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Copyright of Przegląd Elektrotechniczny is the property of Przeglad Elektrotechniczny 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.)

The biodiesel production catalyzed by naturally derived catalysts such as calcium oxide (CaO) and sulfonated carbon catalysts achieved high biodiesel yield at moderate operating conditions. However, very few studies were conducted to evaluate the economic feasibility of industrial‐scale production of biodiesel catalyzed by both green catalysts of CaO and sulfonated carbon catalysts. The current study aims to assess the technical competency and economic feasibility of industrial‐scale production of biodiesel catalyzed by two processes 1.) CaO catalyst and 2.) sulfonated carbon catalyst. Process simulations via Aspen Hysys were carried out to perform material and energy balances for both process configurations designed earlier with respect to the base catalyst (CaO) and acid catalyst (sulfonated carbon) used. Economic analysis was initiated after the equipment sizing and costing had been carried out. Total capital investment, total manufacturing cost, and key performances of the rate of return, payback time, breakeven point, and net profit after‐tax rate were calculated for each process. Based on the economic analysis, the computed return on investment (ROI) is 105.36%, and it has a low payback period of 0.94 year to offset its original investment. The discounted cumulative profit (NPV) analysis shows that breakeven was achieved in the 3rd year. On the other hand, for the plant that utilizes sulfonated carbon in the transesterification reaction, the computed ROI is 14.02% with a payback period of 7.13 years, and the breakeven was achieved in the 9th year. In conclusion, the manufacturing plant of transesterification reaction catalyzed by CaO catalyst appeared as the most promising pathway either technically or economically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to know what happened to the graduates who availed of a DOST-SEI scholarship grant at the College of Education-Graduate School of a higher education institution in the Philippines. The data in this research were gathered through an online questionnaire; quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Both close-ended and openended questions were included. The participants in this research were the cohort of scholars and grantees from 2007 until 2013 who finished their master's or doctorate degree. These scholars came from the MAEd (Physics & Biology) and PhD in Science Education (Biology Education) programs of the College of Education-Graduate School. The data were analyzed using mean scores, points, and thematic analysis. The study revealed that the DOST-SEI graduate students' in Science were locally employed and had a permanent employment status. There was a high percentage of promotion among DOST-SEI scholar graduate students in Science, in which 68% were promoted while 32% were retained in their position or designation. In terms of their compensation, 68% have experienced an increase, while 32% have no increase in their salary. It implies a great assurance to be employed and has reasonable compensation if you are a DOST-SEI graduate scholar. The graduates were satisfied with the scholarship privileges and obligations that greatly contributed to their personality, family, career, and community. The extent to which the graduate science education program contributed to the scholar graduates research achievement enabled them to present their research paper at an International conference, receive any research-related recognition during or after the scholarship, publish their thesis/dissertation in a peer-reviewed journal, and to coach/adviser of a student who engaged in research or science investigation. The graduate scholars' critical thinking skills showed excellent results in both the cognitive and affective domains. This indicates that the program gave a great extent to the essential skills of thinking of the graduate students'. On the other hand, the self-efficacy after undergoing DOST-SEI's scholarship program greatly benefits the graduate student's innate ability to achieve their life and career goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desert palm date seeds are a potential feedstock for biodiesel and biomass pellet production, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. A model was developed in this study based on optimal conditions for the production of biodiesel, and it was used to evaluate the financial viability of a small-scale biodiesel plant (1000 t/y) using economic performance metrics including net present value, rate of investment, and payback period. Biodiesel was then produced from date seed oil (DSO) and blended with petrol diesel to make four blends (B5, B10, B15, and B20). The technical performance of these blends was investigated using a test engine rig under differing operating conditions, including variations in load and rpm. The investment performance of the proposed biodiesel plant was very sensitive to the price of biomass pellets; the project was feasible only when this was 70% that of wood pellets or higher. The baseline diesel outperformed the biodiesel blends in terms of engine power, thermal efficiency, and fuel economy, with average decreases of 4.5%, 7.65%, and 9.84%, respectively, at full load for B20. However, the biodiesel blends outperformed the baseline diesel in exhaust gas temperature (EGT), with average drops of 29 and 46.7 °C at full load for B5 and B20, respectively. Our study clearly demonstrates that due to it being obtained from existing waste materials, having a cleaner but comparable performance, and its economic viability, date seed oil has excellent potential as a feedstock for biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecuador introduced the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in 2010. A recent time series analysis has demonstrated the impact of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) on hospitalized pneumococcal disease in children. We leveraged these estimates to calculate the return on investment (ROI) of PCV10 in Ecuador from 2010 to 2030 at the national and regional levels. We used 2 approaches to estimate the economic benefits: (1) cost of illness, which includes treatment, transportation, and productivity loss averted, (2) and the value of statistical life, which reflects society's average willingness to pay to save one life. Costs of the immunization program include vaccine costs (doses, syringes, injection supplies) and immunization delivery costs (personnel, cold chain equipment and maintenance, transportation, distribution services, and other recurrent costs). We estimated the ROI by dividing the net benefits by costs. The ROI using the cost-of-illness approach was slightly negative in the introduction year. From 2011 to 2020, we estimated the ROI to be 0.45 (0.15-0.73). For the future decade, the ROI is estimated at 0.37 (−0.03 to 1.03). Using the value-of-statistical-life approach, the ROI was 1.46 (0.82-2.17) in the introduction year. In the first decade, the ROI was 1.01 (0.49-1.60); in the second decade, the ROI fell to 0.83 (0.23-1.78). The results of this study demonstrate the total economic benefits of PCV10 in Ecuador exceed immunization program costs after the introduction year. Estimates from this study will inform country policy makers and will contribute to efforts to mobilize resources for immunization. • This is the first estimate of the return of investment of a vaccine based on Ecuadorian information. • Despite the negative return on investment (ROI) in the introduction year, the cost-of-illness approach yields a positive ROI in the subsequent 2 decades of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunization. • The ROI shown in this study serves as evidence for decision makers on the benefits of vaccination in terms of economic impact, not only to protect the budget earmarked for pneumococcal conjugate vaccines but to ensure the sustained financing for immunization in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desert palm date seeds are a potential feedstock for biodiesel and biomass pellet production, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. A model was developed in this study based on optimal conditions for the production of biodiesel, and it was used to evaluate the financial viability of a small-scale biodiesel plant (1000 t/y) using economic performance metrics including net present value, rate of investment, and payback period. Biodiesel was then produced from date seed oil (DSO) and blended with petrol diesel to make four blends (B5, B10, B15, and B20). The technical performance of these blends was investigated using a test engine rig under differing operating conditions, including variations in load and rpm. The investment performance of the proposed biodiesel plant was very sensitive to the price of biomass pellets; the project was feasible only when this was 70% that of wood pellets or higher. The baseline diesel outperformed the biodiesel blends in terms of engine power, thermal efficiency, and fuel economy, with average decreases of 4.5%, 7.65%, and 9.84%, respectively, at full load for B20. However, the biodiesel blends outperformed the baseline diesel in exhaust gas temperature (EGT), with average drops of 29 and 46.7 °C at full load for B5 and B20, respectively. Our study clearly demonstrates that due to it being obtained from existing waste materials, having a cleaner but comparable performance, and its economic viability, date seed oil has excellent potential as a feedstock for biodiesel production.

