Standard Cost Research Articles

Psoas force recruitment in full-body musculoskeletal movement simulations is restored with a geometrically informed cost function weighting

Simulations of musculoskeletal models are useful for estimating internal muscle and joint forces. However, predicted forces rely on optimization and modeling formulations. Geometric detail is important to predict muscle forces, and greater geometric complexity is required for muscles that have broad attachments or span many joints, as in the torso. However, the extent to which optimized muscle force recruitment is sensitive to these geometry choices is unclear. We developed level, uphill and downhill sloped walking simulations using a standard (uniformly weighted, “fatigue-like”) cost function with lower limb and full-body musculoskeletal models to evaluate hip muscle recruitment with different geometric representations of the psoas muscle under walking conditions with varying hip moment demands. We also tested a novel cost function formulation where muscle activations were weighted according to the modeled geometric detail in the full-body model. Total psoas force was less and iliacus, rectus femoris, and other hip flexors’ force was greater when psoas was modeled with greater geometric detail compared to other hip muscles for all slopes. The proposed weighting scheme restored hip muscle force recruitment without sacrificing detailed psoas geometry. In addition, we found that lumbar, but not hip, joint contact forces were influenced by psoas force recruitment. Our results demonstrate that static optimization dependent simulations using models comprised of muscles with different amounts of geometric detail bias force recruitment toward muscles with less geometric detail. Muscle activation weighting that accounts for differences in geometric complexity across muscles corrects for this recruitment bias.

Costs and acceptability of simplified monitoring in HIV-suppressed patients switching to dual therapy: the SIMPL'HIV open-label, factorial randomised controlled trial.

Clinical and laboratory monitoring of patients on antiretroviral therapy is an integral part of HIV care and determines whether treatment needs enhanced adherence or modification of the drug regimen. However, different monitoring and treatment strategies carry different costs and health consequences. The SIMPL'HIV study was a randomised trial that assessed the non-inferiority of dual maintenance therapy. The co-primary outcome was a comparison of costs over 48 weeks of dual therapy with standard antiretroviral therapy and the costs associated with a simplified HIV care approach (patient-centred monitoring [PCM]) versus standard, tri-monthly routine monitoring. Costs included outpatient medical consultations (HIV/non-HIV consultations), non-medical consultations, antiretroviral therapy, laboratory tests and hospitalisation costs. PCM participants had restricted immunological and blood safety monitoring at weeks 0 and 48, and they were offered the choice to complete their remaining study visits via a telephone call, have medications delivered to a specified address, and to have blood tests performed at a location of their choice. We analysed the costs of both strategies using invoices for medical consultations issued by the hospital where the patient was followed, as well as those obtained from health insurance companies. Secondary outcomes included differences between monitoring arms for renal function, lipids and glucose values, and weight over 48 weeks. Patient satisfaction with treatment and monitoring was also assessed using visual analogue scales. Of 93 participants randomised to dolutegravir plus emtricitabine and 94 individuals to combination antiretroviral therapy (median nadir CD4 count, 246 cells/mm3; median age, 48 years; female, 17%),patient-centred monitoring generated no substantial reductions or increases in total costs (US$ -421 per year [95% CI -2292 to 1451];p= 0.658). However, dual therapy was significantly less expensive (US$ -2620.4 [95% CI -2864.3 to -2331.4]) compared to standard triple-drug antiretroviral therapy costs. Approximately 50% of participants selected one monitoring option, one-third chose two, and a few opted for three. The preferred option was telephone calls, followed by drug delivery. The number of additional visits outside the study schedule did not differ by type of monitoring. Patient satisfaction related to treatment and monitoring was high at baseline, with no significant increase at week 48. Patient-centred monitoring did not reduce costs compared to standard monitoring in individuals switching to dual therapy or those continuing combined antiretroviral therapy. In this representative sample of patients with suppressed HIV, antiretroviral therapy was the primary factor driving costs, which may be reduced by using generic drugs to mitigate the high cost of lifelong HIV treatment. ClinicalTrials.govNCT03160105.

