Probabilistic expert systems and graphical modelling: a case study in drug safety

1991 ◽  
Vol 337 (1647) ◽  
pp. 387-405 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Expert Systems ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Joint Probability ◽  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Joint Probability Distribution ◽  
Suspected Adverse Reaction ◽  
Probabilistic Expert Systems ◽  
Post Marketing Surveillance ◽  
Graphical Modelling ◽  
Risk Parameters

Probabilistic expert systems are intended to provide reasoned guidance in complex environments characterized by extensive uncertainty . An explicit 'causal' model is constructed for the process being observed, in which an acyclic directed graph is used to express conditional independence assumptions about variables, and probability assessments specify a full joint probability distribution. The resulting graphical structure can cope with a range of issues that arise in realistic modelling. Here we consider a particular example of assessing the chance that a suspected adverse reaction is due to a particular drug under suspicion. The background biological knowledge provides an appropriate model and probability assessments are obtained from expert microbiologists. The model allows a variety of interpretations for ‘causality’. Details of the graphical and computational algorithms used to perform efficient calculations of conditional probabilities on complex graphical structures are provided and illustrated with the example. Further developments should allow updating of the risk parameters in the light of a series of case reports, and may form the basis for a flexible expert system for causality assessment and post-marketing surveillance.

scholarly journals Probability elicitation using geostatistics in hydrocarbon exploration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Luís Morosov ◽  
Reidar Brumer Bratvold
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Joint Probability ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Joint Probability Distribution ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Geological Information ◽  
Decision Supporting

AbstractThe exploratory phase of a hydrocarbon field is a period when decision-supporting information is scarce while the drilling stakes are high. Each new prospect drilled brings more knowledge about the area and might reveal reserves, hence choosing such prospect is essential for value creation. Drilling decisions must be made under uncertainty as the available geological information is limited and probability elicitation from geoscience experts is key in this process. This work proposes a novel use of geostatistics to help experts elicit geological probabilities more objectively, especially useful during the exploratory phase. The approach is simpler, more consistent with geologic knowledge, more comfortable for geoscientists to use and, more comprehensive for decision-makers to follow when compared to traditional methods. It is also flexible by working with any amount and type of information available. The workflow takes as input conceptual models describing the geology and uses geostatistics to generate spatial variability of geological properties in the vicinity of potential drilling prospects. The output is stochastic realizations which are processed into a joint probability distribution (JPD) containing all conditional probabilities of the process. Input models are interactively changed until the JPD satisfactory represents the expert’s beliefs. A 2D, yet realistic, implementation of the workflow is used as a proof of concept, demonstrating that even simple modeling might suffice for decision-making support. Derivative versions of the JPD are created and their effect on the decision process of selecting the drilling sequence is assessed. The findings from the method application suggest ways to define the input parameters by observing how they affect the JPD and the decision process.

scholarly journals A Note on Equivalence Classes of Directed Acyclic Independence Graphs

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Madigan
Keyword(s):  
Model Selection ◽  
Expert Systems ◽  
Equivalence Classes ◽  
Influence Diagrams ◽  
Single Class ◽  
Selection Procedures ◽  
Probabilistic Expert Systems ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Independence Graphs ◽  
Markov Properties

Directed acyclic independence graphs (DAIGs) play an important role in recent developments in probabilistic expert systems and influence diagrams (Chyu [1]). The purpose of this note is to show that DAIGs can usefully be grouped into equivalence classes where the members of a single class share identical Markov properties. These equivalence classes can be identified via a simple graphical criterion. This result is particularly relevant to model selection procedures for DAIGs (see, e.g., Cooper and Herskovits [2] and Madigan and Raftery [4]) because it reduces the problem of searching among possible orientations of a given graph to that of searching among the equivalence classes.

scholarly journals A TWO-CLASS RETRIAL SYSTEM WITH COUPLED ORBIT QUEUES

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Dimitriou
Keyword(s):  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Kernel Method ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Probability Generating Function ◽  
Joint Probability ◽  
Joint Probability Distribution ◽  
Single Server ◽  
Method Performance ◽  
Service Station ◽  
Queue Length Distribution

We consider a single server system accepting two types of retrial customers, which arrive according to two independent Poisson streams. The service station can handle at most one customer, and in case of blocking, typeicustomer,i=1, 2, is routed to a separate typeiorbit queue of infinite capacity. Customers from the orbits try to access the server according to the constant retrial policy. We consider coupled orbit queues, and thus, when both orbit queues are non-empty, the orbit queueitries to re-dispatch a blocked customer of typeito the main service station after an exponentially distributed time with rate μi. If an orbit queue empties, the other orbit queue changes its re-dispatch rate from μito$\mu_{i}^{\ast}$. We consider both exponential and arbitrary distributed service requirements, and show that the probability generating function of the joint stationary orbit queue length distribution can be determined using the theory of Riemann (–Hilbert) boundary value problems. For exponential service requirements, we also investigate the exact tail asymptotic behavior of the stationary joint probability distribution of the two orbits with either an idle or a busy server by using the kernel method. Performance metrics are obtained, computational issues are discussed and a simple numerical example is presented.

scholarly journals Reducing the Complexity of Casual Representation in Bayesian Belief Network

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1243
Author(s):  
Yit Yin Wee ◽  
Shing Chiang Tan ◽  
KuokKwee Wee
Keyword(s):  
Causal Model ◽  
Knowledge Engineering ◽  
Joint Probability ◽  
Bayesian Belief Network ◽  
Joint Probability Distribution ◽  
Causal Knowledge ◽  
Belief Network ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Probability Table ◽  
Causal Framework

Background: Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) is a well-established causal framework that is widely adopted in various domains and has a proven track record of success in research and application areas. However, BBN has weaknesses in causal knowledge elicitation and representation. The representation of the joint probability distribution in the Conditional Probability Table (CPT) has increased the complexity and difficulty for the user either in comprehending the causal knowledge or using it as a front-end modelling tool.   Methods: This study aims to propose a simplified version of the BBN ─ Bayesian causal model, which can represent the BBN intuitively and proposes an inference method based on the simplified version of BBN. The CPT in the BBN is replaced with the causal weight in the range of[-1,+1] to indicate the causal influence between the nodes. In addition, an inferential algorithm is proposed to compute and propagate the influence in the causal model.  Results: A case study is used to validate the proposed inferential algorithm. The results show that a Bayesian causal model is able to predict and diagnose the increment and decrement as in BBN.   Conclusions: The Bayesian causal model that serves as a simplified version of BBN has shown its advantages in modelling and representation, especially from the knowledge engineering perspective.

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