Resource Inputs Research Articles

Spatial spillover effects of forest ecological security on ecological well-being performance in China

Improving ecological well-being performance (EWP) is important for the construction of ecological civilization and sustainable development. The forest ecosystem provides multidimensional ecological well-being for humans, and forest ecological security (FES) has an important impact on the ability of human beings to obtain well-being from the ecosystem, providing multiple guarantees for EWP enhancement. Based on the panel data from 2004 to 2018, we estimate the EWP and FES index of 30 Chinese provinces using stochastic frontier model and TOPSIS, respectively. The spatial econometric model is also used to analyze the impact and spatial spillover effects of FES on EWP. The results show that (1) the level of overall EWP in China from 2004 to 2018 is high, but still not fully effective in converting natural resource inputs into well-being levels, showing a trend of fluctuating decline. Meanwhile, the spatial variation is obvious, where provinces with low EWP are mainly concentrated in the less developed western regions. (2) The FES index overall performance stands at the lower level, but maintaining a stable growth trend. Similarly, there are spatial variations in the distribution of FES, and declined in the order of East, Central, Northeast, and West China, which is basically consistent with the socioeconomic development status. (3) EWP and FES are both significantly correlated in spatial dependence, and the improvement of FES not only promotes EWP in the local, but also positively affects the neighbors through spatial spillover effects, with the indirect effects in the decomposition effects being much larger than the direct effects. In the context of resource scarcity and environmental constraints, the findings of this paper provide empirical evidence for policy formulation to enhance EWP, and the security status of forest ecosystems is a key consideration.

Efficiency of railway transport: A comparative analysis for 16 countries

With economic and social development, the demand for railway transport is increasing, and improving its efficiency is essential for sustainable growth of the sector worldwide. This study investigated railway transport in 16 countries from 2010 to 2018 via a three-stage data envelopment analysis modelling approach to empirically evaluate the corresponding efficiencies while eliminating the influence of the external environment and statistical noise. The results show that Switzerland (0.993), the UK (0.966), and the USA (0.966) top the first-stage efficiency (named comprehensive efficiency) calculation, and the comprehensive efficiency of railway transport has continuously increased over the past years for most countries. The external environment affects the efficiency of railway transport; however, the strength and direction of its impact vary. Railway density improves efficiency, while road density has the opposite effect. In the third stage, China (0.973), the USA (0.969), and the UK (0.906) presented the highest efficiency (real efficiency) estimation, which was further decomposed into pure and scale efficiency. The 16 countries considered present similar pure efficiencies, but significantly different scale efficiencies, implying a relatively low potential for efficiency enhancement via technological improvement. Policy opportunities to promote the railway sector's efficiency lie in implementing real efficiency-oriented governance strategies, piloting resource inputs by differentiating the influence of the external environment, and strengthening the competitiveness of railway transport to achieve economies of scale.

Food neophobia and its association with dietary choices and willingness to eat insects.

Growing populations, changing dietary preferences and limitations on natural resources have meant that finding an alternative to traditional animal-based protein sources is a priority. Insects have been proposed as a possible solution due to their many benefits including low resource inputs and rich nutritional profile. However, insects are not consumed on a large scale by Australians. Food neophobia (reluctance to try new foods) could be contributing to this delay and as such, this study aimed to explore the role of food neophobia on protein food source habits and willingness to eat insects as food. A total of 601 participants (76.2% female, 23.8% male) completed an online survey which included a questionnaire measuring food neophobia status, participants' self-reported usual protein dietary habits, their previous insect-eating experience, future willingness to eat insects, and potential motivations to include insects in their diet. Results indicated a strong association between food neophobia and participants' dietary choices such as following a vegan or vegetarian diet (p = 0.024). In addition, food neophobia was correlated with a reduced likelihood of previous insect-eating experience (p < 0.001), as well as a decreased willingness to eat insects in the future (p < 0.001). This study provides a greater understanding of the role of food neophobia status and dietary choices in consumers' willingness to eat insects and identifies possible motivating factors that may increase the likelihood of consumers' future insect eating.

