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• The current nursing students belong to a unique generation of learners called Gen Z which differ in their learning style and preference, especially in the area of feedback. • This paper identified the feedback preferences of these learners to improve and facilitate clinical teaching and learning process. • Feedback is an essential element of the teaching and learning process where the knowledge from this paper can help nurse educators improve the feedback mechanism by facilitation of immediate, constructive and facilitative process. Generation Z learners are considered digital natives, fast decision makers and are highly connected learners which pose a challenge to the nurse educators because of their evolving preferences in learning outside of traditional nursing strategies. Conjoint analysis was conducted among 274, full-time sophomore nursing students recruited through cluster random sampling. Data was collected from August to October 2019 using 13 orthogonal cards reflecting different categories of the attributes of feedback. Conjoint analysis transformed rankings into part-worth utilities or the relative preference. Nursing students prefer a feedback mechanism that provides immediate, constructive, and guided appraisal from their clinical instructors or educators. In terms of importance the type of feedback (43.85%) was considered most important factor followed by timing (22.37%), method (17.93%) and source of feedback (15.85%) respectively. Student preference and educator approaches should appropriately blend to promote optimized learning opportunities among generation Z nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to conclude the methods researchers used in each step of customer value-based pricing with conjoint analysis. This would help the practitioners in application to determine an optimal price easier. Research papers in international data based were convenience random sampling. The results showed the percentage of alternatives in each step. In the step of attributes generation, a consumer survey is used mostly. Several methods were used in level generation. The number of attributes ranged from four to six. Mostly, the level scales were non-metric and ranged from two to five in amounts. The choice-based technique was preferred to full profiles. Discrete choice models or pair comparisons were preferred to ranking and rating in the data collection process. The analysis methods were varied but the regression analysis was most used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current highly competitive market environment, a critical success factor for enterprises is the ability to rapidly respond to customer requirements (CRs). This paper proposes a novel method for rapid response to CRs in product optimization design via conjoint analysis-quality function deployment(CA-QFD).The key characteristic is the new CA-QFD transformation method integrating conjoint analysis and traditional QFD, which can accurately transform CRs into product design attributes. Finally, an example for product optimization design by forging a machine's main hydraulic cylinder is carried out to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to identify the most preferred business models for sustainable last-mile delivery among e-customers and to evaluate their impact on the environment, economics, and society. To achieve this purpose, the authors conducted a survey and applied conjoint analysis, the Delphi method, and the MCDM: Promethee-Gaia. The research shows that price is the most significant factor for e-customers when choosing a delivery method. However, experts did not consider the business models for last-mile delivery and return preferred by e-customers sustainable. These models create value for customers but not for the urban community at large. The research shows a business model for last-mile delivery that can offer a compromise between creating value for e-customers and co-creating value for the city. The results offer valuable guidelines for both courier companies and local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a curve-fitting technique that complements existing estimation tools. • The average WTP for 1 Mbps faster internet is $1.13 per month. • The average WTP for a 1-tier quality upgrade is $45.52 per month. • Users with the lowest speed/quality benefit the most from a given internet subsidy. • WTP largely varies based on income and employment status. This paper adds to a growing literature on the willingness to pay (WTP) for internet services. We surveyed 5,200 respondents across four demographically diverse United States (US) states, and developed a curve-fitting WTP estimation technique that builds on existing conjoint analysis models. We find that users are willing to pay an extra $1.13 per month for a 1 megabits per second (Mbps) faster internet and $45.52 per month for better connection quality. We document a strong non-linearity: a given speed increment generates the most value for users with the slowest internet but confers negligible value on users with the fastest internet. Specifically, improving speed from 1 Mbps to 25 Mbps creates 2.32 times more value than improving from 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps. A similar non-linearity arises in terms of internet quality. We report large WTP discrepancies by income levels and employment status. The results corroborate that internet subsidies are most impactful if they first assist users with the poorest internet access. In this sense, subsidizing the right population could be as important as – if not more important than – raising funds to subsidize internet access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marketplace-based e-commerce is the dominant type so far. Therefore, it is important to understand the decisional attributes and their relevance for online consumers when choosing marketplaces. However, little research is devoted to this issue. This paper outlines seven attributes of marketplace based on three theories, including ease of use, usefulness, logistics service quality, effectiveness of feedback mechanisms, effectiveness of escrow service, effectiveness of information security services, and effectiveness of dispute resolution mechanisms. Via conjoint analysis methodology, we find that for the whole sample effectiveness of dispute resolution is the most important attribute, whereas logistics service quality is the least important one. The results further reveal gender has impacts on the relative strength of each attribute: while male buyers think some attributes (i.e., effectiveness of dispute resolution mechanisms and effectiveness of information security services) are more important than others (i.e., logistics service quality), female buyers consider that each attribute is equally important. This study suggests that institutional theory and technology adoption model offer more relevant theoretical perspective than the logistics service theory for marketplace choice. Though having limitations including focusing on young users in one region, this paper offers several theoretical contributions to research and some insights for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketing simulations have been a vital tool in nowadays' digitized world as they help users become more familiar with some marketing concepts and tools that contribute to a better decision-making