Stochastic Models in Circuit Network Growth

To describe the spatial pattern of objects or events, and to explain that pattern by way of the causal mechanisms which have generated it, has been one of the traditional aims of geographical research (Harvey, 1967). One method that can be employed for such descriptions and explanations is network analysis. A network is a meshed fabric of intersecting lines (Kansky, 1963). A more appropriate definition for geographers would be, a set of geographic elements interconnected into a system by a number of relationships (Kansky, 1963). Network analysis is an examination of a complete network, its elements and their relationships. Networks can be represented in two major ways. The first is graphically, as a map. However, although such a representation can summarize many network characteristics, it often proves too inflexible to permit further analysis. For this reason the second form of network representation is often resorted to. This involves representing the network as a matrix in which the rows and columns represent individual elements, and the entries in the body of teh matrix represent the relationships between the elements

From epic wildfires to epic flash floods: Rethinking environmental planning in an era of extremes

On January 9, 2018, a series of debris flows killed 23 people and caused over a $1 billion in economic losses in Montecito, Santa Barbara County, California. The debris flows followed a classic pattern in mountainous areas of southern California: A large wildfire (the 2017 Thomas Fire) burned the headwaters of streams draining the Transverse Ranges southward to the Pacific. A cell of intense rain fell on hydrophobic soils in the burn area, generating debris flows that propagated downstream, affecting areas along the stream channels. The 2018 Montecito debris flows raise compelling questions about the role of scientific information in decision making generally, and specifically how hazardous areas along rivers and streams are mapped, how land use is regulated in these zones, and how best to respond in emergency situations. We analyze the evolution of urban development in these flood hazard areas since the beginning of the 20th century, the recovery planning strategies that the local government adopted after the event, and the role of post-fire debris flow maps in environmental planning. We highlight the importance of exposure as a key element to reduce risk

Forecasting Police Calls during Peak Times for the City of Cleveland

For a period of time, professors from the Cleveland State University worked closely with the City of Cleveland Police Department. This partnership resulted in access to police records cataloging all emergency 911 calls for the city since 1995. Here, we describe forecasting approaches that can be used by the Police Department based on hourly 911 calls in the years 2001 to 2003 throughout the city during peak call time: the third shift during summer months. This case study is appropriate for class discussions in advanced courses in statistics to explore the application of time series analysis techniques

Geostatistical analysis of the spatial correlation between territorial anthropization and flooding vulnerability: Application to the DANA Phenomenon in a Mediterranean watershed

Climate change is making intense DANA (depresión aislada en niveles altos) type rains a more frequent phenomenon in Mediterranean basins. This trend, combined with the transformation of the territory derived from diffuse anthropization processes, has created an explosive cocktail for many coastal towns due to flooding events. To evaluate this problem and the impact of its main guiding parameters, a geostatistical analysis of the territory based on GIS indicators and an NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) analysis is developed. The assessment of the validity of a proposed methodology is applied to the case study of the Campo de Cartagena watershed located around the Mar Menor, a Mediterranean coastal lagoon in Southeastern Spain. This area has suffered three catastrophic floods derived from the DANA phenomenon between 2016 and 2019. The results show that apart from the effects derived from climate change, the real issue that amplifies the damage caused by floods is the diffuse anthropization process in the area, which has caused the loss of the natural hydrographic network that traditionally existed in the basin

Compression Device for 3D Spheroids in Microgravity

ME450 Capstone Design and Manufacturing Experience: Winter 2021As space travel and space colonization become increasingly feasible, there is recent interest in the physiological impacts of changes in cellular systems induced by micro gravity. The Liu group is in collaboration with the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to examine cellular mechanotransduction of human osteoblasts on the International Space Station. Part of this project aims to develop a device that can apply a compressive load in microgravity to 3D spheroids (aggregates of cells) embedded in hydrogel. This project aims to design a compressive device compatible with microgravity condition that would provide pre-defined strains to the 3D spheroids.Grace Cai, Allen Liu: Liu Lab, Space Tangohttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167656/1/Team_14-Compression_Device_for_3D_Spheroids_in_Microgravity.pd

Hemoptysis Complicating Mitral Stenosis: Case report with attention to differential diagnosis and a review of the literature

The differential diagnosis of hemoptysis in patients with mitral stenosis includes many primary pulmonary problems besides those peculiar to mitral stenosis. We describe the case of a 40-year-old woman with a 40-pack-year smoking history whose presenting symptom of hemoptysis was wrongly ascribed to pulmonary embolus and infarction, based on a presumably positive angiogram, and to chronic bronchitis, based on endoscopic findings at fiberoptic bronchoscopy, as provided by the referring physician. The features differentiating between cardiac and primary pulmonary disease are described, and the pathophysiology of hemoptysis in mitral stenosis is reviewed. In a case like the one we describe, hemoptysis is an important manifestation of severe valvular stenosis, and surgical intervention, i.e., mitral commissurotomy or mitral valve replacement, should be considered

Acurateţea clinicianului în interpretarea subiectivă a marcajelor hîrtiei de articulaţie

