Economic Perspective Research Articles

Behavioral Economics Strategies to Improve Medication Adherence in Diabetes

Nowadays, diabetes has become an international challenge. In spite of the great technological advances in human society compared to a few decades ago, a cure for this disease has never been discovered. Hundreds of millions of patients are suffering from it, and in order to enable diabetics to keep their condition as stable as possible, this paper examines how to enhance patients' medication adherence from the perspective of behavioral economics. After reclassification of the influencing factors through tables such as pivot tables, among the data of 1127 patients selected who required long-term medication, 559 were affected by Convergence and Avoidance of Harm and were reluctant to take medication. Another 231 participants suffered from cognitive bias. A further 165 patients made irrational calculations about whether or not to take their medication. The remaining patients were influenced by some objective factors. Based on the analysis of the distinct causes of medication non-adherence in diabetic patients, it was found that this could be tackled by allowing patients to be more informed about their condition, improving access to education in order to break down information barriers, increasing the presence of family and friends, and illustrating the cost of treatment with the help of visualization tools. Beyond financial and dietary approaches, these facilitation methods could nudge as much to stabilize patients' medication-taking behaviors.

Translating restrictive law into practice: An ethnographic exploration of the systemic processing of legally restricted health care access for asylum seekers in Germany

BackgroundAccess to health services for asylum seekers is legally restricted in Germany. The law is subject to interpretation, therefore the chance of receiving care is not equally distributed among asylum seekers. What services are provided to whom is ultimately decided by health professionals and government employees. The respective prioritization processes and criteria are not transparent. We sought to understand how legal restrictions are translated into daily practices and how this affects the health system. We aimed to outline the complex process of cost coverage for health services for asylum seekers and provide insights into common decision-making criteria.MethodsWe conducted an ethnographic exploration of routines in two outpatient clinics in two federal states over the course of three months, doing participant and non-participant observation. Additionally, we interviewed 21 professionals of health care and government organizations, and documented 110 applications for cost coverage of medical services and their outcome. In addition to qualitative data analysis and documentation, we apply a system-theoretical perspective to our findings.ResultsTo perform legal restrictions a cross-sectoral prioritization process of medical services has been implemented, involving health care and government institutions. This changes professional practices, responsibilities and (power) relations. Involved actors find themselves at the intersection of several, oftentimes conflicting priorities, since “doing it right” might be seen differently from a legal, medical, economic, or political perspective. The system-theoretical analysis reveals that while actors have to bring different rationales into workable arrangements this part of the medical system transforms, giving rise to a sub-system that incorporates migration political rationales.ConclusionsHealth care restrictions for asylum seekers are implemented through an organizational linking of care provision and government administration, resulting in a bureaucratization of practice. Power structures at this intersection of health and migration policy, that are uncommon in other parts of the health system are thereby normalized. Outpatient clinics provide low-threshold access to health services, but paradoxically they may unintentionally stabilize health inequities, if prioritization criteria and power dynamics are not made transparent. Health professionals should openly reflect on conflicting rationales. Training, research and professional associations need to empower them to stay true to professional ethical principles and international conventions.

Measuring global urban complexity from the perspective of living structure

As urban critic Jane Jacobs conceived, a city is essentially the problem of organized complexity. What underlies the complexity refers to a structural factor, called living structure, which is defined as a mathematical structure composed of hierarchically organized substructures. Through these substructures, the complexity of cities, or equivalent to the livingness of urban space (L), can be measured by the multiplication the number of cities or substructures (S) and their scaling hierarchy (H), indicating that complexity is about both quantity of cities and how well the city is organized hierarchically. In other words, complexity emerges from a hierarchical structure where there are far more small cities or substructures than large ones across all scales, and cities are more or less similar within each individual hierarchy. In this paper, we conduct comprehensive case studies to investigate urban complexity on a global scale using multisource geospatial data. We develop an efficient approach to recursively identifying all natural cities with their inner hotspots worldwide through connected component analysis. To characterize urban complexity, urban space is initially represented as a hierarchy of recursively defined natural cities, and all the cities are then represented as a network for measuring the degree of complexity or livingness of the urban space. The results show the Earth’s surface is growing more complex from an economic perspective, and the dynamics of urban complexity are more explicit from nighttime light imagery than from population data. We further discuss the implications in city science, aiming to help create and recreate urban environments that are more resilient and livable by fostering organized complexity from the perspective of living structure.

