Reduction Of Expenses Research Articles

Experimental performance and evaluation of direct evaporative cooling system coupled with a desiccant wheel in a closed greenhouse

The greenhouse is one of the most advanced technologies protecting products against inconvenient climates. However, high humidity and temperature throughout the summer, particularly in closed greenhouses, have a reverse effect on the crops. In such conditions, reducing the temperature inside the greenhouse seems indispensable. Therefore, in this study, two different patterns of cooling systems, namely, direct evaporation and mixed direct evaporative desiccant rotatory wheel, were designed and developed in Tehran. The results of these models were evaluated, compared, and modeled in TRNSYS. Subsequently, for performance prediction of these models, they were examined in closed greenhouses located in 5 regions in Iran: Astara, Ahvaz, Bandar-abbas, Tehran, and Shiraz. The temperature and humidity in different parts of the greenhouse were measured and reported to assess the performance of these two systems in terms of the capability to supply the required cooling load, energy consumption, and functional expenses. The experimental results indicated that the direct evaporative cooling system isn't acceptable for cooling the closed greenhouse in the preceding regions. This system in conventional greenhouses can be applicable only in Astara, Tehran, and Shiraz. Although all traditional greenhouses in Tehran use a direct evaporative cooling pad system, such a system cannot be used for cooling the closed greenhouses. Also, findings of the present study indicated that despite the 10% increase in radiation intensity and 7% increase in temperature in the case of evaluating the mixed evaporative desiccant rotatory wheel system, the temperature changes of greenhouse in this system followed a similar behavior, and 8% reduction in functional expenses was also confirmed.

왜 다시 EBS인가?

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, concerns about learning loss and the soaring expenses of private education have become prominent social issues. In light of these concerns, the government is actively exploring strategies to enhance the integration of EBS lectures into the College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT). While previous studies have primarily focused on the initial impact of the 2010 college entrance exam policy, there remains a lack of research on the dynamic effects of the policy over time. Firstly, in order to estimate the effect of EBS lectures on the reduction in private education expenses, we employ the Correlated Random Effects approach - Panel Tobit Model along with other panel data models, using data from high school students in the Seoul Education Longitudinal Study (SELS). Additionally, we evaluate the outcome of EBS lectures compared to other educational goods such as school achievement.
 The results indicate that, except for the early stages of policy implementation, EBS lectures have significantly reduced private education expenses and positively influenced academic achievement in math and English courses. However, a continuous decline in EBS lecture participation rates and the preference of top-performing students for private education seem to diminish the overall impact of the policy. Accordingly, policy responses addressing these issues should be considered to maximize the effectiveness of the EBS lecture policy.

High-volume endocrine surgeons perform thyroid surgery at decreased cost despite increased case relative value units

BackgroundHealthcare systems are transitioning to value-based payment models based on analysis of quality over cost. To gain an understanding of the relationship between surgeon volume and health care costs, we compared the direct costs of thyroidectomy performed by dedicated high-volume endocrine surgeons and low-volume surgeons within a large health care system. MethodsWe evaluated all thyroid surgeries performed within a single billing year at a single health care system. We defined high-volume surgeons as those who treated >50 thyroid cases yearly and compared them to low-volume surgeons. To account for multicomponent procedures, we added the relative value units for the components of the cases. Then, we divided them into low–relative value units, intermediate–relative value units, and high–relative value units groups. We analyzed categorical and continuous variables using the χ2 analysis and Wilcoxon rank sum test, respectively. ResultsWe identified 674 thyroidectomy procedures performed by 27 surgeons, of whom 6 high-volume surgeons performed 79% of cases. Relative value unit distribution differed between the groups, with high-volume surgeons performing more intermediate–relative value unit (58% vs 34.7%, P < .01) and high–relative value unit (24.6% vs 20.6%, P < .01) cases, whereas low-volume surgeons performed more low–relative value unit cases (45% vs 17%, P < .01). Overall, high-volume surgeons incurred a 26% reduction in total costs (P < .01) and a 33% reduction in discretionary expenses (P < .01) across all relative value unit groups. ConclusionHigh-volume endocrine surgeons perform thyroid procedures at a lower cost than their low-volume counterparts, a difference that is magnified when stratified by relative value unit groups.

