WorldWideScience

Sample records for comparative airship economics

  1. Roles of airships in economic development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beier, G. J.; Hidalgo, G. C.

    1975-01-01

    It is proposed that airships of known and tested technology could, in some cases, perform routine transport missions more economically than conventional transport modes. If infrastructure for direct surface transport is already in place or if such infrastructure can be justified by the size of the market and there are no unusual impediments to constructing it, then the airships of tested technology cannot normally compete. If, however, the surface routes would be unusually expensive or circuitous, or if they involve several transhipments, or if the market size is too small to spread infrastructure costs of conventional transport, the airships of tested technology present a workable alternative. A series of special cases are considered. The cases, though unusual, are not unique; there are several similar possible applications which, in total, would provide a reasonably large market for airships.

  2. Parameterized Linear Longitudinal Airship Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulczycki, Eric; Elfes, Alberto; Bayard, David; Quadrelli, Marco; Johnson, Joseph

    2010-01-01

    A parameterized linear mathematical model of the longitudinal dynamics of an airship is undergoing development. This model is intended to be used in designing control systems for future airships that would operate in the atmospheres of Earth and remote planets. Heretofore, the development of linearized models of the longitudinal dynamics of airships has been costly in that it has been necessary to perform extensive flight testing and to use system-identification techniques to construct models that fit the flight-test data. The present model is a generic one that can be relatively easily specialized to approximate the dynamics of specific airships at specific operating points, without need for further system identification, and with significantly less flight testing. The approach taken in the present development is to merge the linearized dynamical equations of an airship with techniques for estimation of aircraft stability derivatives, and to thereby make it possible to construct a linearized dynamical model of the longitudinal dynamics of a specific airship from geometric and aerodynamic data pertaining to that airship. (It is also planned to develop a model of the lateral dynamics by use of the same methods.) All of the aerodynamic data needed to construct the model of a specific airship can be obtained from wind-tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics

  3. Recent researches in airship construction III : a new type of nonrigid airship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naatz, H

    1924-01-01

    The author describes experiments in designing nonrigid airships. A nonrigid airship of 32,000 cubic meters, the PL 27 withstood all stresses with 20 kg/m(exp 2) hull pressure during its life of two years. The moment of resistance is known, as also the stresses in the envelope for the given hull pressure. The mean internal pressure necessary to give the airship the requisite rigidity and to prevent buckling was also investigated.

  4. Research on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Composite powered Unmanned Airship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yu; Wang, Yun; Wang, Lu; Ma, Chengyu; Xia, Jun

    2017-10-01

    The main structure of the composite powered unmanned airship is consists of airbags and four-rotor system, which airbag increases the available lift, and has more advantages in terms of load and flight when compared with the traditional four-rotor. In order to compare the aerodynamic performance of the composite powered unmanned airship and the traditional four-rotor, the SIMPLE algorithm and the RNG k-epsilon model method are be used. The energy consumption of the composite powered unmanned airship is lesser than the traditional four-rotor under the same load and range was found.

  5. Autonomous Dirigible Airships: A Comparative Analysis and Operational Efficiency Evaluation for Logistical Use in Complex Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    and various other airships used in sporting events are common examples of non-rigid airships (Toland, 1957). 1. Early Airships and Major...Berlin, Hamburg, and Dresden (Toland, 1957). Unlike luxury cruise liners, locomotives, and sports cars, Zeppelins could maneuver freely without the...the explosion was not hydrogen or the fuel, but, instead, the material and process, called doping , that were used to coat the cotton skin of the

  6. Feasibility of modern airships - Preliminary assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ardema, M. D.

    1977-01-01

    Attention is given to the NASA program, Feasibility Study of Modern Airships, initiated to investigate potential research and technology programs associated with airship development. A historical survey of the program is presented, including the development of past airship concepts, aerodynamical and design improvements, structure and material concepts, and research in controls, avionics, instrumentation, flight operations, and ground handling. A mission analysis was carried out which considered passenger and cargo transportation, heavy-lift, short-haul applications, surveillance missions, and the transportation of natural gas. A vehicle parametric analysis examined the entire range of airship concepts, discussing both conventional airships and hybrids. Various design options were evaluated, such as choice of structural materials, use of boundary-layer control, and choice of lifting gas.

  7. The American airship ZR-3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durr, L

    1924-01-01

    This airship was built by the Zeppelin Airship Company at Friedrichshafen in 1923-4, for the United States Navy, as the reparations service of the German Government in fulfillment of the treaty of peace.

  8. High Altitude Long Endurance UAV Analysis Model Development and Application Study Comparing Solar Powered Airplane and Airship Station-Keeping Capabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozoroski, Thomas A.; Nickol, Craig L.; Guynn, Mark D.

    2015-01-01

    There have been ongoing efforts in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch at NASA Langley Research Center to develop a suite of integrated physics-based computational utilities suitable for modeling and analyzing extended-duration missions carried out using solar powered aircraft. From these efforts, SolFlyte has emerged as a state-of-the-art vehicle analysis and mission simulation tool capable of modeling both heavier-than-air (HTA) and lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicle concepts. This study compares solar powered airplane and airship station-keeping capability during a variety of high altitude missions, using SolFlyte as the primary analysis component. Three Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) concepts were designed for this study: an airplane (Operating Empty Weight (OEW) = 3285 kilograms, span = 127 meters, array area = 450 square meters), a small airship (OEW = 3790 kilograms, length = 115 meters, array area = 570 square meters), and a large airship (OEW = 6250 kilograms, length = 135 meters, array area = 1080 square meters). All the vehicles were sized for payload weight and power requirements of 454 kilograms and 5 kilowatts, respectively. Seven mission sites distributed throughout the United States were selected to provide a basis for assessing the vehicle energy budgets and site-persistent operational availability. Seasonal, 30-day duration missions were simulated at each of the sites during March, June, September, and December; one-year duration missions were simulated at three of the sites. Atmospheric conditions during the simulated missions were correlated to National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) historical data measurements at each mission site, at four flight levels. Unique features of the SolFlyte model are described, including methods for calculating recoverable and energy-optimal flight trajectories and the effects of shadows on solar energy collection. Results of this study indicate that: 1) the airplane concept attained longer periods of on

  9. Near-space airships against terrorist activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesenek, Ceylan

    2014-06-01

    Near-space is a region surrounding the earth which is too dense for a satellite to fly and also too thin for air breathing vehicles to fly. The near-space region which is located between 65,000 and 325,000 feet is really underutilized despite its unique potential. Near-Space airships can be used to exploit the potential of near space. Such a system can supply not only a great deal of information using ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) sensors on board but also serve as a communication/data relay. Airships used in near space can cover a very wide footprint area for surveillance missions. Free of orbital mechanics these near-space assets can continue its mission for long period of time with a persistence of days and months. These assets can provide persistent intelligence for fight against terrorist activities. Terrorism is a non-state threat and doesn't have a static hierarchical structure. To fight against such an adversary an overwhelming intelligence activity must be applied. Therefore, intelligence collection and surveillance missions play a vital role in counter terrorism. Terrorists use asymmetric means of threat that require information superiority. In this study exploitation of near space by airships is analyzed for fight against terrorism. Near-space airships are analyzed according to the operational effectiveness, logistic structure and cost. Advantages and disadvantages of airships are argued in comparison with satellites and airplanes. As a result, by bridging the gap between the air and space, nearspace airships are considered to be the most important asset of warfighter especially with its operational effectiveness.

  10. Recent researches in airship construction II : bending stresses on an airship in flight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naatz, H

    1924-01-01

    The first part of this report shows the differences between commercial and war airships and then goes on to show how some of the problems were solved. Their thorough investigations of these problems finally enabled the Schutte-Lanz Company to construct bulkhead diagrams for determining the buoyancy of airships, by means of which the size of each cell was established. These diagrams were derived from bulkhead diagrams employed in ship designing and are used in a similar manner.

  11. A theoretical study of rotatable renewable energy system for stratospheric airship

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lv, Mingyun; Li, Jun; Zhu, Weiyu; Du, Huafei; Meng, Junhui; Sun, Kangwen

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A new rotatable renewable energy system is designed for stratospheric airship. • A theoretical model of optimal rotation angle and required area are studied. • The effects of latitude and date on output energy per day are investigated. • The advantages of the rotatable renewable energy system are studied. - Abstract: Renewable energy system is very critical for solving the energy problem of a long endurance stratospheric airship. Output performance of the traditional solar array fixed on the upper surface of the airship remains to be improved to reduce the area and weight of renewable energy system. Inspired by the solar tracking system and kirigami, a rotatable renewable energy system (mainly including solar array) is designed to improve the current status of the energy system. The advantages of the rotatable solar array are studied using a MATLAB computer program based on the theoretical model established in this paper. The improvements in output energy and required area of the solar array were compared between the traditional airship and improved one. Studies had shown that the rotatable renewable energy system made the total weight of energy system decreased by 1000 kg when the maximum design speed of the airship was greater than 22 m/s. The results demonstrate that the rotatable renewable energy system for the airship can be a good way to improve the output performance of solar array, and the conceptual design and theoretical model suggest a pathway towards solving the energy problem of a stratospheric airship.

  12. An X-prize for transport airships

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hochstetler, R. [SAIC Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Prentice, B.E. [Manitoba Univ., Winnipeg, MB (Canada). Transport Inst.

    2007-07-01

    Domestic air freight in the United States is expected to increase by at least 3 per cent every year for the next decade, while international demand will increase at twice that rate. As such, a new type of airship will be the most promising technological advance for the twenty-first century. Congestion in built up areas and demand for transport in remote areas has stimulated a resurgence of market interest in the potential value of lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles for transport. Although most technical challenges have been addressed, the greatest challenge facing shippers is a lack of business confidence and policy directions to support investment in technology. Shippers are reluctant to commit the initial development funds needed to construct operational prototypes for testing. In 2004 and 2005, SAIC Canada conducted studies on airship technologies for the United States Army, and for use in the construction of oil and gas pipelines in remote regions. This paper presented a literature review of LTA technology as well as a brief market assessment. The criterion for an airship X-prize was then proposed as a challenge to stimulate the development of a transport airship capable of year round operations. It was concluded that transport airships offer a more benign system of transport that reduce greenhouse gases and provide a means of mitigating the damages done by existing transport services. 5 refs.

  13. The 20-20-20 Airships NASA Centennial Challenge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiessling, Alina; Diaz, Ernesto; Rhodes, Jason; Ortega, Sam; Eberly, Eric

    2015-08-01

    A 2013 Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) study examined airships as a possible platform for Earth and space science. Airships, lighter than air, powered, maneuverable vehicles, could offer significant gains in observing time, sky and ground coverage, data downlink capability, and continuity of observations over existing suborbital options at competitive prices. The KISS study recommended three courses of action to spur the development and use of airships as a science platform. One of those recommendations was that a prize competition be developed to demonstrate a stratospheric airship. Consequently, we have been developing a NASA Centennial Challenge; (www.nasa.gov/challenges) to spur innovation in stratospheric airships as a science platform. We anticipate a multi-million dollar class prize for the first organization to fly a powered airship that remains stationary at 20km (65,000 ft) altitude for over 20 hours with a 20kg payload. The design must be scalable to longer flights with more massive payloads. A second prize tier, for a 20km flight lasting 200 hours with a 200kg payload would incentivize a further step toward a scientifically compelling and viable new platform. This technology would also have broad commercial applications including communications, asset tracking, and surveillance. Via the 20-20-20 Centennial Challenge, we are seeking to spur private industry (or non-profit institutions, including Universities) to demonstrate the capability for sustained airship flights as astronomy and Earth science platforms.

  14. The 20-20-20 Airship Challenge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiessling, Alina; Diaz, Ernesto; Miller, Sarah; Rhodes, Jason

    2014-06-01

    A NASA Centennial Challenge; (http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/index.html) is in development to spur innovation in stratospheric airships as a science platform. We anticipate a million dollar class prize for the first organization to fly a powered airship that remains stationary at 20km (65,000 ft) altitude for over 20 hours with a 20kg payload. The design must be scalable to longer flights with more massive payloads.In NASA’s constrained budget environment, there are few opportunities for space missions in astronomy and Earth science, and these have very long lead times. We believe that airships (powered, maneuverable, lighter-than-air vehicles) could offer significant gains in observing time, sky and ground coverage, data downlink capability, and continuity of observations over existing suborbital options at competitive prices. We seek to spur private industry (or non-profit institutions, including FFRDCs and Universities) to demonstrate the capability for sustained airship flights as astronomy and Earth science platforms. This poster will introduce the challenge in development and provide details of who to contact for more information.

  15. Trajectory tracking control for underactuated stratospheric airship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zewei; Huo, Wei; Wu, Zhe

    2012-10-01

    Stratospheric airship is a new kind of aerospace system which has attracted worldwide developing interests for its broad application prospects. Based on the trajectory linearization control (TLC) theory, a novel trajectory tracking control method for an underactuated stratospheric airship is presented in this paper. Firstly, the TLC theory is described sketchily, and the dynamic model of the stratospheric airship is introduced with kinematics and dynamics equations. Then, the trajectory tracking control strategy is deduced in detail. The designed control system possesses a cascaded structure which consists of desired attitude calculation, position control loop and attitude control loop. Two sub-loops are designed for the position and attitude control loops, respectively, including the kinematics control loop and dynamics control loop. Stability analysis shows that the controlled closed-loop system is exponentially stable. Finally, simulation results for the stratospheric airship to track typical trajectories are illustrated to verify effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  16. Recent researches in airship construction I : forces of flow on a moving airship and the effect of the control surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naatz, H

    1924-01-01

    The problems as to how an airship can best be stabilized and steered and to what stresses it is subjected in the air, are so important as to determine in large measure the future development of airships much more than formerly when velocities of 30-35 meters (98-115 feet) per second were not known and the effects of the air flow were not so great.

  17. Radioisotope Stirling Engine Powered Airship for Atmospheric and Surface Exploration of Titan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colozza, Anthony J.; Cataldo, Robert L.

    2014-01-01

    The feasibility of an advanced Stirling radioisotope generator (ASRG) powered airship for the near surface exploration of Titan was evaluated. The analysis did not consider the complete mission only the operation of the airship within the atmosphere of Titan. The baseline airship utilized two ASRG systems with a total of four general-purpose heat source (GPHS) blocks. Hydrogen gas was used to provide lift. The ASRG systems, airship electronics and controls and the science payload were contained in a payload enclosure. This enclosure was separated into two sections, one for the ASRG systems and the other for the electronics and payload. Each section operated at atmospheric pressure but at different temperatures. The propulsion system consisted of an electric motor driving a propeller. An analysis was set up to size the airship that could operate near the surface of Titan based on the available power from the ASRGs. The atmospheric conditions on Titan were modeled and used in the analysis. The analysis was an iterative process between sizing the airship to carry a specified payload and the power required to operate the electronics, payload and cooling system as well as provide power to the propulsion system to overcome the drag on the airship. A baseline configuration was determined that could meet the power requirements and operate near the Titan surface. From this baseline design additional trades were made to see how other factors affected the design such as the flight altitude and payload mass and volume.

  18. A hybrid pi control scheme for airship hovering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashraf, Z.; Choudhry, M.A.; Hanif, A.

    2012-01-01

    Airship provides us many attractive applications in aerospace industry including transportation of heavy payloads, tourism, emergency management, communication, hover and vision based applications. Hovering control of airship has many utilizations in different engineering fields. However, it is a difficult problem to sustain the hover condition maintaining controllability. So far, different solutions have been proposed in literature but most of them are difficult in analysis and implementation. In this paper, we have presented a simple and efficient scheme to design a multi input multi output hybrid PI control scheme for airship. It can maintain stability of the plant by rejecting disturbance inputs to ensure robustness. A control scheme based on feedback theory is proposed that uses principles of optimality with integral action for hovering applications. Simulations are carried out in MTALAB for examining the proposed control scheme for hovering in different wind conditions. Comparison of the technique with an existing scheme is performed, describing the effectiveness of control scheme. (author)

  19. Radioisotope Stirling Engine Powered Airship for Low Altitude Operation on Venus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colozza, Anthony J.

    2012-01-01

    The feasibility of a Stirling engine powered airship for the near surface exploration of Venus was evaluated. The heat source for the Stirling engine was limited to 10 general purpose heat source (GPHS) blocks. The baseline airship utilized hydrogen as the lifting gas and the electronics and payload were enclosed in a cooled insulated pressure vessel to maintain the internal temperature at 320 K and 1 Bar pressure. The propulsion system consisted of an electric motor driving a propeller. An analysis was set up to size the airship that could operate near the Venus surface based on the available thermal power. The atmospheric conditions on Venus were modeled and used in the analysis. The analysis was an iterative process between sizing the airship to carry a specified payload and the power required to operate the electronics, payload and cooling system as well as provide power to the propulsion system to overcome the drag on the airship. A baseline configuration was determined that could meet the power requirements and operate near the Venus surface. From this baseline design additional trades were made to see how other factors affected the design such as the internal temperature of the payload chamber and the flight altitude. In addition other lifting methods were evaluated such as an evacuated chamber, heated atmospheric gas and augmented heated lifting gas. However none of these methods proved viable.

  20. Design and Analysis of Optimal Ascent Trajectories for Stratospheric Airships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Joseph Bernard

    varying launch locations, and show that significant energy savings can be realized with minimum-energy flights, compared to minimum-time time flights, given small increases in flight time. The performance of the optimal trajectories are then studied with respect to solar energy production during ascent, as well as sensitivity of the solutions to small changes in drag coefficient and wind model parameters. Results of solar power model simulations indicate that solar energy is sufficient to power ascent flights, but that significant energy loss can occur for certain types of trajectories. Sensitivity to the drag and wind model is approximated through numerical simulations, showing that optimal solutions change gradually with respect to changing wind and drag parameters and providing deeper insight into the characteristics of optimal airship flights. Finally, alternative methods are developed to generate near-optimal ascent trajectories in a manner suitable for onboard implementation. The structures and characteristics of previously developed minimum-time and minimum-energy ascent trajectories are used to construct simplified trajectory models, which are efficiently solved in a smaller numerical optimization problem. Comparison of these alternative solutions to the original SNOPT solutions show excellent agreement, suggesting the alternate formulations are an effective means to develop near-optimal solutions in an onboard setting.

  1. Surface reconstruction and deformation monitoring of stratospheric airship based on laser scanning technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Kai; Xie, Yongjie; Ye, Hu; Zhang, Song; Li, Yunfei

    2018-04-01

    Due to the uncertainty of stratospheric airship's shape and the security problem caused by the uncertainty, surface reconstruction and surface deformation monitoring of airship was conducted based on laser scanning technology and a √3-subdivision scheme based on Shepard interpolation was developed. Then, comparison was conducted between our subdivision scheme and the original √3-subdivision scheme. The result shows our subdivision scheme could reduce the shrinkage of surface and the number of narrow triangles. In addition, our subdivision scheme could keep the sharp features. So, surface reconstruction and surface deformation monitoring of airship could be conducted precisely by our subdivision scheme.

  2. THE AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF A SOFT TYPE AIRSHIP NEAR TO A SCREEN IN VIEW OF A PROPELLER JETS INFLUENCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Le Quoc Dinh

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The results of numerical research of a soft type airship aerodynamic characteristics in subsonic flow of viscous gas are received for the airship locating near to a screen and having the working propellers. The influence of propeller rotation and relative distance of the airship to the screen on values of its aerodynamic normal and longitudinal forces, and also pitching moment is shown at various airship angles of attack.

  3. Feasibility study of modern airships, phase 1. Volume 2: Parametric analysis (task 3). [lift, weight (mass)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lancaster, J. W.

    1975-01-01

    Various types of lighter-than-air vehicles from fully buoyant to semibuoyant hybrids were examined. Geometries were optimized for gross lifting capabilities for ellipsoidal airships, modified delta planform lifting bodies, and a short-haul, heavy-lift vehicle concept. It is indicated that: (1) neutrally buoyant airships employing a conservative update of materials and propulsion technology provide significant improvements in productivity; (2) propulsive lift for VTOL and aerodynamic lift for cruise significantly improve the productivity of low to medium gross weight ellipsoidal airships; and (3) the short-haul, heavy-lift vehicle, consisting of a simple combination of an ellipsoidal airship hull and existing helicopter componentry, provides significant potential for low-cost, near-term applications for ultra-heavy lift missions.

  4. Wind tunnel tests of stratospheric airship counter rotating propellers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaxi Chen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aerodynamic performance of the high-altitude propeller, especially the counter rotation effects, is experimentally studied. Influences of different configurations on a stratospheric airship, included 2-blade counter-rotating propeller (CRP, dual 2-blade single rotation propellers (SRPs and 4-blade SRP, are also indicated. This research indicates that the effect of counter rotation can greatly improve the efficiency. It shows that the CRP configuration results in a higher efficiency than the dual 2-blade SRPs configuration or 4-blade SRP configuration under the same advance ratio, and the CRP configuration also gains the highest efficiency whether under the situation of providing the same trust or absorbing the same power. It concludes that, for a stratospheric airship, the CRP configuration is better than the multiple SRPs configuration or a multi-blade SRP one.

  5. 1:500 Scale Aerial Triangulation Test with Unmanned Airship in Hubei Province

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feifei, Xie; Zongjian, Lin; Dezhu, Gui

    2014-01-01

    A new UAVS (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System) for low altitude aerial photogrammetry is introduced for fine surveying and mapping, including the platform airship, sensor system four-combined wide-angle camera and photogrammetry software MAP-AT. It is demonstrated that this low-altitude aerial photogrammetric system meets the precision requirements of 1:500 scale aerial triangulation based on the test of this system in Hubei province, including the working condition of the airship, the quality of image data and the data processing report. This work provides a possibility for fine surveying and mapping

  6. Yaw controller design of stratospheric airship based on phase plane method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miao Jinggang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Recently, stratospheric airships prefer to employ a vectored tail rotor or differential main propellers for the yaw control, rather than the control surfaces like common low-altitude airship. The load capacity of vectored mechanism and propellers are always limited by the weight and strength, which bring challenges for the attitude controller. In this paper, the yaw channel of airship dynamics is firstly rewritten as a simplified two-order dynamics equation and the dynamic characteristics is analyzed with a phase plane method. Analysis shows that when ignoring damping, the yaw control channel is available to the minimum principle of Pontryagin for optimal control, which can obtain a Bang–Bang controller. But under this controller, the control output could be bouncing around the theoretical switch curve due to the presence of disturbance and damping, which makes adverse effects for the servo structure. Considering the structure requirements of actuators, a phase plane method controller is employed, with a dead zone surrounded by several phase switch curve. Thus, the controller outputs are limited to finite values. Finally, through the numerical simulation and actual flight experiment, the method is proved to be effective.

  7. Experiment and numerical simulation on the characteristics of fluid–structure interactions of non-rigid airships

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaocui Wu

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Fluid–structure interaction is an important issue for non-rigid airships with inflated envelopes. In this study, a wind tunnel test is conducted, and a loosely coupled procedure is correspondingly established for numerical simulation based on computational fluid dynamics and nonlinear finite element analysis methods. The typical results of the numerical simulation and wind tunnel experiment, including the overall lift and deformation, are in good agreement with each other. The results obtained indicate that the effect of fluid–structure interaction is noticeable and should be considered for non-rigid airships. Flow-induced deformation can further intensify the upward lift force and pitching moment, which can lead to a large deformation. Under a wind speed of 15 m/s, the lift force of the non-rigid model is increased to approximately 60% compared with that of the rigid model under a high angle of attack.

  8. Cooperative Scheduling of Imaging Observation Tasks for High-Altitude Airships Based on Propagation Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    He Chuan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The cooperative scheduling problem on high-altitude airships for imaging observation tasks is discussed. A constraint programming model is established by analyzing the main constraints, which takes the maximum task benefit and the minimum cruising distance as two optimization objectives. The cooperative scheduling problem of high-altitude airships is converted into a main problem and a subproblem by adopting hierarchy architecture. The solution to the main problem can construct the preliminary matching between tasks and observation resource in order to reduce the search space of the original problem. Furthermore, the solution to the sub-problem can detect the key nodes that each airship needs to fly through in sequence, so as to get the cruising path. Firstly, the task set is divided by using k-core neighborhood growth cluster algorithm (K-NGCA. Then, a novel swarm intelligence algorithm named propagation algorithm (PA is combined with the key node search algorithm (KNSA to optimize the cruising path of each airship and determine the execution time interval of each task. Meanwhile, this paper also provides the realization approach of the above algorithm and especially makes a detailed introduction on the encoding rules, search models, and propagation mechanism of the PA. Finally, the application results and comparison analysis show the proposed models and algorithms are effective and feasible.

  9. The Dynairship. [structural design criteria and feasibility analysis of an airplane - airship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, W. M., Jr.

    1975-01-01

    A feasibility analysis for the construction and use of a combination airplane-airship named 'Dynairship' is undertaken. Payload capacities, fuel consumption, and the structural design of the craft are discussed and compared to a conventional commercial aircraft (a Boeing 747). Cost estimates of construction and operation of the craft are also discussed. The various uses of the craft are examined (i.e, in police work, materials handling, and ocean surveillance), and aerodynamic configurations and photographs are shown.

  10. Hybrid Airships: Intratheater Operations Cost-Benefit Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    1 Background, Motivation , and Problem Statement...Introduction Background, Motivation , and Problem Statement Basic airship technology dates back to the start of the 20th Century (Botting, 1981:6...1) PA1 + PA2 + PA3 + PHA1 + PHA2 + PHA3+ PS1 + PS2 + PS3 + PS4 + PS5 + PS6 + PS7 + PS8 ≥ Q (2) M ≤ U (3) M = Integer 31 Model

  11. Hybrid Airships in Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-13

    developing, constructing, testing, operating, and maintaining and an unmanned, un- tethered Hybrid Airship to be used in high altitude surveillance...concept that combined balloon and helicopter technology.37 It was basically a spherical balloon with four wings tipped with propellers 30 oriented...lift helicopters and lighter-than-air balloons used in logging operations. These tests proved entertaining and novel but were not very effective in

  12. Steady state model for the thermal regimes of shells of airships and hot air balloons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luchev, Oleg A.

    1992-10-01

    A steady state model of the temperature regime of airships and hot air balloons shells is developed. The model includes three governing equations: the equation of the temperature field of airships or balloons shell, the integral equation for the radiative fluxes on the internal surface of the shell, and the integral equation for the natural convective heat exchange between the shell and the internal gas. In the model the following radiative fluxes on the shell external surface are considered: the direct and the earth reflected solar radiation, the diffuse solar radiation, the infrared radiation of the earth surface and that of the atmosphere. For the calculations of the infrared external radiation the model of the plane layer of the atmosphere is used. The convective heat transfer on the external surface of the shell is considered for the cases of the forced and the natural convection. To solve the mentioned set of the equations the numerical iterative procedure is developed. The model and the numerical procedure are used for the simulation study of the temperature fields of an airship shell under the forced and the natural convective heat transfer.

  13. Potential missions for advanced airships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, D. T.; Joner, B. A.

    1975-01-01

    The freight commodity transport and the intercity passenger travel markets in the U.S. for 1967 and 1972 are analyzed, along with 1985 estimates, in order to establish the size, speed and cost enabling use of the airship in these markets. Items examined include frozen meat, confectionary, drugs, electrical equipment, mechanical parts, clothing and plastic products. A 50 ton/500 passenger payload capacity, a cruise speed of 100 kt and a VTOL capability or at minimum short take-off and vertical landing capability are needed to make an LTA vehicle viable in the transport market if it had a direct operating cost of $500 to $800 per hour for freight carrying and $1100 to $2700 an hour in passenger service with utilizations between 2000 hours and 4000 hours a year.

  14. Feasibility Study of Cargo Airship Transportation Systems Powered by New Green Energy Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skuza, Jonathan R.; Park, Yeonjoon; Kim, Hyun Jung; Seaman, Shane T.; King, Glen C.; Choi, Sang H.; Song, Kyo D.; Yoon, Hargsoon; Lee, Kunik

    2014-01-01

    The development of transportation systems that use new and sustainable energy technologies is of utmost importance due to the possible future shortfalls that current transportation modes will encounter because of increased volume and costs. The introduction and further research and development of new transportation and energy systems by materials researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the Department of Transportation are discussed in this Technical Memorandum. In this preliminary study, airship concepts were assessed for cargo transportation using various green energy technologies capable of 24-hour operation (i.e., night and day). Two prototype airships were successfully constructed and tested at LaRC to demonstrate their feasibility: one with commercially available solar cells for operation during the daytime and one with microwave rectennas (i.e., rectifying antennas) developed in-house for night-time operation. The test results indicate the feasibility of a cargo transportation airship powered by new green energy sources and wireless power technology. Future applications will exploit new green energy sources that use materials and devices recently developed or are in the process of being developed at LaRC. These include quantum well SiGe solar cells; low, mid-, and high temperature thermoelectric modules; and wireless microwave and optical rectenna devices. This study examines the need and development of new energy sources for transportation, including the current status of research, materials, and potential applications.

  15. The Airship’s Potential for Intertheater and Intratheater Airlift

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-05-01

    airships. The first, the Lake Konstanz, was launched in August 1919 providing service between Berlin and Friedrichshafen . In four months Lake Konstanz... Friedrichshafen to Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 79 hours. ZR3 (renamed Los Angeles) was commanded by the DELAG director, Dr Hugo Eckener, who returned to Germany...18,000 passengers. A typical east-west crossing from Friedrichshafen to Lakehurst took about 79 hours, with a return journey averaging about 60 hours

  16. Airship Sparse Array Antenna Radar Real Aperture Imaging Based on Compressed Sensing and Sparsity in Transform Domain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Liechen

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available A conformal sparse array based on combined Barker code is designed for airship platform. The performance of the designed array such as signal-to-noise ratio is analyzed. Using the hovering characteristics of the airship, interferometry operation can be applied on the real aperture imaging results of two pulses, which can eliminate the random backscatter phase and make the image sparse in the transform domain. Building the relationship between echo and transform coefficients, the Compressed Sensing (CS theory can be introduced to solve the formula and achieving imaging. The image quality of the proposed method can reach the image formed by the full array imaging. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  17. 78 FR 38091 - Airworthiness Criteria: Proposed Airship Design Criteria for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Model...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-25

    ..., 2012 Lockheed Martin Aeronautics submitted an application for type certification for the model LMZ1M..., views, or arguments as they may desire. Commenters should identify the proposed design criteria on the... Lockheed Martin Aeronautics submitted an application for type certification for the model LMZ1M airship...

  18. Design and Simulation to Composite PI Controller on the Stratospheric Airship

    OpenAIRE

    Kangwen Sun; Ming Zhu; Bojin Qi; Xiaoming Chen

    2014-01-01

    In view of the stratospheric airship application requirements on energy storage and management system, based on the topology of DC/DC converter main circuit, the composite PI controller is designed to realize respective control with the Boost mode and Buck mode. Furthermore, limit stop integration method is proposed to achieve a buck-boost complex DC/DC converter boost with effective switching buck. Then, with the MATLAB Control System Toolbox design model, the composite PI controller design ...

  19. Creation of a Dynamical Stratospheric Turbulence Forecasting and Nowcasting Tool for High Altitude Airships and Other Aircraft

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Fritts, David C

    2008-01-01

    ... for which significant wave and turbulence activity may pose an operational or functional risk. The specific goal for MDA purposes was to create a forecasting methodology for turbulence activity at the expected High Altitude Airship (HAA...

  20. Output performance analyses of solar array on stratospheric airship with thermal effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jun; Lv, Mingyun; Tan, Dongjie; Zhu, Weiyu; Sun, Kangwen; Zhang, Yuanyuan

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A model investigating the output power of solar array is proposed. • The output power in the cruise condition with thermal effect is researched. • The effect of some factors on output performance is discussed in detail. • A suitable transmissivity of external layer is crucial in preliminary design step. - Abstract: Output performance analyses of the solar array are very critical for solving the energy problem of a long endurance stratospheric airship, and the solar cell efficiency is very sensitive to temperature of the solar cell. But the research about output performance of solar array with thermal effect is rare. This paper outlines a numerical model including the thermal model of airship and solar cells, the incident solar radiation model on the solar array, and the power output model. Based on this numerical model, a MATLAB computer program is developed. In the course of the investigation, the comparisons of the simulation results with and without considering thermal effect are reported. Furthermore, effects of the transmissivity of external encapsulation layer of solar array and wind speed on the thermal performance and output power of solar array are discussed in detail. The results indicate that this method is helpful for planning energy management.

  1. Comparative Economics as a Science and Educational Discipline: To the Outlook of "Comparative Economics"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina O. Voskresenskaya

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Comparative economics, a young interdisciplinary science, which proper formation belongs to the twentieth century only, has been recently attracting more attention of the scientific community. This quite predictable interest is based on the very subject of the comparative economics which is socioeconomic systems in the mankind history. Researchers want to know what factors make systems come into being, transform, achieve prosperity, stop to develop; they need to understand how systems are functioning and which of their institutions should be attributed to as being fundamental – difficult or not transformed at all, and which of them are not so stable and therefore can be easily changed. This knowledge is crucially needed to elaborate an appropriate economic policy in order to meet national interests and cope with possible crises. Attention to the science is also based on its methodological possibilities: comparative analysis can provide complete and compact socio-economic panorama of mankind evolution versus traditional historical studies. This possible-to-embrace picture of global human history viewed as a set of different economic systems might be a good ground to conclude which of them possesses such attractive features as capacity for development, flexibility, readiness for self-improvement, ability to achieve and maintain reasonable socio-economic balance under negative internal and external influence, openness to interaction with other peoples and states, i.e. what system can provide the best sufficient infrastructure for growth and development focusing on ensuring a high standard of living for the people. Comparative analysis allows to predict, to some extent, the further evolution of economic systems, and chose the most attractive one as a desirable benchmark for national development. Thus, comparative economics is both of academic and practical value for society. Professor R. M. Nureev in his fundamental work "Comparative Economics

  2. Two lighter than air systems in opposing flight regimes: An unmanned short haul, heavy load transport balloon and a manned, light payload airship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pohl, R. A.

    1975-01-01

    Lighter Than Air vehicles are generally defined or categorized by the shape of the balloon, payload capacity and operational flight regime. Two balloon systems that are classed as being in opposite categories are described. One is a cable guided, helium filled, short haul, heavy load transport Lighter Than Air system with a natural shaped envelope. The other is a manned, aerodynamic shaped airship which utilizes hot air as the buoyancy medium and is in the light payload class. While the airship is in the design/fabrication phase with flight tests scheduled for the latter part of 1974, the transport balloon system has been operational for some eight years.

  3. Land drainage system detection using IR and visual imagery taken from autonomous mapping airship and evaluation of physical and spatial parameters of suggested method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koska, Bronislav; Křemen, Tomáš; Štroner, Martin; Pospíšil, Jiří; Jirka, Vladimír.

    2014-10-01

    An experimental approach to the land drainage system detection and its physical and spatial parameters evaluation by the form of pilot project is presented in this paper. The novelty of the approach is partly based on using of unique unmanned aerial vehicle - airship with some specific properties. The most important parameters are carrying capacity (15 kg) and long flight time (3 hours). A special instrumentation was installed for physical characteristic testing in the locality too. The most important is 30 meter high mast with 3 meter length bracket at the top with sensors recording absolute and comparative temperature, humidity and wind speed and direction in several heights of the mast. There were also installed several measuring units recording local condition in the area. Recorded data were compared with IR images taken from airship platform. The locality is situated around village Domanín in the Czech Republic and has size about 1.8 x 1.5 km. There was build a land drainage system during the 70-ties of the last century which is made from burnt ceramic blocks placed about 70 cm below surface. The project documentation of the land drainage system exists but real state surveying haveńt been never realized. The aim of the project was land surveying of land drainage system based on infrared, visual and its combination high resolution orthophotos (10 cm for VIS and 30 cm for IR) and spatial and physical parameters evaluation of the presented procedure. The orthophoto in VIS and IR spectrum and its combination seems to be suitable for the task.

  4. Lighter than Air Robots Guidance and Control of Autonomous Airships

    CERN Document Server

    Bestaoui Sebbane, Yasmina

    2012-01-01

    An aerial robot is a system capable of sustained flight with no direct human control and able to perform a specific task. A lighter than air robot is an aerial robot that relies on the static lift to balance its own weight. It can also be defined as a lighter than air unmanned aerial vehicle or an unmanned airship with sufficient autonomy. Lighter than air systems are particularly appealing since the energy to keep them airborne is small. They are increasingly considered for various tasks such as monitoring, surveillance, advertising, freight carrier, transportation. This book familiarizes readers with a hierarchical decoupled planning and control strategy that has been proven efficient through research. It is made up of a hierarchy of modules with well defined functions operating at a variety of rates, linked together from top to bottom. The outer loop, closed periodically, consists of a discrete search that produces a set of waypoints leading to the goal while avoiding obstacles and weighed regions. The sec...

  5. Feasibility study of modern airships, phase 1. Volume 1: Summary and mission analysis (tasks 2 and 4)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloetscher, F.

    1975-01-01

    The histroy, potential mission application, and designs of lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles are researched and evaluated. Missions are identified to which airship vehicles are potentially suited. Results of the mission analysis are combined with the findings of a parametric analysis to formulate the mission/vehicle combinations recommended for further study. Current transportation systems are surveyed and potential areas of competition are identified as well as potential missions resulting from limitations of these systems. Potential areas of military usage are included.

  6. An airship for the research. A zeppelin flies in scientific mission for the climate research over southern and northern Europe; Ein Luftschiff fuer die Forschung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2012-07-01

    In may 2012 the hitherto greatest scientific mission of a NT zeppelin starts. The Juelich institute for energy and climate research (IEK-8) coordinates thereby the numerous experiments aboard. The special: Especially for the research the ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik in Friedrichshafen builds a new airship.

  7. Comparative Economics Systems in the Undergraduate Curriculum: An Update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovzik, Alexander; Johnson, Marianne

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the authors report on the status of comparative economics systems in the U.S. undergraduate economics curriculum. The treatment of comparative economics systems topics in introductory courses is examined through a survey of standard textbooks. To evaluate comparative economics systems at the advanced undergraduate level, they rely…

  8. Design and Simulation to Composite PI Controller on the Stratospheric Airship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kangwen Sun

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available In view of the stratospheric airship application requirements on energy storage and management system, based on the topology of DC/DC converter main circuit, the composite PI controller is designed to realize respective control with the Boost mode and Buck mode. Furthermore, limit stop integration method is proposed to achieve a buck-boost complex DC/DC converter boost with effective switching buck. Then, with the MATLAB Control System Toolbox design model, the composite PI controller design and a simulation is accomplished. According to the simulation model, the structure and parameters of the controller to the system can be easily adjusted. Finally, by using the average large-signal switching mathematical model to create sub-circuit in place of the actual circuit model, the whole circuit model of the DC/DC converter is constructed with MATLAB, and then, from the analysis of simulation results, it’s proved that the method can shorten the simulation time and obtain better convergence of the target.

  9. Comparative Contract Law & Economics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kovac, M.

    2008-01-01

    This work is a search for deeper understanding of established differences and similarities among compared legal systems. The application of economically inspired optimal model rule as a uniform term of comparison provides additional insights into some of the most often discussed legal issues. The

  10. Modeling, Analysis, and Preservation Techniques for Historic Reinforced Concrete Structures in Seismic Prone Regions Case Study: Augusta Airship Hangar, Sicily

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cronin, Kelly; Whyte, Catherine; Reiner, Tom

    2008-01-01

    Throughout the world there are hundreds of historic monuments and structures considered to be invaluable and irreplaceable. They are symbols of cultural identity and a means of educating people about history. Preservation of historic monuments and structures is therefore an important part of safeguarding these cultural heritage sites so that they retain their value for future generations.This report discusses a procedure for the investigation of seismic hazards in existing buildings and possible steps that can be taken to avoid damage caused by these hazards. The Augusta Airship Hangar located in Sicily, will be used as a case study however the topics addressed in this paper can be applied to other structures of historic value around the world.First state-of-the-art scanning procedures were used to create scale digital models that were imported into a structural analysis program. Within this program dynamic analyses were performed on the model based on actual ground motions taken close to the site. This data was used to determine the period and mode shapes of the structure. Then a nonlinear analysis, including a static pushover analysis, was implemented on a two-dimensional model of the structural frame. From this analysis the failure mechanisms of the structure were revealed with relation to an allowable roof displacement. The structural integrity of the structure was evaluated based on pre-defined performance goals. Finally multiple suggestions were made how the Augusta Airship Hangar might be repaired and strengthened so that this structure will not be destroyed should an earthquake occur.The results of our study show that historic structures, despite their age, can still be strong and ductile. Also there are a multitude of effective preservation and retrofit techniques that can be used to strengthen these historic structures, should an earthquake occur. Through this study, the Augusta Airship Hangar has proven to be not only a historic symbol for Sicily but

  11. Spatially organized «vertical city» as a synthesis of tall buildings and airships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagulina, Olga; Matovnikov, Sergei

    2018-03-01

    The paper explores the compact city concept based on the «spatial» urban development principles and describes the prerequisites and possible methods to move from «horizontal» planning to «vertical» urban environments. It highlights the close connection between urban space, high-rise city landscape and conveyance options and sets out the ideas for upgrading the existing architectural and urban planning principles. It also conceptualizes the use of airships to create additional spatial connections between urban structure elements and high-rise buildings. Functional changes are considered in creating both urban environment and internal space of tall buildings, and the environmental aspects of the new spatial model are brought to light. The paper delineates the prospects for making a truly «spatial» multidimensional city space.

  12. Modelling of Airship Flight Mechanics by the Projection Equivalent Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frantisek Jelenciak

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the projection equivalent method (PEM as a specific and relatively simple approach for the modelling of aircraft dynamics. By the PEM it is possible to obtain a mathematic al model of the aerodynamic forces and momentums acting on different kinds of aircraft during flight. For the PEM, it is a characteristic of it that -in principle - it provides an acceptable regression model of aerodynamic forces and momentums which exhibits reasonable and plausible behaviour from a dynamics viewpoint. The principle of this method is based on applying Newton's mechanics, which are then combined with a specific form of the finite element method to cover additional effects. The main advantage of the PEM is that it is not necessary to carry out measurements in a wind tunnel for the identification of the model's parameters. The plausible dynamical behaviour of the model can be achieved by specific correction parameters, which can be determined on the basis of experimental data obtained during the flight of the aircraft. In this article, we present the PEM as applied to an airship as well as a comparison of the data calculated by the PEM and experimental flight data.

  13. Comparing Economic Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolken, Lawrence C.

    1984-01-01

    Defines the predominate classifications of economic systems: traditional, command, market, capitalism, socialism, and communism. Considers property rights, role of government, economic freedom, incentives, market structure, economic goals and means of achieving those goals for each classification. Identifies 26 print and audio-visual sources for…

  14. EVOLUTION OF THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF COMPARATIVE ECONOMICS

    OpenAIRE

    N. Grazhevska

    2014-01-01

    The article reveals the evolution stages of theoretical and methodological foundations of comparative economics. The author highlights algorithms of comparative analysis as well as theoretical and methodological limitations of four research programs of the new comparative economics. The article justifies the necessity of a comprehensive comparative study of the major trends and contradictions in the development of national economies in the era of globalization.

  15. EVOLUTION OF THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF COMPARATIVE ECONOMICS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Grazhevska

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The article reveals the evolution stages of theoretical and methodological foundations of comparative economics. The author highlights algorithms of comparative analysis as well as theoretical and methodological limitations of four research programs of the new comparative economics. The article justifies the necessity of a comprehensive comparative study of the major trends and contradictions in the development of national economies in the era of globalization.

  16. Economics and Comparative and International Education: Past, Present, Future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charl Wolhuter

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to map this place of economics in the field of study of Comparative and International Education. Interrelationship between economy and education is concerned, two broad lines of enquiry lie within the scope of Comparative and International Education: economy as shaping force of education systems and the effect of education on the economy. In the interwar “factors and forces” stage of Comparative Education, the economy as a shaping force of national education systems came to the fore. In the social science phase of the 1960s the focus shifted to a study of the effect of education on the economy. This was reversed again in the 1970s, when socio-economic reproduction theories assigned a deterministic place to socio-economic stratification of society. In recent years neo-liberal economics dictated the research agenda of Comparative Education. In conclusion recommendations for a future research agenda in the field are made.

  17. Human fatigue and the crash of the airship Italia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregg A. Bendrick

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The airship Italia, commanded by General Umberto Nobile, crashed during its return flight from the North Pole in 1928. The cause of the accident was never satisfactorily explained. We present evidence that the crash may have been fatigue-related. Nobile's memoirs indicate that at the time of the crash he had been awake for at least 72 h. Sleep deprivation impairs multiple aspects of cognitive functioning necessary for exploration missions. Just prior to the crash, Nobile made three command errors, all of which are of types associated with inadequate sleep. First, he ordered a release of lift gas when he should have restarted engines (an example of incorrect data synthesis, with deterioration of divergent thinking; second, he inappropriately ordered the ship above the cloud layer (a deficiency in the assessment of relative risks; and third, he remained above the cloud layer for a prolonged period of time (examples of attention to secondary problems, and calculation problems. We argue that as a result of these three errors, which would not be expected from such an experienced commander, there was no longer enough static lift to maintain level flight when the ship went below the cloud layer. Applying Circadian Performance Simulation Software to the sleep–wake patterns described by Nobile in his memoirs, we found that the predicted performance for someone awake as long as he had been is extremely low. This supports the historical evidence that human fatigue contributed to the crash of the Italia.

  18. Comparative economics of the main electricity sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, P.M.S.

    1991-01-01

    Few participants in the Uranium Institute's Symposium would fail to agree that nuclear power has considerable environmental and ecological advantages over fossil fuel combustion. There would, however, be far less unanimity, even among a favourably inclined group, on the economic attractiveness of nuclear power and its competitive position vis-a-vis other electricity generation options. To the layman the conflicting claims are confusing, not least because nuclear power often appears to be the only product surrounded by such controversy. Some of the principal reasons are listed. Of these, deficiencies in understanding and divergent value standards are identified as particularly important. The latter issue has a major effect on comparative economics, when incorporated into the calculations of the cost of nuclear power when compared to its alternatives. In this paper the nature of the comparisons that can usefully be made is defined, then the results of recent international studies and their implications are outlined. Confusions arising from the privatisation of the electricity supply industry in the United Kingdom are examined and the implications of taking a wider view of economic comparisons are examined. (author)

  19. Standardization: using comparative maintenance costs in an economic analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Clark, Roger Nelson

    1987-01-01

    Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited This thesis investigates the use of comparative maintenance costs of functionally interchangeable equipments in similar U.S. Navy shipboard applications in an economic analysis of standardization. The economics of standardization, life-cycle costing, and the Navy 3-M System are discussed in general. An analysis of 3-M System maintenance costs for a selected equipment, diesel engines, is conducted. The potential use of comparative ma...

  20. Comparative study of Danish and foreign wind turbine economics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godtfredsen, F.

    1993-02-01

    This comparative study indicates that Denmark still is the leading nation in wind turbine technology in regard to economics as well as energy output and nacelle weight per swept rotor area. For roughness class 1, the levellized socioeconomic costs of wind power from Danish wind turbines is DKK 0.396 - 0.536 per kWh compared with production costs of DKK 0.525 for the most economic of the foreign wind turbines investigated. Furthermore it is pointed out, that there seems to be no correlation between generator capacity or swept rotor area and costs of windpower for the wind turbines investigated. Nevertheless there are arguments for the statement that large scale wind turbines will be relatively more economic in the future. Danish wind turbine manufacturers only produce tree-bladed, stall- or pitch regulated wind turbines with constant rotational speed. In Holland, Germany and UK two-bladed wind turbines and turbines with variable speed has been introduced. Still the new concepts are less economic, but not without future interest. (au)

  1. Comparative study of economic competitive for nuclear seawater desalination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Li; Wang Yongqing

    2001-01-01

    The method of levelized discounted production water cost and the new desalination economic evaluation program (DEEP1.1) are used. Many cases of seawater desalination by nuclear energy or fossil energy combined with reverse osmosis (RO), Multi-effect distillation (MED) or multi-stage flash (MSF) technology in south-east Asia is performed and their economic competitive is analyzed. Their results indicate, the nuclear desalination plants have stronger economic competitive comparing to the fossil in the RO, MED and MSF technology. The desalination water cost is very changeable depending on the difference of desalination technology and water plant size. Its range is 0.56 dollar · m -3 - 1.89 dollar · m -3 , the lowest desalination water cost is product by RO and the highest is by MSF. The sensitive factors of the economic competitive are orderly the discounted rate, desalination plant size, seawater temperature and total dissolved solids (TDS), fossil fuel price and specific power plant investment. The highest rate of water cost is about 19.3% comparing to base case

  2. Revisiting the effect of colonial institutions on comparative economic development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina A Assenova

    Full Text Available European settler mortality has been proposed as an instrument to predict the causal effect of colonial institutions on differences in economic development. We examine the relationship between mortality, temperature, and economic development in former European colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. We find that (i European settler mortality rates increased with regional temperatures and (ii economic output decreased with regional temperatures. Conditioning on the continent of settlement and accounting for colonies that were not independent as of 1900 undermines the causal effect of colonial institutions on comparative economic development. Our findings run counter to the institutions hypothesis of economic development, showing instead that geography affected both historic mortality rates and present-day economic output.

  3. Comparative economic analysis: Anaerobic digester case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lusk, P.D.

    1991-01-01

    An economic guide is developed to assess the value of anaerobic digesters used on dairy farms. Two varieties of anaerobic digesters, a conventional mixed-tank mesophilic and an innovative earthen psychrophilic, are comparatively evaluated using a cost-effectiveness index. The two case study examples are also evaluated using three other investment merit statistics: simple payback period, net present value, and internal rate of return. Life-cycle savings are estimated for both varieties, with sensitivities considered for investment risk. The conclusion is that an earthen psychrophilic digester can have a significant economic advantage over a mixed-tank mesophilic digester because of lower capital cost and reduced operation and maintenance expenses. Because of this economic advantage, additional projects are being conducted in North Carolina to increase the rate of biogas utilization. The initial step includes using biogas for milk cooling at the dairy farm where the existing psychrophilic digester is located. Further, a new project is being initiated for electricity production with thermal reclaim at a swine operation

  4. Comparative Economic Analysis of Beekeeping Using Traditional ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study was carried out in Tabora and Katavi regions in the miombo woodlands of Tanzania. The overall objective of the study was to undertake a comparative economic analysis of beekeeping using improved or traditional beehives. Data were collected from 198 beekeepers that were randomly selected from a sampling ...

  5. COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES IN ECONOMIC CRISES GEOGRAPHY. ECONOMIC STRATEGIES IN EU COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roxana Maria Grecu

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The strategies for structural-systemic crisis management have generated, to a geographical level, a number of differences between EU countries. These cleavages are the result of differentialmacroeconomic policies. In this context, this article has the aim of achieving a comparative approach between countries of the south, west and east of the EU space. Also our approach is focused on observing the nature of macroeconomic policies and also on identifying a "pattern" associated with a common ideal -type of "rational choice" in the efficient and effective management of systemic crises. This article aims to identify areas of growth and economic stability of a particular model of public policy and political-economic ideology, to set up a mechanism for "economic engineering”. From the methodological point of view, this article uses a quantitativemethodology, derived from mathematical analysis, statistics and stochastic, in order to explain, understand and predict the possible evolution of the systemic crises in the EU countries. The interest lies in the possibility of giving a model of macroeconomic policy for the adjustment of inflationist imbalances, labor market and pricepolicy, and also in regulating the equation of production-consumption.

  6. Economics and Comparative and International Education: Past, Present, Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolhuter, Charl

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to map this place of economics in the field of study of Comparative and International Education. Interrelationship between economy and education is concerned, two broad lines of enquiry lie within the scope of Comparative and International Education: economy as shaping force of education systems and the effect of education…

  7. Indonesian Comparative Advantage Entering the ASEAN Economic Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riandi .

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to examine the comparative advantage of Indonesian commodities in order to enter the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC. This study uses the export data during the period of 2003-2013 among five ASEAN countries participating in the AEC, including Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. All data obtained from the UN Comtrade database following the Harmonized System (HS at the two-digit classification level. This study applies dynamic revealed comparative advantage (DRCA index developed by Edwards and Schoer (2001 which is the development of revealed comparative advantage (RCA index by Balassa (1965. The results show that Indonesia is ready to enter the AEC. From this research, there are several Indonesian main commodities which have comparative advantage in ASEAN, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic invertebrates ones (HS-03, edible fruit, nuts, peel of citrus fruit, melons (HS-08, oil seed, oleagic fruits, grain, seed, fruit, etc, nes (HS-12, lac, gums, resins, vegetable saps and extracts nes (HS-13, rubber and articles thereof (HS-40, paper & paperboard, articles of pulp, paper and board (HS-48, special woven or tufted fabric, lace, tapestry etc (HS-58, articles apparel, accessories, not knit or crochet (HS-62, and vehicles other than railway, tramway (HS-87. Those commodities are in line with Indonesian government export's strategy direction which mainly focuses on several sectors, including fishery, vegetable products, rubber, wood and wood products, textiles, and transportation. Therefore, Indonesian government should focus to improve those commodities in AEC. Keywords: Indonesian Comparative Advantage, Main Export Commodities, Export Strategy Direction, ASEAN Economic Community

  8. A comparative assessment of the economics of plutonium disposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, K.A.; Miller, J.W.; Reid, R.L.

    1997-01-01

    The US Department of Energy office of Fissile Materials Disposition (DOE/MD) has been evaluating three technologies for the disposition of approximately 50 metric tons of surplus plutonium from defense-related programs: reactors, immobilization, and deep boreholes. As part of the process supporting an early CY 1997 Record of Decision (ROD), a comprehensive assessment of technical viability, cost, and schedule has been conducted by DOE/MD and its national laboratory contractors. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has managed and coordinated the life-cycle cost (LCC) assessment effort for this program. This paper discusses the economic analysis methodology and the results prior to ROD. A secondary intent of the paper is to discuss major technical and economic issues that impact cost and schedule. To evaluate the economics of these technologies on an equitable basis, a set of cost-estimating guidelines and a common cost-estimating format were utilized by all three technology teams. This paper also includes the major economic analysis assumptions and the comparative constant-dollar and discounted-dollar LCCs

  9. A Comparative Study of The Economic Performance of Farmers ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study determined the better irrigation method between large scale and motorised pump to recommend to farmers in Katsina state of Nigeria. The target populations were Farmers Under Large Scale (FULS) and Farmers Using Motorised Pumps (FUMP) and were compared along their socio-economic characteristics, ...

  10. Static Longitudinal and Lateral Stability and Control Data Obtained from Tests of a 1/15-Scale Model of the Goodyear XZP5K Airship, TED No. NACA DE 211

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannon, Michael D.

