Considering Interactions among Multiple Criteria for the Server Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vesna Čančer

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Decision-making about server selection is one of the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM processes where interactions among criteria should be considered. The paper introduces and develops some solutions for considering interactions among criteria in the MCDM problems. In the frame procedure for MCDM by using the group of methods, based on assigning weights, special attention is given to the synthesis of the local alternatives’ values into the aggregate values where the mutual preferential independence between two criteria is not assumed. Firstly, we delineate how to complete the additive model into the multiplicative one with synergic and redundancy elements in the case that criteria are structured in one level and in two levels. Furthermore, we adapted the concept of the fuzzy Choquet integral to the multi-attribute value theory. Studying and comparing the results of the example case of the server selection obtained by both aggregation approaches, the paper highlights the advantages of the first one since it does not require from decision makers to determine the weights of all possible combinations of the criteria and it enables the further use of the most preferred MCDM methods.

Analysis of Criteria Influencing Contractor Selection Using TOPSIS Method

Science.gov (United States)

Alptekin, Orkun; Alptekin, Nesrin

2017-10-01

Selection of the most suitable contractor is an important process in public construction projects. This process is a major decision which may influence the progress and success of a construction project. Improper selection of contractors may lead to problems such as bad quality of work and delay in project duration. Especially in the construction projects of public buildings, the proper choice of contractor is beneficial to the public institution. Public procurement processes have different characteristics in respect to dissimilarities in political, social and economic features of every country. In Turkey, Turkish Public Procurement Law PPL 4734 is the main regulatory law for the procurement of the public buildings. According to the PPL 4734, public construction administrators have to contract with the lowest bidder who has the minimum requirements according to the criteria in prequalification process. Public administrators are not sufficient for selection of the proper contractor because of the restrictive provisions of the PPL 4734. The lowest bid method does not enable public construction administrators to select the most qualified contractor and they have realised the fact that the selection of a contractor based on lowest bid alone is inadequate and may lead to the failure of the project in terms of time delay Eand poor quality standards. In order to evaluate the overall efficiency of a project, it is necessary to identify selection criteria. This study aims to focus on identify importance of other criteria besides lowest bid criterion in contractor selection process of PPL 4734. In this study, a survey was conducted to staff of Department of Construction Works of Eskisehir Osmangazi University. According to TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution) for analysis results, termination of construction work in previous tenders is the most important criterion of 12 determined criteria. The lowest bid criterion is ranked in rank 5.

Selection Criteria in Regime Switching Conditional Volatility Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Chuffart

2015-05-01

Full Text Available A large number of nonlinear conditional heteroskedastic models have been proposed in the literature. Model selection is crucial to any statistical data analysis. In this article, we investigate whether the most commonly used selection criteria lead to choice of the right specification in a regime switching framework. We focus on two types of models: the Logistic Smooth Transition GARCH and the Markov-Switching GARCH models. Simulation experiments reveal that information criteria and loss functions can lead to misspecification ; BIC sometimes indicates the wrong regime switching framework. Depending on the Data Generating Process used in the experiments, great care is needed when choosing a criterion.

34 CFR 607.21 - What are the selection criteria for planning grants?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the selection criteria for planning grants... the Secretary Make an Award? § 607.21 What are the selection criteria for planning grants? The Secretary evaluates an application for a planning grant on the basis of the criteria in this section. (a...

34 CFR 606.21 - What are the selection criteria for planning grants?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the selection criteria for planning grants... PROGRAM How Does the Secretary Make an Award? § 606.21 What are the selection criteria for planning grants? The Secretary evaluates an application for a planning grant on the basis of the criteria in this...

An analysis of project selection and assignment criteria of Danish tenders in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasper Kranker Larsen

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Public construction agencies are one of the largest developers within the Danish construction industry, where such agencies own and develop new public construction projects. Most of these projects are put out in European tender. This study analyses the selection and assignment criteria employed by these agencies in different types of public sector projects. Some of the objectives pursued by the study include the determination of 1/ the selection and assignment criteria mostly used in Danish public tenders 2/ how different types of projects use selection and assignment criteria in the bidding process, and 3/ any significant difference between the use of selection and assignment criteria in Danish public construction projects. The study uses a quantitative research approach where 157 Danish public tender cases were selected from the European Tenders Electronic Daily database between the period: January 2010 to March 2013. Fisher's Exact Test was conducted to determine if there was any significant use of some selection and assignment criteria. The findings of the study showed that invited tenders with pre-qualification and lowest price in 69.8% of the tenders are the most used selection and assignment criteria, with little regard to project type.

The Important Selection Criteria in Choosing Islamic Banks: A Survey in Bahrain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Hamzah Al-Hadrami

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Selection criteria of banks in general and Islamic banks in particular have been given high attention by the marketing researchers nowadays. But this kind of research is still insufficient in numbers especially in the developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to identify the important selection criteria that are considered by customers in selecting Islamic banks in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A 5-Likert scale survey questionnaire and ANOVA were used as the research method. The results indicate that the religious factors were ranked as the most important selection criteria for selecting Islamic banks. The study also found service quality factors as the second important selection criteria. This study is expected to provide Islamic banks in Bahrain with some inputs in setting up their marketing strategies in order to attract new customers and retain their existing customers. This study is also expected to add value to the literature by providing the updated empirical study in the area. DOI: 10.15408/aiq9i2.4635

SUPPLIER SELECTION CRITERIA IN A POWER UTILITY IN MALAYSIA: ENGINEERS’ PERCEPTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sivadass Thiruchelvam

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Supplier selection of electricity generating, transmitting and distributing systems is part of the problem-solving environment in a power utility because it is a long-term investment for the organisation. Therefore, the decision over supplier selection directly influences the operational and financial position of a power utility. In addition, the supplier selection of a power-related system is a complex multi-criteria decision problem. While some criteria may be common across different industries, there are some criteria unique to the power industry. This research aims to understand what constitutes the suitable supplier selection criteria for a power utility. This study reveals some interesting findings of how engineers perceive the importance of each criterion and suggests strongly that product quality, price and delivery are key determinants in the supplier evaluation process. The eighteen criteria considered for this study were mapped onto their respective cluster, namely: supplier’s organisational system and technology, buyer-supplier relationship and economic value. The findings of this study should assist various groups of stakeholders (e.g., suppliers, buyers and end users to gain a better understanding of social behaviour in making purchase decisions, particularly with regard to power utilities.

Selection criteria for a radiography programme in South Africa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Selection criteria used to admit students to a radiography programme at the Central University of Technology (CUT) included academic criteria, as well as the General Scholastic Aptitude Test (GSAT) and Self-directed Search (SDS) Questionnaire. Aims and objectives: The aim of the study was to identify which ...

The selection criteria for Slovenian bibliography: with special emphasis on the articles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjeta Šušteričič

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Selection principles are an important stage in the creation of a national bibliography.The article outlines the selection of the national output to be included in Slovenian bibliography. It also presents theoretical basis for selection in general, with the emphasis on international guidelines and on the development of national principles and professional outlines. Statistical data and examples give more detailed analysis of selection criteria of articles regarding different types of serial publications. Results of the study show that selection criteria for Slovenian bibliography are to be constantly verified due to the dynamics of the national publishing industry. Nevertheless, the main features of selection criteria remain unchanged: lasting value of subject matter with the emphasis on scientific research and expert knowledge.

Selection of Forklift Unit for Warehouse Operation by Applying Multi-Criteria Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Predrag Atanasković

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents research related to the choice of the criteria that can be used to perform an optimal selection of the forklift unit for warehouse operation. The analysis has been done with the aim of exploring the requirements and defining relevant criteria that are important when investment decision is made for forklift procurement, and based on the conducted research by applying multi-criteria analysis, to determine the appropriate parameters and their relative weights that form the input data and database for selection of the optimal handling unit. This paper presents an example of choosing the optimal forklift based on the selected criteria for the purpose of making the relevant investment decision.

Selection criteria for water disinfection techniques in agricultural practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Haute, Sam van; Sampers, Imca; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2015-01-01

This paper comprises a selection tool for water disinfection methods for fresh produce pre- and postharvest practices. A variety of water disinfection technologies is available on the market and no single technology is the best choice for all applications. It can be difficult for end users to choose the technology that is best fit for a specific application. Therefore, the different technologies were characterized in order to identify criteria that influence the suitability of a technology for pre- or postharvest applications. Introduced criteria were divided into three principal components: (i) criteria related to the technology and which relate to the disinfection efficiency, (ii) attention points for the management and proper operation, and (iii) necessities in order to sustain the operation with respect to the environment. The selection criteria may help the end user of the water disinfection technology to obtain a systematic insight into all relevant aspects to be considered for preliminary decision making on which technologies should be put to feasibility testing for water disinfection in pre- and postharvest practices of the fresh produce chain.

Criteria for selecting implementation science theories and frameworks: results from an international survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah A. Birken

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Theories provide a synthesizing architecture for implementation science. The underuse, superficial use, and misuse of theories pose a substantial scientific challenge for implementation science and may relate to challenges in selecting from the many theories in the field. Implementation scientists may benefit from guidance for selecting a theory for a specific study or project. Understanding how implementation scientists select theories will help inform efforts to develop such guidance. Our objective was to identify which theories implementation scientists use, how they use theories, and the criteria used to select theories. Methods We identified initial lists of uses and criteria for selecting implementation theories based on seminal articles and an iterative consensus process. We incorporated these lists into a self-administered survey for completion by self-identified implementation scientists. We recruited potential respondents at the 8th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health and via several international email lists. We used frequencies and percentages to report results. Results Two hundred twenty-three implementation scientists from 12 countries responded to the survey. They reported using more than 100 different theories spanning several disciplines. Respondents reported using theories primarily to identify implementation determinants, inform data collection, enhance conceptual clarity, and guide implementation planning. Of the 19 criteria presented in the survey, the criteria used by the most respondents to select theory included analytic level (58%, logical consistency/plausibility (56%, empirical support (53%, and description of a change process (54%. The criteria used by the fewest respondents included fecundity (10%, uniqueness (12%, and falsifiability (15%. Conclusions Implementation scientists use a large number of criteria to select theories, but there is little

Criteria for selecting implementation science theories and frameworks: results from an international survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Birken, Sarah A; Powell, Byron J; Shea, Christopher M; Haines, Emily R; Alexis Kirk, M; Leeman, Jennifer; Rohweder, Catherine; Damschroder, Laura; Presseau, Justin

2017-10-30

Theories provide a synthesizing architecture for implementation science. The underuse, superficial use, and misuse of theories pose a substantial scientific challenge for implementation science and may relate to challenges in selecting from the many theories in the field. Implementation scientists may benefit from guidance for selecting a theory for a specific study or project. Understanding how implementation scientists select theories will help inform efforts to develop such guidance. Our objective was to identify which theories implementation scientists use, how they use theories, and the criteria used to select theories. We identified initial lists of uses and criteria for selecting implementation theories based on seminal articles and an iterative consensus process. We incorporated these lists into a self-administered survey for completion by self-identified implementation scientists. We recruited potential respondents at the 8th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health and via several international email lists. We used frequencies and percentages to report results. Two hundred twenty-three implementation scientists from 12 countries responded to the survey. They reported using more than 100 different theories spanning several disciplines. Respondents reported using theories primarily to identify implementation determinants, inform data collection, enhance conceptual clarity, and guide implementation planning. Of the 19 criteria presented in the survey, the criteria used by the most respondents to select theory included analytic level (58%), logical consistency/plausibility (56%), empirical support (53%), and description of a change process (54%). The criteria used by the fewest respondents included fecundity (10%), uniqueness (12%), and falsifiability (15%). Implementation scientists use a large number of criteria to select theories, but there is little consensus on which are most important. Our results suggest that the

Selection criteria of residents for residency programs in Kuwait.

Science.gov (United States)

Marwan, Yousef; Ayed, Adel

2013-01-19

In Kuwait, 21 residency training programs were offered in the year 2011; however, no data is available regarding the criteria of selecting residents for these programs. This study aims to provide information about the importance of these criteria. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from members (e.g. chairmen, directors, assistants …etc.) of residency programs in Kuwait. A total of 108 members were invited to participate. They were asked to rate the importance level (scale from 1 to 5) of criteria that may affect the acceptance of an applicant to their residency programs. Average scores were calculated for each criterion. Of the 108 members invited to participate, only 12 (11.1%) declined to participate. Interview performance was ranked as the most important criteria for selecting residents (average score: 4.63/5.00), followed by grade point average (average score: 3.78/5.00) and honors during medical school (average score: 3.67/5.00). On the other hand, receiving disciplinary action during medical school and failure in a required clerkship were considered as the most concerning among other criteria used to reject applicants (average scores: 3.83/5.00 and 3.54/5.00 respectively). Minor differences regarding the importance level of each criterion were noted across different programs. This study provided general information about the criteria that are used to accept/reject applicants to residency programs in Kuwait. Future studies should be conducted to investigate each criterion individually, and to assess if these criteria are related to residents' success during their training.

Description of double-shell tank selection criteria for inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwenk, E.B.; Scott, K.V.

1996-01-01

Technical criteria for selecting double-shelf tanks's (DST's) for inspection are presented. Inspection of DST's is planned to non-destructively determine the general condition of their inner wall and bottom knuckle. Inspection of representative tanks will provide a basis for evaluating the integrity of all the DST's and provide a basis for estimating remaining life. The selection criteria recommended are tank age based on date-of-first fluid entry, waste temperature, corrosion inhibitor levels, deviations from normal behavior - involving sludge levels, hydrogen release and waste transfers - least waste depth fluctuation, tank steel type, other chemical species that could activate stress-corrosion cracking, and waste types

A multi-criteria decision-making approach to rank supplier selection criteria for hospital waste management: A case from Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishtiaq, Palvisha; Khan, Sharfuddin Ahmed; Haq, Moiz-Ul

2018-04-01

To address environmental issues and cost effectiveness, waste management is necessary for healthcare facilities. Most importantly, segregation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste must be done as in many developing countries; disposal of both types of healthcare waste is done together, which is an unsafe practice. Waste generated in hospitals needs proper management to minimise hazards for patient and healthcare workers. At the same time, it is quite difficult for hospitals to find a systematic way to select appropriate suppliers for hospital waste management. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to identify, validate, and rank criteria that are essential for hospital waste management suppliers' selection. The analytical hierarchal process approach has been used and a survey from Pakistan's largest city (Karachi) has been considered to rank the most appropriate criteria that is necessary to select the supplier, especially in a developing country like Pakistan. Results show that waste management cost (45.5%) and suppliers' details (31.5%) are the top two main criteria for supplier selection; and storage cost (15.7%), waste handling cost (14.7%), and qualification of the suppliers (10.9%) are the top three most important overall sub-criteria for supplier selection for hospital waste management.

Quality criteria for phase change materials selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vitorino, Nuno; Abrantes, João C.C.; Frade, Jorge R.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Selection criteria of phase change materials for representative applications. • Selection criteria based on reliable solutions for latent heat transfer. • Guidelines for the role of geometry and heat transfer mechanisms. • Performance maps based on PCM properties, operating conditions, size and time scales. - Abstract: Selection guidelines are primary criterion for optimization of materials for specific applications in order to meet simultaneous and often conflicting requirements. This is mostly true for technologies and products required to meet the main societal needs, such as energy. In this case, gaps between supply and demand require strategies for energy conversion and storage, including thermal storage mostly based on phase change materials. Latent heat storage is also very versatile for thermal management and thermal control by allowing high storage density within narrow temperature ranges without strict dependence between stored thermal energy and temperature. Thus, this work addressed the main issues of latent heat storage from a materials selection perspective, based on expected requirements of applications in thermal energy storage or thermal regulation. Representative solutions for the kinetics of latent heat charge/discharge were used to derive optimization guidelines for high energy density, high power, response time (from fast response to thermal inertia), etc. The corresponding property relations were presented in graphical forms for a wide variety of prospective phase change materials, and for wide ranges of operating conditions, and accounting for changes in geometry and mechanisms.

MULTIPLE CRITERIA DECISION MAKING APPROACH FOR INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER SELECTION USING FUZZY AHP-FUZZY TOPSIS

OpenAIRE

Deliktaş, Derya; ÜSTÜN, Özden

2018-01-01

In this study, a fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making approach is proposed to select an industrial engineer among ten candidates in a manufacturing environment. The industrial engineer selection problem is a special case of the personal selection problem. This problem, which has hierarchical structure of criteria and many decision makers, contains many criteria. The evaluation process of decision makers also includes ambiguous parameters. The fuzzy AHP is used to determin...

Preliminary selection criteria for the Yucca Mountain Project waste package container material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halsey, W.G.

1991-01-01

The Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) is evaluating a site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada for construction of a geologic repository for the storage of high-level nuclear waste. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Nuclear Waste Management Project (NWMP) has the responsibility for design, testing, and performance analysis of the waste packages. The design is performed in an iterative manner in three sequential phases (conceptual design, advanced conceptual design, and license application design). An important input to the start of the advanced conceptual design is the selection of the material for the waste containers. The container material is referred to as the 'metal barrier' portion of the waste package, and is the responsibility of the Metal Barrier Selection and Testing task at LLNL. The selection will consist of several steps. First, preliminary, material-independent selection criteria will be established based on the performance goals for the container. Second, a variety of engineering materials will be evaluated against these criteria in a screening process to identify candidate materials. Third, information will be obtained on the performance of the candidate materials, and final selection criteria and quantitative weighting factors will be established based on the waste package design requirements. Finally, the candidate materials will be ranked against these criteria to determine whether they meet the mandated performance requirements, and to provide a comparative score to choose the material for advanced conceptual design activities. This document sets forth the preliminary container material selection criteria to be used in screening candidate materials. 5 refs

Danish Public Construction Counselling Selection and Assignment Criteria in European Tendering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Kranker; Ussing, Lene Faber; Brunø, Thomas Ditlev

2014-01-01

One of the largest customers in the Danish construction industry is public agencies that own and develop projects. For some of the counselling services, they recur to be put out in European tendering. The aim is to find which selection and assignment criteria are used most in public tendering. How...... projects use selection and assignment criteria for counselling services and finally if there is significant use of selection and assignment methods in public counselling. The method is based on 74 public counselling tenders from the European Tenders Electronic Daily database from January 2010 to March 2013...

Engineering study of generic site criteria for selected DOE plutonium facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kingsbury, R.J.; Greenwood, J.M.; Sandoval, M.D.

1980-09-01

The objectives of this study were to identify criteria that would be applied to selection of a site for plutonium facilities such as those at the Rocky Flats Plant, to establish the relative importance of these criteria, and to identify suitable areas within the United States for location of plutonium facilities with respect to these criteria. Sources of the site criteria identified include federal laws, federal agency regulations, state laws and regulations, and requirements associated with operations to be performed at the site. The criteria identified during the study were organized into 14 major categories. The relative importnace of each category and each criterion within the categories were established using group decision-making techniques. The major criteria categories, their assigned weight on a scale of 1 to 10, and their relative priority ranks are as follows: geology/seismicity; public safety; environmental impact; meteorology; hydrology; topography; transportation; utilities; personnel; safeguards/security; land area and availability; land use compatibility; and, public acceptance. A suitability analysis of the continental United States was performed using only those criteria that could be mapped at a national scale. Suitability was assessed with respect to each of these criteria, and individual suitability maps were prepared. A composite suitability map was generated using computerized overlay techniques. This map provides a starting point for identifying specific candidate sites if an actual site selection were to be conducted

Criteria for the selection of PEC primary circuit structural material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoni, R.; Brunori, G.; Maesa, S.; Scibona, G.; Tomassetti, G.

1977-01-01

The choice of the structural materials is generally a compromise between the project requirements, the characteristics (mechanical and environmental) of the materials and the available technology to construct the various parts of the components. The criteria of selection of structural materials for the primary circuit of fast reactor are reported. The criteria concern both general and utilization aspects

Lean Information Management: Criteria For Selecting Key Performance Indicators At Shop Floor

Science.gov (United States)

Iuga, Maria Virginia; Kifor, Claudiu Vasile; Rosca, Liviu-Ion

2015-07-01

Most successful organizations worldwide use key performance indicators as an important part of their corporate strategy in order to forecast, measure and plan their businesses. Performance metrics vary in their purpose, definition and content. Therefore, the way organizations select what they think are the optimal indicators for their businesses varies from company to company, sometimes even from department to department. This study aims to answer the question of what is the most suitable way to define and select key performance indicators. More than that, it identifies the right criteria to select key performance indicators at shop floor level. This paper contributes to prior research by analysing and comparing previously researched selection criteria and proposes an original six-criteria-model, which caters towards choosing the most adequate KPIs. Furthermore, the authors take the research a step further by further steps to closed research gaps within this field of study.

Eye bank procedures: donor selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Sidney Júlio de Faria E; Sousa, Stella Barretto de Faria E

2018-01-01

Eye banks use sterile procedures to manipulate the eye, antiseptic measures for ocular surface decontamination, and rigorous criteria for donor selection to minimize the possibility of disease transmission due to corneal grafting. Donor selection focuses on analysis of medical records and specific post-mortem serological tests. To guide and standardize procedures, eye bank associations and government agencies provide lists of absolute and relative contraindications for use of the tissue based on donor health history. These lists are guardians of the Hippocratic principle "primum non nocere." However, each transplantation carries risk of transmission of potentially harmful agents to the recipient. The aim of the procedures is not to eliminate risk, but limit it to a reasonable level. The balance between safety and corneal availability needs to be maintained by exercising prudence without disproportionate rigor.

Does Residency Selection Criteria Predict Performance in Orthopaedic Surgery Residency?

Science.gov (United States)

Raman, Tina; Alrabaa, Rami George; Sood, Amit; Maloof, Paul; Benevenia, Joseph; Berberian, Wayne

2016-04-01

More than 1000 candidates applied for orthopaedic residency positions in 2014, and the competition is intense; approximately one-third of the candidates failed to secure a position in the match. However, the criteria used in the selection process often are subjective and studies have differed in terms of which criteria predict either objective measures or subjective ratings of resident performance by faculty. Do preresidency selection factors serve as predictors of success in residency? Specifically, we asked which preresidency selection factors are associated or correlated with (1) objective measures of resident knowledge and performance; and (2) subjective ratings by faculty. Charts of 60 orthopaedic residents from our institution were reviewed. Preresidency selection criteria examined included United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 scores, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, number of clinical clerkship honors, number of letters of recommendation, number of away rotations, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) honor medical society membership, fourth-year subinternship at our institution, and number of publications. Resident performance was assessed using objective measures including American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Part I scores and Orthopaedics In-Training Exam (OITE) scores and subjective ratings by faculty including global evaluation scores and faculty rankings of residents. We tested associations between preresidency criteria and the subsequent objective and subjective metrics using linear correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney tests when appropriate. Objective measures of resident performance namely, ABOS Part I scores, had a moderate linear correlation with the USMLE Step 2 scores (r = 0.55, p communication skills" subsection of the global evaluations. We found that USMLE Step 2, number of honors in medical school clerkships, and AOA membership demonstrated the strongest correlations with resident performance. Our

Alternative microbial methods: An overview and selection criteria.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jasson, V.; Jacxsens, L.; Luning, P.A.; Rajkovic, A.; Uyttendaele, M.

2010-01-01

This study provides an overview and criteria for the selection of a method, other than the reference method, for microbial analysis of foods. In a first part an overview of the general characteristics of rapid methods available, both for enumeration and detection, is given with reference to relevant

Comparison of Optimal Portfolios Selected by Multicriterial Model Using Absolute and Relative Criteria Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Branka Marasović

2009-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper we select an optimal portfolio on the Croatian capital market by using the multicriterial programming. In accordance with the modern portfolio theory maximisation of returns at minimal risk should be the investment goal of any successful investor. However, contrary to the expectations of the modern portfolio theory, the tests carried out on a number of financial markets reveal the existence of other indicators important in portfolio selection. Considering the importance of variables other than return and risk, selection of the optimal portfolio becomes a multicriterial problem which should be solved by using the appropriate techniques.In order to select an optimal portfolio, absolute values of criteria, like return, risk, price to earning value ratio (P/E, price to book value ratio (P/B and price to sale value ratio (P/S are included in our multicriterial model. However the problem might occur as the mean values of some criteria are significantly different for different sectors and because financial managers emphasize that comparison of the same criteria for different sectors could lead us to wrong conclusions. In the second part of the paper, relative values of previously stated criteria (in relation to mean value of sector are included in model for selecting optimal portfolio. Furthermore, the paper shows that if relative values of criteria are included in multicriterial model for selecting optimal portfolio, return in subsequent period is considerably higher than if absolute values of the same criteria were used.

Site selection criteria for the shallow land burial of low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falconer, K.L.; Hull, L.C.; Mizell, S.A.

The shallow land burial of low-level waste must be accomplished in a manner that ensures the public and biosphere are protected from harmful amounts of radiation. This can be attained by selecting, designing, operating and closing sites such that contaminants never leave the site boundary in levels above regulatory limits. Site design, operation and closure are all functions of the characteristics of the site selected. As a result, the site selection process offers the most effective means for optimizing safe, efficient and economical low-level waste burial practices. The purpose of this document is to set forth criteria for the selection of shallow land burial sites. Criteria are standard rules, by which the ability of a site to meet waste management goals can be judged. They are comprehensive, universal, and qualitative and are applicable in any geologic environment. Site selection criteria provide the framework for the siting process

Myth 6: Cosmetic Use of Multiple Selection Criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman-Nimz, Reva

2009-01-01

Twenty-five years ago, armed with the courage of her convictions and a respectable collection of empirical evidence, the author articulated what she considered to be a compelling argument against the cosmetic use of multiple selection criteria as a guiding principle for identifying children and youth with high potential. To assess the current…

HOSPITAL SITE SELECTION USING TWO-STAGE FUZZY MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Soltani

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Site selection for sitting of urban activities/facilities is one of the crucial policy-related decisions taken by urban planners and policy makers. The process of site selection is inherently complicated. A careless site imposes exorbitant costs on city budget and damages the environment inevitably. Nowadays, multi-attributes decision making approaches are suggested to use to improve precision of decision making and reduce surplus side effects. Two well-known techniques, analytical hierarchal process and analytical network process are among multi-criteria decision making systems which can easily be consistent with both quantitative and qualitative criteria. These are also developed to be fuzzy analytical hierarchal process and fuzzy analytical network process systems which are capable of accommodating inherent uncertainty and vagueness in multi-criteria decision-making. This paper reports the process and results of a hospital site selection within the Region 5 of Shiraz metropolitan area, Iran using integrated fuzzy analytical network process systems with Geographic Information System (GIS. The weights of the alternatives were calculated using fuzzy analytical network process. Then a sensitivity analysis was conducted to measure the elasticity of a decision in regards to different criteria. This study contributes to planning practice by suggesting a more comprehensive decision making tool for site selection.

HOSPITAL SITE SELECTION USING TWO-STAGE FUZZY MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Soltani

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Site selection for sitting of urban activities/facilities is one of the crucial policy-related decisions taken by urban planners and policy makers. The process of site selection is inherently complicated. A careless site imposes exorbitant costs on city budget and damages the environment inevitably. Nowadays, multi-attributes decision making approaches are suggested to use to improve precision of decision making and reduce surplus side effects. Two well-known techniques, analytical hierarchal process and analytical network process are among multi-criteria decision making systems which can easily be consistent with both quantitative and qualitative criteria. These are also developed to be fuzzy analytical hierarchal process and fuzzy analytical network process systems which are capable of accommodating inherent uncertainty and vagueness in multi-criteria decision-making. This paper reports the process and results of a hospital site selection within the Region 5 of Shiraz metropolitan area, Iran using integrated fuzzy analytical network process systems with Geographic Information System (GIS. The weights of the alternatives were calculated using fuzzy analytical network process. Then a sensitivity analysis was conducted to measure the elasticity of a decision in regards to different criteria. This study contributes to planning practice by suggesting a more comprehensive decision making tool for site selection.

45 CFR 1232.11 - Employment and volunteer selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Employment and volunteer selection criteria. 1232.11 Section 1232.11 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) CORPORATION FOR... that impair sensory, manual, or speaking skills. ...

Multi-criteria decision making on strategic selection of wind farms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Amy H.I. [Department of Industrial Engineering and System Management, Chung Hua University, Hsinchu (China); Chen, Hsing Hung [Faculty of Management and Administration, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa (Macau); Kang, He-Yau [Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taiping, Taichung (China)

2009-01-15

With maturity of advanced technologies and urgent requirement for maintaining a healthy environment with reasonable price, China is moving toward a trend of generating electricity from renewable wind resources. How to select a suitable wind farm becomes an important focus for stakeholders. This paper first briefly introduces wind farm and then develops its critical success criteria. A new multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) associated with benefits, opportunities, costs and risks (BOCR), is proposed to help select a suitable wind farm project. Multiple factors that affect the success of wind farm operations are analyzed by taking into account experts' opinions, and a performance ranking of the wind farms is generated. (author)

Criteria of benchmark selection for efficient flexible multibody system formalisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valášek M.

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the selection process of benchmarks for testing and comparing efficient flexible multibody formalisms. The existing benchmarks are briefly summarized. The purposes for benchmark selection are investigated. The result of this analysis is the formulation of the criteria of benchmark selection for flexible multibody formalisms. Based on them the initial set of suitable benchmarks is described. Besides that the evaluation measures are revised and extended.

Get SET: aligning anatomy demonstrator programmes with Surgical Education and Training selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Danielle; Fogg, Quentin A; Lazarus, Michelle D

2018-05-01

Prevocational doctors aspiring to surgical careers are commonly recruited as anatomy demonstrators for undergraduate and graduate medical programmes. Entry into Surgical Education and Training (SET) is highly competitive and a unique opportunity exists to align anatomy demonstrator programmes with the selection criteria and core competencies of SET programmes. This study used a qualitative approach to (i) determine what criteria applicants for SET are assessed on and (ii) identify criteria that could be aligned with and enhanced by an anatomy demonstrator programme. The selection guidelines of all nine surgical specialties for the 2017 intake of SET trainees were analysed using qualitative content analysis methodology. The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons adopted a holistic approach to trainee selection that assessed both discipline-specific and discipline-independent skills. Qualitative content analysis identified eight categories of key selection criteria: medical expertise, scholarly activity, professional identity, interpersonal skills, integrity, self-management, insight and self-awareness and community involvement. The structured curriculum vitae was heavily weighted towards discipline-specific skills, such as medical expertise and scholarly activity. Insufficient information was available to determine the weighting of selection criteria assessed by the structured referee reports or interviews. Anatomy demonstrator programmes provide prevocational doctors with unique opportunities to develop surgical skills and competencies in a non-clinical setting. Constructively aligned anatomy demonstrator programmes may be particularly beneficial for prevocational doctors seeking to improve their anatomical knowledge, teaching skills or scholarly activity. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Subsurface arrangement constraints and selection criteria SOW, 4.5.1.2.1: Technical report, Revision 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-12-01

The United States Department of Energy has the responsibility to develop an underground geological repository for the storage and isolation of nuclear waste. This report identifies design constraints and subsurface arrangement selection criteria for the subsurface portion of a repository in salt. These criteria provide a base from which subsurface layout will be selected for approval by the Department of Energy. This document provides the basic criteria for the architect/engineer to select the subsurface layout. While this document does not address site-specific criteria, it does act as a guideline for subsurface design allowing for exploration of any reasonable option of that design. The criteria developed in this report address specific areas and concerns within a subsurface layout plan. The subsurface layout selection criteria were developed from industry standards, federal regulations, and quality assurance standards. 18 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs

Examination of Students' Selection Criteria for International Education

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Syed Zamberi; Buchanan, F. Robert; Ahmad, Norita

2016-01-01

Purpose: Motivations for study abroad in tourism and hospitality were examined as to the influence of a variety of personal criteria in the individual decision process of adult learners to select a host country and host institution of study. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: Push-pull factors (Mazzarol and Soutar,…

An Examination of Program Selection Criteria for Part-Time MBA Students

Science.gov (United States)

Colburn, Michael; Fox, Daniel E.; Westerfelt, Debra Kay

2011-01-01

Prospective graduate students select a graduate program as a result of a multifaceted decision-making process. This study examines the selection criteria that part-time MBA students used in selecting a program at a private university. Further, it analyzes the methods by which the students first learned of the MBA program. The authors posed the…

A grey DEMATEL approach to develop third-party logistics provider selection criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Govindan, Kannan; Khodaverdi, Roohollah; Vafadarnikjoo, Amin

2016-01-01

- The paper's results help managers of automotive industries, particularly in developing countries, to outsource logistics activities to 3PL providers effectively and to create a significant competitive advantage. Originality/value - The main contributions of this paper are twofold. First, this paper proposes...... an integrated grey DEMATEL method to consider interdependent relationships among the 3PL provider selection criteria. Second, this study is one of the first studies to consider 3PL provider selection in a developing country like Iran....... identifies important criteria for 3PL provider selection and evaluation, and the purpose of this paper is to select 3PL providers from the viewpoint of firms which were already outsourcing their logistics services. Design/methodology/approach - This study utilized the grey decision-making trial...

Selection of materials using multi-criteria decision-making methods with minimum data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shankar Chakraborty

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Selection of material for a specific engineering component, which plays a significant role in its design and proper functioning, is often treated as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM problem where the most suitable material is to be chosen based on a given set of conflicting criteria. For solving these MCDM problems, the designers do not generally know what should be the optimal number of criteria required for arriving at the best decisive action. Those criteria should be independent to each other and their number should usually limit to seven plus or minus two. In this paper, five material selection problems are solved using three common MCDM techniques to demonstrate the effect of number of criteria on the final rankings of the material alternatives. It is interesting to observe that the choices of the best suited materials solely depend on the criterion having the maximum priority value. It is also found that among the three MCDM methods, the ranking performance of VIKOR (Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje method is the best.

Identification and evaluation of influential criteria for the selection of an environmental shipping carrier using DEMATEL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jia, Peng; Govindan, Kannan; Kannan, Devika

2015-01-01

The current environmental pollution is a major factor in economic development and vehicle pollution is ranked next to industrial emissions in total emissions worldwide. This study focuses on the selection of a suitable shipping carrier from an economic and environmental perspective. In practice......, there are many criteria's available to select a suitable shipping container. But, shipping container companies are struggling to identify the most influential criteria to select a shipping container as it requires in-depth analysis. So, the objective of this paper is to analyse the criteria and identify the most...... influential criteria from an environmental practices perspective. In this study, seventeen factors are identified from literature aimed at locating the most influential criteria to select a suitable shipping carrier using the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). This procedure helps...

40 CFR 228.6 - Specific criteria for site selection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Specific criteria for site selection. 228.6 Section 228.6 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) OCEAN..., nursery, feeding, or passage areas of living resources in adult or -juvenile phases; (3) Location in...

A multi-criteria decision making approach for supplier selection in the flexible packaging industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristea Ciprian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The supplier selection problem represents one of the most important components of the supply chain management. This article presents a multiple criteria decision making analysis contributing to the selection of the most convenient supplier in the flexible packaging industry. Due to the fact that in today's supply chain management, the performance of potential suppliers is evaluated against multiple criteria rather than taking into account only the cost factor, the appropriate criteria in the supplier selection have been identified, and the considered variants are assessed, considering the decision maker’s preferences and existing constraints. The variants are ranked in terms of their suitability for selecting a supplier with the use of Electre III method. The results obtained from the simulation experiment suggest that this methodology is a feasible decision support model.

Safety approach to the selection of design criteria for the CRBRP reactor refueling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meisl, C.J.; Berg, G.E.; Sharkey, N.F.

1979-01-01

The selection of safety design criteria for Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) refueling systems required the extrapolation of regulations and guidelines intended for Light Water Reactor refueling systems and was encumbered by the lack of benefit from a commercially licensed predecessor other than Fermi. The overall approach and underlying logic are described for developing safety design criteria for the reactor refueling system (RRS) of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP). The complete selection process used to establish the criteria is presented, from the definition of safety functions to the finalization of safety design criteria in the appropriate documents. The process steps are illustrated by examples

QUANTITY DISCOUNTS IN SUPPLIER SELECTION PROBLEM BY USE OF FUZZY MULTI-CRITERIA PROGRAMMING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tunjo Perić

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Supplier selection in supply chain is a multi-criteria problem that involves a number of quantitative and qualitative factors. This paper deals with a concrete problem of flour purchase by a company that manufactures bakery products and the purchasing price of flour depends on the quantity ordered. The criteria for supplier selection and quantities supplied by individual suppliers are: purchase costs, product quality and reliability of suppliers. The problem is solved using a model that combines revised weighting method and fuzzy multi-criteria linear programming (FMCLP. The paper highlights the efficiency of the proposed methodology in conditions when purchasing prices depend on order quantities.

An integrated multi-criteria decision-making methodology for conveyor system selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pairat Jiamruangjarus

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Material handling equipment (MHE is important for every industry because it has an effect on the productivity of manufacturing. Conveyor systems are presently one popular type of MHE. This paper presents an integration of the analytic network process (ANP with the benefits, opportunities, costs and risk (BOCR model in order to select the best conveyor system. The proposed model established a network with four merits, six strategies criteria, and twenty six sub-criteria with four alternatives (present, roller conveyor, chain conveyor, and monorail. The ANP is to determine the relative weights of an evaluative criteria and decision alternatives. Therefore, the final ranking of the alternatives are calculated by synthesizing the score of each alternative under BOCR. The results showed that the best alternative under all five methods is the chain conveyor. These research results can be easily applied, adapted and used to improve performance of selecting the conveyer system in small and medium enterprises through large industries.

25 CFR 1001.8 - Selection criteria for tribes/consortia to receive a negotiation grant.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Selection criteria for tribes/consortia to receive a negotiation grant. 1001.8 Section 1001.8 Indians OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SELF-GOVERNANCE PROGRAM § 1001.8 Selection criteria for tribes/consortia to receive a negotiation grant. (a) Who may be...

Determination of Effective Criteria for Location Selection of Kiln Wood Drying Plants by AHP Technique

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Rahim Mohebbi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed at determining the effective criteria for location selection of wood drying plants in Iran. For this purpose, after review and field visit of the industries, 35 key indicators were identified. These criteria were divided into five major groups as: materials, infrastructure, technical, economical and instructional indices. The priority rates of these criteria and sub-criteria were evaluated by AHP technique. The results indicated that among 35 effective sub-criteria in location selection of the plants, the sub-criteria of quality of raw materials(0.152, purchasing raw materials, land cost, profitability, reliability of supply, and sales had the highest priorities, which were rated as 0.118, 0.105, 0.067, 0.061 and 0.057, respectively

Selection of disposal contractor by multi criteria decision making methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cenker Korkmazer

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Hazardous waste is substance that threaten people and environment in case of improper storage, disposal and transport due to its concentration, physical and chemical properties. Companies producing hazardous waste as a result of several activities mostly do not have any own disposal facilities. In addition, they do not pay attention enough to determine the right contractor as a disposal facility. On the other hand, there are various qualitative and quantitative criteria affecting the selection of the contractor and conflicting with each other. The aim of the performed study is to assist one of these companies producing hazardous waste in the selection of the best contractor that eliminates hazardous waste economic and harmless way. In the study, contractor weights in percentage is calculated by using Analytic Network Process (ANP as one of the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM methods and widely used in the literature which considers both qualitative and quantitative criteria. In the next step, by the help of the mathematical model, contractors that will be given which type of hazardous waste are identified. This integrated approach can be used as a guide for similar firms.

Attitude of the Korean dentists towards radiation safety and selection criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byung Do; Ludlow, John B.

2013-01-01

X-ray exposure should be clinically justified and each exposure should be expected to give patients benefits. Since dental radiographic examination is one of the most frequent radiological procedures, radiation hazard becomes an important public health concern. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of Korean dentists about radiation safety and use of criteria for selecting the frequency and type of radiographic examinations. The study included 267 Korean dentists. Five questions related to radiation safety were asked of each of them. These questions were about factors associated with radiation protection of patients and operators including the use of radiographic selection criteria for intraoral radiographic procedures. The frequency of prescription of routine radiographic examination (an example is a panoramic radiograph for screening process for occult disease) was 34.1%, while that of selective radiography was 64.0%. Dentists' discussion of radiation risk and benefit with patients was infrequent. More than half of the operators held the image receptor by themselves during intraoral radiographic examinations. Lead apron/thyroid collars for patient protection were used by fewer than 22% of dental offices. Rectangular collimation was utilized by fewer than 15% of dental offices. The majority of Korean dentists in the study did not practice radiation protection procedures which would be required to minimize exposure to unnecessary radiation for patients and dental professionals. Mandatory continuing professional education in radiation safety and development of Korean radiographic selection criteria is recommended.

Attitude of the Korean dentists towards radiation safety and selection criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Byung Do [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and Wonkwang Dental Research Institute, College of Dentistry, Wonkwang University, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Ludlow, John B. [Graduate Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (United States)

2013-09-15

X-ray exposure should be clinically justified and each exposure should be expected to give patients benefits. Since dental radiographic examination is one of the most frequent radiological procedures, radiation hazard becomes an important public health concern. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of Korean dentists about radiation safety and use of criteria for selecting the frequency and type of radiographic examinations. The study included 267 Korean dentists. Five questions related to radiation safety were asked of each of them. These questions were about factors associated with radiation protection of patients and operators including the use of radiographic selection criteria for intraoral radiographic procedures. The frequency of prescription of routine radiographic examination (an example is a panoramic radiograph for screening process for occult disease) was 34.1%, while that of selective radiography was 64.0%. Dentists' discussion of radiation risk and benefit with patients was infrequent. More than half of the operators held the image receptor by themselves during intraoral radiographic examinations. Lead apron/thyroid collars for patient protection were used by fewer than 22% of dental offices. Rectangular collimation was utilized by fewer than 15% of dental offices. The majority of Korean dentists in the study did not practice radiation protection procedures which would be required to minimize exposure to unnecessary radiation for patients and dental professionals. Mandatory continuing professional education in radiation safety and development of Korean radiographic selection criteria is recommended.

Criteria for selecting measures of plant information with application to nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiguchi, T.; Sheridan, T.B.

1979-01-01

Criteria for selecting from alternative measures of plant information have been derived by information theory and the expected-value model of decision theory. Two criteria derived by information theory are minimum ''uncertainty'' of judgement of plant states, and maximum ''surprise'' of human operators. Two criteria derived by decision theory are maximum expected reward to operators, and maximum ratio of the maximum and next-to-maximum expected rewards. These four criteria have been evaluated experimentally in application to human monitoring problems of three ''plants'': an abstract laboratory exercise, a small research reactor, and a conventional nuclear power plant (high-fidelity training simulator). The results show that the criteria derived by decision theory are superior to the others from the viewpoint of correct rate of human subjects' judgement

Use of DOE site selection criteria for screening low-level waste disposal sites on the Oak Ridge Reservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D.W.; Ketelle, R.H.; Stinton, L.H.

1983-09-01

The proposed Department of Energy (DOE) site selection criteria were applied to the Oak Ridge Reservation, and the application was evaluated to determine the criteria's usefulness in the selection of a low-level waste disposal site. The application of the criteria required the development of a methodology to provide a framework for evaluation. The methodology is composed of site screening and site characterization stages. The site screening stage relies on reconnaissance data to identify a preferred site capable of satisfying the site selection criteria. The site characterization stage relies on a detailed site investigation to determine site acceptability. The site selection criteria were applied to the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation through the site screening stage. Results of this application were similar to those of a previous siting study on the Oak Ridge Reservation. The DOE site selection criteria when coupled with the methodology that was developed were easily applied and would be adaptable to any region of interest

IMRT QA: Selecting gamma criteria based on error detection sensitivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steers, Jennifer M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048 and Physics and Biology in Medicine IDP, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States); Fraass, Benedick A., E-mail: benedick.fraass@cshs.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California 90048 (United States)

2016-04-15

Purpose: The gamma comparison is widely used to evaluate the agreement between measurements and treatment planning system calculations in patient-specific intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA). However, recent publications have raised concerns about the lack of sensitivity when employing commonly used gamma criteria. Understanding the actual sensitivity of a wide range of different gamma criteria may allow the definition of more meaningful gamma criteria and tolerance limits in IMRT QA. We present a method that allows the quantitative determination of gamma criteria sensitivity to induced errors which can be applied to any unique combination of device, delivery technique, and software utilized in a specific clinic. Methods: A total of 21 DMLC IMRT QA measurements (ArcCHECK®, Sun Nuclear) were compared to QA plan calculations with induced errors. Three scenarios were studied: MU errors, multi-leaf collimator (MLC) errors, and the sensitivity of the gamma comparison to changes in penumbra width. Gamma comparisons were performed between measurements and error-induced calculations using a wide range of gamma criteria, resulting in a total of over 20 000 gamma comparisons. Gamma passing rates for each error class and case were graphed against error magnitude to create error curves in order to represent the range of missed errors in routine IMRT QA using 36 different gamma criteria. Results: This study demonstrates that systematic errors and case-specific errors can be detected by the error curve analysis. Depending on the location of the error curve peak (e.g., not centered about zero), 3%/3 mm threshold = 10% at 90% pixels passing may miss errors as large as 15% MU errors and ±1 cm random MLC errors for some cases. As the dose threshold parameter was increased for a given %Diff/distance-to-agreement (DTA) setting, error sensitivity was increased by up to a factor of two for select cases. This increased sensitivity with increasing dose

To Make Good Decision: A Group DSS for Multiple Criteria Alternative Rank and Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-Shu Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Decision making is a recursive process and usually involves multiple decision criteria. However, such multiple criteria decision making may have a problem in which partial decision criteria may conflict with each other. An information technology, such as the decision support system (DSS and group DSS (GDSS, emerges to assist decision maker for decision-making process. Both the DSS and GDSS should integrate with a symmetrical approach to assist decision maker to take all decision criteria into consideration simultaneously. This study proposes a GDSS architecture named hybrid decision-making support model (HDMSM and integrated four decision approaches (Delphi, DEMATEL, ANP, and MDS to help decision maker to rank and select appropriate alternatives. The HDMSM consists of five steps, namely, criteria identification, criteria correlation calculation, criteria evaluation, critical criteria selection, and alternative rank and comparison. Finally, to validate the proposed feasibility of the proposed model, this study also conducts a case study to find out the important indexes of corporate social responsibility (CSR from multiple perspectives. As the case study demonstrates the proposed HDMSM enables a group of decision makers to implement the MCDM effectively and help them to analyze the relation and degree of mutual influence among different evaluation factors.

Technical Evaluation Report 27: Educational Wikis: Features and selection criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jim Rudolph

2004-04-01

Full Text Available This report discusses the educational uses of the ‘wiki,’ an increasingly popular approach to online community development. Wikis are defined and compared with ‘blogging’ methods; characteristics of major wiki engines are described; and wiki features and selection criteria are examined.

Methodology for Selecting Best Management Practices Integrating Multiple Stakeholders and Criteria. Part 1: Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Carvallo Aceves

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The implementation of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs could help re-establish the natural hydrological cycle of watersheds after urbanization, with each BMP presenting a different performance across a range of criteria (flood prevention, pollutant removal, etc.. Additionally, conflicting views from the relevant stakeholders may arise, resulting in a complex selection process. This paper proposes a methodology for BMP selection based on the application of multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA methods, integrating multiple stakeholder priorities and BMP combinations. First, in the problem definition, the MCDA methods, relevant criteria and design guidelines are selected. Next, information from the preliminary analysis of the watershed is used to obtain a list of relevant BMPs. The third step comprises the watershed modeling and analysis of the BMP alternatives to obtain performance values across purely objective criteria. Afterwards, a stakeholder analysis based on survey applications is carried out to obtain social performance values and criteria priorities. Then, the MCDA methods are applied to obtain the final BMP rankings. The last step considers the sensitivity analysis and rank comparisons in order to draw the final conclusions and recommendations. Future improvements to the methodology could explore inclusion of multiple objective analysis, and alternative means for obtaining social performance values.

Fuzzy decision-making: a new method in model selection via various validity criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shakouri Ganjavi, H.; Nikravesh, K.

2001-01-01

Modeling is considered as the first step in scientific investigations. Several alternative models may be candida ted to express a phenomenon. Scientists use various criteria to select one model between the competing models. Based on the solution of a Fuzzy Decision-Making problem, this paper proposes a new method in model selection. The method enables the scientist to apply all desired validity criteria, systematically by defining a proper Possibility Distribution Function due to each criterion. Finally, minimization of a utility function composed of the Possibility Distribution Functions will determine the best selection. The method is illustrated through a modeling example for the A verage Daily Time Duration of Electrical Energy Consumption in Iran

Multi-data integration of exploration criteria and selection of prospecting targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dechang, L.; Jingke, Z.; Maorong, S.; Guojuan, W.