A causal inference study: The impact of the combined administration of Donepezil and Memantine on decreasing hospital and emergency department visits of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia that currently affects over 6.5 million people in the U.S. Currently there is no cure and the existing drug therapies attempt to delay the mental decline and improve cognitive abilities. Two of the most commonly prescribed such drugs are Donepezil and Memantine. We formally tested and confirmed the presence of a beneficial drug-drug interaction of Donepezil and Memantine using a causal inference analysis. We applied doubly robust estimators to one of the largest and high-quality medical databases to estimate the effect of two commonly prescribed Alzheimer's disease (AD) medications, Donepezil and Memantine, on the average number of hospital or emergency department visits per year among patients diagnosed with AD. Our results show that, compared to the absence of medication scenario, the Memantine monotherapy, and the Donepezil monotherapy, the combined use of Donepezil and Memantine treatment significantly reduces the average number of hospital or emergency department visits per year by 0.078 (13.8%), 0.144 (25.5%), and 0.132 days (23.4%), respectively. The assessed decline in the average number of hospital or emergency department visits per year is consequently associated with a substantial reduction in medical costs. As of 2022, according to the Alzheimer's Disease Association, there were over 6.5 million individuals aged 65 and older living with AD in the US alone. If patients who are currently on no drug treatment or using either Donepezil or Memantine alone were switched to the combined used of Donepezil and Memantine therapy, the average number of hospital or emergency department visits could decrease by over 613 thousand visits per year. This, in turn, would lead to a remarkable reduction in medical expenses associated with hospitalization of AD patients in the US, totaling over 940 million dollars per year.

Nephroscope-assisted single trocar peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion improves catheter survival compared with laparoscopic technique: Ten-year experience of a single-center

BackgroundAn ideal technique for peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter insertion should provide a long-term functioning catheter until permanent renal replacement therapy becomes available. We developed a technique using the nephroscope-assisted single-trocar approach in 2011. In this study, we report the outcomes, learning curve analysis and cost-effectiveness analysisof the nephroscopic approach compared with the traditional laparoscopic approach. MethodBetween January 2005 and December 2020, we retrospectively reviewed 511 patients who received PD catheter insertions using the laparoscopic or nephroscopic approach. We compared the baseline characteristics of the patients, surgical outcomes, and complications of the two groups. We further analyzed the nephroscopic group to determine the cost-effectiveness analysis, learning curve and the complication frequency between the learning and mastery periods of the nephroscopic approach. ResultsA total of 208 patients underwent laparoscopic PD catheter insertion, whereas 303 patients received nephroscopic surgery. The median catheter survival in the nephroscopic group is significantly longer (43.1 vs. 60.5 months, p = 0.019). The incidence of peritonitis (29.3% vs.20.8%, p = 0.035) and exit site infection (12.5% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.019) were significantly lower in the nephroscopic group. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed a medical expense reduction of 16000 USD annually by using the nephroscopic technique. There was no difference in the frequency of surgical complications between the learning and mastery phases when examining the learning curve analysis for the nephroscopic technique. ConclusionsCompared with the traditional laparoscopic approach, the nephroscopic technique effectively prolonged catheter survival and reduces health care cost by reducing infectious complications. The low complication rate during the learning phase of surgery makes the procedure safe for patients and surgeons.

