Loss Scenarios Research Articles

Relationships between empirical damage and direct/indirect costs for the assessment of seismic loss scenarios

The definition of relationships between damage and losses is a crucial aspect for the prediction of seismic effects and the development of reliable models to define risk maps, loss scenarios and mitigation strategies. The paper focuses on the analysis of post-earthquake empirical data to define relationships between buildings’ damage expressed as usability rating or as global damage state and the associated costs for repair (i.e. direct costs) or for population assistance (i.e. a part of total indirect costs). The analysis refers to the data collected on residential buildings damaged by 2009 L'Aquila earthquake. For different usability rating or damage states, the paper presents the costs expressed in terms of percentage with respect to the reference unit cost of a new building (%Cr and %Ca for repair and population assistance costs, respectively). In particular, the costs analysis refers to undamaged, lightly or severely damaged buildings classified according to usability rating (i.e. A, B-C or E according to Italian classification) or to five different global Damage States (DSs). DSs comply with European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98) and derive from literature available matrices properly defined to convert empirical damage to structural and non-structural components into building global damage. The %Cr probability density functions and relevant statistics derive from the analysis of actual data of post-earthquake reconstruction process, while, to determine those related to %Ca, a deep analysis of population assistance types, person/month assistance cost for each assistance form, and a methodology to associate such costs to each building are herein presented and discussed. Finally, the paper presents a relationship calibrated on empirical data to directly correlate repair costs on a building with assistance costs to their occupants. The relationships between empirical damage and direct and indirect costs herein presented are of paramount importance because they allow reliable loss scenarios to be defined by simply using literature fragility curves (defined according to empirical or mechanical approaches) aimed at evaluating the probability of exceeding different usability rating or damage states of existing buildings.

Organelle Genome Variation in the Red Algal Genus Ahnfeltia (Florideophyceae).

The agarophyte Ahnfeltia (Ahnfeltiales, Rhodophyta) is a globally widespread genus with 11 accepted species names. Two of the most widespread species in this genus, A. plicata and A. fastigiata, may have diverged genetically due to past geographic changes and subsequent geographic isolation. To investigate this genomic and genetic diversity, we generated new plastid (ptDNAs) and mitochondrial genomes (mtDNAs) of these Ahnfeltia species from four different regions (A. plicata - Chile and UK and A. fastigiata - Korea and Oregon). Two architecture variations were found in the Ahnfeltia genomes: in ptDNA of A. fastigiata Oregon, the hypothetical pseudogene region was translocated, likely due to recombination with palindromic repeats or a gene transfer from a red algal plasmid. In mtDNA of A. fastigiata Korea, the composition of the group II intronic ORFs was distinct from others suggesting different scenarios of gain and loss of group II intronic ORFs. These features resulted in genome size differences between the two species. Overall gene contents of organelle genomes of Ahnfeltia were conserved. Phylogenetic analysis using concatenated genes from ptDNAs and mtDNAs supported the monophyly of the Ahnfeltiophycidae. The most probable individual gene trees showed that the Ahnfeltia populations were genetically diversified. These trees, the cox1 haplotype network, and a dN/dS analysis all supported the theory that these Ahnfeltia populations have diversified genetically in accordance with geographic distribution.

Assessment of Carbon Stock in Forest Biomass and Emission Reduction Potential in Malaysia

Malaysia has a large extent of forest cover that plays a crucial role in storing biomass carbon and enhancing carbon sink (carbon sequestration) and reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to reduce the negative impacts of global climate change. This article estimates the economic value of forest carbon stock and carbon value per hectare of forested area based on the price of removing per ton CO2eq in USD from 1990 to 2050. The economic value of biomass carbon stored in the forests is estimated at nearly USD 51 billion in 2020 and approximately USD 41 billion in 2050, whereas carbon value per hectare forest area is estimated at USD 2885 in 2020 and USD 2388 in 2050. If the BAU scenario of forest loss (converting forests to other land use) continues, the projected estimation of carbon stock and its economic value might fall until 2050 unless further initiatives on proper planning of forest management and ambitious policy implementation are taken. Instead, Malaysia’s CO2 emission growth started to fall after 2010 due to rising forest carbon sink of 282 million tons between 2011 and 2016, indicating a huge potential of Malaysian forests for future climate change mitigation. The estimated and projected value of carbon stock in Malaysian forest biomass, annual growth of forest carbon, forest carbon density and carbon sink would be useful for the better understanding of enhancing carbon sink by avoiding deforestation, sustainable forest management, forest conservation and protection, accurate reporting of national carbon inventories and policy-making decisions. The findings of this study could also be useful in meeting emission reduction targets and policy implementation related to climate change mitigation in Malaysia.

