans' military service from the Revolutionary War through their actions along the Mexican border during the first decade of the 20th century...

  18. Mental health status of Sri Lanka Navy personnel three years after end of combat operations: a follow up study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raveen Hanwella

    Full Text Available The main aim of this study was to assess the mental health status of the Navy Special Forces and regular forces three and a half years after the end of combat operations in mid 2009, and compare it with the findings in 2009. This cross sectional study was carried out in the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN, three and a half years after the end of combat operations. Representative samples of SLN Special Forces and regular forces deployed in combat areas were selected using simple random sampling. Only personnel who had served continuously in combat areas during the one year period prior to the end of combat operations were included in the study. The sample consisted of 220 Special Forces and 275 regular forces personnel. Compared to regular forces a significantly higher number of Special Forces personnel had experienced potentially traumatic events. Compared to the period immediately after end of combat operations, in the Special Forces, prevalence of psychological distress and fatigue showed a marginal increase while hazardous drinking and multiple physical symptoms showed a marginal decrease. In the regular forces, the prevalence of psychological distress, fatigue and multiple somatic symptoms declined and prevalence of hazardous drinking increased from 16.5% to 25.7%. During the same period prevalence of smoking doubled in both Special Forces and regular forces. Prevalence of PTSD reduced from 1.9% in Special Forces to 0.9% and in the regular forces from 2.07% to 1.1%. Three and a half years after the end of combat operations mental health problems have declined among SLN regular forces while there was no significant change among Special Forces. Hazardous drinking among regular forces and smoking among both Special Forces and regular forces have increased.

  19. Mental health status of Sri Lanka Navy personnel three years after end of combat operations: a follow up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanwella, Raveen; Jayasekera, Nicholas E L W; de Silva, Varuni A

    2014-01-01

    The main aim of this study was to assess the mental health status of the Navy Special Forces and regular forces three and a half years after the end of combat operations in mid 2009, and compare it with the findings in 2009. This cross sectional study was carried out in the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), three and a half years after the end of combat operations. Representative samples of SLN Special Forces and regular forces deployed in combat areas were selected using simple random sampling. Only personnel who had served continuously in combat areas during the one year period prior to the end of combat operations were included in the study. The sample consisted of 220 Special Forces and 275 regular forces personnel. Compared to regular forces a significantly higher number of Special Forces personnel had experienced potentially traumatic events. Compared to the period immediately after end of combat operations, in the Special Forces, prevalence of psychological distress and fatigue showed a marginal increase while hazardous drinking and multiple physical symptoms showed a marginal decrease. In the regular forces, the prevalence of psychological distress, fatigue and multiple somatic symptoms declined and prevalence of hazardous drinking increased from 16.5% to 25.7%. During the same period prevalence of smoking doubled in both Special Forces and regular forces. Prevalence of PTSD reduced from 1.9% in Special Forces to 0.9% and in the regular forces from 2.07% to 1.1%. Three and a half years after the end of combat operations mental health problems have declined among SLN regular forces while there was no significant change among Special Forces. Hazardous drinking among regular forces and smoking among both Special Forces and regular forces have increased.

  20. A Decade of War: Prospective Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Deployed US Military Personnel and the Influence of Combat Exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donoho, Carrie J; Bonanno, George A; Porter, Ben; Kearney, Lauren; Powell, Teresa M

    2017-12-15

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric disorder among service members and veterans. The clinical course of PTSD varies between individuals, and patterns of symptom development have yet to be clearly delineated. Previous studies have been limited by convenience sampling, short follow-up periods, and the inability to account for combat-related trauma. To determine the trajectories of PTSD symptoms among deployed military personnel with and without combat exposure, we used data from a population-based representative sample of 8,178 US service members who participated in the Millennium Cohort Study from 2001 to 2011. Using latent growth mixture modeling, trajectories of PTSD symptoms were determined in the total sample, as well as in individuals with and without combat exposure, respectively. Overall, 4 trajectories of PTSD were characterized: resilient, pre-existing, new-onset, and moderate stable. Across all trajectories, combat-deployed service members diverged from non-combat-deployed service members, even after a single deployment. The former also generally had higher PTSD symptoms. Based on the models, nearly 90% of those without combat exposure remained resilient over the 10-year period, compared with 80% of those with combat exposure. Findings demonstrate that although the clinical course of PTSD symptoms shows heterogeneous patterns of development, combat exposure is uniformly associated with poor mental health. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

  1. El sector artesanal en México y el combate contra la pobreza.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Ángel Correa García

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo presenta reflexiones acerca de los programas sociales de combate a la pobreza en nuestro país, así como un análisis del contexto actual del sector artesanal. Para ello se realizó una descripción de los programas de combate a la pobreza realizados en México a partir de 1988 y las condiciones de pobreza en el sector artesanal. Se concluye que el Estado debe promover el acceso equitativo a los programas sociales e impulsar el crecimiento económico de capital humano, basado en estimular las capacidades emprendimiento de nuevos negocios formales que generen empleos bien remunerados para corregir las desigualdades entre la población.

  2. Biologically Costly Altruism Depends on Emotional Closeness among Step but Not Half or Full Sibling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paola Bressan

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We studied altruistic behaviors of varying biological cost (high, medium, and low among siblings of varying genetic relatedness (full, half, and step. In agreement with inclusive fitness theory, the relative importance of either reliable (such as co-residence or heuristic (such as emotional closeness kinship cues depended crucially on the costs of help. When help did not endanger the altruist's life, thus making reciprocation possible, emotional closeness was the strongest predictor of altruism; perceived physical and psychological similarity to the sibling amplified altruistic behavior via their association with emotional closeness. When help endangered the altruist's life, thus making reciprocation unlikely, the strongest predictor of altruism was the ancestrally valid kinship cue of co-residence duration. Emotional closeness predicted costly altruism only for step siblings; its effects were nonsignificant when siblings were genetically related. Our findings support the idea that emotional closeness promotes costly altruistic behavior by serving as a surrogate kinship cue when more reliable cues are missing.

  3. THE VAT SPLIT-PAYMENT MECHANISM, MEASURE FOR COMBATING TAX EVASION IN ROMANIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    IONUT - GHEORGHE CARAUS

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The need to improve the methods of collecting and detecting value-added tax amounts is an increasingly difficult process for tax authorities. In this respect, a rigorous analysis of the ways in which the state manages to prevent or combat VAT evasion, in the context in which VAT fraud accounts for about 60% of Romania's total tax evasion, is required. Therefore, the new provisions concerning the VAT split payments, applicable from January 1, 2018 for all categories of taxpayers, can contribute significantly to the efficiency of collection, of the amounts derived from the VAT, as well as to reduce tax evasion in the field of value added tax and providing a fair competitive environment, by eliminating benefits for economic operators with incorrect tax behavior who do not pay VAT to the State budget. Also, through these measures taken by the state, the main motivation for the introduction of the value added tax splitpayments mechanism, contributes to the increase of the voluntary compliance degree by providing the financial resources for the payment of VAT due to the State budget.

  4. Development and construction of COMBAT: a multi-planar silicon pixel tracker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, Vinicius Franco; Akiba, Kazuyoshi; Polycarpo, Erica

    2014-01-01

    In the present article the design of COMBAT (COMpactBrAzilian Telescope) a reduced radiation length tracking apparatus is discussed, along with a preliminary analysis on a 4 detector plane prototype measuring atmospheric muons (author)

  5. Parental Factors that Detract from the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Childhood Anxiety: Recommendations for Practitioners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Jerry V., III

    2012-01-01

    This article reviews the recent empirical literature on the various parental factors that detract from the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral treatment for children with anxiety. Interventions such as treating parental anxiety and increasing parental involvement in the therapeutic process may combat these factors. Newer strategies such as…

  6. Plan for Combat Operations (Battlefield Function 18) as Accomplished by a Direct Support Field Artillery Battalion. Volume 2: Assessment Package

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Mullen, William

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of the overall research program was to document the synchronization required by command and control tasks performed within the armored brigade to include combat support and combat service support units...

  7. Factors contributing to and strategies to combat emerging arboviruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callender, David Michael

    2018-04-17

    Less than half a century ago infectious diseases appeared to be destined to be extinguished via as a culmination of medical triumphs. As focus turned towards combating non-communicable diseases, emerging and re-emerging diseases (EIDs) have bloomed from those ashes. Five epidemic mosquito-borne arboviruses (Yellow Fever virus (YFV), Dengue virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, and Zika virus) have emerged in the recent past. Arboviruses are of the utmost importance with respect to EIDs due to intensive growth of globalisation, arthropod urban fitness/adaption, and environmental changes. We focus on recent outbreaks of the arthropod borne viruses (arboviruses) Zika virus and YFV. Factors contributing to the blossoming of EIDs (environmental, globalisation, and urbanisation) and combating strategies (surveillance, containment, and prevention) will be discussed. Specifically, Zika virus and YFV will be used in the context of these factors and strategies. YFV is discussed in detail as it pertains to these factors and strategies in the United States (US), 2017 Brazil Outbreak, 2016 Africa Outbreak, and global risk. Vigilance is needed to focus on, prevent, and control the current and next arbovirus EIDs.

  8. Oil combatting in a cold environment using bioremediation techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rytkoenen, J.; Liukkonen, S.; Levchenko, A.; Worthington, T.; Matishov, G.; Petrov, V.

    1995-01-01

    The clean-up of oil spills in the Arctic environment is often limited by severe and cold environmental conditions. Mechanical methods are usually considered to be most favorable for oil spill combatting. However, remote spill sites, long distances, severe environmental conditions and sensitive ecosystems mean that more advanced combatting techniques are also needed to back up conventional recovery and clean-up measures. This paper describes the results of macro-scale tests conducted by VTT Manufacturing Technology to study the effectiveness of biosorbent technology against marine oil spills. The use of biosorbents was studied as a joint research project involving VTT (Finland) and the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute (Russia). Selected biosorbent products of Marine Systems, U.S.A., and the Bios Group, Russia, were used in macro-scale tests conducted in a basin measuring 15.0 x 3.0 m in length and width, respectively. This paper outlines the macro-scale test project, including microbiological and chemical studies, supported by toxicity tests and various analyses to understand better the fate of oil, especially the degree of biodegradation during the test

  9. Perspectives on Sexual Health and Function of Recent Male Combat Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Drew A. Helmer, MD, MS

    2015-09-01

    Conclusions: Sexual dysfunction in recent combat veterans can have important negative effects on their health and relationships. Our findings elucidate perceived contributory factors and preferred solutions, which can be applied by health‐care providers to improve the management of sexual dysfunction in these patients. Helmer DA, Beaulieu G, Powers C, Houlette C, Latini D, and Kauth M. Perspectives on sexual health and function of recent male combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Sex Med 2015;3:137–146.

  10. Practices of weight regulation among elite athletes in combat sports: a matter of mental advantage?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, Stefan; Ekström, Marianne Pipping; Berg, Christina M

    2013-01-01

    The combination of extensive weight loss and inadequate nutritional strategies used to lose weight rapidly for competition in weight-category sports may negatively affect athletic performance and health. To explore the reasoning of elite combat-sport athletes about rapid weight loss and regaining of weight before competitions. Qualitative study. With grounded theory as a theoretical framework, we employed a cross-examinational approach including interviews, observations, and Internet sources. Sports observations were obtained at competitions and statements by combat-sport athletes were collected on the Internet. Participants in the interviews were 14 Swedish national team athletes (9 men, 5 women; age range, 18 to 36 years) in 3 Olympic combat sports (wrestling, judo, and taekwondo). Semistructured interviews with 14 athletes from the Swedish national teams in wrestling, judo, and taekwondo were conducted at a location of each participant's choice. The field observations were conducted at European competitions in these 3 sports. In addition, interviews and statements made by athletes in combat sports were collected on the Internet. Positive aspects of weight regulation other than gaining physical advantage emerged from the data during the analysis: sport identity, mental diversion, and mental advantage. Together and individually, these categories point toward the positive aspects of weight regulation experienced by the athletes. Practicing weight regulation mediates a self-image of being "a real athlete." Weight regulation is also considered mentally important as a part of the precompetition preparation, serving as a coping strategy by creating a feeling of increased focus and commitment. Moreover, a mental advantage relative to one's opponents can be gained through the practice of weight regulation. Weight regulation has mentally important functions extending beyond the common notion that combat-sport athletes reduce their weight merely to gain a physical edge

  11. Practices of Weight Regulation Among Elite Athletes in Combat Sports: A Matter of Mental Advantage?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, Stefan; Ekström, Marianne Pipping; Berg, Christina M

