Lower Acquisition Costs Research Articles

WITHDRAWN: Task scheduling to reduce energy consumption and makespan of cloud computing using NSGA-II

Cloud service usage has significantly increased due to ease in access, improved performance, and low acquisition costs. All the cloud users plan to get their jobs done quickly. Still, cloud providers are looking for ways to reduce energy costs, one of the highest prices in a cloud service environment. This is achieved by reducing the number of machines used to get the users' job done. Consecutively, the makespan on the active machines increases, which often leads to customer dissatisfaction. This article proposes a multi-objective optimization model to minimize energy consumption and makespan for efficient task scheduling. This article additionally offers a Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA) based algorithm to solve the optimization multi-objective task allocation problem. The performance of the proposed model and algorithms has been analyzed over various comprehensive experiments. The experimental results analysis highlights that the proposed model and algorithm reduces the makespan and energy consumption significantly compared to other traditional algorithms.

Investigating machinability of AISI D6 tool steel using CBN tools during hard turning

For machining operation, it is still the challenge to understand the process and selection of cutting tool materials. The motivation for using CBN tools in reconditioning of dies and form tools after useful life which presses for studying critical issues and working for eliminating the costly grinding equipment with CNC turning machine where the job can be completed in one setup. This experimental work involved mechanical characterization of AISI D6 tool steel using low CBN tools based on various analysis; machinability behavior of the tool material and; revealing of CBN tool wear and tool wear mechanisms based on microstructural analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDAX). The novel mathematical models developed are the output response parameters like thrust force, main cutting force, cutting temperature, and surface roughness w.r.t. to variation in cutting speed and feed rate. The parametric analysis study showed that the thrust force, the main cutting force increases with feed. Surface finish improved with feed and the properties and features of tool materials influenced the thrust force and cutting temperature. In case of interrupted hard turning the cutting speed does not affect the main cutting force and thrust force, whereas it has a significant effect on cutting temperature along with feed and inserts grades. Crater wear, micro-chipping, and breakages of cutting edges in continuous turning with abrasion and diffusion being predominant whereas, the worn of interrupted hard turning tools showed crater wear, while abrasion and low intense diffusion are the wear mechanisms affirmed in this study. The novelty of the work is the use of low CBN content brazed tooltips in hard turning as a solution with a low tool acquisition cost without degrading the tool performance and sacrificing productivity.

Performance branding: Borrow from the past to win the future

This paper discusses how the sophistication of social media advertising channels has democratised the skill set early adopters had to master to achieve low customer acquisition costs. As advertisers flood social platforms in the quest to become the next great company, advertising costs have skyrocketed. Brands (specifically, direct-to-consumer brands) that shift from a pure direct-response advertising strategy to one of building long-term brand value through performance branding will outlast those that do not.

Lignocellulosic Biomass as a Substrate for Oleaginous Microorganisms: A Review

Microorganisms capable of accumulating lipids in high percentages, known as oleaginous microorganisms, have been widely studied as an alternative for producing oleochemicals and biofuels. Microbial lipid, so-called Single Cell Oil (SCO), production depends on several growth parameters, including the nature of the carbon substrate, which must be efficiently taken up and converted into storage lipid. On the other hand, substrates considered for large scale applications must be abundant and of low acquisition cost. Among others, lignocellulosic biomass is a promising renewable substrate containing high percentages of assimilable sugars (hexoses and pentoses). However, it is also highly recalcitrant, and therefore it requires specific pretreatments in order to release its assimilable components. The main drawback of lignocellulose pretreatment is the generation of several by-products that can inhibit the microbial metabolism. In this review, we discuss the main aspects related to the cultivation of oleaginous microorganisms using lignocellulosic biomass as substrate, hoping to contribute to the development of a sustainable process for SCO production in the near future.

