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This paper has put forward the importance of shortening lead time in the competition of modern society and researched the decision-making problem in a supply chain system consists of one supplier and one retailer. Basing on the hypothesis that the decision-making power of determining the lead time is controlled by the downstream, which completely undertakes the expenses for shortening the lead time, this paper has established a Stackelberg model of this supply chain system, and given out some corresponding algorithms for reference. Finally according to the analysis of cases, this paper has confirmed the practicality and effectiveness of the model, and proved that shortening the lead time reasonably can reduce the supply chain inventory cost effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this conceptual paper I address the question of how business should approach issues of sustainability. I present a theoretical perspective marrying three elements: First, the realization that economic metrics alone are an inadequate basis for environmental choices. Second, I contend that management should adopt stakeholder theory which views the corporation as a vehicle to improve the welfare of all those affected by its actions. Finally, I contend that leaders holding stakeholder views are best served by the Aristotelian notion of practical wisdom – phronêsis. Phronêsis is a quality of character that applies well in the case of managerial attitudes to environmental concerns, since incorporating sustainability imperatives into corporate decision-making requires practical discernment and leadership in addition to technical skill. I will briefly illustrate my case by examining the values exhibited by Ray Anderson, CEO of the international carpet manufacturer, Interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an interactive visualization based on decision making approach, which helps a user to make a comparison between items and to select certain item in online shopping. This paper employs an interactive visualization system Keyword Map, which is designed for general-purpose visualization of graph structure. The system has several functions for emphasizing user΄s intentions and can reflect those to a map. In this paper, improved Keyword Map is proposed and applied to interactive retrieval process of online shopping. Experiments with test subjects are performed to compare user΄s behaviors in online shopping between the proposed system and ordinary Web browser. The results show that subjects using proposed system tend to analyze relationship between items, which leads to the acceleration of concept articulation of online shopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management is both a science and an art whatever is the object/subject being managed. While a watershed management policy may be placed on paper and thick documents, its translated actions may differ from watershed to watershed. The policy may lose its essence, may be reinforced, or threatened and changed to a better policy. Watershed management in the Philippines is described in this paper from the perspective of a non-government organization participating with local governments and national government agencies in pursuing watershed protection, conservation, and development. Agreements were signed to make this collaboration happen. The paper describes the challenges met in carrying the objectives or purposes of the agreements in the venue of a local watershed called the Tigum-Aganan Watershed. Structure, practices, financing, administration, decision making and responsibilities are described including the Board΄s legal basis for existence. The administration of national agencies over watersheds in the country and over a specific watershed – the Tigum-Aganan Watershed, is also described. Issues and concerns experienced by other watershed management units led by local governments, (considered local initiatives) are reported and discussed in a national association called the Philippine Watershed Management Coalition, another non-government organization. Transfer of knowledge, deepening of understanding of issues and exchange of strategies in solving problems are shared during meetings. In general, this paper describes a formal structure of watershed management and an informal process of policy formulation for watershed management brought about by participation from local government, private sectors, community-based organizations and non-government organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision making in complex, multi agent and dynamic environments such as Rescue Simulation is a challenging problem in Artificial Intelligence. Uncertainty, noisy input data and stochastic behavior which is a common difficulty of real time environment makes decision making more complicated in such environments. Our approach to solve the bottleneck of dynamicity and variety of conditions in such situations is reinforcement learning. Classic reinforcement learning methods usually work with state and action value functions and temporal difference updates. Using function approximation is an alternative method to hold state and action value functions directly. Many Reinforcement learning methods in continuous action and state spaces implement function approximation and TD updates such as TD, LSTD, iLSTD, etc. A new approach to online reinforcement learning in continuous action or state spaces is presented in this paper which doesn΄t work with TD updates. We have named it Parametric Reinforcement Learning. This method is utilized in Robocup Rescue Simulation / Police Force agent΄s decision making process and the perfect results of this utilization have been shown in this paper. Our simulation results show that this method increases the speed of learning and simplicity of use. It has also very low memory usage