Maximum Price Research Articles

A Figurine Wearing a Sleeveless Coat from Sandy, Bedfordshire

Abstract In 2018, the AOC Archaeology Group unearthed a unique Roman figurine in Sandy, Bedfordshire, likely an offering in a domestic shrine or lararium. The figurine features a distinctive Gallic cloak, similar to those found on copper-alloy figurines in Trier and Cambridgeshire and on numerous relief sculptures. It may be related to the hooded garment known as the birrus mentioned in Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices of a.d. 301, including the expensive Birrus Britannicus.

How Does the Adoption of e‐Commerce Impact the Selling Prices of Agricultural Products? Empirical Evidence From Apple Farmers in China

ABSTRACTThe sale of products through e‐commerce is emerging in rural China, and it cuts out intermediaries and allows farmers direct access to the market. To understand how adopting e‐commerce impacts the selling prices of agricultural products and who benefits more from adopting e‐commerce, we interviewed 480 apple farmers from the three representative provinces in China. The Propensity Score Matching approach combined with sensitivity analysis is employed to address the potential self‐selection bias in estimating the impacts of adopting e‐commerce. We find that adopting of e‐commerce drives significant increases in the selling prices of apple products, including the average price, the maximum price and the minimum price. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that the adoption of e‐commerce has significant heterogeneous effects on selling prices across various ages and education of household heads, land area, distance to the local town centre and social capital. The analysis of potential pathways reveals that increases in selling prices are attributed to farmers achieving more marketing flexibility through more adaptable sale times and extended sale periods due to adopting e‐commerce. The research findings provide rigorous evidence on optimal future policy design regarding the development of rural e‐commerce for poverty alleviation in China and other developing countries.

Cost-effectiveness of iptacopan for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

AbstractIptacopan, a novel oral factor B inhibitor, recently obtained US Food and Drug Administration approval for treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a rare blood disorder characterized by persistent complement-mediated hemolytic anemia. The standard-of-care (SOC) has traditionally relied on complement C5 inhibitors eculizumab and ravulizumab, which are limited by persistent anemia from extravascular hemolysis and requirement for intravenous infusion. Recent publication of phase 3 studies in this arena reinforces iptacopan as an effective anticomplement monotherapy compared with SOC. Given ongoing price negotiations and limited literature showing its cost-ineffectiveness in the anti-C5–treated population, we conducted a comprehensive cost-effectiveness analysis of iptacopan monotherapy in anti-C5–treated patients from the societal perspective, as compared with C5 inhibition. The primary outcomes were the incremental net monetary benefit across a lifetime horizon and the cost-effective maximum monthly threshold price of iptacopan monotherapy compared with the SOC. The secondary outcome was time saved for patients and nurses with the use of oral iptacopan therapy. Iptacopan monotherapy and SOC accrued 12.6 and 10.8 quality-adjusted life-years at costs of $9.52 million and $13.5 million, respectively. Iptacopan remained cost saving across extensive sensitivity and all scenario analyses, including alternative parameterization for anemia resolution and aggregated individual-level utilities and transition probability matrix. Across all probabilistic sensitivity analyses, iptacopan therapy was favored over SOC in 100% of 10 000 Monte Carlo iterations. Cost-saving thresholds for iptacopan vs anti-C5 in are ∼1.1, 1.4, and 1.4 in Brazil, Japan, and the United States, respectively. Iptacopan monotherapy can improve quality-adjusted life expectancy for patients while saving health care costs across jurisdictions.

Simulation and Economical Analysis of Hydro-Nd Process for the Recovery of Rare Earth from End-of-Life Permanent Magnets: NEW-RE and INSPIREE projects

The growing demand for rare earth elements (REEs) and sustainable development issues have made the REEs recovery from permanent magnets (PMs) attract the attention of many researchers in the last decade. The NEW-RE and INSPIREE projects have been introduced to evaluate the recovery of REE elements from permanent magnets on a pilot and industrial scale. In this research, the economic aspect of the mentioned projects was performed using SuperPro software. The main aim of the work is to highlight the critical aspects of the process for a targeted optimization. The results showed that the CAPEX and OPEX for treating 3,600 tons/year of permanent magnets are 9 and 110 million euros, respectively, and an EBITDA of 4.8 million euros can be achieved (payback period less than two years). In the economic model, the cost of spent PMs was considered equal to 50% of its REEs value (14,251 €/ton). Also, it was found that the main OPEX costs are raw materials (65%) and energy (16%), respectively. It needs to be pointed out that the maximum price of permanent magnets can be 15,230 €/ton (BEP).

