Cost Efficiency Research Articles

Optimizing Healthcare Expenditure for Spinal Cord Stimulation in Italy: The Value of Battery Longevity Improvement and a Direct-to-Implant Approach

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a treatment for chronic intractable pain powered by an implantable pulse generator that may be rechargeable or not rechargeable (NR). It is performed in 2 stages (a trialing phase followed by permanent device implantation) and necessitates 2 hospitalizations, which may increase infection risk. Objective: This analysis explores the cost impact of improvements in battery longevity and the adoption of 1-step (direct-to-implant [DTI]) SCS implantation. Methods: Since 2019, 3 leading NR-SCS devices have been launched: Device A (2019), Device B (2020), and Device C (2021). The battery longevity of the newest Device C was estimated at comparable stimulation settings for Devices A and B. A Markov model simulated individual patient pathways across 2 scenarios: Device A vs Device C and Device B vs Device C (both with the DTI approach and 2-step approach). Costs considered were the initial device implantation procedure, device replacements, and serious adverse event (SAE) management. Italian diagnosis-related group (DRG) tariffs were applied for costs, and a 15-year time horizon was used. Results: Over 15 years, using a DTI approach, the undiscounted total costs for Device A vs Device C were €26 860 and €22 633, respectively, and €25 111 and €22 399 for Device B vs Device C, respectively. Compared with Devices A and B, Device C offered savings of €4227 and €2712, respectively; similar savings were predicted with a 2-step implant approach. Discussion: The battery longevity of NR-SCS devices directly impacts long-term costs to a payer. The longer the device lasts, the lower mean total cumulative costs the patient will have, especially with regard to device replacement costs. With novel devices and specific programming settings, the lifetime cost per patient to a payer can be decreased without compromising the patient’s safety and positive clinical outcome. Conclusions: Extended SCS battery longevity can translate into tangible cost savings for payers. The DTI approach for SCS supports National Healthcare System cost efficiencies and offers the additional benefits of optimizing operating room time while having only one recovery period for the patient.

Challenges in Power-to-X: A perspective of the configuration and control process for E-methanol production

The escalating demand for renewable energy solutions and the imperative for efficient energy storage mechanisms have catalyzed the evolution of Power-to-X (PtX) technologies. Germany has the most PtX projects, accounting for 44% of all projects that have been reported. PtX encompasses a spectrum of processes engineered to convert surplus renewable energy into versatile energy carriers or chemical commodities, such as hydrogen, methane, or synthetic fuels. The Paramount to this domain is to synergistically harness renewable energy sources and hydrogen carriers to curtail waste and bolster sustainability. Central to achieving this synergy is the effective control of PtX processes, ensuring optimal performance, cost efficiency, and seamless integration within existing energy frameworks. This paper delves into the control processes and environmental prerequisites within the PtX landscape, elucidating key challenges, and strategies within this dynamic realm. While providing an initial overview of fundamental PtX process chains, this paper accentuates the critical role of geographical considerations. Subsequently, it conducts a thorough analysis of equipment modeling challenges, addressing performance metrics, operational requisites, and capital investments, particularly focusing on methanol and hydrogen production and storage. Through holistic examination, this paper endeavors to delineate the evolving landscape of PtX control processes and conditions, advancing our understanding of this expanding field.

Development and assessment of an integrated wind energy system for green steelmaking based on electric arc furnace route

Optimizing energy structure is important for coping with the increasing environmental problems in iron and steel industry. Wind energy is one of typical zero-carbon, inexhaustible, and accessible energy source for alleviating energy dilemma. In this paper, the electric arc furnace steelmaking processes integrated with wind energy system (EAF-WES) is developed. The input-output data of 1214 and 1536 heats with 30 % and 50 % hot metal ratio are traced and collected. Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of EAF route integrated with traditional energy system (EAF-TES) and EAF-WES are further researched and compared from perspectives of life cycle carbon footprint (LCCF), production cost, wind energy price (WEP), carbon efficiency, carbon reduction benefit (CRB), and carbon tax. The results indicate that EAF-WES enjoys lower LCCF but higher production cost and carbon efficiency than EAF-TES. Considering the price fluctuations, the optimal EAF steelmaking pattern with lowest production cost under different extent of WEP and carbon tax is suggested. When the electricity price is 0.043 and 0.046 $/kWh, the CRB is balanced. It is concluded that EAF-WES is a low-carbon, high-productive, environmentally friendly, and economical route. This research is expected to supply a technical idea for energy conservation and emission reduction in future steel production.

