Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Criterias of efficiency'

Футрик, А. С. Особливості соціально-психологічного супроводу прийомних сімей : випускна кваліфікаційна робота : 231 "Соціальна робота" / А. С. Футрик ; керівник роботи Г. Л. Чепурна ; НУ "Чернігівська політехніка", кафедра креативних індустрій та соціальних інновацій. – Чернігів, 2021. – 83 с.
У кваліфікаційній роботі розглянута проблема особливостей соціально- психологічного супроводу прийомних сімей. Робота складається зі вступу, трьох розділів, висновків, списку посилань та додатків. В кваліфікаційній роботі теоретично узагальнено поняття «прийомна сім’я» та «соціально-психологічний супровід»; наведено результати емпіричного дослідження особливостей ставлення соціальних працівників та прийомних сімей до соціального супроводу; виявлено особливості психологічного клімату в сім’ї для прийомних дітей. На основі розробленої моделі соціально- психологічного супроводу, створено комплексну програму сприяння ефективному соціально-психологічному супроводу, яка включає методичний семінар для соціальних працівників та тренінги для батьків.
This work is devoted to the the problem of peculiarities of social and psychological support of foster families. The paper thesis consists of the introduction, three chapters, conclusions, a list of references and supplements. Theoretically summarized the concept of “foster family” and “socio-psychological support”; the results of the empirical research on the peculiarities of the attitude of social workers and foster families to social support are given; the features of the psychological climate in the family to foster children are revealed. Based on the developed model of social and psychological support, a comprehensive program to promote effective social and psychological support has been created, which includes a methodological seminar for social workers and training for parents.

We extend the class of M-tests for a unit root analyzed by Perron and Ng (1996) and Ng and Perron (1997) to the case where a change in the trend function is allowed to occur at an unknown time. These tests M(GLS) adopt the GLS detrending approach of Dufour and King (1991) and Elliott, Rothenberg and Stock (1996) (ERS). Following Perron (1989), we consider two models: one allowing for a change in slope and the other for both a change in intercept and slope. We derive the asymptotic distribution of the tests as well as that of the feasible point optimal tests PT(GLS) suggested by ERS. The asymptotic critical values of the tests aretabulated. Also, we compute the non-centrality parameter used for the local GLS detrending that permits the tests to have 50% asymptotic power at that value. We show that the M(GLS) and PT(GLS) tests have an asymptotic power function close to the power envelope. An extensive simulation study analyzes the size and power in finite samples under various methods to select the truncation lag for the autoregressive spectral density estimator. An empirical application is also provided.
Extendemos los estadísticos tipo M para una raíz unitaria analizados por Perron y Ng (1996) y Ng y Perron (2001) al caso donde se permite que el cambio en la función de tendencia ocurra en un punto desconocido. Estos estadísticos (MGLS) adoptan el enfoque GLS para eliminar la tendencia desarrollado por Elliott et al. (1996) (ERS) siguiendo los resultados de Dufour y King (1991). Siguiendo a Perron (1989), consideramos dos modelos: uno que permite un cambio en la pendiente y otro que permite tanto un cambio en el intercepto como en la pendiente. Derivamos las distribuciones asintóticas así como el estadístico óptimo factible en un punto de la hipótesis alternativa (PT GLS) sugerido por ERS. También computamos el parámetro de no centralidad utilizado por el enfoque GLS local a la unidad con el fin de eliminar la tendencia que permite que el estadístico PT GLS tenga 50% de potencia asintótica en ese valor. Asimismo, se han tabulado los valores críticos asintóticos de los estadísticos. Mostramos que los estadísticos MGLS y PT GLS tienen una función de potencia asintótica cercana a la envolvente de potencia. Un estudio de simulación analiza el tamaño y potencia en muestras finitas bajo varios métodos para seleccionar la truncación para estimar la densidad espectral autorregresiva. Finalmente, también se presenta una aplicación empírica.

Thesis (PhD (Logistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH SUMMARY: In an effort to compete globally, South African supply chains must achieve and maintain a competitive advantage. One way of achieving this is by ensuring that South African supply chains are as efficient as possible. Consequently, steps must be taken to evaluate the efficiency levels of South African supply chains. This dissertation develops the composite supply chain efficiency model using variables specifically identified as problem areas experienced by South African supply chains. The composite supply chain efficiency model evaluates the overall efficiency of a supply chain based on three criteria, namely, reliability efficiency, cost efficiency and speed efficiency. It identifies bottlenecks along the supply chain and in so doing identifies key focus areas for firms if they want to improve their overall efficiency and become more competitive. 3
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ’n poging om wˆereldwyd te kompeteer, moet Suid-Afrikaanse voorsieningskettings ’n mededingende voordeel behaal en handhaaf. Een manier om dit te bereik is om te verseker dat Suid-Afrikaanse voorsieningskettings so doeltreffend as moontlik funksioneer. Gevolglik moet stappe gedoen word om die doeltreffendheidsvlakke van die Suid-Afrikaanse voorsieningskettings te evalueer. Hierdie proefskrif het die saamgestelde voorsieningsketting doeltreffendheidsmodel ontwikkel wat veranderlikes gebruik wat spesifiek ge¨ıdentifiseer is as probleemgebiede in Suid-Afrikaanse voorsieningskettings. Die saamgestelde voorsieningsketting doeltreffendheidsmodel evalueer die algehele doeltreffendheid van ’n voorsieningsketting gebaseer op drie kriteria, naamlik, betroubaarheidsdoeltreffendheid, koste-doeltreffendheid en spoed-doeltreffendheid. Dit identifiseer knelpunte in die voorsieningsketting en identifiseer belangrike fokusareas vir ondernemings wat aangespreek moet word as hul algehele doeltreffendheid wil verbeter en meer mededingend raak.
jfl2010

In this study, an attempt is made to apply Decision Support Systems (DSS) in planning for the expansion of energy generation infrastructure in Nigeria. There is an increasing demand for energy in that country, and the study will try to show that DSS modelling, using A Mathematical Programming Language (AMPL) as the modelling tool, can offer satisficing results which would be a good decision support resource for motivating how to expend investment for energy generation.
+46707267798

This study is conducted with the aims to develop a new ranking method for multi-criteria decision making problem with conflicting criteria. Such a problem has a set of Pareto solutions, where the act of improving a value of one solution will result in depreciating some of the others. Thus, in this type of problem, there is no unique solution. However, out of many available options, the Decision Maker eventually has to choose only one solution. With this problem as the motivation, the current study develops a compromise ranking algorithm, namely a trade-off ranking method. The trade-off ranking method able to give a trade-off solution with the least compromise compared to other choices as the best solution. The properties of the algorithm are studied in the thesis on several test cases. The proposed method is compared against several multi-criteria decision making methods with ranking based on the distance measure, which are the TOPSIS, relative distance and VIKOR. The sensitivity analysis and uncertainty test are carried out to examine the methods robustness. A critical criteria analysis is also done to test for the most critical criterion in a multi-criteria problem. The decision making method is considered further in a fuzzy environment problem where the fuzzy trade-off ranking is developed and compared against existing fuzzy decision making methods.

This thesis describes the development and setup of hybrid index structures. They are access methods for retrieval techniques in hybrid data spaces which are formed by one or more relational or normalised columns in conjunction with one non-relational or non-normalised column. Examples for these hybrid data spaces are, among others, textual data combined with geographical ones or data from enterprise content management systems. However, all non-relational data types may be stored as well as image feature vectors or comparable types. Hybrid index structures are known to function efficiently regarding retrieval operations. Unfortunately, little information is available about reorganisation operations which insert or update the row tuples. The fundamental research is mainly executed in simulation based environments. This work is written ensuing from a previous thesis that implements hybrid access structures in realistic database surroundings. During this implementation it has become obvious that retrieval works efficiently. Yet, the restructuring approaches require too much effort to be set up, e.g., in web search engine environments where several thousands of documents are inserted or modified every day. These search engines rely on relational database systems as storage backends. Hence, the setup of these access methods for hybrid data spaces is required in real world database management systems. This thesis tries to apply a systematic approach for the optimisation of the rearrangement algorithms inside realistic scenarios. Thus, a measurement and evaluation scheme is created which is repeatedly deployed to an evolving state and a model of hybrid index structures in order to optimise the regrouping algorithms to make a setup of hybrid index structures in real world information systems possible. Thus, a set of input corpora is selected which is applied to the test suite as well as an evaluation scheme. To sum up, it can be said that this thesis describes input sets, a test suite including an evaluation scheme as well as optimisation iterations on reorganisation algorithms reflecting a theoretical model framework to provide efficient reorganisations of hybrid index structures supporting multimedia search criteria.

