Importance Of Different Criteria Research Articles

Assessment of Different Technologies for Managing Yard Waste Using Analytic Hierarchy Process

The heterogeneity of solid waste generated by a large population of different socio-economic backgrounds in India makes it difficult to have a universal best treatment option. The present study reports a comprehensive assessment of six different technologies for managing yard waste using analytic hierarchy process (AHP): composting, incineration, landfill, anaerobic digestion, pelletization-gasification, and pelletization-pyrolysis. Four criteria, namely, environmental, economic, technical, and socio-political have been considered for evaluation, with each of these having further sub-criteria. The 4 criteria, 17 sub-criteria, and the 6 alternatives are evaluated using AHP for two different cases: one for calculated weights based on the objective, and other assuming equal weights for each criterion and sub-criterion. The pairwise comparison matrices are formed using data collected from literature and the responses recorded from the questionnaire survey. The results are then synthesized to find the most appropriate process for managing yard waste. For both, case 1 and case 2, pelletization-gasification (PG) was the most promising technology followed by pelletization-pyrolysis (PP). Landfill (LF) and incineration (IN) technologies proved to be the least preferred alternatives for managing yard waste. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the effect of variation in importance of different criteria on the final rankings of the technology alternatives.

Compartment Syndrome- Controversies and where are we Today

AbstractCompartment Syndrome in Orthopedic practice is a night mare and has to be diagnosed and treated as an emergency to save the function of the limb. Importance of different criteria of early diagnosis, compartment pressure measurement and immediate fasciotomy are the controversies even today. The review emphasizes the importance of these concerns. Definition Compartment syndrome occurs due to an increased interstitial tissue pressure inside a closed 1 space especially in an osseo-fascial compartment , should be treated as an acute emergency.

Selection of Best Renewable Energy Source by Using VIKOR Method

The increasing global demand for the sustainable development of electricity sectors increased the contribution of renewable energy sources (RESs). RESs give the flexibility to install generation units at demand areas and reduce transmission and distribution losses. Selection of appropriate RES is more strategic and decisive area. This is a complex multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem of having uncertain and conflicting factors. In this work, we used the recently developed MCDM technique VIKOR method to choose best appropriate RES alternative for installation at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus, India. The advantage of VIKOR method is to have a solution closest to the ideal solution having an acceptable compromise of conflicting and non-commensurable criteria. For assigning weights to the different criteria, we used analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The importance of different criteria has been assigned by decision-makers based on their preferences. The result shows that the wind turbine option is the best choice for the case of BHU campus.

Health Technology Assessment and Appraisal of Therapies for Rare Diseases.

Innovative rare disease therapies and health technology assessment (HTA) share a lot of similarities. Both represent cases of interaction of epidemiology and health economics. Both are relatively new topics in public health practice. And both pose a lot of challenges to rare disease stakeholders who are currently looking for tools to support the timely access to innovative treatments while putting budget spending in order. This is why optimisation of assessment and appraisal of new rare disease therapies is a fundamental issue in rare disease health policy. Rare disease patients and caregivers expect prolonged life expectancy and improved quality of life and they perceive innovative health technologies as a rightful way to achieve these objectives.Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a structured, transparent approach to identify preferred alternatives by means of combined calculation of relative importance of different criteria and performance of the alternatives on these criteria. The labyrinth of competing interests and numerous stakeholders involved is why innovative rare disease health technologies make an excellent case study of the integration between HTA and MCDA. This kind of formalisation of decision-making is perceived as fair and legitimate, leading to a balance and agreement. MCDA provides a stage for a debate of policy priorities, health system specifics and societal attitudes, while also addressing the impact of rarity on all criteria and considerations.

