Development of mathematical models to elaborate strategies, to select alternatives and the development of plans for the adaptation of communities to climate change in different geographical areas including costs to implement it

Climate change is on the policy agenda at the global level, with the aim of understanding and reducing its causes and to mitigate its consequences. In most of the countries and international organisms UNO, OECD, EC, etc … the efforts and debates have been directed to know the possible causes, to predict the future evolution of some variable conditioners, and trying to make studies to fight against the effects or to delay the negative evolution of such. Nevertheless, the elaboration of a global model was not boarded that can help to choose the best alternative between the feasible ones, to elaborate the strategies and to evaluate the costs. As in all natural, technological and social changes, the best-prepared countries will have the best bear and the more rapid recover. In all the geographic areas the alternative will not be the same one, but the model should help us to make the appropriated decision. It is essential to know those areas that are more sensitive to the negative effects of climate change, the parameters to take into account for its evaluation, and comprehensive plans to deal with it. The objective of this paper is to elaborate a mathematical model support of decisions, that will allow to develop and to evaluate alternatives of adaptation to the climatic change of different communities in Europe and Latin-America, mainly, in vulnerable areas to the climatic change, considering in them all the intervening factors. The models will take into consideration criteria of physical type (meteorological, edaphic, water resources), of use of the ground (agriculturist, forest, mining, industrial, urban, tourist, cattle dealer), economic (income, costs, benefits, infrastructures), social (population), politician (implementation, legislation), educative (Educational programs, diffusion), sanitary and environmental, at the present moment and the future.

Dynamic Studies of Shell and Spatial Structures

For the past 20 years, dynamic analysis of shells has been one of the most fascinating fields for research. Using the new light materials the building engineer soon discovered that the subsequent reduction of gravity forces produced not only the desired shape freedom but the appearance of ecologic loads as the first factor of design; loads which present strong random properties and marked dynamic influence. On the other hand, the technological advance in the aeronautical and astronautical field placed the engineers in front of shell structures of nonconventional shape and able to sustain substantialy dynamic loads. The response to the increasingly challenger problems of the last two decades has been very bright; new forms, new materials and new methods of analysis have arosen in the design of off-shore platforms, nuclear vessels, space crafts, etc. Thanks to the intensity of the lived years we have at our disposition a coherent and homogeneous amount of knowledge which enable us to face problems of inconceivable complexity when IASS was founded. The open minded approach to classical problems and the impact of the computer are, probably, important factors in the Renaissance we have enjoyed these years, and a good proof of this are the papers presented to the previous IASS meetings as well as that we are going to consider in this one. Particularly striking is the great number of papers based on a mathematical modeling in front of the meagerness of those treating laboratory experiments on physical models. The universal entering of the computer into almost every phase of our lifes, and the cost of physical models, are –may be- reasons for this lack of experimental methods. Nevertheless they continue offering useful results as are those obtained with the shaking-table in which the computer plays an essential role in the application of loads as well as in the instantaneous treatment of control data. Plates 1 and 2 record the papers presented under dynamic heading, 40% of them are from Japan in good correlation with the relevance that Japanese research has traditionally showed in this area. Also interesting is to find old friends as profesors Tanaka, Nishimura and Kostem who presented valuable papers in previous IASS conferences. As we see there are papers representative of all tendencies, even purely analytical! Better than discuss them in detail, which can be done after the authors presentation, I think we can comment in the general pattern of the dynamical approach are summarized in plate 3.

Design and implementation of a mathematical videogame

This paper presents videogames as a very useful tool in high studies with respect to mathematical matters. It describes the implementation of a videogame developed by its authors which makes it possible for students to reinforce mathematical concepts in a motivating environment. With this work we intend to contribute to the process of engaging a bigger number of university teaching professionals and researchers in the use of serious games and the study of their theoretical frameworks, design, development and application of scientific education. With this idea the authors of the present paper have created and developed the videogame “The Math Castle” which consists in a series of tests through which various aspects of Mathematics are dealt with, especially in the areas of Discrete Mathematics, which due to its nature can be particularly well adapted to this kind of activity, Analysis or Geometry. In this paper there lies a complete description of the game developed and the results obtained with it.

Mathematical modelling of the lower urinary tract

The lower urinary tract is one of the most complex biological systems of the human body as it involved hydrodynamic properties of urine and muscle. Moreover, its complexity is increased to be managed by voluntary and involuntary neural systems. In this paper, a mathematical model of the lower urinary tract it is proposed as a preliminary study to better understand its functioning. Furthermore, another goal of that mathematical model proposal is to provide a basis for developing artificial control systems. Lower urinary tract is comprised of two interacting systems: the mechanical system and the neural regulator. The latter has the function of controlling the mechanical system to perform the voiding process. The results of the tests reproduce experimental data with high degree of accuracy. Also, these results indicate that simulations not only with healthy patients but also of patients with dysfunctions with neurological etiology present urodynamic curves very similar to those obtained in clinical studies.

Philosophical collections : containing an account of such physical, anatomical, chymical, mechanical, astronomical, optical, or other mathematical and philosophical experiments and observations as have lately come to the publishers hands, as also an account of some books of this kind lately published.