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ЕДИНОЙ СИСТЕМЫ МАЛЫХ ЗАКУПОК В СТРАХОВОЙ СФЕРЕ В СЕВЕРО-ЗАПАДНОМ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОМ ОКРУГЕ

The article analyzes the current situation with budgeting, organizing and conducting small purchases within the framework of Laws No. 44-FZ and No. 223-FZ in the Northwestern Federal District. In the OSAGO segment, the main reasons for the low transparency of small purchases, the low interest of insurers in participating in them and the high risks of corruption in their organization and implementation are considered. A digital scheme for organizing small purchases and calculating the initial maximum price of contracts based on the information system of the Russian Union of Motor Insurers within one federal district is proposed. The economic and legal expediency of implementing this scheme is justified both to protect the interests of customers and to develop the insurance market of the region as a whole. The possibility of scaling this scheme to other man- datory types of insurance, in calculating the insurance premium for which tariffs established by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation or other authorities are applied, is considered.

The costs of transporting goods by different modes: A case study of pottery movement in late Roman Britain

There is a long-standing view that, in the Roman world, transport by sea and river was very much cheaper than by land. Previous analyses of transport costs have relied primarily on a few surviving historical records, notably the Edict on Maximum Prices issued by Diocletian in 301 CE. Here we outline an alternative method for deriving relative costs of transportation by different modes using materials recovered in archaeological excavations. We apply this to the distribution of Late Romano-British pottery (c. 250–400 CE) to calculate the cost ratios of transportation by road, river and sea to rural settlements and towns in lowland Britannia. The analysis suggests a best fit cost ratio of road to rivers and sea of 1:3:4 (i.e. transport by road was three times as costly as by river and four times that by sea), with 95% confidence interval of roads to rivers 1:1–5 and roads to sea of 1:1–9. These values are broadly consistent with transport cost ratios of 1:4:8 in England in the first half of the fourteenth century, when the country's transport network had reached a degree of integration comparable with late Roman Britain.

Enhancing bargaining power for energy communities in renewable power purchase agreements using Gaussian learning and fixed price bargaining

Power purchase agreements aim to secure long-term contracts between sellers and buyers, particularly in renewable energy transactions. However, successful negotiations for a fixed long-term price and energy volume while ensuring maximum utility for stakeholders remains a significant challenge. This paper introduces a comprehensive model for negotiating 24/7 power purchase agreements, focusing on hourly pricing to address deficits and surpluses throughout each day of the contract timeline. The model incorporates demand flexibility through battery storage, settling on the strike price using Nash Bargaining theory and optimal management of energy consumption relative to market price fluctuations. A soft margin support vector machine classification model determines the buyer’s maximum acceptable price. Moreover, Gaussian process classification is employed to calculate a probabilistic, risk-adjusted strike price, enabling a data-driven approach to power purchase negotiations. The proposed model’s performance is demonstrated through a detailed case study of Norway, illustrating how demand flexibility can significantly lower long-term power purchase agreement contract prices. The analysis of yearly price trends indicates that incorporating flexibility resources in long-term energy contracts may lead to a reduction in strike prices by around 25%. Moreover, such flexibility enhances demand-generation matching, thereby increasing renewable energy transactions within such agreements.

