Brief depression questionnaires could lead to unnecessary antidepressant prescriptions

 

September 29, 2014

University of California - Davis Health System

Short questionnaires used to identify patients at risk for depression are linked with antidepressant medications being prescribed when they may not be needed, according to new research. Known as "brief depression symptom measures," the self-administered questionnaires are used in primary care settings to determine the frequency and severity of depression symptoms among patients.

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Short questionnaires used to identify patients at risk for depression are linked with antidepressant medications being prescribed when they may not be needed, according to new research from UC Davis Health System published in the September-October issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Known as "brief depression symptom measures," the self-administered questionnaires are used in primary care settings to determine the frequency and severity of depression symptoms among patients. Several questionnaires have been developed to help reduce untreated depression, a serious mental illness that can jeopardize relationships, employment and quality of life and increase the risks of heart disease, drug abuse and suicide.

The UC Davis team was concerned that the questionnaires might lead to prescriptions for antidepressant medication being given to those who aren't depressed. Antidepressants are effective in treating moderate-to-severe depression but can have significant side effects, including sexual dysfunction, sedation and anxiety. They also have to be taken over several months to be effective.

"It is important to treat depression, but equally important to make sure those who get treatment actually need it," said Anthony Jerant, professor of family and community medicine at UC Davis and lead author of the study.

The exploratory study included 595 patients of primary care offices affiliated with Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, San Francisco VA Medical Center, Sutter Medical Group in Sacramento, UC Davis, UC San Francisco and VA Northern California Healthcare System.

Patients selected for the study were considered at low risk for depression and therefore poor candidates for antidepressants, based on results of a widely-employed brief screening tool known as the Patient Health Questionnaire -- 9 (PHQ-9), which was administered by the research team. The screener, which includes questions about changes in sleep, concentration, energy and appetite, was completed the same day the patients had appointments to see their primary care physicians, who were unaware their patients had completed the PHQ-9.

Based on a review of medical records, the patients were divided into two groups: those who were asked during their doctors' office visits to complete brief depression symptom questionnaires, besides the one administered by the researchers, and those who were not. The groups were compared in terms of rates of depression diagnoses and prescriptions for antidepressants received from their physicians.

Of the 545 patients who did not complete brief depression questionnaires during their doctors' office visits, 10.5 percent were diagnosed with depression and 3.8 percent were prescribed antidepressants.

Of the 50 patients who completed brief depression questionnaires during their doctors' office visits, 20 percent were diagnosed with depression and 12 percent were prescribed antidepressants.

Jerant said the study highlights the need for research to determine the best ways to apply brief depression questionnaires in daily practice, as use of the screeners tripled the likelihood that patients in the study who were not apt to be depressed would receive depression treatment.

Part of the problem could be in how questionnaire results are interpreted, Jerant said. Depression symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue and poor concentration are associated with many health conditions.

"The questionnaires aren't diagnostic in the sense that there's a certain score that means the patient definitely does or does not have depression," Jerant said. "Formal interviews are required to help doctors decide whether a patient's fatigue, for instance, is caused by depression. That fatigue could also be due to chronic lung or heart disease. It could also be due to an adjustment disorder that is usually transient and isn't likely to respond to antidepressants. We need to give providers good guidance on how to use brief symptom measures in evaluating patients and making treatment decisions."

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of California - Davis Health System. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. A. Jerant, R. L. Kravitz, E. Fernandez y Garcia, M. D. Feldman, C. Cipri, D. Nishio, A. Knoepfler, M. K. Wooddell, V. Baquero, P. Franks. Potential Antidepressant Overtreatment Associated with Office Use of Brief Depression Symptom Measures. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 2014; 27 (5): 611 DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2014.05.140038

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Um futuro para a Mata Atlântica

 

A floresta foi reduzida a 7% da área de suas primeiras descrições, no século 16, e, ainda assim, abriga 8000 espécies de plantas e animais endêmicos. Conheça brasileiros que lutam para proteger esse patrimônio

