• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.8-15
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• 2016

Cost planning practices in the construction industry worldwide has gained much popularity in recent times due to economic recession and stringent measures that various procurement laws prescribe in most developed and developing countries. Nevertheless, these practices in developing countries such as Ghana are constrained with the existence of critical barriers that render them non-effective and hence, accounting for the numerous abandonment of both private and public projects. Consequently, this study was enunciated with the aim to examine the critical barriers to the practice of effective cost planning in the Ghanaian construction industry. Through an in-depth literature review and a pilot survey, questionnaires were designed and administered to quantity surveyors. Data generated from the field survey was subjected to principal component analysis. The findings of the study revealed weak cost planning knowledge base, poor cost databases and understanding, inadequate designs and planning and external conditions are the major barriers to cost planning practices in the Ghanaian construction industry. The need for this study cannot be doubted since it provides an insight for experts in the construction industry on the barriers of the practice of cost planning in the industry. The awareness of these barriers will therefore facilitate efficient and effective efforts to resolve them. A future study is thereby proposed by this study to explore effective cost planning practices in the Ghanaian construction industry that will ensure private and public stakeholders get value for their money invested.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.199-212
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to analyze the cost-effectiveness analysis on on-line and off-line extra-curricula education(ECE). Based on a review of relevant literature, on-line ECE is defined as internet based learning, and off-line ECE is defined as on-site learning out of school such as private cram schools and private tutoring. The results of this study are as follows: First, sixty nine percent of the subjects were received ECE. Off-line ECE is more dominant than on-line ECE. Second, cost for off-line ECE is more expensive than on-line ECE. Third, off-line ECE is more effective than on-line ECE, when cost is ignored. Fourth, on-line ECE is more cost-effective than off-line ECE.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers A
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.431-439
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• 2001

This Paper illustrates a new numerical analysis method using a nodal effective load model for nodal probabilistic production cost simulation of the load point in a composite power system. The new effective load model includes capacities and uncertainties of generators as well as transmission lines. The CMELDC(composite power system effective load duration curve) based on the new effective load model at HLll(Hierarchical Level H) has been developed also. The CMELDC can be obtained from convolution integral processing of the outage capacity probabilistic distribution function of the fictitious generator and the original load duration curve given at the load point. It is expected that the new model for the CMELDC proposed in this study will provide some solutions to many problems based on nodal and decentralized operation and control of an electric power systems under competition environment in future. The CMELDC based on the new model at HLll will extend the application areas of nodal probabilistic production cost simulation, outage cost assessment and reliability evaluation etc. at load points. The characteristics and effectiveness of this new model are illustrated by a case study of MRBTS(Modified Roy Billinton Test System).

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.589-596
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• 2011

Terminal market has rapidly crashed and market rates have taken a sharp plunge. The substantial throughput decrease resulted from the world economic downturn has been a finishing blow to the terminal operators in Busan. Every terminal operator is taking cost saving as its first priority and accelerating structural reform and downsizing. Under the desperate situation, the need of effective cost analysis would be highly required to effectively control operation cost and to develop new services to satisfy the different needs of the customers. Furthermore, terminal operators could reduce unnecessary activities and concentrate their resource on the more cost-effective process through the operation cost analysis. In order to suggest a new framework of the cost control of container terminals, this paper seeks to analyze terminal costs based on ABC approach by processing actual data.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6177-6180
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• 2014

Background: Our study objectives were to evaluate the medical economics of cervical cancer prevention and thereby contribute to cancer care policy decisions in Japan. Methods: Model creation: we created presence-absence models for prevention by designating human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for primary prevention of cervical cancer. Cost classification and cost estimates: we divided the costs of cancer care into seven categories (prevention, mass-screening, curative treatment, palliative care, indirect, non-medical, and psychosocial cost) and estimated costs for each model. Cost-benefit analyses: we performed cost-benefit analyses for Japan as a whole. Results: HPV vaccination was estimated to cost $291.5 million, cervical cancer screening $76.0 million and curative treatment $12.0 million. The loss due to death was $251.0 million and the net benefit was -$128.5 million (negative). Conclusion: Cervical cancer prevention was not found to be cost-effective in Japan. While few cost-benefit analyses have been reported in the field of cancer care, these would be essential for Japanese policy determination.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.417-424
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• 2009

