Human Detection and Diagnosis of System Failures


Book Description

This book includes all of the papers presented at the NATO Symposium on Human Detection and Diagnosis of System Failures held at Roskilde, Denmark on August 4-8, 1980. The Symposium was sponsored by the Scientific Affairs Division of NATO and the Rise National Laboratory of Denmark. The goal of the Symposium was to continue the tradition initiated by the NATO Symposium on Monitoring Behavior and Supervisory Control held in Berchtesgaden, F .R. Germany in 1976 and the NATO Symposium on Theory and Measurement of Mental Workload held in Mati, Greece in 1977. To this end, a group of 85 psychologists and engineers coming from industry, government, and academia convened to discuss, and to generate a "state-of-the-art" consensus of the problems and solutions associated with the human IS ability to cope with the increasing scale of consequences of failures within complex technical systems. The Introduction of this volume reviews their findings. The Symposium was organized to include brief formal presentations of papers sent to participants about two months in advance of the meeting, and considerable discussion both during plenary sessions and within more specialized workshops. Summaries of the discussions and workshop reports appear in this volume.




Improving Diagnosis in Health Care


Book Description

Getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care - it provides an explanation of a patient's health problem and informs subsequent health care decisions. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem. According to Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, diagnostic errors-inaccurate or delayed diagnoses-persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. It is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment, providing unnecessary or harmful treatment, or resulting in psychological or financial repercussions. The committee concluded that improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, a continuation of the landmark Institute of Medicine reports To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), finds that diagnosis-and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errorsâ€"has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, diagnostic errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity. Just as the diagnostic process is a collaborative activity, improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.




Algorithms for Fault Detection and Diagnosis


Book Description

Due to the increasing demand for security and reliability in manufacturing and mechatronic systems, early detection and diagnosis of faults are key points to reduce economic losses caused by unscheduled maintenance and downtimes, to increase safety, to prevent the endangerment of human beings involved in the process operations and to improve reliability and availability of autonomous systems. The development of algorithms for health monitoring and fault and anomaly detection, capable of the early detection, isolation, or even prediction of technical component malfunctioning, is becoming more and more crucial in this context. This Special Issue is devoted to new research efforts and results concerning recent advances and challenges in the application of “Algorithms for Fault Detection and Diagnosis”, articulated over a wide range of sectors. The aim is to provide a collection of some of the current state-of-the-art algorithms within this context, together with new advanced theoretical solutions.




Defense Innovation Handbook


Book Description

Innovation is the lifeline of national development. This handbook is a collection of chapters that provide techniques and methodologies for achieving the transfer of defense-targeted science and technology development for general industrial applications. The handbook shows how to translate theory and ideas into practical applications. Experts from national defense institutions, government laboratories, business, and industry contributed chapters to this handbook. The handbook also serves as an archival guide for nations, communities, and businesses expecting to embark upon science and technology transfer to industry. Included are several domestic and international case examples of practical innovation. Since the dawn of history, nations have engrossed themselves in developing new tools, techniques, and methodologies to protect their geographical boundaries. From the crude implements used by prehistorical people to very modern technologies, the end game has been the same. That is, to protect the homeland. Even in times of peace, efforts must be made to develop new machinery, equipment, processes, and devices targeted for the protection of the nation. The emergence of organized nations and structured communities facilitated even more innovative techniques of national defense. Evolution, revolution, and innovation have defined human existence for millennia. From the Ice Age to the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and to the modern age, innovation, rudimentary as it may be in many cases, has determined how humans move from one stage to the next. This comprehensive handbook provides a clear guide on the nuances of initiating and actualizing innovation. Both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of innovation are covered in the handbook. Features: Uses a systems framework to zero in on science and technology transfer Focuses on leveraging technical developments in defense organizations for general societal applications Coalesces the transfer strategies collated from various sources and practical applications Represents a world-class diverse collection of science and technology development, utilization, and transfer Highlights a strategy for government, academia, and industry partnerships




People and Organizations


Book Description

This book is about people who operate, maintain, design, research, and manage complex systems, ranging from air traffic control systems, process control plants and manufacturing facilities to industrial enterprises, government agencies and universities. The focus is on the nature of the work these types of people perform, as well as the human abilities and limitations that usually enable and sometimes hinder their work. In particular, this book addresses how to best enhance abilities and overcome limitations, as well as foster acceptance of the means to these ends.




