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Decision Support System: Tools and Techniques
by Susmita BandyopadhyayThis book presents different tools and techniques used for Decision Support Systems (DSS), including decision tree and table, and their modifications, multi-criteria decision analysis techniques, network tools of decision support, and various case-based reasoning methods supported by examples and case studies. Latest developments for each of the techniques have been discussed separately, and possible future research areas are duly identified as intelligent and spatial DSS. Features: Discusses all the major tools and techniques for Decision Support System supported by examples. Explains techniques considering their deterministic and stochastic aspects. Covers network tools including GERT and Q-GERT. Explains the application of both probability and fuzzy orientation in the pertinent techniques. Includes a number of relevant case studies along with a dedicated chapter on software. This book is aimed at researchers and graduate students in information systems, data analytics, operation research, including management and computer science areas.
Decision Support Systems for Weed Management
by Guillermo R. Chantre José L. González-AndújarWeed management Decision Support Systems (DSS) are increasingly important computer-based tools for modern agriculture. Nowadays, extensive agriculture has become highly dependent on external inputs and both economic costs, as well the negative environmental impact of agricultural activities, demands knowledge-based technology for the optimization and protection of non-renewable resources. In this context, weed management strategies should aim to maximize economic profit by preserving and enhancing agricultural systems. Although previous contributions focusing on weed biology and weed management provide valuable insight on many aspects of weed species ecology and practical guides for weed control, no attempts have been made to highlight the forthcoming importance of DSS in weed management. This book is a first attempt to integrate `concepts and practice’ providing a novel guide to the state-of-art of DSS and the future prospects which hopefully would be of interest to higher-level students, academics and professionals in related areas.
Decision System in Agricultural Pest Management
by Ali Rajabpour Fatemeh YarahmadiThis book covers the theoretical and practical aspects of pest population components, explaining the probable reasons for pest density fluctuations and outbreaks in agricultural or other ecosystems. Agricultural pest management is a complex task that involves dealing with a variety of pests, including insects, diseases, and weeds. Decision systems can help farmers navigate this complexity by providing structured approaches to identify, monitor, and control pests. By making informed decisions based on data and models, farmers can reduce unnecessary pesticide applications, minimizing environmental impact and saving costs. This book aids in predicting pest outbreaks using population growth parameters and estimating economic crop losses through critical thresholds, illustrated with simple case studies. Additionally, the book covers image processing, remote sensing monitoring, and other novel methods for monitoring and quickly forecasting pest population outbreaks to developintegrated pest management (IPM) programs. The book is valuable for agricultural and entomological students (graduates and postgraduates), researchers, as well as pest managers and farmers.
Decision Trees for Fault Diagnosis in Circuits and Switching Networks (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control #493)
by Monther Busbait Mikhail Moshkov Albina Moshkova Vladimir ShevtchenkoIn this book, we study decision trees for fault diagnosis in circuits and switching networks, which are among the most fundamental models for computing Boolean functions. We consider two main cases: when the scheme (circuit or switching network) has the same mode of operation for both calculation and diagnostics, and when the scheme has two modes of operation—normal for calculation and special for diagnostics. In the former case, we get mostly negative results, including superpolynomial lower bounds on the minimum depth of diagnostic decision trees depending on scheme complexity and the NP-hardness of construction diagnostic decision trees. In the latter case, we describe classes of schemes and types of faults for which decision trees can be effectively used to diagnose schemes, when they are transformed into so-called iteration-free schemes. The tools and results discussed in this book help to understand both the possibilities and challenges of using decision trees to diagnose faults in various schemes. The book is useful to specialists both in the field of theoretical and technical diagnostics.It can also be used for the creation of courses for graduate students.
