A General Framework to Evaluate Economic Efficiency with an Application to British SME

This article formalises the idea of money-metric production frontiers, which we propose as a general framework for nonparametric evaluation of economic efficiency. As we show in our methodological discussion, this improves the flexibility and economic interpretation of our model. The empirical part is the first attempt to test the existence of a size-efficiency relationship among small businesses in the United Kingdom. It is based on a unique panel both with respect to size — ranging from agriculture to services — and to the ten year time span. We employ statistically robust methods to estimate and analyse sectoral efficiency. Our analysis yields three main insights: (1) Average sectors are expected to be two to four times less efficient than those on the efficient frontier. Great dispersion of efficiency scores highlights the importance of dynamic out-of-equilibrium modelling. (2) There is no evidence of a general economy-wide size-efficiency relationship. (3) Economic efficiency remained constant over the past ten years.Small and medium enterprises; economic efficiency; firm size; robust efficiency estimation

Productivity of Czech small and medium entreprises: Lagging behind their potential

This paper analyzes microeconomic production functions of Czech small medium enterprises. We use the data from 2002 to 2005 of thirty manufacturing industries (agriculture and services are not included), each divided into five subgroups according to the number of employees. We employ stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to make statistical inference on the production process. Our results demonstrate that Czech SME depend in their functioning more on labour than on capital. The impact of investment or intangible assets such as software or patents is negligible. SFA strongly supports the presence of a systematic gap between common practice and best practice: the majority of firms significantly differ from top performers. Finally a simple test for time effect shows that between 2003 and 2005 Czech SME moved towards higher efficiency

The most efficient Czech SME sectors: An application of robust data envelopment analysis

This paper analyzes the efficiency of Czech small and medium enterprises. We use the data from 2002 to 2005 of thirty manufacturing industries, each divided into five subgroups according to the number of employees. We employ standard and advanced robust data envelopment analysis (DEA) to obtain cross-sectional rankings of individual industries. The results reveal substantial variance in the efficiency scores, which is only partly removed by the robust DEA specification. We found that the majority of firms operate below full efficiency; with only a few companies (industries) belonging to top performers. Average efficiency lies between 50 to 70 per cent of the best sectors. We conclude that only a minor proportion of Czech SME concentrate on high value added production

Design and Realization of Fiber-optic Sensor for Simultaneous Measurement of Temperature and Mechanical Stress Based on Bragg’s Gratings

Tato práce pojednává o Braggovských mřížkách, popisu základních typů a funkce, následné použití dvou Braggovských mřížek jako opto-vláknový senzor pro současné měření teploty a mechanického napětí. Ve druhé části práce následuje návrh senzoru za použití softwaru OptiSystem a simulování jednotlivých bodů křížové citlivosti. V následující části je provedeno reálné měření teploty, deformace a měření obou současně se dvěma rozdílnými Braggovskými mřížkami.This work is focused on fieber Bragg grating, theirs description of basic types and function, follow use two fieber Bragg's grattings like sensor for simultaneous measurement of teperature and mechanical stress. The second part of this work follows design of sensor using software OptiSystem and simulation each points of cross sensitivity. In the next part is real measurement of temperature, deformation and measurement of both at once with two different fieber Bragg's gratings.440 - Katedra telekomunikační technikyvelmi dobř

A general framework to evaluate economic efficiency with an application to British SME

This article formalises the idea of money-metric production frontiers, which we propose as a general framework for nonparametric evaluation of economic efficiency. As we show in our methodological discussion, this improves the flexibility and economic interpretation of our model. The empirical part is the first attempt to test the existence of a size-efficiency relationship among small businesses in the United Kingdom. It is based on a unique panel both with respect to size ranging from agriculture to services and to the ten year time span. We employ statistically robust methods to estimate and analyse sectoral efficiency. Our analysis yields three main insights: (1) Average sectors are expected to be two to four times less efficient than those on the efficient frontier. Great dispersion of efficiency scores highlights the importance of dynamic out-ofequilibrium modelling. (2) There is no evidence of a general economy-wide sizeefficiency relationship. (3) Economic efficiency remained constant over the past ten years

Efficiency wages in heterogenous labour markets

In this paper we tackle two shortcomings of present efficiency wage models. Firstly, they do not fully account for labour heterogeneity, thus implying that high-effort and low-effort units of labour are interchangeable. Secondly, building on this assumed homogeneity of labour, the models derive involuntary unemployment from effort decisions of workers, which are patently voluntary. We offer a consistent reformulation of the theory: Each of the effort or quality levels is regarded as a separate market which has its own clearing quantity and price. As such unemployment is a result of workers' reluctance to adjust to the prevailing market conditions on the respective labour sub-market. To further clarify heterogeneity in labour markets, we propose to employ the demand for workers' characteristics instead of the demand for workers. This microeconomic approach shows that in standard equilibrium employers will not choose among all workers but only select specific characteristic-types. Therefore to become attractive, an unemployed worker has to significantly alter either his wage or the bundle of offered characteristics. Both these modifications reinforce our central claim that free market interaction cannot lead to unemployment other than voluntary