Edge Machine Learning-Enabled Predictive Fault Detection System for Conveyor Belt Maintenance Optimization in Industrial Settings

Digital transformation is essential for industrial and manufacturing sectors, especially in conveyor belt systems. On the other hand, Innovative electronic components and software applications offer opportunities for advanced fault prediction, minimizing operational disruptions, reducing inefficiencies, and enhancing overall industrial efficiency. Efficient conveyor belt systems are crucial for industrial operations, requiring early fault detection to prevent costly downtime and ensure safety. The utilization of embedded machine learning via the Edge Impulse platform enhances data collection and spectral feature extraction using wavelet approximation. This article presents a novel methodology for predictive fault detection in conveyor belt systems employing edge machine learning. Leveraging the ESP32 microcontroller and accelerometer sensor for real-time vibration data capture, a four-layer Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, trained on 336 feature samples, is deployed via Edge Impulse and TensorFlow scripts. TensorFlow Lite compresses the model for microcontroller integration. The ESP32 microcontroller, acting as an edge device, achieves real-time predictions with 97.5% accuracy and 0.20 minimal loss. This work promises significant strides in predictive maintenance, offering cost savings, operational reliability, and efficiency gains in industrial settings, revolutionizing maintenance strategies.

Research on the Application and Prospect of Digital Currency in International Trade Settlement

With the increasing integration of the global economy, the international trade settlement method is also constantly evolving. As an emerging means of payment, the application of digital currency in international trade settlement has gradually attracted more attention. This paper aims to discuss the application status, advantages, challenges and future development prospects of digital currency in international trade settlement. Through research, it is found that digital currency shows the advantages of high efficiency and low cost in international trade settlement, but it also faces challenges such as technical security and lack of regulation. Looking ahead, digital currencies are expected to play a bigger role in international trade settlement, but the government, enterprises and technology providers need to work together to overcome existing problems, improve the regulatory system and promote the healthy development of digital currencies.

A production and transport scheduling strategy of energy and resources of pelagic clustering islands based on generalized movable energy storage

At present, most pelagic islands rely on the mainland for resource replenishment. And due to the limited island area, it is not sufficient to simultaneously place enough basic load facilities and new energy generation and consumption facilities on a single island. Considering pelagic islands are distributed in groups, vigorously developing renewable energy around islands can be considered, and the islands can be divided into resource islands and load center island. Resource islands can use renewable energy to produce and transport electric power, fresh water and hydrogen which are needed for load center island. The whole islands group forms a cleaner and green integrated energy system. However, this kind of system will face the coexistence challenge of intra-island independent optimization and inter-island collaborative optimization, continuity of energy production and discreteness of transportation, production scheduling and route planning, which is less studied. To ensure reasonable operation of the energy system, according to multi-agent theory, the inter-island energy and resource production and transportation scheduling model based on generalized movable energy storage can be divided into two parts: load center island agent scheduling model and resource islands agent scheduling model. And scheduling objectives and constraints of each agent in two scenarios are determined. The simulation results show that the new model can comprehensively take into account the production efficiency of equipment, production effectiveness and transportation cost and realize the rational production scheduling and transportation of energy and resources under the premise of meeting the demand of load center island.

Industrial-Si-based photoanode for highly efficient and stable water splitting

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is an effective and sustainable method for solar energy harvesting. However, the technology is still far away from practical application because of the high cost and low efficiency. Here, we report a low-cost, stable and high-performing industrial-Si-based photoanode (n-Indus-Si/Co-2mA-xs) that is fabricated by simple electrodeposition. Systematic characterizations such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been employed to characterize and understand the working mechanisms of this photoanode. The uniform and adherent dispersion of co-catalyst particles result in high built-in electric field, reduced charge transfer resistance, and abundant active sites. The core–shell structure of co-catalyst particles is formed after the activation process. The reconstructed morphology and modified chemical states of the surface co-catalyst particles improve the separation and transfer of charges, and the reaction kinetics for water oxidation greatly. Our work demonstrates that large-scale PEC water splitting can be achieved by engineering the industrial-Si-based photoelectrode, which shall guide the development of solar energy conversion in the industry.

