BACKGROUND Drug utilization research has an important role in assisting the healthcare administration to know,compute,and refine the prescription whose principal objective is to enable the rational use of drugs.Resear...BACKGROUND Drug utilization research has an important role in assisting the healthcare administration to know,compute,and refine the prescription whose principal objective is to enable the rational use of drugs.Research in developing nations relating to the cost of treatment is scarce when compared with developed countries.Thus,the drug utilization research studies from developing nations are most needed,and their number has been growing.AIM To evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs and direct medical cost analysis in patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia.METHODS The present study was observational in type and based on a retrospective cohort to evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs using World Health Organization(WHO)core prescribing indicators and anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily dose indicators.We also calculated direct medical costs for a period of 6 months.RESULTS This study has found that atypical antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for schizophrenia in every age group and subcategories of schizophrenia.The evaluation based on WHO prescribing indicators showed a low average number of drugs per prescription and low prescribing frequency of antipsychotics from the National List of Essential Medicines 2015 and the WHO Essential Medicines List 2019.The total mean drug cost of our study was 1396 Indian rupees.The total mean cost due to the investigation in our study was 1017.34 Indian rupees.Therefore,the total mean direct medical cost incurred on patients in our study was 4337.28 Indian rupees.CONCLUSION The information from the present study can be used for reviewing and updating treatment policy at the institutional level.展开更多
The new edition of the International Production Cost Comparison (IPCC) from ITMF has been published.The report benchmarks manufacturing costs for a range of textile products along the primary textile value chain,disag...The new edition of the International Production Cost Comparison (IPCC) from ITMF has been published.The report benchmarks manufacturing costs for a range of textile products along the primary textile value chain,disaggregated by key cost components at each production stage.展开更多
Background:The Indian healthcare sector has undergone significant transformations due to private equity(PE)investments.The influx of capital has facilitated the expansion of infrastructure and improvement in services,...Background:The Indian healthcare sector has undergone significant transformations due to private equity(PE)investments.The influx of capital has facilitated the expansion of infrastructure and improvement in services,particularly in urban and semi-urban areas.However,this transformation raises critical concerns regarding equity in healthcare access,rising health costs,and the potential commercialization of healthcare services.Methods:Employing a critical political economy approach,this study examines the effects of PE investments in Indian healthcare.It integrates theories from Antonio Gramsci,David Harvey and Nancy Fraser to analyze the implications of these investments.The research draws on secondary data from industry reports,government statistics and academic literature to assess the trends,impacts and policy responses related to PE in healthcare.Results:PE investments have led to increased privatization,rising healthcare costs and a focus on profit-driven models.Despite expanding infrastructure,access to quality healthcare remains inequitable,particularly for marginalized and rural populations.The analysis highlights the tension between capital accumulation and public health needs,showing how PE investments prioritize profitability over equity.The commodification of healthcare reflects broader neoliberal policies that undermine public health objectives and exacerbate inequalities.Conclusion:While PE investments drive innovation and expansion,they also pose challenges to affordability and equitable access.Policy interventions are necessary to regulate PE investments and ensure that healthcare remains accessible and equitable for all.展开更多
Plants are continuously exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses that threaten their growth,reproduction,and survival.Adaptation to these stresses requires complex regulatory networks that coordinate physiological,molec...Plants are continuously exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses that threaten their growth,reproduction,and survival.Adaptation to these stresses requires complex regulatory networks that coordinate physiological,molecular,and ecological responses.However,such adaptation often incurs significant costs,including reduced growth,yield penalties,and altered ecological interactions.This review systematically synthesizes recent advances published between 2018 and 2025,following PRISMA criteria,on plant responses to abiotic and biotic stressors,with an emphasis on the trade-offs between adaptation and productivity.It also highlights major discrepancies in the literature and discusses strategies for enhancing plant stress tolerance in agriculture.By integrating findings from genomics,transcriptomics,proteomics,and metabolomics,the review categorizes both mechanistic insights and ecological consequences.The findings underscore the need for multi-stress,systems-level,field-based research that connects molecular processes to ecological and agricultural outcomes.Accordingly,critical gaps are identified—particularly the scarcity of multi-stress and field-based studies—and future directions that integrate omics approaches,systems biology,and eco-physiological frameworks are proposed.Understanding the costs of adaptation is essential not only for breeding resilient,high-yielding crops but also for ensuring their successful incorporation into sustainable agricultural practices under changing climate conditions.展开更多
