Search

In this paper, we consider a real-world retailer-led three-echelon CLSC with substitutable products in a beverage industry consisting of a manufacturer, a distributor, and a retailer. The manufacturer produces the same product in two different types of packaging, one being a returnable glass bottle (RGB) and the other being a disposable bottle (OW) and the consumer chooses depending on their preference. The RGB is then returned via the specialized distributor, who must ensure the sorting of the returned bottles and their reverse logistics back to the manufacturer. We analyse the CLSC with the dominant role of the retailer and compare the Stackelberg equilibrium with the Nash equilibrium where all CLSC members are equally strong. We prove that the CLSC can make higher profits if the product mix is skewed towards the RGB product. Our analysis also shows that a retailer-led CLSC can be coordinated with an RS contract to achieve a fair share of a double increase in total profits for all partners if the retailer manages its leadership position and maximises its bargaining power. From a game theoretic perspective, we show that our Stackelberg equilibrium is also acceptable in the pure vertical Nash game. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis explains why it is so difficult to negotiate and coordinate a real CLSC in a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, because it is unlikely that the dominant retailer would participate in the coordination negotiations and give up its margins for the benefit of all CLSCs, which is necessary to ensure the effect of reducing prices for the final consumer. This is all set in the real beverage CLSC using actual cost parameters thus providing valuable managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the internal rate of return (IRR) assessment of subsidised production. The difference between the result of IRR calculation and the reality can be largely attributed to uncertainty about the future market price and demand. Thus, in the IRR model the intervals of possible input values instead of uncertain point values should be taken into account. Within the intervals of the input values there is no relevant reason to prefer one value over another. The fuzzy approach is applied to decide whether or not the system of subsidies is adequate in terms of IRR. It leans on the "fuzzy numbers", which are generalisations of real numbers within the meaning of not referring to a single value but rather to intervals of possible values. The results are then compared with the conventional statistical approach of IRR single-value evaluation. The analogy between the conventional statistical and fuzzy approach is shown on the theoretical level. The practical contribution of this paper lies in the IRR assessment of a subsidised electric car production project. Two scenarios of possible project development are considered. In the study, we derive the algorithm to calculate the average probability of the appearance of the subjectively expected IRR, which is compared with the minimum required profitability. We show that the IRR evaluation of the subsidised production should not be underestimated. The need to verify the adequacy of a subsidised project by a proper tool is given by the fact that many investors mistakenly believe that subsidies will ensure the required profitability. The use of statistical methods in a state of uncertainty can lead to misleading results. The fuzzy analysis offers the investors involving the subjective risk in their decision making more benefits and brings more information compared to statistical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many approaches have been designed to solve a stock portfolio selection problem. The aim of this paper is to provide a complex supporting tool for a portfolio selection. So, the problem is seen as a multi-objective one. People tend to settle for a reasonably satisfactory rather than an optimal solution which is provided by the existing methods. That means they substitute the goal of reaching specified aspiration levels for the goal of maximization. Developed Aspiration Level-Oriented procedure (ALOP) is based on searching a linear decision space and current solutions are sought by means of an interactive goal programming approach. Such a procedure has significant advantages for investment decision making. The decision space is searched by changes of aspiration levels using problem-solving approaches. Moreover, the approach can be combined with a weight model of preferences. The power of the developed method is demonstrated on a real investment portfolio making on the RM-SYSTEM Czech stock exchange. A stock portfolio process is performed for two most typical investment strategies-dividend-oriented and capital-oriented investor. The essential criteria (objectives) are determined, as well as their importance (according to the investor's preferences). After a decision making procedure, their resulting portfolios are analysed and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's economy, many activities are networked. The importance of network industries that deliver products and services is growing. Traditionally, only the effects of competition have been analysed within networks. Companies are increasingly finding that even the cooperation of competitors can bring benefits to all involved. The concept of co-opetition is a mix of competition and cooperation that captures the advantages of both approaches and also changes the business environment. The paper present models and analyses of co-opetition in network industries using biform games as a combination of the non-cooperative and cooperative games theory. The paper proposes the division of the biform games into sequential and simultaneous games. Sequential biform games can be solved consequently by application of non-cooperative and cooperative approaches. Simultaneous biform games can be solved by negotiation using both game approaches at the same time. The models analyse network industries in terms of the total number of members and the number of cooperating members in terms of prices for services and network access fees and are solved by simultaneous biform games. Network interconnections are also analysed, where networks not only provide services on their own network, but also allow access to foreign networks. The model can be solved as a sequential biform game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To enable people to live in old age in their own homes often requires specialised home care services. Despite the high importance of these services, the finance of home nursing care (HNC) is still under-investigated in many countries. The aim of this paper was to describe the finance of HNC in the Czech Republic. Methods: Balancing of revenues and costs was done using structured questionnaires from the closed accounting year 2018 as a monthly average. Nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed ranks tests were used to test hypotheses. Results: Data from 62 providers were analysed. The data included information from a total of 2297 patients and 995 employees. The average of total costs were € 17,591.7 (95% CI 14,175.3 - 21,008.1) and average of total revenues were € 17,276.5 (95% CI 13,923.5 - 20,629.5). The average cost per a patient was € 516.0 (95% CI 465.9–566.1) and the average revenues were € 500.1 (95% CI 457.0–543.3). Conclusions: The overall financial balance of HNC providers seems to be balanced in the Czech Republic. Nevertheless, insurance, although it should, did not cover all the costs. Micro- providers tended to be cheaper regarding the hours worked by nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the extent to which it is possible to label European integration as a new critical juncture of politics in Central Europe by using four Central European countries of Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia as the focus of our investigation. The article presents the historical critical junctures of Central European efforts to liberalise and democratise politics and to create liberal democratic political institutions: the Revolution of 1848, the emergence of independent states in 1918, the Sovietisation of Central Europe between 1945–48 and democratic transition after 1989. We argue that after 2004, when the Central European countries entered the European Union (EU), the claims related to the liberal democratic nature of the EU polity triggered nationalist and illiberal opposition. Therefore, the EU membership has provided a new critical juncture impacting the consolidation or destabilisation of liberal democratic patterns of government. The article further argues that path dependence on the previous critical junctures of Central European politics plays a role in the political development of these countries' stance on European integration. The authors show that there has been a contradiction between nationalism and liberal concept of democracy since the mid-nineteenth century and that this contradiction manifests in critical junctures based on European integration too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to verify the possibility of summing the dose distributions of combined radiotherapeutic treatment of cervical cancer using the extended Lucas‐Kanade algorithm for deformable image registration. Materials and methods: First, a deformable registration of planning computed tomography images for the external radiotherapy and brachytherapy treatment of 10 patients with different parameter settings of the Lucas‐Kanade algorithm was performed. By evaluating the registered data using landmarks distance, root mean square error of Hounsfield units and 2D gamma analysis, the optimal parameter values were found. Next, with another group of 10 patients, the accuracy of the dose mapping of the optimized Lucas‐Kanade algorithm was assessed and compared with Horn‐Schunck and modified Demons algorithms using dose differences at landmarks. Results: The best results of the Lucas‐Kanade deformable registration were achieved for two pyramid levels in combination with a window size of 3 voxels. With this registration setting, the average landmarks distance was 2.35 mm, the RMSE was the smallest and the average gamma score reached a value of 86.7%. The mean dose difference at the landmarks after mapping the external radiotherapy and brachytherapy dose distributions was 1.33 Gy. A statistically significant difference was observed on comparing the Lucas‐Kanade method with the Horn‐Schunck and Demons algorithms, where after the deformable registration, the average difference in dose was 1.60 Gy (P‐value: 0.0055) and 1.69 Gy (P‐value: 0.0012), respectively. Conclusion: Lucas‐Kanade deformable registration can lead to a more accurate model of dose accumulation and provide a more realistic idea of the dose distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the uncertainty resulting from vagueness. Within this topic we present an original version of the fuzzy approach to a foreign investment risk estimation based on values of rating indices. The transition from the basic point values of rating indices into the linguistic values within intervals of linguistic variables of fuzzy logic enables us to take into account the diverse kinds of uncertainty. The theoretical and methodological part submits fundamentals of the general fuzzy model of the vaguely defined problem, which is applied to the problem of the foreign investment "risk" estimation of selected countries of Europe and Asia. The inclusion of a country into one of the categories ("high risk countries", "conditional risk countries" and "non-risk countries") is based on a vector of value indexes of the sub-components of business environment quality (corrupt environment, economic stability and political stability). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a rapidly evolving economic world, projects become tools to support organization goals. Project portfolio is set of all projects that are implemented in the organisation at a time. Possible projects are characterized by sets of inputs and outputs, where inputs are resources for project realisation and outputs measure multiple goals of the organisation. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) is an appropriate approach to select efficient projects. The organisation has its total resources in limited quantities. Designing a portfolio of efficient projects not exceeding the limited resources does not always lead to the most efficient portfolio. De Novo optimisation is an approach for designing optimal systems by reshaping the feasible set. The paper proposes a new approach for project portfolio designing based on a systemic combination of DEA model and De Novo optimisation approach. A total available budget is a restriction on project portfolio. The proposed concept provides designing of optimal project portfolio with the minimal budget. Performance measures of the designed project portfolio are the efficiency of the portfolio and the effectiveness of outputs. Possible extensions of the concept are formulated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers a supply chain where a number of agents are connected in some network relationship. Game theory is a very powerful framework for studying decision making problems, involving a group of agents in a supply chain. Allocation games examine the allocation of value among agents connected by a network. The ongoing actions in the supply chain are a mix of cooperative and non-cooperative behavior of the participants. The paper proposes a two-stage procedure for profit allocation based on combination of non-cooperative and cooperative game approaches. In the first stage, retailers meet customer price-dependent stochastic demand and seek to maximize total