    1956-01-01

    Static longitudinal and lateral stability and control data are presented of an investigation on a l/15-scale model of the Goodyear XZP5K airship over a pitch and yaw range of +/-20 deg and 0 deg to 30 deg, respectively, for various rudder and elevator deflections. Two tail configurations of different plan forms were tested and wake and boundary-layer surveys were conducted. Testing was conducted in the Langley full-scale tunnel at a Reynolds number of approximately 16.5 x 10(exp 6) based on hull length, and corresponds to a Mach number of about 0.12.

  11. Toward High Altitude Airship Ground-Based Boresight Calibration of Hyperspectral Pushbroom Imaging Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiwu Zhang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The complexity of the single linear hyperspectral pushbroom imaging based on a high altitude airship (HAA without a three-axis stabilized platform is much more than that based on the spaceborne and airborne. Due to the effects of air pressure, temperature and airflow, the large pitch and roll angles tend to appear frequently that create pushbroom images highly characterized with severe geometric distortions. Thus, the in-flight calibration procedure is not appropriate to apply to the single linear pushbroom sensors on HAA having no three-axis stabilized platform. In order to address this problem, a new ground-based boresight calibration method is proposed. Firstly, a coordinate’s transformation model is developed for direct georeferencing (DG of the linear imaging sensor, and then the linear error equation is derived from it by using the Taylor expansion formula. Secondly, the boresight misalignments are worked out by using iterative least squares method with few ground control points (GCPs and ground-based side-scanning experiments. The proposed method is demonstrated by three sets of experiments: (i the stability and reliability of the method is verified through simulation-based experiments; (ii the boresight calibration is performed using ground-based experiments; and (iii the validation is done by applying on the orthorectification of the real hyperspectral pushbroom images from a HAA Earth observation payload system developed by our research team—“LanTianHao”. The test results show that the proposed boresight calibration approach significantly improves the quality of georeferencing by reducing the geometric distortions caused by boresight misalignments to the minimum level.

  12. Comparative technical-economic analysis of the low temperature heating systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharevski, Vasko; Sharevski, Milan

    1994-01-01

    A method for comparative technical-economic analysis between low temperature heating systems and heating systems with fossil fuel boiler plant, heat pump heating system and electrical heating systems is presented. The single and combined heating systems are analyzed. The technical-economic priority application of the heating system is determined according to the prices of the low temperature heat energy, fossil fuel heat energy, electrical energy, as well as to the coefficient of the annual use of the installed heating capacity, investment expenses, structure of the combined heating system and coefficient of performances of the heat pump. The combined heating system, composed with a low temperature heating subsystem, which is used to cover the base heat demands, and a oil boiler plant heating subsystem, for the top heat demands, have technical-economic justification and wide range of priority application, in comparison with single heating systems. (author)

  13. Comparative Economics of Cattle and Wildlife Ranching in the Zimbabwe Midlands

    OpenAIRE

    Kreuter, Urs P.

    1992-01-01

    The economics of ranches in the Zimbabwe Midlands, generating income from cattle, or wildlife, or both, were compared during 1989/90 to test the claim that wildlife ranching can generate greater profits than cattle ranching on semi-arid African savannas. Both financial (market) prices and economic prices (opportunity cost) were used. Financial data were obtained from 15 cattle, 7 wildlife and 13 mixed ranches in four areas with wildlife and from 15 cattle ranches in two areas with sparse w...

  14. National Launch System comparative economic analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prince, A.

    1992-01-01

    Results are presented from an analysis of economic benefits (or losses), in the form of the life cycle cost savings, resulting from the development of the National Launch System (NLS) family of launch vehicles. The analysis was carried out by comparing various NLS-based architectures with the current Shuttle/Titan IV fleet. The basic methodology behind this NLS analysis was to develop a set of annual payload requirements for the Space Station Freedom and LEO, to design launch vehicle architectures around these requirements, and to perform life-cycle cost analyses on all of the architectures. A SEI requirement was included. Launch failure costs were estimated and combined with the relative reliability assumptions to measure the effects of losses. Based on the analysis, a Shuttle/NLS architecture evolving into a pressurized-logistics-carrier/NLS architecture appears to offer the best long-term cost benefit.

  15. Basic relationships for LTA technical analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ausrotas, R. A.

    1975-01-01

    An introduction to airship performance is presented. Static lift equations are shown which, when combined with power requirements for conventional airships, allow parametric studies of range, payload, speed and airship size. It is shown that very large airships are required to attain reasonable speeds at transoceanic ranges.

  16. Comparative techno-economic assessment and LCA of selected integrated sugarcane-based biorefineries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gnansounou, Edgard; Vaskan, Pavel; Pachón, Elia Ruiz

    2015-11-01

    This work addresses the economic and environmental performance of integrated biorefineries based on sugarcane juice and residues. Four multiproduct scenarios were considered; two from sugar mills and the others from ethanol distilleries. They are integrated biorefineries producing first (1G) and second (2G) generation ethanol, sugar, molasses (for animal feed) and electricity in the context of Brazil. The scenarios were analysed and compared using techno-economic value-based approach and LCA methodology. The results show that the best economic configuration is provided by a scenario with largest ethanol production while the best environmental performance is presented by a scenario with full integration sugar - 1G2G ethanol production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Methods of international health technology assessment agencies for economic evaluations--a comparative analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathes, Tim; Jacobs, Esther; Morfeld, Jana-Carina; Pieper, Dawid

    2013-09-30

    The number of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agencies increases. One component of HTAs are economic aspects. To incorporate economic aspects commonly economic evaluations are performed. A convergence of recommendations for methods of health economic evaluations between international HTA agencies would facilitate the adaption of results to different settings and avoid unnecessary expense. A first step in this direction is a detailed analysis of existing similarities and differences in recommendations to identify potential for harmonization. The objective is to provide an overview and comparison of the methodological recommendations of international HTA agencies for economic evaluations. The webpages of 127 international HTA agencies were searched for guidelines containing recommendations on methods for the preparation of economic evaluations. Additionally, the HTA agencies were requested information on methods for economic evaluations. Recommendations of the included guidelines were extracted in standardized tables according to 13 methodological aspects. All process steps were performed independently by two reviewers. Finally 25 publications of 14 HTA agencies were included in the analysis. Methods for economic evaluations vary widely. The greatest accordance could be found for the type of analysis and comparator. Cost-utility-analyses or cost-effectiveness-analyses are recommended. The comparator should continuously be usual care. Again the greatest differences were shown in the recommendations on the measurement/sources of effects, discounting and in the analysis of sensitivity. The main difference regarding effects is the focus either on efficacy or effectiveness. Recommended discounting rates range from 1.5%-5% for effects and 3%-5% for costs whereby it is mostly recommended to use the same rate for costs and effects. With respect to the analysis of sensitivity the main difference is that oftentimes the probabilistic or deterministic approach is recommended

  18. Online solving of economic dispatch problem using neural network approach and comparing it with classical method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohammadi, A.; Varahram, M.H.

    2007-01-01

    In this study, two methods for solving economic dispatch problems, namely Hopfield neural network and lambda iteration method are compared. Three sample of power system with 3, 6 and 20 units have been considered. The time required for CPU, for solving economic dispatch of these two systems has been calculated. It has been Shown that for on-line economic dispatch, Hopfield neural network is more efficient and the time required for Convergence is considerably smaller compared to classical methods. (author)

  19. Economic valuation of biodiversity: A comparative study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nijkamp, P.; Vindigni, G.; Nunes, P.A.L.D.

    2008-01-01

    In recent years, an intensive debate on the economic valuation of biodiversity has entered the environmental-economics literature. The present paper seeks to offer first a critical review of key concepts that are essential for a proper understanding of such evaluation issues. Particular attention is

  20. Polish and Estonian Economic Competitiveness. A Comparative Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Kowalska

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available The starting point of the study has been a survey of indices developed by international economic organizations. Such indices tend to encompass a number of qualitative/quantitative variables relating to economic viability, e.g. economic liberties, budgetary balance, judiciary, technical sophistication, social factors and innovation. Basing on the aforementioned data, the study has focused upon the comparison of both countries competitive stances and permitted the formulation of certain economic policy guidelines with regard to Poland, which has underperformed Estonia in most of the rankings.

  1. Economic evaluation of pediatric influenza immunization program compared with other pediatric immunization programs: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibson, Edward; Begum, Najida; Sigmundsson, Birgir; Sackeyfio, Alfred; Hackett, Judith; Rajaram, Sankarasubramanian

    2016-05-03

    This study compared the economic value of pediatric immunisation programmes for influenza to those for rotavirus (RV), meningococcal disease (MD), pneumococcal disease (PD), human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B (Hep B), and varicella reported in recent (2000 onwards) cost-effectiveness (CE) studies identified in a systematic review of PubMed, health technology, and vaccination databases. The systematic review yielded 51 economic evaluation studies of pediatric immunisation - 10 (20%) for influenza and 41 (80%) for the other selected diseases. The quality of the eligible articles was assessed using Drummond's checklist. Although inherent challenges and limitations exist when comparing economic evaluations of immunisation programmes, an overall comparison of the included studies demonstrated cost-effectiveness/cost saving for influenza from a European-Union-Five (EU5) and United States (US) perspective; point estimates for cost/quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) from dominance (cost-saving with more effect) to ≤45,444 were reported. The economic value of influenza programmes was comparable to the other vaccines of interest, with cost/QALY in general considerably lower than RV, Hep B, MD and PD. Independent of the perspective and type of analysis, the economic impact of a pediatric influenza immunisation program was influenced by vaccine efficacy, immunisation coverage, costs, and most significantly by herd immunity. This review suggests that pediatric influenza immunisation may offer a cost effective strategy when compared with HPV and varicella and possibly more value compared with other childhood vaccines (RV, Hep B, MD and PD).

  2. A comparative study of the safety and economics of fusion fuel cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brereton, S.J.; Kazimi, M.S.

    1988-01-01

    The safety and economic characteristics of the deuterium-tritium (DT), deuterium-deuterium (DD) and deuterium-helium-3 (DHe) fusion fuel cycles have been compared. Representative tokamak designs for each fuel cycle were established based on consistent design criteria, using modest extrapolations of present day technologies. The economic analysis of these designs took into account the possible variation in capital and operating costs, and plant availability. Safety analyses examined tritium inventories, routine tritium releases, inventories of activation products and the level of hazard associated with plant wastes. The annual dose incurred by plant workers was estimated for all fuel cycles. The impact of using a reduced activation steel as a blanket material on the economics and safety during normal conditions for the DD fuel cycle was examined. A loss of coolant accident (LOCA) was investigated to determine the relative safety and economic impact of this event for the various fuel cycles. Finally, a cost/benefit analysis was performed to determine if the increased costs associated with these designs are justified by the improved safety which they provide. (orig.)

  3. The Global Economic Cost of Osteoarthritis: How the UK Compares

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Chen

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims. To examine all relevant literature on the economic costs of osteoarthritis in the UK, and to compare such costs globally. Methods. A search of MEDLINE was performed. The search was expanded beyond peer-reviewed journals into publications by the department of health, national orthopaedic associations, national authorities and registries, and arthritis charities. Results. No UK studies were identified in the literature search. 3 European, 6 North American, and 2 Asian studies were reviewed. Significant variation in direct and indirect costs were seen in these studies. Costs for topical and oral NSAIDs were estimated to be £19.2 million and £25.65 million, respectively. Cost of hip and knee replacements was estimated to exceed £850 million, arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis was estimated to be £1.34 million. Indirect costs from OA caused a loss of economic production over £3.2 billion, £43 million was spent on community services and £215 million on social services for osteoarthritis. Conclusions. While estimates of economic costs can be made using information from non-published data, there remains a lack of original research looking at the direct or indirect costs of osteoarthritis in the UK. Differing methodology in calculating costs from overseas studies makes direct comparison with the UK difficult.

  4. Socio-economic inequality in multiple health complaints among adolescents: international comparative study in 37 countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holstein, Bjørn E; Currie, Candace; Boyce, Will

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: To use comparable data from many countries to examine 1) socio-economic inequality in multiple health complaints among adolescents, 2) whether the countries' absolute wealth and economic inequality was associated with symptom load among adolescents, and 3) whether the countries......' absolute wealth and economic inequality explained part of the individual level socio-economic variation in health complaints. METHODS: The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) international study from 2005/06 provided data on 204,534 11-, 13- and 15-year old students from nationally random...... Affluence Scale FAS) and two macro level measures on the country's economic situation: wealth measured by Gross National Product (GNP) and distribution of income measured by the Gini coefficient. RESULTS: There was a significant socio-economic variation in health complaints in 31 of the 37 countries...

  5. How Does the Economic Crisis Affect the Psychological Well-Being? Comparing College Students and Employees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetzel, Kathrin; Mertens, Anne; Röbken, Heinke

    2012-01-01

    Little is known about differences in the impact of economic stress on students as compared to persons holding secure job positions. Besides the macroeconomic effects, an economic downturn can also affect individual's physical health and psychological well-being (Aytaç & Rankin, 2009). Prior research showed that socio-demographic…

  6. Comparative Analysis on Two Accounting Systems of Rural Economic Originations

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2011-01-01

    In order to normalize the financial account of two kinds of economic organizations,the comparative analysis is conducted on the Accounting System of Village Collective Economic Organization and Accounting System of Farmers’ Cooperatives(Trial) issued by the Ministry of Finance.The comparison points out that application and accounting principles of the two kinds of accounting systems are different.The differences and similarities of the five accounting elements are analyzed including property,liabilities,rights of owners,costs and profits and losses,as well as the reasons of the differences and similarities.Results show that both of the two accounting systems reflect the principles of simplification and clarification.The village collective accounting system works in rural village committee,which acts the administrative duties,the features of concerted benefits of it is showed.While the accounting system of farmers’ cooperatives is based on the village collective accounting system and combines the norms of accounting system of enterprises,so the system represents the demands of collaboration and profit-making.

  7. A comparative assessment of the economics of plutonium disposition including comparison with other nuclear fuel cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, K.A.; Miller, J.W.; Reid, R.L.

    1997-01-01

    DOE has been evaluating three technologies for the disposition of approximately 50 metric tons of surplus plutonium from defense-related programs: reactors, immobilization, and deep boreholes. As part of the process supporting an early CY 1997 Record of Decision (ROD), a comprehensive assessment of technical viability, cost, and schedule has been conducted. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has managed and coordinated the life-cycle cost (LCC) assessment effort for this program. This paper discusses the economic analysis methodology and the results prior to ROD. Other objectives of the paper are to discuss major technical and economic issues that impact plutonium disposition cost and schedule. Also to compare the economics of a once-through weapons-derived MOX nuclear fuel cycle to other fuel cycles, such as those utilizing spent fuel reprocessing. To evaluate the economics of these technologies on an equitable basis, a set of cost estimating guidelines and a common cost-estimating format were utilized by all three technology teams. This paper also includes the major economic analysis assumptions and the comparative constant-dollar and discounted-dollar LCCs

  8. Future Trends in Logistics and Sustainment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hochstetler, Ron; Chachad, Girish; Melton, John; Blanken, Matthew; Bosma, John

    2016-01-01

    Airship Industry Study: In 2015, NASA Ames Research Center completed a study of the overall airship industry. The project called for a report that describes airship concepts proposed or projects initiated in recent years, airship performance or capability targets, and the missions these activities were addressing. The resulting report details the principal technical features of these airships, the proposed value/advantages of the features, notional concepts of operation, and challenges associated with such vehicles. The study investigated the current status and near-term prospects of these airship development activities, whether they are active or, if curtailed, the circumstances and possible reasons for that conclusion, including technical, business, or other mitigating factors. This presentation provides highlights of the Airship Industry Study investigations, findings, and recommendations. UAS Carrier Concept: The advantages of utilizing an airship as an airborne carrier for support and deployment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are examined. Whether as a stand-alone platform or in concert with conventional aircraft, the airship UAS carrier provides a number of compelling benefits for both military and civilian missions. As a mobile base it can remain operational despite political fallout that may render ground or ocean based UAS sites unavailable. It offers the psychological impact of a power projection tool that has few geographical limits, and holds promise as a new method for cost-saving intelligence gathering. It is also adaptable for civilian variants for supporting: emergency response, security/surveillance, delivery of medical/food supplies, as well as commercial package delivery to metropolitan and remote communities.

  9. BOOST QUALITY OF ENGINEERING PROJECT SOLUTIONS THROUGH ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND COMPARING ALTERNATIVES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milan Vukčević

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the principles and applications of money-time relationships are given. Economic profitability of engineering projects, using more methodes is analised. On the bases those methodes, comparing mutually exclusive alternatives of projects was done, because of optimization of decision. The emphasized theoretical states in this paper are applicated.

  10. Comparing Conventional Bank Credit Vis A Vis Shariah Bank Musharakah: Experimental Economic Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhamad Abduh

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Central Bank of Indonesia with dual banking system – i.e Shariah and Conventional Bank – keep on developing system that considered as an answer to generate the national economic growth. One of the banking activities that emphasized by the Central Bank of Indonesia is fund distribution through either conventional bank credit or shariah bank fi nancing. Having the Experimental Economic Approach based on Induced Value Theory and employing ANOVA, this paper found that shariah bank musharakah fi nancing system would come up with higher profi t opportunity compare to conventional credit system. One main reason is that musharakah fi nancing in shariah bank applies profi t and lost sharing (PLS scheme so that will not be a burden to the customer when he fi nd low profi t.Keywords: Credit Loan, Musharakah Financing, Induced Value Theory, Experimental Economic Approach, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA.

  11. Measurements of HOx radicals and the total OH reactivity (kOH) in the planetary boundary layer over southern Finland aboard the Zeppelin NT airship during the PEGASOS field campaign.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broch, Sebastian; Gomm, Sebastian; Fuchs, Hendrik; Hofzumahaus, Andreas; Holland, Frank; Bachner, Mathias; Bohn, Birger; Häseler, Rolf; Jäger, Julia; Kaiser, Jennifer; Keutsch, Frank; Li, Xin; Lohse, Insa; Rohrer, Franz; Thayer, Mitchell; Tillmann, Ralf; Wegener, Robert; Mentel, Thomas F.; Kiendler-Scharr, Astrid; Wahner, Andreas

    2014-05-01

    The concentration of hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxy (HO2) radicals (also named HOx) and the total OH reactivity were measured over southern Finland and during transfer flights over Germany, Denmark and Sweden aboard the Zeppelin NT airship within the framework of the Pan-European Gas-AeroSOls-climate interaction Study (PEGASOS) field campaign in 2013. The measurements were performed with a remotely controlled Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) instrument which was installed on top of the airship. Together with a comprehensive set of trace gas (O3, CO, NO, NO2, HCHO, HONO, VOCs), photolysis frequencies and aerosol measurements as well as the measurement of meteorological parameters, these data provide the possibility to test the current understanding of the chemical processes in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) over different landscapes and in different chemical regimes. The unique flight performance of the Zeppelin NT allowed us to measure transects at a constant altitude as well as vertical profiles within the range of 80 m to 1000 m above ground. The transect flights show changes in the HOx distribution and kOH while crossing different chemical regimes on the way from Friedrichshafen, Germany to Jämijärvi, Finland over Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Vertical profile flights over the boreal forest close to Jämijärvi and Hyytiälä (both Finland) gave the opportunity to investigate the layering of the PBL and with that the vertical distribution of HOx and kOH with a high spatial and temporal resolution. Gradients in the HOx concentration and kOH were measured between the different layers during the early morning hours. The maximum radical concentrations found during the campaign were 1.0 x 107 cm-3 for OH and 1.0 x 109 cm-3 for HO2. The total OH reactivity measured in Finland was much lower than what was reported before in the literature from ground based measurements and ranged from 1 s-1 to 6 s-1. Acknowledgement: PEGASOS project funded by the European

  12. A microbial model of economic trading and comparative advantage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enyeart, Peter J; Simpson, Zachary B; Ellington, Andrew D

    2015-01-07

    The economic theory of comparative advantage postulates that beneficial trading relationships can be arrived at by two self-interested entities producing the same goods as long as they have opposing relative efficiencies in producing those goods. The theory predicts that upon entering trade, in order to maximize consumption both entities will specialize in producing the good they can produce at higher efficiency, that the weaker entity will specialize more completely than the stronger entity, and that both will be able to consume more goods as a result of trade than either would be able to alone. We extend this theory to the realm of unicellular organisms by developing mathematical models of genetic circuits that allow trading of a common good (specifically, signaling molecules) required for growth in bacteria in order to demonstrate comparative advantage interactions. In Conception 1, the experimenter controls production rates via exogenous inducers, allowing exploration of the parameter space of specialization. In Conception 2, the circuits self-regulate via feedback mechanisms. Our models indicate that these genetic circuits can demonstrate comparative advantage, and that cooperation in such a manner is particularly favored under stringent external conditions and when the cost of production is not overly high. Further work could involve implementing the models in living bacteria and searching for naturally occurring cooperative relationships between bacteria that conform to the principles of comparative advantage. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  13. Mathematical model comparing of the multi-level economics systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brykalov, S. M.; Kryanev, A. V.

    2017-12-01

    The mathematical model (scheme) of a multi-level comparison of the economic system, characterized by the system of indices, is worked out. In the mathematical model of the multi-level comparison of the economic systems, the indicators of peer review and forecasting of the economic system under consideration can be used. The model can take into account the uncertainty in the estimated values of the parameters or expert estimations. The model uses the multi-criteria approach based on the Pareto solutions.

  14. Comparing Sprinkler and Surface Irrigation for Wheat Using Multi-Criteria Analysis: Water Saving vs. Economic Returns

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanaa Darouich

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Coping with water scarcity using supplemental irrigation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. in the semi-arid northeast Syria is a great challenge for sustainable water use in agriculture. Graded borders and set sprinkler systems were compared using multi-criteria analysis. Alternative solutions for surface irrigation and for sprinkler systems were developed with the SADREG and the PROASPER design models, respectively. For each alternative, two deficit irrigation strategies were considered, which were characterized using indicators relative to irrigation water use, yields and water productivity, including farm economic returns. Alternatives were ranked considering two contrasting priorities: economic returns and water saving. A first step in ranking led to a selection of graded borders with and without precise land levelling and of solid set and semi-permanent sprinkler systems. Precise-levelled borders were better for water saving, while non-precise ones ranked higher for economic returns. Semi-permanent set systems have been shown to be better in economic terms and similar to solid set systems when water saving is prioritized. Semi-permanent sprinkler systems rank first when comparing all type of systems together regardless of the considered deficit irrigation strategy. Likely, border irrigation is appropriate when wheat is in rotation with cotton if the latter is surface irrigated. When peace becomes effective, appropriate economic incentives and training for farmers are required to implement innovative approaches.

  15. Economic decision-making compared with an equivalent motor task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shih-Wei; Delgado, Mauricio R; Maloney, Laurence T

    2009-04-14

    There is considerable evidence that human economic decision-making deviates from the predictions of expected utility theory (EUT) and that human performance conforms to EUT in many perceptual and motor decision tasks. It is possible that these results reflect a real difference in decision-making in the 2 domains but it is also possible that the observed discrepancy simply reflects typical differences in experimental design. We developed a motor task that is mathematically equivalent to choosing between lotteries and used it to compare how the same subject chose between classical economic lotteries and the same lotteries presented in equivalent motor form. In experiment 1, we found that subjects are more risk seeking in deciding between motor lotteries. In experiment 2, we used cumulative prospect theory to model choice and separately estimated the probability weighting functions and the value functions for each subject carrying out each task. We found no patterned differences in how subjects represented outcome value in the motor and the classical tasks. However, the probability weighting functions for motor and classical tasks were markedly and significantly different. Those for the classical task showed a typical tendency to overweight small probabilities and underweight large probabilities, and those for the motor task showed the opposite pattern of probability distortion. This outcome also accounts for the increased risk-seeking observed in the motor tasks of experiment 1. We conclude that the same subject distorts probability, but not value, differently in making identical decisions in motor and classical form.

  16. Organizational-economic maintenance of innovation activity in the region: comparative assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadezhda Igorevna Antipina

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The article proposes the approach to evaluate the organizational-economic maintenance of innovation activity in the regions in quantitative and qualitative indicators, as well as the method to calculate the assessment of regulatory support of this activity. It justifies the author’s approach of comparative efficiency evaluation of innovation legislation and regions’ innovation development level. The article gives the qualitative estimation of regulatory support of innovation development in the regions that are innovation leaders. It singles out key directions to develop regulatory support of innovation activity, which encourage RF subjects’ innovation activity

  17. Managing peak loads in energy grids: Comparative economic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhuk, A.; Zeigarnik, Yu.; Buzoverov, E.; Sheindlin, A.

    2016-01-01

    One of the key issues in modern energy technology is managing the imbalance between the generated power and the load, particularly during times of peak demand. The increasing use of renewable energy sources makes this problem even more acute. Various existing technologies, including stationary battery energy storage systems (BESS), can be employed to provide additional power during peak demand times. In the future, integration of on-board batteries of the growing fleet of electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) into the grid can provide power during peak demand hours (vehicle-to-grid, or V2G technology). This work provides cost estimates of managing peak energy demands using traditional technologies, such as maneuverable power plants, conventional hydroelectric, pumped storage plants and peaker generators, as well as BESS and V2G technologies. The derived estimates provide both per kWh and kW year of energy supplied to the grid. The analysis demonstrates that the use of battery storage is economically justified for short peak demand periods of <1 h. For longer durations, the most suitable technology remains the use of maneuverable steam gas power plants, gas turbine,reciprocating gas engine peaker generators, conventional hydroelectric, pumped storage plants. - Highlights: • Cost of managing peak energy demand employing different technologies are estimated. • Traditional technologies, stationary battery storage and V2G are compared. • Battery storage is economically justified for peak demand periods of <1 h. • V2G appears to have better efficiency than stationary battery storage in low voltage power grids.

  18. La instrumentación virtual aplicada a un banco experimental de centraje de aeronaves. // Virtual instrumentation applied to an experimental bank for centering diameter of airships.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Cabrera Pedroso

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available En el artículo se analizan los métodos para la elaboración de sistemas basados en macros abiertos de trabajo, para larealización de mediciones del centro de gravedad de aeronaves utilizando herramientas virtuales de análisis yprocesamientos a través de un sistema de adquisición de datos. Los diferentes tópicos abordados dan a los interesados unaidea global del desarrollo de esta tecnología computacional y su aplicación a ramas de la mecánica, así como lametodología seguida para medir el centro de gravedad de aeronaves. Estos métodos pueden ser adaptados y extendidos aotras ramas dentro de la mecánica, si se poseen los medios tecnológicos para el diseño experimental de medición, con elobjetivo de medir no-solo el centro de gravedad, sino elementos como los momentos de inercia de los cuerpos nohomogéneos, las deformaciones elásticas de determinados cuerpos, etc. También se expone aspectos generales del soportede software utilizado para el desarrollo del instrumento virtual diseñado al efecto, los cuales proveen a científicos eingenieros de herramientas para satisfacer necesidades propias de instrumentación y automatización.Palabras claves: Diámetro central de aeronaves, instrumento virtual, centro de gravedad, centro de masas,medición experimental.__________________________________________________________________________Abstract:In this paper the methods for the elaboration of systems based on open macros and the realization of mensurations of center ofgravity of airships by using virtual tools of analysis and prosecutions through a system of data acquisition. The different topicsapproached give the interested parties a global idea of the development of this computacional technology and their application tobranches of mechanics, as well as the followed methodology to measure the center of gravity of airships. These methods can beadapted and extended to other branches inside the mechanics, if the technological means are

  19. Comparative study on economic security of enterprises depending on implemented business activities quantity

    OpenAIRE

    Shkarina Tatyana; Chudnova Olga; Mokhova Olga

    2017-01-01

    The results of a comparative study on economic security of enterprises depending on the quantity of business activities are published in the article. The sampling for analysis was conducted based on statistic data of Primorsky Region of the Russian Federation. The control points are the years of the most thorough data collection on the business activities of one-field and diversified enterprises: 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015.

  20. Agroforestry versus farm mosaic systems - Comparing land-use efficiency, economic returns and risks under climate change effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, Carola; Weber, Michael; Knoke, Thomas

    2017-06-01

    Increasing land-use conflicts call for the development of land-use systems that reconcile agricultural production with the provisioning of multiple ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation. Agroforestry has been suggested as a global solution to increase land-use efficiency, while reducing environmental impacts and economic risks for farmers. Past research has often focused on comparing tree-crop combinations with agricultural monocultures, but agroforestry has seldom been systematically compared to other forms of land-use diversification, including a farm mosaic. This form of diversification mixes separate parcels of different land uses within the farm. The objective of this study was to develop a modelling approach to compare the performance of the agroforestry and farm mosaic diversification strategies, accounting for tree-crop interaction effects and economic and climate uncertainty. For this purpose, Modern Portfolio Theory and risk simulation were coupled with the process-based biophysical simulation model WaNuLCAS 4.0. For an example application, we used data from a field trial in Panama. The results show that the simulated agroforestry systems (Taungya, alley cropping and border planting) could outperform a farm mosaic approach in terms of cumulative production and return. Considering market and climate uncertainty, agroforestry showed an up to 21% higher economic return at the same risk level (i.e. standard deviation of economic returns). Farm compositions with large shares of land allocated to maize cultivation were also more severely affected by an increasing drought frequency in terms of both risks and returns. Our study demonstrates that agroforestry can be an economically efficient diversification strategy, but only if the design allows for economies of scope, beneficial interactions between trees and crops and higher income diversification compared to a farm mosaic. The modelling approach can make an important contribution to support

  1. Comparative economic evaluation of environmental impact of different cogeneration technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patrascu, Roxana; Athanasovici, Victor; Raducanu, Cristian; Minciuc, Eduard; Bitir-Istrate, Ioan

    2004-01-01

    Cogeneration is one of the most powerful technologies for reduction of environmental pollution along with renewable energies. At the Kyoto Conference cogeneration has been identified as being the most important measure for reducing emissions of greenhouse effect gases. It has also been mentioned that cogeneration has a potential of reducing pollution with about 180 million tones per year. In order to promote new cogeneration technologies and evaluate the existing ones it is necessary to know and to be able to quantify in economical terms the environmental issues. When comparing different cogeneration technologies: steam turbine (TA), gas turbine (TG), internal combustion engine (MT), in order to choose the best one, the final decision implies an economic factor, which is even more important if it includes the environmental issues. The environmental impact of different cogeneration technologies is quantified using different criteria: depletion of non-renewable natural resources, eutrofisation, greenhouse effect, acidification etc. Environmental analysis using these criteria can be made using the 'impact with impact' methodology or the global one. The results of such an analysis cannot be quantified economically directly. Therefore there is a need of internalisation of ecological effects within the costs of produced energy: electricity and heat. In the energy production sector the externalizations represent the indirect effects on the environment. They can be materialised within different types of environmental impact: - Different buildings of mines, power plants etc; - Fuel losses during transportation and processing; - Effect of emissions in the air, water and soil. Introduction of the environmental impact costs in the energy price is called internalisation and it can be made using the direct and indirect methods. The paper discusses aspects regarding the emissions of cogeneration systems, the eco-taxes - method of 'internalisation' of environmental

  2. Economic System and Transition Mode : A Comparative Research on Transition Economies

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Liu

    2014-01-01

    This passage mainly deals with the problem of why different transition countries have different transition mode and different economic performance. According to this research, it has been found that the economic system of the traditional socialist countries played an important role in their process of reform and transition. The socialist countries with their different economic systems had determined the economic performance, the space, as well as the environment of the transition. All of this...

  3. Dualism in economic thinking : two views compared

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lecq, Fieke van der

    1996-01-01

    In this paper two articles on dualism are discussed. Following the chronological order of their publication, the first one is Julie Nelson’s (1992) article ‘Gender, Metaphor, and the Definition of Economics’ and the second one is ‘‘Order out of Chaos’ in Economics?’, by Victoria Chick (1995). After

  4. Comparing the economic burden of ischemic stroke patients with and without atrial fibrillation: a retrospective study in Beijing, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Liankui; Wu, Jingjing; Feng, Lin; Yang, Li; Qian, Feng

    2017-10-01

    Little is known about the economic burden for ischemic stroke (IS) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in China. We aimed to compare the economic burden of treatment-related costs in IS patients with AF vs. without AF in China. This retrospective analysis used economic burden data from the Beijing urban health insurance database. Using a random sampling method, 10% of the patients diagnosed with IS from 1 January through 31 December 2012 were enrolled. First hospitalization was considered as the index event and hospital utilization after the index event was followed up until September 2013. Overall healthcare cost during the study period was analyzed. In 4061 patients with IS (mean ± SD age, 68.45 ± 13.95 years; AF: 992; without AF: 3069), the AF group had a higher percentage of patients with co-morbidities at baseline. Compared with the non-AF group, the AF group had significantly greater hospitalization at the index event (p economic burden in patients with IS. Therefore, prevention of cardio-embolic events in patients with AF by anticoagulants may decrease the economic burden in patients with IS.

  5. Comparative economic assessment of ethanol production under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mistry, P.B.

    1991-01-01

    Key technical factors affecting the economics of bioethanol production are critically analyzed with special reference to the relative merits of thermophilic and mesophilic fermentation. A number of novel process schemes to take advantage of thermophilic operation are discussed. Analysis of the capital and operating costs for a range of flowsheets then provides a basis for critical study. Estimates for thermophilic production are compared with those for a sugar cane based mesophilic process (using S. cerevisiae). For the thermophilic fermentation, the basic kinetic and yield constants are based on projected values for a strain of B. stearothermophilus. Compared to mesophilic operation, thermophilic operation results in reduced capital, operating and feed costs. The feed cost still accounts for a large proportion (75%) of the total production cost. However, on a feed-cost-free basis, a reduction in production cost of up to 32% could be realized by changing to thermophilic operation from existing yeast-based processes, after minor process modifications. 20 refs., 10 figs., 8 tabs

  6. Economic evaluation of the randomized European Achalasia trial comparing pneumodilation with Laparoscopic Heller myotomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moonen, A; Busch, O; Costantini, M; Finotti, E; Tack, J; Salvador, R; Boeckxstaens, G; Zaninotto, G

    2017-11-01

    A recent multicenter randomized trial in achalasia patients has shown that pneumatic dilation resulted in equivalent relief of symptoms compared to laparoscopic Heller myotomy. Additionally, the cost of each treatment should be also taken in consideration. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to perform an economic analysis of the European achalasia trial. Patients with newly diagnosed achalasia were enrolled from to 2003 to 2008 in 14 centers in five European countries and were randomly assigned to either pneumatic dilation (PD) or laparoscopic Heller (LHM). The economic analysis was performed in the three centers in three different countries where most patients were enrolled (Amsterdam [NL], Leuven, [B] and Padova [I]) and then applied to all patients included in the study. The total raw costs of the two treatments per patient include the initial costs, the costs of complications, and the costs of retreatments. Two hundred and one patients, 107 (57 males and 50 females, mean age 46 CI: 43-49 years) were randomized to LHM and 94 (59 males and 34 females, mean age 46 CI 43-50 years) to PD. The total cost of PD per patient was quite comparable in the three different centers; €3397 in Padova, €3259 in Amsterdam and €3792 in Leuven. For LHM, the total costs per patient were highest in Amsterdam: €4488 in Padova, €6720 in Amsterdam, and €5856 in Leuven. In conclusion, the strategy of treating achalasia starting with PD appears the most economic approach, independent of the health system. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. An economic model to compare the profitability of pay-per-use and fixed-fee licensing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Postmus, Douwe; Wijngaard, Jacob; Wortmann, Hans

    This paper develops an economic model to compare the profitability of two strategies for the pricing of packaged software: fixed-fee and pay-per-use licensing. It is assumed that the market consists of a monopoly software vendor who is selling packaged software to Customers who are homogeneous in

  8. Happiness economics: a new road to measuring and comparing happiness

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Praag, B.M.S.; Ferrer-i-Carbonell, A.

    2011-01-01

    This paper deals with the concept of happiness in economics. Of late there has come into life a branch of happiness economics and it is this field that will be our concern. Actually, not only economists are interested in quantifications of happiness but also researchers in other disciplines. Notably

  9. A comparative assessment of the economic benefits from shale gas ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper is an attempt to inform the policy debate by highlighting both the potential economic benefits and environmental costs. To date, the Econometrix report (published in 2012) provides the only estimate of the economic impacts that may emanate from developing the Karoo's shale gas. The report uses a Keynesian ...

  10. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE GORJ COUNTY OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTIES IN CRISIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CONSTANTA ENEA

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Purpose of the paper is to highlight how the economy evolved in the Florida county comparison with neighboring counties in economic crisis that society through the difficult years. also study and make acomparison in terms of demographic characteristics, respectively, compared between young and old, labor migration, etc. form., indices that are decisive for evaluating the economic situation of the county above mentioned. Economically, the county is in the connection between the economy and sub-mountainous and mountainous plains. The specificity of its resources, Gorj is a leading energy suppliers of the country, both as primary energy (coal, oil and processed (heat and electricity1. Results and statistical sources that Gorj currently produces more than 20% of the thermoelectric power of2. In terms of population below national averages Gorj is the fourth in the region after Olt and Valcea. Is medium in size, being the third after Dolj and Valcea. In terms of urbanization, Gorj is below the national average and third in the region after Dolj and Mehedinti. After the general level of development, the county is in a less favorable position, because the permanent part is characterized by a lower level of development.

  11. Comparative Analysis Of Financial Performance Banking Before And After The Global Economic Crisis In 2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri Indrastuti S.

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted at the Regional Development Bank BPD in Indonesia. This study aims to examine and obtain empirical evidence about the comparative financial performance of regional banks after the global crisis with a view of its financial ratio which includes a ratio ROA CAR COF GMP LDR NIM ROA and ROE. This study further whether there was a significant difference in the time before and after the global economic crisis of 2008.The method used is a saturated or census sampling of the 26 Bank Pembangunan Daerah BPD. This study uses secondary data obtained from financial statement data Regional Development Bank for the period 2006 to 2010. The analytical tool used to determine differences in financial performance before and after the global economic crisis of 2008 was Paired sample T test for normally distributed data. If the data were not normally distributed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test.The results showed that the financial performance of the Bank Pembangunan Daerah BPD in the ratio of ROA CAR COF GMP LDR NIM and ROA before and after the global economic crisis in 2008 there are significant differences. While ROE ratios before and after the global economic crisis of 2008 was not a significant difference.

  12. Wind versus coal: Comparing the local economic impacts of energy resource development in Appalachia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collins, Alan R.; Hansen, Evan; Hendryx, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Two energy development scenarios were compared for the Coal River Mountain in Raleigh County, West Virginia: (1) mountaintop mining (MTM) of coal, and (2) wind energy plus underground mining of coal. Economic impact computations over the life of each energy development scenario were made on a county basis for output of goods and services, the number of jobs created, and local earnings. Externality costs were assigned monetary values for coal mining and subtracted from earnings. Premature mortality within the general population due to additional coal mining accounted for 96% of these external cost computations. The results showed that economic output over the life of each scenario was twice as high for MTM mining as wind energy plus underground coal mining. Over the short term, employment and earnings were higher for MTM mining, but towards the end of the scenario, cumulative employment and earnings became higher under scenario (2). When local externality costs were subtracted from local earnings, MTM coal production had an overall negative net social impact on the citizens of Raleigh County. The external costs of MTM coal production provide an explanation of the existence of a “resource curse” and the conflicting results of output versus income provide insights into why coal-producing counties are underdeveloped. - Highlights: ► Mountaintop mining (MTM) was compared to wind plus underground mining. ► Economic output was twice as high for MTM. ► Employment and earnings were cumulatively higher for wind energy. ► Including local externality costs, MTM had an overall negative net social impact. ► Results provide insights into why coal-producing counties are underdeveloped.

  13. Clinical, Ergonomic, and Economic Outcomes With Multichamber Bags Compared With (Hospital) Pharmacy Compounded Bags and Multibottle Systems: A Systematic Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfonso, Jorge Emilio; Berlana, David; Ukleja, Andrew; Boullata, Joseph

    2017-09-01

    Multichamber bags (MCBs) may offer potential clinical, ergonomic, and economic advantages compared with (hospital) pharmacy compounded bags (COBs) and multibottle systems (MBSs). A systematic literature review was performed to identify and assess the available evidence regarding advantages of MCBs compared with COBs and MBSs. Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Databases, and EconLit were searched for articles reporting clinical, ergonomic, and economic outcomes for MCBs compared with COBs or MBSs. The search was limited to studies conducted in hospitalized patients >2 years of age that were published in English between January 1990 and November 2014. The Population Intervention Comparison Outcomes Study Design (PICOS) framework was used for the analysis. From 1307 unique citations, 74 potentially relevant publications were identified; review of references identified 2 additional publications. Among the 76 publications, 18 published studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were retrospective in design. Ten studies reported clinical outcomes, including 1 prospective randomized trial and multiple retrospective analyses that reported a lower risk of bloodstream infection for MCBs compared with other delivery systems. Sixteen studies reported ergonomic and/or economic outcomes; most reported a potential cost benefit for MCBs, with consistent reports of reduced time and labor compared with other systems. The largest cost benefit was observed in studies evaluating total hospitalization costs. The systematic literature review identified evidence of potential clinical, ergonomic, and economic benefits for MCBs compared with COBs and MBSs; however, methodological factors limited evidence quality. More prospective studies are required to corroborate existing evidence.

  14. Comparative cost-effectiveness of antiviral therapies in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review of economic evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xin; Qin, Wen-Xia; Li, You-Ping; Jiang, Xu-Hua

    2007-09-01

    Economic efficiency of the alternative antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis B has not been systematically investigated and their quality remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to systematically overview economic evidence of antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis B. We searched six databases and eight major journals supplemented with screening references of eligible studies. Full economic evaluations comparing alternative antiviral therapies in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection were included. Two investigators assessed the study quality and transferability, independently. Data were analyzed qualitatively with adjustment when appropriate. Fourteen studies (six modeling vs eight trials and database analyses) were included. Quality was high in five studies, moderate in one US and five Chinese studies, and low in three Chinese studies. The major problems of quality are costing methods and analysis and the presentation of results. In Australia and Poland, lamivudine-preferred strategies dominated interferon (IFN)-alpha and its related strategy from the health-care sector perspective. In the US, adefovir salvage produced US$8446 per additional quality-adjusted life years (QALY) compared with IFN-alpha. In Spain, the cost of adefovir was US$34,840 for additional virological response. In Taiwan, the use of pegylated IFN-alpha (pegIFN-alpha) produced US$11,711.4 per additional QALY, compared with lamivudine. In China, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of combination therapy lamivudine ranged from US$2860 to US$22,160 per additional loss of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and IFN-alpha versus lamivudine ranged from US$2490 to US$8890 per additional loss of HBeAg. The cost-effectiveness frontiers of treatment alternatives vary and are influenced by the comparators and socioeconomic conditions of countries. Lamivudine-containing therapy is cost-effective when newer antiviral agents (e.g. adefovir/pegIFN-alpha) were not available

  15. Comparative analysis of public's perception of economic feasibility and reality for selected energy sources in Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roh, Seungkook; Jeong, Ik; Lee, Kibog; Kim, Dongwook; Kim, Hyunjin

    2016-01-01

    Controversy on nuclear energy has persisted ever since, but nuclear energy has maintained around 30% of electricity generation in Korea. This is because Korean wants to secure energy security and diversity of energy sources, but the most rational driver behind nuclear energy is the economic feasibility. Looking at the actual prices of electricity traded in the Korean Power Exchange, the price of electricity generated by nuclear energy is 39.1 Korean won per kWh, which is lower than that of other sources: 58.9 (bituminous coal), 221.8 (oil), 158.6 (gas), 170.9 (hydropower), 162.8 (wind) and 463.1 (photovoltaic). However only experts, regulators and people from electricity generation industry are aware of this fact and the public does not seem to be perceiving this correctly. This research, therefore, will compare the economic feasibility of energy sources and how it is perceived by the public in general. This research was able to identify the large gap between public's perception on and reality of economic feasibility of energy sources. There are two possible reasons for the gap. Firstly, the electricity price paid by the public is agnostic of energy sources. Therefore, it is difficult for the public to be aware that the electricity from nuclear energy is benefiting them and hence the public would be indifferent to the real economic feasibility. Secondly, public's awareness of nuclear reactor decommissioning and spent fuel processing along with easier access to relevant information the media would have played a role. In fact, number of press and media has questioned the economic feasibility of nuclear energy. However, the price of electricity generated by nuclear energy includes costs for future activities such as decommissioning, radioactive waste disposal and spent fuel disposal. The public seems to be not aware of such fact and therefore favoring the media. Such analysis leads to two major policy implications. Most importantly, the government should emphasize the

  16. Comparative study of economics of different models of family size biogas plants for state of Punjab, India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, K. Jatinder; Sooch, Sarbjit Singh

    2004-01-01

    Biogas, the end product of anaerobic digestion of cattle dung, can successfully supplement the cooking fuels in the countryside areas of India, where the raw material needed for its production is plentifully available. Because of the lack of awareness regarding selection of a suitable model and size of biogas plant, the full potential of the biogas producing material is not harnessed, and the economic viability of biogas technology is rendered doubtful. To facilitate this decision making, the economics of family size biogas plants, i.e. with capacity from 1 to 6 m 3 , was studied, and three prevalent models, viz. KVIC, Janta and Deenbandu, were compared. Calculations for installation cost and annual operational cost were made for the state of Punjab, India, where the hydraulic retention time is 40 days, and current market prices were taken into account. Comparison of the economics revealed that the cost of installation and annual operational cost of each capacity were higher for the KVIC model, followed by the Janta and then the Deenbandhu model. Irrespective of the model, as the capacity of the biogas plant increases, the installation, as well as the annual operational cost increase proportionately. With increase in capacity, the payback period decreased exponentially with the exponential character being highest for the KVIC model, followed by the Janta and then the Deenbandhu model. However, on the basis of comparative economics, the Deenbandhu model was found to be the cheapest and most viable model of biogas plant

  17. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF VAT EVOLUTION IN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MIHAELA ANDREEA STROE

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we study a comparative analysis of VAT in different states of the world. I made some observation on this theme because I believe that VAT is very important in carrying out transactions and the increase or decrease of this tax has a major impact upon national economies and also on the quality of life in developing countries. The papers has to pourpose to make a comparison between the American and European system of taxation with its advantages and disadvantages and, in the end to render an economic model and its statistics components. VAT is a value added tax which appeared about 50 years, initially with two purposes: one to replace certain indirect taxes, and another to reduce the budget deficit according to the faith of that time. The first country that has adopted this model was France, calling it today as value-added tax.

  18. Aerocrane: A hybrid LTA aircraft for aerial crane applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, R. G., Jr.; Doolittle, D. B.

    1975-01-01

    The Aerocrane, a hybrid aircraft, combines rotor lift with buoyant lift to offer VTOL load capability greatly in excess of helicopter technology while eliminating the airship problem of ballast transfer. In addition, the Aerocrane concept sharply reduces the mooring problem of airships and provides 360 deg vectorable thrust to supply a relatively large force component for control of gust loads. Designed for use in short range, ultra heavy lift missions, the Aerocrane operates in a performance envelope unsuitable for either helicopters or airships. Basic design considerations and potential problem areas of the concept are addressed.

  19. Criteria for comparing economic impact models of tourism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klijs, J.; Heijman, W.J.M.; Korteweg Maris, D.; Bryon, J.

    2012-01-01

    There are substantial differences between models of the economic impacts of tourism. Not only do the nature and precision of results vary, but data demands, complexity and underlying assumptions also differ. Often, it is not clear whether the models chosen are appropriate for the specific situation

  20. On the relationship between economic freedom and economic growth

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haan, Jakob de; Sturm, Jan-Egbert

    1999-01-01

    Often it is maintained that economic freedom may further high levels of economic growth. This paper compares various indicators for economic freedom. It is concluded that although these measures differ somewhat in their coverage, they show similar rankings for the countries covered. Some elements in

  1. Comparative economic factors on the use of radionuclide or electrical sources for food processing with ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagunas-Solar, M.C.

    1985-01-01

    Food irradiation is a promising addition to conventional food processing techniques. However, as is the case with most new technologies, its economic suitability will be determined by comparison to current methods. Assuming that current food processing facilities are adaptable to the incorporation of a food irradiation capability, an analysis of cost for several different optional systems able to process up to 100 Mrad ton/day (1 MGy ton/day; or 1,000 ton/day at 100 krad) will be made. Both radionuclide and electrical accelerators will be compared as sources of ionizing radiation. The cost of irradiation will be shown to be competitive with most other treatments including fumigation, low-temperature storage, and controlled atmosphere. A proper figure-of-merit for comparing the different sources will be defined and used as a basis for an economic evaluation of food irradiation. (author)

  2. Thermo-economic comparative analysis of gas turbine GT10 integrated with air and steam bottoming cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czaja, Daniel; Chmielnak, Tadeusz; Lepszy, Sebastian

    2014-12-01

    A thermodynamic and economic analysis of a GT10 gas turbine integrated with the air bottoming cycle is presented. The results are compared to commercially available combined cycle power plants based on the same gas turbine. The systems under analysis have a better chance of competing with steam bottoming cycle configurations in a small range of the power output capacity. The aim of the calculations is to determine the final cost of electricity generated by the gas turbine air bottoming cycle based on a 25 MW GT10 gas turbine with the exhaust gas mass flow rate of about 80 kg/s. The article shows the results of thermodynamic optimization of the selection of the technological structure of gas turbine air bottoming cycle and of a comparative economic analysis. Quantities are determined that have a decisive impact on the considered units profitability and competitiveness compared to the popular technology based on the steam bottoming cycle. The ultimate quantity that can be compared in the calculations is the cost of 1 MWh of electricity. It should be noted that the systems analyzed herein are power plants where electricity is the only generated product. The performed calculations do not take account of any other (potential) revenues from the sale of energy origin certificates. Keywords: Gas turbine air bottoming cycle, Air bottoming cycle, Gas turbine, GT10

  3. Economic transition and health transition: comparing China and Russia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Y; Rao, K; Fei, J

    1998-05-01

    Drawing on experiences from China and Russia (the world's two largest transitional economies), this paper empirically examines the impact of economic reforms on health status. While China's overall health status continued to improve after the economic reform, Russia experienced a serious deterioration in its population health. The observed differences in health performance between China and Russia can be explained by the different impacts of economic reforms on three major socioeconomic determinants of health. Depending on whether or not the reform improves physical environment (as reflected in income level and nutritional status), social environment (including social stability and security system), and health care, we would observe either a positive or a negative net effect on health. Despite remarkable differences in overall health development, China and Russia share some common problems. Mental and social health problems such as suicides and alcohol poisoning have been on the rise in both countries. These problems were much more serious in Russia, where political and social instability was more pronounced, associated with Russia's relatively radical reform process. With their economies moving toward a free market system, health sectors in China and Russia are undergoing marketization, which has had serious detrimental effect on the public health services.

  4. A practical concept for powered or tethered weight-lifting LTA vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balleyguier, M. A.

    1975-01-01

    A concept for a multi-hull weightlifting airship is presented. The concept is based upon experience in the design and handling of gas-filled balloons for commercial purposes, it was first tested in April, 1972. In the flight test, two barrage balloons were joined side-by-side, with an intermediate frame, and launched in captive flight. The success of this flight test led to plans for a development program calling for a powered, piloted prototype, a follow-on 40 ton model, and a 400 ton transport model. All of these airships utilize a tetrehedric three-line tethering method for loading and unloading phases of flight, which bypasses many of the difficulties inherent in the handling of a conventional airship near the ground. Both initial and operating costs per ton of lift capability are significantly less for the subject design than for either helicopters or airships of conventional mono-hull design.

  5. SAVINGS BEHAVIOUR IN HOUSEHOLDS OF FARMERS AS COMPARED TO OTHER SOCIO-ECONOMIC GROUPS IN POLAND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Kozera

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Savings generated by the sector of households constitute an important growth factor in every economy. They are the basic source of capital accumulation, determining investment opportunities of the economy. Financial behaviour of households in terms of the accumulation of savings is infl uenced  by numerous factors, both internal, i.e. connected directly with a given household, and external, independent of it. The aim of this paper was to analyse savings behaviour of households of farmers as compared to the other socio-economicgroups in Poland in the years 2003 and 2013. Analyses were conducted on saving propensity, savings rates, and objectives and forms of savings accumulation by households of various socio-economic groups. Analyses showed that in 2013, saving propensity and savings rates in households of farmers were relatively low in comparison to other household groups. In households of farmers the objective of savings was, more frequently than in the other socio-economic groups of households, to ensure provisions for running consumption expenditure, purchase durable goods and expand their economic activity. In contrast, in comparison to the other households, farmers less frequently saved money for recreation and physical therapy.

  6. Indigenous People, Economic Development and Sustainable Tourism: A Comparative Analysis between Bali, Indonesia and Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Putri Triari

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and has been used as a vehicle for indigenous people to engage in economic development opportunities within their local communities. The concept of sustainable tourism has brought greater awareness towards maintaining the economic and social advantages of tourism development whilst ensuring the industry is both socio-cultural and environmentally sustainable. A central component to the definition of sustainable tourism is the empowerment of indigenous people to take advantage of the benefits of the tourism industry. This article will demonstrate that in certain instances there is conflict between indigenous peoples’ culture, particularly communal ownership of land and the tourism industry. This research uses comparative analysis between Bali, Indonesia and the Northern Territory of Australia to analyse the social and legal impediments, which affect the potential of local indigenous people to contribute to sustainable tourism. The conclusion drawn in this article is that both Indonesia and Australia have attempted to provide legal frameworks to promote tourism and development alongside indigenous people, however in both cases the tourism industry has not always been easily applicable to indigenous people’s concept of land ownership and communal sharing of economic assets.

  7. Comparative analysis between a PEM fuel cell and an internal combustion engine driving an electricity generator: Technical, economical and ecological aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braga, Lúcia Bollini; Silveira, Jose Luz; Evaristo da Silva, Marcio; Machin, Einara Blanco; Pedroso, Daniel Travieso; Tuna, Celso Eduardo

    2014-01-01

    In the recent years the fuel cells have received much attention. Among various technologies, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is currently the most appropriate and is used in several vehicles prototype. A comparative technical, economical and ecological analysis between an Internal Combustion Engine fueled with Diesel driving an electricity Generator (ICE-G) and a PEMFC fed by hydrogen produced by ethanol steam reforming was performed. The technical analysis showed the advantages of the PEMFC in comparison to the ICE-G based in energetic and exergetic aspects. The economic analysis shows that fuel cells are not economic competitive when compared to internal combustion engine driving an electricity generator with the same generation capacity; it will only be economically feasible in a long term; due to the large investments required. The environmental analysis was based on concepts of CO 2 equivalent, pollution indicator and ecological efficiency. Different to the ICE-G system, the Fuel Cell does not emit pollutants directly and the emission related to this technology is linked mainly with hydrogen production. The ecological efficiency of PEMFC was 96% considering the carbon dioxide cycle, for ICE-G system this parameter reach 51%. -- Highlights: • The exergetic efficiency of ICE-G was 22% and for the fuel cell was 40%. • The PEM fuel cell at long-term become economically competitive compared to ICE-G. • The ecological efficiency of PEM fuel cell was 96% and Diesel ICE-G was 51%

  8. Sugammadex compared with neostigmine/glycopyrrolate for routine reversal of neuromuscular block: a systematic review and economic evaluation†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paton, F.; Paulden, M.; Chambers, D.; Heirs, M.; Duffy, S.; Hunter, J. M.; Sculpher, M.; Woolacott, N.

