Functional screen printed radio frequency identification tags on flexible substrates, facilitating low-cost and integrated point-of-care diagnostics

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Smith, Suzanne

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This work explores the practical functionality of ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags screen printed onto various low-cost, flexible substrates. The need for integrated and automated low-cost point...

Radio frequency identification and time-driven activity based costing:RFID-TDABC application in warehousing

OpenAIRE

Bahr, Witold; Price, Brian J

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper extends the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) data for accounting of warehouse costs and services. Time Driven Activity Based Costing (TDABC) methodology is enhanced with the real-time collected RFID data about duration of warehouse activities. This allows warehouse managers to have accurate and instant calculations of costs. The RFID enhanced TDABC (RFID-TDABC) is proposed as a novel application of the RFID technology. Research Approach: Application of RFID-TDA...

Species With Greater Aerial Maneuverability Have Higher Frequency of Collisions With Aircraft: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esteban Fernández-Juricic

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Antipredator responses may appear unsuccessful when animals are exposed to approaching vehicles, often resulting in mortality. Recent studies have addressed whether certain biological traits are associated with variation in collision risk with cars, but not with higher speed-vehicles like aircraft. Our goal was to establish the association between different species traits (i.e., body mass, eye size, brain size, wing loading, wing aspect ratio and the frequency of bird collisions with aircraft (hereafter, bird strikes using a comparative approach controlling for the effects of shared ancestry. We proposed directional predictions as to how each of the species traits would affect the frequency of bird strikes. Considering 39 bird species with all traits represented, the model containing wing loading had the best fit to account for the variance in bird strikes across species. In another model with 54 species exploring the fit to different polynomial models but considering only wing loading, we found that wing loading was negatively and linearly associated with the frequency of bird strikes. Counterintuitively, species with lower wing loading (hence, greater maneuverability had a higher frequency of bird strikes. We discuss potential non-mutually exclusive explanations (e.g., high wing loading species fly faster, thus gaining some extra time to avoid the aircraft flight path; high wing loading species are hazed more intensively at airports, which could lower collisions, etc.. Ultimately, our findings uncovered that species with low wing loading get struck at a higher rate at airports, which reduces the safety risk for humans because these species tend not to cause damaging strikes, but the ecological consequences of their potentially higher local mortality are unknown.

Contact frequency, travel time, and travel costs for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jan; Linde, Louise; Hetland, Merete Lund

2014-01-01

Objectives. To investigate travel time, and travel cost related to contacts with health care providers for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during a three-month period. Methods. Patient-reported travel time and travel cost were obtained from 2847 patients with RA. Eleven outpatient clinics...... across Denmark recruited patients to the study. Data collected included frequency, travel time and travel costs for contacts at rheumatology outpatient clinics, other outpatient clinics, general practitioners, privately practicing medical specialists, inpatient hospitals and accident and emergency...... and 13 € on travelling per contact, corresponding to a total of 4.6 hours and 56 € during the 3-month period. There was great variation in patient travel time and costs, but no statistically significant associations were found with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusion. The results...

Clean air benefits and costs in the GVRD [Greater Vancouver Regional District

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gislason, G.; Martin, J.; Williams, D.; Caton, B.; Rich, J.; Rojak, S.; Robinson, J.; Stuermer, A. von

1994-01-01

Air pollution is a major concern in the Greater Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia. An analysis was conducted to assess the costs and benefits of an innovative plan to reduce the emissions of five primary pollutants in the GVRD: nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulates, and CO. The study adopts a damage function approach in which the benefits of reduced emissions are given by the averted damages to human health, crops, and so on. Under a base case scenario, motor vehicle emission controls and additional measures proposed in the region's air quality management plan (AQMP) are projected to lead to emission reductions of 873,000 tonnes in the GVRD by the year 2020, compared to the emission level projected without intervention. The AQMP is projected to avert over its life some 2,800 premature deaths, 33,000 emergency room visits, 13 million restricted activity days, and 5 million symptoms. Crop losses due to ozone are projected to decrease by 1-4%/y over the next several decades due to the AQMP. Damage averted to materials and property per tonne of pollutant reduced ranges from $30 for VOC to $180 for particulates. Under base-case conservative assumptions, the AQMP generates $5.4 billion in benefits and $3.8 billion in costs, nearly 2/3 of which are paid by the industrial and commercial sectors. 1 tab

A techno-economic analysis of cost savings for retrofitting industrial aerial coolers with variable frequency drives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Patrick; Olateju, Babatunde; Kumar, Amit

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Techno-economic models were developed to assess the retrofitting of aerial coolers. ► The IRR for retrofitting with VFDs exceeds 10% for motor sizes above 20 hp. ► The IRR reaches a maximum of 220% for a cooler with fifty, 250 hp motors. ► The simple payback becomes less than 1 year for motors larger than 120 hp. ► Ambient temperature and location affects the profitability of VFD investment. - Abstract: A techno-economic model was created in order to develop curves that show the typical annual energy savings, rate of return, and payback for retrofitting aerial coolers with variable frequency drives (VFDs) for up to 50 motors, motor sizes from 4 to 186 kW (5–250 hp), and varying climate conditions. The cost savings due to installing a VFD depends on the reduction in energy used, as well as the reduction in power demand, the capital cost of the VFD, installation cost of the VFD, change in operating cost, and cost of electricity. The geographic locations examined in this report were Fort McMurray, Calgary, Vancouver, and Thunder Bay. This study found that the IRR increases rapidly with motor size, becomes greater than 10% at a motor size of approximately 15 kW, and may be as high as 220% (for the case of fifty, 186 kW motors). The IRR is sensitive to the number of fan motors retrofitted with VFDs, however the sensitivity rapidly declines as the number of motors is increased beyond five. The simple payback period becomes less than 1 year and nearly independent of number of motors and motor size for motors larger than 90 kW. Ambient temperature and geographic location affect the profitability of the investment, although the IRR only changes by approximately 4%.

Higher Physiotherapy Frequency Is Associated with Shorter Length of Stay and Greater Functional Recovery in Hospitalized Frail Older Adults: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartley, P; Adamson, J; Cunningham, C; Embleton, G; Romero-Ortuno, R

2016-01-01

Extra physiotherapy has been associated with better outcomes in hospitalized patients, but this remains an under-researched area in geriatric medicine wards. We retrospectively studied the association between average physiotherapy frequency and outcomes in hospitalized geriatric patients. High frequency physiotherapy (HFP) was defined as ≥0.5 contacts/day. Of 358 eligible patients, 131 (36.6%) received low, and 227 (63.4%) HFP. Functional improvement (discharge versus admission) in the modified Rankin scale was greater in the HFP group (1.1 versus 0.7 points, Pphysiotherapy frequency and intensity in geriatric wards.

Determination of the frequency and direct cost of the adverse drug events in Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Izquierdo, Estela; Rodríguez, Claudio; Pampliega, Eneas; Filinger, Ester

2009-05-01

To determine the frequency and the direct costs of adverse drug reactions, in an ambulatory population of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina and its area of influence. A retrospective study was done during a period of three months on approximately 300.000 residents of the Buenos Aires area, gathering data according to the selected variables by means of the electronic capture of prescriptions dispensed in pharmacies of the area. This method enables the detection and registration of potential conflicts that may arise between a prescribed drug and factors such as: patient's demographic, clinical and drug profile. The analysis unit was defined as the happening of a moderate or severe adverse event reported by the system. The selected variables were the incidence of these effects and the direct cost was calculated as the value of the drugs that induced the adverse event. The events were classified according to the following interactions: a) drug-drug, b) drug-pediatrics, c) drug-gender, d) drug-pregnancy and abuse of controlled substances. The observed frequency shows great variability and the shortage of available data for ambulatory populations. We found 6.74% of reported events over the total of processed items, which generated an additional cost equivalent to 4.58% of the total pharmaceutical expenses. This study has only evaluated the cost occurred by the use of a drug that will lead to an adverse reaction. Moderate and severe reactions were included regardless of the important indirect costs, hospitalization costs, tests, physician fees, etc.

Contact frequency, travel time, and travel costs for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørensen, Jan; Linde, Louise; Hetland, Merete Lund

2014-01-01

Objectives. To investigate travel time, and travel cost related to contacts with health care providers for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during a three-month period. Methods. Patient-reported travel time and travel cost were obtained from 2847 patients with RA. Eleven outpatient clinics across Denmark recruited patients to the study. Data collected included frequency, travel time and travel costs for contacts at rheumatology outpatient clinics, other outpatient clinics, general practitioners, privately practicing medical specialists, inpatient hospitals and accident and emergency departments. Results. Over a 3-month period, patients with RA had on average 4.4 (sd 5.7) contacts with health care providers, of which 2.8 (sd 4.0) contacts were with rheumatology outpatient clinics. Private car and public travel were the most frequent modes of travel. The average patient spent 63 minutes and 13 € on travelling per contact, corresponding to a total of 4.6 hours and 56 € during the 3-month period. There was great variation in patient travel time and costs, but no statistically significant associations were found with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusion. The results show that patients with RA spend private time and costs on travelling when they seek treatment. These findings are particularly important when analyzing social costs associated with RA.

Contact Frequency, Travel Time, and Travel Costs for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Sørensen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To investigate travel time, and travel cost related to contacts with health care providers for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA during a three-month period. Methods. Patient-reported travel time and travel cost were obtained from 2847 patients with RA. Eleven outpatient clinics across Denmark recruited patients to the study. Data collected included frequency, travel time and travel costs for contacts at rheumatology outpatient clinics, other outpatient clinics, general practitioners, privately practicing medical specialists, inpatient hospitals and accident and emergency departments. Results. Over a 3-month period, patients with RA had on average 4.4 (sd 5.7 contacts with health care providers, of which 2.8 (sd 4.0 contacts were with rheumatology outpatient clinics. Private car and public travel were the most frequent modes of travel. The average patient spent 63 minutes and 13 € on travelling per contact, corresponding to a total of 4.6 hours and 56 € during the 3-month period. There was great variation in patient travel time and costs, but no statistically significant associations were found with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusion. The results show that patients with RA spend private time and costs on travelling when they seek treatment. These findings are particularly important when analyzing social costs associated with RA.

Limited risk assessment and some cost/benefit considerations for greater confinement disposal compared to shallow land burial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunter, P.H.; Lester, D.H.; Robertson, L.D.; Spaeth, M.E.; Stoddard, J.A.; Dickman, P.T.

1984-09-01

A limited risk assessment and some cost/benefit considerations of greater confinement disposal (GCD) compared to shallow land burial (SLB) are presented. This study is limited to an analysis of the postclosure phase of hypothetical GCD and SLB facilities. Selected release scenarios are used which bound the range of risks to a maximally exposed individual and a hypothetical population. Based on the scenario assessments, GCD had a significant risk advantage over SLB for normal exposure pathways at both humid and arid sites, particularly for the human intrusion scenario. Since GCD costs are somewhat higher than SLB, it is necessary to weigh the higher costs of GCD against the higher risks of SLB. In this regard, GCD should be pursued as an alternative to SLB for certain types of low-level waste, and as an alternative to processing for wastes requiring improved stabilization or higher integrity packaging to be compatible with SLB. There are two reasons for this conclusion. First, GCD might diminish public apprehension regarding the disposal of wastes perceived to be too hazardous for SLB. Second, GCD may be a relatively cost-effective alternative to various stabilization and packaging schemes required to meet 10 CFR 61 near-surface requirements as well as being a cost-effective alternative to deep geologic disposal. Radionuclide transport through the biosphere and resultant dose consequences were determined using the RADTRAN radionuclide transport code. 19 references, 4 figures, 5 tables

Food frequency questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez Rodrigo, Carmen; Aranceta, Javier; Salvador, Gemma; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio

2015-02-26

Food Frequency Questionnaires are dietary assessment tools widely used in epidemiological studies investigating the relationship between dietary intake and disease or risk factors since the early '90s. The three main components of these questionnaires are the list of foods, frequency of consumption and the portion size consumed. The food list should reflect the food habits of the study population at the time the data is collected. The frequency of consumption may be asked by open ended questions or by presenting frequency categories. Qualitative Food Frequency Questionnaires do not ask about the consumed portions; semi-quantitative include standard portions and quantitative questionnaires ask respondents to estimate the portion size consumed either in household measures or grams. The latter implies a greater participant burden. Some versions include only close-ended questions in a standardized format, while others add an open section with questions about some specific food habits and practices and admit additions to the food list for foods and beverages consumed which are not included. The method can be self-administered, on paper or web-based, or interview administered either face-to-face or by telephone. Due to the standard format, especially closed-ended versions, and method of administration, FFQs are highly cost-effective thus encouraging its widespread use in large scale epidemiological cohort studies and also in other study designs. Coding and processing data collected is also less costly and requires less nutrition expertise compared to other dietary intake assessment methods. However, the main limitations are systematic errors and biases in estimates. Important efforts are being developed to improve the quality of the information. It has been recommended the use of FFQs with other methods thus enabling the adjustments required. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2015. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Low-cost precise measurement of oscillator frequency instability based on GNSS carrier observation

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Yanhong; Jiao, Yue; Xu, Dongyang; Zhang, Meng; Liu, Ya; Li, Xiaohui

2013-03-01

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receivers can be used in time and frequency metrology by exploiting stable GNSS time scales. This paper proposes a low-cost method for precise measurement of oscillator frequency instability using a single-frequency software GNSS receiver. The only required hardware is a common radio frequency (RF) data collection device driven by the oscillator under test (OUT). The receiver solves the oscillator frequency error in high time resolution using the carrier Doppler observation and the broadcast ephemeris from one of the available satellites employing the onboard reference atomic frequency standard that is more stable than the OUT. Considering the non-stable and non-Gaussian properties of the frequency error measurement, an unbiased finite impulse response (FIR) filter is employed to obtain robust estimation and filter out measurement noise. The effects of different filter orders and convolution lengths are further discussed. The frequency error of an oven controlled oscillator (OCXO) is measured using live Beidou-2/Compass signals. The results are compared with the synchronous measurement using a specialized phase comparator with the standard coordinated universal time (UTC) signal from the master clock H226 in the national time service center (NTSC) of China as its reference. The Allan deviation (ADEV) estimates using the two methods have a 99.9% correlation coefficient and a 0.6% mean relative difference over 1-1000 s intervals. The experiment demonstrates the effectiveness and high precision of the software receiver method.

Metabolic costs of force generation for constant-frequency and catchlike-inducing electrical stimulation in human tibialis anterior muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ratkevicius, Aivaras; Quistorff, Bjørn

2002-01-01

-frequency trains, catchlike-inducing trains produced a faster force generation and were more effective in maintaining the force--time integral as well as peak force. However, ATP costs of force generation were similar for the catchlike-inducing and constant-frequency stimulation (6.7 plus/minus 1.1 and 6.6 plus......Metabolic costs of force generation were compared for constant-frequency and catchlike-inducing electrical stimulation. Repetitive catchlike-inducing trains consisted of 2 interpulse intervals (IPIs) at 12.5 ms, 1 IPI at 25 ms, and 5 IPIs at 50 ms. Constant-frequency trains consisted of 8 IPIs...... at 37.5 ms. One train was delivered to the peroneal nerve every 2.5 s for 36 times under ischemic conditions. Anaerobic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) turnover was determined using 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P-MRS) of the human tibialis anterior muscle. Compared with constant...

Tunable optical frequency comb enabled scalable and cost-effective multiuser orthogonal frequency-division multiple access passive optical network with source-free optical network units.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chen; Zhang, Chongfu; Liu, Deming; Qiu, Kun; Liu, Shuang

2012-10-01

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a multiuser orthogonal frequency-division multiple access passive optical network (OFDMA-PON) with source-free optical network units (ONUs), enabled by tunable optical frequency comb generation technology. By cascading a phase modulator (PM) and an intensity modulator and dynamically controlling the peak-to-peak voltage of a PM driven signal, a tunable optical frequency comb source can be generated. It is utilized to assist the configuration of a multiple source-free ONUs enhanced OFDMA-PON where simultaneous and interference-free multiuser upstream transmission over a single wavelength can be efficiently supported. The proposed multiuser OFDMA-PON is scalable and cost effective, and its feasibility is successfully verified by experiment.

Low-cost, smartphone based frequency doubling technology visual field testing using virtual reality (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Alawa, Karam A.; Sayed, Mohamed; Arboleda, Alejandro; Durkee, Heather A.; Aguilar, Mariela C.; Lee, Richard K.

2017-02-01

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Due to its wide prevalence, effective screening tools are necessary. The purpose of this project is to design and evaluate a system that enables portable, cost effective, smartphone based visual field screening based on frequency doubling technology. The system is comprised of an Android smartphone to display frequency doubling stimuli and handle processing, a Bluetooth remote for user input, and a virtual reality headset to simulate the exam. The LG Nexus 5 smartphone and BoboVR Z3 virtual reality headset were used for their screen size and lens configuration, respectively. The system is capable of running the C-20, N-30, 24-2, and 30-2 testing patterns. Unlike the existing system, the smartphone FDT tests both eyes concurrently by showing the same background to both eyes but only displaying the stimulus to one eye at a time. Both the Humphrey Zeiss FDT and the smartphone FDT were tested on five subjects without a history of ocular disease with the C-20 testing pattern. The smartphone FDT successfully produced frequency doubling stimuli at the correct spatial and temporal frequency. Subjects could not tell which eye was being tested. All five subjects preferred the smartphone FDT to the Humphrey Zeiss FDT due to comfort and ease of use. The smartphone FDT is a low-cost, portable visual field screening device that can be used as a screening tool for glaucoma.

Greater accordance with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary pattern is associated with lower diet-related greenhouse gas production but higher dietary costs in the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Monsivais, Pablo; Scarborough, Peter; Lloyd, Tina; Mizdrak, Anja; Luben, Robert; Mulligan, Angela A; Wareham, Nicholas J; Woodcock, James

2015-07-01

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a proven way to prevent and control hypertension and other chronic disease. Because the DASH diet emphasizes plant-based foods, including vegetables and grains, adhering to this diet might also bring about environmental benefits, including lower associated production of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The objective was to examine the interrelation between dietary accordance with the DASH diet and associated GHGs. A secondary aim was to examine the retail cost of diets by level of DASH accordance. In this cross-sectional study of adults aged 39-79 y from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Norfolk, United Kingdom cohort (n = 24,293), dietary intakes estimated from food-frequency questionnaires were analyzed for their accordance with the 8 DASH food and nutrient-based targets. Associations between DASH accordance, GHGs, and dietary costs were evaluated in regression analyses. Dietary GHGs were estimated with United Kingdom-specific data on carbon dioxide equivalents associated with commodities and foods. Dietary costs were estimated by using national food prices from a United Kingdom-based supermarket comparison website. Greater accordance with the DASH dietary targets was associated with lower GHGs. Diets in the highest quintile of accordance had a GHG impact of 5.60 compared with 6.71 kg carbon dioxide equivalents/d for least-accordant diets (P dietary costs, with the mean cost of diets in the top quintile of DASH scores 18% higher than that of diets in the lowest quintile (P < 0.0001). Promoting wider uptake of the DASH diet in the United Kingdom may improve population health and reduce diet-related GHGs. However, to make the DASH diet more accessible, food affordability, particularly for lower income groups, will have to be addressed.

Socio-economic considerations of cleaning Greater Vancouver's air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-08-01

Socio-economic considerations of better air quality on the Greater Vancouver population and economy were discussed. The purpose of the study was to provide socio-economic information to staff and stakeholders of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) who are participating in an Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) development process and the Sustainable Region Initiative (SRI) process. The study incorporated the following methodologies: identification and review of Canadian, American, and European quantitative socio-economic, cost-benefit, cost effectiveness, competitiveness and health analyses of changes in air quality and measures to improve air quality; interviews with industry representatives in Greater Vancouver on competitiveness impacts of air quality changes and ways to improve air quality; and a qualitative analysis and discussion of secondary quantitative information that identifies and evaluates socio-economic impacts arising from changes in Greater Vancouver air quality. The study concluded that for the Greater Vancouver area, the qualitative analysis of an improvement in Greater Vancouver air quality shows positive socio-economic outcomes, as high positive economic efficiency impacts are expected along with good social quality of life impacts. 149 refs., 30 tabs., 6 appendices

Optimal Control Method for Wind Farm to Support Temporary Primary Frequency Control with Minimized Wind Energy Cost

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Haijiao; Chen, Zhe; Jiang, Quanyuan

2015-01-01

This study proposes an optimal control method for variable speed wind turbines (VSWTs) based wind farm (WF) to support temporary primary frequency control. This control method consists of two layers: temporary frequency support control (TFSC) of the VSWT, and temporary support power optimal...... dispatch (TSPOD) of the WF. With TFSC, the VSWT could temporarily provide extra power to support system frequency under varying and wide-range wind speed. In the WF control centre, TSPOD optimally dispatches the frequency support power orders to the VSWTs that operate under different wind speeds, minimises...... the wind energy cost of frequency support, and satisfies the support capabilities of the VSWTs. The effectiveness of the whole control method is verified in the IEEE-RTS built in MATLABSimulink, and compared with a published de-loading method....

Cost-effectiveness of increasing cervical cancer screening coverage in the Middle East: An example from Lebanon.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Monisha; Seoud, Muhieddine; Kim, Jane J

2017-01-23

Most cervical cancer (CC) cases in Lebanon are detected at later stages and associated with high mortality. There is no national organized CC screening program so screening is opportunistic and limited to women who can pay out-of-pocket. Therefore, a small percentage of women receive repeated screenings while most are under-or never screened. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of increasing screening coverage and extending intervals. We used an individual-based Monte Carlo model simulating HPV and CC natural history and screening. We calibrated the model to epidemiological data from Lebanon, including CC incidence and HPV type distribution. We evaluated cytology and HPV DNA screening for women aged 25-65years, varying coverage from 20 to 70% and frequency from 1 to 5years. At 20% coverage, annual cytologic screening reduced lifetime CC risk by 14% and had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of I$80,670/year of life saved (YLS), far exceeding Lebanon's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (I$17,460), a commonly cited cost-effectiveness threshold. By comparison, increasing cytologic screening coverage to 50% and extending screening intervals to 3 and 5years provided greater CC reduction (26.1% and 21.4, respectively) at lower costs compared to 20% coverage with annual screening. Screening every 5years with HPV DNA testing at 50% coverage provided greater CC reductions than cytology at the same frequency (23.4%) and was cost-effective assuming a cost of I$18 per HPV test administered (I$12,210/YLS); HPV DNA testing every 4years at 50% coverage was also cost-effective at the same cost per test (I$16,340). Increasing coverage of annual cytology was not found to be cost-effective. Current practice of repeated cytology in a small percentage of women is inefficient. Increasing coverage to 50% with extended screening intervals provides greater health benefits at a reasonable cost and can more equitably distribute health gains. Novel HPV DNA strategies offer greater

Partition of aerobic and anaerobic swimming costs and their correlation to tail-beat frequency and burst activity in Sparus aurata

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steffensen, John Fleng

2012-01-01

until fatigue at 10°C. The anaerobic swimming cost was measured as the excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) following each swimming speed. To determine tail-beat frequency, amplitude and burst and coast behaviour, the peduncle position was determined at 25 s·' by video tracking. The data showed......, and resulted in a total anaerobic capacity of 170 mg O2 kg·'. Normalized tail-beat amplitude and frequency both predicted the swimming speed but only tail-beat frequency was able to predict the aerobic swimming cost. The change to burst and coast swimming was correlated to the first measurements of EPOC...... and both the burst frequency (bursts min·') and burst distance (percentage burst distance) were found to predict EPOC by linear regressions. The low temperature used in the present study resulted in a prolonged recovery time, which increased with the anaerobic contribution to 10 hours after fatigue. Due...

Frequency domain analysis of piping systems under short duration loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sachs, K.; Sand, H.; Lockau, J.

1981-01-01

In piping analysis two procedures are used almost exclusively: the modal superposition method for relatively long input time histories (e.g., earthquake) and direct integration of the equations of motion for short input time histories. A third possibility, frequency domain analysis, has only rarely been applied to piping systems to date. This paper suggests the use of frequency domain analysis for specific piping problems for which only direct integration could be used in the past. Direct integration and frequency domain analysis are compared, and it is shown that the frequency domain method is less costly if more than four or five load cases are considered. In addition, this method offers technical advantages, such as more accurate representation of modal damping and greater insight into the structural behavior of the system. (orig.)

The ability of land owners and their cooperatives to leverage payments greater than opportunity costs from conservation contracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Lennox, Gareth D; Armsworth, Paul R

2013-06-01

In negotiations over land-right acquisitions, landowners have an informational advantage over conservation groups because they know more about the opportunity costs of conservation measures on their sites. This advantage creates the possibility that landowners will demand payments greater than the required minimum, where this minimum required payment is known as the landowner’s willingness to accept (WTA). However, in recent studies of conservation costs, researchers have assumed landowners will accept conservation with minimum payments. We investigated the ability of landowners to demand payments above their WTA when a conservation group has identified multiple sites for protection. First, we estimated the maximum payment landowners could potentially demand, which is set when groups of landowners act as a cooperative. Next, through the simulation of conservation auctions, we explored the amount of money above landowners’ WTA (i.e., surplus) that conservation groups could cede to secure conservation agreements, again investigating the influence of landowner cooperatives. The simulations showed the informational advantage landowners held could make conservation investments up to 42% more expensive than suggested by the site WTAs. Moreover, all auctions resulted in landowners obtaining payments greater than their WTA; thus, it may be unrealistic to assume landowners will accept conservation contracts with minimum payments. Of particular significance for species conservation, conservation objectives focused on overall species richness,which therefore recognize site complementarity, create an incentive for land owners to form cooperatives to capture surplus. To the contrary, objectives in which sites are substitutes, such as the maximization of species occurrences, create a disincentive for cooperative formation.

Greater accordance with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary pattern is associated with lower diet-related greenhouse gas production but higher dietary costs in the United Kingdom12

Science.gov (United States)

Monsivais, Pablo; Scarborough, Peter; Lloyd, Tina; Mizdrak, Anja; Luben, Robert; Mulligan, Angela A; Wareham, Nicholas J; Woodcock, James

2015-01-01

Background: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is a proven way to prevent and control hypertension and other chronic disease. Because the DASH diet emphasizes plant-based foods, including vegetables and grains, adhering to this diet might also bring about environmental benefits, including lower associated production of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Objective: The objective was to examine the interrelation between dietary accordance with the DASH diet and associated GHGs. A secondary aim was to examine the retail cost of diets by level of DASH accordance. Design: In this cross-sectional study of adults aged 39–79 y from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition–Norfolk, United Kingdom cohort (n = 24,293), dietary intakes estimated from food-frequency questionnaires were analyzed for their accordance with the 8 DASH food and nutrient-based targets. Associations between DASH accordance, GHGs, and dietary costs were evaluated in regression analyses. Dietary GHGs were estimated with United Kingdom-specific data on carbon dioxide equivalents associated with commodities and foods. Dietary costs were estimated by using national food prices from a United Kingdom–based supermarket comparison website. Results: Greater accordance with the DASH dietary targets was associated with lower GHGs. Diets in the highest quintile of accordance had a GHG impact of 5.60 compared with 6.71 kg carbon dioxide equivalents/d for least-accordant diets (P dietary costs, with the mean cost of diets in the top quintile of DASH scores 18% higher than that of diets in the lowest quintile (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Promoting wider uptake of the DASH diet in the United Kingdom may improve population health and reduce diet-related GHGs. However, to make the DASH diet more accessible, food affordability, particularly for lower income groups, will have to be addressed. PMID:25926505

12 CFR 714.5 - What is required if you rely on an estimated residual value greater than 25% of the original cost...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What is required if you rely on an estimated residual value greater than 25% of the original cost of the leased property? 714.5 Section 714.5 Banks and Banking NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS AFFECTING CREDIT UNIONS LEASING § 714.5 What is...

A cervid vocal fold model suggests greater glottal efficiency in calling at high frequencies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingo R Titze

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Male Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni produce loud and high fundamental frequency bugles during the mating season, in contrast to the male European Red Deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus who produces loud and low fundamental frequency roaring calls. A critical step in understanding vocal communication is to relate sound complexity to anatomy and physiology in a causal manner. Experimentation at the sound source, often difficult in vivo in mammals, is simulated here by a finite element model of the larynx and a wave propagation model of the vocal tract, both based on the morphology and biomechanics of the elk. The model can produce a wide range of fundamental frequencies. Low fundamental frequencies require low vocal fold strain, but large lung pressure and large glottal flow if sound intensity level is to exceed 70 dB at 10 m distance. A high-frequency bugle requires both large muscular effort (to strain the vocal ligament and high lung pressure (to overcome phonation threshold pressure, but at least 10 dB more intensity level can be achieved. Glottal efficiency, the ration of radiated sound power to aerodynamic power at the glottis, is higher in elk, suggesting an advantage of high-pitched signaling. This advantage is based on two aspects; first, the lower airflow required for aerodynamic power and, second, an acoustic radiation advantage at higher frequencies. Both signal types are used by the respective males during the mating season and probably serve as honest signals. The two signal types relate differently to physical qualities of the sender. The low-frequency sound (Red Deer call relates to overall body size via a strong relationship between acoustic parameters and the size of vocal organs and body size. The high-frequency bugle may signal muscular strength and endurance, via a 'vocalizing at the edge' mechanism, for which efficiency is critical.

A cost and time analysis of laryngology procedures in the endoscopy suite versus the operating room.

Science.gov (United States)

Hillel, Alexander T; Ochsner, Matthew C; Johns, Michael M; Klein, Adam M

2016-06-01

To assess the costs, charges, reimbursement, and efficiency of performing awake laryngology procedures in an endoscopy suite (ES) compared with like procedures performed in the operating room (OR). Retrospective review of billing records. Cost, charges, and reimbursements for the hospital, surgeon, and anesthesiologist were compared between ES injection laryngoplasty and laser excision procedures and matched case controls in the OR. Time spent in 1) the preoperative unit, 2) the operating or endoscopy suite, and 3) recovery unit were compared between OR and ES procedures. Hospital expenses were significantly less for ES procedures when compared to OR procedures. Reimbursement was similar for ES and OR injection laryngoplasty, though greater for OR laser excisions. Net balance (reimbursement-expenses) was greater for ES procedures. A predictive model of payer costs over a 3-year period showed similar costs for ES and OR laser procedures and reduced costs for ES compared to OR injection laryngoplasty. Times spent preoperatively and the procedure were significantly less for ES procedures. For individual laryngology procedures, the ES reduces time and costs compared to the OR, increasing otolaryngologist and hospital efficiency. This reveals cost and time savings of ES injection laryngoplasty, which occurs at a similar frequency as OR injection laryngoplasty. Given the increased frequency for ES laser procedures, total costs are similar for ES and OR laser excision of papilloma, which usually require repeated procedures. When regulated office space is unavailable, endoscopy rooms represent an alternative setting for unsedated laryngology procedures. NA Laryngoscope, 126:1385-1389, 2016. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Binder-free highly conductive graphene laminate for low cost printed radio frequency applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Xianjun; Leng, Ting; Zhang, Xiao; Hu, Zhirun, E-mail: Z.Hu@manchester.ac.uk [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Chen, Jia Cing; Chang, Kuo Hsin [BGT Materials Limited, Photon Science Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Geim, Andre K. [Manchester Centre for Mesoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom); Novoselov, Kostya S. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)

2015-05-18

In this paper, we demonstrate realization of printable radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna by low temperature processing of graphene ink. The required ultra-low resistance is achieved by rolling compression of binder-free graphene laminate. With compression, the conductivity of graphene laminate is increased by more than 50 times compared to that of as-deposited one. Graphene laminate with conductivity of 4.3 × 10{sup 4 }S/m and sheet resistance of 3.8 Ω/sq (with thickness of 6 μm) is presented. Moreover, the formation of graphene laminate from graphene ink reported here is simple and can be carried out in low temperature (100 °C), significantly reducing the fabrication costs. A dipole antenna based on the highly conductive graphene laminate is further patterned and printed on a normal paper to investigate its RF properties. The performance of the graphene laminate antenna is experimentally measured. The measurement results reveal that graphene laminate antenna can provide practically acceptable return loss, gain, bandwidth, and radiation patterns, making it ideal for low cost printed RF applications, such as RFID tags and wearable wireless sensor networks.

Binder-free highly conductive graphene laminate for low cost printed radio frequency applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Xianjun; Leng, Ting; Zhang, Xiao; Hu, Zhirun; Chen, Jia Cing; Chang, Kuo Hsin; Geim, Andre K.; Novoselov, Kostya S.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate realization of printable radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna by low temperature processing of graphene ink. The required ultra-low resistance is achieved by rolling compression of binder-free graphene laminate. With compression, the conductivity of graphene laminate is increased by more than 50 times compared to that of as-deposited one. Graphene laminate with conductivity of 4.3 × 10 4  S/m and sheet resistance of 3.8 Ω/sq (with thickness of 6 μm) is presented. Moreover, the formation of graphene laminate from graphene ink reported here is simple and can be carried out in low temperature (100 °C), significantly reducing the fabrication costs. A dipole antenna based on the highly conductive graphene laminate is further patterned and printed on a normal paper to investigate its RF properties. The performance of the graphene laminate antenna is experimentally measured. The measurement results reveal that graphene laminate antenna can provide practically acceptable return loss, gain, bandwidth, and radiation patterns, making it ideal for low cost printed RF applications, such as RFID tags and wearable wireless sensor networks

Modelling User-Costs in Life Cycle Cost-Benefit (LCCB) analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thoft-Christensen, Palle

2008-01-01

The importance of including user's costs in Life-Cycle Cost-Benefit analysis of structures is discussed in this paper. This is especially for bridges of great importance. Repair or/and failure of a bridge will usually result in user costs greater than the repair or replacement costs of the bridge...

Planning for greater-confinement disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Meshkov, N.K.; Trevorrow, L.E.; Yu, C.

1984-01-01

This contribution is a progress report for preparation of a document that will summarize procedures and technical information needed to plan for and implement greater-confinement disposal (GCD) of low-level radioactive waste. Selection of a site and a facility design (Phase I), and construction, operation, and extended care (Phase II) will be covered in the document. This progress report is limited to Phase I. Phase I includes determination of the need for GCD, design alternatives, and selection of a site and facility design. Alternative designs considered are augered shafts, deep trenches, engineered structures, high-integrity containers, hydrofracture, and improved waste form. Design considerations and specifications, performance elements, cost elements, and comparative advantages and disadvantages of the different designs are covered. Procedures are discussed for establishing overall performance objectives and waste-acceptance criteria, and for comparative assessment of the performance and cost of the different alternatives. 16 references

Planning for greater-confinement disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Meshkov, N.K.; Trevorrow, L.E.; Yu, C.

1984-01-01

This contribution is a progress report for preparation of a document that will summarize procedures and technical information needed to plan for and implement greater-confinement disposal (GCD) of low-level radioactive waste. Selection of a site and a facility design (Phase I), and construction, operation, and extended care (Phase II) will be covered in the document. This progress report is limited to Phase I. Phase I includes determination of the need for GCD, design alternatives, and selection of a site and facility design. Alternative designs considered are augered shafts, deep trenches, engineered structures, high-integrity containers, hydrofracture, and improved waste form. Design considerations and specifications, performance elements, cost elements, and comparative advantages and disadvantages of the different designs are covered. Procedures are discussed for establishing overall performance objecties and waste-acceptance criteria, and for comparative assessment of the performance and cost of the different alternatives. 16 refs

Benefit-cost-risk analysis of alternatives for greater-confinement disposal of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Peterson, J.M.

1983-01-01

Seven alternatives are included in the analysis: near-surface disposal; improved waste form; below-ground engineered structure; augered shaft; shale fracturing; shallow geologic repository; and high-level waste repository. These alternatives are representative generic facilities that span the range from low-level waste disposal practice to high-level waste disposal practice, tentatively ordered according to an expected increasing cost and/or effectiveness of confinement. They have been chosen to enable an assessment of the degree of confinement that represents an appropriate balance between public health and safety requirements and costs rather than identification of a specific preferred facility design. The objective of the analysis is to provide a comparative ranking of the alternatives on the basis of benefit-cost-risk considerations

goGPS: open source software for enhancing the accuracy of low-cost receivers by single-frequency relative kinematic positioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Realini, Eugenio; Reguzzoni, Mirko

2013-01-01

goGPS is a free and open source satellite positioning software package aiming to provide a collaborative platform for research and teaching purposes. It was first published in 2009 and since then several related projects are on-going. Its objective is the investigation of strategies for enhancing the accuracy of low-cost single-frequency GPS receivers, mainly by relative positioning with respect to a base station and by a tailored extended Kalman filter working directly on code and phase observations. In this paper, the positioning algorithms implemented in goGPS are presented, emphasizing the modularity of the software design; two specific strategies to support the navigation with low-cost receivers are also proposed and discussed, namely an empirical observation weighting function calibrated on the receiver signal-to-noise ratio and the inclusion of height information from a digital terrain model as an additional observation in the Kalman filter. The former is crucial when working with high-sensitivity receivers, while the latter can significantly improve the positioning in the vertical direction. The overall goGPS positioning accuracy is assessed by comparison with a dual-frequency receiver and with the positioning computed by a standard low-cost receiver. The benefits of the calibrated weighting function and the digital terrain model are investigated by an experiment in a dense urban environment. It comes out that the use of goGPS and low-cost receivers leads to results comparable with those obtained by higher level receivers; goGPS has good performances also in a dense urban environment, where its additional features play an important role. (paper)

Modeling of GE Appliances: Cost Benefit Study of Smart Appliances in Wholesale Energy, Frequency Regulation, and Spinning Reserve Markets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuller, Jason C.; Parker, Graham B.

2012-12-31

This report is the second in a series of three reports describing the potential of GE’s DR-enabled appliances to provide benefits to the utility grid. The first report described the modeling methodology used to represent the GE appliances in the GridLAB-D simulation environment and the estimated potential for peak demand reduction at various deployment levels. The third report will explore the technical capability of aggregated group actions to positively impact grid stability, including frequency and voltage regulation and spinning reserves, and the impacts on distribution feeder voltage regulation, including mitigation of fluctuations caused by high penetration of photovoltaic distributed generation. In this report, a series of analytical methods were presented to estimate the potential cost benefit of smart appliances while utilizing demand response. Previous work estimated the potential technical benefit (i.e., peak reduction) of smart appliances, while this report focuses on the monetary value of that participation. The effects on wholesale energy cost and possible additional revenue available by participating in frequency regulation and spinning reserve markets were explored.

Superconducting radio-frequency cavities made from medium and low-purity niobium ingots

Science.gov (United States)

Ciovati, Gianluigi; Dhakal, Pashupati; Myneni, Ganapati R.

2016-06-01

Superconducting radio-frequency cavities made of ingot niobium with residual resistivity ratio (RRR) greater than 250 have proven to have similar or better performance than fine-grain Nb cavities of the same purity, after standard processing. The high purity requirement contributes to the high cost of the material. As superconducting accelerators operating in continuous-wave typically require cavities to operate at moderate accelerating gradients, using lower purity material could be advantageous not only to reduce cost but also to achieve higher Q 0-values. In this contribution we present the results from cryogenic RF tests of 1.3-1.5 GHz single-cell cavities made of ingot Nb of medium (RRR = 100-150) and low (RRR = 60) purity from different suppliers. Cavities made of medium-purity ingots routinely achieved peak surface magnetic field values greater than 70 mT with an average Q 0-value of 2 × 1010 at 2 K after standard processing treatments. The performances of cavities made of low-purity ingots were affected by significant pitting of the surface after chemical etching.

Greater oil investment opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arenas, Ismael Enrique

1997-01-01

Geologically speaking, Colombia is a very attractive country for the world oil community. According to this philosophy new and important steps are being taken to reinforce the oil sector: Expansion of the exploratory frontier by including a larger number of sedimentary areas, and the adoption of innovative contracting instruments. Colombia has to offer, Greater economic incentives for the exploration of new areas to expand the exploratory frontier, stimulation of exploration in areas with prospectivity for small fields. Companies may offer Ecopetrol a participation in production over and above royalties, without it's participating in the investments and costs of these fields, more favorable conditions for natural gas seeking projects, in comparison with those governing the terms for oil

Frequency and cost of claims by injury type from a state workers' compensation fund from 1998 through 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Mroz, Tracy M; Carlini, Anthony R; Archer, Kristin R; Wegener, Stephen T; Hoolachan, Jordan I; Stiers, William; Shore, Rebecca A; Castillo, Renan C

2014-06-01

To determine which work-related injuries are the most frequent and costly. Secondary analysis of workers' compensation claims data. Data were provided by a large, Maryland workers' compensation insurer from 1998 through 2008. Not applicable. None. For 45 injury types, the number of claims and compensation amount was calculated for total compensation and for medical and indemnity compensation separately. Back and knee injuries were the most frequently occurring single injury types, whereas heart attack and occupational disease were the most expensive in terms of mean compensation. When taking into account both the frequency and cost of injury (mean cost × number occurrences), back, knee, and shoulder injuries were the most expensive single injury types. Successful prevention and management of back, knee, and shoulder injuries could lead to a substantial reduction in the burden associated with work-related injuries. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tapping Transaction Costs to Forecast Acquisition Cost Breaches

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

experience a cost breach. In our medical example, we could use survival analysis to identify risk fac- tors, such as obesity , that might indicate a greater... exogenous variables on the probability of a dichotomous outcome, such as whether or not a cost breach occurs in any given program year. Logit is

Superconducting radio-frequency cavities made from medium and low-purity niobium ingots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciovati, Gianluigi; Dhakal, Pashupati; Myneni, Ganapati R

2016-01-01

Superconducting radio-frequency cavities made of ingot niobium with residual resistivity ratio (RRR) greater than 250 have proven to have similar or better performance than fine-grain Nb cavities of the same purity, after standard processing. The high purity requirement contributes to the high cost of the material. As superconducting accelerators operating in continuous-wave typically require cavities to operate at moderate accelerating gradients, using lower purity material could be advantageous not only to reduce cost but also to achieve higher Q 0 -values. In this contribution we present the results from cryogenic RF tests of 1.3–1.5 GHz single-cell cavities made of ingot Nb of medium (RRR = 100–150) and low (RRR = 60) purity from different suppliers. Cavities made of medium-purity ingots routinely achieved peak surface magnetic field values greater than 70 mT with an average Q 0 -value of 2 × 10 10 at 2 K after standard processing treatments. The performances of cavities made of low-purity ingots were affected by significant pitting of the surface after chemical etching. (paper)

Investigation on the Factors Influencing Construction Time and Cost Overrun for High-Rise Building Projects In Penang

Science.gov (United States)

Nor Haslinda, A.; Xian, T. Wei; Norfarahayu, K.; Muhamad Hanafi, R.; Fikri, H. Muhammad

2018-04-01

Time and cost overruns have become one prominent issue for most construction projects around the world. Project costing and timeframe extension had been causing a lot of wastage and loss of opportunity for many parties involved. Therefore, this research was carried out to investigate the factors influencing time and cost overruns for high-rise construction projects in Penang, Malaysia. A set of questionnaires survey was distributed to the project managers who had been or currently involved in the high-rise building projects in Penang to get their input and perceptions for each factor identified as well as its frequency of occurrence. In order to rank all the factors gathered, the mean index of the most distinguishing factors and its frequency of occurrence were multiplied to get the severity index. The results revealed that for time overrun, the most predominant causes were due to design changes, inadequate planning and scheduling and poor labor productivity. Meanwhile, the predominant causes of cost overrun were poor pre-construction budget and material cost planning, inaccurate quantity take-off and materials cost increased by inflation. The significance of establishing the issues related to time and cost overruns for the high-rise building construction project is to provide a greater insight and understanding on the causes of delays, particularly among the main project players: contractors, client, and consultants.

System identification of a small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle using flight data from low-cost sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffer, Nathan Von

Remote sensing has traditionally been done with satellites and manned aircraft. While. these methods can yield useful scientificc data, satellites and manned aircraft have limitations in data frequency, process time, and real time re-tasking. Small low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide greater possibilities for personal scientic research than traditional remote sensing platforms. Precision aerial data requires an accurate vehicle dynamics model for controller development, robust flight characteristics, and fault tolerance. One method of developing a model is system identification (system ID). In this thesis system ID of a small low-cost fixed-wing T-tail UAV is conducted. The linerized longitudinal equations of motion are derived from first principles. Foundations of Recursive Least Squares (RLS) are presented along with RLS with an Error Filtering Online Learning scheme (EFOL). Sensors, data collection, data consistency checking, and data processing are described. Batch least squares (BLS) and BLS with EFOL are used to identify aerodynamic coecoefficients of the UAV. Results of these two methods with flight data are discussed.

Unit Cost Compendium Calculations

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Unit Cost Compendium (UCC) Calculations raw data set was designed to provide for greater accuracy and consistency in the use of unit costs across the USEPA...

A low-cost, high-performance, digital signal processor-based lock-in amplifier capable of measuring multiple frequency sweeps simultaneously

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonnaillon, Maximiliano Osvaldo; Bonetto, Fabian Jose

2005-01-01

A high-performance digital lock-in amplifier implemented in a low-cost digital signal processor (DSP) board is described. This lock in is capable of measuring simultaneously multiple frequencies that change in time as frequency sweeps (chirps). The used 32-bit DSP has enough computing power to generate N=3 simultaneous reference signals and accurately measure the N=3 responses, operating as three lock ins connected in parallel to a linear system. The lock in stores the measured values in memory until they are downloaded to the a personal computer (PC). The lock in works in stand-alone mode and can be programmed and configured through the PC serial port. Downsampling and multiple filter stages were used in order to obtain a sharp roll off and a long time constant in the filters. This makes measurements possible in presence of high-noise levels. Before each measurement, the lock in performs an autocalibration that measures the frequency response of analog output and input circuitry in order to compensate for the departure from ideal operation. Improvements from previous lock-in implementations allow measuring the frequency response of a system in a short time. Furthermore, the proposed implementation can measure how the frequency response changes with time, a characteristic that is very important in our biotechnological application. The number of simultaneous components that the lock in can generate and measure can be extended, without reprogramming, by only using other DSPs of the same family that are code compatible and work at higher clock frequencies

A low-cost, high-performance, digital signal processor-based lock-in amplifier capable of measuring multiple frequency sweeps simultaneously

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sonnaillon, Maximiliano Osvaldo; Bonetto, Fabian Jose [Laboratorio de Cavitacion y Biotecnologia, San Carlos de Bariloche (8400) (Argentina)

2005-02-01

A high-performance digital lock-in amplifier implemented in a low-cost digital signal processor (DSP) board is described. This lock in is capable of measuring simultaneously multiple frequencies that change in time as frequency sweeps (chirps). The used 32-bit DSP has enough computing power to generate N=3 simultaneous reference signals and accurately measure the N=3 responses, operating as three lock ins connected in parallel to a linear system. The lock in stores the measured values in memory until they are downloaded to the a personal computer (PC). The lock in works in stand-alone mode and can be programmed and configured through the PC serial port. Downsampling and multiple filter stages were used in order to obtain a sharp roll off and a long time constant in the filters. This makes measurements possible in presence of high-noise levels. Before each measurement, the lock in performs an autocalibration that measures the frequency response of analog output and input circuitry in order to compensate for the departure from ideal operation. Improvements from previous lock-in implementations allow measuring the frequency response of a system in a short time. Furthermore, the proposed implementation can measure how the frequency response changes with time, a characteristic that is very important in our biotechnological application. The number of simultaneous components that the lock in can generate and measure can be extended, without reprogramming, by only using other DSPs of the same family that are code compatible and work at higher clock frequencies.

Sexual predators, energy development, and conservation in greater Yellowstone.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Joel; Beckmann, Jon P

2010-06-01

In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies-recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)-differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in-migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.

Fast convergent frequency-domain MIMO equalizer for few-mode fiber communication systems

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xuan; Weng, Yi; Wang, Junyi; Pan, Z.

2018-02-01

Space division multiplexing using few-mode fibers has been extensively explored to sustain the continuous traffic growth. In few-mode fiber optical systems, both spatial and polarization modes are exploited to transmit parallel channels, thus increasing the overall capacity. However, signals on spatial channels inevitably suffer from the intrinsic inter-modal coupling and large accumulated differential mode group delay (DMGD), which causes spatial modes de-multiplex even harder. Many research articles have demonstrated that frequency domain adaptive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) equalizer can effectively compensate the DMGD and demultiplex the spatial channels with digital signal processing (DSP). However, the large accumulated DMGD usually requires a large number of training blocks for the initial convergence of adaptive MIMO equalizers, which will decrease the overall system efficiency and even degrade the equalizer performance in fast-changing optical channels. Least mean square (LMS) algorithm is always used in MIMO equalization to dynamically demultiplex the spatial signals. We have proposed to use signal power spectral density (PSD) dependent method and noise PSD directed method to improve the convergence speed of adaptive frequency domain LMS algorithm. We also proposed frequency domain recursive least square (RLS) algorithm to further increase the convergence speed of MIMO equalizer at cost of greater hardware complexity. In this paper, we will compare the hardware complexity and convergence speed of signal PSD dependent and noise power directed algorithms against the conventional frequency domain LMS algorithm. In our numerical study of a three-mode 112 Gbit/s PDM-QPSK optical system with 3000 km transmission, the noise PSD directed and signal PSD dependent methods could improve the convergence speed by 48.3% and 36.1% respectively, at cost of 17.2% and 10.7% higher hardware complexity. We will also compare the frequency domain RLS algorithm against

Increased frequency of single base substitutions in a population of transcripts expressed in cancer cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bianchetti Laurent

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Single Base Substitutions (SBS that alter transcripts expressed in cancer originate from somatic mutations. However, recent studies report SBS in transcripts that are not supported by the genomic DNA of tumor cells. Methods We used sequence based whole genome expression profiling, namely Long-SAGE (L-SAGE and Tag-seq (a combination of L-SAGE and deep sequencing, and computational methods to identify transcripts with greater SBS frequencies in cancer. Millions of tags produced by 40 healthy and 47 cancer L-SAGE experiments were compared to 1,959 Reference Tags (RT, i.e. tags matching the human genome exactly once. Similarly, tens of millions of tags produced by 7 healthy and 8 cancer Tag-seq experiments were compared to 8,572 RT. For each transcript, SBS frequencies in healthy and cancer cells were statistically tested for equality. Results In the L-SAGE and Tag-seq experiments, 372 and 4,289 transcripts respectively, showed greater SBS frequencies in cancer. Increased SBS frequencies could not be attributed to known Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP, catalogued somatic mutations or RNA-editing enzymes. Hypothesizing that Single Tags (ST, i.e. tags sequenced only once, were indicators of SBS, we observed that ST proportions were heterogeneously distributed across Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC, healthy differentiated and cancer cells. ESC had the lowest ST proportions, whereas cancer cells had the greatest. Finally, in a series of experiments carried out on a single patient at 1 healthy and 3 consecutive tumor stages, we could show that SBS frequencies increased during cancer progression. Conclusion If the mechanisms generating the base substitutions could be known, increased SBS frequency in transcripts would be a new useful biomarker of cancer. With the reduction of sequencing cost, sequence based whole genome expression profiling could be used to characterize increased SBS frequency in patient’s tumor and aid diagnostic.