and very low costing computation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Participation" has emerged as a key to sustainable development and, in particular, to the management of local resources and conflict. This chapter summarises and discusses research on participatory environmental management carried out under the Swiss Priority Programme Environment (1993-2000). The seven papers presented in Part I of this volume focus on innovative forms of participatory management that are often combined with the political empowerment of communities. Two papers describe and analyse the effects of particular cases of participation in environmental management in the urban area. The other papers describe, illustrate, and discuss particular methods and approaches that promote co-operation and co-ordination as well as the empowerment of disadvantaged citizens. This synthesis and overview chapter proposes a distinction between two dimensions of participation: (1) political participation, the degree of involvement of individual citizens and their social organisations in policy and related decision-making; (2) participation in public management, the role citizens and groups of the civil society play in the management of public affairs. Although the two dimensions are not mutually required, in reality many participatory approaches in environmental management promote both more efficient solutions and empowerment of weaker strata of society by redistributing the control of decisions and resources. The following are the key findings of and lessons to be learnt from Part I of this volume: 1. There is a substantial potential in environmental management for new co-operation between emerging actors, such as civil society organisations and commercially oriented micro enterprises. Co-operation brings benefits from the comparative advantages of the different actors with respect to social mobilisation, technical support and operations, and financial management. 2. Civil society organisations become empowered when they obtain greater control of resources and decisions (the "winners"). Their empowerment can go hand in hand with the disempowerment of other social entities, such as conventional local public administration or legislative institutions (the "losers"). The disempowerment of these entities may, however, negatively affect the delivery of public services. One solution lies in decentralisation processes with concurrent new institutional constellations, which could reinforce local authorities in new regulative functions. However, the evidence shows that the political power structures in place tend to persist as long as unorganised interests are not strengthened in a targeted way. 3. Public participation, in the sense of public control of decisions and resources, may reinforce the "local visions" of authorities. The participation of (yet) informal groups of citizens can contribute to the acquisition of legitimisation by political actors. For creating sustainable solutions, the mechanisms of participation, that is the definition of rules and guidelines for participation, need to be formalised and legitimised. 4. The role and degree of control exerted by funding institutions remain unchanged in the cases described here, particularly in the South. Funding institutions retain the greatest influence on decisions and resources. 5. Communication platforms of a non-committal nature constitute an arena for common learning and reflection among the actors, which allows the capitalisation, communication, and reproduction of knowledge and experience. Platforms provide opportunities for coordination and eventual agreement on formal, committal, and binding collaborative arrangements among the interested participants. Those arrangements require legal recognition. 6. Communication of individual perceptions and realities forms the basis for common learning and action. Mental mapping and comparable visualisation approaches as well as facilitation prove to be meaningful aids to communication among different parties with varying and often divergent interests. 7. Conditions of successful participation in environmental management include a common interest and co-operation among the actors; the preparedness of political authorities to provide legitimacy; the availability of monetary, social, and psychological resources; professional process moderation, transparency, and the growing legitimisation of such endeavours in politico-institutional terms. The evidence shows that "participation" can link efficient environmental management with empowerment aims. In this, it can provide for sustainable solutions for increasingly complex environmental problems. On the other hand, the same case experiences reveal that participation is not a "panacea" that can be applied always and everywhere. Social hierarchies, heterogeneous interests of the social actors involved, and their diverging perceptions hinder collective efforts towards action that is environmentally sound and socially just. More research is needed on pre-conditions for environmentally effective collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an assessment model of putative embryos for in vitro fertilization (IVF) based on a triangular norm. One of the most common difficulties of IVF treatments is multiple pregnancy. Therefore the number of embryos for transfer is of paramount importance considering the need to reduce the incidence of multiple births without compromising overall pregnancy rates in fertility treatments. Consequently the selective embryo transfer is recommended to optimize efficacy and safety outcomes. The embryo evaluation is of enormous relevance, since it directly affects the success of different techniques used in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The gathering of all the information needed to embryo evaluation, as well as software that can serve as aid in the