Decision Trees Versus Systems of Decision Rules: A Rough Set Approach (Studies in Big Data #160)
by Kerven Durdymyradov Mikhail Moshkov Azimkhon OstonovThis book explores, within the framework of rough set theory, the complexity of decision trees and decision rule systems and the relationships between them for problems over information systems, for decision tables from closed classes, and for problems involving formal languages. Decision trees and systems of decision rules are widely used as means of representing knowledge, as classifiers that predict decisions for new objects, as well as algorithms for solving various problems of fault diagnosis, combinatorial optimization, etc. Decision trees and systems of decision rules are among the most interpretable models of knowledge representation and classification. Investigating the relationships between these two models is an important task in computer science. The possibilities of transforming decision rule systems into decision trees are being studied in detail. The results are useful for researchers using decision trees and decision rule systems in data analysis, especially in rough set theory, logical analysis of data, and test theory. This book is also used to create courses for graduate students.
Decision Trees with Hypotheses (Synthesis Lectures on Intelligent Technologies)
by Mohammad Azad Igor Chikalov Shahid Hussain Mikhail Moshkov Beata ZieloskoIn this book, the concept of a hypothesis about the values of all attributes is added to the standard decision tree model, considered, in particular, in test theory and rough set theory. This extension allows us to use the analog of equivalence queries from exact learning and explore decision trees that are based on various combinations of attributes, hypotheses, and proper hypotheses (analog of proper equivalence queries). The two main goals of this book are (i) to provide tools for the experimental and theoretical study of decision trees with hypotheses and (ii) to compare these decision trees with conventional decision trees that use only queries, each based on a single attribute. Both experimental and theoretical results show that decision trees with hypotheses can have less complexity than conventional decision trees. These results open up some prospects for using decision trees with hypotheses as a means of knowledge representation and algorithms for computing Boolean functions. The obtained theoretical results and tools for studying decision trees with hypotheses are useful for researchers using decision trees and rules in data analysis. This book can also be used as the basis for graduate courses.
Decisions and Trends in Social Systems: Innovative and Integrated Approaches of Care Services (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #189)
by Daniela Soitu Šárka Hošková-Mayerová Fabrizio MaturoThis book presents a systemic perspective on the broadly perceived problem of social care, meant in terms of a network engaging balanced resources and actors to assure the functionality, in an integrative approach. The approach involves individual, institutional and organizational structures, at the micro, mezzo- and macro-levels, in their interrelations, with proper contexts for understandings, interpretations and actions by stakeholders. The papers presented suggest ways of changes, involving even participant actors as changing agents, taking into account evolving behaviors and human relations, policies and inter-institutional frameworks, from many points of view. In the first part, various aspects, notably economic and emotional, of innovative and integrated approaches to long-term care are dealt with. Different aspects are considered exemplified by legal, educational, economic, environmental, cultural and those related to the perception of aging, labor market for the elderly, perceived quality of life, etc. The planning and management of social services are discussed in terms of a functional, and effective and efficient system, with the identification and analysis of actors and processes, and transformation policies. This is done at the local, regional and global levels.
Deckungsbeitragsrechnung für Ingenieure (essentials)
by Ekbert HeringDeckungsbeiträge dienen dazu, die Fixkosten eines Unternehmens bzw. der Unternehmensbereiche zu decken. Dazu müssen die fixen und die variablen Kosten bekannt sein. Der Deckungsbeitrag DB errechnet sich aus: DB = Netto-Umsatz - variable Kosten. Diese Kenngröße kann aus der Kostenrechnung leicht ermittelt werden, da Netto-Umsatz und variable Kosten in der Regel bekannt sind. Mit einer mehrstufigen Deckungsbeitragsrechnung können verschiedene Preisuntergrenzen definiert werden. Mit Deckungsbeiträgen können auch Marktpreise kalkuliert und eine Break-Even-Analyse durchgeführt werden (Bestimmung des Break-Even-Umsatzes: Umsatz, bei der gerade kein Gewinn oder Verlust auftritt oder der Break-Even-Stückzahl: Mindeststückzahl bei Gewinn = 0). Ausführliche Beispiele und Grafiken veranschaulichen die Zusammenhänge.
