Finite element solution of optimal control problems with state-control inequality constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bless, Robert R.; Hodges, Dewey H.

1992-01-01

It is demonstrated that the weak Hamiltonian finite-element formulation is amenable to the solution of optimal control problems with inequality constraints which are functions of both state and control variables. Difficult problems can be treated on account of the ease with which algebraic equations can be generated before having to specify the problem. These equations yield very accurate solutions. Owing to the sparse structure of the resulting Jacobian, computer solutions can be obtained quickly when the sparsity is exploited.

Fourier transform inequalities for phylogenetic trees.

PubMed

Matsen, Frederick A

2009-01-01

Phylogenetic invariants are not the only constraints on site-pattern frequency vectors for phylogenetic trees. A mutation matrix, by its definition, is the exponential of a matrix with non-negative off-diagonal entries; this positivity requirement implies non-trivial constraints on the site-pattern frequency vectors. We call these additional constraints "edge-parameter inequalities". In this paper, we first motivate the edge-parameter inequalities by considering a pathological site-pattern frequency vector corresponding to a quartet tree with a negative internal edge. This site-pattern frequency vector nevertheless satisfies all of the constraints described up to now in the literature. We next describe two complete sets of edge-parameter inequalities for the group-based models; these constraints are square-free monomial inequalities in the Fourier transformed coordinates. These inequalities, along with the phylogenetic invariants, form a complete description of the set of site-pattern frequency vectors corresponding to bona fide trees. Said in mathematical language, this paper explicitly presents two finite lists of inequalities in Fourier coordinates of the form "monomial < or = 1", each list characterizing the phylogenetically relevant semialgebraic subsets of the phylogenetic varieties.

On classical mechanical systems with non-linear constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terra, Gláucio; Kobayashi, Marcelo H.

2004-03-01

In the present work, we analyze classical mechanical systems with non-linear constraints in the velocities. We prove that the d'Alembert-Chetaev trajectories of a constrained mechanical system satisfy both Gauss' principle of least constraint and Hölder's principle. In the case of a free mechanics, they also satisfy Hertz's principle of least curvature if the constraint manifold is a cone. We show that the Gibbs-Maggi-Appell (GMA) vector field (i.e. the second-order vector field which defines the d'Alembert-Chetaev trajectories) conserves energy for any potential energy if, and only if, the constraint is homogeneous (i.e. if the Liouville vector field is tangent to the constraint manifold). We introduce the Jacobi-Carathéodory metric tensor and prove Jacobi-Carathéodory's theorem assuming that the constraint manifold is a cone. Finally, we present a version of Liouville's theorem on the conservation of volume for the flow of the GMA vector field.

New classes of Lorenz curves by maximizing Tsallis entropy under mean and Gini equality and inequality constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preda, Vasile; Dedu, Silvia; Gheorghe, Carmen

2015-10-01

In this paper, by using the entropy maximization principle with Tsallis entropy, new distribution families for modeling the income distribution are derived. Also, new classes of Lorenz curves are obtained by applying the entropy maximization principle with Tsallis entropy, under mean and Gini index equality and inequality constraints.

Gender, inequality and Depo-Provera: Constraints on reproductive choice in Nicaragua.

PubMed

Yarris, Kristin Elizabeth; Dent, Nicolette Jeannette

2017-04-01

This article examines the sociocultural determinants of Nicaraguan women's use of Depo-Provera as a means of contraception. The prevalence of Depo-Provera in Nicaragua is high and increasing compared to other Central American countries. Drawing on data from structured interviews with 87 women and from focus groups with 32 women, we show how women's preference for Depo is shaped by both gendered inequalities and socioeconomic constraints. We employ basic statistical tests to analyse correlations between women's marital status and socioeconomic status (SES) with contraceptive use. Our statistical findings show significant associations between use of Depo and both marital status and SES, such that women who are married or in conjugal unions and women with lower SES are more likely to use Depo. To help explain women's use of Depo-Provera in Nicaragua, we situate our findings within the context of gender, culture, and power, reviewing the contested history of Depo-Provera in the developing world and dynamics of gender inequality, which constrain women's contraceptive choices. We conclude with suggestions for reproductive health programming in Nicaragua and beyond, arguing that gender equity and addressing socioeconomic barriers to family planning remain priorities for the achievement of global reproductive health.

Adaptive nearly optimal control for a class of continuous-time nonaffine nonlinear systems with inequality constraints.

PubMed

Fan, Quan-Yong; Yang, Guang-Hong

2017-01-01

The state inequality constraints have been hardly considered in the literature on solving the nonlinear optimal control problem based the adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) method. In this paper, an actor-critic (AC) algorithm is developed to solve the optimal control problem with a discounted cost function for a class of state-constrained nonaffine nonlinear systems. To overcome the difficulties resulting from the inequality constraints and the nonaffine nonlinearities of the controlled systems, a novel transformation technique with redesigned slack functions and a pre-compensator method are introduced to convert the constrained optimal control problem into an unconstrained one for affine nonlinear systems. Then, based on the policy iteration (PI) algorithm, an online AC scheme is proposed to learn the nearly optimal control policy for the obtained affine nonlinear dynamics. Using the information of the nonlinear model, novel adaptive update laws are designed to guarantee the convergence of the neural network (NN) weights and the stability of the affine nonlinear dynamics without the requirement for the probing signal. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by simulation studies. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Explicit reference governor for linear systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garone, Emanuele; Nicotra, Marco; Ntogramatzidis, Lorenzo

2018-06-01

The explicit reference governor is a constrained control scheme that was originally introduced for generic nonlinear systems. This paper presents two explicit reference governor strategies that are specifically tailored for the constrained control of linear time-invariant systems subject to linear constraints. Both strategies are based on the idea of maintaining the system states within an invariant set which is entirely contained in the constraints. This invariant set can be constructed by exploiting either the Lyapunov inequality or modal decomposition. To improve the performance, we show that the two strategies can be combined by choosing at each time instant the least restrictive set. Numerical simulations illustrate that the proposed scheme achieves performances that are comparable to optimisation-based reference governors.

The algebraic-hyperbolic approach to the linearized gravitational constraints on a Minkowski background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winicour, Jeffrey

2017-08-01

An algebraic-hyperbolic method for solving the Hamiltonian and momentum constraints has recently been shown to be well posed for general nonlinear perturbations of the initial data for a Schwarzschild black hole. This is a new approach to solving the constraints of Einstein’s equations which does not involve elliptic equations and has potential importance for the construction of binary black hole data. In order to shed light on the underpinnings of this approach, we consider its application to obtain solutions of the constraints for linearized perturbations of Minkowski space. In that case, we find the surprising result that there are no suitable Cauchy hypersurfaces in Minkowski space for which the linearized algebraic-hyperbolic constraint problem is well posed.

Kalman Filter Constraint Tuning for Turbofan Engine Health Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Dan; Simon, Donald L.

2005-01-01

Kalman filters are often used to estimate the state variables of a dynamic system. However, in the application of Kalman filters some known signal information is often either ignored or dealt with heuristically. For instance, state variable constraints are often neglected because they do not fit easily into the structure of the Kalman filter. Recently published work has shown a new method for incorporating state variable inequality constraints in the Kalman filter, which has been shown to generally improve the filter s estimation accuracy. However, the incorporation of inequality constraints poses some risk to the estimation accuracy as the Kalman filter is theoretically optimal. This paper proposes a way to tune the filter constraints so that the state estimates follow the unconstrained (theoretically optimal) filter when the confidence in the unconstrained filter is high. When confidence in the unconstrained filter is not so high, then we use our heuristic knowledge to constrain the state estimates. The confidence measure is based on the agreement of measurement residuals with their theoretical values. The algorithm is demonstrated on a linearized simulation of a turbofan engine to estimate engine health.

LMI-Based Fuzzy Optimal Variance Control of Airfoil Model Subject to Input Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swei, Sean S.M.; Ayoubi, Mohammad A.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a study of fuzzy optimal variance control problem for dynamical systems subject to actuator amplitude and rate constraints. Using Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy modeling and dynamic Parallel Distributed Compensation technique, the stability and the constraints can be cast as a multi-objective optimization problem in the form of Linear Matrix Inequalities. By utilizing the formulations and solutions for the input and output variance constraint problems, we develop a fuzzy full-state feedback controller. The stability and performance of the proposed controller is demonstrated through its application to the airfoil flutter suppression.

Parameterized LMI Based Diagonal Dominance Compensator Study for Polynomial Linear Parameter Varying System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Xiaobao; Li, Huacong; Jia, Qiusheng

2017-12-01

For dynamic decoupling of polynomial linear parameter varying(PLPV) system, a robust dominance pre-compensator design method is given. The parameterized precompensator design problem is converted into an optimal problem constrained with parameterized linear matrix inequalities(PLMI) by using the conception of parameterized Lyapunov function(PLF). To solve the PLMI constrained optimal problem, the precompensator design problem is reduced into a normal convex optimization problem with normal linear matrix inequalities (LMI) constraints on a new constructed convex polyhedron. Moreover, a parameter scheduling pre-compensator is achieved, which satisfies robust performance and decoupling performances. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the robust diagonal dominance pre-compensator design method are verified by the numerical simulation on a turbofan engine PLPV model.

Genetic programming over context-free languages with linear constraints for the knapsack problem: first results.

PubMed

Bruhn, Peter; Geyer-Schulz, Andreas

2002-01-01

In this paper, we introduce genetic programming over context-free languages with linear constraints for combinatorial optimization, apply this method to several variants of the multidimensional knapsack problem, and discuss its performance relative to Michalewicz's genetic algorithm with penalty functions. With respect to Michalewicz's approach, we demonstrate that genetic programming over context-free languages with linear constraints improves convergence. A final result is that genetic programming over context-free languages with linear constraints is ideally suited to modeling complementarities between items in a knapsack problem: The more complementarities in the problem, the stronger the performance in comparison to its competitors.

Quantum entanglement with Freedman's inequality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brody, Jed; Selton, Charlotte

2018-06-01

The assumption of local realism imposes constraints, such as Bell inequalities, on quantities obtained from measurements. In recent years, various tests of local realism have gained popularity in undergraduate laboratories, giving students the exciting opportunity to experimentally contradict this philosophical assumption. The standard test of the CHSH (Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt) Bell inequality requires 16 measurements, whereas a test of Freedman's inequality requires only three measurements. The calculations required to test Freedman's inequality are correspondingly simpler and the theory is less abstract. We suggest that students may benefit from testing Freedman's inequality before proceeding to the CHSH inequality and other more complicated experiments. Our measured data violated Freedman's inequality by more than six standard deviations.

Pre-Service Teachers' Linear and Quadratic Inequalities Understandings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bicer, Ali; Capraro, Robert M.; Capraro, Mary M.

2014-01-01

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] noted that middle and high school students are expected to be able to both explain inequalities by using mathematical symbols and understand meanings by interpreting the solutions of inequalities. Unfortunately, research has revealed that not only do middle and high school students hold…

Fluid pressure arrival time tomography: Estimation and assessment in the presence of inequality constraints, with an application to a producing gas field at Krechba, Algeria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rucci, A.; Vasco, D.W.; Novali, F.

2010-04-01

Deformation in the overburden proves useful in deducing spatial and temporal changes in the volume of a producing reservoir. Based upon these changes we estimate diffusive travel times associated with the transient flow due to production, and then, as the solution of a linear inverse problem, the effective permeability of the reservoir. An advantage an approach based upon travel times, as opposed to one based upon the amplitude of surface deformation, is that it is much less sensitive to the exact geomechanical properties of the reservoir and overburden. Inequalities constrain the inversion, under the assumption that the fluid production onlymore » results in pore volume decreases within the reservoir. We apply the formulation to satellite-based estimates of deformation in the material overlying a thin gas production zone at the Krechba field in Algeria. The peak displacement after three years of gas production is approximately 0.5 cm, overlying the eastern margin of the anticlinal structure defining the gas field. Using data from 15 irregularly-spaced images of range change, we calculate the diffusive travel times associated with the startup of a gas production well. The inequality constraints are incorporated into the estimates of model parameter resolution and covariance, improving the resolution by roughly 30 to 40%.« less

Response of discrete linear systems to forcing functions with inequality constraints.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalopoulos, C. D.; Riley, T. A.

1972-01-01

An analysis is made of the maximum response of discrete, linear mechanical systems to arbitrary forcing functions which lie within specified bounds. Primary attention is focused on the complete determination of the forcing function which will engender maximum displacement to any particular mass element of a multi-degree-of-freedom system. In general, the desired forcing function is found to be a bang-bang type function, i.e., a function which switches from the maximum to the minimum bound and vice-versa at certain instants of time. Examples of two-degree-of-freedom systems, with and without damping, are presented in detail. Conclusions are drawn concerning the effect of damping on the switching times and the general procedure for finding these times is discussed.

A Refined Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Peter R.

2007-01-01

The author presents a refinement of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. He shows his computations in which refinements of the triangle inequality and its reverse inequality are obtained for nonzero x and y in a normed linear space.

An efficient method for generalized linear multiplicative programming problem with multiplicative constraints.

PubMed

Zhao, Yingfeng; Liu, Sanyang

2016-01-01

We present a practical branch and bound algorithm for globally solving generalized linear multiplicative programming problem with multiplicative constraints. To solve the problem, a relaxation programming problem which is equivalent to a linear programming is proposed by utilizing a new two-phase relaxation technique. In the algorithm, lower and upper bounds are simultaneously obtained by solving some linear relaxation programming problems. Global convergence has been proved and results of some sample examples and a small random experiment show that the proposed algorithm is feasible and efficient.

Strong monogamy inequalities for four qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regula, Bartosz; Osterloh, Andreas; Adesso, Gerardo

2016-05-01

We investigate possible generalizations of the Coffman-Kundu-Wootters monogamy inequality to four qubits, accounting for multipartite entanglement in addition to the bipartite terms. We show that the most natural extension of the inequality does not hold in general, and we describe the violations of this inequality in detail. We investigate alternative ways to extend the monogamy inequality to express a constraint on entanglement sharing valid for all four-qubit states, and perform an extensive numerical analysis of randomly generated four-qubit states to explore the properties of such extensions.

Near-optimal alternative generation using modified hit-and-run sampling for non-linear, non-convex problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, D. E.; Alafifi, A.

2016-12-01

Water resources systems analysis often focuses on finding optimal solutions. Yet an optimal solution is optimal only for the modelled issues and managers often seek near-optimal alternatives that address un-modelled objectives, preferences, limits, uncertainties, and other issues. Early on, Modelling to Generate Alternatives (MGA) formalized near-optimal as the region comprising the original problem constraints plus a new constraint that allowed performance within a specified tolerance of the optimal objective function value. MGA identified a few maximally-different alternatives from the near-optimal region. Subsequent work applied Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling to generate a larger number of alternatives that span the near-optimal region of linear problems or select portions for non-linear problems. We extend the MCMC Hit-And-Run method to generate alternatives that span the full extent of the near-optimal region for non-linear, non-convex problems. First, start at a feasible hit point within the near-optimal region, then run a random distance in a random direction to a new hit point. Next, repeat until generating the desired number of alternatives. The key step at each iterate is to run a random distance along the line in the specified direction to a new hit point. If linear equity constraints exist, we construct an orthogonal basis and use a null space transformation to confine hits and runs to a lower-dimensional space. Linear inequity constraints define the convex bounds on the line that runs through the current hit point in the specified direction. We then use slice sampling to identify a new hit point along the line within bounds defined by the non-linear inequity constraints. This technique is computationally efficient compared to prior near-optimal alternative generation techniques such MGA, MCMC Metropolis-Hastings, evolutionary, or firefly algorithms because search at each iteration is confined to the hit line, the algorithm can move in one

Transient times in linear metabolic pathways under constant affinity constraints.

PubMed

Lloréns, M; Nuño, J C; Montero, F

1997-10-15

In the early seventies, Easterby began the analytical study of transition times for linear reaction schemes [Easterby (1973) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 293, 552-558]. In this pioneer work and in subsequent papers, a state function (the transient time) was used to measure the period before the stationary state, for systems constrained to work under both constant and variable input flux, was reached. Despite the undoubted usefulness of this quantity to describe the time-dependent features of these kinds of systems, its application to the study of chemical reactions under other constraints is questionable. In the present work, a generalization of these magnitudes to linear metabolic pathways functioning under a constant-affinity constraint is carried out. It is proved that classical definitions of transient times do not reflect the actual properties of the transition to the steady state in systems evolving under this restriction. Alternatively, a more adequate framework for interpretation of the transient times for systems with both constant and variable input flux is suggested. Within this context, new definitions that reflect more accurately the transient characteristics of constant affinity systems are stated. Finally, the meaning of these transient times is discussed.

LPmerge: an R package for merging genetic maps by linear programming.

PubMed

Endelman, Jeffrey B; Plomion, Christophe

2014-06-01

Consensus genetic maps constructed from multiple populations are an important resource for both basic and applied research, including genome-wide association analysis, genome sequence assembly and studies of evolution. The LPmerge software uses linear programming to efficiently minimize the mean absolute error between the consensus map and the linkage maps from each population. This minimization is performed subject to linear inequality constraints that ensure the ordering of the markers in the linkage maps is preserved. When marker order is inconsistent between linkage maps, a minimum set of ordinal constraints is deleted to resolve the conflicts. LPmerge is on CRAN at http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/LPmerge. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Multi-objective control of nonlinear boiler-turbine dynamics with actuator magnitude and rate constraints.

PubMed

Chen, Pang-Chia

2013-01-01

This paper investigates multi-objective controller design approaches for nonlinear boiler-turbine dynamics subject to actuator magnitude and rate constraints. System nonlinearity is handled by a suitable linear parameter varying system representation with drum pressure as the system varying parameter. Variation of the drum pressure is represented by suitable norm-bounded uncertainty and affine dependence on system matrices. Based on linear matrix inequality algorithms, the magnitude and rate constraints on the actuator and the deviations of fluid density and water level are formulated while the tracking abilities on the drum pressure and power output are optimized. Variation ranges of drum pressure and magnitude tracking commands are used as controller design parameters, determined according to the boiler-turbine's operation range. Copyright © 2012 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transient response of multidegree-of-freedom linear systems to forcing functions with inequality constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalopoulos, C. D.

1974-01-01

Optimal control theory is applied to analyze the transient response of discrete linear systems to forcing functions with unknown time dependence but having known bounds. Particular attention is given to forcing functions which include: (1) maximum displacement of any given mass element, (2) maximum relative displacement of any two adjacent masses, and (3) maximum acceleration of a given mass. Linear mechanical systems with an arbitrary number of degrees of freedom and only one forcing function acting are considered. In the general case, the desired forcing function is found to be a function that switches from the upper-to-lower bound and vice-versa at certain moments of time. A general procedure for finding such switching times is set forth.

No-signaling quantum key distribution: solution by linear programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Won-Young; Bae, Joonwoo; Killoran, Nathan

2015-02-01

We outline a straightforward approach for obtaining a secret key rate using only no-signaling constraints and linear programming. Assuming an individual attack, we consider all possible joint probabilities. Initially, we study only the case where Eve has binary outcomes, and we impose constraints due to the no-signaling principle and given measurement outcomes. Within the remaining space of joint probabilities, by using linear programming, we get bound on the probability of Eve correctly guessing Bob's bit. We then make use of an inequality that relates this guessing probability to the mutual information between Bob and a more general Eve, who is not binary-restricted. Putting our computed bound together with the Csiszár-Körner formula, we obtain a positive key generation rate. The optimal value of this rate agrees with known results, but was calculated in a more straightforward way, offering the potential of generalization to different scenarios.

Evolutionary variational-hemivariational inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carl, Siegfried; Le, Vy K.; Motreanu, Dumitru

2008-09-01

We consider an evolutionary quasilinear hemivariational inequality under constraints represented by some closed and convex subset. Our main goal is to systematically develop the method of sub-supersolution on the basis of which we then prove existence, comparison, compactness and extremality results. The obtained results are applied to a general obstacle problem. We improve the corresponding results in the recent monograph [S. Carl, V.K. Le, DE Motreanu, Nonsmooth Variational Problems and Their Inequalities. Comparison Principles and Applications, Springer Monogr. Math., Springer, New York, 2007].

From elementary flux modes to elementary flux vectors: Metabolic pathway analysis with arbitrary linear flux constraints.

PubMed

Klamt, Steffen; Regensburger, Georg; Gerstl, Matthias P; Jungreuthmayer, Christian; Schuster, Stefan; Mahadevan, Radhakrishnan; Zanghellini, Jürgen; Müller, Stefan

2017-04-01

Elementary flux modes (EFMs) emerged as a formal concept to describe metabolic pathways and have become an established tool for constraint-based modeling and metabolic network analysis. EFMs are characteristic (support-minimal) vectors of the flux cone that contains all feasible steady-state flux vectors of a given metabolic network. EFMs account for (homogeneous) linear constraints arising from reaction irreversibilities and the assumption of steady state; however, other (inhomogeneous) linear constraints, such as minimal and maximal reaction rates frequently used by other constraint-based techniques (such as flux balance analysis [FBA]), cannot be directly integrated. These additional constraints further restrict the space of feasible flux vectors and turn the flux cone into a general flux polyhedron in which the concept of EFMs is not directly applicable anymore. For this reason, there has been a conceptual gap between EFM-based (pathway) analysis methods and linear optimization (FBA) techniques, as they operate on different geometric objects. One approach to overcome these limitations was proposed ten years ago and is based on the concept of elementary flux vectors (EFVs). Only recently has the community started to recognize the potential of EFVs for metabolic network analysis. In fact, EFVs exactly represent the conceptual development required to generalize the idea of EFMs from flux cones to flux polyhedra. This work aims to present a concise theoretical and practical introduction to EFVs that is accessible to a broad audience. We highlight the close relationship between EFMs and EFVs and demonstrate that almost all applications of EFMs (in flux cones) are possible for EFVs (in flux polyhedra) as well. In fact, certain properties can only be studied with EFVs. Thus, we conclude that EFVs provide a powerful and unifying framework for constraint-based modeling of metabolic networks.

From elementary flux modes to elementary flux vectors: Metabolic pathway analysis with arbitrary linear flux constraints

PubMed Central

Klamt, Steffen; Gerstl, Matthias P.; Jungreuthmayer, Christian; Mahadevan, Radhakrishnan; Müller, Stefan

2017-01-01

Elementary flux modes (EFMs) emerged as a formal concept to describe metabolic pathways and have become an established tool for constraint-based modeling and metabolic network analysis. EFMs are characteristic (support-minimal) vectors of the flux cone that contains all feasible steady-state flux vectors of a given metabolic network. EFMs account for (homogeneous) linear constraints arising from reaction irreversibilities and the assumption of steady state; however, other (inhomogeneous) linear constraints, such as minimal and maximal reaction rates frequently used by other constraint-based techniques (such as flux balance analysis [FBA]), cannot be directly integrated. These additional constraints further restrict the space of feasible flux vectors and turn the flux cone into a general flux polyhedron in which the concept of EFMs is not directly applicable anymore. For this reason, there has been a conceptual gap between EFM-based (pathway) analysis methods and linear optimization (FBA) techniques, as they operate on different geometric objects. One approach to overcome these limitations was proposed ten years ago and is based on the concept of elementary flux vectors (EFVs). Only recently has the community started to recognize the potential of EFVs for metabolic network analysis. In fact, EFVs exactly represent the conceptual development required to generalize the idea of EFMs from flux cones to flux polyhedra. This work aims to present a concise theoretical and practical introduction to EFVs that is accessible to a broad audience. We highlight the close relationship between EFMs and EFVs and demonstrate that almost all applications of EFMs (in flux cones) are possible for EFVs (in flux polyhedra) as well. In fact, certain properties can only be studied with EFVs. Thus, we conclude that EFVs provide a powerful and unifying framework for constraint-based modeling of metabolic networks. PMID:28406903

Macrorealism from entropic Leggett-Garg inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, A. R. Usha; Karthik, H. S.; Sudha; Rajagopal, A. K.

2013-05-01

We formulate entropic Leggett-Garg inequalities, which place constraints on the statistical outcomes of temporal correlations of observables. The information theoretic inequalities are satisfied if macrorealism holds. We show that the quantum statistics underlying correlations between time-separated spin component of a quantum rotor mimics that of spin correlations in two spatially separated spin-s particles sharing a state of zero total spin. This brings forth the violation of the entropic Leggett-Garg inequality by a rotating quantum spin-s system in a similar manner as does the entropic Bell inequality [S. L. Braunstein and C. M. Caves, Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.61.662 61, 662 (1988)] by a pair of spin-s particles forming a composite spin singlet state.

Bayes factors for testing inequality constrained hypotheses: Issues with prior specification.

PubMed

Mulder, Joris

2014-02-01

Several issues are discussed when testing inequality constrained hypotheses using a Bayesian approach. First, the complexity (or size) of the inequality constrained parameter spaces can be ignored. This is the case when using the posterior probability that the inequality constraints of a hypothesis hold, Bayes factors based on non-informative improper priors, and partial Bayes factors based on posterior priors. Second, the Bayes factor may not be invariant for linear one-to-one transformations of the data. This can be observed when using balanced priors which are centred on the boundary of the constrained parameter space with a diagonal covariance structure. Third, the information paradox can be observed. When testing inequality constrained hypotheses, the information paradox occurs when the Bayes factor of an inequality constrained hypothesis against its complement converges to a constant as the evidence for the first hypothesis accumulates while keeping the sample size fixed. This paradox occurs when using Zellner's g prior as a result of too much prior shrinkage. Therefore, two new methods are proposed that avoid these issues. First, partial Bayes factors are proposed based on transformed minimal training samples. These training samples result in posterior priors that are centred on the boundary of the constrained parameter space with the same covariance structure as in the sample. Second, a g prior approach is proposed by letting g go to infinity. This is possible because the Jeffreys-Lindley paradox is not an issue when testing inequality constrained hypotheses. A simulation study indicated that the Bayes factor based on this g prior approach converges fastest to the true inequality constrained hypothesis. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

An improved artifact removal in exposure fusion with local linear constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hai; Yu, Mali

2018-04-01

In exposure fusion, it is challenging to remove artifacts because of camera motion and moving objects in the scene. An improved artifact removal method is proposed in this paper, which performs local linear adjustment in artifact removal progress. After determining a reference image, we first perform high-dynamic-range (HDR) deghosting to generate an intermediate image stack from the input image stack. Then, a linear Intensity Mapping Function (IMF) in each window is extracted based on the intensities of intermediate image and reference image, the intensity mean and variance of reference image. Finally, with the extracted local linear constraints, we reconstruct a target image stack, which can be directly used for fusing a single HDR-like image. Some experiments have been implemented and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust and effective in removing artifacts especially in the saturated regions of the reference image.

An Evaluation of an Algorithm for Linear Inequalities and Its Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurgensen, J.

1973-01-01

An algorithm is presented for obtaining a solution alpha to a set of inequalities (A alpha) 0 where A is an N x m-matrix and alpha is an m-vector. If the set of inequalities is consistant, then the algorithm is guaranteed to arrive at a solution in a finite number of steps. Also, if in the iteration, a negative vector is obtained, then the initial set of inequalities is inconsistant, and the iteration is terminated.

GROUP INEQUALITY

PubMed Central

Bowles, Samuel; Loury, Glenn C.; Sethi, Rajiv

2014-01-01

We explore the combined effect of segregation in social networks, peer effects, and the relative size of a historically disadvantaged group on the incentives to invest in market-rewarded skills and the dynamics of inequality between social groups. We identify conditions under which group inequality will persist in the absence of differences in ability, credit constraints, or labor market discrimination. Under these conditions, group inequality may be amplified even if initial group differences are negligible. Increases in social integration may destabilize an unequal state and make group equality possible, but the distributional and human capital effects of this depend on the demographic composition of the population. When the size of the initially disadvantaged group is sufficiently small, integration can lower the long-run costs of human capital investment in both groups and result in an increase the aggregate skill share. In contrast, when the initially disadvantaged group is large, integration can induce a fall in the aggregate skill share as the costs of human capital investment rise in both groups. We consider applications to concrete cases and policy implications. PMID:25554727

GROUP INEQUALITY.

PubMed

Bowles, Samuel; Loury, Glenn C; Sethi, Rajiv

2014-02-01

We explore the combined effect of segregation in social networks, peer effects, and the relative size of a historically disadvantaged group on the incentives to invest in market-rewarded skills and the dynamics of inequality between social groups. We identify conditions under which group inequality will persist in the absence of differences in ability, credit constraints, or labor market discrimination. Under these conditions, group inequality may be amplified even if initial group differences are negligible. Increases in social integration may destabilize an unequal state and make group equality possible, but the distributional and human capital effects of this depend on the demographic composition of the population. When the size of the initially disadvantaged group is sufficiently small, integration can lower the long-run costs of human capital investment in both groups and result in an increase the aggregate skill share. In contrast, when the initially disadvantaged group is large, integration can induce a fall in the aggregate skill share as the costs of human capital investment rise in both groups. We consider applications to concrete cases and policy implications.

QCD inequalities for hadron interactions.

PubMed

Detmold, William

2015-06-05

We derive generalizations of the Weingarten-Witten QCD mass inequalities for particular multihadron systems. For systems of any number of identical pseudoscalar mesons of maximal isospin, these inequalities prove that near threshold interactions between the constituent mesons must be repulsive and that no bound states can form in these channels. Similar constraints in less symmetric systems are also extracted. These results are compatible with experimental results (where known) and recent lattice QCD calculations, and also lead to a more stringent bound on the nucleon mass than previously derived, m_{N}≥3/2m_{π}.

Linear Quadratic Tracking Design for a Generic Transport Aircraft with Structural Load Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burken, John J.; Frost, Susan A.; Taylor, Brian R.

2011-01-01

When designing control laws for systems with constraints added to the tracking performance, control allocation methods can be utilized. Control allocations methods are used when there are more command inputs than controlled variables. Constraints that require allocators are such task as; surface saturation limits, structural load limits, drag reduction constraints or actuator failures. Most transport aircraft have many actuated surfaces compared to the three controlled variables (such as angle of attack, roll rate & angle of side slip). To distribute the control effort among the redundant set of actuators a fixed mixer approach can be utilized or online control allocation techniques. The benefit of an online allocator is that constraints can be considered in the design whereas the fixed mixer cannot. However, an online control allocator mixer has a disadvantage of not guaranteeing a surface schedule, which can then produce ill defined loads on the aircraft. The load uncertainty and complexity has prevented some controller designs from using advanced allocation techniques. This paper considers actuator redundancy management for a class of over actuated systems with real-time structural load limits using linear quadratic tracking applied to the generic transport model. A roll maneuver example of an artificial load limit constraint is shown and compared to the same no load limitation maneuver.

Bekenstein inequalities and nonlinear electrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peñafiel, M. L.; Falciano, F. T.

2017-12-01

Bekenstein and Mayo proposed a generalized bound for the entropy, which implies some inequalities between the charge, energy, angular momentum, and size of the macroscopic system. Dain has shown that Maxwell's electrodynamics satisfies all three inequalities. We investigate the validity of these relations in the context of nonlinear electrodynamics and show that Born-Infeld electrodynamics satisfies all of them. However, contrary to the linear theory, there is no rigidity statement in Born-Infeld. We study the physical meaning and the relationship between these inequalities, and in particular, we analyze the connection between the energy-angular momentum inequality and causality.

A solid criterion based on strict LMI without invoking equality constraint for stabilization of continuous singular systems.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuefeng; Chen, YangQuan

2017-11-01

The paper considers the stabilization issue of linear continuous singular systems by dealing with strict linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) without invoking equality constraint and proposes a complete and effective solved LMIs formulation. The criterion is necessary and sufficient condition and can be directly solved the feasible solutions with LMI toolbox and is much more tractable and reliable in numerical simulation than existing results, which involve positive semi-definite LMIs with equality constraints. The most important property of the criterion proposed in the paper is that it can overcome the drawbacks of the invalidity caused by the singularity of Ω=PE T +SQ for stabilization of singular systems. Two counterexamples are presented to avoid the disadvantages of the existing condition of stabilization of continuous singular systems. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What's in a country average? Wealth, gender, and regional inequalities in immunization in India.

PubMed

Pande, Rohini P; Yazbeck, Abdo S

2003-12-01

Recent attention to Millennium Development Goals by the international development community has led to the formation of targets to measure country-level achievements, including achievements on health status indicators such as childhood immunization. Using the example of immunization in India, this paper demonstrates the importance of disaggregating national averages for a better understanding of social disparities in health. Specifically, the paper uses data from the India National Family Health Survey 1992-93 to analyze socioeconomic, gender, urban-rural and regional inequalities in immunization in India for each of the 17 largest states. Results show that, on average, southern states have better immunization levels and lower immunization inequalities than many northern states. Wealth and regional inequalities are correlated with overall levels of immunization in a non-linear fashion. Gender inequalities persist in most states, including in the south, and seem unrelated to overall immunization or the levels of other inequalities measured here. This suggests that the gender differentials reflect deep-seated societal factors rather than health system issues per se. The disaggregated information and analysis used in this paper allows for setting more meaningful targets than country averages. Additionally, it helps policy makers and planners to understand programmatic constraints and needs by identifying disparities between sub-groups of the population, including strong and weak performers at the state and regional levels.

Linear Approximation to Optimal Control Allocation for Rocket Nozzles with Elliptical Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orr, Jeb S.; Wall, Johnm W.

2011-01-01

In this paper we present a straightforward technique for assessing and realizing the maximum control moment effectiveness for a launch vehicle with multiple constrained rocket nozzles, where elliptical deflection limits in gimbal axes are expressed as an ensemble of independent quadratic constraints. A direct method of determining an approximating ellipsoid that inscribes the set of attainable angular accelerations is derived. In the case of a parameterized linear generalized inverse, the geometry of the attainable set is computationally expensive to obtain but can be approximated to a high degree of accuracy with the proposed method. A linear inverse can then be optimized to maximize the volume of the true attainable set by maximizing the volume of the approximating ellipsoid. The use of a linear inverse does not preclude the use of linear methods for stability analysis and control design, preferred in practice for assessing the stability characteristics of the inertial and servoelastic coupling appearing in large boosters. The present techniques are demonstrated via application to the control allocation scheme for a concept heavy-lift launch vehicle.

An algorithm for the solution of dynamic linear programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Psiaki, Mark L.

1989-01-01

The algorithm's objective is to efficiently solve Dynamic Linear Programs (DLP) by taking advantage of their special staircase structure. This algorithm constitutes a stepping stone to an improved algorithm for solving Dynamic Quadratic Programs, which, in turn, would make the nonlinear programming method of Successive Quadratic Programs more practical for solving trajectory optimization problems. The ultimate goal is to being trajectory optimization solution speeds into the realm of real-time control. The algorithm exploits the staircase nature of the large constraint matrix of the equality-constrained DLPs encountered when solving inequality-constrained DLPs by an active set approach. A numerically-stable, staircase QL factorization of the staircase constraint matrix is carried out starting from its last rows and columns. The resulting recursion is like the time-varying Riccati equation from multi-stage LQR theory. The resulting factorization increases the efficiency of all of the typical LP solution operations over that of a dense matrix LP code. At the same time numerical stability is ensured. The algorithm also takes advantage of dynamic programming ideas about the cost-to-go by relaxing active pseudo constraints in a backwards sweeping process. This further decreases the cost per update of the LP rank-1 updating procedure, although it may result in more changes of the active set that if pseudo constraints were relaxed in a non-stagewise fashion. The usual stability of closed-loop Linear/Quadratic optimally-controlled systems, if it carries over to strictly linear cost functions, implies that the saving due to reduced factor update effort may outweigh the cost of an increased number of updates. An aerospace example is presented in which a ground-to-ground rocket's distance is maximized. This example demonstrates the applicability of this class of algorithms to aerospace guidance. It also sheds light on the efficacy of the proposed pseudo constraint relaxation

A quadratic-tensor model algorithm for nonlinear least-squares problems with linear constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, R. J.; Krogh, Fred T.

1992-01-01

A new algorithm for solving nonlinear least-squares and nonlinear equation problems is proposed which is based on approximating the nonlinear functions using the quadratic-tensor model by Schnabel and Frank. The algorithm uses a trust region defined by a box containing the current values of the unknowns. The algorithm is found to be effective for problems with linear constraints and dense Jacobian matrices.

Multi-Mode Estimation for Small Fixed Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Localization Based on a Linear Matrix Inequality Approach

PubMed Central

Elzoghby, Mostafa; Li, Fu; Arafa, Ibrahim. I.; Arif, Usman

2017-01-01

Information fusion from multiple sensors ensures the accuracy and robustness of a navigation system, especially in the absence of global positioning system (GPS) data which gets degraded in many cases. A way to deal with multi-mode estimation for a small fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) localization framework is proposed, which depends on utilizing a Luenberger observer-based linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach. The proposed estimation technique relies on the interaction between multiple measurement modes and a continuous observer. The state estimation is performed in a switching environment between multiple active sensors to exploit the available information as much as possible, especially in GPS-denied environments. Luenberger observer-based projection is implemented as a continuous observer to optimize the estimation performance. The observer gain might be chosen by solving a Lyapunov equation by means of a LMI algorithm. Convergence is achieved by utilizing the linear matrix inequality (LMI), based on Lyapunov stability which keeps the dynamic estimation error bounded by selecting the observer gain matrix (L). Simulation results are presented for a small UAV fixed wing localization problem. The results obtained using the proposed approach are compared with a single mode Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the viability of the proposed strategy. PMID:28420214

Fuzzy attitude control of solar sail via linear matrix inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baculi, Joshua; Ayoubi, Mohammad A.

2017-09-01

This study presents a fuzzy tracking controller based on the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model of the solar sail. First, the T-S fuzzy model is constructed by linearizing the existing nonlinear equations of motion of the solar sail. Then, the T-S fuzzy model is used to derive the state feedback controller gains for the Twin Parallel Distributed Compensation (TPDC) technique. The TPDC tracks and stabilizes the attitude of the solar sail to any desired state in the presence of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances while satisfying actuator constraints. The performance of the TPDC is compared to a PID controller that is tuned using the Ziegler-Nichols method. Numerical simulation shows the TPDC outperforms the PID controller when stabilizing the solar sail to a desired state.

Updating QR factorization procedure for solution of linear least squares problem with equality constraints.

PubMed

Zeb, Salman; Yousaf, Muhammad

2017-01-01

In this article, we present a QR updating procedure as a solution approach for linear least squares problem with equality constraints. We reduce the constrained problem to unconstrained linear least squares and partition it into a small subproblem. The QR factorization of the subproblem is calculated and then we apply updating techniques to its upper triangular factor R to obtain its solution. We carry out the error analysis of the proposed algorithm to show that it is backward stable. We also illustrate the implementation and accuracy of the proposed algorithm by providing some numerical experiments with particular emphasis on dense problems.

Linear matrix inequality approach to exponential synchronization of a class of chaotic neural networks with time-varying delays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Wei; Cui, Bao-Tong

2007-07-01

In this paper, a synchronization scheme for a class of chaotic neural networks with time-varying delays is presented. This class of chaotic neural networks covers several well-known neural networks, such as Hopfield neural networks, cellular neural networks, and bidirectional associative memory networks. The obtained criteria are expressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities, thus they can be efficiently verified. A comparison between our results and the previous results shows that our results are less restrictive.

Classifying 50 years of Bell inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosset, Denis; Bancal, Jean-Daniel; Gisin, Nicolas

2014-10-01

Since John S Bell demonstrated the interest of studying linear combinations of probabilities in relation with the EPR paradox in 1964, Bell inequalities have lead to numerous developments. Unfortunately, the description of Bell inequalities is subject to several degeneracies, which make any exchange of information about them unnecessarily hard. Here, we analyze these degeneracies and propose a decomposition for Bell-like inequalities based on a set of reference expressions which is not affected by them. These reference expressions set a common ground for comparing Bell inequalities. We provide algorithms based on finite group theory to compute this decomposition. Implementing these algorithms allows us to set up a compendium of reference Bell-like inequalities, available online at www.faacets.com. This website constitutes a platform where registered Bell-like inequalities can be explored, new inequalities can be compared to previously-known ones and relevant information on Bell inequalities can be added in a collaborative manner. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘50 years of Bell’s theorem’.

Research on Centralized Voltage and Effective Inequality Identification Based on Circuit Analysis Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yi; Wang, Feifeng; Lu, Yufeng; Huang, Huimin; Xia, Xiaofei

2017-09-01

This paper is based on affine function equation of the grid and OPF problem, discusses the equivalent of some inequality constraints variables optimizing. Further, we propose the model of injection current and set up the constraint sensitivity index of affine characteristics. The index can be used to identify the central point voltage and effective inequality of the system automatically. And then we can know how to compensate reactive power of the corresponding generator node and control the voltage to ensure the quality of the system voltage. When checking the effective inequalities we introduce cross-solving method of power flow. This provide a different idea for solving the power flow. The paper uses the results of the IEEE5 node examples to illustrate the validity and practicality of the proposed method.

Weighted polygamy inequalities of multiparty entanglement in arbitrary-dimensional quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jeong San

2018-04-01

We provide a generalization for the polygamy constraint of multiparty entanglement in arbitrary-dimensional quantum systems. By using the β th power of entanglement of assistance for 0 ≤β ≤1 and the Hamming weight of the binary vector related with the distribution of subsystems, we establish a class of weighted polygamy inequalities of multiparty entanglement in arbitrary-dimensional quantum systems. We further show that our class of weighted polygamy inequalities can even be improved to be tighter inequalities with some conditions on the assisted entanglement of bipartite subsystems.

Bayesian Optimization Under Mixed Constraints with A Slack-Variable Augmented Lagrangian

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Picheny, Victor; Gramacy, Robert B.; Wild, Stefan M.

An augmented Lagrangian (AL) can convert a constrained optimization problem into a sequence of simpler (e.g., unconstrained) problems, which are then usually solved with local solvers. Recently, surrogate-based Bayesian optimization (BO) sub-solvers have been successfully deployed in the AL framework for a more global search in the presence of inequality constraints; however, a drawback was that expected improvement (EI) evaluations relied on Monte Carlo. Here we introduce an alternative slack variable AL, and show that in this formulation the EI may be evaluated with library routines. The slack variables furthermore facilitate equality as well as inequality constraints, and mixtures thereof.more » We show our new slack “ALBO” compares favorably to the original. Its superiority over conventional alternatives is reinforced on several mixed constraint examples.« less

Generalized entanglement constraints in multi-qubit systems in terms of Tsallis entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jeong San

2016-10-01

We provide generalized entanglement constraints in multi-qubit systems in terms of Tsallis entropy. Using quantum Tsallis entropy of order q, we first provide a generalized monogamy inequality of multi-qubit entanglement for q = 2 or 3. This generalization encapsulates the multi-qubit CKW-type inequality as a special case. We further provide a generalized polygamy inequality of multi-qubit entanglement in terms of Tsallis- q entropy for 1 ≤ q ≤ 2 or 3 ≤ q ≤ 4, which also contains the multi-qubit polygamy inequality as a special case.

Negativity and tight constraints of multiqubit entanglement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jeong San

2018-01-01

We provide a characterization of multiqubit entanglement constraints in terms of negativity. By using the square of convex-roof extended negativity (SCREN) and the Hamming weight of the binary vector related with the distribution of subsystems, we show that the α th power of SCREN provides a class of monogamy inequalities of multiqubit entanglement in a tight way for α ≥1 . We further show that the β th power of SCREN also provides a class of tight polygamy inequalities for 0 ≤β ≤1 .

Income inequality and child maltreatment in the United States.

PubMed

Eckenrode, John; Smith, Elliott G; McCarthy, Margaret E; Dineen, Michael

2014-03-01

To examine the relation between county-level income inequality and rates of child maltreatment. Data on substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect from 2005 to 2009 were obtained from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. County-level data on income inequality and children in poverty were obtained from the American Community Survey. Data for additional control variables were obtained from the American Community Survey and the Health Resources and Services Administration Area Resource File. The Gini coefficient was used as the measure of income inequality. Generalized additive models were estimated to explore linear and nonlinear relations among income inequality, poverty, and child maltreatment. In all models, state was included as a fixed effect to control for state-level differences in victim rates. Considerable variation in income inequality and child maltreatment rates was found across the 3142 US counties. Income inequality, as well as child poverty rate, was positively and significantly correlated with child maltreatment rates at the county level. Controlling for child poverty, demographic and economic control variables, and state-level variation in maltreatment rates, there was a significant linear effect of inequality on child maltreatment rates (P < .0001). This effect was stronger for counties with moderate to high levels of child poverty. Higher income inequality across US counties was significantly associated with higher county-level rates of child maltreatment. The findings contribute to the growing literature linking greater income inequality to a range of poor health and well-being outcomes in infants and children.

Optimization technique for problems with an inequality constraint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, K. J.

1972-01-01

General technique uses a modified version of an existing technique termed the pattern search technique. New procedure called the parallel move strategy permits pattern search technique to be used with problems involving a constraint.

Nonlinear Model Predictive Control with Constraint Satisfactions for a Quadcopter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ye; Ramirez-Jaime, Andres; Xu, Feng; Puig, Vicenç

2017-01-01

This paper presents a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) strategy combined with constraint satisfactions for a quadcopter. The full dynamics of the quadcopter describing the attitude and position are nonlinear, which are quite sensitive to changes of inputs and disturbances. By means of constraint satisfactions, partial nonlinearities and modeling errors of the control-oriented model of full dynamics can be transformed into the inequality constraints. Subsequently, the quadcopter can be controlled by an NMPC controller with the updated constraints generated by constraint satisfactions. Finally, the simulation results applied to a quadcopter simulator are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Robust distributed model predictive control of linear systems with structured time-varying uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Langwen; Xie, Wei; Wang, Jingcheng

2017-11-01

In this work, synthesis of robust distributed model predictive control (MPC) is presented for a class of linear systems subject to structured time-varying uncertainties. By decomposing a global system into smaller dimensional subsystems, a set of distributed MPC controllers, instead of a centralised controller, are designed. To ensure the robust stability of the closed-loop system with respect to model uncertainties, distributed state feedback laws are obtained by solving a min-max optimisation problem. The design of robust distributed MPC is then transformed into solving a minimisation optimisation problem with linear matrix inequality constraints. An iterative online algorithm with adjustable maximum iteration is proposed to coordinate the distributed controllers to achieve a global performance. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed robust distributed MPC algorithm.

On the linear programming bound for linear Lee codes.

PubMed

Astola, Helena; Tabus, Ioan

2016-01-01

Based on an invariance-type property of the Lee-compositions of a linear Lee code, additional equality constraints can be introduced to the linear programming problem of linear Lee codes. In this paper, we formulate this property in terms of an action of the multiplicative group of the field [Formula: see text] on the set of Lee-compositions. We show some useful properties of certain sums of Lee-numbers, which are the eigenvalues of the Lee association scheme, appearing in the linear programming problem of linear Lee codes. Using the additional equality constraints, we formulate the linear programming problem of linear Lee codes in a very compact form, leading to a fast execution, which allows to efficiently compute the bounds for large parameter values of the linear codes.

Tightness of correlation inequalities with no quantum violation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanathan, Ravishankar; Quintino, Marco Túlio; Sainz, Ana Belén; Murta, Gláucia; Augusiak, Remigiusz

2017-01-01

We study the faces of the set of quantum correlations, i.e., the Bell and noncontextuality inequalities without any quantum violation. First, we investigate the question of whether every proper (facet-defining) Bell inequality for two parties, other than the trivial ones from positivity, normalization, and no-signaling, can be violated by quantum correlations, i.e., whether the classical Bell polytope or the smaller correlation polytope share any facets with their respective quantum sets. To do this, we develop a recently derived bound on the quantum value of linear games based on the norms of game matrices to give a simple sufficient condition to identify linear games with no quantum advantage. Additionally we show how this bound can be extended to the general class of unique games. We then show that the paradigmatic examples of correlation Bell inequalities with no quantum violation, namely the nonlocal computation games, do not constitute facet-defining Bell inequalities, not even for the correlation polytope. We also extend this to an arbitrary prime number of outcomes for a specific class of these games. We then study the faces in the simplest Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt Bell scenario of binary dichotomic measurements, and identify edges in the set of quantum correlations in this scenario. Finally, we relate the noncontextual polytope of single-party correlation inequalities with the cut polytope CUT(∇ G ) , where G denotes the compatibility graph of observables in the contextuality scenario and ∇ G denotes the suspension graph of G . We observe that there exist facet-defining noncontextuality inequalities with no quantum violation, and furthermore that this set of inequalities is beyond those implied by the consistent exclusivity principle.

Impact of a cost constraint on nutritionally adequate food choices for French women: an analysis by linear programming.

PubMed

Darmon, Nicole; Ferguson, Elaine L; Briend, André

2006-01-01

To predict, for French women, the impact of a cost constraint on the food choices required to provide a nutritionally adequate diet. Isocaloric daily diets fulfilling both palatability and nutritional constraints were modeled in linear programming, using different cost constraint levels. For each modeled diet, total departure from an observed French population's average food group pattern ("mean observed diet") was minimized. To achieve the nutritional recommendations without a cost constraint, the modeled diet provided more energy from fish, fresh fruits and green vegetables and less energy from animal fats and cheese than the "mean observed diet." Introducing and strengthening a cost constraint decreased the energy provided by meat, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, vegetable fat, and yogurts and increased the energy from processed meat, eggs, offal, and milk. For the lowest cost diet (ie, 3.18 euros/d), marked changes from the "mean observed diet" were required, including a marked reduction in the amount of energy from fresh fruits (-85%) and green vegetables (-70%), and an increase in the amount of energy from nuts, dried fruits, roots, legumes, and fruit juices. Nutrition education for low-income French women must emphasize these affordable food choices.

