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... Temperate forests of Chile exhibit high biodiversity, which generates a wide range of habitats for wildlife. These valuable natural ecosystems have been affected by major natural and anthropogenic processes that have reduced habitats, resulting in serious ecological problems, given both the high endemism of certain avian groups in these forests and the complexity of their habitat selection. Contin ...
aerial photography; altitude; databases; decision making; entropy; geographic information systems; land use planning; landslides; model validation; probability; rivers; roads; statistical models; streams; topographic slope; Iran
Abstract:
... Landslide susceptibility mapping is essential for land use planning and decision-making especially in the mountainous areas. The main objective of this study is to produce landslide susceptibility maps at Safarood basin, Iran using two statistical models such as an index of entropy and conditional probability and to compare the obtained results. At the first stage, landslide locations were identif ...
decision making; entropy; models; pipes; pressure gauges; water distribution
Abstract:
... It is essential to select the optimal pressure gauge location for effective management and maintenance of water distribution systems. This study proposes an objective and quantified standard for selecting the optimal pressure gauge location by defining the pressure change at other nodes as a result of demand change at a specific node using entropy theory. Two cases are considered in terms of deman ...
data collection; decision making; entropy; environmental monitoring; geographic information systems; uncertainty; water quality
Abstract:
... Assigning objectives to the environmental monitoring network is the pillar of the design to these kinds of networks. Conflicting network objectives may affect the adequacy of the design in terms of sampling frequency and the spatial distribution of the monitoring stations which in turn affect the accuracy of the data and the information extracted. The first step in resolving this problem is to ide ...
... Environmental issues have received substantial attention in corporate green operations. Environmental practices have been well studied but only a few studies have presented the green innovation practices of corporate firms. This study proposes to evaluate green innovation practices with a particular focus on the managerial, process, product and technology innovation aspects. This analysis focuses ...
... Organisms on the move face uncertainty regarding the state of their environments, and characterizing the magnitude of this uncertainty is important because of its influence on organismal decision making. Two common measures of the uncertainty inherent in a distribution of possible outcomes are variance and entropy, yet there is currently no standard for when one measure should be used over the oth ...
algorithms; capacitance; decision making; entropy; heat exchangers; heat transfer; mathematical models; solar energy; temperature
Abstract:
... A solar-powered high temperature differential Stirling engine has been considered for optimization with multiple criteria. A mathematical model based on the finite-time thermodynamics has been developed so that the output power and thermal efficiency and the rate of entropy generation of the solar Stirling system with finite rate of heat transfer, regenerative heat loss, conductive thermal bridgin ...
aquatic habitat; basins; computer software; decision making; ecosystem management; ecosystems; entropy; environmental assessment; guidelines; hydrology; probability; rivers; South Korea
Abstract:
... Environmental flow methodologies based on hydrological indices have increasingly evolved, because they play an important role in a riverine ecosystem management. Moreover, human activities, such as dams, in many basins have altered their natural hydrologic processes and they also change habitat for aquatic and riparian species. Decision making by echo-managers considering these multi-variables has ...
Monte Carlo method; case studies; decision making; entropy; hydrologic data; lakes; models; probability distribution; rivers; selection criteria; variance; Iran
Abstract:
... Several criteria should be considered when selecting a probability distribution to describe hydrological data. This study examines how multiple criteria can be combined to make the best selection. Selection becomes more difficult and subjective when more than two criteria are used to determine the best distribution. Under these conditions, multi-criteria decision-making is necessary. In this study ...
... In this research work, a connectionist investigation of irreversible Stirling heat pump cycles that includes both internal and external irreversibilities together finite heat capacities of external reservoirs was carried out. Finite temperature difference between the external fluids and the working fluids through the heat sink and heat source causes an external irreversibility. On the other hand, ...