1991-01-01

In this paper based on the analysis of the exploration criteria for Shengyuan Basin-a uranium ore field, the multi-data integration and information extraction of exploration criteria are carried out on computer and image processing system so that the areas with best combinations of exploration criteria are directly displayed on the screen. Six prospecting targets are selected through the field examination. Shengyuan basin in Jiangxi province is a uranium-producing, Jurassic Cretaceous volcanic-sedimentary basin with an area of about 400 sq km. Its basement consists of Sinian-Cambrian rocks with Caledonian granites intruded. Several uranium deposits, occurrences and anomalies were discovered over the basin region which, therefore, becomes a very important uranium ore field in China

Fuzzy Logic Based Multi-Criteria Wind Turbine Selection Strategy—A Case Study of Qassim, Saudi Arabia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shafiqur Rehman

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The emergence of wind energy as a potential alternative to traditional sources of fuel has prompted notable research in recent years. One primary factor contributing to efficient utilization of wind energy from a wind farm is the type of turbines used. However, selection of a specific wind turbine type is a difficult task due to several criteria involved in the selection process. Important criteria include turbine’s power rating, height of tower, energy output, rotor diameter, cut-in wind speed, and rated wind speed. The complexity of this selection process is further amplified by the presence of conflicts between the decision criteria. Therefore, a decision is desired that provides the best balance between all selection criteria. Considering the complexities involved in the decision-making process, this paper proposes a two-level decision turbine selection strategy based on fuzzy logic and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM approach. More specifically, the fuzzy arithmetic mean operator is used in the decision process. The proposed approach is applied to wind data collected from the site of Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Results indicate that the proposed approach was effective in finding the optimal turbine from a set of 20 turbines of various capacities.

A Review on influencing criteria for selecting supplier of information technology services in the hospital

Science.gov (United States)

Ajami, Sima; Rajabzadeh, Ahmad; Ketabi, Saeedeh

2014-01-01

Organizations try to outsource their activities as much as possible in order to prevent the problems and use organizational capabilities in Information Technology (IT) field. The purpose of this paper was first, to express the effective criteria for selecting suppliers of IT services, second, to explain the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing IT in hospitals. This study was narrative review, which search was conducted with the help of libraries, books, conference proceedings, and databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Proquest, Springer, and SID (Scientific Information Database). In our searches, we employed the following keywords and their combinations: Outsourcing, information technology, hospital, decision making, and criteria. The preliminary search resulted in 120 articles, which were published between 2000 and 2013 during July 2013. After a careful analysis of the content of each paper, a total of 46 papers were selected based on their relevancy. The criteria and sub-criteria influencing outsourcing decisions in Iranian hospitals were identified in six major categories including administrative issues, issues related to the service/product, technology factors, environmental factors, risks, and economic factors associated with 15 sub-criteria containing business integration, dependence on suppliers, human resources, focus on core competencies, facilities and physical capital, innovation, quality, speed of service delivery, flexibility, market capabilities, geographical location, security, management control, cost, and financial capability. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and effective criteria in IT services supplier selection causes the managers be able to take the most appropriate decision to select supplier of IT services. This is a general review on influencing criteria for electing of supplier of information technology services in hospitals. PMID:25540781

A Review on influencing criteria for selecting supplier of information technology services in the hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Ajami, Sima; Rajabzadeh, Ahmad; Ketabi, Saeedeh

2014-01-01

Organizations try to outsource their activities as much as possible in order to prevent the problems and use organizational capabilities in Information Technology (IT) field. The purpose of this paper was first, to express the effective criteria for selecting suppliers of IT services, second, to explain the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing IT in hospitals. This study was narrative review, which search was conducted with the help of libraries, books, conference proceedings, and databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Proquest, Springer, and SID (Scientific Information Database). In our searches, we employed the following keywords and their combinations: Outsourcing, information technology, hospital, decision making, and criteria. The preliminary search resulted in 120 articles, which were published between 2000 and 2013 during July 2013. After a careful analysis of the content of each paper, a total of 46 papers were selected based on their relevancy. The criteria and sub-criteria influencing outsourcing decisions in Iranian hospitals were identified in six major categories including administrative issues, issues related to the service/product, technology factors, environmental factors, risks, and economic factors associated with 15 sub-criteria containing business integration, dependence on suppliers, human resources, focus on core competencies, facilities and physical capital, innovation, quality, speed of service delivery, flexibility, market capabilities, geographical location, security, management control, cost, and financial capability. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and effective criteria in IT services supplier selection causes the managers be able to take the most appropriate decision to select supplier of IT services. This is a general review on influencing criteria for electing of supplier of information technology services in hospitals.

A F o cus on Far Eastern Tourists – Tour Operator Selection Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayşe Çelik

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Tour operators are becoming more important in the long haul destination market. Identifying tour operator selection criteria is crucial to orientate marketing strategies. The aim of the study was to determine the tour operation selection criteria of a package holiday maker visiting Turkey from the Far East according to the nationality. Data was drawn up and analyzed from tourists who came from three of these countries namely: Japan, South Korea, and China between February and April 2013 in Cappadocia. Quantitative methodology employing One-way ANOVA analysis was used. Deduction was made by analysing the tour operator selection criteria data that nationality was not a meaningful differentiation for a tourist in their assessment of the “Service Quality’” and “Opportunity to interact with other people’” items referred to in the survey questionnaire. Other items from the resulting data gave meaningful differences in cross - cultural behaviour. Results from the study provide important cues for tour operator managers to consider developing different promotional strategy initiatives to engage and attract more Japanese, South Korean, and Chinese tourists to Turkey.

A two-phased multi-criteria decision-making approach for selecting the best smartphone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yildiz, Aytac

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In the last 20 years, rapid and significant developments have occurred in communication and information technologies. In parallel with these developments, the importance of smartphones has increased. In addition, many smartphone manufacturers have launched and continue to launch a number of new models with many features. People who want to buy a new smartphone have difficulties selecting the best smartphone among the numerous models available on the technology markets. Therefore, smartphone selection has become a complex multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM problem for people. Hence, decision-making processes will be facilitated by using MCDM methods, and these will provide the most appropriate decision. In this paper, the best smartphone among the 28 alternatives determined by the person who will buy them are selected by using three main criteria and 17 sub-criteria with the help of a two-phased MCDM approach. In the first phase, 28 smartphone alternatives are ranked using the analytic network process (ANP. In the second phase, a model that includes the best four alternatives of ANP is created. Afterwards, the best smartphone is selected using the generalised Choquet integral (GCI method according to this model. Finally, the findings and the results are given.

The Ideal Criteria of Supplier Selection for SMEs Food Processing Industry

OpenAIRE

Ramlan Rohaizan; Engku Abu Bakar Engku Muhammad Nazri; Mahmud Fatimah; Ng Hooi Keng

2016-01-01

Selection of good supplier is important to determine the performance and profitability of SMEs food processing industry. The lack of managerial capability on supplier selection in SMEs food processing industry affects the competitiveness of SMEs food processing industry. This research aims to determine the ideal criteria of supplier for food processing industry using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The research was carried out in a quantitative method by distributing questionnaires to 50 ...

Integrated shape and material selection for single and multi-performance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Jasveer; Mirjalili, Vahid; Pasini, Damiano

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The method of shape transformers is extended to torsional stiffness and combined load design. → The method is generalized for multi-criteria selection of shape and material. → Performance charts are presented for single and multi-objective selection of cross-section shape and material. → A four quadrant performance chart is presented to visualize the relation between objective function space and design variable space. -- Abstract: A shape and material selection method, based on the concept of shape transformers, has been recently introduced to characterize the mass efficiency of lightweight beams under bending and shear. This paper extends this method to deal with the case of torsional stiffness design, and generalize it to single and multi-crieria selection of lightweight shafts subjected to a combination of bending, shear, and torsional load. The novel feature of the paper is the useful integration of shape and material to model and visualize multi-objective selection problems. The scheme is centered on concept selection in structural design, and hinges on measures that govern the shape properties of a cross-section regardless of its size. These measures, referred as shape transformers, can classify shapes in a way similar to material classification. The procedure is exemplified by considering torsional stiffness as a constraint. The performance charts are developed for single and multi-criteria to visualize in a glance the whole range of cross-sectional shapes for each material. Each design chart is explained with a brief example.

The evaluation of effective criteria on site selection for energy production units from cellulosic biomass in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Azizi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Both Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP and benefits, opportunities, costs and risks (BOCR techniques were used successfully to evaluate the effective criteria on site selection for energy production unit development from cellulosic biomass in Iran. The results showed that the benefits criteria was at the first level while the initial cellulosic raw materials and opportunities with the aim of the local economy had the second position as the most important indices on site selection. In addition, third criterion has been introduced for the costs criteria (transportation cost and social barriers by the experts. However, risks criteria which referred to instability of providing cellulosic raw materials is one of the less important effective indices on site selection to make energy production unit. The results illustrated that the economy and politics as two environmental effective factors affected on the site selection process generally.

An analysis of project selection and assignment criteria of danish tenders in europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Jesper Kranker; Ussing, Lene Faber; Brunø, Thomas Ditlev

2013-01-01

, and 3/ any significant difference between the use of selection and assignment criteria in Danish public construction projects. The study uses a quantitative research approach where 157 Danish public tender cases were selected from the European Tenders Electronic Daily database between the period...

Dermatology Residency Selection Criteria with an Emphasis on Program Characteristics: A National Program Director Survey

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Farzam Gorouhi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Dermatology residency programs are relatively diverse in their resident selection process. The authors investigated the importance of 25 dermatology residency selection criteria focusing on differences in program directors’ (PDs’ perception based on specific program demographics. Methods. This cross-sectional nationwide observational survey utilized a 41-item questionnaire that was developed by literature search, brainstorming sessions, and online expert reviews. The data were analyzed utilizing the reliability test, two-step clustering, and K-means methods as well as other methods. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in PDs’ perception regarding the importance of the selection criteria based on program demographics. Results. Ninety-five out of 114 PDs (83.3% responded to the survey. The top five criteria for dermatology residency selection were interview, letters of recommendation, United States Medical Licensing Examination Step I scores, medical school transcripts, and clinical rotations. The following criteria were preferentially ranked based on different program characteristics: “advanced degrees,” “interest in academics,” “reputation of undergraduate and medical school,” “prior unsuccessful attempts to match,” and “number of publications.” Conclusions. Our survey provides up-to-date factual data on dermatology PDs’ perception in this regard. Dermatology residency programs may find the reported data useful in further optimizing their residency selection process.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE REINSURANCE COVERAGE FOR EXCESS OF LOSS TREATY

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V. Veretnov

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Optimal reinsurance coverage, selected by the cedent, influenced by a number of internal, external, objective and subjective factors. Their accounting or ignoring depends on the individual conditions of the insurer, knowledge of the specific risk profiles of professional experience and decision-makers about the forms and methods of reinsurance coverage. Justified the selection criteria of reinsurance protection for the treaty excess of loss. Using these criteria makes it possible not only to optimize the reinsurance protection, but also to ensure a balance of interests in the long-term relationship of the cedent company and the reinsurer. The article also provides examples of how classes of insurance is advisable to use the obligatory contract portfolio sexcess of loss.

A MOORA based fuzzy multi-criteria decision making approach for supply chain strategy selection

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Bijan Sarkar

2012-08-01

Full Text Available To acquire the competitive advantages in order to survive in the global business scenario, modern companies are now facing the problems of selecting key supply chain strategies. Strategy selection becomes difficult as the number of alternatives and conflicting criteria increases. Multi criteria decision making (MCDM methodologies help the supply chain managers take a lead in a complex industrial set-up. The present investigation applies fuzzy MCDM technique entailing multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA in selection of alternatives in a supply chain. The MOORA method is utilized to three suitable numerical examples for the selection of supply chain strategies (warehouse location selection and vendor/supplier selection. The results obtained by using current approach almost match with those of previous research works published in various open journals. The empirical study has demonstrated the simplicity and applicability of this method as a strategic decision making tool in a supply chain.

Criteria definition and approaches in green supplier selection – a case study for raw material and packaging of food industry

OpenAIRE

Narges Banaeian; Hossein Mobli; Izabela Ewa Nielsen; Mahmoud Omid

2015-01-01

This paper formulates an integrated framework for deciding about the green supplier selection criteria in food supply chain and also proposes different methods that account for single and multiple sourcing of supplier selection. Green supplier selection relies on green criteria, so determination of suitable set of criteria will affect decision-maker results directly. In this research, an operational model including combination of general and environmental criteria is introduced for green supp...

Supplier selection criteria for sustainable supply chain management in thermal power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Firoz, Faisal; Narayan Biswal, Jitendra; Satapathy, Suchismita

2018-02-01

Supplies are always in great demand when it comes to industrial operations. The quality of raw material their price accompanied by sustainability and environmental effects are a major concern for industrial operators these days. Supply Chain Management is the subject which is focused on how the supply of different products is carried out. The motive is that each operation performed can be optimized and inherently the efficiency of the whole chain is integrated. In this paper we will be dealing with all the criteria that are required to be evaluated before selecting a supplier, in particular, focusing on Thermal Power Plant. The most suppliers of the thermal power plant are the coal suppliers. The quality of coal directly determines the efficiency of the whole plant. And when there are matters concerning coal environmental pollution plays a very crucial role. ANP method has been used here to select suppliers of thermal power sectors in Indian context. After applying ANP to prioritize the sustainable supplier selection criteria, it is found that for thermal power industries best suppliers are Nationalized/State owned suppliers then 2nd ranked suppliers are imported supplier. Private owned suppliers are ranked least. So private owned suppliers must be more concerned about their performance. Among these suppliers it is found that to compete in the global market privatized suppliers have to give more emphasize on most important criteria like sustainability, then fuel cost and quality. Still some sub-criteria like a clean program, environmental issues, quality, reliability, service rate, investment in high technology, green transportation channel, waste management etc needs for continuous improvement as per their priority.

The selection criteria elements of X-ray optics system

Science.gov (United States)

Plotnikova, I. V.; Chicherina, N. V.; Bays, S. S.; Bildanov, R. G.; Stary, O.

2018-01-01

At the design of new modifications of x-ray tomography there are difficulties in the right choice of elements of X-ray optical system. Now this problem is solved by practical consideration, selection of values of the corresponding parameters - tension on an x-ray tube taking into account the thickness and type of the studied material. For reduction of time and labor input of design it is necessary to create the criteria of the choice, to determine key parameters and characteristics of elements. In the article two main elements of X-ray optical system - an x-ray tube and the detector of x-ray radiation - are considered. Criteria of the choice of elements, their key characteristics, the main dependences of parameters, quality indicators and also recommendations according to the choice of elements of x-ray systems are received.

Multiple criteria decision making with life cycle assessment for material selection of composites

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A. S. Milani

2011-12-01

Full Text Available With the advancement of interdisciplinary approaches in today’s modern engineering, current efforts in optimal design of composites include seeking material selection protocols that can (1 simultaneously consider a series of mechanical/electrical/chemical cost criteria over a set of alternative material options, and (2 closely take into account environmental aspects of final products including recycling and end-of-life disposal options. In this paper, in addition to a review of some recent experimental and methodological advances in the above areas, a new application of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM is presented to deal with decision conflicts often seen among design criteria in composite material selection with the help of life cycle assessment (LCA. To show the application, an illustrative case study on a plastic gear material selection is conducted where the cost, mechanical and thermal properties along with environmental impact criteria are to be satisfied simultaneously. A pure plastic gear is compared to a Polyethylene terephthalate (PET/aluminum-powder composite alternative. Results suggest that simple MCDM models, including a signal-to-noise measure adapted to MCDM in the same case study, can be used to explore both trade-offs and design break-even points in large decision spaces as the decision maker’s perspective over environmental, material performance and cost attributes change during the design process. More advanced topics including the account of material data uncertainties are addressed.

Assessing the Job Selection Criteria of Accounting Students: a Normative Approach

OpenAIRE

zubairu, umaru; Ismail, Suhaiza; Abdul Hamid, Fatima

2017-01-01

This research assessed to what extent final-year Muslim accounting students in Malaysia considered Islamic principles when choosing a job after graduation. 356 final-year Muslim accounting students in four Malaysian universities were surveyed using an open-ended job selection scenario. The result shows that reality does not live up to the ideal. Only 16% of the respondents apply Islamic principles in making a job selection decision. The remaining 84% are more concerned with other criteria suc...

Multi-criteria selection of offshore wind farms: Case study for the Baltic States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaouachi, Aymen; Covrig, Catalin Felix; Ardelean, Mircea

2017-01-01

This paper presents a multi-criteria selection approach for offshore wind sites assessment. The proposed site selection framework takes into consideration the electricity network’s operating security aspects, economic investment, operation costs and capacity performances relative to each potential site. The selection decision is made through Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), with an inherited flexibility that aims to allow end users to adjust the expected benefits accordingly to their respective and global priorities. The proposed site selection framework is implemented as an interactive case study for three Baltic States in the 2020 time horizon, based on real data and exhaustive power network models, taking into consideration the foreseen upgrades and network reinforcements. For each country the optimal offshore wind sites are assessed under multiple weight contribution scenarios, reflecting the characteristics of market design, regulatory aspects or renewable integration targets. - Highlights: • We use a multi-criteria selection approach for offshore wind sites assessment. • Security aspects, economic investment, operation costs and capacity performances are included. • The selection decision is made through an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). • We implement the methodology as a case study for three Baltic States in the 2020 time horizon.

Procurement selection criteria for projects in the public sector: evidence from Nigeria

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Richard Ajayi Jimoh

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The selection of suitable procurement practice for construction projects is a very complex and demanding tasks for stakeholders in the construction industry. In spite of the overabundance of techniques and tools accessible to the stakeholders in selecting an appropriate procurement method, clients are faced with the decision as to which of the selection criteria can be adopted for a given construction project to achieve project goals and objectives. This paper focused on evaluating the existing procurement methods being practised in the Nigerian construction industry with a view to identifying and establishing the parameters for selection that will improve contract delivery systems. In this research, quantitative approach was used to collect data from 420 contractors, consultants and clients based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja where large numbers of building projects are being procured. The findings revealed six most commonly considered criteria and deduced that, the quality, cost and duration of the project determines the type of procurement method to adopt. It is therefore stated that in selecting any particular procurement method for building construction projects, the complexity of such project should be clearly defined and the other performance indicators be given adequate consideration for a successful project delivery that will enhance the achievement of the client’s goal.

A Hybrid Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Photovoltaic Solar Plant Location Selection

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Amy H. I. Lee

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Due to decaying fossil resource and increasing environmental consciousness, the demand of renewable energy resources is escalating these days. Photovoltaic solar energy is one of the most popular renewable energy resources in places where sunlight is abundant. The selection of a desirable location for constructing a photovoltaic solar plant is the first and one of the most important stages in the plant construction to provide a long-term energy production. In this paper, a comprehensive multiple-criteria decision-making model, which incorporates the interpretive structural modeling (ISM, fuzzy analytic network process (FANP and VIKOR (VlseKriterijumska OptimizacijaI Kompromisno Resenje in Serbian,meaning multi-criteria optimization and compromise solution, is proposed to select the most suitable photovoltaic solar plant location. The ISM is applied first to determine the interrelationships among the criteria and among the sub-criteria,andtheresults are used to construct a decision-making network. The FANP is applied next to solve the network and to calculate the importance weights of the sub-criteria. Finally, the VIKOR is adopted to determine the ranking of the photovoltaic solar plant locations. The proposed model is applied in a case study in evaluating photovoltaic solar plant locations in Taiwan. By applying the proposed model, decision makers can have a better thinking process and make more appropriate decisions justifiably.

34 CFR 658.31 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What selection criteria does the Secretary use? 658.31 Section 658.31 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE...

Liver Transplantation: Evolving Patient Selection Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andy S Yu

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The widespread recognition of the success of liver transplantation as a treatment for most types of acute and chronic liver failure has led to increased referrals for transplantation in the setting of a relatively fixed supply of cadaver donor organs. These events have led to a marked lengthening of the waiting time for liver transplantation, resulting in increased deaths of those on the waiting list and sicker patients undergoing transplantation. Nearly 5000 liver transplantations were performed in the United States in 2000, while the waiting list grew to over 17,000 patients. The mounting disparity between the number of liver transplant candidates and the limited supply of donor organs has led to reassessment of the selection and listing criteria for liver transplantation, as well as revision of organ allocation and distribution policies for cadaver livers. The development of minimal listing criteria for patients with chronic liver disease based on a specific definition for decompensation of cirrhosis has facilitated the more uniform listing of patients at individual centres across the United States. The United Network for Organ Sharing, under pressure from transplant professionals, patient advocacy groups and the federal government, has continuously revised allocation and distribution policies based on the ethical principles of justice for the individual patient versus optimal utility of the limited organ supply available annually. Beginning in 2002, it is likely that the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD score will be implemented to determine disease severity and direct donor organs to the sickest patients rather than to those with the longest waiting times.

Selection Criteria for Water Disinfection Techniques in Agricultural Practices

OpenAIRE

Haute, Sam van; Sampers, Imca; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2013-01-01

This paper comprises a selection tool for water disinfection methods for fresh produce pre- and postharvest practices. A variety of water disinfection technologies is available on the market and no single technology is the best choice for all applications. It can be difficult for end users to choose the technology that is best fit for a specific application. Therefore, the different technologies were characterized in order to identify criteria that influence the suitability of a technology fo...

Statin Selection in Qatar Based on Multi-indication Pharmacotherapeutic Multi-criteria Scoring Model, and Clinician Preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Badriyeh, Daoud; Fahey, Michael; Alabbadi, Ibrahim; Al-Khal, Abdullatif; Zaidan, Manal

2015-12-01

Statin selection for the largest hospital formulary in Qatar is not systematic, not comparative, and does not consider the multi-indication nature of statins. There are no reports in the literature of multi-indication-based comparative scoring models of statins or of statin selection criteria weights that are based primarily on local clinicians' preferences and experiences. This study sought to comparatively evaluate statins for first-line therapy in Qatar, and to quantify the economic impact of this. An evidence-based, multi-indication, multi-criteria pharmacotherapeutic model was developed for the scoring of statins from the perspective of the main health care provider in Qatar. The literature and an expert panel informed the selection criteria of statins. Relative weighting of selection criteria was based on the input of the relevant local clinician population. Statins were comparatively scored based on literature evidence, with those exceeding a defined scoring threshold being recommended for use. With 95% CI and 5% margin of error, the scoring model was successfully developed. Selection criteria comprised 28 subcriteria under the following main criteria: clinical efficacy, best publish evidence and experience, adverse effects, drug interaction, dosing time, and fixed dose combination availability. Outcome measures for multiple indications were related to effects on LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and C-reactive protein. Atorvastatin, pravastatin, and rosuvastatin exceeded defined pharmacotherapeutic thresholds. Atorvastatin and pravastatin were recommended as first-line use and rosuvastatin as a nonformulary alternative. It was estimated that this would produce a 17.6% cost savings in statins expenditure. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the evaluation's outcomes against input uncertainties. Incorporating a comparative evaluation of statins in Qatari practices based on a locally developed, transparent, multi

The Predictive Value of Selection Criteria in an Urban Magnet School

Science.gov (United States)

Lohmeier, Jill Hendrickson; Raad, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The predictive value of selection criteria on outcome data from two cohorts of students (Total N = 525) accepted to an urban magnet high school were evaluated. Regression analyses of typical screening variables (suspensions, absences, metropolitan achievement tests, middle school grade point averages [GPAs], Matrix Analogies test scores, and…

Dynamic Educational e-Content Selection Using Multiple Criteria in Web-Based Personalized Learning Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Manouselis, Nikos; Sampson, Demetrios

This paper focuses on the way a multi-criteria decision making methodology is applied in the case of agent-based selection of offered learning objects. The problem of selection is modeled as a decision making one, with the decision variables being the learner model and the learning objects' educational description. In this way, selection of…

Improved selection criteria for H II regions, based on IRAS sources

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Qing-Zeng; Xu, Ye; Walsh, A. J.; Macquart, J. P.; MacLeod, G. C.; Zhang, Bo; Hancock, P. J.; Chen, Xi; Tang, Zheng-Hong

2018-05-01

We present new criteria for selecting H II regions from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) Point Source Catalogue (PSC), based on an H II region catalogue derived manually from the all-sky Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The criteria are used to augment the number of H II region candidates in the Milky Way. The criteria are defined by the linear decision boundary of two samples: IRAS point sources associated with known H II regions, which serve as the H II region sample, and IRAS point sources at high Galactic latitudes, which serve as the non-H II region sample. A machine learning classifier, specifically a support vector machine, is used to determine the decision boundary. We investigate all combinations of four IRAS bands and suggest that the optimal criterion is log(F_{60}/F_{12})≥ ( -0.19 × log(F_{100}/F_{25})+ 1.52), with detections at 60 and 100 {μ}m. This selects 3041 H II region candidates from the IRAS PSC. We find that IRAS H II region candidates show evidence of evolution on the two-colour diagram. Merging the WISE H II catalogue with IRAS H II region candidates, we estimate a lower limit of approximately 10 200 for the number of H II regions in the Milky Way.

Benchmarking the Performance of Construction Procurement Methods against Selection Criteria in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Okunlola Ojo

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The study developed performance indices by the widely used procurement options in Nigeria on selection criteria. The traditional mean and standardized ratio were used to form the utility coefficients. Results revealed that performance by the procurement options depended on the respondents’ categorization and cost categorization of projects. Public clients ranked the lump sum contracts more able to achieve speed for projects up to N100 million (Naira while the private clients believe it is the design-build. As regards quality, public clients rated the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT system as most able to achieve the quality criterion whereas private clients rated design-build for projects up to N100 million (Naira. The study then concluded that, in the Nigerian construction industry participants do not agree on the performance of the procurement options on selection criteria.

[Use of Cone Beam Computed Tomography in endodontics: rational case selection criteria].

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, E; Tsesis, I

2016-01-01

To present rational case selection criteria for the use of CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) in endodontics. This article reviews the literature concerning the benefits of CBCT in endodontics, alongside its radiation risks, and present case selection criteria for referral of endodontic patients to CBCT. Up to date, the expected ultimate benefit of CBCT to the endodontic patient is yet uncertain, and the current literature is mainly restricted to its technical efficacy. In addition, the potential radiation risks of CBCT scan are stochastic in nature and uncertain, and are worrying especially in pediatric patients. Both the efficacy of CBCT in supporting the endodontic practitioner decision making and in affecting treatment outcomes, and its long term potential radiation risks are yet uncertain. Therefore, a cautious rational decision making is essential when a CBCT scan is considered in endodontics. Risk-benefit considerations are presented.

Site selection criteria for shallow land burial of low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falconer, K.L.; Hull, L.C.; Mizell, S.A.

1982-01-01

Twelve site selection criteria are presented. These are: (1) site shall be of sufficient area and depth to accommodate the projected volume of waste and a three dimensional buffer zone; (2) site should allow waste to be buried either completely above or below the transition zone between the unsaturated and saturated zones; (3) site should be located where flooding will not jeopardize performance; (4) site should be located where erosion will not jeopardize performance; (5) site should be located in areas where hydrogeologic conditions allow reliable performance prediction; (6) site should be located where geologic hazards will not jeopardize performance; (7) site should be selected with considerations given to those characteristics of earth materials and water chemistry that favor increased residence times and/or attenuation of radionuclide concentrations within site boundaries; (8) site should be selected with consideration given to current and projected population distributions; (9) site should be selected with consideration given to current and projected land use and resource development; (10) site should be selected with consideration given to location of waste generation, access to all-weather highway and rail routes, and access utilities; (11) site should be selected consistent with federal laws and regulations; (12) site should not be located within areas that are protected from such use by federal laws and regulations. These criteria are considered preliminary and do not necessarily represent the position of the Department of Energy's Low-Level Waste Management Program

A new spatial multi-criteria decision support tool for site selection for implementation of managed aquifer recharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, M Azizur; Rusteberg, Bernd; Gogu, R C; Lobo Ferreira, J P; Sauter, Martin

2012-05-30

This study reports the development of a new spatial multi-criteria decision analysis (SMCDA) software tool for selecting suitable sites for Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) systems. The new SMCDA software tool functions based on the combination of existing multi-criteria evaluation methods with modern decision analysis techniques. More specifically, non-compensatory screening, criteria standardization and weighting, and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) have been combined with Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) and Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA). This SMCDA tool may be implemented with a wide range of decision maker's preferences. The tool's user-friendly interface helps guide the decision maker through the sequential steps for site selection, those steps namely being constraint mapping, criteria hierarchy, criteria standardization and weighting, and criteria overlay. The tool offers some predetermined default criteria and standard methods to increase the trade-off between ease-of-use and efficiency. Integrated into ArcGIS, the tool has the advantage of using GIS tools for spatial analysis, and herein data may be processed and displayed. The tool is non-site specific, adaptive, and comprehensive, and may be applied to any type of site-selection problem. For demonstrating the robustness of the new tool, a case study was planned and executed at Algarve Region, Portugal. The efficiency of the SMCDA tool in the decision making process for selecting suitable sites for MAR was also demonstrated. Specific aspects of the tool such as built-in default criteria, explicit decision steps, and flexibility in choosing different options were key features, which benefited the study. The new SMCDA tool can be augmented by groundwater flow and transport modeling so as to achieve a more comprehensive approach to the selection process for the best locations of the MAR infiltration basins, as well as the locations of recovery wells and areas of groundwater protection. The new spatial

Study-design selection criteria in systematic reviews of effectiveness of health systems interventions and reforms: A meta-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rockers, Peter C; Feigl, Andrea B; Røttingen, John-Arne; Fretheim, Atle; de Ferranti, David; Lavis, John N; Melberg, Hans Olav; Bärnighausen, Till

2012-03-01

At present, there exists no widely agreed upon set of study-design selection criteria for systematic reviews of health systems research, except for those proposed by the Cochrane Collaboration's Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) review group (which comprises randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time series). We conducted a meta-review of the study-design selection criteria used in systematic reviews available in the McMaster University's Health Systems Evidence or the EPOC database. Of 414 systematic reviews, 13% did not indicate any study-design selection criteria. Of the 359 studies that described such criteria, 50% limited their synthesis to controlled trials and 68% to some or all of the designs defined by the EPOC criteria. Seven out of eight reviews identified at least one controlled trial that was relevant for the review topic. Seven percent of the reviews included either no or only one relevant primary study. Our meta-review reveals reviewers' preferences for restricting synthesis to controlled experiments or study designs that comply with the EPOC criteria. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the current practices regarding study-design selection in systematic reviews of health systems research as well as alternative approaches. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Selection criteria for building performance simulation tools : contrasting architects' and engineers' needs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Attia, S.G.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Beltran, L.; De Herde, A.

2012-01-01

This article summarises a study undertaken to reveal potential challenges and opportunities for using building performance simulation (BPS) tools. The article reviews current trends in building simulation and outlines major criteria for BPS tool selection and evaluation based on analysing users'

Some selection criteria for computers in real-time systems for high energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolpakov, I.F.

1980-01-01

The right choice of program source is for the organization of real-time systems of great importance as cost and reliability are decisive factors. Some selection criteria for program sources for high energy physics multiwire chamber spectrometers (MWCS) are considered in this report. MWCS's accept bits of information from event pattens. Large and small computers, microcomputers and intelligent controllers in CAMAC crates are compared with respect to the following characteristics: data exchange speed, number of addresses for peripheral devices, cost of interfacing a peripheral device, sizes of buffer and mass memory, configuration costs, and the mean time between failures (MTBF). The results of comparisons are shown by plots and histograms which allow the selection of program sources according to the above criteria. (Auth.)

Airbreathing engine selection criteria for SSTO propulsion system

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkami, Yoshiaki; Maita, Masataka

1995-02-01

This paper presents airbreathing engine selection criteria to be applied to the propulsion system of a Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO). To establish the criteria, a relation among three major parameters, i.e., delta-V capability, weight penalty, and effective specific impulse of the engine subsystem, is derived as compared to these parameters of the LH2/LOX rocket engine. The effective specific impulse is a function of the engine I(sub sp) and vehicle thrust-to-drag ratio which is approximated by a function of the vehicle velocity. The weight penalty includes the engine dry weight, cooling subsystem weight. The delta-V capability is defined by the velocity region starting from the minimum operating velocity up to the maximum velocity. The vehicle feasibility is investigated in terms of the structural and propellant weights, which requires an iteration process adjusting the system parameters. The system parameters are computed by iteration based on the Newton-Raphson method. It has been concluded that performance in the higher velocity region is extremely important so that the airbreathing engines are required to operate beyond the velocity equivalent to the rocket engine exhaust velocity (approximately 4500 m/s).

Assessing the Job Selection Criteria of Accounting Students: A Normative Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umaru Zubairu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This research assessed to what extent final-year Muslim accounting students in Malaysia considered Islamic principles when choosing a job after graduation. 356 final-year Muslim accounting students in four Malaysian universities were surveyed using an open-ended job selection scenario. The result shows that reality does not live up to the ideal. Only 16% of the respondents apply Islamic principles in making a job selection decision. The remaining 84% are more concerned with other criteria such as personal interests, salary considerations, and company reputation.

Determination of Effective Criteria for location Selection of WPC Plants from agricultural residues in Iran by AHP Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

hasan alizadeh

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed at determining the effective criteria for location selection of WPC Plants from agricultural residues in Iran. For this purpose, after review and studies papers and books, Six criteria" products and materials, regulations, technical and human, economic, infrastructure and environmental and also 30 sub-criteria were identified. The priority rates of these criteria and sub-criteria were evaluated by AHP technique. The results indicated that among 30 effective sub-criteria in location selection of the WPC plants from agricultural residues, amount of wastes supply (0.087, continuity of wastes supply, cost of wastes supply, amount of sales and export, granted facilities and less Hazards for the environment and forest had the highest priorities, which were rated as 0.071, 0.067, 0.065, 0.064 and 0.062 respectively.

A Multi-criteria neutrosophic group decision making metod based TOPSIS for supplier selection

OpenAIRE

Şahin, Rıdvan; Yiğider, Muhammed

2014-01-01

The process of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) is of determining the best choice among all of the probable alternatives. The problem of supplier selection on which decision maker has usually vague and imprecise knowledge is a typical example of multi criteria group decision-making problem. The conventional crisp techniques has not much effective for solving MCDM problems because of imprecise or fuzziness nature of the linguistic assessments. To find the exact values for MCDM problems...

Selection of boron based tribological hard coatings using multi-criteria decision making methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Çalışkan, Halil

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Boron based coating selection problem for cutting tools was solved. • EXPROM2, TOPSIS and VIKOR methods were used for ranking the alternative materials. • The best coatings for cutting tool were selected as TiBN and TiSiBN. • The ranking results are in good agreement with cutting test results in literature. - Abstract: Mechanical and tribological properties of hard coatings can be enhanced using boron as alloying element. Therefore, multicomponent nanostructured boron based hard coatings are deposited on cutting tools by different methods at different parameters. Different mechanical and tribological properties are obtained after deposition, and it is a difficult task to select the best coating material. In this paper, therefore, a systematic evaluation model was proposed to tackle the difficulty of the material selection with specific properties among a set of available alternatives. The alternatives consist of multicomponent nanostructured TiBN, TiCrBN, TiSiBN and TiAlSiBN coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering and ion implantation assisted magnetron sputtering at different parameters. The alternative coating materials were ranked by using three multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, i.e. EXPROM2 (preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation), TOPSIS (technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution) and VIKOR (VIšekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje), in order to determine the best coating material for cutting tools. Hardness (H), Young’s modulus (E), elastic recovery, friction coefficient, critical load, H/E and H 3 /E 2 ratios were considered as material selection criteria. In order to determine the importance weights of the evaluation criteria, a compromised weighting method, which composes of the analytic hierarchy process and Entropy methods, were used. The ranking results showed that TiBN and TiSiBN coatings deposited at given parameters are the best coatings for cutting tools

Selection criteria for dental radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (UK) has a declared commitment to 'improving the standards of patient care'. By the provision of standards and guidelines it aims to help the profession to achieve this goal. Standards and guidelines are simply tools a dentist may use to improve treatment planning and care outcomes. The Self-Assessment Manual and Standards, SAMS, first published in 1991, is now well known to the profession and has become a frequently quoted source in clinical audit and quality assurance initiatives. Since its publication the scientific methodology of systematic reviews of the literature has progressed dramatically and this book is based on these developments. Evidence-based care is well established in medicine and dentistry and these selection criteria and guidelines follow these established protocols by basing advice on the available scientific evidence wherever possible. This book's purpose is a practical one, it is not intended to be limiting or restrictive but to be useful in the decision-making process. This is the first in a series of standards documents from the FGDP(UK) which are based on reviews of the scientific literature and employ the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) methodology for guideline production. They are not constraints but an aid to effective treatment planning and patient care

An improved hybrid multi-criteria/multidimensional model for strategic industrial location selection: Casablanca industrial zones as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Boutkhoum, Omar; Hanine, Mohamed; Agouti, Tarik; Tikniouine, Abdessadek

2015-01-01

In this paper, we examine the issue of strategic industrial location selection in uncertain decision making environments for implanting new industrial corporation. In fact, the industrial location issue is typically considered as a crucial factor in business research field which is related to many calculations about natural resources, distributors, suppliers, customers, and most other things. Based on the integration of environmental, economic and social decisive elements of sustainable development, this paper presents a hybrid decision making model combining fuzzy multi-criteria analysis with analytical capabilities that OLAP systems can provide for successful and optimal industrial location selection. The proposed model mainly consists in three stages. In the first stage, a decision-making committee has been established to identify the evaluation criteria impacting the location selection process. In the second stage, we develop fuzzy AHP software based on the extent analysis method to assign the importance weights to the selected criteria, which allows us to model the linguistic vagueness, ambiguity, and incomplete knowledge. In the last stage, OLAP analysis integrated with multi-criteria analysis employs these weighted criteria as inputs to evaluate, rank and select the strategic industrial location for implanting new business corporation in the region of Casablanca, Morocco. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the impact of criteria weights and the preferences given by decision makers on the final rankings of strategic industrial locations.

Multi-criteria analysis on how to select solar radiation hydrogen production system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badea, G.; Naghiu, G. S., E-mail: naghiu.george@gmail.com; Felseghi, R.-A.; Giurca, I., E-mail: giurca-ioan@yahoo.com [Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Building Services Engineering, Boulevard December 21, no. 128-130, Cluj-Napoca, 400604 (Romania); Răboacă, S. [National R& D Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies, str. Uzinei, no. 4, Rm. Vălcea, 240050 (Romania); Aşchilean, I. [SC ACI Cluj SA, Avenue Dorobanţilor, no. 70, Cluj-Napoca, 400609 (Romania)

2015-12-23

The purpose of this article is to present a method of selecting hydrogen-production systems using the electric power obtained in photovoltaic systems, and as a selecting method, we suggest the use of the Advanced Multi-Criteria Analysis based on the FRISCO formula. According to the case study on how to select the solar radiation hydrogen production system, the most convenient alternative is the alternative A4, namely the technical solution involving a hydrogen production system based on the electrolysis of water vapor obtained with concentrated solar thermal systems and electrical power obtained using concentrating photovoltaic systems.

Analysis of Satellite AIS Data to Derive Weather Judging Criteria for Voyage Route Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michio Fujii

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The operational limitations are discussed at the IMO as a part of the second generation intact stability criteria. Since it is a first attempt to introduce operational efforts into safety regulations, comprehensive discussions are necessary to realize practically acceptable ones. Therefore this study investigates actual navigation routes of container ships and pure car carriers in the trans-North Pacific Ocean in winter, because they are prone to suffer significant parametric roll which is one of stability failure modes. Firstly, interviews are made to shipmasters who have experiences to have operated the subject ships to identify major elements for route selection in the North Pacific Ocean. Secondly, sufficient number of actual navigation records is collected from Satellite AIS data to derive the weather criteria for the route selection in severe weather condition. Finally, shipmaster’s on-board decision-making criteria are discussed by analysing the ship tracking data and weather data.

Selection of suitable e-learning approach using TOPSIS technique with best ranked criteria weights

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Husam Jasim; Kasim, Maznah Mat; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd

2017-11-01

This paper compares the performances of four rank-based weighting assessment techniques, Rank Sum (RS), Rank Reciprocal (RR), Rank Exponent (RE), and Rank Order Centroid (ROC) on five identified e-learning criteria to select the best weights method. A total of 35 experts in a public university in Malaysia were asked to rank the criteria and to evaluate five e-learning approaches which include blended learning, flipped classroom, ICT supported face to face learning, synchronous learning, and asynchronous learning. The best ranked criteria weights are defined as weights that have the least total absolute differences with the geometric mean of all weights, were then used to select the most suitable e-learning approach by using TOPSIS method. The results show that RR weights are the best, while flipped classroom approach implementation is the most suitable approach. This paper has developed a decision framework to aid decision makers (DMs) in choosing the most suitable weighting method for solving MCDM problems.

Multi criteria decision making methods for location selection of distribution centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romita Chakraborty

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In recent years, major challenges such as, increase in inflexible consumer demands and to improve the competitive advantage, it has become necessary for various industrial organizations all over the world to focus on strategies that will help them achieve cost reduction, continual quality improvement, increased customer satisfaction and on time delivery performance. As a result, selection of the most suitable and optimal facility location for a new organization or expansion of an existing location is one of the most important strategic issues, required to fulfill all of these above mentioned objectives. In order to sustain in the global competitive market of 21st century, many industrial organizations have begun to concentrate on the proper selection of the plant site or best facility location. The best location is that which results in higher economic benefits through increased productivity and good distribution network. When a choice is to be made from among several alternative facility locations, it is necessary to compare their performance characteristics in a decisive way. As the facility location selection problem involves multiple conflicting criteria and a finite set of potential candidate alternatives, different multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM methods can be effectively applied to solve such type of problem. In this paper, four well known MCDM methods have been applied on a facility location selection problem and their relative ranking performances are compared. Because of disagreement in the ranks obtained by the four different MCDM methods a final ranking method based on REGIME has been proposed by the authors to facilitate the decision making process.

Relationship between Admission Selection Criteria and Academic Progression for Student Nurse Anesthetists

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Sharon M.

2009-01-01

Today's admission selection criteria require refinement with the intention of fostering academic progression for students entering nurse anesthesia programs (Reese, 2002).With the escalating cost of graduate education coupled with the current economic crisis, efforts by educational leaders to minimize attrition remains pivotal (Andrews, Johansson,…

American College of Rheumatology provisional criteria for defining clinical inactive disease in select categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Carol A; Giannini, Edward H; Huang, Bin; Itert, Lukasz; Ruperto, Nicolino

2011-07-01

To prospectively validate the preliminary criteria for clinical inactive disease (CID) in patients with select categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We used the process for development of classification and response criteria recommended by the American College of Rheumatology Quality of Care Committee. Patient-visit profiles were extracted from the phase III randomized controlled trial of infliximab in polyarticular-course JIA (i.e., patients considered to resemble those with select categories of JIA) and sent to an international group of expert physician raters. Using the physician ratings as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity were calculated using the preliminary criteria. Modifications to the criteria were made, and these were sent to a larger group of pediatric rheumatologists to determine quantitative, face, and content validity. Variables weighted heaviest by physicians when making their judgment were the number of joints with active arthritis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), physician's global assessment, and duration of morning stiffness. Three modifications were made: the definition of uveitis, the definition of abnormal ESR, and the addition of morning stiffness. These changes did not alter the accuracy of the preliminary set. The modified criteria, termed the "criteria for CID in select categories of JIA," have excellent feasibility and face, content, criterion, and discriminant validity to detect CID in select categories of JIA. The small changes made to the preliminary criteria set did not alter the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.954) or accuracy (91%), but have increased face and content validity. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Fuzzy Logic Based Multi-Criteria Wind Turbine Selection Strategy—A Case Study of Qassim, Saudi Arabia

OpenAIRE

Shafiqur Rehman; Salman A. Khan

2016-01-01

The emergence of wind energy as a potential alternative to traditional sources of fuel has prompted notable research in recent years. One primary factor contributing to efficient utilization of wind energy from a wind farm is the type of turbines used. However, selection of a specific wind turbine type is a difficult task due to several criteria involved in the selection process. Important criteria include turbine’s power rating, height of tower, energy output, rotor diameter, cut-in wind spe...

Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Siting Guide, Site selection and evaluation criteria for an early site permit application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

In August 1991, the Joint Contractors came to agreement with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Department of Energy (DOE) on a workscope for the cost-shared Early Site Permit Demonstration Program. One task within the scope was the development of a guide for site selection criteria and procedures. A generic Siting Guide his been prepared that is a roadmap and tool for applicants to use developing detailed siting plans for their specific region of the country. The guide presents three fundamental principles that, if used, ensure a high degree of success for an ESP applicant. First, the site selection process should take into consideration environmentally diverse site locations within a given region of interest. Second, the process should contain appropriate opportunities for input from the public. Third, the process should be applied so that it is clearly reasonable to an impartial observer, based on appropriately selected criteria, including criteria which demonstrate that the site can host an advanced light water reactor (ALWR). The Siting Guide provides for a systematic, comprehensive site selection process in which three basic types of criteria (exclusionary, avoidance, and suitability) are presented via a four-step procedure. It provides a check list of the criteria for each one of these steps. Criteria are applied qualitatively, as well as presented numerically, within the guide. The applicant should use the generic guide as an exhaustive checklist, customizing the guide to his individual situation

Trees in Urban and City Environments: a review of the selection criteria with particular reference to nature conservation in New Zealand Cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

(Late David Given

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The overall aim of this research was to review the general criteria for selection of trees for urban environments and city environments. The reason for this research was to assess the extent to which criteria for tree selection can contribute to nature conservation in cities. We conducted an extensive review of the literature, looking for publications about the selection criteria. In particular, we looked for any previous published reviews of the criteria. With reference to the criteria used in New Zealand, we undertook an unstructured review of the practices adopted in most cities. A review of the literature revealed many publications about different criteria but only one publication in which there was a general review of the criteria used for selecting trees for urban environments. By way of contrast, lists of tree species deemed to be suitable (or unsuitable for urban planting are widely available, and some include information about selection criteria, but often with little background explanation. Worldwide, commonly used criteria included commercial availability of species, compatibility with urban environments, landscape design, low maintenance, avoidance of nuisance factors and historical practice. The most common criteria are concerned with the concept of choosing species compatible with local climate and soils. Anecdotal evidence suggests that more and more cities are using a mix of criteria including those that may contribute to conservation and restoration of native biota. We suggest that there should be greater use of ecological, genetic and biogeographical criteria to meet the needs of nature conservation in New Zealand cities.

Using multi-criteria decision methods for selecting a language school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mileine Henriques Elias Velasco

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the interest of organizations by professionals who have deep knowledge concerning more than one language has been increasing. In this scenario, the choice of a language school has been one of the most common decision problems, which has been often made on the basis of word-of-mouth, marketing activities of schools and trials without criteria. In order to contribute to this problem, this paper presents a study in which two multi-criteria decision aid methods (AHP and Weighted Average were used to select a language school. Thus, the degree of importance of criteria relating to the problem and the degree of satisfaction of undergraduate and postgraduate students in relation to language schools they study were taken into account. The best ranked language school was the same for both MCDA methods, although some schools have obtained different positions. It was found that the analysis with AHP is richer and more elaborate than with the Weighted Average method. However, the large number of pairwise comparisons which were required to the study demanded significant attention and cognitive effort from the decision maker, and more time to perform the analysis - aspects that may contribute to the preference for the Weighted Average method in similar studies.

Analysis of Multi-Criteria Evaluation Method of Landfill Site Selection for Municipal Solid Waste Management

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Habiba Ibrahim; Majid, Zulkepli; Yusof, Norhakim Bin; Bello Yamusa, Yamusa

2018-03-01

Landfilling remains the most common systematic technique of solid waste disposal in most of the developed and developing countries. Finding a suitable site for landfill is a very challenging task. Landfill site selection process aims to provide suitable areas that will protect the environment and public health from pollution and hazards. Therefore, various factors such as environmental, physical, socio-economic, and geological criteria must be considered before siting any landfill. This makes the site selection process vigorous and tedious because it involves the processing of large amount of spatial data, rules and regulations from different agencies and also policy from decision makers. This allows the incorporation of conflicting objectives and decision maker preferences into spatial decision models. This paper particularly analyzes the multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) method of landfill site selection for solid waste management by means of literature reviews and surveys. The study will help the decision makers and waste management authorities to choose the most effective method when considering landfill site selection.

Analysis of Multi-Criteria Evaluation Method of Landfill Site Selection for Municipal Solid Waste Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Mohammed Habiba

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Landfilling remains the most common systematic technique of solid waste disposal in most of the developed and developing countries. Finding a suitable site for landfill is a very challenging task. Landfill site selection process aims to provide suitable areas that will protect the environment and public health from pollution and hazards. Therefore, various factors such as environmental, physical, socio-economic, and geological criteria must be considered before siting any landfill. This makes the site selection process vigorous and tedious because it involves the processing of large amount of spatial data, rules and regulations from different agencies and also policy from decision makers. This allows the incorporation of conflicting objectives and decision maker preferences into spatial decision models. This paper particularly analyzes the multi-criteria evaluation (MCE method of landfill site selection for solid waste management by means of literature reviews and surveys. The study will help the decision makers and waste management authorities to choose the most effective method when considering landfill site selection.