A global approach to kinematic path planning to robots with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Divelbiss, Adam; Seereeram, Sanjeev; Wen, John T.

1993-01-01

Robots in applications may be subject to holonomic or nonholonomic constraints. Examples of holonomic constraints include a manipulator constrained through the contact with the environment, e.g., inserting a part, turning a crank, etc., and multiple manipulators constrained through a common payload. Examples of nonholonomic constraints include no-slip constraints on mobile robot wheels, local normal rotation constraints for soft finger and rolling contacts in grasping, and conservation of angular momentum of in-orbit space robots. The above examples all involve equality constraints; in applications, there are usually additional inequality constraints such as robot joint limits, self collision and environment collision avoidance constraints, steering angle constraints in mobile robots, etc. The problem of finding a kinematically feasible path that satisfies a given set of holonomic and nonholonomic constraints, of both equality and inequality types is addressed. The path planning problem is first posed as a finite time nonlinear control problem. This problem is subsequently transformed to a static root finding problem in an augmented space which can then be iteratively solved. The algorithm has shown promising results in planning feasible paths for redundant arms satisfying Cartesian path following and goal endpoint specifications, and mobile vehicles with multiple trailers. In contrast to local approaches, this algorithm is less prone to problems such as singularities and local minima.

Finite-time H∞ filtering for non-linear stochastic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Mingzhe; Deng, Zongquan; Duan, Guangren

2016-09-01

This paper describes the robust H∞ filtering analysis and the synthesis of general non-linear stochastic systems with finite settling time. We assume that the system dynamic is modelled by Itô-type stochastic differential equations of which the state and the measurement are corrupted by state-dependent noises and exogenous disturbances. A sufficient condition for non-linear stochastic systems to have the finite-time H∞ performance with gain less than or equal to a prescribed positive number is established in terms of a certain Hamilton-Jacobi inequality. Based on this result, the existence of a finite-time H∞ filter is given for the general non-linear stochastic system by a second-order non-linear partial differential inequality, and the filter can be obtained by solving this inequality. The effectiveness of the obtained result is illustrated by a numerical example.

Maximum Tsallis entropy with generalized Gini and Gini mean difference indices constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosravi Tanak, A.; Mohtashami Borzadaran, G. R.; Ahmadi, J.

2017-04-01

Using the maximum entropy principle with Tsallis entropy, some distribution families for modeling income distribution are obtained. By considering income inequality measures, maximum Tsallis entropy distributions under the constraint on generalized Gini and Gini mean difference indices are derived. It is shown that the Tsallis entropy maximizers with the considered constraints belong to generalized Pareto family.

Redressing Gender Inequalities in Education. A Review of Constraints and Priorities in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swainson, Nicola

The causes and manifestations of gender inequalities in education in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and policy options for redressing them were examined through a review of literature on the causes, nature, and extent of gender disparities in education in the study region and information on efforts to eliminate gender inequality. Special attention…

Linear game non-contextuality and Bell inequalities—a graph-theoretic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosicka, M.; Ramanathan, R.; Gnaciński, P.; Horodecki, K.; Horodecki, M.; Horodecki, P.; Severini, S.

2016-04-01

We study the classical and quantum values of a class of one- and two-party unique games, that generalizes the well-known XOR games to the case of non-binary outcomes. In the bipartite case the generalized XOR (XOR-d) games we study are a subclass of the well-known linear games. We introduce a ‘constraint graph’ associated to such a game, with the constraints defining the game represented by an edge-coloring of the graph. We use the graph-theoretic characterization to relate the task of finding equivalent games to the notion of signed graphs and switching equivalence from graph theory. We relate the problem of computing the classical value of single-party anti-correlation XOR games to finding the edge bipartization number of a graph, which is known to be MaxSNP hard, and connect the computation of the classical value of XOR-d games to the identification of specific cycles in the graph. We construct an orthogonality graph of the game from the constraint graph and study its Lovász theta number as a general upper bound on the quantum value even in the case of single-party contextual XOR-d games. XOR-d games possess appealing properties for use in device-independent applications such as randomness of the local correlated outcomes in the optimal quantum strategy. We study the possibility of obtaining quantum algebraic violation of these games, and show that no finite XOR-d game possesses the property of pseudo-telepathy leaving the frequently used chained Bell inequalities as the natural candidates for such applications. We also show this lack of pseudo-telepathy for multi-party XOR-type inequalities involving two-body correlation functions.

To what extent does immigration affect inequality?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berman, Yonatan; Aste, Tomaso

2016-11-01

The current surge in income and wealth inequality in most western countries, along with the continuous immigration to those countries demand a quantitative analysis of the effect immigration has on economic inequality. This paper presents a quantitative analysis framework providing a way to calculate this effect. It shows that in most cases, the effect of immigration on wealth and income inequality is limited, mainly due to the relative small scale of immigration waves. For a large scale flow of immigrants, such as the immigration to the US, the UK and Australia in the past few decades, we estimate that 10 % ÷ 15 % of the wealth and income inequality increase can be attributed to immigration. The results demonstrate that immigration could possibly decrease inequality substantially, if the characteristics of the immigrants resemble the characteristics of the destination middle class population in terms of wealth or income. We empirically found that the simple linear relation ΔS = 0.18 ρ roughly describes the increase in the wealth share of the top 10 % due to immigration of a fraction ρ of the population.

Simple and tight monogamy relations for a class of Bell inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augusiak, Remigiusz

2017-01-01

Physical principles constrain the way nonlocal correlations can be distributed among distant parties in a Bell-type experiment. These constraints are usually expressed by monogamy relations that bound the amount of Bell inequality violation observed by a set of parties by the violation observed by a different set of parties. Here we show that the no-signaling principle yields simple and tight monogamy relations for an important class of bipartite and multipartite Bell inequalities. We also link these trade-offs to the guessing probability—a key quantity in device-independent information processing.

Educational Opportunities. Tackling Ethnic, Class and Gender Inequality through Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Driessen, Geert, Ed.; Jungbluth, Paul, Ed.

This collection presents a cross section of research into the theme of equal opportunities in education in the Netherlands. The majority of articles are on the Dutch situation, which resembles that of other countries in many respects. Contributions include: (1) "Educational Inequality Research in the Netherlands. Conditions, Constraints and…

Solutions to variational inequalities of parabolic type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yuanguo

2006-09-01

The existence of strong solutions to a kind of variational inequality of parabolic type is investigated by the theory of semigroups of linear operators. As an application, an abstract semi permeable media problem is studied.

A cost constraint alone has adverse effects on food selection and nutrient density: an analysis of human diets by linear programming.

PubMed

Darmon, Nicole; Ferguson, Elaine L; Briend, André

2002-12-01

Economic constraints may contribute to the unhealthy food choices observed among low socioeconomic groups in industrialized countries. The objective of the present study was to predict the food choices a rational individual would make to reduce his or her food budget, while retaining a diet as close as possible to the average population diet. Isoenergetic diets were modeled by linear programming. To ensure these diets were consistent with habitual food consumption patterns, departure from the average French diet was minimized and constraints that limited portion size and the amount of energy from food groups were introduced into the models. A cost constraint was introduced and progressively strengthened to assess the effect of cost on the selection of foods by the program. Strengthening the cost constraint reduced the proportion of energy contributed by fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products and increased the proportion from cereals, sweets and added fats, a pattern similar to that observed among low socioeconomic groups. This decreased the nutritional quality of modeled diets, notably the lowest cost linear programming diets had lower vitamin C and beta-carotene densities than the mean French adult diet (i.e., <25% and 10% of the mean density, respectively). These results indicate that a simple cost constraint can decrease the nutrient densities of diets and influence food selection in ways that reproduce the food intake patterns observed among low socioeconomic groups. They suggest that economic measures will be needed to effectively improve the nutritional quality of diets consumed by these populations.

On Thermodynamic Constraints upon Turbulence Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yu-Ning; Durst, Franz

2000-11-01

Turbulence is a continuum phenomenon which can be described within the framework of continuum mechanics. Such foundation has the potential for improving turbulence modeling, making it less heuristic and more rational. In the present research, we consider the compatibility of turbulence modeling with the second law of thermodynamics. We show that the Clausius-Planck inequality, as an expression of the principle of entropy growth, places a thermodynamic restriction upon the turbulence modeling of an incompressible Navier-Stokes fluid in an isothermal temperature field. This thermodynamic restriction is given in the form of an inequality, which ensures non-negativeness of the mean internal dissipation. As an illustration, we show the thermodynamic constraints on the modeling of a few typical homogeneous turbulent flows.

Bell-Boole Inequality: Nonlocality or Probabilistic Incompatibility of Random Variables?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khrennikov, Andrei

2008-06-01

The main aim of this report is to inform the quantum information community about investigations on the problem of probabilistic compatibility of a family of random variables: a possibility to realize such a family on the basis of a single probability measure (to construct a single Kolmogorov probability space). These investigations were started hundred of years ago by J. Boole (who invented Boolean algebras). The complete solution of the problem was obtained by Soviet mathematician Vorobjev in 60th. Surprisingly probabilists and statisticians obtained inequalities for probabilities and correlations among which one can find the famous Bell’s inequality and its generalizations. Such inequalities appeared simply as constraints for probabilistic compatibility. In this framework one can not see a priori any link to such problems as nonlocality and “death of reality” which are typically linked to Bell’s type inequalities in physical literature. We analyze the difference between positions of mathematicians and quantum physicists. In particular, we found that one of the most reasonable explanations of probabilistic incompatibility is mixing in Bell’s type inequalities statistical data from a number of experiments performed under different experimental contexts.

Challenging Fundraising, Challenging Inequity: Contextual Constraints on Advocacy Groups' Policy Influence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winton, Sue

2018-01-01

School fundraising is known to reproduce inequities in schools, yet it remains common practice in Ontario, Canada; findings from a critical policy analysis of an advocacy group's efforts to change fundraising policy help explain why this is the case. Adopting a discursive understanding of policy, the study used rhetorical analysis to identify how…

Constraints to universal coverage: inequities in health service use and expenditures for different health conditions and providers

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is need for new information about the socio-economic and geographic differences in health seeking and expenditures on many health conditions, so to help to design interventions that will reduce inequity in utilisation of healthcare services and ensure universal coverage. Objectives The paper contributes additional knowledge about health seeking and economic burden of different health conditions. It also shows the level of healthcare payments in public and private sector and their distribution across socioeconomic and geographic population groups. Methods A questionnaire was used to collect data from randomly selected householders from 4,873 households (2,483 urban and 2,390 rural) in southeast Nigeria. Data was collected on: health problems that people had and sought care for; type of care sought, outpatient department (OPD) visits and inpatient department (IPD) stays; providers visited; expenditures; and preferences for improving access to care. Data was disaggregated by socio-economic status (SES) and geographic location (urban versus rural) of the households. Results Malaria and hypertension were the major communicable and non-communicable diseases respectively that required OPD and IPD. Patent medicine dealers (PMDs) were the most commonly used providers (41.1%), followed by private hospitals (19.7%) and pharmacies (16.4%). The rural dwellers and poorer SES groups mostly used low-level and informal providers. The average monthly treatment expenditure in urban area was 2444 Naira (US$20.4) and 2267 Naira (US$18.9) in the rural area. Higher SES groups and urbanites incurred higher health expenditures. People that needed healthcare services did not seek care mostly because the health condition was not serious enough or they could not afford the cost of services. Conclusion There were inequities in use of the different providers, and also in expenditures on treatment. Reforms should aim to decrease barriers to access to public and formal health

Quasivariational Solutions for First Order Quasilinear Equations with Gradient Constraint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, José Francisco; Santos, Lisa

2012-08-01

We prove the existence of solutions for a quasi-variational inequality of evolution with a first order quasilinear operator and a variable convex set which is characterized by a constraint on the absolute value of the gradient that depends on the solution itself. The only required assumption on the nonlinearity of this constraint is its continuity and positivity. The method relies on an appropriate parabolic regularization and suitable a priori estimates. We also obtain the existence of stationary solutions by studying the asymptotic behaviour in time. In the variational case, corresponding to a constraint independent of the solution, we also give uniqueness results.

Clausius inequality beyond the weak-coupling limit: the quantum Brownian oscillator.

PubMed

Kim, Ilki; Mahler, Günter

2010-01-01

We consider a quantum linear oscillator coupled at an arbitrary strength to a bath at an arbitrary temperature. We find an exact closed expression for the oscillator density operator. This state is noncanonical but can be shown to be equivalent to that of an uncoupled linear oscillator at an effective temperature T*(eff) with an effective mass and an effective spring constant. We derive an effective Clausius inequality deltaQ*(eff)< or =T*(eff)dS , where deltaQ*(eff) is the heat exchanged between the effective (weakly coupled) oscillator and the bath, and S represents a thermal entropy of the effective oscillator, being identical to the von-Neumann entropy of the coupled oscillator. Using this inequality (for a cyclic process in terms of a variation of the coupling strength) we confirm the validity of the second law. For a fixed coupling strength this inequality can also be tested for a process in terms of a variation of either the oscillator mass or its spring constant. Then it is never violated. The properly defined Clausius inequality is thus more robust than assumed previously.

Collaborative Research in Contexts of Inequality: The Role of Social Reflexivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leibowitz, Brenda; Bozalek, Vivienne; Farmer, Jean; Garraway, James; Herman, Nicoline; Jawitz, Jeff; McMillan, Wendy; Mistri, Gita; Ndebele, Clever; Nkonki, Vuyisile; Quinn, Lynn; van Schalkwyk, Susan; Vorster, Jo-Anne; Winberg, Chris

2017-01-01

This article reports on the role and value of social reflexivity in collaborative research in contexts of extreme inequality. Social reflexivity mediates the enablements and constraints generated by the internal and external contextual conditions impinging on the research collaboration. It fosters the ability of participants in a collaborative…

Income inequality and obesity prevalence among OECD countries.

PubMed

Su, Dejun; Esqueda, Omar A; Li, Lifeng; Pagán, José A

2012-07-01

Using recent pooled data from the World Health Organization Global Infobase and the World Factbook compiled by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States, this study assesses the relation between income inequality and obesity prevalence among 31 OECD countries through a series of bivariate and multivariate linear regressions. The United States and Mexico well lead OECD countries in both obesity prevalence and income inequality. A sensitivity analysis suggests that the inclusion or exclusion of these two extreme cases can fundamentally change the findings. When the two countries are included, the results reveal a positive correlation between income inequality and obesity prevalence. This correlation is more salient among females than among males. Income inequality alone is associated with 16% and 35% of the variations in male and female obesity rates, respectively, across OECD countries in 2010. Higher levels of income inequality in the 2005-2010 period were associated with a more rapid increase in obesity prevalence from 2002 to 2010. These associations, however, virtually disappear when the US and Mexico have been excluded from the analysis. Findings from this study underscore the importance of assessing the impact of extreme cases on the relation between income inequality and health outcomes. The potential pathways from income inequality to the alarmingly high rates of obesity in the cases of the US and Mexico warrant further research.

Inequality spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliazar, Iddo

2017-03-01

Inequality indices are widely applied in economics and in the social sciences as quantitative measures of the socioeconomic inequality of human societies. The application of inequality indices extends to size-distributions at large, where these indices can be used as general gauges of statistical heterogeneity. Moreover, as inequality indices are plentiful, arrays of such indices facilitate high-detail quantification of statistical heterogeneity. In this paper we elevate from arrays of inequality indices to inequality spectra: continuums of inequality indices that are parameterized by a single control parameter. We present a general methodology of constructing Lorenz-based inequality spectra, apply the general methodology to establish four sets of inequality spectra, investigate the properties of these sets, and show how these sets generalize known inequality gauges such as: the Gini index, the extended Gini index, the Rényi index, and hill curves.

An Application of Sylvester's Rank Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kung, Sidney H.

2011-01-01

Using two well known criteria for the diagonalizability of a square matrix plus an extended form of Sylvester's Rank Inequality, the author presents a new condition for the diagonalization of a real matrix from which one can obtain the eigenvectors by simply multiplying some associated matrices without solving a linear system of simultaneous…

Cosmological constraints from the CFHTLenS shear measurements using a new, accurate, and flexible way of predicting non-linear mass clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angulo, Raul E.; Hilbert, Stefan

2015-03-01

We explore the cosmological constraints from cosmic shear using a new way of modelling the non-linear matter correlation functions. The new formalism extends the method of Angulo & White, which manipulates outputs of N-body simulations to represent the 3D non-linear mass distribution in different cosmological scenarios. We show that predictions from our approach for shear two-point correlations at 1-300 arcmin separations are accurate at the ˜10 per cent level, even for extreme changes in cosmology. For moderate changes, with target cosmologies similar to that preferred by analyses of recent Planck data, the accuracy is close to ˜5 per cent. We combine this approach with a Monte Carlo Markov chain sampler to explore constraints on a Λ cold dark matter model from the shear correlation functions measured in the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS). We obtain constraints on the parameter combination σ8(Ωm/0.27)0.6 = 0.801 ± 0.028. Combined with results from cosmic microwave background data, we obtain marginalized constraints on σ8 = 0.81 ± 0.01 and Ωm = 0.29 ± 0.01. These results are statistically compatible with previous analyses, which supports the validity of our approach. We discuss the advantages of our method and the potential it offers, including a path to model in detail (i) the effects of baryons, (ii) high-order shear correlation functions, and (iii) galaxy-galaxy lensing, among others, in future high-precision cosmological analyses.

A Hierarchical Linear Model for Estimating Gender-Based Earnings Differentials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haberfield, Yitchak; Semyonov, Moshe; Addi, Audrey

1998-01-01

Estimates of gender earnings inequality in data from 116,431 Jewish workers were compared using a hierarchical linear model (HLM) and ordinary least squares model. The HLM allows estimation of the extent to which earnings inequality depends on occupational characteristics. (SK)

An Efficacious Multi-Objective Fuzzy Linear Programming Approach for Optimal Power Flow Considering Distributed Generation.

PubMed

Warid, Warid; Hizam, Hashim; Mariun, Norman; Abdul-Wahab, Noor Izzri

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a new formulation for the multi-objective optimal power flow (MOOPF) problem for meshed power networks considering distributed generation. An efficacious multi-objective fuzzy linear programming optimization (MFLP) algorithm is proposed to solve the aforementioned problem with and without considering the distributed generation (DG) effect. A variant combination of objectives is considered for simultaneous optimization, including power loss, voltage stability, and shunt capacitors MVAR reserve. Fuzzy membership functions for these objectives are designed with extreme targets, whereas the inequality constraints are treated as hard constraints. The multi-objective fuzzy optimal power flow (OPF) formulation was converted into a crisp OPF in a successive linear programming (SLP) framework and solved using an efficient interior point method (IPM). To test the efficacy of the proposed approach, simulations are performed on the IEEE 30-busand IEEE 118-bus test systems. The MFLP optimization is solved for several optimization cases. The obtained results are compared with those presented in the literature. A unique solution with a high satisfaction for the assigned targets is gained. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MFLP technique in terms of solution optimality and rapid convergence. Moreover, the results indicate that using the optimal DG location with the MFLP algorithm provides the solution with the highest quality.

An Efficacious Multi-Objective Fuzzy Linear Programming Approach for Optimal Power Flow Considering Distributed Generation

PubMed Central

Warid, Warid; Hizam, Hashim; Mariun, Norman; Abdul-Wahab, Noor Izzri

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a new formulation for the multi-objective optimal power flow (MOOPF) problem for meshed power networks considering distributed generation. An efficacious multi-objective fuzzy linear programming optimization (MFLP) algorithm is proposed to solve the aforementioned problem with and without considering the distributed generation (DG) effect. A variant combination of objectives is considered for simultaneous optimization, including power loss, voltage stability, and shunt capacitors MVAR reserve. Fuzzy membership functions for these objectives are designed with extreme targets, whereas the inequality constraints are treated as hard constraints. The multi-objective fuzzy optimal power flow (OPF) formulation was converted into a crisp OPF in a successive linear programming (SLP) framework and solved using an efficient interior point method (IPM). To test the efficacy of the proposed approach, simulations are performed on the IEEE 30-busand IEEE 118-bus test systems. The MFLP optimization is solved for several optimization cases. The obtained results are compared with those presented in the literature. A unique solution with a high satisfaction for the assigned targets is gained. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MFLP technique in terms of solution optimality and rapid convergence. Moreover, the results indicate that using the optimal DG location with the MFLP algorithm provides the solution with the highest quality. PMID:26954783

Observers for Systems with Nonlinearities Satisfying an Incremental Quadratic Inequality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acikmese, Ahmet Behcet; Corless, Martin

2004-01-01

We consider the problem of state estimation for nonlinear time-varying systems whose nonlinearities satisfy an incremental quadratic inequality. These observer results unifies earlier results in the literature; and extend it to some additional classes of nonlinearities. Observers are presented which guarantee that the state estimation error exponentially converges to zero. Observer design involves solving linear matrix inequalities for the observer gain matrices. Results are illustrated by application to a simple model of an underwater.

Time trends in absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in leisure time physical inactivity in northern Sweden.

PubMed

Szilcz, Máté; Mosquera, Paola A; Sebastián, Miguel San; Gustafsson, Per E

2018-02-01

The aim was to investigate the time trends in educational, occupational, and income-related inequalities in leisure time physical inactivity in 2006, 2010, and 2014 in northern Swedish women and men. This study was based on data obtained from the repeated cross-sectional Health on Equal Terms survey of 2006, 2010, and 2014. The analytical sample consisted of 20,667 (2006), 31,787 (2010), and 21,613 (2014) individuals, aged 16-84. Logistic regressions were used to model the probability of physical inactivity given a set of explanatory variables. Slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were used as summary measures of the social gradient in physical inactivity. The linear trend in inequalities and difference between gender and years were estimated by interaction analyses. The year 2010 displayed the highest physical inactivity inequalities for all socioeconomic position indicators, but educational and occupational inequalities decreased in 2014. However, significant positive linear trends were found in absolute and relative income inequalities. Moreover, women had significantly higher RII of education in physical inactivity in 2014 and significantly higher SII and RII of income in physical inactivity in 2010, than did men in the same years. The recent reduction in educational and occupational inequalities following the high inequalities around the time of the great recession in 2010 suggests that the current policies might be fairly effective. However, to eventually alleviate inequities in physical inactivity, the focus of the researchers and policymakers should be directed toward the widening trends of income inequalities in physical inactivity.

On the existence of touch points for first-order state inequality constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seywald, Hans; Cliff, Eugene M.

1993-01-01

The appearance of touch points in state constrained optimal control problems with general vector-valued control is studied. Under the assumption that the Hamiltonian is regular, touch points for first-order state inequalities are shown to exist only under very special conditions. In many cases of practical importance these conditions can be used to exclude touch points a priori without solving an optimal control problem. The results are demonstrated on a simple example.

Ethnic Inequality

PubMed Central

Alesina, Alberto; Michalopoulos, Stelios; Papaioannou, Elias

2015-01-01

This study explores the consequences and origins of between-ethnicity economic inequality across countries. First, combining satellite images of nighttime luminosity with the historical homelands of ethnolinguistic groups we construct measures of ethnic inequality for a large sample of countries. We also compile proxies of overall spatial inequality and regional inequality across administrative units. Second, we uncover a strong negative association between ethnic inequality and contemporary comparative development; the correlation is also present when we condition on regional inequality, which is itself related to under-development. Third, we investigate the roots of ethnic inequality and establish that differences in geographic endowments across ethnic homelands explain a sizable fraction of the observed variation in economic disparities across groups. Fourth, we show that ethnic-specific inequality in geographic endowments is also linked to under-development. PMID:27330223

A spatial domain decomposition approach to distributed H ∞ observer design of a linear unstable parabolic distributed parameter system with spatially discrete sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun-Wei; Liu, Ya-Qiang; Hu, Yan-Yan; Sun, Chang-Yin

2017-12-01

This paper discusses the design problem of distributed H∞ Luenberger-type partial differential equation (PDE) observer for state estimation of a linear unstable parabolic distributed parameter system (DPS) with external disturbance and measurement disturbance. Both pointwise measurement in space and local piecewise uniform measurement in space are considered; that is, sensors are only active at some specified points or applied at part thereof of the spatial domain. The spatial domain is decomposed into multiple subdomains according to the location of the sensors such that only one sensor is located at each subdomain. By using Lyapunov technique, Wirtinger's inequality at each subdomain, and integration by parts, a Lyapunov-based design of Luenberger-type PDE observer is developed such that the resulting estimation error system is exponentially stable with an H∞ performance constraint, and presented in terms of standard linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). For the case of local piecewise uniform measurement in space, the first mean value theorem for integrals is utilised in the observer design development. Moreover, the problem of optimal H∞ observer design is also addressed in the sense of minimising the attenuation level. Numerical simulation results are presented to show the satisfactory performance of the proposed design method.

Impact of Income Inequality on the Nation's Health.

PubMed

López, Diego B; Loehrer, Andrew P; Chang, David C

2016-10-01

Income inequality in the United States has been increasing in recent decades. It is unclear whether income inequality has an independent effect on health outcomes, or whether it simply correlates with increasing levels of poverty. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether income inequality is significantly associated with US county health care expenditures and health care use. Cross-sectional analysis of county health expenditure data from the Health Resources and Services Administration's Area Resources File, county income inequality measures (Gini coefficient) from the Census' American Community Survey, and estimates of potentially preventable admissions and potentially discretionary procedures from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1998 to 2011). Datasets were linked via county Federal Information Processing Standard codes. Multivariable linear and Poisson regression analyses were performed at the county level adjusting for county characteristics. A total of 1,237 counties (of 3,144) were included. Income inequality was associated with higher health care expenditures, with each 1 percentage-point increase in county Gini coefficient associated with a US$40,008 increase in annual county Medicare cost (p = 0.003), and an increase of 174.7 total county Medicare inpatient days per year (p < 0.001). Even after accounting for poverty level and county characteristics, counties with higher inequality had higher potentially preventable admission (eg 4.86 rate ratio for low-birth-weight hospital admissions in the top income inequality quartile compared with bottom quartile; p < 0.001) and a higher incidence of potentially discretionary procedures (eg 1.79 rate ratio for prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia in the top income inequality quartile compared with bottom quartile; p < 0.001). Income inequality is independently associated with higher health care expenditures and more health care use, with increases in both potentially discretionary procedures and in

Obesity in Scotland: a persistent inequality.

PubMed

Tod, Elaine; Bromley, Catherine; Millard, Andrew D; Boyd, Allan; Mackie, Phil; McCartney, Gerry

2017-07-27

Obesity is a health problem in its own right and a risk factor for other conditions such as cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in Scotland between 1995 and 2008 with socio-economic inequalities persisting in adults over time and increasing in children. This paper explores changes in the underlying distribution of body mass index (BMI) which is less well understood. Using data from the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) between 1995 and 2014 for adults aged 18-64 years, we calculated population distributions for BMI for the population overall, and for age, sex and deprivation strata. We used SHeS data for children aged 2-15 years between 1998 and 2014, in addition to data from the Child Health Systems Programme (CHSP) collected from primary one (P1) children in participating local authorities, to describe the overall trends and to compare trends in inequalities by deprivation strata. Amongst adults, the BMI distribution shifted upwards, with a large proportion of the population gaining a small amount of weight between 1995 and 2008 before subsequently stabilising across the distribution. In men the prevalence of obesity showed a linear deprivation gradient in 1995 but over time obesity declined in the least deprived quintile while the remaining four quintiles converged (and stabilised). In contrast, a persistent and generally linear gradient is evident among women for most of the 1995-2014 period. For those aged 2-15 years, obesity increased between 1998 and 2014 for the most deprived 40% of children contrasted with stable trends for the least deprived. The surveillance data for P1 children in Scotland showed a persistent inequality between 2005/06 and 2014/15 though it was less clear if this is widening. The BMI distribution for adults increased between 1995 and 2008 with a large proportion of the population gaining a small amount of weight before stabilising across the distribution. Inequalities in obesity persist for adults

European health inequality through the 'Great Recession': social policy matters.

PubMed

van der Wel, Kjetil A; Saltkjel, Therese; Chen, Wen-Hao; Dahl, Espen; Halvorsen, Knut

2018-05-01

This paper investigates the association between the Great Recession and educational inequalities in self-rated general health in 25 European countries. We investigate four different indicators related to economic recession: GDP; unemployment; austerity and a 'crisis' indicator signifying severe simultaneous drops in GDP and welfare generosity. We also assess the extent to which health inequality changes can be attributed to changes in the economic conditions and social capital in the European populations. The paper uses data from the European Social Survey (2002-2014). The analyses include both cross-sectional and lagged associations using multilevel linear regression models with country fixed effects. This approach allows us to identify health inequality changes net of all time-invariant differences between countries. GDP drops and increasing unemployment were associated with decreasing health inequalities. Austerity, however, was related to increasing health inequalities, an association that grew stronger with time. The strongest increase in health inequality was found for the more robust 'crisis' indicator. Changes in trust, social relationships and in the experience of economic hardship of the populations accounted for much of the increase in health inequality. The paper concludes that social policy has an important role in the development of health inequalities, particularly during times of economic crisis. © 2018 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for SHIL.

Income inequality and high blood pressure in Colombia: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Lucumi, Diego I; Schulz, Amy J; Roux, Ana V Diez; Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew

2017-11-21

The objective of this research was to examine the association between income inequality and high blood pressure in Colombia. Using a nationally representative Colombian sample of adults, and data from departments and municipalities, we fit sex-stratified linear and logistic multilevel models with blood pressure as a continuous and binary variable, respectively. In adjusted models, women living in departments with the highest quintile of income inequality in 1997 had higher systolic blood pressure than their counterparts living in the lowest quintile of income inequality (mean difference 4.42mmHg; 95%CI: 1.46, 7.39). Women living in departments that were at the fourth and fifth quintile of income inequality in 1994 were more likely to have hypertension than those living in departments at the first quintile in the same year (OR: 1.56 and 1.48, respectively). For men, no associations of income inequality with either systolic blood pressure or hypertension were observed. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that income inequality is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure for women. Future studies to analyze pathways linking income inequality to high blood pressure in Colombia are needed.

Rising U.S. income inequality, gender and individual self-rated health, 1972-2004.

PubMed

Zheng, Hui

2009-11-01

The effect of income inequality on health has been a contested topic among social scientists. Most previous research is based on cross-sectional comparisons rather than temporal comparisons. Using data from the General Social Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau, this study examines how rising income inequality affects individual self-rated health in the U.S. from 1972 to 2004. Data are analyzed using hierarchical generalized linear models. The findings suggest a significant association between income inequality and individual self-rated health. The dramatic increase in income inequality from 1972 to 2004 increases the odds of worse self-rated health by 9.4 percent. These findings hold for three measures of income inequality: the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson Index, and the Theil entropy index. Results also suggest that overall income inequality and gender-specific income inequality harm men's, but not women's, self-rated health. These findings also hold for the three measures of income inequality. These findings suggest that inattention to gender composition may explain apparent discrepancies across previous studies.

Educational Inequality and Income Inequality: An Empirical Study on China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jun; Huang, Xiao; Li, Xiaoyu

2009-01-01

Based on the endogenous growth theory, this paper uses the Gini coefficient to measure educational inequality and studies the empirical relationship between educational inequality and income inequality through a simultaneous equation model. The results show that: (1) Income inequality leads to educational inequality while the reduction of…

[Income-related health inequalities in France in 2004: Decomposition and explanations].

PubMed

Tubeuf, S

2009-10-01

This analysis supplements existing work on social health inequalities at two levels: the measurement of health and the measurement of inequalities. Firstly, individual health status was measured using a subjective health indicator corrected within a promising cardinalisation method which had not yet been carried out on French data. Secondly, this study used an innovative methodology to measure income-related health inequalities, to understand the relationships between income, income inequality, various social determinants, and health. The analysis was based on a sample of working-age adults from the 2004 Health and Health Insurance Survey. The methodology used in the study measures the total income-related health inequality using the concentration index. This index is based on a linear model explaining health according to several individual characteristics, such as age, sex, and various socioeconomic characteristics. The method thus takes into account both the causal relationships between the various explicative factors introduced in the model and their relationship with health. Furthermore, it concretely measures the contribution of the social determinants to income-related health inequalities. The results show an income-related health inequality favouring individuals with a higher income. Moreover, income level, supplementary private health insurance, education level, and social class account for the main contributions to inequality. Therefore, the decomposition method highlights population groups that policies should target. The study suggests that reducing income inequality is not sufficient to lower income-related health inequalities in France in 2004 and needs to be supplemented with the reduction of the relationship between income and health and the reduction of income inequality over socioeconomic status.

Inequalities of Income and Inequalities of Longevity: A Cross-Country Study

PubMed Central

Plümper, Thomas

2016-01-01

Objectives. We examined the effects of market income inequality (income inequality before taxes and transfers) and income redistribution via taxes and transfers on inequality in longevity. Methods. We used life tables to compute Gini coefficients of longevity inequality for all individuals and for individuals who survived to at least 10 years of age. We regressed longevity inequality on market income inequality and income redistribution, and we controlled for potential confounders, in a cross-sectional time-series sample of up to 28 predominantly Western developed countries and up to 37 years (1974–2011). Results. Income inequality before taxes and transfers was positively associated with inequality in the number of years lived; income redistribution (the difference between market income inequality and income inequality after taxes and transfers were accounted for) was negatively associated with longevity inequality. Conclusions. To the extent that our estimated effects derived from observational data are causal, governments can reduce longevity inequality not only via public health policies, but also via their influence on market income inequality and the redistribution of incomes from the relatively rich to the relatively poor. PMID:26562120

Socioeconomic hierarchy and health gradient in Europe: the role of income inequality and of social origins.

PubMed

Chauvel, Louis; Leist, Anja K

2015-11-14

Health inequalities reflect multidimensional inequality (income, education, and other indicators of socioeconomic position) and vary across countries and welfare regimes. To which extent there is intergenerational transmission of health via parental socioeconomic status has rarely been investigated in comparative perspective. The study sought to explore if different measures of stratification produce the same health gradient and to which extent health gradients of income and of social origins vary with level of living and income inequality. A total of 299,770 observations were available from 18 countries assessed in EU-SILC 2005 and 2011 data, which contain information on social origins. Income inequality (Gini) and level of living were calculated from EU-SILC. Logit rank transformation provided normalized inequalities and distributions of income and social origins up to the extremes of the distribution and was used to investigate net comparable health gradients in detail. Multilevel random-slope models were run to post-estimate best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) and related standard deviations of residual intercepts (median health) and slopes (income-health gradients) per country and survey year. Health gradients varied across different measures of stratification, with origins and income producing significant slopes after controls. Income inequality was associated with worse average health, but income inequality and steepness of the health gradient were only marginally associated. Linear health gradients suggest gains in health per rank of income and of origins even at the very extremes of the distribution. Intergenerational transmission of status gains in importance in countries with higher income inequality. Countries differ in the association of income inequality and income-related health gradient, and low income inequality may mask health problems of vulnerable individuals with low status. Not only income inequality, but other country characteristics such

Magnetotail dynamics under isobaric constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birn, Joachim; Schindler, Karl; Janicke, Lutz; Hesse, Michael

1994-01-01

Using linear theory and nonlinear MHD simulations, we investigate the resistive and ideal MHD stability of two-dimensional plasma configurations under the isobaric constraint dP/dt = 0, which in ideal MHD is equivalent to conserving the pressure function P = P(A), where A denotes the magnetic flux. This constraint is satisfied for incompressible modes, such as Alfven waves, and for systems undergoing energy losses. The linear stability analysis leads to a Schroedinger equation, which can be investigated by standard quantum mechanics procedures. We present an application to a typical stretched magnetotail configuration. For a one-dimensional sheet equilibrium characteristic properties of tearing instability are rediscovered. However, the maximum growth rate scales with the 1/7 power of the resistivity, which implies much faster growth than for the standard tearing mode (assuming that the resistivity is small). The same basic eigen-mode is found also for weakly two-dimensional equilibria, even in the ideal MHD limit. In this case the growth rate scales with the 1/4 power of the normal magnetic field. The results of the linear stability analysis are confirmed qualitatively by nonlinear dynamic MHD simulations. These results suggest the interesting possibility that substorm onset, or the thinning in the late growth phase, is caused by the release of a thermodynamic constraint without the (immediate) necessity of releasing the ideal MHD constraint. In the nonlinear regime the resistive and ideal developments differ in that the ideal mode does not lead to neutral line formation without the further release of the ideal MHD constraint; instead a thin current sheet forms. The isobaric constraint is critically discussed. Under perhaps more realistic adiabatic conditions the ideal mode appears to be stable but could be driven by external perturbations and thus generate the thin current sheet in the late growth phase, before a nonideal instability sets in.

Level-Set Topology Optimization with Aeroelastic Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunning, Peter D.; Stanford, Bret K.; Kim, H. Alicia

2015-01-01

Level-set topology optimization is used to design a wing considering skin buckling under static aeroelastic trim loading, as well as dynamic aeroelastic stability (flutter). The level-set function is defined over the entire 3D volume of a transport aircraft wing box. Therefore, the approach is not limited by any predefined structure and can explore novel configurations. The Sequential Linear Programming (SLP) level-set method is used to solve the constrained optimization problems. The proposed method is demonstrated using three problems with mass, linear buckling and flutter objective and/or constraints. A constraint aggregation method is used to handle multiple buckling constraints in the wing skins. A continuous flutter constraint formulation is used to handle difficulties arising from discontinuities in the design space caused by a switching of the critical flutter mode.

Early-life income inequality and adolescent health and well-being.

PubMed

Elgar, Frank J; Gariépy, Geneviève; Torsheim, Torbjørn; Currie, Candace

2017-02-01

A prevailing hypothesis about the association between income inequality and poor health is that inequality intensifies social hierarchies, increases stress, erodes social and material resources that support health, and subsequently harms health. However, the evidence in support of this hypothesis is limited by cross-sectional, ecological studies and a scarcity of developmental studies. To address this limitation, we used pooled, multilevel data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study to examine lagged, cumulative, and trajectory associations between early-life income inequality and adolescent health and well-being. Psychosomatic symptoms and life satisfaction were assessed in surveys of 11- to 15-year-olds in 40 countries between 1994 and 2014. We linked these data to national Gini indices of income inequality for every life year from 1979 to 2014. The results showed that exposure to income inequality from 0 to 4 years predicted psychosomatic symptoms and lower life satisfaction in females after controlling lifetime mean income inequality, national per capita income, family affluence, age, and cohort and period effects. The cumulative income inequality exposure in infancy and childhood (i.e., average Gini index from birth to age 10) related to lower life satisfaction in female adolescents but not to symptoms. Finally, individual trajectories in early-life inequality (i.e., linear slopes in Gini indices from birth to 10 years) related to fewer symptoms and higher life satisfaction in females, indicating that earlier exposures mattered more to predicting health and wellbeing. No such associations with early-life income inequality were found in males. These results help to establish the antecedent-consequence conditions in the association between income inequality and health and suggest that both the magnitude and timing of income inequality in early life have developmental consequences that manifest in reduced health and well-being in adolescent girls

A Stationary North-Finding Scheme for an Azimuth Rotational IMU Utilizing a Linear State Equality Constraint

PubMed Central

Yu, Huapeng; Zhu, Hai; Gao, Dayuan; Yu, Meng; Wu, Wenqi

2015-01-01

The Kalman filter (KF) has always been used to improve north-finding performance under practical conditions. By analyzing the characteristics of the azimuth rotational inertial measurement unit (ARIMU) on a stationary base, a linear state equality constraint for the conventional KF used in the fine north-finding filtering phase is derived. Then, a constrained KF using the state equality constraint is proposed and studied in depth. Estimation behaviors of the concerned navigation errors when implementing the conventional KF scheme and the constrained KF scheme during stationary north-finding are investigated analytically by the stochastic observability approach, which can provide explicit formulations of the navigation errors with influencing variables. Finally, multiple practical experimental tests at a fixed position are done on a postulate system to compare the stationary north-finding performance of the two filtering schemes. In conclusion, this study has successfully extended the utilization of the stochastic observability approach for analytic descriptions of estimation behaviors of the concerned navigation errors, and the constrained KF scheme has demonstrated its superiority over the conventional KF scheme for ARIMU stationary north-finding both theoretically and practically. PMID:25688588

Gendered Inequity in Society and the Academy: Policy Initiatives, Economic Realities and Legal Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldron-Moore, Pamela; Jacobs, Leslie R.

2010-01-01

Of all the social constructs impacting the contemporary world, gender is perhaps the most pervasive and the most insidious. Its inequities creep into our everyday lives with impunity. Across the globe, gender construction has evoked challenge, undergone reform and, in some instances, transformed thinking in societies. Yet, for all the gains made…

A comparison of Heuristic method and Llewellyn’s rules for identification of redundant constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estiningsih, Y.; Farikhin; Tjahjana, R. H.

2018-03-01

Important techniques in linear programming is modelling and solving practical optimization. Redundant constraints are consider for their effects on general linear programming problems. Identification and reduce redundant constraints are for avoidance of all the calculations associated when solving an associated linear programming problems. Many researchers have been proposed for identification redundant constraints. This paper a compararison of Heuristic method and Llewellyn’s rules for identification of redundant constraints.

[Inequality and erroneous social policy produce inequity in México].

PubMed

Eibenschutz, Catalina; Támez, Silvia; Camacho, Iliana

2008-12-01

The different conceptualizations regarding equity and inequality in health are discussed, concluding that inequity and inequality are not synonyms. It is suggested that inequality should be used for describing epidemiological profiles and equity in relationship to the distribution of and gaining access to health attention services. The situation in México is reviewed in greater detail, as there is great socioeconomic polarisation in this country, a privatizing sanitary reform which has increased inequity and incomplete citizenry as the main obstacles for gaining a reduction in inequity in health.

The EPR paradox, Bell's inequality, and the question of locality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaylock, Guy

2010-01-01

Most physicists agree that the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bell paradox exemplifies much of the strange behavior of quantum mechanics, but argument persists about what assumptions underlie the paradox. To clarify what the debate is about, we employ a simple and well-known thought experiment involving two correlated photons to help us focus on the logical assumptions needed to construct the EPR and Bell arguments. The view presented in this paper is that the minimal assumptions behind Bell's inequality are locality and counterfactual definiteness but not scientific realism, determinism, or hidden variables as are often suggested. We further examine the resulting constraints on physical theory with an illustration from the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics—an interpretation that we argue is deterministic, local, and realist but that nonetheless violates the Bell inequality.

Use of inequality constrained least squares estimation in small area estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeygunawardana, R. A. B.; Wickremasinghe, W. N.

2017-05-01

Traditional surveys provide estimates that are based only on the sample observations collected for the population characteristic of interest. However, these estimates may have unacceptably large variance for certain domains. Small Area Estimation (SAE) deals with determining precise and accurate estimates for population characteristics of interest for such domains. SAE usually uses least squares or maximum likelihood procedures incorporating prior information and current survey data. Many available methods in SAE use constraints in equality form. However there are practical situations where certain inequality restrictions on model parameters are more realistic. It will lead to Inequality Constrained Least Squares (ICLS) estimates if the method used is least squares. In this study ICLS estimation procedure is applied to many proposed small area estimates.

Design and experimental validation of linear and nonlinear vehicle steering control strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menhour, Lghani; Lechner, Daniel; Charara, Ali

2012-06-01

This paper proposes the design of three control laws dedicated to vehicle steering control, two based on robust linear control strategies and one based on nonlinear control strategies, and presents a comparison between them. The two robust linear control laws (indirect and direct methods) are built around M linear bicycle models, each of these control laws is composed of two M proportional integral derivative (PID) controllers: one M PID controller to control the lateral deviation and the other M PID controller to control the vehicle yaw angle. The indirect control law method is designed using an oscillation method and a nonlinear optimisation subject to H ∞ constraint. The direct control law method is designed using a linear matrix inequality optimisation in order to achieve H ∞ performances. The nonlinear control method used for the correction of the lateral deviation is based on a continuous first-order sliding-mode controller. The different methods are designed using a linear bicycle vehicle model with variant parameters, but the aim is to simulate the nonlinear vehicle behaviour under high dynamic demands with a four-wheel vehicle model. These steering vehicle controls are validated experimentally using the data acquired using a laboratory vehicle, Peugeot 307, developed by National Institute for Transport and Safety Research - Department of Accident Mechanism Analysis Laboratory's (INRETS-MA) and their performance results are compared. Moreover, an unknown input sliding-mode observer is introduced to estimate the road bank angle.

Hard and Soft Constraints in Reliability-Based Design Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crespo, L.uis G.; Giesy, Daniel P.; Kenny, Sean P.

2006-01-01

This paper proposes a framework for the analysis and design optimization of models subject to parametric uncertainty where design requirements in the form of inequality constraints are present. Emphasis is given to uncertainty models prescribed by norm bounded perturbations from a nominal parameter value and by sets of componentwise bounded uncertain variables. These models, which often arise in engineering problems, allow for a sharp mathematical manipulation. Constraints can be implemented in the hard sense, i.e., constraints must be satisfied for all parameter realizations in the uncertainty model, and in the soft sense, i.e., constraints can be violated by some realizations of the uncertain parameter. In regard to hard constraints, this methodology allows (i) to determine if a hard constraint can be satisfied for a given uncertainty model and constraint structure, (ii) to generate conclusive, formally verifiable reliability assessments that allow for unprejudiced comparisons of competing design alternatives and (iii) to identify the critical combination of uncertain parameters leading to constraint violations. In regard to soft constraints, the methodology allows the designer (i) to use probabilistic uncertainty models, (ii) to calculate upper bounds to the probability of constraint violation, and (iii) to efficiently estimate failure probabilities via a hybrid method. This method integrates the upper bounds, for which closed form expressions are derived, along with conditional sampling. In addition, an l(sub infinity) formulation for the efficient manipulation of hyper-rectangular sets is also proposed.

A problem in non-linear Diophantine approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrap, Stephen; Hussain, Mumtaz; Kristensen, Simon

2018-05-01

In this paper we obtain the Lebesgue and Hausdorff measure results for the set of vectors satisfying infinitely many fully non-linear Diophantine inequalities. The set is associated with a class of linear inhomogeneous partial differential equations whose solubility depends on a certain Diophantine condition. The failure of the Diophantine condition guarantees the existence of a smooth solution.

A motion-constraint logic for moving-base simulators based on variable filter parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, G. K., Jr.

1974-01-01

A motion-constraint logic for moving-base simulators has been developed that is a modification to the linear second-order filters generally employed in conventional constraints. In the modified constraint logic, the filter parameters are not constant but vary with the instantaneous motion-base position to increase the constraint as the system approaches the positional limits. With the modified constraint logic, accelerations larger than originally expected are limited while conventional linear filters would result in automatic shutdown of the motion base. In addition, the modified washout logic has frequency-response characteristics that are an improvement over conventional linear filters with braking for low-frequency pilot inputs. During simulated landing approaches of an externally blown flap short take-off and landing (STOL) transport using decoupled longitudinal controls, the pilots were unable to detect much difference between the modified constraint logic and the logic based on linear filters with braking.

Social Inequality, Life Course Transitions, and Adolescent Development: Introduction to the Special Issue.

PubMed

Buchmann, Marlis; Steinhoff, Annekatrin

2017-10-01

Conceptualizing adolescent development within a life course framework that links the perspectives on social inequality and early life course transitions has largely been absent from previous research. Such a conceptual model is needed, however, in order to understand how the individual development of agentic capacities and the opportunities and constraints inherent in the social contexts of growing up interact and jointly affect young people's trajectories across the adolescent life stage. We present the corner stones of the conceptual "trident" of social inequality, life course transitions, and adolescent development and identify three major themes the eleven contributions to this special issue address within this conceptual framework: social and individual prerequisites and consequences of coping with life course transitions; intergenerational transmission belts of social inequality; socialization of agency in and outside the family home. These three themes exemplify the great analytical potential inherent in this framework.

A Hybrid Method to Estimate Specific Differential Phase and Rainfall With Linear Programming and Physics Constraints

DOE PAGES

Huang, Hao; Zhang, Guifu; Zhao, Kun; ...

2016-10-20

A hybrid method of combining linear programming (LP) and physical constraints is developed to estimate specific differential phase (K DP) and to improve rain estimation. Moreover, the hybrid K DP estimator and the existing estimators of LP, least squares fitting, and a self-consistent relation of polarimetric radar variables are evaluated and compared using simulated data. Our simulation results indicate the new estimator's superiority, particularly in regions where backscattering phase (δ hv) dominates. Further, a quantitative comparison between auto-weather-station rain-gauge observations and K DP-based radar rain estimates for a Meiyu event also demonstrate the superiority of the hybrid K DP estimatormore » over existing methods.« less

Income inequality within urban settings and depressive symptoms among adolescents.

