Multicriteria power engineering problems and fuzzy set based methods of their solution

The results of research into the use of models and methods of multicriteria decision making in a fuzzy environment for solving power engineering problems are presented. Two general classes of models related to multiobjective ( models) and multiattribute ( models) problems as well as methods of their analysis based on the application of the Bellman-Zadeh approach to decision making in a fuzzy environment and techniques of fuzzy preference modeling, respectively, are briefly considered. A review of the authors’ results associated with the application of these models and methods for solving diverse types of problems of power system and subsystems planning, operation, and control is presented. The recent results on the use of and models and methods of their analysis for the allocation of reactive power sources in distribution systems and for the prioritization in maintenance planning in distribution systems, respectively, are considered.Наведено результати щодо досліджень використання моделей та методів багатокритеріального прийняття рішень в нечіткому середовищі при розв'язанні задач електроенергетичного спрямування. Розглянуто два класи моделей, які належать до багатоцільових ( модель) та багатоатрибутних ( модель) задач, а також методи їхнього аналізу, що засновані як на використанні підхода Беллмана-Заде до прийняття рішень у нечіткому середовищі, так і на техніці, пов'язаній з визначенням нечітких переваг. Представлено огляд результатів, які отримано авторами при використанні вказаних моделей та методів для вирішення задач проектування та управління роботою енергетичних систем і підсистем. Останні результати, пов'язані з використанням і моделей та методів їхнього аналізу, належать до задач роз- поділу джерел реактивної потужності у розподільних мережах та визначення пріоритетів при плануванні їхнього обслуговування.Представлены результаты исследований по использованию моделей и методов многокритериального принятия решений в нечеткой среде при решении задач электроэнергетического характера. При этом рассматривается два класса моделей, относящихся к многоцелевым (модель) и многоатрибутным (модель) задачам, а также методы их анализа, основанные как на использовании подхода Беллмана-Заде к принятию решений в нечеткой среде, так и технике, связанной с определением нечетких предпочтений. Представлен обзор результатов, полученных авторами при использовании указанных моделей и методов для решения различных задач, связанных с проектированием и управлением работой энергетических систем и подсистем. Последние результаты, связанные с применением и моделей и методов их анализа, относятся к задачам распределения источников реактивной мощности в распределительных сетях и определения приоритетов при планировании их обслуживания

Mechanical construction and installation of the ATLAS tile calorimeter

This paper summarises the mechanical construction andinstallation of the Tile Calorimeter for the ATLASexperiment at the Large Hadron Collider in CERN, Switzerland. The TileCalorimeter is a sampling calorimeter using scintillator as the sensitivedetector and steel as the absorber and covers the central region of the ATLASexperiment up to pseudorapidities ±1.7. The mechanical construction ofthe Tile Calorimeter occurred over a periodof about 10 years beginning in 1995 with the completionof the Technical Design Report and ending in 2006 with the installationof the final module in the ATLAS cavern. Duringthis period approximately 2600 metric tons of steel were transformedinto a laminated structure to form the absorber of the sampling calorimeter.Following instrumentation and testing, which is described elsewhere, themodules were installed in the ATLAS cavern with a remarkable accuracy fora structure of this size and weight.Peer Reviewe

Population overlap and habitat segregation in wintering Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa

Distinct breeding populations of migratory species may overlap both spatially and temporally, but differ in patterns of habitat use. This has important implications for population monitoring and conservation. To quantify the extent to which two distinct breeding populations of a migratory shorebird, the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, overlap spatially, temporally and in their use of different habitats during winter. We use mid-winter counts between 1990 and 2001 to identify the most important sites in Iberia for Black-tailed Godwits. Monthly surveys of estuarine mudflats and rice-fields at one major site, the Tejo estuary in Portugal in 2005-2007, together with detailed tracking of colour-ringed individuals, are used to explore patterns of habitat use and segregation of the Icelandic subspecies L. l. islandica and the nominate continental subspecies L. l. limosa. In the period 1990-2001, over 66 000 Black-tailed Godwits were counted on average in Iberia during mid-winter (January), of which 80% occurred at just four sites: Tejo and Sado lower basins in Portugal, and Coto Dontildeana and Ebro Delta in Spain. Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits are present throughout the winter and forage primarily in estuarine habitats. Continental Black-tailed Godwits are present from December to March and primarily use rice-fields. Iberia supports about 30% of the Icelandic population in winter and most of the continental population during spring passage. While the Icelandic population is currently increasing, the continental population is declining rapidly. Although the estuarine habitats used by Icelandic godwits are largely protected as Natura 2000 sites, the habitat segregation means that conservation actions for the decreasing numbers of continental godwits should focus on protection of rice-fields and re-establishment of freshwater wetlands