EFFICACY AND PHARMACOECONOMICS STUDY OF SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS) CONDUCTED AT THE PAIN THERAPY HUB, SAN GIULIANO HOSPITAL ASL NAPOLI 2

EFFICACY AND PHARMACOECONOMICS STUDY OF SPINAL CORD STIMULATION (SCS) CONDUCTED AT THE PAIN THERAPY HUB, SAN GIULIANO HOSPITAL ASL NAPOLI 2

Real-time air quality monitoring in Bull Trench Kiln-based Brick industry by calibrating sensor readings and utilizing the Serverless Computing

Bull Trench Kiln-based Brick industries are major contributors of Particulate Matter Pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10), which leads to deterioration of air quality, and hence needs to be monitored. As the static air monitoring stations require huge infrastructure and are sparsely located, it is necessary to find alternate ways using recent technologies like IoT, Machine Learning, and Serverless Computing. IoT devices being low cost and portable could be deployed near brick industries, however, they are sensitive to fluctuating ambient air temperature or humidity and hence have to be calibrated and there is a need for powerful back-end infrastructures for storage and analyses of data. The existing approach of transmitting IoT-based data to the cloud is time-consuming, energy inefficient, prone to scaling problems, has poor resource utilization, and is expensive. In this study, the IoT data are calibrated using ML Classifier algorithms and an Automatic Function Triggerer - Function-as-a-Service (AFT-FaaS) method is proposed, which is based on event-driven, Serverless method using AWS Lambda along with the Three-Tier Serverless architecture (Edge Tier, Fog Tire, and Cloud Tier) to deal with the challenges of delay, under-resource allocation, and to reduce the expenditures. The data transmitted to the cloud using the proposed AFT-FaaS method are indexed in ElasticSearch and Kibana is used for the analysis and visualization of data. While performing calibration, Random Forest Classifier was chosen as it had accuracy of above 98%. Finally, an in-depth pricing analysis is performed to better understand the difference between different configurations deployed for Serverless and non-Serverless Computing methods, which shows there is a significant reduction (7 times) of expenses incurred while using Serverless Computing than the non-Serverless Computing methods.

Telemonitoring patients with chronic heart failure. Results from a pilot study in the Veneto Region, Italy

Remote monitoring of patients with chronic heart failure (HF) can prevent acute episodes of HF, optimize treatment, reduce emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations, and improve quality of life of patients and caregivers. In current clinical practice, however, the most appropriate model is still under debate. We aimed to evaluate the impact of a new remote telemonitoring (TM) system in the clinical management of HF patients on the reduction of hospitalizations and ER admissions and on possible related-economic benefits. A working group participated by primary care and family practitioners, cardiologists, home care nurses of the 8th Local Health Unit of the Veneto Region, Italy, has established a new operating procedure for TM chronic HF patients, identifying the clinical profiles and the inclusion/exclusion criteria of enrollment, the clinical parameters to be monitored, the input/output modalities of the information to/from the call center, the alarm criteria and the response procedures. Patients were profiled into three risk categories based on age, clinical characteristics, prognosis assessment, and social needs and provided with appropriate devices for remote measurement and transmission of blood pressure, heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and body weight. Clinical data, self-measured at home according to a predetermined schedule based on the patient's risk profile, were automatically transmitted to the operating center, generating, if above the threshold, a grading of alarms (green/cyan, yellow, red) and the consequent activation of the most appropriate response (returned phone calls to check patient's status, reporting to primary physician/family practitioner for clinical evaluation, notification to the HF outpatient clinic for an early follow-up visit, alerting medical emergency services). The number of hospitalizations and ER visits during the TM period was compared with the pre-TM equivalent for each individual patient. Overall, 22 patients with chronic HF were enrolled (mean age 82.3 ± 8.6 years, 17 males). The average duration of TM was 18.7 ± 8.8 months. Overall, 62 108 home measurements were performed and transmitted. The alarms received by the operating center were 4120 (6.6% of all measurements): 62% cyan, 30% yellow, 8% red. Most of the data above the threshold concerned weight gain (42.0%) and SpO2 variations (28.0%). During the observation period (TM period and pre-TM equivalent interval calculated for each individual patient), a total of 127 hospitalizations and 181 ED visits were recorded. Compared to the pre-TM period, there was a 66% reduction in hospitalizations for all causes (95 vs 32, p<0.001) and a 68% decrease in ED visits (137 vs 44, p<0.001). Similarly, hospitalizations and ED visits due to HF were reduced by 82% (p<0.001) and 66% (p<0.001), respectively, with a decrease in days of HF-related hospitalization from 211 to 48. Despite a higher cost for TM of € 6911.15, a total saving of € 64 103.87 was obtained for the reduction of expenses from € 8665.45 to € 2664.00 for ED visits and from € 71 627.93 to € 13 525.51 for HF hospitalizations. This pilot experience on remote monitoring HF patients proved to be effective in determining a significant reduction in ED visits and hospitalizations with a consequent significant economic benefit. Larger studies are needed to confirm this favorable outcome.

