A medication screening tool for cognitive aging researchers.

A Web-based medication screening toll that provides researchers with information about side effects associated with medications commonly used by older participants is described. this tool can be used for research purposes to better separate the effects of normal, healthy aging processes from the deleterious effects often associated with medication usage. Researchers can use this tool, called SMART (Screening Medications: Aging Research Taxonomy), to (a) obtain information pertaining to the cognitive, sensory, and motor side effects associated with specific medications, and (b) screen medications in their research for side effect severity. The Web address for the tool is www.psychology.gatech.edu/SMART. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The use of flight progress strips while working live traffic: frequencies, importance, and perceived benefits

The Federal Aviation Administration's effort to automate air traffic control (ATC) requires that the functionality provided today be captured in future systems. We report the first quantitative naturalistic observation of paper flight progress strip interactions during operational use. Strip use was similar in a variety of situations, but some uses varied as a function of altitude, staffing, or the cooperative style used by controller teams. Design of automation should proceed by prioritizing changes based on frequency of use and importance and should ensure that an effective method of interacting with flight information is incorporated. In addition to applied relevance to the ATC domain, the results touch on several theoretical concerns relevant to dynamic environments. Actual and potential applications of this research include the establishment of a database of strip activity and an arsenal of information valuable to system designers.