PENGARUH SUPPLIER COMMUNICATION TERHADAP CUSTOMER FIRM COST PADA PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR

A quality product starts from supplier as natural resources and human resources for manufacturer. Relationship between the seller and the buyer can give advantage for customer. Suppliers’s skill and ability to share information to the buying company as well as information exchange between supplier and buying company will affect cost for the buying company and will be beneficial for their future relationship. There are two types of cost that can be affected by the relationship between supplier and the buying company, namely: (1) acquisition cost and (2) operational cost. The objective of the research is to determine and to analyze the affect of supplier communication towards customer firm cost in manufacturer. Data collected from 200 buying organizations / manufacturers in Jakarta. For analyzing data, the research uses Structural Equation Modeling, statistical technic which enable test between one or several dependent varibles as well as one or several independent variables. The results indicate that: (1) the more often supplier communicate directly (face to face) or communicate in writing with buying company the lower acquisition cost and operational cost for the buying company, (2) it is determined that supplier's sales force is a skilled person who has the ability to explain the product sold thus the buying company has a complete understanding of the product and later will affect the selling process, acquisition cost as well as operational cost for the buying company.

P05 An audit of proton pump inhibitor prescribing, in adherence with the trust’s guidance, in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease

AimThe effectiveness of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been demonstrated. Nevertheless, the choice of PPI that should be used is less absolute. The clinical effectiveness, availability of the formulation, co-morbidities, route of administration and lowest acquisition cost are all considerations that should be accounted for when determining the appropriate therapy. Current Trust guidance recommends lansoprazole capsules and oral dispersible tablets as the first line PPI, unless other indications preclude its use. Other UK hospitals have audited PPI prescribing and their findings highlight that adherence upon deployment was poor.1 2 This audit aims to assess if written outpatient prescriptions are adhering to the guidelines.MethodThis study was conducted prospectively in the outpatient pharmacy, between February and March 2019. The defined data collection period was 5 weeks, which included a 1-week pilot study. The accumulation of data involved reviewing all outpatient prescriptions, whereby PPIs were prescribed, noting if the Trust’s guidance on PPI prescribing was being adhered to. Data was collected via a structured pro forma to assess the percentage compliance against the three predetermined standards:Standard 1 - Is the PPI prescribed appropriate?Standard 2 - Is there a documented indication for the prescribed PPI?Standard 3 - Is the dose appropriate for the patient?ResultsThere were a total of 84 prescriptions received from 13 different specialties. The age range of patients was 1 month to 16 years with a mean (± median) age of 7.66 ± 7 years. The overall compliance with the Trust’s guidelines for standards 1, 2 and 3 were 76%, 88% and 100% respectively. The infant and toddler age group (28 days – 23 months) showed the least compliance in standard 1, the choice of appropriate PPI (63%). The most common indication was gastro oesophageal reflux disease. Paediatric Gastroenterology received the greatest number of prescriptions over the data collection period. 12% of prescriptions did not have a documented indication and the most common PPI prescribed in the outpatient pharmacy was lansoprazole, which accounted for 64 (77%) of the prescriptions.ConclusionThe findings in this study are synonymous to that of other audits conducted in UK hospitals, where compliance with PPI guidelines were explored. Possible factors that could be attributed to the low levels of adherence are problems with implementation, lack of enforcement of the guidelines, patient/guardian preferences and presence of enteral feeding tubes. Clinicians should monitor their prescribing and where applicable, switch patients who are currently on omeprazole suspension, to lansoprazole oral dispersible tablets/capsules. This could lead to significant monetary savings for the Trust.ReferencesDerbyshire Joint Area Prescribing Committee. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: recognition, diagnosis and management in children and young people. 2015.Pan Mersey Area Prescribing Committee. Pharmacological management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) in children and young people in primary and secondary care. 2016.