Transition to Value-based Healthcare: Development, Implementation, and Results of an Optimal Surgical Care Framework at a National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

BackgroundThe continued rise in healthcare expenditures has not produced commensurate improvements in patient outcomes, leading US healthcare stakeholders to emphasize value-based care. Transition to such a model requires all team members to adopt a new strategic and organizational framework. ObjectiveTo describe and report a strategy for the implementation of a novel patient-centered value-based “optimal surgical care” (OSC) framework, with validation and cost analysis in kidney surgery. Design, setting, and participantsAn observational study of care episodes at a single institution from 2014 to 2019 was conducted. Outcome measurements and statistical analysisMultidisciplinary teams defined OSC by core and procedure-specific metrics using a combination of provider-based (“bottom-up”) and “clinical leadership”-based (“top-down”) strategies. Baseline OSC rates across were established, while identifying proportions of OSC achieved by coefficient of variation (CV) in total direct costs. Multivariable linear regression comparing cost between OSC and non-OSC encounters was performed, adjusting for patient characteristics. Results and limitationsAn analysis of 30 261 perioperative care episodes was performed. Following the implementation of an OSC framework, there was an increase in OSC rates across all procedure buckets using core (25%) and procedure-specific (26%) metrics. Among the tumors tested, kidney cancer surgical episodes held the highest OSC rate improvement (67%) with lowest variability in cost (CV 0.5). OSC was associated with significant total cost savings across all tumor types after adjusting for inflation (p < 0.05). Compared with non-OSC episodes, a significant reduction in the cost ratio of OSC was noted for renal surgery (p < 0.01), with estimated costs savings of $2445.87 per OSC encounter. ConclusionsInstitutional change directing efforts toward optimizing surgical care and emphasizing value rather than focusing solely on expense reduction is associated with improved outcomes, while potentially reducing costs. The strategy for implementation requires serial performance analyses, engaging and educating providers, and continuous ongoing adjustments to achieve durable results. Patient summaryIn this study, we report our strategy and outcomes for transitioning to a value-based healthcare model using a novel “optimal surgical care” framework at a National Cancer Institute–designated comprehensive cancer center. We observed an increase in optimal surgical care episodes across all specialties after 5 yr, with a potential associated reduction in cost expenditure. We conclude that the key to a successful and sustained transition is the implementation strategy, focusing on continual review and provider engagement.

Joint Optimization of Preventive Maintenance and Spare Parts Ordering Considering Imperfect Detection