E’ stato in primo luogo definito il criterio di efficienza dal punto di vista economico (con una accenno anche ai parametri elaborati dagli studiosi di discipline aziendali), nelle sue varie accezioni, ponendo altresì ciascuna di queste in relazione alle condizioni di concorrenza perfetta. Le nozioni di efficienza che sono state definite a tal fine sono quelle di efficienza allocativa, efficienza tecnica, efficienza dinamica ed efficienza distributiva. Ciascuna di esse é stata inquadrata a livello teorico secondo le definizioni fornite dalla letteratura, esaminandone le ipotesi sottostanti. E’ stata altresì descritta, contestualizzandola temporalmente, l’evoluzione della nozione, e ne sono state evidenziate le implicazioni ai fini della ricerca della forma di mercato più “efficiente”. Sotto quest’ultimo aspetto l’attenzione dello scrivente si é incentrata sul rapporto tra le diverse accezioni di efficienza economica oggetto di analisi e la desiderabilità o meno di un regime di concorrenza perfetta. Il capitolo si conclude con una breve panoramica sulle metodologie di misurazione finalizzata ad individuare i principali parametri utilizzati per determinare il livello di efficienza, di un mercato, di un’attività produttiva o di un’impresa, posto che, come verrà specificato nel prosieguo della tesi, la valutazione di efficienza in ambito antitrust deve essere verificata, ove possibile, anche basandosi sull’evidenza empirica delle singole imprese esaminate, come richiede il criterio della rule of reason. Capitolo 2 Presupposto per avere una regolazione che persegua l’obiettivo di avere una regolazione efficiente ed efficace, è, a parere di chi scrive, anche l’esistenza di autorità pubbliche deputate a esercitare la funzione regolatoria che rispettino al proprio interno e nel proprio agire la condizione di efficienza definita rispetto ai pubblici poteri. Lo sviluppo di questa affermazione ha richiesto in via preliminare, di definire il criterio di efficienza in ambito pubblicistico individuandone in particolare l’ambito di applicazione, il suo rapporto con gli altri principi che reggono l’azione amministrativa (con particolare riferimento al criterio di efficacia). Successivamente é stato collocato nel nostro ordinamento nazionale, ponendolo in relazione con il principio di buon andamnento della Pubblica Amministrazione, benchè l’ordinamento italiano, per la sua specificità non costituisca un esempio estendibile ad ordinamenti. Anche con riferimento al criterio di efficienza pubblica, un paragrafo é stato dedicato alle metodologie di misurazione di questa, e, nello specifico sull’Analisi Costi-Benefici e sull’Analisi di Impatto della Regolazione Una volta inquadrata la definizione di efficienza pubblica, questa é stata analizzata con specifico riferimento all’attività di regolazione dell’economia svolta dai soggetti pubblici, ambito nella quale rientra la funzione antitrust. Si é provato in particolare ad evidenziare, a livello generale, quali sono i requisiti necessari ad un’autorità amministrativa antitrust, costituita e dotata di poteri ad hoc, affinché essa agisca, nella sua attività di regolazione, secondo il principio di efficienza, Il capitolo si chiude allargando l’orizzonte della ricerca verso una possibile alternativa metodologica al criterio di efficienza precedentemente definito: vi si é infatti brevemente interrogati circa lo schema interpretativo nel quale ci muoviamo, affrontando la questione definitoria del criterio di efficienza, ponendolo in relazione con l’unico modello alternativo esistente, quello sviluppatosi nella cultura cinese. Non certo per elaborare un’applicazione in “salsa cinese” del criterio di efficienza alla tutela della concorrenza, compito al quale lo scrivente non sarebbe stato in grado di ottemperare, bensì, più semplicemente per dare conto di un diverso approccio alla questione che il futuro ruolo di superpotenza economica della Cina imporrà di prendere in considerazione. Capitolo 3 Nel terzo capitolo si passa a definire il concetto di concorrenza come istituto oggetto di tutela da parte della legge antitrust, per poi descrivere la nascita e l’evoluzione di tale legislazione negli Stati Uniti e della sua applicazione, posto che il diritto antitrust statunitense ancora oggi costituisce il necessario punto di riferimento per lo studioso di questa materia. L’evoluzione del diritto antitrust statunitense é stata analizzata parallelamente allo sviluppo delle principali teorie di law and economics che hanno interpretato il diritto della concorrenza quale possibile strumento per conseguire l’obiettivo dell’efficienza economica: la Scuola di Harvard e il paradigma strutturalista, la teoria evoluzionista della Scuola Austriaca, la Scuola di Chicago; le c.d. teorie “Post-Chicago”. Nel terzo capitolo, in altri termini, si é dato conto dell’evoluzione del pensiero economico con riferimento alla sua applicazione al diritto antitrust, focalizzando l’attenzione su quanto avvenuto negli Stati Uniti, paese nel quale sono nati sia l’istituto giuridico della tutela della concorrenza sia l’analisi economica del diritto. A conclusione di questa ricostruzione dottrinale ho brevemente esaminato quelle che sono le nuove tendenze dell’analisi economica del diritto, e specificatamente la teoria del comportamento irrazionale, benché esse non abbiano ancora ricevuto applicazione al diritto antitrust. Chi scrive ritiene infatti che queste teorie avranno ricadute anche in questa materia poiché essa costituisce uno dei principali ambiti applicativi della law and economics. Capitolo 4 Nel quarto capitolo é stata effettuata una disanima della disciplina comunitaria antitrust sottolineando come l’Unione Europea si proponga attraverso la sua applicazione, soprattutto in materia di intese, di perseguire fini eterogenei, sia economici che non economici, tra loro diversi e non di rado contrastanti, e analizzando come questa eterogeneità di obiettivi abbia influito sull’applicazione del criterio di efficienza. Attenendomi in questo capitolo al dato normativo, ho innanzitutto evidenziato l’ampiezza dell’ambito di applicazione della disciplina comunitaria antitrust sia dal punto di vista soggettivo che territoriale (dottrina dell’effetto utile), sottolineando come la norma giustifichi esplicitamente il ricorso al criterio di efficienza solo nella valutazione delle intese: il comma 3 dell’art. 81 del Trattato include, infatti, tra i requisiti di una possibile esenzione dall’applicazione del divieto per le intese qualificate come restrittive della concorrenza, la possibilità di ottenere incrementi di efficienza tecnica e/o dinamica attraverso l’implementazione delle intese in questione. Tuttavia la previsione da parte dello stesso art. 81 (3) di altri requisiti che devono contemporaneamente essere soddisfatti affinché un intesa restrittiva della concorrenza possa beneficiare dell’esenzione, nonché la possibile diversa interpretazione della locuzione “progresso tecnico ed economico”, impone, o comunque ammette, il perseguimento di altri obiettivi, contestualmente a quello dell’efficienza, giustificando così quell’eterogeneità dei fini che contraddistingue la politica della concorrenza dell’Unione Europea. Se la disciplina delle intese aiuta a comprendere il ruolo del criterio di efficienza nell’applicazione dei precetti antitrust da parte degli organi comunitari, l’art. 82 del Trattato non contiene invece alcun riferimento alla possibilità di utilizzare il criterio di efficienza nella valutazione delle condotte unilaterali poste in essere da imprese in posizione dominante sul mercato rilevante. Si è peraltro dato conto della consultazione recentemente avviata dalla Commissione Europea finalizzata all’elaborazione di Linee Guida che definiscano i criteri di interpretazione che l’organo comunitario dovrà seguire nella valutazione dei comportamenti unilaterali. A parere dello scrivente, anzi, l’assenza di un preciso schema cui subordinare la possibilità di ricorrere al criterio di efficienza nella valutazione della fattispecie, attribuisce alle autorità competenti un più ampio margine di discrezionalità nell’utilizzo del suddetto criterio poiché manca il vincolo della contestuale sussistenza delle altre condizioni di cui all’art. 81(3). Per quanto concerne infine la disciplina delle concentrazioni, essa, come abbiamo visto, prevede un riferimento ai possibili incrementi di efficienza (tecnica e dinamica) derivanti da operazioni di fusione, utilizzando la nozione utilizzata per le intese, così come nel precedente Regolamento 4064/89. Si é infine analizzato il nuovo Regolamento in materia di concentrazioni che avrebbe potuto costituire l’occasione per recepire nella disciplina comunitaria l’attribuzione della facoltà di ricorrere all’efficiency defense in presenza di una fattispecie, quella della fusione tra imprese, suscettibile più di altre di essere valutata secondo il criterio di efficienza, ma che si é invece limitato a riprendere la medesima locuzione presente nell’art. 81(3). Il capitolo attesta anche l’attenzione verso l’istanza di efficienza che ha riguardato il meccanismo di applicazione della norma antitrust e non il contenuto della norma stessa; a questo profilo attiene, infatti, l’innovazione apportata dal Regolamento 1/2003 che ha permesso, a parere dello scrivente, un’attribuzione più razionale della competenza nella valutazione dei casi tra la Commissione e le autorità nazionali degli Stati membri; tuttavia pone alcune questioni che investono direttamente il tema dei criteri di valutazione utilizzati dalle autorità competenti. Capitolo 5 L’analisi del quarto capitolo é stata condotta, sebbene in forma più sintetica, con riferimento alle normative antitrust dei principali Stati membri della Comunità Europea (Germania, Gran Bretagna, Spagna, Francia e Italia), rapportando anche queste al criterio di efficienza, ove possibile. Particolare attenzione é stata dedicata ai poteri e alle competenze attribuite alle autorità nazionali antitrust oggetto di studio dall’ordinamento giuridico cui appartengono e al contesto, in termini di sistema giuridico, nel quale esse operano. Capitolo 6 Si é provato ad effettuare una valutazione del livello di efficienza delle autorità prese in esame, la Commissione e le diverse autorità nazionali e ciò con particolare riferimento alla idoneità di queste a svolgere i compiti istituzionali loro affidati (criterio di efficienza dal punto di vista giuridico): affinchè un’autorità si possa ispirare al criterio di efficienza economica nell’adozione delle decisioni, infatti, è preliminarmente necessario che essa sia idonea a svolgere il compito che le è stato affidato dall’ordinamento. In questo senso si é osservata la difficoltà dei paesi di civil law a inquadrare le autorità indipendenti all’interno di un modello, quello appunto di civil law, ispirato a una rigida tripartizione dei poteri. Da qui la difficile collocazione di queste autorità che, al contrario, costituiscono un potere “ibrido” che esercita una funzione di vigilanza e garanzia non attribuibile integralmente né al potere esecutivo né a quello giurisdizionale. Si rileva inoltre una certa sovrapposizione delle competenze e dei poteri tra autorità antitrust e organi ministeriali, in particolare nel campo delle concentrazioni che ingenera un rischio di confusione e bassa efficienza del sistema. Mantenendo, infatti, un parziale controllo politico si rischia, oltre all’introduzione di criteri di valutazione politica che prescindono dagli effetti delle fattispecie concrete sul livello di concorrenza ed efficienza del mercato, anche di dare luogo a conflitti tra le diverse autorità del sistema che impediscano l’adozione e l’implementazione di decisioni definitive, incrementando altresì i costi dell’intervento pubblico. Un giudizio a parte è stato infine formulato con riguardo alla Commissione Europea, istituzione, in quanto avente caratteristiche e poteri peculiari. Da un lato l’assenza di vincolo di mandato dei Commissari e l’elevata preparazione tecnica dei funzionari costituiscono aspetti che avvicinano la Commissione al modello dell’autorità indipendenti, e l’ampiezza dei poteri in capo ad essa le permette di operare efficientemente grazie anche alla possibilità di valersi dell’assistenza delle autorità nazionali. Dall’altra parte, tuttavia la Commissione si caratterizza sempre di più come un organo politico svolgente funzioni esecutive, di indirizzo e di coordinamento che possono influenzare gli obiettivi che essa persegue attraverso l’attività antitrust, deviandola dal rispetto del criterio di efficienza. Capitolo 7 Una volta definito il contesto istituzionale di riferimento e la sua idoneità a svolgere la funzione affidatagli dall’ordinamento comunitario, nonché da quelli nazionali, si è proceduto quindi all’analisi delle decisioni adottate da alcune delle principali autorità nazionali europee competenti ad applicare la disciplina della concorrenza dal punto di vista dell’efficienza. A tal fine le fattispecie rilevanti a fini antitrust dal punto di vista giuridico sono state classificate utilizzando un criterio economico, individuando e definendo quelle condotte che presentano elementi comuni sotto il profilo economico e per ciascuna di esse sono state inquadrate le problematiche rilevanti ai fini dell’efficienza economica sulla scorta dei contributi teorici e delle analisi empiriche svolte dalla letteratura. 6 Con riferimento a ciascuna condotta rilevante ho esaminato il contenuto di alcune delle decisioni antitrust più significative e le ho interpretate in base al criterio di efficienza. verificando se e in quale misura le autorità antitrust prese in esame utilizzano tale criterio, cercando altresì di valutare l’evoluzione dei parametri di valutazione occorsa nel corso degli anni. Le decisioni analizzate sono soprattutto quelle adottate dalla Commissione e le eventuali relative sentenze della Corte di Giustizia Europea; ciò sia per la maggior rilevanza dei casi trattati a livello comunitario, sia in quanto le autorità nazionali, con qualche rara eccezione, si conformano generalmente ai criteri interpretativi della Commissione. Riferimenti a decisioni adottate dalle autorità nazionali sono stati collocati allorquando i loro criteri interpretativi si discostino da quelli utilizzati dagli organi comunitari. Ne è emerso un crescente, anche se ancora sporadico e incostante, ricorso al criterio di efficienza da parte degli organi europei preposti alla tutela della concorrenza. Il tuttora scarso utilizzo del criterio di efficienza nello svolgimento dell’attività antitrust è motivato, a parere di chi scrive, in parte dall’eterogeneità degli obiettivi che l’Unione Europea persegue attraverso la politica della concorrenza comunitaria (completamento del mercato unico, tutela del consumatore, politica industriale, sviluppo delle aree svantaggiate), in parte dall’incapacità (o dall’impossibilità) delle autorità di effettuare coerenti analisi economiche delle singole fattispecie concrete. Anche le principali autorità nazionali mostrano una crescente propensione a tendere conto dell’efficienza nella valutazione dei casi, soprattutto con riferimento agli accordi verticali e alle concentrazioni, sulla scia della prassi comunitaria. Più innovativa nell’applicazione del criterio di efficienza economica così come nella ricerca di uso ottimale delle risorse si è finora dimostrato l’OFT, come vedremo anche nel prossimo capitolo. Al contrario sembra più lenta l’evoluzione in questo senso dell’Ufficio dei Cartelli tedesco sia a causa delle già citate caratteristiche della legge antitrust tedesca, sia a causa del persistente principio ordoliberale della prevalenza del criterio della rule of law sulla rule of reason. Peraltro, anche nei casi in cui le Autorità siano propense ad utilizzare il criterio di efficienza nelle loro valutazioni, esse si limitano generalmente ad un’analisi teorica dell’esistenza di precondizioni che consentano alle imprese in questione di ottenere guadagni di efficienza. La sussistenza di tali pre-condizioni viene infatti rilevata sulla base della capacità potenziale della condotta dell’impresa (o delle imprese) di avere un effetto positivo in termini di efficienza, nonché sulla base delle caratteristiche del mercato rilevante. Raramente, invece, si tiene conto della capacità reale dei soggetti che pongono in essere la pratica suscettibile di essere restrittiva della concorrenza di cogliere effettivamente queste opportunità, ovvero se la struttura e l’organizzazione interna dell’impresa (o delle imprese) non è in grado di mettere in pratica ciò che la teoria suggerisce a causa di sue carenza interne o comunque in ragione delle strategie che persegue. Capitolo 8 Poiché l’approccio ispirato al criterio di efficienza economica non può prescindere dalle caratteristiche del settore e del mercato in cui operano l’impresa o le imprese che hanno posto in essere la condotta sotto esame, e poiché una valutazione approfondita di tutti i settori non era effettuabile per quantità di decisioni adottate dalle autorità, ho infine ritenuto di svolgere un’analisi dettagliata dell’attività delle autorità con riferimento ad uno specifico settore. La scelta è caduta sul settore dei trasporti in quanto esso presenta alcune problematiche che intrecciano l’esigenza di efficienza con la tutela della concorrenza, nonché per la sua importanza ai fini dello sviluppo economico. Tanto più alla luce del fenomeno della crescente apertura dei mercati che ha enfatizzato la triplice funzione dei trasporti di merci, di livellamento nello spazio dei prezzi di produzione, di redistribuzione nello spazio dell’impiego dei fattori della produzione, e soprattutto di sollecitazione al miglioramento delle tecnologie utilizzate nella produzione stessa in quanto contribuiscono alla divisione territoriale del lavoro e alla specializzazione produttiva. A loro volta, d’altra parte, i miglioramenti tecnici e organizzativi intervenuti nel settore negli ultimi trenta anni hanno reso possibile il fenomeno della globalizzazione nella misura in cui lo conosciamo. Così come le riduzioni di costo e di tempo conseguite nel trasporto di persone hanno consentito massicci spostamenti di lavoratori e più in generale di capitale umano da una parte all’altra del globo, e favorito altresì la spettacolare crescita del settore turistico. Ho quindi condotto un’analisi delle decisioni antitrust relative al settore dei trasporti, suddividendo la casistica in base al comparto al quale esse si riferivano, cercando sempre di non perdere di vista i crescenti legami che esistono tra i vari comparti alla luce dell’ormai affermato fenomeno del trasporto multimodale. Dall’analisi svolta emerge innanzitutto come l’assoggettamento del settore dei trasporti alla disciplina di tutela della concorrenza sia un fenomeno relativamente recente rispetto alle altre attività economiche, laddove la ragione di tale ritardo risiede nel fatto che tradizionalmente questo settore era caratterizzato da un intervento pubblico diretto e da una pervasiva regolamentazione, a sua volta giustificata da vari fattori economici: le caratteristiche di monopolio naturale delle infrastrutture; le esigenze di servizio pubblico connesse all’erogazione di molti servizi di trasporto; il ruolo strategico svolto dal trasporto sia di persone che di merci ai fini della crescita economica di un sistema. Si concretizza, inoltre, con riferimento ai trasporti marittimi e aerei, l’inadeguatezza della dimensione nazionale e comunitaria delle autorità competenti rispetto a comportamenti di impresa che spesso hanno effetti letteralmente globali. Le imprese marittime e aeree coinvolte nelle fattispecie da noi esaminate, infatti, in molti casi predisponevano, direttamente o mediatamente, tramite “alleanze”, collegamenti tra tutte le aree del mondo, individuando nell’Europa solo un nodo di un network ben più ampio Da questa constatazione discende, a parere dello scrivente, l’impossibilità per l’autorità comunitaria e ancor più per quella nazionale di individuare tutti gli effetti in termini di efficienza che la fattispecie concreta può provocare, non includendo pertanto solo quelli evidenti sul mercato comunitario. Conseguentemente una reale applicazione del criterio di efficienza all’attività antitrust nel settore dei trasporti non può prescindere da una collaborazione tra autorità a livello mondiale sia a fini di indagine che a fini di individuazione di alcuni principi fondamentali cui ispirarsi nello svolgimento della loro missione istituzionale. Capitolo 9. Conclusioni L’opera si chiude con l’individuazione delle evidenze e degli elementi emersi dalla trattazione considerati dallo scrivente maggiormente rilevanti nell’ambito dell’attuale dibattito di economia positiva circa le principali problematiche che affiggono l’intervento antitrust con particolare riferimento al suo rispetto del criterio di efficienza. Sono state altresì proposte alcune soluzioni a quelle che sono, a parere dello scrivente, le principali carenze dell’attuale configurazione dell’intervento antitrust a livello europeo, sempre in una prospettiva di efficienza sia delle autorità competenti sia dei mercati in cui le autorità stesse cercano di mantenere o ripristinare condizioni di concorrenza effettiva. Da un lato il modello costituito dalla Commissione Europea, l’autorità antitrust comunitaria, non replicabile né esente da critiche: la Commissione, infatti, rappresenta il Governo dell’Unione Europea e come tale non può ovviamente costituire un esempio di autorità indipendente e neutrale recepibile da parte degli Stati membri. Ciò anche a prescindere dalla questione della sua legittimazione, che in questa sede non affrontiamo. Dall’altro in una prospettiva di efficienza dei mercati la crescente applicazione delle teorie economiche da parte delle autorità esaminate è rimasta a un livello astratto, senza porre la dovuta attenzione alle specificità dei mercati rilevanti né tantomeno alle dinamiche interne alle singole imprese, con particolare riferimento alla loro capacità di rendere effettivi i guadagni di efficienza individuabili a livello potenziale, così come prescrive la più recente teoria economica applicata al diritto antitrust. Sotto il profilo dell’applicazione del criterio di efficienza si può comunque affermare che l’evoluzione che ha avuto la prassi decisionale e la giurisprudenza, comunitaria e degli Stati membri, in materia antitrust è stata caratterizzata dal loro progressivo avvicinamento alle tendenze sviluppatesi nelle agencies e nella giurisprudenza statunitense a partire dagli anni’70, caratterizzate dalla valutazione degli effetti, piuttosto che della forma giuridica, dal riconoscimento del criterio di efficienza e dalla rule of reason quale approccio metodologico. L’effetto è stato quello di determinare una significativa riduzione delle differenze inizialmente emerse tra le due esperienze, nate inizialmente sotto diverse prospettive politiche. Per quanto concerne specificatamente i trasporti sono emersi sotto il profilo economico due aspetti rilevanti, oltre al perdurante ritardo con cui il processo di liberalizzazione del trasporto ferroviario che limita fortemente l’intervento antitrust nel comparto, ma che esula dalla competenza delle stesse autorità antitrust. Il primo consiste nella spesso troppo rigida separazione tra comparti adottata dalle autorità. Il secondo è l’estensivo ricorso all’essential facility doctrine nelle fattispecie riguardanti infrastrutture portuali e aeroportuali: la massimizzazione dell’efficienza dinamica consiglierebbe in questi casi una maggiore cautela, in quanto si tratta di un paradigma che, una volta applicato, disincentiva la duplicazione e l’ampliamento di tali infrastrutture autoalimentandone il carattere di essenzialità. Ciò soprattutto laddove queste infrastrutture possono essere sostituite o duplicate piuttosto facilmente da un punto di vista tecnico (meno da un punto di vista economico e giuridico), essendo esse nodi e non reti. E’stata infine sottolineata l’inadeguatezza della dimensione nazionale e comunitaria delle autorità competenti rispetto a comportamenti di impresa che con riferimento ai trasporti marittimi ed aerei hanno effetti letteralmente globali. E’ di tutta evidenza che le autorità comunitarie e tantomeno quelle nazionali non sono da sole in grado di condurre le analisi quantitative necessarie ad una valutazione di tali condotte ispirata a un criterio di efficienza che tenga conto degli effetti di lungo periodo della fattispecie concreta. Né tali autorità sono sufficientemente neutre rispetto alla nazionalità delle imprese indagate per poter giudicare sulla liceità o meno della condotta in questione senza considerare gli effetti della loro decisione sull’economia interna, rendendo così ancora più improbabile un corretto utilizzo del criterio di efficienza. Da ultimo ho constatato come l’applicazione del concetto di efficienza giuridica imporrebbe di concepire autorità antitrust del tutto nuove, sganciate quanto più possibile dall’elemento territoriale, in grado di elaborare regole e standards minimi comuni e di permettere il controllo dei comportamenti di impresa in un contesto ampliato rispetto al tradizionale mercato unico, nonchè ai singoli mercati nazionali. Il processo di armonizzazione a livello globale è difficile e il quadro che attualmente viene formato è ancora confuso e incompleto. Vi sono tuttavia sparsi segnali attraverso i quali é possibile intravedere i lineamenti di una futura global governance della concorrenza che permetterà, sperabilmente, di incrementare l’efficienza di un sistema, quello antitrust, che tanto più piccolo è l’ambito in cui opera quanto più si sta dimostrando inadeguato a svolgere il compito affidatogli. Solo il futuro, peraltro, ci consentirà di verificare la direzione di sviluppo di questi segnali.

