Total Net Cost Research Articles

Estimating the economic impact of blister-packaging on medication adherence and health care costs for a Medicare Advantage health plan.

Medication nonadherence is a persistent challenge in the United States, leading to increased health care resource utilization (HCRU) and health care costs and worsened health outcomes. Medicare Star Ratings is a program developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to evaluate Medicare health plan quality and performance. Three of the Medicare Part D Star Ratings quality measures assess medication adherence, showing the importance CMS places on improving medication adherence in older adults. Although a variety of medication adherence-enhancing interventions are available to help promote adherence among patients, one intervention that has shown success historically is blister-packaging. To model the potential impact of blister-packaging chronic medications on HCRU and health care costs in the Medicare population. An economic model was developed to assess the potential impact of blister-packaging the 3 Medicare Star Ratings adherence measure medication classes: renin-angiotensin system antagonists (RASAs), statins, and noninsulin antidiabetics. The model perspective was that of a hypothetical Medicare Advantage health plan with a plan size of 100,000 members. A 12-month time horizon was used in the model. The dichotomous adherence threshold in the model was set at 80% or greater of the proportion of days covered (PDC). Literature-based references were used to inform both the impact of blister-packaging on the number of patients who become adherent as well as the impact of medication adherence on HCRU and health care costs for each of the medication classes. One-way sensitivity analyses and several scenario analyses were conducted to assess model uncertainty. Owing to increased adherence from the blister-packaging intervention, the hypothetical health plan in the analysis saw 776 additional members adherent to RASAs, 1,651 additional members adherent to statins, and 414 additional members adherent to oral antidiabetics. Although medication expenditure increased for all 3 medication classes (RASAs: $274,963; statins: $730,083; oral antidiabetics: $100,529), medical costs decreased across all classes (RASAs: -$4,098,848; statins: -$5,549,699; oral antidiabetics: -$917,968). Total net health care costs decreased by $3,823,885 for RASAs (-$3.19 per member per month [PMPM]), $4,819,616 for statins (-$4.02 PMPM), and $817,438 for oral antidiabetics (-$0.68 PMPM). The entire Medicare Advantage population scenario analysis saw reductions in total health care costs of $1,081,394,737 for RASAs, $1,362,987,376 for statins, and $231,171,496 for oral antidiabetics. Dispensing chronic medications with blister-packaging for Medicare Advantage health plan patients was modeled to reduce HCRU and health care costs. Future studies are needed to assess whether the impact of blister-packaging medications is tied to reductions in HCRU and health care costs in real-world settings.

Techno-economic optimization and Strategic assessment of sustainable energy solutions for Powering remote communities

The purpose of this research is to identify the optimal configuration of a diesel generator with a hybrid renewable energy system that can sustainably meet the energy demands of a rural area. Some of the main challenges of using diesel generators to supply the required electric load in remote areas are the high operating cost, unmet electric load, carbon dioxide emissions, very high total net cost, and the quality of electricity. This study, which combined diesel generators with renewable resources, accurately analyzed eight different system outputs from the hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources software. The analysis considered factors such as site-specific conditions, fuel costs, and solar radiation levels. The software prefers a load following strategy over a cycle charging strategy. This load following strategy involves combining a diesel generator with renewable energy sources, specifically configured as a combination of photovoltaic cells, a diesel generator, a wind turbine, and a battery. This configuration, with a total net cost of approximately $180,065.43 and a levelized cost of energy of $0.32, is identified as the most effective configuration chosen. Operating cost, carbon dioxide emission, and total net present cost are reduced by 53.17 %, 60.46 %, and 30.02 %, respectively. It highlighted the combination of diesel generator with renewable energies and their role in promoting environmental sustainability. By providing 100 % of the load demand, it increased the quality of electricity such that the unmet electric load is reduced to zero.

