Financial Expenses Research Articles

Забезпечення енергоефективних режимів роботи в системах електрозабезпечення промислових і цивільних об’єктів шляхом регулювання напруги

The development of voltage regulation methods in the energy supply system of industrial and civil facilities using continuous and discrete sources of reactive power, tap-changer of GPP transformers and PBZ of shop transformers is an urgent task. It allows maintaining energy-efficient modes of powerconsuming equipment, elements of power supply and power consumption systems and reduce financial expenses for payment for electric energy. The article presents approaches to solving the task of determining energy-efficient voltage levels at different hierarchical levels of the power supply system and ensuring them by using voltage regulators (TAPs) of GPP transformers, PBZ switches of workshop transformers, as well as power regulation of reactive power sources. For the calculation of energy-efficient voltages, an appropriate algorithm has been developed, which provides the separate execution of operations for calculating the parameters of the current mode of the power supply system and its optimization. This allows to monitor the state of the power supply system and ensure the maximum efficiency of the use of voltage regulation devices. A method of determining the static load characteristics of asynchronous motors by voltage is proposed, taking into account their design features, mechanical load characteristics and magnetizing currents. A method of de termining the static characteristics of the load by voltage at the levels of the shop transformer, RP and GPP has been developed. With the use of the MATLAB/SIMULINK package, calculation studies of static characteristics by voltage at different levels of the hierarchical power supply system were carried out. The selection of the method for calculating the modes of shop and distribution electric networks of an industrial enterprise was reasoned. The static characteristics of the load according to the voltage, the action of the voltage regulators of the GPP trans formers, the position of the PBZ of the shop transformers, the power of the reactive power sources were taken into account. Algorithm for controlling discrete and continuous sources of reactive power and voltage regulators of GPP transformers was proposed taking into account static load characteristics to ensure energy-efficient operation modes of shop and distribution electrical networks of an industrial enterprise.

Two-Phase Virtual Machine Placement in Cloud Computing Data Centers Using Extreme Learning Machine Prediction-Based Triggering Method

Background: Two-phase Optimization of Virtual Machine Placement (VMP) Problem considers both the Online Incremental VMP (iVMP) phase in which the new arrival of dynamic requests of Virtual Machines VMs are attended to and the Offline VMP reconfiguration (VMPr) phase that performs placement recalculation. In the two-phase scheme, the first part of the two-phase approach is the iVMP, where virtual machines (VMs) can be built, changed, or destroyed at runtime. While the second phase focuses on raising the standard of solutions produced by the iVMP, several studies have been done in different literature to solve the VMP problem. However, the methods used tend to be over-forecast and have long runs of a linear trend. This affects the prediction and produces a less optimal solution. Objective: The following four objective functions are optimized using the proposed Extreme Learning Machine Prediction-Based Triggering Method for Virtual Machine Placement in Cloud Computing Datacenters in Two-Phases, which combines the advantages of both online (dynamic) and static (offline) VMP formulations: the length of the reconfiguration process, the amount of energy used, the way resources are used, and the financial expenses. This study suggests a brand-new strategy for deciding when to start the VMP reconfiguration phase. Results: The Method provides more accuracy to the predicted requests as well as reduces the total economic penalties for service Level Agreement(SLA) violations. An experimental comparison with the existing approach is conducted utilizing 400 cases. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that, in comparison to the benchmark approach, the proposed work obtained a minimum cost function with a 10.5% improvement

A gyermekes anyák nehézségei a munka világában

The study examines the labour market integration and employment attitudes of women with young children among the factors influencing the extremely low Hungarian fertility rate. The literature review looks at the role of education, working while raising children, the role of careers, work-life balance and the glass ceiling phenomenon. In the empirical part, We will present, without any claims to exhaustiveness, a typical set of problems that fundamentally determine women’s presence in the labour market. We surveyed 1,033 respondents on attitudes towards work, time spent at home and difficulties in finding a job. The results of the questionnaire survey were evaluated using the SPSS 26.0 software package, including mainly descriptive statistical methods. We found that discrimination against mothers with young children still persists in job interviews. The contribution to the family’s financial expenses is the main factor influencing the return from maternity leave. When choosing a job, the key factor is the work schedule of the job applied for.

