Large scale optimization of a sour water stripping plant using surrogate models

In this work, we propose a new methodology for the large scale optimization and process integration of complex chemical processes that have been simulated using modular chemical process simulators. Units with significant numerical noise or large CPU times are substituted by surrogate models based on Kriging interpolation. Using a degree of freedom analysis, some of those units can be aggregated into a single unit to reduce the complexity of the resulting model. As a result, we solve a hybrid simulation-optimization model formed by units in the original flowsheet, Kriging models, and explicit equations. We present a case study of the optimization of a sour water stripping plant in which we simultaneously consider economics, heat integration and environmental impact using the ReCiPe indicator, which incorporates the recent advances made in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The optimization strategy guarantees the convergence to a local optimum inside the tolerance of the numerical noise.

Climate change in mountain regions: how local communities adapt to extreme events

This paper examines how local communities adapt to climate change and how governance structures can foster or undermine adaptive capacity. Climate change policies, in general, and disaster risk management in mountain regions, in particular, are characterised by their multi-level and multi-sectoral nature during formulation and implementation. The involvement of numerous state and non-state actors at local to national levels produces a variety of networks of interaction and communication. The paper argues that the structure of these relational patterns is critical for understanding adaptive capacity. It thus proposes an expanded concept of adaptive capacity that incorporates (horizontal and vertical) actor integration and communication flow between these actors. The paper further advocates the use of formal social network analysis to assess these relational patterns. Preliminary results from research on adaptation to climate change in a Swiss mountain region vulnerable to floods and other natural hazards illustrate the conceptual and empirical significance of the main arguments.

A potential case of attitude change: The Spanish spoken in the city of Malaga and used on social network sites

The Spanish spoken in the city of Malaga, as Andalusian Spanish in general, was in the past often times considered an incorrect, low prestige variety of Spanish which was strongly associated with the poor, rural, backward South of Spain. This southern Spanish variety is easily recognised because of its innovative phonetic features that diverge from the national standard, even though in the past years in the case of some features a convergence to the standard could be observed. Despite its low prestige the local variety of Spanish is quite often used on social network sites, where it is considered as urban, fashion and cool. Thus, this paper aims at analysing whether the Spanish used in the city of Malaga is undergoing an attitude change. The study draws on naturally occurring speech, data extracted from Facebook and a series of questionnaires about the salience, attitude and perception of the local variety of Spanish. The influence of the social factors age and gender is analysed, since they are both known to play a crucial role in many instances of language change. The first is of special interest, as during the Franco dictatorship dialect use was not accepted in schools and in the media. Results show that, on the one hand, people from Malaga hold a more positive attitude towards non-standard features used on social network sites than in spoken language. On the other hand, young female users employ most non-standard features online and unsurprisingly have an extremely positive attitude towards this use. However, in spoken Spanish the use and attitude of some features is led by men and speakers educated during the Franco dictatorship, while other features, such as elision of intervocalic /d/, elision of final /ɾ/, /l/ and /d/ and ceceo, are predominantly employed by and younger speakers and women. These features are considered as salient in the local variety and work as local identity markers.

NOR network transduction procedures : "merging of gates" and "substitution of gates" for fan-in and fan-out restricted networks, NETTRA-G3-FIFO and NETTRA-PG1-FIFO /

"December 1974."--T.p.

Local information retrieval for the simulation and modeling system /

COO-1469-0174.

Topics in MOSFET network design /

Thesis--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

A universal language for continuous network simulation /

Typescript.

Program manual : NOR network transduction based on connectable and disconnectable conditions (reference manual of NOR network transduction programs NETTRA-G1 and NETTRA-G2) /

"UIUCDCS-R-75-698"

Network transduction based on permissible functions : general principles of NOR network transduction NETTRA programs /

Includes bibliographical references.

NOR network transduction based on error-compensation : principles of NOR network transduction programs NETTRA-E1, NETTRA-E2, and NETTRA-E3 /

Bibliography: p. 101-102.

Parallel algorithms for network routing problems and recurrences /

"Grant no. US NSF MCS75-21758."

A manual of SIMPL, a logic network simulator for PLATO /

"UILU-ENG 79 1728."

NOR network transduction system : principles of the NETTRA system /

Bibliography: p. 209-212.

Load regulation and dispatching in a network of computers /

Thesis (M. S.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

NOR (NAND) network design : error-compensation procedures for fan-in and fan-out restricted networks (NETTRA-E1-FIFO and NETTRA-E2-FIFO /

Thesis (M. S.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.