Comprehensive decision-making method for optimal location of logistics hubs

A mathematical optimal model is developed to address the problem of logistics hubs location.The method integrates nonlinear programming models and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation,and handles both quantitative and qualitative factors that influence the location of logistics hubs.A mathematical programming model is used to find the optimal candidate sites of the logistics hub based on profit-maximizing criteria.Then a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method is adopted to determine the final optimal location of those candidate sites by taking account of criteria including stability of policy environment,convenience of transportation(e.g.,easy access to highways/expressways,etc.),rationality of economy,competition and sustainability.Finally,the methodology is demonstrated by a case study of the Transfar Logistics Base in Zhejiang Province.The results verify the method application for logistics hub locations and show how to locate a logistics hub in practice from the case of Transfar Logistics Base.

A Synergistic Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Method for Educational Institutions Evaluation Using Similarity Measures of Possibility Pythagorean Fuzzy Hypersoft Sets

Due to the numerous variables to take into account as well as the inherent ambiguity and uncertainty,evaluating educational institutions can be difficult.The concept of a possibility Pythagorean fuzzy hypersoft set(pPyFHSS)is more flexible in this regard than other theoretical fuzzy set-like models,even though some attempts have been made in the literature to address such uncertainties.This study investigates the elementary notions of pPyFHSS including its set-theoretic operations union,intersection,complement,OR-and AND-operations.Some results related to these operations are also modified for pPyFHSS.Additionally,the similarity measures between pPyFHSSs are formulated with the assistance of numerical examples and results.Lastly,an intelligent decision-assisted mechanism is developed with the proposal of a robust algorithm based on similarity measures for solving multi-attribute decision-making(MADM)problems.A case study that helps the decision-makers assess the best educational institution is discussed to validate the suggested system.The algorithmic results are compared with the most pertinent model to evaluate the adaptability of pPyFHSS,as it generalizes the classical possibility fuzzy set-like theoretical models.Similarly,while considering significant evaluating factors,the flexibility of pPyFHSS is observed through structural comparison.

Medical Diagnosis Based on Multi-Attribute Group Decision-Making Using Extension Fuzzy Sets,Aggregation Operators and Basic Uncertainty Information Granule

Accurate medical diagnosis,which involves identifying diseases based on patient symptoms,is often hindered by uncertainties in data interpretation and retrieval.Advanced fuzzy set theories have emerged as effective tools to address these challenges.In this paper,new mathematical approaches for handling uncertainty in medical diagnosis are introduced using q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets(q-ROFS)and interval-valued q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets(IVq-ROFS).Three aggregation operators are proposed in our methodologies:the q-ROF weighted averaging(q-ROFWA),the q-ROF weighted geometric(q-ROFWG),and the q-ROF weighted neutrality averaging(qROFWNA),which enhance decision-making under uncertainty.These operators are paired with ranking methods such as the similarity measure,score function,and inverse score function to improve the accuracy of disease identification.Additionally,the impact of varying q-rung values is explored through a sensitivity analysis,extending the analysis beyond the typical maximum value of 3.The Basic Uncertain Information(BUI)method is employed to simulate expert opinions,and aggregation operators are used to combine these opinions in a group decisionmaking context.Our results provide a comprehensive comparison of methodologies,highlighting their strengths and limitations in diagnosing diseases based on uncertain patient data.

Healthcare providers’perspectives on factors influencing their critical care decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic:An international pilot survey

