Intersections between some families of (U,N)- and RU-implications

(U,N)-implications and RU-implications are the generalizations of (S,N)- and R-implications to the framework of uninorms, where the t-norms and t-conorms are replaced by appropriate uninorms. In this work, we present the intersections that exist between (U,N)-implications and the different families of RU-implications obtainable from the well-established families of uninorms

Application of decision trees and multivariate regression trees in design and optimization

Induction of decision trees and regression trees is a powerful technique not only for performing ordinary classification and regression analysis but also for discovering the often complex knowledge which describes the input-output behavior of a learning system in qualitative forms;In the area of classification (discrimination analysis), a new technique called IDea is presented for performing incremental learning with decision trees. It is demonstrated that IDea\u27s incremental learning can greatly reduce the spatial complexity of a given set of training examples. Furthermore, it is shown that this reduction in complexity can also be used as an effective tool for improving the learning efficiency of other types of inductive learners such as standard backpropagation neural networks;In the area of regression analysis, a new methodology for performing multiobjective optimization has been developed. Specifically, we demonstrate that muitiple-objective optimization through induction of multivariate regression trees is a powerful alternative to the conventional vector optimization techniques. Furthermore, in an attempt to investigate the effect of various types of splitting rules on the overall performance of the optimizing system, we present a tree partitioning algorithm which utilizes a number of techniques derived from diverse fields of statistics and fuzzy logic. These include: two multivariate statistical approaches based on dispersion matrices, an information-theoretic measure of covariance complexity which is typically used for obtaining multivariate linear models, two newly-formulated fuzzy splitting rules based on Pearson\u27s parametric and Kendall\u27s nonparametric measures of association, Bellman and Zadeh\u27s fuzzy decision-maximizing approach within an inductive framework, and finally, the multidimensional extension of a widely-used fuzzy entropy measure. The advantages of this new approach to optimization are highlighted by presenting three examples which respectively deal with design of a three-bar truss, a beam, and an electric discharge machining (EDM) process

Fuzzy logic: An analysis of logical connectives and their characterizations

The focus of this thesis is to determine exactly which functions serve as appropriate fuzzy negation, conjunction and disjunction functions. To this end, the first chapter serves as motivation for why fuzzy logic is needed, and includes an original demonstration of the inadequacy of many valued logics to resolve the sorites paradox. Chapter 2 serves as an introduction to fuzzy sets and logic. The canonical fuzzy set of tall men is examined as a motivating example, and the chapter concludes with a discussion of membership functions. Four desirable conditions of the negation function are given in Chapter 3, but it is shown that they are not independent. It suffices to take two of these conditions, monotonicity and involutiveness, as negation axioms. Two characterization proofs are given, one with an increasing generator and the other with a decreasing generator. An example of a general class of negation functions is studied, along with their corresponding increasing and decreasing generators. Chapters 4 and 5 provide an analysis of fuzzy conjunction and disjunction functions, respectively. Five axioms for each are given: boundary conditions, commutativity, associativity, monotone non-decreasing, and continuity. Yager\u27s class of conjunction and disjunction functions are each shown to satisfy all five of these axioms. The additional assumption of strict monotonicity is added to obtain pseudo-characterizations analogous to the characterizations of the negation function. Finally, it is shown that although the min function is a conjunction function, it does not have a decreasing or an increasing generator. Similar results are obtained in Chapter 5 for disjunction functions, with a concluding theorem that the max function has no generators. The interactions of these three connectives is the content of Chapter 6. In this chapter, negation, conjunction, and disjunction triples are considered that satisfy both of DeMorgan\u27s laws. Distributivity of conjunction and disjunction over each other is examined. It is then shown that the only conjunction and disjunction pair that satisfies the distributivity axiom is the min, max pair. In conclusion, Chapter 7 discusses why having unique functions serve as conjunction and disjunction is desirable. It also contains a brief discussion of the implication connective and some areas for further investigation

CREATING HEAVEN ON EARTH: JIM BAKKER AND THE BIRTH OF A SUNBELT PENTECOSTALISM

This dissertation traces the rise of Jim and Tammy Bakker and analyzes the birth and growth of prosperity theology in the United States of America. It highlights how Jim and Tammy created a form of Pentecostalism that grew alongside and because of the growth of the Sunbelt. It blossomed in the new suburban enclaves of this region. Jim Bakker\u27s religious ideas had their roots in an increasingly powerful anti-New Deal coalition that was led by the conservative business community. Positive thinking and the prosperity gospel reinforced their beliefs in unfettered markets and their opposition to activist government. Bakker combined these ideas with an emphasis on the family, creating a power new kind of religion. It became a form of cultural conservatism that increasingly shaped American society in the 1970s and 1980s, helping transform political issues into moral and religious questions

A fuzzy hierarchical multiple criteria group decision support system - Decider - and its applications

Decider is a Fuzzy Hierarchical Multiple Criteria Group Decision Support System (FHMC-GDSS) designed for dealing with subjective, in particular linguistic, information and objective information simultaneously to support group decision making particularly on evaluation. In this chapter, the fuzzy aggregation decision model, functions and structure of Decider are introduced. The ideas to resolve decision and evaluation problems we have faced in the development and application of Decider are presented. Two real applications of the Decider system are briefly illustrated. Finally, we discuss our further research in this area. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