Analysis of standard unit carbon emission and cost assessment of the changing building envelope over material production phase

It is undeniable that the material production stage is crucial to the whole life cycle of structures. This study proposes the window-to-envelope ratio (WER) based on standard units to determine the inherent relationship between changes in door and window areas and carbon emissions, presuming six distinct types of engineering practices for various buildings are selected. It was concluded that larger door and window areas would result in more embodied carbon emissions. Additionally, as the size of windows and doors increases, the costs and embodied carbon of prefabricated and cast-in-place construction become more comparable. According to the analysis, when the building scale is larger and the door and window opening area is also larger, prefabrication has more potential for saving carbon than cast-in-place building, but with a cost of approximately 10–20% higher. Considering the perspective of consumers, producers, and markets, this study revealed a costing assessment methodology based on standard units for prefabricated structures. In this methodology, producers choose and create various residential layouts based on the distinctive requirements of consumers, while tracking the trends in carbon emissions and production costs. This assessment method tries to create a favorable atmosphere for moral market activity and offers an acceptable solution for the trade-off between environmental and economic factors throughout the material production phase of the building.

Design and economic implications of using steel fibers in elevated slabs of multi‐story buildings

AbstractThis paper presents a comprehensive comparison between conventional reinforced concrete (RC) and steel fiber‐reinforced concrete (SFRC) slabs. Twenty‐two‐way rectangular RC and SFRC slabs are designed with varying dimensions, aspect ratios, and boundary conditions, following verified international standards to compare the steel quantities in a unique study. SFRC slabs with larger aspect ratios and discontinuous edges required significantly higher steel percentages than square slabs, as the random three‐dimensional distribution of steel fibers suited the load distribution pattern of square slabs. To further conduct a detailed design and economic feasibility case study on a realistic building model, two 12‐story buildings are computationally designed with RC and SFRC alternatives. The results indicate that SFRC slabs required approximately 25% more steel than RC slabs due to the uniform distribution of steel fibers throughout the section. Project cost and time estimates were conducted based on standard productivity manuals and cost databases in two distinct economies, India and the USA. Despite the higher steel requirements, the 12‐story SFRC building showed time savings of 34.1 days (5.44%) and cost savings of 4.88% and 1.27% when constructed in the USA and India, respectively. The results are compared with limited available data in literature. In conclusion, the study suggests that SFRC slabs in multi‐story buildings could be more economically favorable in countries with higher labor costs.

The Influence of Regional Socioeconomic Features On the Distribution of Financial Resources For Higher Education

The article is devoted to solving the problem of “budgetary financial adequacy of higher education” in China through a fairer, uniform, and sufficient distribution of financial costs for higher education among the provinces of this country, considering significant differences in the natural, economic, and social conditions of development in various regions. Currently, in China, the calculation of standard financial costs for the education sector is carried out according to the legal requirements of the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance, taking into account the number of people studying at the corresponding level of education, the cost norm for this level of education, and the deviation coefficient. Instead, this article proposes a more comprehensive and rational approach that considers regional differences in the cost of living and the financial burden on higher education institutions, increasing the government’s responsibility for supporting a balanced distribution of financial resources for higher education. To take into account regional differences, it is proposed to use a system of indices for the difference in the costs of regional development, which includes three main categories of indicators: natural factors (the complexity of the terrain and the share of the area planted with forests), economic factors (the index of prices for raw materials, GDP per capita, freight traffic, and the total duration of operation of urban public transport), and social factors (population density in municipal areas, number of graduates of general education colleges and universities). To determine the fair size of budgetary expenditures on higher education, it is proposed to make adjustments to the index of differentiation of regional development expenditures, which combines these indicators using the geometric regression average benchmark method (without including a constant term). A higher value of this index means that the region needs more resources to achieve the same level of development as another region, so the standard budget expenditures for higher education should be higher for it. For all provinces in China, the coefficient of financial adequacy of higher education was calculated as the ratio between the standard financial costs of higher education (calculated according to the proposals outlined in this article) and the actual costs incurred. It is proposed that this coefficient be used as a basis for optimizing their distribution. The article emphasises the need to form a strategy for financing higher education in China, which should be based on a dynamic permanent adjustment of the amount of allocated financial resources depending on changes in the regional social and economic conditions of development of each province, an effective institutional mechanism that would allow adapting this strategy to endogenous and endogenous changes in China’s economy, optimisation of horizontal transfer payments and partnership assistance programs, and incentive mechanisms for local governments to invest in higher education.