PubMed

Pabayo, Roman; Dunn, Erin C; Gilman, Stephen E; Kawachi, Ichiro; Molnar, Beth E

2016-10-01

Although recent evidence has shown that area-level income inequality is related to increased risk for depression among adults, few studies have tested this association among adolescents. We analysed the cross-sectional data from a sample of 1878 adolescents living in 38 neighbourhoods participating in the 2008 Boston Youth Survey. Using multilevel linear regression modelling, we: (1) estimated the association between neighbourhood income inequality and depressive symptoms, (2) tested for cross-level interactions between sex and neighbourhood income inequality and (3) examined neighbourhood social cohesion as a mediator of the relationship between income inequality and depressive symptoms. The association between neighbourhood income inequality and depressive symptoms varied significantly by sex, with girls in higher income inequality neighbourhood reporting higher depressive symptom scores, but not boys. Among girls, a unit increase in Gini Z-score was associated with more depressive symptoms (β=0.38, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.47, p=0.01) adjusting for nativity, neighbourhood income, social cohesion, crime and social disorder. There was no evidence that the association between income inequality and depressive symptoms was due to neighbourhood-level differences in social cohesion. The distribution of incomes within an urban area adversely affects adolescent girls' mental health; future work is needed to understand why, as well as to examine in greater depth the potential consequences of inequality for males, which may have been difficult to detect here. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Training feed-forward neural networks with gain constraints

PubMed

Hartman

2000-04-01

Inaccurate input-output gains (partial derivatives of outputs with respect to inputs) are common in neural network models when input variables are correlated or when data are incomplete or inaccurate. Accurate gains are essential for optimization, control, and other purposes. We develop and explore a method for training feedforward neural networks subject to inequality or equality-bound constraints on the gains of the learned mapping. Gain constraints are implemented as penalty terms added to the objective function, and training is done using gradient descent. Adaptive and robust procedures are devised for balancing the relative strengths of the various terms in the objective function, which is essential when the constraints are inconsistent with the data. The approach has the virtue that the model domain of validity can be extended via extrapolation training, which can dramatically improve generalization. The algorithm is demonstrated here on artificial and real-world problems with very good results and has been advantageously applied to dozens of models currently in commercial use.

Constraints to solve parallelogram grid problems in 2D non separable linear canonical transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Liang; Healy, John J.; Muniraj, Inbarasan; Cui, Xiao-Guang; Malallah, Ra'ed; Ryle, James P.; Sheridan, John T.

2017-05-01

The 2D non-separable linear canonical transform (2D-NS-LCT) can model a range of various paraxial optical systems. Digital algorithms to evaluate the 2D-NS-LCTs are important in modeling the light field propagations and also of interest in many digital signal processing applications. In [Zhao 14] we have reported that a given 2D input image with rectangular shape/boundary, in general, results in a parallelogram output sampling grid (generally in an affine coordinates rather than in a Cartesian coordinates) thus limiting the further calculations, e.g. inverse transform. One possible solution is to use the interpolation techniques; however, it reduces the speed and accuracy of the numerical approximations. To alleviate this problem, in this paper, some constraints are derived under which the output samples are located in the Cartesian coordinates. Therefore, no interpolation operation is required and thus the calculation error can be significantly eliminated.

Ecological analysis of teen birth rates: association with community income and income inequality.

PubMed

Gold, R; Kawachi, I; Kennedy, B P; Lynch, J W; Connell, F A

2001-09-01

To examine whether per capita income and income inequality are independently associated with teen birth rate in populous U.S. counties. This study used 1990 U.S. Census data and National Center for Health Statistics birth data. Income inequality was measured with the 90:10 ratio, a ratio of percent of cumulative income held by the richest and poorest population deciles. Linear regression and analysis of variance were used to assess associations between county-level average income, income inequality, and teen birth rates among counties with population greater than 100,000. Among teens aged 15-17, income inequality and per capita income were independently associated with birth rate; the mean birth rate was 54 per 1,000 in counties with low income and high income inequality, and 19 per 1,000 in counties with high income and low inequality. Among older teens (aged 18-19) only per capita income was significantly associated with birth rate. Although teen childbearing is the result of individual behaviors, these findings suggest that community-level factors such as income and income inequality may contribute significantly to differences in teen birth rates.

Reframing inequality? The health inequalities turn as a dangerous frame shift.

PubMed

Lynch, Julia

2017-12-01

Politicians in many countries have embraced the notion that health inequalities derive from socioeconomic inequalities, but European governments have for the most part failed to enact policies that would reduce underlying social inequalities. Data are drawn from 84 in-depth interviews with policy-makers in four European countries between 2012 and 2015, qualitative content analysis of recent health inequalities policy documents, and secondary literature on the barriers to implementing evidence-based health inequalities policies. Institutional and political barriers are important barriers to effective policy. Both policy-making institutions and the ideas and practices associated with neoliberalism reinforce medical-individualist models of health, strengthen actors with material interests opposed to policies that would increase equity, and undermine policy action to tackle the fundamental causes of social (including health) inequalities. Medicalizing inequality is more appealing to most politicians than tackling income and wage inequality head-on, but it results in framing the problem of social inequality in a way that makes it technically quite difficult to solve. Policy-makers should consider adopting more traditional programs of taxation, redistribution and labor market regulation in order to reduce both health inequalities and the underlying social inequalities. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

National Income, Inequality and Global Patterns of Cigarette Use

PubMed Central

Pampel, Fred

2011-01-01

Declining tobacco use in high-income nations and rising tobacco use in low- and middle-income nations raises questions about the sources of worldwide patterns of smoking. Theories posit a curvilinear influence of national income based on the balance of affordability and health-cost effects. In addition, however, economic inequality, gender inequality and government policies may moderate the rise and fall in smoking prevalence with national income. This study tests these arguments using aggregate data for 145 nations and measures of smoking prevalence circa 2000. The results show nonlinear effects of national income for males that take the form of an inverted U, but show linear effects for females. They also show non-additive effects of economic inequality for males that moderate both the rise and decline of smoking with national income and non-additive effects of gender equality for females that moderate the positive effect of national income. PMID:21874072

Hard Constraints in Optimization Under Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crespo, Luis G.; Giesy, Daniel P.; Kenny, Sean P.

2008-01-01

This paper proposes a methodology for the analysis and design of systems subject to parametric uncertainty where design requirements are specified via hard inequality constraints. Hard constraints are those that must be satisfied for all parameter realizations within a given uncertainty model. Uncertainty models given by norm-bounded perturbations from a nominal parameter value, i.e., hyper-spheres, and by sets of independently bounded uncertain variables, i.e., hyper-rectangles, are the focus of this paper. These models, which are also quite practical, allow for a rigorous mathematical treatment within the proposed framework. Hard constraint feasibility is determined by sizing the largest uncertainty set for which the design requirements are satisfied. Analytically verifiable assessments of robustness are attained by comparing this set with the actual uncertainty model. Strategies that enable the comparison of the robustness characteristics of competing design alternatives, the description and approximation of the robust design space, and the systematic search for designs with improved robustness are also proposed. Since the problem formulation is generic and the tools derived only require standard optimization algorithms for their implementation, this methodology is applicable to a broad range of engineering problems.

The use of Lyapunov differential inequalities for estimating the transients of mechanical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alyshev, A. S.; Dudarenko, N. A.; Melnikov, V. G.; Melnikov, G. I.

2018-05-01

In this paper we consider an autonomous mechanical system in a finite neighborhood of the zero of the phase space of states. The system is given as a matrix differential equation in the Cauchy form with the right-hand side of the polynomial structure. We propose a method for constructing a sequence of linear inhomogeneous differential inequalities for Lyapunov functions. As a result, we obtain estimates of transient processes in the form of functional inequalities.

Bohnenblust-Hille inequalities: analytical and computational aspects.

PubMed

Cavalcante, Wasthenny V; Pellegrino, Daniel M

2018-02-01

The Bohnenblust-Hille polynomial and multilinear inequalities were proved in 1931 and the determination of exact values of their constants is still an open and challenging problem, pursued by various authors. The present paper briefly surveys recent attempts to attack/solve this problem; it also presents new results, like connections with classical results of the linear theory of absolutely summing operators, and new perspectives.

The Relationship between Income Inequality and Inequality in Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Susan E.

2010-01-01

Children of affluent parents get more schooling than children of poor parents, which seems to imply that reducing income inequality would reduce inequality in schooling. Similarly, one of the best predictors of an individual's income is his educational attainment, which seems to imply that reducing inequality in schooling will reduce income…

[Inequities in access to information and inequities in health].

PubMed

Filho, Alberto Pellegrini

2002-01-01

This piece presents evidence that inequities in information are an important determinant of health inequities and that eliminating these inequities in access to information, especially by using new information and communication technologies (ICTs), could represent a significant advance in terms of guaranteeing the right to health for all. The piece reviews the most important international scientific research findings on the determinants of the health of populations, emphasizing the role of socioeconomic inequities and of deteriorating social capital as factors that worsen health conditions. It is noteworthy that Latin America has both socioeconomic inequities and major sectors of the population living in poverty. Among the fundamental strategies for overcoming the inequalities and the poverty are greater participation by the poor in civic life and the strengthening of social capital. The contribution that the new ICTs could make to these strategies is analyzed, and the Virtual Health Library (VHL) is discussed. Coordinated by the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME), the VHL is a contribution by the Pan American Health Organization that takes advantage of the potential of ICTs to democratize information and knowledge and consequently promote equity in health. The "digital gap" is discussed as something that can produce inequity itself and also increase other inequities, including ones in health. Prospects are discussed for overcoming this gap, emphasizing the role that governments and international organizations should play in order to expand access to the global public good that information for social development is.

Kinematics and constraints associated with swashplate blade pitch control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leyland, Jane A.

1993-01-01

An important class of techniques to reduce helicopter vibration is based on using a Higher Harmonic controller to optimally define the Higher Harmonic blade pitch. These techniques typically require solution of a general optimization problem requiring the determination of a control vector which minimizes a performance index where functions of the control vector are subject to inequality constraints. Six possible constraint functions associated with swashplate blade pitch control were identified and defined. These functions constrain: (1) blade pitch Fourier Coefficients expressed in the Rotating System, (2) blade pitch Fourier Coefficients expressed in the Nonrotating System, (3) stroke of the individual actuators expressed in the Nonrotating System, (4) blade pitch expressed as a function of blade azimuth and actuator stroke, (5) time rate-of-change of the aforementioned parameters, and (6) required actuator power. The aforementioned constraints and the associated kinematics of swashplate blade pitch control by means of the strokes of the individual actuators are documented.

Bayesian Estimation of Circumplex Models Subject to Prior Theory Constraints and Scale-Usage Bias

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenk, Peter; Wedel, Michel; Bockenholt, Ulf

2006-01-01

This paper presents a hierarchical Bayes circumplex model for ordinal ratings data. The circumplex model was proposed to represent the circular ordering of items in psychological testing by imposing inequalities on the correlations of the items. We provide a specification of the circumplex, propose identifying constraints and conjugate priors for…

Assessing environmental inequalities in ambient air pollution across urban Australia.

PubMed

Knibbs, Luke D; Barnett, Adrian G

2015-04-01

Identifying inequalities in air pollution levels across population groups can help address environmental justice concerns. We were interested in assessing these inequalities across major urban areas in Australia. We used a land-use regression model to predict ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels and sought the best socio-economic and population predictor variables. We used a generalised least squares model that accounted for spatial correlation in NO2 levels to examine the associations between the variables. We found that the best model included the index of economic resources (IER) score as a non-linear variable and the percentage of non-Indigenous persons as a linear variable. NO2 levels decreased with increasing IER scores (higher scores indicate less disadvantage) in almost all major urban areas, and NO2 also decreased slightly as the percentage of non-Indigenous persons increased. However, the magnitude of differences in NO2 levels was small and may not translate into substantive differences in health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlations in star networks: from Bell inequalities to network inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavakoli, Armin; Olivier Renou, Marc; Gisin, Nicolas; Brunner, Nicolas

2017-07-01

The problem of characterizing classical and quantum correlations in networks is considered. Contrary to the usual Bell scenario, where distant observers share a physical system emitted by one common source, a network features several independent sources, each distributing a physical system to a subset of observers. In the quantum setting, the observers can perform joint measurements on initially independent systems, which may lead to strong correlations across the whole network. In this work, we introduce a technique to systematically map a Bell inequality to a family of Bell-type inequalities bounding classical correlations on networks in a star-configuration. Also, we show that whenever a given Bell inequality can be violated by some entangled state ρ, then all the corresponding network inequalities can be violated by considering many copies of ρ distributed in the star network. The relevance of these ideas is illustrated by applying our method to a specific multi-setting Bell inequality. We derive the corresponding network inequalities, and study their quantum violations.

New Techniques in Numerical Analysis and Their Application to Aerospace Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

employment of the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm and the modified quasilineari- zation algorithm in some problems of structural analysis (Refs. 6...and a state inequa - lity constraint. The state inequality constraint is of a special type, namely, it is linear in some or all of the com- ponents of

Leggett-Garg inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emary, Clive; Lambert, Neill; Nori, Franco

2014-01-01

In contrast to the spatial Bell's inequalities which probe entanglement between spatially separated systems, the Leggett-Garg inequalities test the correlations of a single system measured at different times. Violation of a genuine Leggett-Garg test implies either the absence of a realistic description of the system or the impossibility of measuring the system without disturbing it. Quantum mechanics violates the inequalities on both accounts and the original motivation for these inequalities was as a test for quantum coherence in macroscopic systems. The last few years has seen a number of experimental tests and violations of these inequalities in a variety of microscopic systems such as superconducting qubits, nuclear spins, and photons. In this article, we provide an introduction to the Leggett-Garg inequalities and review these latest experimental developments. We discuss important topics such as the significance of the non-invasive measurability assumption, the clumsiness loophole, and the role of weak measurements. Also covered are some recent theoretical proposals for the application of Leggett-Garg inequalities in quantum transport, quantum biology and nano-mechanical systems.

Convergence of neural networks for programming problems via a nonsmooth Lojasiewicz inequality.

PubMed

Forti, Mauro; Nistri, Paolo; Quincampoix, Marc

2006-11-01

This paper considers a class of neural networks (NNs) for solving linear programming (LP) problems, convex quadratic programming (QP) problems, and nonconvex QP problems where an indefinite quadratic objective function is subject to a set of affine constraints. The NNs are characterized by constraint neurons modeled by ideal diodes with vertical segments in their characteristic, which enable to implement an exact penalty method. A new method is exploited to address convergence of trajectories, which is based on a nonsmooth Lojasiewicz inequality for the generalized gradient vector field describing the NN dynamics. The method permits to prove that each forward trajectory of the NN has finite length, and as a consequence it converges toward a singleton. Furthermore, by means of a quantitative evaluation of the Lojasiewicz exponent at the equilibrium points, the following results on convergence rate of trajectories are established: (1) for nonconvex QP problems, each trajectory is either exponentially convergent, or convergent in finite time, toward a singleton belonging to the set of constrained critical points; (2) for convex QP problems, the same result as in (1) holds; moreover, the singleton belongs to the set of global minimizers; and (3) for LP problems, each trajectory converges in finite time to a singleton belonging to the set of global minimizers. These results, which improve previous results obtained via the Lyapunov approach, are true independently of the nature of the set of equilibrium points, and in particular they hold even when the NN possesses infinitely many nonisolated equilibrium points.

From general discrimination to segmented inequality: Migration and inequality in urban China.

PubMed

Lu, Yao; Wang, Feng

2013-11-01

Internal migration in China during the last three decades, the largest in human history, offers a rare opportunity to understand inequalities in the making. Using data spanning 10years from China's largest metropolis, Shanghai, this study assesses how enduring state institutions interplay with the spread of market forces to shape income inequality between migrants and native urban workers. Though the wages of both Chinese migrants and urban workers rose considerably, economic restructuring during the decade under study resulted in diminished privileges for urbanites and subsequently increased collision between migrants and urban workers in the private sectors. These shifts, rather than substantially reducing inequality, have led to an evolving form of inequality, from an initial general blatant discrimination against migrants across the board, to a new and more subtle form of inequality characterized by substantial segmented discrimination against migrants within economic sectors, with the degree of inequality varying from sector to sector. We discuss how this changing inequality reflects complementary rather than competing roles of the state and market institutions in inequality creation and maintenance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reduced-order dynamic output feedback control of uncertain discrete-time Markov jump linear systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morais, Cecília F.; Braga, Márcio F.; Oliveira, Ricardo C. L. F.; Peres, Pedro L. D.

2017-11-01

This paper deals with the problem of designing reduced-order robust dynamic output feedback controllers for discrete-time Markov jump linear systems (MJLS) with polytopic state space matrices and uncertain transition probabilities. Starting from a full order, mode-dependent and polynomially parameter-dependent dynamic output feedback controller, sufficient linear matrix inequality based conditions are provided for the existence of a robust reduced-order dynamic output feedback stabilising controller with complete, partial or none mode dependency assuring an upper bound to the ? or the ? norm of the closed-loop system. The main advantage of the proposed method when compared to the existing approaches is the fact that the dynamic controllers are exclusively expressed in terms of the decision variables of the problem. In other words, the matrices that define the controller realisation do not depend explicitly on the state space matrices associated with the modes of the MJLS. As a consequence, the method is specially suitable to handle order reduction or cluster availability constraints in the context of ? or ? dynamic output feedback control of discrete-time MJLS. Additionally, as illustrated by means of numerical examples, the proposed approach can provide less conservative results than other conditions in the literature.

Income inequality among American states and the incidence of major depression.

PubMed

Pabayo, Roman; Kawachi, Ichiro; Gilman, Stephen E

2014-02-01

Although cross-sectional and ecological studies have shown that higher area-level income inequality is related to increased risk for depression, few longitudinal studies have been conducted. This investigation examines the relationship between state-level income inequality and major depression among adults participating in a population-based, representative longitudinal study. We used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n=34 653). Respondents completed structured diagnostic interviews at baseline (2001-2002) and follow-up (2004-2005). Weighted multilevel modelling was used to determine if U.S. state-level income inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient) was a significant predictor of depression at baseline and at follow-up, while controlling for individual-level and state-level covariates. We also repeated the longitudinal analyses, excluding those who had a history of depression or at baseline, in order to test whether income inequality was related to incident depression. State-level inequality was associated with increased incidence of depression among women but not men. In comparison to women residing in states belonging to the lowest quintile of income inequality, women were at increased risk for depression in the second (OR=1.18, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.62), third (OR=1.22, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.62), fourth (OR=1.37, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.82) and fifth (OR=1.50, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.96) quintiles at follow-up (p<0.05 for the linear trend). Living in a state with higher income inequality increases the risk for the development of depression among women.

Why reduce health inequalities?

PubMed

Woodward, A; Kawachi, I

2000-12-01

It is well known that social, cultural and economic factors cause substantial inequalities in health. Should we strive to achieve a more even share of good health, beyond improving the average health status of the population? We examine four arguments for the reduction of health inequalities.1 Inequalities are unfair. Inequalities in health are undesirable to the extent that they are unfair, or unjust. Distinguishing between health inequalities and health inequities can be contentious. Our view is that inequalities become "unfair" when poor health is itself the consequence of an unjust distribution of the underlying social determinants of health (for example, unequal opportunities in education or employment).2 Inequalities affect everyone. Conditions that lead to marked health disparities are detrimental to all members of society. Some types of health inequalities have obvious spillover effects on the rest of society, for example, the spread of infectious diseases, the consequences of alcohol and drug misuse, or the occurrence of violence and crime.3 Inequalities are avoidable. Disparities in health are avoidable to the extent that they stem from identifiable policy options exercised by governments, such as tax policy, regulation of business and labour, welfare benefits and health care funding. It follows that health inequalities are, in principle, amenable to policy interventions. A government that cares about improving the health of the population ought therefore to incorporate considerations of the health impact of alternative options in its policy setting process.3 Interventions to reduce health inequalities are cost effective. Public health programmes that reduce health inequalities can also be cost effective. The case can be made to give priority to such programmes (for example, improving access to cervical cancer screening in low income women) on efficiency grounds. On the other hand, few programmes designed to reduce health inequalities have been formally

Impact of income and income inequality on infant health outcomes in the United States.

PubMed

Olson, Maren E; Diekema, Douglas; Elliott, Barbara A; Renier, Colleen M

2010-12-01

The goal was to investigate the relationships of income and income inequality with neonatal and infant health outcomes in the United States. The 2000-2004 state data were extracted from the Kids Count Data Center. Health indicators included proportion of preterm births (PTBs), proportion of infants with low birth weight (LBW), proportion of infants with very low birth weight (VLBW), and infant mortality rate (IMR). Income was evaluated on the basis of median family income and proportion of federal poverty levels; income inequality was measured by using the Gini coefficient. Pearson correlations evaluated associations between the proportion of children living in poverty and the health indicators. Linear regression evaluated predictive relationships between median household income, proportion of children living in poverty, and income inequality for the 4 health indicators. Median family income was negatively correlated with all birth outcomes (PTB, r = -0.481; LBW, r = -0.295; VLBW, r = -0.133; IMR, r = -0.432), and the Gini coefficient was positively correlated (PTB, r = 0.339; LBW, r = 0.398; VLBW, r = 0.460; IMR, r = 0.114). The Gini coefficient explained a significant proportion of the variance in rate for each outcome in linear regression models with median family income. Among children living in poverty, the role of income decreased as the degree of poverty decreased, whereas the role of income inequality increased. Both income and income inequality affect infant health outcomes in the United States. The health of the poorest infants was affected more by absolute wealth than relative wealth.

Customized Steady-State Constraints for Parameter Estimation in Non-Linear Ordinary Differential Equation Models

PubMed Central

Rosenblatt, Marcus; Timmer, Jens; Kaschek, Daniel

2016-01-01

Ordinary differential equation models have become a wide-spread approach to analyze dynamical systems and understand underlying mechanisms. Model parameters are often unknown and have to be estimated from experimental data, e.g., by maximum-likelihood estimation. In particular, models of biological systems contain a large number of parameters. To reduce the dimensionality of the parameter space, steady-state information is incorporated in the parameter estimation process. For non-linear models, analytical steady-state calculation typically leads to higher-order polynomial equations for which no closed-form solutions can be obtained. This can be circumvented by solving the steady-state equations for kinetic parameters, which results in a linear equation system with comparatively simple solutions. At the same time multiplicity of steady-state solutions is avoided, which otherwise is problematic for optimization. When solved for kinetic parameters, however, steady-state constraints tend to become negative for particular model specifications, thus, generating new types of optimization problems. Here, we present an algorithm based on graph theory that derives non-negative, analytical steady-state expressions by stepwise removal of cyclic dependencies between dynamical variables. The algorithm avoids multiple steady-state solutions by construction. We show that our method is applicable to most common classes of biochemical reaction networks containing inhibition terms, mass-action and Hill-type kinetic equations. Comparing the performance of parameter estimation for different analytical and numerical methods of incorporating steady-state information, we show that our approach is especially well-tailored to guarantee a high success rate of optimization. PMID:27243005

Customized Steady-State Constraints for Parameter Estimation in Non-Linear Ordinary Differential Equation Models.

PubMed

Rosenblatt, Marcus; Timmer, Jens; Kaschek, Daniel

2016-01-01

Ordinary differential equation models have become a wide-spread approach to analyze dynamical systems and understand underlying mechanisms. Model parameters are often unknown and have to be estimated from experimental data, e.g., by maximum-likelihood estimation. In particular, models of biological systems contain a large number of parameters. To reduce the dimensionality of the parameter space, steady-state information is incorporated in the parameter estimation process. For non-linear models, analytical steady-state calculation typically leads to higher-order polynomial equations for which no closed-form solutions can be obtained. This can be circumvented by solving the steady-state equations for kinetic parameters, which results in a linear equation system with comparatively simple solutions. At the same time multiplicity of steady-state solutions is avoided, which otherwise is problematic for optimization. When solved for kinetic parameters, however, steady-state constraints tend to become negative for particular model specifications, thus, generating new types of optimization problems. Here, we present an algorithm based on graph theory that derives non-negative, analytical steady-state expressions by stepwise removal of cyclic dependencies between dynamical variables. The algorithm avoids multiple steady-state solutions by construction. We show that our method is applicable to most common classes of biochemical reaction networks containing inhibition terms, mass-action and Hill-type kinetic equations. Comparing the performance of parameter estimation for different analytical and numerical methods of incorporating steady-state information, we show that our approach is especially well-tailored to guarantee a high success rate of optimization.

Efficiency versus speed in quantum heat engines: Rigorous constraint from Lieb-Robinson bound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiraishi, Naoto; Tajima, Hiroyasu

2017-08-01

A long-standing open problem whether a heat engine with finite power achieves the Carnot efficiency is investgated. We rigorously prove a general trade-off inequality on thermodynamic efficiency and time interval of a cyclic process with quantum heat engines. In a first step, employing the Lieb-Robinson bound we establish an inequality on the change in a local observable caused by an operation far from support of the local observable. This inequality provides a rigorous characterization of the following intuitive picture that most of the energy emitted from the engine to the cold bath remains near the engine when the cyclic process is finished. Using this description, we prove an upper bound on efficiency with the aid of quantum information geometry. Our result generally excludes the possibility of a process with finite speed at the Carnot efficiency in quantum heat engines. In particular, the obtained constraint covers engines evolving with non-Markovian dynamics, which almost all previous studies on this topic fail to address.

Efficiency versus speed in quantum heat engines: Rigorous constraint from Lieb-Robinson bound.

PubMed

Shiraishi, Naoto; Tajima, Hiroyasu

2017-08-01

A long-standing open problem whether a heat engine with finite power achieves the Carnot efficiency is investgated. We rigorously prove a general trade-off inequality on thermodynamic efficiency and time interval of a cyclic process with quantum heat engines. In a first step, employing the Lieb-Robinson bound we establish an inequality on the change in a local observable caused by an operation far from support of the local observable. This inequality provides a rigorous characterization of the following intuitive picture that most of the energy emitted from the engine to the cold bath remains near the engine when the cyclic process is finished. Using this description, we prove an upper bound on efficiency with the aid of quantum information geometry. Our result generally excludes the possibility of a process with finite speed at the Carnot efficiency in quantum heat engines. In particular, the obtained constraint covers engines evolving with non-Markovian dynamics, which almost all previous studies on this topic fail to address.

The Development of Inequity Aversion.

PubMed

Shaw, Alex; Choshen-Hillel, Shoham; Caruso, Eugene M

2016-10-01

Children and adults respond negatively to inequity. Traditional accounts of inequity aversion suggest that as children mature into adults, they become less likely to endorse all forms of inequity. We challenge the idea that children have a unified concern with inequity that simply becomes stronger with age. Instead, we argue that the developmental trajectory of inequity aversion depends on whether the inequity is seen as fair or unfair. In three studies ( N = 501), 7- to 8-year-olds were more likely than 4- to 6-year-olds to create inequity that disadvantaged themselves-a fair type of inequity. In findings consistent with our theory, 7- to 8-year-olds were not more likely than 4- to 6-year-olds to endorse advantageous inequity (Study 1) or inequity created by third parties (Studies 2 and 3)-unfair types of inequity. We discuss how these results expand on recent accounts of children's developing concerns with generosity and partiality.

Horizontal Inequity in Health Care Utilization among the Middle-Aged and Elderly in China.

PubMed

Li, Chaofan; Dou, Lei; Wang, Haipeng; Jing, Shanshan; Yin, Aitian

2017-07-26

Equitable utilization of health care is a primary goal of the Chinese health system. This study aimed to examine horizontal inequity in health care utilization and identify the factors resulting in inequity among the middle-aged and elderly in China. The data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We employed the concentration index (CI) and horizontal inequity (HI) to measure inequity in health care utilization. Non-linear regression models were used to decompose the CI into the contribution of each factor. The CIs for the probability of and total number of outpatient visits were 0.0642 and 0.0780, respectively, and those for inpatient visits were 0.1418 and 0.1471, respectively. The HIs were also significantly positive. Living standard was the most important contributor. The contribution of health insurance varied between plans. This study supported the presence of pro-rich inequity in health care utilization for both probability and frequency among the middle-aged and elderly in China. Narrowing the living standard gap and improving the health insurance benefit package for the elderly should help to resolve these inequities.

The role of income inequality and social policies on income-related health inequalities in Europe.

PubMed

Jutz, Regina

2015-10-31

The aim of the paper is to examine the role of income inequality and redistribution for income-related health inequalities in Europe. This paper contributes in two ways to the literature on macro determinants of socio-economic inequalities in health. First, it widens the distinctive focus of the research field on welfare state regimes to quantifiable measures such as social policy indicators. Second, looking at income differences completes studies on socio-economic health inequalities, which often analyse health inequalities based on educational differences. Using data from the European Values Study (2008/2009), 42 European countries are available for analysis. Country characteristics are derived from SWIID, Eurostat, and ILO and include indicators for income inequality, social policies, and economic performance. The data is analysed by using a two-step hierarchical estimation approach: At the first step-the individual level-the effect of household income on self-assessed health is extracted and introduced as an indicator measuring income-related health inequalities at the second step, the country-level. Individual-level analyses reveal that income-related health inequalities exist all across Europe. Results from country-level analyses show that higher income inequality is significantly positively related to higher health inequalities while social policies do not show significant relations. Nevertheless, the results show the expected negative association between social policies and health inequalities. Economic performance also has a reducing influence on health inequalities. In all models, income inequality was the dominating explanatory effect for health inequalities. The analyses indicate that income inequality has more impact on health inequalities than social policies. On the contrary, social policies seemed to matter to all individuals regardless of socio-economic position since it is significantly positively linked to overall population health. Even though

A constrained regularization method for inverting data represented by linear algebraic or integral equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provencher, Stephen W.

1982-09-01

CONTIN is a portable Fortran IV package for inverting noisy linear operator equations. These problems occur in the analysis of data from a wide variety experiments. They are generally ill-posed problems, which means that errors in an unregularized inversion are unbounded. Instead, CONTIN seeks the optimal solution by incorporating parsimony and any statistical prior knowledge into the regularizor and absolute prior knowledge into equallity and inequality constraints. This can be greatly increase the resolution and accuracyh of the solution. CONTIN is very flexible, consisting of a core of about 50 subprograms plus 13 small "USER" subprograms, which the user can easily modify to specify special-purpose constraints, regularizors, operator equations, simulations, statistical weighting, etc. Specjial collections of USER subprograms are available for photon correlation spectroscopy, multicomponent spectra, and Fourier-Bessel, Fourier and Laplace transforms. Numerically stable algorithms are used throughout CONTIN. A fairly precise definition of information content in terms of degrees of freedom is given. The regularization parameter can be automatically chosen on the basis of an F-test and confidence region. The interpretation of the latter and of error estimates based on the covariance matrix of the constrained regularized solution are discussed. The strategies, methods and options in CONTIN are outlined. The program itself is described in the following paper.

Ranking Forestry Investments With Parametric Linear Programming

Treesearch

Paul A. Murphy

1976-01-01

Parametric linear programming is introduced as a technique for ranking forestry investments under multiple constraints; it combines the advantages of simple tanking and linear programming as capital budgeting tools.

Income inequality and happiness.

PubMed

Oishi, Shigehiro; Kesebir, Selin; Diener, Ed

2011-09-01

Using General Social Survey data from 1972 to 2008, we found that Americans were on average happier in the years with less national income inequality than in the years with more national income inequality. We further demonstrated that this inverse relation between income inequality and happiness was explained by perceived fairness and general trust. That is, Americans trusted other people less and perceived other people to be less fair in the years with more national income inequality than in the years with less national income inequality. The negative association between income inequality and happiness held for lower-income respondents, but not for higher-income respondents. Most important, we found that the negative link between income inequality and the happiness of lower-income respondents was explained not by lower household income, but by perceived unfairness and lack of trust.

A tour of inequality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliazar, Iddo

2018-02-01

This paper presents a concise and up-to-date tour to the realm of inequality indices. Originally devised for socioeconomic applications, inequality indices gauge the divergence of wealth distributions in human societies from the socioeconomic 'ground state' of perfect equality, i.e. pure communism. Inequality indices are quantitative scores that take values in the unit interval, with the zero score characterizing perfect equality. In effect, inequality indices are applicable in the context of general distributions of sizes - non-negative quantities such as count, length, area, volume, mass, energy, and duration. For general size distributions, which are omnipresent in science and engineering, inequality indices provide multi-dimensional and infinite-dimensional quantifications of the inherent inequality - i.e., the statistical heterogeneity, the non-determinism, the randomness. This paper compactly describes the insights and the practical implementation of inequality indices.

Visualizing inequality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliazar, Iddo

2016-07-01

The study of socioeconomic inequality is of substantial importance, scientific and general alike. The graphic visualization of inequality is commonly conveyed by Lorenz curves. While Lorenz curves are a highly effective statistical tool for quantifying the distribution of wealth in human societies, they are less effective a tool for the visual depiction of socioeconomic inequality. This paper introduces an alternative to Lorenz curves-the hill curves. On the one hand, the hill curves are a potent scientific tool: they provide detailed scans of the rich-poor gaps in human societies under consideration, and are capable of accommodating infinitely many degrees of freedom. On the other hand, the hill curves are a powerful infographic tool: they visualize inequality in a most vivid and tangible way, with no quantitative skills that are required in order to grasp the visualization. The application of hill curves extends far beyond socioeconomic inequality. Indeed, the hill curves are highly effective 'hyperspectral' measures of statistical variability that are applicable in the context of size distributions at large. This paper establishes the notion of hill curves, analyzes them, and describes their application in the context of general size distributions.

Educational inequality in the occurrence of abdominal obesity: Pró-Saúde Study

PubMed Central

Alves, Ronaldo Fernandes Santos; Faerstein, Eduardo

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To estimate the degree of educational inequality in the occurrence of abdominal obesity in a population of non-faculty civil servants at university campi. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we used data from 3,117 subjects of both genders aged 24 to 65-years old, regarding the baseline of Pró-Saúde Study, 1999-2001. Abdominal obesity was defined according to abdominal circumference thresholds of 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men. A multi-dimensional, self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate education levels and demographic variables. Slope and relative indices of inequality, and Chi-squared test for linear trend were used in the data analysis. All analyses were stratified by genders, and the indices of inequality were standardized by age. RESULTS Abdominal obesity was the most prevalent among women (43.5%; 95%CI 41.2;45.9), as compared to men (24.3%; 95%CI 22.1;26.7), in all educational strata and age ranges. The association between education levels and abdominal obesity was an inverse one among women (p < 0.001); it was not statistically significant among men (p = 0.436). The educational inequality regarding abdominal obesity in the female population, in absolute terms (slope index of inequality), was 24.0% (95%CI 15.5;32.6). In relative terms (relative index of inequality), it was 2.8 (95%CI 1.9;4.1), after the age adjustment. CONCLUSIONS Gender inequality in the prevalence of abdominal obesity increases with older age and lower education. The slope and relative indices of inequality summarize the strictly monotonous trend between education levels and abdominal obesity, and it described educational inequality regarding abdominal obesity among women. Such indices provide relevant quantitative estimates for monitoring abdominal obesity and dealing with health inequalities. PMID:26465669

Socioeconomic Status and Health: A New Approach to the Measurement of Bivariate Inequality

PubMed Central

Kessels, Roselinde

2017-01-01

We suggest an alternative way to construct a family of indices of socioeconomic inequality of health. Our indices belong to the broad category of linear indices. In contrast to rank-dependent indices, which are defined in terms of the ranks of the socioeconomic variable and the levels of the health variable, our indices are based on the levels of both the socioeconomic and the health variable. We also indicate how the indices can be modified in order to introduce sensitivity to inequality in the socioeconomic distribution and to inequality in the health distribution. As an empirical illustration, we make a comparative study of the relation between income and well-being in 16 European countries using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Wave 4. PMID:28644405

Socioeconomic Status and Health: A New Approach to the Measurement of Bivariate Inequality.

PubMed

Erreygers, Guido; Kessels, Roselinde

2017-06-23

We suggest an alternative way to construct a family of indices of socioeconomic inequality of health. Our indices belong to the broad category of linear indices. In contrast to rank-dependent indices, which are defined in terms of the ranks of the socioeconomic variable and the levels of the health variable, our indices are based on the levels of both the socioeconomic and the health variable. We also indicate how the indices can be modified in order to introduce sensitivity to inequality in the socioeconomic distribution and to inequality in the health distribution. As an empirical illustration, we make a comparative study of the relation between income and well-being in 16 European countries using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Wave 4.

On controllability and system constraints of the linear models of proton exchange membrane and solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radisavljevic, Verica

2011-10-01

In this paper we first show that the linear models of proton exchange membrane (polymer electrolyte membrane, PEM) and solid oxide (SO) fuel cells, commonly used in power and energy literature, are not controllable. The source of uncontrollability is the equation for pressure of the water vapor that is only affected by the fuel cell current, which in fact is a disturbance in this system and cannot be controlled by the given model inputs: inlet molar flow rates of hydrogen and oxygen. Being uncontrollable these models are not good candidates for studying control of dynamic processes in PEM and SO fuel cells. However, due to their simplicity, they can be used in hybrid configurations with other energy producing devices such as photovoltaic (solar) cells, wind turbine, micro gas turbine, battery (ultra capacitor) to demonstrate some other phenomena, but not for control purposes unless the hybrid models formed in such hybrid configurations are controllable. Testing controllability of such hybrid models is mandatory. Secondly, we introduce some algebraic constraints that follow from the model dynamics and the Nernst open-loop fuel cell voltage formula. These constraints must be satisfied in simulation of considered fuel cell modes, for example, via MATLAB/Simulink or any other computer software package.

All inequality is not equal: children correct inequalities using resource value.

PubMed

Shaw, Alex; Olson, Kristina R

2013-01-01

Fairness concerns guide children's judgments about how to share resources with others. However, it is unclear from past research if children take extant inequalities or the value of resources involved in an inequality into account when sharing with others; these questions are the focus of the current studies. In all experiments, children saw an inequality between two recipients-one had two more resources than another. What varied between conditions was the value of the resources that the child could subsequently distribute. When the resources were equal in value to those involved in the original inequality, children corrected the previous inequality by giving two resources to the child with fewer resources (Experiment 1). However, as the value of the resources increased relative to those initially shared by the experimenter, children were more likely to distribute the two high value resources equally between the two recipients, presumably to minimize the overall inequality in value (Experiments 1 and 2). We found that children specifically use value, not just size, when trying to equalize outcomes (Experiment 3) and further found that children focus on the relative rather than absolute value of the resources they share-when the experimenter had unequally distributed the same high value resource that the child would later share, children corrected the previous inequality by giving two high value resources to the person who had received fewer high value resources. These results illustrate that children attempt to correct past inequalities and try to maintain equality not just in the count of resources but also by using the value of resources.

All inequality is not equal: children correct inequalities using resource value

PubMed Central

Shaw, Alex; Olson, Kristina R.

2013-01-01

Fairness concerns guide children's judgments about how to share resources with others. However, it is unclear from past research if children take extant inequalities or the value of resources involved in an inequality into account when sharing with others; these questions are the focus of the current studies. In all experiments, children saw an inequality between two recipients—one had two more resources than another. What varied between conditions was the value of the resources that the child could subsequently distribute. When the resources were equal in value to those involved in the original inequality, children corrected the previous inequality by giving two resources to the child with fewer resources (Experiment 1). However, as the value of the resources increased relative to those initially shared by the experimenter, children were more likely to distribute the two high value resources equally between the two recipients, presumably to minimize the overall inequality in value (Experiments 1 and 2). We found that children specifically use value, not just size, when trying to equalize outcomes (Experiment 3) and further found that children focus on the relative rather than absolute value of the resources they share—when the experimenter had unequally distributed the same high value resource that the child would later share, children corrected the previous inequality by giving two high value resources to the person who had received fewer high value resources. These results illustrate that children attempt to correct past inequalities and try to maintain equality not just in the count of resources but also by using the value of resources. PMID:23882227

Linearized motion estimation for articulated planes.

PubMed

Datta, Ankur; Sheikh, Yaser; Kanade, Takeo

2011-04-01

In this paper, we describe the explicit application of articulation constraints for estimating the motion of a system of articulated planes. We relate articulations to the relative homography between planes and show that these articulations translate into linearized equality constraints on a linear least-squares system, which can be solved efficiently using a Karush-Kuhn-Tucker system. The articulation constraints can be applied for both gradient-based and feature-based motion estimation algorithms and to illustrate this, we describe a gradient-based motion estimation algorithm for an affine camera and a feature-based motion estimation algorithm for a projective camera that explicitly enforces articulation constraints. We show that explicit application of articulation constraints leads to numerically stable estimates of motion. The simultaneous computation of motion estimates for all of the articulated planes in a scene allows us to handle scene areas where there is limited texture information and areas that leave the field of view. Our results demonstrate the wide applicability of the algorithm in a variety of challenging real-world cases such as human body tracking, motion estimation of rigid, piecewise planar scenes, and motion estimation of triangulated meshes.

Conditions for Stabilizability of Linear Switched Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minh, Vu Trieu

2011-06-01

This paper investigates some conditions that can provide stabilizability for linear switched systems with polytopic uncertainties via their closed loop linear quadratic state feedback regulator. The closed loop switched systems can stabilize unstable open loop systems or stable open loop systems but in which there is no solution for a common Lyapunov matrix. For continuous time switched linear systems, we show that if there exists solution in an associated Riccati equation for the closed loop systems sharing one common Lyapunov matrix, the switched linear systems are stable. For the discrete time switched systems, we derive a Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) to calculate a common Lyapunov matrix and solution for the stable closed loop feedback systems. These closed loop linear quadratic state feedback regulators guarantee the global asymptotical stability for any switched linear systems with any switching signal sequence.

Thermodynamic Constraints Improve Metabolic Networks.

PubMed

Krumholz, Elias W; Libourel, Igor G L

2017-08-08

In pursuit of establishing a realistic metabolic phenotypic space, the reversibility of reactions is thermodynamically constrained in modern metabolic networks. The reversibility constraints follow from heuristic thermodynamic poise approximations that take anticipated cellular metabolite concentration ranges into account. Because constraints reduce the feasible space, draft metabolic network reconstructions may need more extensive reconciliation, and a larger number of genes may become essential. Notwithstanding ubiquitous application, the effect of reversibility constraints on the predictive capabilities of metabolic networks has not been investigated in detail. Instead, work has focused on the implementation and validation of the thermodynamic poise calculation itself. With the advance of fast linear programming-based network reconciliation, the effects of reversibility constraints on network reconciliation and gene essentiality predictions have become feasible and are the subject of this study. Networks with thermodynamically informed reversibility constraints outperformed gene essentiality predictions compared to networks that were constrained with randomly shuffled constraints. Unconstrained networks predicted gene essentiality as accurately as thermodynamically constrained networks, but predicted substantially fewer essential genes. Networks that were reconciled with sequence similarity data and strongly enforced reversibility constraints outperformed all other networks. We conclude that metabolic network analysis confirmed the validity of the thermodynamic constraints, and that thermodynamic poise information is actionable during network reconciliation. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Inequality and inequity in the use of medical services in Chile, by age group, 2000-2011].

PubMed

Chovar Vera, Alejandra; Vásquez Lavín, Felipe; Paraje, Guillermo

2014-09-01

To calculate indices of inequality and inequity in the use of medical services for children, adults, and older adults in Chile from 2000 to 2011. Based on the CASEN survey (2000-2011), the concentration index (CI) was calculated to measure inequality and the horizontal inequity index (HI) was calculated to measure inequity in the use of medical services. Four groups were studied: children under 5, children aged 6-18 years, adults, and older adults. The results indicate higher levels of inequality in the use of specialized physician services in the child groups, and higher levels of inequity in the adult group. In the use of dental services, the greatest inequality and inequity is found among older adults. For visits to emergency services in the last two years for which data are available (2009 and 2011), the adult group shows a higher level of inequality. In terms of levels of inequity and inequality, there are differences among children, adults, and older adults over the years in at least three of the six variables studied.

Incorporating concepts of inequality and inequity into health benefits analysis

PubMed Central

Levy, Jonathan I; Chemerynski, Susan M; Tuchmann, Jessica L

2006-01-01

Background Although environmental policy decisions are often based in part on both risk assessment information and environmental justice concerns, formalized approaches for addressing inequality or inequity when estimating the health benefits of pollution control have been lacking. Inequality indicators that fulfill basic axioms and agree with relevant definitions and concepts in health benefits analysis and environmental justice analysis can allow for quantitative examination of efficiency-equality tradeoffs in pollution control policies. Methods To develop appropriate inequality indicators for health benefits analysis, we provide relevant definitions from the fields of risk assessment and environmental justice and consider the implications. We evaluate axioms proposed in past studies of inequality indicators and develop additional axioms relevant to this context. We survey the literature on previous applications of inequality indicators and evaluate five candidate indicators in reference to our proposed axioms. We present an illustrative pollution control example to determine whether our selected indicators provide interpretable information. Results and Conclusions We conclude that an inequality indicator for health benefits analysis should not decrease when risk is transferred from a low-risk to high-risk person, and that it should decrease when risk is transferred from a high-risk to low-risk person (Pigou-Dalton transfer principle), and that it should be able to have total inequality divided into its constituent parts (subgroup decomposability). We additionally propose that an ideal indicator should avoid value judgments about the relative importance of transfers at different percentiles of the risk distribution, incorporate health risk with evidence about differential susceptibility, include baseline distributions of risk, use appropriate geographic resolution and scope, and consider multiple competing policy alternatives. Given these criteria, we select the

Boundary Korn Inequality and Neumann Problems in Homogenization of Systems of Elasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Jun; Shen, Zhongwei; Song, Liang

2017-06-01

This paper is concerned with a family of elliptic systems of linear elasticity with rapidly oscillating periodic coefficients, arising in the theory of homogenization. We establish uniform optimal regularity estimates for solutions of Neumann problems in a bounded Lipschitz domain with L 2 boundary data. The proof relies on a boundary Korn inequality for solutions of systems of linear elasticity and uses a large-scale Rellich estimate obtained in Shen (Anal PDE, arXiv:1505.00694v2).

The Inequality Footprints of Nations: A Novel Approach to Quantitative Accounting of Income Inequality

PubMed Central

Alsamawi, Ali; Murray, Joy; Lenzen, Manfred; Moran, Daniel; Kanemoto, Keiichiro

2014-01-01

In this study we use economic input-output analysis to calculate the inequality footprint of nations. An inequality footprint shows the link that each country's domestic economic activity has to income distribution elsewhere in the world. To this end we use employment and household income accounts for 187 countries and an historical time series dating back to 1990. Our results show that in 2010, most developed countries had an inequality footprint that was higher than their within-country inequality, meaning that in order to support domestic lifestyles, these countries source imports from more unequal economies. Amongst exceptions are the United States and United Kingdom, which placed them on a par with many developing countries. Russia has a high within-country inequality nevertheless it has the lowest inequality footprint in the world, which is because of its trade connections with the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe. Our findings show that the commodities that are inequality-intensive, such as electronic components, chemicals, fertilizers, minerals, and agricultural products often originate in developing countries characterized by high levels of inequality. Consumption of these commodities may implicate within-country inequality in both developing and developed countries. PMID:25353333

The inequality footprints of nations: a novel approach to quantitative accounting of income inequality.

PubMed

Alsamawi, Ali; Murray, Joy; Lenzen, Manfred; Moran, Daniel; Kanemoto, Keiichiro

2014-01-01

In this study we use economic input-output analysis to calculate the inequality footprint of nations. An inequality footprint shows the link that each country's domestic economic activity has to income distribution elsewhere in the world. To this end we use employment and household income accounts for 187 countries and an historical time series dating back to 1990. Our results show that in 2010, most developed countries had an inequality footprint that was higher than their within-country inequality, meaning that in order to support domestic lifestyles, these countries source imports from more unequal economies. Amongst exceptions are the United States and United Kingdom, which placed them on a par with many developing countries. Russia has a high within-country inequality nevertheless it has the lowest inequality footprint in the world, which is because of its trade connections with the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe. Our findings show that the commodities that are inequality-intensive, such as electronic components, chemicals, fertilizers, minerals, and agricultural products often originate in developing countries characterized by high levels of inequality. Consumption of these commodities may implicate within-country inequality in both developing and developed countries.

Bell inequalities stronger than the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality for three-level isotropic states

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ito, Tsuyoshi; Imai, Hiroshi; ERATO-SORST Quantum Computation and Information Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 5-28-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033

2006-04-15

We show that some two-party Bell inequalities with two-valued observables are stronger than the CHSH inequality for 3x3 isotropic states in the sense that they are violated by some isotropic states in the 3x3 system that do not violate the CHSH inequality. These Bell inequalities are obtained by applying triangular elimination to the list of known facet inequalities of the cut polytope on nine points. This gives a partial solution to an open problem posed by Collins and Gisin. The results of numerical optimization suggest that they are candidates for being stronger than the I{sub 3322} Bell inequality for 3x3more » isotropic states. On the other hand, we found no Bell inequalities stronger than the CHSH inequality for 2x2 isotropic states. In addition, we illustrate an inclusion relation among some Bell inequalities derived by triangular elimination.« less

Finite-time H∞ control for linear continuous system with norm-bounded disturbance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Qingyi; Shen, Yanjun

2009-04-01

In this paper, the definition of finite-time H∞ control is presented. The system under consideration is subject to time-varying norm-bounded exogenous disturbance. The main aim of this paper is focused on the design a state feedback controller which ensures that the closed-loop system is finite-time bounded (FTB) and reduces the effect of the disturbance input on the controlled output to a prescribed level. A sufficient condition is presented for the solvability of this problem, which can be reduced to a feasibility problem involving linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). A detailed solving method is proposed for the restricted linear matrix inequalities. Finally, examples are given to show the validity of the methodology.

Errors Analysis of Solving Linear Inequalities among the Preparatory Year Students at King Saud University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-khateeb, Mahmoud M. A.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study aims to investigate the errors classes occurred by the Preparatory year students at King Saud University, through analysis student responses to the items of the study test, and to identify the varieties of the common errors and ratios of common errors that occurred in solving inequalities. In the collection of the data,…

Inequalities in Science

PubMed Central

Xie, Y.