Declarative Models of Concurrent Cyclic Processes (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control #438)
by Grzegorz BocewiczThis monograph presents a new declarative approach dedicated to the analysis of behaviors and synthesis of structures of Systems of Cyclic Concurrent Multimodal Processes (SCCMP). These kinds of problems are some of the most difficult cyclic scheduling problems - both from the computational side and the complexity of the models used. SCCMP is understood as a set of processes (in particular, multimodal processes) that execute operations cyclically on a set of jointly used (shared) resources (processors, machines, means of transport, etc.). They model the functioning of numerous systems encountered in practical settings and which are characterized by cyclic (periodic) behavior. Typical examples are the passenger railway system, the manufacturing system, the transportation system, and etc.Considered problems, i.e., the behavior analysis problem, the structure prototyping problem, and the problem of mutual reachability of various SCCMP behaviors, are strongly NP-hard. This feature implies that computationally-efficient algorithms need to be sought. They would enable the evaluation of selected aspects of the considered system's functions, such as service costs, transport time, etc., in real-time mode.In that context, the presented monograph fills the gap in the field of SCCMP modeling. Its aim is to present declarative models of systems of cyclic multimodal processes. Such models allow the development of computationally-efficient methods of analysis of the behavior and synthesis of the structure of SCCMP. The particular issues raised in this study concern: · Modeling of SCCMP with regular/fractal structures, i.e., structures composed of repeating fragments.· Determining the conditions of mutual reachability of various SCCMP behaviors.· Modeling of SCCMP described by fuzzy variables.The monograph is addressed to researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in operations management, operations research, computer science, and industrial engineering. Declarative models of concurrent cyclic processes will serve as an essential reference for professionals working on cyclic scheduling problems in computer science, manufacturing, communication, and transportation services, as well as in many other areas.
Decline of Agrarian Democracy
by Grant McconnellPresents the history of the agrarian movements from the past centuries to the new transformations; how they came to be and why they were existed and who they represented. A book that sequentially takes the readers through every process of the evolution,.
The Decline of the Hollywood Empire
by Hervé FischerThe Hollywood empire was built over the course of a century through hard-nosed business practices such as block booking, dumping and buying up the competition, turning the silver screen into a goldmine in the process. The business logic that has driven the industry since its beginnings has gone into hyperdrive in recent years, with astronomical sums invested in productions and promotion. Ironically that massive outlay has gone toward churning out a flat, made-in-Hollywood universalism that can be exported planet-wide, but which is simultaneously losing audiences, primarily to the digital world, at an accelerating pace. The apparently insurmountable barriers of finance and distribution to entry into the world of entertainment have served, so far, to keep smaller players out of the frame and, Fischer contends, have destroyed the industry's creative potential. It turns out too much money can kill cinema just as certainly as not enough. In The Decline of the Hollywood Empire, artist and philosopher Hervé Fischer heralds an inevitable move from 35 mm to digital distribution, which will take what has until now existed only on the margins of the "entertainment industry"--independent film, amateur film, documentary and other genres--from bit players to starring roles: how the Trojan horse of digital technology and distribution, in the hands of independent producers, could well toll the bell for Hollywood's hegemony in the business of film.
Decoding Black Swans and Other Historic Risk Events: Themes of Progress and Opportunity for Risk Science
by Shital Thekdi Terje AvenThe field of risk science continues to learn from the long history of events to develop principles and practices that enable individuals, organizations, and societies to understand and manage future risk. Reflecting on these histories reminds us that risk and uncertainty are prevalent, yet it remains important to consider what is on the horizon: the possibility of future events, the consequences of those events, our vulnerability to those events, and how to recover from those events.Decoding Black Swans and Other Historic Risk Events offers a guide to understanding risk events and how to act before they occur. This book explores past risk events and analyzes how risk science principles apply to those events and studies whether current risk science concepts and approaches could potentially have avoided, reduced the impact, or supported recovery following the risk event. New insights are obtained by applying recent research progress in understanding and managing risk, considering aspects including quality of evidence, information, and misinformation in risk studies. The analysis results are used to identify how risk science approaches contribute to the overall management of risk and societal safety, and where improvements can be obtained, allowing the reader to possess a toolkit for identifying and planning for unsafe events.This title will be a critical read for professionals in the fields of occupational health and safety, risk management, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, energy, marine engineering, environmental engineering, business and management, and healthcare.