Increased frequency of single base substitutions in a population of transcripts expressed in cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianchetti, Laurent; Kieffer, David; Féderkeil, Rémi; Poch, Olivier

2012-01-01

Single Base Substitutions (SBS) that alter transcripts expressed in cancer originate from somatic mutations. However, recent studies report SBS in transcripts that are not supported by the genomic DNA of tumor cells. We used sequence based whole genome expression profiling, namely Long-SAGE (L-SAGE) and Tag-seq (a combination of L-SAGE and deep sequencing), and computational methods to identify transcripts with greater SBS frequencies in cancer. Millions of tags produced by 40 healthy and 47 cancer L-SAGE experiments were compared to 1,959 Reference Tags (RT), i.e. tags matching the human genome exactly once. Similarly, tens of millions of tags produced by 7 healthy and 8 cancer Tag-seq experiments were compared to 8,572 RT. For each transcript, SBS frequencies in healthy and cancer cells were statistically tested for equality. In the L-SAGE and Tag-seq experiments, 372 and 4,289 transcripts respectively, showed greater SBS frequencies in cancer. Increased SBS frequencies could not be attributed to known Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP), catalogued somatic mutations or RNA-editing enzymes. Hypothesizing that Single Tags (ST), i.e. tags sequenced only once, were indicators of SBS, we observed that ST proportions were heterogeneously distributed across Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC), healthy differentiated and cancer cells. ESC had the lowest ST proportions, whereas cancer cells had the greatest. Finally, in a series of experiments carried out on a single patient at 1 healthy and 3 consecutive tumor stages, we could show that SBS frequencies increased during cancer progression. If the mechanisms generating the base substitutions could be known, increased SBS frequency in transcripts would be a new useful biomarker of cancer. With the reduction of sequencing cost, sequence based whole genome expression profiling could be used to characterize increased SBS frequency in patient’s tumor and aid diagnostic

Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameron, Jameason D; Cyr, Marie-Josée; Doucet, Eric

2010-04-01

There have been reports of an inverse relationship between meal frequency (MF) and adiposity. It has been postulated that this may be explained by favourable effects of increased MF on appetite control and possibly on gut peptides as well. The main goal of the present study was to investigate whether using a high MF could lead to a greater weight loss than that obtained with a low MF under conditions of similar energy restriction. Subjects were randomised into two treatment arms (high MF = 3 meals+3 snacks/d or low MF = 3 meals/d) and subjected to the same dietary energy restriction of - 2931 kJ/d for 8 weeks. Sixteen obese adults (n 8 women and 8 men; age 34.6 (sd 9.5); BMI 37.1 (sd 4.5) kg/m2) completed the study. Overall, there was a 4.7 % decrease in body weight (P weight loss under the conditions described in the present study.

[Relating costs to activities in hospitals. Use of internal cost accounting].

Science.gov (United States)

Stavem, K

1995-01-10

During the last few years hospital cost accounting has become widespread in many countries, in parallel with increasing cost pressure, greater competition and new financing schemes. Cost accounting has been used in the manufacturing industry for many years. Costs can be related to activities and production, e.g. by the costing of procedures, episodes of care and other internally defined cost objectives. Norwegian hospitals have lagged behind in the adoption of cost accounting. They ought to act quickly if they want to be prepared for possible changes in health care financing. The benefits can be considerable to a hospital operating in a rapidly changing health care environment.

Costs for frequency reserve and regulation power options in Iceland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The price for ancillary services that ensures an efficient use of resources is equal to the marginal costs of providing these services. In an expanding hydro power system there are two optimal designs for expansion; one design is optimal when ancillary services are not to be provided and another design is optimal when these services are to be provided. The right price for ancillary services cover the net difference in costs between the two designs. The difference in design in an expanding system is specific for that particular system and hence no general number can be specified. In an expanding hydro power system, the efficient price typically covers parts of the marginal investment costs for excess capacity in turbine and generator, but no investment costs for waterways and reservoirs

Environmental damage costs from airborne pollution of industrial activities in the greater Athens, Greece area and the resulting benefits from the introduction of BAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirasgedis, S.; Hontou, V.; Georgopoulou, E.; Sarafidis, Y.; Gakis, N.; Lalas, D.P.; Loukatos, A.; Gargoulas, N.; Mentzis, A.; Economidis, D.; Triantafilopoulos, T.; Korizi, K.; Mavrotas, G.

2008-01-01

Attributing costs to the environmental impacts associated with industrial activities can greatly assist in protecting human health and the natural environment as monetary values are capable of directly influencing technological and policy decisions without changing the rules of the market. This paper attempts to estimate the external cost attributable to the atmospheric pollution from 'medium and high environmental burden' industrial activities located in the greater Athens area and the benefits from Best Available Techniques (BAT) introduction. To this end a number of typical installations were defined to be used in conjunction with the Impact Pathway Approach developed in the context of the ExternE project to model all industrial sectors/sub-sectors located in the area of interest. Total environmental externalities due to air pollutants emitted by these industrial activities were found to reach 211 M Euro per year, associated mainly with human mortality and morbidity due to PM 10 emissions, as well as with climate change impacts due to CO 2 emissions for which non-metallic minerals and oil processing industries are the main sources. The results obtained can be used as the basis for an integrated evaluation of potential BAT, taking into account not only private costs and benefits but also the environmental externalities, thus leading to policy decisions that maximize social welfare in each industrial sector/sub-sector

A new probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for greater Tokyo

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, R.S.; Toda, S.; Parsons, T.; Grunewald, E.; Blong, R.; Sparks, S.; Shah, H.; Kennedy, J.

2006-01-01

Tokyo and its outlying cities are home to one-quarter of Japan's 127 million people. Highly destructive earthquakes struck the capital in 1703, 1855 and 1923, the last of which took 105 000 lives. Fuelled by greater Tokyo's rich seismological record, but challenged by its magnificent complexity, our joint Japanese-US group carried out a new study of the capital's earthquake hazards. We used the prehistoric record of great earthquakes preserved by uplifted marine terraces and tsunami deposits (17 M???8 shocks in the past 7000 years), a newly digitized dataset of historical shaking (10 000 observations in the past 400 years), the dense modern seismic network (300 000 earthquakes in the past 30 years), and Japan's GeoNet array (150 GPS vectors in the past 10 years) to reinterpret the tectonic structure, identify active faults and their slip rates and estimate their earthquake frequency. We propose that a dislodged fragment of the Pacific plate is jammed between the Pacific, Philippine Sea and Eurasian plates beneath the Kanto plain on which Tokyo sits. We suggest that the Kanto fragment controls much of Tokyo's seismic behaviour for large earthquakes, including the damaging 1855 M???7.3 Ansei-Edo shock. On the basis of the frequency of earthquakes beneath greater Tokyo, events with magnitude and location similar to the M??? 7.3 Ansei-Edo event have a ca 20% likelihood in an average 30 year period. In contrast, our renewal (time-dependent) probability for the great M??? 7.9 plate boundary shocks such as struck in 1923 and 1703 is 0.5% for the next 30 years, with a time-averaged 30 year probability of ca 10%. The resulting net likelihood for severe shaking (ca 0.9g peak ground acceleration (PGA)) in Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama for the next 30 years is ca 30%. The long historical record in Kanto also affords a rare opportunity to calculate the probability of shaking in an alternative manner exclusively from intensity observations. This approach permits robust estimates

On time-frequence analysis of heart rate variability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.G. van Steenis (Hugo)

2002-01-01

textabstractThe aim of this research is to develop a time-frequency method suitable to study HRV in greater detail. The following approach was used: • two known time-frequency representations were applied to HRV to understand its advantages and disadvantages in describing HRV in frequency and in

FPGA implementation of high-frequency multiple PWM for variable voltage variable frequency controller

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boumaaraf, Abdelâali, E-mail: aboumaaraf@yahoo.fr [Université Abbès Laghrour, Laboratoire des capteurs, Instrumentations et procédés (LCIP), Khenchela (Algeria); University of Farhat Abbas Setif1, Sétif, 19000 (Algeria); Mohamadi, Tayeb [University of Farhat Abbas Setif1, Sétif, 19000 (Algeria); Gourmat, Laïd [Université Abbès Laghrour, Khenchela, 40000 (Algeria)

2016-07-25

In this paper, we present the FPGA implementation of the multiple pulse width modulation (MPWM) signal generation with repetition of data segments, applied to the variable frequency variable voltage systems and specially at to the photovoltaic water pumping system, in order to generate a signal command very easily between 10 Hz to 60 Hz with a small frequency and reduce the cost of the control system.

Broadcast Communication by System Frequency Modulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Douglass, Philip James; You, Shi; Heussen, Kai

2012-01-01

Load controllers available today can measure AC system frequency and react to frequency deviations. A system operator can communicate to frequency sensitive loads by changing the set-points of the system’s dispatchable frequency regulation resources. Explicitly signaling system state by generating...... off-nominal system frequency values is a novel narrowband broadcast communications channel between system operators and frequency sensitive distributed energy resources (FS-DER). The feasibility of the proposed system is evaluated on an existing island power system in Denmark. This study shows...... that within standard frequency quality constraints, 4 distinct symbols are feasible on the island. However, the overarching imperative of system stability prevents the symbols from having arbitrary meanings. Higher frequency values must translate into greater consumption from loads, and vice versa. Within...

Herbivory eliminates fitness costs of mutualism exploiters.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonsen, Anna K; Stinchcombe, John R

2014-04-01

A common empirical observation in mutualistic interactions is the persistence of variation in partner quality and, in particular, the persistence of exploitative phenotypes. For mutualisms between hosts and symbionts, most mutualism theory assumes that exploiters always impose fitness costs on their host. We exposed legume hosts to mutualistic (nitrogen-fixing) and exploitative (non-nitrogen-fixing) symbiotic rhizobia in field conditions, and manipulated the presence or absence of insect herbivory to determine if the costly fitness effects of exploitative rhizobia are context-dependent. Exploitative rhizobia predictably reduced host fitness when herbivores were excluded. However, insects caused greater damage on hosts associating with mutualistic rhizobia, as a consequence of feeding preferences related to leaf nitrogen content, resulting in the elimination of fitness costs imposed on hosts by exploitative rhizobia. Our experiment shows that herbivory is potentially an important factor in influencing the evolutionary dynamic between legumes and rhizobia. Partner choice and host sanctioning are theoretically predicted to stabilize mutualisms by reducing the frequency of exploitative symbionts. We argue that herbivore pressure may actually weaken selection on choice and sanction mechanisms, thus providing one explanation of why host-based discrimination mechanisms may not be completely effective in eliminating nonbeneficial partners. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Planning for greater confinement disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Meshkov, N.K.; Trevorrow, L.E.; Yu, C.

1985-01-01

A report that provides guidance for planning for greater-confinement disposal (GCD) of low-level radioactive waste is being prepared. The report addresses procedures for selecting a GCD technology and provides information for implementing these procedures. The focus is on GCD; planning aspects common to GCD and shallow-land burial are covered by reference. Planning procedure topics covered include regulatory requirements, waste characterization, benefit-cost-risk assessment and pathway analysis methodologies, determination of need, waste-acceptance criteria, performance objectives, and comparative assessment of attributes that support these objectives. The major technologies covered include augered shafts, deep trenches, engineered structures, hydrofracture, improved waste forms, and high-integrity containers. Descriptive information is provided, and attributes that are relevant for risk assessment and operational requirements are given. 10 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

Bioenergetic components of reproductive effort in viviparous snakes: costs of vitellogenesis exceed costs of pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dyke, James U; Beaupre, Steven J

2011-12-01

Reproductive effort has been defined as the proportion of an organism's energy budget that is allocated to reproduction over a biologically meaningful time period. Historically, studies of reproductive bioenergetics considered energy content of gametes, but not costs of gamete production. Although metabolic costs of vitellogenesis (MCV) fundamentally reflect the primary bioenergetic cost of reproductive allocation in female reptiles, the few investigations that have considered costs of reproductive allocation have focused on metabolic costs of pregnancy (MCP) in viviparous species. We define MCP as energetic costs incurred by pregnant females, including all costs of maintaining gestation conditions necessary for embryogenesis. MCP by our definition do not include fetal costs of embryogenesis. We measured metabolic rates in five species of viviparous snakes (Agkistrodon contortrix, Boa constrictor, Eryx colubrinus, Nerodia sipedon, and Thamnophis sirtalis) during vitellogenesis and pregnancy in order to estimate MCV and MCP. Across all species, MCV were responsible for 30% increases in maternal metabolism. Phylogenetically-independent contrasts showed that MCV were significantly greater in B. constrictor than in other species, likely because B. constrictor yolk energy content was greater than that of other species. Estimates of MCP were not significantly different from zero in any species. In viviparous snakes, MCV appear to represent significant bioenergetic expenditures, while MCP do not. We suggest that MCV, together with yolk energy content, represent the most significant component of reptilian reproductive effort, and therefore deserve greater attention than MCP in studies of reptilian reproductive bioenergetics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Sterile Compounding Batch Frequency on Pharmaceutical Waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbasi, Ghalib; Gay, Evan

2017-01-01

Purpose: To measure the impact of increasing sterile compounding batch frequency on pharmaceutical waste as it relates to cost and quantity. Methods: Pharmaceutical IV waste at a tertiary care hospital was observed and recorded for 7 days. The batching frequency of compounded sterile products (CSPs) was then increased from twice daily to 4 times daily. After a washout period, pharmaceutical IV waste was then recorded for another 7 days. The quantity of units wasted and the cost were compared between both phases to determine the impact that batching frequency has on IV waste, specifically among high- and low-cost drugs. Results: Patient days increased from 2,459 during phase 1 to 2,617 during phase 2. The total number of CSPs wasted decreased from 3.6 to 2.7 doses per 100 patient days. Overall cost was reduced from $4,585.36 in phase 1 to $4,453.88 in phase 2. The value of wasted high-cost drugs per 100 patient days increased from $146 in phase 1 to $149 in phase 2 ( p > .05). The value of wasted low cost drugs per 100 patient days decreased from $41 in phase 1 to $21 in phase 2 ( p waste quantity and cost. The highest impact of the intervention was observed among low-cost CSPs.

Demand as frequency controlled reserve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Z.; Togeby, M.; OEstergaard, J.

2008-09-15

Using demand as frequency controlled reserve (DFR) is an emerging technology which allow demand to participate actively in maintaining the system operation without reducing the energy service delivered to the customer and without need of user interaction. The basic premise is that traditional frequency controlled reserves from power plants and interconnections with neighbouring systems can be costly, slow and not fulfil the need for future power grids with a high share of wind power and fewer central power plants, and an intention to perform flexible operation such as is landing. Electricity demands, on the other hand, have advantages as frequency reserve including fast activation speed, smooth linear activation, low expected costs, and well-dispersed in the distribution grid. The main challenge of DFR is new methods for monitoring the available capacity. This project has investigated the technology of using electricity demands for providing frequency reserve to power systems. Within the project the potential and economy of DFR compatible loads in Denmark has been investigated, control logic has been designed, power system impact has been investigated, potential business models has been evaluated and an implementation strategy has been suggested. The tasks and goals of the project have been successfully accomplished based on which the conclusion and future recommendation are made. This project has developed the DFR technology that enables electricity demands to autonomously disconnect or reconnect to the grid in response to system frequency variations. The developed DFR technology is proved to be a promising technology from several perspectives. Technically, using DFR is feasible to provide reserves and enhance power system frequency control, while fulfilling technical requirements such as linear activation (or reconnection) according to frequency (or time). Environmentally, the DFR technology is pollution free in contrast to traditional reserves from generation

Reactive control processes contributing to residual switch cost and mixing cost in young and old adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Rebecca Whitson

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In task-switching paradigms, performance is better when repeating the same task than when alternating between tasks (switch cost and when repeating a task alone rather than intermixed with another task (mixing cost. These costs remain even after extensive practice and when task cues enable advanced preparation (residual costs. Moreover, residual RT mixing cost has been consistently shown to increase with age. Residual switch and mixing costs modulate the amplitude of the stimulus-locked P3b. This mixing effect is disproportionately larger in older adults who also prepare more for and respond more cautiously on these ‘mixed’ repeat trials (Karayanidis et al., 2011. In this study, we examine stimulus-locked and response-locked P3 and lateralized readiness potentials to identify whether residual switch and mixing cost arise from the need to control interference at the level of stimulus processing or response processing. Residual mixing cost was associated with control of stimulus-level interference, whereas residual switch cost was also associated with a delay in response selection. In older adults, the disproportionate increase in mixing cost was associated with greater interference at the level of decision-response mapping and response programming for repeat trials in mixed-task blocks. We argue that, together with evidence of greater proactive control and more cautious responding for these trials, these findings suggest that older adults strategically recruit greater proactive and reactive control to overcome increased susceptibility to post-stimulus interference. This interpretation is consistent with recruitment of compensatory strategies to compensate for reduced repetition benefit rather than an overall decline on cognitive flexibility.

[Cost effectiveness of workplace smoking policies].

Science.gov (United States)

Raaijmakers, Tamara; van den Borne, Inge

2003-01-01

This study reviews the motivations of companies to set out a policy for controlling smoking, the economic benefits for the company resulting from such a policy and the costs, broken down by European Union countries. The literature on the costs of implementing a policy related to smoking at the workplace is reviewed. The main objective of policies related to smoking at the workplace is that of safeguarding employees from environmental tobacco smoke. Other reasons are cutting costs, improving the company image, and reducing absenteeism, occupational accidents, internal quarrels and extra costs due to cigarette smoking, protection against environmental tobacco smoke does not entail any higher costs for companies, and economic advantages are visible. The benefits are by far greater than the costs involved, particularly on a long-range basis, and seem to be greater when smoking at the workplace is completely prohibited and no smoking areas are set.

Understanding Time-driven Activity-based Costing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharan, Alok D; Schroeder, Gregory D; West, Michael E; Vaccaro, Alexander R

2016-03-01

Transitioning to a value-based health care system will require providers to increasingly scrutinize their outcomes and costs. Although there has been a great deal of effort to understand outcomes, cost accounting in health care has been a greater challenge. Currently the cost accounting methods used by hospitals and providers are based off a fee-for-service system. As resources become increasingly scarce and the health care system attempts to understand which services provide the greatest value, it will be critically important to understand the true costs of delivering a service. An understanding of the true costs of a particular service will help providers make smarter decisions on how to allocate and utilize resources as well as determine which activities are nonvalue added. Achieving value will require providers to have a greater focus on accurate outcome data as well as better methods of cost accounting.

Low-cost, digital lock-in module with external reference for coating glass transmission/reflection spectrophotometer

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso, R.; Villuendas, F.; Borja, J.; Barragán, L. A.; Salinas, I.

2003-05-01

A versatile, low-cost, digital signal processor (DSP) based lock-in module with external reference is described. This module is used to implement an industrial spectrophotometer for measuring spectral transmission and reflection of automotive and architectonic coating glasses over the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared wavelength range. The light beams are modulated with an optical chopper. A digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) is used to lock the lock-in to the chop frequency. The lock-in rejects the ambient radiation and permits the spectrophotometer to work in the presence of ambient light. The algorithm that implements the dual lock-in and the DPLL in the DSP56002 evaluation module from Motorola is described. The use of a DSP allows implementation of the lock-in and DPLL by software, which gives flexibility and programmability to the system. Lock-in module cost, under 300 euro, is an important parameter taking into account that two modules are used in the system. Besides, the algorithms implemented in this DSP can be directly implemented in the latest DSP generations. The DPLL performance and the spectrophotometer are characterized. Capture and lock DPLL ranges have been measured and checked to be greater than the chop frequency drifts. The lock-in measured frequency response shows that the lock-in performs as theoretically predicted.

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Different Weekly Frequencies of Pilates for Chronic Low Back Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyamoto, Gisela Cristiane; Moura, Katherinne Ferro; Franco, Yuri Rafael dos Santos; Oliveira, Naiane Teixeira Bastos de; Amaral, Diego Diulgeroglo Vicco; Branco, Amanda Nery Castelo; Silva, Maria Liliane da; Lin, Christine; Cabral, Cristina Maria Nunes

2016-03-01

The Pilates method has been recommended to patients with low back pain, but the evidence on effectiveness is inconclusive. In addition, there is still no evidence for the cost-effectiveness of this method or for the ideal number of sessions to achieve the highest effectiveness. The aim of this study will be to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Pilates method with different weekly frequencies in the treatment of patients with nonspecific low back pain. This is a randomized controlled trial with blinded assessor. This study will be conducted at a physical therapy clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. Two hundred ninety-six patients with nonspecific low back pain between the ages of 18 and 80 years will be assessed and randomly allocated to 4 groups (n=74 patients per group). All groups will receive an educational booklet. The booklet group will not receive additional exercises. Pilates group 1 will follow a Pilates-based program once a week, Pilates group 2 will follow the same program twice a week, and Pilates group 3 will follow the same program 3 times a week. The intervention will last 6 weeks. A blinded assessor will evaluate pain, quality-adjusted life-years, general and specific disability, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, and global perceived effect 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after randomization. Therapists and patients will not be blinded. This will be the first study to investigate different weekly frequencies of treatment sessions for nonspecific low back pain. The results of this study will contribute to a better definition of treatment programs for this population. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Use of spikants in HTGR fuel and their effect on costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, L.H.

1979-05-01

The costs of fresh fuel fabrication have been estimated for flowsheets that have spikant added (Co-60) at various points. The costs are compared with refabricated and fresh fuel fabrication costs. It is shown that the costs increase as the spikant is added nearer to the plant feed point. The least cost is achieved by adding a detachable spikant to the finished fuel element. The highest cost is incurred when the spikant is fed in with the plant feed. This cost is greater than that for refabricated fuel because extra process cells are necessary to prepare the spikant and, in addition, the gamma flux from the Co-60 is much greater than from U-232 and greater precautions have to be taken

Cost studies of thermally enhanced in situ soil remediation technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bremser, J.; Booth, S.R.

1996-05-01

This report describes five thermally enhanced technologies that may be used to remediate contaminated soil and water resources. The standard methods of treating these contaminated areas are Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE), Excavate ampersand Treat (E ampersand T), and Pump ampersand Treat (P ampersand T). Depending on the conditions at a given site, one or more of these conventional alternatives may be employed; however, several new thermally enhanced technologies for soil decontamination are emerging. These technologies are still in demonstration programs which generally are showing great success at achieving the expected remediation results. The cost savings reported in this work assume that the technologies will ultimately perform as anticipated by their developers in a normal environmental restoration work environment. The five technologies analyzed in this report are Low Frequency Heating (LF or Ohmic, both 3 and 6 phase AC), Dynamic Underground Stripping (DUS), Radio Frequency Heating (RF), Radio Frequency Heating using Dipole Antennae (RFD), and Thermally Enhanced Vapor Extraction System (TEVES). In all of these technologies the introduction of heat to the formation raises vapor pressures accelerating contaminant evaporation rates and increases soil permeability raising diffusion rates of contaminants. The physical process enhancements resulting from temperature elevations permit a greater percentage of volatile organic compound (VOC) or semi- volatile organic compound (SVOC) contaminants to be driven out of the soils for treatment or capture in a much shorter time period. This report presents the results of cost-comparative studies between these new thermally enhanced technologies and the conventional technologies, as applied to five specific scenarios

The cost of electrocoagulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donini, J.C.; Kan, J.; Szynkarczuk, J.; Hassan, T.A.; Kar, K.L.

1993-01-01

Electrocoagulation could be an attractive and suitable method for separating solids from waste water. The electrocoagulation of kaolinite and bentonite suspensions was studied in a pilot electrocoagulation unit to assess the cost and efficiency of the process. Factors affecting cost such as the formation of passivation layers on electrode plates and the recirculation and concentration of sodium chloride were examined. Colorimetry was used to analyze aluminum content in the suspension. The results were used to calculate the cost due to consumption of electrode material (aluminium) during the process. Total cost was assumed to comprise the energy cost and the cost of electrode material. Comparison was based on the settling properties of the treated product: turbidity, settling rate, and cake height. In most cases, aluminium efficiency averaged around 200% and material cost accounted for 80% of total cost. Although higher concentrations of sodium chloride could only slightly increase aluminium efficiency and electrode efficiency, the higher concentrations resulted in much greater total cost, due to the greater current generated by the increased suspension conductivity, which in turn dissolved a larger amount of aluminium. The recirculation loop increased the flow rate by 3-10 times, enhancing the mass transport between the electrodes and resulting in lower cost and better settling properties. Over the course of two months the electrodes coatings became thicker while efficiency decreased. The electrode efficiency was found to be as high as 94% for virgin electrodes and as low as 10% after two months. 8 refs., 25 figs., 9 tabs.

Risk assessment and management of brucellosis in the southern greater Yellowstone area (II): Cost-benefit analysis of reducing elk brucellosis prevalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Boroff, Kari; Kauffman, Mandy; Peck, Dannele; Maichak, Eric; Scurlock, Brandon; Schumaker, Brant

2016-11-01

Recent cases of bovine brucellosis (Brucella abortus) in cattle (Bos taurus) and domestic bison (Bison bison) of the southern Greater Yellowstone Area (SGYA) have been traced back to free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus). Several management activities have been implemented to reduce brucellosis seroprevalence in elk, including test-and-slaughter, low-density feeding at elk winter feedgrounds, and elk vaccination. It is unclear which of these activities are most cost-effective at reducing the risk of elk transmitting brucellosis to cattle. In a companion paper, a stochastic risk model was used to translate a reduction in elk seroprevalence to a reduction in the risk of transmission to cattle. Here, we use those results to estimate the expected economic benefits and costs of reducing seroprevalence in elk using three different management activities: vaccination of elk with Brucella strain 19 (S19), low-density feeding of elk, and elk test-and-slaughter. Results indicate that the three elk management activities yield negative expected net benefits, ranging from -$2983 per year for low-density feeding to -$595,471 per year for test-and-slaughter. Society's risk preferences will determine whether strategies that generate small negative net benefit, such as low-density feeding, are worth implementing. However, activities with large negative net benefits, such as test-and-slaughter and S19 vaccination, are unlikely to be economically worthwhile. Given uncertainty about various model parameters, we identify some circumstances in which individual management activities might generate positive expected net benefit. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hearing and evasive behavior in the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Pyralidae)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skals, Niels; Surlykke, Annemarie

2000-01-01

Greater wax moths (Galleria mellonella L., Pyraloidea) use ultrasound sensitive ears to detect clicking conspeci®cs and echolocating bats. Pyralid ears have four sensory cells, A1±4. The audiogram of G. mellonella has best frequency at 60 kHz with a threshold around 47 dB sound pressure level. A1...

Correcting the bias of empirical frequency parameter estimators in codon models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergei Kosakovsky Pond

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Markov models of codon substitution are powerful inferential tools for studying biological processes such as natural selection and preferences in amino acid substitution. The equilibrium character distributions of these models are almost always estimated using nucleotide frequencies observed in a sequence alignment, primarily as a matter of historical convention. In this note, we demonstrate that a popular class of such estimators are biased, and that this bias has an adverse effect on goodness of fit and estimates of substitution rates. We propose a "corrected" empirical estimator that begins with observed nucleotide counts, but accounts for the nucleotide composition of stop codons. We show via simulation that the corrected estimates outperform the de facto standard estimates not just by providing better estimates of the frequencies themselves, but also by leading to improved estimation of other parameters in the evolutionary models. On a curated collection of sequence alignments, our estimators show a significant improvement in goodness of fit compared to the approach. Maximum likelihood estimation of the frequency parameters appears to be warranted in many cases, albeit at a greater computational cost. Our results demonstrate that there is little justification, either statistical or computational, for continued use of the -style estimators.

Nanoelectromechanical systems: Nanodevice motion at microwave frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Henry Huang, Xue Ming; Zorman, Christian A.; Mehregany, Mehran; Roukes, Michael L.

2003-01-01

It has been almost forgotten that the first computers envisaged by Charles Babbage in the early 1800s were mechanical and not electronic, but the development of high-frequency nanoelectromechanical systems is now promising a range of new applications, including sensitive mechanical charge detectors and mechanical devices for high-frequency signal processing, biological imaging and quantum measurement. Here we describe the construction of nanodevices that will operate with fundamental frequencies in the previously inaccessible microwave range (greater than 1 gigahertz). This achievement represents a significant advance in the quest for extremely high-frequency nanoelectromechanical systems.

Management and cost accounting

CERN Document Server

Drury, Colin

1992-01-01

This third edition of a textbook on management and cost accounting features coverage of activity-based costing (ABC), advance manufacturing technologies (AMTs), JIT, MRP, target costing, life-cycle costing, strategic management accounting, total quality management and customer profitability analysis. Also included are revised and new end-of-chapter problems taken from past examination papers of CIMA, ACCA and ICAEW. There is increased reference to management accounting in practice, including many of the results of the author's CIMA sponsored survey, and greater emphasis on operational control and performance measurement.

Semantic priming increases word frequency judgments: Evidence for the role of memory strength in frequency estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Woltz, Dan J; Gardner, Michael K

2015-09-01

Previous research has demonstrated a systematic, nonlinear relationship between word frequency judgments and values from word frequency norms. This relationship could reflect a perceptual process similar to that found in the psychophysics literature for a variety of sensory phenomena. Alternatively, it could reflect memory strength differences that are expected for words of varying levels of prior exposure. Two experiments tested the memory strength explanation by semantically priming words prior to frequency judgments. Exposure to related word meanings produced a small but measurable increase in target word frequency ratings. Repetition but not semantic priming had a greater impact on low compared to high frequency words. These findings are consistent with a memory strength view of frequency judgments that assumes a distributed network with lexical and semantic levels of representation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Benefit and cost curves for typical pollination mutualisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, William F; Vázquez, Diego P; Chacoff, Natacha P

2010-05-01

Mutualisms provide benefits to interacting species, but they also involve costs. If costs come to exceed benefits as population density or the frequency of encounters between species increases, the interaction will no longer be mutualistic. Thus curves that represent benefits and costs as functions of interaction frequency are important tools for predicting when a mutualism will tip over into antagonism. Currently, most of what we know about benefit and cost curves in pollination mutualisms comes from highly specialized pollinating seed-consumer mutualisms, such as the yucca moth-yucca interaction. There, benefits to female reproduction saturate as the number of visits to a flower increases (because the amount of pollen needed to fertilize all the flower's ovules is finite), but costs continue to increase (because pollinator offspring consume developing seeds), leading to a peak in seed production at an intermediate number of visits. But for most plant-pollinator mutualisms, costs to the plant are more subtle than consumption of seeds, and how such costs scale with interaction frequency remains largely unknown. Here, we present reasonable benefit and cost curves that are appropriate for typical pollinator-plant interactions, and we show how they can result in a wide diversity of relationships between net benefit (benefit minus cost) and interaction frequency. We then use maximum-likelihood methods to fit net-benefit curves to measures of female reproductive success for three typical pollination mutualisms from two continents, and for each system we chose the most parsimonious model using information-criterion statistics. We discuss the implications of the shape of the net-benefit curve for the ecology and evolution of plant-pollinator mutualisms, as well as the challenges that lie ahead for disentangling the underlying benefit and cost curves for typical pollination mutualisms.

The impact of the prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities on therapy service provision: a transaction cost approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinn, Jacqueline S; Mor, Vincent; Intrator, Orna; Feng, Zhanlian; Angelelli, Joseph; Davis, Jullet A

2003-12-01

To examine skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) "make-or-buy" decisions with respect to rehabilitation therapy service provision in the 1990s, both before and after implementation of Medicare's Prospective Payment System (PPS) for SNFs. Longitudinal On-line Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data (1992-2001) on a sample of 10,241 freestanding urban SNFs. We estimated a longitudinal multinomial logistic regression model derived from transaction cost economic theory to predict the probability of the outcome in each of four service provision categories (all employed staff, all contract, mixed, and no services provided). Transaction frequency, uncertainty, and complexity result in greater control over therapy services through employment as opposed to outside contracting. For-profit status and chain affiliation were associated with greater control over therapy services. Following PPS, nursing homes acted to limit transaction costs by either exiting the rehabilitation market or exerting greater control over therapy services by managing rehabilitation services in-house. The financial incentives associated with changes in reimbursement methodology have implications that extend beyond the boundaries of the health care industry segment directly affected. Unintended quality and access consequences need to be carefully monitored by the Medicare program.

Starship Sails Propelled by Cost-Optimized Directed Energy

Science.gov (United States)

Benford, J.

Microwave and laser-propelled sails are a new class of spacecraft using photon acceleration. It is the only method of interstellar flight that has no physics issues. Laboratory demonstrations of basic features of beam-driven propulsion, flight, stability (`beam-riding'), and induced spin, have been completed in the last decade, primarily in the microwave. It offers much lower cost probes after a substantial investment in the launcher. Engineering issues are being addressed by other applications: fusion (microwave, millimeter and laser sources) and astronomy (large aperture antennas). There are many candidate sail materials: carbon nanotubes and microtrusses, beryllium, graphene, etc. For acceleration of a sail, what is the cost-optimum high power system? Here the cost is used to constrain design parameters to estimate system power, aperture and elements of capital and operating cost. From general relations for cost-optimal transmitter aperture and power, system cost scales with kinetic energy and inversely with sail diameter and frequency. So optimal sails will be larger, lower in mass and driven by higher frequency beams. Estimated costs include economies of scale. We present several starship point concepts. Systems based on microwave, millimeter wave and laser technologies are of equal cost at today's costs. The frequency advantage of lasers is cancelled by the high cost of both the laser and the radiating optic. Cost of interstellar sailships is very high, driven by current costs for radiation source, antennas and especially electrical power. The high speeds necessary for fast interstellar missions make the operating cost exceed the capital cost. Such sailcraft will not be flown until the cost of electrical power in space is reduced orders of magnitude below current levels.

Greater tactile sensitivity and less use of immature psychological defense mechanisms predict women's penile-vaginal intercourse orgasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Brody, Stuart; Houde, Stephanie; Hess, Ursula

2010-09-01

Previous research has suggested that diminished tactile sensitivity might be associated with reduced sexual activity and function. Research has also demonstrated significant physiological and psychological differences between sexual behaviors, including immature psychological defense mechanisms (associated with various psychopathologies) impairing specifically women's orgasm from penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI). To examine the extent to which orgasm triggered by PVI (distinguished from other sexual activities) is associated with both greater tactile sensitivity and lesser use of immature psychological defenses. Seventy French-Canadian female university students (aged 18-30) had their finger sensitivity measured with von Frey type microfilaments, completed the Defense Style Questionnaire and a short form of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability scale, and provided details of the 1 month (and ever) frequencies of engaging in, and having an orgasm from, PVI, masturbation, anal intercourse, partner masturbation, and cunnilingus. Logistic and linear regression prediction of orgasm triggered by PVI from tactile sensitivity, age, social desirability responding, and immature psychological defenses. Having a PVI orgasm in the past month was associated with greater tactile sensitivity (odds ratio=4.0 for each filament point) and less use of immature defense mechanisms (odds ratio=5.1 for each scale point). Lifetime PVI orgasm was associated only with less use of immature defense mechanisms (and lower social desirability responding score). Orgasms triggered by other activities were not associated with either tactile sensitivity or immature defense mechanisms. Tactile sensitivity was also associated with greater past month PVI frequency (inclusion of PVI frequency in a logistic regression model displaced tactile sensitivity), and lesser use of immature defenses was associated with greater past month PVI and PVI orgasm frequencies. Both diminished physical sensitivity and the

Face Recognition Is Affected by Similarity in Spatial Frequency Range to a Greater Degree Than Within-Category Object Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Collin, Charles A.; Liu, Chang Hong; Troje, Nikolaus F.; McMullen, Patricia A.; Chaudhuri, Avi

2004-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that face identification is more sensitive to variations in spatial frequency content than object recognition, but none have compared how sensitive the 2 processes are to variations in spatial frequency overlap (SFO). The authors tested face and object matching accuracy under varying SFO conditions. Their results…

Cost Implications for Subsequent Perinatal Outcomes After IVF Stratified by Number of Embryos Transferred: A Five Year Analysis of Vermont Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpinello, Olivia J; Casson, Peter R; Kuo, Chia-Ling; Raj, Renju S; Sills, E Scott; Jones, Christopher A

2016-06-01

In states in the USA without in vitro fertilzation coverage (IVF) insurance coverage, more embryos are transferred per cycle leading to higher risks of multi-fetal pregnancies and adverse pregnancy outcomes. To determine frequency and cost of selected adverse perinatal complications based on number of embryos transferred during IVF, and calculate incremental cost per IVF live birth. Medical records of patients who conceived with IVF (n = 116) and delivered at >20 weeks gestational age between 2007 and 2011 were evaluated. Gestational age at delivery, low birth weight (LBW) term births, and delivery mode were tabulated. Healthcare costs per cohort, extrapolated costs assuming 100 patients per cohort, and incremental costs per infant delivered were calculated. The highest prematurity and cesarean section rates were recorded after double embryo transfers (DET), while the lowest rates were found in single embryo transfers (SET). Premature singleton deliveries increased directly with number of transferred embryos [6.3 % (SET), 9.1 % (DET) and 10.0 % for ≥3 embryos transferred]. This trend was also noted for rate of cesarean delivery [26.7 % (SET), 36.6 % (DET), and 47.1 % for ≥3 embryos transferred]. The proportion of LBW infants among deliveries after DET and for ≥3 embryos transferred was 3.9 and 9.1 %, respectively. Extrapolated costs per cohort were US$718,616, US$1,713,470 and US$1,227,396 for SET, DET, and ≥3 embryos transferred, respectively. Attempting to improve IVF pregnancy rates by permitting multiple embryo transfers results in sharply increased rates of multiple gestation and preterm delivery. This practice yields a greater frequency of adverse perinatal outcomes and substantially increased healthcare spending. Better efforts to encourage SET are necessary to normalize healthcare expenditures considering the frequency of very high cost sequela associated with IVF where multiple embryo transfers occur.

Reactive control processes contributing to residual switch cost and mixing cost across the adult lifespan.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitson, Lisa R; Karayanidis, Frini; Fulham, Ross; Provost, Alexander; Michie, Patricia T; Heathcote, Andrew; Hsieh, Shulan

2014-01-01

In task-switching paradigms, performance is better when repeating the same task than when alternating between tasks (switch cost) and when repeating a task alone rather than intermixed with another task (mixing cost). These costs remain even after extensive practice and when task cues enable advanced preparation (residual costs). Moreover, residual reaction time mixing cost has been consistently shown to increase with age. Residual switch and mixing costs modulate the amplitude of the stimulus-locked P3b. This mixing effect is disproportionately larger in older adults who also prepare more for and respond more cautiously on these "mixed" repeat trials (Karayanidis et al., 2011). In this paper, we analyze stimulus-locked and response-locked P3 and lateralized readiness potentials to identify whether residual switch and mixing cost arise from the need to control interference at the level of stimulus processing or response processing. Residual mixing cost was associated with control of stimulus-level interference, whereas residual switch cost was also associated with a delay in response selection. In older adults, the disproportionate increase in mixing cost was associated with greater interference at the level of decision-response mapping and response programming for repeat trials in mixed-task blocks. These findings suggest that older adults strategically recruit greater proactive and reactive control to overcome increased susceptibility to post-stimulus interference. This interpretation is consistent with recruitment of compensatory strategies to compensate for reduced repetition benefit rather than an overall decline on cognitive flexibility.

Experimental determination of optimum annual cleaning frequency and costs for transparent glass covers used in solar devices in Sokoto, Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maduekwe, A. A. L.; Garba, B.; Atiku, A. T.

1997-01-01

Transparent covers used in solar collectors collect both solar radiation and dirt from the environment. The dirt collected reduces the amount of useful incident solar radiation that would have been transmitted into system. Samples of ordinary glass used as transparent covers in solar devices at Sokoto Energy Research Centre were exposed to the weather for a period of one year. Cleaning was done on daily, weekly, bi-monthly and monthly basis. A sample was left uncleaned throughout the period. Using the measured average daily transmittance for all seasons as a constant for such glass covers in Sokoto showed that varying the cost/wash/collector for a collector of one-square metre receiver area from =N=0.50 to =N=50.00, would vary the frequency of washing the collector covers from 160 down to 25 times annually respectively. Cost of washing per annum would also vary from 79.90 Naira to 834.46 Naira

Multiple frequency audio signal communication as a mechanism for neurophysiology and video data synchronization.

Science.gov (United States)

Topper, Nicholas C; Burke, Sara N; Maurer, Andrew Porter

2014-12-30

Current methods for aligning neurophysiology and video data are either prepackaged, requiring the additional purchase of a software suite, or use a blinking LED with a stationary pulse-width and frequency. These methods lack significant user interface for adaptation, are expensive, or risk a misalignment of the two data streams. A cost-effective means to obtain high-precision alignment of behavioral and neurophysiological data is obtained by generating an audio-pulse embedded with two domains of information, a low-frequency binary-counting signal and a high, randomly changing frequency. This enabled the derivation of temporal information while maintaining enough entropy in the system for algorithmic alignment. The sample to frame index constructed using the audio input correlation method described in this paper enables video and data acquisition to be aligned at a sub-frame level of precision. Traditionally, a synchrony pulse is recorded on-screen via a flashing diode. The higher sampling rate of the audio input of the camcorder enables the timing of an event to be detected with greater precision. While on-line analysis and synchronization using specialized equipment may be the ideal situation in some cases, the method presented in the current paper presents a viable, low cost alternative, and gives the flexibility to interface with custom off-line analysis tools. Moreover, the ease of constructing and implements this set-up presented in the current paper makes it applicable to a wide variety of applications that require video recording. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frequency of gamma-ray bursts greater than 3 x 10 to the -6th erg/sq cm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Share, G.H.; Wood, K.; Meekins, J.; Yantis, D.J.

1982-01-01

Results are presented for gamma-ray burst observations with the Large Area Sky Survey instrument on HEAD-1. It is noted that during the time HEAD-1 was operational, the instrument detected at least 12 confirmed gamma-ray bursts with intensities greater than 3 microerg/sq cm and identified six additional unconfirmed bursts. The rates of gamma-ray bursts are estimated to be about 125 per yr for intensities greater than 3 microserg/sq cm and approximately 50 per yr for intensities preater than 10 microerg/yr. The data are shown to yield a log N - log S relation for gamma-ray bursts that is consistent with a spherical distrubution of sources within the Galaxy and having a broad range of intrinsic luminosities

Health Care Resource Utilization and Costs in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia with Better Adherence to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Increased Molecular Monitoring Frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Latremouille-Viau, Dominick; Guerin, Annie; Gagnon-Sanschagrin, Patrick; Dea, Katherine; Cohen, Benjamin G; Joseph, George J

2017-02-01

Frequent molecular monitoring (qPCR tests), as recommended by evidence-based monitoring guidelines, is associated with higher adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML); both factors have been associated with better clinical and economic outcomes. To (a) estimate the effect of more frequent qPCR tests on health care resource utilization (HRU) and associated costs, including direct (effect of qPCR test frequency on HRU) and indirect (through TKI adherence) effects, and (b) develop an economic model applicable to multiple clinical practice scenarios. Adult patients newly diagnosed with CML who started TKI firstline therapy were identified from U.S. administrative claims data (2010-2015). TKI adherence (medication possession ratio [MPR]), number of inpatient days, emergency room (ER) visits, outpatient service days, and mean costs per HRU event were measured during the first year of CML treatment. Direct and indirect effects of qPCR test frequency were estimated using multivariate regression models. Subsequently, an economic model was developed to assess the overall effect of varying qPCR test frequency on HRU and associated costs during the first year of CML treatment under different clinical practice scenarios; the scenario reported is the increase from 1 to 2 qPCR tests. Of the 1,431 patients included, 36% had no qPCR tests, the average qPCR test frequency was 1.6, and the average MPR was 0.86 during the first year of CML treatment. The direct effect of increasing qPCR test frequency by 1 was associated with 13.0% fewer inpatient days (adjusted incidence rate ratio [adjusted IRR] = 0.87; P = 0.010); 8.3% fewer ER visits (adjusted IRR = 0.92; P = 0.043); and 3.0% more outpatient service days (adjusted IRR = 1.03; P = 0.002). Each increase of 1 test was associated with an increase in TKI adherence by 2.2 percentage points (adjusted MPR difference = 0.022; P better adherence to TKIs were associated with lower HRU

Cost-effectiveness of human papillomavirus vaccination and cervical cancer screening in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, M; Ortendahl, J; van der Ham, E; Sy, S; Kim, J J

2012-01-01

To assess the health and economic outcomes of various screening and vaccination strategies for cervical cancer prevention. Cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective. Thailand. Females aged 9 years and older. Using a mathematical model of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer, calibrated to epidemiological data from Thailand, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of pre-adolescent HPV vaccination, screening [visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), HPV DNA testing, and cytology] between one and five times per lifetime in adulthood, and combined pre-adolescent vaccination and screening. Vaccine efficacy, coverage, cost, and screening frequency were varied in sensitivity analyses. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, expressed as cost per year of life saved (YLS). Assuming lifelong efficacy and 80% coverage, pre-adolescent HPV vaccination alone was projected to reduce the lifetime risk of cervical cancer by 55%, which was greater than any strategy of screening alone. When cost per vaccinated girl was I$10 (approximately $2 per dose) or less, HPV vaccination alone was cost saving. Pre-adolescent vaccination and HPV DNA testing five times per lifetime, starting at age 35 years, reduced the lifetime cervical cancer risk by 70%, and had a cost-effectiveness ratio less than Thailand's GDP per capita (I$8100), provided the cost per vaccinated girl was I$200 or less. Low cost pre-adolescent HPV vaccination followed by HPV screening five times per lifetime is an efficient strategy for Thailand. Costs may need to be lower, however, for this strategy to be affordable. If vaccination is not feasible, HPV DNA testing five times per lifetime is efficient. © 2011 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2011 RCOG.

Incremental cost and cost-effectiveness of low-dose, high-frequency training in basic emergency obstetric and newborn care as compared to status quo: part of a cluster-randomized training intervention evaluation in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Willcox, Michelle; Harrison, Heather; Asiedu, Amos; Nelson, Allyson; Gomez, Patricia; LeFevre, Amnesty

2017-12-06

Low-dose, high-frequency (LDHF) training is a new approach best practices to improve clinical knowledge, build and retain competency, and transfer skills into practice after training. LDHF training in Ghana is an opportunity to build health workforce capacity in critical areas of maternal and newborn health and translate improved capacity into better health outcomes. This study examined the costs of an LDHF training approach for basic emergency obstetric and newborn care and calculates the incremental cost-effectiveness of the LDHF training program for health outcomes of newborn survival, compared to the status quo alternative of no training. The costs of LDHF were compared to costs of traditional workshop-based training per provider trained. Retrospective program cost analysis with activity-based costing was used to measure all resources of the LDHF training program over a 3-year analytic time horizon. Economic costs were estimated from financial records, informant interviews, and regional market prices. Health effects from the program's impact evaluation were used to model lives saved and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted. Uncertainty analysis included one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis to explore incremental cost-effectiveness results when fluctuating key parameters. For the 40 health facilities included in the evaluation, the total LDHF training cost was $823,134. During the follow-up period after the first LDHF training-1 year at each participating facility-approximately 544 lives were saved. With deterministic calculation, these findings translate to $1497.77 per life saved or $53.07 per DALY averted. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis, with mean incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $54.79 per DALY averted ($24.42-$107.01), suggests the LDHF training program as compared to no training has 100% probability of being cost-effective above a willingness to pay threshold of $1480, Ghana's gross national income per capita in 2015. This

Calculation of the n-th coincidences frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercier, C.

1959-01-01

Events can occur randomly with a given frequency. Each event lasts a Θ-time. During this Θ-time other events can occur. A coincidence beginning of order n at a t-time is when an event occurs while n other events already occurred between t-Θ and t. In this work the frequency of coincidence beginnings with an order greater than or equal to n is established

Optically transparent frequency selective surfaces on flexible thin plastic substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewani, Aliya A., E-mail: a.ashraf@griffith.edu.au; O’Keefe, Steven G.; Thiel, David V.; Galehdar, Amir [School Of Electrical Engineering, Griffith University, Brisbane, 4111 (Australia)

2015-02-15

A novel 2D simple low cost frequency selective surface was screen printed on thin (0.21 mm), flexible transparent plastic substrate (relative permittivity 3.2). It was designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 10-20 GHz. The plane wave transmission and reflection coefficients agreed with numerical modelling. The effective permittivity and thickness of the backing sheet has a significant effect on the frequency characteristics. The stop band frequency reduced from 15GHz (no backing) to 12.5GHz with polycarbonate. The plastic substrate thickness beyond 1.8mm has minimal effect on the resonant frequency. While the inner element spacing controls the stop-band frequency, the substrate thickness controls the bandwidth. The screen printing technique provided a simple, low cost FSS fabrication method to produce flexible, conformal, optically transparent and bio-degradable FSS structures which can find their use in electromagnetic shielding and filtering applications in radomes, reflector antennas, beam splitters and polarizers.

Optically transparent frequency selective surfaces on flexible thin plastic substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aliya A. Dewani

2015-02-01

Full Text Available A novel 2D simple low cost frequency selective surface was screen printed on thin (0.21 mm, flexible transparent plastic substrate (relative permittivity 3.2. It was designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 10-20 GHz. The plane wave transmission and reflection coefficients agreed with numerical modelling. The effective permittivity and thickness of the backing sheet has a significant effect on the frequency characteristics. The stop band frequency reduced from 15GHz (no backing to 12.5GHz with polycarbonate. The plastic substrate thickness beyond 1.8mm has minimal effect on the resonant frequency. While the inner element spacing controls the stop-band frequency, the substrate thickness controls the bandwidth. The screen printing technique provided a simple, low cost FSS fabrication method to produce flexible, conformal, optically transparent and bio-degradable FSS structures which can find their use in electromagnetic shielding and filtering applications in radomes, reflector antennas, beam splitters and polarizers.

Optically transparent frequency selective surfaces on flexible thin plastic substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Dewani, Aliya A.; O'Keefe, Steven G.; Thiel, David V.; Galehdar, Amir

2015-02-01

A novel 2D simple low cost frequency selective surface was screen printed on thin (0.21 mm), flexible transparent plastic substrate (relative permittivity 3.2). It was designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 10-20 GHz. The plane wave transmission and reflection coefficients agreed with numerical modelling. The effective permittivity and thickness of the backing sheet has a significant effect on the frequency characteristics. The stop band frequency reduced from 15GHz (no backing) to 12.5GHz with polycarbonate. The plastic substrate thickness beyond 1.8mm has minimal effect on the resonant frequency. While the inner element spacing controls the stop-band frequency, the substrate thickness controls the bandwidth. The screen printing technique provided a simple, low cost FSS fabrication method to produce flexible, conformal, optically transparent and bio-degradable FSS structures which can find their use in electromagnetic shielding and filtering applications in radomes, reflector antennas, beam splitters and polarizers.

Components of cross-frequency modulation in health and disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena A Allen

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia are commonly believed to arise from the abnormal temporal integration of information, however a quantitative approach to assess network coordination is lacking. Here, we propose to use cross-frequency modulation, the dependence of local high-frequency activity on the phase of widespread low-frequency oscillations, as an indicator of network coordination and functional integration. In an exploratory analysis based on pre-existing data, we measured cross-frequency modulation from multi-channel EEG recordings acquired while schizophrenia patients (n = 47 and healthy controls (n = 130 performed an auditory oddball task. Novel application of independent component analysis (ICA to modulation data delineated components with specific spatial and spectral profiles, the weights of which showed co-variation with diagnosis. Global cross-frequency modulation was significantly greater in healthy controls (F1,175=9.25, P<0.005, while modulation at fronto-temporal electrodes was greater in patients (F1,175 =17.5, P<0.0001. We further found that the weights of schizophrenia-relevant components were associated with genetic polymorphisms at previously identified risk loci. Global cross-frequency modulation decreased with copies of 957C allele in the gene for the dopamine D2 receptor (r = −0.20, P < 0.01 across all subjects. Additionally, greater ‘aberrant’ fronto-temporal modulation in schizophrenia patients was correlated with several polymorphisms in the gene for the α2-subunit of the GABAA receptor (GABRA2 as well as the total number of risk alleles in GABRA2 (r = 0.45, P < 0.01. Overall, our results indicate great promise for this approach in establishing patterns of cross-frequency modulation in health and disease and elucidating the roles of oscillatory interactions in functional connectivity.

Finding flicker: Critical differences in temporal frequency capture attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John eCass

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Rapid visual flicker is known to capture attention. Here we show slow flicker can also capture attention under reciprocal temporal conditions. Observers searched for a target line (vertical or horizontal among tilted distractors. Distractor lines were surrounded by luminance modulating annuli, all flickering sinusoidally at 1.3 or 12.1 Hz, while the target’s annulus flickered at frequencies within this range. Search times improved with increasing target/distractor frequency differences. For target-distractor frequency separations > 5 Hz reaction times were minimal with high frequency targets correctly identified more rapidly than low frequency targets (~400ms. Critically, however, at these optimal frequency separations search times for low and high frequency targets were unaffected by set size (slow flicker popped out from high flicker, and vice versa, indicating parallel and symmetric search performance when searching for high or low frequency targets. In a ‘cost’ experiment using 1.3 and 12.1 Hz flicker, the unique flickering annulus sometimes surrounded a distractor and, on other trials, surrounded the target. When centred on a distractor, the unique frequency produced a clear and symmetrical search cost. Together, these symmetric pop-out and search costs demonstrate that temporal frequency is a pre-attentive visual feature capable of capturing attention, and that it is relative rather than absolute frequencies that are critical. The shape of the search functions strongly suggest that early visual temporal frequency filters underlie these effects.