ENHANCING RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESSES: INSIGHTS FROM PNB METLIFE’S TALENT ACQUISITION

This paper is on recruitment and selection process at PNB MetLife Insurance Company Limited. The process of identifying, screening, shortlisting, and choosing the best applicants to occupy the necessary vacant jobs is known as recruitment and selection. The primary objectives of this research are to determine how candidates are recruited, on what criteria the selection process is based, and what skill set is necessary for a certain position. The aim of this research is to investigate the PNB MetLife's recruitment and selection procedure and to investigate whether the procedure is simple to comprehend and use different methods that are used by the organisation. The study's research design is descriptive. Primary data have been collected for this project. 50 candidates make up the sample size for the questionnaire method used to acquire the data. The data indicates that employee referrals (72%) are the dominant source for internal recruitment, and employment agencies (42%) lead in external recruitment. High satisfaction (88%) with the resume screening process and clear job descriptions (94%) reflect positively on organizational practices, while a strong awareness (94%) of referral schemes supports internal hiring strategies. Such insights offer valuable guidance for refining recruitment approaches and enhancing employee satisfaction, thereby fortifying organizational success. This project makes an effort to offer suggestions for improving recruitment efficiency and lowering hiring costs. Keywords: Recruitment Process, Selection process, Interview, Job vacancy, Qualification and Skills

The Causal Linkages between Market Power and Cost Efficiency: Testing Quiet Life Hypothesis for the Banking Industry

This study aims to test the quiet life hypothesis considering the impact of market power on cost efficiency in Pakistani banks where managers of the banking industry slacken their efforts to enjoy a ‘quiet life’ due to market power and are not focused on the cost efficiency of their banks. Thus, banks with high market power are relatively less focused on the efficient allocation of resources, resulting in a loss of consumer surplus and efficiency. We take panel data for a sample of 25 commercial banks throughout 2006-2019. Our findings suggest Uni-directional causality running from cost efficiency towards market power in the case of Pakistan. In addition, to control for endogeneity, we adopt a dynamic two-step system GMM approach to model the relationship between market power and cost efficiency. Our findings suggest significantly negative effects of cost efficiency over market power, disproving the presence of quiet life in the case of Pakistan. This study provides substantial theoretical contributions in the form of the Quiet life hypothesis and welfare performance of banks. However, to the best of our knowledge, the causal linkages and the effects of market power on cost efficiency or vice versa are not documented for the banking industry of Pakistan.

Advances in long-read single-cell transcriptomics.

Long-read single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-Seq) is revolutionizing the way we profile heterogeneity in disease. Traditional short-read scRNA-Seq methods are limited in their ability to provide complete transcript coverage, resolve isoforms, and identify novel transcripts. The scRNA-Seq protocols developed for long-read sequencing platforms overcome these limitations by enabling the characterization of full-length transcripts. Long-read scRNA-Seq techniques initially suffered from comparatively poor accuracy compared to short readscRNA-Seq. However, with improvements in accuracy, accessibility, and cost efficiency, long-reads are gaining popularity in the field of scRNA-Seq. This review details the advances in long-read scRNA-Seq, with an emphasis on library preparation protocols and downstream bioinformatics analysis tools.