Comparison of Different Procedures for Progressive Collapse Analysis of RC Flat Slab Structures under Corner Column Loss Scenario

Progressive collapse is the failure of the whole structure caused by local damage, which leads to significant economic and human losses. Therefore, structures should be designed to sustain local failures and resist subsequent nonproportional damage. This paper compared four procedures for a progressive collapse analysis of two RC structures subjected to a corner column loss scenario. The study is mainly based on the methods outlined in the current Russian standard (linear static (LS) pulldown, nonlinear static (ND) pulldown, and nonlinear dynamic), but also includes LS and NS pushdown procedures suggested by the American guidelines and linear dynamic procedure. We developed detailed finite element models for ANSYS Mechanical and ANSYS/LS-DYNA simulations, explicitly including concrete and reinforcement elements. We applied the Continuous Surface Cap Model (MAT_CSCM) to account for the physical nonlinearity of concrete. We also validated results obtained following these procedures against known experimental data. Simulations using linear static pulldown and linear dynamic procedures lead to 50–70% lower results than the experimental because they do not account for the nonlinear behavior of concrete and reinforcement. Displacements obtained from the NS pulldown method exceed the test data by 10–400%. It is found that correct results for both RC structures can only be found using a nonlinear dynamic procedure, and the mismatch with the test data do not exceed 7%. Compared to static pulldown methods, LS and NS pushdown methods are more accurate and differ from the experiment by 28% and 14%, respectively. This relative accuracy is provided by more correct load multipliers depending on the structure type.

A Retrofit Method to Mitigate Progressive Collapse in Steel Structures

AbstractAccidental events, such as impact loading or explosions, are rare events characterized by a very low probability of occurrence. However, their effects often lead to very high human losses and economic consequences as are likely to trigger the progressive collapse of the buildings. The progressive collapse of structures attracted the attention of many researchers and the topic has been widely investigated in recent years. In addition, increasing interest has been shown also on the definition of retrofit strategies able to increase the robustness of existing structures. The present work investigates the performance and the design of a retrofit solution to increase the robustness of steel moment resisting frames. A case study structure is selected and modelled in OpenSees, including both mechanical and geometrical non‐linearities. Non‐linear static analyses have been carried out on the frame, simulating a column loss scenario to investigate the subsequent load redistribution. The simulations showed that the case study was unable to redistribute the load and hence retrofitting was required. Among others, a truss system was added at the rooftop level of the building allowing the definition of an alternative load path. The analyses outcomes showed how the proposed retrofit method allows to increase the robustness of the case study structure and allowed for critical remarks on the checks required when this retrofit system is employed.

The Ecology of River Ice

AbstractMany of the world's rivers are ice‐covered during winter months but increasing evidence indicates that the extent of river ice will shift substantially as winters warm. However, our knowledge of rivers during winter lags far behind that of the growing season, limiting our understanding of how ice loss will affect rivers. Physical, chemical, and biological processes change from headwaters to large rivers; thus, we expect ice processes and resulting effects on the ecology of rivers could also vary with river size, as a result of the associated changes in geomorphology, temperature regimes, and connectivity. To conceptualize these relationships, we review typically disparate literature on ice processes and winter ecology and compare what is known in the smallest and largest rivers. In doing so, we show that our ability to link ice with ecology across river networks is made difficult by a primary focus on ice processes in larger rivers and a lack of study of ecosystem processes during winter. To address some of these gaps, we provide new scenarios of river ice loss and analyses of how the annual importance of winter gross primary productivity (GPP) varies with river size. We show projected ice loss varied with large‐scale watershed characteristics such as north‐south orientation and that the importance of winter to annual GPP was greatest in the smallest rivers. Finally, we highlight information needed to fill knowledge gaps on winter across river networks and improve our understanding of how rivers may change as climate and ice regimes shift.

Robust Tightly Coupled Pose Measurement Based on Multi-Sensor Fusion in Mobile Robot System.

