Cost Expenditure Research Articles

ANALISIS EFISIENSI DAN NILAI TAMBAH PRODUK AGROINDUSTRI OLAHAN KERUPUK KULIT SAPI

This research takes the title "Analysis of Efficiency and Added Value of Processed Agroindustry Products of Cow Crackers (Case Study in Seganteng Mataram City). This research was conducted by taking 6 business units, namely the business of processing cow crackers in Seganteng, Sandubaya Subdistrict, Mataram City, which were determined intentionally. The purpose of this study is to analyze production costs and expenditure levels, cost efficiency and value added or Value Added Ratio (RNT).Overall, of the 6 agro-industry business units for making crackers, while the level of business ratio (R / C Ratio), the average value is above 1 or R / C. The ratio is> 1, which is meant by both the business of processing skin crackers (R / C Ratio = 2.43) means that this business is profitable to be undertaken, with the average income obtained by the leather cracker industry in a single production process of Rp. 7,163,263.The added value of the business of processing leather crackers is IDR 7,663,263 and the added value per kg in the production process is (7,633,263: 141 kg) IDR 58,844.33 which means that every 1 kg of cow leather processed into cow skin crackers can be given an added value of 58,844 , 33. The value added ratio (RNT) of 63% means that the value added is high because the RNT is> 50%. means the agro-industry business Making cowhide crackers has good prospects for development,To further increase the added value of the processing agro-industry business (the business of cowhide crackers) the need to further increase operational costs such as the use of fuel, the use of electricity, the purchase of auxiliary materials. In addition it needs new innovations in creating new products that are more attractive to consumers' purchasing power.

Hierarchical Co3O4/CNT decorated electrospun hollow nanofiber for efficient hybrid capacitive deionization

Hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) is emerging as an energy-efficient alternative for brackish water desalination with low expenditure cost and favourable ion removal effectiveness by adopting battery-type electrodes in the traditional capacitive deionization (CDI) system. Herein, an unscalable electrospinning method is introduced to contrive cathode material for HCDI system. Co3O4 and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube decoration are formed successfully and uniformly distributed with the hollow structure of free-standing carbon nanofibers (Co3O4@CNF@CNT). The conductive “bridges” provided by the CNF matrix significantly shorten the diffusion length of Na+ and promote the electrical conductivity of the Co3O4 nanoparticles. Moreover, benefiting from the incorporation of nitrogen-doped CNTs, the electrical conductivity is further enhanced. The as-prepared Co3O4@CNF@CNT cathode shows excellent pseudocapacitive performance of 395F g−1 at a scan rate of 1 mV s−1 and superior rate performance of 279F g−1 at 100 mV s−1. The HCDI system delivers an outstanding salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of 58.6 mg g−1 and a highest salt adsorption rate (SAR) of 12.27 mg g−1 min−1 with a potential difference of 1.4 V, indicating the great potential of applying Co3O4@CNF@CNT in the practical HCDI system.

Economic burden of eating disorders in South Korea

BackgroundFew studies have investigated the epidemiology of eating disorders using national representative data. In this study, we investigated the treatment prevalence and economic burden of eating disorders in South Korea.MethodsThe aim of this study was to estimate the treatment prevalence and the medical expenditure of diagnosed eating disorders (ICD F50.x) in South Korea between 2010 and 2015. We also examined the economic costs of eating disorders, including the direct medical cost, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs, in order to calculate the economic burden of such disorders.ResultsThe total treatment prevalence of eating disorders in South Korea was 12.02 people (per 100,000) in 2010, and 13.28 in 2015. The cost of medical expenditures due to eating disorders increased from USD 1229724 in 2010 to USD 1843706 in 2015. The total economic cost of eating disorders was USD 5455626 in 2015. In 2015, the economic cost and prevalence of eating disorders was the highest in the 20–29 age group.ConclusionsThe results showed the eating disorders are insufficiently managed in the medical insurance system. Further research is therefore warranted to better understand the economic burdens of each type of eating disorder.

