Although banking has been widely studied using standard DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) models and its variations, these models do not in fact account for the internal structure relative to measures characterizing banking operations performance. In this paper, efficiency in Brazilian banking is measured using a two-stage process. In the first stage, called cost efficiency, number of branches an...

Secure and reliable group communication is an increasingly active research area by growing popularity in group-oriented and collaborative application. One of the important challenges is to design secure and efficient group key management. While centralized management is often appropriate for key distribution in large multicast-style groups, many collaborative group settings require distributed ...

Distributed database systems can yield significant cost and performance advantages over centralized systems for geographically distributed organizations. The efficiency of a distributed database depends primarily on the data allocation (data replication and placzment) and the operating strategies (where and how retrieval and update query processing operations are performed). We develop a distri...

the aim of this research was to measure the relative efficiency of forest management plans in north of iran. in order to fulfill the research, data of 12 forest management plans were collected from the financial balance sheets of shafaroud forest company during a ten years period. first of all, basic data envelopment analysis (dea) models (bcc and ccr) were used to determine the efficiency. the...

Online instruction is gaining an increasing presence due to the benefits associated with it, including the ability to consolidate education and training across geographical and time constraints, and the claim by many that online education and training is cost efficient. This paper provides a relatively concise and useful history of online learning, and a discussion of issues to be faced by the ...

In a simple model of network industry, where an upstream monopolist provides an essential input for downstream service supply, we analyze the competitive settings arising in the downstream market under alternative regulatory frameworks; we combine structural (i.e. vertical integration, functional/ownership separation) and conduct (discriminatory and nondiscriminatory access) regulatory remedies...

The induction of demand by increasing the efficiency of a production or consumption process is known as the rebound effect. Feedback loops in System Dynamics can be used to conceptualize the structure of this complex phenomenon and also for communicating model-based insights. In passenger transport, the rebound effect can be induced through increased cost efficiency (direct economic rebound) an...

New information and computing technologies offer cost efficient and effective learning opportunities for health care professionals. The Assisted Electronic Communication project is prototyping, administering and evaluating a digital discourse system for health care professionals within an acute Hospital. Health care staff participating in the study are able to access and contribute to threaded,...