Currently, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is one of the main research topics in the robotics field. Visual-inertia SLAM, which consists of a camera and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), can significantly improve robustness and enable scale weak-visibility, whereas monocular visual SLAM is scale-invisible. For ground mobile robots, the introduction of a wheel speed sensor can solve the scale weak-visibility problem and improve robustness under abnormal conditions. In this paper, a multi-sensor fusion SLAM algorithm using monocular vision, inertia, and wheel speed measurements is proposed. The sensor measurements are combined in a tightly coupled manner, and a nonlinear optimization method is used to maximize the posterior probability to solve the optimal state estimation. Loop detection and back-end optimization are added to help reduce or even eliminate the cumulative error of the estimated poses, thus ensuring global consistency of the trajectory and map. The outstanding contribution of this paper is that the wheel odometer pre-integration algorithm, which combines the chassis speed and IMU angular speed, can avoid the repeated integration caused by linearization point changes during iterative optimization; state initialization based on the wheel odometer and IMU enables a quick and reliable calculation of the initial state values required by the state estimator in both stationary and moving states. Comparative experiments were conducted in room-scale scenes, building scale scenes, and visual loss scenarios. The results showed that the proposed algorithm is highly accurate—2.2 m of cumulative error after moving 812 m (0.28%, loopback optimization disabled)—robust, and has an effective localization capability even in the event of sensor loss, including visual loss. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed method are superior to those of monocular visual inertia SLAM and traditional wheel odometers.

Improvement in Muscle Strength and Metabolic Parameters Despite Muscle Mass Loss in the Initial Six Months After Bariatric Surgery.

An aggravation in pre-existing sarcopenia or the onset of sarcopenia may occur in the scenario of extensive and fast weight loss in the initial months following bariatric surgery. The accurate identification of sarcopenia criteria and its metabolic repercussions is vital for its correct management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between the diagnosis criteria for sarcopenia and metabolic repercussions during the first 6months following bariatric surgery. A prospective single-center cohort study was conducted. Convenience sampling was performed among patients with severe obesity undergoing preoperative evaluation for bariatric surgery. Metabolic parameters, nutritional evaluation, and skeletal muscle evaluation were assessed before surgery and 6months later. A total of 129 patients were selected, 62 participants were included in the final analysis. Mean age was 37.7years and 88.4% of participants were women. Mean body mass index was 41.8kg/m2 and 47.8% of patients were sedentary. Sleeve gastrectomy was performed in 41 patients and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 21 patients. Significant improvement regarding muscle strength and function after surgery was observed. Sarcopenia criteria were not met by any participant before and after surgery. Blood glucose and ferritin levels remained independently associated with change in muscle strength. Functional evaluation methods did not reflect the reduction in skeletal muscle mass demonstrated in bioelectrical impedance analysis 6months after bariatric surgery in comparison to the preoperative baseline. Improvement in muscle strength was followed by improvement in metabolic parameters.

Nonlinear changes in cold spell and heat wave arising from Arctic sea-ice loss

Whether Arctic sea-ice loss has significant impacts on climate extremes in mid- and high-latitudes remains uncertain. Here we show the full response of cold and warm extremes under two Arctic sea-ice loss scenarios utilizing a coupled global climate model that permits the air-sea coupling. Our results show that the amount of Arctic sea-ice loss determines the spatial extent and magnitude of the weakening of atmospheric circulation in mid- and high-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, leading to nonlinear changes in cold and warm extremes. A relatively localized and moderate weakening of atmospheric circulation induced by the projected sea-ice loss in the next two decades would contribute to less winter cold extremes over the Northern Hemispheric continents. The risks of winter cold spells would be dramatically reduced as the amount of sea-ice loss is increased to the ice-free state. In contrast, as sea-ice loss increases, the continental regions would have increased risk of heat waves over all mid- and high-latitudes.