The article explores the criteria used to assess the efficiency of individual psychotherapeutic treat-ments with adults. In doing so it used the perspective of 40 professionals that represent 4 types of clinical interventions: cognitive behavioral, psychoanalytic, rational emotive psychotherapies, and psychoanalysis. In addition, it seeks to identify the similarities and differences among these with regards to above-mentioned criteria. A semi-structured interview was built and applied, exploring considerations on the efficiency of the treatments. The qualitative analysis resulted in twelve analysis topics and its corresponding answer categories. These were analyzed through descriptive and correspondence statistics. These criteria are numerous and highly variegated. Differences among the 4 groups are related to the nature of each therapeutic focus and its underlying theoretical paradigm. Psychoanalysts and cognitive behavioral therapists are the groups that aremost differentiated between each other.
El artículo explora los criterios para evaluar la eficiencia de los tratamientos psicoterapéuticos individuales con adultos desde la perspectiva de cuaarenta profesionales representativos de cuatro tipos de intervención clínica: psicoterapias conductual-cognitiva, psicoanalítica y racional-emotiva, y psicoanálisis. Asimismo, busca conocer las similitudes y diferencias entre estos tipos de intervención con respecto a dichos criterios. Para ello, se construyó y aplicó una entrevista semiestructurada que explora las consideraciones acerca de la eficiencia del tratamiento. Del análisis cualitativo de datos, se obtuvieron doce temas de análisis con sus correspondientes categorías de respuesta, los cuales fueron sometidos a un análisis estadístico descriptivo y de correspondencia. Los criterios encontrados son numerosos y variados. Las diferencias halladas entre los cuatro grupos se relacionan con la naturaleza del trabajo terapéutico de cada uno y con el paradigma teórico que los define. Los psicoanalistas y los psicoterapeutas conductuales cognitivos constituyen los grupos que más se diferencian entre sí.

Many city planners, regional authorities and transport providers are tasked with the challenging job of selecting which type of public buses are suited to their location and priorities. The challenges of which are multidimensional in nature due to different policies to adhere to as well as economic, environmental and technical tradeoffs between options. The aim of this report was to provide decision support in the choice of powertrains and energy sources for buses in public transport systems. The methodology used was a multi-criteria analysis. The assessed transportation options include buses running on diesel, biogas, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), hydro-treated vegetable oils (HVO), bioethanol as well as battery electric vehicles (BEVs) assessed separately as opportunity and overnight charging. Suitable bus solutions were broken into six key areas to be considered when selecting fleets. These involved economic, technical, reliability, infrastructure, environmental and social issues. The economic considerations highlighted: the cost of ownership and the market share of vehicles. Vehicle performance considerations included: the range/refuel time of a vehicle. Considerations involved in delivery reliability were: national energy security, whether there was a short-term backup fuel as well as current and future policy support. Another consideration regarding infrastructure was: the required level of change required. Regarding environment and energy, considerations of merit involved: well-to-wheel greenhouse gas reductions, air pollution in relation vehicle regulations, noise levels, nutrient recyclability as well as associated resource impacts. The social considerations were determined as: public opinion and job creation. From the compiled results assessing each criterion the grading matrix suggested it was biogas buses followed closely by HVO buses that scored the best. Weighted results were also conducted, emphasizing the most important criteria according to surveyed stakeholders which resulted in HVO and Biogas again performing the best.
Många stadsplanerare, regionala myndigheter och transportleverantörer har uppgift att utföra det utmanande arbetet med att välja vilken typ av offentliga bussar som passar deras läge och prioriteringar. Utmaningarna är multidimensionella på grund av olika politikområden för att följa såväl ekonomiska, miljömässiga som tekniska avvägningar mellan alternativ. Syftet med denna rapport var att ge beslutsstöd när det gäller val av elmotorer och energikällor för bussar i kollektivtrafiksystemen. Metoden som använts var en analys av flera kriterier. De bedömda transportalternativen inkluderar bussar som körs på diesel, biogas, fettsyrametylestrar (FAME), vattenbehandlade vegetabiliska oljor (HVO), bioetanol samt batteridrivna fordon (BEV) som bedömts separat som möjlighet och över natten laddning. Lämpliga busslösningar delades upp i sex nyckelområden som ska beaktas vid val av flottor. Dessa involverade ekonomiska, tekniska, tillförlitliga, infrastrukturella, miljömässiga och sociala frågor. Ekonomiska överväganden framhävs: ägandekostnader och marknadsandelar för fordon. Fordonets prestanda överväganden inkluderade: fordonets räckvidd / tankningstid. Överväganden som berörs av leveranssäkerhet var: nationell energisäkerhet, om det fanns ett kortsiktigt backupbränsle samt nuvarande och framtida politiskt stöd. En annan hänsyn till infrastrukturen var: den nödvändiga förändringsnivån. När det gäller miljö och energi var överväganden om meriter involverade: bränslesänkningar på vägen mot växthus, luftförorening i förhållande till fordonsbestämmelser, bullernivån, återvinningsförmåga för näringsämnen samt tillhörande resurskonsekvenser. De sociala övervägandena bestämdes som: allmän åsikt och skapande av arbetstillfällen. Från de sammanställda resultaten som bedömde varje kriterium noterades att biogasbussar, som följdes noggrant av HVO-bussar, gjorde det bästa enligt graderingsskalmatrisen. Viktiga resultat genomfördes också, med betoning på de viktigaste kriterierna enligt de undersökta intressenterna, vilket resulterade i att HVO och Biogas återigen utför de bästa.

