Investment In Facilities Research Articles

Environmental Protection for Bureaucratic Promotion: Water Quality Performance Review of Provincial Governors in China

We show including quantitative environmental targets for bureaucratic promotion incentivizes government officials to enforce environmental regulation but at significant economic costs. Taking advantage of the gradual expansion of China’s water quality performance review (WQPR) over time and space, we find that WQPR significantly reduced ambient concentrations of criteria pollutants, digestive cancer mortality, and GDP growth rate. WQPR’s effects are more pronounced along provincial borders, which are targeted by WQPR, and when provincial governors have more promotion potential. An important mechanism is investment in wastewater treatment facilities. There is evidence that WQPR passed the benefit-cost test, especially in rural areas.

Bibliometric Analysis of Reference Materials and Certified Reference Materials Applied to Geochemistry

The use of reference materials (RMs) and certified reference materials (CRMs) is essential to guarantee the reliability of measurement procedures ‐ a major factor motivating the efforts of the geoanalytical community. This work quantifies trends and patterns in the scientific literature concerning RMs and CRMs in geochemistry for specific timespans, with the aim of evaluating historical developments, research fields, geographic shifts of research centres, and current trends. The Scopus database was surveyed for peer‐reviewed full‐texts (14,201 documents), which were subsequently exploited for statistical description, bibliometric mapping and cluster analysis. Mineral exploration and trace element geochemistry stimulated early research, whereas environmental subjects have grown in importance mainly since the year 2000. International standardisation was coincident with an increase of publications covering CRMs and geochemistry, and is thought to reflect the impact of ISO guidelines in this scientific activity. Other factors include investments in research facilities, creation of specialised geoanalytical journals and organisation of international meetings. The analysis shows that RMs are typically used for petrogenetic research topics, whereas CRMs are equally important for environmental sciences, chemistry and geosciences. Environmental sciences are mostly concerned with anthropogenic contamination of ecosystems by heavy metals, whereas geological interest is mainly driven by isotope geochemistry. Scientific frontiers in geoanalytical research comprise microanalytical methodologies, unconventional isotopes, rare earth elements and environmental monitoring. New trends in CRM applications also include biogeochemistry and radionuclides.

Implementation and development of hospital-based health technology assessment in Poland from the perspective of hospital representatives: qualitative research.

The analysis of health technologies in Poland has so far mainly concerned drugs assessed by the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariffication, which was established for this purpose. Due to the implementation of various forms of investment (hardware, diagnostic, and organizational) in hospitals, and the growing need to properly assess the costs of implemented solutions, Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment (HB-HTA) began to develop. In order to implement HB-HTA in the Polish healthcare system, in 2019-2022 a project was carried out, the consortium members of which were: the National Health Fund (NHF), the National Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw (NIKARD), and Lazarski University (UŁ). Analyzing the possibilities of developing HB-HTA in Polish hospitals based on the experiences of the study participants. Presenting benefits and barriers for HB-HTA units implementation to Polish hospitals. Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with the representatives of hospitals that participated in the HB-HTA project using the Nvivo12 program. A specially prepared questionnaire with questions regarding the pre-project, design, and post-project phases was presented to respondents from five of the seven hospitals participating in the pilot phase of the project, during which HB-HTA reports were prepared for selected medical technologies. The remaining two facilities that were invited refused to participate in the study. The Ethics Committee of the Jagiellonian University Medical College gave consent to conduct the study. Hospital representatives indicate that the HB-HTA methodology allows for the assessment of investments in facilities based on appropriate data. Thanks to the project, employees of hospital units gained new skills, such as becoming familiar with literature reviews in medical bibliographic databases. However, HB-HTA in Poland has not been fully implemented because facilities do not obtain adequate benefits from the implementation of HB-HTA at the organizational and financial level. According to the study participants, the methodology itself should be modified to take into account the needs of the facility. The hospitals participating in the HB-HTA project are developing the field of analyzing how innovative solutions are implemented in their facilities, but not to the extent that was intended in the project design.

