Boston University Academy

We survey theoretical work on the use of evidence, including work in game theory and in mechanism design.

To mitigate the persistent lateral oscillation of a rowing boat, various asymmetric rig designs have been implemented, even in Olympic competitions. Previous theoretical studies have operated under the unrealistic assumption that all rowers possess identical strength. This paper advances previous findings by scrutinizing the scenario where rowers exhibit heterogeneous strengths. Our study unveils a novel rig design feature: among the four designs for an eight-rower boat proposed by Barrow (2010), the design “uddu duud” uniquely satisfies the equilibrium condition for angular moments. This design is different from the German rig, “udud dudu,” utilized by Team Canada to win the Men’s Eight at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Furthermore, we enhance the analysis by incorporating stochastic noises.

Urbanization drives economic growth and improves living standards but also brings challenges, such as increased energy consumption, air pollution, and climate changes. A key issue is the Urban Heat Island effect, where urban areas experience higher temperatures, greater heat retention, and altered energy flux patterns compared to vegetation-rich rural regions.These changes not only exacerbate local heating but also disrupt natural ecosystems and water cycles.This study explores the urban heat island effect by analyzing differences in surface energy budgets between urban, grassland, and cropland sites in Nanjing, China. Data collected from May to September 2013 include variables such as air temperature, four-component radiation, and energy fluxes. The results reveal that urban areas for most of the time exhibit higher nighttime temperatures due to increased heat release by impervious surfaces. In contrast, rural sites, particularly in cropland, demonstrate effective cooling mechanisms through higher latent heat flux driven by evapotranspiration. Grassland temperatures fall between the other two site types, reflecting moderate cooling effects. In general, urban areas show a higher proportion of energy being converted into sensible and ground heat flux. In contrast, rural areas allocate more energy to latent heat flux. This study highlights the need to integrate vegetation into urban planning to reduce heat and improve thermal comfort.

Introduction:A transverse mesocolic internal hernia is a phenomenon in which a small intestinal loop protrudes through the natural orifice in the transverse colon mesentery. This type of internal hernia in adults, although rare, is one of the causes of closed-loop intestinal obstruction, which requires prompt diagnosis and treatment.Case Presentation:We report two cases of transverse mesocolic internal hernia that were examined and subsequently treated at Hospital 108, Hanoi, Vietnam. Both patients (53 and 66 years old) had atypical clinical symptoms, mainly dull epigastric pain. Upon admission, they were initially examined clinically, followed by blood testing and chest and abdominal X-ray radiography. Diagnostic imaging was mainly based on subsequent Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography (MDCT). Laparoscopic/surgical release of the hernia and closure of the natural orifice in the transverse colon mesentery were performed. The clinical symptoms and laboratory and radiographic findings did not suggest a causal diagnosis. However, MDCT provided several images suggestive of an internal hernia, including a closed intestinal loop passing through the transverse colon mesentery and located posteriorly in the left abdominal cavity near the Treitz angle, displacement of the mesenteric vascular bundle, and colon displacement. These displacements were the causes of intestinal inflammation/obstruction. Additionally, laparoscopic/surgical results confirmed the MDCT diagnosis.Conclusion:Thin-slice thickness, high spatial resolution, multiplanar reconstruction MDCT was effective for diagnosing transverse mesocolic internal hernia. In our two cases, MDCT helped determine the cause and assess the state of intestinal ischemia.

Introduction: Biological age acceleration (BAA) constructed from multi-organ system biomarkers may better elucidate the aging process relative to chronological age (CA). We evaluated the association of BAA with long-term health outcomes among middle-aged adults. Hypothesis: We related mid-life accelerated BA to the incidence of death, CVD, and dementia. Methods: We modeled BAA using multiple biomarkers (anthropometric and biochemical indicators of vital organ systems) at the sixth examination cycle (1995-1998) for up to 2038 Framingham Offspring participants. Stratified by sex, we estimated BA using the Klemera and Doubal method (KDM) with principal components. Standardized residuals from regressing KDM-BA on CA were used to define accelerated BA (>1 SD), moderate BA ([-1 to 1 SD]), and slow BA (<-1 SD; referent). Utilizing multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards and competing risk models, we related BAA to incident death, CVD, and dementia. Results: Over a median follow-up of 24 years (max 27 years), participants (mean age 57 years, 57% women) experienced 656 deaths, 454 new-onset CVD events, and 170 incident dementia outcomes. Men and women with accelerated BA had a 2.1-fold (95%CI [1.40-3.21]; p=0.0004) and a 1.7-fold higher risk for death (95%CI [1.10-2.55]; p=0.02), respectively, compared to the referent group. Women with accelerated BA had a 1.8-fold higher risk of CVD (95%CI [1.12-2.90]; p=0.02) compared to slow BA. Higher BAA was associated with a higher dementia risk (HR per SD-increase 1.25, 95%CI [1.03-1.53]; p=0.03) in women. Conclusions: Multiple biomarkers that signal the aging of biological organ systems can be combined to reflect BA. In our community-based sample, accelerated midlife BA was characterized by a higher risk of death and CVD in both sexes and with dementia risk in women. These findings underscore the importance of healthy multisystem aging over the life course.