In China,electric vehicle(EV)fast-charging power has quadrupled in the past five years,progressing toward 10-minute ultrafast charging.This rapid increase raises concerns about the impact on the power grid including i...In China,electric vehicle(EV)fast-charging power has quadrupled in the past five years,progressing toward 10-minute ultrafast charging.This rapid increase raises concerns about the impact on the power grid including increased peak power demand and the need for substantial upgrades to power infrastruc-ture.Here,we introduce an integrated model to assess fast and ultrafast charging impacts for represen-tative charging stations in China,combining real-world charging patterns and detailed station optimization models.We find that larger stations with 12 or more chargers experience modest peak power increases of less than 30%when fast-charging power is doubled,primarily because shorter charg-ing sessions are less likely to overlap.For more typical stations(e.g.,8-9 chargers and 120 kW·charger^(−1)),upgrading chargers to 350-550 kW while allowing managed dynamic waiting strategies(of∼1 minute)can reduce overall charging times to∼9 minutes.At stations,deploying battery storage and/or expanding transformers can help manage future increases in station loads,yet the primary device cost of the former is∼4 times higher than that of the latter.Our results offer insights for charging infrastructure planning,EV-grid interactions,and associated policymaking.展开更多
The ease of accessing a virtually unlimited pool of resources makes Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds an ideal platform for running data-intensive workflow applications comprising hundreds of computational tas...The ease of accessing a virtually unlimited pool of resources makes Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds an ideal platform for running data-intensive workflow applications comprising hundreds of computational tasks. However, executing scientific workflows in IaaS cloud environments poses significant challenges due to conflicting objectives, such as minimizing execution time (makespan) and reducing resource utilization costs. This study responds to the increasing need for efficient and adaptable optimization solutions in dynamic and complex environments, which are critical for meeting the evolving demands of modern users and applications. This study presents an innovative multi-objective approach for scheduling scientific workflows in IaaS cloud environments. The proposed algorithm, MOS-MWMC, aims to minimize total execution time (makespan) and resource utilization costs by leveraging key features of virtual machine instances, such as a high number of cores and fast local SSD storage. By integrating realistic simulations based on the WRENCH framework, the method effectively dimensions the cloud infrastructure and optimizes resource usage. Experimental results highlight the superiority of MOS-MWMC compared to benchmark algorithms HEFT and Max-Min. The Pareto fronts obtained for the CyberShake, Epigenomics, and Montage workflows demonstrate closer proximity to the optimal front, confirming the algorithm’s ability to balance conflicting objectives. This study contributes to optimizing scientific workflows in complex environments by providing solutions tailored to specific user needs while minimizing costs and execution times.展开更多
With the increasingly serious environmental problems,the use of sustainable materials is particularly important.This study focuses on the greenhouse gas emissions and economic costs of wood over its life cycle as a su...With the increasingly serious environmental problems,the use of sustainable materials is particularly important.This study focuses on the greenhouse gas emissions and economic costs of wood over its life cycle as a sustainable resource.We use a systematic life cycle assessment(LCA)approach to assess the entire process from raw material collection,processing,use to disposal.The study found that using wood can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional building materials such as steel and concrete.In addition,although the initial procurement costs of wood may be higher,its maintenance costs are lower in the long run,making the life cycle costs generally more economical.The results of this study highlight the environmental and economic advantages of wood in the selection of sustainable building materials,and provide a scientific basis for promoting the use of wood.展开更多
To study on the effect of clinical pathway （CP） on controlling pharmaceutical costs, we selected complex, chronic, non-communicable diseases, including cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, transient ischemic at...To study on the effect of clinical pathway （CP） on controlling pharmaceutical costs, we selected complex, chronic, non-communicable diseases, including cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, transient ischemic attack, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as diseases to implement clinical pathways at a tertiary hospital in Qingdao. We then conducted intermittent time series analysis on pharmaceutical costs. After the implementation of clinical pathway, overall pharmaceutical costs of patients with transient ischemic attack reduced significantly. The effect was not significant for cerebral hemorrhage patients. The implementation of clinical pathway has a desirable outcome on controlling pharmaceutical costs.展开更多
The collector managed inventory(CMI)management idea is introduced based on the comparison of manufacturer and third-party logistics(3PL)implementing vendor managed inventory(VMI)services.Considering recovery costs,the...The collector managed inventory(CMI)management idea is introduced based on the comparison of manufacturer and third-party logistics(3PL)implementing vendor managed inventory(VMI)services.Considering recovery costs,the service pricing strategies for 3PL corporations implementing VMI are studied to meet two conditions of participation constraints and incentive-compatibility constraints.The numerical simulation results indicate that the supply chain partners' profits change after considering recovery costs,and the 3PL corporation's profits and the total profits increase first,and then decrease.The retailers' and manufacturers' profits also increase.The total profits of the supply chain have a characteristic of increasing first and then decreasing with the increase of the callback ratio of unsold products.The concrete extremum point is codetermined by price flexibility,service pricing of the 3PL corporation,callback price and callback ratio.展开更多