Bitcoin’s energy consumption is underestimated: A market dynamics approach

As the resource intensity of running Bitcoin has increased over recent years, it has become a serious concern for its potential impact on health and climate. Within this context, there exists a growing need for accurate information. Various organizations need this for multiple purposes like properly assessing the urgency of the problem, implementing the right policy response in the right locations and for setting up mitigation programs.We propose a market dynamics approach to evaluate the current methods for obtaining information on Bitcoin’s energy demand. This allows us to establish that, while historically the Bitcoin mining industry has been growing most of the time, this growth allows market participants to pursue strategies that don’t necessarily involve the best devices, device settings, or locations. The bigger the profitability of mining, the more it allows market participants to make decisions that result in suboptimal power efficiency of the Bitcoin network. Specifically, while the profitability of mining peaked during 2019, we find that market participants primarily used older generations of devices with better availability and lower acquisition costs. Common estimation approaches don’t only fail to capture this behavior, but also fail to properly capture the market circumstances, like seasonal and geographic variation in electricity prices, that help enable participants to do so in the first place. This combination leaves common approaches prone to providing optimistic estimates during growth cycles. We conservatively estimate the Bitcoin network to consume 87.1 TWh of electrical energy annually per September 30, 2019 (equaling a country like Belgium).

A Novel Instrument for Bed Dynamics Observation Supports Machine Learning Applications in Mangrove Biogeomorphic Processes

AbstractShort‐term bed level changes play a critical role in long‐term coastal wetland dynamics. High‐frequency observation techniques are crucial for better understanding of intertidal biogeomorphic evolution. Here, we introduce an innovative instrument for bed level dynamics observation, that is, LSED‐sensor (Laser based Surface Elevation Dynamics sensor). The LSED‐sensors inherit the merits of the previously introduced optical SED sensors as it enables continuous high‐frequency monitoring with relatively low cost of labor and acquisition. As an iteration of the optical SED‐sensors, the LSED‐sensors avoid touching the measuring object (i.e., bed surface), and they do not rely on daylight by adapting laser‐ranging technique. Furthermore, the new LSED‐sensors are equipped with a real‐time data transmission function, enabling automatic observation networks covering multiple (remote) sites. During a 22‐day field survey in a mangrove wetland, good agreement (R2 = 0.7) has been obtained between the automatic LSED‐sensor measurement and an accurate ground‐truth measurement method, that us, Sedimentation Erosion Bars. The obtained LSED‐sensor data were subsequently used to develop machine learning predictors, which revealed the effect of vegetation is a main driver in the accumulative and daily bed level changes. We expect that the LSED‐sensors can further support machine learning applications to extract new knowledge on coastal biogeomorphic processes.

Prototipado rápido en la fabricación de moldes impresos en 3D para soplado de plástico

En la industria salvadoreña pueden encontrarse empresarios y microempresarios que no tienen los recursos para fabricar botellas de plástico con diseños estilizados que los diferencien de otras marcas y productos, lo que les impide escalar a otros segmentos de mercado o mercados internacionales, frenando el crecimiento de sus negocios. Una posible causa es que la fabricación de moldes de soplado requiere una inversión inicial muy costosa. Sin embargo, existen alternativas como la fabricación de moldes de bajo rendimiento, que tienen una resolución más baja y un tiempo de vida más corto, pero, al mismo tiempo, ofrecen como beneficio un menor costo de fabricación y, por lo tanto, un menor costo de adquisición para el empresario, posibilitando la producción de botellas estilizadas a conveniencia. Entre las diversas formas de fabricar moldes de bajo rendimiento está la técnica de ingeniería inversa, que requiere un equipo de creación rápida de prototipos. Este artículo describe el procedimiento de ingeniería inversa para generar el molde para soplado. Con el diseño disponible se imprimió el molde necesario y con esto se fabricaron las botellas, que se escanearon para verificar con el programa de computadora sus dimensiones comparándolas con el archivo original del molde. Simultáneamente, los contenedores se verificaron en el laboratorio de metrología industrial para validar los resultados de la computadora, estos resultados se presentan en el documento.