Investigation of wave emission phenomena in dual frequency capacitive discharges using particle-in-cell simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, S; Turner, M M

2014-01-01

Dual frequency capacitively coupled discharges are widely used during fabrication of modern-day integrated circuits, because of low cost and robust uniformity over broad areas. At low pressure, stochastic or collisionless electron heating is important in such discharges. The stochastic heating occurs adjacent to the sheath edge due to energy transfer from the oscillating high voltage electron sheath to electrons. The present research discusses evidence of wave emission from the sheath in such discharges, with a frequency near the electron plasma frequency. These waves are damped very promptly as they propagate away from the sheath towards the bulk plasma, by Landau damping or some related mechanism. In this work, the occurrence of strong wave phenomena during the expanding and collapsing phase of the low frequency sheath has been investigated. This is the result of a progressive breakdown of quasi-neutrality close to the electron sheath edge. The characteristics of waves in the dual-frequency case are entirely different from the single-frequency case studied in earlier works. The existence of a field reversal phenomenon, occurring several times within a lower frequency period in the proximity of the sheath is also reported. Electron trapping near to the field reversal regions also occurs many times during a lower frequency period. The emission of waves is associated with these field reversal regions. It is observed that the field reversal and electron trapping effects appear under conditions typical of many recent experiments, and are consequently of much greater practical interest than similar effects in single frequency discharges, which occur only under extreme conditions that are not usually realized in experiments. (paper)

Greater confinement disposal of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trevorrow, L.E.; Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Merry-Libby, P.A.; Meshkov, N.K.; Yu, C.

1985-01-01

Low-level radioactive waste (LLW) includes a broad spectrum of different radionuclide concentrations, half-lives, and hazards. Standard shallow-land burial practice can provide adequate protection of public health and safety for most LLW. A small volume fraction (approx. 1%) containing most of the activity inventory (approx. 90%) requires specific measures known as greater-confinement disposal (GCD). Different site characteristics and different waste characteristics - such as high radionuclide concentrations, long radionuclide half-lives, high radionuclide mobility, and physical or chemical characteristics that present exceptional hazards - lead to different GCD facility design requirements. Facility design alternatives considered for GCD include the augered shaft, deep trench, engineered structure, hydrofracture, improved waste form, and high-integrity container. Selection of an appropriate design must also consider the interplay between basic risk limits for protection of public health and safety, performance characteristics and objectives, costs, waste-acceptance criteria, waste characteristics, and site characteristics

Drilling cost analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anand, A.B.

1992-01-01

Drilling assumes greater importance in present day uranium exploration which emphasizes to explore more areas on the basis of conceptual model than merely on surface anomalies. But drilling is as costly as it is important and consumes a major share (50% to 60%) of the exploration budget. As such the cost of drilling has great bearing on the exploration strategy as well as on the overall cost of the project. Therefore, understanding the cost analysis is very much important when planning or intensifying an exploration programme. This not only helps in controlling the current operations but also in planning the budgetary provisions for future operations. Also, if the work is entrusted to a private party, knowledge of in-house cost analysis helps in fixing the rates of drilling in different formations and areas to be drilled. Under this topic, various factors that contribute to the cost of drilling per meter as well as ways to minimize the drilling cost for better economic evaluation of mineral deposits are discussed. (author)

ULTRAFISH: generalization of SUPERFISH to m greater than or equal to 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gluckstern, R.L.; Holsinger, R.F.; Halbach, K.; Minerbo, G.N.

1982-01-01

The present version of the SUPERFISH program computes fundamental and higher order resonant frequencies and corresponding fields of azimuthally symmetric TE and TM modes (m = 0) in an electromagnetic cavity which is a figure of revolution about a longitudinal axis. We have developed the program ULTRAFISH which computes the resonant frequencies and fields in such a cavity for azimuthally asymmetric modes (cos mphi with m greater than or equal to 1). These modes no longer can be characterized as TE and TM and lead to simultaneous equations involving two field components. These are taken for convenience to be rEphi and rHphi, in terms of which all four other field components are expressed. Several different formulations for solving the equations are being investigated

How do high cost-sharing policies for physician care affect total care costs among people with chronic disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Haichang; Harman, Jeffrey S; Yang, Zhou

2014-01-01

This study examines whether high cost-sharing in physician care is associated with a differential impact on total care costs by health status. Total care includes physician care, emergency room (ER) visits and inpatient care. Since high cost-sharing policies can reduce needed care as well as unneeded care use, it raises the concern whether these policies are a good strategy for controlling costs among chronically ill patients. This study used the 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data with a cross-sectional study design. Difference in difference (DID), instrumental variable technique, two-part model, and bootstrap technique were employed to analyze cost data. Chronically ill individuals' probability of reducing any overall care costs was significantly less than healthier individuals (beta = 2.18, p = 0.04), while the integrated DID estimator from split results indicated that going from low cost-sharing to high cost-sharing significantly reduced costs by $12,853.23 more for sick people than for healthy people (95% CI: -$17,582.86, -$8,123.60). This greater cost reduction in total care among sick people likely resulted from greater cost reduction in physician care, and may have come at the expense of jeopardizing health outcomes by depriving patients of needed care. Thus, these policies would be inappropriate in the short run, and unlikely in the long run to control health plans costs among chronically ill individuals. A generous benefit design with low cost-sharing policies in physician care or primary care is recommended for both health plans and chronically ill individuals, to save costs and protect these enrollees' health status.

Measuring the photodetector frequency response for ultrasonic applications by a heterodyne system with difference- frequency servo control.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Christian

2010-05-01

A technique for the calibration of photodiodes in ultrasonic measurement systems using standard and cost-effective optical and electronic components is presented. A heterodyne system was realized using two commercially available distributed feedback lasers, and the required frequency stability and resolution were ensured by a difference-frequency servo control scheme. The frequency-sensitive element generating the error signal for the servo loop comprised a delay-line discriminator constructed from electronic elements. Measurements were carried out at up to 450 MHz, and the uncertainties of about 5% (k = 2) can be further reduced by improved radio frequency power measurement without losing the feature of using only simple elements. The technique initially dedicated to the determination of the frequency response of photodetectors applied in ultrasonic applications can be transferred to other application fields of optical measurements.

The Cost of Smoking in California.

Science.gov (United States)

Max, Wendy; Sung, Hai-Yen; Shi, Yanling; Stark, Brad

2016-05-01

The economic impact of smoking, including healthcare costs and the value of lost productivity due to illness and mortality, was estimated for California for 2009. Smoking-attributable healthcare costs were estimated using a series of econometric models that estimate expenditures for hospital care, ambulatory care, prescriptions, home health care, and nursing home care. Lost productivity due to illness was estimated using an econometric model predicting how smoking status affects the number of days lost from work or other activities. The value of lives lost from premature mortality due to smoking was estimated using an epidemiological approach. Almost 4 million Californians still smoke, including 146 000 adolescents. The cost of smoking in 2009 totaled $18.1 billion, including $9.8 billion in healthcare costs, $1.4 billion in lost productivity from illness, and $6.8 billion in lost productivity from premature mortality. This amounts to $487 per California resident and $4603 per smoker. Costs were greater for men than for women. Hospital costs comprised 44% of healthcare costs. Despite extensive efforts at tobacco control in California, healthcare and lost productivity costs attributable to smoking remain high. Compared to costs for 1999, the total cost was 15% greater in 2009. However, after adjusting for inflation, real costs have fallen by 13% over the past decade, indicating that efforts have been successful in reducing the economic burden of smoking in the state. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Dual frequency comb metrology with one fiber laser

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xin; Takeshi, Yasui; Zheng, Zheng

2016-11-01

Optical metrology techniques based on dual optical frequency combs have emerged as a hotly studied area targeting a wide range of applications from optical spectroscopy to microwave and terahertz frequency measurement. Generating two sets of high-quality comb lines with slightly different comb-tooth spacings with high mutual coherence and stability is the key to most of the dual-comb schemes. The complexity and costs of such laser sources and the associated control systems to lock the two frequency combs hinder the wider adoption of such techniques. Here we demonstrate a very simple and rather different approach to tackle such a challenge. By employing novel laser cavity designs in a mode-locked fiber laser, a simple fiber laser setup could emit dual-comb pulse output with high stability and good coherence between the pulse trains. Based on such lasers, comb-tooth-resolved dual-comb optical spectroscopy is demonstrated. Picometer spectral resolving capability could be realized with a fiber-optic setup and a low-cost data acquisition system and standard algorithms. Besides, the frequency of microwave signals over a large range can be determined based on a simple setup. Our results show the capability of such single-fiber-laser-based dual-comb scheme to reduce the complexity and cost of dual-comb systems with excellent quality for different dual-comb applications.

Acute costs and predictors of higher treatment costs of trauma in New South Wales, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Kate; Lam, Mary; Mitchell, Rebecca; Black, Deborah; Taylor, Colman; Dickson, Cara; Jan, Stephen; Palmer, Cameron S; Langcake, Mary; Myburgh, John

2014-01-01

Accurate economic data are fundamental for improving current funding models and ultimately in promoting the efficient delivery of services. The financial burden of a high trauma casemix to designated trauma centres in Australia has not been previously determined, and there is some evidence that the episode funding model used in Australia results in the underfunding of trauma. To describe the costs of acute trauma admissions in trauma centres, identify predictors of higher treatment costs and cost variance in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data linkage of admitted trauma patient and financial data provided by 12 Level 1 NSW trauma centres for the 08/09 financial year was performed. Demographic, injury details and injury scores were obtained from trauma registries. Individual patient general ledger costs (actual trauma patient costs), Australian Refined Diagnostic Related Groups (AR-DRG) and state-wide average costs (which form the basis of funding) were obtained. The actual costs incurred by the hospital were then compared with the state-wide AR-DRG average costs. Multivariable multiple linear regression was used for identifying predictors of costs. There were 17,522 patients, the average per patient cost was $10,603 and the median was $4628 (interquartile range: $2179-10,148). The actual costs incurred by trauma centres were on average $134 per bed day above AR-DRG costs-determined costs. Falls, road trauma and violence were the highest causes of total cost. Motor cyclists and pedestrians had higher median costs than motor vehicle occupants. As a result of greater numbers, patients with minor injury had comparable total costs with those generated by patients with severe injury. However the median cost of severely injured patients was nearly four times greater. The count of body regions injured, sex, length of stay, serious traumatic brain injury and admission to the Intensive Care Unit were significantly associated with increased costs (p<0.001). This

Word Recognition during Reading: The Interaction between Lexical Repetition and Frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Lowder, Matthew W.; Choi, Wonil; Gordon, Peter C.

2013-01-01

Memory studies utilizing long-term repetition priming have generally demonstrated that priming is greater for low-frequency words than for high-frequency words and that this effect persists if words intervene between the prime and the target. In contrast, word-recognition studies utilizing masked short-term repetition priming typically show that the magnitude of repetition priming does not differ as a function of word frequency and does not persist across intervening words. We conducted an eye-tracking while reading experiment to determine which of these patterns more closely resembles the relationship between frequency and repetition during the natural reading of a text. Frequency was manipulated using proper names that were high-frequency (e.g., Stephen) or low-frequency (e.g., Dominic). The critical name was later repeated in the sentence, or a new name was introduced. First-pass reading times and skipping rates on the critical name revealed robust repetition-by-frequency interactions such that the magnitude of the repetition-priming effect was greater for low-frequency names than for high-frequency names. In contrast, measures of later processing showed effects of repetition that did not depend on lexical frequency. These results are interpreted within a framework that conceptualizes eye-movement control as being influenced in different ways by lexical- and discourse-level factors. PMID:23283808

Cost-effectiveness and the socialization of health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Musgrove, P

1995-01-01

The more health care is socialized, the more cost-effectiveness is an appropriate criterion for expenditure. Utility-maximizing individuals, facing divisibility of health care purchases and declining marginal health gains, and complete information about probable health improvements, should buy health care according to its cost-effectiveness. Absent these features, individual health spending will not be cost-effective; and in any case, differences in personal utilities and risk aversion will not lead to the same ranking of health care interventions for everyone. Private insurance frees consumers from concern for cost, which undermines cost-effectiveness, but lets them emphasize effectiveness, which favors value for money. This is most important for costly and cost-effective interventions, especially for poor people. Cost-effectiveness is more appropriate and easier to achieve under second-party insurance. More complete socialization of health care, via public finance, can yield greater efficiency by making insurance compulsory. Cost-effectiveness is also more attractive when taxpayers subsidize others' care: needs (effectiveness) take precedence over wants (utility). The gain in effectiveness may be greater, and the welfare loss from Pareto non-optimality smaller, in poor countries than in rich ones.

Research on spectrum broadening covering visible light of a fiber femtosecond optical frequency comb for absolute frequency measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Shuai; Wu, Tengfei; Li, Shuyi; Xia, Chuanqing; Han, Jibo; Zhang, Lei; Zhao, Chunbo

2018-03-01

As a bridge connecting microwave frequency and optical frequency, femtosecond laser has important significance in optical frequency measurement. Compared with the traditional Ti-sapphire femtosecond optical frequency comb, with the advantages of compact structure, strong anti-interference ability and low cost, the fiber femtosecond optical frequency comb has a wider application prospect. An experiment of spectrum broadening in a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber pumped by an Er-fiber mode-locked femtosecond laser is studied in this paper. Based on optical amplification and frequency doubling, the central wavelength of the output spectrum is 780nm and the average power is 232mW. With the femtosecond pulses coupled into two different photonic crystal fibers, the coverage of visible spectrum is up to 500nm-960nm. The spectral shape and width can be optimized by changing the polarization state for satisfying the requirments of different optical frequencies measurement.

Nuclear generating station and heavy water plant cost estimates for strategy studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archinoff, G.H.

1979-07-01

Nuclear generating station capital, operating and maintenance costs are basic input data for strategy analyses of alternate nuclear fuel cycles. This report presents estimates of these costs for natural uranium CANDU stations, CANDU stations operating on advanced fuel cycles, and liquid metal fast breeder reactors. Cost estimates for heavy water plants are also presented. The results show that station capital costs for advanced fuel cycles are not expected to be significantly greater than those for natural uranium stations. LMFBR capital costs are expected to be 25-30 percent greater than for CANDU's. (auth)

Greater-confinement disposal of low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trevorrow, L.E.; Gilbert, T.L.; Luner, C.; Merry-Libby, P.A.; Meshkov, N.K.; Yu, C.

1985-01-01

Low-level radioactive wastes include a broad spectrum of wastes that have different radionuclide concentrations, half-lives, and physical and chemical properties. Standard shallow-land burial practice can provide adequate protection of public health and safety for most low-level wastes, but a small volume fraction (about 1%) containing most of the activity inventory (approx.90%) requires specific measures known as ''greater-confinement disposal'' (GCD). Different site characteristics and different waste characteristics - such as high radionuclide concentrations, long radionuclide half-lives, high radionuclide mobility, and physical or chemical characteristics that present exceptional hazards - lead to different GCD facility design requirements. Facility design alternatives considered for GCD include the augered shaft, deep trench, engineered structure, hydrofracture, improved waste form, and high-integrity container. Selection of an appropriate design must also consider the interplay between basic risk limits for protection of public health and safety, performance characteristics and objectives, costs, waste-acceptance criteria, waste characteristics, and site characteristics. This paper presents an overview of the factors that must be considered in planning the application of methods proposed for providing greater confinement of low-level wastes. 27 refs

Greater happiness for a greater number: Is that possible in Austria?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Veenhoven (Ruut)

2011-01-01

textabstractWhat is the final goal of public policy? Jeremy Bentham (1789) would say: greater happiness for a greater number. He thought of happiness as subjective enjoyment of life; in his words as “the sum of pleasures and pains”. In his time the happiness of the great number could not be measured

Greater happiness for a greater number: Is that possible in Germany?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Veenhoven (Ruut)

2009-01-01

textabstractWhat is the final goal of public policy? Jeremy Bentham (1789) would say: greater happiness for a greater number. He thought of happiness as subjective enjoyment of life; in his words as “the sum of pleasures and pains”. In his time the Happiness of the great number could not be measured

Cost effectiveness of adding clostridial collagenase ointment to selective debridement in individuals with stage IV pressure ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Marissa J; Gilligan, Adrienne M; Waycaster, Curtis R; Schaum, Kathleen; Fife, Caroline E

2017-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the cost effectiveness (from a payer's perspective) of adding clostridial collagenase ointment (CCO) to selective debridement compared with selective debridement alone (non-CCO) in the treatment of stage IV pressure ulcers among patients identified from the US Wound Registry. A 3-state Markov model was developed to determine costs and outcomes between the CCO and non-CCO groups over a 2-year time horizon. Outcome data were derived from a retrospective clinical study and included the proportion of pressure ulcers that were closed (epithelialized) over 2 years and the time to wound closure. Transition probabilities for the Markov states were estimated from the clinical study. In the Markov model, the clinical outcome is presented as ulcer-free weeks, which represents the time the wound is in the epithelialized state. Costs for each 4-week cycle were based on frequencies of clinic visits, debridement, and CCO application rates from the clinical study. The final model outputs were cumulative costs (in US dollars), clinical outcome (ulcer-free weeks), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) at 2 years. Compared with the non-CCO group, the CCO group incurred lower costs ($11,151 vs $17,596) and greater benefits (33.9 vs 16.8 ulcer-free weeks), resulting in an economically dominant ICER of -$375 per ulcer. Thus, for each additional ulcer-free week that can be gained, there is a concurrent cost savings of $375 if CCO treatment is selected. Over a 2-year period, an additional 17.2 ulcer-free weeks can be gained with concurrent cost savings of $6,445 for each patient. In this Markov model based on real-world data from the US Wound Registry, the addition of CCO to selective debridement in the treatment of pressure ulcers was economically dominant over selective debridement alone, resulting in greater benefit to the patient at lower cost.

Fitness cost

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Karen L.; Pedersen, Thomas M.; Udekwu, Klas I.

2012-01-01

phage types, predominantly only penicillin resistant. We investigated whether isolates of this epidemic were associated with a fitness cost, and we employed a mathematical model to ask whether these fitness costs could have led to the observed reduction in frequency. Bacteraemia isolates of S. aureus...... from Denmark have been stored since 1957. We chose 40 S. aureus isolates belonging to phage complex 83A, clonal complex 8 based on spa type, ranging in time of isolation from 1957 to 1980 and with varyous antibiograms, including both methicillin-resistant and -susceptible isolates. The relative fitness...... of each isolate was determined in a growth competition assay with a reference isolate. Significant fitness costs of 215 were determined for the MRSA isolates studied. There was a significant negative correlation between number of antibiotic resistances and relative fitness. Multiple regression analysis...

UTag: Long-range Ultra-wideband Passive Radio Frequency Tags

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dowla, F

2007-03-14

Long-range, ultra-wideband (UWB), passive radio frequency (RF) tags are key components in Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) system that will revolutionize inventory control and tracking applications. Unlike conventional, battery-operated (active) RFID tags, LLNL's small UWB tags, called 'UTag', operate at long range (up to 20 meters) in harsh, cluttered environments. Because they are battery-less (that is, passive), they have practically infinite lifetimes without human intervention, and they are lower in cost to manufacture and maintain than active RFID tags. These robust, energy-efficient passive tags are remotely powered by UWB radio signals, which are much more difficult to detect, intercept, and jam than conventional narrowband frequencies. The features of long range, battery-less, and low cost give UTag significant advantage over other existing RFID tags.

Do randomized controlled trials discuss healthcare costs?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G Michael Allan

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Healthcare costs, particularly pharmaceutical costs, are a dominant issue for most healthcare organizations, but it is unclear if randomized controlled trials (RCTs routinely discuss costs. Our objective was to assess the frequency and factors associated with the inclusion of costs in RCTs. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We randomly sampled 188 RCTs spanning three years (2003-2005 from six high impact journals. The sample size for RCTs was based on a calculation to estimate the inclusion of actual drug costs with a precision of +/-3%. Two reviewers independently extracted cost data and study characteristics. Frequencies were calculated and potential characteristics associated with the inclusion of costs were explored. Actual drug costs were included in 4.7% (9/188 of RCTs; any actual costs were included in 7.4% (14/188 of RCTs; and any mention of costs was included in 27.7% (52/188 of RCTs. As the amount of industry funding increased across RCTs, from non-profit to mixed to fully industry funded RCTs, there was a statistically significant reduction in the number of RCTs with any actual costs (Cochran-Armitage test, p = 0.005 and any mention of costs (Cochran-Armitage test, p = 0.02. Logistic regression analysis also indicated funding was associated with the inclusion of any actual cost (OR = 0.34, p = 0.009 or any mention of costs (OR = 0.63, p = 0.02. Journal, study conclusions, study location, primary author's country and product age were not associated with inclusion of cost information. CONCLUSION: While physicians are encouraged to consider costs when prescribing drugs for their patients, actual drug costs were provided in only 5% of RCTs and were not mentioned at all in 72% of RCTs. Industry funded trials were less likely to include cost information. No other factors were associated with the inclusion of cost information.

Do randomized controlled trials discuss healthcare costs?

Science.gov (United States)

Allan, G Michael; Korownyk, Christina; LaSalle, Kate; Vandermeer, Ben; Ma, Victoria; Klein, Douglas; Manca, Donna

2010-08-23

Healthcare costs, particularly pharmaceutical costs, are a dominant issue for most healthcare organizations, but it is unclear if randomized controlled trials (RCTs) routinely discuss costs. Our objective was to assess the frequency and factors associated with the inclusion of costs in RCTs. We randomly sampled 188 RCTs spanning three years (2003-2005) from six high impact journals. The sample size for RCTs was based on a calculation to estimate the inclusion of actual drug costs with a precision of +/-3%. Two reviewers independently extracted cost data and study characteristics. Frequencies were calculated and potential characteristics associated with the inclusion of costs were explored. Actual drug costs were included in 4.7% (9/188) of RCTs; any actual costs were included in 7.4% (14/188) of RCTs; and any mention of costs was included in 27.7% (52/188) of RCTs. As the amount of industry funding increased across RCTs, from non-profit to mixed to fully industry funded RCTs, there was a statistically significant reduction in the number of RCTs with any actual costs (Cochran-Armitage test, p = 0.005) and any mention of costs (Cochran-Armitage test, p = 0.02). Logistic regression analysis also indicated funding was associated with the inclusion of any actual cost (OR = 0.34, p = 0.009) or any mention of costs (OR = 0.63, p = 0.02). Journal, study conclusions, study location, primary author's country and product age were not associated with inclusion of cost information. While physicians are encouraged to consider costs when prescribing drugs for their patients, actual drug costs were provided in only 5% of RCTs and were not mentioned at all in 72% of RCTs. Industry funded trials were less likely to include cost information. No other factors were associated with the inclusion of cost information.

Phase and Frequency Locked Magnetrons for SRF Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neubauer, M.; Johnson, R.P.; Popovic, M.; Moretti, A.

2009-01-01

Magnetrons are low-cost highly-efficient microwave sources, but they have several limitations, primarily centered about the phase and frequency stability of their output. When the stability requirements are low, such as for medical accelerators or kitchen ovens, magnetrons are the very efficient power source of choice. But for high energy accelerators, because of the need for frequency and phase stability - proton accelerators need 1-2 degrees source phase stability, and electron accelerators need .1-.2 degrees of phase stability - they have rarely been used. We describe a novel variable frequency cavity technique which will be utilized to phase and frequency lock magnetrons.

Scaling cost-sharing to wages: how employers can reduce health spending and provide greater economic security.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Christopher T

2014-01-01

In the employer-sponsored insurance market that covers most Americans; many workers are "underinsured." The evidence shows onerous out-of-pocket payments causing them to forgo needed care, miss work, and fall into bankruptcies and foreclosures. Nonetheless, many higher-paid workers are "overinsured": the evidence shows that in this domain, surplus insurance stimulates spending and price inflation without improving health. Employers can solve these problems together by scaling cost-sharing to wages. This reform would make insurance better protect against risk and guarantee access to care, while maintaining or even reducing insurance premiums. Yet, there are legal obstacles to scaled cost-sharing. The group-based nature of employer health insurance, reinforced by federal law, makes it difficult for scaling to be achieved through individual choices. The Affordable Care Act's (ACA) "essential coverage" mandate also caps cost-sharing even for wealthy workers that need no such cap. Additionally, there is a tax distortion in favor of highly paid workers purchasing healthcare through insurance rather than out-of-pocket. These problems are all surmountable. In particular, the ACA has expanded the applicability of an unenforced employee-benefits rule that prohibits "discrimination" in favor of highly compensated workers. A novel analysis shows that this statute gives the Internal Revenue Service the authority to require scaling and to thereby eliminate the current inequities and inefficiencies caused by the tax distortion. The promise is smarter insurance for over 150 million Americans.

Supply disruption cost for power network planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kjoelle, G.H.

1992-09-01

A description is given of the method of approach to calculate the total annual socio-economic cost of power supply disruption and non-supplied energy, included the utilities' cost for planning. The total socio-economic supply disruption cost is the sum of the customers' disruption cost and the utilities' cost for failure and disruption. The mean weighted disruption cost for Norway for one hour disruption is NOK 19 per kWh. The customers' annual disruption cost is calculated with basis in the specific disruption cost referred to heavy load (January) and dimensioning maximum loads. The loads are reduced by factors taking into account the time variations of the failure frequency, duration, the loads and the disruption cost. 6 refs

Does the cost of robotic cholecystectomy translate to a financial burden?

Science.gov (United States)

Rosemurgy, Alexander; Ryan, Carrie; Klein, Richard; Sukharamwala, Prashant; Wood, Thomas; Ross, Sharona

2015-08-01

Robotic application to cholecystectomy has dramatically increased, though its impact on cost of care and reimbursement has not been elucidated. We undertook this study to evaluate and compare cost of care and reimbursement with robotic versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The charges and reimbursement of all robotic and laparoscopic cholecystectomies at one hospital undertaken from June 2012 to June 2013 were determined. Operative duration is defined as time into and time out of the operating room. Data are presented as median data. Comparisons were undertaken using the Mann-Whitney U-test with significance accepted at p ≤ 0.05. Robotic cholecystectomy took longer (47 min longer) and had greater charges ($8,182.57 greater) than laparoscopic cholecystectomy (p depreciation, interest, and taxes (EBDIT), and Net Income were not impacted by approach. Relative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy, robotic cholecystectomy takes longer and has greater charges. Revenue, EBDIT, and Net Income are similar after either approach; this indicates that costs with either approach are similar. Notably, this is possible because much of hospital-based costs are determined by cost allocation and not cost accounting. Thus, the cost of longer operations and costs inherent to the robotic approach for cholecystectomy do not translate to a perceived financial burden.

Advances in Very High Frequency Power Conversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kovacevic, Milovan

Resonant and quasi-resonant converters operated at frequencies above 30 MHz have attracted special attention in the last two decades. Compared to conventional converters operated at ~100 kHz, they offer significant advantages: smaller volume and weight, lower cost, and faster transient performance....... Excellent performance and small size of magnetic components and capacitors at very high frequencies, along with constant advances in performance of power semiconductor devices, suggests a sizable shift in consumer power supplies market into this area in the near future. To operate dc-dc converter power...... method provides low complexity and low gate loss simultaneously. A direct design synthesis method is provided for resonant SEPIC converters employing this technique. Most experimental prototypes were developed using low cost, commercially available power semiconductors. Due to very fast transient...

Life Cycle Costs in Education: Operations & Maintenance Considered.

Science.gov (United States)

Moussatche, Helena; Languell-Urquhart, Jennifer; Woodson, Carol

2000-01-01

Discusses life cycle cost analysis when deciding on flooring finishes and examines operations and maintenance cost effectiveness relative to hard, resilient, and soft flooring. A chart of evaluated flooring materials' characteristics, appropriate maintenance procedures, and recommended frequency is included. (GR)

Patient level costing in Ireland: process, challenges and opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, A; McElroy, B

2015-03-01

In 2013, the Department of Health released their policy paper on hospital financing entitled Money Follows the Patient. A fundamental building block for the proposed financing model is patient level costing. This paper outlines the patient level costing process, identifies the opportunities and considers the challenges associated with the process in the Irish hospital setting. Methods involved a review of the existing literature which was complemented with an interview with health service staff. There are considerable challenges associated with implementing patient level costing including deficits in information and communication technologies and financial expertise as well as timeliness of coding. In addition, greater clinical input into the costing process is needed compared to traditional costing processes. However, there are long-term benefits associated with patient level costing; these include empowerment of clinical staff, improved transparency and price setting and greater fairness, especially in the treatment of outliers. These can help to achieve the Government's Health Strategy. The benefits of patient level costing need to be promoted and a commitment to investment in overcoming the challenges is required.

Direct cost of monitoring conventional hemodialysis conducted by nursing professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, Antônio Fernandes Costa

2017-04-01

to analyze the mean direct cost of conventional hemodialysis monitored by nursing professionals in three public teaching and research hospitals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. this was a quantitative, explorative and descriptive investigation, based on a multiple case study approach. The mean direct cost was calculated by multiplying (clocked) time spent per procedure by the unit cost of direct labor. Values were calculated in Brazilian real (BRL). Hospital C presented the highest mean direct cost (BRL 184.52), 5.23 times greater than the value for Hospital A (BRL 35.29) and 3.91 times greater than Hospital B (BRL 47.22). the costing method used in this study can be reproduced at other dialysis centers to inform strategies aimed at efficient allocation of necessary human resources to successfully monitor conventional hemodialysis.

The lifetime costs of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, D; Dee, A; Perry, I J

2018-04-01

Research into lifetime costs of obesity in childhood is growing. This review synthesizes that knowledge. A computerized search of the international literature since 2000 was conducted. Mean total lifetime healthcare and productivity costs were estimated and inflated to 2014 Irish euros. This resulted in 13 published articles. The methodology used in these studies varied widely, and only one study estimated both healthcare and productivity costs. Cognizant of this heterogeneity, the mean total lifetime cost of a child or adolescent with obesity was €149,206 (range, €129,410 to €178,933) for a boy and €148,196 (range, €136,576 to €173,842) for a girl. This was divided into an average of €16,229 (range, €6,580 to €35,810) in healthcare costs and €132,977 (range, €122,830 to €143,123) in productivity losses for boys and €19,636 (range, €8,016 to €45,283) and €128,560, respectively, for girls. Income penalty accounted for the greater part of productivity costs, amounting to €97,118 (range, €86,971 to €107,264) per male adolescent with obesity and €126,108 per female adolescent. Healthcare costs and income penalty appear greater in girls while costs because of workdays lost seem greater in boys. There is proportionality between body mass index and costs. Productivity costs are greater than healthcare costs. © 2017 World Obesity Federation.

Authentication of Radio Frequency Identification Devices Using Electronic Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Chinnappa Gounder Periaswamy, Senthilkumar

2010-01-01

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are low-cost devices that are used to uniquely identify the objects to which they are attached. Due to the low cost and size that is driving the technology, a tag has limited computational capabilities and resources. This limitation makes the implementation of conventional security protocols to prevent…

[Diabetes mellitus in Spain: death rates, prevalence, impact, costs and inequalities].

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz-Ramos, Miguel; Escolar-Pujolar, Antonio; Mayoral-Sánchez, Eduardo; Corral-San Laureano, Florentino; Fernández-Fernández, Isabel

2006-03-01

Describing the situation of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Spain from a public health perspective. manual review of books and other documents on diabetes mellitus in Spain was conducted. In addition, a specific research of articles published using MeSH terms diabetes mortality, prevalence, incidence, cost, inequalities and Spain was conducted in Medline through Internet (PubMed). Minimun Basic Data Set was utilized as source for complication description by Communities Autonomus. DM is one of the leading cause of mortality and the third one in women. With regard to Autonomous Communities, Canary Islands, Ceuta y Melilla and Andalusia show the greatest mortality with a downward trend. Diabetics present greater mortality than non diabetic patients, being complications the main cause of the over-mortality, especially ischemic heart disease. Estimations of prevalence for DM2 range from 4.8% to 18.7% and for DM1, from .08% to .2%. In pregnancy, it has been noted a prevalence ranging from 4.5% to 16.1%. With respect to incidence per year, it is estimated a range from 146 to 820 per 100,000 inhabitants for DM2 and a range from 10 to 17 new cases annually per 100,000 inhabitants for DM1. Costs for DM1 show very different results, averaging between 1,262 and 3,311 euro per people and year. There are differences for DM2 costs as well, averaging between 381 and 2,560 euro per patient and year. Total costs estimated range from 758 to 4,348 euro per person and year. Relationship between a low socioeconomic level (LSL) and DM2 risk has been proved. Moreover, it has been noted that the less LSL the worse is the disease control, coupled with a greater frequency and more frequent factors of DM2 risk. The knowledge about the situation of the DM as a Public Health problem in Spain is limited. Mortality data available does not gather its real magnitude, and prevalence, incidence, costs and inequalities research are very poor and hardly comparable. In spite of this degree of incertitude, we

Noise measurements during high-frequency oscillatory and conventional mechanical ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Berens, R J; Weigle, C G

1995-10-01

To evaluate the noise levels with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and conventional mechanical ventilation. An observational, prospective study. Pediatric intensive care unit. The caretakers and environment of the pediatric intensive care unit. High-frequency oscillatory and conventional mechanical ventilation. Caretakers evaluated noise using a visual analog scale. Noise was measured with a decibel meter and an octave band frequency filter. There was twice as much noise perceived by the caretakers and as measured on the decibel A scale. All measures showed significantly greater noise, especially at low frequencies, with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation exposes the patient to twice as much noise as does the use of conventional mechanical ventilation.

Method of detecting system function by measuring frequency response

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, John L.; Morrison, William H.; Christophersen, Jon P.; Motloch, Chester G.

2013-01-08

Methods of rapidly measuring an impedance spectrum of an energy storage device in-situ over a limited number of logarithmically distributed frequencies are described. An energy storage device is excited with a known input signal, and a response is measured to ascertain the impedance spectrum. An excitation signal is a limited time duration sum-of-sines consisting of a select number of frequencies. In one embodiment, magnitude and phase of each frequency of interest within the sum-of-sines is identified when the selected frequencies and sample rate are logarithmic integer steps greater than two. This technique requires a measurement with a duration of one period of the lowest frequency. In another embodiment, where selected frequencies are distributed in octave steps, the impedance spectrum can be determined using a captured time record that is reduced to a half-period of the lowest frequency.

Frequency and risk factor of abdominal wound dehiscence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, M.N.S.; Naqvi, A.H.; Irshad, K.; Chaudhary, A.R.

2004-01-01

Objective: To find out the frequency of abdominal wound dehiscence (AWD) in a tertiary care hospital and the assessment of associated risk factors. Subjects and Methods: This study was carried out on 406 patients who underwent laparotomy for intra peritoneal procedure and complied with inclusion criteria. Demographic features were recorded and any complications documented. Results: Out of a total of 406 patients, 32 showed wound dehiscence giving an over all frequency of 7.8%. The male to female ratio was 2.8:1. The frequency was greater in males than in females. Majority patients suffered from an underlying malignancy. Malignant intestinal obstruction was the leading cause of wound dehiscence. Forty three patients had hypoalbuminemia(serum albumin <35 gm/l) and 09 of them had AWD. Emergency surgery showed a higher frequency of AWD(12.5%), as compared to elective surgery (18/143 and 14/263 respectively). Wound infection was a major contributor to AWD as out of 406, 76 patients developed infection and then 21 manifested AWD. Older age was also associated with greater frequency. The overall mortality of AWD in this study was 28.1 %. Conclusion: AWD still continues to be major post operative complication, with a high morbidity and mortality. The significant risk factors in this study were age more than 55 years, male gender, underlying malignancy, wound infection, jaundice, use of steroids, emergency surgery, uraemia and technique of closure. (author)

Risk, innovation, electricity infrastructure and construction cost overruns: Testing six hypotheses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sovacool, Benjamin K.; Gilbert, Alex; Nugent, Daniel

2014-01-01

This study investigates the frequency and magnitude of cost and time overruns occurring during the construction of 401 electricity projects built between 1936 and 2014 in 57 countries. In aggregate, these projects required approximately $820 billion in investment, and amounted to 325,515 MW of installed capacity and 8495 km of transmission lines. We use this sample of projects to test six hypotheses about construction cost overruns related to (1) diseconomies of scale, (2) project delays, (3) technological learning, (4) regulation and markets, (5) decentralization and modularity, and (6) normalization of results to scale. We find that nuclear reactors are the riskiest technology in terms of mean cost escalation as a percentage of budget and frequency; that hydroelectric dams stand apart for their mean cost escalation in total dollars; that many of the hypotheses grounded in the literature appear wrong; and that financing, partnerships, modularity, and accountability may have more to do with overruns than technology. - Highlights: • Many hypotheses about construction overruns grounded in the literature appear wrong. • Nuclear reactors are the most prone to cost overruns as a percentage of budget and frequency. • Hydroelectric dams stand apart for their mean cost escalation in total dollars. • Solar and wind energy systems are least at risk to cost overruns

Cost-risk optimization of nondestructive inspection level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, D.P.

1978-01-01

This paper develops a quantitative methodology for determining the nondestructive inspection (NDI) level that will result in a minimum cost product considering both type one inspection errors, acceptance of defective material units, and type two inspection errors, rejection of sound material units. This methodology represents an advance over fracture mechanics - nondestructive inspection (FM-NDI) design systems that do not consider type two inspection errors or the pre-inspection material quality. The inputs required for the methodology developed in this paper are (1) the rejection probability as a function of inspection size and imperfection size, (2) the flaw frequency (FF), as a function of imperfection size, (3) the probability of failure given the material unit contains an imperfection of a given size as a function of that given size, (4) the manufacturing cost per material unit, (5) the inspection cost per material unit, and (6) the average cost per failure including indirect costs. Four methods are identified for determining the flaw-frequency and three methods are identified for determining the conditional failure probability (one of these methods is probabilistic fracture mechanics). Methods for determining the rejection probability are discussed elsewhere. The NDI-FF methodology can have significant impact where the cost of failures represents a significant fraction of the manufacturing costs, or when a significant fraction of the components are being rejected by the inspection. (Auth.)

The High Direct Medical Costs of Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoffstall, Andrew J; Gaebler, Julia A; Kreher, Nerissa C; Niecko, Timothy; Douglas, Diah; Strong, Theresa V; Miller, Jennifer L; Stafford, Diane E; Butler, Merlin G

2016-08-01

To assess medical resource utilization associated with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) in the US, hypothesized to be greater relative to a matched control group without PWS. We used a retrospective case-matched control design and longitudinal US administrative claims data (MarketScan) during a 5-year enrollment period (2009-2014). Patients with PWS were identified by Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code 759.81. Controls were matched on age, sex, and payer type. Outcomes included total, outpatient, inpatient and prescription costs. After matching and application of inclusion/exclusion criteria, we identified 2030 patients with PWS (1161 commercial, 38 Medicare supplemental, and 831 Medicaid). Commercially insured patients with PWS (median age 10 years) had 8.8-times greater total annual direct medical costs than their counterparts without PWS (median age 10 years: median costs $14 907 vs $819; P < .0001; mean costs: $28 712 vs $3246). Outpatient care comprised the largest portion of medical resource utilization for enrollees with and without PWS (median $5605 vs $675; P < .0001; mean $11 032 vs $1804), followed by mean annual inpatient and medication costs, which were $10 879 vs $1015 (P < .001) and $6801 vs $428 (P < .001), respectively. Total annual direct medical costs were ∼42% greater for Medicaid-insured patients with PWS than their commercially insured counterparts, an increase partly explained by claims for Medicaid Waiver day and residential habilitation. Direct medical resource utilization was considerably greater among patients with PWS than members without the condition. This study provides a first step toward quantifying the financial burden of PWS posed to individuals, families, and society. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequency Estimator Performance for a Software-Based Beacon Receiver

Science.gov (United States)

Zemba, Michael J.; Morse, Jacquelynne Rose; Nessel, James A.; Miranda, Felix

2014-01-01

As propagation terminals have evolved, their design has trended more toward a software-based approach that facilitates convenient adjustment and customization of the receiver algorithms. One potential improvement is the implementation of a frequency estimation algorithm, through which the primary frequency component of the received signal can be estimated with a much greater resolution than with a simple peak search of the FFT spectrum. To select an estimator for usage in a QV-band beacon receiver, analysis of six frequency estimators was conducted to characterize their effectiveness as they relate to beacon receiver design.

Price-Transparency and Cost Accounting

Science.gov (United States)

Eakin, Cynthia; Fischer, Katrina

2015-01-01

Health care reform is directed toward improving access and quality while containing costs. An essential part of this is improvement of pricing models to more accurately reflect the costs of providing care. Transparent prices that reflect costs are necessary to signal information to consumers and producers. This information is central in a consumer-driven marketplace. The rapid increase in high deductible insurance and other forms of cost sharing incentivizes the search for price information. The organizational ability to measure costs across a cycle of care is an integral component of creating value, and will play a greater role as reimbursements transition to episode-based care, value-based purchasing, and accountable care organization models. This article discusses use of activity-based costing (ABC) to better measure the cost of health care. It describes examples of ABC in health care organizations and discusses impediments to adoption in the United States including cultural and institutional barriers. PMID:25862425

Price-Transparency and Cost Accounting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Hilsenrath PhD

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Health care reform is directed toward improving access and quality while containing costs. An essential part of this is improvement of pricing models to more accurately reflect the costs of providing care. Transparent prices that reflect costs are necessary to signal information to consumers and producers. This information is central in a consumer-driven marketplace. The rapid increase in high deductible insurance and other forms of cost sharing incentivizes the search for price information. The organizational ability to measure costs across a cycle of care is an integral component of creating value, and will play a greater role as reimbursements transition to episode-based care, value-based purchasing, and accountable care organization models. This article discusses use of activity-based costing (ABC to better measure the cost of health care. It describes examples of ABC in health care organizations and discusses impediments to adoption in the United States including cultural and institutional barriers.

Direct cost of monitoring conventional hemodialysis conducted by nursing professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antônio Fernandes Costa Lima

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the mean direct cost of conventional hemodialysis monitored by nursing professionals in three public teaching and research hospitals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Method: this was a quantitative, explorative and descriptive investigation, based on a multiple case study approach. The mean direct cost was calculated by multiplying (clocked time spent per procedure by the unit cost of direct labor. Values were calculated in Brazilian real (BRL. Results: Hospital C presented the highest mean direct cost (BRL 184.52, 5.23 times greater than the value for Hospital A (BRL 35.29 and 3.91 times greater than Hospital B (BRL 47.22. Conclusion: the costing method used in this study can be reproduced at other dialysis centers to inform strategies aimed at efficient allocation of necessary human resources to successfully monitor conventional hemodialysis.

Design of LCL-filters with LCL resonance frequencies beyond the Nyquist frequency for grid-connected inverters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Yi; Yao, Wenli; Loh, Poh Chiang

2015-01-01

, and this observation is so far not discussed in the literature. In this case, very cost-effective LCL-filter design can be achieved for grid-connected converters whose dominant switching harmonics may appear at double of the switching frequency, e.g. in unipolar modulated three-level full bridge converters and 12...

Cost analysis and cost justification of automated data processing in the clinical laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Westlake, G E

1983-03-01

Prospective cost analysis of alternative data processing systems can be facilitated by proper selection of the costs to be analyzed and realistic appraisal of the effect on staffing. When comparing projects with dissimilar cash flows, techniques such as analysis of net present value can be helpful in identifying financial benefits. Confidence and accuracy in prospective analyses will increase as more retrospective studies are published. Several accounts now in the literature describe long-term experience with turnkey laboratory information systems. Acknowledging the difficulty in longitudinal studies, they all report favorable effects on labor costs and recovery of lost charges. Enthusiasm is also expressed for the many intangible benefits of the systems. Several trends suggest that cost justification and cost effectiveness will be more easily demonstrated in the future. These are the rapidly decreasing cost of hardware (with corresponding reduction in service costs) and the entry into the market of additional systems designed for medium to small hospitals. The effect of broadening the sales base may be lower software prices. Finally, operational and executive data management and reporting are destined to become the premier extensions of the LIS for cost justification. Aptly applied, these facilities can promote understanding of costs, control of costs, and greater efficiency in providing laboratory services.

Dissociating Word Frequency and Age of Acquisition: The Klein Effect Revived (and Reversed)

Science.gov (United States)

Dewhurst, Stephen A.; Barry, Christopher

2006-01-01

The Klein effect (G. S. Klein, 1964) refers to the finding that high-frequency words produce greater interference in a color-naming task than low-frequency words. The present study used the Klein effect to investigate the relationship between frequency and age of acquisition (AoA) by measuring their influence on color naming. Two experiments…

Forestry-related pathways for the movement of exotic plant pests into and within the greater Caribbean region

Science.gov (United States)

Leslie Newton; Heike Meissner; Andrea. Lemay

2011-01-01

Forests of the Greater Caribbean Region (GCR) are important ecologically and economically. These unique ecosystems are under increasing pressure from exotic pests, which may cause extensive environmental damage and cost billions of dollars in control programs, lost production, and forest restoration.

Spatial-frequency dependent binocular imbalance in amblyopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, MiYoung; Wiecek, Emily; Dakin, Steven C; Bex, Peter J

2015-11-25

While amblyopia involves both binocular imbalance and deficits in processing high spatial frequency information, little is known about the spatial-frequency dependence of binocular imbalance. Here we examined binocular imbalance as a function of spatial frequency in amblyopia using a novel computer-based method. Binocular imbalance at four spatial frequencies was measured with a novel dichoptic letter chart in individuals with amblyopia, or normal vision. Our dichoptic letter chart was composed of band-pass filtered letters arranged in a layout similar to the ETDRS acuity chart. A different chart was presented to each eye of the observer via stereo-shutter glasses. The relative contrast of the corresponding letter in each eye was adjusted by a computer staircase to determine a binocular Balance Point at which the observer reports the letter presented to either eye with equal probability. Amblyopes showed pronounced binocular imbalance across all spatial frequencies, with greater imbalance at high compared to low spatial frequencies (an average increase of 19%, p imbalance may be useful for diagnosing amblyopia and as an outcome measure for recovery of binocular vision following therapy.

Assessing and forecasting groundwater development costs in Sub ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Greater use of groundwater in Sub-Saharan Africa is a pre-requisite for improved human welfare; however, the costs associated with groundwater development are prohibitively high and poorly defined. This study identifies and disaggregates the costs of groundwater development in 11 Sub-Saharan African countries, while ...

Reproducibility of frequency-dependent low frequency fluctuations in reaction time over time and across tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zan-Zan; Qu, Hui-Jie; Tian, Zhuo-Ling; Han, Meng-Jian; Fan, Yi; Ge, Lie-Zhong; Zang, Yu-Feng; Zhang, Hang

2017-01-01

Increased levels of reaction time variability (RTV) are characteristics of sustained attention deficits. The clinical significance of RTV has been widely recognized. However, the reliability of RTV measurements has not been widely studied. The present study aimed to assess the test-retest reliability of RTV conventional measurements, e.g., the standard deviation (SD), the coefficient of variation (CV), and a new measurement called the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of RT. In addition, we aimed to assess differences and similarities of these measurements between different tasks. Thirty-seven healthy college students participated in 2 tasks, i.e., an Eriksen flanker task (EFT) and a simple reaction task (SRT), twice over a mean interval of 56 days. Conventional measurements of RTV including RT-SD and RT-CV were assessed first. Then the RT time series were converted into frequency domains, and RT-ALFF was further calculated for the whole frequency band (0.0023-0.167 Hz) and for a few sub-frequency bands including Slow-6 (frequency bands (Slow-3), but SRT RT-ALFF values showed slightly higher ICC values than EFT values in lower frequency bands (Slow-5 and Slow-4). 2) RT-ALFF magnitudes in each sub-frequency band were greater for the SRT than those for the EFT. 3) The RT-ALFF in the Slow-4 of the EFT was found to be correlated with the RT-ALFF in the Slow-5 of the SRT for both two visits, but no consistently significant correlation was found between the same frequency bands. These findings reveal good test-retest reliability for conventional measurements and for the RT-ALFF of RTV. The RT-ALFF presented frequency-dependent similarities across tasks. All of our results reveal the presence of different frequency structures between the two tasks, and thus the frequency-dependent characteristics of different tasks deserve more attention in future studies.

Cost-effectiveness of alternative changes to a national blood collection service.

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, S; De Corte, K; Cairns, J A; Zia Sadique, M; Hawkins, N; Pennington, M; Cho, G; Roberts, D J; Miflin, G; Grieve, R

2018-05-16

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of changing opening times, introducing a donor health report and reducing the minimum inter-donation interval for donors attending static centres. Evidence is required about the effect of changes to the blood collection service on costs and the frequency of donation. This study estimated the effect of changes to the blood collection service in England on the annual number of whole-blood donations by current donors. We used donors' responses to a stated preference survey, donor registry data on donation frequency and deferral rates from the INTERVAL trial. Costs measured were those anticipated to differ between strategies. We reported the cost per additional unit of blood collected for each strategy versus current practice. Strategies with a cost per additional unit of whole blood less than £30 (an estimate of the current cost of collection) were judged likely to be cost-effective. In static donor centres, extending opening times to evenings and weekends provided an additional unit of whole blood at a cost of £23 and £29, respectively. Introducing a health report cost £130 per additional unit of blood collected. Although the strategy of reducing the minimum inter-donation interval had the lowest cost per additional unit of blood collected (£10), this increased the rate of deferrals due to low haemoglobin (Hb). The introduction of a donor health report is unlikely to provide a sufficient increase in donation frequency to justify the additional costs. A more cost-effective change is to extend opening hours for blood collection at static centres. © 2018 The Authors. Transfusion Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Blood Transfusion Society.

Resequencing of 200 human exomes identifies an excess of low-frequency non-synonymous coding variants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Yingrui; Vinckenbosch, Nicolas; Tian, Geng

2010-01-01

data, we derived the allele frequency spectrum of cSNPs with a minor allele frequency greater than 0.02. We identified a 1.8-fold excess of deleterious, non-syonomyous cSNPs over synonymous cSNPs in the low-frequency range (minor allele frequencies between 2% and 5%). This excess was more pronounced...

Frequency-Weighted Model Predictive Control of Trailing Edge Flaps on a Wind Turbine Blade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castaignet, Damien; Couchman, Ian; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

2013-01-01

flapwise blade root moment and trailing edge flap deflection. Frequency-weighted MPC is chosen for its ability to handle constraints on the trailing edge flaps deflection, and to target at loads with given frequencies only. The controller is first tested in servo-aeroelastic simulations, before being......This paper presents the load reduction achieved with trailing edge flaps during a full-scale test on a Vestas V27 wind turbine. The trailing edge flap controller is a frequency-weighted linear model predictive control (MPC) where the quadratic cost consists of costs on the zero-phase filtered...

Design of LCL Filters With LCL Resonance Frequencies Beyond the Nyquist Frequency for Grid-Connected Converters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Yi; Yao, Wenli; Loh, Poh Chiang

2016-01-01

, and this observation is so far not discussed in the literature. In this case, a very cost-effective LCL filter design can be achieved for the grid-connected converters, whose dominant switching harmonics may appear at double the switching frequency, e.g., in unipolar-modulated three-level full-bridge converters and 12...

Photovoltaic (PV) contribution to the primary frequency control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafa, Adel Hamad

2012-01-01

Photovoltaic (PV) technology is among the most efficient and cost effective renewable energy kinds currently available on the market. The connection of a large number of PVs to the grid may influence the frequency and voltage stability of the power system. This paper proposes load-frequency control technique for system with high penetration of photovoltaic (PV). The proposed controller has been successfully implemented and tested using PSCAD/EMTDC. In this study, the impact of photovoltaic (PV) on frequency stability of the system is studies in detail. This study shows that large penetration of photovoltaic (PV) with load and frequency control has a significant impact on the stability and security level of electrical network.(author)

Frequency band adjustment match filtering based on variable frequency GPR antennas pairing scheme for shallow subsurface investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikh, Shahid Ali; Tian, Gang; Shi, Zhanjie; Zhao, Wenke; Junejo, S. A.