decision is of great importance. The tool herein presented accomplishes these two objectives. The analysis of the requirements of the assessment process has resulted in a flexible data model, used in the presented prototype, supporting the selective embryo transfer decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monograph is devoted to the system analysis of approaches to the building of models of chemical-technological systems, on the basis of which a systematic concept of building of models and the issues of solving decision-making problems for managing the operating modes of technological objects is proposed. The problems of the development of mathematical models and the optimization of complex chemical-technological systems are investigated, using the example of technological objects of oil refining, in conditions of uncertainty caused by the lack of reliable quantitative information and the fuzziness of available information. The structure of the monograph consists of an introduction, the main part of four sections, a conclusion and a list of sources of information. In the main part of the work, the current state of the problems of mathematical modelling of technological objects of oil refining production is analyzed. Methods of mathematical modelling and decision-making in the management of technological objects according to environmental and economic criteria are chosen as the direction of research. Methods of building mathematical models of chemical-technological systems of oil refining in a fuzzy environment have been investigated and proposed, and models of the technological complex of the catalytic reforming unit have been developed. An approach to the creation of a package of models for system modelling of the technological complex of the catalytic reforming unit is described. An algorithm for the synthesis of models of a technological complex of oil refining based on fuzzy information is proposed. Expert assessments have been carried out to develop a mathematical description of the technological complex of the reforming unit, a method has been developed for carrying out expert procedures in a fuzzy environment. The formulations of decision-making problems for the control of the technological complex of the reforming unit are formulated and, based on the modification of various optimality principles, heuristic algorithms for their solution are developed. The properties of the developed algorithms for solving decision-making problems have been investigated and a method for their selection in solving specific production problems has been proposed. A mathematical formulation of the decision-making problem for optimizing the operating modes of the catalytic reforming unit in a fuzzy environment is obtained and the results of its solution based on the proposed fuzzy approach are presented. The structure is created and the main functional blocks of the computer decision support system based on the object models are described. The issues of software implementation of the developed models are considered and a description of the interface of the computer system for modelling the units of the reforming unit and decision support for optimizing their operation modes is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explored the Aeneid, Virgil's foundation epic of the Latin cannon, from a values-based leadership perspective, which is defined as the moral foundation underlying stewardship decisions and actions of leaders. Specifically, we juxtaposed the resonant leadership elements of vision, culture and values – and their corresponding equivalent Roman themes of fatum, pietas, and virtus. Using a thematic analysis approach, we coded the following eight values: integrity, good judgment, leadership by example, decision-making, trust, justice/fairness, humility, and sense of urgency. We found that while the Aeneid extols prototypical values, the epic instructs that truly effective leadership is not about being a monochromatic prototype. Rather, the epic reveals that the essence and privilege of effective leadership demands reflection on the dynamic relationship between the leader and the led towards a better, envisioned future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the reality of the Chinese college education informatization development and the relying on the national informatization index system. This paper designs the university informatization evaluation index system and establish mathematical evaluation model by using principal component analysis method. This model quantitatively measure university informatization development level in order to provide necessary information and decision for establishing university education development strategy and policy. Finally, it shows that the university informatization evaluation index system has got a good result when it is used in practice of College Education Informatization Evaluation through questionnaire investigation and expert consultation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupant evacuation is currently becoming a challenging research direction in the field of emergency management. Approach to evacuation modeling is firstly proposed in the paper, which is mainly consisted of four core components, like spatial model, crowd movement model, individual behavioral model and psychological model. Secondly, the related solutions and development about these models in the recent studies are reviewed. The establishment of general process of evacuation modeling is then presented in the paper. Some existing issues and future directions are finally discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bayesian approaches to decision analysis are geared towards determining the optimal alternative by combining expert knowledge and data in small sample situations. However, Traditional Bayesian decision models assume that all probabilities are