The optimization of preventive maintenance and spare part ordering strategies for modern production equipment is of utmost importance, given its substantial influence on the reliability of equipment systems. Furthermore, the optimization problem discussed here has a direct impact on the reduction of maintenance expenses, thus making it a significant area of research. The optimization of preventive maintenance and spare parts ordering techniques for contemporary industrial equipment, which is a massive and complex system, faces substantial obstacles notwithstanding prior research efforts in the subject. Prior studies have typically assumed a fixed lead time for spare parts ordering, often leading to discrepancies with actual practice. When faced with a critical component failure, such as rolling bearings, it is not advisable for the decision maker to strictly adhere to the ordering strategy. Therefore, this paper presents a novel approach to the maintenance management method, which optimizes preventive maintenance and spare parts ordering strategies using a dynamic early warning period model based on different equipment states. The model incorporates two maintenance approaches, namely normal ordering and emergency ordering, and the equipment will adopt the corresponding maintenance method according to its state. Furthermore, the model takes imperfect detection of equipment states into account since equipment monitoring is not always accurate. Numerical experiments were conducted using rolling bearings, which are a crucial component in typical mechanical equipment, as a case study. The findings indicate that the improved model exhibits a unit time cost of 1.3021, whereas the original model has a unit time cost of 1.3611. Consequently, the new model effectively reduces the maintenance cost. This new method can better resolve the coordination challenge between preventive maintenance and spare parts ordering for equipment, the enhancing of equipment system reliability, and reduce maintenance expenses. In summary, the text presents a significant contribution in the form of a proposed preventive maintenance model that offers increased flexibility, aiming to effectively reduce maintenance costs.

Growing crisis of the us federal finances system USA: default delayed but not cancelled

The article analyzes the course and results of the US budget crisis caused by the need to raise the ceiling of public debt, which reached $31.4 trillion by the beginning of 2023. It is emphasized that this budget crisis is the second crisis of its kind after 2011. The article draws major historical parallels between the 2011 and 2023 budget crises. It is noted that both crises arose as a result of the victory of the Republican Party in the 2010 and 2022 midterm elections, which allowed the Republican leadership of the US House of Representatives to draw up plans to sharply decrease the growth rate of the leverage on the American economy. Both in 2011 and 2023, in the House of Representatives Republicans were opposed by the Democratic administrations of B. Obama and J. Biden. It is mentioned that they invariably advocated an "automatic" increase of the ceiling of the public debt, while Republicans demanded budget reforms, insisting on dramatic reduction in expenses on federal budget. According to the author, the inertia of uncontrolled growth of budget defi cits and an increase in the pyramid of debt obligations is deeply rooted in the United States, and at the same time the politicians of both ruling parties seek to shift the solution of the country’s acute fi scal problems to subsequent administrations and congresses of new convocations. By 2033, the federal government’s gross debt is expected to be $50.0 trillion, the ratio of gross debt to GDP will have reached nearly 130.0 %, and the amount of paid interest will be comparable to the size of military budgets.

The Main Problems of Distance Learning Management and its Impact on the Economy in RA

Key words: distance learning, higher education, financing of higher education, rent, education reform 2020 was a significant year both for Armenia and for the whole world as it has been marked in history by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic and emergency measures deriving from it, undertaken from March 2020, changed the mechanisms of the higher education organization. As of April 1, 2020, around 42.5% of the world’s current population was in quarantine. According to UNESCO data, on April 1, 2020 schools and universities were closed in 185 countries, affecting 1,542,412,000 learners, which forms 89.4% of the total amount of learners. The maximum amount of the students’ number enrolled on RA universities was recorded in 2020, which may be due to many factors. Let us discuss some of the possible factors: 1․ Facilitation of student admission, unlike the rest of the academic years, students were admitted with one exam that year. 2․ A 13.89% reduction of expenses in connection with the above-mentioned factor, which is a huge number, taking into account that about 1/3 of the population of Armenia is poor. 3․Reducing housing costs – the majority of RA students are from regions and do not have an apartment in Yerevan, therefore, due to the shift to distance learning during the pandemic, they mainly saved the costs of apartment rent and transport. Basically, these factors are related to accessibility, which is partially solved by distance learning. Thus, we can state that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is great on the education system in almost all countries of the world. Thousands of universities, including those in Armenia, have faced various problems of organizing the educational process in a qualitatively new environment. Research shows that even universities leading in financial, technical and other terms have not managed to avoid problems. The effects of the pandemic are not limited to short-term impacts. Even after the restoration of the normal course of education, the effects of the pandemic will be manifested in the medium and long-term prospects, affecting educational strategies and practices.