What are the modifiable factors of treatment burden and capacity among people with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers: A qualitative study.

People with long-term conditions must complete many healthcare tasks such as take medications, attend appointments, and change their lifestyle. This treatment burden and ability to manage it (capacity) is not well-researched in Parkinson's disease. To explore and identify potentially modifiable factors contributing to treatment burden and capacity in people with Parkinson's disease and caregivers. Semi-structured interviews with nine people with Parkinson's disease and eight caregivers recruited from Parkinson's disease clinics in England (ages 59-84 years, duration of Parkinson's disease diagnosis 1-17 years, Hoehn and Yahr (severity of Parkinson's disease) stages 1-4) were conducted. Interviews were recorded and analyzed thematically. Four themes of treatment burden with modifiable factors were identified: 1) Challenges with appointments and healthcare access: organizing appointments, seeking help and advice, interactions with healthcare professionals, and caregiver role during appointments; 2) Issues obtaining satisfactory information: sourcing and understanding information, and satisfaction with information provision; 3) Managing medications: getting prescriptions right, organizing polypharmacy, and autonomy to adjust treatments; and 4) Lifestyle changes: exercise, dietary changes, and financial expenses. Aspects of capacity included access to car and technology, health literacy, financial capacity, physical and mental ability, personal attributes and life circumstances, and support from social networks. There are potentially modifiable factors of treatment burden including addressing the frequency of appointments, improving healthcare interactions and continuity of care, improving health literacy and information provision, and reducing polypharmacy. Some changes could be implemented at individual and system levels to reduce treatment burden for people with Parkinson's and their caregivers. Recognition of these by healthcare professionals and adopting a patient-centered approach may improve health outcomes in Parkinson's disease.

The Sarcoma-Specific Instrument to Longitudinally Assess Health-Related Outcomes of the Routine Care Cycle

Patient-based health related quality of life (HRQoL) measurements are associated with an improvement in quality of care and outcomes. For a complex disease such as sarcoma, there is no disease-specific questionnaire available which covers all clinically relevant dimensions. Herein, we report on the development of an electronically implemented, sarcoma-specific instrument to assess health-related outcomes, which encompasses a combination of generic questionnaires tailored to the respective disease and treatment status covering the entire longitudinal care cycle. An interoperable digital platform was designed to provide a node between patients and physicians and to integrate the sarcoma-specific HRQoL instrument with patient and physician-based quality indicators to allow longitudinal structured real-world-time data evidence analytics. This approach enables the prediction modeling of disease, and by attributing cost tags to quality indicators, treatment effectiveness for a given disease will be directly correlated with financial expenses, which may ultimately lead to a more sustainable healthcare system.

Developing a collection around transgender life-writing at Senate House Library, University of London

Purpose The purpose of this case study is to document the process of building a collection of works around transgender life-writing, following the identification of a significant gap in the existing collections. Design/methodology/approach This case study describes and evaluates a collection development project undertaken at Senate House Library, University of London. After evaluating four comparable case studies, guidelines were developed for acquisitions to the collection, based on subject, conservation needs and financial expense. Findings Twenty items were selected for the collection, dating from 1933 to 2015, including books and magazines in multiple languages. The items acquired for the collection push back against the genre’s traditional preoccupation with transition. Writers describe their experiences as a racing driver and fighter pilot (Roberta Cowell), an NGO director (A. Revathi), a Buddhist monk (Michael Dillon), a professional tennis player and ophthalmologist (Renée Richards), and a travel writer, journalist and mountaineer (Jan Morris). Research limitations/implications Challenges included setting the scope of the collection, and questions around the cataloguing and arrangement of materials. Practical implications Items acquired for the collection entered the library separately and were processed individually by the library’s cataloguing team as they arrived. Several issues arose during this stage of the project. Social implications To serve the needs of library users effectively, it is necessary to analyse the imbalances in collections as a routine practice. Originality/value The case study is original in focusing on a comparably small project with larger implications for the user experience and inclusivity of a library and its collections.