Net costs of breast cancer in Colombia: a cost-of-illness study based on administrative claims databases

BackgroundBreast Cancer (BC) is associated with substantial costs of healthcare; however, real-world data regarding these costs in Colombia is scarce. The contributory regime provides healthcare services to formal workers and their dependents and covers almost half of the population in Colombia. This study aims to describe the net costs of healthcare in women with BC covered by the contributory regime in Colombia in 2019 from the perspective of the Colombian Health System.MethodsThe main data source was the Capitation Sufficiency Database, an administrative database that contains patient-level data on consumption of services included in the National Formulary (PBS, in Spanish Plan de Beneficios en Salud). Data on consumption of services not included in the PBS (non-PBS) were calculated using aggregated data from MIPRES database. All direct costs incurred by prevalent cases of BC, from January 1 to December 31, 2019, were included in the analysis. The net costs of the disease were estimated by multiplying the marginal cost and the expected number of cases with BC by region and age group. Marginal costs were defined as the costs of services delivered to patients with BC after subtracting the expected costs of health services due to age, comorbidity burden or region of residence. To calculate these costs, we used Propensity Score Matching in the main analysis. All costs were expressed in 2019 international dollars. Productivity losses, transportation expenses, and caregiving costs were not included.ResultsA total of 46,148 patients with BC were identified. Total net costs were $387 million (95% CI $377 to $396 million), 60% associated with non-PBS services. Marginal costs were $8,366 (95% Confidence Interval $8,170 to $8,573), with substantial variations between regions age groups (from $3,919 for older patients in the Amazonia region to $10,070 for younger patients in the Pacific region). The costs for PBS services were higher for ambulatory services and for patients who died during 2020.ConclusionsBC imposes a substantial economic burden for the Colombian Health System with important variations in net costs between regions and age groups. Patients near death and ambulatory services were associated with higher costs of healthcare.

Optimization of a hybrid system (PV-fuel cell) of energy production for an isolated site

In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the design and implementation of autonomous micro-grid systems, moving away from the traditional reliance on fossil fuels. Instead, these systems are now integrating existing renewable energy sources available in specific geographic locations to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility in the energy sector. One particularly promising approach for energy storage and transmission is through the utilization of hydrogen and solar energy, especially in remote regions where hybrid techniques can effectively meet the required energy demands. Our research focuses on electrifying an agricultural site located in the SBAA region, specifically in the city of ADRAR, southwest Algeria. We propose the implementation of an independent small electric network that combines various renewable energy sources, including photovoltaic (PV) systems and fuel cells. To ensure cost-effectiveness and optimize the system's performance, we aim to carefully control and size the system's components through a meticulous selection process. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of implementing renewable energy systems in the targeted region. Our goals are to reduce the total net cost, minimize energy expenses and unfulfilled load, while simultaneously mitigating CO2 emissions. To achieve these objectives, we employ the HOMER Pro simulation program, which enables us to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the proposed system's performance and economic viability. The proposed system incorporates a hybrid configuration of PV panels and fuel cells, leveraging the complementary nature of these two renewable energy sources. PV panels harness the abundant solar energy during daytime hours, while fuel cells provide a reliable and consistent energy source during periods of low solar irradiance or at night. By integrating these two technologies, we aim to establish a self-sufficient and sustainable energy system capable of meeting the energy demands of the remote agricultural site. Overall, the proposed renewable energy system demonstrates positive results in electrifying remote areas while maintaining a conservative cost of electrical energy. By implementing this system, we not only contribute to the establishment of sustainable regions but also promote environmental stewardship by reducing carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.

Optimization of off-grid renewable energy systems using a hybrid version of golden search algorithm

Currently, the development of HRESs (hybrid renewable energy systems) in remote areas is of great importance and popularity. However, measuring and optimizing the capacity of these systems faces a difficult challenge. Multiple works had been reported in the literature to optimize such systems, all of which aim to achieve an optimal configuration with minimum annual net cost. Therefore, the significance of providing off-grid electrification to remote areas through HRESs can be highlighted as a crucial case for sustainable growth. Accordingly, the study proposes a modified metaheuristic approach, known as the Hybrid Golden Search Algorithm (HGSA), for long-term application planning and optimization of the off-grid HRES. The aim of this algorithm is to minimize the amount of net cost which is used annually; to reduce the probability of power supply interruption. In order to assess the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, a simulation study over a long period on a remote area was conducted. From the results, increasing the reliability level from 1 % to 3 % causes a decrease in the total net annual cost by around 7.3 % under the proposed HGSA and also results in a reduction in component size (around 6 % and 21 % reductions for the wind turbine area and storage tanks, respectively). Further, the HGSA technique obtains the lowest value of fitness function for the hybrid system at a reliability level of 3 %, which is 31,539,810$. This result demonstrates that the efficiency of HGSA outperforms Fuzzy Logic and Optimization, Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), and GSA techniques. Based on this, the proposed HGSA could lead to more promising results than the other comparative algorithms. Hence, the proposed HGSA can be a valuable tool for long-term application planning and optimization of off-grid HRES, which can contribute significantly to achieving sustainable development goals.