2014-01-01

Inequalities in scientists’ contributions to science and their rewards have always been very high. There are good reasons to propose that inequalities in science across research institutions and across individual scientists have increased in recent years. In the meantime, however, globalization and internet technology have narrowed inequalities in science across nations and facilitated the expansion of science and rapid production of scientific discoveries through international collaborative networks. PMID:24855244

Schur Complement Inequalities for Covariance Matrices and Monogamy of Quantum Correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lami, Ludovico; Hirche, Christoph; Adesso, Gerardo; Winter, Andreas

2016-11-01

We derive fundamental constraints for the Schur complement of positive matrices, which provide an operator strengthening to recently established information inequalities for quantum covariance matrices, including strong subadditivity. This allows us to prove general results on the monogamy of entanglement and steering quantifiers in continuous variable systems with an arbitrary number of modes per party. A powerful hierarchical relation for correlation measures based on the log-determinant of covariance matrices is further established for all Gaussian states, which has no counterpart among quantities based on the conventional von Neumann entropy.

Schur Complement Inequalities for Covariance Matrices and Monogamy of Quantum Correlations.

PubMed

Lami, Ludovico; Hirche, Christoph; Adesso, Gerardo; Winter, Andreas

2016-11-25

We derive fundamental constraints for the Schur complement of positive matrices, which provide an operator strengthening to recently established information inequalities for quantum covariance matrices, including strong subadditivity. This allows us to prove general results on the monogamy of entanglement and steering quantifiers in continuous variable systems with an arbitrary number of modes per party. A powerful hierarchical relation for correlation measures based on the log-determinant of covariance matrices is further established for all Gaussian states, which has no counterpart among quantities based on the conventional von Neumann entropy.

Four-dimensional electrical conductivity monitoring of stage-driven river water intrusion: Accounting for water table effects using a transient mesh boundary and conditional inversion constraints

DOE PAGES

Johnson, Tim; Versteeg, Roelof; Thomle, Jon; ...

2015-08-01

Our paper describes and demonstrates two methods of providing a priori information to the surface-based time-lapse three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) problem for monitoring stage-driven or tide-driven surface water intrusion into aquifers. First, a mesh boundary is implemented that conforms to the known location of the water table through time, thereby enabling the inversion to place a sharp bulk conductivity contrast at that boundary without penalty. Moreover, a nonlinear inequality constraint is used to allow only positive or negative transient changes in EC to occur within the saturated zone, dependent on the relative contrast in fluid electrical conductivity between surfacemore » water and groundwater. A 3-D field experiment demonstrates that time-lapse imaging results using traditional smoothness constraints are unable to delineate river water intrusion. The water table and inequality constraints provide the inversion with the additional information necessary to resolve the spatial extent of river water intrusion through time.« less

Four-dimensional electrical conductivity monitoring of stage-driven river water intrusion: Accounting for water table effects using a transient mesh boundary and conditional inversion constraints

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Tim; Versteeg, Roelof; Thomle, Jon

Our paper describes and demonstrates two methods of providing a priori information to the surface-based time-lapse three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) problem for monitoring stage-driven or tide-driven surface water intrusion into aquifers. First, a mesh boundary is implemented that conforms to the known location of the water table through time, thereby enabling the inversion to place a sharp bulk conductivity contrast at that boundary without penalty. Moreover, a nonlinear inequality constraint is used to allow only positive or negative transient changes in EC to occur within the saturated zone, dependent on the relative contrast in fluid electrical conductivity between surfacemore » water and groundwater. A 3-D field experiment demonstrates that time-lapse imaging results using traditional smoothness constraints are unable to delineate river water intrusion. The water table and inequality constraints provide the inversion with the additional information necessary to resolve the spatial extent of river water intrusion through time.« less

Economic inequality increases risk taking

PubMed Central

Payne, B. Keith; Brown-Iannuzzi, Jazmin L.; Hannay, Jason W.

2017-01-01

Rising income inequality is a global trend. Increased income inequality has been associated with higher rates of crime, greater consumer debt, and poorer health outcomes. The mechanisms linking inequality to poor outcomes among individuals are poorly understood. This research tested a behavioral account linking inequality to individual decision making. In three experiments (n = 811), we found that higher inequality in the outcomes of an economic game led participants to take greater risks to try to achieve higher outcomes. This effect of unequal distributions on risk taking was driven by upward social comparisons. Next, we estimated economic risk taking in daily life using large-scale data from internet searches. Risk taking was higher in states with greater income inequality, an effect driven by inequality at the upper end of the income distribution. Results suggest that inequality may promote poor outcomes, in part, by increasing risky behavior. PMID:28416655

Economic inequality increases risk taking.

PubMed

Payne, B Keith; Brown-Iannuzzi, Jazmin L; Hannay, Jason W

2017-05-02

Rising income inequality is a global trend. Increased income inequality has been associated with higher rates of crime, greater consumer debt, and poorer health outcomes. The mechanisms linking inequality to poor outcomes among individuals are poorly understood. This research tested a behavioral account linking inequality to individual decision making. In three experiments ( n = 811), we found that higher inequality in the outcomes of an economic game led participants to take greater risks to try to achieve higher outcomes. This effect of unequal distributions on risk taking was driven by upward social comparisons. Next, we estimated economic risk taking in daily life using large-scale data from internet searches. Risk taking was higher in states with greater income inequality, an effect driven by inequality at the upper end of the income distribution. Results suggest that inequality may promote poor outcomes, in part, by increasing risky behavior.

Time-fixed rendezvous by impulse factoring with an intermediate timing constraint. [for transfer orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, R. N.; Kibler, J. F.; Young, G. R.

1974-01-01

A method is presented for factoring a two-impulse orbital transfer into a three- or four-impulse transfer which solves the rendezvous problem and satisfies an intermediate timing constraint. Both the time of rendezvous and the intermediate time of a alinement are formulated as any element of a finite sequence of times. These times are integer multiples of a constant plus an additive constant. The rendezvous condition is an equality constraint, whereas the intermediate alinement is an inequality constraint. The two timing constraints are satisfied by factoring the impulses into collinear parts that vectorially sum to the original impulse and by varying the resultant period differences and the number of revolutions in each orbit. Five different types of solutions arise by considering factoring either or both of the two impulses into two or three parts with a limit for four total impulses. The impulse-factoring technique may be applied to any two-impulse transfer which has distinct orbital periods.

Inequalities in premature mortality in Britain: observational study from 1921 to 2007.

PubMed

Thomas, Bethan; Dorling, Danny; Smith, George Davey

2010-07-22

To report on the extent of inequality in premature mortality as measured between geographical areas in Britain. Observational study of routinely collected mortality data and public records. Population subdivided by age, sex, and geographical area (parliamentary constituencies from 1991 to2007, pre-1974 local authorities over a longer time span). Great Britain. Entire population aged under 75 from 1990 to 2007, and entire population aged under 65 in the periods 1921-39, 1950-3, 1959-63, 1969-73, and 1981-2007. Relative index of inequality (RII) and ratios of inequality in age-sex standardised mortality ratios under ages 75 and 65. The relative index of inequality is the relative rate of mortality for the hypothetically worst-off compared with the hypothetically best-off person in the population, assuming a linear association between socioeconomic position and risk of mortality. The ratio of inequality is the ratio of the standardised mortality ratio of the most deprived 10% to the least deprived 10%. When measured by the relative index of inequality, geographical inequalities in age-sex standardised rates of mortality below age 75 have increased every two years from 1990-1 to 2006-7 without exception. Over this period the relative index of inequality increased from 1.61 (95% confidence interval 1.52 to 1.69) in 1990-1 to 2.14 (2.02 to 2.27) in 2006-7. Simple ratios indicated a brief period around 2001 when a small reduction in inequality was recorded, but this was quickly reversed and inequalities up to the age of 75 have now reached the highest levels reported since at least 1990. Similarly, inequalities in mortality ratios under the age of 65 improved slightly in the early years of this century but the latest figures surpass the most extreme previously reported. Comparison of crudely age-sex standardised rates for those below age 65 from historical records showed that geographical inequalities in mortality are higher in the most recent decade than in any similar

Covariance Bell inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozsgay, Victor; Hirsch, Flavien; Branciard, Cyril; Brunner, Nicolas

2017-12-01

We introduce Bell inequalities based on covariance, one of the most common measures of correlation. Explicit examples are discussed, and violations in quantum theory are demonstrated. A crucial feature of these covariance Bell inequalities is their nonlinearity; this has nontrivial consequences for the derivation of their local bound, which is not reached by deterministic local correlations. For our simplest inequality, we derive analytically tight bounds for both local and quantum correlations. An interesting application of covariance Bell inequalities is that they can act as "shared randomness witnesses": specifically, the value of the Bell expression gives device-independent lower bounds on both the dimension and the entropy of the shared random variable in a local model.

Risk and Distributional Inequality.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

judgments about the weight to be attached to inequality at different points on the income scale.... [Thus, in choosing a measure of inequality ,] it may... Rawls , 1971.) Thus, it might be concluded that the U.K. has greater inequality of incomes than West Germany for the reason that A its Lorenz curve lies...suffices to summarize matters as follows: (1) in welfare economics , measurement of the inequality of income (or wealth) is made difficult by the fact that

Regional income inequality model based on theil index decomposition and weighted variance coeficient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitepu, H. R.; Darnius, O.; Tambunan, W. N.

2018-03-01

Regional income inequality is an important issue in the study on economic development of a certain region. Rapid economic development may not in accordance with people’s per capita income. The method of measuring the regional income inequality has been suggested by many experts. This research used Theil index and weighted variance coefficient in order to measure the regional income inequality. Regional income decomposition which becomes the productivity of work force and their participation in regional income inequality, based on Theil index, can be presented in linear relation. When the economic assumption in j sector, sectoral income value, and the rate of work force are used, the work force productivity imbalance can be decomposed to become the component in sectors and in intra-sectors. Next, weighted variation coefficient is defined in the revenue and productivity of the work force. From the quadrate of the weighted variation coefficient result, it was found that decomposition of regional revenue imbalance could be analyzed by finding out how far each component contribute to regional imbalance which, in this research, was analyzed in nine sectors of economic business.

The impact of increasing income inequalities on educational inequalities in mortality - An analysis of six European countries.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Rasmus; Hu, Yannan; de Gelder, Rianne; Menvielle, Gwenn; Bopp, Matthias; Mackenbach, Johan P

2016-07-08

Over the past decades, both health inequalities and income inequalities have been increasing in many European countries, but it is unknown whether and how these trends are related. We test the hypothesis that trends in health inequalities and trends in income inequalities are related, i.e. that countries with a stronger increase in income inequalities have also experienced a stronger increase in health inequalities. We collected trend data on all-cause and cause-specific mortality, as well as on the household income of people aged 35-79, for Belgium, Denmark, England & Wales, France, Slovenia, and Switzerland. We calculated absolute and relative differences in mortality and income between low- and high-educated people for several time points in the 1990s and 2000s. We used fixed-effects panel regression models to see if changes in income inequality predicted changes in mortality inequality. The general trend in income inequality between high- and low-educated people in the six countries is increasing, while the mortality differences between educational groups show diverse trends, with absolute differences mostly decreasing and relative differences increasing in some countries but not in others. We found no association between trends in income inequalities and trends in inequalities in all-cause mortality, and trends in mortality inequalities did not improve when adjusted for rising income inequalities. This result held for absolute as well as for relative inequalities. A cause-specific analysis revealed some association between income inequality and mortality inequality for deaths from external causes, and to some extent also from cardiovascular diseases, but without statistical significance. We find no support for the hypothesis that increasing income inequality explains increasing health inequalities. Possible explanations are that other factors are more important mediators of the effect of education on health, or more simply that income is not an important

Multi-Constraint Multi-Variable Optimization of Source-Driven Nuclear Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkins, Edward Francis

1995-01-01

A novel approach to the search for optimal designs of source-driven nuclear systems is investigated. Such systems include radiation shields, fusion reactor blankets and various neutron spectrum-shaping assemblies. The novel approach involves the replacement of the steepest-descents optimization algorithm incorporated in the code SWAN by a significantly more general and efficient sequential quadratic programming optimization algorithm provided by the code NPSOL. The resulting SWAN/NPSOL code system can be applied to more general, multi-variable, multi-constraint shield optimization problems. The constraints it accounts for may include simple bounds on variables, linear constraints, and smooth nonlinear constraints. It may also be applied to unconstrained, bound-constrained and linearly constrained optimization. The shield optimization capabilities of the SWAN/NPSOL code system is tested and verified in a variety of optimization problems: dose minimization at constant cost, cost minimization at constant dose, and multiple-nonlinear constraint optimization. The replacement of the optimization part of SWAN with NPSOL is found feasible and leads to a very substantial improvement in the complexity of optimization problems which can be efficiently handled.

Deriving Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering inequalities from the few-body Abner Shimony inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Jie; Meng, Hui-Xian; Jiang, Shu-Han; Xu, Zhen-Peng; Ren, Changliang; Su, Hong-Yi; Chen, Jing-Ling

2018-04-01

For the Abner Shimony (AS) inequalities, the simplest unified forms of directions attaining the maximum quantum violation are investigated. Based on these directions, a family of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering inequalities is derived from the AS inequalities in a systematic manner. For these inequalities, the local hidden state (LHS) bounds are strictly less than the local hidden variable (LHV) bounds. This means that the EPR steering is a form of quantum nonlocality strictly weaker than Bell nonlocality.

Income-related inequalities and inequities in Irish healthcare utilization.

PubMed

Bourke, Jane

2009-08-01

The aim of this article is to determine the extent of and changes in horizontal inequity in general practitioner and medical specialist utilization in Ireland from 1997 to 2001. Horizontal equity refers to people in equal need of treatment receiving similar treatment regardless of income. After accounting for the differences in the need for such care, this study reports relatively low pro-poor horizontal inequity with respect to general practitioner utilization, increasing slightly between 1997 and 2001. This study finds that a generally pro-rich horizontal inequity distribution in 1997 is replaced by a generally pro-poor distribution in 2001 with respect to medical specialist utilization.

Impact of national income and inequality on sugar and caries relationship.

PubMed

Masood, M; Masood, Y; Newton, T

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the impact that national income and income inequality in high and low income countries have on the relationship between dental caries and sugar consumption. An ecological study design was used in this study of 73 countries. The mean decayed, missing, or filled permanent teeth (DMFT) for 12-year-old children were obtained from the WHO Oral Health Country/Area Profile Programme. United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization data were used for per capita sugar consumption. Gross national incomes per capita based on purchasing power parity and the Gini coefficient were obtained from World Bank data. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to estimate the associations between mean DMFT and per capita sugar consumption in different income and income inequality countries. Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis showed that countries with a high national income and low income inequality have a strong negative association between sugar consumption and caries (B = -2.80, R2 = 0.17), whereas countries with a low income and high income inequality have a strong positive relationship between DMFT and per capita sugar consumption (B = -0.89, R2 = 0.20). The relationship between per capita consumption of sugar and dental caries is modified by the absolute level of income of the country, but not by the level of income inequality within a country. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Health inequalities in Ethiopia: modeling inequalities in length of life within and between population groups.

PubMed

Tranvåg, Eirik Joakim; Ali, Merima; Norheim, Ole Frithjof

2013-07-11

Most studies on health inequalities use average measures, but describing the distribution of health can also provide valuable knowledge. In this paper, we estimate and compare within-group and between-group inequalities in length of life for population groups in Ethiopia in 2000 and 2011. We used data from the 2011 and 2000 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey and the Global Burden of Disease study 2010, and the MODMATCH modified logit life table system developed by the World Health Organization to model mortality rates, life expectancy, and length of life for Ethiopian population groups stratified by wealth quintiles, gender and residence. We then estimated and compared within-group and between-group inequality in length of life using the Gini index and absolute length of life inequality. Length of life inequality has decreased and life expectancy has increased for all population groups between 2000 and 2011. Length of life inequality within wealth quintiles is about three times larger than the between-group inequality of 9 years. Total length of life inequality in Ethiopia was 27.6 years in 2011. Longevity has increased and the distribution of health in Ethiopia is more equal in 2011 than 2000, with length of life inequality reduced for all population groups. Still there is considerable potential for further improvement. In the Ethiopian context with a poor and highly rural population, inequality in length of life within wealth quintiles is considerably larger than between them. This suggests that other factors than wealth substantially contribute to total health inequality in Ethiopia and that identification and quantification of these factors will be important for identifying proper measures to further reduce length of life inequality.

No association between gender inequality and peak HIV prevalence in developing countries - an ecological study.

PubMed

Kenyon, Chris R; Buyze, Jozefien

2015-01-01

The prevalence of both gender inequality and HIV prevalence vary considerably both within all developing countries and within those in sub-Saharan Africa. We test the hypothesis that the extent of gender inequality is associated with national peak HIV prevalence. Linear regression was used to test the association between national peak HIV prevalence and three markers of gender equality - the gender-related development index (GDI), the gender empowerment measure (GEM), and the gender inequality index (GII). No evidence was found of a positive relationship between gender inequality and HIV prevalence, either in the analyses of all developing countries or those limited to Africa. In the bivariate analyses limited to Africa, there was a positive association between the two measures of gender "equality" and peak HIV prevalence (GDI: coefficient 28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.1-46.8; GEM: coefficient 54.8, 95% CI 20.5-89.1). There was also a negative association between the marker of gender "inequality" and peak HIV prevalence (GII: coefficient -66.9, 95% CI -112.8 to -21.0). These associations all disappeared on multivariate analyses. We could not find any evidence to support the hypothesis that variations in the extent of gender inequality explain variations in HIV prevalence in developing countries.

The Geography of Gender Inequality.

PubMed

Fisher, Brendan; Naidoo, Robin

2016-01-01

Reducing gender inequality is a major policy concern worldwide, and one of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, our understanding of the magnitude and spatial distribution of gender inequality results either from limited-scale case studies or from national-level statistics. Here, we produce the first high resolution map of gender inequality by analyzing over 689,000 households in 47 countries. Across these countries, we find that male-headed households have, on average, 13% more asset wealth and 303% more land for agriculture than do female-headed households. However, this aggregate global result masks a high degree of spatial heterogeneity, with bands of both high inequality and high equality apparent in countries and regions of the world. Further, areas where inequality is highest when measured by land ownership generally are not the same areas that have high inequality as measured by asset wealth. Our metrics of gender inequality in land and wealth are not strongly correlated with existing metrics of poverty, development, and income inequality, and therefore provide new information to increase the understanding of one critical dimension of poverty across the globe.

A feasible DY conjugate gradient method for linear equality constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LI, Can

2017-09-01

In this paper, we propose a feasible conjugate gradient method for solving linear equality constrained optimization problem. The method is an extension of the Dai-Yuan conjugate gradient method proposed by Dai and Yuan to linear equality constrained optimization problem. It can be applied to solve large linear equality constrained problem due to lower storage requirement. An attractive property of the method is that the generated direction is always feasible and descent direction. Under mild conditions, the global convergence of the proposed method with exact line search is established. Numerical experiments are also given which show the efficiency of the method.

Affine Isoperimetry and Information Theoretic Inequalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lv, Songjun

2012-01-01

There are essential connections between the isoperimetric theory and information theoretic inequalities. In general, the Brunn-Minkowski inequality and the entropy power inequality, as well as the classical isoperimetric inequality and the classical entropy-moment inequality, turn out to be equivalent in some certain sense, respectively. Based on…

Learning With Mixed Hard/Soft Pointwise Constraints.

PubMed

Gnecco, Giorgio; Gori, Marco; Melacci, Stefano; Sanguineti, Marcello

2015-09-01

A learning paradigm is proposed and investigated, in which the classical framework of learning from examples is enhanced by the introduction of hard pointwise constraints, i.e., constraints imposed on a finite set of examples that cannot be violated. Such constraints arise, e.g., when requiring coherent decisions of classifiers acting on different views of the same pattern. The classical examples of supervised learning, which can be violated at the cost of some penalization (quantified by the choice of a suitable loss function) play the role of soft pointwise constraints. Constrained variational calculus is exploited to derive a representer theorem that provides a description of the functional structure of the optimal solution to the proposed learning paradigm. It is shown that such an optimal solution can be represented in terms of a set of support constraints, which generalize the concept of support vectors and open the doors to a novel learning paradigm, called support constraint machines. The general theory is applied to derive the representation of the optimal solution to the problem of learning from hard linear pointwise constraints combined with soft pointwise constraints induced by supervised examples. In some cases, closed-form optimal solutions are obtained.

Maggi's equations of motion and the determination of constraint reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papastavridis, John G.

1990-04-01

This paper presents a geometrical derivation of the constraint reaction-free equations of Maggi for mechanical systems subject to linear (first-order) nonholonomic and/or holonomic constraints. These results follow directly from the proper application of the concepts of virtual displacement and quasi-coordinates to the variational equation of motion, i.e., Lagrange's principle. The method also makes clear how to compute the constraint reactions (kinetostatics) without introducing Lagrangian multipliers.

A study of the use of linear programming techniques to improve the performance in design optimization problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Katherine C.; Sobieszczanski-Sobieski, Jaroslaw

1988-01-01

This project has two objectives. The first is to determine whether linear programming techniques can improve performance when handling design optimization problems with a large number of design variables and constraints relative to the feasible directions algorithm. The second purpose is to determine whether using the Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser (KS) function to replace the constraints with one constraint will reduce the cost of total optimization. Comparisons are made using solutions obtained with linear and non-linear methods. The results indicate that there is no cost saving using the linear method or in using the KS function to replace constraints.

Graphing Inequalities, Connecting Meaning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Switzer, J. Matt

2014-01-01

Students often have difficulty with graphing inequalities (see Filloy, Rojano, and Rubio 2002; Drijvers 2002), and J. Matt Switzer's students were no exception. Although students can produce graphs for simple inequalities, they often struggle when the format of the inequality is unfamiliar. Even when producing a correct graph of an…

Decomposing the Gini Inequality Index: An Expanded Solution with Survey Data Applied to Analyze Gender Income Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larraz, Beatriz

2015-01-01

The aim of this article is to propose a new breakdown of the Gini inequality ratio into three components ("within-group" inequality, "between-group" inequality, and intensity of "transvariation" between groups to the total inequality index). The between-group inequality concept computes all the differences in salaries…

Institutions, Incorporation, and Inequality: The Case of Minority Health Inequalities in Europe.

PubMed

Bakhtiari, Elyas; Olafsdottir, Sigrun; Beckfield, Jason

2018-06-01

Scholars interested in the relationship between social context and health have recently turned attention further "upstream" to understand how political, social, and economic institutions shape the distribution of life chances across contexts. We compare minority health inequalities across 22 European countries ( N = 199,981) to investigate how two such arrangements-welfare state effort and immigrant incorporation policies-influence the distribution of health and health inequalities. We examine two measures of health from seven waves of the European Social Survey. Results from a series of multilevel mixed-effects models show that minority health inequalities vary across contexts and persist after accounting for socioeconomic differences. Cross-level interaction results show that welfare state effort is associated with better health for all groups but is unrelated to levels of inequality between groups. In contrast, policies aimed at protecting minorities from discrimination correlate with smaller relative health inequalities.

Health inequalities in Ethiopia: modeling inequalities in length of life within and between population groups

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background and objectives Most studies on health inequalities use average measures, but describing the distribution of health can also provide valuable knowledge. In this paper, we estimate and compare within-group and between-group inequalities in length of life for population groups in Ethiopia in 2000 and 2011. Methods We used data from the 2011 and 2000 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey and the Global Burden of Disease study 2010, and the MODMATCH modified logit life table system developed by the World Health Organization to model mortality rates, life expectancy, and length of life for Ethiopian population groups stratified by wealth quintiles, gender and residence. We then estimated and compared within-group and between-group inequality in length of life using the Gini index and absolute length of life inequality. Results Length of life inequality has decreased and life expectancy has increased for all population groups between 2000 and 2011. Length of life inequality within wealth quintiles is about three times larger than the between-group inequality of 9 years. Total length of life inequality in Ethiopia was 27.6 years in 2011. Conclusion Longevity has increased and the distribution of health in Ethiopia is more equal in 2011 than 2000, with length of life inequality reduced for all population groups. Still there is considerable potential for further improvement. In the Ethiopian context with a poor and highly rural population, inequality in length of life within wealth quintiles is considerably larger than between them. This suggests that other factors than wealth substantially contribute to total health inequality in Ethiopia and that identification and quantification of these factors will be important for identifying proper measures to further reduce length of life inequality. PMID:23845045

A Constraint Generation Approach to Learning Stable Linear Dynamical Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

task of learning dynamic textures from image sequences as well as to modeling biosurveillance drug-sales data. The constraint generation approach...previous methods in our experiments. One application of LDSs in computer vision is learning dynamic textures from video data [8]. An advantage of...over-the-counter (OTC) drug sales for biosurveillance , and sunspot numbers from the UCR archive [9]. Comparison to the best alternative methods [7, 10

The sociogeometry of inequality: Part I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliazar, Iddo

2015-05-01

The study of socioeconomic inequality is of prime economic and social importance, and the key quantitative gauges of socioeconomic inequality are Lorenz curves and inequality indices-the most notable of the latter being the popular Gini index. In this series of papers we present a sociogeometric framework to the study of socioeconomic inequality. In this part we shift from the notion of Lorenz curves to the notion of Lorenz sets, define inequality indices in terms of Lorenz sets, and introduce and explore a collection of distance-based and width-based inequality indices stemming from the geometry of Lorenz sets. In particular, three principle diameters of Lorenz sets are established as meaningful quantitative gauges of socioeconomic inequality-thus indeed providing a geometric quantification of socioeconomic inequality.

Object matching using a locally affine invariant and linear programming techniques.

PubMed

Li, Hongsheng; Huang, Xiaolei; He, Lei

2013-02-01

In this paper, we introduce a new matching method based on a novel locally affine-invariant geometric constraint and linear programming techniques. To model and solve the matching problem in a linear programming formulation, all geometric constraints should be able to be exactly or approximately reformulated into a linear form. This is a major difficulty for this kind of matching algorithm. We propose a novel locally affine-invariant constraint which can be exactly linearized and requires a lot fewer auxiliary variables than other linear programming-based methods do. The key idea behind it is that each point in the template point set can be exactly represented by an affine combination of its neighboring points, whose weights can be solved easily by least squares. Errors of reconstructing each matched point using such weights are used to penalize the disagreement of geometric relationships between the template points and the matched points. The resulting overall objective function can be solved efficiently by linear programming techniques. Our experimental results on both rigid and nonrigid object matching show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Solving Constraint-Satisfaction Problems with Distributed Neocortical-Like Neuronal Networks.

PubMed

Rutishauser, Ueli; Slotine, Jean-Jacques; Douglas, Rodney J

2018-05-01

Finding actions that satisfy the constraints imposed by both external inputs and internal representations is central to decision making. We demonstrate that some important classes of constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) can be solved by networks composed of homogeneous cooperative-competitive modules that have connectivity similar to motifs observed in the superficial layers of neocortex. The winner-take-all modules are sparsely coupled by programming neurons that embed the constraints onto the otherwise homogeneous modular computational substrate. We show rules that embed any instance of the CSP's planar four-color graph coloring, maximum independent set, and sudoku on this substrate and provide mathematical proofs that guarantee these graph coloring problems will convergence to a solution. The network is composed of nonsaturating linear threshold neurons. Their lack of right saturation allows the overall network to explore the problem space driven through the unstable dynamics generated by recurrent excitation. The direction of exploration is steered by the constraint neurons. While many problems can be solved using only linear inhibitory constraints, network performance on hard problems benefits significantly when these negative constraints are implemented by nonlinear multiplicative inhibition. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of instability rather than stability in network computation and offer insight into the computational role of dual inhibitory mechanisms in neural circuits.

Measuring and decomposing socioeconomic inequality in healthcare delivery: A microsimulation approach with application to the Palestinian conflict-affected fragile setting.

PubMed

Abu-Zaineh, Mohammad; Mataria, Awad; Moatti, Jean-Paul; Ventelou, Bruno

2011-01-01

Socioeconomic-related inequalities in healthcare delivery have been extensively studied in developed countries, using standard linear models of decomposition. This paper seeks to assess equity in healthcare delivery in the particular context of the occupied Palestinian territory: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, using a new method of decomposition based on microsimulations. Besides avoiding the 'unavoidable price' of linearity restriction that is imposed by the standard methods of decomposition, the microsimulation-based decomposition enables to circumvent the potentially contentious role of heterogeneity in behaviours and to better disentangle the various sources driving inequality in healthcare utilisation. Results suggest that the worse-off do have a disproportinately greater need for all levels of care. However with the exception of primary-level, utilisation of all levels of care appears to be significantly higher for the better-off. The microsimulation method has made it possible to identify the contributions of factors driving such pro-rich patterns. While much of the inequality in utilisation appears to be caused by the prevailing socioeconomic inequalities, detailed analysis attributes a non-trivial part (circa 30% of inequalities) to heterogeneity in healthcare-seeking behaviours across socioeconomic groups of the population. Several policy recommendations for improving equity in healthcare delivery in the occupied Palestinian territory are proposed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonlinearly preconditioned semismooth Newton methods for variational inequality solution of two-phase flow in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Haijian; Sun, Shuyu; Yang, Chao

2017-03-01

Most existing methods for solving two-phase flow problems in porous media do not take the physically feasible saturation fractions between 0 and 1 into account, which often destroys the numerical accuracy and physical interpretability of the simulation. To calculate the solution without the loss of this basic requirement, we introduce a variational inequality formulation of the saturation equilibrium with a box inequality constraint, and use a conservative finite element method for the spatial discretization and a backward differentiation formula with adaptive time stepping for the temporal integration. The resulting variational inequality system at each time step is solved by using a semismooth Newton algorithm. To accelerate the Newton convergence and improve the robustness, we employ a family of adaptive nonlinear elimination methods as a nonlinear preconditioner. Some numerical results are presented to demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. A comparison is also included to show the superiority of the proposed fully implicit approach over the classical IMplicit Pressure-Explicit Saturation (IMPES) method in terms of the time step size and the total execution time measured on a parallel computer.

The Geography of Gender Inequality

PubMed Central

Fisher, Brendan; Naidoo, Robin

2016-01-01

Reducing gender inequality is a major policy concern worldwide, and one of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, our understanding of the magnitude and spatial distribution of gender inequality results either from limited-scale case studies or from national-level statistics. Here, we produce the first high resolution map of gender inequality by analyzing over 689,000 households in 47 countries. Across these countries, we find that male-headed households have, on average, 13% more asset wealth and 303% more land for agriculture than do female-headed households. However, this aggregate global result masks a high degree of spatial heterogeneity, with bands of both high inequality and high equality apparent in countries and regions of the world. Further, areas where inequality is highest when measured by land ownership generally are not the same areas that have high inequality as measured by asset wealth. Our metrics of gender inequality in land and wealth are not strongly correlated with existing metrics of poverty, development, and income inequality, and therefore provide new information to increase the understanding of one critical dimension of poverty across the globe. PMID:26930356

(Mis)perceptions of inequality.

PubMed

Hauser, Oliver P; Norton, Michael I

2017-12-01

Laypeople's beliefs about the current distribution of outcomes such as income and wealth in their country influence their attitudes toward issues ranging from taxation to healthcare - but how accurate are these beliefs? We review the burgeoning literature on (mis)perceptions of inequality. First, we show that people on average misperceive current levels of inequality, typically underestimating the extent of inequality in their country. Second, we delineate potential causes of these misperceptions, including people's overreliance on cues from their local environment, leading to their erroneous beliefs about both the overall distributions of wealth and income and their place in those distributions. Third, we document that these (mis)perceptions of inequality - but not actual levels of inequality - drive behavior and preferences for redistribution. More promisingly, we review research suggesting that correcting misperceptions influences preferences and policy outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching Australian Football in Physical Education: Constraints Theory in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pill, Shane

2013-01-01

This article outlines a constraints-led process of exploring, modifying, experimenting, adapting, and developing game appreciation known as Game Sense (Australian Sports Commission, 1997; den Duyn, 1996, 1997) for the teaching of Australian football. The game acts as teacher in this constraints-led process. Rather than a linear system that…

Pre-vector variational inequality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Lai-Jiu

1994-12-31

Let X be a Hausdorff topological vector space, (Y, D) be an ordered Hausdorff topological vector space ordered by convex cone D. Let L(X, Y) be the space of all bounded linear operator, E {improper_subset} X be a nonempty set, T : E {yields} L(X, Y), {eta} : E {times} E {yields} E be functions. For x, y {element_of} Y, we denote x {not_lt} y if y - x intD, where intD is the interior of D. We consider the following two problems: Find x {element_of} E such that < T(x), {eta}(y, x) > {not_lt} 0 for all y {element_of}more » E and find x {element_of} E, < T(x), {eta}(y, x) > {not_gt} 0 for all y {element_of} E and < T(x), {eta}(y, x) >{element_of} C{sub p}{sup w+} = {l_brace} {element_of} L(X, Y) {vert_bar}< l, {eta}(x, 0) >{not_lt} 0 for all x {element_of} E{r_brace} where < T(x), y > denotes linear operator T(x) at y, that is T(x), (y). We called Pre-VVIP the Pre-vector variational inequality problem and Pre-VCP complementary problem. If X = R{sup n}, Y = R, D = R{sub +} {eta}(y, x) = y - x, then our problem is the well-known variational inequality first studies by Hartman and Stampacchia. If Y = R, D = R{sub +}, {eta}(y, x) = y - x, our problem is the variational problem in infinite dimensional space. In this research, we impose different condition on T(x), {eta}, X, and < T(x), {eta}(y, x) > and investigate the existences theorem of these problems. As an application of one of our results, we establish the existence theorem of weak minimum of the problem. (P) V - min f(x) subject to x {element_of} E where f : X {yields} Y si a Frechet differentiable invex function.« less

A fast linearized conservative finite element method for the strongly coupled nonlinear fractional Schrödinger equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Meng; Gu, Xian-Ming; Huang, Chengming; Fei, Mingfa; Zhang, Guoyu

2018-04-01

In this paper, a fast linearized conservative finite element method is studied for solving the strongly coupled nonlinear fractional Schrödinger equations. We prove that the scheme preserves both the mass and energy, which are defined by virtue of some recursion relationships. Using the Sobolev inequalities and then employing the mathematical induction, the discrete scheme is proved to be unconditionally convergent in the sense of L2-norm and H α / 2-norm, which means that there are no any constraints on the grid ratios. Then, the prior bound of the discrete solution in L2-norm and L∞-norm are also obtained. Moreover, we propose an iterative algorithm, by which the coefficient matrix is independent of the time level, and thus it leads to Toeplitz-like linear systems that can be efficiently solved by Krylov subspace solvers with circulant preconditioners. This method can reduce the memory requirement of the proposed linearized finite element scheme from O (M2) to O (M) and the computational complexity from O (M3) to O (Mlog ⁡ M) in each iterative step, where M is the number of grid nodes. Finally, numerical results are carried out to verify the correction of the theoretical analysis, simulate the collision of two solitary waves, and show the utility of the fast numerical solution techniques.

Primordial black holes in linear and non-linear regimes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allahyari, Alireza; Abolhasani, Ali Akbar; Firouzjaee, Javad T., E-mail: allahyari@physics.sharif.edu, E-mail: j.taghizadeh.f@ipm.ir

We revisit the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) in the radiation-dominated era for both linear and non-linear regimes, elaborating on the concept of an apparent horizon. Contrary to the expectation from vacuum models, we argue that in a cosmological setting a density fluctuation with a high density does not always collapse to a black hole. To this end, we first elaborate on the perturbation theory for spherically symmetric space times in the linear regime. Thereby, we introduce two gauges. This allows to introduce a well defined gauge-invariant quantity for the expansion of null geodesics. Using this quantity, we arguemore » that PBHs do not form in the linear regime irrespective of the density of the background. Finally, we consider the formation of PBHs in non-linear regimes, adopting the spherical collapse picture. In this picture, over-densities are modeled by closed FRW models in the radiation-dominated era. The difference of our approach is that we start by finding an exact solution for a closed radiation-dominated universe. This yields exact results for turn-around time and radius. It is important that we take the initial conditions from the linear perturbation theory. Additionally, instead of using uniform Hubble gauge condition, both density and velocity perturbations are admitted in this approach. Thereby, the matching condition will impose an important constraint on the initial velocity perturbations δ {sup h} {sub 0} = −δ{sub 0}/2. This can be extended to higher orders. Using this constraint, we find that the apparent horizon of a PBH forms when δ > 3 at turn-around time. The corrections also appear from the third order. Moreover, a PBH forms when its apparent horizon is outside the sound horizon at the re-entry time. Applying this condition, we infer that the threshold value of the density perturbations at horizon re-entry should be larger than δ {sub th} > 0.7.« less

Linear Logistic Test Modeling with R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baghaei, Purya; Kubinger, Klaus D.

2015-01-01

The present paper gives a general introduction to the linear logistic test model (Fischer, 1973), an extension of the Rasch model with linear constraints on item parameters, along with eRm (an R package to estimate different types of Rasch models; Mair, Hatzinger, & Mair, 2014) functions to estimate the model and interpret its parameters. The…

Deriving robust noncontextuality inequalities from algebraic proofs of the Kochen-Specker theorem: the Peres-Mermin square

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishna, Anirudh; Spekkens, Robert W.; Wolfe, Elie

2017-12-01

When a measurement is compatible with each of two other measurements that are incompatible with one another, these define distinct contexts for the given measurement. The Kochen-Specker theorem rules out models of quantum theory that satisfy a particular assumption of context-independence: that sharp measurements are assigned outcomes both deterministically and independently of their context. This notion of noncontextuality is not suited to a direct experimental test because realistic measurements always have some degree of unsharpness due to noise. However, a generalized notion of noncontextuality has been proposed that is applicable to any experimental procedure, including unsharp measurements, but also preparations as well, and for which a quantum no-go result still holds. According to this notion, the model need only specify a probability distribution over the outcomes of a measurement in a context-independent way, rather than specifying a particular outcome. It also implies novel constraints of context-independence for the representation of preparations. In this article, we describe a general technique for translating proofs of the Kochen-Specker theorem into inequality constraints on realistic experimental statistics, the violation of which witnesses the impossibility of a noncontextual model. We focus on algebraic state-independent proofs, using the Peres-Mermin square as our illustrative example. Our technique yields the necessary and sufficient conditions for a particular set of correlations (between the preparations and the measurements) to admit a noncontextual model. The inequalities thus derived are demonstrably robust to noise. We specify how experimental data must be processed in order to achieve a test of these inequalities. We also provide a criticism of prior proposals for experimental tests of noncontextuality based on the Peres-Mermin square.

Constraint reasoning in deep biomedical models.

PubMed

Cruz, Jorge; Barahona, Pedro

2005-05-01

Deep biomedical models are often expressed by means of differential equations. Despite their expressive power, they are difficult to reason about and make decisions, given their non-linearity and the important effects that the uncertainty on data may cause. The objective of this work is to propose a constraint reasoning framework to support safe decisions based on deep biomedical models. The methods used in our approach include the generic constraint propagation techniques for reducing the bounds of uncertainty of the numerical variables complemented with new constraint reasoning techniques that we developed to handle differential equations. The results of our approach are illustrated in biomedical models for the diagnosis of diabetes, tuning of drug design and epidemiology where it was a valuable decision-supporting tool notwithstanding the uncertainty on data. The main conclusion that follows from the results is that, in biomedical decision support, constraint reasoning may be a worthwhile alternative to traditional simulation methods, especially when safe decisions are required.

Income-related inequality and inequity in the use of dental services in Finland after a major subsidization reform.

PubMed

Raittio, Eero; Kiiskinen, Urpo; Helminen, Sari; Aromaa, Arpo; Suominen, Anna Liisa

2015-06-01

In Finland, a major oral healthcare reform (OHCR), implemented during 2001-2002, opened the public dental services (PDS) and extended subsidies for private dental services to entire adult population. Before the reform, adults born earlier than 1956 were not entitled to use PDS nor did they receive any reimbursements for their private dental costs. We aimed to examine changes in the income-related inequality and inequity in the use of dental services among the adult Finns after the reform. Representative data from Finnish adults born in 1970 or earlier were gathered from three identical postal surveys concerning the use of dental services and subjective perceptions of oral health. Those surveys were conducted before the OHCR in 2001 (n = 1907) and after the OHCR in 2004 (n = 1629) and 2007 (n = 1509). We used concentration index and its decomposition to analyse income-related inequality and inequity in the use of dental services and factors associated with them. Results showed that pro-rich inequality and inequity in the overall use of dental services narrowed from 2001 to 2004. However, between 2004 and 2007, pro-rich inequality and inequity widened, so it returned to a rather similar level in 2007 as it had been in 2001. Most of the pro-rich inequality and inequity were related to regular dental visiting habit and income level. While there was pro-poor inequality and inequity in the use of PDS, there was pro-rich inequality and inequity in the use of private dental services throughout the study years. It seems that income-related inequality and inequity in the use of dental services narrowed only temporarily after the reform. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Inequalities in health in Italy].

PubMed

Caiazzo, Antonio; Cardano, Mario; Cois, Ester; Costa, Giuseppe; Marinacci, Chiara; Spadea, Teresa; Vannoni, Francesca; Venturini, Lorenzo

2004-01-01

Socioeconomic inequality and its impact on health is a growing concern in the European public health debate. In many countries, the issue is moving away from description towards the identification of the determinants of inequalities and the development of policies explicitly aimed at reducing inequalities in health. In Italy, ten years after the publication of the first report on inequalities in health, this topic is seldom present on the agenda of public policy makers. The purpose of this report is to update the Italian profile of social variation in health and health care in order to stimulate the debate on ways to tackle inequalities in health that are preventable. In the first section of this book, the threefold objective is to describe the principal mechanisms involved in the generation of social inequalities in health (Introduction); to report Italian data on the distribution and magnitude of this phenomenon in the last decade; and to evaluate policies and interventions in both the social (chapter 1.9, Section I) and the health sector (chapter 2.3, Section I), which are potentially useful to reduce health inequalities. It is intended for anyone who is in a position to contribute t o decision-making that will benefit the health of communities. For this reason, chapters are organized by specific determinants of inequalities on which interentions may have an impact. The methodological approach in the second section focuses on the best methods to monitor social inequalities including recommendations on social indicators, sources of information and study models, based on European guidelines revised for the Italian situation. According to data from national and local studies, mortality increases linearly with social disadvantage for a wide range of indicators at both the individual (education, social class, income, quality of housing) and the geographical level (deprivation indexes computed at different levels of aggregation). This positive correlation is evident

Investigating the impact of the English health inequalities strategy: time trend analysis.

PubMed

Barr, Ben; Higgerson, James; Whitehead, Margaret

2017-07-26

Objective  To investigate whether the English health inequalities strategy was associated with a decline in geographical health inequalities, compared with trends before and after the strategy. Design  Time trend analysis. Setting  Two groups of lower tier local authorities in England. The most deprived, bottom fifth and the rest of England. Intervention  The English health inequalities strategy-a cross government strategy implemented between 1997 and 2010 to reduce health inequalities in England. Trends in geographical health inequalities were assessed before (1983-2003), during (2004-12), and after (2013-15) the strategy using segmented linear regression. Main outcome measure  Geographical health inequalities measured as the relative and absolute differences in male and female life expectancy at birth between the most deprived local authorities in England and the rest of the country. Results  Before the strategy the gap in male and female life expectancy between the most deprived local authorities in England and the rest of the country increased at a rate of 0.57 months each year (95% confidence interval 0.40 to 0.74 months) and 0.30 months each year (0.12 to 0.48 months). During the strategy period this trend reversed and the gap in life expectancy for men reduced by 0.91 months each year (0.54 to 1.27 months) and for women by 0.50 months each year (0.15 to 0.86 months). Since the end of the strategy period the inequality gap has increased again at a rate of 0.68 months each year (-0.20 to 1.56 months) for men and 0.31 months each year (-0.26 to 0.88) for women. By 2012 the gap in male life expectancy was 1.2 years smaller (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 1.5 years smaller) and the gap in female life expectancy was 0.6 years smaller (0.3 to 1.0 years smaller) than it would have been if the trends in inequalities before the strategy had continued. Conclusion  The English health inequalities strategy was associated with a decline in geographical inequalities

Inequity in the face of death

PubMed Central

García-Gómez, Pilar; Schokkaert, Erik; Van Ourti, Tom; d’Uva, Teresa Bago

2016-01-01

We apply the theory of inequality of opportunity to the measurement of inequity in mortality. Using a rich dataset linking records of mortality and health events to survey data on lifestyles for the Netherlands (1998–2007), we test the sensitivity of estimated inequity to different normative choices and conclude that the location of the responsibility cut is of vital importance. Traditional measures of inequity (such as socioeconomic and regional inequalities) only capture part of more comprehensive notions of unfairness. We show that distinguishing between different routes via which variables might be associated to mortality is essential to the application of different normative positions. Using the fairness gap (direct unfairness), measured inequity according to our implementation of the “control” and “preference” approaches ranges between 0.0229–0.0239 (0.0102–0.0218), while regional and socioeconomic inequalities are smaller than 0.0020 (0.0001). The usual practice of standardizing for age and gender has large effects on measured inequity. Finally, we use our model to measure inequity in simulated counterfactual situations. While it is a big challenge to identify all causal relationships involved in this empirical context, this does not affect our main conclusions regarding the importance of normative choices in the measurement of inequity. PMID:25073459

Income-related inequalities and inequities in health care services utilisation in 18 selected OECD countries.

PubMed

Devaux, Marion

2015-01-01

A key policy objective in OECD countries is to achieve adequate access to health care for all people on the basis of need. Previous studies have shown that there are inequities in health care services utilisation (HCSU) in the OECD area. In recent years, measures have been taken to enhance health care access. This paper re-examines income-related inequities in doctor visits among 18 selected OECD countries, updating previous results for 12 countries with 2006-2009 data, and including six new countries. Inequalities in preventive care services are also considered for the first time. The indirect standardisation procedure is used to estimate the need-adjusted HCSU and concentration indexes are derived to gauge inequalities and inequities. Overall, inequities in HCSU remain present in OECD countries. In most countries, for the same health care needs, people with higher incomes are more likely to consult a doctor than those with lower incomes. Pro-rich inequalities in dental visits and cancer screening uptake are also found in nearly all countries, although the magnitude of these varies among countries. These findings suggest that further monitoring of inequalities is essential in order to assess whether country policy objectives are achieved on a regular basis.

Persistent Inequality: Changing Educational Attainment in Thirteen Countries. Social Inequality Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shavit, Yossi, Ed.; Blossfeld, Hans-Peter, Ed.

This book encompasses a systematic, comparative study of change in educational stratification in 13 industrialized countries, exploring which societal conditions help reduce existing inequalities in educational opportunity. The contributors show that in most industrialized countries inequalities in educational opportunity among students from…

Automatic Bayes Factors for Testing Equality- and Inequality-Constrained Hypotheses on Variances.

PubMed

Böing-Messing, Florian; Mulder, Joris

2018-05-03

In comparing characteristics of independent populations, researchers frequently expect a certain structure of the population variances. These expectations can be formulated as hypotheses with equality and/or inequality constraints on the variances. In this article, we consider the Bayes factor for testing such (in)equality-constrained hypotheses on variances. Application of Bayes factors requires specification of a prior under every hypothesis to be tested. However, specifying subjective priors for variances based on prior information is a difficult task. We therefore consider so-called automatic or default Bayes factors. These methods avoid the need for the user to specify priors by using information from the sample data. We present three automatic Bayes factors for testing variances. The first is a Bayes factor with equal priors on all variances, where the priors are specified automatically using a small share of the information in the sample data. The second is the fractional Bayes factor, where a fraction of the likelihood is used for automatic prior specification. The third is an adjustment of the fractional Bayes factor such that the parsimony of inequality-constrained hypotheses is properly taken into account. The Bayes factors are evaluated by investigating different properties such as information consistency and large sample consistency. Based on this evaluation, it is concluded that the adjusted fractional Bayes factor is generally recommendable for testing equality- and inequality-constrained hypotheses on variances.

Inequality in OECD countries.

PubMed

Thévenot, Celine

2017-08-01

This article recalls the state of play of inequality levels and trends in OECD countries, with a special focus on Nordic countries. It sheds light on explaining the drivers of the rise in inequality and its economic consequences. It addresses in particular the issue of redistribution through taxes and transfers. It concludes with an overview of policy packages that should be considered to address the issue of rising inequalities.

Interior point techniques for LP and NLP

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evtushenko, Y.

By using surjective mapping the initial constrained optimization problem is transformed to a problem in a new space with only equality constraints. For the numerical solution of the latter problem we use the generalized gradient-projection method and Newton`s method. After inverse transformation to the initial space we obtain the family of numerical methods for solving optimization problems with equality and inequality constraints. In the linear programming case after some simplification we obtain Dikin`s algorithm, affine scaling algorithm and generalized primal dual interior point linear programming algorithm.

Absolute and relative educational inequalities in obesity among adults in Tehran: Findings from the Urban HEART study-2.