2018-02-01

Ground penetrating Radar (GPR) is an efficient tool for subsurface geophysical investigations, particularly at shallow depths. The non-destructiveness, cost efficiency, and data reliability are the important factors that make it an ideal tool for the shallow subsurface investigations. Present study encompasses; variations in central frequency of transmitting and receiving GPR antennas (Tx-Rx) have been analyzed and frequency band adjustment match filters are fabricated and tested accordingly. Normally, the frequency of both the antennas remains similar to each other whereas in this study we have experimentally changed the frequencies of Tx-Rx and deduce the response. Instead of normally adopted three pairs, a total of nine Tx-Rx pairs were made from 50 MHz, 100 MHz, and 200 MHz antennas. The experimental data was acquired at the designated near surface geophysics test site of the Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. After the impulse response analysis of acquired data through conventional as well as varied Tx-Rx pairs, different swap effects were observed. The frequency band and exploration depth are influenced by transmitting frequencies rather than the receiving frequencies. The impact of receiving frequencies was noticed on the resolution; the more noises were observed using the combination of high frequency transmitting with respect to low frequency receiving. On the basis of above said variable results we have fabricated two frequency band adjustment match filters, the constant frequency transmitting (CFT) and the variable frequency transmitting (VFT) frequency band adjustment match filters. By the principle, the lower and higher frequency components were matched and then incorporated with intermediate one. Therefore, this study reveals that a Tx-Rx combination of low frequency transmitting with high frequency receiving is a better choice. Moreover, both the filters provide better radargram than raw one, the result of VFT frequency band adjustment filter is

Participation of Children with Disabilities in Taiwan: The Gap between Independence and Frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Ai-Wen; Yen, Chia-Feng; Liou, Tsan-Hon; Simeonsson, Rune J.; Chi, Wen-Chou; Lollar, Donald J.; Liao, Hua-Fang; Kang, Lin-Ju; Wu, Ting-Fang; Teng, Sue-Wen; Chiu, Wen-Ta

2015-01-01

Background Independence and frequency are two distinct dimensions of participation in daily life. The gap between independence and frequency may reflect the role of the environment on participation, but this distinction has not been fully explored. Methods A total of 18,119 parents or primary caregivers of children with disabilities aged 6.0-17.9 years were interviewed in a cross-sectional nationwide survey with the Functioning Scale of the Disability Evaluation System - Child version (FUNDES-Child). A section consisting of 20 items measured the children’s daily participation in 4 environmental settings: home, neighborhood/community, school, and home/community. Higher independence and frequency restriction scores indicated greater limitation of participation in daily activities. Scores for independence, frequency and independence-frequency gaps were examined across ages along with trend analysis. ANOVA was used to compare the gaps across settings and diagnoses for children with mild levels of severity of impairment. Findings A negative independence-frequency gap (restriction of frequency was greater than that of independence) was found for children with mild to severe levels of impairment. A positive gap (restriction of independence was greater than that of frequency) was found for children with profound levels of severity. The gaps became wider with age in most settings of children with mild impairment and different diagnoses. Widest negative gaps were found for the neighborhood/community settings than for the other three settings for children with mild to severe impairment. Conclusions Children’s participation and independence-frequency gaps depend not only on the severity of their impairments or diagnoses, but also on their age, the setting and the support provided by their environment. In Taiwan, more frequency restrictions than ability restrictions were found for children with mild to moderate severity, especially in the neighborhood/community setting, and

Analysis of the rebalancing frequency in log-optimal portfolio selection

OpenAIRE

Kuhn, Daniel; Luenberger, David G.

2010-01-01

In a dynamic investment situation, the right timing of portfolio revisions and adjustments is essential to sustain long-term growth. A high rebalancing frequency reduces the portfolio performance in the presence of transaction costs, whereas a low rebalancing frequency entails a static investment strategy that hardly reacts to changing market conditions. This article studies a family of portfolio problems in a Black-Scholes type economy which depend parametrically on the rebalancing frequency...

[Costs of maternal-infant care in an institutionalized health care system].

Science.gov (United States)

Villarreal Ríos, E; Salinas Martínez, A M; Guzmán Padilla, J E; Garza Elizondo, M E; Tovar Castillo, N H; García Cornejo, M L

1998-01-01

Partial and total maternal and child health care costs were estimated. The study was developed in a Primary Care Health Clinic (PCHC) and a General Hospital (GH) of a social security health care system. Maternal and child health care services, type of activity and frequency utilization during 1995, were defined; cost examination was done separately for the PCHC and the GH. Estimation of fixed cost included departmentalization, determination of inputs, costs, basic services disbursements, and weighing. These data were related to depreciation, labor period and productivity. Estimation of variable costs required the participation of field experts; costs corresponded to those registered in billing records. The fixed cost plus the variable cost determined the unit cost, which multiplied by the of frequency of utilization generated the prenatal care, labor and delivery care, and postnatal care cost. The sum of these three equaled the maternal and child health care cost. The prenatal care cost was $1,205.33, the labor and delivery care cost was $3,313.98, and the postnatal care was $559.91. The total cost of the maternal and child health care corresponded to $5,079.22. Cost information is valuable for the health care personnel for health care planning activities.

Greater repertoire and temporal variability of cross-frequency coupling (CFC modes in resting-state neuromagnetic recordings among children with reading difficulties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stavros I Dimitriadis

2016-04-01

Full Text Available AbstractCross-frequency, phase-to-amplitude coupling (PAC between neuronal oscillations at rest may serve as the substrate that supports information exchange between functionally specialized neuronal populations both within and between cortical regions. The study utilizes novel algorithms to identify prominent instantaneous modes of cross-frequency coupling and their temporal stability in resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG data from 23 students experiencing severe reading difficulties (RD and 27 age-matched non-impaired readers (NI.Phase coherence estimates were computed in order to identify the prominent mode of PAC interaction for each sensor, sensor pair, and pair of frequency bands (from δ to γ at successive temporal segments of the continuous MEG record. The degree of variability in the characteristic frequency-pair PACf1-f2 modes over time was also estimated. Results revealed a wider repertoire of prominent PAC interactions in RD as compared to NI students, suggesting an altered functional substrate for information exchange between neuronal assemblies in the former group. Moreover, RD students showed significant variability in PAC modes over time. This temporal instability of PAC values was particularly prominent: (a within and between right hemisphere temporal and occipitotemporal sensors and, (b between left hemisphere frontal, temporal, and occipitotemporal sensors and corresponding right hemisphere sites. Altered modes of neuronal population coupling may help account for extant data revealing reduced, task-related neurophysiological and hemodynamic activation in left hemisphere regions involved in the reading network in RD. Moreover, the spatial distribution of pronounced instability of cross-frequency coupling modes in this group may provide an explanation for previous reports suggesting the presence of inefficient compensatory mechanisms to support reading.

Reducing healthcare costs facilitated by surgical auditing: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Govaert, Johannes Arthuur; van Bommel, Anne Charlotte Madeline; van Dijk, Wouter Antonie; van Leersum, Nicoline Johanneke; Tollenaar, Robertus Alexandre Eduard Mattheus; Wouters, Michael Wilhemus Jacobus Maria

2015-07-01

Surgical auditing has been developed in order to benchmark and to facilitate quality improvement. The aim of this review is to determine if auditing combined with systematic feedback of information on process and outcomes of care results in lower costs of surgical care. A systematic search of published literature before 21-08-2013 was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Articles were selected if they met the inclusion criteria of describing a surgical audit with cost-evaluation. The systematic search resulted in 3608 papers. Six studies were identified as relevant, all showing a positive effect of surgical auditing on quality of healthcare and therefore cost savings was reported. Cost reductions ranging from $16 to $356 per patient were seen in audits evaluating general or vascular procedures. The highest potential cost reduction was described in a colorectal surgical audit (up to $1,986 per patient). All six identified articles in this review describe a reduction in complications and thereby a reduction in costs due to surgical auditing. Surgical auditing may be of greater value when high-risk procedures are evaluated, since prevention of adverse events in these procedures might be of greater clinical and therefore of greater financial impact. This systematic review shows that surgical auditing can function as a quality instrument and therefore as a tool to reduce costs. Since evidence is scarce so far, further studies should be performed to investigate if surgical auditing has positive effects to turn the rising healthcare costs around. In the future, incorporating (actual) cost analyses and patient-related outcome measures would increase the audits' value and provide a complete overview of the value of healthcare.

COPD management costs according to the frequency of COPD exacerbations in UK primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Punekar, Yogesh Suresh; Shukla, Amit; Müllerova, Hana

2014-01-01

The economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations is significant, but the impact of other sources on the overall cost of COPD management is largely unknown. We aimed to estimate overall costs for patients experiencing none, one, or two or more exacerbations per year in the UK. A retrospective cohort of prevalent COPD patients was identified in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink UK database. Patients with information recorded for at least 12 months before and after cohort entry date were included (first prevalent COPD diagnosis confirmed by spirometry on/after April 1, 2009). Patients were categorized as having none, one, or two or more moderate-to-severe COPD exacerbations in the 12 months after cohort entry and further classified by the Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) category of airflow obstruction and the Medical Research Council dyspnea scale. Study outcomes included counts of general practitioner interactions, moderate-severe COPD exacerbations, and non-COPD hospitalizations. Estimated resource use costs were calculated using National Health Service reference costs for 2010-2011. The cohort comprised 58,589 patients (mean age 69.5 years, mean dyspnea grade 2.5, females 46.6%, current smokers 33.1%). The average total annual per patient cost of COPD management, excluding medications, was £2,108 for all patients and £1,523, £2,405, and £3,396 for patients experiencing no, one, or two or more moderate-to-severe exacerbations, respectively. General practitioner interactions contributed most to these annual costs, accounting for £1,062 (69.7%), £1,313 (54.6%), and £1,592 (46.9%) in patients with no, one, or two or more moderate-to-severe exacerbations, respectively. Disease management strategies focused on reducing costs in primary care may help reduce total COPD costs significantly.

The influence of heart disease on characteristics, quality of life, use of health resources, and costs of COPD in primary care settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hernandez-Barrera Valentín

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate the influence of heart disease on clinical characteristics, quality of life, use of health resources, and costs of patients with COPD followed at primary care settings under common clinical practice conditions. Methods Epidemiologic, observational, and descriptive study (EPIDEPOC study. Patients ≥ 40 years of age with stable COPD attending primary care settings were included. Demographic, clinical characteristics, quality of life (SF-12, seriousness of the disease, and treatment data were collected. Results were compared between patients with or without associated heart disease. Results A total of 9,390 patients with COPD were examined of whom 1,770 (18.8% had heart disease and 78% were males. When comparing both patient groups, significant differences were found in the socio-demographic characteristics, health profile, comorbidities, and severity of the airway obstruction, which was greater in patients with heart disease. Differences were also found in both components of quality of life, physical and mental, with lower scores among those patients with heart disease. Higher frequency of primary care and pneumologist visits, emergency-room visits and number of hospital admissions were observed among patients with heart diseases. The annual total cost per patient was significantly higher in patients with heart disease; 2,937 ± 2,957 vs. 1,749 ± 2,120, p Conclusion Patients with COPD plus heart disease had greater disease severity and worse quality of life, used more healthcare resources and were associated with greater costs compared to COPD patients without known hearth disease.

Power MOSFET-diode-based limiter for high-frequency ultrasound systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hojong; Kim, Min Gon; Cummins, Thomas M; Hwang, Jae Youn; Shung, K Kirk

2014-10-01

The purpose of the limiter circuits used in the ultrasound imaging systems is to pass low-voltage echo signals generated by ultrasonic transducers while preventing high-voltage short pulses transmitted by pulsers from damaging front-end circuits. Resistor-diode-based limiters (a 50 Ω resistor with a single cross-coupled diode pair) have been widely used in pulse-echo measurement and imaging system applications due to their low cost and simple architecture. However, resistor-diode-based limiters may not be suited for high-frequency ultrasound transducer applications since they produce large signal conduction losses at higher frequencies. Therefore, we propose a new limiter architecture utilizing power MOSFETs, which we call a power MOSFET-diode-based limiter. The performance of a power MOSFET-diode-based limiter was evaluated with respect to insertion loss (IL), total harmonic distortion (THD), and response time (RT). We compared these results with those of three other conventional limiter designs and showed that the power MOSFET-diode-based limiter offers the lowest IL (-1.33 dB) and fastest RT (0.10 µs) with the lowest suppressed output voltage (3.47 Vp-p) among all the limiters at 70 MHz. A pulse-echo test was performed to determine how the new limiter affected the sensitivity and bandwidth of the transducer. We found that the sensitivity and bandwidth of the transducer were 130% and 129% greater, respectively, when combined with the new power MOSFET-diode-based limiter versus the resistor-diode-based limiter. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the power MOSFET-diode-based limiter is capable of producing lower signal attenuation than the three conventional limiter designs at higher frequency operation. © The Author(s) 2014.

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)

Differential fitness costs of reproduction between the sexes

OpenAIRE

Penn, Dustin J.; Smith, Ken R.

2006-01-01

Natural selection does not necessarily favor maximal reproduction because reproduction imposes fitness costs, reducing parental survival, and offspring quality. Here, we show that parents in a preindustrial population in North America incurred fitness costs from reproduction, and women incurred greater costs than men. We examined the survivorship and reproductive success (Darwinian fitness) of 21,684 couples married between 1860 and 1895 identified in the Utah Population Database. We found th...

Estimation of allele frequency and association mapping using next-generation sequencing data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Su Yeon; Lohmueller, Kirk E; Albrechtsen, Anders

2011-01-01

Estimation of allele frequency is of fundamental importance in population genetic analyses and in association mapping. In most studies using next-generation sequencing, a cost effective approach is to use medium or low-coverage data (e.g., frequency estimation...

The operating cost of electrocoagulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donini, J.C.; Kan, J.; Szynkarczuk, J.; Hassan, T.A.; Kar, K.L. (Canadian Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology, Devon, AB (Canada))

1994-12-01

The electrocoagulation of kaolinite and bentonite suspensions was studied in a pilot-scale electrocoagulation system to assess the operating cost and efficiency of the process. Factors affecting the operating cost such as formation of passivation layers on electrode plates, flow velocity, and concentration of NaCl in the suspension were examined. The operating costs investigated were the power cost of the electrocoagulation cell and the material cost due to the consumption of the aluminum electrode. Comparison was based on the settling properties of the treated product: turbidity, settling rate, and cake height. Higher NaCl concentration resulted in greater amounts of Al dissolved chemically and electrochemically into the suspension and thus a better clarity of the supernatant of the treated product. Increased flow velocity could reduce significantly the operating cost while improving both clarity of the supernatant and compactness of the sludge volume. The passivation layers developed quickly with time during the electrocoagulation process and more energy became wasted on the layers. 10 refs., 12 figs.

A predation cost to bold fish in the wild

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hulthén, Kaj; Chapman, Ben; Nilsson, Anders P.

2017-01-01

in the animal kingdom. Theory predicts that individual behavioural types differ in a cost-benefit trade-off where bolder individuals benefit from greater access to resources while paying higher predation-risk costs. However, explicitly linking predation events to individual behaviour under natural conditions...

Dark respiration of leaves and traps of terrestrial carnivorous plants: are there greater energetic costs in traps?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Adamec, Lubomír

2010-01-01

Roč. 5, č. 1 (2010), s. 121-124 ISSN 1895-104X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : Aerobic respiration * metabolic costs * trap specialization Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 0.685, year: 2010

Distribution costs -- the cost of local delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winger, N.; Zarnett, P.; Carr, J.

2000-01-01

Most of the power transmission system in the province of Ontario is owned and operated as a regulated monopoly by Ontario Hydro Services Company (OHSC). Local distribution systems deliver to end-users from bulk supply points within a service territory. OHSC distributes to approximately one million, mostly rural customers, while the approximately 250 municipal utilities together serve about two million, mostly urban customers. Under the Energy Competition Act of 1998 local distribution companies will face some new challenges, including unbundled billing systems, a broader range of distribution costs, increased costs, made up of corporate taxes or payments in lieu of taxes and added costs for regulatory affairs. The consultants provide a detailed discussion of the components of distribution costs, the three components of the typical budget process (capital expenditures, (CAPEX), operating and maintenance (O and M) and administration and corporate (GA and C), a summary of some typical distribution costs in Ontario, and the estimated impacts of the Energy Competition Act (ECA) compliance on charges and rates. Various mitigation strategies are also reviewed. Among these are joint ventures by local distribution companies to reduce ECA compliance costs, re-examination of controllable costs, temporary reduction of the allowable return on equity (ROE) by 50 per cent, and/or reducing the competitive transition charge (CTC). It is estimated that either one of these two reductions could eliminate the full amount of the five to seven per cent uplift in delivered energy service costs. The conclusion of the consultants is that local distribution delivery charges will make up a greater proportion of end-user cost in the future than it has in the past. An increase to customers of about five per cent is expected when the competitive electricity market opens and unbundled billing begins. The cost increase could be mitigated by a combination of actions that would be needed for about

Does a One-Size-Fits-All Cost-Sharing Approach Incentivize Appropriate Medication Use? A Roundtable on the Fairness and Ethics Associated with Variable Cost Sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Graff, Jennifer S; Shih, Chuck; Barker, Thomas; Dieguez, Gabriela; Larson, Cheryl; Sherman, Helen; Dubois, Robert W

2017-06-01

use of the higher-cost treatment was due to biological reasons such as step therapy (6 = unacceptable, 9 = neutral, 2 = acceptable) or diagnostic results (5 = unacceptable, 10 = neutral, and 2 = acceptable). In contrast, panelists felt it was more acceptable for patients to pay greater OOP costs when treatment choice was based on preferences to avoid a side-effect risk (1 = unacceptable, 3 = neutral, and 13 = acceptable) or the route/frequency of administration (1 = unacceptable, 1 = neutral, and 15 = acceptable). Five guiding principles emerged from the discussion: When patients have tried lower-cost therapies unsuccessfully, the benefits of higher-cost treatments were certain and significant, the cost difference between treatments was aligned with improved benefits, and penalties due to bad luck were mitigated, then cost-sharing differences should be minimized but not eliminated. Patient OOP costs can affect the use of both inappropriate and appropriate medications. This study identified 5 guiding principles to determine when it was more (or less) acceptable for patients with the same or similar conditions to have different OOP costs. Barriers that hinder the alignment of care and patient cost sharing exist. Policies that facilitate the alignment of patient cost sharing with appropriate care are needed. Funding for this roundtable was provided by the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC). Graff and Dubois are employed by the NPC. Shih was employed by the NPC at the time of this study. Barker, Dieguez, Sherman, and Larson received consulting fees for participation in this study. Larson also reports receiving grants and other payment from multiple major pharmaceutical manufacturers outside of this study. The NPC employees developed the study design and chose the case studies in collaboration with the white paper authors. The roundtable was facilitated by Dubois, and the meeting summary and manuscript were written by Graff and Shih, with revisions by all roundtable

Cost of space-based laser ballistic missile defense.

Science.gov (United States)

Field, G; Spergel, D

1986-03-21

Orbiting platforms carrying infrared lasers have been proposed as weapons forming the first tier of a ballistic missile defense system under the President's Strategic Defense Initiative. As each laser platform can destroy a limited number of missiles, one of several methods of countering such a system is to increase the number of offensive missiles. Hence it is important to know whether the cost-exchange ratio, defined as the ratio of the cost to the defense of destroying a missile to the cost to the offense of deploying an additional missile, is greater or less than 1. Although the technology to be used in a ballistic missile defense system is still extremely uncertain, it is useful to examine methods for calculating the cost-exchange ratio. As an example, the cost of an orbiting infrared laser ballistic missile defense system employed against intercontinental ballistic missiles launched simultaneously from a small area is compared to the cost of additional offensive missiles. If one adopts lower limits to the costs for the defense and upper limits to the costs for the offense, the cost-exchange ratio comes out substantially greater than 1. If these estimates are confirmed, such a ballistic missile defense system would be unable to maintain its effectiveness at less cost than it would take to proliferate the ballistic missiles necessary to overcome it and would therefore not satisfy the President's requirements for an effective strategic defense. Although the method is illustrated by applying it to a space-based infrared laser system, it should be straightforward to apply it to other proposed systems.

Greater happiness for a greater number: Is that possible? If so how? (Arabic)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Veenhoven (Ruut); E. Samuel (Emad)

2012-01-01

textabstractWhat is the final goal of public policy? Jeremy Bentham (1789) would say: greater happiness for a greater number. He thought of happiness as subjective enjoyment of life; in his words as “the sum of pleasures and pains”. In his time, the happiness of the great number could not be

Nuclear-fuel-cycle costs. Consolidated Fuel-Reprocessing Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burch, W.D.; Haire, M.J.; Rainey, R.H.

1981-01-01

The costs for the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle, which were developed as part of the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP), are presented. Total fuel-cycle costs are given for the pressurized-water reactor once-through and fuel-recycle systems, and for the liquid-metal fast-breeder-reactor system. These calculations show that fuel-cycle costs are a small part of the total power costs. For breeder reactors, fuel-cycle costs are about half that of the present once-through system. The total power cost of the breeder-reactor system is greater than that of light-water reactor at today's prices for uranium and enrichment

High direct costs of medical care in patients with Type 1 diabetes attending a referral clinic in a government-funded hospital in Northern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Katam, Kishore K; Bhatia, Vijayalakshmi; Dabadghao, Preeti; Bhatia, Eesh

2016-01-01

There is little information regarding costs of managing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) from low- and middle-income countries. We estimated direct costs of T1DM in patients attending a referral diabetes clinic in a governmentfunded hospital in northern India. We prospectively enrolled 88 consecutive T1DM patients (mean [SD] age 15.3 [8] years) with age at onset clinic of our institution. Data on direct costs were collected for a 12 months-6 months retrospectively followed by 6 months prospectively. Patients belonged predominantly (77%) to the middle socioeconomic strata (SES); 81% had no access to government subsidy or health insurance. The mean direct cost per patient-year of T1DM was `27 915 (inter-quartile range [IQR] `19 852-32 856), which was 18.6% (7.1%-30.1%) of the total family income. A greater proportion of income was spent by families of lower compared to middle SES (32.6% v. 6.6%, p<0.001). The mean out-of-pocket payment for diabetes care ranged from 2% to 100% (mean 87%) of the total costs. The largest expenditure was on home blood glucose monitoring (40%) and insulin (39.5%). On multivariate analysis, total direct cost was associated with annual family income (β=0.223, p=0.033), frequency of home blood glucose monitoring (β=0.249, p=0.016) and use of analogue insulin (β=0.225, p=0.016). Direct costs of T1DM were high; in proportion to their income the costs were greater in the lower SES. The largest expenditure was on home blood glucose monitoring and insulin. Support for insulin and glucose testing strips for T1DM care is urgently required.

Frequency scaling for angle gathers

KAUST Repository

Zuberi, M. A H; Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2014-01-01

Angle gathers provide an extra dimension to analyze the velocity after migration. Space-shift and time shift-imaging conditions are two methods used to obtain angle gathers, but both are reasonably expensive. By scaling the time-lag axis of the time-shifted images, the computational cost of the time shift imaging condition can be considerably reduced. In imaging and more so Full waveform inversion, frequencydomain Helmholtz solvers are used more often to solve for the wavefields than conventional time domain extrapolators. In such cases, we do not need to extend the image, instead we scale the frequency axis of the frequency domain image to obtain the angle gathers more efficiently. Application on synthetic data demonstrate such features.

The profit maximizing liner shipping problem with flexible frequencies: logistical and environmental considerations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Giovannini, Massimo; Psaraftis, Harilaos N.

2018-01-01

for the ship operator and as a result they typically minimize costs. This treatment does not capture a fundamental characteristic of shipping market behavior, that ships tend to speed up in periods of high freight rates and slow down in depressed market conditions. This paper develops a simple model...... for a fixed route scenario which, among other things, incorporates the influence of freight rates, along with that of fuel prices and cargo inventory costs into the overall decision process. The objective to be maximized is the line’s average daily profit. Departing from convention, the model is also able...... to consider flexible service frequencies, to be selected from a broader set than the standard assumption of one call per week. It is shown that this may lead to better solutions and that the cost of forcing a fixed frequency can be significant. Such cost is attributed either to additional fuel cost...

Corroborating a new probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for greater Tokyo from historical intensity observations

Science.gov (United States)

Bozkurt, S.; Stein, R.; Toda, S.

2006-12-01

The long recorded history of earthquakes in Japan affords an opportunity to forecast seismic shaking exclusively from past observations of shaking. For this we analyzed 10,000 intensity observations recorded during AD 1600-2000 in a 350 x 350 km area centered on Tokyo in a Geographic Information System. A frequency-intensity curve is found for each 5 x 5 km cell, and from this the probability of exceeding any intensity level can be estimated. The principal benefits of this approach is that it builds the fewest possible assumptions into a probabilistic seismic forecast, it includes site and source effects without imposing this behavior, and we do not need to know the size or location of any earthquake or the location and slip rate of any fault. The cost is that we must abandon any attempt to make a time-dependent forecast, which could be quite different. We believe the method is suitable to many applications of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment, and to other regions. The two key assumptions are that the slope of the observed frequency-intensity relation at every site is the same, and that the 400-year record is long enough to encompass the full range of seismic behavior. Tests we conduct suggest that both assumptions are sound. The resulting 30-year probability of IJMA>=6 shaking (roughly equivalent to PGA>=0.9 g or MMI=IX-X) is 30-40% in Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama, and 10-15% in Chiba and Tsukuba, the range reflecting spatial variability and curve-fitting alternatives. The strongest shaking is forecast along the margins of Tokyo Bay, within the river sediments extending northwest from Tokyo, and at coastal sites near the plate boundary faults. We also produce long- term exceedance maps of peak ground acceleration for building code regulations, and short-term hazard maps associated with hypothetical catastrophe bonds. Our results for greater Tokyo resemble our independent Poisson probability developed from conventional seismic hazard analysis, as well as

Demand-Side Contribution to Primary Frequency Control With Wind Farm Auxiliary Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gomez-Lazaro, Emilio; Munoz-Benavente, Irene; Hansen, Anca Daniela

2014-01-01

Maintaining a close balance between power generation and demand is essential for sustaining the quality and reliability of a power system. Currently, due to increased renewable energy generation, frequency deviations and power fluctuations of greater concern are being introduced to the grid...... to the primary frequency control together with an auxiliary frequency control, which is carried out by variable-speed wind turbines through an additional control loop that synthesizes virtual inertia. We have evaluated both the suitability of these two additional control actions counteracting frequency deviation...

Trouble Sleeping Associated With Lower Work Performance and Greater Health Care Costs: Longitudinal Data From Kansas State Employee Wellness Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Siu-kuen Azor; Grandner, Michael A

2015-10-01

To examine the relationships between employees' trouble sleeping and absenteeism, work performance, and health care expenditures over a 2-year period. Utilizing the Kansas State employee wellness program (EWP) data set from 2008 to 2009, multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted with trouble sleeping as the predictor and absenteeism, work performance, and health care costs as the outcomes. EWP participants (N = 11,698 in 2008; 5636 followed up in 2009) who had higher levels of sleep disturbance were more likely to be absent from work (all P work performance ratings (all P health care costs (P work attendance, work performance, and health care costs.

Tender frequency and market concentration in balancing power markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knaut, Andreas; Obermueller, Frank; Weiser, Florian

2017-01-01

Balancing power markets ensure the short-term balance of supply and demand in electricity markets and their importance may increase with a higher share of fluctuating renewable electricity production. While it is clear that shorter tender frequencies, e.g. daily or hourly, are able to increase the efficiency compared to a weekly procurement, it remains unclear in which respect market concentration will be affected. Against this background, we develop a numerical electricity market model to quantify the possible effects of shorter tender frequencies on costs and market concentration. We find that shorter time spans of procurement are able to lower the costs by up to 15%. While market concentration decreases in many markets, we - surprisingly - identify cases in which shorter time spans lead to higher concentration.

Tender frequency and market concentration in balancing power markets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knaut, Andreas; Obermueller, Frank; Weiser, Florian

2017-01-15

Balancing power markets ensure the short-term balance of supply and demand in electricity markets and their importance may increase with a higher share of fluctuating renewable electricity production. While it is clear that shorter tender frequencies, e.g. daily or hourly, are able to increase the efficiency compared to a weekly procurement, it remains unclear in which respect market concentration will be affected. Against this background, we develop a numerical electricity market model to quantify the possible effects of shorter tender frequencies on costs and market concentration. We find that shorter time spans of procurement are able to lower the costs by up to 15%. While market concentration decreases in many markets, we - surprisingly - identify cases in which shorter time spans lead to higher concentration.

The Potential Cost-Effectiveness of Amblyopia Screening Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Rein, David B.; Wittenborn, John S.; Zhang, Xinzhi; Song, Michael; Saaddine, Jinan B.

2013-01-01

Background To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of amblyopia screening at preschool and kindergarten, we compared the costs and benefits of 3 amblyopia screening scenarios to no screening and to each other: (1) acuity/stereopsis (A/S) screening at kindergarten, (2) A/S screening at preschool and kindergarten, and (3) photoscreening at preschool and A/S screening at kindergarten. Methods We programmed a probabilistic microsimulation model of amblyopia natural history and response to treatment with screening costs and outcomes estimated from 2 state programs. We calculated the probability that no screening and each of the 3 interventions were most cost-effective per incremental quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained and case avoided. Results Assuming a minimal 0.01 utility loss from monocular vision loss, no screening was most cost-effective with a willingness to pay (WTP) of less than $16,000 per QALY gained. A/S screening at kindergarten alone was most cost-effective between a WTP of $17,000 and $21,000. A/S screening at preschool and kindergarten was most cost-effective between a WTP of $22,000 and $75,000, and photoscreening at preschool and A/S screening at kindergarten was most cost-effective at a WTP greater than $75,000. Cost-effectiveness substantially improved when assuming a greater utility loss. All scenarios were cost-effective when assuming a WTP of $10,500 per case of amblyopia cured. Conclusions All 3 screening interventions evaluated are likely to be considered cost-effective relative to many other potential public health programs. The choice of screening option depends on budgetary resources and the value placed on monocular vision loss prevention by funding agencies. PMID:21877675

How rebates, copayments, and administration costs affect the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferko, Nicole C; Borisova, Natalie; Airia, Parisa; Grima, Daniel T; Thompson, Melissa F

2012-11-01

Because of rising drug expenditures, cost considerations have become essential, necessitating the requirement for cost-effectiveness analyses for managed care organizations (MCOs). The study objective is to examine the impact of various drug-cost components, in addition to wholesale acquisition cost (WAC), on the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis therapies. A Markov model of osteoporosis was used to exemplify different drug cost scenarios. We examined the effect of varying rebates for oral bisphosphonates--risedronate and ibandronate--as well as considering the impact of varying copayments and administration costs for intravenous zoledronate. The population modeled was 1,000 American women, > or = 50 years with osteoporosis. Patients were followed for 1 year to reflect an annual budget review of formularies by MCOs. The cost of therapy was based on an adjusted WAC, and is referred to as net drug cost. The total annual cost incurred by an MCO for each drug regimen was calculated using the net drug cost and fracture cost. We estimated cost on a quality adjusted life year (QALY) basis. When considering different rebates, results for risedronate versus ibandronate vary from cost-savings (i.e., costs less and more effective) to approximately $70,000 per QALY. With no risedronate rebate, an ibandronate rebate of approximately 65% is required before cost per QALY surpasses $50,000. With rebates greater than 25% for risedronate, irrespective of ibandronate rebates, results become cost-saving. Results also showed the magnitude of cost savings to the MCO varied by as much as 65% when considering no administration cost and the highest coinsurance rate for zoledronate. Our study showed that cost-effectiveness varies considerably when factors in addition to the WAC are considered. This paper provides recommendations for pharmaceutical manufacturers and MCOs when developing and interpreting such analyses.

Estimate of the cost of multiple sclerosis in Spain by literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, Oscar; Calleja-Hernández, Miguel Angel; Meca-Lallana, José; Oreja-Guevara, Celia; Polanco, Ana; Pérez-Alcántara, Ferran

2017-08-01

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease leading to increasing disability and costs. A literature review was carried out to identify MS costs and to estimate its economic burden in Spain. Areas Covered: The public electronic databases PubMed, ScienceDirect and IBECS were consulted and a manual review of communications presented at related congresses was carried out. A total of 225 references were obtained, of which 43 were finally included in the study. Expert Commentary: Three major cost groups were identified: direct healthcare costs, direct non-healthcare costs and indirect costs. There is a direct relationship between disease progression and increased costs, mainly direct non-healthcare costs (greater need for informal care) and indirect costs (greater loss of productivity). The total cost associated with MS in Spain is €1,395 million per year, and that the mean annual cost per patient is €30,050. Beyond costs, a large impact on the quality of life of patients, with an annual loss of up to 13,000 quality-adjusted life years was also estimated. MS has a large economic impact on Spanish society and a significant impact on the quality of life of patients.

BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS IN U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY DECISIONS

OpenAIRE

Easter, K. William; Archibald, Sandra O.

1998-01-01

As the number and cost of environmental regulations have increased over the last thirty years, the regulated community, taxpayers, and policy makers have begun to demand that the benefits of regulations justify their costs. The use of benefit-cost analysis as an integral part of developing new regulations is increasing and the demands and expectations being placed on the method have expanded. Although benefit-cost analysis is expected to play an even greater role in environmental decision mak...

Integrated Cost Allocation of Transmission Usage under Electricity Markets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hermagasantos Zein

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Cost allocation of transmission usage on the power networks is an important issue especially in the modern electricity market mechanism. In this context, all costs that have been embedded in the transmission, embedded cost, should be covered by the transmission users. This paper follows general methods, where generators are fullyresponsible to cover the embedded cost. It proposes a method to determine the cost allocation of transmission usage based on decomposition through the superposition techinique to determine power flow contributions from an integrated base case of the results of the power flow calculations of all transactions, bilateral and nonbilateral contracts. Mathematically, the applied formulations are illustrated clearly in this paper. The proposed method has been tested with 5-bus system and the results are much different compared to a few of the published methods. This is shown by the test results on the 5 bus system. The published methods produce total power flow contributions in each line is greater than the actual. And they earn total revenues approximately 11.6% greater than the embedded cost. While on the proposed method, the power flow contribu tions are equal to the actual and the revenues are equal to the embedded cost. It shows also that the proposed method gives results as expected.

Multiagent based Distributed Control for Operation Cost Minimization of Droop Controlled AC Microgrid Using Incremental Cost Consensus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Chendan; Firoozabadi, Mehdi Savaghebi; Quintero, Juan Carlos Vasquez

2015-01-01

sharing based on the power rating. With various types of distributed generator (DG) units in the system, factors that closely related to the operation cost, such as fuel cost and efficiencies of the generator should be taken into account in order to improve the efficiency of the whole system....... In this paper, a multiagent based distributed method is proposed to minimize operation cost of the AC microgrid. Each DG is acting as an agent which regulates the power individually using proposed frequency scheduling method. Optimal power command is obtained through carefully designed consensus algorithm...... with only light communication between neighboring agents. Case studies verified that the proposed control strategy can effectively reduce the operation cost....

Global timber investments, wood costs, regulation, and risk

Science.gov (United States)

F. Cubbage; S. Koesbandana; P Mac Donagh; R. Rubilar; G Balmelli; V. Morales Olmos; R. De La Torre; M. Murara; V.A. Hoeflich; H. Kotze; R Gonzalez; O. Carrero; G. Frey; T. Adams; J. Turner; R. Lord; J. Huang; C. MacIntyre; Kathleen McGinley; R. Abt; R. Phillips

2010-01-01

We estimated financial returns and wood production costs in 2008 for the primary timber plantation species. Excluding land costs, returns for exotic plantations in almost all of South America e Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and Paraguay e were substantial. Eucalyptus species returns were generally greater than those for Pinus species in each...

Kick frequency affects the energy cost of aquatic locomotion in elite monofin swimmers.

Science.gov (United States)

Boitel, Guillaume; Vercruyssen, Fabrice; Alberty, Morgan; Nesi, Xavier; Bourdon, Lionel; Brisswalter, Jeanick

2010-08-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of kick frequency (K(F)) on the energy cost of aquatic locomotion in elite monofin (Mf) swimmers at the surface. Eight subjects of international calibre (4 females, 4 males) were requested to perform in a 50-m outdoor swimming pool: (1) a continuous multi-stage incremental test to determine maximal physiological responses and (2) a submaximal exercise composed of five constant Mf-swimming tests (600-m exercise, 5-min rest) at an intensity corresponding to 90% of the velocity at the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). The first submaximal Mf-swimming test was systematically conducted at a freely chosen K(F) (FCK(F)) and the other tests were performed at FCK(F) - 15%, FCK(F) - 10%, FCK(F) + 10% and FCK(F) + 20% in a random order. No significant effect of K(F) on ventilation, heart rate and blood lactate concentration was observed throughout the submaximal Mf-swimming tests. However, mean values in Ec or fraction of VO2max were significantly lower during the FCK(F) + 10% condition as compared to those observed during the FCK(F) - 15% (-11.5 and -9.6%, respectively, P < 0.05) and FCK(F) - 10% (-10.4 and -9.3%, respectively, P < 0.05) conditions. In conclusion, the lack of significant differences between FCK(F) + 10% and FCK(F) or FCK(F) + 20% does not allow to identify a specific trend, but suggests the occurrence of an energetically optimal K(F) close to that freely chosen by the Mf swimmers. Variations in muscle activity level and active drag have been hypothesized to explain the observed differences in Ec consecutive to the selection of various K(F).

Land cover mapping of Greater Mesoamerica using MODIS data

Science.gov (United States)

Giri, Chandra; Jenkins, Clinton N.

2005-01-01

A new land cover database of Greater Mesoamerica has been prepared using moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS, 500 m resolution) satellite data. Daily surface reflectance MODIS data and a suite of ancillary data were used in preparing the database by employing a decision tree classification approach. The new land cover data are an improvement over traditional advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) based land cover data in terms of both spatial and thematic details. The dominant land cover type in Greater Mesoamerica is forest (39%), followed by shrubland (30%) and cropland (22%). Country analysis shows forest as the dominant land cover type in Belize (62%), Cost Rica (52%), Guatemala (53%), Honduras (56%), Nicaragua (53%), and Panama (48%), cropland as the dominant land cover type in El Salvador (60.5%), and shrubland as the dominant land cover type in Mexico (37%). A three-step approach was used to assess the quality of the classified land cover data: (i) qualitative assessment provided good insight in identifying and correcting gross errors; (ii) correlation analysis of MODIS- and Landsat-derived land cover data revealed strong positive association for forest (r2 = 0.88), shrubland (r2 = 0.75), and cropland (r2 = 0.97) but weak positive association for grassland (r2 = 0.26); and (iii) an error matrix generated using unseen training data provided an overall accuracy of 77.3% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.73608. Overall, MODIS 500 m data and the methodology used were found to be quite useful for broad-scale land cover mapping of Greater Mesoamerica.

Artificial excitation of ELF waves with frequency of Schumann resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Streltsov, A. V.; Guido, T.; Tulegenov, B.; Labenski, J.; Chang, C.-L.

2014-11-01

We report results from the experiment aimed at the artificial excitation of extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic waves with frequencies corresponding to the frequency of Schumann resonance. Electromagnetic waves with these frequencies can form a standing pattern inside the spherical cavity formed by the surface of the Earth and the ionosphere. In the experiment the ELF waves were excited by heating the ionosphere with X-mode HF electromagnetic waves generated at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility in Alaska. The experiment demonstrates that heating of the ionosphere can excite relatively large-amplitude electromagnetic waves with frequencies in the range 7.8-8.0 Hz when the ionosphere has a strong F layer, the frequency of the HF radiation is in the range 3.20-4.57 MHz, and the electric field greater than 5 mV/m is present in the ionosphere.

Blunted Ambiguity Aversion During Cost-Benefit Decisions in Antisocial Individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckholtz, Joshua W; Karmarkar, Uma; Ye, Shengxuan; Brennan, Grace M; Baskin-Sommers, Arielle

2017-05-17

Antisocial behavior is often assumed to reflect aberrant risk processing. However, many of the most significant forms of antisocial behavior, including crime, reflect the outcomes of decisions made under conditions of ambiguity rather than risk. While risk and ambiguity are formally distinct and experimentally dissociable, little is known about ambiguity sensitivity in individuals who engage in chronic antisocial behavior. We used a financial decision-making task in a high-risk community-based sample to test for associations between sensitivity to ambiguity, antisocial behavior, and arrest history. Sensitivity to ambiguity was lower in individuals who met diagnostic criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder. Lower ambiguity sensitivity was also associated with higher externalizing (but not psychopathy) scores, and with higher levels of aggression (but not rule-breaking). Finally, blunted sensitivity to ambiguity also predicted a greater frequency of arrests. Together, these data suggest that alterations in cost-benefit decision-making under conditions of ambiguity may promote antisocial behavior.

The processing cost of scrambling and topicalization in Japanese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi eImamura

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents two reading comprehension experiments, using the sentence correctness decision task, that explore the causes of processing cost of Japanese sentences with SnomOaccV, StopOaccV, OaccSnomV, and OtopSnomV word orders. The first experiment was conducted in order to see if either syntax or frequency plays a significant role in the processing of these sentences. The results of the first experiment have shown that both the structure-building process and frequency directly affect processing load. We observed that there was no difference in processing cost between SnomnOaccV and StopOaccV, both of which are easier to process than OACCSNOMV, which is in turn easier to process than OtopSnomV: SnomOaccV = StopOaccV < OaccSnomV < OtopSnomV. This result is the mixture of the two positions. Specifically, the structure building cost of StopOaccV was neutralized by its high frequency. The aim of the second experiment was to investigate the interaction between syntactic structure, frequency, and information structure. The results showed that the processing cost of OaccSnomV was facilitated by given-new ordering, but SnomOaccV, StopOaccV, and OtopSnomV were not. Thus, we can conclude that information structure also influences processing cost. In addition, the distribution of informational effects can be accounted for by Kuno’s (1987: 212 Markedness Principle for Discourse Rule Violations: SnomOaccV and StopOaccV are unmarked/canonical options, and as such are not penalized even when they violate given-new ordering, OaccSnomV is penalized when it does not maintain given-new ordering because it is a marked/non-canonical option, and OtopSnomV is penalized even when it obeys given-new ordering possibly because more specific contexts are needed. Another reason for the increased processing cost of OtopSnomV is a garden path effect; upon encountering Otop of OtopSnomV, the parser preferentially (misinterpreted it as Stop due to a subject

Large-scale absence of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean: a footprint of human pressures.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine A Ward-Paige

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In recent decades, large pelagic and coastal shark populations have declined dramatically with increased fishing; however, the status of sharks in other systems such as coral reefs remains largely unassessed despite a long history of exploitation. Here we explore the contemporary distribution and sighting frequency of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean and assess the possible role of human pressures on observed patterns. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We analyzed 76,340 underwater surveys carried out by trained volunteer divers between 1993 and 2008. Surveys were grouped within one km2 cells, which allowed us to determine the contemporary geographical distribution and sighting frequency of sharks. Sighting frequency was calculated as the ratio of surveys with sharks to the total number of surveys in each cell. We compared sighting frequency to the number of people in the cell vicinity and used population viability analyses to assess the effects of exploitation on population trends. Sharks, with the exception of nurse sharks occurred mainly in areas with very low human population or strong fishing regulations and marine conservation. Population viability analysis suggests that exploitation alone could explain the large-scale absence; however, this pattern is likely to be exacerbated by additional anthropogenic stressors, such as pollution and habitat degradation, that also correlate with human population. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Human pressures in coastal zones have lead to the broad-scale absence of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean. Preventing further loss of sharks requires urgent management measures to curb fishing mortality and to mitigate other anthropogenic stressors to protect sites where sharks still exist. The fact that sharks still occur in some densely populated areas where strong fishing regulations are in place indicates the possibility of success and encourages the implementation of conservation measures.

Large-scale absence of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean: a footprint of human pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward-Paige, Christine A; Mora, Camilo; Lotze, Heike K; Pattengill-Semmens, Christy; McClenachan, Loren; Arias-Castro, Ery; Myers, Ransom A

2010-08-05

In recent decades, large pelagic and coastal shark populations have declined dramatically with increased fishing; however, the status of sharks in other systems such as coral reefs remains largely unassessed despite a long history of exploitation. Here we explore the contemporary distribution and sighting frequency of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean and assess the possible role of human pressures on observed patterns. We analyzed 76,340 underwater surveys carried out by trained volunteer divers between 1993 and 2008. Surveys were grouped within one km2 cells, which allowed us to determine the contemporary geographical distribution and sighting frequency of sharks. Sighting frequency was calculated as the ratio of surveys with sharks to the total number of surveys in each cell. We compared sighting frequency to the number of people in the cell vicinity and used population viability analyses to assess the effects of exploitation on population trends. Sharks, with the exception of nurse sharks occurred mainly in areas with very low human population or strong fishing regulations and marine conservation. Population viability analysis suggests that exploitation alone could explain the large-scale absence; however, this pattern is likely to be exacerbated by additional anthropogenic stressors, such as pollution and habitat degradation, that also correlate with human population. Human pressures in coastal zones have lead to the broad-scale absence of sharks on reefs in the greater-Caribbean. Preventing further loss of sharks requires urgent management measures to curb fishing mortality and to mitigate other anthropogenic stressors to protect sites where sharks still exist. The fact that sharks still occur in some densely populated areas where strong fishing regulations are in place indicates the possibility of success and encourages the implementation of conservation measures.

The reliability of running economy expressed as oxygen cost and energy cost in trained distance runners.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Andrew J; Ingham, Stephen A; Fudge, Barry W; Folland, Jonathan P

2013-12-01

This study assessed the between-test reliability of oxygen cost (OC) and energy cost (EC) in distance runners, and contrasted it with the smallest worthwhile change (SWC) of these measures. OC and EC displayed similar levels of within-subject variation (typical error < 3.85%). However, the typical error (2.75% vs 2.74%) was greater than the SWC (1.38% vs 1.71%) for both OC and EC, respectively, indicating insufficient sensitivity to confidently detect small, but meaningful, changes in OC and EC.

Taino and African maternal heritage in the Greater Antilles.

Science.gov (United States)

Bukhari, Areej; Luis, Javier Rodriguez; Alfonso-Sanchez, Miguel A; Garcia-Bertrand, Ralph; Herrera, Rene J

2017-12-30

Notwithstanding the general interest and the geopolitical importance of the island countries in the Greater Antilles, little is known about the specific ancestral Native American and African populations that settled them. In an effort to alleviate this lacuna of information on the genetic constituents of the Greater Antilles, we comprehensively compared the mtDNA compositions of Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. To accomplish this, the mtDNA HVRI and HVRII regions, as well as coding diagnostic sites, were assessed in the Haitian general population and compared to data from reference populations. The Taino maternal DNA is prominent in the ex-Spanish colonies (61.3%-22.0%) while it is basically non-existent in the ex-French and ex-English colonies of Haiti (0.0%) and Jamaica (0.5%), respectively. The most abundant Native American mtDNA haplogroups in the Greater Antilles are A2, B2 and C1. The African mtDNA component is almost fixed in Haiti (98.2%) and Jamaica (98.5%), and the frequencies of specific African haplogroups vary considerably among the five island nations. The strong persistence of Taino mtDNA in the ex-Spanish colonies (and especially in Puerto Rico), and its absence in the French and English excolonies is likely the result of different social norms regarding mixed marriages with Taino women during the early years after the first contact with Europeans. In addition, this article reports on the results of an integrative approach based on mtDNA analysis and demographic data that tests the hypothesis of a southward shift in raiding zones along the African west coast during the period encompassing the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

IVF cycle cost estimation using Activity Based Costing and Monte Carlo simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassettari, Lucia; Mosca, Marco; Mosca, Roberto; Rolando, Fabio; Costa, Mauro; Pisaturo, Valerio

2016-03-01

The Authors present a new methodological approach in stochastic regime to determine the actual costs of an healthcare process. The paper specifically shows the application of the methodology for the determination of the cost of an Assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment in Italy. The reason of this research comes from the fact that deterministic regime is inadequate to implement an accurate estimate of the cost of this particular treatment. In fact the durations of the different activities involved are unfixed and described by means of frequency distributions. Hence the need to determine in addition to the mean value of the cost, the interval within which it is intended to vary with a known confidence level. Consequently the cost obtained for each type of cycle investigated (in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection), shows tolerance intervals around the mean value sufficiently restricted as to make the data obtained statistically robust and therefore usable also as reference for any benchmark with other Countries. It should be noted that under a methodological point of view the approach was rigorous. In fact it was used both the technique of Activity Based Costing for determining the cost of individual activities of the process both the Monte Carlo simulation, with control of experimental error, for the construction of the tolerance intervals on the final result.

Cost Model for Digital Preservation: Cost of Digital Migration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulla Bøgvad Kejser

2011-03-01

costs of preservation planning and digital migrations. However, more work is needed to refine the existing equations and include the other functional entities of the OAIS model. Also the user-friendliness of the spreadsheet tool must be improved in future versions of the model. The CMDP is presently closing its second phase, where it has been extended to include the OAIS Functional Entity Ingest. This has also enabled us to adjust the theoretical model further, especially regarding the accuracy and precision of the model and in relation to the underlying parameters used in the equations, such as migration frequency and format complexity. Understanding the nature of digital preservation cost is prerequisite for increasing the overall efficiency, and achieving first quality for preservation of cultural heritage materials.

Contact area affects frequency-dependent responses to vibration in the peripheral vascular and sensorineural systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Krajnak, Kristine; Miller, G R; Waugh, Stacey

2018-01-01

Repetitive exposure to hand-transmitted vibration is associated with development of peripheral vascular and sensorineural dysfunctions. These disorders and symptoms associated with it are referred to as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Although the symptoms of the disorder have been well characterized, the etiology and contribution of various exposure factors to development of the dysfunctions are not well understood. Previous studies performed using a rat-tail model of vibration demonstrated that vascular and peripheral nervous system adverse effects of vibration are frequency-dependent, with vibration frequencies at or near the resonant frequency producing the most severe injury. However, in these investigations, the amplitude of the exposed tissue was greater than amplitude typically noted in human fingers. To determine how contact with vibrating source and amplitude of the biodynamic response of the tissue affects the risk of injury occurring, this study compared the influence of frequency using different levels of restraint to assess how maintaining contact of the tail with vibrating source affects the transmission of vibration. Data demonstrated that for the most part, increasing the contact of the tail with the platform by restraining it with additional straps resulted in an enhancement in transmission of vibration signal and elevation in factors associated with vascular and peripheral nerve injury. In addition, there were also frequency-dependent effects, with exposure at 250 Hz generating greater effects than vibration at 62.5 Hz. These observations are consistent with studies in humans demonstrating that greater contact and exposure to frequencies near the resonant frequency pose the highest risk for generating peripheral vascular and sensorineural dysfunction.

Cost justification of chiller replacement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, T.J.; Baumer, R.A.

1993-01-01

We often hear of products with paybacks that are too good to be true. Just a few weeks ago,a client received a recommendation from a national service company's local office. In the letter the company recommended that open-quotes due to the age and condition of the boiler ... that the school consider replacing the boiler... The cost for the new boiler can usually be recovered by lower fuel bills in 2 to 3 yearsclose quotes. This was for an installation in Southeast Texas where the boiler is only used 4 to 5 months per year. Analysis show the above claims to be nonsense. A new boiler would cost about $47,000 installed. Current total gas bills for the facility are $15,630 per year. They would have to shutoff the gas to the facility to have a three year payback. In fact, only two-thirds of the gas is used to heat the facility so we have only $10, 000 to write off against the new boiler. How much will the greater efficiency save? A 30% savings due to greater efficiency produces $3,000 per year in gas savings to offset the $47,000 cost, a 16 year payback. And much of the efficiency savings can be realized by adjusting the existing boiler. In another care a client wanted to investigate replacement of a twenty year old chiller plant with more efficient equipment. We investigated the project and determined that the payback would be greater than ten years. They did not operate the equipment during the summer and at less than 50% of capacity the balance of the year

Estimation of the center frequency of the highest modulation filter.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Brian C J; Füllgrabe, Christian; Sek, Aleksander

2009-02-01

For high-frequency sinusoidal carriers, the threshold for detecting sinusoidal amplitude modulation increases when the signal modulation frequency increases above about 120 Hz. Using the concept of a modulation filter bank, this effect might be explained by (1) a decreasing sensitivity or greater internal noise for modulation filters with center frequencies above 120 Hz; and (2) a limited span of center frequencies of the modulation filters, the top filter being tuned to about 120 Hz. The second possibility was tested by measuring modulation masking in forward masking using an 8 kHz sinusoidal carrier. The signal modulation frequency was 80, 120, or 180 Hz and the masker modulation frequencies covered a range above and below each signal frequency. Four highly trained listeners were tested. For the 80-Hz signal, the signal threshold was usually maximal when the masker frequency equaled the signal frequency. For the 180-Hz signal, the signal threshold was maximal when the masker frequency was below the signal frequency. For the 120-Hz signal, two listeners showed the former pattern, and two showed the latter pattern. The results support the idea that the highest modulation filter has a center frequency in the range 100-120 Hz.

