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Several methods have been proposed in data envelopment analysis (DEA) for measuring efficiency in problems with interval or ordinal data. In this study, we review the weaknesses and drawbacks of these methods and show how converting ordinal or interval data into precise data can lead to violations of established DEA axioms. One of the axioms violated by these conversion processes is the inclusion of observations axiom, which requires a consistent definition of the production possibility set. We describe the special properties of ordinal and interval data together with their effect on the DEA-based rankings using a theorem and an example. We also propose a new algorithm and apply random... 

Several methods have been proposed in data envelopment analysis (DEA) for measuring efficiency in problems with interval or ordinal data. In this study, we review the weaknesses and drawbacks of these methods and show how converting ordinal or interval data into precise data can lead to violations of established DEA axioms. One of the axioms violated by these conversion processes is the inclusion of observations axiom, which requires a consistent definition of the production possibility set. We describe the special properties of ordinal and interval data together with their effect on the DEA-based rankings using a theorem and an example. We also propose a new algorithm and apply random... 

Purpose: This paper aims to propose a novel matrix-based systematic approach for vulnerability assessment. Design/methodology/approach: The proposed method consists of two major steps. First, the power network is modeled as a topological combination of edges (transmission lines, transformers, etc.) and nodes (buses, substations, etc.). The second step is to use an axiomatic design-based index for topology analysis. This index is based on the systematic counting of possible routes from the start (generators) to destination (loads), considering load importance, before and after a disruption. Findings: The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through an illustrative example and... 

Purpose: This paper aims to propose a novel matrix-based systematic approach for vulnerability assessment. Design/methodology/approach: The proposed method consists of two major steps. First, the power network is modeled as a topological combination of edges (transmission lines, transformers, etc.) and nodes (buses, substations, etc.). The second step is to use an axiomatic design-based index for topology analysis. This index is based on the systematic counting of possible routes from the start (generators) to destination (loads), considering load importance, before and after a disruption. Findings: The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through an illustrative example and... 

Compared with fossil fuel, biomass is a clean energy with zero CO 2 emission, because CO 2 is fixed by photosynthesis during biomass growth and released again during utilization. Due to its low energy density, direct use of biomass is not convenient. Thus, it is necessary to convert biomass to fuel gas, such as hydrogen, which can be used cleanly and highly efficiently in fuel cell. Thermo-chemical gasification is likely to be the most cost-effective conversion process and it is promising technology for renewable hydrogen production by utilizing biomass. Biomass gasification produces a mixture of gases (mainly consisting of H 2, CO, CO 2, CH 4 and higher hydrocarbons), solids (char) and...