What is the financial burden to patients of accessing surgical care in Sierra Leone? A cross-sectional survey of catastrophic and impoverishing expenditure

ObjectivesTo measure the financial burden associated with accessing surgical care in Sierra Leone.DesignA cross-sectional survey conducted with patients at the time of discharge from tertiary-level care. This captured demographics, yearly...

Microstructure and properties of (Ti, Cr) C reinforced novel medium manganese steel

In the casting process, alloying elements Mo and Cr are needed to improve the wear resistance of medium manganese steels for low impact energy. The element Ti is added to avoid the high cost of expenditure for using Mo. This paper studies the effect of Ti and Cr on microstructure and properties of medium manganese steel. It shows that a large number of polygon, column, and square (Ti, Cr) C particles (<13 μm) are formed in the casting samples using the present heat treatment process. A new type of Ti–Cr modified medium manganese steel (Ti content of 0.56%–1.48%) is produced by using (Ti, Cr) C reinforced phase particles. Compared with the traditional medium manganese steel (blank), the hardness increases twice with a slight decrease in impact toughness [traditional and modified medium manganese steels (blank and steels A, B, and C) have values of 42.1 J/cm2, 47.5 J/cm2, 43.8 J/cm2, and 37.9 J/cm2], and the wear resistance also increased nearly two times.

Small-scale fishermen: Poverty as a challenge to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Sunda Strait

The poverty reduction indicator in SDGs also includes small-scale fisheries community groups. Small-scale fisheries’ poverty can be measured by income, expenditure, and income, converted to minimum living consumption and village welfare standards. These research aims to study of fisherman income, and welfare level as an indicator of poverty status. The research was conducted at the fisheries landing port in the Sunda Strait during 2019 to collect fisheries data covering production, operational cost, and household expenditure costs. The results showed that most ship crew fishers and ship captains (74%) were poor. Only 26% of the fishermen lived in no poverty status; however, all fishermen classified as high and medium welfare levels from the welfare indicator. Reducing poverty status (period 2020-2030) to be null (zero poverty) should be gradual with a yearly target. According to SDGs target, it needs comprehensive efforts to reduce poverty within ten years, with an average reduction of 7% per year until 2030. It means the government should implement the fishermen’s poverty reduction as part of the national development target.

Working out the bipedal walking expenditure of energy based on foot morphology of different hominid genera: Implications for foot evolution

Among the Hominidae family of primates, Homo is characterized by more economical bipedal walking. Over the course of evolution towards bipedalism, the foot becomes the only organ directly interacting with substrate and likely influence the bipedal walking economy. However, working out the energy expenditure in bipedal walking from the specific aspect of foot morphology is still challenging, which hinders the understanding of the evolution of both hominid feet and economical bipedal walking. Here we present a functional model to quantitatively assess bipedal walking expenditure of energy from hominid foot morphology. According to our results, the feet of Homo are most suited to economical bipedal walking among hominids. However, the genus whose feet possess second best ability for economical bipedal walking is not our closest relative Pan, but is Gorilla. Using phylogenetically informed morphometric analyses, we further infer the evolutionary changes of hominid foot morphology and investigate the corresponding variation of bipedal walking expenditure. Our results reveal the economical bipedal walking benefits from the morphological changes of human foot after descending from the last common ancestor of hominids. Conversely, the foot morphologies of great apes reflect selections for other locomotor modes, at cost of larger energy expenditure in bipedal walking.

Cost analysis of pediatric intensive care: a low-middle income country perspective

