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Industry engagement and the application of universities' research outcomes for shaping society to achieve a habitable environment are possible as a result of technology transfer. With reference to universities in the Czech Republic, this paper proposes a model of effective knowledge management for intellectual property created by university employees according to the structure of individual faculties and their main research focus. The ultimate goal is to achieve effective technology transfer through knowledge management. A review of previous technology transfer models, such as appropriability, dissemination, knowledge utilization, communication, use of a university technology transfer office, and the Triple Helix, shows that these models cannot effectively transfer technology individually but can do so in combination at different levels. Consequently, a knowledge management model is introduced in this study for the transfer of technology from universities. The introduction of technology transfer offices (TTOs) is expected to protect intellectual property, generate new knowledge and create access to valuable knowledge, among other benefits.

Analysis of the brain activity in different mental tasks is an important area of research. We used complexity-based analysis to study the changes in brain activity in four mental tasks: relaxation, Stroop color-word, mirror image recognition, and arithmetic tasks. We used fractal theory, sample entropy, and approximate entropy to analyze the changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) signals between different tasks. Our analysis showed that by moving from relaxation to the Stroop color-word, arithmetic, and mirror image recognition tasks, the complexity of EEG signals increases, respectively, reflecting rising brain activity between these conditions. Furthermore, only the fractal theory could decode the significant changes in brain activity between different conditions. Similar analyses can be done to decode the brain activity in case of other conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of regulations is often seen as a necessary tool to mitigate market failures and safeguard consumer interests. The Medical Device Regulation (MDR) is a recent regulation specifically designed for the production of medical devices, aiming to ensure their safety and effectiveness. This article focuses on Czech companies and seeks to examine and quantify the effects of the MDR on their operations, considering both economic and procedural impacts. Through the analysis of primary and secondary data, this study endeavors to shed light on the repercussions of the MDR on the companies in question. The findings suggest that the MDR will have a negative impact on the profitability of these companies, consequently influencing their operational strategies. One key factor contributing to this negative outcome is the inability of the companies to transfer the increased costs resulting from regulatory requirements to their customers. As a result, affected companies are forced to make adjustments to their product portfolios, reducing their range of offerings. The research reveals that the perception of the MDR among the companies is predominantly negative. This negative sentiment arises primarily due to the financial burdens imposed by the regulation and the other associated impacts discussed in the article. Furthermore, the MDR is not perceived as a catalyst for innovation within the industry. By quantifying the effects of the MDR on Czech companies, this article provides valuable insights into the real-world implications of this regulatory framework. The findings highlight the challenges faced by companies in adapting to and complying with the MDR, particularly in terms of its impact on profitability and product offerings. This research serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between regulations, economic outcomes, and industry dynamics. Ultimately, it emphasizes the importance of considering the potential ramifications of regulations and their effects on businesses and markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumers' purchasing behavior from contact to intact consumerism. By integrating the protection motivation theory and the theory of planned behavior, this study investigates factors that motivate consumers to purchase online. Data were collected from an online survey among 481 consumers using self-administered questionnaires. The findings suggest that consumers may link protection motivation factors to attitude toward online purchasing. Further, attitude toward online purchasing, internal subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and social distancing have significant relationships with intention to purchase online. Additionally, social distancing is a significant moderator in the relationship between attitude and intention to purchase online; indicating that consumers' adherence to social distancing moderates the relationship negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maintaining mobility is fundamental to active aging, allowing older adults to lead dynamic and independent lives. The perception of mobility among older adults significantly impacts their overall well-being and quality of life. Given the aging population, mobility has become an increasingly pressing issue.Aim: This study focused on the perception of urban neighborhoods, including considerations of urban tissue (crossings and sidewalk maintenance), urban scenes (benches and traffic), and safety (fears and street lighting quality). We investigated the differences in the perception of the surroundings of residences by urban and rural seniors concerning their demographic and social characteristics and environmental determinants.Methods: A quantitative study design utilizing a questionnaire survey was employed. Data were collected mainly through face-to-face interviews in the field (PAPI) and via an online questionnaire (CAWI). The final sample comprised 525 participants. Hypotheses regarding the influence of gender, age, social status, level of physical activity, degree of urbanization, and region on environmental perception were tested using ordinal regression.Results: The hypothesis regarding the dependence of the perception of the surroundings on the level of urbanization was confirmed; that regarding the dependence of the perception of the residence surroundings on seniors' age was not confirmed. The other hypotheses were partially confirmed. For the seven investigated environmental attributes, gender was significant in two cases, social status and physical activity in three cases, and region in four cases.Conclusion: While most studies have focused on urban settings, this study highlights the situation in rural municipalities. Substantially worse pedestrian