Relationship of public preferences and behavior in residential outdoor spaces using analytic hierarchy process and principal component analysis—a case study of Hangzhou City, China

This study examined public attitudes concerning the value of outdoor spaces which people use daily. Two successive analyses were performed based on data from common residents and college students in the city of Hangzhou, China. First, citizens registered various items constituting desirable values of residential outdoor spaces through a preliminary questionnaire. The result proposed three general attributes (functional, aesthetic and ecological) and ten specific qualities of residential outdoor spaces. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to an interview survey in order to clarify the weights among these attributes and qualities. Second, principal factors were extracted from the ten specific qualities with principal component analysis (PCA) for both the common case and the campus case. In addition, the variations of respondents’ groups were classified with cluster analysis (CA) using the results of the PCA. The results of the AHP application found that the public prefers the functional attribute, rather than the aesthetic attribute. The latter is always viewed as the core value of open spaces in the eyes of architects and designers. Fur-thermore, comparisons of ten specific qualities showed that the public prefers the open spaces that can be utilized conveniently and easily for group activities, because such spaces keep an active lifestyle of neighborhood communication, which is also seen to protect human-regarding residential environments. Moreover, different groups of respondents diverge largely in terms of gender, age, behavior and preference.

Groundwater Exploration Using Multi Criteria Decision Analysis and Analytic Hierarchy Process in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Central Nigeria

There exists a growing demand for potable water resources to fill the abysmally insufficient water needs for domestic and industrial especially in the Basement Complex terrains of Nigeria. This situation is attributable to its complex hydrogeologic character. The present challenge has worsened due to the non-incorporation of integrated methods in groundwater exploration campaigns. To effectively combat the challenge of unacceptable failure rates in drilled water well development, there is a need for innovative scientific principles and quantitative assessment of groundwater resources to enhance sustainable and proper utilisation of these resources. Hence, it is the objective of this research to exploit the potential application of remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques and freely open datasets in mapping groundwater potential zones. Seven thematic maps have been produced based on factors that are deemed to influence and deemed to have significant control on the occurrence and movement of groundwater. These factors are geology, lineament density, slope, drainage density, rainfall, land-use/land cover, and soil class. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assign normalised weights to the thematic maps based on the various relative contributions to groundwater occurrence and movement. These thematic maps were then processed in a GIS environment using the Weighted Overlay tool which implements the MCDA. The resulting Groundwater Potential Zones (GPZ) of the area gave rise to Five classes viz: Very good, Good, Moderate, Poor and Very Poor representing 19%, 8%, 14%, 47% and 13% respectively. It is recommended that the GPZ map should be used as a reconnaissance tool for selecting prospective sites for detailed groundwater resource exploitation.

Energy Efficiency Evaluation Based on Data Envelopment Analysis Integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process in Ethylene Production

Energy efficiency data from ethylene production equipment are of high dimension, dynamic and time sequential, so their evaluation is affected by many factors. Abnormal data from ethylene production are eliminated through consistency test, making the data consumption uniform to improve the comparability of data. Due to the limit of input and output data of decision making unit in data envelopment analysis(DEA), the energy efficiency data from the same technology in a certain year are disposed monthly using DEA. The DEA data of energy efficiency from the same technology are weighted and fused using analytic hierarchy process. The energy efficiency data from different technologies are evaluated by their relative effectiveness to find the direction of energy saving and consumption reduction.

Ecological and Economic System Health Assessment Based on Fuzzy Set Pair Analysis:A Case Study of Northwest Region,China

Due to the increasingly serious environmental pollution and destruction,especially humans' unreasonable activities,the ecological and economic system(EES) issues of Northwest region in China have attracted more and more attention of the researchers.Aiming at evaluating its ecological and economic system health,a multi-objective evaluation framework called PressureState-Response(PSR) was established to describe the ecological and economic health situations.Meanwhile,an integrative set pair model combining set pair analysis(SPA) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process(FAHP) was proposed to assess the ecological and economic system.Then the EES status of five northwest provinces(Shanxi,Gansu,Qinghai,Ningxia and Xinjiang) of Northwest region in China was evaluated during 1985 to 2009.The EES development trends of five provinces are obtained.In general,the health values of five provinces showed a rising trend.The health values of five provinces grew rapidly during 1985 to 2000.After 2000,the health values of five provinces still followed the present growth trend,but the growth is relatively smooth.The results show that the method proposed is effective for assessing the health of ecological and economic system.