Using a Bayesian belief network to diagnose significant adverse effect of the EU Water Framework Directive on hydropower production in Norway

We evaluate the multi-criteria methodology employed by Norwegian authorities to screen and prioritise a large number of hydropower licences due for revision of their environmental and production conditions. We structured the national licence screening methodology using the multi-criteria decision analysis theory implemented in Bayesian Network (BBN) software. We show how BBNs can be used to diagnose the overall importance of different criteria implicit in the licence screening project's methodology. The diagnostic analysis finds that hydropower loss criteria were considerably more import than environmental criteria in explaining which licences were given lower licence revision priority. We also use the BBN to assess the trade-offs between environmental impacts and hydropower. Using the licence ranking by Norwegian authoities, we provide an interpretation of the ‘significant adverse effect’ for Norwegian hydropower of achieving Water Framework Directive. The national-level estimates of significant adverse effect are likely to be high, given the limited number of mitigation measures that were assessed in the national screening study. The paper discusses the importance of further regional and local assessment of all available measures to achieve good ecological potential in Norwegian water courses.

IMPORTANCE OF MULTIPLE CRITERIA FOR PRIORITY SETTING OF HIV/AIDS INTERVENTIONS.

This study describes the views of various stakeholders on the importance of different criteria for priority setting of HIV/AIDS interventions in Indonesia. Based on a general list of criteria and a focus group discussion with stakeholders (n = 6), a list was developed of thirty-two criteria that play a role in priority setting in HIV/AIDS control in West-Java province. Criteria were categorized according to the World Health Organization's health system goals and building block frameworks. People living with HIV/AIDS (n = 49), healthcare workers (HCW) (n = 41), the general population (n = 43), and policy makers (n = 22) rated the importance of thirty-two criteria on a 5-point Likert-scale. Thereafter, respondents ranked the highest rated criteria to express more detailed preferences. Stakeholders valued the following criteria as most important for the priority setting of HIV/AIDS interventions: an intervention's impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, reduction of stigma, quality of care, effectiveness on individual level, and feasibility in terms of current capacity of the health system (i.e., HCW, product, information, and service requirements), financial sustainability, and acceptance by donors. Overall, stakeholders' preferences for the importance of criteria are similar. Our study design outlines an approach for other settings to identify which criteria are important for priority setting of health interventions. For Indonesia, these study results may be used in priority setting processes for HIV/AIDS control and may contribute to more transparent and systematic allocation of resources.

Spatial multi-criteria decision analysis to predict suitability for African swine fever endemicity in Africa

BackgroundAfrican swine fever (ASF) is endemic in several countries of Africa and may pose a risk to all pig producing areas on the continent. Official ASF reporting is often rare and there remains limited awareness of the continent-wide distribution of the disease.In the absence of accurate ASF outbreak data and few quantitative studies on the epidemiology of the disease in Africa, we used spatial multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to derive predictions of the continental distribution of suitability for ASF persistence in domestic pig populations as part of sylvatic or domestic transmission cycles. In order to incorporate the uncertainty in the relative importance of different criteria in defining suitability, we modelled decisions within the MCDA framework using a stochastic approach. The predictive performance of suitability estimates was assessed via a partial ROC analysis using ASF outbreak data reported to the OIE since 2005.ResultsOutputs from the spatial MCDA indicate that large areas of sub-Saharan Africa may be suitable for ASF persistence as part of either domestic or sylvatic transmission cycles. Areas with high suitability for pig to pig transmission (‘domestic cycles’) were estimated to occur throughout sub-Saharan Africa, whilst areas with high suitability for introduction from wildlife reservoirs (‘sylvatic cycles’) were found predominantly in East, Central and Southern Africa. Based on average AUC ratios from the partial ROC analysis, the predictive ability of suitability estimates for domestic cycles alone was considerably higher than suitability estimates for sylvatic cycles alone, or domestic and sylvatic cycles in combination.ConclusionsThis study provides the first standardised estimates of the distribution of suitability for ASF transmission associated with domestic and sylvatic cycles in Africa. We provide further evidence for the utility of knowledge-driven risk mapping in animal health, particularly in data-sparse environments.