    2013-01-01

    Context The combination of extensive weight loss and inadequate nutritional strategies used to lose weight rapidly for competition in weight-category sports may negatively affect athletic performance and health. Objective To explore the reasoning of elite combat-sport athletes about rapid weight loss and regaining of weight before competitions. Design Qualitative study. Setting With grounded theory as a theoretical framework, we employed a cross-examinational approach including interviews, observations, and Internet sources. Sports observations were obtained at competitions and statements by combat-sport athletes were collected on the Internet. Patients or Other Participants Participants in the interviews were 14 Swedish national team athletes (9 men, 5 women; age range, 18 to 36 years) in 3 Olympic combat sports (wrestling, judo, and taekwondo). Data Collection and Analysis Semistructured interviews with 14 athletes from the Swedish national teams in wrestling, judo, and taekwondo were conducted at a location of each participant's choice. The field observations were conducted at European competitions in these 3 sports. In addition, interviews and statements made by athletes in combat sports were collected on the Internet. Results Positive aspects of weight regulation other than gaining physical advantage emerged from the data during the analysis: sport identity, mental diversion, and mental advantage. Together and individually, these categories point toward the positive aspects of weight regulation experienced by the athletes. Practicing weight regulation mediates a self-image of being “a real athlete.” Weight regulation is also considered mentally important as a part of the precompetition preparation, serving as a coping strategy by creating a feeling of increased focus and commitment. Moreover, a mental advantage relative to one's opponents can be gained through the practice of weight regulation. Conclusions Weight regulation has mentally important functions

  12. A meta-analysis of risk factors for combat-related PTSD among military personnel and veterans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Xue

    Full Text Available Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, a complex and chronic disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event, is a common psychological result of current military operations. It causes substantial distress and interferes with personal and social functioning. Consequently, identifying the risk factors that make military personnel and veterans more likely to experience PTSD is of academic, clinical, and social importance. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO were used to search for observational studies (cross-sectional, retrospective, and cohort studies about PTSD after deployment to combat areas. The literature search, study selection, and data extraction were conducted by two of the authors independently. Thirty-two articles were included in this study. Summary estimates were obtained using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias tests were performed. The prevalence of combat-related PTSD ranged from 1.09% to 34.84%. A total of 18 significant predictors of PTSD among military personnel and veterans were found. Risk factors stemming from before the trauma include female gender, ethnic minority status, low education, non-officer ranks, army service, combat specialization, high numbers of deployments, longer cumulative length of deployments, more adverse life events, prior trauma exposure, and prior psychological problems. Various aspects of the trauma period also constituted risk factors. These include increased combat exposure, discharging a weapon, witnessing someone being wounded or killed, severe trauma, and deployment-related stressors. Lastly, lack of post-deployment support during the post-trauma period also increased the risk of PTSD. The current analysis provides evidence of risk factors for combat-related PTSD in military personnel and veterans. More research is needed to determine how these variables interact and how to best protect against susceptibility

  13. A Meta-Analysis of Risk Factors for Combat-Related PTSD among Military Personnel and Veterans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuan; Kang, Peng; Wang, Meng; Zhang, Lulu

    2015-01-01

    Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a complex and chronic disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event, is a common psychological result of current military operations. It causes substantial distress and interferes with personal and social functioning. Consequently, identifying the risk factors that make military personnel and veterans more likely to experience PTSD is of academic, clinical, and social importance. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) were used to search for observational studies (cross-sectional, retrospective, and cohort studies) about PTSD after deployment to combat areas. The literature search, study selection, and data extraction were conducted by two of the authors independently. Thirty-two articles were included in this study. Summary estimates were obtained using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias tests were performed. The prevalence of combat-related PTSD ranged from 1.09% to 34.84%. A total of 18 significant predictors of PTSD among military personnel and veterans were found. Risk factors stemming from before the trauma include female gender, ethnic minority status, low education, non-officer ranks, army service, combat specialization, high numbers of deployments, longer cumulative length of deployments, more adverse life events, prior trauma exposure, and prior psychological problems. Various aspects of the trauma period also constituted risk factors. These include increased combat exposure, discharging a weapon, witnessing someone being wounded or killed, severe trauma, and deployment-related stressors. Lastly, lack of post-deployment support during the post-trauma period also increased the risk of PTSD. The current analysis provides evidence of risk factors for combat-related PTSD in military personnel and veterans. More research is needed to determine how these variables interact and how to best protect against susceptibility to PTSD. PMID

  14. CONSTANTA DIVING CENTRE’S CONTRIBUTION TO PREVENT AND COMBAT TERRORISM IN UNDERWATER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simona RUS

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The National Strategy on Preventing and Combating Terrorism, The Strategy of Romanian National Security, and the Concept for combat training of the Romanian professional divers, in conjunction with divers at any level (national, international, regional, all consolidate their efforts to fight against this serious threat to global security. For a correct assessment of the need for better protection of underwater structures and in full accord with European directives, The Diving Centre participates in efficient identification of risks, threats and vulnerabilities in the areas of responsibility.

  15. Jamming bacterial communications: new strategies to combat bacterial infections and the development of biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Givskov, Michael Christian; Hentzer, Morten

    2006-01-01

    The growth and activity of microorganisms affect our lives in both positive and negative ways. We have, since early times, tried to combat unwanted microbes and utilize those expressing useful traits. Microorganisms can cause diseases and chronic infections in humans, animals, and plants. In medi......The growth and activity of microorganisms affect our lives in both positive and negative ways. We have, since early times, tried to combat unwanted microbes and utilize those expressing useful traits. Microorganisms can cause diseases and chronic infections in humans, animals, and plants...

  16. The Guardian: Preliminary design of a close air support aircraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haag, Jonathan; Huber, David; Mcinerney, Kelly; Mulligan, Greg; Pessin, David; Seelos, Michael

    1991-01-01

    One design is presented of a Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft. It is a canard wing, twin engine, twin vertical tail aircraft that has the capability to cruise at 520 knots. The Guardian contains state of the art flight control systems. Specific highlights of the Guardian include: (1) low cost (the acquisition cost per airplane is $13.6 million for a production of 500 airplanes); (2) low maintenance (it was designed to be easily maintainable in unprepared fields); and (3) high versatility (it can perform a wide range of missions). Along with being a CAS aircraft, it is capable of long ferry missions, battlefield interdiction, maritime attack, and combat rescue. The Guardian is capable of a maximum ferry of 3800 nm, can takeoff in a distance of 1700 ft, land in a ground roll distance of 1644 ft. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 48,753 lbs, and is capable of carrying up to 19,500 lbs of ordinance.

  17. A Psychophysiologic Study of Weakening Traumatic Combat Memories With Post-Reactivation Propranolol

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Pitman, Roger K

    2008-01-01

    The objective of this project is to test whether the beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol, given following combat memory reactivation, results in a significantly greater weakening of traumatic memories...

  18. Effects of combat training on visuomotor performance in children aged 9 to 12 years - an eye-tracking study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ju, Yan-Ying; Liu, Yen-Hsiu; Cheng, Chih-Hsiu; Lee, Yu-Lung; Chang, Shih-Tsung; Sun, Chi-Chin; Cheng, Hsin-Yi Kathy

    2018-02-07

    Data on visuomotor performance in combat training and the effects of combat training on visuomotor performance are limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a specially designed combat sports (CS) training program on the visuomotor performance levels of children. A pre-post comparative design was implemented. A total of 26 students aged 9-12 years underwent 40-min CS training sessions twice a week for 8 weeks during their physical education classes. The CS training program was designed by a karate coach and a motor control specialist. The other 30 students continued their regular activities and were considered as a control group. Each student's eye movement was monitored using an eye tracker, whereas the motor performance was measured using a target hitting system with a program-controlled microprocessor. The measurements were taken 8 weeks before (baseline), 1 day before (pretest), and 1 week after (posttest) the designated training program. The task used for evaluating these students was hitting or tracking random illuminated targets as rapidly as possible. A two-way analysis of variance [group(2) × time(3)] with repeated measures of time was performed for statistical analysis. For the children who received combat training, although the eye response improvement was not significant, both the primary and secondary saccade onset latencies were significantly earlier compared to the children without combat training. Both groups of students exhibited improvement in their hit response times during the target hitting tasks. The current finding supported the notion that sports training efforts essentially enhance visuomotor function in children aged 9-12 years, and combat training facilitates an earlier secondary saccade onset.

  19. Childhood maltreatment and combat posttraumatic stress differentially predict fear-related fronto-subcortical connectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birn, Rasmus M; Patriat, Rémi; Phillips, Mary L; Germain, Anne; Herringa, Ryan J

    2014-10-01

    Adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been characterized by altered fear-network connectivity. Childhood trauma is a major risk factor for adult PTSD, yet its contribution to fear-network connectivity in PTSD remains unexplored. We examined, within a single model, the contribution of childhood maltreatment, combat exposure, and combat-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) to resting-state connectivity (rs-FC) of the amygdala and hippocampus in military veterans. Medication-free male veterans (n = 27, average 26.6 years) with a range of PTSS completed resting-state fMRI. Measures including the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Combat Exposure Scale (CES) were used to predict rs-FC using multilinear regression. Fear-network seeds included the amygdala and hippocampus. Amygdala: CTQ predicted lower connectivity to ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), but greater anticorrelation with dorsal/lateral PFC. CAPS positively predicted connectivity to insula, and loss of anticorrelation with dorsomedial/dorsolateral (dm/dl)PFC. Hippocampus: CTQ predicted lower connectivity to vmPFC, but greater anticorrelation with dm/dlPFC. CES predicted greater anticorrelation, whereas CAPS predicted less anticorrelation with dmPFC. Childhood trauma, combat exposure, and PTSS differentially predict fear-network rs-FC. Childhood maltreatment may weaken ventral prefrontal-subcortical circuitry important in automatic fear regulation, but, in a compensatory manner, may also strengthen dorsal prefrontal-subcortical pathways involved in more effortful emotion regulation. PTSD symptoms, in turn, appear to emerge with the loss of connectivity in the latter pathway. These findings suggest potential mechanisms by which developmental trauma exposure leads to adult PTSD, and which brain mechanisms are associated with the emergence of PTSD symptoms. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Military sexual trauma is associated with eating disorders, while combat exposure is not.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breland, Jessica Y; Donalson, Rosemary; Li, Yongmei; Hebenstreit, Claire L; Goldstein, Lizabeth A; Maguen, Shira

    2018-05-01

    There are strong associations among trauma and eating disorders. However, while trauma and eating disorders are more common among veterans than other populations, there is little information on how military-specific stressors affect eating disorder risk. This study's objective was to determine whether military sexual trauma and combat exposure were independent predictors of eating disorders among women veterans, a high-risk group. Participants were women age 18-70, using VA medical center services, without psychotic disorders or suicidal ideation (N = 407). We estimated a cross-sectional logistic regression model to predict eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder) as a function of military sexual trauma and combat exposure, adjusting for demographic variables. Sixty-six percent of participants reported military sexual trauma, 32% reported combat exposure, and 15% met eating disorder criteria. Mean age was 49 years (SD = 13); 40% were veterans of color. Women reporting military sexual trauma had twice the odds of an eating disorder compared to women who did not (odds ratio [OR]: 2.03; 95% CI [1.03-3.98]). Combat exposure was not associated with eating disorders. Asian race (OR: 3.36; 95% CI [1.26-8.97]) and age (OR: 1.03; 95% CI [1.01-1.06]) were associated with eating disorders. The high rates of military sexual trauma and eating disorders highlight a need for continued work. Results suggest that it may be useful to focus on women reporting military sexual trauma when implementing eating disorder screening and treatment programs. Given associations among trauma, eating disorders, obesity, and mortality, such efforts could greatly improve veteran health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Development of Flame Resistant Combat Uniform Fabrics Made from Long Staple Wool and Aramid Blend Yarn

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-15

    Kentwool recombed the wool top ( wool is first combed during the production of wool top); a second combing process is an optional step sometimes used in...RESISTANT COMBAT UNIFORM FABRICS MADE FROM LONG STAPLE WOOL AND ARAMID BLEND YARN by Parvez Mehta* Mitchell Driggers* and Carole...SUBTITLE DEVELOPMENT OF FLAME RESISTANT COMBAT UNIFORM FABRICS MADE FROM LONG STAPLE WOOL AND ARAMID BLEND YARN 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W911QY-11

  2. Combating plagiarism: the role of the health librarian.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spring, Hannah; Adams, Rachel

    2013-12-01

    This feature looks at the issue of plagiarism in health care students and the role of the health librarian in combating the problem. In particular, consideration is given to how plagiarism can occur and provides some examples from two UK universities of approaches health librarians can take in supporting students to avoid these common pitfalls. © 2013 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2013 Health Libraries Group.