The method of calculating the minimum creep rate of turbine blades of gas turbine engines based on the degradation of the alloy microstructure

In the current global economic conditions, airlines need to curtail financial expenses. It is known that the share of airline costs for maintenance and repair (MR) in the total cost structure amounts to at least 20%, of which more than 40% is for the repair and maintenance of aircraft engines (AE). According to the actual expertise, this item of expenditure will continue to grow due to the inevitable sophistication of AE structures, which is specified by the need to increase the efficiency and ecological compatibility. One of the possible ways of curbing maintenance and repair expenses is to transit for the operation of on-condition components which are currently in operation until the overhaul life is exhausted. For example, turbine blades of gas turbine engines (GTE) can be pertinent to such elements. It is a common fact that turbine blades operate in challenging environment: they are affected by excessive temperatures, severe centrifugal loads, aggressive gas media, and their destruction generally occurs because of the accumulation of fatigue damage and creep. The alloy microstructure significantly degrades and deforms before macroscopic damage develops. The early detection of microscopic damage in the alloy is the tool which allows for the transition to GTE oncondition turbine blades operation. The article presents the method for calculating the minimum creep rate of the Inconel 738LC alloy based on microstructural changes under operating conditions. The obtained results are proposed to be used for calculating the residual life of turbine blades by the creep parameter.

Component Maintenance Planning Optimization in Defense Aviation

The primary objective in military aviation is to optimize operational readiness, the capability to perform assigned flight missions. This capability is influenced by aircraft downtime due to preventive maintenance at prescribed flight time intervals. In practice, flight planning incorporates preventive maintenance relative to the aircraft as a whole, but also to specific components that are subject to individual constraints. Optimization models have been developed to address the associated aircraft flight and maintenance planning problem, but none of these models addresses planning at the component level while retaining consistency with the aircraft planning outputs. Furthermore, no existing models adequately incorporate the main components of operational readiness. Lastly, practical approaches to this planning problem are reactive. To address these issues, this paper proposes a mixed integer linear programming model that solves the component flight and maintenance planning problem using component substitution scheduling while being aligned with overall aircraft flight and maintenance planning. In this manner, a pro-active, integrated approach is established. The proposed model has been applied towards Royal Netherlands Air Force CH47D Chinook helicopter fleet data, with results showing substantial improvements in critical operational readiness key performance indicators while showing strong reductions in the variability of the preventive maintenance demand and associated financial expenses.

Air pollution control or economic development? Empirical evidence from enterprises with production restrictions

Production restriction is an environmental regulation adopted in China to curb the air pollution of industrial enterprises. Frequent production restrictions may cause economic losses for enterprises and further hinder their green transformation. Polluting enterprises are faced with the dilemma of choosing environmental protection or economic development. Using panel data on industrial enterprises in China from 2016 to 2019, this paper evaluates the impact of production restrictions on both enterprises' environmental and economic performance with regression models. The results show that production restrictions significantly drop the concentrations of SO2 and NOx emitted from polluting enterprises. Meanwhile, production restrictions have significant negative effects on operating income, financial expenses, net profit, and environmental protection investment. The mechanism analysis reveals that production restrictions mitigate air pollutant concentrations by increasing the number of green patents and improving total factor productivity, which also verifies the Porter hypothesis. However, there is a masking mediating effect of environmental investment, which indicates that the reduction of environmental investment hinders the enterprise's efforts to control air pollution. In addition, heterogeneous analysis shows that the economic shock on microenterprises is larger than that on small enterprises. Implementing production restrictions for microenterprises may be a way to eliminate their backwards production capacity.

