An Integrated Fuzzy Fault Tree Model with Bayesian Network-Based Maintenance Optimization of Complex Equipment in Automotive Manufacturing

Process integrity, insufficient data, and system complexity in the automotive manufacturing sector are the major uncertainty factors used to predict failure probability (FP), and which are very influential in achieving a reliable maintenance program. To deal with such uncertainties, this study proposes a fuzzy fault tree analysis (FFTA) approach as a proactive knowledge-based technique to estimate the FP towards a convenient maintenance plan in the automotive manufacturing industry. Furthermore, in order to enhance the accuracy of the FFTA model in predicting FP, the effective decision attributes, such as the experts’ trait impacts; scales variation; and assorted membership, and the defuzzification functions were investigated. Moreover, due to the undynamic relationship between the failures of complex systems in the current FFTA model, a Bayesian network (BN) theory was employed. The results of the FFTA model revealed that the changes in various decision attributes were not statistically significant for FP variation, while the BN model, that considered conditional rules to reflect the dynamic relationship between the failures, had a greater impact on predicting the FP. Additionally, the integrated FFTA–BN model was used in the optimization model to find the optimal maintenance intervals according to the estimated FP and total expected cost. As a case study, the proposed model was implemented in a fluid filling system in an automotive assembly line. The FPs of the entire system and its three critical subsystems, such as the filling headset, hydraulic–pneumatic circuit, and the electronic circuit, were estimated as 0.206, 0.057, 0.065, and 0.129, respectively. Moreover, the optimal maintenance interval for the whole filling system considering the total expected costs was determined as 7th with USD 3286 during 5000 h of the operation time.

Assignment model with multi-objective linear programming for allocating choice ranking using recurrent neural network

Classic linear assignment method is a multi-criteria decision-making approach in which criteria are weighted and each rank is assigned to a choice. In this study, to abandon the requirement of calculating the weight of criteria and use decision attributes prioritizing and also to be able to assign a rank to more than one choice, a multi-objective linear programming (MOLP) method is suggested. The objective function of MOLP is defined for each attribute and MOLP is solved based on absolute priority and comprehensive criteria methods. For solving the linear programming problems we apply a recurrent neural network (RNN). Indeed, the Lyapunov stability of the model is proved. Results of comparing the proposed method with TOPSIS, VICOR, and MOORA methods which are the most common multi-criteria decision schemes show that the proposed approach is more compatible with these methods.

Structure-Activity Relationships of the Imidazolium Compounds as Antibacterials of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

This paper presents the results of structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies of 140 3,3’-(α,ω-dioxaalkan)bis(1-alkylimidazolium) chlorides. In the SAR analysis, the dominance-based rough set approach (DRSA) was used. For analyzed compounds, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was determined. In order to perform the SAR analysis, a tabular information system was formed, in which tested compounds were described by means of condition attributes, characterizing the structure (substructure parameters and molecular descriptors) and their surface properties, and a decision attribute, classifying compounds with respect to values of MIC. DRSA allows to induce decision rules from data describing the compounds in terms of condition and decision attributes, and to rank condition attributes with respect to relevance using a Bayesian confirmation measure. Decision rules present the most important relationships between structure and surface properties of the compounds on one hand, and their antibacterial activity on the other hand. They also indicate directions of synthesizing more efficient antibacterial compounds. Moreover, the analysis showed differences in the application of various parameters for Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, respectively.

A prescriptive framework for recommending decision attributes of infrastructure disaster recovery problems

This paper proposes a framework to systematically evaluate and select attributes of decision models used in disaster risk management. In doing so, we formalized the attribute selection process as a sequential screening-utility problem by formulating a prescriptive decision model. The aim is to assist decision-makers in producing a ranked list of attributes and selecting a set among them. We developed an evaluation process consisting of ten criteria in three sequential stages. We used a combination of three decision rules for the evaluation process, alongside mathematically integrated compensatory and non-compensatory techniques as the aggregation methods. We implemented the framework in the context of disaster resilient transportation network to investigate its performance and outcomes. Results show that the framework acted as an inclusive systematic decision aiding mechanism and promoted creative and collaborative decision-making. Preliminary investigations suggest the successful application of the framework in evaluating and selecting a tenable set of attributes. Further analyses are required to discuss the performance of the produced attributes. The properties of the resulting attributes and feedback of the users suggest the quality of outcomes compared to the retrospective attributes that were selected in an unaided selection process. Research and practice can use the framework to conduct a systematic problem-structuring phase of decision analysis and select an equitable set of decision attributes.

