A stochastic predictive control approach to project risk management

This work shows a control policy based on MPC and applied to project risk management. MPC has been applied due the properties that presents such as the easy constraint treatment or the extension to multivariable case. The control actions are the mitigation actions to execute in order to reduce the risk exposure. Stochastic variables have been introduced to model the uncertainties of risk impacts. Integer variables are involved in the optimization problem modelling the mitigation actions

Hybrid algorithm for scheduling and risk assessment of projects

IFAC CONFERENCE ON ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF HYBRID SYSTEMS (.2003.SAINT-MALO BRITTANY, FRANCIA)This work presents a technique for optimal scheduling of projects in terms of time and cost, taking into account risk assessment. Tasks are characterized by p-timed Petri nets, where places have assigned an execution time. The proposed technique minimizes the time execution and the cost of the whole project taking into account the Petri nets describing the tasks and the project risk assessment plan. The risk mitigation is carried on through actions where variables that model them may be discrete or continuousMinisterio de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI200 1-2380-C02-0

A Risk-Based Model Predictive Control Approach to Adaptive Interventions in Behavioral Health

This brief examines how control engineering and risk management techniques can be applied in the field of behavioral health through their use in the design and implementation of adaptive behavioral interventions. Adaptive interventions are gaining increasing acceptance as a means to improve prevention and treatment of chronic, relapsing disorders, such as abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, mental illness, and obesity. A risk-based model predictive control (MPC) algorithm is developed for a hypothetical intervention inspired by Fast Track, a real-life program whose long-term goal is the prevention of conduct disorders in at-risk children. The MPC-based algorithm decides on the appropriate frequency of counselor home visits, mentoring sessions, and the availability of after-school recreation activities by relying on a model that includes identifiable risks, their costs, and the cost/benefit assessment of mitigating actions. MPC is particularly suited for the problem because of its constraint-handling capabilities, and its ability to scale to interventions involving multiple tailoring variables. By systematically accounting for risks and adapting treatment components over time, an MPC approach as described in this brief can increase intervention effectiveness and adherence while reducing waste, resulting in advantages over conventional fixed treatment. A series of simulations are conducted under varying conditions to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm

Near-barrier Fusion Induced by Stable Weakly Bound and Exotic Halo Light Nuclei

The effect of breakup is investigated for the medium weight $^{6}$Li+$^{59}$Co system in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. The strong coupling of breakup/transfer channels to fusion is discussed within a comparison of predictions of the Continuum Discretized Coupled-Channels model which is also applied to $^{6}$He+$^{59}$Co a reaction induced by the borromean halo nucleus $^{6}$He.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. A talk given at the FUSION06: International Conference on Reaction Mechanisms and Nuclear Structure at the Coulomb barrier, March 19-23, 2006, San Servolo, Venezia, Ital

Un sistema de decisión multicriterio basado en riesgos: aplicación a la fase de ofertas

XXIV JORNADAS DE AUTOMÁTICA (24) (24.2003.LEÓN, ESPAÑA)Este trabajo presenta un sistema de soporte de decisión para proporcionar ayuda en la fase de ofertas, caracterizada por un alto nivel de incertidumbres. La preparación de la propuesta involucra un coste considerable, sumado a una gran movilización de recursos. En la práctica, usualmente las ofertas son evaluadas en base a diferentes criterios o parámetros de decisión. El algoritmo propuesto evalúa los distintos candidatos a propuesta según las distintas configuraciones de criterios. Se ha introducido una estructura basada en riesgos para minimizar una función objetivo que contiene las posibles acciones mitigadoras que pueden eliminar, parcial o totalmente, los daños causados por riesgos. Las acciones mitigadoras pueden tener una naturaleza discreta o continua

Study of Deformation Effects in the Charged Particle Emission from 46Ti

The 46Ti compound nucleus, as populated by the fusion-evaporation reaction 27Al + 19F at the bombarding energy of 144 MeV, has been investigated by charged particle spectroscopy using the multidetector array ICARE at the VIVITRON tandem facility of the IReS (Strasbourg). The light charged particles have been measured in coincidence with evaporation residues. The CACARIZO code, a Monte Carlo implementation of the statistical-model code CASCADE, has been used to calculate the spectral shapes of evaporated alpha-particles which are compared with the experimental spectra. This comparison indicates the possible signature of large deformations of the compound nucleus.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings od the Zakopane 20004 Symposium, to be published in Acta Phys. Pol. B36 (2005

Binary reaction decays from 24Mg+12C

Charged particle and gamma decays in 24Mg* are investigated for excitation energies where quasimolecular resonances appear in 12C+12C collisions. Various theoretical predictions for the occurence of superdeformed and hyperdeformed bands associated with resonance structures with low spin are discussed within the measured 24Mg* excitation energy region. The inverse kinematics reaction 24Mg+12C is studied at E_lab(24Mg) = 130 MeV, an energy which enables the population of 24Mg states decaying into 12C+12C resonant break-up states. Exclusive data were collected with the Binary Reaction Spectrometer in coincidence with EUROBALL IV installed at the VIVITRON Tandem facility at Strasbourg. Specific structures with large deformation were selectively populated in binary reactions and their associated gamma decays studied. Coincident events associated with inelastic and alpha-transfer channels have been selected by choosing the excitation energy or the entry point via the two-body Q-values. The analysis of the binary reaction channels is presented with a particular emphasis on 24Mg-gamma, 20Ne-gamma and 16O-gamma coincidences. New information (spin and branching ratios) is deduced on high-energy states in 24Mg and 16O, respectively.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

A pathological and immunohistochemical study of intestinal bowel desease in dogs

This study describes the histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of 41 dogs with clinical signs of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD

Bidimensional planar micro-optics for optochemical absorbance sensing

A new approach for developing optochemical absorbance sensors is presented. The method is based on a planar micro-optic circuit in which an optochemically active membrane that responds to selective compounds is deposited in the device, yielding a part of the guiding planar structure. In this way the optical field is confined in the direction transverse to the substrate and controlled in the lateral direction by means of planar micro-optics components. High sensitivity of the device can be easily obtained because of the relatively long light paths through the membrane, and the response time is low because the analyte has to diffuse through a several-micrometer-thin membrane. Experimental results of measurements of the concentration of potassium are also presented to verify the possibilities of these devices as specific absorbance sensors