Analytic Hierarchy Process for Evaluating Flipped Classroom Learning

In reality,the flipped classroom has gained popularity as a modern way of structuring teaching,where lectures move from in-class procedures to digitally-based assignments,freeing up the debate,and practice exercises class time.Therefore,it is essential to implement and analyze a way of teaching that will improve student performance.The paper aims to develop a model of the method of teaching science in Iraqi schools,and to assess whether teaching flipped classroom affects the achievement,motivation,and creative thinking of students by using the methodology of Multi-Criteria Decision Making(MCDM)in the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP).The AHP approach includes several steps,including setting assessment criteria and their weights,and by assessing the methodology of the flipped classroom as compared to the conventional cognitive learning process.An experiment was carried out in Iraqi secondary schools to examine the attitude of the students towards the subject of Chemistry.The findings have indicated that the students and teachers favored flipped classroom learning more than conventional cognitive learning.The study took the following parameters compared to the traditional approach:teaching techniques,learning flexibility,teaching aids effectiveness,student participation and working environment.This paper indicates that the teachers in Iraqi schools will be able to improve and do more preparation to shift towards flipped learning in the classroom.

Application of Choquet Integral-Importance-Performance Analysis and TOPSIS Methods in Approaching the Preference Factors of Calligraphy and Seal Engraving Imagery

Classical Chinese characters,presented through calligraphy,seal engraving,or painting,can exhibit different aesthetics and essences of Chinese characters,making them the most important asset of the Chinese people.Calligraphy and seal engraving,as two closely related systems in traditional Chinese art,have developed through the ages.Due to changes in lifestyle and advancements in modern technology,their original functions of daily writing and verification have gradually diminished.Instead,they have increasingly played a significant role in commercial art.This study utilizes the Evaluation Grid Method(EGM)and the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)to research the key preference factors in the application of calligraphy and seal engraving imagery.Different from the traditional 5-point equal interval semantic questionnaire,this study employs a non-equal interval semantic questionnaire with a golden ratio scale,distinguishing the importance ratio of adjacent semantic meanings and highlighting the weighted emphasis on visual aesthetics.Additionally,the study uses Importance-Performance Analysis(IPA)and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)to obtain the key preference sequence of calligraphy and seal engraving culture.Plus,the Choquet integral comprehensive evaluation is used as a reference for IPA comparison.It is hoped that this study can provide cultural imagery references and research methods,injecting further creativity into industrial design.

Component-Based Software Trustworthiness Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Model

For a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of the trustworthiness of component-based soft- ware system, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is introduced to establish the analysis model. Combine qualitative and quantitative analyses, the impacts to overall trustworthiness by the different types of components are distinguished. Considering the coupling relationship between components, dividing the system into several layers from target layer to scheme layer, evaluating the scheme advantages disadvantages by group decision-making, the trustworthiness of a typical J2EE structured component-based software is assessed. The trustworthiness asses model of the software components provides an effective methods of operation.

The Use of Analytic Hierarchy Process （AHP） in the Determination of Earnings Quality： The Case of UAE

The purpose of this study is to review and demonstrate how analytic hierarchy process （AHP） can be employed to determine earnings quality. The AHP technique can make the analysis studies more effective, easy, and applicable to companies to calculate the relative weights of each dimension, sub-dimension, and specific sub-dimension of earnings quality. A common understanding of earnings quality is difficult to define and even more difficult to measure precisely. In addition to this, the earnings quality is influenced by factors which are often intangible and immeasurable and, as such, when assessing earnings quality, judgments will be largely subjective. Further, earnings quality is related to business concepts or practices and affected by other factors such as the nature and source of earnings. In relation to this, earnings quality would be directly influenced by the conservatism of the chosen methods. However, earnings quality relates to the persistence of earnings and to the likelihood of cash realization on reported eamings. Overall, the results presented from the paramorphic model under AHP are meant to be descriptive of the decision process of five investment analysts within three different companies. The results in this study offer valuable insights into how a small population of investment analysts actually decides the relative importance of various earnings quality dimensions.