Analysis of Paper reduction schemes to develop selection criteria for ofdm signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abro, F.R.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a review of different PAPR (Peak to Average Power Ratio) reduction schemes of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) signals. The schemes that have been considered include Clipping and Filtering, Coding, ACE (Active Contstellation Extension), SLM (Selected Mapping), PTS (Partial Transmit Sequence), TI (Tone Injection) and TR (Tone Reservation). A comparative analysis has been carried out qualitatively. It has been demonstrated how these schemes can be combined with MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technologies. Finally, criteria for selection of PAPR reduction schemes of OFDM systems are discussed. (author)

Geological Storage of CO2. Site Selection Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, C.; Martinez, R.; Recreo, F.; Prado, P.; Campos, R.; Pelayo, M.; Losa, A. de la; Hurtado, A.; Lomba, L.; Perez del Villar, L.; Ortiz, G.; Sastre, J.; Zapatero, M. A.; Suarez, I.; Arenillas, A.

2007-01-01

In year 2002 the Spanish Parliament unanimously passed the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, signed December 1997, compromising to limiting the greenhouse gas emissions increase. Later on, the Environment Ministry submitted the Spanish National Assignment Emissions Plan to the European Union and in year 2005 the Spanish Greenhouse Gas market started working, establishing taxes to pay in case of exceeding the assigned emissions limits. So, the avoided emissions of CO2 have now an economic value that is promoting new anthropogenic CO2 emissions reduction technologies. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) are among these new technological developments for mitigating or eliminate climate change. CO2 can be stored in geological formations such as depleted oil or gas fields, deep permeable saline water saturated formations and unmailable coal seams, among others. This report seeks to establish the selection criteria for suitable geological formations for CO2 storage in the Spanish national territory, paying attention to both the operational and performance requirements of these storage systems. The report presents the physical and chemical properties and performance of CO2 under storage conditions, the transport and reaction processes of both supercritical and gaseous CO2, and CO2 trapping mechanisms in geological formations. The main part of the report is devoted to geological criteria at watershed, site and formation scales. (Author) 100 refs

Geological Storage of CO2. Site Selection Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, C.; Martinez, R.; Recreo, F.; Prado, P.; Campos, R.; Pelayo, M.; Losa, A. de la; Hurtado, A.; Lomba, L.; Perez del Villar, L.; Ortiz, G.; Sastre, J.

2006-01-01

In year 2002 the Spanish Parliament unanimously passed the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, signed December 1997, compromising to limiting the greenhouse gas emissions increase. Later on, the Environment Ministry submitted the Spanish National Assignment Emissions Plan to the European Union and in year 2005 the Spanish Greenhouse Gas market started working, establishing taxes to pay in case of exceeding the assigned emissions limits. So, the avoided emissions of CO2 have now an economic value that is promoting new anthropogenic CO2 emissions reduction technologies. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) are among these new technological developments for mitigating or eliminate climate change. CO2 can be stored in geological formations such as depleted oil or gas fields, deep permeable saline water saturated formations and unmineable coal seams, among others. This report seeks to establish the selection criteria for suitable geological formations for CO2 storage in the Spanish national territory, paying attention to both the operational and performance requirements of these storage systems. The report presents the physical and chemical properties and performance of CO2 under storage conditions, the transport and reaction processes of both supercritical and gaseous CO2, and CO2 trapping mechanisms in geological formations. The main part of the report is devoted to geological criteria at watershed, site and formation scales. (Author) 100 ref

Who Should They Relate To? A Study For the Identification and Analysis of Criteria to the Partners’ Selection in Inter-Organizational Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Rossato Quatrin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The selection of partners is strategic in inter-organizational networks. One of the most important aspects is the definition of criteria for selection, that are the minimal characteristics required from those prospected. This study aimed to identify the most important criteria for the selection of members in horizontal inter-organizational networks, also describing their influence on network activities. First, we applied 120 questionnaires to managers of inter-organizational networks to identify the degree of importance of criteria previously treated in the literature. After, we interviewed 16 managers enabling us to identify other criteria, as well as understanding their influence on network activities. All of the 20 criteria from the literature were considered with significant importance by managers and the following criteria were added: trustworthiness, entrepreneur’s profile and company lifetime. The results aim to contribute to the selection of partners and provide information for the construction of the inter-organizational networks literature.

FSAW for REIT selection in multi-criteria decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Adawiyah, C. W. Rabiatul; Abdullah, Lazim

2014-07-01

Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is profitable investments that gain Malaysian investors' attention. It can be a great way to increase our net worth. Due to the existence of many property trusts, investors face difficulties in determining the best property trusts to invest their wealth. This high risk investment makes investors cautious in choosing the platform for investing their wealth. In real world situation, the data collected are inexact and ambiguous. Investment reminds investors to beware because it carries risk no matter low or high. There are lots of things that investors need to consider before invest in any property or trust. The aim of this paper is to identify the best criteria of REIT and determine the best property trust that helps investors gain profits in their investment. Four experts in areas of investment are randomly selected to assess and provide information regarding to Malaysia's REITs. Decision makers were asked to rate the criteria for every alternatives by using the linguistic variables. The five linguistic variables were used as input data to test fuzzy simple additive weighting (FSAW) model. From the study conducted, transparency indicates the necessary criteria for each property trust. This decision making model used to be possible to test FSAW model in investment sector. The decision makers also asked to evaluate the alternatives based on the linguistic ranking variables to rank the alternatives and the result shows the best alternative in this case is Amanah Harta Tanah PNB. The ranking signifies the impact of the criterion and alternatives to investors especially REITs investors.

Supplier Selection in the Thermal Tourism Enterprises with Using Multi Criteria Decision Making Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatice Gündüz

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Turkey has many natural health resources and the interest in Thermal Tourism has increased. Thermal Tourism Enterprises serve their experienced medical staff, treatment methods and the curative springs for the purpose of care services. On the other hand, these enterprises are also the place to have both a rest and a good time. In this study, the supplier selection application is performed in the Thermal Tourism Enterprise that offers a combination of services as health, recreation and entertainment. The criteria as product quality and performance, product information, product arrival time, price, quality practices, flexibility and the collaboration level have been considered. By using multi-criteria decision making techniques as Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP and TOPSIS then the suggestions on the selecting the best supplier are offered.

Evaluation of selection criteria for graduate students in radiation therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider-Kolsky, Michal; Wright, Caroline; Baird, Marilyn

2006-12-01

Selection of suitable students into graduate medical and specialist health professional courses can be difficult. Historically, selection of students was primarily based on prior academic performance. Recently, however, more emphasis has been placed on considering broader academic backgrounds and personal characteristics and attitudes of students, but no reliable measurement tool is available to predict student success and satisfaction with their choice of profession. The aim of this study was to survey practising radiation therapists in Australia to seek their opinions regarding suitable selection criteria for graduate entry radiation therapy (RT) students in order to optimize selection procedures for future applicants. Four hundred questionnaires were sent to nine RT centres in three states within Australia. All nine clinics participated in the survey and 189 questionnaires were returned. Results show that the majority of radiation therapists place a high level of importance upon a sound knowledge of physics and mathematics, as well as life experience, and agree that a visit to an RT clinic plus an interview comprise important components of the selection process. Humanities, psychology and a psychometric test were not viewed as essential entry requirements. Experienced radiation therapists placed less value on academic performance in the primary degree and were more likely to include an interview as a selection criterion than junior practitioners. Empathy for patients was identified as the most important personal attribute. It is thus recommended that not only cognitive but also personal skills be evaluated during the selection of prospective radiation therapists.

Selection criteria utilized for hyperbaric oxygen treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampson, N B; Dunford, R G; Kramer, C C; Norkool, D M

1995-01-01

Medical directors of North American hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) facilities were surveyed to assess selection criteria applied for treatment of acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning within the hyperbaric medicine community. Responses were received from 85% of the 208 facilities in the United States and Canada. Among responders, 89 monoplace and 58 multiplace chamber facilities treat acute CO poisoning, managing a total of 2,636 patients in 1992. A significant majority of facilities treat CO-exposed patients with coma (98%), transient loss of consciousness (LOC) (77%), ischemic changes on electrocardiogram (91%), focal neurologic deficits (94%), or abnormal psychometric testing (91%), regardless of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level. Although 92% would use HBO for a patient presenting with headache, nausea, and COHb 40%, only 62% of facilities utilize a specified minimum COHb level as the sole criterion for HBO therapy of an asymptomatic patient. When COHb is used as an independent criterion to determine HBO treatment, the level utilized varies widely between institutions. Half of responding facilities place limits on the delay to treatment for patients with only transient LOC. Time limits are applied less often in cases with persistent neurologic deficits. While variability exists, majority opinions can be derived for many patient selection criteria regarding the use of HBO in acute CO poisoning.

25 CFR 1001.10 - Selection criteria for other planning and negotiating financial assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... for other financial assistance for planning and negotiating of a DOI non-BIA program, service... circumstances may planning and negotiation financial assistance be made available to tribes/consortia? At the... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Selection criteria for other planning and negotiating...

Home blood pressure monitoring and self-titration of antihypertensive medications: Proposed patient selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, James R

2016-05-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM), coupled with self-titration of medications is a viable intervention to control hypertension. There are currently no established criteria to evaluate patients for inclusion in such a program. The purpose of this discussion is to propose criteria for determining if a patient is appropriate to participate in a program of HBPM and self-titration. Inclusion criteria for two self-titration trials were examined, and additional factors in clinical practice were identified and discussed. Additional selection criteria were proposed to support the decision to enroll a patient in an antihypertensive self-titration program. Inclusion criteria from self-titration trials provide a reasonable starting point for choosing appropriate patients in clinical practice, but additional research is necessary. Adaptation of these criteria and consideration of the identified factors can be used to develop decision support instruments. Such instruments should be evaluated for effectiveness and reliability prior to use in clinical practice. HBPM combined with self-titration is an effective patient-centered approach for hypertension management. Decision support instruments to determine appropriate patients are necessary for safe and effective use in clinical practice. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Criteria for Selection and Rejection of Social Relationships among Children in Urban and Rural Kindergartens in Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Rekalidou, Galini; Petrogiannis, Konstantinos

2012-01-01

This paper reports on preschool children's social relationships developed in urban and rural kindergarten classes in Greece. We investigated the selection and rejection criteria children use and examined potential criteria differences as a function of a number of socio-demographic variables (children's age group, gender, parental job status,…

77 FR 5243 - Proposed Priority, Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria-Arts in Education National...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-02

...-quality arts education and arts integration activities and services in music, dance, theater, media arts... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Proposed Priority, Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria--Arts in Education National Program (AENP) AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of...

South African medical schools: Current state of selection criteria and medical students' demographic profile.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Merwe, L J; van Zyl, G J; St Clair Gibson, A; Viljoen, M; Iputo, J E; Mammen, M; Chitha, W; Perez, A M; Hartman, N; Fonn, S; Green-Thompson, L; Ayo-Ysuf, O A; Botha, G C; Manning, D; Botha, S J; Hift, R; Retief, P; van Heerden, B B; Volmink, J

2015-12-16

Selection of medical students at South African (SA) medical schools must promote equitable and fair access to students from all population groups, while ensuring optimal student throughput and success, and training future healthcare practitioners who will fulfil the needs of the local society. In keeping with international practices, a variety of academic and non-academic measures are used to select applicants for medical training programmes in SA medical schools. To provide an overview of the selection procedures used by all eight medical schools in SA, and the student demographics (race and gender) at these medical schools, and to determine to what extent collective practices are achieving the goals of student diversity and inclusivity. A retrospective, quantitative, descriptive study design was used. All eight medical schools in SA provided information regarding selection criteria, selection procedures, and student demographics (race and gender). Descriptive analysis of data was done by calculating frequencies and percentages of the variables measured. Medical schools in SA make use of academic and non-academic criteria in their selection processes. The latter include indices of socioeconomic disadvantage. Most undergraduate medical students in SA are black (38.7%), followed by white (33.0%), coloured (13.4%) and Indian/Asian (13.6%). The majority of students are female (62.2%). The number of black students is still proportionately lower than in the general population, while other groups are overrepresented. Selection policies for undergraduate medical programmes aimed at redress should be continued and further refined, along with the provision of support to ensure student success.

A fuzzy multi-criteria decision model for integrated suppliers selection and optimal order allocation in the green supply chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamzeh Amin-Tahmasbi

2018-09-01

Full Text Available Today, with the advancement of technology in the production process of various products, the achievement of sustainable production and development has become one of the main concerns of factories and manufacturing organizations. In the same vein, many manufacturers try to select suppliers in their upstream supply chains that have the best performance in terms of sustainable development criteria. In this research, a new multi-criteria decision-making model for selecting suppliers and assigning orders in the green supply chain is presented with a fuzzy optimization approach. Due to uncertainty in supplier capacity as well as customer demand, the problem is formulated as a fuzzy multi-objective linear programming (FMOLP. The proposed model for the selection of suppliers of SAPCO Corporation is evaluated. Firstly, in order to select and rank suppliers in a green supply chain, a network structure of criteria has defined with five main criteria of cost, quality, delivery, technology and environmental benefits. Subsequently, using incomplete fuzzy linguistic relationships, pair-wise comparisons between the criteria and sub-criteria as well as the operation of the options will be assessed. The results of these comparisons rank the existing suppliers in terms of performance and determine the utility of them. The output of these calculations (utility index is used in the optimization model. Subsequently, in the order allocation process, the two functions of the target cost of purchase and purchase value are optimized simultaneously. Finally, the order quantity is determined for each supplier in each period.

The Problem of Multiple Criteria Selection of the Surface Mining Haul Trucks

Science.gov (United States)

Bodziony, Przemysław; Kasztelewicz, Zbigniew; Sawicki, Piotr

2016-06-01

Vehicle transport is a dominant type of technological processes in rock mines, and its profit ability is strictly dependent on overall cost of its exploitation, especially on diesel oil consumption. Thus, a rational design of transportation system based on haul trucks should result from thorough analysis of technical and economic issues, including both cost of purchase and its further exploitation, having a crucial impact on the cost of minerals extraction. Moreover, off-highway trucks should be selected with respect to all specific exploitation conditions and even the user's preferences and experience. In this paper a development of universal family of evaluation criteria as well as application of evaluation method for haul truck selection process for a specific exploitation conditions in surface mining have been carried out. The methodology presented in the paper is based on the principles of multiple criteria decision aiding (MCDA) using one of the ranking method, i.e. ELECTRE III. The applied methodology has been allowed for ranking of alternative solution (variants), on the considered set of haul trucks. The result of the research is a universal methodology, and it consequently may be applied in other surface mines with similar exploitation parametres.

CLOTHING BUYING MOTIVES AND STORE SELECTION CRITERIA – THE CASE OF CROATIAN ADOLESCENTS

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Blaženka Knežević

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyse Croatian adolescents’ clothing buying motives and their retail store selection criteria. The paper examined their preferences, attitudes and behaviours when buying clothes - whether adolescents with different primary clothing motives would have similar or different store selection criteria. Also, the paper determined how today’s adolescents spend money on clothes and whether they are more inclined to purchase branded clothes or not. Finally, the paper explained whether Croatian adolescents prefer purchasing in small or large specialized apparel stores, or whether they are more prone to online purchasing or even buying clothes in second-hand shops. Also, the society influences in forming adolescents’ attitudes and decisions towards store selection and purchasing preferences of clothes were examined. The research findings showed that shopping centres are the preferred retail format. In addition, adolescents do not have a fully developed attitude on fashion and clothing. Therefore, they strongly refer to opinions of family and friends when choosing clothes. Moreover, the Internet and TV are evaluated as influential channels of consumer communication within this particular group of consumers. Based on the findings, suggestions for service management and marketing strategies are provided for apparel retail companies that target adolescents.

Application of multi-criteria material selection techniques to constituent refinement in biobased composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Sabbie A.; Lepech, Michael D.; Billington, Sarah L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Biobased composites have the potential to replace certain engineered materials. • Woven reinforcement can provide better material properties in biobased composites. • Short fiber filler can provide lower environmental impact in biobased composites. • Per function, different fibers are desired to lower composite environmental impact. - Abstract: Biobased composites offer a potentially low environmental impact material option for the construction industries. Designing these materials to meet both performance requirements for an application and minimize environmental impacts requires the ability to refine composite constituents based on environmental impact and mechanical properties. In this research, biobased composites with varying natural fiber reinforcement in a poly(β-hydroxybutyrate)-co-(β-hydroxyvalerate) matrix were characterized based on material properties through experiments and environmental impact through life cycle assessments. Using experimental results, these biobased composites were found to have competitive flexural properties and thermal conductivity with certain short-chopped glass fiber reinforced plastics. Multi-criteria material selection techniques were applied to weigh desired material properties with greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel demand, and Eco-Indicator ’99 score. The effects of using different reinforcing fibers in biobased composites were analyzed using the developed selection scheme as a tool for choosing constituents. The use of multi-criteria material selection provided the ability to select fiber reinforcement for biobased composites and showed when it would be more appropriate to use a novel biobased composite or a currently available engineered material

Application of ecological criteria in selecting marine reserves and developing reserve networks

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Callum M.; Branch, George; Bustamante, Rodrigo H.; Castilla, Juan Carlos; Dugan, Jenifer; Halpern, Benjamin S.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Leslie, Heather; McArdle, Deborah; Ruckelshaus, Mary; Warner, Robert R.

2003-01-01

Marine reserves are being established worldwide in response to a growing recognition of the conservation crisis that is building in the oceans. However, designation of reserves has been largely opportunistic, or protective measures have been implemented (often overlapping and sometimes in conflict) by different entities seeking to achieve different ends. This has created confusion among both users and enforcers, and the proliferation of different measures provides a false sense of protection where little is offered. This paper sets out a procedure grounded in current understanding of ecological processes, that allows the evaluation and selection of reserve sites in order to develop functional, interconnected networks of fully protected reserves that will fulfill multiple objectives. By fully protected we mean permanently closed to fishing and other resource extraction. We provide a framework that unifies the central aims of conservation and fishery management, while also meeting other human needs such as the provision of ecosystem services (e.g., maintenance of coastal water quality, shoreline protection, and recreational opportunities). In our scheme, candidate sites for reserves are evaluated against 12 criteria focused toward sustaining the biological integrity and productivity of marine systems at both local and regional scales. While a limited number of sites will be indispensable in a network, many will be of similar value as reserves, allowing the design of numerous alternative, biologically adequate networks. Devising multiple network designs will help ensure that ecological functionality is preserved throughout the socioeconomic evaluation process. Too often, socioeconomic criteria have dominated the process of reserve selection, potentially undermining their efficacy. We argue that application of biological criteria must precede and inform socioeconomic evaluation, since maintenance of ecosystem functioning is essential for meeting all of the goals for

Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Siting Guide, Site selection and evaluation criteria for an early site permit application. Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-03-24

In August 1991, the Joint Contractors came to agreement with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Department of Energy (DOE) on a workscope for the cost-shared Early Site Permit Demonstration Program. One task within the scope was the development of a guide for site selection criteria and procedures. A generic Siting Guide his been prepared that is a roadmap and tool for applicants to use developing detailed siting plans for their specific region of the country. The guide presents three fundamental principles that, if used, ensure a high degree of success for an ESP applicant. First, the site selection process should take into consideration environmentally diverse site locations within a given region of interest. Second, the process should contain appropriate opportunities for input from the public. Third, the process should be applied so that it is clearly reasonable to an impartial observer, based on appropriately selected criteria, including criteria which demonstrate that the site can host an advanced light water reactor (ALWR). The Siting Guide provides for a systematic, comprehensive site selection process in which three basic types of criteria (exclusionary, avoidance, and suitability) are presented via a four-step procedure. It provides a check list of the criteria for each one of these steps. Criteria are applied qualitatively, as well as presented numerically, within the guide. The applicant should use the generic guide as an exhaustive checklist, customizing the guide to his individual situation.

Determination and evaluation of effective criteria to location selection the optimal for establishing fluting paper mills from agricultural residues of Mazandaran province

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Abdollah barimani

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Location selection for factory competitiveness in the market place plays an important role and should be chosen so that will leads achievement of the strategic advantages compared with other competitors. The objective of this study was determination of the effective criteria for decision making to select the most suitable location for establishing a fluting paper mills from agricultural residues. For this purpose, effective criteria were divided into five major groups: Material and Product, Facilities and limitations of regional (infrastructure, Technical and Human, Economical, Rules & Regulations as well as 33 sub-criteria, after preliminary investigation, preparatory observation, and an interview with some of the paper producers and relevant experts. A hierarchy was designed based on five major groups of criteria and then the priority rates of obtained criteria and sub-criteria were determined by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP after compiling expert's opinions via questionnaire. Results have shown that among 33 determined effective criteria in location selection of fluting paper mills from agricultural residues , the sub-criteria of Supply residual amount, Ensure the supply of residual, Cost purchasing of raw material, Cost of transporting raw material have the highest priorities, respectively

Inflammatory markers as selection criteria of hepatocellular carcinoma in living-donor liver transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Na, Gun Hyung; Kim, Dong Goo; Han, Jae Hyun; Kim, Eun Young; Lee, Soo Ho; Hong, Tae Ho; You, Young Kyoung

2014-06-07

To investigate that inflammatory markers can predict accurately the prognosis of hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) patients in living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). From October 2000 to November 2011, 224 patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation for HCC at our institution were enrolled in this study. We analyzed disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) after LT in patients with HCC and designed a new score model using pretransplant neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). The DFS and OS in patients with an NLR level ≥ 6.0 or CRP level ≥ 1.0 were significantly worse than those of patients with an NLR level < 6.0 or CRP level < 1.0 (P = 0.049, P = 0.003 for NLR and P = 0.010, P < 0.001 for CRP, respectively). Using a new score model using the pretransplant NLR and CRP, we can differentiate HCC patients beyond the Milan criteria with a good prognosis from those with a poor prognosis. Combined with the Milan criteria, new score model using NLR and CRP represent new selection criteria for LDLT candidates with HCC, especially beyond the Milan criteria.

Correlations between PANCE performance, physician assistant program grade point average, and selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Gina; Imel, Brittany; Nelson, Alyssa; Hale, LaDonna S; Jansen, Nick

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine correlations between first-time Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) scores and pass/fail status, physician assistant (PA) program didactic grade point average (GPA), and specific selection criteria. This retrospective study evaluated graduating classes from 2007, 2008, and 2009 at a single program (N = 119). There was no correlation between PANCE performance and undergraduate grade point average (GPA), science prerequisite GPA, or health care experience. There was a moderate correlation between PANCE pass/fail and where students took science prerequisites (r = 0.27, P = .003) but not with the PANCE score. PANCE scores were correlated with overall PA program GPA (r = 0.67), PA pharmacology grade (r = 0.68), and PA anatomy grade (r = 0.41) but not with PANCE pass/fail. Correlations between selection criteria and PANCE performance were limited, but further research regarding the influence of prerequisite institution type may be warranted and may improve admission decisions. PANCE scores and PA program GPA correlations may guide academic advising and remediation decisions for current students.

Selection criteria for container materials at the proposed Yucca Mountain high level nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halsey, W.G.

1989-11-01

A geological repository has been proposed for the permanent disposal of the nation's high level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert. The containers for this waste must remain intact for the unprecedented service lifetime of 1000 years. A combination of engineering, regulatory, and licensing requirements complicate the container material selection. In parallel to gathering information regarding the Yucca Mountain service environment and material performance data, a set of selection criteria have been established which compare candidate materials to the performance requirements, and allow a quantitative comparison of candidates. These criteria assign relative weighting to varied topic areas such as mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, fabricability, and cost. Considering the long service life of the waste containers, it is not surprising that the corrosion behavior of the material is a dominant factor. 7 refs

Criteria of selection of basic linguacultural units within the context of cross-cultural communication

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Khalupo Olga Ivanovna

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article considers the problems associated with the analysis and selection of basic linguacultural units that are necessary for a more effective cross-cultural communication. To make the process of dialogue between different cultures and languages more appropriate and productive, it is necessary to possess certain knowledge, skills, which are acquired by man in the process of learning. Important in our opinion in this area are the mastery means which will prepare the person to communicate in a different communicative space. Such means, in our opinion, are the basic linguacultural units, which are considered as carriers of information and expression of cultural identity. They inform choice contributes to a worldview, understanding linguacultural picture of the world community. The basis of selection of linguistic units on the following criteria: the information content, functionality, sufficiency, cultural identity, realism, pivotal importance to the basic sense, social and cultural significance. Application of the proposed criteria allowing more appropriate to make the selection of the material and linguacultural integral components of the scope of cross-cultural interaction, which are characterized by their relevant material necessary for an adequate understanding of the processes occurring in different communicative space.

Analysis of Different Feature Selection Criteria Based on a Covariance Convergence Perspective for a SLAM Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Auat Cheein, Fernando A.; Carelli, Ricardo

2011-01-01

This paper introduces several non-arbitrary feature selection techniques for a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm. The feature selection criteria are based on the determination of the most significant features from a SLAM convergence perspective. The SLAM algorithm implemented in this work is a sequential EKF (Extended Kalman filter) SLAM. The feature selection criteria are applied on the correction stage of the SLAM algorithm, restricting it to correct the SLAM algorithm with the most significant features. This restriction also causes a decrement in the processing time of the SLAM. Several experiments with a mobile robot are shown in this work. The experiments concern the map reconstruction and a comparison between the different proposed techniques performance. The experiments were carried out at an outdoor environment composed by trees, although the results shown herein are not restricted to a special type of features. PMID:22346568

78 FR 12955 - Final Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria-Native American Career and Technical...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-26

... career and technical education programs (20 U.S.C. 2326(e)). This notice does not preclude us from... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 34 CFR Chapter IV [Docket ID ED-2012-OVAE-0053] Final Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria--Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) [Catalog...

A Novel Approach to Site Selection: Collaborative Multi-Criteria Decision Making through Geo-Social Network (Case Study: Public Parking

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Zeinab Neisani Samani

2018-03-01

Full Text Available There are many potential factors that are involved in the decision making process of site selection, which makes it a challenging issue. This paper addresses the collaborative decision making concept through a geo-social network to predict site selection for public parking in Tehran, Iran. The presented approach utilized the analytic hierarchy process (AHP as a multi-criteria decision method (MCDM for weighting the criteria, which was completed in two stages; once by 50 experts, and then by three different levels of users, including 50 experts, 25 urban managers, and 150 pubic citizens, with respect to the case study area. The fuzzy majority method aggregates the archived results of AHP to determine the preferred locations that are suitable for public parking. The proposed method was implemented using a telegram bot platform. Two main advantages of the collaborative decision making scenario for public urban site selection are the fair distribution of the selected locations and the high satisfaction of users, which increased from 65% to 85%. This study presents an application for site selection based on multi-criteria decision making in a geo-social network context.

Selecting essential information for biosurveillance--a multi-criteria decision analysis.

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Nicholas Generous

Full Text Available The National Strategy for Biosurveillance defines biosurveillance as "the process of gathering, integrating, interpreting, and communicating essential information related to all-hazards threats or disease activity affecting human, animal, or plant health to achieve early detection and warning, contribute to overall situational awareness of the health aspects of an incident, and to enable better decision-making at all levels." However, the strategy does not specify how "essential information" is to be identified and integrated into the current biosurveillance enterprise, or what the metrics qualify information as being "essential". The question of data stream identification and selection requires a structured methodology that can systematically evaluate the tradeoffs between the many criteria that need to be taken in account. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, a type of multi-criteria decision analysis, can provide a well-defined, structured approach that can offer solutions to this problem. While the use of Multi-Attribute Utility Theoryas a practical method to apply formal scientific decision theoretical approaches to complex, multi-criteria problems has been demonstrated in a variety of fields, this method has never been applied to decision support in biosurveillance.We have developed a formalized decision support analytic framework that can facilitate identification of "essential information" for use in biosurveillance systems or processes and we offer this framework to the global BSV community as a tool for optimizing the BSV enterprise. To demonstrate utility, we applied the framework to the problem of evaluating data streams for use in an integrated global infectious disease surveillance system.

Selecting essential information for biosurveillance--a multi-criteria decision analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Generous, Nicholas; Margevicius, Kristen J; Taylor-McCabe, Kirsten J; Brown, Mac; Daniel, W Brent; Castro, Lauren; Hengartner, Andrea; Deshpande, Alina

2014-01-01

The National Strategy for Biosurveillance defines biosurveillance as "the process of gathering, integrating, interpreting, and communicating essential information related to all-hazards threats or disease activity affecting human, animal, or plant health to achieve early detection and warning, contribute to overall situational awareness of the health aspects of an incident, and to enable better decision-making at all levels." However, the strategy does not specify how "essential information" is to be identified and integrated into the current biosurveillance enterprise, or what the metrics qualify information as being "essential". The question of data stream identification and selection requires a structured methodology that can systematically evaluate the tradeoffs between the many criteria that need to be taken in account. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, a type of multi-criteria decision analysis, can provide a well-defined, structured approach that can offer solutions to this problem. While the use of Multi-Attribute Utility Theoryas a practical method to apply formal scientific decision theoretical approaches to complex, multi-criteria problems has been demonstrated in a variety of fields, this method has never been applied to decision support in biosurveillance.We have developed a formalized decision support analytic framework that can facilitate identification of "essential information" for use in biosurveillance systems or processes and we offer this framework to the global BSV community as a tool for optimizing the BSV enterprise. To demonstrate utility, we applied the framework to the problem of evaluating data streams for use in an integrated global infectious disease surveillance system.

Application of an integrated multi-criteria decision making AHP-TOPSIS methodology for ETL software selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanine, Mohamed; Boutkhoum, Omar; Tikniouine, Abdessadek; Agouti, Tarik

2016-01-01

Actually, a set of ETL software (Extract, Transform and Load) is available to constitute a major investment market. Each ETL uses its own techniques for extracting, transforming and loading data into data warehouse, which makes the task of evaluating ETL software very difficult. However, choosing the right software of ETL is critical to the success or failure of any Business Intelligence project. As there are many impacting factors in the selection of ETL software, the same process is considered as a complex multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. In this study, an application of decision-making methodology that employs the two well-known MCDM techniques, namely Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods is designed. In this respect, the aim of using AHP is to analyze the structure of the ETL software selection problem and obtain weights of the selected criteria. Then, TOPSIS technique is used to calculate the alternatives' ratings. An example is given to illustrate the proposed methodology. Finally, a software prototype for demonstrating both methods is implemented.

Study on analysing the criteria's for selection of shipping carriers in Chinese shipping market using analytical hierarchy process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shen, Lixin; Mathiyazhagan, K.; Kannan, Devika

2015-01-01

Globalisation has led to the increased export and import of goods worldwide. Due to this, the selection of the right mode of transportation for heavy (huge) goods items is a challenging task for industries. In this regard, maritime transport is the best way to send huge goods compared to other...... are cargoes' damage degree when they are received (R2). It is acting as an important criteria and reliability for on-time delivery (R1) and the carrier's ability of multimodal transportation (C1) are the next priority criteria's for the selection of shipping carrier....

Novel Integrated Multi-Criteria Model for Supplier Selection: Case Study Construction Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Željko Stević

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Supply chain presents a very complex field involving a large number of participants. The aim of the complete supply chain is finding an optimum from the aspect of all participants, which is a rather complex task. In order to ensure optimum satisfaction for all participants, it is necessary that the beginning phase consists of correct evaluations and supplier selection. In this study, the supplier selection was performed in the construction company, on the basis of a new approach in the field of multi-criteria model. Weight coefficients were obtained by DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method, based on the rough numbers. Evaluation and the supplier selection were made on the basis of a new Rough EDAS (Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution method, which presents one of the latest methods in this field. In order to determine the stability of the model and the applicability of the proposed Rough EDAS method, an extension of the COPRAS and MULTIMOORA method by rough numbers was also performed in this study, and the findings of the comparative analysis were presented. Besides the new approaches based on the extension by rough numbers, the results are also compared with the Rough MABAC (MultiAttributive Border Approximation area Comparison and Rough MAIRCA (MultiAttributive Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis. In addition, in the sensitivity analysis, 18 different scenarios were formed, the ones in which criteria change their original values. At the end of the sensitivity analysis, SCC (Spearman Correlation Coefficient of the obtained ranges was carried out, confirming the applicability of the proposed approaches.

Improving selection of markers in nutrition research: evaluation of the criteria proposed by the ILSI Europe Marker Validation Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Calder, Philip C; Boobis, Alan; Braun, Deborah; Champ, Claire L; Dye, Louise; Einöther, Suzanne; Greyling, Arno; Matthys, Christophe; Putz, Peter; Wopereis, Suzan; Woodside, Jayne V; Antoine, Jean-Michel

2017-06-01

The conduct of high-quality nutrition research requires the selection of appropriate markers as outcomes, for example as indicators of food or nutrient intake, nutritional status, health status or disease risk. Such selection requires detailed knowledge of the markers, and consideration of the factors that may influence their measurement, other than the effects of nutritional change. A framework to guide selection of markers within nutrition research studies would be a valuable tool for researchers. A multidisciplinary Expert Group set out to test criteria designed to aid the evaluation of candidate markers for their usefulness in nutrition research and subsequently to develop a scoring system for markers. The proposed criteria were tested using thirteen markers selected from a broad range of nutrition research fields. The result of this testing was a modified list of criteria and a template for evaluating a potential marker against the criteria. Subsequently, a semi-quantitative system for scoring a marker and an associated template were developed. This system will enable the evaluation and comparison of different candidate markers within the same field of nutrition research in order to identify their relative usefulness. The ranking criteria of proven, strong, medium or low are likely to vary according to research setting, research field and the type of tool used to assess the marker and therefore the considerations for scoring need to be determined in a setting-, field- and tool-specific manner. A database of such markers, their interpretation and range of possible values would be valuable to nutrition researchers.

APPLICATION OF AHP METHOD IN THE IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA: AN ENERGY SECTOR CASE STUDY

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Silvério, Adriano Augusto

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Choosing from several alternative investment projects in hydropower to build a portfolio of projects is a complex matter. The most commonly used selection model for building the portfolio is the financial method, however it constraints options investments to the economic and financial parameters, which are limiting in nature. Alternatively, this paper proposes the use of multicriterial method Analytic Hierarchy Process – AHP, which incorporates measures to evaluate both quantitative and qualitative data. This method is based on criteria or parameters of operational processes that hinder or facilitate the execution of projects. In order to get the definition of the set of criteria, the Delphi technique was applied to a group of seven experts in managing hydropower projects. Main results show that essential criteria for selection of project investment portfolio, are not limited to financial aspects, but it involves criteria of bureaucratic, organizational, and political environment and technological characters. The conclusion is that the financial potential of hydropower projects are not the only determinants for investments on hydropower projects and, at large, these project are conditioned to other criteria such as, those of bureaucratic and technological nature.

Which family physician should I choose? The analytic hierarchy process approach for ranking of criteria in the selection of a family physician.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuruoglu, Emel; Guldal, Dilek; Mevsim, Vildan; Gunvar, Tolga

2015-08-05

Choosing the most appropriate family physician (FP) for the individual, plays a fundamental role in primary care. The aim of this study is to determine the selection criteria for the patients in choosing their family doctors and priority ranking of these criteria by using the multi-criteria decision-making method of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model. The study was planned and conducted in two phases. In the first phase, factors affecting the patients' decisions were revealed with a qualitative research. In the next phase, the priorities of FP selection criteria were determined by using AHP model. Criteria were compared in pairs. 96 patient were asked to fill the information forms which contains comparison scores in the Family Health Centres. According to the analysis of focus group discussions FP selection criteria were congregated in to five groups: Individual Characteristics, Patient-Doctor relationship, Professional characteristics, the Setting, and Ethical Characteristics. For each of the 96 participants, comparison matrixes were formed based on the scores of their information forms. Of these, models of only 5 (5.2 %) of the participants were consistent, in other words, they have been able to score consistent ranking. The consistency ratios (CR) were found to be smaller than 0.10. Therefore the comparison matrix of this new model, which was formed based on the medians of scores only given by these 5 participants, was consistent (CR = 0.06 < 0.10). According to comparison results; with a 0.467 value-weight, the most important criterion for choosing a family physician is his/her 'Professional characteristics'. Selection criteria for choosing a FP were put in a priority order by using AHP model. These criteria can be used as measures for selecting alternative FPs in further researches.

Application of multi-criteria decision analysis in selecting of sustainable investments

Science.gov (United States)

Kozik, Renata

2017-07-01

Investors of construction projects, especially financed with public money, quite slowly adapt environmentally friendly solutions, e.g. passive buildings. Practice shows that the use of green public procurement among the public investors is negligible. Energy-saving technologies and equipment are expensive at the construction phase and investors less or not at all take into account the future operating costs. The aim of this article is to apply the method of multi-criteria analysis ELECTRE to select the best investment in terms of cost of implementation, operation, as well as the impact on the environment.

Structured methodology review identified seven (RETREAT) criteria for selecting qualitative evidence synthesis approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Booth, Andrew; Noyes, Jane; Flemming, Kate; Gerhardus, Ansgar; Wahlster, Philip; van der Wilt, Gert Jan; Mozygemba, Kati; Refolo, Pietro; Sacchini, Dario; Tummers, Marcia; Rehfuess, Eva

2018-07-01

To compare and contrast different methods of qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) against criteria identified from the literature and to map their attributes to inform selection of the most appropriate QES method to answer research questions addressed by qualitative research. Electronic databases, citation searching, and a study register were used to identify studies reporting QES methods. Attributes compiled from 26 methodological papers (2001-2014) were used as a framework for data extraction. Data were extracted into summary tables by one reviewer and then considered within the author team. We identified seven considerations determining choice of methods from the methodological literature, encapsulated within the mnemonic Review question-Epistemology-Time/Timescale-Resources-Expertise-Audience and purpose-Type of data. We mapped 15 different published QES methods against these seven criteria. The final framework focuses on stand-alone QES methods but may also hold potential when integrating quantitative and qualitative data. These findings offer a contemporary perspective as a conceptual basis for future empirical investigation of the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of QES. It is hoped that this will inform appropriate selection of QES approaches. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disappointing performance of literature-derived selective screening criteria for asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an inner-city population

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Valkengoed, I G; Boeke, A J; Morré, S A; van den Brule, A J; Meijer, C J; Devillé, W; Bouter, L M

2000-01-01

BACKGROUND: In an inner-city population with a low prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, selective screening may be indicated to increase the efficiency of screening. GOAL: To evaluate the performance of sets of selective screening criteria for asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection

Multi-criteria decision aid approach for the selection of the best compromise management scheme for ELVs: the case of Cyprus.

Science.gov (United States)

Mergias, I; Moustakas, K; Papadopoulos, A; Loizidou, M

2007-08-25

Each alternative scheme for treating a vehicle at its end of life has its own consequences from a social, environmental, economic and technical point of view. Furthermore, the criteria used to determine these consequences are often contradictory and not equally important. In the presence of multiple conflicting criteria, an optimal alternative scheme never exists. A multiple-criteria decision aid (MCDA) method to aid the Decision Maker (DM) in selecting the best compromise scheme for the management of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) is presented in this paper. The constitution of a set of alternatives schemes, the selection of a list of relevant criteria to evaluate these alternative schemes and the choice of an appropriate management system are also analyzed in this framework. The proposed procedure relies on the PROMETHEE method which belongs to the well-known family of multiple criteria outranking methods. For this purpose, level, linear and Gaussian functions are used as preference functions.

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; economic uses fact sheet 06: selection criteria analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2004-01-01

Confidence in decisionmaking can often come from knowing if others in similar circumstances would choose the same management strategy. Researchers at the USDA FS Pacific Northwest Research Station and the University of Saskatchewan have developed a Selection Criteria Analysis for answering this very question. This fact sheet discusses factors affecting the choice of...

Psychophysiological and psychological criteria for professional selection of reactor operators - a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonkova, A.

1992-01-01

The professional activity of reactor operators is determined according to some modern classification schemes. The NPP operation staff's classification containing groups of operators-supervisors, operators-manipulators and operators-managers (Zinchenko and Munipov) is discussed. The author specifies the functions of the operators-supervisors in more detail. The requirements for selection of operators are given and the significance of mind, memory, attention, differentiative sensomotorics, emotional and stress-stability is emphasized. An own set of criteria for professional selection of reactor operators is proposed based on the definition of reliability concepts -adequacy, timeliness and lack of outages. The requirements for psychological structure of personality are well-grounded also by the collective character of this kind of professional activity also. 28 refs., 1 fig. (A.B.)

Customers’ Perceptions on the Objectives, Characteristics and Selection Criteria of Islamic Bank in Thailand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasrina Lateh

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Due to relatively new establishment of islamic bank in Thailand and paucity of empirical research undertaken in the area, this study intends to capture the perceptions of Thai customers towards the objectives and characteristics of the islamic bank. In addition, this study aims to determine the important bank selection criteria as perceived by the customers and the differences in the perceptions of moslem and non-moslem customers were identified. The study surveys a sample of 462 respondents. The empirical findings show that the Thai customers know that the essential characteristic of the islamic bank is interest prohibition. They tend to support the idea that the islamic bank should strive to achieve its social objectives more than the commercial objectives. In addition, the results showed that there are differences between the Thai moslem and non-moslem customers’ preferences toward various bank selection criteria. The moslems highly considered the interest-free saving facilities, while the non-moslems tended to concern more about its reputation and image, and knowledgeable and competent personnel.

Multi-criteria analysis for site selection for the reuse of reclaimed water and biosolids

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António Albuquerque

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Low pH soils with insufficient organic matter can benefit from the application of reclaimed water (RW and biosolids. The presence of nutrients also aids plant growth. This paper presents the results of two integrated research studies, both carried out in the Beira Interior Region (Covilhã, Portugal; one used RW for irrigation, the other applied paper mill sludge to agricultural land. In both cases, multiple criteria based on GIS tools were used for site selection. In the first study, the characteristics of RW analyzed over 2 years were found suitable for crop irrigation. The RW had moderate organic content, low electrical conductivity (CE, high nutrient content (N, P, and low concentrations of nitrate, metals and phytotoxic elements (Al, B, Cl and Na. The multi-criteria analysis was carried out taking into account environmental, technical and economic criteria and a suitable area of 30.5 ha was found for RW irrigation. In the second work, the paper mill sludge was considered suitable for application to agricultural land. Its concentrations of N, P and heavy metals did not a present risk for soil contamination and were suitable for soil improvement and crop production. A multi-criteria analysis based on similar criteria was conducted and a suitable area of 253 ha was found for sludge application.

Criteria for validation and selection of cognitive tests for investigating the effects of foods and nutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jager, Celeste A; Dye, Louise; de Bruin, Eveline A; Butler, Laurie; Fletcher, John; Lamport, Daniel J; Latulippe, Marie E; Spencer, Jeremy P E; Wesnes, Keith

2014-03-01

This review is an output of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe Marker Initiative, which aims to identify evidence-based criteria for selecting adequate measures of nutrient effects on health through comprehensive literature review. Experts in cognitive and nutrition sciences examined the applicability of these proposed criteria to the field of cognition with respect to the various cognitive domains usually assessed to reflect brain or neurological function. This review covers cognitive domains important in the assessment of neuronal integrity and function, commonly used tests and their state of validation, and the application of the measures to studies of nutrition and nutritional intervention trials. The aim is to identify domain-specific cognitive tests that are sensitive to nutrient interventions and from which guidance can be provided to aid the application of selection criteria for choosing the most suitable tests for proposed nutritional intervention studies using cognitive outcomes. The material in this review serves as a background and guidance document for nutritionists, neuropsychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists interested in assessing mental health in terms of cognitive test performance and for scientists intending to test the effects of food or food components on cognitive function.

Selection criteria for patients with chronic ankle instability in controlled research: a position statement of the International Ankle Consortium.

Science.gov (United States)

Gribble, Phillip A; Delahunt, Eamonn; Bleakley, Chris; Caulfield, Brian; Docherty, Carrie; Fourchet, François; Fong, Daniel Tik-Pui; Hertel, Jay; Hiller, Claire; Kaminski, Thomas; McKeon, Patrick; Refshauge, Kathryn; van der Wees, Philip; Vincenzino, Bill; Wikstrom, Erik

2014-07-01

While research on chronic ankle instability (CAI) and awareness of its impact on society and health care systems has grown substantially in the last 2 decades, the inconsistency in participant/patient selection criteria across studies presents a potential obstacle to addressing the problem properly. This major gap within the literature limits the ability to generalise this evidence to the target patient population. Therefore, there is a need to provide standards for patient/participant selection criteria in research focused on CAI with justifications using the best available evidence. The International Ankle Consortium provides this position paper to present and discuss an endorsed set of selection criteria for patients with CAI based on the best available evidence to be used in future research and study designs. These recommendations will enhance the validity of research conducted in this clinical population with the end goal of bringing the research evidence to the clinician and patient. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Novel and conventional working fluid mixtures for solar Rankine cycles: Performance assessment and multi-criteria selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mavrou, Paschalia; Papadopoulos, Athanasios I.; Stijepovic, Mirko Z.; Seferlis, Panos; Linke, Patrick; Voutetakis, Spyros

2015-01-01

This work investigates the performance of working fluid mixtures for use in solar ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle systems) with heat storage employing FPC (Flat Plate Collectors). Several mixtures are considered including conventional choices often utilized in ORC as well as novel mixtures previously designed using advanced computer aided molecular design methods (Papadopoulos et al., 2013). The impact of heat source variability on the ORC performance is assessed for different working fluid mixtures. Solar radiation is represented in detail through actual, hourly averaged data for an entire year. A multi-criteria mixture selection methodology unveils important trade-offs among several important system operating parameters and efficiently highlights optimum operating ranges. Such parameters include the ORC thermal efficiency, the net generated power, the volume ratio across the turbine, the mass flow rate of the ORC working fluid, the evaporator temperature glide, the temperature drop in the storage tank, the ORC total yearly operating duration, the required collector aperture area to generate 1 kW of power and the irreversibility. A mixture of neopentane – 2-fluoromethoxy-2-methylpropane at 70% neopentane is found to be the most efficient in all the considered criteria simultaneously. - Highlights: • Investigation of novel and conventional working fluid mixtures for solar ORCs. • Systematic, multi-criteria assessment methodology for mixture selection. • Simultaneous consideration of multiple important mixture performance criteria. • Effects of year-round solar variability in a solar ORC with heat storage tank

IT OUTSOURCING: METHODOLOGY FOR SUPPLIER SELECTION CRITERIA FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Alexandre Simões

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Two criteria are usually adopted to select the provider of IT: lower prices or better service qualification of the supplier. This article proposes a strategic approach: the company should hire the provider that best leverage their competitive advantages. This approach implied the need to develop a methodology. To support it, the authors analyzed four models, Porter, RBV (Resource-Based View, Balanced Scorecard and the Weapons and Field Competition. Preferred the latter to be the most complete, qualiquantitative technique and able to accurately align the goals of the IT service firm's to competitive contracting strategy. The methodology was developed and applied to an insurance company and in face of the excellent results, decided to write this article to disclose it.

Criteria for selecting children with special needs for dental treatment under general anaesthesia

OpenAIRE

Nova García, M. Joaquín de; Gallardo López, Nuria E.; Martín Sanjuán, Carmen; Mourelle Martínez, M. Rosa; Alonso García, Yolanda; Carracedo Cabaleiro, Esther

2007-01-01

Objective: To study criteria for helping to select children with special needs for dental treatment under general anaesthesia. Materials and methods: Group of 30 children (aged under 18) examined on the Course at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) (Specialisation on holistic dental treatment of children with special needs) and subsequently referred to the Disabled Children’s Oral Health Unit (DCOHU) within Primary Health Care Area 2 of the Madrid Health Service (SERMAS) where dental ...

Multi criteria decision making to select the best method for the preparation of solid lipid nanoparticles of rasagiline mesylate using analytic hierarchy process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viveksarathi Kunasekaran

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to select best method for the development of rasagiline mesylate (RM loaded nanoscale solid lipid particles using analytic hierarchy process (AHP. Improper method selection may lead to waste of time, loss of material and financial resources. One of the possibilities to overcome these difficulties, AHP was employed to find the suitable method. In the AHP, a decision of hierarchy was constructed with a goal, criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives. After constructing the AHP, the expert choice software was used to compute the overall priority of criteria, sub-criteria and alternatives. The best alternative selected was based on the highest priority. Nanoscale solid lipid particles of RM was formulated by the selected microemulsion method (M4 and it shows the particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential were within acceptable limits. Drug content and entrapment efficiency of the RM-solid lipid nanoparticles were 97.26% and 86.57%, respectively. This study concludes that the AHP was viable and effective tool for selecting a most suitable method for the fabrication of RM loaded nanoscale solid lipid particles.

Selection and specification criteria for fills for cut-and-fill mining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, E. G.

1980-05-15

Because of significant differences in placement and loading conditions, the ideal fill material for a cut-and-fill operation has different characteristics to those for a fill for a filled open stoping operation. The differing requirements of the two mining operations must be understood and accounted for in establishing fill selection and specification criteria. Within the paper, aspects of the particular requirements of cut-and-fill mining are analyzed and related to the specific fill tests and properties required. Emphasis is placed upon the role of fill in ground support, though this cannot be isolated from overall fill performance. Where appropriate, test data are introduced and areas requiring continuing research highlighted.