 

Foto: Luiz Claudio Marigo

 

Araçari-poca (Selenidera maculirostris) fêmea, espécie endêmica, na Mata Atlântica sul-baiana de altitude da RPPN Serra Bonita. É parente dos tucanos e, por sua beleza, um símbolo das florestas neotropicais

Quando os portugueses chegaram à costa brasileira, a Mata Atlântica cobria cerca de 1,5 milhões de quilômetros quadrados do território brasileiro – que, em 500 anos, foram reduzidos a 7% dessa área. Nesse bioma, vivem atualmente 8 000 espécies de plantas e animais endêmicos. Mais de 530 dessas espécies estão ameaçadas de extinção. Quando fiz a conexão entre esses dados, senti duas emoções quase contraditórias – espanto e tristeza –, e percebi que a paisagem onde eu e a maioria da população brasileira nascemos e crescemos, está em estado terminal. Todo um universo de vida e exuberância está agora ameaçado de extinção.

Inúmeras vezes voei do Rio de Janeiro, onde vivo, para Salvador e também para São Paulo e Florianópolis, observando a paisagem litorânea da janela do avião. É uma perspectiva limitada, restrita a alguns quilômetros da rota de voo, mas sempre vi apenas abandono e desolação: em qualquer direção, terras improdutivas, campos cobertos de sapê, as cidades e espaços vazios – sobretudo vazios de floresta. No Google Earth, em imagens de satélite, quando a América do Sul cresce na tela, vê-se logo o verde intenso da Amazônia, mas o litoral brasileiro surge acinzentado. A diferença é flagrante. As maiores extensões de Mata Atlântica revelam-se apenas em fragmentos no norte do Paraná e sul de São Paulo, na região das Agulhas Negras e Serra dos Órgãos, no Rio de Janeiro, no centro de dois parques nacionais.

Outros bolsões menores conservados surgem ao norte de Linhares, no Espírito Santo, na Reserva Biológica de Sooretama e na Reserva Natural Vale, que formam um bloco importante. No sul da Bahia, o verde é dos parques nacionais perto de Porto Seguro e da Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) Estação Veracel.

Cada pequeno fragmento de mata atlântica é importante – uma matriz para a reconstituição da floresta. Em algum momento, nós brasileiros vamos perceber o que estamos perdendo e precisaremos nos dedicar a refazer a mata. Alguns já estão trabalhando – cidadãos e empresas. A Reserva Ecológica Guapiaçu (Regua), no Rio de Janeiro, estimula a educação ambiental nas comunidades vizinhas e realiza pesquisas em suas matas, aumentando o conhecimento sobre a fauna da Serra do Mar, beneficiando também as reservas governamentais próximas. Está adquirindo novas áreas e reflorestando-as para conectar suas florestas ao Parque Estadual dos Três Picos, aumentando a possibilidade de manter saudáveis as nascentes da bacia do rio Guapiaçu e os processos evolutivos e ecológicos que dependem de grandes áreas contínuas. A Regua localiza-se no município de Cachoeiras de Macacu. O nome diz tudo – é a fonte de água que abastece as cidades vizinhas e, em um futuro próximo, também a cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

Nicholas Locke, da Regua, esclarece o papel das reservas criadas por ONGs ou empresas privadas e as reservas governamentais, e a importância relativa das duas áreas: “O governo tem as ferramentas para decretar áreas importantes para a preservação do meio ambiente e este papel é de suma importância. Mas, como a ONG é uma associação, ela pode acessar linhas de crédito para projetos que não são acessíveis ao governo. Já o setor privado pode ser acionado para providenciar recursos para projetos de conservação”.