Disruptive production process innovation for sustainable business: evidence from an emerging economy

PurposeThe study aimed to develop a disruptive production process innovation model from an emerging economy's agro-based dairy farming perspective based on the case of a Bangladeshi model dairy farm named Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm (CBBDF), Savar, Dhaka.Design/methodology/approachThe study used qualitative in-depth interviews, participants and document observation. Around 20 key informants were purposefully selected from the case organization.FindingsThe findings propose two different models for disruptive production process innovation toward sustainable agribusiness dairy farming from an emerging economy perspective and the modified process model from traditional dairy farms to modern dairy based on the stakeholders' (such as consumers, owners, managers and government) demand.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt to develop a disruptive production process innovation and technology model for the dairy industry and its stakeholders' responsibilities from the experience of an emerging economy. The value of the research is in identifying factors under traditional dairy farming that need to be reduced and eliminated, and the factors under society, health concerns and value-added to existing farms need to be raised as per the global industry standard.

Turbine system vs engine generator in the production of energy by methane in the pacific of Mexico: a technical, economic, and environmental analysis.

This paper aims to analyze the potential of energy production using methane from organic waste as a sustainable alternative to mitigate the environmental impact of energy generation from fossil fuels and the generation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). To carry out the analysis, two technologies were evaluated from technical, economic, and environmental perspectives. The LandGEM model was used to estimate the methane generation potential. The amount of energy produced, along with the respective financial indicators, was also calculated. The results showed that for an average feed of 671,892 tons per year of waste, 6160 ft3/min of CH4 would be generated at a maximum peak in the tenth year, with an annual average of 4735 ft3/min. Additionally, 0.831 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent would be avoided. In terms of power generation, a combined cycle micro-turbine system with an installed capacity of 11.35 MW would be feasible and would yield an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 35% and a Net Present Value (NPV) of $11,608,006 USD. For an engine-generator system, it was not possible to verify profitability due to a significant increase in capital and O&M costs. These results are intended to provide reference information to assist in the decision-making process related to the implementation of projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals within the framework of the 2030 Agenda.

Science Studies teachers’ selection of content when teaching for Sustainable Development

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) advocates a holistic teaching approach, acknowledging social, economic, and environmental perspectives and their relations in striving for sustainable development (SD). It is through understanding these unique perspectives and their interrelations that solutions to SD problems, resolution of SD conflicts and ways to sustainability can be found. Holistic teaching can pose challenges for teachers when choosing what teaching content to include when teaching sustainability. Additionally, the literature does not clearly define what content is to be included within ESD. This study conducted focus group discussions to investigate what content 11 Science Studies teachers chose and whether their teaching approach was holistic when teaching for SD. The findings identified four themes of taught content. The participating teachers included different relationships between the environmental, societal, and economic dimensions of SD. However, the teachers had challenges with the relationships connected to the economic dimension of SD.

Why People Procrastinate on Facebook: Case Study from Employed and Unemployed Facebook Users in Sri Lanka

Procrastination is the intentional postponing of a necessary or devoted task, which can have a number of adverse impacts, including distress, physiological health issues, poor work performance, and subpar academic success. The study aims to analyze and compare procrastination levels among employed and unemployed Facebook users, exploring the reasons behind their procrastination, which is crucial from both an economic and informational perspective. Additionally, it seeks to investigate the association between procrastination on Facebook and the users' education levels. The study also examines how procrastination on Facebook differs between males and females. Positivistic research Philosophy, deductive approach and explanatory research design were deployed for this study. The study used convenience sampling technique and, 300 employed and unemployed Facebook users were taken for analysis of Independent sample test, Anova test and post hoc-tukeys test. Accordingly, five factors namely notification features, immersive decision features, surveillance of presence, identification features, and interaction features were utilized to gauge the degree of procrastination. The findings of this study outlined the causes of procrastination and revealed a substantial difference between employed and unemployed Facebook users in terms of procrastination levels on social media sites. Additionally, results showed that there is a considerable variation between males and females too. The findings will provide a deep knowledge for marketers, psychologists and for academics as well.

Integrated People and Freight Transportation: A Literature Review

Increasing environmental and economic pressures have led to numerous innovations in the logistics sector, including integrated people and freight transport (IPFT). Despite growing attention from practitioners and researchers, IPFT lacks extensive research coverage. This study aims to bridge this gap by presenting a general framework and making several key contributions. It identifies, researches, and explains relevant terminologies, such as cargo hitching, freight on transit (FoT), urban co-modality, crowd-shipping (CS), occasional drivers (OD), crowdsourced delivery among friends, and share-a-ride, illustrating the interaction of IPFT with different systems like the sharing economy and co-modality. Furthermore, it classifies IPFT-related studies at strategic, tactical, and operational decision levels, detailing those that address uncertainty. The study also analyzes the opportunities and challenges associated with IPFT, highlighting social, economic, and environmental benefits and examining challenges from a PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) perspective. Additionally, it discusses practical applications of IPFT and offers recommendations for future research and development, aiming to guide practitioners and researchers in addressing existing challenges and leveraging opportunities. This comprehensive framework aims to significantly advance the understanding and implementation of IPFT in the logistics sector.