The Measure of the Archive: The Ro­bustness of Network Analysis in Early Modern Correspondence

Network analysis of historical correspondence can be a fruitful way to address historical research questions, and has been increasingly used in historical studies over the past decade. As with many areas of quantitative humanities research, the reliability of the results are often called into question, given that such approaches require ’hard data’ as input, yet almost inevitably use datasets with partial or missing records. Other disciplines using network analysis have conducted robustness experiments designed to test the impact of data loss or error on their results. In order to test how this missing data might affect our own area of research, we conducted a number of experiments designed to simulate the impact of the kinds of loss often seen in historical correspondence data, including random document loss, missing years, and errors in the disambiguation and de-duplication process. The results show that most network centrality measures maintain robustness until a very large proportion of the data (60% or more) is removed. Some measures showed a linear change in robustness, while others remained high and then fell off sharply. Only one, transitivity (local clustering coefficient) was significantly impacted throughout. We tested a range of data loss scenarios (random single letters, folio books of manuscript letters, catalogues, and entire years) and a range of commonly used network metrics. In addition, we tested the robustness of more complex network analysis results in the literature that combine several network metrics to highlight individuals in the network, and found that the same types of individuals would have likely been highlighted even with 50% random letter loss. Alongside the article is a web application, built using Shiny, which will calculate robustness measures for a user-uploaded network dataset. We conclude that researchers working with similar historical correspondence datasets might be able to consider network analysis results to be robust in most cases, rather than work on the assumption that missing data would lead to very different findings or results.

Decoupling in science and education: A collateral damage beyond deteriorating US–China relations

Abstract Deteriorating relations between the USA and China since 2018 have extended to education and scientific research arenas. We put the US–China science and education in a historical perspective and describe the win–win situation when both countries collaborated. We discuss an ongoing loss–loss scenario of the decoupling and speculate its far-reaching adverse impacts beyond bilateral territories. We call for actions to be taken for a brighter future by the leaderships in both countries.

Stability of rocky intertidal communities, in response to species removal, varies across spatial scales

Improving our understanding of stability across spatial scales is crucial in the current scenario of biodiversity loss. Still, most empirical studies of stability target small scales. We experimentally removed the local space‐dominant species (macroalgae, barnacles, or mussels) at eight sites spanning more than 1000 km of coastline in north‐ and south‐central Chile, and quantified the relationship between area (the number of aggregated sites) and stability in aggregate community variables (total cover) and taxonomic composition. Resistance, recovery, and invariability increased nonlinearly with area in both functional and compositional domains. Yet, the functioning of larger areas achieved a better, albeit still incomplete, recovery than composition. Compared with controls, smaller disturbed areas tended to overcompensate in terms of total cover. These effects were related to enhanced available space for recruitment (resulting from the removal of the dominant species), and to increasing beta diversity and decaying community‐level spatial synchrony (resulting from increasing area). This study provides experimental evidence for the pivotal role of spatial scale in the ability of ecosystems to resist and recover from chronic disturbances. This knowledge can inform further ecosystem restoration and conservation policies.

Decision Making with STPA through Markov Decision Process, a Theoretic Framework for Safe Human-Robot Collaboration

During the last decades, collaborative robots capable of operating out of their cages are widely used in industry to assist humans in mundane and harsh manufacturing tasks. Although such robots are inherently safe by design, they are commonly accompanied by external sensors and other cyber-physical systems, to facilitate close cooperation with humans, which frequently render the collaborative ecosystem unsafe and prone to hazards. We introduce a method that capitalizes on partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDP) to amalgamate nominal actions of the system along with unsafe control actions posed by the System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA). A decision-making mechanism that constantly prompts the system into a safer state is realized by providing situation awareness about the safety levels of the collaborative ecosystem by associating the system safety awareness with specific groups of selected actions. POMDP compensates the partial observability and uncertainty of the current state of the collaborative environment and creates safety screening policies that tend to make decisions that balance the system from unsafe to safe states in real time during the operational phase. The theoretical framework is assessed on a simulated human–robot collaborative scenario and proved capable of identifying loss and success scenarios.

EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES

-There may be several aspects in any experiment conducted to achieve a well defined goal. It is considered more useful to cite number of experimental techniques employed in a single large scale experiment. For the rewetting of vertical cylindrical surface under bottom flooding conditions, it is reasonable to assume uniformity of temperature in the peripheral coordinate. Code RAMM (Rewetting Analysis using Moving Mesh) has been developed by the author of this paper [1] to calculate rewetting velocity. Experiments were also conducted for determination of rewetting velocities [2], the rewetting velocity in mm/s is100.0 by [3]; 33.3 by [4] ;51.0 by [5]. This paper is aimed to cover experimental techniques employed in the determination of rewetting velocity (RV) in Nuclear Reactor Channel under the scenario of Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA). For determining RV, many experimental methodology and techniques were employed. Experimental simulation of nuclear fuel pin clad named as fuel pin simulator, was carried out by taking hot vertical annular channel where rewetting of outer surface was studied. Experimental rewetting studies requires multidisciplinary approach namely (i) selection of material for the fuel pin simulator. (ii) Installation of thermocouple wires at many locations into wall of a long and narrow tube (iii) Electrical resistance Joules heating of S. S. tube of 3.03m long, 0.015m outer and 0.012m inner diameters (iv) selection of power source for heating (v) Instrumentation required to capture parameters and (vi) Programming and connecting the Data Acquisition System (DAS) for recording the temperature transients.

