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Abstract: Taking into consideration technology acceptance factors, website service quality and specific holdup cost factors, this research explores how shopping websites to establish their competitive advantages through these dimensions. We begin with an examination of the literature on shopping websites about its competitive advantages upon which we propose a conceptual framework. Then this research adopts the fuzzy TOPSIS as the analytical tool that determines the weights of each criterion. Fuzzy theory provides a proper tool to encounter with uncertainties and complex environment. The purpose of this paper is to use the fuzzy TOPSIS method based on fuzzy sets in solving MCDM problems. From our research results, the security and trust are the most important factors for improving the competitive advantage of shopping website. Moreover, the PCHome and Yahoo Taiwan rank the first two positions for shopping websites. This paper draws on the research results for implications of managerial practice, and then suggests some empirical tactics in order to enhance management performance for the website shopping industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Nursing manpower needed for the cancer disease healthcare will increase continuously in the future. • The incoordination between teaching and examination has impact on the nursing manpower supply. • By applying traditional fuzzy set to system dynamic, it replaces the definite values with interval values, making the prediction results more flexible. • Manpower for cancer medical care demand is calculated. • Manpower for cancer medical care supply is estimated through data analysis. This paper presents a dynamic model aimed at predicting nursing manpower requirements for cancer care over the next ten years. The proposed model, based on the Taiwan Health Insurance Database (2000 to 2010), is meant to serve as a reference in establishing policy for government health units. The proposed prediction model uses fuzzy sets to replace definite values with interval values in order to account for uncertainties in real-world data and enhance the flexibility of prediction results. Our results suggest that the demand for nursing manpower for cancer care will grow steadily in the foreseeable future. The gap between the demand for nursing staff and the supply is expected to peak in 2027. By then, the number of oncologists is expected to reach 7,083 (54.32% of the total number of in-hospital physicians), but the number of oncology nurses will be less than 26,297 (56.5% of the total healthcare manpower). It is also expected that there will be fewer than 1,613 outpatient physicians (71.81% of the total number of physicians) and fewer than 4,967 outpatient nurses (68.46% of the total nursing manpower). This paper provides a valuable reference for government agencies involved in the nursing manpower planning to improve the quality of nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the multidimensional nature of poverty, this study analyzed child deprivation and social exclusion in Taiwan. First, a fuzzy set approach was used to construct an aggregate poverty index, to measure the levels of perceived necessity, deprivation, and social exclusion experienced by children. The study involved conducting a decomposition analysis to measure the poverty index according to certain dimensions. Second, this study involved analyzing possible determinants of perceived necessity, deprivation, and social exclusion, using seemingly unrelated regression models. We used cross-sectional data obtained from the Household Living Conditions Survey conducted in 2014. The results suggest that over two-thirds of the respondents identified all the items as necessary. Three highest levels of perceived necessity were housing, medical care, and clothing dimensions. Children faced high risks of deprivation and exclusion. The three highest levels of deprivation and exclusion were exhibited in the dimensions of environment, recreation, and education; the lowest two levels of deprivation and exclusion were exhibited in the dimensions of medical care and housing. The dimensions with higher levels of deprivation and exclusion exhibited higher relative contributions to facilitating poverty reduction. Moreover, evaluation of income and expenditure, family income, and family type were significantly related to the degree of perceived necessity and the levels of deprivation and exclusion. Those living in families with a large number of children exhibited a higher level of deprivation. Education of the caregivers was closely linked to social exclusion of children. This paper represents preliminary and small-scale research; however, several implications for methodology and policy can be derived from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper proposes a web-based interactive speaking improvement system for EFL learners. Using fuzzy matching, the system automatically compares the learner’s and the system’s pronunciation and immediately provides corrective interaction whereby the student can improve speaking via continuous imitation and practice at the computer. The system, having been tested on Taiwanese students who needed to achieve a speaking proficiency equivalent to CEF Level A2, is found to be highly effective for the intended purpose. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Data envelopment analysis (DEA) allows individual decision-making unit (DMU) to select the weights that are most favorable to them in calculating the ratio of the aggregated output to the aggregated input. The concept of the assurance region (AR) is restricting the ratio of any two weights to some range to avoid the evaluated DMUs from ignoring or relying too much on any criterion in evaluation. In this paper we develop a fuzzy DEA/AR method that is able to calculate the fuzzy efficiency score when the input and output data are represented as convex fuzzy numbers. Based on Zadeh’s extension principle, a pair of two-level mathematical programs is formulated to calculate the lower and upper bounds of the fuzzy efficiency score. We transform this pair of two-level mathematical programs into a pair of conventional DEA/AR method to derive the bounds of the efficiency. The dual models of the fuzzy DEA/AR for efficiency improvement are also considered. To illustrate how the proposed method is applied, the measurement of the efficiency of the university libraries in Taiwan with fuzzy observations is exemplified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper develops an evaluation approach based on the Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), to help the Air Force Academy in Taiwan choose optimal initial training aircraft in a fuzzy environment where the vagueness and subjectivity are handled with linguistic terms parameterised by triangular fuzzy numbers. This study applies the fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method to determine the importance weights of evaluation criteria and to synthesize the ratings of candidate aircraft. Aggregated the evaluators’ attitude toward preference; then TOPSIS is employed to obtain a crisp overall performance value for each alternative to make a final decision. This approach is demonstrated with a real case study involving 16 evaluation criteria, seven initial propeller-driven training aircraft assessed by 15 evaluators from the Taiwan Air Force Academy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]