Parallel nonconvex generalized Benders decomposition for natural gas production network planning under uncertainty

A scenario-based two-stage stochastic programming model for gas production network planning under uncertainty is usually a large-scale nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear programme (MINLP), which can be efficiently solved to global optimality with nonconvex generalized Benders decomposition (NGBD). This paper is concerned with the parallelization of NGBD to exploit multiple available computing resources. Three parallelization strategies are proposed, namely, naive scenario parallelization, adaptive scenario parallelization, and adaptive scenario and bounding parallelization. Case study of two industrial natural gas production network planning problems shows that, while the NGBD without parallelization is already faster than a state-of-the-art global optimization solver by an order of magnitude, the parallelization can improve the efficiency by several times on computers with multicore processors. The adaptive scenario and bounding parallelization achieves the best overall performance among the three proposed parallelization strategies.

Robust scenario formulations for strategic supply chain optimization under uncertainty

Strategic supply chain optimization (SCO) problems are often modelled as a two-stage optimization problem, in which the first-stage variables represent decisions on the development of the supply chain and the second-stage variables represent decisions on the operations of the supply chain. When uncertainty is explicitly considered, the problem becomes an intractable infinite-dimensional optimization problem, which is usually solved approximately via a scenario or a robust approach. This paper proposes a novel synergy of the scenario and robust approaches for strategic SCO under uncertainty. Two formulations are developed, namely, naïve robust scenario formulation and affinely adjustable robust scenario formulation. It is shown that both formulations can be reformulated into tractable deterministic optimization problems if the uncertainty is bounded with the infinity-norm, and the uncertain equality constraints can be reformulated into deterministic constraints without assumption of the uncertainty region. Case studies of a classical farm planning problem and an energy and bioproduct SCO problem demonstrate the advantages of the proposed formulations over the classical scenario formulation. The proposed formulations not only can generate solutions with guaranteed feasibility or indicate infeasibility of a problem, but also can achieve optimal expected economic performance with smaller numbers of scenarios.

Data Files

In order to become better prepared to support Research Data Management (RDM) practices in sciences and engineering, Queen’s University Library, together with the University Research Services, conducted a research study of all ranks of faculty members, as well as postdoctoral fellows and graduate students at the Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science, Departments of Chemistry, Computer Science, Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy, School of Environmental Studies, and Geography & Planning in the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Gravity collapse structures in the Central Precordillera fold-andthrust belt, Argentina

Several landforms found in the fold-and-thrust belt area of Central Precordillera, Pre-Andes of Argentina, which were often associated with tectonic efforts, are in fact related to non-tectonic processes or gravitational superficial structures. These second-order structures, interpreted as gravitational collapse structures, have developed in the western flank of sierras de La Dehesa and Talacasto. These include rock-slides, rock falls, wrinkle folds, slip sheets and flaps, among others; which together constitute a monoclinal fold dipping between 30º and 60º to the west. Gravity collapse structures are parallel to the regional strike of the Sierra de la Dehesa and are placed in Ordovician limestones and dolomites. Their sloping towards the west, the presence of bed planes, fractures and joints; and the lithology (limestone interbedded with incompetent argillaceous banks) would have favored their occurrence. Movement of the detached structures has been controlled by lithology characteristics, as well as by bedding and joints. Detachment and initial transport of gravity collapse structures and rockslides in the western flank of the Sierra de la Dehesa were tightly controlled by three structural elements: 1) sliding surfaces developed on parallel bedded strata when dipping >30° in the slope direction; 2) Joint’s sets constitute lateral and transverse traction cracks which release extensional stresses and 3) Discontinuities fragmenting sliding surfaces.  Some other factors that could be characterized as local (lithology, structure and topography) and as regional (high seismic activity and possibly wetter conditions during the postglacial period) were determining in favoring the steady loss of the western mountain side in the easternmost foothills of Central Precordillera.

40 20th Century Spanish Sculptresses

This article presents a compilation of female artists who carried out their sculptural work during the twentieth century. With a brief presentation of each of them I want to implement visibility and the importance of incorporating their works to the collective imagery in order to be added to Spanish contemporary arts history. Some of them have public monuments of great popular recognition but their names have not been mentioned yet. Some others have “minor” works but they were relevant teachers to other artists. A few of them have extensive monographs about their life and their works. While others have almost gone unnoticed, but the proof of their professional career’s existence seems fundamental to us and they must be incorporated to history either through text books, university research works, ideally achieving a supported research project, to provide them the visibility their works and their vital trajectories deserve.

Destination Open Access: Getting Researchers On Board

This Open Access (OA) Poster - ‘Destination Open Access: Getting Researchers on Board’, was devised by the Queen’s University Belfast’s OA Team. It outlines the advocacy strategy undertaken to strengthen researchers’ uptake of OA at the University. Research funders, such as the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE), are increasingly mandating that researchers make their work publically available via an institutional repository. It is therefore imperative that researchers and departments fully engage with open access to ensure future funding.

