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Objectives: Medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair utilization is increasing in recent years, bolstered by shorter rehabilitation and satisfactory clinical outcomes. While previous literature has illustrated the importance of tunnel position on restoring graft isometry in UCL reconstruction, there remains a paucity of literature guiding anchor placement in UCL repair. Herein, we describe a 3-dimensional (3D) elbow model to measure and optimize anchor location during UCL repair. Methods: A 3D computer model of a human elbow joint was created using CT and MRI images from a single patient. The humeral and ulnar attachments of the UCL were plotted using three distinct methodologies: 1) geometric cloud mapping; 2) quantitative measurements as described by the anatomical studies by Camp et al1; and 3) Frangiamore et al2. A 3.5mm-diameter clockface was placed on each attachment site which allowed for simulation of 12 distinct, 1.75mm deviations in anchor position. The three elbow models were then ranged through 0-120 degrees of flexion at 10-degree increments, and the 3D distances were measured between the two ligament centroids. The humeral and ulnar anchors were sequentially repositioned around the clockfaces, and ligament lengths were again measured to evaluate changes in isometry. An independent t-test was performed to determine if there was a significant difference in isometry between the humeral or ulnar anchor deviations. Results: Using method 1, the UCL length at 90 degrees of elbow flexion was 26.8mm. This ligament underwent 13.6mm of total excursion for a 46.4% change in length throughout arc of motion. Method 2 produced a 19.3mm ligament that underwent 0.8mm of excursion for a 3.9% length change throughout the arc. Method 3 produced a 24.5mm ligament that underwent 2.3mm of excursion for a 9.4% length change throughout arc. Identifying ligament footprints using the quantitative anatomical measurements as described by Camp et al1 and Frangiamore et al2 produced better ligament isometry through 120 degrees of flexion (ligament length changes of 3.9% and 9.4%, respectively) when compared to using the geometric cloud technique (46.4% length change). Humeral anchor deviations produced a statistically significant increase in ligament excursion when compared to ulnar anchor deviations (p < 0.001). Conclusions: When performing UCL repair, small deviations in humeral anchor position may significantly influence graft and ligament isometry. Anchor position was most isometric while using the quantitative measurements as described in Camp et al1. Particularly when addressing detachments of the humeral footprint, surgeons should be critical of the humeral anchor position in order to restore native anatomy and optimal biomechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This column discusses the 2015 ISCA Influential Paper Award, which recognized "Wattch: A Framework for Architectural-Level Power Analysis and Optimizations" by David Brooks, Vivek Tiwari, and Margaret Martonosi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From June 29 to July 2, 2015, McGill University in Montreal, Canada, was the host of the 20th edition of the International Conference on the Computation of Electromagnetic Fields (Compumag 2015). Every two years since its inception in Oxford, U.K., in 1976, Compumag has provided a forum for the international computational electromagnetics community to come together and exchange ideas and develop new research areas. Over its history, we have seen the computation of electromagnetic fields advance from extremely simple systems in the early days of finite elements and integral methods to the advanced systems of today capable of dealing with 3-D systems handling eddy currents, nonlinearity, and motion on a laptop computer. Simulation has clearly come of age in our area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the Second International Conference on Damage Mechanics (ICDM2) held at the University of Technology of Troyes, Troyes, France, from 8-11 July 2015, is presented. Topics include theoretical modeling in damage mechanics, numerical simulations in damage mechanics, and experimentation and engineering applications. The conference featured several professors including K Saanouni.

Abstract: Computer simulation is a highly advantageous method for understanding and improving health care operations with a wide variety of possible applications. Most computer simulation studies in emergency medicine have sought to improve allocation of resources to meet demand or to assess the impact of hospital and other system policies on emergency department (ED) throughput. These models have enabled essential discoveries that can be used to improve the general structure and functioning of EDs. Theoretically, computer simulation could also be used to examine the impact of adding or modifying specific provider tasks. Doing so involves a number of unique considerations, particularly in the complex environment of acute care settings. In this paper, we describe conceptual advances and lessons learned during the design, parameterization, and validation of a computer simulation model constructed to evaluate changes in ED provider activity. We illustrate these concepts using examples from a study focused on the operational effects of HIV screening implementation in the ED. Presentation of our experience should emphasize the potential for application of computer simulation to study changes in health care provider activity and facilitate the progress of future investigators in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sense-making plays an important role in Intelligence Analysis, but can be difficult to study in situ. Thus, it is useful to exploit training exercises to study this phenomenon. In this paper two versions of the same exercise are reported: one undertaken by participants at a conference and one undertaken by Military Intelligence personnel. The behaviour of groups of analysts (experienced versus inexperienced) is considered in terms the Data/Frame model of sense-making. The paper illustrates how Intelligence Analysis often involves parallel and overlapping explorations of data, with multiple frames that might be minimal and sketchy. The use of representations, such as link diagrams, provides a means of externalising frames and it is suggested that these can shift the style of reasoning exhibited by the teams as the Exercise progresses. Such a shift was seen more clearly in the behaviour of the Military Intelligence Officers who also spent more time developing and refining the diagrams to support the presentation of their findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an annual international Young Scientists Conference (YSC) on computational science http://ysc.escience.ifmo.ru/ , which brings together renowned experts and young researchers working in high-performance computing, data-driven modeling, and simulation of large-scale complex systems. The first YSC event was organized in 2012 by the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands and ITMO University, Russia with the goal of opening a dialogue on the present and the future of computational science and its applications. We believe that the YSC conferences will strengthen the ties between young scientists in different countries, thus promoting future collaboration. In this paper we briefly introduce the challenges the millennial generation is facing; describe the YSC conference history and topics; and list the keynote speakers and program committee members. This volume of Procedia Computer Science presents selected papers from the 4th International Young Scientists Conference on Computational Science held on 25 June − 3 July 2015 in Athens, Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the International Conference on Simulators, Simulated and Standardized Patients in Health Professional Education held on November 20-22, 2014 at University of Health Sciences in Pakistan. Topics include the conference focusing on the usefulness of simulation in medical education, as well as its limitations and disadvantages, such its inability to replace real patients. Also mentioned are Professors Kay Mohanna and Jawad Sajid as among the speakers.