Transformation of National Housing’s Layout Design in PERUMNAS Sarijadi Bandung

PERUMNAS (“Perumahan Nasional”/National Housing) was established in 1974 to provide decent housing for the lower middle class in Indonesia by the government. One of their projects was done in Sarijadi area, Bandung in 1976-1978. The typical PERUMNAS house in Sarijadi was based on Type 36, named after the building area which was around 36 m2. As time changed, the people’s needs, and behaviour also evolved, and it also affected the contemporary PERUMNAS layout. As such, Type 36 house may be evolved into a growing house, in a sense that it is able to be developed, usually vertically, by stages based on standard housing minimum cost to accommodate the evolving needs of the occupants. This paper will analyse one such growing type 36 PERUMNAS house case, which is located in PERUMNAS Sarijadi, Bandung, West Java. The house was initially built in 1976-1978, and several renovations were done in 1994, 2007, and 2017 as the family grew. By observing the layout transformation, the results showed that the occupants adapted to the original layout by developing the building vertically to add private areas and utilizing the front and the backyard to make new service areas. In the future, homeowners can adapt to shifts in activity by carrying out sustainable transformations in the form of additional functions which then result in different zoning.

Developing a Program Costs Checklist of Digital Health Interventions: A Scoping Review and Empirical Case Study.

The rate of development and complexity of digital health interventions (DHIs) in recent years has to some extent outpaced the methodological development in economic evaluation and costing. Particularly, the choice of cost components included in intervention or program costs of DHIs have received scant attention. The aim of this study was to build a literature-informed checklist of program cost components of DHIs. The checklist was next tested by applying it to an empirical case, Mamma Mia, a DHI developed to prevent perinatal depression. A scoping review with a structured literature search identified peer-reviewed literature from 2010 to 2022 that offers guidance on program costs of DHIs. Relevant guidance was summarized and extracted elements were organized into categories of main cost components and their associated activities following the standard three-step approach, that is, activities, resource use and unit costs. Of the 3448 records reviewed, 12 studies met the criteria for data extraction. The main cost categories identified were development, research, maintenance, implementation and health personnel involvement (HPI). Costs are largely considered to be context-specific, may decrease as the DHI matures and vary with number of users. The five categories and their associated activities constitute the checklist. This was applied to estimate program costs per user for Mamma Mia Self-Guided and Blended, the latter including additional guidance from public health nurses during standard maternal check-ups. Excluding research, the program cost per mother was more than double for Blended compared with Self-Guided (€140.5 versus €56.6, 2022 Euros) due to increased implementation and HPI costs. Including research increased the program costs to €190.8 and €106.9, respectively. One-way sensitivity analyses showed sensitivity to changes in number of users, lifespan of the app, salaries and license fee. The checklist can help increase transparency of cost calculation and improve future comparison across studies.