Study on the Economic and Technical Optimization of Hybrid Rural Microgrids Integrating Wind, Solar, Biogas, and Energy Storage with AC/DC Conversion

Under the guidance of the 'dual carbon' goals and 'rural revitalization' strategy, the development of microgrids primarily based on wind, solar, and biogas energy is rapidly advancing in rural areas. A critical and challenging area of current research is how to optimally configure the capacity of these microgrids of varying sizes, taking into account the availability of resources in the system's environment and specific climatic conditions, to maximize economic benefits. Based on this, the article constructs a model of a hybrid AC/DC microgrid system powered by wind, solar, and biogas energy. It undertakes multi-objective optimization to achieve the highest utilization of renewable energy, the most economical cost, and the minimum carbon emissions while ensuring the reliability of the system's power supply. The study explores the economically and technically optimal configuration of this microgrid energy system under certain climatic conditions. The results indicate that the optimal configuration for a rural microgrid powered by wind, solar, and biogas energy should include a 2.6 kW biogas generator, 30.00 kW solar panels, 5.24 kW wind turbines, a 2.6 kW battery storage system, and a 10.00 kW bidirectional inverter. This configuration results in the lowest total net cost of the system, achieving optimal outcomes in terms of total net cost, cost per kilowatt-hour, and supply reliability.

Optimal performance of stand-alone hybrid microgrid systems based on integrated techno-economic-environmental energy management strategy using the grey wolf optimizer.

Recently, global interest in organizing the functioning of renewable energy resources (RES) through microgrids (MG) has developed, as a unique approach to tackle technical, economic, and environmental difficulties. This study proposes implementing a developed Distributable Resource Management strategy (DRMS) in hybrid Microgrid systems to reduce total net percent cost (TNPC), energy loss (Ploss), and gas emissions (GEM) while taking the cost-benefit index (CBI) and loss of power supply probability (LPSP) as operational constraints. Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) was utilized to find the optimal size of the hybrid Microgrid components and calculate the multi-objective function with and without the proposed management method. In addition, a detailed sensitivity analysis of numerous economic and technological parameters was performed to assess system performance. The proposed strategy reduced the system's total net present cost, power loss, and emissions by (1.06%), (8.69%), and (17.19%), respectively compared to normal operation. Firefly Algorithm (FA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) techniques were used to verify the results. This study gives a more detailed plan for evaluating the effectiveness of hybrid Microgrid systems from a technical, economic, and environmental perspective.

Optimization and assessment of solar-assisted cooling systems: A multicriteria framework and comparative study

In the current context of global warming, where district cooling systems are increasingly burdening power grids worldwide, it is important to design and operate alternative systems that are not only environmentally friendly, but also cost effective for sustainable energy transition. This paper investigates the potential of two, previously unexplored, solar cooling systems while considering economic and environmental criteria: a Solar Thermal and Electrical Cooling System (STECS) that relies solely on solar energy, offering a significant environmental advantage, and a Hybrid Solar Cooling System (HSCS) that combines a compression chiller and an absorption chiller for improved efficiency. First, novel Mixed-Integer Linear Programming models are proposed to aid in generating cost-effective designs and operations for each of STECS and HSCS. Second, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is adapted to evaluate both systems and benchmark them against conventional cooling systems previously studied in the literature. The proposed framework allows decision makers to assess the potential of these systems using three criteria; namely, cost, carbon dioxide emissions, and noise levels, which are crucial for ensuring the social acceptance of district cooling technologies worldwide. A computational study is presented to show the practical relevance of the proposed framework using real-demand data obtained from an educational district in the State of Qatar. Results show that the integration of solar energy into conventional cooling systems has the potential to significantly reduce the annual total net cost by 61%, CO2 emissions by 60%, and noise levels by 53%, on average. Additionally, the benchmark results demonstrate that the zero-carbon dioxide emissions solar cooling system achieves the highest overall performance score when all criteria are considered together.

