bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
To Close or not to Close? Assessing the Impact of Outlet Closures on Retail Chains
Authors: Haans Hans , Gijsbrechts Els
Published: May 2018

Retail chains often face tough competition and permanently seek to increase profitability. Closing outlets is a common strategy, even if knowledge about its implications is limited. Indeed, chain sales losses from store closure of a multi-outlet retailer operating multiple formats vary widely across outlets (ranging from less than 30 % to more than 80 % of the closed outlet’s revenue) and depend not only on the closed store’s format and distance to competitors, but also on the profile of its clientele and type of shopping trip. Analyzing these criteria helps to predict the magnitude of these losses for specific store closures using a new model. It offers guidance to retailers in deciding whether a particular store closure is beneficial to the chain or, if the objective is to prune an overly dense network, which of a set of local outlets is the best candidate for closure
Measuring Consumers’ Willingness to Pay. Which Method Fits Best?
Authors: Miller Klaus M. , Hofstetter Reto , Krohmer Harley , Zhang Z. John
Published: May 2018

Gauging the maximum willingness to pay (WTP) of a product accurately is a critical success factor that determines not only market performance but also financial results. A number of approaches have therefore been developed to accurately estimate consumers’ willingness to pay. Here, four commonly used measurement approaches are compared using real purchase data as a benchmark. The relative strengths of each method are analyzed on the basis of statistical criteria and, more importantly, on their potential to predict managerially relevant criteria such as optimal price, quantity and profit. The results show a slight advantage of incentive-aligned approaches though the market settings need to be considered to choose the best-fitting procedure
“Call. Mail. Shoot. Listen. Play” But What Functionalities Add Real Value in Convergent Products?
Authors: Gill Tripat
Published: May 2018

It is very common to add diverse new functionalities to existing base products (e.g., adding mobile television to a cell phone or internet access to a personal digital assistant). These convergent products offer users a broad choice of potential applications. However, it is not clear what additions are actually valued by consumers, and therefore also make sense from a manufacturer’s perspective. The current research addresses this very issue. It investigates the role of three factors on the evaluation of such convergent products (CPs); namely, (1) the consumption goal (utility versus fun-oriented) associated with the base product and the added functionality, (2) the prior ownership of the base product, and (3) the quality of the brand introducing the new functionality. In three experimental studies, the author explores the effect of each of the above three factors in the evaluation of CPs. On the basis of the results he presents some guidelines on how to extend existing products to create more value for consumers and manufacturers
Proving Marketing Success Pays Off! Marketing Performance Measurement and its Effects on Marketing’s Stature and Firm Success
Authors: O’Sullivan Don , Abela Andrew V.
Published: May 2018

It has been widely argued that an inability to account for marketing’s contribution has undermined its standing within the company. Furthermore, the effect of marketing activities on business success is underestimated. To respond to this pressure, marketers are investing in the development of performance measurement abilities. In this study of senior marketing managers in high-tech firms, the effect of the ability to measure marketing performance against business performance is examined. The authors also explore the effect of the ability to measure marketing against marketing’s status within the company. Results indicate that this ability is essential given that it has a significant impact on company performance, profitability, stock returns, and marketing’s stature within the company. Considering these effects, the closing managerial implications are highly relevant for marketing professionals
Trying Harder and Doing Worse: How Grocery Shoppers Track in-Store Spending
Authors: van Ittersum Koert , Pennings Joost M.E , Wansink Brian
Published: May 2018

All over the world the economic crisis has raised the number of households which are below the poverty line. A careful tracking of expenditures has become increasingly necessary to avoid financial distress. Models of spending behavior often implicitly assume that budget shoppers know how much they spend while shopping. As demonstrated here, this assumption is the exception rather than the rule
All Customers are Equal, but Some are More Equal Should Firms Prioritize their Customers ?
Authors: Homburg Christian , Totzek Dirk , Droll Mathias
Published: May 2018

Focusing marketing efforts on the most valuable customers so as to increase company profits is not as straightforward as it seems. There is a downside to customer prioritization such as negative reaction from low priority customers. Taking this into account we still show that prioritizing customers does lead to higher profitability and more return on sales. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it has a positive effect on the key characteristics of a firm’s relationship with its elite customers while not affecting the lower level. Secondly, it reduces sales and marketing costs. Customer prioritization is more effective and efficient than equal treatment. We also show that firms can rely on six key levers relating to a company’s organizational structure and processes, enabling proper implementation of customer prioritization.
Getting Marketing back into the boardroom: The influence of the marketing department in companies today
Authors: Verhoef Peter C. , Leeflang Peter S.H.
Published: May 2018

What influence do marketing departments have in companies today? Which factors determine this influence? These are the issues discussed in the present article. Empirical evidence based on data from companies in the Netherlands demonstrates that accountability, innovativeness and customer connections are the three major drivers of influence. The need for a strong marketing department within companies is also discussed, supported by empirical data.
My customers are better than yours! On Reporting Customer Equity
Authors: Wiesel Thorsten , Skiera Bernd , Villanueva Julián
Published: May 2018