The team’s advocacy strategy centres around collaboration with the Heads of Schools, Subject Librarians, the Research and Enterprise Office and, most importantly, the researchers themselves. The team regularly organises training sessions and events, on understanding OA, funder compliance and using the institutional repository. We also run outreach activities, such as practical drop-in sessions, promotional give-aways, OA updates to library staff and direct communications to schools. Finally, the team maintain a strong online presence via LibGuides, LibAnswers, the Library Blog and Twitter. We utilise these platforms to highlight topical OA issues, to advertise events, to provide support materials and to interact with researchers.

Statistics indicate that researchers are increasingly engaging with the OA training, communications and outreach events. Since August 2014 over 1200 researchers have attended advocacy sessions. Additionally, the numbers of papers uploaded to the repository each year has steadily increased and there are now over 3, 000 full-text OA research outputs in the Queen’s Research Portal.

This reflects positively on the team’s established approach of working with researchers to develop an OA culture within the University. Whilst it is clear that an open access strategy is essential, support for the open access ethos must come from individual researchers and Schools in order for the University to reach its desired destination of maximum uptake of open access.

Qualitätssicherung zwischen Diversifizierung der Hochschulen und Vereinheitlichung von Standards. Beiträge zur 2. AQ Austria Jahrestagung 2014

Die Jahrestagung 2014 der AQ Austria widmete sich einerseits dem Spannungsfeld zunehmender Diversifizierung von Hochschulen und standardisierten Qualitätssicherungsverfahren andererseits. Im vorliegenden Jahrestagungsband finden sich neben dem Hauptvortrag des Basler Universitätsrektors Loprieno über die Herausforderungen der Diversifizierung für Qualität sowie der Qualitätskultur an Hochschulen auch internationale Beiträge als Antwort aus der Sicht von Qualitätssicherungsagenturen auf die Diversifizierung. Weitere Artikel zu Themen wie duale Studiengänge, Studierbarkeit, Berufungsverfahren sowie Forschungskultur und Qualitätskultur runden die Diskussion über Qualitätssicherung und Diversifizierung in der vorliegenden Publikation ab. Mit Beiträgen von: Loprieno, Antonio; Hanft, Anke; Pichl, Elmar; Jackson, Stephen; Lund, Øystein; Cox, Jeremy; Fink, Kerstin; Brandstätter, Ursula; Bischof, Horst; Gaberscik, Gerald; Janger, Jürgen; Kastner, Johann; Steiger, Anna; Wilhelm, Elena; Holzinger, Helmut; Esca-Scheuringer, Heidi; Kecht, Maria-Regina; Schulmeister, Rolf; Haas, Johannes.

Erziehungswissenschaft(en) in Luxemburg. Eine feste Säule in der noch jungen luxemburgischen Hochschullandschaft

Der Autor gibt einen Überblick über die Spezifika der luxemburgischen Erziehungswissenschaft. Er zeichnet ihre Entwicklungen nach und kommt einerseits zu dem Schluss, dass die Erziehungswissenschaft zu den Grundpfeilern der human- und sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät an der Universität Luxemburg zähle. Allerdings sei es andererseits schwierig „die Erziehungswissenschaft“ aufgrund der multidisziplinären Strukturen innerhalb der Einheiten der Fakultät als Disziplin auszumachen. Deshalb stellt er abschließend die Fragen in den Raum, inwieweit es notwendig und überhaupt möglich sei, für die Erziehungswissenschaft einen engen disziplinären Kern zu definieren, oder ob die Erforschung von Gegenständen rund um Bildung und Erziehung nicht gerade die Mehrzahl des Begriffs, d.h. Erziehungswissenschaften erfordere. (DIPF/Orig.)

Educational sciences in the Netherlands: state of affairs and challenges

This paper reports on the state of affairs of the „Erziehungswissenschaften“ in the Netherlands. For this description of the educational sciences we primarily rely on a report written in 2014 by a committee that prepared a discipline plan educational sciences (CSO 2014). This report was commissioned by the association of universities in the Netherlands (VSNU ...), the umbrella association of research universities. Such reports regularly are prepared to describe the state of affairs of a discipline and advice on policies for the future development of a discipline. For the educational sciences, the committee was composed of representatives of most universities at the level of university executive boards, faculty deans and department chairs. (DIPF/Orig.)