Health impact, budget impact, and price threshold for cost-effectiveness of lenacapavir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in eastern and southern Africa: a modelling analysis

Injectable lenacapavir administered every 6 months is a promising product for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We aimed to estimate the health and budget impacts and threshold price at which lenacapavir could be cost-effective in eastern and southern Africa. We adapted an agent-based network model, EMOD-HIV, to simulate lenacapavir scale-up in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and western Kenya from 2026 to 2035. Uptake assumptions were informed by a literature review of PrEP product preferences. In the main analysis, we varied lenacapavir coverage by subgroup: female sex workers (40% coverage); male clients of female sex workers (40%); adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years with more than one sexual partner (32%); women aged 25 years and older with more than one sexual partner (36%); and males with more than one sexual partner (32%). We also assessed a higher coverage scenario (64-76% across subgroups) and scenarios of expanding lenacapavir use, varying from concentrated among those at highest HIV risk to broader coverage including those at medium HIV risk. We estimated the maximum per-dose lenacapavir price that achieved cost-effectiveness (<US$500 per disability-adjusted life-year averted), infections averted, and 5-year budget impact, compared with daily oral PrEP only. In the main analysis, lenacapavir was projected to achieve from 1·6% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·5-1·8) to 4·0% (3·4-5·1) population coverage across settings and to avert from 12·3% (5·4-19·5) to 18·0% (11·0-22·9) of infections over 10 years. The maximum price per dose was highest in South Africa ($106·28 [95% UI 95·72-115·87]), followed by Zimbabwe ($21·15 [17·70-24·89]), and lowest in western Kenya ($16·58 [15·44-17·70]). The 5-year budget impact was US$507·25 million (95% UI 436·14-585·42) in South Africa, $16·80 million (13·95-22·64) in Zimbabwe, and $4·09 million (3·86-4·30) in western Kenya. In the higher coverage scenario, lenacapavir distribution was projected to reach from 3·2% (95% UI 2·9-3·6) to 8·1% (6·8-10·5) population coverage and to avert from 21·2% (95% UI 14·7-18·5) to 33·3% (28·5-36·9) of HIV infections across settings over 10 years. Price thresholds were lower than in the main analysis: $88·34 (95% UI 83·02-94·19) in South Africa, $17·71 (15·61-20·05) in Zimbabwe, and $14·78 (14·33-15·30) in western Kenya. The 5-year budget impact was higher than the main analysis: $835·29 million (95% UI 736·98-962·98) in South Africa, $29·50 million (24·62-39·52) in Zimbabwe, and $7·45 million (7·11-7·85) in western Kenya. Expanding lenacapavir coverage resulted in higher HIV infections averted but lower price thresholds than scenarios of concentrated use among those with highest HIV risk. Our findings suggest that lenacapavir could avert substantial HIV incidence and that price thresholds and budget impacts vary by setting and coverage. These results could inform policy deliberations regarding lenacapavir pricing and resource planning. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Price benchmarks of drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation and their therapeutic alternatives.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are currently negotiating prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers for the first 10 Part D drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation. Non-publicly available data, including the net prices of selected drugs and their therapeutic alternatives, will play a central role in the determination of the maximum fair prices (MFPs). To estimate price benchmarks involved in the derivation of the starting point of the CMS initial price offer for the 10 drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation. For the 10 drugs selected for negotiation, we reported (1) the list price, (2) the net price after manufacturer discounts, (3) the maximum negotiated price based on the minimum statutory discount, and (4) the ceiling of the MFP, estimated as the lowest of the latter 2. We also estimated net prices for therapeutic alternatives to the selected drugs. Net prices were estimated using peer-reviewed methodology that isolates commercial discounts negotiated between payers and manufacturers from mandatory discounts under government programs. All price benchmarks were estimated at the product level, for 30-day equivalent dosing, using 2021 data. 6 products (apixaban, rivaroxaban, empagliflozin, sacubitril/valsartan, etanercept, and insulin aspart) had therapeutic alternatives with lower net prices, which will be integrated with clinical benefit data in the derivation of initial price offers. The other 4 products (ustekinumab, ibrutinib, sitagliptin, and dapagliflozin) had therapeutic alternatives with higher net prices than the drugs selected for negotiation. For ibrutinib and ustekinumab, prices based on the minimum discounts were considerably lower than the estimated net prices and will likely set the starting point of the initial price offer. For dapagliflozin and sitagliptin, the starting point of the initial price offer will likely resemble their existing net prices. Our analyses identify different negotiation scenarios for the first 10 drugs selected for Medicare price negotiation, based on key elements involved in the derivation of the initial price offer. Our analyses can help improve transparency in the negotiation process, because the CMS is not required to reveal the information used in the derivation of price offers.