A Reserva Natural Vale, no Espírito Santo, é contígua à Rebio Sooretama; as duas reservas, juntas, cobrem uma área de 47 000 hectares de floresta de baixada, ou mata de tabuleiro, a formação florestal mais ameaçada da Mata Atlântica. A importância da reserva é reconhecida mundialmente, pela UNESCO, de quem recebeu o título de Posto Avançado da Reserva da Biosfera da Mata Atlântica. Segundo Luiz Felipe Campos, gerente de biodiversidade e florestas da Vale, essa área “aumentada”, ou melhor, duplicada, “é o último reduto no Espírito Santo da onça-pintada e da harpia, predadores de topo de cadeia alimentar”. Na Reserva Vale, as pesquisas revelaram espécies novas de plantas para a ciência e algumas de grande porte e ameaçadas de extinção, como o pequi-isaías. Atualmente, cerca de 150 pesquisas estão acontecendo ali. A reserva coleta sementes e produz mudas das espécies nativas, criando um banco genético importante e exportando floresta para outras regiões do país e do Espírito Santo. E ainda, como a Regua faz com o Parque dos Três Picos, ajuda na vigilância e proteção da vizinha Rebio Sooretama.

Em Porto Seguro, a RPPN Estação Veracel, outra reserva de propriedade de uma indústria, desenvolve formas de manejo para proteção contra o fogo e caçadores, exportando esse conhecimento para reservas vizinhas. Também protege uma importante área de mata de tabuleiro, um dos últimos redutos do balança-rabo-canela, e um destino certo de observadores de aves que desejam observar este raro beija-flor florestal.

O balança-rabo-canela (Glaucis dohrnii), na RPPN Estação Veracel, município de Porto Seguro, sul da Bahia. É o mais raro beija-flor da Mata Atlântica, de hábitos florestais e muito arisco - Foto: Luiz Claudio Marigo

O Glaucis dohrnii, o balança-rabo-canela, não é um beija-flor que pode ser atraído para garrafinhas. Quando me propus a fotografá-lo, não imaginava as dificuldades, nem que levaria vários dias para conseguir boas imagens de uma avezinha de apenas 12 centímetros e pesando menos de 7 gramas. Na floresta densa e alta da RPPN Veracel, esse beija-flor respondia ao play-back de seu canto apenas voando sobre mim, minha mulher e Jaílson, da Veracel, para logo sumir na mata. Tentávamos localizá-lo na vegetação densa, e quando o conseguíamos, ele já desaparecia de novo na floresta, até que recomeçava a chover e tirávamos o time de campo.

Quando, a caminho da RPPN Serra Bonita, ao norte do rio Jequitinhonha, a cerca de 700 metros de altitude, no município de Camacan, eu e o biólogo-pesquisador Vitor Becker passávamos por uma casinha na estrada escorregadia, que exigia todo o cuidado na direção da velha Toyota, Vitor deu a dica: “É aqui que fica o acrobata. Olha lá os ninhos dele – aqueles tufos de gravetos sobre os galhos”. O acrobata (Acrobatornis fonsecai) só foi descrito para a ciência em 1994, o que revela a falta de conhecimento que ainda há sobre a Mata Atlântica. Na Serra Bonita, vive também o raro e ameaçado macaco-prego-de-peito-amarelo.

A RPPN Serra Bonita é estratégica. Além desta reserva, apenas o Parque Nacional da Serra das Lontras protege matas atlânticas sul-baianas de altitude! Depois de se aposentar, Becker investiu na compra de terras na Serra Bonita e estabelecer a reserva. Criou o Instituto Uiraçu, ONG cuja finalidade principal é manter e fazer crescer a reserva, adquirindo terras e realizando pesquisas para aumentar o conhecimento do ecossistema. O biólogo construiu uma impressionante estrutura de pesquisa e alojamentos para pesquisadores e observadores de aves que vêm ver o acrobata e outras iguarias ornitológicas.