A hybrid method for information technology selection combining multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) with technology roadmapping

OpenAIRE

García Mejía, Jaime Andrés

2013-01-01

Abstract: Strategic information technology (IT) management has been recognized as vital for achieving competitive advantage. IT selection, the process of choosing the best technology alternative from a number of available options, is an important part of IT management. The IT selection is a multi-criteria decision making process, where relative importance of each criterion is determined and the degree of satisfaction of every criterion from each alternative is evaluated. Decision makers (DMs)...

7 CFR 170.12 - What are the selection criteria for participation in the USDA Farmers Market?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... referred to the Internal Revenue Service or a tax advisor. Receipts for donated foods may be obtained from... Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices... Farmers Market? The selection criteria are designed to ensure a consistently high level of quality and...

Selection of a suitable method for the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles: multi-criteria decision making approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamoorthy, Kannan; Mahalingam, Manikandan

2015-03-01

The present study is aimed to select the suitable method for preparation of camptothecin loaded polymeric nanoparticles by utilizing the multi-criteria decision making method. Novel approaches of drug delivery by formulation using nanotechnology are revolutionizing the future of medicine. Recent years have witnessed unprecedented growth of research and application in the area of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles have become an important area of research in the field of drug delivery because they have the ability to deliver a wide range of drug to varying areas of body. Despite of extensive research and development, polymeric nanoparticles are frequently used to improve the therapeutic effect of drugs. A number of techniques are available for the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a method for decision making, which are derived from individual judgements for qualitative factors, using the pair-wise comparison matrix. In AHP, a decision hierarchy is constructed with a goal, criteria and alternatives. The model uses three main criteria 1) Instrument, 2) Process and Output and 3) Cost. In addition, there are eight sub-criteria's as well as eight alternatives. Pair-wise comparison matrixes are used to obtain the overall priority weight and ranking for the selection of suitable method. Nanoprecipitation technique is the most suitable method for the preparation of camptothecin loaded polymeric nanoparticles with the highest overall priority weight of 0.297 CONCLUSION: In particular, the result indicates that the priority weights obtained from AHP could be defined as a multiple output for finding out the most suitable method for preparation of camptothecin loaded polymeric nanoparticles.

Characteristics of Criteria for Selecting Investment Projects under Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian ENCIU

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Within financial theory and practice, there are used five main criteria for selecting investment projects: the net present value (NPV criterion, the internal rate of return (IRR criterion, the return term (RT criterion, the profitability ratio (PR criterion and the supplementary return (SR criterion. The assay will emphasize several new properties of said indexes for investment assessment, having as starting point the hypotheses of (approximately normal repartition of cash-flows generated by an investment project. The obtained results point to the fact that the NPV indexes (the analysis of this criterion was carried out in the article “The NPV Criterion for Valuing Investments under Uncertainty”, Daniel Armeanu, Leonard Lache, Economic Computation and Economic Cybernetics Studies and Research no. 4/2009, pp. 133-143, IRR, PR, RT and SR register normal repartitions, therefore simplifying the investment analysis under economic uncertainty, by the capacity of building confidence intervals and assessing probabilities for the inferior limits of said investment assessment indexes.

Coastal flooding as a parameter in multi-criteria analysis for industrial site selection

Science.gov (United States)

Christina, C.; Memos, C.; Diakoulaki, D.

2014-12-01

Natural hazards can trigger major industrial accidents, which apart from affecting industrial installations may cause a series of accidents with serious impacts on human health and the environment far beyond the site boundary. Such accidents, also called Na-Tech (natural - technical) accidents, deserve particular attention since they can cause release of hazardous substances possibly resulting in severe environmental pollution, explosions and/or fires. There are different kinds of natural events or, in general terms, of natural causes of industrial accidents, such as landslides, hurricanes, high winds, tsunamis, lightning, cold/hot temperature, floods, heavy rains etc that have caused accidents. The scope of this paper is to examine the coastal flooding as a parameter in causing an industrial accident, such as the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, and the critical role of this parameter in industrial site selection. Land use planning is a complex procedure that requires multi-criteria decision analysis involving economic, environmental and social parameters. In this context the parameter of a natural hazard occurrence, such as coastal flooding, for industrial site selection should be set by the decision makers. In this paper it is evaluated the influence that has in the outcome of a multi-criteria decision analysis for industrial spatial planning the parameter of an accident risk triggered by coastal flooding. The latter is analyzed in the context of both sea-and-inland induced flooding.

Chapter 3: detailed discussion on the site selection criteria; Capitulo 3: discussao detalhada dos criterios de selecao de sitio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atala, Drausio Lima

2009-07-01

This chapter discusses full detail each selection criterion and their application. A certain degree of 'customization' can be necessary for each region of interest. Some criteria can be applied depending upon the situation. Some of those criteria can be modified due to the modification on the regulation, advances of the knowledge or specific conditions which can be introduced.

Selection of bioaccumulation criteria for environmental emergency (E2) planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketcheson, K.; Hradecky, K.; Gagne, M.; St-Amant-Verret, M.

2006-01-01

Environment Canada's Environmental Emergency regulations require the evaluation of a substance by a Risk Evaluation Framework (REF). Bioaccumulation criteria are used within the environmental hazard ratings section of the REF to determine the risk of a substance to organisms and are obtained from 3 types of measurements depending on data reliability: (1) bioaccumulation factors (BAF); (2) bioconcentration factors (BCF); and (3) an octanol-water partition coefficient (log K ow ). This paper presented details of a study of international and regional bioaccumulation criteria conducted to aid in determining appropriate criteria for E2 regulations and plans, with specific reference to substances toxic to aquatic organisms. An E2 plan is required if a substance has a bioconcentration factor of more than 500 in conjunction with aquatic toxicity. Bioaccumulation criteria from several sources for 745 substances were obtained to aid in choosing the most important parameters. Various international and regional criteria were examined and corresponding sources were summarized, and different source criteria was compared with empirical chemical data. The criteria chosen included both log K ow values and BCF values, although it was suggested that BCF and BAF are more realistic measures of bioaccumulation than log K ow , as they are derived from animal studies. The chosen values agreed with the virtual elimination criteria set out by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) 1999 as well as United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria. It was concluded that the bioaccumulation criteria for E2 planning will help Environment Canada ensure the protection of the environment from hazardous substances. 11 refs., 3 tabs., 5 figs

An Exploratory Analysis for the Selection and Implementation of Advanced Manufacturing Technology by Fuzzy Multi-criteria Decision Making Methods: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Nath, Surajit; Sarkar, Bijan

2017-08-01

Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMTs) offer opportunities for the manufacturing organizations to excel their competitiveness and in turn their effectiveness in manufacturing. Proper selection and evaluation of AMTs is the most significant task in today's modern world. But this involves a lot of uncertainty and vagueness as it requires many conflicting criteria to deal with. So the task of selection and evaluation of AMTs becomes very tedious for the evaluators as they are not able to provide crisp data for the criteria. Different Fuzzy Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods help greatly in dealing with this problem. This paper focuses on the application of two very much potential Fuzzy MCDM methods namely COPRAS-G, EVAMIX and a comparative study between them on some rarely mentioned criteria. Each of the two methods is very powerful evaluation tool and has beauty in its own. Although, performance wise these two methods are almost at same level, but, the approach of each one of them are quite unique. This uniqueness is revealed by introducing a numerical example of selection of AMT.

A review of multi-criteria decision making techniques for supplier evaluation and selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prince Agarwal

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Supplier evaluation and selection has been a vital issue of strategic importance for long time. Different multi-criteria decision making (MCDM approaches have been proposed by the researchers in past, to solve the supplier evaluation and selection problem. In this paper, we present a review of various MCDM methodologies reported in the literature for solving the supplier evaluation and selection process. The review is solely based on sixty-eight research articles, including eight review articles in the academic literature from 2000 to 2011. We try to find out the most prevalent approach in the articles and thereby present the future scope of arriving at an optimal solution to the problem, based on the specifications, the strategies and the requirements of the buyers. The study presents that with the change in processes and the requirements, how the approach of the manufacturing industry has shifted from striving for operational effectiveness to the strategic partnership in the dyadic relationship.

A COPRAS-F base multi-criteria group decision making approach for site selection of wind farm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikhil Chandra Chatterjee

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Today global warming is on the rise and the natural resources are getting consumed at a faster rate. Power consumption has increased many folds to cater the human need. Thus renewable energy resources are the only option available at this juncture. Wind energy is one of the renewable energy. Location selection for wind farm takes an important role on power generation. However, the location selection is a complex multicriteria problem due to the criteria factors which are conflicting in nature as well as uncertain. The process becomes more complex when a group of decision makers are involved in decision making. In the present study, a COPRAS (COmplex PRoportional ASsessment based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM methodology is done under fuzzy environment with the help of multiple decision makers. More specifically, this study is aimed to focus the applicability of COPRAS-F as a strategic decision making tools to handle the group decision-making problems.

49 CFR Appendix C to Part 541 - Criteria for Selecting Light Duty Truck Lines Likely To Have High Theft Rates

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Likely To Have High Theft Rates C Appendix C to Part 541 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT PREVENTION STANDARD Pt. 541, App. C Appendix C to Part 541—Criteria for Selecting Light Duty Truck Lines Likely To Have High Theft Rates Scope These criteria specify the factors the...

Path analysis and multi-criteria decision making: an approach for multivariate model selection and analysis in health.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, A G; Almeida, R M; Nobre, F F

2001-08-01

This paper introduces an approach that includes non-quantitative factors for the selection and assessment of multivariate complex models in health. A goodness-of-fit based methodology combined with fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach is proposed for model selection. Models were obtained using the Path Analysis (PA) methodology in order to explain the interrelationship between health determinants and the post-neonatal component of infant mortality in 59 municipalities of Brazil in the year 1991. Socioeconomic and demographic factors were used as exogenous variables, and environmental, health service and agglomeration as endogenous variables. Five PA models were developed and accepted by statistical criteria of goodness-of fit. These models were then submitted to a group of experts, seeking to characterize their preferences, according to predefined criteria that tried to evaluate model relevance and plausibility. Fuzzy set techniques were used to rank the alternative models according to the number of times a model was superior to ("dominated") the others. The best-ranked model explained above 90% of the endogenous variables variation, and showed the favorable influences of income and education levels on post-neonatal mortality. It also showed the unfavorable effect on mortality of fast population growth, through precarious dwelling conditions and decreased access to sanitation. It was possible to aggregate expert opinions in model evaluation. The proposed procedure for model selection allowed the inclusion of subjective information in a clear and systematic manner.

A multi-criteria decision making approach for the selection of a flexible packaging equipment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristea Ciprian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Flexible packaging is one of the fastest growing segments of the packaging industry, combining paper, plastic film and aluminum foil to deliver a broad array of products for food and beverage, personal care products, and pharmaceutical industries. In order to preserve the quality and safety of the product contained in them, there are currently a variety of flexible packaging equipment options available. However their relative costs and performance differ. This study proposes an application of a ranking methodology to assess a selection of the most suitable flexible packaging equipment. The adequate criteria in the selection of equipment have been identified, and the considered options are assessed, considering the decision maker’s preferences and existing constraints. The options are ranked in terms of their suitability for selecting equipment by using the Electre III method. The results obtained from the simulation experiment highlight the effectiveness of the model in outranking different options in the process of equipment selection.

Personel Seçiminde Çok Kriterli Karar Verme: Bulanık Topsis Uygulaması - Multi-Criteria Approach to Personnel Selection: Fuzzy Topsis Applications

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Nalan Gülten AKIN

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Which are very important in terms of human resource management, personnel selection, it expressed as a process of determining the appropriate personnel hired to perform the work. Personnel selection, often occurs as a result of decisions made by a group decision based on the evaluation of candidates by various criteria and subjective judgment transmitter. Whereas the organization that they can gain competitive advantage and this advantage can continue, according to the right personnel for the right job it depends on the objective criteria chosen. Personnel selection problems, decision-making and be more than the number of candidates and the terms of a number of criteria involved in the decision to take effect on multi-criteria decision problems. Decisions based on personal jurisdiction includes the uncertainty. Therefore, one of the multiple-criteria decision analysis techniques in this study preferred method of fuzzy TOPSIS. In the process of recruiting a research assistant in a public university under study, which will be invited to the scientific examination of the candidates who apply, with proximity to the ranking made by calculating the coefficients for each candidate is determined based on objective criteria

Multi-criteria approach for selecting the best solid waste management technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latifah, A.M.; Hassan Basri; Noor Ezlin Ahmad Basri

2010-01-01

The growth in urbanization and industrial activities has caused solid waste management problems. As a solution the integrated approach has been chosen to manage the solid waste. Developing and implementing integrated solid waste management involve combined technologies and alternatives which are suitable with local laws condition. This research showed that Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) has the potential as a decision making tool that can be used in selecting process of solid waste management technology. Three levels hierarchy was developed with the goal at the top level, followed by criteria and alternatives. By using this technique, the priority of each considered technology will be determined where technology with the highest priority is more suitable to be developed. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to test the sensitivity of final decision towards inconsistency of judgement. Application of AHP to determine priority in selecting solid waste management technology was explained in this research based on a case study in the Port Dickson Municipal Council. Analysis of result showed that the combination of recycling technology and composting are suitable to be applied in the Port Dickson district. (author)

A COPRAS-F base multi-criteria group decision making approach for site selection of wind farm

OpenAIRE

Nikhil Chandra Chatterjee; Goutam Kumar Bose

2013-01-01

Today global warming is on the rise and the natural resources are getting consumed at a faster rate. Power consumption has increased many folds to cater the human need. Thus renewable energy resources are the only option available at this juncture. Wind energy is one of the renewable energy. Location selection for wind farm takes an important role on power generation. However, the location selection is a complex multicriteria problem due to the criteria factors which are conflicting in nature...

Selection criteria limit generalizability of smoking pharmacotherapy studies differentially across clinical trials and laboratory studies: A systematic review on varenicline.

Science.gov (United States)

Motschman, Courtney A; Gass, Julie C; Wray, Jennifer M; Germeroth, Lisa J; Schlienz, Nicolas J; Munoz, Diana A; Moore, Faith E; Rhodes, Jessica D; Hawk, Larry W; Tiffany, Stephen T

2016-12-01

The selection criteria used in clinical trials for smoking cessation and in laboratory studies that seek to understand mechanisms responsible for treatment outcomes may limit their generalizability to one another and to the general population. We reviewed studies on varenicline versus placebo and compared eligibility criteria and participant characteristics of clinical trials (N=23) and laboratory studies (N=22) across study type and to nationally representative survey data on adult, daily USA smokers (2014 National Health Interview Survey; 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health). Relative to laboratory studies, clinical trials more commonly reported excluding smokers who were unmotivated to quit and for specific medical conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, COPD), although both study types frequently reported excluding for general medical or psychiatric reasons. Laboratory versus clinical samples smoked less, had lower nicotine dependence, were younger, and more homogeneous with respect to smoking level and nicotine dependence. Application of common eligibility criteria to national survey data resulted in considerable elimination of the daily-smoking population for both clinical trials (≥47%) and laboratory studies (≥39%). Relative to the target population, studies in this review recruited participants who smoked considerably more and had a later smoking onset age, and were under-representative of Caucasians. Results suggest that selection criteria of varenicline studies limit generalizability in meaningful ways, and differences in criteria across study type may undermine efforts at translational research. Recommendations for improvements in participant selection and reporting standards are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

20 CFR 670.450 - How are applicants who meet eligibility and selection criteria assigned to centers?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How are applicants who meet eligibility and selection criteria assigned to centers? 670.450 Section 670.450 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR THE JOB CORPS UNDER TITLE I OF THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT Recruitment...

A Hybrid Multiple Criteria Group Decision-Making Approach for Green Supplier Selection in the TFT-LCD Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Che-Wei Tsui

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The awareness of the need for environmental protection is increasing throughout the world. The focuses of green supplier selection are on considering environmental criteria and strengthening the competitiveness of the entire supply chain. The purpose of this study is to develop a green supplier selection procedure for the thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD industry using polarizer suppliers as an example. First, a decision framework for green supplier selection is developed based on literatures and the supplier audit forms provided by an anonymous flat panel display manufacturer in Taiwan. Then, a hybrid multiple criteria group decision-making (MCGDM method is proposed based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP, entropy, elimination and choice expressing the reality III (ELECTRE III, and the linear assignment method to assist the manufacturer in choosing among four polarizer suppliers. The final ranking results for green supplier selection and different opinions from each department are provided. An improvement report is suggested to enhance suppliers’ performance. For the evaluation procedure, most managers emphasize the importance of current capability and the capability of research and development. Furthermore, we found that the subsidiary supplier should improve quality control competence immediately to be considered as the potential candidate of primary supplier.

Selection criteria for oxidation method in total organic carbon measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, GeunSeok; Park, Sang-Min; Yang, Heuiwon; Tsang, Daniel C W; Alessi, Daniel S; Baek, Kitae

2018-05-01

During the measurement of total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon is converted into CO 2 by using high temperature combustion (HTC) or wet chemical oxidation (WCO). However, the criteria for selecting the oxidation methods are not clear. In this study, the chemical structures of organic material were considered as a key factor to select the oxidation method used. Most non-degradable organic compounds showed a similar oxidation efficiency in both methods, including natural organic compounds, dyes, and pharmaceuticals, and thus both methods are appropriate to measure TOC in waters containing these compounds. However, only a fraction of the carbon in the halogenated compounds (perfluorooctanoic acid and trifluoroacetic acid) were oxidized using WCO, resulting in measured TOC values that are considerably lower than those determined by HTC. This result is likely due to the electronegativity of halogen elements which inhibits the approach of electron-rich sulfate radicals in the WCO, and the higher bond strength of carbon-halogen pairs as compared to carbon-hydrogen bonds, which results in a lower degree of oxidation of the compounds. Our results indicate that WCO could be used to oxidize most organic compounds, but may not be appropriate to quantify TOC in organic carbon pools that contain certain halogenated compounds. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

USING A MULTI CRITERIA DECISION MAKING APPROACH FOR OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEM SELECTION

OpenAIRE

KAMIŞLI ÖZTÜRK, Zehra

2015-01-01

Today, there's a wide variety of open and distance learning (ODL) systems around the world. Herein, for lifelong learning how to select an ODL program becomes a critic question for a learner who wants to extent abilities on his/her career path. This is a complex decision problem with interdependent criteria. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) is a multicriteria decision making methodology  that  reflects  these  interdependencies.  Within &...

Methodology for Selecting Best Management Practices Integrating Multiple Stakeholders and Criteria. Part 2: Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Carvallo Aceves

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The selection of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs for mitigating the effects of urbanization on the hydrological cycle could be a complex process due to conflicting stakeholder views, and varying levels of performance of BMPs across a range of criteria (runoff reduction, erosion control, etc.. Part 1 of this article proposed a methodology based on the application of multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA methods, which was tested here on a residential stormwater network in the Montreal area. The case study considered green roofs, rain gardens, rain barrels and pervious pavement over a range of economic, social, and water quality and quantity criteria by applying 4 MCDA methods under three different stakeholder views. The results indicated Elimination et Choix Traduisant la Réalité (ELECTRE III to be the most appropriate method for the methodology, presenting flexibility concerning threshold values, criteria weights, and showing shared top choices across stakeholders (rain gardens, and rain gardens in combination with pervious pavement. The methodology shows potential for more formal applications and research opportunities. Future work may lie in the inclusion of multiple objective optimization, better stakeholder engagement, estimation of economic benefits, water quality modeling, long-term hydrological simulations, and estimating real BMP pollutant removal rates.

Regulatory principles, criteria and guidelines for site selection, design, construction and operation of uranium tailings retention systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coady, J.R.; Henry, L.C.

1978-01-01

Principles, criteria and guidelines developed by the Atomic Energy Control Board for the management of uranium mill tailings are discussed. The application of these concepts is considered in relation to site selection, design and construction, operation and decommissioning of tailings retention facilities

Selection of suitable alternatives to reduce the environmental impact of road traffic noise using a fuzzy multi-criteria decision model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz-Padillo, Alejandro, E-mail: aruizp@correo.ugr.es [Industrial Engineering and Transportation Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99 – 5° andar, Porto Alegre - CEP 90.035-190, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Civil Engineering Department, University of Granada, Av. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada (Spain); Ruiz, Diego P., E-mail: druiz@ugr.es [Information Technology and Communication Research Center (CITIC-UGR), Applied Physics Department, University of Granada, Av. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada (Spain); Torija, Antonio J., E-mail: ajtorija@ugr.es [ISVR, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, SO17 1BJ Southampton (United Kingdom); Ramos-Ridao, Ángel, E-mail: ramosr@ugr.es [Civil Engineering Department, University of Granada, Av. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada (Spain)

2016-11-15

Road traffic noise is one of the most significant environmental impacts generated by transport systems. To this regard, the recent implementation of the European Environmental Noise Directive by Public Administrations of the European Union member countries has led to various noise action plans (NAPs) for reducing the noise exposure of EU inhabitants. Every country or administration is responsible for applying criteria based on their own experience or expert knowledge, but there is no regulated process for the prioritization of technical measures within these plans. This paper proposes a multi-criteria decision methodology for the selection of suitable alternatives against traffic noise in each of the road stretches included in the NAPs. The methodology first defines the main criteria and alternatives to be considered. Secondly, it determines the relative weights for the criteria and sub-criteria using the fuzzy extended analytical hierarchy process as applied to the results from an expert panel, thereby allowing expert knowledge to be captured in an automated way. A final step comprises the use of discrete multi-criteria analysis methods such as weighted sum, ELECTRE and TOPSIS, to rank the alternatives by suitability. To illustrate an application of the proposed methodology, this paper describes its implementation in a complex real case study: the selection of optimal technical solutions against traffic noise in the top priority road stretch included in the revision of the NAP of the regional road network in the province of Almeria (Spain).

Selection of suitable alternatives to reduce the environmental impact of road traffic noise using a fuzzy multi-criteria decision model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz-Padillo, Alejandro; Ruiz, Diego P.; Torija, Antonio J.; Ramos-Ridao, Ángel

2016-01-01

Road traffic noise is one of the most significant environmental impacts generated by transport systems. To this regard, the recent implementation of the European Environmental Noise Directive by Public Administrations of the European Union member countries has led to various noise action plans (NAPs) for reducing the noise exposure of EU inhabitants. Every country or administration is responsible for applying criteria based on their own experience or expert knowledge, but there is no regulated process for the prioritization of technical measures within these plans. This paper proposes a multi-criteria decision methodology for the selection of suitable alternatives against traffic noise in each of the road stretches included in the NAPs. The methodology first defines the main criteria and alternatives to be considered. Secondly, it determines the relative weights for the criteria and sub-criteria using the fuzzy extended analytical hierarchy process as applied to the results from an expert panel, thereby allowing expert knowledge to be captured in an automated way. A final step comprises the use of discrete multi-criteria analysis methods such as weighted sum, ELECTRE and TOPSIS, to rank the alternatives by suitability. To illustrate an application of the proposed methodology, this paper describes its implementation in a complex real case study: the selection of optimal technical solutions against traffic noise in the top priority road stretch included in the revision of the NAP of the regional road network in the province of Almeria (Spain).

Benchmarking whole-building energy performance with multi-criteria technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution using a selective objective-weighting approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Endong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A TOPSIS based multi-criteria whole-building energy benchmarking is developed. • A selective objective-weighting procedure is used for a cost-accuracy tradeoff. • Results from a real case validated the benefits of the presented approach. - Abstract: This paper develops a robust multi-criteria Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) based building energy efficiency benchmarking approach. The approach is explicitly selective to address multicollinearity trap due to the subjectivity in selecting energy variables by considering cost-accuracy trade-off. It objectively weights the relative importance of individual pertinent efficiency measuring criteria using either multiple linear regression or principal component analysis contingent on meta data quality. Through this approach, building energy performance is comprehensively evaluated and optimized. Simultaneously, the significant challenges associated with conventional single-criterion benchmarking models can be avoided. Together with a clustering algorithm on a three-year panel dataset, the benchmarking case of 324 single-family dwellings demonstrated an improved robustness of the presented multi-criteria benchmarking approach over the conventional single-criterion ones

Capability of multiple selection criteria to evaluate contrasting spring wheat germplasms under arid conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Suhaibani, N. A.; SALAH, E.; El-Hendawy, S. E.; Al-Gaadi, K.; Rehman, S. U.

2015-01-01

Selection criteria that would evaluate a large number of germplasm in a rapid and non-destructive manner would be considered advantageous in plant breeding programs. Trade-off between traditional and non-destructive screening criteria in evaluating 90 wheat accessions under water shortage was tested using multivariate statistical techniques. Only three irrigations during the growing cycle of germplasm were applied with the amount of water totalling 2550 m /sup 3/ ha /sup -1/. Sequential path analysis identified one traditional trait (grain weight per plant) and two non-destructive traits (leaf area index and stomatal conductance) as important first-order traits that influenced final grain yield. The three traits, taken together, explained 96.8 percentage of the total variation in grain yield. Total dry weight per plant, green leaf area per plant, harvest index, grain number per plant, leaf water content and canopy temperature were identified as important second-order traits that influenced grain yield. Although canopy temperature was ranked as a second-order trait, it explained 64.4 percentage of the total variation in stomatal conductance. Approximately 78.0 percentage of the total variation in grain weight or leaf area index was explained by the leaf water content (66.2 percentage) and total dry weight (11.5 percentage). The 90 examined spring wheat germplasms were grouped into five clusters based on all agro-physiological traits using the centroid linkage method. The tested wheat germplasm that produce high grain yield under water shortage were characterised by good performance of certain rapid, easy and non-destructive physiological traits such as high leaf area index, high stomatal conductance and low canopy temperature. Therefore, these three traits could be used in combination as quick and easy screening criteria to select suitable genotypes for water-limiting conditions. (author)

Development of a novel set of criteria to select methodology for designing product service systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuananh Tran

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes eight groups of twenty nine scoring criteria that can help designers and practitioners to compare and select an appropriate methodology for a certain problem in designing product service system (PSS. PSS has been researched for more than a decade and is now becoming more and more popular in academia as well as industry. Despite that fact, the adoption of PSS is still limited for its potential. One of the main reasons is that designing PSS itself is a challenge. Designers and developers face difficulties in choosing appropriate PSS design methodologies for their projects so that they can design effective PSS offerings. By proposing eight groups of twenty nine scoring criteria, this paper enables a “step by step” process to identify the most appropriate design methodology for a company’s PSS problem. An example is also introduced to illustrate the use of the proposed scoring criteria and provide a clear picture of how different design methodologies can be utilized at their best in terms of application.

A geographic information system and multi criteria analysis method for site selection of spent nuclear fuel disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Vivian Borges

2009-01-01

This thesis aims to develop a site selection methodology for the construction of final repository for the spent nuclear fuel disposal, by using geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis. Decision making processes of this kind are often complex, given the great number of space parameters to consider and also the typically conflicting opinions of the diverse stake holders. By using GIS, data from different space parameters can be quickly and reliably stored, treated and analyzed. Multi-criteria techniques allow for the incorporation of different stake holders' opinions. These tools, when jointly used, allow for the decision process to be more transparent, quick and reliable. The method developed was applied to the particular case of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Weights obtained from an expert panel and also by using the Hierarchical Analysis Method and cartographic data were combined in the GIS. The application showed that it is possible not only to select and classify areas as to their aptness for the proposed objective, but also to exclude those clearly inadequate areas, thus optimizing the selection process by reducing the search space and consequently minimizing costs and the time spent in the search. (author)

Customers’ Perceptions on the Objectives, Characteristics and Selection Criteria of Islamic Bank in Thailand

OpenAIRE

Lateh, Nasrina; Ismail, Suhaiza; Ariffin, Noraini Mohd

2009-01-01

Due to relatively new establishment of islamic bank in Thailand and paucity of empirical research undertaken in the area, this study intends to capture the perceptions of Thai customers towards the objectives and characteristics of the islamic bank. In addition, this study aims to determine the important bank selection criteria as perceived by the customers and the differences in the perceptions of moslem and non-moslem customers were identified. The study surveys a sample of 462 respondents....

Can multi-criteria analysis models support the site selection for a repository for heat-generating waste?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutberlet, Daniela

2015-01-01

The decision for or against a potential site for a nuclear waste repository is highly complex and requires decision-makers to consider multiple assessment criteria. The complexity of each site and its characteristics, and the differing opinions among members of the public and advocacy groups mean t hat conflicts of interest are likely to arise. In this paper, the author suggests that multi-criteria analysis models could be used to provide methodological support during the selection process. The models can map these types of decision situations and suggest coherent solutions with relatively little formal effort. They allow users to compare different opt ions simultaneously and ensure that t heir decision-making Is conscious rather than arbitrary.

POD NUMBER AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS AS PHYSIOLOGICAL SELECTION CRITERIA IN SOYBEAN (Glycine max L. Merrill BREEDING FOR HIGH YIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.M. Sitompul

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Field studies were conducted in two years using 638 F2 and 1185 F3 lines of selected 16 F1 and 15 F2 parent lines (³80 pods plant-1 to evaluate pod number and CO2 exchange rate (CER as selection criteria. Pod and seed number, and seed weight of individual lines were observed during harvesting time, and CER of randomly selected 32 F2 and 30 F3 lines was measured at initial seed filling stage. The selection of F2 lines based on pod number to generate F3 lines increased the average of seed yield by 39%, and pod number by 77% in F3 lines compared with F2 lines. A close relationships was found between seed weight and pod or seed number per plant. Net CER responded sensitively to a reduction of light in a short-term and showed 78% of F2 lines and all F3 lines with maximum CER (Pmax³20 mmolCO2.m-2.s-1. The ratio of pod number per plant and Pmax varied between lines and were used to group lines resulting in close relationships between Pmax and pod number. It is concluded that the use of pod number and CER (Pmax as selection criteria offers an alternative approach in soybean breeding for high yield.

A criticism of applications with multi-criteria decision analysis that are used for the site selection for the disposal of municipal solid wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemal Korucu, M.; Erdagi, Bora

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The existing structure of the multi-criteria decision analysis for site selection is criticized. ► Fundamental problematic points based on the critics are defined. ► Some modifications are suggested in order to provide solutions to these problematical points. ► A new structure for the decision making mechanism is proposed. ► The feasibility of the new method is subjected to an evaluation process. - Abstract: The main aim of this study is to criticize the process of selecting the most appropriate site for the disposal of municipal solid wastes which is one of the problematic issues of waste management operations. These kinds of problems are pathological symptoms of existing problematical human–nature relationship which is related to the syndrome called ecological crisis. In this regard, solving the site selection problem, which is just a small part of a larger entity, for the good of ecological rationality and social justice is only possible by founding a new and extensive type of human–nature relationship. In this study, as a problematic point regarding the discussions on ecological problems, the existing structure of the applications using multi-criteria decision analysis in the process of site selection with three main criteria is criticized. Based on this critique, fundamental problematic points (to which applications are insufficient to find solutions) will be defined. Later, some modifications will be suggested in order to provide solutions to these problematical points. Finally, the criticism addressed to the structure of the method with three main criteria and the feasibility of the new method with four main criteria is subjected to an evaluation process. As a result, it is emphasized that the new structure with four main criteria may be effective in solution of the fundamental problematic points.

A criticism of applications with multi-criteria decision analysis that are used for the site selection for the disposal of municipal solid wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kemal Korucu, M., E-mail: kemal.korucu@kocaeli.edu.tr [University of Kocaeli, Department of Environmental Engineering, 41380 Kocaeli (Turkey); Erdagi, Bora [University of Kocaeli, Department of Philosophy, 41380 Kocaeli (Turkey)

2012-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The existing structure of the multi-criteria decision analysis for site selection is criticized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fundamental problematic points based on the critics are defined. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Some modifications are suggested in order to provide solutions to these problematical points. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new structure for the decision making mechanism is proposed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The feasibility of the new method is subjected to an evaluation process. - Abstract: The main aim of this study is to criticize the process of selecting the most appropriate site for the disposal of municipal solid wastes which is one of the problematic issues of waste management operations. These kinds of problems are pathological symptoms of existing problematical human-nature relationship which is related to the syndrome called ecological crisis. In this regard, solving the site selection problem, which is just a small part of a larger entity, for the good of ecological rationality and social justice is only possible by founding a new and extensive type of human-nature relationship. In this study, as a problematic point regarding the discussions on ecological problems, the existing structure of the applications using multi-criteria decision analysis in the process of site selection with three main criteria is criticized. Based on this critique, fundamental problematic points (to which applications are insufficient to find solutions) will be defined. Later, some modifications will be suggested in order to provide solutions to these problematical points. Finally, the criticism addressed to the structure of the method with three main criteria and the feasibility of the new method with four main criteria is subjected to an evaluation process. As a result, it is emphasized that the new structure with four main criteria may be effective in solution of the fundamental problematic points.

InterTechnology Corporation proposed criteria and recommendations for selection of PON non-residential demonstration sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1976-12-01

This report has been prepared with the objective of providing ERDA with recommended procedures for implementing the strategies set forth in the Systems Level Plan which are considered essential to the success of the National Demonstration Program. In order to logically develop these recommendations, this report is divided into three sections: A. Overview of the Demonstration Program to date. B. Essential Overall Program Strategies. C. Candidate Screening and Selection Criteria. (WDM)

Rating of environmental criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glueck, K; Krasser, G

1980-01-01

After a general theoretical discussion on the question of rating within a framework of cost-benefit studies, first trials as to the quantification and standardisation of twelve selected environmental criteria by means of an indicator system are worked out and compiled. The selection includes the criteria exhaust gas, dust, micro climate, water pollution, water regime, land requirement, vibrations, traffic noise, landscape scene, urban scene, effect of separation and safety risks. An insight is given of the rating practice using an evaluation of the available literature, of a household interview and of an interview of experts. The interviewing of 156 experts as to their rating conception of ten criteria in the second round has provided contributions to the general problem of the evaluation estimate based on multi criteria analysis as well as differentiation of the twelve or ten environmental criteria. The following criteria ratings given by the experts and which are averaged and smoothed are: traffic noise 20,0% +- 8,5; air pollution 15,0% +- 7,0; safety risk 13,0% +- 7,0; soil and water pollution 8,5% +- 5,0; landscape scene 8,0% +- 4,5; urban scene 8,0% +- 4,5; water regime 6,5% +- 3,5 and vibrations 4,5% +- 2,5.

Application of a multi-criteria analysis for the selection of the most suitable energy source and water desalination system in Mauritania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayod Rujula, Angel Antonio; Dia, Nourou Khalidou

2010-01-01

Water deficits and their associated shortages are serious problems in many areas of the world. The paper presents a multi-criteria analysis for selection of the most suitable system in Mauritania. Six scenarios, different energy sources, technologies of water desalination processes and water use and five criteria are analyzed. The multi-criteria analysis shows that the optimal solution is different for each scenario; in some cases the photovoltaic-reverse osmosis option is preferable; in others, the best option is reverse-osmosis powered by wind energy or concentrating solar parabolic.

Material selection for the tool holder working under hard milling conditions using different multi criteria decision making methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Çalışkan, Halil; Kurşuncu, Bilal; Kurbanoğlu, Cahit; Güven, Şevki Yılmaz

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The material selection problem for tool holders used in hard milling was solved. ► EXPROM2, TOPSIS and VIKOR methods were used for ranking the alternative materials. ► The weighting of criteria was performed by compromised weighting method. ► The best material for the tool holder was selected as Fe–5Cr–Mo–V aircraft steel. -- Abstract: Nowadays machining of materials in their hardened state, also called hard machining, is a challenge in production of tools and molds. It has some advantages such as lower process time and lower manufacturing cost when compared to conventional machining. In machining of hard workpiece materials, however, very high stresses act on the tool holder through the cutting tool. These stresses necessitate the tool holder to have some specific properties. Especially in hard milling, the tool holder should have high stiffness and should be able to dissipate the energy generated during interrupted cutting. Material cost of the tool holder is also important since lower costs provide a competitive advantage for manufacturers. The material selection for the tool holder should be conducted considering aforementioned requirements. To tackle the difficulty of the material selection with specific properties from a large number of alternatives, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods have been used. In this paper a decision model including extended PROMETHEE II (EXPROM2) (preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation), TOPSIS (technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution) and VIKOR (VIšekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje) methods were used for the selection of the best material for the tool holder used in hard milling. The criteria weighting was performed by compromised weighting method composed of AHP (analytic hierarchy process) and Entropy methods. The candidate materials were ranked by using these methods and the results obtained by each method were compared. It was confirmed

34 CFR 225.11 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use in evaluating an application for a Credit...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CREDIT ENHANCEMENT FOR CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES PROGRAM How Does the... school facilities programs, their performance in implementing these grants. (d) Quality of project... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What selection criteria does the Secretary use in...

Assessment of Non-Financial Criteria in the Selection of Investment Projects for Seed Capital Funding: the Contribution of Scientometrics and Patentometrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo da Silva Motta

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to assess the potential of using scientometric and patentometric indicators as a way of instrumentalizing the selection process of projects for seed capital funding. There is an increasing interest in technology based enterprises for their capacity to contribute to economic and social development, but there is also some difficulty in assessing non-financial criteria associated with technology for the purposes of financial funding. Thus, this research selected the case of the first enterprise invested in by the largest seed capital fund in Brazil, in order to create scientific and technological indicators and to assess the extent to which these indicators may contribute to understanding the market potential of the technology once it is assessed. It was concluded that scientometric and patentometric indicators favour the assessment process for non-financial criteria, in particular those criteria dealt with in this study: technology, market, divestment, and team.

Criteria for selection and application of molecular markers for clinical studies of osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Otterness, I G; Swindell, A C

2003-03-01

To develop criteria for the selection and application of molecular markers for the study of osteoarthritis (OA). Statistical criteria for marker selection for OA are developed. After studying more than 20 different molecular markers for monitoring OA, procedures for choosing markers for clinical studies have been developed. For a particular study, the process starts with the markers showing 'face-validity' for monitoring OA. They are next required to successfully distinguish OA patients from controls. This necessitates definition of the distribution of marker values in OA patients and controls. So far, they have been consistently log-normal. The difference (Delta) in marker values between OA and controls defines the opportunity for marker improvement. The between-visit standard deviation (S) in patients puts limits on the detection of marker changes. The two variables can be combined to estimate the practicality of a marker using a modified power analysis. The number of patients (N*) required to observe a 50% improvement with an alpha level of P=0.05 and with 80% certainty is estimated as 50(S/Delta)(2). N*, S and Delta should be used to characterize and compare markers. Marker efficiency can be refined by regressing on secondary variables, such as age, sex, BMI, severity, etc. Finally, the use of two or more markers may be required to improve marker prediction of clinical outcome. Correlated markers can be used to reinforce conclusions by essentially adding replicative data. Independent, complementary markers can be used to develop associations with clinical parameters, and perhaps diagnose and monitor disease status, activities that so far have not been possible with single markers.

Significance of supplier selection criteria evolvment in IT outsourcing to emerging economies: lessons from a global IT outsourcing project

OpenAIRE

Hyvonen, H.; Helminen, M.; Watanabe, C.

2015-01-01

In line with the increasing significance of the acceleration of information technology (IT) advancement and also of harnessing the vigor of emerging economies, IT outsourcing to emerging economies has become global concerns. This enables global companies to enjoy a critical competitive edge by choosing the best option in outsourcing strategy and supplier selection. Consequently, supplier selection criteria have become critical issues for both suppliers and customers. This paper a...

Diagnostic criteria for DCD : Past and future

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien; Schoemaker, Marina; Delabastita, Tijs; Hoskens, Jasmine; Geuze, Reint

The aim of this review was to gather information on how well authors comply to DSM criteria in their description and selection of children with DCD. We investigated which selection criteria were used in experimental and intervention studies published in the last 5 years (2010-2014). Results on 176

Criteria for selecting a CO2/climate change region of study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cushman, R.; Easterling, W.; Rosenberg, N.; Malone, T.; Edmonds, J.; Scott, M.; Stoke, G.

1989-01-01

This effort has three near-term goals: (1) to develop robust methods of analysis including the analysis of uncertainty; (2) to develop information systems to support CO 2 /climate change analysis; and (3) to develop channels of communication among researchers and between researchers and parties potentially affected by CO 2 /climate change. Initially, the program will focus on a single region of the United States, employ a historical analog climate, and analyze the interactions of all of the resources resident within that region as they might evolve under current conditions and under evolving CO 2 /climate change over the next 50 years. Five elements of the program will address the issues of: Analysis, Information Systems, Uncertainty, Knowledge Transfer, and Coordination. This paper will give special attention to the analytical framework and in particular to the criteria for selecting a region for study. 19 refs., 2 figs

ASYMMETRIC PRICE TRANSMISSION MODELING: THE IMPORTANCE OF MODEL COMPLEXITY AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SELECTION CRITERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry de-Graft Acquah

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Information Criteria provides an attractive basis for selecting the best model from a set of competing asymmetric price transmission models or theories. However, little is understood about the sensitivity of the model selection methods to model complexity. This study therefore fits competing asymmetric price transmission models that differ in complexity to simulated data and evaluates the ability of the model selection methods to recover the true model. The results of Monte Carlo experimentation suggest that in general BIC, CAIC and DIC were superior to AIC when the true data generating process was the standard error correction model, whereas AIC was more successful when the true model was the complex error correction model. It is also shown that the model selection methods performed better in large samples for a complex asymmetric data generating process than with a standard asymmetric data generating process. Except for complex models, AIC's performance did not make substantial gains in recovery rates as sample size increased. The research findings demonstrate the influence of model complexity in asymmetric price transmission model comparison and selection.

High-consequence analysis, evaluation, and application of select criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutmanis, I.; Jaksch, J.A.

1984-01-01

A number of characteristics distinguish environmental risk from pollution problems. The characteristics make environmental risk problems harder to manage through existing regulatory, legal, and economic institutions. Hence, technologies involving environmental risk impose on society extremely difficult collective decisions. This paper is concerned with the process of reaching social decisions that involve low-probability, high-consequence outcomes. It is divided into five major parts. Part I contains the introduction. Part II reviews the two main classes of criteria that have been proposed for social decisions: approaches based on market mechanisms and their extension, and approaches associated with Rawls and Buchanan, which not only focus on outcomes, but also impose a set of minimal constraints on the process for reaching decisions and social consensus. Part III proposes a set of eight criteria for evaluating social decision processes. In Parts IV and V we investigate applying the criteria to two case studies -- one on nuclear waste disposal and the other on transportation of liquefied natural gas

Investigating the Effect of Normalization Norms in Flexible Manufacturing Sytem Selection Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasenjit Chatterjee

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to assess the effect of different normalization norms within multi-criteria decisionmaking (MADM models. Three well accepted MCDM tools, namely, preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE, grey relation analysis (GRA and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS methods are applied for solving a flexible manufacturing system (FMS selection problem in a discrete manufacturing environment. Finally, by the introduction of different normalization norms to the decision algorithms, its effct on the FMS selection problem using these MCDM models are also studied.

Fine mapping quantitative trait loci under selective phenotyping strategies based on linkage and linkage disequilibrium criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ansari-Mahyari, S; Berg, P; Lund, M S

2009-01-01

disequilibrium-based sampling criteria (LDC) for selecting individuals to phenotype are compared to random phenotyping in a quantitative trait loci (QTL) verification experiment using stochastic simulation. Several strategies based on LAC and LDC for selecting the most informative 30%, 40% or 50% of individuals...... for phenotyping to extract maximum power and precision in a QTL fine mapping experiment were developed and assessed. Linkage analyses for the mapping was performed for individuals sampled on LAC within families and combined linkage disequilibrium and linkage analyses was performed for individuals sampled across...... the whole population based on LDC. The results showed that selecting individuals with similar haplotypes to the paternal haplotypes (minimum recombination criterion) using LAC compared to random phenotyping gave at least the same power to detect a QTL but decreased the accuracy of the QTL position. However...

Characterization of Emissions from Building Products: Selection Criteria, Storage and Handling of Indoor Materials for Experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjær, Ulla Dorte; Nielsen, Peter A.; Marcussen, Lis

1996-01-01

In research projects it is usually impossible to study more than a very limited aount of different products. Care and consideration must therefore be taken in the selection. The following criteria were used to select five products for chemical and sensory emission testing: The products should...... be indoor climate relevant, meaning that they should be in direct contact with indoor air when used in buildings, and their emission should contribute significantly to the indoor air concentrations for instance due to a large surface area. They should be representative in terms of being widely used, now...... that the emission mechanisms do not change as a consequence of physical processes or chemical reactions. The five products selected were PVC flooring, waterborne varnish on beechwood parquet, carpet, sealant, and waterborne paint on gypsum board. The products were brought to the laboratory immediately after...

Selection criteria for patients with chronic ankle instability in controlled research: a position statement of the International Ankle Consortium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gribble, P.A.; Delahunt, E.; Bleakley, C.M.; Caulfield, B.; Docherty, C.L.; Fong, D.T.; Fourchet, F.; Hertel, J.; Hiller, C.E.; Kaminski, T.W.; McKeon, P.O.; Refshauge, K.M.; Wees, P.J. van der; Vicenzino, W.; Wikstrom, E.A.

2014-01-01

While research on chronic ankle instability (CAI) and awareness of its impact on society and health care systems has grown substantially in the last 2 decades, the inconsistency in participant or patient selection criteria across studies presents a potential obstacle to addressing the problem

Selection criteria for patients with chronic ankle instability in controlled research: a position statement of the International Ankle Consortium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gribble, P.A.; Delahunt, E.; Bleakley, C.; Caulfield, B.; Docherty, C.; Fourchet, F.; Fong, D.T.; Hertel, J.; Hiller, C.; Kaminski, T.; McKeon, P.; Refshauge, K.; Wees, P.J. van der; Vincenzino, B.; Wikstrom, E.

2014-01-01

While research on chronic ankle instability (CAI) and awareness of its impact on society and health care systems has grown substantially in the last 2 decades, the inconsistency in participant/patient selection criteria across studies presents a potential obstacle to addressing the problem properly.

Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 3: Environmental issues and evaluation criteria for photovoltaic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, John C.; Billitti, Joseph W.; Tallon, John M.

1979-01-01

The environmental issues and evaluation criteria relating to the suitability of sites proposed for photovoltaic (PV) system deployment are identified. The important issues are defined, briefly discussed and then developed into evaluation criteria. System designers are provided with information on the environmental sensitivity of PV systems in realistic applications, background material which indicates the applicability of the siting issues identified, and evaluation criteria are defined to facilitate the selection of sites that maximize PV system operation.

Defining criteria related to wastes for use in multi-criteria decision tool for nuclear accidents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Diogo N.G.; Guimaraes, Jean R.D., E-mail: dneves@biof.ufrj.br, E-mail: jeanrdg@biof.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho; Rochedo, Elaine R.R.; De Luca, Christiano, E-mail: elainerochedo@gmail.com, E-mail: christiano_luca@hotmail.com [Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear; Rochedo, Pedro R.R., E-mail: rochedopedro@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Instituto Alberto Luiz Coimbra de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa de Engenharia

2013-07-01

The selection of protective measures and strategies for remediation of contaminated areas after a nuclear accident must be based on previously established criteria in order to prevent stress of the population and the unnecessary exposure of workers. After a nuclear accident resulting in environmental contamination, decisions on remediation of areas is complex due to the large numbers of factors involved in decontamination processes. This work is part of a project which aims to develop a multi-criteria tool to support a decision-making process in cases of a radiological or a nuclear accident in Brazil. First, a database of remediation strategies for contaminated areas was created. In this process, the most relevant aspects for the implementation of these strategies were considered, including technical criteria regarding aspects related to the generation of wastes in a reference urban area, which are discussed in this paper. The specific objective of this study is to define criteria for the aspects of radioactive wastes, resulted by the implementation of some urban measures, in order to be incorporated in a multi-criteria decision tool. Main aspects considered were the type, the amount and the type of treatment necessary for each procedure. The decontamination procedures are then classified according to the selected criteria in order to feed the multi-criteria decision tool. This paper describes the steps for the establishment of these criteria and evaluates the potential for future applications in order to improve predictions and to support the decisions to be made. (author)

Defining criteria related to wastes for use in multi-criteria decision tool for nuclear accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Diogo N.G.; Guimaraes, Jean R.D.; Rochedo, Elaine R.R.; De Luca, Christiano; Rochedo, Pedro R.R.