For a construction project to progress smoothly, effective cost estimation is vital, particularly in the conceptual and schematic design stages. In these early phases, despite the fact that initial estimates are highly sensitive to changes in project scope, owners require accurate forecasts which reflect their supplying information. Thus, cost estimators need effective estimation strategies. Practically, parametric cost estimates are the most commonly used method in these initial phases, which utilizes historical cost data (Karshenas 1984, Kirkham 2007). Hence, compilation of historical data regarding appropriate cost variance governing parameters is a prime requirement. However, precedent practice of data mining (data preprocessing) for denoising internal errors or abnormal values is needed before compilation. As an effort to deal with this issue, this research proposed a statistical methodology for data preprocessing and verified that data preprocessing has a positive impact on the enhancement of estimate accuracy and stability. Moreover, Statistically Preprocessed data Based Parametric (SPBP) cost models are developed based on multiple regression equations and verified their effectiveness compared with conventional cost models.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.132-141
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• 2008

This research was conducted in order to present the strategies of implementing the logistics information system for effective logistics cost management with the case study of a leading global company. The strategy for effective logistics information system can be derived from the 3 different viewpoints, Firstly the effective global logistics management can be insured by means of the efforts of the reinforced total organization. Secondly from the process-oriented perspective, we should recognize the logistics process as the core factor of the competitive strategy and innovate the logistics process itself for the logistics cost reduction. Finally, the logistics cost will be effectively managed through establishing its logistics information strategy which maximizes the utilization of the information technologies. The case study of 'A' electronics company shows that its logistics management system provides the company with various visibilities about its logistics cost and the direct and indirect benefits over billions of wons per year as well. Therefore we can conclude that the research model provided in this research is validated. This study presents the concrete implementation strategies of the logistics information system and verifies the validity of the strategies by means of the case study of a leading company.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2006

As has been expected, economic factors are a major consideration in almost every decision in building design process. Assuming that improving a lighting system, existing or proposed, will reduce operating cost, what preliminary economic guidelines can be established to determine whether any proposed investment appears cost effective? In such a case a reasonable technique to compare system costs is by life-cycle costing. Stated simply, a life-cycle cost represents the total cost of a system over its entire life cycle, that is, the sum of first cost and all future costs. This paper aims to exemplify the benefit of daylighting in term of economic consideration. Four different electric lighting system designs are proposed and a lighting control system that is continuously operating according to the level of daylight in the space has been adapted. The accumulated performance of electric and daylighting is figured out to declare the effective depth of daylight in the space. The analysis on the saving amount of lighting energy due to daylight has been undertaken in answer to the question, that is, several projects are being considered, which is the most desirable from the cost-effectiveness viewpoint. The result shows clearly that although denser layout of lighting fixtures might be more effective to interface to the level of daylight ceaselessly changeable, its economic benefit may not meet the expected criterion the reason of increased initial investment and maintenance cost for the fixtures and control hardware.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.305-312
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• 1999

This study is intended to propose a systematic and practical life cycle cost(LCC) model for the development of the reliability-based seismic safety and cost-effective performance criteria for design and upgrading of long-span PC bridges. The LCC models consist of five cost functions such as initial cost, repair/replacement cost, human losses, road user cost, and indirect losses of regional economy. The proposed model Is successfully expressed in temrs of Park-Ang damage indices and life cycle damage probability obtained from SMART-DRAIN-2DX which is an existing algorithm for nonlinear time history analysis. The proposed LCC model is successfully applied to a viaduct constructed by PSM, in Seoul. Based on the observations, the proposed systematic procedure for the formulation of LCC model may be useful for the development of the reliability-based seismic safety and cost-effective performance criteria for design and upgrading of long-span PC bridges.

• Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
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• v.67
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• pp.132-139
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• 2018

A cost-effective preparation method is proposed to prepare nanoporous alumina (NA) using aluminum chloride as a precursor with a lower cost than aluminum butoxide. In addition, the surfactant template was replaced with magnesium stearate, which has a lower unit cost in stearate acid. The adsorption isotherm test for the CO gas was carried out to compare the adsorption performance of the NA adsorbents prepared using post-hydrolysis (NA) and cost-effective precipitation (C-NA). In addition, C-NA exhibited a similar uptake capacity as NA, and the maximum uptake capacity of Pd/C-NA increased 1.3 times via Pd nanodots loading.