    2010-01-01

    Summary The cost-effectiveness of sugammadex for the routine reversal of muscle relaxation produced by rocuronium or vecuronium in UK practice is uncertain. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of sugammadex compared with neostigmine/glycopyrrolate and an economic assessment of sugammadex for the reversal of moderate or profound neuromuscular block (NMB) produced by rocuronium or vecuronium. The economic assessment aimed to establish the reduction in recovery time and the ‘value of time saved’ which would be necessary for sugammadex to be potentially cost-effective compared with existing practice. Three trials indicated that sugammadex 2 mg kg−1 (4 mg kg−1) produces more rapid recovery from moderate (profound) NMB than neostigmine/glycopyrrolate. The economic assessment indicated that if the reductions in recovery time associated with sugammadex in the trials are replicated in routine practice, sugammadex would be cost-effective if those reductions are achieved in the operating theatre (assumed value of staff time, £4.44 per minute), but not if they are achieved in the recovery room (assumed value of staff time, £0.33 per minute). However, there is considerable uncertainty in these results. Sugammadex has the potential to be cost-effective compared with neostigmine/glycopyrrolate for the reversal of rocuronium-induced moderate or profound NMB, provided that the time savings observed in trials can be achieved and put to productive use in clinical practice. Further research is required to evaluate the effects of sugammadex on patient safety, predictability of recovery from NMB, patient outcomes, and efficient use of resources. PMID:20935005

  9. Market economic systems

    OpenAIRE

    Pryor, Frederic L.

    2004-01-01

    The new comparative economics has focused on individual institutions, rather than the economic system as a whole. This essay argues that economic systems should be defined in terms of clusters of complementary or covarying institutions. A cluster analysis of OECD countries using data on forty different economic institutions shows that four economic systems characterize these nations. Further, these systems have no significant impact on economic growth or inflation, but they do have an importa...

  10. Economic Developments on Perceived Safety, Violence, and Economic Benefits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthony Fabio

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Emerging research highlights the promise of community- and policy-level strategies in preventing youth violence. Large-scale economic developments, such as sports and entertainment arenas and casinos, may improve the living conditions, economics, public health, and overall wellbeing of area residents and may influence rates of violence within communities. Objective. To assess the effect of community economic development efforts on neighborhood residents’ perceptions on violence, safety, and economic benefits. Methods. Telephone survey in 2011 using a listed sample of randomly selected numbers in six Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Descriptive analyses examined measures of perceived violence and safety and economic benefit. Responses were compared across neighborhoods using chi-square tests for multiple comparisons. Survey results were compared to census and police data. Results. Residents in neighborhoods with the large-scale economic developments reported more casino-specific and arena-specific economic benefits. However, 42% of participants in the neighborhood with the entertainment arena felt there was an increase in crime, and 29% of respondents from the neighborhood with the casino felt there was an increase. In contrast, crime decreased in both neighborhoods. Conclusions. Large-scale economic developments have a direct influence on the perception of violence, despite actual violence rates.

  11. Energetic and economic optimization of industrial systems compared

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LeGoff, P.; Rivero, R.; de Oliverira, S.; Schwarzer, B.

    1990-01-01

    Industrial processes can be represented as open systems where available energy (exergy) enters, utilized energy (exergy content of goods and services) exits and degraded energy (destroyed exergy) is rejected into the environment. The overall evaluation of each process can be made according to an energy accounting (in terms of exergy or of primary fossil energy) or a financial accounting (in terms of national or foreign currency). In any case, the process can be optimized by determining the best compromise between the costs of the various input fluxes. According to the needs of the decision maker one can choose the most convenient value criterion which would be to minimize: the total cost in national currency, for a project engineer working for a private company; the payments in foreign currency, for a public organization; the total energy consumption, for a hypothetical decision maker responsible for the world's non renewable fossil energy; the entropy production in order to increase the thermodynamic efficiency of the process. This paper presents and compares some examples of energetic and economic optimizations, according to various criteria. The examples given concern a heat exchanger, the drying of beet pulp and some heat transformers for upgrading industrial waste heat. Furthermore, the authors generalize the concept of pay-back time through the ratio of the invested capital cost and of the operating cost given in terms of exergy or of primary energy. Numerical values are given for an oil-fired boiler

  12. The Opinions of Economics Majors before and after Learning Economics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammock, Michael R.; Routon, P. Wesley; Walker, Jay K.

    2016-01-01

    Using longitudinal data on undergraduates from 463 American colleges and universities from 1994-99, the authors examine how majoring in economics affects student opinions on 13 social, political, and economic issues. Economics majors were found to begin and end their college tenure with differing opinions on several issues when compared to other…

  13. Military Airlift: C-17 Aircraft Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-06-05

    cigar-shaped airships, a hybrid airship is shaped more like an aircraft’s wing, to generate lift through aerodynamic forces. Advocates hope that such...Appendix 1. System Description60 Power Plant: Four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines Wingspan: 169 feet 10 inches (to winglet tips) (51.76

  14. Comparative environmental and economic assessment of production, use and recycling of aluminium cans: Bologna vs Copenhagen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Princigallo, Raffaele; Visini, Davide; Bonoli, Alessandra

    2016-01-01

    in the integrated LCA -LCC analysis. The comparative analysis of aluminium cans production, use, collection and recycling in the two systems showed that the best option from an environmental point of view is also leading to higher costs and trade - offs need to be considered in the decision making process....... and Copenhagen. We performed a combined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis of the purchasing, production and wa ste management of beer aluminium cans, with the aim to compare the environmental and economic performances of the two systems and to identify potential misalignment...

  15. The Role of Higher Education in Economic Growth: A Comparative Analysis of the Republic of South Korea and the Republic of India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaulee, Uttam

    2016-01-01

    We may examine the relationship between higher education and economic growth by comparing the Republic of Korea to the Republic of India. How do political educational decisions impact economic growth? Although both countries began with relatively underdeveloped economies at the time of their independence in the late 1940s, these two countries took…

  16. Economic evaluation of home-based telebehavioural health care compared to in-person treatment delivery for depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bounthavong, Mark; Pruitt, Larry D; Smolenski, Derek J; Gahm, Gregory A; Bansal, Aasthaa; Hansen, Ryan N

    2018-02-01

    Introduction Home-based telebehavioural healthcare improves access to mental health care for patients restricted by travel burden. However, there is limited evidence assessing the economic value of home-based telebehavioural health care compared to in-person care. We sought to compare the economic impact of home-based telebehavioural health care and in-person care for depression among current and former US service members. Methods We performed trial-based cost-minimisation and cost-utility analyses to assess the economic impact of home-based telebehavioural health care versus in-person behavioural care for depression. Our analyses focused on the payer perspective (Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs) at three months. We also performed a scenario analysis where all patients possessed video-conferencing technology that was approved by these agencies. The cost-utility analysis evaluated the impact of different depression categories on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the model assumptions. Results In the base case analysis the total direct cost of home-based telebehavioural health care was higher than in-person care (US$71,974 versus US$20,322). Assuming that patients possessed government-approved video-conferencing technology, home-based telebehavioural health care was less costly compared to in-person care (US$19,177 versus US$20,322). In one-way sensitivity analyses, the proportion of patients possessing personal computers was a major driver of direct costs. In the cost-utility analysis, home-based telebehavioural health care was dominant when patients possessed video-conferencing technology. Results from probabilistic sensitivity analyses did not differ substantially from base case results. Discussion Home-based telebehavioural health care is dependent on the cost of supplying video-conferencing technology to patients but offers the opportunity to

  17. Economic assessment of use values of near-natural forestry compared with rotational forestry in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amsalu, Dareskedar Workie; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl; Lundhede, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    The present study is a cost-benefit analysis of converting the current rotational forestry (RF) of Norway spruce stand into near-natural forestry (NNF) of beech, based on two representative soil conditions and visitors popular case areas in Denmark, considering welfare economic values of timber......, recreation provision, and groundwater recharge. The study answers the major research question of how large the welfare economic values of recreation and groundwater benefits of the conversion are as compared with timber benefits. The net present values (NPV) of the benefits were calculated for an infinite...... time horizon at a 3 % discount rate. The results reveal that converting into NNF would result in a NPV of at least 6,832 € ha−1 from use values of recreation and water benefit on a site with good soil and a high visitor frequency, as is typical in the eastern part of Denmark. On a site in the west...

  18. Comparative analysis of public's perception of economic feasibility and reality for selected energy sources in Korea

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roh, Seungkook; Jeong, Ik; Lee, Kibog [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dongwook [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyunjin [Korea Nuclear Energy Agency, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    Controversy on nuclear energy has persisted ever since, but nuclear energy has maintained around 30% of electricity generation in Korea. This is because Korean wants to secure energy security and diversity of energy sources, but the most rational driver behind nuclear energy is the economic feasibility. Looking at the actual prices of electricity traded in the Korean Power Exchange, the price of electricity generated by nuclear energy is 39.1 Korean won per kWh, which is lower than that of other sources: 58.9 (bituminous coal), 221.8 (oil), 158.6 (gas), 170.9 (hydropower), 162.8 (wind) and 463.1 (photovoltaic). However only experts, regulators and people from electricity generation industry are aware of this fact and the public does not seem to be perceiving this correctly. This research, therefore, will compare the economic feasibility of energy sources and how it is perceived by the public in general. This research was able to identify the large gap between public's perception on and reality of economic feasibility of energy sources. There are two possible reasons for the gap. Firstly, the electricity price paid by the public is agnostic of energy sources. Therefore, it is difficult for the public to be aware that the electricity from nuclear energy is benefiting them and hence the public would be indifferent to the real economic feasibility. Secondly, public's awareness of nuclear reactor decommissioning and spent fuel processing along with easier access to relevant information the media would have played a role. In fact, number of press and media has questioned the economic feasibility of nuclear energy. However, the price of electricity generated by nuclear energy includes costs for future activities such as decommissioning, radioactive waste disposal and spent fuel disposal. The public seems to be not aware of such fact and therefore favoring the media. Such analysis leads to two major policy implications. Most importantly, the government should

  19. Comparing Statewide Economic Impacts of New Generation from Wind, Coal, and Natural Gas in Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tegen, S.

    2006-05-01

    With increasing concerns about energy independence, job outsourcing, and risks of global climate change, it is important for policy makers to understand all impacts from their decisions about energy resources. This paper assesses one aspect of the impacts: direct economic effects. The paper compares impacts to states from equivalent new electrical generation from wind, natural gas, and coal. Economic impacts include materials and labor for construction, operations, maintenance, fuel extraction, and fuel transport, as well as project financing, property tax, and landowner revenues. We examine spending on plant construction during construction years, in addition to all other operational expenditures over a 20-year span. Initial results indicate that adding new wind power can be more economically effective than adding new gas or coal power and that a higher percentage of dollars spent on coal and gas will leave the state. For this report, we interviewed industry representatives and energy experts, in addition to consulting government documents, models, and existing literature. The methodology for this research can be adapted to other contexts for determining economic effects of new power generation in other states and regions.

  20. Fostering Women's Economic Empowerment through Special Economic Zones : Comparative Analysis of Eight Countries and Implications for Governments, Zone Authorities and Businesses

    OpenAIRE

    World Bank; International Finance Corporation

    2011-01-01

    This global report examines the opportunity for special economic zones to promote women's economic empowerment and boost zone and enterprise competitiveness in developing countries. The research covers Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Jordan, Kenya, and the Philippines. The study focuses on women's economic empowerment in the context of zones at three levels: (i) fair emp...

  1. Skill-based immigration, economic integration, and economic performance

    OpenAIRE

    Aydemir, Abdurrahman

    2014-01-01

    Studies for major immigrant-receiving countries provide evidence on the comparative economic performance of immigrant classes (skill-, kinship-, and humanitarian-based). Developed countries are increasingly competing for high-skilled immigrants, who perform better in the labor market. However, there are serious challenges to their economic integration, which highlights a need for complementary immigration and integration policies.

  2. Energy consumption, prices and economic growth in three SSA countries: A comparative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odhiambo, Nicholas M.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we examine the causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in three sub-Saharan African countries, namely South Africa, Kenya and Congo (DRC). We incorporate prices as an intermittent variable in a bivariate setting between energy consumption and economic growth-thereby creating a simple trivariate framework. Using the ARDL-bounds testing procedure, we find that the causality between energy consumption and economic growth varies significantly across the countries under study. The results show that for South Africa and Kenya there is a unidirectional causal flow from energy consumption to economic growth. However, for Congo (DRC) it is economic growth that drives energy consumption. These findings have important policy implications insofar as energy conservation policies are concerned. In the case of Congo (DRC), for example, the implementation of energy conservation policies may not significantly affect economic growth because the country's economy is not entirely energy dependent. However, for South Africa and Kenya there is a need for more energy supply augmentations in order to cope with the long-run energy demand. In the short-run, however, the two countries should explore more efficient and cost-effective sources of energy in order to address the energy dependency problem.

  3. ECONOMIC CRISIS AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN EUROPEAN UNION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodica CRUDU

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The impact of the economic and financial crisis is still being felt. It started as an acute crisis of the banking system, but then quickly affected the real economy, causing a substantial slump in business investment, household demand and output. The current economic crisis has affected almost all European countries but the countries of the European south and the former eastern socialist republics have suffered the most. The objective in this paper is to quantify economic disparities as expressed by several growth indicators, such as GDP per capita, employment/unemployment rates, labour productivity rates and use them to compare the economic performances before and after the crisis. EU took several measures to recover from the economic crisis. Nevertheless, its ability to adjust to widely diverse national and local contexts that have been impacted differently by the effects of the crisis, and to support the different patterns of economic growth that will result from it, is yet to be seen.

  4. Socio-economic inequality in preterm birth: a comparative study of the Nordic countries from 1981 to 2000

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Christina B; Mortensen, Laust H; Morgen, Camilla S

    2009-01-01

    During the 1980s and 1990s, there were large social and structural changes within the Nordic countries. Here we examine time changes in risks of preterm birth by maternal educational attainment in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Information on gestational age and maternal socio-economic posi......During the 1980s and 1990s, there were large social and structural changes within the Nordic countries. Here we examine time changes in risks of preterm birth by maternal educational attainment in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Information on gestational age and maternal socio......-economic position was obtained from the NorCHASE database, which includes comparable population-based register data of births from Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway from 1981 to 2000. The risks of very preterm birth (12 years of education, mothers with...

  5. A comparative study of the economic effectiveness of Polish manufacturers of mushroom compost

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Łobos

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available In this study the results of the economic efficiency of manufacturers of mushroom compost have been presented. The economic efficiency is operationalized in the following research by selected indicators of efficiency, rotation, and synthetic indicator Z. The main purpose of the study is an analysis of the economic efficiency of companies in the branch development prediction context. The study uses data from the Official Journal of the Republic of Poland “Monitor Polski B”.

  6. The economics of 4 grams once daily mesalazine dosing compared with 4 grams twice daily in active ulcerative colitis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Connolly, M.; Kuyvenhoven, J.; Postma, M.; Nielsen, S.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Dosing frequency is an important treatment consideration that has been shown to influence adherence and outcomes when treating ulcerative colitis (UC). In this analysis we evaluate the economic consequences of outcome differences observed in the study comparing mesalazine 4g per day once

  7. Comparative technical-economical analysis of solar systems with liquid absorbent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaloyanov, N.; Popova, I.

    2005-01-01

    An analyses of solar water heating systems with two types liquid absorbent is presented. A system with classic collector design is used for comparison. The dependence between the value of the collectors active area and the absorbent type, collectors slope and design parameters is discussed. Two economic indexes (payback period and index of actual net value, based on the electricity price) are used for comparison of the different variants of the system. The presented results shown that: 1) the payback period can be reduced twice if the collectors with liquid absorbent are used; 2) the index of actual net value of the systems using the collectors with fluid absorbent is about four times higher than this one with classic collectors; 3) the systems using distilled water like a liquid absorbent can not fulfil the requirements for the positive economic indicators

  8. Comparing Statewide Economic Impacts of New Generation from Wind, Coal, and Natural Gas in Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tegen, S.

    2005-08-01

    With increasing concerns about energy independence, job outsourcing, and risks of global climate change, it is important for policy makers to understand all impacts from their decisions about energy resources. This paper assesses one aspect of the impacts: direct economic effects. The paper compares impacts to states from equivalent new electrical generation from wind, natural gas, and coal. Economic impacts include materials and labor for construction, operations, maintenance, fuel extraction, and fuel transport, as well as project financing, property tax, and landowner revenues. We examine spending on plant construction during construction years, in addition to all other operational expenditures over a 20-year span. Initial results indicate that adding new wind power can be more economically effective than adding new gas or coal power, and that a higher percentage of dollars spent on coal and gas will leave the state. For this report, we interviewed industry representatives and energy experts, in addition to consulting government documents, models, and existing literature. The methodology for this research can be adapted to other contexts for determining economic effects of new power generation in other states and regions.

  9. Bioethanol production from forestry residues: A comparative techno-economic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frankó, Balázs; Galbe, Mats; Wallberg, Ola

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A proposed cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Sweden was simulated with Aspen Plus. • Forestry residues with different bark contents were evaluated as raw materials. • The bark content negatively influenced the minimum ethanol selling price. • Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the influence of raw material cost. - Abstract: A techno-economic analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of using forestry residues with different bark contents for bioethanol production. A proposed cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Sweden was simulated with Aspen Plus. The plant was assumed to convert different forestry assortments (sawdust and shavings, fuel logs, early thinnings, tops and branches, hog fuel and pulpwood) to ethanol, pellets, biogas and electricity. The intention was not to obtain absolute ethanol production costs for future facilities, but to assess and compare the future potential of utilizing different forestry residues for bioethanol production. The same plant design and operating conditions were assumed in all cases, and the effect of including bark on the whole conversion process, especially how it influenced the ethanol production cost, was studied. While the energy efficiency (not including district heating) obtained for the whole process was between 67 and 69% regardless of the raw material used, the ethanol production cost differed considerably; the minimum ethanol selling price ranging from 0.77 to 1.52 USD/L. Under the basic assumptions, all the forestry residues apart from sawdust and shavings exhibited a negative net present value at current market prices. The profitability decreased with increasing bark content of the raw material. Sensitivity analyses showed that, at current market prices, the utilization of bark-containing forestry residues will not provide significant cost improvement compared with pulpwood unless the conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to monomeric sugars is improved.

  10. Economic Evaluation of Pollination Services Comparing Coffee Landscapes in Ecuador and Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Roland Olschewski; Teja Tscharntke; Pablo C. Benítez; Stefan Schwarze; Alexandra-Maria Klein

    2006-01-01

    Biodiversity conservation through land-use systems on private land is becoming a pressing environmental policy issue. Agroforestry, such as shade-coffee production, contributes to biodiversity conservation. However, falling coffee prices force many coffee growers to convert their sites into economically more attractive land uses. We performed an economic evaluation of coffee pollination by bees in two distinct tropical regions: an area of low human impact with forests neighboring agroforestry...

  11. Comparative techno-economic analysis of biohydrogen production via bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yanan; Brown, Tristan R.; Hu, Guiping; Brown, Robert C.

    2013-01-01

    This paper evaluates the economic feasibility of biohydrogen production via two bio-oil processing pathways: bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming. Both pathways employ fast pyrolysis to produce bio-oil from biomass stock. The two pathways are modeled using Aspen Plus ® for a 2000 t d −1 facility. Equipment sizing and cost calculations are based on Aspen Economic Evaluation® software. Biohydrogen production capacity at the facility is 147 t d −1 for the bio-oil gasification pathway and 160 t d −1 for the bio-oil reforming pathway. The biomass-to-fuel energy efficiencies are 47% and 84% for the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Total capital investment (TCI) is 435 million dollars for the bio-oil gasification pathway and is 333 million dollars for the bio-oil reforming pathway. Internal rates of return (IRR) are 8.4% and 18.6% for facilities employing the bio-oil gasification and bio-oil reforming pathways, respectively. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that biohydrogen price, biohydrogen yield, fixed capital investment (FCI), bio-oil yield, and biomass cost have the greatest impacts on facility IRR. Monte-Carlo analysis shows that bio-oil reforming is more economically attractive than bio-oil gasification for biohydrogen production. -- Highlights: ► Biohydrogen production via bio-oil reforming has higher energy efficiency compared to gasification. ► Hydrogen price, fixed capital cost, and feedstock cost most strongly affect IRR. ► Lower risk investment is biohydrogen production via bio-oil reforming

  12. Ranking economic history journals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Di Vaio, Gianfranco; Weisdorf, Jacob Louis

    2010-01-01

    This study ranks-for the first time-12 international academic journals that have economic history as their main topic. The ranking is based on data collected for the year 2007. Journals are ranked using standard citation analysis where we adjust for age, size and self-citation of journals. We also...... compare the leading economic history journals with the leading journals in economics in order to measure the influence on economics of economic history, and vice versa. With a few exceptions, our results confirm the general idea about what economic history journals are the most influential for economic...... history, and that, although economic history is quite independent from economics as a whole, knowledge exchange between the two fields is indeed going on....

  13. Ranking Economic History Journals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Di Vaio, Gianfranco; Weisdorf, Jacob Louis

    This study ranks - for the first time - 12 international academic journals that have economic history as their main topic. The ranking is based on data collected for the year 2007. Journals are ranked using standard citation analysis where we adjust for age, size and self-citation of journals. We...... also compare the leading economic history journals with the leading journals in economics in order to measure the influence on economics of economic history, and vice versa. With a few exceptions, our results confirm the general idea about what economic history journals are the most influential...... for economic history, and that, although economic history is quite independent from economics as a whole, knowledge exchange between the two fields is indeed going on....

  14. The comparative analysis of safety and economic competitiveness of the advanced high-power reactor projects of NPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batyrbekov, G.A.; Makhanov, U.M.; Philimonova, R.A.; Kichutkina, E.G.

    2002-01-01

    The comparative analysis results of the safety and economic competitiveness of the seven advanced large sized reactors projects (900 MW and more) are submitted in that report: EPR, Frameatome France, Siemens Germany; EP-1000 Westinghouse, USA and Genesi Italy; Candu 9, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd; System 80 +, ABB, USA; KNGR, group NSSS Engineering and Development, Korea Power Engineering Company, Inc; APWR, Electric Power company, Japan Atomic Power Company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Westinghouse Electric; and WWER-1000 (V-392), Atomenergoproject/Gidropress Russian Federation. According to the economic competitiveness of listed compared power reactors the 14 criteria of safety have been accepted. These criteria: 1. Features of the barrier system of 'defence-in-depth'. 2. The self-security of a reactor under increase of power and reactivity of a reactor, decrease of the expense and phase transformations of the reactor core coolant (presence of negative feedbacks). 3. Presence of the reactor shutdown systems responding principles of a variety, independence and reservation. Presence of the passive means of initiation and operation of the emergency protection. 4. The emergency cooling of the core of reactor. A presence of the passive means of cooling. Presence of the water reservation for the water supply of the different safety systems. 5. The emergency electrical supply, its reliability and degree of reservation. 6. The prevention measures of the heavy accident with the melt core. The decrease of the heavy accident probability. 7. The account of the heavy accident under development of the levels of protection. 8. The protection levels of NPP, the technological criteria of efficiency of the each safety barriers and the limiting radiation criteria for the each level of protection , in particular for the design-basis and beyond-design-basis accidents. 9. The measures for reduction of the heavy accident consequences. The management by the beyond

  15. The Economics of Comparable Worth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Killingsworth, Mark R.

    This document concludes that the basic difficulty with comparable worth is that it is an ill-conceived solution to a serious problem and that alternative policies, such as equal employment opportunity legislation or application of antitrust laws, provide means of addressing employment discrimination that are both more effective and less likely to…

  16. (Judicial mediation in Italy and Serbia: Comparative legal and economic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mojašević Aleksandar S.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the author analyzes the (judicial mediation in Italy and Serbia from the legal and economic aspects. Given the fact that Serbia and Italy belong to the same legal system, that there are many similar problems in the regulation and implementation of mediation in practice, but also considering that Italy has gone a step further in the regulation of this legal institution primarily by introducing mandatory mediation, the aim of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of the concepts and institutional forms of mediation in the two countries and, consequently, to observe if there are any legal solutions that Serbia could possibly adopt from the Italian legal system. We assume that the Italian experience in the regulation and implementation of mediation, and its mandatory form in particular, could serve as a solid basis for finding certain legal solutions that could potentially contribute to improving the efficiency of this legal institution in our country. The main finding is that the institutionalizing of mandatory mediation in specific disputes, primarily in disputes on civil and commercial matters, would improve the efficiency of mediation in Serbia.

  17. Economic evaluation of an intensive group training protocol compared with usual care physiotherapy in patients with chronic low back pain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Roer, N.; van Tulder, M.; van Mechelen, W.; de Vet, H.C.W.

    2008-01-01

    STUDY DESIGN. Economic evaluation from a societal perspective conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of 52 weeks. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the cost effectiveness and cost utility of an intensive group training protocol compared with usual care physiotherapy in patients with

  18. Economic Benefits of Studying Economics in Canada: A Comparison of Wages of Economics Majors with Wages in Other Fields of Study, Circa 2005

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbari, Ather H.; Aydede, Yigit

    2015-01-01

    We compared the wages of economics degree holders with of those in 49 other fields of study using data from the 2006 Canadian population census. At the undergraduate level, economics majors earned the sixth highest average wage in 2005. When demographic controls were applied, they ranked ninth on the salary scale. When we compared the wages in 15…

  19. A Behavioral Economic Reward Index Predicts Drinking Resolutions: Moderation Re-visited and Compared with Other Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Jalie A.; Roth, David L.; Vignolo, Mary J.; Westfall, Andrew O.

    2014-01-01

    Data were pooled from three studies of recently resolved community-dwelling problem drinkers to determine whether a behavioral economic index of the value of rewards available over different time horizons distinguished among moderation (n = 30), abstinent (n = 95), and unresolved (n = 77) outcomes. Moderation over 1-2 year prospective follow-up intervals was hypothesized to involve longer term behavior regulation processes compared to abstinence or relapse and to be predicted by more balanced pre-resolution monetary allocations between short- and longer-term objectives (i.e., drinking and saving for the future). Standardized odds ratios (OR) based on changes in standard deviation units from a multinomial logistic regression indicated that increases on this “Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure” index predicted higher rates of both abstinence (OR = 1.93, p = .004) and relapse (OR = 2.89, p moderation outcomes. The index had incremental utility in predicting moderation in complex models that included other established predictors. The study adds to evidence supporting a behavioral economic analysis of drinking resolutions and shows that a systematic analysis of pre-resolution spending patterns aids in predicting moderation. PMID:19309182

  20. The Stabilization of Position and Attitude for a Blimp by a Switching Controller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshikazu Nakamura

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the development of unmanned air vehicles aiming at vegetation observation, information gathering of a disaster site, etc. is increasing. Among them, airships are attractive because of good energy efficiency and it is possible to be employed for a long time cruise. Especially, small airships called “blimp” have been developing to make the management easy. Although most of existing airships employ control methods by combining propellers and rudders, such a control approach has the problem that the maneuverability is deteriorated if their traveling speed is slow because the airflow received by rudders is weakened. In this research, “X4-Blimp” is proposed as a blimp controlled by only four propellers without any rudders, and it is controlled by a switching controller.

  1. Behavioral economics

    OpenAIRE

    Camerer, Colin F.

    2014-01-01

    Economics, like behavioral psychology, is a science of behavior, albeit highly organized human behavior. The value of economic concepts for behavioral psychology rests on (1) their empirical validity when tested in the laboratory with individual subjects and (2) their uniqueness when compared to established behavioral concepts. Several fundamental concepts are introduced and illustrated by reference to experimental data: open and closed economies, elastic and inelastic demand, and substitutio...

  2. A comparative economic assessment of hydrogen production from large central versus smaller distributed plant in a carbon constrained world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Y.V.; Ngo, Y.A.; Tinkler, M.J.; Cowan, N.

    2003-01-01

    This paper compares the economics of producing hydrogen at large central plants versus smaller distributed plants at user sites. The economics of two types of central plant, each at 100 million standard cubic feet per day of hydrogen, based on electrolysis and natural gas steam reforming technologies, will be discussed. The additional cost of controlling CO 2 emissions from the natural gas steam reforming plant will be included in the analysis in order to satisfy the need to live in a future carbon constrained world. The cost of delivery of hydrogen from the large central plant to the user sites in a large metropolitan area will be highlighted, and the delivered cost will be compared to the cost from on-site distributed generation plants. Five types of distributed generation plants, based on proton exchange membrane, alkaline electrolysis and advanced steam reforming, will be analysed and discussed. Two criteria were used to rank various hydrogen production options, the cost of production and the price of hydrogen to achieve an acceptable return of investment. (author)

  3. Mortality and economic instability: detailed analyses for Britain and comparative analyses for selected industrialized countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brenner, M H

    1983-01-01

    This paper discusses a first-stage analysis of the link of unemployment rates, as well as other economic, social and environmental health risk factors, to mortality rates in postwar Britain. The results presented represent part of an international study of the impact of economic change on mortality patterns in industrialized countries. The mortality patterns examined include total and infant mortality and (by cause) cardiovascular (total), cerebrovascular and heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide, homicide and motor vehicle accidents. Among the most prominent factors that beneficially influence postwar mortality patterns in England/Wales and Scotland are economic growth and stability and health service availability. A principal detrimental factor to health is a high rate of unemployment. Additional factors that have an adverse influence on mortality rates are cigarette consumption and heavy alcohol use and unusually cold winter temperatures (especially in Scotland). The model of mortality that includes both economic changes and behavioral and environmental risk factors was successfully applied to infant mortality rates in the interwar period. In addition, the "simple" economic change model of mortality (using only economic indicators) was applied to other industrialized countries. In Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, the simple version of the economic change model could be successfully applied only if the analysis was begun before World War II; for analysis beginning in the postwar era, the more sophisticated economic change model, including behavioral and environmental risk factors, was required. In France, West Germany, Italy, and Spain, by contrast, some success was achieved using the simple economic change model.

  4. Quantifying China's regional economic complexity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jian; Zhou, Tao

    2018-02-01

    China has experienced an outstanding economic expansion during the past decades, however, literature on non-monetary metrics that reveal the status of China's regional economic development are still lacking. In this paper, we fill this gap by quantifying the economic complexity of China's provinces through analyzing 25 years' firm data. First, we estimate the regional economic complexity index (ECI), and show that the overall time evolution of provinces' ECI is relatively stable and slow. Then, after linking ECI to the economic development and the income inequality, we find that the explanatory power of ECI is positive for the former but negative for the latter. Next, we compare different measures of economic diversity and explore their relationships with monetary macroeconomic indicators. Results show that the ECI index and the non-linear iteration based Fitness index are comparative, and they both have stronger explanatory power than other benchmark measures. Further multivariate regressions suggest the robustness of our results after controlling other socioeconomic factors. Our work moves forward a step towards better understanding China's regional economic development and non-monetary macroeconomic indicators.

  5. The dosimetry thermoluminescent in civil aeronautics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azorin Nieto, J.; Guevara Polanco, J.C.; Garcia Villagomez, M.

    1998-01-01

    In Mexico we are carrying out a project to measure the ionizing radiation doses received by the crew members in civil airships as well as the environmental dose in the airships, with the purpose to determine if these doses surpass the cut-off one 0.11 mSv/h settled down by the IAEA for the publish in general and if therefore, these workers should be considered as occupational exposed works

  6. A New Approach to the Economic Integration between South and North Korea: A Comparative Study with the Transition Economies in Eastern Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myoung Chul Cho

    1999-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this thesis is to find the enlightenment that the experience of state system transition in Eastern Europe offers to the economic integration of Korea and DPRK if leave DPRK as an independent economic area to seek its economic transition in a certain period, when the political structure breaks down. The transition policies of economic system of Eastern Europe states could be roughly divided into four types, the policies of liberalization, the policies of stabilization of the macro economy, the policies of privatization and financial reform. This thesis is trying to analyze how to use these types of polices in DPRK. According to the situation in Eastern Europe, compared to the fact that whether the speed of the transition of economic system is radical or gradual, the result of the transition of economic system depends on the condition of the preliminary stage of the transition of economic system and how consistently and ardently the states which plan to change their system promote all kinds of reform policy. The way to minimize the side-effect which the Eastern Europe suffered after the transition is to minimize the cost of the unity of Korea as much as possible. Therefore, the following policies coordination must be carried out. First, do not launch the stabilization policy mainly by restraining the aggregate demand as the Eastern Europe states. Appropriate policy adjustment should follow that. Second, the fruit of the economic reform should be distributed to the class or group which has got the acquired right. Third, appropriate income policy is needed in order to allay the controversy between economic growth and stabilization policy.

  7. Economic bid evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bode, T.

    1975-01-01

    When it is intended to install a new nuclear power station, the usual procedure is to invite for tenders. In due course, bids will be received from various manufacturers, out of which the most favourable one is then to be selected. Appraisal is concluded in the Economic Bid Evaluation, the purpose of which is to define the economically most favourable bid by comparing overall costs and benefits of the various alternatives. Thus, Economic Bid Evaluation is a most important instrument for deciding on award of contract. (orig.) [de

  8. The Economic Burden of Urinary Tract Infection and Pressure Ulceration in Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Admissions: Evidence for Comparative Economics and Decision Analytics from a Matched Case-Control Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Barry A B; Dea, Nicolas; Street, John T; Cheng, Christiana L; Rivers, Carly S; Attabib, Najmedden; Kwon, Brian K; Fisher, Charles G; Dvorak, Marcel F

    2017-10-15

    Secondary complications of spinal cord injury (SCI) are a burden to affected individuals and the rest of society. There is limited evidence of the economic burden or cost of complications in SCI populations in Canada, however, which is necessary for comparative economic analyses and decision analytic modeling of possible solutions to these common health problems. Comparative economic analyses can inform resource allocation decisions, but the outputs are only as good as the inputs. In this article, new evidence of the excess or incremental costs of urinary tract infection (UTI) and pressure ulceration (PU) in acute traumatic SCI from an exploratory case series analysis of admissions to a Level I specialized Canadian spine facility (2008-2013) is presented. Participants in a national SCI registry were case-control matched (1:1) on the predicted probability of experiencing UTI or PU during initial acute SCI admission. The excess costs of UTI and PU are estimated as the mean of the differences in total direct acute SCI admission costs (length of stay, accommodation, nursing, pharmacy) from the perspective of the admitting facility between participants matched or paired on demographic and SCI characteristics. Even relatively minor UTI and PU, respectively, added an average of $7,790 (standard deviation [SD] $6,267) and $18,758 (SD $27,574) to the direct cost of acute SCI admission in 2013 Canadian dollars (CAD). This case series analysis established evidence of the excess costs of UTI and PU in acute SCI admissions, which will support decision-informing analyses in SCI.

  9. Strategic Airlift Modernization: Analysis of C-5 Modernization and C-17 Acquisition Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-04-15

    shaped more like an aircraft’s wing, to generate lift through aerodynamic forces. Advocates hope airships may be capable of carrying a complete Army...airships use aerodynamic lift and will take-off and land much like conventional aircraft. Some estimate that 1,000 ton-class hybrid aircraft will require...Description153 Power plant: Four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines Wingspan: 169 feet 10 inches (to winglet tips) (51.76 meters) Length: 174

  10. Joint Force Quarterly. Issue 52, 1st Quarter, January 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    aircraft, or airship, and theater mobility by tractor trailer truck, railroad flatcar, cargo aircraft, or airship. Modern armies require copious...center of mass of the boids in your immediate neighborhood.”28 This basic boid system worked so well that it was also used in the movie Batman Returns...to improve its international image as a receptive and responsible govern- ment. This will ensure that the central govern- ment efficiently responds to

  11. ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC CROP AND ANIMAL FARMS IN ROMANIA. COMPARATIVE EVOLUTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra MUSCĂNESCU

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The organic sector in our country, although as shown in continuous development, faces a multitude of problems: the climatic conditions of our country, characterized by periods of drought in many parts of the country, high input prices, the majority of which are imported; difficulties in identifying markets for products, reduced subsidies, standardized conditions difficult to meet, etc. The problems the sector is facing reflect in the organization of the production activity and hence the economic performance of farm production. Accordingly, the aim of this paper was to analyze on the basis of annual financial and accounting information collected in the two vegetable farms and the two animal breeding farms, their efficiency / inefficiency, and the results were compared to identify the causes of the differences obtained in the efficiency at a farm level. The results obtained reveal a higher level of return on integrated vegetable farm in a joint recovery and a high efficiency for chain integrated animal farms.

  12. International Migrant Remittances in the Context of Economic and Social Sustainable Development. A Comparative Study of Romania-Bulgaria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alina Petronela Haller

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The economic stability is the main goal of every country’s administration, contributing to the decrease of uncertainty, creating an attractive business environment, attracting foreign direct investment and contributing to economic growth, which increases the standard of living, reduces income inequalities, represents a sustainable development for the country and puts an end to the migration process. Migration flows lower the demographic resources of the states going through this process and consequently they compromise the possibility for future generations to support a sustainable economic growth. Migration is a process with an aggressive and alarming manifestation in Romania and Bulgaria, raising the problem of the future capacity of these countries to ensure long-term economic and social sustainability and requiring an analysis framework from a scientific perspective. The current study proposes a comparative study to identify the important determinants of international migration in the EU28 and analyses the impact of remittances on economic growth/stability and income inequality in Romania and Bulgaria—Central and Eastern Europe countries—for the period between 1990 and 2015. The main contribution of the present study consists in emphasising the common determinants of the two countries regarding the migration process and at the same time providing solutions to improve government policies to contribute to the economic and social sustainability. The authors employed a multiple regression model and the correlation analysis, and tested 8 hypotheses for Romania and Bulgaria. The results indicated that the main determinants of the migration process in Romania and Bulgaria are the inflation rate, the income inequality and household consumption expenditure. Furthermore, the results indicated that there is not a direct relationship between the remittances received/capita and GDP/capita growth rate in Romania and Bulgaria. In addition, there is a

  13. Comparative economic performance of selected passive solar heating and cooling technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutter, W.

    1981-05-01

    The economic performance of selected passive solar heating and cooling technologies which incorporate energy storage is assessed by using a set of uniform assumptions and methodologies. Where data are available, a given system is assessed at more than one geographical location. Results are obtained in the form of both payback period and net present value for residential applications, and in terms of net present value only for industrial/commercial uses. Results indicate that ventilated trombe walls, solar roof ponds, and certain night effect/floor storage strategies are cost effective, but night effect/rock bed cooling is not. Results also show that, although direct gain out-performs trombe walls in most parts of the country, both direct gain and trombe walls usually produce a net savings in the residential sector. Generally, however, tax regulations result in net economic loss for direct gain and trombe walls used to heat industrial and commercial buildings.

  14. Comparing the availability, price, variety and quality of fruits and vegetables across retail outlets and by area-level socio-economic position.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millichamp, Anna; Gallegos, Danielle

    2013-01-01

    To explore whether area-level socio-economic position or the form of retail stream (conventional v. farmers' market) is associated with differences in the price, availability, variety and quality of a range of fresh fruit and vegetables. A multi-site cross-sectional pilot study of farmers' markets, supermarkets and independent fruit and vegetable retailers. Each was surveyed to assess the price, availability, variety and quality of fifteen fruit and eighteen vegetable items. Retail outlets were located in south-east Queensland. Fifteen retail outlets were surveyed (five of each retail stream). Average basket prices were not significantly different across the socio-economic spectrum, but prices in low socio-economic areas were cheapest. Availability, variety and quality did not differ significantly across levels of socio-economic position; however, the areas with the most socio-economic disadvantage scored poorest for quality and variety. Supermarkets had significantly better fruit and vegetable availability than farmers' markets, although price, variety and quality scores were not different across retail streams. Results demonstrate a trend to fruit and vegetable prices being more expensive at farmers' markets, with the price of the fruit basket being significantly greater at the organic farmers' market compared with the non-organic farmers' markets. Neither area-level socio-economic position nor the form of retail stream was significantly associated with differences in the availability, price, variety and quality of fruit and vegetables, except for availability which was higher in supermarkets than farmers' markets. Further research is needed to determine what role farmers' markets can play in affecting fruit and vegetable intake.

  15. Are MS in Economics Programs in Departments That Also Have a PhD Program in Economics Different from Their Counterparts?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milkman, Martin I.; Marjadi, Riza; McCoy, James P.

    2016-01-01

    This is the first article that compares terminal master's degree programs in economics from universities that have a PhD program in economics with those that do not offer PhD programs in economics. The authors compare these differences based on surveys in 2002 and 2012. They examine differences in general program characteristics, department…

  16. Estimating and comparing the clinical and economic impact of paediatric rotavirus vaccination in Turkey using a simple versus an advanced model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakir, Mustafa; Standaert, Baudouin; Turel, Ozden; Bilge, Zeynep Ece; Postma, Maarten

    2013-01-01

    Background: The burden of rotavirus disease is high in Turkey, reflecting the large birth cohort (> 1.2 million) and the risk of disease. Modelling can help to assess the potential economic impact of vaccination. We compared the output of an advanced model with a simple model requiring fewer data

  17. Strategies of development and diversification: a comparative analysis of Qatar and Dubai’s economic development models

    OpenAIRE

    Althani, Aldana

    2017-01-01

    More than any other GCC states, political and economic foundation linkages between Dubai and Qatar have been great factors that could result in similar economic development. Shared oil boom experiences and early political cooperation brought several significant opportunities where Qatar and Dubai can manage similar economic development. Yet, Dubai’s government was able to develop and diversify its economy, thus becoming one of the largest economic hubs in the world, while Qatar wasn’t able to...

  18. Compare the Effect of Health on Iranian Economic Growth and Vision Basin Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A AlaviRad

    2014-09-01

    Conclusion: Results show that spending money on health and rewardingly achieving health and additional desirability can be effective on economic growth increase. Health condition in Iran has also positive effect on economic growth, but in comparison, Iran is among thecountries that gets lower results by spending more. This can be considered as motivation for Policy makers to pay more attention to health condition in Sanad-e-CheshmAndaz countries. However, there are some questions remaining about appropriating resources as well as efficiency.

  19. Separating macroecological pattern and process: comparing ecological, economic, and geological systems.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin Blonder

    Full Text Available Theories of biodiversity rest on several macroecological patterns describing the relationship between species abundance and diversity. A central problem is that all theories make similar predictions for these patterns despite disparate assumptions. A troubling implication is that these patterns may not reflect anything unique about organizational principles of biology or the functioning of ecological systems. To test this, we analyze five datasets from ecological, economic, and geological systems that describe the distribution of objects across categories in the United States. At the level of functional form ('first-order effects', these patterns are not unique to ecological systems, indicating they may reveal little about biological process. However, we show that mechanism can be better revealed in the scale-dependency of first-order patterns ('second-order effects'. These results provide a roadmap for biodiversity theory to move beyond traditional patterns, and also suggest ways in which macroecological theory can constrain the dynamics of economic systems.

  20. Separating macroecological pattern and process: comparing ecological, economic, and geological systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blonder, Benjamin; Sloat, Lindsey; Enquist, Brian J; McGill, Brian

    2014-01-01

    Theories of biodiversity rest on several macroecological patterns describing the relationship between species abundance and diversity. A central problem is that all theories make similar predictions for these patterns despite disparate assumptions. A troubling implication is that these patterns may not reflect anything unique about organizational principles of biology or the functioning of ecological systems. To test this, we analyze five datasets from ecological, economic, and geological systems that describe the distribution of objects across categories in the United States. At the level of functional form ('first-order effects'), these patterns are not unique to ecological systems, indicating they may reveal little about biological process. However, we show that mechanism can be better revealed in the scale-dependency of first-order patterns ('second-order effects'). These results provide a roadmap for biodiversity theory to move beyond traditional patterns, and also suggest ways in which macroecological theory can constrain the dynamics of economic systems.

  1. Fundamental Economic Factors That Affect Housing Prices: Comparative Analysis between Kosovo and Slovenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Visar Hoxha

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to provide strategic implications for real estate appraisers and real estate managers to know the economic determinants of housing price dynamics in Kosovo. The fundamental economic determinants of housing prices, adopted from previous studies, are Gross Domestic Product growth, demographics, real interest rates, and construction costs. The research methodology used is quantitative factor analysis. The main question addressed is, whether the conventional fundamental determinants of housing prices, such as Gross Domestic Product per capita, real interest rates, demographic factors, and construction costs have driven the observed housing prices in Kosovo. By sampling the determinants of housing prices in Kosovo, the study shows their effects on housing price dynamics. The study shows that housing prices in Kosovo are significantly determined by the underlying conventional fundamentals. This is the first research that tries to determine whether the fundamental economic factors influence the housing prices in Kosovo.

  2. The role of institutions in driving economic change: Comparing the thoughts of Ibn Khaldūn and Douglass C. North

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haniza Khalid

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article compares various elements of Ibn Khaldūn’s and Douglass C. North’s thoughts on the role of institutions in influencing or forcing economic change. There are a number of interesting similarities in ideas, thoughts, approaches, and methodologies, which prove that New Institutional Economics may actually mirror much of (and can benefit from Ibn Khaldūn’s fourteenth century ideas than was previously thought. Both Ibn Khaldūn’s continuum of badāwah to ḥaḍārah and North’s theory on changes from informal to formal institutions lead to the same fundamental conclusions: (i change is incremental as it is a result in small cumulative changes in the cost-benefit outcomes of the market agents over time, and therefore (ii economic performance inevitably depends on the existence and effectiveness of formal institutions that alter those outcomes. It is also noted that ‘aṣabiyyah or group feeling, another cornerstone of Ibn Khaldūn’s thought, corresponds perfectly to North’s treatise that social cohesion and institutional efficiency are more important than the amount of resource endowment in bringing about economic development and change. In addition, Ibn Khaldūn’s views on the government’s commercial activities are reviewed in the study in light of North’s transaction costs and property rights framework.  

  3. Economic analysis of passive houses and low-energy houses compared with standard houses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Audenaert, A.; Cleyn, S.H. de; Vankerckhove, B.

    2008-01-01

    As the energy demand used for space heating accounts for 78% of EU15 household delivered energy consumption, significant reductions in energy demand can be achieved by promoting low-energy buildings. Our study investigates three building types: the standard house, the low-energy house and the passive house. As more far-reaching measures concerning energy savings usually lead to higher investments, the aim of our study is to perform an economic analysis in order to determine the economic viability of the three building types

  4. A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Agricultural Exports on Economic Growth of ECOWAS Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richardson Kojo Edeme

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Towards the acceleration of the attainment of sustainable growth, most countries have focused on agricultural exports as a means of driving their economy. Developing countries of Africa are highly dependent on the agricultural sector and agricultural exports are a major determinant of economic growth of these countries. However, the impact of agricultural exports on economic growth of ECOWAS countries remains unclear. This study therefore evaluates the impact of agricultural exports on the economic growth of fifteen ECOWAS countries using panel data for the period 1980–2013. Variables employed are labour force participation rate, capital stock, agricultural exports, non-agricultural exports, inflation and economic growth. The results of the fixed-effect model show that agricultural exports have not impacted significantly on the economic growth of ECOWAS countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria with respect to the Republic of Benin, which is the selected baseline. The study also analysed the country combined effect of the agricultural exports and found that it was significant but the rate of impact was weak. The study recommends, among others, that even though agricultural exports had a significant impact on economic growth, there is still a need for ECOWAS governments to improve their agricultural sector as its significance is more noticeable in some countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

  5. Presentation of economic evaluation results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaikledkaew, Usa

    2014-05-01

    The first HTA guidelines for Thailand included a chapter outlining a set of guidelines on how best to report the findings of health economic evaluations, based on a review of best practice and existing guidelines on the presentation of economic evaluation results from around the world. In this second edition of HTA guidelines for Thailand, the recommendations build on the first edition by using a case study to illustrate how the guidelines can be applied in a real research context. The guidelines propose that all reporting include ten key elements: defining the scope of the study, selection of comparator(s), defining the type of economic evaluation, measurement of costs, measurement of clinical effects, handling time in economic evaluation studies, handling uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, presentation of the results, discussion of the results, and disclosure of funding and authors conflict of interest.

  6. Economic Evaluation of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Oncology: Is There a Difference Compared to Conventional Medicine?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huebner, Jutta; Prott, Franz J; Muecke, Ralph; Stoll, Christoph; Buentzel, Jens; Muenstedt, Karsten; Micke, Oliver

    2017-01-01

    To analyze the financial burden of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer treatment. Based on a systematic search of the literature (Medline and the Cochrane Library, combining the MeSH terms 'complementary therapies', 'neoplasms', 'costs', 'cost analysis', and 'cost-benefit analysis'), an expert panel discussed different types of analyses and their significance for CAM in oncology. Of 755 publications, 43 met our criteria. The types of economic analyses and their parameters discussed for CAM in oncology were cost, cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analyses. Only a few articles included arguments in favor of or against these different methods, and only a few arguments were specific for CAM because most CAM methods address a broad range of treatment aim parameters to assess effectiveness and are hard to define. Additionally, the choice of comparative treatments is difficult. To evaluate utility, healthy subjects may not be adequate as patients with a life-threatening disease and may be judged differently, especially with respect to a holistic treatment approach. We did not find any arguments in the literature that were directed at the economic analysis of CAM in oncology. Therefore, a comprehensive approach assessment based on criteria from evidence-based medicine evaluating direct and indirect costs is recommended. The usual approaches to conventional medicine to assess costs, benefits, and effectiveness seem adequate in the field of CAM in oncology. Additionally, a thorough deliberation on the comparator, endpoints, and instruments is mandatory for designing studies. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  7. Comparative analysis of countries in the peer-group based on economic potential and components of sustainable development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergii VOITKO

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The authors study levels of sustainable development potential and determine the positions of Ukraine and other countries in the peer-groups [4], based on individual macroeconomic indicators. The research includes a comparative analysis of absolute and relative terms of GDP, industrial production and the index of competitiveness for the countries included to the peer-groups. The authors analyse the position of countries based on the GDP per capita and components of sustainable development (Quality of Life Index and Security of Life Index. In the article, the authors suggest the methodical approach of performing the comparative analysis of peer-group countries based on their indicators values. This approach gives the possibility to investigate the country’s potential in the limits of the chosen peer-group and propose the recommendations for increase of economic potential in purpose of sustainable development achievement.

  8. Long-Term Comparative Advantages of the Eurasian Economic Union Member States in International Trade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Falkowski Krzysztof

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available On 1st January 2015 the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU - a new integration block comprising initially Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, and later that year also Armenia and Kyrgyzstan - appeared on the world map. This paper endeavors to identify the EAEU countries’ long-term international comparative advantages within four basic groups of goods according to the OECD classification of manufacturing industries based on technology intensity. The analysis, using B. Balassa’s RCA methodology and covering the years 2000-2014, indicates that these countries lack competitiveness, with none of them possessing any RCAs in the high-technology category whereas in the medium-hightechnology category - only Belarus. In contrast, all the EAEU countries fared the best in the medium-low-technology category, which is mostly attributable to the resources-based character of their economies. Surprisingly, dramatically low international competitiveness was recorded by Kazakhstan and Russia.

  9. Extension of the COSYMA-ECONOMICS module - cost calculations based on different economic sectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faude, D.

    1994-12-01

    The COSYMA program system for evaluating the off-site consequences of accidental releases of radioactive material to the atmosphere includes an ECONOMICS module for assessing economic consequences. The aim of this module is to convert various consequences (radiation-induced health effects and impacts resulting from countermeasures) caused by an accident into the common framework of economic costs; this allows different effects to be expressed in the same terms and thus to make these effects comparable. With respect to the countermeasure 'movement of people', the dominant cost categories are 'loss-of-income costs' and 'costs of lost capital services'. In the original version of the ECONOMICS module these costs are calculated on the basis of the total number of people moved. In order to take into account also regional or local economic peculiarities of a nuclear site, the ECONOMICS module has been extended: Calculation of the above mentioned cost categories is now based on the number of employees in different economic sectors in the affected area. This extension of the COSYMA ECONOMICS module is described in more detail. (orig.)

  10. Comparative economic value added on Southeast Asian banking industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lintang Dewanti

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This study analyses the bank's performance comparison across countries in some ASEAN members which are listed in the stock exchange, as well as to analyse the influence of Economic Value Added (EVA and some financial ratios on the company stock return. Analysis suggests some results. In Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, the movement of EVA follows the movement of Gross Domestic Product (GDP. This study also finds that Earning per Share (EPS, only in Singapore, and Return on Equity (ROE and Return on Assets (ROA, only in the Philippines, have an influence on stock return. Only in the Philippines where EVA together with ROA has an effect on stock return.

  11. Inequality and rising levels of socio-economic segregation: lessons from a pan-European comparative study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marcińczak, S.; Musterd, S.; van Ham, M.; Tammaru, T.; Tammaru, T.; Marcińczak, S.; van Ham, M.; Musterd, S.

    2016-01-01

    The Socio-Economic Segregation in European Capital Cities: East Meets West project investigates changing levels of socio-economic segregation in 13 major European cities: Amsterdam, Budapest, Vienna, Stockholm, Oslo, London, Vilnius, Tallinn, Prague, Madrid, Milan, Athens and Riga. The two main

  12. Economic competitiveness of nuclear power in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Chuanwen

    2005-01-01

    Development of nuclear power in China has made a good progress. Currently, economic competitiveness of nuclear power compared to fossil-fuelled power plants is one of the major problems which hamper its development. This article presents the economic competitiveness of nuclear power in China with two-level analyses. First, levelized lifetime cost method is adopted for electricity generation cost comparisons. Important factors influencing economic competitiveness of nuclear power are described. Furthermore, a broad economic evaluation of the full fuel chain of nuclear power and fossil-fuelled plants is discussed concerning macro social-economic issues, environmental and health impacts. The comprehensive comparative assessment would be carried out for decision making to implement nuclear power programme. In consideration of external costs and carbon value, the economic competitiveness of nuclear power would be further improved. Facing swift economic growth, huge energy demand and heavy environmental burden, nuclear power could play a significant role in sustainable development in China. (authors)

  13. The comparative organizational inequality network: Toward an economic sociology of inequality

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tomaskovic-Devey, D.; Bandelj, N.; Boeckmann, I.; Boza, I.; Křížková, Alena

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 19, č. 1 (2017), s. 15-21 ISSN 1871-3351 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-13766S Institutional support: RVO:68378025 Keywords : economic sociology * organizational inequality * linked employer-employee data Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography OBOR OECD: Sociology https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/175567/1/econ_soc_19-1-3.pdf

  14. Economic Education in Japanese and American Secondary Schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellington, J. Lucien; Tadahisa, Uozumi

    1988-01-01

    Reports a study that compared and contrasted economic education in U.S. and Japanese secondary schools. Examines economics in the curricula; textbooks; characteristics of teachers responsible for economics instruction; and the level of emphasis teachers assign to economic concepts. (Author/BSR)

  15. An Assessment of Economic Stability under the New European Economic Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gheorghe HURDUZEU

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The economic crisis, followed by the sovereign debt crisis, resulted in high unemployment, unsustainable public finances and deepening disparities between Euro Area member states, and underlined the necessity of strengthening economic coordination. In order to lessen the effects of the crises, to prevent further deepening of the economic context and the appearance of new similar situations, the European framework was improved by the provisions of the new economic governance. The aim of this paper is to assess the effects regarding macroeconomic stability within Euro Area member states, achieved under the new economic governance framework. In this respect, the first part of the paper consists in an overview of the provisions imposed through the European Semester, the reformed Stability and Growth Pact and the other elements of the new European governance. In order to assess the achievement of economic stability we analyzed data for Southern Euro Area member states, during 2009-2013, as this group of countries registered most issues during 2013. We took into consideration five important indicators, essential in any economy that form the macroeconomic stability pentagon: economic growth rate, unemployment rate, inflation rate, budgetary balance and current account balance. By comparing the area obtained through the macroeconomic stability pentagon, we conclude on meeting one of the main objectives of the new European governance: economic stability.