Cultural barriers in China's corporate loans

This study uses listed companies and dialect data to examine how dialect diversity affects corporate unsecured loans. Through our analysis, we find that dialect diversity significantly reduces corporate unsecured loans. Mechanism analyses show that language barriers and social trust are external environmental mechanisms, while corporate transparency and overdue are internal mechanisms. Heterogeneity analyses indicate that corporate risk and asset intensity can increase the negative effect of dialect diversity. In addition, the effect of dialect diversity is only significant in groups with low financial development, low marketization, and high market segmentation. Furthermore, the negative effects of dialect diversity on corporate unsecured loans ultimately increase the burden on enterprises and their financial expense ratios. We provide a new perspective on the determinants of corporate collateral. Suggestions to reduce corporate unsecured loan constraints are provided at the end of this paper.

POTENTIAL OF MEMBRANE DISTILLATION IN REMOVAL LEAD FROM DAIRY WASTEWATER

The dairy industry is not usually linked with simple environmental problems, its impression of the environment with different troubles. During the last decades, several types of treatment and procedures have been applied to relieve contaminants from dairy wastewater before being discharged into the environment. The procedure used in this work has green items and saves energy. This route is termed membrane distillation (MD). The method is defined as a contemporary method that can be summed up in financial expenses and electrical effort in addition to the guests and even preservation or care. Recompenses of this system could be summarized in economical, physical as well as Operation and Maintenance (O&M) attributes. Synthetic models of dairy wastewater have been prepared. Physiochemical analysis has been done to have the best decision on the implementation of treatment. American Public Health Association (APHA), American Water Works Association (AWWA), and Water Environment Federation (WEF) have been used as references for mad these tests. The results gathered to show the ability to remove lead at a rate of 98.89%. This figure could be prepared as a high value compared with other techniques' efficiency. The operation temperature to get the best treatment has been 15°C, which is very close to the normal medium. The best removal could be obtained at a temperature of 15°C. The fluctuation of temperature could be a role in rising or decreasing removal efficiency but to some extent.

Multi-Objective Modeling of Financial Provision and Expenses in Sustainable Supply Chains and the Study Effects of Financial Ratios

Multi-Objective Modeling of Financial Provision and Expenses in Sustainable Supply Chains and the Study Effects of Financial Ratios

The Lease Agreement at the Tenant – the Same Transaction, but Different Accounting, with Consequences for the Information Presented in the Financial Statements and the Indicators Calculated Based on Them

In our country, the lease agreements are differently accounted at the tenant according to the used accounting reference system. Thus, in the case of entities applying the International Financial Reporting Standards, when the lease agreement is concluded, an asset is recognized in the form of a right of use in association with a debt. During the carrying out of the contract, the right of use is amortized, and the existence of the debt entails, in its turn, recognition of financial expenses and reimbursements. Instead, at the entities applying the accounting regulations compliant with the European directives, only the expenses incurred by the rents and possibly the debts related to the payable instalments provided in the lease agreement are recognized. Consequently, the information in the financial statements is not the same, and the indicators calculated based on them have, in their turn, different values.

CFD-Based Sensitivity-Analysis and Performance Investigation of a Hydronic Road-Heating System

To minimize the impact of snowfall and ice formation on safety of transportation, salt is sprinkled on the asphalt every winter. However, the use of salt has economical as well as ecological disadvantages. To resolve these problems, road heating systems are used in the northern regions of Europe and America. Despite their widespread usage, considerable potential of the operational optimization is evident. The current systems are controlled under predefined weather conditions such as start of operation at 5 °C air temperature, even when snowfall is absent. Consequently, loss of energy input to heat the system is caused. To avoid unnecessary financial and energetic expense, this study presents CFD-based performance investigation as a basis for a novel predictive controller to increase the operational efficiency of hydronic road heating systems (HRS). The simulation model was developed based on a real operational HRS located in Ingolstadt and composed of bridges and ramps for a total surface of 1989 m2. Climate data of the years 2019–2020 from local weather stations were implemented in the simulation model for performance prediction on extreme climate conditions. This investigation identified that up to 70% of operational hours in terms of energy input can be saved by using a hypothetical predictive controller, thus making the HRS a more economically efficient and environmentally attractive alternate to conventional de-icing techniques.

