Economically Research Articles

Iron electrodeposition-induced yearly degradation on industrial alkaline water electrolysis: Multiphysics model and economic analysis

Iron electrodeposition-induced yearly degradation on industrial alkaline water electrolysis: Multiphysics model and economic analysis

Carnot battery energy storage system integrated with liquid hydrogen cold energy: Thermodynamics, economic analysis and optimization

Carnot battery energy storage system integrated with liquid hydrogen cold energy: Thermodynamics, economic analysis and optimization

Economic Evaluations of Health Service Interventions Targeting Patients with Multimorbidities: A Scoping Literature Review.

Multimorbid patients have been growing, leading to an exponential increase in healthcare costs and patterns of resource utilization. Despite the heightened interest toward integrated care programs as a response to the complex need of multimorbid patients, economic evaluations of these programs remain scarce. This work investigated the economic evaluations of service interventions targeting multimorbid patients, to identify the characteristics of these programs and the methods applied to their evaluation. We conducted a scoping review of papers published between 2010 and 2021 on PubMed, Science Direct, EconLit and Web Of Science. The search strategy was built around three keyword blocks: service interventions, multimorbidity, economic evaluations. We selected economic evaluations of service interventions delivered through multiple care settings and targeting patients with 2+ chronic conditions. Twenty-five articles were included. Interventions were categorized as organizational-type versus patient-oriented. The selected studies often targeted patients with one chronic disease, associated with a mental disorder, like depression or anxiety. Included studies were mostly cost-utility analyses conducted with the healthcare perspective. This work confirmed that economic evaluations of service interventions for multimorbid patients are limited in number. This could suggest that decision-making regarding the delivery of healthcare services for multimorbid patients may not always be based on a solid evidence base. More economic analyses are needed to inform evidence-based coverage decision-making.

A study on the integration and flexible operation strategy of sodium-based CO2 capture system in cogeneration power plants and economic analysis

A study on the integration and flexible operation strategy of sodium-based CO2 capture system in cogeneration power plants and economic analysis

Economic analysis of hemodialysis and urgent-start peritoneal dialysis therapies.

Unplanned initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is a common situation worldwide. In this scenario, peritoneal dialysis (PD) has emerged as a therapeutic option compared to hemodialysis (HD). In planned RRT, the costs of PD are lower than those of HD; however, the literature lacks such analyses when initiation is urgent. To clinically and economically evaluate, from the perspective of the Unified Health System (SUS, Sistema Único de Saúde), the strategy of initiating unplanned RRT using HD or PD in patients during their first year of therapy. Quasi-experimental study with cost-effectiveness analysis based on primary data from incident patients on RRT, over a twelve-month follow-up period, using the intention-to-treat approach. Data collection occurred prospectively, directly from medical records, computing data on the use of dialysis therapy, high-cost medications, procedures in dialysis accesses and recorded events. Costs were estimated using the amounts reimbursed by the SUS. In the economic analysis, the application of the bootstrap method and the construction of graphical representations were proposed. At the end of one year, there were no differences between costs and effectiveness when initiating unplanned RRT using either PD or HD. Starting RRT with PD is a similar option to starting with HD in patients requiring unplanned methods. The minimal initial investment required to establish PD slots makes it a strong option as a public health policy for expanding RRT in developing countries.

Energy, exergy, economic and environmental (4E) analysis of zeotropic mixture recuperative heat pump and vapor injection heat pump

Energy, exergy, economic and environmental (4E) analysis of zeotropic mixture recuperative heat pump and vapor injection heat pump

Different approaches to sugarcane vinasse use and management in Brazil: A technical, economic, and environmental analysis

Different approaches to sugarcane vinasse use and management in Brazil: A technical, economic, and environmental analysis

Energy, Exergy, Economic and Exergoeconomic (4E) Analysis of a High-Temperature Liquid CO2 Energy Storage System: Dual-Stage Thermal Energy Storage for Performance Enhancement

Liquid carbon dioxide energy storage (LCES) system can improve the renewable energy penetration in the grid, but the mismatch between the compression heat and thermal energy storage (TES) system causes considerable irreversible losses. In this paper, a novel high-temperature (300∼400°C) LCES system with a dual-stage TES loop is introduced to enhance the heat transfer and energy storage performance. The proposed high-temperature LCES system is analyzed from the perspectives of energy, exergy, economics and exergoeconomics. Under design conditions, the round-trip efficiency, energy storage density, and levelized cost of electricity of the improved LCES system are 66.68%, 28.57kWh·m-3, and 0.1315$·kWh-1, respectively. The dual-stage TES loop improves the heat recovery factor and round-trip efficiency by 19.10% and 14.59% compared to the basic LCES system. The parametric analysis indicates that the system performance initially improves and then declines as the operating temperature of the low-temperature TES loop increases. The multi-objective optimization results show that the round-trip efficiency and energy storage density of the proposed high-temperature LCES system are at least 7.43% and 62.49% higher than those of low-temperature LCES systems.