Computing Possible Futures


Book Description

Mathematical modelling and simulation is an increasingly powerful area of mathematics and computer science, which in recent years has been fuelled by the unprecedented access to larger than ever stores of data. These techniques have an increasing number of applications in the professional and political spheres, and people try to predict the results of certain courses of action as accurately as possible. Computing Possible Futures explores the use of models on everyday phenomena such as waiting in lines and driving a car, before expanding the model's complexity to look at how large-scale computational models can help imagine big scale “what-if” scenarios like the effect self-driving cars on the US economy. The successes and failures of complex real world problems are examined, and it is shown how few, if any, failures are due to model errors or computational difficulties. It is also shown how real life decision makers have addressed important problems and used their model-based understanding of possible futures to inform these decisions. Written in an entertaining and accessible way, Computing Possible Futures will help those concerned about the futurity of their decisions to understand what fundamentally needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and how to do it.




Modeling and Visualization of Complex Systems and Enterprises


Book Description

Explains multi-level models of enterprise systems and covers modeling methodology This book addresses the essential phenomena underlying the overall behaviors of complex systems and enterprises. Understanding these phenomena can enable improving these systems. These phenomena range from physical, behavioral, and organizational, to economic and social, all of which involve significant human components. Specific phenomena of interest and how they are represented depend on the questions of interest and the relevant domains or contexts. Modeling and Visualization of Complex Systems and Enterprises examines visualization of phenomena and how understanding the relationships among phenomena can provide the basis for understanding where deeper exploration is warranted. The author also reviews mathematical and computational models, defined very broadly across disciplines, which can enable deeper understanding. Presents a 10 step methodology for addressing questions associated with the design or operation of complex systems and enterprises Examines six archetypal enterprise problems including two from healthcare, two from urban systems, and one each from financial systems and defense systems Provides an introduction to the nature of complex systems, historical perspectives on complexity and complex adaptive systems, and the evolution of systems practice Modeling and Visualization of Complex Systems and Enterprises is written for graduate students studying systems science and engineering and professionals involved in systems science and engineering, those involved in complex systems such as healthcare delivery, urban systems, sustainable energy, financial systems, and national security.




Intelligent Decision Support in Process Environments


Book Description

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Intelligent Decision Support in Process Environments, held in San Miniato, Italy, September 16-27, 1985




Automation and Human Performance


Book Description

There is perhaps no facet of modern society where the influence of computer automation has not been felt. Flight management systems for pilots, diagnostic and surgical aids for physicians, navigational displays for drivers, and decision-aiding systems for air-traffic controllers, represent only a few of the numerous domains in which powerful new automation technologies have been introduced. The benefits that have been reaped from this technological revolution have been many. At the same time, automation has not always worked as planned by designers, and many problems have arisen--from minor inefficiencies of operation to large-scale, catastrophic accidents. Understanding how humans interact with automation is vital for the successful design of new automated systems that are both safe and efficient. The influence of automation technology on human performance has often been investigated in a fragmentary, isolated manner, with investigators conducting disconnected studies in different domains. There has been little contact between these endeavors, although principles gleaned from one domain may have implications for another. Also, with a few exceptions, the research has tended to be empirical and only theory-driven. In recent years, however, various groups of investigators have begun to examine human performance in automated systems in general and to develop theories of human interaction with automation technology. This book presents the current theories and assesses the impact of automation on different aspects of human performance. Both basic and applied research is presented to highlight the general principles of human-computer interaction in several domains where automation technologies are widely implemented. The major premise is that a broad-based, theory-driven approach will have significant implications for the effective design of both current and future automation technologies. This volume will be of considerable value to researchers in human




Cybernetics And Systems '90 - Proceedings Of The Tenth European Meeting On Cybernetics And Systems Research


Book Description

Contents:How Many "Demons" Do We Need? Endophysical Self-Creation of Material Structures and the Exophysical Mystery of Universal Libraries (G Kampis & O E Rössler)Some Implications of Re-Interpretation of the Turing Test for Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence (G Werner)Why Economic Forecasts will be Overtaken by the Facts (J D M Kruisinga)Simulation Methods in Peace and Conflict Research (F Breitenecker et al)Software Development Paradigms: A Unifying Concept (G Chroust)Hybrid Hierarchies: A Love-Hate Relationship Between ISA and SUPERC (D Castelfranchi & D D'Aloisi)AI for Social Citizenship: Towards an Anthropocentric Technology (K S Gill)Organizational Cybernetics and Large Scale Social Reforms in the Context of Ongoing Developments (E Bekjarov & A Athanassov)China's Economic Reform and its Obstacles: Challenges to a Large-Scale Social Experiment (J Hu & X Sun)Comparing Conceptual Systems: A Strategy for Changing Values as well as Institutions (S A Umpleby)and others Readership: Researchers in the fields of cybernetics and systems, artificial intelligence, economics and mathematicians.