Checklists for Powder Inhaler Technique: A Review and Recommendations

Turbuhaler and Diskus are commonly used powder inhaler devices for patients with respiratory disease. Their effectiveness is limited in part by a patient's ability to use them correctly. This has led to numerous studies being conducted over the last decade to assess the correct use of these devices by patients and health care professionals. These studies have generally used device-specific checklists to assess technique, this being the most feasible and accessible method for assessment. However, divergence between the checklists and scoring systems for the same device in different studies makes direct comparison of results difficult and at times inappropriate. Little evidence is available to assess the relative importance of different criteria; however, brief patient training based on specific inhaler technique checklists leads to significant improvement in asthma outcomes. This paper reviews common checklists and scoring systems used for Turbuhaler and Diskus, discusses the problem of heterogeneity between different checklists, and finally recommends suitable checklists and scoring systems for these devices based on the literature and previous findings. Only when similar checklists are used across different research studies will accurate comparisons and meta-analysis be possible.

Multicriteria Decision Making for Homeowners’ Participation in Building Maintenance

As the residential building stocks in most developed cities are getting older, there is an urgent call for the management of the stocks in a more sustainable manner. Although redevelopment can completely revamp the quality of housing, this approach is far from perfect because of its negative social and environmental effects. In fact, timely maintenance can achieve sustainable housing stock management in theory. However, in a high-rise setting, a large number of homeowners are involved in the maintenance of communal building elements. Conflicts occur because of the divergent interests of different stakeholders in deciding on the way forward for a maintenance project, eventually holding the work back. Against this background, this study explores the relative importance of different criteria for decision making in the maintenance of multiowned residential buildings in Hong Kong. Through a literature review, a set of decision-making criteria were identified. The weightings of these criteria perceived by homeowners were evaluated using the nonstructural fuzzy decision support system. The results of the analysis showed that cost affordability of maintenance work and existing building conditions generally dominated the decision-making process. Practical implications for urban managers and public administrators in formulating the strategies to promote housing maintenance then follow.

A comparative analysis of score functions for multiple criteria decision making in intuitionistic fuzzy settings

The purpose of this paper was to conduct a comparative study of score functions in multiple criteria decision analysis based on intuitionistic fuzzy sets. The concept of score functions has been conceptualized and widely applied to multi-criteria decision-making problems. There are several types of score functions that can identify the mixed results of positive and negative parts in a bi-dimensional framework of intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Considering various perspectives on score functions, the present study adopts an order of preference based on similarity to the ideal solution as the main structure to estimate the importance of different criteria and compute optimal multi-criteria decisions in intuitionistic fuzzy evaluation settings. An experimental analysis is conducted to examine the relationship between the results yielded by different score functions, considering the average Spearman correlation coefficients and contradiction rates. Furthermore, additional discussions clarify the relative differences in the ranking orders obtained from different combinations of numbers of alternatives and criteria as well as different importance conditions.

An application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to investment portfolio selection in the banking sector of the Nigerian capital market

The importance of investment to the individual, a nation and the world economy cannot be over emphasized. Investment involves the sacrifice of immediate consumption to achieve greater consumption in the future. The Nigerian banking sector has made tremendous success in the recent past. All the banks that approached the capital market through public offers and right issues to raise their capital base recorded huge success. Investors in bank stocks have enjoyed high returns on investment, despite the slow growth in the nation’s economy. However, the recent financial crisis that started in America, which has caused economy meltdown in many nations of the world and sudden fall in share prices, has brought about a higher risk than envisaged on investors, particularly those investing in bank stocks. This study underlines the importance of different criteria, factors and alternatives that are essential to successful investment decisions by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in the selection of investment in bank stocks in the circumstances of financial crisis. The study provides recommendation on strategic investment decision options. Key words: Application, analytic hierarchy process, investment, portfolio selection, capital market.