A flexible and efficient hybrid agricultural subsidy design for promoting food security and safety

The quantity and quality of edible agricultural products are critical for food security (quantity) and safety (quality). Supplying consumers with enough safe food is the key responsibility of food production firms. Still, this aim is not always guaranteed because of input capacity constraints and other limitations in the agricultural sector. A hybrid subsidy, a mix of quantity and quality subsidy, could help achieve food security and safety in a country its flexibility. However, the advantages of the hybrid have not been fully investigated. Thus, this paper designs a hybrid subsidy for edible agricultural products by considering cost uncertainties and input resource constraints. All conclusions are obtained by theoretical mathematical analysis. (1) equilibrium solutions under different conditions—cost uncertainties and input constraints—are obtained, and comparative analyses is offered. (2) the results show that the hybrid subsidy is convenient in the trade-off between food quantity and quality, which means a hybrid subsidy policy design is flexible and efficient for food security and safety. (3) cost uncertainties and input resource constraints have significant impacts on the efficiency of the hybrid subsidy. Findings show that the hybrid subsidy is ideal for supporting edible agricultural products. Additionally, we argue that cost uncertainties and input constraints should be considered when making policy efficiency evaluations. This study has a novel contribution to agricultural support policy design.

Morpho-physiological characterization of multi-canopy rice cultivation systems in various genotype combinations

The multi-canopy rice cultivation system modifies the cultivar mixture using two genotypes with different stem lengths to create different heights of the plant canopy that may optimize vertical growth and harvesting space. This study aims to investigate the effect of a multi-canopy rice cultivation system on the morpho-physiological characteristics of several genotype combinations. The research was conducted in the plastic house of the IPB University experimental station, Dramaga, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Two genotypes of the short plants and two tall plants as IPB University breeding lines were evaluated using a randomized complete block design. The combination of the short and the tall genotypes was transplanted on the same hill to create the multi-canopy system. The results of the multi-canopy rice cultivation system produced a number of tillers, panicle number, and percentage of productive tillers showed no difference with mono-genotype hills. Meanwhile, the genotype’s performance in the multi-canopy system for stem length, plant height, panicle length, panicle density, photosynthesis rate, and SPAD value is as good as the mono-genotype system. These results indicated no decrease in morpho-physiological characters’ performance in each genotype grown as a combination in multi-canopy. Each genotype can utilize resource inputs at different canopy positions to minimize competition.

Assessing the efficiency of solid waste collection services in urban Ghana

Whether private solid waste management companies are efficient in solid waste collection (SWC) has long dominated public discourse in Ghana. In many instances, such discourses are based on an empirical vacuum. This article seeks to provide the empirical basis on which discussions on SWC efficiency can be grounded. It examined the efficiency of resource inputs into SWC using the Data Envelopment Analysis. With cost and allocative efficiencies as model output, the value of total assets, number of trucks, number of collection containers, number of clients, and number of personnel deployed were set as input data, while the quantity of waste hauled and the amount of revenue generated was the output factors. The companies constituted the decision-making units (DMUs). The results showed that the average efficiency score for all DMUs was less than the 1.0 threshold for efficiency score. The results imply that the DMUs consistently operated inefficiently. We argue that the extent of inefficiencies provides the basis for stakeholders to re-examine the existing waste management architecture.