Background: In 2023, the AHA published the PREVENT equations for estimating atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in adults aged 30-79 years. Research Questions: In young adults aged 20-39 years, does PREVENT improve risk prediction for 10- and 30-year ASCVD compared with existing risk assessment tools recommended in the current US guidelines (i.e., Pooled Cohort Equations [PCEs] and Pencina et al. equations)? Aims: To compare the performance of PREVENT vs. PCEs in predicting 10-year ASCVD, and PREVENT vs. Pencina equations in predicting 30-year ASCVD in young adults. Methods: We analyzed data from two complementary sources: (1) pooled data from two large cohorts: Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) and Framingham Heart Study (FHS; including the Offspring, Third Generation, Omni 1, and Omni 2 cohorts), and (2) electronic health records from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC). We included adults aged 20-39 years without a history of ASCVD at baseline. The outcome was incident ASCVD (defined as myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal and nonfatal stroke) at 10 or 30 years. Model discrimination (Harrell’s C) and mean calibration (estimated as the ratio of predicted to observed event rates) were calculated for the overall population and stratified by sex and race/ethnicity. Results: We included 7,606 young adults (mean age 29 years, 53% female, 30% Black) from the pooled cohorts, and 284,667 (mean age 32 years, 61% female, 8% Black, 46% Hispanic) from KPSC. When predicting 10-year risk, PREVENT improved discrimination in both the pooled cohort (ΔHarrell’s C=0.052; 95% CI: 0.014, 0.095) and KPSC (ΔHarrell’s C=0.039; 95% CI: 0.028, 0.049) compared with the PCEs. PREVENT had good calibration (mean calibration ranged from 0.77 to 1.54), whereas the PCEs overestimated 10-year risk (mean calibration ranged from 1.99 to 4.82). When predicting 30-year risk, discrimination was similar for PREVENT and Pencina equations, but both algorithms underestimated 30-year risk with PREVENT showing worse calibration (mean calibration 0.61). Conclusion: PREVENT improved 10-year ASCVD risk prediction in young adults compared to the PCEs but underestimated 30-year risk.

There has been a growing awareness that STEM education should incorporate a wide range of capabilities, in addition to providing traditional theoretical and practical knowledge. In line with these skills, entitled “professional skills,” GTIIT has defined seven core competencies. The enhancement of two of these competencies, namely, Engineering Aptitude and Students’ Learning Skills, is the primary objective of the work described in this paper. An innovative educational method, termed Informal Personalized Teaching (IPT), incorporated in the organic chemistry laboratory course, strengthens the connection between theory and practice in lab work. The data collected and presented here indicate a beneficial positive effect on students and high level of satisfaction among the students.

Biomedical industry is regarded as a sunrise industry, and it is expected that the scale of the industry will be getting larger in the future. In this paper, we firstly introduce the characteristics and development driving factors of biomedical industry, then analyzes the development structure and market scale of biomedical industry, and makes a trend judgment for the development of biomedical industry in the future.

The opioid crisis is a serious public health issue of epidemic proportions, building over the past decades. Prescription opioid abuse is one of the key sources of this issue. While pain is usually managed using pharmacological approaches, such as opioids, they produce several unwanted side effects – including respiratory depression and addiction – non-pharmacological approaches can be significant with minimal or no side effects. Recent developments in technology, such as Virtual Reality (VR), show considerable promise for main-stream adoption as one of the non-pharmacological interventions. Preventing a patient’s transition from acute to chronic pain is one instance where VR can presumably be effective. However, challenges remain due to the inherent subjectivity and lack of clear baselines in clinical intervention studies. Here, we review recent studies on the application of VR as a treatment for acute and chronic pain management to primarily understand key technical challenges faced by VR. The secondary goal of this work is to identify possible options to tackle some of the key challenges. Design considerations emerge as one critical component in improving patient engagement.