Public Transportation Service Quality Evaluation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Amman City Using Integrated Approach Fuzzy AHP-Kendall Model

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected public transportation worldwide, and its implications need to be evaluated and study deeply on all public transportation aspects. Therefore, an analysis has been created to examine the effects of the pandemic on public transportation service quality decisions to have a better vision of the different stakeholders’ needs to keep the system functioning in a profitable way. Stakeholder participation in complex, multi-criteria decision-making often produces very different results in prioritizing the decision attributes. Rank correlation techniques generally measure the degree of agreement or non-agreement among the evaluator groups. However, the multi-criteria methodology can determine not only ordinal but also cardinal priorities. Consequently, except for the attributes’ positions, the weight values are also significant in the final decision. This paper aims to apply a more sophisticated measure of group agreement than rank correlation. First, the Fuzzy-hierarchical analytical process (FAHP) has been used to find out the aggregated weights, then the Kendall correlation values are computed to reveal stakeholder opinions. Finally, the agreement measure approach has been tested in a real-world case study: the public transport development decision of Amman, Jordan. The analysis shows that by applying the Kendall technique, Kendall could gain a more profound insight into the priority characteristics of different evaluator groups.

Novel multi-criteria decision-making methods with soft rough q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets and q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft rough sets

The aim of this paper is to introduce the concepts of soft rough q-rung orthopair fuzzy set (SRqROFS) and q-rung orthopair fuzzy soft rough set (qROPFSRS) based on soft rough set and fuzzy soft relation, respectively. We define some fundamental operations on both SRqROFS and qROPFSRS and discuss some key properties of these models by using upper and lower approximation operators. The suggested models are superior than existing soft rough sets, intuitionistic fuzzy soft rough sets and Pythagorean fuzzy soft rough sets. These models are more efficient to deal with vagueness in multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. We develop Algorithm i (i = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) for the construction of SRqROFS, construction of qROFSRS, selection of a smart phone, ranking of beautiful public parks, and ranking of government challenges, respectively. The notions of upper reduct and lower reduct based on the upper approximations and lower approximations by variation of the decision attributes are also proposed. The applications of the proposed MCDM methods are demonstrated by respective numerical examples. The idea of core is used to find a unanimous optimal decision which is obtained by taking the intersection of all lower reducts and upper reducts.

Interval Intuitionistic Fuzzy Decision Model with Abnormal Information and Its Application in Talent Selection

In some complex decision-making problems such as talent selection, experts often hesitate between multiple evaluation values during their decision making and can only give a range of information due to the fuzziness and imprecision of qualitative decision-making attributes. Interval intuitionistic fuzzy sets and their decision-making methods provide a useful tool to describe the fuzziness of decision attributes and decision experts’ hesitation. However, the abnormal information in the expert decision information has not been considered in the previous works; that is, some interval intuitionistic fuzzy numbers exceed the defined interval range. This kind of abnormal decision information often makes it difficult to obtain accurate decision results using the decision model. To avoid the abnormal information influence on decision-making results, the hesitancy degree-based interval intuitionistic fuzzy sets are employed to propose an adaptive correction method of abnormal information, which can correct the abnormal decision information without changing the decision preference of experts. The abnormal information correction method is utilized to construct a new interval intuitionistic fuzzy entropy by combining hesitancy and fuzziness. This provides a multiattribute decision-making method, including abnormal decision information. Finally, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method and decision-making model are evaluated using an application case study of talent selection.

Assessment of the Predictive Capability of VERA—CS for CASL Challenge Problems

This paper describes the process for assessing the predictive capability of the Consortium for the advanced simulation of light-water reactors (CASL) virtual environment for reactor applications code suite (VERA—CS) for different challenge problems. The assessment process is guided by the two qualitative frameworks, i.e., phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) and predictive capability maturity model (PCMM). The capability and credibility of VERA codes (individual and coupled simulation codes) are evaluated. Capability refers to evidence of required functionality for capturing phenomena of interest while credibility refers to the evidence that provides confidence in the calculated results. For this assessment, each challenge problem defines a set of phenomenological requirements (based on PIRT) against which the VERA software is evaluated. This approach, in turn, enables the focused assessment of only those capabilities that are relevant to the challenge problem. The credibility assessment using PCMM is based on different decision attributes that encompass verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification (VVUQ) of the CASL codes. For each attribute, a maturity score from zero to three is assigned to ascertain the acquired maturity level of the VERA codes with respect to the challenge problem. Credibility in the assessment is established by mapping relevant evidence obtained from VVUQ of codes to the corresponding PCMM attribute. The illustration of the proposed approach is presented using one of the CASL challenge problems called chalk river unidentified deposit (CRUD) induced power shift (CIPS). The assessment framework described in this paper can be considered applicable to other M & S code development efforts.

Construction of Perioperative Preoperative Evaluation Platform Based on Privacy Protection

The perioperative preoperative evaluation occupies an important guiding position in the perioperative process, but the data to be evaluated has the characteristics of clutter, inefficiency, and high redundancy, and the manual evaluation effect is difficult to guarantee. This article proposes the concept of constructing a regional perioperative pre-operative evaluation platform, collecting medical data in a certain spatial area, and using data mining technology to mine hidden associations in medical data to provide a reference for pre-operative evaluation. We propose a verification mining method based on the original frequent item mining technology, which greatly improves the mining speed. At the same time, to protect privacy, when publishing data in the FP-tree mode, we count the support of decision attributes and the order of item set. The experimental results show that while satisfying the privacy protection, it has high mining accuracy and has certain clinical feasibility.