  3. Combat-Related Facial Burns: Analysis of Strategic Pitfalls

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 01 JAN 2015 2. REPORT TYPE N/A 3. DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Combat Related Facial Burns...facial autograft failure, number and types of early eyelid release procedures, rates of concomitant facial fractures, associated fungal infec- tion...allograft or autograft. In a pro- spective observational study examining the late out- comes of grafting of burned faces, the surgeon debrided the wound

  4. Littoral Combat Ship Open Ocean Anti-Submarine Warfare

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-06-01

    maintain stealth and its defense in order to properly conduct an attack on a surface vessel (Sternhell and Thorndike 2014, 102). This statement...its target, the surface combatants can counter by increasing their speed (Sternhell and Thorndike 2014). While the maximum speed of the current...120316_PS.pdf Sternhell, Charles M, and Alan M Thorndike . 2014. “Antisubmarine Warfare in World War II.” CNA Analysis & Solutions. Accessed April 14, 2014

  5. A View of the Combat CAS: Unifying Net-Enabled Teams

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-01-01

    to the world; whereas a discourse mental model, or “picture” model in the con- ception of Wittgenstein (1922), represents the reference of...Chaos. New York: Simon and Schuster, 9-13. HINIKER | A View of the Combat CAS 33 Wittgenstein , L. 1922. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. London

  6. Women Warriors: Why the Robotics Revolution Changes the Combat Equation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    Secretary Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey, U.S. Department of Defense, “Elimination of the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment... Feminism and International Relations, eds. J. Ann Tickner and Laura Sjoberg, (London: Routledge, 2011): 146 and 162. Photos Page 100. Photo by IDF

  7. Acquisition of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon Increments II and III

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Jolliffe, Richard B; Meling, John E; Snider, Jack D; Klein, Kevin W; Thomas, Deborah J; Rodriguez-Velazquez, Zelideth; Milner, Jillisa H

    2006-01-01

    ...). The first report, DoD Inspector General Report No. D-2006-004, "Acquisition of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon," October 7, 2005, addressed an internal control weakness associated with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army...

  8. Anger, impulsivity, and anger control in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chemtob, C M; Hamada, R S; Roitblat, H L; Muraoka, M Y

    1994-08-01

    Empirical evidence of a relationship between combat-related PTSD and increased anger is lacking. In this study, 24 veterans of the Vietnam War with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scored significantly higher on an Anger factor comprising multiple measures of anger than did comparison groups of 23 well-adjusted Vietnam combat veterans and 12 noncombat Vietnam-era veterans with psychiatric diagnoses. In contrast, the 3 groups did not differ significantly on orthogonal factors, one of which comprised cognitive impulsivity measures and the other of which reflected motor impulsivity. Changes in heart rate in response to provocation loaded positively on the Anger factor and negatively on the 2 Impulsivity factors. Concurrent depression and trait anxiety did not have an effect on level of anger in individuals with PTSD. These empirical findings support and extend the clinical evidence regarding PTSD and anger.

  9. Skin lesions in Lorestan province chemically wounded combatants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    roghaye Jebraili

    2004-01-01

    Findings: All of the studied cases with mean age of 39.26 years old had skin manifestations among which the most common symptoms were itching , burning ,dry skin , scaling. From view point of lesions, the most common signs were erythema (81% , excoriation (87.9% and pruritic papules (49.5%. Final diagnosis in 78% of the patients was chronic dermatitis and in 7.7% of them was seborrhoeic dermatitis and in 8.8% both chronic and seborrhoeic dermatitis were observed .During exposure to chemical gases only 37.9% of these combatants had used special masks and 40% had properly worn special clothes to protect themselves which covered their body completely , but rest of them had either used protection instruments improperly or had not used them at all. Most of the lesions were in trunk , lower extremities , abdomen , head and neck .78% of the cases had multiple lesions Conclusion: Regarding the results of this study all of the chemical wounded combatants of Lorestan province suffer from different degrees of skin lesions , although more than half of them were not aware of kind and nature of the chemical gases , but it is suggested to do further studies on long-term effects of these chemical gases.

  10. Adverse childhood experiences and risk for suicidal behavior in male Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking PTSD treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Timothy D; Currier, Joseph M; McCormick, Wesley H; Drescher, Kent D

    2017-09-01

    Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with increased risk for suicide and appear to occur in disproportionately high rates among men who served in the U.S. military. However, research has yet to examine a comprehensive range of ACEs among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or whether these premilitary stressors may contribute to suicidal behavior in this highly vulnerable population. A sample of 217 men entering a residential program for combat-related PTSD completed measures for ACEs, combat exposure, and lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts. The majority of patients had experienced multiple types of adversity or traumas during childhood/adolescence. In particular, 83.4% endorsed at least 1 ACE category and 41.5% reported experiencing 4 or more ACEs. When accounting for effects of deployment-related stressors, we further found that accumulation of ACEs was uniquely linked with thoughts of suicide or attempts among these patients. Namely, for every 1-point increase on the ACE Questionnaire, veterans' risk of suicidal ideation and attempts increased by 23% and 24%, respectively. This brief report provides initial evidence that veterans seeking treatment for combat-related PTSD often have extensive histories of premilitary stressors that may increase suicide risk beyond probable deployment-related traumas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Combating Terrorism. The 9/11 Commission Recommendations and the National Strategies

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Parachini, John

    2004-01-01

    .... The objective was to have people think like the Jihadists. In the second part of the exercise, participants assessed how the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism prepares the country to contend with possible next moves of the Jihadist movement...

  12. Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI) to Combat Obesity, Heart Disease and Cancer

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI) to combat obesity, heart disease, and cancer are major components of the Community Health Data Initiative. This dataset...

  13. O 'combate' às doenças tropicais na imprensa colonial alemã 'Combating' tropical diseases in the German colonial press

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sílvio Marcus de Souza Correa

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Demonstra o quanto determinados jornais em língua alemã constituíram veículo de divulgação para o público leigo sobre o 'combate' às doenças tropicais. Pela imprensa, imigrantes e seus descendentes no Brasil eram informados não apenas sobre as doenças que acometiam os colonos alemães na África, mas também sobre medidas de saneamento, profilaxia, experimentos da medicina tropical etc. A partir de fontes hemerográficas, demonstra o quanto as comunidades alemãs no ultramar lograram compartilhar suas experiências em relação à saúde em regiões tropicais e/ou subtropicais.This article shows how much certain German language newspapers were a vehicule for reporting to the lay public on 'combating' tropical diseases. Through the press, immigrants and their descendents in Brazil were informed not only about the diseases which afflicted German colonists in Africa, but also about measures concerning sanitation, prophylaxis and experiments with tropical medicine, etc. Based on hemerographic sources, it shows how successful the overseas German communities were in sharing their experiences regarding health in tropical and/or sub-tropical regions.

  14. Plan for Combat Operations (Battlefield Function 18) as Accomplished by an Engineer Battalion Supporting a Heavy Brigade. Volume 1: Function Analysis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Anderson, Martin

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of the overall research program was to document the synchronization required by command and control tasks performed within the armored brigade, to include combat support and combat service support units...

  15. Plan for Combat Operations (Battlefield Function 18) as Accomplished by an Engineer Battalion Supporting a Heavy Brigade. Volume 2: Assessment Package

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Mullen, William

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of the overall research program was to document the synchronization required by command and control tasks performed within the armored brigade to include combat support and combat service support units...

  16. Psychopathological status, behavior problems, and family adjustment of Kuwaiti children whose fathers were involved in the first gulf war

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ohaeri Jude U

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives Following the end of the Gulf War that resulted in the liberation of Kuwait, there are no reports on the impact of veterans' traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD on their children. We compared the severity of anxiety, depression, deviant behavior and poor family adjustment among the children of a stratified random sample of four groups of Kuwaiti military men, viz: the retired; an active -in-the-army group (AIA (involved in duties at the rear; an in-battle group (IB (involved in combat; and a prisoners -of- war (POWs group. Also, we assessed the association of father's PTSD/combat status and mother's characteristics with child psychosocial outcomes. Method Subjects were interviewed at home, 6 years after the war, using: the Child Behavior Index to assess anxiety, depression, and adaptive behavior; Rutter Scale A2 for deviant behavior; and Family Adjustment Device for adjustment at home. Both parents were assessed for PTSD. Results The 489 offspring (250 m, 239 f; mean age 13.8 yrs belonged to 166 father-mother pairs. Children of POWs tended to have higher anxiety, depression, and abnormal behavior scores. Those whose fathers had PTSD had significantly higher depression scores. However, children of fathers with both PTSD and POW status (N = 43 did not have significantly different outcome scores than the other father PTSD/combat status groups. Mother's PTSD, anxiety, depression and social status were significantly associated with all the child outcome variables. Parental age, child's age and child's level of education were significant covariates. Although children with both parents having PTSD had significantly higher anxiety/depression scores, the mother's anxiety was the most frequent and important predictor of child outcome variables. The frequency of abnormal test scores was: 14% for anxiety/depression, and 17% for deviant behavior. Conclusion Our findings support the impression that child emotional

  17. Architecture for an integrated real-time air combat and sensor network simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Criswell, Evans A.; Rushing, John; Lin, Hong; Graves, Sara

    2007-04-01

    An architecture for an integrated air combat and sensor network simulation is presented. The architecture integrates two components: a parallel real-time sensor fusion and target tracking simulation, and an air combat simulation. By integrating these two simulations, it becomes possible to experiment with scenarios in which one or both sides in a battle have very large numbers of primitive passive sensors, and to assess the likely effects of those sensors on the outcome of the battle. Modern Air Power is a real-time theater-level air combat simulation that is currently being used as a part of the USAF Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC). The simulation includes a variety of scenarios from the Vietnam war to the present day, and also includes several hypothetical future scenarios. Modern Air Power includes a scenario editor, an order of battle editor, and full AI customization features that make it possible to quickly construct scenarios for any conflict of interest. The scenario editor makes it possible to place a wide variety of sensors including both high fidelity sensors such as radars, and primitive passive sensors that provide only very limited information. The parallel real-time sensor network simulation is capable of handling very large numbers of sensors on a computing cluster of modest size. It can fuse information provided by disparate sensors to detect and track targets, and produce target tracks.

  18. A tarefa dos intelectuais diante da realidade social: denúncia ou combate?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Borges Netto

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available O presente texto tem como proposta responder ao seguinte questionamento: qual a função do intelectual, denúncia ou combate? O que nos diz Florestan Fernandes sobre o papel do intelectual? Para correspondermos ao objetivo do texto, debatemos sobre as tarefas dos intelectuais no processo de transformação e democratização da sociedade brasileira, a partir dos escritos de Florestan Fernandes. Foi possível perceber que Florestan Fernandes segue uma tradição teórico-política de esquerda que defende a unidade entre ciência (teoria e política (prática. Disso compreende-se que Florestan Fernandes considera que tanto a denúncia quanto o combate são tarefas complementares inerentes à conduta do intelectual, porém, fica evidente o peso atribuído por ele à iniciativa prática da luta política, ao combate. Para melhor apresentarmos a nossa análise e os resultados construídos pelo nosso estudo, organizamos o texto da seguinte forma: 1 apresentamos o debate sobre os intelectuais nos escritos de Karl Marx e Antonio Gramsci; 2 analisamos o papel do intelectual no processo de transformação social nos escritos de Florestan Fernandes; por fim, tecemos nossas conclusões.

  19. Pacemaker reed switch behavior in 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging units: are reed switches always closed in strong magnetic fields?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luechinger, Roger; Duru, Firat; Zeijlemaker, Volkert A; Scheidegger, Markus B; Boesiger, Peter; Candinas, Reto

    2002-10-01

    MRI is established as an important diagnostic tool in medicine. However, the presence of a cardiac pacemaker is usually regarded as a contraindication for MRI due to safety reasons. The aim of this study was to investigate the state of a pacemaker reed switch in different orientations and positions in the main magnetic field of 0.5-, 1.5-, and 3.0-T MRI scanners. Reed switches used in current pacemakers and ICDs were tested in 0.5-, 1.5-, and 3.0-T MRI scanners. The closure of isolated reed switches was evaluated for different orientations and positions relative to the main magnetic field. The field strengths to close and open the reed switch and the orientation dependency of the closed state inside the main magnetic field were investigated. The measurements were repeated using two intact pacemakers to evaluate the potential influence of the other magnetic components, like the battery. If the reed switches were oriented parallel to the magnetic fields, they closed at 1.0 +/- 0.2 mT and opened at 0.7 +/- 0.2 mT. Two different reed switch behaviors were observed at different magnetic field strengths. In low magnetic fields ( 200 mT), the reed switches opened in 50% of all tested orientations. No difference between the three scanners could be demonstrated. The reed switches showed the same behavior whether they were isolated or an integral part of the pacemakers. The reed switch in a pacemaker or an ICD does not necessarily remain closed in strong magnetic fields at 0.5, 1.5, or 3.0 T and the state of the reed switch may not be predictable with certainty in clinical situations.

