This article presents the theoretical basis for corpus linguistics applied to Aeronautical English teaching and assessment followed by practical examples on how to use corpora to develop tasks for both purposes. It originates from the design of two webinars held remotely at the end of 2020, and promoted by the International Civil Aviation English Association. The webinars were targeted at Aeronautical English teachers, material designers, and test developers with little or no previous knowledge of corpus linguistics with the aim of guiding the audience in preparing step–by–step tasks using corpora. We share the work involved in the task design suggested, bridging the gap between research and practice. We conclude by outlining limitations, and suggesting prospects for future research.

Currently, studies using video games as an intervention to improve cognitive functions in the elderly are on the rise. To investigate and evaluate the effects of cognitive interventions using video games on cognition in healthy elderly people published in the last ten years. A systematic review involving a qualitative analysis carried out between July and September 2021on the SciELO, LILACS and MEDLINE databases.. A total of 262 articles were identified in the initial search. After exclusion of duplicates, analysis of titles/abstracts and of the full text, a final total of 9 studies were included in the review. The objectives of the studies included investigating the effects on cognition of cognitive training (CT) programs using video games compared to programs using entertainment games or to low-intensity CT games. Despite the growing number of studies, many of them were focused on cognitive rehabilitation in elderly people with some degree of cognitive impairment, and few involved training among healthy elderly people. According to the studies analyzed, the interventions involving CT with video games promoted significant improvements in processing speed and working memory, but no improvements in executive functions.

AbstractThe use of the required navigation performance (RNP) procedure has been increasing for aircraft navigation, since it allows for better optimisation of the airspace, which is increasingly congested. The present work aims to investigate the application of the functional resonance analysis method (FRAM), combined with the quantitative analysis provided by the Bayesian belief network (BBN), to demonstrate the existing variability in functions that are part of the complex navigation system based on the RNP procedure, specifically when the aircraft approaches the airport (approach phase). As a result, it is possible to analyse the variability that occurs in the studied system and the BBN complemented the study by allowing a quantitative interpretation of the functions considered most important for the execution of an RNP approach procedure.

Computerized cognitive training programs may have benefited the self-assessment of memory, quality of life, and mood among older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To determine the subjective impacts of computerized cognitive training on mood, frequency of forgetfulness, memory complaints, and quality of life in the elderly using an online platform. In total, 66 elderly participants of USP 60 + , a program for the elderly offered by Universidade de São Paulo, who voluntarily enrolled in the study were selected and randomized with an allocation ratio of 1:1 into 2 groups: the training group (n = 33) and the control group (n = 33). After signing the free and informed consent form, they answered a protocol which included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Memory Complaints Questionnaire (MAC-Q), the McNair and Kahn's Frequency of Forgetfulness Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), and the Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization, and Pleasure (CASP-19) questionnaire. The training cognitive game platform aimed to stimulate various cognitive aspects, including memory, attention, language, executive functions (reasoning, logical thinking), and visual and spatial skills. The participants of the training group showed a reduction in the MAC-Q, MacNair and Kahn, and GAI scores in the pre- and posttest comparison. Significant differences were identified between the groups regarding the total scores of the MAC-Q in the post-test, which was also evidenced by the logistic regression. Participation in a computerized cognitive intervention promoted reductions in memory complaints, frequency of forgetfulness, and anxiety symptoms, in addition to improving self-reported quality of life.

In low-latitude regions such as Brazil, the single-frequency Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) is not yet fully operational due to the influence of ionospheric variability. The most critical issue for GBAS is the occurrence of ionospheric gradients large enough to compromise the system's integrity. This can result in unsafe operation because a single GBAS ground station cannot identify all threatening gradients in real time. This paper develops and validates a strategy to detect and alert in advance the presence and effects of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs), which create the largest threat to GBAS operations in low latitudes. This alerting system uses surrounding stations in the vicinity of the GBAS facilities being supported to monitor the ionosphere state in real-time and send alerts to the served GBAS facility when threatening conditions are detected on one or more tracked satellites. Time-step measurements of ionospheric gradients and data availability at these surrounding stations are used to generate these alerts when needed. An architecture is proposed for such a system along with a complete validation of the method. Validation uses a reliable dataset from the peak of ionospheric Solar Cycle 24 containing post-processed station-pair gradients in time, amplitude scintillation indices, and ionospheric maps. All gradients from the dataset classified as threatening to GBAS operation were encompassed by the alerts issued by the real-time methodology within the adopted success criteria. Based on these results, an EPB alerting approach based on this method presented and validated in this paper can significantly enhance single-frequency GBAS integrity and availability in low latitudes.