Improving Adherence and Reducing Health Care Costs Through Blister-Packaging: An Economic Model for a Commercially Insured Health Plan.

To model the potential clinical and economic impact of blister-packaging medications for chronic conditions on medication adherence and healthcare costs in a commercially insured population. A health economic model was developed to evaluate the potential impact of blister-packaging chronic medications for a commercially insured population. The chronic medication classes assessed were renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) antagonists, statins, non-insulin oral antidiabetics, and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). The model was designed to reflect the perspective of a hypothetical commercially insured health plan with 100,000 members, over a one-year time horizon. Literature-based or best available epidemiologic references were used to inform the number of patients utilizing each medication class, the impact of blister-packaging on the number of patients who become adherent, as well as the impact of medication adherence in a commercially insured population on healthcare costs for each medication class assessed. Impact on costs was measured in total net healthcare costs, as well as being stratified by medical costs and medication costs. Following the blister-packaging intervention, there were an additional 591 patients adherent to RAS antagonists, 1196 patients adherent to statins, 169 patients adherent to oral antidiabetics, and 25 patients adherent to DOACs. While pharmacy costs increased, these costs were more than offset by the reduction in medical costs. Overall, the increase in patients adherent to therapy due to blister-packaging led to a reduction in total healthcare costs of $879,312 for RAS antagonists (-$0.73 per-member per-month (PMPM)), $343,322 for statins (-$0.29 PMPM), $78,917 for oral antidiabetics (-$0.07 PMPM), and $120,793 for DOACs (-$0.10 PMPM). Blister-packaging chronic medications in a commercially insured population has the potential to reduce healthcare costs. Future research is needed to confirm these findings in real-world settings and to fully understand the clinical and economic implications of blister-packaging chronic medications.

Optimizing Electric Truck Routing and Charging with Soft Time Windows Using Vehicle-to-Grid Technology

Due to the rapid increase in the use of electric vehicles and instability in energy supply, the application of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology has gained attention in the freight transportation sector. V2G has the potential to increase the efficiency of power grid and make additional profits by utilizing surplus power from electric vehicle batteries. This paper proposes an optimization model for electric trucks (ETs) to provide operational decision-making support for the freight transportation sector. The objective of the model is to minimize the total net cost, which includes charging cost, discharging reward, and time penalties, while considering changes in ET charging cost and the system marginal price. Furthermore, we conduct sensitivity analysis in the vehicle routing problem with soft time windows using ETs in the V2G system.

Cost Savings and Waste Reduction Through Redispensing Unused Oral Anticancer Drugs

New strategies targeting waste are required to improve financial and ecologic sustainability of expensive therapies, such as oral anticancer drugs, that frequently remain unused by patients. Redispensing unused oral anticancer drugs seems to be a promising strategy when drug quality is guaranteed. To determine the waste reduction and net cost savings attained by redispensing oral anticancer drugs that go unused by patients compared with the standard practice of disposal. The ROAD study was a prospective single-group intervention conducted in the outpatient pharmacies of 4 hospitals in the Netherlands from February 1, 2021, to February 1, 2023, with 12-month follow-up of each patient. Patients with cancer and who had a prescription for an oral anticancer drug that could be stored at room temperature were included. Of 2426 eligible patients, 602 did not consent and 601 did not respond. Data analyses were performed from August 25, 2022, to April 19, 2023. Participants received oral anticancer drugs for use at home in special packaging (ie, sealed packaging with time-temperature indicator), to be returned to the pharmacy should these remain unused. The pharmacy ensured quality of returned drugs based on authenticity, appearance, remaining shelf life and adequate storage temperature. Drugs fulfilling quality requirements were redispensed to other patients. Total waste reduction and mean net annual cost savings per patient compared with the standard practice of disposal. Optimization of cost savings was explored by introducing variations in the quality assurance procedure and patient population. All analyses used the average exchange rate for 2021 €1 = US $1.18. Of 1223 patients with cancer who consented, 1071 participated (median [IQR] age, 70 [62-75] years; 622 [58.1%] were male). In all, 171 patients (16.0%; 95% CI, 13.8%-18.3%) returned 335 unused oral anticancer drug packages. Of the returned drugs, 228 packages were redispensed, which reduced waste by 68.1% (95% CI, 67.7%-68.5%) compared with the standard practice (disposal). Redispensing unused oral anticancer drugs comprised 2.4% (95% CI, 2.2%-2.5%) of total drug costs, providing mean net annual cost savings of US $680 (95% CI, $524-$837) up to $1591 (95% CI, $1226-$2002) per participant. The findings of this multicenter intervention study indicate that redispensing unused oral anticancer drugs is associated with waste reduction and cost savings, which in turn may improve the affordability and sustainability of cancer treatment. World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Identifier: NL9208.