Digital economy, industrial transformation and upgrading, and spatial transfer of carbon emissions: The paths for low-carbon transformation of Chinese cities

Under the background of increasingly fierce global economic competition and severe climate change, seeking new soft resource input is the key for China to break through the bottleneck of economic transformation. Based on the data from 278 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2019, multi-dimensional empirical tests were conducted to investigate the relationship between digital economy (DE) and spatial transfer of carbon emissions (CE). The results show that DE directly reduced CE. Mechanism analysis shows that DE reduced CE through local industrial transformation and upgrading (ITU). Spatial analysis shows that DE reduced local CE while aggravating neighboring CE. The spatial transfer of CE was attributed to the fact that when DE promoted the local ITU, it induced the transfer of the backward and polluting industries to neighboring regions, resulting in the spatial transfer of CE. Moreover, the spatial transfer effect of CE was maximum at 200 km. However, in recent years, rapid DE development has weakened the spatial transfer effect of CE. The results can provide insights into understanding the carbon refuge effect of industrial transfer in China in the context of DE and facilitate formulating appropriate industrial policies to promote inter-regional carbon reduction synergy. Thus, this study can provide a theoretical reference for achieving the dual-carbon target of China and the green economic recovery of other developing countries.

A Study of the Efficiency of Mediterranean Container Ports: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

The current paper presents the results of a study that analyzed and evaluated the efficiency of the largest container ports in the wider area of the Mediterranean Basin. The research question that this paper seeks to respond to is how the resources (inputs) of a container port reflect its level of activity and efficiency. In particular, what is the relationship between ports’ infrastructures, equipment and their productivity and the ports’ ability to attract economic activities as well as the extent of their effect on a port’s efficiency? The methodology uses the data envelopment analysis (DEA) output-oriented model following a cross-sectional approach. The research conducts two modeling approaches, the CCR and the BCC model. The analysis goes deeper and compares port efficiency estimates in relation to medium-sized and large ports’ classification and their total market share. The main findings indicated an average efficiency of 0.88 and 0.89 assuming constant and variable returns of scale, respectively, implying that the ports can increase their output levels up to approximately 1.2 times without any change in their inputs.

Total Economic Value of Cattle Farming in Integrated Waste Disposal Sites Bantul Yogyakarta

Cattle rearing in the Integrated Waste Disposal Area brings environmental pollution and reduces the comfort of livestock. This study aims to identify the condition of the cattle rearing profile, measurement of business feasibility, and analysis of the Total Economic Value of cattle existing values. The research location is in Ngablak Hamlet, Sitimulyo Village, Piyungan District, Bantul, Yogyakarta. The time of the study from August to November 2019. Sampling of farmers by census was 52 farmers. Data analysis with quantitative descriptive method. The results showed that farmers prefer with semi-intensive types for rearing and Simpo breeds. The biggest income is semi-intensive. Sustainability of cattle business is feasible from an economic and environmental if an intensive rearing is applied. If analyzed include the investment costs of feed, land, and cages, all maintenance systems are not feasible. The net benefit shows that if there is a cattle mortality, the farmer should be fined a minimum of that amount. Total Economic Value shows the value of cattle existing value assets in Ngablak Village annually. Overall, it is necessary to plan for shifting maintenance to an intensive system to maintain the existence and animal welfare of cattle as a resource input in the area

Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in Management Learning System During the Covid 19 Pandemic

This study examines the use of information technology in the management system of Indonesian higher education institutions. This could have been more optimal and evenly distributed in terms of hardware and management. This study is an international journal study. Input resource findings include visualizers/document cameras, computers, whiteboards, student-ready systems, and application programs. Output resources include projectors, interactive whiteboards, and displays. monitor, television, etc. Finally, other ICT devices include digital cameras, switchers, digital recorders, and other innovations. In short, inequalities in the infrastructure supporting the application of this technology in education and the need for better preparedness of human resources for the use of information and communication technologies in learning.

COVID-19 and bilingual children's home language environment: Digital media, socioeconomic status, and language status.