The quality of worlds’ water resources is facing new challenges, for instance detectable concentration of various trace contaminants under the term micropollutants is discharging into water bodies from both municipal wastewater treatment plants and from on-site wastewater facilities. A project called RedMic aim at identifying and quantifying emissions of micropollutants from on-site wastewater treatments as a basis for providing innovative treatment technologies to reduce potential risks for groundwater and surface water contamination. This thesis work deals with two of the work packages in the RedMic project: a column experiment to test the capability of 10 adsorbents to remove micropollutants and a multi-criteria analysis is conducted to evaluate if a filter composed of granulated activated carbon (GAC) or ozonation can be used for on-site wastewater treatment facilities. Based on the removal efficiency of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of selected adsorbents, two types of activated carbon reduced up to 90% DOC concentration in the effluents. Moreover, six other adsorbents also showed good removal efficiency with around 60% in the second sampling. However, the data used in this thesis was only from the initial part of the experiment that continued and the final results will be published elsewhere. Two system solutions were evaluated with multi-criteria analysis: sandbed filter with either GAC filtration (1) or with ozonation (2) System solution 1 was found to have advantage compared to system 2.

Background: The concept of value perception is widely discussed in scientific literature and it is well-known, that channels deliver value to the customer. However, so far there has been no research about the efficiency of channels, especially the consumer´s perception of channel efficiency. Therefore, this study contributes to the current literature in channel management and it fills an existing research gap. The authors establish a definition of the term 'channel efficiency' and they develop a measuring instrument. For this thesis, the three criteria (1) shopping enjoyment, (2) interpersonal service quality and (3) price level are taken into consideration for the efficiency calculation. The two channels of interest are physical retail stores and the Internet. The target group is university students. Purpose: To measure and compare the efficiency of the channels 'physical retail store' and 'Internet' from the consumer´s view and thus, to find general patterns of rated channel efficiency. This will be achieved by investigating the individual channel value perception of certain channel specific criteria and by exploring the respective relevance of these criteria.   Research Questions: 1. What is the general channel efficiency of the channel physical retail store? 2. What is the general channel efficiency of the channel Internet? Method: A quantitative study in form of an online questionnaire has been conducted with German and Swedish students. 1 995 persons participated in the survey. The analysis has been carried out by using the computer software SPSS. Thus, the collected data could be edited with respect to the verification of the proposed hypotheses, the calculation and comparison of the respective channel efficiencies and additionally, the identification of patterns for gender and age groups. Research findings: The analysis of the collected data has shown that the three regarded criteria are of diverse importance and they are perceived differently for the channels physical retail stores and the Internet. Hence, the efficiency of those two channels is also unequal; physical retail stores reach a mean value of 46.8% and the Internet in turn achieves an average of 43.1%. This shows that both channels hold potential for improvement. When looking at patterns between gender and age groups, the authors could also identify interesting differentiations.

La programmation par contraintes est une technique puissante pour résoudre, entre autres, des problèmes d'ordonnancement de grande envergure. L'ordonnancement vise à allouer dans le temps des tâches à des ressources. Lors de son exécution, une tâche consomme une ressource à un taux constant. Généralement, on cherche à optimiser une fonction objectif telle la durée totale d'un ordonnancement. Résoudre un problème d'ordonnancement signifie trouver quand chaque tâche doit débuter et quelle ressource doit l'exécuter. La plupart des problèmes d'ordonnancement sont NP-Difficiles. Conséquemment, il n'existe aucun algorithme connu capable de les résoudre en temps polynomial. Cependant, il existe des spécialisations aux problèmes d'ordonnancement qui ne sont pas NP-Complet. Ces problèmes peuvent être résolus en temps polynomial en utilisant des algorithmes qui leur sont propres. Notre objectif est d'explorer ces algorithmes d'ordonnancement dans plusieurs contextes variés. Les techniques de filtrage ont beaucoup évolué dans les dernières années en ordonnancement basé sur les contraintes. La proéminence des algorithmes de filtrage repose sur leur habilité à réduire l'arbre de recherche en excluant les valeurs des domaines qui ne participent pas à des solutions au problème. Nous proposons des améliorations et présentons des algorithmes de filtrage plus efficaces pour résoudre des problèmes classiques d'ordonnancement. De plus, nous présentons des adaptations de techniques de filtrage pour le cas où les tâches peuvent être retardées. Nous considérons aussi différentes propriétés de problèmes industriels et résolvons plus efficacement des problèmes où le critère d'optimisation n'est pas nécessairement le moment où la dernière tâche se termine. Par exemple, nous présentons des algorithmes à temps polynomial pour le cas où la quantité de ressources fluctue dans le temps, ou quand le coût d'exécuter une tâche au temps t dépend de t.
Constraint programming is a powerful methodology to solve large scale and practical scheduling problems. Resource-constrained scheduling deals with temporal allocation of a variety of tasks to a set of resources, where the tasks consume a certain amount of resource during their execution. Ordinarily, a desired objective function such as the total length of a feasible schedule, called the makespan, is optimized in scheduling problems. Solving the scheduling problem is equivalent to finding out when each task starts and which resource executes it. In general, the scheduling problems are NP-Hard. Consequently, there exists no known algorithm that can solve the problem by executing a polynomial number of instructions. Nonetheless, there exist specializations for scheduling problems that are not NP-Complete. Such problems can be solved in polynomial time using dedicated algorithms. We tackle such algorithms for scheduling problems in a variety of contexts. Filtering techniques are being developed and improved over the past years in constraint-based scheduling. The prominency of filtering algorithms lies on their power to shrink the search tree by excluding values from the domains which do not yield a feasible solution. We propose improvements and present faster filtering algorithms for classical scheduling problems. Furthermore, we establish the adaptions of filtering techniques to the case that the tasks can be delayed. We also consider distinct properties of industrial scheduling problems and solve more efficiently the scheduling problems whose optimization criteria is not necessarily the makespan. For instance, we present polynomial time algorithms for the case that the amount of available resources fluctuates over time, or when the cost of executing a task at time t is dependent on t.

This thesis discusses a general approach to hybrid powertrain control based on optimisation and optimal control techniques. A typical strategy comprises a high level non-linear control for optimised energy efficiency, and a lower level Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) to track the high-level demand signals and minimise the first torsional vibration mode. The approach is demonstrated in simulation using a model of the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle, and comparisons are made with a simpler control system which uses proportional integral (PI) control at the lower level. The powertrain of the Toyota Prius has a parallel configuration, comprising a motor, engine and generator connected via an epicyclic gear train. High level control is determined by a Power Efficient Controller (PE C) which dynamically varies the operating demands for the motor, engine and generator. The PEC is an integrated nonlinear controller based on an iterative downhill search strategy for optimising energy efficiency and battery state of charge criteria, and fully accounts for the non-linear nature of the various efficiency maps. The PEC demand signals are passed onto the LQR controller where a cost function balances the importance of deviations from these demands against an additional criterion relating to the amplitude of driveline vibrations. System non-linearity is again accounted for at the lower level through gain scheduling of the LQR controller. Controller performance is assessed. in simulation, the results being compared with a reference system that uses simple PI action to deliver low-level control. Consideration is also given to assessing performance against that of a more general, fully non-linear dynamic optimal controller.

This thesis seeks to address energy efficient design in a temperate climate in typical small, medium density housing, particularly in housing for the aged. The connections between energy efficient design and small, medium density housing were identified as contemporary issues related to Australian Government policies in two disparate areas. One policy area is reflected in the Government's commitment to assist older people, whether they are active, early retirees or the frail elderly, wealthy or poor, to live in their chosen place of residence. Increasingly this chosen place of residence may be a small, medium density dwelling. The other policy area is that related to reducing energy consumption in buildings. This policy is reflected in recently proclaimed building regulations aimed at reducing space heating/cooling requirements in housing. The building regulations include details of acceptable construction practice for energy efficiency that may not be appropriate in small, medium density housing. It was proposed in this thesis that extensive use of space heating and cooling in housing for the aged was required because well-established benchmarks for energy efficient design in a temperate climate were not generally appropriate in small, medium density dwellings and were particularly inappropriate in housing for the aged. `Appropriate' in this context referred to: indoor temperatures being acceptable without the need for space heating and cooling; retaining the site planning and general form of typical, medium density aged persons housing developments in suburban Australia; cost effectiveness over the life of a building; and fitting the needs of physically and financially vulnerable older people.
The methods used to examine the notion of appropriateness commenced with a literature review that related to the general physical and economic status of older people and their needs and responses to space heating and cooling in the home. Further, the literature review considered the principles of energy efficient design and benchmark criteria for energy efficiency. Arising from the literature review, two tools of study were used in order to develop a set of data encapsulating the salient features of small, medium density housing. The first was a multiple case study of typical housing for the aged. This was conceived as a way of determining if small, medium density dwellings could provide appropriate indoor thermal conditions and/or were designed to be energy efficient. The indoor temperatures were monitored in summer and winter and annual energy consumption was established and statistically analysed. The building designs were analysed in terms of their orientation, glazing areas, wall areas, volumes of thermal mass and ventilation capacity and compared with benchmarks for energy efficient design. The second tool involved a series of computer simulations of a typical small, medium density dwelling. The simulation process was utilised to determine if a new set of benchmarks for energy efficient small, medium density dwellings were required that would incorporate the notion of appropriateness. From the multiple case study it was found that, irrespective of design, indoor temperatures in 98% of dwellings were above the acceptable maximum summer temperature of 27.4°C in still air and indoor temperatures in all dwellings were found to be below the acceptable minimum daytime temperature of 19.8°C.
The findings also showed that some aspects of the benchmarks for energy efficient design were not appropriate in typical, medium density housing constructed specifically for the aged. From the simulation process it was discovered that acceptable temperatures could be achieved in small medium density housing if the principles of energy efficient design, incorporated within a new set of benchmarks, were integrated with appropriateness criteria for housing for the aged. The approach taken with the new benchmarks was to create both performance based and prescriptive design solutions. The performance model differs from the current benchmarks for energy efficient design in that it establishes key functional objectives for energy efficient design. Compared to the current benchmarks, the prescriptive design solutions show significant reductions in the areas of northerly glazing and total glazing. To compensate for the reduced area of northerly glazing, both direct and indirect means of solar gain are utilised for passive heating. The thesis outcomes have implications for three areas of the construction industry. The prescriptive design solutions presented in building regulations for energy efficiency in housing need to be qualified, the design briefs prepared for energy efficient construction of small, medium density housing need amendment and the approach taken by designers involved in energy efficient small, medium density housing needs to be reconsidered.

Magistro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjami viešųjų paslaugų teoriniai aspektai, analizuojama efektyvumo samprata viešajame sektoriuje, aptariami organizacijų efektyvumo didinimo galimybės. Apžvelgti nacionaliniai švietimo teisiniai dokumentai, reglamentuojantys švietimą Lietuvoje. Analizuojamos ir lyginamos įvairių pasaulio mokslininkų nuomonės vertinant efektyvių/gerų mokyklų veiklą.
Master's thesis deals with the theoretical aspects of the Public Service and examines the concept of efficiency in the public sector, conditions to increase it's capabilities. An overview of the national education system and legal documents regulating education in Lithuania is effectuated. An analysis and compare son of various scientifically recognized methods for the assessment of the effectiveness and quality of schools is done.