Copyright of Multidiszciplináris Tudományok is the property of University of Miskolc 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.)

Purpose: This article presents the design and validation of evaluation criteria checklist aimed at facilitating decision-making processes regarding participation in research projects and allocation of resources before the preparation of research proposals., Materials and Methods: A multidisciplinary team developed a comprehensive evaluation focusing on the proposal preparation phase of research projects. A Delphi survey method was used to establish a connection between the relevance of the project and the possible success of research proposals. Assessment criteria were agreed upon, each assigned specific weights. The results of the survey were applied to a database of 62 proposals for which our research group sought funding during 2020-2021. The method was validated using the funding body's outcomes (approval or rejection) of the submitted proposals as the ground truth per project type (national, European and regional)., Results: The results of the survey generated a checklist of 8 criteria (excellence, impact, and efficiency aspects) that effectively assess the possibility of success of research proposals during the preparatory phase. For national projects, the tool validation demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 76.19%; European projects exhibited a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 53.84%; and regional projects showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 30%., Conclusions: By establishing an agreed set of evaluation criteria, the developed comprehensive index enables a more precise decision support tool for the participation in research proposals and the allocation of necessary resources. This control system saves valuable time and effort for research groups while enhancing the overall efficiency of available resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The excessive use of glyphosate by Brazilian citrus growers leads to a vicious and unsustainable circle: Increasing the glyphosate use and the selection pressure of resistant/tolerant weeds, as well as the phytointoxication of the crop. In addition, there is speculation on the consequences of using glyphosate and the studies are not conclusive. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the glyphosate management in citrus orchards by assessing its effects in a 5-year field experiment using different doses and application frequencies. Here, we determine the weed control levels, the orchard growth and fruit yield, as well as the economic viability of the treatments. Higher weed control was observed more often with the increasing frequency of glyphosate application, and occasionally with increasing doses. However, some species predominated even at high glyphosate usage, such as BIDPI (Bidens pilosa (L.)), RAPRA (Raphanus raphanistrum (L.)), and ERICA (Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist). Phytotoxicity symptoms were demonstrated up to the fourth year of the orchard, and onwards the plants no longer expressed them. This was a highlight, since there was a decrease over time in growth (up to 5.3 m3) and fruit yield (up to 36.3 t ha−1), with losses that reached −56% of the total income. This is the first report to demonstrate that the increase in glyphosate usage can occasionally increase weed control, but it can also decrease orchard development and its financial viability.

Dominant share of the residential stock in the European countries has an exploited service life and is in a need for façade refurbishment. This paper contributes with an establishment of a tool for assessment of the sustainability of design options for buildings' façade refurbishment. The tool is based on a multicriteria system, assessing four design criteria, relevant to the process of façade refurbishment. The criteria are evaluated by several surveyed participants by utilizing the Analytic-Hierarchic Process (AHP).The tool is applied on several façade refurbishment design proposals assessment on a case-study of a residential building situated in Skopje, Western Balkans, Europe. Each of the façade proposals is assessed regarding their energy performance, CO2 emissions, investment costs and return of investment. Further, the results of the LCA analysis of the applied materials shows the contribution of each of them to the overall sustainability performance. The results of this research show that the use of wood and modified wood products as façade elements used for buildings' façade refurbishment can substantially decrease the greenhouse emissions and contribute to the carbon offset. However, due to the higher investment costs, the return of the investment is longer, leading to lower sustainability assessment ranking. It is concluded that the refurbishment of the façade with a conventional contact façade has the highest ranking on sustainability, followed by façade refurbishment with contact façade combined with only roof refurbishment/ glazing refurbishment or both. Also, the modified wood wall types show high sustainability ranking regarding their refurbishment potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RICYDE. Revista Internacional de Ciencias del Deporte is the property of Revista Internacional de Ciencias del Deporte 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.)

