Search results for "Economics."

Computing Difficulties for Deriving Poverty Indices from Some Functional Forms of Lorenz Curves

2014

We examine three families of classical one-parameter functional forms for estimating a Lorenz curve: the power form (Pareto, elementary form), the exponential form (Gupta, elementary form) and fractional form (Rohde). For the first time, we systematically study these functions not for their ability to be estimated but on the point of view of the possibility of deriving poverty indices, which implies first determining the headcount ratio (i.e., the percentage of poor). We show that computing difficulties have been largely underestimated. Two forms, the most simple ones, pose no problem: the elementary power and exponential forms. However, the Pareto functional form poses problem with a restr…

Evaluation of asset replacement strategies considering economic cycles: lessons from the machinery rental business

2015

Contains fulltext : 144492.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) In businesses with heavy capital investments, the effective management of assets is crucial, in particular in the fleet rental business where assets are the major source of revenues. One important question in this regard concerns the replacement of used assets and the purchase of new assets. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate performance effects of asset replacement strategies. In order to maximise net cash flow of a rental company for construction machinery, a range of scenarios investigating the timing and nature of policies for replacing the fleet are analysed. Simulation findings are then discussed to gene…

Régulation et coordination du système de santé. Des institutions invisibles à la politique économique.

2006

Ethique médicale et politique de santé

2005

La réflexion sur l'avenir de l'assurance maladie prend appui sur une lecture de la réforme ou contre-réforme en termes de privatisation ou d'étatisation, de recours aux mécanismes de marché ou au contraire de développement des institutions centralisatrices. Cet ouvrage est une contribution à ces débats, qu'il cherche à éclairer en privilégiant une entrée par l'éthique médicale. Il propose un ensemble de réflexions qui ont en commun de considérer que les questions éthiques sont fondamentales à la compréhension de l'évolution du système de santé. En mobilisant des experts reconnus venant de différents horizons économie, philosophie, santé publique, sociologie, théologie, il offre une approche…

Simultaneous optimization of harvest schedule and measurement strategy

2013

In many recent studies, the value of forest inventory information in the harvest scheduling has been examined. Usually only the profitability of measuring simultaneously all the stands in the area is examined. Yet, it may be more profitable to concentrate the measurement efforts to some subset of them. In this paper, the authors demonstrate that stochastic optimization can be used for defining the optimal measurement strategy simultaneously with the harvest decisions. The results show that without end-inventory constraints, it was most profitable to measure the stands that were just below the medium age. Measuring the oldest stands was not profitable at all. It turned out to be profitable t…

T9+HUD: Physical Keypad and HUD can Improve Driving Performance while Typing and Driving

2016

We introduce T9+HUD, a text entry method designed to decrease visual distraction while driving and typing. T9+HUD combines a physical 3x4 keypad on the steering wheel with a head-up-display (HUD) for projecting output on the windshield. Previous work suggests this may be a visually less demanding way to type while driving than the popular case which requires shifts of visual attention away from the road. We present a prototype design and report first results from a controlled evaluation in a driving simulator. While driving, the T9+HUD text entry rate was equal compared to a dashboard-mounted touchscreen device, but it reduced lane deviations by 70%. Furthermore, there was no significant di…

Why Do Users Switch Mobile Applications? : Trialing Behavior as a Predecessor of Switching Behavior

2018

Mobile application providers face high user losses because users can easily and often switch to an alternative application. Researchers have recently started to study information technology (IT) switching. However, no studies have concentrated on the unique context of mobile applications. Mobile application switching differs from the switching behavior related to many other IT products and services because of the highlighted role of alternatives, beta versions, updates, reviews, and users’ spontaneous behavior. To address this gap, we develop a mobile-specific model by using a qualitative research approach. As a theoretical contribution, we introduce trialing behavior as a predecessor of sw…

How Students Get Going : Triggers for Students’ Learning in Project-Based Education

2018

Repeatedly documented positive student responses to project-based learning during its decades-long tradition in CS attest to the effectiveness of learning by doing. Support for reflective learning nevertheless continues to be a topic worth studying because the intensity of project work together with a high technical orientation among CS students often complicate reflective practice. A critical incident-inspired assignment was added to a project-based course to support reflective practice in spring 2017. In a previous study, the authors analyzed how students approached the assignment and whether they found it supportive for learning. The present study content-analyses the situations that tri…

Enterprise Architecture - To Business or Not to Business? That Is The Question!

2018

Spatially dynamic forest management to sustain biodiversity and economic returns.

2014

Production of marketed commodities and protection of biodiversity in natural systems often conflict and thus the continuously expanding human needs for more goods and benefits from global ecosystems urgently calls for strategies to resolve this conflict. In this paper, we addressed what is the potential of a forest landscape to simultaneously produce habitats for species and economic returns, and how the conflict between habitat availability and timber production varies among taxa. Secondly, we aimed at revealing an optimal combination of management regimes that maximizes habitat availability for given levels of economic returns. We used multi-objective optimization tools to analyze data fr…