process both in simulations and in real life. The scope of the paper is to portray some of the main market research tools and reports that are used in the Markstrat by StratX marketing simulation, such as industry benchmarking, consumer survey and panel, distribution panel, semantic scales, multidimensional scaling, competitive intelligence, experiments, market forecasting and conjoint analysis. In relation to this aspect, the methodology used was based on the research of secondary sources such as articles and books. The findings show that the market research components are useful for any stakeholder who wants to take more informed and better marketing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planning and realisation of road infrastructure projects is often societally controversial because of the impacts and the difficult trade-offs between alternative project designs. Neither in current literature nor in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) practice do we find any clear method to engage the public in integral trade-off choices. This paper aims to uncover public preferences about integrated road infrastructure projects, not by focusing directly on the – often contested – alternative project designs but by focusing on the size of the impacts. This paper examines the preferences for combinations of impacts and the corresponding orders of magnitude. We do so by employing Conjoint Analysis (CA), a well-established method in consumer studies which, to date, has rarely been used in infrastructure planning. CA systematically estimates public preferences for (1) the relative importance of selected impacts and (2) the corresponding Willingness-to-Pay and Willingness-to-Accept. We used the total range in sizes of impacts of three existing EIAs for infrastructure projects and asked 600 citizens to trade off the impacts involved. First, we find that public and policy preferences do not necessarily align. The CA results show that loss of 'forest and green structures' and 'agricultural land' are considered to be the most important impacts. Conversely, in each of the projects, travel time gain is regarded as the least important impact. Second, the order of magnitude of the impacts seems crucially important: the greater the magnitude of the impact, the higher its relative importance. Third, when comparing our results with the alternatives in the original EIAs, it appears that the project alternative with the highest weighted public preference required an optimised project design. We find that our systematic approach to uncover public preferences at this stage in the EIA-process can contribute to further design optimisation of the project. This stage is often overlooked in the process while it is the last EIA stage before the final approval decision is made, but the first time that the forecasted size of the impacts of the different alternative designs of a project are available and presented. Such an approach may enhance the development of alternatives that are more widely accepted by the communities and that thus potentially alleviate or even prevent social contestation. • Improving public participation in the final stages of the EIA process. • Enable project managers to optimise design alternatives based on public preferences. • Conjoint Analysis uncovers public preferences for combinations of impacts. • The greater the magnitude of an EIA impact, the higher its relative importance. • Size of impact matters in optimizing alternative road development designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The mining area and the surrounding land cover changes on the southern slope of Qilian Mountains in the northeast of Qinghai Tibet Plateau. • Estimating the surrounding ecosystem services variation and loss due to the spatial adjacency effect of the mining areas. • Trade-off analysis between mining benefits and loss of ecosystem service values in fragile Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Abstract Surface mining can destroy the ecosystems and result in the loss of the service values of the surrounding ecosystems through direct occupation and indirect impact on the neighboring ecosystems. In the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), where the ecological system is fragile and sensitive, the mining development has led to a series of ecological and environmental issues and social controversies and aroused much attention in the recent years. This paper selected six typical open-pit coal mines in the Southern Slope of Qilian Mountain (SSQM) in the northern QTP to monitor the changes of mining extent and the surrounding land cover from 1975 to 2016 and estimate the surrounding ecosystem service value (ESV) changes by considering spatial adjacency effects. A trade-off analysis is finally employed to compare the mining benefit and ESV loss associated with the development of mining areas. Results showed that the mining areas increased in six regions, especially after year 2000, which resulted in the decline of wetland, meadow and grassland areas. The regional ecosystem service values decreased with the expansion of mining areas, and the spatial adjacency effect has accelerated with the loss of ecosystem service value, especially the service value of wetlands and hydrological regulation function. The larger the mining extent and unit area value of the surrounding ecosystem services, the greater the ESV loss due to mining activities, and the dispersive and disorderly exploitation of mining areas will also result in a rapid increase in ESV loss, while mining development in areas with lower ESV is more beneficial. The results of this paper are instructive to the development and planning of mineral resources in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and other ecologically fragile areas. Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global challenges have exacerbated a search for solutions to poverty and environmental degradation. Integration it was argued would help address the twin challenge. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was supposed to be that magic bullet and was embraced by scientists because of the clinical efficiency with which it argued for integrated analysis of sectors and resources and of systems and scale conditions. This paper argues that effective implementation of the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus can be supported by robust science. The corollary that robust science automatically leads to effective implementation is not always known to be true. The nexus approach sheds light on the challenges of implementation by introducing concepts of trade-offs and thresholds and consequently emphasizes the importance of transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable development. This paper reviews the results of recent research to offer tentative answers to the following questions: (a) Why is the governance dimension important to undertake an integrated analysis of water-energy-food challenges? (b) What does the nexus approach connote in normative and institutional terms? (c) What does implementation mean in nexus terms? (d) How can we establish if the nexus approach is an improvement over business as usual? and (e) What tools are available that would enable translation of results of scientific research to create an evidence base that would enable decision makers to act in support of sustainable development? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As universities experience a declining number of applicants for their MBA programs, business schools are pressured to adjust their curriculum. This paper suggests using conjoint analysis to understand the needs of prospective students. The authors segmented the market preferences toward the university's MBA program into three groups - high, medium and low utility. The high utility group preferred the current program, the low group would likely never consider it, but the medium group could be enticed with programmatic changes. The findings suggest that an increase in applications could occur by addressing the needs of the medium group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apart from the ethical argument around trade-off that individuals have to make between monetary and non-monetary value, application of stated preference method was exposed to another criticism related to the complexity of biodiversity issue and the capacity of the general public to provide accurate responses to willingness to pay elicitation survey. This paper tests how providing information about the ecological processes underlying forest management scenarios affects public preferences and their valuation of biodiversity in publicly owned forest land in France. The generalized multinomial logit models applied to choice experiment data suggests that all respondents adopt the same heuristics based on easily visible aspects of forest landscape, to reveal their use and nonuse values of biodiversity. However, when they receive additional ecological information, only those who are familiar with the biodiversity concept, have awareness of issues at stake, and have a regular use of forest tend to attach higher values to less known biodiversity component (fallen deadwood in this case). The paper concludes that “mass media campaign” has to be completed by environmental literacy programs, to improve people’s awareness and understanding of what biodiversity means from ecological functioning, then making economic valuation a useful tool from a conservation perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability transitions literature has emphasized the analytical challenges in understanding the trade-offs in protecting niche innovations. This paper builds on an emerging body of literature that argues that the concept of field-configuring events (FCE) is useful for understanding such trade-offs. We explore how this concept can be fruitful for analysis of niche protection in solar PV technology in India. The paper finds two important focal points of debate: (1) supporting domestic capabilities to improve competitiveness; and (2) using public financial mechanisms efficiently. Our research suggests that, whilst FCEs indeed seem an appropriate venue for investigating on-going debates in niche protection, it is challenging to develop causal relationships between these events and their wider, field-level influence. As such, the paper reflects conceptually on the usefulness of the notion of FCEs as temporally and spatially bounded venues for analysis of emerging niche trajectories and their politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current state of wearable device market is in a chasm, which indicates a disconnect of high technology adoption between early adopters and early majorities. The purpose of this paper is to suggest features of wearable device which will provide a successful beachhead for its adoption from early majorities. Our suggestion is based on the two step analyses consisting of the patent network analysis (PNA) for reflecting technological trend of the area and the patent based conjoint analysis (CA) for considering target customers' preferences. First of all, we identify measuring or processing data from the human body for medical purposes as prospective technology in wearable device area by using PNA. Based on the identified technology from the PNA, individuals who are very interested in using a medical-purposed wearable device are distinguished as target customers. We conduct patent based CA reflecting their preferences. This paper suggests research direction, which is to cross the chasm and attain first mover advantage, to the first mover companies in wearable device market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faculty evaluation is widely used not only for the appraisal of their performance, but also for curriculum innovation and development. There are many techniques to perform faculty evaluation. But these techniques do not address all the factors essential for evaluating a faculty. These evaluations are subjective in nature and found to be controversial as students' expectations vary. This hinders the main motive of faculty evaluation. To overcome this problem, there is a need to identify a suitable method to perform faculty evaluation. In this paper, the Conjoint Analysis, a mathematical statistics technique is used to analyze the major aspects that the students are expecting from their faculty. This technique increases the fairness in the appraisal process so that teaching can be made fun and effective. This research is a novel attempt that applies conjoint analysis to identify the major aspects of teaching in students' perspective. The proposed idea can be adapted to any domain where the customers' choice is valued particularly in Cloud computing services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Performance-based design (PBD) of buildings can be properly addressed in a multi-objective optimization framework. However, computational costs of such an approach will be very expensive especially if nonlinear time-history analysis (NTHA) is used as the evaluation tool. In this paper, significant reductions in computational costs of solving structural multi-objective optimization problems is achieved by proposing a new metaheuristic surrogate model called Surrogate FC-MOPSO. In this method, which is an extension of FC-MOPSO algorithm, NTHA and pushover analysis (PA) are simultaneously employed for evaluating system responses. PAs are adopted as an approximation tool in the surrogate model while the responses corresponding to feasible solutions are always evaluated from NTHAs. The final Pareto optimal solutions, which yield tradeoffs between initial and life-cycle costs (LCCs), are already evaluated based on NTHAs. It is shown that application of the proposed method results in substantial reductions of runtime of the considered problems. It is also demonstrated that adopting PAs as the only evaluation tool in optimal performance-based design of structures can result in unreliable solutions. Highlights • A Surrogate multi-objective optimization model is presented for solving expensive problems in structural engineering. • The proposed model yields optimal designs based on nonlinear time-history analyses within affordable runtimes. • Pushover analysis is used as an approximation tool. • Initial and life-cycle costs are considered as the objective functions. • The method is general and can be applied to optimal performance-based design of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Steganography is the art of concealing secret information in some cover medium (picture, text etc.) which is being used at large scale in different security systems. Various schemes of data hiding in images have been proposed over the last two decades that focus on improving the visual quality of the cover image. But