Asymmetries between the production of D+ and D- mesons from 500 GeV/c pi- nucleon interactions as a function of xF and pt**2

We present asymmetries between the production of D+ and D- mesons in Fermilab experiment E791 as a function of xF and pt**2. The data used here consist of 74,000 fully-reconstructed charmed mesons produced by a 500 GeV/c pi- beam on C and Pt foils. The measurements are compared to results of models which predict differences between the production of heavy-quark mesons that have a light quark in common with the beam (leading particles) and those that do not (non-leading particles). While the default models do not agree with our data, we can reach agreement with one of them, PYTHIA, by making a limited number of changes to parameters used

Chronic Hepatitis C treatment for genotype 2 or 3 in Brazil: cost effectiveness analysis of peginterferon plus ribavirin as first choice treatment

Brazilian Guidelines to HCV treatment (2007) recommended that the first choice treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and genotype 2 or 3 is interferon alpha (IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) for 24 weeks. The aim of this study is compare the cost and effectiveness to Hepatitis C treatment in patients with genotype 2 or 3 of peginterferon alpha (PEG) as the first choice of treatment within PEG for those that do not respond to IFN. The target population is CHC patients with genotype 2 or 3 in Brazil. The interventions are: PEG-SEC (first IFN plus RBV for 24 weeks, after, for non-responders and relapsers subsequently PEG plus RBV for 48 weeks); PEG-FIRST24 (PEG+RBV for 24 weeks). The type of the study is cost-effectiveness analysis. The data sources are: Effectiveness data from meta-analysis conducted on the Brazilian population. Treatment cost from Brazilian micro costing study is converted into USD (2010). The perspective is the Public Health System. The outcome measurements are Sustained Viral Response (SVR) and costs. PEG-FIRST24 (SVR: 87.8%, costs: USD 8,338.27) was more effective and more costly than PEG-SEC (SVR: 79.2%, costs: USD 5,852.99). The sensitivity analyses are: When SVR rates with IFN was less than 30% PEG-FIRST is dominant. On the other hand, when SVR with IFN was more then 75% PEG-SEC is dominant (SVR=88.2% and costs USD $ 3,753.00). PEG-SEC is also dominant when SVR to PEG24 weeks was less than 54%. In the Brazilian context, PEG-FIRST is more effective and more expensive than PEG-SEC. PEG-SEC could be dominant when rates of IFN therapy are higher than 75% or rates of PEG24 therapy are lower than 54%

Mass Splitting and Production of Σc0\Sigma_c^0 and Σc++\Sigma_c^{++} Measured in 500GeV500 {GeV} π−−\pi^- -N Interactions

From a sample of $2722 \pm 78$ $\Lambda_c^+$ decaying to the $pK^-\pi^+$ final state, we have observed, in the hadroproduction experiment E791 at Fermilab, $143 \pm 20$ $\Sigma_c^0$ and $122 \pm 18$ $\Sigma_c^{++}$ through their decays to $\Lambda_c^+ \pi^{\pm}$. The mass difference $M(\Sigma_c^0) - M(\Lambda_c^+$) is measured to be $(167.38\pm 0.29\pm 0.15) {MeV}$; for $M(\Sigma_c^{++}) - M(\Lambda_c^+)$, we find $(167.76\pm 0.29\pm0.15) {MeV}$. The rate of $\Lambda_c^+$ production from decays of the $\Sigma_c$ triplet is (22\pm 2\pm 3) {%} of the total $\Lambda_c^+$ production assuming equal rate of production from all three, as measured for $\Sigma_c^0$ and $\Sigma_c^{++}$. We do not observe a statistically significant $\Sigma_c$ baryon-antibaryon production asymmetry. The $x_F$ and $p_t^2$ spectra of $\Lambda_c^+$ from $\Sigma_c$ decays are observed to be similar to those for all $\Lambda_c^+$'s produced.Comment: 15 pages, uuencoded postscript 3 figures uuencoded, tar-compressed fil

Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy

We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude, with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Evidence of Color Coherence Effects in W+jets Events from ppbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV

We report the results of a study of color coherence effects in ppbar collisions based on data collected by the D0 detector during the 1994-1995 run of the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, at a center of mass energy sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV. Initial-to-final state color interference effects are studied by examining particle distribution patterns in events with a W boson and at least one jet. The data are compared to Monte Carlo simulations with different color coherence implementations and to an analytic modified-leading-logarithm perturbative calculation based on the local parton-hadron duality hypothesis.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to Physics Letters