2013-01-01

The selection of protective measures and strategies for remediation of contaminated areas after a nuclear accident must be based on previously established criteria in order to prevent stress of the population and the unnecessary exposure of workers. After a nuclear accident resulting in environmental contamination, decisions on remediation of areas is complex due to the large numbers of factors involved in decontamination processes. This work is part of a project which aims to develop a multi-criteria tool to support a decision-making process in cases of a radiological or a nuclear accident in Brazil. First, a database of remediation strategies for contaminated areas was created. In this process, the most relevant aspects for the implementation of these strategies were considered, including technical criteria regarding aspects related to the generation of wastes in a reference urban area, which are discussed in this paper. The specific objective of this study is to define criteria for the aspects of radioactive wastes, resulted by the implementation of some urban measures, in order to be incorporated in a multi-criteria decision tool. Main aspects considered were the type, the amount and the type of treatment necessary for each procedure. The decontamination procedures are then classified according to the selected criteria in order to feed the multi-criteria decision tool. This paper describes the steps for the establishment of these criteria and evaluates the potential for future applications in order to improve predictions and to support the decisions to be made. (author)

Implementation of multi-criteria decision making approach for the team leader selection in IT sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandhya

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the era of technology, the demand of the software development increases at a very high speed, as software has touched the human’s life in all aspects. The better quality software development acquiring minimum development time leads to the team work in which a group of people has been formed that work together in a team for the software development. One of the most signifi-cant issues in effective and efficient teamwork is the team leader selection because the team lead-er is the person in any team that is going to handle all types of managerial activities such as lead-ership, motivation to others, etc. The team leader selection process may be dependent on numer-ous conflicting selection indexes that make it a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM prob-lem. In the present research, an MCDM approach namely, Euclidean Distance Based Approxi-mation (EDBA which is based on the calculation of the composite distance value for each alter-native from a hypothetical optimal point is presented. The result of this study provides a compre-hensive ranking of team leaders that leads to the right selection of team leader in information technology (IT sector.

Habitat suitability criteria via parametric distributions: estimation, model selection and uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Som, Nicholas A.; Goodman, Damon H.; Perry, Russell W.; Hardy, Thomas B.

2016-01-01

Previous methods for constructing univariate habitat suitability criteria (HSC) curves have ranged from professional judgement to kernel-smoothed density functions or combinations thereof. We present a new method of generating HSC curves that applies probability density functions as the mathematical representation of the curves. Compared with previous approaches, benefits of our method include (1) estimation of probability density function parameters directly from raw data, (2) quantitative methods for selecting among several candidate probability density functions, and (3) concise methods for expressing estimation uncertainty in the HSC curves. We demonstrate our method with a thorough example using data collected on the depth of water used by juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) in the Klamath River of northern California and southern Oregon. All R code needed to implement our example is provided in the appendix. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

A multi-criteria analysis approach for ranking and selection of microorganisms for the production of oils for biodiesel production.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Farah B; Zhang, Zhanying; Doherty, William O S; O'Hara, Ian M

2015-08-01

Oleaginous microorganisms have potential to be used to produce oils as alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Microalgae (Chlorella protothecoides and Chlorella zofingiensis), yeasts (Cryptococcus albidus and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa), and fungi (Aspergillus oryzae and Mucor plumbeus) were investigated for their ability to produce oil from glucose, xylose and glycerol. Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and preference ranking organization method for the enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE) with graphical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA), was used to rank and select the preferred microorganisms for oil production for biodiesel application. This was based on a number of criteria viz., oil concentration, content, production rate and yield, substrate consumption rate, fatty acids composition, biomass harvesting and nutrient costs. PROMETHEE selected A. oryzae, M. plumbeus and R. mucilaginosa as the most prospective species for oil production. However, further analysis by GAIA Webs identified A. oryzae and M. plumbeus as the best performing microorganisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-criteria site selection for fire services: the interaction with analytic hierarchy process and geographic information systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Erden

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This study combines AHP and GIS to provide decision makers with a model to ensure optimal site location(s for fire stations selected. The roles of AHP and GIS in determining optimal locations are explained, criteria for site selection are outlined, and case study results for finding the optimal fire station locations in Istanbul, Turkey are included. The city of Istanbul has about 13 million residents and is the largest and most populated city in Turkey. The rapid and constant growth of Istanbul has resulted in the increased number of fire related cases. Fire incidents tend to increase year by year in parallel with city expansion, population and hazardous material facilities. Istanbul has seen a rise in reported fire incidents from 12 769 in 1994 to 30 089 in 2009 according to the interim report of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Department of Fire Brigade. The average response time was approximately 7 min 3 s in 2009. The goal of this study is to propose optimal sites for new fire station creation to allow the Fire Brigade in Istanbul to reduce the average response time to 5 min or less. After determining the necessity of suggesting additional fire stations, the following steps are taken into account: six criteria are considered in this analysis. They are: High Population Density (HPD; Proximity to Main Roads (PMR; Distance from Existing Fire Stations (DEF; Distance from Hazardous Material Facilities (DHM; Wooden Building Density (WBD; and Distance from the Areas Subjected to Earthquake Risk (DER. DHM criterion, with the weight of 40%, is the most important criterion in this analysis. The remaining criteria have a weight range from 9% to 16%. Moreover, the following steps are performed: representation of criterion map layers in GIS environment; classification of raster datasets; calculating the result raster map (suitability map for potential fire stations; and offering a model that supports decision makers in selecting fire station sites

CCS site characterisation criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bachu, S.; Hawkes, C.; Lawton, D.; Pooladi-Darvish, M.; Perkins, E.

2009-12-15

IEA GHG recently commissioned the Alberta Research Counil in Canada to conduct a review of storage site selection criteria and site characterisation methods in order to produce a synthesis report. This report reviews the literature on the subject on the site seleciton and characterisation since the publication of the IPCC Special Report on CCS, and provides a synthesis and classification of criteria. 161 refs.

Medical student selection criteria as predictors of intended rural practice following graduation.

Science.gov (United States)

Puddey, Ian B; Mercer, Annette; Playford, Denese E; Pougnault, Sue; Riley, Geoffrey J

2014-10-14

Recruiting medical students from a rural background, together with offering them opportunities for prolonged immersion in rural clinical training environments, both lead to increased participation in the rural workforce after graduation. We have now assessed the extent to which medical students' intentions to practice rurally may also be predicted by either medical school selection criteria and/or student socio-demographic profiles. The study cohort included 538 secondary school-leaver entrants to The University of Western Australia Medical School from 2006 to 2011. On entry they completed a questionnaire indicating intention for either urban or rural practice following graduation. Selection factors (standardised interview score, percentile score from the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) and prior academic performance (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank), together with socio-demographic factors (age, gender, decile for the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) and an index of rurality) were examined in relation to intended rural or urban destination of practice. In multivariate logistic regression, students from a rural background had a nearly 8-fold increase in the odds of intention to practice rurally after graduation compared to those from urban backgrounds (OR 7.84, 95% CI 4.10, 14.99, P practice rurally (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.69, 11.22, P medical school entry may have the unintended consequence of selecting fewer graduates interested in a rural practice destination. Increased efforts to recruit students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may be beneficial in terms of an ultimate intended rural practice destination.

Comparison of imaging selection criteria for intra-arterial thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke with advanced CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Eung Yeop; Goh, Byeong Ho; Shin, Dong Hoon; Noh, Young; Lee, Yeong-Bae

2016-01-01

To compare two selection criteria (noncontrast CT [NCCT] with multi-phase CT Angiography [MPCTA] and CT perfusion [CTP]) for the determination of eligibility for thrombectomy. We retrospectively enrolled 71 patients who underwent head NCCT, 9.6-cm CTP, and craniocervical single-phase CTA (SPCTA) within 6 hours of onset. The simulated MPCTA was reconstructed from 1-mm CTP images for assessment of collateral circulation. Infarct core (relative CBF < 30 %) and penumbra (Tmax > 6 seconds) volumes were measured. The infarct core < 70 mL with a mismatch ratio > 1.2 (CTP-A), infarct core ≤ 40 mL with a mismatch ratio > 1.8 (CTP-B), and ASPECTS > 5 with good collaterals (50 % ≥ MCA territory) were used to determine eligibility for thrombectomy. SPCTA was compared with the simulated MPCTA for assessment of collaterals. CTP-B determined that 11 patients were ineligible for thrombectomy, of which three were eligible by NCCT with MPCTA and 6 by CTP-A. CTP-A and CTP-B showed discrepancy in determining eligibility for thrombectomy between NCCT with MPCTA in three patients each, rendering no significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). The number of patients with poor collaterals was significantly higher on SPCTA than MPCTA (n = 22 and 6 respectively; P < 0.0001). The two imaging selection criteria (NCCT with MPCTA and CTP) were statistically comparable for determining eligibility for thrombectomy. (orig.)

Multi-Criteria Knapsack Problem for Disease Selection in an Observation Ward

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lurkittikul, N; Kittithreerapronchai, O

2014-01-01

The aging population and the introduction of Thailand universal healthcare have increased inpatients and outpatients to public hospitals, particularly to a hospital that provides special and comprehensive health services. Many inpatient wards have experienced large influx of inpatients as the hospitals have to admit all patients regardless their conditions. These overcrowding wards cause stress to medical staffs, block access between medical departments, hospital-acquired infections, and ineffective uses of resources. One way to manage such inundated inpatient is to select some patients whose conditions require less clinical attention or whose lengths of stay are predictable and short and, then, place them at an observation ward. This intermediate ward increases turnover of beds and reduces unnecessary paperwork as patients are considered to be outpatients. In this article, we studied inpatient data of a tertiary care hospital in which an observation ward was considered to alleviate the overcrowding problem at Internal Medicine Department. The analysis of data showed that the hospital can balance inpatient flow by managing a group of patients who is admitted because of treatments ordered by its special clinics. Having explored several alternatives, we suggested patient selection criteria and proposed a layout at an observation ward. The hospital should increase medical beds in a new building ward because the current observation ward can handle 27.3% of total short stay patients, while the observation ward is projected to handle 80% of total short stay patients

Multi-Criteria Knapsack Problem for Disease Selection in an Observation Ward

Science.gov (United States)

Lurkittikul, N.; Kittithreerapronchai, O.

2014-06-01

The aging population and the introduction of Thailand universal healthcare have increased inpatients and outpatients to public hospitals, particularly to a hospital that provides special and comprehensive health services. Many inpatient wards have experienced large influx of inpatients as the hospitals have to admit all patients regardless their conditions. These overcrowding wards cause stress to medical staffs, block access between medical departments, hospital-acquired infections, and ineffective uses of resources. One way to manage such inundated inpatient is to select some patients whose conditions require less clinical attention or whose lengths of stay are predictable and short and, then, place them at an observation ward. This intermediate ward increases turnover of beds and reduces unnecessary paperwork as patients are considered to be outpatients. In this article, we studied inpatient data of a tertiary care hospital in which an observation ward was considered to alleviate the overcrowding problem at Internal Medicine Department. The analysis of data showed that the hospital can balance inpatient flow by managing a group of patients who is admitted because of treatments ordered by its special clinics. Having explored several alternatives, we suggested patient selection criteria and proposed a layout at an observation ward. The hospital should increase medical beds in a new building ward because the current observation ward can handle 27.3% of total short stay patients, while the observation ward is projected to handle 80% of total short stay patients.

34 CFR 226.12 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use in evaluating an application for a State Charter...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES INCENTIVE PROGRAM How Does the... facilities on a per-pupil basis. (b) Quality of plan. (1) The likelihood that the proposed grant project will... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What selection criteria does the Secretary use in...

Traction batteries for industrial trucks. Technical aspects, selection criteria, operation. Antriebsbatterien fuer Flurfoerderzeuge. Technik, Auswahlkriterien und Betrieb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roedig, W

1987-01-01

This lavishly illustrated booklet presents an introduction to the technology of the lead battery, which is commonly used as traction battery for industrial trucks. Technical specifications and standards, selection criteria for batteries and the novel CSM battery technology are mentioned. Most of the book deals with the practical aspects of batteries, e.g. installation, starting, maintenance, servicing, battery change, battery charging, monitoring, measurement, etc.). Battery recycling is briefly gone into.

Accident analysis and DOE criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graf, J.M.; Elder, J.C.

1982-01-01

In analyzing the radiological consequences of major accidents at DOE facilities one finds that many facilities fall so far below the limits of DOE Order 6430 that compliance is easily demonstrated by simple analysis. For those cases where the amount of radioactive material and the dispersive energy available are enough for accident consequences to approach the limits, the models and assumptions used become critical. In some cases the models themselves are the difference between meeting the criteria or not meeting them. Further, in one case, we found that not only did the selection of models determine compliance but the selection of applicable criteria from different chapters of Order 6430 also made the difference. DOE has recognized the problem of different criteria in different chapters applying to one facility, and has proceeded to make changes for the sake of consistency. We have proposed to outline the specific steps needed in an accident analysis and suggest appropriate models, parameters, and assumptions. As a result we feed DOE siting and design criteria will be more fairly and consistently applied

Multi-criteria decision making in the selection of machining parameters for Inconel 718

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thirumalai, R.; Senthilkumaar, J. S.

2013-01-01

Taguchi's methods and design of experiments are invariably used and adopted as quality improvement techniques in several manufacturing industries as tools for offline quality control. These methods optimize single-response processes. However, Taguchi's method is not appropriate for optimizing a multi-response problem. In other situations, multi-responses need to be optimized simultaneously. This paper presents multi-response optimization techniques. A set of non-dominated solutions are obtained using non-sorted genetic algorithm for multi-objective functions. Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) is proposed in this work for selecting a single solution from nondominated solutions. This paper addresses a new method of MCDM concept based on technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). TOPSIS determines the shortest distance to the positive-ideal solution and the greatest distance from the negative-ideal solution. This work involves the high-speed machining of Inconel 718 using carbide cutting tool with six objective functions that are considered as attributes against the process variables of cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut. The higher-ranked solution is selected as the best solution for the machining of Inconel 718 in its respective environment.

Multi-criteria decision making in the selection of machining parameters for Inconel 718

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thirumalai, R. [SNS College of Technology, Coimbatore (India); Senthilkumaar, J. S. [Bharathithasan Engineering College, Nattrampalli (India)

2013-04-15

Taguchi's methods and design of experiments are invariably used and adopted as quality improvement techniques in several manufacturing industries as tools for offline quality control. These methods optimize single-response processes. However, Taguchi's method is not appropriate for optimizing a multi-response problem. In other situations, multi-responses need to be optimized simultaneously. This paper presents multi-response optimization techniques. A set of non-dominated solutions are obtained using non-sorted genetic algorithm for multi-objective functions. Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) is proposed in this work for selecting a single solution from nondominated solutions. This paper addresses a new method of MCDM concept based on technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). TOPSIS determines the shortest distance to the positive-ideal solution and the greatest distance from the negative-ideal solution. This work involves the high-speed machining of Inconel 718 using carbide cutting tool with six objective functions that are considered as attributes against the process variables of cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut. The higher-ranked solution is selected as the best solution for the machining of Inconel 718 in its respective environment.

Testing some of Benjamin Graham’s Stock Selection Criteria: A Case of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia EMAS Index from Year 2000 to 2009

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Desmond Chang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Benjamin Graham, also known as the “father of value investing” proposed that investment in the stock exchange can be a safe endeavor while receiving gains that outperform the market if the investor makes carefully thought out purchases. This study aims to determine if the use of some of Benjamin Graham’s stock selection criteria is able to generate returns that are significantly greater than the returns in the stock exchange of Malaysia, particularly, the comprehensive FTSE Bursa Malaysia EMAS Index. This study collected secondary data regarding fundamentals of companies listed in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia EMAS Index from the year 2000 to 2009. Five criteria were set up in this research based on one or a combination of price-to-earnings ratio, price-to-book value, current ratio and dividend yield. The listed companies were screened using those criteria. An equally weighted portfolio was created using the screened companies and their one-year and two-year returns calculated. The returns were compared to the market return. Hypotheses of this research were tested using t-test statistic to determine the significance of the data. This research found that most of the screening criteria used generated returns that were higher than the market return in almost every year they were tested in. Benjamin Graham’s stock selection criteria although have been conceived over 80 years ago is still applicable today in the Malaysian market. Further research can be conducted with different criteria with varying holding periods and in different markets.

Selection of response criteria for clinical trials of sarcoma treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuetze, Scott M; Baker, Laurence H; Benjamin, Robert S; Canetta, Renzo

2008-01-01

Soft tissue sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of malignancies arising from mesenchymal tissues. A large number of new therapies are being evaluated in patients with sarcomas, and consensus criteria defining treatment responses are essential for comparison of results from studies completed by different research groups. The 1979 World Health Organization (WHO) handbook set forth operationally defined criteria for response evaluation in solid tumors that were updated in 2000 with the publication of the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). There have been significant advances in tumor imaging, however, that are not reflected in the RECIST. For example, computed tomography (CT) slice thickness has been reduced from 10 mm to < or =2.5 mm, allowing for more reproducible and accurate measurement of smaller lesions. Combination of imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography with fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG-PET) and CT can provide investigators and clinicians with both anatomical and functional information regarding tumors, and there is now a large body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of PET/CT and other newer imaging methods for the detection and staging of tumors as well as early determination of responses to therapy. The application of newer imaging methods has the potential to decrease both the sample sizes required for, and duration of, clinical trials by providing an early indication of therapeutic response that is well correlated with clinical outcomes, such as time to tumor progression or overall survival. The results summarized in this review support the conclusion that the RECIST and the WHO criteria for evaluation of response in solid tumors need to be modernized. In addition, there is a current need for prospective trials to compare new response criteria with established endpoints and to validate imaging-based response rates as surrogate endpoints for clinical trials of new agents for sarcoma and other solid

A review of odour impact criteria in selected countries around the world.

Science.gov (United States)

Brancher, Marlon; Griffiths, K David; Franco, Davide; de Melo Lisboa, Henrique

2017-02-01

Exposure to environmental odour can result in annoyance, health effects and depreciation of property values. Therefore, many jurisdictions classify odour as an atmospheric pollutant and regulate emissions and/or impacts from odour generating activities at a national, state or municipal level. In this work, a critical review of odour regulations in selected jurisdictions of 28 countries is presented. Individual approaches were identified as: comparing ambient air odour concentration and individual chemicals statistics against impact criteria (maximum impact standard); using fixed and variable separation distances (separation distance standard); maximum emission rate for mixtures of odorants and individual chemical species (maximum emission standard); number of complaints received or annoyance level determined via community surveys (maximum annoyance standard); and requiring use of best available technologies (BAT) to minimize odour emissions (technology standard). The comparison of model-predicted odour concentration statistics against odour impact criteria (OIC) is identified as one of the most common tools used by regulators to evaluate the risk of odour impacts in planning stage assessments and is also used to inform assessment of odour impacts of existing facilities. Special emphasis is given to summarizing OIC (concentration percentile and threshold) and the manner in which they are applied. The way short term odour peak to model time-step mean (peak-to-mean) effects is also captured. Furthermore, the fundamentals of odorant properties, dimensions of nuisance odour, odour sampling and analysis methods and dispersion modelling guidance are provided. Common elements of mature and effective odour regulation frameworks are identified and an integrated multi-tool strategy is recommended. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CRITERIA OF LANGUAGE AND PROGRAMMING ENVIRONMENT SELECTION FOR USE IN THE CAPACITY OF EDUCATIONAL AIDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petro H. Shevchuk

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The role of educational aids is to a large degree treated to be determinative in provision with its efficiency. The languages and programming environments are stated in the article as those that belong to educational aids. The criteria and backgrounds of their selection for educational purpose at the lessons of programming at comprehensive school are treated in the article. The examples of principle characteristics comparison of Pascal and C# are also cited. The article points at the necessity of further analysis of programming languages sampling for use as educational aids in teaching programming.

Booster Main Engine Selection Criteria for the Liquid Fly-Back Booster

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Richard M.; Rothschild, William J.; Christensen, David L.

1998-01-01

The Liquid Fly-Back Booster (LFBB) Program seeks to enhance the Space Shuttle system safety performance and economy of operations through the use of an advanced, liquid propellant Booster Main Engine (BME). There are several viable BME candidates that could be suitable for this application. The objective of this study was to identify the key criteria to be applied in selecting among these BME candidates. This study involved an assessment of influences on the overall LFBB utility due to variations in the candidate rocket engines' characteristics. This includes BME impacts on vehicle system weight, perfortnance,design approaches, abort modes, margins of safety, engine-out operations, and maintenance and support concepts. Systems engineering analyses and trade studies were performed to identify the LFBB system level sensitivities to a wide variety of BME related parameters. This presentation summarizes these trade studies and the resulting findings of the LFBB design teams regarding the BME characteristics that most significantly affect the LFBB system. The resulting BME choice should offer the best combination of reliability, performance, reusability, robustness, cost, and risk for the LFBB program.

Application of risk-based multiple criteria decision analysis for selection of the best agricultural scenario for effective watershed management.

Science.gov (United States)

Javidi Sabbaghian, Reza; Zarghami, Mahdi; Nejadhashemi, A Pouyan; Sharifi, Mohammad Bagher; Herman, Matthew R; Daneshvar, Fariborz

2016-03-01

Effective watershed management requires the evaluation of agricultural best management practice (BMP) scenarios which carefully consider the relevant environmental, economic, and social criteria involved. In the Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) process, scenarios are first evaluated and then ranked to determine the most desirable outcome for the particular watershed. The main challenge of this process is the accurate identification of the best solution for the watershed in question, despite the various risk attitudes presented by the associated decision-makers (DMs). This paper introduces a novel approach for implementation of the MCDM process based on a comparative neutral risk/risk-based decision analysis, which results in the selection of the most desirable scenario for use in the entire watershed. At the sub-basin level, each scenario includes multiple BMPs with scores that have been calculated using the criteria derived from two cases of neutral risk and risk-based decision-making. The simple additive weighting (SAW) operator is applied for use in neutral risk decision-making, while the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) and induced OWA (IOWA) operators are effective for risk-based decision-making. At the watershed level, the BMP scores of the sub-basins are aggregated to calculate each scenarios' combined goodness measurements; the most desirable scenario for the entire watershed is then selected based on the combined goodness measurements. Our final results illustrate the type of operator and risk attitudes needed to satisfy the relevant criteria within the number of sub-basins, and how they ultimately affect the final ranking of the given scenarios. The methodology proposed here has been successfully applied to the Honeyoey Creek-Pine Creek watershed in Michigan, USA to evaluate various BMP scenarios and determine the best solution for both the stakeholders and the overall stream health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Criteria for the Selection of Tourism Destinations by Students from Different Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dębski Maciej

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to identify selected aspects of the management of information about prospective tourist destinations by young people (students from Canada, Poland, and Trinidad and Tobago. On the basis of a questionnaire study, the ranking of preferences of respondents (i.e., the main criteria of destination choice has been presented. Students were selected as respondents - as a “convenient sample” - in this privately funded study. A variety of aspects related to comfort (and convenience and attractiveness have been identified as most important to the choice of destination. These are also leading motives that may form a platform for advertising campaigns and suggestions for regional development. This examination has been done mainly with the use of analysis of averages, Spearman correlation coefficients, and various approaches to factor analysis. It turns out that despite very different characteristics of respondents from the three countries, both their preferences and motives for promotion of the destination are very similar. Conclusions can be helpful for travel agencies and those responsible for the development of tourism infrastructure, as well as for the organization of further studies on the subject. The combination of various statistical tools used when examining the subject and the finding - that is, the similarity of preferences between travelers - can be regarded as new value when examining the subject.

The Criteria of Love: Trait Desirability of Filipino Youth on Mate Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Racidon P. Bernarte

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In choosing a life partner, making a ‘good match’ is what everyone hopes for. Usually we have the habit of thinking on how many potential mates are sitting around? And with that, how many would you be attracted and attached to, and how many person you’d probably never date? To find out the relevance of the claim, this quantitative study was designed to know the desirable traits being considered by the Filipino youth in selecting their potential mate, and how male and female differ in their preferences. A total of 400 Filipino university students with the age of 15 to 23 years old participated in the study through self-administered survey. General findings revealed that over the 6 trait dimensions: Physical Traits; Social Traits; Personality Traits; Skills; Achievements; and Spiritual Traits—male and female have significant difference in their trait preference in choosing their mate. Though there are traits that fall under the same degree of importance, women still have higher preference in mate selection criteria as compared to men in all traits. Overall, the trait preferences of the respondents were critically influenced by their sex. Nevertheless, this study clearly suggests the similarity that men and women put importance to traits which can help them develop and maintain an intimate and strong interpersonal relationship with their mate.

Dual Kidney Transplantation: Evaluation of Recipient Selection Criteria at Niguarda Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Mariani, A; Ferla, F; De Carlis, R; Rossetti, O; Covucci, E; Tripepi, M; Concone, G; Lauterio, A; Mangoni, I; De Carlis, L

2016-03-01

Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) is a largely accepted strategy to enlarge the donor pool. Niguarda Hospital started this program in December 2010, and 38 DKT have been performed. In our series, we included recipients older than those in the other series published in literature. The aim of this study was to know if our recipient selection criteria for DKT are safe. We reviewed our data base of DKT and analyzed recipients' medical history, surgical technique, post-operative complications, graft survival, morbidity, and mortality. We then compared our results with the literature. From December 2010 to April 2015, 38 DKT were performed in Niguarda Hospital. Delayed graft function was present in 21 recipients. Explantation of both kidneys was performed in 1 patient and explantation of 1 kidney in 6 patients. Post-operative complications were present in 8 patients. Five patients returned to hemodialysis after DKT. One recipient died of medical post-operative sepsis. The mean follow-up was 24 months. Graft survival and patient survival were 86.84% and 97.93%, respectively. Compared with the literature, our series had similar mortality and morbidity rates, even if recipients' age was higher than in other series. The strategy of DKT allocation in elderly recipients is safe. Further studies have to be performed to optimized selection of the recipients for DKT not to disadvantage younger patients in the transplant waiting list and to improve the technique of organ evaluation and preservation to refine graft allocation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The criteria for selecting a method for unfolding neutron spectra based on the information entropy theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Qingjun; Song, Fengquan; Ren, Jie; Chen, Xueyong; Zhou, Bin

2014-01-01

To further expand the application of an artificial neural network in the field of neutron spectrometry, the criteria for choosing between an artificial neural network and the maximum entropy method for the purpose of unfolding neutron spectra was presented. The counts of the Bonner spheres for IAEA neutron spectra were used as a database, and the artificial neural network and the maximum entropy method were used to unfold neutron spectra; the mean squares of the spectra were defined as the differences between the desired and unfolded spectra. After the information entropy of each spectrum was calculated using information entropy theory, the relationship between the mean squares of the spectra and the information entropy was acquired. Useful information from the information entropy guided the selection of unfolding methods. Due to the importance of the information entropy, the method for predicting the information entropy using the Bonner spheres' counts was established. The criteria based on the information entropy theory can be used to choose between the artificial neural network and the maximum entropy method unfolding methods. The application of an artificial neural network to unfold neutron spectra was expanded. - Highlights: • Two neutron spectra unfolding methods, ANN and MEM, were compared. • The spectrum's entropy offers useful information for selecting unfolding methods. • For the spectrum with low entropy, the ANN was generally better than MEM. • The spectrum's entropy was predicted based on the Bonner spheres' counts

Scarab/Saffron Development Project Case study: Material Selection Criteria for the Monoethylene Glycol Recovery Package

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moussa, A.M.; Habib, S.; Shinaishin, A.

2004-01-01

MEG Recovery Unit for Scarab/Saffron development project is the first application in gas production. The Mono Ethylene Glycol Recovery Unit (MEG) recovers MEG from Water/MEG stream and removes salts and other contaminants. MEG Recovery Unit Equipment Design Criteria were designed for two parallel trains A and B, each train is capable to treat 500 bbl MEG, 1500 bbl water and 9 ton salt. The MEG unit is a combination of two unit operations; MEG Recovery unit is normally applicable in the oil and gas industries that is applying distillation technique, while the new technology is salt treatment and handling. The MEG Unit material selection is made to be suitable for the entire design life which is 25 years, the materials for MEG Recovery Unit have been selected among the available corrosion resistance alloys, where requested by the service and ambient conditions. Therefore all. the parts of the MEG unit that are in saline service are in either (2205 duplex, AISI 316L) and in Inconel alloy 625 related to operating temperature. This case study focused at Inconel alloy 625, which is selected for salt service and their operation problem occurred during the construction and operating conditions

Experimental Evaluation of Suitability of Selected Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods for Large-Scale Agent-Based Simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tučník, Petr; Bureš, Vladimír

2016-01-01

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) can be formally implemented by various methods. This study compares suitability of four selected MCDM methods, namely WPM, TOPSIS, VIKOR, and PROMETHEE, for future applications in agent-based computational economic (ACE) models of larger scale (i.e., over 10 000 agents in one geographical region). These four MCDM methods were selected according to their appropriateness for computational processing in ACE applications. Tests of the selected methods were conducted on four hardware configurations. For each method, 100 tests were performed, which represented one testing iteration. With four testing iterations conducted on each hardware setting and separated testing of all configurations with the-server parameter de/activated, altogether, 12800 data points were collected and consequently analyzed. An illustrational decision-making scenario was used which allows the mutual comparison of all of the selected decision making methods. Our test results suggest that although all methods are convenient and can be used in practice, the VIKOR method accomplished the tests with the best results and thus can be recommended as the most suitable for simulations of large-scale agent-based models.

Landfill Site Selection by AHP Based Multi-criteria Decision Making Tool: A Case Study in Kolkata, India

Science.gov (United States)

Majumdar, Ankush; Hazra, Tumpa; Dutta, Amit

2017-09-01

This work presents a Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tool to select a landfill site from three candidate sites proposed for Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area that complies with accessibility, receptor, environment, public acceptability, geological and economic criteria. Analytical Hierarchy Process has been used to solve the MCDM problem. Suitability of the three sites (viz. Natagachi, Gangajoara and Kharamba) as landfills as proposed by KMC has been checked by Landfill Site Sensitivity Index (LSSI) as well as Economic Viability Index (EVI). Land area availability for disposing huge quantity of Municipal Solid Waste for the design period has been checked. Analysis of the studied sites show that they are moderately suitable for landfill facility construction as both LSSI and EVI scores lay between 300 and 750. The proposed approach represents an effective MCDM tool for siting sanitary landfill in growing metropolitan cities of developing countries like India.

Computer code selection criteria for flow and transport code(s) to be used in undisturbed vadose zone calculations for TWRS environmental analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, F.M.

1998-01-01

The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) is responsible for the safe storage, retrieval, and disposal of waste currently being held in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford Site. In order to successfully carry out its mission, TWRS must perform environmental analyses describing the consequences of tank contents leaking from tanks and associated facilities during the storage, retrieval, or closure periods and immobilized low-activity tank waste contaminants leaving disposal facilities. Because of the large size of the facilities and the great depth of the dry zone (known as the vadose zone) underneath the facilities, sophisticated computer codes are needed to model the transport of the tank contents or contaminants. This document presents the code selection criteria for those vadose zone analyses (a subset of the above analyses) where the hydraulic properties of the vadose zone are constant in time the geochemical behavior of the contaminant-soil interaction can be described by simple models, and the geologic or engineered structures are complicated enough to require a two-or three dimensional model. Thus, simple analyses would not need to use the fairly sophisticated codes which would meet the selection criteria in this document. Similarly, those analyses which involve complex chemical modeling (such as those analyses involving large tank leaks or those analyses involving the modeling of contaminant release from glass waste forms) are excluded. The analyses covered here are those where the movement of contaminants can be relatively simply calculated from the moisture flow. These code selection criteria are based on the information from the low-level waste programs of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission as well as experience gained in the DOE Complex in applying these criteria. Appendix table A-1 provides a comparison between the criteria in these documents and those used here. This document does not define the models (that

Total pancreatectomy for recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis: a critical review of patient selection criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Faghih, Mahya; Gonzalez, Francisco Garcia; Makary, Martin A.; Singh, Vikesh K.

2018-01-01

Purpose of review Critical review of the indications for total pancreatectomy and highlight limitations in current diagnostic criteria for chronic pancreatitis. Recent findings The diagnosis of noncalcific chronic pancreatitis remains controversial because of an overreliance on nonspecific imaging and laboratories findings. Endoscopic ultrasound, s-magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and/or endoscopic pancreatic function testing are often used to diagnose noncalcific chronic pancreatitis despite the fact that there is no gold standard for this condition. Abdominal pain is not specific for chronic pancreatitis and is more likely to be encountered in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders based on the high incidence of these conditions. The duration of pain and opioid analgesic use results in central sensitization that adversely affects pain outcomes after total pancreatectomy. An alcoholic cause is associated with poorer pain outcomes after total pancreatectomy. Summary The lack of a gold standard for noncalcific chronic pancreatitis limits the diagnostic accuracy of imaging and laboratory tests. The pain of chronic pancreatitis is nonspecific and is affected by duration, preoperative opioid use, and cause. These factors will need to be considered in the development of future selection criteria for this morbid surgery. PMID:28700371

Referral Criteria from Community Clinics to Pediatric Emergency Departments

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Jacob Urkin

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Referral of patients to a pediatric emergency department (PED should be medically justified and the need for referral well communicated. The objectives of this paper were (1 to create a list of criteria for referral from the community to the PED, (2 to describe how community physicians categorize their need for referral, and (3 to determine agreement between the physician's referral letter and the selected criteria. We present a descriptive study of referrals to the PED of Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel, during February to April 2003. A list of 22 criteria for referral was created, using the Delphi method for reaching consensus. One or more criteria could be selected from this list for each referral, by the referring community physicians and, independently, based on the physicians' referral letters, by two consultants, and compared. There were 140 referrals included in the study. A total of 262 criteria for referral were selected by the referring community physicians. The criteria most frequently selected were: “Need for same-day consultation/laboratory/imaging result not available in the community” (32.1%, “Suspected life- or organ-threatening infection” (16.4%, and “Need for hospitalization” (15.7%. Rates of agreement regarding criteria for referral between the referring physicians and the two consultants, and a senior community pediatrician and a senior PED pediatrician, were 57.9 and 48.6%, respectively. We conclude that the standard referral letter does not convey in full the level of need for referral to the PED. A list of criteria for referral could augment efficient utilization of emergency department services and improve communication between community physicians and the PED.

Criteria for Selecting a Monolingual Dictionary for Learners

OpenAIRE

Colin, Rogers

2003-01-01

There are a bewildering number of monolingual dictionaries on the market in Japan, including new learner dictionaries which give students a great deal of potentially useful information about how to use words. However it is essential to carefully evaluate dictionaries to ensure that they meet the needs of the learners who will use them. This article sets out some criteria to help make such decisions.

A hybrid multi-criteria decision modeling approach for the best biodiesel blend selection based on ANP-TOPSIS analysis

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G. Sakthivel

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The ever increasing demand and depletion of fossil fuels had an adverse impact on environmental pollution. The selection of appropriate source of biodiesel and proper blending of biodiesel plays a major role in alternate energy production. This paper describes an application of hybrid Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM technique for the selection of optimum fuel blend in fish oil biodiesel for the IC engine. The proposed model, Analytical Network Process (ANP is integrated with Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS and VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (in Serbian (VIKOR to evaluate the optimum blend. Evaluation of suitable blend is based on the exploratory analysis of the performance, emission and combustion parameters of the single cylinder, constant speed direct injection diesel engine at different load conditions. Here the ANP is used to determine the relative weights of the criteria, whereas TOPSIS and VIKOR are used for obtaining the final ranking of alternative blends. An efficient pair-wise comparison process and ranking of alternatives can be achieved for optimum blend selection through the integration of ANP with TOPSIS and VIKOR. The obtained preference order of the blends for ANP-VIKOR and ANP-TOPSIS are B20 > Diesel > B40 > B60 > B80 > B100 and B20 > B40 > Diesel > B60 > B80 > B100 respectively. Hence by comparing both these methods, B20 is selected as the best blend to operate the internal combustion engines. This paper highlights a new insight into MCDM techniques to evaluate the best fuel blend for the decision makers such as engine manufactures and R& D engineers to meet the fuel economy and emission norms to empower the green revolution.

Political Criteria for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG Selection and the Role of the Urban Dimension

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Manuel Rivera

2013-11-01

Full Text Available A flood of ideas and proposals on the shape and selection of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs has begun to rise since 2012. This article looks at some of them, trying to understand which kind of “boundary work” between science and policy is done here. Starting with a reflection on the epistemological and practical implications of “discussing SDGs”, it primarily addresses scientists, but also decision makers and activists interested in the post-2015 debate. In practical terms of SDG selection, the argument goes in favor of a self-reflective “politization of science”; i.e., against claims for broad scientific comprehensiveness of SDGs and in favor of an “exemplary” selection of thematic areas and targets, which would combine aspects of (i political opportunity and (ii societal visibility. These criteria are only very partially met in the proposals the article looks at. By applying them, the article emphasizes the political importance of addressing, through SDGs, the subnational level directly, thus making the case for an SDG on cities. Such an SDG should, by the same logic, be rather focused and exemplary than all-encompassing. The recently employed formula of “resilient, inclusive and connected cities” is considered useful, when accompanied by tangible and communicable indicators.

Defining new criteria for selection of cell-based intestinal models using publicly available databases

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Christensen Jon

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The criteria for choosing relevant cell lines among a vast panel of available intestinal-derived lines exhibiting a wide range of functional properties are still ill-defined. The objective of this study was, therefore, to establish objective criteria for choosing relevant cell lines to assess their appropriateness as tumor models as well as for drug absorption studies. Results We made use of publicly available expression signatures and cell based functional assays to delineate differences between various intestinal colon carcinoma cell lines and normal intestinal epithelium. We have compared a panel of intestinal cell lines with patient-derived normal and tumor epithelium and classified them according to traits relating to oncogenic pathway activity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT and stemness, migratory properties, proliferative activity, transporter expression profiles and chemosensitivity. For example, SW480 represent an EMT-high, migratory phenotype and scored highest in terms of signatures associated to worse overall survival and higher risk of recurrence based on patient derived databases. On the other hand, differentiated HT29 and T84 cells showed gene expression patterns closest to tumor bulk derived cells. Regarding drug absorption, we confirmed that differentiated Caco-2 cells are the model of choice for active uptake studies in the small intestine. Regarding chemosensitivity we were unable to confirm a recently proposed association of chemo-resistance with EMT traits. However, a novel signature was identified through mining of NCI60 GI50 values that allowed to rank the panel of intestinal cell lines according to their drug responsiveness to commonly used chemotherapeutics. Conclusions This study presents a straightforward strategy to exploit publicly available gene expression data to guide the choice of cell-based models. While this approach does not overcome the major limitations of such models

Multi-criteria decision-making in the selection of a renewable energy project in spain: The Vikor method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

San Cristobal, J.R.

2011-01-01

One of the characteristics of the Spanish energy system is its high degree of dependence on imports. In 2005, the Spanish government approved the new Renewable Energy Plan in the following sectors: Windpower, Hydroelectric, Solar Thermal, Solar Thermo-electric, Photovoltaic, Biomass, Biogas and Biofuels. The aim of the Plan is to make it possible to reach the target of 12% of primary energy being met from renewable sources by 2010. When selecting one from various Renewable Energy investment projects different groups of decision-makers become involved in the process. Decision-making has to take into consideration several conflicting objectives because of the increasingly complex social, economic, technological, and environmental factors that are present. Traditional single-criterion decision-making is no longer able to handle these problems. The Compromise Ranking method, also known as the VIKOR method, introduces the Multi-criteria ranking index based on the particular measure of ''closeness'' to the ''ideal'' solution. In this paper, we apply the method in the selection of a Renewable Energy project corresponding to the Renewable Energy Plan launched by the Spanish Government. The method is combined with the Analytical Hierarchy Process method for weighting the importance of the different criteria, which allows decision-makers to assign these values based on their preferences. The results show that the Biomass plant option (Co-combustion in a conventional power plant) is the best choice, followed by the Wind power and Solar Thermo-electric alternatives. (author)

A Fuzzy Multi-Criteria SWOT Analysis: An Application to Nuclear Power Plant Site Selection

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Mehmet Ekmekcioglu

2011-08-01

Full Text Available SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis is a commonly used and an important technique for analyzing internal and external environments in order to provide a systematic approach and support for a decision making. SWOT is criticized mostly for considering only qualitative examination of environmental factors, no priority for various factors and strategies, and no vagueness of the factors under fuzziness. In this paper, fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution integrated with fuzzy AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process is used to develop fuzzy multi-criteria SWOT analysis in order to overcome these shortcomings. Nuclear power plant site selection, which is a strategic and important issue for Turkeyrs energy policy making, is considered as an application case study that demonstrated the applicability of the developed fuzzy SWOT model.

Examining those Meeting IOM Criteria Versus IOM Plus Fibromyalgia

OpenAIRE

Jason, Leonard A; McManimen, Stephanie; Sunnquist, Madison; Newton, Julia L; Strand, Elin Bolle

2017-01-01

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently developed clinical criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). There might be additional criteria that could select a more homogenous and impaired group of patients, particularly those with pain. The current study focused on criteria which involved meeting the four IOM criteria, excluding medical and psychiatric co-morbidities, along with having fibromyalgia (FM). Findings indicated that those meeting the IOM clinical criteria plus FM were more impair...

An evaluation of selection criteria on primary water chemistry parameters for SMART

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, B. S.; Kim, S. H.; Yun, J. H.; Bae, Y. Y.; Gee, S. G.

2003-01-01

The selection criteria on the primary water chemistry of SMART by comparing the chemical design features with those of the current operating PWRs is analyzed. The most essential differences in water chemistry between the PWRs and SMART reactor is characterized by the presence of boron in water. SMART is boron free reactor, and the ammonia is used as a pH reagent. In SMART reactor hydrogen gas is not added to the primary coolant, but is normally generated from the radiolysis of ammonia of the coolant passes through the core. Ammonia is added once per shift because SMART reactor has no letdown and charging system during power operation. Because of these competing processes, the concentrations of hydrogen, nitrogen and ammonia in the primary coolant are steady state concentrations, which depend on the decomposition/combination rate of ammonia. Ammonia chemistry in SMART reactor has many advantages in that no hydrogen gas injection is needed to control the dissolved oxygen in primary coolant because of spontaneous generation of hydrogen and nitrogen produced by the reaction of ammonia decomposition

APPLICATION OF THE MODEL CERNE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CRITERIA INCUBATION SELECTION IN TECHNOLOGY BASED BUSINESSES : A STUDY IN INCUBATORS OF TECHNOLOGICAL BASE OF THE COUNTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clobert Jefferson Passoni

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Business incubators are a great source of encouragement for innovative projects, enabling the development of new technologies, providing infrastructure, advice and support, which are key elements for the success of new business. The technology-based firm incubators (TBFs, which are 154 in Brazil. Each one of them has its own mechanism for the selection of the incubation companies. Because of the different forms of management of incubators, the business model CERNE - Reference Center for Support for New Projects - was created by Anprotec and Sebrae, in order to standardize procedures and promote the increase of chances for success in the incubations. The objective of this study is to propose selection criteria for the incubation, considering CERNE’s five dimensions and aiming to help on the decision-making in the assessment of candidate companies in a TBF incubator. The research was conducted from the public notices of 20 TBF incubators, where 38 selection criteria were identified and classified. Managers of TBF incubators validated 26 criteria by its importance via online questionnaires. As a result, favorable ratings were obtained to 25 of them. Only one criterion differed from the others, with a unfavorable rating.

Substantial criteria of decision of the communities in the selection of a network operator in energy-related concession agreements; Materiellrechtliche Entscheidungskriterien der Gemeinden bei der Auswahl des Netzbetreibers in energiewirtschaftlichen Konzessionsvertraegen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buedenbender, Ulrich [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Buergerliches Recht, Energiewirtschaft und Arbeitsrecht

2011-07-01

In light of the local roads authority, the communities decide on which partner adopts the operation of the local distribution network for electricity and gas. The question of the selection criteria has been neglected largely. The author of the book under consideration analyzes the relevant issues in energy law and antitrust law including european legal and constitutional issues. Several aspects to be considered in the rightful selection of the concession contract partner are shown. Legal consequences of disregarding the legally prescribed selection criteria are discussed.

Selection of adequate site location during early stages of construction project management: A multi-criteria decision analysis approach

Science.gov (United States)

Marović, Ivan; Hanak, Tomaš

2017-10-01

In the management of construction projects special attention should be given to the planning as the most important phase of decision-making process. Quality decision-making based on adequate and comprehensive collaboration of all involved stakeholders is crucial in project’s early stages. Fundamental reasons for existence of this problem arise from: specific conditions of construction industry (final products are inseparable from the location i.e. location has a strong influence of building design and its structural characteristics as well as technology which will be used during construction), investors’ desires and attitudes, and influence of socioeconomic and environment aspects. Considering all mentioned reasons one can conclude that selection of adequate construction site location for future investment is complex, low structured and multi-criteria problem. To take into account all the dimensions, the proposed model for selection of adequate site location is devised. The model is based on AHP (for designing the decision-making hierarchy) and PROMETHEE (for pairwise comparison of investment locations) methods. As a result of mixing basis feature of both methods, operational synergies can be achieved in multi-criteria decision analysis. Such gives the decision-maker a sense of assurance, knowing that if the procedure proposed by the presented model has been followed, it will lead to a rational decision, carefully and systematically thought out.

Polymers for enhanced oil recovery: fundamentals and selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Rellegadla, Sandeep; Prajapat, Ganshyam; Agrawal, Akhil

2017-06-01

With a rising population, the demand for energy has increased over the years. As per the projections, both fossil fuel and renewables will remain as major energy source (678 quadrillion BTU) till 2030 with fossil fuel contributing 78% of total energy consumption. Hence, attempts are continuously made to make fossil fuel production more sustainable and cheaper. From the past 40 years, polymer flooding has been carried out in marginal oil fields and have proved to be successful in many cases. The common expectation from polymer flooding is to obtain 50% ultimate recovery with 15 to 20% incremental recovery over secondary water flooding. Both naturally derived polymers like xanthan gum and synthetic polymers like partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) have been used for this purpose. Earlier laboratory and field trials revealed that salinity and temperature are the major issues with the synthetic polymers that lead to polymer degradation and adsorption on the rock surface. Microbial degradation and concentration are major issues with naturally derived polymers leading to loss of viscosity and pore throat plugging. Earlier studies also revealed that polymer flooding is successful in the fields where oil viscosity is quite higher (up to 126 cp) than injection water due to improvement in mobility ratio during polymer flooding. The largest successful polymer flood was reported in China in 1990 where both synthetic and naturally derived polymers were used in nearly 20 projects. The implementation of these projects provides valuable suggestions for further improving the available processes in future. This paper examines the selection criteria of polymer, field characteristics that support polymer floods and recommendation to design a large producing polymer flooding.

Spot the difference. Impact of different selection criteria on observed properties of passive galaxies in zCOSMOS-20k sample

Science.gov (United States)

Moresco, M.; Pozzetti, L.; Cimatti, A.; Zamorani, G.; Bolzonella, M.; Lamareille, F.; Mignoli, M.; Zucca, E.; Lilly, S. J.; Carollo, C. M.; Contini, T.; Kneib, J.-P.; Le Fèvre, O.; Mainieri, V.; Renzini, A.; Scodeggio, M.; Bardelli, S.; Bongiorno, A.; Caputi, K.; Cucciati, O.; de la Torre, S.; de Ravel, L.; Franzetti, P.; Garilli, B.; Iovino, A.; Kampczyk, P.; Knobel, C.; Kovač, K.; Le Borgne, J.-F.; Le Brun, V.; Maier, C.; Pelló, R.; Peng, Y.; Perez-Montero, E.; Presotto, V.; Silverman, J. D.; Tanaka, M.; Tasca, L.; Tresse, L.; Vergani, D.; Barnes, L.; Bordoloi, R.; Cappi, A.; Diener, C.; Koekemoer, A. M.; Le Floc'h, E.; López-Sanjuan, C.; McCracken, H. J.; Nair, P.; Oesch, P.; Scarlata, C.; Scoville, N.; Welikala, N.

2013-10-01

Aims: We present the analysis of photometric, spectroscopic, and morphological properties for differently selected samples of passive galaxies up to z = 1 extracted from the zCOSMOS-20k spectroscopic survey. This analysis intends toexplore the dependence of galaxy properties on the selection criterion adopted, study the degree of contamination due to star-forming outliers, and provide a comparison between different commonly used selection criteria. This work is a first step to fully investigating the selection effects of passive galaxies for future massive surveys such as Euclid. Methods: We extracted from the zCOSMOS-20k catalog six different samples of passive galaxies, based on morphology (3336 "morphological" early-type galaxies), optical colors (4889 "red-sequence" galaxies and 4882 "red UVJ" galaxies), specific star-formation rate (2937 "quiescent" galaxies), a best fit to the observed spectral energy distribution (2603 "red SED" galaxies), and a criterion that combines morphological, spectroscopic, and photometric information (1530 "red & passive early-type galaxies"). For all the samples, we studied optical and infrared colors, morphological properties, specific star-formation rates (SFRs), and the equivalent widths of the residual emission lines; this analysis was performed as a function of redshift and stellar mass to inspect further possible dependencies. Results: We find that each passive galaxy sample displays a certain level of contamination due to blue/star-forming/nonpassive outliers. The morphological sample is the one that presents the higher percentage of contamination, with ~12-65% (depending on the mass range) of galaxies not located in the red sequence, ~25-80% of galaxies with a specific SFR up to ~25 times higher than the adopted definition of passive, and significant emission lines found in the median stacked spectra, at least for log (M/M⊙) contamination in color 10.25, very limited tails in sSFR, a median value ~20% higher than the

Optimal Selection of Clustering Algorithm via Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA for Load Profiling Applications

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Ioannis P. Panapakidis

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Due to high implementation rates of smart meter systems, considerable amount of research is placed in machine learning tools for data handling and information retrieval. A key tool in load data processing is clustering. In recent years, a number of researches have proposed different clustering algorithms in the load profiling field. The present paper provides a methodology for addressing the aforementioned problem through Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA and namely, using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS. A comparison of the algorithms is employed. Next, a single test case on the selection of an algorithm is examined. User specific weights are applied and based on these weight values, the optimal algorithm is drawn.