Implications of treatment duration and frequency for value and cost-effective price of Alzheimer treatments.

Disease-modifying Alzheimer treatments are becoming available. The value of the treatments will be attenuated by their complexity of delivery and monitoring, creating additional medical cost and caregiver burden. To estimate net treatment value using different assumptions for treatment duration and intensity. We estimated the lifetime value of hypothetical treatments that reduce disease progression by 30% from a payer perspective, which considers cost offsets, i.e., reduced medical and formal social care costs, and quality-adjusted life-year gains, and a societal perspective, which adds reduction in caregiver burden. Estimates for gross value of the treatment were based on a prior publication, medical cost on Medicare payment rates, and caregiver time use on a survey of 21 clinics. We analyzed 5 hypothetical treatment scenarios: treatment until progression to moderate dementia with (1) biweekly and (2) 4-weekly infusions, and time-limited infusions every 4 weeks for (3) 72, (4) 52, and (5) 24 weeks. Treatment until progression to moderate dementia would take 5.7 years and generate gross value of $20,734 in direct cost offsets, $83,761 from a payer and $87,749 from a societal perspective, respectively. Added medical cost and caregiver burden for the 5 scenarios would be $44,179, $24,875, $21,632, $20,416, and $14,350, respectively. The maximum value-based price per year would be $7,687, $11,088, $47,708, $67,273, and $158,954. Assuming identical efficacy and safety, the net value generation of time-limited treatment is projected to be larger than that of chronic treatment. Such determination of net lifetime value can be useful to determine value-based prices for different treatment types.

Analysis of Optimal Variables of Return Freight Insurance Decision for Each Part of Supply Chain Based On Stackelberg Game

Based on the theory of demand and profit function, this paper studies the effects of different return freight insurance policies on manufacturers (sellers), platform optimal price, and optimal wholesale price under the distribution model. By constructing a mathematical model under Steinkelberg game, this paper analyzes the model without freight insurance and the model with freight insurance borne by different parts of the supply chain to explore the changes of the optimal variables of each party. The results show that: with the increase of the residual value of returned goods, the optimal retail price and the optimal return volume will increase, while the optimal wholesale price and the optimal demand will decrease. Under the model of freight insurance shared by the platform and the manufacturer, with the increase of freight insurance shared by the manufacturer and the platform, the optimal selling price increases, the optimal demand and the optimal return volume decrease, and when the cost of freight insurance borne by the manufacturer exceeds half, the wholesale price increases. Under the model of buyer bearing freight insurance, when consumers have high price sensitivity, the higher the cost of consumer bearing freight insurance, the lower the maximum selling price.

Dairy cows’ motivation to nurse their calves

When weaning offspring, female mammals limit nursing opportunities. This study aimed to investigate whether imposing a gradual reduction in daily contact time, by separating cows from their calves as an attempt to stimulate weaning, reduced dairy cows’ motivation to nurse their calves. For seven weeks, 84 Holstein–Friesian cow-calf pairs were housed with either full-time (23 h contact/d), part-time (10 h contact/d), or no contact. In the following two weeks, half of full- and part-time pairs were subjected to reduced contact (50% of initial contact in week 8, 25% of initial contact in week 9), while the other half continued with unchanged contact. In weeks 8 and 9, cows’ motivation to obtain full contact to and opportunity to nurse their calves was measured using weighted push gates using a novel maximum price paid method providing an alternative choice to the cows to reduce frustration. Cows with reduced calf contact were more motivated than cows with unchanged contact; however, cows used the alternative choice less than expected. The results show that cows’ motivation for full calf contact and opportunity to nurse increases when daily calf contact is reduced, illustrating that dairy cows are motivated to continue nursing their 9- to 10-week-old calves.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine in Protecting Infants from RSV Infection in Japan.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the major causes of respiratory tract infections among children. Until recently, the monoclonal antibody palivizumab was the only RSV prophylaxis available in Japan. In 2024, the bivalent RSV prefusion F protein-based (RSVpreF) vaccine was approved for the prevention of RSV infection in infants by active immunization of pregnant women. In this study, we assessed the cost-effectiveness of a combined strategy of RSVpreF vaccine and palivizumab in Japanese setting. Using a Markov model, we evaluated prevented cases and deaths of medically attended RSV infections from birth to age 11months for each of the three healthcare settings: inpatient (hospitalization), emergency department visits, and outpatient visits. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated from economic outcomes (intervention costs, medication costs, and productivity losses) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Further, we calculated the maximum price of RSVpreF vaccine within which the program would be cost-effective. In comparison with the current prophylaxis (palivizumab alone), a combined prophylaxis of year-round RSVpreF vaccination of pregnant women and palivizumab prescription for premature infants born in < 32weeks gestational age (wGA) and all infants with high risk prevented 14,382 medically attended cases of RSV (hospitalization, 7490 cases; emergency department, 2239 cases; outpatient, 4653 cases) and 7 deaths, respectively. From a healthcare payer perspective, when the price of RSVpreF vaccine was equal to or less than ¥23,948 (US$182), a combination prophylaxis was cost-effective under the ICER threshold of ¥5million per QALY. The other combination prophylaxis of year-round RSVpreF vaccination and palivizumab prescription of premature born in < 32wGA regardless of risk in infants was a dominant strategy (more effective and less costly). A combined prophylaxis of year-round RSVpreF vaccine and palivizumab could be a cost-effective strategy to protect neonates throughout the infant stage (< 1years old) in Japan.

