Threshold decisions: how social workers prioritize referrals of child concern

This paper examines local authority social workers' decision‐making when considering referrals of children, where the concerns are on the margin of child protection procedures. In doing so, it describes the findings of a qualitative research study undertaken in the policy context of attempts to ‘refocus’ social work practice in the late 1990s and early twenty‐first century. Data collection involved interviews with social workers and parents in 23 cases. Conclusions are that referrals were evaluated on the basis of five key factors, specificity, severity, risk, parental accountability and corroboration, the use of which determined whether an initial assessment or an investigation of alleged abuse took place. The analysis builds on previous work in the child protection field, but demonstrates how the application of these factors differs between cases of child concern and cases of child protection. Policy implications concern the complexity of decision‐making in the uncertain context of limited referral information and it is proposed that the simplistic notion of a continuum of abuse is now outdated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种基于神经网络和决策树的信用评估新方法

分析了数据挖掘在国内外金融领域的应用及研究现状,提出了一种基于神经网络和决策树相结合的信用评估新方法。该方法通过RBF神经网络,进行条件属性裁减,并利用决策树抽取出评估规则。此方法利用神经网络的“黑箱”工作特性,选择重要条件属性,并利用决策树自动生成评估规则,大大提高了信用评估的效率和客观性。     

基于数据挖掘的客户关系分析评价系统

分析功能的深化是客户关系管理(CRM)的一大发展趋势,应用数据挖掘技术建立的CRM分析评价系统,可以对客户的行为以及市场趋势进行有效的分析,为企业的各种决策提供定性和定量的依据。该系统主要模块包括:客户细分模块、客户行为分析模块和市场趋势分析模块。以上各个模块涉及了企业关心的各种客户行为及市场行为,通过各个模块的分析,企业可以辨认出高端客户,理解各种客户行为模式,并掌握市场发展趋势以保证企业在激烈的竞争中立于不败之地。     

论现代企业品牌管理

美国经济的衰退和全球高新技术市场的增长滞缓 ,给寻求跨地域发展的企业投下了重重的阴影 ,以往成功的经验已不足以借鉴。中国企业目前所具有的竞争力只能保持 3- 5年的时间。加入WTO后 ,中国企业品牌的寿命周期将会大大缩短。面对国际、国内环境的巨大变化 ,企业品牌的核心竞争力必须进行重新评价和创意。     

西方国家高校组织的自主权及其启示

西方国家高校组织的自主权是通过大学内部立法、决策领导、组织协调、咨询等办学活动来实现的。大学自治组织系统主要由董事会 (校务会 )、校长、评议会等组成。校长由董事会 (校务会 )选举或产生 ,代表其行使学校决策及日常事务管理。大学自治组织一般拥有组织教学、筹集经费、开展学术研究、人事使用等权力 ,而这些权力的行使一方面要受到大学内部各种权力系统、管理层以及利益集团的制约 ,同时还要受到来自大学外部的各种专门组织和社会团体的监督     

实物期权在石油勘探中的应用

金融期权在避险方面得到广泛应用，如何规避现实生活中大量不可交易的资产的风险日益引起人们的重视，实物期权就是规避风险的一种创新。本文以石油勘探开发为例，具体阐述了在投资过程中可能遇到的实物期权，推导出项目估价的理论公式，最后对实物期权的应用做了简单评论。     

项目管理:基于生命周期和基于职能活动的管理

对应着项目的"一次性"和"多项活动复合性"的本质特征,项目管理有两种基本模式,即基于生命周期的项目管理和基于职能活动的项目管理,二者的内容体系不同,各有优劣,模式的选用要综合考虑项目的具体性质和企业的发展现状.     

Bayesian validation assessment of multivariate computational models

Multivariate model validation is a complex decision-making problem involving comparison of multiple correlated quantities, based upon the available information and prior knowledge. This paper presents a Bayesian risk-based decision method for validation assessment of multivariate predictive models under uncertainty. A generalized likelihood ratio is derived as a quantitative validation metric based on Bayes’ theorem and Gaussian distribution assumption of errors between validation data and model prediction. The multivariate model is then assessed based on the comparison of the likelihood ratio with a Bayesian decision threshold, a function of the decision costs and prior of each hypothesis. The probability density function of the likelihood ratio is constructed using the statistics of multiple response quantities and Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed methodology is implemented in the validation of a transient heat conduction model, using a multivariate data set from experiments. The Bayesian methodology provides a quantitative approach to facilitate rational decisions in multivariate model assessment under uncertainty.     

Optimal sampling for repeated binary measurements

The authors consider the optimal design of sampling schedules for binary sequence data. They propose an approach which allows a variety of goals to be reflected in the utility function by including deterministic sampling cost, a term related to prediction, and if relevant, a term related to learning about a treatment effect To this end, they use a nonparametric probability model relying on a minimal number of assumptions. They show how their assumption of partial exchangeability for the binary sequence of data allows the sampling distribution to be written as a mixture of homogeneous Markov chains of order k. The implementation follows the approach of Quintana & Müller (2004), which uses a Dirichlet process prior for the mixture.     

Ranking Nuclear and Radiological Terrorism Scenarios: The Italian Case

A quantitative criterion for ranking the different scenarios of nuclear and radiological terrorism has been developed. The aim of the model is not to predict terroristic events but only to indicate which scenario has the higher utility from the point of view of a terroristic organization in terms of balance between factors favoring and discouraging the attack, respectively. All these factors were quantified according to a scoring system that takes into account the logarithmic relationship between perceptions and stimuli. The criterion was applied to several scenarios, each of which was modeled in a simple but not trivial way in order to estimate the expected damage in terms of probable life losses from both radiative and nonradiative effects. The outcome from the ranking method indicates that the attractive scenario appears to be the detonation of a low yield improvised nuclear device in the metropolitan area of a major city.