Analytical determination of the end-winding portion of the winding-to-rotor capacitance for the prediction of bearing voltage in electrical machines

The number of inverter-fed motors is increasing due to the good controllability of the motor and the meanwhile low acquisition costs. As a result of the discrete switching states of the power transistors, the average of the three output voltages of a two-level inverter is a common mode voltage, which differs from zero. The common mode voltage is impressed into the motor winding by the inverter, and an image of the common mode voltage is produced across the bearings via the winding-to-rotor capacitance. The voltage applied to the motor bearings can exceed the dielectric strength of the lubricating film of the bearings and lead to discharge currents resulting in damage to the motor bearings. The winding-to-rotor capacitance is composed of a slot and an end-winding portion. In this article, an analytical determination of the end-winding portion of the winding-to-rotor capacitance is presented, which, in addition to the rotor geometry, considers the influence of materials with different permittivities. The method is validated by means of FEM simulations for different geometries and materials.

Analytical determination of the turn-to-turn capacitances for the prediction of voltage peaks in a PWM-fed motor winding

The number of inverter-fed motors is increasing due to the good controllability of the motor and the meanwhile low acquisition costs. The steep voltage slopes of the converters lead to an uneven voltage distribution along the winding and thus to voltage peaks between the conductors, which stresses the insulation. The voltage distribution can be predicted by means of equivalent circuit diagrams, which take into account the capacitive coupling between the conductors. This paper presents a novel approach for an analytical determination of the turn-to-turn capacitances, which, in addition to the geometry and the placement of the conductors, considers the influence of materials with different permittivities.The conductors are simulated by means of line charges discretely placed inside the electrodes and receptor points attached to the conductor surfaces. The capacitances are determined by means of the Maxwell capacitance matrix. The method is validated by means of FEM simulations for different geometries and materials.

A fluorescence digital image-based method using a 3D-printed platform and a UV-LED chamber made of polyacid lactic for quinine quantification in beverages

A digital image-based (DIB) method for fluorometric detection was developed using an ultraviolet (UV) chamber and a spot test platform made with a 3D printer. A smartphone was used as the detector to quantify quinine in commercial tonic beverage samples. The free OpenSCAD CAD program and a Prusa i3 3D printer were used for the construction of the chamber and the spot test platform. The platform was made of polyacid lactic (PLA), where each one of the 25-wells has a maximum volume of 280 µL. The 3D-printed UV chamber was irradiated by four high brightness UV light emitting diodes (LED) with a maximum emission wavelength at 370 nm, which is required for the excitation of quinine molecules. The fluorescence signals based on the Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) data were simultaneously obtained from each well of the 3D-platform using the open source ImageJ software and its Readplate plugin. The B channel presented higher fluorescence intensity (FI) and was described by following analytical curve: FIB = (58.03 ± 2.75) × [QN] − (2.90 ± 3.89), with r2 = 0.991 for the linear range from 1.54 × 10−6 to 1.39 × 10−5 mol L−1. The limits of detection and quantification were 6.9 × 10−8 and 2.3 × 10−7 mol L−1, respectively. The relative standard deviation ranged from 0.25% to 1.52%. The fluorescence DIB method was in close agreement with the fluorometric method used as reference at a 95% confidence level. In addition, an analytical frequency of 10 analysis min−1, a low chemical consumption, high portability, and low-cost of acquisition and maintenance are the main features of the proposed method. Thus, the methodology developed here can be widely used in food process control as a much more economical and accessible analytical tool.