Input is considered crucial in bilingual children's language development. This is especially true for bilingual children's mother tongue language learning given its common reduction in input opportunities due to the dominance of one language within society, as seen in countries and regions from Wales to Singapore. Previous studies tend to focus on the quantity and quality of conventional active communication and resources (e.g., speaking and reading with parents) on bilingual children's language development, and substantially, fewer studies have explored this topic from the perspective of digital media. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the critical role of digital media in various aspects of life, including bilingual children's home language environment. Thus, to holistically understand bilingual children's daily language input patterns, it is imperative to explore both their conventional and digital media input resources. The current study focuses on English-Mandarin bilingual children in Singapore and would like to explore (1) whether their conventional and digital media language environments have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) whether the societal status of a language and familial socioeconomic status (SES) would affect bilingual children's conventional and digital media input. Survey data from 162 parents of English-Mandarin bilingual preschoolers (3 to 6 years old) were used to explore the two research questions. Two online parental questionnaires were employed for data collection. One-way repeated-measures MANOVA and path models were used to address the questions. The results indicated that input patterns from nuclear family members had not been affected by COVID-19; however, the amount and frequency of conventional and digital media materials and activities increased significantly since COVID-19. Higher-SES families possessed more conventional materials and conducted conventional activities more often, while lower-SES families possessed more digital media materials. Both conventional and digital media materials and activities were richer in English than in Mandarin. Higher-SES families perceived digital media usage for learning to be of less importance than lower-SES families. The implications for early bilingual learning following COVID-19 are discussed.

#6431 THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED COMMUNITY, CONSERVATIVE KIDNEY CARE AND PALLIATIVE-RENAL CARE SERVICE

Abstract Background and Aims Conservative kidney care is the chosen therapeutic strategy for approximately 6% of renal patients. It is estimated that a third of renal units in the United Kingdom have a dedicated conservative kidney care service. Equally, other units manage this cohort of patients in general nephrology/ low-clearance clinics or alternatively, discharge to community services. Walsall Together, is a collaborative initiative between community and speciality services, driven to provide multi-agency, patient-focused care. By combining specialist input and community resources, we aimed to optimally manage individuals on the conservative kidney care and palliative-renal pathways at home. Method Community, nephrology and palliative care teams devised a service for those individuals identified for conservative kidney care or individuals with renal disease requiring palliative care management. Two separate, yet linked services; the community, conservative care pathway feeding into the community, palliative-renal pathway. Individuals suitable for community conservative care pathway were identified from routine nephrology inpatient and outpatient workstreams. Prior to a telephone consultation with a nephrologist, phlebotomy for routine bloods were performed at the GP surgery or at the patients home by the community phlebotomy service. Any alterations to medications would be performed directly by the community pharmacist. Symptoms were assessed using the integrated palliative outcome score (IPOS)-renal survey. The IPOS renal-survey asks individuals to rate symptom burden from; not at all, to slightly, moderately, severely and overwhelmingly. Home visits were offered to unwell or symptomatic patients. Individuals requiring palliative care were identified from both palliative and nephology services. A bi-weekly palliative-renal multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting was established. Results To date 40 individuals have been managed on both the community conservative care and renal-palliative care pathway. 94% of patients felt that the community approach did not waste time waiting for appointments/treatments. 87% of patients felt that the community approach provided them with sufficient information to understand their healthcare condition and relevant management strategies. Patients reported pain, nausea and reduced appetite as the three most common symptoms that generated discomfort in the three days prior to taking the IPOS-renal survey. On detailed assessment; significant symptom burden was attributed to reduced mobility (82% scoring slightly to overwhelmingly), pain (65% scoring slightly to overwhelmingly) and bowel concerns (65% scoring slightly to overwhelmingly). Itching affected a third of the cohort, scoring moderately to overwhelmingly. Importantly, as a result of the service, patients reported that either all or most renal-related problems were addressed. To date all patients who died while under the renal-palliative care service, died in their chosen place of death, and not in hospital. Conclusion The Walsall Together initiative has demonstrated that utilising a collaborative approach to managing complications of advanced kidney disease can result in the reduction of hospital admissions, face-to-face hospital outpatient appointments and time wasted attending healthcare appointments. Furthermore, the cooperative multi-speciality approach, has led to improve patient satisfaction and the attainment of patient healthcare goals.