Managers and investors need information about the performance and future prospects of a firm. If information is relevant in steering a business, it is also relevant for its investors’ investment decisions. Recent initiatives demand information that supplements and complements a firm’s financial statements to bridge the gap between financial statement capabilities and financial reporting objectives. Firms that aim to increase the value of their customer base should manage their business by future-oriented customer metrics. They should also report this information externally because it aligns customer management with corporate goals and investors’ perspectives. The authors propose a means to report customer equity that enables monitoring firms’ performance with respect to their customer assets. Furthermore, they develop a specific model for Netflix and apply it to quarterly reports that cover more than six years.
Comparative study of long-term water uptake of Norway spruce and Douglas-fir in Moravian upland
Authors: Nadezhdina Nadezhda , Urban Josef , Čermák Jan , Nadezhdin Valeriy , Kantor Petr
Published: May 2018

Long-term water uptake of Douglas-fir and Norway spruce trees, growing in condition of Moravian upland, was studied with aim of comparing sap flow in small roots with flow in stems. Sap flow was measured by the heat field deformation method using multi-point sensors for stems and single-point sensors for roots. Differences between species were found in relationships between sap flow in tree stems and water uptake by roots, suggesting that Douglas-fir is able to take water from deeper soil more efficiently than spruce. This allows Douglas-fir to transpire more water especially during drought and grow faster than spruce. These biological features should be taken into account for future forest species compositions because they may have impact on both, forestry and hydrology.
Modelling the impact of increasing soil sealing on runoff coefficients at regional scale: a hydropedological approach
Authors: Ungaro Fabrizio , Calzolari Costanza , Pistocchi Alberto , Malucelli Francesco
Published: May 2018

Soil sealing is the permanent covering of the land surface by buildings, infrastructures or any impermeable artificial material. Beside the loss of fertile soils with a direct impact on food security, soil sealing modifies the hydrological cycle. This can cause an increased flooding risk, due to urban development in potential risk areas and to the increased volumes of runoff. This work estimates the increase of runoff due to sealing following urbanization and land take in the plain of Emilia Romagna (Italy), using the Green and Ampt infiltration model for two rainfall return periods (20 and 200 years) in two different years, 1976 and 2008. To this goal a hydropedological approach was adopted in order to characterize soil hydraulic properties via locally calibrated pedotransfer functions (PTF). PTF inputs were estimated via sequential Gaussian simulations coupled with a simple kriging with varying local means, taking into account soil type and dominant land use. Results show that in the study area an average increment of 8.4% in sealed areas due to urbanization and sprawl induces an average increment in surface runoff equal to 3.5 and 2.7% respectively for 20 and 200-years return periods, with a maximum > 20% for highly sealed coast areas.
Improved higher lead time river flow forecasts using sequential neural network with error updating
Authors: Prakash Om , Sudheer K.P. , Srinivasan K.
Published: May 2018

This paper presents a novel framework to use artificial neural network (ANN) for accurate forecasting of river flows at higher lead times. The proposed model, termed as sequential ANN (SANN), is based on the heuristic that a mechanism that provides an accurate representation of physical condition of the basin at the time of forecast, in terms of input information to ANNs at higher lead time, helps improve the forecast accuracy. In SANN, a series of ANNs are connected sequentially to extend the lead time of forecast, each of them taking a forecast value from an immediate preceding network as input. The output of each network is modified by adding an expected value of error so that the residual variance of the forecast series is minimized. The applicability of SANN in hydrological forecasting is illustrated through three case examples: a hypothetical time series, daily river flow forecasting of Kentucky River, USA and hourly river flow forecasting of Kolar River, India. The results demonstrate that SANN is capable of providing accurate forecasts up to 8 steps ahead. A very close fit (>94% efficiency) was obtained between computed and observed flows up to 1 hour in advance for all the cases, and the deterioration in fit was not significant as the forecast lead time increased (92% at 8 steps ahead). The results show that SANN performs much better than traditional ANN models in extending the forecast lead time, suggesting that it can be effectively employed in developing flood management measures.
Models of Air Missions / Modele Misji Lotniczych
Authors: Cwojdziński Leszek , Lewitowicz Jerzy , Żyluk Andrzej
Published: May 2018

Combat missions of both a single multi-role aircraft and a group of aircraft. Compatibility and readiness - properties determining accomplishment of an air operation. Scenarios of air operations. Models of air-to-air and air-to-surface operations (AAO and ASO, respectively). Computer modelling of air missions.
The Optimization of Replacement Time for Non-Repairable Aircraft Component / Wyznaczanie Optymalnego Czasu Wymiany Nieodnawialnego Komponentu Samolotu
Authors: Kustroń Kamila , Cieślak Łukasz
Published: May 2018