conditions in availability of pedestrian crossings, benches, and lighting were recognized in rural municipalities versus cities. Understanding the complexity of mobility and the spatial locations relevant for older persons concerning potential barriers and facilitators for mobility aids in planning and adapting neighborhood environments to promote active and healthy aging in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployment of modern assistive technologies is one of the major trends. The main objective is the provisioning of the effectiveness and cost-estimation model for deploying assistive technology solutions in elderly care intended for evaluation and showing specificity to the costs and associated benefits of providing smart technological solutions for seniors. The model uses demographic projections taken from Eurostat for EU countries and the disability incidence from the annual report of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic as an input. The model was implemented in the software Stella Professional dedicated to system dynamics modelling. In relation to the combination of five assistive devices for the elderly the optimal solution the cost savings are 37.8% or182 billion CZK, cumulatively in the simulated time period 2021–2060. The model allows adjustments regarding price levels of various countries through the caregivers' wage. Obtained results showed robustness of the model to this uncertainty as percentage savings varied only from 37.6% to 39.8%, a mere 2.2% difference. With respect to the ongoing demographic transition, the need to employ smart device solutions should further increase and their price could decline. The highest savings will come from countries with higher wages for carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the changes in brain activity between rest and various conditions is an important area of research. We investigated the changes in brain activity among rest and multitask workload (SIMKAP multitasking test) by quantifying the complexity of EEG signals. The results showed that EEG signals have smaller fractal dimensions, sample entropy, and approximate entropy during the SIMKAP multitasking test than the rest. Therefore, the complexity of EEG signals was lower during the SIMKAP multitasking test than the rest. In further research, we can study the changes in brain activity among other conditions, which has great benefits in decoding brain activity in various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study responds to the call in Vazquez's (2018) by providing more empirical evidence on ethical issues in family business. Drawing from the agency theory, we provide new evidence about the "CSR – stock price crash risk" nexus by examining the moderating effect of family involvement. With a focus on the Chinese capital market, we find that corporate social responsibility (CSR) negatively affects stock price crash risk. Such negative correlation is stronger for family firms as compared with nonfamily firms. Three proxies of family involvement, termly family member as a CEO, lower proportion of variable compensation to CEO, and greater family control, can strengthen the alleviating effect of CSR on crash risk. Nevertheless, a second‐generation successor as executive does not exert any moderating effect. Our findings advance the comprehension of the "CSR‐crash risk" nexus from the family business viewpoint and emphasize the important role of CSR in stabilizing the stock market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic regulation is an instrument of the state or other institutions to correct market failures, rectify the business environment, or protect consumers. Regulation can be a major driver of innovation, and it has proven to be so in the past. On the other hand, there are also documented cases of ineffective regulation due to information delays or shortcomings in government decision-making. The complexity of the impact of regulatory changes on innovation can currently be observed in the medical device market in Europe. Regulation (EU) 2017/745 whose main idea is to ensure greater safety and health protection for consumers, is a challenge for originator, manufacturer, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. The regulation is associated with an increase in the cost of developing and maintaining the product on the market. We can now gradually begin to analyze whether it can be ranked among those that have become drivers of innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the important areas of heart research is investigating how heart activity changes during aging. In this research, we employed complexity-based techniques to analyze how heart activity varies based on the age of subjects. For this purpose, the heart rate variability (HRV) of 54 healthy subjects (30 M, 24 F, 28.5–76 years old) in three different age groups was analyzed using fractal theory, sample entropy, and approximate entropy. We showed that the fractal dimension, sample entropy, and approximate entropy of the RR interval time series (as HRV) are related to the age of the subjects. In other words, as subjects get older, the complexity of their RR interval time series decreases. Therefore, we decoded the variations in HRV during aging. The method of analysis that was employed in this research can be used to analyze the variations of other physiological signals (e.g. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals) during aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate whether the costs spent on corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be offset, and identify the inflection point when financial returns from CSR exceed the spending. By using Principal Component Analysis, we developed the Carroll's CSR model to measure actual CSR spending. Drawing on data of 315 listed pharmaceutical firms from China, the quadratic effect was used to examine the inflection point, and the panel data regression was employed to examine the impact of CSR spending on current and subsequent financial performance. The results show that CSR spending cannot be offset in the short-term. After two years of CSR implementation, ethical-domain and overall CSR spending positively relate to return on assets (ROA), whereas legal-domain CSR spending positively affects ROA after three years of CSR implementation, all justifying that CSR spending can be offset in the long-term. This research contributes to literature by precisely recognizing the time-based inflection point in financial performance arises, which is less discussed in existing CSR studies. The study findings imply that corporate managers need to view CSR spending as capital investment rather than operating costs, and policy makers should mandate institutional arrangements to facilitate CSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business