The Optimal Design of Fallible Organizations: Invariance of Optimal Decision Criterion and Uniqueness of Hierarchy and Polyarchy Structures

We present a general framework to study the project selection problem in an organization of fallible decision-makers. We show that when the organizational size and the majority rule for project acceptance are optimized simultaneously, the optimal quality of decision-making, as determined by the decision criterion, is invariant, and depends only on the expertise of decision-makers. This result clarifies that the circumstances under which the decision-making quality varies with the organizational structure are situations where the organizational size or majority rule is restricted from reaching the optimal level. Moreover, in contrast to earlier findings in the literature that the hierarchy and the polyarchy are suboptimal structures, we show that when the size, structure and decision criterion are simultaneously optimized, the hierarchy and the polyarchy are in fact the only possible optimal organizational structures when decision-making costs are present.organizational decision-making, structure, quality, hierarchy, polyarchy

AGRICULTURAL PLANNING EXPERT: A MODEL OF FARM ENTERPRISE SELECTION

Agricultural Planning Expert is a software model designed for advising small-scale farmers in southern Maryland. Choosing farm enterprises is modelled as consisting of four activities: suggesting enterprises for consideration, investigating the suitability of enterprises, allocating resources to suitable enterprises, and controlling the overall direction of an advising session.Farm Management,

Development and evaluation of a body weight support treadmill for use with locomotor training on pediatric spinal cord injury patients.

The consequences of spinal cord injury (SCI) are devastating regardless of the age of a patient. When the injury occurs in children five years old or younger, however, the impact is magnified due to the inevitable development of scoliosis (96%) and hip dysplasia (57%) (Schottler et al., 2012). To reduce occurrence of these complications and improve the quality of life for these patients, specialized activity-based therapies such as locomotor training (LT) are being increasingly used to improve overall trunk control and muscle activity in the lower extremities (Harkema et al., 2012; Howland et al., 2014). The aim of this therapy is to activate the neuromuscular networks below and across the level of the lesion via intense practice and repetition of the task of walking and standing. To conduct LT, the re-training of the neuromuscular network occurs during training on a specialized treadmill with an integrated system for monitoring, controlling, and recording the patient’s body weight support (BWS) (via a patented force feedback system) and manual trainers that promote a task-specific, sensorimotor experience. While body weight support treadmills (BWST) exist for LT with adults, none have been developed specifically for children. Adult systems are neither suited to the needs of the pediatric population, nor to the needs of the physical therapist and trainers providing the therapy. This thesis reports on the development of a body weight support treadmill specifically designed to enable pediatric LT. Evaluation of this prototype will lead to further system development with the end goal to develop a marketable clinical ready body weight support treadmill for use with the pediatric population

Sequence distribution studies of dichloroprotoanemonin-methyl methacrylate copolymers

Chloride elimination and ultraviolet bands in dichloroprotoanemonin/methyl methacrylate copolymer

Spitzer observations of Bow Shocks and Outflows in RCW 38

We report Spitzer observations of five newly identified bow shocks in the massive star-forming region RCW 38. Four are visible at IRAC wavelengths, the fifth is visible only at 24 microns. Chandra X-ray emission indicates that winds from the central O5.5 binary, IRS~2, have caused an outflow to the NE and SW of the central subcluster. The southern lobe of hot ionised gas is detected in X-rays; shocked gas and heated dust from the shock-front are detected with Spitzer at 4.5 and 24 microns. The northern outflow may have initiated the present generation of star formation, based on the filamentary distribution of the protostars in the central subcluster. Further, the bow-shock driving star, YSO 129, is photo-evaporating a pillar of gas and dust. No point sources are identified within this pillar at near- to mid-IR wavelengths. We also report on IRAC 3.6 & 5.8 micron observations of the cluster DBS2003-124, NE of RCW 38, where 33 candidate YSOs are identified. One star associated with the cluster drives a parsec-scale jet. Two candidate HH objects associated with the jet are visible at IRAC and MIPS wavelengths. The jet extends over a distance of ~3 pc. Assuming a velocity of 100 km/s for the jet material gives an age of about 30,000 years, indicating that the star (and cluster) are likely to be very young, with a similar or possibly younger age than RCW 38, and that star formation is ongoing in the extended RCW 38 region.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, accepted to Ap

The impact of weather extremes on urban resilience to hydro-climate hazards: a Singapore case study

10.1080/07900627.2017.1335186International Journal of Water Resources Development344510-52

Long-Term Consequences of Congestion Pricing: A Small Cordon in the Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush

We evaluate and compare the long-term economic effects of three cordon-based road pricing schemes applied to the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. To conduct this analysis, we employ a spatially disaggregated general equilibrium model of a regional economy that incorporates the decisions of residents, firms, and developers, integrated with a spatially disaggregated strategic transportation planning model that features mode, time period, and route choice. We find that all cordon pricing schemes increase welfare of the residents, as well as lead to GDP growth. At the optimum, the larger cordon and a double cordon lead to higher benefits than the small cordon encompassing downtown core. Nevertheless, the small cordon seems to be a safer bet because when the toll charge is set suboptimally, the net benefits from the small cordon compared to the optimum change negligibly, while the net benefits from the larger cordon decline sharply as the charge deviates from the optimal level.traffic congestion, cordon tolls, land use, welfare analysis, road pricing, general equilibrium, simulation, Washington DC