Relative Importance Of Different Criteria Research Articles

Quantifying and improving flood resilience of urban drainage systems based on socio-ecological criteria

In this paper, a new framework is developed for evaluating the resilience of urban drainage systems (UDSs) under floods by proposing and quantifying some technical and socio-ecological (SE) criteria. The proposed criteria are used to quantify the seven principles of building resilience in socio-ecological systems. The criteria mainly focus on preserving diversity and multiplicity in a UDS, managing variables that gradually change over time (slow variables), improving structural and functional connectivity, maintaining system adaptability, encouraging learning, broadening participation, and promoting polycentric governance systems. For evaluating the efficiency of the proposed framework, it is applied to a real-world case study of improving resilience of the UDS in the eastern part of Tehran metropolitan area. Three scenarios for flood management are proposed based on the Low Impact Development (LID) practices which are simulated using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The Entropy method is used to consider the uncertainty in the relative importance of different criteria in estimating the flood resilience. The estimated values for the proposed criteria regarding the current drainage system in the study area show its undesirable condition in many sub-catchments. The results also show that using around 2.3 km2 of LID practices in this urban watershed can significantly improve the resilience in many sub-catchments (nearly, 30%) and reduce the total volume of the overflow (about 50%). The results also show that using the flood management scenarios, improving connectivity is the most influential factor that enhances the general resilience of the system.

Mangrove plantation suitability mapping by integrating multi criteria decision making geospatial approach and remote sensing data

ABSTRACT Mangroves are woody plant communities that appear in tropical and subtropical regions, mainly in intertidal zones along the coastlines. Despite their considerable benefits to humans and the surrounding environment, their existence is threatened by anthropogenic activities and natural drivers. Accordingly, it is vital to conduct efficient efforts to increase mangrove plantations by identifying suitable locations. These efforts are required to support conservation and plantation practices and lower the mortality rate of seedlings. Therefore, identifying ecologically potential areas for plantation practices is mandatory to ensure a higher success rate. This study aimed to identify suitable locations for mangrove plantations along the southern coastal frontiers of Hormozgan, Iran. To this end, we applied a hybrid Fuzzy-DEMATEL-ANP (FDANP) model as a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach to determine the relative importance of different criteria, combined with geospatial and remote sensing data. In this regard, ten relevant sources of environmental criteria, including meteorological, topographical, and geomorphological, were used in the modeling. The statistical evaluation demonstrated the high potential of the developed approach for suitable location identification. Based on the final results, 6.10% and 20.80% of the study area were classified as very-high suitable and very-low suitable areas. The obtained values can elucidate the path for decision-makers and managers for better conservation and plantation planning. Moreover, the utility of charge-free remote sensing data allows cost-effective implementation of such an approach for other regions by interested researchers and governing organizations.

An Analytic Hierarchy Process for Selecting Battery Equalization Methods

Batteries have been the predominant energy storage system used in electric vehicles. Battery packs have a large number of cells that develop charge, thermal, and capacity imbalances over time, limiting the power, range, and lifetime. Electronic battery management and state of charge (SoC) equalization methods are necessary to mitigate such imbalances. Today, it is possible to find a wide range of battery equalization methods in the literature, but how to decide which of these methods should be applied in practice? This paper compares 24 SoC equalization circuits that are typically found in automotive applications. We employ an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach to rank these equalization circuits according to multiple decision criteria (energy efficiency, equalization speed, implementation and control simplicity, hardware size, and total price). We also prepared a survey to collect design preferences from multiple battery balancing experts from around the world in order to better understand the relative importance of different criteria. The obtained results confirm that automotive engineers continue to favor passive balancing methods because of their low price, small PCB size, and implementation simplicity—despite the energy efficiency benefits of active balancing.

Palliation of Functionally Single Ventricle Patients in Sub-Saharan Africa-Is It Justifiable?

Resource constraints in many sub-Saharan African countries undermine efforts to provide the full spectrum of pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery. Palliation of the child born with functionally single ventricle is the lowest priority for policymakers when viewed from the perspective of cost-effectiveness. This commentary focuses on the relative importance of different criteria that policymakers and the general public consider important in setting health-care priorities as it relates to palliation of the patient with functionally single ventricle in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues the position that cost-effectiveness analysis tends to exclude those with high cost-to-treat illness, and decisions made on that basis alone are not acceptable to the general population on whose behalf those decisions are made.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Risk Assessment with Asymmetric Information

The risk analysis of small business propositions is characterized by uncertainty and asymmetric information, producing problems of moral hazard and adverse selection for the banks and liquidity constraints for entrepreneurs. Decision making is based on information supplied and the application of different criteria. Concerns the relative importance of different criteria and whether the right criteria are being used to assess small firm ventures by banking institutions, and reports the results of research carried out into the importance of different criteria used in risk assessment by bank officers. Finds a high degree of variability in the approach by different bank officers and a bias towards financial information. The findings have marketing implications. Risk assessment cannot be divorced from the nature of the relationship with the small business customer. Investment in improving techniques of risk assessment increases profitability for the bank and improves marketing opportunities through the development of a long‐term working relationship.

Un Nouveau Système Relationnel De Préférences Multi-Critère A Transitivité Généralisee: L’Hyper Ordre

The development of Preference Relational Systems is a way to study decisional problems in terms of pairwise comparisons avoiding the approach based on the theory of utility. However, such systems are traditionally based on the proof of existence |of a value function associated with each alternative decision and with each attribute e.g., the case of the Pseudo-Order).In this paper, the concepts of Generalised Transitivity and of Preference Relational System (Hyper-Order) having such a property are proposed with the aim of developing a consistent framework for pairwise comparisons without using the concept of value function for each alternative.This system is generalised to the multi-attribute case considering that the assignment of the relative importance of different criteria is again a comparison td be formulated in pairwise terms.

Practical Considerations of the Pallet-Loading Problem

The pallet-loading problem, in which a number of identical boxes are to be packed orthogonally onto a rectangular pallet, has been the subject of several algorithms in recent years. These algorithms are concerned with maximizing the number of boxes fitted. In this paper, consideration is given to the development of loading patterns into pallet stacks, and criteria which might be applied to determine the suitability of these stacks for storage and transportation. A technique is developed which allows the stability and clampability of stacks to be tested, and this is applied to layouts produced by the recent algorithm of Bischoff and Dowsland. The relative importance of different criteria is illustrated and shown to have implications for the structure of algorithms that are to provide acceptable pallet stacks.