Cost of treating sagittal synostosis in the first year of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, Megan M; Rogers, Gary F; Proctor, Mark R; Busa, Kathleen; Meara, John G

2012-01-01

Endoscopically assisted suturectomy (EAS) has been reported to reduce the morbidity and cost of treating sagittal synostosis when compared with traditional open cranial vault remodeling (CVR) procedures. Whereas the former claim is well substantiated and intuitive, the latter has not been validated by rigorous cost analysis. Patient medical records and financial database reports were culled retrospectively to determine the total cost associated with both EAS and CVR during 1 year of care. Recorded cost data included physician and hospital services, orthotic equipment and fittings, and indirect patient cost. Ten patients treated with CVR were compared with 10 patients who underwent EAS. The CVR patients incurred greater costs in nearly all categories studied, including overall 1-year costs, physician services, hospital services, supplies/equipment, medications/intravenous fluids, and laboratory and blood bank services. Postoperative costs were greater in the EAS group, primarily because of the cost associated with orthotic services and indirect patient costs for travel and lost work. However, overall indirect patient costs for the whole year did not differ between the groups. One-year median costs were $55,121 for CVR and $23,377 for EAS. Early clinical results were similar for the 2 groups. Cranial vault remodeling was more costly in the first year of treatment than EAS, although indirect patient costs were similar. The favorable cost of EAS compared with CVR provides further justification to consider this procedure as first-line treatment of sagittal synostosis in young infants.

A study on the estimation method of nuclear accident risk cost

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuo, Yuji

2016-01-01

The methodology of estimating nuclear accident risk cost, as a part of nuclear power generation cost, has hardly been established due mainly to the extremely wide range of the estimation of the accident frequency. This study estimates the expected nuclear accident frequency for Japan, making use of the method of Bayesian statistics, which exploits both the information obtained by Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) and the observed historical accident frequencies. Using the PRA estimation of the Containment Failure Frequency (CFF) for Tomari nuclear power plant unit 3 of Hokkaido Electric Power Company (average: 2.1 x 10 -4 , 95th percentile: 7.7 x 10 -4 ) and the actual large-scale accident frequency (once in 1,460 reactor-years), the posterior CFF was estimated at 3.8 x 10 -4 . This study also took into account the 'external' factor causing unexpected nuclear accidents, concluding that such factor could result in higher CFF estimations, especially with larger observed accident numbers. (author)

City-scale analysis of water-related energy identifies more cost-effective solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Ka Leung; Kenway, Steven J; Lant, Paul A

2017-02-01

Energy and greenhouse gas management in urban water systems typically focus on optimising within the direct system boundary of water utilities that covers the centralised water supply and wastewater treatment systems, despite a greater energy influence by the water end use. This work develops a cost curve of water-related energy management options from a city perspective for a hypothetical Australian city. It is compared with that from the water utility perspective. The curves are based on 18 water-related energy management options that have been implemented or evaluated in Australia. In the studied scenario, the cost-effective energy saving potential from a city perspective (292 GWh/year) is far more significant than that from a utility perspective (65 GWh/year). In some cases, for similar capital cost, if regional water planners invested in end use options instead of utility options, a greater energy saving potential at a greater cost-effectiveness could be achieved in urban water systems. For example, upgrading a wastewater treatment plant for biogas recovery at a capital cost of $27.2 million would save 31 GWh/year with a marginal cost saving of $63/MWh, while solar hot water system rebates at a cost of $28.6 million would save 67 GWh/year with a marginal cost saving of $111/MWh. Options related to hot water use such as water-efficient shower heads, water-efficient clothes washers and solar hot water system rebates are among the most cost-effective city-scale opportunities. This study demonstrates the use of cost curves to compare both utility and end use options in a consistent framework. It also illustrates that focusing solely on managing the energy use within the utility would miss substantial non-utility water-related energy saving opportunities. There is a need to broaden the conventional scope of cost curve analysis to include water-related energy and greenhouse gas at the water end use, and to value their management from a city perspective. This

High Order Differential Frequency Hopping: Design and Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper considers spectrally efficient differential frequency hopping (DFH system design. Relying on time-frequency diversity over large spectrum and high speed frequency hopping, DFH systems are robust against hostile jamming interference. However, the spectral efficiency of conventional DFH systems is very low due to only using the frequency of each channel. To improve the system capacity, in this paper, we propose an innovative high order differential frequency hopping (HODFH scheme. Unlike in traditional DFH where the message is carried by the frequency relationship between the adjacent hops using one order differential coding, in HODFH, the message is carried by the frequency and phase relationship using two-order or higher order differential coding. As a result, system efficiency is increased significantly since the additional information transmission is achieved by the higher order differential coding at no extra cost on either bandwidth or power. Quantitative performance analysis on the proposed scheme demonstrates that transmission through the frequency and phase relationship using two-order or higher order differential coding essentially introduces another dimension to the signal space, and the corresponding coding gain can increase the system efficiency.

Research on EMI Reduction of Interleaved Bridgeless Power Factor Corrector using Frequency Dithering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Qingnan; Thomsen, Ole Cornelius; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2012-01-01

This paper proposes a cost-efficient method to reduce the electromagnetic interference (EMI) of interleaved Bridgeless PFC (IBPFC) system in a wide frequency range by carefully designing and utilizing frequency dithering. In this work, a valuable frequency dithering design is implemented for a 3.5k...... researched through mathematical derivations. Experiments prove that with a proper design, it is possible to gain an useful EMI reduction in the IBPFC system by frequency dithering....

Cost-effectiveness of breast cancer screening policies using simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gocgun, Y; Banjevic, D; Taghipour, S; Montgomery, N; Harvey, B J; Jardine, A K S; Miller, A B

2015-08-01

In this paper, we study breast cancer screening policies using computer simulation. We developed a multi-state Markov model for breast cancer progression, considering both the screening and treatment stages of breast cancer. The parameters of our model were estimated through data from the Canadian National Breast Cancer Screening Study as well as data in the relevant literature. Using computer simulation, we evaluated various screening policies to study the impact of mammography screening for age-based subpopulations in Canada. We also performed sensitivity analysis to examine the impact of certain parameters on number of deaths and total costs. The analysis comparing screening policies reveals that a policy in which women belonging to the 40-49 age group are not screened, whereas those belonging to the 50-59 and 60-69 age groups are screened once every 5 years, outperforms others with respect to cost per life saved. Our analysis also indicates that increasing the screening frequencies for the 50-59 and 60-69 age groups decrease mortality, and that the average number of deaths generally decreases with an increase in screening frequency. We found that screening annually for all age groups is associated with the highest costs per life saved. Our analysis thus reveals that cost per life saved increases with an increase in screening frequency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digital intermediate frequency QAM modulator using parallel processing

Science.gov (United States)

Pao, Hsueh-Yuan [Livermore, CA; Tran, Binh-Nien [San Ramon, CA

2008-05-27

The digital Intermediate Frequency (IF) modulator applies to various modulation types and offers a simple and low cost method to implement a high-speed digital IF modulator using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The architecture eliminates multipliers and sequential processing by storing the pre-computed modulated cosine and sine carriers in ROM look-up-tables (LUTs). The high-speed input data stream is parallel processed using the corresponding LUTs, which reduces the main processing speed, allowing the use of low cost FPGAs.

[Cost per capita in outpatients by gender].

Science.gov (United States)

Villarreal-Ríos, Enrique; Campos Esparza, Maribel; Galicia Rodríguez, Liliana; Martínez González, Lidia; Vargas Daza, Emma Rosa; Torres Labra, Guadalupe; Patiño Vega, Adolfo; Rivera Martínez, María Teresa; Aparicio Rojas, Raúl; Juárez Durán, Martín

2011-03-01

The objective of this study is to identify the annual cost per capita by gender in first level of attention. It is a cost study in Family Physician Units in Mexico. The information corresponded to the year of 2004 and the study divided in the use profile and cost attention. USE PROFILE OF SERVICES: it was studied 1,585 clinical registries of patients, use profile defined by average and attention reasons by department, gender and age group. COST ATTENTION: considered in American dollars it included fixed unit cost (departmentalization adjusted by productivity), variable unit cost (micro cost technical), department unite cost by type attention, and department unit cost by age and gender. The life expectancy was of 73 years for men and 78 for women. Three scenes were identified. The annual cost per capita is superior among woman [US$73.24 (IC 95% $11.38 - $197.49)] than in man [$ 53.11 (IC 95% 2.51 - 207.71)]. The conclusion found that in the first level of attention the cost per capita is greater in woman than in man.

Software for Displaying High-Frequency Test Data

Science.gov (United States)

Elmore, Jason L.

2003-01-01

An easy-to-use, intuitive computer program was written to satisfy a need of test operators and data requestors to quickly view and manipulate high-frequency test data recorded at the East and West Test Areas at Marshall Space Flight Center. By enabling rapid analysis, this program makes it possible to reduce times between test runs, thereby potentially reducing the overall cost of test operations. The program can be used to perform quick frequency analysis, using multiple fast- Fourier-transform windowing and amplitude options. The program can generate amplitude-versus-time plots with full zoom capabilities, frequency-component plots at specified time intervals, and waterfall plots (plots of spectral intensity versus frequency at successive small time intervals, showing the changing frequency components over time). There are options for printing of the plots and saving plot data as text files that can be imported into other application programs. The program can perform all of the aforementioned plotting and plot-data-handling functions on a relatively inexpensive computer; other software that performs the same functions requires computers with large amounts of power and memory.

Inkjet Printed Radio Frequency Passive Components

KAUST Repository

McKerricher, Garret

2015-12-01

Inkjet printing is a mature technique for colourful graphic arts. It excels at customized, large area, high resolution, and small volume production. With the developments in conductive, and dielectric inks, there is potential for large area inkjet electronics fabrication. Passive radio frequency devices can benefit greatly from a printing process, since the size of these devices is defined by the frequency of operation. The large size of radio frequency passives means that they either take up expensive space “on chip” or that they are fabricated on a separate lower cost substrate and somehow bonded to the chips. This has hindered cost-sensitive high volume applications such as radio frequency identification tags. Substantial work has been undertaken on inkjet-printed conductors for passive antennas on microwave substrates and even paper, yet there has been little work on the printing of the dielectric materials aimed at radio frequency passives. Both the conductor and dielectric need to be integrated to create a multilayer inkjet printing process that is capable of making quality passives such as capacitors and inductors. Three inkjet printed dielectrics are investigated in this thesis: a ceramic (alumina), a thermal-cured polymer (poly 4 vinyl phenol), and a UV-cured polymer (acrylic based). For the conductor, both a silver nanoparticle ink as well as a custom in-house formulated particle-free silver ink are explored. The focus is on passives, mainly capacitors and inductors. Compared to low frequency electronics, radio frequency components have additional sensitivity regarding skin depth of the conductor and surface roughness, as well as dielectric constant and loss tangent of the dielectric. These concerns are investigated with the aim of making the highest quality components possible and to understand the current limitations of inkjet-fabricated radio frequency devices. An inkjet-printed alumina dielectric that provides quality factors of 200 and high

Impact of generic alendronate cost on the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis screening and treatment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smita Nayak

Full Text Available Since alendronate became available in generic form in the Unites States in 2008, its price has been decreasing. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of alendronate cost on the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis screening and treatment in postmenopausal women.Microsimulation cost-effectiveness model of osteoporosis screening and treatment for U.S. women age 65 and older. We assumed screening initiation at age 65 with central dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA, and alendronate treatment for individuals with osteoporosis; with a comparator of "no screening" and treatment only after fracture occurrence. We evaluated annual alendronate costs of $20 through $800; outcome measures included fractures; nursing home admission; medication adverse events; death; costs; quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs; and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs in 2010 U.S. dollars per QALY gained. A lifetime time horizon was used, and direct costs were included. Base-case and sensitivity analyses were performed.Base-case analysis results showed that at annual alendronate costs of $200 or less, osteoporosis screening followed by treatment was cost-saving, resulting in lower total costs than no screening as well as more QALYs (10.6 additional quality-adjusted life-days. When assuming alendronate costs of $400 through $800, screening and treatment resulted in greater lifetime costs than no screening but was highly cost-effective, with ICERs ranging from $714 per QALY gained through $13,902 per QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses revealed that the cost-effectiveness of osteoporosis screening followed by alendronate treatment was robust to joint input parameter estimate variation at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY at all alendronate costs evaluated.Osteoporosis screening followed by alendronate treatment is effective and highly cost-effective for postmenopausal women across a range of alendronate costs, and may be cost

Trouble Sleeping Associated with Lower Work Performance and Greater Healthcare Costs: Longitudinal Data from Kansas State Employee Wellness Program

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Siu-kuen Azor; Grandner, Michael A.

2015-01-01

Objective To examine the relationships between employees’ trouble sleeping and absenteeism, work performance, and healthcare expenditures over a two year period. Methods Utilizing the Kansas State employee wellness program (EWP) dataset from 2008–2009, multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted with trouble sleeping as the predictor and absenteeism, work performance, and healthcare costs as the outcomes. Results EWP participants (N=11,698 in 2008; 5,636 followed up in 2009) who had higher levels of sleep disturbance were more likely to be absent from work (all p performance ratings (all p performance, and healthcare costs. PMID:26461857

21 Cost-Saving Measures For The Judiciary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Vapnek

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Courts around the world are increasingly facing budget cuts and funding shortfalls. Budget problems are particularly acute in developing countries, where courts need to increase efficiency and access to justice while also managing resource limitations. International development agencies and donors expect measurable progress to justify continued funding of judicial reform projects. Yet, as rule of law efforts in developing countries improve public perception of courts and streamline court administration, more cases may be filed. Greater use of the courts puts greater strain on court resources, triggering the need to implement cost-saving measures while maintaining effective court administration.This paper outlines 21 measures that courts can implement to reduce costs. Specific examples from developing countries are presented wherever possible, with additional examples drawn from the United States and Europe. Although this paper is intended mainly for audiences in developing countries, the issues facing those courts are similar to issues addressed through court reforms in the United States over the past 50 years. For this reason, examples of cost-saving measures from developed countries such as the United States may be directly applicable or could be used as starting points to spur further cost savings innovation in the developing world.Section I of this paper explains the context for the implementation of judicial cost-saving measures, and raises some issues for reflection. Section II sets out specific judicial cost-saving measures, dividing them into three categories: measures that address court operations; measures directed at staffing and salaries; and measures that relate to court and case management. Section III discusses ways that countries and judiciaries can generate ideas for new and innovative cost-saving mechanisms.

Targeting the probability versus cost of feared outcomes in public speaking anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Elizabeth A; Deacon, Brett J; Lickel, James J; Sy, Jennifer T

2010-04-01

Cognitive-behavioral theory suggests that social phobia is maintained, in part, by overestimates of the probability and cost of negative social events. Indeed, empirically supported cognitive-behavioral treatments directly target these cognitive biases through the use of in vivo exposure or behavioral experiments. While cognitive-behavioral theories and treatment protocols emphasize the importance of targeting probability and cost biases in the reduction of social anxiety, few studies have examined specific techniques for reducing probability and cost bias, and thus the relative efficacy of exposure to the probability versus cost of negative social events is unknown. In the present study, 37 undergraduates with high public speaking anxiety were randomly assigned to a single-session intervention designed to reduce either the perceived probability or the perceived cost of negative outcomes associated with public speaking. Compared to participants in the probability treatment condition, those in the cost treatment condition demonstrated significantly greater improvement on measures of public speaking anxiety and cost estimates for negative social events. The superior efficacy of the cost treatment condition was mediated by greater treatment-related changes in social cost estimates. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Multimorbidity in chronic disease: impact on health care resources and costs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McPhail SM

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Steven M McPhail1,2 1Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Health, 2Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia Abstract: Effective and resource-efficient long-term management of multimorbidity is one of the greatest health-related challenges facing patients, health professionals, and society more broadly. The purpose of this review was to provide a synthesis of literature examining multimorbidity and resource utilization, including implications for cost-effectiveness estimates and resource allocation decision making. In summary, previous literature has reported substantially greater, near exponential, increases in health care costs and resource utilization when additional chronic comorbid conditions are present. Increased health care costs have been linked to elevated rates of primary care and specialist physician occasions of service, medication use, emergency department presentations, and hospital admissions (both frequency of admissions and bed days occupied. There is currently a paucity of cost-effectiveness information for chronic disease interventions originating from patient samples with multimorbidity. The scarcity of robust economic evaluations in the field represents a considerable challenge for resource allocation decision making intended to reduce the burden of multimorbidity in resource-constrained health care systems. Nonetheless, the few cost-effectiveness studies that are available provide valuable insight into the potential positive and cost-effective impact that interventions may have among patients with multiple comorbidities. These studies also highlight some of the pragmatic and methodological challenges underlying the conduct of economic evaluations among people who may have advanced age, frailty, and disadvantageous socioeconomic circumstances, and where long-term follow-up may be required to

Spatial heterogeneity, frequency-dependent selection and polymorphism in host-parasite interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tellier Aurélien

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genomic and pathology analysis has revealed enormous diversity in genes involved in disease, including those encoding host resistance and parasite effectors (also known in plant pathology as avirulence genes. It has been proposed that such variation may persist when an organism exists in a spatially structured metapopulation, following the geographic mosaic of coevolution. Here, we study gene-for-gene relationships governing the outcome of plant-parasite interactions in a spatially structured system and, in particular, investigate the population genetic processes which maintain balanced polymorphism in both species. Results Following previous theory on the effect of heterogeneous environments on maintenance of polymorphism, we analysed a model with two demes in which the demes have different environments and are coupled by gene flow. Environmental variation is manifested by different coefficients of natural selection, the costs to the host of resistance and to the parasite of virulence, the cost to the host of being diseased and the cost to an avirulent parasite of unsuccessfully attacking a resistant host. We show that migration generates negative direct frequency-dependent selection, a condition for maintenance of stable polymorphism in each deme. Balanced polymorphism occurs preferentially if there is heterogeneity for costs of resistance and virulence alleles among populations and to a lesser extent if there is variation in the cost to the host of being diseased. We show that the four fitness costs control the natural frequency of oscillation of host resistance and parasite avirulence alleles. If demes have different costs, their frequencies of oscillation differ and when coupled by gene flow, there is amplitude death of the oscillations in each deme. Numerical simulations show that for a multiple deme island model, costs of resistance and virulence need not to be present in each deme for stable polymorphism to occur

Filmless versus film-based systems in radiographic examination costs: an activity-based costing method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sase Yuji

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since the shift from a radiographic film-based system to that of a filmless system, the change in radiographic examination costs and costs structure have been undetermined. The activity-based costing (ABC method measures the cost and performance of activities, resources, and cost objects. The purpose of this study is to identify the cost structure of a radiographic examination comparing a filmless system to that of a film-based system using the ABC method. Methods We calculated the costs of radiographic examinations for both a filmless and a film-based system, and assessed the costs or cost components by simulating radiographic examinations in a health clinic. The cost objects of the radiographic examinations included lumbar (six views, knee (three views, wrist (two views, and other. Indirect costs were allocated to cost objects using the ABC method. Results The costs of a radiographic examination using a filmless system are as follows: lumbar 2,085 yen; knee 1,599 yen; wrist 1,165 yen; and other 1,641 yen. The costs for a film-based system are: lumbar 3,407 yen; knee 2,257 yen; wrist 1,602 yen; and other 2,521 yen. The primary activities were "calling patient," "explanation of scan," "take photographs," and "aftercare" for both filmless and film-based systems. The cost of these activities cost represented 36.0% of the total cost for a filmless system and 23.6% of a film-based system. Conclusions The costs of radiographic examinations using a filmless system and a film-based system were calculated using the ABC method. Our results provide clear evidence that the filmless system is more effective than the film-based system in providing greater value services directly to patients.

Filmless versus film-based systems in radiographic examination costs: an activity-based costing method.

Science.gov (United States)

Muto, Hiroshi; Tani, Yuji; Suzuki, Shigemasa; Yokooka, Yuki; Abe, Tamotsu; Sase, Yuji; Terashita, Takayoshi; Ogasawara, Katsuhiko

2011-09-30

Since the shift from a radiographic film-based system to that of a filmless system, the change in radiographic examination costs and costs structure have been undetermined. The activity-based costing (ABC) method measures the cost and performance of activities, resources, and cost objects. The purpose of this study is to identify the cost structure of a radiographic examination comparing a filmless system to that of a film-based system using the ABC method. We calculated the costs of radiographic examinations for both a filmless and a film-based system, and assessed the costs or cost components by simulating radiographic examinations in a health clinic. The cost objects of the radiographic examinations included lumbar (six views), knee (three views), wrist (two views), and other. Indirect costs were allocated to cost objects using the ABC method. The costs of a radiographic examination using a filmless system are as follows: lumbar 2,085 yen; knee 1,599 yen; wrist 1,165 yen; and other 1,641 yen. The costs for a film-based system are: lumbar 3,407 yen; knee 2,257 yen; wrist 1,602 yen; and other 2,521 yen. The primary activities were "calling patient," "explanation of scan," "take photographs," and "aftercare" for both filmless and film-based systems. The cost of these activities cost represented 36.0% of the total cost for a filmless system and 23.6% of a film-based system. The costs of radiographic examinations using a filmless system and a film-based system were calculated using the ABC method. Our results provide clear evidence that the filmless system is more effective than the film-based system in providing greater value services directly to patients.

Transaction cost of micro and small enterprises financing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghana Atma Sulistya

2016-10-01

Full Text Available High transaction costs become one of the obstacles for the micro and small enterprises (MSEs to access financial loans to the bank. In order to minimize the transaction costs, group lending scheme become  alternative, so that both sides are pay lower transaction costs, and MSEs are able to improve their welfare. This study aims to analyze the credit process and transaction costs incurred on the model of individuals and groups lending and to compare the magnitude of transaction costs on both models. Mixed Method Analysis is used to analyze the component of transaction costs and the magnitude of the transaction cost on both models.These results indicate there are differences in transaction costs incurred on both schemes. In the amount of the transaction costs, the overall group scheme still allows for greater compared to individual schemes and dominated by the cost of the disbursement. Even so, the transaction cost per member group is much smaller than the individual schemes.

An application of the Rayleigh distribution to contract cost data

OpenAIRE

Abernethy, Thomas S.

1984-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited Accurate cost models are essential to the proper monitoring of contract cost data. The greater the accuracy of the model, the earlier contract cost overruns can be recognized and their cause(s) ascertained. The availability of a variety of cost models allows flexibility in choosing the correct model for the particular circumstances and increases the chances of being able to select a model that can provide reliable forecasts about future c...

Cost analysis in interventional radiology-A tool to optimize management costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clevert, D.-A.; Stickel, M.; Jung, E.M.; Reiser, M.; Rupp, N.

2007-01-01

Objective: The objective of the study was to analyze the methods to reduce cost in interventional radiology departments by reorganizing procurement. Materials and methods: All products used in Department of Interventional Radiology were inventoried. An ABC-analysis was completed and A-products (high-value and high turnover products) underwent a XYZ-analysis which predicted demand on the basis of ordering frequency. Then criteria for a procurement strategy for the different material categories were fixed. The net working capital (NWC) was calculated using an interest rate of 8%/year. Results: Total annual material turnover was 353,000 Euro . The value of all A-products determined by the inventory was 260,000 Euro . Changes in the A-product procurement strategy tapped a cost reduction potential of 14,500/year Euro . The resulting total saving was 17,200 Euro . Improved stores management added another 37,500 Euro. The total cost cut of 52,000 Euro is equivalent to 14.7% of annual expenses. Conclusion: A flexible procurement strategy helps to reduce the storage and capital tie-up costs of A-products in interventional radiology without affecting the quality of service provided to patients

Demosaicking Based on Optimization and Projection in Different Frequency Bands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omer OsamaA

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract A fast and effective iterative demosaicking algorithm is described for reconstructing a full-color image from single-color filter array data. The missing color values are interpolated on the basis of optimization and projection in different frequency bands. A filter bank is used to decompose an initially interpolated image into low-frequency and high-frequency bands. In the low-frequency band, a quadratic cost function is minimized in accordance with the observation that the low-frequency components of chrominance slowly vary within an object region. In the high-frequency bands, the high-frequency components of the unknown values are projected onto the high-frequency components of the known values. Comparison of the proposed algorithm with seven state-of-the-art demosaicking algorithms showed that it outperforms all of them for 20 images on average in terms of objective quality and that it is competitive with them from the subjective quality and complexity points of view.

Using Internet search engines to estimate word frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, Irene V; Urland, Geoffrey R; Ma, Jennifer E

2002-05-01

The present research investigated Internet search engines as a rapid, cost-effective alternative for estimating word frequencies. Frequency estimates for 382 words were obtained and compared across four methods: (1) Internet search engines, (2) the Kucera and Francis (1967) analysis of a traditional linguistic corpus, (3) the CELEX English linguistic database (Baayen, Piepenbrock, & Gulikers, 1995), and (4) participant ratings of familiarity. The results showed that Internet search engines produced frequency estimates that were highly consistent with those reported by Kucera and Francis and those calculated from CELEX, highly consistent across search engines, and very reliable over a 6-month period of time. Additional results suggested that Internet search engines are an excellent option when traditional word frequency analyses do not contain the necessary data (e.g., estimates for forenames and slang). In contrast, participants' familiarity judgments did not correspond well with the more objective estimates of word frequency. Researchers are advised to use search engines with large databases (e.g., AltaVista) to ensure the greatest representativeness of the frequency estimates.

47 CFR 27.1182 - Reimbursement under the Cost-Sharing Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... actual relocation costs. Specifically, the AWS relocator must submit, in the first instance, only the uniform cost data requested by the clearinghouse along with copies, without redaction, of the relocation...) Wholly outside its frequency band; or (2) Not within line of sight of the relocator's transmitting base...

[Anemic syndrome frequency in complicated obstetrical patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, Maria Guadalupe Veloz; Erasto, Luis Cruz; Maxines, Claudia García; Rodríguez, María Antonia Basavilvazo; Valencia, Marcelino Hernández

2008-09-01

The prevalence of anemia varies from country to country and there is not a trustworthy record. To determine the frequency of anemia in obstetric patients and the association among healthy pregnancy and aggregate complications. Was carried out as transversal, observational and comparative study. Obstetrical patients entered and responded in the period of a year, were formed a group with normal pregnancy and another with complicated pregnancy, with a total sample of 194 patients. In the statistical analysis was employed Student t test for independent groups, with value if p anemia was found in 22.4%. Hematological stage from group with normal pregnancy was mild anemia in 16.9% and anemia moderated in 4.1% of the cases. The anemia degrees in the group with associated illness and pregnancy were mild anemia in 19.2% and moderated anemia in 4.2%. Not any case was found with severe anemia. The statistical analysis showed difference significant among both groups p preeclampsia severe (22.6%), type 2 diabetes (13.9%), gestational diabetes (12.2%) and the remainder with other complications that include to the hypertiroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, asthma and vein deep thrombosis. Frequency of anemia in this study was greater upon informing in the international literature. The obstetrical complication more frequently relates to diverse anemia degrees were the hypertensive stage during pregnancy. The anemia is presented with greater frequency in pregnancy patients with others associated illness.

Integrated waste management system costs in a MPC system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Supko, E.M.

1995-01-01

The impact on system costs of including a centralized interim storage facility as part of an integrated waste management system based on multi-purpose canister (MPC) technology was assessed in analyses by Energy Resources International, Inc. A system cost savings of $1 to $2 billion occurs if the Department of Energy begins spent fuel acceptance in 1998 at a centralized interim storage facility. That is, the savings associated with decreased utility spent fuel management costs will be greater than the cost of constructing and operating a centralized interim storage facility

Global Model for Asymmetric, Diode-Type Dual Frequency Capacitive Discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jisoo; Lieberman, M. A.; Lichtenberg, A. J.

2003-10-01

Dual frequency capacitive reactors can have desirable properties for dielectric etch: low cost, robust uniformity over large areas, and control of dissociation. In the ideal case, the high frequency power controls the plasma density (ion flux) and the low frequency voltage controls the ion bombarding energy. Typical operating conditions are: discharge radius 15-30 cm, length 1-3 cm, pressure 30-200 mTorr, high frequency 27.1-160 MHz, low frequency 2-13.6 MHz, and powers of 500-3000 W for both high and low frequencies. The decoupling of the high and low frequencies is an important feature of dual frequency capacitive discharges. In this work, we describe a global (volume-averaged) model having different top and bottom plate areas that incorporates particle balance, and ohmic and stochastic heating for high and low frequencies. The model is used to obtain the decoupling of high and low frequencies and to investigate limitations to ideal decoupling. Support provided by Lam Research, NSF Grant ECS-0139956, California industries, and UC-SMART Contract SM99-10051.

Analysis of medication-related malpractice claims: causes, preventability, and costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothschild, Jeffrey M; Federico, Frank A; Gandhi, Tejal K; Kaushal, Rainu; Williams, Deborah H; Bates, David W

2002-11-25

Adverse drug events (ADEs) may lead to serious injury and may result in malpractice claims. While ADEs resulting in claims are not representative of all ADEs, such data provide a useful resource for studying ADEs. Therefore, we conducted a review of medication-related malpractice claims to study their frequency, nature, and costs and to assess the human factor failures associated with preventable ADEs. We also assessed the potential benefits of proved effective ADE prevention strategies on ADE claims prevention. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a New England malpractice insurance company claims records from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 1999. Cases were electronically screened for possible ADEs and followed up by independent review of abstracts by 2 physician reviewers (T.K.G. and R.K.). Additional in-depth claims file reviews identified potential human factor failures associated with ADEs. Adverse drug events represented 6.3% (129/2040) of claims. Adverse drug events were judged preventable in 73% (n = 94) of the cases and were nearly evenly divided between outpatient and inpatient settings. The most frequently involved medication classes were antibiotics, antidepressants or antipsychotics, cardiovascular drugs, and anticoagulants. Among these ADEs, 46% were life threatening or fatal. System deficiencies and performance errors were the most frequent cause of preventable ADEs. The mean costs of defending malpractice claims due to ADEs were comparable for nonpreventable inpatient and outpatient ADEs and preventable outpatient ADEs (mean, $64,700-74,200), but costs were considerably greater for preventable inpatient ADEs (mean, $376,500). Adverse drug events associated with malpractice claims were often severe, costly, and preventable, and about half occurred in outpatients. Many interventions could potentially have prevented ADEs, with error proofing and process standardization covering the greatest proportion of events.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of computer-based assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline Loewenberger

2003-12-01

Full Text Available The need for more cost-effective and pedagogically acceptable combinations of teaching and learning methods to sustain increasing student numbers means that the use of innovative methods, using technology, is accelerating. There is an expectation that economies of scale might provide greater cost-effectiveness whilst also enhancing student learning. The difficulties and complexities of these expectations are considered in this paper, which explores the challenges faced by those wishing to evaluate the costeffectiveness of computer-based assessment (CBA. The paper outlines the outcomes of a survey which attempted to gather information about the costs and benefits of CBA.

A Simple Semaphore Signaling Technique for Ultra-High Frequency Spacecraft Communications

Science.gov (United States)

Butman, S.; Satorius, E.; Illott, P.

2005-11-01

For planetary lander missions such as the upcoming Phoenix mission to Mars, the most challenging phase of the spacecraft-to-ground communications is during the critical phase termed entry, descent, and landing (EDL). At 8.4 GHz (X-band), the signals received by the largest Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas can be too weak for even 1 bit per second (bps) and therefore not able to communicate critical information to Earth. Fortunately, the lander's ultra-high frequency (UHF) link to an orbiting relay can meet the EDL requirements, but the data rate needs to be low enough to fit the capability of the UHF link during some or all of EDL. On Phoenix, the minimum data rate of the as-built UHF radio is 8 kbps and requires a signal level at the Odyssey orbiter of at least minus 120 dBm. For lower signaling levels, the effective data rate needs to be reduced, but without incurring the cost of rebuilding and requalifying the equipment. To address this scenario, a simple form of frequency-shift keying (FSK) has been devised by appropriately programming the data stream that is input to the UHF transceiver. This article describes this technique and provides performance estimates. Laboratory testing reveals that input signal levels at minus 140 dBm and lower can routinely be demodulated with the proposed signaling scheme, thereby providing a 20-dB and greater margin over the 8-kbps threshold.

Performance Evaluation of A Developed Variable Frequency Drive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents the performance characteristics of a developed variable frequency drive (VFD) adaptable for operation of ac machines speed control. The VFD developed is robust, durable, cheap and have low maintenance cost compared to conventional VFDs. The controlled asynchronous ac motor was operated to ...

How Europe's Low-Cost Carriers Sidestepped Traditional Carriers' Competitive Advantages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hvass, Kristian Anders

-cost airlines were more successful and had a greater initial impact in their early years than their U.S. compatriots. This paper will attempt to highlight some of the differences between the two markets and explain why European low-cost airlines had more advantages following their market deregulation...

The costs of inequality: whole-population modelling study of lifetime inpatient hospital costs in the English National Health Service by level of neighbourhood deprivation

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Tim; Cookson, Richard

2016-01-01

Background There are substantial socioeconomic inequalities in both life expectancy and healthcare use in England. In this study, we describe how these two sets of inequalities interact by estimating the social gradient in hospital costs across the life course. Methods Hospital episode statistics, population and index of multiple deprivation data were combined at lower-layer super output area level to estimate inpatient hospital costs for 2011/2012 by age, sex and deprivation quintile. Survival curves were estimated for each of the deprivation groups and used to estimate expected annual costs and cumulative lifetime costs. Results A steep social gradient was observed in overall inpatient hospital admissions, with rates ranging from 31 298/100 000 population in the most affluent fifth of areas to 43 385 in the most deprived fifth. This gradient was steeper for emergency than for elective admissions. The total cost associated with this inequality in 2011/2012 was £4.8 billion. A social gradient was also observed in the modelled lifetime costs where the lower life expectancy was not sufficient to outweigh the higher average costs in the more deprived populations. Lifetime costs for women were 14% greater than for men, due to higher costs in the reproductive years and greater life expectancy. Conclusions Socioeconomic inequalities result in increased morbidity and decreased life expectancy. Interventions to reduce inequality and improve health in more deprived neighbourhoods have the potential to save money for health systems not only within years but across peoples’ entire lifetimes, despite increased costs due to longer life expectancies. PMID:27189975

Frequency control of RF booster cavity in TRIUMF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fong, K.; Laverty, M.

1993-01-01

A booster is used in the TRIUMF cyclotron to increase the energy gain per turn for beam orbits corresponding to energies greater than 370 MeV. It operates at 92.24 MHz, the 4 th harmonic of the cyclotron main rf, and at a nominal voltage of 150 kV. Excitation is provided by a 90 kW rf system that is phase locked to the main rf. When the main rf is interrupted due to sparking or other causes, a controller built into the low frequency source of the booster rf system disables the phase-locked loop, and reconfigures the source as a temperature stabilized oscillator operating at the last locked frequency. When the cyclotron rf is restored it usually will be at different frequency. The oscillator tunes automatically to this new frequency. The acquisition time is extended by the controller to match the response time of the mechanical tuner in the cavity

What Strategies Do Physicians and Patients Discuss to Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs? Analysis of Cost-Saving Strategies in 1,755 Outpatient Clinic Visits.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Wynn G; Zhang, Cecilia Z; Hesson, Ashley; Davis, J Kelly; Kirby, Christine; Williamson, Lillie D; Barnett, Jamison A; Ubel, Peter A

2016-10-01

More than 1 in 4 Americans report difficulty paying medical bills. Cost-reducing strategies discussed during outpatient physician visits remain poorly characterized. We sought to determine how often patients and physicians discuss health care costs during outpatient visits and what strategies, if any, they discussed to lower patient out-of-pocket costs. Retrospective analysis of dialogue from 1,755 outpatient visits in community-based practices nationwide from 2010 to 2014. The study population included 677 patients with breast cancer, 422 with depression, and 656 with rheumatoid arthritis visiting 56 oncologists, 36 psychiatrists, and 26 rheumatologists, respectively. Thirty percent of visits contained cost conversations (95% confidence interval [CI], 28 to 32). Forty-four percent of cost conversations involved discussion of cost-saving strategies (95% CI, 40 to 48; median duration, 68 s). We identified 4 strategies to lower costs without changing the care plan. They were, in order of overall frequency: 1) changing logistics of care, 2) facilitating co-pay assistance, 3) providing free samples, and 4) changing/adding insurance plans. We also identified 4 strategies to reduce costs by changing the care plan: 1) switching to lower-cost alternative therapy/diagnostic, 2) switching from brand name to generic, 3) changing dosage/frequency, and 4) stopping/withholding interventions. Strategies were relatively consistent across health conditions, except for switching to a lower-cost alternative (more common in breast oncology) and providing free samples (more common in depression). Focus on 3 conditions with potentially high out-of-pocket costs. Despite price opacity, physicians and patients discuss a variety of out-of-pocket cost reduction strategies during clinic visits. Almost half of cost discussions mention 1 or more cost-saving strategies, with more frequent mention of those not requiring care-plan changes. © The Author(s) 2016.

Cost Benefit of Comprehensive Primary and Preventive School-Based Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Padula, William V; Connor, Katherine A; Mueller, Josiah M; Hong, Jonathan C; Velazquez, Gabriela Calderon; Johnson, Sara B

2018-01-01

The Rales Health Center is a comprehensive school-based health center at an urban elementary/middle school. Rales Health Center provides a full range of pediatric services using an enriched staffing model consisting of pediatrician, nurse practitioner, registered nurses, and medical office assistant. This staffing model provides greater care but costs more than traditional school-based health centers staffed by part-time nurses. The objective was to analyze the cost benefit of Rales Health Center enhanced staffing model compared with a traditional school-based health center (standard care), focusing on asthma care, which is among the most prevalent chronic conditions of childhood. In 2016, cost-benefit analysis using a decision tree determined the net social benefit of Rales Health Center compared with standard care from the U.S. societal perspective based on the 2015-2016 academic year. It was assumed that Rales Health Center could handle greater patient throughput related to asthma, decreased prescription costs, reduced parental resources in terms of missed work time, and improved student attendance. Univariate and multivariate probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. The expected cost to operate Rales Health Center was $409,120, compared with standard care cost of $172,643. Total monetized incremental benefits of Rales Health Center were estimated to be $993,414. The expected net social benefit for Rales Health Center was $756,937, which demonstrated substantial societal benefit at a return of $4.20 for every dollar invested. This net social benefit estimate was robust to sensitivity analyses. Despite the greater cost associated with the Rales Health Center's enhanced staffing model, the results of this analysis highlight the cost benefit of providing comprehensive, high-quality pediatric care in schools, particularly schools with a large proportion of underserved students. Copyright © 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by

Comparison the treatment effects between simultaneous dual frequency and single frequency irradiation of ultrasound in a murine model of breast adenocarcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahboobeh Alamolhoda

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Transient cavitations induced by low frequency irradiation of ultrasound can be used to treat tumors. Previous studies in in-vitro experiments have shown that induced cavitation by dual or multiple frequencies of ultrasound is greater than induced cavitation by single frequency irradiation. In this study, we compared and evaluated the treatment effects of dual frequency irradiation of ultrasound (1 MHz and 150 kHz and single frequency irradiation in in-vivo experiments on breast adenocarcinoma tumors. Material and Method: In this study, the tumor-bearing mice were divided into 5 groups: control, sham, treated group for 30 min with 150 kHz frequency in continuous mode, another group with 1 MHz frequency in pulse mode, and treated group with combined dual frequency ultrasound (150 kHz in continuous mode and 1 MHz in 80% pulse mode. To evaluate the effects of ultrasound irradiation on tumor growth delay, the volumes of the tumors were investigated for 30 days. Tumor growth delay parameters including relative volume, inhibition ratio percentage and the required times for the tumor volume to reach to two (T2 and five (T5 times its initial volume were calculated. Results: The results showed that the treated groups with single frequency irradiation of 150 kHz continuous mode and 1 MHz pulse mode and combined dual frequency had statistically significant differences in tumor relative volume percentage during the period of 3 to 24 days after treatment (p

Activity-based costing of security services for a Department of Energy nuclear site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Togo, D.F.

1997-01-01

Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities are being encouraged to reduce costs but the accounting data typically in use by the financial organizations at these laboratories cannot easily be used to determine which security activities offer the best reduction in cost. For example, labor costs have historically been aggregated over various activities, making it difficult to determine the true costs of performing each activity. To illustrate how this problem can be solved, a study was performed applying activity-based costing (ABC) to a hypothetical DOE facility. ABC is a type of cost-accounting developed expressly to determine truer costs of company activities. The hypothetical facility was defined to have features similar to those found across the DOE nuclear complex. ABC traced costs for three major security functions - Protective Force Operations, Material Control and Accountability, and Technical Security - to various activities. Once these costs had been allocated, we compared the cost of three fictitious upgrades: (1) an improvement in training or weapons that allows the protective force to have better capabilities instead of adding more response forces; (2) a change in the frequency of inventories; and (3) a reduction in the annual frequencies of perimeter sensor tests

Inequalities in the distribution of the costs of alcohol misuse in Scotland: a cost of illness study.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Marjorie C; Ludbrook, Anne; Jaffray, Mariesha A

2012-01-01

To examine the distribution of the costs of alcohol misuse across Scotland in 2009/2010, in relation to deprivation. A cost of illness approach was used. Alcohol-related harmful effects were assessed for inclusion using a literature review. This was based upon the following categories: direct healthcare costs, intangible health costs, social care costs, crime costs and labour and productivity costs. An analysis of secondary data supplemented by a literature review was carried out to quantify each harmful effect, determine its value and provide an estimate of the distribution by deprivation. The deprivation distributions used were area measures (primarily the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). The overall cost was £7457 million. Two alcohol harmful effects were not included in the overall cost by deprivation due to a lack of data. These were 'children's social work and hearing system' and the criminal justice system costs from 'alcohol-specific offences'. The included alcohol harmful effects demonstrated that 40.41% of the total cost arose from the 20% most deprived areas. The intangible cost category was the largest category (78.65%). The study found that the burden of alcohol harmful effects is greater in deprived groups and these burdens do not simply arise from deprived groups but are also experienced more by these groups. The study was limited by a lack of data availability in certain areas, leading to less-precise cost estimates.

Breathing frequency-independent effect of Tai Chi Chuan on autonomic modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Wan-An; Kuo, Cheng-Deng

2014-04-01

This study investigates the breathing frequency (BF)-independent effect of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) on autonomic nervous modulation in TCC practitioners. Twenty-five TCC practitioners and 25 sedentary normal controls were recruited. The stationary heart rate variability (HRV) measures of TCC practitioners and controls were compared. The same HRV measures in TCC practitioners and among the controls, TCC practitioners before TCC and TCC practitioners 30 min after TCC were compared. In TCC practitioners, the BF, normalized high-frequency power (nHFP), and normalized very low-frequency power were significantly increased, while the normalized low-frequency power (nLFP) was significantly decreased 30 min after TCC. The BF correlated significantly and negatively with heart rate (HR), nHFP and nLFP, and correlated significantly and positively with mean RR interval (MnRR) before TCC in TCC practitioners. A slower BF is associated with a higher HR, a greater vagal modulation, and a greater combined sympatho-vagal modulation before TCC. To remove the effect of BF on HRV measures, new indices such as HR*BF, nHFP*BF, nLFP*BF, and MnRR/BF were introduced for comparison among the controls, TCC practitioners before TCC, and TCC practitioners 30 min after TCC. Thirty minutes after TCC, the MnRR/BF of TCC practitioner was smaller whereas HR*BF and nHFP*BF were greater than those before TCC. The BF-independent effects of TCC on the autonomic nervous modulation of TCC practitioners are an increase in vagal modulation and HR, and a decrease in mean RR interval. The mechanism underlying the parallel increase in HR and vagal modulation in TCC practitioners is not understood yet at present.

Optimization of solar cell contacts by system cost-per-watt minimization

Science.gov (United States)

Redfield, D.

1977-01-01

New, and considerably altered, optimum dimensions for solar-cell metallization patterns are found using the recently developed procedure whose optimization criterion is the minimum cost-per-watt effect on the entire photovoltaic system. It is also found that the optimum shadow fraction by the fine grid is independent of metal cost and resistivity as well as cell size. The optimum thickness of the fine grid metal depends on all these factors, and in familiar cases it should be appreciably greater than that found by less complete analyses. The optimum bus bar thickness is much greater than those generally used. The cost-per-watt penalty due to the need for increased amounts of metal per unit area on larger cells is determined quantitatively and thereby provides a criterion for the minimum benefits that must be obtained in other process steps to make larger cells cost effective.

Digital system to monitor the natural frequency of mechanical resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brengartner, Tobias; Siegel, Michael; Urban, Martin; Monse, Benjamin; Frühauf, Dietmar

2013-01-01

Mechanical resonators are often used in process or condition monitoring. They are used for liquid-level limit detection or for viscosity and density sensing. Therefore, the resonator is preferably actuated at its natural frequency. In industrial applications, this is achieved by analogue closed resonant circuits. These circuits have been established because of the low energy consumption and low component costs. Due to the future trend of microprocessors, digital systems are now an interesting alternative and can achieve better results compared to analogue realizations. In this context, this paper presents a novel digital system for monitoring the natural frequency of mechanical resonators. The system is realized with newly developed algorithms and is based on a simple signal processing procedure with minimum computational cost. This allows the use of a low-power microcontroller, thus making the system interesting for industrial use. It is shown that the natural frequency can be measured in respect of high industrial requirements on reliability, fastness and accuracy, combined with the possibility of reducing energy consumption. (paper)

How should fixed costs in the network be covered?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The report examines how tariffs that are only meant to cover costs in the transmission network should be formulated. Should the tariffs be based on power figures, such as for instance installed production capacity, or on an energy figure such as total annual energy production? Tariffs based on the producers' installed production capacity will in the long run cause the prises to rise under peak loads while tariffs based on generated energy elevate the consumer price by a small amount for all load segments. Thus, tariffs based on installed power capacity cause greater price distortion and greater socio-economic losses than energy tariffs. There are good arguments that fixed costs should mainly be paid by consumers with inelastic demand

Distribution function of frequency of stellar flares in the Orion association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parsamyan, Eh.S.

1980-01-01

Using the chronology of discoveries of new flares and the chronology of confirmation i.e. the time distribution of second flares (Ambartsumian's method), the distribution function of frequency of flares on stars in the Orion association is obtained. A number of stars having different frequencies is also found. It is shown that flare stars with high flare frequency (ν -1 13sup(m). The quantities of flare stars in aggregates determined by two independent methods show that the number of flare stars in Orion association is about 1.5 times greater than in the Pleiades cluster [ru

Very High Frequency Switch-Mode Power Supplies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Mickey Pierre

The importance of technology and electronics in our daily life is constantly increasing. At the same time portability and energy efficiency are currently some of the hottest topics. This creates a huge need for power converters in a compact form factor and with high efficiency, which can supply...... these electronic devices. This calls for new technologies in order to miniaturize the power electronics of today. One way to do this is by increasing the switching frequency dramatically and develop very high frequency switch mode power supplies. If these converters can be designed to operate efficiently, a huge...... size, weight and cost reduction can be achieved due to the smaller energy storing elements needed at these frequencies. The research presented in this thesis focuses on exactly this. First various technologies for miniaturization of power supplies are studied, e.g. piezo electric transformers, wide...

Laboratory cost and utilization containment.

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, J W; Root, J M; White, D C

1991-01-01

The authors analyzed laboratory costs and utilization in 3,771 cases of Medicare inpatients admitted to a New England academic medical center ("the Hospital") from October 1, 1989 to September 30, 1990. The data were derived from the Hospital's Decision Resource System comprehensive data base. The authors established a historical reference point for laboratory costs as a percentage of total inpatient costs using 1981-82 Medicare claims data and cost report information. Inpatient laboratory costs were estimated at 9.5% of total inpatient costs for pre-Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs) Medicare discharges. Using this reference point and adjusting for the Hospital's 1990 case mix, the "expected" laboratory cost was 9.3% of total cost. In fact, the cost averaged 11.5% (i.e., 24% above the expected cost level), and costs represented an even greater percentage of DRG reimbursement at 12.9%. If we regard the reimbursement as a total cost target (to eliminate losses from Medicare), then that 12.9% is 39% above the "expected" laboratory proportion of 9.3%. The Hospital lost an average of $1,091 on each DRG inpatient. The laboratory contributed 29% to this loss per case. Compared to other large hospitals, the Hospital was slightly (3%) above the mean direct cost per on-site test and significantly (58%) above the mean number of inpatient tests per inpatient day compared to large teaching hospitals. The findings suggest that careful laboratory cost analyses will become increasingly important as the proportion of patients reimbursed in a fixed manner grows. The future may hold a prospective zero-based laboratory budgeting process based on predictable patterns of DRG admissions or other fixed-reimbursement admission and laboratory utilization patterns.

Higher physiotherapy frequency is associated with shorter length of stay and greater functional recovery in hospitalized frail older adults: a retrospective observational study

OpenAIRE

Hartley, Peter; Adamson, Jennifer; Cunningham, Carol; Embleton, Georgina; Romero-Ortuno, Roman

2016-01-01

Extra physiotherapy has been associated with better outcomes in hospitalized patients, but this remains an under-researched area in geriatric medicine wards. We retrospectively studied the association between average physiotherapy frequency and outcomes in hospitalized geriatric patients. High frequency physiotherapy (HFP) was defined as ≥0.5 contacts/day. Of 358 eligible patients, 131 (36.6%) received low, and 227 (63.4%) HFP. Functional improvement (discharge versus admission) in the modifi...

Novel structural flexibility identification in narrow frequency bands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, J; Moon, F L

2012-01-01

A ‘Sub-PolyMAX’ method is proposed in this paper not only for estimating modal parameters, but also for identifying structural flexibility by processing the impact test data in narrow frequency bands. The traditional PolyMAX method obtains denominator polynomial coefficients by minimizing the least square (LS) errors of frequency response function (FRF) estimates over the whole frequency range, but FRF peaks in different structural modes may have different levels of magnitude, which leads to the modal parameters identified for the modes with small FRF peaks being inaccurate. In contrast, the proposed Sub-PolyMAX method implements the LS solver in each subspace of the whole frequency range separately; thus the results identified from a narrow frequency band are not affected by FRF data in other frequency bands. In performing structural identification in narrow frequency bands, not in the whole frequency space, the proposed method has the following merits: (1) it produces accurate modal parameters, even for the modes with very small FRF peaks; (2) it significantly reduces computation cost by reducing the number of frequency lines and the model order in each LS implementation; (3) it accurately identifies structural flexibility from impact test data, from which structural deflection under any static load can be predicted. Numerical and laboratory examples are investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. (paper)

Contemporary Costs Associated With Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Propensity-Matched Cost Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ailawadi, Gorav; LaPar, Damien J; Speir, Alan M; Ghanta, Ravi K; Yarboro, Leora T; Crosby, Ivan K; Lim, D Scott; Quader, Mohammed A; Rich, Jeffrey B

2016-01-01

The Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valve (PARTNER) trial suggested an economic advantage for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for high-risk patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of TAVR in the "real world" by comparing TAVR with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in intermediate-risk and high-risk patients. A multiinstitutional database of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) (2011 to 2013) linked with estimated cost data was evaluated for isolated TAVR and SAVR operations (n = 5,578). TAVR-treated patients (n = 340) were 1:1 propensity matched with SAVR-treated patients (n = 340). Patients undergoing SAVR were further stratified into intermediate-risk (SAVR-IR: predicted risk of mortality [PROM] 4% to 8%) and high-risk (SAVR-HR: PROM >8%) cohorts. Median STS PROM for TAVR was 6.32% compared with 6.30% for SAVR (SAVR-IR 4.6% and SAVR-HR 12.4%). A transfemoral TAVR approach was most common (61%). Mortality was higher for TAVR (10%) compared with SAVR (6%, p costs compared with SAVR ($69,921 vs $33,598, p cost of TAVR was largely driven by the cost of the valve (all p cost savings versus TAVR. TAVR was associated with greater total costs and mortality compared with SAVR in intermediate-risk and high-risk patients while conferring lower major morbidity and improved resource use. Increased cost of TAVR appears largely related to the cost of the valve. Until the price of TAVR valves decreases, these data suggest that TAVR may not provide the most cost-effective strategy, particularly for intermediate-risk patients. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Providing strong Security and high privacy in low-cost RFID networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

David, Mathieu; Prasad, Neeli R.