Flame-retardant aramid felt-reinforced phenolic coatings for carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs)

For over fifty years since carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) were introduced to the automotive industry, enhancing their flame-retardant properties has been studied due to their vulnerability to fire. Coating is one method of flame-retardant enhancement, accomplished by modifying surface characteristic to achieve its goal. Phenolic resin-based coatings, as a candidate material, offer advantages such as good chemical compatibility and cost efficiency. However, to meet the necessary specifications for flame-retardant performance, a thick coating layer with higher brittleness is required. In this study, we developed an aramid felt-reinforced coating layer to address the limitations of phenolic coatings. The effectiveness of the flame-retardant coating was demonstrated through various tests, including limiting oxygen index (LOI), micro-combustion calorimetry, heat exposure test with cone shaped heater, and mechanical property tests including surface-burning test. Consequently, the aramid felt-reinforced phenolic coating exhibited superior flame-retardant enhancement using a cost-effective, easy-to-follow, and lightweight method, achieved with a relatively thin coating fabrication.

Inpatient Corridor Visibility and Care Team Communication.

This article aims to investigate the impact of fine-grained differences in unit layout on care staff corridor communication. Corridor design can be undertaken with greater emphasis on space and cost efficiency or with greater emphasis on affording quality knowledge workspace. Building on prior research on care team communication and inpatient unit design, this study aims to gain a better understanding of how corridor layout properties affect care team communication. This study used space syntax analysis to characterize inpatient unit design, specifically floor-plan layout. Two approaches were used to capture care team communication: behavior mapping with recording of care team member locations and whether they were communicating and the HDR CARE Scale, Inpatient Version. The two units were part of a vertical tower expansion project, and, though constructed at separate times, they maintain the same organizational culture, floor plate, and location of key vertical elements. The newer unit was found to be more visually open using three measures from space syntax. More nursing staff verbal communication was observed on this unit. Across both units, nursing staff were more likely to be observed verbally communicating in locations that were more visually connected (i.e., at locations with larger viewsheds). There were no significant differences between nursing staff self-report on work using the HDR CARE Scale, Inpatient Version. We conclude that care team communication may tend to be encouraged by visual connectivity that can be promoted through floor-plan layout.

Towards robust state estimation for LFP batteries: Model-in-the-loop analysis with hysteresis modelling and perspectives for other chemistries

The accurate estimation of a battery’s state of charge (SOC) is critical in battery management systems for various applications. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, preferred for their long cycle life, cost efficiency, and enhanced safety, have emerged as favourable choices for stationary storage. Yet, they still face challenges in precise SOC estimation due to the flatness and hysteresis of their open circuit voltage. Addressing this, our study integrates a hysteresis model into a third-order battery model for BMS controlling a stationary storage system in frequency containment reserve (FCR) application. We analysed three advanced SOC estimation techniques — extended Kalman filter (EKF), dual unscented Kalman filter (DUKF), and particle filter (PF) — with the hysteresis model using a model-in-the-loop (MiL) toolchain. Performance testing under a 48-hour FCR load profile showed EKF with a 4% error, DUKF achieving the best result with a 1.1% error, and PF’s performance varying between 2.9% and 4% depending on particle count. Robustness tests against initialization and current sensor errors under an 8hr profile revealed DUKF maintained a 2% error boundary irrespective of the error introduced, highlighting the hysteresis model’s effectiveness. Broadening the scope, the study also explores extending the method to other lithium-ion chemistries.

A Blockchain-Based Electronic Health Record (EHR) System for Edge Computing Enhancing Security and Cost Efficiency

Blockchain technology offers unique features, such as transparency, the immutability of data, and the capacity to establish trust without a central authority. Such characteristics can be leveraged to support the collaboration among several different software systems operating within the healthcare ecosystem, while ensuring data integrity and make electronic health records (EHRs) more easily accessible. To provide a solution based on blockchain technology, this paper has evaluated the main issues that arise when large amounts of data are expected, i.e., mainly cost and performance. A balanced approach that maximizes the benefits and mitigates the constraints of the blockchain has been designed. The proposed decentralized application (dApp) architecture employs a hybrid storage strategy that involves storing medical records locally, on users’ devices, while utilizing blockchain to manage an index of these data. The dApp clients facilitate interactions among participants, leveraging a smart contract to enable patients to set authorization policies, thereby ensuring that only designated healthcare providers and authorized entities have access to specific medical records. The blockchain data-immutability property is used to validate data stored externally. This solution significantly reduces the costs related to the utilization of the blockchain, while retaining its advantages, and improves performance, since the majority of data are available off-chain.