The objective of this study was to examine the use of technical indicators, in an econometric context, as guides in making pricing decisions relative to feeder cattle production. Technical indicators were developed for both the short and long term. Short term indicators were designed to capture divergence/convergence between the Relative Strength Index and the futures price stream to form the Price Linked to Divergence index. A long term indicator using an average difference in price over a longer period was developed to form the Price Linked to Trend index. These indicators were used in the econometric models which in conjunction with cash production costs formed a hold/price/sell decision framework. Analysis was conducted on fall-to-spring, spring-to-fall, and fall-to-fall production programs. Results for the three production programs in both the in and out-of-sample environments showed that on average a futures price in the top half of the futures price range was captured. This resulted in average improvement in returns through hedging for every program.
Master of Science

Context: Now a day’s end users are using different types of computer applications like web browsers, data processing tools like MS office, notepad etc., to do their day-to-day works. In the real world scenario, the usage of Open Source Software (OSS) products by both industrial people and end users are gradually increasing. The success of any OSS products depends on its quality standards. ‘Efficiency’ is one of the key quality factor, which portray the standards of product and it is observed that this factor is given little importance during its development. Therefore our research context lies within evaluating the efficiency quality attribute in OSS web browsers. Objectives: As discussed earlier the context of this research lies in evaluating the efficiency of OSS web browsers, the initial objective was to identify the available efficiency measures from the current literature and observe which type of measures are suitable for web browsers. Then our next objective is to compute values for the identified efficiency measures by considering a set of predefined web browsers from all the categories. Later we proposed Efficiency Baseline Criteria (EBC) and based on this criterion and experiment results obtained, the efficiency of OSS web browsers had been evaluated. Therefore the main objective of conducting this research is to formulate EBC guidelines, which can be later used by OSS developers to test their web browsers and ensure that all the quality standards are strictly adhered during the development of OSS products. Methods: Initially Literature Review (LR) was conducted in order to identify all the related efficiency quality attributes and also observe the sub-attribute functionalities, that are useful while measuring efficiency values of web browsers. Methods and procedures which are discussed in this LR are used as input for identifying efficiency measures that are related to web browsers. Later an experiment was performed in order to calculate efficiency values for CSS & proprietary set of web browsers (i.e. Case A) and OSS web browsers (i.e. Case B) by using different tools and procedures. Authors themselves had calculated efficiency values for both Case A and Case B web browsers. Based on the results of Case A web browsers, EBC was proposed and finally an statistical analysis (i.e. Mann Whitney U-test) is performed in order to evaluate the hypothesis which was formulated in experiment section. Results: From the LR study, it is observed that efficiency quality attribute is classified into two main categories (i.e. Time Behavior and Resource Utilization). Further under the category of Time behavior a total of 3 attributes were identified (i.e. Response time, Throughput and Turnaround time). From the results of LR, we had also observed the measuring process of each attribute for different web browsers. Later an experiment was performed on two different sets of web browsers (i.e. Case A and Case B web browsers). Based on the LR results, only 3 efficiency attributes (i.e. response time, memory utilization and throughput) were identified which are more suitable to the case of web browsers. These 3 efficiency attributes are further classified into 10 sub-categories. Efficiency values are calculated to both Case A and B for these 10 identified scenarios. Later from Case A results EBC values are generated. Finally hypothesis testing was done by initially performing K-S test and results suggest choosing non-parametric test (i.e. Mann Whitney U-test). Later Mann Whitney U-test was performed for all the scenarios and the normalized Z scores are more than 1.96, further suggested rejecting null hypothesis for all the 10 scenarios. Also EBC values are compared with Case B results and these also suggest us that efficiency standard of OSS web browsers are not equivalent to Case A web browsers. Conclusions: Based on quantitative results, we conclude that efficiency standards of OSS web browsers are not equivalent, when compared to Case A web browsers and the efficiency standards are not adhered during development process. Hence OSS developers should focus on implementing efficiency standards during the development stages itself in order to increase the quality of the end products. The major contribution from the two researchers to this area of research is “Efficiency Baseline Criteria”. The proposed EBC values are useful for OSS developers to test the efficiency standards of their web browser and also help them to analyze their shortcomings. As a result appropriate preventive measures can be planned in advance.
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For any business, surviving in a competitive market while maintaining all the operational performance indices up to mark is very crucial. There are several theories and techniques to improve the efficiency of the operational performances. Line balancing is one of those well practiced techniques used daily in most of the industries. Line balancing helps balance the assembly lines with regards to man, machine, takt times, etc. This thesis research was done with Electrolux laundry systems, Ljungby in Sweden. With the varying customer demands the case company was balancing its line manually using basic methods. As a part of lean development schemes, Electrolux Ljungby, wanted to transform the line balancing techniques from manual to a fully automated software. The purpose of this research is to determine the company-specific line balancing criteria which should be considered before performing line balancing. This research furthermore lays out a guideline to follow a smooth transition from the manual system of LB to an automated software by concluding the features the software must handle to perform the LB according to required objectives. A case study approach was utilized to collect all the required data to achieve the results. Using the data collection techniques such as interviews, observations and historical analysis we arrived at the data required to design the guidelines with regards to line balancing software features.  The findings suggest that the desired line balancing constraints which are very important in the multi model single sided straight-line balancing problems are flow of materials, assembly precedence, physical constraints, product demand, bill of materials, restricted processes, man power and desired line balancing objectives. Keeping these constraints into consideration the features which are desired in an onlooking line balancing software are the Integration of data and documents/ maximum control, mixed model and option intelligence and analysis, multiple resources, smart variant management, scenario management, yamazumi chart, constraints and reporting tabs. The findings of this thesis can be used as guidelines by any manufacturing industry while they consider buying a new software which can handle Line balancing problems. This research is one of its kind which talks purely about the constraints and desired features only in a specific line balancing scenario. Practitioners can use this as a base for conducting further research on constraints and features pertaining to it, for different line balancing scenarios.

This article seeks to enhance acceptance of the profile distance method (PDM) in decision support systems. The PDM is a multiple attributive based decision making as well as a multiple method approach to support complex decision making and uses a heuristic to avoid computationally complex global optimization. We elaborate on the usability of the method and question the heuristic used. We present a bisection algorithm, which efficiently supports the discovery of transition profiles needed in a user-friendly and practical application of the method. Additionally, we provide empirical evidence showing that the proposed heuristic is efficient and delivers results within 5% of the global optimizer for a wide range of data sets.

Small on-site sanitation systems for wastewater collection and treatment are prevalent in suburban and rural areas in many countries. However, these systems often underperform, causing potential impact to the receiving waters and increasing the risks to public health, thus hindering the overall sustainability of the systems. Understanding the different sustainability dimensions and trade-offs between assessment indicators can support the planning of sustainable on-site sanitation systems for a specific context. The overall aim of this thesis was to evaluate the sustainability and function of on-site sanitation systems by defining a set of indicators to assess on-site sanitation options and estimating them for different scenarios, and by investigating the treatment efficiency of on-site facilities for domestic wastewater treatment in a field study. Particular attention was given to the removal of phosphorus (P) and indicator bacteria due to their relevance in terms of eutrophication risk and public-health concern. In a multi-criteria approach, twelve indicators were defined to assess nine on-site sanitation systems. A reference group representing stakeholders’ views assigned weights to express the relative importance of each indicator. The reference group assigned the highest weights to the indicators robustness, risk of pathogen discharge and nutrient removal. Assessing the robustness proved to be challenging, as there is a gap between how the sanitation systems are expected to perform based on their design, and how they actually perform in practice, mainly due to incorrect construction, operation and maintenance. The discriminating power of the indicators was calculated using the entropy method, which showed that the indicators energy recovery and capital cost had little impact in the final ranking of the alternatives. A sustainability ranking was obtained by using the method ELECTRE III. A scenario analysis based on different settings of interest based on socio-economic and geographical factors was done to evaluate the changes in the ranking of alternatives. Overall, the greywater–blackwater separation system ranked the highest in the baseline scenario and when nutrient-related indicators were important (Scenario 2), together with the urine diversion system. The sand filter and drain field were the most sustainable options when nutrient removal and recycling was not important (Scenario 1), and (in combination with chemical P-removal) when the indicators related to energy and climate change had the highest weights (Scenario 3). In terms of P-removal, chemical removal outranked the alkaline P-filter. In a field study, the effluent wastewater from twelve on-site wastewater treatment facilities with sand and alkaline P-filters was evaluated in terms of removal and discharge of organic content, total and dissolved phosphorus, and indicator bacteria (E. coli, total coliforms, intestinal enterococci and C.perfringens). The results showed that the investigated sand filters generally had low P-removal capacity and sometimes exceeded the criteria for excellent water quality set by the EU bathing water directive with regard to intestinal enterococci and E. coli. Only one sand filter of eight was confirmed to remove P according to the Swedish guidelines for areas with non-sensitive receiving waters with a tot-P effluent concentration below 3 mg L−1. This indicates that a downstream treatment step is needed to meet the guidelines regarding P discharge concentrations. Alkaline P-filters generally removed P efficiently. Despite high effluent pH, the collected data did not generally confirm a further reduction of the bacterial content of the wastewater in the P-filters, as had been previously hypothesized. However, effluent concentrations of indicator bacteria showed moderate positive correlations with effluent concentrations of P and organic matter, indicating the potential of the P-filters to serve as a polishing step also for bacteria.
Små lokala avloppssystem för insamling och rening av avloppsvatten är vanligt förekommande i omvandlings- och landsbygdsområden i många länder. Dessa system fungerar ofta sämre än förväntat vilket kan leda till effekter på recipienter, ökad risk för folkhälsan och begränsa systemens hållbarhet. En djupare förståelse för hållbarhetsdimensioner och avvägningar mellan olika indikatorer kan stödja planering och implementering av hållbara lokala avloppsystem för specifika sammanhang. Det övergripande syftet med denna uppsats var att utvärdera hållbarhet och funktion av enskilda avloppssystem. Detta utfördes genom att först definiera en uppsättning indikatorer för bedömning av ett antal enskilda avloppsalternativ och sedan utvärdera dem för olika scenarier. Vidare var syftet att undersöka några systems prestanda för rening av hushållsavloppsvatten i en fältstudie. Särskilt fokus lades på reduktion av fosfor (P) och indikatorbakterier på grund av deras relevans i relation till övergödningsrisk och folkhälsoperspektiv. I en multikriteriestudie definierades tolv indikatorer för att bedöma nio typer av enskilda avloppssystem. En referensgrupp som representerade olika intressenter viktade indikatorerna för att uttrycka den relativa betydelsen av varje indikator. Referensgruppen gav systemens robusthet, risk för utsläpp av patogener, och näringsreduktion störst vikt. Att bedöma robusthet var en utmaning i studien, eftersom det finns ett gap mellan hur systemen förväntas fungera, och hur de faktiskt fungerar i praktiken, mestadels på grund av felaktig konstruktion, drift och underhåll. Indikatorernas diskriminerande effekt räknades ut med entropimetoden, som visade att indikatorerna energiåtervinning och kapitalkostnad hade liten inverkan på alternativens slutgiltiga rangordning. En scenarioanalys genomfördes baserad på socioekonomiska och geografiska faktorer. En hållbarhetsrankning erhölls genom att använda ELECTRE III-metoden. Överlag rankades system som separerar gråvatten – svartvatten samt urinseparerande system högst i basfallsscenariot och när näringsrelaterade indikatorer var viktiga (scenario 2). Markbäddar och infiltrationsanläggningar var de mest hållbara alternativen när rening och återvinning av näringsämnen inte var viktigt (scenario 1) och (i kombination med kemisk P-rening) när indikatorer relaterade till energi och klimatförändringar viktades högst (scenario 3). När det gäller P-rening, gav system med kemisk rening ett bättre utfall än de med alkaliska P-filter. I en fältstudie utvärderades tolv enskilda avloppsanläggningar med markbaserade system och alkaliska P-filter med avseende på rening och utsläpp av organiskt innehåll, totalt och löst P och indikatorbakterier (E.coli, totala koliformer, intestinala enterokocker och C.perfringens). Resultaten visade att de markbaserade systemen generellt hade låg P-reningskapacitet och ofta överskreds kriterierna för utmärkt vattenkvalitet enligt EUs badvattendirektiv avseende intestinala enterokocker och C. perfringens. Endast ett markbaserat system av åtta uppvisade en P-rening som låg under de svenska riktlinjerna för områden med normal skyddsnivå, med en utsläppskoncentration på under 3 mg L-1 tot-P. Detta indikerade att markbäddar behöver nedströms placerade reningssteg för att uppfylla nuvarande riktlinjer för utsläpp av P. Alkaliska P-filter avskilde generellt P effektivt. Trots högt pH-värde kunde ingen ytterligare minskning av bakterieinnehåll i avloppsvattnet från P-filtren påvisas statistiskt. Utsläppen av indikatorbakterier uppvisade emellertid måttliga positiva korrelationer med utsläpp av P och organiskt material, vilket visar på en viss potential att P-filtren kan fungera som ett ytterligare poleringssteg även för bakterier.