Environmental and economic life cycle assessment of emerging sludge treatment routes

Before implementing large-scale emerging sludge treatment methods, it is crucial to conduct a comprehensive analysis of their environmental impacts and economic costs at the system level. This study utilizes standardized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) accounting methods to evaluate four emerging sludge treatment routes: anaerobic fermentation (AF), pyrolysis (PY), hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), and alkaline thermal hydrolysis (ATH). These routes are compared with two traditional sludge treatment routes, anaerobic digestion (AD) and aerobic composting (AC). The results indicate that the conventional route AD is the optimal choice in terms of environmental pollution, carbon emission control, and life cycle cost. The emerging routes AF and ATH have significant environmental benefits from carbon source recovery and protein recovery. However, they require approximately twice the cumulative energy demand of AD and additional consumption of chemicals, which imposes a greater environmental burden. While PY and HTC outperform the conventional sludge treatment routes in terms of the total environmental impact (1.79E-10, 1.72E-10) due to energy recovery and the use of clean energy sources. AF and PY demonstrate better economic performance (842.11 and 712.00 CNY) compared to the traditional route AC (905.06 CNY). However, both HTC and ATH incur costs approximately 1.3 times higher than AC due to their high energy and material demands. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis reveals that emerging treatment routes are highly influenced by energy and resource recovery and consumption. Therefore, reducing the energy and resource inputs for emerging routes could significantly decrease their environmental impact and cost, maximizing their resource recovery advantages.

Optimisation of production and modelling of production costs in farms

A significant area of improvement of the economic efficiency of agricultural enterprises, especially in the context of martial law, is to optimise production and use of resource potential. The purpose of this study was to develop scientific and practical recommendations for optimising the production activities of farms. The study employed the following methods: system analysis and synthesis to determine the reserves of the types of resources involved; economic-mathematical modelling and optimisation to determine best solutions; analytical-calculation method to calculate production indicators; correlation and regression analysis to determine the dependence of milk production costs on resource consumption; graphical method and extrapolation to find the values of the regression function. The principal stages and features of building an economic-mathematical model for optimising the resource potential of enterprise were identified. The model was used to analyse data, identify reserves of resource potential, find an optimisation solution for product sales volumes using the Solution Search spreadsheet tool, and adopt a strategy for improving economic efficiency. The study offered a solution for the economic and mathematical modelling of the best structure of production of a farm, which factors in the available production resources. The modelling found that the maximum income can be obtained by redistributing the production volumes of certain types of products and, accordingly, the resources for their production, considering the standard costs of production per unit of product, prices for products and resources. Using the modelling, the study obtained a regression dependence of the cost of milk produced in household farms on the cost of feed, labour costs, wages, and the number of cows. The study found the impact of certain types of resources on the production cost and builds the corresponding graphical dependencies. The practical value of the findings of this study lies in the possibility of using the recommendations directly by members of farms in planning, organising production activities, and optimising the use of resource potential

A techno-economic investigation for utilizing solar energy in irrigation of palm trees in Saudi Arabia

This paper presents a techno-economic investigation for utilizing photovoltaic solar energy in water pumping applications for the irrigation of Palm trees in the Qassim region in Saudi Arabia. The Analysis has been done by applying four technical indicators and three economic indicators on a real farm of palm trees. The investigation took into account the varied water demand for palm trees over the years, meteorological data of the region, the characteristics of the borehole, and the local market prices of PV system components. The investigation has been done using two options of PV systems: grid-connected system and standalone system. The results showed the superiority of the grid-connected system in spite of the unfair price of energy exchange with the utility grid. The results achieved are the Levelled cost of energy, which is in the range from 0.013 to 0.019 $/kWh. The standardized cost of produced water is in the range from 0.011 to 0.013 $/m3, and the simple payback time is in the range from 9.65 to 12.22 years. The results are considered to encourage farmers in the region to convert to solar energy utilization.