The article offers information on the fourth International Conference on Optimization, Simulation and Control held during July 1-4, 2013, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

A high-fidelity full-wave simulator is presented to perform numerical experiments for rough sea scattering problem by considering different polarizations, frequencies, grazing angles, wind speeds, and sea surface spectra. The simulator is based on a novel finite-element domain decomposition (FEDD) method for solving the problem of 2-D electromagnetic scattering over 1-D sea surface. This noniterative method partitions the computational domain into a number of overlapping subdomains and solves each domain individually by employing the locally conformal perfectly matched layer (LC-PML) at the truncation boundaries. LC-PML has a unique feature such that it can be applied to irregular domains on the contrary to standard PML methods, and hence inspired the birth of FEDD. The FEDD method is used at each Monte Carlo realization corresponding to a sample from random rough surfaces and decreases the computational load, especially for electrically large problems. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the method are investigated through several simulations. Using the FEDD method, the statistical behavior of the bistatic radar cross section (RCS) is obtained for both the horizontal and vertical polarizations. A special emphasis is given to forward-scattered RCS and the mean reflection coefficient for sea surface, especially at low grazing angles, and it is shown that the simulator produces results in agreement with the Ament and Miller–Brown approximations, and experimental data, proving the reliability of the simulation approach. The results are also compared with the standard finite-element method and method of moments. Rough sea surfaces are created by using both the Pierson–Moskowitz and Elfouhaily spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In 2017, Academic Emergency Medicine convened a consensus conference entitled, “Catalyzing System Change through Health Care Simulation: Systems, Competency, and Outcomes.” This article, a product of the breakout session on “understanding complex interactions through systems modeling,” explores the role that computer simulation modeling can and should play in research and development of emergency care delivery systems. This article discusses areas central to the use of computer simulation modeling in emergency care research. The four central approaches to computer simulation modeling are described (Monte Carlo simulation, system dynamics modeling, discrete‐event simulation, and agent‐based simulation), along with problems amenable to their use and relevant examples to emergency care. Also discussed is an introduction to available software modeling platforms and how to explore their use for research, along with a research agenda for computer simulation modeling. Through this article, our goal is to enhance adoption of computer simulation, a set of methods that hold great promise in addressing emergency care organization and design challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the Study Day on Computer Simulation of Musical Creativity that was held at the University of Huddersfield in England on June 27, 2015. Highlights include the development of automated meta music, a connectionist and machine-learning approach presented by Andrew Lambert, Tillman Weyde, and Newton Armstrong to expressive rhythm generation, and the use of music computer systems to improve the creativity of humans.

Background: Driving simulators are frequently used in traffic research to study the various traffic scenarios with related traffic phenomena. This current pilot study assesses off-road driving skills of Indian drivers using driving simulator and perceptual test batteries such as test of visual perceptual skills-3 (TVPS-3) and Rivermead perceptual assessment battery (RPAB). Objectives: To compare the efficacy of TVPS-3 and RPAB with performance of Indian drivers on driving simulator to determine off-road perceptual skills. Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Methods: The sample size was 30. Individuals who met the following inclusion criteria were included: * Individuals with driving experience of not <1 year * Age range: 20-60 years * No obvious visual impairment or other such comorbidities. Participants underwent evaluation in two phases. Phase 1: It included screening of participants for inclusion criteria and assessment of screened individuals on driving simulator. Driving simulator: Participants were tested on "city driving test" for 15 min. Phase 2: After completing assessment on driving simulator, participants were randomly assigned to either of the perceptual tests. Perceptual tests: Participants' perceptual abilities were assessed either using TVPS-3 or RPAB. Statistical analysis was done using Pearson's correlation to compare the visual perceptual tests and performance on driving simulator; unpaired f-test was used to find difference between TVPS-3 and RPAB. Results: The performance of Indian drivers on perceptual tests and driving simulator is highly correlated. Conclusion: Driving simulator seems to be a valid and stable assessment tool for assessing driving skills in individuals. Both the assessment scales are can be used for assessing the driving skills of participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]