precise. In practical applications the probabilities of the states of nature are often under uncertainty due to the imprecision in the experts΄ judgments. In this paper, we present a decision support model that uses interval-valued probabilities to represent experts΄ uncertain beliefs. The model performs reasoning and decision making by integrating expert uncertain information and historical statistical data for Bayesian analysis. An example concerning risk assessment is given to demonstrate the applicability of the model in a real-world domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combined routing-scheduling problem is considered in the paper. It consists in scheduling of tasks on moving executors. The case with non-preemptive and independent tasks, unrelated executors as well as interval execution times to minimize the makespan is investigated. The worst-case scheduling problem based on an absolute regret is formulated. Solution algorithms of polynomial computational complexity, which use simulated annealing as well as tabu search approaches, are presented. The results of numerical experiments are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraint Programming (CP) is an emergent software technology for declarative description and effective solving of large combinatorial problems especially in the area of integrated production planning. In that context, CP can be considered as an appropriate framework for development of decision making software supporting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the course of projects portfolio prototyping. The paper deals with problem considered multiresource problem in which more than one resource type may be required by every activity in the project and the availability of each type is time-windows limited. The problem belongs to a class of NP-complete ones. The aim of the paper is to present a CP based projects portfolio prototyping framework providing a prompt service to a set of routine queries stated both in straight and reverse way, e.g., concerning the projects portfolio makespan implied by a given resources allocation, and the feasible resources allocation guaranteeing an assumed projects portfolio makespan. The way the responses to the routine queries can be guaranteed while may be available in an on-line mode is illustrated in the example enclosed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Split System Approach (SSA) based methodology is presented to assist in making optimal Preventive Maintenance decisions for serial production lines. The methodology treats a production line as a complex series system with multiple PM actions over multiple intervals. Both risk related cost and maintenance related cost are factored into the methodology as either deterministic or random variables. This SSA based methodology enables Asset Management (AM) decisions to be optimized considering a variety of factors including failure probability, failure cost, maintenance cost, PM performance, and the type of PM strategy. The application of this new methodology and an evaluation of the effects of these factors on PM decisions are demonstrated using an example. The results of this work show that the performance of a PM strategy can be measured by its Total Expected Cost Index (TECI). The optimal PM interval is dependent on TECI, PM performance and types of PM strategies. These factors are interrelated. Generally it was found that a trade-off between reliability and the number of PM actions needs to be made so that one can minimize Total Expected Cost (TEC) for asset maintenance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the inherent danger of relativism in any naturalistic theory about moral decision-making and action. The implications of Frederick's naturalistic view of corporations can easily lead one to believe that it has become impossible for the evolutionary firm (EF) to act with moral responsibility. However, if Frederick's naturalistic account is located within the context of his and other writers' insights about complexity science, it may become possible to maintain a sense of creative, pragmatic moral decision-making in the face of supposedly deterministic forces. Business's most creative response to moral dilemmas takes place "at the edge of chaos," where a temporary order comes into being via self-organization. This process of self-organization is influenced by a great number of variables. Some of these variables are the x-factor configurations of individuals and groups, which cannot necessarily determine, but can influence the moral-decision-making process. Moral responsibility becomes part of a complex process through which creative, value-driven solutions emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a simultaneous equations model that provides a computationally efficient framework for computing long term, policy-dependent projections of global climate change. As part of our formulation, we explore the dynamic properties and numerical stability of the coupled system. We illustrate the framework with a numerical case study that utilizes the coupled system to compute projections of global-mean surface temperature change for three global carbon emissions control strategies. As part of our analysis, we explore the system's sensitivity to changes in the numerical specification of two key scientific uncertainties concerning the global climate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the use of soft methods in image mining. Image mining considers the chain from object identification on natural or man-made processes from remote sensing images through modelling, tracking on a series of images and prediction, towards communication to stakeholders. Attention is given to image mining for vague and uncertain objects. Aspects of up- and downscaling are addressed. We further consider in this paper both spatial interpolation and