• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.305-324
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• 2015

In this study, two common types of laterally supported castellated beams are considered as design problems: beams with hexagonal openings and beams with circular openings. The main goal of manufacturing these beams is to increase the moment of inertia and section modulus, which results in greater strength and rigidity. These types of open-web beams have found widespread use, primarily in buildings, because of great savings in materials and construction costs. Hence, the minimum cost is taken as the design objective function and the Colliding Bodies Optimization (CBO) method is utilized for obtaining the solution of the design problem. The design methods used in this study are consistent with BS5950 Part 1 and Part 3, and Euro Code 3. A number of design examples are considered to optimize by CBO algorithm. Comparison of the optimal solution of the CBO algorithm with those of the Enhanced Charged System Search (ECSS) method demonstrate the capability of CBO in solving the present type of design problem. It is also observed that optimization results obtained by the CBO algorithm for three design examples have less cost in comparison to the results of the ECSS algorithm. From the results obtained in this paper, it can be concluded that the use of beam with hexagonal opening requires smaller amount of steel material and it is superior to the cellular beam from the cost point of view.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.517-527
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• 2021

While the two principles of lean manufacturing and time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) have been established out of multiple incentives and do not follow the same particular targets, there is substantial commonality between them. In these conditions, the supply management of a multi-product system needs a rigorous production model to minimize costs. In this sense, this paper proposes an interactive model with the consideration of optimizing product-mix decisions using both lean development tools and TDABC. This paper proposes a qualitative approach using the case study of the Iraqi state company for battery production. The suggested model decreased manufacturing time and costs, along with some substantial reduction in idle production capacity by 26 percent in 2019, based on the findings of the case study. On the other hand, the proposed model gives two side advantages: an efficient division of costs on goods due to the use of time spent as a cost factor for products and cost savings due to the introduction of the lean manufacturing approach that reduces all additional costs and increases product-mix decisions. Furthermore, the analytical data gathered here suggests that the incorporation of lean management concepts and TDABC has a strong and important influence on product-mix decisions.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.135-144
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• 2009

The primary focus of this study has been directed towards assessing the potential impact of construction method improvement on a reduction in project cost. A total of 90 actual application cases were collected from a public organization and private construction firms, and 32 cases were used in analysis by adopting a synthetic approach. The level of cost reduction was measured in terms of material and labor cost by comparing the existing method and the improved method. An analysis of the results indicates that project cost can be reduced by up to 5.26 percent compared to a normal project by adopting a synthetic approach. Additional benefits include the assurance of uniform quality, savings in terms of labor and/or materials, and improved productivity. The potential of the applicability of this approach to other types of buildings and the implications of research findings were discussed in detail.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.186-193
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• 2018

Background: The aim of our study was to review the findings of health insurance fraud investigations and to evaluate their impacts on medical costs for target and non-target organizations. An interrupted time series study design using generalized estimation equations was used to evaluate changes in cost following fraud investigations. Methods: We used National Health Insurance claims data from 2009 to 2015, which included 20,625 medical institutions (1,614 target organizations and 19,011 non-target organizations). Outcome variable included cost change after fraud investigation. Results: Following the initiation of fraud investigations, we found statistically significant reductions in cost level for target organizations (-1.40%, p<0.001). In addition, a reduction in cost trend change per month was found for both target organizations and non-target organizations after fraud investigation (target organizations, -0.33%; non-target organizations of same region, -0.19%; non-target organizations of other regions, -0.17%). Conclusion: This study suggested that fraud investigations are associated with cost reduction in target organization. We also found similar effects of fraud investigations on health expenditure for non-target organizations located in the same region and in different regions. Our finding suggests that fraud investigations are important in controlling the growth of health expenditure. To maximize the effects of fraud investigation on the growth of health expenditure, more organizations needed to be considered as target organizations.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.327-335
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• 2007

This study was to evaluate economic impact of a comprehensive pharmaceutical care intervention provided by community pharmacists on drug-related morbidity and mortality in the elderly population, in a societal perspective. Clinical outcomes of pharmaceutical care included compliance increase, inappropriate medication discontinuation, and subsequent drug-related morbidity and mortality reduction. Economic outcomes included cost savings from direct medical costs reduction such as medication and healthcare resource utilization. Input costs for pharmaceutical care included pharmacist time and computerized prescription review supporting program costs. Model parameters of outcomes were derived from published literatures, and costs were from literatures and health insurance statistical data in Korea. Annual costs and benefits were estimated in the year 2005. Current usual care and standardized pharmaceutical care required 0.3 and 2.0 hours per year respectively, for elderly outpatient using average 4.4 prescription drugs per visit and average annual frequency of 17.8 pharmacy visits. Comprehensive pharmaceutical care provided to overall elderly outpatients at community pharmacies would have cost of \74,994 mil. and benefit of \357,002 mil. per year. Benefit:cost ratio was 4.8:1 and net benefit was \282,008 mil/year. It was corresponded to net benefit of \73,816/year for individual elderly patient. In addition, pharmaceutical care was estimated to reduce 1,531 drug-related deaths/year. Conclusively this study, a first attempt in Korea to evaluate an economic value of pharmaceutical care at community pharmacies, proved that it was a cost-effective intervention having significant economic benefit.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2015