Thucydides asserts that the occupation of Decelea by the Spartans in 413 BC made the grain supply for Athens costly by forcing the transport from land onto the sea.This calls into question the well-established consens...Thucydides asserts that the occupation of Decelea by the Spartans in 413 BC made the grain supply for Athens costly by forcing the transport from land onto the sea.This calls into question the well-established consensus that sea transport was far cheaper than land transport.This paper contends that the cost of protecting supply lines-specifically the expenses associated with the warships which escorted the supply ships-rendered the grain transported on the new route exceptionally costly.In this paper,the benefits and drawbacks of a maritime economy,including transaction costs,trade dependencies,and the capabilities of warships and supply ships are discussed.展开更多
The purpose of this paper is to approach the administrative costs in the field of education and to answer questions such as:How are administrative costs measured and evaluated?Is it taken into account in the analysis ...The purpose of this paper is to approach the administrative costs in the field of education and to answer questions such as:How are administrative costs measured and evaluated?Is it taken into account in the analysis of policy options?Administrative costs affect all areas of public education and absorb a large part of the state budget appropriations intended for education.Through the presentation of the general and specific objectives but also the European participation in the rational management of the management costs of the educational units,we lead to a holistic approach to the operational costs of the education that is part of the social costs.展开更多
With the introduction of the“dual carbon”goal and the continuous promotion of low-carbon development,the integrated energy system(IES)has gradually become an effective way to save energy and reduce emissions.This st...With the introduction of the“dual carbon”goal and the continuous promotion of low-carbon development,the integrated energy system(IES)has gradually become an effective way to save energy and reduce emissions.This study proposes a low-carbon economic optimization scheduling model for an IES that considers carbon trading costs.With the goal of minimizing the total operating cost of the IES and considering the transferable and curtailable characteristics of the electric and thermal flexible loads,an optimal scheduling model of the IES that considers the cost of carbon trading and flexible loads on the user side was established.The role of flexible loads in improving the economy of an energy system was investigated using examples,and the rationality and effectiveness of the study were verified through a comparative analysis of different scenarios.The results showed that the total cost of the system in different scenarios was reduced by 18.04%,9.1%,3.35%,and 7.03%,respectively,whereas the total carbon emissions of the system were reduced by 65.28%,20.63%,3.85%,and 18.03%,respectively,when the carbon trading cost and demand-side flexible electric and thermal load responses were considered simultaneously.Flexible electrical and thermal loads did not have the same impact on the system performance.In the analyzed case,the total cost and carbon emissions of the system when only the flexible electrical load response was considered were lower than those when only the flexible thermal load response was taken into account.Photovoltaics have an excess of carbon trading credits and can profit from selling them,whereas other devices have an excess of carbon trading and need to buy carbon credits.展开更多
Drilling costs of ultra-deepwell is the significant part of development investment,and accurate prediction of drilling costs plays an important role in reasonable budgeting and overall control of development cost.In o...Drilling costs of ultra-deepwell is the significant part of development investment,and accurate prediction of drilling costs plays an important role in reasonable budgeting and overall control of development cost.In order to improve the prediction accuracy of ultra-deep well drilling costs,the item and the dominant factors of drilling costs in Tarim oilfield are analyzed.Then,those factors of drilling costs are separated into categorical variables and numerous variables.Finally,a BP neural networkmodel with drilling costs as the output is established,and hyper-parameters(initial weights and bias)of the BP neural network is optimized by genetic algorithm(GA).Through training and validation of themodel,a reliable prediction model of ultra-deep well drilling costs is achieved.The average relative error between prediction and actual values is 3.26%.Compared with other models,the root mean square error is reduced by 25.38%.The prediction results of the proposed model are reliable,and the model is efficient,which can provide supporting for the drilling costs control and budget planning of ultra-deep wells.展开更多
Objective To determine the impact of smoking on disease-specific health care utilization and medical costs in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases(NCDs).Methods Participants were middle-aged and elderly adu...Objective To determine the impact of smoking on disease-specific health care utilization and medical costs in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases(NCDs).Methods Participants were middle-aged and elderly adults with chronic NCDs from a prospective cohort in China.Logistic regressions and linear models were used to assess the relationship between tobacco smoking,health care utilization and medical costs.Results Totally,1020 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),3144 patients with coronary heart disease(CHD),and 1405 patients with diabetes were included in the analysis.Among patients with COPD,current smokers(β:0.030,95%CI:−0.032-0.092)and former smokers(β:0.072,95%CI:0.014-0.131)had 3.0%and 7.2%higher total medical costs than never smokers.Medical costs of patients who had smoked for 21-40 years(β:0.028,95%CI:−0.038-0.094)and≥41 years(β:0.053,95%CI:−0.004β0.110)were higher than those of never smokers.Patients who smoked≥21 cigarettes(β:0.145,95%CI:0.051-0.239)per day had more inpatient visits than never smokers.The association between smoking and health care utilization and medical costs in people with CHD group was similar to that in people with COPD;however,there were no significant associations in people with diabetes.Conclusion This study reveals that the impact of smoking on health care utilization and medical costs varies among patients with COPD,CHD,and diabetes.Tobacco control might be more effective at reducing the burden of disease for patients with COPD and CHD than for patients with diabetes.展开更多