PubMed

Kiadaliri, Aliasghar A; Asadi-Lari, Mohsen; Kalantari, Naser; Jafari, Mehdi; Vaez Mahdavi, Mohammad Reza; Faghihzadeh, Soghrat

2016-09-01

The prevalence of obesity is increasing in Iran. Previous studies showed mixed results in relation to association between socioeconomic status and obesity in the country. The current study aimed to examine educational inequalities among adults in Tehran in 2011. Data on 90,435 persons 18 years and older from Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART-2) were analyzed. The Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and the Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were used for assessing educational inequalities in obesity. These measures were quantified using generalized linear models for the binomial family adjusted for sex and age. Subgroup analysis was conducted across sex, age groups and the 22 districts of Tehran. Both SII and RII showed substantial educational inequalities in obesity in favour of more educated adults [RII and SII (95% CI were equal to 2.91 (2.71-3.11) and 0.12 (0.12-0.13)), respectively]. These educational inequalities were persistent even after adjusting for employment, marital status and smoking. Subgroup analysis revealed that educational inequalities were more profound among women. While among men educational inequalities were generally increasing with age, an inverse trend was observed among women. Educational inequalities were observed within all 22 districts of Tehran and generally there were no statistically significant differences between districts. An inverse association between education and obesity was observed in the current study. To decrease educational inequalities in Tehran, priority should be given to younger women and older men. Further analyses are needed to explain these inequalities. Copyright © 2015 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health Inequalities in Global Context

PubMed Central

Beckfield, Jason; Olafsdottir, Sigrun

2017-01-01

The existence of social inequalities in health is well established. One strand of research focuses on inequalities in health within a single country. A separate and newer strand of research focuses on the relationship between inequality and average population health across countries. Despite the theorization of (presumably variable) social conditions as “fundamental causes” of disease and health, the cross-national literature has focused on average, aggregate population health as the central outcome. Controversies currently surround macro-structural determinants of overall population health such as income inequality. We advance and redirect these debates by conceptualizing inequalities in health as cross-national variables that are sensitive to social conditions. Using data from 48 World Values Survey countries, representing 74% of the world’s population, we examine cross-national variation in inequalities in health. The results reveal substantial variation in health inequalities according to income, education, sex, and migrant status. While higher socioeconomic position is associated with better self-rated health around the globe, the size of the association varies across institutional context, and across dimensions of stratification. There is some evidence that education and income are more strongly associated with self-rated health than sex or migrant status. PMID:29104292

Inequalities in global health inequalities research: A 50-year bibliometric analysis (1966-2015)

PubMed Central

Pericàs, Juan M.; Benach, Joan

2018-01-01

Background Increasing evidence shows that health inequalities exist between and within countries, and emphasis has been placed on strengthening the production and use of the global health inequalities research, so as to improve capacities to act. Yet, a comprehensive overview of this evidence base is still needed, to determine what is known about the global and historical scientific production on health inequalities to date, how is it distributed in terms of country income groups and world regions, how has it changed over time, and what international collaboration dynamics exist. Methods A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the global scientific production on health inequalities, from 1966 to 2015, was conducted using Scopus database. The historical and global evolution of the study of health inequalities was considered, and through joinpoint regression analysis and visualisation network maps, the preceding questions were examined. Findings 159 countries (via authorship affiliation) contributed to this scientific production, three times as many countries than previously found. Scientific output on health inequalities has exponentially grown over the last five decades, with several marked shift points, and a visible country-income group affiliation gradient in the initiation and consistent publication frequency. Higher income countries, especially Anglo-Saxon and European countries, disproportionately dominate first and co-authorship, and are at the core of the global collaborative research networks, with the Global South on the periphery. However, several country anomalies exist that suggest that the causes of these research inequalities, and potential underlying dependencies, run deeper than simply differences in country income and language. Conclusions Whilst the global evidence base has expanded, Global North-South research gaps exist, persist and, in some cases, are widening. Greater understanding of the structural determinants of these research

Discrimination, Perceived Social Inequity, and Mental Health Among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China

PubMed Central

Lin, Danhua; Wang, Bo; Hong, Yan; Qin, Xiong; Stanton, Bonita

2010-01-01

Status-based discrimination and inequity have been associated with the process of migration, especially with economics-driven internal migration. However, their association with mental health among economy-driven internal migrants in developing countries is rarely assessed. This study examines discriminatory experiences and perceived social inequity in relation to mental health status among rural-to-urban migrants in China. Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,006 rural-to-urban migrants in 2004–2005 in Beijing, China. Participants reported their perceptions and experiences of being discriminated in daily life in urban destination and perceived social inequity. Mental health was measured using the symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90). Multivariate analyses using general linear model were performed to test the effect of discriminatory experience and perceived social inequity on mental health. Experience of discrimination was positively associated with male gender, being married at least once, poorer health status, shorter duration of migration, and middle range of personal income. Likewise, perceived social inequity was associated with poorer health status, higher education attainment, and lower personal income. Multivariate analyses indicate that both experience of discrimination and perceived social inequity were strongly associated with mental health problems of rural-to-urban migrants. Experience of discrimination in daily life and perceived social inequity have a significant influence on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants. The findings underscore the needs to reduce public or societal discrimination against rural-to-urban migrants, to eliminate structural barriers (i.e., dual household registrations) for migrants to fully benefit from the urban economic development, and to create a positive atmosphere to improve migrant's psychological well-being. PMID:20033772

Discrimination, perceived social inequity, and mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China.

PubMed

Lin, Danhua; Li, Xiaoming; Wang, Bo; Hong, Yan; Fang, Xiaoyi; Qin, Xiong; Stanton, Bonita

2011-04-01

Status-based discrimination and inequity have been associated with the process of migration, especially with economics-driven internal migration. However, their association with mental health among economy-driven internal migrants in developing countries is rarely assessed. This study examines discriminatory experiences and perceived social inequity in relation to mental health status among rural-to-urban migrants in China. Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,006 rural-to-urban migrants in 2004-2005 in Beijing, China. Participants reported their perceptions and experiences of being discriminated in daily life in urban destination and perceived social inequity. Mental health was measured using the symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90). Multivariate analyses using general linear model were performed to test the effect of discriminatory experience and perceived social inequity on mental health. Experience of discrimination was positively associated with male gender, being married at least once, poorer health status, shorter duration of migration, and middle range of personal income. Likewise, perceived social inequity was associated with poorer health status, higher education attainment, and lower personal income. Multivariate analyses indicate that both experience of discrimination and perceived social inequity were strongly associated with mental health problems of rural-to-urban migrants. Experience of discrimination in daily life and perceived social inequity have a significant influence on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants. The findings underscore the needs to reduce public or societal discrimination against rural-to-urban migrants, to eliminate structural barriers (i.e., dual household registrations) for migrants to fully benefit from the urban economic development, and to create a positive atmosphere to improve migrant's psychological well-being.

The sociogeometry of inequality: Part II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliazar, Iddo

2015-05-01

The study of socioeconomic inequality is of prime economic and social importance, and the key quantitative gauges of socioeconomic inequality are Lorenz curves and inequality indices - the most notable of the latter being the popular Gini index. In this series of papers we present a sociogeometric framework to the study of socioeconomic inequality. In this part we focus on the gap between the rich and the poor, which is quantified by gauges termed disparity curves. We shift from disparity curves to disparity sets, define inequality indices in terms of disparity sets, and introduce and explore a collection of distance-based and width-based inequality indices stemming from the geometry of disparity sets. We conclude with mean-absolute-deviation (MAD) representations of the inequality indices established in this series of papers, and with a comparison of these indices to the popular Gini index.

The Price of Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Arthur R.

1975-01-01

Some of the key problems of educational equality -- equality of opportunities and inequality of performance; individual differences vs. group differences, coping with group inequality -- are made explicit. (Author/KM)

Measuring inequality: tools and an illustration.

PubMed

Williams, Ruth F G; Doessel, D P

2006-05-22

This paper examines an aspect of the problem of measuring inequality in health services. The measures that are commonly applied can be misleading because such measures obscure the difficulty in obtaining a complete ranking of distributions. The nature of the social welfare function underlying these measures is important. The overall object is to demonstrate that varying implications for the welfare of society result from inequality measures. Various tools for measuring a distribution are applied to some illustrative data on four distributions about mental health services. Although these data refer to this one aspect of health, the exercise is of broader relevance than mental health. The summary measures of dispersion conventionally used in empirical work are applied to the data here, such as the standard deviation, the coefficient of variation, the relative mean deviation and the Gini coefficient. Other, less commonly used measures also are applied, such as Theil's Index of Entropy, Atkinson's Measure (using two differing assumptions about the inequality aversion parameter). Lorenz curves are also drawn for these distributions. Distributions are shown to have differing rankings (in terms of which is more equal than another), depending on which measure is applied. The scope and content of the literature from the past decade about health inequalities and inequities suggest that the economic literature from the past 100 years about inequality and inequity may have been overlooked, generally speaking, in the health inequalities and inequity literature. An understanding of economic theory and economic method, partly introduced in this article, is helpful in analysing health inequality and inequity.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health and Perceived Unmet Needs for Healthcare among the Elderly in Germany

PubMed Central

Rommel, Alexander; Schröder, Sara Lena; Fuchs, Judith; Nowossadeck, Enno; Lampert, Thomas

2017-01-01

Research into health inequalities in the elderly population of Germany is relatively scarce. This study examines socioeconomic inequalities in health and perceived unmet needs for healthcare and explores the dynamics of health inequalities with age among elderly people in Germany. Data were derived from the Robert Koch Institute’s cross-sectional German Health Update study. The sample was restricted to participants aged 50–85 years (n = 11,811). Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured based on education, (former) occupation, and income. Odds ratios and prevalence differences were estimated using logistic regression and linear probability models, respectively. Our results show that self-reported health problems were more prevalent among men and women with lower SES. The extent of SES-related health inequalities decreased at older ages, predominantly among men. Although the prevalence of perceived unmet needs for healthcare was low overall, low SES was associated with higher perceptions of unmet needs in both sexes and for several kinds of health services. In conclusion, socioeconomic inequalities in health exist in a late working age and early retirement but may narrow at older ages, particularly among men. Socially disadvantaged elderly people perceive greater barriers to accessing healthcare services than those who are better off. PMID:28954436

Schooling for Inequality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Dorothy E.

2000-01-01

Inequalities produced by the school system are an important topic for feminist thought and debate. Schools are an integral part of the institutional processes for the differential allocation of agency. They reproduce the social organization of inequality and exclusion at multiple levels. School systems are well-insulated from change initiatives…

Trends in Global Gender Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorius, Shawn F.; Firebaugh, Glenn

2010-01-01

This study investigates trends in gender inequality throughout the world. Using data encompassing a large majority of the world's population, we examine trends in recent decades for key indicators of gender inequality in education, mortality, political representation and economic activity. We find that gender inequality is declining in virtually…

Happiness Inequality: How Much Is Reasonable?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gandelman, Nestor; Porzecanski, Rafael

2013-01-01

We compute the Gini indexes for income, happiness and various simulated utility levels. Due to decreasing marginal utility of income, happiness inequality should be lower than income inequality. We find that happiness inequality is about half that of income inequality. To compute the utility levels we need to assume values for a key parameter that…

Fuzzy Model-based Pitch Stabilization and Wing Vibration Suppression of Flexible Wing Aircraft.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ayoubi, Mohammad A.; Swei, Sean Shan-Min; Nguyen, Nhan T.

2014-01-01

This paper presents a fuzzy nonlinear controller to regulate the longitudinal dynamics of an aircraft and suppress the bending and torsional vibrations of its flexible wings. The fuzzy controller utilizes full-state feedback with input constraint. First, the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy linear model is developed which approximates the coupled aeroelastic aircraft model. Then, based on the fuzzy linear model, a fuzzy controller is developed to utilize a full-state feedback and stabilize the system while it satisfies the control input constraint. Linear matrix inequality (LMI) techniques are employed to solve the fuzzy control problem. Finally, the performance of the proposed controller is demonstrated on the NASA Generic Transport Model (GTM).

Linear Chord Diagrams with Long Chords

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Everett

A linear chord diagram of size n is a partition of the first 2n integers into sets of size two. These diagrams appear in many different contexts in combinatorics and other areas of mathematics, particularly knot theory. We explore various constraints that produce diagrams which have no short chords. A number of patterns appear from the results of these constraints which we can prove using techniques ranging from explicit bijections to non-commutative algebra.

Unification of multiqubit polygamy inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jeong San

2012-03-01

I establish a unified view of polygamy of multiqubit entanglement. I first introduce a two-parameter generalization of the entanglement of assistance, namely, the unified entanglement of assistance for bipartite quantum states, and provide an analytic lower bound in two-qubit systems. I show a broad class of polygamy inequalities of multiqubit entanglement in terms of the unified entanglement of assistance that encapsulates all known multiqubit polygamy inequalities as special cases. I further show that this class of polygamy inequalities can be improved into tighter inequalities for three-qubit systems.

Socioeconomic Inequality in Childhood Obesity.

PubMed

Moradi, Ghobad; Mostafavi, Farideh; Azadi, Namamali; Esmaeilnasab, Nader; Ghaderi, Ebrahim

2017-08-15

The aim of this study was to assess the socioeconomic inequalities in obesity and overweight in children aged 10 to 12 yr old. A cross-sectional study. This study was conducted on 2506 children aged 10 to 12 yr old in the city of Sanandaj, western Iran in 2015. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Considering household situation and assets, socioeconomic status (SES) of the subjects was determined using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Concentration Index was used to measure inequality and Oaxaca decomposition was used to determine the share of different determinants of inequality. The prevalence of overweight was 24.1% (95% CI: 22.4, 25.7). 11.5% (95% CI: 10.0, 12.0) were obese. The concentration index for overweight and obesity, respectively, was 0.10 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.15), and 0.07 (95% CI:0.00, 0.14) which indicated inequality and a higher prevalence of obesity and overweight in higher SES. The results of Oaxaca decomposition suggested that socioeconomic factors accounted for 75.8% of existing inequalities. Residential area and mother education were the most important causes of inequality. To reduce inequalities in childhood obesity, mother education must be promoted and special attention must be paid to residential areas and children gender.

Have we left some behind? Trends in socio-economic inequalities in breastfeeding initiation: a population-based epidemiological surveillance study.

PubMed

Nickel, Nathan C; Martens, Patricia J; Chateau, Dan; Brownell, Marni D; Sarkar, Joykrishna; Goh, Chun Yan; Burland, Elaine; Taylor, Carole; Katz, Alan

2014-07-31

Breastfeeding is associated with improved health. Surveillance data show that breastfeeding initiation rates have increased; however, limited work has examined trends in socio-economic inequalities in initiation. The study's research question was whether socio-economic inequalities in breastfeeding initiation have changed over the past 20 years. This population-based study is a project within PATHS Equity for Children. Analyses used hospital discharge data for Manitoba mother-infant dyads with live births, 1988-2011 (n=316,027). Income quintiles were created, each with ~20% of dyads. Three-year, overall and by-quintile breastfeeding initiation rates were estimated for Manitoba and two hospitals. Age-adjusted rates were estimated for Manitoba. Rates were modelled using generalized linear models. Three measures, rate ratios (RRs), rate differences (RDs) and concentration indices, assessed inequality at each time point. We also compared concentration indices with Gini coefficients to assess breastfeeding inequality vis-à-vis income inequality. Trend analyses tested for changes over time. Manitoba and Hospital A initiation rates increased; Hospital B rates did not change. Significant inequalities existed in nearly every period, across all three measures: RRs, RDs and concentration indices. RRs and concentration indices suggested little to no change in inequality from 1988 to 2011. RDs for Manitoba (comparing initiation in the highest to lowest income quintiles) did not change significantly over time. RDs decreased for Hospital A, suggesting decreasing socio-economic inequalities in breastfeeding; RDs increased for Hospital B. Income inequality increased significantly in Manitoba during the study period. Overall breastfeeding initiation rates can improve while inequality persists or worsens.

Socioeconomic inequalities in the quality of life of older Europeans in different welfare regimes

PubMed Central

Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Pell, Jill P.; Mitchell, Richard

2014-01-01

Background: Whether socioeconomic inequalities in health and well-being persist into old age and are narrower in more generous welfare states is debated. We investigated the magnitude of socioeconomic inequality in the quality of life of Europeans in early old age and the influence of the welfare regime type on these relationships. Methods: Data from individuals aged 50–75 years (n = 16 074) residing in 13 European countries were derived from Waves 2 and 3 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Slope indices of inequality (SIIs) were calculated for the association between socioeconomic position and CASP-12, a measure of positive quality of life. Multilevel linear regression was used to assess the overall relationship between socioeconomic position and quality of life, using interaction terms to investigate the influence of the type of welfare regime (Southern, Scandinavian, Post-communist or Bismarckian). Results: Socioeconomic inequalities in quality of life were narrowest in the Scandinavian and Bismarckian regimes, and were largest by measures of current wealth. Compared with the Scandinavian welfare regime, where narrow inequalities in quality of life by education level were found in both men (SII = 0.02, 95% CI: −1.09 to 1.13) and women (SII = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.05–2.17), the difference in quality of life between the least and most educated was particularly wide in Southern and Post-communist regimes. Conclusion: Individuals in more generous welfare regimes experienced higher levels of quality of life, as well as narrower socioeconomic inequalities in quality of life. PMID:24568754

Aging and Cumulative Inequality: How Does Inequality Get Under the Skin?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferraro, Kenneth F.; Shippee, Tetyana Pylypiv

2009-01-01

Purpose: This article draws from cumulative disadvantage and life course theories to develop a new theory for the social scientific study of aging. Design and Methods: Five axioms of "cumulative inequality (CI) theory" are articulated to identify how life course trajectories are influenced by early and accumulated inequalities but can be modified…

Linear Water Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, N.; Maz'ya, V.; Vainberg, B.

2002-08-01

This book gives a self-contained and up-to-date account of mathematical results in the linear theory of water waves. The study of waves has many applications, including the prediction of behavior of floating bodies (ships, submarines, tension-leg platforms etc.), the calculation of wave-making resistance in naval architecture, and the description of wave patterns over bottom topography in geophysical hydrodynamics. The first section deals with time-harmonic waves. Three linear boundary value problems serve as the approximate mathematical models for these types of water waves. The next section uses a plethora of mathematical techniques in the investigation of these three problems. The techniques used in the book include integral equations based on Green's functions, various inequalities between the kinetic and potential energy and integral identities which are indispensable for proving the uniqueness theorems. The so-called inverse procedure is applied to constructing examples of non-uniqueness, usually referred to as 'trapped nodes.'

[Income inequality, corruption, and life expectancy at birth in Mexico].

PubMed

Idrovo, Alvaro Javier

2005-01-01

To ascertain if the effect of income inequality on life expectancy at birth in Mexico is mediated by corruption, used as a proxy of social capital. An ecological study was carried out with the 32 Mexican federative entities. Global and by sex correlations between life expectancy at birth were estimated by federative entity with the Gini coefficient, the Corruption and Good Government Index, the percentage of Catholics, and the percentage of the population speaking indigenous language. Robust linear regressions, with and without instrumental variables, were used to explore if corruption acts as intermediate variable in the studied relationship. Negative correlations with Spearman's rho near to -0.60 (p < 0.05) and greater than -0.66 (p < 0.05) between life expectancy at birth, the Gini coefficient and the population speaking indigenous language, respectively, were observed. Moreover, the Corruption and Good Government Index correlated with men's life expectancy at birth with Spearman's rho -0.3592 (p < 0.05). Regressions with instruments were more consistent than conventional ones and they show a strong negative effect (p < 0.05) of income inequality on life expectancy at birth. This effect was greater among men. The findings suggest a negative effect of income inequality on life expectancy at birth in Mexico, mediated by corruption levels and other related cultural factors.

Constraints, Trade-offs and the Currency of Fitness.

PubMed

Acerenza, Luis

2016-03-01

Understanding evolutionary trajectories remains a difficult task. This is because natural evolutionary processes are simultaneously affected by various types of constraints acting at the different levels of biological organization. Of particular importance are constraints where correlated changes occur in opposite directions, called trade-offs. Here we review and classify the main evolutionary constraints and trade-offs, operating at all levels of trait hierarchy. Special attention is given to life history trade-offs and the conflict between the survival and reproduction components of fitness. Cellular mechanisms underlying fitness trade-offs are described. At the metabolic level, a linear trade-off between growth and flux variability was found, employing bacterial genome-scale metabolic reconstructions. Its analysis indicates that flux variability can be considered as the currency of fitness. This currency is used for fitness transfer between fitness components during adaptations. Finally, a discussion is made regarding the constraints which limit the increase in the amount of fitness currency during evolution, suggesting that occupancy constraints are probably the main restrictions.

Patterns of Inequality. Unit 3, The Philosophy of Equality and Inequality. Unit 4, Personal Inequality as an Ideological Concept.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hookham, Maurice; Holloway, Clive

Open University course units are presented on the philosophy of equality and inequality (Unit 3) and on personal inequality as an ideological concept (Unit 4). The substance of Unit 3 consists of extracts from the writings of eight philosophers. The role of the philosopher in forming legitimatizing ideologies is also illustrated. The eight…

A Linear Programming Approach to the Development of Contrail Reduction Strategies Satisfying Operationally Feasible Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wei, Peng; Sridhar, Banavar; Chen, Neil Yi-Nan; Sun, Dengfent

2012-01-01

A class of strategies has been proposed to reduce contrail formation in the United States airspace. A 3D grid based on weather data and the cruising altitude level of aircraft is adjusted to avoid the persistent contrail potential area with the consideration to fuel-efficiency. In this paper, the authors introduce a contrail avoidance strategy on 3D grid by considering additional operationally feasible constraints from an air traffic controller's aspect. First, shifting too many aircraft to the same cruising level will make the miles-in-trail at this level smaller than the safety separation threshold. Furthermore, the high density of aircraft at one cruising level may exceed the workload for the traffic controller. Therefore, in our new model we restrict the number of total aircraft at each level. Second, the aircraft count variation for successive intervals cannot be too drastic since the workload to manage climbing/descending aircraft is much larger than managing cruising aircraft. The contrail reduction is formulated as an integer-programming problem and the problem is shown to have the property of total unimodularity. Solving the corresponding relaxed linear programming with the simplex method provides an optimal and integral solution to the problem. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the methodology.

Income inequality in the developing world.

PubMed

Ravallion, Martin

2014-05-23

Should income inequality be of concern in developing countries? New data reveal less income inequality in the developing world than 30 years ago. However, this is due to falling inequality between countries. Average inequality within developing countries has been slowly rising, though staying fairly flat since 2000. As a rule, higher rates of growth in average incomes have not put upward pressure on inequality within countries. Growth has generally helped reduce the incidence of absolute poverty, but less so in more unequal countries. High inequality also threatens to stall future progress against poverty by attenuating growth prospects. Perceptions of rising absolute gaps in living standards between the rich and the poor in growing economies are also consistent with the evidence. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Bell's Inequalities for Any Spin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Robles, V. M.

John Ju Sakurai's classical book in quantum mechanics makes a very illuminative presentation that studies entangled states in a two spin s=1/2 particles system in a singlet state. A Bell's inequality emerges as a consequence. Bell's inequality is a relationship among observables that discriminates between Einstein's locality principle and the nonlocal point of view of orthodox quantum mechanics. Following Sakurai's style we propose, by making natural induction, a generalization for Bell's inequality for any two spin-s particles in a singlet state (s integer or half-integer). This inequality is expressed as a function of a θ parameter, which is a measure of the angle between two possible directions in which the spin is measured. Besides the expression for this general inequality we have found that - (a) for any finite half-integer spin Bell's inequality is violated for some interval of the θ-parameter. The right limit of this interval is fixed and equal to π/2, while the left one comes closer and closer to this value as spin number grows. A function fit shows clearly that the size of this θ-interval over which Bell's inequality is violated diminishes asymptotically to zero as 1/s1/2; (b) an analogous behavior for any finite integer spin. For large spins the disagreement between Einstein's locality principle and the nonlocal point of view in orthodox quantum mechanics disappears.

The Moral Physiology of Inequality: Response to 'Fighting Status Inequalities: Non-domination vs Non-interference'.

PubMed

John, Stephen

2016-07-01

In this article, I respond to 'Fighting Status Inequalities'. I first note a niggle about the paper's assumption that lowering socio-economic inequalities will lower the social gradient in health. I then suggest two further ways in which neorepublicanism may relate to social epidemiology: in terms of 'moral physiology' and through analysing which inequalities are unjust.

On New Proofs of Fundamental Inequalities with Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Partha

2010-01-01

By using the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality a new proof of several standard inequalities is given. A new proof of Young's inequality is given by using Holder's inequality. A new application of the above inequalities is included.

Social inequalities, regional disparities and health inequity in North African countries.

PubMed

Boutayeb, Abdesslam; Helmert, Uwe

2011-05-31

During the last decades, North African countries have substantially improved economic, social and health conditions of their populations in average. In all countries, human development in general and life expectancy, literacy and per capita income in particular have increased. However, improvement was not equally shared between groups of different milieu, regions or level of income. Social inequalities and health inequity have persisted or even worsened. Data are generally scarce and few studies were devoted to this topic in North Africa as a region. In this paper, we carry out a comparative study on the achievements of these countries, not only in terms of human development and its components but also in terms of inequalities' reduction and health equity. This study is based on data available for comparison between North African countries. The main data sources are provided by reports released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, surveys such as Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and finally recent papers published on equity in different countries of the region. There is no doubt that education, health and human development in general have improved in North Africa during the last decades. Improvement was, however, uneven and unequally enjoyed by different socioeconomic groups. Indeed, each country included in this study shows large urban-rural disparities, discrepancies between advantaged and disadvantaged regions and cities; and unacceptable differences between rich and poor. Health inequity is particularly seen through access to health services and infant mortality. During the last decades, North African decision makers have endeavoured to improve social and economic conditions of their populations. Globally, health, education and living standard in general have substantially improved in average. However, North

Conic Sampling: An Efficient Method for Solving Linear and Quadratic Programming by Randomly Linking Constraints within the Interior

PubMed Central

Serang, Oliver

2012-01-01

Linear programming (LP) problems are commonly used in analysis and resource allocation, frequently surfacing as approximations to more difficult problems. Existing approaches to LP have been dominated by a small group of methods, and randomized algorithms have not enjoyed popularity in practice. This paper introduces a novel randomized method of solving LP problems by moving along the facets and within the interior of the polytope along rays randomly sampled from the polyhedral cones defined by the bounding constraints. This conic sampling method is then applied to randomly sampled LPs, and its runtime performance is shown to compare favorably to the simplex and primal affine-scaling algorithms, especially on polytopes with certain characteristics. The conic sampling method is then adapted and applied to solve a certain quadratic program, which compute a projection onto a polytope; the proposed method is shown to outperform the proprietary software Mathematica on large, sparse QP problems constructed from mass spectometry-based proteomics. PMID:22952741

Constraining DALECv2 using multiple data streams and ecological constraints: analysis and application

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delahaies, Sylvain; Roulstone, Ian; Nichols, Nancy

We use a variational method to assimilate multiple data streams into the terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle model DALECv2 (Data Assimilation Linked Ecosystem Carbon). Ecological and dynamical constraints have recently been introduced to constrain unresolved components of this otherwise ill-posed problem. We recast these constraints as a multivariate Gaussian distribution to incorporate them into the variational framework and we demonstrate their advantage through a linear analysis. By using an adjoint method we study a linear approximation of the inverse problem: firstly we perform a sensitivity analysis of the different outputs under consideration, and secondly we use the concept of resolution matricesmore » to diagnose the nature of the ill-posedness and evaluate regularisation strategies. We then study the non-linear problem with an application to real data. Finally, we propose a modification to the model: introducing a spin-up period provides us with a built-in formulation of some ecological constraints which facilitates the variational approach.« less

Constraining DALECv2 using multiple data streams and ecological constraints: analysis and application

DOE PAGES

Delahaies, Sylvain; Roulstone, Ian; Nichols, Nancy

2017-07-10

We use a variational method to assimilate multiple data streams into the terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle model DALECv2 (Data Assimilation Linked Ecosystem Carbon). Ecological and dynamical constraints have recently been introduced to constrain unresolved components of this otherwise ill-posed problem. We recast these constraints as a multivariate Gaussian distribution to incorporate them into the variational framework and we demonstrate their advantage through a linear analysis. By using an adjoint method we study a linear approximation of the inverse problem: firstly we perform a sensitivity analysis of the different outputs under consideration, and secondly we use the concept of resolution matricesmore » to diagnose the nature of the ill-posedness and evaluate regularisation strategies. We then study the non-linear problem with an application to real data. Finally, we propose a modification to the model: introducing a spin-up period provides us with a built-in formulation of some ecological constraints which facilitates the variational approach.« less

Impact of income inequality on life expectancy in a highly unequal developing country: the case of Brazil.

PubMed

Rasella, Davide; Aquino, Rosana; Barreto, Mauricio Lima

2013-08-01

Few studies have analysed the effects of income inequality on health in developing countries, particularly during economic growth, reduction of social disparities and reinforcement of the welfare and healthcare system. We evaluated the association between income inequality and life expectancy in Brazil, including the effect of social and health interventions, in the period 2000-2009. A panel dataset was created for the 27 Brazilian states over the referred time period. Multivariable linear regressions were performed using fixed-effects estimation with heteroscedasticity and serial correlation robust SEs. Models were fitted for life expectancy as a dependent variable, using the Gini index or a percentile income dispersion ratio as the main independent variable, and for demographic, socioeconomic and healthcare-related determinants as covariates. The Gini index, as the other measure of income inequality, was negatively associated with life expectancy (p<0.05), even after adjustment for all the socioeconomic and health-related covariates. The Family Health Program, the main primary healthcare (PHC) programme of the country, was positively associated with life expectancy (p<0.05). In recent years, effective social policies have enabled Brazil to partially reduce absolute poverty and income inequality, contributing-together with PHC-to decreasing death rates in the population. Reducing income inequality may represent an important step towards improving health and increasing life expectancy, particularly in developing countries where inequalities are high.

Inequalities, assessment and computer algebra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangwin, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

The goal of this paper is to examine single variable real inequalities that arise as tutorial problems and to examine the extent to which current computer algebra systems (CAS) can (1) automatically solve such problems and (2) determine whether students' own answers to such problems are correct. We review how inequalities arise in contemporary curricula. We consider the formal mathematical processes by which such inequalities are solved, and we consider the notation and syntax through which solutions are expressed. We review the extent to which current CAS can accurately solve these inequalities, and the form given to the solutions by the designers of this software. Finally, we discuss the functionality needed to deal with students' answers, i.e. to establish equivalence (or otherwise) of expressions representing unions of intervals. We find that while contemporary CAS accurately solve inequalities there is a wide variety of notation used.

Economic Inequality, Educational Inequity, and Reduced Career Opportunity: A Self-Perpetuating Cycle?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torraco, Richard

2018-01-01

Economic inequality--the income gap between the wealthy and the poor--is increasing. Educational inequity has also increased with low-income students less likely to complete college than their wealthier counterparts. As the gap widens between the education "haves" and "have-nots," those with inadequate education are faced with…

Bell Inequalities and Group Symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolonek-Lasoń, Katarzyna

2017-12-01

Recently the method based on irreducible representations of finite groups has been proposed as a tool for investigating the more sophisticated versions of Bell inequalities (V. Ugǔr Gűney, M. Hillery, Phys. Rev. A90, 062121 ([2014]) and Phys. Rev. A91, 052110 ([2015])). In the present paper an example based on the symmetry group S 4 is considered. The Bell inequality violation due to the symmetry properties of regular tetrahedron is described. A nonlocal game based on the inequalities derived is described and it is shown that the violation of Bell inequality implies that the quantum strategies outperform their classical counterparts.

Income inequality and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a highly unequal country: a fixed-effects analysis from South Africa.

PubMed

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui; Kawachi, Ichiro; Subramanian, S V; Avendano, Mauricio

2018-03-06

Chronic stress associated with high income inequality has been hypothesized to increase CVD risk and other adverse health outcomes. However, most evidence comes from high-income countries, and there is limited evidence on the link between income inequality and biomarkers of chronic stress and risk for CVD. This study examines how changes in income inequality over recent years relate to changes in CVD risk factors in South Africa, home to some of the highest levels of income inequality globally. We linked longitudinal data from 9356 individuals interviewed in the 2008 and 2012 National Income Dynamics Study to district-level Gini coefficients estimated from census and survey data. We investigated whether subnational district income inequality was associated with several modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in South Africa, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, physical inactivity, smoking, and high alcohol consumption. We ran individual fixed-effects models to examine the association between changes in income inequality and changes in CVD risk factors over time. Linear models were used for continuous metabolic outcomes while conditional Poisson models were used to estimate risk ratios for dichotomous behavioral outcomes. Both income inequality and prevalence of most CVD risk factors increased over the period of study. In longitudinal fixed-effects models, changes in district Gini coefficients were not significantly associated with changes in CVD risk factors. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that subnational district income inequality is associated with CVD risk factors within the high-inequality setting of South Africa.

Children’s Perceptions of Social Resource Inequality

PubMed Central

Elenbaas, Laura; Killen, Melanie

2016-01-01

Children’s perceptions of social resource inequalities were investigated by measuring spontaneous explanations for race-based disparities in access to societal resources. Fifth graders (N = 139, M = 11.14 years, SD = .61 years) viewed animated vignettes depicting hypothetical resource inequalities between institutions serving children of African-American and European-American background. Children frequently explained disparities in terms of institutions’ differing financial resources, revealing awareness that economic inequalities often underlie groups’ differential access to societal resources. Further, children attributed inequalities to preferential treatment more often when they witnessed African-Americans at a disadvantage than when they witnessed European-Americans at a disadvantage, demonstrating awareness that racial minority groups are more likely to experience restricted access to resources. Finally, children who reasoned about preferential treatment judged inequality, and actions that perpetuated inequality, more negatively than children who attributed inequalities to institutions’ differing needs, revealing a link between awareness of discrimination and rejection of social inequalities. PMID:28717258

Direct handling of equality constraints in multilevel optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renaud, John E.; Gabriele, Gary A.

1990-01-01

In recent years there have been several hierarchic multilevel optimization algorithms proposed and implemented in design studies. Equality constraints are often imposed between levels in these multilevel optimizations to maintain system and subsystem variable continuity. Equality constraints of this nature will be referred to as coupling equality constraints. In many implementation studies these coupling equality constraints have been handled indirectly. This indirect handling has been accomplished using the coupling equality constraints' explicit functional relations to eliminate design variables (generally at the subsystem level), with the resulting optimization taking place in a reduced design space. In one multilevel optimization study where the coupling equality constraints were handled directly, the researchers encountered numerical difficulties which prevented their multilevel optimization from reaching the same minimum found in conventional single level solutions. The researchers did not explain the exact nature of the numerical difficulties other than to associate them with the direct handling of the coupling equality constraints. The coupling equality constraints are handled directly, by employing the Generalized Reduced Gradient (GRG) method as the optimizer within a multilevel linear decomposition scheme based on the Sobieski hierarchic algorithm. Two engineering design examples are solved using this approach. The results show that the direct handling of coupling equality constraints in a multilevel optimization does not introduce any problems when the GRG method is employed as the internal optimizer. The optimums achieved are comparable to those achieved in single level solutions and in multilevel studies where the equality constraints have been handled indirectly.

Time to address gender discrimination and inequality in the health workforce

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Gender is a key factor operating in the health workforce. Recent research evidence points to systemic gender discrimination and inequalities in health pre-service and in-service education and employment systems. Human resources for health (HRH) leaders’ and researchers’ lack of concerted attention to these inequalities is striking, given the recognition of other forms of discrimination in international labour rights and employment law discourse. If not acted upon, gender discrimination and inequalities result in systems inefficiencies that impede the development of the robust workforces needed to respond to today’s critical health care needs. This commentary makes the case that there is a clear need for sex- and age-disaggregated and qualitative data to more precisely illuminate gender-related trends and dynamics in the health workforce. Because of their importance for measurement, the paper also presents definitions and examples of sex or gender discrimination and offers specific case examples. At a broader level, the commentary argues that gender equality should be an HRH research, leadership, and governance priority, where the aim is to strengthen health pre-service and continuing professional education and employment systems to achieve better health systems outcomes, including better health coverage. Good HRH leadership, governance, and management involve recognizing the diversity of health workforces, acknowledging gender constraints and opportunities, eliminating gender discrimination and equalizing opportunity, making health systems responsive to life course events, and protecting health workers’ labour rights at all levels. A number of global, national and institution-level actions are proposed to move the gender equality and HRH agendas forward. PMID:24885565

Time to address gender discrimination and inequality in the health workforce.

PubMed

Newman, Constance

2014-05-06

Gender is a key factor operating in the health workforce. Recent research evidence points to systemic gender discrimination and inequalities in health pre-service and in-service education and employment systems. Human resources for health (HRH) leaders' and researchers' lack of concerted attention to these inequalities is striking, given the recognition of other forms of discrimination in international labour rights and employment law discourse. If not acted upon, gender discrimination and inequalities result in systems inefficiencies that impede the development of the robust workforces needed to respond to today's critical health care needs.This commentary makes the case that there is a clear need for sex- and age-disaggregated and qualitative data to more precisely illuminate gender-related trends and dynamics in the health workforce. Because of their importance for measurement, the paper also presents definitions and examples of sex or gender discrimination and offers specific case examples.At a broader level, the commentary argues that gender equality should be an HRH research, leadership, and governance priority, where the aim is to strengthen health pre-service and continuing professional education and employment systems to achieve better health systems outcomes, including better health coverage. Good HRH leadership, governance, and management involve recognizing the diversity of health workforces, acknowledging gender constraints and opportunities, eliminating gender discrimination and equalizing opportunity, making health systems responsive to life course events, and protecting health workers' labour rights at all levels. A number of global, national and institution-level actions are proposed to move the gender equality and HRH agendas forward.

Children of Misfortune: Early Adversity and Cumulative Inequality in Perceived Life Trajectories1

PubMed Central

Schafer, Markus H.; Ferraro, Kenneth F.; Mustillo, Sarah A.

2011-01-01

Adversity early in life may alter pathways of aging, but what interpretive processes can soften the blow of early insults? Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, the authors analyze trajectories of life evaluations and then consider whether early adversity offsets favorable expectations for the future. Results reveal that early adversity contributes to more negative views of the past but rising expectations for the future. Early adversity also has enduring effects on life evaluations, offsetting the influence of buoyant expectations. The findings draw attention to the limits of human agency under the constraints of early adversity—a process described as biographical structuration. PMID:21648247

A linear quadratic regulator approach to the stabilization of uncertain linear systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shieh, L. S.; Sunkel, J. W.; Wang, Y. J.

1990-01-01

This paper presents a linear quadratic regulator approach to the stabilization of uncertain linear systems. The uncertain systems under consideration are described by state equations with the presence of time-varying unknown-but-bounded uncertainty matrices. The method is based on linear quadratic regulator (LQR) theory and Liapunov stability theory. The robust stabilizing control law for a given uncertain system can be easily constructed from the symmetric positive-definite solution of the associated augmented Riccati equation. The proposed approach can be applied to matched and/or mismatched systems with uncertainty matrices in which only their matrix norms are bounded by some prescribed values and/or their entries are bounded by some prescribed constraint sets. Several numerical examples are presented to illustrate the results.

A proof for loop-law constraints in stoichiometric metabolic networks

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Constraint-based modeling is increasingly employed for metabolic network analysis. Its underlying assumption is that natural metabolic phenotypes can be predicted by adding physicochemical constraints to remove unrealistic metabolic flux solutions. The loopless-COBRA approach provides an additional constraint that eliminates thermodynamically infeasible internal cycles (or loops) from the space of solutions. This allows the prediction of flux solutions that are more consistent with experimental data. However, it is not clear if this approach over-constrains the models by removing non-loop solutions as well. Results Here we apply Gordan’s theorem from linear algebra to prove for the first time that the constraints added in loopless-COBRA do not over-constrain the problem beyond the elimination of the loops themselves. Conclusions The loopless-COBRA constraints can be reliably applied. Furthermore, this proof may be adapted to evaluate the theoretical soundness for other methods in constraint-based modeling. PMID:23146116

Spatial inequality of water footprint in China: A detailed decomposition of inequality from water use types and drivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Siao; Fang, Chuanglin; Lv, Jinyan

2017-10-01

Given a limited volume of freshwater resources and increasing water demand in China, a relatively equal final water use distribution among different provinces is necessary to mitigate water scarcity faced by a great proportion of population. In this study, the Gini coefficient is used to measure inequality of provincial water footprints (WFs), which are computed based on the China multi-regional input-output table in 30 provinces. The inequality analysis indicates that in China, albeit improved equality of the WF via virtual water (VW) transfers in comparison to the real water use, provincial WFs still present inequality (with Gini coefficient 0.22). Inequality decomposition techniques are used to examine the main sectoral contributor and drivers of WF inequality. The decomposition of inequality in the total WF by sectoral water use types indicates that agricultural WF is the largest contributor, contributing 45.7% of the total inequality, followed by industrial WF (36.9%), tertiary WF (11.1%) and domestic water use (6.3%). Inequality decomposition in the total WF by drivers shows that the effect of natural water availability is insignificant. The main drivers of inequality in agricultural WF are real water use and water use efficiency, with the inter-class effect overwhelming inter-class effect based on classification according to these factors. Inequality in industrial and tertiary WFs is mainly driven by real water use and economic level. Policy inferences are given towards a more equal distribution of WF.

Health inequalities--gender perspective.

PubMed

Ostrowska, Antonina

2012-01-01

Health inequalities have become recently one of the major concerns of European health policy. Observed differences in health status of men and women are also frequently discussed within this framework, and are becoming a subject of growing interest of researchers. Clinical and epidemiological researches document male-female health differences, trying to explain them within bio-medical model. However, apart of biological (sex) divergence, health inequalities reflect differences in social roles, social status and culturally established patterns and stereotypes of femininity and masculinity (gender differences). The article, using sociological perspective, attempts to show that observed differences in man's and women's health may be attributable to the differing sociocultural and structural arrangements, social support and lifestyle factors of both genders. As a result, many of these differences are of inequality character. Another dimension of inequality discussed in this article is the way man and women are treated by the institution of medicine.

A Comparative Study of Randomized Constraint Solvers for Random-Symbolic Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takaki, Mitsuo; Cavalcanti, Diego; Gheyi, Rohit; Iyoda, Juliano; dAmorim, Marcelo; Prudencio, Ricardo

2009-01-01

The complexity of constraints is a major obstacle for constraint-based software verification. Automatic constraint solvers are fundamentally incomplete: input constraints often build on some undecidable theory or some theory the solver does not support. This paper proposes and evaluates several randomized solvers to address this issue. We compare the effectiveness of a symbolic solver (CVC3), a random solver, three hybrid solvers (i.e., mix of random and symbolic), and two heuristic search solvers. We evaluate the solvers on two benchmarks: one consisting of manually generated constraints and another generated with a concolic execution of 8 subjects. In addition to fully decidable constraints, the benchmarks include constraints with non-linear integer arithmetic, integer modulo and division, bitwise arithmetic, and floating-point arithmetic. As expected symbolic solving (in particular, CVC3) subsumes the other solvers for the concolic execution of subjects that only generate decidable constraints. For the remaining subjects the solvers are complementary.

Informing Investment to Reduce Inequalities: A Modelling Approach

PubMed Central

McAuley, Andrew; Denny, Cheryl; Taulbut, Martin; Mitchell, Rory; Fischbacher, Colin; Graham, Barbara; Grant, Ian; O’Hagan, Paul; McAllister, David; McCartney, Gerry

2016-01-01

Background Reducing health inequalities is an important policy objective but there is limited quantitative information about the impact of specific interventions. Objectives To provide estimates of the impact of a range of interventions on health and health inequalities. Materials and Methods Literature reviews were conducted to identify the best evidence linking interventions to mortality and hospital admissions. We examined interventions across the determinants of health: a ‘living wage’; changes to benefits, taxation and employment; active travel; tobacco taxation; smoking cessation, alcohol brief interventions, and weight management services. A model was developed to estimate mortality and years of life lost (YLL) in intervention and comparison populations over a 20-year time period following interventions delivered only in the first year. We estimated changes in inequalities using the relative index of inequality (RII). Results Introduction of a ‘living wage’ generated the largest beneficial health impact, with modest reductions in health inequalities. Benefits increases had modest positive impacts on health and health inequalities. Income tax increases had negative impacts on population health but reduced inequalities, while council tax increases worsened both health and health inequalities. Active travel increases had minimally positive effects on population health but widened health inequalities. Increases in employment reduced inequalities only when targeted to the most deprived groups. Tobacco taxation had modestly positive impacts on health but little impact on health inequalities. Alcohol brief interventions had modestly positive impacts on health and health inequalities only when strongly socially targeted, while smoking cessation and weight-reduction programmes had minimal impacts on health and health inequalities even when socially targeted. Conclusions Interventions have markedly different effects on mortality, hospitalisations and

Informing Investment to Reduce Inequalities: A Modelling Approach.

PubMed

McAuley, Andrew; Denny, Cheryl; Taulbut, Martin; Mitchell, Rory; Fischbacher, Colin; Graham, Barbara; Grant, Ian; O'Hagan, Paul; McAllister, David; McCartney, Gerry

2016-01-01

Reducing health inequalities is an important policy objective but there is limited quantitative information about the impact of specific interventions. To provide estimates of the impact of a range of interventions on health and health inequalities. Literature reviews were conducted to identify the best evidence linking interventions to mortality and hospital admissions. We examined interventions across the determinants of health: a 'living wage'; changes to benefits, taxation and employment; active travel; tobacco taxation; smoking cessation, alcohol brief interventions, and weight management services. A model was developed to estimate mortality and years of life lost (YLL) in intervention and comparison populations over a 20-year time period following interventions delivered only in the first year. We estimated changes in inequalities using the relative index of inequality (RII). Introduction of a 'living wage' generated the largest beneficial health impact, with modest reductions in health inequalities. Benefits increases had modest positive impacts on health and health inequalities. Income tax increases had negative impacts on population health but reduced inequalities, while council tax increases worsened both health and health inequalities. Active travel increases had minimally positive effects on population health but widened health inequalities. Increases in employment reduced inequalities only when targeted to the most deprived groups. Tobacco taxation had modestly positive impacts on health but little impact on health inequalities. Alcohol brief interventions had modestly positive impacts on health and health inequalities only when strongly socially targeted, while smoking cessation and weight-reduction programmes had minimal impacts on health and health inequalities even when socially targeted. Interventions have markedly different effects on mortality, hospitalisations and inequalities. The most effective (and likely cost-effective) interventions for

Non-Asymptotic Oracle Inequalities for the High-Dimensional Cox Regression via Lasso.

PubMed

Kong, Shengchun; Nan, Bin

2014-01-01

We consider finite sample properties of the regularized high-dimensional Cox regression via lasso. Existing literature focuses on linear models or generalized linear models with Lipschitz loss functions, where the empirical risk functions are the summations of independent and identically distributed (iid) losses. The summands in the negative log partial likelihood function for censored survival data, however, are neither iid nor Lipschitz.We first approximate the negative log partial likelihood function by a sum of iid non-Lipschitz terms, then derive the non-asymptotic oracle inequalities for the lasso penalized Cox regression using pointwise arguments to tackle the difficulties caused by lacking iid Lipschitz losses.

Non-Asymptotic Oracle Inequalities for the High-Dimensional Cox Regression via Lasso

PubMed Central

Kong, Shengchun; Nan, Bin

2013-01-01

We consider finite sample properties of the regularized high-dimensional Cox regression via lasso. Existing literature focuses on linear models or generalized linear models with Lipschitz loss functions, where the empirical risk functions are the summations of independent and identically distributed (iid) losses. The summands in the negative log partial likelihood function for censored survival data, however, are neither iid nor Lipschitz.We first approximate the negative log partial likelihood function by a sum of iid non-Lipschitz terms, then derive the non-asymptotic oracle inequalities for the lasso penalized Cox regression using pointwise arguments to tackle the difficulties caused by lacking iid Lipschitz losses. PMID:24516328

[Policies to reduce health inequalities].

PubMed

Borrell, Carme; Artazcoz, Lucía

2008-01-01

This paper reviews policies to reduce social inequalities in health and presents some examples. Previously it presents the model on social determinants of health inequalities. The model described on the determinants of health inequalities is used by the Commission on Social Determinants of Health of the World Health Organisation that contains three main elements: the socio-economic and political context, socioeconomic status and intermediary factors. It describes 10 principles to keep in mind to launch interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in health and describes various policies depending on different "entry points" considered in the conceptual model. Finally we present two examples: The Public Health Policy of Sweden and the programme "Barrio Adentro" in Venezuela.

Advantageous Inequity Aversion Does Not Always Exist: The Role of Determining Allocations Modulates Preferences for Advantageous Inequity.

PubMed

Li, Ou; Xu, Fuming; Wang, Lei

2018-01-01

Previous studies have shown that people would like to sacrifice benefits to themselves in order to avoid inequitable outcomes, not only when they receive less than others (disadvantageous inequity aversion) but also when they receive more (advantageous inequity aversion). This feature is captured by the theory of inequity aversion. The present study was inspired by what appears to be asymmetry in the research paradigm toward advantageous inequity aversion. Specifically, studies that supported the existence of advantageous inequity aversion always relied on the paradigm in which participants can determine allocations. Thus, it is interesting to know what would occur if participants could not determine allocations or simply passed judgment on predetermined allocations. To address this, a behavioral experiment ( N = 118) and a skin conductance response (SCR) experiment ( N = 29) were adopted to compare participants' preferences for advantageous inequity directly when allocations were determined and when allocations were predetermined in an allocating task. In the determined condition, participants could divide by themselves a sum of money between themselves and a matched person, whereas in the predetermined condition, they could simply indicate their satisfaction with an equivalent program-generated allocation. It was found that, compared with those in the determined condition, participants in the predetermined condition behaved as if they liked the advantageous inequity and equity to the same degree (Experiment One) and that the SCRs elicited by advantageous inequity had no differences from those elicited by equity, suggesting that participants did not feel negatively toward advantageous inequity in this situation (Experiment Two). The present study provided mutual corroboration (behavioral and electrophysiological data) to document that advantageous inequity aversion may differ as a function of the individual's role in determining allocations, and it would disappear

Social Influences on Inequity Aversion in Children

PubMed Central

McAuliffe, Katherine; Blake, Peter R.; Kim, Grace; Wrangham, Richard W.; Warneken, Felix

2013-01-01

Adults and children are willing to sacrifice personal gain to avoid both disadvantageous and advantageous inequity. These two forms of inequity aversion follow different developmental trajectories, with disadvantageous inequity aversion emerging around 4 years and advantageous inequity aversion emerging around 8 years. Although inequity aversion is assumed to be specific to situations where resources are distributed among individuals, the role of social context has not been tested in children. Here, we investigated the influence of two aspects of social context on inequity aversion in 4- to 9-year-old children: (1) the role of the experimenter distributing rewards and (2) the presence of a peer with whom rewards could be shared. Experiment 1 showed that children rejected inequity at the same rate, regardless of whether the experimenter had control over reward allocations. This indicates that children’s decisions are based upon reward allocations between themselves and a peer and are not attempts to elicit more favorable distributions from the experimenter. Experiment 2 compared rejections of unequal reward allocations in children interacting with or without a peer partner. When faced with a disadvantageous distribution, children frequently rejected a smaller reward when a larger reward was visible, even if no partner would obtain the larger reward. This suggests that nonsocial factors partly explain disadvantageous inequity rejections. However, rejections of disadvantageous distributions were higher when the larger amount would go to a peer, indicating that social context enhances disadvantageous inequity aversion. By contrast, children rejected advantageous distributions almost exclusively in the social context. Therefore, advantageous inequity aversion appears to be genuinely social, highlighting its potential relevance for the development of fairness concerns. By comparing social and nonsocial factors, this study provides a detailed picture of the expression

Psychosocial work exposures among European employees: explanations for occupational inequalities in mental health.