A pequena RPPN Salto Morato, de 2 253 hectares, no litoral do Paraná, é coberta por mata atlântica de baixada, muito úmida, riquíssima em plantas epífitas e de grande beleza cênica. O Salto Morato é uma cachoeira impactante, descendo em queda de 100 metros da Serra do Mar. No rio do Engenho, uma figueira centenária encanta os visitantes, formando um arco completo sobre os seis metros de largura do rio. Mantida pela Fundação Grupo Boticário de Proteção à Natureza, a RPPN Salto Morato tem um elaborado trabalho de manejo e interpretação de trilhas para educação ambiental, um belo centro de visitantes e exporta essa tecnologia para outras reservas. Já serviu de campo para mais de 90 estudos e pesquisas sobre biodiversidade, que resultaram na descrição de três novas espécies (dois peixes e um anfíbio). Saber é poder.

Alguns brasileiros estão trabalhando pelas nossas florestas. Há esperança para a Mata Atlântica. Lembrei-me da velha história do beija-flor, que leva água no bico para apagar o incêndio da mata.

O macaco-prego-robusto (Sapajus robustus) ameaçado de extinção e endêmico da Mata Atlântica de tabuleiro entre os rios Doce e Jequitinhonha, na Reserva Natural Vale, norte do Espírito Santo

 

A borboleta-folha (Historis odius), alimenta-se do sumo de frutas fermentadas e tem voo rápido e vigoroso. Suas lagartas alimentam-se das folhas da embaúba. É comum na Reserva Ecológica Guapiaçu

 

O gato-maracajá (Leopardus wiedii), na RPPN Salto Morato, caça pequenos mamíferos e até aves nos galhos das árvores, onde se movimenta com facilidade

 

O pica-pau-anão-de-pintas-amarelas (Picumnus exilis) na RPPN Estação Veracel, em Porto Seguro. É uma miniatura de pica-pau: mede apenas 10 cm! Alimenta-se principalmente de larvas de insetos, que caça na madeira das árvores

 

O quati (Nasua nasua) tem hábitos arborícolas, mas também caça, no chão, pequenos mamíferos, répteis e anfíbios. É o parente mais próximo dos ursos na fauna brasileira

 

An apple a day could keep obesity away

 

September 29, 2014

Washington State University

Nondigestible compounds in apples -- specifically, Granny Smith apples -- may help prevent disorders associated with obesity, scientists have concluded. "We know that, in general, apples are a good source of these nondigestible compounds but there are differences in varieties," said the study's lead researcher. "Results from this study will help consumers to discriminate between apple varieties that can aid in the fight against obesity."

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Scientists at Washington State University have concluded that nondigestible compounds in apples -- specifically, Granny Smith apples -- may help prevent disorders associated with obesity. The study, thought to be the first to assess these compounds in apple cultivars grown in the Pacific Northwest, appears in October's print edition of the journal Food Chemistry.

"We know that, in general, apples are a good source of these nondigestible compounds but there are differences in varieties," said food scientist Giuliana Noratto, the study's lead researcher. "Results from this study will help consumers to discriminate between apple varieties that can aid in the fight against obesity."

The tart green Granny Smith apples benefit the growth of friendly bacteria in the colon due to their high content of non-digestible compounds, including dietary fiber and polyphenols, and low content of available carbohydrates. Despite being subjected to chewing, stomach acid and digestive enzymes, these compounds remain intact when they reach the colon. Once there, they are fermented by bacteria in the colon, which benefits the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut.

The study showed that Granny Smith apples surpass Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, McIntosh and Red Delicious in the amount of nondigestible compounds they contain.

"The nondigestible compounds in the Granny Smith apples actually changed the proportions of fecal bacteria from obese mice to be similar to that of lean mice," Noratto said.

The discovery could help prevent some of the disorders associated with obesity such as low-grade, chronic inflammation that can lead to diabetes. The balance of bacterial communities in the colon of obese people is disturbed. This results in microbial byproducts that lead to inflammation and influence metabolic disorders associated with obesity, Noratto said.

"What determines the balance of bacteria in our colon is the food we consume," she said.

Re-establishing a healthy balance of bacteria in the colon stabilizes metabolic processes that influence inflammation and the sensation of feeling satisfied, or satiety, she said.

