Real Estate Investment Choices and Decision Support Systems

The evaluation of real estate assets is currently one of the main focal points addressed by territorial marketing strategies, with the view of developing high-performing or competitive cities. Given the complexity of the driving forces that determine the behavior of actors in a real estate market, it is necessary to identify a priori the factors that determine the competitive capacity of a city, to attract investments. The decision support system allows taking into account the key factors that determine the "attractiveness" of real estate investments in competitive urban contexts. This study proposes an integrated complex evaluation model that is able to map out and encapsulate the multidimensional spectrum of factors that shape the attractiveness of alternative real estate options. The conceptual–methodological approach is illustrated by an application of the model to a real-world case study of investment choice in the residential sector of Naples

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons

A decision support system for assessing alternative projects for the design of a new road network : methodology and application of a case study

This study aims to offer an applicable evaluation framework for assessing projectalternatives by employing different Multicriteria Evaluation Methods as a tool to reduce conflicts in a decision making process. The first part of the paper consists of a brief survey of the great diversity of modem assessment methods that have been developed over the last ten years. This helps to provide a perspective for procedural types of decisions in which various qualitative and quantitative aspects are incorporated. This paper initially focuses on three recently developed techniques, viz. Regime analysis, the Analytical Hierarchic Process (AHP) methods and the Flag model. In the second part of the paper, the above mentioned multicriteria methods are applied to a 'real-world' case concerning the design of a new road network in the area of the Cilento National Park in Italy.evaluation; participation; multidimensional; conflicting objectives

Shared choices on local sustainability projects: a decision support framework

The aim of this study is to build a decision support framework for helping local governments in the identification of sustainable strategies, using a combination of various multi-criteria evaluation methods. The first part of the paper emphasises the importante of multi-criteria methods in the construction of a participative process aimed at the creation and implementation of Local Agenda 21, and justifies the choice of several complementary multi-criteria methods deployed (the Regime analysis, the Saaty method, and the NAIADE method, together with the Flag model) as tools to reduce policy conflicts and to reach a shared or joint choice in a decision-making process with multiple actors or interests. In the second part of the paper the above-mentioned methods are tested on a real world case involving the conservation and improvement of a natural resource, viz. Lake Miseno in the South of Italy. Lake Miseno located in the Campania Region is nowadays characterised by a deep controversy on maintaining the typical historical attributes of this area of exceptional archaeological and natural importance on the one hand, and the devastating urbanisation process on the other hand. This study proposes four alternative projects for the rehabilitation and re-qualification of this natural resource and develops an evaluation approach for the best strategy to meet the goal of sustainable development.natural resource; local government; evaluation; participation; shared choice

Decision support tools for urban contingency policy: a scenario approach to risk management of the Vesuvio area in Naples, Italy

Contingency management, in particular the management of unanticipated events outside the control of an ordinary planning system, has in the last 50 years become an important and frequently debated issue in the scientific literature on complex systems management under risk conditions. The urban system can be regarded as such an open complex system where external events, not always foreseeable with a closed system's model, may strongly impact on the internal dynamics of an urban area. Conventionally, planning the future presupposes collecting information and analyzing it rationally in order to control for unexpected contingency events. But it is an important question in the field of urban planning, how proper strategies can be developed to deal with external uncertainty and shocks that transcend the imagination of policy-makers. How should decision-makers respond to such unforeseen jumps in a system? The aim of this paper is to present and apply a new scientific decision support method based on the future studies literature, with the aim to help decision-makers in the strategic management of uncertainty and risk in order "to anticipate the extraordinary events correctly in order to act more effectively" (Godet, 1987). In particular, we will deploy here the scenario methodology in combination with multicriteria analysis and fuzzy set theory, as a useful learning tool for the governance of complex dynamic systems.

A DSS for Real Estate Location Choice

The evaluation of real estate assets is currently one of the main issues addressed by territorial marketing strategies with a view to developing competitive cities. Given the complexity of the real estate market, it’s hard to identify a priori the factors that constitute a city’s competitive capacity to attract investments to this market. In this paper we design an integrated complex evaluation model able to map out and encapsulate the multidimensional spectrum of factors that shape the attractiveness each investment destination. The methodological approach is then illustrated through application of the model to a real-world case of investment choice in the residential sector of the city of Naples.Mercato immobiliare, scelte di investimento, Stated Preferences

Real Estate Investment Choices and Decision Support Systems

The evaluation of real estate assets is currently one of the main focal points addressed by territorial marketing strategies, with the view of developing high-performing or competitive cities. Given the complexity of the driving forces that determine the behavior of actors in a real estate market, it is necessary to identify a priori the factors that determine the competitive capacity of a city, to attract investments. The decision support system allows taking into account the key factors that determine the “attractiveness” of real estate investments in competitive urban contexts. This study proposes an integrated complex evaluation model that is able to map out and encapsulate the multidimensional spectrum of factors that shape the attractiveness of alternative real estate options. The conceptual–methodological approach is illustrated by an application of the model to a real-world case study of investment choice in the residential sector of Naples

Author Correction: Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

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