2009-01-01

Since the dissemination of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags is getting larger and larger, the requirement for strong security and privacy is also increasing. Low-cost and ultra-low-cost tags are being implemented on everyday products, and their limited resources constraints the security...

A Practical Method to Increase the Frequency Readability for Vibration Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Loius Ntakpe

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Damage detection and nondestructive evaluation of mechanical and civil engineering structures are nowadays very important to assess the integrity and ensure the reliability of structures. Thus, frequency evaluation becomes a crucial issue, since this modal parameter is mainly used in structural integrity assessment. The herein presented study highligts the possibility of increasing the frequency readability by involving a simple and cost-effective method.

Hysteroscopic polypectomy prior to infertility treatment: A cost analysis and systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mouhayar, Youssef; Yin, Ophelia; Mumford, Sunni L; Segars, James H

2017-06-01

The cost of fertility treatment is expensive and interventions that reduce cost can lead to greater efficiency and fewer embryos transferred. Endometrial polyps contribute to infertility and are frequently removed prior to infertility treatment. It is unclear whether polypectomy reduces fertility treatment cost and if so, the magnitude of cost reduction afforded by the procedure. The aim of this study was to determine whether performing office or operative hysteroscopic polypectomy prior to infertility treatment would be cost-effective. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane libraries were used to identify publications reporting pregnancy rates after hysteroscopic polypectomy. Studies were required to have a polypectomy treatment group and control group of patients with polyps that were not resected. The charges of infertility treatments and polypectomy were obtained through infertility organizations and a private healthcare cost reporting website. These charges were applied to a decision tree model over the range of pregnancy rates observed in the representative studies to calculate an average cost per clinical or ongoing pregnancy. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess cost savings of polypectomy over a range of pregnancy rates and polypectomy costs. Pre-treatment office or operative hysteroscopic polypectomy ultimately saved €6658 ($7480) and €728 ($818), respectively, of the average cost per clinical pregnancy in women treated with four cycles of intrauterine insemination. Polypectomy prior to intrauterine insemination was cost-effective for clinical pregnancy rates greater than 30.2% for office polypectomy and 52.6% for operative polypectomy and for polypectomy price <€4414 ($4959). Office polypectomy or operative polypectomy saved €15,854 ($17,813) and €6644 ($7465), respectively, from the average cost per ongoing pregnancy for in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treated women and was cost-effective for ongoing pregnancy rates

Task and spatial frequency modulations of object processing: an EEG study.

Science.gov (United States)

Craddock, Matt; Martinovic, Jasna; Müller, Matthias M

2013-01-01

Visual object processing may follow a coarse-to-fine sequence imposed by fast processing of low spatial frequencies (LSF) and slow processing of high spatial frequencies (HSF). Objects can be categorized at varying levels of specificity: the superordinate (e.g. animal), the basic (e.g. dog), or the subordinate (e.g. Border Collie). We tested whether superordinate and more specific categorization depend on different spatial frequency ranges, and whether any such dependencies might be revealed by or influence signals recorded using EEG. We used event-related potentials (ERPs) and time-frequency (TF) analysis to examine the time course of object processing while participants performed either a grammatical gender-classification task (which generally forces basic-level categorization) or a living/non-living judgement (superordinate categorization) on everyday, real-life objects. Objects were filtered to contain only HSF or LSF. We found a greater positivity and greater negativity for HSF than for LSF pictures in the P1 and N1 respectively, but no effects of task on either component. A later, fronto-central negativity (N350) was more negative in the gender-classification task than the superordinate categorization task, which may indicate that this component relates to semantic or syntactic processing. We found no significant effects of task or spatial frequency on evoked or total gamma band responses. Our results demonstrate early differences in processing of HSF and LSF content that were not modulated by categorization task, with later responses reflecting such higher-level cognitive factors.

Cost-Effectiveness of Old and New Technologies for Aneuploidy Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinkey, Rachel G; Odibo, Anthony O

2016-06-01

Cost-effectiveness analyses allow assessment of whether marginal gains from new technology are worth increased costs. Several studies have examined cost-effectiveness of Down syndrome (DS) screening and found it to be cost-effective. Noninvasive prenatal screening also appears to be cost-effective among high-risk women with respect to DS screening, but not for the general population. Chromosomal microarray (CMA) is a genetic sequencing method superior to but more expensive than karyotype. In light of CMAs greater ability to detect genetic abnormalities, it is cost-effective when used for prenatal diagnosis of an anomalous fetus. This article covers methodology and salient issues of cost-effectiveness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

35-40 The Effect of Tillage Frequency and Weed Control on Yield of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of the experiment was to determine the optimum tillage frequency, time and weeding frequency for tef production in the Yielmana ... post-harvest management cost, low risk crop and the straw provides better animal feed than ..... Kalyani publishers, New Delhi- 110 002, India. Rezene, F. and Zerihun, T. 2001.

Cost-efficient scheduling of FAST observations

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Qi; Zhao, Laiping; Yu, Ce; Xiao, Jian; Sun, Jizhou; Zhu, Ming; Zhong, Yi

2018-03-01

A cost-efficient schedule for the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) requires to maximize the number of observable proposals and the overall scientific priority, and minimize the overall slew-cost generated by telescope shifting, while taking into account the constraints including the astronomical objects visibility, user-defined observable times, avoiding Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). In this contribution, first we solve the problem of maximizing the number of observable proposals and scientific priority by modeling it as a Minimum Cost Maximum Flow (MCMF) problem. The optimal schedule can be found by any MCMF solution algorithm. Then, for minimizing the slew-cost of the generated schedule, we devise a maximally-matchable edges detection-based method to reduce the problem size, and propose a backtracking algorithm to find the perfect matching with minimum slew-cost. Experiments on a real dataset from NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) show that, the proposed scheduler can increase the usage of available times with high scientific priority and reduce the slew-cost significantly in a very short time.

Market power and state costs of HIV/AIDS drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Leibowitz, Arleen A; Sood, Neeraj

2007-03-01

We examine whether U.S. states can use their market power to reduce the costs of supplying prescription drugs to uninsured and underinsured persons with HIV through a public program, the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Among states that purchase drugs from manufacturers and distribute them directly to clients, those that purchase a greater volume pay lower average costs per prescription. Among states depending on retail pharmacies to distribute drugs and then claiming rebates from manufacturers, those that contract with smaller numbers of pharmacy networks have lower average costs. Average costs per prescription do not differ between the two purchase methods.

Greater-confinement disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trevorrow, L.E.; Schubert, J.P.

1989-01-01

Greater-confinement disposal (GCD) is a general term for low-level waste (LLW) disposal technologies that employ natural and/or engineered barriers and provide a degree of confinement greater than that of shallow-land burial (SLB) but possibly less than that of a geologic repository. Thus GCD is associated with lower risk/hazard ratios than SLB. Although any number of disposal technologies might satisfy the definition of GCD, eight have been selected for consideration in this discussion. These technologies include: (1) earth-covered tumuli, (2) concrete structures, both above and below grade, (3) deep trenches, (4) augered shafts, (5) rock cavities, (6) abandoned mines, (7) high-integrity containers, and (8) hydrofracture. Each of these technologies employ several operations that are mature,however, some are at more advanced stages of development and demonstration than others. Each is defined and further described by information on design, advantages and disadvantages, special equipment requirements, and characteristic operations such as construction, waste emplacement, and closure

Social costs of energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, P.M.S.

1990-01-01

There have been many studies over the past 20 years which have looked at the environmental and other impacts of energy production, conversion and use. A number of these have attempted to put a monetary value to the external costs which are not reflected in the prices charged for energy. The topic has received increased attention recently as a direct result of the recognition of the potentially large social costs that might arise from the depletion of the ozone layer, the consequences of global warming and the continued releases of acid gases from fossil fuel combustion. The determination of external costs was attempted in the report for the European Economic Community, EUR11519, ''Social Costs of Energy Consumption'', by O Hohmeyer. Due to its official sponsorship, this report has been afforded greater respect than it deserves and is being used in some quarters to claim that the external costs of nuclear power are high relative to those of fossil fuels. The remainder of this note looks at some of the serious deficiencies of the document and why its conclusions offer no meaningful guidance to policy makers. So far as the present author is aware no serious criticism of the Hohmeyer study has previously appeared. (author)

Multi-frequency eddy current testing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, R.; Gallet, G.

1980-01-01

Monitoring by multi-frequency eddy currents has been used since 1975 in French nuclear stations; this method applies perfectly to examinations in non-irradiated surroundings. The restrictions connected with operations in controlled zones (radioactivity) have led to the development of a delayed analysis device which in no way changes the principle of the method, but allows greater flexibility of use by reducing the volume of equipment needed and by limiting the intervention of personnel to a strict minimum [fr

Dual-etalon, cavity-ring-down, frequency comb spectroscopy.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strecker, Kevin E.; Chandler, David W.

2010-10-01

The 'dual etalon frequency comb spectrometer' is a novel low cost spectometer with limited moving parts. A broad band light source (pulsed laser, LED, lamp ...) is split into two beam paths. One travels through an etalon and a sample gas, while the second arm is just an etalon cavity, and the two beams are recombined onto a single detector. If the free spectral ranges (FSR) of the two cavities are not identical, the intensity pattern at the detector with consist of a series of heterodyne frequencies. Each mode out of the sample arm etalon with have a unique frequency in RF (radio-frequency) range, where modern electronics can easily record the signals. By monitoring these RF beat frequencies we can then determine when an optical frequencies is absorbed. The resolution is set by the FSR of the cavity, typically 10 MHz, with a bandwidth up to 100s of cm{sup -1}. In this report, the new spectrometer is described in detail and demonstration experiments on Iodine absorption are carried out. Further we discuss powerful potential next generation steps to developing this into a point sensor for monitoring combustion by-products, environmental pollutants, and warfare agents.

Simplified approach for estimating large early release frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, W.T.; Mubayi, V.; Nourbakhsh, H.; Brown, T.; Gregory, J.

1998-04-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Policy Statement related to Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA) encourages greater use of PRA techniques to improve safety decision-making and enhance regulatory efficiency. One activity in response to this policy statement is the use of PRA in support of decisions related to modifying a plant's current licensing basis (CLB). Risk metrics such as core damage frequency (CDF) and Large Early Release Frequency (LERF) are recommended for use in making risk-informed regulatory decisions and also for establishing acceptance guidelines. This paper describes a simplified approach for estimating LERF, and changes in LERF resulting from changes to a plant's CLB

The radiological impact on the Greater London population of postulated accidental releases from the Sizewell PWR

CERN Document Server

Kelly, G N; Charles, D; Hemming, C R

1983-01-01

This report contains an assessment of the radiological impact on the Greater London population of postulated accidental releases from the Sizewell PWR. Three of the degraded core accident releases postulated by the CEGB are analysed. The consequences, conditional upon each release, are evaluated in terms of the health impact on the exposed population and the impact of countermeasures taken to limit the exposure. Consideration is given to the risk to the Greater London population as a whole and to individuals within it. The consequences are evaluated using the NRPB code MARC (Methodology for Assessing Radiological Consequences). The results presented in this report are all conditional upon the occurrence of each release. In assessing the significance of the results, due account must be taken of the frequency with which such releases may be predicted to occur.

Searches for high frequency variations in the 8-B neutrino flux at the Sudbury neutrino observatory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rielage, Keith [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Seibert, Stanley R [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Hime, Andrew [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Elliott, Steven R [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Stonehill, L C [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wouters, J M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Aharmim, B [LAURENTIAN UNIV; Ahmed, S N [QUEEN' S UNIV; Anthony, A E [UNIV OF TEXAS; Barros, N [PORTUGAL; Beier, E W [UNIV OF PA; Bellerive, A [CARLETON UNIV; Belttran, B [UNIV OF ALBERTA; Bergevin, M [LBNL; Biller, S D [UNIV OF OXFORD; Boudjemline, K [CARLETON UNIV; Burritt, T H [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Cai, B [QUEEN' S UNIV; Chan, Y D [LBNL; Chauhan, D [LAURENTIAN UNIV; Chen, M [QUEEN' S UNIV; Cleveland, B T [UNIV OF OXFORD; Cox - Mobrand, G A [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Dai, X [QUEEN' S UNIV; Deng, H [UNIV OF PA; Detwiler, J [LBNL; Dimarco, M [QUEEN' S UNIV; Doe, P J [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Drouin, P - L [CARLTON UNIV; Duba, C A [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Duncan, F A [SNOLAB, SUDBURY; Dunford, M [UNIV OF PA; Earle, E D [QUEEN' S UNIV; Evans, H C [QUEEN' S UNIV; Ewan, G T [QUEEN' S UNIV; Farine, J [LAURENTTIAN UNIV; Fergani, H [UNIV OF OXFORD; Fleurot, F [LAURENTIAN UNIV; Ford, R J [SNOLAB, SUDBURY; Formaggilo, J A [MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECH.; Gagnon, N [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Goon, J Tm [LOUISIANA STATE UNIV; Guillian, E [QUEEN' S UNIV; Habib, S [UNIV OF ALBERTA; Hahn, R L [BNL; Hallin, A L [UNIV OF ALBERTA; Hallman, E D [LAURENTIAN UNIV; Harvey, P J [QUEEN' S UNIV; Hazama, R [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Heintzelman, W J [UNIV OF PA; Heise, J [SNOLAB, SUDBURY; Helmer, R L [TRIUMF; Howard, C [UNIV OF ALBERTA; Howe, M A [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Huang, M [UNIV OF TEXAS; Jamieson, B [UNIV OF BRITISH COLUMBIA; Jelley, N A [UNIV OF OXFORD; Keeter, K J [SNOLAB, SUDBURY; Klein, J R [UNIV OF TEXAS; Kos, M [QUEEN' S UNIV; Kraus, C [QUEEN' S UNIV; Krauss, C B [UNIV OF ALBERTA; Kutter, T [LOUISIANA STATE UNIV; Kyba, C C M [UNIV OF PA; Law, J [UNIV OF GUELPH; Lawson, I T [SNOLAB, SUDBURY; Lesko, K T [LBNL; Leslie, J R [QUEEN' S UNIV; Loach, J C [UNIV OF OXFORD; Maclellan, R [QUEEN' S UNIV; Majerus, S [UNIV OF OXFORD; Mak, H B [QUEEN' S UNIV; Maneira, J [PORTUGAL; Martin, R [QUEEN' S UNIV; Mccauley, N [UNIV OF PA; Mc Donald, A B [QUEEN' S UNIV; Mcgee, S [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Miffin, C [CARLETON UNIV; Miller, M L [MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECH.; Monreal, B [MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECH.; Monroe, J [MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECH; Morissette, B [SNOLAB, SUDBURY; Nickel, B G [UNIV OF GUELPH; Noble, A J [QUEEN' S UNIV; O' Keeffe, H M [UNIV OF OXFORD; Oblath, N S [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Orebi Gann, G D [UNIV OF OXFORD; Oser, S M [UNIV OF BRITISH COLUMBIA; Ott, R A [MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECH.; Peeters, S J M [UNIV OF OXFORD; Poon, A W P [LBNL; Prior, G [LBNL; Reitzner, S D [UNIV OF GUELPH; Robertson, B C [QUEEN' S UNIV; Robertson, R G H [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Rollin, E [CARLETON UNIV; Schwendener, M H [LAURENTIAN UNIV; Secrest, J A [UNIV OF PA; Seibert, S R [UNIV OF TEXAS; Simard, O [CARLETON UNIV; Sinclair, D [CARLETON UNIV; Sinclair, L [CARLETON UNIV; Skensved, P [QUEEN' S UNIV; Sonley, T J [MASSACHUSETTS INST. OF TECH.; Tesic, G [CARLETON UNIV; Tolich, N [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Tsui, T [UNIV OF BRITISH COLUMBIA; Tunnell, C D [UNIV OF TEXAS; Van Berg, R [UNIV OF PA; Van Devender, B A [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Virtue, C J [LAURENTIAN UNIV; Wall, B L [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Waller, D [CARLETON UNIV; Wan Chan Tseung, H [UNIV OF OXFORD; West, N [UNIV OF OXFORD; Wilkerson, J F [UNIV OF WASHINGTON; Wilson, J R [UNIV OF OXFORD; Wright, A [QUEEN' S UNIV; Yeh, M [BNL; Zhang, F [CARLETON UNIV; Zuber, K [UNIV OF OXFORD

2009-01-01

We have peformed three searches for high-frequency signals in the solar neutrino flux measured by the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO), motivated by the possibility that solar g-mode oscillations could affect the production or propagation of solar {sup 8}B neutrinos. The first search looked for any significant peak in the frequency range l/day to 144/day, with a sensitivity to sinusoidal signals with amplitudes of 12% or greater. The second search focused on regions in which g-mode signals have been claimed by experiments aboard the SoHO satellite, and was sensitive to signals with amplitudes of 10% or greater. The third search looked for extra power across the entire frequency band. No statistically significant signal was detected in any of the three searches.

A low cost, printed microwave based level sensor with integrated oscillator readout circuitry

KAUST Repository

Karimi, Muhammad Akram; Arsalan, Muhammad; Shamim, Atif

2017-01-01

This paper presents an extremely low cost, tube conformable, printed T-resonator based microwave level sensor, whose resonance frequency shifts by changing the level of fluids inside the tube. Printed T-resonator forms the frequency selective

Global timber investments, wood costs, regulation, and risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cubbage, Frederick; Koesbandana, Sadharga; Gonzalez, Ronalds; Carrero, Omar; MacIntyre, Charles; Abt, Robert; Phillips, Richard; Mac Donagh, Patricio; Rubilar, Rafael; Balmelli, Gustavo; Olmos, Virginia Morales; De La Torre, Rafael; Murara, Mauro; Hoeflich, Vitor Afonso; Kotze, Heynz; Frey, Gregory; Adams, Thomas; Turner, James; Lord, Roger; Huang, Jin; McGinley, Kathleen

2010-01-01

We estimated financial returns and wood production costs in 2008 for the primary timber plantation species. Excluding land costs, returns for exotic plantations in almost all of South America - Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and Paraguay - were substantial. Eucalyptus species returns were generally greater than those for Pinus species in each country, with most having Internal Rates of Return (IRRs) of 20% per year or more, as did teak. Pinus species in South America were generally closer to 15%, except in Argentina, where they were 20%. IRRs were less, but still attractive for plantations of coniferous or deciduous species in China, South Africa, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the United States, ranging from 7% to 12%. Costs of wood production at the cost of capital of 8% per year were generally cheapest for countries with high rates of return and for pulpwood fiber production, which would favor vertically integrated firms in Latin America. But wood costs at stumpage market prices were much greater, making net wood costs for open market wood more similar among countries. In the Americas, Chile and Brazil had the most regulatory components of sustainable forest management, followed by Misiones, Argentina and Oregon in the U.S. New Zealand, the United States, and Chile had the best rankings regarding risk from political, commercial, war, or government actions and for the ease of doing business. Conversely, Venezuela, Indonesia, Colombia, and Argentina had high risk ratings, and Brazil, Indonesia, and Venezuela were ranked as more difficult countries for ease of business. (author)

Global timber investments, wood costs, regulation, and risk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cubbage, Frederick; Koesbandana, Sadharga; Gonzalez, Ronalds; Carrero, Omar; MacIntyre, Charles; Abt, Robert; Phillips, Richard [Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (United States); Mac Donagh, Patricio [Universidad Nacional de Misiones (UNAM), Lisandro de la Torre s/n, CP 3380, Eldorado, Misiones (Argentina); Rubilar, Rafael [Universidad de Concepcion, Victoria 631, Casilla 160-C - Correo 3, Concepcion (Chile); Balmelli, Gustavo [Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuria, INIA Tacuarembo, Ruta 5, Km 386, Tacuarembo (Uruguay); Olmos, Virginia Morales [Weyerhaeuser Company, La Rosa 765, Melo (Uruguay); De La Torre, Rafael [CellFor, 247 Davis Street, Athens, GA (United States); Murara, Mauro [Universidade do Contestado, R. Joaquim Nabuco, 314 Bairro Cidade Nova, Porto Uniao, Santa Catarina (Brazil); Hoeflich, Vitor Afonso [Universidade Federal do Parana, Av. Pref. Lothario Meissner, 900, 80210-170, Jardim Botanico, Curitiba, Parana (Brazil); Kotze, Heynz [Komatiland Forests (Pty) Ltd, P.O. Box 14228, Nelspruit (South Africa); Frey, Gregory [World Bank, 1818 H. Street NW, Washington, DC (United States); Adams, Thomas; Turner, James [New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd., Scion, 49 Sala St., Rotorua (New Zealand); Lord, Roger [Mason, Bruce, and Girard, Inc., 707 SW Washington St., Portland, Oregon (United States); Huang, Jin [Abt Associates, 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Bethesda, MD (United States); McGinley, Kathleen [International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, c/o 920 Main Campus Dr. Suite 300, Raleigh, NC (United States)

2010-12-15

We estimated financial returns and wood production costs in 2008 for the primary timber plantation species. Excluding land costs, returns for exotic plantations in almost all of South America - Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and Paraguay - were substantial. Eucalyptus species returns were generally greater than those for Pinus species in each country, with most having Internal Rates of Return (IRRs) of 20% per year or more, as did teak. Pinus species in South America were generally closer to 15%, except in Argentina, where they were 20%. IRRs were less, but still attractive for plantations of coniferous or deciduous species in China, South Africa, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the United States, ranging from 7% to 12%. Costs of wood production at the cost of capital of 8% per year were generally cheapest for countries with high rates of return and for pulpwood fiber production, which would favor vertically integrated firms in Latin America. But wood costs at stumpage market prices were much greater, making net wood costs for open market wood more similar among countries. In the Americas, Chile and Brazil had the most regulatory components of sustainable forest management, followed by Misiones, Argentina and Oregon in the U.S. New Zealand, the United States, and Chile had the best rankings regarding risk from political, commercial, war, or government actions and for the ease of doing business. Conversely, Venezuela, Indonesia, Colombia, and Argentina had high risk ratings, and Brazil, Indonesia, and Venezuela were ranked as more difficult countries for ease of business. (author)

Examining the Influence of Cost Concern and Awareness of Low-cost Health Care on Cancer Screening among the Medically Underserved.

Science.gov (United States)

Best, Alicia L; Strane, Alcha; Christie, Omari; Bynum, Shalanda; Wiltshire, Jaqueline

2017-01-01

African Americans suffer a greater burden of mortality from breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers than other groups in the United States. Early detection through timely screening can improve survival outcomes; however, cost is frequently reported as a barrier to screening. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) provide preventive and primary care to underserved populations regardless of ability to pay, positioning them to improve cancer screening rates. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of concern about health care cost (cost concern) and awareness of low-cost health care (awareness) on cancer screening among 236 African Americans within an FQHC service area using self-report surveys. Multiple logistic regression indicated that awareness was positively associated with cervical and colorectal cancer screening, while cost concern was negatively associated with mammography screening. Results indicate that improving awareness and understanding of low-cost health care could increase cancer screening among underserved African Americans.

[Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Utility Analyses of Antireflux Medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Gockel, Ines; Lange, Undine Gabriele; Schürmann, Olaf; Jansen-Winkeln, Boris; Sibbel, Rainer; Lyros, Orestis; von Dercks, Nikolaus

2018-04-12

Laparoscopic antireflux surgery and medical therapy with proton pump inhibitors are gold standards of gastroesophageal reflux treatment. On account of limited resources and increasing healthcare needs and costs, in this analysis, not only optimal medical results, but also superiority in health economics of these 2 methods are evaluated. We performed an electronic literature survey in MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, ISRCTN (International Standard Randomization Controlled Trial Number) as well as in the NHS Economic Evaluation Database, including studies published until 1/2017. Only studies considering the effect size of QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life Years) (with respect to different quality of life-scores) as primary outcome comparing laparoscopic fundoplication and medical therapy were included. Criteria of comparison were ICER (Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio) and ICUR (Incremental Cost-Utility Ratio). Superiority of the respective treatment option for each publication was worked out. In total, 18 comparative studies were identified in the current literature with respect to above-mentioned search terms, qualifying for the defined inclusion criteria. Six studies were finally selected for analyses. Out of 6 publications, 3 showed superiority of laparoscopic fundoplication over long-term medical management based on current cost-effectiveness data. Limitations were related to different time intervals, levels of evidence of studies and underlying resources/costs of analyses, healthcare systems and applied quality of life instruments. Future prospective, randomized trials should examine this comparison in greater detail. Additionally, there is a large potential for further research in the health economics assessment of early diagnosis and prevention measures of reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus/carcinoma. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Los Alamos Waste Management Cost Estimation Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matysiak, L.M.; Burns, M.L.

1994-03-01

This final report completes the Los Alamos Waste Management Cost Estimation Project, and includes the documentation of the waste management processes at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for hazardous, mixed, low-level radioactive solid and transuranic waste, development of the cost estimation model and a user reference manual. The ultimate goal of this effort was to develop an estimate of the life cycle costs for the aforementioned waste types. The Cost Estimation Model is a tool that can be used to calculate the costs of waste management at LANL for the aforementioned waste types, under several different scenarios. Each waste category at LANL is managed in a separate fashion, according to Department of Energy requirements and state and federal regulations. The cost of the waste management process for each waste category has not previously been well documented. In particular, the costs associated with the handling, treatment and storage of the waste have not been well understood. It is anticipated that greater knowledge of these costs will encourage waste generators at the Laboratory to apply waste minimization techniques to current operations. Expected benefits of waste minimization are a reduction in waste volume, decrease in liability and lower waste management costs

Plerixafor mobilization leads to a lower ratio of CD34+ cells to total nucleated cells which results in greater storage costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanhehco, Yvette C; Adamski, Jill; Sell, Mary; Cunningham, Kathleen; Eisenmann, Christa; Magee, Deborah; Stadtmauer, Edward A; O'Doherty, Una

2010-01-01

Plerixafor (Mozobil, AMD3100) with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilizes more CD34+ cells/kg compared to G-CSF alone. Given that plerixafor enhances mobilization of multiple white blood cell lineages, we determined if more storage space is required for products collected from patients mobilized with plerixafor. A review of the medical records of 15 patients mobilized with chemotherapy and G-CSF (control) and 14 patients mobilized with plerixafor plus G-CSF (plerixafor) was performed. Data on demographics, baseline characteristics, CD34+ cells/kg, total nucleated cells, total mononuclear cells, total apheresis sessions, and total bags for storage were collected. Mean values were determined and compared using Student's t-test. We found that the proportion of CD34+ cells among total nucleated cells was less in the plerixafor group compared to the control group (P = 0.0427). More nucleated cells (10.7 x 10(10) vs. 7.1 x 10(10), P =0.0452) and mononuclear cells (9.7 x 10(10) vs. 5.9 x 10(10), P = 0.0059) were mobilized with plerixafor plus G-CSF. However, there was no significant difference in CD34+ cells/kg, total CD34+ cells or the proportion of mononuclear cells among total nucleated cells between the two groups. More storage bags were required for the plerixafor group compared to the control group (15 vs. 9, P = 0.0299). Mobilization with plerixafor plus G-CSF resulted in a smaller proportion of CD34+ cells collected and a greater number of storage bags. An increase in the number of bags required for stem cell storage may be logistically problematic and will also lead to increased costs for storage of stem cells.

Configuration space analysis of common cost functions in radiotherapy beam-weight optimization algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rowbottom, Carl Graham [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom); Webb, Steve [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust, Sutton, Surrey (United Kingdom)

2002-01-07

The successful implementation of downhill search engines in radiotherapy optimization algorithms depends on the absence of local minima in the search space. Such techniques are much faster than stochastic optimization methods but may become trapped in local minima if they exist. A technique known as 'configuration space analysis' was applied to examine the search space of cost functions used in radiotherapy beam-weight optimization algorithms. A downhill-simplex beam-weight optimization algorithm was run repeatedly to produce a frequency distribution of final cost values. By plotting the frequency distribution as a function of final cost, the existence of local minima can be determined. Common cost functions such as the quadratic deviation of dose to the planning target volume (PTV), integral dose to organs-at-risk (OARs), dose-threshold and dose-volume constraints for OARs were studied. Combinations of the cost functions were also considered. The simple cost function terms such as the quadratic PTV dose and integral dose to OAR cost function terms are not susceptible to local minima. In contrast, dose-threshold and dose-volume OAR constraint cost function terms are able to produce local minima in the example case studied. (author)

Modal spectral analysis of piping: Determination of the significant frequency range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geraets, L.H.

1981-01-01

This paper investigates the influence of the number of modes on the response of a piping system in a dynamic modal spectral analysis. It shows how the analysis can be limited to a specific frequency range of the pipe (independent of the frequency range of the response spectrum), allowing cost reduction without loss in accuracy. The 'missing mass' is taken into account through an original technique. (orig./HP)

Simultaneous bilateral isolated greater trochanter fracture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maruti Kambali

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A 48-year-old woman sustained simultaneous isolated bilateral greater trochanteric fracture, following a road traffic accident. The patient presented to us 1 month after the injury. She presented with complaints of pain in the left hip and inability to walk. Roentgenograms revealed displaced comminuted bilateral greater trochanter fractures. The fracture of the left greater trochanter was reduced and fixed internally using the tension band wiring technique. The greater trochanter fracture on the right side was asymptomatic and was managed conservatively. The patient regained full range of motion and use of her hips after a postoperative follow-up of 6 months. Isolated fractures of the greater trochanter are unusual injuries. Because of their relative rarity and the unsettled controversy regarding their etiology and pathogenesis, several methods of treatment have been advocated. Furthermore, the reports of this particular type of injury are not plentiful and the average textbook coverage afforded to this entity is limited. In our study we discuss the mechanism of injury and the various treatment options available.

Effects of category-specific costs on neural systems for perceptual decision-making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fleming, Stephen M; Whiteley, Louise Emma; Hulme, Oliver James

2010-01-01

Perceptual judgments are often biased by prospective losses, leading to changes in decision criteria. Little is known about how and where sensory evidence and cost information interact in the brain to influence perceptual categorization. Here we show that prospective losses systematically bias...... functions enact a particular task set that is communicated to visual regions. Across subjects, greater shifts in decision criteria were associated with greater activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Our results support a hypothesis that costs bias an intermediate representation between...... perception and action, expressed via general effects on frontal cortex, and selective effects on extrastriate cortex. These findings indicate that asymmetric costs may affect a neural implementation of perceptual decision making in a similar manner to changes in category expectation, constituting a step...

Rationalizing regulation could help cut US O and M costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, E.; Koppe, R.; Waage, J.

1990-01-01

Rationalizing safety regulation could dramatically reduce the contractor costs which have become such a large component of rising operating and maintenance costs at nuclear power plants in the United States. Multi-plant operating companies are also a possibility - attractive to utilities because of the economies of scale that they bring and the greater influence that they wield. (author)

Reliabilty worth: Development of a relationship with outage magnitude, duration and frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, F.P.P.; Katrichak, A.M.; Dwyer, A.; Edwards, D.; Ibrahim, A.

1994-01-01

British Columbia Hydro's Worth Project Team was founded to determine values for reliability for reference in evaluation of investment and operating decisions. Work to date has produced key preliminary values for specific outages and concepts for the shape of the relationship between value and these determinates of reliability worth, frequency, magnitude and duration. These values and concepts are described. The values are developed through an iterative, trial and refinement approach. The approach incorporates direct input from customers, common sense and judgement, and micro- and macro-economic concepts. Reliability worth values for reduced or prevented outages are presented for residential, commercial, small industrial and mixed sectors and various outage durations. Reliability worth values were obtained through customer surveys. Limitations of the reliability worth value are numerous and are listed. Study of cost vs magnitude of interruption using microeconomic models has shown that costly system improvements to reduce the possibility of widespread outages may not be justified. The case of exceptionally large area outages (blackouts) is examined. The cost vs frequency relationship was examined in terms of the economic concept of utility or satisfaction. Different loss/frequency characteristics are demonstrated for different customer classes. Customer value for reduced outage duration is expressed in a curve with flatter slope than that for eliminated outages. 2 refs., 6 figs

Replacement energy, capacity, and reliability costs for permanent nuclear reactor shutdowns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VanKuiken, J.C., Buehring, W.A.; Hamilton, S.; Kavicky, J.A.; Cavallo, J.D.; Veselka, T.D.; Willing, D.L.

1993-10-01

Average replacement power costs are estimated for potential permanent shutdowns of nuclear electricity-generating units. Replacement power costs are considered to include replacement energy, capacity, and reliability cost components. These estimates were developed to assist the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in evaluating regulatory issues that potentially affect changes in serious reactor accident frequencies. Cost estimates were derived from long-term production-cost and capacity expansion simulations of pooled utility-system operations. Factors that affect replacement power cost, such as load growth, replacement sources of generation, and capital costs for replacement capacity, were treated in the analysis. Costs are presented for a representative reactor and for selected subcategories of reactors, based on estimates for 112 individual reactors

Alternatives for packaging and transport of greater-than-class C low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, R.I.

1990-06-01

Viable methods for packaging greater-than-class C (GTCC) low-level wastes and for transporting those wastes from the waste generator sites or from an eastern interim storage site to the Yucca Mountain repository site have been identified and evaluated. Estimated costs for packaging and transporting the population of GTCC wastes expected to be accumulated through the year 2040 have been developed for three waste volume scenarios, for two preferred packaging methods for activated metals from reactor operations and from reactor decommissioning, and for two packaging density assumptions for the activated metals from reactor decommissioning. 7 refs. 7 tabs

Evaluation of the genetic distinctiveness of Greater Sage-grouse in the Bi-State Planning Area

Science.gov (United States)

Oyler-McCance, Sara J.; Casazza, Michael L.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to further characterize a distinct population of Greater Sage-grouse: the population located along the border between Nevada and California (Bi-State Planning Area) and centered around the Mono Basin. This population was previously determined to be genetically distinct from other Greater Sage-grouse populations across their range. Previous genetic work focused on characterizing genetic variation across the species' range and thereby used a coarse sampling approach for species characterization. The goal of this study was to investigate this population further by obtaining samples from breeding locations within the population and analyzing those samples with the same mitochondrial and microsatellite loci used in previous studies. Blood samples were collected in six locations within the Bi-State Planning Area. Genetic data from subpopulations were then compared with each other and also with two populations outside of the Bi-State Planning Area. Particular attention was paid to subpopulation boundaries and internal dynamics by drawing comparisons among particular regions within the Bi-State Planning Area and regions proximal to it. All newly sampled subpopulations contained mitochondrial haplotypes and allele frequencies that were consistent with the genetically unique Bi-State (Mono Basin) Greater Sage-grouse described previously. This reinforces the fact that this group of Greater Sage-grouse is genetically unique and warrants special attention. Maintaining the genetic integrity of this population could protect the evolutionary potential of this population of Greater Sage-grouse. Additionally, the White Mountains subpopulation was found to be significantly distinct from all other Bi-State subpopulations.

Use of Linear Programming to Develop Cost-Minimized Nutritionally Adequate Health Promoting Food Baskets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parlesak, A.; Tetens, Inge; Dejgård Jensen, Jørgen

2016-01-01

Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) are developed to promote healthier eating patterns, but increasing food prices may make healthy eating less affordable. The aim of this study was to design a range of cost-minimized nutritionally adequate health-promoting food baskets (FBs) that help prevent...... both micronutrient inadequacy and diet-related non-communicable diseases at lowest cost. Average prices for 312 foods were collected within the Greater Copenhagen area. The cost and nutrient content of five different cost-minimized FBs for a family of four were calculated per day using linear...... in each of the resulting five baskets was increased through limiting the relative share of individual foods. The one-day version of N contained only 12 foods at the minimum cost of DKK 27 (€ 3.6). The CA, DG, and DGN were about twice of this and the CAN cost ~DKK 81 (€ 10.8). The baskets with the greater...

Indirect costs of rheumatoid arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filip Raciborski

2015-12-01

Full Text Available It is estimated that in Poland about 400,000 persons in general suffer from inflammatory joint diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Epidemiological surveys documenting the frequency and disturbance of musculoskeletal disorders in the Polish population are few in number. Most of the estimations are based on epidemiological data from other countries (prevalence of 0.5–1%. According to the data of the National Health Fund in Poland 135,000–157,000 persons in total are treated because of rheumatoid arthritis per year [ICD10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: M05, M06]. In the case of this group of diseases indirect costs significantly outweigh the direct costs. Indirect costs increase together with activity level of the disease. The cost analysis of productivity loss of RA patients indicates that sickness absenteeism and informal care are the most burdensome. At the national level it amounts in total from 1.2 billion to 2.8 billion PLN per year, depending on the method of analysis. These costs could be significantly reduced through early diagnosis and introduction of effective treatment.

Strategies, technologies, and economics for managing greater-than-class C waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danna, J.G.; Baird, R.D.; Chau, T.K.

1994-01-01

The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act 0f 1985, Public Law 99-240, transferred responsibility for disposing of Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste (LLW) generated by commercial licensees from the states to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Development of permanent disposal capacity for GTCC LLW requires the evaluation of potential disposal concepts in terms of technical feasibility, economics, and institutional concerns. Previous studies have identified 13 potential GTCC LLW disposal concepts and have characterized volumes and types of GTCC LLW. Data from these studies, along with newly developed data pertaining to concept designs and hypothetical sites, were used to evaluate each concept's technical feasibility. An evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the technically feasible disposal concepts was also conducted

Manufacturing: SiC Power Electronics for Variable Frequency Motor Drives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horowitz, Kelsey A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bench Reese, Samantha R [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Remo, Timothy W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-08-15

This brochure, published as an annual research highlight of the Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC), summarizes CEMAC analysis of silicon carbide (SiC) power electronics for variable frequency motor drives. The key finding presented is that variations in manufacturing expertise, yields, and access to existing facilities impact regional costs and manufacturing location decisions for SiC ingots, wafers, chips, and power modules more than do core country-specific factors such as labor and electricity costs.

High relative frequency of thyroid papillary carcinoma in northern Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Sambade, M C; Gonçalves, V S; Dias, M; Sobrinho-Simões, M A

1983-05-01

Two hundred and twelve papillary and 40 follicular carcinomas were found in 3002 thyroid glands examined from 1931 to 1975 in four Laboratories of Pathology that fairly cover northern Portugal. There was a striking preponderance of women both in papillary (female:male = 6.9:1) and follicular carcinoma (5.7:1). Sex-specific frequency of malignancy was significantly greater in men (13.3%) than in women (8.8%). The overall papillary/follicular ratio was 5.3:1 and did not significantly change throughout the study period. Papillary/follicular ratio was not significantly greater in litoral (5.5:1) than in regions with a low iodine intake and a relatively high prevalence of goiter (3.5:1). It is advanced that this high relative frequency of papillary carcinoma in northern Portugal, even in goiter areas, may reflect the existence of a racial factor since there is not enough evidence to support the influence of dietary iodine, previous irradiation and concurrent thyroiditis.

A Costing Analysis for Decision Making Grid Model in Failure-Based Maintenance

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Burhanuddin M. A.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background. In current economic downturn, industries have to set good control on production cost, to maintain their profit margin. Maintenance department as an imperative unit in industries should attain all maintenance data, process information instantaneously, and subsequently transform it into a useful decision. Then act on the alternative to reduce production cost. Decision Making Grid model is used to identify strategies for maintenance decision. However, the model has limitation as it consider two factors only, that is, downtime and frequency of failures. We consider third factor, cost, in this study for failure-based maintenance. The objective of this paper is to introduce the formulae to estimate maintenance cost. Methods. Fish bone analysis conducted with Ishikawa model and Decision Making Grid methods are used in this study to reveal some underlying risk factors that delay failure-based maintenance. The goal of the study is to estimate the risk factor that is, repair cost to fit in the Decision Making Grid model. Decision Making grid model consider two variables, frequency of failure and downtime in the analysis. This paper introduces third variable, repair cost for Decision Making Grid model. This approaches give better result to categorize the machines, reduce cost, and boost the earning for the manufacturing plant. Results. We collected data from one of the food processing factories in Malaysia. From our empirical result, Machine C, Machine D, Machine F, and Machine I must be in the Decision Making Grid model even though their frequency of failures and downtime are less than Machine B and Machine N, based on the costing analysis. The case study and experimental results show that the cost analysis in Decision Making Grid model gives more promising strategies in failure-based maintenance. Conclusions. The improvement of Decision Making Grid model for decision analysis with costing analysis is our contribution in this paper for

Probabilistic frequency variations of structure-soil systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, C.W.; Hadjian, A.H.

1976-01-01

During earthquakes, structure-soil systems act as filters greatly amplifying the response of equipment whose frequencies are at or near their natural frequencies. Thus, the estimation of these structure-soil system frequencies assumes significant importance both for safety and cost. Actual in-situ frequencies of structures differ from calculated frequencies due both to variations in mathematical modelling techniques and to variations of material properties. This paper studies the second source only. This variability is usually gauged by the 'worst case' analyses technique in which extreme high- and low- parameter values are assumed and the associated frequencies are used as upper and lower bounds. This approach is not entirely satisfactory because it does not provide any indication of the probability of these limits being exceeded, of the distribution between these limits, or of the level of conservation introduced into the design process. The present approach provides this additional information. The emphasis in this part is both on developing the methodology and on the results obtained. It covers both the fixed-base structure and the effects of soil-structure interaction. Empirical data on concrete proerties were obtained from previously published results. Much less is known about variability of soil properties, so the soil structure interaction coefficients are assumed to be normally distributed. As data on the variation of soil properties become available, they can be readily incorporated via the methodology developed here. (Auth.)

Effect of Resistance Training Frequency on Gains in Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grgic, Jozo; Schoenfeld, Brad J; Davies, Timothy B; Lazinica, Bruno; Krieger, James W; Pedisic, Zeljko

2018-05-01

 = 0.421) of RT frequency on muscular strength gains. The subgroup analysis for exercise selection for the 1RM test suggested a significant effect of RT frequency on multi-joint (p effect of frequency (p = 0.004) for upper body, but not lower body, strength gains (p = 0.070). In the subgroup analysis for studies in which the training was and was not carried out to muscular failure, no significant effect of RT frequency was found. The subgroup analysis for the age groups suggested a significant effect of training frequency among young adults (p = 0.024), but not among middle-aged and older adults (p = 0.093). Finally, the subgroup analysis for sex indicated a significant effect of RT frequency on strength gains in women (p = 0.030), but not men (p = 0.190). The results of the present systematic review and meta-analysis suggest a significant effect of RT frequency as higher training frequencies are translated into greater muscular strength gains. However, these effects seem to be primarily driven by training volume because when the volume is equated, there was no significant effect of RT frequency on muscular strength gains. Thus, from a practical standpoint, greater training frequencies can be used for additional RT volume, which is then likely to result in greater muscular strength gains. However, it remains unclear whether RT frequency on its own has significant effects on strength gain. It seems that higher RT frequencies result in greater gains in muscular strength on multi-joint exercises in the upper body and in women, and, finally, in contrast to older adults, young individuals seem to respond more positively to greater RT frequencies. More evidence among resistance-trained individuals is needed as most of the current studies were performed in untrained participants.

Economic Value of Li-ion Energy Storage System in Frequency Regulation Application from Utility Firm’s Perspective in Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wonchang Hur

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Energy Storage Systems (ESSs have recently been highlighted because of their many benefits such as load-shifting, frequency regulation, price arbitrage, renewables, and so on. Among those benefits, we aim at evaluating their economic value in frequency regulation application. However, unlike previous literature focusing on profits obtained from participating in the ancillary service market, our approach concentrates on the cost reduction from the perspective of a utility firm that has an obligation to pay energy fees to a power exchange. More specifically, we focus on the payments between the power exchange market and the utility firm as a major source of economic benefits. The evaluation is done by cost- benefit analysis (CBA with a dataset of the Korean market while considering operational constraint costs as well as scheduled energy payments, and a simulation algorithm for the evaluation is provided. Our results show the potential for huge profits to be made by cost reduction. We believe that this research can provide a guideline for a utility firm considering investing in ESSs for frequency regulation application as a source of cost reduction.

Components of cross-frequency modulation in health and disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Elena A; Liu, Jingyu; Kiehl, Kent A; Gelernter, Joel; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Perrone-Bizzozero, Nora I; Calhoun, Vince D

2011-01-01

The cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia are commonly believed to arise from the abnormal temporal integration of information, however a quantitative approach to assess network coordination is lacking. Here, we propose to use cross-frequency modulation (cfM), the dependence of local high-frequency activity on the phase of widespread low-frequency oscillations, as an indicator of network coordination and functional integration. In an exploratory analysis based on pre-existing data, we measured cfM from multi-channel EEG recordings acquired while schizophrenia patients (n = 47) and healthy controls (n = 130) performed an auditory oddball task. Novel application of independent component analysis (ICA) to modulation data delineated components with specific spatial and spectral profiles, the weights of which showed covariation with diagnosis. Global cfM was significantly greater in healthy controls (F(1,175) = 9.25, P modulation at fronto-temporal electrodes was greater in patients (F(1,175) = 17.5, P modulation in schizophrenia patients was correlated with several polymorphisms in the gene for the α2-subunit of the GABA(A) receptor (GABRA2) as well as the total number of risk alleles in GABRA2 (r = 0.45, P < 0.01). Overall, our results indicate great promise for this approach in establishing patterns of cfM in health and disease and elucidating the roles of oscillatory interactions in functional connectivity.

How much does it cost? The LIFE Project - Costing Models for Digital Curation and Preservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Davies

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Digital preservation is concerned with the long-term safekeeping of electronic resources. How can we be confident of their permanence, if we do not know the cost of preservation? The LIFE (Lifecycle Information for E-Literature Project has made a major step forward in understanding the long-term costs in this complex area. The LIFE Project has developed a methodology to model the digital lifecycle and to calculate the costs of preserving digital information for the next 5, 10 or 100 years. National and higher education (HE libraries can now apply this process and plan effectively for the preservation of their digital collections. Based on previous work undertaken on the lifecycles of paper-based materials, the LIFE Project created a lifecycle model and applied it to real-life digital collections across a diverse subject range. Three case studies examined the everyday operations, processes and costs involved in their respective activities. The results were then used to calculate the direct costs for each element of the digital lifecycle. The Project has made major advances in costing preservation activities, as well as making detailed costs of real digital preservation activities available. The second phase of LIFE (LIFE2, which recently started, aims to refine the lifecycle methodology and to add a greater range and breadth to the project with additional exemplar case studies.

Task and spatial frequency modulations of object processing: an EEG study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Craddock

Full Text Available Visual object processing may follow a coarse-to-fine sequence imposed by fast processing of low spatial frequencies (LSF and slow processing of high spatial frequencies (HSF. Objects can be categorized at varying levels of specificity: the superordinate (e.g. animal, the basic (e.g. dog, or the subordinate (e.g. Border Collie. We tested whether superordinate and more specific categorization depend on different spatial frequency ranges, and whether any such dependencies might be revealed by or influence signals recorded using EEG. We used event-related potentials (ERPs and time-frequency (TF analysis to examine the time course of object processing while participants performed either a grammatical gender-classification task (which generally forces basic-level categorization or a living/non-living judgement (superordinate categorization on everyday, real-life objects. Objects were filtered to contain only HSF or LSF. We found a greater positivity and greater negativity for HSF than for LSF pictures in the P1 and N1 respectively, but no effects of task on either component. A later, fronto-central negativity (N350 was more negative in the gender-classification task than the superordinate categorization task, which may indicate that this component relates to semantic or syntactic processing. We found no significant effects of task or spatial frequency on evoked or total gamma band responses. Our results demonstrate early differences in processing of HSF and LSF content that were not modulated by categorization task, with later responses reflecting such higher-level cognitive factors.

Effects of lek count protocols on greater sage-grouse population trend estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Monroe, Adrian; Edmunds, David; Aldridge, Cameron L.

2016-01-01

Annual counts of males displaying at lek sites are an important tool for monitoring greater sage-grouse populations (Centrocercus urophasianus), but seasonal and diurnal variation in lek attendance may increase variance and bias of trend analyses. Recommendations for protocols to reduce observation error have called for restricting lek counts to within 30 minutes of sunrise, but this may limit the number of lek counts available for analysis, particularly from years before monitoring was widely standardized. Reducing the temporal window for conducting lek counts also may constrain the ability of agencies to monitor leks efficiently. We used lek count data collected across Wyoming during 1995−2014 to investigate the effect of lek counts conducted between 30 minutes before and 30, 60, or 90 minutes after sunrise on population trend estimates. We also evaluated trends across scales relevant to management, including statewide, within Working Group Areas and Core Areas, and for individual leks. To further evaluate accuracy and precision of trend estimates from lek count protocols, we used simulations based on a lek attendance model and compared simulated and estimated values of annual rate of change in population size (λ) from scenarios of varying numbers of leks, lek count timing, and count frequency (counts/lek/year). We found that restricting analyses to counts conducted within 30 minutes of sunrise generally did not improve precision of population trend estimates, although differences among timings increased as the number of leks and count frequency decreased. Lek attendance declined >30 minutes after sunrise, but simulations indicated that including lek counts conducted up to 90 minutes after sunrise can increase the number of leks monitored compared to trend estimates based on counts conducted within 30 minutes of sunrise. This increase in leks monitored resulted in greater precision of estimates without reducing accuracy. Increasing count

IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITY BASED ANALYSIS METHOD COSTING SYSTEM IN PRICING COST OF ROOMS IN HOTEL DYNASTY MAKASSAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muh Nur Hatta

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to fulfill one of the final project now where Thesis research was held in April to June, 2016. This study aims to know the differences in the calculation of the cost of the room by using a conventional system using activity-based costing (ABC system. method analysis is using descriptive method of analysis of the cost of the hotel this time, set the conventional method and then comparing the cost of a hotel room based activity based result costing. study showed that of calculating the cost of a hotel room by using activity based costing, when compared with the cost of hotel rooms used by the activity based costing Dynasty then give the results in standard rooms, deluxe, suites and family give results the calculation of which is smaller than the cost of the rooms which have been determined by the hotel management. That is, with the difference in price for a Standard room IDR. 58024.84. For a Deluxe room IDR. 175,411.58. For room Suite IDR. 99. 034,88. Family rooms and for IDR. 100,045.60. While in the room Executive Suite / Pent House Activity Based Costing calculation result is greater than the cost of the rooms which have been determined by the hotel management. That is, with the difference amounting to IDR. 368,096.17. The difference in price is due to the method of Activity Based Costing,The overhead on each product is charged to a lot of cost driver. Thus, in the Activity Based Costing method is able to allocate activity costs to each room is right by the consumption of each activity.

Travel costs associated with flood closures of state highways near Centralia/Chehalis, Washington.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

This report discusses the travel costs associated with the closure of roads in the greater : Centralia/Chehalis, Washington region due to 100-year flood conditions starting on the Chehalis River. The costs : were computed for roadway closures on I-5,...

Supplemental report on cost estimates'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have completed an analysis of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Fiscal Year (FY) 1993 budget request for its Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) program. The results were presented to an interagency review group (IAG) of senior-Administration officials for their consideration in the budget process. This analysis included evaluations of the underlying legal requirements and cost estimates on which the ERWM budget request was based. The major conclusions are contained in a separate report entitled, ''Interagency Review of the Department of Energy Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program.'' This Corps supplemental report provides greater detail on the cost analysis

Implicit environmental costs in hydroelectric development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsen, A.J.; Wenstoep, F.; Strand, J.

1992-01-01

The ranking of hydropower projects under the Norwegian Master Plan for Water Resources is used to derive implicit government preferences for a number of environmental attributes described by ordinal scores for each project. Higher negative scores are generally associated with greater implicit willingness to pay to avoid the environmental damage tied to the attribute, caused by hydropower development. The total (ordinary economic and implicit environmental) cost for each project are derived, and the environmental costs per capacity unit are found to be on the same order as the economic costs, lower for projects ranked for early exploitation, and higher for projects to be saved permanently. An implicit long-run marginal cost curve for Norwegian hydropower development is derived, which is generally upward sloping, but not uniformly so. This can be due to the model specification problems or ranking inconsistencies, both of which are likely to be present. 11 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

Major cost savings associated with biologic dose reduction in patients with inflammatory arthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Murphy, C L

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore whether patients with Inflammatory Arthritis (IA) (Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) or Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)) would remain in remission following a reduction in biologic dosing frequency and to calculate the cost savings associated with dose reduction. This prospective non-blinded non-randomised study commenced in 2010. Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis being treated with a biologic agent were screened for disease activity. A cohort of those in remission according to standardized disease activity indices (DAS28 < 2.6, BASDAI < 4) was offered a reduction in dosing frequency of two commonly used biologic therapies (etanercept 50 mg once per fortnight instead of weekly, adalimumab 40 mg once per month instead of fortnightly). Patients were assessed for disease activity at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months following reduction in dosing frequency. Cost saving was calculated. 79 patients with inflammatory arthritis in remission were recruited. 57% had rheumatoid arthritis (n = 45), 13% psoriatic arthritis (n = 10) and 30% ankylosing spondylitis (n = 24). 57% (n = 45) were taking etanercept and 43% (n = 34) adalimumab. The percentage of patients in remission at 24 months was 56% (n = 44). This resulted in an actual saving to the state of approximately 600,000 euro over two years. This study demonstrates the reduction in biologic dosing frequency is feasible in Inflammatory Arthritis. There was a considerable cost saving at two years. The potential for major cost savings in biologic usage should be pursued further.

