Environmental enrichment (EE) increases cortical weight, neuronal density, dendritic branching, and angiogenesis, all of which may be critical for functional recovery following insult. Our study was designed to determine possible benefits of pre-exposure to EE in preventing functional deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the prefrontal cortex. To examine the benefit of EE, adult male rats were placed in an enriched environment for 15 days. Enrichment was provided through social interaction, exercise, olfactory stimulation, and new objects/toys to explore. Following enrichment, experimental and age-matched controls were subjected to a moderate medial prefrontal cortex injury via controlled cortical impact (CCI). After 1 week recovery, animals were behaviorally tested to assess memory, anxiety, and sensory neglect. Lesion-induced deficits in spatial memory [Morris water maze (MWM)] were significantly attenuated in EE pre-exposed rats 18–21 days following injury. In addition, TBI-induced sensory neglect was significantly reduced in EE rats relative to non-enriched animals. No differences in anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze (EPM) were detected. The behavioral data suggest that EE is neuroprotective when applied prior to TBI, resulting in improved recovery following injury.

Agility training (AT) has recently been instituted in several military communities in hopes of improving combat performance and general fitness. The purpose of this study was to determine how substituting AT for traditional military physical training (PT) influences physical and cognitive performance. Forty-one subjects undergoing military technical training were divided randomly into 2 groups for 6 weeks of training. One group participated in standard military PT consisting of calisthenics and running. A second group duplicated the amount of exercise of the first group but used AT as their primary mode of training. Before and after training, subjects completed a physical and cognitive battery of tests including V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, reaction time, Illinois Agility Test, body composition, visual vigilance, dichotic listening, and working memory tests. There were significant improvements within the AT group in V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, Illinois Agility Test, visual vigilance, and continuous memory. There was a significant increase in time-to-exhaustion for the traditional group. We conclude that AT is as effective or more effective as PT in enhancing physical fitness. Further, it is potentially more effective than PT in enhancing specific measures of physical and cognitive performance, such as physical agility, memory, and vigilance. Consequently, we suggest that AT be incorporated into existing military PT programs as a way to improve war-fighter performance. Further, it seems likely that the benefits of AT observed here occur in various other populations.

The effect of ring substitution on the kinetics of reaction of arenes, heterocycles, and alkenes with hydroxyl radical is investigated in terms of reactivity and selectivity, using laser flash photolysis (LFP) in acetonitrile solution. The LFP data indicate that charge-transfer contributions in the transition state play an important role in dictating reactivity, and there is a correlation between the experimental and calculated ionization potentials of the arenes and alkenes and their respective reactivities. The reactivity observed for arenes in acetonitrile exhibits a much greater sensitivity toward substitution on the ring than in water, and therefore aqueous data cannot be used to predict reactivity in nonaqueous environments. Nonaqueous solution data may be predictable from gas phase data, and vice versa.

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, HPW/RHCP SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER(S)AFRL-RH-WP-TM-2013-0002 DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENTDistribution A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES88 ABW Cleared 04/30/2013; 88ABW-2013-2061. Report contains color. ABSTRACTThe Human Effectiveness Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has recently adopted a Sense-Assess-Augment (S-A-A) taxonomy to facilitate the planning, development, execution, and reporting of their human-centered research portfolio. The objective of this taxonomy is to sense individual and team cognitive state, assess the state relative to performance, and augment performance to optimize mission effectiveness. This taxonomy is being applied to revolutionize improvements in human performance by leveraging the integration of several sensing technologies coupled with multiple assessment approaches to provide a robust understanding of the causes of operator performance decrements. Given a better understanding of the causes for sub-optimal performance, targeted augmentation techniques can be employed to improve individual or team performance. The adopted taxonomy has been utilized in the Human Universal Measurement and Assessment Network (HUMAN) laboratory at the Air Force Research Laboratory to examine bottlenecks associated with controlling multiple Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs). This example will be used to illustrate how the S-A-A process was instantiated and utilized to identify and implement targeted augmentations that improve operator performance. SUBJECT TERMS

Achieving military mission objectives requires high levels of performance from Airmen who operate under extreme physical and cognitive demands. Thus, there is a critical need to establish scientific interventions to enhance physical fitness and cognitive performance—promoting the resilience of Airmen and aiding in mission success. We therefore conducted a comprehensive, 12-week randomized controlled trial in active-duty Air Force Airmen (n = 148) to compare the efficacy of a multimodal intervention comprised of high-intensity interval aerobic fitness and strength training paired with a novel nutritional supplement [comprised of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB), lutein, phospholipids, DHA and selected micronutrients including B12 and folic acid] to high-intensity interval aerobic fitness and strength training paired with a standard of care placebo beverage. The exercise intervention alone improved several dimensions of physical fitness [strength and endurance (+ 8.3%), power (+ 0.85%), mobility and stability (+ 22%), heart rate (− 1.1%) and lean muscle mass (+ 1.4%)] and cognitive function [(episodic memory (+ 9.5%), processing efficiency (+ 7.5%), executive function reaction time (− 4.8%) and fluid intelligence accuracy (+ 19.5%)]. Relative to exercise training alone, the multimodal fitness and nutritional intervention further improved working memory (+ 9.0%), fluid intelligence reaction time (− 7.7%), processing efficiency (+ 1.8%), heart rate (− 2.4%) and lean muscle mass (+ 1.5%). These findings establish the efficacy of a multimodal intervention that incorporates aerobic fitness and strength training with a novel nutritional supplement to enhance military performance objectives and to provide optimal exercise training and nutritional support for the modern warfighter.