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Washington State University. The original article was written by Sylvia Kantor. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Luis Condezo-Hoyos, Indira P. Mohanty, Giuliana D. Noratto. Assessing non-digestible compounds in apple cultivars and their potential as modulators of obese faecal microbiota in vitro. Food Chemistry, 2014; 161: 208 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.03.122

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The Black Knight Unmanned Ground Vehicle Could Revolutionize Future Combat

 

The Black Knight is an experimental unmanned ground vehicle that may one day replace the tank on battlefields.

Remote Controlled Armored Vehicle

The Black Knight is a remote controlled armored vehicle being developed by British defence company BAE Systems PLC. The unmanned ground combat vehicle is currently in the prototype phase. However, people in the global defense industry have high hopes for the Black Knight and see it as the future of ground warfare. Unmanned ground vehicles are operated remotely from a distance, and soldiers do not travel in them – keeping military personnel out of harm’s way.

While unmanned vehicles are mostly associated with aircraft and aerial drones, a growing number of unmanned ground vehicles are also being developed for use by militaries around the world. The Black Knight is one of the most sophisticated of the unmanned ground combat vehicles, and its development is at an advanced phase. In 2010, the U.S. Army was putting the vehicle through a series of evaluations.

Turret and Machine Gun

At five meters long and 2.5 meters wide, the Black Knight is very similar to a tank. It is operated by a 300 horsepower Caterpillar engine and can travel at the same speed as main battle tanks. Many of the automotive parts in the Black Knight are the same as in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The commonality of parts helps keep maintenance costs low. The Black Knight can be airlifted to combat zones worldwide by C-130 transport aircraft.

The Black Knight is armed with a 30 millimeter cannon that is mounted on a turret at the top of the vehicle. It also uses a 7.62 millimeter machine gun. The Black Knight is primarily controlled from a command center. However, the vehicle can also be operated by a Dismounted Control Device (DCD), which is essentially a large remote control.

The Black Knight’s advanced computer system allows it to perform several functions by itself – including moving the turret, navigation, and planning a travel route while avoiding obstacles such as rocks and water.

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Increase Brainpower by Walking

 

Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD

Forgetting things? Can't remember where you put that dang whatchamacallit? Listen up. We have something for you that can do what no drug on the market can: improve your memory and even ward off Alzheimer's. It won't cost you a dime. Ready?

Walk out the door. (Wait! Finish reading this first.)

Yep, it's that simple. Put one foot in front of the other for 30 minutes a day and you'll cut your risk of memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, the ultimate memory thief, by 50%, according to a study. Even if you already have early signs of cognitive decline or Alzheimer's, walking 5 miles a week could put the skids on that.

7 ways to prevent Alzheimer's 

So how does a walk around the block turn aging brain cells into whiz kids?

Strolling makes your brain bigger. And with this organ, size does matter. Increased blood flow to your neurons from even mild aerobic activity prevents the brain shrinkage that occurs with age and accelerates with Alzheimer's. Walking sends fresh oxygen and blood straight to the parts of the brain that keep you witty and clever enough to actually remember a punch line.

Brain food for thought

Boosting brainpower isn't the only benefit. Walking perks up your mood, adds energy, cuts your chances of diabetes, and sparks your sex life (keeping blood flowing to that other organ where size may or may not matter). Even slow walkers have fewer heart attacks and strokes than couch potatoes do.

Need inspiration? Take a walk down memory lane.

Age Benefits

Walking at least 20 minutes a day can make your RealAge as much as 1.9 years younger if you're a woman and 1.2 years younger if you're a man.

February, 2011

O tamanho do pré-sal

 

Cristovam Buarque

20 de Setembro de 2014 às 09:10

Não usar a riqueza do pré-sal seria uma estupidez, usá-la para iludir a nação é uma indecência

Não usar a riqueza do pré-sal seria uma estupidez, usá-la para iludir a nação é uma indecência. As estimativas para as reservas do pré-sal podem não ser exatas, mas não são mitos, são resultados de pesquisas geológicas; a exploração na sua profundidade não é um mito, a engenharia dispõe de ferramentas; a crença de que pode ser feita sem riscos para a ecologia não é um mito, embora haja exemplos de vazamentos em campos similares; a expectativa de que a demanda e os preços continuarão altos não é um mito, apesar das novas fontes.