Utilisation of scanner data in the measurement of inflation – international experiences and methodological challenges

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s definition, scanner data are detailed data on consumer goods obtained by scanning their bar codes at points of sale. The advantages of this kind of data include completeness at the lowest level of aggregation, relatively low cost of acquisition and the fact that they enable a multiplicity of observations. Nevertheless, scanner data also have drawbacks and limitations. The aim of the paper is to identify the problems and methodological challenges related to the acquisition, processing and aggregation of scanner data, which are then used to estimate the Consumer Price Index (CPI). One of the most important decisions in the whole process is the right choice of an index formula dedicated to elementary (homogeneous) product groups. The essence of the problem, along with some recommendations, has been presented on the example of two sets of data from Allegro e-commerce platform for the period of 4 Dec, 2015 to 28 Dec, 2018, obtained through a special tool – TradeWatch. The evaluation of the sensitiveness of the results of the price dynamics measurement according to the chosen index formula has been carried out on the basis of two groups of products: men’s sports watches and office chairs. The most important observations are as follows: firstly, the differences between bilateral price indices and their chained versions are likely to be significant because of the dynamic character of scanner data sets; secondly, the differences between multilateral price indices might amount to several percentage points for a yearly time window; thirdly, the differences between the values of the GEKS and CCDI indices are slight, and the Geary-Khamis index for the full-time window ceases to differ significantly from the real time index just after a few months; and fourthly, the prices of products sold via electronic platforms as well as their quantities and sales volumes might differ depending on which particular day of a week they were sold, and even at which hour.

Особенности выполнения высокоточной съемки рельефа абразионного берега с помощью БПЛА

The results of adaptation of the methodology for high-precision surveying of the ground relief using UAVs for conditions of marine coastal cliff are given in this work. Analysis of the obtained digital images and created digital elevation models showed that this type of survey is optimal for the considered natural object but has a number of limitations. Low cost and speed of data acquisition are the advantages of the method. The processing complexity and interpreting data in the presence of dense vegetation cover and near coastline are disadvantages of the method.

Anti-neuroinflammatory effects of dimethylaminomylide (DMAMCL, i.e., ACT001) are associated with attenuating the NLRP3 inflammasome in MPTP-induced Parkinson disease in mice

Parthenolide (PTL) is a natural compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is an active ingredient extracted from the medicinal plant Tanacetum parthenium. ACT001 is derived from parthenolide and is a fumarate form of dimethylaminomylide (DMAMCL). Its effect is equivalent to that of PTL, but it is more stable in plasma and has lower acquisition costs. Related reports indicate that NLRP3-mediated neuroinflammation is involved in the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). In our research, we explored whether ACT001 alleviates NLRP3-mediated neuroinflammation in PD mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Our results revealed that ACT001 reduces movement impairment and cognitive deficit in PD mice. In addition, it alleviates dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the nigrostriatal pathway and inhibits oxidative stress, the inflammatory response and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the midbrain of MPTP-induced PD mice. Moreover, it attenuates microglial activation in the nigrostriatal pathway. Overall, our study showed that ACT001 alleviates NLRP3-mediated neuroinflammation in PD mice induced by MPTP.

Data Driven Concept for Sensor Data Adaptation of Electrochemical Sensors for Mobile Air Quality Measurements

Electrochemical NO2 sensors are a promising technology for the collection of fine-granular air quality data. Their low acquisition costs, miniaturized size and low power consumption predestine the sensors for use in mobile sensor networks due to their installation in vehicles. However, the sensors are influenced by sensitivities to changes in measurement conditions (e.g. temperature and relative humidity) during data collection. Therefore, we investigated the feasibility of adapting the data of electrochemical NO2 sensors to a reference measuring system using Machine Learning models. For this purpose, we carried out a field experiment with a vehicle to collect data. In addition to three identical electrochemical NO2 sensors, we installed a reference measuring system and measured the NO2 concentration at the same sampling point outside the vehicle. We implemented several adaptation models by using a Multivariate Linear Regression (MLR) and a Support Vector Regression (SVR) to improve the raw sensor signal. Furthermore, we investigated whether an adaptation concept for a single sensor can be applied to identical sensors as well as to other (unknown) measurement runs. The results of this work show the potential of the sensors for air quality assessment, but the accuracy of the reference sensors is only partially achieved.