Technical-economic study of three productive alternatives of the dual-purpose bovine system in Meta-Colombia

Introduction. The profitability of the dual-purpose system (DPS) is affected by low production efficiency andhigh production costs generated in traditional management. Studies based on the reduction of expenses and increaseof income, could suggest strategies to improve economic efficiency. Objective. Determine the technical y profitableefficiency of three production alternatives for bovine DPS in Meta, Colombia. Materials and methods. Seventy-twoBos taurus x Bos indicus cows were selected, starting lactation, fed under grazing, during the period 2016-2017, in a farm in Meta, Colombia. The cows and their calves were distributed in three groups; alternative 1 (MA1): milking 2 times a week until weaning (100 days), alternative 2 (MA2): milking 2 times a week until weaning (240 days), andtraditional (MT): milking daily until weaning (240 days). In the calves, the weight at birth and at 252 days of age (W252) were measured, and the daily weight gain (DWG) was estimated. In the cows, the birth rate (BR) and themilk produced per lactation (MPL) were measured. The productive response fed the economic analysis projected for a breeding stock of 100 cows. Results. The W252 and DWG between MA1 (189.30 kg; 0.64 kg/animal/day) and MA2(186.10 kg; 0.63 kg/animal/day) were similar (P&gt;0.05), but higher (p&lt;0.05) than those of the MT (155.10 kg; 0.54 kg/animal/day). BR presented the highest benefit for MA1 (0.84 calves/cow/year), followed by MA2 (0.74 calves/cow/year) and MT (0.68 calves/cow/year). The MPL was 1204.36 kg for MT, 303.74 kg for MA2 and 158.75 kg for MA1.MA1’s profitability outperformed MA2 and MT by 9.5 and 9.2 %, respectively. Conclusions. The MA1 reflected thegreater economic efficiency mainly due to the effect of the increase in the BR and the decrease in production costs.

SIMULATING BIORESORBABLE LATTICE STRUCTURES TO ENABLE TIME-DEPENDENT STIFFNESS IN FRACTURE FIXATION DEVICES

AbstractAdditive manufacture (AM) enables a greatly increased design freedom owing to its ability to manufacture otherwise difficult or impossible geometries. However, design creativity can often present itself as a barrier to realising the advantages that AM could offer. In this study the use of AM, bioresorbable materials and lattice design is considered as a method of satisfying contradicting design requirements during fracture healing. Often, immediately after a fracture high stiffness fixation is required; contradictingly during the remodelling phase high stiffness can inhibit bone healing. This study proposes the use of a bioresorbable body centred cubic (BCC) or face centred cubic (FCC) lattice structure to meet the need for tailored variation in implant stiffness over time. To reduce computational expense of lattice modelling a method is outlined, including the use of homogenisation. Results show homogenised representations perform within 5.2% and 1.4% for BCC and FCC unit cells respectively, with a 95% reduction in computational expense. Using resorption rates from the literature, time-dependent change in unit cell geometry was also modelled, showing the way in which a decrease in stiffness over time could be achieved.

The Use of Information Technology in Improving the Recruitment and Selection Process of Human Resources

The effective management of human resources is a critical factor in the achievement of organizational success. The recruitment and selection of competent personnel is a crucial aspect of human resource management. The objective of this research is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the effects of information technology implementation on enhancing the recruitment and selection procedures of human resources. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this investigation will yield a more profound comprehension of the utilization of information technology in enhancing the process of recruiting and selecting personnel resources. The primary emphasis of this research is on qualitative analysis. Data collection methods involve meticulous observation and recording of data, followed by the application of analytical techniques such as data reduction, visualization, and inference to derive insights. The study's findings indicate that the incorporation of information technology in the recruitment and selection procedures of human resources has yielded several noteworthy and beneficial outcomes. The implementation of this measure has resulted in enhanced recruitment process efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness, alongside a reduction in administrative expenses and time consumption.&#x0D;

Distribution networks reliability assessment considering distributed automation system with penetration of DG units and SOP devices