  16. IMPACT OF CIVILIZATIONAL SPECIFICS OF THE BIGGEST COUNTRIES ON THEIR SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. I. Lunev

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to civilizational factors of the largest Asian states, which attract much academic attention around the world, India and China, and the infl uence of these factors and their peculiarities on social, political and economic development. The article is prepared as a discussion of two books prepared by the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences: “Indian Civilization in the Globalizing World” and “Chinese Civilization in the Globalizing World”. The authors rely on comparative method to analyze civilizational codes of India and China, to define key peculiarities of cultural and political development of the both states, to speculate on their historical paths, political systems, religious and ideological factors in the context of civilizational codes. Moreover, the article discusses international environment and the level and trends of economic development. The authors draw a number of conclusion about similarities and differences in two ancient civilizations, as well as their modernization patterns.

  17. Economic Evaluation of Pollination Services Comparing Coffee Landscapes in Ecuador and Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roland Olschewski

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Biodiversity conservation through land-use systems on private land is becoming a pressing environmental policy issue. Agroforestry, such as shade-coffee production, contributes to biodiversity conservation. However, falling coffee prices force many coffee growers to convert their sites into economically more attractive land uses. We performed an economic evaluation of coffee pollination by bees in two distinct tropical regions: an area of low human impact with forests neighboring agroforestry in Indonesia and an area of high human impact with little remaining forest in Ecuador. We evaluated bee pollination for different forest-destruction scenarios, where coffee yields depend on forests to provide nesting sites for bees. We used two novel approaches. First, we examined how coffee net revenues depend on the pollination services of adjacent forests by considering berry weight in addition to fruit set, thereby providing a comprehensive evaluation. Second, we determined the net welfare effects of land-use changes, including the fact that former forestland is normally used for alternative crops. In both regions, crop revenues exceeded coffee pollination values, generating incentives to convert forests, even if owners would be compensated for pollination services. The promotion of certified "biodiversity-friendly" coffee is a feasible option to maintain shade-coffee systems. This is of special importance in high-impact areas where only small forest fragments remain. We conclude that a comprehensive economic analysis is necessary to adequately evaluate rainforest preservation for the enhancement of ecosystem services, such as pollination.

  18. The Economic Emergence of China

    OpenAIRE

    Kui, Ng Beoy

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to analyze strategic policy implications arising from possible threats and opportunities in the face of the emergence of China as an economic powerhouse. The focus of the paper is not on the regional approach through mainly regional co-operations but more on policy strategies and responses at the national level. Depending on their degree of national economic development, economic structure and comparative advantage, eight strategic positionings have been identifie...

  19. Phosphorus recovery from municipal wastewater: An integrated comparative technological, environmental and economic assessment of P recovery technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egle, L; Rechberger, H; Krampe, J; Zessner, M

    2016-11-15

    Phosphorus (P) is an essential and limited resource. Municipal wastewater is a promising source of P via reuse and could be used to replace P derived from phosphate rocks. The agricultural use of sewage sludge is restricted by legislation or is not practiced in several European countries due to environmental risks posed by organic micropollutants and pathogens. Several technologies have been developed in recent years to recover wastewater P. However, these technologies target different P-containing flows in wastewater treatment plants (effluent, digester supernatant, sewage sludge, and sewage sludge ash), use diverse engineering approaches and differ greatly with respect to P recycling rate, potential of removing or destroying pollutants, product quality, environmental impact and cost. This work compares 19 relevant P recovery technologies by considering their relationships with existing wastewater and sludge treatment systems. A combination of different methods, such as material flow analysis, damage units, reference soil method, annuity method, integrated cost calculation and a literature study on solubility, fertilizing effects and handling of recovered materials, is used to evaluate the different technologies with respect to technical, ecological and economic aspects. With regard to the manifold origins of data an uncertainty concept considering validity of data sources is applied. This analysis revealed that recovery from flows with dissolved P produces clean and plant-available materials. These techniques may even be beneficial from economic and technical perspectives under specific circumstances. However, the recovery rates (a maximum of 25%) relative to the wastewater treatment plant influent are relatively low. The approaches that recover P from sewage sludge apply complex technologies and generally achieve effective removal of heavy metals at moderate recovery rates (~40-50% relative to the WWTP input) and comparatively high costs. Sewage sludge ash is

  20. Economic models for battery energy storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reckrodt, R.C.; Anderson, M.D.; Kluczny, R.M.

    1990-01-01

    While the technology required to produce viable Battery Energy Storage System exists, the economic feasibility (cost vs. benefits) of building these systems requires justification. First, a generalized decision diagram was developed to ensure that all of the economic factors were considered and properly related for the customer-side-of-the meter. Next, two economic models that had consistently given differing results were compared. One was the McKinney model developed at UM-Rolla in 1987; the second was the SYSPLAN model developed by Battelle. Differences were resolved on a point by point basis with reference to the current economic environment. The economic model was upgraded to include the best of both models based on the resolution of these differences. The upgrades were implemented as modifications to the original SYSPLAN (1986 version) to preserve user friendliness. In this paper four specific cases are evaluated and compared. The results are as predicted, since comparison was made with two known models

  1. Economic burden of primary compared with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalized patients: a prospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, D N; Aitken, S L; Barragan, L F; Bozorgui, S; Goddu, S; Navarro, M E; Xie, Y; DuPont, H L; Garey, K W

    2016-07-01

    Few studies have investigated the additional healthcare costs of recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI). To quantify inpatient treatment costs for CDI and length of stay among hospitalized patients with primary CDI only, compared with CDI patients who experienced recurrent CDI. This was a prospective, observational cohort study of hospitalized adult patients with primary CDI followed for three months to assess for recurrent CDI episodes. Total and CDI-attributable hospital length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs were compared among patients who did or did not experience at least one recurrent CDI episode. In all, 540 hospitalized patients aged 62±17 years (42% males) with primary CDI were enrolled, of whom 95 patients (18%) experienced 101 recurrent CDI episodes. CDI-attributable median (interquartile range) LOS and costs (in US$) increased from 7 (4-13) days and $13,168 (7,525-24,456) for patients with primary CDI only versus 15 (8-25) days and $28,218 (15,050-47,030) for patients with recurrent CDI (Pcosts increased from 11 (6-22) days and $20,693 (11,287-41,386) for patients with primary CDI only versus 24 (11-48) days and $45,148 (20,693-82,772) for patients with recurrent CDI (Pcost of pharmacological treatment while hospitalized was $60 (23-200) for patients with primary CDI only (N=445) and $140 (30-260) for patients with recurrent CDI (P=0.0013). This study demonstrated that patients with CDI experience a significant healthcare economic burden attributed to CDI. Economic costs and healthcare burden increased significantly for patients with recurrent CDI. Copyright © 2016 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Bioenergy production and use: Comparative analysis of the economic and environmental effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hennig, Christiane; Gawor, Marek

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Study of 12 bioenergy generation pathways as to environmental and economic aspects. ► LCA focused on the GWP, acidification, eutrophication, cumulative energy demand. ► Economic analysis determined electricity production costs based on annuity method. ► Wood-based plants have the best characteristics from environmental point of view. ► Wood-based plants have lowest electricity production costs, biogas plants make gain. - Abstract: This study analyses the use of liquid, solid and gaseous biomass for power generation in Germany with respect to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), a significant policy instrument for promoting electricity generation based on renewable energy sources. The aim is the identification of bioenergy conversion pathways that have a low environmental impact and are cost-effective. To achieve this objective several research steps were undertaken, including a life-cycle analysis (LCA), economic analysis and the determination of the CO 2 abatement costs. Besides, the authors show and discuss how a simplification of the environmental assessment by considering only the impact category greenhouse gases or the application of different calculation methodologies (i.e. allocation rules between electricity and heat produced) can affect the results. Overall the results show that the use of solid (wood) and gaseous biomass pathways causes both the lowest environmental impacts and electricity production costs when used for electricity generation. The choice of the modelling and calculation methodology may significantly influence the outcome (i.e. application of an exergetic allocation increases the environmental burden related to electricity generation). The lowest CO 2 -abatement costs were determined for the biodegradable waste pathway.

  3. Comparative economics of the principal forms of electricity generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong, S.; Hewlett, M.

    1977-10-15

    It is assumed that sometime in the 1990's it will be necessary to install base load plant in increments of about 600 MW per year in New Zealand. Practical alternatives and their relative economics are discussed. Efforts in building hydro and geothermal, and reduction in rate of load growth demand will postpone this need for some years, but not to such an extent that the magnitude of the problem will alter materially. It is concluded that as far as the first nuclear station is concerned, its only competitors are large coal or oil-fired stations. The long-term fuel supplies for all three have various degrees of uncertainty. Specifically, the present main sources of energy are hydro, coal, natural gas, geothermal, and oil, and may include nuclear in the future.

  4. A modelled economic evaluation comparing atomoxetine with methylphenidate in the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dilla Tatiana

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD is a neurobehavioural disorder, affecting 3–6% of school age children and adolescents in Spain. Methylphenidate (MPH, a mild stimulant, had long been the only approved medication available for ADHD children in Spain. Atomoxetine is a non-stimulant alternative in the treatment of ADHD with once-a-day oral dosing. This study aims to estimate the cost-effectiveness of atomoxetine compared to MPH. In addition, atomoxetine is compared to 'no medication' for patient populations who are ineligible for MPH (i.e. having stimulant-failure experience or co-morbidities precluding stimulant medication. Methods An economic model with Markov processes was developed to estimate the costs and benefits of atomoxetine versus either MPH or 'no medication'. The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY was calculated for atomoxetine relative to the comparators. The Markov process incorporated 14 health states, representing a range of outcomes associated with treatment options. Utility values were obtained from the utility valuation survey of 83 parents of children with ADHD. The clinical data were based on a thorough review of controlled clinical trials and other clinical literature, and validated by international experts. Costs and outcomes were estimated using Monte Carlo simulation over a 1-year duration, with costs estimated from the perspective of the National Health Service in Spain. Results For stimulant-naïve patients without contra-indications to stimulants, the incremental costs per QALY gained for atomoxetine were € 34 308 (compared to an immediate-release MPH and € 24 310 (compared to an extended-release MPH. For those patients who have stimulant-failure experience or contra-indications to stimulants, the incremental costs per QALY gained of atomoxetine compared to 'no medication' were € 23 820 and € 23 323, respectively. Conclusion The economic evaluation showed

  5. Economic analysis and budget impact of clostridial collagenase ointment compared with medicinal honey for treatment of pressure ulcers in the US

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mearns ES

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Elizabeth S Mearns,1 Michael Liang,1 Brendan L Limone,1 Adrienne M Gilligan,1 Jeffrey D Miller,1 Kathleen D Schaum,2 Curtis R Waycaster2 1Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company, Cambridge, MA, USA; 2Smith & Nephew, Inc., Fort Worth, TX, USA Objectives: Pressure ulcer (PU treatment poses significant clinical and economic challenges to health-care systems. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of enzymatic debridement with clostridial collagenase ointment (CCO compared with autolytic debridement with medicinal honey (MH for PU treatment from a US payer/Medicare perspective in the hospital outpatient department setting.Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model was developed using a 1-week cycle length across a 1-year time horizon. The three health states were inflammation/senescence, granulation/proliferation (ie, patients achieving 100% granulation, and epithelialization. Data sources included the US Wound Registry, Medicare fee schedules, and other published clinical and cost studies about PU treatment.Results: In the base case analysis over a 1-year time horizon, CCO was the economically dominant strategy (ie, simultaneously conferring greater benefit at less cost. Patients treated with CCO experienced 22.7 quality-adjusted life weeks (QALWs at a cost of $6,161 over 1 year, whereas MH patients experienced 21.9 QALWs at a cost of $7,149. Patients treated with CCO achieved 11.5 granulation weeks and 6.0 epithelization weeks compared with 10.6 and 4.4 weeks for MH, respectively. The number of clinic visits was 40.1 for CCO vs 43.4 for MH, and the number of debridements was 12.3 for CCO compared with 17.6 for MH. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses determined CCO dominant in 72% of 10,000 iterations and cost-effective in 91%, assuming a benchmark willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/quality-adjusted life year ($962/QALW. The budget impact analysis showed that for every 1% of patients

  6. Comparative economics for DUCRETE spent fuel storage cask handling, transportation, and capital requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, F.P.

    1995-04-01

    This report summarizes economic differences between a DUCRETE spent nuclear fuel storage cask and a conventional concrete storage cask in the areas of handling, transportation, and capital requirements. The DUCRETE cask is under evaluation as a new technology that could substantially reduce the overall costs of spent fuel and depleted U disposal. DUCRETE incorporates depleted U in a Portland cement mixture and functions as the cask's primary radiation barrier. The cask system design includes insertion of the US DOE Multi-Purpose Canister inside the DUCRETE cask. The economic comparison is from the time a cask is loaded in a spent fuel pool until it is placed in the repository and includes the utility and overall US system perspectives

  7. Is economics coursework, or majoring in economics, associated with different civic behaviors?

    OpenAIRE

    Sam Allgood; William Bosshardt; Wilbert Van der Klaauw; Michael Watts

    2010-01-01

    Studies regularly link levels of educational attainment to civic behavior and attitudes, but only a few investigate the role played by specific coursework. Using data collected from students who attended one of four public universities in our study, we investigate the relationship between economics coursework and civic behavior after graduation. Drawing from large samples of students in economics, business, or general majors, we compare responses across the three groups and by the number of u...

  8. Economic Analysis of Kiva VCF Treatment System Compared to Balloon Kyphoplasty Using Randomized Kiva Safety and Effectiveness Trial (KAST) Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beall, Douglas P; Olan, Wayne J; Kakad, Priyanka; Li, Qianyi; Hornberger, John

    2015-01-01

    Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are the most common osteoporotic fractures and cause persistent pain, kyphotic deformity, weight loss, depression, reduced quality of life, and even death. Current surgical approaches for the treatment of VCF include vertebroplasty (VP) and balloon kyphoplasty (BK). The Kiva® VCF Treatment System (Kiva System) is a next-generation alternative surgical intervention in which a percutaneously introduced nitinol Osteo Coil guidewire is advanced through a deployment cannula and subsequently a PEEK Implant is implanted incrementally and fully coiled in the vertebral body. The Kiva System's effectiveness for the treatment of VCF has been evaluated in a large randomized controlled trial, the Kiva Safety and Effectiveness Trial (KAST). The Kiva System was non-inferior to BK with respect to pain reduction (70.8% vs. 71.8% in Visual Analogue Scale) and physical function restoration (38.1 % vs. 42.2% reduction in Oswestry Disability Index) while using less bone cement. The economic impact of the Kiva system has yet to be analyzed. To analyze hospital resource use and costs of the Kiva System over 2 years for the treatment of VCF compared to BK. A representative US hospital. Economic analysis of the KAST randomized trial, focusing on hospital resource use and costs. The analysis was conducted from a hospital perspective and utilized clinical data from KAST as well as unit-cost data from the published literature. The cost of initial VCF surgery, reoperation cost, device market cost, and other medical costs were compared between the Kiva System and BK. The relative risk reduction rate in adjacent-level fracture with Kiva [31.6% (95% CI: -22.5%, 61.9%)] demonstrated in KAST was used in this analysis. With 304 vertebral augmentation procedures performed in a representative U.S. hospital over 2 years, the Kiva System will produce a direct medical cost savings of $1,118 per patient and $280,876 per hospital. This cost saving with the Kiva

  9. Economic Theory, Economic Reality And Economic Policy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dmitry Evgenievich Sorokin

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the opposition between the «liberals» and «statists» in the Russian political and economic thought. It demonstrates that the economic liberalization is an absolute prerequisite for the transition to sustainable socio-economic development. Such development must rely on investment activities of the state, which in the current circumstances is a necessary but not sufficient measure for reversing the negative trends. The negative developments can be prevented only through implementation, along with the institutional changes in the economic area that form a strata of economically independent entrepreneurs-innovators, of no less profound transformation in political institutions aimed at democratization of public life

  10. Economic effects of corruption in judiciary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Begović Boris

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper was to explore economic effects of corruption in judiciary. The examination included the analysis of economic features of judiciary and economic mechanisms of corruption in judiciary within the theoretical framework of Backer's model of criminal behavior. The analysis demonstrates that corruption in judiciary violates the rule of law, hence undermines the fundaments of market economy and specialization, i.e. social division of labor as the ground for improving economic efficiency. As to the static economic efficiency, the most important effect of corruption in judiciary is transaction costs that are generated and the consequent allocative inefficiency. As to the dynamic economic efficiency, corruption decreases economic growth rates and reallocates recourses from productive to distributive activities. The effects of corruption in judiciary to economic inequality are not significant, particularly not comparing with the already identified effects to the economic efficiency.

  11. Comparative empirical analysis of temporal relationships between construction investment and economic growth in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Navid Ahmadi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The majority of policymakers believe that investments in construction infrastructure would boost the economy of the United States (U.S.. They also assume that construction investment in infrastructure has similar impact on the economies of different U.S. states. In contrast, there have been studies showing the negative impact of construction activities on the economy. However, there has not been any research attempt to empirically test the temporal relationships between construction investment and economic growth in the U.S. states, to determine the longitudinal impact of construction investment on the economy of each state. The objective of this study is to investigate whether Construction Value Added (CVA is the leading (or lagging indicator of real Gross Domestic Product (real GDP for every individual state of the U.S. using empirical time series tests. The results of Granger causality tests showed that CVA is a leading indicator of state real GDP in 18 states and the District of Columbia; real GDP is a leading indicator of CVA in 10 states and the District of Columbia. There is a bidirectional relationship between CVA and real GDP in 5 states and the District of Columbia. In 8 states and the District of Columbia, not only do CVA and real GDP have leading/lagging relationships, but they are also cointegrated. These results highlight the important role of the construction industry in these states. The results also show that leading (or lagging lengths vary for different states. The results of the comparative empirical analysis reject the hypothesis that CVA is a leading indicator of real GDP in the states with the highest shares of construction in the real GDP. The findings of this research contribute to the state of knowledge by quantifying the temporal relationships between construction investment and economic growth in the U.S. states. It is expected that the results help policymakers better understand the impact of construction investment

  12. Public Integrity, Economic Freedom and Governance Performance. A Comparative Study for the EU Member States and Acceding Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ani MATEI

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The studies concerning the impact of corruption on the effectiveness of governance are numerous, valorising profound approaches, based on criteria and standards related to good governance, organizational behaviour. The concepts and mechanisms specific for econometrics and statistics provide the quantitative support for qualitative analyses, substantiating public policies, in view to assure effectiveness in performance measurement. For EU Member States and acceding countries, the level of development and social organization determines specific ethical behaviours. In this context, the current paper aims a comparative economic and social evaluation of the correlations between corruption, performance and economic freedom in the states mentioned, following the various significant stages of the EU enlargement. The working hypotheses turn into consideration the following issues:# Corruption holds national specific character and the statistic, econometric or sociologic analyses reveal that it is stable during time.# The climate of economic freedom and the intensity of corruption influence powerfully the economic performance.# The EU membership, “seniority” in EU, regional context determine different attitudes and perceptions on the corruption phenomena.# For the newer EU states or the acceding countries, the strategies of integrity have mimetic character and the National Integrity Systems have structured powerful connections aimed at determining an action focused on public integrity.In the analyses achieved, the EU is approached globally, at least from statistic point of view, and the conclusions aim situations specific to the groups of states that have been or will be the beneficiaries of the EU enlargement. The quantitative analyses use both own results of the researches carried out by the authors and public results of World Bank or Heritage Foundation, as well as results of authorities responsible for national statistics. The paper uses the

  13. The economic impact of recreation development: a synopsis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendell G. Breadsley

    1971-01-01

    Economic impacts per dollar of tourist expenditure have generally been found to be low compared to other economic sectors in local less-developed areas where recreation development is often proposed as a stimulus for economic growth. Tourism, however, can be economically important where potential or existing recreation attractions can encourage tourist spending in...

  14. Losing ground, losing sleep: Local economic conditions, economic vulnerability, and sleep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perales, Francisco; Plage, Stefanie

    2017-02-01

    Medical research shows that healthy sleep has benefits for human wellbeing. We contribute to the emerging social-epidemiological literature on the social determinants of sleep by considering how living in an area with poor economic circumstances can result in sleep loss through financial worry, uncertainty and stress. We use multilevel regression models and nationally-representative data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (n = 9181) and find that individuals who live in areas with high unemployment rates or experience individual-level economic vulnerability sleep less than comparable individuals in areas with low unemployment rates, or who do not experience financial hardships. The negative association between local economic conditions and sleep duration is substantially stronger amongst economically vulnerable individuals. This highlights the importance of considering multiple levels in the analysis of health inequalities, as status and location can intersect to produce and reproduce disadvantage systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Techno-economic Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sigurdsson, Halldór Matthias; Point, J.C.; Million, P.

    A techno-economic model for analysing and comparing broadband deployment strategies has been established. The resulting simulation model can compare Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) of dominating broadband technologies in different types of demographic areas. The study reveals the competitiveness...... and applicability of different access technologies in the future broadband market as well as providing sensitivity analysis of the most influential factors controlling market development....

  16. Environmental and economic assessment of a road safety product made with virgin and recycled HDPE: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    L Simões, Carla; Costa Pinto, Lígia M; Bernardo, C A

    2013-01-15

    The development of value-added products made from post-consumer plastic recyclates has become an important goal in the quest for a sustainable society. To attain such goal, tools with higher accuracy and wider scope are increasingly necessary. The present work describes the application of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)/Life Cycle Costing (LCC) integrated model, with inclusion of externalities (environmental and social costs), to Anti-Glare Lamellae (AGL) made with High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). It compares an AGL currently manufactured from virgin HDPE (current AGL) with an alternative one made with recycled HDPE (optional AGL). The results obtained show that neither the current nor the optional AGL depict the best environmental performance in all impact categories. Nevertheless, there is a clear overall environmental and economic advantage in replacing virgin HDPE with recycled HDPE. The present work also makes evident that the LCA/LCC integrated model allows the identification of economic and environmental win-win and trade-off situations related to the full life cycle of products. As such, its results can be used as valuable guidelines in product development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Economic analysis comparing induction of labor and expectant management in women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes between 34 and 37 weeks (PPROMEXIL trial)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vijgen, S.M.; Ham, D.P. van der; Bijlenga, D.; Beek, J.J. van; Bloemenkamp, K.W.; Kwee, A.; Groenewout, M.; Kars, M.M.; Kuppens, S.; Mantel, G.; Molkenboer, J.F.; Mulder, A.L.; Nijhuis, J.G.; Pernet, P.J.; Porath, M.; Woiski, M.D.; Weinans, M.J.; Wijngaarden, W.J. van; Wildschut, H.I.J.; Akerboom, B.; Sikkema, J.M.; Willekes, C.; Mol, B.W.; Opmeer, B.C.; et al.,

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To compare the costs of induction of labor and expectant management in women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM). DESIGN: Economic analysis based on a randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Obstetric departments of eight academic and 52 non-academic hospitals in the

  18. Economic conditions, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease: analysis of the Icelandic economic collapse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birgisdóttir, Kristín Helga; Jónsson, Stefán Hrafn; Ásgeirsdóttir, Tinna Laufey

    2017-12-01

    Previous research has found a positive short-term relationship between the 2008 collapse and hypertension in Icelandic males. With Iceland's economy experiencing a phase of economic recovery, an opportunity to pursue a longer-term analysis of the collapse has emerged. Using data from a nationally representative sample, fixed-effect estimations and mediation analyses were performed to explore the relationship between the Icelandic economic collapse in 2008 and the longer-term impact on hypertension and cardiovascular health. A sensitivity analysis was carried out with pooled logit models estimated as well as an alternative dependent variable. Our attrition analysis revealed that results for cardiovascular diseases were affected by attrition, but not results from estimations on the relationship between the economic crisis and hypertension. When compared to the boom year 2007, our results point to an increased probability of Icelandic women having hypertension in the year 2012, when the Icelandic economy had recovered substantially from the economic collapse in 2008. This represents a deviation from pre-crisis trends, thus suggesting a true economic-recovery impact on hypertension.

  19. Finance and Economic Development

    OpenAIRE

    Panizza, Ugo

    2012-01-01

    Published by Palgrave Macmillan This chapter reviews the literature on finance and economic development. It starts with a description of the roles of finance, a definition of financial efficiency, and a discussion of whether countries may have financial sectors that are ‘too large’ compared to the size of the domestic economy. Next, the author describes several indicators of financial development and reviews the literature on the relationship between financial development and economic growth....

  20. Economic analysis comparing induction of labor and expectant management in women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes between 34 and 37 weeks (PPROMEXIL trial)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vijgen, Sylvia M. C.; Van der Ham, David P.; Bijlenga, Denise; Van Beek, Johannes J.; Bloemenkamp, Kitty W. M.; Kwee, Anneke; Groenewout, Mariet; Kars, Michael M.; Kuppens, Simone; Mantel, Gerald; Molkenboer, Jan F. M.; Mulder, Antonius L. M.; Nijhuis, Jan G.; Pernet, Paula J. M.; Porath, Martina; Woiski, Mallory D.; Weinans, Martin J. N.; Van Wijngaarden, Wim J.; Wildschut, Hajo I. J.; Akerboom, Bertina; Sikkema, J. Marko; Willekes, Christine; Mol, Ben W. J.; Opmeer, Brent C.

    ObjectiveTo compare the costs of induction of labor and expectant management in women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM). DesignEconomic analysis based on a randomized clinical trial. SettingObstetric departments of eight academic and 52 non-academic hospitals in the Netherlands.

  1. Economic analysis comparing induction of labor and expectant management in women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes between 34 and 37 weeks (PPROMEXIL trial)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vijgen, Sylvia M. C.; van der Ham, David P.; Bijlenga, Denise; van Beek, Johannes J.; Bloemenkamp, Kitty W. M.; Kwee, Anneke; Groenewout, Mariët; Kars, Michael M.; Kuppens, Simone; Mantel, Gerald; Molkenboer, Jan F. M.; Mulder, Antonius L. M.; Nijhuis, Jan G.; Pernet, Paula J. M.; Porath, Martina; Woiski, Mallory D.; Weinans, Martin J. N.; van Wijngaarden, Wim J.; Wildschut, Hajo I. J.; Akerboom, Bertina; Sikkema, J. Marko; Willekes, Christine; Mol, Ben W. J.; Opmeer, Brent C.

    2014-01-01

    To compare the costs of induction of labor and expectant management in women with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM). Economic analysis based on a randomized clinical trial. Obstetric departments of eight academic and 52 non-academic hospitals in the Netherlands. Women with PPROM near

  2. Estimation of economic impacts of cellulosic biofuel production: a comparative analysis of three biofuel pathways: Economic impacts of biofuel production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yimin; Goldberg, Marshall; Tan, Eric; Meyer, Pimphan A.

    2016-03-07

    The development of a cellulosic biofuel industry utilizing domestic biomass resources is expected to create opportunities for economic growth resulting from the construction and operation of new biorefineries. We applied an economic input-output model to estimate potential economic impacts, particularly gross job growth, resulting from the construction and operation of biorefineries using three different technology pathways: 1) cellulosic ethanol via biochemical conversion in Iowa, 2) renewable diesel blendstock via biological conversion in Georgia, and 3) renewable diesel and gasoline blendstock via fast pyrolysis in Mississippi. Combining direct, indirect, and induced effects, capital investment associated with the construction of a biorefinery processing 2,000 dry metric tons of biomass per day (DMT/day) could yield between 5,960 and 8,470 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs during the construction period. Fast pyrolysis biorefineries produce the most jobs on a project level thanks to the highest capital requirement among the three pathways. Normalized for one million dollars of capital investment, the fast pyrolysis biorefineries are estimated to yield slighter more jobs (12.1 jobs) than the renewable diesel (11.8 jobs) and the cellulosic ethanol (11.6 jobs) biorefineries. While operating biorefineries is not labor-intensive, the annual operation of a 2,000 DMT/day biorefinery could support between 720 and 970 jobs when the direct, indirect, and induced effects are considered. The major factor, which results in the variations among the three pathways, is the type of biomass feedstock used for biofuels. The agriculture/forest, services, and trade industries are the primary sectors that will benefit from the ongoing operation of biorefineries.

  3. Comparative economics of the breeder and light water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chow, B.G.

    1980-01-01

    The issue of breeder timing is studied in this article via a breakeven analysis in which the key driving variables are conveniently segregated into two groups, with uranium price providing the linkage. In one group, the technical and cost characteristics of reactors and fuel cycles determine the uranium breakeven price. In the other group, nuclear demand projections and the uranium supply schedule determine the time paths of uranium price for a given composition of reactor types. The author finds that, even if proliferation risk is ignored, the breeder is not economically competitive with a 30%-improved once-through light water reactor before the year 2030 in the USA and in the world outside communist areas as a whole in 90% of the cases examined. In the exceptional cases, the penalty of delaying commercial breeder introduction to 2030 is small and well within the noise level of long-term energy planning. (author)

  4. Economic openness and economic growth: A cointegration analysis for ASEAN-5 countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klimis Vogiatzoglou

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers three channels of economic openness, namely FDI, imports, and exports, and examines their short-run and long-run effects on the economic growth in the five founding member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN over the period from 1980 to 2014. Besides the impact on the economic growth, the authors analyze all possible causal interrelationships to discern patterns and directions of causality among FDI, imports, exports, and GDP. The quantitative analysis, which is based on the vector error correction co-integration framework, is conducted separately for each country in order to assess their individual experiences and allow for a comparative view. Although the precise details differ across countries, the findings indicate that there is a long-run equilibrium relationship between economic openness and GDP in all ASEAN-5 economies. FDI, imports and exports have a significantly positive short-run and long-run impact on the economic growth. Our results also show that export-led growth is the most important economic growth factor in most countries, followed by FDI-led growth. Another crucial finding is the bi-directional causality between exports and FDI across the ASEAN-5 countries. This indicates the presence of direct and indirect effects on GDP and a self-reinforcing process of causality between those two variables, which strengthens their impact on the economic growth.

  5. Quality, Export and Economic Growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Erik Strøjer; Pedersen, Kurt

    1998-01-01

    in an international context. The paper, therefore, addresses the complicated interactions between economic growth, export performance and quality. The contribution of the paper, compared to other growth accounting research, is the inclusion of quality data, quality being a significant mirror of technological...... development. The countries covered by the research represent a wide variation in terms of economic development, from poor LDC's to the most developed industrial nations. The empirical results reveal a probable strong relationship between quality/price and export growth as well as economic growth. This new...

  6. Modern Determinants of Countries’ Economic Power

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oleksii Chugaiev

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The economic power of a country is the ability of all its residents to influence the other subjects of international economic relations by economic means and to withstand external impact. The abstract nature, multidimensionality and complexity of the concept of economic power determine the plurality of methods for its quantitative measurement. The examples of the existing assessments of countries' economic power at the beginning of the 21st century are given based on its key determinants. The methods based on the criteria of GDP, national wealth, trade sphere of influence, multi-component indices and subjective assessments are preferably used. Most assessments show the distribution of economic power between countries in a fairly similar way. However, the methods based on national wealth and its components give a distinct advantage to developed countries, and the methods of subjective assessments in individual countries can show unexpected results. The problematic aspects of the existing methods include the failure to take into account economic dynamics, informal economy, environmental impact, non-periodicity of statistical data publication, coverage of a part of economic entities, one-dimensionality, arbitrary weighting coefficients of factors or duplication of information. We propose the economic power index based on fixed values and dynamics of adjusted net national income. The application of such index made it possible to assess the economic power of the vast majority of countries and a number of integrated entities. The leading countries, i.e. USA and China, were similarly assessed. Taking into account the incomplete integration, the EU takes the third place. The developed countries account for a half of economic power of the world’s countries, the newly industrialized countries — for more than one third, the least developed countries — for less than 1 per cent. The enhancing effect of integrated entities on their key member states was

  7. Interest of comparative risk assessment in economic development and proposals on a regional level: a practical example

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouville, A.; Coulon, R.; Aigueperse, J.

    1983-01-01

    As major human activities develop, those responsible for orienting these activities and making decisions must take more and more account, notably due to pressure from the public, of risks likely to arise, together with other elements of choice such as technical, economic, social and political considerations. It is therefore essential to make an objective assessment of these risks to which individual are exposed naturally or because of their life styles. Because most decisions are made on a regional level and because it is also at this level that can be realistically defined the environmental characteristics, the way of life and the economic and social structure which determine the risks to which the regional population is exposed, it is on this scale that a comparative assessment is of maximum value. This assessment should be as exhaustive as possible and should take into account all the risks whether natural or artificial, and from whatever source (industrial, domestic, medical, etc.). It should take into account successively the exposure to various hazards, and the resulting consequences to health based on the choice of appropriate indicators and on available knowledge of exposure-effects relationships. Subjective aspects of risk perception should also be considered. A study program has been begun covering the region called the ''Grand Delta'' which includes the Rhone valley and its banks to the mediterraneen coast in the South East part of France [fr

  8. Economic Migration and Happiness: Comparing Immigrants' and Natives' Happiness Gains from Income

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartram, David

    2011-01-01

    Research on happiness casts doubt on the notion that increases in income generally bring greater happiness. This finding can be taken to imply that economic migration might fail to result in increased happiness for the migrants: migration as a means of increasing one's income might be no more effective in raising happiness than other means of…

  9. COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES IN ECONOMIC CRISES GEOGRAPHY. ECONOMIC STRATEGIES IN EU COUNTRIES

    OpenAIRE

    Roxana Maria Grecu

    2011-01-01

    The strategies for structural-systemic crisis management have generated, to a geographical level, a number of differences between EU countries. These cleavages are the result of differential macroeconomic policies. In this context, this article has the aim of achieving a comparative approach between countries of the south, west and east of the EU space. Also our approach is focused on observing the nature of macroeconomic policies and also on identifying a "pattern" associated with a common i...

  10. Economic evaluations in pain management: principles and methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asche, Carl V; Seal, Brian; Jackson, Kenneth C; Oderda, Gary M

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes how investigators may design, conduct, and report economic evaluations of pharmacotherapy for pain and symptom management. Because economic evaluation of therapeutic interventions is becoming increasingly important, there is a need for guidance on how economic evaluations can be optimally conducted. The steps required to conduct an economic evaluation are described to provide this guidance. Economic evaluations require two or more therapeutic interventions to be compared in relation to costs and effects. There are five types of economic evaluations, based on analysis of: (1) cost-effectiveness, (2) cost-utility, (3) cost-minimization, (4) cost-consequence, and (5) cost-benefit analyses. The six required steps are: identify the perspective of the study; identify the alternatives that will be compared; identify the relevant costs and effects; determine how to collect the cost and effect data; determine how to perform calculation for cost and effects data; and determine the manner in which to depict the results and draw comparisons.

  11. Report of Economics Work Group A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moyer, J.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    This summary of a seminar meeting on economics issues and the "blindness system" addresses the economics of four service delivery models (charity, medical, public provider, and business models) and points to consider in selecting a model (professional specialization, integration, and client roles). A chart compares service delivery principles…

  12. Economic analysis of KNGR's conceptual design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roh, Myung-Sub; Chung, Kyung-Nam; Hong, Jang-Hee

    1997-01-01

    During the last two decades in Korea, with the rapid economic growth and industrialization, nuclear power has played an important role in electric power production. At present, Korea has 11 nuclear units in operation with total installed capacity of 9,916MWe and 7 units under construction with total capacity of 6,100MWe. An advanced reactor development program, called Korean Next Generation Reactor (KNGR), has been started for the coming 21st century. It aims to enhance safety features compared to existing plants and follow the target to maintain the economic competitiveness of nuclear energy with alternative energy sources. In order to meet these requirements, a number of technical and economical factors have been taken into the program. These factors include the economy of plant size, design simplification and optimization, and reduction of construction period. This paper addresses the preliminary economic analysis results for the KNGR design. It is indicated that KNGR has about 17% economic advantage compared to the current 1,000 MWe PWR. This paper also describes some of the experiences gained and important factors related to reducing the investment and operation costs. 5 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs

  13. THE ECONOMIC STRUCTURES IN THE ROMANIAN REGIONS AND COUNTIES AND THE EU MEMBER STATES. COMPARATIVE ANALYSES.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marioara, IORDAN

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Bridging the gap between countries, and thus decresing poverty, is the greatest challenge of European countries in the context of the European social cohesion. The risk of future economic difficulties caused by the size of budget deficits is beared by the funds to be allocated to social inclusion in the EU and the EU member countries. They will be concerned in the post-crisis period with aligning the requirements of progress, of poverty reduction, but also of ensuring the sustainability of public finances. For Romania, cohesion is particularly important as most regions show significant differences as compared to the EU average and the national average. This group also includes the South Muntenia Region, which has many advantages for faster progress and to be able to exploit the opportunities offered by the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy.

  14. Health economic evaluation: important principles and methodology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudmik, Luke; Drummond, Michael

    2013-06-01

    To discuss health economic evaluation and improve the understanding of common methodology. This article discusses the methodology for the following types of economic evaluations: cost-minimization, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, cost-benefit, and economic modeling. Topics include health-state utility measures, the quality-adjusted life year (QALY), uncertainty analysis, discounting, decision tree analysis, and Markov modeling. Economic evaluation is the comparative analysis of alternative courses of action in terms of both their costs and consequences. With increasing health care expenditure and limited resources, it is important for physicians to consider the economic impact of their interventions. Understanding common methodology involved in health economic evaluation will improve critical appraisal of the literature and optimize future economic evaluations. Copyright © 2012 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  15. Tawhidic Based Economic System: A Preliminary Conception

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurul Hilmiyah Hilmiyah

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates contemporary mainstream economic system, does Islamic Economics taking advantage of the shortfall of the system outlined above based on Tawhidical approach? By using descriptive qualitative method this paper proposed the appropriate of Islamic economics theorize that the Islamic system provide the ideal form of a socio-economic order. This paper found that Tawhidic based economics approaches can be focused towards seeing wholes of economics, rather than parts; seeing economics activities as a worship, rather than competition; cultivating the solidarity (charity, rather than individualism and creating the justice, rather than injustice. Thus this paper designed to provide the concept of Islamic economic system with Tawhid as the basis, to fit the philosophy of economic science and reality of human life. The paper also shows the position of Tawhid in the system and theory of economy in creating prosperity and benefit for all mankind comparing to mainstream economic system and their theory.DOI: 10.15408/aiq.v9i1.3481 

  16. Theories of International Economic Development (Case Study: Economic Development in Kosovo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MSc. Bardhok Bashota

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Karl Popper rightly says that “real starting point for each research is set based on assumptions of reality, not only based on the real facts”. The text below was prepared In accordance with this logic, where the Theories of International Development are treated especially focusing on International Economic Development. Therefore, theoretical reflections present assumption side, and study of many empirically measured data will correspond with real facts, because with ought these facts assumption would be useless. Technically this writing consists of two parts: in the first part are elaborated all theoretical and practical characteristics of overall international development, while in a second part as a case study will be Economic Development i Kosovo. From methodological point of view this is a comparative study and based on statistical data, while problem treating approach is critical and explanatory. As it will be understood later, development theories have been decisively influenced by economic thinking, and the focus on this dimension responds best to the nature of the term development. On the other hand the fact of unfolding economical development will reflect interference and the nature of it’s inter politics. Today economic development becomes a worldwide goal, having a considerable place in most of the literature with economic content. Also, here are presented as well examples from different practices that reflect economic development in different periods and places. Here is presented international economic development starting with a brief description of a genealogy of this development and ways of economic development back that time. It is of a special importance elaboration through theoretical approach on the creation of capital and economic development, as  mercantilist theory, classic and neo classic theory, than capitalization and Socialism-Marxism. To better understand the nature of economic development, the focus falls on

  17. THE IMPACT OF INVESTMENTS, EXPORTS, AND OPENNESS ON ECONOMIC GROWTH. A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simuţ Ramona

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The study of the economic growth process has older implications. The preoccupation for the study of the economic growth has existed beginning with the representatives of the Classical School and continuing with the Keynesians, Neokeynesians, and Neoclassics. A series of empirical studies have tested the correlation between the dynamics of the different factors and the process of economic growth. \\r\

  18. Upstream petroleum licensing: a comparative approach on regulatory frameworks and economic impacts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cunha, Amanda L. [Felsberg e Associados, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2008-07-01

    The recent discoveries hit in the pre-salt area, such as Tupi, Jupiter, Bem-te-vi and Carioca may place Brazil amongst the largest oil producers in the world. As a result, the Brazilian regulatory framework, which was originally envisaged in a scenario of higher exploration risk, has been under heavy public scrutiny. The Brazilian Government has already taken the first steps towards substantial changes in the country's contracting model for upstream activities. By means of Resolution No. 6/2007, the National Council for Energy Policy ('CNPE') not only determined the removal of 41 blocks with sub-salt geology from the ANP 9 Th Bid Round, but also stressed the need for a different regime for E and P activities in the country's continental shelf. At this moment, there is a great deal of controversy on the contracting model to be adopted, mainly whether the concession model should be maintained, but subject to higher levels of government take, or a production sharing model should apply. This paper goes through the evolution of international oil agreements, from early concessions to modern agreements. A special emphasis is placed on concession/license regimes as well as on production sharing agreements (PSAs). Besides drawing a comparative line between such models, this article assesses their economic impacts and whether the regulatory framework currently in force in Brazil is suitable for a scenario of lower risk, showing that any desired level of regulation may be achieved in the context of a PSA as easily as in a exclusive concession. (author)

  19. EdF speaks about economic advantages of fuel reprocessing as compared with interim storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1997-01-01

    The French company Electricite de France (EdF) will prefer nuclear fuel reprocessing and plutonium recycling to spent fuel storage also in the years after 2000. This option is economically advantageous if the proportional cost of reprocessing does not exceed 1900 FRF/kg heavy metal. Economic analysis shows that this is feasible. EdF will soon have to reprocess annually about 1000 Mt spent fuel to supply enough plutonium for MOX fuel fabrication to feed as many as 28 PWR units and the Superphenix reactor. Spent fuel reprocessing is seen as promising as long as the efficiency of the MOX fuel approaches that of natural uranium based fuel. The French national industrial, political and legal context of EdF operations is also considered. (P.A.)

  20. Comprehending ecological and economic sustainability: comparative analysis of stability principles in the biosphere and free market economy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarieva, Anastassia M; Gorshkov, Victor G; Li, Bai-Lian

    2010-05-01

    The global environmental imperative demands urgent actions on ecological stabilization, yet the global scale of such actions is persistently insufficient. This calls for investigating why the world economy appears to be so fearful of any potential environmental expenditure. Using the formalism of Lyapunov potential function it is shown that the stability principles for biomass in the ecosystem and for employment in economics are mathematically similar. The ecosystem has a stable and unstable stationary state with high (forest) and low (grasslands) biomass, respectively. In economics, there is a stable stationary state with high employment in mass production of conventional goods sold at low cost price, and an unstable stationary state with lower employment in production of novel products of technological progress sold at higher prices. An additional stable state is described for economics with very low employment in production of life essentials, such as energy and raw materials that are sold at greatly inflated prices. In this state the civilization pays 10% of global GDP for energy produced by a negligible minority of the working population (currently approximately 0.2%) and sold at prices exceeding the cost price by 40 times, a state when any extra expenditures of whatever nature appear intolerable. The reason lies in the fundamental shortcoming of economic theory, which allows for economic ownership over energy sources. This is shown to be equivalent to equating measurable variables of different dimensions (stores and fluxes), which leads to effective violation of the laws of energy and matter conservation in modern economics.

  1. Ecological economics and economic growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Victor, Peter A

    2010-01-01

    Boulding's 1966 paper on the economics of spaceship Earth established the framework for ecological economics and an understanding of economic growth. In ecological economics, economies are conceptualized as open subsystems of the closed biosphere and are subject to biophysical laws and constraints. Economic growth measured as an increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) has generally been associated with increases in the use of energy and materials and the generation of wastes. Scale, composition, and technology are the proximate determinants of environmental impacts. They are often reduced to two: scale (GDP) and intensity (impact per unit GDP). New work described in this paper defines "green" growth as intensity that declines faster than scale increases. Similarly, "brown" growth occurs when intensity declines more slowly than increases in scale, and "black" growth happens when both scale and intensity increase. These concepts are then related to the environmental Kuznets curve, which can be understood as a transition from brown to green growth. Ecological economics provides a macroperspective on economic growth. It offers broad policy principles, and it challenges the primacy of economic growth as a policy objective, but many important questions remain.

  2. Economic analysis to compare fabrication of nuclear power and fossil fuel power plants at Iran

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rasouliye Koohi, Mojtaba

    1997-01-01

    Electric power due to its many advantages over other forms of energies covers most of the world's energy demands.The electric power can be produced by various energy converting systems fed by different energy resources like fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro and renewable energies, each having their own appropriate technologies. The fossil fuel not only consumes the deplete and precious sources of non conventional energies but they add pollution to environment too. The nuclear power plants has its own share of radioactive pollutions which, of course can be controlled by taking precautionary measures. The investing cost of each generated unit (KWh) in the nuclear power plants, comparing with its equivalent production by fossil fuels is investigated. The various issues of economical analysis, technical, political and environmental are the different aspects, which individually can influence the decisions for kind of power plant to be installed. Finally, it is concluded that the fossil and nuclear power generations both has its own advantages and disadvantages. Hence, from a specializing point of view, it may not be proper to prefer one over the others

  3. Estimating total economic merit for the Portuguese Holstein cattle population under new economic conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joana B.M. Almeida

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to develop a total economic merit index that identifies more profitable animals using Portugal as a case study to illustrate the recent economic changes in milk production. Economic values were estimated following future global prices and EU policy, and taking into consideration the priorities of the Portuguese dairy sector. Economic values were derived using an objective system analysis with a positive approach, that involved the comparison of several alternatives, using real technical and economic data from national dairy farms. The estimated relative economic values revealed a high importance of production traits, low for morphological traits and a value of zero for somatic cell score. According to several future market expectations, three scenarios for milk production were defined: a realistic, a pessimistic and an optimistic setting, each with projected future economic values. Responses to selection and efficiency of selection of the indices were compared to a fourth scenario that represents the current selection situation in Portugal, based on individual estimated breeding values for milk yield. Although profit resulting from sale of milk per average lactation in the optimistic scenario was higher than in the realistic scenario, the volatility of future economic conditions and uncertainty about the future milk pricing system should be considered. Due to this market instability, genetic improvement programs require new definitions of profit functions for the near future. Effective genetic progress direction must be verified so that total economic merit formulae can be adjusted and selection criteria redirected to the newly defined target goals.

  4. Welfare Economics: A Story of Existence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid Iqbal

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to explore that, despite severe challenges, welfare economics still exists. This descriptive study is conducted through some specific time line developments in this field. Economists are divided over the veracity and survival of the welfare economics. Welfare economics emphasizes on the optimum resource and goods allocation with the objective of better living standard, materialistic gains, social welfare and ethical decisions. It origins back to the political economics and utilitarianism. Adam Smith, Irving Fisher and Pareto contributed significantly towards it. During 1930 to 1940, American and British approaches were developed. Many economists tried to explore the relationship between level of income and happiness. Amartya Sen gave the comparative approach and Tinbergen pioneered the theory of equity. Contemporarily the futuristic restoration of welfare economics is on trial and hopes are alive. This study may be useful to understand the transitional and survival process of welfare economics.

  5. Cost and economic burden of illness over 15 years in Nepal: A comparative analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swe, Khin Thet; Rahman, Md Mizanur; Rahman, Md Shafiur; Saito, Eiko; Abe, Sarah K; Gilmour, Stuart; Shibuya, Kenji

    2018-01-01

    With an increasing burden of non-communicable disease in Nepal and limited progress towards universal health coverage, country- and disease-specific estimates of financial hardship related to healthcare costs need to be evaluated to protect the population effectively from healthcare-related financial burden. To estimate the cost and economic burden of illness and to assess the inequality in the financial burden due to catastrophic health expenditure from 1995 to 2010 in Nepal. This study used nationally representative Nepal Living Standards Surveys conducted in 1995 and 2010. A Bayesian two-stage hurdle model was used to estimate average cost of illness and Bayesian logistic regression models were used to estimate the disease-specific incidence of catastrophic health payment and impoverishment. The concentration curve and index were estimated by disease category to examine inequality in healthcare-related financial hardship. Inflation-adjusted mean out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for chronic illness and injury increased by 4.6% and 7.3%, respectively, while the cost of recent acute illness declined by 1.5% between 1995 and 2010. Injury showed the highest incidence of catastrophic expenditure (30.7% in 1995 and 22.4% in 2010) followed by chronic illness (12.0% in 1995 and 9.6% in 2010) and recent acute illness (21.1% in 1995 and 7.8% in 2010). Asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, malaria, jaundice and parasitic illnesses showed increased catastrophic health expenditure over time. Impoverishment due to injury declined most (by 12% change in average annual rate) followed by recent acute illness (9.7%) and chronic illness (9.6%) in 15 years. Inequality analysis indicated that poorer populations with recent acute illness suffered more catastrophic health expenditure in both sample years, while wealthier households with injury and chronic illnesses suffered more catastrophic health expenditure in 2010. To minimize the economic burden of illness, several approaches need to be

  6. Economics of Convention and New Economic Sociology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jagd, Søren

    2007-01-01

    The aim of the article is to explore potential common themes in economic sociology and economics of conventions. The article explores two issues raised by economics of conventions that may be of particular importance to economic sociology. First, the explicit exploration of the consequences...... of a plurality of forms of justification, as elaborated in économie de la grandeur. This perspective was recently taken up in economic sociology by David Stark's introduction of the notion ‘sociology of worth'. The second issue, recently suggested by André Orléan, is the need to denaturalize economic theory...... and economic action to demonstrate the social constructed nature of economic action. It is argued that these two issues demonstrate that a fruitful dialogue is indeed possible between economic sociology and economics of convention and should be encouraged....

  7. Finding the economics in economic entomology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onstad, David W; Knolhoff, Lisa M

    2009-02-01

    To recommend new pest management tactics and strategies to farmers and policy makers, economic entomologists must evaluate the economics of biologically reasonable approaches. We collected data to determine how frequently these economic evaluations occur. We discovered from our survey of entomological journals representing the discipline of economic entomology that papers published since 1972 include economic evaluations of pest management tactics. At least 85% of these analyses were performed by entomologists and not economists. Much of the research on economic evaluations is performed without special funds granted by agencies separate from the authors' institutions. In the United States, USDA competitive grants supported 20% of the economic evaluations published since 2000. However, only approximately 12% of the projects funded since 2000 by three sections of the USDA (Crops at Risk, Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program, and Pest Management Alternatives Program) resulted in publications concerning economic evaluations. If the purpose of economic entomology is to ultimately determine the value of different kinds of tactics, the discipline may need to take steps to enhance the research that supports these evaluations.

  8. Economic Citizenship and Socio-Economic Rationality as Foundations of an Appropriate Economic Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph Schank

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In this article we argue that social science education needs to convey more than operational mechanisms of society. Especially in socio-economic education, questions of business ethics, i.e. phenomena of economics and society need to be integrated and reflected, decidedly focusing on the moral content of economics. With the introduction of economic citizenship as the ideal economic actor to be the purpose of economic education, this paper proposes that economic education needs to connect economic expertise and moral judgment and should also allude to the necessity of every market action’s conditional legitimization by society. We propose to discuss different ‘sites’ of morality as a heuristic approach to the different areas of economic responsibility. The individual, organizational and political level of responsibility helps to categorize the different moral issues of economic activity and serves as a great pattern to explain economic relations to scholars and students.

  9. Effects of Prior Economic Education, Native Language, and Gender on Economic Knowledge of First-Year Students in Higher Education. A Comparative Study between Germany and the USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brückner, Sebastian; Förster, Manuel; Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Olga; Walstad, William B.

    2015-01-01

    The assessment of university students' economic knowledge has become an increasingly important research area within and across countries. Particularly, the different influences of prior education, native language, and gender as some of the main prerequisites on students' economic knowledge have been highlighted since long. However, the findings…

  10. A comparative economic assessment of hydrogen production from coke oven gas, water electrolysis and steam reforming of natural gas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Y.V.; Ngo, Y.A.; Tinkler, M.J.; Cowan, N.

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents the comparative economics of producing hydrogen for the hydrogen economy by recovering it from waste gases from the steel industry, by water electrolysis and by conventional steam reforming of natural gas. Steel makers produce coke for their blast furnace operation by baking coal at high temperature in a reduced environment in their coke ovens. These ovens produce a coke oven gas from the volatiles in the coal. The gas, containing up to 60% hydrogen, is commonly used for its heating value with some of it being flared. The feasibility of recovering this hydrogen from the gas will be presented. A comparison of this opportunity with that of hydrogen from water electrolysis using low cost off-peak electricity from nuclear energy will be made. The impact of higher daily average electricity rate in Ontario will be discussed. The benefits of these opportunities compared with those from conventional steam reforming of natural gas will be highlighted. (author)

  11. Economic Sociology and Economics of Convention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jagd, Søren

    This paper is part of a larger exploration of the French Economics of Convention tradition. The aim of the paper is to explore potential themes of common interest to economic sociology and Economics of Conventions. The paper is in two parts. First, I summarise the main theoretical features of EC...... the institutional framework of social action. Second, I explore two issues raised by economics of conventions that may be particularly important to consider for economic sociology. The first issue is the explicit exploration of the consequences of a plurality of forms of justification suggested by Luc Boltanski...... and Laurent Thévenot in ‘économie de la grandeur’. This perspective has already been taken up in economic sociology in David Stark’s notion of a ‘Sociology of Worth’. The second issue, recently suggested by André Orléan, is the need to denaturalise economic theory and economic action to demonstrate the social...