Updating standardized unit costs from a societal perspective for health economic evaluation

The aim of this work was to update the 2015 unit costs (UC) for the monetary valuation of health-related resource use from a societal perspective for the years 2019 and 2020 in Germany. The update follows the methodology of Bock et al. 2015. Based on the newly established care levels, UC for care degree 1 to 5 are now provided. To account for change in price trends during the Covid-19 pandemic, average growth rates in UC are shown from 2011-2019 and compared to 2019-2020. Updates of UC for the outpatient medical sector, remedies and aids, hospitals, (in)formal care services, and rehabilitation for 2019 and 2020 are provided. The updated UC can be used as reference values for the monetary valuation of individual resource use in health economic evaluations in Germany.

Penetapan Biaya Standar Sebagai Pengendalian Biaya Produksi Pada Avos Coffee And Resto Medan

Avos Coffee and Resto Medan produces 1,000 cups of coffee every day with a predetermined sales target. However, this target is difficult to achieve and uncontrolled production costs can reduce profits, so control is needed. The aim of this research is to analyze the application of standard costs to control production costs at Avos Coffee and Resto Medan. This research is a descriptive qualitative research using data on actual production costs and standard production costs with one difference model deviation analysis calculations. Data collection techniques using observation, interviews and documentation. The results of this research show that the implementation of standard costs that has been carried out at Avos Coffee and Resto Medan is not optimal, this is because the main indicators are raw material costs, direct labor costs and factory overhead costs which are quite optimal. However, there were adverse deviations in raw material costs caused by price increases in December, causing them to be less than optimal, while direct labor costs and factory overhead costs were in a fairly optimal condition. Even though it is not optimal and there are many obstacles experienced, Avos Coffee and Resto Medan is able to maintain its business and continue producing. So by implementing these standard costs, Avos Coffee and Resto Medan can maintain its consistency and become better in the future.

Analysis of Determination of Production Costs and Full Cost Recovery (a Case Study at PDAM XYZ Banda Aceh City)

PDAM XYZ's complete cost recovery rates in 2020 and 2021 is another goal of this study. This study uses a qualitative, descriptive methodology. Primary data from interviews and secondary data from PDAM XYZ performance evaluation reports that have undergone an audit by BPKP serve as the research's data sources. The Miles & Huberman research model is the data analysis technique that is applied, consisting of data gathering, reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The study's findings indicate that employing PDAM XYZ's genuine NRW yields a higher manufacturing cost than utilizing standard NRW. This study also demonstrates that, when employing the real cost of production, PDAM XYZ has not achieved the entire cost recovery rate, but, when using the standard cost of production, PDAM XYZ has achieved the complete cost recovery rate.

Pricing in service industries: methods for justifying the cost of developing a design project

The subject of the study is the peculiarities of pricing in the service sector, in particular the process of justifying the standard cost of developing a design project in the domestic pricing system. The object of the study is methods for justifying the cost of developing a design project, used in domestic design practice both in the development of projects financed by public funds and projects financed by a private investor. The purpose of the work is a comparative analysis of domestic methods to justify the cost of developing a design project. The authors consider such aspects of domestic pricing methods as the mathematical apparatus, the price level, basic and current, the possibility of using the methodology to justify the value of the cost when replicating a project or its processing by making minor changes to the parameters, the level of qualifications of development specialists, etc. The research methods used are induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis, the method of analogy, logical and historical analysis, scientific abstraction, comparison and classification, theorization, idealization, formalization, positive and normative analysis, verification. The practical significance of the research results lies in the analysis of existing methods of regulatory pricing in the field of design, in the formulation, within the framework of the study, of their advantages and disadvantages, in the development of directions for their improvement. The authors’ special contribution to the study of the topic of pricing in the field of design is the substantiation of the main direction for improving existing domestic methods – the symbiosis of methods of state regulation of pricing in design and recommendations developed by the professional community, which will improve quality by increasing the scientific validity of calculations and taking into account the specifics of the development of design projects.

