The findings can be applied to the design of information displays for individual CID systems and soldier training.

This research has important findings for the ongoing development of the EID approach, the design of industrial operator displays, and design to support situation awareness.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate display formats for an automated combat identification (CID) aid.Background: Verbally informing users of automation reliability improves reliance on automated CID systems. A display can provide reliability information in real time.Method: We developed and tested four visual displays that showed both target identity and system reliability information. Display type (pie, random mesh) and display proximity (integrated, separated) of identity and reliability information were manipulated. In Experiment 1, participants used the displays while engaging targets in a simulated combat environment. In Experiment 2, participants briefly viewed still scenes from the simulation.Results: Participants relied on the automation more appropriately with the integrated display than with the separated display. Participants using the random mesh display showed greater sensitivity than those using a pie chart. However, in Experiment 2, the sensitivity effects were limited to lower reliability levels.Conclusion: The integrated display format and the random mesh display were the most effective displays tested.Application: We recommend the use of the integrated format and a random mesh display to indicate identity and reliability information with an automated CID system.

In previous studies we have been able to demonstrate tighter metabolic control of muscle metabolism during prolonged steady-state exercise 5 to 6 days after the initiation of training and well before changes in oxidative potential. To examine whether the metabolic adaptations are manifested during the non-steady-state adjustment to submaximal exercise, 11 male subjects (Vo2 peak, 45 +/- 2.4 mL.kg(-1). min(-1), X +/- SE) performed 98 min of cycle exercise at 67% of Vo2 peak prior to and following 3 to 4 days of training for 2 h per day. Analysis of lactate concentration (mmol/kg dry weight) in samples rapidly extracted from vastus lateralis indicated reductions (p < 0.05) of 44% at 3 min ( 42.1 +/- 7.1 vs. 23.6 +/- 7.7), 29% at 15 min (35.4 +/- 6.4 vs. 25.0 +/- 6.0), and 32% at 98 min (22.9 +/- 6.9 vs. 15.6 +/- 3.2) with training. Training also resulted in higher phosphocreatine and lower creatine and P(i) values that were not specific to any exercise time point. In addition, Vo2 was not altered either during the non-steady state or during the steady-state phases of exercise. These results suggest that at least part of the tightening of the metabolic control and the apparent reduction in glycogenolysis and glycolysis in response to short-term training occurs during the adjustment phase to steady-state exercise.

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Improving patient safety, within the context of a complex system, forms one of the key challenges in health care today. Cognitive work analysis (CWA) is one way to analyze complex systems, and although it has been applied to health care for 20 years, little is known about its effectiveness or future research needs. This article presents a review of CWA studies in health care, addressing questions of use, usefulness, challenges, and opportunities. Results of the review make clear that the research agenda is largely confined to acute care. Of the 39 articles reviewed, 28 relate to this setting. There appears to be a growing interest in medical informatics, error investigation, and decision support. Conversely, work in physiological monitoring has slowed, associated with the uncertainties of modeling "biological" systems. Studies related to "organic" social systems are similarly challenged, although there is a recognition that important opportunities exist, such as studying work flow processes between teams. Other opportunities relate to new methods to enhance CWA; new technologies, such as auditory displays; and new applications, such as requests for proposals and incident investigation. Ultimately, the capacity to foster an understanding into the deep structures of a system may prove to be the greatest contribution of CWA to health care today.

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