Economic burden of becoming a dentist in Thailand

ObjectivesTo determine the overall estimated financial impact and related expenses incurred over the duration of the undergraduate Dental Degree in Thailand.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among all 658 dental undergraduates in Mahidol University, Thailand. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire, including the following information: (1) “Background and Demographics”: household income, hometown, residence during study and source(s) of any financial aid received; (2) “Living Expenses”: Living costs including food, transportation, rent, utility bills, and recreational expenses; (3) ”Education related expenses”: Including textbooks, stationeries, uniforms, and student activities fees. A cost-median was used as a baseline representation for the actual cost of each item. The mean differences of all expenses between groups before estimation was assessed by using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. The statistically significant differences were identified at p < 0.001.ResultsThe estimated adjusted cost of becoming a dentist in Thailand is THB1,265,027 (36,143.63 USD) for students living at home and THB1,823,027 (52,086.49 USD) for those renting accommodation. Students who rented accommodation incurred significantly higher yearly living expenses than those who were living at home. (p < 0.001). The majority of participants (78.4%) were in households having a middle-to-high socioeconomic status. Ninety-five percentages of the participants’ received 100% financial support from their families with no additional source of income, which reflects no real diversity in the socioeconomic background of Dental Degree students.ConclusionThe cost of a higher education Dental Degree in Thailand can be a significant barrier to entry and financial burden, especially for students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Government and Educational Policy makers need to pay more attention to this issue in order to provide equal opportunities for obtaining a University Dental Degree for all Thai students wishing to pursue this career path.

Analyses of the operating performance of information service companies based on indicators of financial statements

This study aims to discuss the operating performance of information service companies based on three major indicators of financial statements, namely, cost and expense, solvency, and operating capacity, in order to provide a basis for management when making operational decisions. This study used the data of financial statements, extracted from the Taiwan Economic Journal (TEJ) database, regarding listed and OTC companies that operated in the information service industry from 2010 to 2019. A total of 328 sets of valid reference data were obtained, including 109 sets of data about listed companies and 219 sets of data about OTC companies. Operating performance was measured by gross profit margin. Operation management capability was measured by the operating expense ratio, labor cost ratio, R&D cost ratio, quick ratio, cash flow ratio, debt to equity ratio, accounts receivable turnover, inventory turnover, and fixed asset turnover. The business scale was used as a control variable. According to the empirical results, the gross profit margin of an information service company was higher if its operating expense ratio, labor cost ratio, R&D cost ratio, quick ratio, cash flow ratio, and accounts receivable turnover were higher, its debt to equity ratio and fixed asset turnover was lower, and its business scale was larger. Moreover, the regression results of principal elements on the operating performance show that the gross profit margin of an information service company was higher if it had better operation management, R&D capabilities, and solvency; while the gross profit margin of an information service company was lower if it had higher fixed asset turnover and inventory turnover (more frequent turnover operations). The empirical results of the principal elements of operating performance are consistent with the regression results. Finally, in order to improve market competitiveness through R&D and innovation, the managers of information service companies were recommended to increase their investments in R&D. In addition, it is suggested that the management of information service companies maintain high solvency liquidity to protect creditors’ equity, mitigate the risk of a financial strait, and further stabilize operations to improve operating performance.