Mito, contudo, é a afirmação de que o pré-sal mudará a realidade brasileira.

Se tudo der certo, em 2036 a receita líquida prevista do setor petrolífero corresponderá a R$ 100 bilhões, aproximadamente R$ 448 por brasileiro, quando a renda per capita será de R$ 27.800, estimando crescimento de 2% ao ano para o PIB. Apesar da dimensão da sua riqueza, o pré-sal não terá o impacto que o governo tenta passar. Explorá-lo é correto, concentrar sua receita na educação é ainda mais correto, mas é indecente usar o pré-sal como uma ilusão para enganar a nação e como mecanismo para justificar o adiamento de investimentos em educação.

O Brasil não cabe dentro de um poço de petróleo, nem deve esperar por ele.

Mito também é a afirmação de que a educação brasileira será universalizada e dará um salto de qualidade graças ao pré-sal. Em 2030, uma educação de qualidade universal custará cerca de R$ 511 bilhões, para o custo/aluno/ano de R$ 9.500. Se tudo der certo, a totalidade dos recursos do setor petrolífero destinada à educação corresponderá a R$ 37 bilhões, apenas 7,2% do necessário.

Também é um mito dizer que o atual governo teve a iniciativa da proposta de investir 75% dos royalties do petróleo em educação. A partir do momento da descoberta do pré-sal, 44 projetos de lei foram apresentados na Câmara e no Senado.

Mas foi com a aprovação do substitutivo PLC 41/2013 ao PL 323/2007, do deputado Brizola Neto, em 14/8/2013, após parecer favorável do deputado André Figueiredo (PDT-CE), que se determinou o destino de 100% dos royalties para a educação e a saúde. As atas mostram que os líderes da base de apoio ao governo tentaram impedir a aprovação, mas foram derrotados no voto.

Além de não serem destinados à educação os R$ 15 bilhões dos Bônus de Assinatura do Leilão do Campo de Libra, os recursos dos royalties não estão sendo aplicados. Até 28 de agosto, um ano depois da sanção da lei, apenas R$ 912 milhões foram efetivamente transferidos para o Ministério da Educação, ou seja, somente 13,5% do valor de R$ 4,2 bilhões previsto pela Lei de Diretrizes Orçamentárias para 2014.

Enquanto o mundo vive uma revolução no conhecimento, estamos ficando para trás, eufóricos com a promessa de mudar nossa triste realidade educacional no futuro distante, com base em um recurso ainda na profundidade de sete mil metros e que não será suficiente. E o pouco prometido não está sendo cumprido.

 

World needs ‘paradigm shift’ towards sustainable agriculture, UN agency urges

 

Photo: World Bank/Maria Fleischmann

29 September 2014 – In order to move towards more sustainable agriculture, a broader approach is needed to overhaul the world’s food system, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, as he pressed for a global reduction in the quantity of chemicals and water in contemporary agriculture.

Speaking at the opening of the 24th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in Rome, Director-General José Graziano da Silva called for a “paradigm shift” in global attitudes on agriculture, adding that only by decreasing the amounts of “inputs,” such as water and chemicals, could the sector move towards a more sustainable and productive long-term path.

“We cannot rely on an input-intensive model to increase production,” Mr. Graziano da Silva declared. “The solutions of the past have shown their limits.”

Pointing to options such as agro-ecology, climate-smart agriculture, biotechnology and the use of genetically modified organisms, the Director-General emphasized that global food production would need to grow by 60 per cent by 2050 in order to meet the expected demand from an anticipated world population of nine billion.

“We need to explore these alternatives using an inclusive approach based on science and evidence, not on ideologies,” he continued.