On-premises Data Centers have constant high energy demands, they represent an olways-on load at buildings energy balance level. By separating such a load in behind a microgrid system with storage and photovoltaic generation, important CO2 reductions could be achieved. This paper presents the results of such an implementation analyzed from a technical and economical point of view. The pilot installation is analized based on a 3-year data set, measurements consisting in: consumption, PV production, imported energy and storage operation. The pilot achieved for 2017 a 59.66% PV energy coverage from its total usage, thus a financial economy of estimated 3300 Euro from the energy bills. Based on the simulation results the Return of Investment is at the end of the operational lifetime of the installation considering no state incentives nor energy export sold back to the grid. A total of 22.4 T/year CO2 emissions are avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In football, annual age-group categorization leads to relative age effects (RAEs) in talent development. Given such trends, relative age may also associate with market values. This study analyzed the relationship between RAEs and market values of youth players. Methods: Age category, birthdate, and market values of 11,738 youth male football players were obtained from the “transfermarkt.de” database, which delivers a good proxy for real market values. RAEs were calculated using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: Significant RAEs were found across all age-groups (p < 0.05). The largest RAEs occurred in U18 players (Q1 [relatively older] v Q4 [relatively younger] OR = 3.1) ORs decreased with age category, i.e., U19 (2.7), U20 (2.6), U21 (2.4), U22 (2.2), and U23 (1.8). At U19s, Q1 players were associated with significantly higher market values than Q4 players. However, by U21, U22, and U23 RAEs were inversed, with correspondingly higher market values for Q4 players apparent. While large typical RAEs for all playing positions was observed in younger age categories (U18–U20), inversed RAEs were only evident for defenders (small-medium) and for strikers (medium-large) in U21–U23 (not goalkeepers and midfielders). Conclusions: Assuming an equal distribution of football talent exists across annual cohorts, results indicate the selection and market value of young professional players is dynamic. Findings suggest a potential biased selection, and undervaluing of Q4 players in younger age groups, as their representation and market value increased over time. By contrast, the changing representations and market values of Q1 players suggest initial overvaluing in performance and monetary terms. Therefore, this inefficient talent selection and the accompanying waste of money should be improved.

Bakery and pastry products such as cookies are usually produced from wheat flour and as such contribute to high foreign exchange for tropical countries where such cereal is not cultivated. In view of this, we evaluated the engineering economics for the utilization of dried brewers′ spent grain, groundnut cake and sorghum flour in the industrial production of cookies. The production was based on the assumption that the cash flow was uniform over the plant life (i.e. 10 years) with no salvage value. The equipment required for the production process was identified and estimates obtained from equipment manufactures. The production of the cookies was based on constant mass flow rate of 90 packets/min. The effects of uncertainties on cookie production were evaluated by varying the operation days (330, 300 and 250 days) and also by varying the price of some key variables required for the production processes. The results indicate that the capital cost (fixed and working capital) and the annual production cost (APC) were US$1.39×106 and US$10.08×106/year, respectively. The after tax annual revenue was US$1.63×106/yr. The return on investment (ROI), single payback period (SPBP), discounted payback period, gross margin and internal rate of return (IRR) of the plant were 63%, 1.58 years, 2.08 years, 23% and 77.52%, respectively. The result also showed that the production plant is feasible and could be operated for 330, 300 and 250 days. The difference between operation times lies in the profitability, which decreases as the number of days reduces. Based on the result of this analysis, brewers’ spent grain, groundnut cake, and sorghum flour can be utilized in industrial production of cookies with guaranteed profitability.

Despite the failures that investment funds have registered in Romania by the year 2000, they are a financial instrument chosen by more and more people to capitalize on their savings. Therefore, open-end investment funds have had a steady growth trend in Romania over the past 10 years; their net asset value increased by 24 times and the number of investors tripled. In this context, the purpose of our paper is to present possible factors that have caused this increase. Particularly, the empirical research focuses on studying the links that might exist between open-end investment funds, bank deposits and interest rates on bank deposits. The correlations between these variables were analysed by computing the Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results highlight a high negative relationship that exist between net asset value of investment funds and bank interest. Nevertheless, it has been found that bank deposits are related neither to the interest rate nor to the open-end investment funds.