there is always a trade-off between imperceptibility and payload. Another important issue is data security. It is known that histograms can reveal the existence and quantum of data hidden in a stego image. So, the main challenge of high capacity data embedding schemes is to reduce the image distortion as well as to keep the data secure by making use of alternate mechanisms such as secret keys. In this paper, we propose a novel data hiding scheme with two-fold objective. Data security is ensured by making use of a Hamiltonian path to generate a secret key for accessing data embedding patterns. Due to the complexity of Hamiltonian path generation, the embedding patterns become almost impossible to guess, even if the presence of secret data is observed using steganographic attacks. Secondly, two optimization strategies are proposed to minimize the embedding effect on the stego image. While the first strategy focuses on reducing the bit-flipping cost, the other strategy improves histogram distortion. The proposed method is shown to outperform some of the existing and recent approaches both in terms of payload and imperceptibility. Highlights • Data hiding schemes to optimize cost and histogram distortion are proposed. • Hamiltonian path based embedding makes the scheme highly secure. • The scheme outperforms other schemes on account of imperceptibility and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recently, co-evolution mechanism is exploited to solve multi-objective optimization problems by using multiple subpopulations on a cooperative manner, such as co-evolutionary multi-swarm particle swarm optimization (CMPSO) based on the multiple subpopulations for multi-objective optimization (MPMO) framework, which is also extended to cooperative multi-objective differential evolution (CMODE). Although their approaches of optimizing each objective with each subpopulation are effective, the evolution and selection methods conducted on external archive are also important for co-evolution, as they significantly impact a lot on the quality and the distribution of final solutions. In this paper, we present a novel multi-objective co-evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition approach (MCEA), also using the subpopulation to enhance each objective. A more powerful DE operator with an adaptive parameters control is run on both of multiple subpopulations and external archive, which helps to improve each objective and diversify the tradeoff solutions on external archive. Moreover, computational resource assignment is also realized between each subpopulation and external archive. Once one objective stops to be enhanced, this objective may find its optimal value and more computational resource can be assigned to evolve other objectives and external archive. By this way, the tradeoff between all the objectives can be well balanced and external archive also has more opportunities for evolution. After evaluating the proposed algorithm on 31 benchmark test problems, such as the ZDT, DTLZ, WFG, UF series problems, the experimental results show that MCEA presents some advantages over two co-evolutionary algorithms (i.e., CMPSO and CMODE) and several state-of-the-art multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (i.e., NSGA-II, SPEA2, MOEA/D-DE, MOEA/D-STM, MOEA/D-FRRMAB and MOEA/D-IR). Graphical abstract Highlights • A novel co-evolution mechanism is realized in each subpopulation and external archive. • Resource assignment is run on each subpopulation and external archive. • Our algorithm presents some advantages over several competitive MOEAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The difficulties experienced with traditional forms of economic regulation of airports involving direct control of prices have led to an interest in light-handed regulatory frameworks. Experience with light-handed regulation of airports is primarily confined to Australia and New Zealand. The paper examines the design features of light-handed regulation in Australia and New Zealand in relation to the stated objectives associated with the introduction of light-handed regulation. The paper identifies important aspects associated with the design of light-handed regulation including the incorporation of a credible threat of stronger regulation and the characteristics of this, and an apparent trade-off in objectives achieved with different approaches to light-handed regulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Fisheries can have significant impacts on the structure and function of marine ecosystems, including impacts on habitats and non-target species. As a result, management agencies face growing calls to account for the ecosystem impacts of fishing, while navigating the political and economic interests of diverse stakeholders. This paper assesses the impacts of two specific factors on the attitudes and well-being of shrimp fishers in the context of a selective fisheries closure designed to protect crabs in the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: (1) the species portfolios of fishers; and (2) democratic rulemaking. The results of this analysis suggest that shrimp fishers were more likely to support selective closures for the shrimp fishery if they also fished for crab, and felt they had an influence on the management of the fishery. The results further indicate that species portfolio diversification had a positive and statistically significant impact on the subjective economic well-being of fishers. This study contributes to an emerging literature on the human dimensions of ecosystem-based fisheries management, highlighting opportunities to address trade-offs in fisheries through species diversification and by enhancing the role and influence of fishers in management processes. Highlights • Many experts highlight the need for policies to address the ecosystem impacts of fishing. • Political and economic trade-offs may present challenges for policy change. • Selective closures were introduced in Newfoundland to protect crab from shrimp trawlers. • Species diversification and political efficacy may enhance prospects for policy change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The international discussion on the design of international market mechanism proposed in Paris agreement is still pending and it is important to add our views to the discussion in the negotiation. It is important to understand companies' preferences in designing and planning market-based instruments. This paper uses the conjoint analysis to evaluate companies' preferences for policy alternatives of this mechanism. Data were collected from 81 companies in Shanxi province, China. The results show that companies are most concerned about four policy attributes, policies at the national level, transition of CDM projects, compliance period and flexible mechanism. The ideal policy alternative should distribute directly the tradable units to companies, co-exist with the clean developing mechanism, have longer compliance period and allow companies to bank or borrow the tradable units. The sectors with lower competition level, advanced production technologies and lower energy intensity should be given to priority when taking part in the international market mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluency may be considered as a conjoint measure of work product quality and speed. It is especially useful in educational and medical settings to