Context-Related Scaling of Human Judgement in the Multiplicative AHP, SMART, and ELECTRE

Since decisions are invariably made within a given context, we model relative preferences as ratios of increments or decrements in an interval on the axis of desirability. Next, we sort the ratio magnitudes into a small number of categories, represented by numerical values on a geometric scale. We explain why the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the French collection of ELECTRE systems, typically based on pairwise -- comparison methods, are concerned with category judgement of ratio magnitudes, whereas the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART) essentially uses the orders of magnitude of these ratios. This phenomenon, well-known in psycho-physics, provides a common basis for the analysis of the methods in question and for a cross-validation of their results. Throughout the paper, we illustrate the approach via a well-known case study, the choice of a location for a nuclear power plant

Stratigraphy and reserves of pumiceous sand deposits in Perry's 'Asparagus Block' at Horotiu

The stratigraphic relationships between the deposits of the Hinuera Formation and the Taupo Pumice Alluvium are described over a 16 ha plot of land known as the 'Asparagus Block' at Horotiu. The Hinuera Formation is exposed at the surface at the southern end of this block, and is overlain by a wedge of Taupo Pumice Alluvium which increases in thickness from 0 to 8 m northwards across the block. Lithofacies in the Hinuera Formation are dominated by trough cross-bedded gravelly sands (lithofacies AI), with common cross-laminated sands (lithofacies B) and massive to horizontally laminated silts (lithofacies D). The pumice content of these deposits is mainly 70%. Lithofacies in the Taupo Pumice Alluvium are dominated by horizontally to inclined (tabular cross-) bedded slightly gravelly sands and sands (lithofacies G 1/2), with common occurrences of horizontally bedded to massive sandy silts (lithofacies D). The pumice content of these Taupo deposits is high, typically >80%. Cross-sections are presented showing an interpreted subsurface distribution of these lithofacies from south to north through the 'Asparagus Block'. The estimated reserve of extractable pumice sand from the block is of the order of about 400,000 to 450,000 m³

Police Station, Vaals

Vaals is a small town at the southern tip of Holland, where the country meets Belgium and Germany. With its gently sloping hills, the fine landscape around here is very un-Dutch. (Ed. note: The project is by Wiel Arets Architects and Associates and text by Bart Lootsma.

Fairness and Equity via Concepts of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

We briefly discuss principles of fairness and equity in order to incorporate them in a mathematical method for the allocation of benefits or costs (the output) in a distribution problem, on the basis of the effort, the strength or the needs (the input) of the respective parties. Usually, input and output are multi-dimensional, and proportionality seems to be the leading principle. Therefore we employ several algorithmic ideas of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis in order to support the solution of distribution problems, in particular the ideas underlying the Multiplicative AHP which was designed to process ratio information. We extend the method in order to cover the principles of progressivity, priority, and parity as well. Two examples, (a) the establishment of the member state contributions to the European Union, and (b) the allocation of seats in the European Parliament to the member states, show that the proposed method produces contributions and allocations with a higher degree of fairness and equity than the solutions adopted so far

Control of Rhizoctonia stem and stolon canker of potato by harvest methods and enhancing mycophagous soil mesofauna

Rhizoctonia solani (AG-3) is a soil-borne plant pathogen that causes canker on potato stems an, stolons, resulting in a reduced quantity and quality of the tuber yield. Two approaches for non. chemical control of stem and stolon canker in potato, caused by soil-borne inoculum, were investigated.Two field experiments were conducted to investigate whether harvest methods of potato affect soil infestation with R. solani. Soil infestation was estimated on the basis of stem infections of potato in the subsequent year. Immature-crop-harvesting lowered the disease severity in the next crop compared with haulm pulling and chemical haulm killing. However, this harvest method was only successfull in controlling the disease when the formation of sclerotia did not start before harvest and the crop debris was incorporated into the soil with a rotary hoe.Control of Rhizoctonia stem and stolon infections by mycophagous soil animals was investigated in experiments under controlled conditions (growth chambers) and in field experiments. The mycophagous soil mesofauna was equally effective in reducing of stem infections at 10 and 15 °C, and they were effective over a broad range of soil moistures. Under controlled conditions, adding dried fresh rape material to the soil enhanced the populations of the springtail Folsomia fimetaria and the nematode Aphelenchus avenae. F. fimetaria reduced stem canker under a broad range of conditions, but when rape was added to the soil at pH-KCl 6.2, its suppressive effect disappeared completely, probably due to the presence of alternative food sources.In field experiments, oats grown as green manure crop or farmyard manure plus white mustard as green manure crop enhanced the populations of the mycophagous soil fauna and reduced the severity of Rhizoctonia stem and stolon canker. Oats especially increased the populations of mycophagous nematodes, whereas farmyard manure plus white mustard mainly enhanced the populations of mycophagous springtails