Electricity consumption increases rapidly with the rapid development of China. The environmental damage costs of electricity generation are very important for both policy analysis and the proper management of the envi...Electricity consumption increases rapidly with the rapid development of China. The environmental damage costs of electricity generation are very important for both policy analysis and the proper management of the environment. A method was developed in this work to estimate gross environmental damage costs according to emission inventory and environmental cost factors, and to extend the costs from provincial to national level with population density. In this paper, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10), and carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fired power plants over 6000 kW were selected as index pollutants to quantify the environmental costs of damages on human health and global warming. With the new developed method, environmental damage costs, caused by 3 types of fired power plants in 30 provinces and 6 economic sectors during the years 2000 to 2003, were evaluated and analyzed. It can be seen that the calculated total national environmental damage costs of electricity have rapidly increased from 94930.87×106 USD in 2000 to about 141041.39×106 USD in 2003, with an average annual growth rate of 14.11%. Environmental damage costs of SO2, NOx, PM10, and CO2 are 69475.69×106, 30079.29×106, 28931.84×106, and 12554.57×106 USD and account for 49.26%, 21.33%, 20.51%, and 8.90% of total environmental costs in fossil electricity generation, respectively. With regard to regional distribution, external costs caused by fossil electricity generation are mainly concentrated in the more populated and industrialized areas of China, i.e., the Eastern Central and Southeastern areas.展开更多
Performance-based design in earthquake engineering is a structural optimization problem that has, as the objective, the determination of design parameters for the minimization of total costs, while at the same time sa...Performance-based design in earthquake engineering is a structural optimization problem that has, as the objective, the determination of design parameters for the minimization of total costs, while at the same time satisfying minimum reliability levels for the specifi ed performance criteria. Total costs include those for construction and structural damage repairs, those associated with non-structural components and the social costs of economic losses, injuries and fatalities. This paper presents a general framework to approach this problem, using a numerical optimization strategy and incorporating the use of neural networks for the evaluation of dynamic responses and the reliability levels achieved for a given set of design parameters. The strategy is applied to an example of a three-story offi ce building. The results show the importance of considering the social costs, and the optimum failure probabilities when minimum reliability constraints are not taken into account.展开更多
Background: Kidney (renal) diseases and dialysis are among the most costly disorders and represent a worldwide burden. In this study, we evaluate the medical costs for individuals with kidney diseases and risk factors...Background: Kidney (renal) diseases and dialysis are among the most costly disorders and represent a worldwide burden. In this study, we evaluate the medical costs for individuals with kidney diseases and risk factors for the diseases in Japan. Data and Methods: The dataset used contained 113,979 medical checkups and 3,172,066 medical cost records obtained from 48,022 individuals in one health insurance society. The sample period was April 2013 to March 2016. We evaluated the distribution of all medical costs, and those of kidney diseases specifically. Then the power transformation Tobit model was used to remove the effects of other variables. Finally, a probit analysis was used to analyze the risk factors. Results: In 0.25% of all cases, individuals were diagnosed with kidney diseases. An individual with kidney disease cost 14.5 times more than those without kidney disease. If the diseases progressed into chronic kidney disease (CKD), the medical costs increased substantially. Even disregarding various characteristics of individuals, this conclusion did not vary. We found important risk factors included diabetes and blood pressure problems. In particular, an individual with both factors had a high probability of developing kidney disease. Conclusion: Kidney diseases are much costlier than other diseases. Screening high-risk individuals, educating patients, and ensuring that treatment begins at an early stage are critically important to controlling medical costs. Limitations: The dataset was observatory, and the sample period was only 3 years.展开更多
