Cost Control Research Articles

Beyond Transformative Agreements: Ways Forward for Universities

This article deals with the transition to open access in Sweden, as part of the general transition to open science. Goals set by the Parliament and the government are discussed, as well as the strategies of the national Bibsam consortium, handling national deals with publishers, and of the Swedish Association of Higher Education Institutions. The development from the first stages in this process, where a main goal was to gain cost control, over a period with read-and-publish agreements to a situation where transformative agreements seem to tend to become permanent, is analysed. Finally, a number of possible scenarios for future developments are discussed, arguing for the need for university leadership to take an active part in the work towards a transition; it is not only an issue for individual researchers, or for librarians, but for the research community as a whole where universities are key players.

Optimal Control for an Epidemic Model of COVID-19 with Time-Varying Parameters

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted public health and economies worldwide. In this paper, we investigate an optimal control problem to simultaneously minimize the epidemic size and control costs associated with intervention strategies based on official data. Considering people with undetected infections, we establish a control system of COVID-19 with time-varying parameters. To estimate these parameters, a parameter identification scheme is adopted and a mixed algorithm is constructed. Moreover, we present an optimal control problem with two objectives that involve the newly increased number of infected individuals and the control costs. A numerical scheme is conducted, simulating the epidemic data pertaining to Shanghai during the period of 2022, caused by the Omicron variant. Coefficient combinations of the objectives are obtained, and the optimal control measures for different infection peaks are indicated. The numerical results suggest that the identification variables obtained by using the constructed mixed algorithm to solve the parameter identification problem are feasible. Optimal control measures for different epidemic peaks can serve as references for decision-makers.

Fresh agricultural products cold chain logistics distribution and path optimization

Based on the reference to the existing research results, combined with the enterprise's current distribution path, to minimize the cost as the research objective, to establish the relevant model, and put forward the control of logistics costs, increase the infrastructure investment in cold chain logistics, the optimization of the path of countermeasure proposals, to further improve the efficiency of the enterprise distribution and increase customer satisfaction at the same time reduces the cost of distribution, increase the core competitiveness of the industry.

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of voclosporin for the treatment of lupus nephritis in the United States.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus; up to 30% of patients with LN will develop end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). One of the main treatment goals for LN is preservation of kidney function, with early decreases in proteinuria associated with improved long-term outcomes. Voclosporin, a second-generation calcineurin inhibitor, was approved in the United States in 2021 for the treatment of active LN combined with background immunosuppression. The AURORA 1 study found that the use of voclosporin with low doses of mycophenolate mofetil and glucocorticoids yielded significant reductions in proteinuria. The AURORA 2 study showed long-term efficacy and safety of voclosporin over a 3-year period with kidney function preservation. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is a nonprofit organization that evaluates medical evidence to help improve patient outcomes and control costs. In 2021, ICER published an economic model to estimate the impact and cost-effectiveness of LN therapies. From a US health care perspective, voclosporin was cost-effective at $149,260 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) and $131,528 per equal value of life-years gained (evLYG). At the time of the LN cost-effectiveness model (CEM) development, voclosporin was not yet approved in the United States and the cost of treating patients with LN with ESKD was not captured in the literature. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of voclosporin given the emergence of new data. The LN CEM uses a short-term trial-based Markov model and long-term extrapolation using partitioned survival modeling data assuming adults with LN start with active disease, transitioning to complete or partial renal response, kidney failure, or death. In the current analysis, clinical data for voclosporin, duration of voclosporin treatment for nonresponders, and drug costs reflecting the 2023 price of voclosporin were updated. Additionally, health care payer costs of disease management were incorporated based on real-world claims data on the costs of treating patients with LN. Using the LN CEM with inputs reflecting the latest and most relevant evidence, the incremental cost of voclosporin per QALY was $88,076 and per evLYG was $77,643. For a subpopulation of Black, Hispanic, and Latino patients, the incremental cost of voclosporin per QALY was $77,435 and per evLYG was $67,828. Following the inclusion of updated data in the cost-effectiveness analysis, voclosporin remains a cost-effective therapy for the treatment of active LN including in a Black, Hispanic, and Latino subpopulation, substantially below the ICER willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000/QALY.

