The impact of airport characteristics on airport surface accidents and incidents.

INTRODUCTION: Airport surface safety and in particular runway and taxiway safety is acknowledged globally as one of aviation's greatest challenges. To improve this key area of aviation safety, it is necessary to identify and understand the causal and contributing factors on safety occurrences. While the contribution of human factors, operations, and procedures has been researched extensively, the impact of the airport and its associated characteristics itself has received little or no attention. METHOD: This paper introduces a novel methodology for risk and hazard assessment of airport surface operations, and models the relationships between airport characteristics, and (a) the rate of occurrences, (b) the severity of occurrences, and (c) the causal factors underlying occurrences. RESULTS: The results show for the first time how the characteristics of airports, and in particular its infrastructure and operations, influence the safety of surface operations.

Modelling runway incursion severity.

Analysis of the causes underlying runway incursions is fundamental for the development of effective mitigation measures. However, there are significant weaknesses in the current methods to model these factors. This paper proposes a structured framework for modelling causal factors and their relationship to severity, which includes a description of the airport surface system architecture, establishment of terminological definitions, the determination and collection of appropriate data, the analysis of occurrences for severity and causes, and the execution of a statistical analysis framework. It is implemented in the context of U.S. airports, enabling the identification of a number of priority interventions, including the need for better investigation and causal factor capture, recommendations for airfield design, operating scenarios and technologies, and better training for human operators in the system. The framework is recommended for the analysis of runway incursions to support safety improvements and the methodology is transferable to other areas of aviation safety risk analysis.

Reliability of a test measuring transversus abdominis muscle recruitment with a pressure biofeedback unit.

BACKGROUND: There are indications that segmental stabilising exercises (SSEs) are effective in the treatment of low back pain. The evaluation of successful training in SSE performance in patients requires a reliable outcome measure. The PRONE test gives an indication of the activity of the transversus abdominis muscle. Performed in prone lying using a pressure biofeedback unit, it has been used as an aid to training and to assess the subject's ability to perform SSEs correctly. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate inter-observer and test-retest reliability of the PRONE test. DESIGN: Repeated measures by three observers on 2 days. SETTING: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. PARTICIPANTS: Forty nurses (39 females and one male), aged between 24 and 62 years, with at least one episode of low back pain. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: During the test, movement of the abdominal wall was monitored by measuring a change in pressure during muscle contraction termed 'abdominal hollowing'. Defined observation and palpation criteria were verified by the observers to ensure correct execution of the test. METHODS: Participants were tested on two separate days. On the first day, Observer A performed two similar test sets, each with four exercises. On the second test day, Observers B and C conducted one test set each. RESULTS: This study found an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.47 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20 to 0.67] for inter-observer reliability, and an ICC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.90) for test-retest reliability. Kappa values and the limits of agreement were also calculated with similar results. CONCLUSIONS: For this subject group, the PRONE test had relatively low inter-observer reliability but, as may be expected, higher test-retest reliability. It is suggested that by providing visual feedback, the PRONE test may enhance patients' insight into their deep abdominal muscle recruitment and thereby increase their motivation to exercise.

ICF Core Set for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions in the acute hospital.

PURPOSE: The aim of this consensus process was to decide on a first version of the ICF Core Set for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions in the acute hospital. METHODS: The ICF Core Set development involved a formal decision-making and consensus process, integrating evidence gathered from preliminary studies including focus groups of health professionals, a systematic review of the literature and empiric data collection from patients. RESULTS: Twenty-two experts selected a total of 48 second-level categories. The largest number of categories was selected from the ICF component Body Functions (21 categories or 44%). Four (8%) of the categories were selected from the component Body Structures, 10 (21%) from the component Activities and Participation, and 13 (27%) from the component Environmental Factors. CONCLUSION: The Acute ICF Core Set for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions provides all professionals with a clinical framework to comprehensively assess patients in the acute hospital. This first ICF Core Set will be further tested through empiric studies in German-speaking countries and internationally.

ICF Core Set for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions in early post-acute rehabilitation facilities.

PURPOSE: The aim of this consensus process was to decide on a first version of the ICF Core Set for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions in early post-acute rehabilitation facilities. METHODS: The ICF Core Set development involved a formal decision-making and consensus process integrating evidence gathered from preliminary studies including focus groups of health professionals, a systematic review of the literature and empiric data collection from patients. RESULTS: Seventeen experts selected a total of 84 second-level categories. The largest number of categories was selected from the ICF component Body Functions (33 categories or 39% of all ICF Core Set categories). Four (5%) of the categories were selected from the component Body Structures, 23 (27%) from the component Activities and Participation, and 24 (29%) from the component Environmental Factors. CONCLUSIONS: The Post-acute ICF Core Set for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions is a clinical framework to comprehensively assess patients in early post-acute rehabilitation facilities, particularly in an interdisciplinary setting. This first ICF Core Set will be further tested through empiric studies in German-speaking countries and internationally.