A strategic cooperative game-theoretic model for market segmentation with application to banking in emerging economies

Market segmentation is essential to target efficaciously core-segment customers and to obtain a competitive advantage. Firms when confronted by the range of market segments, have difficulty in deciding the core-segment customers who are the most probable purchasers of their product and services. We propose a novel fuzzy group multi-criteria method for market entry and segment evaluation and selection. This proposed method provides a comprehensive and systematic framework that combines bi-level multi-objective optimization with real option analysis (ROA) and fuzzy cooperative n-person game theory. The contribution of the proposed segment evaluation and selection method is fivefold: (1) it addresses the gaps in the marketing literature on the efficacious and effective assessment of market segments; (2) it provides a comprehensive and systematic framework that combines bi-level multi-objective optimization with ROA and fuzzy cooperative n-person game theory; (3) it considers fuzzy logic and fuzzy sets to represent ambiguous, uncertain or imprecise information; (4) it does not insist on consensus but synthesizes a representative outcome based on qualitative judgments and quantitative data; and (5) it is applicable to national and international market segmentation. The practical application of this proposed framework illustrates the efficacy of the procedures and algorithms

Assessing the future economic performance of wind generation in conjunction with compressed air energy storage in the new proposed Irish electricity market

The Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) is the proposed wholesale electricity market for Ireland and it is intended to replace the current market by the end of 2017.  Under the I-SEM, wind generation will be exposed to forecast risk and the requirement to be balance responsible.  The use of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) could represent a better system configuration which would reduce the reliance on expensive generation for system balancing and reduce the financial risk to wind generation.   Thus, the aim of this paper is to estimate the future economic performance of wind generation with and without CAES, in the I-SEM.  Specifically, the day-ahead and balancing mechanism system marginal prices are estimated under the I-SEM for various scenarios.

An Investigation of the Effect of Water Additives on Broiler Growth and the Caecal Microbiota at Harvest

Campylobacter is the most common foodborne pathogen in developed countries and most cases are associated with poultry. This study investigated the effect of three anti-Campylobacter water additives on broiler growth and on the caecal microbiota at harvest using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Mixtures of organic acids (OA) and essential oils (EO) were administered to broilers for the entirety of the production cycle (35 d) and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) for 5 d immediately before harvest, under commercial conditions. Bird weight gain was significantly (p < 0.001) reduced in broilers receiving the OA and EO treatments. While this was most likely due to reduced water intake and corresponding lower feed consumption, changes to the caecal microbiota may also have contributed. Firmicutes made up over 75% of the bacteria regardless of sample type, while the minor phyla included Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Melainabacteria, and Proteobacteria. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in the alpha diversity as measured using ACE, Chao1, and Shannon indices, except for control (water) versus MCFA and OA versus MCFA, using the Wilcox test. In contrast, there was a significant (p < 0.05) difference in beta diversity when the treated were compared to the untreated control and main flock samples, while linear discriminant analysis effect size (LeFSe) identified three OTUs that were present in the control but absent in the treated birds. It was concluded that the water additives tested adversely affected broiler performance, which may, at least in part, be due to changes in the caecal microbiota, assuming that the altered microbiota at day 35 is indicative of a change throughout the production cycle