After Hiding the Ball Is Over: How the NLRB Must Change Its Approach to Decision-Making

Is the National Labor Relations Board (the NLRB or the Board), the agency that oversees federal labor law, still relevant? When this question is considered, as it frequently is by scholars, lawyers and officials of the NLRB itself, the focus typically is on whether changes in the workplace, the economy and society are diminishing the relevance of the Board. But there is a new and more immediate threat to the relevance of the Board that so far has been mostly ignored - that the Board is in danger of being rendered a superfluous legal institution in the scheme of American administrative law. In 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court\u27s decision in Allentown Mack Sales and Service, Inc. v. NLRB created an opening for appellate courts to completely disregard the Board\u27s rulings in labor law cases and decide these cases as they wish. And a number of appellate courts have already plunged through that opening to regularly decide labor law cases, and labor law issues, without any regard for the Board\u27s views on them. The threat to the Board has come through courts\u27 questioning of the Board\u27s approach to fact-finding. In Allentown Mack, the Supreme Court declared that “(the Board) should not be able to impede judicial review, and indeed political oversight, by disguising its policymaking as fact-finding.” The Board technique of “disguising” policymaking as fact-finding had been identified by many scholars, most notably Professor Joan Flynn, who showed that the Board commonly engaged in the practice of making policy determinations in the guise of (ostensibly policy-neutral) fact-finding, a practice that Professor Flynn and others dubbed “hiding the ball.” These scholars argued that the Board hides the ball in order to make its policy determinations less visible and therefore less likely to be reversed by the federal courts of appeals or attacked by members of Congress

Development and evaluation of multiple criteria decision-making approaches to watershed management

Decision-making in environmental management is complex due to the multiplicity arid diversity of management objectives and technological choices. This suggests that modelers and experts could utilize (I) multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches to assist stakeholder groups in integrating and synthesizing relevant data and information to address ecological and socio-economic concerns and (2) uncertainty approaches to quantify the risks related to the impact of decision alternatives. Since decisions made under uncertainty and MCDM methods have been studied almost independently, most of the MCDM approaches do not address the uncertainties of real world decision situations. This dissertation presents the use of a MCDM methodology and its related decision-making tool, RESTORE. RESTORE is an integrative geographical information system-based decision-making tool that was developed to help watershed councils prioritize and evaluate restoration activities at the watershed level. RESTORE's deterministic performance evaluation module is developed from experts' knowledge and experiences. However, to filly address the complexity of the various landscape processes and human subjectivity, RESTORE should involve uncertainties inherent to experts' knowledge. No single method is able to model all types of uncertainty, therefore the examination of various uncertainty theories is critical before selecting one best suited to a specific decision context. This work explores three uncertainty theories: certainty factor model, Dempster-Shafer theory, and fuzzy set theory. To evaluate these methods in a MCDM watershed restoration context, we (1) identified criteria to assess the suitability of a method for a specific MCDM context, (2) characterized each theory in terms of the identified criteria using RESTORE, and (3) applied each theory using RESTORE. Special emphasis was given to the development of a comprehensive fuzzy MCDM methodology. Uncertainty-based MCDM approaches provide a valuable tool in analyzing complex watershed management issues. When used properly, the proposed MCDM methodology allows decision-makers (DMs) to explore a broader range of drivers and consequences. The inclusion of uncertainty analysis provides DMs with meaningful information on the quality of the evidence supporting the impact of a decision alternative, allowing them to make more informed decisions

After Hiding the Ball Is Over: How the NLRB Must Change Its Approach to Decision-Making

Is the National Labor Relations Board (the NLRB or the Board), the agency that oversees federal labor law, still relevant? When this question is considered, as it frequently is by scholars, lawyers and officials of the NLRB itself, the focus typically is on whether changes in the workplace, the economy and society are diminishing the relevance of the Board. But there is a new and more immediate threat to the relevance of the Board that so far has been mostly ignored - that the Board is in danger of being rendered a superfluous legal institution in the scheme of American administrative law. In 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court\u27s decision in Allentown Mack Sales and Service, Inc. v. NLRB created an opening for appellate courts to completely disregard the Board\u27s rulings in labor law cases and decide these cases as they wish. And a number of appellate courts have already plunged through that opening to regularly decide labor law cases, and labor law issues, without any regard for the Board\u27s views on them. The threat to the Board has come through courts\u27 questioning of the Board\u27s approach to fact-finding. In Allentown Mack, the Supreme Court declared that “(the Board) should not be able to impede judicial review, and indeed political oversight, by disguising its policymaking as fact-finding.” The Board technique of “disguising” policymaking as fact-finding had been identified by many scholars, most notably Professor Joan Flynn, who showed that the Board commonly engaged in the practice of making policy determinations in the guise of (ostensibly policy-neutral) fact-finding, a practice that Professor Flynn and others dubbed “hiding the ball.” These scholars argued that the Board hides the ball in order to make its policy determinations less visible and therefore less likely to be reversed by the federal courts of appeals or attacked by members of Congress