In this paper, we develop a qualitative theory of influence diagrams that can be used to model and solve sequential decision making tasks when only qualitative (or imprecise) information is available. Our approach is based on an orderof-magnitude approximation of both probabilities and utilities and allows for specifying partially ordered preferences via sets of utility values. We also propose ...

Finding an optimal elimination ordering is a NP-hard problem of crucial importance for the efficiency of the Influence Diagrams evaluation. Some of the traditional methods for determining the elimination ordering use heuristics that consider that potentials are represented as tables. However, if potentials are represented using binary trees traditional methods may not offer the best results. In...

The effect of various additives such as fly ash, phosphogypsum, jaggery, lime, and polyethylene glycol on green waste composting was investigated through assessing their influence on microbial growth, enzymatic activities, organic matter degradation, bulk density, quality of finished compost including gradation test, heavy metal analysis, etc. A perusal of results showed that addition of jagger...

The influence of Cu, Ag, and Au additives on the L10 ordering, texture, and grain size of FePt thin films has been examined. Lattice parameter data indicated that Au and Ag additives tended to segregate from FePt, but Cu alloyed with FePt. FePt films with Au or Ag additive showed 1–2 kOe higher coercivity values compared to a pure FePt film after annealing at 450 °C and above for 10 min. The ad...

The principle of utilizing a computing program describing precisely the migration of additives from a polymer into a food simulant is presented. The model has been validated with a UV absorber in polypropylene migrating into glyceryl tripelargonate, a pure triglyceride whose behaviour and average molecular weight are similar to Myglyol (a synthetic mixture of C8-C12 triglycerides). Six paramete...

Leaching characteristics of Cs from immobilized waste matrices in different cement-based grouts have been assessed to investigate the influence of the additives on the leaching behavior of the solid waste matrices. The International Atomic Energy’s Agency (IAEA) standard leach method has been employed to study the leach pattern of Cs radionuclide from the immobilized waste form. The examination...

The identification, fine-tuning, and process optimization of appropriate hole transporting layers (HTLs) for organic solar cells is indispensable for the production of efficient and sustainable functional devices. In this study, the optimization of a solution-processed molybdenum oxide (MoOx) layer fabricated from a combustion precursor is carried out via the introduction of zirconium and tin a...

Microstructure plays an essential role in determining the properties of crystalline materials. A widely used method to influence microstructure is the addition of nucleating agents. Observations on films formed from clay-polymer blends indicate that particulate additives, in addition to serving as nucleating agents, may also perturb crystal growth, leading to the formation of irregular dendriti...