A Memory-Disaggregated Radix Tree

Disaggregated memory (DM) is an increasingly prevalent architecture with high resource utilization. It separates computing and memory resources into two pools and interconnects them with fast networks. Existing range indexes on DM are based on B+ trees, which suffer from large inherent read and write amplifications. The read and write amplifications rapidly saturate the network bandwidth, resulting in low request throughput and high access latency of B+ trees on DM. In this paper, we propose that the radix tree is more suitable for DM than the B+ tree due to smaller read and write amplifications. However, constructing a radix tree on DM is challenging due to the costly lock-based concurrency control, the bounded memory-side IOPS, and the complicated computing-side cache validation. To address these challenges, we design SMART , the first radix tree for disaggregated memory with high performance. Specifically, we leverage 1) a hybrid concurrency control scheme including lock-free internal nodes and fine-grained lock-based leaf nodes to reduce lock overhead, 2) a computing-side read-delegation and write-combining technique to break through the IOPS upper bound by reducing redundant I/Os, and 3) a simple yet effective reverse check mechanism for computing-side cache validation. Experimental results show that SMART achieves 6.1 × higher throughput under typical write-intensive workloads and 2.8 × higher throughput under read-only workloads in YCSB benchmarks, compared with state-of-the-art B+ trees on DM.

Current-Prediction-Controlled Quasi-Z-Source Cascaded Multilevel Photovoltaic Inverter

To address problems that traditional two-stage inverters suffer such as high cost, low efficiency, and complex control, this study adopts a quasi-Z-source cascaded multilevel inverter. Firstly, the quasi-Z-source inverter utilizes a unique impedance network to achieve single-stage boost and inversion without requiring a dead zone setting. Additionally, its cascaded multilevel structure enables independent control of each power unit structure without capacitor voltage sharing problems. Secondly, this study proposes a current-predictive control strategy to reduce current harmonics on the grid side. Moreover, the feedback model of current and system state is established, and the fast control of grid-connected current is realized with the deadbeat control weighted by the predicted current deviation. And a grid-side inductance parameter identification is added to improve control accuracy. Also, an improved multi-carrier phase-shifted sinusoidal PWM method is adopted to address the issue of switching frequency doubling, which is caused by the shoot-through zero vector in quasi-Z-source inverters. Finally, the problems of switching frequency doubling and high harmonics on the grid side are solved by the improved deadbeat control strategy with an improved MPSPWM method. And a seven-level simulation model is built in MATLAB (2022b) to verify the correctness and superiority of the above theory.

A Hybrid Artificial Bee Colony and Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithms for Software Cost Estimation

Software cost estimation (SCE), estimating the cost and time required for software development, plays a highly significant role in managing software projects. A somewhat accurate SCE is necessary for a software project to be successful. It allows effective control of construction time and cost. In the past few decades, various models have been presented to evaluate software projects, including mathematical models and machine learning algorithms. In this paper, a new model based on the hybrid of the artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) and the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is presented for SCE. The initial population of AFSA, which includes the values of the effort factors, is generated using the ABC algorithm. ABC algorithm is used to solve the problems of the AFSA algorithm such as population diversity and getting stuck in a local optimum. ABC algorithm achieves the best solutions using observer and scout bees. The evaluation of the combined method has been implemented on eight different data sets and evaluated based on eight different criteria such as mean magnitude of relative error and PRED (0.25). The proposed method is more error-free than current SCE methods, according to the results. The error value of the proposed method is lower on NASA60, NASA63, and NASA93 datasets.

Hierarchically porous Ca3Co4O9 ceramics prepared by freeze casting: Emerging ultra‐low thermal conductivity and apparent anisotropy

AbstractThe freeze‐casting method shows great potential for environmentally friendly and industrial scale‐up application in thermoelectric materials due to low cost, low toxicity, and pore control. The porous Ca3Co4O9 ceramics with anisotropic thermoelectric performance were fabricated by the freeze‐casting method. High porosities, hierarchical pores, and three‐dimensional (3D) networks significantly contributed to the suppressed thermal conductivity. An ultralow total thermal conductivity of 0.21 W/(m·K) was obtained. The optimized freeze‐casting conditions gave rise to a Seebeck coefficient of 232.3 µV/K. In addition, the ZT value of 0.39 was obtained at 800°C due to the manipulation of hierarchically connected pores and small portions of isolated hexagonal pores. This work provides a new route to form the 3D pores network in oxide thermoelectric ceramics, leading to a decrease in thermal conductivity and optimized thermoelectric performance parallel to the freeze‐casting direction.

