In the last decade, several approaches have been proposed for merging multiple and potentially conflicting pieces of information. Egalitarist fusion modes privilege solutions that minimize the (local) dissatisfaction of each agent (source, expert) who is involved in the fusion process. This paper proposes useful strategies for an egalitarist fusion of incommensurable ranked belief bases under c...

this research was designed to evaluate and compare the applicability of two different types of irrigation including traditionally (surface irrigation) and simple sub-surface drip irrigation (using pricked-pipe covered with plastic cloth). two plots containing 39 pistachio trees with 720 m2 area were selected in rafsanjan, iran. both plots were irrigated using exactly the same quantity and quali...

We investigate the operational decisions and resulting profits for a supply chain facing price-dependent demand under a policy where there is an ex-ante commitment made on the retail price markup. We obtain closed-form solutions for this policy under the assumption of a multiplicative demand function and we analytically compare its performance with that of a traditional price-only policy. We co...

Transparent motion involves the integration and segmentation of local motion signals. Previous research found a cost for processing transparent random dot motions relative to single coherent motions. However, this cost can be the result of the increased complexity of the transparent stimuli. We investigated this possibility by measuring the efficiency of transparent and coherent motions. Since ...

The concept of the core is reformulated to handle externality problems where the total payoff for a coalition depends upon the actions of the players outside the coalition. A deviating coalition has rational expectations of the outsiders’ individual attempts to stop the deviation and their coalitional response if the deviaiton cannot be stopped, with the coalitional response itself a core solut...

It is well-known that if the parties in a legal dispute agree about the likelihood of potential trial outcomes then they will be inclined to settle vs. going to trial in order to reduce litigation costs and risk. In this paper, we assume that both plaintiff and defendant evaluate this decision in accordance with Cumulative Prospect Theory. It is found that the two parties will sometimes be unab...

Transmission gratings that combine a large diffraction angle with a high diffraction efficiency and a low angular and wavelength dispersion could be used to collect sunlight in a light guide. In this paper we compare the diffractive properties of polarization gratings and classical surface-relief gratings and explore their possible use in solar concentrators. It is found that polarization grati...

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In this study, we fabricated a superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic protonated melamine sponge for effective separation of water-rich immiscible oil/water mixtures with extremely high separation efficiency. This protonated melamine sponge exhibited excellent antifouling properties and could be used to separate oil/water mixtures continuously for up to 12 h without any increase in the...