systems are a subclass of dynamic, complex systems; the plurality of multifarious and interwoven factors affecting a business system makes prediction, modeling, and decision-making challenging for the players in such systems. This study conceptualises dynamic business modeling from a sustainability viewpoint by investigating the basic principles, requirements, and methodological limitations, as well as gaps in the business model design literature. This conceptual model combines an adapted business model canvas and system dynamics modeling using an up-to-date review. The studies used in this systematic review were retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases between 2010 and 2021. The total number of publications in all databases was 422. However, following an in-depth investigation of these publications, 164 papers were selected for further review. Based on the business model canvas, the interactions between different business dimensions and the impact on environmental stakeholders were examined. Finally, a dynamic, sustainable business model canvas is conceptualised and developed. The findings suggest that the proposed system dynamics business modeling approach can frame the environmental, social, and economic drivers of value creation in a causal feedback structure and overcome the gaps and criticisms of existing business model design tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary cities require excellent walking conditions to support human physical activity, increase humans' well-being, reduce traffic, and create a healthy urban environment. Various indicators and metrics exist to evaluate walking conditions. To evaluate the spatial pattern of objective-based indicators, two popular indices were selected—the Walkability Index (WAI), representing environmental-based indicators, and Walk Score (WS), which applies an accessibility-based approach. Both indicators were evaluated using adequate spatial units (circle buffers with radii from 400 m to 2414 m) in two Czech cities. A new software tool was developed for the calculation of WS using OSM data and freely available network services. The new variant of WS was specifically designed for the elderly. Differing gait speeds, and variable settings of targets and their weights enabled the adaptation of WS to local conditions and personal needs. WAI and WS demonstrated different spatial pattern where WAI is better used for smaller radii (up to approx. 800 m) and WS for larger radii (starting from 800 m). The assessment of WS for both cities indicates that approx. 40% of inhabitants live in unsatisfactory walking conditions. A sensitivity analysis discovered the major influences of gait speed and the β coefficient on the walkability assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventive behavior adoption is the key to reduce the possibility of getting COVID-19 infection. This paper aims to examine the determinants of intention to adopt preventive behavior by incorporating perception of e-government information and services and perception of social media into the theory of reasoned action. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among Malaysian residents. Four hundred four valid responses were obtained and used for data analysis. A partial least-square-based path analysis revealed direct effects of attitude and subjective norm in predicting intention to adopt preventive behavior. In addition, perception of e-government information and services and perception of social media were found to be significant predictors of attitude toward preventive behavior. The findings highlight the importance of digital platforms in improving people's attitudes toward preventive behavior and in turn contain the spread of the infectious disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Through the use of a multiattribute model, this article addresses the investment appraisal of innovative medical devices from an industry perspective. The model proposed aims to reduce the effect of team conflict, groupthink, project champion bias, leadership influences, and authoritarianism. The approach suggested should lead to more innovative and economically viable medical devices being made available to the healthcare community. The study aims to improve the decision-making process with respect to the development of medical devices. In particular, it focuses on small/medium enterprises, as they are an important source of innovation for the future. Our article provides a link between the engineering economics, engineering management, and project management literature, in which the proposed multiattribute and team approach to project selection not only addresses the economic aspect but also provides a firm foundation for ongoing project management through the identification, at the outset, of project specific risks and strategic alliances. The model should help project and engineering managers, as a part of the selection team, to make optimal project selections and improve project commitment among the various management team players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we have compiled and summarized the steps which manufacturers and clinical investigators need to undertake to perform a target population definition during the Health technology assessment process of medical device, namely external cardio stimulator (pacemaker). Based on available data using top-down approach we have defined target population for external cardiostimulator and estimated, that the size of the target population for external pacing will not exceed 16000 patients per year in the Czech Republic and is of comparable size with other states in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to analyse the current financing system for schools in the Czech Republic and the subsequent formulation of criteria for improving the redistribution of funds from public sources. First, the method of retrospective analysis of expenditures on education financing at European level and the developed countries of the OECD. Second, the multiple criteria model for the distribution of funds is established using Expert Choice. Finally, a method of guided interviews will be exploited in order to detect attitudes, priorities of representatives from the education department and the economic department in the Czech Republic. In the analysis of secondary school finance decision-making, individual solution options and key criteria were specified. The criteria include justice, motivation, stability, controllability and simplicity. Based on the multi-criteria evaluation output, it is possible to recommend the inclusion of three elements in the current financing system of secondary education in the Czech Republic. These are the tracking of graduates in the labour market, assessment of schools and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]