Aircrew decision-making behavior in hazardous weather avoidance

In-flight encounters with hazardous weather represent one of the most significant safety issues in civil aviation operations. Aircrew judgment is often cited as the probable cause of incidents and accidents involving weather, although lack of information is also a factor. The present study examines how information, presented at different times and in different forms, affects the awareness and decision-making behavior of aircrews in a flight simulation study of a recent microburst/windshear incident. In order to examine the influence of enhanced information transfer on aircrew behavior, intracrew communications and approach-to-land decisions were evaluated with conventional ATC communications and with automated cockpit alerting and display of weather information. Results of the study revealed that aircrews provided only with conventional ATC transmissions of weather information had difficulty discriminating conditions conducive to microburst events from less hazardous windshear events. Improved situation awareness for microburst events was found when ground-based convective weather information was provided in real time to aircrews. Avoidance decision-making was found to be less efficient with conventional ATC alert transmissions when compared to the performance of crews provided with a visual display of microburst events. The importance of information transfer on aircrew situation awareness and decision-making in hazardous weather avoidance is discussed.     

Scar sign of renal oncocytoma: Magnetic resonance imaging appearance and lack of specificity

This case report illustrates the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of a typically asymptomatic renal oncocytoma as a homogeneous mass of medium signal with a stellate central region of decreased signal, representing the central scar. The MRI was correlated with computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), and gross pathologic appearance. The appearance of a central scar is not specific for oncocytoma and does not exclude renal cell carcinoma, as illustrated by a second case.     

Evaluation of the legal risk of a ‘missed’ cancer in two breastscreen services

Variation in opinions of medical experts is a problem for both the legal and medical profession. This is particularly relevant in breast imaging. BreastScreen Queensland and New South Wales have developed a review protocol to assess ‘reasonableness’ of radiological opinions. It is hoped that the protocol will be acceptable to the courts and will result in a fair outcome for all parties involved in a medico-legal dispute.     

Chewing gum,stress and health

Hollingworth described chewing gum as ‘a technique of relaxation’. Recent research has examined this issue and there is evidence that chewing gum can prevent the adverse effects of acute stress. There are also plausible biological mechanisms that could explain such effects. It is now important to examine chewing gum and chronic stress and the present study involved a survey of this topic. The survey covered the ‘stress process’, collecting data on exposure to stressful events, levels of perceived stress and health outcomes. Frequency of chewing gum was also recorded. Potential confounding factors (demographics, personality and health-related behaviours) were also recorded. The web-based survey was completed by a community sample of 2,248 full-time workers (68% female. Mean age: 35 years, range 18–74 years). Sixty-one per cent of the sample were gum chewers. The results showed that chewing gum was associated with lower levels of perceived stress (both at work and life in general). Gum chewers were also less likely to be depressed and to have seen their doctor for high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Chewing gum was associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption and with cigarette smoking. Gum chewers were also more likely to be neurotic extraverts. Those who chewed gum were also more likely to be exposed to negative factors at work. Logistic regression analyses showed that the effects of chewing gum on stress and health remained significant when these confounding factors were controlled for. These results suggest that chewing gum may be a simple way of preventing stress and the negative health outcomes that are often associated with it. Intervention studies are now required and the mechanisms underlying the effects reported here need further investigation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.