BackgroundGlobally, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admissions are amongst the most expensive. In low middle-income countries, out of pocket expenditure (OOP) constitutes a major portion of the total expenditure. This makes it important to gain insights into the cost of pediatric intensive care. We undertook this study to calculate the health system cost and out of pocket expenditure incurred per patient during PICU stay.MethodsProspective study conducted in a state of the art tertiary level PICU of a teaching and referral hospital. Bottom-up micro costing methods were used to assess the health system cost. Annual data regarding hospital resources used for PICU care was collected from January to December 2018. Data regarding OOP was collected from 299 patients admitted from July 2017 to December 2018. The latter period was divided into four intervals, each of four and a half months duration and data was collected for 1 month in each interval. Per patient and per bed day costs for treatment were estimated both from health system and patient’s perspective.ResultsThe median (inter-quartile range, IQR) length of PICU stay was 5(3–8) days. Mean ± SD Pediatric Risk of Mortality Score (PRISM III) score of the study cohort was 22.23 ± 7.3. Of the total patients, 55.9% (167) were ventilated. Mean cost per patient treated was US$ 2078(₹ 144,566). Of this, health system cost and OOP expenditure per patient were US$ 1731 (₹ 120,425) and 352 (₹ 24,535) respectively. OOP expenditure of a ventilated child was twice that of a non- ventilated child.ConclusionsThe fixed cost of PICU care was 3.8 times more than variable costs. Major portion of cost was borne by the hospital. Severe illness, longer ICU stay and ventilation were associated with increased costs. This study can be used to set the reimbursement package rates under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). Tertiary level intensive care in a public sector teaching hospital in India is far less expensive than developed countries.

PERENCANAAN PROSES PRODUKSI PENYABLONAN T-SHIRT DENGAN METODE AGGREGATE PLANNING HEURISTIK DI DOUBLEFIVE STORE AND CLOTHING YOGYAKARTA

Aggreggate planning is a way to estimate the amount of output that will be produced to meet the demand obtained from forecasting for a period of more than 3 months or less than the next 18 months to meet demand in accordance with the company's overall production capacity to minimize the total costs incurred by the company. Doublefive Store and cloting is a company engaged in the online business by producing t-shirt printing. However, this company has not found a way to minimize the total cost of expenses. Therefore, research on aggregate planning is carried out to enable companies to arrange a way of optimally utilizing resources and supplies in order to achieve effective and efficient capacity which is based on future demand forecasts to minimize total expenditure costs. The method used is the heuristic method by calculating the workforce control planning and inventory control. Based on the research results, it is known that by using the labor control method, the costs incurred by the company are less than the inventory control method. The cost incurred based on the selected method is Rp. 20,442,987.22 with a difference of Rp. 10,025 from inventory control.

Breaking-Down and Parameterising Wave Energy Converter Costs Using the CapEx and Similitude Methods

Wave energy converters (WECs) can play a significant role in the transition towards a more renewable-based energy mix as stable and unlimited energy resources. Financial analysis of these projects requires WECs cost and WEC capital expenditure (CapEx) information. However, (i) cost information is often limited due to confidentiality and (ii) the wave energy field lacks flexible methods for cost breakdown and parameterisation, whereas they are needed for rapid and optimised WEC configuration and worldwide site pairing. This study takes advantage of the information provided by Wavepiston to compare different costing methods. The work assesses the Froude-Law-similarities-based “Similitude method” for cost-scaling and introduces the more flexible and generic “CapEx method” divided into three steps: (1) distinguishing WEC’s elements from the wave energy farm (WEF)’s; (2) defining the parameters characterising the WECs, WEFs, and site locations; and (3) estimating elements that affect WEC and WEF elements’ cost and translate them into factors using the parameters defined in step (2). After validation from Wavepiston manual estimations, the CapEx method showed that the factors could represent up to 30% of the cost. The Similitude method provided slight cost-overestimations compared to the CapEx method for low WEC up-scaling, increasing exponentially with the scaling.

Analysis of dietary intake, diet cost and food group expenditure from a 24-hour food record collected in a sample of Australian university students.

University students often cite increased monetary cost as a major barrier to improved eating behaviours. Here, we examine food expenditure behaviours in a sample of Australian university students. Students (n = 147) collected and analysed a 24-hour food record to determine their food group and nutrient intakes, then costed the food and non-tap water beverages consumed in the amounts recorded. Diet cost and food group expenditure (absolute and relative to total diet cost) were calculated and compared across socio-demographic characteristics. Spearman's Rho correlations and partial correlations (controlling for energy intake) were also used to identify associations between diet cost and intake. The median (IQR) 24-hour diet cost was $12.42 ($7.06). However, students who worked ≥20 h·wk-1 had a higher diet cost than those who worked <20 h·wk-1 (P = .002) or were unemployed (P = .002). Relative food group expenditure also differed by sex, employment status and whether special dietary requirements were reported (P's < .05). For instance, males reported spending a smaller relative amount on the fruit and vegetables food groups and a larger relative amount on discretionary choices than females (P's < 0.05). Higher diet costs were also associated with greater intakes of the fruit, vegetables and lean meat and alternatives food groups, protein, alcohol, water and calcium, and lower intakes of the grain foods food group and carbohydrate (P's < .05). These findings provide insight into university students' food expenditure behaviours and may assist health professionals to develop targeted strategies and tailored advice aimed at improving their dietary behaviours.