This paper presents the procedure to be followed in order to determine the optimal time of non-repair component of the air operator's aircraft fleet. This problem is very important because of the losses that may occur as a result of too late the decision to replace and the damaged might occur during the operation of the airplane. On the other hand, the operator suffers losses because of too frequent replacements. These losses are generated by very early replacement of the efficient equipment and in addition generate excessive workload sharing on its assessment, the impact of human factors and increase the aircraft downtime. There is thus an optimal solution for which the objective function is to maximize the technical and operational readiness expressing the ratio of aircraft downtime and the time of its use as intended uptime with minimal costs. The optimal condition for the data component of the failure rate was determined and presented in this paper. The resulting replace component of the optimal interval must then be correlated with other work to do on an airplane as Maintenance Programme - MP.
The Design Technology Development of Prospective Airframe in View of the Operation&Maintenance Experience and Technology Development / Rozwój Technik Projektowania Przyszłościowych Płatowców W Aspekcie Doświadczenia Eksploatacyjnego I Rozwoju Techniki I Technologii
Authors: Kustroń Kamila
Published: May 2018

The paper presents forward-looking approach to airframe design and development by integrated design philosophy with the philosophy of sustainability management service in terms of quality, taking into account the whole life cycle of the aircraft and the interactions between the different phases. The approach has been presented pro-quality. The determinants of quality and relationships has been identified. The concept of an advisory system logistics support airframe design using artificial intelligence methods.
Unmanned Mine-Cleaning Underwater Vehicle Numerical Drag Prediction / Numeryczna Prognoza Charakterystyki Oporowej Bezzałogowego, Przeciwminowego Pojazdu Podwodnego
Authors: Kaczmarczyk Maciej , Jachowski Jacek
Published: May 2018

At the beginning of the XXI century unmanned underwater vehicles such as ROV or AUV became common in use around the world. They are useful, practical and helpful in many underwater works. Moreover, in many cases they can be a good replacement for men. But to secure good man-machine cooperation or substitution high reliability is required as well as safety in everyday use - especially in the Navy. Therefore, beyond functionality, these two main factors are the most important in designing and then operating such vehicles. It can be achieved in many different ways, but one of the most sensitive and prone to damage elements is vehicle propulsion system. Commonly in use bare propellers are in danger of being damaged by many different things floating under the surface. To try to avoid such situation and find an alternative solution, there was an idea to design and build the ROV powered by a waterjet drive. This paper focuses on numerical drag prediction for underwater vehicle with two different propulsion systems. The pros and cons for each solution are also presented.
The Impact of Application of Photovoltaic Cells for Bus Ecological Properties / Wpływ Zastosowania Ogniw Fotowoltaicznych Na Ekologiczność Autobusu Miejskiego
Authors: Merkisz Jerzy , Fuc Paweł , Bajerlein Maciej , Lijewski Piotr , Rymaniak Łukasz , Ziółkowski Andrzej
Published: May 2018

The paper presents discusses the application of photovoltaic cells and provides information on solar energy in Poland. Article presents examples of research emission two buses, one of them was equipped with additional auxiliary photovoltaic system. Measurements was carried out in on-road, in urban traffic - bus line public transport. For measurement was used mobile gas analyzer included in Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS). The results have been developed in such a way as to determine the relative influence of the system implemented on the total environmental performance of the vehicle.
Risk and Consequences of Transformer Explosions and Fires in Nuclear Power Plants / Ryzyko I Konsekwencje Wybuchów Transformatora I Pożarów W Elektrowniach Jądrowych
Authors: Berg Heinz-Peter , Fritze Nicole
Published: May 2018

The high failure frequency and the resultant reliability and safety implications in recent years of transformers, in particular at nuclear power plants (NPP), required an in-depth assessment. Fires of main transformers are considered as critical because of the large quantity of oil in contact with high voltage elements. Therefore, these phenomena have been investigated in more detail using the information from the OECD FIRE database for NPP. 12.8 % of all fires and, thus, the most frequent fire source in this database are transformer fires, mainly fires of high voltage oil-filled transformers. Thus, possible diagnostic measures to avoid such events and enhance the reliability currently discussed in Germany are shortly described. Moreover, consequences of transformer failures with respect to a reliable electric power supply are addressed.
Macro Models of Casualties in Road Transport / Modelowanie Strat Osobowych W Transporcie Drogowym
Authors: Jamroz Kazimierz
Published: May 2018

To ensure that road transport safety measures are effective and efficient, forecast tools should be applied to help with strategic decision-making. Models of road safety measures provide such tools. The paper presents a proposed macro model of road accident casualties. The proposed models of road accident fatalities are built from a database covering more than fifty countries worldwide. The concepts of model design can be used for developing factor-based models to describe strategic societal risk on the road networks of selected countries worldwide. One of the concepts was applied to model the number of road accident fatalities. The analyses used Smeed’s model and its modifications developed for the needs of this analysis.
Periodical Inspection Frequency of Protection Systems of Machinery – Case Studies / Częstość Kontroli Okresowych Systemów Ochronnych Do Maszyn – Przykłady Praktyczne
Authors: Dźwiarek Marek , Hryniewicz Olgierd
Published: May 2018