Potential and challenges for Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Beam (PBF-LB) in industrial ceramic additive manufacturing

In recent years, ceramic 3D printing has proven its potential for increasing the cost and time efficiency of ceramic manufacturing, especially for customizable products, small series production and for (multi-material) parts with complex design. This work gives an overview of the methods for ceramic additive manufacturing that are currently available for industrial production with their advantages and disadvantages. Ceramic Powder Bed Fusion- Laser Beam (PBF-LB) or also known as selective laser sintering or melting (SLS/SLM) is introduced, using a ceramic powder as starting material for shaping by selective laser irradiation. Amongst others, the technique offers a superior productivity, which might be the central argument in the future for evaluating the applicability of PBF-LB for industrial manufacturing. Additionally, a novel approach to ceramic PBF-LB is presented, using a thermoset binder for incorporating ceramic particles in the starting material that, due to the non-meltable nature of the binder, improve the dimension stability of the green parts during thermal debinding and sintering. The production of large, complex structures opens up a wide range of applications. One promising application for porous structures made of photocatalytic titanium oxide is water treatment. Such printed, debinded and sintered filter modules enable the degradation of organic residues in water, thus contributing to safer and higher water quality. Furthermore, high-resolution printing can be realized via micro-PBF-LB (μ-PBF-LB, also known as μ-SLS).

Trifluoromethoxylation of Arynes using 2,4‐Dinitro‐1‐(trifluoromethoxybenzene) as Trifluoromethoxide Anion Source

The trifluoromethoxy moiety, an emerging fluorinated group, shows interesting properties for pharmaceutical and agrochemical applications. However, only few methods have been reported for the direct introduction of this group on molecules with high efficiency, safety and low cost. Indeed, most of direct trifluoromethoxylation reagents are either expensive, hazardous or require preliminary synthesis before their use. Here we describe the use of 2,4‐dinitro‐1‐(trifluoromethoxy)benzene (DNTFB) as an easy‐to‐handle, safe, commercially available and cheap source of trifluoromethoxide anion for the trifluoromethoxylation of arynes.

Optimal scheduling of electric vehicle aggregators for frequency regulation and cost efficiency in renewable-powered grids

The growing integration of intermittent renewable energy sources (RESs), such as wind and solar, into power grids presents significant operational challenges, particularly in maintaining grid stability and managing generation forecasting errors. This study underscores the critical role of Electric Vehicles (EVs) as a flexible load in providing ancillary services, especially for secondary frequency regulation, to address these challenges. Moreover, a novel scheduling model for EV aggregators is introduced that aims to optimize frequency regulation and cost efficiency. This model strategically manages the State of Charge (SOC) to ensure EV owner satisfaction while minimizing operational costs. Employing Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP), solved via CPLEX-GAMS in both deterministic and stochastic scenarios, the proposed approach evaluates various EV integration strategies, demonstrating potential reductions in charging costs and enhancing owner participation by considering parking constraints. This research highlights the importance of innovative grid management solutions in the era of renewable energy proliferation, offering significant insights into cost-effective and reliable energy practices. The results in the deterministic show that by considering the EV parking constraint, the total charging cost will be increased by about 20%. Also, by applying the proposed strategy to the down-regulation value of 18%, the total cost of EV charging is decreased to 11,400 $ which shows about a 5% decrement in comparison with the down-regulation value of 32%.

Multi-objective optimization and 4E (energy, exergy, economy, environmental impact) analysis of a triple cascade refrigeration system