Decoding Eurocode 7
by Andrew Harris Andrew BondThe purpose and impact of Eurocode 7, the new geotechnical design standard, is explained in this guide. The authors describe the Principles and Application Rules embodied in the standard to show how these differ from traditional (UK) practice.Essential information is brought together and presented succinctly in summary tables and diagrams. Numerous detailed worked examples illustrate important concepts, and are based on an existing design problem for which a traditional solution is known. A critical appraisal is given of the impact of Eurocode 7 on current UK design practice.Selected Contents 1. Introduction 2. Structural design 3. Geotechnical design 4. Design assisted by testing 5. Ground characterization 6.
Decoding Marine Genetic Resource Governance Under the BBNJ Agreement (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Fran HumphriesThis open access book provides practical guidance for understanding the new treaty adopted in June 2023 that will change the way biodiversity is governed in about two thirds of the oceans known as areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction is an achievement for global cooperation in conservation, sustainability and equity. The treaty provisions in Part II on Marine Genetic Resource (MGR) governance were the most contentious element of negotiations, resulting in significant innovation and compromise. It has an ambitious framework with many details yet to be fleshed out after the treaty comes into force. There is no comprehensive guidance for stakeholders about what the treaty means for their current and future research and development (R&D) and commercialisation of MGR of ABNJ, digital sequence information and associated traditional knowledge. Through a detailed commentary and real world examples, this book interprets and analyses the treaty text to offer practical considerations, guidelines and tools to assist policy makers as well as scientists and commercial end users to align their R&D practices with the expected implementation of the treaty.
Decoding Technology Acceptance in Education: A Cultural Studies Contribution (Routledge Research in Education)
by Caroline StockmanThe process of integrating technology into education often overlooks that technology is a sign; it is not a neutral message conveyor, but rather a material artefact placed into a context inevitably subject to culture. In an original and novel combination, Decoding Technology Acceptance in Education brings together two academic domains not previously pursued together, yet which diverge in many ways: cultural studies and technology acceptance studies. Drawing on empirical data, Stockman demonstrates that teachers activate a meaning-making process through encoding and decoding signs around technology as an artefact of culture, and as a result their acceptance behaviour and decisions rely on the dynamics of the cultural whole to which they belong. In this study, technology acceptance is revisited as an issue of cultural negotiation; the common approach, which provides an instrumental view on technology as a neutral tool, is insufficient for the topic of technology acceptance. Rather than proposing yet another model of technology acceptance, Decoding Technology Acceptance in Education offers a renewed frame of mind and the conclusions it provides are of vital importance to the theoretical and practical advancement of technology acceptance studies, as well as to the practical integration of technology into education. Providing original empirical evidence for the influence of culture on educational decision-making, the book raises awareness for the importance of cultural research in areas where it has been under-considered. This book will be of great interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students engaged in the study of technology acceptance and technology use in education, as well as those interested in cultural studies.
Decoding the Mechanisms of Antikythera Astronomical Device
by Jian-Liang Lin Hong-Sen YanThis book presents a systematic design methodology for decoding the interior structure of the Antikythera mechanism, an astronomical device from ancient Greece. The historical background, surviving evidence and reconstructions of the mechanism are introduced, and the historical development of astronomical achievements and various astronomical instruments are investigated. Pursuing an approach based on the conceptual design of modern mechanisms and bearing in mind the standards of science and technology at the time, all feasible designs of the six lost/incomplete/unclear subsystems are synthesized as illustrated examples, and 48 feasible designs of the complete interior structure are presented. This approach provides not only a logical tool for applying modern mechanical engineering knowledge to the reconstruction of the Antikythera mechanism, but also an innovative research direction for identifying the original structures of the mechanism in the future. In short, the book offers valuable new insights for all readers who are interested in the Antikythera mechanism.