The use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for air and terrestrial navigation and for many applications is increasing in the last decades. However, the Earth’s ionosphere causes GNSS signal delay due to the total electron content (TEC) and scintillation in the signal phase and amplitude. This scintillation can give rise to deleterious effects in the GNSS positioning. So, it is important to assess the effects of the ionosphere over the GNSS signal. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to have a large spatial and temporal coverage of data from many different sounders, being the GNSS receivers of great importance due to their global coverage and availability. In this work, we present a retrospective of the scintillation monitoring networks in Brazil and their characteristics. As the RBMC network managed by the IBGE provides TEC and as rate of TEC index (ROTI) is well correlated with ionospheric irregularities, we present also the RBMC network description. These RBMC GNSS receivers provide data in regions with scarcity of scintillation monitors. The description of the Ionospheric Scintillation Monitoring Receivers (ISMR) Query Tool, that is a web software that has been supporting research on the ISMR data, is also presented.

Low-latitude ionospheric behavior directly interferes with a wide range of applications dependent on signals and information from satellites. The most severe and variable events are plasma bubbles and ionospheric scintillation. During plasma bubble events, large and steep plasma density gradients may intersect transionospheric signal from satellites, especially around the equatorial anomaly region. Large ionospheric spatial gradients (or decorrelations) are a critical component of ionospheric threat models for global navigation satellite systems augmentation systems; however, the models cannot assimilate abrupt changes in ionospheric behavior. In this article, an investigation of the relationship between plasma depletions, the occurrence of scintillation, and strong ionospheric spatial decorrelation events was conducted. The results indicate that strong scintillations occur when large gradients are verified. Additionally, the most critical ionospheric spatial gradients were verified mostly under certain conditions: when satellite signals are aligned with the plasma bubble propagation along geomagnetic field lines. Therefore, even though amplitude scintillation may degrade communications, the critical gradient events seem to be related to a particular configuration of satellite signal across the ionosphere. Thus, it is recommended that ionospheric threat models for augmentation systems in low-latitude regions consider this alignment aspect.

The air traffic environment is a complex system that involves several players. Between the air navigation service provider (ANPS) and the final client, many different organizations act with different purposes but are strongly interfaced. Changes and modifications in terms of technology, predefined process, or personnel are constantly needed, requiring coordination among the stakeholders. However, due to the high level of interaction between the players, any change in a complex system like the air traffic environment requires risk management. This paper demonstrates the suitability and advantages of the System-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes/Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STAMP/STPA) method to be applied to the risk assessment of an operational air traffic modification. The method, which had never been used on an air traffic problem in Brazil before, was applied considering the implementation of segregated simultaneous operation at the Guarulhos International Airport. The results were proven to be effective in terms of deriving useful safety requirements. From such demonstration, STAMP/STPA can be considered as a feasible alternative to the brainstorming method currently applied for risk assessment and generation of safety requirements regarding modifications in the structure of the air traffic services (ATS) in Brazil.

<h3>Abstract</h3> Extensive ionospheric studies were conducted to support the initial phase of system design approval for the existing SLS-4000 GBAS installed at Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (formerly Galeão International Airport) (GIG) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This paper focuses on determining the broadcast value of the standard deviation of vertical ionospheric gradients (or 𝜎_vig) that is required to bound ionospheric spatial gradients in Brazil under nominal conditions during daytime hours. The time-step method is useful for gaining sufficient samples at distances less than the physical separation distance of ground stations and was utilized to estimate ionospheric spatial gradients. A new method called “geometric similarity” was developed to estimate ionospheric temporal gradients and evaluate the temporal effect added to the bounding 𝜎_vig values. As a result, a 𝜎_vig of 13 mm/km, including a temporal gradient contribution of approximately 2 mm/km, is conservative enough to bound ionospheric spatial decorrelation for daytime GBAS operations in Brazil.

This paper presents a method to synchronize data acquisition devices that are mechanically coupled, having attached an accelerometer to each device. A common time base for the accelerometer signals are obtained through the identification of pairing salient peaks and applying line-fitting through the potential matches. Aligning data recorded from different sources is important to precisely provide an observation of the state of a system in time (sensor fusion), to estimate the correlation between its variables and to correlate variables to time-based events. A data link between devices is not always possible or convenient. If the acquisition devices are mechanically coupled, such as being in the same body or vehicle, we propose to synchronize the data recorded from both by using the accelerometers signals to bridge. The provided solution is an automated process to find the temporal reference between accelerometer signals. Several signal processing steps are taken after data collection and storage: inconsistency removal and filtering, detection of maxima and minima, selection of saliencies, description through a characteristic pair of numbers: the interval lengths between it and its successor and its predecessor, listing possible matches between salient points, selection of the topmost relevant matches and line fitting with consensus. We discuss qualitative similarities of related work. Quantitative results are also presented by using the multidisciplinary study that motivated this work, with simultaneous data from the instrumentation of a helicopter and pilot physiological data. To conclude, we discuss the limitations of the presented approach and future work.