Dilemma of Individualism and Freedom in Neoliberal Understanding

There is a clear tension in the neoliberal approach to individualism and freedom. Focusing on the process of individualization and individual self-determination in markets, neoclassical approaches recognize that individuals are committed to social mobility and responsibility to act within market rules on, individual autonomy and the ability to set self-determined goals appear to be limited to market participation. The market is seen as an inherently dynamic system developed over time. According to Hayek, individualism refers to social progress and conformity to society. The aim of this paper is to respectfully examine the apparent inconsistencies and limitations of how individual freedom and choice have been conceptualized by neoliberal thinkers, through an analysis of the works of Hayek and Friedman. Neoliberal policies articulate the notion of free will and question the definition of freedom from a purely economic perspective. By further examining these nuances, the study hopes to reflect on the personal and societal political implications associated with neoliberalism’s more limited understanding of self-government and voluntarism. Finally, an examination of balanced perspectives can add to the ongoing discussion on how best to organize social policies that maximize individual dignity and collective well-being in the long run at in a constructive manner.

Towards a geographical political economy understanding of platformization

In the last ten years digital platforms have emerged as an important theme in academic discourse and various subdisciplines of geography and adjacent research areas. Whether in the fields of social media, urban transport, industry cloud services or gig work, platformization is therein often discussed as a more-than-economic phenomenon engaging in a conflictive relationship with public interest, sovereignty, regulation and the state. However, while the concept of the platform has become ubiquitous, the integration of and dialogue between various broadened definitions are less often practiced. In our short paper, we argue that for further addressing this intricate relation between platforms, power and sovereignty an engagement with the platform concept and its integration through a political economy understanding is key for two reasons: Firstly, an overarching concept of platformization transcending the political/economy binary is necessary to be able to problematize the reification of normalized economic practices lying at the heart of the phenomenon. Secondly, there is a pragmatic reason for developing a geographical political economy perspective on platformization as it can serve as a common ground for an engaged pluralism within and beyond the discipline of economic geography. Based on a systematization of existing definitions this paper therefore combines insights from political economy perspectives, urban platform research and research on platform labor to propose a working definition stimulating a reflection on the platform discourse thus far and strengthening strategical-relational thinking on platform power in future research.

Performance analysis and multi-objective optimization for an integrated air separation, power generation, refrigeration and ice thermal storage system based on the LNG cold energy utilization

Against the backdrop of escalating resource depletion and the urgent quest for alternative sources, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is increasingly gaining prominence as a sustainable solution, particularly in refrigeration applications. However, its underutilization results in wasted resources. To efficiently harness the released cold energy from LNG gasification, this study proposes an integrated system comprising air separation, power generation, refrigeration, and ice thermal storage. The system undergoes optimization using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) to determine the optimal operating parameters. The optimized system is comprehensively analyzed from energy, exergy, economic, and environmental perspectives. Results show that the system, with a 70t/h LNG capacity, achieves an energy efficiency of 42.52% and an exergy efficiency of 48.09%. Economically, the system incurs a cost of approximately 0.0711 $/kWh and can mitigate over 1.4504*107kg of CO2 emissions. Compared to traditional LNG utilization systems, the integrated system demonstrates a 22.32% improvement in energy efficiency, a 7.69% enhancement in exergy efficiency, and a cost reduction of 0.0049 $/kWh. In summary, this technologically advanced and economically viable system offers a significant alternative to optimize LNG cold energy utilization.

A hazai gyermekvédelmi rendszer fejlesztésében rejlő potenciális gazdasági hasznok

The study approaches child protection involvement from an economic perspective, and is thus a niche study in the Hungarian literature. It seeks to quantify the social benefits to society of mitigating the negative impact of involvement in the provision of child protection, and the maximum return on investment in the child protection system for a given payback period and discount rate. As in international research, the evaluation of the project is based on a cost-benefit analysis of the increase in educational attainment. The social benefit is estimated by determining the number of people affected and the social benefit per person affected, and the social discount rate is determined using two types of elasticity estimates. The results suggest that a greater allocation of public resources to child protection provision not only benefits the individuals concerned, but can also result in a positive net present value investment for society as a whole.