Decoherence: A Time & Shadows Mystery
by Liana BrooksReaders of Blake Crouch's DARK MATTER and Wesely Chu's TIME SALVAGER will love Liana Brooks' DECOHERENCE--the thrilling, time-bending conclusion to the Time & Shadow series!Samantha Rose and Linsey MacKenzie have established an idyllic life of married bliss in Australia, away from the Commonwealth Bureau of Investigation, away from mysterious corpses, and--most of all--away from Dr. Emir's multiverse machine.But Sam is a detective at heart, and even on the other side of the world, she can't help wonder if a series of unsolved killings she reads about are related--not just to each other, but to the only unsolved case of her short career. She knows Jane Doe's true name, but Sam never discovered who killed the woman found in an empty Alabama field in spring of 2069. She doesn't even know which version of herself she buried under a plain headstone. When Mac suddenly disappears, Sam realizes she is going to once more be caught up in a silent war she still doesn't fully understand. Every step she takes to save Mac puts the world she knows at risk, and moves her one step closer to becoming the girl in the grave.
Decolonial Pedagogy: Examining Sites of Resistance, Resurgence, and Renewal
by Njoki Nathani Wane Kimberly L. ToddThrough innovative and critical research, this anthology inquires and challenges issues of race and positionality, empirical sciences, colonial education models, and indigenous knowledges. Chapter authors from diverse backgrounds present empirical explorations that examine how decolonial work and Indigenous knowledges disrupt, problematize, challenge, and transform ongoing colonial oppression and colonial paradigm. This book utilizes provocative and critical research that takes up issues of race, the shortfalls of empirical sciences, colonial education models, and the need for a resurgence in Indigenous knowledges to usher in a new public sphere. This book is a testament of hope that places decolonization at the heart of our human community.
Decolonising Blue Spaces in the Anthropocene: Freshwater management in Aotearoa New Zealand (Palgrave Studies in Natural Resource Management)
by Karen Fisher Meg Parsons Roa Petra CreaseThis open access book crosses disciplinary boundaries to connect theories of environmental justice with Indigenous people’s experiences of freshwater management and governance. It traces the history of one freshwater crisis – the degradation of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Waipā River– to the settler-colonial acts of ecological dispossession resulting in intergenerational injustices for Indigenous Māori iwi (tribes). The authors draw on a rich empirical base to document the negative consequences of imposing Western knowledge, worldviews, laws, governance and management approaches onto Māori and their ancestral landscapes and waterscapes. Importantly, this book demonstrates how degraded freshwater systems can and are being addressed by Māori seeking to reassert their knowledge, authority, and practices of kaitiakitanga (environmental guardianship). Co-governance and co-management agreements between iwi and the New Zealand Government, over the Waipā River, highlight how Māori are envisioning and enacting more sustainable freshwater management and governance, thus seeking to achieve Indigenous environmental justice (IEJ). The book provides an accessible way for readers coming from a diversity of different backgrounds, be they academics, students, practitioners or decision-makers, to develop an understanding of IEJ and its applicability to freshwater management and governance in the context of changing socio-economic, political, and environmental conditions that characterise the Anthropocene.