  20. Bi-Directional Tuning of Amygdala Sensitivity in Combat Veterans Investigated with fMRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brashers-Krug, Tom; Jorge, Ricardo

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Combat stress can be followed by persistent emotional consequences. It is thought that these emotional consequences are caused in part by increased amygdala reactivity. It is also thought that amygdala hyper-reactivity results from decreased inhibition from portions of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in which activity is negatively correlated with activity in the amygdala. However, experimental support for these proposals has been inconsistent. Methods We showed movies of combat and civilian scenes during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session to 50 veterans of recent combat. We collected skin conductance responses (SCRs) as measures of emotional arousal. We examined the relation of blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signal in the amygdala and ACC to symptom measures and to SCRs. Results Emotional arousal, as measured with SCR, was greater during the combat movie than during the civilian movie and did not depend on symptom severity. As expected, amygdala signal during the less-arousing movie increased with increasing symptom severity. Surprisingly, during the more-arousing movie amygdala signal decreased with increasing symptom severity. These differences led to the unexpected result that amygdala signal in highly symptomatic subjects was lower during the more-arousing movie than during the less-arousing movie. Also unexpectedly, we found no significant inverse correlation between any portions of the amygdala and ACC. Rather, signal throughout more than 80% of the ACC showed a strong positive correlation with signal throughout more than 90% of the amygdala. Conclusions Amygdala reactivity can be tuned bi-directionally, either up or down, in the same person depending on the stimulus and the degree of post-traumatic symptoms. The exclusively positive correlations in BOLD activity between the amygdala and ACC contrast with findings that have been cited as evidence for inhibitory control of the amygdala by the ACC. The

  1. Sexual Healthcare for Wounded Warriors with Serious Combat-Related Injuries and Disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tepper, Mitchell S

    2014-04-01

    Short of the rich literature on sexuality in men following spinal cord injury, started largely by physicians and mental health professionals within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system following earlier wars, little attention has been paid to the sexual healthcare of wounded warriors with other serious combat-related injuries. The recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan-Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND)-resulted in physical injuries including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), amputations, and serious burns. There are wounded warriors who are left blind or deaf, and a significant percent of OEF/OIF/OND warriors acquire other "invisible" injuries. While the signature injury of the war in Iraq is said to be TBI, there are a substantial number of service members surviving with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many with serious injury are struggling with co-occurring depression. Furthermore, many of our wounded warriors are surviving with polytrauma (multiple traumatic injuries, i.e., amputation plus burns). One specific constellation of injuries seen too frequently among our service members in Afghanistan is referred to as a Dismounted Complex Blast Injury (DCBI) sometimes resulting in orchiectomy and/or penile injury. As with other blast injuries, burns, shrapnel injuries, vision loss, hearing loss, TBI, and PTSD often accompany DCBIs. All of the above injuries have significant sexual, endocrine, psychological, and relationship issues that need to be addressed. This article presents an overview of the effects of serious, combat-related injuries on sexual health and provides medical and other health professionals a framework within which to address comprehensive sexual healthcare using a medical rehabilitation model. Sexual healthcare for persons with combat-related disabilities presents a complex array of biopsychosocial and relational issues that call for a coordinated

  2. Continuity and general perturbation of the Drazin inverse for closed linear operators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Castro González

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available We study perturbations and continuity of the Drazin inverse of a closed linear operator A and obtain explicit error estimates in terms of the gap between closed operators and the gap between ranges and nullspaces of operators. The results are used to derive a theorem on the continuity of the Drazin inverse for closed operators and to describe the asymptotic behavior of operator semigroups.

  3. Complexity of the Relationships of Pain, Posttraumatic Stress, and Depression in Combat-Injured Populations: An Integrative Review to Inform Evidence-Based Practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giordano, Nicholas A; Bader, Christine; Richmond, Therese S; Polomano, Rosemary C

    2018-04-01

    Understanding the complex interrelationships between combat injuries, physical health, and mental health symptoms is critical to addressing the healthcare needs of wounded military personnel and veterans. The relationship between injury characteristics, pain, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression among combat-injured military personnel is unique to modern conflicts and understudied in the nursing literature. This integrative review synthesizes clinical presentations and relationships of combat injury, PTSD, depression, and pain in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) United States military service members and veterans. A literature search was conducted using relative key terms across databases to identify peer-reviewed publications between 2001 and 2016 that examined health outcomes of combat-injured persons in OEF and OIF. The quality of evidence was evaluated and results synthesized to examine the association of combat injury as a risk factor for PTSD, the relationship of PTSD and depression pre- and postinjury, and pain management throughout care. Twenty-two articles were included in this review. Greater injury and pain severity poses risks for developing PTSD following combat injury, while early symptom management lessens risks for PTSD. Depression appears to be both a contributing risk factor to postinjury PTSD, as well as a comorbidity. Findings demonstrate a compelling need for improvements in standardized assessment of pain and mental health symptoms across transitions in care. This integrative review informs nurse researchers and providers of the clinical characteristics of pain, PTSD, and depression following combat injury and offers implications for future research promoting optimal surveillance of symptoms. © 2018 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  4. A GNR no combate ao consumo de estupefacientes e substâncias psicotrópicas

    OpenAIRE

    Moutas, Filipe

    2011-01-01

    O consumo de estupefacientes é um fenómeno incontornável nas sociedades modernas, em torno do qual orbitam inúmeros problemas que afectam o sentimento de segurança das populações. Por isto se torna importante saber qual o papel da GNR no combate a esse fenómeno. É neste contexto que surge este Trabalho de Investigação Aplicada no qual encerra o seguinte objectivo central: descrever qual o papel da GNR no combate ao consumo de estupefacientes e substâncias psicotróp...

  5. O papel da Guarda Nacional Republicana no combate e prevenção do ciberterrorismo

    OpenAIRE

    Dias, Pedro Miguel Viegas

    2017-01-01

    A presente investigação, subordinada ao tema “O Papel da Guarda Nacional Republicana no Combate e Prevenção do Ciberterrorismo”, tem como objetivo geral compreender, qual o papel da Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) no combate e prevenção do ciberterrorismo. A metodologia empregue foi qualitativa e quantitativa, e de caráter dedutivo, focando-se no papel da GNR e fazendo uma breve comparação com a Guardia Civil (GC). Recorre à análise documental e a inquéritos por entrevista...

  6. Molecular-state close-coupling theory including continuum states. I. Derivation of close-coupled equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorson, W.R.; Bandarage, G.

    1988-01-01

    We formulate a close-coupling theory of slow ion-atom collisions based on molecular (adiabatic) electronic states, and including the electronic continuum. The continuum is represented by packet states spanning it locally and constructed explicitly from exact continuum states. Particular attention is given to two fundamental questions: (1) Unbound electrons can escape from the local region spanned by the packet states. We derive close-coupled integral equations correctly including the escape effects; the ''propagator'' generated by these integral equations does not conserve probability within the close-coupled basis. Previous molecular-state formulations including the continuum give no account of escape effects. (2) Nonadiabatic couplings of adiabatic continuum states with the same energy are singular, reflecting the fact that an adiabatic description of continuum behavior is not valid outside a local region. We treat these singularities explicitly and show that an accurate representation of nonadiabatic couplings within the local region spanned by a set of packet states is well behaved. Hence an adiabatic basis-set description can be used to describe close coupling to the continuum in a local ''interaction region,'' provided the effects of escape are included. In principle, the formulation developed here can be extended to a large class of model problems involving many-electron systems and including models for Penning ionization and collisional detachment processes

  7. Imaging of Combat-Related Thoracic Trauma - Blunt Trauma and Blast Lung Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichtenberger, John P; Kim, Andrew M; Fisher, Dane; Tatum, Peter S; Neubauer, Brian; Peterson, P Gabriel; Carter, Brett W

    2018-03-01

    Combat-related thoracic trauma (CRTT) is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality of the casualties from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Penetrating, blunt, and blast injuries are the most common mechanisms of trauma to the chest. Imaging plays a key role in the battlefield management of CRTT casualties. This work discusses the imaging manifestations of thoracic injuries from blunt trauma and blast injury, emphasizing epidemiology and diagnostic clues seen during OEF and OIF. The assessment of radiologic findings in patients who suffer from combat-related blunt thoracic trauma and blast injury is the basis of this work. The imaging modalities for this work include multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) and chest radiography. Multiple imaging modalities are available to imagers on or near the battlefront, including radiography, fluoroscopy, and MDCT. MDCT with multi-planar reconstructions is the most sensitive imaging modality available in combat hospitals for the evaluation of CRTT. In modern combat, blunt and blast injuries account for a significant portion of CRTT. Individual body armor converts penetrating trauma to blunt trauma, leading to pulmonary contusion that accounted for 50.2% of thoracic injuries during OIF and OEF. Flail chest, a subset of blunt chest injury, is caused by significant blunt force to the chest and occurs four times as frequently in combat casualties when compared with the civilian population. Imaging features of CRTT have significant diagnostic and prognostic value. Pulmonary contusions on chest radiography appear as patchy consolidations in the acute setting with ill-defined and non-segmental borders. MDCT of the chest is a superior imaging modality in diagnosing and evaluating pulmonary contusion. Contusions on MDCT appear as crescentic ground-glass opacities (opacities through which lung interstitium and vasculature are still visible) and areas of consolidation that often do not

  8. The IAEA Nuclear Security Programme Combating Nuclear Terrorism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-01-01

    Discusses the four threats of nuclear terrorism,which are theft of a nuclear weapon, theft of material to make an improvised nuclear explosive device,theft of other radioactive material for an Radiological dispersal device and sabotage of a facility or transport. The IAEA Nuclear Security programme combating Nuclear Terrorism therefore adopts a comprehensive approach. The programme addresses the need to cover nuclear and other radioactive materials, nuclear facilities and transports, non-nuclear, medical and industrial applications of sources

  9. A tale of two fires: The relative effectiveness of past wildfires in mitigating wildfire behavior and effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert W. Gray; Susan J. Prichard

    2015-01-01

    The incidence of large, costly landscape-scale fires in western North America is increasing. To combat these fires, researchers and managers have expressed increased interest in investigating the effectiveness of past, stand-replacing wildfires as bottom-up controls on fire spread and severity. Specifically, how effective are past wildfires in mitigating the behavior...

  10. Gaining Through Training: Pilot Proficiency in Modern Combat Aviation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    training philosophy in their initial qualification unit. Later, when they implemented the same training philosophy at the operational combat units, crew...flying “the matrix,” referencing the Hollywood film portraying an extremely complex reality.6 The MQ-9’s cockpit design does not contribute to...training philosophy at the initial qualification course and operational squadrons in an attempt to improve situational awareness and decision- making

  11. What Is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... social worker. Developmental-behavioral pediatricians work closely with parents, families, and schools. Developmental-behavioral pediatricians understand that children’s development and behavior happen first and foremost in the ...

  12. Do countries consistently engage in misinforming the international community about their efforts to combat money laundering? Evidence using Benford's law

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deleanu, Ioana Sorina

    2017-01-01

    Indicators of compliance and efficiency in combatting money laundering, collected by EUROSTAT, are plagued with shortcomings. In this paper, I have carried out a forensic analysis on a 2003-2010 dataset of indicators of compliance and efficiency in combatting money laundering, that European Union

  13. Combating Impairments in Multi-carrier Systems: A Compressed Sensing Approach

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Shuhail, Shamael

    2015-05-01

    Multi-carrier systems suffer from several impairments, and communication system engineers use powerful signal processing tools to combat these impairments and keep up with the capacity/rate demands. Compressed sensing (CS) is one such tool that allows recovering any sparse signal, requiring only a few measurements in a domain that is incoherent with the domain of sparsity. Almost all signals of interest have some degree of sparsity, and in this work we utilize the sparsity of impairments in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and its variants (i.e., orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA) and single-carrier frequency-division multiple access (SC-FDMA)) to combat them using CS. We start with the problem of peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction in OFDM. OFDM signals suffer from high PAPR and clipping is the simplest PAPR reduction scheme. However, clipping introduces inband distortions that result in compromised performance and hence needs to be mitigated at the receiver. Due to the high PAPR nature of the OFDM signal, only a few instances are clipped, these clipping distortions can be recovered at the receiver by employing CS. We then extend the proposed clipping recovery scheme to an interleaved OFDMA system. Interleaved OFDMA presents a special structure that result in only self-inflicted clipping distortions. In this work, we prove that distortions do not spread over multiple users (while utilizing interleaved carrier assignment in OFDMA) and construct a CS system that recovers the clipping distortions on each user. Finally, we address the problem of narrowband interference (NBI) in SC-FDMA. Unlike OFDM and OFDMA systems, SC-FDMA does not suffer from high PAPR, but (as the data is encoded in time domain) is seriously vulnerable to information loss owing to NBI. Utilizing the sparse nature of NBI (in frequency domain) we combat its effect on SC-FDMA system by CS recovery.