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ЗАСАДИ, МЕТОДИ ТА ІНСТРУМЕНТИ УПРАВЛІНСЬКОГО ОБЛІКУ

The article is devoted to the study of methodological foundations, methods and tools of management accounting and its practical implementation in the activities of enterprises in order to improve the information support of managers and managers of enterprise. It has been found that management accounting is a separate accounting system, which is a subsystem of the general enterprise management system and provides for the collection, processing of information received from various departments about the status and performance of the enterprise, which provides the ability to make managerial decisions and effectively manage costs, assets, profits of enterprise. The methodology and complex of methods used in the process of management accounting and ensuring the consistency, accuracy, and effectiveness of its implementation are studied. Three groups of methods of management accounting have been researched and generalized: general methodological methods, general scientific methods and specific methods. It has been found that general methodological methods are characteristic of the study of a wide range of objects, such methods include observation, comparison, analysis and synthesis. General scientific methods of management accounting are general methods that are used, including in accounting, these are: accounting accounts; double entry; Inventory; documentation forms; depreciation, calculation, and others. Specific methods of management accounting provide tools for solving specific management problems, these include methods that are different in terms of cost and include accounting by actual cost indicators (direct costing) and accounting by standard cost indicators (standard costing), as well as SWOT analysis, balanced scorecard, budgeting, benchmarking and other methods. It has been found that economic and mathematical methods of studying the cost of products and services have become widely used in the implementation of management accounting in order to identify the relationship between the cost items in the cost and the profitability of its production. It has been found that the organization of management accounting at the enterprise should be carried out in compliance with the following principles: consistency; analyticality of information; use of primary information; periodicity; consistency; integrity; economy; balance; responsibility; transparency.

Clinical Use of a Mineral-Organic Resorbable Bone Adhesive: A First Human Case Report with a 3-Year Follow-up.

The ability for clinicians to adequately obtain primary stability in host bone is critical to the success of dental implants. Numerous conditions require dentists to perform multistage approaches to rebuild deficient bone volume prior to surgically placing implants. In many instances, implant placement cannot be achieved due to a lack of primary implant stability. Recently, a novel mineral-organic resorbable bone adhesive (MORBA) has demonstrated promising results in animal studies. MORBA is a synthetic, injectable, self-setting, load-bearing adhesive biomaterial that exhibits osteopromotive properties and bonds bone to bone and metal within 10 minutes and can fully resorb in 30 weeks. Its unique novel formulation was developed from biomimetic proteins found in marine animal creatures that possess distinct adhesive properties underwater. Excellent long-term results have shown its potential use for achieving primary stability in immediate implants. The present case report demonstrates the first use of MORBA in a human patient, utilized on a nonrestorable mandibular first molar. MORBA was utilized after placement of a mobile 5.8-mm implant to achieve stabilization. At 3 months postsurgery, both clinical and CBCT evaluations showed maintained implant stability. One year after implant placement, radiographic bone was seen on the buccal surface of the implant with continued long-term stabilization. This case report extends to 3 years whereby the use of MORBA, in an initially unstable situation, demonstrated an excellent long-term follow-up. MORBA provided immediate implant stability with resorbable characteristics, leading to successful long-term clinical outcomes up to 3 years. This innovative biomaterial offers a more efficient solution to a critical problem in implant dentistry, allowing optimal primary stability during immediate implant placement, thus reducing treatment times and costs.

Quantitative analysis of heavy metals in soil by X-ray fluorescence: Fusion, intelligentization and Nonstandard-sample calculation