[EN] Bridges, as an important component of infrastructure, are expected to meet all the requirements for a modern society. Traditionally, the primary aim in bridge design has been to achieve the lowest cost while guaranteeing the structural efficiency. However, concerns regarding building a more sustainable future have change the priorities of society. Ecological and durable structures are increasingly demanded. Under these premises, heuristic optimization methods provide an effective alternative to structural designs based on experience. The emergence of new materials, structural designs and sustainable criteria motivate the need to create a methodology for the automatic and accurate design of a real post-tensioned concrete bridge that considers all these aspects. For the first time, this thesis studies the efficient design of post-tensioned concrete box-girder road bridges from a sustainable point of view. This research integrates environmental, safety and durability criteria into the optimum design of the bridge. The methodology proposed provides multiple trade-off solutions that hardly increase the cost and achieve improved safety and durability. Likewise, this approach quantifies the sustainable criteria in economic terms, and evaluates the effect of these criteria on the best values of the variables. In this context, a multi-objective optimization is formulated to provide multiple trade-off and high-performing solutions that balance economic, ecologic and societal goals. An optimization design program selects the best geometry, concrete type, reinforcement and post-tensioning steel that meet the objectives selected. A three-span continuous box-girder road bridge located in a coastal region is selected for a case study. This approach provides vital knowledge about this type of bridge in the sustainable context. The life-cycle perspective has been included through a lifetime performance evaluation that models the bridge deterioration process due to chloride-induced corrosion. The economic, environmental and societal impacts of maintenance actions required to extend the service life are examined. Therefore, the proposed goals for an efficient design have been switch from initial stage to life-cycle consideration. Faced with the large computational time of multi-objective optimization and finite-element analysis, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are integrated in the proposed methodology. ANNs are trained to predict the structural response based on the design variables, without the need to analyze the bridge response. The multi-objective optimization problem results in a set of trade-off solutions characterized by the presence of conflicting objectives. The final selection of preferred solutions is simplified by a decision-making technique. A rational technique converts a verbal pairwise comparison between criteria with a degree of uncertainty into numerical values that guarantee the consistency of judgments. This thesis gives a guide for the sustainable design of concrete structures. The use of the proposed approach leads to designs with lower life-cycle cost and emissions compared to general design approaches. Both bridge safety and durability can be improved with a little cost increment by choosing the correct design variables. In addition, this methodology is applicable to any type of structure and material.
[ES] Los puentes, como parte importante de una infraestructura, se espera que reúnan todos los requisitos de una sociedad moderna. Tradicionalmente, el objetivo principal en el diseño de puentes ha sido lograr el menor coste mientras se garantiza la eficiencia estructural. Sin embargo, la preocupación por construir un futuro más sostenible ha provocado un cambio en las prioridades de la sociedad. Estructuras más ecológicas y duraderas son cada vez más demandadas. Bajo estas premisas, los métodos de optimización heurística proporcionan una alternativa eficaz a los diseños estructurales basados en la experiencia. La aparición de nuevos materiales, diseños estructurales y criterios sostenibles motivan la necesidad de crear una metodología para el diseño automático y preciso de un puente real de hormigón postesado que considere todos estos aspectos. Por primera vez, esta tesis estudia el diseño eficiente de puentes de hormigón postesado con sección en cajón desde un punto de vista sostenible. Esta investigación integra criterios ambientales, de seguridad estructural y durabilidad en el diseño óptimo del puente. La metodología propuesta proporciona múltiples soluciones que apenas encarecen el coste y mejoran la seguridad y durabilidad. Al mismo tiempo, se cuantifica el enfoque sostenible en términos económicos, y se evalúa el efecto que tienen dichos criterios en el valor óptimo de las variables. En este contexto, se formula una optimización multiobjetivo que proporciona soluciones eficientes y de compromiso entre los criterios económicos, ecológicos y sociales. Un programa de optimización del diseño selecciona la mejor combinación de geometría, tipo de hormigón, armadura y postesado que cumpla con los objetivos seleccionados. Se ha escogido como caso de estudio un puente continuo en cajón de tres vanos situado en la costa. Este método proporciona un mayor conocimiento sobre esta tipología de puentes desde un punto de vista sostenible. Se ha estudiado el ciclo de vida a través de la evaluación del deterioro estructural del puente debido al ataque por cloruros. Se examina el impacto económico, ambiental y social que produce el mantenimiento necesario para extender la vida útil del puente. Por lo tanto, los objetivos propuestos para un diseño eficiente han sido trasladados desde la etapa inicial hasta la consideración del ciclo de vida. Para solucionar el problema del elevado tiempo de cálculo debido a la optimización multiobjetivo y el análisis por elementos finitos, se han integrado redes neuronales en la metodología propuesta. Las redes neuronales son entrenadas para predecir la respuesta estructural a partir de las variables de diseño, sin la necesidad de analizar el puente. El problema de optimización multiobjetivo se traduce en un conjunto de soluciones de compromiso que representan objetivos contrapuestos. La selección final de las soluciones preferidas se simplifica mediante una técnica de toma de decisiones. Una técnica estructurada convierte los juicios basados en comparaciones por pares de elementos con un grado de incertidumbre en valores numéricos que garantizan la consistencia de dichos juicios. Esta tesis proporciona una guía que extiende y mejora las recomendaciones sobre el diseño de estructuras de hormigón dentro del contexto de desarrollo sostenible. El uso de la metodología propuesta lleva a diseños con menor coste y emisiones del ciclo de vida, comparado con diseños que siguen metodologías generales. Los resultados demuestran que mediante una correcta elección del valor de las variables se puede mejorar la seguridad y durabilidad del puente con un pequeño incremento del coste. Además, esta metodología es aplicable a cualquier tipo de estructura y material.
[CAT] Els ponts, com a part important d'una infraestructura, s'espera que reunisquen tots els requisits d'una societat moderna. Tradicionalment, l'objectiu principal en el disseny de ponts ha sigut aconseguir el menor cost mentres es garantix l'eficiència estructural. No obstant això, la preocupació per construir un futur més sostenible ha provocat un canvi en les prioritats de la societat. Estructures més ecològiques i durables són cada vegada més demandades. Davall estes premisses, els mètodes d'optimització heurística proporcionen una alternativa eficaç als dissenys estructurals basats en l'experiència. L'aparició de nous materials, dissenys estructurals i criteris sostenibles motiven la necessitat de crear una metodologia per al disseny automàtic i precís d'un pont real de formigó posttesat que considere tots estos aspectos. Per primera vegada, esta tesi estudia el disseny eficient de ponts de formigó posttesat amb secció en calaix des d'un punt de vista sostenible. Esta investigació integra criteris ambientals, de seguretat estructural i durabilitat en el disseny òptim del pont. La metodologia proposada proporciona múltiples solucions que a penes encarixen el cost i milloren la seguretat i durabilitat. Al mateix temps, es quantifica l'enfocament sostenible en termes econòmics, i s'avalua l'efecte que tenen els dits criteris en el valor òptim de les variables. En este context, es formula una optimització multiobjetivo que proporciona solucions eficients i de compromís entre els criteris econòmics, ecològics i socials. Un programa d'optimització del disseny selecciona la millor geometria, tipus de formigó, armadura i posttesat que complisquen amb els objectius seleccionats. S'ha triat com a cas d'estudi un pont continu en calaix de tres vans situat en la costa. Este mètode proporciona un major coneixement sobre esta tipologia de ponts des d'un punt de vista sostenible. S'ha estudiat el cicle de vida a través de l'avaluació del deteriorament estructural del pont a causa de l'atac per clorurs. S'examina l'impacte econòmic, ambiental i social que produïx el manteniment necessari per a estendre la vida útil del pont. Per tant, els objectius proposats per a un disseny eficient han sigut traslladats des de l'etapa inicial fins a la consideració del cicle de vida. Per a solucionar el problema de l'elevat temps de càlcul degut a l'optimització multiobjetivo i l'anàlisi per elements finits, s'han integrat xarxes neuronals en la metodologia proposada. Les xarxes neuronals són entrenades per a predir la resposta estructural a partir de les variables de disseny, sense la necessitat d'analitzar el pont. El problema d'optimització multiobjetivo es traduïx en un conjunt de solucions de compromís que representen objectius contraposats. La selecció final de les solucions preferides se simplifica per mitjà d'una tècnica de presa de decisions. Una tècnica estructurada convertix els juís basats en comparacions per parells d'elements amb un grau d'incertesa en valors numèrics que garantixen la consistència dels dits juís. Esta tesi proporciona una guia que estén i millora les recomanacions sobre el disseny d'estructures de formigó dins del context de desenrotllament sostenible. L'ús de la metodologia proposada porta a dissenys amb menor cost i emissions del cicle de vida, comparat amb dissenys que seguixen metodologies generals. Els resultats demostren que per mitjà d'una correcta elecció del valor de les variables es pot millorar la seguretat i durabilitat del pont amb un xicotet increment del cost. A més, esta metodologia és aplicable a qualsevol tipus d'estructura i material.
García Segura, T. (2016). Efficient design of post-tensioned concrete box-girder road bridges based on sustainable multi-objective criteria [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/73147
TESIS

Energy efficiency stands out with its potential to address a number of challenges that today's electric utilities face, including increasing and changing electricity demand, shrinking operating capacity, and decreasing system reliability and flexibility. Being the least cost and least risky alternative, the share of energy efficiency programs in utilities' energy portfolios has been on the rise since the 1980s, and their increasing importance is expected to continue in the future. Despite holding great promise, the ability to determine and invest in only the most promising program alternatives plays a key role in the successful use of energy efficiency as a utility-wide resource. This issue becomes even more significant considering the availability of a vast number of potential energy efficiency programs, the rapidly changing business environment, and the existence of multiple stakeholders. This dissertation introduces hierarchical decision modeling as the framework for energy efficiency program planning in electric utilities. The model focuses on the assessment of emerging energy efficiency programs and proposes to bridge the gap between technology screening and cost/benefit evaluation practices. This approach is expected to identify emerging technology alternatives which have the highest potential to pass cost/benefit ratio testing procedures and contribute to the effectiveness of decision practices in energy efficiency program planning. The model also incorporates rank order analysis and sensitivity analysis for testing the robustness of results from different stakeholder perspectives and future uncertainties in an attempt to enable more informed decision-making practices. The model was applied to the case of 13 high priority emerging energy efficiency program alternatives identified in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. The results of this study reveal that energy savings potential is the most important program management consideration in selecting emerging energy efficiency programs. Market dissemination potential and program development and implementation potential are the second and third most important, whereas ancillary benefits potential is the least important program management consideration. The results imply that program value considerations, comprised of energy savings potential and ancillary benefits potential; and program feasibility considerations, comprised of program development and implementation potential and market dissemination potential, have almost equal impacts on assessment of emerging energy efficiency programs. Considering the overwhelming number of value-focused studies and the few feasibility-focused studies in the literature, this finding clearly shows that feasibility-focused studies are greatly understudied. The hierarchical decision model developed in this dissertation is generalizable. Thus, other utilities or power systems can adopt the research steps employed in this study as guidelines and conduct similar assessment studies on emerging energy efficiency programs of their interest.

The thesis has been devoted to the topic of preparation and evaluation of commercial developer's projects. Theoretic section of the thesis describes all the phases of preparation and realization of projects based on their chronological sequence; special attention is paid to evaluation of economic efficiency of the projects. The topic dealt in the practical section is based on results of survey carried out among relevant entities at the developers' market. Analysis of results of the survey carried out among multiple developer companies has revealed imperfections within their work. This thesis is trying to specify guidelines to eliminate them. Questioning among the other entities was aimed at analysing the view of a bank, a construction company and a facility management regarding the issue of developer projects and at making use of the findings to set some recommendations for the developer. Goal of the thesis is integration of attitudes of all the entities involved aimed at making use of the findings to specify a set of recommendations that should improve developer's work.

This thesis focuses on the efficiency and performance analysis of higher education in the Czech Republic. The theoretical part deals with interpretation of methods, which are then used in the practical part. These methods are data envelopment analysis (DEA) and methods of multi-criteria evaluation with cardinal information on criteria. Another important chapter of the theoretical part is the chapter about the most famous world rankings of universities and practice in this field in the Czech Republic. The practical part is divided into two sections. The first deals with the analysis of the efficiency of economic faculties on public universities in the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2013. The second one is aimed at the creation of a ranking of these faculties for 2015 using the methods of multi-criteria evaluation.