evaluate expertise and/or competence. In this paper, didactic exams were used to model fluency. Binned propensity matching with question difficulty and time intensity was used to define a "load" variable and construct fluency (sum correct/elapsed response time). Response surfaces as speed-accuracy tradeoffs resulted from the analysis. Person by load fluency matrices behaved well in Rasch analysis and warranted the definition of a person fluency variable ("skill"). A path model with skill and load as mediators substantially described the fluency data. The indirect paths through skill and load dominated direct variable effects. This is supportive evidence that skill and load have stand-alone merit. Therefore, it appears that the constructs of skill, load, and fluency could provide psychometrically defensible descriptors when utilized in appropriate contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) results in many ecological, social, and economic consequences that are inter-related. Understanding relationships between sustainability goals and determining their interactions can help prioritize effective and efficient policy options. This paper presents a framework that integrates existing knowledge from literature and expert opinions to rapidly assess the relationships between one SDG goal and another. Specifically, given the important role of the oceans in the world's social-ecological systems, this study focuses on how SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and the targets within that goal, contributes to other SDG goals. This framework differentiates relationships based on compatibility (co-benefit, trade-off, neutral), the optional nature of achieving one goal in attaining another, and whether these relationships are context dependent. The results from applying this framework indicate that oceans SDG targets are related to all other SDG goals, with two ocean targets (of seven in total) most related across all other SDG goals. Firstly, the ocean SDG target to increase economic benefits to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries for sustainable marine uses has positive relationships across all SDGs. Secondly, the ocean SDG target to eliminate overfishing, illegal and destructive fishing practices is a necessary pre-condition for achieving the largest number of other SDG targets. This study highlights the importance of the oceans in achieving sustainable development. The rapid assessment framework can be applied to other SDGs to comprehensively map out the subset of targets that are also pivotal in achieving sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consumer may not be affected by all positive recommenders due to limitations of cognitive capacity. This limitation (of cognitive capacity) results in two different response functions for the size of positive recommenders: One is an S -shaped function which assumes that the second and third sources (recommenders) have greater additional impact than the first source, and the other is a concave-shaped function which assumes that the first source (recommender) is more influential than the second and the third sources. In this paper we operationalize volume of Word-of-Mouth as the total number of positive Word-of-Mouth senders and using two conjoint studies empirically investigate whether the relationship between the volume of Word-of-Mouth and its impact follows a concave-shaped function or an S -shaped function. The two conjoint studies support the concave-shaped response for the volume of Word-of-Mouth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper investigates the trade-off between innovation and defense industrial policy. It presents an agent-based simulation model calibrated for the Norwegian defense industry that compares different policy scenarios and examines the effects of a pending EU market liberalization process. The paper points to two main results. (1) It finds that a pure scenario where national authorities focus on, and provide support exclusively for, either a) international competitiveness or b) national defense and security objectives, is more Pareto efficient than a corresponding mixed strategy where policy makers simultaneously pursue both international competitiveness and defense and security objectives. (2) Under the conditions of the new EU liberalization regime, it finds that a stronger and more visible trade-off will emerge between international competitiveness and national defense and security objectives. Policy makers will have to choose which to prioritize, and set a clear agenda focusing on one of the two objectives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The design of public transport contracts provides an opportunity to define service quality standards to which an operator can be held accountable. While the specification of service quality standards is a common practice, the relationships between the specifications and customer satisfaction are often methodologically unclear. Based on a South African case study, the paper uses data collected from a group of passengers who have personal cars but choose to use public transport, and a control group of passengers who only use their cars, in the same corridor as the user group, to estimate a service quality conjoint model. The model is used to evaluate the effect of different public transport service packages, defined in terms of different combinations of service attributes, on passenger satisfaction. The paper confirms the need to classify service attributes in terms of their relative impact on passenger satisfaction, at the service design stages, where performance in respect of some attributes has a disproportionate impact on satisfaction, especially where public transport is competing directly with private transport. Practical applications and limitations of the methodology are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy provides stable heart and lung functions via mechanical means for patients with severe but reversible cardiac or respiratory failure [1]. As a result, the survival rate of these patients can improve from 25% to nearly 75% [2]. While there are over 235 medical centers world-wide that employ ECMO [3], no formal standards exist for the composition of an ECMO ‘circuit,’ best practices for operation and maintenance, or training and certification of ECMO specialists. Since 2011 the Professional Masters of Applied Systems Engineering (PMASE) program at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) and medical staff from ECMO centers have collaborated to characterize and improve upon state- of-the-art ECMO therapies. This paper details the collaborators’ work in applying systems engineering principles and practices to ECMO therapies including the use of model based systems engineering (MBSE) to capture the ECMO domain, concept of operations, need statement, high level use cases, requirements, system and user behaviors, and both abstract and concrete structural designs. Finally, the paper explains how this work is applicable towards improvements in data collection, human factors, trade-off analysis for future technology insertions, and other ECMO improvement projects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper formulates and empirically tests a number of hypotheses regarding the impact of covertness upon network structure. Specifically, hypotheses are deduced from theoretical arguments regarding a ‘secrecy-efficiency trade off’ which is said to shape covert networks. The paper draws upon data concerning the UK suffragettes. It is taken from a publicly archived UK Home Office document listing 1992 court appearances (for suffrage related activities), involving 1214 individuals and 394 court sessions, between 1906 and 1914. Network structure at earlier phases of suffragette activism, when the movement was less covert, is compared with that during the final phase, when it was more covert and meets the definitional criteria of what we call a ‘covert social movement network’ (CSMN). Support for the various hypotheses tested is variable but the key claims derived from the idea of the secrecy-efficiency trade off are supported. Specifically, the suffragettes’ network becomes less dense and less degree centralised as it becomes more covert. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Padu system of South Asia has received growing attention as an example of customary marine tenure that has survived despite rapid development and change throughout the region’s fisheries. This paper describes the Padu system as it functions at Pulicat lagoon, India, where it has enjoyed decades of legitimacy amongst its members, and has contributed to sustainable fishing. Recently, however, the Padu system has become unstable, driven by pressures of an expanding fishing population, reduced access to fishing grounds and a growing ‘shared poverty’. In spite of this, fisher loyalty to uphold the Padu system remains strong. This raises questions about the broader social, political and cultural meanings of Padu, which extend beyond access to a lucrative fishery. The paper highlights a trade-off between the benefits received through Padu membership at a societal level through collective action, and the individual costs of partaking in ‘shared poverty’, which is inherently distributed unequally amongst fishing families. The paper concludes with a discussion on the future of the Padu system in Pulicat, drawing from evolutionary pathways of other Padu systems in the region. It is suggested that, in the Pulicat case, the high social values attributed to the Padu system, alongside complex power structures, may hinder institutional adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Australia is currently facing a serious water crisis. Saving water is not the government''s solo effort, it also requires support from individual households. The use of rainwater tanks for rainwater storage has been highly recommended for both outdoor and indoor uses. This paper investigates cost effectiveness on the use of rainwater tanks for Australian residential environment. Seven cities are examined in this paper, including Gold Coast, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. Cost for installing and operating rainwater tanks and cost from alternative water sources including building additional dams and desalination plants are compared. It is found that using rainwater is an economical option for households in Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Sydney. Recommendations of suitable tank sizes for different household environments are also proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The sustainable transformation of infrastructure sectors represents a challenge of prime importance worldwide. Due to long life times of infrastructures, strategic decision making has to explicitly consider uncertainties in context conditions, value considerations and available technological alternatives. However currently, strategic infrastructure planning is often carried out in a very narrow perspective. The present paper argues that foresight informed strategic planning, allows addressing trade-offs related to context uncertainties, value conflicts and sustainability deficits in a structured way. The paper introduces a specific procedural proposal, the Regional Infrastructure Foresight method (RIF) and illustrates its potential virtues through an application to urban water management planning in a Swiss region (Kiesental). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The foundation of welfare economics is the assumption of Pareto-efficiency and its concept of tradeoffs. Also the production possibility frontier, efficiency frontier, nondominated set, etc., belong to the plethora of tools derived from the Pareto principle. The assumption of tradeoffs does not address the issue of system design or redesign in order to reduce or eliminate tradeoffs as a sure characteristic of suboptimal, inefficient system configuration. In this paper we establish that tradeoffs are not attributes of objectives, criteria or dimensions, as it is habitually assumed, but are the properties of the very sets of possibilities, alternatives or options they purport to value and measure. We use De novo programming, through which the so called feasible set of opportunities can be redefined towards optimal, tradeoffs-free configuration. The implications of tradeoff-free economics are too vast to foresee and elaborate in a single paper; they do touch the very foundations of economic thought. Some numerical examples are given in order to illustrate system-design calculations in linear systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the final in the series on unidimensional unfolding. The investigations of Kyngdon (2006b) and Michell (1994) were extended to include direct probabilistic tests of the quantitative and ordinal components of unfolding theory with the multinomial Dirichlet model (Karabatsos 2005); and tests of the higher order axiomatic conjoint measurement (ACM, Krantz, Luce, Suppes and Tversky (KLST) 1971) condition of triple cancellation. Strong Dirichlet model support for both the ordinal and quantitative components of unfolding was only found in datasets that satisfied at least double cancellation. In contrast, the Item Response Theory (IRT) simple hyperbolic cosine model for pairwise preferences (SHCMpp, Andrich 1995) fitted all datasets. The paper concluded the SHCMpp is suited to the instrumental rather than scientific task (Michell 2000) of psychological measurement; with the caveat of the problematic chi square fit statistic. The paper also presents original work by the second author on coherent tests of triple cancellation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in environmental entrepreneurship (or ecopreneurship) is increasing rapidly. While there is a general view among communities and industries that economic growth can come for ecopreneurship, little is done within universities to prepare students to identify and pursue the emerging business opportunities in this field. We report the results of an undergraduate student survey of Technological Education Institute of Crete students, who were enrolled at an elective ecopreneurship course. Following an experimental design, using Conjoint Analysis the aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the ability of the technique to be used in ecopreneurship syllabus development and to report student importance measures for alternative course attributes in order to facilitate future ecopreneurship offerings. The paper provides useful information for designers of courses, educators and policy makers filling the gap to survey further environmental entrepreneurship education programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In project management there are two main operation problems like scheduling and cost optimization. These