The 'three-old' reconstruction refers to the urban transformation and renovation activities of 'old town', 'old factory building' and 'old village' in a land intensive development after a city builds up to a certain stage. To accomplish the reconstruction need a continuous monitoring, but this would cause high costs for the government and the contractor. The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) jointly with artificial intelligence and smart devices can reduce these costs, help the contractors. In this study, total reconstruction cost was estimated by analyzing surrounding real estate prices and business environment changes from the urban three-old reconstruction project, based on a cost-effectiveness analysis model and smart system. We have developed a system with intelligent sensors to monitor all the reconstruction procedures. Research results demonstrated that: (1) the return on investment of the reconstruction of Pazhou Village was 27%, indicating its considerable economic benefits. This conforms to the economic benefits that real estate developers pursue. (2) For the same reconstruction project, different reconstruction modes will involve different cost-effectiveness. (3) The implicit benefits attached to the urban three-old reconstruction, such as social benefits and environmental benefits, influence the reconstruction benefits to some extent. (4) Smart system could be use in the construction project and achieve a successful result. The research conclusions and suggestions will provide support to government, developers, and related departments in making decisions about urban renewal projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to correctly determine the investments required to establish cherry orchard, as well as to point out the best option to ensure the quality, productivity and competitiveness of the relevant products. The feasibility of investments for planting cherry orchards is considered according to the following method: preparation of investment budgets for planting and maintenance of cherry orchards before fructification for three technologies of fruit cultivation (traditional, intensive and super-intensive), the budget for the cherry orchard during the fructification period, and the comparison of the obtained results of calculation. The traditional orchard technology is more extensive, easier to implement, needs least investments per hectare and has lower economic effects, the intensive technology needs large investments per hectare and, therefore, allows obtaining more advantageous economic results, while the super-intensive technology is the most expensive, implies the greatest investments per hectare, and allows obtaining the best economic results. Given the above-listed findings, it may be concluded that intensive orchards allow obtaining cherrys of homogenous quality, have a high productivity per hectare and at lower costs.

Summarized data on the number and types of solar collectors and solar plants in use in various countries of the world, as well as on the market development dynamics and specific thermal capacity of operating solar plants per 1000 people, are given. State demand stimulation activities for solar plants are presented for some countries. It is noted that the modern trend in the improvement of solar collectors is the price reduction for materials with the substitution of copper for aluminum in the absorber manufacturing and the reduction of the energy-output ratio using soldering, crimping, and adhesive joints instead of welding. The minimal cost of the generated heat energy is provided by centralized solar heat supply systems. The values of the area of solar plants in Russia (2017), their structure, the features of solar collectors, including Russian-made, are presented. It is indicated that constructions of solar collectors with the optimal cost-effectiveness ratio are in demand on the Russian market. The information on the state of development and use of solar heat plants in Russia is summarized. The main design decisions and operating features of large solar plants in Narimanov, Astrakhan oblast (4400 m2), and in Ust-Labinsk, Krasnodar krai (600 m2), have been considered. It is established that the prospects of the Russian market are determined by the solar radiation in regions as well as the costs of solar collectors and replaceable conventional energy carriers. With allowance for the existing trends and peculiarities of regional development, the prospective Russian solar power market is estimated at 1400000-1500000 m2 (1100-1200 MW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media producers are currently having a fierce competition worldwide to increase their revenues. To achieve this goal, they are investigating alternative ways to attract more users, generate new user activities, and collect valuable data for personalizing contents and services. One such alternative is crowd computing. Our vision is based on the great potential of a well-coordinated and controlled joint utilization of human intelligence and computer systems that can help solve problems that would be difficult to do with individual capabilities alone. To achieve this vision, which we summarize