A Sensor-based System for Monitoring Hard-shoulder Incursions: Review of Technologies and Selection Criteria

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Michalaki Paraskevi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available According to safety observations from motorway operators in the United Kingdom, the hard-shoulder is occasionally violated by road users travelling in the nearside lane. These unintentional movements (hard-shoulder incursions can impose risk to operatives performing activities on the network. To further investigate these events, a sensor-based system can be used for monitoring them and collecting related data such as severity of incursion and vehicle classification. A review of vehicle detection technologies that could be applied for this purpose is presented, along with the criteria for selection of the most suitable technology and implementation sites. Two potential non-intrusive systems are also described, a laser- and a radar-based systems, which provide different levels of flexibility and data.

Design Criteria, Operating Conditions, and Nickel-Iron Hydroxide Catalyst Materials for Selective Seawater Electrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dionigi, Fabio; Reier, Tobias; Pawolek, Zarina; Gliech, Manuel; Strasser, Peter

2016-05-10

Seawater is an abundant water resource on our planet and its direct electrolysis has the advantage that it would not compete with activities demanding fresh water. Oxygen selectivity is challenging when performing seawater electrolysis owing to competing chloride oxidation reactions. In this work we propose a design criterion based on thermodynamic and kinetic considerations that identifies alkaline conditions as preferable to obtain high selectivity for the oxygen evolution reaction. The criterion states that catalysts sustaining the desired operating current with an overpotential seawater-mimicking electrolyte. The catalyst was synthesized by a solvothermal method and the activity, surface redox chemistry, and stability were tested electrochemically in alkaline and near-neutral conditions (borate buffer at pH 9.2) and under both fresh seawater conditions. The Tafel slope at low current densities is not influenced by pH or presence of chloride. On the other hand, the addition of chloride ions has an influence in the temporal evolution of the nickel reduction peak and on both the activity and stability at high current densities at pH 9.2. Faradaic efficiency close to 100 % under the operating conditions predicted by our design criteria was proven using in situ electrochemical mass spectrometry. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Assessment of hydrogen fuel cell applications using fuzzy multiple-criteria decision making method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Pao-Long; Hsu, Chiung-Wen; Lin, Chiu-Yue

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► This study uses the fuzzy MCDM method to assess hydrogen fuel cell applications. ► We evaluate seven different hydrogen fuel cell applications based on 14 criteria. ► Results show that fuel cell backup power systems should be chosen for development in Taiwan. -- Abstract: Assessment is an essential process in framing government policy. It is critical to select the appropriate targets to meet the needs of national development. This study aimed to develop an assessment model for evaluating hydrogen fuel cell applications and thus provide a screening tool for decision makers. This model operates by selecting evaluation criteria, determining criteria weights, and assessing the performance of hydrogen fuel cell applications for each criterion. The fuzzy multiple-criteria decision making method was used to select the criteria and the preferred hydrogen fuel cell products based on information collected from a group of experts. Survey questionnaires were distributed to collect opinions from experts in different fields. After the survey, the criteria weights and a ranking of alternatives were obtained. The study first defined the evaluation criteria in terms of the stakeholders, so that comprehensive influence criteria could be identified. These criteria were then classified as environmental, technological, economic, or social to indicate the purpose of each criterion in the assessment process. The selected criteria included 14 indicators, such as energy efficiency and CO 2 emissions, as well as seven hydrogen fuel cell applications, such as forklifts and backup power systems. The results show that fuel cell backup power systems rank the highest, followed by household fuel cell electric-heat composite systems. The model provides a screening tool for decision makers to select hydrogen-related applications.

The life cycle cost of a building from the point of view of environmental criteria of selecting the most beneficial offer in the area of competitive tendering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grzyl Beata

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyses environmental and ecological criteria of selecting the most beneficial offer in the aspect of LCC. Construction works contracts and the potential method of defining the above criteria, among others, is pondered on (for example by the recommendation of a material, which is supposed to be used, a ban on substances that are harmful for human health as well for the environment. In the relation to the above, it is necessary to define technical parameters that have an impact on the environment, for example the level of pollution and noise emission, electricity and water consumption, or stating the minimal involvement of a processed ingredient. In addition the article presents also an account of the life cycle cost of a building from the point of view of environmental criteria constituting an element of selecting the most beneficial offer in the area of competitive tendering.

Development of site selection criteria for radioactive waste disposal in view of favourable geological settings in Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baltes, B.; Brewitz, W. [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, Cologne (Germany)

2001-07-01

In Germany it is intended to dispose of all types of radioactive waste in deep geological formations. Since the government has doubts regarding the suitability of the Gorleben site, further sites in different host rock formations have to be investigated. This investigation process has to be carried out with respect to technical suitability and safety as well as to public acceptance. A Committee has been established whose mandate is to develop a comprehensible procedure for the selection of sites for radioactive waste disposal in Germany. The Committee developed an iterative procedure which provides, besides the increase of transparency, the necessary flexibility in dealing with assessment results. The method is governed by geo-scientific and social-scientific criteria that are presented in this paper. 7 steps have been identified in the procedure: 1) exclusion of areas with obviously unfavourable conditions, 2) identification of areas with favourable geological settings, 3) exclusion of areas for socio-scientific reasons, 4) identification of regions with favourable conditions and ranking of regions, 5) identification of sites for further identification, 6) above-ground site investigation and ranking of potentially suitable sites, and 7) identification of sites for suitability investigations. The first 3 steps give the remaining areas that meet the minimum requirements. The criteria of the first 3 steps are: extensive vertical movements, active disturbance zones, seismic activity and volcanic activity, as for the 4 last steps criteria are based on geo- and socio- scientific weighing, voluntariness and regional mediation. (A.C.)

Development of site selection criteria for radioactive waste disposal in view of favourable geological settings in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baltes, B.; Brewitz, W.

2001-01-01

In Germany it is intended to dispose of all types of radioactive waste in deep geological formations. Since the government has doubts regarding the suitability of the Gorleben site, further sites in different host rock formations have to be investigated. This investigation process has to be carried out with respect to technical suitability and safety as well as to public acceptance. A Committee has been established whose mandate is to develop a comprehensible procedure for the selection of sites for radioactive waste disposal in Germany. The Committee developed an iterative procedure which provides, besides the increase of transparency, the necessary flexibility in dealing with assessment results. The method is governed by geo-scientific and social-scientific criteria that are presented in this paper. 7 steps have been identified in the procedure: 1) exclusion of areas with obviously unfavourable conditions, 2) identification of areas with favourable geological settings, 3) exclusion of areas for socio-scientific reasons, 4) identification of regions with favourable conditions and ranking of regions, 5) identification of sites for further identification, 6) above-ground site investigation and ranking of potentially suitable sites, and 7) identification of sites for suitability investigations. The first 3 steps give the remaining areas that meet the minimum requirements. The criteria of the first 3 steps are: extensive vertical movements, active disturbance zones, seismic activity and volcanic activity, as for the 4 last steps criteria are based on geo- and socio- scientific weighing, voluntariness and regional mediation. (A.C.)

What are the qualifications and selection criteria for women to be appointed to society journal editorial boards?

Science.gov (United States)

Tomizawa, Yasuko

2014-02-01

Japan ranks extremely low in global ranking of gender equality. It is not easy for female doctors to acquire leadership positions in member societies of the Japanese Association of Medical Science (JAMS). Very few women are included on editorial boards of English medical journals in Japan. Furthermore, until last year, there had been no female editors in English language journals of surgical societies. The qualifications and criteria for selecting editorial board members of medical journals should be clarified. Medical journals in Japan would gain diversity by including women on editorial boards in the same proportion as women membership in the corresponding medical societies.

[Influence of distinct criteria for selecting patients for swabbing on estimation of the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Baz, Iván; Guevara, Marcela; Elía, Fernando; Ezpeleta, Carmen; Fernández Alonso, Mirian; Castilla, Jesús

2014-01-01

To estimate the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine under different criteria for selecting patients for swabbing. A case-control study was performed of laboratory-confirmed cases (n=909) and negative controls for influenza (n=732) in the 2010-2011 to 2012-2013 seasons in Navarre (Spain). The adjusted vaccine effectiveness was estimated by including all swabs from patients with influenza-like-illness and selecting only the first two cases per physician and week. The first two patients per physician and week were less frequently vaccinated against influenza (7.9% vs. 12.5%, p=0.021) and less often received confirmation of influenza (53.6% vs. 66.4%, p <0.001) than subsequent patients. These differences decreased after adjustment for covariates. The effectiveness of the influenza vaccine was 49% (95% CI: 23-66%) when all swabs were included and was 55% (95% CI: 27-72%) when we selected the first two swabs per week and physician. The selection of the first two patients per physician and week may bias assessment of the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine, although this bias was small in the seasons analyzed. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Examining those Meeting IOM Criteria Versus IOM Plus Fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jason, Leonard A; McManimen, Stephanie; Sunnquist, Madison; Newton, Julia L; Strand, Elin Bolle

2017-01-01

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently developed clinical criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). There might be additional criteria that could select a more homogenous and impaired group of patients, particularly those with pain. The current study focused on criteria which involved meeting the four IOM criteria, excluding medical and psychiatric co-morbidities, along with having fibromyalgia (FM). Findings indicated that those meeting the IOM clinical criteria plus FM were more impaired on a wide variety of symptoms and functional areas than those meeting on the IOM criteria or those with just 6 months of fatigue. The implications of using such research criteria are discussed.

GIS-based multi-criteria site selection for zebra mussel cultivation: Addressing end-of-pipe remediation of a eutrophic coastal lagoon ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagdanavičiūtė, Ingrida; Umgiesser, Georg; Vaičiūtė, Diana; Bresciani, Mariano; Kozlov, Igor; Zaiko, Anastasija

2018-04-11

Farming of shellfish and seaweeds is a tested tool for mitigating eutrophication consequences in coastal environments, however as many other marine economic activities it should be a subject of marine spatial planning for designating suitable sites. The present study proposes site selection framework for provisional zebra mussel farming in a eutrophic lagoon ecosystem, aimed primarily at remediation purposes. GIS-based multi-criteria approach was applied, combining data from empirical maps, numerical models and remote sensing to estimate suitability parameters. Site selection and prioritisation of suitable areas considered 15 environmental and socio-economic criteria, which contributed to 4 optimisation models (settlement, growth and survival of mussels, environmental and socio-economic) and 3 predefined scenarios representing provisional goals of mussel cultivation: spat production, biomass production and bioremediation. The relative importance of each criterion was assessed utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process. Site suitability index was calculated and the final result of the site selection analysis was summarized for 3 scenarios and overall suitability map. Four suitability classes (unsuitable, least, moderately and most suitable) were applied, and 3 most suitable zones for provisional zebra mussel cultivation with 12 candidate sites were selected accordingly. The integrated approach presented in this study can be adjusted for designating zebra mussel farming sites in other estuarine lagoon ecosystems, or cultivation of other mussel species for bioremediation purposes. The analytical framework and the workflow designed in this study are also adoptable for addressing other aquaculture-related spatial planning issues. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the thermodynamic and correlation criteria for internal standard selection in laser-induced breakdown spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labutin, Timur A.; Zaytsev, Sergey M.; Popov, Andrey M.; Seliverstova, Irina V.; Bozhenko, Sergey E.; Zorov, Nikita B.

2013-01-01

The use of the reference line of an internal standard in LIBS is a usual way to eliminate or reduce the fluctuations of plasma parameters from pulse to pulse as well as from sample to sample. Thermodynamic criterion, i.e. closeness of excitation potentials of the analytical line and the reference one, is often used to select an appropriate reference line. In this work, we propose an alternative criterion based on searching the best correlated pairs of lines under the variations of laser energy. Two criteria were compared for high-alloy steels and soils of different origins. The discrepancy among the values of plasma temperature calculated from Fe I, Mn I and Cr I transitions was found under the conditions of slightly changed laser fluence on steel samples. On the other hand, the agreement between plasma temperatures, obtained for Fe I and Mn I transitions, was demonstrated in plasma on soil samples. Calibration results obtained for manganese in steels and lead in soils show that thermodynamic criterion can be an appropriate way for choosing an internal standard only under LTE conditions. Two lines of Mn I at 403.07 nm and 404.14 nm and Pb I at 405.78 nm were the analytical lines for the quantification of manganese in steels and lead in soils, respectively. The use of the correlative criterion seems to be suitable for internal standardization under LTE or non-LTE conditions. Probable limitations of the correlative criterion and its possibilities to identify weak lines are discussed in the article. - Highlights: • Novel criterion for internal standard selection, based on the correlation of analytical line and reference one • Comparison of correlation and thermodynamic criteria • Correlation analysis of the spectrum can be useful for atomic line identification. • Correlation approach can be used in LTE and non-LTE conditions

A heuristic approach using multiple criteria for environmentally benign 3PLs selection

Science.gov (United States)

Kongar, Elif

2005-11-01

Maintaining competitiveness in an environment where price and quality differences between competing products are disappearing depends on the company's ability to reduce costs and supply time. Timely responses to rapidly changing market conditions require an efficient Supply Chain Management (SCM). Outsourcing logistics to third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) is one commonly used way of increasing the efficiency of logistics operations, while creating a more "core competency focused" business environment. However, this alone may not be sufficient. Due to recent environmental regulations and growing public awareness regarding environmental issues, 3PLs need to be not only efficient but also environmentally benign to maintain companies' competitiveness. Even though an efficient and environmentally benign combination of 3PLs can theoretically be obtained using exhaustive search algorithms, heuristics approaches to the selection process may be superior in terms of the computational complexity. In this paper, a hybrid approach that combines a multiple criteria Genetic Algorithm (GA) with Linear Physical Weighting Algorithm (LPPW) to be used in efficient and environmentally benign 3PLs is proposed. A numerical example is also provided to illustrate the method and the analyses.

Comparative analysis of objective techniques for criteria weighing in two MCDM methods on example of an air conditioner selection

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Vujičić Momčilo D.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with comparative analysis of two different types of objective techniques for criteria weighing: Entropy and CRITIC and two MCDM methods: MOORA and SAW on example of an air conditioner selection. We used six variants for calculation of normalized performance ratings. Results showed that the decision of the best air conditioner was basically independent of the MCDM method used, despite the applied technique for determination of criteria weights. Complete ranking within all of the combinations of methods and techniques with diverse ratio calculation variants showed that the best ranked air conditioner was A7, while the worst ones were A5 and A9. Significant positive correlation was obtained for almost all the pairs of variants in all the combinations except for the MOORA - CRITIC combination with SAW - Entropy combination to have the highest correlations between variants (p < 0.01.

Multi criteria analysis in environmental management: Selecting the best stormwater erosion and sediment control measure in Malaysian construction sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Hadu, Ibrahiem Abdul Razak; Sidek, Lariyah Mohd; Desa, Mohamed Nor Mohamed [Civil Engineering, Universiti Tenga Nasional, Kajang, Selangor (Malaysia); Basri, Noor Ezlin Ahmad [Civil and Structural Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malyasia, Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia)

2011-07-01

Malaysia located in a tropical region which is interested with a heavy rainfall through the whole seasons of the year. Construction stages usually associated with soil disturbing due to land clearing and grading activities, this combined with the tropical climate in Malaysia, will generate an enormous amount of soil to be eroded and then deposited in the adjacent water bodies. There are many kinds of mitigation measures used so as to reduce the impact of erosion and sedimentation that are generated due to the stormwater in construction sites. This paper presents the application of Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) tool in choosing the best stormwater control measure by depending on specified criteria and criterion weight. The results obtained from the application of MCA in stormwater pollution control have many benefits to the contractors, consultants and decision makers by making them able to select the best control measure for every stage of construction.

User perspectives on relevance criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maglaughlin, Kelly L.; Sonnenwald, Diane H.

2002-01-01

, partially relevant, or not relevant to their information need; and explained their decisions in an interview. Analysis revealed 29 criteria, discussed positively and negatively, that were used by the participants when selecting passages that contributed or detracted from a document's relevance......This study investigates the use of criteria to assess relevant, partially relevant, and not-relevant documents. Study participants identified passages within 20 document representations that they used to make relevance judgments; judged each document representation as a whole to be relevant...... matter, thought catalyst), full text (e.g., audience, novelty, type, possible content, utility), journal/publisher (e.g., novelty, main focus, perceived quality), and personal (e.g., competition, time requirements). Results further indicate that multiple criteria are used when making relevant, partially...

Multi-criteria decision making support tool for freight integrators: selecting the most sustainable alternative

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G. Simongáti

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Sustainable development has turned into a daily concept by now. Similarly, sustainable transport also appears increasingly often, primarily in transport policy and strategic plans. However, it would be equally important if we could apply this aspect for certain activities such as haulage and forwarding that are a part of transport. Today, forwarders select an optimal alternative concerning only the criteria related to the economic effectiveness of the transport task. In many cases, shippers are not aware neither of the concept of sustainable transport nor of harmful effects they generate. Hence, although there is a concept of ‘freight integrator’, only very few are able to meet the requirements laid down for it. No widespread method has been developed yet to compare transportation options. A similar situation can be faced discussing a traditional, purely economic approach and a theoretical modern aspect that would be in accordance with the principles of sustainable transport. The model that was developed at the Department of Aircraft and Ships of Budapest University of Technology and Economics was designed specifically to compare various options in terms of sustainability. The indicators as the elements of decision-making criteria applied in the model were derived from the indicators used for assessing the transport sector but modified according to the requirements of the decision-making task for a freight integrator. Finally, such sustainable performance index of certain alternatives is determined by two fundamentally different aggregation methods as ‘fineness index’. This article presents the model structure and application using a concrete example.

A multi-criteria evaluation method for climate change mitigation policy instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konidari, Popi; Mavrakis, Dimitrios

2007-01-01

This paper presents an integrated multi-criteria analysis method for the quantitative evaluation of climate change mitigation policy instruments. The method consists of: (i) a set of criteria supported by sub-criteria, all of which describe the complex framework under which these instruments are selected by policy makers and implemented, (ii) an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) process for defining weight coefficients for criteria and sub-criteria according to the preferences of three stakeholders groups and (iii) a Multi-Attribute Theory (MAUT)/Simple Multi-Attribute Ranking Technique (SMART) process for assigning grades to each instrument that is evaluated for its performance under a specific sub-criterion. Arguments for the selected combination of these standard methods and definitions for criteria/sub-criteria are quoted. Consistency and robustness tests are performed. The functionality of the proposed method is tested by assessing the aggregate performances of the EU emission trading scheme at Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and United Kingdom. Conclusions are discussed

New decision criteria for selecting delta check methods based on the ratio of the delta difference to the width of the reference range can be generally applicable for each clinical chemistry test item.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sang Hyuk; Kim, So-Young; Lee, Woochang; Chun, Sail; Min, Won-Ki

2012-09-01

Many laboratories use 4 delta check methods: delta difference, delta percent change, rate difference, and rate percent change. However, guidelines regarding decision criteria for selecting delta check methods have not yet been provided. We present new decision criteria for selecting delta check methods for each clinical chemistry test item. We collected 811,920 and 669,750 paired (present and previous) test results for 27 clinical chemistry test items from inpatients and outpatients, respectively. We devised new decision criteria for the selection of delta check methods based on the ratio of the delta difference to the width of the reference range (DD/RR). Delta check methods based on these criteria were compared with those based on the CV% of the absolute delta difference (ADD) as well as those reported in 2 previous studies. The delta check methods suggested by new decision criteria based on the DD/RR ratio corresponded well with those based on the CV% of the ADD except for only 2 items each in inpatients and outpatients. Delta check methods based on the DD/RR ratio also corresponded with those suggested in the 2 previous studies, except for 1 and 7 items in inpatients and outpatients, respectively. The DD/RR method appears to yield more feasible and intuitive selection criteria and can easily explain changes in the results by reflecting both the biological variation of the test item and the clinical characteristics of patients in each laboratory. We suggest this as a measure to determine delta check methods.

Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for Smartphone Addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Chiang, Chih-Lin; Lin, Po-Hsien; Chang, Li-Ren; Ko, Chih-Hung; Lee, Yang-Han; Lin, Sheng-Hsuan

2016-01-01

Global smartphone penetration has led to unprecedented addictive behaviors. The aims of this study are to develop diagnostic criteria of smartphone addiction and to examine the discriminative ability and the validity of the diagnostic criteria. We developed twelve candidate criteria for characteristic symptoms of smartphone addiction and four criteria for functional impairment caused by excessive smartphone use. The participants consisted of 281 college students. Each participant was systematically assessed for smartphone-using behaviors by psychiatrist's structured diagnostic interview. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the candidate symptom criteria were analyzed with reference to the psychiatrists' clinical global impression. The optimal model selection with its cutoff point of the diagnostic criteria differentiating the smartphone addicted subjects from non-addicted subjects was then determined by the best diagnostic accuracy. Six symptom criteria model with optimal cutoff point were determined based on the maximal diagnostic accuracy. The proposed smartphone addiction diagnostic criteria consisted of (1) six symptom criteria, (2) four functional impairment criteria and (3) exclusion criteria. Setting three symptom criteria as the cutoff point resulted in the highest diagnostic accuracy (84.3%), while the sensitivity and specificity were 79.4% and 87.5%, respectively. We suggested determining the functional impairment by two or more of the four domains considering the high accessibility and penetration of smartphone use. The diagnostic criteria of smartphone addiction demonstrated the core symptoms "impaired control" paralleled with substance related and addictive disorders. The functional impairment involved multiple domains provide a strict standard for clinical assessment.

Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for Smartphone Addiction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Hsuan Lin

Full Text Available Global smartphone penetration has led to unprecedented addictive behaviors. The aims of this study are to develop diagnostic criteria of smartphone addiction and to examine the discriminative ability and the validity of the diagnostic criteria.We developed twelve candidate criteria for characteristic symptoms of smartphone addiction and four criteria for functional impairment caused by excessive smartphone use. The participants consisted of 281 college students. Each participant was systematically assessed for smartphone-using behaviors by psychiatrist's structured diagnostic interview. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the candidate symptom criteria were analyzed with reference to the psychiatrists' clinical global impression. The optimal model selection with its cutoff point of the diagnostic criteria differentiating the smartphone addicted subjects from non-addicted subjects was then determined by the best diagnostic accuracy.Six symptom criteria model with optimal cutoff point were determined based on the maximal diagnostic accuracy. The proposed smartphone addiction diagnostic criteria consisted of (1 six symptom criteria, (2 four functional impairment criteria and (3 exclusion criteria. Setting three symptom criteria as the cutoff point resulted in the highest diagnostic accuracy (84.3%, while the sensitivity and specificity were 79.4% and 87.5%, respectively. We suggested determining the functional impairment by two or more of the four domains considering the high accessibility and penetration of smartphone use.The diagnostic criteria of smartphone addiction demonstrated the core symptoms "impaired control" paralleled with substance related and addictive disorders. The functional impairment involved multiple domains provide a strict standard for clinical assessment.

Ebook Evaluation Criteria: A Proposed Checklist

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Ghaebi

2010-09-01

Full Text Available E-books embody diverse features, each of which could contribute towards increasing their user-agreeability and attracting more users. In order to select an Ebook best suited to their needs, both users and librarians consider a set of criteria. The present study aims at providing the evaluation criteria from the standpoint of both the users and librarys by employing two approaches, i.e. through considering the characteristics of the electronic environment, and also maintaining the desired features of the printed media in E-books. By reviewing the resources published in the field of E-books, 15 criteria along with 101 components have been collectively discussed for evaluation of the suitable E-book for users and libraries. Four criteria with 24 components have been solely devised for libraries and librarians.

Design criteria for advanced reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dennielou, Y.

1991-01-01

Design criteria for advanced reactors are discussed, including safety aspects, site selection, problems related to maintenance and possibility of repairing or replacing structures or components of a nuclear power plant, the human factor considerations. Bearing in mind that some of these criteria are the subject of consensus at international level, the author suggests to establish a table of different operator requirements, to prepare a dossier on the comparison of input data for probabilistic risk analysis, to take into consideration the means to control a severe accident from the very start of the design

Selecting wool-type fabrics for sensorial comfort in women office clothing for the cold season, using the multi-criteria decision analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Harpa, Rodica

2017-10-01

This article presents the strategy and the procedure used to achieve the declared goal: fabrics selection, pursuing sensorial comfort of a specific women-clothing item, by using the multi-criteria decision analysis. First, the objective evaluation of seven wool-type woven fabrics, suitable to the quality profile expected for the defined destination, was accomplished. Then, a survey was conducted on a sample of 187 consumers, women aged between 18 to 60 years old, with a background in the textile field, regarding both the preferences manifested in purchasing products, and the importance of various sensory perceptions through handling materials used in clothing products. Finally, the MCDM applied through the implementation of previous accomplished software STAT-ADM, allowed choosing the preferred wool-type fabric in order to get the expected sensorial comfort of women office trousers for the cold season, according to the previously established criteria. This overall approach showed good results in fabrics selection for assuring the sensorial comfort in women’s clothing, by using the multicriteria decision analysis based on a rating scale delivered by customers with knowledge in the textile field, but non-experts in the fabrics hand evaluation topic.

Risk assessment of soil contamination criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, C.M.; Marter, W.L.; Montaque, D.F.; Holton, G.A.

1987-06-01

Criteria have been developed to select radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants at waste sites detailed analysis and risk assessment. These criteria were based on soil and water quality guidelines developed by various government agencies to determine if the criteria were appropriate. We performed a risk assessment of a hypothetical site which contained radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants at levels equal to the criteria values. Risks to the public from atmospheric, surface water, and groundwater exposure pathways were examined. Health risks to the public from atmospheric releases of radioactive and nonradioactive materials from a waste at soil criteria contamination levels are low. Health risks to the maximally exposed individual to chemical carcinogens are considerably below traditional EPA action levels. And health risks to the maximally exposed individual to atmospherically released radioactive contaminants is 1.88 x 10 -7 , more than a factor of 5 less than 10 -6 . Based on our atmospheric exposure pathways analysis and risk assessment, the applied soil criteria are appropriate for screening out unimportant risk contributors to human health from atmospheric exposure pathways. 13 refs., 3 figs., 7 tabs

Air Conditioner Selection with TOPSIS and VIKOR Methods In Multi Criteria Decision Making

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İrfan ERTUĞRUL

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Technological and global changes nowadays enable air conditioning sector to gain a higher importance. Short and long term risks for comsumers, the use of air conditioningtechnology with cost minimization, the increase of product charesteristics and firms, and the variability of product features have led to the need for multi-criteria decision. Therefore, caring the multiple criteria and the alternatives, the multi-criteria decision making techniques are taken to the scope of application. The purpose of the study is to determine the factors which affect the decision of air conditioning choice and to present the preference ranking suggestion. Having the nearly have got the approximately equivalent heating and cooling capacity, air conditionings in A+ class are included in the scope of related research. In application, when choosing air conditioning products, Topsis and Vikor that are multi-criteria decision-making methods are used and the results are compared and evaluated. When choosing air conditioning products, preference plansa re presented in the application.

Looking for Improvement in Last Planner System: Defining Selection Criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindhard, Søren; Wandahl, Søren

2013-01-01

criteria was carried out. Six flows are identified as relevant: workforce, material, and machinery which comprise the needed resources and safety, climate conditions, and space which affect the pace of the work. Because of the importance to progress in the workflow, and the on-schedule completeness...

Review: Towards the agroecological management of ruminants, pigs and poultry through the development of sustainable breeding programmes: I-selection goals and criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Phocas, F; Belloc, C; Bidanel, J; Delaby, L; Dourmad, J Y; Dumont, B; Ezanno, P; Fortun-Lamothe, L; Foucras, G; Frappat, B; González-García, E; Hazard, D; Larzul, C; Lubac, S; Mignon-Grasteau, S; Moreno, C R; Tixier-Boichard, M; Brochard, M

2016-11-01

Agroecology uses natural processes and local resources rather than chemical inputs to ensure production while limiting the environmental footprint of livestock and crop production systems. Selecting to achieve a maximization of target production criteria has long proved detrimental to fitness traits. However, since the 1990s, developments in animal breeding have also focussed on animal robustness by balancing production and functional traits within overall breeding goals. We discuss here how an agroecological perspective should further shift breeding goals towards functional traits rather than production traits. Breeding for robustness aims to promote individual adaptive capacities by considering diverse selection criteria which include reproduction, animal health and welfare, and adaptation to rough feed resources, a warm climate or fluctuating environmental conditions. It requires the consideration of genotype×environment interactions in the prediction of breeding values. Animal performance must be evaluated in low-input systems in order to select those animals that are adapted to limiting conditions, including feed and water availability, climate variations and diseases. Finally, we argue that there is no single agroecological animal type, but animals with a variety of profiles that can meet the expectations of agroecology. The standardization of both animals and breeding conditions indeed appears contradictory to the agroecological paradigm that calls for an adaptation of animals to local opportunities and constraints in weakly artificialized systems tied to their physical environment.

Benchmarking criteria for evaluating third-party logistics providers in South Africa

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Claudia Karrapan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: In South Africa, deemed the ‘gateway to Africa’, there is limited evidence of the existence of a survey ranking third-party logistics providers (3PLs. This lack of comparative information of the major 3PLs based on key outsourcing and ranking criteria complicates the selection process for companies that intend to contract 3PLs. Objective: The purpose of this article was to determine the critical selection and ranking criteria for the creation of an index to evaluate 3PLs in South Africa for developing a 3PL benchmarking index. Method: Survey data were collected from 103 of the Top 500 Companies in Africa that use 3PLs and operate within the sectors that mostly outsource logistics services in South Africa. A factor analysis method was employed. Results: Three factors for 3PLs selection converged: service quality, information management and compliance, and collaboration. The top three ranked categories for 3PLs selection are cost and price structure, service delivery and the relationship with the 3PL provider. Most respondents (90% confirmed a need for a 3PLs index in South Africa. Conclusion: The results help managers with the strategic selection of 3PLs as these critical logistics outsourcing selection criteria can be used to evaluate and rank 3PLs prior to contracting. Based on the selection criteria for logistics outsourcing identified and ranked in this article, a ranking index for 3PLs in South Africa can be developed.

The strategic selecting criteria and performance by using the multiple criteria method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Y. Chen

2008-02-01

Full Text Available As the increasing competitive intensity in the current service market, organizational capabilities have been recognized as the importance of sustaining competitive advantage. The profitable growth for the firms has been fueled a need to systematically assess and renew the organization. The purpose of this study is to analyze the financial performance of the firms to create an effective evaluating structure for the Taiwan's service industry. This study utilized TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method to evaluate the operating performance of 12 companies. TOPSIS is a multiple criteria decision making method to identify solutions from a finite set of alternatives based upon simultaneous minimization of distance from an ideal point and maximization of distance from a nadir point. By using this approach, this study measures the financial performance of firms through two aspects and ten indicators. The result indicated e-life had outstanding performance among the 12 retailers. The findings of this study provided managers to better understand their market position, competition, and profitability for future strategic planning and operational management.

Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Preliminary Results from an Urban Referral Center Employing Strict CDC Criteria for Case Selection

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David S. Younger

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Lyme neuroborreliosis or “neurological Lyme disease” was evidenced in 2 of 23 patients submitted to strict criteria for case selection of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employing a two-tier test to detect antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi at a single institution. One patient had symptomatic polyradiculoneuritis, dysautonomia, and serological evidence of early infection; and another had symptomatic small fiber sensory neuropathy, distal polyneuropathy, dysautonomia, and serological evidence of late infection. In the remaining patients symptoms initially ascribed to Lyme disease were probably unrelated to B. burgdorferi infection. Our findings suggest early susceptibility and protracted involvement of the nervous system most likely due to the immunological effects of B. burgdorferi infection, although the exact mechanisms remain uncertain.

Gis-Based Solar and Wind Turbine Site Selection Using Multi-Criteria Analysis: Case Study Tehran, Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeghi, M.; Karimi, M.

2017-09-01

Renewable energy has less negative impacts on environment than fossil fuels. Iran has many resources for renewable energy exploitation but because of their high price, it has not been developed. Site selection is an important step for utilizing large investments like solar farms and wind turbines. Multi-criteria evaluation methods are commonly used for site selection. The purpose of this paper is to determine suitable sites for solar farm and wind turbine using GIS and AHP in Tehran, in order to generate a distributed network to increase power network stability. The final land suitability index was grouped in four categories as "most suitable", "suitable", "moderate" and "low suitable". As a result 94.61% (789939.63 km2) is low suitable, 4.47% (37337.17 km2) is moderate, 0.59% (4964.22 km2) is suitable and 0.32% (2680.70 km2) is the most suitable for building wind turbine and for solar farm, 44.07% (8116.88 km2) is low suitable, 12.81% (2359.79 km2) is moderate, 35.10% (6464.29 km2) is suitable and 8.02% (1477.28 km2) is the most suitable.

GIS-BASED SOLAR AND WIND TURBINE SITE SELECTION USING MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS: CASE STUDY TEHRAN, IRAN

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M. Sadeghi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy has less negative impacts on environment than fossil fuels. Iran has many resources for renewable energy exploitation but because of their high price, it has not been developed. Site selection is an important step for utilizing large investments like solar farms and wind turbines. Multi-criteria evaluation methods are commonly used for site selection. The purpose of this paper is to determine suitable sites for solar farm and wind turbine using GIS and AHP in Tehran, in order to generate a distributed network to increase power network stability. The final land suitability index was grouped in four categories as “most suitable”, “suitable”, “moderate” and “low suitable”. As a result 94.61% (789939.63 km2 is low suitable, 4.47% (37337.17 km2 is moderate, 0.59% (4964.22 km2 is suitable and 0.32% (2680.70 km2 is the most suitable for building wind turbine and for solar farm, 44.07% (8116.88 km2 is low suitable, 12.81% (2359.79 km2 is moderate, 35.10% (6464.29 km2 is suitable and 8.02% (1477.28 km2 is the most suitable.

Multivariate analysis and determination of the best indirect selection criteria to genetic improvement the biological nitrogen fixation ability in common bean genotypes (Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golparvar Reza Ahmad

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In order to determine the best indirect selection criteria for genetic improvement of biological nitrogen fixation, sixty four common bean genotypes were cultivated in two randomized complete block design. Genotypes were inoculated with bacteria Rhizobium legominosarum biovar Phaseoli isolate L-109 only in one of the experiments. The second experiment was considered as check for the first. Correlation analysis showed positive and highly significant correlation of majority of the traits with percent of nitrogen fixation. Step-wise regression designated that traits percent of total nitrogen of shoot, number of nodule per plant and biological yield accounted for 92.3 percent of variation exist in percent of nitrogen fixation. Path analysis indicated that these traits have direct and positive effect on percent of nitrogen fixation. Hence, these traits are promising indirect selection criteria for genetic improvement of nitrogen fixation capability in common bean genotypes especially in early generations.

The Impact of Learning Curve Model Selection and Criteria for Cost Estimation Accuracy in the DoD

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-30

different in the future due to machines” • Heightened scrutiny of cost estimates • Budget Control Act of 2011 seeks to reduce federal deficit ...qÜáêíÉÉåíÜ=^ååì~ä= ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ= póãéçëáìã= qÜìêëÇ~ó=pÉëëáçåë= sçäìãÉ=ff= = The Impact of Learning Curve Model Selection and Criteria for Cost...Assistant Division Director, Institute for Defense Analyses Bruce Harmon, Research Staff Member, Institute for Defense Analyses The Impact of Learning

Physiological selection criteria in forage grasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, J.P.

1975-01-01

The plant breeder has to develop varieties that provide the most efficient conversion of environmental inputs and have sufficient resistance to environmental stress. The most important physiological features that determine crop production and for which the plant breeder will have to select are discussed. Tracer studies may be of help to the breeder at the investigational level but in the longer term may also provide direct screening techniques for certain of the important physiological characteristics. (author)

An Evaluation Model of Quantitative and Qualitative Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Location Selection of Transshipment Ports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji-Feng Ding

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The role of container logistics centre as home bases for merchandise transportation has become increasingly important. The container carriers need to select a suitable centre location of transshipment port to meet the requirements of container shipping logistics. In the light of this, the main purpose of this paper is to develop a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM model to evaluate the best selection of transshipment ports for container carriers. At first, some concepts and methods used to develop the proposed model are briefly introduced. The performance values of quantitative and qualitative subcriteria are discussed to evaluate the fuzzy ratings. Then, the ideal and anti-ideal concepts and the modified distance measure method are used in the proposed model. Finally, a step-by-step example is illustrated to study the computational process of the quantitative and qualitative fuzzy MCDM model. The proposed approach has successfully accomplished our goal. In addition, the proposed fuzzy MCDM model can be empirically employed to select the best location of transshipment port for container carriers in the future study.

Life quality evaluation in regions of the Czech Republic according to selected criteria using the DEA method

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Jana Friebelová

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Our work has several aims. We have evaluated the Quality of life of the districts (LAU 1 regions in the Czech Republic, according to the selected criteria by the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA method. This method was initially proposed to evaluate the efficiency. In this paper the level of efficiency represents the level of life quality. The efficiency (quality of life is in this case represented as a share of output in weighted sum of inputs. In other words, it represents a certain degree to which desirable output can offset undesirable indicators. Hence we have consider three types of input (the unemployment rate, criminality, as well as the specific emissions and one output (the average salary. In the next stage, the fourth input (the average price of a dwelling per square metre is added. Its impact on the changing of efficiency score is under consideration with regression analysis. At the same time, we have observed a possible connection between the achieved efficiency score and net migration in following year. In addition to efficiency score DEA method provides weights of particular inputs and outputs. These weights are used to find those contributions of particular criteria to the achieved score. This enables us to determine the strong and weak points of the districts.

Clinical impact of strict criteria for selectivity and lateralization in adrenal vein sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Gasparetto, Alessandro; Angle, John F; Darvishi, Pasha; Freeman, Colbey W; Norby, Ray G; Carey, Robert M

2015-04-01

Selectivity index (SI) and lateralization index (LI) thresholds determine the adequacy of adrenal vein sampling (AVS) and the degree of lateralization. The purpose of this study was investigate the clinical outcome of patients whose adrenal vein sampling was interpreted using "strict criteria" (SC) (SIpre-stimuli≥3, SIpost-stimuli≥5 and LIpre-stimuli≥4, LIpost-stimuli≥4). A retrospective review of 73 consecutive AVS procedures was performed and 67 were technically successful. Forty-three patients showed lateralization and underwent surgery, while 24 did not lateralize and were managed conservatively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), kalemia (K(+)), and the change in number of blood pressure (BP) medications were recorded for each patient before and after AVS and potential surgery were performed. In the surgery group, BP and K(+) changed respectively from 160±5.3/100±2.0 mmHg to 127±3.3/80±1.9 (p blood pressure medications were six (14.0%) in the lateralized group and 22 (91.7%) in the non-lateralized group (p <0.001). AVS interpretation with SC leads to significant clinical improvement in both patients who underwent surgery and those managed conservatively.

KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING TO AID THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS OF AN INDUSTRY BY IDENTIFYING SUPERIOR SELECTION CRITERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Sivaram

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Recruitment of the most appropriate employees and their retention are the immense challenges for the HR department of most of the industries. Every year IT companies recruit fresh graduates through their campus selection programs. Usually industries examine the skills of the candidate by conducting tests, group discussion and number of interviews. This process requires enormous amount of effort and investment. During each phase of the recruitment process, candidates are filtered based on some performance criteria. The problem domain is complex and the aspects of candidates that impact the recruitment process is not explicit. The intelligence of the recruitment process is spread among the domain experts and extracted through knowledge acquisition techniques. This research focuses on investigating the underlying criteria and tries to capitalize on the existing patterns, to minimize the effort made during the recruitment process. The approach here is to provide the insights through in-depth empirical characterization and evaluation of decision trees for the recruitment problem domain. Experiments were conducted with the data collected from an IT industry to support their hiring decisions. Pruned and unpruned trees were constructed using ID3, C4.5 and CART algorithms. It was observed that the performance of the C4.5 algorithm is high. The recruitment process differs for each industry based on the nature of the projects carried out. Experiments were conducted to determine the attributes that best fits the problem domain. Using the constructed decision trees discussions were made with the domain experts to deduce viable decision rules.

First International Public Health Film Competition 2016-reflections on the development and use of competition judging criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, U; Luna, P; Russell, P; Bergonzi-King, L; Ashton, J; McCarthy, C; Donovan, H; Inman, P; Seminog, O; Botchway, S

2018-03-01

Film competitions can be a helpful method to understand issues of quality in health films. In this paper, we describe the development and use of explicit quality criteria to identify the 'best' films for the first ever international public health film competition. A film selection committee encompassing a range of stakeholders was compiled. The committee drew up 10 explicit quality criteria to judge films drawing upon other film festival's selection criteria. These criteria were then applied to a broad range of health-related films entered into a film competition to select the 'best' film to screen. Eighty-four films from 20 different countries were submitted to the public health film competition. The originality of the subject covered by the film, the public health importance of the issue and story-telling approach in the film were found to be the most discriminatory criteria to select films. Selection of health films for festivals can be undertaken using explicit quality criteria. There are a number of advantages to such an approach; however, explicit selection involves a large commitment of resources from film festival organizers and there is further research required to test the validity of the quality criteria applied to health-related films.

Seismic design criteria for special isotope separation plant structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wrona, M.W.; Wuthrich, S.J.; Rose, D.L.; Starkey, J.

1989-01-01

This paper describes the seismic criteria for the design of the Special Isotope Separation (SIS) production plant. These criteria are derived from the applicable Department of Energy (DOE) orders, references and proposed standards. The SIS processing plant consistent of Load Center Building (LCB), Dye Pump Building (DPB), Laser Support Building (LSB) and Plutonium Processing Building (PPB). The facility-use category for each of the SIS building structures is identified and the applicable seismic design criteria and parameters are selected

Criteria for the PNE seismic network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruvost, N.L.

1978-01-01

A 1976 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union permits a local seismic network to be deployed at the site of a peaceful nuclear explosion to monitor the event. Criteria for the design and selection of the data-acquisition equipment for such a network are provided. Constraints imposed by the protocol of the treaty, the environment, and the expected properties of seismic signals (based on experiences at the Nevada Test Site) are discussed. Conclusions are drawn about the desired operating mode. Criteria for a general seismic instrumentation system are described

Selecting the Acceptance Criteria of Medicines in the Reimbursement List of Public Health Insurance of Iran, Using the "Borda" Method: a Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Viyanchi, Amir; Rasekh, Hamid Reza; Rajabzadeh Ghatari, Ali; SafiKhani, Hamid Reza

2015-01-01

Decision-making for medicines to be accepted in Iran's public health insurance reimbursement list is a complex process and involves factors, which should be considered in applying a coverage for medicine costs. These processes and factors are not wholly assessed, while assessment of these factors is an essential need for getting a transparent and evidence-based approach toward medicine reimbursement in Iran. This paper aims to show an evidence-based approach toward medicine selection criteria to inform the medical reimbursement decision makers in Iranian health insurance organizations. To explore an adaptable decision-making framework while incorporating a method called "Borda" in medicine reimbursement assessment, we used the help of an expert group including decision makers and clinical researchers who are also policy makers to appraise the five chief criteria that have three sub criteria (Precision, Interpretability, and Cost). Also software "Math-lab"7, "SPSS" 17 and Excel 2007 were used in this study. "Borda" estimates the amount of perceived values from different criteria and creates a range from one to five while providing a comprehensive measurement of a large spectrum of criteria. Participants reported that the framework provided an efficient approach to systematic consideration in a pragmatic format consisting of many parts to guide decision-makings, including criteria and value (a model with the core of Borda) and evidences (medicine reimbursement based on criteria). The most important criterion for medicine acceptance in health insurance companies, in Iran, is the "life-threatening" factor and "evidence quality" is accounted as the fifth important factor. This pilot study showed the usefulness of incorporating Borda in medicine reimbursement decisions to support a transparent and systematic appraisal of health insurance companies' deeds. Further research is needed to advance Borda-based approaches that are effective on health insurance decision making.

The Derivation of Evaluation Criteria of Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S. K.; Ko, W. I.

2013-01-01

This study suggests the evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators derived using a factor analysis. As a result of a factor analysis, 5 evaluation criteria (safety (technological feature), environmental impact, economic feasibility, sociality, institution) and 24 evaluation indicators were selected. Particularly, the level of legislation for the management of radioactive waste, the level of establishment of safety standards of the country, and the level of application of international safety standards were analyzed to be qualitative evaluation indicators that should be considered in the aspect of the institution. The purpose of an analysis on diverse nuclear fuel cycles is to select the optimum nuclear fuel cycle suitable for the environment of one's own country. Accordingly, diverse evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators are necessary. In addition, individual evaluation criteria can be explained with various evaluation indicators. For example, the evaluation criteria for economic feasibility can be explained with evaluation indicators such as the unit cost or total cost. However, if too many evaluation indicators are included in one evaluation criterion, the evaluation is not easy, and if too few evaluation indicators are established, the evaluation criteria cannot be explained sufficiently, and thus the evaluation can be distorted. Accordingly, not only should the evaluation indicators be composed of an appropriate number of units, but they should also not be overlapped, and ambiguous evaluation indicators should be dropped out and necessary evaluation indicators must be included

Selection of tolerable risk criteria for dam safety decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, N.M.; Hartford, D.N.D.; MacDonald, T.F.

1994-01-01

Risk assessment has received increasing attention in recent years as a means of aiding decision making on dams by providing systematic and rational methods for dealing with risk and uncertainty. Risk assessment is controversial and decisions affecting risk to life are the most controversial. Tolerable criteria, based on the risks that society is prepared to accept in order to avoid excessive costs, set bounds within which risk-based decisions may be made. The components of risk associated with dam safety are addressed on an individual basis and criteria established for each component, thereby permitting flexibility in the balance between component risk and avoiding the problems of placing a monetary value on life. The guiding principle of individual risk is that dams do not impose intolerable risks on any individual. A risk to life of 1 in 10 4 per annum is generally considered the maximum tolerable risk. When considering societal risk, the safety of a dam should be proportional to the consequences of its failure. Risks of financial losses beyond the corporation's ability to finance should be so low as to be considered negligible. 17 refs., 3 figs

Bayesian item selection criteria for adaptive testing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Linden, Willem J.

1996-01-01

R.J. Owen (1975) proposed an approximate empirical Bayes procedure for item selection in adaptive testing. The procedure replaces the true posterior by a normal approximation with closed-form expressions for its first two moments. This approximation was necessary to minimize the computational

Multi-criteria selection of UPPT subsystems by a social community: The 'Beovoz' case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vuković Dubravka R.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This research paper considers the issue of multi-criteria selection of urban public passenger transport (UPPT subsystems by a social community, where possible solutions are as follows: (1 implementation of a new one, (2 replacement of the existing with a new one, (3 keeping the existing UPPT subsystem. In order to reach the specific solution for this issue, a new algorithm is proposed, which is heuristic, three phased and relatively simple. The aim of the algorithm is to choose the UPPT subsystem between possible options in the specific traffic corridor. To test the algorithm, the 'Beovoz' case study was made, which includes the analysis of six options of the UPPT subsystem (four of which with railway technology, from which stood out the following alternatives2: bus and railway. The conclusion is that the railway can be used in a modern city, however only for high-volume traffic corridors. The bus subsystem can be used in corridors with lower volume and those that supplement the railway.

Variance-Based Cluster Selection Criteria in a K-Means Framework for One-Mode Dissimilarity Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Vera, J Fernando; Macías, Rodrigo

2017-06-01

One of the main problems in cluster analysis is that of determining the number of groups in the data. In general, the approach taken depends on the cluster method used. For K-means, some of the most widely employed criteria are formulated in terms of the decomposition of the total point scatter, regarding a two-mode data set of N points in p dimensions, which are optimally arranged into K classes. This paper addresses the formulation of criteria to determine the number of clusters, in the general situation in which the available information for clustering is a one-mode [Formula: see text] dissimilarity matrix describing the objects. In this framework, p and the coordinates of points are usually unknown, and the application of criteria originally formulated for two-mode data sets is dependent on their possible reformulation in the one-mode situation. The decomposition of the variability of the clustered objects is proposed in terms of the corresponding block-shaped partition of the dissimilarity matrix. Within-block and between-block dispersion values for the partitioned dissimilarity matrix are derived, and variance-based criteria are subsequently formulated in order to determine the number of groups in the data. A Monte Carlo experiment was carried out to study the performance of the proposed criteria. For simulated clustered points in p dimensions, greater efficiency in recovering the number of clusters is obtained when the criteria are calculated from the related Euclidean distances instead of the known two-mode data set, in general, for unequal-sized clusters and for low dimensionality situations. For simulated dissimilarity data sets, the proposed criteria always outperform the results obtained when these criteria are calculated from their original formulation, using dissimilarities instead of distances.