Energy efficiency and economic performance of a low-temperature heating system combining double-layer pipe-embedded wall and ground source heat pump

Reducing heating energy consumption in buildings is a crucial step towards a low-carbon future. The energy efficiency of heat pump heating systems can be improved by reducing the water supply temperature of terminals. However, existing terminals are limited in using lower-temperature hot water and leaves potential for energy savings. Therefore, this study proposes a double-layer pipe-embedded wall heating system coupled to a ground source heat pump. The outer pipes use shallow geothermal energy to reduce envelope load, whereas the inner pipes use water produced by the heat pump to provide heating. Energy, economic, and carbon emission analysis models of the proposed system are developed. A residential heating case study is conducted in Harbin, Shenyang, Beijing, Zhengzhou, and Shanghai to investigate the performance of the proposed system. The results show that the proposed system achieves much lower-temperature heating than the reference floor heating system. The seasonal energy savings of the proposed system in the selected cities are 12%–18%, with a SCOP of 4.0–5.8. The dynamic payback period of the proposed system is 1.6–4.3 years and the CO2 emission intensity is reduced by 1.2–3.2 kg/m2. This study provides an insight into the application of DPEW heating systems.

Strategic economic and energy analysis of Integrated biodiesel production from waste cooking oil

The utilization of waste cooking oil to produce biodiesel is critical for advancing towards carbon neutrality. This study examines the production of first- and second-generation biodiesel from waste cooking oil, highlighting the transition from first-generation biodiesel, which achieved high purity and yield, to second-generation biodiesel through a hydrodeoxygenation-hydroisomerisation process. The first-generation process demonstrated high efficiency, with a biodiesel purity of 97.8 wt% and a yield of 99.88 wt%. However, the need for more sustainable and higher-quality fuel led to the development of a second-generation process, which, despite lower yield (69.06 wt%), produced biodiesel with 99.99 wt% purity. The energy optimization strategies employed showed a potential of 18.92% energy saving for reducing production costs and enhancing economic feasibility. This research underscores the importance of improving energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness in biodiesel production, particularly in transitioning from first- to second-generation biodiesel, which is crucial for meeting environmental and economic goals.

Energy consumption and emission analysis for electric container ships

The increasingly stringent international environmental protection requirements and the progressively tougher compliance requirements of shipowners have also put forward new development needs for low-emission, clean-energy vessels. At present, more than 90% of China's water transport ships still use diesel-powered propulsion systems, which have issues such as high fuel costs, high noise levels, and pollution emissions. Compared with traditional ship power systems, the ecological advantages and comprehensive benefits of electric propulsion-type ships are obvious. However, there are also issues, such as shorter range and battery life, which need to be analyzed in depth. This paper establishes a life cycle energy consumption model and emission model for the comprehensive benefits of electric ships and conducts an economic benefit analysis. The results show that electric ships have significant advantages in environmental protection, energy saving and lower costs while electric ships for containers have great prospects for future development. This paper provides a useful exploration for the international shipping industry to adopt effective measures to control ship emissions.

Estimating the cost-effectiveness of maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination in Australia: A dynamic and economic modelling analysis.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory illness, with younger infants at greatest risk of hospitalisation. With the recent approval of a maternal RSV vaccine in Australia, it is timely to evaluate its potential costs and health benefits in Australia. We applied an integrated dynamic and economic evaluation model to estimate specific outcomes of RSV disease and the cost-effectiveness of a year-round maternal RSV vaccination program in Australia. Cost-effectiveness was estimated using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. From a healthcare system perspective, the maternal vaccination program was estimated to be cost-effective at a vaccine price less than approximately 120 Australian dollars ($AU), assuming a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $AU 50,000/QALY gained. Most of the estimated cost-savings were from preventing RSV hospitalisations in infants aged <6months. However, while 82% of the cost-savings were from preventing RSV hospitalisations in infants aged <6months, only about 25% of the QALY gains were in this age group. The majority of the other QALY gains came via herd effects from prevention of death in older adults and to a lesser extent, prevention of nonmedically-attended illness in older teens and adults. When predicted cost-savings and QALY gains in those ≥6months of age were excluded, the vaccine price required to meet the assumed WTP threshold fell to $AU 63. A maternal RSV vaccination program in Australia could provide value for money by reducing hospitalisations and associated costs among infants aged <6months, depending on the vaccine price. We have provided evidence that herd effects beyond the target population may be an important consideration in assessing cost-effectiveness of maternal RSV vaccination.