Background: The American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and other organizations announced a new hypertension guideline in November 2017. However, previous studies have pointed out that t...Background: The American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and other organizations announced a new hypertension guideline in November 2017. However, previous studies have pointed out that this new guideline might lack sufficient evidence to justify its use. Data and Methods: The effects of blood pressure (BP) on medical costs and on the probability of having heart disease as anamnesis are analyzed. We used a dataset containing 175,123 medical checkups and 6,312,125 receipts from 88,211 individuals obtained from three health insurance societies from April 2013 to March 2016. The dataset was divided into subgroups based on whether the patients had diabetes and took hypertension medications. The power transformation and probit models were used in the study. Results: We observed negative effects of systolic BP (SBP) on medical costs in most subgroups. We could not find evidence that higher SBP made the medical costs and probability of having heart diseases higher. The results raise uncertainty about the reliability of the new guideline, at least for SBP. Conclusion: The results of this study did not support the new 2017 ACC/AHA guideline, at least for SBP. The new guideline must be more carefully reevaluated by additional studies. Limitations: The dataset was observatory, the sample period was only 3 years, and we could not complete a time-series analysis of individuals.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Drug utilization research has an important role in assisting the healthcare administration to know,compute,and refine the prescription whose principal objective is to enable the rational use of drugs.Research in developing nations relating to the cost of treatment is scarce when compared with developed countries.Thus,the drug utilization research studies from developing nations are most needed,and their number has been growing.AIM To evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs and direct medical cost analysis in patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia.METHODS The present study was observational in type and based on a retrospective cohort to evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs using World Health Organization(WHO)core prescribing indicators and anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily dose indicators.We also calculated direct medical costs for a period of 6 months.RESULTS This study has found that atypical antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for schizophrenia in every age group and subcategories of schizophrenia.The evaluation based on WHO prescribing indicators showed a low average number of drugs per prescription and low prescribing frequency of antipsychotics from the National List of Essential Medicines 2015 and the WHO Essential Medicines List 2019.The total mean drug cost of our study was 1396 Indian rupees.The total mean cost due to the investigation in our study was 1017.34 Indian rupees.Therefore,the total mean direct medical cost incurred on patients in our study was 4337.28 Indian rupees.CONCLUSION The information from the present study can be used for reviewing and updating treatment policy at the institutional level.
文摘The new edition of the International Production Cost Comparison (IPCC) from ITMF has been published.The report benchmarks manufacturing costs for a range of textile products along the primary textile value chain,disaggregated by key cost components at each production stage.
文摘Background:The Indian healthcare sector has undergone significant transformations due to private equity(PE)investments.The influx of capital has facilitated the expansion of infrastructure and improvement in services,particularly in urban and semi-urban areas.However,this transformation raises critical concerns regarding equity in healthcare access,rising health costs,and the potential commercialization of healthcare services.Methods:Employing a critical political economy approach,this study examines the effects of PE investments in Indian healthcare.It integrates theories from Antonio Gramsci,David Harvey and Nancy Fraser to analyze the implications of these investments.The research draws on secondary data from industry reports,government statistics and academic literature to assess the trends,impacts and policy responses related to PE in healthcare.Results:PE investments have led to increased privatization,rising healthcare costs and a focus on profit-driven models.Despite expanding infrastructure,access to quality healthcare remains inequitable,particularly for marginalized and rural populations.The analysis highlights the tension between capital accumulation and public health needs,showing how PE investments prioritize profitability over equity.The commodification of healthcare reflects broader neoliberal policies that undermine public health objectives and exacerbate inequalities.Conclusion:While PE investments drive innovation and expansion,they also pose challenges to affordability and equitable access.Policy interventions are necessary to regulate PE investments and ensure that healthcare remains accessible and equitable for all.
文摘Plants are continuously exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses that threaten their growth,reproduction,and survival.Adaptation to these stresses requires complex regulatory networks that coordinate physiological,molecular,and ecological responses.However,such adaptation often incurs significant costs,including reduced growth,yield penalties,and altered ecological interactions.This review systematically synthesizes recent advances published between 2018 and 2025,following PRISMA criteria,on plant responses to abiotic and biotic stressors,with an emphasis on the trade-offs between adaptation and productivity.It also highlights major discrepancies in the literature and discusses strategies for enhancing plant stress tolerance in agriculture.By integrating findings from genomics,transcriptomics,proteomics,and metabolomics,the review categorizes both mechanistic insights and ecological consequences.The findings underscore the need for multi-stress,systems-level,field-based research that connects molecular processes to ecological and agricultural outcomes.Accordingly,critical gaps are identified—particularly the scarcity of multi-stress and field-based studies—and future directions that integrate omics approaches,systems biology,and eco-physiological frameworks are proposed.Understanding the costs of adaptation is essential not only for breeding resilient,high-yielding crops but also for ensuring their successful incorporation into sustainable agricultural practices under changing climate conditions.