A hybrid fuzzy multi-criteria decision making model for green ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A hybrid fuzzy multi-criteria decision making model for green supplier selection. ... Hence,supplier selection is significant factor in supply chain success. ... reduce purchasing cost, lead time and improve quality and environmental issue.

Assessment of somatotype in young voleyball players: Validity as criteria to select young sports talents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moisés de Hoyo Lora

2008-07-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2008v10n3p255 The anthropometric characteristics of athletes can determine their sporting performance. For this reason, we’ve defined the somatotype of young volleyball players in order to be able to control their sports training and to ensure their appropriate athletic development. In the present investigation 154 male and female volleyball players (aged from 12 to 14 years were analyzed. Data were collected according to the ISAK protocol. The results show an endomesomorphic profile for male and female volleyball players agreeing with the predominant profile at these ages. However, after comparing these data with results obtained in other studies, we observed a certain homogeneity in the male somatotype, invalidating the current trend of using this parameter as criteria to select young sports talent. However, somatotype could be a factor to take into account with female athletes, since their profile is much more heterogeneous.

36 CFR 72.50 - Grant selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... effective means of delivering a recreation service that can serve as a model for other communities. (2....50 Section 72.50 Parks, Forests, and Public Property NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR URBAN PARK AND RECREATION RECOVERY ACT OF 1978 Grant Selection, Approval and Administration § 72...

Supplier selection criteria and methods: past, present and future

OpenAIRE

MUKHERJEE, KRISHNENDU

2014-01-01

Sole purpose of supplier selection is not limited to get supply at low cost and at right time. Supplier selection is a strategic decision to fulfil company’s goal for long period of time at low risk. To accomplish this objective companies are moving from reactive buying to proactive buying to give more priority to co-creation of wealth with supplier/s. Considering this issue an attempt has been made in this paper to give systematic review of supplier selection and evaluation process from 2005...

Criteria for the evaluation of a cloud-based hospital information system outsourcing provider.

Science.gov (United States)

Low, Chinyao; Hsueh Chen, Ya

2012-12-01

As cloud computing technology has proliferated rapidly worldwide, there has been a trend toward adopting cloud-based hospital information systems (CHISs). This study examines the critical criteria for selecting the CHISs outsourcing provider. The fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) is used to evaluate the primary indicator collected from 188 useable responses at a working hospital in Taiwan. Moreover, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is employed to calculate the weights of these criteria and establish a fuzzy multi-criteria model of CHISs outsourcing provider selection from 42 experts. The results indicate that the five most critical criteria related to CHISs outsourcing provider selection are (1) system function, (2) service quality, (3) integration, (4) professionalism, and (5) economics. This study may contribute to understanding how cloud-based hospital systems can reinforce content design and offer a way to compete in the field by developing more appropriate systems.

A Methodology for the Selection of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Methods in Real Estate and Land Management Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Rosaria Guarini

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Real estate and land management are characterised by a complex, elaborate combination of technical, regulatory and governmental factors. In Europe, Public Administrators must address the complex decision-making problems that need to be resolved, while also acting in consideration of the expectations of the different stakeholders involved in settlement transformation. In complex situations (e.g., with different aspects to be considered and multilevel actors involved, decision-making processes are often used to solve multidisciplinary and multidimensional analyses, which support the choices of those who are making the decision. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA methods are included among the examination and evaluation techniques considered useful by the European Community. Such analyses and techniques are performed using methods, which aim to reach a synthesis of the various forms of input data needed to define decision-making problems of a similar complexity. Thus, one or more of the conclusions reached allow for informed, well thought-out, strategic decisions. According to the technical literature on MCDA, numerous methods are applicable in different decision-making situations, however, advice for selecting the most appropriate for the specific field of application and problem have not been thoroughly investigated. In land and real estate management, numerous queries regarding evaluations often arise. In brief, the objective of this paper is to outline a procedure with which to select the method best suited to the specific queries of evaluation, which commonly arise while addressing decision-making problems. In particular issues of land and real estate management, representing the so-called “settlement sector”. The procedure will follow a theoretical-methodological approach by formulating a taxonomy of the endogenous and exogenous variables of the multi-criteria analysis methods.

Criteria and results from the analysis of the problem of site selection for the construction of high level RAW repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evstatiev, D.; Kozhoukharova, D.; Iliev, I.; Karagyuleva, J.

1993-02-01

The criteria for preliminary assessment of the Bulgarian territory and the results of the selection of prospective sites for future investigation concerning the choice of the suitable places for RAW repositories are presented. The selection of the prospective terrains has been performed in two stages: 1) Categorization of the country according to the prospective conditions for suitable sites and 2) Distinguishing and preliminary assessment of the suitable sites. The number of these sites was reduced to 20 by the method of successive screening. They are located in Northwest and Southeast Bulgaria and are built of marls, clays, granite, gneiss, serpentine and and volcanic rocks. The selected 20 sites has been subjected to preliminary investigation according to a programme specially worked out for the purpose. The investigation covers the analysis and summing up of the available geographical, geomorphological, geological, seismotectonic, hydrological, climatic, hydrogeological and geotechnical data, as well as a minimum of additional field research and laboratory tests. The results of the investigation of each site are presented and discussed. 1 ref

The total cost of logistics in supplier selection, under conditions of multiple sourcing, multiple criteria and capacity constraint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elnaz Bani

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a mathematical model to solve a multi-objective decision making supplier selection problem. The proposed problem considers three objective functions: the first objective function minimizes the cost of purchasing the products while the second objective function minimizes the due dates and finally the third objective function maximizes the customer satisfaction. The resulted problem is formulated as mixed integer programming and, therefore, we use invasive weed optimization technique to solve the resulted problem. The performance of the proposed model is compared with NSGA II based on different criteria such as mean ideal distance and quality matrix. The preliminary results indicate that the proposed model performs relatively well compared with alternative method.

Selection of appropriate greenhouse gas mitigation options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramanathan, R. [Indira Ghandi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai (India)

1999-10-01

Greenhouse gas mitigation options help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions so as to avoid the adverse environmental impacts due to global warming/climate change. They have different characteristics when evaluated using different criteria. For example, some options may be very cost effective, while some may have an additional advantage of reducing local pollution. Hence, selection of these options, for consideration by a national government or by a funding agency, has to incorporate multiple criteria. In this paper, some important criteria relevant to the selection are discussed, and a multi-criteria methodology is suggested for making appropriate selection. The methodology, called the Analytic Hierarchy Process, is described using two illustrations. (author)

Feature Selection Criteria for Real Time EKF-SLAM Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Auat Cheein

2010-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a seletion procedure for environmet features for the correction stage of a SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping algorithm based on an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF. This approach decreases the computational time of the correction stage which allows for real and constant-time implementations of the SLAM. The selection procedure consists in chosing the features the SLAM system state covariance is more sensible to. The entire system is implemented on a mobile robot equipped with a range sensor laser. The features extracted from the environment correspond to lines and corners. Experimental results of the real time SLAM algorithm and an analysis of the processing-time consumed by the SLAM with the feature selection procedure proposed are shown. A comparison between the feature selection approach proposed and the classical sequential EKF-SLAM along with an entropy feature selection approach is also performed.

Multi-Criteria selection of technology for processing ore raw materials

Science.gov (United States)

Gorbatova, E. A.; Emelianenko, E. A.; Zaretckii, M. V.

2017-10-01

The development of Computer-Aided Process Planning (CAPP) for the Ore Beneficiation process is considered. The set of parameters to define the quality of the Ore Beneficiation process is identified. The ontological model of CAPP for the Ore Beneficiation process is described. The hybrid choice method of the most appropriate variant of the Ore Beneficiation process based on the Logical Conclusion Rules and the Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach is proposed.

Clinical Criteria Versus a Possible Research Case Definition in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jason, Leonard A; McManimen, Stephanie; Sunnquist, Madison; Newton, Julia L; Strand, Elin Bolle

2017-01-01

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently developed clinical criteria for what had been known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Given the broad nature of the clinical IOM criteria, there is a need for a research definition that would select a more homogenous and impaired group of patients than the IOM clinical criteria. At the present time, it is unclear what will serve as the research definition. The current study focused on a research definition which selected homebound individuals who met the four IOM criteria, excluding medical and psychiatric co-morbidities. Our research criteria were compared to those participants meeting the IOM criteria. Those not meeting either of these criteria sets were placed in a separate group defined by 6 or more months of fatigue. Data analyzed were from the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire and the SF-36. Due to unequal sample sizes and variances, Welch's F tests and Games-Howell post hoc tests were conducted. Using a large database of over 1,000 patients from several countries, we found that those meeting a more restrictive research definition were even more impaired and more symptomatic than those meeting criteria for the other two groups. Deciding on a particular research case definition would allow researchers to select more comparable patient samples across settings, and this would represent one of the most significant methodologic advances for this field of study.

Design criteria for prestressed concrete pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schimmelpfennig, K.

1989-01-01

The work concerned with the PCRVs has been focussed on topics which are not sufficiently covered by the usual codes with respect to the special structure of PCRVs and the special demands on it, and different investigations yielding a basis for such specific design criteria have been carried out. Only a couple of subjects being in the fore under the aspect of defining quality enlarging design criteria for PCRVs are outlined. The materials for the concrete to be used for the PCRVs are carefully selected. (DG)

Parameters and criteria influencing the selection of waste emplacement configurations in mined geologic repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bechthold, W.; Closs, K.D.; Papp, R.

1988-01-01

Reference concepts for repositories in deep geological formations have been developed in several countries. For these concepts, emplacement configurations vary within a wide range that comprises drift emplacement of unshielded or self-shielded packages and horizontal or vertical borehole emplacement. This is caused by different parameters, criteria, and criteria weighting factors. Examples for parameters are the country's nuclear power program and waste management policy, its geological situation, and safety requirements, examples for criteria and repository area requirements, expenditures of mining and drilling, and efforts for emplacement and, if required, retrieval. Due to the variety of these factors and their ranking in different countries, requirements for a safe, dependable and cost-effective disposal of radioactive waste can be met in various ways

34 CFR 644.21 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... including, but not limited to, the project's organizational structure, the time committed to the project by... criteria to evaluate an application for a new grant: (a) Need for the project (24 points). The Secretary evaluates the need for an Educational Opportunity Centers project in the proposed target area on the basis...

Ecological criteria for evaluating candidate sites for marine reserves

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Callum M.; Andelman, Sandy; Branch, George; Bustamante, Rodrigo H.; Castilla, Juan Carlos; Dugan, Jenifer; Halpern, Benjamin S.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Leslie, Heather; Lubchenco, Jane; McArdle, Deborah; Possingham, Hugh P.; Ruckelshaus, Mary; Warner, Robert R.

2003-01-01

Several schemes have been developed to help select the locations of marine reserves. All of them combine social, economic, and biological criteria, and few offer any guidance as to how to prioritize among the criteria identified. This can imply that the relative weights given to different criteria are unimportant. Where two sites are of equal value ecologically, then socioeconomic criteria should dominate the choice of which should be protected. However, in many cases, socioeconomic criteria are given equal or greater weight than ecological considerations in the choice of sites. This can lead to selection of reserves with little biological value that fail to meet many of the desired objectives. To avoid such a possibility, we develop a series of criteria that allow preliminary evaluation of candidate sites according to their relative biological values in advance of the application of socioeconomic criteria. We include criteria that, while not strictly biological, have a strong influence on the species present or ecological processes. Our scheme enables sites to be assessed according to their biodiversity, the processes which underpin that diversity, and the processes that support fisheries and provide a spectrum of other services important to people. Criteria that capture biodiversity values include biogeographic representation, habitat representation and heterogeneity, and presence of species or populations of special interest (e.g., threatened species). Criteria that capture sustainability of biodiversity and fishery values include the size of reserves necessary to protect viable habitats, presence of exploitable species, vulnerable life stages, connectivity among reserves, links among ecosystems, and provision of ecosystem services to people. Criteria measuring human and natural threats enable candidate sites to be eliminated from consideration if risks are too great, but also help prioritize among sites where threats can be mitigated by protection. While our

Overview of core designs and requirements/criteria for core restraint systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutherland, W.H.

1984-09-01

The requirements and lifetime criteria for the design of a Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) Core Restraint System are presented. A discussion of the three types of core restraint systems used in LMFBR core design is given. Details of the core restraint system selected for FFTF are presented and the reasons for this selection given. Structural analysis procedures being used to manage the FFTF assembly irradiations are discussed. Efforts that are ongoing to validate the calculational methods and lifetime criteria are presented

Selection for Surgical Training: An Evidence-Based Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaverien, Mark V

2016-01-01

The predictive relationship between candidate selection criteria for surgical training programs and future performance during and at the completion of training has been investigated for several surgical specialties, however there is no interspecialty agreement regarding which selection criteria should be used. Better understanding the predictive reliability between factors at selection and future performance may help to optimize the process and lead to greater standardization of the surgical selection process. PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE databases were searched. Over 560 potentially relevant publications were identified using the search strategy and screened using the Cochrane Collaboration Data Extraction and Assessment Template. 57 studies met the inclusion criteria. Several selection criteria used in the traditional selection demonstrated inconsistent correlation with subsequent performance during and at the end of surgical training. The following selection criteria, however, demonstrated good predictive relationships with subsequent resident performance: USMLE examination scores, Letters of Recommendation (LOR) including the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), academic performance during clinical clerkships, the interview process, displaying excellence in extracurricular activities, and the use of unadjusted rank lists. This systematic review supports that the current selection process needs to be further evaluated and improved. Multicenter studies using standardized outcome measures of success are now required to improve the reliability of the selection process to select the best trainees. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Definition of criteria related to occupational exposure for use in multi-criteria decision making process for nuclear accidents in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Diogo N.G.; Guimaraes, Jean R.D.; Rochedo, Elaine R.R.

2013-01-01

After the occurrence of nuclear or radiological accidents, the selection of strategies for remediation of contaminated areas and of protective measures for members of public should be based on previously established criteria. Hence, it becomes possible to reduce the stress of population and to prevent the exposure of workers, especially if an implemented measure is not effective in reducing doses for each particular situation. When an accident with radioactive material causes environmental contamination, decisions about remediation of affected areas are complex because there are many factors associated with decontamination processes. Such complexity is related to technical procedures, public acceptance, the feasibility of implementing the measure, costs and legal aspects. This work is part of a project which aims to develop a multi-criteria tool to provide support for decision making processes in cases of nuclear or radiological accidents in Brazil. Primarily, a database containing information about protective and remediation measures for contaminated areas which can be applied nationally was created. Some criteria have already been defined for the classification of these measures regarding aspects of relevance of pathways to public exposure and of the infrastructure necessary to implement the measure. In this paper, the issues related to the exposure of the workforce are assessed and compared to the dose averted to members of the public resulting from the implementation of each remediation procedure. The procedures described in the database are then ranked according to selected criteria. In the next step, these ratings will be incorporated by the multi-criteria tool. (author)

Definition of criteria related to occupational exposure for use in multi-criteria decision making process for nuclear accidents in Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Diogo N.G.; Guimaraes, Jean R.D., E-mail: dneves@biof.ufrj.br, E-mail: jeanrdg@biof.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho; Rochedo, Elaine R.R., E-mail: elainerochedo@gmail.com [Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear

2013-07-01

After the occurrence of nuclear or radiological accidents, the selection of strategies for remediation of contaminated areas and of protective measures for members of public should be based on previously established criteria. Hence, it becomes possible to reduce the stress of population and to prevent the exposure of workers, especially if an implemented measure is not effective in reducing doses for each particular situation. When an accident with radioactive material causes environmental contamination, decisions about remediation of affected areas are complex because there are many factors associated with decontamination processes. Such complexity is related to technical procedures, public acceptance, the feasibility of implementing the measure, costs and legal aspects. This work is part of a project which aims to develop a multi-criteria tool to provide support for decision making processes in cases of nuclear or radiological accidents in Brazil. Primarily, a database containing information about protective and remediation measures for contaminated areas which can be applied nationally was created. Some criteria have already been defined for the classification of these measures regarding aspects of relevance of pathways to public exposure and of the infrastructure necessary to implement the measure. In this paper, the issues related to the exposure of the workforce are assessed and compared to the dose averted to members of the public resulting from the implementation of each remediation procedure. The procedures described in the database are then ranked according to selected criteria. In the next step, these ratings will be incorporated by the multi-criteria tool. (author)

Multi-criteria Group Decision Making based on Linguistic Refined Neutrosophic Strategy

OpenAIRE

Kalyan Mondal; Surapati Pramanik; Bibhas C. Giri

2018-01-01

Multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM) strategy, which consists of a group of experts acting collectively for best selection among all possible alternatives with respect to some criteria, is focused on in this study. To develop the paper, we define linguistic neutrosophic refine set.

Diagnostic criteria for headache attributed to temporomandibular disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiffman, Eric; Ohrbach, Richard; List, Thomas; Anderson, Gary; Jensen, Rigmor; John, Mike T; Nixdorf, Donald; Goulet, Jean-Paul; Kang, Wenjun; Truelove, Ed; Clavel, Al; Fricton, James; Look, John

2012-07-01

We assessed and compared the diagnostic accuracy of two sets of diagnostic criteria for headache secondary to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). In 373 headache subjects with TMD, a TMD headache reference standard was defined as: self-reported temple headache, consensus diagnosis of painful TMD and replication of the temple headache using TMD-based provocation tests. Revised diagnostic criteria for Headache attributed to TMD were selected using the RPART (recursive partitioning and regression trees) procedure, and refined in half of the data set. Using the remaining half of the data, the diagnostic accuracy of the revised criteria was compared to that of the International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Diseases (ICHD)-II criteria A to C for Headache or facial pain attributed to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Relative to the TMD headache reference standard, ICHD-II criteria showed sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 33%. The revised criteria for Headache attributed to TMD had sensitivity of 89% with improved specificity of 87% (p headache that is changed with jaw movement, function or parafunction and (2) provocation of that headache by temporalis muscle palpation or jaw movement. Having significantly better specificity than the ICHD-II criteria A to C, the revised criteria are recommended to diagnose headache secondary to TMD.

Overview of core designs and requirements/criteria for core restraint systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutherland, W.H.

1984-01-01

The requirements and lifetime criteria for the design of a Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) Core Restraint System is presented. A discussion of the three types of core restraint systems used in LMFBR core design is given. Details of the core restraint system selected for FFTF are presented and the reasons for this selection given. Structural analysis procedures being used to manage the FFTF assembly irradiations are discussed. Efforts that are ongoing to validate the calculational methods and lifetime criteria are presented. (author)

Final waste forms project: Performance criteria for phase I treatability studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilliam, T.M.; Hutchins, D.A.; Chodak, P. III

1994-06-01

This document defines the product performance criteria to be used in Phase I of the Final Waste Forms Project. In Phase I, treatability studies will be performed to provide open-quotes proof-of-principleclose quotes data to establish the viability of stabilization/solidification (S/S) technologies. This information is required by March 1995. In Phase II, further treatability studies, some at the pilot scale, will be performed to provide sufficient data to allow treatment alternatives identified in Phase I to be more fully developed and evaluated, as well as to reduce performance uncertainties for those methods chosen to treat a specific waste. Three main factors influence the development and selection of an optimum waste form formulation and hence affect selection of performance criteria. These factors are regulatory, process-specific, and site-specific waste form standards or requirements. Clearly, the optimum waste form formulation will require consideration of performance criteria constraints from each of the three categories. Phase I will focus only on the regulatory criteria. These criteria may be considered the minimum criteria for an acceptable waste form. In other words, a S/S technology is considered viable only if it meet applicable regulatory criteria. The criteria to be utilized in the Phase I treatability studies were primarily taken from Environmental Protection Agency regulations addressed in 40 CFR 260 through 265 and 268; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations addressed in 10 CFR 61. Thus the majority of the identified criteria are independent of waste form matrix composition (i.e., applicable to cement, glass, organic binders etc.)

Final waste forms project: Performance criteria for phase I treatability studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilliam, T.M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Hutchins, D.A. [Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Chodak, P. III [Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States)

1994-06-01

This document defines the product performance criteria to be used in Phase I of the Final Waste Forms Project. In Phase I, treatability studies will be performed to provide {open_quotes}proof-of-principle{close_quotes} data to establish the viability of stabilization/solidification (S/S) technologies. This information is required by March 1995. In Phase II, further treatability studies, some at the pilot scale, will be performed to provide sufficient data to allow treatment alternatives identified in Phase I to be more fully developed and evaluated, as well as to reduce performance uncertainties for those methods chosen to treat a specific waste. Three main factors influence the development and selection of an optimum waste form formulation and hence affect selection of performance criteria. These factors are regulatory, process-specific, and site-specific waste form standards or requirements. Clearly, the optimum waste form formulation will require consideration of performance criteria constraints from each of the three categories. Phase I will focus only on the regulatory criteria. These criteria may be considered the minimum criteria for an acceptable waste form. In other words, a S/S technology is considered viable only if it meet applicable regulatory criteria. The criteria to be utilized in the Phase I treatability studies were primarily taken from Environmental Protection Agency regulations addressed in 40 CFR 260 through 265 and 268; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations addressed in 10 CFR 61. Thus the majority of the identified criteria are independent of waste form matrix composition (i.e., applicable to cement, glass, organic binders etc.).

Selecting public relations personnel of hospitals by analytic network process.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Sen-Kuei; Chang, Kuei-Lun

2009-01-01

This study describes the use of analytic network process (ANP) in the Taiwanese hospital public relations personnel selection process. Starting with interviewing 48 practitioners and executives in north Taiwan, we collected selection criteria. Then, we retained the 12 critical criteria that were mentioned above 40 times by theses respondents, including: interpersonal skill, experience, negotiation, language, ability to follow orders, cognitive ability, adaptation to environment, adaptation to company, emotion, loyalty, attitude, and Response. Finally, we discussed with the 20 executives to take these important criteria into three perspectives to structure the hierarchy for hospital public relations personnel selection. After discussing with practitioners and executives, we find that selecting criteria are interrelated. The ANP, which incorporates interdependence relationships, is a new approach for multi-criteria decision-making. Thus, we apply ANP to select the most optimal public relations personnel of hospitals. An empirical study of public relations personnel selection problems in Taiwan hospitals is conducted to illustrate how the selection procedure works.

Selection criteria for the best secondary water chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordmann, F.; Fiquet, J.M.

1996-01-01

This paper describes, for PWR plants, the approach for selecting the best chemistry-pH, amine, corrosion inhibitors-according to the secondary system characteristics, such as presence or not of copper alloys, steam generator tubing alloy, tube support plate design, sludge pile importance. The impact of condensate polisher, sludge lancing, chemical cleaning, as well as other ways of eliminating undesirable compounds or mitigating them are also discussed. For plants with simultaneous presence of carbon steel and copper alloys, alternate amines like morpholine, or new reagents such as ethanolamine (ETA), can be selected to manage erosion-corrosion of carbon steel and decrease corrosion transport, at a pH acceptable for copper alloys (9.2 at 25 C). In more recent units, with an all ferrous system, a high pH operation, with only hydrazine addition, the easiest way, or with combined hydrazine and morpholine or ETA will be of some benefit against steam generator corrosion. When Alloy 600 has been selected, inhibitors such as boric acid, or maybe titanium oxide or cerium in the future, needs to be added in steam generators in order to decrease intergranular corrosion progression. In addition, caustic and lead contaminations must be strictly avoided, while sludge and deposits will be eliminated by lancing and chemical cleaning, if necessary. (orig.)

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Technique for Gradation of Jute Fibres

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhuri, P. K.

2014-12-01

Multi-Criteria Decision Making is a branch of Operation Research (OR) having a comparatively short history of about 40 years. It is being popularly used in the field of engineering, banking, fixing policy matters etc. It can also be applied for taking decisions in daily life like selecting a car to purchase, selecting bride or groom and many others. Various MCDM methods namely Weighted Sum Model (WSM), Weighted Product Model (WPM), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solutions (TOPSIS) and Elimination and Choice Translating Reality (ELECTRE) are there to solve many decision making problems, each having its own limitations. However it is very difficult to decide which MCDM method is the best. MCDM methods are prospective quantitative approaches for solving decision problems involving finite number of alternatives and criteria. Very few research works in textiles have been carried out with the help of this technique particularly where decision taking among several alternatives becomes the major problem based on some criteria which are conflicting in nature. Gradation of jute fibres on the basis of the criteria like strength, root content, defects, colour, density, fineness etc. is an important task to perform. The MCDM technique provides enough scope to be applied for the gradation of jute fibres or ranking among several varieties keeping in view a particular object and on the basis of some selection criteria and their relative weightage. The present paper is an attempt to explore the scope of applying the multiplicative AHP method of multi-criteria decision making technique to determine the quality values of selected jute fibres on the basis of some above stated important criteria and ranking them accordingly. A good agreement in ranking is observed between the existing Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) grading and proposed method.

A fuzzy hybrid approach for project manager selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Jafarnejad Chaghooshi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Suitable project manager has a significant impact on successful accomplishment of the project. Managers should possess such skills in order to effectively cope with the competition. In this respect, selecting managers based on their skills can lead to a competitive advantage towards the achievement of organizational goals. selection of the suitable project manager can be viewed as a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM problem and an extensive evaluation of criteria, such as Technical skills, experience skills, Personal qualities and the related criteria must be considered in the selection process of project manager. The fuzzy set theory and MCDM methods appears as an essential tools to provide a decision framework that incorporates imprecise judgments and multi criteria nature of project manager selection process inherent in this process. This paper proposes the joint use of the Fuzzy DEMATEL (FDEMATEL and Fuzzy VIKOR methods for the decision-making process of selecting the most suitable managers for projects. First, with the opinions of the senior managers based on project management competency model (ICB-IPMA, all the criteria required for the selection are gathered. Then the FDEMATEL method is used to prioritize the importance of various criteria and FVIKOR used to rank the alternatives in a preferred order to select the best project managers from a number of alternatives. Next, a real case study used to illustrate the process of the proposed method. Finally, some conclusions are discussed at the end of this study.

A Comparison of the Green Building’s Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bahaudin A.Y.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Designers and clients alike are now emphasising on how to make their buildings green. Currently a lot of green councils worldwide are dealing with innovative ways to implement energy efficient new buildings. They have adopted various criteria and rating systems in an endeavour to classify buildings that contribute to environment sustainability, efficiency and users health. The aim of the paper is to present an overview of the criteria adopted by selected green building councils. This paper discusses five of the rating systems available in terms of their similarities and differences and proposes a new framework based on the project life cycle for the development of the green building criteria. Criteria during the construction phase of the building is certainly lacking such as pollution control in terms of CO2 emission, dust, and other pollutants.

MHA admission criteria and program performance: do they predict career performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, J; Galfano, V J

1987-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent admission criteria predict graduate school and career performance. The study also analyzed which objective and subjective criteria served as the best predictors. MHA graduates of the University of Minnesota from 1974 to 1977 were surveyed to assess career performance. Student files served as the data base on admission criteria and program performance. Career performance was measured by four variables: total compensation, satisfaction, fiscal responsibility, and level of authority. High levels of MHA program performance were associated with women who had high undergraduate GPAs from highly selective undergraduate colleges, were undergraduate business majors, and participated in extracurricular activities. High levels of compensation were associated with relatively low undergraduate GPAs, high levels of participation in undergraduate extracurricular activities, and being single at admission to graduate school. Admission to MHA programs should be based upon both objective and subjective criteria. Emphasis should be placed upon the selection process for MHA students since admission criteria are shown to explain 30 percent of the variability in graduate program performance, and as much as 65 percent of the variance in level of position authority.

Geological Storage of CO2. Site Selection Criteria; Almacenamiento Geologico de CO2. Criterios de Seleccion de Emplazamientos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz, C; Martinez, R; Recreo, F; Prado, P; Campos, R; Pelayo, M; Losa, A de la; Hurtado, A; Lomba, L; Perez del Villar, L; Ortiz, G; Sastre, J

2006-07-01

In year 2002 the Spanish Parliament unanimously passed the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, signed December 1997, compromising to limiting the greenhouse gas emissions increase. Later on, the Environment Ministry submitted the Spanish National Assignment Emissions Plan to the European Union and in year 2005 the Spanish Greenhouse Gas market started working, establishing taxes to pay in case of exceeding the assigned emissions limits. So, the avoided emissions of CO2 have now an economic value that is promoting new anthropogenic CO2 emissions reduction technologies. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) are among these new technological developments for mitigating or eliminate climate change. CO2 can be stored in geological formations such as depleted oil or gas fields, deep permeable saline water saturated formations and unmineable coal seams, among others. This report seeks to establish the selection criteria for suitable geological formations for CO2 storage in the Spanish national territory, paying attention to both the operational and performance requirements of these storage systems. The report presents the physical and chemical properties and performance of CO2 under storage conditions, the transport and reaction processes of both supercritical and gaseous CO2, and CO2 trapping mechanisms in geological formations. The main part of the report is devoted to geological criteria at watershed, site and formation scales. (Author) 100 ref.

Multi-Criterion Two-Sided Matching of Public–Private Partnership Infrastructure Projects: Criteria and Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ru Liang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Two kinds of evaluative criteria are associated with Public–Private Partnership (PPP infrastructure projects, i.e., private evaluative criteria and public evaluative criteria. These evaluative criteria are inversely related, that is, the higher the public benefits; the lower the private surplus. To balance evaluative criteria in the Two-Sided Matching (TSM decision, this paper develops a quantitative matching decision model to select an optimal matching scheme for PPP infrastructure projects based on the Hesitant Fuzzy Set (HFS under unknown evaluative criterion weights. In the model, HFS is introduced to describe values of the evaluative criteria and multi-criterion information is fully considered given by groups. The optimal model is built and solved by maximizing the whole deviation of each criterion so that the evaluative criterion weights are determined objectively. Then, the match-degree of the two sides is calculated and a multi-objective optimization model is introduced to select an optimal matching scheme via a min-max approach. The results provide new insights and implications of the influence on evaluative criteria in the TSM decision.

Criteria for Selecting Suitable Infectious Diseases for Phage Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, David R

2018-04-05

One of the main issues with phage therapy from its earliest days has been the selection of appropriate disease targets. In early work, when the nature of bacteriophages was unknown, many inappropriate targets were selected, including some now known to have no bacterial involvement whatsoever. More recently, with greatly increased understanding of the highly specific nature of bacteriophages and of their mechanisms of action, it has been possible to select indications with an increased chance of a successful therapeutic outcome. The factors to be considered include the characteristics of the infection to be treated, the characteristics of the bacteria involved, and the characteristics of the bacteriophages themselves. At a later stage all of this information then informs trial design and regulatory considerations. Where the work is undertaken towards the development of a commercial product it is also necessary to consider the planned market, protection of intellectual property, and the sourcing of funding to support the work. It is clear that bacteriophages are not a "magic bullet". However, with careful and appropriate selection of a limited set of initial targets, it should be possible to obtain proof of concept for the many elements required for the success of phage therapy. In time, success with these initial targets could then support more widespread use.

Final disposal of radioactive wastes. Site selection criteria. Technical and economical factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granero, J.J.

1984-01-01

General considerations, geological and socioeconomical criteria for final disposal of radioactive wastes in geological formations are treated. More attention is given to the final disposal of high level radioactive wastes and different solutions searched abroad which seems of interest for Spain. (author)

Portfolio selection using ELECTRE III: Evidence from Tehran Stock Exchange

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aazam Shabani Vezmelai

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Ranking the companies can be a useful guide for investors to select an optimum portfolio. Tehran stock exchange (TSE uses liquidity criterion to rank the companies; however, this study shows that preferences of investors, the criteria they use to evaluate companies’ performances, and the extent to which ranking of companies based on investors’ criteria are in line with the ranking announced by the stock exchange. Since the criteria used for ranking the companies are various and often conflicting and because each multiple criteria technique has its own specific characteristics, various rankings are offered. Therefore, it is required to utilize multiple criteria decision making models to avoid confusion of investors. For this purpose, some companies were selected from 50 top companies listed in 2011 in TSE, which maintained the reliability of their ranks and finally, 20 companies were selected and were ranked based on investors’ criteria using EECTRE III Technique. The obtained ranking was then compared with the ranking offered by stock exchange. Research results indicate that ELECTRE III technique was a useful and efficient method to select a portfolio. Moreover, value-based criteria as well as accounting criteria are suitable and useful bases for investors to select a portfolio.

Selection decisions among reindeer herders in Finland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsi Muuttoranta

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Selection of breeding animals is a tool to improve the revenues in animal production. Information about selection practices and criteria are essential in assessing the possibilities for systematic selection schemes. Attitudes of reindeer herders towards use of selection in improving production were investigated by means of interviews. We interviewed the managers of reindeer herding cooperatives concerning their selection decisions. Fortyfive out of 56 managers answered to the semi-structured questionnaire. Among herding operations, selection of breeding animals was regarded by managers as critical for calf’s autumn weight and survival. The main selection criteria were calf’s health, vigour, body size and muscularity, dam or dam line, and maternal care. Hair quality and hair length were important as well, while such often quoted traits as antler characteristics, e.g. early shedding of antler velvet and thick antler bases, were unimportant. The results show that reindeer herders i acknowledge the importance and effects of selective breeding, and ii have empirical knowledge to list the most important selection criteria.

THE MULTIPLE CHOICE PROBLEM WITH INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CRITERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Flavio Autran Monteiro Gomes

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT An important problem in Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis arises when one must select at least two alternatives at the same time. This can be denoted as a multiple choice problem. In other words, instead of evaluating each of the alternatives separately, they must be combined into groups of n alternatives, where n = 2. When the multiple choice problem must be solved under multiple criteria, the result is a multi-criteria, multiple choice problem. In this paper, it is shown through examples how this problemcan be tackled on a bipolar scale. The Choquet integral is used in this paper to take care of interactions between criteria. A numerical application example is conducted using data from SEBRAE-RJ, a non-profit private organization that has the mission of promoting competitiveness, sustainable developmentand entrepreneurship in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The paper closes with suggestions for future research.

Using the Multi-Criteria AHP for the Optimal Selection of Site Location and Wastewater Collection System The Case Study of Varzeghan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassan talebi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the use of multi-criteria decision making in waste management and selection of the site location and proper wastewater collection and processing system in Varzeqan Town. Moreover, the effect of the decision-making method employed on ranking the final alternatives will be evaluated. Different factors are involved in the selection of wastewater treatment construction sites. These factors, in turn, not only depend on the special location and time the decision is made but also have their own weights in the final decision. In this study, the environmental conditions in the study area are initially investigated to select one site from among five different alternatives proposed for the construction of the facility using the AHP method. Also, the AHP method is used to evaluate and select the suitable collection and treatment method from among the four non-conventional options including Septic Tank Effluent Gravity, Septic Tank Effluent Pressure, Vacuum Sewerage System, and Simplified Sewerage for this region based on the special geographical and geotechnical conditions. The results indicate that the barren lands between Varzeghan Town and Dizaj Safar Ali Village are the best site for constructing the treatment facility and that the simplified sewarge system is the best collection system for the region.

2D Decision-Making for Multi-Criteria Design Optimization

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Engau, A; Wiecek, M. M

2006-01-01

.... To facilitate those analyses and enhance decision-making and design selection, we propose to decompose the original problem by considering only pairs of criteria at a time, thereby making tradeoff...

Species selection for smallholder aquaculture

OpenAIRE

Brummett, R.E.

1996-01-01

Systems for selection of species for smallholder aquaculture are presented. These are: food fits; management decisions; and economic criteria. Food fits suggests categorizing pond food resources into a few categories based loosely on the instrinsic traits of food which effect their selectivity by predators. Using management decision techniques, potential polycultures might also be compared with each other and with monoculture. Under economic criteria (and for species known in local markets), ...

Criteria for Selecting Suitable Infectious Diseases for Phage Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R. Harper

2018-04-01

Full Text Available One of the main issues with phage therapy from its earliest days has been the selection of appropriate disease targets. In early work, when the nature of bacteriophages was unknown, many inappropriate targets were selected, including some now known to have no bacterial involvement whatsoever. More recently, with greatly increased understanding of the highly specific nature of bacteriophages and of their mechanisms of action, it has been possible to select indications with an increased chance of a successful therapeutic outcome. The factors to be considered include the characteristics of the infection to be treated, the characteristics of the bacteria involved, and the characteristics of the bacteriophages themselves. At a later stage all of this information then informs trial design and regulatory considerations. Where the work is undertaken towards the development of a commercial product it is also necessary to consider the planned market, protection of intellectual property, and the sourcing of funding to support the work. It is clear that bacteriophages are not a “magic bullet”. However, with careful and appropriate selection of a limited set of initial targets, it should be possible to obtain proof of concept for the many elements required for the success of phage therapy. In time, success with these initial targets could then support more widespread use.

Multi-Criteria Analysis for Solar Farm Location Suitability

Science.gov (United States)

Mierzwiak, Michal; Calka, Beata

2017-12-01

Currently the number of solar farms, as a type of renewable sources of energy, is growing rapidly. Photovoltaic power stations have many advantages, which is an incentive for their building and development. Solar energy is readily available and inexhaustible, and its production is environmentally friendly. In the present study multiple environmental and economic criteria were taken into account to select a potential photovoltaic farm location, with particular emphasis on: protected areas, land cover, solar radiation, slope angle, proximity to roads, built-up areas, and power lines. Advanced data analysis were used because of the multiplicity of criteria and their diverse influence on the choice of a potential location. They included the spatial analysis, the Weighted Linear Combination Technique (WLC), and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a decisionmaking method. The analysis was divided into two stages. In the first one, the areas where the location of solar farms was not possible were excluded. In the second one, the best locations meeting all environmental and economic criteria were selected. The research was conducted for the Legionowo District, using data from national surveying and mapping resources such as: BDOT10k (Database of Topographic Objects), NMT (Numerical Terrain Model), and lands and buildings register. Finally, several areas meeting the criteria were chosen. The research deals with solar farms with up to 40 kW power. The results of the study are presented as thematic maps. The advantage of the method is its versatility. It can be used not only for any area, but with little modification of the criteria, it can also be applied to choose a location for wind farms.

Management Matters. Selection Policies

Science.gov (United States)

Pappas, Marjorie L.

2003-01-01

One of the most important policy documents for a school library media center is the selection policy or the collection development policy. A well-developed selection policy provides a rationale for the selection decisions made by the school library media specialist. A selection policy represents the criteria against which a challenged book is…

Analysis of static safety of power systems: a study about contingencies selection criteria in the reactive subproblem; Analise de seguranca estatica de sistemas de potencia: um estudo sobre criterios de selecao de contingencias no subproblema reativo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Jose Vicente Canto dos

1993-12-01

The main objective of static safety's analysis in power systems is the determination of the level of gravity of the different contingencies that can occur in a system. Habitually, static safety's analysis is divided in two parts: selection and analysis of contingencies. In this work, they are studied several criteria of selection of applicable contingencies to the sub-problem reactive and are introduced comparisons among results provided by different criteria. They are also studied several forms of evaluation of the impact caused by contingencies on the power systems reactive profile.

Analysis of static safety of power systems: a study about contingencies selection criteria in the reactive subproblem; Analise de seguranca estatica de sistemas de potencia: um estudo sobre criterios de selecao de contingencias no subproblema reativo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Jose Vicente Canto dos

1993-12-01

The main objective of static safety's analysis in power systems is the determination of the level of gravity of the different contingencies that can occur in a system. Habitually, static safety's analysis is divided in two parts: selection and analysis of contingencies. In this work, they are studied several criteria of selection of applicable contingencies to the sub-problem reactive and are introduced comparisons among results provided by different criteria. They are also studied several forms of evaluation of the impact caused by contingencies on the power systems reactive profile.

Supplier selection an MCDA-based approach

CERN Document Server

Mukherjee, Krishnendu

2017-01-01

The purpose of this book is to present a comprehensive review of the latest research and development trends at the international level for modeling and optimization of the supplier selection process for different industrial sectors. It is targeted to serve two audiences: the MBA and PhD student interested in procurement, and the practitioner who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of procurement analysis with multi-criteria based decision tools to avoid upstream risks to get better supply chain visibility. The book is expected to serve as a ready reference for supplier selection criteria and various multi-criteria based supplier’s evaluation methods for forward, reverse and mass customized supply chain. This book encompasses several criteria, methods for supplier selection in a systematic way based on extensive literature review from 1998 to 2012. It provides several case studies and some useful links which can serve as a starting point for interested researchers. In the appendix several computer code wri...

Translating Government Policy into Recipes for Success! Nutrition Criteria Promoting Fruits and Vegetables

Science.gov (United States)

Pollard, Christina M.; Nicolson, Clemency; Pulker, Claire E.; Binns, Colin W.

2009-01-01

Objective: To develop nutrition criteria consistent with Australian dietary guidelines encouraging fruit and vegetable consumption for branding recipes with the "Go for 2&5" campaign message. Design: Dietary policies, guidelines, food selection guides, nutrient targets, existing consumer education programs' nutrition criteria, food…

DOE natural phenomenal hazards design and evaluation criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, R.C.; Nelson, T.A.; Short, S.A.; Kennedy, R.P.; Chander, H.; Hill, J.R.; Kimball, J.K.

1994-10-01

It is the policy of the Department of Energy (DOE) to design, construct, and operate DOE facilities so that workers, the general public, and the environment are protected from the impacts of natural phenomena hazards (NPH). Furthermore, DOE has established explicit goals of acceptable risk for NPH performance. As a result, natural phenomena hazard (earthquake, extreme wind, and flood) design and evaluation criteria for DOE facilities have been developed based on target probabilistic performance goals. These criteria include selection of design/evaluation NPH input from probabilistic hazard curves combined with commonly practiced deterministic response evaluation methods and acceptance criteria with controlled levels of conservatism. For earthquake considerations, conservatism is intentionally introduced in specification of material strengths and capacities, in the allowance of limited inelastic behavior, and by a seismic scale factor. Criteria have been developed following a graded approach for several performance goals ranging from that appropriate for normal-use facilities to that appropriate for facilities involving hazardous or critical operations. Performance goals are comprised of qualitative expressions of acceptable behavior and of target quantitative probabilities that acceptable limits of behavior are maintained. The criteria are simple procedures but have a rigorous basis. This paper addresses DOE seismic design and evaluation criteria

Fuzzy multi-criteria approach to ordering policy ranking in a supply chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadić Danijela

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new fuzzy multi-criteria mathematical model for the selection of the best among a finite number of ordering policy of raw material in a supply chain is developed. The problem treated is a part of the purchasing plan of a company in an uncertain environment and it is very common in business practice. Optimization criteria selected describe the performance measures of ordering policies and generally their relative importance is different. It is assumed that the values of the optimization criteria are vague and imprecise. They are described by discrete fuzzy numbers and by linguistic expressions. The linguistic expressions are modeled by discrete fuzzy sets. The measures of belief that one ordering policy is better than another are defined by comparing fuzzy numbers. An illustrative example is given.

Developing criteria to establish Trusted Digital Repositories

Science.gov (United States)

Faundeen, John L.

2017-01-01

This paper details the drivers, methods, and outcomes of the U.S. Geological Survey’s quest to establish criteria by which to judge its own digital preservation resources as Trusted Digital Repositories. Drivers included recent U.S. legislation focused on data and asset management conducted by federal agencies spending $100M USD or more annually on research activities. The methods entailed seeking existing evaluation criteria from national and international organizations such as International Standards Organization (ISO), U.S. Library of Congress, and Data Seal of Approval upon which to model USGS repository evaluations. Certification, complexity, cost, and usability of existing evaluation models were key considerations. The selected evaluation method was derived to allow the repository evaluation process to be transparent, understandable, and defensible; factors that are critical for judging competing, internal units. Implementing the chosen evaluation criteria involved establishing a cross-agency, multi-disciplinary team that interfaced across the organization. 

Factors of site selection for nuclear power plants in selected industrial states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffmann, L.; Obermair, G.; Ringler, W.; Romahn, B.; Sanders, H.

1978-01-01

The range of the tasks within the project consists of working out an optimal catalogue of criteria for the site selection for nuclear power plants; establishing a structured documentation system for the criteria and licensing procedures used by selected industrial countries when selecting sites for nuclear power plants; analyzing and evaluating the documented material with the aim of supplying the basis for decisions concerning land use. The tasks are being realized within a technological ring of data (for the period until 1990, reactor types, cooling, power-heat coupling, special sites, block sizes, local concentration) and a set politico-economical ring of data for the following countries: F.R. Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, France, Netherlands, USA, Japan, Yougoslavia. (HP) [de

Integrating knowledge-based multi-criteria evaluation techniques with GIS for landfill site selection: A case study using AHP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fagbohun B.J.

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A major challenge in most growing urban areas of developing countries, without a pre-existing land use plan is the sustainable and efficient management of solid wastes. Siting a landfill is a complicated task because of several environmental regulations. This challenge gives birth to the need to develop efficient strategies for the selection of proper waste disposal sites in accordance with all existing environmental regulations. This paper presents a knowledge-based multi-criteria decision analysis using GIS for the selection of suitable landfill site in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. In order to identify suitable sites for landfill, seven factors - land use/cover, geology, river, soil, slope, lineament and roads - were taken into consideration. Each factor was classified and ranked based on prior knowledge about the area and existing guidelines. Weights for each factor were determined through pair-wise comparison using Saaty’s 9 point scale and AHP. The integration of factors according to their weights using weighted index overlay analysis revealed that 39.23 km2 within the area was suitable to site a landfill. The resulting suitable area was classified as high suitability covering 6.47 km2 (16.49%, moderate suitability 25.48 km2 (64.95% and low suitability 7.28 km2 (18.56% based on their overall weights.

Modified approach to PROMETHEE for multi-criteria decision-making

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Zoran Nesic

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a modification of PROMETHEE for multi -criteria decision- making. The authors of PROMETHEE have defined six generalised preference functions in order to express their preferences for particular criteria. A modified approach to PROMETHEE is based on the Universal preference function which replaces the six proposed functions and generates an unlimited number of other preference functions. By applying this method, we can express all the complexity of selecting preference functions in the problems of optimisation by PROMETHEE.

A Framework for Selection of Intermediary in Marketing Channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gholamreza Jandaghi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose – This study seeks to examine how company can select the best intermediary for its Marketing channels with minimum of criteria and time. Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical framework is proposed based on the mostimportance tasks of intermediary and criteria for measuring them. There are four basic tasks and 30 criteria in three independent levels. Subsequently, an exploratory case study in Iranian Food industry is described that illustrates the value of the framework. Findings – It is possible, for example, to apply the theoretical framework to select the intermediary for any industry or any country. Research limitations/implications – The study has possible location- and industry-specific limitations.Originality/value – Moreover, the framework has proven to be useful in improving the selection of the intermediary in marketing channel. This is a notable and promising side-effect of the exploratory study, at least from a managerial point of view.Keywords: Marketing channel, Distribution channel, Channel design, Selection criteria, channel members, Intermediary selection

A multi-criteria approach to evaluate the natural gas energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinca, Cristian; Badea, Adrian; Rousseaux, Patrick; Apostol, Tiberiu

2007-01-01

This paper aims to select the optimal energetic scenario applied to a consumer with 100 000 inhabitants from the residential-tertiary sector, from the ecological, energetical and economic points of view. A series of seven scenarios based on natural gas has been analyzed. The authors proposed six scenarios for the combined heat and power generation using existing technologies and one scenario for separate generation of the two energy forms. To compare the seven energetic scenarios, the amount of thermal and electrical energy produced by each one had to be the same for a defined time period. To select the optimal energy scenario a multi-criteria NAIADE-based method has been used. Consequently, the optimal energy scenario has been established with respect to criteria groups: ecologic, economic, energetic and global where all criteria groups have been considered. The study results prove that a combined gas and steam turbine cycle is optimal technically, economically and ecologically as it is for each criteria group. A sensitivity analysis has been performed to establish the influence of various parameters in the identification of the optimal energy scenario. For all analyzed scenarios, the optimal energetic scenario is the combined gas and steam turbine cycle

Multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with GIS for radio ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with GIS for radio astronomical observatory site selection in peninsular of Malaysia. R Umar, Z.Z. Abidin, Z.A. Ibrahim, M.K.A. Kamarudin, S.N. Hazmin, A Endut, H Juahir ...

Assessment of the bases for selecting criteria for protection against tornado-entrained debris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Read, J.B.J.; Bell, L.W.