A dynamic model of investment in research and teaching facilities in academic institutions

A dynamic model of investment in research and teaching facilities in academic institutions

The locality challenges facing the ‘levelling up’ of sport participation and health inequality in England

ABSTRACT In the context of the UK Government’s levelling up agenda, current sport policy seeks to reduce inequalities in sport participation, supported by investment in facilities. Drawing on a socio-ecological theoretical framework, this paper analyses a large-scale dataset measuring individual sport and fitness participation, local authority facility availability and level of multiple deprivation to examine the individual/compositional and locality/contextual influences on participation in sport and fitness activities for men and women in England. Multi-level regressions highlight the challenges faced for policy, arguing that scaled-up local action is needed to account for the interaction between individual factors, facility availability and area deprivation.

STRATEGIC INTEGRATION OF CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC) IN ENHANCING THE MARINE FISHERY SECTOR OF PAKISTAN: A PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

The marine fishery sector in Pakistan is particularly important in terms of the country’s economy but is still unexplored with problems such as old equipment, limited cold storage and processing, and not much investment made. Due to the emphasis on connectivity and economic cooperation under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it is possible to provide a strategic impetus to the development of the fishery sector. This research work seeks to establish how CPEC may improve the marine fishery industry of Pakistan and find out how the sector may benefit from CPEC investments in infrastructure and related facilities. The specific research questions the way CPEC infrastructure and investment could be optimally used for the development of the marine fishery sector of Pakistan for possible economic gains that could be associated with the integration of CPEC into the fishery sector. The study adopts a descriptive research type of approach whereby the researcher relies on secondary sources of information and analyzed data to assess the status of the marine fishery of Pakistan, identify the opportunities under CPEC for the sector, and establish how the sector can effectively integrate into the framework. The importance is in bringing attention to an overlooked sector that may benefit from the efficient use of CPEC projects. With investment and cooperation in the agriculture and socio-economic sectors, integration in the fishery sector will enhance Pakistan's blue economy and sustainable economic development.

Farmers’ motivations to cultivate biomass for energy and implications

Bioenergy derived from agricultural biomass can contribute to meeting the rising demand for renewable energy. To estimate the agricultural sector's potential to contribute to bioenergy, it is crucial to understand what motivates farmers to increase agricultural feedstock production sustainably. Through eight semi-structured interviews and online surveys with 174 farmers in southern Sweden, we explore the barriers and incentives farmers perceive in starting or increasing feedstock production for energy purposes sustainably using production methods with a low risk of causing indirect land use change (iLUC). Among the most prominent barriers are low profitability, high-risk investments, and potential negative environmental consequences such as soil depletion. Higher market prices for plant residuals and energy crops, combined with more long-term and reliable subsidies that support investments in new machinery, facilities, and production systems, are major driving factors to increase feedstock production for bioenergy. The study found that the farmers see little potential in using marginal lands due to their low soil productivity and spatial characteristics. Further, the potential for intensifying biomass production on currently cropped land is also found to be limited due to risks of soil depletion and environmental degradation. Our study highlights that the potential of bioenergy production from underutilized land and intensive production in Scania may be overestimated, and realizing this potential in practice may require suitable policy changes.

Strategi Pengembangan Bisnis Ekspor Bumbu Makanan Olahan dengan Menggunakan Analisis Business Model Canvas (BMC) dan SWOT pada CV Restu Mande

This research was conducted to determine the appropriate CV Restu Mande business strategy design using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis and the Business Model Canvas (BMC) in achieving export targets. The method used in this research is a descriptive qualitative method. Data collection carried out in this research was interviews with the leadership of CV Restu Mande, observation both directly and indirectly, and documentation. The SWOT analysis carried out in this research produces a SWOT matrix as a recommendation for CV Restu Mande's business strategy. The results of the SWOT analysis, SWOT matrix, and proposed new Business Model Canvas at CV Restu Mande are that in the customer segments section, target consumers are added in the form of Indonesian communities abroad, in the channels section, websites, international e-commerce and overseas retail need to be added, in the customer relationship section, rewards need to be added for resellers, dropshippers and loyal customers, in the key resources section we need to add production facilities, in the key activities section we need to add more interesting and detailed marketing activities, in the key partnership section we need to add agent collaboration. or distributors, loyal customers, production partners, and international trade consultants or experts, and in the cost structure section it is necessary to focus on investment in production facilities.