基金the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(72325006,72488101,and 72293601)the Sze Family Foundationthe Climate Imperative Foundation(#2024-001465)
文摘In China,electric vehicle(EV)fast-charging power has quadrupled in the past five years,progressing toward 10-minute ultrafast charging.This rapid increase raises concerns about the impact on the power grid including increased peak power demand and the need for substantial upgrades to power infrastruc-ture.Here,we introduce an integrated model to assess fast and ultrafast charging impacts for represen-tative charging stations in China,combining real-world charging patterns and detailed station optimization models.We find that larger stations with 12 or more chargers experience modest peak power increases of less than 30%when fast-charging power is doubled,primarily because shorter charg-ing sessions are less likely to overlap.For more typical stations(e.g.,8-9 chargers and 120 kW·charger^(−1)),upgrading chargers to 350-550 kW while allowing managed dynamic waiting strategies(of∼1 minute)can reduce overall charging times to∼9 minutes.At stations,deploying battery storage and/or expanding transformers can help manage future increases in station loads,yet the primary device cost of the former is∼4 times higher than that of the latter.Our results offer insights for charging infrastructure planning,EV-grid interactions,and associated policymaking.
文摘The ease of accessing a virtually unlimited pool of resources makes Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds an ideal platform for running data-intensive workflow applications comprising hundreds of computational tasks. However, executing scientific workflows in IaaS cloud environments poses significant challenges due to conflicting objectives, such as minimizing execution time (makespan) and reducing resource utilization costs. This study responds to the increasing need for efficient and adaptable optimization solutions in dynamic and complex environments, which are critical for meeting the evolving demands of modern users and applications. This study presents an innovative multi-objective approach for scheduling scientific workflows in IaaS cloud environments. The proposed algorithm, MOS-MWMC, aims to minimize total execution time (makespan) and resource utilization costs by leveraging key features of virtual machine instances, such as a high number of cores and fast local SSD storage. By integrating realistic simulations based on the WRENCH framework, the method effectively dimensions the cloud infrastructure and optimizes resource usage. Experimental results highlight the superiority of MOS-MWMC compared to benchmark algorithms HEFT and Max-Min. The Pareto fronts obtained for the CyberShake, Epigenomics, and Montage workflows demonstrate closer proximity to the optimal front, confirming the algorithm’s ability to balance conflicting objectives. This study contributes to optimizing scientific workflows in complex environments by providing solutions tailored to specific user needs while minimizing costs and execution times.
文摘With the increasingly serious environmental problems,the use of sustainable materials is particularly important.This study focuses on the greenhouse gas emissions and economic costs of wood over its life cycle as a sustainable resource.We use a systematic life cycle assessment(LCA)approach to assess the entire process from raw material collection,processing,use to disposal.The study found that using wood can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional building materials such as steel and concrete.In addition,although the initial procurement costs of wood may be higher,its maintenance costs are lower in the long run,making the life cycle costs generally more economical.The results of this study highlight the environmental and economic advantages of wood in the selection of sustainable building materials,and provide a scientific basis for promoting the use of wood.
文摘To study on the effect of clinical pathway （CP） on controlling pharmaceutical costs, we selected complex, chronic, non-communicable diseases, including cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, transient ischemic attack, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as diseases to implement clinical pathways at a tertiary hospital in Qingdao. We then conducted intermittent time series analysis on pharmaceutical costs. After the implementation of clinical pathway, overall pharmaceutical costs of patients with transient ischemic attack reduced significantly. The effect was not significant for cerebral hemorrhage patients. The implementation of clinical pathway has a desirable outcome on controlling pharmaceutical costs.
基金The National Key Technology R&D Program of China during the11th Five-Year Plan Period(No.2006BAH02A06).
文摘The collector managed inventory(CMI)management idea is introduced based on the comparison of manufacturer and third-party logistics(3PL)implementing vendor managed inventory(VMI)services.Considering recovery costs,the service pricing strategies for 3PL corporations implementing VMI are studied to meet two conditions of participation constraints and incentive-compatibility constraints.The numerical simulation results indicate that the supply chain partners' profits change after considering recovery costs,and the 3PL corporation's profits and the total profits increase first,and then decrease.The retailers' and manufacturers' profits also increase.The total profits of the supply chain have a characteristic of increasing first and then decreasing with the increase of the callback ratio of unsold products.The concrete extremum point is codetermined by price flexibility,service pricing of the 3PL corporation,callback price and callback ratio.