Spatial analysis and evaluation of a coal deposit by coupling AHP & GIS techniques

Nowadays,the evaluation of coal deposits becomes crucial,due to many uncontrollable factors,which affect the energy sector.A comparative evaluation of coal deposits is essential for their hierarchical classification regarding their sustainable exploitation,when compared to other coal deposits or competitive fuels,which may be used as alternative solutions for electricity generation.In this paper,a method for spatial analysis and evaluation of a lignite deposit is proposed,by creating four spatial key indicators via GIS analysis,which are then aggregated by applying a weighted linear combination.The analytical hierarchy process is applied to estimate the relative weights of the indicators,in order to perform a weighted cartographic overlay.Through the synthesis of the indicators,an overall,total spatial quality indicator is calculated.The weighted analysis was shown to be more effective compared to the unweighted one,because it can provide more reliable results regarding the exploitation of the examined lignite deposit.The implementation of GIS-based analytical hierarchy process in spatial analysis and evaluation of lignite deposits,in terms of sustainable exploitation,demonstrates that this method can be extensively applied for evaluating the economic potential of mineral deposits.

Fuzzy Risk Analysis of Harbour Engineering Investment by Hierarchy System Approach

The present risk analysis model of engineering investment is built by fuzzy hierarchy approach under the assumption of maximizing the revenues of the project during its whole life cycle of operation. It can reasonably be expressed by a system evaluation analysis. As a matter of fact, the system, aimed by its system goal can be modelled by a set of factors, constitutively structured by certain links between them, to form a factorial network chart, which represents the essentials of the system behaviours, the nodes of which represent the factors concerned. The weight distribution between factors located at the same level can be determined by the eigen-value problem of a 'pair comparison' relation matrix. The weight distribution of factors at each level is successively manipulated until the fuzzy synthetic risk assessment. As an example of risk analysis of engineering investment, a harbour construction project is presented for illustration.

Integrated use of GIS, remote sensing and multi-criteria decision analysis to assess ecological land suitability in multi-functional forestry

The Zagros forests are a treasure of valuable oak forests, but they have been severely degraded from long-term misuse. Geographic information systems （GIS） and multi-criteria decision analysis （MCDA） have been increasingly used to improve the management of vulnerable ecosystems to prevent further degradation and increase the sustainability of land use. This study presents a methodology to assess land suitability using remote sensing （RS） to obtain wall-to-wall data for the calculations, GIS to analyze the data, and MCDA to rank alternative land uses. The criteria and subcriteria affecting the suitability of land for different uses were identified and weighted using an analytic hierarchy process. Variables used as subcriteria were assessed using satellite data and other sources of information such as existing maps and field surveys. Numerical values for the subcriteria were classified, and each class was given a priority rating according to expert judgments. Based on the ratings and weights of the subcriteria, a priority map was created for each land use using the weighted linear combination method. The priority maps for different land uses were overlaid to obtain a preliminary land use map, which often indicated several simultaneous land uses for the same location. The preliminary map was further edited by removing unrealistic, mutually exclusive land-use combinations. The study tested and demonstrated the potential of integrating RS, G1S and MCDA techniques for solving complicated land allocation problems in forested regions using a scientifically sound and practical approach for efficient and sustainable allocation of forestland for different uses.