BACKGROUND Understanding a patient's clinical status and setting priorities for their care are two aspects of the constantly changing process of clinical decision-making.One analytical technique that can be helpful in uncertain situations is clinical judgment.Clinicians must deal with contradictory information,lack of time to make decisions,and long-term factors when emergencies occur.AIM To examine the ethical issues healthcare professionals faced during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic and the factors affecting clinical decision-making.METHODS This pilot study,which means it was a preliminary investigation to gather information and test the feasibility of a larger investigation was conducted over 6 months and we invited responses from clinicians worldwide who managed patients with COVID-19.The survey focused on topics related to their professional roles and personal relationships.We examined five core areas influencing critical care decision-making:Patients'personal factors,family-related factors,informed consent,communication and media,and hospital administrative policies on clinical decision-making.The collected data were analyzed using theχ2 test for categorical variables.RESULTS A total of 102 clinicians from 23 specialties and 17 countries responded to the survey.Age was a significant factor in treatment planning(n=88)and ventilator access(n=78).Sex had no bearing on how decisions were made.Most doctors reported maintaining patient confidentiality regarding privacy and informed consent.Approximately 50%of clinicians reported a moderate influence of clinical work,with many citing it as one of the most important factors affecting their health and relationships.Clinicians from developing countries had a significantly higher score for considering a patient's financial status when creating a treatment plan than their counterparts from developed countries.Regarding personal experiences,some respondents noted that treatment plans and preferences changed from wave to wave,and that there was a rapid turnover of studies and evidence.Hospital and government policies also played a role in critical decision-making.Rather than assessing the appropriateness of treatment,some doctors observed that hospital policies regarding medications were driven by patient demand.CONCLUSION Factors other than medical considerations frequently affect management choices.The disparity in treatment choices,became more apparent during the pandemic.We highlight the difficulties and contradictions between moral standards and the realities physicians encountered during this medical emergency.False information,large patient populations,and limited resources caused problems for clinicians.These factors impacted decision-making,which,in turn,affected patient care and healthcare staff well-being.

Voices that matter:The impact of patient-reported outcome measures on clinical decision-making

The critical role of patient-reported outcome measures(PROMs)in enhancing clinical decision-making and promoting patient-centered care has gained a profound significance in scientific research.PROMs encapsulate a patient's health status directly from their perspective,encompassing various domains such as symptom severity,functional status,and overall quality of life.By integrating PROMs into routine clinical practice and research,healthcare providers can achieve a more nuanced understanding of patient experiences and tailor treatments accordingly.The deployment of PROMs supports dynamic patient-provider interactions,fostering better patient engagement and adherence to tre-atment plans.Moreover,PROMs are pivotal in clinical settings for monitoring disease progression and treatment efficacy,particularly in chronic and mental health conditions.However,challenges in implementing PROMs include data collection and management,integration into existing health systems,and acceptance by patients and providers.Overcoming these barriers necessitates technological advancements,policy development,and continuous education to enhance the acceptability and effectiveness of PROMs.The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and policy-making aimed at optimizing the use and impact of PROMs across healthcare settings.

The decision-making process for senior cancer patients: treatment allocation of older women with operable breast cancer in the UK

Objective: Up to 40% of women over 70 years with primary operable breast cancer in the UK are treated with primary endocrine therapy(PET) as an alternative to surgery. A variety of factors are important in determining treatment for older breast cancer patients. This study aimed to identify the patient and tumor factors associated with treatment allocation in this population.Methods: Prospectively collected data on treatment received(surgery vs. PET) were analysed with multivariable logistic regression using the variables age, modified Charlson Comorbidity Index(CCI), activities of daily living(ADL) score, Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE) score, HER2 status, tumour size, grade and nodal status. Results: Data were available for 1,122 cancers in 1,098 patients recruited between February 2013 and June 2015 from 51 UK hospitals. About 78% of the population were treated surgically, with the remainder being treated with PET. Increasing patient age at diagnosis, increasing CCI score, large tumor size(5 cm or more) and dependence in one or more ADL categories were all strongly associated with non-surgical treatment(P<0.05).Conclusion: Increasing comorbidity, large tumor size and reduced functional ability are associated with reduced likelihood of surgical treatment of breast cancer in older patients. However, age itself remains a significant factor for non-surgical treatment; reinforcing the need for evidence-based guidelines.