are correlated with each other and have good mathematical proved solutions for the basics. In case of applying arbitrary calendars generates such effects in scheduling which make the time -cost trade-o problem unusable. The aim of this paper is to point out these effects and give an advance to find a new way to the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large share of the energy usage in buildings is driven by occupancy behavior. To minimize this usage, it is important to gather accurate information about occupants’ behavior and to improve sensing systems for gathering such information. However, as research on occupancy sensing systems goes beyond basic methods with an increasing diversification, there is a clear need to enable adequate comparison of these systems and their properties. The systems which differ in methods and properties also lack a categorization framework for classifying different options. This article proposes a categorization framework constructed from analyzing and comparing existing sensing systems to address these needs. The classification framework is being constructed from a literature survey of 51 papers and articles presenting 46 different occupancy sensing systems. It is intended that this framework can enable developers to better benchmark and evaluate sensing system, enable organizations to identify trade-offs for adopting sensing systems and aid researchers in scoping out future research in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MIMO wireless communication systems have extensively been employed due to their ability to transfer data efficiently even at higher data rates and are often being used to increase either the multiplexing gain and/or the diversity gain with a tradeoff. The Diversity-Multiplexing Tradeoff (DMT) had been proven to be a powerful evaluation and comparison tool for the existing and new technologies. However, Throughput-Reliability Tradeoff (TRT) has the notable advantage of revealing the interplay among transmission rate, signal-tonoise ratio and outage/error probability parameters. This paper proposes TRT analysis of MIMO channels under broad class of fading distributions that includes, different identical fading distributions, correlation between channels, non-identical fading distributions, and non-zero channel means. The analysis is carried out by characterizing the joint pdf of the eigenvalues of Gram matrix in high SNR regime. This work also investigates the relation between DMT and TRT of MIMO in broad class of fading distributions. Further, our study sheds light on different channel parameters and their usefulness in TRT analysis, such as, error/outage probability vs. Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) curves, amount of SNR increase to increase transmission rate and/or decrease error/outage probability, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining optimal forest management to provide multiple goods and services, also referred to as Ecosystem Services (ESs), requires operational-scale information on the suitability of the forest for the provisioning of various ESs. Remote sensing allows wall-to-wall assessments and provides pixel data for a flexible composition of the management units. The purpose of this study was to incorporate models of ES provisioning potential in a spatial prioritization framework and to assess the pixel-level allocation of the land use. We tessellated the forested area in a landscape of altogether 7500 ha to 27,595 pixels of 48 × 48 m 2 and modeled the potential of each pixel to provide biodiversity, timber, carbon storage, and recreational amenities as indicators of supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural ESs, respectively. We analyzed spatial overlaps between the individual ESs, the potential to provide multiple ESs, and tradeoffs due to production constraints in a fraction of the landscape. The pixels considered most important for the individual ESs overlapped as much as 78% between carbon storage and timber production and up to 52.5% between the other ESs. The potential for multiple ESs could be largely explained in terms of forest structure as being emphasized to sparsely populated, spruce-dominated old forests with large average tree size. Constraining the production of the ESs in the landscape based on the priority maps, however, resulted in sub-optimal choices compared to an optimized production. Even though the land-use planning cannot be completed without involving the stakeholders' preferences, we conclude that the workflow described in this paper produced valuable information on the overlaps and tradeoffs of the ESs for the related decision support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Architectural structural design of modern transportation software has a huge impact on a quality and cost of the development process, hence it's required to pay reasonable attention while making architecture design decisions. The technique proposed in this paper allows selecting the optimal software architecture among several alternatives. This selection technique is reduced to the criteria importance theory for decision-making problems with a hierarchical criterion structure. For applying it, we need to pick up a set of metrics that assess the characteristics of the software architecture. Next, we need to determine metrics scale and create the hierarchical criterion structure with all the relations between software metric groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bayesian priors are required in order to generate efficient and robust experimental designs for stated choice surveys. Although such priors are commonly obtained through a pilot study, in this paper we provide a simple alternative in which the analyst depends only on their own expert judgement and possibly on parameter estimates obtained from the literature. The process consists of ranking attribute levels, balancing choice tasks to obtain trade-offs, and setting probabilities in sample choice tasks to establish scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leapfrog technologies, such as off-grid solar energy, overcome traditional trade-offs including widespread geographical distribution versus huge capital investment. The positive potential of leapfrog technologies is widely recognized. However, the need to overcome traditional skill trade-offs has received less consideration. Rather, skills continue to be considered in terms of the boundaries of crafts and professions, which evolved in the past within historical constraints. Yet, skills within established crafts and professions are limited by trade-offs, such as productivity versus versatility, which can limit prosperity growth. In this paper, findings are reported from a study investigating how limiting trade-offs can be overcome. The study encompassed craft skills, industrial skills, and knowledge skills. It is explained that trade-offs can be leapfrogged by combining hitherto separate skills within vertical multi-skills and horizontal multi-skills. Vertical multi-skills can enable increased productivity and consistency through increasing predictability by, for example, application of process design. At the same time, horizontal multi-skills can increase versatility through working across traditional skill boundaries. Methodologies and technologies available to facilitate the combination of vertical multi-skills and horizontal multi-skills are described. It