Pengendalian Biaya Tenaga Kerja dalam Organisasi Sektor Publik: Studi tentang Pengelolaan Pegawai Tidak Tetap (PTT) dan Alternatif Outsourcing

This article discusses the management of labor costs in the public sector with a focus on the management of non-permanent employees (PTT) and outsourcing alternatives. This research highlights problems in personnel management, especially employee expenditure costs that must be borne by government agencies. This study reviews cost control systems, labor costs, and methods for managing honorary staff costs in government. The findings show that outsourcing is more efficient than recruiting PTT or temporary workers as a solution to control labor costs. Additionally, this paper recommends Activity Based Costing (ABC) method for public sector organizations to provide valuable information related to detailed cost data. This research shows that decentralizing recruitment in local governments can improve efficiency, effectiveness and fairness, but can also lead to corruption and disparities in the distribution of human resources. Cost control, outsourcing, and the use of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) can help public sector organizations manage costs and increase operational efficiency. To achieve better governance, operational efficiency and effective cost control, public sector organizations need to consider the various strategies and methods described in this research.

The Influence of Project Cost Control and Performance of Maize Project in Rwanda: A Case of Nasho Irrigation Project, Kirehe District

The Influence of Project Cost Control and Performance of Maize Project in Rwanda: A Case of Nasho Irrigation Project, Kirehe District

Application of BIM+GIS Integration Technology in the Construction of Urban Intelligent Water Informatization

Urban intelligent water informatization is the process of managing and operating urban water systems with the use of contemporary information and communication technology in order to increase productivity, security, and sustainability. Establishing the appropriate infrastructure is the initial stage in building an intelligent water system so that management can choose wisely how to manage and operate the water system. Building information modeling (BIM) is a digital depiction of a building's or infrastructure's structural and functional details. In most metropolitan regions, a fast development phase is predicted to cause several water issues, including water resource shortages, floods, poor drainage, and water resource contamination. As a result, a practical approach is required for urban intelligent water information technology with the help of artificial intelligence techniques. Intelligent water systems may be built using Building Information Modeling (BIM) software to increase the system's effectiveness, stability, and durability. By offering a potent tool for storing and analyzing geographical data connected to the water distribution system, a geographic information system (GIS) can play a crucial role in the development of urban intelligent water informatization using ArcGIS mapping Software. The Internet of Things (IoT) system is used to implement intelligent water informatization, hardware implementation using ESP32, and software development using MQTT Broker and Node-Red. As a result, we recommended utilizing BIM+GIS integration technology for building urban intelligent water informatization. The suggested system is evaluated using management efficiency, urban flood control, innovative Construction, intensive management, and computation cost. In this research, the main objective is to identify where there are water leaks broken pipes and early warning system and monitoring system for flash flood disasters in urban areas. The result findings show that the integration of BIM and GIS provides a comprehensive platform for managing complex water informatization infrastructure projects and maximizes efficiency and sustainability.

Effect of Project Team Management Practices on Project Performance: A Case of the National Union of Disabilities’ Organizations of Rwanda Project Implemented in Rubavu District, Rwanda by University of Rwanda - College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine

The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of team acquisition, training & development and motivation on project performance, encompassing scope management, cost control, timeliness, quality of deliverables, and stakeholder satisfaction. Effective management of project teams is pivotal in determining project success. This research endeavors to examine the correlation between project team management practices and project performance within the framework of the National Union of Disabilities’ Organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR) project implemented by University of Rwanda - College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (UR-CAVM) in Rubavu District from 2020 to 2022. By employing a mixed-methods approach, the research incorporated quantitative data derived from questionnaires and qualitative. The anticipated findings seek to illuminate the efficacy of team acquisition processes, underscore the importance of team training and development in enhancing project performance, and elucidate the role of team motivation in attaining project objectives. Furthermore, the research aims to uncover how these team management practices influence effective project scope management, strategies for cost control, adherence to project timelines, delivery quality, and stakeholder satisfaction. Strong positive correlations are observed between various team management factors and project performance. Specifically, the findings reveal that team acquisition, team training and development, and team motivation exhibit significant coefficients of β1: 0.302 (p: 0.000), β2: 0.123 (p: 0.046), and β3: 0.546 (p: 0.000) respectively. All these coefficients are statistically significant, as indicated by their associated Sig. values below 0.05. NUDOR project team should keep enhancing recruitment and selection process, invest in training and development, foster motivation strategies and conduct regular performance evaluation to ensure that individuals with the right skills, experience, and cultural fit are brought on board and their performance sustained.