A comprehensive framework for eco-environmental impact evaluation of wastewater treatment plants: Integrating carbon footprint, energy footprint, toxicity, and economic assessments

The need for clear and straightforward guidelines for carbon footprint (CFP) and energy footprint (EFP) evaluations is critical due to the non-transparent and misleading results that have been reported. This study aims to address this gap by integrating CFP, EFP, toxicity, and economic assessments to evaluate the eco-environmental impacts of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The results indicate that the total CFP was below 0.6 kg CO2/kg COD removed, which is attributed to CO2 offset and biogas recovery. However, site-specific EFP varied considerably from 482.7 to 2294 kgCO2/kWh due to design differences of WWTPs and their aeration and mixing energy demand (46.96–66.1%). The use of crude oil and natural gas for electricity generation significantly increased EFP, CFP, and carcinogenic human toxicity. In contrast, a combined heat and power (CHP) installation enabled energy recovery ranging from 12.09% to 65.65%. Construction costs dominated the highest share of total costs (85.43%), with indirect construction costs (42.9%) and operation labor costs (61.4%) being the primary elements in the total net costs. It is worth noting that site-specific CO2 emission factors were used in the calculations to decrease model uncertainty. However, to improve modeling reliability, we recommend modifying the regional CO2 emission factor and focusing on emerging technologies to recover energy and biogas.

Techno-economic assessment and optimal design of hybrid power generation-based renewable energy systems

This study presents a techno-economic analysis of five different hybrid energy systems (HES)-based renewable energy sources (RES) in the northern region of Saudi Arabia. It aims to provide valuable insights into the economic feasibility, technical compatibility, and environmental implications of these systems. To carry out this analysis, hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources (HOMER) software is used. Parameters such as total net price cost (TNPC), cost of energy (COE), initial capital cost (ICC), energy generation and consumption, excess and unmet energy, renewable energy (RE) fraction, and emissions were considered to assess the different HES configurations. The findings demonstrate that the grid-connected photovoltaic/wind turbines (PV/WT) system is the best option in terms of economic perspective with TNPC and COE of $213,099 and $0.0480/kWh, respectively followed by grid-connected PV/fuel cell (FC)/WT and stand-alone PV/diesel generator (DG)/WT/battery systems. The PV/battery and PV/FC/WT/battery green hybridization are the highest cost-effective due to their high initial and replacement battery costs. The grid-connected PV/WT and PV/DG/WT/battery systems are the most efficient in meeting load demand, while the PV/battery and PV/FC/WT/battery hybridization have the highest excess and unmet energy. From an environmental perspective, the stand-alone HES consisting solely of RESs, i.e., PV and batteries, has the lowest emissions, making it one of the most environmentally friendly options. Following closely is the PV/FC/WT/battery configuration, which also demonstrates low emissions. On the other hand, the grid-connected PV/WT system exhibits the highest total GHG emissions, rendering it the least environmentally friendly option. This research provides decision-makers, researchers, and stakeholders with valuable information for selecting the optimal hybrid energy systems, taking into account economic, technical, and environmental considerations.