Established in 1971 and with over 100 members within its ranks, the COAG’s biennial meeting is currently addressing a wide range of issues, including family farming, sustainable agriculture, food safety, water governance, soil management and agricultural heritage systems.

Addressing the Committee in his keynote speech, the President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina, underscored his Government’s support of the principle that food be considered a universal right and noted that his country was on the verge of passing a law establishing said right.

 

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News Tracker: past stories on this issue

World hunger falls, but number of undernourished remains ‘unacceptably high’ – joint UN report

In-flight sensor tests a step toward structural health monitoring for safer flights

 

"The flight test program is underway," said Dennis Roach, a senior scientist in Sandia National Laboratories' Transportation, Safeguards & Surety Program who has worked in aviation safety for 25 years. "We have moved past laboratory research and are looking for certification for actual on-board usage. Our activities are proving that the sensors work on particular applications and that it is safe and reliable to use these sensor systems for routine aircraft maintenance."

Delta Air Lines Inc. and a foreign aircraft manufacturer have partnered with Sandia researchers in two separate programs to install about 100 sensors on their commercial aircraft. These teams worked together to provide the installation procedures for technicians and now oversee monitoring of the in-flight tests.

The flight tests complement laboratory performance testing at Sandia to provide the critical step in a decade-long journey to enhance airline safety through a more comprehensive program of Structural Health Monitoring. SHM uses nondestructive inspection principles -- technologies that examine materials for damage without affecting their usefulness -- and built-in sensors that automatically and remotely assess an aircraft's structural condition in real time and signal the need for maintenance.

Roach said the goal of monitoring the sensors installed on the aircraft is to accumulate successful flight history to show that the sensors can sustain the operating environment, while providing the proper signals for flaw detection.

SHM eventually could help airlines save money by basing maintenance on the actual condition of the aircraft, rather than fixed schedules and inspection routines that might not be necessary, and thereby reduce airplanes' downtimes, Roach said.

The team said so far, sensors installed on the aircraft are working as expected.

Next year, Sandia intends to present the flight and laboratory test results to the FAA for approval and certification. Should the FAA approve the sensors, they would be available for specific applications across the entire airline industry and the process for certifying future applications should be more efficient because of the research being conducted now.

Two SHM systems reach maturity for use on regular flights

Sandia began its work in aviation safety in 1991 when the FAA, in response to a number of aviation incidents, increased its research efforts to improve inspection, maintenance and repair of commercial aircraft. Among the projects to improve aviation safety, the FAA created the AANC, operated by Sandia, to conduct research into nondestructive inspection (NDI), advanced materials, engines, structural integrity and a wide range of other airworthiness assurance areas.

The center provides a way to develop, evaluate and bring new aircraft technologies to the airline industry, Roach said. "We work to make the technology viable and often focus on that last phase of technology validation and certification."

The current SHM program is testing two sensors: Comparative Vacuum Monitoring (CVM) sensors manufactured by Structural Monitoring Systems and piezoelectric sensor arrays produced by Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Acellent Technologies Inc.

• CVM sensors improve crack detection by monitoring "galleries," or 0.025-inch channels etched by laser into the Teflon sensor. CVM sensors are then mounted in areas of the aircraft known to experience fatigue. The sensors are bonded to the surface of the structure with an adhesive surface preparation that seals out the atmosphere, creating a vacuum inside the gallery. When a tiny crack intersects the gallery, the pressure changes, much like the pressure in a vacuum cleaner changes when the hose has a leak. The sensor records the pressure change and alerts inspectors well before the crack becomes a safety issue.
• Piezoelectric sensors (PZT) are strategically distributed in polyimide films -- called Acellent's SMART Layers -- that adhere to an airplane's surface to monitor specific regions for damage. The array of PZT sensors communicate with one another by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic surface waves called Lamb waves. This creates a mini-communications network. Damage to the aircraft disrupts or changes the signal patterns from the baseline communication signals. Acellent's software measures and analyzes any changes, called the "damage index," and sends an alert to the inspector. Work is ongoing on the best spacing and placement for these sensors on aircraft, Sandia mechanical engineer Stephen Neidigk said.