The electric utility industry is moving towards a deregulated and competitive market to meet customer expectations. So, system performance and reliability assessments are getting targeted more than before. Several performance measures of reliability are developed in the literature. In this research, the NEPLAN Simulator reliability analysis module is used to determine all the reliability indices in different cases of study considering the effect of the Advanced Distributed Automation System (ADAS). The analysis also benefits from the presence of Penetration of Distributed Generation (DG) units and Soft Open Points (SOP) to enhance system reliability alongside power quality. Therefore, this paper provides a methodology based on a cost/benefit study for distribution networks to define the best location of DG units and SOP devices that leads to better reliability indices. The objectives of the study are demonstrated and investigated through Bus 4 of the standard reliability Roy Bollington Test System (RBTS). NEPLAN uses a tool to apply the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) strategy, which leads to a substantial reduction of maintenance expenses. Simulation results indicate a significant reduction in system reliability cost by 65.8% with significant enhancement in the average of all reliability indices and at each load point too such as Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI) which is improved from 40.899 to 29.883, Energy not supplied also is declined by 52.34%. It is also worth saying that, even using DG units or SOP devices separately leads to positive results but the best outcomes are obtained with an appropriate combination of both.

Strategies Used by Rural Indigenous Populations to Cope with Energy Poverty, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico

At the global level, the strategies used by rural Indigenous populations to face energy poverty have not been studied. Pioneering in the field, this work contributes to filling the gaps in the literature on the subject, mobilize the debate on a problem that affects rural Indigenous populations unequally, and outline key areas for policy. With a quantitative approach and taking as a research scenario the five rural Indigenous municipalities with the highest multidimensional poverty in the State of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, this paper analyzes the strategies used by rural Indigenous households to cope with energy poverty. It finds that a considerable proportion has had difficulty paying for their energy consumption (electricity, LP gas, and firewood), using strategies to cope with energy poverty (67.7%, 73.2%, and 96.1%, respectively): reducing expenses or stopping buying other things, borrowing money, and/or failing to pay for electricity or buy fuels for lack of economic resources. Food is significantly sacrificed in the reduction of expenses or stopping buying things, followed by health and housing. The situation has normalized over time, potentially impacting development, physical health, and mental well-being, and acting as an accelerator of the cycle of risk of energy poverty, given the confirmation of additional stressors.

Reforming the institute of notary institute in the modern conditions of European integration

The scientific article is devoted to the process of reforming and improving the notary institution in accordance with international standards. Consideration of ways to reform the notary as a complex problem should ensure the success of such reform and stable functioning of the system. Taking into account the needs of civil circulation, we can talk about the relevance of the topic raised in the article, its scientific and applied nature and unconditional connection with notarial practice. &#x0D; The notary reform is primarily a benefit for people, because the implementation of the planned will save time and money of citizens and businesses, ensure the availability of notarial actions, overcome corruption in the field of justice, create reliable protection against fraud, significantly save the state budget, and finally move to the standards of the European Union. &#x0D; Today, significant economic and political changes are taking place in Ukraine, which significantly affect the process of notary reform.&#x0D; The implementation of the reform involves three strategic steps. Firstly, the introduction of an electronic notary system. This project is designed to improve the quality of notarial actions by reducing the time to perform the action and protecting the notarial document from forgery.&#x0D; In particular, the large-scale digitization of notarial activity involves: the rejection of keeping paper books of notary activities; reducing the number of documents that a person must submit to perform a notarial act; automation of a number of processes in the activity of notaries; effective information interaction between state information resources; maintaining a notarial archive in electronic form.&#x0D; A full technical and economic analysis of E-notary has already been prepared. It is planned that the first stage of the «pilot» with the notary's electronic workplace will be launched by the end of 2020.&#x0D; The next step is the transition to a single notary. This will make it possible to consolidate the unified status of a notary in Ukraine, abandoning the system of dividing notaries into public and private ones, as was done in many European states. The transition to a single notary office will involve the gradual termination of the activities of state notary offices, and therefore will allow a significant reduction of state expenses for their maintenance, which will contribute to the saving of budget funds. A concept of measures has been developed that will guarantee the availability of basic notarial actions for socially vulnerable sections of the population. The number of actions that notaries can perform will also be significantly expanded. The notary will have the right to register marriages, divorces, provide evidence, etc.&#x0D; And the third step is self-regulation of the notary profession. An important aspect in the implementation of the transition to a unified notary is the transfer of a number of powers to the body of professional self-government of notaries, in particular: to exercise control over the organization of notary activities, record keeping, compliance with the rules of the Code of Professional Ethics of Notaries, to organize an increase in the professional level of notaries, as well as to create conditions for an even territorial distribution of workers places of notaries, so that citizens from the most remote corners of our country have access to notarial acts. Certain steps in the direction of self-regulation have already been taken. We have changed the composition of the Higher Qualification Commission of the Notary. Now, its composition includes only 3 representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and 11 private notaries, that is, control over the decisions of the HCPC has already been transferred to the notary community. The implementation of the reform will make it possible to lay a solid foundation for the formation and development of a Latin-type notary in Ukraine, which is a world standard in the field of protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens.&#x0D; Reforming is a long process that depends not only on the aspirations of the Ministry of Justice and notaries, but also on the political and socio-economic situation in the country.