... Measuring the tumor depth of invasion in skin tissue is of great importance for decision making in treatment of melanoma. Traditionally, measuring the tumor depth is based on the examination of histopathological slides by pathologist under the microscope which is time consuming and prone to intra and inter observer variability. In this paper, we propose a method for computer assisted measurement o ...
data collection; decision making; entropy; plant protection; risk factors
Abstract:
... Binary predictors are used in a wide range of crop protection decision-making applications. Such predictors provide a simple analytical apparatus for the formulation of evidence related to risk factors, for use in the process of Bayesian updating of probabilities of crop disease. For diagrammatic interpretation of diagnostic probabilities, the receiver operating characteristic is available. Here, ...
El Nino; atmospheric precipitation; basins; case studies; decision making; drought; entropy; mathematical theory; models; risk; risk assessment; runoff; soil water; spring; stream flow; watersheds; winter; China; Yellow River
Abstract:
... It is of great importance to construct an integrated drought indicator, which is of great importance to drought risk assessment and decision-making. Given the fuzzy nature of drought, the variable fuzzy set theory was applied to develop an Integrated Drought Index (IDI) combining meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural factors across the Yellow River basin in North China. The runoff and soi ...
algorithms; decision making; economic performance; energy costs; entropy; exergy; pentane
Abstract:
... Based on the thermoeconomic multi-objective optimization and decision makings, considering both exergy efficiency and LEC (levelized energy cost), the performance comparison of low-grade ORCs (organic Rankine cycles) using R245fa, pentane and their mixtures has been investigated. The effects of mass fraction of R245fa and four key parameters on the exergy efficiency and LEC are examined. The Paret ...
algorithms; capacitance; cold; decision making; entropy; heat; heat exchangers; heat pumps; system optimization; temperature
Abstract:
... In this research, a parametric investigation of irreversible Stirling heat pump cycles that includes both internal and external irreversibilities together finite heat capacities of external reservoirs is carried out. Finite temperature difference between the external fluids and the working fluids through the heat sink and heat source causes an external irreversibility. On the other hand, regenerat ...
Monte Carlo method; decision making; entropy; mathematical theory; models; process monitoring; questionnaires; surveys; sustainable development; urban areas
Abstract:
... The increasing awareness of the need to improve built environments in declined urban areas worldwide has raised the popularity of urban regeneration as a research topic. Various tools, such as questionnaire surveys, analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy set theory, have been developed to measure the sustainability of urban regeneration and ensure that it follows the principles of sustainable devel ...
... Watersheds are known as the most significant unit of flood management. Prior to the implementation of structural and/or non-structural flood mitigation measures, it is vital to prioritize the hydrological units based upon their potential for flooding. Yet, watershed prioritization is generally faced with such major methodological challenges as existence of multiple conflicting criteria, and diffic ...
air pollutants; air pollution; climate change; decision making; decision support systems; energy conservation; entropy; fuels; greenhouse gas emissions; heat; primary energy
Abstract:
... Combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration can play a strategic role in addressing environmental issues and climate change. CHP systems require less fuel than separate heat and power systems in order to produce the same amount of energy saving primary energy, improving the security of the supply. Because less fuel is combusted, greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants are reduced. If w ...
... In the agrifood sector, the explosive increase in information about environmental sustainability, often in uncoordinated information systems, has created a new form of ignorance (‘meta-ignorance’) that diminishes the effectiveness of information on decision-makers. Flows of information are governed by informal and formal social arrangements that we can collectively call Informational Institutions. ...
... In this paper, a solar energy powered gamma type SE has been optimized using Finite Physical Dimensions Thermodynamics (FPDT) method by multi-objective criteria. Genetic algorithm was used to get the Pareto frontier, and optimum points were obtained using the decision making methods of LINMAP and TOPSIS. The optimization results have been compared with those obtained using the ecological method. I ...
algorithms; alternative energy industry; decision making; entropy; fossil fuels; heat; heat exchangers; hybridization; solar energy; temperature; thermodynamic models
Abstract:
... Solar-dish Brayton system driven by the hybrid of fossil fuel and solar energy is characterized by continuously stable operation, simplified hybridization, low system costs and high thermal efficiency. In order to enable the system to operate with its highest capabilities, a thermodynamic multi-objective optimization was performed in this study based on maximum power output, thermal efficiency and ...