decision making. The paper is illustrated with several case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally the preference information is expressed as a preference relation defined upon the power set of the set of the decision alternatives. The preference information required for the method described in this paper is significantly less complex and is simply defined on the decision set. For every decision goal the preference of the decision alternatives for this goal is defined upon the set of decision alternatives as a linear ranking of the decision alternatives. It is discussed in which way a decision making approach based on interactions between goals is applied using this kind of preference information even if it is partly inconsistent. In a recent work for the case of consistent preference information a link to the theory of matroids was found. In this paper the case of partly inconsistent preference information is considered and a new link to the theory of matroids is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased interconnection and automation of critical infrastructures enlarges the complexity of the dependency structures and – as consequence – the danger of cascading effects, e.g. causing area-wide blackouts in power supply networks that are currently after deregulation operated closer to their limits. New tools or an intelligent combination of existing approaches are required to increase the survivability of critical infrastructures. Within the IRRIIS project the expert system CRIPS was developed based on network simulations realised with PSS®SINCAL, an established tool to support the analysis and planning of electrical power, gas, water or heat networks. CRIPS assesses the current situation in power supply networks analysing the simulation results of the physical network behaviour and recommends corresponding decisions. This paper describes the interaction of the simulation tool PSS®SINCAL with the assessment and decision support tool CRIPS; a possible common use-case is outlined and benefits of this application are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge engineering techniques are becoming useful and popular components of hybrid integrated systems used to solve complicated practical problems in different fields. Knowledge engineering techniques offer the following features: learning from experience; handling noisy and incomplete data; dealing with non-linear problems; and predicting. This paper presents a knowledge engineering case study by constructing a chromosome of Energy Decisional DNA. Decisional DNA, as a knowledge representation structure, offers great possibilities on gathering explicit knowledge of formal decision events as well as a tool for decision making processes. In this case study, several Sets of Experience of geothermal energy were collected for the construction of a geothermal chromosome within the Energy Decisional DNA. This chromosome is then implemented in an ontology model aiming to be used for predicting purposes. Thus, it enhances different systems with predicting capabilities and facilitates knowledge engineering processes inside decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When introducing computer systems as well as the e-Learning systems such as Learning Management System (LMS), requirements analysis is very important. In recent years, it has been noted that most of the people who introduce e-Learning systems in Japan are non-professionals of information technology. Generally, requirements analysis is well known for being very difficult for the information technology professional, and even more difficult for the non-professional. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework for supporting decision-making in Learning Management Systems selection for the non-professional. Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD), this framework recommends a LMS based on the priority of requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision making based on emergency plans is the main mechanism of problem solving in emergency management. According to characteristics of emergency plan texts, this paper extracts four main components and describes them with formal models. Based on emergency plan templates, we develop a dynamic decision making model to support the normative problem-solving process during emergencies. It provides foundation to develop decision support system for emergency managerst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many practical situations, users select between n alternatives a1,...,an, and the only information that we have about the utilities vi of these alternatives are bounds ]> . In such situations, it is reasonable to assume that the values vi are independent and uniformly distributed on the corresponding intervals ]> . Under this assumption, we would like to estimate, for each i, the probability pi that the alternative ai will be selected. In this paper, we provide efficient algorithms for computing these probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of Fuzzy Cognitive Map (FCM) is a combination of Fuzzy Logic and Artificial Neural Networks that is heavily used by experts and scientists of a diversity of disciplines, for strategic planning, decision making and predictions. A system that would assist decision makers to represent and simulate their own developed Fuzzy Cognitive Maps would be highly appreciated by them, especially from those that do not possess adequate computer skills. In this paper, a Prolog based system is designed and implemented to assist experts to both construct and simulate of their own FCMs. The representation capabilities of the system and the design choices are discussed and a variety of examples are given to demonstrate the use of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kind of intuitionistic linguistic truth-valued reasoning approach