ABMT (autologous bone marrow transplantation): a microcosm of the U.S. health care system

The continuing controversy over appropriate utilization of high-dose chemotherapy (HCDT)-autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in the treatment of cancer epitomizes the debate in this country over increasing expenditures for the application of health care technology. The debate includes all imaginable constituencies--patients, physicians, hospitals, payers, employers, lawyers, economists, and the media. The issue is fascinating, as it continually presents new twists and turns. Additionally, the way in which the HCDT-ABMT controversy is resolved (or not resolved) will presage the manner in which similar issues are addressed in the 1990s.     

When altruism fails: reactions of unrelated bone marrow donors when the recipient dies

This article examines the responses of bone marrow donors to the death of the unrelated person to whom they donated. Data analyzed were 330 questionnaires and fifty in-depth interviews collected from donors in the National Marrow Donor Program at one year post-donation. Death of the recipient produced feelings of guilt and responsibility in the donors in only a few cases (2% of donors from questionnaire data and 2 of the 23 donors interviewed). Grief occurred often (22 of 23 donors interviewed) and was often surprisingly intense, given the fact that the recipient was a stranger. Intensity of grief varied depending on the perceived relationship with the recipient. Our data indicate that limiting contact and/or information about the recipient to the donor would be unlikely to result in more positive psychosocial outcomes. However, several strategies which might be useful in relieving donor guilt and/or grief are suggested.     

The hierarchical model for load balancing on two machines

Following previous work, we consider the hierarchical load balancing model on two machines of possibly different speeds. We first focus on maximizing the minimum machine load and show that no competitive algorithm exists for this problem. We overcome this barrier in two ways, both related to previously known models. The first one is fractional assignment, where each job can be arbitrarily split between the machines. The second one is a semi-online model where the sum of jobs is known in advance. We design algorithms of best possible competitive ratios for both these cases. Furthermore, we show that the combination of the two models leads to the existence of an optimal algorithm (i.e., an algorithm of competitive ratio 1). This algorithm is clearly optimal for the makespan minimization problem as well. For the latter problem, we consider the fractional assignment model and design an algorithm of best possible competitive ratio for it. This work was submitted as the M.Sc. thesis of the first author.     

The treatment center: a model for competitive clinical practice.

The treatment center model described in this article was developed with the intent of providing a high technology practice environment that would attract patients to an academic center for their medical care. It was also intended to create an environment that would result in the retention of the best clinicians within the academic framework. Appropriate goals and incentives had to be determined by both the hospital and the professional groups involved. Many preconceived ideas regarding traditional academic structures needed to be revised to implement this program.     

循环经济产业系统的分室模型与模拟

通过构建循环经济产业系统结构,建立了资源循环利用的分室模型及其动态方程系统;定义了测量资源循环利用效率的循环倍数及其计算公式.模拟结果显示资源循环利用不仅能够实现自然资源的数量积累,提高资源循环利用效率,还能够通过产业创新优化循环经济产业系统结构,降低对自然环境的废物排放.本文所研究的循环经济产业系统的分室模型方法还可以用来检测区域经济系统,国民经济系统或生态产业园区等资源循环利用效率和环境排放程度.     

The need for a new model of care: revisiting the archetype

Managed care organizations are refusing to accept the traditional academic health center's uncoordinated teaching model for their patients. They know that successful capitation can only be achieved when care is viewed from a population perspective, managed along a continuum, and coordinated at every point. Of the many changes that must occur, the care delivery paradigm, is a major area that needs to be redesigned.     

The choice of a forecasting model

The major purpose of studies of forecasting accuracy is to help forecasters select the ‘best’ forecasting method. This paper examines accuracy studies in particular that of Makridakis et al. [20] with a view to establishing how they contribute to model choice. It is concluded that they affect the screening that most forecasters go through in selecting a range of methods to analyze—in Bayesian terms they are a major determinant of ‘prior knowledge’. This general conclusion is illustrated in the specific case of the Makridakis Competition (M-Competition). A survey of expert forecasters was made in both the UK and US. The respondents were asked about their familiarity with eight methods of univariate time series forecasting, and their perceived accuracy in three different forecasting situations. The results, similar for both the UK and US, were that the forecasters were relatively familiar with all the techniques included except Holt-Winters and Bayesian. For short horizons Box-Jenkins was seen as most accurate while trend curves was perceived as most suitable for the long horizons. These results are contrasted with those of the M-Competition, and conclusions drawn on how the results of the M-Competition should influence model screening and model choice.     

The community of practice-based management model

This conceptual paper offers the convergence between two concepts now separated in the literature: the community of practice and the management model. The paper introduces the results of the theoretical research on the community of practice-based management model, the self-managing, human-friendly, knowledge sharing and innovativeness-supporting management model with high potential for the changeable environment. The research objective to analyse and explain the relationship between the concept of communities of practice and the management model is specified in two research questions: ‘How are the concepts of CoPs and management model connected in the community of practice-based management model?’ and ‘How do CoP-based management models work? What are their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages?’ The paper provides two examples of companies that combined both concepts in the community of practice-based management model and provides a discussion on the specifics of this unique model. The paper fills the research gap in the field of the theory of management – the community of practice-based management model, even though adopted by organisations in practice, still lacks adequate attention in the theoretical literature.     