Long-lasting exploitation of a machine usually brings about wear and tear of its subsystems due to deteriorated material properties and mechanical wearing, which means that all safety functions should be periodically inspected for finding any changes in parameter values that could reduce the control system capability to perform its function. Therefore in the CIOP-PIB and IBS PAN the simplified procedures were formulated that aimed at the insurance of maintaining the required availability of safety function throughout the lifetime of machinery. The paper presents practical examples of application of these procedures to different architectures of the systems. Those examples proved usability of developed procedures.
The Traffic Engineering Approach to Problems of Sea Waterway System Design / Problemy Projektowania Systemu Morskich Dróg Wodnych W Ujęciu Inżynierii Ruchu
Authors: Gucma Stanisław
Published: May 2018

The article deals with some problems that designers of sea waterways encounter, i.e.: interrelations between parameters of waterway, ships and positioning systems used, selection of position determination systems depending on ship's operating conditions on sea waterways, and the optimization of waterway parameters.
A Delay-Time Model with Imperfect Inspections for Multi-Unit Systems / Model Opóźnień Czasowych Z Nieperfekcyjną Diagnozą Stanu Systemu Dla Systemów Wieloelementowych
Authors: Jodejko-Pietruczuk Anna , Werbińska-Wojciechowska Sylwia
Published: May 2018

In this paper, the authors’ research work is focused on imperfect inspection policy investigation, when not all defects are identified during inspection action performance. They are interested in Block Inspection Policy performance for multi-unit systems, the maintenance policy which is one of the most commonly used in practice. As a result, at the beginning, few words about delay time modelling approach and a brief literature overview is given. Later, the model of Block-Inspection Policy is provided. The numerical example with the use of QNU Octave program is given. In the next Section, the sensitivity analysis of the developed model is characterised. The article ends up with summary and directions for further research.
Heteronormativity: School, ideology, and politics
Authors: Čeplak Metka Mencin
Published: May 2018

This article analyzes discomfort about sexuality expressed in formal education. It draws on Foucault’s analysis of sexuality as a privileged object of biopolitics (the object of regulation, surveillance, and discipline) and the most instrumentalized element in power relations in the Western world. Related to this is also the pedagogization of child sexuality, which even today is still characterized by ambiguities and discomfort. The author concludes that silence about non-hetero-sexualities and the biomedicalization and physicalization of (homo)sexuality are the most common and obvious symptoms of discomfort about (homo)sexuality in Slovenian schools. These manners of treating sexuality are usually interpreted as neutral, but the author interprets them as strategies of conflict avoidance which in fact support a heteronormative social order and (implicitly or explicitly) even legitimize the exclusion of all who cross the boundaries of ‘normal heterosexuality’. They strengthen prejudice, motivate ignorance, and can even be used as an excuse for violence. The article points out that education does not provide a magic formula since it cannot foresee its own effects due to the complexity of social relations and the nature of the education process (e.g. Millot, 1983).
Controllable Compliance Joint For Human Oriented Robots
Authors: Tsveov Mihail , Chakarov Dimitar
Published: May 2018

In the paper, different approaches for compliance control for human oriented robots are revealed. The approaches based on the non- antagonistic and antagonistic actuation are compared. In addition, an approach is investigated in this work for the compliance and the position control in the joint by means of antagonistic actuation. It is based on the capability of the joint with torsion leaf springs to adjust its stiffness. Models of joint stiffness are presented in this paper with antagonistic and non-antagonistic influence of the spring forces on the joint motion. The stiffness and the position control possibilities are investigated and the opportunity for their decoupling as well. Some results of numerical experiments are presented in the paper too.
BEJA LEXICOSTATISTICS
Authors: Blažek Václav
Published: May 2018

The Beja (Beḍawye) language is the only representative of the North Cushitic branch of the Cushitic languages. Although there are several dialects, e.g. Amar’ar, Arteiga, Beni Amer, Bishari, Hadendowa, Halenga etc., scholars collecting the lexical data of the Beja language usually do not distinguish between individual dialects and frequently summarize material of two or more dialects (e.g. Reinisch: Beni Amer, Bishari, Hadendowa), or they determine only the area, where their data were collected (e.g. Wedekinds: Eritrea; Hudson: Port Soudan and Tokar). Roper indicated the dialect Hadendowa, but according to MORIN (1995: 22) it was a transitional interdialect of the Sinkat area. In this case it is impossible to separate specific lexicons of individual dialects and the only solution is to compare the lexical materials in dependence, who has collected them. Although there is only one distinctive phonetic isogloss dividing the Beja dialect continuum with typical u in the north vs. i in the south (VANHOVE 2006), the result of the present study demonstrates a relatively high internal diversity of the Beja lexicon. Two most incomplete or deviant sources, namely Munzinger and Bender, indicate the disintegration of common Beja to the 9th and 11th cent. respectively. The common share between the remaining idioms is c. 95% or higher, corresponding to the beginning of their disintegration around AD 1200. This younger dating better agrees with at least partial intelligibility between the tribal dialects of Beja.
Determinants of the emergence and the development of clusters / Determinanty powstania i rozwoju klastrów
Authors: Piątyszek-Pych Alina
Published: May 2018