Energy, exergy, economic and environmental analysis and optimization of an adiabatic-isothermal compressed air energy storage coupled with methanol decomposition reaction for combined heat, power and hydrogen generation system

Energy, exergy, economic and environmental analysis and optimization of an adiabatic-isothermal compressed air energy storage coupled with methanol decomposition reaction for combined heat, power and hydrogen generation system

Energy, exergy and economic analysis of a novel multi-generation liquefied air energy storage system coupled with coal-fired power unit based on ejector and absorption refrigeration

Energy, exergy and economic analysis of a novel multi-generation liquefied air energy storage system coupled with coal-fired power unit based on ejector and absorption refrigeration

Thermodynamic and economic performance comparison between reverse Brayton cycles and cascade refrigeration cycles with eco-friendly refrigerants

In the post-pandemic era, there is still a high demand for ultra-low temperature storage of vaccine, plasma and biological samples, which can be realized by cascade refrigeration cycles or reverse Brayton cycles. As there is still a research gap on the comprehensive evaluations on reverse Brayton systems using air and cascade refrigeration systems using eco-friendly refrigerants, the thermodynamic and economic analysis models are established for the parallel air cycles and cascade cycles in this study. Based on validated models, the comprehensive performance of the novel reverse Brayton-cascade cycle is studied under different cooling temperatures and cooling capacities. The results show that adding an internal heat exchanger in parallel air cycles could increase the COP and exergy efficiency by 27.12 % and 2.3 %, and save > 31.38 % of total annual cost. However, the comprehensive performance of the composite cycle is inferior to that of cascade refrigeration cycle. The novelty of the paper is to further confirm the superiority of cascade refrigeration systems and the differences between reverse Brayton cycles and cascade cycles, which has not been involved in other studies. This work may supply some technique references for the generation of ultra-low temperature zones and the selection of environmental-friendly refrigerants on CRC establishment.

Economic analysis of a solar roof as an optional extra to electric vehicles in Korea: A case study

Economic analysis of a solar roof as an optional extra to electric vehicles in Korea: A case study

Law and Economics Scholarship in Malaysia

Abstract This article reports law and economics activities from Malaysia or by Malaysians. It surveys the resulting literature and identifies selected personalities who have contributed to advancing law and economics research in Malaysia. Other past activities, such as organising an online conference for the Asian Law and Economics Association in 2020, are recounted. It notes the extent to which Malaysian universities offer law and economics courses. The Malaysian government’s requirement for regulatory impact statements is the right direction to instill further interest in law and economics in government officers. Finally, some existing challenges and opportunities for future development are examined for future actions.

An Ancillary Effect of Patient Navigation Following Detox: Fewer Arrests

Abstract Patient navigation (PN) is increasingly used to help people overcome barriers to accessing health care. In a recent trial, PN was added to motivational interviewing (MI) to help patients discharged from detoxification (detox) transition to follow-up care. The goal was to test whether PN in addition to MI increased transition rates and reduced subsequent readmissions into detox compared with MI alone. Results demonstrated little evidence of a treatment effect on either of these two outcomes, but post hoc exploratory analyses showed that patients who received PN were less likely to be arrested in the year following discharge than patients who did not receive PN. In addition, the group that received PN had fewer multiple arrests resulting in a lower average number of arrests per person. These findings are hypothesis-generating and need replication for conclusive inference. Nevertheless, economic analysis indicates that PN after detox could be a cost-beneficial intervention to reduce arrests among a population at high risk for involvement in the criminal justice system.

Development of a Theoretical Model for the Price Formation of Agri-Food Products in the Food Supply Chain: A Slovenian Case Study

The main objective of the research was to develop a theoretical model for price construction in the agri-food sector, which should enable better transparency and efficiency of pricing policies in the food supply chain. The central part of the article focuses on the data set, in which the data sources and the economic analysis methodology are presented in detail. Based on this analysis, a theoretical model for pricing was developed, which is presented in more detail in a separate chapter. The model focuses on prices in three sectors (primary production, food processing industry and distribution/retail) of different food and agri-food chains and offers concrete solutions to improve pricing in these chains. The final chapter contains guidelines and recommendations for the practical application of the model with the aim of improving the transparency and effectiveness of pricing policy in the agri-food sector. The overall report represents an important contribution to understanding the behaviour and responsiveness of agri-food systems to specific cost changes and provides useful guidance for policy makers and stakeholders in the agri-food sector.

The Challenge and Response of Network Security in The Era of Artificial Intelligence

With the emergence of artificial intelligence, new situations, new problems, and new challenges in the field of network security are emerging one after another, affecting the global economic pattern, development pattern, and security pattern, also putting forward higher requirements for network security assurance. Nowadays, cases of using fake audio and video such as AI face-changing and AI voice-changing to commit new cybercrimes occur occasionally. From the individual level, artificial intelligence lowers the threshold for personal cybercrime. At the social level, artificial intelligence forges false information that misleads the public and poses a certain threat to people’s property. This article aims to analyse the function of artificial intelligence and discuss the impact of emerging technologies on social development. This article by comparing domestic and foreign researches on artificial intelligence, using a qualitative research methodology with case studies and literature, and expresses views and ideas regarding the laws about artificial intelligence. The article finds that maintaining network security is the common responsibility of the whole society and requires the joint participation of governments, social organisations, and the majority of netizens. Therefore, it is suggested that other security risks that may be caused by artificial intelligence in the future, should be prevented based on risk prevention, and active use laws and regulations to regulate and guide. Secondly, by referring to the law, ensuring the protection of personal information, and standardise the cyber security environment is so significant. Finally, carry out online publicity and education to improve the network security awareness.