Assessing Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing for Urban Air Taxi Services: Key Parameters and Future Transportation Impact

Urban air mobility (UAM) enabled by electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft presents an innovative transportation system for mega-cities. An analysis of the techno-economic feasibility of eVTOL air taxis can provide insights into the development and potential impacts of this emerging mobility solution. This study examines eVTOL configurations and proposes a conceptual model for eVTOL air taxi services. A generic cost–revenue model is developed to evaluate the economic feasibility using the rate of return-on-investment approach. Two critical parameters are identified—maximum voyage and price per kilometer. The modeling analysis shows that eVTOL air taxis can achieve a positive rate of return given realistic assumptions on the critical parameters. Reductions in operating costs and increases in maximum voyage range improve financial viability. With technological advancement, eVTOL air taxis are expected to transform urban transportation by increasing capacity and flexibility. The techno-economic analysis provides useful implications for urban planning and policy regarding this innovative mobility mode.

Comparison of standard charges for complex proton therapy among Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) –exempt and –non-exempt cancer centers.

e23039 Background: Proton therapy is one of the most expensive treatment modalities offered to cancer patients, and only 44 proton therapy centers are operational in the U.S. Of those, 5 are Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)-exempt and are reimbursed based on their reported costs rather than predetermined prices. These PPS-exempt cancer centers set their adjusted payment rates to reflect the expense required for providing specialized care. We hypothesized that PPS-exempt centers would have higher rates for complex proton therapy delivery compared to non-exempt centers. Methods: We obtained online standard charge files for 44 proton therapy centers in the U.S. We used the CPT code 77525, the per fraction technical charge billed for complex proton treatment delivery, to extract the gross price (base charge for service), de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated price (lowest/highest charge negotiated with third-party payers), and cash price (charge for cash payment of service) per fraction of complex proton therapy. Prices were compared between PPS-exempt and non-exempt proton therapy centers using Wilcoxon/Kruskal Wallis test with a p-value &lt; 0.05 considered significant. Results: Of the 44 proton therapy centers, 39 (88.6%) had publicly available standard charge files, and 5 (11.4%) are private practice not required to provide a standard charge file. Five of the 39 (12.8%) centers are PPS-exempt, and the remaining 34 (87.2%) are PPS non-exempt. Four (80%) PPS-exempt centers had their gross price, minimum and maximum negotiated price, and cash price available in their standard charge file for CPT 77525, while 23 (67.6%) PPS non-exempt centers had their gross price and cash price listed and 19 (55.9%) had the minimum and maximum price available. The median gross charge per fraction for complex proton treatment delivery was $8,035.25 (IQR $7,022.00-$9,427.50) at PPS-exempt versus $6,434.00 (IQR $5,213.00-$12,350.00) at PPS non-exempt centers. The median minimum price was $656.47 (IQR $178.04-$1,353.23) at PPS-exempt versus $1,294.70 (IQR $734.20-$2,267.46) at PPS non-exempt centers. The median maximum price was $8,120.10 (IQR $5,576.40-$11,529.86) at PPS-exempt versus $5,814.00 (IQR $4,830.00-$9,524.70) at PPS non-exempt centers. The median cash price was $5,360.65 (IQR $2,979.51-$6,897.08) at PPS-exempt versus $4,170.40 (IQR $2,828.00-$5,640.00) at PPS non-exempt centers. Conclusions: In summary, 80% of PPS-exempt and 67.6% of PPS non-exempt centers had publicly available standard charge files. Median charges for PPS-exempt centers are higher for gross charge, maximum price, and cash price, however did not meet statistical significance. [Table: see text]

