Satisfactory Decision Research Articles

Bi‐level optimiseddispatch strategy of electric supply–demand balance considering risk–benefit coordination

With the development of smart grid and electricity market, schedulable resources of demand-side attract great concern. To implement the balance between power supply and demand by utilising demand-side schedulable resources, a bi-level system is established and a bi-level programming between independent system operator (ISO) and load aggregator (LA) is proposed in this study. LA in the lower level integrates decentralised schedulable resources and makes bidding plans by adopting the improved step-wise bidding method in view of its risk attitudes, realising the unification of low risk and high profit. ISO in the upper level introduces the chance-constrained programming method to make risk-benefit coordinated decisions considering uncertainties on the basic of bidding information and power supply-demand prediction. The simulation analyses show that the proposed bi-level optimised strategy is effective for obtaining satisfactory decision schemes based on decision makers' risk preferences.

Transition Strategies of Change Management For the Succesful Implementation of Data Warehouse of Higher Education in Indonesia

Data Warehouse of Higher Education offers enormous advantages in efficiency, productivity, cost reduction and information integration system. This paper conducted to support success transition of implementation of Data Warehouse of Higher Education in Indonesia (that is called ‘Sistem Pangkalan Data Pendidikan Tinggi or PD-DIKTI in Indonesian) that had been implemented since 2013 ago. However, Data Warehouse of Higher Education implementations are complex, with many encountering difficulty and even failure. Transition of Data Warehouse implementation has been identified as critical success factor. A model that is used to manage the transition of Data Warehouse of Higher Education is Bridge’s Model, where this model is included to top ten leading transition for managing change in the world. The paper is going to summerize the results of a selected relevant articles both of the success implementation new IT technology and how to handle resistance to make transition hoped. In addition, we need to look at the transition models. The paper is hopefully able in changing the better equipped management to get satisfactory decision for all involved in implementing new IT system. This paper also conducted with Action research to get the information trusted.

Complexity of Information Society Prevents Achievement of Satisfactory Decision Making

Current society is characterised by increasing number of complex situations which require the prompt and efficient decisions. It has repeatedly been proved that humans confronted with complex situations fail to perform decision making at the desired level of quality. This study searches for understanding how the current information society influences decision making, which is not always as successful as we expect. The main research question of this paper aims at the identification of the factors limiting the outcomes of decision-making processes based on three case studies. The methodology includes the repetitive semi-structured interviews with domain experts and the consequent creation of three scenarios. The main finding, the set of characteristics of decision-making processes, is provided to consider more issues related to those situations and to eliminate their threats and bottlenecks. In addition to this, mutual relationships among characteristics are outlined with the help of the causal-loop diagram. Altogether, twelve characteristics of complex decision making typical for information society are identified in this study. This study reveals that due to growing complexity the decision-makers in the current information society have to deal with issues that are associated with the Law of Requisite Variety. This confirms that growing complexity of information flows represents an inevitable trait of the information society.

Screening and ranking framework for underground hydrogen storage site selection in Poland

This paper proposes the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in order to select the potential underground hydrogen storage sites. The preliminary selection and evaluation of hydrogen storage sites may be considered as a multi-criteria decision-making process. The use of a decision model based on 5 (for aquifers) or 6 geological criteria (in the case of salt and hydrocarbon deposits) has been proposed. A ranking of salt structures, aquifers, and crude oil and natural gas reservoirs, previously identified as the potential hydrogen storage sites in Poland, has been presented. The obtained results have confirmed that the AHP-based approach can be useful for preliminary selection of potential underground hydrogen storage sites. The proposed method enables one to objectively choose the most satisfactory decision, from the point of view of the adopted decision-making criteria, regarding the choice of the best structure.

Preservation of Agricultural Land as an Issue of Societal Importance

Based on concerns about food security and food sovereignty, it is appropriate to scrutinise societal measures for protecting agricultural land from conversion to other uses. Changes from agricultural to urban land use are particularly problematic, as they are largely irreversible. By analysing relevant Swedish policy, the present study investigated how the protection of agricultural land is framed as an issue of societal importance. Protection of agricultural land is enshrined in Swedish law, but its use is still continually changing to housing and other constructions. In a structured policy analysis, two questions were examined: (1) what are the societal motives for protecting agricultural land in Sweden, and (2) how do these motives influence the governance of agricultural land? The meaning of ‘national importance’, ‘suitable for cultivation’ and ‘significant national interests’ in Swedish land-use law was also analysed. The results showed that formulations in the law reflect the ambivalent discourses on agricultural land preservation and that the Swedish authorities view other land uses as more important than agriculture. The Swedish governance system is currently built on trust that municipal institutions will make satisfactory decisions concerning land and water use. However, it has been shown that these decisions have not been satisfactory concerning the protection of agricultural land, and it is important to acknowledge that the sum of local decisions can be degrading for these life-supporting resources. The present analysis revealed a looming conflict between the preservation of soils for food production, on one hand, and local participation in decision making, on the other. This raises the question of whether it is more important to defend subsidiarity or to preserve certain resources which are important for food security, such as agricultural land.