Quantitative evaluation and optimization of synergistic regulation performance considering wear in short-term response of hybrid pumped storage systems

Amid the extensive integration of renewable energy sources and rapid development of variable-speed pumped storage systems (VPSSs), demanding regulation tasks introduce risks to hydraulic-mechanical systems, revealing a growing trade-off between wear and regulation. From the economic and safe operation perspective, this paper aims to accurately quantify and enhance comprehensive regulation performance of hybrid pumped hydro storage systems (HPHSSs) with VPSS. First, a generic framework is established to quantitatively evaluate synergistic regulation performance (SRP), combining regulation intensity and frequency suppression effect of each unit type. Next, a frequency-division coordinated control method is proposed based on the amplitude-frequency characteristics, designed to leverage the rapid response capabilities of VPSS, and the coupling mechanism between this method and the conventional speed limiter module in affecting system dynamics is elucidated. Finally, comprehensive evaluations of HPHSS under typical disturbance scenarios are conducted, with frequency-division parameter further optimized for different system configurations. The results indicate that HPHSS exhibits excellent global stability with the coordinated control, reducing magnitude of average frequency deviation from 10−3 to 10−4, greatly enhancing the SRP. Additionally, an optimal cut-off frequency is identified within 0.05–0.5 Hz, showing an increasing trend as VPSS proportion decreases. These findings provide a novel sight for the safe and optimized operation of HPHSS.

Advances in Extracting Bioactive Compounds from Food and Agricultural Waste and By-Products Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Circular Economy Perspective

Due to the urgent need for a transition to sustainable, zero-waste green technology, the extraction of bioactives from food and agricultural by-products and waste has garnered increasing interest. Traditional extraction techniques often involve using organic solvents, which are associated with environmental and health risks. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) have emerged as a promising green alternative, offering advantages such as low toxicity, biodegradability, and the ability to dissolve a wide range of biomolecules. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent trends in the application of NADESs for extracting bioactive compounds from sustainable sources. The review explains the composition and principles of preparation and highlights various applications of NADESs in extracting different classes of bioactive compounds, emphasizing their potential to revolutionize extraction processes. By summarizing the latest advancements and trends, this review aims to support research and industrial applications of NADESs, promoting more sustainable and efficient extraction methods in the food and agricultural sectors.

In‐Pipe Maintenance Robot Using Spray‐In‐Place Pipe Technique for Long‐Distance and Complex Pipe Environment

ABSTRACTConventional pipe rehabilitation technologies are not the most sustainable solution for the utility industry because of various drawbacks, such as time consumption, disturbance to operations, society, and traffic, and the production of waste material. However, aged underground metal pipes are affected by natural forces. Trenchless rehabilitation technologies have been introduced for the treatment and renovation of aged pipes to ensure that utilities are safe and durable from an economic perspective. This paper proposes a portable and automatic robotic solution for a trenchless spray‐in‐place pipe approach for small underground pipelines. This approach shortens the duration of the rehabilitation operation from approximately a week to < 5 h. The robot delivered and monitored a protective well‐mixed urethane coating with plural components accurately using rotary mixing and spraying with a low‐pressure and safer configuration (< 0.8 MPa). The robot exhibited superior capacities in complicated pipe environments for turning into 90° elbows and 6‐in. (150 mm), 8‐in. (200 mm), and 10‐in. (250 mm) pipelines. An automated robot was deployed and rehabilitated at various underground and on‐ground pipe sites. The spray performance was validated using tensile tests. This robot can be applied to any pipeline system and can be developed for other in‐pipe robotic construction and renovation approaches.

Scheduling and assessment of multi-area virtual power plant including flexible resources using swarm intelligence technique

A virtual power plant (VPP) makes the distributed energy resources (DERs) visible to support grid services, promoting clean energy use by offering an alternative to reduce reliance on conventional sources. This paper proposes optimized operation and scheduling of VPP by forming a group of flexible resources that includes renewables i.e., solar, wind power, fuel cell, and co-generation units along with storage facilities to form a holistic network in a multi-area interconnected system framework. Initially, the scheduling is performed for a single area system in which a comparison is made with the available work relevant to the proposed formulation. In addition, the scheduling is further extended to the proposed multi-area based virtual power plant (MAVPP) performed on a day-ahead (DA) basis and the target objective(s) i.e., net profit and emission are optimized. Furthermore, a recently developed marine predator optimization algorithm (MPOA) is employed to solve the proposed problem formulation and the results are compared and discussed extensively with conventional techniques. Also, the analysis pertaining to MAVPP is carried out which is beneficial in terms of economic and environmental perspective. The result reveals that the maximum value of net profit for MAVPP is converging to an optimum value of 59,351.88 $ followed by the attained value of minimum emission of 51,700.73 Kg by consuming an elapsed time of 92.96 and 104.76 s., respectively in 200 iterations. The outcomes are promising and upon comparison with the available literature work, the superiority of the selected technique is evident in terms of computational time, improvement of net profit and reduction in emission followed by the ease of convergence behaviour in fewer iterations.