Resource Recovery from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste in Sri Lanka – Current Status and Future Prospects

Owing to rapid population growth accompanied by urbanization and industrialization, waste management is an essential aspect of today's world. During 2013, total municipal solid waste generation in Sri Lanka was recorded as 10,768 tons per day, while total municipal solid waste collected was only 3,458 tons per day. Meantime, the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) produced in 2012 was 1,301.5 tons per day. The most widely practiced waste disposal method in Sri Lanka is currently open dumping, which is not an ecofriendly approach. Biowaste, which accounts for about 59% of MSW collected in Sri Lanka, consists of 65 percent of moisture, and valuable resources such as energy, nutrients, and minerals can be readily recovered. Resource recovery, which is linked to the circular economy, is a sophisticated technique of biowaste management. However, resource recovery principles for the local communities in Sri Lanka are fairly novel. The ultimate outcome of this study is to lay the foundation for the development of an autonomous integrated circular system integrated with the existing waste management framework in Sri Lanka, and thus allowing to circulate the vital resources needed to sustain human life in the form of energy, food, and water. Types of resources, which can be extracted from OFMSW are nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, energy, and water from moisture content. Energy can be harnessed as biogas via the degradation of organic compounds in anaerobic reactors, whereas nutrients can be harnessed by converting anaerobic sludge into inorganic fertilizers. The proposed integrated standalone circular system should be able to produce energy via combined heat and power plant and produce struvite via fertilizer production plant. Based on currently available data from 2012, potential electricity generation is 10.31 W per kg of OFMSW, and minimum struvite generation potential is 3.839 g per kg of OFMSW. Excluding the operation and maintenance expenditure and depreciation cost, forecasted revenue from electricity generation and struvite production are respectively is 21,155,926 USD per annum and 455,926.84 USD per annum. Therefore, resource recovery is a socio-economically and environmentally viable waste management practice in the Sri Lankan context.

Towards Effective Safety Cost Budgeting for Apartment Construction: A Case Study of Occupational Safety and Health Expenses in South Korea

The construction industry has experienced a lot of occupational accidents, and construction work is considered one of the most dangerous occupations. In order to reduce the number of occupational injuries from construction, the South Korean government legislated the occupational safety and health expense law, requiring companies to reserve a reasonable budget for safety management activities when budgeting for construction projects. However, safety budgets have not been spent based on the risk of accidents, and a large amount of the safety budget is spent either in the beginning or late stages of construction projects. Various accident risk factors, such as activity types, previous accident records, and the number of workers on a construction site, need to be considered when determining the safety budget. To solve such problems, this study investigated the expenditure trends of occupational safety and health expenses for 10 apartment construction projects in South Korea. This study also proposed an accident risk index that can be incorporated with the project costs, schedule, the number of workers, and historical accident records when budgeting for the safety costs. The results from the case study illustrate the limitations of the current planning strategy for safety expenditures and demonstrate the need for effective safety budgeting for accident prevention. The proposed safety cost expenditure guideline helps safety practitioners when budgeting for the occupational safety and health expenses while considering accident risk and the characteristics of safety cost expenditures in practice. The outcome of this research will contribute to the development of regulations for the budgeting of safety costs and help to prevent occupational injuries by providing a reasonable budget for safety management activities in an apartment construction project.