I quantified habitat selection for the endangered Zuni Bluehead Sucker Catostomus discobolus yarrowi and the Navajo Nation Genetic Subunit (NNGS) Bluehead Sucker Catostomus discobolus - a recent taxon described from genetic information. Both taxa are found in northern Arizona and New Mexico border regions. I examined fish [≥50 millimeters (mm) total length (TL)] selection of microhabitat conditions (i.e., water velocity, substrate size, overhead cover, water depth, instream cover, and mesohabitat conditions [i.e., pool, run riffle], during summer base flow conditions for NNGS Bluehead Suckers, and during both summer base flow and high spring flow conditions for Zuni Bluehead Suckers in six streams). Electrofishing, seining, and snorkeling were used to evaluate fish occupancy. From this information, I developed stream specific habitat suitability criteria (HSC) and then generalized HSC for each taxon, and tested transferability of the generalized HSC to individual streams. Zuni Bluehead Suckers and NNGS Bluehead Suckers occupied similar habitats: low velocity pools; sand, silt, and pebble substrate; high percent of instream cover; and water temperatures ranging from 2-21°C. However, Zuni Bluehead Suckers selected for low (0-25%) overhead cover where as NNGS Bluehead Sucker selected for high (0-75%) overhead cover. This was likely due to the source of instream cover–aquatic macrophytes that required sunlight in the Zuni Bluehead Sucker streams, and large woody debris falling from overhead branches in the NNGS Bluehead Sucker streams. Suggestions for managers includes maintaining existing cover or artificially construct additional instream cover; promote overhead cover (e.g., maintaining large trees along streams) and pool mesohabitats. In addition to this work I also tested the new method of environmental DNA (eDNA) to further help conservation efforts for these taxa. Environmental DNA has typically been used to detect invasive species in aquatic environments through water samples. I compared the efficacy of eDNA methodology to American Fisheries Society standard snorkeling surveys to detect presence of a rare fish species. My study site included three streams on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona and northern New Mexico containing Navajo Nation Genetic Subunit Bluehead Sucker Catostomus discobolus and the Zuni Bluehead Sucker Catostomus discobolus yarrowi. To determine sample sites, I first divided entire wetted area of streams into 100-m consecutive reaches. I systematically selected 10 of those reaches for snorkel and eDNA surveys. Water samples were taken in 10-m sections within each 100-m reach, and fish presence via snorkeling was noted in each 10-m section as well. Water samples were collected at the downstream starting point of each reach, and continued upstream in each section 5 to 8 m ahead of the snorkeler. A qPCR was run on each individual water sample in quadruplicate to test for sucker presence or absence. I was able to positively detect both species with eDNA sampling techniques in two out of three streams. Snorkeling resulted in positive detections of both species in all three streams. In streams where fish were detected with eDNA sampling, snorkeling detected fishes at 11-29 sites per stream, where as eDNA detected fish at 3-12 sites per streams. My results suggested that AFS standard snorkeling was more effective at detecting target fish species than eDNA. To improve eDNA sampling, the amount of water collected and tested should be increased. Additionally, filtering water on site may improve eDNA techniques for detecting fish. Future research should focus on standardizing eDNA sampling to provide a widely operational sampling tool similar to electrofishing, netting, and hydroacoustics.

In this thesis, we develop two exact algorithms and a heuristic procedure for Multiobjective Combinatorial Optimization Problems (MOCO). Our exact algorithms guarantee to generate all nondominated solutions of any MOCO problem. We test the performance of the algorithms on randomly generated problems including the Multiobjective Knapsack Problem, Multi-objective Shortest Path Problem and Multi-objective Spanning Tree Problem. Although we showed the algorithms work much better than the previous ones, we also proposed a fast heuristic method to approximate efficient frontier since it will also be applicable for real-sized problems. Our heuristic approach is based on fitting a surface to approximate the efficient frontier. We experiment our heuristic on randomly generated problems to test how well the heuristic procedure approximates the efficient frontier. Our results showed the heuristic method works well.

The thesis deals with the evaluation of investment projects. The first two parts of the work are aimed theoretically. The first part determines which of the methods of assessing the effectiveness suits main aim of the business the best. Part two explains which criterion of the methods based on cash flows leads to better investment decisions. The third part is devoted to the specifics of the retail sector in the forecast cash flows. The last part of the thesis deals with the evaluation of Tescos specific real investment project. The aim is to assess whether Tesco evaluated project effectiveness correctly and used appropriate criteria and assumptions. followed by an analysis of deviations between planned and real values.

O suprimento inadequado de nutrientes em pastagem influencia diretamente na produtividade da planta. A eficiência de utilização de nitrogênio (EUN) é definida como a quantidade em kg de MS produzida por kg de nitrogênio aplicado. A EUN é influenciada por fatores de temperatura e disponibilidade hídrica. O objetivo geral do trabalho foi definir critérios agroclimáticos para recomendação de épocas para adubação nitrogenada de Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu na região de São Paulo. Com base na literatura foram definidas três classes de expectativa de resposta à adubação: alta, moderada e baixa. Estas classes foram relacionadas a critérios térmicos e hídrico, definidos a partir de dados de literatura e de modelagem matemática. O modelo APSIM (Agricultural Production System Simular) foi utilizado para estimar a eficiência de uso de N em quatro cidades do Estado de São Paulo com climas contrastantes. Em seguida, os dados foram relacionados à temperatura média diária e foram definidos os critérios térmicos relacionados à expectativa de resposta à adubação. A relação entre armazenamento relativo de água e produção relativa de Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, obtida a partir de dados de literatura, foi utilizada para definição dos critérios hídricos. A adubação nitrogenada em cada período foi classificada em \"recomendada\" ou \"não recomendada\", a partir da combinação entre os critérios de disponibilidade de água e temperatura. Os dados de armazenamento relativo de água no solo e temperatura média de Itapetininga, São Carlos, São José do Rio Preto e Araçatuba foram submetidos à análise estatística descritiva. Os períodos nos quais havia probabilidade igual ou superior a 80% de ocorrer a condição \"recomendada\" foram considerados adequados para adubação nitrogenada. A expectativa de resposta à adubação foi considerada alta quando a temperatura média do período era superior a 21,6°C, moderada quando a temperatura média era entre 16,7 e 21,6°C e baixa quando a temperatura média era inferior a 16,7°C. Em relação ao critério hídrico, a expectativa de resposta à adubação foi considerada alta quando o armazenamento relativo de água era superior a 0,82, moderada entre 0,82 e 0,62 e baixa quando o armazenamento era inferior a 0,62. As épocas para adubação nitrogenada foram diferentes nas cidades em estudo devido a diferenças climáticas entre elas. De dezembro a março foram os meses recomendados para adubação em Araçatuba, outubro a fevereiro para Itapetininga. Em São José do Rio Preto a adubação nitrogenada deve ser recomendada a partir de dezembro. Entre março e abril, o risco associado ao critério hídrico é um pouco mais elevado, voltando a diminuir em maio. Entre junho e novembro a adubação nitrogenada não é recomendada em São José do Rio Preto. Em São Carlos a melhor época para adubação nitrogenada é de novembro a maio. Modelo APSIM não simulou adequadamente a produtividade de Urocloa brizantha cv. Marandu, principalmente em sistema sem adição de nitrogênio. A definição de critério relacionados a temperatura e disponibilidade de água possibilitou a identificação de épocas para recomendação de adubação nitrogenada em função da expectativa de resposta de Urocloa brizantha cv. Marandu visando as maiores eficiências de utilização de nitrogênio e sustentabilidade dos sistemas de produção animal
Inadequate grazing nutrient supply directly influences plant productivity. The nitrogen utilization efficiency (EUN) is defined as the amount in kg of DM produced per kg of nitrogen applied. EUN is influenced by temperature factors and water availability. The general objective of the work was to define agroclimatic criteria for the recommendation of nitrogen fertilization periods of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu in the region of São Paulo. Based on the literature, three classes of expectation of response to fertilization were defined: high, moderate and low. These classes were related to thermal and water criteria, defined from literature data and mathematical modeling. The APSIM (Agricultural Production System Simulate) model was used to estimate the efficiency of N use in four cities of the State of São Paulo with contrasting climates. The data were then related to the average daily temperature and the thermal criteria related to the expected response to fertilization were defined. The relationship between relative water storage and relative yield of Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, obtained from literature data, was used to define the water criteria. Nitrogen fertilization in each period was classified as \"recommended\" or \"not recommended\", based on the combination of water and temperature availability criteria. The data of relative water storage in the soil and average temperature of Itapetininga, São Carlos, São José do Rio Preto and Araçatuba were submitted to descriptive statistical analysis. The periods in which there was a probability equal to or greater than 80% of the \"recommended\" condition were considered adequate for nitrogen fertilization. The expected response to fertilization was considered high when the mean temperature of the period was higher than 21.6°C, moderate when the average temperature was between 16.7 and 21.6°C and low when the average temperature was below 16.7°C. Regarding the water criterion, the expectation of response to fertilization was considered high when the relative water storage was higher than 0.82, moderate between 0.82 and 0.62 and low when storage was less than 0.62. The seasons for nitrogen fertilization were different in the cities under study due to climatic differences between them. From December to March were the months recommended for fertilization in Araçatuba, October to February for Itapetininga. In São José do Rio Preto nitrogen fertilization should be recommended as of December. Between March and April, the risk associated with the water criterion is slightly higher, decreasing again in May. Between June and November nitrogen fertilization is not recommended in São José do Rio Preto. In São Carlos, the best season for nitrogen fertilization is from November to May. Model APSIM did not adequately simulate the productivity of Urocloa brizantha cv. Marandu, mainly in system without addition of nitrogen. The definition of criteria related to water temperature and availability made it possible to identify times for nitrogen fertilization recommendation as a function of the expected response of Urocloa brizantha cv. Marandu aiming at greater nitrogen utilization and sustainability efficiencies of animal production systems.

Nous présentons les enjeux du management environnemental et soulignons l’importance d’une politique d’économie d’énergie pour les entreprises. Nous proposons un modèle pour déterminer le bilan énergétique de la fabrication en intégrant les différentes phases productives et non-productives. Nous définissons un double objectif pour la minimisation de la durée de production et de la consommation d’énergie. Nous appliquons ce modèle à l’ordonnancement d’ateliers job-shop flexibles. Pour déterminer la solution optimale nous utilisons deux classes de méthodes : - La première relève des algorithmes génétiques. Nous proposons différents types d’algorithmes pour résoudre ce problème multicritère. Nous proposons par exemple de faire évoluer deux populations pour minimiser respectivement l’énergie consommée et la durée de production et de les croiser pour atteindre l’objectif global. - La seconde relève de la programmation sous contrainte. Nous proposons de rechercher la solution optimale en développant une double arborescence pour évaluer l’énergie consommée et la durée de production. Nous construisons notre algorithme en partant des tâches à réaliser sur les machines ou en partant des machines qui réaliseront les tâches. Nous discutons de la construction du front de Pareto pour l’obtention de la meilleure solution.Nous terminons en comparant les différentes approches et en discutant leur pertinence pour traiter des problèmes de différentes tailles. Nous proposons également plusieurs améliorations et quelques pistes pour de futures recherches
We present the challenges of environmental management and underline the importance of an energy saving policy for companies. We propose a model to determine the energy balance of manufacturing by integrating the different productive and non-productive phases. We define two purposes for minimizing production time and energy consumption. We apply this model to the scheduling of flexible job-shop workshops. To determine the optimal solution we use two types of methods: - The first is genetic algorithms. We propose different types of algorithms to solve this multi-criteria problem. For example, we propose to develop two populations to minimize the energy consumed and the production time, and to cross them to achieve the overall objective. - The second is constraint programming. We propose to find the optimal solution by developing a double tree to evaluate the energy consumed and the production time. We build our algorithm starting from the tasks to be performed on the machines or from the machines that will perform the tasks. We discuss the construction of the Pareto front to get the best solution.We finish by comparing the different approaches and discussing their relevance to deal with problems of different sizes. We also offer several improvements and some leads for future research

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjamos populiariausios Lietuvoje medžiagos, naudojamos gyvenamųjų namų išorės sienų konstrukcijose. Yra išanalizuotos konstrukcinės, termoizoliacinės ir apdailos medžiagos. Sudaryta septynių efektyvumo kriterijų sistema. Analizuojamas racionalių alternatyvų parinkimas taikant kompiuterinę programą. Tam naudojamas sprendimo metodas, vadinamas atstumo iki idealaus taško metodu. Pateikiamos baigiamojo darbo išvados ir siūlymai. Darbą sudaro 6 dalys: įvadas, atitvarų statybinės medžiagos, efektyvumo rodikliai, sienos efektyvios konstrukcijos nustatymas, išvados ir siūlymai, literatūros sąrašas. Darbo apimtis – 56 p. teksto be priedų, 11 iliustr., 30 lent., 34 bibliografiniai šaltiniai.
In final work of the master the most popular materials in Lithuania, used in designs of external walls of apartment houses are analyzed. Are analysed constructive, warming and finishing materials. The system of seven criteria of parameters of efficiency is made. The choice of rational alternatives is analyzed, using the computer program. For this purpose the method of the decision named by the Method of distance up to an ideal point is used. Conclusions and offers of final work are given. Structure: introduction, building materials of external walls, parameters of efficiency, installation of an effective design of a wall, conclusions and suggestions, references. Thesis consist of: 56 p. text without extras, 11 pictures, 30 tables, 34 bibliographical entries.
В работе анализируются самые популярные в Литве материалы, используемые для внешних стен. Проанализированы конструктивные, термоизоляционные и отделочные материалы. Создана система семи показателей эффективности. Используется метод решения, называемый методом близости к идеальной точке. Предоставляются выводы работы. Работа состоит из 6 частей: введение, строительные материалы внешних стен, показатели эффективности, установка эффективной конструкции стены, выводы, список литературы. Объём работы - 56 стр.,11 иллюстр., 30 табл., 34 источника.