The Impact of Residential and Non-Residential Demand on Location-Allocation Decision-Making: A Case Study of Modelling Suitable Locations for EMS in Leicester and Leicestershire, England UK

The research examines the impact of residential and non-residential demand on facility location planning by comparing results from two location models: travel-to-work (TTW) and Residential model. The TTW model considers short-term changes in the state of the population due to travel-to-work (non-residential demand). By contrast, the Residential model uses a static snap-shot of the population based on official census estimates (residential demand). Comparison of both models was based on a case study of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) location-allocation planning problem in Leicester and Leicestershire, England, UK. Results showed that the using a static residential demand surface to plan EMS locations overestimates actual demand coverage, compared to a non-residential demand surface. Differences in location-allocation results between the models underscore the importance of accounting for temporal changes in the state of the population when planning locations for health service facilities. The findings of the study have implications for siting of EMS, designing, and planning of EMS service catchments and allocation of prospective demand to EMS sites. The study concludes that consideration of temporal changes in the state of the population is important for reliable and efficient location-allocation planning.

Evolutionary Decision-Making and Planning for Autonomous Driving Based on Safe and Rational Exploration and Exploitation

Decision-making and motion planning are extremely important in autonomous driving to ensure safe driving in a real-world environment.This study proposes an online evolutionary decision-making and motion planning framework for autonomous driving based on a hybrid data-and model-driven method.First,a data-driven decision-making module based on deep reinforcement learning(DRL)is developed to pursue a rational driving performance as much as possible.Then,model predictive control(MPC)is employed to execute both longitudinal and lateral motion planning tasks.Multiple constraints are defined according to the vehicle’s physical limit to meet the driving task requirements.Finally,two principles of safety and rationality for the self-evolution of autonomous driving are proposed.A motion envelope is established and embedded into a rational exploration and exploitation scheme,which filters out unreasonable experiences by masking unsafe actions so as to collect high-quality training data for the DRL agent.Experiments with a high-fidelity vehicle model and MATLAB/Simulink co-simulation environment are conducted,and the results show that the proposed online-evolution framework is able to generate safer,more rational,and more efficient driving action in a real-world environment.

Numerical parametric study on the influence of location and inclination of large-scale asperities on the shear strength of concreterock interfaces of small buttress dams

When assessing the sliding stability of a concrete dam,the influence of large-scale asperities in the sliding plane is often ignored due to limitations of the analytical rigid body assessment methods provided by current dam assessment guidelines.However,these asperities can potentially improve the load capacity of a concrete dam in terms of sliding stability.Although their influence in a sliding plane has been thoroughly studied for direct shear,their influence under eccentric loading,as in the case of dams,is unknown.This paper presents the results of a parametric study that used finite element analysis(FEA)to investigate the influence of large-scale asperities on the load capacity of small buttress dams.By varying the inclination and location of an asperity located in the concrete-rock interface along with the strength of the rock foundation material,transitions between different failure modes and correlations between the load capacity and the varied parameters were observed.The results indicated that the inclination of the asperity had a significant impact on the failure mode.When the inclinationwas 30and greater,interlocking occurred between the dam and foundation and the governing failure modes were either rupture of the dam body or asperity.When the asperity inclination was significant enough to provide interlocking,the load capacity of the dam was impacted by the strength of the rock in the foundation through influencing the load capacity of the asperity.The location of the asperity along the concrete-rock interface did not affect the failure mode,except for when the asperity was located at the toe of the dam,but had an influence on the load capacity when the failure occurred by rupture of the buttress or by sliding.By accounting for a single large-scale asperity in the concrete-rock interface of the analysed dam,a horizontal load capacity increase of 30%e160%was obtained,depending on the inclination and location of the asperity and the strength of the foundation material.