... The stiff competition for water between agriculture and non-agricultural production sectors makes it necessary to have effective management of irrigation networks in farms. However, the process of selecting flow control structures in irrigation networks is highly complex and involves different levels of decision makers. In this paper, we apply multi-attribute decision making (MADM) methodology to ...
attitudes and opinions; case studies; decision making; entropy; factor analysis; infrastructure; social problems; social welfare; stakeholders; China
Abstract:
... Currently, the Chinese government leads urban renewal via a top-down management style with the government playing the role of decision-maker. The decision-making opinions held by groups of stakeholders are divided, which creates many social problems, project technical issues and even civil disorder. This paper uses factor analysis to extract the key variables for decision-making on urban renewal a ...
alkalinity; boats; case studies; chemical oxygen demand; chlorides; decision making; entropy; evaporation; fluorides; geochemistry; humans; ions; irrigation; lakes; lipid content; loess; oils; pollutants; salinity; sulfates; surface water; trace elements; water quality; China
Abstract:
... A comprehensive assessment on lake water quality was carried out in Shahu Lake, northwest China, to provide valuable information about present lake water quality for decision making. Major ions, general parameters, bacteriological parameters, organics and trace metals monitored monthly in 2014 were considered. Monitored parameters were compared with quality criteria for surface water of China, and ...
decision making; entropy; least squares; neural networks; resource allocation; support vector machines; water allocation; water resources; watersheds; China
Abstract:
... There is an increasing trend in the use of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) to solve multi-objective optimization problems of the allocation of water resources. However, typically the outcome is a set of Pareto optimal solutions which make up a trade-off surface between the objective functions. For decision makers to choose a satisfactory alternative from a set of Pareto-optimal sol ...
... Landslide susceptibility mapping is essential for land use planning and decision-making especially in the mountainous areas. The main objective of present research is to produce landslide hazard zonation at Sarkhoun basin in Karoon basin using two statistical models such as an index of Shannon’s entropy and weight of evidence and to assess the obtained results. At the first stage, landslide locati ...
Taguchi method; computer software; cutting; decision making; energy efficiency; entropy; experimental design; steel; surface roughness; system optimization; tungsten
Abstract:
... The present research work focuses on simultaneous optimization of prime energy consumption responses, surface roughness and material removal rate for sustainable machining operations. The experiments were conducted on rough turning of EN 353 alloy steel with multi-layer coated tungsten carbide insert. The effect of input parameters: nose radius, cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut along with ...
climate models; correlation; decision making; entropy; temperature; India
Abstract:
... Thirty-six Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-5-based global climate models (GCMs) are explored to evaluate the performance of maximum (T ₘₐₓ) and minimum (T ₘᵢₙ) temperature simulations for India covering 40 grid points. Three performance indicators used for evaluating GCMs are correlation coefficient (CC), normalised root mean square error (NRMSE) and skill score (SS). Entropy method is appli ...
climate change; decision making; entropy; expert opinion; freshwater; geographic information systems; land use change; principal component analysis; screening; socioeconomics; stormwater; urban areas; water harvesting; water resources; watersheds; Australia; India
Abstract:
... Conservation of water is essential as climate change coupled with land use changes influence the distribution of water availability. Stormwater harvesting (SWH) is a widely used conservation measure, which reduces pressure on fresh water resources. However, determining the availability of stormwater and identifying the suitable sites for SWH require consideration of various socio-economic and tech ...
case studies; decision making; drainage systems; energy; entropy; greenhouse gas emissions; greenhouse gases; pollution control; rain; systems engineering; China
Abstract:
... This paper presents a new framework for decision making in sustainable drainage system (SuDS) scheme design. It integrates resilience, hydraulic performance, pollution control, rainwater usage, energy analysis, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and costs, and has 12 indicators. The multi-criteria analysis methods of entropy weight and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TO ...