  14. Evidence Synthesis and Translation for Nutrition Interventions to Combat Micronutrient Deficiencies with Particular Focus on Food Fortification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Lawrence

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Over two billion people suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Food fortification is a prominent nutrition intervention to combat such deficiencies; however, its effectiveness, risks, and ethical implications vary depending on the contexts associated with the deficiency it is addressing and the circumstances with its implementation. The aim of this research was to analyse the profile of nutrition interventions for combating micronutrient deficiency with particular focus on food fortification reported in existing systematic reviews (SRs, guidelines and policy statements, and implementation actions for nutrition. A review of secondary data available from online databases of SRs, guidelines and policy statements, and implementation actions, categorised as either “nutrition-specific interventions” (NSpI or “nutrition-sensitive interventions” (NSeI, was conducted. Currently, there is evidence available for a diversity of food fortification topics, and there has been much translation into action. Indeed, food fortification and micronutrient supplementation interventions and NSpI more broadly dominate the profile of interventions for which there were SRs, guidelines, and policy statements available. The findings demonstrate that, although there is a rational linear relationship between evidence synthesis and translation in formulating policy and actions to combat micronutrient deficiencies, the various nutrition interventions available to help combat micronutrient deficiencies are not equally represented in the evidence synthesis and translation processes. Effective and safe policies and actions to combat micronutrient deficiencies require decisions to be informed from a body of evidence that consists of evidence from a variety of interventions. Into the future, investment in making available a higher number of SRs, guidelines and policy statements, and actions of NSeI is indicated.

  15. Strengthening the EU Legal and Institutional Framework to Combat Transnational Financial Crimes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marchuk, Iryna

    The report examines the development of adequate legal tools and practices to combat transnational financial crimes such as money laundering, terrorism financing, corruption, transnational financial fraud, and investigates measures directed at strengthening the overall legal and institutional...

  16. The Combat System Design and Test Criteria for Iguana TM Armored Vehicles

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Alper, Irfan

    1999-01-01

    ... acoustic/IR signatures. The Iguana(trademark), a tracked vehicle concept based on a recently patented suspension and track design, could deploy to hot spots world-wide on peacekeeping and combat missions which require extra flexibility to adapt...

  17. 26 CFR 301.7508-1 - Time for performing certain acts postponed by reason of service in a combat zone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... postponed by reason of service in a combat zone. (a) General rule. The period of time that may be... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Time for performing certain acts postponed by reason of service in a combat zone. 301.7508-1 Section 301.7508-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE...

  18. Exposure therapy with and without virtual reality to treat PTSD while in the combat theater: a parallel case series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLay, Robert N; McBrien, Colleen; Wiederhold, Mark D; Wiederhold, Brenda K

    2010-02-01

    Exposure therapy (ET) has been observed to be an effective modality for the treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recently, efforts have been made to use virtual reality (VR) to enhance outcome with modes of ET. How such therapy applies to service members who are facing the reality of a combat deployment has been unknown. This case series documents the first use of VR-based therapy to the treatment of PTSD in a combat theater. Results of therapy are reported from a mental health clinic in Camp Fallujah, Iraq. Combat PTSD constituted a relatively small percentage of overall mental health patients seen. Those who did present with PTSD were offered VR-based ET or traditional ET. Patients who received either treatment modality showed significant gains, and no service member in treatment had to be medically evacuated because of ongoing PTSD symptoms. This demonstrates that ET, with or without the use of VR, can be an effective means of helping service members with mental health issues while they serve in theater.

  19. Radiation consequences of combatant radioactive substances tests on the Semipalatinsk Test Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strilchuk, Yu.G.; Osintsev, A.Yu.; Kuzin, D.E.; Bryantseva, N.V.; Bozhko, V.V.; Tonevitskaya, O.V.; Panitskaya, D.S.; Lukashenko, S.N.; Georgievskij, V.; Murley, R.; Wells, D.

    2008-01-01

    Nuclear explosions were not the only type of tests carried out on the STS territory. In 1953 - 1957 the STS territory was the area of testing of combatant radioactive substances (CRS). Combatant radioactive substances were liquid or powder-like combatment radioactive mixtures manufactured either from the wastes of radiochemical industry or by neutron irradiation of specally selected substances in nuclear reactor. Their specific activity ranged from tenths of Curie to several Curie per liter. CRS tests were made on testing grounds ''4'' and ''4A'' situated near northern outpost beyond the Opytnoye Pole (Experimental field). Dispersion of CRS was achieved by blasting of individual shells, bombardment of the area by mortar shells, bombardment from aircraft bombers or dispersion of CRS from airplanes. Investigations carried out in the past years on the territory of the testing grounds discovered fragments of metal products used in the CRS tests and over 30 areas of local radioactive contamination. 90 Sr was the main radioactive pollutant, whose specific activity in upper soil is as high as 5*10 8 Bq/kg; other radionuclides are presented by isotopes: 239+240 Pu, 152 Eu, 154 Eu, 137 Cs, 241 Am, 60 Co. The areas of radioactively-contaminated soil range from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of square meters with some of them expanding to distances of several kilometers. Concentration of radionuclides in soil and vegetation may be compared with that of radioactive waste

  20. School Administrators Strategies for Combating Corruption in Universities in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asiyai, Romina Ifeoma

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine corruption in universities with the aim of finding out the types/forms, causes, effects and measures for combating the menace. Four research questions guided the investigation. The study is a survey research, ex-post facto in nature. A sample of 780 comprising of students, academic staff and administrative…

  1. Phase change thermal energy storage methods for combat vehicles, phase 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, F. E.

    1986-06-01

    Three alternative cooling methods, based on latent heat absorption during phase changes, were studied for potential use in combat vehicle microclimate temperature control. Metal hydrides absorb heat as they release hydrogen gas. Plastic crystals change from one solid phase to another, absorbing heat in the process. Liquid air boils at cryogenic temperature and absorbs additional sensible heat as the cold gas mixes with the microclimate air flow. System designs were prepared for each of the three microclimate cooling concepts. These designs provide details about the three phase change materials, their containers and the auxiliary equipment needed to implement each option onboard a combat vehicle. The three concepts were compared on the basis of system mass, system volume and the energy required to regenerate them after use. Metal hydrides were found to be the lightest and smallest option by a large margin. The energy needed to regenerate a hydride thermal storage system can be extracted from the vehicle's exhaust gases.

  2. Paid counter-advertising: proven strategy to combat tobacco use and promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blum, A

    1994-01-01

    This article discusses the effectiveness of paid counter-advertising in combating tobacco use and promotion, the impact of the Fairness Doctrine, which mandated anticigarette television advertisements in the late 1960s, and reasons why the media today are reluctant to run antismoking advertisements. Although counter-advertisements can work very well, they should be image-based, rather than fact-based. Currently, tobacco companies promote a positive image of cigarette smoking and brand awareness. Most antismoking ads, however, tend to focus on the tobacco itself and its adverse effects on the smoker, rather than combating the images the cigarette ads promote. Urging counter-advertising to focus on the product, rather than to try to produce guilt in smokers, this article provides examples of paid counter-advertising strategies employed by Doctors Ought to Care to illustrate an image-based approach. Overall, the antismoking movement must guard against complacency and measure its success according to tobacco companies' declining revenues, rather than the number of public service advertisements in the media.

  3. A Case Study on Air Combat Decision Using Approximated Dynamic Programming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaofei Ma

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available As a continuous state space problem, air combat is difficult to be resolved by traditional dynamic programming (DP with discretized state space. The approximated dynamic programming (ADP approach is studied in this paper to build a high performance decision model for air combat in 1 versus 1 scenario, in which the iterative process for policy improvement is replaced by mass sampling from history trajectories and utility function approximating, leading to high efficiency on policy improvement eventually. A continuous reward function is also constructed to better guide the plane to find its way to “winner” state from any initial situation. According to our experiments, the plane is more offensive when following policy derived from ADP approach other than the baseline Min-Max policy, in which the “time to win” is reduced greatly but the cumulated probability of being killed by enemy is higher. The reason is analyzed in this paper.

  4. Anti-virulence approaches and novel peptidomimetics for combating resistant and biofilm associated bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Yang

    Anti-virulence approaches and novel peptidomimetics for combating resistant and biofilm associated bacteria The misuse and overuse of antibiotics has a broad impact on the environment. Antibiotic resistance has become a major threat for modern medical treatment of infectious diseases. There are m......Anti-virulence approaches and novel peptidomimetics for combating resistant and biofilm associated bacteria The misuse and overuse of antibiotics has a broad impact on the environment. Antibiotic resistance has become a major threat for modern medical treatment of infectious diseases...... consisting of microcolonies embedded in self-produced extracellular polymer substances (EPS). EPS can contribute to cell-cell adhesion and restrict antibiotic penetration. Biofilm cells show much greater resistance to stressful conditions than their free-living counterparts. Conventional treatment strategies...

  5. Basic Combat Unit of the Slovenian Armed Forces

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-09

    public sector .6 There are three main reasons why: 1. After Slovenia joined NATO, political support for the armed forces began to decline. Image...can put three $20 bills together, but if we have an $18 or $20 fight, we have a unit that’s capable of a better integration (with other forces) and... three different $20 bills . It has to be noted, that the U.S. Army did significantly reduce the number of types of combat brigades from seventeen to

  6. 'Combating' tropical diseases in the German colonial press.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa, Sílvio Marcus de Souza

    2013-03-01

    This article shows how much certain German language newspapers were a vehicule for reporting to the lay public on 'combating' tropical diseases. Through the press, immigrants and their descendents in Brazil were informed not only about the diseases which afflicted German colonists in Africa, but also about measures concerning sanitation, prophylaxis and experiments with tropical medicine, etc. Based on hemerographic sources, it shows how successful the overseas German communities were in sharing their experiences regarding health in tropical and/or sub-tropical regions.

  7. US policies on combating proliferation of nuclear weapons after the cold war

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tosaki, Hirofumi

    2005-01-01

    Combating nuclear proliferation has been one of the top priorities for the international community in the post post-Cold War era, and the United States has been taking initiative for tackling the problems. The current Bush administration has placed value high on the effective and concrete actions - including the use of military forces - for such efforts. It is imperative that such actions should be taken in resolving the nuclear proliferation. However, the United States has been criticized that it has disregarded the existing nuclear non-proliferation regime, and that its non-proliferation policy has given negative implications to the regime. Combating nuclear proliferation should be pursued in balanced approach with legitimacy, in consideration of the discriminately nature of the regime as well as of its three pillars - nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy. (author)

  8. Post-combat syndromes from the Boer war to the Gulf war: a cluster analysis of their nature and attribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Edgar; Hodgins-Vermaas, Robert; McCartney, Helen; Everitt, Brian; Beech, Charlotte; Poynter, Denise; Palmer, Ian; Hyams, Kenneth; Wessely, Simon

    2002-01-01

    Objectives To discover whether post-combat syndromes have existed after modern wars and what relation they bear to each other. Design Review of medical and military records of servicemen and cluster analysis of symptoms. Data sources Records for 1856 veterans randomly selected from war pension files awarded from 1872 and from the Medical Assessment Programme for Gulf war veterans. Main outcome measures Characteristic patterns of symptom clusters and their relation to dependent variables including war, diagnosis, predisposing physical illness, and exposure to combat; and servicemen's changing attributions for post-combat disorders. Results Three varieties of post-combat disorder were identified—a debility syndrome (associated with the 19th and early 20th centuries), somatic syndrome (related primarily to the first world war), and a neuropsychiatric syndrome (associated with the second world war and the Gulf conflict). The era in which the war occurred was overwhelmingly the best predictor of cluster membership. Conclusions All modern wars have been associated with a syndrome characterised by unexplained medical symptoms. The form that these assume, the terms used to describe them, and the explanations offered by servicemen and doctors seem to be influenced by advances in medical science, changes in the nature of warfare, and underlying cultural forces. What is already known on this topicService in the Gulf war is associated with an increased rate of reported symptoms and worsening subjective healthPost-combat syndromes have been described after most modern conflicts from the US civil war onwardsWhat this study addsThere seems to be no single post-combat syndrome but a number of variations on a themeThe ever changing form of post-combat syndromes seems to be related to advances in medical understanding, the developing nature of warfare, and cultural undercurrentsBecause reported symptoms are subject to bias and changing emphasis related to advances in medical

  9. 30 Brigade Combat Teams: Is the Army too Small

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-12-01

    brigade combat teams, Army end strength, boots on the ground to dwell time ratio 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 57 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION...into contingency operations (Bonds, Baiocchi, and McDonald 2010). Consequently, such a significant change in end strength has had an equally...Baiocchi and McDonald 2010). 11 The reason behind these findings was the increase in operational tempo attributed to the increased demand in both

  10. Surface rheology of surfactant solutions close to equilibrium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Baets, P.J.M.; Stein, H.N.