Power Quality Assessment Based on Rough AHP and Extension Analysis

Due to the increasing power consumption of whole society and widely using of new non-linear and asymmetric electrical equipment,power quality assessment problem in the new period has attracted more and more attention.The mathematical essence of comprehensive assessment of power quality is a multiattribute optimal decision-making problem.In order to solve the key problem of determining the indicator weight in the process of power quality assessment,a rough analytic hierarchy process(AHP)is proposed to aggregate the judgment opinions of multiple experts and eliminate the subjective effects of single expert judgment.Based on the advantage of extension analysis for solving the incompatibility problem,extension analysis method is adopted to assess the power quality.The assessment grades of both total power quality and each assessment indicator are obtained by correlation function.Through a case of 110 kV bus of a converting station in a wind farm of China,the feasibility and effectiveness of the propose method are demonstrated.The result shows that the proposed method can determine the overall power quality of power grid,as well as compare the differences among the performance of assessment indicators and provide the basis for further improving of power quality.

Using DEA and AHP for Ratio Analysis

This research proposes an integrated approach to the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodologies for ratio analysis. According to this, we compute two sets of weights of ratios in the DEA framework. All ratios are treated as outputs without explicit inputs. The first set of weights represents the most attainable efficiency level for each Decision Making Unit (DMU) in comparison to the other DMUs. The second set of weights represents the relative priority of output-ratios using AHP. We assess the performance of each DMU in terms of the relative closeness to the priority weights of output-ratios. For this purpose, we develop a parametric goal programming model to measure the deviations between the two sets of weights. Increasing the value of a parameter in a defined range of efficiency loss, we explore how much the deviations can be improved to achieve the desired goals of the decision maker.This may result in various ranking positions for each DMU in comparison to the other DMUs. An illustrated example of eight listed companies in the steel industry of China is used to highlight the usefulness of the proposed approach.

Holistic approach of GIS based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis(MCDA) and WetSpass models to evaluate groundwater potential in Gelana watershed of Ethiopia

Appropriate quantification and identification of the groundwater distribution in a hydrological basin may provide necessary information for effective management,planning and development of groundwater resources.Groundwater potential assessment and delineation in a highly heterogeneous environment with limited Spatiotemporal data derived from Gelana watershed of Abaya Chamo lake basin is performed,using integrated multi-criteria decision analysis(MCDA),water and energy transfer between soil and plant and atmosphere under quasi-steady state(WetSpass)models.The outputs of the WetSpass model reveal a favorable structure of water balance in the basin studied,mainly using surface runoff.The simulated total flow and groundwater recharge are validated using river measurements and estimated baseflow at two gauging stations located in the study area,which yields a good agreement.The WetSpass model effectively integrates a water balance assessment in a geographical information system(GIS)environment.The WetSpass model is shown to be computationally reputable for such a remote complex setting as the African rift,with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and 0.99 for total flow and baseflow at a significant level of p-value<0.05,respectively.The simulated annual water budget reveals that 77.22%of annual precipitation loses through evapotranspiration,of which 16.54%is lost via surface runoff while 6.24%is recharged to the groundwater.The calibrated groundwater recharge from the WetSpass model is then considered when determining the controlling factors of groundwater occurrence and formation,together with other multi-thematic layers such as lithology,geomorphology,lineament density and drainage density.The selected five thematic layers through MCDA are incorporated by employing the analytical hierarchy process(AHP)method to identify the relative dominance in groundwater potential zoning.The weighted factors in the AHP are procedurally aggregated,based on weighted linear combinations to provide the groundwater potential index.Based on the potential indexes,the area then is demarcated into low,moderate,and high groundwater potential zones(GWPZ).The identified GWPZs are finally examined using the existing groundwater inventory data(static water level and springs)in the region.About 70.7%of groundwater inventory points are coinciding with the delineated GWPZs.The weighting comparison shows that lithology,geomorphology,and groundwater recharge appear to be the dominant factors influence on the resources potential.The assessment of groundwater potential index values identify 45.88%as high,39.38%moderate,and 14.73%as low groundwater potential zones.WetSpass model analysis is more preferable in the area like Gelana watershed when the topography is rugged,inaccessible and having limited gauging stations.

