On a responsive replenishment system: a fuzzy logic approach

In today's competitive business environment, it is important that customers are able to obtain their preferred items in the shops they visit, particularly for convenience store chains such as 7–Eleven where popular items are expected to be readily available on the shelves of the stores for buyers. To minimize the cost of running such store chains, it is essential that stocks be kept to a minimum and at the same time large varieties of popular items are available for customers. In this respect, the replenishment system needs to be able to cope with the taxing demands of minimal inventory but at the same time keeping large varieties of needed items. This paper proposes a replenishment system which is able to respond to the fluctuating demands of customers and provide a timely supply of needed items in a cost–effective way. The proposed system embraces the principle of fuzzy logic which is able to deal with uncertainties by virtue of its fuzzy rules reasoning mechanism, thereby leveraging the responsiveness of the entire replenishment system for the chain stores. To validate the feasibility of the approach, a case study has been conducted in an emulated environment with promising results.     

Pareto multi-criteria decision making

The paper concerns design governed by multiple objective criteria, which are conflicting in the sense of competing for common resources to achieve variously different performance objectives (financial, functional, environmental, esthetical, etc.). A multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) strategy is proposed that employs a tradeoff-analysis technique to identify compromise designs for which the competing criteria are mutually satisfied in a Pareto-optimal sense. The MCDM strategy is initially developed for the case of design governed by n = 2 objective criteria. It is then extended to design governed by n > 2 objective criteria, by introducing the concept of primary and aggregate criteria. It is proved that, from among the theoretically infinite number of feasible designs forming the Pareto front for a design problem governed by n independent objective criteria, there exists a unique Pareto-compromise design that represents a mutually agreeable tradeoff between all n criteria. This remarkable result is illustrated for a flexural plate design governed by n = 2 criteria, a bridge maintenance-intervention protocol design governed by n = 3 criteria, and a media centre envelop design governed by n = 11 criteria.     

Repetition Blindness Occurs in Nonwords.

Theorists have predicted that repetition blindness (RB) should be absent for nonwords because they do not activate preexisting mental types. The authors hypothesized that RB would be observed for nonwords because RB can occur at a sublexical level. Four experiments showed that RB is observed for word-nonword pairs (noon noof), orthographically similar nonwords (glome glame), and identical repetitions (plass plass). More RB was found for words than for nonwords. Prior researchers may have failed to find RB for nonwords because display conditions that allow 2 words to be reliably encoded are insufficient for nonwords, or because observers coped with low ability to encode nonwords by using guessing strategies that do not require creating a mental type or tokenizing it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the Locus of Speed-Accuracy Trade-Off in Reaction Time: Inferences From the Lateralized Readiness Potential.

Lateralized readiness potentials (LRPs) were used to determine the stage(s) of reaction time (RT) responsible for speed-accuracy trade-offs (SATs). Speeded decisions based on several types of information were examined in 3 experiments, involving, respectively, a line discrimination task, lexical decisions, and an Erikson flanker task. Three levels of SAT were obtained in each experiment by adjusting response deadlines with an adaptive tracking algorithm. Speed stress affected the duration of RT stages both before and after the start of the LRP in all experiments. The latter effect cannot be explained by guessing strategies, by variations in response force, or as an indirect consequence of the pre-LRP effect. Contrary to most models, it suggests that SAT can occur at a late postdecisional stage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When laws and ethics collide: What should psychologists do?

At times the laws under which psychologists function may appear to contradict generally recognized ethical values and/or good clinical care. When these circumstances arise, psychologists must determine if a conflict really exists and, if so, seek solutions that reconcile respect for the law with their ethical values. At times, psychologists may decide to follow the law despite their ethical concerns. At other times, they may determine that a conscientious objection is warranted. The authors recommend options to consider when these situations arise and offer a decision-making process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

矿井串联系统模糊可靠性理论的研究

矿井系统不仅具有随机性，而且同时也具有模糊性，在系统分析与设计过程中应同时考虑这两种不确定性因素的影响。文中提出了模糊故障、模糊功能、系统模糊运营状态和广义可靠度等概念，并在此基础上提出了求单元及串联系统的生产能力、营运费用、应急维修费用、修理时间和广义可靠度等指标的方法，建立了使系统平均生产能力最大的系统最优运营策略的数学模型。     

An expert PID controller uses refined ziegler and nichols rules and fuzzy logic ideas

This article proposes a scheme for the on-line adjustment of three mode controller settings based on experimental measurements of closed-loop performance. It uses a recently developed heuristic tuning procedure to identify estimated process parameters. This method may give rise to conflicting estimates. Fuzzy Set theory is applied to manage the situation in terms of a fuzzy conjunction to combine the various estimates. PID control was chosen because of its wide use in the industrial environment due to driving simplicity and robustness. The article shows design, development, and computer simulation aspects.     

Technical Note: Selecting a Classification Method by Cross-Validation

If we lack relevant problem-specific knowledge, cross-validation methods may be used to select a classification method empirically. We examine this idea here to show in what senses cross-validation does and does not solve the selection problem. As illustrated empirically, cross-validation may lead to higher average performance than application of any single classification strategy, and it also cuts the risk of poor performance. On the other hand, cross-validation is no more or less a form of bias than simpler strategies, and applying it appropriately ultimately depends in the same way on prior knowledge. In fact, cross-validation may be seen as a way of applying partial information about the applicability of alternative classification strategies.     

模糊综合评判方法在碳酸盐岩油气勘探中的应用

详细地阐述了模糊综合评判方法的数学原理及其在油气勘探开发中的应用.根据某油田的生产层参数资料,运用MICROSOFT EXCEL软件,在对各参数进行统计研究并了解它们分布规律的基础上,合理地构造出一系列隶属函数,通过编制相应的计算机程序,完成综合评判.评判结果与勘探实际吻合较好.该方法有效地适用于碳酸盐岩油气藏的勘探开发.     

D-side: A facility and workforce planning group multi-criteria decision support system for Johnson Space Center

“To understand and protect our home planet, to explore the universe and search for life, and to inspire the next generation of explorers” is NASA's mission. The Systems Management Office at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is searching for methods to effectively manage the Center's resources to meet NASA's mission. D-Side is a group multi-criteria decision support system (GMDSS) developed to support facility decisions at JSC. D-Side uses a series of sequential and structured processes to plot facilities in a three-dimensional (3-D) graph on the basis of each facility's alignment with NASA's mission and goals, the extent to which other facilities are dependent on the facility, and the dollar value of capital investments that have been postponed at the facility relative to the facility's replacement value. A similarity factor rank orders facilities based on their Euclidean distance from Ideal and Nadir points. These similarity factors are then used to allocate capital improvement resources across facilities. We also present a parallel model that can be used to support decisions concerning allocation of human resources investments across workforce units. Finally, we present results from a pilot study where 12 experienced facility managers from NASA used D-Side and the organization's current approach to rank order and allocate funds for capital improvement across 20 facilities. Users evaluated D-Side favorably in terms of ease of use, the quality of the decision-making process, decision quality, and overall value-added. Their evaluations of D-Side were significantly more favorable than their evaluations of the current approach.