    1994-01-01

    In this paper the authors present surface rheol. measurements of various surfactant solns. close to equil. in a Langmuir trough. The authors find that the storage modulus is, in the systems investigated, higher than the loss modulus. The rheol. behavior depends strongly on the surfactant concn.,

  11. Combat-related intradural gunshot wound to the thoracic spine: significant improvement and neurologic recovery following bullet removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louwes, Thijs M; Ward, William H; Lee, Kendall H; Freedman, Brett A

    2015-02-01

    The vast majority of combat-related penetrating spinal injuries from gunshot wounds result in severe or complete neurological deficit. Treatment is based on neurological status, the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulas, and local effects of any retained fragment(s). We present a case of a 46-year-old male who sustained a spinal gunshot injury from a 7.62-mm AK-47 round that became lodged within the subarachnoid space at T9-T10. He immediately suffered complete motor and sensory loss. By 24-48 hours post-injury, he had recovered lower extremity motor function fully but continued to have severe sensory loss (posterior cord syndrome). On post-injury day 2, he was evacuated from the combat theater and underwent a T9 laminectomy, extraction of the bullet, and dural laceration repair. At surgery, the traumatic durotomy was widened and the bullet, which was laying on the dorsal surface of the spinal cord, was removed. The dura was closed in a water-tight fashion and fibrin glue was applied. Postoperatively, the patient made a significant but incomplete neurological recovery. His stocking-pattern numbness and sub-umbilical searing dysthesia improved. The spinal canal was clear of the foreign body and he had no persistent CSF leak. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging of the spine revealed contusion of the spinal cord at the T9 level. Early removal of an intra-canicular bullet in the setting of an incomplete spinal cord injury can lead to significant neurological recovery following even high-velocity and/or high-caliber gunshot wounds. However, this case does not speak to, and prior experience does not demonstrate, significant neurological benefit in the setting of a complete injury.

  12. Nutritional Composition of Australian Combat Ration Packs and Options for Improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-01

    UNCLASSIFIED Nutritional Composition of Australian Combat Ration Packs and Options for Improvement Executive Summary In 2008/09...Krispie 1x43g Confectionary Spread – Choc 1x50g Freeze Dried Rice 1x55g Fruit Grains, Mix Berry 1x15g Confectionary Spread – Vanilla

  13. Automated Battle Planning for Combat Models with Maneuver and Fire Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-01

    risk. Black squares block line of sight. Red squares are targetable by both red threats, and tan squares are targetable by only one. The damage... Nicolas Barriga, and Michael Buro. 2015. “Using Lanchester Attrition Laws for Combat Prediction in StarCraft.” In Proceedings of the Eleventh AAAI

  14. Development, implementation and evaluation of a process to prevent and combat workplace bullying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strandmark, Margaretha; Rahm, Gullbritt

    2014-11-01

    Our objective was to develop and implement an intervention program in collaboration with workplace personnel, to evaluate the process as a vehicle to prevent and combat bullying. The project emanates from a community-based participatory approach. We obtained data from individual and focus group interviews. We used grounded theory methodology, and made a comparative analysis before and after the intervention. Focus group interviews at the three first meetings indicated that those best positioned to prevent and combat bullying were the immediate supervisors, in collaboration with co-workers and upper management. The goal of zero tolerance toward bullying can be achieved if all concerned work together, using a humanistic value system, an open workplace atmosphere, group collaboration and conflict resolution. We developed an intervention, including lecturers and reflection groups, which ultimately resulted in an action plan. Focus group interviews at the fourth meeting, after the implementation, showed that employees were then more aware of bullying problems; the atmosphere at the workplace improved; the collaboration between and within the group was stronger; and the supervisor worked continuously to prevent and combat bullying, using the humanistic values suggested. We propose additional systematic work to implement our action plan and a conflict resolution system. The anti-bullying program implementation in the workplace achieved some success, but the intervention process is ongoing. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

  15. Non-Fermi Liquid Behavior Close to a Quantum Critical Point in a Ferromagnetic State without Local Moments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Svanidze

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available A quantum critical point (QCP occurs upon chemical doping of the weak itinerant ferromagnet Sc_{3.1}In. Remarkable for a system with no local moments, the QCP is accompanied by non-Fermi liquid behavior, manifested in the logarithmic divergence of the specific heat both in the ferro-and the paramagnetic states, as well as linear temperature dependence of the low-temperature resistivity. With doping, critical scaling is observed close to the QCP, as the critical exponents δ, γ, and β have weak composition dependence, with δ nearly twice and β almost half of their respective mean-field values. The unusually large paramagnetic moment μ_{PM}∼1.3μ_{B}/F.U. is nearly composition independent. Evidence for strong spin fluctuations, accompanying the QCP at x_{c}=0.035±0.005, may be ascribed to the reduced dimensionality of Sc_{3.1}In, associated with the nearly one-dimensional Sc-In chains.

  16. Role and Relative Effectiveness of Immune System for Combating Small Pox and AIDS

    OpenAIRE

    A. Taqaddas

    2014-01-01

    The human body has a complex system of innate and adaptive mechanisms for combating infection. This article discusses the role and relative effectiveness of these mechanisms in relation to small pox and AIDS.

  17. The influence of combat and interpersonal trauma on PTSD, depression, and alcohol misuse in U.S. Gulf War and OEF/OIF women veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassija, Christina M; Jakupcak, Matthew; Maguen, Shira; Shipherd, Jillian C

    2012-04-01

    The present study evaluated the impact of combat and interpersonal trauma exposure in a sample of 115 U.S. women veterans from Gulf War I and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on 3 postdeployment trauma-related mental health outcomes: posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PSS), depressive symptom severity (DSS), and alcohol misuse. Patients presenting for healthcare services at a Veterans Affairs postdeployment health specialty clinic completed screening questionnaires that assessed combat exposure, lifetime interpersonal trauma history of childhood neglect, physical, or sexual abuse, and adult sexual and physical assault. In a regression model, combat exposure was the only significant independent variable associated with PSS, DSS, and alcohol misuse (β = .42, .27 and B = 1.58, respectively) even after adding lifetime interpersonal assault exposure to the model. Results highlight the negative effects of combat exposure on treatment-seeking women veterans' postdeployment mental health. Incorporating combat exposure into routine screening procedures for Gulf War and Iraq and Afghanistan war women veterans can aid in mental health treatment planning. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

  18. What Schools Can Do To Combat Student-to-Student Sexual Harassment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, L. Dean; And Others

    1997-01-01

    By their silence and failure to combat peer sexual harassment, schools are serving as training grounds for domestic violence. Schools must establish a districtwide program of student peer sexual harassment prevention and intervention comprised of a school policy, an environmental survey of the problem, a grievance procedure, a training component,…

  19. Anti-money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism : Pakistan

    OpenAIRE

    World Bank

    2009-01-01

    This assessment of the anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) regime of Pakistan is based on the Forty Recommendations 2003 and the Nine Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing 2001 of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and was prepared using the AML/CFT assessment Methodology 2004, as updated in February 2008. The assessors reviewed the inst...

  20. Perception as a closed-loop convergence process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahissar, Ehud; Assa, Eldad

    2016-05-09

    Perception of external objects involves sensory acquisition via the relevant sensory organs. A widely-accepted assumption is that the sensory organ is the first station in a serial chain of processing circuits leading to an internal circuit in which a percept emerges. This open-loop scheme, in which the interaction between the sensory organ and the environment is not affected by its concurrent downstream neuronal processing, is strongly challenged by behavioral and anatomical data. We present here a hypothesis in which the perception of external objects is a closed-loop dynamical process encompassing loops that integrate the organism and its environment and converging towards organism-environment steady-states. We discuss the consistency of closed-loop perception (CLP) with empirical data and show that it can be synthesized in a robotic setup. Testable predictions are proposed for empirical distinction between open and closed loop schemes of perception.

  1. Physiological Implications, Performance Assessment and Risk Mitigation Strategies of Women in Combat-Centric Occupations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greeves, Julie P

    2015-11-01

    Women have historically featured in military conflicts, but were not formally integrated into the military until the 20th century; occupations were mainly restricted to clerical or support roles. An increasing number of occupations have been opened to women and the higher physical demands of combat roles present new challenges. Inherent biological differences between sexes require women to work harder when undertaking the same tasks as men. This is reflected, in part, by the greater risk of musculoskeletal injuries of women observed notably during integrated military training. Gender "neutral" occupational standards, based on the physical requirements of the role, will ensure that women are suitably selected to cope with the demands of military tasks with a minimal risk of injury and to operational effectiveness. Initiatives such as reduced running mileage and single-sex training have contributed to a reduction in lower-limb musculoskeletal injuries, but the risk of injury remains higher in women. Nevertheless, women experience substantial gains in aerobic power and strength with appropriate and targeted training, narrowing the gap in physical performance between the sexes. Evidence-based occupational standards and optimal training programs provide short-term solutions for integrating women in support combat, and indeed direct combat roles.

  2. Combating Sexual Assault

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-08-01

    interpretation of non-verbal, behavioral, and social signals underlying telephone conversations, video chats, and smartphone behaviors. These and...B. (2014). Alcohol use, military sexual trauma, expectancies, and coping skills in women veterans presenting to primary care. Addictive Behavior...Olmsted, K., Brown, J., & Bray, R. (2011). Alcohol use and negative consequences among active duty military personnel. Addictive Behaviors, 36(6

  3. Death on the battlefield (2001-2011): implications for the future of combat casualty care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eastridge, Brian J; Mabry, Robert L; Seguin, Peter; Cantrell, Joyce; Tops, Terrill; Uribe, Paul; Mallett, Olga; Zubko, Tamara; Oetjen-Gerdes, Lynne; Rasmussen, Todd E; Butler, Frank K; Kotwal, Russ S; Kotwal, Russell S; Holcomb, John B; Wade, Charles; Champion, Howard; Lawnick, Mimi; Moores, Leon; Blackbourne, Lorne H

    2012-12-01

    Critical evaluation of all aspects of combat casualty care, including mortality, with a special focus on the incidence and causes of potentially preventable deaths among US combat fatalities, is central to identifying gaps in knowledge, training, equipment, and execution of battlefield trauma care. The impetus to produce this analysis was to develop a comprehensive perspective of battlefield death, concentrating on deaths that occurred in the pre-medical treatment facility (pre-MTF) environment. The Armed Forces Medical Examiner Service Mortality Surveillance Division was used to identify Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom combat casualties from October 2001 to June 2011 who died from injury in the deployed environment. The autopsy records, perimortem records, photographs on file, and Mortality Trauma Registry of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner Service were used to compile mechanism of injury, cause of injury, medical intervention performed, Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score, and Injury Severity Score (ISS) on all lethal injuries. All data were used by the expert panel for the conduct of the potential for injury survivability assessment of this study. For the study interval between October 2001 and June 2011, 4,596 battlefield fatalities were reviewed and analyzed. The stratification of mortality demonstrated that 87.3% of all injury mortality occurred in the pre-MTF environment. Of the pre-MTF deaths, 75.7% (n = 3,040) were classified as nonsurvivable, and 24.3% (n = 976) were deemed potentially survivable (PS). The injury/physiologic focus of PS acute mortality was largely associated with hemorrhage (90.9%). The site of lethal hemorrhage was truncal (67.3%), followed by junctional (19.2%) and peripheral-extremity (13.5%) hemorrhage. Most battlefield casualties died of their injuries before ever reaching a surgeon. As most pre-MTF deaths are nonsurvivable, mitigation strategies to impact outcomes in this population need to be directed

  4. Comparison of a Distributed Operations Force to a Traditional Force in Urban Combat

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Babilot, Michael

    2005-01-01

    ...). The employment of a DO is compared to employment of a traditional Marine infantry platoon in an urban combat scenario based upon data obtained from Operation al-Fajr, conducted in Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004...

  5. Polymers for Combating Biocorrosion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Guo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Biocorrosion has been considered as big trouble in many industries and marine environments due to causing of great economic loss. The main disadvantages of present approaches to prevent corrosion include being limited by environmental factors, being expensive, inapplicable to field, and sometimes inefficient. Studies show that polymer coatings with anticorrosion and antimicrobial properties have been widely accepted as a novel and effective approach to prevent biocorrosion. The main purpose of this review is to summarize up the progressive status of polymer coatings used for combating microbial corrosion. Polymers used to synthesize protective coatings are generally divided into three categories: (i traditional polymers incorporated with biocides, (ii antibacterial polymers containing quaternary ammonium compounds, and (iii conductive polymers. The strategies to synthesize polymer coatings resort mainly to grafting antibacterial polymers from the metal substrate surface using novel surface-functionalization approaches, such as free radical polymerization, chemically oxidative polymerization, and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, as opposed to the traditional approaches of dip coating or spin coating.

  6. Fatigue of a Laterally-Constrained Closed Cell Aluminum Foam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Murthy Kolluri, N.V.V.R.; Mukherjee, M.; Garcia-Moreno, F.; Banhart, J.; Ramamurty, U.