Mode of access: Internet.

A dynamic mathematical model for sequential leach bed anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste

A mathematical model that describes the operation of a sequential leach bed process for anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) is developed and validated. This model assumes that ultimate mineralisation of the organic component of the waste occurs in three steps, namely solubilisation of particulate matter, fermentation to volatile organic acids (modelled as acetic acid) along with liberation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and methanogenesis from acetate and hydrogen. The model incorporates the ionic equilibrium equations arising due to dissolution of carbon dioxide, generation of alkalinity from breakdown of solids and dissociation of acetic acid. Rather than a charge balance, a mass balance on the hydronium and hydroxide ions is used to calculate pH. The flow of liquid through the bed is modelled as occurring through two zones-a permeable zone with high flushing rates and the other more stagnant. Some of the kinetic parameters for the biological processes were obtained from batch MSW digestion experiments. The parameters for flow model were obtained from residence time distribution studies conducted using tritium as a tracer. The model was validated using data from leach bed digestion experiments in which a leachate volume equal to 10% of the fresh waste bed volume was sequenced. The model was then tested, without altering any kinetic or flow parameters, by varying volume of leachate that is sequenced between the beds. Simulations for sequencing/recirculating 5 and 30% of the bed volume are presented and compared with experimental results. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A mathematical modelling technique for the analysis of the dynamics of a simple continuous EDA

This paper presents some initial attempts to mathematically model the dynamics of a continuous estimation of distribution algorithm (EDA) based on a Gaussian distribution and truncation selection. Case studies are conducted on both unimodal and multimodal problems to highlight the effectiveness of the proposed technique and explore some important properties of the EDA. With some general assumptions, we show that, for ID unimodal problems and with the (mu, lambda) scheme: (1). The behaviour of the EDA is dependent only on the general shape of the test function, rather than its specific form; (2). When initialized far from the global optimum, the EDA has a tendency to converge prematurely; (3). Given a certain selection pressure, there is a unique value for the proposed amplification parameter that could help the EDA achieve desirable performance; for ID multimodal problems: (1). The EDA could get stuck with the (mu, lambda) scheme; (2). The EDA will never get stuck with the (mu, lambda) scheme.

Feasibility studies of an on-line identification technique

This thesis is concerned with the study of a non-sequential identification technique, so that it may be applied to the identification of process plant mathematical models from process measurements with the greatest degree of accuracy and reliability. In order to study the accuracy of the technique under differing conditions, simple mathematical models were set up on a parallel hybrid. computer and these models identified from input/output measurements by a small on-line digital computer. Initially, the simulated models were identified on-line. However, this method of operation was found not suitable for a thorough study of the technique due to equipment limitations. Further analysis was carried out in a large off-line computer using data generated by the small on-line computer. Hence identification was not strictly on-line. Results of the work have shovm that the identification technique may be successfully applied in practice. An optimum sampling period is suggested, together with noise level limitations for maximum accuracy. A description of a double-effect evaporator is included in this thesis. It is proposed that the next stage in the work will be the identification of a mathematical model of this evaporator using the teclmique described.

Essential mathematics:a refresher course for business and social studies

Many students starting courses in business, accounting and similar areas want to update their mathematical skills, and are seeking a suitable text; this book addresses their needs. Written in an informal style, emphasising understanding and application of techniques rather than formal proofs, it covers all the mathematics needed by entrants to BTEC, undergraduate, MBA and related professional courses. Plentiful worked examples and exercises with solutions make the book a practical self-study aid for those wishing to revise before starting their course.

Studies of the drying of particulate slurries

The literature relating to the drying characteristics of pure liquid drops and particulate slurry drops has been reviewed. The experimental investigation was, therefore, divided into three parts: Pure water drops, Aqueous sodium sulphate decahydrate drops, and, Slurry drops from nine detergent formulations. The value of the constant,'Ψ, reported by Ranz and Marshall, was found to be temperature dependent. In the temperature range o 26.5≤T≤118.5°C,Ψ , for pure water drops, varied between 0.38 and 0.47. A revised correlation of the mass transfer coefficients is therefore proposed.  A mathematical model for estimating the variation of crust thickness, for aqueous sodium sulphate drops, with time is proposed: β = R _ {R3 - ( 1.5G/πCo ) ( ΔHD - ΔHU) Δ} 1/3 Experimental crust thickness evaluated from stereoscan micrographs showed good agreement with theoretical prediction. It has been shown that drying characteristics of detergent drops can be evaluated from the porosity:thickness ratio, {ε/\β}. Formulations having large {ε/β I-ratios dry better than those with smaller values. The agreement between the experimental and theoretical mass transfer coefficients shows, in addition to the above correlation, that the overall mass transfer coefficient can be predicted from the expression1/K = 1/K + β/DMε 1.5 The crust is the controlling resistance to transfer in particulate slurry drops. For aqueous sodium sulphate drops, the crust provides 64.2% of the total resistance while for detergents with thicker, but less porous crusts, the value is 97.5%.