Search results for "Decision Support"
showing 10 items of 377 documents
Innovative Research Design – A Journey into the Information Typhoon
2014
Abstract Disasters are often characterized by their sudden onset and complex nature. The need for innovative and trans-disciplinary research that starts from the practice of disaster response is uncontested. Yet, the realities of field research require a rework of research design and processes. In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines in November 2013, a small team of researchers with different backgrounds came together in an innovative setting to investigate information management for decision support and sensemaking in the field. We combined the research in the field with remote support for logistics, communication and spot analyses. This letter describes our findings i…
Uncertain outcome presentations bias decisions: experimental evidence from Finland and Italy
2016
Even in their everyday lives people are expected to make difficult decisions objectively and rationally, no matter how complex or uncertain the situation. In this research, we study how the format of presentation and the amount of presented information concerning risky events influence the decision-making process, and the propensity to take risk in decision makers. The results of an exploratory survey conducted in Finland and in Italy suggest that decision-making behavior changes according to the way the information is presented. We provide experimental evidence that different representations of expected outcomes create distinct cognitive biases and as a result affect the decisions made. Th…
An integrated framework for risk profiling of breast cancer patients following surgery.
2006
Objective: An integrated decision support framework is proposed for clinical oncologists making prognostic assessments of patients with operable breast cancer. The framework may be delivered over a web interface. It comprises a triangulation of prognostic modelling, visualisation of historical patient data and an explanatory facility to interpret risk group assignments using empirically derived Boolean rules expressed directly in clinical terms. Methods and materials: The prognostic inferences in the interface are validated in a multicentre longitudinal cohort study by modelling retrospective data from 917 patients recruited at Christie Hospital, Wilmslow between 1983 and 1989 and predictin…
Risk Analysis of a Fuel Storage Terminal Using HAZOP and FTA
2017
[EN] The size and complexity of industrial chemical plants, together with the nature of the products handled, means that an analysis and control of the risks involved is required. This paper presents a methodology for risk analysis in chemical and allied industries that is based on a combination of HAZard and OPerability analysis (HAZOP) and a quantitative analysis of the most relevant risks through the development of fault trees, fault tree analysis (FTA). Results from FTA allow prioritizing the preventive and corrective measures to minimize the probability of failure. An analysis of a case study is performed; it consists in the terminal for unloading chemical and petroleum products, and t…
On Obtaining Classification Confidence, Ranked Predictions and AUC with Tsetlin Machines
2020
Tsetlin machines (TMs) are a promising approach to machine learning that uses Tsetlin Automata to produce patterns in propositional logic, leading to binary (hard) classifications. In many applications, however, one needs to know the confidence of classifications, e.g. to facilitate risk management. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme for measuring TM confidence based on the logistic function, calculated from the propositional logic patterns that match the input. We then use this scheme to trade off precision against recall, producing area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for TMs. Empirically, using four real-world datasets, we show that AUC is a more sensitive meas…
Assessing the sustainability of small wastewater treatment systems: A composite indicator approach
2014
The assessment of the sustainability of wastewater treatment (WWT) systems has gained interest in recent years. However, most previous studies have focused on environmental and/or economic dimensions ignoring social aspects. Moreover, they tend to be based on sets of indicators rather than providing a holistic assessment. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an innovative methodology to assess the sustainability of WWT systems based on the development of a composite indicator embracing economic, environmental and social issues. Subsequently, the global sustainability of seven WWT technologies for secondary treatment in small communities is compared. The joint application of the …
Assessment of wastewater treatment plant design for small communities: Environmental and economic aspects
2012
The preliminary design and economic assessment of small wastewater treatment plants (less than 2000 population equivalent) are issues of particular interest since wastewaters from most of these agglomerations are not covered yet. This work aims to assess nine different technologies set-up for the secondary treatment in such type of facilities embracing both economic and environmental parameters. The main novelty of this work is the combination of an innovative environmental decision support system (EDSS) with a pioneer approach based on the inclusion of the environmental benefits derived from wastewater treatment. The integration of methodologies based on cost-benefit analysis tools with th…
Assessment of wastewater treatment alternatives for small communities: An analytic network process approach
2015
The selection of the most appropriate wastewater treatment (WWT) technology is a complex problem since many alternatives are available and many criteria are involved in the decision-making process. To deal with this challenge, the analytic network process (ANP) is applied for the first time to rank a set of seven WWT technology set-ups for secondary treatment in small communities. A major advantage of ANP is that it incorporates interdependent relationships between elements. Results illustrated that extensive technologies, constructed wetlands and pond systems are the most preferred alternatives by WWT experts. The sensitivity analysis performed verified that the ranking of WWT alternatives…
A decision support system to assure high-performance maintenance service
2020
PurposeThis study aims to propose a decision support system (DSS) for maintenance management of a service system, namely, a street cleaning service vehicle. Referring to the information flow management, the blockchain technology is integrated in the proposed DSS to assure data transparency and security.Design/methodology/approachThe DSS is designed to efficiently handle the data acquired by the network of sensors installed on selected system components and to support the maintenance management. The DSS supports the decision makers to select a subset of indicators (KPIs) by means of the DEcision-MAaking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method and to monitor the efficiency of performed prevent…
Cultivating the Installed Base: The Introduction of e-Prescription in Greece
2017
In this chapter we explore the surprisingly swift deployment of a national e-prescription service in Greece. We position e-prescribing within the overall Greek health system and we describe how the new electronic service evolved to inscribe specific prescribing policies, to provide clinical decision support and to facilitate the processes and roles of policy and financing stakeholders. We identify how a series of pragmatic decisions allowed building upon a “good-enough” installed base by exploiting its latent potential without perpetuating all of its weaknesses, and by being responsive to exogenous shifts. These tactical decisions, were supported by a favourable and enabling combination of …