  12. Evolution of the global economic science as a factor of forming the expectations of economic agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeriy Vladimirovich Shlychkov

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective to reveal the correlation between the level of economic system development and the adequacy of economic ideas and conceptions at particular historic periods to define the role of economic theory in generating economic knowledge and the degree of its influence on economic subjects39 behavior under permanent changes in technology setups and evolutionary development of economic systems. Methods the research methodology was based on ensuring the uniformity of logical and historical approaches the research methods were widely used descriptive analysis and synthesis deduction and induction generalization observation prediction scientific abstraction statistical analysis system analysis and techniques of grouping and classification methods of comparative historical and interdisciplinary analysis expert judgment the combination of these methods allowed to ensure the accuracy of the research and the validity of conclusions. Results the correlation was revealed between the level of economic system development and the adequacy of economic ideas and concepts at certain historical periods the significant role of economic theory in shaping the optimal behavior of economic entitieswas identified the purpose of the economic theory was statedass providing the evolutionary development of our civilization through the process of scientifictheoretical support of business activities of the society. Scientific novelty the main theoretical and methodological approaches were identified to the formation of economic agents expectations to obtain economic knowledge the trends are revealed of expansion and qualitative change of the range of issues facing economistsresearchers in the development of postindustrial society the authorsrsquo interpretation is proposed of the notion ldquoeconomic agentsrsquoexpectationrdquo in which public expectations of economic science are viewed as quotthe formed society need for scientifically grounded economic knowledgequot it

  13. French Economics of Convention and Economic Sociology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jagd, Søren

    foundation of markets and of money may be an occasion for economic sociology to focus even more on elaborating on the institutional void created by traditional economic theory. A second point is that economic sociology could benefit from the perspective of a plurality of forms of coordination involved......The French Economics of convention tradition has developed to be an influential research tradition situated in the area between economics and sociology. The aim of the paper is to explore some of the themes that may be common to economics of conventions and economic sociology by looking more...... closely into three recent texts from the economics of convention tradition discussing, in slightly different ways, differences and similarities between economics of convention and economic sociology. It is argued that André Orléan’s point that a common aim could be to ‘denaturalise’ the institutional...

  14. Is There a Limit to Growth? Comparing the Environmental Cost of an Airport’s Operations with Its Economic Benefit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cherie Lu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available With the growing global awareness of the requirement for sustainable development, economic development is no longer the sole objective of business activities. The need to find a balance between environmental impacts and economic benefits is especially the case for airport operations in or around cities. This study measured the environmental costs and economic benefits and of an airport for a period of 10 years, using Taipei Songshan Airport for the empirical analysis, to examine whether the environmental costs could outweigh the economic benefits. Of all the environmental negative side effects, aircraft engine emissions and noise nuisance are considered the main sources of environmental impacts. The dose-response method and the hedonic price method, respectively, were used for estimating the social costs of these. Income generation from both direct and secondary employment is measured as economic benefits by applying the Garin-Lowry model, originally developed in 1966, for estimation of the employment multiplier. The results show that, in general, the operation of Taipei Songshan Airport brought more economic benefits than environmental costs. The sensitivity analysis of emissions and noise social cost parameters shows that the environmental costs might have exceeded the economic benefits in 2008 and 2009 in certain high emissions and noise social cost cases.

  15. Dominant Indicators of Bank Crises: Comparative Analysis for States with Different Levels of Economic Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kozlov Vladislav I.

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to identification of common and distinctive regularities of development of banking systems with different levels of development of economy through study of the most important macro-economic and financial indicators. The article uses instruments of the applied statistics. The study is based on comparison of mean values of indicators in two groups of countries (countries with a high level of income and countries with a medium level of income, each of which is divided into two sub-groups based on whether there was banking crisis in 2008 or not. In the result of the study the article shows that there are both common and distinctive features of development of banking systems of countries with different levels of economic development. Thus, a typical scenario, characteristic for countries with developed economy that had banking crisis in 2008, includes availability of a relatively large-scale crediting of the economy under conditions of relatively low rates of economic growth and close connections of the national banking systems with banking systems of other countries. Development of banking systems of developing countries during the pre-crisis period is characterised with the following specific features: relatively high rates of growth of scales of crediting of the economy and high rates of economic growth under conditions of use of significant volumes of resources, borrowed in financial markets, and close connection of the national banking systems with banking systems of other countries. The study allows a more efficient use of experience of states with developed economy, since the described results give a possibility to adjust experience of other states, taking into account characteristic features of banking systems of developing countries. Also the study identified states, experience of which should be studied. The conducted analysis of interrelations of indicators could be used for building models of assessment of

  16. Teaching the Catholic Intellectual Tradition in Economics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berendt, Emil B.

    2017-01-01

    While much work has been done to explicitly incorporate ethics and Catholic social thought into the business curriculum, comparatively little has been done in the field of economics. This paper attempts to fill that gap by arguing that integrating Heinrich Pesch's Solidarism into the standard economics curriculum seamlessly introduces Catholic…

  17. A COMPARATIVE STUDY of HEALTH UNITS of the 6TH GREEK HEALTH REGION DURING an ECONOMIC CRISIS PERIOD through DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS METHOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georgios I. Farantos

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study is to investigate the change in relative efficiency through a comparative study on the efficiency of health units within a Greek health region during an economic crisis environment, with the aid of a new application. The study is designed to collect data from the 6th Greek health region and to process that data with the use of Data Envelopment Analysis software. The study methodology extends to the application of the study of efficiency of organisations and the integration of the analysis in an interpretation framework within the economic crisis. The study refers to similar hospital clinics (pathological within one of the largest Greek health regions in order for the results to be comparable. We estimate and calculate the DEA sizes based on the CRS, VRS and SE models of the Health Units of a Greek health region, with the use of a new application which calculates the change of overall relative Efficiency during the crisis. The study of the change in the efficiency of health units leads to useful conclusions on the negative changes in the observed efficiency of the units and the integration of the studies on the change of efficiency in the Integrated crisis management. The study ranks the efficient and inefficient units and suggests ways of improvement. This study allows for further case studies in the future and the completion of the integrated crisis management model through comparative studies on the efficiency of systems.

  18. Navigation and Positioning System Using High Altitude Platforms Systems (HAPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsujii, Toshiaki; Harigae, Masatoshi; Harada, Masashi

    Recently, some countries have begun conducting feasibility studies and R&D projects on High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS). Japan has been investigating the use of an airship system that will function as a stratospheric platform for applications such as environmental monitoring, communications and broadcasting. If pseudolites were mounted on the airships, their GPS-like signals would be stable augmentations that would improve the accuracy, availability, and integrity of GPS-based positioning systems. Also, the sufficient number of HAPS can function as a positioning system independent of GPS. In this paper, a system design of the HAPS-based positioning system and its positioning error analyses are described.

  19. Military construction program economic analysis manual: Sample economic analyses: Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-12-01

    This manual enables the US Air Force to comprehensively and systematically analyze alternative approaches to meeting its military construction requirements. The manual includes step-by-step procedures for completing economic analyses for military construction projects, beginning with determining if an analysis is necessary. Instructions and a checklist of the tasks involved for each step are provided; and examples of calculations and illustrations of completed forms are included. The manual explains the major tasks of an economic analysis, including identifying the problem, selecting realistic alternatives for solving it, formulating appropriate assumptions, determining the costs and benefits of the alternatives, comparing the alternatives, testing the sensitivity of major uncertainties, and ranking the alternatives. Appendixes are included that contain data, indexes, and worksheets to aid in performing the economic analyses. For reference, Volume 2 contains sample economic analyses that illustrate how each form is filled out and that include a complete example of the documentation required

  20. ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS VS ECONOMIC(AL ECOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Kharlamova

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Currently world faces the dilemma – ecological economy or economic(al ecology. The researchers produce hundreds of surveys on the topic. However the analyses of recent most cited simulations had shown the diversity of results. Thus, for some states the Kuznets environmental curve has place, for others – no. Same could be said about different years for the same state. It provokes the necessity of drawing new group analyses to reveal the tendencies and relationships between economic and environmental factors. Most flexible and mirror factor of environmental sustainability is the volume of CO2 emissions. The econometric analysis was used for detecting the economic impact on this indicator at the global level and in the spectra of group of states depending on their income. The hypothesis of the existence of environmental Kuznets curve for the analysed data is rejected. Real GDP per capita impact on carbon dioxide emissions is considered only at the global level. The impact of openness of the economy is weak. Rejection happened also to the hypothesis that for the developed countries there is a reverse dependence between the environmental pollution and economic openness. Indicator “energy consumption per capita” impacts on greenhouse gas emissions only in countries with high income. Whereby it should be noted that the more developed a country is, the more elastic is this influence. These results have a potential usage for environmental policy regulation and climate strategy.

  1. Clinical and economic benefit of enzymatic debridement of pressure ulcers compared to autolytic debridement with a hydrogel dressing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waycaster, Curtis; Milne, Catherine T

    2013-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of enzymatic debridement using collagenase relative to autolytic debridement with a hydrogel dressing for the treatment of pressure ulcers. A 3-stage Markov model was used to determine the expected costs and outcomes of wound care for collagenase and hydrogel dressings. Outcome data used in the analysis were taken from a randomized clinical trial that directly compared collagenase and hydrogel dressings. The primary outcome in the clinical trial was the proportion of patients achieving a closed epithelialized wound. Transition probabilities for the Markov states were estimated from the clinical trial. A 1-year time horizon was used to determine the expected number of closed wound days and the expected costs for the two alternative debridement therapies. Resource utilization was based on the wound care treatment regimen used in the clinical trial. Resource costs were derived from standard cost references and medical supply wholesalers. The economic perspective taken was that of the long-term care facility. No cost discounting was performed due to the short time horizon of the analysis. A deterministic sensitivity analysis was conducted to analyze economic uncertainty. The number of expected wound days for the collagenase and hydrogel cohorts are estimated at 48 and 147, respectively. The expected direct cost per patient for pressure ulcer care was $2003 for collagenase and $5480 for hydrogel debridement. The number of closed wound days was 1.5-times higher for collagenase (317 vs 218 days) than with the hydrogel. The estimated cost/closed wound day was 4-times higher for the hydrogel ($25) vs collagenase ($6). In this Markov model based on a randomized trial of pressure ulcer care in a long-term care setting collagenase debridement was economically dominant over autolytic debridement, yielding better outcomes at a lower total cost. Since it was a single institution study with a small sample size, the

  2. When Do Financial Incentives Reduce Intrinsic Motivation? Comparing Behaviors Studied in Psychological and Economic Literatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To review existing evidence on the potential of incentives to undermine or “crowd out” intrinsic motivation, in order to establish whether and when it predicts financial incentives to crowd out motivation for health-related behaviors. Method: We conducted a conceptual analysis to compare definitions and operationalizations of the effect, and reviewed existing evidence to identify potential moderators of the effect. Results: In the psychological literature, we find strong evidence for an undermining effect of tangible rewards on intrinsic motivation for simple tasks when motivation manifest in behavior is initially high. In the economic literature, evidence for undermining effects exists for a broader variety of behaviors, in settings that involve a conflict of interest between parties. By contrast, for health related behaviors, baseline levels of incentivized behaviors are usually low, and only a subset involve an interpersonal conflict of interest. Correspondingly, we find no evidence for crowding out of incentivized health behaviors. Conclusion: The existing evidence does not warrant a priori predictions that an undermining effect would be found for health-related behaviors. Health-related behaviors and incentives schemes differ greatly in moderating characteristics, which should be the focus of future research. PMID:24001245

  3. When do financial incentives reduce intrinsic motivation? comparing behaviors studied in psychological and economic literatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Promberger, Marianne; Marteau, Theresa M

    2013-09-01

    To review existing evidence on the potential of incentives to undermine or "crowd out" intrinsic motivation, in order to establish whether and when it predicts financial incentives to crowd out motivation for health-related behaviors. We conducted a conceptual analysis to compare definitions and operationalizations of the effect, and reviewed existing evidence to identify potential moderators of the effect. In the psychological literature, we find strong evidence for an undermining effect of tangible rewards on intrinsic motivation for simple tasks when motivation manifest in behavior is initially high. In the economic literature, evidence for undermining effects exists for a broader variety of behaviors, in settings that involve a conflict of interest between parties. By contrast, for health related behaviors, baseline levels of incentivized behaviors are usually low, and only a subset involve an interpersonal conflict of interest. Correspondingly, we find no evidence for crowding out of incentivized health behaviors. The existing evidence does not warrant a priori predictions that an undermining effect would be found for health-related behaviors. Health-related behaviors and incentives schemes differ greatly in moderating characteristics, which should be the focus of future research. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. Economic growth and military expenditure linkages: a panel data analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Shahid

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper has made an attempt to examine relationship between military expenditure and economic growth using 56 country panel data spanning over 1995—2011. Panel fixed effect model has been estimated for all 56 countries and sub-groups classified on the basis of World Bank income criteria. The results of this study indicate a positive effect of military expenditure on economic growth but this positive effect is negligible compared to the alternative uses of scare resources on non-military expenditure. Thus, the effect of military expenditure on economic growth is very low compared to the effect of expenditure on capital formation, hence military expenditure as a sub-optimal means of increasing economic growth compared to alternative uses of government spending on formation of fixed capital. This study raises an important argument of huge opportunity cost of military expenditure. The present study concludes that the boosting of economic growth through higher military expenditure is neither effective nor efficient way of achieving higher growth in the economy.

  5. Options for helium circulation in a hydrogen production plant VHTR-Si: thermal-economic comparative

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendoza A, A.; Francois L, J. L.; Anaya D, A.

    2011-11-01

    The technologies that take advantage of the heat of nuclear reactors of IV generation are of great interest, due to their high energy efficiencies and to their strong economic potential. An example of these technologies is the sulfur-iodine process coupled to a nuclear reactor of high temperature cooled by helium. In this process heat is transferred from the nuclear reactor to the chemical plant by means of two cycles of helium interconnected by an intermediate heat exchanger. The first, denominated primary cycle of cooling, removes the heat of the nuclear reactor, transferring to the secondary cycle to be distributed to equipment s in the chemical plant. The pass of the helium gas through the equipment s that compose each one of the cycles, implies pressure losses that should be compensated necessarily by re-compression to maintain a stable state in the system, causing the energy consumption, usually rejected in the energy analyses. When to this energy is added the energy required in the hydrogen plant: energy required by the pumping systems, will decrease the efficiency of the nucleus-chemical complex, increasing the even cost of the hydrogen. In this work, three options to supply the compression energy and pumping (CEP) to the system are proposed, and these are analyzed thermodynamic and economically. The results indicate that to consider the CEP in the economic analysis increases between 1.5 and 3% the even cost of the hydrogen, and that the option with more energy efficiency is not necessarily the best for the nucleus-chemical complex. (Author)

  6. Thermo-economic analysis of recuperated Maisotsenko bottoming cycle using triplex air saturator: Comparative analyses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saghafifar, Mohammad; Omar, Amr; Erfanmoghaddam, Sepehr; Gadalla, Mohamed

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Proposing recuperated Maisotsenko bottoming cycle (RMBC) as a new combined cycle. • Introducing triplex air saturator for waste heat recovery application. • Conducting thermodynamic optimization to maximize RMBC thermal efficiency. • Conducting thermo-economic optimization to minimize RMBC cost of electricity. - Abstract: A recently recommended combined cycle power plant is to employ another gas turbine cycle for waste heat recovery as an air bottoming cycle (ABC). There are some studies conducted to improve ABC’s thermodynamic performance utilizing commonly power augmentation methods such as steam/water injection. In particular, it is proposed to employ Maisotsenko gas turbine cycle as a bottoming cycle, i.e. Maisotsenko bottoming cycle (MBC). Due to the promising performance of the MBC configuration, it is decided to investigate a recuperated MBC (RMBC) configuration by recommending the triplex air saturator. In this way, the air saturator consists of three sections. The first section is an indirect evaporative cooler while the other two sections are responsible for heat recovery from the topping and bottoming cycle turbines exhaust. In this paper, thermodynamic and thermo-economic analyses are carried out to study the main merits and demerits of RMBC against MBC configuration. Thermodynamic optimization results indicate that the maximum achievable efficiency for MBC and RMBC incorporation in a simple gas turbine power plant are 39.40% and 44.73%, respectively. Finally, thermo-economic optimization shows that the optimum levelized cost of electricity for MBC and RMBC power plants are 62.922 US$/MWh and 58.154 US$/MWh, respectively.

  7. Environmental and economical aspects of selected energy system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-11-01

    An analysis of environmental and economical aspects of selected renewable energy systems is presented. The aim was to provide a basis for estimating the competitive status in each case, to review the consequences of technological development, to identify attractive markets and to evaluate the effects of various economic conditions. Calculation methods are described and individual solar heating systems are compared to oil-fired boilers, boilers fired with solid fuels are compared to oil-fired boilers and straw-fired cogeneration plants are compared with coal, fuel-oil and straw-fired district heating plants. Results are presented in the form of tables and graphs. (AB)

  8. Applied evolutionary economics and economic geography

    OpenAIRE

    Peter Sunley

    2008-01-01

    Applied Evolutionary Economics and Economic Geography aims to further advance empirical methodologies in evolutionary economics, with a special emphasis on geography and firm location. It does so by bringing together a select group of leading scholars including economists, geographers and sociologists, all of whom share an interest in explaining the uneven distribution of economic activities in space and the historical processes that have produced these patterns.

  9. Economic consequences of reproductive performance in dairy cattle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Inchaisri, C.; Jorritsma, R.; Vos, P.L.A.M.; Weijden, van der G.C.; Hogeveen, H.

    2010-01-01

    The net economic value of reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle was estimated using a stochastic dynamic simulation model. The objective was to compare the economic consequences of reproductive performance scenarios (“average” and “poor”) of a cow having a good reproductive performance and to

  10. A reference case for economic evaluations in osteoarthritis: an expert consensus article from the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiligsmann, Mickaël; Cooper, Cyrus; Guillemin, Francis; Hochberg, Marc C; Tugwell, Peter; Arden, Nigel; Berenbaum, Francis; Boers, Maarten; Boonen, Annelies; Branco, Jaime C; Maria-Luisa, Brandi; Bruyère, Olivier; Gasparik, Andrea; Kanis, John A; Kvien, Tore K; Martel-Pelletier, Johanne; Pelletier, Jean-Pierre; Pinedo-Villanueva, Rafael; Pinto, Daniel; Reiter-Niesert, Susanne; Rizzoli, René; Rovati, Lucio C; Severens, Johan L; Silverman, Stuart; Reginster, Jean-Yves

    2014-12-01

    General recommendations for a reference case for economic studies in rheumatic diseases were published in 2002 in an initiative to improve the comparability of cost-effectiveness studies in the field. Since then, economic evaluations in osteoarthritis (OA) continue to show considerable heterogeneity in methodological approach. To develop a reference case specific for economic studies in OA, including the standard optimal care, with which to judge new pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions. Four subgroups of an ESCEO expert working group on economic assessments (13 experts representing diverse aspects of clinical research and/or economic evaluations) were charged with producing lists of recommendations that would potentially improve the comparability of economic analyses in OA: outcome measures, comparators, costs and methodology. These proposals were discussed and refined during a face-to-face meeting in 2013. They are presented here in the format of the recommendations of the recently published Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) statement, so that an initiative on economic analysis methodology might be consolidated with an initiative on reporting standards. Overall, three distinct reference cases are proposed, one for each hand, knee and hip OA; with diagnostic variations in the first two, giving rise to different treatment options: interphalangeal or thumb-based disease for hand OA and the presence or absence of joint malalignment for knee OA. A set of management strategies is proposed, which should be further evaluated to help establish a consensus on the "standard optimal care" in each proposed reference case. The recommendations on outcome measures, cost itemisation and methodological approaches are also provided. The ESCEO group proposes a set of disease-specific recommendations on the conduct and reporting of economic evaluations in OA that could help the standardisation and comparability of studies that evaluate

  11. Health economic evaluations comparing insulin glargine with NPH insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagenmeyer, Ernst-Günther; Koltermann, Katharina C; Dippel, Franz-Werner; Schädlich, Peter K

    2011-10-06

    Compared to conventional human basal insulin (neutral protamine Hagedorn; NPH) the long-acting analogue insulin glargine (GLA) is associated with a number of advantages regarding metabolic control, hypoglycaemic events and convenience. However, the unit costs of GLA exceed those of NPH. This study aims to systematically review the economic evidence comparing GLA with NPH in basal-bolus treatment (intensified conventional therapy; ICT) of type 1 diabetes in order to facilitate informed decision making in clinical practice and health policy. A systematic literature search was performed for the period of January 1st 2000 to December 1st 2009 via Embase, Medline, the Cochrane Library, the databases GMS (German Medical Science) and DAHTA (Deutsche Agentur für Health Technology Assessment), and the abstract books of relevant international scientific congresses. Retrieved studies were reviewed based on predefined inclusion criteria, methodological and quality aspects. In order to allow comparison between studies, currencies were converted using purchasing power parities (PPP). A total of 7 health economic evaluations from 4 different countries fulfilled the predefined criteria: 6 modelling studies, all of them cost-utility analyses, and one claims data analysis with a cost-minimisation design. One cost-utility analysis showed dominance of GLA over NPH. The other 5 cost-utility analyses resulted in additional costs per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained for GLA, ranging from € 3,859 to € 57,002 (incremental cost effectiveness ratio; ICER). The cost-minimisation analysis revealed lower annual diabetes-specific costs in favour of NPH from the perspective of the German Statutory Health Insurance (SHI). The incremental cost-utility-ratios (ICER) show favourable values for GLA with considerable variation. If a willingness-to-pay threshold of £ 30,000 (National Institute of Clinical Excellence, UK) is adopted, GLA is cost-effective in 4 of 6 cost utility analyses

  12. Health economic evaluations comparing insulin glargine with NPH insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dippel Franz-Werner

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Compared to conventional human basal insulin (neutral protamine Hagedorn; NPH the long-acting analogue insulin glargine (GLA is associated with a number of advantages regarding metabolic control, hypoglycaemic events and convenience. However, the unit costs of GLA exceed those of NPH. This study aims to systematically review the economic evidence comparing GLA with NPH in basal-bolus treatment (intensified conventional therapy; ICT of type 1 diabetes in order to facilitate informed decision making in clinical practice and health policy. Methods A systematic literature search was performed for the period of January 1st 2000 to December 1st 2009 via Embase, Medline, the Cochrane Library, the databases GMS (German Medical Science and DAHTA (Deutsche Agentur für Health Technology Assessment, and the abstract books of relevant international scientific congresses. Retrieved studies were reviewed based on predefined inclusion criteria, methodological and quality aspects. In order to allow comparison between studies, currencies were converted using purchasing power parities (PPP. Results A total of 7 health economic evaluations from 4 different countries fulfilled the predefined criteria: 6 modelling studies, all of them cost-utility analyses, and one claims data analysis with a cost-minimisation design. One cost-utility analysis showed dominance of GLA over NPH. The other 5 cost-utility analyses resulted in additional costs per quality adjusted life year (QALY gained for GLA, ranging from € 3,859 to € 57,002 (incremental cost effectiveness ratio; ICER. The cost-minimisation analysis revealed lower annual diabetes-specific costs in favour of NPH from the perspective of the German Statutory Health Insurance (SHI. Conclusions The incremental cost-utility-ratios (ICER show favourable values for GLA with considerable variation. If a willingness-to-pay threshold of £ 30,000 (National Institute of Clinical Excellence, UK is adopted

  13. Economics made fun, and made fun of: How ‘Fun’ redefines the Domain and Identity of the Economics Profession

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dekker, E.; Teule, P.

    2012-01-01

    This paper compares two aspects of the use of ‘fun’ within the economics profession. It analyzes the way in which a recently emerged genre of economics-made-fun uses fun and surprising insights to reach new audiences. And it also analyzes the way in which humor is used within and from outside the

  14. The Economics of Organ Transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altınörs, Nur; Haberal, Mehmet

    2018-03-01

    To determine the cost effectiveness of transplantation, we analyzed the financial economics of the organ and tissue transplant process. We compared the cost of this process with traditional modalities for treating endstage liver and kidney disease. Medical, surgical, legal, social, ethical, and religious issues are important in organ transplant procedures. Government, health insurance companies, and uninsured individuals are affected by the financial economics of organ transplantation. The distribution of financial burden differs among countries and is dependent on the unique circumstances of each country.

  15. The Impact of China on South American Political and Economic Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Steen Fryba

    2018-01-01

    The analysis compares three typologies of South American countries in terms of the impact of China on their political and economic development.......The analysis compares three typologies of South American countries in terms of the impact of China on their political and economic development....

  16. New local diesel power stations: an economic assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wills, R.J.; Reuben, B.G.

    1992-01-01

    A recent investigation examined the economic potential for electricity generation in the U.K. using large slow-speed two-stroke diesel engines of around 40MW unit output. Large diesels are a high efficiency technology, resilient to fuel quality, and with high reliability. Economic analysis compared diesels with other generating options for a range of fuel scenarios and discount rates. Merit order potential and total costs were also assessed. The diesels show superior economic qualities, both in terms of investment criteria and high merit position. They are economically comparable with combined cycle gas turbines, but combined cycle plant is essentially large-scale, whereas diesels in 40 MW units sizes can provide small-scale, high-efficiency local generation. Slow-speed diesels represent a sound investment for electricity supply. Diesels in local power stations in southern England would increase supply security and diversity. They are compatible with a cautious investment approach and are appropriate for the new market conditions in electricity supply. (author)

  17. Economic Growth, Economic Freedom, and Governance

    OpenAIRE

    Cebula, Richard; Ekstrom, Marcus

    2008-01-01

    This exploratory study examines the impact of various forms of economic freedom and various dimensions of governance, as well as a number of economic factors, on economic growth among OECD nations. Empirical estimation finds that the natural log of per capita purchasing-power-parity adjusted real GDP in OECD nations is positively impacted by business freedom, monetary freedom, trade freedom, and property rights security. Economic growth is found to be negatively affected by perceived governme...

  18. Applied evolutionary economics and economic geography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frenken, K.

    2007-01-01

    Applied Evolutionary Economics and Economic Geography" aims to further advance empirical methodologies in evolutionary economics, with a special emphasis on geography and firm location. It does so by bringing together a select group of leading scholars including economists, geographers and

  19. COMPARATIVE MULTIOBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF COMPLICATED TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS IN TERMS OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dmitrii Vital'evich Panov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to the comparative multiobjective analysis of complicated technical and social systems in terms of economics and management. The difficulty of carrying out such comparison is determined by multidimensionality of the target application, diversity and qualitative variety of separate system elements, dissimilarity of technological conditions, under which they are created, and analogues used for the comparison. It is not about choosing the one “best” solution out of several alternatives, how it is required having the traditional optimization task setting, but about the comparison of home object to its analogues. Usually the purpose of such comparison consists in the assessment of its comparative objective efficiency. However, the object compared is the product of the respective technological chain. The resources used to create the object and analogues compared are always different as well as technologies used to transform resources to end products. It is the reason for the new problem to assess the management quality of own object creation as compared to the analogues. Objectives. The purpose is the development of effective approaches to the management quality assessment of complicated technical and social systems creation. Four multiobjective tasks of integral assessment are considered to solve the stated problem: objective efficiency assessment, assessment of all kinds of resources used, applied technology assessment and finally three-objective task to assess the management quality of object creation with assessed objective efficiency by using stated resources and technologies. The last task implies achievement of the highest objective efficiency with the use of less resource and less sophisticated technology that points at the higher management level. The stated task pertains to the class of multiobjective decision making where alternatives are distinguished by partial criteria and depend on the range of uncertain

  20. Energy efficiency and economic feasibility of CCHP driven by stirling engine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, X.Q.; Wang, R.Z.; Huang, X.H.

    2004-01-01

    This paper deals with the problem of energy efficiency evaluation and economic feasibility analysis of a small scale trigeneration system for combined cooling, heating and power generation (CCHP) with an available Stirling engine. Trigeneration systems have a large potential of energy saving and economical efficiency. The decisive values for energetic efficiency evaluation of such systems are the primary energy rate and comparative primary energy saving (Δq), while the economic feasibility analysis of such systems relates the avoided cost, the total annual saving and payback period. The investigation calculates and compares the energy saving and economic efficiency of trigeneration system with Stirling engine against contemporary conventional independent cooling, heating and power, showing that a CCHP system saves fuel resources and has the assurance of economic benefits

  1. Regional Economic Growth; Socio-Economic Disparities among Counties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salih Özgür SARICA

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available State level economy has always been relying on its major metropolitan area’s economic success. So, such metropolitan agglomerations have been considered the only agents that can foster the state’s economic standing as if other economic places do (or may not have significant contribution to the regional economy. In contrast, as some major cities enhance their economic well-being and agglomerate in specialized sector, the rest of the region lose their economic grounds or stay constant by widening the economic gap among cities. Therefore, an institutional approach can help to establish new regional arrangements to substitute all economic places to coordinate each other and succeed the economic growth as part of state government by reducing the disparities. In this sense, this study builds upon the inquiry that seeks the impacts of some economic disparities among economic places (counties on the performances of state level regional economy.

  2. Economic aspects and models for building codes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonke, Jens; Pedersen, Dan Ove; Johnsen, Kjeld

    It is the purpose of this bulletin to present an economic model for estimating the consequence of new or changed building codes. The object is to allow comparative analysis in order to improve the basis for decisions in this field. The model is applied in a case study.......It is the purpose of this bulletin to present an economic model for estimating the consequence of new or changed building codes. The object is to allow comparative analysis in order to improve the basis for decisions in this field. The model is applied in a case study....

  3. On the economic attractiveness of renewable energy technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaegemann, Cosima

    2014-01-01

    The competitiveness of wind and solar power technologies is often evaluated in public debates by comparing levelized costs of electricity. This is, however, incorrect, as doing so neglects the economic value of technologies. Similarly, renewable energy support schemes are often designed to incentivize investors to only account for the marginal economic costs (MEC) but not for the marginal economic value (MEV el ) of renewable energy technologies, i.e., the revenue from selling electricity on the wholesale market during the unit's technical lifetime. In this paper, it is shown that the net marginal economic costs per kWh (NMEC) - defined as the difference between the MEC and the MEV el per kWh - should serve as the reference when discussing the economic attractiveness of renewable energy technologies. Moreover, renewable energy support schemes should incentivize investments in technologies and regions with the lowest net marginal economic costs per kWh (NMEC), as otherwise excess costs occur. This is demonstrated using the example of Germany and its technology- and region-specific wind and solar power targets for 2020. By applying a linear electricity system optimization model, Germany's technology- and region-specific wind and solar power targets for 2020 are found to cause excess costs of more than 6.6 bn Euro 2010 . These are driven by comparatively high NMEC (low economic attractiveness) of offshore wind and solar power in comparison to onshore wind power in Germany up to 2020.

  4. Economic analysis of fusion breeders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delene, J.G.

    1985-01-01

    This paper presents a study of the economic performance of Fission/Fusion Hybrid devices. This work takes fusion breeder cost estimates and applies methodology and cost factors used in the fission reactor programs to compare fusion breeders with Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR). The results of the analysis indicate that the Hybrid will be in the same competitive range as proposed LMFBRs and have the potential to provide economically competitive power in a future of rising uranium prices. The sensitivity of the results to variations in key parameters is included

  5. Economics worksheet for builder guidelines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, B.K.

    1994-01-01

    The Builder Guidelines package is used to analyze space heating in residential design. Alternative designs are compared in engineering units (e.g., Btu) with the aid of four simple worksheets. Evaluating designs in economic terms would enhance understanding of decisions to be made in the consideration of several energy efficiency measures. An additional worksheet is proposed for Builder Guidelines. Six easy steps take the user through a simplified economic evaluation, based on auxiliary heating performance. Annual space heating cost, avoided costs, and years to payback are calculated in the procedure

  6. Economic growth and change in southeast Alaska.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhonda Mazza

    2004-01-01

    This report focuses on economic trends since the 1970s in rural southeast Alaska. These trends are compared with those in the Nation and in nonmetropolitan areas of the country to determine the extent to which the economy in rural southeast Alaska is affected by regional activity and by larger market forces. Many of the economic changes occurring in rural southeast...

  7. Spatial Economics: The Evolution of Approaches and Methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minakir P. A.

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The evolution of theoretical principles and approaches to the study of spatial organization of the economy is set forth. The changes in the content of the category «economic region» are analyzed. A comparative assessment is given of theoretical approaches to studying spatial aspects of the economy. The limited character of theoretical and applied regional economic tools in studying spatial organization and spatial interactions between economic agents of the modern economy is shown

  8. Economic Incentives for Sex-Selective Abortion in India

    OpenAIRE

    Daniel Rosenblum

    2014-01-01

    In order to understand the economic incentives behind sex selection in India, I provide the first estimates of the magnitude of the economic benefits of having a son instead of a daughter. I estimate large gains to per capita income and expenditure, household assets, and a reduction in the probability the household is below the poverty line. The observed pattern of incentives are compared to observed patterns in sex selection. Estimates show that sex selection may provide economic advantages ...

  9. Economic growth, ecological economics, and wilderness preservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brian Czech

    2000-01-01

    Economic growth is a perennial national goal. Perpetual economic growth and wilderness preservation are mutually exclusive. Wilderness scholarship has not addressed this conflict. The economics profession is unlikely to contribute to resolution, because the neoclassical paradigm holds that there is no limit to economic growth. A corollary of the paradigm is that...

  10. Economic risk analysis and critical comparison of optimal biorefinery concepts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cheali, Peam; Posada, John A.; Gernaey, Krist

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, eight optimal biorefinery concepts for biofuels and biochemicals production are critically analyzed and compared in terms of their techno-economic performance and associated economic risks against historical market fluctuations. The investigated biorefinery concepts consider...... different combinations of biomass feedstock (lignocellulosic versus algal) and conversion technologies (biochemical versus thermochemical). In addition, the economic performance of each biorefinery concept is tested assuming a sudden drop in oil prices in order to compare the fitness/survival of each...... concept under extreme market disturbances. The analyses reveal amongst others that: (i) lignocellulosic bioethanol production is not economically feasible considering a drop in oil prices (a negative internal rate of return); (ii) a multi-product biorefinery concept, where bioethanol is upgraded to higher...

  11. [Principles of health economic evaluation for use by caregivers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derumeaux-Burel, Hélène; Derancourt, Christian; Rambhojan, Christine; Branchard, Olivier; Hayes, Nathalie; Bénard, Antoine

    2017-01-01

    The aim of health economic evaluation is to maximize health gains from limited resources. By definition, health economic evaluation is comparative, based on average costs and outcomes of compared interventions. Incremental costs and outcomes are used to calculate the cost-effectiveness ratio, which represents the average incremental cost per gained unit of effectiveness (i.e.: a year of life) with the evaluated intervention compared to the reference. The health economic rationale applies to all health domains. We cannot spend collective resources (health insurance) without asking ourselves about their potential alternative uses. This reasoning is useful to caregivers for understanding resources allocation decisions and healthcare recommandations. Caregivers should grab this field of expertise because they are central in this strategic reflection for defining the future French healthcare landscape. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. 10th Anniversary Focus: From mainstream 'environmental economics' to 'sustainability economics'. On the need for new thinking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Söderbaum, Peter

    2008-12-01

    Traditional ideas of science as being separate and separable from ideology and politics have to be reconsidered. Each interpretation of sustainable development is not only scientific but at the same time ideological. For this reason our ideas about good science should also be related to normal imperatives of democracy. Mainstream neoclassical economics is specific in scientific and ideological terms. This paradigm is useful for some purposes and has played a role as a mental map in guiding us towards economic growth and other ideas about progress in society and the economy. Sustainable development, however, represents an ideological turn in our ideas about progress and it is no longer clear that neoclassical theory will be enough. Alternative perspectives in economics are being developed as part of a pluralistic strategy and the monopoly position of neoclassical economists at university departments of economics is thereby challenged. A 'political economic person' is suggested as alternative (complement) to Economic Man assumptions and a 'political economic organization' to be compared with the neoclassical profit maximizing firm. Alternative ways of understanding markets and international trade, efficiency, decision-making, monitoring and assessment are also needed. It is argued that such an alternative mental map is useful for actors who take the challenge of sustainable development seriously.

  13. The economics of amine usage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fountain, M.J.

    1994-01-01

    The EPRI computer programm, 'Aminemod', a PWR chemistry model, has been used to compare the technical advantages of the 'advanced' amines, ethanolamine, 1,2 diaminoethane and 5 aminopentanol over morpholine in generating an elevated pH in the moisture separator and the economics of using these amines has been assessed by using an MS Excel spreadsheet in conjunction with Aminemod. The advanced amines are capable of achieving 1 pH unit above neutrality, the EPRI target for prevention of erosion-corrison, at acceptable cost and, compared with 'conventional' amines, at considerably reduced ionic load on the condensate polisher. The exercise demonstrates that it is essential to evaluate the effect of an amine dosing regime on the total operating cost and that it is not possible to prejudge the economic outcome on the basis of an amine's purchase price. (orig.)

  14. Economic analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-06-01

    The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) mandated that minimum energy efficiency standards be established for classes of refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers, freezers, clothes dryers, water heaters, room air conditioners, home heating equipment, kitchen ranges and ovens, central air conditioners, and furnaces. EPCA requires that standards be designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified. Following the introductory chapter, Chapter Two describes the methodology used in the economic analysis and its relationship to legislative criteria for consumer product efficiency assessment; details how the CPES Value Model systematically compared and evaluated the economic impacts of regulation on the consumer, manufacturer and Nation. Chapter Three briefly displays the results of the analysis and lists the proposed performance standards by product class. Chapter Four describes the reasons for developing a baseline forecast, characterizes the baseline scenario from which regulatory impacts were calculated and summarizes the primary models, data sources and assumptions used in the baseline formulations. Chapter Five summarizes the methodology used to calculate regulatory impacts; describes the impacts of energy performance standards relative to the baseline discussed in Chapter Four. Also discussed are regional standards and other program alternatives to performance standards. Chapter Six describes the procedure for balancing consumer, manufacturer, and national impacts to select standard levels. Details of models and data bases used in the analysis are included in Appendices A through K.

  15. The economic implications of a multimodal analgesic regimen for patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery: a comparative study of direct costs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, Christopher M; Hall Long, Kirsten; Warner, David O; Hebl, James R

    2009-01-01

    Total knee and total hip arthoplasty (THA) are 2 of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States and represent the greatest single Medicare procedural expenditure. This study was designed to evaluate the economic impact of implementing a multimodal analgesic regimen (Total Joint Regional Anesthesia [TJRA] Clinical Pathway) on the estimated direct medical costs of patients undergoing lower extremity joint replacement surgery. An economic cost comparison was performed on Mayo Clinic patients (n = 100) undergoing traditional total knee or total hip arthroplasty using the TJRA Clinical Pathway. Study patients were matched 1:1 with historical controls undergoing similar procedures using traditional anesthetic (non-TJRA) techniques. Matching criteria included age, sex, surgeon, type of procedure, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status (PS) classification. Hospital-based direct costs were collected for each patient and analyzed in standardized inflation-adjusted constant dollars using cost-to-charge ratios, wage indexes, and physician services valued using Medicare reimbursement rates. The estimated mean direct hospital costs were compared between groups, and a subgroup analysis was performed based on ASA PS classification. The estimated mean direct hospital costs were significantly reduced among TJRA patients when compared with controls (cost difference, 1999 dollars; 95% confidence interval, 584-3231 dollars; P = 0.0004). A significant reduction in hospital-based (Medicare Part A) costs accounted for the majority of the total cost savings. Use of a comprehensive, multimodal analgesic regimen (TJRA Clinical Pathway) in patients undergoing lower extremity joint replacement surgery provides a significant reduction in the estimated total direct medical costs. The reduction in mean cost is primarily associated with lower hospital-based (Medicare Part A) costs, with the greatest overall cost difference appearing among patients

  16. Are iso-osmolar, as compared to low-osmolar, contrast media cost-effective in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization? An economic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiremath, Swapnil; Akbari, Ayub; Wells, George A; Chow, Benjamin J W

    2018-04-23

    Contrast-induced acute kidney injury is a prominent complication following cardiac catheterization, though the risk has progressively decreased in recent times with appropriate risk stratification and use of safer contrast agents. Despite data supporting further lowering of risk with the iso-osmolar agent, iodixanol, uptake has lagged, perhaps due to increased upfront cost of this agent. We undertook an economic analysis to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a strategy utilizing iodixanol compared to using a low-osmolar contrast agent. We created a Markov model to evaluate the two strategies, and included a differential relative risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury, based on a systematic review of the literature. Downstream clinical events, including need for dialysis and mortality, were modeled using data from existing published literature. A third-party payer perspective was utilized for the analysis and presentation of the primary economic analysis. The strategy of using iodixanol dominated in both the low-risk and high-risk base case analyses. However, the difference was quite small in the low-risk scenario (lifetime cost: C$678,034 vs. C$678,059 and life expectancy: 19.80 vs. 19.72 years). The difference was more marked (life expectancy 15.65 vs. 14.15 years and cost C$680,989 vs. C$682,023) in the high-risk case analysis. This was robust across most of the variables tested in sensitivity analyses. The use of iodixanol, compared with low-osmolar contrast agents, for cardiac catheterization, results in a small benefit clinical outcomes, and in a savings in direct healthcare costs. Overall, our analysis supports the use of iodixanol for cardiac catheterization, especially in patients at high risk of acute kidney injury.

  17. NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH TOURISM PROMOTION/SUSTAINABILITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor N. ITUMO

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Nigeria is currently facing economic growth and development challenge. The economic challenge is occasioned by mono-cultural economic reliance on the single resource of crude oil export revenue as well as other internal and international effects that affect her economic drive for heightened growth and development. The Nigerian government had over the years searched for ways of diversifying its economy for greater growth and development especially given the various challenges in the economy, mainly the steep reduction in crude oil revenue arising from volatility of global oil price. This paper therefore uses the research methodology of case study to do a holistic assessment of the possibility of Nigeria diversifying into her tourism potentials for economic growth and development. This would be done equally by drawing relevant comparative analysis of other countries bringing economic benefits in Africa and across the globe.

  18. Community Economics

    OpenAIRE

    武藤, 宣道; Nobumichi, MUTOH

    2000-01-01

    This paper examines the new field of community economics with respect to Japan. A number of studies in community economics have already been produced in OECD countries including the United States. Although these are of great interest, each country has its own historical, socioeconomic context and must therefore develop its own approach to community economics. Community-oriented economics is neither macro-nor micro-economics in the standard economics textbook sense. Most community economics st...

  19. HOW TO SUSTAIN ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE? ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ITS IMPACT FACTORS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    OANA SIMONA HUDEA (CARAMAN

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper intends to render several important factors of impact on economic growth and to describe the particular types of relationships of the latter with each one of its influencing elements. In order to correctly determine such issue, we have resorted to three carefully selected models that have been estimated and compared so as to identify the most adequate and representative regression. For this purpose we have performed an analysis based on cross-section annual data for 105 countries spread all over the world. After having tested and rejected certain exogenous variables initially considered, such as imports or exports, we have finally retained the external debt and foreign direct investments as explanatory items of the dependent variable. The results revealed that both of them positively affect the gross domestic product of the analysed countries, this one being inelastic in relation to the exogenous variables considered. Even if the relationship between the economic growth and the external debt of a country is usually negative, as the money exit out of the country due to the debt service causes non-achieved potential investments, yet, there is an inflexion point up to which the external debt has a positive influence on economic growth by the increase of the investments funds acquired as result of the external credit contracting, this being the case reflected by our study. As for the relationship existing between foreign direct investments and GDP, the economic theory confirms that FDI and economic growth are directly correlated, the former contributing to technical progress, production increase and, finally, to the improvement of the living standard.

  20. Return to work, economic hardship, and women's postpartum health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Jenna N; Grzywacz, Joseph G; Leng, Iris; Clinch, C Randall; Arcury, Thomas A

    2010-10-01

    This study followed a sample of 217 new mothers in a North Carolina county as they returned to work full-time, measuring their mental and physical health-related quality of life through 16 months postpartum. In general, working mothers of infants had mental health scores that were comparable to the general population of U.S. women, and physical health that was slightly better than women in general. Using ANCOVA and controlling for important demographic characteristics, health-related quality of life was compared between mothers experiencing low and high levels of economic hardship. Across the study period, women with high economic hardship, who constituted 30.7% of the sample, had levels of mental and physical health below those of women with low economic hardship. Mothers with high economic hardship also had less stable health trajectories than mothers with low economic hardship. The findings highlight the importance of reconsidering the traditionally accepted postpartum recovery period of six weeks and extending benefits, such as paid maternity and sick leave, as well as stable yet flexible work schedules.

  1. Change rules of a stratospheric airship’s envelope shape during ascent process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuai Zhao

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Stratospheric airship is a special near-space air vehicle, and has more advantages than other air vehicles, such as long endurance, strong survival ability, excellent resolution, low cost, and so on, which make it an ideal stratospheric platform. It is of great significance to choose a reasonable and effective way to launch a stratospheric airship to the space for both academic research and engineering applications. In this paper, the non-forming launch way is studied and the method of differential pressure gradient is used to study the change rules of the airship’s envelope shape during the ascent process. Numerical simulation results show that the head of the envelope will maintain the inflatable shape and the envelope under the zero-pressure level will be compressed into a wide range of wrinkles during the ascent process. The airship’s envelope will expand with the ascent of the airship and the position of the zero-pressure level will move downward constantly. At the same time, the envelope will gradually form a certain degree of stiffness under the action of the inner and external differential pressure. The experimental results agree well with the analytical results, which shows that the non-forming launch way is effective and reliable, and the analytical method has exactness and feasibility.

  2. Techno-economic optimisation of energy systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mansilla Pellen, Ch.

    2006-07-01

    The traditional approach currently used to assess the economic interest of energy systems is based on a defined flow-sheet. Some studies have shown that the flow-sheets corresponding to the best thermodynamic efficiencies do not necessarily lead to the best production costs. A method called techno-economic optimisation was proposed. This method aims at minimising the production cost of a given energy system, including both investment and operating costs. It was implemented using genetic algorithms. This approach was compared to the heat integration method on two different examples, thus validating its interest. Techno-economic optimisation was then applied to different energy systems dealing with hydrogen as well as electricity production. (author)

  3. Quantum economics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vukotić Veselin

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The globalization is breaking-down the idea of national state, which was the base for the development of economic theory which is dominant today. Global economic crisis puts emphasis on limited possibilities of national governments in solving economic problems and general problems of society. Does it also mean that globalization and global economic crisis points out the need to think about new economic theory and new understanding of economics? In this paper I will argue that globalization reveals the need to change dominant economic paradigm - from traditional economic theory (mainstream with macroeconomic stability as the goal of economic policy, to the “quantum economics“, which is based on “economic quantum” and immanent to the increase of wealth (material and non-material of every individual in society and promoting set of values immanent to the wealth increase as the goal of economic policy. Practically the question is how we can use global market for our development!

  4. Comparative International Management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sorge, Arndt; Noorderhaven, Niels; Koen, Carla

    2015-01-01

    The use of comparisons to explain, analyze and understand social and economic phenomena is recognized as a valuable social science tool. This textbook deals with the differences in management and organization between nations and their effects on multinational enterprises. In comparing management

  5. A comparative approach to the economic participation of older adults: the case of the city of Monterrey and Mexico State

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raúl E. López

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The issue of economic participation of over 65 years in Mexico has attracted particular interest due mainly to high rates of participation that holds this age group. Most national and regional research agrees that the social protection system is a key determinant for the decision to participate or not in the labor market by older adults. However, the comparison of different scenarios is not yet widely used practice in this area and do not know deeply the dynamics of this phenomenon. Using two different data sources, this paper intends to compare the employment status of older adults in the state of Mexico and Monterrey, with the ultimate aim of inquiring about the specifics of the phenomenon.

  6. Techno-economic analysis of ammonia production via integrated biomass gasification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, Jim; Lundgren, Joakim

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Techno-economic results regarding biomass-based ammonia production systems. • Integration of an ammonia production process in a pulp and paper mill. • Integrated ammonia production gains higher system efficiency than stand-alone production. • The economics of an integrated production system is improved compared to stand-alone production. - Abstract: Ammonia (NH 3 ) can be produced by synthesis of nitrogen and hydrogen in the Haber–Bosch process, where the economic challenge is the hydrogen production. Currently, substantial amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted from the ammonia industry since the hydrogen production is almost exclusively based on fossil feedstocks. Hydrogen produced via gasification of lignocellulosic biomass is a more environmentally friendly alternative, but the economic performance is critical. The main objective of this work was to perform a techno-economic evaluation of ammonia production via integrated biomass gasification in an existing pulp and paper mill. The results were compared with a stand-alone production case to find potential technical and economic benefits deriving from the integration. The biomass gasifier and the subsequent NH 3 production were modelled using the commercial software Aspen Plus. A process integration model based on Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) was used to analyze the effects on the overall energy system of the pulp mill. Important modelling constraints were to maintain the pulp production and the steam balance of the mill. The results showed that the process economics and energy performance are favourable for the integrated case compared to stand-alone production. The main conclusion was however that a rather high NH 3 selling price is required to make both production cases economically feasible

  7. Economics of coal-based electricity generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hemming, D F; Johnston, R; Teper, M

    1979-01-01

    The report deals with base-load electricity generation from coal and compares the economics of four alternative technologies: conventional pulverised-fuel (PF) boiler with steam cycle; atmospheric fluidised-bed (AFB) boiler with steam cycle; pressurised fluidised-bed (PFB) boiler with combined cycle; and integrated air-blown coal gasification with combined cycle systems are compared for both a high sulphur (3.5%) coal with environmental regulations requiring 85% sulphur removal, and for a low sulphur coal without sulphur removal. The results indicate that there is no single clear 'winner' among the advanced technologies. The optimum system depends on coal price, required rate-of-return, sulphur content of the coal, taxation regime etc. (34 refs.) (Available from IEA Coal Research, Economic Assessment Service)

  8. Quantification of CERN's economic spin-off

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bianchi-Streit, M.; Blackburne, N.; Budde, R.; Reitz, H.; Sagnell, B.; Schorr, B.; Schmied, H.

    1986-01-01

    A condensed version is given of CERN report ''Economic utility resulting from CERN contracts'' by the same authors, which attempts to quantify the economic benefit to high technology manufacturing industries involved in CERN contracts, in relation to their sales to CERN. It covers the period 1973 to 1987 and complements an earlier study made in 1973-1975. Interviews were carried out in 166 European firms of which the majority supplied estimates of increased sales and cost savings due to CERN contracts. This ''economic utility'' totals 3107 million Swiss francs (up to the year 1987) compared to sales to CERN in 1973 to 1982 amounting to 748 million Swiss francs in 1982 prices. It is estimated that, by 1987, CERN's high technology purchases made in 1973 to 1982 will have generated economic utility amounting to about 60% of the overall cost of the organization during the same period. (author)

  9. A multidisciplinary-economic framework of analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piet Keizer

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Human motivation offers energy, and circumstances offer possibilities. Only in combination, human motivation and circumstance yield action. Over time, desires and opportunities, to satisfy them closely, interact with one another. Orthodox economics analyzes economic motivation in interaction with scarce natural resources. It assumes that perfect rationality and non-sociality create a so-called economic world and analyzes the economic mechanism of allocation of scarce resources. Neoclassical economists use this world as a theoretical foundation for their empirical research. Heterodox economics rejects this strategy of isolating one motivation, a strategy that ignores the psychic and the social problem. However, the heterodox idea of human motivation, being variable and endogenous, is badly analyzed. This leads the author to construct a psychic and a social world that is completely comparable with the agent-structure model of the economic world. The three isolated worlds are integrated by analyzing the interactions between the three worlds. In the integrated world, the economic structure, the psychic structure and the social structure are one another’s foundations. This human world gives familiar economic concepts such as utility, efficiency, rationality, price, value, cost and benefit, a different meaning. Similarly, psychic concepts such as Self, willpower and personality and social concepts such as status, power, culture and morality, are given different meanings. To make the model more realistic, it should be made dynamic and historical and be placed in the context of the world as an open system.

  10. Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil Wars | CRDI ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Current scholarship on civil wars and transitions from war to peace has made significant progress in understanding the political dimensions of internal conflict. However, the economic motivations spurring political violence have been comparatively neglected. This pathbreaking book identifies the economic and social factors ...

  11. Projected configuration of a coal-fired district heating source on the basis of comparative technical-economical optimization analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tańczuk Mariusz

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available District heating technologies should be efficient, effective and environmentally friendly. The majority of the communal heating systems in Poland produce district hot water in coal-fired boilers. A large number of them are considerably worn out, low-efficient in the summer time and will not comply with forthcoming regulations. One of the possible solution for such plants is repowering with new CHP systems or new boilers fuelled with fuels alternative to coal. Optimisation analysis of the target configuration of municipal heat generating plant is analysed in the paper. The work concerns repowering the existing conventional heat generating plant according to eight different scenarios of the plant configuration meeting technical and environmental requirements forecasted for the year of 2035. The maximum demand for heat of the system supplied by the plant is 185 MW. Taking into account different technical configurations on one side, and different energy and fuel prices on the other side, the comparative cost-benefits analysis of the assumed scenarios has been made. The basic economical index NPV (net present value has been derived for each analysed scenario and the results have been compared and discussed. It was also claimed that the scenario with CHP based on ICE engines is optimal.

  12. Projected configuration of a coal-fired district heating source on the basis of comparative technical-economical optimization analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tańczuk, Mariusz; Radziewicz, Wojciech; Olszewski, Eligiusz; Skorek, Janusz

    2017-10-01

    District heating technologies should be efficient, effective and environmentally friendly. The majority of the communal heating systems in Poland produce district hot water in coal-fired boilers. A large number of them are considerably worn out, low-efficient in the summer time and will not comply with forthcoming regulations. One of the possible solution for such plants is repowering with new CHP systems or new boilers fuelled with fuels alternative to coal. Optimisation analysis of the target configuration of municipal heat generating plant is analysed in the paper. The work concerns repowering the existing conventional heat generating plant according to eight different scenarios of the plant configuration meeting technical and environmental requirements forecasted for the year of 2035. The maximum demand for heat of the system supplied by the plant is 185 MW. Taking into account different technical configurations on one side, and different energy and fuel prices on the other side, the comparative cost-benefits analysis of the assumed scenarios has been made. The basic economical index NPV (net present value) has been derived for each analysed scenario and the results have been compared and discussed. It was also claimed that the scenario with CHP based on ICE engines is optimal.