Socio economic perspectives on fusion power for a sustainable future energy system

In the global effort towards the mitigation of climate change, low-carbon electricity generating technologies play a pivotal role. Nuclear fusion stands as a highly promising option for carbon-free electricity generation in a sustainable, reliable, affordable and socially acceptable future energy system. The EUROfusion work package “Socio Economic Studies” (WPSES) on fusion conducts research aimed at identifying social and economic conditions that can effectively support fusion deployment in future energy markets. Placing nuclear fusion in the broader context of energy and climate issues, the SES research explores fusion as an energy technology contributing to sustainable energy production for the future society. Because of the cross-cutting nature of the research, SES studies can provide decision-makers with scientific evidence relevant for shaping appropriate strategies in favour of fusion. This paper aims to offer the scientific community a thorough overview of EUROfusion SES research, addressing a gap in the current literature.

ANALYSIS OF SALES AND SERVICE PRICING MECHANISMS FROM AN ISLAMIC ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

A trading activity will not escape the name of the price. Unclear prices can cause many things, for example, entrepreneurs do not like buyers and vice versa, even buyers can do something that can damage the good name of the seller or company and many other consequences. Therefore, the price really needs to be considered. This study aims to analyse the pricing mechanism and services at Latansa Gontor convection from an Islamic economic perspective. In this context, four pricing indicators according to the Islamic perspective are considered: wisdom, transparency, honesty and justice. The research method used is qualitative with an open coding approach. Data were collected through interviews with the manager of Latansa Gontor Convection as well as direct observation at the production site. The results of the analysis show that Latansa Gontor Convection successfully applies the principle of wisdom in pricing and services, this can be seen from how customers get clear information before the transaction. In addition, Latansa Gontor Convection adjusts product prices by taking into account customer needs and goals, as well as recognising the level of production difficulty in service pricing to provide appropriate compensation to employees.

Wallet wars or digital public infrastructure? Orchestrating a digital identity data ecosystem from a government perspective

With the eIDAS 2.0 legislation, the European Union seeks to establish a digital identity data ecosystem and to empower citizens to manage digital credentials from various sources through an ID wallet interface. To achieve this, governments must develop holistic orchestration models integrating technical, regulatory, and economic perspectives. This approach will foster ecosystem value creation, address orchestration tensions, and design sustainable operating models for various ecosystem actors. While IS research has explored private-sector governance mechanisms in platform and data ecosystems, a research gap exists in understanding public–private orchestration where governments act as orchestrators. We address this through a structured document analysis of 80 position papers from various stakeholders participating in a public government consultation process and 14 semi-structured in-depth interviews. By examining ecosystem value creation mechanisms, orchestration tensions, and monetization challenges, we identify two government orchestration standard types for the ID wallet provision. The Government ID-Infrastructure Wallet model embodies an ecosystem-integrated public infrastructure, while the Trust ID Wallet Federation exemplifies a dynamic and competition-driven approach. By bridging the self-sovereign identity ecosystem paradigm with digital identity infrastructure research, our work contributes to the understanding and theoretical development of data ecosystems and digital identity research from a government perspective.

Debt-financed migration: Agency and the productivity of debt

ABSTRACT Debt-financed migration has been a subject of academic interest for the past two decades. This phenomenon can be divided into two main mechanisms: salary deductions and upfront payments. In salary deductions, facilitators provide migrants with upfront funds that are later deducted from their salaries by their employers. In upfront payments, migrants borrow and mortgage assets to obtain capital to cover migration-related expenses upfront or upon arrival. These expenses are then repaid through remittances. Most of the existing literature on debt-financed migration has taken an economic perspective that emphasizes the risks of debt bondage in salary deductions and vulnerability in upfront payments. Studies critically examine the role of states, brokers, and markets in impacting migrants’ well-being and labor and human rights. However, considering the increasing intensity of migration flows and the widespread use of debt as a funding mechanism, evaluating the relevance of the conventional economic framework is essential. I argue this framework can be supplemented with a richer and more empirical understanding of agency that shows how migrants can effectively use debt for empowerment and protection against debt bondage and vulnerability. To support this argument, I delineate an economic anthropology framework highlighting migrants’ agentic use of debt to their advantage.