Biological Active Plant Metabolites II. Alkaloids of Corydalis cava (L.) Schweigg. & Körte (Fumariaceae) and Screening of Their Biological Properties

Průša, J.: Biologicky aktivní metabolity rostlin II. Alkaloidy Corydalis cava (L.) Shweigg. & Körte (Fumariaceae) a screening jejich biologických vlastností. Rigorózní práce, Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Farmaceutická fakulta v Hradci Králové, Katedra farmaceutické botaniky a ekologie, Hradec Králové 2010, 69 s. V rámci screeningu rostlin s obsahem alkaloidů, které inhibují aktivitu lidské erytrocytární acetylcholinesterázy a lidské sérové butyrylcholinesterázy byla studiu podrobena dymnivka dutá (Corydalis cava Schweigg. & Körte, Fumariaceae). Tato práce navazuje na vlastní diplomovou práci (2009). Cílem práce bylo zpracování podfrakce F1-3 získáné v rámci diplomové práce. Z této směsi byly pomocí preparativní tenkovrstvé chromatografie izolovány dvě látky ve formě volných bází. Na základě MS a NMR studií a porovnání dat s literaturou byly izolované látky identifikovány jako sinoakutin a sebiferin Byla stanovena inhibiční aktivita sinoakutinu vůči lidské erytrocytární acetylcholinesteráze (IC50 > 1 mM) a lidské sérové butyrylcholinesteráze BuChE (IC50 > 1 mM). Pro sebiferin byla stanovena inhibiční aktivita vůči AChE - IC50 > 1 mM a vůči BuChE - IC50 > 1 mM. V porovnání s biologickou aktivitou standardních alkaloidních inhibitorů acetylcholinesterázy a butyrylcholinesterázy (galantaminu a eserinu)...Průša, J.: Biological Active Plant Metabolites II. Alkaloids of Corydalis cava (L.) Schweigg. & Körte (Fumariaceae) and Screening of Their Biological Properties. Rigorous Thesis, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Ecology, Hradec Králové 2010, 69 p. Within the screening of plants that contains alkaloids inhibiting the activity of the human erythtocytic acetylcholinesterase and human serum butyrylcholinesterase Corydalis cava (L.) Schweigg. & Körte (Fumariaceae) was studied. This work connect to my diploma thesis (2009). The task was to separate mixture of alkaloids from extract "B-chloroform" subfraction F1-3. This subfraction was prepared within the frame of diploma thesis. From this mixture, using preparative TLC, were isolated two compounds in the form of free bases. On the basis of MS, NMR and comparing data in literature these two substances were identified as sinoacutine and sebiferine. The isolated compounds inhibited the human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase and human blood serum butyrylcholinesterase with IC50 for AChE sinoacutine > 1 mM and sebiferine > 1 mM and with IC50 for BuChE sinoacutine> 1 mM and sebiferine > 1 mM. These compounds showed no inhibition aktivity to AChE and BuChE for the development of...Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and EcologyKatedra farmaceutické botaniky a ekologieFaculty of Pharmacy in Hradec KrálovéFarmaceutická fakulta v Hradci Králov

Economic loss in Czech photovoltaic power plants

This text provides a financial survey of a small sample of Czech photovoltaic (PV) plants. To evaluate the extent of market losses, we calculate the shadow market price of solar electricity. From the profit and loss accounts of the PV plants and the shadow market price we estimate the total economic loss generated by PV electricity sector in the Czech Republic. The presented microeconomic approach has two main advantages: Firstly, we work with real observed data, which offsets the drawback of a limited sample. Secondly, the profit accounting calculation enables sensitivity analysis with respect to key variables of the plants. We show that every million invested in PV plants would generate an annual loss of 11%. Given the estimated solar assets of CZK 127.4 billion (EUR 560 million) as of December 2010, this translates in at least CZK 14 billion lost in the Czech solar sector in 2011. About 42% of this loss is due to high technology costs and corresponds to pure dead weight loss, while the remaining 58% constitute the redistributive profit component of subsidies. Finally, we calculate that unless electricity prices increase or technology costs decrease approximately tenfold, PV plants will remain loss making

Fiber Optic Bragg Sensor Encapsulated in Fiberglass for Detection of Rail Vehicles in Rail Transport

Tato práce pojednává o Braggovských mřížkách, popisu základních typů a jejich funkce. Také o navržení a realizaci optovláknového senzoru zapouzdřeného do sklolaminátu, pro detekci kolejových vozidel v železniční dopravě. V dálší části obsahuje rešerši ze zpracovaných článků na danou problematiku a užití optovláknových senzorů v železniční dopravě. A nakonec reálné měření tímto senzorem. Také byla tato práce obohacena o návrh a vytvoření optických bran, a další dva typy zapouzdření senzorů využívající materiál hliník a plast.This work deals with Bragg gratings, description of basic types and functions. Also about the presumed and detected fiber optic sensor encapsulated in fiberglass, for the detection of rail vehicles in railway transport. The remote parts include restrictions on the processing of papers for the given issue and the use of fiber optic sensors in railway transport. And at last real measurement of this sensor. This work was also enriched by the design and creation of optical gates, and two other types of sensor encapsulation using aluminum and plastic.440 - Katedra telekomunikační technikyvýborn