carbon dioxide; case studies; construction industry; contractors; decision making; energy; energy conservation; entropy; environmental impact; greenhouse gas emissions; greenhouse gases; models; statistical analysis
Abstract:
... Green construction is to conserve the resources and reduce the negative impact of construction activities on the environment to the maximum extent, with scientific management and technological progress under the premise of ensuring the quality, safety and other basic requirements. Recent years, accompanied by the rapid development of construction industry, a considerable proportion of energy and r ...
arithmetics; cost effectiveness; data collection; decision making; entropy; gauges; hydrometeorology; information exchange; models; uncertainty; water management
Abstract:
... Hydrometeorological data are needed for obtaining point and areal mean, quantifying the spatial variability of hydrometeorological variables, and calibration and verification of hydrometeorological models. Hydrometeorological networks are utilized to collect such data. Since data collection is expensive, it is essential to design an optimal network based on the minimal number of hydrometeorologica ...
basins; case studies; decision making; ecology; entropy; environmental sustainability; game theory; human development; models; river water; stakeholders; trade; water allocation; water shortages; watersheds; China
Abstract:
... Water resources provide the foundation for human development and environmental sustainability. Water shortage occurs more or less in some regions, which usually causes sluggish economic activities, degraded ecology, and even conflicts and disputes over water use sectors. Game theory can better reflect the behaviors of involved stakeholders and has been increasingly employed in water resources mana ...
... Increasing human activities have not only substantially altered the natural material cycle but also created new synthetic chemicals flows. Some of these chemicals, which are described as micropollutants (MPs), may result in adverse effects on human health, aquatic organisms, and ecosystems. MPs can be transported to the environment and water resources in a variety ways including domestic and indus ...
algorithms; collectors; decision making; entropy; environmental impact; exergy; liquefaction; liquefied natural gas; refrigeration; solar collectors; solar radiation
Abstract:
... A novel cascade organic Rankine cycle (ORC) configuration involving ejector refrigeration loops is introduced to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power. Linear Fresnel solar collectors are utilized to supply the required energy of the system. Exergy, exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental concepts are undertaken upon the concerned system during a year. A multi-objective optimization procedu ...
carbon; case studies; cluster analysis; decision making; emissions; emissions factor; entropy; issues and policy; models; China
Abstract:
... A rational regional allocation scheme of carbon emission permits is important for establishing the nationwide carbon emission trading system (ETS) of China. Considering the vast area and great regional differences in China, a novel bi-level allocation scheme based on clustering analysis and a weighted voting model is proposed in this research. At the first level, 30 regions in China are clustered ...
decision making; drought; entropy; principal component analysis; risk; risk assessment; runoff; soil water; sustainable development; water resources; watersheds
Abstract:
... It is vital to identify drought events and to evaluate multivariate drought characteristics based on a composite drought index for better drought risk assessment and sustainable development of water resources. However, most composite drought indices are constructed by the linear combination, principal component analysis and entropy weight method assuming a linear relationship among different droug ...
... In this study, a new fuzzy methodology for a multi-objective optimization of reservoir Water Quality Monitoring Stations (WQMS) was developed, based on Transinformation Entropy (TE), the IRanian Water Quality Index (IRWQI), and fuzzy social choice considering uncertainties. The approach was utilized in the Karkheh Dam reservoir in Iran. The objective functions were: 1) minimizing costs, 2) minimiz ...
color; correlation; decision making; entropy; fruit acids; fruit maturity; fruit quality; fruits; image analysis; labor; marketing strategies; physicochemical properties; plums; ripening; shelf life; texture; total soluble solids
Abstract:
... Maturity is the key factor which determines the storage life and ripening quality of fruits. In order to provide marketing flexibility and to guarantee the acceptable eating quality to the buyer it is very critical to determine the right maturity stage. Maturity indices are also important for trade regulation, marketing strategy and for the efficient use of labor and resources. The proposed system ...
case studies; cities; decision making; entropy; environmental policy; interviews; models; policy analysis; pollution control; quantitative analysis; risk; stakeholders; China
Abstract:
... Contaminated sites are receiving increasing policy attention internationally due to the significant threats they pose to eco-environmental and human health. In China, a range of policies for contaminated site management have been developed and implemented with the ambition of reaching “zero contaminated sites” – in particular using a policy-driven approach to remediate or manage site risk while de ...