Obiective: Scopul acestui studiu a fost de a determina dacă interpretarea subiectivă a marcajelor de hârtie este o metodă de încredere pentru identificarea relativă a forţelor (contactelor dentare) ocluzale. Metodologie: 295 de medici au ales „cele mai puternice“ și “ cele mai puţin puternice (slabe)“ contacte ocluzale analizînd fotografii ocluzale ale marcajelor hîrtiei de articulaţie care au fost ulterior comparate cu analiza ocluzală computerizată ce a măsurat forţele ocluzale ale acelorași contacte dentare. Deviaţiile standard au fost calculate prin ani de practica clinică și prin numărul de cursuri frecventate pe tema ocluziei. De asemenea, a fost efectuată o analiză „Chi–square“ (Chi–pătrat). Rezultate: Valoarea medie corectă pentru 295 de medici stomatologi participanţi a fost de 1,53 (± 1.234). Nu au existat diferenţe semnificative legate de anii în practică (P> 0,16) sau numărul de cursuri luate pe tema ocluziei (P> 0,75). Analiza Chi–pătrat a arătat o sensibilitate de 12,6%, o specificitate de 12,4%, o valoare predictivă pozitivă de 12,58% și o valoare predictivă negativă de 12,42%. Șansa a fost apreciată corect la 12,5%. Concluzii: Interpretarea subiectivă este o metodă clinică ineficientă pentru determinarea relativă a forţei contactelor dentare ocluzale. Scorurile mici obţinute de la un grup mare de medici stomatologi participanţi sugerează că medicii nu sunt în măsură să diferenţieze în mod fiabil forţele mari și mici de ocluzie analizînd marcajele hîrtiei de articulaţie. Această metodă mult timp utilizată, de a identifica vizual marcajele hârtiei de articulaţie ce evidenţiază „forţa“ contactelor ocluzale, ar trebui să fie înlocuită cu o metodă obiectivă bazată pe măsurare.Summary. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine whether Subjective Interpretation of paper markings is a reliable method for identifying the relative occlusal force content of tooth contacts. Methodology: 295 clinicians selected the „Most Forceful“ and „Least Forceful“ occlusal contacts in six occlusal–view photographs of articulating paper marks that were later compar,ed against computerized occlusal analysis relative occlusal force measurements of the same tooth contacts . Means and standart deviations were calculated by years in clinical practice and by number of occlusion courses taken . A Chi–square analysis was also performed. Results: The mean correct for 295 participant dentists was 1.53 ( ±: 1.234). There were no significant differences found for years in pracice (P>0.16) or number of occlusion courses taken (P>0.75). The Chi square analysis showed a sensitivity of 12.6%, a specificity of 12.4%, a positive predictive value of 12.58% , and a negative predictive value of 12.42%. Chance was calculated at 12.5% correct. Conclusions: Subjective Interpretation is an ineffective clinical method for determining the relative occlusal force content of tooth contacts . The reported low scores obtained from a large group of participant dentists suggest clinicians are unable to reliably differentiate high and low occlusal force from looking at articulating paper marks. This longstanding method of visually observing articulating paper marks for occlusal contact force content should be replaced with a measurement –based, objective method

Thermal analysis of combinatorial solid geometry models using SINDA

Algorithms have been developed using Monte Carlo techniques to determine the thermal network parameters necessary to perform a finite difference analysis on Combinatorial Solid Geometry (CSG) models. Orbital and laser fluxes as well as internal heat generation are modeled to facilitate satellite modeling. The results of the thermal calculations are used to model the infrared (IR) images of targets and assess target vulnerability. Sample analyses and validation are presented which demonstrate code products

Risk as a process: a history informed hazard planning approach applied to the 2018 post-fire debris flows, Montecito, California

Historical information about floods is not commonly used in the US to inform land use planning decisions. Rather, the current approach to managing floods is based on static maps derived from computer simulations of the area inundated by floods of specified return intervals. These maps provide some information about flood hazard, but they do not reflect the underlying processes involved in creating a flood disaster, which typically include increased exposure due to building on flood-prone land, nor do they account for the greater hazard resulting from wildfire. We developed and applied an approach to analyze how exposure has evolved in flood hazard zones in Montecito, California, an area devastated by post-fire debris flows in January 2018. By combining historical flood records of the past 200 years, human development records of the past 100 years, and geomorphological understanding of debris flow generation processes, this approach allows us to look at risk as a dynamic process influenced by physical and human factors, instead of a static map. Results show that floods after fires, in particular debris flows and debris laden floods, are very common in Montecito (15 events in the last 200 years), and that despite policies discouraging developments in hazard areas, developments in hazard zones have increased substantially since Montecito joined the National Flood Insurance Program in 1979. We also highlight the limitation of using conventional Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) to manage land use in alluvial fan areas such as Montecito. The knowledge produced in this project can help Montecito residents better understand how they came to be vulnerable to floods and identify action they are taking now that might increase or reduce their vulnerability to the next big flood. This science-history-centric approach to understand hazard and exposure evolution using geographic information systems (GIS) and historical records, is generalizable to other communities seeking to better understand the nature of the hazard they are exposed to and some of the root causes of their vulnerabilities, in other words, both the natural and social processes producing disasters

Alqueva. Changing Ecologies of the Montado Landscape. Alentejo, Portugal

In the past decade Alqueva Dam brought a tremendous landscape change in all three sectors-environmental, social and economic. While the dam and reservoir was a project which was carefully executed, there are certain issues which need to be monitored/rectified as the reservoir goes into 5th straight year with full capacity. The Alentejo region is currently under threats from environmental stress (drought, climate change and habitat disturbances), social stress (with declining population in nearby villages) and is also struggling to attract people to this economically backward region in Portugal. This report presents analysis and recommendations proposed by Environmental Planning Students from UC Berkeley to create and revise holistic strategies that measure the effects of the dam and future proposals to improve human access and ecological values of Alentejo region.Portuguese Studies Program, UCBerkeley ; EDI