Key challenges and meta-choices in designing and applying multi-criteria spatial decision support systems

There is an increasing use of multi-criteria spatial decision support systems in recent years for dealing with problems that have a spatial distribution of consequences. This growth might be explained by the widespread recognition that there are multiple and conflicting objectives to be considered in spatial planning (e.g. minimizing pollution to air, water and soil, increasing the acceptance of the projects, reducing implementation costs), by new requirements to consider societal values in the evaluation and to increase participation in decision processes, as well as by the crucial role that the spatial dimension plays in such problems. However, we argue in this paper that there are key challenges confronted by DSS designers who are developing such systems and by DSS practitioners who are employing them to support decision making. These challenges impose important meta-choices to designers and practitioners, which may lead to different contents of the evaluation model and to distinctive outcomes of the analysis. In this paper, we present and discuss these key challenges and the associated meta-choices. The contribution that we aim to provide to both researchers and practitioners can be summarized as follows: (i) an increased awareness about choices to be made in the design and implementation of these decision support systems; (ii) a better understanding about the available alternatives for each choice, based on recent developments in the literature; and (iii) a clearer appraisal about the inherent trade-offs between advantages and disadvantages of each alternative

How Naturalized African-Americans Experience Racial Microaggressions in U.S. Federal Agencies

The Civil Rights Act was enacted more than 5 decades ago, and its provisions forbade discrimination on the basis of race in hiring, promoting, and firing. Yet some researchers argue that racial discrimination issues are still prevalent in the United States. They contend that modern racial discrimination is more covert and takes the form of racial microaggressions, which are subtle conscious or unconscious insults and derogatory attitudes directed towards minorities. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in U.S. workplaces, however. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of naturalized African-Americans regarding racial microaggressions in U.S. federal agencies. The research problem was examined through the lens of critical race theory. Ten participants from the Social Security Administration were selected using snowball sampling. Data were collected through semi structured phone interviews and then examined using thematic content analysis to identity key concepts and develop a coding structure, from which 9 themes emerged. Findings revealed that participants experienced racial microaggressions in the form of bias, prejudice, false assumptions, nepotism, favoritism, and unfair denial of opportunities for promotion and professional development while at work, which affected their morale and productivity. This study may contribute to positive social change by helping leaders of U.S. federal agencies to understand their multicultural and diverse workforce and work environment. U.S. government officials could also use this study as a basis for policy decisions that may improve racial relations in U.S. federal agencies

Plumage coloration in museum specimens of white-rumped swallow (Tachycineta leucorrhoa)

El género Tachycineta incluye nueve especies de golondrinas distribuidas a lo largode América con grandes diferencias en su sistema de apareamiento genético y en sus tasas depaternidad extra-pareja. En un estudio previo se encontró que un 78% de los nidos de la Golon-drina Ceja Blanca (Tachycineta leucorrhoa) pueden tener al menos un pichón extra-pareja, con unavariación de entre 1–4 padres distintos de los pichones de esas nidadas. Como la paternidadextra-pareja puede ser un indicador de la intensidad de selección sexual, en este trabajo se evalúael dimorfismo sexual de esta especie ya que una coloración más brillante o llamativa en los machospodría ser utilizada por las hembras como señal de calidad y ser preferida al momento de elegirpareja. Se midieron espectros de reflectancia a 90° y 45° en cuatro regiones del cuerpo en ejempla-res de museo. Se encontraron curvas con picos de longitud de onda en el azul y el blanco, asociadosa los colores observados en el plumaje. No se observaron diferencias entre machos y hembras detono, brillo promedio, croma UV, violeta, azul ni verde en ninguna de las regiones del cuerpo. Esposible que la falta de dimorfismo sexual se deba a que el color del plumaje no es un carácterindicador de la selección sexual en machos o a que las hembras también están bajo selecciónsexual en los mismos caracteres. También podría ser que exista una correlación genética y que lacoloración se encuentre bajo selección sexual en machos pero se exprese también en hembras. Esnecesario realizar estudios a campo con animales vivos para poner a prueba estas alternativas.The genus Tachycineta includes nine species of swallows distributed throughoutthe Americas with large differences in their genetic mating systems and extra-pair paternity rates.A previous study found 78% of White-rumped Swallow (Tachycineta leucorrhoa) nests could haveat least one extra-pair nestling, with a variation of 1–4 different male sires for their nestlings.Given that extra-pair paternity can be an indicator of the intensity of sexual selection, we evalu-ated the sexual dimorphism of this species, as a brighter or striking coloration in males could beused by females as a quality signal to be preferred when choosing a mating partner. We meas-ured spectral reflectance at 90° and 45° in four body regions in museum specimens. We foundcurves with peaks at wavelengths within the blue and white, associated with the colorationobserved in the plumage. We did not find differences between males and females in hue, meanbrightness, UV chroma, violet, blue or green in any of the body regions. Lack of sexual dimor-phism may be caused by plumage not being an indicator of sexual selection in males or femalesbeing also under sexual selection on the same traits. It could also be that there is a genetic corre-lation and that plumage and coloration are under sexual selection in males but they are alsoexpressed in females. Field studies with live animals are necessary to test these alternatives.Fil: Lopez, Aldana Soledad. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Ferretti, Valentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentin

A mixed methods approach for the integration of urban design and economic evaluation: industrial heritage and urban regeneration in China

This paper presents the early results of a study aimed at experimenting an innovative approach to the design and the evaluation of complex urban transformation processes, based on the combined use of different design strategies and tools. The purpose of the paper is to illustrate, by means of a case study, a multi-level decision aiding process, able to support strategic urban design, with specific reference to regeneration processes for abandoned industrial sites in urban areas. The case study presented in the paper concerns different alternative proposals for the requalification of the former Shougang/Er-Tong mechanical factory in Beijing, China. The choice of a Chinese case study as a field test for an experimentation about mixed methods research approaches in the domain of urban transformation is related to the peculiar emerging conditions of that context, in which huge economic potentials are speeding up the transformation but a substantial lack of cultural and methodological instruments to manage a so fast modification exists. During the design process, three methods in particular have been combined according to a multi-phase design: (i) Stakeholders Analysis, (ii) Multicriteria Analysis, and (iii) Discounted Cash Flow Analysis. Each one of them has been applied in parallel to the evolution of the different design scenarios. The results of the performed study show that mixed methods approaches are a promising line of research in the field of environmental evaluation and urban design. Insights and guidelines for the replication of the proposed methodological approach in other territorial contexts are also proposed

An integrated framework for environmental multi-impact spatial risk analysis

Quantitative risk analysis is being extensively employed to support policymakers and provides a strong conceptual framework for evaluating decision alternatives under uncertainty. Many problems involving environmental risks are, however, of a spatial nature, i.e., containing spatial impacts, spatial vulnerabilities, and spatial risk-mitigation alternatives. Recent developments in multicriteria spatial analysis have enabled the assessment and aggregation of multiple impacts, supporting policymakers in spatial evaluation problems. However, recent attempts to conduct spatial multicriteria risk analysis have generally been weakly conceptualized, without adequate roots in quantitative risk analysis. Moreover, assessments of spatial risk often neglect the multidimensional nature of spatial impacts (e.g., social, economic, human) that are typically occurring in such decision problems. The aim of this article is therefore to suggest a conceptual quantitative framework for environmental multicriteria spatial risk analysis based on expected multi-attribute utility theory. The framework proposes: (i) the formal assessment of multiple spatial impacts; (ii) the aggregation of these multiple spatial impacts; (iii) the assessment of spatial vulnerabilities and probabilities of occurrence of adverse events; (iv) the computation of spatial risks; (v) the assessment of spatial risk mitigation alternatives; and (vi) the design and comparison of spatial risk mitigation alternatives (e.g., reductions of vulnerabilities and/or impacts). We illustrate the use of the framework in practice with a case study based on a flood-prone area in northern Italy

From stakeholders analysis to cognitive mapping and Multi Attribute Value Theory: an integrated approach for policy support