... Intensive growth of the economy and population strains the relationship between humans and the environment, especially in terms of water, and this strain has been escalated rather than alleviated in most areas of the world. The rapid decline in the quantity and quality of water, specifically in developing countries, has further highlighted the pressing need to observe the relationship between huma ...
... This study focused on delineating the groundwater contamination zones that contain hydrocarbons (heavy oil) in the Dammam aquifer in the Karbala–Najaf plateau, central Iraq, using two hybrid models, specifically, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) (AHP-TOPSIS and entropy-TOPSIS). Six factors were identified as c ...
aquaculture systems; decision making; entropy; fish production; food security; malnutrition; nutrition; nutritive value; production technology
Abstract:
... Reorienting food systems towards improving nutrition outcomes is vital if the global goal of ending all forms of malnutrition is to be achieved. Crucial to transitioning to nutrition-sensitive agriculture is valuing and measuring nutritional quality of the outputs of agricultural production. We review existing indicators which capture an element of nutritional quality applicable to different stage ...
construction industry; contractors; decision making; entropy; industrial applications; models
Abstract:
... This study introduces a new decision model with multi-criteria analysis by a group of decision makers (DMs) with intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs). The presented model depends on a new integration of IFSs theory, ELECTRE and VIKOR along with grey relational analysis (GRA). To portray uncertain real-life situations and take account of complex decision problem, multi-criteria group decision-making (M ...
decision making; entropy; lakes; mathematical theory; monitoring; probability; simulation models; water quality; water quantity; Iran
Abstract:
... This paper presents a new methodology for optimizing Water Quality Monitoring (WQM) networks of reservoirs and lakes using the concept of the value of information (VOI) and utilizing results of a calibrated numerical water quality simulation model. With reference to the value of information theory, water quality of every checkpoint with a specific prior probability differs in time. After analyzing ...
... Rainfall networks are the most direct sources of precipitation data and their optimization and evaluation are essential and important. Information entropy can not only represent the uncertainty of rainfall distribution but can also reflect the correlation and information transmission between rainfall stations. Using entropy this study performs optimization of rainfall networks that are of similar ...
aquifers; decision making; entropy; geometry; groundwater; monitoring; uncertainty; water quality; water supply; wells; India
Abstract:
... Water quality index (WQI) is a single measure that is commonly used to prioritize water wells and manage groundwater resources. WQI is pragmatic as it combines several water quality parameters into a single index. However, the process of aggregation is imprecise and suffers from uncertainties in measurements and subjective specification of weights. The goal of this study is to demonstrate how Atan ...
carbon; decision making; emissions factor; entropy; greenhouse gas emissions; industry; input output analysis; modernization; time series analysis; water footprint; China
Abstract:
... Individual footprint indicators are limited in that they usually only address one specific environmental aspect. For this reason, assessments involving multiple footprint indicators are preferred. However, the interpretation of a profile of footprint indicators can be difficult as the relative importance of the different footprint results is not readily discerned by decision-makers. In this study, ...
data collection; decision making; drainage; entropy; gully erosion; land use; planning; rivers; soil; statistical models; sustainable development; watersheds; weight-of-evidence; Iran
Abstract:
... Gully erosion is one of the most severe environmental problems in large areas of Iran. The spatial distribution of gully erosion and its susceptibility zonation was studied using different bivariate statistical models, such as frequency ratio (FR), weights of evidence (WofE), and index of entropy (IofE). For this purpose, 109 gully erosion locations were identified and divided into training (70%) ...
... Maps that categorise the landscape into discrete units are a cornerstone of many scientific, management and conservation activities. The accuracy of these maps is often the primary piece of information used to make decisions about the mapping process or judge the quality of the final map. Variance is critical information when considering map accuracy, yet commonly reported accuracy metrics often d ...