This paper examines the impact of competitive capabilities on sustainable manufacturing practices in Romanian small and medium-sized enterprises from the textile industry. We developed an econometric model based on previous research conducted by prestigious specialists and validated on a survey data from 221 Romanian small and medium enterprises from the textile industry. Our article proposes a number of implications to encourage entrepreneurs and managers from textile industry to engage in pro-environmental behaviour.
Currently, to meet the requirements of modern power systems as fully and efficiently as possible, the electricity markets have diversified greatly. Under these conditions, it becomes difficult for a producer to determine the structure of transactions that is financially optimal. Starting from the operational rules of the power systems that have shaped the electricity markets structure, the objective of this paper is to develop an electricity market simulator model that includes the basics of a best practice guide for producers that compete on various electricity markets to carry out the trading activities and enhance their financial results. The market simulator model considers both the bilateral long-or mid-term agreements and short-term offers on day-ahead, ancillary services and balancing markets providing the entire trading scenario and associated cash-flow and risks. Its significance consists in assisting the producer to plan its resources and create projections by performing multiple trading scenarios and selecting the best one. Thus, this paper proposes to uncover constraints and business rules for a simulator model assisting the market players to access the electricity markets and select the best option using Multiple-Criterial Decision-Making (MCDM) methods (Electre, Topsis, Analytical Hierarchy Process) or the weighted Euclidean distance. The simulations comprise four trading scenarios for different types of producers (gas or fossil-powered generators) generating 100 MW, that are ordered by independent criteria. The results obtained with MCDM and the proposed method showed that they indicated the same scenario as the best trading option based on the type of the producer. INDEX TERMS electricity market trading simulator, cost/revenue allocation, transaction risk.
Otitis and middle ear disease present high morbidity rates in spite of current medical treatment, especially in the younger population. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a chronic disease that is often found in school age children. Its evolution, recurrence, complications and resolution still present a challenge to otologists. For some time, middle ear ventilation tubes were used for this pathology, thus assuring proper middle ear ventilation and higher disease resolution rates. In the current paper, we investigate the connection between ventilation tube usage, the materials out of which they are made, the techniques involved and how these factors may influence disease resolution rates.
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