  13. Why Sleep Matters-The Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep: A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafner, Marco; Stepanek, Martin; Taylor, Jirka; Troxel, Wendy M; van Stolk, Christian

    2017-01-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has declared insufficient sleep a "public health problem." Indeed, according to a recent CDC study, more than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. However, insufficient sleep is not exclusively a US problem, and equally concerns other industrialised countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, or Canada. According to some evidence, the proportion of people sleeping less than the recommended hours of sleep is rising and associated with lifestyle factors related to a modern 24/7 society, such as psychosocial stress, alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of physical activity and excessive electronic media use, among others. This is alarming as insufficient sleep has been found to be associated with a range of negative health and social outcomes, including success at school and in the labour market. Over the last few decades, for example, there has been growing evidence suggesting a strong association between short sleep duration and elevated mortality risks. Given the potential adverse effects of insufficient sleep on health, well-being and productivity, the consequences of sleep-deprivation have far-reaching economic consequences. Hence, in order to raise awareness of the scale of insufficient sleep as a public-health issue, comparative quantitative figures need to be provided for policy- and decision-makers, as well as recommendations and potential solutions that can help tackling the problem.

  14. The Economic Value of Habits in Household Production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bejan, Ioana; Jensen, Carsten Lynge; Andersen, Laura Mørch

    to adjust habits relevant for these activities. We utilize smart-metered hourly power consumption to unobtrusively measure treatment effects. We find that preventing habits from being adjusted reduces consumer surplus by 76% suggesting a substantial economic value of habits.......People are prone to habits but how important are they for economic outcomes? In a randomized field experiment we compare two treatments with identical economic incentives to adjust a range of household production activities. Treatments only differ in the extent to which they allow households...

  15. The Economic Value of Predicting Bond Risk Premia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sarno, Lucio; Schneider, Paul; Wagner, Christian

    the expectations hypothesis (EH) out-ofsample: the forecasts do not add economic value compared to using the average historical excess return as an EH-consistent estimate of constant risk premia. We show that in general statistical signicance does not necessarily translate into economic signicance because EH...... deviations mainly matter at short horizons and standard predictability metrics are not compatible with common measures of economic value. Overall, the EH remains the benchmark for investment decisions and should be considered an economic prior in models of bond risk premia.......This paper studies whether the evident statistical predictability of bond risk premia translates into economic gains for bond investors. We show that ane term structure models (ATSMs) estimated by jointly tting yields and bond excess returns capture this predictive information otherwise hidden...

  16. Non-economic determinants of economic development: methodology and influence

    OpenAIRE

    Barashov, N.

    2011-01-01

    The paper deals with research methodology of non-economic determinants of economic development. The author considers various theoretical approaches to definition of economic growth factors. Considerable attention is given to studying possible influence of non-economic determinants on quality of economic development.

  17. Economic analysis model for total energy and economic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shoji, Katsuhiko; Yasukawa, Shigeru; Sato, Osamu

    1980-09-01

    This report describes framing an economic analysis model developed as a tool of total energy systems. To prospect and analyze future energy systems, it is important to analyze the relation between energy system and economic structure. We prepared an economic analysis model which was suited for this purpose. Our model marks that we can analyze in more detail energy related matters than other economic ones, and can forecast long-term economic progress rather than short-term economic fluctuation. From view point of economics, our model is longterm multi-sectoral economic analysis model of open Leontief type. Our model gave us appropriate results for fitting test and forecasting estimation. (author)

  18. A Historical Note on the Use of Fiction to Teach Principles of Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Donnell, Margaret G.

    1989-01-01

    Compares contemporary economic fiction with the nineteenth-century tales of Harriet Martineau. Modern economic writers and Martineau all use the mystery story to attract beginning students and explain complex economic principles. Martineau, however, focused on classical economics, while modern authors emphasize microeconomic theories. (LS)

  19. Eurasian Economic Union: A Regional Economic Hegemony Initiative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serdar YILMAZ

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available It can be assumed that international relations terminology has not mentioned enough about the significance of the Eurasian Economic Union in territorial as well as in economic terms during a period of growing geopolitical risks and high interdependence between the member countries and the rest. According to Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev, it is truly difficult for states to overcome economic, political and security issues and therefore, states need to act together against the problems in a globalizing world by establishing regional and international organisations. This article thus examines the Eurasian Economic Union integration proces, which is driven by political and economic factors that consolidate regional security and create an effective economic system, whether it in the long term will become successful or not. The author also analyses the Kazakh economic and strategic interests in the region as well as the motivation, power and influence of other members in deepening the cooperation with international arena and the limits in the economic-security integration.

  20. Economics of Sustainable Development. Competitiveness and Economic Growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorel AILENEI

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Economic growth is one of the most important issues of humanity. Both in national economies and world economy, recession and prosperity periods are regularly succeeding with different amplitudes. But beyond these fluctuations and their effects, the results are important: performance and economic growth. Because of the problematical issue of economic growth, the authors are trying to critically reflect on the economic growth concept and on its implications on the praxis area. Although there is a large literature about economic growth modeling, it is intriguing that there still are some serious obstacles for conceptualization and praxis. Only the simple fact that the economic growth process needs serious thinking on the time dimension is sufficient for understanding the real difficulties of this problematical issue. As for the economic growth praxis, a clear analysis of the interests system within an economy is needed. Without trying to find miraculous solutions for the economic growth issue, the authors suggest a clear and correct analysis of this important subject.

  1. Of Needles and Haystacks: Novel Techniques for Data-Rich Economic Forecasting Data-Rich Economic Forecasting

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    P. Exterkate (Peter)

    2011-01-01

    textabstractThis thesis discusses various novel techniques for economic forecasting. The focus is on methods that exploit the information in large data sets effectively. Each of these methods is compared to established techniques for forecasting yields on U.S. Treasury Bills, housing prices,

  2. Health-economic evaluation in implant trials: design considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alt, Volker; Pavlidis, Theodoros; Szalay, Gabor; Heiss, Christian; Schnettler, Reinhard

    2009-01-01

    In today's world, demonstration of the safety, efficacy, and quality of a new treatment strategy is no longer sufficient in many countries for market entry and reimbursement in the public healthcare system. This implies that new implants in orthopedic and orthopedic trauma surgery not only must be shown to lead to better medical outcome compared with the standard of care implant, but also must be shown to exhibit "good value" for the money for the public health-care system based on sound economic data from health-economic studies. The purpose of this article is to elucidate a framework for health-economic aspects alongside implant trials, with the assumption that the new implant is more costly but potentially better than the control implant. Cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit studies are suitable for the assessment of the health-economic value of a new implant. The following criteria should be considered for a health-economic study design in the context with an implant: i) it should state medical benefits of the new implant compared with the control implant; ii) it should precise the type of health economic study; iii) it should define the methodological approach, perspective of the study, and types of costs; iv) if necessary, it should state discount costs and/benefits; and v) a sound sensitivity analysis should be included. Furthermore, close cooperation between researchers, clinicians, and health economists is essential.

  3. Economic considerations for deep water Gulf of Mexico development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, R.; O'Sullivan, J.; Bayazitoglu, Y.O.

    1994-01-01

    This paper examines the economic drivers behind deep water development in the Gulf of Mexico. Capital costs are also examined versus water depth and required system. Cost categories are compared. The cost analysis was carried out by using the SEAPLAN computer program. The program is an expert system that identifies, conceptually defines, and economically compares technically feasible approaches for developing offshore oil and gas fields. The program's sizing logic and cost data base create physical and cost descriptions of systems representative of developments being planned in the deep water GOM. The examination was done separately for oil and gas developments. The material presented here is for only oil, it serves as a useful framework for viewing development economics and technology trends

  4. Governance and Economic Transformation in Taiwan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Laurids Sandager

    2014-01-01

    This article analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the developmental-state approach as compared with a broader and more flexible developmental-governance approach – in relation to economic transformation in a single case country, Taiwan. It argues that both approaches have strong and weak points......, and comes down in favour of the view that it is only through a ‘thick’ study of political forces, processes and circumstances that the reasoning behind developmental policies and institutions can be understood and the processes of economic transformation explained....

  5. Comparing World Economic and Net Energy Metrics, Part 3: Macroeconomic Historical and Future Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carey W. King

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available I use energy cost share to characterize the role of energy in the economy. Specifically, I use an estimate of monetary expenditures for primary energy on an annualized basis for forty-four countries from 1978 to 2010 for natural gas, coal, petroleum, and electricity. I show that global energy cost share is significantly correlated to a one-year lag in the change in gross domestic product as well as measures of total factor productivity. Given the historical reduction in the relative cost of energy (including food and fodder for animate power since the start of the Industrial Revolution, combined with a global energy cost share estimate, I conclude that the turn of the 21st Century represents the time period with the cheapest energy in the history of human civilization (to date. This potential historical nadir for energy expenditures around 2000 has important ramifications for strategies to solve future social, economic, and environmental problems such as reducing annual emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs. Rapidly decreasing annual GHG emissions while internalizing their costs into the economy might feedback to increase energy expenditures to such a degree as to prevent economic growth during that transition.

  6. Privatization in economic theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Drakić Maja

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available In reality privatization has never occurred according to the handbook rules of ordinary market transactions. Not even in advanced market economies can privatization transactions be described by the Walrasian or Arrowian, or Leontiefian equilibrium models, or by the equilibrium models of the game theory. In these economies transactions of privatization take place in a fairly organic way – which means that those are driven by the dominance of private property rights and in a market economy. But despite this fact Western privatization also some peculiar features as compared to ordinary company takeovers, since the state as the seller may pursue non – economic goals. Changes in the dominant form of property change positions and status of many individuals and groups in the society. That’s why privatization can even less be explained by ordinary market mechanisms in transition countries where privatizing state-owned property have happened in a mass scale and where markets and private property rights weren't established at the time process of privatization began. In this paper I’ll discuss and analyze the phenomenon of privatization in context of different economic theories arguing that empirical results go in favor of the public choice theory (Buchanan, 1978, theory of "economic constitution" (Brennan and Buchanan 1985, (Buchanan and Tullock, 1989, and theory of "collective action" (Olson, 1982. These theories argues that transition from one economic system into another, for example transition from collectivistic, socialistic system into capitalism and free market economy with dominant private property, will not happen through isolated changes of only few economic institutions, no matter how deep that changes would be. In other words privatization can not give results if it's not followed by comprehensive change of economic system because privatized companied wouldn't be able to operate in old environment.

  7. Risk management in HIV/AIDS: ethical and economic issues ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Risk management in HIV/AIDS: ethical and economic issues associated with restricting HAART access only to adherent patients. ... Using the software TreeAge Pro 2009, we developed a Markov model to project economic outcomes for a hypothetical cohort of HIV/AIDS patients on HAART. The model compared two ...

  8. Comparing antibiotic self-medication in two socio-economic groups in Guatemala City: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramay, Brooke M; Lambour, Paola; Cerón, Alejandro

    2015-04-27

    Self-medication with antibiotics may result in antimicrobial resistance and its high prevalence is of particular concern in Low to Middle Income Countries (LMIC) like Guatemala. A better understanding of self-medication with antibiotics may represent an opportunity to develop interventions guiding the rational use of antibiotics. We aimed to compare the magnitude of antibiotic self-medication and the characteristics of those who self-medicate in two pharmacies serving disparate socio-economic communities in Guatemala City. We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study in one Suburban pharmacy and one City Center pharmacy in Guatemala City. We used a questionnaire to gather information about frequency of self-medication, income and education of those who self-medicate. We compared proportions between the two pharmacies, using two-sample z-test as appropriate. Four hundred and eighteen respondents completed the survey (221 in the Suburban pharmacy and 197 in the City Center pharmacy). Most respondents in both pharmacies were female (70%). The reported monthly income in the suburban pharmacy was between $1,250.00-$2,500.00, the city-center pharmacy reported a monthly income between $125.00- $625.00 (p Guatemala City. Additionally, self-medicating respondents were most often women and most commonly self-medicated with amoxicillin. Our findings support future public health interventions centered on the regulation of antibiotic sales and on the potential role of the pharmacist in guiding prescription with antibiotics in Guatemala.

  9. Economic institutions and economic growth: Empirical evidence from the Economic Community of West African States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lazarus Z. Wanjuu

    2017-12-01

    Background: Economic institutions are considered as the fundamental cause of economic growth. Economic institutions affect economic growth through allocation of resources like physical and human capital. Unfortunately, there is dearth of empirical studies showing the impact of economic institutions on growth of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS. Aim: This study investigates the impact of economic institutions on economic growth of the ECOWAS. Setting and method: The study applied cause and effect relationship. The study used econometric research techniques of unit root and co-integration tests to establish the time series properties of the data; the vector error correction and co-integration regression models to estimate the population parameters. The research data comprised data obtained from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD, the Transparency International (TI and Heritage Foundation databases. The variables employed were the real gross domestic product (GDP per capita (RGDPPC, corruption perception index (CPI, property rights protection (PROPRGT, private investment per capita (INVESPC, government expenditure per capita (GOEXPPC and trade openness (TRAOPN. Results: The results of the data analysed showed that economic institutions represented by the property rights index engender RGDPPC growth in ECOWAS. The CPI could not stimulate RGDPPC growth in ECOWAS. The results also show that all the other variables stimulated growth except trade openness. Conclusion: The study concludes that good economic institutions, private investments, and government intervention by providing security, economic and social infrastructural facilities are conducive for economic growth in the ECOWAS region. The study recommended that more efforts be made at curbing corruption in the region

  10. Finance and Economic Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ugo Panizza

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Published by Palgrave MacmillanThis chapter reviews the literature on finance and economic development. It starts with a description of the roles of finance, a definition of financial efficiency, and a discussion of whether countries may have financial sectors that are ‘too large’ compared to the size of the domestic economy. Next, the author describes several indicators of financial development and reviews the literature on the relationship between financial development and economic growth. In the literature review, he discusses in detail some recent evidence indicating that the marginal contribution of financial development to gross domestic product (GDP growth becomes negative when credit to the private sector reaches 110 per cent of GDP. The chapter concludes with some policy conclusions targeted to developing countries.

  11. From Psycho-Economics to Neuro-Economics

    OpenAIRE

    Bernard WALLISER

    2012-01-01

    In economics, three nested organizational levels, namely behavioural, mental and neural, can be distinguished. They introduce specific theoretical or observable concepts and suggest their own models for choice making. If psycho-economics relates implemented actions to declared mental states, neuro-economics relates mental states to brain areas. Bridge principles can be defined which link concepts with similar interpretations at two successive levels. Thanks to these principles, relations or e...

  12. A Comparative Analysis of United States and Chinese Economic Engagement in Sub Saharan Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-01

    education opportunities for aspiring sub-Saharan Africa leaders, improve drinking water , and protect forests—all of which is an interesting foreign...ANALYSIS OF UNITED STATES AND CHINESE ECONOMIC ENGAGEMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA by James Housley Furman, Jr. March 2016 Thesis Advisor...ENGAGEMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) James Housley Furman, Jr. 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES

  13. Techno-Economic aspects on choosing alternative energy sources (sun and wind) compared with generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zvolun, Yona.

    1990-11-01

    Independent alternative energy systems, such as wind and solar, need batteries to store produced energy in order to supply a reliable source of electricity when needed. Increasing reliability of these sources automatically influence the quality and availability of this type of power supply. Every solar and wind energy system includes a certain number of principle components : Photovoltaic arrays or wind generator, regulator/control unit to control charge/ discharge of the batteries and power supply to consumers, converters from AC to DC and DC to AC, batteries and load. The mode of system operation for both the independent or combined system is influenced by many complicated factors some of which are stochastic variables, time and location variables or constant. From the above complicated data one must choose the optimal system which answers the following criteria: a. Minimum cost which determines the inter relative array sizes for combined systems (photovoltaic cells wind generator and batteries). b. Reliability of power supply in general. c. Full consumption of power installation by obtaining maximum possible output under existing conditions at any time. This paper deals with the connected problems caused in a combined system of solar/photovoltaic cells, wind generator and batteries and will offer alternative economic and technical alternatives for power supply from fuel operated generators . Inverter components: photovoltaic cells and wind generators, which are the principle components without which solar and/or wind systems cannot exist, are discussed from the theoretical and physical aspects. Also, operation of the attached components, such as batteries, inverters, generators, regulators etc, is discussed. The last part of this paper discusses the choosing of the optimal system in a Techno-economic sense as opposed to energy supplied from generator, The work exhibited on these pages will contribute to better understanding of the different systems while

  14. Economic Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Kholopov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The establishment of the School of Economic Science at MGIMO was due to the necessity of the world economy research, and the need to prepare highly skilled specialists in international economics. The school is developing a number of areas, which reflect the Faculty structure. - Economic theory is one of the most important research areas, a kind of foundation of the School of Economic Science at MGIMO. Economic theory studies are carried out at the chair of Economic theory. "The course of economic theory" textbook was published in 1991, and later it was reprinted seven times. Over the past few years other textbooks and manuals have been published, including "Economics for Managers" by Professor S.N. Ivashkovskaya, which survived through five editions; "International Economics" - four editions and "History of Economic Thought" - three editions. - International Economic Relations are carried out by the Department of International Economic Relations and Foreign Economic Activity. Its establishment is associated with the prominent economist N.N. Lyubimov. In 1957 he with his colleagues published the first textbook on the subject which went through multiple republications. The editorial team of the textbook subsequently formed the pride of Soviet economic science - S.M. Menshikov, E.P. Pletnev, V.D. Schetinin. Since 2007, the chair of Foreign Economic Activities led by Doctor of Economics, Professor I. Platonova has been investigating the problems of improving the architecture of foreign economic network and the international competitiveness of Russia; - The history of the study of problems of the world economy at MGIMO begins in 1958 at the chair baring the same name. Since 1998, the department has been headed by Professor A. Bulatov; - The study of international monetary relations is based on the chair of International Finance, and is focused on addressing the fundamental scientific and practical problems; - The chair "Banks, monetary circulation

  15. Effects of economic downturns on child mortality: a global economic analysis, 1981-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maruthappu, Mahiben; Watson, Robert A; Watkins, Johnathan; Zeltner, Thomas; Raine, Rosalind; Atun, Rifat

    2017-01-01

    To analyse how economic downturns affect child mortality both globally and among subgroups of countries of variable income levels. Retrospective observational study using economic data from the World Bank's Development Indicators and Global Development Finance (2013 edition). Child mortality data were sourced from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global. 204 countries between 1981 and 2010. Child mortality, controlling for country-specific differences in political, healthcare, cultural, structural, educational and economic factors. 197 countries experienced at least 1 economic downturn between 1981 and 2010, with a mean of 7.97 downturns per country (range 0-21; SD 0.45). At the global level, downturns were associated with significant (p<0.0001) deteriorations in each child mortality measure, in comparison with non-downturn years: neonatal (coefficient: 1.11, 95% CI 0.855 to 1.37), postneonatal (2.00, 95% CI 1.61 to 2.38), child (2.93, 95% CI 2.26 to 3.60) and under 5 years of age (5.44, 95% CI 4.31 to 6.58) mortality rates. Stronger (larger falls in the growth rate of gross domestic product/capita) and longer (lasting 2 years rather than 1) downturns were associated with larger significant deteriorations (p<0.001). During economic downturns, countries in the poorest quartile experienced ∼1½ times greater deterioration in neonatal mortality, compared with their own baseline; a 3-fold deterioration in postneonatal mortality; a 9-fold deterioration in child mortality and a 3-fold deterioration in under-5 mortality, than countries in the wealthiest quartile (p<0.0005). For 1-5 years after downturns ended, each mortality measure continued to display significant deteriorations (p<0.0001). Economic downturns occur frequently and are associated with significant deteriorations in child mortality, with worse declines in lower income countries.

  16. PIAAC Skills and Economic Inequality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pena, Anita Alves

    2016-01-01

    Mixed findings characterize the literature on skills and economic distributions within and across countries. The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) offers new, internationally comparable data on literacy, numeracy, and digital problem-solving skills that can be combined with wage information. This paper…

  17. ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF CO2 SEQUESTRATION TECHNOLOGIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bert R. Bock; Richard G. Rhudy; David E. Nichols

    2001-07-01

    In order to plan for potential CO{sub 2} mitigation mandates, utilities need better information on CO{sub 2} mitigation options, especially carbon sequestration options that involve non-utility operations. One of the major difficulties in evaluating CO{sub 2} sequestration technologies and practices, both geologic storage of captured CO{sub 2} and storage in biological sinks, is obtaining consistent, transparent, accurate, and comparable economics. This project is comparing the economics of major technologies and practices under development for CO{sub 2} sequestration, including captured CO{sub 2} storage options such as active oil reservoirs, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep aquifers, coal beds, and oceans, as well as the enhancement of biological sinks such as forests and croplands. An international group of experts has been assembled to compare on a consistent basis the economics of this diverse array of CO{sub 2} sequestration options. Designs and data collection are nearly complete for each of the CO{sub 2} sequestration options being compared. Initial spreadsheet development has begun on concepts involving storage of captured CO{sub 2}. No significant problems have been encountered, but some additional outside expertise will be accessed to supplement the team's expertise in the areas of life cycle analysis, oil and gas exploration and production, and comparing CO{sub 2} sequestration options that differ in timing and permanence of CO{sub 2} sequestration. Plans for the next reporting period are to complete data collection and a first approximation of the spreadsheet. We expect to complete this project on time and on budget.

  18. Clinical and economic benefits of fidaxomicin compared to vancomycin for Clostridium difficile infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, Jason C; Reilly, Joseph P; Navalkele, Bhagyashri; Downham, Gemma; Haynes, Kevin; Trivedi, Manish

    2015-11-01

    We studied the clinical and economic impact of a protocol encouraging the use of fidaxomicin as a first-line drug for treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in patients hospitalized during a 2-year period. This study evaluated patients who received oral vancomycin or fidaxomicin for the treatment of CDI during a 2-year period. All included patients were eligible for administration of fidaxomicin via a protocol that encouraged its use for selected patients. The primary clinical endpoint was 90-day readmission with a diagnosis of CDI. Hospital charges and insurance reimbursements for readmissions were calculated along with the cost of CDI therapy to estimate the financial impact of the choice of therapy. Recurrences were seen in 10/49 (20.4%) fidaxomicin patients and 19/46 (41.3%) vancomycin patients (P = 0.027). In a multivariate analysis that included determinations of severity of CDI, serum creatinine increases, and concomitant antibiotic use, only fidaxomicin was significantly associated with decreased recurrence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12 to 0.93). The total lengths of stay of readmitted patients were 183 days for vancomycin and 87 days for fidaxomicin, with costs of $454,800 and $196,200, respectively. Readmissions for CDI were reimbursed on the basis of the severity of CDI, totaling $151,136 for vancomycin and $107,176 for fidaxomicin. Fidaxomicin drug costs totaled $62,112, and vancomycin drug costs were $6,646. We calculated that the hospital lost an average of $3,286 per fidaxomicin-treated patient and $6,333 per vancomycin-treated patient, thus saving $3,047 per patient with fidaxomicin. Fidaxomicin use for CDI treatment prevented readmission and decreased hospital costs compared to use of oral vancomycin. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  19. The economics of global warming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pillet, G.; Hediger, W.; Kypreos, S.; Corbaz, C.

    1993-05-01

    The global warming threat is challenging the world community to both international cooperation and national policy action. This report focuses on the necessity to alternate between ''global and national climate policies''. The Swiss perspective is at issue. The economic rationales for comparing national climate policy options are analyzed. This report explicitly focusses on the fundamental role of the normative framework and the related environmental-economic requisites for establishing an efficient national climate policy and computing a ''carbon tax''. Finally, the latest results of the energy and greenhouse gas scenarios for Switzerland, elaborated on within the network of the IEA/ETSAP Project, Annex IV, ''Greenhouse Gases and National Energy Options: Technologies and Costs for Reducing Emissions of Greenhouse Gases'', illustrate Switzerland's difficulties in reducing greenhouse gas emissions at ''reasonable cost'' compared with other countries. This should make Switzerland very sensitive to the implementation of efficient environmental-policy instruments and international cooperation. (author) figs., tabs., refs

  20. Economic characteristics of a smaller, simpler reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LaBar, M.; Bowers, H.

    1988-01-01

    Reduced load growth and heightened concern with economic risk has led to an expressed utility preference for smaller capacity additions. The Modular High Temperature Reactor (MHTGR) plant has been developed as a small, simple plant that has limited financial risk and is economically competitive with comparatively sized coal plants. Competitive economics is achieved by the simplifications made possible in a small MHTGR, reduction in the quantity of nuclear grade construction and design standardization and certification. Assessments show the MHTGR plant to have an economic advantage over coal plants for plant sizes from 270 MWe to 1080 MWe. Financial risk is limited by small unit sizes and short lead times that allow incremental deployment. Evaluations show the MHTGR incremental deployment capability to reduce negative cash flows by almost a factor of 2 relative to that required by a single large nuclear plant

  1. Qualitative Economics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fast, Michael; Clark II, Woodrow W

                         This book is about science -- specifically, the science of economics. Or lack thereof is more accurate. The building of any science, let alone economics, is grounded in the understanding of what is beneath the "surface" of economics. Science, and hence economics, should...... be concerned with formulating ideas that express theories which produce descriptions of how to understand phenomenon and real world experiences.                       Economics must become a science, because the essence of economics in terms of human actions, group interactions and communities are in need...... of scientific inquiry. Academics and scholars need a scientific perspective that can hypothesize, theorize document, understand and analyze human dynamics from the individual to more societal interactions. And that is what qualitative economics does; it can make economics into becoming a science. The economic...

  2. The economic costs of energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brookes, L.G.

    1980-01-01

    At a recent symposium, the economic costs of nuclear power were examined in four lectures which considered; (1) The performance of different types, size and ages of nuclear power plants. (2) The comparison between coal and nuclear power costs based on the principle of net effective cash. (3) The capital requirements of a nuclear programme. (4) The comparative costs, now and in the future, of coal-fired and nuclear plants. It is concluded that uncertainties seem to get greater rather than smaller with time probably due to the high and fluctuating world inflation rates and the great uncertainty about world economic performance introduced by the politicising of world oil supplies. (UK)

  3. Economic aspects of heavy ion fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herrmannsfeldt, W.B.

    1984-01-01

    The usual parameter space for examining scenarios for heavy ion fusion power plants has generally been based on large, slow cycling, reactor chambers which are only marginally different from chambers proposed for laser drivers. This paper will examine the economic implications of assuming that an inexpensive, low gain pellet is available and that a suitable high-repetition rate reactor has been devised. Interesting scenarios are found that generate economically feasible power from a system with a minimum net capacity of approx. 1 GWe compared to the larger approx. 4 GWe required in previous studies

  4. Emergy-based comparative analysis on industrial clusters: economic and technological development zone of Shenyang area, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhe; Geng, Yong; Zhang, Pan; Dong, Huijuan; Liu, Zuoxi

    2014-09-01

    In China, local governments of many areas prefer to give priority to the development of heavy industrial clusters in pursuit of high value of gross domestic production (GDP) growth to get political achievements, which usually results in higher costs from ecological degradation and environmental pollution. Therefore, effective methods and reasonable evaluation system are urgently needed to evaluate the overall efficiency of industrial clusters. Emergy methods links economic and ecological systems together, which can evaluate the contribution of ecological products and services as well as the load placed on environmental systems. This method has been successfully applied in many case studies of ecosystem but seldom in industrial clusters. This study applied the methodology of emergy analysis to perform the efficiency of industrial clusters through a series of emergy-based indices as well as the proposed indicators. A case study of Shenyang Economic Technological Development Area (SETDA) was investigated to show the emergy method's practical potential to evaluate industrial clusters to inform environmental policy making. The results of our study showed that the industrial cluster of electric equipment and electronic manufacturing produced the most economic value and had the highest efficiency of energy utilization among the four industrial clusters. However, the sustainability index of the industrial cluster of food and beverage processing was better than the other industrial clusters.

  5. Economic effects of peak oil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lutz, Christian; Lehr, Ulrike; Wiebe, Kirsten S.

    2012-01-01

    Assuming that global oil production peaked, this paper uses scenario analysis to show the economic effects of a possible supply shortage and corresponding rise in oil prices in the next decade on different sectors in Germany and other major economies such as the US, Japan, China, the OPEC or Russia. Due to the price-inelasticity of oil demand the supply shortage leads to a sharp increase in oil prices in the second scenario, with high effects on GDP comparable to the magnitude of the global financial crises in 2008/09. Oil exporting countries benefit from high oil prices, whereas oil importing countries are negatively affected. Generally, the effects in the third scenario are significantly smaller than in the second, showing that energy efficiency measures and the switch to renewable energy sources decreases the countries' dependence on oil imports and hence reduces their vulnerability to oil price shocks on the world market. - Highlights: ► National and sectoral economic effects of peak oil until 2020 are modelled. ► The price elasticity of oil demand is low resulting in high price fluctuations. ► Oil shortage strongly affects transport and indirectly all other sectors. ► Global macroeconomic effects are comparable to the 2008/2009 crisis. ► Country effects depend on oil imports and productivity, and economic structures.

  6. Cooperation, social capital and economic performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Fernandes Gonçalves da Silva

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this paper is to define social capital as social infrastructure and to try to include this variable in an economic growth model. Considering social capital in such a way could have an impact on the productivity of production factors. Firstly, I will discuss how institutional variables can affect growth. Secondly, after analyzing several definitions of social capital, I will point out the benefits and problems of each one and will define social capital as social infrastructure, aiming to introduce this variable into an economic growth model. Finally, I will try to open the way for subsequent empirical studies, both in the area of measuring the stock of social infrastructure as well as those comparing economies, with the idea of showing the impact of social infrastructure on economic growth.

  7. Environmental policy and economic efficiency: tradable permits versus regulatory instrument to control air pollution: a comparative approach USA/France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cros, Ch.

    1998-12-01

    The key issue of the thesis paradox of the weak implementation of economic instruments whereas 1) they are theoretically and also empirically considered as efficient; 2) the market imposes itself as the central reference to modem economies; and 3) economic efficiency is nowadays a legitimacy measure of public policies. Two different answers can be given: either theoretical analysis does not enable to explain the real economic efficiency of a political instrument, or environmental policies do not have economic efficiency as their main objective. The analysis take place in a context of a limited rationality and an inter-temporal consistency of public policies. The purpose is to understand the role of economic efficiency criteria during the adoption, building, and evolution of an environmental policy with an analytical point of view, and not a normative one. The institutional analysis of the American and the French pollution control policies, representative of the implementation of a trading permit system for the first, and of a regulatory instrument for the second, prove that the theoretical analysis of an instrument can not explain a real coordination, but only one organizational form among others. An institutional trajectory is the interpretation of policy instruments of policy instruments from 5 fundamental elements: the nature of the legitimacy of the policy; the nature of the regulator hypothesis on the information; the nature of the decision-making basis; the nature of the collective action. A coordination changes when the occurrence of an event moves one of the fundamental elements, and disorganizes the satisfying equilibrium of the agents. Then, the economic efficiency becomes a negotiation point. A political instrument is adopted for its own ability to solve a dysfunction without disrupting the coordination. (author)

  8. THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC DISPATCH AND OPTIMAL POWER FLOW METHODS FOR 22-BUS 380-kV POWER SYSTEM IN TURKEY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet KURBAN

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the economic dispatch and optimal power flow (OPF methods for the purpose of supplying the load demand with minimum cost is used for 22-bus 380-kV power system in Turkey which consists of 8 thermal plants operated by EUAS (Electricity Generation Co. Inc.and the results found are analyzed comparatively. The results of analysis are given in tables and figures. The analysis made is implemented by the software using MATLAB®. Furthermore, the software can be used for different power systems by using the graphical user interface (GUI. All data used in this study is taken from TEIAS (Transmission System Operator of Turkey and EUAS.

  9. Hydrogen as an Auxiliary Fuel in Compression-Ignition Engines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerrish, Harold C; Foster, H

    1936-01-01

    An investigation was made to determine whether a sufficient amount of hydrogen could be efficiently burned in a compression-ignition engine to compensate for the increase of lift of an airship due to the consumption of the fuel oil. The performance of a single-cylinder four-stroke-cycle compression-ignition engine operating on fuel oil alone was compared with its performance when various quantities of hydrogen were inducted with the inlet air. Engine-performance data, indicator cards, and exhaust-gas samples were obtained for each change in engine-operating conditions.

  10. The ecological economics: An ecological economics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castiblanco R, Carmenza

    2007-01-01

    Ecological Economics arise as a scientific discipline aimed to integrate concepts of economics, ecology, thermodynamics, ethic and other natural and social sciences in order to incorporate a biophysical and integrated perspective of the inter dependences between economies and environment, from a plural conception and a methodology beyond disciplines. Ecological Economics studies the black box of economic processes usually excluded of the traditional economics: thermodynamics and ecology. Although it is relatively a new field of study, it has been strengthening its theoretical framework with scientific basis and analytic principles that lead to its identification as a new discipline that show a whole new paradigm. The scope of this article is to show the conceptual and methodological bases, the main founders, approaches and central debates of this new discipline. This brief introduction is a preamble to the papers of the meeting Ecological Economics: a perspective for Colombia included in this number, that took place on September 22 - 27 of 2007, at the National University of Colombia at Bogota. During tree days national and international experts, professors, researchers, workers of environmental sector and people interested on environmental issues joined together to know the conceptual and methodological achievements reached of this discipline; as well as to analyse and evaluate the environmental problems of the country, from the systemic, interdisciplinary and general perspective that it promotes

  11. Romanian SMEs During the Crisis: Economic Results and Perceptions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ciprian Nicolescu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper looks at how SMEs from Romania evolved in the period2004–2011. The main objective of the paper is to compare SMEs’situation before the start of the economic crisis and during theperiod of the crisis. The examination is done from a dynamic perspectiveand the analysis comprises two aspects: (a the evolutionof a number of economic indicators related to Romanian SMEs’in the studied period and (b the opinions and the perceptions ofSMEs about the impact of the economic crisis on their activity. Thepaper advances proposals of possible strategies to help SMEs bettercope with the on-going economic crisis.

  12. Comparative study of Fischer–Tropsch production and post-combustion CO2 capture at an oil refinery: Economic evaluation and GHG (greenhouse gas emissions) balances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johansson, Daniella; Franck, Per-Åke; Pettersson, Karin; Berntsson, Thore

    2013-01-01

    The impact on CO 2 emissions of integrating new technologies (a biomass-to-Fischer–Tropsch fuel plant and a post-combustion CO 2 capture plant) with a complex refinery has previously been investigated separately by the authors. In the present study these designs are integrated with a refinery and evaluated from the point-of-view of economics and GHG (greenhouse gas emissions) emissions and are compared to a reference refinery. Stand-alone Fischer–Tropsch fuel production is included for comparison. To account for uncertainties in the future energy market, the assessment has been conducted for different future energy market conditions. For the post-combustion CO 2 capture process to be profitable, the present study stresses the importance of a high charge for CO 2 emission. A policy support for biofuels is essential for the biomass-to-Fischer–Tropsch fuel production to be profitable. The level of the support, however, differs depending on scenario. In general, a high charge for CO 2 economically favours Fischer–Tropsch fuel production, while a low charge for CO 2 economically favours Fischer–Tropsch fuel production. Integrated Fischer–Tropsch fuel production is most profitable in scenarios with a low wood fuel price. The stand-alone alternative shows no profitability in any of the studied scenarios. Moreover, the high investment costs make all the studied cases sensitive to variations in capital costs. - Highlights: • Comparison of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) fuel production and CO 2 capture at a refinery. • Subsidies for renewable fuels are essential for FT fuel production to be profitable. • A high charge for CO 2 is essential for post-combustion CO 2 capture to be profitable. • A low charge for CO 2 economically favours FT fuel production. • Of the studied cases, CO 2 capture shows the greatest reduction in GHG emissions

  13. A Behavioral Economic Reward Index Predicts Drinking Resolutions: Moderation Revisited and Compared with Other Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Jalie A.; Roth, David L.; Vignolo, Mary J.; Westfall, Andrew O.

    2009-01-01

    Data were pooled from 3 studies of recently resolved community-dwelling problem drinkers to determine whether a behavioral economic index of the value of rewards available over different time horizons distinguished among moderation (n = 30), abstinent (n = 95), and unresolved (n = 77) outcomes. Moderation over 1- to 2-year prospective follow-up…

  14. Neo-Pluralist Political Science, Economic Sociology and the Conceptual Foundations of the Comparative Capitalisms Literatures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruff, Ian; Hartmann, Eva

    2014-01-01

    the strengths of neo-pluralism and economic sociology – their attention to detail in considering the huge range of ‘types’ of capitalism that exist across the world – come at a high price. Put briefly, the redefinition of ‘capitalism’ as ‘the economy’ concentrates research agendas on the specific political...

  15. Universities and Economic Development Activities: A UK Regional Comparison

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decter, Moira; Cave, Frank; Rose, Mary; Peers, Gill; Fogg, Helen; Smith, Susan M.

    2011-01-01

    A number of UK universities prioritize economic development or regeneration activities and for some of these universities such activities are the main focus of their knowledge transfer work. This study compares two regions of the UK--the North West and the South East of England--which have very different levels of economic performance.…

  16. The contention within health economics: a micro-economic foundation using a macro-economic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaxley, I L

    1998-03-01

    Health economists claim to use market economics combined with the micro-economic concepts of opportunity cost and the margin to advise on priority setting. However, they are advising on setting priorities through a macro-economic analysis using the costs of the supplier, thus prioritising the producer and not the consumer as the dynamic of economic activity. For health economists any contention within priority setting is due to lack of data not their confusion over fundamental concepts.

  17. Environmental and Economic Assessment of Electrothermal Swing Adsorption of Air Emissions from Sheet-Foam Production Compared to Conventional Abatement Techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnsen, David L; Emamipour, Hamidreza; Guest, Jeremy S; Rood, Mark J

    2016-02-02

    A life-cycle assessment (LCA) and cost analysis are presented comparing the environmental and economic impacts of using regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO), granular activated carbon (GAC), and activated carbon fiber cloth (ACFC) systems to treat gaseous emissions from sheet-foam production. The ACFC system has the lowest operational energy consumption (i.e., 19.2, 8.7, and 3.4 TJ/year at a full-scale facility for RTO, GAC, and ACFC systems, respectively). The GAC system has the smallest environmental impacts across most impact categories for the use of electricity from select states in the United States that produce sheet foam. Monte Carlo simulations indicate the GAC and ACFC systems perform similarly (within one standard deviation) for seven of nine environmental impact categories considered and have lower impacts than the RTO for every category for the use of natural gas to produce electricity. The GAC and ACFC systems recover adequate isobutane to pay for themselves through chemical-consumption offsets, whereas the net present value of the RTO is $4.1 M (20 years, $0.001/m(3) treated). The adsorption systems are more environmentally and economically competitive than the RTO due to recovered isobutane for the production process and are recommended for resource recovery from (and treatment of) sheet-foam-production exhaust gas. Research targets for these adsorption systems should focus on increasing adsorptive capacity and saturation of GAC systems and decreasing electricity and N2 consumption of ACFC systems.

  18. Inequality and economic growth: The empirical relationship reconsidered in the light of comparable data

    OpenAIRE

    Knowles, Stephen

    2001-01-01

    All of the recent empirical work on the relationship between income inequality and economic growth has used inequality data that are not consistently measured. This paper argues that this is inappropriate and shows that the significant negative correlation often found between income inequality and growth across countries is not robust when income inequality is measured in a consistent manner, using data from the World Income Inequality Database. However, evidence is found of a significant neg...

  19. The Price Evolution in the Context of Economic Crisis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doriana Andreea Rămescu

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The economic crisis is a negative macroeconomic phenomenon with consequences both at European Union level and worldwide. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the variation of price levels in Romania, during the economic crisis until the end of 2015, compared with the Member States of the European Union and the countries of the European Free Trade Association. For this research, information provided by EUROSTAT was used, such as price level indices for actual individual consumption per capita, and for different goods and services, calculated based on purchasing power parity. The aim is to identify solutions to rising living standards, compared with more developed countries of the European Union. This paper presents possible solutions for avoiding a future economic crisis, caused by overconsumption. The paper is divided into four sections: introduction, part two which presents aspects of the economic crisis in Romania and in the European Union, the third part presents price level indices for different products and services in 2015, and the last part, the conclusions of the research.

  20. Zeppelin NT - Measurement Platform for the Exploration of Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics in the Planetary Boundary Layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofzumahaus, Andreas; Holland, Frank; Oebel, Andreas; Rohrer, Franz; Mentel, Thomas; Kiendler-Scharr, Astrid; Wahner, Andreas; Brauchle, Artur; Steinlein, Klaus; Gritzbach, Robert

    2014-05-01

    The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the chemically most active and complex part of the atmosphere where freshly emitted reactive trace gases, tropospheric radicals, atmospheric oxidation products and aerosols exhibit a large variability and spatial gradients. In order to investigate the chemical degradation of trace gases and the formation of secondary pollutants in the PBL, a commercial Zeppelin NT was modified to be used as an airborne measurement platform for chemical and physical observations with high spatial resolution. The Zeppelin NT was developed by Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik (ZLT) and is operated by Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei (DZR) in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The modification was performed in cooperation between Forschungszentrum Jülich and ZLT. The airship has a length of 75 m, can lift about 1 ton of scientific payload and can be manoeuvered with high precision by propeller engines. The modified Zeppelin can carry measurement instruments mounted on a platform on top of the Zeppelin, or inside the gondola beneath the airship. Three different instrument packages were developed to investigate a. gas-phase oxidation processes involving free radicals (OH, HO2) b. formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) c. new particle formation (nucleation) The presentation will describe the modified airship and provide an overview of its technical performance. Examples of its application during the recent PEGASOS flight campaigns in Europe will be given.

  1. Longitudinal relationship between economic development and occupational accidents in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Li; He, Xueqiu; Li, Chengwu

    2011-01-01

    The relativity between economic development and occupational accidents is a debated topic. Compared with the development courses of both economic development and occupational accidents in China during 1953-2008, this paper used statistic methods such as Granger causality test, cointegration test and impulse response function based on the vector autoregression model to investigate the relativity between economic development and occupational accidents in China from 1953 to 2008. Owing to fluctuation and growth scale characteristics of economic development, two dimensions including economic cycle and economic scale were divided. Results showed that there was no relationship between occupational accidents and economic scale during 1953-1978. Fatality rate per 10(5) workers was a conductive variable to gross domestic product per capita during 1979-2008. And economic cycle was an indicator to occupational accidents during 1979-2008. Variation of economic speed had important influence on occupational accidents in short term. Thus it is necessary to adjust Chinese occupational safety policy according to tempo variation of economic growth. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Dietary habits, economic status, academic performance and body mass index in school children: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukulu, Kamile; Sarvan, Süreyya; Muslu, Leyla; Yirmibesoglu, Serife Gözde

    2010-12-01

    The changes in dietary habits and way of life of adolescents can lead to some nutrition problems. The purpose of this study was to compare dietary habits of children living in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas regarding their physical characteristics, socio-economic milieu and educational level. A total of 737 students studying in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades of two different primary schools took part in the study. Data were collected by a questionnaire including dietary habits of participants. Furthermore, the weight and height of students were measured and their body mass index was calculated. During the study, while 4.3 percent of students living in the non-metropolitan area were found obese, this figure was 8.4 percent in the metropolitan area. A big majority of non-metropolitan students have breakfast and lunch at home. Metropolitan students not having lunch at home have their lunch at restaurants or school canteens and generally consume more snacks. The obesity risk of students participating in the study was found to be high. Intervention programs should be organized in order to inform the students about the importance of healthy nutrition and lead them to change their current consumption behavior.

  3. Electricity economics. Production functions with electricity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Zhaoguang [State Grid Energy Research Institute, Beijing (China); Hu, Zheng [Delaware Univ., Newark, DE (United States)

    2013-07-01

    The first book studies on the economics of electricity consumption. Compares the sector production functions with electricity and the commercial production functions with electricity. Introduces the global E-GDP function, the European E-GDP function and 12 national E-GDP functions. Presents the gene characters of EAI production functions and E-GDP functions for USA to see why USA's economy is entering an up-industrialization period. Discusses China's economic growth by production functions with electricity. Electricity Economics: Production Functions with Electricity studies the production output from analyzing patterns of electricity consumption. Since electricity data can be used to measure scenarios of economic performance due to its accuracy and reliability, it could therefore also be used to help scholars explore new research frontiers that directly and indirectly benefits human society. Our research initially explores a similar pattern to substitute the Cobb-Douglas function with the production function with electricity to track and forecast economic activities. The book systematically introduces the theoretical frameworks and mathematical models of economics from the perspective of electricity consumption. The E-GDP functions are presented for case studies of more than 20 developed and developing countries. These functions also demonstrate substantial similarities between human DNA and production functions with electricity in terms of four major characteristics, namely replication, mutation, uniqueness, and evolution. Furthermore, the book includes extensive data and case studies on the U.S., China, Japan, etc. It is intended for scientists, engineers, financial professionals, policy makers, consultants, and anyone else with a desire to study electricity economics as well as related applications.

  4. Electricity economics. Production functions with electricity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Zhaoguang; Hu, Zheng

    2013-01-01

    The first book studies on the economics of electricity consumption. Compares the sector production functions with electricity and the commercial production functions with electricity. Introduces the global E-GDP function, the European E-GDP function and 12 national E-GDP functions. Presents the gene characters of EAI production functions and E-GDP functions for USA to see why USA's economy is entering an up-industrialization period. Discusses China's economic growth by production functions with electricity. Electricity Economics: Production Functions with Electricity studies the production output from analyzing patterns of electricity consumption. Since electricity data can be used to measure scenarios of economic performance due to its accuracy and reliability, it could therefore also be used to help scholars explore new research frontiers that directly and indirectly benefits human society. Our research initially explores a similar pattern to substitute the Cobb-Douglas function with the production function with electricity to track and forecast economic activities. The book systematically introduces the theoretical frameworks and mathematical models of economics from the perspective of electricity consumption. The E-GDP functions are presented for case studies of more than 20 developed and developing countries. These functions also demonstrate substantial similarities between human DNA and production functions with electricity in terms of four major characteristics, namely replication, mutation, uniqueness, and evolution. Furthermore, the book includes extensive data and case studies on the U.S., China, Japan, etc. It is intended for scientists, engineers, financial professionals, policy makers, consultants, and anyone else with a desire to study electricity economics as well as related applications.

  5. The economic performance of regions in the Czech Republic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lenka Procházková

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Regional development in the Czech Republic contributed to the fact that at present none of the regions is significant backward compared to other. Individual regions have shown among themselves certain differences. This applies in particular to the economic performance of regions. This paper introduce results of our research. Main aim of the work was to indentify economic performace affecting factors of regions NUTS 3 in Czech Republic. It was necessary to define quantity of economic performance to meet this goal. We used them to create method of valuating economic performance of regions. We weighed quantities (e.g. GDP, unemployment rate, net disposable income according to their importance. This procedure was applied to individual regions. We determined the level of economic performance of Czech regions. We present overview of factors and using statistical methods we test their importance to the economic performance of Czech regions.

  6. Economic fork lifters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roedig, W

    1981-01-01

    Increased energy costs attribute new interest to the choice between electric fork lifters and fork lifters driven by combustion engines. The advantages and shortcomings of the two drive systems are listed. As previous cost-comparisons are no longer up-to-date a new comparison is made in order to find out which of the three types works most economically: electric diesel- or fuel gas driven fork lifters. The comparison is based on a one-year-operation with a load capacity of 1,5 to 5 tons under normal stress conditions. The following parameters are compared: sum of investments, depreciation, interest rates, fixed costs per annum and per hour of operation. Variable costs like: repair costs, costs for replacement parts, energy cost and total cost. The three-wheeled electric fork lifter has proved to be the most economic one followed by the diesel-driven fork lifter, the four-wheel electric fork lifter and the fuel-gas driven fork lifter.

  7. Economic Liberalization and Its Impact on Human Development: A Comparative Analysis of Turkey and Azerbaijan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulaliyev, Mayis G.; Ok, Nuri I.; Musayeva, Fargana Q.; Efendiyev, Rufat J.; Musayeva, Jamila Q.; Agayeva, Samira R.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the article is to study the nature of liberalization as a specific economic process, which is formed and developed under the influence of the changing conditions of the globalization and integration processes in the society, as well as to identify the characteristic differences in the processes of liberalization of Turkey and Azerbaijan…

  8. Agriculture and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia

    OpenAIRE

    Massoud Karshenas

    2000-01-01

    This paper is a comparative study of the role of agriculture in economic development in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Popular notions of economic duality and agricultural squeeze in sub-Saharan Africa are re-examined, and new explanations in terms of agrarian structures and resource availabilities are put forward to account for the apparent economic duality in that continent. Comparison with surplus labour economies of Asia highlights the constraints posed by the prevailing agrarian structures...

  9. A behavioral economic reward index predicts drinking resolutions: moderation revisited and compared with other outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Jalie A; Roth, David L; Vignolo, Mary J; Westfall, Andrew O

    2009-04-01

    Data were pooled from 3 studies of recently resolved community-dwelling problem drinkers to determine whether a behavioral economic index of the value of rewards available over different time horizons distinguished among moderation (n = 30), abstinent (n = 95), and unresolved (n = 77) outcomes. Moderation over 1- to 2-year prospective follow-up intervals was hypothesized to involve longer term behavior regulation processes than abstinence or relapse and to be predicted by more balanced preresolution monetary allocations between short-term and longer term objectives (i.e., drinking and saving for the future). Standardized odds ratios (ORs) based on changes in standard deviation units from a multinomial logistic regression indicated that increases on this "Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure" index predicted higher rates of abstinence (OR = 1.93, p = .004) and relapse (OR = 2.89, p moderation outcomes. The index had incremental utility in predicting moderation in complex models that included other established predictors. The study adds to evidence supporting a behavioral economic analysis of drinking resolutions and shows that a systematic analysis of preresolution spending patterns aids in predicting moderation.

  10. Space radiation effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shiqing; Yan Heping

    1995-01-01

    The authors briefly discusses the radiation environment in near-earth space and it's influences on material, and electronic devices using in space airship, also, the research developments in space radiation effects are introduced

  11. Media-politics interaction in times of economic crisis: a comparative study of Spain and the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vliegenthart, R.; Mena, N.

    2013-01-01

    This paper investigates the multi-directional causal relationships between stock market ratings, negative economic coverage in two national newspapers and parliamentary questions addressing negative aspects of the economy in Spain and the Netherlands. Weekly-level Vector Autoregression (VAR)

  12. Extracts from Field Margin Weeds Provide Economically Viable and Environmentally Benign Pest Control Compared to Synthetic Pesticides.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prisila Mkenda

    Full Text Available Plants with pesticidal properties have been investigated for decades as alternatives to synthetics, but most progress has been shown in the laboratory. Consequently, research on pesticidal plants is failing to address gaps in our knowledge that constrain their uptake. Some of these gaps are their evaluation of their efficacy under field conditions, their economic viability and impact on beneficial organisms. Extracts made from four abundant weed species found in northern Tanzania, Tithonia diversifolia, Tephrosia vogelii, Vernonia amygdalina and Lippia javanica offered effective control of key pest species on common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris that was comparable to the pyrethroid synthetic, Karate. The plant pesticide treatments had significantly lower effects on natural enemies (lady beetles and spiders. Plant pesticide treatments were more cost effective to use than the synthetic pesticide where the marginal rate of return for the synthetic was no different from the untreated control, around 4USD/ha, compared to a rate of return of around 5.50USD/ha for plant pesticide treatments. Chemical analysis confirmed the presence of known insecticidal compounds in water extracts of T. vogelii (the rotenoid deguelin and T. diversifolia (the sesquiterpene lactone tagitinin A. Sesquiterpene lactones and the saponin vernonioside C were also identified in organic extracts of V. amygdalina but only the saponin was recorded in water extracts which are similar to those used in the field trial. Pesticidal plants were better able to facilitate ecosystem services whilst effectively managing pests. The labour costs of collecting and processing abundant plants near farm land were less than the cost of purchasing synthetic pesticides.

  13. Autonomous Dirigible Airships: A Comparative Analysis and Operational Efficiency Evaluation for Logistical Use in Complex Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    using unmanned vehicles, also known as autonomous vehicles . These autonomous vehicles can be controlled remotely via satellite or radio signals...assault purposes across all services. This major shift to autonomous vehicles has kept a large number of troops out of dangerous environments such as Iraq

  14. Comparative economics of natural gas vehicles and other vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biederman, R.T.; Blazek, C.F.

    1992-01-01

    The utilization of alternative fuels for transportation applications is now a certainty. The only real questions that remain to be answered involve the type of fuel (or fuels) to be adopted most extensively. While some alternative fuel advocates suggest that a niche will exist for all alternative fuels, the most likely scenario will involve widespread use of only a few major fuel types. Undoubtedly, reformulated gasoline will be a major force as an interim fuel, due to inertia and a predominant bias toward liquid fuels. The prospects for utilization of ethanol, methanol, MTBE, and ETBE appear to be most promising in the area of blending with gasoline to meet the needs of reformulated gasoline and flexible fueled vehicles (FFV's). Propane fueled vehicles will continue to grow in popularity, especially with fleets, but will never become a major force in the transportation market in the U.S. due to unresolvable supply limitations. The clear winner in the alternative fuels transportation market appears to be natural gas. Either in compressed or liquefied form, natural gas enjoys low costs, tremendous availability, and impressive environmental benefits. As shown in this analysis, natural gas competes favorably with gasoline in terms of economics. Natural gas is also preferential to other alternative fuels in terms of safety and heath issues as well as operational issues. Adoption of natural gas as a standard transportation fuel will probably require market segmentation characterized by compressed natural gas utilization in light-duty vehicles and liquefied natural gas utilization in heavy-duty vehicles. The most significant barrier to natural gas utilization will continue to be the creation of a refueling infrastructure. As these problems are resolved, however, natural gas will emerge as the transportation fuel of the future

  15. THE ROLE OF ZAKAH AND BINARY ECONOMICS IN POVERTY REDUCTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muniaty Aisyah

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Poverty reduction remains the most important challenge for every countries. Zakah, as an Islamic faith-based institution, is a strategic tool for combating poverty.  This study aims to identify the role of zakah and compare its principles with an overview of the characteristics and practices within binary economics which also provides a systemic solution for poverty. The study shows that zakah has an essential role to  the economic growth and poverty reduction in Muslim community, as well as, binary economics which also offers a way of enhanching everyone’s economic well-being and fundamentally different from all forms of conventional economics.DOI: 10.15408/ess.v4i1.1964

  16. Effects of economic downturns on child mortality: a global economic analysis, 1981–2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maruthappu, Mahiben; Watson, Robert A; Watkins, Johnathan; Zeltner, Thomas; Raine, Rosalind; Atun, Rifat

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To analyse how economic downturns affect child mortality both globally and among subgroups of countries of variable income levels. Design Retrospective observational study using economic data from the World Bank's Development Indicators and Global Development Finance (2013 edition). Child mortality data were sourced from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Setting Global. Participants 204 countries between 1981 and 2010. Main outcome measures Child mortality, controlling for country-specific differences in political, healthcare, cultural, structural, educational and economic factors. Results 197 countries experienced at least 1 economic downturn between 1981 and 2010, with a mean of 7.97 downturns per country (range 0–21; SD 0.45). At the global level, downturns were associated with significant (p<0.0001) deteriorations in each child mortality measure, in comparison with non-downturn years: neonatal (coefficient: 1.11, 95% CI 0.855 to 1.37), postneonatal (2.00, 95% CI 1.61 to 2.38), child (2.93, 95% CI 2.26 to 3.60) and under 5 years of age (5.44, 95% CI 4.31 to 6.58) mortality rates. Stronger (larger falls in the growth rate of gross domestic product/capita) and longer (lasting 2 years rather than 1) downturns were associated with larger significant deteriorations (p<0.001). During economic downturns, countries in the poorest quartile experienced ∼1½ times greater deterioration in neonatal mortality, compared with their own baseline; a 3-fold deterioration in postneonatal mortality; a 9-fold deterioration in child mortality and a 3-fold deterioration in under-5 mortality, than countries in the wealthiest quartile (p<0.0005). For 1–5 years after downturns ended, each mortality measure continued to display significant deteriorations (p<0.0001). Conclusions Economic downturns occur frequently and are associated with significant deteriorations in child mortality, with worse declines in lower income countries. PMID:28589010

  17. Voodoo Economics:Voodoo Economics

    OpenAIRE

    Briones Alonso, Elena

    2017-01-01

    This dissertation collects three essays that aim to contribute to the field of cultural economics. There is growing recognition among economists and policy makers that culture matters for economic development, but in many cases this trend has not resulted in a thorough understanding of the role of culture, or a proper integration of existing knowledge in policy. This is particularly true for the area of food security. The second chapter addresses this issue by reviewing existing cross-discipl...