One of the fundamental features of policy processes in contemporary societies is complexity. It follows from the plurality of points of view actors adopt in their interventions, and from the plurality of criteria upon which they base their decisions. In this context, collaborative multicriteria decision processes seem to be appropriate to address part of the complexity challenge. This study discusses a decision support framework that guides policy makers in their strategic decisions by using a multi-method approach based on the integration of three tools, i.e., (i) stakeholders analysis, to identify the multiple interests involved in the process, (ii) cognitive mapping, to define the shared set of objectives for the analysis, and (iii) Multi Attribute Value Theory, to measure the level of achievement of the previously defined objectives by the policy options under investigation. The integrated decision support framework has been tested on a real world project concerning the location of new parking areas in a UNESCO site in Southern Italy. The purpose of this study was to test the operability of an integrated analytical approach to support policy decisions by investigating the combined and synergistic effect of the three aforementioned tools. The ultimate objective was to propose policy recommendations for a sustainable parking area development strategy in the region under consideration. The obtained results illustrate the importance of integrated approaches for the development of accountable public decision processes and consensus policy alternatives. The proposed integrated methodological framework will, hopefully, stimulate the application of other collaborative decision processes in public policy making

Variation In Extra-Pair Mating Systems In Tachycineta Swallows: A Life-History Approach

Variation in life-history traits has long captivated ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Early contributors identified latitudinal clines in life-history traits and proposed ecological hypotheses to explain this variation. One ecological hypothesis proposed to explain geographic variation in extra-pair paternity (EPP) is the breeding synchrony hypothesis. Under this hypothesis, synchronously breeding females will be better able to assess the quality of potential mates when making mating decisions. The prediction in this hypothesis is that synchrony increases towards the poles because of shorter breeding seasons; rates of EPP are therefore expected to increase towards higher latitudes. Simultaneously, recent comparative work found that most diversification in avian EPP occurred early in the evolutionary history of birds, with most variation found between Families and Orders. In my dissertation I explore these two perspectives by examining interspecific variation in genetic mating system in the swallow genus Tachycineta. I obtained EPP data using microsatellite markers for five species of Tachycineta swallows ranging from Tierra del Fuego to British Columbia. Tachycineta swallows exhibit substantial variation in EPP, with 12 to 89% of nests having extra-pair young. A notable example of this variation is found between the sister taxa T. leucorrhoa and T. meyeni, with 78% and 12% of nests with extra-pair young respectively. My results indicate that breeding synchrony is not a strong predictor of EPP rates across species and latitudes. Additionally, I provide a detailed analysis of fitness benefits of EPP for a south-temperate species, T. leucorrhoa. I found that T. leucorrhoa nests with extra-pair young fledge more offspring compared to those with all within-pair young. However, I did not find support for a link between this fitness advantage and the level of heterozygosity as proposed by theory. Work on Tachycineta helps redress the paucity of information on tropical and south-temperate species and an underrepresentation of closely related taxa that characterized previous studies. It also reminds us of the complexity of relationships among life-history traits and their environmental influences, forcing us to consider more than one hypothesis and causal path in explaining hemisphere-wide patterns in life histories

Innovative Method and Apparatus for Deep Cleaning of Soluble Salts from Mortars and Lithic Materials

Abstract A new method improves the quality and durability of decontamination by soluble salts, compared with conventional application of wraps. The salts inside the porous material are brought in solution by soaking with distilled water, then aspired by a suction nozzle applied to the sample surface, allowing the solution to move towards the surface. Finally, the method tested on plaster samples with different suction flows is effective in the cleaning. As every surface to be cleaned could be affected by different extent of deterioration, specific flows of suctions were investigated

Testing best practices to reduce the overconfidence bias in multi-criteria decision analysis

This paper explores the effectiveness of several methods to reduce the overconfidence bias when eliciting continuous probability distributions in the context of multicriteria decision analysis. We examine the effectiveness of using a fixed value method (as opposed to the standard fixed probability method) and the use of counterfactuals and hypothetical bets to increase the range of the distributions and to correct possible median displacements. The results show that the betting procedure to correct the median is quite effective, but the methods to increase the range of estimates have only a have small, but positive effect

Comprehending stories in pantomime. A pilot study with typically developing children and its implications for the narrative origin of language

This paper presents a pilot study aimed at investigating the comprehension of pantomimic stories and its possible cognitive underpinnings in typically developing children. A group of twenty-two Italian-speaking children aged between 8.02 and 10.11 years were included in the study. Participants watched short videos in which professional actors performed pantomime narratives; then answered a comprehension question and retold the stories. Analyses revealed positive correlations between the comprehension of pantomimes and age, theory of mind, and working memory. The implications of these results for a narrative model of language origin are discussed against the background of an eco-evo-devo perspective