Decision Making on Oil Extraction under Z-information

AbstractIn modern conditions, the refining process is complicated and ambiguous, requiring a precise knowledge of all the internal and external factors. However, in many cases, it is impossible to get complete information. Therefore, the process of oil production takes place in conditions of uncertainty accompanying the various situations. A partial absence of beliefs and fuzziness are some of the aspects of uncertainty. In this paper we consider a somewhat different framework for representing our knowledge. Zadeh suggested a Z-number notion, based on a reliability of the given information. In this study we apply Z- information to decision making on oil extraction problem and suggest the framework for decision making on a base of Z-numbers. The method associates with the construction of a non-additive measure as a lower prevision and uses this capacity in Choquet integral for constructing a utility function

Malaysian Police Officers’ View on Vehicle Theft through the concept of Z Number

The expert's view is an important aspect to be considered in vehicle theft since the crime has contributed to the magnificent proposition in property crime. In vehicle theft police officer is considered an expert since the authority is directly involved in solving the problem. The difficulty to understand the vehicle theft criteria because of ambiguity, uncertainty and vagueness of criteria are unavoidable among human. As a result, different interpretations occur toward particular vehicle theft criteria because of the difference of the level of understanding and experience among police officers. Therefore, the problem has allowed an obvious difference of interpretations by officers toward vehicle theft criteria. Thus, police officers are required to distinguish the degree of importance among the vehicle theft criteria. Therefore, a Z number which an extension of the fuzzy set theory is a tremendous method to tackle such problem related to the reliability of information which consists of ambiguity, uncertainty and vagueness aspect of vehicle theft criteria. The advantage of Z number concept implemented in the assessment of vehicle theft criteria is each of information given by police officers will be reliable, secure and preserved. Based on the result it seems that the vehicle theft been manipulated by a male juvenile who usually has problems with education, unemployed, originated from the particular race and influenced by drug addiction

A multi-criteria decision making for renewable energy selection using Z-numbers in uncertain environment

In recent era of globalization, the world is perceiving an alarming rise in its energy consumption resulting in shortage of fossil fuels in near future. Developing countries like India, with fast growing population and economy, is planning to explore among its existing renewable energy sources to meet the acute shortage of overall domestic energy supply. For balancing diverse ecological, social, technical and economic features, selection among alternative renewable energy must be addressed in a multi-criteria context considering both subjective and objective criteria weights. In the proposed COPRAS-Z methodology, Z-number model fuzzy numbers with reliability degree to represents imprecise judgment of decision makers’ in evaluating the weights of criteria and selection of renewable energy alternatives. The fuzzy numbers are defuzzified and renewable energy alternatives are prioritized as per COmplex PropoRtional ASsessment (COPRAS) decision making method in terms of significance and utility degree. A sensitivity analysis is done to observe the variation in ranking of the criteria, by altering the coefficient of both subjective and objective weight. Also, the proposed methodology is compared with existing multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods for checking validity of the obtained ranking result

The application of z-numbers in fuzzy decision making: The state of the art

A Z-number is very powerful in describing imperfect information, in which fuzzy numbers are paired such that the partially reliable information is properly processed. During a decision-making process, human beings always use natural language to describe their preferences, and the decision information is usually imprecise and partially reliable. The nature of the Z-number, which is composed of the restriction and reliability components, has made it a powerful tool for depicting certain decision information. Its strengths and advantages have attracted many researchers worldwide to further study and extend its theory and applications. The current research trend on Z-numbers has shown an increasing interest among researchers in the fuzzy set theory, especially its application to decision making. This paper reviews the application of Z-numbers in decision making, in which previous decision-making models based on Z-numbers are analyzed to identify their strengths and contributions. The decision making based on Z-numbers improves the reliability of the decision information and makes it more meaningful. Another scope that is closely related to decision making, namely, the ranking of Z-numbers, is also reviewed. Then, the evaluative analysis of the Z-numbers is conducted to evaluate the performance of Z-numbers in decision making. Future directions and recommendations on the applications of Z-numbers in decision making are provided at the end of this review