Objectives: Because recently hospital had to faced with financial hardship, we have to have more effective hospital management. The purpose of this study was to reduce loss costs of the hospital through the systematic management of medical supplies and increase operational efficiency. Methods: The team was composed of outpatient nursing staff, medical record administrator, nurses in medical insurance, medical computer center, dermatologists for this study. We surveyed for 114 people including outpatient nursing staff, nurse aids, medical assistant, physician assistant. Pre-survey period was 2013.03.11 ~ 03.30(2 weeks), and post-survey period was 2013.09.03 ~ 09.17(2 weeks). Result: We improved this way through the computational improvement, conservation campaigns, inventory management, staff training, replaced by low-cost medical supplies. The finding of this study were as follows: Comparing before and after the activity of outpatient nursing staff's degree of knowledge, performance, economic consciousness, the degree of knowledge, performance was increased, but there was no significant change in economic consciousness. Performance of Married person is higher than the unmarried, In addition, the high-position people were more the degree of knowleage, economic consciousness. After activity, correlation of goods and treatment, examinations is increasing, but statistically there was no mean. Conclusion: This study revealed that knowledge in a short period of activity, but also can improve, perform the same change in behavior is not easy. This one shows the intensive training required to sustained and systematic behavioral changes, such as changes in behavior, perform rituals to help the economy. Expensive medical supplies to replace a similar effect as the cost of materials just to have a lot of cost savings. Therefore, more medical supplies change is necessary to develop alternative treatment and cost cutting.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.73-81
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• 2024

In South Korea, NO_X emissions are a major concern, leading to acid rain and smog, harming both the atmosphere and human health, particularly in urban areas. This study seeks to determine the most advantageous pavement material for NO_X reduction in urban areas and assess whether photocatalytic pavement blocks, proven to reduce NO_X emissions, can serve as a viable alternative to conventional cement pavement blocks. To achieve this, a comparative life cycle cost (LCC) analysis was conducted between photocatalytic pavement blocks and conventional cement pavement blocks installed for their NO_X reduction capabilities. The cost-saving benefits of NO_X reduction were monetized for photocatalytic pavement blocks. The analysis period was based on the least common multiple of the replacement cycles of both pavement materials: 30 years. The results revealed that while photocatalytic pavement blocks initially produce higher installation costs than cement pavement blocks, they offer greater cost savings in terms of total cost and net present value due to their NO_X reduction effect over the life cycle. Additionally, the cost-saving effects of photocatalytic pavement blocks are even more pronounced because their replacement period is 5 years longer than that of cement pavement blocks. This study holds significance in performing an LCC analysis of the previously unanalyzed photocatalytic pavement blocks while also demonstrating their potential as substitutes for cement pavement blocks.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.407-419
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• 2024

Objectives: This study was conducted to measure financial toxicity (FT) among patients with cancer in Vietnam using the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) and to describe the cost management strategies employed by these patients. Methods: This comprehensive cross-sectional study enrolled 634 patients from 2 specialized oncology hospitals in Vietnam. Using COST cut-off scores, FT was classified as none/mild (≥26), moderate (14-25), or severe (≤13). Cost management strategies, or coping mechanisms, were classified into 4 groups: lifestyle changes, financial resource strategies, treatment modifications, and support seeking. Results: The prevalence of FT was 91.8%, with 51.7% of participants demonstrating severe and 40.1% exhibiting moderate FT. Severe FT was significantly associated with female, low education level, unstable employment, low household economic status, and advanced cancer stage. The most common coping strategies were as follows: among lifestyle changes, reducing spending on basic items and leisure activities (78.7%) and cutting back on essential household expenses (66.4%); among financial resource strategies, borrowing money from relatives or friends (49.1%) and withdrawing funds from retirement or savings accounts (34.1%); within treatment modifications, switching treatment facilities or doctors due to cost concerns (9.3%); and within support seeking, obtaining help from welfare or community organizations (18.8%). All strategies were significantly more likely to be used by patients with severe FT. Conclusions: FT was highly prevalent among patients with cancer. Most patients relied on lifestyle adjustments and coping strategies, underscoring the need for improved financial support systems to alleviate the economic burden associated with cancer care.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.311-335
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• 2024

