Decisions are made every day and by everyone. As these decisions become more important, involve higher costs and affect a broader group of stakeholders it becomes essential to establish a more rigorous strategy than simply intuition or "going with your gut." In the past several decades, the concept of Value Focused Thinking (VFT) has gained much acclaim in assisting Decision Makers (DMs) in this very effort. By identifying and organizing what a DM values VFT is able to decompose the original problem and create a mathematical model to score and rank alternatives to be chosen. But what if the decision should not be completely decomposed? What if there are factors that are inextricably linked rather than independent? In the past several years, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have quickly become the number one killer of American troops overseas. To this end the Joint IED Defeat Organization worked to create a VFT model to solicit and grade countermeasure proposals as candidates for funding. While much time and care was put into soliciting a valid VFT hierarchy from the appropriate DM, it does not represent the only option. With JIEDDO as an example this paper examines a strategy to better reflect a DM's combined values in a way which is understandable to the DM and maintains a level of mathematical rigor.

The human body is a complicated and beautiful machine, governed by the laws of physics and chemistry. By understanding its physiology - how it performs its varied functions - it is possible to build strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. In this latest edition, expanded and restructured coverage of sensory physiology and the respiratory system, a new comprehensive glossary of key terms, and additional online learning resources make Human Physiology even more student-friendly than its predecessors. Human Physiology provides clear explanations of the principles that govern the body's physiological processes and shows how these can be applied. This is the ideal course companion for any student needing a solid foundation in the subject for a future career in human biology, biomedical science, or medicine. Online resources Student resources - Numerical and clinical problems - Multiple choice questions - Web links Lecturer resources - Figures from the book