文摘Thucydides asserts that the occupation of Decelea by the Spartans in 413 BC made the grain supply for Athens costly by forcing the transport from land onto the sea.This calls into question the well-established consensus that sea transport was far cheaper than land transport.This paper contends that the cost of protecting supply lines-specifically the expenses associated with the warships which escorted the supply ships-rendered the grain transported on the new route exceptionally costly.In this paper,the benefits and drawbacks of a maritime economy,including transaction costs,trade dependencies,and the capabilities of warships and supply ships are discussed.
文摘The purpose of this paper is to approach the administrative costs in the field of education and to answer questions such as:How are administrative costs measured and evaluated?Is it taken into account in the analysis of policy options?Administrative costs affect all areas of public education and absorb a large part of the state budget appropriations intended for education.Through the presentation of the general and specific objectives but also the European participation in the rational management of the management costs of the educational units,we lead to a holistic approach to the operational costs of the education that is part of the social costs.
基金supported by State Grid Shanxi Electric Power Company Science and Technology Project“Research on key technologies of carbon tracking and carbon evaluation for new power system”(Grant:520530230005)。
文摘With the introduction of the“dual carbon”goal and the continuous promotion of low-carbon development,the integrated energy system(IES)has gradually become an effective way to save energy and reduce emissions.This study proposes a low-carbon economic optimization scheduling model for an IES that considers carbon trading costs.With the goal of minimizing the total operating cost of the IES and considering the transferable and curtailable characteristics of the electric and thermal flexible loads,an optimal scheduling model of the IES that considers the cost of carbon trading and flexible loads on the user side was established.The role of flexible loads in improving the economy of an energy system was investigated using examples,and the rationality and effectiveness of the study were verified through a comparative analysis of different scenarios.The results showed that the total cost of the system in different scenarios was reduced by 18.04%,9.1%,3.35%,and 7.03%,respectively,whereas the total carbon emissions of the system were reduced by 65.28%,20.63%,3.85%,and 18.03%,respectively,when the carbon trading cost and demand-side flexible electric and thermal load responses were considered simultaneously.Flexible electrical and thermal loads did not have the same impact on the system performance.In the analyzed case,the total cost and carbon emissions of the system when only the flexible electrical load response was considered were lower than those when only the flexible thermal load response was taken into account.Photovoltaics have an excess of carbon trading credits and can profit from selling them,whereas other devices have an excess of carbon trading and need to buy carbon credits.
基金supported by the Science and Technology Innovation Foundation of CNPC“Multiscale Flow Law and Flow Field Coupling Study of Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoir”(2016D-5007-0208)13th Five-Year National Major Project“Multistage Fracturing Effect and Production of Fuling Shale Gas HorizontalWell Law Analysis Research”(2016ZX05060-009).
文摘Drilling costs of ultra-deepwell is the significant part of development investment,and accurate prediction of drilling costs plays an important role in reasonable budgeting and overall control of development cost.In order to improve the prediction accuracy of ultra-deep well drilling costs,the item and the dominant factors of drilling costs in Tarim oilfield are analyzed.Then,those factors of drilling costs are separated into categorical variables and numerous variables.Finally,a BP neural networkmodel with drilling costs as the output is established,and hyper-parameters(initial weights and bias)of the BP neural network is optimized by genetic algorithm(GA).Through training and validation of themodel,a reliable prediction model of ultra-deep well drilling costs is achieved.The average relative error between prediction and actual values is 3.26%.Compared with other models,the root mean square error is reduced by 25.38%.The prediction results of the proposed model are reliable,and the model is efficient,which can provide supporting for the drilling costs control and budget planning of ultra-deep wells.
基金This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2017YFC1309401).
文摘Objective To determine the impact of smoking on disease-specific health care utilization and medical costs in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases(NCDs).Methods Participants were middle-aged and elderly adults with chronic NCDs from a prospective cohort in China.Logistic regressions and linear models were used to assess the relationship between tobacco smoking,health care utilization and medical costs.Results Totally,1020 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),3144 patients with coronary heart disease(CHD),and 1405 patients with diabetes were included in the analysis.Among patients with COPD,current smokers(β:0.030,95%CI:−0.032-0.092)and former smokers(β:0.072,95%CI:0.014-0.131)had 3.0%and 7.2%higher total medical costs than never smokers.Medical costs of patients who had smoked for 21-40 years(β:0.028,95%CI:−0.038-0.094)and≥41 years(β:0.053,95%CI:−0.004β0.110)were higher than those of never smokers.Patients who smoked≥21 cigarettes(β:0.145,95%CI:0.051-0.239)per day had more inpatient visits than never smokers.The association between smoking and health care utilization and medical costs in people with CHD group was similar to that in people with COPD;however,there were no significant associations in people with diabetes.Conclusion This study reveals that the impact of smoking on health care utilization and medical costs varies among patients with COPD,CHD,and diabetes.Tobacco control might be more effective at reducing the burden of disease for patients with COPD and CHD than for patients with diabetes.