Regional gene therapy for bone healing using a 3D printed scaffold in a rat femoral defect model.

At the present time there are no consistently satisfactory treatment options for some challenging bone loss scenarios. We have previously reported on the properties of a novel 3D-printed hydroxyapatite-composite material in a pilot study, which demonstrated osteoconductive properties but was not tested in a rigorous, clinically relevant model. We therefore utilized a rat critical-sized femoral defect model with a scaffold designed to match the dimensions of the bone defect. The scaffolds were implanted in the bone defect after being loaded with cultured rat bone marrow cells (rBMC) transduced with a lentiviral vector carrying the cDNA for BMP-2. This experimental group was compared against 3 negative and positive control groups. The experimental group and positive control group loaded with rhBMP-2 demonstrated statistically equivalent radiographic and histologic healing of the defect site (p > 0.9), and significantly superior to all three negative control groups (p < 0.01). However, the healed defects remained biomechanically inferior to the unoperated, contralateral femurs (p < 0.01). When combined with osteoinductive signals, the scaffolds facilitate new bone formation in the defect. However, the scaffold alone was not sufficient to promote adequate healing, suggesting that it is not substantially osteoinductive as currently structured. The combination of gene therapy with 3D-printed scaffolds is quite promising, but additional work is required to optimize scaffold geometry, cell dosage and delivery.

Experimental and numerical study of 19-pin disassembled fuel channel under severe accident condition

A postulated scenario of station blackout (SBO) or loss of coolant accidents (LOCA) with the failure of all safety systems can lead to the unmitigated severe accident in pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs). As water is present as moderator in the Calandria vessel participates in decay heat removal hence it undergoes boil off. This initiates the slow uncovering of the top channels. Continuous heating of exposed channels may lead to disassembly of the channels. Under such circumstances, the steam can ingress inside the disassembled channels and react with unreacted zirconium and generate more hydrogen.The present paper aims to assess the thermal behavior, steam ingression inside the channel and associated hydrogen generation of standard 220 MWe Indian PHWR under the hypothesis of postulated severe accidents with large break LOCA and loss of ECCS as an initiating event. Experimental and numerical study has been carried out for a one-meter channel length for 2% of decay power level. Transient CFD simulation is also performed for a better understanding of the thermal behavior of the channel. Throughout the transient, the fuel bundle of the channel is heated maximum up to the temperature 891 °C, and generation of hydrogen is observed beyond maximum temperature of the fuel bundle of 628 °C. The average hydrogen generation rate is found to be 0.01822 g/s. The experiment shows that oxidation due to steam ingression is limited to the regions near the end of the channels. Radiation and convective steam cooling helps to limit the rise in the temperature of the fuel bundle. Ingression effect is noticed up to 260 mm from ends, beyond which limited steam is available.

Investigating the Role of Weapon Effects and Flooding on the Loss of H. L. Hunley

The submarine H. L. Hunley conducted the first successful submarine attack on an enemy vessel, USS Housatonic, during the American Civil War but was lost with all hands because of unknown circumstances. The submarine has been recovered, and recent archeological findings have uncovered that a spar torpedo was used as opposed to a standoff torpedo that was commonly assumed to have been used. As a result, the submarine would have been in close proximity to the weapon when it exploded than previously thought. A multipart investigation has been conducted with the goal of determining if this reduced standoff distance could explain the mysterious loss of the vessel in the minutes or hours after the attack. Here, the results of a bottom-up naval architectural and weapons-effects analysis are reported. Together, the experimental, computational, and analytical results provide new insight to the vessel’s stability characteristics, propulsion, and dynamic loading environment during the attack. In addition, a discussion of possible loss scenarios, informed by both calculation results and inspections of vessel’s hull, is presented. Although the story of what happened to H. L. Hunley that night remains shrouded in mystery after this work, several important new research questions emerge.