is explained that facilitating their application requires thinking about skills less in terms of traditional crafts and professions, and more in terms of specialization, localization, rationalization, and democratization. Overall, it is argued that combining vertical multi-skills and horizontal multi-skills can leapfrog traditional skill trade-offs that limit prosperity growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explicit and integrated inclusion of ecosystem services (ESs) and their interrelationships can improve the quality of strategic plans and decision-making processes. However, there is little systematic analysis of how ES interrelationships are framed in policy language, particularly in coastal planning discourse. The objective of this paper is therefore to present a four-step method, based on content analysis, to assess ES interrelationships in coastal strategic planning documents. The method consists of: 1) selecting strategic plans; 2) identifying ESs; 3) identifying drivers, ESs and their effects; and 4) constructing relational diagrams. The four-step method is applied to a case of Jiaozhou Bay in China, demonstrating its capacity of identifying which drivers and ES trade-offs and synergies are formulated in coastal strategic plans. The method is helpful to identify overlooked ES interrelationships, inform temporal and spatial issues, and assess the continuity of plans' attention to interrelationships. The main methodological contributions are discussed by emphasizing its broad scope of drivers and ESs and an explicit distinction among the cause of relationships. The developed method also has the potential of cross-fertilizing other kinds of approaches and facilitating practical planning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with drastically increasing user demands for spectrum resource, spectrum sharing is a strategy that greatly alleviates scarcity. However, without a proper spectrum sharing scheme, the use of concurrently shared channels between primary (or licensed) users and secondary (or unlicensed) users within one cell can lead to harmful interference, lowing spectral efficiency and throughput of the system. In this paper, we address the problem of spectrum assignment (SA) in an underlay spectrum sharing network. An SA algorithm is considered as the mechanism for secondary users exploit primary channels while maintaining the interference in acceptable levels, ensuring that the primary system performance is not compromised. We model this scenario as a multi-objective problem (MOP) and we propose the application of Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) to face the throughput and spectral efficiency tradeoff. The simulation results demonstrate through the Pareto optimal set, that our approach maintains the quality of service (QoS) of primary and secondary networks and maximizes the throughput of the system at the cost of spectral efficiency. The experiments and results are compared with Weighted Sum Rate (WSA) and the Parallel Cell Coordinate System Adaptative Multiobjective Particle Swarm Optimization (pccsAMOPSO) for different cases for the SA problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a game-theoretically founded approach to conjoint analysis that determines equilibrium room rates under differentiated price competition in an oligopolistic hotel market. Competition between hotels is specified in terms of market share functions that can be estimated using multinomial logit models of consumer choice. The approach is based on choice-based conjoint analysis that permits the estimation of attributes weights (“part-worths”) for an additive utility formulation of the utility function. From this, room rates that equilibrate the market, conditioned on the differences in services and facilities offered by competing hotels, can be determined. The approach is illustrated by an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firms are increasingly pressured to introduce green innovations. The literature suggests that – given their high complexity – collaborating with external stakeholders is a key ingredient in the effective development of green innovations (GI), even more so than for 'traditional' types of innovation. While there is evidence that firms engage with more than one partner at once and that not all those collaborations result in higher innovation performance, nothing is known regarding the combination of collaborations that provides the highest GI performance. To address this gap, this paper uses a qualitative comparative approach (QCA) to identify these potential conjoint effects on GI propensity. By means of a csQCA analysis of Spanish firms, we find seven equifinal paths leading to high innovative performance—cooperating with universities but not with private consultants; cooperating with universities and with suppliers; and cooperating with suppliers and customers being by far the most diffused. • We explore the conjoint effect of collaboration partners on Green Innovation. • We base our analysis on 4685 cases of the PITEC database in Spain. • We highlight the relevance of the conjoint effect vs. the traditional linear approach. • QCA results show seven different collaboration paths to develop Green Innovation. • Universities and RC, customers and providers are the most relevant partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This themed issue of Land Use Policy builds on the papers presented at an international symposium entitled Social Dimensions of Market-based Instruments, convened by the Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Australia, in November 2010. The symposium set out to review the extent to which market-based instruments were being employed as social policy tools in various contexts, what challenges achieving relevant social policy objectives posed, what trade-offs arose between environmental, social and economic objectives, and whether and how tensions could be resolved. The contributions to this themed issue provide conceptual-theoretical and empirical takes on the topic. They consider poverty, property rights and equality perspectives of participation and quantify social implications at the program, regional and national levels. They reveal converging messages, e.g. in relation to treatment of poverty, common property rights and nesting across scales. In combination, the papers make a compelling case that social implications of MBIs cannot be ignored and ought to be considered in design and evaluation even if programs do no pursue social objectives, as social dimensions can enhance or affect program effectiveness and efficiency. In doing so, the contributions expand the role that MBIs can play in ensuring sustainable resource use and offer considerations for policy design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Armament demonstration is a forward-looking and basic work, which plays an important role for supporting scientific rule for the demonstrated project. In this paper, the application of CAIV (cost as an independent variable) is studied in armament demonstration and the model for cost and effectiveness are constructed based on CAIV idea. A balanced space of cost and effectiveness could be gotten from the model with trade-off relationship between cost and effectiveness. This conclusion benefits the affordability and sustainability for armament demonstration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]