for decision making with both comparable and incomparable truth values is proposed in this paper. By using the lattice implication algebra, an six-element linguistic truth-valued intuitionistic propositional logic system is established which can express both truth degree and falsity degree. The implication operation of linguistic truth-valued intuitionistic propositional logic can be deduced from four times implication of their truth values. Therefore, we can use more information in the process of reasoning and eventually improve the precision of reasoning. As reasoning and operation are directly acted by linguistic truth values in the decision process, the issue on how to obtain the weight for rational decision making results is discussed. An illustration example shows the proposed approach seems more effective for decision making under a linguistic information environment with both truth degree and falsity degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Games are a complex mathematical structure for modeling dynamic decision processes under competition where opponent players compete for the maximum gain or toward a success state in the same environment according to the same rules of the game. Games are conventionally dealt with payoff tables based on random strategies, which are found inadequate to describe the dynamic behaviors of games and to rigorously predict the outcomes of games. This paper presents an abstract game theory, which enables a formal treatment of games by a set of mathematical models for both the layouts and behaviors of games. A generic mathematical model of abstract games is introduced, based on which the properties of games in terms of decision strategies and serial matches are described. A wide range of generic zero-sum and nonzero-sum games are formally modeled and analyzed using the generic mathematical models of abstract games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper we present the architecture of the POLINT-112-SMS system to support information management in emergency situations. The system interprets the text input in form of SMS messages, understands and interprets information provided by the human user. It is supposed to assist a human in taking decisions. The main modules of the system presented here are the following: the SMS gate, the NLP Module (processing Polish), the Situation Analysis Module (SAM) and the Dialogue Maintenance Module (DMM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business aviation has been popular in the United States, Europe, and South America, however, top economies in East Asia, including Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, have been more conservative and lag behind in the development of business aviation. In this paper, we hope to discover possible trends and needs of business aviation for supporting the government to make decision in anticipation of eventual deregulation in the near future. We adopt knowledge-discovery tools based on rough set to analyze the potential for business aviation through an empirical study. Although our empirical study uses data from Taiwan, we are optimistic that our proposed method can be similarly applied in other countries to help governments there make decisions about a deregulated market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper two approaches are presented, which explicitly explain the appearance of inefficiencies in production processes by rational decision behavior. The first approach generates inefficiencies by attributing an independent value to them. In the second approach inefficiencies are the result of maximizing the utility in dependence of performance parameters, which lead to an inefficient production of a given output. In addition, this approach represents a new model, which can explain inefficiencies in the production of qualitatively high services of consulting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part 2, Chapter 9 of the book "THE LESSER BOURGEOISIE," by Honore de Balzac is presented. It relates the decision of Charles-Marie-Theodose de la Peyrade not to disconnect his relationship with Monsieur Louis-Jerome Thuillier to ensure the realization of the planned revenge. Furthermore, it highlights the move of la Peyrade to put an end on his companionship with the character named Cerizet and Monsieur Minard Dutocq for effective implementation of his vengeance.

Indubitably, information and communication technologies, amongst which geographic information systems, can help in the management of disasters. Yet, there are just one element which has to interact with the other ingredients. Hence, their presence should be well-thought in order to avoid hindering the return to a “normal” situation, or worse, enhancing the effects of the disasters. By taking a spatial information science perspective, this contribution broadens the debate from technical issues to conceptual ones. It first identifies decision-making as being a major topic of interest for both disaster management and geographic information. After defining the concepts of ‘spatial decision’, ‘disaster’, ‘risk’, ‘crisis’ and the purpose of ‘plans’, this paper puts forward a framework for considering these concepts and the decision-making processes in time. By combining, in this perspective, the different concepts, a typology of disaster situations can be established and hence corresponding technological solutions or needs can be pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern Decision Support Systems (DSS) not only store large amounts of decision-relevant data, but also aim at assisting decision-makers in exploring the meaning of that data, so as to take decisions based on understanding. To this end, a distributed approach to the construction of DSS has become popular: decision-support agents are responsible for parts of the decision-making process in a (semi-)autonomous (individually) rational fashion. However, despite the advances in the field of agent-oriented software engineering, a principled approach to the design of multiagent systems for decision support is still to come. In this paper, we outline design guidelines for the construction of agent-based DSS. In particular, setting out from an organisational model of decision support environments, we present an abstract architecture for multiagent DSS. We then show how this architecture can be instantiated to a particular real-world domain, traffic management, in a principled fashion and discuss the lessons learnt from this enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of municipal solid waste sites, toxic liquid waste sites, and former military and industrial contaminated sites is a pressing problem for most urban areas. In most cases these sites require management decisions when planning and instituting redevelopment. Very often decision-making is necessary for one of two cases: development of a new project on a contaminated site, or site conservation. Space limitations, health of local populations, preservation of historic sites -- these urban area factors impose significant restrictions on the decision-making process. This present paper will discuss a quantitative analytical method that can be implemented for both Comparative Risk Assessment (CRA) and Environmental impact Assessment (EIA) of development and reconstruction projects at urban contaminated sites. This method was implemented for several projects in St. Petersburg, Russia, including a CRA for a new underground development on a downtown city site contaminated by petroleum products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agencies and organizations charged with priority setting require analytical approaches that are accurate, efficient, and reliable. Increasingly, decision analysis is applied using formal techniques that are measurable and repeatable. This paper surveys available methods ranging from expert judgment approaches to complex statistical models, and considers the benefits and issues raised for decision making that applies various approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of current gaps of and challenges for LCA structured into inventory, impact assessment, generic and evolving aspects. A total of 34 gaps and challenges were identified. These include challenges like `allocation', `uncertainty' or `biodiversity', as well as issues like `littering', `animal well-being' or `positive impacts' which are not covered as often in the existing LCA literature. Each of these gaps is described by a high-level overview of the topic and its relevance to LCA, and the state of the art in terms of literature and potential solutions, if any, is presented. The motivation for such an overview is two-fold: First, robust, sustainable and credible use of LCA should avoid the over-interpretation of LCA results without proper consideration of its gaps and limitations. Second, these gaps and challenges represent research needs for the scientific LCA community and hopefully inspire further progress in method development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illicit nuclear trafficking networks are a national security threat. These networks can directly lead to nuclear proliferation, as state or non-state actors attempt to identify and acquire nuclear weapons-related expertise, technologies, components, and materials. The ability to characterize and anticipate the key nodes, transit routes, and exchange mechanisms associated with these networks is essential to influence, disrupt, interdict or destroy the function of the networks and their processes. The complexities inherent to the characterization and anticipation of illicit nuclear trafficking networks requires that a variety of modeling and knowledge technologies be jointly harnessed to construct an effective analytical and decision making workflow in which specific case studies can be built in reasonable time and with realistic effort. In this paper, we explore a solution to this challenge that integrates evidentiary and dynamic modeling with knowledge management and analytical gaming, and demonstrate its application to a geopolitical region at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing rich internal agent models of actors in large-scale socio-technical systems often results in scalability issues. The problem addressed in this paper is how to improve computational properties of a complex internal agent model, while preserving its behavioral properties. The problem is addressed for the case of an existing affective-cognitive decision making model instantiated for an emergency scenario. For this internal decision model an abstracted behavioral agent model is obtained, which ensures a substantial increase of the computational efficiency at the cost of approximately 1% behavioural error. The abstraction technique used can be applied to a wide range of internal agent models with loops, for example, involving mutual affective-cognitive interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an alternative technique of decision making through parameterization reduction by determining maximal supported sets from a Boolean-valued information system based soft set theory. Based on such reduction, the maximal support will be calculated to determine the optimal choice. It is shown that the technique is identical to normal parameter reduction from previous research on soft set for decision making. While maximal support reduction is in fact has also provided consistency choices in decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major task of police force agents in rescue simulation environment is to connect the isolated parts of the city. To achieve this goal, the best blocked roads should be chosen to clear. This selection is based on some issues such as number of burning