Z

Decision making, reasoning, and analysis in real-world problems are complicated by imperfect information. Real-world imperfect information is mainly characterized by two features. In view of this, Professor Zadeh suggested the concept of a Z-number as an ordered pair Z=(A,B) of fuzzy numbers A and B, the first of which is a linguistic value of a variable of interest, and the second one is a linguistic value of probability measure of the first one, playing a role of its reliability. The concept of distance is one of the important concepts for handling imperfect information in decision making and reasoning. In this paper, we, for the first time, apply the concept of distance of Z-numbers to the approximate reasoning with Z-number based IF-THEN rules. We provide an example on solving problem related to psychological issues naturally characterized by imperfect information, which shows applicability and validity of the suggested approach

Z-Numbers-Based Approach to Hotel Service Quality Assessment

In this study, we are analyzing the possibility of using Z-numbers for measuring the service quality and decision-making for quality improvement in the hotel industry. Techniques used for these purposes are based on consumer evalu- ations - expectations and perceptions. As a rule, these evaluations are expressed in crisp numbers (Likert scale) or fuzzy estimates. However, descriptions of the respondent opinions based on crisp or fuzzy numbers formalism not in all cases are relevant. The existing methods do not take into account the degree of con- fidence of respondents in their assessments. A fuzzy approach better describes the uncertainties associated with human perceptions and expectations. Linguis- tic values are more acceptable than crisp numbers. To consider the subjective natures of both service quality estimates and confidence degree in them, the two- component Z-numbers Z = (A, B) were used. Z-numbers express more adequately the opinion of consumers. The proposed and computationally efficient approach (Z-SERVQUAL, Z-IPA) allows to determine the quality of services and iden- tify the factors that required improvement and the areas for further development. The suggested method was applied to evaluate the service quality in small and medium-sized hotels in Turkey and Azerbaijan, illustrated by the example

A qualitative study examining parental experiences and aspirations regarding participation in decision-making in two neonatal intensive care units

Background: Parents of babies hospitalised in neonatal intensive care units in the United Kingdom are faced with multiple decisions regarding their baby’s care throughout their neonatal journey. There are disparities in care across the 23 neonatal networks in the UK, with parental participation in decision-making being an area in which significant improvements in practice could be made. Aim: To establish parents’ experiences of participating in clinical decision-making whilst eliciting the aspirations of parents to participate in clinical decision-making. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: Establish parental understanding about their baby’s admission to NICUIdentify parents’ perceptions of their level of involvement in decision-making about their baby’s managementDecipher if parents felt listened to by healthcare professionalsDetermine how comfortable parents were with questioning and challenging the care provided to their babiesAscertain how parents felt about decisions that they had made, if anyIdentify learning for professionals to improve care further.Design and Sample: A qualitative study was undertaken to gain insight into parental needs in two neonatal intensive care units. This study was informed by an organised consultation with a local parent support group to discuss parental experiences. This, combined with knowledge of health professionals, guided the development of a survey. This self-completed cross-sectional survey was administered to eligible parents 1-3 weeks after admission (n=21). It was structured on a five-point Likert scale with additional free-text spaces for comments. The results from the survey informed individual focussed interviews with a sub-group of the survey sample (n=5). This qualitative component was designed to enhance the survey findings through exploration of parents’ personal experiences and reflections on the outcomes of the survey. A single group interview was conducted with five parents attending the local parent support group after expressing interest in sharing their experiences. Data Analysis: Survey data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Survey comments were then analysed using thematic analysis. Interview data was subjected to framework analysis, with the initial frame set by survey findings. Outcomes: This was the first study in the world to study the whole of decision-making in NICU whether parental participation was allowed or not. Staff-parent communication and relationship-building require considerable attention first before the issue of participation in decision-making can be addressed effectively. The use of transactional analysis as a means of understanding the dynamics and potential for change in relationships in NICU was a further novel aspect to the study. The application of Van Manen’s explanation of categories of decisions led to a new way of understanding and decoding parental acceptance of exclusion from decision-making