Both of these on-board sensors must meet the same performance and reliability standards as those required for current maintenance inspections, Roach said. "The SHM systems also help eliminate some of the concerns about human factors associated with manually-deployed NDI," he said. "You have the sensor in place, you know it works and it's giving you a proper signal, whereas an inspector must manually orient the inspection probe properly each time and there are always concerns about human vigilance when inspections become time-consuming or tedious."

The sensors are custom built to fit an aircraft's parts, they are verified to be working before they are sealed inside the aircraft and the readouts provide inspectors with a "pass" or "fail" decision so the results can't be misinterpreted, the researchers said.

Sandia also is researching wide-area monitoring using piezoelectric and fiber optic strain sensors for composite materials used in today's aircraft. Impacts don't always show dents in composite materials, so SHM techniques are needed to find structural damage within what appears to be a smooth, undamaged surface, Neidigk said.

Field tests bridge gap from lab to routine use in aircraft

The field tests have helped fine tune the sensors, so they can withstand the harsh environments aircraft fly in and the environment aircraft mechanics work in, neither of which is as pristine as the laboratories where the sensors were initially tested.

For example, field testing showed that mechanics working in the cramped bowels of an aircraft couldn't see well enough to connect the sensors' tubes together by hand, Neidigk said. So the team designed snap-clip type connectors for the CVM sensors, like those used to plug a telephone landline into a wall outlet.

"With the snap-click connectors, they are able to feel them click together, which is easier than the previous method of connecting tiny tubes individually by hand," Neidigk said.

Growing realistic cracks part of Sandia performance tests

Complementing the in-flight tests, Sandia is looking at the sensors' ability to detect cracks and how well they perform in extreme environmental conditions.

In the laboratory, Sandia engineer Tom Rice breaks things for a living, but that's not as easy as it sounds. The cracks he "grows" have to represent cracks found on an airplane. So, for example, he places a pale green wing box fitting on a load frame that mimics the stress conditions the part would experience on an aircraft. After about four hours of accelerated fatigue cycles, a crack begins to show.

"We literally have to grow the crack enough to where it stays open (without the load on it), so our sensors can detect the crack when the aircraft is in an unloaded state in the maintenance hangar," Rice explained.

Once the sensors detect an array of cracks, Sandia assembles various test scenarios and collects the data to calculate the statistical probability of detection for cracks of various lengths, typically fractions of inches.

In hundreds of laboratory tests, the sensors have never issued a false call, Rice said.

Future of SHM can reduce costs, enhance safety for airline industry

If flight tests verify that the sensors can be used to help monitor airliners' structural health, the Sandia researchers hope to see a more comprehensive SHM program follow.

In addition to safety enhancement, SHM would save the airline industry time and money, particularly if sensors are mounted in hard-to-reach areas and used widely throughout an aircraft, Roach said.

With today's routine maintenance, inspectors often need to remove a cabin's interior seats or galleys to conduct inspections. But with the on-board sensors mounted in place, the mechanics can plug in from a convenient location to acquire the sensor data without the time and cost of removing items, Roach said. Such part removal also introduces the possibility of damaging the structure during disassembly.

Researchers hope SHM eventually will permit the real-time condition of the aircraft to dictate maintenance. "The ultimate goal is to monitor it in-flight and have it tell you 'I need some attention, I've got a problem here.' So you do condition-based maintenance rather than time-based maintenance," Roach said. "That's downstream a ways, but these are all building blocks working toward that."

Rice adds that with SHM, abnormal problems that show up prior to scheduled maintenance would be detected with real-time sensors. "With condition-based maintenance, you could find damage earlier than normal," he said. "It's rare that it happens, but it could."

Such early damage detection and repairs provided by SHM also are cost-effective because they reduce the need for subsequent major repairs, Roach said.