Decarbonization through smart energy management: Climate control in building-integrated rooftop greenhouses for urban agriculture across various climate conditions

This paper investigates the potential benefits of integrating rooftop greenhouses (RTGs) with buildings to reduce energy and CO2 costs, contributing to urban decarbonization efforts. This integration not only advances sustainable urban agriculture but also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) - Affordable and Clean Energy, and Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11) - Sustainable Cities and Communities, through its energy-efficient, low-carbon approach. We hypothesize that this integration can significantly lower energy use in integrated RTGs (i-RTGs) and set out to validate this through dynamic models for both building and i-RTG climates, focusing on CO2 concentration, humidity, and temperature. Central to our approach is the implementation of a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) framework, which utilizes these dynamic models to make control decisions aimed at minimizing total control costs. This framework operates in a receding horizon procedure, regulating climate factors within the i-RTG and building using various actuators. We validate our approach by simulating an i-RTG atop a building in eleven different cities, demonstrating interactions such as energy, moisture, and CO2 exchange. Significantly, our study reveals that integrating i-RTG with buildings under the NMPC framework leads to a 15.2% reduction in control costs. Additionally, we find that the i-RTG model is adaptable to different climates, with colder regions showing greater cost reduction potential. Our study underscores the viability and advantages of integrating i-RTGs with buildings, offering a sustainable, decarbonizing solution for urban agriculture and building management that contributes to the fulfillment of SDG7 and SDG11.

An Improved Current-Source-Converter-Based Series-Connected Wind Energy Conversion System

The passive rectifier-based current source converter (CSC) used in the series-connected wind energy conversion system features low cost, high reliability, and simple control, but suffers highly distorted generator stator currents. A new CSC-based wind energy conversion system composed of a multi-phase generator, a passive rectifier, a modular medium-frequency transformer-based converter, and a CSC, is proposed. In addition, two versions of the proposed converter are developed for low- and medium-voltage turbine systems respectively. The operation principle is presented, controls are developed, and simulations and experiments are conducted. Both converters offer excellent generator stator current harmonics performance, while also retaining the advantages of existing CSC-based converters.

A pentametallic high-entropy mixed-dimensional mesoporous heterostructure for azo-dye wastewater degradation and decolorization

The degradation and decolorization of azo-dyes wastewater require more efficient methodologies to reduce this primary water pollution source. Herein, we developed a pentametallic (Au-Ti-Mg-Al-Cu) high-entropy mixed-dimensional mesoporous heterostructure (HEMDMHs) for azo-dye wastewater degradation and decolorization. This HEMDMHs structure was constructed by irregularly growing nanoscale Mg-Al-Cu layered-double-hydroxide (LDH) onto micro-scaled 2-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx MXene and then in-situ synthesizing ultrasmall (<3 nm) 0-dimensional (0D) gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) onto the LDH/MXene mesoporous support. This Au-Ti-Mg-Al-Cu HEMDMHs can efficiently degrade azo-dyes wastewater within 2 min, producing colorless and clear solutions. This exceptional performance can be achieved across a wide pH range of 2 to 12 and temperatures ranging from 0 to 60 °C under sunlight. Furthermore, this HEMDMHs can be easily recoverable through centrifugation for reuse. Mechanistic investigation revealed a synergistic mechanism in which the mesoporous LDH/MXene enhances physical absorption of azo-dyes, while the AuNCs/LDH heterostructure promotes their chemical degradation. Considering its high decolorization activity, high cycle stability, reusability and controllable economic cost, our results provide a promise HEMDMHs candidate for the treatment of azo-dye wastewater.

Hierarchically porous carbon nanosheets derived from Bougainvillea petals with “pores-on-surface” structure for ultrahigh performance Zinc-ions hybrid capacitors

