Optimal gas detector placement under uncertainty considering Conditional-Value-at-Risk

A stochastic programming formulation considering Conditional-Value-at-Risk (CVaR) is developed for the optimal placement of gas detectors in petrochemical process facilities. A rigorous gas dispersion simulator, FLACS, is used to generate release scenario data for a real process geometry. We consider two problem formulations: minimization of expected detection time and minimization of expected detection time subject to a restriction on CVaR across the scenario set. The extensive form of each stochastic program is formulated in Pyomo and solved using CPLEX. Considering all scenarios, we compare key values and histograms of detection times for both formulations. Minimizing the mean detection time only can lead to optimal detector placements with a good expected behavior, but unacceptable worst-case behavior. The formulations that minimize or constraint CVaR produce sensor placements with significantly better worst-case behavior and fewer scenarios having high detection times. Considering these results, a strong case for the use of optimal sensor placement using stochastic programming considering CVaR is made for improving safety systems.     

Responses of benthic insect communities to effluent from the abandoned Ferris-Haggarty copper mine in southeast Wyoming, USA

This study provided information about the benthic insect communities that are present in the impacted reaches of Haggarty Creek.     

Why most conservation monitoring is, but need not be, a waste of time

Ecological conservation monitoring programmes abound at various organisational and spatial levels from species to ecosystem. Many of them suffer, however, from the lack of details of goal and hypothesis formulation, survey design, data quality and statistical power at the start. As a result, most programmes are likely to fail to reach the necessary standard of being capable of rejecting a false null hypothesis with reasonable power. Results from inadequate monitoring are misleading for their information quality and are dangerous because they create the illusion that something useful has been done. We propose that conservation agencies and those funding monitoring work should require the demonstration of adequate power at the outset of any new monitoring scheme.     

经合组织的可持续农业思路

经合组织为其29个成员国提供了一个论坛,来讨论以经济分析和共享各国经验为基础的经济政策与社会政策,以期向各国政府提供政策忠告和建议.近年来,已经更多地注意到经合组织国家与非经合组织国家之间的彼此相互作用,在市场、贸易和投资的全球化与自由化范畴内尤其如此. 　　目前,正在进行一个关于可持续发展的重大经合组织项目,利用经合组织中范围广泛的社会经济人才,准备2001年向经合组织部长会议的报告,并作为对2002年“里约+10”联合国会议的投入.在考察到底发生了什么的基础上,旨在概述提请政策制定者努力保持和加强可持续发展的方式——覆盖经济方面、环境方面和社会方面.1999年向经合组织部长会议的中期报告可上网浏览：www.oecd.org/subject/sustdev.......     

经合组织的可持续农业思路

经合组织为其29个成员国提供了一个论坛,来讨论以经济分析和共享各国经验为基础的经济政策与社会政策,以期向各国政府提供政策忠告和建议.近年来,已经更多地注意到经合组织国家与非经合组织国家之间的彼此相互作用,在市场、贸易和投资的全球化与自由化范畴内尤其如此.     

The socioeconomic significance of nature-based recreation in Canada

In recognition of the many values that people ascribe to nature, federal, provincial, and territorial agencies worked inpartnership to complete the 'Survey on the Importance of Natureto Canadians' (SINC) in 1981, 1987, 1991, and 1996. Between 1981 and 1996, more than 80% of Canadians 15 years of age and older engaged in one or more nature-related activities. This paper describes the evolution of this cooperative monitoring program, defines a classification system as a context for the values examined by the SINC, highlights trends of some nature-related recreational activities measured by the survey, and comments onthe importance of this information to Canadians.