Decommissioning the Brent Spar
by Paula Owen Tony RiceDecommissioning of Brent Spar chronicles the events leading up to the recent decision to recycle the offshore installation in a Norwegian fjord; the Greenpeace campaign to stop it being dumped at sea; the repercussions of Shell's decision to abort the decommissioning at the eleventh hour; and the dialogue processes that have occurred to attempt to
Decontamination of Fresh and Minimally Processed Produce
by Vicente M. Gómez-LópezAttempts to provide safer and higher quality fresh and minimally processed produce have given rise to a wide variety of decontamination methods, each of which have been extensively researched in recent years. Decontamination of Fresh and Minimally Processed Produce is the first book to provide a systematic view of the different types of decontaminants for fresh and minimally processed produce. By describing the different effects – microbiological, sensory, nutritional and toxicological – of decontamination treatments, a team of internationally respected authors reveals not only the impact of decontaminants on food safety, but also on microbial spoilage, vegetable physiology, sensory quality, nutritional and phytochemical content and shelf-life. Regulatory and toxicological issues are also addressed. The book first examines how produce becomes contaminated, the surface characteristics of produce related to bacterial attachment, biofilm formation and resistance, and sublethal damage and its implications for decontamination. After reviewing how produce is washed and minimally processed, the various decontamination methods are then explored in depth, in terms of definition, generation devices, microbial inactivation mechanisms, and effects on food safety. Decontaminants covered include: chlorine, electrolyzed oxidizing water, chlorine dioxide, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, peroxyacetic acid, essential oils and edible films and coatings. Other decontamination methods addressed are biological strategies (bacteriophages, protective cultures, bacteriocins and quorum sensing) and physical methods (mild heat, continuous UV light, ionizing radiation) and various combinations of these methods through hurdle technology. The book concludes with descriptions of post-decontamination methods related to storage, such as modified atmosphere packaging, the cold chain, and modeling tools for predicting microbial growth and inactivation. The many methods and effects of decontamination are detailed, enabling industry professionals to understand the available state-of-the-art methods and select the most suitable approach for their purposes. The book serves as a compendium of information for food researchers and students of pre- and postharvest technology, food microbiology and food technology in general. The structure of the book allows easy comparisons among methods, and searching information by microorganism, produce, and quality traits.
Decontamination of Heavy Metals: Processes, Mechanisms, and Applications
by Jiaping Paul ChenHeavy metals, such as lead, chromium, cadmium, zinc, copper, and nickel, are important constituents of most living organisms, as well as many nonliving substances. Some heavy metals are essential for growth of biological and microbiological lives, yet their presence in excessive quantities is harmful to humans and interferes with many environmental
Deconvolution of Images and Spectra: Second Edition
by Peter A. JanssonDeconvolution is a technique in signal or image processing that is applied to recover information. When it is employed, it is usually because instrumental effects of spreading and blurring have obscured that information. In 1996, Deconvolution of Images and Spectra was published (Academic Press) as a second edition of Jansson's 1984 book, Deconvolution with Applications in Spectroscopy. This landmark volume was first published to provide both an overview of the field, and practical methods and results.The present Dover edition is a corrected reprinting of the second edition. It incorporates all the advantages of its predecessors by conveying a clear understanding of the field while providing a selection of effective, practical techniques. The authors assume only a working knowledge of calculus, and emphasize practical applications over topics of theoretical interest, focusing on areas that have been pivotal to the evolution of the most effective methods. This tutorial is essentially self-contained. Readers will find it practical and easy to understand.
Decoy: A Thriller
by Simon MocklerA synthetic bioweapon sends one man on a global chase, and a desperate race for survival . . . On the outskirts of Cambridge, England, a research lab is under attack. The target? A synthetic biological weapon that&’s been harvested inside the bodies of ten clinical trial patients. One of those patients, Jack Hartman, runs for his life as the others are brutally butchered and left for dead. Inside him is the one remaining device—a cell-based supercomputer that could kill him, or might just save his life. Flung into a world of international arms dealing, high-tech security companies, and government corruption, Jack begins an epic battle for survival that takes him from the war-torn jungles of the Congo to the backstreets of Paris. On his trail is a rogue MI6 officer intent on silencing him for good—and his estranged father, a troubled former SAS officer once known as the Reaper . . .