Journal evaluation in a health sciences library

This evaluation method for journals meets the library's objective for a responsible, responsive collection management practice. It provides structure, but not without regard for the unique potential addition to the collection that each journal represents. Although subject to occasional fine-tuning, this method has worked satisfactorily for two hundred journal evaluations completed over the course of several years. It is a well-tested procedure and is adaptable to most library settings, in whole or in part, regardless of size or type of collection.     

Robust bayesian analysis given bounds on the probability of a set

Suppose that just the lower and the upper bounds on the probability of a measurable subset K in the parameter space ω are a priori known. Instead of eliciting a unique prior probability measure, consider the class Γ of all the probability measures compatible with such bounds. Under mild regularity conditions about the likelihood function, both prior and posterior bounds on the expected value of any function of the unknown parameter ω are computed, as the prior measure varies in Γ. Such bounds are analysed according to the robust Bayesian viewpoint. Furthermore, lower and upper bounds on the Bayes factor are corisidered. Finally, the local sensitivity analysis is performed, considering the class Γ as a aeighbourhood of an elicited prior     

Distorted Copulas: Constructions and Tail Dependence

Given a copula C, we examine under which conditions on an order isomorphism ψ of [0, 1] the distortion C _ψ: [0, 1]² → [0, 1], C _ψ(x, y) = ψ{C[ψ^?1(x), ψ^?1(y)]} is again a copula. In particular, when the copula C is totally positive of order 2, we give a sufficient condition on ψ that ensures that any distortion of C by means of ψ is again a copula. The presented results allow us to introduce in a more flexible way families of copulas exhibiting different behavior in the tails.     

Eco-efficient supply chain networks: development of a design framework and application to a real case study

This paper presents a supply chain network design framework that is based on multi-objective mathematical programming and that can identify ‘eco-efficient’ configuration alternatives that are both efficient and ecologically sound. This work is original in that it encompasses the environmental impact of both transportation and warehousing activities. We apply the proposed framework to a real-life case study (i.e. Lindt & Sprüngli) for the distribution of chocolate products. The results show that cost-driven network optimisation may lead to beneficial effects for the environment and that a minor increase in distribution costs can be offset by a major improvement in environmental performance. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge on eco-efficient supply chain design and closes the missing link between model-based methods and empirical applied research. It also generates insights into the growing debate on the trade-off between the economic and environmental performance of supply chains, supporting organisations in the eco-efficient configuration of their supply chains.     

Testing Equality of Functions Across Multiple Experimental Conditions for Different Ability Levels in the IRT Context: The Case of the IPRASE TLT 2016 Survey

Social Indicators Research - In the educational field, it is common to analyze test data through item response theory models. In this context, a key role is played by item characteristic curves...     

A Note on the Compatibility of Bivariate Copulas

This article answers to a problem by Kolesárová, Mesiar, and Sempi about the class of all copulas that are compatible with two given bivariate copulas A and B. It is shown that, even if A and B are not completely dependent, the class of all copulas compatible with A and B may consist of a singleton.