The General’s Intuition

Can we trust the operational intuitions of generals? The proponents of the overconfidence model, one of the most influential perspectives in the psychology of judgment, commonly offer a skeptical answer. Generals’ operational intuitions are likely to be hampered by overconfidence and negatively affect military effectiveness. However, the successful operational outcome of General Douglas MacArthur’s decision to land at Inchon (June–September 1950) seemingly contradicts the model. We seek to complement and refine the overconfidence model by examining the Inchon landing decision through the analytical lens of the recognition-primed decision model. This model typically envisions that under specific circumstances—notably an experienced decision maker, an adequate environment regularity, and an opportunity to learn—generals are able to make quick and satisfactory decisions. We show that such a configuration was present in the Inchon landing case and helps explain both the decision process and its successful outcome.

Meta goal programing approach for solving multi-criteria de Novo programing problem

This paper explores the potential use of the meta-goal programing approach (meta-GP) for solving multi-criteria de Novo programing problems. Methodologically, the objectives of the de Novo programing problem are converted into meta-goals during formulation, following the meta-GP technique proposed by Rodriguez-Uría, Caballero, Ruiz, and Romero (2002), to arrive at the most satisfactory decision in the multi-objective decision-making context. This approach is shown superior to the conventional ‘multi-criteria solution procedure’ for the de Novo programing problem, in that it provides decision-makers with more flexibility in expressing their preferences, by merging the original explicit goals as meta-goals. Finally, the application of the proposed model to a decision case in identifying the best plan for the exploitation of wind energy sourcing is provided, illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed novel solution approach.

Some Approaches for Optimizing CO2 Storage System with Water Production in a Heterogeneous Reservoir Using Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Particle swarm optimization algorithm was employed to find optimal well placements and CO2 injection rate in a CO2 storage system with pressure relief well, assuming one pair of wells in a highly heterogeneous reservoir. We made an up-scaled reservoir model for saving computational cost, in order to conduct huge numbers of simulation runs to avoid the convergence on local optima. Three approaches of optimization were considered; A) Maximization of cumulative CO2 injected, B) Maximization of NPV, C) Multi-objective optimization to find the Pareto front. Approach B) and C) take into account mitigation of water production as well. Taking various approaches of optimization would be helpful for making satisfactory decisions in a system.

OPTIMIZATION OF THE MODE OF A POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM BY METHOD OF THEGREATEST GUARANTEED RESULT

At limited or untimely supply by fuel of power stations of a power supply system the deviation of actual modes of operation from planned is observed. In this case on some power stations deficiency of fuel takes place. Then at correction of a mode on the nearest interval of time in dispatching service of a power supply system assessments of admissible expenses of fuel on hard-to-get power stations should be passed. Thus, under direction of a problem of optimum distribution of active capacities rigid restrictions on admissible expenses of fuel are imposed and to provide a possibility of an output of actual expenses of fuel on not difficult to receive stations for earlier limits established. In this case transition from rigid restrictions on admissible expenses of fuel at not hard-to-get stations to indistinct restrictions is carried out. Now a problem expediently to state as a problem of multi-purpose optimization in which at an appropriate choice of functions of an accessory of indistinct sets it is possible to receive the satisfactory decision with a guarantee.

An adaptive large neighborhood search heuristic for solving a robust gate assignment problem

Robust gate assignment problem with transfer passengers and tows is considered.A large neighborhood search heuristic is proposed to solve the integrated problem.Extensive experiments are conducted to justify the performance of our approach. With the rapid growth of air traffic demand, airport capacity becomes a major bottleneck within the air traffic control systems. Minor disturbances may have a large impact on the airport surface operations due to the overly tight schedules, which results in frequent gate conflict occurrences during airports daily operations. A robust gate schedule that is resilient to disturbances is essential for an airport to maintain a good performance. Unfortunately, there is no efficient expert system available for the airport managers to simultaneously consider the traditional cost (the aircraft tow cost, transfer passenger cost) and the robustness. To fill this gap, in this paper, we extend the traditional gate assignment problem and consider a wider scope, in which the traditional costs and the robustness are simultaneously considered. A mathematical model is first built, which leads to a complex non-linear model. To efficiently solve this model, an adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) algorithm is then designed. We novelly propose multiple local search operators by exploring the characteristics of the gate assignment problem. The comparison with the benchmark algorithm shows the competitiveness of proposed algorithm in solving the considered problem. Moreover, the proposed methodology also has great potential from the practical perspective since it can be easily integrated into current expert systems to help airport managers make satisfactory decisions.