Toward Trustworthy Decision-Making for Autonomous Vehicles:A Robust Reinforcement Learning Approach with Safety Guarantees

While autonomous vehicles are vital components of intelligent transportation systems,ensuring the trustworthiness of decision-making remains a substantial challenge in realizing autonomous driving.Therefore,we present a novel robust reinforcement learning approach with safety guarantees to attain trustworthy decision-making for autonomous vehicles.The proposed technique ensures decision trustworthiness in terms of policy robustness and collision safety.Specifically,an adversary model is learned online to simulate the worst-case uncertainty by approximating the optimal adversarial perturbations on the observed states and environmental dynamics.In addition,an adversarial robust actor-critic algorithm is developed to enable the agent to learn robust policies against perturbations in observations and dynamics.Moreover,we devise a safety mask to guarantee the collision safety of the autonomous driving agent during both the training and testing processes using an interpretable knowledge model known as the Responsibility-Sensitive Safety Model.Finally,the proposed approach is evaluated through both simulations and experiments.These results indicate that the autonomous driving agent can make trustworthy decisions and drastically reduce the number of collisions through robust safety policies.

Orientation and Decision-Making for Soccer Based on Sports Analytics and AI:A Systematic Review

Due to ever-growing soccer data collection approaches and progressing artificial intelligence(AI) methods, soccer analysis, evaluation, and decision-making have received increasing interest from not only the professional sports analytics realm but also the academic AI research community. AI brings gamechanging approaches for soccer analytics where soccer has been a typical benchmark for AI research. The combination has been an emerging topic. In this paper, soccer match analytics are taken as a complete observation-orientation-decision-action(OODA) loop.In addition, as in AI frameworks such as that for reinforcement learning, interacting with a virtual environment enables an evolving model. Therefore, both soccer analytics in the real world and virtual domains are discussed. With the intersection of the OODA loop and the real-virtual domains, available soccer data, including event and tracking data, and diverse orientation and decisionmaking models for both real-world and virtual soccer matches are comprehensively reviewed. Finally, some promising directions in this interdisciplinary area are pointed out. It is claimed that paradigms for both professional sports analytics and AI research could be combined. Moreover, it is quite promising to bridge the gap between the real and virtual domains for soccer match analysis and decision-making.

An Adaptive Hybrid Optimization Strategy for Resource Allocation in Network Function Virtualization

With the rapid development of Network Function Virtualization(NFV),the problem of low resource utilizationin traditional data centers is gradually being addressed.However,existing research does not optimize both localand global allocation of resources in data centers.Hence,we propose an adaptive hybrid optimization strategy thatcombines dynamic programming and neural networks to improve resource utilization and service quality in datacenters.Our approach encompasses a service function chain simulation generator,a parallel architecture servicesystem,a dynamic programming strategy formaximizing the utilization of local server resources,a neural networkfor predicting the global utilization rate of resources and a global resource optimization strategy for bottleneck andredundant resources.With the implementation of our local and global resource allocation strategies,the systemperformance is significantly optimized through simulation.

Ethical Decision-Making Framework Based on Incremental ILP Considering Conflicts

Humans are experiencing the inclusion of artificial agents in their lives,such as unmanned vehicles,service robots,voice assistants,and intelligent medical care.If the artificial agents cannot align with social values or make ethical decisions,they may not meet the expectations of humans.Traditionally,an ethical decision-making framework is constructed by rule-based or statistical approaches.In this paper,we propose an ethical decision-making framework based on incremental ILP(Inductive Logic Programming),which can overcome the brittleness of rule-based approaches and little interpretability of statistical approaches.As the current incremental ILP makes it difficult to solve conflicts,we propose a novel ethical decision-making framework considering conflicts in this paper,which adopts our proposed incremental ILP system.The framework consists of two processes:the learning process and the deduction process.The first process records bottom clauses with their score functions and learns rules guided by the entailment and the score function.The second process obtains an ethical decision based on the rules.In an ethical scenario about chatbots for teenagers’mental health,we verify that our framework can learn ethical rules and make ethical decisions.Besides,we extract incremental ILP from the framework and compare it with the state-of-the-art ILP systems based on ASP(Answer Set Programming)focusing on conflict resolution.The results of comparisons show that our proposed system can generate better-quality rules than most other systems.

