Global Community of Disaster Risk Reduction Scientists and Decision Makers Endorse a Science and Technology Partnership to Support the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

At the first gathering of its kind on the role of science in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030,over 750 scientists,policymakers,business people,and practitioners met in Geneva from January 27–29,2016.The UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 fea-

DIP-MOEA:a double-grid interactive preference based multi-ob jective evolutionary algorithm for formalizing preferences of decision makers

The final solution set given by almost all existing preference-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithms(MOEAs)lies a certain distance away from the decision makers’preference information region.Therefore,we propose a multi-ob jective optimization algorithm,referred to as the double-grid interactive preference based MOEA(DIPMOEA),which explicitly takes the preferences of decision makers(DMs)into account.First,according to the optimization ob jective of the practical multi-ob jective optimization problems and the preferences of DMs,the membership functions are mapped to generate a decision preference grid and a preference error grid.Then,we put forward two dominant modes of population,preference degree dominance and preference error dominance,and use this advantageous scheme to update the population in these two grids.Finally,the populations in these two grids are combined with the DMs’preference interaction information,and the preference multi-ob jective optimization interaction is performed.To verify the performance of DIP-MOEA,we test it on two kinds of problems,i.e.,the basic DTLZ series functions and the multi-ob jective knapsack problems,and compare it with several different popular preference-based MOEAs.Experimental results show that DIP-MOEA expresses the preference information of DMs well and provides a solution set that meets the preferences of DMs,quickly provides the test results,and has better performance in the distribution of the Pareto front solution set.

Distributed blackboard decision-making framework for collaborative planning based on nested genetic algorithm

A distributed blackboard decision-making framework for collaborative planning based on nested genetic algorithm （NGA） is proposed. By using blackboard-based communication paradigm and shared data structure, multiple decision-makers （DMs） can collaboratively solve the tasks-platforms allocation scheduling problems dynamically through the coordinator. This methodo- logy combined with NGA maximizes tasks execution accuracy, also minimizes the weighted total workload of the DM which is measured in terms of intra-DM and inter-DM coordination. The intra-DM employs an optimization-based scheduling algorithm to match the tasks-platforms assignment request with its own platforms. The inter-DM coordinates the exchange of collaborative request information and platforms among DMs using the blackboard architecture. The numerical result shows that the proposed black- board DM framework based on NGA can obtain a near-optimal solution for the tasks-platforms collaborative planning problem. The assignment of platforms-tasks and the patterns of coordination can achieve a nice trade-off between intra-DM and inter-DM coordination workload.

Hierarchical Decision Maker in Hybrid Control Systems

A hybrid control system is composed of three boxes which are analogous box, digital time box and decision maker box. A hierarchical structure of decision maker in hybrid control systems is presented in this paper, which is that decision maker consists of two components, i.e., policy decision and coordination. Policy decision can design coordination and digital time box. And policy decision consists of two parts, i.e., steady policy decision and transient policy decision. In general,steady policy decision corresponds to steady requirements and transient policy decision corresponds to transient requirements in systems. A chemical concentration control system severs an illustrative example to show the features of the hierarchical decision maker.

The effect of individual factors on user behaviour and the moderating role of trust: an empirical investigation of consumers’ acceptance of electronic banking in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

The popularity of self-service technologies,particularly in the banking industry,more precisely with electronic banking channel services,has undergone a major change as individuals’lifestyles develop.This change has affected individuals’decisions about accepting any new Information Technology,and Information Communications Technology services that are electronically mediated,for example,E-Banking channel services.This study investigates the effect of Individual Factors on User Behaviour,and the moderating role of Trust in the relationship between Individual Factors,and User Behaviour based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.This research proposes a model,with a second-order components research framework.It improves current explanations of the acceptance of electronic banking channel services.Furthermore,this study highlights the role of trust on the acceptance of electronic banking channel services,which is the most crucial consideration in customers’decisions to accept electronic banking channels services.Thus,trust is the spine of the system in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.Data were collected using an online questionnaire that received 476 valid responses from academic staff who work at the University of Sulaimani.The model tested data using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling approach.The results show that Individual Factors have a positive effect on User Behaviour.Besides,results show that trust moderates the relationship between Individual Factors and User Behaviour.

An Interactive Displaced Tolerant Value Procedure (IDTV)

The purpose of this research is to reduce requirements for decision maker (DM)to supply preference information during the interactive multiojective decisionmaking process. By introducing a concept of displaced tolerant value, a newalsorithm (called IDTV) is presented. It allows the DM to choose convenientways and contents of supplying necessary information according to differentconditions. A detailed dexseription of the algorithm is provided and a numericalexample is also given to illustrate the procedure described.