PubMed

Schütte, Stefanie; Chastang, Jean-François; Parent-Thirion, Agnès; Vermeylen, Greet; Niedhammer, Isabelle

2015-09-01

Social inequalities in mental health have been demonstrated but understanding the mechanisms remains unclear. This study aims at exploring the role of psychosocial work factors in explaining occupational inequalities in mental health among European employees. The study sample covered 33,443 employees coming from the European Working Conditions Survey 2010. Mental health was measured by the WHO-5 well-being index and socioeconomic position by occupation. Twenty-five psychosocial work factors were constructed including job demands, job influence and development, role stressors, social support, quality of leadership, discrimination, violence at work, working hours, job promotion, job insecurity and work-life imbalance. Multilevel linear regressions and bootstrap analyses were performed. Occupational differences were observed for poor mental health and almost all psychosocial work factors. Factors related to job demands, influence and development at work, social relationships and leadership, working hours and other factors contributed to explain the occupational inequalities in mental health. In particular, factors related to influence and development contributed substantially. Among men, workplace violences were found to contribute little whereas among women these factors did not play a role. Future prevention interventions should have a broad and comprehensive focus in order to reduce social inequalities in mental health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Neighboring extremals of dynamic optimization problems with path equality constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, A. Y.

1988-01-01

Neighboring extremals of dynamic optimization problems with path equality constraints and with an unknown parameter vector are considered in this paper. With some simplifications, the problem is reduced to solving a linear, time-varying two-point boundary-value problem with integral path equality constraints. A modified backward sweep method is used to solve this problem. Two example problems are solved to illustrate the validity and usefulness of the solution technique.

Health Inequality and Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Peter J.

2014-01-01

Structural explanations of career choice and development are well established. Socioeconomic inequality represents a powerful factor shaping career trajectories and economic outcomes achieved by individuals. However, a robust and growing body of evidence demonstrates a strong link between socioeconomic inequality and health outcomes. Work is a key…

Earthquake mechanisms from linear-programming inversion of seismic-wave amplitude ratios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Julian, B.R.; Foulger, G.R.

1996-01-01

The amplitudes of radiated seismic waves contain far more information about earthquake source mechanisms than do first-motion polarities, but amplitudes are severely distorted by the effects of heterogeneity in the Earth. This distortion can be reduced greatly by using the ratios of amplitudes of appropriately chosen seismic phases, rather than simple amplitudes, but existing methods for inverting amplitude ratios are severely nonlinear and require computationally intensive searching methods to ensure that solutions are globally optimal. Searching methods are particularly costly if general (moment tensor) mechanisms are allowed. Efficient linear-programming methods, which do not suffer from these problems, have previously been applied to inverting polarities and wave amplitudes. We extend these methods to amplitude ratios, in which formulation on inequality constraint for an amplitude ratio takes the same mathematical form as a polarity observation. Three-component digital data for an earthquake at the Hengill-Grensdalur geothermal area in southwestern Iceland illustrate the power of the method. Polarities of P, SH, and SV waves, unusually well distributed on the focal sphere, cannot distinguish between diverse mechanisms, including a double couple. Amplitude ratios, on the other hand, clearly rule out the double-couple solution and require a large explosive isotropic component.

Bell Inequalities for Complex Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-26

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2015-0355 YIP Bell Inequalities for Complex Networks Greg Ver Steeg UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Final Report 10/26...performance report PI: Greg Ver Steeg Young Investigator Award Grant Title: Bell Inequalities for Complex Networks Grant #: FA9550-12-1-0417 Reporting...October 20, 2015 Final Report for “Bell Inequalities for Complex Networks” Greg Ver Steeg Abstract This effort studied new methods to understand the effect

Income inequality, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems.

PubMed

Karriker-Jaffe, Katherine J; Roberts, Sarah C M; Bond, Jason

2013-04-01

We examined the relationship between state-level income inequality and alcohol outcomes and sought to determine whether associations of inequality with alcohol consumption and problems would be more evident with between-race inequality measures than with the Gini coefficient. We also sought to determine whether inequality would be most detrimental for disadvantaged individuals. Data from 2 nationally representative samples of adults (n = 13,997) from the 2000 and 2005 National Alcohol Surveys were merged with state-level inequality and neighborhood disadvantage indicators from the 2000 US Census. We measured income inequality using the Gini coefficient and between-race poverty ratios (Black-White and Hispanic-White). Multilevel models accounted for clustering of respondents within states. Inequality measured by poverty ratios was positively associated with light and heavy drinking. Associations between poverty ratios and alcohol problems were strongest for Blacks and Hispanics compared with Whites. Household poverty did not moderate associations with income inequality. Poverty ratios were associated with alcohol use and problems, whereas overall income inequality was not. Higher levels of alcohol problems in high-inequality states may be partly due to social context.

Monogamy inequality for entanglement and local contextuality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camalet, S.

2017-06-01

We derive a monogamy inequality for entanglement and local contextuality, for any finite bipartite system. It essentially results from the relations between the entropy of a local state and the entanglement of the global state, and between the purity of a state, in the sense of majorization, and its ability to violate a given state-dependent noncontextuality inequality. We build an explicit entanglement monotone that satisfies the found monogamy inequality. An important consequence of this inequality is that there are global states too entangled to violate the local noncontextuality inequality.

Identifying determinants of socioeconomic inequality in health service utilization among patients with chronic non-communicable diseases in China.

PubMed

Xie, Xin; Wu, Qunhong; Hao, Yanhua; Yin, Hui; Fu, Wenqi; Ning, Ning; Xu, Ling; Liu, Chaojie; Li, Ye; Kang, Zheng; He, Changzhi; Liu, Guoxiang

2014-01-01

People with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD) are particularly vulnerable to socioeconomic inequality due to their long-term expensive health needs. This study aimed to assess socioeconomic-related inequality in health service utilization among NCD patients in China and to analyze factors associated with this disparity. Data were taken from the 2008 Chinese National Health Survey, in which a multiple stage stratified random sampling method was employed to survey 56,456 households. We analyzed the distribution of actual use, need-expected use, and need-standardized usage of outpatient services (over a two-week period) and inpatient services (over one-year) across different income groups in 27,233 adult respondents who reported as having a NCD. We used a concentration index to measure inequality in the distribution of health services, which was expressed as HI (Horizontal Inequity Index) for need-standardized use of services. A non-linear probit regression model was employed to detect inequality across socio-economic groups. Pro-rich inequity in health services among NCD patients was more substantial than the average population. A higher degree of pro-rich inequity (HI = 0.253) was found in inpatient services compared to outpatient services (HI = 0.089). Despite a greater need for health services amongst those of lower socio-economic status, their actual use is much less than their more affluent counterparts. Health service underuse by the poor and overuse by the affluent are evident. Household income disparity was the greatest inequality factor in NCD service use for both outpatients (71.3%) and inpatients (108%), more so than health insurance policies. Some medical insurance schemes, such as the MIUE, actually made a pro-rich contribution to health service inequality (16.1% for outpatient and 12.1% for inpatient). Inequality in health services amongst NCD patients in China remains largely determined by patient financial capability. The current

Income inequality in today's China.

PubMed

Xie, Yu; Zhou, Xiang

2014-05-13

Using multiple data sources, we establish that China's income inequality since 2005 has reached very high levels, with the Gini coefficient in the range of 0.53-0.55. Analyzing comparable survey data collected in 2010 in China and the United States, we examine social determinants that help explain China's high income inequality. Our results indicate that a substantial part of China's high income inequality is due to regional disparities and the rural-urban gap. The contributions of these two structural forces are particularly strong in China, but they play a negligible role in generating the overall income inequality in the United States, where individual-level and family-level income determinants, such as family structure and race/ethnicity, play a much larger role.

Gain optimization with non-linear controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slater, G. L.; Kandadai, R. D.

1984-01-01

An algorithm has been developed for the analysis and design of controls for non-linear systems. The technical approach is to use statistical linearization to model the non-linear dynamics of a system by a quasi-Gaussian model. A covariance analysis is performed to determine the behavior of the dynamical system and a quadratic cost function. Expressions for the cost function and its derivatives are determined so that numerical optimization techniques can be applied to determine optimal feedback laws. The primary application for this paper is centered about the design of controls for nominally linear systems but where the controls are saturated or limited by fixed constraints. The analysis is general, however, and numerical computation requires only that the specific non-linearity be considered in the analysis.

Inequality and inequity in healthcare utilization in urban Nepal: a cross-sectional observational study

PubMed Central

Saito, Eiko; Gilmour, Stuart; Yoneoka, Daisuke; Gautam, Ghan Shyam; Rahman, Md Mizanur; Shrestha, Pradeep Krishna; Shibuya, Kenji

2016-01-01

Inequality in access to quality healthcare is a major health policy challenge in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the major sources of inequity in healthcare utilization using a population-based household survey from urban Nepal. A cross-sectional survey was conducted covering 9177 individuals residing in 1997 households in five municipalities of Kathmandu valley between 2011 and 2012. The concentration index was calculated and a decomposition method was used to measure inequality in healthcare utilization, along with a horizontal inequity index (HI) to estimate socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare utilization. Results showed a significant pro-rich distribution of general healthcare utilization in all service providers (Concentration Index: 0.062, P < 0.001; HI: 0.029, P < 0.05) and private service providers (Concentration Index: 0.070, P < 0.001; HI: 0.030, P < 0.05). The pro-rich distribution of probability in general healthcare utilization was attributable to inequalities in the level of household economic status (percentage contribution: 67.8%) and in the self-reported prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension (36.7%) and diabetes (14.4%). Despite the provision of free services by public healthcare providers, our analysis found no evidence of the poor making more use of public health services (Concentration Index: 0.041, P = 0.094). Interventions to reduce the household economic burden of major illnesses, coupled with improvement in the management of public health facilities, warrant further attention by policy-makers. PMID:26856362

Healthcare investment and income inequality.

PubMed

Bhattacharjee, Ayona; Shin, Jong Kook; Subramanian, Chetan; Swaminathan, Shailender

2017-12-01

This paper examines how the relative shares of public and private health expenditures impact income inequality. We study a two period overlapping generation's growth model in which longevity is determined by both private and public health expenditure and human capital is the engine of growth. Increased investment in health, reduces mortality, raises return to education and affects income inequality. In such a framework we show that the cross-section earnings inequality is non-decreasing in the private share of health expenditure. We test this prediction empirically using a variable that proxies for the relative intensity of investments (private versus public) using vaccination data from the National Sample Survey Organization for 76 regions in India in the year 1986-87. We link this with region-specific expenditure inequality data for the period 1987-2012. Our empirical findings, though focused on a specific health investment (vaccines), suggest that an increase in the share of the privately provided health care results in higher inequality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Are health inequalities rooted in the past? Income inequalities in metabolic syndrome decomposed by childhood conditions

PubMed Central

San Sebastian, Miguel; Ivarsson, Anneli; Weinehall, Lars; Gustafsson, Per E.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Early life is thought of as a foundation for health inequalities in adulthood. However, research directly examining the contribution of childhood circumstances to the integrated phenomenon of adult social inequalities in health is absent. The present study aimed to examine whether, and to what degree, social conditions during childhood explain income inequalities in metabolic syndrome in mid-adulthood. Methods: The sample (N = 12 481) comprised all 40- and 50-year-old participants in the Västerbotten Intervention Program in Northern Sweden 2008, 2009 and 2010. Measures from health examinations were used to operationalize metabolic syndrome, which was linked to register data including socioeconomic conditions at age 40–50 years, as well as childhood conditions at participant age 10–12 years. Income inequality in metabolic syndrome in middle age was estimated by the concentration index and decomposed by childhood and current socioeconomic conditions using decomposition analysis. Results: Childhood conditions jointed explained 7% (men) to 10% (women) of health inequalities in middle age. Adding mid-adulthood sociodemographic factors showed a dominant contribution of chiefly current income and educational level in both gender. In women, the addition of current factors slightly attenuated the contribution of childhood conditions, but with paternal income and education still contributing. In contrast, the corresponding addition in men removed all explanation attributable to childhood conditions. Conclusions: Despite that the influence of early life conditions to adult health inequalities was considerably smaller than that of concurrent conditions, the study suggests that early interventions against social inequalities potentially could reduce health inequalities in the adult population for decades to come. PMID:27744345

Income Inequality, Alcohol Use, and Alcohol-Related Problems

PubMed Central

C. M. Roberts, Sarah; Bond, Jason

2013-01-01

Objectives. We examined the relationship between state-level income inequality and alcohol outcomes and sought to determine whether associations of inequality with alcohol consumption and problems would be more evident with between-race inequality measures than with the Gini coefficient. We also sought to determine whether inequality would be most detrimental for disadvantaged individuals. Methods. Data from 2 nationally representative samples of adults (n = 13 997) from the 2000 and 2005 National Alcohol Surveys were merged with state-level inequality and neighborhood disadvantage indicators from the 2000 US Census. We measured income inequality using the Gini coefficient and between-race poverty ratios (Black–White and Hispanic–White). Multilevel models accounted for clustering of respondents within states. Results. Inequality measured by poverty ratios was positively associated with light and heavy drinking. Associations between poverty ratios and alcohol problems were strongest for Blacks and Hispanics compared with Whites. Household poverty did not moderate associations with income inequality. Conclusions. Poverty ratios were associated with alcohol use and problems, whereas overall income inequality was not. Higher levels of alcohol problems in high-inequality states may be partly due to social context. PMID:23237183

The Khintchine inequalities and martingale expanding sphere of their action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peshkir, G.; Shiryaev, A. N.

1995-10-01

Contents Introduction §1. The strong law of large numbers of Borel and its refinements §2. The Khintchine inequalities §3. Martingale extensions of the Khintchine inequalities. 1. Preliminary consideration §4. Martingale extensions of the Khintchine inequalities. 2. The Burkholder inequalities for p > 1 §5. The maximal Khintchine inequalities §6. The martingale extension of maximal Khintchine inequalities. (The inequalities of Davis for p = 1 and of Burkholder and Davis for p >= 1) §7. Comparison inequalities for martingale transforms §8. On the best constants in the Khintchine inequalities §9. The Khintchine inequalities in (exponential) Orlicz spaces §10. On the best constants in the Burkholder inequalities (p > 1) §11. Some refinements of the Khintchine inequalities (the Whittle inequalities, the Rosenthal inequalities, and their modifications and extensions to the martingale case) Bibliography

Moving beyond the residential neighborhood to explore social inequalities in exposure to area-level disadvantage: Results from the Interdisciplinary Study on Inequalities in Smoking.

PubMed

Shareck, Martine; Kestens, Yan; Frohlich, Katherine L

2014-05-01

The focus, in place and health research, on a single, residential, context overlooks the fact that individuals are mobile and experience other settings in the course of their daily activities. Socio-economic characteristics are associated with activity patterns, as well as with the quality of places where certain groups conduct activities, i.e. their non-residential activity space. Examining how measures of exposure to resources, and inequalities thereof, compare between residential and non-residential contexts is required. Baseline data from 1890 young adults (18-25 years-old) participating in the Interdisciplinary Study of Inequalities in Smoking, Montreal, Canada (2011-2012), were analyzed. Socio-demographic and activity location data were collected using a validated, self-administered questionnaire. Area-level material deprivation was measured within 500-m road-network buffer zones around participants' residential and activity locations. Deprivation scores in the residential area and non-residential activity space were compared between social groups. Multivariate linear regression was used to estimate associations between individual- and area-level characteristics and non-residential activity space deprivation, and to explore whether these characteristics attenuated the education-deprivation association. Participants in low educational categories lived and conducted activities in more disadvantaged areas than university students/graduates. Educational inequalities in exposure to area-level deprivation were larger in the non-residential activity space than in the residential area for the least educated, but smaller for the intermediate group. Adjusting for selected covariates such as transportation resources and residential deprivation did not significantly attenuate the education-deprivation associations. Results support the existence of social isolation in residential areas and activity locations, whereby less educated individuals tend to be confined to more

Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality from conditions amenable to medical interventions: do they reflect inequalities in access or quality of health care?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Previous studies have reported large socioeconomic inequalities in mortality from conditions amenable to medical intervention, but it is unclear whether these can be attributed to inequalities in access or quality of health care, or to confounding influences such as inequalities in background risk of diseases. We therefore studied whether inequalities in mortality from conditions amenable to medical intervention vary between countries in patterns which differ from those observed for other (non-amenable) causes of death. More specifically, we hypothesized that, as compared to non-amenable causes, inequalities in mortality from amenable causes are more strongly associated with inequalities in health care use and less strongly with inequalities in common risk factors for disease such as smoking. Methods Cause-specific mortality data for people aged 30–74 years were obtained for 14 countries, and were analysed by calculating age-standardized mortality rates and relative risks comparing a lower with a higher educational group. Survey data on health care use and behavioural risk factors for people aged 30–74 years were obtained for 12 countries, and were analysed by calculating age-and sex-adjusted odds ratios comparing a low with a higher educational group. Patterns of association were explored by calculating correlation coefficients. Results In most countries and for most amenable causes of death substantial inequalities in mortality were observed, but inequalities in mortality from amenable causes did not vary between countries in patterns that are different from those seen for inequalities in non-amenable mortality. As compared to non-amenable causes, inequalities in mortality from amenable causes are not more strongly associated with inequalities in health care use. Inequalities in mortality from amenable causes are also not less strongly associated with common risk factors such as smoking. Conclusions We did not find evidence that inequalities in

Generating subtour elimination constraints for the TSP from pure integer solutions.

PubMed

Pferschy, Ulrich; Staněk, Rostislav

2017-01-01

The traveling salesman problem ( TSP ) is one of the most prominent combinatorial optimization problems. Given a complete graph [Formula: see text] and non-negative distances d for every edge, the TSP asks for a shortest tour through all vertices with respect to the distances d. The method of choice for solving the TSP to optimality is a branch and cut approach . Usually the integrality constraints are relaxed first and all separation processes to identify violated inequalities are done on fractional solutions . In our approach we try to exploit the impressive performance of current ILP-solvers and work only with integer solutions without ever interfering with fractional solutions. We stick to a very simple ILP-model and relax the subtour elimination constraints only. The resulting problem is solved to integer optimality, violated constraints (which are trivial to find) are added and the process is repeated until a feasible solution is found. In order to speed up the algorithm we pursue several attempts to find as many relevant subtours as possible. These attempts are based on the clustering of vertices with additional insights gained from empirical observations and random graph theory. Computational results are performed on test instances taken from the TSPLIB95 and on random Euclidean graphs .

Optimal design of FIR triplet halfband filter bank and application in image coding.

PubMed

Kha, H H; Tuan, H D; Nguyen, T Q

2011-02-01

This correspondence proposes an efficient semidefinite programming (SDP) method for the design of a class of linear phase finite impulse response triplet halfband filter banks whose filters have optimal frequency selectivity for a prescribed regularity order. The design problem is formulated as the minimization of the least square error subject to peak error constraints and regularity constraints. By using the linear matrix inequality characterization of the trigonometric semi-infinite constraints, it can then be exactly cast as a SDP problem with a small number of variables and, hence, can be solved efficiently. Several design examples of the triplet halfband filter bank are provided for illustration and comparison with previous works. Finally, the image coding performance of the filter bank is presented.

Poverty and health sector inequalities.

PubMed Central

Wagstaff, Adam

2002-01-01

Poverty and ill-health are intertwined. Poor countries tend to have worse health outcomes than better-off countries. Within countries, poor people have worse health outcomes than better-off people. This association reflects causality running in both directions: poverty breeds ill-health, and ill-health keeps poor people poor. The evidence on inequalities in health between the poor and non-poor and on the consequences for impoverishment and income inequality associated with health care expenses is discussed in this article. An outline is given of what is known about the causes of inequalities and about the effectiveness of policies intended to combat them. It is argued that too little is known about the impacts of such policies, notwithstanding a wealth of measurement techniques and considerable evidence on the extent and causes of inequalities. PMID:11953787

Nonlinear optimization with linear constraints using a projection method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, T.

1982-01-01

Nonlinear optimization problems that are encountered in science and industry are examined. A method of projecting the gradient vector onto a set of linear contraints is developed, and a program that uses this method is presented. The algorithm that generates this projection matrix is based on the Gram-Schmidt method and overcomes some of the objections to the Rosen projection method.

Griffiths' inequalities for Ashkin-Teller model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, C. T.

1973-01-01

The two Griffiths' (1967) inequalities for the correlation functions of Ising ferromagnets with two-body interactions, and two other inequalities obtained by Kelly and Sherman (1968) and by Sherman (1969) are shown to hold not only for the Ashkin-Teller (1943) model but also for a generalized Ashkin-Teller model (Kihara et al., 1954) with many-body interactions involving arbitrary clusters of particles. A cluster of particles is understood to mean a collection of pairs of particles rather than a group of particles. The four generalized inequalities under consideration are presented in the form of theorems, and a new inequality is obtained.

Inequality and City Size*

PubMed Central

Baum-Snow, Nathaniel; Pavan, Ronni

2013-01-01

Between 1979 and 2007 a strong positive monotonic relationship between wage inequality and city size has developed. This paper investigates the links between this emergent city size inequality premium and the contemporaneous nationwide increase in wage inequality. After controlling for the skill composition of the workforce across cities of different sizes, we show that at least 23 percent of the overall increase in the variance of log hourly wages in the United States from 1979 to 2007 is explained by the more rapid growth in the variance of log wages in larger locations relative to smaller locations. This influence occurred throughout the wage distribution and was most prevalent during the 1990s. More rapid growth in within skill group inequality in larger cities has been by far the most important force driving these city size specific patterns in the data. Differences in the industrial composition of cities of different sizes explain up to one-third of this city size effect. These results suggest an important role for agglomeration economies in generating changes in the wage structure during the study period. PMID:24954958

Unequal views of inequality: Cross-national support for redistribution 1985-2011.

PubMed

VanHeuvelen, Tom

2017-05-01

This research examines public views on government responsibility to reduce income inequality, support for redistribution. While individual-level correlates of support for redistribution are relatively well understood, many questions remain at the country-level. Therefore, I examine how country-level characteristics affect aggregate support for redistribution. I test explanations of aggregate support using a unique dataset combining 18 waves of the International Social Survey Programme and European Social Survey. Results from mixed-effects logistic regression and fixed-effects linear regression models show two primary and contrasting effects. States that reduce inequality through bundles of tax and transfer policies are rewarded with more supportive publics. In contrast, economic development has a seemingly equivalent and dampening effect on public support. Importantly, the effect of economic development grows at higher levels of development, potentially overwhelming the amplifying effect of state redistribution. My results therefore suggest a fundamental challenge to proponents of egalitarian politics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Polio in Pakistan: Social constraints and travel implications.

PubMed

Mushtaq, Asim; Mehmood, Sajid; Rehman, Muhammad Ateeq Ur; Younas, Asma; Rehman, Muhammad Saif Ur; Malik, Muhamamd Faheem; Hyder, Muhammad Zeeshan

2015-01-01

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in Pakistan has faced failure despite being implemented successfully. Polio cases were successfully reduced by 99% until 2005. However, thereafter, new polio cases were registered, which continue to rise annually. This repeat polio outbreak has placed the country on watch by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to travelers, and Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. The present report reviews the published literature for determining the social constraints to the polio eradication initiative in Pakistan. Religion, politics, awareness, insecurity, inequity, governance, and social responsibility have been identified as key social factors in the failure of any vaccination campaign. Possible interventions have been proposed, which include effectively using modern mass media and educating vaccinators on the social and cultural background of the target community. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Condensation with two constraints and disorder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barré, J.; Mangeolle, L.

2018-04-01

We consider a set of positive random variables obeying two additive constraints, a linear and a quadratic one; these constraints mimic the conservation laws of a dynamical system. In the simplest setting, without disorder, it is known that such a system may undergo a ‘condensation’ transition, whereby one random variable becomes much larger than the others; this transition has been related to the spontaneous appearance of non linear localized excitations in certain nonlinear chains, called breathers. Motivated by the study of breathers in a disordered discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation, we study different instances of this problem in presence of a quenched disorder. Unless the disorder is too strong, the phase diagram looks like the one without disorder, with a transition separating a fluid phase, where all variables have the same order of magnitude, and a condensed phase, where one variable is much larger than the others. We then show that the condensed phase exhibits various degrees of ‘intermediate symmetry breaking’: the site hosting the condensate is chosen neither uniformly at random, nor is it fixed by the disorder realization. Throughout the article, our heuristic arguments are complemented with direct Monte Carlo simulations.

Are health inequalities really not the smallest in the Nordic welfare states? A comparison of mortality inequality in 37 countries.

PubMed

Popham, Frank; Dibben, Chris; Bambra, Clare

2013-05-01

Research comparing mortality by socioeconomic status has found that inequalities are not the smallest in the Nordic countries. This is in contrast to expectations given these countries' policy focus on equity. An alternative way of studying inequality has been little used to compare inequalities across welfare states and may yield a different conclusion. We used average life expectancy lost per death as a measure of total inequality in mortality derived from death rates from the Human Mortality Database for 37 countries in 2006 that we grouped by welfare state type. We constructed a theoretical 'lowest mortality comparator country' to study, by age, why countries were not achieving the smallest inequality and the highest life expectancy. We also studied life expectancy as there is an important correlation between it and inequality. On average, Nordic countries had the highest life expectancy and smallest inequalities for men but not women. For both men and women, Nordic countries had particularly low younger age mortality contributing to smaller inequality and higher life expectancy. Although older age mortality in the Nordic countries is not the smallest. There was variation within Nordic countries with Sweden, Iceland and Norway having higher life expectancy and smaller inequalities than Denmark and Finland (for men). Our analysis suggests that the Nordic countries do have the smallest inequalities in mortality for men and for younger age groups. However, this is not the case for women. Reducing premature mortality among older age groups would increase life expectancy and reduce inequality further in Nordic countries.

Are health inequalities really not the smallest in the Nordic welfare states? A comparison of mortality inequality in 37 countries

PubMed Central

Popham, Frank; Dibben, Chris; Bambra, Clare

2013-01-01

Background Research comparing mortality by socioeconomic status has found that inequalities are not the smallest in the Nordic countries. This is in contrast to expectations given these countries’ policy focus on equity. An alternative way of studying inequality has been little used to compare inequalities across welfare states and may yield a different conclusion. Methods We used average life expectancy lost per death as a measure of total inequality in mortality derived from death rates from the Human Mortality Database for 37 countries in 2006 that we grouped by welfare state type. We constructed a theoretical ‘lowest mortality comparator country’ to study, by age, why countries were not achieving the smallest inequality and the highest life expectancy. We also studied life expectancy as there is an important correlation between it and inequality. Results On average, Nordic countries had the highest life expectancy and smallest inequalities for men but not women. For both men and women, Nordic countries had particularly low younger age mortality contributing to smaller inequality and higher life expectancy. Although older age mortality in the Nordic countries is not the smallest. There was variation within Nordic countries with Sweden, Iceland and Norway having higher life expectancy and smaller inequalities than Denmark and Finland (for men). Conclusions Our analysis suggests that the Nordic countries do have the smallest inequalities in mortality for men and for younger age groups. However, this is not the case for women. Reducing premature mortality among older age groups would increase life expectancy and reduce inequality further in Nordic countries. PMID:23386671

Polynomial Monogamy Relations for Entanglement Negativity.

PubMed

Allen, Grant W; Meyer, David A

2017-02-24

The notion of nonclassical correlations is a powerful contrivance for explaining phenomena exhibited in quantum systems. It is well known, however, that quantum systems are not free to explore arbitrary correlations-the church of the smaller Hilbert space only accepts monogamous congregants. We demonstrate how to characterize the limits of what is quantum mechanically possible with a computable measure, entanglement negativity. We show that negativity only saturates the standard linear monogamy inequality in trivial cases implied by its monotonicity under local operations and classical communication, and derive a necessary and sufficient inequality which, for the first time, is a nonlinear higher degree polynomial. For very large quantum systems, we prove that the negativity can be distributed at least linearly for the tightest constraint and conjecture that it is at most linear.

Polynomial Monogamy Relations for Entanglement Negativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Grant W.; Meyer, David A.

2017-02-01

The notion of nonclassical correlations is a powerful contrivance for explaining phenomena exhibited in quantum systems. It is well known, however, that quantum systems are not free to explore arbitrary correlations—the church of the smaller Hilbert space only accepts monogamous congregants. We demonstrate how to characterize the limits of what is quantum mechanically possible with a computable measure, entanglement negativity. We show that negativity only saturates the standard linear monogamy inequality in trivial cases implied by its monotonicity under local operations and classical communication, and derive a necessary and sufficient inequality which, for the first time, is a nonlinear higher degree polynomial. For very large quantum systems, we prove that the negativity can be distributed at least linearly for the tightest constraint and conjecture that it is at most linear.

Inequality and inequity in healthcare utilization in urban Nepal: a cross-sectional observational study.

PubMed

Saito, Eiko; Gilmour, Stuart; Yoneoka, Daisuke; Gautam, Ghan Shyam; Rahman, Md Mizanur; Shrestha, Pradeep Krishna; Shibuya, Kenji

2016-09-01

Inequality in access to quality healthcare is a major health policy challenge in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the major sources of inequity in healthcare utilization using a population-based household survey from urban Nepal. A cross-sectional survey was conducted covering 9177 individuals residing in 1997 households in five municipalities of Kathmandu valley between 2011 and 2012. The concentration index was calculated and a decomposition method was used to measure inequality in healthcare utilization, along with a horizontal inequity index (HI) to estimate socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare utilization. Results showed a significant pro-rich distribution of general healthcare utilization in all service providers (Concentration Index: 0.062, P < 0.001; HI: 0.029, P < 0.05) and private service providers (Concentration Index: 0.070, P < 0.001; HI: 0.030, P < 0.05). The pro-rich distribution of probability in general healthcare utilization was attributable to inequalities in the level of household economic status (percentage contribution: 67.8%) and in the self-reported prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension (36.7%) and diabetes (14.4%). Despite the provision of free services by public healthcare providers, our analysis found no evidence of the poor making more use of public health services (Concentration Index: 0.041, P = 0.094). Interventions to reduce the household economic burden of major illnesses, coupled with improvement in the management of public health facilities, warrant further attention by policy-makers. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Gender differences in socioeconomic inequality in mortality.

PubMed

Mustard, C A; Etches, J

2003-12-01

There is uncertainty about whether position in a socioeconomic hierarchy confers different mortality risks on men and women. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of gender differences in socioeconomic inequality in risk of death. This research systematically reviewed observational cohort studies describing all cause or cause specific mortality for populations aged 25-64 in developed countries. For inclusion in the review, mortality had to be reported stratified by gender and by one or more measures of socioeconomic status. For all eligible studies, five absolute and six relative measures of the socioeconomic inequality in mortality were computed for male and female populations separately. A total of 136 published papers were reviewed for eligibility, with 58 studies deemed eligible for inclusion. Of these eligible studies, 20 papers published data that permitted the computation of both absolute and relative measures of inequality. Absolute measures of socioeconomic mortality inequality for men and women generally agreed, with about 90% of studies indicating that male mortality was more unequal than female mortality across socioeconomic groups. In contrast, the pattern of relative inequality results across the 20 studies suggested that male and female socioeconomic inequality in mortality was equivalent. Inferences about gender differences in socioeconomic inequality in mortality are sensitive to the choice of inequality measure. Wider understanding of this methodological issue would improve the clarity of the reporting and synthesis of evidence on the magnitude of health inequalities in populations.

Strict Constraint Feasibility in Analysis and Design of Uncertain Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crespo, Luis G.; Giesy, Daniel P.; Kenny, Sean P.

2006-01-01

This paper proposes a methodology for the analysis and design optimization of models subject to parametric uncertainty, where hard inequality constraints are present. Hard constraints are those that must be satisfied for all parameter realizations prescribed by the uncertainty model. Emphasis is given to uncertainty models prescribed by norm-bounded perturbations from a nominal parameter value, i.e., hyper-spheres, and by sets of independently bounded uncertain variables, i.e., hyper-rectangles. These models make it possible to consider sets of parameters having comparable as well as dissimilar levels of uncertainty. Two alternative formulations for hyper-rectangular sets are proposed, one based on a transformation of variables and another based on an infinity norm approach. The suite of tools developed enable us to determine if the satisfaction of hard constraints is feasible by identifying critical combinations of uncertain parameters. Since this practice is performed without sampling or partitioning the parameter space, the resulting assessments of robustness are analytically verifiable. Strategies that enable the comparison of the robustness of competing design alternatives, the approximation of the robust design space, and the systematic search for designs with improved robustness characteristics are also proposed. Since the problem formulation is generic and the solution methods only require standard optimization algorithms for their implementation, the tools developed are applicable to a broad range of problems in several disciplines.

Linearizing feedforward/feedback attitude control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paielli, Russell A.; Bach, Ralph E.

1991-01-01

An approach to attitude control theory is introduced in which a linear form is postulated for the closed-loop rotation error dynamics, then the exact control law required to realize it is derived. The nonminimal (four-component) quaternion form is used to attitude because it is globally nonsingular, but the minimal (three-component) quaternion form is used for attitude error because it has no nonlinear constraints to prevent the rotational error dynamics from being linearized, and the definition of the attitude error is based on quaternion algebra. This approach produces an attitude control law that linearizes the closed-loop rotational error dynamics exactly, without any attitude singularities, even if the control errors become large.

A toy Penrose inequality and its proof

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bengtsson, Ingemar; Jakobsson, Emma

2016-12-01

We formulate and prove a toy version of the Penrose inequality. The formulation mimics the original Penrose inequality in which the scenario is the following: a shell of null dust collapses in Minkowski space and a marginally trapped surface forms on it. Through a series of arguments relying on established assumptions, an inequality relating the area of this surface to the total energy of the shell is formulated. Then a further reformulation turns the inequality into a statement relating the area and the outer null expansion of a class of surfaces in Minkowski space itself. The inequality has been proven to hold true in many special cases, but there is no proof in general. In the toy version here presented, an analogous inequality in (2 + 1)-dimensional anti-de Sitter space turns out to hold true.

Constraints on higher spin CFT2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afkhami-Jeddi, Nima; Colville, Kale; Hartman, Thomas; Maloney, Alexander; Perlmutter, Eric

2018-05-01

We derive constraints on two-dimensional conformal field theories with higher spin symmetry due to unitarity, modular invariance, and causality. We focus on CFTs with W_N symmetry in the "irrational" regime, where c > N - 1 and the theories have an infinite number of higher-spin primaries. The most powerful constraints come from positivity of the Kac matrix, which (unlike the Virasoro case) is non-trivial even when c > N - 1. This places a lower bound on the dimension of any non-vacuum higher-spin primary state, which is linear in the central charge. At large c, this implies that the dual holographic theories of gravity in AdS3, if they exist, have no local, perturbative degrees of freedom in the semi-classical limit.

Physical constraints in the condensation of eukaryotic chromosomes. Local concentration of DNA versus linear packing ratio in higher order chromatin structures.

PubMed

Daban, J R

2000-04-11

The local concentration of DNA in metaphase chromosomes of different organisms has been determined in several laboratories. The average of these measurements is 0.17 g/mL. In the first level of chromosome condensation, DNA is wrapped around histones forming nucleosomes. This organization limits the DNA concentration in nucleosomes to 0. 3-0.4 g/mL. Furthermore, in the structural models suggested in different laboratories for the 30-40 nm chromatin fiber, the estimated DNA concentration is significantly reduced; it ranges from 0.04 to 0.27 g/mL. The DNA concentration is further reduced when the fiber is folded into the successive higher order structures suggested in different models for metaphase chromosomes; the estimated minimum decrease of DNA concentration represents an additional 40%. These observations suggest that most of the models proposed for the 30-40 nm chromatin fiber are not dense enough for the construction of metaphase chromosomes. In contrast, it is well-known that the linear packing ratio increases dramatically in each level of DNA folding in chromosomes. Thus, the consideration of the linear packing ratio is not enough for the study of chromatin condensation; the constraint resulting from the actual DNA concentration in metaphase chromosomes must be considered for the construction of models for condensed chromatin.

Social inequalities in depression and suicidal ideation among older primary care patients

PubMed Central

Gilman, Stephen E.; Bruce, Martha L.; Have, Thomas Ten; Alexopoulos, George S.; Mulsant, Benoit H.; Reynolds, Charles F.; Cohen, Alex

2012-01-01

Purpose Depression and suicide are major public health concerns, and are often unrecognized among the elderly. This study investigated social inequalities in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among older adults. Methods Data come from 1,226 participants in PROSPECT (Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial), a large primary care-based intervention trial for late-life depression. Linear and logistic regressions were used to analyze depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation over the two-year follow-up period. Results Mean Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores were significantly higher among participants in financial strain (regression coefficient (b)=1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.67–2.89) and with annual incomes below $20,000 (b=1.67, CI=0.34–3.00). Financial strain was also associated with a higher risk of suicidal ideation (odds ratio=2.35, CI=1.38–3.98). Conclusions There exist marked social inequalities in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among older adults attending primary care practices, the setting in which depression is most commonly treated. Our results justify continued efforts to understand the mechanisms generating such inequalities, and to recognize and provide effective treatments for depression among high-risk populations. PMID:22948560

Income inequality, disinvestment in health care and use of dental services.

PubMed

Bhandari, Bishal; Newton, Jonathan T; Bernabé, Eduardo

2015-01-01

To explore the interrelationships between income inequality, disinvestment in health care, and use of dental services at country level. This study pooled national estimates for use of dental services among adults aged 18 years or older from the 70 countries that participated in the World Health Survey from 2002 to 2004, together with aggregate data on national income (GDP per capita), income inequality (Gini coefficient), and disinvestment in health care (total health expenditure and dentist-to-population ratio) from various international sources. Use of dental services was defined as having had dental problems in the last 12 months and having received any treatment to address those needs. Associations between variables were explored using Pearson correlation coefficients and linear regression. Data from 63 countries representing the six WHO regions were analyzed. Use of dental services was negatively correlated with Gini coefficient (Pearson correlation coefficient -0.48, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with GDP per capita (0.40, P < 0.05), total health expenditure (0.45, P < 0.001), and dentist-to-population ratio (0.67, P < 0.001). The association between Gini coefficient and use of dental services was attenuated but remained significant after adjustments for GDP per capita, total health expenditure, and dentist-to-population ratio (regression coefficient -0.36; 95% CI -0.57, -0.15). This study shows an inverse relationship between income inequality and use of dental services. Of the two indicators of disinvestment in health care assessed, only dentist-to-population ratio was associated with income inequality and use of dental services. © 2014 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

When does inequality freeze an economy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerico, João Pedro; Landes, François P.; Marsili, Matteo; Pérez Castillo, Isaac; Volpati, Valerio

2016-07-01

Inequality and its consequences are the subject of intense recent debate. Using a simplified model of the economy, we address the relation between inequality and liquidity, the latter understood as the frequency of economic exchanges. Assuming a Pareto distribution of wealth for the agents, that is consistent with empirical findings, we find an inverse relation between wealth inequality and overall liquidity. We show that an increase in the inequality of wealth results in an even sharper concentration of the liquid financial resources. This leads to a congestion of the flow of goods and the arrest of the economy when the Pareto exponent reaches one.

Quantum Bell inequalities from macroscopic locality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Tzyh Haur; Sheridan, Lana; Navascues, Miguel

2011-02-15

We propose a method to generate analytical quantum Bell inequalities based on the principle of macroscopic locality. By imposing locality over binary processings of virtual macroscopic intensities, we establish a correspondence between Bell inequalities and quantum Bell inequalities in bipartite scenarios with dichotomic observables. We discuss how to improve the latter approximation and how to extend our ideas to scenarios with more than two outcomes per setting.

Nonlocal games and optimal steering at the boundary of the quantum set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhen, Yi-Zheng; Goh, Koon Tong; Zheng, Yu-Lin; Cao, Wen-Fei; Wu, Xingyao; Chen, Kai; Scarani, Valerio

2016-08-01

The boundary between classical and quantum correlations is well characterized by linear constraints called Bell inequalities. It is much harder to characterize the boundary of the quantum set itself in the space of no-signaling correlations. For the points on the quantum boundary that violate maximally some Bell inequalities, J. Oppenheim and S. Wehner [Science 330, 1072 (2010), 10.1126/science.1192065] pointed out a complex property: Alice's optimal measurements steer Bob's local state to the eigenstate of an effective operator corresponding to its maximal eigenvalue. This effective operator is the linear combination of Bob's local operators induced by the coefficients of the Bell inequality, and it can be interpreted as defining a fine-grained uncertainty relation. It is natural to ask whether the same property holds for other points on the quantum boundary, using the Bell expression that defines the tangent hyperplane at each point. We prove that this is indeed the case for a large set of points, including some that were believed to provide counterexamples. The price to pay is to acknowledge that the Oppenheim-Wehner criterion does not respect equivalence under the no-signaling constraint: for each point, one has to look for specific forms of writing the Bell expressions.

Boole and Bell inequality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michielsen, K.; De Raedt, H.; Hess, K.

2011-03-28

We discuss the relation between Bell's and Boole's inequality. We apply both to the analysis of measurement results in idealized Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm experiments. We present a local realist model that violates Bell's and Boole's inequality due to the absence of Boole's one-to-one correspondence between the two-valued variables of the mathematical description and the two-valued measurement results.

On the Penrose inequality along null hypersurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mars, Marc; Soria, Alberto

2016-06-01

The null Penrose inequality, i.e. the Penrose inequality in terms of the Bondi energy, is studied by introducing a functional on surfaces and studying its properties along a null hypersurface Ω extending to past null infinity. We prove a general Penrose-type inequality which involves the limit at infinity of the Hawking energy along a specific class of geodesic foliations called Geodesic Asymptotically Bondi (GAB), which are shown to always exist. Whenever this foliation approaches large spheres, this inequality becomes the null Penrose inequality and we recover the results of Ludvigsen-Vickers (1983 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 16 3349-53) and Bergqvist (1997 Class. Quantum Grav. 14 2577-83). By exploiting further properties of the functional along general geodesic foliations, we introduce an approach to the null Penrose inequality called the Renormalized Area Method and find a set of two conditions which imply the validity of the null Penrose inequality. One of the conditions involves a limit at infinity and the other a restriction on the spacetime curvature along the flow. We investigate their range of applicability in two particular but interesting cases, namely the shear-free and vacuum case, where the null Penrose inequality is known to hold from the results by Sauter (2008 PhD Thesis Zürich ETH), and the case of null shells propagating in the Minkowski spacetime. Finally, a general inequality bounding the area of the quasi-local black hole in terms of an asymptotic quantity intrinsic of Ω is derived.

Population growth, inequality and poverty.

PubMed

Rodgers, G

1983-01-01

In this discussion of population growth, inequality, and poverty, the type of relationships that can be observed in intercountry comparisons are explored, reviewing the findings of several other authors, presenting some new estimates using an International Labor Office data bank, considering some basic conceptual problems, and examining some of the theoretical and empirical issues that call for investigation at the national level. Intercountry comparisons, despite their limitations, appear to be the easiest starting point for empirical analysis. The approach adopted by most researchers has been to select 1 or more population indicators and a measure of national income inequality and to explain intercountry differences in 1 or both of these variables in terms of each other and of other indicators of economic and social development. Underlying this methodology is the assumption that there are aspects of demographic and economic change that are common to all countries included in the study, so that differences between countries give some guide to the likely evolution over time within any 1 country. This can be accepted at best with reservations, but given the scarcity of data on the evolution of inequality over time, a working hypothesis of this type appears unavoidable. But, as many of the factors likely to cause population growth and inequality operate over extended periods of time, a dynamic model is indicated. A simpler model, which pays particular attention to lags and variations over time, may generate new insights. A summary of the results of a new international cross-section analysis set up on these lines is presented. Results suggest that contrary to expectations, reducing population growth does not seem to generate longterm benefits for the poor in this model, though some short term gains are found. Increasing equality does appear to generate some decline in population growth, as well as persistent gains in incomes among the poor, but the reductions in

Women and Literacy Development in the Third World. Papers Presented at an International Seminar on Women and Literacy Development--Constraints and Prospects (Linkoping, Sweden, August 1991).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malmquist, Eve, Ed.

Organized to focus world-wide public attention on the massive gender inequalities in many areas of the world, a seminar entitled "Women and Literacy Development--Constraints and Prospects" was held in Sweden during August 1991. This book presents conference papers by female literacy experts from 12 developing nations (three in Latin…

Linear spin-2 fields in most general backgrounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernard, Laura; Deffayet, Cédric; Schmidt-May, Angnis; von Strauss, Mikael

2016-04-01

We derive the full perturbative equations of motion for the most general background solutions in ghost-free bimetric theory in its metric formulation. Clever field redefinitions at the level of fluctuations enable us to circumvent the problem of varying a square-root matrix appearing in the theory. This greatly simplifies the expressions for the linear variation of the bimetric interaction terms. We show that these field redefinitions exist and are uniquely invertible if and only if the variation of the square-root matrix itself has a unique solution, which is a requirement for the linearized theory to be well defined. As an application of our results we examine the constraint structure of ghost-free bimetric theory at the level of linear equations of motion for the first time. We identify a scalar combination of equations which is responsible for the absence of the Boulware-Deser ghost mode in the theory. The bimetric scalar constraint is in general not manifestly covariant in its nature. However, in the massive gravity limit the constraint assumes a covariant form when one of the interaction parameters is set to zero. For that case our analysis provides an alternative and almost trivial proof of the absence of the Boulware-Deser ghost. Our findings generalize previous results in the metric formulation of massive gravity and also agree with studies of its vielbein version.

Income inequality: A complex network analysis of US states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogas, Periklis; Gupta, Rangan; Miller, Stephen M.; Papadimitriou, Theophilos; Sarantitis, Georgios Antonios

2017-10-01

This study performs a long-run, inter-temporal analysis of income inequality in the US spanning the period 1916-2012. We employ both descriptive analysis and the Threshold-Minimum Dominating Set methodology from Graph Theory, to examine the evolution of inequality through time. In doing so, we use two alternative measures of inequality: the Top 1% share of income and the Gini coefficient. This provides new insight on the literature of income inequality across the US states. Several empirical findings emerge. First, a heterogeneous evolution of inequality exists across the four focal sub-periods. Second, the results differ between the inequality measures examined. Finally, we identify groups of similarly behaving states in terms of inequality. The US authorities can use these findings to identify inequality trends and innovations and/or examples to investigate the causes of inequality within the US and implement appropriate policies.

The mediating role of social capital in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and body mass index.