Managing uncertainty in multiple-criteria decision making related to sustainability assessment

In real life, decisions are usually made by comparing different options with respect to several, often conflicting criteria. This requires subjective judgements on the importance of different criteria by DMs and increases uncertainty in decision making. This article demonstrates how uncertainty can be handled in multi-criteria decision situations using Compromise Programming, one of the Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques. Uncertainty is characterised using a probabilistic approach and propagated using a Monte Carlo simulation technique. The methodological approach is illustrated on a case study which compares the sustainability of two options for electricity generation: coal versus biomass. Different models have been used to quantify their sustainability performance for a number of economic, environmental and social criteria. Three cases are considered with respect to uncertainty: (1) no uncertainty, (2) uncertainty in data/models and (3) uncertainty in models and decision-makers’ preferences. The results shows how characterising and propagating uncertainty can help increase the effectiveness of multi-criteria decision making processes and lead to more informed decision.

Spouse Selection: Important Criteria and Age Preferences of an Iranian Sample

Importance of different criteria and age preference in spouse selection for single and married young Iranian adults was examined. The sample included 104 married (49 male, 55 female) and 112 single (51 male, 61 female) students. A 26-item scale developed for this study included 4 items related to demographic factors, 3 items on preferences for the ideal age of marriage, and 19 Likert-type items asking about criteria important for spouse selection. Analysis indicated that, in Iran, commitment, chastity, refinement, and health are four important criteria for spouse selection among male and female and single and married persons. Also, experience of marriage for married males may increase maturity, social prestige, family background, having a job, and age as criteria for choosing a spouse. On the other hand, marriage experience for females may decrease the importance of social skills, housekeeping, and autonomy for selecting a spouse.

Assessing Site Selection Criteria for Taiwan Lantern Festival by Analytic Hierarchy Process

Lantern Festival is the most important cultural event in Chinese ethnic society. With a tremendous economic and tourism value brought by the event activities, Taiwan cities are actively participating the bidding to host Taiwan Lantern Festival. Event site selection is arguably a complex issue because of a multitude of variables that are needed to be taken into consideration. Therefore, Delphi method and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) are used to develop an evaluation hierarchy for Taiwan Lantern Festival site selection. The proposed model not only provides the site selection criteria but also determines their relative importance of different criteria in influencing site selection decisions. Results show that tourism attraction and visitors' needs are the most important factors for selecting Taiwan Lantern Festival site and other important factors according to the rank of their weights are site environment, accessibility, and local support. The factors identified have implications for management practice, for site decision making by Taiwan Visitor Bureau and event organizers.

A decision support system for supplier selection in the airline industry

Supplier selection has increasingly been regarded as one of the most important strategies in the globalization era. While many companies require different resources from the supply market, airline companies require supplies of parts and repair and maintenance services. The suppliers of these products and services are regarded as critical for the industry. With the multidimensional nature of the problem, supplier selection involves both tangible and intangible selection criteria. This paper presents a case study on solving the supplier selection problem in the airline industry through a decision support system that employs the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The system was implemented with the aid of the commercial software package Expert Choice. The significance of the study is to provide a new platform for airline companies in selecting suppliers on the basis of the proposed decision support system, which was tested with a Hong Kong-based airline company during the course of development. In addition, the model highlights the areas of most concern to airline companies in supplier selection. Unlike many similar studies, sensitivity analysis has been performed in order to improve the robustness of the results, and to understand the importance of different criteria with respect to the selected decision.