Due to the outstanding electrochemical performance, high safety coefficient, controllable reaction system and low production cost, Zinc-ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs) is considered as a new generation of promising energy storage technology, which even seem as a suitable choice for Medical application. However, to produce ideal carbon-base cathode material with low cost and high electrochemical performance still face challenge. Here, we report a ZIHCs’ cathode based on Bougainvillea petal-derived porous carbon nanosheets (Carbonized Bougainvillea activated at 850 °C, CB-3-850). CB-3-850 derived from Bougainvillea petals exhibit extremely an ultrahigh discharge capacity of 239.1 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 (from 0 V to 1.8 V) and an excellent electrochemical stability at 20 A g−1 (90 %, 10,000 cycles). In addition, ultrahigh energy density (213.4 Wh kg−1) and high power density (14.8 kW kg−1) are realized in CB-3-850. Special “pores-on-surface” structure and ultrathin nanosheet-like morphology of CB-3-850 not only provide a high specific surface area that for more Zn2+ and SO42+ absorbed on its surface but also enable ions across the one nanosheet directly to reach other carbon-sheets units, which realize a fast kinetic process of ions storage and higher capacity. The excellent performance of the Zinc-ion capacitor can be also attributed to N and O doping that strongly interacted with Zn2+ during the charge/discharge process. Finally, natural Bougainvillea petal just contains simple non-metal elements like C, N and O, exhibit high biocompatibility.

Implementation of Responsibility Accounting System Towards Cost Control and Cost Center Performance

Business competition requires companies to be able to look ahead and anticipate all possibilities that will affect thecompany's business development and hinder business development and growth. Responsibility accounting is a system that is structured in such a way as to suit the nature and activities of the company with the aim that each organizational unit can be accountable for the results of the activities of the units under its supervision. The aim of this research is to analyze in more depth the role and function of responsibility accounting as a tool for controlling and assessing cost center performance. The research method used in this research is using a literature review, especially articles published on Google Scholar. The articles listed are studied and analyzed in more depth using several keywords such as responsibility accounting, performance assessment, cost center and cost control. The results of this research conclude that the implementation of responsibility accounting greatly influences control and performance assessment in cost centers.Responsibility accounting will comprehensively measure and assess cost centers based on a comparison between budget targets and the actual budget that has been spent. By assessing the performance of cost centers, the company will be able to control and separate controllable costs from uncontrollable costs by each responsibility center, so that it can account forthe costs incurred by the company.

Reliability control of nonlinear stochastic dynamical system based on discrete data

Stochastic optimal control based on reliability plays a crucial role in mitigating structural failure and ensuring safe operation. For general stochastic vibration systems, a data-driven method for reliability-based optimal control is proposed based on random state data. Firstly, the feedback control is split into conservative and dissipative components in coherence with physical intuition, and each component is expanded upon using pre-selected basic functions, resulting in a modified system with undetermined coefficients. Then, from discrete random samples, the expressions for the probability densities of the first-passage time and the stationary response can be identified, explicitly including system and excitation parameters, as well as initial and safety boundary conditions. Finally, a performance index, combining system reliability and control cost, is constructed and can be explicitly expressed in terms of the undetermined coefficients of the control forces. The optimal control problem for determining the optimal control forces is reformulated as an optimization problem for determining the coefficients that minimize the performance index. This unconstrained optimization problem can be easily solved. Three typical nonlinear stochastic systems, a controlled Duffing oscillator, a controlled nonlinear hysteretic system, and a controlled 2-DOF nonlinear dynamical system, are given to illustrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed data-driven method. Additionally, the control performance of the optimal control strategy in improving the system reliability is also discussed.

Literature Review: Analysis of the Implementation of Responsibility Accounting in Controlling Cost in Various Organizations

This research aims to determine the application of responsibility accounting in controlling costs. Responsibility accounting plays an important role in controlling company cost. The literature review approach is used to examine six pertinent papers in this investigation. The findings demonstrated that responsibility accounting plays a significant role in efficient and effective cost management via systematic reporting, budget monitoring, and excellent cost control. Various benefits are obtained from the implementation of responsibility accounting, such as overcoming the shortage of funds due to late payments, improving the smooth running of company activities, balancing the income and expenditure of the cost budget, and assisting in making better decisions and actions within the company.

Behavioral Aspects of Operational Cost Control to Increase Profits in "X"

In running a business owned by an individual, it can be said to be successful if after a certain period of time the business experiences an increase in capital, profits or management in controlling costs. This research aims to find out whether controlling operational costs can increase profits at Tegoeh Djaja Konveksi Screen Printing. This research is a type of qualitative descriptive research, primary data obtained through interviews and literature review. The research method used in this research is a qualitative method, namely describing or describing the research results according to the conditions that occurred at the Tegoeh Djaja Konveksi Screen Printing. The research results obtained show that controlling operational costs cannot efficiently increase profits at Tegoeh Djaja Konveksi Screen Printing.