Developing and testing a social media-based intervention for improving business skills and income levels of young smallholder farmers

PurposeThis study aimed to develop and test the impact of a social media-based intervention for improving the business skills and income of young smallholder farmers.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the researchers used an exploratory approach to develop a social media-based intervention for acquiring business skills and improving income. Second, the researchers tested the effectiveness of the developed programme on a sample of 506 young smallholder farmers. Finally, the intervention and data collection took place over five years (2017–2021).FindingsThe result showed steady improvements in business skills and income from 2017 to 2021 for the treatment group, unlike the control group. Also, improvements in business skills led to a reduction in expenses and an increase in profit from 2017 to 2021. A further evaluation of the result showed that an addition of 5.1 mean scores in business skills led to the addition of $91 income between 2017 and 2018; for 2018–2019, 2.6 improvements in business skills increased income by $123. For 2019–2020, a 2.7 improvement increased income by $209, whilst for 2020–2021, a 1.6 improvement increased income by $320.Originality/valueThe results of this study could help explore ways of using social media to change behaviour aimed at improving income amongst young smallholder farmers.

Access to sustainable healthcare infrastructure: a review of industrial emissions, coal fires, and particulate matter.

Environmental health is critical for the economy's social welfare and environmental sustainability. Using time series data from 1975 to 2020, the research examines the short- and long-run relationship between environmental pollutants and healthcare costs in the context of Pakistan. The study's results reveal that short-term and long-term efforts towards cleaner development in terms of carbon emissions, coal combustion, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and industrial value-added have resulted in significant reductions in healthcare expenses due to improved management of industrial emissions. However, in the long run, particulate matter (PM2.5) has a detrimental effect on a country's sustainable healthcare agenda, leading to increased healthcare costs. Furthermore, the increased use of coal-fired power plants that release polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and revenue generated by contaminated production lead to higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs, increasing a country's risk of morbidity and mortality. The study's Granger causality estimations demonstrate that carbon emissions are responsible for emissions-driven healthcare expenses in a nation. Additionally, economic growth leads to increased carbon emissions and industrial toxins, which are also emission-led. Through variance decomposition analysis (VDA), the study finds that carbon emissions have the highest variance shock of 32.702% on healthcare expenditures in the next ten years. This is followed by polluted income and continued economic growth, which have a variance shock of 13.243% and 8.858%, respectively, over the same period. The findings indicate that the maximum healthcare benefits may be acquired by mitigating environmental pollutants via stringent environmental regulations, reducing industrial toxins through solid waste management techniques, and minimizing coal combustion reliance through renewable fuels. Environmental research is still required to provide more sustainable solutions to the sustainability of the global healthcare agenda.