The aim of this article is to systemize the most important concepts defining determinants of functioning of cluster structures. The achievement of such formulated goal required carrying out a thorough review of both Polish and foreign literature on the issue of bunches. Due to the volume restrictions of this article, there were presented only the selected, according to the author most interesting, concepts associated with the issues of success factors of bunches. The author’s attention was focussed on the analysis of the factors determining the success of any cluster at the stage of its creation (the determinants of the emergence and creation of bunches) and of its development (determinants of functioning). It is in the article that the theoretical problems related to the issues of bunches of enterprises were discussed. In the first part of the article, there were presented endogenous and exogenous factors determining the formation of cluster structures. It is later in this article that the factors determining the development of bunches were described with particular emphasis on the sources of the competitive edge of the location. It is at the end of the article, further to the deliberations carried out, that conclusions and recommendations for the best ways of supporting cluster structures were presented
Social networks and the situation of blood donation in Poland: a logistics perspective / Sieci społeczne a sytuacja krwiodawstwa w Polsce w perspektywie logistycznej
Authors: Szołtysek Jacek , Twaróg Sebastian , Wronka Martyna
Published: May 2018

This article aims to present the impact of social networks on the formation on the flow of blood and its components in the civilian blood donation system in Poland. The civilian blood donation system in Poland consists of 21 independently-functioning supply chains of blood and its components (Szołtysek, Twaróg 2009, p. 15). Today, logistics plays a secondary role in the management of blood supply chains, and the integration of flow is performed randomly and intuitively. The rapidly growing recognition of social logistics (T. Takahasi 1988, pp. 245 - 251; Tenhunen 2008, pp. 515-534; Szołtysek 2010, pp. 2-6; Szołtysek 2011, pp.13-18) provides tools to improve the efficiency of the blood donation system in terms of both the existing blood supply chains, and the potential offered by network structures. An unexpected change in demand for blood and its components probably induces a bullwhip effect, and the organizations that form the chains have to deal with supplies unreasonable in terms of their size and structure. A major role in this process is played by social networks, as a source of general mobilization among potential blood donors. Finding a way to change the relationship between social networks and the system of blood donation may minimize the disruptions occurring in the flow of blood and its components in Poland.
Changes in placing organic functions in structure of German concern subsidiary – case study /Zmiany w rozmieszczeniu funkcji organicznych w strukturze spółki zależnej niemieckiego koncernu
Authors: Sobotkiewicz Dariusz
Published: May 2018

This work focuses on changes in placing organic functions in organizational structure multi-entity enterprise. This problem is important, still up-to-date, especially in face of quick changes taking place in modern organizations’ surroundings. This work aims at recognition of directions of changes in placing organic functions and identification of factors causing those changes taking as an example a German concern subsidiary. The theoretical part focuses on defining main change directions in placing functions. Great attention is paid to presenting different varieties of function shifts in economic organism. The empirical part deals with identification of changes that took place in placing functions and identifying the factors causing those changes. Due to the conducted studies, one can come to the conclusion that the main directions for changes in placing functions in surveyed subsidiary was relocating the subfunctions within its units and master organization. What is more joining and dividing functions took place. These processes were influenced by the following factors: more effective use of human resources, cutting costs, paying attention to final production process, limiting organizational conflicts and improving both effectiveness and efficiency of labour. The elaboration finishes with a summary which clearly states conclusions drawn from research results.
The supraregional cooperation as the way for the development of Western Poland / Ponadregionalna współpraca drogą do rozwoju Polski zachodniej
Authors: Wyrwa Joanna
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this article is to present the main issues associated with the creation of the supraregional strategy on the example of Western Poland. It is in the first part of the study that there were presented external conditions for the cooperation arising from the regulations of the most important European and Polish program documents of the time horizon up to 2020. The next part presents synthetic social and economic characterization of the macro-region of Western Poland. Subsequently, the concept and the objectives for the creation of the supraregional strategy were presented.