under our concept of crowd social media computing, we investigate and model the characteristics of the social media ecosystem, we discuss the characteristics of crowd computing, and then we demonstrate how crowd computing can play a pivotal role in emerging social media applications. We also propose a new approach to evaluate the impact of crowd computing on the issue of social media Return of Investment (ROI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the failures that investment funds have registered in Romania by the year 2000, they are a financial instrument chosen by more and more people to capitalize on their savings. Therefore, open-end investment funds have had a steady growth trend in Romania over the past 10 years; their net asset value increased by 24 times and the number of investors tripled. In this context, the purpose of our paper is to present possible factors that have caused this increase. Particularly, the empirical research focuses on studying the links that might exist between open-end investment funds, bank deposits and interest rates on bank deposits. The correlations between these variables were analysed by computing the Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results highlight a high negative relationship that exist between net asset value of investment funds and bank interest. Nevertheless, it has been found that bank deposits are related neither to the interest rate nor to the open-end investment funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Of the Study: The introduction of a paediatric Medical Emergency Team (pMET) was accompanied by weekly in-situ simulation team training. Key ward staff participated in team training, focusing on recognition of the deteriorating child, teamwork and early involvement of senior staff. Following an earlier study [1], this investigation aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of ongoing regular team training on hospital response to deteriorating ward patients, patient outcome and financial implications.Methods: Prospective cohort study of all deteriorating in-patients in a tertiary paediatric hospital requiring admission to paediatric intensive care (PICU) the year before, 1year after and 3 years after the introduction of pMET and team training.Results: Deteriorating patients were recognised more promptly (before/1year after/3years after pMET; median time 4/1.5/0.5h, p<0.001), more often reviewed by consultants (45%/76%/81%, p<0.001) and more rapidly escalated to PICU (median time 10.5/5/3.5h, p=0.02). There was a significant reduction in associated PICU admissions (56/51/32, p=0.02) and PICU bed days (527/336/193, p<0.001). The total annual cost of training (£74,250) was more than offset by savings from reduced PICU bed days (£801,600 per annum). Introduction of pMET coincided with significantly reduced hospital mortality (p<0.001).Conclusion: These results indicate that lessons learnt by ward staff during team training led to sustained improvements in the hospital response to critically deteriorating in-patients, significantly improved patient outcomes and substantial savings. Integration of regular in-situ simulation training of medical emergency teams, including key ward staff, in routine clinical care has potential application in all acute specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, establishing a petro refinery instead of conventional oil refineries has been the focus of attention in petroleum and petrochemical industries in advanced countries. In this research, three different scenarios of petro refinery establishment with addition of naphtha cracking, kerosene cracking and aromatics production units to an oil refinery have been investigated and feasibility studies have been carried out to construct an oil refinery individually and three scenarios of establishing a petro refinery with the capacity of 250,000 bbl/d. The results indicated that establishing a petro refinery with kerosene cracking and naphtha cracking units will have the best return of capital investment. The cost of construction of such petro refineries have been estimated to be 6.361 and 5.949 billion dollars respectively and the internal rate of return on investment are predicted to be 30 and 31% respectively whilst the internal rate of return of investment of an oil refinery is 13% at its best case. Also the studies reveal that process pattern for production of aromatics in petro refinery will increase the rate of return of investment to 13.23%. Moreover, the ratio of converting propylene to ethylene in naphtha or kerosene cracking units is about ten times more than gas cracking units while in the past years and because of developing South Pars gas fields, most petrochemical plants are programmed or established based on gaseous feed. By developing petro refineries, more propylene can be produced as a petrochemical substance with huge market demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization & Management / Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Slaskiej. Seria Organizacji i Zarzadzanie is the property of Silesian Technical University, Organisation & Management Faculty 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.)