High potential of coupling the source-separation and incineration promotion to reduce costs based on city-level cost-benefit analysis of municipal solid waste management strategies in China

To screen the optimum strategy of municipal solid waste (MSW) management toward the goal “zero-waste city” in China, in this study, a tailored system including six indicators of waste of land resource, greenhouse gas emissions, human toxicity, energy recovery, biomass recovery, and paper/plastic recovery were developed and total costs were quantified based on city-level cost-benefit analysis considering the city socioeconomic characteristics. Results show that the systemic change scenario which couples the MSW source-separation, incineration promotion, and biosolid land application has the best performance in total net cost reduction by US$154 billion during 2021–2030, of which US$80 billion is external cost. Due to the change in external cost of land resources, the marginal cost of MSW treatment varies significantly with city groups, with megalopolises being 3 times as other city groups. The high external cost of land resources further underscores the importance of reducing the final landfilled waste mass for megalopolises.

Cost-effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in Latin America and the Caribbean: an analysis in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru

ObjectiveOur study analyzes the cost-effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru.MethodsUsing a previously published SVEIR model, we analyzed the impact of a vaccination campaign (2021) from a national healthcare perspective. The primary outcomes were quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost and total costs. Other outcomes included COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and life years. We applied a discount rate of 3% for health outcomes. We modeled a realistic vaccination campaign in each country (the realistic country-specific campaign). Additionally, we assessed a standard campaign (similar, “typical“ for all countries), and an optimized campaign (similar in all countries with higher but plausible population coverage). One-way deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed.FindingsVaccination was health improving as well as cost-saving in almost all countries and scenarios. Our analysis shows that vaccination in this group of countries prevented 573,141 deaths (508,826 standard; 685,442 optimized) and gained 5.07 million QALYs (4.53 standard; 6.03 optimized). Despite the incremental costs of vaccination campaigns, they had a total net cost saving to the health system of US$16.29 billion (US$16.47 standard; US$18.58 optimized). The realistic (base case) vaccination campaign in Chile was the only scenario, which was not cost saving, but it was still highly cost-effective with an ICER of US$22 per QALY gained. Main findings were robust in the sensitivity analyses.InterpretationThe COVID-19 vaccination campaign in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries -that comprise nearly 80% of the region- was beneficial for population health and was also cost-saving or highly cost-effective.

Long-term cost-effectiveness of implementing a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes

Aims/hypothesisThe aim of this study was to determine the long-term cost-effectiveness and return on investment of implementing a structured lifestyle intervention to reduce excessive gestational weight gain and associated incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodsA decision-analytic Markov model was used to compare the health and cost-effectiveness outcomes for (1) a structured lifestyle intervention during pregnancy to prevent GDM and subsequent type 2 diabetes; and (2) current usual antenatal care. Life table modelling was used to capture type 2 diabetes morbidity, mortality and quality-adjusted life years over a lifetime horizon for all women giving birth in Australia. Costs incorporated both healthcare and societal perspectives. The intervention effect was derived from published meta-analyses. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were used to capture the impact of uncertainty in the model.ResultsThe model projected a 10% reduction in the number of women subsequently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes through implementation of the lifestyle intervention compared with current usual care. The total net incremental cost of intervention was approximately AU$70 million, and the cost savings from the reduction in costs of antenatal care for GDM, birth complications and type 2 diabetes management were approximately AU$85 million. The intervention was dominant (cost-saving) compared with usual care from a healthcare perspective, and returned AU$1.22 (95% CI 0.53, 2.13) per dollar invested. The results were robust to sensitivity analysis, and remained cost-saving or highly cost-effective in each of the scenarios explored.Conclusions/interpretationThis study demonstrates significant cost savings from implementation of a structured lifestyle intervention during pregnancy, due to a reduction in adverse health outcomes for women during both the perinatal period and over their lifetime.Graphical abstract

Use of Urban Open-waterbody to Enhance Fish Production through Cage Culture

The purpose of the experiment was to examine the effect of cage fish culture on the growth and production performances of Shing (Heteropneustes fossilis), Pabda (Ompok pabda) and Gulsha (Mystus cavasius). The stocking density for each fish species was 100 fish/m3. Cages with Shing, Pabda and Gulsha were treated as T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Fishes were fed with artificial diet at the rate of 5-10% of body weight. The experiment was carried out in cages in the Beel from June to November 2019. The study revealed that water quality parameters were not varied significantly (p > 0.05) among the treatments. The growth and production performance were significantly (p < 0.05) higher for Pabda cage culture followed by Gulsha and Shing cultures in cages. Therefore, the total net return (BDT 17,028) and benefit cost ratio (2.48) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher for Pabda fish considering cost benefit analysis. It was concluded that, among the three different fish species, high-valued Pabda is highly acceptable candidate for cage farming in Belai Beel area and cage farming in urban open waterbodies is a promising approach to increase the total fish production to improve the social and economic status of fish farmers.