137 Recovery Dynamics in a Biomathematical Model of Fatigue

Abstract Introduction In commercial aviation and other operational settings where biomathematical models of fatigue are used for fatigue risk management, accurate prediction of recovery during rest periods following duty periods with sleep loss and/or circadian misalignment is critical. The recuperative potential of recovery sleep is influenced by a variety of factors, including long-term, allostatic effects of prior sleep/wake history. For example, recovery tends to be slower after sustained sleep restriction versus acute total sleep deprivation. Capturing such dynamics has proven to be challenging. Methods Here we focus on the dynamic biomathematical model of McCauley et al. (2013). In addition to a circadian process, this model features differential equations for sleep/wake regulation including a short-term sleep homeostatic process capturing change in the order of hours/days and a long-term allostatic process capturing change in the order of days/weeks. The allostatic process modulates the dynamics of the homeostatic process by shifting its equilibrium setpoint, which addresses recently observed phenomena such as reduced vulnerability to sleep loss after banking sleep. It also differentiates the build-up and recovery rates of fatigue under conditions of chronic sleep restriction versus acute total sleep deprivation; nonetheless, it does not accurately predict the disproportionately rapid recovery seen after total sleep deprivation. To improve the model, we hypothesized that the homeostatic process may also modulate the allostatic process, with the magnitude of this effect scaling as a function of time awake. Results To test our hypothesis, we added a parameter to the model to capture modulation by the homeostatic process of the allostatic process build-up during wakefulness and dissipation during sleep. Parameter estimation using previously published laboratory datasets of fatigue showed this parameter as significantly different from zero (p&amp;lt;0.05) and yielding a 10%–20% improvement in goodness-of-fit for recovery without adversely affecting goodness-of-fit for pre-recovery days. Conclusion Inclusion of a modulation effect of the allostatic process by the homeostatic process improved prediction accuracy in a variety of sleep loss and circadian misalignment scenarios. In addition to operational relevance for duty/rest scheduling, this finding has implications for understanding mechanisms underlying the homeostatic and allostatic processes of sleep/wake regulation. Support (if any) Federal Express Corporation

Immunization of networks with limited knowledge and temporary immunity.

Modern view of network resilience and epidemic spreading has been shaped by percolation tools from statistical physics, where nodes and edges are removed or immunized randomly from a large-scale network. In this paper, we produce a theoretical framework for studying targeted immunization in networks, where only n nodes can be observed at a time with the most connected one among them being immunized and the immunity it has acquired may be lost subject to a decay probability ρ. We examine analytically the percolation properties as well as scaling laws, which uncover distinctive characters for Erdős-Rényi and power-law networks in the two dimensions of n and ρ. We study both the case of a fixed immunity loss rate as well as an asymptotic total loss scenario, paving the way to further understand temporary immunity in complex percolation processes with limited knowledge.

Numbers do not add up! The pragmatic approach to the framing of medical treatments

AbstractThe risky choice framing effect disclosed that presenting data in a loss scenario lead decision-makers towards risky choices. Conversely, a gain scenario prevents them from taking a risk. Framing effect robustness has been widely confirmed by psychological literature. However, the framing of medical treatments, based on McNeil et al. (1982) paradigm, raised both methodological doubts and contrasting evidence. Our research aimed to investigate the presence and the nature of the framing effect in the McNeil et al. (1982) paradigm. In particular, we thought that the obtained switch of preferences across frames was due to a misleading formulation of the data given in a negative cumulative frequency format. We conducted three studies: (1) we replicated McNeil et al.’s (1982) original study (N=150) with medicine (n=50), statistics (n=50) and lay (n=50) students; (2) we tested (N=180) our hypothesis by comparing a cumulative frequency format with an alternative version, namely a linear progression one; (3) we compared (N=430) the effect of different formats (cumulative frequency, linear progression and interval frequency) on choices. Our results showed that, while the framing effect is present when employing a cumulative frequency format, it disappears when using a linear progression one. Moreover, our results show that decision-makers better understand information when given in a linear progression and an interval frequency format. In the current paper, we argue that the way in which a problem is formulated plays a relevant role in the representation of the decisional task and the decision-making.