PubMed

Mackenbach, Joreintje D; Lakerveld, Jeroen; van Oostveen, Yavanna; Compernolle, Sofie; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Bárdos, Helga; Rutter, Harry; Glonti, Ketevan; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Charreire, Helene; Brug, Johannes; Nijpels, Giel

2017-04-01

Neighbourhood income inequality may contribute to differences in body weight. We explored whether neighbourhood social capital mediated the association of neighbourhood income inequality with individual body mass index (BMI). A total of 4126 adult participants from 48 neighbourhoods in France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK provided information on their levels of income, perceptions of neighbourhood social capital and BMI. Factor analysis of the 13-item social capital scale revealed two social capital constructs: social networks and social cohesion. Neighbourhood income inequality was defined as the ratio of the amount of income earned by the top 20% and the bottom 20% in a given neighbourhood. Two single mediation analyses-using multilevel linear regression analyses-with neighbourhood social networks and neighbourhood social cohesion as possible mediators-were conducted using MacKinnon's product-of-coefficients method, adjusted for age, gender, education and absolute household income. Higher neighbourhood income inequality was associated with elevated levels of BMI and lower levels of neighbourhood social networks and neighbourhood social cohesion. High levels of neighbourhood social networks were associated with lower BMI. Results stratified by country demonstrate that social networks fully explained the association between income inequality and BMI in France and the Netherlands. Social cohesion was only a significant mediating variable for Dutch participants. The results suggest that in some European urban regions, neighbourhood social capital plays a large role in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and individual BMI. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Children Rectify Inequalities for Disadvantaged Groups

PubMed Central

Elenbaas, Laura; Killen, Melanie

2016-01-01

Children’s decisions regarding the allocation of societal resources in the context of preexisting inequalities were investigated. African-American and European-American children ages 5–6 years (n = 91) and 10–11 years (n = 94) judged the acceptability of a medical resource inequality on the basis of race, allocated medical supplies, evaluated different resource allocation strategies, and completed a measure of status awareness based on race. With age, children were increasingly aware of wealth status disparities between African-Americans and European-Americans, and judged a medical resource inequality between groups more negatively. Further, with age, children rectified the resource inequality over perpetuating it, but only when African-American children were disadvantaged. With age, children also referenced rights when reasoning about their judgments concerning the disadvantaged African-American group. When European-American children were disadvantaged, children did not systematically allocate more resources to one group over another. The results are discussed in terms of social inequalities, disadvantaged status, moral judgments, and intergroup attitudes. PMID:27455190

Health Inequalities: Trends, Progress, and Policy

PubMed Central

Bleich, Sara N.; Jarlenski, Marian P.; Bell, Caryn N.; LaVeist, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

Health inequalities, which have been well documented for decades, have more recently become policy targets in developed countries. This review describes time trends in health inequalities (by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status), commitments to reduce health inequalities, and progress made to eliminate health inequalities in the United States, United Kingdom, and other OECD countries. Time-trend data in the United States indicate a narrowing of the gap between the best- and worst-off groups in some health indicators, such as life expectancy, but a widening of the gap in others, such as diabetes prevalence. Similarly, time-trend data in the United Kingdom indicate a narrowing of the gap between the best- and worst-off groups in some indicators, such as hypertension prevalence, whereas the gap between social classes has increased for life expectancy. More research and better methods are needed to measure precisely the relationships between stated policy goals and observed trends in health inequalities. PMID:22224876

[Social inequality in home care].

PubMed

Möller, A; Osterfeld, A; Büscher, A

2013-06-01

Social inequality in Germany is discussed primarily with regard to educational or social welfare issues. There is a political consensus that more action should be taken to ensure equality of chances and fulfillment of basic needs for everyone. In long-term care these considerations have not yet taken place and there are hardly any research studies in this field. However, the startling rise of the need for long-term care will definitely require a discussion of social inequality in various care arrangements. To learn more about social inequality in home care, a qualitative approach was used and 16 home care nurses were interviewed. Our study shows that many care recipients face numerous problems they cannot handle on their own, which may even worsen their situation. In addition, the results reveal that facing social inequalities place a burden on nurses and influence their work performance.

Economic inequality predicts biodiversity loss.

PubMed

Mikkelson, Gregory M; Gonzalez, Andrew; Peterson, Garry D

2007-05-16

Human activity is causing high rates of biodiversity loss. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the extent to which socioeconomic factors exacerbate or ameliorate our impacts on biological diversity. One such factor, economic inequality, has been shown to affect public health, and has been linked to environmental problems in general. We tested how strongly economic inequality is related to biodiversity loss in particular. We found that among countries, and among US states, the number of species that are threatened or declining increases substantially with the Gini ratio of income inequality. At both levels of analysis, the connection between income inequality and biodiversity loss persists after controlling for biophysical conditions, human population size, and per capita GDP or income. Future research should explore potential mechanisms behind this equality-biodiversity relationship. Our results suggest that economic reforms would go hand in hand with, if not serving as a prerequisite for, effective conservation.

Do Socioeconomic Inequalities in Neonatal Mortality Reflect Inequalities in Coverage of Maternal Health Services? Evidence from 48 Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

PubMed

McKinnon, Britt; Harper, Sam; Kaufman, Jay S

2016-02-01

To examine socioeconomic and health system determinants of wealth-related inequalities in neonatal mortality rates (NMR) across 48 low- and middle-income countries. We used data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2006 and 2012. Absolute and relative inequalities for NMR and coverage of antenatal care, facility-based delivery, and Caesarean delivery were measured using the Slope Index of Inequality and Relative Index of Inequality, respectively. Meta-regression was used to assess whether variation in the magnitude of NMR inequalities was associated with inequalities in coverage of maternal health services, and whether country-level economic and health system factors were associated with mean NMR and socioeconomic inequality in NMR. Of the three maternal health service indicators examined, the magnitude of socioeconomic inequality in NMR was most strongly related to inequalities in antenatal care. NMR inequality was greatest in countries with higher out-of-pocket health expenditures, more doctors per capita, and a higher adolescent fertility rate. Determinants of lower mean NMR (e.g., higher government health expenditures and a greater number of nurses/midwives per capita) differed from factors associated with lower NMR inequality. Reducing the financial burden of maternal health services and achieving universal coverage of antenatal care may contribute to a reduction in socioeconomic differences in NMR. Further investigation of the mechanisms contributing to these cross-national associations seems warranted.

On Birman's sequence of Hardy-Rellich-type inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gesztesy, Fritz; Littlejohn, Lance L.; Michael, Isaac; Wellman, Richard

2018-02-01

In 1961, Birman proved a sequence of inequalities {In }, for n ∈ N, valid for functions in C0n ((0 , ∞)) ⊂L2 ((0 , ∞)). In particular, I1 is the classical (integral) Hardy inequality and I2 is the well-known Rellich inequality. In this paper, we give a proof of this sequence of inequalities valid on a certain Hilbert space Hn ([ 0 , ∞)) of functions defined on [ 0 , ∞). Moreover, f ∈Hn ([ 0 , ∞)) implies f‧ ∈Hn-1 ([ 0 , ∞)); as a consequence of this inclusion, we see that the classical Hardy inequality implies each of the inequalities in Birman's sequence. We also show that for any finite b > 0, these inequalities hold on the standard Sobolev space H0n ((0 , b)). Furthermore, in all cases, the Birman constants [ (2 n - 1) ! ! ] 2 /22n in these inequalities are sharp and the only function that gives equality in any of these inequalities is the trivial function in L2 ((0 , ∞)) (resp., L2 ((0 , b))). We also show that these Birman constants are related to the norm of a generalized continuous Cesàro averaging operator whose spectral properties we determine in detail.

Income-related health inequalities across regions in Korea

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Introduction In addition to economic inequalities, there has been growing concern over socioeconomic inequalities in health across income levels and/or regions. This study measures income-related health inequalities within and between regions and assesses the possibility of convergence of socioeconomic inequalities in health as regional incomes converge. Methods We considered a total of 45,233 subjects (≥ 19 years) drawn from the four waves of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We considered true health as a latent variable following a lognormal distribution. We obtained ill-health scores by matching self-rated health (SRH) to its distribution and used the Gini Coefficient (GC) and an income-related ill-health Concentration Index (CI) to examine inequalities in income and health, respectively. Results The GC estimates were 0.3763 and 0.0657 for overall and spatial inequalities, respectively. The overall CI was -0.1309, and the spatial CI was -0.0473. The spatial GC and CI estimates were smaller than their counterparts, indicating substantial inequalities in income (from 0.3199 in Daejeon to 0.4233 Chungnam) and income-related health inequalities (from -0.1596 in Jeju and -0.0844 in Ulsan) within regions. The results indicate a positive relationship between the GC and the average ill-health and a negative relationship between the CI and the average ill-health. Those regions with a low level of health tended to show an unequal distribution of income and health. In addition, there was a negative relationship between the GC and the CI, that is, the larger the income inequalities, the larger the health inequalities were. The GC was negatively related to the average regional income, indicating that an increase in a region's average income reduced income inequalities in the region. On the other hand, the CI showed a positive relationship, indicating that an increase in a region's average income reduced health inequalities in the

Identifying Determinants of Socioeconomic Inequality in Health Service Utilization among Patients with Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in China

PubMed Central

Wu, Qunhong; Hao, Yanhua; Ning, Ning; Xu, Ling; Liu, Chaojie; Li, Ye; Kang, Zheng; Liu, Guoxiang

2014-01-01

Background People with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD) are particularly vulnerable to socioeconomic inequality due to their long-term expensive health needs. This study aimed to assess socioeconomic-related inequality in health service utilization among NCD patients in China and to analyze factors associated with this disparity. Methods Data were taken from the 2008 Chinese National Health Survey, in which a multiple stage stratified random sampling method was employed to survey 56,456 households. We analyzed the distribution of actual use, need-expected use, and need-standardized usage of outpatient services (over a two-week period) and inpatient services (over one-year) across different income groups in 27,233 adult respondents who reported as having a NCD. We used a concentration index to measure inequality in the distribution of health services, which was expressed as HI (Horizontal Inequity Index) for need-standardized use of services. A non-linear probit regression model was employed to detect inequality across socio-economic groups. Results Pro-rich inequity in health services among NCD patients was more substantial than the average population. A higher degree of pro-rich inequity (HI = 0.253) was found in inpatient services compared to outpatient services (HI = 0.089). Despite a greater need for health services amongst those of lower socio-economic status, their actual use is much less than their more affluent counterparts. Health service underuse by the poor and overuse by the affluent are evident. Household income disparity was the greatest inequality factor in NCD service use for both outpatients (71.3%) and inpatients (108%), more so than health insurance policies. Some medical insurance schemes, such as the MIUE, actually made a pro-rich contribution to health service inequality (16.1% for outpatient and 12.1% for inpatient). Conclusions Inequality in health services amongst NCD patients in China remains largely determined by patient

Income inequality and income segregation.

PubMed

Reardon, Sean F; Bischoff, Kendra

2011-01-01

This article investigates how the growth in income inequality from 1970 to 2000 affected patterns of income segregation along three dimensions: the spatial segregation of poverty and affluence, race-specific patterns of income segregation, and the geographic scale of income segregation. The evidence reveals a robust relationship between income inequality and income segregation, an effect that is larger for black families than for white families. In addition, income inequality affects income segregation primarily through its effect on the large-scale spatial segregation of affluence rather than by affecting the spatial segregation of poverty or by altering small-scale patterns of income segregation.

Socioeconomic Inequalities Persist Despite Declining Stunting Prevalence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

PubMed

da Silva, Inácio Crochemore M; França, Giovanny V; Barros, Aluisio J D; Amouzou, Agbessi; Krasevec, Julia; Victora, Cesar G

2018-02-01

Global stunting prevalence has been nearly halved between 1990 and 2016, but it remains unclear whether this decline has benefited poor and rural populations within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We assessed time trends in stunting among children <5 y of age (under-5) according to household wealth and place of residence in 67 LMICs. Stunting prevalence was analyzed in 217 nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 67 countries with ≥2 surveys between 1993 and 2014. National estimates were stratified by wealth and area of residence, comparing the poorest 40% with the wealthiest 60%, and those residing in urban and rural areas. Time trends were calculated for LMICs by using multilevel regression models weighted by under-5 population, with stratification by wealth and by residence. Trends in absolute (slope index of inequality; SII) and relative (concentration index; CIX) inequalities were calculated. Mean prevalences in 1993 were 53.7% in low-income and 48.2% in middle-income countries, with annual average linear declines of 0.76 and 0.72 percentage points (pp), respectively. Although similar slopes of declines were observed for the poorest 40% and wealthiest 60% groups in all countries (0.78 and 0.74 pp, respectively), absolute and relative inequalities increased over time in low-income countries (SII increased from -19.3% in 1993 to -23.7% in 2014 and CIX increased from -6.2% to -10.8% in the same period). In middle-income countries, socioeconomic inequalities remained stable. Overall, stunting prevalence decreased more rapidly among rural than for urban children (0.78 and 0.55 pp, respectively). The prevalence of stunting is decreasing. Poor-rich gaps are stable in middle-income countries and slightly increasing in low-income countries. Rural-urban inequalities are decreasing over time.

GNSS Single Frequency, Single Epoch Reliable Attitude Determination Method with Baseline Vector Constraint.

PubMed

Gong, Ang; Zhao, Xiubin; Pang, Chunlei; Duan, Rong; Wang, Yong

2015-12-02

For Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) single frequency, single epoch attitude determination, this paper proposes a new reliable method with baseline vector constraint. First, prior knowledge of baseline length, heading, and pitch obtained from other navigation equipment or sensors are used to reconstruct objective function rigorously. Then, searching strategy is improved. It substitutes gradually Enlarged ellipsoidal search space for non-ellipsoidal search space to ensure correct ambiguity candidates are within it and make the searching process directly be carried out by least squares ambiguity decorrelation algorithm (LAMBDA) method. For all vector candidates, some ones are further eliminated by derived approximate inequality, which accelerates the searching process. Experimental results show that compared to traditional method with only baseline length constraint, this new method can utilize a priori baseline three-dimensional knowledge to fix ambiguity reliably and achieve a high success rate. Experimental tests also verify it is not very sensitive to baseline vector error and can perform robustly when angular error is not great.

National health inequality monitoring: current challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Schlotheuber, Anne; Boerma, Ties

National health inequality monitoring needs considerably more investment to realize equity-oriented health improvements in countries, including advancement towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Following an overview of national health inequality monitoring and the associated resource requirements, we highlight challenges that countries may encounter when setting up, expanding or strengthening national health inequality monitoring systems, and discuss opportunities and key initiatives that aim to address these challenges. We provide specific proposals on what is needed to ensure that national health inequality monitoring systems are harnessed to guide the reduction of health inequalities.

Basic Research in the Mathematical Foundations of Stability Theory, Control Theory and Numerical Linear Algebra.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-01

without determinantal divisors, Linear and Multilinear Algebra 7(1979), 107-109. 4. The use of integral operators in number theory (with C. Ryavec and...Gersgorin revisited, to appear in Letters in Linear Algebra. 15. A surprising determinantal inequality for real matrices (with C.R. Johnson), to appear in...Analysis: An Essay Concerning the Limitations of Some Mathematical Methods in the Social , Political and Biological Sciences, David Berlinski, MIT Press

Are some areas more equal than others? Socioeconomic inequality in potentially avoidable emergency hospital admissions within English local authority areas.

PubMed

Sheringham, Jessica; Asaria, Miqdad; Barratt, Helen; Raine, Rosalind; Cookson, Richard

2017-04-01

Objectives Reducing health inequalities is an explicit goal of England's health system. Our aim was to compare the performance of English local administrative areas in reducing socioeconomic inequality in emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive chronic conditions. Methods We used local authority area as a stable proxy for health and long-term care administrative geography between 2004/5 and 2011/12. We linked inpatient hospital activity, deprivation, primary care, and population data to small area neighbourhoods (typical population 1500) within administrative areas (typical population 250,000). We measured absolute inequality gradients nationally and within each administrative area using neighbourhood-level linear models of the relationship between national deprivation and age-sex-adjusted emergency admission rates. We assessed local equity performance by comparing local inequality against national inequality to identify areas significantly more or less equal than expected; evaluated stability over time; and identified where equity performance was steadily improving or worsening. We then examined associations between change in socioeconomic inequalities and change in within-area deprivation (gentrification). Finally, we used administrative area-level random and fixed effects models to examine the contribution of primary care to inequalities in admissions. Results Data on 316 administrative areas were included in the analysis. Local inequalities were fairly stable between consecutive years, but 32 areas (10%) showed steadily improving or worsening equity. In the 21 improving areas, the gap between most and least deprived fell by 3.9 admissions per 1000 (six times the fall nationally) between 2004/5 and 2011/12, while in the 11 areas worsening, the gap widened by 2.4. There was no indication that measured improvements in local equity were an artefact of gentrification or that changes in primary care supply or quality contributed to changes in

Are some areas more equal than others? Socioeconomic inequality in potentially avoidable emergency hospital admissions within English local authority areas

PubMed Central

Asaria, Miqdad; Barratt, Helen; Raine, Rosalind; Cookson, Richard

2016-01-01

Objectives Reducing health inequalities is an explicit goal of England’s health system. Our aim was to compare the performance of English local administrative areas in reducing socioeconomic inequality in emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive chronic conditions. Methods We used local authority area as a stable proxy for health and long-term care administrative geography between 2004/5 and 2011/12. We linked inpatient hospital activity, deprivation, primary care, and population data to small area neighbourhoods (typical population 1500) within administrative areas (typical population 250,000). We measured absolute inequality gradients nationally and within each administrative area using neighbourhood-level linear models of the relationship between national deprivation and age–sex-adjusted emergency admission rates. We assessed local equity performance by comparing local inequality against national inequality to identify areas significantly more or less equal than expected; evaluated stability over time; and identified where equity performance was steadily improving or worsening. We then examined associations between change in socioeconomic inequalities and change in within-area deprivation (gentrification). Finally, we used administrative area-level random and fixed effects models to examine the contribution of primary care to inequalities in admissions. Results Data on 316 administrative areas were included in the analysis. Local inequalities were fairly stable between consecutive years, but 32 areas (10%) showed steadily improving or worsening equity. In the 21 improving areas, the gap between most and least deprived fell by 3.9 admissions per 1000 (six times the fall nationally) between 2004/5 and 2011/12, while in the 11 areas worsening, the gap widened by 2.4. There was no indication that measured improvements in local equity were an artefact of gentrification or that changes in primary care supply or quality contributed to changes in

Virtual Constraint Control of a Powered Prosthetic Leg: From Simulation to Experiments with Transfemoral Amputees.

PubMed

Gregg, Robert D; Lenzi, Tommaso; Hargrove, Levi J; Sensinger, Jonathon W

2014-12-01

Recent powered (or robotic) prosthetic legs independently control different joints and time periods of the gait cycle, resulting in control parameters and switching rules that can be difficult to tune by clinicians. This challenge might be addressed by a unifying control model used by recent bipedal robots, in which virtual constraints define joint patterns as functions of a monotonic variable that continuously represents the gait cycle phase. In the first application of virtual constraints to amputee locomotion, this paper derives exact and approximate control laws for a partial feedback linearization to enforce virtual constraints on a prosthetic leg. We then encode a human-inspired invariance property called effective shape into virtual constraints for the stance period. After simulating the robustness of the partial feedback linearization to clinically meaningful conditions, we experimentally implement this control strategy on a powered transfemoral leg. We report the results of three amputee subjects walking overground and at variable cadences on a treadmill, demonstrating the clinical viability of this novel control approach.

Inequality and inequity in access to health care and treatment for chronic conditions in China: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

PubMed

Elwell-Sutton, Timothy M; Jiang, Chao Qiang; Zhang, Wei Sen; Cheng, Kar Keung; Lam, Tai H; Leung, Gabriel M; Schooling, C M

2013-08-01

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a large and rapidly-growing problem in China and other middle-income countries. Clinical treatment of NCDs is long-term and expensive, so it may present particular problems for equality and horizontal equity (equal treatment for equal need) in access to health care, although little is known about this at present in low- and middle-income countries. To address this gap, and inform policy for a substantial proportion of the global population, we examined inequality and inequity in general health care utilization (doctor consultations and hospital admissions) and in treatment of chronic conditions (hypertension, hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia), in 30 499 Chinese adults aged ≥50 years from one of China's richest provinces, using the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (2003-2008). We used concentration indices to test for inequality and inequity in utilization by household income per head. Inequality was decomposed to show the contributions of income, indicators of 'need for health care' (age, sex, self-rated health, coronary heart disease risk and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and non-need factors (education, occupation, out-of-pocket health care payments and health insurance). We found inequality and inequity in treatment of chronic conditions but not in general health care utilization. Using more objective and specific measures of 'need for health care' increased estimates of inequity for treatment of chronic conditions. Income and non-need factors (especially health insurance, education and occupation) made the largest contributions to inequality. Further work is needed on why access to treatment for chronic conditions in China is restricted for those on low incomes and how these inequities can be mitigated.

Tackling health inequalities: moving theory to action

PubMed Central

Signal, Louise; Martin, Jennifer; Reid, Papaarangi; Carroll, Christopher; Howden-Chapman, Philippa; Ormsby, Vera Keefe; Richards, Ruth; Robson, Bridget; Wall, Teresa

2007-01-01

Background This paper reports on health inequalities awareness-raising workshops conducted with senior New Zealand health sector staff as part of the Government's goal of reducing inequalities in health, education, employment and housing. Methods The workshops were based on a multi-method needs assessment with senior staff in key health institutions. The workshops aimed to increase the knowledge and skills of health sector staff to act on, and advocate for, eliminating inequalities in health. They were practical, evidence-based, and action oriented and took a social approach to the causes of inequalities in health. The workshops used ethnicity as a case study and explored racism as a driver of inequalities. They focused on the role of institutionalized racism, or racism that is built into health sector institutions. Institutional theory provided a framework for participants to analyse how their institutions create and maintain inequalities and how they can act to change this. Results Participants identified a range of institutional mechanisms that promote inequalities and a range of ways to address them including: undertaking further training, using Māori (the indigenous people) models of health in policy-making, increasing Māori participation and partnership in decision making, strengthening sector relationships with iwi (tribes), funding and supporting services provided 'by Māori for Māori', ensuring a strategic approach to intersectoral work, encouraging stronger community involvement in the work of the institution, requiring all evaluations to assess impact on inequalities, and requiring the sector to report on progress in addressing health inequalities. The workshops were rated highly by participants, who indicated increased commitment to tackle inequalities as a result of the training. Discussion Government and sector leadership were critical to the success of the workshops and subsequent changes in policy and practice. The use of locally adapted equity

Tackling health inequalities: moving theory to action.

PubMed

Signal, Louise; Martin, Jennifer; Reid, Papaarangi; Carroll, Christopher; Howden-Chapman, Philippa; Ormsby, Vera Keefe; Richards, Ruth; Robson, Bridget; Wall, Teresa

2007-10-03

This paper reports on health inequalities awareness-raising workshops conducted with senior New Zealand health sector staff as part of the Government's goal of reducing inequalities in health, education, employment and housing. The workshops were based on a multi-method needs assessment with senior staff in key health institutions. The workshops aimed to increase the knowledge and skills of health sector staff to act on, and advocate for, eliminating inequalities in health. They were practical, evidence-based, and action oriented and took a social approach to the causes of inequalities in health. The workshops used ethnicity as a case study and explored racism as a driver of inequalities. They focused on the role of institutionalized racism, or racism that is built into health sector institutions. Institutional theory provided a framework for participants to analyse how their institutions create and maintain inequalities and how they can act to change this. Participants identified a range of institutional mechanisms that promote inequalities and a range of ways to address them including: undertaking further training, using Māori (the indigenous people) models of health in policy-making, increasing Māori participation and partnership in decision making, strengthening sector relationships with iwi (tribes), funding and supporting services provided 'by Māori for Māori', ensuring a strategic approach to intersectoral work, encouraging stronger community involvement in the work of the institution, requiring all evaluations to assess impact on inequalities, and requiring the sector to report on progress in addressing health inequalities. The workshops were rated highly by participants, who indicated increased commitment to tackle inequalities as a result of the training. Government and sector leadership were critical to the success of the workshops and subsequent changes in policy and practice. The use of locally adapted equity tools, requiring participants to

Economic Inequality Predicts Biodiversity Loss

PubMed Central

Mikkelson, Gregory M.; Gonzalez, Andrew; Peterson, Garry D.

2007-01-01

Human activity is causing high rates of biodiversity loss. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the extent to which socioeconomic factors exacerbate or ameliorate our impacts on biological diversity. One such factor, economic inequality, has been shown to affect public health, and has been linked to environmental problems in general. We tested how strongly economic inequality is related to biodiversity loss in particular. We found that among countries, and among US states, the number of species that are threatened or declining increases substantially with the Gini ratio of income inequality. At both levels of analysis, the connection between income inequality and biodiversity loss persists after controlling for biophysical conditions, human population size, and per capita GDP or income. Future research should explore potential mechanisms behind this equality-biodiversity relationship. Our results suggest that economic reforms would go hand in hand with, if not serving as a prerequisite for, effective conservation. PMID:17505535

Linear matrix inequality-based nonlinear adaptive robust control with application to unmanned aircraft systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kun, David William

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are gaining popularity in civil and commercial applications as their lightweight on-board computers become more powerful and affordable, their power storage devices improve, and the Federal Aviation Administration addresses the legal and safety concerns of integrating UASs in the national airspace. Consequently, many researchers are pursuing novel methods to control UASs in order to improve their capabilities, dependability, and safety assurance. The nonlinear control approach is a common choice as it offers several benefits for these highly nonlinear aerospace systems (e.g., the quadrotor). First, the controller design is physically intuitive and is derived from well known dynamic equations. Second, the final control law is valid in a larger region of operation, including far from the equilibrium states. And third, the procedure is largely methodical, requiring less expertise with gain tuning, which can be arduous for a novice engineer. Considering these facts, this thesis proposes a nonlinear controller design method that combines the advantages of adaptive robust control (ARC) with the powerful design tools of linear matrix inequalities (LMI). The ARC-LMI controller is designed with a discontinuous projection-based adaptation law, and guarantees a prescribed transient and steady state tracking performance for uncertain systems in the presence of matched disturbances. The norm of the tracking error is bounded by a known function that depends on the controller design parameters in a known form. Furthermore, the LMI-based part of the controller ensures the stability of the system while overcoming polytopic uncertainties, and minimizes the control effort. This can reduce the number of parameters that require adaptation, and helps to avoid control input saturation. These desirable characteristics make the ARC-LMI control algorithm well suited for the quadrotor UAS, which may have unknown parameters and may encounter external

Sampled-data-based vibration control for structural systems with finite-time state constraint and sensor outage.

PubMed

Weng, Falu; Liu, Mingxin; Mao, Weijie; Ding, Yuanchun; Liu, Feifei

2018-05-10

The problem of sampled-data-based vibration control for structural systems with finite-time state constraint and sensor outage is investigated in this paper. The objective of designing controllers is to guarantee the stability and anti-disturbance performance of the closed-loop systems while some sensor outages happen. Firstly, based on matrix transformation, the state-space model of structural systems with sensor outages and uncertainties appearing in the mass, damping and stiffness matrices is established. Secondly, by considering most of those earthquakes or strong winds happen in a very short time, and it is often the peak values make the structures damaged, the finite-time stability analysis method is introduced to constrain the state responses in a given time interval, and the H-infinity stability is adopted in the controller design to make sure that the closed-loop system has a prescribed level of disturbance attenuation performance during the whole control process. Furthermore, all stabilization conditions are expressed in the forms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), whose feasibility can be easily checked by using the LMI Toolbox. Finally, numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed theorems. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two Point Exponential Approximation Method for structural optimization of problems with frequency constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fadel, G. M.

1991-01-01

The point exponential approximation method was introduced by Fadel et al. (Fadel, 1990), and tested on structural optimization problems with stress and displacement constraints. The reports in earlier papers were promising, and the method, which consists of correcting Taylor series approximations using previous design history, is tested in this paper on optimization problems with frequency constraints. The aim of the research is to verify the robustness and speed of convergence of the two point exponential approximation method when highly non-linear constraints are used.

Income inequality, poverty and crime across nations.

PubMed

Pare, Paul-Philippe; Felson, Richard

2014-09-01

We examine the relationship between income inequality, poverty, and different types of crime. Our results are consistent with recent research in showing that inequality is unrelated to homicide rates when poverty is controlled. In our multi-level analyses of the International Crime Victimization Survey we find that inequality is unrelated to assault, robbery, burglary, and theft when poverty is controlled. We argue that there are also theoretical reasons to doubt that the level of income inequality of a country affects the likelihood of criminal behaviour. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2014.

A systematic linear space approach to solving partially described inverse eigenvalue problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Sau-Lon James; Li, Haujun

2008-06-01

Most applications of the inverse eigenvalue problem (IEP), which concerns the reconstruction of a matrix from prescribed spectral data, are associated with special classes of structured matrices. Solving the IEP requires one to satisfy both the spectral constraint and the structural constraint. If the spectral constraint consists of only one or few prescribed eigenpairs, this kind of inverse problem has been referred to as the partially described inverse eigenvalue problem (PDIEP). This paper develops an efficient, general and systematic approach to solve the PDIEP. Basically, the approach, applicable to various structured matrices, converts the PDIEP into an ordinary inverse problem that is formulated as a set of simultaneous linear equations. While solving simultaneous linear equations for model parameters, the singular value decomposition method is applied. Because of the conversion to an ordinary inverse problem, other constraints associated with the model parameters can be easily incorporated into the solution procedure. The detailed derivation and numerical examples to implement the newly developed approach to symmetric Toeplitz and quadratic pencil (including mass, damping and stiffness matrices of a linear dynamic system) PDIEPs are presented. Excellent numerical results for both kinds of problem are achieved under the situations that have either unique or infinitely many solutions.

Hardy and Rellich inequalities for submanifolds in Hadamard spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batista, M.; Mirandola, H.; Vitório, F.

2017-11-01

Some of the most known integral inequalities are the Sobolev, Hardy and Rellich inequalities on regions in Euclidean spaces. In the context of submanifolds, the Sobolev inequality was proved by Michael-Simon [13] and Hoffman-Spruck [12]. Since then, a sort of applications to the submanifold theory has been derived from those inequalities. Years later, Carron [6] obtained a Hardy inequality for submanifolds in Hadamard spaces. In this paper, we prove the general Hardy and Rellich Inequalities for submanifolds in Hadamard spaces. Some applications are given and we also analyse the equality cases.

Stigma, social inequality, and HIV risk disclosure among Dominican male sex workers☆

PubMed Central

Padilla, Mark; Castellanos, Daniel; Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent; Reyes, Armando Matiz; Sánchez Marte, Leonardo E.; Soriano, Martha Arredondo

2010-01-01

Some quantitative behavioral studies in the USA have concluded that bisexually behaving Latino men are less likely than White men to disclose to their female partners that they have engaged in same-sex risk behavior and/or are HIV-positive, presumably exposing female partners to elevated risk for HIV infection. Nevertheless, very little theoretical or empirical research has been conducted to understand the social factors that promote or inhibit sexual risk disclosure among Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), and much of the existing literature has neglected to contextualize disclosure patterns within broader experiences of stigma and social inequality. This paper examines decisions about disclosure of sex work, same-sex behavior, and sexual risk for HIV among male sex workers in two cities in the Dominican Republic. Data derive from long-term ethnography and qualitative in-depth interviews with 72 male sex workers were used to analyze the relationships among experiences of stigma, social inequality, and patterns of sexual risk disclosure. Thematic analysis of interviews and ethnographic evidence revealed a wide range of stigma management techniques utilized by sex workers to minimize the effects of marginality due to their engagement in homosexuality and sex work. These techniques imposed severe constraints on men’s sexual risk disclosure, and potentially elevated their own and their female partners’ vulnerability to HIV infection. Based on the study’s findings, we conclude that future studies of sexual risk disclosure among ethnic minority MSM should avoid analyzing disclosure as a decontextualized variable, and should seek to examine sexual risk communication as a dynamic social process constrained by hierarchical systems of power and inequality. PMID:18410986

Do racial inequities in infant mortality correspond to variations in societal conditions? A study of state-level income inequality in the U.S., 1992-2007.

PubMed

Siddiqi, Arjumand; Jones, Marcella K; Bruce, Donald J; Erwin, Paul C

2016-09-01

Prior studies have examined the association between income inequality and overall infant mortality rates (IMR). We examine effects of income inequality on racial inequities in IMR over the period 1992-2007 in the U.S. Race-specific state IMR data were obtained from 1992 to 2007, from which absolute and relative IMR inequities were calculated. Fixed and random effects models, adjusted for state-level median income, percent poverty, percent high school graduates, and unemployment rate, were used to determine contemporaneous and lagged state-level associations between income inequality and racial IMR inequities. Racial IMR inequities varied significantly across the U.S. Contemporaneous income inequality was negatively associated with white IMR only. Two-year lagged income inequality was negatively associated with black IMR and had the most pronounced effect on racial inequities in IMR. Future studies should consider lagged effects of income inequality on IMR and other health outcomes, and should examine other potential societal conditions that may account for state-level variations in racial IMR inequities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decomposing socioeconomic inequality in infant mortality in Iran.

PubMed

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Van Doorslaer, Eddy; Speybroeck, Niko; Naghavi, Mohsen; Mohammad, Kazem; Majdzadeh, Reza; Delavar, Bahram; Jamshidi, Hamidreza; Vega, Jeanette

2006-10-01

Although measuring socioeconomic inequality in population health indicators like infant mortality is important, more interesting for policy purposes is to try to explain infant mortality inequality. The objective of this paper is to quantify for the first time the determinants' contributions of socioeconomic inequality in infant mortality in Iran. A nationally representative sample of 108 875 live births from October 1990 to September 1999 was selected. The data were taken from the Iranian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in 2000. Households' socioeconomic status was measured using principal component analysis. The concentration index of infant mortality was used as our measure of socioeconomic inequality and decomposed into its determining factors. The largest contributions to inequality in infant mortality were owing to household economic status (36.2%) and mother's education (20.9%). Residency in rural/urban areas (13.9%), birth interval (13.0%), and hygienic status of toilet (11.9%) also proved important contributors to the measured inequality. The findings indicate that socioeconomic inequality in infant mortality in Iran is determined not only by health system functions but also by factors beyond the scope of health authorities and care delivery system. This implies that in addition to reducing inequalities in wealth and education, investments in water and sanitation infrastructure and programmes (especially in rural areas) are necessary to realize improvements of inequality in infant mortality across society. These findings can be instrumental for the recent 5 year Economic, Social and Cultural Development Plan of Iran, which identified the reduction of inequalities in social determinants of health.

[Inequalities in mortality in the Italian longitudinal studies].

PubMed

Cardano, M; Costa, G; Demaria, M; Merler, E; Biggeri, A

1999-01-01

The article presents some of the most relevant results on inequalities in mortality, obtained by the two Italian longitudinal studies carried out in Turin, and Tuscany (in Leghorn and Florence). The two studies share the same methodology. Each database contains census data, information from population register and from death certificates. The authors approach this issue not in an analytical way (as they did in the works cited in the reference list), but answering some questions, relevant both from a scientific and a political point of view. How big are the health inequalities in Italy? Are the health inequalities in Italy increasing or decreasing? Are the health inequalities due to absolute or to relative deprivation? Does the mortality profile of the Italian population express the presence of old or new health inequalities? Can the health inequalities be reduced? The study's results prove that the health inequalities in Italy are deep and strictly related to individuals' position in the social fabric. Facing the other questions the authors focus only in the Turin data. From the 1970's to the 1990's the health inequalities in Turin have increased, despite of general improvement of population's health condition and the progressive reduction of the size of deprived groups. Turin data support both the hypotheses on the source of health inequalities, using long term unemployment as absolute deprivation's indicator, and status' inconsistency as (a row) indicator of relative deprivation. The growth of drug-related causes of death (AIDS and overdose) shows that in the Turin and--quite reasonably--Italian population old and new health inequalities live together. The essay closes offering evidence on the possibility to reduce health inequalities. For this purpose the authors analyses the Turin trend of avoidable deaths and infant and adolescent mortality.

A non-linear programming approach to the computer-aided design of regulators using a linear-quadratic formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, P.

1985-01-01

A design technique is proposed for linear regulators in which a feedback controller of fixed structure is chosen to minimize an integral quadratic objective function subject to the satisfaction of integral quadratic constraint functions. Application of a non-linear programming algorithm to this mathematically tractable formulation results in an efficient and useful computer-aided design tool. Particular attention is paid to computational efficiency and various recommendations are made. Two design examples illustrate the flexibility of the approach and highlight the special insight afforded to the designer.

Mixed models, linear dependency, and identification in age-period-cohort models.

PubMed

O'Brien, Robert M

2017-07-20

This paper examines the identification problem in age-period-cohort models that use either linear or categorically coded ages, periods, and cohorts or combinations of these parameterizations. These models are not identified using the traditional fixed effect regression model approach because of a linear dependency between the ages, periods, and cohorts. However, these models can be identified if the researcher introduces a single just identifying constraint on the model coefficients. The problem with such constraints is that the results can differ substantially depending on the constraint chosen. Somewhat surprisingly, age-period-cohort models that specify one or more of ages and/or periods and/or cohorts as random effects are identified. This is the case without introducing an additional constraint. I label this identification as statistical model identification and show how statistical model identification comes about in mixed models and why which effects are treated as fixed and which are treated as random can substantially change the estimates of the age, period, and cohort effects. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Measuring the gap: quantifying and comparing local health inequalities.

PubMed

Low, Anne; Low, Allan

2004-12-01

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) are being asked to assess local health inequalities in order to prioritize local action, to set local targets for reducing levels of health inequality locally and to demonstrate measurable progress. Despite this, little guidance has been provided on how to quantify health inequalities within PCTs and LSPs. This paper advocates the use of a metric, the slope index of inequality, which provides a consistent measure of health inequalities across local populations. The metric can be presented as a relative gap, which is easily understood and enables levels of inequality to be compared between health conditions, lifestyles and rates of service provision at any one time, or across different time periods. The metric is applied to Sunderland Teaching PCT, using routine data sources. Examples of the results and their uses are presented. It is suggested that more widespread use of the metric could enable levels of health inequalities to be compared across PCTs and lead to the development of local health inequality and inequity benchmarks.

Experimental verification of a new Bell-type inequality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jia-Qiang; Cao, Lian-Zhen; Yang, Yang; Li, Ying-De; Lu, Huai-Xin

2018-05-01

Arpan Das et al. proposed a set of new Bell inequalities (Das et al., 2017 [16]) for a three-qubit system and claimed that each inequality within this set is violated by all generalized Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GGHZ) states. We investigate experimentally the new inequalities in the three-photon GGHZ class states. Since the inequalities are symmetric under the identical particles system, we chose one Bell-type inequality from the set arbitrarily. The experimental data well verified the theoretical prediction. Moreover, the experimental results show that the amount of violation of the new Bell inequality against locality realism increases monotonically following the increase of the tangle of the GGHZ state. The most profound physical essence revealed by the results is that the nonlocality of GGHZ state correlate with three tangles directly.

Inequality measures for wealth distribution: Population vs individuals perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascoal, R.; Rocha, H.

2018-02-01

Economic inequality is, nowadays, frequently perceived as following a growing trend with impact on political and religious agendas. However, there is a wide range of inequality measures, each of which pointing to a possibly different degree of inequality. Furthermore, regardless of the measure used, it only acknowledges the momentary population inequality, failing to capture the individuals evolution over time. In this paper, several inequality measures were analyzed in order to compare the typical single time instant degree of wealth inequality (population perspective) to the one obtained from the individuals' wealth mean over several time instants (individuals perspective). The proposed generalization of a simple addictive model, for limited time average of individual's wealth, allows us to verify that the typically used inequality measures for a given snapshot instant of the population significantly overestimate the individuals' wealth inequality over time. Moreover, that is more extreme for the ratios than for the indices analyzed.

How Can Information and Communication Technology Improve Healthcare Inequalities and Healthcare Inequity? The Concept of Context Driven Care.

PubMed

Yee, Kwang Chien; Bettiol, Silvana; Nash, Rosie; Macintyrne, Kate; Wong, Ming Chao; Nøhr, Christian

2018-01-01

Advances in medicine have improved health and healthcare for many around the world. The challenge is achieving the best outcomes of health via healthcare delivery to every individual. Healthcare inequalities exist within a country and between countries. Health information technology (HIT) has provided a mean to deliver equal access to healthcare services regardless of social context and physical location. In order to achieve better health outcomes for every individual, socio-cultural factors, such as literacy and social context need to consider. This paper argues that HIT while improves healthcare inequalities by providing access, might worsen healthcare inequity. In order to improve healthcare inequity using HIT, this paper argues that we need to consider patients and context, and hence the concept of context driven care. To improve healthcare inequity, we need to conceptually consider the patient's view and methodologically consider design methods that achieve participatory outcomes.

On multivariate trace inequalities of Sutter, Berta, and Tomamichel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemm, Marius

2018-01-01

We consider a family of multivariate trace inequalities recently derived by Sutter, Berta, and Tomamichel. These inequalities generalize the Golden-Thompson inequality and Lieb's triple matrix inequality to an arbitrary number of matrices in a way that features complex matrix powers (i.e., certain unitaries). We show that their inequalities can be rewritten as an n-matrix generalization of Lieb's original triple matrix inequality. The complex matrix powers are replaced by resolvents and appropriate maximally entangled states. We expect that the technically advantageous properties of resolvents, in particular for perturbation theory, can be of use in applications of the n-matrix inequalities, e.g., for analyzing the performance of the rotated Petz recovery map in quantum information theory and for removing the unitaries altogether.

Increasing Earnings Inequality in Faculty Labor Markets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monks, James

This study examined earnings inequality for college and university faculty, using data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty to examine whether earnings for this group increased from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. The study was the first to decompose faculty earnings inequality into the proportion of the earnings inequality that is…

An Algebraic Approach for Solving Quadratic Inequalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmood, Munir; Al-Mirbati, Rudaina

2017-01-01

In recent years most text books utilise either the sign chart or graphing functions in order to solve a quadratic inequality of the form ax[superscript 2] + bx + c < 0 This article demonstrates an algebraic approach to solve the above inequality. To solve a quadratic inequality in the form of ax[superscript 2] + bx + c < 0 or in the…

Urban Inequality. NBER Working Paper No. 14419

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaeser, Edward L.; Resseger, Matthew G.; Tobio, Kristina

2008-01-01

What impact does inequality have on metropolitan areas? Crime rates are higher in places with more inequality, and people in unequal cities are more likely to say that they are unhappy. There is also a negative association between local inequality and the growth of both income and population, once we control for the initial distribution of skills.…

Income Inequality and U.S. Tax Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crocco, Margaret S.; Marri, Anand R.; Wylie, Scott

2011-01-01

Many social scientists have recently commented on the high levels of income inequality in the United States. Indeed, the last time income inequality was as great as it is today was 1928, the year before the stock market crash ushered in the Great Depression. In this article, the authors offer a historical look at income inequality and taxation in…

Inequality of Paediatric Workforce Distribution in China.

PubMed

Song, Peige; Ren, Zhenghong; Chang, Xinlei; Liu, Xuebei; An, Lin

2016-07-12

Child health has been addressed as a priority at both global and national levels for many decades. In China, difficulty of accessing paediatricians has been of debate for a long time, however, there is limited evidence to assess the population- and geography-related inequality of paediatric workforce distribution. This study aimed to analyse the inequality of the distributions of the paediatric workforce (including paediatricians and paediatric nurses) in China by using Lorenz curve, Gini coefficient, and Theil L index, data were obtained from the national maternal and child health human resource sampling survey conducted in 2010. In this study, we found that the paediatric workforce was the most inequitable regarding the distribution of children <7 years, the geographic distribution of the paediatric workforce highlighted very severe inequality across the nation, except the Central region. For different professional types, we found that, except the Central region, the level of inequality of paediatric nurses was higher than that of the paediatricians regarding both the demographic and geographic distributions. The inner-regional inequalities were the main sources of the paediatric workforce distribution inequality. To conclude, this study revealed the inadequate distribution of the paediatric workforce in China for the first time, substantial inequality of paediatric workforce distribution still existed across the nation in 2010, more research is still needed to explore the in-depth sources of inequality, especially the urban-rural variance and the inner- and inter-provincial differences, and to guide national and local health policy-making and resource allocation.

Inequality of Paediatric Workforce Distribution in China

PubMed Central

Song, Peige; Ren, Zhenghong; Chang, Xinlei; Liu, Xuebei; An, Lin

2016-01-01

Child health has been addressed as a priority at both global and national levels for many decades. In China, difficulty of accessing paediatricians has been of debate for a long time, however, there is limited evidence to assess the population- and geography-related inequality of paediatric workforce distribution. This study aimed to analyse the inequality of the distributions of the paediatric workforce (including paediatricians and paediatric nurses) in China by using Lorenz curve, Gini coefficient, and Theil L index, data were obtained from the national maternal and child health human resource sampling survey conducted in 2010. In this study, we found that the paediatric workforce was the most inequitable regarding the distribution of children <7 years, the geographic distribution of the paediatric workforce highlighted very severe inequality across the nation, except the Central region. For different professional types, we found that, except the Central region, the level of inequality of paediatric nurses was higher than that of the paediatricians regarding both the demographic and geographic distributions. The inner-regional inequalities were the main sources of the paediatric workforce distribution inequality. To conclude, this study revealed the inadequate distribution of the paediatric workforce in China for the first time, substantial inequality of paediatric workforce distribution still existed across the nation in 2010, more research is still needed to explore the in-depth sources of inequality, especially the urban-rural variance and the inner- and inter-provincial differences, and to guide national and local health policy-making and resource allocation. PMID:27420083

Educational inequalities in tuberculosis mortality in sixteen European populations

PubMed Central

Álvarez, J. L.; Kunst, A. E.; Leinsalu, M.; Bopp, M.; Strand, B. H.; Menvielle, Gwenn; Lundberg, O.; Martikainen, P.; Deboosere, P.; Kalediene, R.; Artnik, B.; Mackenbach, J. P.; Richardus, J. H.

2011-01-01

Objective We aim to describe the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in tuberculosis (TB) mortality by level of education in male, female, urban, and rural populations in several European countries. Design Data were obtained from the Eurothine project covering 16 populations between 1990 and 2003. Age- and sex-standardized mortality rates, the Relative Index of Inequality, and the slope index of inequality were used to assess educational inequalities. Results The number of TB deaths reported was 8530, with a death rate of 3 per 100 000 per year, of which 73% were males. Educational inequalities in TB mortality were present in all European populations. Inequalities in TB mortality were larger than in total mortality. Relative and absolute inequalities were large in Eastern Europe, and Baltic countries but relatively small in Southern countries and in Norway, Finland, and Sweden. Mortality inequalities were observed among both men and women, and in both rural and urban populations. Conclusions Socioeconomic inequalities in TB mortality exist in all European countries. Firm political commitment is required to reduce inequalities in the social determinants of TB incidence. Targeted public health measures are called for to improve vulnerable groups’ access to treatment and thereby reduce TB mortality. PMID:22008757

Sexual orientation health inequality: Evidence from Understanding Society, the UK Longitudinal Household Study.

PubMed

Booker, Cara L; Rieger, Gerulf; Unger, Jennifer B

2017-08-01

Few studies from the United Kingdom have fully investigated inequalities between members of different sexual minority groups and heterosexuals over range of health outcomes. Using data from over 40,000 individuals, this study explores the health inequalities of sexual minority UK adults. We include respondents who identify as other and those who prefer not to say (PNS). Data come from wave three (2011-2012) of the nationally-representative Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Sexual orientation was asked in the self-completion portion of the study. Markers of health include physical and mental functioning, minor psychological distress, self-rated health, substance use and disability. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses tested for differences in markers of health between sexual orientation groups. Overall, heterosexual respondents had the best health while bisexual respondents had the worst. Gay and lesbian respondents reported poorer health than heterosexuals, specifically with regards to mental functioning, distress and illness status. The other and PNS respondents were most similar to each other and generally experienced fewer health inequalities than gay and lesbian respondents; they were less likely to use tobacco or alcohol. In sum, sexual minorities experience health inequality. The inclusion of other and PNS respondents has not been done in other studies and shows that while they may be healthier than gay/lesbian and bisexual respondents they still experiences poorer health than heterosexuals. Health promotion interventions are needed for these other and PNS individuals, who might not participate in interventions targeted toward known sexual minority groups. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social determinants of health inequalities: towards a theoretical perspective using systems science.

PubMed

Jayasinghe, Saroj

2015-08-25

A systems approach offers a novel conceptualization to natural and social systems. In recent years, this has led to perceiving population health outcomes as an emergent property of a dynamic and open, complex adaptive system. The current paper explores these themes further and applies the principles of systems approach and complexity science (i.e. systems science) to conceptualize social determinants of health inequalities. The conceptualization can be done in two steps: viewing health inequalities from a systems approach and extending it to include complexity science. Systems approach views health inequalities as patterns within the larger rubric of other facets of the human condition, such as educational outcomes and economic development. This anlysis requires more sophisticated models such as systems dynamic models. An extension of the approach is to view systems as complex adaptive systems, i.e. systems that are 'open' and adapt to the environment. They consist of dynamic adapting subsystems that exhibit non-linear interactions, while being 'open' to a similarly dynamic environment of interconnected systems. They exhibit emergent properties that cannot be estimated with precision by using the known interactions among its components (such as economic development, political freedom, health system, culture etc.). Different combinations of the same bundle of factors or determinants give rise to similar patterns or outcomes (i.e. property of convergence), and minor variations in the initial condition could give rise to widely divergent outcomes. Novel approaches using computer simulation models (e.g. agent-based models) would shed light on possible mechanisms as to how factors or determinants interact and lead to emergent patterns of health inequalities of populations.

[Social inequality in medical rehabilitation].

PubMed

Deck, Ruth; Hofreuter-Gätgens, Kerstin

2016-02-01

The analysis of inequalities in health care provision in Germany is of high sociopolitical relevance. For medical rehabilitation, which is an essential part of health care provision, only a few studies exist. With the example of psychosomatic and orthopedic medical rehabilitation, the present article investigates how features of social inequality influence different aspects of medical rehabilitation. The database consists of a written survey on the quality assurance of medical rehabilitation in northern Germany that includes 687 patients aged between 21 and 87 years. Aspects of the access to rehabilitation (e.g., the motivation for application), the process (participation in therapies) and the outcomes (e.g., subjective health and occupational risk) of rehabilitation were investigated in relation to social inequality. Social inequality was measured by means of a social class index. For the analysis, Chi-squared tests, t tests and a repeated measures analysis of variance, adjusted for sex and age, were conducted. Initially, the analyses indicate that social inequality is of minor importance for access to rehabilitation and processes within rehabilitation. As subjective health is unequally distributed at the beginning of rehabilitation, however, equal treatment has to be discussed critically in terms of demand-driven treatment. In rehabilitation outcome distinct differences between social classes exist. To reduce these differences, rehabilitation aftercare close to the individual's living environment is necessary, which promotes the empowerment of vulnerable social groups in burdensome living conditions.