It is at present that the Development Strategy for Western Poland and the Development Strategy for Southern Poland for the Śląskie and Małopolskie Voivodeships are being created. These initiatives are bottom-up actions of the self-government bodies of the voivodeships that allows for implementing the model of the multilevel governance and the strategic partnership of the domestic and regional system. These are the first cooperation projects amongst macro-regions in Poland initiated from the bottom up and voluntarily by self-government authorities, in which the voivodeships acknowledge that their development should take place through joint actions taken in the entire macro-region and creating the synergy effect. These are very innovative actions against the background of the experience at programming the regional development in Poland.
Chosen determinants of coopetition between the industrial companies of the Lubusz region in the 2009-2011 period / Wybrane determinanty koopetycji przedsiębiorstw przemysłowych z województwa lubuskiego w latach 2009-2011
Authors: Tomaszewski Marek
Published: May 2018

Analysing the literature dealing with coopetition on both national and international levels, one cannot help but notice that this notion has recently become increasingly more popular. The same cannot be said however, of the notion of coopetition from a practical point of view.

The empirical results obtained using the probit model. Analysing the influence of customer sectors for the researched companies it can be noticed that having customers in transportation and trade sectors stimulates the establishing of coopetition. Analysing the influence of relations maintained with the supply network participants it should be pointed out that only having close relations with competitors can positively influence entering into coopetition. Other kinds of relations maintained with competitors influence coopetition negatively.

Coopetition is also positively influenced by maintaining only the necessary relations with customers by the industrial companies from South-East Poland. Lack of closer relations with customers forces the industrial companies to look out for other enterprises that can aid in further development of the company. Maintaining only the necessary relations with suppliers influences coopetition negatively.

Considering the distance between the participants of supply network, having suppliers and customers located outside Poland influences coopetition negatively.
Brand identity of Lubuskie Voivodeship / Silna marka wyznacznikiem rozwoju gospodarki w województwie lubuskim
Authors: Perzyńska Agnieszka
Published: May 2018

The aim of the article is to present how big a role a brand fulfils, which is a determinant of the development of economy in Lubuskie Voivodeship. Building a strong brand becomes a task for many years. The effects can be noticed earlier through promotion actions focused on organizing all kinds of cultural events and fixtures. A strong brand is a huge source of competitive advantage. Creating a strong brand is a catalyst of the economic development of the region.

A sign, logo, is not enough for the economic development to increase. The use of innovative information technologies is necessary to distinguish the region from the other ones.

The driving force is to build a strong image identifying the strength of the region values. A strong brand determines the present existence and distinction on the global market.
Mentoring in the concept of the learning organization in higher education – empirical research / Mentoring w koncepcji organizacji uczącej się szkoły wyższej w świetle badań empirycznych
Authors: Wronka Martyna
Published: May 2018

The development of a knowledge-based economy necessitates the search for new methods and tools for enhancing organizational learning processes. In this context, many scholars point to the importance of mentoring as a tool to support individual and organizational learning. The paper is an attempt to answer the question: how mentoring helps to stimulate the process of organizational learning? Therefore, this paper discusses the concept of learning organization, concept of mentoring along with associated concepts, on the basis of which experience result from the process of implementing mentoring at university are pointed out. This objective will be achieved through presentation of the results of the literature study followed by case study on the implementation and realization of mentoring programme at one of the polish universities
Management instruments in the process focused on improving the results of organizations functioning in economic crisis – based on the research of opinions presented by managers of tourist enterprises / Instrumenty zarządzania w procesie poprawy rezultatów działania organizacji w czasie kryzysu gospodarczego – w świetle badań opinii menedżerów przedsiębiorstw turystycznych
Authors: Rapacz Andrzej , Jaremen Daria
Published: May 2018

The economic crisis, which has affected the global economy in recent years, also exerted impact on, among others, the tourism sector. It view of the worse financial and economic results obtained by enterprises operating in tourist sector and other negative phenomena tourist entities started paying attention to tools adequate for crisis management. The objective of article is to define the impact of economic crisis on the functioning of Polish tourist enterprises both in the perspective of its effects and activities undertaken to overcome them. The paper presents an attempt to verify the hypotheses, referring to the opinion of tourist companies’ managers, according to which an increase in operating costs represents the more important result of the current global crisis, rather than a drop in revenues or smaller number of clients. In spite of that, among crisis management instruments higher significance, than cost reduction, is associated with such activities and instruments as: promotion and its intensification, higher online sales intensity, offering discounts on services or winning new sale markets. It refers to hypothesis verification suggesting that these enterprises are not prepared for crisis situations and the activates undertaken are of temporary nature. The discussion presented in the paper is based on empirical research results carried out among entrepreneurs operating in tourism sector in the most popular tourist locations in The Karkonosze and The Izery mountains, i.e. Karpacz, Szklarska Poręba, Świeradów Zdrój and Jelenie Góra. The empirical part of the paper was preceded by theoretical remarks referring to attitudes of crisis management in tourism. The results of conducted research indicate that in the opinion of the majority of tourist companies’ managers/owners the crucial impact of the global crises was observed in higher functioning costs, while the most important instrument for its effects counteracting is the extension of promotion and offer distribution, mainly online, with the cost reduction to follow.
Ordered Fuzzy Numbers Approach to an Investment Project Evaluation
Authors: Kosiński W. Konrad , Kosiński Witold , Kościeński Kacper
Published: May 2018