buildings and victims existing in the mentioned parts. A linear combination of these factors is essential to determine a priority for each road. In this paper we propose an integrated Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Fuzzy Logic approach to optimize the combination statement. The parameters are learned via GA for some training maps. Then, because of differences between test and train maps, the agent should decide which parameters to choose according to the new map. The agents΄ decision is based on similarity measures between characteristics of maps using Fuzzy Logic. After utilizing this method, the simulation score increased between 2% and 7% in 20 test maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a new decision making model and apply it in political management. We use a framework based on the use of ideals in the decision process and several similarity measures such as the Hamming distance, the adequacy coefficient and the index of maximum and minimum level. For each similarity measure, we use different types of aggregation operators such as the simple average, the weighted average, the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator and the generalized OWA (GOWA) operator. This new approach considers several attributes and different scenarios that may occur in the uncertain environment. We see that depending on the particular type of aggregation operator used the results may lead to different decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel approach for the construction of augmented Fuzzy Cognitive Maps based on data mining and knowledge-extraction methods has been investigated for decision making and classification tasks. Specifically, through this work, the issue of designing decision support systems based on fuzzy cognitive maps has been explored using fuzzified decision trees and other knowledge-extraction techniques. Fuzzy cognitive map is a knowledge-based technique that works as an artificial cognitive network inheriting the main aspects of cognitive maps and artificial neural networks. Decision trees, in the other hand, are well known intelligent techniques that extract rules from both symbolic and numeric data. Fuzzy theoretical techniques are used to fuzzify crisp decision trees in order to soften decision boundaries at decision nodes inherent in this type of trees. Comparisons between crisp decision trees and the fuzzified decision trees suggest that the later fuzzy tree is significantly more robust and produces a more balanced decision making. The new approach proposed in this paper could incorporate any type of knowledge extraction algorithm. Furthermore, through the knowledge extraction methods the useful knowledge from data can be extracted in the form of fuzzy rules and inserted those into the FCM, contributing to the development of a dynamic approach for decision support. The proposed approach is implemented in a well known medical decision making problem to preview the effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents Fuzzy Cognitive Maps as an approach in modeling the behavior and operation of complex systems. This technique is the fusion of the advances of the fuzzy logic and cognitive maps theories, they are fuzzy weighted directed graphs with feedback that create models that emulate the behavior of complex decision processes using fuzzy causal relations. There are some applications in diverse domains (manage, multiagent systems, etc.) and novel works (dynamical characteristics, learning procedures, etc.) to improve the performance of these systems. First the description and the methodology that this theory suggests is examined, also some ideas for using this approach in the control process area, and then the implementation of a tool based on Fuzzy Cognitive Maps is described. The application of this theory in the field of control and systems might contribute to the progress of more intelligent and independent control systems. Fuzzy Cognitive Maps have been fruitfully used in decision making and simulation of complex situation and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the environment becomes competitive, organizations must develop the ability to quickly adapt to changes, becoming flexible and responsive. The decision making process should be quicker and more assertive, leading to action. Organizations need to make the right choices and implement them as decided. It is important that organizations be aware of the implementation of decisions and its impact. Monitoring the implementation of the decision and analyzing its results is the main way of assessing the decisive process itself. Extensive work has been done on decision making, but not on decision implementation. The goal of this research is to increase adherence of the implementation to the decision made. Given that large sums of money are spent on the decision making phase, implementations that do not adhere to the decisions may lead to undesired results, frustrating decision makers. In this paper, we present a method and a system to support decision implementation. With this research, we seek to contribute to the decision making process, specifically during implementation phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testing Real-Time Embedded Systems (RTES) is a non-trivial task - time adds a new dimension to the complexity of the testing process. In previous research, we introduced a `priority-based΄ approach which tested the logical and timing behaviour of an RTES modelled formally as Uppaal timed automata. In this paper, we develop a novel Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) decision-making framework for our priority-based testing approach that provides testers with a systematic approach through which they can prioritize the available testing sets that best fulfils their testing requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]