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of heavy metal elements in soil by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) has received widespread attention and research from scholars as an important method for assessing environmental pollution. As a detection sample for multi-component systems, the study of matrix correction has always been the key to XRF data analysis for geological samples. In this study, we reviewed the calculation and analysis methods of XRF data used for geological samples since the Sherman equation was proposed, and divided the development of XRF data processing for soil samples into three stages based on the changes in the matrix correction methods used. By reviewing the processing ideas from past research, this paper summarizes the process of quantitative analysis of geological samples into seven stages and reviews the commonly used methods for each stage. Due to limitations in instrument and standard sample costs, as well as methodological constraints, geological samples currently face three challenges: a shortage of standard samples, insufficient generalization ability of established models, and large measurement errors in low-content element determination. With the further cross-penetration of multiple fields and disciplines and the summary of past research trends, we propose three research trends that may break through these limitations: fusion, intelligentization, and nonstandard-sample calculation. We also discuss the technical solutions related to these three research trends. We extensively discussed the feasibility and advantages of using spectral co-use, knowledge engineering, and adversarial data augmentation techniques to address problems. Our review provides insights into the XRF spectral data processing methods and frameworks for evaluating geological samples, and provides technical solutions to address the current challenges faced by XRF analysis of geological samples.

Online measurement method for dimensions of disk parts based on machine vision.

Online measurement of disk part dimensions by the standard industrial camera features low cost, high efficiency and good universality, but the impact of projection distortion and end face chamfer on measurement is needed to overcome. Present work presents a measurement method to resolve above issues based on machine vision. To improve the measurement accuracy, lower end face of a disk part is determined as calibration plane and the upper end face is measurement plane. To reduce the impact of projection distortion and chamfer on measurement, the measurement points are reconstructed on the measurement plane by re-projection. Then, the inner and outer diameters of disk parts are measured by circle geometric fitting, and the thickness is calculated by the measurement plane position. The experimental results show that the method can online measure disk part dimensions just by a single image, and accuracy meets the requirements of universal grade disk parts.

Modeling open vehicle routing problem with real life costs and solving via hybrid civilized genetic algorithm

Many companies prefer to use third party logistics firms to deliver their goods and as such planning the return of the vehicles to the depot is not required. This is called open vehicle routing problem (OVRP). In literature, the OVRP is handled with minimum distance as objective function like vehicle routing problem. But in the real world, the objective function achieves minimum many costs like standard routing cost, stopping by cost and the deviation cost. The standard routes are previously defined under free market conditions by third party logistic firms. The deviation from the standard route is required to arrive cities which are not on the standard route. The stop by cost occurs on the delivery points. In this paper mentioned three costs are considered in the objective function while many papers consider only distance related costs in the literature. This paper proposes a new mathematical model for the OVRP. In the constraints, the last points of the routes are researched in detail. The standard route costs are determined by considering the last point of the route. Because of the NP-hard structure of the OVRP, the proposed mathematical model is solved with a hybrid metaheuristic called Civilized Genetic Algorithm (CGA). CGA is developed by hybridizing a modified genetic algorithm and a local search algorithm. The application of this study is implemented for the delivery routing of a combi boiler producer in Turkey. The third party logistic firms may use this proposed model and the solution approach for the real life applications.

Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Health and Enhancing Healthcare in Developing Nations.

Artificial intelligence (AI), which combines computer science with extensive datasets, seeks to mimic human-like intelligence. Subsets of AI are being applied in almost all fields of medicine and surgery. This review focuses on the applications of AI in healthcare settings in developing countries, designed to underscore its significance by comprehensively outlining the advancements made thus far, the shortcomings encountered in AI applications, the present status of AI integration, persistent challenges, and innovative strategies to surmount them. Articles from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane were searched from 2000 to 2023 with keywords including AI and healthcare, focusing on multiple medical specialties. The increasing role of AI in diagnosis, prognosis prediction, and patient management, as well as hospital management and community healthcare, has made the overall healthcare system more efficient, especially in the high patient load setups and resource-limited areas of developing countries where patient care is often compromised. However, challenges, including low adoption rates and the absence of standardized guidelines, high installation and maintenance costs of equipment, poor transportation and connectivvity issues hinder AI's full use in healthcare. Despite these challenges, AI holds a promising future in healthcare. Adequate knowledge and expertise of healthcare professionals for the use of AI technology in healthcare is imperative in developing nations.