Today's fast-pace evolving and digitalizing World is posing new challenges to reliability engineering. On the other hand, the continuous advancement of technical knowledge and the increasing capabilities of monitoring and computing offer opportunities for new developments in reliability engineering. In this paper, I reflect on some of these challenges and opportunities in research and application. The underlying perspective taken stands on the following: The belief that the knowledge, information, and data (KID) available for the modeling, computations, and analyses done in reliability engineering is substantially grown and continue to do so; The belief that the technical capabilities for reliability engineering have been significantly advanced; The recognition of the increased complexity of the systems, nowadays more and more made of heterogeneous, highly interconnected elements. In line with this perspective, opportunities and challenges for reliability engineering are discussed in relation to degradation modeling and integration of multistate and physics-based models therein, accelerated degradation testing, component-, system- and fleet-wide prognostics and health management in evolving environments. The paper is not a review, nor a state of the art work, but rather it offers a vision of reflection on reliability engineering, for consideration and discussion by the interested scientific community. It does not pretend to give the unique view, nor to be complete in the subject discussed and the related literature referenced to. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Real estate investments are one of the most attractive business opportunities in the context of the contemporary economy, generally marked by economic recession and especially by monetary and financial instability. Last years international reporting concluded that deepening the global economic crisis determined an increase of the real estate request, while despite all expectations one did not assist a crash of the prices. Economic reality showed that real estate assets value (buildings, land) kept proportions with economic reality over time. A comparison between stock exchange market and the real estate market shows that while an movables investor (investments in stocks, bonds or life insurance) might lose completely his initial investment, the investments in real estate assets, such as buildings, would keep their quality as goods and would also keep a value to better resist shocks and thus allowing an increase of the capital. When appreciating the value of an investment the first things to analyze are the return, liquidity and risk criteria, which are essential in real estate investments too. Stimulating real estate market must be not only a wish but also a reality of global economy, since it can correct many of the aggregated indicators of a country. Containing scientifically detached from economic practice, this article is addressed to readers with interests in real estate investment. The language is usually referred particularly to the qualitative side of the real estate market approach. The feasibility of the real estate investments is being conditioned by their capacity to generate important profits, on the background of the reduction of the duration of recovery of their value. The economic instability from the last couple of years has generated fears and failures but, paraphrasing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, courage is a mixture of genius, magic and power that helps us succeed in everything we set our mind to. The investments on the real estate market usually have a long period of recovery, compared to the placements at the stock market or to the commercial business. The structure of investments in the field of real estate is complex and depends on several factors: the fiscal and financial policies of a country, elements that are specific to the constructions sector, the fluctuations of the real estate market, the development degree of a nation, the free circulation of people, the evolution of the exchange rate etc. The international statistics show that the real estate sector represents one of the most profitable businesses from the last two decades. Even now the real estate sector seems to be profitable, especially for the speculators, in the measure in which there are financial sources and enough information about the market.