PCN246 BUDGET IMPACT OF RIBOCICLIB PLUS LETROZOLE FOR THE TREATMENT OF POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH HORMONE RECEPTOR-POSITIVE (HR+), HUMAN EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR 2- NEGATIVE (HER2-) ADVANCED OR METASTATIC BREAST CANCER IN DENMARK

To estimate cost and budget impact of establishing ribociclib+letrozole (ribociclib) as a first-line treatment option for post-menopausal women with HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer compared to palbociclib+letrozole (palbociclib) in Denmark. A two-year budget impact model with a Danish national payer perspective was developed to calculate the incremental cost of introducing ribociclib in patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer eligible for treatment. Progression-free survival, incidence and type of adverse events and dose distributions were all from the registration trial MONALEESA-2. Acquisition costs (pharmacy purchasing price), monitoring, health state cost (progression-free and post-progression) and cost associated with relevant grade 3 and 4 adverse events, were included based on Danish tariffs. 270 patients were assumed eligible for treatment every year, based on clinical experts. New patients would enter the model each year and patients could exit due to death. The budget impact was calculated based on two treatment mixes, one where ribociclib is not considered as standard treatment and one where ribociclib is considered standard treatment. In a cohort of 270 patients per year, the inclusion of ribociclib would be associated with a total saving of approximately DKK 4.3 million for a time horizon of two years. Ribociclib has a lower acquisition cost for the lower doses of 400 and 200 mg, while palbociclib has a flat acquisition cost for all three doses. Hence, the cost-savings related to ribociclib are mostly due to reduced drug costs due to down dosing. Increased costs were observed for adverse events and monitoring; however, based on clinical feedback, the payer’s appraisal assumed no difference in these. The budget impact of introducing ribociclib as standard treatment in Denmark is cost-saving compared to palbociclib for the first line treatment of postmenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

A Random Forest Model for Travel Mode Identification Based on Mobile Phone Signaling Data

Identifying and detecting the travel mode and pattern of individual travelers is an important problem in transportation planning and policy making. Mobile-phone Signaling Data (MSD) have numerous advantages, including wide coverage and low acquisition cost, data stability and reliability, and strong real-time performance. However, due to their noisy and temporally irregular nature, extracting mobility information such as transport modes from these data is particularly challenging. This paper establishes a travel mode identification model based on the MSD combined with residents’ travel survey data, Geographic Information System (GIS) data, and navigation data. Using the data obtained from Kunshan, China in 2017, enriched with variables on the travel mode identification, the model achieved a high accuracy of 90%. The accuracy is satisfactory for all of the transport modes other than buses. Furthermore, among the explanatory variables such as the built environment factors (e.g., the coverage rate of a bus stop) are in general more significant, in contrast with other attributes. This indicates that the land use functions are more influential on the travel mode selection as well as the level of travel demand.

DIAGNOSIS DAN TATALAKSANA KOMPREHENSIF OSTEOARTRITIS

DIAGNOSIS DAN TATALAKSANA KOMPREHENSIF OSTEOARTRITIS

An Introduction to the Canadian Association of Learned Journals Readership Analytics Project’s Compiled Online Journal Usage Software

Background: This technical paper contains written versions of the texts that accompany a set of five slide-based movies that provide instruction and reviews the compiled analysis generated by the software developed by the Canadian Association of Learned Journals Readership Analytics Project.
 Analysis: First come usage instructions. Next are the second and third movies that walk the listener/reader through a case study-based summary of the Standard and Premium Reports. Fourth is a multi-year analysis of the case-study data. Fifth are some observations and insights.
 Observations and insights: The data provide a foundation for a detailed understanding journal usage. At a second level, the data point to ongoing growth in usage at less than five cents per full text article view by users in an environment in which lowering acquisition costs and declining library subscriptions predominate. The data also show widespread use throughout the collection of articles that the journal has brought forward over its 40-plus years of operation. Finally, the data suggest a number of article profiles that may assist in understanding usage.
 Keywords
 Journal metrics; Online journal usage; Journal publishing; Open access; Data visualization; Scholarly Communication.