    2008-01-01

    An experimental investigation into the constant stress amplitude compression–compression fatigue behavior of closed-cell aluminum foam, both with and without lateral constraint, was conducted. Results show that while the early stages of strain accumulation due to fatigue loading are independent of

  7. Meerkat close calling patterns are linked to sex, social category, season and wind, but not fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jelena Mausbach

    Full Text Available It is well established that animal vocalizations can encode information regarding a sender's identity, sex, age, body size, social rank and group membership. However, the association between physiological parameters, particularly stress hormone levels, and vocal behavior is still not well understood. The cooperatively breeding African meerkats (Suricata suricatta live in family groups with despotic social hierarchies. During foraging, individuals emit close calls that help maintain group cohesion. These contact calls are acoustically distinctive and variable in rate across individuals, yet, information on which factors influence close calling behavior is missing. The aim of this study was to identify proximate factors that influence variation in call rate and acoustic structure of meerkat close calls. Specifically, we investigated whether close calling behavior is associated with sex, age and rank, or stress hormone output (i.e., measured as fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM concentrations as individual traits of the caller, as well as with environmental conditions (weather and reproductive seasonality. To disentangle the effects of these factors on vocal behavior, we analyzed sound recordings and assessed fGCM concentrations in 64 wild but habituated meerkats from 9 groups during the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. Dominant females and one-year old males called at significantly higher rates compared to other social categories during the reproductive season. Additionally, dominant females produced close calls with the lowest mean fundamental frequencies (F0 and the longest mean pulse durations. Windy conditions were associated with significantly higher call rates during the non-reproductive season. Fecal GCM concentrations were unrelated to close calling behavior. Our findings suggest that meerkat close calling behavior conveys information regarding the sex and social category of the caller, but shows no association with f

  8. RELEVANCE OF WHOLE BODY VIBRATION EXERCISE IN SPORT: A SHORT REVIEW WITH SOCCER, DIVER AND COMBAT SPORT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morel, Danielle Soares; Dionello, Carla da Fontoura; Moreira-Marconi, Eloá; Brandão-Sobrinho-Neto, Samuel; Paineiras-Domingos, Laisa Liane; Souza, Patrícia Lopes; Sá-Caputo, Danúbia da Cunha; Dias, Glenda; Figueiredo, Claudia; Carmo, Roberto Carlos Resende; Paiva, Patrícia de Castro; Sousa-Gonçalves, Cintia Renata; Kütter, Cristiane Ribeiro; Guedes-Aguiar, Eliane de Oliveira; Cloak, Ross; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

    2017-01-01

    Whole body vibration exercise (WBVE) has been used as a safe and accessible exercise and important reviews have been published about the use of this exercise to manage diseases and to improve physical conditions of athletes The aim of this paper is to highlight the relevance of WBVE to soccer players, divers and combat athletes. This study was made through a systematic review of publications involving WBVE and the selected sports in two databases (Pubmed and PEDRo). It were identified 10 studies involving WBVE and sports (6 of soccer, 2 of diving and 2 of sport combat) with 156 subjects (80 soccer players, 32 divers and 44 combat athletes), with age from 17 to 44 years old. The use of WBVE has proven to be a safe and useful strategy to improve the physical conditions of players of different sports. These findings may have clinical relevance and should be considered as a strategy to be used to try improve the physical conditions of players.

  9. A Small Part of Which Empire?: Swaziland’s Combatants in the First World War, 1914- 1918

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Estella Musiiwa

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Based on archival material, this study explores the participation of Swaziland’s combatants in the First World War between 1914 and 1918. At the outbreak of the war it was imperative that Swaziland, as part of the British Empire, supports the British War effort. Caught up in South Africa’s long standing imperial motives, most of the combatants from Swaziland served in the war through the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force. Except for a few individuals who joined the war front in Europe on their own, the rest of the participants had to prove that they had participated in German South West Africa in order to qualify to serve on the war front in Europe. Most of them therefore served in German West Africa and Europe, or in German East Africa and Europe because South Africa had imperial interests in German West Africa and German East Africa. In serving the British Empire, Swaziland’s white combatants implicitly served South Africa’s conceptual or anticipated empire.

  10. Health-related quality of life among US military personnel injured in combat: findings from the Wounded Warrior Recovery Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodruff, Susan I; Galarneau, Michael R; McCabe, Cameron T; Sack, Daniel I; Clouser, Mary C

    2018-05-01

    Little is known about the long-term, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of those wounded in combat during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. The present study described the overall HRQOL for a large group of US service members experiencing mild-to-severe combat-related injuries, and assessed the unique contribution of demographics, service- and injury-related characteristics, and mental health factors on long-term HRQOL. The Wounded Warrior Recovery Project examines patient-reported outcomes in a cohort of US military personnel wounded in combat. Participants were identified from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database, a US Navy-maintained deployment health database, and invited to complete a web-based survey. At the time of this study, 3245 service members consented and completed the survey. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the unique contribution of each set of antecedents on HRQOL scores. HRQOL was uniquely associated with a number of demographics, and service- and injury-related characteristics. Nevertheless, screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (B = - .09; P < .001), depression (B = - .10; P < .001), or both as a set (B = - .19; P < .001) were the strongest predictors of lower long-term HRQOL. Postinjury HRQOL among service members wounded in combat was associated with service and injury experience, and demographic factors, but was most strongly linked with current mental health status. These findings underscore the significance of mental health issues long after injury. Further, findings reinforce that long-term mental health screening, services, and treatment are needed for those injured in combat.

  11. Closed-flow column experiments—Insights into solute transport provided by a damped oscillating breakthrough behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritschel, Thomas; Totsche, Kai Uwe

    2016-03-01

    Transport studies that employ column experiments in closed-flow mode complement classical approaches by providing new characteristic features observed in the solute breakthrough and equilibrium between liquid and solid phase. Specific to the closed-flow mode is the recirculation of the effluent to the inflow via a mixing vessel. Depending on the ratio of volumes of mixing vessel and water-filled pore space, a damped oscillating solute concentration emerges in the effluent and mixing vessel. The oscillation characteristics, e.g., frequency, amplitude, and damping, allow for the investigation of solute transport in a similar fashion as known for classical open-flow column experiments. However, the closed loop conserves substances released during transport within the system. In this way, solute and porous medium can equilibrate with respect to physicochemical conditions. With this paper, the features emerging in the breakthrough curves of saturated column experiments run in closed-flow mode and methods of evaluation are illustrated under experimental boundary conditions forcing the appearance of oscillations. We demonstrate that the effective pore water volume and the pumping rate can be determined from a conservative tracer breakthrough curve uniquely. In this way, external preconditioning of the material, e.g., drying, can be avoided. A reactive breakthrough experiment revealed a significant increase in the pore water pH value as a consequence of the closed loop. These results highlight the specific impact of the closed mass balance. Furthermore, the basis for the modeling of closed-flow experiments is given by the derivation of constitutive equations and numerical implementation, validated with the presented experiments.

  12. Organisational interventions to combat stress risks in the Netherlands : design oriented approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oeij, P.R.A.; Houtman, I.L.D.; Vaas, S.; Wiezer, N.

    2004-01-01

    The members of PEROSH, Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health, observed a need to enhance knowledge on the theme ‘Organisational interventions to combat psychosocial factors of stress’. A first step in doing so was to create opportunities to learn from each

  13. Organisational interventions to combat stress risks in the Netherlands: design oriented approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oeij, P.R.A.; Houtman, I.L.D.; Vaas, S.; Wiezer, N.M.

    2004-01-01

    One of several organisational interventions is described, namely Combat Workstress Approach (CWA), and its background in modern sociotechnology (MST) as a design oriented approach. CWA’s central goal is to assess and eliminate the sources of distur-bances in the work environment. Interventions aim

  14. Modeling and Simulation Behavior Validation Methodology and Extension Model Validation for the Individual Soldier

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-01

    domains. Major model functions include: • Ground combat: Light and heavy forces. • Air mobile forces. • Future forces. • Fixed-wing and rotary-wing...Constraints: • Study must be completed no later than 31 December 2014. • Entity behavior limited to select COMBATXXI Mobility , Unmanned Aerial System...and SQL backend , as well as any open application programming interface API. • Allows data transparency and data driven navigation through the model

  15. I Symposium of Elite Performance in Combat Sports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Montse C. Ruiz

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This report presents a summary of the I Symposium of Elite Performance in Combat Sports held in Madrid, May 27, 2017. The symposium, organized by the Faculty of Sport Sciences-INEF of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, aimed to bring science closer to practice. A panel of highly successful athletes involved in karate, fencing, and taekwondo shared their experiences. The speakers presented crucial topics for an optimal preparation and high level performance such as strength training, sport psychology, brain maturation, sports nutrition, competition planning, sport injuries, and perceptual-decision making training.

  16. Mitigation approaches to combat the flu pandemic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raman Chawla

    2009-01-01

    The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA, Government of India, with the active cooperation of UN agencies and other stakeholders/experts has formulated a concept paper on role of nonhealth service providers during pandemics in April 2008 and released national guidelines - management of biological disasters in July 2008. These guidelines enumerate that the success of medical management endeavors like pharmaceutical (anti-viral Oseltamivir and Zanamivir therapies, nonpharmaceutical interventions and vaccination development etc., largely depends on level of resistance offered by mutagenic viral strain and rationale use of pharmaco therapeutic interventions. This article describes the mitigation approach to combat flu pandemic with its effective implementation at national, state and local levels.

  17. Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism : Niger

    OpenAIRE

    World Bank

    2009-01-01

    The assessment of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime in Niger was conducted on the basis of the Forty Recommendations and the Nine Special Recommendations on the financing of terrorism drawn up in 2003 and 2001, respectively, by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and on the AML/CFT Methodology of 2004. The assessment was based on the la...

  18. Guidelines for the Prevention of Infection After Combat-Related Injuries

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-03-01

    Nosocomial Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs) Standard precautions Hand hygiene —always perform before and after each patient contact... infected with MDROs, likely because of nosocomial transmission in and out of the combat zone.14–16,18,19 Few antimicrobial agents reliably cover these...guideline. These guidelines also do not address the treatment of nosocomial infections associated with war trauma. All treatment facilities should establish

  19. Combating Stability Concerns and Promoting Development Through Literacy and Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-10

    concern amongst Korean students (McGinn 1980, 209). Parents stress education upon their children. The success of an individual’s child reflects upon the...parents and their status in society; the more success the child has, the more it pleases the parents (Center on International Education and...COMBATING STABILITY CONCERNS AND PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT THROUGH LITERACY AND EDUCATION A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S

  20. Nonoperative Management of Splenic Injury in Combat: 2002-2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-01

    recognized as the defini- tive treatment for splenic injury when Dr. Johnston reported 150 splenectomies for trauma in 1908.4 However, in 1968, Upadhyaya...management safe and effective for all splenic blunt trauma ? A systematic review. Crit Care 2013; 17(5): R185. 6. Joint Theater Trauma System Clinical Practice...2014. 7. Zonies D, Eastridge B: Combat management of splenic injury: trends during a decade of conflict. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2012; 73(2 Suppl 1

  1. Did John B. Watson Really "Found" Behaviorism?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malone, John C

    2014-05-01

    Developments culminating in the nineteenth century, along with the predictable collapse of introspective psychology, meant that the rise of behavioral psychology was inevitable. In 1913, John B. Watson was an established scientist with impeccable credentials who acted as a strong and combative promoter of a natural science approach to psychology when just such an advocate was needed. He never claimed to have founded "behavior psychology" and, despite the acclaim and criticism attending his portrayal as the original behaviorist, he was more an exemplar of a movement than a founder. Many influential writers had already characterized psychology, including so-called mental activity, as behavior, offered many applications, and rejected metaphysical dualism. Among others, William Carpenter, Alexander Bain, and (early) Sigmund Freud held views compatible with twentieth-century behaviorism. Thus, though Watson was the first to argue specifically for psychology as a natural science, behaviorism in both theory and practice had clear roots long before 1913. If behaviorism really needs a "founder," Edward Thorndike might seem more deserving, because of his great influence and promotion of an objective psychology, but he was not a true behaviorist for several important reasons. Watson deserves the fame he has received, since he first made a strong case for a natural science (behaviorist) approach and, importantly, he made people pay attention to it.

  2. Feigning combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder on the personality assessment inventory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calhoun, P S; Earnst, K S; Tucker, D D; Kirby, A C; Beckham, J C

    2000-10-01

    This study examined whether individuals who were instructed on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV]; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could feign PTSD on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991). The study also investigated whether PAI indexes of symptom exaggeration, the Negative Impression Management (NIM) scale and the Malingering index, could identify individuals feigning PTSD. The diagnostic rule for PTSD (Morey, 1991, 1996) was applied to the profiles of a group of 23 veterans with combat-related PTSD and 23 male undergraduates instructed to malinger PTSD. Seventy percent of the student malingerers produced profiles that received diagnostic consideration for PTSD. The NIM cutting score (> or = 8) was highly effective in detecting simulation of PTSD but resulted in the misclassification of a large number of true PTSD cases. There were no significant differences in the overall efficiency of the test with various validity criteria. We discuss the implications of these findings for the use of the PAI in the diagnosis of combat-related PTSD.