Eksplorasi Implementasi Laboratorium Fisika Berbasis Inquiry Di SMAN 1 Kejayan

This study aims to identify and analyze the impact of the implementation of inquiry-based Physics Laboratory on the quality of learning and student learning outcomes in SMAN 1 Kejayan. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to understand how inquiry-based approach affects the understanding of physics concepts, students ' learning motivation, as well as the challenges and opportunities that arise in the process of its implementation. This article explores the implementation of inquiry-based Physics Laboratory in SMAN 1 Kejayan which was previously dominated by qualitative methods that focused on memorization and limited application of physics concepts. The implementation of this method offers the potential to improve the quality of physics learning and students ' learning outcomes by engaging them in hands-on exploration of physics concepts, which increases understanding and motivation for learning. The school supports teachers with the necessary training and laboratory facilities. Research uses a qualitative approach and demonstrates the positive impacts of this approach, such as improved student understanding and learning motivation, although challenges remain, including time management adjustments, teacher training, and resource provision. The implementation of inquiry-based Physics Laboratory in SMAN 1 Kejayan showed a positive impact on the understanding of physics concepts and student learning motivation. Despite challenges in terms of teacher training and resource provision, ongoing support from schools through training and investment in laboratory facilities has proven effective in strengthening these methods. The results indicate that inquiry-based approach can improve the quality of physics learning and student learning outcomes, as well as encourage active participation and involvement of students in the learning process. The study's conclusion states that despite the challenges, this approach supports better learning quality and improved student learning outcomes, with schools continuing to invest in teacher training and laboratory resources to strengthen the application of these methods.

Analisis Peran Sarana dan Prasarana Sekolah Terhadap Motivasi Belajar Siswa

This article examines the impact of school facilities and infrastructure on students' learning motivation. Student learning motivation is one of the important elements in the success of education but is often hampered by inadequate facilities and infrastructure. This research was conducted at SMP Negeri 5 Botomuzoi using a qualitative approach and a descriptive method. The results of interviews and questionnaires show that the availability of good facilities and infrastructure makes a significant contribution to increasing student learning motivation. This study concludes that investment in school facilities and infrastructure is very important to create a conducive learning environment and increase student learning motivation.

Scientific principles, factors and peculiarities of intensification in agricultural production

The theoretical and methodological foundations of intensification and the practice of efficient agricultural production in the context of continuity of provisions of the concept of sustainable development of the industry are studied. The features and significance of intensification are revealed, attention is paid to the issues of organic production, implementation of the principles of green economy policy and the processes of ecologization, land reclamation, investment, construction and reconstruction of agricultural facilities.

Trends in life expectancy and life disparity in the older population in China by regions, 1981–2020

This paper examines the trends in life expectancy and life disparity among the older population in China and its sub-national regions based on China National Population Census data from 1981 to 2020, using the life disparity indicator developed by Zhang and Vaupel. It is shown that, first, the life expectancy of the older population in both China and its sub-national regions has experienced a significant upward trend; however, the growth is uneven across regions. Second, life disparities due to deaths among the elderly in China and its sub-national regions followed a downward trend, but life disparities due to deaths among the elderly as a ratio of total life disparities increased, indicating an increasing importance of deaths among the elderly in life disparities amid overall mortality improvements. Third, multiple linear regression models indicate that variations in life expectancy and life disparity among the older population across regions in China may stem from uneven development in the health transition process and resulting disparities. The eastern region of China has experienced a faster health transition compared to the western region, as evidenced by the greater impact of investments in medical facilities and economic development levels on increasing old-age life expectancy and reducing old-age life disparities in the eastern region. This paper reveals that the life expectancy and life disparity of China's older population has improved considerably over the past four decades, and its relatively lagging improvement compared to that of developed countries over the same period may be related to the relatively lagging health transition in the western region of the country.