Recent development and commercial adoption of legumes for heavy clay soils in Queensland

In previous chapters of this volume, various authors describe the development of herbaceous legumes for pastures on clay soils in Queensland until about the 1980s. Emphasis is on the collection and evaluation of the genus Desmanthus, given its relatively recent addition to agriculture and considerable potential for providing useful pasture legumes for clay soils, particularly in the seasonally dry areas of northern Australia. Other genera are also discussed, including early assessments of herbaceous legumes that were later developed for clay soils (Clitoria, Macroptilium and Stylosanthes). This chapter provides a summary of the development of herbaceous legumes for clay soils in Queensland from these earlier assessments until present. Beef cattle farming is the principal agricultural enterprise in seasonally dry areas of northern Australia, including large areas of clay soils in Queensland. Sown and naturally occurring grasses provide the key feed resource, and the inclusion of sown legumes can significantly improve live-weight gain and reproductive performance per unit area. Queensland has been the centre of development for legumes for clay soils in tropical and subtropical areas of Australia, mostly through assessing and developing plants held in the Australian Tropical Forages Genetic Resource Collection (ATFGRC) (now a component of the Australia Pastures Genebank (APG)). The systematic appraisal of genetic material for clay soils was a focus of well-resourced government research up to the early to mid-1990s, but declined thereafter as sown pasture research teams were dismantled and funding to maintain the ATFGRC declined. Cultivar development is now conducted by small government, private enterprise and university research teams that collaborate where possible. In recent studies the use of experienced researcher knowledge and old plant evaluation sites has been particularly valuable for identifying potentially useful material. Cultivars for long- and short-term pastures on clay soils have been developed to the level of commercial seed production for Desmanthus (five cultivars from four species with two cultivars (one composite) in current use), Clitoria ternatea (one cultivar), Macroptilium bracteatum (two) and Stylosanthes seabrana (two). Other potential cultivars of these species are currently in various stages of development. Each species has different production niches depending on climate, clay soil type and grazing strategy. Adoption of these cultivars is occurring but has variously been impeded by limited promotion, mismatch of seed supply and demand, and difficulty establishing legumes in pastures of some key grass species. Recent renewed investment by the Australian Beef Industry has seen revived government research into pasture legumes in Queensland and rejuvenation of the APG.

Transformation into Platform - How can an organisation move from a single-sided business to platforms? A case study at Lyyti

The research studies the transformation from a single-sided offering to a multi-sided platform. The study aims to define platforms and their benefits, creating a theoretical framework by applying change management models with the platform theory, and by finding critical change points of the transformation. The empirical research was done by utilizing action research. The researcher worked as project manager in the case company, and studied the transformation project by working actively and leading the project team. The result of the project was a study of how the company would be able to manage the transformation. The results clearly showed that the company didn’t have the capabilities to finish the transformation. As a conclusion, the study showed that the critical change points that led to the project failure were, that the project was managed with insufficient change managerial efforts, which later resulted as lack of commitment to re-allocating the resources to complete the transformation. Many of the critical change points were results of combined change managerial and platform-related issues.

Sports sponsorship as a channel for brand engagement on social media

The purpose of this Mater’s Thesis was to examine how sports sponsorship can be used as a channel for brand engagement on social media. All these three concepts have been researched previously, however, up until now they have been studied separately. Therefore, the aim was also to investigate the interrelations between these three concepts, as there is a lack of academic base on the matter. The theory of the research was based on existing academic researches of social media, brand engagement and sports sponsorship. The empirical part of the research was conducted by utilizing quantitative research method. An online questionnaire was published on Facebook pages of two Liiga ice hockey teams. In the end the total sample consisted of 322 viable respondents. The collected data was analyzed by using statistical analysis software, SPSS. The findings of the empirical research reveal that information, enjoyment, personal identity, social interaction and compensation motivate consumers to engage with brands on social media. However, the behavior of consumers is more passive than active brand engagement. Personal identity and compensation serve as motivational reasons for brand engagement on both active and passive level, while the rest are only passive brand engagement. Besides motivation there are other variables that affect consumers. Support for the team reflects to brand engagement, which is passive brand engagement. The visibility of the brand during the event is linked to both active and passive brand engagement. Prior information of sports team and event and frequency of attendance can be linked only to active brand engagement. On the other hand, congruence between the team and brand reflects only to passive brand engagement.

Reclaiming Academia from Post-academia

Post-academic science, driven as it is by commercialisation and market forces, is fundamentally at odds with core academic principles. Publicly-funded academics have an obligation to carry out science for the public good, a responsibility which is incompatible with the entrepreneurial ethos increasingly expected of university research by funding agencies.

Advanced 4DT flight guidance and control software system

The work presented in this thesis has been part of a Cranfield University research project. This thesis aims to design a flight control law for large cargo aircraft by using predictive control, which can assure flight motion along the flight path exactly and on time. In particular this work involves the modelling of a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 6DOF model (used as study case), by using DATCOM and Matlab Simulink software. Then a predictive control algorithm has been developed. The majority of the work is done in a Matlab/Simulink environment. Finally the predictive control algorithm has been applied on the aircraft model and its performances, in tracking given trajectory optimized through a 4DT Research Software, have been evaluated.