Towards a multi‐criteria approach for priority setting: an application to Ghana

Many criteria have been proposed to guide priority setting in health, but their relative importance has not yet been determined in a way that allows a rank ordering of interventions. In an explorative study, a discrete choice experiment was carried out to determine the relative importance of different criteria in identifying priority interventions in Ghana. Thirty respondents chose between 12 pairs of scenarios that described interventions in terms of medical and non-medical criteria. Subsequently, a composite league table was constructed to rank order a set of interventions by mapping interventions on those criteria and considering the relative weights of different criteria. Interventions that are cost-effective, reduce poverty, target severe diseases, or target the young had a higher probability of being chosen than others. The composite league table showed that high priority interventions in Ghana are prevention of mother to child transmission in HIV/AIDS control, and treatment of pneumonia and diarrhoea in childhood. Low priority interventions are certain interventions to control blood pressure, tobacco and alcohol abuse. The composite league table lead to a different and more differentiated rank ordering of interventions compared to pure efficiency ratings. This explorative study has introduced a multi-criteria approach to priority setting. It has shown the feasibility of accounting for efficiency, equity and other societal concerns in prioritization decisions, and its potentially large impact on priority setting.

Priority setting for pharmaceuticals. The use of health economic evidence by reimbursement and clinical guidance committees.

Authorities in a number of countries rely increasingly on cost-effectiveness analysis to determine reimbursement status or clinical guidance for pharmaceuticals. This study compared the use of health economic evidence across five reimbursement committees (Australia, Ontario and British Columbia in Canada, Finland, and France) and one clinical guidance committee (England and Wales). Health economic evidence was found to support decision making, although cost-effectiveness is less important in some identifiable situations. Since the relative importance of cost-effectiveness varies, it will be difficult to implement a single explicit threshold. Further research may make patterns of decision making, distributional concerns, and the importance of different criteria more transparent, which would help to narrow the gap between the theory and practice of health economic evaluations. While the use of health economic evidence and the outcome of decision making are similar across committees, there is presently only limited knowledge to what extent prescribing patterns are influenced by decisions.

Screening and ranking of sedimentary basins for sequestration of CO2 in geological media in response to climate change

Sedimentary basins are suitable to different degrees for CO2 geological sequestration as a result of various intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics, of which the geothermal regime is one of the most important. Warm basins are less favorable for CO2 sequestration than cold basins because of reduced capacity in terms of CO2 mass, and because of higher CO2 buoyancy, which drives the upward CO2 migration. A set of 15 criteria, with several classes each, has been developed for the assessment and ranking of sedimentary basins in terms of their suitability for CO2 sequestration. Using a parametric normalization procedure, a basin's individual scores are summed to a total score using weights that express the relative importance of different criteria. The total score is ranked to determine the most suitable basin or region thereof for the geological sequestration of CO2. The method is extremely flexible in that it allows changes in the functions that express the importance of various classes for any given criterion, and in the weights that express the relative importance of various criteria. Examples of application are given for Canada's case and for the Alberta basin in Canada.

Choosing the right employee: Chinese vs. US preferences

Explicit or implicit sets of selection criteria are always used when hiring decisions are made. When employers and job applicants come from similar cultural backgrounds, applicants may better understand what job‐related attributes employers think are important and can develop and stress those qualities. Many studies have attempted to identify important job attributes, but despite recent globalization trends, there is little information comparing the importance of different criteria to individuals from different cultures. For this exploratory study, Chinese and US individuals were surveyed to ascertain their ratings of the importance of 26 job selection attributes. Given the cultural distance between the USA and China, it was hypothesized that significant differences would be found. As China emerges as an important global player with increasing interaction between US and Chinese organizations, the results of this study should help each culture better understand the other and lead to better business relationships between the two countries.

Choosing the right employee: Chinese vs US preferences

Explicit or implicit sets of selection criteria are always used when hiring decisions are made. When employers and job applicants come from similar cultural backgrounds, applicants may better understand what job‐related attributes employers think are important and can develop and stress those qualities. Many studies have attempted to identify important job attributes, but despite recent globalization trends, there is little information comparing the importance of different criteria to individuals from different cultures. For this exploratory study, Chinese and US individuals were surveyed to ascertain their ratings of the importance of 26 job selection attributes. Given the cultural distance between the USA and China, it was hypothesized that significant differences would be found. As China emerges as an important global player with increasing interaction between US and Chinese organizations, the results of this study should help each culture better understand the other and lead to better business relationships between the two countries.