Dynamic Constraint Satisfaction with Reasonable Global Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, Jeremy

2003-01-01

Previously studied theoretical frameworks for dynamic constraint satisfaction problems (DCSPs) employ a small set of primitive operators to modify a problem instance. They do not address the desire to model problems using sophisticated global constraints, and do not address efficiency questions related to incremental constraint enforcement. In this paper, we extend a DCSP framework to incorporate global constraints with flexible scope. A simple approach to incremental propagation after scope modification can be inefficient under some circumstances. We characterize the cases when this inefficiency can occur, and discuss two ways to alleviate this problem: adding rejection variables to the scope of flexible constraints, and adding new features to constraints that permit increased control over incremental propagation.

Large-scale linear programs in planning and prediction.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-01

Large-scale linear programs are at the core of many traffic-related optimization problems in both planning and prediction. Moreover, many of these involve significant uncertainty, and hence are modeled using either chance constraints, or robust optim...

Structure Constraints in a Constraint-Based Planner

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pang, Wan-Lin; Golden, Keith

2004-01-01

In this paper we report our work on a new constraint domain, where variables can take structured values. Earth-science data processing (ESDP) is a planning domain that requires the ability to represent and reason about complex constraints over structured data, such as satellite images. This paper reports on a constraint-based planner for ESDP and similar domains. We discuss our approach for translating a planning problem into a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) and for representing and reasoning about structured objects and constraints over structures.

A social identity analysis of responses to economic inequality.

PubMed

Jetten, Jolanda; Wang, Zhechen; Steffens, Niklas K; Mols, Frank; Peters, Kim; Verkuyten, Maykel

2017-12-01

Even though there is growing awareness that economic inequality is harmful for people's health, the way that such inequality affects social behavior and political attitudes remains poorly understood. Moving beyond a focus on the health and well-being costs of income inequality, we review research that examines how economic inequality shapes dynamics between groups within societies, addressing the questions why, when, and for whom inequality affects social behavior and political attitudes. On the basis of classic social identity theorizing, we develop five hypotheses that focus on the way inequality shapes the fit of wealth categorizations (H1), intergroup relations (H2), and stereotypes about wealth groups (H3). We also theorize how the effects of inequality are moderated by socio-structural conditions (H4) and socio-economic status (H5). Together, these hypotheses provide a theoretically informed account of the way in which inequality undermines the social fabric of society and negatively affects citizen's social and political behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asymptotic violation of Bell inequalities and distillability.

PubMed

Masanes, Lluís

2006-08-04

A multipartite quantum state violates a Bell inequality asymptotically if, after jointly processing by general local operations an arbitrarily large number of copies of it, the result violates the inequality. In the bipartite case we show that asymptotic violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is equivalent to distillability. Hence, bound entangled states do not violate it. In the multipartite case we consider the complete set of full-correlation Bell inequalities with two dichotomic observables per site. We show that asymptotic violation of any of these inequalities by a multipartite state implies that pure-state entanglement can be distilled from it, although the corresponding distillation protocol may require that some of the parties join into several groups. We also obtain the extreme points of the set of distributions generated by measuring N quantum systems with two dichotomic observables per site.

Exposure to inequality affects support for redistribution.

PubMed

Sands, Melissa L

2017-01-24

The distribution of wealth in the United States and countries around the world is highly skewed. How does visible economic inequality affect well-off individuals' support for redistribution? Using a placebo-controlled field experiment, I randomize the presence of poverty-stricken people in public spaces frequented by the affluent. Passersby were asked to sign a petition calling for greater redistribution through a "millionaire's tax." Results from 2,591 solicitations show that in a real-world-setting exposure to inequality decreases affluent individuals' willingness to redistribute. The finding that exposure to inequality begets inequality has fundamental implications for policymakers and informs our understanding of the effects of poverty, inequality, and economic segregation. Confederate race and socioeconomic status, both of which were randomized, are shown to interact such that treatment effects vary according to the race, as well as gender, of the subject.

Work conditions and socioeconomic inequalities in work ability.

PubMed

Aittomäki, Akseli; Lahelma, Eero; Roos, Eva

2003-04-01

The objective of this study was to investigate socioeconomic inequalities in work ability among municipal employees and the contribution of work conditions to these inequalities. The subjects were employees of the City of Helsinki and were all over 40 years of age. Data (N=1,827) were collected in the age-group-based medical check-ups by occupational health personnel. Work ability was measured with a work ability index. The association between the work ability index with socioeconomic status was examined by fitting logistic regression models. There was a consistent gradient in work ability, lower socioeconomic groups having poorer work ability. Adjusting for physical stress accounted for a substantial part of the socioeconomic inequalities. Adjusting for possibilities for influence and development at work accounted for some of the difference between white-collar and blue-collar employees, but not for differences between the white-collar subgroups among the women. Mental stress and problems in the social environment were not clearly associated with the inequalities. Socioeconomic inequalities in work ability among municipal employees correspond to the inequalities in ill health found in general populations. Physical stress at work explained a large part of the inequality. Poor possibilities to influence one's work contributed to the excess of lowered work ability among the blue-collar employees, but not to the inequalities between white-collar subgroups of women. Apart from physical workload, work conditions did not explain socioeconomic inequalities between white-collar subgroups of women.

Three Centuries of American Inequality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindert, Peter H.; Williamson, Jeffrey G.

Income inequality in the United States displays considerable variance since the seventeenth century. There is no eternal constancy to the degree of inequality in total income, in labor earnings, or in income from conventional nonhuman wealth either before or after the effects of government taxes and spending. When all the necessary adjustments to…

Income inequality in today’s China

PubMed Central

Xie, Yu; Zhou, Xiang

2014-01-01

Using multiple data sources, we establish that China's income inequality since 2005 has reached very high levels, with the Gini coefficient in the range of 0.53–0.55. Analyzing comparable survey data collected in 2010 in China and the United States, we examine social determinants that help explain China’s high income inequality. Our results indicate that a substantial part of China’s high income inequality is due to regional disparities and the rural-urban gap. The contributions of these two structural forces are particularly strong in China, but they play a negligible role in generating the overall income inequality in the United States, where individual-level and family-level income determinants, such as family structure and race/ethnicity, play a much larger role. PMID:24778237

Thermodynamics of inequalities: From precariousness to economic stratification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smerlak, Matteo

2016-01-01

Growing economic inequalities are observed in several countries throughout the world. Following Pareto, the power-law structure of these inequalities has been the subject of much theoretical and empirical work. But their nonequilibrium dynamics, e.g. after a policy change, remains incompletely understood. Here we introduce a thermodynamical theory of inequalities based on the analogy between economic stratification and statistical entropy. Within this framework we identify the combination of upward mobility with precariousness as a fundamental driver of inequality. We formalize this statement by a "second-law" inequality displaying upward mobility and precariousness as thermodynamic conjugate variables. We estimate the time scale for the "relaxation" of the wealth distribution after a sudden change of the after-tax return on capital. Our method can be generalized to gain insight into the dynamics of inequalities in any Markovian model of socioeconomic interactions.

Educational assortative mating and income inequality in Denmark.

PubMed

Breen, Richard; Andersen, Signe Hald

2012-08-01

Many writers have expressed a concern that growing educational assortative mating will lead to greater inequality between households in their earnings or income. In this article, we examine the relationship between educational assortative mating and income inequality in Denmark between 1987 and 2006. Denmark is widely known for its low level of income inequality, but the Danish case provides a good test of the relationship between educational assortative mating and inequality because although income inequality increased over the period we consider, educational homogamy declined. Using register data on the exact incomes of the whole population, we find that change in assortative mating increased income inequality but that these changes were driven by changes in the educational distributions of men and women rather than in the propensity for people to choose a partner with a given level of education.

Global Trends in Adolescent Fertility, 1990-2012, in Relation to National Wealth, Income Inequalities, and Educational Expenditures.

PubMed

Santelli, John S; Song, Xiaoyu; Garbers, Samantha; Sharma, Vinit; Viner, Russell M

2017-02-01

National wealth, income inequalities, and expenditures on education can profoundly influence the health of a nation's women, children, and adolescents. We explored the association of trends in national socioeconomic status (SES) indicators with trends in adolescent birth rates (ABRs), by nation and region. An ecologic research design was employed using national-level data from the World Bank on birth rates per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years, national wealth (per capita gross domestic product or GDP), income inequality (Gini index), and expenditures on education as a percentage of GDP (EduExp). Data were available for 142 countries and seven regions for 1990-2012. Multiple linear regression for repeated measures with generalized estimating equations was used to examine independent associations. ABRs in 2012 varied >200-fold-with the highest rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and lowest rates in the Western Europe/Central Asia region. The median national ABR fell 40% from 72.4/1,000 in 1990 to 43.6/1,000 in 2012. The largest regional declines in ABR occurred in South Asia (70%), Europe/Central Asia (63%), and the Middle East/North Africa (53%)-regions with lower income inequality. In multivariable analyses considering change over time, ABRs were negatively associated with GDP and EduExp and positively associated with greater income inequality. ABRs have declined globally since 1990. Declines closely followed rising socioeconomic status and were greater where income inequalities were lower in 1990. Reducing poverty and income inequalities and increasing investments in education should be essential components of national policies to prevent adolescent childbearing. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Does Inequality in Skills Explain Inequality of Earnings across Advanced Countries? NBER Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devroye, Dan; Freeman, Richard

The question of whether inequality in skills explains inequality of earnings across advanced countries was examined through a review of data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), which examined the prose, document, and quantitative literacy skills of adults in 12 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and…

Educational inequalities in subjective health in Germany from 1994 to 2014: a trend analysis using the German Socio-Economic Panel study (GSOEP).

PubMed

Moor, Irene; Günther, Sebastian; Knöchelmann, Anja; Hoebel, Jens; Pförtner, Timo-Kolja; Lampert, Thomas; Richter, Matthias

2018-06-08

As trend studies have shown, health inequalities by income and occupation have widened or remained stable. However, research on time trends in educational inequalities in health in Germany is scarce. The aim of this study is to analyse how educational inequalities in health evolved over a period of 21 years in the middle-aged population in Germany, and whether the trends differ by gender. Data were obtained from the German Socio-Economic Panel covering the period from 1994 to 2014. In total, n=16 339 participants (106 221 person years) aged 30-49 years were included in the study sample. Educational level was measured based on the 'Comparative Analysis of Social Mobility in Industrial Nations' (CASMIN) classification. Health outcomes were self-rated health (SRH) as well as (mental and physical) health-related quality of life (HRQOL, SF-12v2). Absolute Index of Inequality (Slope Index of Inequality (SII)) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were calculated using linear and logarithmic regression analyses with robust SEs. Significant educational inequalities in SRH and physical HRQOL were found for almost every survey year from 1994 to 2014. Relative inequalities in SRH ranged from 1.50 to 2.10 in men and 1.25 to 1.87 in women (RII). Regarding physical HRQOL, the lowest educational group yielded 4.5 to 6.6 points (men) and 3.3 to 6.1 points (women) lower scores (SII). Although educational level increased over time, absolute and relative health inequalities remained largely stable over the last 21 years. For mental HRQOL, only few educational inequalities were found. This study found persistent educational inequalities in SRH and physical HRQOL among adults in Germany from 1994 to 2014. Our findings highlight the need to intensify efforts in social and health policies to tackle these persistent inequalities. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted

Inequalities of extended beta and extended hypergeometric functions.

PubMed

Mondal, Saiful R

2017-01-01

We study the log-convexity of the extended beta functions. As a consequence, we establish Turán-type inequalities. The monotonicity, log-convexity, log-concavity of extended hypergeometric functions are deduced by using the inequalities on extended beta functions. The particular cases of those results also give the Turán-type inequalities for extended confluent and extended Gaussian hypergeometric functions. Some reverses of Turán-type inequalities are also derived.

New bounding and decomposition approaches for MILP investment problems: Multi-area transmission and generation planning under policy constraints

DOE PAGES

Munoz, F. D.; Hobbs, B. F.; Watson, J. -P.

2016-02-01

A novel two-phase bounding and decomposition approach to compute optimal and near-optimal solutions to large-scale mixed-integer investment planning problems is proposed and it considers a large number of operating subproblems, each of which is a convex optimization. Our motivating application is the planning of power transmission and generation in which policy constraints are designed to incentivize high amounts of intermittent generation in electric power systems. The bounding phase exploits Jensen’s inequality to define a lower bound, which we extend to stochastic programs that use expected-value constraints to enforce policy objectives. The decomposition phase, in which the bounds are tightened, improvesmore » upon the standard Benders’ algorithm by accelerating the convergence of the bounds. The lower bound is tightened by using a Jensen’s inequality-based approach to introduce an auxiliary lower bound into the Benders master problem. Upper bounds for both phases are computed using a sub-sampling approach executed on a parallel computer system. Numerical results show that only the bounding phase is necessary if loose optimality gaps are acceptable. But, the decomposition phase is required to attain optimality gaps. Moreover, use of both phases performs better, in terms of convergence speed, than attempting to solve the problem using just the bounding phase or regular Benders decomposition separately.« less

New bounding and decomposition approaches for MILP investment problems: Multi-area transmission and generation planning under policy constraints

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Munoz, F. D.; Hobbs, B. F.; Watson, J. -P.

A novel two-phase bounding and decomposition approach to compute optimal and near-optimal solutions to large-scale mixed-integer investment planning problems is proposed and it considers a large number of operating subproblems, each of which is a convex optimization. Our motivating application is the planning of power transmission and generation in which policy constraints are designed to incentivize high amounts of intermittent generation in electric power systems. The bounding phase exploits Jensen’s inequality to define a lower bound, which we extend to stochastic programs that use expected-value constraints to enforce policy objectives. The decomposition phase, in which the bounds are tightened, improvesmore » upon the standard Benders’ algorithm by accelerating the convergence of the bounds. The lower bound is tightened by using a Jensen’s inequality-based approach to introduce an auxiliary lower bound into the Benders master problem. Upper bounds for both phases are computed using a sub-sampling approach executed on a parallel computer system. Numerical results show that only the bounding phase is necessary if loose optimality gaps are acceptable. But, the decomposition phase is required to attain optimality gaps. Moreover, use of both phases performs better, in terms of convergence speed, than attempting to solve the problem using just the bounding phase or regular Benders decomposition separately.« less

Accommodation of practical constraints by a linear programming jet select. [for Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergmann, E.; Weiler, P.

1983-01-01

An experimental spacecraft control system will be incorporated into the Space Shuttle flight software and exercised during a forthcoming mission to evaluate its performance and handling qualities. The control system incorporates a 'phase space' control law to generate rate change requests and a linear programming jet select to compute jet firings. Posed as a linear programming problem, jet selection must represent the rate change request as a linear combination of jet acceleration vectors where the coefficients are the jet firing times, while minimizing the fuel expended in satisfying that request. This problem is solved in real time using a revised Simplex algorithm. In order to implement the jet selection algorithm in the Shuttle flight control computer, it was modified to accommodate certain practical features of the Shuttle such as limited computer throughput, lengthy firing times, and a large number of control jets. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first such application of linear programming. It was made possible by careful consideration of the jet selection problem in terms of the properties of linear programming and the Simplex algorithm. These modifications to the jet select algorithm may by useful for the design of reaction controlled spacecraft.

Robust shrinking ellipsoid model predictive control for linear parameter varying system

PubMed Central

Yan, Yan

2017-01-01

In this paper, a new off-line model predictive control strategy is presented for a kind of linear parameter varying system with polytopic uncertainty. A nest of shrinking ellipsoids is constructed by solving linear matrix inequality. By splitting the objective function into two parts, the proposed strategy moves most computations off-line. The on-line computation is only calculating the current control to assure the system shrinking into the smaller ellipsoid. With the proposed formulation, the stability of the closed system is proved, followed with two numerical examples to demonstrate the proposed method’s effectiveness in the end. PMID:28575028

Integrated Analytic and Linearized Inverse Kinematics for Precise Full Body Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulic, Ronan; Raunhardt, Daniel

Despite the large success of games grounded on movement-based interactions the current state of full body motion capture technologies still prevents the exploitation of precise interactions with complex environments. This paper focuses on ensuring a precise spatial correspondence between the user and the avatar. We build upon our past effort in human postural control with a Prioritized Inverse Kinematics framework. One of its key advantage is to ease the dynamic combination of postural and collision avoidance constraints. However its reliance on a linearized approximation of the problem makes it vulnerable to the well-known full extension singularity of the limbs. In such context the tracking performance is reduced and/or less believable intermediate postural solutions are produced. We address this issue by introducing a new type of analytic constraint that smoothly integrates within the prioritized Inverse Kinematics framework. The paper first recalls the background of full body 3D interactions and the advantages and drawbacks of the linearized IK solution. Then the Flexion-EXTension constraint (FLEXT in short) is introduced for the partial position control of limb-like articulated structures. Comparative results illustrate the interest of this new type of integrated analytical and linearized IK control.

Inequalities, Assessment and Computer Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangwin, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

The goal of this paper is to examine single variable real inequalities that arise as tutorial problems and to examine the extent to which current computer algebra systems (CAS) can (1) automatically solve such problems and (2) determine whether students' own answers to such problems are correct. We review how inequalities arise in contemporary…

Entanglement polygon inequality in qubit systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Xiao-Feng; Alonso, Miguel A.; Eberly, J. H.

2018-06-01

We prove a set of tight entanglement inequalities for arbitrary N-qubit pure states. By focusing on all bi-partite marginal entanglements between each single qubit and its remaining partners, we show that the inequalities provide an upper bound for each marginal entanglement, while the known monogamy relation establishes the lower bound. The restrictions and sharing properties associated with the inequalities are further analyzed with a geometric polytope approach, and examples of three-qubit GHZ-class and W-class entangled states are presented to illustrate the results.

Limb length inequality: clinical implications for assessment and intervention.

PubMed

Brady, Rebecca J; Dean, John B; Skinner, T Marc; Gross, Michael T

2003-05-01

The purpose of this paper is to review relevant literature concerning limb length inequalities in adults and to make recommendations for assessment and intervention based on the literature and our own clinical experience. Literature searches were conducted in the MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAHL databases. Limb length inequality and common classification criteria are defined and etiological factors are presented. Common methods of detecting limb length inequality include direct (tape measure methods), indirect (pelvic leveling), and radiological techniques. Interventions include shoe inserts or external shoe lift therapy for mild cases. Surgery may be appropriate in severe cases. Little agreement exists regarding the prevalence of limb length inequality, the degree of limb length inequality that is considered clinically significant, and the reliability and validity of assessment methods. Based on correlational studies, the relationship between limb length inequality and orthopaedic pathologies is questionable. Stronger support for the link between low back pain (LBP) and limb length inequality is provided by intervention studies. Methods involving palpation of pelvic landmarks with block correction have the most support for clinical assessment of limb length inequality. Standing radiographs are suggested when clinical assessment methods are unsatisfactory. Clinicians should exercise caution when undertaking intervention strategies for limb length inequality of less than 5 mm when limb length inequality has been identified with clinical techniques. Recommendations are provided regarding intervention strategies.

Social inequality, scientific inequality, and the future of mental illness.

PubMed

Dean, Charles E

2017-12-19

Despite five decades of increasingly elegant studies aimed at advancing the pathophysiology and treatment of mental illness, the results have not met expectations. Diagnoses are still based on observation, the clinical history, and an outmoded diagnostic system that stresses the historic goal of disease specificity. Psychotropic drugs are still based on molecular targets developed decades ago, with no increase in efficacy. Numerous biomarkers have been proposed, but none have the requisite degree of sensitivity and specificity, and therefore have no usefulness in the clinic. The obvious lack of progress in psychiatry needs exploration. The historical goals of psychiatry are reviewed, including parity with medicine, a focus on diagnostic reliability rather than validity, and an emphasis on reductionism at the expense of socioeconomic issues. Data are used from Thomas Picketty and others to argue that our failure to advance clinical care may rest in part on the rise in social and economic inequality that began in the 1970s, and in part on our inability to move beyond the medical model of specificity of disease and treatment. It is demonstrated herein that the historical goal of specificity of disease and treatment has not only impeded the advance of diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, but, in combination with a rapid increase in socioeconomic inequality, has led to poorer outcomes and rising mortality rates in a number of disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. It is proposed that Psychiatry should recognize the fact of socioeconomic inequality and its effects on mental disorders. The medical model, with its emphasis on diagnostic and treatment specificity, may not be appropriate for investigation of the brain, given its complexity. The rise of scientific inequality, with billions allocated to connectomics and genetics, may shift attention away from the need for improvements in clinical care. Unfortunately, the future prospects of those

The social income inequality, social integration and health status of internal migrants in China.

PubMed

Lin, Yanwei; Zhang, Qi; Chen, Wen; Ling, Li

2017-08-04

To examine the interaction between social income inequality, social integration, and health status among internal migrants (IMs) who migrate between regions in China. We used the data from the 2014 Internal Migrant Dynamic Monitoring Survey in China, which sampled 15,999 IMs in eight cities in China. The Gini coefficient at the city level was calculated to measure social income inequality and was categorized into low (0.2 < Gini <= 0.3), medium (0.3 < Gini <= 0.4), high (0.4 < x < = 0.5), and very high (Gini >0.5). Health status was measured based upon self-reported health, subjective well-being, and perceptions of stress and mental health. Social integration was measured from four perspectives (acculturation and integration willingness, social insurance, economy, social communication). Linear mixed models were used to examine the interaction effects between health statuses, social integration, and the Gini coefficient. Factors of social integration, such as economic integration and acculturation and integration willingness, were significantly related to health. Social income inequality had a negative relationship with the health status of IMs. For example, IMs in one city, Qingdao, with a medium income inequality level (Gini = 0.329), had the best health statuses and better social integration. On the other hand, IMs in another city, Shenzhen, who had a large income inequality (Gini = 0.447) were worst in health statues and had worse social integration. Policies or programs targeting IMs should support integration willingness, promote a sense of belonging, and improve economic equality. In the meantime, social activities to facilitate employment and create social trust should also be promoted. At the societal level, structural and policy changes are necessary to promote income equity to promote IMs' general health status.

Nonmarital First Births, Marriage, and Income Inequality.

PubMed

Cherlin, Andrew J; Ribar, David; Yasutake, Suzumi

2016-08-01

Many aggregate-level studies suggest a relationship between economic inequality and socio-demographic outcomes such as family formation, health, and mortality; but individual-level evidence is lacking. Nor is there satisfactory evidence on the mechanisms by which inequality may have an effect. We study the determinants of transitions to a nonmarital first birth as a single parent or as a cohabiting parent compared to transitions to marriage prior to a first birth among unmarried, childless young adults in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort, from 1997 to 2011. We include measures of county-group-level household income inequality and of the availability of jobs typically held by high-school graduates and which pay above-poverty wages. We find that greater income inequality is associated with a reduced likelihood of transitioning to marriage prior to a first birth for both women and men. The association between levels of inequality and transitions to marriage can be partially accounted for by the availability of jobs of the type we measured. Some models also suggest that greater income inequality is associated with a reduced likelihood of transitioning to a first birth while cohabiting.

Nonmarital First Births, Marriage, and Income Inequality

PubMed Central

Cherlin, Andrew J.; Ribar, David; Yasutake, Suzumi

2017-01-01

Many aggregate-level studies suggest a relationship between economic inequality and socio-demographic outcomes such as family formation, health, and mortality; but individual-level evidence is lacking. Nor is there satisfactory evidence on the mechanisms by which inequality may have an effect. We study the determinants of transitions to a nonmarital first birth as a single parent or as a cohabiting parent compared to transitions to marriage prior to a first birth among unmarried, childless young adults in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort, from 1997 to 2011. We include measures of county-group-level household income inequality and of the availability of jobs typically held by high-school graduates and which pay above-poverty wages. We find that greater income inequality is associated with a reduced likelihood of transitioning to marriage prior to a first birth for both women and men. The association between levels of inequality and transitions to marriage can be partially accounted for by the availability of jobs of the type we measured. Some models also suggest that greater income inequality is associated with a reduced likelihood of transitioning to a first birth while cohabiting. PMID:29176906

Inequalities for a polynomial and its derivative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanam, Barchand; Dewan, K. K.

2007-12-01

Let , 1[less-than-or-equals, slant][mu][less-than-or-equals, slant]n, be a polynomial of degree n such that p(z)[not equal to]0 in z0, then for 0Inequalities for a polynomial and its derivative, Math. Inequal. Appl. 2 (2) (1999) 203-205] proved Equality holds for the polynomial where n is a multiple of [mu]E In this paper, we obtain an improvement of the above inequality by involving some of the coefficients. As an application of our result, we further improve upon a result recently proved by Aziz and Shah [A. Aziz, W.M. Shah, Inequalities for a polynomial and its derivative, Math. Inequal. Appl. 7 (3) (2004) 379-391].

Exposure to inequality affects support for redistribution

PubMed Central

Sands, Melissa L.

2017-01-01

The distribution of wealth in the United States and countries around the world is highly skewed. How does visible economic inequality affect well-off individuals’ support for redistribution? Using a placebo-controlled field experiment, I randomize the presence of poverty-stricken people in public spaces frequented by the affluent. Passersby were asked to sign a petition calling for greater redistribution through a “millionaire’s tax.” Results from 2,591 solicitations show that in a real-world-setting exposure to inequality decreases affluent individuals’ willingness to redistribute. The finding that exposure to inequality begets inequality has fundamental implications for policymakers and informs our understanding of the effects of poverty, inequality, and economic segregation. Confederate race and socioeconomic status, both of which were randomized, are shown to interact such that treatment effects vary according to the race, as well as gender, of the subject. PMID:28069960

H1N1, globalization and the epidemiology of inequality.

PubMed

Sparke, Matthew; Anguelov, Dimitar

2012-07-01

This paper examines the lessons learned from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in relation to wider work on globalization and the epidemiology of inequality. The media attention and economic resources diverted to the threats posed by H1N1 were significant inequalities themselves when contrasted with weaker responses to more lethal threats posed by other diseases associated with global inequality. However, the multiple inequalities revealed by H1N1 itself in 2009 still provide important insights into the future of global health in the context of market-led globalization. These lessons relate to at least four main forms of inequality: (1) inequalities in blame for the outbreak in the media; (2) inequalities in risk management; (3) inequalities in access to medicines; and (4) inequalities encoded in the actual emergence of new flu viruses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic Factors of Russian Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobkov, Vyacheslav N.; Vakhtina, Margarita A.; Simonova, Marina V.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the researched problem is connected with the high level of economic inequality in Russia. The article goal is to show that the current Russian institutional system is not directed to decrease the economic inequality but on the contrary it continues to make and deepen it. The leading approach to study of this problem is the…

Community Social Capital, Built Environment, and Income-Based Inequality in Depressive Symptoms Among Older People in Japan: An Ecological Study From the JAGES Project.

PubMed

Haseda, Maho; Kondo, Naoki; Ashida, Toyo; Tani, Yukako; Takagi, Daisuke; Kondo, Katsunori

2018-03-05

Although reducing socioeconomic inequalities in depression is necessary, their associated factors have rarely been studied. This study aimed to screen the potential contextual factors associated with income-based inequality in older adults' depression. Using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) of 2013, we conducted an ecological study covering 77 communities in Japan. Our measures of socioeconomic inequalities in depression were the slope index of inequalities (SII) and the relative index of inequalities (RII) of the prevalence of depressive symptoms across three income levels. We categorized available community-level factors, including socio-demographic factors, social participation, social relationships, subjective changes in the residential area, and the built environment. These indicators were aggregated from individual responses of 51,962 and 52,958 physically independent men and women, respectively, aged 65 years or more. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to explore factors with statistical significance of a two-tailed P-value less than 0.05. Factors associated with shallower gradients in depression for men included higher participation in local activities and reception or provision of social support, which did not show significant association among women. Perceived increases in unemployment and economic inequalities were positively associated with larger inequalities in both genders (P < 0.05). The built environment did not indicate any significant association. A community environment fostering social activities and relationships might be associated with smaller income-based inequalities in depression. There is a need for more deterministic studies for planning of effective community interventions to address socioeconomic inequalities in depression.

Community Social Capital, Built Environment, and Income-Based Inequality in Depressive Symptoms Among Older People in Japan: An Ecological Study From the JAGES Project

PubMed Central

Takagi, Daisuke; Kondo, Katsunori

2018-01-01

Background Although reducing socioeconomic inequalities in depression is necessary, their associated factors have rarely been studied. This study aimed to screen the potential contextual factors associated with income-based inequality in older adults’ depression. Methods Using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) of 2013, we conducted an ecological study covering 77 communities in Japan. Our measures of socioeconomic inequalities in depression were the slope index of inequalities (SII) and the relative index of inequalities (RII) of the prevalence of depressive symptoms across three income levels. We categorized available community-level factors, including socio-demographic factors, social participation, social relationships, subjective changes in the residential area, and the built environment. These indicators were aggregated from individual responses of 51,962 and 52,958 physically independent men and women, respectively, aged 65 years or more. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to explore factors with statistical significance of a two-tailed P-value less than 0.05. Results Factors associated with shallower gradients in depression for men included higher participation in local activities and reception or provision of social support, which did not show significant association among women. Perceived increases in unemployment and economic inequalities were positively associated with larger inequalities in both genders (P < 0.05). The built environment did not indicate any significant association. Conclusions A community environment fostering social activities and relationships might be associated with smaller income-based inequalities in depression. There is a need for more deterministic studies for planning of effective community interventions to address socioeconomic inequalities in depression. PMID:29093358

Should we worry about income inequality?

PubMed

Wade, Robert Hunter

2006-01-01

Liberals (in the European sense) argue that a liberal free-market economic policy regime-nationally and globally-is good for economic growth and poverty reduction and for keeping income inequality within tolerable limits. Second, they argue that substantial income inequality is desirable because of its good effects on other things, notably incentives, innovation, and panache; and conversely, they dismiss concerns about growing inequality as "the politics of envy." Third, they argue that the core liberal theory of capitalist political economy satisfactorily explains the central tendencies in the role of the state in advanced capitalist economies. This essay challenges all three arguments on both conceptual and empirical grounds. It then suggests why the arguments are nevertheless widely accepted, proposes criteria for deciding how much inequality is fair, and ends by suggesting ways for achieving higher salience for income redistribution (downwards) in political agendas.

Mathematical and physical meaning of the Bell inequalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Emilio

2016-09-01

It is shown that the Bell inequalities are closely related to the triangle inequalities involving distance functions amongst pairs of random variables with values \\{0,1\\}. A hidden variables model may be defined as a mapping between a set of quantum projection operators and a set of random variables. The model is noncontextual if there is a joint probability distribution. The Bell inequalities are necessary conditions for its existence. The inequalities are most relevant when measurements are performed at space-like separation, thus showing a conflict between quantum mechanics and local realism (Bell's theorem). The relations of the Bell inequalities with contextuality, the Kochen-Specker theorem, and quantum entanglement are briefly discussed.

CRISIS, AUSTERITY, AND COHESION: EUROPE'S STAGNATING INEQUALITY.

PubMed

Dauderstädt, Michael; Keltek, Cem

2015-01-01

Europe's high inequality, systematically underestimated by the European Union, has been falling for many years thanks to catch-up growth in the poorer countries and despite often-increasing inequality within member states. Crisis and austerity have curbed this development, however. After inequality rose again during the Great Recession of 2009 and the subsequent brief recovery, things are now going sideways in the context of generally weak growth.

Penrose inequality in anti-de Sitter space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Viqar; Singh, Suprit

2017-11-01

For asymptotically flat spacetimes the Penrose inequality gives an initial data test for the weak cosmic censorship hypothesis. We give a formulation of this inequality for asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AAdS) spacetimes, and show that the inequality holds for time asymmetric data in spherical symmetry. Our analysis is motivated by the constant-negative-spatial-curvature form of the AdS black hole metric.

What fosters concern for inequality among American adolescents?

PubMed

Cech, Erin A

2017-01-01

Understanding cultural beliefs about social and economic inequality is vital to discerning the roadblocks and pathways to addressing that inequality. The foundation of concern for inequality is laid during adolescence, yet scholars understand little about the factors that influence whether and how adolescents come to express such concern. Arguing that structural and cultural contexts are just as consequential as whether adolescents themselves are members of disadvantaged groups, I draw on four theoretical perspectives to identify factors that influence adolescents' concern for addressing inequality: the underdog thesis, intergroup contact theory, the education enlightens thesis, and ideological buttressing. Using representative restricted-use Educational Longitudinal Survey data, I find that 12th-graders' beliefs are indeed influenced by more than their own demography: the diversity of their social milieu, the content of education in and out of the classroom, and ideological buttressing via political region and entertainment all influence whether they express concern for addressing inequality. These findings suggest extensions and amendments to the four theoretical perspectives and underscore the importance of studying structural and cultural factors that shape beliefs about inequality. The results also point to several interventions that may increase students' concern for inequality: involvement in civic-oriented extracurricular activities, more education in academic subjects that consider inequality, nurturing of cross-race friendships, and increased leisure reading. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aspect-object alignment with Integer Linear Programming in opinion mining.

PubMed

Zhao, Yanyan; Qin, Bing; Liu, Ting; Yang, Wei

2015-01-01

Target extraction is an important task in opinion mining. In this task, a complete target consists of an aspect and its corresponding object. However, previous work has always simply regarded the aspect as the target itself and has ignored the important "object" element. Thus, these studies have addressed incomplete targets, which are of limited use for practical applications. This paper proposes a novel and important sentiment analysis task, termed aspect-object alignment, to solve the "object neglect" problem. The objective of this task is to obtain the correct corresponding object for each aspect. We design a two-step framework for this task. We first provide an aspect-object alignment classifier that incorporates three sets of features, namely, the basic, relational, and special target features. However, the objects that are assigned to aspects in a sentence often contradict each other and possess many complicated features that are difficult to incorporate into a classifier. To resolve these conflicts, we impose two types of constraints in the second step: intra-sentence constraints and inter-sentence constraints. These constraints are encoded as linear formulations, and Integer Linear Programming (ILP) is used as an inference procedure to obtain a final global decision that is consistent with the constraints. Experiments on a corpus in the camera domain demonstrate that the three feature sets used in the aspect-object alignment classifier are effective in improving its performance. Moreover, the classifier with ILP inference performs better than the classifier without it, thereby illustrating that the two types of constraints that we impose are beneficial.

Asset Inequality and Economic Activity in Artificial Societies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Toshiko

In this paper, using multi-agent simulations, the effect asset inequality has on an artificial society is analyzed. It is shown that it is possible for a sustainable society to decrease in asset inequality and at the same time increase economic activity. In sustainable societies, the asset inequality increases as the consumption tax rate is raised, and in artificial societies where the tax rate is the same, inequality increases in the society in which agents with even small a surplus undertake unselfish actions. In sustainable societies which employ both income and consumption tax, an increase in asset inequalities leads to an increase economic activity. But, in sustainable societies which levy only the income tax, this result does not necessarily hold. These results show that if economic activity is increased in sustainable societies where the consumption tax rate is raised for the fiscal stability, an inequality expansion is an acceptable consequence. However, the sustainable society with the highest economic activity is realized when only the income tax is levied. In sustainable societies which levy only the income tax, it is possible to decrease inequality while simultaneously increasing economic activity.

Inequality or injustice in water use for food?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, J. A.; Seekell, D. A.; D'Odorico, P.

2015-02-01

The global distributions of water availability and population density are uneven and therefore inequality exists in human access to freshwater resources. Is this inequality unjust or only regrettable? To examine this question we formulated and evaluated elementary principles of water ethics relative to human rights for water, and the need for global trade to improve societal access to water by transferring ‘virtual water’ embedded in plant and animal commodities. We defined human welfare benchmarks and evaluated patterns of water use with and without trade over a 25-year period to identify the influence of trade and inequality on equitability of water use. We found that trade improves mean water use and wellbeing, relative to human welfare benchmarks, suggesting that inequality is regrettable but not necessarily unjust. However, trade has not significantly contributed to redressing inequality. Hence, directed trade decisions can improve future conditions of water and food scarcity through reduced inequality.

Service Inequality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Kurt

1981-01-01

Criticizes Michael Useem's argument that compulsory military service in the U.S. should not be reinstated because of the social inequities it fosters. Discusses social and economic pros and cons of the draft and voluntary military service. (GC)

Constraints based analysis of extended cybernetic models.

PubMed

Mandli, Aravinda R; Venkatesh, Kareenhalli V; Modak, Jayant M

2015-11-01

The cybernetic modeling framework provides an interesting approach to model the regulatory phenomena occurring in microorganisms. In the present work, we adopt a constraints based approach to analyze the nonlinear behavior of the extended equations of the cybernetic model. We first show that the cybernetic model exhibits linear growth behavior under the constraint of no resource allocation for the induction of the key enzyme. We then quantify the maximum achievable specific growth rate of microorganisms on mixtures of substitutable substrates under various kinds of regulation and show its use in gaining an understanding of the regulatory strategies of microorganisms. Finally, we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibits suboptimal dynamic growth with a long diauxic lag phase when growing on a mixture of glucose and galactose and discuss on its potential to achieve optimal growth with a significantly reduced diauxic lag period. The analysis carried out in the present study illustrates the utility of adopting a constraints based approach to understand the dynamic growth strategies of microorganisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual Constraint Control of a Powered Prosthetic Leg: From Simulation to Experiments with Transfemoral Amputees

PubMed Central

Lenzi, Tommaso; Hargrove, Levi J.; Sensinger, Jonathon W.

2014-01-01

Recent powered (or robotic) prosthetic legs independently control different joints and time periods of the gait cycle, resulting in control parameters and switching rules that can be difficult to tune by clinicians. This challenge might be addressed by a unifying control model used by recent bipedal robots, in which virtual constraints define joint patterns as functions of a monotonic variable that continuously represents the gait cycle phase. In the first application of virtual constraints to amputee locomotion, this paper derives exact and approximate control laws for a partial feedback linearization to enforce virtual constraints on a prosthetic leg. We then encode a human-inspired invariance property called effective shape into virtual constraints for the stance period. After simulating the robustness of the partial feedback linearization to clinically meaningful conditions, we experimentally implement this control strategy on a powered transfemoral leg. We report the results of three amputee subjects walking overground and at variable cadences on a treadmill, demonstrating the clinical viability of this novel control approach. PMID:25558185

Strongly nonlinear parabolic variational inequalities.

PubMed

Browder, F E; Brézis, H

1980-02-01

An existence and uniqueness result is established for a general class of variational inequalities for parabolic partial differential equations of the form partial differentialu/ partial differentialt + A(u) + g(u) = f with g nondecreasing but satisfying no growth condition. The proof is based upon a type of compactness result for solutions of variational inequalities that should find a variety of other applications.

Explaining mental health inequalities in Northern Sweden: a decomposition analysis

PubMed Central

Amroussia, Nada; Gustafsson, Per E.; Mosquera, Paola A.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: There has been a substantial increase of income inequalities in Sweden over the last 20 years, which also could be reflected in health inequalities, including mental health inequalities. Despite the growing body of literature focusing on health inequalities in Sweden, income-related inequalities in mental health have received little attention. Particularly scarce are research from Northern Sweden and examinations of the social determinants of health inequalities. Objectives: The present study seeks to provide evidence regarding inequalities in mental health in Northern Sweden. The specific aims were to (1) quantify the income-related inequality in mental health in Northern Sweden, and (2) determine the contribution of social determinants to the inequality. Methods: The study population comprised 25,646 participants of the 2014 Health on Equal Terms survey in the four northernmost counties of Sweden, aged 16 to 84 years old. Income-related inequalities in mental health were quantified by the concentration index and further decomposed by applying Wagstaff-type decomposition analysis. Results: The overall concentration index of mental health in Northern Sweden was −0.15 (95% CI: −0.17 to −0.13), indicating income inequalities in mental health disfavoring the less affluent population. The decomposition analysis results revealed that socio-economic conditions, including employment status (31%), income (22.6%), and cash margin (14%), made the largest contribution to the pro-rich inequalities in mental health. The second-largest contribution came from demographic factors, mainly age (11.3%) and gender (6%). Psychosocial factors were of smaller importance, with perceived discrimination (8%) and emotional support (3.4%) making moderate contributions to the health inequalities. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates substantial income-related mental health inequalities in Northern Sweden, and provides insights into their underpinnings. These

How much inequality in income is fair? A microeconomic game theoretic perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatasubramanian, Venkat; Luo, Yu; Sethuraman, Jay

2015-10-01

The increasing inequality in income and wealth in recent years, and the associated excessive pay packages of CEOs in the US and elsewhere, is of growing concern among policy makers as well as the common person. However, there seems to be no satisfactory answer, in conventional economic theories and models, to the fundamental questions of what kind of income distribution we ought to see, at least under ideal conditions, in a free market environment, and whether this distribution is fair. We propose a novel microeconomic game theoretic framework that addresses these questions and proves that the lognormal distribution is the fairest inequality of pay in an organization comprising of homogeneous agents, under ideal free market conditions at equilibrium. We also show that for a population of two different classes of agents, the equilibrium distribution is a combination of two different lognormal distributions where one of them, corresponding to the top ˜3-5% of the population, can be misidentified as a Pareto distribution. We compare our predictions with empirical data on global income inequality trends provided by Piketty and others. Our analysis suggests that the Scandinavian countries, and to a lesser extent Switzerland, Netherlands and Australia, have managed to get close to the ideal distribution for the bottom ˜99% of the population, while the US and UK remain less fair at the other extreme. Other European countries such as France and Germany, and Japan and Canada, are in the middle. Our theory also shows the deep and direct connection between potential game theory and statistical mechanics through entropy, which we identify as a measure of fairness in a distribution. This leads us to propose the fair market hypothesis, that the self-organizing dynamics of the ideal free market, i.e., Adam Smith's "invisible hand", not only promotes efficiency but also maximizes fairness under the given constraints.

New Bell inequalities for three-qubit pure states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Arpan; Datta, Chandan; Agrawal, Pankaj

2017-12-01

We introduce a set of Bell inequalities for a three-qubit system. Each inequality within this set is violated by all generalized GHZ states. The more entangled a generalized GHZ state is, the more will be the violation. This establishes a relation between nonlocality and entanglement for this class of states. Certain inequalities within this set are violated by pure biseparable states. We also provide numerical evidence that at least one of these Bell inequalities is violated by a pure genuinely entangled state. These Bell inequalities can distinguish between separable, biseparable and genuinely entangled pure three-qubit states. We also generalize this set to n-qubit systems and may be suitable to characterize the entanglement of n-qubit pure states.

Finite-horizon differential games for missile-target interception system using adaptive dynamic programming with input constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jingliang; Liu, Chunsheng

2018-01-01

In this paper, the problem of intercepting a manoeuvring target within a fixed final time is posed in a non-linear constrained zero-sum differential game framework. The Nash equilibrium solution is found by solving the finite-horizon constrained differential game problem via adaptive dynamic programming technique. Besides, a suitable non-quadratic functional is utilised to encode the control constraints into a differential game problem. The single critic network with constant weights and time-varying activation functions is constructed to approximate the solution of associated time-varying Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equation online. To properly satisfy the terminal constraint, an additional error term is incorporated in a novel weight-updating law such that the terminal constraint error is also minimised over time. By utilising Lyapunov's direct method, the closed-loop differential game system and the estimation weight error of the critic network are proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by using a simple non-linear system and a non-linear missile-target interception system, assuming first-order dynamics for the interceptor and target.

A Framework for Dynamic Constraint Reasoning Using Procedural Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jonsson, Ari K.; Frank, Jeremy D.

1999-01-01

Many complex real-world decision and control problems contain an underlying constraint reasoning problem. This is particularly evident in a recently developed approach to planning, where almost all planning decisions are represented by constrained variables. This translates a significant part of the planning problem into a constraint network whose consistency determines the validity of the plan candidate. Since higher-level choices about control actions can add or remove variables and constraints, the underlying constraint network is invariably highly dynamic. Arbitrary domain-dependent constraints may be added to the constraint network and the constraint reasoning mechanism must be able to handle such constraints effectively. Additionally, real problems often require handling constraints over continuous variables. These requirements present a number of significant challenges for a constraint reasoning mechanism. In this paper, we introduce a general framework for handling dynamic constraint networks with real-valued variables, by using procedures to represent and effectively reason about general constraints. The framework is based on a sound theoretical foundation, and can be proven to be sound and complete under well-defined conditions. Furthermore, the framework provides hybrid reasoning capabilities, as alternative solution methods like mathematical programming can be incorporated into the framework, in the form of procedures.

Neighborhood education inequality and drinking behavior.

PubMed

Lê, Félice; Ahern, Jennifer; Galea, Sandro

2010-11-01

The neighborhood distribution of education (education inequality) may influence substance use among neighborhood residents. Using data from the New York Social Environment Study (conducted in 2005; n=4000), we examined the associations of neighborhood education inequality (measured using Gini coefficients of education) with alcohol use prevalence and levels of alcohol consumption among alcohol users. Analyses were adjusted for neighborhood education level, income level and income inequality, as well as for individual demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and history of drinking prior to residence in the current neighborhood. Neighborhood social norms about drinking were examined as a possible mediator. In adjusted generalized estimating equation regression models, one-standard-deviation-higher education inequality was associated with 1.18 times higher odds of alcohol use (logistic regression odds ratio=1.18, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.30) but 0.79 times lower average daily alcohol consumption among alcohol users (Poisson regression relative rate=0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.68-0.92). The results tended to differ in magnitude depending on respondents' individual educational levels. There was no evidence that these associations were mediated by social drinking norms, although norms did vary with education inequality. Our results provide further evidence of a relation between education inequality and drinking behavior while illustrating the importance of considering different drinking outcomes and heterogeneity between neighborhood subgroups. Future research could fruitfully consider other potential mechanisms, such as alcohol availability or the role of stress; research that considers multiple mechanisms and their combined effects may be most informative. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Socioeconomic inequality in hypertension in Iran.

PubMed

Fateh, Mansooreh; Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Asgari, Fereshteh; Alami, Ali; Fotouhi, Akbar

2014-09-01

Hypertension covers a large portion of burden of diseases, especially in the developing countries. The unequal distribution of hypertension in the population may affect 'health for all' goal. This study aimed to investigate the socioeconomic inequality of hypertension in Iran and to identify its influencing factors. We used data from Iran's surveillance system for risk factors of noncommunicable diseases which was conducted on 89 400 individuals aged 15-64 years in 2005. To determine the socioeconomic status of participants, a new variable was created using a principal component analysis. We examined hypertension at different levels of this new variable and calculated slop index of inequality (SII) and concentration index (C) for hypertension. We then applied Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis to determine the causes of inequality. The SII and C for hypertension were -32.3 and -0.170, respectively. The concentration indices varied widely between different provinces in Iran and was lower (more unequal) in women than in men. There was significant socioeconomic inequality in hypertension. The results of decomposition indicated that 40.5% of the low-socioeconomic group (n = 18190) and 16.4% of the high-socioeconomic group (n = 16335) had hypertension. Age, education level, sex and residency location were the main associated factors of the difference among groups. According to our results, there was an inequality in hypertension in Iran, so that individuals with low socioeconomic status had a higher prevalence of hypertension. Age was the most contributed factor in this inequality and women in low-socioeconomic group were the most vulnerable people for hypertension.

Urban Inequality: Evidence from Four Cities. A Volume in the Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Alice, Ed.; Tilly, Chris, Ed.; Bobo, Lawrence D., Ed.

This collection of papers focuses on urban inequalities in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. There are 11 chapters in 3 parts. The book begins with an introduction, "Understanding Inequality in the Late Twentieth-Century Metropolis: New Perspectives on the Enduring Racial Divide" (Alice O'Connor) and chapter 1,…

Application of singular value decomposition to structural dynamics systems with constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juang, J.-N.; Pinson, L. D.

1985-01-01

Singular value decomposition is used to construct a coordinate transformation for a linear dynamic system subject to linear, homogeneous constraint equations. The method is compared with two commonly used methods, namely classical Gaussian elimination and Walton-Steeves approach. Although the classical method requires fewer numerical operations, the singular value decomposition method is more accurate and convenient in eliminating the dependent coordinates. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the application of the method.

Understanding socio-economic inequalities in food choice behaviour: can Maslow's pyramid help?

PubMed

van Lenthe, Frank J; Jansen, Tessa; Kamphuis, Carlijn B M

2015-04-14

Socio-economic groups differ in their material, living, working and social circumstances, which may result in different priorities about their daily-life needs, including the priority to make healthy food choices. Following Maslow's hierarchy of human needs, we hypothesised that socio-economic inequalities in healthy food choices can be explained by differences in the levels of need fulfilment. Postal survey data collected in 2011 (67·2 % response) from 2903 participants aged 20-75 years in the Dutch GLOBE (Gezondheid en Levens Omstandigheden Bevolking Eindhoven en omstreken) study were analysed. Maslow's hierarchy of human needs (measured with the Basic Need Satisfaction Inventory) was added to age- and sex-adjusted linear regression models that linked education and net household income levels to healthy food choices (measured by a FFQ). Most participants (38·6 %) were in the self-actualisation layer of the pyramid. This proportion was highest among the highest education group (47·6 %). Being in a higher level of the hierarchy was associated with a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as more healthy than unhealthy bread, snack and dairy consumption. Educational inequalities in fruit and vegetable intake (B= -1·79, 95 % CI -2·31, -1·28 in the lowest education group) were most reduced after the hierarchy of needs score was included (B= -1·57, 95 % CI - ·09, -1·05). Inequalities in other healthy food choices hardly changed after the hierarchy of needs score was included. People who are satisfied with higher-level needs make healthier food choices. Studies aimed at understanding socio-economic inequalities in food choice behaviour need to take differences in the priority given to daily-life needs by different socio-economic groups into account, but Maslow's pyramid offers little help.