Research on decision-making behavior of multi-agent alliance in cross-border electricity market environment: an evolutionary game

Constructing a cross-border power energy system with multiagent power energy as an alliance is important for studying cross-border power-trading markets.This study considers multiple neighboring countries in the form of alliances,introduces neighboring countries’exchange rates into the cross-border multi-agent power-trading market and proposes a method to study each agent’s dynamic decision-making behavior based on evolutionary game theory.To this end,this study uses three national agents as examples,constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model,and analyzes the evolution process of the decision-making behavior of each agent member state under the initial willingness value,cost of payment,and additional revenue of the alliance.This research helps realize cross-border energy operations so that the transaction agent can achieve greater trade profits and provides a theoretical basis for cooperation and stability between multiple agents.

A Clustering-based Location Allocation Method for Delivery Sites under Epidemic Situations

To address the poor performance of commonly used intelligent optimization algorithms in solving location problems—specifically regarding effectiveness,efficiency,and stability—this study proposes a novel location allocation method for the delivery sites to deliver daily necessities during epidemic quarantines.After establishing the optimization objectives and constraints,we developed a relevant mathematical model based on the collected data and utilized traditional intelligent optimization algorithms to obtain Pareto optimal solutions.Building on the characteristics of these Pareto front solutions,we introduced an improved clustering algorithm and conducted simulation experiments using data from Changchun City.The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms traditional intelligent optimization algorithms in terms of effectiveness,efficiency,and stability,achieving reductions of approximately 12%and 8%in time and labor costs,respectively,compared to the baseline algorithm.

Stroke Risk Assessment Decision-Making Using a Machine Learning Model:Logistic-AdaBoost

Stroke is a chronic cerebrovascular disease that carries a high risk.Stroke risk assessment is of great significance in preventing,reversing and reducing the spread and the health hazards caused by stroke.Aiming to objectively predict and identify strokes,this paper proposes a new stroke risk assessment decision-making model named Logistic-AdaBoost(Logistic-AB)based on machine learning.First,the categorical boosting(CatBoost)method is used to perform feature selection for all features of stroke,and 8 main features are selected to form a new index evaluation system to predict the risk of stroke.Second,the borderline synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE)algorithm is applied to transform the unbalanced stroke dataset into a balanced dataset.Finally,the stroke risk assessment decision-makingmodel Logistic-AB is constructed,and the overall prediction performance of this new model is evaluated by comparing it with ten other similar models.The comparison results show that the new model proposed in this paper performs better than the two single algorithms(logistic regression and AdaBoost)on the four indicators of recall,precision,F1 score,and accuracy,and the overall performance of the proposed model is better than that of common machine learning algorithms.The Logistic-AB model presented in this paper can more accurately predict patients’stroke risk.

Research on Maneuver Decision-Making of Multi-Agent Adversarial Game in a Random Interference Environment

The strategy evolution process of game players is highly uncertain due to random emergent situations and other external disturbances.This paper investigates the issue of strategy interaction and behavioral decision-making among game players in simulated confrontation scenarios within a random interference environment.It considers the possible risks that random disturbances may pose to the autonomous decision-making of game players,as well as the impact of participants’manipulative behaviors on the state changes of the players.A nonlinear mathematical model is established to describe the strategy decision-making process of the participants in this scenario.Subsequently,the strategy selection interaction relationship,strategy evolution stability,and dynamic decision-making process of the game players are investigated and verified by simulation experiments.The results show that maneuver-related parameters and random environmental interference factors have different effects on the selection and evolutionary speed of the agent’s strategies.Especially in a highly uncertain environment,even small information asymmetry or miscalculation may have a significant impact on decision-making.This also confirms the feasibility and effectiveness of the method proposed in the paper,which can better explain the behavioral decision-making process of the agent in the interaction process.This study provides feasibility analysis ideas and theoretical references for improving multi-agent interactive decision-making and the interpretability of the game system model.