This work aims to show a model to estimate the minimum cost (Thickness and area of steel in X and Y directions) for design a circular isolated footing with eccentric column that considers that the surface in contact with the ground works partially under compression. The formulation is shown by integration to find the moments, the bending shears and the punching shear using the pressure volume under the footing. Some researchers show the minimum cost design for circular isolated footings for an eccentric column assuming that the contact area works completely in compression, others consider the contact surface with the ground working partially in compression for a column in the center of the base. Three numerical examples are developed to obtain the complete design, which are: Example 1 for a column in the center of the base,Example 2 for a column at a distance of 1.50 m from the center of the base in the X direction, Example 3 for a column at a distance of 1.50 m from the center of the base in both directions. Also, a comparison of the new model against the model proposed by other authors is presented. The comparison shows that the new model generates a great saving of up to 43.74% for minimum area and 48.44% for minimum cost design in a column located in the center of the base, and when the column is located at a distance of radius/2 starting from the center of the base in the X direction generates great savings of up to 45.24% for minimum area and 31.80% for minimum cost design. Therefore, it is advisable to use the model presented in this study.

• Journal of Applied Tourism Food and Beverage Management and Research
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• v.8
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• pp.89-121
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• 1997

Many of the measures and policies advocated by supply-siders, such as lower taxation, less government intervention, more freedom from restrictive legislation and regulation, and the need for increased productivity can be found in writing the classical economist. Nor is supply-side economics a complete divorcement from Keynesian analysis. In both camps the objectives are the same-high level employment, stable prices and healthy economic growth, the means or suggestions for attaining the objectives, however, differ. Consequently, recommended economic policies and measures are different. keynesians rely primarily on the manipulation of effective demand to increase output and employment and to combat inflation. They assume ample resources to be available in order that supply will respond to demand. The supply-siders emphasize the need to increase savings, investment, productivity and output as a means of increasing income. Supply-siders assume that the increase in income will lead to an increase in effective demand. Keynesians suggest that savings, particularly those not invested, dampen economic activity. Supply-siders hold that savings, or at least an increase in after-tax income, stimulates work effort and provides funds for investment. Perhaps keynesians are guilty of assuming that most savings are not going to be invested, whereas supply-siders may erroneously assume that almost all savings will flow into investment and/ or stimulate work effort. In reality, a middle ground is possible. The supply-siders stress the need to increase supply, but Keynes did not preclude the possibility of increasing economic activity by working through the supply side. According to Keynes' aggregate demand-aggregate supply framework, a decrease in supply will increase output and employment. It must be remembered, however, that Keynes' aggregate supply is really a price. Lowering the price or cost of supply would there by result in higher profit and/ or higher output. This coincides with the viewpoint of supply-siders who want to lower the cost of production via various means for the purpose of increasing supply. Then, too, some of the means, such as tax cuts, tax credits and accelerated depreciation, recommended by suply-siders to increase productivity and output would be favored by Keynesians also as a means of increasing investment, curbing costs, and increasing effective demand. In fact, these very measures were used in the early 1960s in the United State during the years when nagging unemployment was plaguing the economy. Keynesians disagree with the supply-siders' proposals to reduce transfer payments and slow down the process of income redistribution, except in full employment inflationary periods. Keynesians likewise disagree with tax measures that favored business as opposed to individuals and the notion of shifting the base of personal taxation away from income and toward spending. A frequent criticism levied at supply-side economics is that it lacks adequate models and thus far has not been quantified to any great extent. But, it should be remembered that Keynesian economics originally was lacking in models and based on a number of unproved assumptions, such as, the stability of the consumption function with its declining marginal propensity to consume. Just as the economic catastrophe of the great depression of the 1930s paved the way for the application of Keynesian or demand-side policies, perhaps the frustrating and restless conditions of the 1970s and 1980s is an open invitation for the application of supply-side policies. If so, the 1980s and 1990s may prove to be the testing era for the supply-side theories. By the end of 1990s we should have better supply-side models and know much more about the effectiveness of supply-side policies. By that time, also, supply-side thinking may be more crystallized and we will learn whether it is something temporary that will fade away, be widely accepted as the new economics replacing Keynesian demand analysis, or something to be continued but melded or fused with demand management.