Compliance with Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) 2021 price transparency requirements among proton therapy centers.

e23034 Background: Since 2019, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) has required hospitals to publish gross charges for all goods and services provided. In 2021, CMS amended this requirement to include publishing standard charge files, which include cash and payer-negotiated prices for all goods and services provided. This was enacted in an attempt to reduce healthcare prices by reducing information asymmetry and generating competition among both insurers and hospitals. Since complex proton therapy is one of the most expensive modalities of cancer treatment, we aimed to determine proton therapy center compliance with CMS price transparency requirements. Methods: We searched for online standard charge files for the 44 proton therapy centers in the United States. To assess compliance with the nine CMS price transparency criteria, we obtained prices for proton therapy using keyword searches and billing code 77525, the CPT code for the per fraction technical charge billed for complex proton treatment delivery. Results: Out of 44 operating proton therapy centers, 5 (11.4%) are free-standing private practice centers that are not affiliated with a hospital system, and thus not required to publish standard charge files per CMS policy. Of the 39 centers required to publish, 39 (100%) published their standard charge files free of charge with appropriately named files, thus meeting Criteria 1-3. Twenty-seven (69.2%) centers met Criteria 4 by including data on complex proton therapy (CPT code 77525) and Criteria 5a by including the gross charge for the service. One (2.6%) center partially met Criteria 4. Seventeen (43.6%) centers included negotiated prices for commercial insurers, thus meeting Criteria 5b, while 3 (7.7%) partially met this criterion. Twenty-two (56.4%) centers met Criteria 5c and 5d by including the deidentified minimum and maximum negotiated commercial prices, respectively. Twenty-six (66.7%) centers met Criteria 5e by listing the cash price for complex proton therapy, which is typically paid out-of-pocket by patients. One (2.6%) center partially met Criteria 5c-e. In total, 17 (43.6%) out of 39 proton therapy centers were in complete compliance with the 2021 CMS price transparency requirements. Conclusions: In summary, 17 out of 39 eligible proton centers were fully compliant with the 2021 CMS price transparency requirements in regard to complex proton radiation therapy. This suggests that deficiencies exist among hospital compliance and the CMS review process used to identify non-compliance. Future directions are aimed at expanding this analysis to include evaluation of proton center compliance with other billing codes, such as simple and intermediate proton treatment delivery. [Table: see text]

Master slave game-based optimization of an off-grid combined cooling and power system coupled with solar thermal and photovoltaics considering carbon cost allocation

Analogously to power trading models used by electricity companies, the implementation of an energy retailer can address the trading challenges experienced by end-users with decentralized energy consumption patterns. This research develops an off-grid solar-gas energy system to fulfill the cooling and power needs of buildings. Upon creating thermodynamic models, an innovative energy trading mechanism is introduced through an energy retailer, followed by the application of a master-slave optimization method aimed at maximizing participants' profits while incorporating carbon trading and demand response strategies. Through a case study and comparison of four different scenarios, the findings demonstrate that integrating solar thermal and electrical systems leads to the highest profitability, with the energy system's revenues remaining below 10%. The study determines the maximum selling prices for cooling and electricity as 0.231 $/kWh and 0.232 $/kWh, respectively, and highlights that varying carbon allocation rates have minimal effects on user profits. This work sheds light on the sustainable progression of distributed energy systems and presents motivating implications for a diverse audience interested in such advancements.

Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Market Value of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Joshimath Block of Chamoli Uttarakhand, India

The present study has been carried out during 2021 to 2022 in Joshimath block of district Chamoli, Uttarakhand, India to document the ethnomedicinal uses of medicinal and aromatic plants and their marketing patterns. Of 54 plant species, 47 herb, 4 shrubs, and 3 trees specieswere used for curing a total 21 diseases such as fever, rheumatism, jaundice, intestinal problems etc. Rhizome/tuber/roots (34.48%), followed by leaves (20.68%), fruits/seeds (17.24%), whole plant (6.89%), flower (5.17%), stem/bark (5.17%), root and leaf (5.17%), leaves and flower (1.72%), leaves and stem (1.72%), root and fruit (1.72%) were used for curing different ailments.A total 13 MAPs and 5 MAPs products were recorded in use and marketed during the survey.The maximum retail price (Rs 2000/Kg) was observed in Potentilla fulgens whereas, the minimum retail prize (Rs 125/Kg) was observed in Saussureacostus . Oil of Rosa damascena had maximum retail price (Rs 7000-8000/Litter) and the minimum retail price (Rs 210/L) was observed in Rose water . Among 54 medicinal plants, 6 species were critically endangered, 7 endangered, 6 near threatened, and 5 vulnerable species showed high demand in the market and greater potential towards curing of different ailments.

An Analysis of Market Arrivals and Price Behavior of Coriander in Madhya Pradesh, India

The current research embarked on analysing wholesale prices of coriander in Madhya Pradesh spanning a decade from 2012-13 to 2021-22, sourced from specific A.P.M.Cs. The examination predominantly relied on secondary data regarding coriander arrivals and prices. Results uncovered a positive regression coefficient (β) correlated with time (T), indicating a consistent upward trend in wholesale coriander prices in Madhya Pradesh. Annual prices of coriander in Ashok Nagar, Guna, and Bhopal markets exhibited two cycles, one spanning 7 years and the other 2 years. Across all selected markets, a similar irregular fluctuation pattern observed in yearly coriander prices, lacking any distinct periodicity. Seasonal analysis revealed varying patterns in coriander prices across Bhopal, Ashok Nagar, and Guna markets, with no stable trend discernible. The Seasonal price variation of coriander in these markets was lowermost in January and remained relatively less throughout the sowing time. Coriander arrivals conspicuously dispersed more evenly in Bhopal market compared to the other two. In terms of IPR (Index of Price Relative), significant price variability was observed; with Guna market exhibiting the highest and Ashok Nagar market the lowest variability. Conversely, ASPV (Average Seasonal Price Variation) showed an inverse relationship with IPR, with Ashok Nagar market experiencing the maximum price variation among all selected markets.

A study on the price variability of branded medicines and Jan aushadi versions of selected commonly prescribed psychiatric medications in India using a cost-comparative approach and a passive evaluation of the Jan aushadhi scheme in India.

The cost of medications poses a significant financial burden on patients. It limits access and adherence to treatment. Psychiatric disease burden is rising and it needs treatment for long durations. The high cost of branded medicines and lack of access to medicines at affordable prices can limit adherence. A cost comparison study was done to investigate the price difference between branded and Jan aushadhi versions of 20 selected psychiatric drugs was done at the Department of Community Medicine of a Government medical college in Southern India. The average (mean) price of branded medicines of each drug was calculated with minimum, and maximum using online data, and comparison was done by calculating the percentage price difference between branded and Jan aushadhi medicines. The overall percentage price difference between branded and Jan aushadhi medicines was calculated. The overall percentage price difference between the mean price of branded medicine and Jan aushadhi medicine was + 252% for antipsychotics, indicating that the mean branded price was 252% (2.52 times) Jan aushadhi price. Similarly, the overall percentage price difference between the mean branded price and Jan aushadhi price among antidepressants was +277.54%, and the overall percentage price difference between mean branded price and Jan aushadhi was +227.73% for anticonvulsants. Similarly, price differences of maximum and minimum branded prices and Jan aushadhi were high. The study was able to estimate variation in the price of branded drugs and compare the price of branded medicines with Jan aushadhi by estimating price differences. The results of the study are useful in further reference regarding the subject for public, policy makers and healthcare providers. It gives valuable evidence into medication costs in India.