Networks of conforming or nonconforming individuals tend to reach satisfactory decisions

Binary decisions of agents coupled in networks can often be classified into two types: "coordination," where an agent takes an action if enough neighbors are using that action, as in the spread of social norms, innovations, and viral epidemics, and "anticoordination," where too many neighbors taking a particular action causes an agent to take the opposite action, as in traffic congestion, crowd dispersion, and division of labor. Both of these cases can be modeled using linear-threshold-based dynamics, and a fundamental question is whether the individuals in such networks are likely to reach decisions with which they are satisfied. We show that, in the coordination case, and perhaps more surprisingly, also in the anticoordination case, the agents will indeed always tend to reach satisfactory decisions, that is, the network will almost surely reach an equilibrium state. This holds for every network topology and every distribution of thresholds, for both asynchronous and partially synchronous decision-making updates. These results reveal that irregular network topology, population heterogeneity, and partial synchrony are not sufficient to cause cycles or nonconvergence in linear-threshold dynamics; rather, other factors such as imitation or the coexistence of coordinating and anticoordinating agents must play a role.

Fuzzy Goal Programming Approach to Solve Linear Multilevel Programming Problems using Genetic Algorithm

paper introduces a priority based fuzzy goal programming (FGP) method for modelling and solving multilevel programming problem (MLPP) through genetic algorithm (GA). In model formulation, the individual best solution of objectives of each of the decision makers (DMs) is determined by using the GA method for fuzzy description of the objectives. Then, tolerance membership functions of the defined fuzzy goals are constructed for measuring the degree of satisfaction of goal achievement and there by degree of optimality of the decision vectors controlled by the higher level DMs. In the executable FGP model, minimization of the under-deviational variables of the defined membership goals with highest membership value (unity) as the aspiration levels of them on the basis of pre- emptive priority is taken into consideration in the decision making context. In the solution process, sensitivity analysis with variations of priority structure of model goals is performed and then Euclidean distance function is used to identify the appropriate priority structure under which the most satisfactory decision can be reached in the decision making horizon. In the proposed GA scheme, roulette-wheel selection scheme, single point crossover and uniform mutation are adopted in the decision search process with regard to reach a satisfactory solution in the proposed hierarchical decision system. The effective use of the proposed approach is illustrated through a numerical example. Performance comparisons are also made to highlight the superiority of the proposed approach over the approaches studied previously.

Childbearing motivational patterns of primiparous women of advanced age and their partners

Objective: This study aimed to: (1) describe the positive and negative childbearing motivations of primiparous women of advanced maternal age and their partners (AMA group) compared with their younger counterparts (comparison group) during pregnancy; (2) identify distinct childbearing motivational patterns in the AMA group; and (3) to explore their correlates. Background: First childbirth at advanced maternal age is a growing social concern, but few studies have explored couples’ childbearing motivational patterns, challenging the stereotypes that presuppose that this reproductive trend reflects ambivalent motivations. Methods: Forty-six couples in the AMA group and 44 couples in the comparison group responded to the Childbearing Motivations Scale during the third trimester of pregnancy. Results: The AMA group differed from the comparison group in positive but not negative childbearing motivations. Two childbearing motivational patterns were identified in the AMA group. The ‘realistic childbearing motivational pattern’ was characterised by highly positive motivations that coexisted with moderate negative motivations. The ‘disengaged childbearing motivational pattern’ was characterised by moderate positive motivations that coexisted with low negative motivations. These two patterns had comparable frequencies for women and men. Women who were less satisfied with their professional life and experienced prior adverse pregnancy outcomes and men who reported a higher deviation from child-timing expectations were more likely to report a ‘realistic childbearing motivational pattern’. Conclusion: Healthcare providers should avoid stereotyped views and develop couple-focused interventions across the reproductive lifespan and during antenatal care to promote satisfactory decisions and to prepare couples for the positive aspects and demands of childrearing.

L'utilità dell'apparentemente inutile. La casa per un uccello, un aquilone, un gioco

L’esperienza dei workshop diventa occasione per frequentare l’argomento dell’utilità dell’apparentemente inutile: Cosa si ottiene affrontando i problemi del progetto di una casa per un uccello, un aquilone o un gioco? Si avvia un’indagine sulle tecniche del progetto e sulla sua rappresentazione, con l'obiettivo di approfondire gli aspetti essenziali del lavoro dell'architetto: come si inizia, come avviene il processo di ideazione, il modo di documentarsi, il tema della scala, il ruolo della struttura, i materiali, gli elementi naturali e le componenti ambientali specifiche di un luogo. Questi esercizi sono il luogo della collezione dei materiali per una enciclopedia non scrivibile dell'ispirazione, dell'immaginazione o addirittura delle decisioni felicidelle quali parlano.