EVALUATION OF NATIONAL DEFENSE FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

Measuring the defense product (or national defense as a public good) is a necessary step in determining the efficient use of public funds in the defense sector. In this paper, the final product obtained by the military field is analyzed from a macroeconomic perspective. The defense sector absorbs a substantial part of the state s resources, limited resources that could have multiple alternatives uses for society (education, health, infrastructure, etc.). While defense expenditure (considered as input or consumption of resources) is known for each state, for now there is no internationally established standard indicator of the defense product (benefit) obtained. This is in contrast to how performance is evaluated in the private sector economy. In the field of defence, the solution proposed by economists for measuring "defense output" assumes that defense output equals "resource inputs" (a convention widely used in the public sector) or that the value of defense output equals be roughly equal to the expenses incurred to achieve that result. Measuring the value of production in the free market economy is not viewed as a matter of policy. Market economies solve this problem through the method of market prices, and the supply-demand mechanism, which actually reflects the options existing between a certain number of buyers and sellers. However, in the field of defense things differ from the private markets model, which leads to an understanding of the challenge in measuring and evaluating the defense product. Economic theory provides some guidelines for determining the optimal outcome of the defense product. Analyzing these aspects from the perspective of an optimization problem, it is necessary to identify the socially desired level of defense, and to track the resulting (achieved) level of defense. This is done by equating the additional or marginal costs of the proposed defense spending with the additional or marginal benefits obtained. Although the economic approach is difficult to translate into a set of clear policy guidelines, it nevertheless provides a framework for designing defense performance assessment.

Process and costs for readiness to safely implement immediate kangaroo mother care: a mixed methods evaluation from the OMWaNA trial at five hospitals in Uganda

BackgroundPreterm birth complications result in > 1 million child deaths annually, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. A World Health Organisation (WHO)-led trial in hospitals with intensive care reported reduced mortality within 28 days among newborns weighing 1000–1799 g who received immediate kangaroo mother care (iKMC) compared to those who received standard care. Evidence is needed regarding the process and costs of implementing iKMC, particularly in non-intensive care settings.MethodsWe describe actions undertaken to implement iKMC, estimate financial and economic costs of essential resources and infrastructure improvements, and assess readiness for newborn care after these improvements at five Ugandan hospitals participating in the OMWaNA trial. We estimated costs from a health service provider perspective and explored cost drivers and cost variation across hospitals. We assessed readiness to deliver small and sick newborn care (WHO level-2) using a tool developed by Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies and the United Nations Children’s Fund.ResultsFollowing the addition of space to accommodate beds for iKMC, floor space in the neonatal units ranged from 58 m2 to 212 m2. Costs of improvements were lowest at the national referral hospital (financial: $31,354; economic: $45,051; 2020 USD) and varied across the four smaller hospitals (financial: $68,330-$95,796; economic: $99,430-$113,881). In a standardised 20-bed neonatal unit offering a level of care comparable to the four smaller hospitals, the total financial cost could be in the range of $70,000 to $80,000 if an existing space could be repurposed or remodelled, or $95,000 if a new unit needed to be constructed. Even after improvements, the facility assessments demonstrated broad variability in laboratory and pharmacy capacity as well as the availability of essential equipment and supplies.ConclusionsThese five Ugandan hospitals required substantial resource inputs to allow safe implementation of iKMC. Before widespread scale-up of iKMC, the affordability and efficiency of this investment must be assessed, considering variation in costs across hospitals and levels of care. These findings should help inform planning and budgeting as well as decisions about if, where, and how to implement iKMC, particularly in settings where space, devices, and specialised staff for newborn care are unavailable.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02811432. Registered: 23 June 2016.