  3. Legal Approaches to Combating the Exploitation of Third-Country National Seasonal Workers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rijken, Conny

    2015-01-01

    The Directive on Seasonal workers is aimed at combating exploitative practices vis-a-vis seasonal workers from outside the EU. After a thorough analysis of the conditions under which practices can be qualified as exploitative, this article assesses the extent to which the directive is equipped to

  4. Cost effectiveness analysis of strategies to combat HIV/AIDS in developing countries.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hogan, D.R.; Baltussen, R.M.P.M.; Hayashi, C.; Lauer, J.A.; Salomon, J.A.

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the costs and health effects of a range of interventions for preventing the spread of HIV and for treating people with HIV/AIDS in the context of the millennium development goal for combating HIV/AIDS. DESIGN: Cost effectiveness analysis based on an epidemiological model.

  5. Evaluation of Combat Service Support Logistics Concepts for Supplying a USMC Regimental Task Force

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lenhardt, Thomas

    2001-01-01

    .... This thesis evaluates existing and proposed concepts on how to best use the CSSE resources of a Force Service Support Group to transport supplies to Regimental Combat Teams over constrained networks...

  6. Blast injury prevalence in skeletal remains: Are there differences between Bosnian war samples and documented combat-related deaths?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dussault, Marie Christine; Hanson, Ian; Smith, Martin J

    2017-11-01

    Court cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have seen questions raised about the recognition and causes of blast-related trauma and the relationship to human rights abuses or combat. During trials, defence teams argued that trauma was combat related and prosecutors argued that trauma was related to executions. We compared a sample of 81 cases (males between 18 and 75) from a Bosnian mass grave investigation linked to the Kravica warehouse killings to published combat-related blast injury data from World War One, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, the first Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan. We also compared blast fracture injuries from Bosnia to blast fracture injuries sustained in bombings of buildings in two non-combat 'civilian' examples; the Oklahoma City and Birmingham pub bombings. A Chi-squared statistic with a Holm-Bonferroni correction assessed differences between prevalence of blast-related fractures in various body regions, where data were comparable. We found statistically significant differences between the Bosnian and combat contexts. We noted differences in the prevalence of head, torso, vertebral area, and limbs trauma, with a general trend for higher levels of more widespread trauma in the Bosnian sample. We noted that the pattern of trauma in the Bosnian cases resembled the pattern from the bombing in buildings civilian contexts. Variation in trauma patterns can be attributed to the influence of protective armour; the context of the environment; and the type of munition and its injuring mechanism. Blast fracture injuries sustained in the Bosnian sample showed patterns consistent with a lack of body armour, blast effects on people standing in enclosed buildings and the use of explosive munitions. Copyright © 2017 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Deployment and Dehumanization: A Multi-Method Study of Combat Soldiers’ Loss of Empathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brænder, Morten

    2015-01-01

    Studies in soldier motivation and socialization have shown that servicemen's level of compassion decreases following deployment to war. This may to some extent be explained by the transgressive nature of the combat soldier's service : the soldier puts himself in harm's way, and must if necessary...... kill the enemy. Hence, a certain 'emotional distance' may be required for him to cope with deployment life. To kill the enemy, it might be necessary for the soldier to deprive the enemy of his human capacities, to dehumanize him. However, by combining quantitative and qualitative methods, this study...... suggests that the enemy is not the only one who is dehumanized. The data analyzed were collected immediately before and after deployment of Danish combat soldiers to Helmand, Afghanistan. Quantitative findings show that the soldiers' empathetic motivation to serve civilians, compatriots and other soldiers...

  8. Emotion Regulation Training for Training Warfighters with Combat Related PTSD Using Real Time fMRI and EEG Assisted Neurofeedback

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-12-1-0607 TITLE: Emotion Regulation Training for Treating Warfighters with Combat-Related PTSD Using Real-Time fMRI...TYPE Annual 3. DATES COVERED 30 Sep 2015 - 29 Sep 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Emotion Regulation Training for Treating Warfighters with Combat...emphasize dysregulation of the amygdala, which is involved in the regulation of PTSD-relevant emotions . We are utilizing real-time functional magnetic

  9. Close to Kill: Vestigial Technologies and Combat Arms

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    Armor (Philadelphia, PA: Chilton Books , 1962), 77. 35 For detailed accounts on individuals, to include James D. Bulloch and Lieutenant James H. North...third-order effects when the transportation routes were needed later on. plants were secondhand ...to access the firearms in timely manner. See Martin J. Brayley, Bayonets: An Illustrated History (Iola, WI: KP Books , 2004). Evans, The Bayonet

  10. Optimizing fitness for duty and post-combat clinical services for military personnel and combat veterans with ADHD-a systematic review of the current literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanov, Iliyan; Yehuda, Rachel

    2014-01-01

    Attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder, most often diagnosed in childhood, and characterized by hyperactivity and inattention that negatively impacts one's ability to function and fulfill social and personal obligations. Individuals with past history of ADHD may enlist in the military under certain conditions, however the full impact of military training and deployment of later in life ADHD symptoms is unclear. It is of particular interest how military experience may affect ADHD in remission and if such individuals might be at elevated risk for relapse of ADHD symptoms. We performed a systematic review f the available literature including the Department of Defense (DOD) guidelines for both eligibility to enlist and fitness for deployment based on reported history and current symptomatology of ADHD. The after care for veterans with ADHD relapse is inconsistent and presents with number of challenges. We evaluate the DOD policies regarding the implications of ADHD for fitness for military service and post-combat mental health. The full extend of the interaction between pre-existing ADHD and post-combat PTSD are not fully understood. The development of comprehensive and clear algorithms for diagnosing and treating ADHD in the military before and after deployment will have a strong positive impact on the quality of care delivered to soldiers and veterans.

  11. Characteristic Processes in Close Peer Friendships of Preterm Infants at Age 12

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mary C. Sullivan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Close friendships become important at middle-school age and are unexplored in adolescents born prematurely. The study aimed to characterize friendship behaviors of formerly preterm infants at age 12 and explore similarities and differences between preterm and full-term peers on dyadic friendship types. From the full sample of N=186, one hundred sixty-six 12-year-old adolescents (40 born full term, 126 born preterm invited a close friend to a 1.5 hour videotaped laboratory play session. Twenty adolescents were unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts or developmental disability. Characteristic friendship behaviors were identified by Q-sort followed by Q-factoring analysis. Friendship duration, age, and contact differed between the full-term and preterm groups but friendship activities, behaviors, and quality were similar despite school service use. Three Q-factors, leadership, distancing, and mutual playfulness, were most characteristic of all dyads, regardless of prematurity. These prospective, longitudinal findings demonstrate diminished prematurity effects at adolescence in peer friendship behavior and reveal interpersonal dyadic processes that are important to peer group affiliation and other areas of competence.

  12. Critical behavior of the spontaneous polarization and the dielectric susceptibility close to the cubic-tetragonal transition in BaTiO3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Yurtseven

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Using Landau mean field model, the spontaneous polarization and the dielectric susceptibility are analyzed as functions of temperature and pressure close to the cubic–tetragonal (ferroelectric–paraelectric transition in BaTiO3. From the analysis of the dielectric susceptibility and the spontaneous polarization, the critical exponents are deduced in the classical and quantum limits for BaTiO3. From the critical behavior of the dielectric susceptibility, the spontaneous polarization can be described for the ferroelectric–paraelectric (cubic to tetragonal transition between 4 and 8 GPa at constant temperatures of 0 to 200 K in BaTiO3 within the Landau mean field model given here.

  13. Combat veterans, mental health issues, and the death penalty: addressing the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giardino, Anthony E

    2009-05-01

    More than 1.5 million Americans have participated in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past seven years. Some of these veterans have subsequently committed capital crimes and found themselves in our nation's criminal justice system. This Essay argues that combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury at the time of their offenses should not be subject to the death penalty.Offering mitigating evidence regarding military training, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury presents one means that combat veterans may use to argue for their lives during the sentencing phase of their trials. Alternatively, Atkins v. Virginia and Roper v. Simmons offer a framework for establishing a legislatively or judicially created categorical exclusion for these offenders, exempting them from the death penalty as a matter of law. By understanding how combat service and service-related injuries affect the personal culpability of these offenders, the legal system can avoid the consequences of sentencing to death America's mentally wounded warriors, ensuring that only the worst offenders are subject to the ultimate punishment.

  14. Military sexual trauma, combat exposure, and negative urgency as independent predictors of PTSD and subsequent alcohol problems among OEF/OIF veterans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahn, Austin M; Tirabassi, Christine K; Simons, Raluca M; Simons, Jeffrey S

    2015-11-01

    This study tested a path model of relationships between military sexual trauma (MST), combat exposure, negative urgency, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol use and related problems. The sample consisted of 86 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans who reported drinking at least one alcoholic beverage per week. PTSD mediated the relationships between MST and alcohol-related problems, negative urgency and alcohol-related problems, and combat exposure and alcohol-related problems. In addition, negative urgency had a direct effect on alcohol problems. These results indicate that MST, combat exposure, and negative urgency independently predict PTSD symptoms and PTSD symptoms mediate their relationship with alcohol-related problems. Findings support previous literature on the effect of combat exposure and negative urgency on PTSD and subsequent alcohol-related problems. The current study also contributes to the limited research regarding the relationship between MST, PSTD, and alcohol use and related problems. Clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotional dysregulation and posttraumatic stress symptomology may subsequently improve alcohol-related outcomes. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Nonlinear Stochastic Models for Water Level Dynamics in Closed Lakes

    OpenAIRE

    Mishchenko, A.S.; Zelikin, M.I.; Zelikina, L.F.

    1995-01-01

    This paper presents the results of investigation of nonlinear mathematical models of the behavior of closed lakes using the example of the Caspian Sea. Forecasting the level of the Caspian Sea is crucial both for the economy of the region and for the region's environment. The Caspian Sea is a closed reservoir; it is well known that its level changes considerably due to a variety of factors including global climate change. A series of forecasts exists based on different methods and taking...

  16. The 0302/1802/1803 MOS Merger: Infantry and Combat Arms One in the Same

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lewis, Brian R

    2008-01-01

    ...) 1802, 1802 and 0302 into a single entity. The aggregate result of this merger will provide commanders with a multi-talented ground combat officer thereby capitalizing on the Marine Corps' scarce manpower resources...

  17. Multi-Agent Coordination Techniques for Naval Tactical Combat Resources Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-07-01

    resource coordination and cooperation problems. The combat resource allocation planning problem is treated in the companion report [2]. 2.3 Resource...report focuses on the resource coordination problem, while allocation algorithms are discussed in the companion report [2]. First, coordination in...classification of each should be indicated as with the title.) Canada’s Leader in Defence and National Security Science and Technology Chef de file au Canada en

  18. Attention training normalises combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder effects on emotional Stroop performance using lexically matched word lists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khanna, Maya M; Badura-Brack, Amy S; McDermott, Timothy J; Shepherd, Alex; Heinrichs-Graham, Elizabeth; Pine, Daniel S; Bar-Haim, Yair; Wilson, Tony W

    2015-08-26

    We examined two groups of combat veterans, one with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (n = 27) and another without PTSD (n = 16), using an emotional Stroop task (EST) with word lists matched across a series of lexical variables (e.g. length, frequency, neighbourhood size, etc.). Participants with PTSD exhibited a strong EST effect (longer colour-naming latencies for combat-relevant words as compared to neutral words). Veterans without PTSD produced no such effect, t  .37. Participants with PTSD then completed eight sessions of attention training (Attention Control Training or Attention Bias Modification Training) with a dot-probe task utilising threatening and neutral faces. After training, participants-especially those undergoing Attention Control Training-no longer produced longer colour-naming latencies for combat-related words as compared to other words, indicating normalised attention allocation processes after treatment.

  19. Related Fact Checks: a tool for combating fake news

    OpenAIRE

    Guha, Sreya

    2017-01-01

    The emergence of "Fake News" and misinformation via online news and social media has spurred an interest in computational tools to combat this phenomenon. In this paper we present a new "Related Fact Checks" service, which can help a reader critically evaluate an article and make a judgment on its veracity by bringing up fact checks that are relevant to the article. We describe the core technical problems that need to be solved in building a "Related Fact Checks" service, and present results ...

  20. Surface combatant readiness to confront a sea control navy

    OpenAIRE

    Wissel, Nicholas E.

    2008-01-01

    This thesis proposes to correct the shortfalls in the US Surface Combatants ability to counter a Sea-Control Navy. The concept counters this threat using unmanned aerial systems, decoys, and a layered defense. We analyze the performance with a Filtering Model of Salvo Warfare that is an extension of the Hughes Salvo Equations. The model incorporates the diluting effect of decoys upon enemy salvos and accounts for the historical reality of leakers. We conclude that in the absence of air suppor...