Younger children and mothers’ labour supply in rural India: Evidence from fertility stopping behaviour

This paper estimates the causal effect of having young children aged 0–5 years on mothers’ labour force participation in rural India. To address the potential endogeneity in the fertility decision, I exploit Indian families’ preference for having sons. I leverage exogenous variation in the gender of older children aged 6 + years as an instrumental variable for having younger children aged 0–5 years in the family. IV estimates show that the mothers’ participation is significantly reduced by 9.9% due to the presence of young children aged 0–5 years in the household, with the negative effect mostly driven by mothers belonging to the highest income quartile; mothers with high education; and mothers residing in nuclear families. The findings highlight the need for investment in high-skilled jobs and formal childcare facilities to encourage mothers’ labour supply. Using the testable implications for the generalizability of LATE discussed in Angrist (The Economic Journal, 114: C52 C83, 2004), I show that the estimated causal effect is homogenous across compliers, always takers, and never takers and thus, generalizable to the whole population of interest.

Supervisi Akademik Kepala Madrasah dalam Peningkatan Kinerja Guru Menghadapi Era Society 5.0

This research aims to identify the patterns of planning, implementation, evaluation, and follow-up in academic supervision by the headmaster to improve teacher performance at MAN 4 East Aceh in facing Society 5.0 era, as well as to explore the constraints faced. The research used a qualitative approach. The results show that academic supervision at MAN 4 East Aceh is carried out systematically through stages of planning, implementation, evaluation, and follow-up. Planning includes developing a supervisory program, assigning tasks to supervisor teams, and creating a supervisory schedule while implementation is done through classroom visits and observations. Evaluation involves assessing learning tools and teaching practices with feedback and continuous coaching as follow-ups. Constraints include scheduling delays; limited human resources; slow technology adaptation; and infrastructure limitations. The practical implications of this study indicate the need for technology training for teachers and investment in infrastructure facilities. Theoretical implications strengthen the importance of comprehensive and adaptive supervision approaches in facing Society 5.0 era. However, this study is limited among others so its results may not be fully generalizable.Recommendations for future research involve expanding studies to other madrasahs use mixed methods for more comprehensive analysis.

The Expansion of Incentive (Performance-Based) Regulation of Electricity Distribution and Transmission in the United States

I examine developments in the application of performance-based regulation (PBR) to electricity distribution and transmission in the United States. Applications of comprehensive PBR to electricity distribution had been slow to diffuse in the U.S. prior to roughly 2000. PBR mechanisms are now being applied more frequently to electricity distribution, which reflects the changing structure of the electric power industry and the increasing obligations that are being placed on electric distribution companies. The new obligations are a consequence primarily of aggressive targets for decarbonizing the electricity sector in nearly half the states and the goal of using “clean” electricity to electrify transportation, buildings, and other sectors. PBR should be viewed as a set of “building blocks” that can be adopted in various combinations and should recognize that PBR and traditional cost-of-service regulation (COSR) are properly viewed as complements rather than substitutes. Recent reforms in the regulation of distribution companies in Great Britain—“RIIO”—have been influential in the U.S. The main reforms contained in RIIO are discussed. There has been essentially no application of PBR by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to owners of transmission assets or to independent transmission operators. FERC has applied targeted incentives to encourage investment in transmission facilities and membership in independent system operator organizations. However, the regulation of transmission rates relies primarily on COSR in the form of formula rates and has poor incentive properties. Regulation of independent system operators is a challenge because they are non-profit organizations with no equity to put at risk. Reforms here are suggested.

