In the present article we apply and adjust some techniques and methodologies for detecting faults in a Fluidized Catalytic Cracking refinery process (FCC) UOP model, initially performing a reliability analysis that defines the level of criticality of each equipment and identify potential fault modes and their effect on the operation of the process, with the information provided by this analysis...

Many multi-agent systems (MAS) and other kinds of dynamic systems may be modeled as transition systems, in which actions are associated with transitions between different system states. This paper presents an approach to normative systems in this context, in which the permission or prohibition of actions is related to the permission or prohibition of different types of state transitions with re...

Today’s international law regime leaves little room for lawful use of nuclear weapons.1 At the same time, there is no prohibition of these weapons per se.2 This situation distinguishes them from biological and chemical weapons, which are subject to comprehensive bans under the 1972 Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, respectively. The ‘legal ga...

An approach to normative systems in the context of multiagent systems (MAS) modeled as transition systems, in which actions are associated with transitions between different system states, is presented. The approach is based on relating the permission or prohibition of actions to the permission or prohibition of different types of state transitions with respect to some condition d on a number o...

The left-turn of vehicles at intersections has significant impacts on urban traffic congestions and accidents, which have negative effect on vehicle emissions causing air pollution. Many urban traffic networks prohibit direct left-turns for transport planning to keep traffic moving efficiently on major roads. As such, this paper proposes a bi-level mathematical model for left-turn prohibition p...

This article supports the position that the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) articulates a prohibition of capital punishment of juveniles that now must be considered a norm of jus cogens. The article provides statistics and trends regarding juveniles who commit capital crimes and describes how the U.S. justice system handles such juveniles, including Eighth Amendm...