The article presents the necessity of off-line conversions tracking as well as its impact on company’s marketing strategy and the return of investments (ROI). Several methods of off-line conversions tracking are described together with their abilities and relevance. It is shown that the off-line conversions are the very important factor and only on-line methods of tracking such conversions are not enough.

Many large companies in Romania are still functioning without an ERP system. Instead they are using traditional application systems built around the strong boundaries of specific functions: finance, selling, HR, production. An ERP will offer lots of advantages among which the integration of functionalities and support for top management decisions. Although the total cost of ownership is not small and there are some risks when implementing an ERP inside large and very large organizations, having such a system is mandatory. Choosing the right product and vendor and using a correct risk management strategy, will ensure a successful implementation.

Copyright of Revista Metropolitana de Sustentabilidade is the property of Revista Metropolitana de Sustentabilidade - RMS 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.)

This paper is an abstract of the dissertation Profitability of a library using social media and highlights research carried out in order to demonstrate the profitability of libraries that make use of social media both to offer products and services to the users in line with their expectations and needs and to deliver different types of ROI. A set of social media indicators to measure the evolution and results has also been established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to correctly determine the investments required to establish cherry orchard, as well as to point out the best option to ensure the quality, productivity and competitiveness of the relevant products. The feasibility of investments for planting cherry orchards is considered according to the following method: preparation of investment budgets for planting and maintenance of cherry orchards before fructification for three technologies of fruit cultivation (traditional, intensive and super-intensive), the budget for the cherry orchard during the fructification period, and the comparison of the obtained results of calculation. The traditional orchard technology is more extensive, easier to implement, needs least investments per hectare and has lower economic effects, the intensive technology needs large investments per hectare and, therefore, allows obtaining more advantageous economic results, while the super-intensive technology is the most expensive, implies the greatest investments per hectare, and allows obtaining the best economic results. Given the above-listed findings, it may be concluded that intensive orchards allow obtaining cherrys of homogenous quality, have a high productivity per hectare and at lower costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to analyze the investments in human capital and their importance to the tourism industry. The concept of human capital in tourism is defined. Substantial attention is paid to the assessment of training needs of personnel in tourism and the reasons for its implementation. The attention is focused on the methods for assessing the training needs of staff in the tourist business. Special emphasis is placed on the practical methods of training. The role of training evaluation is identified in order to measure the achievements and results of its implementation. The advantages and disadvantages of the evaluation process are pointed out. The difficulties in measuring the return of investment of training in the tourism industry are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]