  18. Economic evaluations and randomized trials in spinal disorders: principles and methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korthals-de Bos, Ingeborg; van Tulder, Maurits; van Dieten, Hiske; Bouter, Lex

    2004-02-15

    Descriptive methodologic recommendations. To help researchers designing, conducting, and reporting economic evaluations in the field of back and neck pain. Economic evaluations of both existing and new therapeutic interventions are becoming increasingly important. There is a need to improve the methods of economic evaluations in the field of spinal disorders. To improve the methods of economic evaluations in the field of spinal disorders, this article describes the various steps in an economic evaluation, using as example a study on the cost-effectiveness of manual therapy, physiotherapy, and usual care provided by the general practitioner for patients with neck pain. An economic evaluation is a study in which two or more interventions are systematically compared with regard to both costs and effects. There are four types of economic evaluations, based on analysis of: (1) cost-effectiveness, (2) cost-utility, (3) cost-minimization, and (4) cost-benefit. The cost-utility analysis is a special case of cost-effectiveness analysis. The first step in all these economic evaluations is to identify the perspective of the study. The choice of the perspective will have consequences for the identification of costs and effects. Secondly, the alternatives that will be compared should be identified. Thirdly, the relevant costs and effects should be identified. Economic evaluations are usually performed from a societal perspective and include consequently direct health care costs, direct nonhealth care costs, and indirect costs. Fourthly, effect data are collected by means of questionnaires or interviews, and relevant cost data with regard to effect measures and health care utilization, work absenteeism, travel expenses, use of over-the-counter medication, and help from family and friends, are collected by means of cost diaries, questionnaires, or (telephone) interviews. Fifthly, real costs are calculated, or the costs are estimated on the basis of real costs, guideline prices

  19. Economical aspects of a nuclear power plant project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meldonian, N.L.; Santos, E.M. dos

    1992-01-01

    This work describes different aspects and parameters that should be regarded as guidelines for economic evaluation of small and medium power plant projects. The main objective of an economic evaluation is to establish the plant's unitary cost and its economic figure of merit. To achieve that, a number of studies must be undertaken to compare the global competitiveness of a nuclear power plant with other energetic alternatives. These studies involve macro economy, energy generation, electricity transmission and global feasibility of the enterprise. It is concluded that the economic evaluation of a nuclear power plant should be considered as the culmination of a long process of planning at a national level. The main reasons are the investments involved, the technological developments required and political implications of the utilization of nuclear power energy. (author)

  20. Comparative techno-economical study between membrane technology systems for obtaining concentrated fertilizers from biogas plant effluents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Camilleri Rumbau, Maria Salud; Norddahl, Birgir; Kjærhus Nielsen, Anne

    2013-01-01

    Membrane technology is a promising candidate for producing mineral fertilizers from animal slurry. This paper presents a combination of membrane technologies for processing digested slurry, lists retentions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and evaluates the economic and technolog...

  1. Advanced Fuel Cycle Economic Sensitivity Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    David Shropshire; Kent Williams; J.D. Smith; Brent Boore

    2006-12-01

    A fuel cycle economic analysis was performed on four fuel cycles to provide a baseline for initial cost comparison using the Gen IV Economic Modeling Work Group G4 ECON spreadsheet model, Decision Programming Language software, the 2006 Advanced Fuel Cycle Cost Basis report, industry cost data, international papers, the nuclear power related cost study from MIT, Harvard, and the University of Chicago. The analysis developed and compared the fuel cycle cost component of the total cost of energy for a wide range of fuel cycles including: once through, thermal with fast recycle, continuous fast recycle, and thermal recycle.

  2. Inferring personal economic status from social network location

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Shaojun; Morone, Flaviano; Sarraute, Carlos; Travizano, Matías; Makse, Hernán A.

    2017-05-01

    It is commonly believed that patterns of social ties affect individuals' economic status. Here we translate this concept into an operational definition at the network level, which allows us to infer the economic well-being of individuals through a measure of their location and influence in the social network. We analyse two large-scale sources: telecommunications and financial data of a whole country's population. Our results show that an individual's location, measured as the optimal collective influence to the structural integrity of the social network, is highly correlated with personal economic status. The observed social network patterns of influence mimic the patterns of economic inequality. For pragmatic use and validation, we carry out a marketing campaign that shows a threefold increase in response rate by targeting individuals identified by our social network metrics as compared to random targeting. Our strategy can also be useful in maximizing the effects of large-scale economic stimulus policies.

  3. INNOVATION ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Veselovsky

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In the article the problems of economic increase and development under the conditions for the growth of crisis phenomena in the economy of Russia is investigated. Are analyzed the factors, which infl uence economic of the development of state and guarantee of its steady increase. Is examined the integral approach in conducting of economic reforms, which is based to the use of innovation developments and new forms of management of control. They are given to recommendation regarding conducting of the necessary reforms in the systems of management, planning, of organizing of labor, of circulation of money and crediting, taxation and other systems, which have the direct and defi ned by example eff ect on economic development. Is emphasized that for steady economic development is, in the first place, necessary further integration of Russia in the world community, the adjusting of mutually benefi cial intergovermental connections, the exchange, by scientific, technical and economic information, the free motion of labor and capital.Purposes / tasks. The purpose of article is a study of the factors of influencing the economic development in build-up conditions crisis phenomena and the development of the proposals, which ensure economic increase and development.Article tasks: to investigate and to isolate the growth factors, under the conditions of the being deteriorated economic situation, which is expedient to use with the solution of the problem of economic development, the application of innovation developments and new forms of management of control.Methodology. With conducting of the present investigation by the basic sources of initial data served the materials of the state statistics and other information sources. The comparative methods of analysis and synthesis are assumed as the basis of systematic developments.Results. The need for the complex conducting of economic reforms is revealed. The influence of new technologies on the development of

  4. Radiated Emissions from a Remote-Controlled Airplane-Measured in a Reverberation Chamber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ely, Jay J.; Koppen, Sandra V.; Nguyen, Truong X.; Dudley, Kenneth L.; Szatkowski, George N.; Quach, Cuong C.; Vazquez, Sixto L.; Mielnik, John J.; Hogge, Edward F.; Hill, Boyd L.; hide

    2011-01-01

    A full-vehicle, subscale all-electric model airplane was tested for radiated emissions, using a reverberation chamber. The mission of the NASA model airplane is to test in-flight airframe damage diagnosis and battery prognosis algorithms, and provide experimental data for other aviation safety research. Subscale model airplanes are economical experimental tools, but assembling their systems from hobbyist and low-cost components may lead to unforseen electromagnetic compatibility problems. This report provides a guide for accommodating the on-board radio systems, so that all model airplane systems may be operated during radiated emission testing. Radiated emission data are provided for on-board systems being operated separately and together, so that potential interferors can be isolated and mitigated. The report concludes with recommendations for EMI/EMC best practices for subscale model airplanes and airships used for research.

  5. Some economic aspects of the low enriched uranium production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-05-01

    At the Technical Committee Meeting on Economics of Low Enriched Uranium 14 papers were presented. A separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers. The five technical sessions covered several economic aspects of uranium concentrates production, conversion into uranium hexafluoride and uranium enrichment and the recycling of U and Pu in LWR. Four Panel discussions were held to discuss the uranium market trends, the situation of conversion industry, the reprocessing and the uranium market, the future trends of enrichment and the economics of LWRs compared with other reactors. Refs, figs and tabs

  6. The impact of the economic environment on financial reports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentin Burcă

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Financial reporting represents a current issue of economic environment, given globalization and the recent economic crisis. Accounting -as profession - along with the investors and state institutions have started a comprehensive project of accounting convergence designed to improve the comparability of accounting information released by financial statements synthesis. The success of the project can only be provided by taking into account several constraints imposed by the economic environment, and not only. Therefore, attention must be paid to the voice of capital markets and large multinational corporations regarding the future development of financial reporting.

  7. A comparative thermodynamic, economic and risk analysis concerning implementation of oxy-combustion power plants integrated with cryogenic and hybrid air separation units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skorek-Osikowska, Anna; Bartela, Łukasz; Kotowicz, Janusz

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Mathematical model of an integrated oxy-combustion power plant. • Comparison of a hybrid membrane–cryogenic oxygen generation plant with a cryogenic plant. • Thermodynamic analysis of the modeled cases of the plant. • Comparative economic analysis of the power plant with cryogenic and hybrid ASU. • Comparative risk analysis using a Monte Carlo method and sensitivity analysis. - Abstract: This paper presents a comparison of two types of oxy-combustion power plant that differ from each other in terms of the method of oxygen separation. For the purpose of the analysis, detailed thermodynamic models of oxy-fuel power plants with gross power of approximately 460 MW were built. In the first variant (Case 1), the plant is integrated with a cryogenic air separation unit (ASU). In the second variant (Case 2), the plant is integrated with a hybrid membrane–cryogenic installation. The models were built and optimized using the GateCycle, Aspen Plus and Aspen Custom Modeller software packages and with the use of our own computational codes. The results of the thermodynamic evaluation of the systems, which primarily uses indicators such as the auxiliary power and efficiencies of the whole system and of the individual components that constitute the unit, are presented. Better plant performance is observed for Case 2, which has a net efficiency of electricity generation that is 1.1 percentage points greater than that of Case 1. For the selected structure of the system, an economic analysis of the solutions was made. This analysis accounts for different scenarios of the functioning of the Emission Trading Scheme and includes detailed estimates of the investment costs in both cases. As an indicator of profitability, the break-even price of electricity was used primarily. The results of the analysis for the assumptions made are presented in this paper. A system with a hybrid air separation unit has slightly better economic performance. The break-even price

  8. Space and economics : An introduction to regional economics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijman, W.J.M.; Schipper, R.A.

    2010-01-01

    The subject area Regional Economics is becoming more and more topical. This means that in economic analyses the production factor 'space' is of increasing importance. This study book aims to integrate space in the area of General Economics in an analytical way. Models and their applications play a

  9. National Identity and Economic Nationalism: Can an Economic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Since the demise of economic Marxism, the global environment has sought to uphold economic liberalism as the only successful theoretical position. The theoretical position of economic nationalism was relegated to obscurity on the basis that it was considered protectionist, stifled international trade and led to the creation ...

  10. BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS AND THE NEED OF PSYCHOLOGY IN ECONOMIC RESEARCH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreea GRADINARU

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The turning point in economic science has now come, marked especially by triggering the biggest crisis since the Great Depression of '29-'33, has called into question the need to reconsider the status of economic science and finding ways in which it can increase its practical foundations. In the elaboration of this study I’ve took into account the fact that beyond any abstract, formal and mathematical model, economics is a science, having the man in its center. Furthermore, every economic process is based on the human being. But the way individuals behave does not follow precisely the pattern predicted by classical and neoclassical models, but most of the time they are making decisions under the influence of psychological factors. Starting from these assumptions I considered important to highlight a real need for psychology in economic research. Therefore, the aim of this work is exclusively theoretical meant to show that the study of psychological factors is necessary in economic research, because it allows a better explanation of the economic problems and lead to obtaining results closer to reality than those who only take into consideration economic factors. In this way I appealed to behavioral economics. This represents a new trend of economic thinking that reunites psychology with economy. The thing that I observed after finishing the study is that behavioral economics can increase the explanatory power of economics by providing more realistic psychological bases, because human behavior is not only the subject matter of economics but psychology too.

  11. Economic incentives for optimal sulfur abatement in Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halkos, G.E.

    1995-01-01

    This article reviews and develops theoretical and empirical representations of economic incentives for implementing pollution control strategies. A number of alternative economic instruments exist, which, if applied internationally, could encourage implementation of abatement strategies by counties. The article considers means of persuading countries to minimize abatement costs. A comparison between the pollution targets achieved by the imposition of a uniform charge rate and by differentiated charge rates is discussed, and empirical results are provided with associated conclusions. These results are compared with a simple standards setting in the form of critical loads, in order to assess empirically if economic instruments work better than regulations

  12. Autonomous economic operation of grid connected DC microgrid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nutkani, Inam Ullah; Wang, Peng; Loh, Poh Chiang

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an autonomous power sharing scheme for economic operation of grid-connected DC microgrid. Autonomous economic operation approach has already been tested for standalone AC microgrids to reduce the overall generation cost and proven a simple and easier to realize compared...... with the centralized management approach. In this paper, the same concept has been extended to grid-connected DC microgrid. The proposed economic droop scheme takes into consideration the power generation cost of Distributed Generators (DGs) and utility grid tariff and adaptively tunes their respective droop curves...... secondary control. The performance of the proposed scheme has been verified for the example grid-connected DC microgrid....

  13. The economic metabolism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijman, W.J.M.

    1998-01-01

    Students in Technical and Agricultural faculties spend only a limited amount of time on general economics, environmental economics and resource economics. However, while their knowledge of economics may be limited, they often have adequate mathematical skills. The objective of The Economic

  14. Perspectives of economics – behavioural economics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula-Elena DIACON

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The present turning point, accentuated by the crisis, has revitalized the interdisciplinary study of economics and determined the reconsideration of its fundamental bases as a social science. The economists have abandoned the traditional neoclassical sphere and have directed towards understanding the behaviour resorting to psychology and developing in this manner a new field - behavioural economics. This article examines whether this economic sub-discipline is a viable research direction and the extent to which it may increase the explanatory power of science by providing a realistic database for analysis, taking into account the complexity of the human factor.

  15. Economics of symbiotic nuclear fleets at equilibrium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bidaud, Adrien; Guillemin, P.; Lecarpentier, David

    2008-01-01

    Many decades of industrial experience have proven that thermal reactors are able to provide a safe, reliable and competitive source of electricity. The higher construction costs of fast reactors compared to thermal reactors could be compensated by their better use of fissile material during the probable fast development of nuclear energy in the first half of the century. Thus, despite the over-cost of their cores, on the longer term, fast reactors are expected to take the lead in the nuclear reactor race. In the mean term, multi-strata symbiotic parks, using high conversion-rate thermal reactors, may delay fast reactor start up. We compare projected fuel cycle costs and cost of electricity of various symbiotic nuclear fleets, on the basis of a simple economic model and elementary costs estimated on publicly available data. These parameters and their evolution over reactor-life time scale can hardly be estimated. That is why we look at the sensitivities of our results to large modifications of the input parameters. The aim of our simple economic model is to understand which reactor characteristics should be optimized to enhance their economic performance when working as a single symbiotic fleet. (authors)

  16. ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF CO2 SEQUESTRATION TECHNOLOGIES; SEMIANNUAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bert R. Bock; Richard G. Rhudy; David E. Nichols

    2001-01-01

    In order to plan for potential CO(sub 2) mitigation mandates, utilities need better information on CO(sub 2) mitigation options, especially carbon sequestration options that involve non-utility operations. One of the major difficulties in evaluating CO(sub 2) sequestration technologies and practices, both geologic storage of captured CO(sub 2) and storage in biological sinks, is obtaining consistent, transparent, accurate, and comparable economics. This project is comparing the economics of major technologies and practices under development for CO(sub 2) sequestration, including captured CO(sub 2) storage options such as active oil reservoirs, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep aquifers, coal beds, and oceans, as well as the enhancement of biological sinks such as forests and croplands. An international group of experts has been assembled to compare on a consistent basis the economics of this diverse array of CO(sub 2) sequestration options. Designs and data collection are nearly complete for each of the CO(sub 2) sequestration options being compared. Initial spreadsheet development has begun on concepts involving storage of captured CO(sub 2). No significant problems have been encountered, but some additional outside expertise will be accessed to supplement the team's expertise in the areas of life cycle analysis, oil and gas exploration and production, and comparing CO(sub 2) sequestration options that differ in timing and permanence of CO(sub 2) sequestration. Plans for the next reporting period are to complete data collection and a first approximation of the spreadsheet. We expect to complete this project on time and on budget

  17. Economic and financial viability of small-scale dairy systems in central Mexico: economic scenario 2010-2018.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posadas-Domínguez, R R; Callejas-Juárez, N; Arriaga-Jordán, C M; Martínez-Castañeda, F E

    2016-12-01

    A simulation Monte Carlo model was used to assess the economic and financial viability of 130 small-scale dairy farms in central Mexico, through a Representative Small-Scale Dairy Farm. Net yields were calculated for a 9-year planning horizon by means of simulated values for the distribution of input and product prices taking 2010 as base year and considering four scenarios which were compared against the scenario of actual production. The other scenarios were (1) total hiring in of needed labour; (2) external purchase of 100 % of inputs and (3) withdrawal of subsidies to production. A stochastic modelling approach was followed to determine the scenario with the highest economic and financial viability. Results show a viable economic and financial situation for the real production scenario, as well as the scenarios for total hiring of labour and of withdrawal of subsidies, but the scenario when 100 % of feed inputs for the herd are bought-in was not viable.

  18. Economic poverty among children and adolescents in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Povlsen, Lene; Regber, Susann; Fosse, Elisabeth

    2018-01-01

    Aims: This study aimed to identify applied definitions and measurements of economic poverty and to explore the proportions and characteristics of children and adolescents living in economic poverty in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden during the last decade and to compare various...... statistics between the Nordic countries. Methods: Official data from central national authorities on statistics, national reports and European Union Statistics of income and living conditions data were collected and analysed during 2015–2016. Results: The proportion of Nordic children living in economic...... poverty in 2014 ranged from 9.4% in Norway to 18.5% in Sweden. Compared with the European Union average, from 2004 to 2014 Nordic families with dependent children experienced fewer difficulties in making their money last, even though Icelandic families reported considerable difficulties...

  19. Economics of population versus economic demography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Tkachenko

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The article specifies the correlation between economic demography and the economy of population as the most important scientific areas of modern research. It is concluded that the Russian scientific community lags in the development of these sciences from the world scientific thought. Special attention is paid to the works and ideas of S. Kuznets and Amartya Sen as outstanding researchers of the interrelationships between the population and the economy. It is emphasized that their contribution was not only theoretical but also of practical importance. The importance of G. Myrdal’s works for modern studies of the consequences of population aging is considered. The article examines foreign training courses on “Population Economics”, presented at the Universities of Wisconsin and McMaster, their analysis led to the conclusion that the preparation of textbooks on courses is less productive than the use of scientific articles in journals, containing more recent ideas and achievements of science. The author considers the system, proposed in the course Michel Grignon and Byron G. Spencer «The Economics of Population» more preferable. The article substantiates the opinion that the economic theory of well-being should be the core of the population economy. It is concluded that the differences between economic demography and the economy of population are not just differences between the micro- and macro levels, as some authors write, but the transition to large scales and entropy.The author identifies three most important areas of demo-economic research, which include research in the field of human capital, international economic migration, especially remittance, analysis of the stratification of the population and society by the income in the global and national economies. One can single out the general area of interests of the population economy and economic demography in which these sciences are almost impossible to divide and in which only

  20. Economic Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Recruitment Events Community Commitment Giving Campaigns, Drives Economic Development Employee Funded : Environmental Documents, Reports LANL Home Calendar Search Contacts Community » Economic Development LANL 75th logo Economic Development Los Alamos National Laboratory is committed to investing and partnering in

  1. Growth scenarios for sub-Saharan countries in the framework of economic complexity

    OpenAIRE

    Cristelli, Matthieu; Tacchella, Andrea; Zaccaria, Andrea; Pietronero, Luciano

    2014-01-01

    We present a comparative analysis of the medium-long term perspectives of development for sub-Saharan countries in the framework of economic complexity. This analysis is made in comparison with the development of Asian tigers. Economic complexity is a data-driven framework which aims at providing a more scientific basis for the economic theory and it has a specific focus on understanding the determinants of growth by means of two new economic dimensions: the country fitness and the produc...

  2. Poverty Alleviation Programmes and Economic Development in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Poverty Alleviation Programmes and Economic Development in Nigeria: A Comparative Assessment of Asa and Ilorin West Local ... Journal Home > Vol 3, No 4 (2009) > ... and worst hit income inequality group with about 84percent of total

  3. Problems of Economic Development in Reunified Germany. Retrospective Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Gotz

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Does Eastern Germany differ significantly from Western part in economic terms? How have new Bundeslnder been developing over past twenty years? How fast has East been catching up with West? What could have hampered convergence? How today are German states equipped with factors determining future growth? How the new Bundeslnder performed do compared with the old ones? This paper seeks to address above mentioned questions. It offers a comprehensive review of key economic developments of two decades of reunited Germany. Particularly it examines current economic landscape; investigates convergence processes taking place since reunification and tries to identify most likely impediments hampering full catching up. Finally, it aims at assessing contemporary growth potential of German states. With respect to the starting point poor performance of East Germany back in 1990 the progress made and results achieved are impressive. Though, comparing the situation with Western part of the country significant discrepancies continue to exist. Certainly, assessment of the last twenty years of reunited Germany hinges much upon perspective taken. Two decades after Berlin Wall Fall opinions on economic consequences of reunification are more balanced, since much has been achieved, but much still needs to be done.

  4. Economic considerations/comparisons for the disposal of defense high-level waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leclaire, D.B.; Lazur, E.G.

    1985-01-01

    This paper provides a summary, in a generic sense, of the economic considerations and comparisons of permanent isolation of defense high-level waste (DHLW) in a licensed geologic repository. Topics considered include underground disposal, economic analysis, comparative evaluations, national defense, radioactive waste facilities, and licensing

  5. Economic incentives for abandoning or expanding gum arabic production in Sudan

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rahim, A.; Ierland, van E.C.; Wesseler, J.H.H.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper we use a real options approach to analyze farmers' economic incentives to abandon gum production or expand by creating new plantations. Our results indicate that agricultural crops currently provide higher economic benefits as compared to gum agroforestry. However, we show that the

  6. Hydrogen Pressurization of LOX: High Risk/High Reward (Preprint)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Turner, Andrew E; Leichner, Aaron

    2006-01-01

    ... filled with hydrogen gas. Airship commercial service, enabled by relatively low-cost hydrogen, died along with the longest vehicle ever to fly, even though thousands of passengers had been transported without incident prior to that time...

  7. Preliminary Economic Assessment of KALIMER-600

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moon, Kee-Hwan; Kim, Seung-Su; Hahn, Do-Hee

    2008-01-01

    The GIF(GEN IV International Forum) established an Economic Modelling Working Group(EMWG) in 2003 to create economic models and guidelines to facilitate in a future evaluation of the Generation IV nuclear energy systems and assess progress toward the GIF economic goals. These goals are to have a life cycle cost advantage over other energy sources, and to have a level of financial risk comparable to other energy projects. To do this, EMWG has been developed the G4-ECONS model, which is a generic EXCEL-based model for computation of the projected levelized unit electricity cost and/or levelized non-electricity unit product cost from GEN IV energy systems. KALIMER-600 has been developed as a new design concept based on the KALIMER-150 design. KALIMER-600 is a unique design concept which has a potential to achieve GEN IV technology goals even though there is a room for a design improvement in order to make the KALIMER-600 more competitive with future generation reactors. The objective of this study is to the assess economics of KALIMER-600 by using the G4-ECONS model

  8. [Macro-economic calculation of spending versus micro-economic follow-up of costs of breast cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borella, L; Paraponaris, A

    2002-12-01

    In the healthcare field, the ability to make economic forecasts requires knowledge of the costs of caring for major diseases. In the case of a semi-chronic condition like cancer, this cost covers all the episodes of care associated with a patient. An evaluation of a macro-economic method of calculating costs for treating non-metastatic cancer, covering all hospital episodes, is proposed. This method is based entirely on the use of annual hospital activity databases, linked to data concerning the incidence of cancer. It allows us to obtain the global cost of care for a neoplasm of a particular site, without the need to reconstruct the whole care pathway of the patients. The model was assessed by comparing it's own results, in the particular case of breast cancer to those issuing from a micro-economic follow-up of 115 patients. Data for macro-economic calculation are extracted from the national French hospital database for the year 1999 and from cancer incidence data. The prospective study was done in 1995, in a comprehensive cancer centre. Macro-economic calculation leads to a cost of 14,555 Euro, for primary breast cancer. Prospective follow-up showed a cost of 14,350 Euro (data corrected, 1999 value). With a difference of 1%, there was a clear cohesion of the two results, while a higher level of divergence was noticed (from 1 to 15%) in the comparison between therapeutic techniques. Accuracy and reliability of results were evaluated. This method may be extended to all types of neoplasms. This method cannot be used instead of follow-up studies, for cost-efficacy or cost-severity analysis, but may be interesting beyond economic forecasts, in the field of payment per pathology.

  9. Implications of fossil fuel constraints on economic growth and global warming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nel, Willem P.; Cooper, Christopher J.

    2009-01-01

    Energy Security and Global Warming are analysed as 21st century sustainability threats. Best estimates of future energy availability are derived as an Energy Reference Case (ERC). An explicit economic growth model is used to interpret the impact of the ERC on economic growth. The model predicts a divergence from 20th century equilibrium conditions in economic growth and socio-economic welfare is only stabilised under optimistic assumptions that demands a paradigm shift in contemporary economic thought and focused attention from policy makers. Fossil fuel depletion also constrains the maximum extent of Global Warming. Carbon emissions from the ERC comply nominally with the B1 scenario, which is the lowest emissions case considered by the IPCC. The IPCC predicts a temperature response within acceptance limits of the Global Warming debate for the B1 scenario. The carbon feedback cycle, used in the IPCC models, is shown as invalid for low-emissions scenarios and an alternative carbon cycle reduces the temperature response for the ERC considerably compared to the IPCC predictions. Our analysis proposes that the extent of Global Warming may be acceptable and preferable compared to the socio-economic consequences of not exploiting fossil fuel reserves to their full technical potential

  10. Migrant entrepreneurship, economic activity and export performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baklanov, Nikita; Rezaei, Shahamak; Vang, Jan

    2014-01-01

    Recent studies on transnational entrepreneurship suggest that migrant entrepreneur plays an increasingly significant role as sources of economic activities and especially export revenue. The literature is, however, biased on the US experience, lacks a comparative perspective between migrants...... and non-migrants and is primarily anecdotal in nature. This paper aims to reduce this gap by mapping the recent changes in the role of migrant entrepreneurs as a source of increased economic activity and export revenue in the Danish context and thereby linking the challenges stemming from...... the transnational entrepreneurship literature to the immigration and internationalisation of entrepreneurship literature. Entrepreneurial economic activity in this paper is proxied by the changing share of self-owned firms across ethic categories. Export revenue is proxied by the number of firms in the different...

  11. Efficiency of Emission Control Measures on Particulate Matter-Related Health Impacts and Economic Cost during the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meeting in Beijing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qichen Liu

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC meeting was held from 5 November to 11 November 2014 in Beijing, and comprehensive emission control measures were implemented. The efficiency of these measures on particulate matter-related health impacts and economic cost need to be evaluated. Methods: The influences of emission control measures during APEC on particulate matter were evaluated, and health economic effects were assessed. Results: Average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 during APEC were reduced by 57.0%, and 50.6% respectively, compared with pre-APEC period. However, the concentrations of particulate matter rebounded after APEC. Compared with the pre-APEC and post-APEC periods, the estimated number of deaths caused by non-accidental, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases that could be attributed to PM2.5 and PM10 during the APEC were the lowest. The economic cost associated with mortality caused by PM2.5 and PM10 during the APEC were reduced by (61.3% and 66.6% and (50.3% and 60.8% respectively, compared with pre-APEC and post-APEC. Conclusions: The emission control measures were effective in improving short term air quality and reducing health risks and medical expenses during 2014 APEC, but more efforts is needed for long term and continuous air quality improvement and health protection.

  12. Efficiency of Emission Control Measures on Particulate Matter-Related Health Impacts and Economic Cost during the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meeting in Beijing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qichen; Huang, Jing; Guo, Bin; Guo, Xinbiao

    2016-12-28

    Background : The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting was held from 5 November to 11 November 2014 in Beijing, and comprehensive emission control measures were implemented. The efficiency of these measures on particulate matter-related health impacts and economic cost need to be evaluated. Methods : The influences of emission control measures during APEC on particulate matter were evaluated, and health economic effects were assessed. Results : Average concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 during APEC were reduced by 57.0%, and 50.6% respectively, compared with pre-APEC period. However, the concentrations of particulate matter rebounded after APEC. Compared with the pre-APEC and post-APEC periods, the estimated number of deaths caused by non-accidental, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases that could be attributed to PM 2.5 and PM 10 during the APEC were the lowest. The economic cost associated with mortality caused by PM 2.5 and PM 10 during the APEC were reduced by (61.3% and 66.6%) and (50.3% and 60.8%) respectively, compared with pre-APEC and post-APEC. Conclusions : The emission control measures were effective in improving short term air quality and reducing health risks and medical expenses during 2014 APEC, but more efforts is needed for long term and continuous air quality improvement and health protection.

  13. The Use of Computer Simulation Gaming in Teaching Broadcast Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancuso, Louis C.

    The purpose of this study was to develop a broadcast economic computer simulation and to ascertain how a lecture-computer simulation game compared as a teaching method with a more traditional lecture and case study instructional methods. In each of three sections of a broadcast economics course, a different teaching methodology was employed: (1)…

  14. Rethinking the economics of climate change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damian, Michel

    2012-05-01

    The paper makes a case for rethinking the economics of climate change. It questions the way the problem was conventionally framed and solved through top-down international cooperation and carbon emission permits, taxes and pricing. The paper argues that the on-going industrial and energy transition reflects a paradigmatic shift as compared to neoclassical environmental economics that has framed climate policy since the Rio conference in 1992. On a normative basis, the paper maintains that a carbon tax should not follow a Pigovian rationale. To be feasible such a tax should be of a Marshallian nature, i.e. earmarked, and rather modest at the beginning. (author)

  15. Economical scale of nuclear energy application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    The nuclear energy industry is supported by two wheels of radiation and energy applications. When comparing both, they have some different sides, such as numbers of employees and researchers, numbers and scales of works, effect on society, affecting effects and regions of industrial actions, problems on safety, viewpoint on nuclear proliferation protection and safety guarantee, energy security, relationship to environmental problem, efforts on wastes disposal, and so on. Here described on economical scale of radiation application in fields of industry, agriculture, and medicine and medical treatment, and on economical scale of energy application in nuclear power generation and its instruments and apparatus. (G.K.)

  16. Estimating the economic cost of disability in Ireland

    OpenAIRE

    Cullinan, John; Gannon, Brenda; Lyons, Seán

    2008-01-01

    Addressing the extra economic costs of disability seems a logical step towards alleviating elements of social exclusion for people with disabilities. This paper estimates the economic cost of disability in Ireland in terms of the additional spending needs that arise due to disability. It defines and estimates models of the private costs borne by families with individuals who have a disability in Ireland when compared to the wider population, both in general and by severity of illness. Our mod...

  17. Eco-thermodynamics. Economics and the second law

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayres, Robert U.

    1998-01-01

    The laws of physics, especially the first and second laws of thermodynamics, have significant implications for economic theory. The major implications of the First Law (conservation of mass/energy) are straightforward and have been discussed at length elsewhere. In brief, raw material inputs to economic processes are not 'consumed'. Having been extracted from the environment in the first place, they eventually return to the environment as wastes. The economic implications of the Second Law (entropy law) are far more subtle. There is considerable literature, initiated by the work of Georgescu-Roegen, on the supposed constraints on economic growth imposed by the fact that economic processes utilize 'low-entropy' raw materials (fossil fuels and high grade metal ores) and discard 'high entropy' wastes. However, as a practical matter the flux of available low-entropy energy (exergy) from the sun is extremely large and certainly adequate to sustain economic activity in the solar system indefinitely, even though fossil fuel and metal ore stocks may eventually be exhausted. It is argued in this paper that the real economic significance of the Second Law lies in the fact that exergy is: (1) not conserved; and (2) is a useful common measure of resource quality, as well as quantity, applicable to both materials and energy. Thus, exergy can be used to measure and compare resource inputs and outputs, including wastes and losses. This is potentially important in itself. Moreover, since exergy is not conserved it is truly consumed (i.e. used up) in economic processes. Hence, exergy is no less a 'factor of production' than labor or capital. This fact has strong implications for economic growth theory, especially with regard to assessing the role of technical progress

  18. Health economic evaluations in orthodontics: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sollenius, Ola; Petrén, Sofia; Björnsson, Liselotte; Norlund, Anders; Bondemark, Lars

    2016-06-01

    Economic evaluation is assuming increasing importance as an integral component of health services research. To conduct a systematic review of the literature and assess the evidence from studies presenting orthodontic treatment outcomes and the related costs. The literature review was conducted in four steps, according to Goodman's model, in order to identify all studies evaluating economic aspects of orthodontic interventions. The search covered the databases Medline, Cinahl, Cochrane, Embase, Google Scholar, National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, and SCOPUS, for the period from 1966 to September 2014. The inclusion criteria were as follows: randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials comparing at least two different orthodontic interventions, evaluation of both economic and orthodontic outcomes, and study populations of all ages. The quality of each included study was assessed as limited, moderate, or high. The overall evidence was assessed according to the GRADE system (The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). The applied terms for searches yielded 1838 studies, of which 989 were excluded as duplicates. Application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria identified 26 eligible studies for which the full-text versions were retrieved and scrutinized. At the final analysis, eight studies remained. Three studies were based on cost-effectiveness analyses and the other five on cost-minimization analysis. Two of the cost-minimization studies included a societal perspective, i.e. the sum of direct and indirect costs. The aims of most of the studies varied widely and of studies comparing equivalent treatment methods, few were of sufficiently high study quality. Thus, the literature to date provides an inadequate evidence base for economic aspects of orthodontic treatment. This systematic review disclosed that few orthodontic studies have presented both economic and clinical outcomes. There is currently

  19. Walter Isard's Contributions to Environmental Economics and Ecological Economics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rose, Adam; Folmer, Henk; Nijkamp, Peter

    This article summarizes Walter Isard's important contributions to environmental economics and ecological economics. The former is the traditional field that incorporates some limited aspects of the environment into neoclassical economic theory, while the latter is a more comprehensive integration of

  20. On the Sanctioning of Economic Crime in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lando, Henrik

    2014-01-01

    present a theoretical framework that allows for a determination of optimal levels of sanctions and enforcement of crime. In the second part, I compare actual levels of sanctions in Denmark for various kinds of crime involving either economic or bodily harm, and discuss whether differences can be explained......This article - written for a symposium on comparative criminal law - discusses whether sanctions for economic crime have become excessive in the Danish context either in absolute terms or in comparison with sanctions for crimes involving physical harm. The text has three parts. In the first part, I...... by the theory. In the third part, I compare a recent increase in the level of the sanction for breach of competition law and for insider trading with the theoretically optimal levels and I tentatively suggest that the increase may well have been warranted from a deterrence perspective. However, I stress...

  1. Solar cooling between thermal and photovoltaic: An energy and economic comparative study in the Mediterranean conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noro, M.; Lazzarin, R.M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper considers different cooling systems and investigates the most promising alternatives when solar energy is to be used to supply the cooling demand. All the systems are evaluated during a summer cooling season by the energetic and economic point of view by dynamic simulation for two different climates. For Milan (Cfb climate) the highest OSE (overall system efficiency) is reached by LiBr (lithium-bromide) double effect absorption chiller driven by parabolic through collector (0.53). In terms of the collecting surface area, the best systems for Milan feature 0.08 m 2  MJ −1 per day both for electric system (mono-crystalline photovoltaic coupled to water cooled chiller) and thermal system (PTC (parabolic trough collectors) coupled to double effect water-LiBr absorption chiller). Southern latitudes like Trapani (Csa climate) allow a quite better performance for thermal solar cooling solutions. The NPV (net present worths) of electric solar cooling solutions are favorable with respect to the traditional solution and the DPV (discounted payback periods) are all lower than the period of economic analysis above all for water cooled chillers. Finally a sensitivity analysis of the specific investment cost (€ MJ −1 per day) is carried out regarding the investment cost of collectors, the solar ratio and the interest rate. - Highlights: • Solar cooling is obtained with solar thermal or PV (photovoltaic) with easy available equipment. • In the past PV driven systems for solar cooling were not considered as too expensive. • An energy/economic comparison is carried out for the various solar cooling systems. • Sensitivity analyses are carried out varying different parameters

  2. Foreign direct investment and their impact on economic development countries in transition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marijana Joksimovic

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Foreign direct investment (FDI is among the key developmental factors that, along with international trade, contributes to the globalisation of the world economy and business. It is therefore necessary to ensure FDI improves economic development. Attracting investors, a favourable investment climate, and investment attractiveness compared to other countries in the region are some of the prerequisites for effective economic development of the Republic of Serbia. The authors in the paper analyse the impact of FDI on the economic development of Republic of Serbia. Based on available countries from 2012 to 2014, the paper presents a comparative view of the Republic of Serbia and the countries in the region.

  3. Comparing nuclear power with other energy sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rey, Francisco C.

    2001-01-01

    The economics of electric generation of nuclear, hydro, oil and gas origin are compared. A similar comparison is also made from the health and environment standpoint for the fossil, nuclear, solar and wind generation. A risk assessment for energies of different origin is outlined and the significance of the greenhouse effect is emphasised. A comprehensive economic and environmental evaluation is recommended for the energy planning

  4. Economic Creativity Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nasseroddin Kazemi Haghighi

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available As a new concept in the literature, the authors discuss the conception of “Economic Creativ-ity” (EC. The authors explain psychological characteristics of “Economic Creativity”: atti-tudes, motivation, personality traits, and abili-ties. They propose a design based on Emotion of Thought Theory (Kazemi, 2007 for Economic Creativity Development (ECD. This theory is an affective-cognitive approach that tries to ex-plain creativity. Emotion of Thought involves “Poyaei” and “Bitabi” (in Persian meaning Dy-namism and Restlessness. According to this theory, ECD relates to connections between emotion and thought. The ECD includes pro-moting individual readiness, utilization of eco-nomic resources, attitude towards economic af-fairs development, enhancing the utilization of economic experiences, conducting economic ac-tivity education, development of economic thinking and development of emotion of thought.

  5. Temporal trends in BMI in Argentina by socio-economic position and province-level economic development, 2005-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christine, Paul J; Diez Roux, Ana V; Wing, Jeffrey J; Alazraqui, Marcio; Spinelli, Hugo

    2015-04-01

    We investigated temporal trends in BMI, and assessed hypothesized predictors of trends including socio-economic position (SEP) and province-level economic development, in Argentina. Using multivariable linear regression, we evaluated cross-sectional patterning and temporal trends in BMI and examined heterogeneity in these associations by SEP and province-level economic development with nationally representative samples from Argentina in 2005 and 2009. We calculated mean annual changes in BMI for men and women to assess secular trends. Women, but not men, exhibited a strong cross-sectional inverse association between SEP and BMI, with the lowest-SEP women having an average BMI 2.55 kg/m(2) greater than the highest-SEP women. Analysis of trends revealed a mean annual increase in BMI of 0.19 kg/m(2) and 0.15 kg/m(2) for women and men, respectively, with slightly greater increases occurring in provinces with greater economic growth. No significant heterogeneity in trends existed by individual SEP. BMI is increasing rapidly over time in Argentina irrespective of various sociodemographic characteristics. Higher BMI remains more common in women of lower SEP compared with those of higher SEP.

  6. Institutional economics and economic organisation theory: An integrated approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slangen, L.H.G.; Loucks, L.A.; Slangen, A.H.L.

    2008-01-01

    This publication presents one of the first attempts to integrate two emerging bodies of economic research: institutional economics and organizational theory. It begins within the framework of neoclassical economics, and then extends the boundaries of this framework to offer answers to questions that

  7. Institutional economics and economic organisation theory : an integrated approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slangen, L.H.G.; Loucks, L.; Slangen, A.H.L.

    2008-01-01

    This publication presents one of the first attempts to integrate two emerging bodies of economic research: institutional economics and organizational theory. It begins within the framework of neoclassical economics, and then extends the boundaries of this framework to offer answers to questions that

  8. Behavioral Economics and Empirical Public Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hursh, Steven R.; Roma, Peter G.

    2013-01-01

    The application of economics principles to the analysis of behavior has yielded novel insights on value and choice across contexts ranging from laboratory animal research to clinical populations to national trends of global impact. Recent innovations in demand curve methods provide a credible means of quantitatively comparing qualitatively…

  9. Optimal search strategies for detecting cost and economic studies in EMBASE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haynes R Brian

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Economic evaluations in the medical literature compare competing diagnosis or treatment methods for their use of resources and their expected outcomes. The best evidence currently available from research regarding both cost and economic comparisons will continue to expand as this type of information becomes more important in today's clinical practice. Researchers and clinicians need quick, reliable ways to access this information. A key source of this type of information is large bibliographic databases such as EMBASE. The objective of this study was to develop search strategies that optimize the retrieval of health costs and economics studies from EMBASE. Methods We conducted an analytic survey, comparing hand searches of journals with retrievals from EMBASE for candidate search terms and combinations. 6 research assistants read all issues of 55 journals indexed by EMBASE for the publishing year 2000. We rated all articles using purpose and quality indicators and categorized them into clinically relevant original studies, review articles, general papers, or case reports. The original and review articles were then categorized for purpose (i.e., cost and economics and other clinical topics and depending on the purpose as 'pass' or 'fail' for methodologic rigor. Candidate search strategies were developed for economic and cost studies, then run in the 55 EMBASE journals, the retrievals being compared with the hand search data. The sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy of the search strategies were calculated. Results Combinations of search terms for detecting both cost and economic studies attained levels of 100% sensitivity with specificity levels of 92.9% and 92.3% respectively. When maximizing for both sensitivity and specificity, the combination of terms for detecting cost studies (sensitivity increased 2.2% over the single term but at a slight decrease in specificity of 0.9%. The maximized combination of terms

  10. Policy Impact on Economic Viability of Biomass Gasification Systems in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pranpreya Sriwannawit

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Indonesia is facing challenges on the lack of electricity access in rural areas and the management of agricultural waste. The utilization of waste-to-energy technology can help in mitigating these issues. The aim of this paper is to assess the economic viability of a biomass gasification system for rural electrification by investigating its competitiveness in relation to various government supports. Financial modelling is applied to calculate Net Present Value (NPV, Internal Rate of Return (IRR, and Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE. NPV and IRR results indicate that biomass gasification is an economically viable option when appropriate financial government supports exist. LCOE result indicates that biomass gasification system is already more economically competitive compared to diesel generator even without additional support but it is less competitive compared to the national electricity grid tariff. In conclusion, the biomass gasification system is an economically viable option for rural electrification in Indonesian context.

  11. Economic summary of woody biomass direct combustion and gasification alternatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-08-01

    A base case analysis indicates that acceptable rates of return on investment are possible when utilizing wood as a commercial scale boiler fuel. Principal variables include the availability of cost competitive wood fuel over the term of the loan and overall installed cost for the system. In some cases the cost of coal at the point of end use will be comparable with wood. Hardware costs will determine system economics and applicable air quality standards, or lack thereof, will play an important role. The overall economics of using wood for fuel are extremely site specific. The additional 10 percent energy tax credit greatly enhances the economics of a wood fired system, although system economics are very attractive without this tax incentive. Cost of money does not seem to drastically affect overall system economics.

  12. A comparative analysis of the effects of economic policy instruments in promoting environmentally sustainable transport

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elvik, Rune; Ramjerdi, Farideh

    2014-01-01

    ; (3) Toll schemes; (4) Reward systems giving incentives to reduce driving or change driver behaviour. The effects of these policy instruments are stated in terms of elasticities. All four economic policy instruments have negative elasticities, which means that they do promote environmentally...... sustainable transport. Long-term elasticities tend to be larger than short term elasticities. The long-term elasticities of reward systems are unknown. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

  13. Applications of a constrained mechanics methodology in economics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janova, Jitka

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents instructive interdisciplinary applications of constrained mechanics calculus in economics on a level appropriate for undergraduate physics education. The aim of the paper is (i) to meet the demand for illustrative examples suitable for presenting the background of the highly expanding research field of econophysics even at the undergraduate level and (ii) to enable the students to gain a deeper understanding of the principles and methods routinely used in mechanics by looking at the well-known methodology from the different perspective of economics. Two constrained dynamic economic problems are presented using the economic terminology in an intuitive way. First, the Phillips model of the business cycle is presented as a system of forced oscillations and the general problem of two interacting economies is solved by the nonholonomic dynamics approach. Second, the Cass-Koopmans-Ramsey model of economical growth is solved as a variational problem with a velocity-dependent constraint using the vakonomic approach. The specifics of the solution interpretation in economics compared to mechanics is discussed in detail, a discussion of the nonholonomic and vakonomic approaches to constrained problems in mechanics and economics is provided and an economic interpretation of the Lagrange multipliers (possibly surprising for the students of physics) is carefully explained. This paper can be used by the undergraduate students of physics interested in interdisciplinary physics applications to gain an understanding of the current scientific approach to economics based on a physical background, or by university teachers as an attractive supplement to classical mechanics lessons.

  14. Applications of a constrained mechanics methodology in economics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janová, Jitka

    2011-11-01

    This paper presents instructive interdisciplinary applications of constrained mechanics calculus in economics on a level appropriate for undergraduate physics education. The aim of the paper is (i) to meet the demand for illustrative examples suitable for presenting the background of the highly expanding research field of econophysics even at the undergraduate level and (ii) to enable the students to gain a deeper understanding of the principles and methods routinely used in mechanics by looking at the well-known methodology from the different perspective of economics. Two constrained dynamic economic problems are presented using the economic terminology in an intuitive way. First, the Phillips model of the business cycle is presented as a system of forced oscillations and the general problem of two interacting economies is solved by the nonholonomic dynamics approach. Second, the Cass-Koopmans-Ramsey model of economical growth is solved as a variational problem with a velocity-dependent constraint using the vakonomic approach. The specifics of the solution interpretation in economics compared to mechanics is discussed in detail, a discussion of the nonholonomic and vakonomic approaches to constrained problems in mechanics and economics is provided and an economic interpretation of the Lagrange multipliers (possibly surprising for the students of physics) is carefully explained. This paper can be used by the undergraduate students of physics interested in interdisciplinary physics applications to gain an understanding of the current scientific approach to economics based on a physical background, or by university teachers as an attractive supplement to classical mechanics lessons.

  15. Applications of a constrained mechanics methodology in economics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janova, Jitka, E-mail: janova@mendelu.cz [Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Department of Statistics and Operation Analysis, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 613 00 Brno (Czech Republic)

    2011-11-15

    This paper presents instructive interdisciplinary applications of constrained mechanics calculus in economics on a level appropriate for undergraduate physics education. The aim of the paper is (i) to meet the demand for illustrative examples suitable for presenting the background of the highly expanding research field of econophysics even at the undergraduate level and (ii) to enable the students to gain a deeper understanding of the principles and methods routinely used in mechanics by looking at the well-known methodology from the different perspective of economics. Two constrained dynamic economic problems are presented using the economic terminology in an intuitive way. First, the Phillips model of the business cycle is presented as a system of forced oscillations and the general problem of two interacting economies is solved by the nonholonomic dynamics approach. Second, the Cass-Koopmans-Ramsey model of economical growth is solved as a variational problem with a velocity-dependent constraint using the vakonomic approach. The specifics of the solution interpretation in economics compared to mechanics is discussed in detail, a discussion of the nonholonomic and vakonomic approaches to constrained problems in mechanics and economics is provided and an economic interpretation of the Lagrange multipliers (possibly surprising for the students of physics) is carefully explained. This paper can be used by the undergraduate students of physics interested in interdisciplinary physics applications to gain an understanding of the current scientific approach to economics based on a physical background, or by university teachers as an attractive supplement to classical mechanics lessons.

  16. Analysis of Behavioral Economics in Crowdsensing: A Loss Aversion Cooperation Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deng Li

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The existing incentive mechanisms of crowdsourcing construct the expected utility function based on the assumption of rational people in traditional economics. A large number of studies in behavioral economics have demonstrated the defects of the traditional utility function and introduced a new parameter called loss aversion coefficient to calculate individual utility when it suffers a loss. In this paper, combination of behavioral economics and a payment algorithm based on the loss aversion is proposed. Compared with usual incentive mechanisms, the node utility function is redefined by the loss aversion characteristic of the node. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can get a higher rate of cooperation with a lower payment price and has good scalability compared with the traditional incentive mechanism.

  17. Economic Modelling in Institutional Economic Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wadim Strielkowski

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Our paper is centered around the formation of theory of institutional modelling that includes principles and ideas reflecting the laws of societal development within the framework of institutional economic theory. We scrutinize and discuss the scientific principles of this institutional modelling that are increasingly postulated by the classics of institutional theory and find their way into the basics of the institutional economics. We propose scientific ideas concerning the new innovative approaches to institutional modelling. These ideas have been devised and developed on the basis of the results of our own original design, as well as on the formalisation and measurements of economic institutions, their functioning and evolution. Moreover, we consider the applied aspects of the institutional theory of modelling and employ them in our research for formalizing our results and maximising the practical outcome of our paper. Our results and findings might be useful for the researchers and stakeholders searching for the systematic and comprehensive description of institutional level modelling, the principles involved in this process and the main provisions of the institutional theory of economic modelling.

  18. A comparative study of the economic and social functioning of Vietnamese-Australians with low English proficiency living with psychotic illness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolk, Yvonne; Sevar, Katherine; Tran, Nga; Mancuso, Serafino G; Chopra, Prem; Castle, David

    2015-06-01

    Because national surveys of people living with psychotic disorders tend to exclude people with low English proficiency (LEP), little is known of their economic and social functioning. Culturally influenced explanatory models may result in delayed presentation and poorer functioning. The study aimed to compare the functioning of LEP Vietnamese-Australian and Australian-born patients with psychosis and to investigate the Vietnamese-Australians' pathways to care. In all, 19 LEP Vietnamese-Australians, previously excluded from the Australian Survey of High Impact Psychosis (SHIP), were matched with 15 Australian-born controls, and interviewed by a Vietnamese bilingual mental health professional using the SHIP Interview Schedule. The Vietnamese-Australian patients were significantly more likely to live with family, rate spirituality as important and participate in community rehabilitation programs. Their work, social and independent functioning, was better than the controls. The groups did not differ in mental health services received and satisfaction with services. Although half of Vietnamese-Australians attributed mental illness to supernatural, among other causes, none had consulted traditional healers. Despite LEP, Vietnamese-Australians with psychosis showed comparable or better functioning than Australian-born patients. Further investigation is recommended into LEP patients' clinical and social recovery and the role of language communities' support networks. © The Author(s) 2014.

  19. [Decision modeling for economic evaluation of health technologies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Soárez, Patrícia Coelho; Soares, Marta Oliveira; Novaes, Hillegonda Maria Dutilh

    2014-10-01

    Most economic evaluations that participate in decision-making processes for incorporation and financing of technologies of health systems use decision models to assess the costs and benefits of the compared strategies. Despite the large number of economic evaluations conducted in Brazil, there is a pressing need to conduct an in-depth methodological study of the types of decision models and their applicability in our setting. The objective of this literature review is to contribute to the knowledge and use of decision models in the national context of economic evaluations of health technologies. This article presents general definitions about models and concerns with their use; it describes the main models: decision trees, Markov chains, micro-simulation, simulation of discrete and dynamic events; it discusses the elements involved in the choice of model; and exemplifies the models addressed in national economic evaluation studies of diagnostic and therapeutic preventive technologies and health programs.

  20. Economic evaluations and Randomized trials in spinal disorders: Principles and methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Korthals-de Bos, I; Van Tulder, M; Van Dieten, H

    2004-01-01

    Study Design. Descriptive methodologic recommendations. Objective. To help researchers designing, conducting, and reporting economic evaluations in the field of back and neck pain. Summary of Background Data. Economic evaluations of both existing and new therapeutic interventions are becoming...... increasingly important. There is a need to improve the methods of economic evaluations in the field of spinal disorders. Materials and Methods. To improve the methods of economic evaluations in the field of spinal disorders, this article describes the various steps in an economic evaluation, using as example...... a study on the cost-effectiveness of manual therapy, physiotherapy, and usual care provided by the general practitioner for patients with neck pain. Results. An economic evaluation is a study in which two or more interventions are systematically compared with regard to both costs and effects...

  1. Comprehensive exergetic and economic comparison of PWR and hybrid fossil fuel-PWR power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayyaadi, Hoseyn; Sabzaligol, Tooraj

    2010-01-01

    A typical 1000 MW Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant and two similar hybrid 1000 MW PWR plants operate with natural gas and coal fired fossil fuel superheater-economizers (Hybrid PWR-Fossil fuel plants) are compared exergetically and economically. Comparison is performed based on energetic and economic features of three systems. In order to compare system at their optimum operating point, three workable base case systems including the conventional PWR, and gas and coal fired hybrid PWR-Fossil fuel power plants considered and optimized in exergetic and exergoeconomic optimization scenarios, separately. The thermodynamic modeling of three systems is performed based on energy and exergy analyses, while an economic model is developed according to the exergoeconomic analysis and Total Revenue Requirement (TRR) method. The objective functions based on exergetic and exergoeconomic analyses are developed. The exergetic and exergoeconomic optimizations are performed using the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Energetic and economic features of exergetic and exergoeconomic optimized conventional PWR and gas and coal fired Hybrid PWR-Fossil fuel power plants are compared and discussed comprehensively.