The post-pandemic energy crisis and ever-increasing environmental degradation necessitate researchers to scrutinize refrigeration systems, major contributors to these issues, for minimal environmental impact and maximum performance. Thus, this study aims to comprehensively examine a triple cascade refrigeration system (TCRS) equipped with hydrocarbon refrigerants (1-butene/Heptane/m-Xylene). This system is specifically designed for ultra-low temperature applications, including vaccine storage, quick-freezing, frozen food preservation, cryogenic processes, and gas liquefaction. The investigation integrates conventional thermodynamic analysis with economic and environmental impact assessments, and finally multi-objective optimization (MOO) to ascertain optimal operating conditions for the system. The effect of (1) evaporator temperature, Tevap (2) condenser temperature, Tcond (3) Lower Temperature Circuit (LTC) condenser temperature, TLTC (4) Mid Temperature Circuit (MTC) condenser temperature, TMTC and (5) Cascade Condenser temperature difference, ΔT on three objective functions (COP, exergy efficiency, and overall plant cost) have been investigated employing a parametric analysis. Subsequently, quadratic equations for these objective functions are generated using the Box-Behnken method, and MOO utilizing the Genetic algorithm has been performed to maximize COP and exergy efficiency while minimizing the overall cost rate. The decision-making techniques TOPSIS and LINMAP are used to retrieve a unique solution from the Pareto Front, and the system performance has been assessed at the optimal point. The optimization result demonstrates that for the 10-kW capacity TCRS, COP, exergy efficiency, and total plant cost are 0.71, 0.51, and 38262.05 $/year respectively, at optimum condition (Tevap = −101.023 °C, Tcond = 36.545 °C, TLTC = - 69.047 °C and TMTC = - 34.651 °C). Exergy analysis identifies HTC compressor (19.3 %) and throttle valve (15.5 %) as key contributors to total exergy destruction, while economic analysis underscores capital and maintenance costs (72 %) as the primary contributors to the overall cost, with evaporator (43 %) and condenser (20 %) accounting for 63 % of this cost.

High-strength steel fibre-reinforced geopolymer concrete utilising recycled granite waste and rice husk ash

A limited number of research studies have managed to attain high-strength geopolymer concrete, especially by utilising waste materials. In this study, granite waste (GW) from the mining industry, which contaminates the surrounding environment and causes air pollution, and rice husk ash (RHA) from agricultural waste were used to produce high-strength steel fibre-reinforced geopolymer concrete (HSFRGC). To reduce natural sand consumption, GW was utilised as a fine aggregate. RHA was added at 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% by weight of coal fly ash to enhance the properties of HSFRGC. In addition, hooked-end steel fibres were employed as reinforcement at 0%, 0.5%, and 1% by volume of the concrete. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of incorporating GW and RHA into HSFRGC, examining properties such as workability, strength, durability, and microstructure. Additionally, an assessment was conducted on the environmental impact and cost-effectiveness of the HSFRGC system with additives to determine its feasibility for practical scenarios. The results showed that the addition of 1% RHA as an additive in the geopolymer system, which led to microstructural homogeneity in the geopolymer matrix, could effectively enhance the mechanical properties and durability. Moreover, the addition of hooked-end steel fibres along with 1% RHA further improved the mechanical performance compared to samples without steel fibres, increasing both compressive strength by 25% and flexural response by 70%. Meanwhile, incorporating 1% RHA in mixtures could assist in mitigating chloride migration by approximately 10% due to the filler effect occurring in the geopolymer matrix. Regarding to environmental impact and cost-effectiveness, the incorporation of 1% RHA and 0.5% steel fibre demonstrated a suitable balance, exhibiting eco-strength efficiency with an increase of 15% compared to plain geopolymer concrete, making it a reasonable choice for both environmental concerns and cost efficiency.

Performance enhancement of microwave discharge cathode by external gas injection system

The effect of external gas injection near the plume on the performance of a microwave discharge cathode is investigated. Experiments were conducted under two gas injection conditions: gas addition and gas distribution. Gas distribution tended to lead to better performance than gas addition. In the gas distribution experiments, the total gas consumption was kept constant, the internal gas flow rate was reduced, and external gas was supplied. The electron current increased from 0.26 to 0.49 A at 35 V when the microwave power was 15 W. When the sum of the internal and external gas flow rates was held constant, external gas injection lowered the neutralization costs and increased the gas utilization efficiency. The neutralization current was successfully increased by 48 % at 12 W of microwave power compared with 8 W of microwave power with the same level of naturalization cost and gas utilization efficiency. The electron temperature and plasma density in the plume, as measured using a Langmuir probe, suggested that an increase of ionization in the plume by the external gas injection enhanced the cathode's performance.