profit from the sale. Retailers are trying to align goals with producers on a contract basis and share the total profit with them. In the second stage, the cooperating producers allocate individual profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain is a decentralized system where material, financial and information flows connect economic agents. There is much inefficiency in supply chain behavior. Recently, considerable attention of researchers is drown to provide some incentives to adjust the relationship of supply chain agents to coordinate the supply chain, i.e., the total profit of the decentralized supply chain is equal to that achieved under a centralized system. There is a vast literature on supply chain coordination recently. Most of coordination mechanisms are based on game theory models and contracts between agents of the supply chain. However, little work has been done on using auctions for supply chain coordination. Auctions are important market mechanisms for the allocation of goods and services. A complex trading model between layers of the supply chain is proposed in the paper. The model is based on so called multidimensional auctions. There is possible to formulate multidimensional auctions as mathematical programming problems. Iterative methods are used to solve the problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nuclear Medicine / Nukleární Medicína is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Systémová Integrace is the property of Czech Society for Systems Integration and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Revenue management is the process of understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior in order to maximize revenue. Network revenue management models attempt to maximize revenue when customers buy bundles of multiple resources. The dependence among the resources in such cases is created by customer demand. Network revenue management can be formulated as a stochastic dynamic programming problem whose exact solution is computationally intractable. Solutions are based on approximations of various types. Customer choice behavior modeling has been gaining increasing attention in the revenue management. A framework for solving network revenue management problems with customer choice behavior is proposed. The modeling and solving framework is composed from three inter-related network structures: basic network model, Petri net, and neural net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern jet engines, the efficiency of compressor stages is highly dependent on the clearance between blade tip and casing. To improve efficiency of gas turbines, the gap between the turbine blades and casing has to be minimized. Abradable coatings permit a minimization of the clearance and control of the over-tip leakage by allowing the blade tips to cut into the coating. Thermal sprayed abradables aim at a well-balanced profile of properties relevant for abradable seals. Amongst others these include: abradability, aging resistance, corrosion and oxidation resistance, and bond strength to substrate. Here, abradable coatings consisting of a multiphase material, comprising a metal matrix and a solid lubricant as well as a defined porosity, were developed using the Triplex Pro 200 to increase reproducibility and deposition efficiency. In addition, the influence of the process parameters on coating characteristics (porosity, hardness) and, as a result, erosion properties and abradability was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The network economy is a term for today’s global relationship among economic elements characterized by massive connectivity. The central act of the new era is to connect everything to everything in deep web networks at many levels of mutually interdependent relations, where resources and activities are shared, markets are enlarged and costs and risk are reduced. Network systems contain both positive and negative feedback. A variety of feedback processes create complex system behavior. For such a network the Analytic Network Process (ANP) approach seems to be very appropriate. The ANP method makes it possible to deal systematically with all kinds of dependence and feedback in the system. Dynamic models try to reflect changes in real or simulated time and take into account that the network model components are constantly evolving. Dynamic models use concepts of state variables, flows, and feedback processes. The Dynamic Network Process (DNP) is an extension of ANP that can deal with time dependent priorities in a networked economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a non-parametric method for evaluating the relative efficiency of decision-making units (DMUs) on the basis of multiple inputs and outputs. The typical approach reported in the literature hitherto is that the efficiency evaluations are based on exact input/output data that are recorded for a selected time period. Under this classical interpretation, DEA has found, among others, several applications in measuring the efficiency of bank branches. In this paper we present an approach for dealing with interval data in DEA, which then we apply in assessing the efficiency of branches of a Czech bank. Unlike the original DEA models which evaluate efficiency in terms of past exact, we attempt to evaluate efficiency for a future period by assuming that the levels of inputs and outputs are not known exactly; the true input-output data are known only to lie within bounded intervals which are formed by pessimistic and optimistic estimates for the inputs and outputs. In such an interval data setting, we estimate upper and lower bounds for the efficiency scores of the units (branches). Moreover, we suggest a post DEA-model for discriminating, in terms of endurance, among the efficient units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers an alternative approach to surface water quality management when society is faced with the need to reduce water pollution in a region with a complicated regulatory environment. The paper is focused on a specific kind of negotiation between polluters and an authority, leading to resolution of the problem when there is the information asymmetry between the authority and the polluters, i.e., the true pollution abatement costs are known to the polluters only. This paper reports a laboratory experimental case prepared at the Department of Environmental Economics, the University of Economics in Prague. The comparison with theoretical computed firstbest results under conditions of full information is included. Political and economic aspects of the suggested approach are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfortunately, an incorrect grant number has been published. Please find the correct grant number here: [University of Economics, Prague] under Grant [IGA F4/66/2019] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]