The dark side of business model innovation

Existing literature has tended to focus on the positive benefits and outcomes of business model innovation (BMI), despite emerging evidence that BMI can also have a dark side, with negative consequences. We systematically review the existing BMI literature, articulating it around three clusters of negative consequences: those affecting the firm as an entity; those affecting the firm's stakeholders; and those that are specific or context-dependent. In a similar fashion, we identify the driving factors and circumstances leading to these negative consequences and group them into four clusters: (1) managerial choices and processes, and three underpinning circumstances that influence such choices or processes; (2) trade-offs between the new and current business models; (3) managers’ ability to manage BMI; and (4) context within which BMI is situated. The paper provides the first attempt to gather prior research on the phenomenon and thereby develop a conceptual understanding of the dark side of BMI. Furthermore, by proposing a model that explains how the dark side of BMI may occur, we inform ongoing debates on the theorization of the consequences that may derive from BMI and how these can be managed to support firms’ innovative growth, arguing how the disruptive innovation literature can only partially explain the phenomenon. Second, our model provides important foundations to further distil the complex link between BMI and performance. Finally, we suggest a number of future research avenues, accounting for different dimensions of the phenomenon.     

The price-quality relationship: A heuristic model

An on-the-shop-floor experiment is carried out to determine the price-quality relationship for a number of toiletries. Three different and distinct demand curves are obtained. A heuristic model to describe these curves is constructed. The implications of this model for the profit-orientated businessman are then analysed.     

一类网络扩张的机会约束模型与算法

在不确定环境中的机会约束下,怎样去增加一组边的容量到一个指定的瓶颈容量,而使网络瓶颈扩张的费用最小.带有随机单位扩张费用的网络瓶颈容量扩张问题,可以根据一些概率机会约束规则,列出它的机会约束规划模型的通用表达式.将网络瓶颈容量算法、随机模拟方法和遗传算法合成在一起,设计出该问题的混合智能通用算法.最后,给出数值案例.     

A model for integrated production-packaging systems

The problem of determining the economic packaging frequency of jointly replenished items has received a lot of attention from researchers. This problem is usually encountered while packaging the products after completing manufacture. Nevertheless, production batch quantities certainly influence the manufacturing cycle time of products and hence the economic packaging quantities for jointly replenished items. Therefore, realizing the importance of the relationship between production batch quantities and packaging quantities     

A profitability model for tactical planning

Simple models reflecting changes in aggregate company behaviour in response to changes imposed by management decisions and/or factors outside the direct control of management provide useful tools for tactical planning purposes.One such model is discussed in this paper. The model enables management to assess explicitly and quantitatively the effect on the rate of return on capital employed of primary causes of change in any of the key variables affecting company performance, such as the unit price, the unit cost, the output level and the capital employed. Simple functional relationships are proposed between the major variables in the model, such as the level of output and the unit cost, the unit price and the volume of sales, the working capital requirements and the general level of the firm's activity, etc. and these are based on analytical considerations, empirical evidence and a series of assumptions. These relationships give rise to a set of parameters which are incorporated in the model and describe the operational (cost structure), financial (capital structure) and marketing (elasticity of demand) position of the company under study.Numerical results obtained from the model seem to suggest that the sensitivity of the rate of return to some of the parameters and underlying assumptions is relatively small, implying that the inter-dependence between some of the variables can be ignored, thus simplifying the problems associated with data collection and model evaluation.Both the model and the methodology of analysis employed are flexible enough to allow: (1) application of the model to alternative sets of functional relationships between variables and/or underlying assumptions; (2) further decomposition of the model to include additional variables depending on the particular objectives of the study; (3) modification of the model to explore the effects of management decisions or those of changes in external factors on productive unit and product profitability; and (4) analysis of models reflecting the effects of changes which are imposed on the system on measures of business performance other than the rate of return on capital employed.     

A model for new product planning

A model is proposed for long term budget planning of new products. The model makes use of the Project Stage Survival Rate and Project Stage Cost Rate concepts discussed previously in Part I of this paper. published in our August edition.

The methodology utilizes the special attributes of the stages encountered during the R & D process. For this purpose, the project stage is used as a budgeting module. The model is oriented to satisfy the company growth objective by considering a continuous flow of new projects. The process aims at the successful completion of a planned number of projects within given time periods.

A hypothetical application of the model is presented in the form of a Budget Planning Chart.     

占线Bahncard问题的风险补偿模型

Bahncard 是德国 Decutsche Bundesbahn 铁路公司发行的一种优惠卡.这种因预先支付一定资金而在未来获得相应价格折扣的活动已经成为商家的主要价格折扣方式.但消费者选择最优的购买时机却具有较大的困难.因此,基于消费者对未来需求的有限预知,提出了风险补偿模型,应用竞争算法求解模型,得到最优的 TSUM 和 PSUM 策略及其相应的竞争性能比.实例证明所得的结论是对传统竞争算法的推广,最优的 TSUM 和 PSUM 策略具有现实的可行性.