MADDPG-D2: An Intelligent Dynamic Task Allocation Algorithm Based on Multi-Agent Architecture Driven by Prior Knowledge

Aiming at the problems of low solution accuracy and high decision pressure when facing large-scale dynamic task allocation(DTA)and high-dimensional decision space with single agent,this paper combines the deep reinforce-ment learning(DRL)theory and an improved Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient(MADDPG-D2)algorithm with a dual experience replay pool and a dual noise based on multi-agent architecture is proposed to improve the efficiency of DTA.The algorithm is based on the traditional Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient(MADDPG)algorithm,and considers the introduction of a double noise mechanism to increase the action exploration space in the early stage of the algorithm,and the introduction of a double experience pool to improve the data utilization rate;at the same time,in order to accelerate the training speed and efficiency of the agents,and to solve the cold-start problem of the training,the a priori knowledge technology is applied to the training of the algorithm.Finally,the MADDPG-D2 algorithm is compared and analyzed based on the digital battlefield of ground and air confrontation.The experimental results show that the agents trained by the MADDPG-D2 algorithm have higher win rates and average rewards,can utilize the resources more reasonably,and better solve the problem of the traditional single agent algorithms facing the difficulty of solving the problem in the high-dimensional decision space.The MADDPG-D2 algorithm based on multi-agent architecture proposed in this paper has certain superiority and rationality in DTA.

Microseismic source location using deep learning:A coal mine case study in China

Microseismic source location is crucial for the early warning of rockburst risks.However,the conventional methods face challenges in terms of the microseismic wave velocity and arrival time accuracy.Intelligent techniques,such as the full convolutional neural network(FCNN),can capture spatial information but struggle with complex microseismic sequence.Combining the FCNN with the long shortterm memory(LSTM)network enables better time-series signal classification by integrating multiscale information and is therefore suitable for waveform location.The LSTM-FCNN model does not require extensive data preprocessing and it simplifies the microseismic source location through feature extraction.In this study,we utilized the LSTM-FCNN as a regression learning model to locate the seismic focus.Initially,the method of short-time-average/long-time-average(STA/LTA)arrival time picking was employed to augment spatiotemporal information.Subsequently,oversampling the on-site data was performed to address the issue of data imbalance,and finally,the performance of LSTM-FCNN was tested.Meanwhile,we compared the LSTM-FCNN model with previous deep-learning models.Our results demonstrated remarkable location capabilities with a mean absolute error(MAE)of only 7.16 m.The model can realize swift training and high accuracy,thereby significantly improving risk warning of rockbursts.

A Secure Device Management Scheme with Audio-Based Location Distinction in IoT

Identifying a device and detecting a change in its position is critical for secure devices management in the Internet of Things(IoT).In this paper,a device management system is proposed to track the devices by using audio-based location distinction techniques.In the proposed scheme,traditional cryptographic techniques,such as symmetric encryption algorithm,RSA-based signcryption scheme,and audio-based secure transmission,are utilized to provide authentication,non-repudiation,and confidentiality in the information interaction of the management system.Moreover,an audio-based location distinction method is designed to detect the position change of the devices.Specifically,the audio frequency response(AFR)of several frequency points is utilized as a device signature.The device signature has the features as follows.(1)Hardware Signature:different pairs of speaker and microphone have different signatures;(2)Distance Signature:in the same direction,the signatures are different at different distances;and(3)Direction Signature:at the same distance,the signatures are different in different directions.Based on the features above,amovement detection algorithmfor device identification and location distinction is designed.Moreover,a secure communication protocol is also proposed by using traditional cryptographic techniques to provide integrity,authentication,and non-repudiation in the process of information interaction between devices,Access Points(APs),and Severs.Extensive experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.The experimental results show that the proposedmethod has a good performance in accuracy and energy consumption.