Mesh-Type Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing of Human Organs and Tumors: Fast, Cost-Effective, and Personalized Anatomic Modeling of Patient-Oriented Visual Aids

Although three-dimensional (3D)-printed anatomic models are not new to medicine, the high costs and lengthy production times entailed have limited their application. Our goal was developing a new and less costly 3D modeling method to depict organ-tumor relations at faster printing speeds. We have devised a method of 3D modeling using tomographic images. Coordinates are extracted at a specified interval, connecting them to create mesh-work replicas. Adjacent constructs are depicted by density variations, showing anatomic targets (i.e., tumors) in contrasting colors. An array of organ solid-tumor models was printed via a Fused Deposition Modeling 3D printer at significantly less cost ($0.05/cm3) and time expenditure (1.73 min/cm3; both, p &lt; 0.001). Printed models helped promote visual appreciation of organ-tumor anatomy and adjacent tissues. Our mesh-work 3D thyroidal prototype reproduced glandular size/contour and tumor location, readily approximating the surgical specimen. This newly devised mesh-type 3D printing method may facilitate anatomic modeling for personalized care and improve patient awareness during informed surgical consent.

Low Latency 5G Distributed Wireless Network Architecture: A Techno-Economic Comparison

The most profound requirements of fifth-generation (5G) technology implementations are the architecture design and the radio base station technology to capably run applications such as device-to-device, machine-to machine and internet of things at a reduced latency. Owing to these requirements, the implementation of 5G technology is very expensive to mobile network operators (MNO). In this study we modified the existing 4G network to form a distributed wireless network architecture (DWNA); the picocell and distributed antenna system were modified to support the enabling technology of 5G technology were a multi-edge computer (MEC), software-defined networking (SDN), massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO), ultra-dense network (UDN), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and device-to-device (D2D) communication at a reduced cost of ownership, improved coverage and capacity. We present a mathematical model for operational expenditure, capital expenditure and total cost of ownership (TCO) for the DWNA. A mathematical model for DWNA capacity and throughput was presented. Result shows that it is very economical for MNO to rent the space of the tower infrastructure from tower companies. The sensitivity analysis also shows a significant reduction in TCO for both the modified picocell and modified distributed antenna systems.

A New Logistic Model of Market Information Asymmetry Reduction in Poland

The article presents the first theoretical and empirical estimation of the role of logistics in mitigating the effects of market information asymmetry in Poland. Following a review of international (Akerlof, Spencer, Stiglitz) and Polish literature (Gołembska, Gruszecki, Stradomski), a new logistic model of information asymmetry (LMAI) is presented. The article attempts an empirical verification of this model using the results of studies conducted in Polish firms in the period 2000–2018. The studies examined the efficiency and effectiveness of logistics management, with a particular focus on logistics infrastructure expenditure, balance-sheet inventories, and logistics costs. The computation of the LMAI indicator, based on averaged data provided by manufacturers, distributors and service firms, enabled the estimation of the impact of logistics management on reducing the effects of information asymmetry, and showed the differences of this impact in individual industries including the pharmaceutical, tourist, transport and food distribution industry.

Online and in-store purchase behavior: shopping channel choice in a developing economy

Developing economies are still in the stage of e-commerce deployment, unlike in developed countries, where online shopping is already a common purchase channel. This research aims to assess the purchasing behaviors of end-consumers in regard to two alternative shopping channels: in-store and online, within a developing economy. A revealed-preference survey was conducted to collect the in-store and online purchase activity of households in Ukraine. The data collected presents the purchase channel choices of end-consumers for eleven commodities in two categories: experience goods and search goods. A descriptive analysis of in-store and online shopping was made, with an evaluation of average purchase cost and time expenditures for shopping, travel, and delivery processes. A pooled binomial logit model was then developed to assess the purchase channel choice based on a Random Utility Maximization Theory. The estimated values of a marginal probability effect are presented, and the significance levels of attributes influencing purchase channel choice are evaluated. The marginal probability effect is found to be greater for shopping cost than for time attributes for most of the studied commodity channel choices. The sensitivity assessment for purchase cost, delivery and travel time revealed that first-priority goods such as medicine, food, clothing and shoes depended more on the attributes’ values variation than other commodities considered in the study. The comparison of this research’s results with other studies has shown a higher importance of shopping cost than time attributes for channel choice decisions in the case of the developing economy.