Herbivore-mediated ecological costs of reproduction shape the life history of an iteroparous plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Tom E X; Tenhumberg, Brigitte; Louda, Svata M

2008-02-01

Plant reproduction yields immediate fitness benefits but can be costly in terms of survival, growth, and future fecundity. Life-history theory posits that reproductive strategies are shaped by trade-offs between current and future fitness that result from these direct costs of reproduction. Plant reproduction may also incur indirect ecological costs if it increases susceptibility to herbivores. Yet ecological costs of reproduction have received little empirical attention and remain poorly integrated into life-history theory. Here, we provide evidence for herbivore-mediated ecological costs of reproduction, and we develop theory to examine how these costs influence plant life-history strategies. Field experiments with an iteroparous cactus (Opuntia imbricata) indicated that greater reproductive effort (proportion of meristems allocated to reproduction) led to greater attack by a cactus-feeding insect (Narnia pallidicornis) and that damage by this herbivore reduced reproductive success. A dynamic programming model predicted strongly divergent optimal reproductive strategies when ecological costs were included, compared with when these costs were ignored. Meristem allocation by cacti in the field matched the optimal strategy expected under ecological costs of reproduction. The results indicate that plant reproductive allocation can strongly influence the intensity of interactions with herbivores and that associated ecological costs can play an important selective role in the evolution of plant life histories.

The Psychology of Cost Estimating

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Andy

2016-01-01

Cost estimation for large (and even not so large) government programs is a challenge. The number and magnitude of cost overruns associated with large Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) programs highlight the difficulties in developing and promulgating accurate cost estimates. These overruns can be the result of inadequate technology readiness or requirements definition, the whims of politicians or government bureaucrats, or even as failures of the cost estimating profession itself. However, there may be another reason for cost overruns that is right in front of us, but only recently have we begun to grasp it: the fact that cost estimators and their customers are human. The last 70+ years of research into human psychology and behavioral economics have yielded amazing findings into how we humans process and use information to make judgments and decisions. What these scientists have uncovered is surprising: humans are often irrational and illogical beings, making decisions based on factors such as emotion and perception, rather than facts and data. These built-in biases to our thinking directly affect how we develop our cost estimates and how those cost estimates are used. We cost estimators can use this knowledge of biases to improve our cost estimates and also to improve how we communicate and work with our customers. By understanding how our customers think, and more importantly, why they think the way they do, we can have more productive relationships and greater influence. By using psychology to our advantage, we can more effectively help the decision maker and our organizations make fact-based decisions.

Robotic and endoscopic transaxillary thyroidectomies may be cost prohibitive when compared to standard cervical thyroidectomy: a cost analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabot, Jennifer C; Lee, Cho Rok; Brunaud, Laurent; Kleiman, David A; Chung, Woong Youn; Fahey, Thomas J; Zarnegar, Rasa

2012-12-01

This study presents a cost analysis of the standard cervical, gasless transaxillary endoscopic, and gasless transaxillary robotic thyroidectomy approaches based on medical costs in the United States. A retrospective review of 140 patients who underwent standard cervical, transaxillary endoscopic, or transaxillary robotic thyroidectomy at 2 tertiary centers was conducted. The cost model included operating room charges, anesthesia fee, consumables cost, equipment depreciation, and maintenance cost. Sensitivity analyses assessed individual cost variables. The mean operative times for the standard cervical, transaxillary endoscopic, and transaxillary robotic approaches were 121 ± 18.9, 185 ± 26.0, and 166 ± 29.4 minutes, respectively. The total cost for the standard cervical, transaxillary endoscopic, and transaxillary robotic approaches were $9,028 ± $891, $12,505 ± $1,222, and $13,670 ± $1,384, respectively. Transaxillary approaches were significantly more expensive than the standard cervical technique (standard cervical/transaxillary endoscopic, P cost when transaxillary endoscopic operative time decreased to 111 minutes and transaxillary robotic operative time decreased to 68 minutes. Increasing the case load did not resolve the cost difference. Transaxillary endoscopic and transaxillary robotic thyroidectomies are significantly more expensive than the standard cervical approach. Decreasing operative times reduces this cost difference. The greater expense may be prohibitive in countries with a flat reimbursement schedule. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Achilles tendinopathy modulates force frequency characteristics of eccentric exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Grigg, Nicole L; Wearing, Scott C; O'Toole, John M; Smeathers, James E

2013-03-01

Previous research has demonstrated that ground reaction force (GRF) recorded during eccentric ankle exercise is characterized by greater power in the 8- to 12-Hz bandwidth when compared with that recorded during concentric ankle exercise. Subsequently, it was suggested that vibrations in this bandwidth may underpin the beneficial effect of eccentric loading in tendon repair. However, this observation has been made only in individuals without Achilles tendinopathy. This research compared the force frequency characteristics of eccentric and concentric exercises in individuals with and without Achilles tendinopathy. Eleven male adults with unilateral midportion Achilles tendinopathy and nine control male adults without tendinopathy participated in the research. Kinematics and GRF were recorded while the participants performed a common eccentric rehabilitation exercise protocol and a concentric equivalent. Ankle joint kinematics and the frequency power spectrum of the resultant GRF were calculated. Eccentric exercise was characterized by a significantly greater proportion of spectral power between 4.5 and 11.5 Hz when compared with concentric exercise. There were no significant differences between limbs in the force frequency characteristics of concentric exercise. Eccentric exercise, in contrast, was defined by a shift in the power spectrum of the symptomatic limb, resulting in a second spectral peak at 9 Hz, rather than 10 Hz in the control limb. Compared with healthy tendon, Achilles tendinopathy was characterized by lower frequency vibrations during eccentric rehabilitation exercises. This finding may be associated with changes in neuromuscular activation and tendon stiffness that have been shown to occur with tendinopathy and provides a possible rationale for the previous observation of a different biochemical response to eccentric exercise in healthy and injured Achilles tendons.

Performance evaluation of hybrid VLC using device cost and power over data throughput criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, C. C.; Tan, C. S.; Wong, H. Y.; Yahya, M. B.

2013-09-01

Visible light communication (VLC) technology has attained its attention in both academic and industry lately. It is determined by the development of light emitting diode (LED) technology for solid-state lighting (SSL).It has great potential to gradually replace radio frequency (RF) wireless technology because it offers unregulated and unlicensed bandwidth to withstand future demand of indoor wireless access to real-time bandwidth-demanding applications. However, it was found to provide intrusive uplink channel that give rise to unpleasant irradiance from the user device which could interfere with the downlink channel of VLC and hence limit mobility to users as a result of small coverage (field of view of VLC).To address this potential problem, a Hybrid VLC system which integrates VLC (for downlink) and RF (for uplink) technology is proposed. It offers a non-intrusive RF back channel that provides high throughput VLC and maintains durability with conventional RF devices. To deploy Hybrid VLC system in the market, it must be energy and cost saving to attain its equivalent economical advantage by comparing to existing architecture that employs fluorescent or LED lights with RF technology. In this paper, performance evaluation on the proposed hybrid system was carried out in terms of device cost and power consumption against data throughput. Based on our simulation, Hybrid VLC system was found to reduce device cost by 3% and power consumption by 68% when compares to fluorescent lights with RF technology. Nevertheless, when it is compared to LED lights with RF technology, our proposed hybrid system is found to achieve device cost saving as high as 47% and reduced power consumption by 49%. Such promising results have demonstrated that Hybrid VLC system is a feasible solution and has paved the way for greater cost saving and energy efficient compares with the current RF architecture even with the increasing requirement of indoor area coverage.

Third-harmonic entanglement and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering over a frequency range of more than an octave

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, M. K.

2018-03-01

The development of quantum technologies which use quantum states of the light field interacting with other systems creates a demand for such states over wide frequency ranges. In this work we compare the bipartite entanglement and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) -steering properties of the two different parametric schemes which produce third-harmonic optical fields from an input field at the fundamental frequency. The first scheme uses second harmonic cascaded with sum-frequency generation, while the second uses triply degenerate four- wave mixing, also known as direct third-harmonic generation. We find that both schemes produce continuous-variable bipartite entanglement and EPR steering over a frequency range which has previously been unobtainable. The direct scheme produces a greater degree of EPR steering, while the cascaded scheme allows for greater flexibility in having three available bipartitions, thus allowing for greater flexibility in the tailoring of light matter interfaces. There are also parameter regimes in both for which classical mean-field analyses fail to predict the mean-field solutions. Both schemes may be very useful for applications in quantum communication and computation networks, as well as providing for quantum interfaces between a wider range of light and atomic ensembles than is presently practicable.

How can radio frequency identification technology impact nursing practice?

Science.gov (United States)

Billingsley, Luanne; Wyld, David

2014-12-01

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology can save nurses time, improve quality of care, en hance patient and staff safety, and decrease costs. However, without a better understanding of these systems and their benefits to patients and hospitals, nurses may be slower to recommend, implement, or adopt RFID technology into practice.

Adjusting Pulse Amplitude During Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Does Not Provide Greater Hypoalgesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergeron-Vézina, Kayla; Filion, Camille; Couture, Chantal; Vallée, Élisabeth; Laroche, Sarah; Léonard, Guillaume

2018-03-01

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an electrotherapeutic modality commonly used in rehabilitation to relieve pain. Adjusting pulse amplitude (intensity) during TENS treatment has been suggested to overcome nerve habituation. However, it is still unclear if this procedure leads to greater hypoalgesia. The aim of this study was to determine if the hypoalgesic effect of TENS is greater when pulse amplitude is adjusted throughout the TENS treatment session in chronic low-back pain patients. Randomized double-blind crossover study. Recruitment and assessment were conducted at the Clinique universitaire de réadaptation de l'Estrie (CURE) of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Université de Sherbrooke. Twenty-one volunteers with chronic low-back pain were enrolled and completed this investigation. Each patient received two high-frequency TENS treatments on two separate sessions: (1) with adjustment of pulse amplitude and (2) without pulse amplitude adjustment. Pain intensity and unpleasantness were assessed before, during, and after TENS application with a 10 cm visual analog scale. Both TENS conditions (with and without adjustment of intensity) decreased pain intensity and unpleasantness when compared with baseline. No difference was observed between the two stimulation conditions for both pain intensity and unpleasantness. The current results suggest that adjustment of pulse amplitude during TENS application does not provide greater hypoalgesia in individuals with chronic low-back pain. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings in other pain populations.

Cooperative Game Study of Airlines Based on Flight Frequency Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanming Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available By applying the game theory, the relationship between airline ticket price and optimal flight frequency is analyzed. The paper establishes the payoff matrix of the flight frequency in noncooperation scenario and flight frequency optimization model in cooperation scenario. The airline alliance profit distribution is converted into profit distribution game based on the cooperation game theory. The profit distribution game is proved to be convex, and there exists an optimal distribution strategy. The results show that joining the airline alliance can increase airline whole profit, the change of negotiated prices and cost is beneficial to profit distribution of large airlines, and the distribution result is in accordance with aviation development.

Cost per case or total cost? The potential of prevention of hand injuries in young children – Retrospective and prospective studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlsson Katarina

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Health-care costs for hand and forearm injuries in young children are poorly documented. We examined costs in 533 children injured years 1996–2003. Methods Health-care costs and costs for lost productivity were retrospectively calculated in children from three catchment areas in Sweden. Seven case categories corresponding to alternative prevention strategies were constructed. Results Over time, diminishing number of ward days reduced the health-care cost per case. Among children, the cost of lost productivity due to parental leave was 14 percent of total cost. Fingertip injuries had low median costs but high total costs due to their frequency. Complex injuries by machine or rifle had high costs per case, and despite a low number of cases, total cost was high. Type of injury, surgery and physiotherapy sessions were associated with variations in health-care cost. Low age and ethnic background had a significant effect on number of ward days. Conclusion The costs per hand injury for children were lower compared to adults due to both lower health-care costs and to the fact that parents had comparatively short periods of absence from work. Frequent simple fingertip injuries and rare complex injuries induce high costs for society. Such costs should be related to costs for prevention of these injuries.

Cost and radiation exposure optimization of demineralizer operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernal, F.E.; Burn, R.R.; Cook, G.M.; Simonetti, L.; Simpson, P.A.

1985-01-01

A pool water demineralizer is utilized at a research reactor to minimize impurities that become radioactive; to minimize impurities that react chemically with reactor components; to maintain optical clarity of the pool water; and to minimize aluminum fuel cladding corrosion by maintaining a slightly acidic pH. Balanced against these advantages are the dollar costs of equipment, resins, recharging chemicals, and maintenance; the man-rem costs of radiation exposure during maintenance, demineralizer recharges, and resin replacement; and hazardous chemical exposure. At the Ford Nuclear Reactor (FNR), maintenance of the demineralizer system is the second largest source of radiation exposure to operators. Theoretical and practical aspects of demineralizer operation are discussed. The most obvious way to reduce radiation exposure due to demineralizer system operation is to perform recharges after the reactor has been shut down for the maximum possible time. Setting a higher depletion limit and operating with the optimum system lineup reduce the frequency between recharges, saving both exposure and cost. Recharge frequency and resin lifetime seem to be relatively independent of the quality of the chemicals used and the personnel performing recharges, provided consistent procedures are followed

A frequency-type optically controllable YAG:Nd(3+) laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baliasnyi, L.M.; Groznov, M.A.; Gubanov, B.S.; Zoria, A.V.; Myl' nikov, V.S.

1990-06-01

The paper demonstrates the feasibility of using MOS-LC modulators based on the s-effect with an internal dividing mirror as the optically controllable mirrors of frequency-type YAG:Nd(3+) lasers. It is shown that the maximum energy of the laser in free-runnig operation of 10 mJ/sq cm is limited by the radiation resistance (not greater than 70 mJ/sq cm) of the orienting fluid, i.e., polyvinyl alcohol. The optical inhomogeneity of the modulator amounts to 20-40 percent, which is connected with the presence of a bonded single-crystal GaAs layer. The working frequency of the laser was about 20 Hz.

A simulation tool for radio frequency identification construction supply chains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gassel, van F.J.M.; Jansen, G.; Zavadskas, E.K.; Kaklauskas, A.; Skibniewski, M.J.

2008-01-01

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology is being used more and more in the construction industry. RFID tags and peripheral equipment are becoming cheaper and more suitable for application in the supply chain. However, it is difficult for contractors to estimate the costs and benefits of

Treatment profiles and costs of patients with chronic pain in the population setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sicras Mainar A

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Antoni Sicras Mainar1, Ruth Navarro Artieda2, Jesús Villoria Morillo3, Ana Esquivias Escobar41Dirección de Planificación, Badalona Serveis Assistencials SA, 2Documentación Médica, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona; 3Diseño y Redacción Científica, Medicxact, Alpedrete, 4Departamento Médico, Grünenthal Pharma SA, Madrid, SpainBackground: The purpose of this study was to gather information about analgesic drug therapy in patients with chronic pain and perform cost estimates to guide future cost-effectiveness research in the area.Methods: Data from patients aged 44 years and over suffering from any chronic condition and receiving regular analgesic drug therapy (for ≥6 months who attended health care facilities within the area of Badalona during 2008 were collected in a retrospective study. Morbidity profiles were defined according to treatment setting (pain unit, hospital, World Health Organization analgesic step (1–2 versus 3, and a raw cost model based on resource use and work absenteeism was applied. Patients attending the pain unit or the hospital were considered undertreated if they were on step 1–2 analgesics. Multiple regression was used to compare costs between undertreated and non-undertreated patients among those attending the pain unit or the hospital.Results: Only 410 of 18,157 patients ascertained (2.3% were on step 3 analgesics. Their direct costs were greater than those of patients on step 1–2 analgesics, although the opposite was true regarding indirect costs. Of patients seen in the pain unit and in the hospital, 2.3% and 20.1%, respectively, were considered undertreated. Regression analyses revealed even greater costs in the subgroup of undertreated patients.Conclusion: Step 3 analgesics are barely used. Up to one-fifth of patients may be undertreated, generating greater costs than those considered to be properly treated. Regression analyses did not clarify the proportion of their cost excess

Annual incremental health benefit costs and absenteeism among employees with and without rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinman, Nathan L; Cifaldi, Mary A; Smeeding, James E; Shaw, James W; Brook, Richard A

2013-03-01

To assess the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on absence time, absence payments, and other health benefit costs from the perspective of US employers. Retrospective regression-controlled analysis of a database containing US employees' administrative health care and payroll data for those who were enrolled for at least 1 year in an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. Employees with RA (N = 2705) had $4687 greater average annual medical and prescription drug costs (P employees with RA used an additional 3.58 annual absence days, including 1.2 more sick leave and 1.91 more short-term disability days (both P Employees with RA have greater costs across all benefits than employees without RA.

Encounters with Pinyon-Juniper influence riskier movements in Greater Sage-Grouse across the Great Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Prochazka, Brian; Coates, Peter S.; Ricca, Mark; Casazza, Michael L.; Gustafson, K. Ben; Hull, Josh M.

2016-01-01

Fine-scale spatiotemporal studies can better identify relationships between individual survival and habitat fragmentation so that mechanistic interpretations can be made at the population level. Recent advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and statistical models capable of deconstructing high-frequency location data have facilitated interpretation of animal movement within a behaviorally mechanistic framework. Habitat fragmentation due to singleleaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla; hereafter pinyon) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma; hereafter juniper) encroachment into sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities is a commonly implicated perturbation that can adversely influence greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) demographic rates. Using an extensive GPS data set (233 birds and 282,954 locations) across 12 study sites within the Great Basin, we conducted a behavioral change point analysis and subsequently constructed Brownian bridge movement models from each behaviorally homogenous section. We found a positive relationship between modeled movement rate and probability of encountering pinyon-juniper with significant variation among age classes. The probability of encountering pinyon-juniper among adults was two and three times greater than that of yearlings and juveniles, respectively. However, the movement rate in response to the probability of encountering pinyon-juniper trees was 1.5 times greater for juveniles. We then assessed the risk of mortality associated with an interaction between movement rate and the probability of encountering pinyon-juniper using shared frailty models. During pinyon-juniper encounters, on average, juvenile, yearling, and adult birds experienced a 10.4%, 0.2%, and 0.3% reduction in annual survival probabilities. Populations that used pinyon-juniper habitats with a frequency ≥ 3.8 times the overall mean experienced decreases in annual survival probabilities of 71.1%, 0.9%, and 0.9%. This

Modeling of response, socioeconomic, and natural resource damage costs for hypothetical oil spill scenarios in San Francisco Bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etkin, D.S.; French McCay, D.; Whittier, N.; Sankaranarayanan, S.; Jennings, J.

2002-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the influence of oil type, spill size, response strategy and location factors on oil spill response costs, with particular reference to the cost benefits of the use of dispersants. Modeling has been conducted for a hypothetical oil spill in San Francisco Bay to determine biological impacts, damages to natural resources and response costs. The SIMAP modeling software by the Applied Science Associates was used to model 3 spill sizes (20, 50 and 95 percentile by volume) and 4 types of oil (gasoline, diesel, heavy fuel oil, and crude oil). Response costs, natural resource damages and socioeconomic impact were determined based on spill trajectory and fate. Mechanical recovery-based operations carry higher response costs than dispersant-based operations. Response costs for diesel and gasoline spills make up 20 per cent of the total costs, compared to 43 per cent for crude and heavy fuel oil spills. Damages to natural resources are higher for spills of toxic lighter fuels such as gasoline and diesel because gasoline has a greater impact on the water column with less shoreline oiling, resulting in more damages to natural resources. Heavier oils have a greater impact on shorelines and higher response and socioeconomic costs. Although socioeconomic costs varied by location, they tend to be greater than response costs and natural resource damage costs. Proportions of the different costs were described with reference to various spill factors. Socioeconomic costs are 61, 76, 45 and 53 per cent respectively for gasoline, diesel, crude oil, and heavy fuel oil spills. 27 refs., 23 tabs., 5 figs

Predicting Achievable Fundamental Frequency Ranges in Vocalization Across Species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingo Titze

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Vocal folds are used as sound sources in various species, but it is unknown how vocal fold morphologies are optimized for different acoustic objectives. Here we identify two main variables affecting range of vocal fold vibration frequency, namely vocal fold elongation and tissue fiber stress. A simple vibrating string model is used to predict fundamental frequency ranges across species of different vocal fold sizes. While average fundamental frequency is predominantly determined by vocal fold length (larynx size, range of fundamental frequency is facilitated by (1 laryngeal muscles that control elongation and by (2 nonlinearity in tissue fiber tension. One adaptation that would increase fundamental frequency range is greater freedom in joint rotation or gliding of two cartilages (thyroid and cricoid, so that vocal fold length change is maximized. Alternatively, tissue layers can develop to bear a disproportionate fiber tension (i.e., a ligament with high density collagen fibers, increasing the fundamental frequency range and thereby vocal versatility. The range of fundamental frequency across species is thus not simply one-dimensional, but can be conceptualized as the dependent variable in a multi-dimensional morphospace. In humans, this could allow for variations that could be clinically important for voice therapy and vocal fold repair. Alternative solutions could also have importance in vocal training for singing and other highly-skilled vocalizations.

Accountable Care Organizations and Transaction Cost Economics.

Science.gov (United States)

Mick, Stephen S Farnsworth; Shay, Patrick D

2016-12-01

Using a Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) approach, this paper explores which organizational forms Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may take. A critical question about form is the amount of vertical integration that an ACO may have, a topic central to TCE. We posit that contextual factors outside and inside an ACO will produce variable transaction costs (the non-production costs of care) such that the decision to integrate vertically will derive from a comparison of these external versus internal costs, assuming reasonably rational management abilities. External costs include those arising from environmental uncertainty and complexity, small numbers bargaining, asset specificity, frequency of exchanges, and information "impactedness." Internal costs include those arising from human resource activities including hiring and staffing, training, evaluating (i.e., disciplining, appraising, or promoting), and otherwise administering programs. At the extreme, these different costs may produce either total vertical integration or little to no vertical integration with most ACOs falling in between. This essay demonstrates how TCE can be applied to the ACO organization form issue, explains TCE, considers ACO activity from the TCE perspective, and reflects on research directions that may inform TCE and facilitate ACO development. © The Author(s) 2016.

Dual-Frequency Impedance Transformer Using Coupled-Line For Ultra-High Transforming Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. K. Barik

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new type of dual-frequency impedance transformer is presented for ultra-high transforming ratio. The proposed configuration consists of parallel coupled-line, series transmission lines and short-ended stubs. The even and odd-mode analysis is applied to obtain the design equations and hence to provide an accurate solution. Three examples of the dual-frequency transformer with load impedance of 500, 1000 and 1500 Ω are designed to study the matching capability and bandwidth property. To prove the frequency agility of the proposed network, three prototypes of dual-frequency impedance transformer with transforming ratio of 10, 20 and 30 are fabricated and tested. The measured return loss is greater than 15 dB at two operating frequencies for all the prototypes. Also, the bandwidth is more than 60 MHz at each frequency band for all the prototypes. The measured return loss is found in good agreement with the circuit and full-wave simulations.

Novel Frequency Swapping Technique for Conducted Electromagnetic Interference Suppression in Power Converter Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Tse Kuo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Quasi-resonant flyback (QRF converters have been widely applied as the main circuit topology in power converters because of their low cost and high efficiency. Conventional QRF converters tend to generate higher average conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI in the low-frequency domain due to the switching noise generated by power switches, resulting in the fact they can exceed the EMI standards of the European Standard 55022 Class-B emission requirements. The presented paper develops a novel frequency swapping control method that spreads spectral energy to reduce the amplitude of sub-harmonics, thereby lowering average conducted EMI in the low-frequency domain. The proposed method is implemented in a control chip, which requires no extra circuit components and adds zero cost. The proposed control method is verified using a 24 W QRF converter. Experimental results reveals that conducted EMI has been reduced by approximately 13.24 dBμV at 498 kHz compared with a control method without the novel frequency swapping technique. Thus, the proposed method can effectively improve the flyback system to easily meet the CISPR 22/EN55022 standards.

Sparse frequencies data inversion and the role of multi-scattered energy

KAUST Repository

Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2017-01-01

time to inject more energy of those frequencies at a reduced cost. Such additional energy is necessary to the recording of more multi-scattered events. The objective of this new paradigm is a high resolution model of the Earth.

The Costs of Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jason

2018-03-01

This research paper talks about the economic costs of climate change, as well as the costs involved in responding to climate change with alternative fuels. This paper seeks to show that climate change, although seemingly costly in the short run, will both save future generations trillions of dollars and serve as a good economic opportunity. Scientists have long argued that the fate of humanity depends on a shift towards renewable energy. However, this paper will make clear that there is also an economic struggle. By embracing alternative fuels, we will not only lessen the danger and the frequency of these natural disasters but also strengthen the world’s financial state. Although a common argument against responding to climate change is that it is too expensive to make the switch, this research shows that in the future, it will save millions of lives and trillions of dollars. The only question left for policymakers is whether they will grasp this energy source shift.

High‐frequency induced polarization measurements of hydrocarbon‐bearing rocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burtman, Vladimir; Endo, Masashi; Zhdanov, Michael S.

2011-01-01

We have investigated induced polarization (IP) effects in hydrocarbon‐bearing artificial rocks at frequencies greater than 100 Hz. We have examined the instrumental and electrode phase responses of Zonge International's complex resistivity (CR) system, and optimized the performance of the Zonge s......, and suggest the necessity to account for IP effects in the interpretations of electromagnetic data, particularly in induction logging data....

Relationship between information asymmetry and cost of capital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fateme Rahmani

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Shareholders expected return is normally impacted by informational risk and informational asymmetry, on the other hand, creates informational risk. Thus, investors demand greater risk premium in the case of informational asymmetry and in turn corporate expenditures increase. In this study, we determine the relationship between informational asymmetry and capital cost. The study uses information of 109 companies listed in Tehran Securities Exchange over the period of 2005-2010 and the results suggest a positive and significant relationship between informational asymmetry and capital cost. In addition, the results from present research indicate that when capital markets are competitive, there is not a significant relationship between informational asymmetry and capital cost. But when markets are partially competitive there is a significant relationship between informational asymmetry and capital cost.

Frequency-agile antennas for wireless communications

CERN Document Server

Petosa, Aldo

2013-01-01

Mobile data subscriptions are expected to more than double and mobile wireless traffic to increase by more than tenfold over the next few years. Proliferation of smart phones, tablets, and other portable devices are placing greater demands for services such as web browsing, global positioning, video streaming, and video telephony. Many of the proposed solutions to deal with these demands will have a significant impact on antenna designs. Antennas with frequency agility are considered a promising technology to help implement these new solutions.This book provides readers with a sense of the cap

Subjective sleep quality, unstimulated sexual arousal, and sexual frequency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Costa

Full Text Available Introduction: REM sleep deprivation increases unstimulated erections in rats, and total sleep deprivation increases erections during audiovisual sexual stimulation in men, but the effects of sleep problems on human unstimulated sexual arousal are unknown. Objective: We examined the associations of subjective sleep quality with unstimulated sexual arousal, satisfaction with sex life, and sexual frequency and desire over the past month. Methods: 275 Portuguese (169 women reported their anxiety, sexual arousal and sexual desire during a resting state, and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the sexual satisfaction subscale of the LiSat scale, the Desire dimensions of the Female Sexual Function Index (women only and International Index of Erectile Function (men only. They additionally reported how many days in the past month they engaged in penile-vaginal intercourse, noncoital sex, and masturbation. Salivary testosterone (T was assayed by luminescence immunoassays. Results: Poorer sleep quality correlated with greater unstimulated sexual arousal in men with higher T levels and in women with higher T levels not taking oral contraceptives. In women with lower T, poorer subjective sleep quality correlated with greater sexual dissatisfaction. In both sexes, sleep quality was uncorrelated with sexual desire and sexual frequency over the past month. Discussion: Consistently with other studies in humans and animals, the findings are congruent with the notion that lack of sleep can increase sexual arousal, but not sexual frequency. T might play a role in the sexual arousal caused by lack of appropriate sleep.

Humanitarian information systems and emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa: logical components and logical linkages.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Daniel; Watkins, Ben

2003-03-01

Natural and man-made emergencies are regular occurrences in the Greater Horn of Africa region. The underlying impoverishment of whole populations is increasing, making it more difficult to distinguish between humanitarian crises triggered by shocks and those resulting from chronic poverty. Shocks and hazards can no longer be seen as one-off events that trigger a one-time response. In countries that are both poor and exposed to frequent episodes of debilitating drought or chronic conflict, information needs tend to be different from the straightforward early warning/commodity accounting models of information systems that have proven reliable in past emergencies. This paper describes the interdependent components of a humanitarian information system appropriate for this kind of complex environment, noting the analytical links between the components and operational links to programme and policy. By examining a series of case studies from the Greater Horn region, the paper demonstrates that systems lacking one or more of these components will fail to provide adequate information--and thus incur humanitarian costs. While information always comes with a cost, the price of poor information--or none--is higher. And in situations of chronic vulnerability, in which development interventions are likely to be interspersed with both safety nets and emergency interventions on a recurrent basis, investment in improved information is a good investment from both a humanitarian and a financial viewpoint.

Electromagnetic effects in high-frequency capacitive discharges used for plasma processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chabert, P

2007-01-01

In plasma processing, capacitive discharges have classically been operated in the electrostatic regime, for which the excitation wavelength λ is much greater than the electrode radius, and the plasma skin depth δ is much greater than the electrode spacing. However, contemporary reactors are larger and excited at higher frequencies which leads to strong electromagnetic effects. This paper gives a review of the work that has recently been carried out to carefully model and diagnose these effects, which cause major uniformity problems in plasma processing for microelectronics and flat panel displays industries. (topical review)

A novel velocity estimator using multiple frequency carriers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Zhuo; Jakobsson, Andreas; Nikolov, Svetoslav

2004-01-01

. In this paper, we propose a nonlinear least squares (NLS) estimator. Typically, NLS estimators are computationally cumbersome, in general requiring the minimization of a multidimensional and often multimodal cost function. Here, by noting that the unknown velocity will result in a common known frequency......Most modern ultrasound scanners use the so-called pulsed-wave Doppler technique to estimate the blood velocities. Among the narrowband-based methods, the autocorrelation estimator and the Fourier-based method are the most commonly used approaches. Due to the low level of the blood echo, the signal......-to-noise ratio is low, and some averaging in depth is applied to improve the estimate. Further, due to velocity gradients in space and time, the spectrum may get smeared. An alternative approach is to use a pulse with multiple frequency carriers, and do some form of averaging in the frequency domain. However...

Activity-based costs of blood transfusions in surgical patients at four hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Shander, Aryeh; Hofmann, Axel; Ozawa, Sherri; Theusinger, Oliver M; Gombotz, Hans; Spahn, Donat R

2010-04-01

Blood utilization has long been suspected to consume more health care resources than previously reported. Incomplete accounting for blood costs has the potential to misdirect programmatic decision making by health care systems. Determining the cost of supplying patients with blood transfusions requires an in-depth examination of the complex array of activities surrounding the decision to transfuse. To accurately determine the cost of blood in a surgical population from a health system perspective, an activity-based costing (ABC) model was constructed. Tasks and resource consumption (materials, labor, third-party services, capital) related to blood administration were identified prospectively at two US and two European hospitals. Process frequency (i.e., usage) data were captured retrospectively from each hospital and used to populate the ABC model. All major process steps, staff, and consumables to provide red blood cell (RBC) transfusions to surgical patients, including usage frequencies, and direct and indirect overhead costs contributed to per-RBC-unit costs between $522 and $1183 (mean, $761 +/- $294). These exceed previously reported estimates and were 3.2- to 4.8-fold higher than blood product acquisition costs. Annual expenditures on blood and transfusion-related activities, limited to surgical patients, ranged from $1.62 to $6.03 million per hospital and were largely related to the transfusion rate. Applicable to various hospital practices, the ABC model confirms that blood costs have been underestimated and that they are geographically variable and identifies opportunities for cost containment. Studies to determine whether more stringent control of blood utilization improves health care utilization and quality, and further reduces costs, are warranted.

Frequency of common CFTR gene mutations in Venezuelan patients with cystic fibrosis

OpenAIRE

Sánchez, Karen; Arcia, Orlando; Matute, Xiorama; Mindiola, Luz; Chaustre, Ismenia; Takiff, Howard

2014-01-01

Mutations in the CFTR gene in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients have geographic differences and there is scant data on their prevalence in Venezuelan patients. This study determined the frequency of common CFTR gene mutations in these patients. We amplified and sequenced exons 7, 10, 11, 19, 20 and 21, which contain the most common CFTR mutations, from 105 Venezuelan patients in the National CF Program. Eleven different mutations were identified, four with frequencies greater than 1%: p.Phe508del...

Quantifying the hidden healthcare cost of diabetes mellitus in Australian hospital patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Karahalios, Amalia; Somarajah, Gowri; Hamblin, Peter S; Karunajeewa, Harin; Janus, Edward D

2018-03-01

Diabetes mellitus in hospital inpatients is most commonly present as a comorbidity rather than as the primary diagnosis. In some hospitals, the prevalence of comorbid diabetes mellitus across all inpatients exceeds 30%, which could add to complexity of care and resource utilisation. However, whether and to what extent comorbid diabetes mellitus contributes indirectly to greater hospitalisation costs is ill-defined. To determine the attributable effect of comorbid diabetes mellitus on hospital resource utilisation in a General Internal Medical service in Melbourne, Australia. We extracted data from a database of all General Internal Medical discharge episodes from July 2012 to June 2013. We fitted multivariable regression models to compare patients with diabetes mellitus to those without diabetes mellitus with respect to hospitalisation cost, length of stay, admissions per year and inpatient mortality. Of 4657 patients 1519 (33%) had diabetes mellitus, for whom average hospitalisation cost (AUD9910) was higher than those without diabetes mellitus (AUD7805). In multivariable analysis, this corresponded to a 1.22-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.33, P diabetes was 8.2 days versus 6.8 days for those without diabetes, with an adjusted 1.19-fold greater odds (95% CI 1.06-1.33, P = 0.001) of staying an additional day. Number of admissions and mortality were similar. Comorbid diabetes mellitus adds significantly to hospitalisation duration and costs in medical inpatients. Moreover, diabetes mellitus patients with chronic complications had a greater-still cost and hospitalisation duration compared to those without diabetes mellitus. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Upgrade and benchmarking of the NIFS physics-engineering-cost code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolan, T.J.; Yamazaki, K.

2004-07-01

The NIFS Physics-Engineering-Cost (PEC) code for helical and tokamak fusion reactors is upgraded by adding data from three blanket-shield designs, a new cost section based on the ARIES cost schedule, more recent unit costs, and improved algorithms for various computations. The PEC code is also benchmarked by modeling the ARIES-AT (advanced technology) tokamak and the ARIES-SPPS (stellarator power plant system). The PEC code succeeds in predicting many of the pertinent plasma parameters and reactor component masses within about 10%. There are cost differences greater than 10% for some fusion power core components, which may be attributed to differences of unit costs used by the codes. The COEs estimated by the PEC code differ from the COEs of the ARIES-AT and ARIES-SPPS studies by 5%. (author)

O paradigma do custo negativo The paradigm of negative cost

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Fernando Dalmonech

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The current view that cost must be equal to or greater than zero (C ≥ O was subject to question. Considering the present and the future, a cost that can also be negative was foreseen. With the development of information (IT and communication (CT technologies as well as globalization, new ways of doing business are at hand for identification, evaluation, measurement and investigation. Development of these new ways will give rise to a concept of cost that may vary from a negative infinite to a positive infinite - ∞ to + ∞.

Estimating Frequency by Interpolation Using Least Squares Support Vector Regression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changwei Ma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Discrete Fourier transform- (DFT- based maximum likelihood (ML algorithm is an important part of single sinusoid frequency estimation. As signal to noise ratio (SNR increases and is above the threshold value, it will lie very close to Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB, which is dependent on the number of DFT points. However, its mean square error (MSE performance is directly proportional to its calculation cost. As a modified version of support vector regression (SVR, least squares SVR (LS-SVR can not only still keep excellent capabilities for generalizing and fitting but also exhibit lower computational complexity. In this paper, therefore, LS-SVR is employed to interpolate on Fourier coefficients of received signals and attain high frequency estimation accuracy. Our results show that the proposed algorithm can make a good compromise between calculation cost and MSE performance under the assumption that the sample size, number of DFT points, and resampling points are already known.

Sizing of intergranular stress corrosion cracking using low frequency ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, M.D.; Avioli, M.J.; Rose, J.L.

1985-01-01

Based upon the work thus far accomplished on low frequency sizing, the following conclusions can be drawn: the potential of low frequency ultrasound for the sizing of IGSCC seams encouraging as demonstrated in this work. If minimal walking is expected, larger values of crack height/wavelength ratios should not affect the reliability of estimates; notch data points out the validity of signal amplitude for sizing. With care in frequency consideration, the technique can be extended to cracks; when wavelength is greater than flaw size, importance of orientation and reflector shape diminishes although less so for deeper cracks; when beam profile is larger than the defect size, echo amplitude is proportional to defect area when using shear wave probes and corner reflectors; other factors, in addition to crack size, affect signal amplitude. Reference data to compensate for depth and material (HAZ) is a must; additional crack samples should be studied in order to further develop and characterize the use of low frequency ultrasonics

Effects of category-specific costs on neural systems for perceptual decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Stephen M; Whiteley, Louise; Hulme, Oliver J; Sahani, Maneesh; Dolan, Raymond J

2010-06-01

Perceptual judgments are often biased by prospective losses, leading to changes in decision criteria. Little is known about how and where sensory evidence and cost information interact in the brain to influence perceptual categorization. Here we show that prospective losses systematically bias the perception of noisy face-house images. Asymmetries in category-specific cost were associated with enhanced blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in a frontoparietal network. We observed selective activation of parahippocampal gyrus for changes in category-specific cost in keeping with the hypothesis that loss functions enact a particular task set that is communicated to visual regions. Across subjects, greater shifts in decision criteria were associated with greater activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Our results support a hypothesis that costs bias an intermediate representation between perception and action, expressed via general effects on frontal cortex, and selective effects on extrastriate cortex. These findings indicate that asymmetric costs may affect a neural implementation of perceptual decision making in a similar manner to changes in category expectation, constituting a step toward accounting for how prospective losses are flexibly integrated with sensory evidence in the brain.

Enhanced Recovery Utilizing Variable Frequency Drives and a Distributed Power System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Randy Peden; Sanjiv Shah

2005-07-26

This report describes complete results of the project entitled ''Enhanced Recovery Utilizing Variable Frequency Drives and a Distributed Power System''. This demonstration project was initiated in July 2003 and completed in March 2005. The objective of the project was to develop an integrated power production/variable frequency drive system that could easily be deployed in the oil field that would increase production and decrease operating costs. This report describes all the activities occurred and documents results of the demonstration.

Greater physiological and behavioral effects of interrupted stress pattern compared to daily restraint stress in rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Zhang

Full Text Available Repeated stress can trigger a range of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety. The propensity to develop abnormal behaviors after repeated stress is related to the severity, frequency and number of stressors. However, the pattern of stress exposure may contribute to the impact of stress. In addition, the anxiogenic nature of repeated stress exposure can be moderated by the degree of coping that occurs, and can be reflected in homotypic habituation to the repeated stress. However, expectations are not clear when a pattern of stress presentation is utilized that diminishes habituation. The purpose of these experiments is to test whether interrupted stress exposure decreases homotypic habituation and leads to greater effects on anxiety-like behavior in adult male rats. We found that repeated interrupted restraint stress resulted in less overall homotypic habituation compared to repeated daily restraint stress. This was demonstrated by greater production of fecal boli and greater corticosterone response to restraint. Furthermore, interrupted restraint stress resulted in a lower body weight and greater adrenal gland weight than daily restraint stress, and greater anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze. Control experiments demonstrated that these effects of the interrupted pattern could not be explained by differences in the total number of stress exposures, differences in the total number of days that the stress periods encompased, nor could it be explained as a result of only the stress exposures after an interruption from stress. These experiments demonstrate that the pattern of stress exposure is a significant determinant of the effects of repeated stress, and that interrupted stress exposure that decreases habituation can have larger effects than a greater number of daily stress exposures. Differences in the pattern of stress exposure are therefore an important factor to consider when predicting the severity of the effects of repeated

Effect of the Building Act 2011 on compliance costs in Western Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Bazen

2014-06-01

 This research compared the cost of approval for 16 building projects under the new and old approvals processes. The research concluded that the new approvals process appears to be cost-neutral for the building industry as a whole. However, the cost of approval for the 11 building projects studied valued up to $1 million, particularly alterations to existing buildings, is an average of 4.0 times greater under the new approvals process.

Addressing Uncertainties in Cost Estimates for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benjamin, Serge; Descures, Sylvain; Du Pasquier, Louis; Francois, Patrice; Buonarotti, Stefano; Mariotti, Giovanni; Tarakonov, Jurij; Daniska, Vladimir; Bergh, Niklas; Carroll, Simon; AaSTRoeM, Annika; Cato, Anna; De La Gardie, Fredrik; Haenggi, Hannes; Rodriguez, Jose; Laird, Alastair; Ridpath, Andy; La Guardia, Thomas; O'Sullivan, Patrick; ); Weber, Inge; )

2017-01-01

The cost estimation process of decommissioning nuclear facilities has continued to evolve in recent years, with a general trend towards demonstrating greater levels of detail in the estimate and more explicit consideration of uncertainties, the latter of which may have an impact on decommissioning project costs. The 2012 report on the International Structure for Decommissioning Costing (ISDC) of Nuclear Installations, a joint recommendation by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Commission, proposes a standardised structure of cost items for decommissioning projects that can be used either directly for the production of cost estimates or for mapping of cost items for benchmarking purposes. The ISDC, however, provides only limited guidance on the treatment of uncertainty when preparing cost estimates. Addressing Uncertainties in Cost Estimates for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities, prepared jointly by the NEA and IAEA, is intended to complement the ISDC, assisting cost estimators and reviewers in systematically addressing uncertainties in decommissioning cost estimates. Based on experiences gained in participating countries and projects, the report describes how uncertainty and risks can be analysed and incorporated in decommissioning cost estimates, while presenting the outcomes in a transparent manner

Cost-effectiveness of sequenced treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with targeted immune modulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Jeroen P; Incerti, Devin; Mutebi, Alex; Peneva, Desi; MacEwan, Joanna P; Stolshek, Bradley; Kaur, Primal; Gharaibeh, Mahdi; Strand, Vibeke

2017-07-01

To determine the cost-effectiveness of treatment sequences of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or Janus kinase/STAT pathway inhibitors (collectively referred to as bDMARDs) vs conventional DMARDs (cDMARDs) from the US societal perspective for treatment of patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with inadequate responses to cDMARDs. An individual patient simulation model was developed that assesses the impact of treatments on disease based on clinical trial data and real-world evidence. Treatment strategies included sequences starting with etanercept, adalimumab, certolizumab, or abatacept. Each of these treatment strategies was compared with cDMARDs. Incremental cost, incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for each treatment sequence relative to cDMARDs. The cost-effectiveness of each strategy was determined using a US willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $150,000/QALY. For the base-case scenario, bDMARD treatment sequences were associated with greater treatment benefit (i.e. more QALYs), lower lost productivity costs, and greater treatment-related costs than cDMARDs. The expected ICERs for bDMARD sequences ranged from ∼$126,000 to $140,000 per QALY gained, which is below the US-specific WTP. Alternative scenarios examining the effects of homogeneous patients, dose increases, increased costs of hospitalization for severely physically impaired patients, and a lower baseline Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) Disability Index score resulted in similar ICERs. bDMARD treatment sequences are cost-effective from a US societal perspective.

Cost Analysis of the STONE Randomized Trial: Can Health Care Costs be Reduced One Test at a Time?

Science.gov (United States)

Melnikow, Joy; Xing, Guibo; Cox, Ginger; Leigh, Paul; Mills, Lisa; Miglioretti, Diana L; Moghadassi, Michelle; Smith-Bindman, Rebecca

2016-04-01

Decreasing the use of high-cost tests may reduce health care costs. To compare costs of care for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected kidney stones randomized to 1 of 3 initial imaging tests. Patients were randomized to point-of-care ultrasound (POC US, least costly), radiology ultrasound (RAD US), or computed tomography (CT, most costly). Subsequent testing and treatment were the choice of the treating physician. A total of 2759 patients at 15 EDs were randomized to POC US (n=908), RAD US, (n=893), or CT (n=958). Mean age was 40.4 years; 51.8% were male. All medical care documented in the trial database in the 7 days following enrollment was abstracted and coded to estimate costs using national average 2012 Medicare reimbursements. Costs for initial ED care and total 7-day costs were compared using nonparametric bootstrap to account for clustering of patients within medical centers. Initial ED visit costs were modestly lower for patients assigned to RAD US: $423 ($411, $434) compared with patients assigned to CT: $448 ($438, $459) (Pcosts were not significantly different between groups: $1014 ($912, $1129) for POC US, $970 ($878, $1078) for RAD US, and $959 ($870, $1044) for CT. Hospital admissions contributed over 50% of total costs, though only 11% of patients were admitted. Mean total costs (and admission rates) varied substantially by site from $749 to $1239. Assignment to a less costly test had no impact on overall health care costs for ED patients. System-level interventions addressing variation in admission rates from the ED might have greater impact on costs.

No Cost – Low Cost Compressed Air System Optimization in Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Dharma, A.; Budiarsa, N.; Watiniasih, N.; Antara, N. G.

2018-04-01

Energy conservation is a systematic, integrated of effort, in order to preserve energy sources and improve energy utilization efficiency. Utilization of energy in efficient manner without reducing the energy usage it must. Energy conservation efforts are applied at all stages of utilization, from utilization of energy resources to final, using efficient technology, and cultivating an energy-efficient lifestyle. The most common way is to promote energy efficiency in the industry on end use and overcome barriers to achieve such efficiency by using system energy optimization programs. The facts show that energy saving efforts in the process usually only focus on replacing tools and not an overall system improvement effort. In this research, a framework of sustainable energy reduction work in companies that have or have not implemented energy management system (EnMS) will be conducted a systematic technical approach in evaluating accurately a compressed-air system and potential optimization through observation, measurement and verification environmental conditions and processes, then processing the physical quantities of systems such as air flow, pressure and electrical power energy at any given time measured using comparative analysis methods in this industry, to provide the potential savings of energy saving is greater than the component approach, with no cost to the lowest cost (no cost - low cost). The process of evaluating energy utilization and energy saving opportunities will provide recommendations for increasing efficiency in the industry and reducing CO2 emissions and improving environmental quality.

Cost-effectiveness of SHINE: A Telephone Translation of the Diabetes Prevention Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher S. Hollenbeak

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background The Support, Health Information, Nutrition, and Exercise (SHINE trial recently showed that a telephone adaptation of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP lifestyle intervention was effective in reducing weight among patients with metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study is to determine whether a conference call (CC adaptation was cost effective relative to an individual call (IC adaptation of the DPP lifestyle intervention in the primary care setting. Methods We performed a stochastic cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a clinical trial comparing two telephone adaptations of the DPP lifestyle intervention. The primary outcomes were incremental cost-effectiveness ratios estimated for weight loss, body mass index (BMI, waist circumference, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs. Costs were estimated from the perspective of society and included direct medical costs, indirect costs, and intervention costs. Results After one year, participants receiving the CC intervention accumulated fewer costs ($2,831 vs. $2,933 than the IC group, lost more weight (6.2 kg vs. 5.1 kg, had greater reduction in BMI (2.1 vs. 1.9, and had greater reduction in waist circumference (6.5 cm vs. 5.9 cm. However, participants in the CC group had fewer QALYs than those in the IC group (0.635 vs. 0.646. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for CC vs. IC was $9,250/QALY, with a 48% probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay of $100,000/QALY. Conclusions CC delivery of the DPP was cost effective relative to IC delivery in the first year in terms of cost per clinical measure (weight lost, BMI, and waist circumference but not in terms of cost per QALY, most likely because of the short time horizon.

Cost segregation of assets offers tax benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, D A

2001-04-01

A cost-segregation study is an asset-reclassification strategy that accelerates tax-depreciation deductions. By using this strategy, healthcare facility owners can lower their current income-tax liability and increase current cash flow. Simply put, certain real estate is reclassified from long-lived real property to shorter-lived personal property for depreciation purposes. Depreciation deductions for the personal property then can be greatly accelerated, thereby producing greater present-value tax savings. An analysis of costs can be conducted from either detailed construction records, when such records are available, or by using qualified appraisers, architects, or engineers to perform the allocation analysis.

Long Term Cost Efficiency through Green Management Control Systems

OpenAIRE

Vukania Adda, Nancy; Qin, Xiaochen

2012-01-01

Title: Long term cost efficiency through green management control systems.Authors: Nancy Vukania &Xiaochen QinSupervisor: Åsa Karin-EngstrandBackground: The worldwide financial crisis of 2008 has reconfigured the economic turf leading to a more uncertain and turbulent playing field – a greater challenge for business strategy and the quest for optimization- The oil price hike of 2008 (Furlong 2010)1 caused its rippling effect to affect various cost categories including energy, labor and lo...

A Low-Cost Data Acquisition System for Automobile Dynamics Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

González, Alejandro; Olazagoitia, José Luis; Vinolas, Jordi

2018-01-27

This project addresses the need for the implementation of low-cost acquisition technology in the field of vehicle engineering: the design, development, manufacture, and verification of a low-cost Arduino-based data acquisition platform to be used in <80 Hz data acquisition in vehicle dynamics, using low-cost accelerometers. In addition to this, a comparative study is carried out of professional vibration acquisition technologies and low-cost systems, obtaining optimum results for low- and medium-frequency operations with an error of 2.19% on road tests. It is therefore concluded that these technologies are applicable to the automobile industry, thereby allowing the project costs to be reduced and thus facilitating access to this kind of research that requires limited resources.

a Precise, Low-Cost Rtk Gnss System for Uav Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Stempfhuber, W.; Buchholz, M.

2011-09-01

High accuracy with real-time positioning of moving objects has been considered a standard task of engineering geodesy for 10 to 15 years. An absolute positioning accuracy of 1-3 cm is generally possible worldwide and is further used in many areas of machine guidance (machine control and guidance), and farming (precision farming) as well as for various special applications (e.g. railway trolley, mining, etc.). The cost of the measuring instruments required for the use of geodetic L1/L2 receivers with a local reference station amounts to approximately USD 30,000 to 50,000. Therefore, dual frequency RTK GNSS receivers are not used in the mass market. Affordable GPS/GNSS modules have already reached the mass market in various areas such as mobile phones, car navigation, the leisure industry, etc. Kinematic real-time positioning applications with centimetre or decimetre levels could also evolve into a mass product. In order for this to happen, the costs for such systems must lie between USD 1,000 to 2,000. What exactly low-cost means is determined by the precise specifications of the given individual application. Several university studies in geodesy focus on the approach of high-accuracy positioning by means of single frequency receivers for static applications [e.g. GLABSCH et. al. 2009, SCHWIEGER and GLÄSER 2005, ALKAN 2010, REALINI et. al. 2010, KORTH and HOFMANN 2011]. Although intelligent approaches have been developed that compute a trajectory in the post-processing mode [REALINI et. al., 2010], at present, there are only a very few GNSS Low-Cost Systems that enable real-time processing. This approach to precise position determination by means of the computation of static raw data with single frequency receivers is currently being explored in a research project at the Beuth Hochschule für Technik Berlin - and is being further developed for kinematic applications. The project is embedded in the European Social Fund. It is a follow-up project in the area of

The Cost of Commonality: Assessing Value in Joint Programs

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

though product differentiation. This can manifest as a real or perceived value disparity. Thus, substantial coordination among system stakeholders is... satisfaction . Ultimately, incorporation of the Joint Value Model can contribute to more cost-effective solutions and greater value in joint capability...