Stress and Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among the Nursing Personnel of a Tertiary Hospital Unit in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Work-related musculoskeletal injuries and disorders (WMSD) are a significant cause of morbidity in the health care sector. Healthcare professionals are routinely exposed to various physical and psychosocial factors that increase the risk of developing a WMSD. Nurses are more susceptible to the manifestation of such disorders. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the second semester of 2020. The Nordic Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, the Short Anxiety Screening Test (SAST) for stress detection, and a data collection sheet was developed for the registration of clinical, demographic, and anthropometric characteristics of the nursing personnel of the tertiary hospital unit of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. A percentage of 82% of nurses had developed at least one musculoskeletal symptom in the last 12 months. The most common anatomical areas at which symptoms were present the last 12 months were the neck (53.9%), shoulders (50.8%), and the lower back (49.5%). The same areas were also the reported anatomical regions, most affected by musculoskeletal symptoms when stress levels were high. Absence from work was associated with the onset of musculoskeletal symptoms (p<0.001), while nurses' financial expenses (out-of-pocket payment) appeared to be associated with the onset of any symptom at 12 months, musculoskeletal symptoms limiting everyday activity at 12 months, and current musculoskeletal symptoms (p=0.001, p=0.002, and p=0.002 respectively). Musculoskeletal disorders were common among the nursing personnel. Higher levels of stress were related with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms.

Using Machine Learning Methods in Financial Distress Prediction: Sample of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Operating in Turkey

Financial distress has become one of the main topics on which lots of research has been done in the recent finance literature. This paper aims to predict the financial distress of Turkish small and medium firms using Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Support Vector Machines, K-Nearest Neighbor and Naive Bayes model. Empirical results indicate that decision tree model is the best classifier with overall accuracy of %90 and %97 respectively for 1 and 2 years prior to financial distress. Three years prior to financial distress, Naive Bayes outperform other models with an overall accuracy of 92.86%. Furthermore, this study finds that distressed firms have more bank loans and lower equity. In the Turkish economy, where cyclical fluctuations are high in the last decade, distressed firms grew rapidly with high bank loans and gained higher operating profits than non-distressed firms. After a while, distressed firms that cannot manage their financial expenses get into financial trouble and go bankrupt. This article can be useful for managers, investors and creditors as well as its contribution to academic research.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy as a Tool for Simultaneous Determination of Diesel Fuel Improvers.

Diesel and biodiesel blends requires additives to improve fuel quality properties and engine performance. Diesel improvers are added before, during and/or after the fuel is blended. However, no accurate rapid and non-destructive analytical method is used during the fuel production that could determine the exact concentration of various types of improvers in diesel fuel. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the concentration of several improvers in diesel matrices at the same time. Three types of diesel improvers, i.e., a cold-flow improver (CFI), a conductivity-lubricity improver (CLI), and a cetane number improver (CNI), were simultaneously determined by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis and the partial least squares algorithm. The prediction models yielded high correlation coefficients (R 2) >0.99 and satisfactory values of the root mean square error of calibration as follows: CLI 4.2 (mg·kg-1), CFI 4.6 (mg·kg-1), and CNI 5.3 (mg·kg-1). The residual standard deviation of the repeatability was calculated to be around 8%. These results highlight the potential of NIR spectroscopy for use as a fast, low-cost, and efficient tool to determine the concentrations of diesel improvers. Moreover, this technique is suitable for application during refinery production, especially for the purpose of online monitoring to prevent overdoses of additives and save financial expenses.

Adaptive reuse of buildings

The article aims to evaluate criteria that should be considered when deciding on the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. Reusing a building by means of renovation is in line with the concept of sustainability, as it makes it possible to extend the useful life of a building without incurring significant financial expenses. The concept is related to the theory of the circular economy, which maintains that by designing a system of closed-loop processes – in which waste from one process is used as raw material for another – the consumption of raw materials, the amount of waste and energy losses can be minimised. The article discusses criteria that local governments, municipalities, architects, and designers should consider when deciding whether to reuse a building. The criteria were classified as technical, economic, social, spatial and environmental. To achieve the main objective, we looked into the preferences of current and potential practitioners who might be involved in the adaptive reuse of buildings with regard to the criteria. The most significant criteria were validated using a survey method.