Application of Hybrid Firefly Algorithm for Sheath Loss Reduction of Underground Transmission Systems

This paper proposes a hybrid firefly algorithm (HFA) to assist in decision-making for reactor arrangement in underground cable transmission systems. The HFA method is proposed based on the analysis of phototaxis behavior of fireflies, and enables solving the optimization problem effectively. In this study, by formulating high relationships among connected reactors, sheath loss, and induced voltage, the HFA method is employed to determine the appropriate reactor placement in an underground transmission systems. Through the tests made on different transmission lines along with the results compared to other methods, the proposed approach provides satisfactory decision support for reactor placement and serves as a beneficial reference for underground transmission planning and design.

Interactive TOPSIS algorithms for solving multi-level non-linear multi-objective decision-making problems

This paper extended the concept of the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to develop a methodology for solving multi-level non-linear multi-objective decision-making (MLN-MODM) problems of maximization-type. Also, two new interactive algorithms are presented for the proposed TOPSIS approach for solving these types of mathematical programming problems. The first proposed interactive TOPSIS algorithm includes the membership functions of the decision variables for each level except the lower level of the multi-level problem. These satisfactory decisions are evaluated separately by solving the corresponding single-level MODM problems. The second proposed interactive TOPSIS algorithm lexicographically solves the MODM problems of the MLN-MOLP problem by taking into consideration the decisions of the MODM problems for the upper levels. To demonstrate the proposed algorithms, a numerical example is solved and compared the solutions of proposed algorithms with the solution of the interactive algorithm of Osman et al. (2003) [4]. Also, an example of an application is presented to clarify the applicability of the proposed TOPSIS algorithms in solving real world multi-level multi-objective decision-making problems.

In-depth study of ‘decoupling point’ as a reference model: an application for health service supply chain

This paper reports the findings from a case study research about in-depth analysis of ‘decoupling point’ as a reference model to address a particular management dilemma. Managers from a health service organisation contacted the researchers to investigate possible causes of a managerial dilemma where managers and clinical professionals were not able to agree on a satisfactory decision. Researchers designed a decoupling point reference model where decision-making was taking place to decide which particular process would be chosen for treatment. Clinical professionals were favouring a particular process because of health benefits to patients, whereas managers were more inclined to support a different process, which seemed to bring better outcomes for the organisation. The decoupling point implied applying a hybrid strategy where lean and agile paradigms coexisted so that particular operational views of these different groups of professionals could be taken into account simultaneously. The current performance management system indicated some limitations in the sense that it did not include relevant knowledge of the processes that the reference model suggested. The paper concluded that reference models have potential to offer benefits if considered as tools of process-driven analysis for service organisations. They could serve to find out about potential conflict between different professional groups, as well as indicating the limitations or weaknesses of other critical aspects of management such as measuring of performance and allocations of resources so that better integration across all facets of the service could be achieved.

Should hormone replacement therapy be used in postmenopausal women for voiding dysfunction?

Should hormone replacement therapy be used in postmenopausal women for voiding dysfunction?

A Revised Multi-choice Goal Programming Framework for Economic-environmental Power Generation and Dispatch Problem

This paper presents the potential use of revised multi-choice goal programming approach for modelling and solving economic- environmental power generation and dispatch problems in a thermal power plant operation and planning horizon. In the proposed approach, the objective functions and certain constraints having the characteristics of nonlinear programming are first transformed into their equivalent linear forms to employ linear goal programming methodology in the process of solving the problem. Then, in the model formulation, the objectives with multiplicity of aspiration levels are converted into the standard form of goals in goal programming approach to arrive at a most satisfactory decision in the multiobjective decision making environment. In the solution process, minsum goal programming approach is addressed for achievement of objective goals within their tolerance ranges specified in the decision making context. To illustrate the potential use of the approach, the proposed model is tested on IEEE 6-Generator 30-Bus system. In addition, the model solution is compared with the solutions obtained by using other approaches studied previously.

Using genetic algorithm for solving quadratic bilevel programming problems via fuzzy goal programming

This article presents how genetic algorithm (GA) can be efficiently used to fuzzy goal programming (FGP) formulation of quadratic bilevel programming problems (QBLPPs) in a hierarchical decision system. In the proposed approach, the concept of tolerance membership functions in fuzzy sets for measuring the achievement of highest membership value (unity) of the defined fuzzy goals of a problem to the extent possible by minimising the under-deviational variables of the defined membership goals on the basis of priorities of achieving the fuzzy goals is considered. In the decision making process, the sensitivity analysis with variations of priority structure of the goals is performed and then the notion of Euclidean distance function is used to identify the appropriate priority structure under which the most satisfactory decision can be reached in the fuzzy decision environment. The potential use of the approach is illustrated by a numerical example.