Antimicrobial Consumption in Community Pharmacies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Background: Unnecessary antibiotic use is a major cause of emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The complex mechanisms associating antibiotic use and resistance are further complicated by irrational prescribing and antimicrobial overuse. Objective: This research investigated antimicrobial consumption practices, and cost expenditures in the community including the resultant effects among patients who purchased drugs from pharmacies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in 38 community pharmacies using a two-stage cluster sampling method from the mapped political wards (11) in Uyo city. A total of 660 questionnaires were distributed to patients over 3-months. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 23.0. Results were presented as tables and charts. Results: A total of 546 respondents participated in the study achieving a response rate of 82.7%. The most commonly consumed antimicrobials were antibiotics 385 (54.8%) followed by antimalarials 246 (35.0%). In the class of antibiotics, fluoroquinolones 179 (23.28%) and beta- lactams 157 (20.42%) were frequently purchased. The antimicrobial encounter rate was different (P&lt;0.05) among the pharmacies with mean value of 25.95% (4.43% to 47.87%). The cost expenditure on antimicrobials was also different (P&lt;0.05) among the pharmacies with mean value of 30.54% (12.78 % to 66.67%). Drug therapy problems included wrong drug combinations 80 (14.7%), adverse effects 3 (0.5%), polypharmacy 45 (8.3%) and a non-adherence rate of 17.0%. Conclusion: Antimicrobial consumption rates in Uyo LGA are high. Antimicrobial encounter rate and expenditure was different across various pharmacies. The antibiotic classes, fluoroquinolones and beta-lactams were the most commonly consumed antimicrobials.

Comparison between the backpropagation and single exponential smoothing method in sugar production forecasting case

Sugar is a strategic commodity, because it is one of the basic needs consumed by the community. The decline in sugar production causes turmoil both economically and politically. So companies must be able to balance sugar production in accordance with market demand. Because, if the sugar production exceeds market demand, it will cause accumulation and expenditure costs that exceed the limit. Conversely, if the sugar production is too little, then the company is unable to meet demand. This study was comparing the Single Exponential Smoothing method and the Backpropagation method in predicting the amount of sugar production. The data used was based on production in 2013-2017, with predictions every month starting in the fifth month. The alpha parameter in Single Exponential Smoothing was 0.84, while in Backpropagation used 5 input nodes and 5 hidden layer nodes. From the results of tests that have been carried out, it can be seen that the Backpropagation method produces the smallest MSE and MAPE, amounting to 57187817.49 and MAPE of 1.012% compared to the Single Exponential Smoothing method with MSE of 83602989.43 and MAPE of 1.46%.

Social Impact of End-Stage Renal Disease Requiring Hemodialysis among Patients with Type-2 Diabetes and Their Caregivers in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Introduction:Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring hemodialysis. The social impact of a chronic disease like this is far reaching and often difficult to quantify.Objectives:To assess the social impact of ESRD among type 2 diabetics requiring hemodialysis and their caregivers.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out between February 2017 and 18 among patients with type 2 diabetes requiring hemodialysis and their caregivers, attending the dialysis unit at St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru, India. Social impact was assessed under the domains of stress (physiologic and psychologic), quality of life (QOL), cost of care, self-perceived burden, and caregiver burden. Study tools used were semi-structured interview schedule for sociodemographic data, details regarding diabetes, hemodialysis and cost of care, EuroQol-5D-3L, hemodialysis stressor scale, Cousineau Self-Perceived Burden Scale, and Caregiver Burden Scale.Results:A total of 160 participants were included. Majority were males (78%) between 46 and 60 years of age. Most participants experienced moderate stress due to hemodialysis (65%) and moderate self-perceived burden (47.5%). Five (10.6%) participants reported full health, while one (0.6%) reported poor health. Anxiety/depression (80.6%) was the top reported problem among all domains of QOL. Caregiver burden was moderate (53.9%). Annual median cost of direct medical expenditure was ₹258,600 (interquartile range [IQR]: 197,400–433,500) and ₹16,500 (IQR: 9,600–32,100) for nonmedical.Conclusion:We conclude that the social impact of ESRD among type 2 diabetics requiring hemodialysis and their caregivers was moderate. Routine counseling of patients receiving haemodialysis and support groups for patients as well as caregivers will help reduce the impact.