During the design process for an aerospace vehicle, decision-makers must have an accurate understanding of how each choice will affect the vehicle and its performance. This understanding is based on experiments and, increasingly often, computer models. In general, as a computer model captures a greater number of phenomena, its results become more accurate for a broader range of problems. This improved accuracy typically comes at the cost of significantly increased computational expense per analysis. Although rapid analysis tools have been developed that are sufficient for many design efforts, those tools may not be accurate enough for revolutionary concepts subject to grueling flight conditions such as transonic or supersonic flight and extreme angles of attack. At such conditions, the simplifying assumptions of the rapid tools no longer hold. Accurate analysis of such concepts would require models that do not make those simplifying assumptions, with the corresponding increases in computational effort per analysis. As computational costs rise, exploration of the design space can become exceedingly expensive. If this expense cannot be reduced, decision-makers would be forced to choose between a thorough exploration of the design space using inaccurate models, or the analysis of a sparse set of options using accurate models. This problem is exacerbated as the number of free parameters increases, limiting the number of trades that can be investigated in a given time. In the face of limited resources, it can become critically important that only the most useful experiments be performed, which raises multiple questions: how can the most useful experiments be identified, and how can experimental results be used in the most effective manner? This research effort focuses on identifying and applying techniques which could address these questions. The demonstration problem for this effort was the modeling of a reusable booster vehicle, which would be subject to a wide range of flight conditions while returning to its launch site after staging. Contour-based sampling, an adaptive sampling technique, seeks cases that will improve the prediction accuracy of surrogate models for particular ranges of the responses of interest. In the case of the reusable booster, contour-based sampling was used to emphasize configurations with small pitching moments; the broad design space included many configurations which produced uncontrollable aerodynamic moments for at least one flight condition. By emphasizing designs that were likely to trim over the entire trajectory, contour-based sampling improves the predictive accuracy of surrogate models for such designs while minimizing the number of analyses required. The simplified models mentioned above, although less accurate for extreme flight conditions, can still be useful for analyzing performance at more common flight conditions. The simplified models may also offer insight into trends in the response behavior. Data from these simplified models can be combined with more accurate results to produce useful surrogate models with better accuracy than the simplified models but at less cost than if only expensive analyses were used. Of the data fusion techniques evaluated, Ghoreyshi cokriging was found to be the most effective for the problem at hand. Lastly, uncertainty present in the data was found to negatively affect predictive accuracy of surrogate models. Most surrogate modeling techniques neglect uncertainty in the data and treat all cases as deterministic. This is plausible, especially for data produced by computer analyses which are assumed to be perfectly repeatable and thus truly deterministic. However, a number of sources of uncertainty, such as solver iteration or surrogate model prediction accuracy, can introduce noise to the data. If these sources of uncertainty could be captured and incorporated when surrogate models are trained, the resulting surrogate models would be less susceptible to that noise and correspondingly have better predictive accuracy. This was accomplished in the present effort by capturing the uncertainty information via nuggets added to the Kriging model. By combining these techniques, surrogate models could be created which exhibited better predictive accuracy while selecting the most informative experiments possible. This significantly reduced the computational effort expended compared to a more standard approach using space-filling samples and data from a single source. The relative contributions of each technique were identified, and observations were made pertaining to the most effective way to apply the separate and combined methods.

Дипломна робота на здобуття освітнього ступеня магістр за спеціальністю 275.03 – транспортні технології (на автомобільному транспорті). — Тернопільський національний технічний університет імені Івана Пулюя, — Тернопіль, 2018. Робота присвячена підвищенню ефективності роботи пасажирського транспорту. У першому розділі проведено аналіз транспортних процесів перевезення пасажирів автобусами у м. Тернопіль. Проведено дослідження критеріїв вибору методів обстеження і формування пасажиропотоків, розглянуто вибір рухомого складу для роботи на міських маршрутах. У другому розділі проведено статистичні дослідження зміни пасажиропотоків і визначені закономірності їх зміни у часі, а саме протягом доби. Третій розділ присвячено пошуку ефективних шляхів забезпечення діяльності міських автобусних маршрутів у м. Тернопіль. В спеціальній частині розглянуто питання використання ІТС в управлінні транспортом. В роботі також визначено економічну ефективність проекту. У розділі «Охорона праці та безпека в надзвичайних ситуаціях» розроблено шляхи із покращення умов праці та розглянуто питання безпеки в надзвичайних ситуаціях. У розділі «Екологія» розглянуто питання екології, що стосуються проекту.

У тезах охарактеризовано загальну систему оцінки ефективності фінансового моніторингу банку. Проаналізовано критерії ефективності внутрішньобанківського фінансового моніторингу. Проведено деталізацію кожного критерію за допомогою визначених показників.
The article ranks the criteria and efficiency indices in a general system of bank finance monitoring efficiency. The criteria of efficiency estimation of intra-bank finance monitoring have been analyzed and their expediency has been moved. Each criterion has been specified by means of defined indices.

Останнім часом, в умовах розгортання та поглиблення світової фінансово- економічної кризи, питання соціальної спрямованості національної економіки набувають особливої ваги. Річ в тім, що соціальна спрямованість економічної діяльності в масштабах економіки є ознакою прогресивності та успішності національної економічної моделі, критерієм віднесення економік до розвинених.

У статті розглядуються критерії ефективності наукових досліджень, методи та задачі наукометрії. Оглянуті та проаналізовані найпопулярніші наукометричні бази даних.
The article reviews criteria for scientific research performance assessment,, methods and problems of science-science. The most popular scientometric databases are reviewed and analyzed.

Формування вхідного математичного опису інтелектуальної системи комп’ютерної психодіагностики (ІСКП) є актуальною проблемою, при вирішенні якої враховуються особливості як предметної області, так і інтелектуальної технології проектування ІСКП.

Ventilation is a critical task in underground mining operation. Lack of a good ventilation system causes accumulation of harmful gases, explosions, and even fatalities. A proper ventilation system provides adequate fresh air to miners for a safe and comfortable working environment. Fans, which provide air flow to different faces of a mine, have great impact in ventilation systems. Thus, selection of appropriate fans for a mine is the acute task. Unsuitable selection of a fan decreases safety and production rate, which increases capital and operational costs. Moreover, pitch angle of fans&rsquo
blades plays an important role in fan&rsquo
s efficiency. Therefore, selection of a fan and its pitch angle, which yields the maximum efficiency, is an emerging issue for an efficient mine ventilation. The main objective of this research study is to provide a decision making methodology for the selection of a main fan and its appropriate pitch angle for efficient mine ventilation. Nowadays, analytical hierarchy process as multi criteria decision making is used, and it yields outputs based on pairwise comparison. On the other hand, Fuzzy Logic as a soft computing method was combined with analytical hierarchy process and combined model did not yield appropriate results
because Fuzzy AHP increased uncertainty ratio in this study. However, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process might be inapplicable when it faces with vague and complex data set. Soft computing methods can be utilized for complicated situations. One of the soft computing methods is a Neuro-Fuzzy algorithm which is used in classification and DM issues. This study has two phases: i) selection of an appropriate fan using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) and ii) selection of an appropriate pitch angle using Neuro-Fuzzy algorithm and Fuzzy AHP method. This study showed that AHP can be effectively utilized for main fan selection. It performs better than Fuzzy AHP because FAHP contains more expertise and makes problems more complex for evaluating. When FAHP and Neuro-Fuzzy is compared for pitch angle selection, both methodologies yielded the same results. Therefore, utilization of Neuro-Fuzzy in situation with complicated and vague data will be applicable.

Дисертація на здобуття наукового ступеня кандидата економічних наук за спеціальністю 08.00.06 – економіка природокористування та охорона навколишнього середовища. Державний вищий навчальний заклад «Національний гірничий університет», Дніпропетровськ, 2012.
Диссертация на соискание научной степени кандидата экономических наук по специальности 08.00.06 - экономика природопользования и охраны окружающей среды. Государственное высшее учебное заведение «Национальный горный университет», Днепропетровск, 2012.
Дисертація присвячена удосконаленню теоретичних та методичних підходів до формування екологозбалансованої інвестиційної стратегії підприємства. Розвинуто теоретичні основи інвестиційного менеджменту: сформульовані визначення «екологозбалансованої інвестиційної стратегії підприємства» та «екологозбалансованого інвестиційного проекту». Обґрунтовано та доповнено систему індикаторів оцінки екологічної складової інвестиційної стратегії підприємства. Уточнено класифікацію екологічних платежів. Обґрунтовано методичний підхід до оцінки економічної ефективності інвестування з урахуванням категорії еколого-економічного ризику. Розроблено критерій екологічної ефективності інвестиційної стратегії підприємства. Запропоновано механізм еколого-економічної оцінки ефективності інвестиційних проектів. Розвинуто методичний інструментарій формування екологозбалансованого портфеля проектів.
Диссертационная работа посвящена усовершенствованию теоретических основ и методических подходов к формированию экологосбалансированной инвестиционной стратегии предприятия. В диссертации сформулированы определения "экологосбалансированной инвестиционной стратегии предприятия" (совокупность управленческих действий, рассчитанных на долгосрочный период и направленных на достижение согласованности ожидаемых экономических и экологических результатов, которые обеспечивают процесс перехода системы из одного состояния в другое, с учетом целевых ориентиров и ограничений, которые заданы общими задачами развития и потенциальными возможностями предприятия) и "экологосбалансированного инвестиционного проекта" (соответствует критериям предварительной оценки, является экономически и экологически эффективным). Усовершенствована система индикаторов оценки экологической составляющей экологосбалансированной инвестиционной стратегии предприятия, которая построена на трех аспектах: стоимостном, натуральном и консолидированном. Стоимостная оценка расширена за счет выделения наряду с традиционными группами показателей, дополнительной - "Другие затраты, обусловленные несоответствием экологических характеристик административным и рыночным требованиям", которая предназначена отразить в стоимостном выражении аспекты экологического характера, которые не были учтены в традиционных группах. Классификация экологических платежей дополнена такими признаками: в зависимости от времени возникновения; условий возникновения; характера взыскания. Данные классификационные признаки позволяют разделить группу "Экологические платежи" на затраты, которые учитываются при формировании денежных потоков и эколого-экономического риска. Усовершенствован методический подход к оценке экономической эффективности инвестиционного проекта. Особенность подхода состоит в учете возможности несоответствия периодов функционирования проекта и проявления эколого-экономического риска, что обусловлено особенностями экологодеструктивного влияния на реципиентов. Усовершенствован методический подход к оценке эколого-экономического риска инвестиционного проекта путем выделения основных его составляющих (вероятные экологические платежи; вероятные затраты связанные с ограничением (остановкой) деятельности и/или отзывом разрешительных документов экологического характера, вызванные нарушением норм природоохранного законодательства; другие вероятные затраты обусловленные проявлением экологодеструктивного влияния на реципиентов). Усовершенствован методический подход к оценке экологической эффективности инвестиционной стратегии предприятия и инвестиционного проекта. Разработан интегральный критерий экологической эффективности инвестиционной стратегии предприятия (отдельного инвестиционного проекта), который дает возможность учесть изменение основных экологических параметров работы предприятия и сделать обобщающую оценку экологической эффективности за весь период реализации инвестиционной стратегии. Обоснован механизм эколого-экономической оценки инвестиционных проектов, который предусматривает анализ усовершенствованных в работе критериев экономической и экологической эффективности инвестирования (чистая теперешняя стоимость инвестиционного проекта с учетом эколого-экономического риска (NPVEEP); интегральный показатель экологической эффективности инвестиционного проекта (IE)) и позволяет определить проекты, обеспечивающие согласованность экологической и экономической целесообразности их внедрения. Развит методический инструментарий формирования экологосбалансированного инвестиционного портфеля проектов, особенность которого состоит в обеспечении согласованности экономических и экологических результатов инвестирования, которое достигается путем установления следующих ограничений: ІЕ≤1, NPVEEP≥0. Используя методы динамического моделирования, разработаны модели, которые позволяют отобрать инвестиционные проекты в портфель и установить оптимальную последовательность их внедрения, с целью достижения целевого уровня экологического и экономического эффекта при условии минимизации привлеченных инвестиционных ресурсов. Результаты диссертационного исследования внедрены в условиях металлургического предприятия ОАО "Интерпайп НТЗ" при формировании экологосбалансированной инвестиционной стратегии предприятия и оценке эффективности отдельных инвестиционных проектов с учетом экологического фактора.
The dissertation is devoted to the improvement of theoretical and methodological approaches for the forming of ecology-balanced investment strategy of the enterprise. The theoretical bases of investment management are developed: the determinations of "ecology-balanced investment strategy of enterprise" and "ecology-balanced investment project". The systems of indicators for estimation of ecological component of the investment strategy of enterprise are complemented. The classification of ecological payments is specified. The methodical approach to assessing the economic efficiency of investment categories is substantiated. The criterion of ecological efficiency of investment strategy of enterprise is worked out. The mechanism of determination of ecology-balanced investment projects is offered. The methodological tools for forming ecology-balanced portfolio of the projects are developed.