Life cycle assessment of energy consumption and GHG emission for sewage sludge treatment and disposal: a review

With increasing population and urbanization, the amount of municipal sewage sludge generated is huge and growing rapidly. In order to minimize resource inputs and pollutant emissions in the sludge disposal process, it is crucial to carry out an environmental impact analysis and sustainability assessment of different strategies based on life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA provides a flexible framework for quantifying the consumption and emissions of different processes to determine the energy consumption and environmental impact of sewage sludge treatment and disposal. The aim of this review is to compare the energy consumption and GHG emissions of existing sludge management options for energy and nutrient recovery. At the same time, the characteristics of sewage sludge and the potential to convert sludge from waste to valuable products were assessed. While the excessive moisture content and ash content make sludge unsuitable for use as fuel, and the potential risk of contamination with heavy metals makes it less suitable for use as organic fertilizer, energy and material recovery during disposal can reduce disposal costs and environmental impacts. In the context of the current limitations reviewed, the level of potential GHG emissions of existing sludge treatment and disposal routes is: composting &amp;gt; anaerobic digestion &amp;gt; pyrolysis &amp;gt; incineration. With suitable sludge treatment routes, negative GHG emissions could potentially be achieved by substituting fossil fuels for heat and electricity generation, or as a fertilizer substitute. The development and application of future sludge management strategies should aim at reduction and harmless disposal, thereby reducing the operating costs and environmental burdens through resources.

Research on the Efficiency of Urban Infrastructure Investment under the Constraint of Carbon Emissions, Taking Provincial Capitals in China as an Example

With the aggravation of the global climate problem, various countries are gradually formulating relevant policies and targets for carbon emission reduction in the infrastructure industry. Some countries or cities may have the problem of insufficient investment in infrastructure construction or blind investment, so it is urgent to carry out related research on the efficiency of infrastructure investment. From the perspective of carbon emission constraints, this study takes Chinese cities as the research case, and uses the unexpected output ultra-efficiency SBM model to measure the infrastructure investment efficiency and total-factor productivity from 2010 to 2020, and analyzes the influencing factors of infrastructure investment efficiency. The study found that (1) the regions with high infrastructure investment efficiency have the following two characteristics: the first relates to the cities with high investment, high output and fewer carbon emissions, and these cities rank at the forefront of economic development and scientific and technological level in the country. The second relates to the cities with high investment, high output and large carbon emissions. These cities have a large urban scale, their industrial structure is dominated by the secondary and tertiary industries, and their high output level plays a benign leading role. (2) Cities with low infrastructure investment efficiency are mainly manifest a large input of some infrastructure resources, low output level, high carbon emissions, and insufficient scale efficiency. (3) Economic level, industrial structure and fiscal expenditure play a positive role in improving the efficiency of infrastructure investment, and the development strategy of policies also affects the infrastructure investment mode. Finally, there are recommendations for the sustainable and high-quality development of infrastructure investment in developing countries.

The Efficiency of Resource Allocation in Higher Education in India Based on Dea-Tobit Model

Abstract Higher education in India has grown rapidly since independence, becoming the world’s largest higher education country after the United States. In the research, the basic theory of higher education resource allocation efficiency was described. Then the regional distribution of higher education resources, the current situation of inputs and outputs in the central region were described. Then DEA analysis was used to evaluate the efficiency of higher education resources in the central region and projection analysis, and Tobit model was used to test the factors influencing the efficiency of higher education allocation in the central region. The efficiency evaluation and projection analysis of higher education resources in central region were conducted by using DEA analysis, and the Tobit model was used to test the factors influencing the efficiency of higher education allocation in central region. The empirical results show that the resource allocation efficiency of higher education in central region is not determined by education funding alone, but depends on the optimization of resource input combination.

Urbanization and solid waste production: prospects and challenges.