1977-05-01

The probabilities and consequences of the acceleration of solid objects by air motion within a tornado are discussed, in order to assess the risks of damage from tornado missiles. Design criteria for protection against tornado missile risks are suggested

Topic Variability and Criteria in Interpretational History Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Wansink, Bjorn; Akkerman, Sanne; Wubbels, Theo

2017-01-01

This paper studies the teacher perceived applicability of historical topics for interpretational history teaching and the criteria teachers use to evaluate this applicability. For this study, 15 expert history teachers in the Netherlands striving for interpretational history teaching were purposefully selected. Teachers were asked to mention…

A Juridical Insight of Brave New World: The Eugenics Found on the Selection Criteria of Genetic Material for the Assisted Human Reproduction

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Carlos Eduardo de Oliveira Alban

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Following the teachings of the “Law in the Literature” movement, as well as the method of the Phemenological Hermeneutics, the present essay intends to discuss the eugenics content present in the abstract criteria for donating genetic material in Brazil. In order to present this problem clearly for the reader, the novel Brave New World, from Aldous Huxley, will be used as an example. Opportunely, it will deal with the recent situation regarding the investigation of the London Sperm Bank donators’ politics, in which important debates related to the genetic selection aiming for avoiding congenital diseases appear.

A fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model for trigeneration system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jiangjiang; Jing Youyin; Zhang Chunfa; Shi Guohua; Zhang Xutao

2008-01-01

The decision making for trigeneration systems is a compositive project and it should be evaluated and compared in a multi-criteria analysis method. This paper presents a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model (FMCDM) for trigeneration systems selection and evaluation. The multi-criteria decision-making methods are briefly reviewed combining the general decision-making process. Then the fuzzy set theory, weighting method and the FMCDM model are presented. Finally, several kinds of trigeneration systems, whose dynamical sources are, respectively stirling engine, gas turbine, gas engine and solid oxide fuel cell, are compared and evaluated with a separate generation system. The case for selecting the optimal trigeneration system applied to a residential building is assessed from the technical, economical, environmental and social aspects, and the FMCDM model combining analytic hierarchical process is applied to the trigeneration case to demonstrate the decision-making process and effectiveness of proposed model. The results show that the gas engine plus lithium bromide absorption water heater/chiller unit for the residential building is the best scheme in the five options

Criteria of assessment of short track runners’ prospects as mean of promising sportsmen losses’ prevention at selection stage

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S.A. Kugayevskiy

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to offer main criteria for assessment of short track runners’ prospects. Material: 8 sportsmen of short track Ukrainian national team participated in the research. Influence of training means’ volume on result, shown on competition distance, was determined. Both organism’s functional and reserve potentials were assessed with the help of computer program D&K-test. Results: we have determined priority of functional indicators in selection of short track runners and for assessment of their prospects. Sportsman’s potentials shall be assessed on the base of functional fitness indicators, analysis of competition practice and training process data of pervious stage of sport perfection. Conclusions: individualization of training process, considering physiological characteristics of definite sportsman, will permit to completely open the embedded potential. Absence of sportsman’s progress with prominent functional system’s characteristics points at demand in correction of training program for his sportsman.

Multi criteria decision analysis on a waste repository in Mol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carle, B.

2005-01-01

In Belgium, the management of radioactive waste is taken care of by ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials. Local partnerships with stakeholders from municipalities in existing nuclear zones were setup to facilitate the dialogue between the repository designers and the local community. Since the establishment of the partnership in Mol, MONA in February 2000, all aspects of a possible near-surface or a deep geological repository are discussed in 4 working groups by around 50 volunteer members. The outcome of the discussions in the partnership can be a shared project, supported by both local stakeholders and ONDRAF/NIRAS, in which the specifications and the conditions needed for establishing a repository in Mol are elaborated. MONA asked the Decision Strategy Research Department of SCK-CEN to organise a Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) in the context of the deciding between a surface and a deep repository for low level radioactive waste. The objective of the multi criteria analysis is to support a number of representatives of the various working groups within MONA in their selection between two acceptable options for a repository of low level radioactive waste on the territory of Mol. The options are the surface repository developed by the working groups of MONA, and a deep repository in the clay layers underneath the nuclear site of Mol. This study should facilitate the selection between both options, or in case this appears to be difficult, at least to get a well-structured overview of all factors (criteria) of importance to the judgement, and to get insight into the degree in which the various criteria contribute to the selection

Improved Prioritization Criteria for Road Infrastructure Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionescu Heroiu Marcel

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This report’s main aim is to propose a methodology for assessing state-budget-funded projects based on a rigorous selection model, including clear and effective prioritization criteria. This report first argues that project prioritization and selection should be optimized against four dimensions: absorption, impact, legitimacy, and capacity. Second, it provides a diagnostic of the National Program for Local Development (PNDL, managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (MRDPA, as the most significant source of state-budget funding for local infrastructure projects. The PNDL’s current design and implementation leaves room for improvement, as reflected by the lack of strategic direction in allocating funds and the continued rise in the number of projects that get started without a feasible timeline for their completion. Further, this report makes recommendations for improvement of project evaluation and selection procedures for local infrastructure development projects, with a special focus on prioritization criteria and viable funding sources for each type of investment. The practical purpose is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of proposed investments, maximizing impact in the context of inherently limited available financial resources. A complementary focus is on opportunities for harmonizing and better coordinating investments across various sources of funding, in the context of nearly EUR 40 billion available to Romania from the EU for the 2014-2020 programming period.

An essential hospital package for South Africa--selection criteria, costs and affordability.

Science.gov (United States)

Söderlund, N

1999-07-01

In 1995 the Committee of Enquiry into National Health Insurance (NHI) recommended that formally employed individuals and their employers be required to fund at least a minimum package of hospital cover for workers and their dependents. This has recently been echoed in a Department of Health policy paper on social health insurance. This research aims to define and cost a minimum package of essential hospital care for competing (public and private) health insurers in South Africa. CRITERIA FOR PACKAGE DEFINITION: Based on the objectives implict in the NHI Committee report, the following criteria were used to define the essential package: (i) the extent to which there was another appropriate responsible party who should pay for treatment; (ii) the degree of discretion in deciding whether or not to provide treatment (roughly equivalent to 'urgency'); and (iii) the cost and effectiveness of treatment. On the basis of the above criteria, 396 out of 598 possible interventions were included in the package. Using local mine hospital and private sector utilisation rates and mine hospital cost data, it was estimated that the essential inpatient package would cost around R502 per enrollee per year, using 1998 prices, for a working age population and their dependents. Age-sex standardised outpatient care costs in the mine hospital population studied were estimated at R183 per person per year. It was therefore estimated that the total inpatient and outpatient hospital package would cost around R685 per person per year. The results presented in this paper are intended to inform the process of defining a national essential hospital benefit package. Assuming that contributions were proportionally related to income, and that costs should not exceed 6% of wages, the package should be affordable to all of those earning above R20,000 per year. Significant additional work is required, firstly at a technical level to assess the appropriateness of the prioritization approach used here

Minimizing impacts of land use change on ecosystem services using multi-criteria heuristic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Arturo A; Fournier, Eric; Fox, Jessica

2015-06-01

Development of natural landscapes to support human activities impacts the capacity of the landscape to provide ecosystem services. Typically, several ecosystem services are impacted at a single development site and various footprint scenarios are possible, thus a multi-criteria analysis is needed. Restoration potential should also be considered for the area surrounding the permanent impact site. The primary objective of this research was to develop a heuristic approach to analyze multiple criteria (e.g. impacts to various ecosystem services) in a spatial configuration with many potential development sites. The approach was to: (1) quantify the magnitude of terrestrial ecosystem service (biodiversity, carbon sequestration, nutrient and sediment retention, and pollination) impacts associated with a suite of land use change scenarios using the InVEST model; (2) normalize results across categories of ecosystem services to allow cross-service comparison; (3) apply the multi-criteria heuristic algorithm to select sites with the least impact to ecosystem services, including a spatial criterion (separation between sites). As a case study, the multi-criteria impact minimization algorithm was applied to InVEST output to select 25 potential development sites out of 204 possible locations (selected by other criteria) within a 24,000 ha property. This study advanced a generally applicable spatial multi-criteria approach for 1) considering many land use footprint scenarios, 2) balancing impact decisions across a suite of ecosystem services, and 3) determining the restoration potential of ecosystem services after impacts. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

SENDS criteria from the diversification of MAST procedures. Implementation of preoperative simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieger, B.

2015-01-01

Minimal access spinal technologies (MAST) lead to a diversification of surgical procedures, which requires careful selection of the procedure and outcome monitoring. For a rational selection of the procedure simulation, endoscopy, navigation, decompression and stabilization (SENDS) criteria can be derived from the development of the MAST procedures. Preoperative simulation has diagnostic and therapeutic values. The SENDS criteria can be verified indirectly via outcome control. Biomechanically meaningful diagnostic x-rays of the spinal segment to be surgically treated are currently carried out with the patient in inclination and reclination. Software-related preoperative simulation based on these x-ray images facilitates the selection and implementation of the MAST procedure. For preoperative simulation motion shots are needed in inclination, neutral position and reclination and the dimensions can be obtained using an x-ray ball or a computed tomography (CT) scan. The SENDS criteria are useful because established procedures based on these criteria reach a comparable outcome. Preoperative simulation appears to be a useful selection criterion. Preoperatively it is necessary to collate patient and segment information in order to provide each patient with individualized treatment. So far there is no evidence for a better outcome after preoperative simulation but a reduction of surgery time and intraoperative radiation exposure could already be demonstrated. Minimally invasive methods should be preferred if there is a comparable outcome. The establishment of new procedures has to be accompanied by the maintenance of a spine register. Minimally invasive surgical procedures should be individualized for each patient and segment. Mobility X-ray images should be prepared for use with the preoperative simulation as the information content significantly increases with respect to the MAST procedure. (orig.) [de

Application of scientific criteria to food allergens of public health importance.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Y J; Ronsmans, S; Crevel, R W R; Houben, G F; Rona, R J; Ward, R; Baka, A

2012-11-01

Scientific criteria for identifying allergenic foods of public health importance (Björkstén, B., Crevel, R., Hischenhuber, C., Løvik, M., Samuels, F., Strobel, S., Taylor, S.L., Wal, J.-M., Ward, R., 2008. Criteria for identifying allergenic foods of public health importance. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 51(1), 42-52) have been further refined to incorporate an assessment of the strength of available scientific evidence (van Bilsen, J.H., Ronsmans, S., Crevel, R.W., Rona, R.J., Przyrembel, H., Penninks, A.H., Contor, L., Houben, G.F., 2011. Evaluation of scientific criteria for identifying allergenic food of public health importance. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 60, 281-289). A multi-disciplinary group was invited to critically test the refined approach. They independently evaluated selected publications on coconut, soy and/or peanut allergy, scored them using the newly developed level of evidence criteria, and debated proposed approaches for combining and utilising the scores to measure the overall impact of an allergen in public health impact assessments. The evaluation of selected publications using the modified criteria produced a relatively consistent result across the experts. These refined criteria were judged to be a way forward for the identification of allergenic foods of public health importance, and for prioritisation of allergen risk management and future data gathering. The debate to combine available evidence when assessing whether an allergenic food is of sufficient public health importance to warrant active management led to proposals on how to weight and combine evidence on allergen severity, potency and prevalence. The refined criteria facilitate a debate to find a meaningful sequence of steps to summarise the available information in relation to a food allergen. Copyright © 2012 ILSI Europe. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Selection of a tool to decision making for site selection for high level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madeira, J.G.; Alvin, A.C.M.; Martins, V.B.; Monteiro, N.A.

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to create a panel comparing some of the key decision-making support tools used in situations with the characteristics of the problem of selecting suitable areas for constructing a final deep geologic repository. The tools addressed in this work are also well known and with easy implementation. The decision-making process in matters of this kind is, in general, complex due to its multi-criteria nature and the conflicting opinions of various stakeholders. Thus, a comprehensive study was performed with the literature in this subject, specifically in documents of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), regarding the importance of the criteria involved in the decision-making process. Therefore, we highlighted six judgment attributes for selecting a decision support tool, suitable for the problem. For this study, we have selected the following multi-criteria tools: AHP, Delphi, Brainstorm, Nominal Group Technique and AHP-Delphi. Finally, the AHP-Delphi method has demonstrated to be more appropriate for managing the inherent multiple attributes to the problem proposed. (authors)

Criteria for Developing a Successful Privatization Project

Science.gov (United States)

1989-05-01

conceptualization and planning are required when pursuing privatization projects. In fact, privatization project proponents need to know how to...selection of projects for analysis, methods of acquiring information about these projects, and the analysis framwork . Chapter IV includes the analysis. A...performed an analysis to determine cormion conceptual and creative approaches and lessons learned. This analysis was then used to develop criteria for

An ERP Selection Framework in Constructor Companies using Fuzzy AHP Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

mohammad ali Shahhosseini

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The success in ERP implementation is definitely based on selecting an appropriate system which is more aligned with enterprise culture, infrastructure and requirements, and that's why ERP selection, the process and impressive criteria have been increasingly attended in recent years. The constructor companies are strongly affected by ERP systems. A successful implementation will improve their productivity and promote their performance considerably. However, it is a challenge for decision-makers to identify the real needs, define the criteria, select the acceptable vendor and purchase the most appropriate system. This study is developed to present a Fuzzy AHP-based framework for selecting ERP systems in constructor companies. In this study, the impressive criteria have been collected by reviewing previous studies and researches, a questionnaire was used to assess and define the criteria and sub-criteria’s priority. Afterward, another questionnaire was used to compare the alternatives regarding to each criteria. Eventually, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchical Process was used to select a system which is more aligned with the organization’s requirements and strategies

Geological Storage of CO2. Site Selection Criteria; Almacenamiento Geologico de CO2. Criterios de Selecci0n de Emplazamientos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz, C; Martinez, R; Recreo, F; Prado, P; Campos, R; Pelayo, M; Losa, A de la; Hurtado, A; Lomba, L; Perez del Villar, L; Ortiz, G; Sastre, J; Zapatero, M A; Suarez, I; Arenillas, A

2007-09-18

In year 2002 the Spanish Parliament unanimously passed the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, signed December 1997, compromising to limiting the greenhouse gas emissions increase. Later on, the Environment Ministry submitted the Spanish National Assignment Emissions Plan to the European Union and in year 2005 the Spanish Greenhouse Gas market started working, establishing taxes to pay in case of exceeding the assigned emissions limits. So, the avoided emissions of CO2 have now an economic value that is promoting new anthropogenic CO2 emissions reduction technologies. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) are among these new technological developments for mitigating or eliminate climate change. CO2 can be stored in geological formations such as depleted oil or gas fields, deep permeable saline water saturated formations and unmailable coal seams, among others. This report seeks to establish the selection criteria for suitable geological formations for CO2 storage in the Spanish national territory, paying attention to both the operational and performance requirements of these storage systems. The report presents the physical and chemical properties and performance of CO2 under storage conditions, the transport and reaction processes of both supercritical and gaseous CO2, and CO2 trapping mechanisms in geological formations. The main part of the report is devoted to geological criteria at watershed, site and formation scales. (Author) 100 refs.

A decision support tool for sustainable supplier selection in manufacturing firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ifeyinwa Orji

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs are strategically involved in supplier base rationalization and increased consciousness of sustainable development thus, reinforcing need for accurately considering sustainability in supplier selection to improve organizational performance. In real industrial case, imprecise data, ambiguity of human judgment, uncertainty among sustainability factors and the need to capture all subjective and objective criteria are unavoidable and pose huge challenge to accurately incorporate sustainability factors into supplier selection.Methodology: This study develops a model based on integrated multi- criteria decision making (MCDM methods to solve such problems. The developed model applies Fuzzy logic, DEMATEL and TOPSIS to effectively analyze the interdependencies between sustainability criteria and to select the best sustainable supplier in fuzzy environment while capturing all subjective and objective criteria. A case study is illustrated to test the proposed model in a gear manufacturing company, an OEM to provide insights and for practical applications.Findings: Results show that social factors of sustainability ranks as the most important in supplier selection. However, the most influential sustainability sub- criteria are work safety (WS and quality.Originality/Value: The model is capable of capturing all subjective and objective criteria in fuzzy environment to accurately incorporate sustainability factors in supplier selection. It is decision support tool relevant for providing insights to managers while implementing sustainable supplier selection.

45 CFR 1305.6 - Selection process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Selection process. 1305.6 Section 1305.6 Public... PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY, RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE IN HEAD START § 1305.6 Selection process. (a) Each Head Start program must have a formal process for establishing selection criteria and...

Multi criteria decision making approaches for green supplier evaluation and selection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Govindan, Kannan; Rajendran, S.; Sarkis, J.

2015-01-01

A large and growing body of literature to supplier evaluation and selection exists. Literature on green supplier evaluation that considers environmental factors are relatively limited. Recently, in supply chain management decision making, approaches for evaluating green supplier performance have ...... us to identify improvements for green supplier selection process and possible future directions.......A large and growing body of literature to supplier evaluation and selection exists. Literature on green supplier evaluation that considers environmental factors are relatively limited. Recently, in supply chain management decision making, approaches for evaluating green supplier performance have...... used both qualitative and quantitative environmental data. Given this evolving research field, the goal and purpose of this paper is to analyze research in international scientific journals and international conference proceedings that focus on green supplier selection. We propose the following...

7 CFR 1491.6 - Ranking considerations and proposal selection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ranking considerations and proposal selection. 1491.6... PROGRAM General Provisions § 1491.6 Ranking considerations and proposal selection. (a) Before the State.... The national ranking criteria will be established by the Chief and the State criteria will be...

Quantitative analytical hierarchy process to marketing store location selection

OpenAIRE

Harwati; Utami Intan

2018-01-01

The selection of Store to market the product is belong to Multi Criteria Decision Making problem. The criteria used have conflict of interest with each other to produce an optimal location. This research uses four important criteria to select new location of marketing store appropriate with the references: distance to location, competition level with competitor, number of potential customer, and location rent cost. Quantitative data is used to determine the optimum location with AHP method. Q...

Private equity and venture capitalists' investment criteria in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Zinecker

2010-01-01

Full Text Available For investment decision making to be rational, the existence of investment criteria is required. In the theory of financial management, the effectiveness of investment is traditionally judged by the degree to which an investment proposal contributes to achieving the main financial goal of business, i.e. market value maximization of the firm.So far, potential businesses for Private Equity and Venture Capital financing in the Czech Republic have not had information regarding investment criteria and their significance, when considered by investors, at their disposal, which is due to absence of relevant research results.This article presents results of the research project whose aim is to establish which criteria are considered to perform an essential role in the selection of business proposals by firms investing Private Equity and Venture Capital in the Czech Republic as well as the most common reasons for rejecting the proposals. Based on practical experience of financing by Private Equity and Venture Capital, the research made it possible to identify the most significant criteria, namely characterization of mana­gement, market, product and the rate of investment capital appreciation. The results of the research are consequently compared with findings which were published in similar studies undertaken in the past (e.g. Tyebjee, Bruno, 1984; Fried, Hisrich, 1994; MacMillan et al., 1985, 1987; Muzyka et al., 1996; Eisele, 2002.The research supports the thesis that, when considering business proposals, above-average weight is attached to criteria concerning the characterization of management, i.e. experience and competencies in all stages of business life cycle. Nevertheless, the fulfilment of the criteria is not sufficient for investors to evaluate a business proposal positively. They also place an emphasis on selected criteria related to market and product. By publishing empirical data, an important signal regarding up-to-date evaluative criteria

Pareto navigation-algorithmic foundation of interactive multi-criteria IMRT planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monz, M; Kuefer, K H; Bortfeld, T R; Thieke, C

2008-01-01

Inherently, IMRT treatment planning involves compromising between different planning goals. Multi-criteria IMRT planning directly addresses this compromising and thus makes it more systematic. Usually, several plans are computed from which the planner selects the most promising following a certain procedure. Applying Pareto navigation for this selection step simultaneously increases the variety of planning options and eases the identification of the most promising plan. Pareto navigation is an interactive multi-criteria optimization method that consists of the two navigation mechanisms 'selection' and 'restriction'. The former allows the formulation of wishes whereas the latter allows the exclusion of unwanted plans. They are realized as optimization problems on the so-called plan bundle-a set constructed from pre-computed plans. They can be approximately reformulated so that their solution time is a small fraction of a second. Thus, the user can be provided with immediate feedback regarding his or her decisions. Pareto navigation was implemented in the MIRA navigator software and allows real-time manipulation of the current plan and the set of considered plans. The changes are triggered by simple mouse operations on the so-called navigation star and lead to real-time updates of the navigation star and the dose visualizations. Since any Pareto-optimal plan in the plan bundle can be found with just a few navigation operations the MIRA navigator allows a fast and directed plan determination. Besides, the concept allows for a refinement of the plan bundle, thus offering a middle course between single plan computation and multi-criteria optimization. Pareto navigation offers so far unmatched real-time interactions, ease of use and plan variety, setting it apart from the multi-criteria IMRT planning methods proposed so far

Pareto navigation: algorithmic foundation of interactive multi-criteria IMRT planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Monz, M; Küfer, K H; Bortfeld, T R; Thieke, C

2008-02-21

Inherently, IMRT treatment planning involves compromising between different planning goals. Multi-criteria IMRT planning directly addresses this compromising and thus makes it more systematic. Usually, several plans are computed from which the planner selects the most promising following a certain procedure. Applying Pareto navigation for this selection step simultaneously increases the variety of planning options and eases the identification of the most promising plan. Pareto navigation is an interactive multi-criteria optimization method that consists of the two navigation mechanisms 'selection' and 'restriction'. The former allows the formulation of wishes whereas the latter allows the exclusion of unwanted plans. They are realized as optimization problems on the so-called plan bundle -- a set constructed from pre-computed plans. They can be approximately reformulated so that their solution time is a small fraction of a second. Thus, the user can be provided with immediate feedback regarding his or her decisions. Pareto navigation was implemented in the MIRA navigator software and allows real-time manipulation of the current plan and the set of considered plans. The changes are triggered by simple mouse operations on the so-called navigation star and lead to real-time updates of the navigation star and the dose visualizations. Since any Pareto-optimal plan in the plan bundle can be found with just a few navigation operations the MIRA navigator allows a fast and directed plan determination. Besides, the concept allows for a refinement of the plan bundle, thus offering a middle course between single plan computation and multi-criteria optimization. Pareto navigation offers so far unmatched real-time interactions, ease of use and plan variety, setting it apart from the multi-criteria IMRT planning methods proposed so far.

Supplier selection in the Malaysian telecommunications industry

OpenAIRE

Abdul Rahim, Suzari

2013-01-01

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. Supplier selection plays an important role in any organisation. This study investigates and examines supplier selection criteria and the impacts on buying firm performance; specifically focusing on the telecommunications industry in Malaysia. Previous studies in this area have focussed on the criteria such as quality, price, delivery, supplier relationship management and decision making tools...

Reliability of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy by ECG Criteria in Children with Syncope: Do the Criteria Need to be Revised?

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Maalika M; Ramesh Iyer, V; Nandi, Deipanjan; Vetter, Victoria L; Banerjee, Anirban

2016-04-01

In the outpatient setting, children who present with syncope routinely undergo electrocardiograms (ECG). Because of concerns for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, children with syncope meeting ECG criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) will frequently undergo an echocardiogram. Our objectives were to determine whether Davignon criteria for ECG waves overestimate LVH in children presenting with syncope, and to study the usefulness of echocardiography in these children. We hypothesize that the Davignon criteria presently used for interpretation of ECGs overestimate LVH, resulting in unnecessary echocardiography in this clinical setting. The clinical database of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was evaluated from 2002 to 2012 to identify children between 9 and 16 years of age, who presented with non-exercise-induced, isolated syncope. From this group of patients, only those with clear-cut evidence of LVH (by Davignon criteria), who also underwent an echocardiogram, were selected. A total of 136 children with syncope were identified as having LVH by Davignon ECG criteria. None of these patients manifested any evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with normal ventricular septum (average Z-score -0.68 ± 0.84), LV posterior wall (average Z-score -0.66 ± 1.18) and LV mass (average Z-score 0.52 ± 1.29). No significant correlation was found between summed RV6 plus SV1 and LV mass. Correlations between additional ECG parameters and measures of LVH by echocardiography were similarly poor. In children presenting with syncope and LVH by ECG, there was no evidence of true LVH by echocardiography. We propose that the Davignon ECG criteria for interpreting LVH in children overestimate the degree of hypertrophy in these children and the yield of echocardiography is extremely low.

Seismic design and evaluation criteria based on target performance goals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, R.C.; Nelson, T.A.; Kennedy, R.P.; Short, S.A.

1994-04-01

The Department of Energy utilizes deterministic seismic design/evaluation criteria developed to achieve probabilistic performance goals. These seismic design and evaluation criteria are intended to apply equally to the design of new facilities and to the evaluation of existing facilities. In addition, the criteria are intended to cover design and evaluation of buildings, equipment, piping, and other structures. Four separate sets of seismic design/evaluation criteria have been presented each with a different performance goal. In all these criteria, earthquake loading is selected from seismic hazard curves on a probabilistic basis but seismic response evaluation methods and acceptable behavior limits are deterministic approaches with which design engineers are familiar. For analytical evaluations, conservatism has been introduced through the use of conservative inelastic demand-capacity ratios combined with ductile detailing requirements, through the use of minimum specified material strengths and conservative code capacity equations, and through the use of a seismic scale factor. For evaluation by testing or by experience data, conservatism has been introduced through the use of an increase scale factor which is applied to the prescribed design/evaluation input motion

Criteria, objectives and methodology for evaluating marine protected ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

As a first step, 14 objectives are defined that may be met by MPAs. These fall into three categories: biodiversity protection, fisheries management and human utilization. A series of criteria were then proposed which can be used selectively to quantify the degree to which MPAs meet these objectives. Each of the objectives is ...

Can multi-criteria analysis models support the site selection for a repository for heat-generating waste?; Koennen multikriterielle Analysemodelle die Standortauswahl fuer ein Endlager fuer Waerme entwickelnde Abfaelle unterstuetzen?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutberlet, Daniela [DMT GmbH und Co.KG, Essen (Germany). Geschaeftsentwicklung Nukleare Entsorgung

2015-07-01

The decision for or against a potential site for a nuclear waste repository is highly complex and requires decision-makers to consider multiple assessment criteria. The complexity of each site and its characteristics, and the differing opinions among members of the public and advocacy groups mean t hat conflicts of interest are likely to arise. In this paper, the author suggests that multi-criteria analysis models could be used to provide methodological support during the selection process. The models can map these types of decision situations and suggest coherent solutions with relatively little formal effort. They allow users to compare different opt ions simultaneously and ensure that t heir decision-making Is conscious rather than arbitrary.

34 CFR 411.21 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or... employment practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (2) To determine personnel qualifications under...

A New Interlink Decision Making Index for Making Multi-criteria Decision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Hu

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Multi-criteria decisions usually require measurement or evaluation of performance in different units and their mix by application of weighting factors. This approach lads to potential manipulation of the results as a direct consequence of the applied weightings. In this paper a mechanism that is the brain child of the authors, has been proposed to overcome this problem. It is known as the Interlink Decision Making Index (IDMI and has all the desired features: simple, interlink (all criteria and automatically guaranteed dominant influence of critical criteria (i.e. no human weighting needed. The IDMI is capable of reflecting the total merits of a particular option once the normal decision making criteria and (up to two critical criteria have been chosen. Then, without arbitrarily weighting criteria, comparison and selection of the best possible option can be made. Simple software has been developed to do this numerical transfer and graphic presentation. Two hypothetical examples are presented in the paper to demonstrate the application of the IDMI concept and its advantages over the traditional "tabular and weightingmethod" in the decision making process. 

The development and application of multi-criteria decision-making tool with consideration of uncertainty: the selection of a management strategy for the bio-degradable fraction in the municipal solid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

El Hanandeh, Ali; El-Zein, Abbas

2010-01-01

A modified version of the multi-criteria decision aid, ELECTRE III has been developed to account for uncertainty in criteria weightings and threshold values. The new procedure, called ELECTRE-SS, modifies the exploitation phase in ELECTRE III, through a new definition of the pre-order and the introduction of a ranking index (RI). The new approach accommodates cases where incomplete or uncertain preference data are present. The method is applied to a case of selecting a management strategy for the bio-degradable fraction in the municipal solid waste of Sydney. Ten alternatives are compared against 11 criteria. The results show that anaerobic digestion (AD) and composting of paper are less environmentally sound options than recycling. AD is likely to out-perform incineration where a market for heating does not exist. Moreover, landfilling can be a sound alternative, when considering overall performance and conditions of uncertainty.

Selective paint coatings for coloured solar absorbers: Polyurethane thickness insensitive spectrally selective (TISS) paints (Part II)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orel, B.; Spreizer, H.; Surca Vuk, A.; Fir, M. [National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Merlini, D.; Vodlan, M. [Color d.d., Cesta komandanta Staneta 4, SI-1230 Medvode (Slovenia); Koehl, M. [Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, D-79110 Freiburg (Germany)

2007-01-23

Red, green and blue paints were prepared for use as thickness insensitive spectrally selective (TISS) paint coatings for solar facade absorbers. The paints were composed of a polyurethane resin binder in which various pigments were incorporated in such a way that they formed stable paint dispersions, satisfying stability criteria for facade coatings. A low emittance of the paints was achieved by using low-emittance aluminium flake pigments combined with iron oxide (red coloured paints). Black pigment was added to adjust solar absorptance. Blue and green paints were made by the addition of coloured aluminium flake pigment and the solar absorptance was also adjusted by the addition of black pigment. Efficiency for photo-thermal conversion of solar radiation was assessed by evaluation of the corresponding performance criteria, which enabled the selection of paints whose performance criteria values were higher than 0 (spectrally non-selective black coating). The results confirmed that blue and green paints and to minor extent red ones, combined selectivity with colour. The morphology of the paints was assessed, revealing that the colours originated from the deposition of finely dispersed colour and/or black pigment on the surface of the aluminium flakes during paint preparation. (author)

34 CFR 412.21 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or... nondiscriminatory employment practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (2) To determine the personnel qualifications...

Multi-criteria university selection : Formulation and implementation using a fuzzy AHP

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salimi, N.; Rezaei, J.

2015-01-01

Collaboration with universities as ‘knowledge factories’ is increasingly perceived to be an effective and viable solution for firms to gain competitive advantage. One of the main challenges firms face in this area is how to select the best university for collaboration. This selection undoubtedly

34 CFR 490.21 - What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... project services and activities, especially resources of the public and private sectors; and (ii) The... selected without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disabling condition. (d... its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age...

Selecting users for participation in IT projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Rasmus; Christensen, Anders S.; Fjeldsted, Tobias

2011-01-01

The selection of users for participation in IT projects involves trade-offs between multiple criteria, one of which is selecting a representative cross-section of users. This criterion is basic because trading it for other criteria means basing designs on information biased toward some user groups...... at the expense of others. Based on interviews in development and customer organizations we find that their criteria for user selection favour persons who can contribute to the progress of the IT project over persons who are representative of the full range of users. A highly valued contribution from...... participating users is the ability to advocate a vision for the system and champion its organizational implementation. A survey in one customer organization shows that respondents’ personal traits explain up to 31% of the variation in their experience of aspects of the usability of a recently introduced system...

[Dental implant restoration abutment selection].

Science.gov (United States)

Bin, Shi; Hao, Zeng

2017-04-01

An increasing number of implant restoration abutment types are produced with the rapid development of dental implantology. Although various abutments can meet different clinical demands, the selection of the appropriate abutment is both difficult and confusing. This article aims to help clinicians select the appropriate abutment by describing abutment design, types, and selection criteria.

Seismic design and evaluation criteria for DOE facilities (DOE-STD-1020-XX)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Short, S.A.; Kennedy, R.P.; Murray, R.C.

1993-01-01

Seismic design and evaluation criteria for DOE facilities are provided in DOE-STD-1020-XX. The criteria include selection of design/evaluation seismic input from probabilistic seismic hazard curves combined with commonly practiced deterministic response evaluation methods and acceptance criteria with controlled levels of conservatism. Conservatism is intentionally introduced in specification of material strengths and capacities, in the allowance of limited inelastic behavior and by a seismic load factor. These criteria are based on the performance or risk goals specified in DOE 5480.28. Criteria have been developed following a graded approach for several performance goals ranging from that appropriate for normal-use facilities to that appropriate for facilities involving hazardous or critical operations. Performance goals are comprised of desired behavior and of the probability of not achieving that behavior. Following the seismic design/evaluation criteria of DOE-STD-1020-XX is sufficient to demonstrate that the probabilistic performance or risk goals are achieved. The criteria are simple procedures but with a sound, rigorous basis for the achievement of goals

Canberra Alpha Sentry Installation Functional Design Criteria (FDC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WHITE, W.F.

1999-01-01

This document provides the functional design criteria for the installation of the Canberra Alpha Sentry System at selected locations within the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). The equipment being installed is identified by part number in Section 3 and the locations are given in Section 5. The design, procurement and installation are assigned to Fluor Federal Services

Selection of remedial alternatives for mine sites: a multicriteria decision analysis approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Betrie, Getnet D; Sadiq, Rehan; Morin, Kevin A; Tesfamariam, Solomon

2013-04-15

The selection of remedial alternatives for mine sites is a complex task because it involves multiple criteria and often with conflicting objectives. However, an existing framework used to select remedial alternatives lacks multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) aids and does not consider uncertainty in the selection of alternatives. The objective of this paper is to improve the existing framework by introducing deterministic and probabilistic MCDA methods. The Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) methods have been implemented in this study. The MCDA analysis involves processing inputs to the PROMETHEE methods that are identifying the alternatives, defining the criteria, defining the criteria weights using analytical hierarchical process (AHP), defining the probability distribution of criteria weights, and conducting Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS); running the PROMETHEE methods using these inputs; and conducting a sensitivity analysis. A case study was presented to demonstrate the improved framework at a mine site. The results showed that the improved framework provides a reliable way of selecting remedial alternatives as well as quantifying the impact of different criteria on selecting alternatives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of criteria and standards for management of low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grey, A.E.; Falconer, K.L.

1980-08-01

The basic need for criteria and standards for radioactive waste management is to ensure compliance with Federal and State regulations applicable to this activity. In addition, criteria and standards can establish the parameters by which a radioactive waste disposal site is selected, the form in which the waste is to be disposed, how a disposal site is to be operated, and how that site is to be closed when it reaches the end of its useful life. For developing criteria and standards, this report discusses the nature of low-level radioactive waste and the role government agencies play in regulating its management. It describes subject areas for which criteria and standards could be developed, current and evolving requirements, and future suggested analyses

Optimal Contractor Selection in Construction Industry: The Fuzzy Way

Science.gov (United States)

Krishna Rao, M. V.; Kumar, V. S. S.; Rathish Kumar, P.

2018-02-01

A purely price-based approach to contractor selection has been identified as the root cause for many serious project delivery problems. Therefore, the capability of the contractor to execute the project should be evaluated using a multiple set of selection criteria including reputation, past performance, performance potential, financial soundness and other project specific criteria. An industry-wide questionnaire survey was conducted with the objective of identifying the important criteria for adoption in the selection process. In this work, a fuzzy set based model was developed for contractor prequalification/evaluation, by using effective criteria obtained from the percept of construction professionals, taking subjective judgments of decision makers also into consideration. A case study consisting of four alternatives (contractors in the present case) solicited from a public works department of Pondicherry in India, is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The final selection of contractor is made based on the integrated score or Overall Evaluation Score of the decision alternative in prequalification as well as bid evaluation stages.

5 CFR 720.206 - Selection guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Selection guidelines. 720.206 Section 720... guidelines. This subpart sets forth requirements for a recruitment program, not a selection program... procedures and criteria must be consistent with the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (43...

Review of criteria for the selection of probability distributions for wind speed data and introduction of the moment and L-moment ratio diagram methods, with a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouarda, T.B.M.J.; Charron, C.; Chebana, F.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Review of criteria used to select probability distributions to model wind speed data. • Classical and L-moment ratio diagrams are applied to wind speed data. • The diagrams allow to select the best distribution to model each wind speed sample. • The goodness-of-fit statistics are more consistent with the L-moment ratio diagram. - Abstract: This paper reviews the different criteria used in the field of wind energy to compare the goodness-of-fit of candidate probability density functions (pdfs) to wind speed records, and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. The moment ratio and L-moment ratio diagram methods are also proposed as alternative methods for the choice of the pdfs. These two methods have the advantage of allowing an easy comparison of the fit of several pdfs for several time series (stations) on a single diagram. Plotting the position of a given wind speed data set in these diagrams is instantaneous and provides more information than a goodness-of-fit criterion since it provides knowledge about such characteristics as the skewness and kurtosis of the station data set. In this paper, it is proposed to study the applicability of these two methods for the selection of pdfs for wind speed data. Both types of diagrams are used to assess the fit of the pdfs for wind speed series in the United Arab Emirates. The analysis of the moment ratio diagrams reveals that the Kappa, Log-Pearson type III and Generalized Gamma are the distributions that fit best all wind speed series. The Weibull represents the best distribution among those with only one shape parameter. Results obtained with the diagrams are compared with those obtained with goodness-of-fit statistics and a good agreement is observed especially in the case of the L-moment ratio diagram. It is concluded that these diagrams can represent a simple and efficient approach to be used as complementary method to goodness-of-fit criteria.

Statistical approach for selection of biologically informative genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Samarendra; Rai, Anil; Mishra, D C; Rai, Shesh N

2018-05-20

Selection of informative genes from high dimensional gene expression data has emerged as an important research area in genomics. Many gene selection techniques have been proposed so far are either based on relevancy or redundancy measure. Further, the performance of these techniques has been adjudged through post selection classification accuracy computed through a classifier using the selected genes. This performance metric may be statistically sound but may not be biologically relevant. A statistical approach, i.e. Boot-MRMR, was proposed based on a composite measure of maximum relevance and minimum redundancy, which is both statistically sound and biologically relevant for informative gene selection. For comparative evaluation of the proposed approach, we developed two biological sufficient criteria, i.e. Gene Set Enrichment with QTL (GSEQ) and biological similarity score based on Gene Ontology (GO). Further, a systematic and rigorous evaluation of the proposed technique with 12 existing gene selection techniques was carried out using five gene expression datasets. This evaluation was based on a broad spectrum of statistically sound (e.g. subject classification) and biological relevant (based on QTL and GO) criteria under a multiple criteria decision-making framework. The performance analysis showed that the proposed technique selects informative genes which are more biologically relevant. The proposed technique is also found to be quite competitive with the existing techniques with respect to subject classification and computational time. Our results also showed that under the multiple criteria decision-making setup, the proposed technique is best for informative gene selection over the available alternatives. Based on the proposed approach, an R Package, i.e. BootMRMR has been developed and available at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/BootMRMR. This study will provide a practical guide to select statistical techniques for selecting informative genes

Criteria for selecting organ donors and recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Michielsen, P

1990-11-01

As there is a world-wide shortage of organs for transplantation, the selection of the patients is more defined by the availability of transplantable organs than by the medical condition of the potential recipient. This shortage of cadaveric organs is mainly responsible for the use of living donors. With HLA identical sibling donors the results are better than with cadaveric organs, but the ethical problems are usually underestimated. For the parent-to-child donation, the HLA compatibility is less than what could be achieved with well-matched cadaveric donors. The use of genetically unrelated donors is unacceptable from the ethical as well as from the medical point of view. The short- and long-term risk of donation has been insufficiently documented. The experience with the introduction of an opting-out legislation in Belgium in 1987 demonstrates that the shortage of cadaveric organs can be overcome. Harmonization of the legislation is, however, necessary so as to achieve comparable organ retrieval rates between countries participating in organ-exchange organisations.

Downstaging therapy followed by liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma beyond Milan criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young; Stahl, Christopher C; Makramalla, Abouelmagd; Olowokure, Olugbenga O; Ristagno, Ross L; Dhar, Vikrom K; Schoech, Michael R; Chadalavada, Seetharam; Latif, Tahir; Kharofa, Jordan; Bari, Khurram; Shah, Shimul A

2017-12-01

Orthotopic liver transplantation is a curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma within Milan criteria, but these criteria preclude many patients from transplant candidacy. Recent studies have demonstrated that downstaging therapy can reduce tumor burden to meet conventional criteria. The present study reports a single-center experience with tumor downstaging and its effects on post-orthotopic liver transplantation outcomes. All patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were evaluated by our multidisciplinary liver services team from 2012 to 2016 were identified (N = 214). Orthotopic liver transplantation candidates presenting outside of Milan criteria at initial radiographic diagnosis and/or an initial alpha-fetoprotein >400 ng/mL were categorized as at high risk for tumor recurrence and post-transplant mortality. Of the 214 patients newly diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, 73 (34.1%) eventually underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. The majority of patients who did not undergo orthotopic liver transplantation were deceased or lost to follow-up (47.5%), with 14 of 141 (9.9%) currently listed for transplantation. Among transplanted patients, 21 of 73 (28.8%) were considered high-risk candidates. All 21 patients were downstaged to within Milan criteria with an alpha-fetoprotein hepatocellular carcinoma was higher but acceptable between downstaged high-risk and traditional candidates (9.5% vs 1.9%; P > .05) at a median follow-up period of 17 months. Downstaged high-risk candidates had a similar overall survival compared with those transplanted within Milan criteria (log-rank P > .05). In highly selected cases, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma outside of traditional criteria for orthotopic liver transplantation may undergo downstaging therapy in a multidisciplinary fashion with excellent post-transplant outcomes. These data support an aggressive downstaging approach for selected patients who would otherwise be deemed ineligible for

Optimization of warehouse location through fuzzy multi-criteria decision making methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. L. Karmaker

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Strategic warehouse location-allocation problem is a multi-staged decision-making problem having both numerical and qualitative criteria. In order to survive in the global business scenario by improving supply chain performance, companies must examine the cross-functional drivers in the optimization of logistic systems. A meticulous observation makes evident that strategy warehouse location selection has become challenging as the number of alternatives and conflicting criteria increases. The issue becomes particularly problematic when the conventional concept has been applied in dealing with the imprecise nature of the linguistic assessment. The qualitative decisions for selection process are often complicated by the fact that often it is imprecise for the decision makers. Such problem must be overcome with defined efforts. Fuzzy multi-criteria decision making methods have been used in this research as aids in making location-allocation decisions. The anticipated methods in this research consist of two steps at its core. In the first step, the criteria of the existing problem are inspected and identified and then the weights of the sector and subsector are determined that have come to light by using Fuzzy AHP. In the second step, eligible alternatives are ranked by using TOPSIS and Fuzzy TOPSIS comparatively. A demonstration of the application of these methodologies in a real life problem is presented.

Comparison of fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TODIM methods for landfill location selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanine, Mohamed; Boutkhoum, Omar; Tikniouine, Abdessadek; Agouti, Tarik

2016-01-01

Landfill location selection is a multi-criteria decision problem and has a strategic importance for many regions. The conventional methods for landfill location selection are insufficient in dealing with the vague or imprecise nature of linguistic assessment. To resolve this problem, fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methods are proposed. The aim of this paper is to use fuzzy TODIM (the acronym for Interactive and Multi-criteria Decision Making in Portuguese) and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methods for the selection of landfill location. The proposed methods have been applied to a landfill location selection problem in the region of Casablanca, Morocco. After determining the criteria affecting the landfill location decisions, fuzzy TODIM and fuzzy AHP methods are applied to the problem and results are presented. The comparisons of these two methods are also discussed.

Selection of a tool to support decision making for site selection for high level waste - 15010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madeira, J.G.; Alvim, A.C.M.; Martins, V.B.; Monteiro, N.A.

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to create a panel comparing some of the key decision-making support tools used in situations with the characteristics of the problem of selecting suitable areas for constructing a final deep geologic repository. The tools presented in this work are also well-known and with easy implementation. The decision making process in issues of this kind is, in general, complex due to its multi-criteria nature and the conflicting opinions of various of stakeholders. Thus a comprehensive study was performed with the literature on this subject, specifically documents of the International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA, regarding the importance of the criteria involved in the decision making process. Therefore, we highlighted 6 judgments attributes for selecting an adequate support tool: -) transparency and reliability, -) subjectivity, -) updating and adapting, -) multi-criteria analysis, -) ease of deployment, and -) application time. We have selected the following key decision-making support tools: AHP, Delphi, Brainstorm, Nominal Group Technique, and AHP-Delphi. Finally, the AHP-Delphi method has demonstrated to be more appropriate for managing the inherent multiple attributes to the problem proposed

Sustainable national transport planning: Managing multiple objectives and criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Anders Vestergaard; Salling, Kim Bang; Leleur, Steen

not included in the CBA. One important part of the assessment is the selection of criteria to be included and this aspect will be examined by an appraisal study of the Rail Baltica corridor. In the study various alternatives are appraised with an explicit consideration of each alternative’s sustainability...... performance....

The PROMETHEE multiple criteria decision making analysis for selecting the best membrane prepared from sulfonated poly(ether ketone)s and poly(ether sulfone)s for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikouei, Mohammad Ali; Oroujzadeh, Maryam; Mehdipour-Ataei, Shahram

2017-01-01

Proton exchange membrane as the heart of fuel cell has been the topic of many research activities in recent years. Finding a suitable alternative for Nafion membranes is one of the most important issues of interest. This study is dedicated to sulfonated poly(ether ketone) and poly(ether sulfone) membranes. For synthesis of these two groups of polymers, two different isomeric biphenols (meta- and para-) were used and each group of membranes with three different degree of sulfonation (25, 35, and 45%) was synthesized. In this way, twelve different membrane samples were obtained and their properties were evaluated. Since each membrane had some strong and some weak points of properties in comparison to the other ones, using a rational analysis for choosing the best membrane between prepared samples was inevitable. For this purpose a PROMETHEE based multiple criteria decision making approach was applied and for evaluation of the weight of each criterion, Shannon entropy method was used. Final results showed that poly(ether ketone) membranes in selected criteria were better than poly(ether sulfone) membranes and as expected, membranes with the highest degree of sulfonation (45%) were placed at the top ranking levels. - Highlights: • Sulfonated poly(ether ketone)s and Poly(ether sulfone)s were synthesized. • Related membranes for PEMFC were prepared. • The properties of membranes were measured. • Multiple criteria decision making approach was used to ranking the membranes. • PROMETHEE based approach selected poly(ether ketone)s as better choices.

[Targeted pharmacist-led medication order review in hospital: Assessment of a selection method for drug prescriptions].

Science.gov (United States)

Jarre, C; Bouchet, J; Hellot-Guersing, M; Leromain, A-S; Derharoutunian, C; Gadot, A; Roubille, R

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to assess a selection method for drug prescriptions developed at the hospital level that allows to target pharmacist-led medication order review for at-risk patients and drugs. A one-month study has been conducted on all targeted medication orders in 19 care units. Selection criteria have been identified: biological criteria, alert medications and drug interactions. Pharmacists' interventions proposed during medication order review were listed and the possible links to the selection criteria were determined. A total of 1612 prescriptions were analysed and 236 pharmacists' interventions were performed (14.6 interventions per 100 prescriptions). Physicians' acceptance rate was 60.6%. The percentage of pharmacists' interventions linked to the selection criteria was 35.6%. The relevance of the biological criteria was identified, particularly the one identifying patients with creatinine clearance below 30ml/min. Six alert medications were also relevant selection criteria: dabigatran, morphine, gentamicin, methotrexate, potassium chloride and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole. Drug interactions criteria was irrelevant. This study allowed a first assessment of the selection criteria used. A largest study seems necessary to continue the analysis of this selection method for prescriptions, especially the assessment of the alert medications list, in order to refine the prescriptions targeting. Copyright © 2017 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Optimal site selection for sitting a solar park using multi-criteria decision analysis and geographical information systems

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiou, Andreas; Skarlatos, Dimitrios

2016-07-01

Among the renewable power sources, solar power is rapidly becoming popular because it is inexhaustible, clean, and dependable. It has also become more efficient since the power conversion efficiency of photovoltaic solar cells has increased. Following these trends, solar power will become more affordable in years to come and considerable investments are to be expected. Despite the size of solar plants, the sitting procedure is a crucial factor for their efficiency and financial viability. Many aspects influence such a decision: legal, environmental, technical, and financial to name a few. This paper describes a general integrated framework to evaluate land suitability for the optimal placement of photovoltaic solar power plants, which is based on a combination of a geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing techniques, and multi-criteria decision-making methods. An application of the proposed framework for the Limassol district in Cyprus is further illustrated. The combination of a GIS and multi-criteria methods produces an excellent analysis tool that creates an extensive database of spatial and non-spatial data, which will be used to simplify problems as well as solve and promote the use of multiple criteria. A set of environmental, economic, social, and technical constrains, based on recent Cypriot legislation, European's Union policies, and expert advice, identifies the potential sites for solar park installation. The pairwise comparison method in the context of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to estimate the criteria weights in order to establish their relative importance in site evaluation. In addition, four different methods to combine information layers and check their sensitivity were used. The first considered all the criteria as being equally important and assigned them equal weight, whereas the others grouped the criteria and graded them according to their objective perceived importance. The overall suitability of the study