Aesthetic appreciation: event-related field and time-frequency analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Munar, Enric; Nadal, Marcos; Castellanos, Nazareth P; Flexas, Albert; Maestú, Fernando; Mirasso, Claudio; Cela-Conde, Camilo J

2011-01-01

Improvements in neuroimaging methods have afforded significant advances in our knowledge of the cognitive and neural foundations of aesthetic appreciation. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to register brain activity while participants decided about the beauty of visual stimuli. The data were analyzed with event-related field (ERF) and Time-Frequency (TF) procedures. ERFs revealed no significant differences between brain activity related with stimuli rated as "beautiful" and "not beautiful." TF analysis showed clear differences between both conditions 400 ms after stimulus onset. Oscillatory power was greater for stimuli rated as "beautiful" than those regarded as "not beautiful" in the four frequency bands (theta, alpha, beta, and gamma). These results are interpreted in the frame of synchronization studies.

Opportunity cost of funding drugs for rare diseases: the cost-effectiveness of eculizumab in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Science.gov (United States)

Coyle, Doug; Cheung, Matthew C; Evans, Gerald A

2014-11-01

Both ethical and economics concerns have been raised with respect to the funding of drugs for rare diseases. This article reports both the cost-effectiveness of eculizumab for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and its associated opportunity costs. Analysis compared eculizumab plus current standard of care v. current standard of care from a publicly funded health care system perspective. A Markov model covered the major consequences of PNH and treatment. Cost-effectiveness was assessed in terms of the incremental cost per life year and per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Opportunity costs were assessed by the health gains foregone and the alternative uses for the additional resources. Eculizumab is associated with greater life years (1.13), QALYs (2.45), and costs (CAN$5.24 million). The incremental cost per life year and per QALY gained is CAN$4.62 million and CAN$2.13 million, respectively. Based on established thresholds, the opportunity cost of funding eculizumab is 102.3 discounted QALYs per patient funded. Sensitivity and subgroup analysis confirmed the robustness of the results. If the acquisition cost of eculizumab was reduced by 98.5%, it could be considered cost-effective. The nature of rare diseases means that data are often sparse for the conduct of economic evaluations. When data were limited, assumptions were made that biased results in favor of eculizumab. This study demonstrates the feasibility of conducting economic evaluations in the context of rare diseases. Eculizumab may provide substantive benefits to patients with PNH in terms of life expectancy and quality of life but at a high incremental cost and a substantial opportunity cost. Decision makers should fully consider the opportunity costs before making positive reimbursement decisions. © The Author(s) 2014.

Low-cost metamaterial-on-paper chemical sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeqi, Aydin; Nejad, Hojatollah Rezaei; Sonkusale, Sameer

2017-07-10

We present a disposable low cost paper-based metamaterial for sensing liquids based on their dielectric properties. The sensor is based on resonance shift due to the change in the effective capacitance of each resonator in the metamaterial array. Key novelty in the design is the implementation of metamaterial on low cost and ubiquitous paper substrate. This metamaterial-on-paper sensor is fabricated in a totally cleanroom-free process using wax printing and screen printing. Wax patterning of paper enables creation of microfluidic channels such that liquid analytes can be delivered to each metamaterial unit cell for sensing. Screen printing is used to implement disc shaped resonator unit cells. We demonstrate sensing of liquids: Oil, methanol, glycerol and water each showing an average resonance frequency shift of 1.12 (9.6%), 4.12 (35.4%), 8.76 (75.3%) and 11.63 GHz (100%) around the center frequency of around 94 GHz respectively. Being label-free, this approach can be expanded to sense other liquids based on their dielectric constants.

Cost of intervention delivery in a lifestyle weight loss trial in type 2 diabetes: results from the Look AHEAD clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushing, J; Wing, R; Wadden, T A; Knowler, W C; Lawlor, M; Evans, M; Killean, T; Montez, M; Espeland, M A; Zhang, P

2017-03-01

The Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) trial was a randomized controlled clinical trial to compare the effects of 10 years of intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) with a control condition of diabetes support and education (DSE) on health outcomes in over 5,000 participants with type 2 diabetes. The ILI had significantly greater weight losses than DSE throughout the trial. The goal of this analysis is to describe the cost of delivering the intervention. The ILI was designed to promote weight loss and increase physical activity. It involved a combination of group plus individual intervention sessions, with decreasing frequency of contact over the 10 years. The intervention incorporated a variety of strategies, including meal replacement products, to improve weight loss outcomes. The costs of intervention delivery were derived from staff surveys of effort and from records of intervention materials from the 16 US academic clinical trial sites. Costs were calculated from the payer perspective and presented in 2012 dollars. During the first year, when intervention delivery was most intensive, the annual cost of intervention delivery, averaged (standard deviation) across clinical sites, was $2,864.6 ($513.3) per ILI participant compared with $202.4 ($76.6) per DSE participant. As intervention intensity declined, costs decreased, such that from years 5 to 9 of the trial, the annual cost of intervention was $1,119.8 ($227.7) per ILI participant and $102.9 ($33.0) per DSE participant. Staffing accounted for the majority of costs throughout the trial, with meal replacements and materials to promote adherence accounting for smaller shares. The sustained weight losses produced by the Look AHEAD intervention were supported by intervention costs that were within the range of other weight loss programmes. Future work will include an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the ILI and will contain additional follow-up data.

Medical therapy cost considerations for glaucoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiscella, Richard G; Green, Amy; Patuszynski, Daniel H; Wilensky, Jacob

2003-07-01

To determine the calculated daily patient cost (cost minimization) of medical glaucoma therapy and review cost trends. Experimental, controlled, prospective study. The actual volume of various glaucoma medications or glaucoma medications with redesigned bottles was determined for most commercially available sizes of the tested products. The drops per milliliter based on the actual volume and the daily costs of the dosage schedules recommended by the manufacturers were compared. The cost of each bottle of medication was determined from the average wholesale price (AWP) in the United States. A comparison to 1999 prices where applicable will be analyzed to review costing trends. The generic timolol products (range, US dollars 0.38-US dollars 0.46 per day) were similar on a cost per day basis vs Betimol (Santen, Napa Valley, California, USA), Optipranolol (Bausch and Lomb Pharmaceuticals, Tampa, Florida, USA) and Timoptic (Merck, West Point, Pennsylvania, USA). Their percentage cost increase ranged from 5% to 22% since 1999, except for generic timolol XE gel-forming solution (48%). Betagan (Allergan, Irvine, California, USA), Betoptic S (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas, USA), and Ocupress (Novartis, Duluth, Georgia, USA) ranged from US dollars 0.88 to US dollars 1.11 per day, and their percentage cost increase ranged from 33% to 53%. Some brand-only products have raised their AWPs a greater percentage, including Betoptic S (37%), Iopidine (Alcon, Fort Worth, Texas, USA) (50%), Ocupress (Novartis Ophthalmics, Duluth, Georgia, USA) (53%), and Pilopine gel (Alcon, Fort Worth, Texas, USA) (32%). The mean cost per day for the topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors Azopt (Alcon Laboratories; US dollars 1.33 per day) and Trusopt (Merck; US dollars 1.05 per day) differed from 1999 when prices were almost identical. Cosopt (Merck; timolol 0.5% plus dorzolamide 2%, US dollars 1.04 per day) was less than the cost of separate bottles of a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor

A low-power digital frequency divider for system-on-a-chip applications

KAUST Repository

Omran, Hesham

2011-08-01

In this paper, an idea for a new frequency divider architecture is proposed. The divider is based on a coarse-fine architecture. The coarse block operates at a low frequency to save power consumption and it selectively enables the fine block which operates at the high input frequency. The proposed divider has the advantages of synchronous divider, but with lower power consumption and higher operation speed. The design can achieve a wide division range with a minor effect on power consumption and speed. The architecture was implemented on a complex programmable logic device (CPLD) to verify its operation. Experimental measurements validate system operation with power reduction greater than 40%. © 2011 IEEE.

Preliminary fee methodology for recovering GTCC-LLW management costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, L.L.

1990-06-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is currently planning a fee to recover costs of managing Greater-Than-Class-C Low-Level Waste (GTCC-LLW). A cash flow basis will be used for fee calculations to ensure recovery of all applicable program costs. Positive cash flows are revenues received from waste generators. Negative cash flows are program expenses for storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of the wastes and for program development, evaluation, and administration. Program balances are the net result of positive and negative cash flows each year. The methodology calculates fees that will recovery all program expenses taking into account cost inflation. 3 refs., 1 tab

Direct medical cost of stroke in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Charmaine Shuyu; Toh, Matthias Paul Han Sim; Ng, Jiaying; Ko, Yu

2015-10-01

Globally, stroke is recognized as one of the main causes of long-term disability, accounting for approximately 5·7 million deaths each year. It is a debilitating and costly chronic condition that consumes about 2-4% of total healthcare expenditure. To estimate the direct medical cost associated with stroke in Singapore in 2012 and to determine associated predictors. The National Healthcare Group Chronic Disease Management System database was used to identify patients with stroke between the years 2006 and 2012. Estimated stroke-related costs included hospitalizations, accident and emergency room visits, outpatient physician visits, laboratory tests, and medications. A total of 700 patients were randomly selected for the analyses. The mean annual direct medical cost was found to be S$12 473·7, of which 93·6% were accounted for by inpatient services, 4·9% by outpatient services, and 1·5% by A&E services. Independent determinants of greater total costs were stroke types, such as ischemic stroke (P = 0·005), subarachnoid hemorrhage (P costs. Efforts to reduce inpatient costs and to allocate health resources to focus on the primary prevention of stroke should become a priority. © 2015 World Stroke Organization.

Deregulation and Nuclear Training: Cost Effective Alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richard P. Coe; Patricia A. Lake

2000-01-01

Training is crucial to the success of any organization. It is also expensive, with some estimates exceeding $50 billion annually spent on training by U.S. corporations. Nuclear training, like that of many other highly technical organizations, is both crucial and costly. It is unlikely that the amount of training can be significantly reduced. If anything, current trends indicate that training needs will probably increase as the industry and workforce ages and changes. With the advent of energy deregulation in the United States, greater pressures will surface to make the costs of energy more cost-competitive. This in turn will drive businesses to more closely examine existing costs and find ways to do things in a more cost-effective way. The commercial nuclear industry will be no exception, and nuclear training will be equally affected. It is time for nuclear training and indeed the entire nuclear industry to begin using more aggressive techniques to reduce costs. This includes the need for nuclear training to find alternatives to traditional methods for the delivery of cost-effective high-quality training that meets regulatory requirements and produces well-qualified personnel capable of working in an efficient and safe manner. Computer-based and/or Web-based training are leading emerging technologies

Factors influencing the adolescent pregnancy rate in the Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo Province – South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lenny Mushwana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A quantitative, descriptive and explorative survey was conducted to determine factors that influence adolescent pregnancy rate among teenage girls (n = 147 attending four high schools in the Greater Giyani Municipality in South Africa. Data was collected using a validated questionnaire which had a reliability of 0.65. Response frequency distributions, two-way frequency tables, Chi-square tests and Cochran–Armitage Trend Tests were used to determine the effect with the demographic characteristics of participants. Participants reported that health services were not conveniently available for them. Their relationship with nurses was poor (p < 0.05 as reported by 73% of participants with regard to maintenance of confidentiality. Participants reported key psychosocial variables such as inadequate sexual knowledge (61%, changing attitudes towards sex (58.9% and peer pressure (56.3% as contributory to high pregnancy rate. Recommendations were made to improve school health services, reproductive education in school curricula focussing on reproductive health, sexuality and guidance for future research.

The Role of Medicare's Inpatient Cost-Sharing in Medicaid Entry.

Science.gov (United States)

Keohane, Laura M; Trivedi, Amal N; Mor, Vincent

2018-04-01

To isolate the effect of greater inpatient cost-sharing on Medicaid entry among Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare administrative data (years 2007-2010) were linked to nursing home assessments and area-level socioeconomic indicators. Medicare beneficiaries who are readmitted to a hospital must pay an additional deductible ($1,100 in 2010) if their readmission occurs more than 59 days following discharge. In a regression discontinuity analysis, we take advantage of this Medicare benefit feature to test whether beneficiaries with greater cost-sharing have higher rates of Medicaid enrollment. We identified 221,248 Medicare beneficiaries with an initial hospital stay and a readmission 53-59 days later (no deductible) or 60-66 days later (charged a deductible). Among beneficiaries in low-socioeconomic areas with two hospitalizations, those readmitted 60-66 days after discharge were 21 percent more likely to join Medicaid compared with those readmitted 53-59 days following their initial hospitalization (absolute difference in adjusted risk of Medicaid entry: 3.7 percent vs. 3.1 percent, p = .01). Increasing Medicare cost-sharing requirements may promote Medicaid enrollment among low-income beneficiaries. Potential savings from an increased cost-sharing in the Medicare program may be offset by increased Medicaid participation. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Frequency domain finite-element and spectral-element acoustic wave modeling using absorbing boundaries and perfectly matched layer

Science.gov (United States)

Rahimi Dalkhani, Amin; Javaherian, Abdolrahim; Mahdavi Basir, Hadi

2018-04-01

Wave propagation modeling as a vital tool in seismology can be done via several different numerical methods among them are finite-difference, finite-element, and spectral-element methods (FDM, FEM and SEM). Some advanced applications in seismic exploration benefit the frequency domain modeling. Regarding flexibility in complex geological models and dealing with the free surface boundary condition, we studied the frequency domain acoustic wave equation using FEM and SEM. The results demonstrated that the frequency domain FEM and SEM have a good accuracy and numerical efficiency with the second order interpolation polynomials. Furthermore, we developed the second order Clayton and Engquist absorbing boundary condition (CE-ABC2) and compared it with the perfectly matched layer (PML) for the frequency domain FEM and SEM. In spite of PML method, CE-ABC2 does not add any additional computational cost to the modeling except assembling boundary matrices. As a result, considering CE-ABC2 is more efficient than PML for the frequency domain acoustic wave propagation modeling especially when computational cost is high and high-level absorbing performance is unnecessary.

Greater autonomy at work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Houtman, I.L.D.

2004-01-01

In the past 10 years, workers in the Netherlands increasingly report more decision-making power in their work. This is important for an economy in recession and where workers face greater work demands. It makes work more interesting, creates a healthier work environment, and provides opportunities

The Cost of Joint Replacement: Comparing Two Approaches to Evaluating Costs of Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Palsis, John A; Brehmer, Thomas S; Pellegrini, Vincent D; Drew, Jacob M; Sachs, Barton L

2018-02-21

In an era of mandatory bundled payments for total joint replacement, accurate analysis of the cost of procedures is essential for orthopaedic surgeons and their institutions to maintain viable practices. The purpose of this study was to compare traditional accounting and time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) methods for estimating the total costs of total hip and knee arthroplasty care cycles. We calculated the overall costs of elective primary total hip and total knee replacement care cycles at our academic medical center using traditional and TDABC accounting methods. We compared the methods with respect to the overall costs of hip and knee replacement and the costs for each major cost category. The traditional accounting method resulted in higher cost estimates. The total cost per hip replacement was $22,076 (2014 USD) using traditional accounting and was $12,957 using TDABC. The total cost per knee replacement was $29,488 using traditional accounting and was $16,981 using TDABC. With respect to cost categories, estimates using traditional accounting were greater for hip and knee replacement, respectively, by $3,432 and $5,486 for personnel, by $3,398 and $3,664 for space and equipment, and by $2,289 and $3,357 for indirect costs. Implants and consumables were derived from the actual hospital purchase price; accordingly, both methods produced equivalent results. Substantial cost differences exist between accounting methods. The focus of TDABC only on resources used directly by the patient contrasts with the allocation of all operating costs, including all indirect costs and unused capacity, with traditional accounting. We expect that the true costs of hip and knee replacement care cycles are likely somewhere between estimates derived from traditional accounting methods and TDABC. TDABC offers patient-level granular cost information that better serves in the redesign of care pathways and may lead to more strategic resource-allocation decisions to optimize

Analysis of energy efficiency and energy consumption costs: a case study for regional wastewater treatment plant in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nor Azuana Ramli

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to analyze the possibilities of increasing energy efficiency in the central region wastewater treatment plant by focusing on two aspects: biogas production and prediction of energy production. The analysis is based on one of the biggest central region wastewater treatment plants in Malaysia. After studying the energy efficiency, which consists of optimization of energy consumption and enhancing gas generation, the prediction of power consumption is performed using an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA model. The prediction results are compared with the linear regression method. Comparison shows that even though the total cost of savings is greater by using linear regression, the prediction through ARIMA is more accurate and has smaller root mean square error. The implementation of these two aspects managed to increase energy efficiency by 10% of energy recovery that could further reduce electricity cost and reduction of sludge cake disposal off site. The study recommends other aspects, such as modification in setting up the frequency of variable speed drive for aerators and blowers and optimizing number of feeds into train unit processes within aeration tanks in increasing energy efficiency.

Cost of asthma in the Asia-Pacific region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. K. W. Lai

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The substantial morbidity caused by asthma suggests that the disease is associated with a large economic burden. The current study analysed the burden of asthma in eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Responses to questions regarding resource use from a survey of people with asthma were analysed. Unit costs were obtained for each resource use element. Individual patient costs were estimated and means calculated for each country. A multivariate model was developed to identify potential predictors of resource use. Annual per-patient direct costs ranged from US$108 for Malaysia to US$1,010 for Hong Kong. When productivity costs were included, total per-patient societal costs ranged from US$184 in Vietnam to US$1,189 in Hong Kong. Urgent care costs were responsible for 18–90% of total per-patient direct costs. Overall, total per-patient direct costs were equivalent to 13% of per capita gross domestic product and 300% of per capita healthcare spending. Extremes of age, greater severity of asthma, and poorer general health status were predictive of high cost. The per-patient cost of asthma in these countries is high, particularly when seen in the context of overall per-patient healthcare spending. Strategies to improve asthma control are likely to not only improve patient outcomes, but also to decrease societal costs.

Fuzzy Activity Based Life Cycle Costing For Repairable Equipment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mulubrhan Freselam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Life-cycle cost (LCC is the much known method used for decision making that considers all costs in the life of a system or equipment. Predicting LCCs is fraught with potential errors, owing to the uncertainty in future events, future costs, interest rates, and even hidden costs. These uncertainties have a direct impact on the decision making. Activity based LCC is used to identify the activities and cost drivers in acquisition, operation and maintenance phase. This activity based LCC is integrated with fuzzy set theory and interval mathematics to model these uncertainties. Day–Stout–Warren (DSW algorithm and the vertex method are then used to evaluate competing alternatives. A case of two pumps (Pump A and Pump B are taken and their LCC is analysed using the developed model. The equivalent annual cost of Pump B is greater than Pump A, which leads the decision maker to choose Pump A over Pump B.

Radiation-induced mutation frequency in marked chromosome of Macaca mulatta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzhemilev, Z.A.; Machavariani, M.G.

1976-01-01

The symmetric and asymmetric exchange frequencies of marked (nucleolus forming) chromosomes were studied in the lymphocytes and epithelial kidney cells irradiated by X-rays at G 0 , both in vivo and in vitro. Symmetric and asymmetric exchange frequencies were found to be equal. In both the types of Macaca mulatta cells, the exchange frequency in the long arm appeared to be higher than theoretically expected. The increased exchange in the long arm is thought to be due to a greater quantity of late replicating heterochromatin in it. The short arm of marked chromosome of epithelial kidney cells enters the exchange in accordance to its length in mitosis, but exchange number in the short arm chromosome in lymphocytes is lower than in epithelial cells. This difference is caused likely by different functioning of the nucleolus forming heterochromatin. (author)

Cost-effectiveness of silicone and alginate impressions for complete dentures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulme, C; Yu, G; Browne, C; O'Dwyer, J; Craddock, H; Brown, S; Gray, J; Pavitt, S; Fernandez, C; Godfrey, M; Dukanovic, G; Brunton, P; Hyde, T P

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess the cost effectiveness of silicone and alginate impressions for complete dentures. Cost effectiveness analyses were undertaken alongside a UK single centre, double blind, controlled, crossover clinical trial. Taking the perspective of the healthcare sector, effectiveness is measured using the EuroQol (EQ-5D-3L) which provides a single index value for health status that may be combined with time to produce quality adjusted life years (QALYs); and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-EDENT). Incremental cost effectiveness ratios are presented representing the additional cost per one unit gained. Mean cost was higher in the silicone impression group (£388.57 vs. £363.18). Negligible between-group differences were observed in QALY gains; the silicone group had greater mean OHIP-EDENT gains. The additional cost using silicone was £3.41 per change of one point in the OHIP-EDENT. The silicone group was more costly, driven by the cost of materials. Changes in the EQ-5D and QALY gains over time and between arms were not statistically significant. Change in OHIP-EDENT score showed greater improvement in the silicone group and the difference between arms was statistically significant. Given negligible QALY gains and low level of resource use, results must be treated with caution. It is difficult to make robust claims about the comparative cost-effectiveness. Silicone impressions for complete dentures improve patients' quality of life (OHIP-EDENT score). The extra cost of silicone impressions is £30 per patient. Dentists, patients and health care funders need to consider the clinical and financial value of silicone impressions. Different patients, different dentists, different health funders will have individual perceptions and judgements. ISRCTN01528038. NIHR-RfPB grant PB-PG-0408-16300. This article forms part of a project for which the author (TPH) won the Senior Clinical Unilever Hatton Award of the International Assocation for Dental

Costs of medical care after open or minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery: A population-based analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Lowrance, William T.; Eastham, James A.; Yee, David S.; Laudone, Vincent P.; Denton, Brian; Scardino, Peter T.; Elkin, Elena B.

2012-01-01

Background Evidence suggests that minimally-invasive radical prostatectomy (MRP) and open radical prostatectomy (ORP) have similar short-term clinical and functional outcomes. MRP with robotic assistance is generally more expensive than ORP, but it is not clear whether subsequent costs of care vary by approach. Methods In the linked SEER-Medicare database we identified men age 66 or older who received MRP or ORP in 2003-2006 for prostate cancer. Total cost of care was estimated as the sum of Medicare payments from all claims for hospital care, outpatient care, physician services, home health and hospice care, and durable medical equipment in the first year from date of surgical admission. We estimated the impact of surgical approach on costs controlling for patient and disease characteristics. Results Of 5,445 surgically-treated prostate cancer patients, 4,454 (82%) had ORP and 991 (18%) had MRP. Mean total first-year costs were more than $1,200 greater for MRP compared with ORP ($16,919 vs. $15692, p=0.08). Controlling for patient and disease characteristics, MRP was associated with 2% greater mean total payments, but this difference was not statistically significant. First-year costs were greater for men who were older, black, lived in the Northeast, had lymph node involvement, more advanced tumor stage or greater comorbidity. Conclusions In this population-based cohort of older men, MRP and ORP had similar economic outcomes. From a payer’s perspective, any benefits associated with MRP may not translate to net savings compared with ORP in the first year after surgery. PMID:22025192

The Effect of Lexical Frequency on Spoken Word Recognition in Young and Older Listeners

Science.gov (United States)

Revill, Kathleen Pirog; Spieler, Daniel H.

2011-01-01

When identifying spoken words, older listeners may have difficulty resolving lexical competition or may place a greater weight on factors like lexical frequency. To obtain information about age differences in the time course of spoken word recognition, young and older adults’ eye movements were monitored as they followed spoken instructions to click on objects displayed on a computer screen. Older listeners were more likely than younger listeners to fixate high-frequency displayed phonological competitors. However, degradation of auditory quality in younger listeners does not reproduce this result. These data are most consistent with an increased role for lexical frequency with age. PMID:21707175

On the Costs of Not Loving Thy Neighbour as Thyself

OpenAIRE

Murshed, S.M.; Mamoon, D.

2007-01-01

The authors examine whether greater inter-state trade, democracy and reduced military spending lower belligerence between India and Pakistan. They begin with theoretical models covering the opportunity costs of conflict in terms of trade losses and security spending, as well as the costs of making concessions to rivals. Conflict between the two nations can be best understood in a multivariate framework where variables such as economic performance, integration with rest of the world, bilateral...

Preventable Complications Driving Rising Costs in Management of Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Dua, Anahita; Desai, Sapan S; Patel, Bhavin; Seabrook, Gary R; Brown, Kellie R; Lewis, Brian; Rossi, Peter J; Malinowski, Michael; Lee, Cheong J

2016-05-01

This study aimed to identify factors that drive increasing health-care costs associated with the management of critical limb ischemia in elective inpatients. Patients with a primary diagnosis code of critical limb ischemia (CLI) were identified from the 2001-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Demographics, CLI management, comorbidities, complications (bleeding, surgical site infection [SSI]), length of stay, and median in-hospital costs were reviewed. Statistical analysis was completed using Students' t-test and Mann-Kendall trend analysis. Costs are reported in 2011 US dollars corrected using the consumer price index. From 2001 to 2011, there were a total of 451,823 patients who underwent open elective revascularization as inpatients for CLI. Costs to treat CLI increased by 63% ($12,560 in 2001 to $20,517 in 2011, P cost of care. From 2001 to 2011, the number of patient comorbidities (7.56-12.40) and percentage of endovascular cases (13.4% to 27.4%) increased, accounting for a 6% annual increase in total cost despite decreased median length of stay (6 to 5 days). Patients who developed SSI had total costs 83% greater than patients without SSIs ($30,949 vs. $16,939; P costs 41% greater than nonbleeding patients ($23,779 vs. $16,821, P cost of CLI treatment is increasing and driven by rising endovascular use, SSI, and bleeding in the in-patient population. Further efforts to reduce complications in this patient population may contribute to a reduction in health care-associated costs of treating CLI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

UNUSUAL TRENDS IN SOLAR P-MODE FREQUENCIES DURING THE CURRENT EXTENDED MINIMUM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripathy, S. C.; Jain, K.; Hill, F.; Leibacher, J. W.

2010-01-01

We investigate the behavior of the intermediate-degree mode frequencies of the Sun during the current extended minimum phase to explore the time-varying conditions in the solar interior. Using contemporaneous helioseismic data from the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), we find that the changes in resonant mode frequencies during the activity minimum period are significantly greater than the changes in solar activity as measured by different proxies. We detect a seismic minimum in MDI p-mode frequency shifts during 2008 July-August but no such signature is seen in mean shifts computed from GONG frequencies. We also analyze the frequencies of individual oscillation modes from GONG data as a function of latitude and observe a signature of the onset of the solar cycle 24 in early 2009. Thus, the intermediate-degree modes do not confirm the onset of the cycle 24 during late 2007 as reported from the analysis of the low-degree Global Oscillations at Low Frequency frequencies. Further, both the GONG and MDI frequencies show a surprising anti-correlation between frequencies and activity proxies during the current minimum, in contrast to the behavior during the minimum between cycles 22 and 23.

A Compact Frequency Reconfigurable Antenna for LTE Mobile Handset Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Munyong Choi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A compact (8 × 62 × 5 mm3; 2.48 cc frequency reconfigurable antenna that uses electrical switching with PIN diodes is proposed for the low frequency LTE band (699 MHz–862 MHz, high frequency LTE band (2496 MHz–2690 MHz, GSM850/900 bands (824 MHz–960 MHz, and DCS/PCS/WCDMA bands (1710 MHz–2170 MHz. The penta-band PIFA is first designed for GSM850/900/DCS/PCS/WCDMA bands by using two slits and ground pins within a limited antenna volume (8 × 54.6 × 5 mm3; 2.18 cc. The frequency reconfigurable antenna based on this penta-band PIFA is thus proposed to additionally cover all LTE bands. The proposed antenna has two PIN diodes with an optimal location. For State 1 (PIN diode 1: ON state, PIN diode 2: OFF state, the proposed antenna covers the low frequency LTE band, DCS/PCS/WCDMA bands, and high frequency LTE band. For State 2 (PIN diode 1: OFF state, PIN diode 2: ON state, the antenna covers the GSM850/900 bands. Simulated and measured results show that the total efficiency of the proposed antenna was greater than 40% for all operating frequency bands.

Capital costs of light water reactors: the USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKerron, G.

1979-10-01

The cost of building a modern nuclear power plant is greater than that of almost any other single civilian project - costs of individual plants are reckoned in hundreds of millions of pounds in the UK, and up to a billion dollars or more in the USA. Hence, depending on the size of nuclear programmes and their funding, escalation of nuclear capital costs may have important economic and social consequences through its effects on overall resource allocation. It is therefore important to analyse the extent and, as far as possible, the sources of cost increases and escalation, in order to see if the experience yields implications for technology policy. The USA has much the greatest experience in nuclear construction: it also has by far the largest amount of published information on the subject of capital costs. As all other countries lack either sufficient experience and/or adequate published cost information, it is impossible to conduct a genuine international comparison, and this paper is confined to an examination of US experience. This paper therefore assembles and evaluates currently available data on light water reactor (PWR and BWR) capital costs in the USA. (author)

Cost-effectiveness of private umbilical cord blood banking.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaimal, Anjali J; Smith, Catherine C; Laros, Russell K; Caughey, Aaron B; Cheng, Yvonne W

2009-10-01

To investigate the cost-effectiveness of private umbilical cord blood banking. A decision-analytic model was designed comparing private umbilical cord blood banking with no umbilical cord blood banking. Baseline assumptions included a cost of $3,620 for umbilical cord blood banking and storage for 20 years, a 0.04% chance of requiring an autologous stem cell transplant, a 0.07% chance of a sibling requiring an allogenic stem cell transplant, and a 50% reduction in risk of graft-versus-host disease if a sibling uses banked umbilical cord blood. Private cord blood banking is not cost-effective because it cost an additional $1,374,246 per life-year gained. In sensitivity analysis, if the cost of umbilical cord blood banking is less than $262 or the likelihood of a child needing a stem cell transplant is greater than 1 in 110, private umbilical cord blood banking becomes cost-effective. Currently, private umbilical cord blood banking is cost-effective only for children with a very high likelihood of needing a stem cell transplant. Patients considering private blood banking should be informed of the remote likelihood that a unit will be used for a child or another family member. III.

Cost-benefit evaluation of systematic radiological diagnosis of congenital dislocated hip

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faure, C.; Schmit, P.; Salvat, D.

1984-01-01

The interest of radiological mass screening of congential dislocated hip is still debated. We have tried to evaluate the cost-benefit ratio of radiological detection at the age of 3-4 months, taking into account the socio-economic cost and radiation risk. Assuming a frequency of this disorder of 1% the average cost of treatment of one case detected by X-ray screening at the age of 3-4 months, including the price of X-ray examinations of 99 normal babies is 23.374 FF. The average cost of treatment of a case detected at walking-age, i.e. after 9 months, is 84.230 FF. The cost-benefit ratio is 3.6. In countries where the frequency reaches 2% the cost benefit ratio is 4.57. It also appears from our study that the irradiation of the patient is much smaller when the diagnosis is made earlier. Comparing the slight irradiation delivered to normal infants by this mass screening to the heavy irradiation received by a few individuals whose treatment is started after 9 months, the calculated risk of leukemia or of genetic disorder for the whole population still favours a systematic X-ray film of the pelvis at age 3-4 months. However, if it were decided to make obligatory this mass radiological detection programme during the fourth month of life, this would necessitate a serious effort to train all radiologists to obtain adequate films with the best radiation protection. (orig.)

Hysteresis controller with constant switching frequency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Søren; Andersen, Michael Andreas E.

2005-01-01

Switch mode audio power amplifiers are showing up on market in still greater numbers because of advantages in form of high efficiency and low total system cost, especially for high power amplifiers. Several different modulator topologies have been made, ranging from standard PWM to various self......-oscillating and digital modulators. Performance in terms of low distortion, noise and dynamic range differs significantly with the modulator topology used. Highest system performance is generally achieved with analog modulators made as a modulator loop including at least the power stage of the amplifier, because...

The economic cost of stroke-associated pneumonia in a UK setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, A N; Howe, J; Majid, A; Redgrave, J; Pownall, S; Abdelhafiz, A H

2018-04-01

Introduction Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is common, however, data on the economic impact of SAP are scarce. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the impact of SAP on acute stroke care costs in a UK setting. Methods Prospective cohort study of 213 consecutive patients with stroke (196 ischemic, 17 hemorrhagic) was admitted to a UK hospital over 1 year. Socio demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded along with all treatments and rehabilitation activity. Patients were classified as having SAP if they fulfilled criteria for "probable" or "definite" respiratory tract infection according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention definition, within the first seven days following stroke. Resource use was calculated using a "bottom up" approach of cumulative unit costs. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to establish independent predictors of direct costs. Results Probable or definite SAP occurred in 13.2% (28/213) of patients. Patients with SAP experienced greater inpatient stays (31 days vs. 9 days, p ≤ 0.001) and higher in-hospital mortality (29.2% vs. 10.2%, p = 0.007). Mean (SD) acute care costs per patient was £7035 (6767), but costs were significantly greater for patients with SAP than without [£14,371 (9484) versus £6,103 (5,735); p ≤ 0.001]. SAP was an independent predictor of costs along with increasing stroke severity (NIHSS) and age. Occurrence of SAP resulted in an adjusted incremental additional cost of £5817 (95% CI 4945-6689; p = 0.001) per patient. Conclusions SAP increased acute care costs for stroke by approximately 80%. This provides further impetus for research aimed at reducing SAP, and will inform cost-effectiveness analyses of potential therapeutic strategies.

Ultrasound-guided biopsy of greater omentum: An effective method to trace the origin of unclear ascites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Que Yanhong [Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001 (China)], E-mail: quebaobao@yahoo.com.cn; Wang Xuemei [Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001 (China)], E-mail: wxmlmt@yahoo.com.cn; Liu Yanjun [Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001 (China)], E-mail: lyj7512@sina.com; Li Ping [Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001 (China)], E-mail: liping7213@sina.com; Ou Guocheng [Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001 (China)], E-mail: yang9951@126.com; Zhao Wenjing [Department of Ultrasound, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001 (China)], E-mail: awk999@163.com

2009-05-15

Objectives: Thickened greater omentum is encountered with high frequency in patients with ascites. The purpose of our study was to assess the utility of greater omentum biopsy under the guidance of ultrasound (US) in tracing the origin of unclear ascites and differentiating benign and malignant ascites. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database for all records of greater omentum biopsy cases. One hundred and ninety-four patients with unclear ascites and thickened greater omentum were included in the study. The sonograms of greater omentum were evaluated before undergoing the ultrasound-guided biopsy and a biopsy was considered successful if a specific benign or malignant diagnosis was rendered by the pathologist. Results: Successful biopsy was rendered for 182 biopsy procedures (93.8%, 182/194) including tuberculosis (n = 114), chronic inflammation (n = 3), metastases (n = 58), malignant mesothelioma (n = 6) and pseudomyxoma peritonei (n = 1). Twelve biopsies were non-diagnostic. According to the results of biopsy and follow-up, the sensitivity and specificity of biopsy in distinguishing malignant ascites from benign ascities were respectively 95.6% (65/68) and 92.9% (117/126). The greater omentum of 84 cases of tuberculous peritonitis showed 'cerebral fissure' sign and was well seen as an omental cake infiltrated with irregular nodules when involved by carcinomatosis. No 'cerebral fissure' sign was observed in peritoneal carcinomatosis. The sensitivity and specificity of this sign in indicating the existence of tuberculous peritonitis were 73.5% (89/121) and 100% (73/73). Moreover, if the specific 'cerebral fissure' sign was combined with the biopsy results, the specificity of biopsy in distinguishing malignant ascites from benign ascits increased to 96.8% (122/126). Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided biopsy of greater omentum is an important and effective method to diagnose the unclear ascites for

Time-variant random interval natural frequency analysis of structures

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Binhua; Wu, Di; Gao, Wei; Song, Chongmin

2018-02-01

This paper presents a new robust method namely, unified interval Chebyshev-based random perturbation method, to tackle hybrid random interval structural natural frequency problem. In the proposed approach, random perturbation method is implemented to furnish the statistical features (i.e., mean and standard deviation) and Chebyshev surrogate model strategy is incorporated to formulate the statistical information of natural frequency with regards to the interval inputs. The comprehensive analysis framework combines the superiority of both methods in a way that computational cost is dramatically reduced. This presented method is thus capable of investigating the day-to-day based time-variant natural frequency of structures accurately and efficiently under concrete intrinsic creep effect with probabilistic and interval uncertain variables. The extreme bounds of the mean and standard deviation of natural frequency are captured through the embedded optimization strategy within the analysis procedure. Three particularly motivated numerical examples with progressive relationship in perspective of both structure type and uncertainty variables are demonstrated to justify the computational applicability, accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.

Ultrasound breast imaging using frequency domain reverse time migration

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, O.; Zuberi, M. A. H.; Pratt, R. G.; Duric, N.

2016-04-01

Conventional ultrasonography reconstruction techniques, such as B-mode, are based on a simple wave propagation model derived from a high frequency approximation. Therefore, to minimize model mismatch, the central frequency of the input pulse is typically chosen between 3 and 15 megahertz. Despite the increase in theoretical resolution, operating at higher frequencies comes at the cost of lower signal-to-noise ratio. This ultimately degrades the image contrast and overall quality at higher imaging depths. To address this issue, we investigate a reflection imaging technique, known as reverse time migration, which uses a more accurate propagation model for reconstruction. We present preliminary simulation results as well as physical phantom image reconstructions obtained using data acquired with a breast imaging ultrasound tomography prototype. The original reconstructions are filtered to remove low-wavenumber artifacts that arise due to the inclusion of the direct arrivals. We demonstrate the advantage of using an accurate sound speed model in the reverse time migration process. We also explain how the increase in computational complexity can be mitigated using a frequency domain approach and a parallel computing platform.

Cost Estimating Handbook for Environmental Restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Environmental restoration (ER) projects have presented the DOE and cost estimators with a number of properties that are not comparable to the normal estimating climate within DOE. These properties include: An entirely new set of specialized expressions and terminology. A higher than normal exposure to cost and schedule risk, as compared to most other DOE projects, due to changing regulations, public involvement, resource shortages, and scope of work. A higher than normal percentage of indirect costs to the total estimated cost due primarily to record keeping, special training, liability, and indemnification. More than one estimate for a project, particularly in the assessment phase, in order to provide input into the evaluation of alternatives for the cleanup action. While some aspects of existing guidance for cost estimators will be applicable to environmental restoration projects, some components of the present guidelines will have to be modified to reflect the unique elements of these projects. The purpose of this Handbook is to assist cost estimators in the preparation of environmental restoration estimates for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) projects undertaken by DOE. The DOE has, in recent years, seen a significant increase in the number, size, and frequency of environmental restoration projects that must be costed by the various DOE offices. The coming years will show the EM program to be the largest non-weapons program undertaken by DOE. These projects create new and unique estimating requirements since historical cost and estimating precedents are meager at best. It is anticipated that this Handbook will enhance the quality of cost data within DOE in several ways by providing: The basis for accurate, consistent, and traceable baselines. Sound methodologies, guidelines, and estimating formats. Sources of cost data/databases and estimating tools and techniques available at DOE cost professionals

Application of Frequency of Detection Methods in Design and Optimization of the INL Site Ambient Air Monitoring Network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rood, Arthur S. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Sondrup, A. Jeffrey [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-11-01

that air samplers placed around the facilities every 22.5 degrees were very effective in detecting releases, but this arrangement is not practical or cost effective. However, it was shown that a few air samplers placed in the prevailing wind direction around each facility could achieve the performance objective of a frequency of detection greater than or equal to 95% for the shepherd/rancher scenario. The results also indicate some of the current sampler locations have little or no impact on the network frequency of detection and could be removed from the network with no appreciable deterioration of performance. Results show that with some slight modifications to the existing network (i.e., additional samplers added north and south of the Materials and Fuels Complex and ineffective samplers removed), the network would achieve performance objectives for all sources for both the resident and shepherd/rancher scenario.

Frequency-Shift a way to Reduce Aliasing in the Complex Cepstrum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bysted, Tommy Kristensen

1998-01-01

The well-known relation between a time signal and its frequency-shifted spectrum is introduced as an excellent tool for reduction of aliasing in the complex cepstrum. Using N points DFTs the frequency-shift property, when used in the right way, will reduce the aliasing error to a size which...... on average is identical to the one normally requiring 2N points DFTs. The cost is an insignificant increase in the number of operations compared to the total number needed for the transformation to the complex cepstrum domain...

A preliminary benefit-cost study of a Sandia wind farm.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehlen, Mark Andrew; Griffin, Taylor; Loose, Verne W.

2011-03-01

In response to federal mandates and incentives for renewable energy, Sandia National Laboratories conducted a feasibility study of installing an on-site wind farm on Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base property. This report describes this preliminary analysis of the costs and benefits of installing and operating a 15-turbine, 30-MW-capacity wind farm that delivers an estimated 16 percent of 2010 onsite demand. The report first describes market and non-market economic costs and benefits associated with operating a wind farm, and then uses a standard life-cycle costing and benefit-cost framework to estimate the costs and benefits of a wind farm. Based on these 'best-estimates' of costs and benefits and on factor, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, the analysis results suggest that the benefits of a Sandia wind farm are greater than its costs. The analysis techniques used herein are applicable to the economic assessment of most if not all forms of renewable energy.

Effects of spin on the cyclotron frequency for a Dirac electron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salesi, G.; Recami, E.

1998-07-01

The Barut-Zanghi (BZ) theory - that constitutes a natural ''classical limit's'' of the Dirac equation and can be regarded as a satisfactory picture of a classical spinning electron - has been analytically studied, in some of our previous papers, in the case of free particles. By contrast, in this letter we consider the case of external fields, and a previously found equation of the motion is generalized for a non-free spin-1/2 particle. In the important case of a spinning charge in a uniform magnetic field, we find that its angular frequency (around the magnetic field direction) is slightly different from the classical ''cyclotron frequency'' ω class ≡eH/m expected for spinless charges. As a matter of fact, the angular frequency does depend on the spin orientation. As a consequence, the electrons with magnetic moment μ parallel to the magnetic field do rotate with a frequency greater than that of electrons endowed with a μ antiparallel to H. (author)

Costs of mixed low-level waste stabilization options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwinkendorf, W.E.; Cooley, C.R.

1998-01-01

Selection of final waste forms to be used for disposal of DOE's mixed low-level waste (MLLW) depends on the waste form characteristics and total life cycle cost. In this paper the various cost factors associated with production and disposal of the final waste form are discussed and combined to develop life-cycle costs associated with several waste stabilization options. Cost factors used in this paper are based on a series of treatment system studies in which cost and mass balance analyses were performed for several mixed low-level waste treatment systems and various waste stabilization methods including vitrification, grout, phosphate bonded ceramic and polymer. Major cost elements include waste form production, final waste form volume, unit disposal cost, and system availability. Production of grout costs less than the production of a vitrified waste form if each treatment process has equal operating time (availability) each year; however, because of the lower volume of a high temperature slag, certification and handling costs and disposal costs of the final waste form are less. Both the total treatment cost and life cycle costs are higher for a system producing grout than for a system producing high temperature slag, assuming equal system availability. The treatment costs decrease with increasing availability regardless of the waste form produced. If the availability of a system producing grout is sufficiently greater than a system producing slag, then the cost of treatment for the grout system will be less than the cost for the slag system, and the life cycle cost (including disposal) may be less depending on the unit disposal cost. Treatment and disposal costs will determine the return on investment in improved system availability

A Two-Phase Heuristic Algorithm for the Common Frequency Routing Problem with Vehicle Type Choice in the Milk Run

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Lin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available High frequency and small lot size are characteristics of milk runs and are often used to implement the just-in-time (JIT strategy in logistical systems. The common frequency problem, which simultaneously involves planning of the route and frequency, has been extensively researched in milk run systems. In addition, vehicle type choice in the milk run system also has a significant influence on the operating cost. Therefore, in this paper, we simultaneously consider vehicle routing planning, frequency planning, and vehicle type choice in order to optimize the sum of the cost of transportation, inventory, and dispatch. To this end, we develop a mathematical model to describe the common frequency problem with vehicle type choice. Since the problem is NP hard, we develop a two-phase heuristic algorithm to solve the model. More specifically, an initial satisfactory solution is first generated through a greedy heuristic algorithm to maximize the ratio of the superior arc frequency to the inferior arc frequency. Following this, a tabu search (TS with limited search scope is used to improve the initial satisfactory solution. Numerical examples with different sizes establish the efficacy of our model and our proposed algorithm.

A new frequency matching technique for FRF-based model updating

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiuming; Guo, Xinglin; Ouyang, Huajiang; Li, Dongsheng

2017-05-01

Frequency Response Function (FRF) residues have been widely used to update Finite Element models. They are a kind of original measurement information and have the advantages of rich data and no extraction errors, etc. However, like other sensitivity-based methods, an FRF-based identification method also needs to face the ill-conditioning problem which is even more serious since the sensitivity of the FRF in the vicinity of a resonance is much greater than elsewhere. Furthermore, for a given frequency measurement, directly using a theoretical FRF at a frequency may lead to a huge difference between the theoretical FRF and the corresponding experimental FRF which finally results in larger effects of measurement errors and damping. Hence in the solution process, correct selection of the appropriate frequency to get the theoretical FRF in every iteration in the sensitivity-based approach is an effective way to improve the robustness of an FRF-based algorithm. A primary tool for right frequency selection based on the correlation of FRFs is the Frequency Domain Assurance Criterion. This paper presents a new frequency selection method which directly finds the frequency that minimizes the difference of the order of magnitude between the theoretical and experimental FRFs. A simulated truss structure is used to compare the performance of different frequency selection methods. For the sake of reality, it is assumed that not all the degrees of freedom (DoFs) are available for measurement. The minimum number of DoFs required in each approach to correctly update the analytical model is regarded as the right identification standard.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in medical environment: Gaussian Derivative Frequency Modulation (GDFM) as a novel modulation technique with minimal interference properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Rieche, Marie; Komenský, Tomás; Husar, Peter

2011-01-01

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems in healthcare facilitate the possibility of contact-free identification and tracking of patients, medical equipment and medication. Thereby, patient safety will be improved and costs as well as medication errors will be reduced considerably. However, the application of RFID and other wireless communication systems has the potential to cause harmful electromagnetic disturbances on sensitive medical devices. This risk mainly depends on the transmission power and the method of data communication. In this contribution we point out the reasons for such incidents and give proposals to overcome these problems. Therefore a novel modulation and transmission technique called Gaussian Derivative Frequency Modulation (GDFM) is developed. Moreover, we carry out measurements to show the inteference properties of different modulation schemes in comparison to our GDFM.

Offshore windfarm connection with low frequency AC transmission technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qin, Nan; Xu, Zhao; You, Shi

2009-01-01

This paper investigates the feasibility of using the low frequency AC transmission (LFAC) system, e.g. fraction of 50 Hz or 60 Hz, for connecting the large offshore wind farm to the grid by modelling and simulation. The LFAC system improves the transmission capacity and distance compared...... to the conventional AC solution at the nominal frequency, e.g. 50 Hz or 60 Hz. and reduces the investment cost compared to the HVDC solution. It is estimated that the LFAC system is competitive in the transmission distance of about 30-150 km. The simulation model of the wind integration using the LFAC system has been...... developed, which consists of three parts, the fixed-speed wind turbine representing a wind farm, the transmission line and the frequency converter. Although the transmission capability is greatly improved by the LFAC system, simulation shows it gives negative influences on the wind turbine operation due...

Increased fusiform area activation in schizophrenia during processing of spatial frequency-degraded faces, as revealed by fMRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverstein, S M; All, S D; Kasi, R; Berten, S; Essex, B; Lathrop, K L; Little, D M

2010-07-01

People with schizophrenia demonstrate perceptual organization impairments, and these are thought to contribute to their face processing difficulties. We examined the neural substrates of emotionally neutral face processing in schizophrenia by investigating neural activity under three stimulus conditions: faces characterized by the full spectrum of spatial frequencies, faces with low spatial frequency information removed [high spatial frequency (HSF) condition], and faces with high spatial frequency information removed [low spatial frequency (LSF) condition]. Face perception in the HSF condition is more reliant on local feature processing whereas perception in the LSF condition requires greater reliance on global form processing. Past studies of perceptual organization in schizophrenia indicate that patients perform relatively more poorly with degraded stimuli but also that, when global information is absent, patients may perform better than controls because of their relatively increased ability to initially process individual features. Therefore, we hypothesized that people with schizophrenia (n=14) would demonstrate greater face processing difficulties than controls (n=13) in the LSF condition, whereas they would demonstrate a smaller difference or superior performance in the HSF condition. In a gender-discrimination task, behavioral data indicated high levels of accuracy for both groups, with a trend toward an interaction involving higher patient performance in the HSF condition and poorer patient performance in the LSF condition. Patients demonstrated greater activity in the fusiform gyrus compared to controls in both degraded conditions. These data suggest that impairments in basic integration abilities may be compensated for by relatively increased activity in this region.

Frequency Based Fault Detection in Wind Turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Odgaard, Peter Fogh; Stoustrup, Jakob

2014-01-01

In order to obtain lower cost of energy for wind turbines fault detection and accommodation is important. Expensive condition monitoring systems are often used to monitor the condition of rotating and vibrating system parts. One example is the gearbox in a wind turbine. This system is operated...... in parallel to the control system, using different computers and additional often expensive sensors. In this paper a simple filter based algorithm is proposed to detect changes in a resonance frequency in a system, exemplified with faults resulting in changes in the resonance frequency in the wind turbine...... gearbox. Only the generator speed measurement which is available in even simple wind turbine control systems is used as input. Consequently this proposed scheme does not need additional sensors and computers for monitoring the condition of the wind gearbox. The scheme is evaluated on a wide-spread wind...

Flexible Gallium Nitride for High-Performance, Strainable Radio-Frequency Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Glavin, Nicholas R; Chabak, Kelson D; Heller, Eric R; Moore, Elizabeth A; Prusnick, Timothy A; Maruyama, Benji; Walker, Dennis E; Dorsey, Donald L; Paduano, Qing; Snure, Michael

2017-12-01

Flexible gallium nitride (GaN) thin films can enable future strainable and conformal devices for transmission of radio-frequency (RF) signals over large distances for more efficient wireless communication. For the first time, strainable high-frequency RF GaN devices are demonstrated, whose exceptional performance is enabled by epitaxial growth on 2D boron nitride for chemical-free transfer to a soft, flexible substrate. The AlGaN/GaN heterostructures transferred to flexible substrates are uniaxially strained up to 0.85% and reveal near state-of-the-art values for electrical performance, with electron mobility exceeding 2000 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and sheet carrier density above 1.07 × 10 13 cm -2 . The influence of strain on the RF performance of flexible GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) devices is evaluated, demonstrating cutoff frequencies and maximum oscillation frequencies greater than 42 and 74 GHz, respectively, at up to 0.43% strain, representing a significant advancement toward conformal, highly integrated electronic materials for RF applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Source of Variation in Policies around the World: The Case of Protection of Human Health from Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandel, S.

2006-01-01

Scientific evidence supposedly plays a dominant role in environmental and public health regulation. This paper uses the example of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields regulation to test whether this is indeed the case. The paper first shows that there exists a significant variation in health protection policies for Extremely Low Frequencies Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields around the world. Some countries adopt the international scientific-based guidelines while other countries choose to apply additional precautionary regulations of varying severity. Electromagnetic Fields policy makers around the world indicate that the Cost Benefit Analysis is one of the parameters considered for their choice among various policy options. A simple Cost Benefit Analysis framework is presented, utilizing scientific evidence on health risks from Extremely Low Frequencies as well as parameter values used in the Cost Benefit Analysis studies from California, Netherlands, Israel, and the United Kingdom to determine the justification of using several mitigation techniques. This Cost Benefit Analysis using data from the different countries leads to a clear conclusion: under all parameter values considered, only the low cost intervention measures, such as re-phasing and compacting lines, are justified. Re-routing lines, except in cases of very close proximity to residences, and under grounding existing lines cannot be justified due to the high costs involved and the small health benefits that are projected. Since the stringent policies cannot be accomplished with the low-cost measures, this suggests that if the Cost Benefit Analysis were indeed the basis for the policies implemented in different countries, one would expect a smaller variation in the worldwide policies observed today. The divergence between the policies that are implemented and those that can be supported by the Cost Benefit Analysis suggests that the Cost Benefit Analysis is either not used to

An investigation the effects of geometric tolerances on the natural frequencies of rotating shafts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Akbar Ansarifard