  2. Economic and disease burden of dengue in Mexico.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo A Undurraga

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Dengue imposes a substantial economic and disease burden in most tropical and subtropical countries. Dengue incidence and severity have dramatically increased in Mexico during the past decades. Having objective and comparable estimates of the economic burden of dengue is essential to inform health policy, increase disease awareness, and assess the impact of dengue prevention and control technologies.We estimated the annual economic and disease burden of dengue in Mexico for the years 2010-2011. We merged multiple data sources, including a prospective cohort study; patient interviews and macro-costing from major hospitals; surveillance, budget, and health data from the Ministry of Health; WHO cost estimates; and available literature. We conducted a probabilistic sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulations to derive 95% certainty levels (CL for our estimates. Results suggest that Mexico had about 139,000 (95%CL: 128,000-253,000 symptomatic and 119 (95%CL: 75-171 fatal dengue episodes annually on average (2010-2011, compared to an average of 30,941 symptomatic and 59 fatal dengue episodes reported. The annual cost, including surveillance and vector control, was US$170 (95%CL: 151-292 million, or $1.56 (95%CL: 1.38-2.68 per capita, comparable to other countries in the region. Of this, $87 (95%CL: 87-209 million or $0.80 per capita (95%CL: 0.62-1.12 corresponds to illness. Annual disease burden averaged 65 (95%CL: 36-99 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs per million population. Inclusion of long-term sequelae, co-morbidities, impact on tourism, and health system disruption during outbreaks would further increase estimated economic and disease burden.With this study, Mexico joins Panama, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, and Thailand as the only countries or areas worldwide with comprehensive (illness and preventive empirical estimates of dengue burden. Burden varies annually; during an outbreak, dengue burden may be significantly higher than that of

  3. Economic and disease burden of dengue in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Undurraga, Eduardo A; Betancourt-Cravioto, Miguel; Ramos-Castañeda, José; Martínez-Vega, Ruth; Méndez-Galván, Jorge; Gubler, Duane J; Guzmán, María G; Halstead, Scott B; Harris, Eva; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Tapia-Conyer, Roberto; Shepard, Donald S

    2015-03-01

    Dengue imposes a substantial economic and disease burden in most tropical and subtropical countries. Dengue incidence and severity have dramatically increased in Mexico during the past decades. Having objective and comparable estimates of the economic burden of dengue is essential to inform health policy, increase disease awareness, and assess the impact of dengue prevention and control technologies. We estimated the annual economic and disease burden of dengue in Mexico for the years 2010-2011. We merged multiple data sources, including a prospective cohort study; patient interviews and macro-costing from major hospitals; surveillance, budget, and health data from the Ministry of Health; WHO cost estimates; and available literature. We conducted a probabilistic sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulations to derive 95% certainty levels (CL) for our estimates. Results suggest that Mexico had about 139,000 (95%CL: 128,000-253,000) symptomatic and 119 (95%CL: 75-171) fatal dengue episodes annually on average (2010-2011), compared to an average of 30,941 symptomatic and 59 fatal dengue episodes reported. The annual cost, including surveillance and vector control, was US$170 (95%CL: 151-292) million, or $1.56 (95%CL: 1.38-2.68) per capita, comparable to other countries in the region. Of this, $87 (95%CL: 87-209) million or $0.80 per capita (95%CL: 0.62-1.12) corresponds to illness. Annual disease burden averaged 65 (95%CL: 36-99) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per million population. Inclusion of long-term sequelae, co-morbidities, impact on tourism, and health system disruption during outbreaks would further increase estimated economic and disease burden. With this study, Mexico joins Panama, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, and Thailand as the only countries or areas worldwide with comprehensive (illness and preventive) empirical estimates of dengue burden. Burden varies annually; during an outbreak, dengue burden may be significantly higher than that of the pre

  4. The maximum economic depth of groundwater abstraction for irrigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bierkens, M. F.; Van Beek, L. P.; de Graaf, I. E. M.; Gleeson, T. P.

    2017-12-01

    Over recent decades, groundwater has become increasingly important for agriculture. Irrigation accounts for 40% of the global food production and its importance is expected to grow further in the near future. Already, about 70% of the globally abstracted water is used for irrigation, and nearly half of that is pumped groundwater. In many irrigated areas where groundwater is the primary source of irrigation water, groundwater abstraction is larger than recharge and we see massive groundwater head decline in these areas. An important question then is: to what maximum depth can groundwater be pumped for it to be still economically recoverable? The objective of this study is therefore to create a global map of the maximum depth of economically recoverable groundwater when used for irrigation. The maximum economic depth is the maximum depth at which revenues are still larger than pumping costs or the maximum depth at which initial investments become too large compared to yearly revenues. To this end we set up a simple economic model where costs of well drilling and the energy costs of pumping, which are a function of well depth and static head depth respectively, are compared with the revenues obtained for the irrigated crops. Parameters for the cost sub-model are obtained from several US-based studies and applied to other countries based on GDP/capita as an index of labour costs. The revenue sub-model is based on gross irrigation water demand calculated with a global hydrological and water resources model, areal coverage of crop types from MIRCA2000 and FAO-based statistics on crop yield and market price. We applied our method to irrigated areas in the world overlying productive aquifers. Estimated maximum economic depths range between 50 and 500 m. Most important factors explaining the maximum economic depth are the dominant crop type in the area and whether or not initial investments in well infrastructure are limiting. In subsequent research, our estimates of

  5. ECONOMIC COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF COMBINATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON GENERATION AND SPENT ACTIVATED CARBON REGENERATION PLANTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TINNABHOP SANTADKHA

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the maximum annual profit of proposed three project plants as follows: (i a generation process of activated carbon (AC prepared from coconut shells; (ii a regeneration process of spent AC obtained from petrochemical industries; and (iii a project combined the AC generation process with the regeneration process. The maximum annual profit obtained from the sole regeneration plant was about 1.2- and 15.4- fold higher than that obtained from the integrated and the generation plants, respectively. The sensitivity of selected variables to net present value (NPV, AC sales price was the most sensitive to NPV while fixed costs of generation and regeneration, and variable cost of regeneration were the least sensitive to NPV. Based on the optimal results of each project plant, the economic indicators namely NPV, return on investment (ROI, internal rate of return (IRR, and simple payback period (SPP were determined. Applying a rule of thumb of 12% IRR and 7-year SPP, the AC sales prices for the generation, regeneration, and integrated plants were 674.31, 514.66 and 536.66 USD/ton of product, respectively. The economic analysis suggested that the sole regeneration project yields more profitable.

  6. The main issues preventing Kosovo’s economic development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Demir Lima

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This study provides an analysis of several problematic factors preventing Kosovo’s economic development. Several sectors that could have been the main pillars of economic development, such as manufacturing, energy, mines and minerals, and other economic sectors have been neglected from the development by domestic institutions or were used clandestinely by certain interest groups, whose focus was not in the development of the country but rather their personal gain. Trade remained the preferred activity throughout these years, which cannot be considered a beneficial sector for economic development, as much as manufacturing, which remains to date as Kosovo’s most underdeveloped sector. As long as Kosovo’s exports cover only 12% of total imports, no economic growth can be expected. Kosovo’s failure to attract strategic investors in years, which could open new jobs, has also contributed its lack of sufficient economic development. Thus, the most concerning issue during this period is the decline in foreign direct investments, which were expected to increase after the declaration of independence. In the lack of a long-term development strategy for certain sectors or priority activities, such as mines, energy, industry etc., there is no progress in the country's economic development. The main issue is that we should only favor those activities or identify segments where we have competitive advantages compared to other countries.

  7. Essays on Imperfect Information Processing in Economics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S.S. Ficco (Stefano)

    2007-01-01

    textabstractEconomic agents generally operate in uncertain environments and, prior to making decisions, invest time and resources to collect useful information. Consumers compare the prices charged by di..erent firms before purchasing a product. Politicians gather information from di..erent

  8. Economic Loss Caused by GMOs in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ulfbeck, Vibe Garf

    2008-01-01

    This book presents how European jurisdictions currently respond to economic losses caused by the admixture of gentically modified crops with conventional or organic crops and what alternatives there are from a comparative perspective. Country reports from most European countries are complemented ...

  9. MEZZO ECONOMICS ANALITYCAL APPROACH AS THE PROPULSIVE PART OF MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS IN TOURISM

    OpenAIRE

    Kozuharov, Saso

    2011-01-01

    Mezzo Economics covers the area between the Micro and Macro Economics and the organizational approach of the economics of the integral economic communities, which are made of microeconomic entities. Mezzo Economics represents an organizational loop between the Macro economic system and Micro Economics. Tourism industry is a typical represent of Mezzo Economics. Mezzo Economics Analytical Approach represents a compositional and methodological approach that make constitution of the basic and de...

  10. Essays on health and labor economics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hullegie, P.G.J.

    2012-01-01

    This thesis deals with a range of topics in health and labor economics. The first part examines the validity of a method that aims at improving the interpersonal comparability of self-reports in surveys. The second part is concerned with the question how the demand for medical care is related to

  11. Economic evaluation of seawater desalination by using SMART in the MENA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hyo Sung; Roh, Myung Sub

    2013-01-01

    This paper show the economic evaluation of seawater desalination in the MENA(Middle East and North Africa) by using nuclear source. Especially the evaluation of economics is performed based on comparing the SMART(System integrated Modular Advanced Reactor) developed in Korea with general Combined Cycle Gas Turbine. Taken the economic analysis together, the most important issues for economic feasibility are the management of the construction cost. SMART have a competitive when the construction cost is 3,000$/kWe. Thus plan for the management of the target construction cost will be reflected in the design process like a notion of modularity and mass production methods. Another way is the design optimization of SMART and facility of desalination in a view of the mechanical properties. In other words, it is a way to design improvements for eliminating or sharing of duplicate functions between SMART and desalination facility and maximization the efficiency of energy use. Finally, construction cost can be rationalized by reduce the construction lead time. The potential weakness of SMART is the long construction lead time as compared with alternative. Moreover considering the SMART is suitable for the country which is expected to have the most rapid economic growth in the near future, the construction lead time should be shorten. Managing these concepts to reduce the construction cost is enough to compensate for a disadvantage in power cost and water cost comparing with combined cycle

  12. Economic evaluation of seawater desalination by using SMART in the MENA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Hyo Sung; Roh, Myung Sub [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-15

    This paper show the economic evaluation of seawater desalination in the MENA(Middle East and North Africa) by using nuclear source. Especially the evaluation of economics is performed based on comparing the SMART(System integrated Modular Advanced Reactor) developed in Korea with general Combined Cycle Gas Turbine. Taken the economic analysis together, the most important issues for economic feasibility are the management of the construction cost. SMART have a competitive when the construction cost is 3,000$/kWe. Thus plan for the management of the target construction cost will be reflected in the design process like a notion of modularity and mass production methods. Another way is the design optimization of SMART and facility of desalination in a view of the mechanical properties. In other words, it is a way to design improvements for eliminating or sharing of duplicate functions between SMART and desalination facility and maximization the efficiency of energy use. Finally, construction cost can be rationalized by reduce the construction lead time. The potential weakness of SMART is the long construction lead time as compared with alternative. Moreover considering the SMART is suitable for the country which is expected to have the most rapid economic growth in the near future, the construction lead time should be shorten. Managing these concepts to reduce the construction cost is enough to compensate for a disadvantage in power cost and water cost comparing with combined cycle.

  13. Fundamental principles of conducting a surgery economic analysis study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotsis, Sandra V; Chung, Kevin C

    2010-02-01

    The use of economic evaluation in surgery is scarce. Economic evaluation is used even less so in plastic surgery, in which health-related quality of life is of particular importance. This article, part of a tutorial series on evidence-based medicine, focuses on the fundamental principles of conducting a surgery economic analysis. The authors include the essential aspects of conducting a surgical cost-utility analysis by considering perspectives, costs, outcomes, and utilities. The authors also describe and give examples of how to conduct the analyses (including calculating quality-adjusted life-years and discounting), how to interpret the results, and how to report the results. Although economic analyses are not simple to conduct, a well-conducted one provides many rewards, such as recommending the adoption of a more effective treatment. For comparing and interpreting economic analysis publications, it is important that all studies use consistent methodology and report the results in a similar manner.

  14. The economic competitiveness and emissions of battery electric vehicles in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Xin; Doering, Otto C.; Tyner, Wallace E.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We evaluate the life-cycle cost and emissions of BEVs in China. • BEVs are not economically competitive compared with ICEVs in the Chinese market. • The value of emission reductions is small compared with the subsidy on BEVs. • The CO 2 emission reduction from BEVs is relatively constant over the time. • BEVs likely will not be economically competitive in China before 2031. - Abstract: Electric vehicles (EVs) have high energy efficiency and low pollutant and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). This study examines the economic competitiveness of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the Chinese market. BEVs are compared with ICEVs using benefit-cost analyses from the perspectives of consumers, society and GHG emissions. A life-cycle cost model is developed to evaluate the lifetime cost of a vehicle. The results show that, with central government subsidies, the BEV life-cycle private cost (LCPC) is about 1.4 times higher than comparable ICEVs. Central government subsidies on BEVs will not be cost effective and efficient unless the annual external cost reduction from using BEV reaches $2500 for a compact vehicle or $3600 for a multi-purpose vehicle. That total cost level would imply a carbon cost of more than $2100 per ton. The current life-cycle external cost reductions from using BEV are around $2000–$2300, which are smaller than government subsidies or LCPC differences between BEV and ICEV. Further projections show that BEVs likely will not be economically competitive in the Chinese market before 2031

  15. Belgian guidelines for economic evaluations: second edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiry, Nancy; Neyt, Mattias; Van De Sande, Stefaan; Cleemput, Irina

    2014-12-01

    The aim of this study was to present the updated methodological guidelines for economic evaluations of healthcare interventions (drugs, medical devices, and other interventions) in Belgium. The update of the guidelines was performed by three Belgian health economists following feedback from users of the former guidelines and personal experience. The updated guidelines were discussed with a multidisciplinary team consisting of other health economists, assessors of reimbursement request files, representatives of Belgian databases and representatives of the drugs and medical devices industry. The final document was validated by three external validators that were not involved in the previous discussions. The guidelines give methodological guidance for the following components of an economic evaluation: literature review, perspective of the evaluation, definition of the target population, choice of the comparator, analytic technique and study design, calculation of costs, valuation of outcomes, definition of the time horizon, modeling, handling uncertainty and discounting. We present a reference case that can be considered as the minimal requirement for Belgian economic evaluations of health interventions. These guidelines will improve the methodological quality, transparency and uniformity of the economic evaluations performed in Belgium. The guidelines will also provide support to the researchers and assessors performing or evaluating economic evaluations.

  16. An economics figure of merit in ALPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shatilla, Y.A.

    2000-01-01

    One of the most pressing issues facing the deregulated nuclear electric power industry is its economic competitiveness when compared to other sources of electrical power. Traditionally, finding the optimum loading pattern (LP) that meets all the safety and operational objective functions and at the same time produces the most attractive economical solutions is an iterative process. This is because (a) LP search tools usually lack the capability to generate equilibrium solutions and (b) economics objective functions are hard to include in the search process. In this paper, the Westinghouse Advanced Loading Pattern Search code (ALPS) has been demonstrated to successfully find LPs that meet user-defined operational and safety as well as economics objectives. This has been made possible by the development of TULIP language that allows the integration of external procedures into the search process of the main program, ALPS. In the example given, an economic figure of merit (EFM) has been defined and included via TULIP script into the fuel management optimization problem of a three-loop Westinghouse core operating an 18-month cycle. The LPs found by ALPS exhibit a clear trend of meeting and, in some cases, exceeding the EFM objective function defined for the ALPS search process a priori

  17. Comparing the economic and health benefits of different approaches to diagnosing Clostridium difficile infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartsch, Sarah M; Umscheid, Craig A; Nachamkin, Irving; Hamilton, Keith; Lee, Bruce Y

    2015-01-01

    Accurate diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is essential to effectively managing patients and preventing transmission. Despite the availability of several diagnostic tests, the optimal strategy is debatable and their economic values are unknown. We modified our previously existing C. difficile simulation model to determine the economic value of different CDI diagnostic approaches from the hospital perspective. We evaluated four diagnostic methods for a patient suspected of having CDI: 1) toxin A/B enzyme immunoassay, 2) glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) antigen/toxin AB combined in one test, 3) nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), and 4) GDH antigen/toxin AB combination test with NAAT confirmation of indeterminate results. Sensitivity analysis varied the proportion of those tested with clinically significant diarrhoea, the probability of CDI, NAAT cost and CDI treatment delay resulting from a false-negative test, length of stay and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. The GDH/toxin AB plus NAAT approach leads to the timeliest treatment with the fewest unnecessary treatments given, resulted in the best bed management and generated the lowest cost. The NAAT-alone approach also leads to timely treatment. The GDH/toxin AB diagnostic (without NAAT confirmation) approach resulted in a large number of delayed treatments, but results in the fewest secondary colonisations. Results were robust to the sensitivity analysis. Choosing the right diagnostic approach is a matter of cost and test accuracy. GDH/toxin AB plus NAAT diagnosis led to the timeliest treatment and was the least costly. Copyright © 2014 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Economism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Simons

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Modern society is characterised not only by a fascination with scientific technology as a means of solving all problems, especially those that stand in the way of material progress (technicism, but also by an obsessive interest in everything that has to do with money (economism or mammonism. The article discusses the relationship between technicism and economism, on the basis of their relationship to utilitarian thinking: the quest for the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. Recent major studies of neo-liberalism (seen as an intensification of utilitarianism by Laval and Dardot are used as reference to the development of utilitarianism. It is suggested that the western view of the world, as expressed in economism and technicism, with a utilitarian ethics, features three absolutisations: those of theoretical thinking, technology and economics. In a second part, the article draws on the framework of reformational philosophy to suggest an approach that, in principle, is not marred by such absolutisations.

  19. Essays in renewable resource economics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erdlenbruch, K.

    2005-03-01

    This thesis constitutes a study on renewable resource economics. Chapter 2 presents two types of extracting behaviour in two optimal control models, continuous and impulse control. Chapter 3 analyses stock dependent instruments and shows their advantages. Chapter 4 compares the two types of extracting behaviour and demonstrates that the impulse control generates higher gains, whereas fiscal revenues and stocks are not always higher. Chapter 5 establishes a dynamic game and shows that the scope for cooperation between heterogeneous agents is greatest for intermediary levels of heterogeneity. Chapter 6 studies forest exploitation and fiscal- and regulatory systems of the forest sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in France. Finally, chapter 7 presents a study on forest biodiversity and indicates the economic criteria and cutting strategies that are beneficial for biodiversity preservation. (author)

  20. Economic evaluation of an intensive group training protocol compared with usual care physiotherapy in patients with chronic low back pain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Roer, Nicole; van Tulder, Maurits; van Mechelen, Willem; de Vet, Henrica

    2008-02-15

    Economic evaluation from a societal perspective conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of 52 weeks. To evaluate the cost effectiveness and cost utility of an intensive group training protocol compared with usual care physiotherapy in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain. The intensive group training protocol combines exercise therapy, back school, and behavioral principles. Two studies found a significant reduction in absenteeism for a graded activity program in occupational health care. This program has not yet been evaluated in a primary care physiotherapy setting. Participating physical therapists in primary care recruited 114 patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Eligible patients were randomized to either the protocol group or the guideline group. Outcome measures included functional status (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire), pain intensity (11-point numerical rating scale), general perceived effect and quality of life (EuroQol-5D). Cost data were measured with cost diaries and included direct and indirect costs related to low back pain. After 52 weeks, the direct health care costs were significantly higher for patients in the protocol group, largely due to the costs of the intervention. The mean difference in total costs amounted to [Euro sign] 233 (95% confidence interval: [Euro sign] -2.185; [Euro sign] 2.764). The cost-effectiveness planes indicated no significant differences in cost effectiveness between the 2 groups. The results of this economic evaluation showed no difference in total costs between the protocol group and the guideline group. The differences in effects were small and not statistically significant. At present, national implementation of the protocol is not recommended.

  1. EU Enlargement between Economic and Political Criteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romeo-Victor Ionescu

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper answers at two important questions: Is the EU able to support new adhering processes? and Is the Euro area able to enlarge in 2014? The comparative analysis in the paper covers four economic competitors: EU, USA, China and Japan, and is based on GDP growth rate, unemployment and inflation rates. The second part of the paper deals with an economic forecast during 2015-2016, focused on EU27, Euro area, Croatia and Latvia, in order to discuss the effects of the adhering to EU and Euro area. The results of the two-level analysis are supported by pertinent diagrams and annexes. The analysis uses a neutral statistical database – Eurostat – and dedicated forecast software. The main conclusion of the paper is that the adhering processes from 2013 and 2014 are based on economic and political criteria.

  2. SUCEAVA CITY AND ITS NEW ECONOMIC COORDONATES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ionela Corina CHIRILEASA (DEDIȚĂ

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In the context of the market economy, Suceava, urban development pole of the North-Eastern Region, defines more clearly its social–economic coordinates that tend to enroll it. If the commercial function led to the acquisition of an urban state and to the future development of the city until the interwar period, the 5th- 9th decades of the 20thcentury induce significant functional changes in the evolution of Suceava as an urban center. Nowadays, after a period of economic transition, marked by the radical industrial restructuring, Suceava defines more clearly the role of the urban center for services, which exerts a powerful attraction on its influence area. This article intends to analyze the socio-economic functional changes that mark Suceava nowadays compared to previous periods and to identify the factors responsible for generating this change.

  3. Il vichismo economico (Vico, Galiani, Croce-Economia, liberalismo economico (Economic Vichism (Vico, Galiani, Croce – economics, economic liberalism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. TAGLIACOZZO

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available As every reader of Giambattista Vico’s New Science knows, the book contains a section on “poetic economy” - the economy of the “age of heroes”. This was the first study of such a topic ever conceived. Vico also dealt with some socio-economic problems of later stages of social evolution. In none of his works, however, did he pay specific attention to problems of economics stricto sensu. The present work provides a study of the set of direct and indirect inferences that can be drawn from the principles of the New Science in the economic field - what we might call “Economic Vichism” - and the relationship or analogy, if any, of “Economic Vichism” to later economic theories or viewpoints, and its place in the history of economics.JEL: B11, B31

  4. NEW INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING AND IMPROVING AGRARIAN ORGANIZATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Bachev

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available We incorporate interdisciplinary New Institutional and Transaction Costs Economics and suggest a framework for assessing efficiency of farms and agrarian organizations. Our new approach includes: study of farm and agrarian organizations as governing rather than production structure; assessment of comparative efficiency of alternative market, contract, internal, and hybrid modes of governance; analysis of level of transaction costs and their institutional, behavioral, dimensional, technological and natural factors; determination of criteria of farm efficiency and its effective boundaries; specification of economic role of government and needs for public interventions in agrarian sector; assessment of comparative efficiency of alternative forms of public involvement.

  5. Economic Equilibrium and Soviet Economic Reform

    OpenAIRE

    Herbert E. Scarf

    1991-01-01

    The paper, prepared for a Roundtable on Major Economic Problems in the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., discusses some aspects of price theory ñ in particular, the theory of general equilibrium -ñ which may offer some theoretical insights about the economic problems to be encountered during the transition from Socialism to private markets in the Soviet Union.

  6. .Compar~ive Economic Advantage Analysis of Ahernative

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Domestic Resource Cosf (DRC) ratio den'vedfrom the. Policy. ... ology was also used to evaluate effects ofpolicy in the production and trade patterns usi1/g Nominal ... Given these results, effective measures toalleviate ... wnereas the major export crops are cotton, cof- ..... curred per unit of foreign exchange earned or.

  7. Eurasian Economic Union: A Regional Economic Hegemony Initiative

    OpenAIRE

    Serdar YILMAZ

    2017-01-01

    It can be assumed that international relations terminology has not mentioned enough about the significance of the Eurasian Economic Union in territorial as well as in economic terms during a period of growing geopolitical risks and high interdependence between the member countries and the rest. According to Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev, it is truly difficult for states to overcome economic, political and security issues and therefore, states need to act together against the pro...

  8. Informal sector, business environment and economic growth: A ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2012-12-01

    Informal sector, business environment and economic growth: A comparative analysis of West and Central Africa ... taxes, which undermines fair competition and puts formal enterprises at a disadvantage. ... Start Date. December 1, 2012 ...

  9. Economic Inequality in Presenting Vision in Shahroud, Iran: Two Decomposition Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asieh Mansouri

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background Visual acuity, like many other health-related problems, does not have an equal distribution in terms of socio-economic factors. We conducted this study to estimate and decompose economic inequality in presenting visual acuity using two methods and to compare their results in a population aged 40-64 years in Shahroud, Iran. Methods: The data of 5188 participants in the first phase of the Shahroud Cohort Eye Study, performed in 2009, were used for this study. Our outcome variable was presenting vision acuity (PVA that was measured using LogMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution. The living standard variable used for estimation of inequality was the economic status and was constructed by principal component analysis on home assets. Inequality indices were concentration index and the gap between low and high economic groups. We decomposed these indices by the concentration index and BlinderOaxaca decomposition approaches respectively and compared the results. Results The concentration index of PVA was -0.245 (95% CI: -0.278, -0.212. The PVA gap between groups with a high and low economic status was 0.0705 and was in favor of the high economic group. Education, economic status, and age were the most important contributors of inequality in both concentration index and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. Percent contribution of these three factors in the concentration index and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition was 41.1% vs. 43.4%, 25.4% vs. 19.1% and 15.2% vs. 16.2%, respectively. Other factors including gender, marital status, employment status and diabetes had minor contributions. Conclusion This study showed that individuals with poorer visual acuity were more concentrated among people with a lower economic status. The main contributors of this inequality were similar in concentration index and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. So, it can be concluded that setting appropriate interventions to promote the literacy and income level in people

  10. FBI fingerprint identification automation study. AIDS 3 evaluation report. Volume 4: Economic feasibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulhall, B. D. L.

    1980-01-01

    The results of the economic analysis of the AIDS 3 system design are presented. AIDS 3 evaluated a set of economic feasibility measures including life cycle cost, implementation cost, annual operating expenditures and annual capital expenditures. The economic feasibility of AIDS 3 was determined by comparing the evaluated measures with the same measures, where applicable, evaluated for the current system. A set of future work load scenarios was constructed using JPL's environmental evaluation study of the fingerprint identification system. AIDS 3 and the current system were evaluated for each of the economic feasibility measures for each of the work load scenarios. They were compared for a set of performance measures, including response time and accuracy, and for a set of cost/benefit ratios, including cost per transaction and cost per technical search. Benefit measures related to the economic feasibility of the system are also presented, including the required number of employees and the required employee skill mix.

  11. THE COMPARATIVE ECONOMIC-MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF EFFICIENCY OF APPLICATION ON THE ACW OF THE ULTRALIGHT X-32 "BEKAS" PLANE AND THE MOTOR HANG-GLIDER MD-50S

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article the comparative economic-mathematical analysis of size of profit per a flight hour on use at the avia- tion-chemical works (ACW of two types of super light aircraft X-32 “Bekas” and a glider MD-50S which are widely used when cultivating farmland nowadays. The list of indicators which are used while carrying out the comparative technical and economic analysis of considered ultralights is given at the beginning of the article. Further their numerical values nec- essary for computations are given. The mathematical formula for calculation with use of the given data of profit on carrying out ACW with use of the considered models of the aircraft equipment is presented. Values of profit are calculated by means of the tabular Microsoft Excel editor for various values of cultivated farmland length and distance of approach from airfield to the cultivated plot. The applied values of cultivated farmland length lie in the range from 0.5 to 10 kilometers, and ap-proach distances vary from 0.5 to 2 kilometers respectively. Calculations are executed for each of two compared ultralights and results are given in a tabular form respectively. On the basis of the analysis of the obtained tabular data conclusions are drawn under what values of input and variables in the form of farmland length and distance of approach profit margin for each of two ultralights will be larger or smaller in comparison with each other. In the final part of article total conclusions about the most preferable ultralight of two compared for operation in fields of various configuration during ACW are drawn. At the end recommendations to the aviation enterprises about application of the most expedient option of ultralight for obtaining bigger profit margin on carrying out ACW.

  12. Economic analysis of process steam and electricity generation by a 200 MW NHR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Li; Wang Yongqing

    2000-01-01

    New applications for low temperature nuclear heating reactors should be developed using economic analysis. This paper compares and analyzes the economics of the generation 1.5 MPa process steam and electricity by a 200 MW nuclear heating reactor (NHR-200) for industrial development. The project is very attractive economically with an internal rate of return of 19.61%, a net present worth (discount rate 10%) of 765 million yuan RMB and a capital recovery or payback period of about 5 years after construction is completed. Compared with only using the NHR-200 for in winter heating, the economic of process steam and electricity generation by NHR-200 are much better. In addition, the NHR-200 will significantly improve environmental pollution in cities and reduce the transport of coal from north to south in China

  13. An Economics-Based Second Law Efficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John H. Lienhard

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Second Law efficiency is a useful parameter for characterizing the energy requirements of a system in relation to the limits of performance prescribed by the Laws of Thermodynamics. However, since energy costs typically represent less than 50% of the overall cost of product for many large-scale plants (and, in particular, for desalination plants, it is useful to have a parameter that can characterize both energetic and economic effects. In this paper, an economics-based Second Law efficiency is defined by analogy to the exergetic Second Law efficiency and is applied to several desalination systems. It is defined as the ratio of the minimum cost of producing a product divided by the actual cost of production. The minimum cost of producing the product is equal to the cost of the primary source of energy times the minimum amount of energy required, as governed by the Second Law. The analogy is used to show that thermodynamic irreversibilities can be assigned costs and compared directly to non-energetic costs, such as capital expenses, labor and other operating costs. The economics-based Second Law efficiency identifies costly sources of irreversibility and places these irreversibilities in context with the overall system costs. These principles are illustrated through three case studies. First, a simple analysis of multistage flash and multiple effect distillation systems is performed using available data. Second, a complete energetic and economic model of a reverse osmosis plant is developed to show how economic costs are influenced by energetics. Third, a complete energetic and economic model of a solar powered direct contact membrane distillation system is developed to illustrate the true costs associated with so-called free energy sources.

  14. The second generation of ecological economics: How far has the apple fallen from the tree?

    OpenAIRE

    Plumecocq , Gaël

    2014-01-01

    International audience; This paper examines the discourse produced in the academic journal Ecological Economics from its inception in 1989, and compares this discourse with that of the field of environmental economics. I used methods for discourse analysis (Alceste and Iramuteq) on 6,308 abstracts of papers published in four journals – namely Ecological Economics, the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Environmental Values, and Environmental and Resource Economics, published b...

  15. Techno-economic analysis of bioenergy systems; Bioenergiasysteemien teknistaloudellinen analyysi. IEA Bioenergy Agreement Techno-economic Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solantausta, Y.

    1995-12-31

    The objectives of the IEA Bioenergy Technoeconomic Analysis Activity are: To promote development of thermochemical biomass conversion methods by carrying out selected site specific feasibility studies in participating countries. Both agricultural and woody biomasses will be converted either into electricity or boiler fuels. To compare advanced technologies to commercial alternatives based on techno-economic basis to establish future development needs. To facilitate information exchange between participants on relevant basic process issues. Five countries (Finland, Canada, USA, Norway, Austria) are participating to the Activity. Initially two feasibility studies are planned for each country. Each study has three common elements: site specific, technical, and economic data. The site specific cases are described below in short. Products in the cases are electricity, heat and fuel oil. Total of two cases per country are planned

  16. Techno-economic analysis of bioenergy systems; Bioenergiasysteemien teknistaloudellinen analyysi. IEA Bioenergy Agreement Techno-economic Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solantausta, Y

    1996-12-31

    The objectives of the IEA Bioenergy Technoeconomic Analysis Activity are: To promote development of thermochemical biomass conversion methods by carrying out selected site specific feasibility studies in participating countries. Both agricultural and woody biomasses will be converted either into electricity or boiler fuels. To compare advanced technologies to commercial alternatives based on techno-economic basis to establish future development needs. To facilitate information exchange between participants on relevant basic process issues. Five countries (Finland, Canada, USA, Norway, Austria) are participating to the Activity. Initially two feasibility studies are planned for each country. Each study has three common elements: site specific, technical, and economic data. The site specific cases are described below in short. Products in the cases are electricity, heat and fuel oil. Total of two cases per country are planned

  17. How robust is the relationship between economic freedom and economic growth?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sturm, JE; De Haan, J

    Using various indicators for economic freedom, it is shown that increases in economic freedom are robustly related to economic growth. This conclusion holds even if the impact of outlying observations is taken into account. The level of economic freedom is not related to growth.

  18. The economics of heat mining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tester, J.W.; Herzog, H.J.

    1991-01-01

    A generalized economic model was developed to predict the break-even price of HDR generated electricity. Important parameters include: resource quality-average geothermal gradient (degrees C/km) and well depth, reservoir performance-effective productivity, flow, impedance, and lifetime (thermal drawdown rate), cost components-drilling, reservoir formation, and power plant costs, and economic factors-discount and interest rates, taxes, etc. Detailed cost correlations based on historical data and results of other studies are presented for drilling, stimulation, and power plant costs. Under a reasonable set of assumptions regarding reservoir impedance, accessible rock volumes and surface areas, and mass flow rates (to limit thermal drawdown rates to about 10 degrees C per year), predictions for HDR-produced electricity from a 50 MW e U.S.-based power plant result in competitive break-even prices in the range of 5 to 9 cents/kWh e (constant 1989 $) for resources having average gradients above 50 degrees C/km. Lower gradient areas require improved reservoir performance and/or lower well drilling costs. In this paper, these generalized model results are compared to the results of several published economic assessments

  19. SOCIAL-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF CYBERCRIME

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aleksandar Ilievski

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to highlight the main issues of developing countries regarding cybercrime and examine the possible link between weak economic development and escalating levels of cybercrime. The findings were established on the basis of literature review, comparative studies and the synthesis of findings. The existing sociological theories of crime are not limited to traditional crime and may be used for the interpretation of its cyber version. By analysing individual sociological theories and the results of empirical research, we found that social-economic factors, such as GDP per capita, unemployment and education, are closely related to the incidence of cybercrime in different countries. This enables us to conclude that the relatively poor economic development is one of the reasons contributing to a higher incidence of cybercrime in Eastern European countries. By taking into account factors of different nature, one could increase the understanding of cybercrime and the possibility of adopting and implementing reliable preventive measures. However, this paper strives not only to understand the factors related to cybercrime, but also to raise awareness, stimulate a proactive approach and develop preventive actions in the fight against cybercrime.

  20. Economic crisis and nursing in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zabalegui, Adelaida; Cabrera, Esther

    2010-07-01

    The purpose of the present study is to describe the economic context in Spain and its impact on the health care sector and in nursing schools. The global economic crisis is affecting nursing in Spain. This study analyses and compares indicators related to health care and nursing schools among European countries. Some new strategies to cope with the challenges arising from the health care crisis are suggested. Health care costs are increasing as a result of the ageing of the Spanish population, immigration, chronicity of health problems and new medical technology. Nursing education has changed in 2010 from a 3-year diploma programme to a 4-year University degree in Nursing. This change requires new resources involving staff, facilities and equipment, all of which are lacking because of the economic crisis in Spain. The worldwide economic crisis has affected Spain more than it has other European Union (EU) countries. This global crisis has an impact on the health care sector as well on nursing schools. It is essential for nursing management to develop creative approaches to maintain cost effective patient care. New programmes and technology must be carefully evaluated in terms of cost effectiveness before being implemented. All health care professionals should be well informed and have a solid understanding of this situation.

  1. Evacuated Airship for Mars Missions

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose to overcome some of the limitations of current technologies for Mars exploration and even extend current operational capabilities by introducing the...

  2. Benchmarking of nuclear economics tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, Megan; Korinny, Andriy; Shropshire, David; Sadhankar, Ramesh

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • INPRO and GIF economic tools exhibited good alignment in total capital cost estimation. • Subtle discrepancies in the cost result from differences in financing and the fuel cycle assumptions. • A common set of assumptions was found to reduce the discrepancies to 1% or less. • Opportunities for harmonisation of economic tools exists. - Abstract: Benchmarking of the economics methodologies developed by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), was performed for three Generation IV nuclear energy systems. The Economic Modeling Working Group of GIF developed an Excel based spreadsheet package, G4ECONS (Generation 4 Excel-based Calculation Of Nuclear Systems), to calculate the total capital investment cost (TCIC) and the levelised unit energy cost (LUEC). G4ECONS is sufficiently generic in the sense that it can accept the types of projected input, performance and cost data that are expected to become available for Generation IV systems through various development phases and that it can model both open and closed fuel cycles. The Nuclear Energy System Assessment (NESA) Economic Support Tool (NEST) was developed to enable an economic analysis using the INPRO methodology to easily calculate outputs including the TCIC, LUEC and other financial figures of merit including internal rate of return, return of investment and net present value. NEST is also Excel based and can be used to evaluate nuclear reactor systems using the open fuel cycle, MOX (mixed oxide) fuel recycling and closed cycles. A Super Critical Water-cooled Reactor system with an open fuel cycle and two Fast Reactor systems, one with a break-even fuel cycle and another with a burner fuel cycle, were selected for the benchmarking exercise. Published data on capital and operating costs were used for economics analyses using G4ECONS and NEST tools. Both G4ECONS and

  3. QUALITY OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH: FACTORS AND DETERMINANTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolaj I. Komkov

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The subject / topic: TThe theme of this article is very relevant in the light of changes in the global geo-economic structure and changing the role and place ofRussiain world economic and geopolitical relations. The article deals with the basic aspects of national economic growth, which slowed down in the last three years. The main reason for slowing national economic growth is associated with the depletion of the reserves of the traditional export-oriented development of the Russian economy, as well as problems with sluggish innovative transformation. In this paper, based on a systematic analysis of economic processes and the interpretation of analytical data, addresses the general theoretical and methodological aspects of the quality of economic development, as well as practical guidelines and recommendations related to sustainable national socio-economic development in the context of external constraints.The purpose / objectives: The aim of the article is to analyze the theoretical and methodological aspects of the quality of economic development of the Russian economy, which happened in the face of economic sanctions. Objectives of the article: justify practical directions and recommendations related to sustainable national socio-economic development in the context of external constraints, determine the prospects for the economy of theRussian Federationin the conditions of the introduction of sectoral sanctions by Western countries. Methodology:Methodological basis of this article are the comparative and economic-statistical methods of analysis.The Results: The study revealed that the harsh environment (sanctions, depreciation of the ruble, and others. Require surgical intervention and adjustments not only the current socio-economic plans, but also to take urgent measures to ensure the development prospects. The most important decision is the degree of support advanced scientific and technical programs and the creation of new domestic

  4. Plural economics and territorial development from the perspective of sustainable development: theoretical elements of an economic sociology and a socio-economics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benoît Lévesque

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available This text focuses on the contribution that the concept of plural economics is able to make today toward the advancement of research on the viability of territorial dynamics for sustainable development. The first part of our line of argumentation is centered on clarifying the concept of plural economics, based on studies on economic and social solidarity and on proposals emerging from the New Economic Sociology and the socio-economics of territories. In the second part, the concept of sustainable development is characterized from the angle of the so-called societal paradigm and its interactions with territory and with a plural and social economics. Aligned with the critique of the premises of neo-classical economics, the author accepts the need to re-connect the economy to a broader social and ecological perspective and to seek more effective answers to the challenges raised by the planetary socio-environmental crisis.. Keywords: Sustainable territorial development, plural economics, New Economic Sociology, economics of solidarity, ecological economics.

  5. ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AND TURKEY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bestenigar KARA

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The topic of article is bilateral economical and foreign trade relations between Turkey, which has started to apply outward-oriented economic policies since globalization and Moldova, which has done market transition after breaking up with the Soviet Union. Within this frame, the subject of article has been searched in depth as follows: general overview of Turkey’s economic relations, overall picture of Moldovan-Turkish relations, short exposition of Moldovan economy and bilateral economic and foreign trade relations of Moldova and Turkey. The topic of article is a current issue. Because Moldova, which is closed to Turkey in terms of geography, culture and history always has been an attractive country politico-economically for Turkey since its independence. Bilateral economic relations starting with shuttle trade have formalized and further developed and Turkey became as one of top ten biggest economic and trade partner of Moldova. On this basis, the aim of study is to elucidate foreign trade of Turkey with Moldova and to compare performances of Turkey by years and by other countries, which have remarkable domination in Moldovan market. Within this scope, bilateral trade volume of Moldova and Turkey has increased year by year considering the past decade, which makes Turkey as the 7th largest import and 8th export partner of Moldova. Turkey aims to be one of the first three biggest economic partner of Moldova after entry into force of Free Trade Agreement (FTA, which was signed by both countries in 2014 to increase foreign trade volume up to 1 billion US dollars.

  6. Nutrition economics - characterising the economic and health impact of nutrition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenoir-Wijnkoop, I; Dapoigny, M; Dubois, D; van Ganse, E; Gutiérrez-Ibarluzea, I; Hutton, J; Jones, P; Mittendorf, T; Poley, M J; Salminen, S; Nuijten, M J C

    2011-01-01

    There is a new merging of health economics and nutrition disciplines to assess the impact of diet on health and disease prevention and to characterise the health and economic aspects of specific changes in nutritional behaviour and nutrition recommendations. A rationale exists for developing the field of nutrition economics which could offer a better understanding of both nutrition, in the context of having a significant influence on health outcomes, and economics, in order to estimate the absolute and relative monetary impact of health measures. For this purpose, an expert meeting assessed questions aimed at clarifying the scope and identifying the key issues that should be taken into consideration in developing nutrition economics as a discipline that could potentially address important questions. We propose a first multidisciplinary outline for understanding the principles and particular characteristics of this emerging field. We summarise here the concepts and the observations of workshop participants and propose a basic setting for nutrition economics and health outcomes research as a novel discipline to support nutrition, health economics and health policy development in an evidence and health-benefit-based manner.

  7. Economic conditions and suicide rates in New York City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nandi, Arijit; Prescott, Marta R; Cerdá, Magdalena; Vlahov, David; Tardiff, Kenneth J; Galea, Sandro

    2012-03-15

    Extant analyses of the relation between economic conditions and population health were often based on annualized data and were susceptible to confounding by nonlinear time trends. In the present study, the authors used generalized additive models with nonparametric smoothing splines to examine the association between economic conditions, including levels of economic activity in New York State and the degree of volatility in the New York Stock Exchange, and monthly rates of death by suicide in New York City. The rate of suicide declined linearly from 8.1 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 4.8 per 100,000 people in 1999 and then remained stable from 1999 to 2006. In a generalized additive model in which the authors accounted for long-term and seasonal time trends, there was a negative association between monthly levels of economic activity and rates of suicide; the predicted rate of suicide was 0.12 per 100,000 persons lower when economic activity was at its peak compared with when it was at its nadir. The relation between economic activity and suicide differed by race/ethnicity and sex. Stock market volatility was not associated with suicide rates. Further work is needed to elucidate pathways that link economic conditions and suicide.

  8. Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palley, Paul D; Parcero, Miriam E

    2016-10-01

    A review of literature in the calendar year 2015 dedicated to environmental policies and sustainable development, and economic policies. This review is divided into these sections: sustainable development, irrigation, ecosystems and water management, climate change and disaster risk management, economic growth, water supply policies, water consumption, water price regulation, and water price valuation.

  9. THORP and the economics of reprocessing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berkhout, F.; Walker, W.

    1990-11-01

    This Report compares the costs of reprocessing spent fuels at the new THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield with the alternative of storing them prior to final disposal. It finds that even when the cost of constructing THORP is treated as a sunk cost, reprocessing has no decisive economic advantage over spent fuel storage. Electric utilities in Western Europe and Japan have already largely paid for the construction of the new British and French reprocessing plants. Today, their economic judgements therefore depend on the future costs of operating and eventually decommissioning the plants, and of dealing with the resulting wastes and separated products. The costs attached to reprocessing have risen mainly due to the higher estimated costs of waste management and decommissioning, and to the costs of coping with unwanted plutonium. Most of these costs are passed directly on to utilities and thus electricity consumers under the terms of cost-plus contracts. Using cost estimates favourable to the reprocessing option, the total future undiscounted liabilities arising from the first ten years of THORP reprocessing come to Pound 2.4-3.7 billion at today's prices. This compares with the more predictable although still burdensome fuel storage, conditioning and disposal costs of Pound 3.0-3.8 billion. If disposal is not anticipated, the economic advantage shifts decisively in favour of spent fuel storage: Pound 0.9-1.3 billion against Pound 1.4-2.4 billion for reprocessing. (author)

  10. The health economics of cholera: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsiao, Amber; Hall, Angela H; Mogasale, Vittal; Quentin, Wilm

    2018-06-12

    Vibrio cholera is a major contributor of diarrheal illness that causes significant morbidity and mortality globally. While there is literature on the health economics of diarrheal illnesses more generally, few studies have quantified the cost-of-illness and cost-effectiveness of cholera-specific prevention and control interventions. The present systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of the literature specific to cholera as it pertains to key health economic measures. A systematic review was performed with no date restrictions up through February 2017 in PubMed, Econlit, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Review to identify relevant health economics of cholera literature. After removing duplicates, a total of 1993 studies were screened and coded independently by two reviewers, resulting in 22 relevant studies. Data on population, methods, and results (cost-of-illness and cost-effectiveness of vaccination) were compared by country/region. All costs were adjusted to 2017 USD for comparability. Costs per cholera case were found to be rather low: $1000/case. There is adequate evidence to support the economic value of vaccination for the prevention and control of cholera when vaccination is targeted at high-incidence populations and/or areas with high case fatality rates due to cholera. When herd immunity is considered, vaccination also becomes a cost-effective option for the general population and is comparable in cost-effectiveness to other routine immunizations. Cholera vaccination is a viable short-to-medium term option, especially as the upfront costs of building water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure are considerably higher for countries that face a significant burden of cholera. While WASH may be the more cost-effective solution in the long-term when implemented properly, cholera vaccination can still be a feasible, cost-effective strategy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. How Many Cases? Assessing the Comparability of EU Judicial Datasets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    E.A. Ontanu (Elena); M Velicogna (Marco); F. Contini (Francesco)

    2017-01-01

    markdownabstractEfficiency is often considered a key component of any effective justice system, and a crucial drive for economic growth. A growing body of comparative studies explores how judicial reforms leading to a greater efficiency or effectiveness are positively correlated with economic growth

  12. Analisis Kritis dan Pragmatis Caring Economics sebagai Paradigma baru Kajian Ekonomi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mit Witjaksono

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This article critically and pragmatically analyze and expose the concept and basic principles of caring economics as a new paradigm of economics as opposed to neo-liberal economics and its implications to economic education in Indonesia. The analysis and exposition based on unobtrusive research techniques, i.e. comparative content analysis and historical notes among references used here and in the context of Pancasila and UUD 1945. The implications of the study in this article are formulated into three key recommendations: (a the need to review and operational translation of Articles 33 and 34 of the UUD 1945 (Amendment IV, 2002; (b the need to review the curriculum, learning approaches and tools, and practices of learning economics in schools in order that caring economic becoming educational character of the national economy; and (c the need to campaign of introduction to paradigm and practice of caring economics in the universities, both as an academic study or studies the development of teaching-learning models based on caring economics, through collaboration of higher education, school, community and local government.

  13. Economic aspects of thermal treatment of solid waste in a sustainable WM system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Massarutto, Antonio

    2015-03-15

    Highlights: • Provides a comprehensive review of the applied economic literature dedicated to WtE. • Offers a detailed discussion of the main assumptions that characterize alternative positions. • Highlights the most robust achievements obtained by the applied economic research in this field. • Compares economic and non-economic valuation techniques. - Abstract: This paper offers a systematic review of the literature of the last 15 years, which applies economic analysis and theories to the issue of combustion of solid waste. Waste incineration has attracted the interest of economists in the first place concerning the comparative assessment of waste management options, with particular reference to external costs and benefits. A second important field of applied economic research concerns the market failures associated with the provision of thermal treatment of waste, that justify some deviation from the standard competitive market model. Our analysis discusses the most robust achievements and the more controversial areas. All in all, the economic perspective seems to confirm the desirability of assigning a prominent role to thermal treatments in an integrated waste management strategy. Probably the most interesting original contribution it has to offer concerns the refusal of categorical assumptions and too rigid priority ladders, emphasizing instead the need to consider site-specific circumstances that may favor one or another solution.

  14. Economic aspects of thermal treatment of solid waste in a sustainable WM system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Massarutto, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Provides a comprehensive review of the applied economic literature dedicated to WtE. • Offers a detailed discussion of the main assumptions that characterize alternative positions. • Highlights the most robust achievements obtained by the applied economic research in this field. • Compares economic and non-economic valuation techniques. - Abstract: This paper offers a systematic review of the literature of the last 15 years, which applies economic analysis and theories to the issue of combustion of solid waste. Waste incineration has attracted the interest of economists in the first place concerning the comparative assessment of waste management options, with particular reference to external costs and benefits. A second important field of applied economic research concerns the market failures associated with the provision of thermal treatment of waste, that justify some deviation from the standard competitive market model. Our analysis discusses the most robust achievements and the more controversial areas. All in all, the economic perspective seems to confirm the desirability of assigning a prominent role to thermal treatments in an integrated waste management strategy. Probably the most interesting original contribution it has to offer concerns the refusal of categorical assumptions and too rigid priority ladders, emphasizing instead the need to consider site-specific circumstances that may favor one or another solution

  15. Nuclear power economic database

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding Xiaoming; Li Lin; Zhao Shiping

    1996-01-01

    Nuclear power economic database (NPEDB), based on ORACLE V6.0, consists of three parts, i.e., economic data base of nuclear power station, economic data base of nuclear fuel cycle and economic database of nuclear power planning and nuclear environment. Economic database of nuclear power station includes data of general economics, technique, capital cost and benefit, etc. Economic database of nuclear fuel cycle includes data of technique and nuclear fuel price. Economic database of nuclear power planning and nuclear environment includes data of energy history, forecast, energy balance, electric power and energy facilities

  16. Economic reasons for not wanting a second child: Changes before and after the onset of the economic recession in Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca Fiori

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: This study aims to understand changes in the fertility intentions of mothers residing in Italy before and after the onset of the economic recession. It focuses particularly on mothers with one child - a group whose intentions changed over the period - and especially on those who, before and after the economic crisis of 2007-2008, cite economic reasons for intending not to have a second child. Methods: The analysis uses data from the ISTAT sample survey on births and mothers and fits logistic regressions (for 2002 and 2012, with economic vs. other reasons for intending not to have a second child as the dependent variable, in order to compare the associated sociodemographic profiles of mothers for the two years. Results: In Italy, between 2002 and 2012, the fertility intentions of mothers with one child changed. The proportion intending to 'stop at one' increased, with more mothers giving economic constraints rather than personal preferences as their main reason for intending not to have another child. Moreover, socioeconomic differences among primiparous mothers reporting economic constraints as their main reason for intending not to have a second child narrowed, whereas age differences became more pronounced. Contribution: The study is one of the few that has examined the reasons behind fertility intentions, especially those of mothers intending not to have a second child. It shows that one important impact of the economic recession in Italy is that a greater proportion of primiparous mothers are now abandoning the two-child norm in response to adverse economic circumstances. As a consequence, Italy is likely to remain a low-fertility country for some time to come.

  17. Economic Darwinism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sloth, Birgitte; Whitta-Jacobsen, Hans Jørgen

    2011-01-01

    We define an evolutionary process of "economic Darwinism" for playing the field, symmetric games. The process captures two forces. One is "economic selection": if current behavior leads to payoff differences, behavior yielding lowest payoff has strictly positive probability of being replaced...... in the literature. Using this result, we demonstrate that generally under positive (negative) externalities, economic Darwinism implies even more under- (over-)activity than does Nash equilibrium....

  18. Qualitative Economics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fast, Michael; Clark, Woodrow

    2012-01-01

    the everyday economic life is the central issue and is discussed from the perspective of interactionism. It is a perspective developed from the Lifeworld philosophical traditions, such as symbolic interactionism and phenomenology, seeking to develop the thinking of economics. The argument is that economics...... and the process of thinking, e.g. the ontology and the epistemology. Keywords: qualitative, interaction, process, organizing, thinking, perspective, epistemology....

  19. Comparative economic assessment of the energy performance of air-conditioning within the Mexican residential sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan Oropeza-Perez

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This work shows a sensitivity analysis of the economic impact of different energy performances of air-conditioning within the Mexican housing sector. For this purpose, a cooling-load calculator program in function of the indoor temperature is developed. The program also calculates the electricity consumption along with the expenditure with the different residential rates of the Mexican Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE, initials in Spanish set according to the season of the year and zone of the country. After the results onto the national-scale scenario are validated with the literature, a sensitivity analysis is carried out by changing three parameters that are considered as influential on the consumption and which can be considered as energy saving strategies. With these strategies, it is found that the indoor temperature decrease due to the use of a passive cooling system is the most important characteristic to take into account followed by the coefficient of performance (COP of the air-conditioning and the increase of the comfort temperature set-point, respectively. Thereby, an economic analysis is carried out, finding an annual saving up to 770 USD within a single air-conditioned dwelling having a payback period of 3 years for using a combination of passive cooling techniques and increasing the comfort temperature set-point; or a 2 years payback period if the air-conditioning is changed by a high-efficient equipment.

  20. An economic model to compare linezolid and vancomycin for the treatment of confirmed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nosocomial pneumonia in Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patel DA

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Dipen A Patel,1 Andre Michel,2 Jennifer Stephens,1 Bertram Weber,3 Christian Petrik,4 Claudie Charbonneau5 1Health Economic and Outcomes Research, Pharmerit International, Bethesda, MD, USA; 2Klinikum Hanau GmbH, Hanau, Germany; 3Health Technology Assessment and Outcomes Research, 4Anti-infectives, Pfizer, Berlin, Germany; 5Pfizer International Operations, Pfizer France, Paris, France Background: Across Europe, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA is considered to be the primary cause of nosocomial pneumonia (NP. In Germany alone, approximately 14,000 cases of MRSA-associated NP occur annually, which may have a significant impact on health care resource use and associated economic costs. The objective of this study was to investigate the economic impact of linezolid compared with that of vancomycin in the treatment of hospitalized patients with MRSA-confirmed NP in the German health care system. Methods: A 4-week decision tree model incorporated published data and expert opinion on clinical parameters, resource use, and costs (2012 euros was constructed. The base case first-line treatment duration for patients with MRSA-confirmed NP was 10 days. Treatment success (survival, failure due to lack of efficacy, serious adverse events, and mortality were possible outcomes that could impact costs. Alternate scenarios were analyzed, such as varying treatment duration (7 or 14 days or treatment switch due to a serious adverse event/treatment failure (at day 5 or 10. Results: The model calculated total base case inpatient costs of €15,116 for linezolid and €15,239 for vancomycin. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio favored linezolid (versus vancomycin, with marginally lower costs (by €123 and greater efficacy (+2.7% absolute difference in the proportion of patients successfully treated for MRSA NP. Approximately 85%–87% of the total treatment costs were attributed to hospital stay (primarily in the intensive care unit