Effect of Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis on Reducing Error Risk of Neonatal Parenteral Nutrition Solution Dispensing

[Objectives]To investigate the effect of healthcare failure mode and effect analysis(HFMEA)on reducing error risk of neonatal parenteral nutrition solution dispensing.[Methods]A research team was established to identify the failure mode(FM)in each link of the formulation process of neonatal parenteral nutrition solution by HFMEA,quantify the severity(S),occurrence(O)and detection(D)of FM,and evaluate FM by risk priority number(RPN).For FM with the values of RPN>16,failure cause analysis was conducted,and corresponding improvement measures were formulated.The weight coefficient and random consistency ratio(CR)of deployment process were calculated in Matlab R2018a by compiling the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)program.Six months after the implementation of improvement measures,the implementation effect was evaluated by comparing the changes of the values of RPN which was evaluated comprehensively and the rate of dispensing errors before and after the implementation of HFMEA.[Results]In the preparation process of neonatal parenteral nutrition solution,a total of 13 FMs with medium and above risk were found,the weight coefficient of medical order review,dosing and mixing was 0.2703,the weight coefficient of drug dispensing check and review was 0.1432,the weight coefficient of print label was 0.1015,the weight coefficient of distribution was 0.0716,and CR=0.0491<0.1.After six months of intervention,the total RPN value decreased by 64.81%from 127.8 to 45.0.The deployment error rates were significantly lower after the implementation,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).[Conclusions]HFMEA can effectively reduce the error risk in preparation of neonatal parenteral nutrition solution,improve the quality of dispensing and promote the safety of neonatal medication.

Least-Cost Path and Accessibility Analysis of a High Speed Railway Corridor: Victorville, CA to Las Vegas, NV

Geospatial technology is a useful tool when identifying land corridors for transportation networks. The primary transit corridor between Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV is Interstate-15, approximately a four-hour automobile trip without traffic. Virgin Trains USA LLC proposes an alternative means of travel by constructing a high-speed railway along Interstate-15 connecting Las Vegas and Victorville, CA. This study uses least-cost path analysis to propose an optimized alternative corridor for Virgin Trains’ proposed high-speed railway through a system facilitated road and rail accessibility analysis. Previous research using least-cost path and accessibility methodologies evaluated the results of proposed high-speed railway corridors and the system facilitated accessibility changes by visually inspecting deviations from a planned corridor using single or multiple cost criteria as inputs for a weighted cost surface. However, robust analyses of previous least-cost path studies’ corridors are lacking. This proof-in-concept study proposes a less costly corridor through least-cost path analysis and measures the social impact on the stakeholders of a high-speed railway transportation system through system facilitated accessibility. This study’s proposed alternative corridor is 31% shorter than Virgin Trains’ planned corridor and system facilitated accessibility to Las Vegas, NV is increased in 99.74% of Los Angeles County’s census tracts. These results support this study’s position that geospatial technology can support transportation planning in a comprehensive method that considers the transportation corridor and benefits its stakeholders.

Potential Analysis of Inefficient Garden Land and Residual Forest Land Remediation in Comprehensive Land Remediation of the Whole Region—A Case Study of Zhemu Town, Guilin City, China

The remediation of inefficient garden land and defective forest land is one of the important sources and types of supplementary cultivated land in the comprehensive land remediation of the whole region. The remediation and development of inefficient garden land and defective forest land will effectively alleviate the multiple pressures faced by cultivated land at present. Taking Zhemu Town, Guilin City, China as an example, on that basis of the data of the third national land survey, using analytic hierarchy process, this paper selects six evaluation factors, including water source, traffic, slope, field concentration, farmland infrastructure and villagers’ will, to study the remediation potential of inefficient garden land and defective forest land in Zhemu Town, and delimits four potential divisions, in order to provide the basis for the arrangement of land remediation projects in Zhemu Town. The results show that the northern, central and western regions of Zhemu Town have great remediation potential.