Efficient utilization of CO2 in power-to-liquids/power-to-gas hybrid processes: An economic-environmental assessment

Power-to-liquid (P2L) and Power-to-Gas (P2G) processes are considered as sustainable pathways to mitigate climate change. In both P2L and P2G processes, H2 production via water electrolysis has received widespread attentions, including PEM, AEM, SOEC and AWE technologies. Based on the preceding technical study on four P2L/P2G hybrid processes composed of above-mentioned water electrolysis technologies, a systematic study of P2L/P2G processes and economic analysis were conducted to quantitatively evaluate their economic performances in terms of total production cost (TPC) and net CO2 reduction cost (CRC). The P2L/P2G process coupled with SOEC technology has the lowest TPC of 204 M$/year, while that coupled with AEM technology has the lowest net CRC of 274 $/tonne CO2. Moreover, we further proposed nine process scenarios for P2L/P2G processes using grey, blue, and green H2, and compared their process performances in terms of TPC and global warming potential (GWP). The P2L/P2G process via water electrolysis using wind electricity reduces GWP by 61.50%, whereas its TPC is 1.39 times higher than that with coal gasification due to the relatively high production cost. It is anticipated that a significant cost saving in the water electrolysis units is possible in the future, which will definitely improve the profitability of P2L/P2G process.

A three-layer joint distributionally robust chance-constrained framework for optimal day-ahead scheduling of e-mobility ecosystem

A high number of electric vehicles (EVs) in the transportation sector necessitates an advanced scheduling framework for e-mobility ecosystem operation to overcome range anxiety and create a viable business model for charging stations (CSs). The framework must account for the stochastic nature of all stakeholders’ operations, including EV drivers, CSs, and retailers and their mutual interactions. In this paper, a three-layer joint distributionally robust chance-constrained (DRCC) model is proposed to plan day-ahead grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) operations for e-mobility ecosystems. The proposed three-layer joint DRCC framework formulates the interactions of the stochastic behaviour of the stakeholders in an uncertain environment with unknown probability distributions. The proposed stochastic model does not rely on a specific probability distribution for stochastic parameters. An iterative process is proposed to solve the problem using joint DRCC formulation. To achieve computational tractability, the second-order cone programming reformulation is implemented for double-sided and single-sided chance constraints (CCs). Furthermore, the impact of the temporal correlation of uncertain PV generation on CSs operation is considered in the formulation. A simulation study is carried out for an ecosystem of three retailers, nine CSs, and 600 EVs based on real data from San Francisco, USA. The simulation results show the necessity and applicability of such a scheduling framework for the e-mobility ecosystem in an uncertain environment, e.g., by reducing the number of unique EVs that failed to reach their destination from 272 to 61. In addition, the choice of confidence level significantly affects the cost and revenue of the stakeholders as well as the accuracy of the schedules in real-time operation, e.g., for a low-risk case study, the total net cost of EVs increased by 247.3% compared to a high-risk case study. Also, the total net revenue of CSs and retailers decreased by 26.6% and 10.6%, respectively.

Optimal Planning of Renovation Work in Leased Buildings under Integrated Project Delivery Method

This paper presents the development of a novel model for optimizing the planning of renovation work in leased buildings that utilize the integrated project delivery (IPD) method to maximize the income of leased units during renovation work. The present model is developed in two main phases: optimization and renovation planning. The model integrates a novel methodology that enables decision makers to select optimal crew deployment data and number of assigned crews for all renovation activities, identify an optimal unit renovation order of all leased units, generate feasible renovation schedules, and quantify and minimize total net renovation cost. A real-life case study of three renovation projects was analyzed to illustrate the use of the model and demonstrate its capabilities. The results of this analysis clearly illustrate the original contributions of the model to the body of knowledge and its novel capability in generating optimal renovation schedules for leased buildings that enable contractors to maximize their share of rewards under IPD projects while minimizing their total renovation cost.