Optimization of residential energy system configurations considering the bidirectional power supply of electric vehicles and electricity interchange between two residences

Electric vehicles (EVs) combined with bidirectional home chargers (vehicle-to-home (V2H) units) and electricity interchange between residences are promising options for the self-consumption of rooftop photovoltaics (PVs) in residences. Furthermore, considering that EVs have large storage capacities, one EV + V2H might support neighborhood-scale electricity storage by electricity interchange between residences, resulting in more cost-efficient self-consumption systems. Therefore, this paper investigates how permitting electricity interchange between residences affects the economically optimal design of distributed energy systems, such as PVs, EVs and V2H units. For this purpose, a mixed-integer linear programming model is developed to optimize the configurations and operation strategies of distributed energy resources (DERs) considering electricity interchange in neighborhoods. V2H units, which supply electricity from EVs to residences, are considered DER options independent of EVs. Furthermore, the optimization results are compared under two scenarios wherein electricity interchange is and is not permitted between two residences. The results indicate that permitting electricity interchange improves the self-consumption rate of PV power while reducing investment in storage facilities. The one influencing factor is sharing one EV + V2H between two residences and effectively utilizing the available storage capacity.

Distress financing associated with out-of-pocket expenditure for non-communicable diseases in India

ABSTRACT Objective The objective of this study is to assess the coping mechanisms used by the households who incur out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) due to Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs). Also, it seeks to examine the underlying factors responsible for various coping strategy. Data and Methods Data from the 75th round of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has been used for the study. Descriptive statistics, concentration index (CI), and multinomial logistic regression have been employed to do the analysis. Results Households having cancer patients have a higher rate (46.80%) of distress financing, followed by cardiovascular diseases (27.43%), chronic respiratory diseases (26.91%), and diabetes (24.77%). The result of multinomial logistic regression shows that households belonging to the other caste categories, availing healthcare at private health centre, lower economic status, lack of insurance coverage, and households with casual labour are more likely to depend upon distress financing for NCDs hospitalisation. Conclusion The issue of financing inpatient care for NCDs, specifically cancer and cardiovascular diseases, is a significant concern in India. Therefore, an increase in public expenditure and investment in public health facilities is essential to increase health seeking behaviour of people by reducing OOPE, particularly among the poor and marginalised groups.

Carbon performance analysis of upgraded wastewater treatment plants in key control areas of the Ziya River Basin in China

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and they are also one of the largest energy consumption industries in urban systems. With the progression of upgrading and standard-rising, WWTPs both directly and indirectly increase carbon emissions from the increased investments in facilities and usages in electricity as well as chemical agents. Here, we collected operational data from 15 WWTPs in the key control areas of the Ziya River Basin in North China and accounted for the changes in carbon performance at different technical upgrade methods. Results showed that the average carbon emission performance increased by 0.487 kg CO2/m3 after the upgrade. Carbon emissions from electricity consumption, chemical usage, biochemical process and sludge treatment accounted for 42%, 17%, 24%, and 17% of the total improvement in carbon emission performance, respectively. Reducing energy consumption, regulating chemical use and sludge comprehensive utilization are the key to carbon emission reduction. It further proposes that the development of wastewater treatment discharge standards should fully consider the comprehensive utilization of water quality classification. Regions with favorable natural conditions should make full use of their advantages by adopting economically feasible, low-energy-consuming technologies such as constructed wetlands, which offer carbon sequestration and landscaping benefits. This study provides guidance on the selection of technological pathways for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation in the wastewater treatment industry and on achieving sustainable water resource utilization.

연구시설 투자공시의 정보효과와 정보불균형에 대한 고찰

연구시설 투자공시의 정보효과와 정보불균형에 대한 고찰

Impact of Government Funded Health Insurance Scheme on OOP and Quality of Health Care: A Study of Maternal Health Care in Rajasthan

There has been a gradual shift of India’s health policies in favour of government-funded health insurance schemes rather than investment in public health facilities. The impact of this shift on quality of health care, especially for the poor and vulnerable population, is yet to be fully understood. The current study has been undertaken to study the effectiveness of one such state government-funded health insurance scheme, known as Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana (BSBY), on out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure and quality of health care services for the child delivery cases in a low-income community in the capital city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. While this study contributes to knowledge on the impact of access to health insurance on OOP expenditure, it covers a critical gap in the literature regarding its effect on quality of health care. The empirical analysis, conducted using log-linear and logit models, indicates that BSBY has a positive impact on reduction of OOP and improvement in quality of treatment in the study area.