Aim of the paper is to propose a new tool for a decision supporting system concerning the financial project evaluation. It is based on the determination of the internal rate of return (IRR) of a investment project in which all expenditure and anticipated incomes are vague, and described by Ordered Fuzzy Numbers (OFNs). It means that the probabilistic approach is neglected in this paper and the use of the well developed arithmetics of OFNs is made to find a positive fuzzy root of a fuzzy polynomial representing the fuzzy net present value of the project. Since in the space of OFNs a partial order relation is defined together with a number of defuzzification functionals, the authors can construct a decision support system for investors helping them in acceptance procedure of most profitable investment projects.
Measuring the Flexural Strength of Ceramics at Elevated Temperatures – An Uncertainty Analysis
Authors: Štubňa I. , Šín P. , Trník A. , Vozár L.
Published: May 2018

The flexural mechanical strength was measured at room and elevated temperatures on green ceramic samples made from quartz electroporcelain mixture. An apparatus exploited the three-point-bending mechanical arrangement and a magazine for 10 samples that are favorable at the temperature measurements from 20 °C to 1000 °C. A description of the apparatus from the point of possible sources of uncertainties is also given. The uncertainty analysis taking into account thermal expansion of the sample and span between the supports is performed for 600 °C. Friction between the sample and supports as well as friction between mechanical parts of the apparatus is also considered. The value of the mechanical strength at the temperature of 600 °C is 13.23 ± 0.50 MPa, where the second term is an expanded standard uncertainty. Such an uncertainty is mostly caused by inhomogeneities in measured samples. The biggest part of the uncertainty arises from the repeatability of the loading force which reflects a scatter of the sample properties. The influence of the temperature on the uncertainty value is very small
WEATHER, AGRICULTURE, AND RELIGION IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Authors: Botica Aurelian
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this paper is to examine those areas of agricultural and religious life that intersected with each and influenced the way people thought of God (or the gods). We will start with the premise that in the Ancient Near East religion was intrinsically connected to agriculture and fertility, though not entirely defined by them. It is also plausible that people shared a concept of God (gods) that at times was shaped by their interaction with natural phenomena like rain, drought, storms, flooding, and animal and crop plagues. In this sense, scholars have noted the connection between “fertility” and religious life, even though some remain caution of pushing this connection too far. To evaluate the strength of this idea we will examine a number of cultic texts that appear to have presumed the link between weather, agriculture and religion. In particular, we will focus on references to weather/ storm/ fertility gods. In the later part of our study, we will ask to what extent Biblical men and women were influenced by Ancient Near Eastern religious thought. We will also explore the concept of the link between agriculture, weather and religion in Greek religious texts.
Pentecost or Babel Tower? Challenges and Perspectives of the Translation of Liturgical Texts in the German-speaking Christian Orthodox Diaspora
Authors: Danilovich Yauheniya
Published: May 2018

Uniform translation of liturgical texts into German has been an important field of work of Orthodox churches in Germany for several years. This task has been accomplished by the translation commission which was convened by the Orthodox Bishops’ Conference in Germany. The essay first introduces the current situation of Orthodoxy in Germany under the conditions of the diaspora situation. Then the development of the unified text of the Divine Liturgy is presented. Subsequently, challenges and perspectives of the translation work are discussed.
The Septuagint and the Masoretic Text in the Orthodox Church(es)
Authors: Mihăilă Alexandru
Published: May 2018

In this article, I intend to survey the reception of versions of the Old Testament in the Orthodox churches, focusing on the Greek, Russian and Romanian Church, respectively. While Western biblical scholars gave precedence to the Hebrew text over the Septuagint, in the Orthodox world one can see a tension in the relationship between the two textual witnesses and sometimes, even recently, there are voices which tend to give the Septuagint total authority in the Church. Orthodox scholars in the field of Old Testament studies usually resort to the Hebrew text, but especially scholars from outside this field tend to promote the Septuagint as the Old Testament of the Orthodox Church. I shall use the argument of authority, which is improper for scientific argumentation, but it suits my research, as I try to understand the confessional positions held within Eastern Orthodoxy. Consequently, if a certain saint, acknowledged as such by a national Orthodox Church or by the entire Eastern Orthodox communion, embraces a particular view on this subject, this bears significantly on the issue.
Welcoming the “Other”: Translating Truth for the Post-truth World
Authors: Matiu Ovidiu
Published: May 2018