The increasing urban population and the restructuring of urban economies are the main aspects that determine urban development in the twenty-first century. Rapid urbanization is among the most significant anthropogenic factors that impact ecosystems and sustainability. Urbanization is a "double-edged sword." Even though it contributes to economic prosperity and social development, at the same time, it poses severe challenges to the natural environment and social system. The scientific community emphasizes the need to investigate the relationship between cities and the environment to comprehend their dynamic interactions related with problems such as climate change, consumption of natural resources, and life quality degradation. Population growth and urbanization are central considerations of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 11, dealing with making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Moreover, the new circular economy model is receiving increasing attention globally as a solution to the current production and consumption model, which is based on constant growth and increasing resource input. The objective of this paper was to identify the major challenges occurred due to the rapid urbanization in a coastal city though a qualitative and quantitative waste compositional analysis. The ultimate goal is to propose the waste compositional analysis as a new indicator in the literature for determination of the degree of metabolism in an island region. According to the compositional analysis, the higher the population density in a region, the greater the volume of garbage produced and, consequently, the infrastructure necessary for waste management. Also, the increased seasonal tourist activity leads to an increase in the number of tourist accommodations and services. The results provided may also be applicable in other cities with similar characteristics related with tourism habits and the challenges they may face as a result of the waste production.

Cost of peer mystery shopping to increase cultural competency in community clinics offering HIV/STI testing to young men who have sex with men: results from the get connected trial

IntroductionCultural competency has been identified as a barrier to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations seeking care. Mystery shopping has been widely employed in the formal health care sector as a quality improvement (QI) tool to address specific client needs. The approach has had limited use in community-based organizations due in part to lack of knowledge and resource requirement concerns. Several mystery shopping initiatives are now being implemented which focus on the LGBT population with the goal of reducing barriers to accessing care. One subset targets men who have sex with men (MSM) to increase uptake of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. No study investigates the costs of these initiatives. Get Connected was a randomized control trial with the objective of increasing uptake of HIV-prevention services among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) through use of a resource-locator application (App). The initial phase of the trial employed peer-led mystery shopping to identify culturally competent HIV testing sites for inclusion in the App. The second phase of the trial randomized YMSM to test the efficacy of the App. Our objective was to determine the resource inputs and costs of peer-led mystery shopping to identify clinics for inclusion in the App as costs would be critical in informing possible adoption by organizations and sustainability of this model.MethodsThrough consultation with study staff, we created a resource inventory for undertaking the community-based, peer-led mystery shopping program. We used activity-based costing to price each of the inputs. We classified inputs as start-up and those for on-going implementation. We calculated costs for each category, total costs and cost per mystery shopper visit for the four-month trial and annually to reflect standard budgeting periods for data collected from September of 2019 through September of 2020.ResultsRecruitment and training of peer mystery shoppers were the most expensive tasks. Average start-up costs were $10,001 (SD $39.8). Four-month average implementation costs per visit were $228 (SD $1.97). Average annual implementation costs per visit were 33% lower at $151 (SD $5.60).ConclusionsPeer-led, mystery shopping of HIV-testing sites is feasible, and is likely affordable for medium to large public health departments.

Evaluation of dynamic technological innovation capability in high-tech enterprises based on pythagorean fuzzy LBWA and MULTIMOORA

With the rapid development of science and technology, high-tech enterprises need to constantly carry out technological innovation to adapt to the changes in the external environment, and maintain their competitive advantages. However, the current research on technological innovation of high-tech enterprises is carried out from a static perspective, which is difficult to understand the dynamic evolution process of continuous technological innovation of high-tech enterprises in a turbulent environment. Therefore, this paper studies high-tech enterprises’ dynamic technological innovation ability from a dynamic perspective, through literature reading and the investigation of the technological innovation status of high-tech enterprises, the evaluation index system of 12 indicators under three dimensions is constructed. The multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis plus full multiplicative form (MULTIMOORA) –Level-based weight assessment (LBWA) comprehensive evaluation model based on Pythagorean fuzzy number (PFN) is proposed to evaluate the dynamic technological innovation ability of high-tech enterprises. Finally, the accuracy and reliability of the model are verified by case analysis. The result of this study shows that the ability to identify new technological knowledge and information outside the enterprise, the ability to obtain technological innovation resources, and the ability to strengthen the input of innovation resources are important factors for the dynamic technological innovation capability of enterprises, so enterprises should pay more attention from these aspects. This study provides a new comprehensive evaluation model and evaluation results can help the decision-makers find their strengths and weaknesses in time and improve them, to promote the sustainable development of high-tech enterprises.