基金Project (No. 056846) supported by the National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC)
文摘Electricity consumption increases rapidly with the rapid development of China. The environmental damage costs of electricity generation are very important for both policy analysis and the proper management of the environment. A method was developed in this work to estimate gross environmental damage costs according to emission inventory and environmental cost factors, and to extend the costs from provincial to national level with population density. In this paper, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10), and carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fired power plants over 6000 kW were selected as index pollutants to quantify the environmental costs of damages on human health and global warming. With the new developed method, environmental damage costs, caused by 3 types of fired power plants in 30 provinces and 6 economic sectors during the years 2000 to 2003, were evaluated and analyzed. It can be seen that the calculated total national environmental damage costs of electricity have rapidly increased from 94930.87×106 USD in 2000 to about 141041.39×106 USD in 2003, with an average annual growth rate of 14.11%. Environmental damage costs of SO2, NOx, PM10, and CO2 are 69475.69×106, 30079.29×106, 28931.84×106, and 12554.57×106 USD and account for 49.26%, 21.33%, 20.51%, and 8.90% of total environmental costs in fossil electricity generation, respectively. With regard to regional distribution, external costs caused by fossil electricity generation are mainly concentrated in the more populated and industrialized areas of China, i.e., the Eastern Central and Southeastern areas.
文摘Performance-based design in earthquake engineering is a structural optimization problem that has, as the objective, the determination of design parameters for the minimization of total costs, while at the same time satisfying minimum reliability levels for the specifi ed performance criteria. Total costs include those for construction and structural damage repairs, those associated with non-structural components and the social costs of economic losses, injuries and fatalities. This paper presents a general framework to approach this problem, using a numerical optimization strategy and incorporating the use of neural networks for the evaluation of dynamic responses and the reliability levels achieved for a given set of design parameters. The strategy is applied to an example of a three-story offi ce building. The results show the importance of considering the social costs, and the optimum failure probabilities when minimum reliability constraints are not taken into account.
文摘Background: Kidney (renal) diseases and dialysis are among the most costly disorders and represent a worldwide burden. In this study, we evaluate the medical costs for individuals with kidney diseases and risk factors for the diseases in Japan. Data and Methods: The dataset used contained 113,979 medical checkups and 3,172,066 medical cost records obtained from 48,022 individuals in one health insurance society. The sample period was April 2013 to March 2016. We evaluated the distribution of all medical costs, and those of kidney diseases specifically. Then the power transformation Tobit model was used to remove the effects of other variables. Finally, a probit analysis was used to analyze the risk factors. Results: In 0.25% of all cases, individuals were diagnosed with kidney diseases. An individual with kidney disease cost 14.5 times more than those without kidney disease. If the diseases progressed into chronic kidney disease (CKD), the medical costs increased substantially. Even disregarding various characteristics of individuals, this conclusion did not vary. We found important risk factors included diabetes and blood pressure problems. In particular, an individual with both factors had a high probability of developing kidney disease. Conclusion: Kidney diseases are much costlier than other diseases. Screening high-risk individuals, educating patients, and ensuring that treatment begins at an early stage are critically important to controlling medical costs. Limitations: The dataset was observatory, and the sample period was only 3 years.
文摘Background: The American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA) and other organizations announced a new hypertension guideline in November 2017. However, previous studies have pointed out that this new guideline might lack sufficient evidence to justify its use. Data and Methods: The effects of blood pressure (BP) on medical costs and on the probability of having heart disease as anamnesis are analyzed. We used a dataset containing 175,123 medical checkups and 6,312,125 receipts from 88,211 individuals obtained from three health insurance societies from April 2013 to March 2016. The dataset was divided into subgroups based on whether the patients had diabetes and took hypertension medications. The power transformation and probit models were used in the study. Results: We observed negative effects of systolic BP (SBP) on medical costs in most subgroups. We could not find evidence that higher SBP made the medical costs and probability of having heart diseases higher. The results raise uncertainty about the reliability of the new guideline, at least for SBP. Conclusion: The results of this study did not support the new 2017 ACC/AHA guideline, at least for SBP. The new guideline must be more carefully reevaluated by additional studies. Limitations: The dataset was observatory, the sample period was only 3 years, and we could not complete a time-series analysis of individuals.