This paper is an attempt to answer the question whether Bible translation may help building a community or communities, which would contribute to creating the framework for a commonality of faith. The answer is not difficult to state, since translation is about bridging gaps, about creating communities, as steps forward in this process. It is impossible to understand the process and to formulate an adequate and articulate answer to the initial question without taking a journey through the complex field of Translation Studies, and of Bible translation, in particular. The method of study involves analysis and use of concepts such as the paradox of translation, dynamic equivalence and (essentially) literal translation, in a dialog with authors such as Ricoeur, Berman, Nida or Ryken. This analysis shows that a linguistic oikumene, as a step towards a commonality of faith, is achievable through the translator’s hard work of producing linguistic hospitality, as a sine qua non condition for making our home, our language warm enough for the foreigner to dwell in and feel as if he were in his own.
Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes in Women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Albai Alin , Timar Romulus , Timar Bogdan , Hogea Corina , Vlad Adrian , Sdic Oana , Cristina Ilie , Albai Oana
Published: May 2018

Background and aims: Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with increased risk of maternal and fetal complications. The aim of this study was to examine and to compare pregnancy outcomes between women with T1DM and a control group of non diabetic women. Material and method: The present study included all pregnancies in T1DM women followed at Diabetes Clinic, Emergency County Clinical Hospital, Timişoara, from 1990 to 2010. Results: We found a relative risk of spontaneous abortions of 1.85 (95%CI 1.01-3.39; p=0.05) and a relative risk of major congenital malformations of 4.32 (95%CI 1.55-12; p=0.005) in T1DM pregnancies compared to the control group. We also observed that the rate of stillbirth was more frequent in type 1 diabetic pregnancies (p=0.02). The offspring of T1DM women were more likely to be delivered preterm (32%) compared with the control group (9.5%). The relative risk of preterm delivery was 3.38 higher (95%CI 2.93-5.6; p<0.0001) in T1DM pregnancies compared with non diabetic mothers. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of macrosomic offspring between T1DM (17.3%) and non diabetic mothers (6.5%) Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that pregnancy outcome and perinatal complications are still high in T1DM pregnancies.
Assessing the Peripheral Sensitivity of Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Using Caseivsystem and Classic Methods
Authors: Constantin Ciprian , Ranetti Aurelian , Constantin Georgiana , Ioniţă Cristina , Gal Irina , Cheţa Dan Mircea
Published: May 2018

Background and Aims: A complete evaluation of complications should be done each time a new case of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is diagnosed. A good screening of complications will be the background of an oriented treatment. Our aim was to assess the vibratory and thermal sensitivity using a Computer Aided Sensory Analyzer (CASEIVSystem) in newly diagnosed T2DM patients and to compare it with the threshold determined by classical methods. Material and Methods: We sequentially enrolled 260 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. The threshold of peripheral vibratory and thermal sensitivity was comparatively assessed using CASEIVSystem and classic tools. Other neurological scores were obtained from patients. Results: The vibratory threshold was abnormal in 56.92% (hand) and respectively 75.00% (foot) of subjects. Altered perception for the thermal threshold was registered in 76.15% and, respectively, 76.92% of subjects for the same sites. The 10g-monofilament exam was positive for 28.46% and the 128Hz-tuning-fork exam was positive for 20.38% of the examined patients. Mean time for a complete CASEIVSystem exam was around 27.23±9.34min vs. 3.21±0.24min (p<0.05) for a classic exam. Conclusions: In our study, CASEIVSystem allowed the assessment of the vibratory and thermal thresholds. The time needed for investigation renders this tool difficult to use in a time effective manner
Effect of Aging and Exercise Training on Plasma Insulin Concentration
Authors: Dănciulescu Miulescu Rucsandra , Margină Denisa , Sfetea Roxana Corina , Păun Diana , Poiană Cătălina
Published: May 2018

Background and Aims. Previous studies have shown that aging is an important risk factor for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The beneficial effects of exercise on glucose metabolism are well known. Our goal was to examine whether physical activity improves insulin levels in older individuals. Material and Methods. Plasma glucose and insulin were measured in fasting state and 2 h after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test in young lean, sedentary, non-diabetic subjects (n=34, age 25±2 years, body mass index- BMI 24.4±0.7 kg/m2) and older, lean, sedentary, non-diabetic subjects (n=36, age 75±3 years, BMI 24.8±0.4 kg/m2), before and after 8 weeks of aerobic exercise. Training consisted of exercise (such as cycling or fast walking) 5 days/week for approximately 30 min/day. Results. Fasting plasma insulin and 2-h serum insulin levels at baseline were significantly higher in older than young subjects (11.6 μU/ml vs 10.0 μU/ml, p=0.0001, 46.3 μU/ml vs 34.0 μU/ml, p=0.0001). Fasting and 2h plasma insulin levels were reduced after 8 weeks of aerobic exercise in older subjects, with no change in body weight. Conclusion. In our study the hyperinsulinemia associated with aging can be blunted significantly by aerobic exercise in older individuals independent of any changes in body composition