Normative Performance Measurement in Simulated Air Combat.

BACKGROUND: Normative performance (NP) describes the pilots adherence to tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Until now, there has not been a global NP measurement technique for beyond visual range (BVR) air combat, and the methodology and technology related to the evaluation of NP have fallen behind the pace of the overall technical progress of distributed mission operations (DMO) training.METHODS: Platform-independent core air combat tasks were identified. The execution of these tasks is directed with TTPs. BVR air combat missions were flown in a DMO simulator system and the design NP was varied between missions. Observers viewed debriefs of these missions and attempted to identify TTP-regulated air combat tasks. Once identified, they scored the pilots NP in those tasks. The scoring was based on the level of TTP adherence and the impact a nonadherence had on the mission accomplishment.RESULTS: All observers were able to identify most of the TTP-regulated air combat tasks. There was a strong positive correlation between the observed and design NP scores. The overall Kappa indicated a fair agreement between the observers. The percentage of observers NP assessments which agreed with the design NP varied from 49.60 to 85.28% in different air combat missions. On average, 73.9%6 of the observers NP scores agreed with the design NP scores.CONCLUSIONS: Observers were able to accurately identify TTP-regulated tasks and score NP of these tasks during an air combat debrief. There was a moderate agreement between the observers NP scores.Mansikka H, Virtanen K, Mkinen L, Harris D. Normative performance measurement in simulated air combat. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(11):908-912.

Thermocontrolled Reversible Enzyme Complexation-Inactivation-Protection by Poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide).

A prospective technology for reversible enzyme complexation accompanied with its inactivation and protection followed by reactivation after a fast thermocontrolled release has been demonstrated. A thermoresponsive polymer with upper critical solution temperature, poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) (PNAGA), which is soluble in water at elevated temperatures but phase separates at low temperatures, has been shown to bind lysozyme, chosen as a model enzyme, at a low temperature (10 °C and lower) but not at room temperature (around 25 °C). The cooling of the mixture of PNAGA and lysozyme solutions from room temperature resulted in the capturing of the protein and the formation of stable complexes; heating it back up was accompanied by dissolving the complexes and the release of the bound lysozyme. Captured by the polymer, lysozyme was inactive, but a temperature-mediated release from the complexes was accompanied by its reactivation. Complexation also partially protected lysozyme from proteolytic degradation by proteinase K, which is useful for biotechnological applications. The obtained results are relevant for important medicinal tasks associated with drug delivery such as the delivery and controlled release of enzyme-based drugs.