Multi-Criteria Wildfire Risk Hazard Assessment in GIS Environment: Projection for the Future and Impact on RES Projects Installation Planning

It is alarming for the fact that Wildfires number, severity and consequently impact have significantly increased during the last years, an aftermath of the Climate Change. One of the most affected areas worldwide is Mediterranean, due to the unique combination of its type of vegetation and demanding climatic conditions. This research is focused on the Region of Epirus in Greece, an area with significant natural vegetation and a range of geomorphological aspects. In order to estimate the Wildfire Risk Hazard, several factors have been used: geomorphological (slope, aspect, elevation, TWI, Hydrographic network), social (Settlements and landfils, roads, overhead lines and substations), environmental (land cover) and climatic (Fire Weather Index). Through a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in a GIS environment, the Wildfire Risk Hazard has been estimated not only for current conditions but also for future projections for the near future (2031-2060) and the far future (2071-2100). The selected case study includes the potential impact of the Wildfires to the installed (or targeted to be installed) RES projects in the studied region.

Evaluating Public Spaces of Tourist Villages by Combining Analytic Hierarchy Process and Importance-Performance Analysis:A Case Study of Jiaochangwei in Shenzhen,China

While public spaces of tourist villages(PSTVs)have increasingly gained more policy and development attention,their empirical investigations are still limited.This study aims to develop a quantitative methodological approach of assessing PSTVs through the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)to measure tourists’satisfaction.This approach involves experts’and tourists’judgment processes,and the resultant assessment matrix is applied to suggest the strengths and weaknesses of the PSTVs using an Importance-Performance Analysis(IPA).The results from Jiaochangwei Village in Shenzhen suggest that"street spaces,""square spaces,""coastal spaces,""green spaces,""traffic facilities,""public service facilities,""culture,"and"management and maintenance"are key factors to evaluate the use and quality of PSTVs.This paper offers insights into the theoretical investigation and practical development of PSTVs for tourism and village planning decision makers.

基于AHP与Rough Set的农业节水技术综合评价

由于不同区域自然条件的差异,农业节水技术自身特点及对应用环境条件的要求,导致不同农业节水技术的应用效果存在很大差异,有较大的不确定性,因此,如何筛选合理的评价指标,构建科学、全面的农业节水技术综合评价方法具有十分重要的意义。根据对农业节水技术应用效果的实地调研,应用Delphi法从调查获得的20项评价指标中筛选出了9项农业节水技术综合评价指标。其中节水率、积温和土壤肥力属于生态因子,产投比、劳动力投入和经济投入属于经济因子,可靠性、推广程度和农民认可度为社会因子。基于以上9项指标,构建了农业节水技术综合评价指标体系.综合评价方法(ARM)通过引入经验因子α对应用层次分析法(AHP)和粗糙集(Rough Set)所获得指标权重进行修订,使指标权重更加合理化。同时,分别应用AHP、Rough Set和ARM对甘肃省武威市的地膜覆盖、秸秆覆盖和常规畦田灌溉在大田中的应用效果进行了综合评价。评价结果显示,在对地膜覆盖技术评价中,AHP法过分强调了经济效益的作用(0.44),Rough Set法则强调的是生态效益(0.33)和社会效益(0.32),弱化了经济效益(0.05),ARM修正了以上2种方法的评价结果,获得地膜覆盖的经济效益、生态效益和社会效益,分别为0.36、0.20和0.13。在对秸秆覆盖评价中,与其它两种方法相比,Rough Set法的评价结果存在显著性差异,ARM修正获得的经济效益、生态效益和社会效益,分别为0.09、0.18和0.06。在对常规畦田灌溉评价中,Rough Set法强调了生态效益(0.28),经过修正获得的经济效益、生态效益和社会效益,分别为0.24、0.01和0.13。ARM的评价结果表明,采用地膜覆盖的经济效益最佳;同常规畦田灌溉相比较,地膜覆盖、秸秆覆盖的生态性指数分别比之高0.19和0.17,主要是由于秸秆覆盖具有保墒、增加土壤有机质以及在作物生长后期调节地温的作用,地膜覆盖具有节水、提高苗期土壤温度和促进提前出苗的作用;同秸秆覆盖相比,地膜覆盖和常规畦田灌溉的社会性指数分别高112.12%、18.18%,说明这两种技术在河西半干旱地区具有良好的社会基础。可见,在西北半干旱地区地膜覆盖用于种植玉米的效果最佳,而秸秆覆盖尽管其生态效益较高,但经济效益较低,推广应用存在一定的难度。