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Cost Efficient (cost + efficient)
Selected AbstractsThe Cost Efficiency of Wild Dog Conservation in South AfricaCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005P. A. LINDSEY crianza de especies cinegéticas; financiamiento de donantes; Lycaon pictus; metapoblación; reintroducción Abstract:,Aside from Kruger National Park, no other suitable reserves of sufficient size exist in South Africa that will hold a viable population of wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). Consequently, conservation efforts have been focused on creating a metapopulation through a series of wild dog reintroductions into isolated fenced reserves. Additional potential exists for conserving wild dogs on private ranch land. Establishing the metapopulation was an expensive process, accounting for approximately 75% of the US$380,000 spent on wild dog conservation in South Africa during 1997-2001. The principal goal of the metapopulation project was to reduce the risk of catastrophic population decline. Now that this has been achieved, we developed a uniform cost-efficiency index to estimate the cost efficiency of current and potential future conservation strategies in South Africa. Conserving wild dogs in large protected areas was predicted to be the most cost-efficient conservation strategy (449 packs/$100,000 expenditure). Establishing the metapopulation has been less cost efficient (23 packs/$100,000), and expansion of the metapopulation was predicted to be even less cost efficient if predation by wild dogs results in additional costs, as is to be expected if private reserves are used for reintroductions (3-13 packs/$100,000). Because of low logistical costs, conserving wild dogs in situ on private ranch land was potentially more cost efficient than reintroducing wild dogs (14-27 packs/$100,000). We recommend that donor funding be used to reintroduce wild dogs into transfrontier parks, when they are established, to maintain the existing metapopulation and to establish conservation programs involving wild dogs on private ranch land. Investing in the expansion of the metapopulation should be limited to state-owned nature reserves willing to carry predation costs without compensation. Resumen:,Además del Parque Nacional Kruger, en África del Sur no existen otras reservas de suficiente tamaño como para mantener una población viable de perros salvajes (Lycaon pictus). En consecuencia, los esfuerzos de conservación se han enfocado en la creación de una metapoblación por medio de una serie de reintroducciones en pequeñas reservas cercadas. Hay un potencial adicional para la conservación de perros salvajes en terrenos privados. El establecimiento de la metapoblación fue un proceso costoso, ,75% de US $380,000 que fueron gastados en la conservación de perros salvajes entre 1997 y 2001 en África del Sur. La meta principal del proyecto de metapoblación fue la reducción del riesgo de una declinación catastrófica de la población. Ya que esto se ha logrado, desarrollamos un índice de rentabilidad uniforme para estimar la rentabilidad de las actuales y potenciales estrategias de conservación en África del Sur. Se predijo que la estrategia de conservación de más rentable (449manadas/$100,000 de gasto) era la conservación de perros salvajes en áreas protegidas grandes. El establecimiento de la metapoblación ha sido menos rentable (23 manadas/$100,000), y se predijo que la expansión de la metapoblación sería aun menos rentable si la depredación por perros salvajes resulta en costos adicionales, como se esperaría si se utilizan reservas privadas para las reintroducciones (3-13 manadas/$100,000). Debido a los bajos costos de logística, la conservación de perros salvajes in situ en terrenos privados fue potencialmente más rentable que reintroducir a los perros salvajes (14-27 manadas/$100,000). Recomendamos que el financiamiento de donantes sea utilizado para reintroducir perros salvajes en parque transfronterizos, cuando sean establecidos, para mantener a la metapoblación existente y para establecer programas de conservación que involucren a perros salvajes en terrenos privados. La inversión en la expansión de la metapoblación deberá limitarse a reservas naturales propiedad del estado que estén dispuestas a absorber los costos de la depredación sin ser compensadas. [source] Carbon Long Fiber Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites , Parameter Studies and Numerical Simulations of the Infiltration Process,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 7 2010Heiko Ballmes Within this work, the development of a cost efficient and reliable production technique for infiltrating carbon fibers with aluminum using a conventional cold chamber die casting machine is reported. Results are presented that demonstrate the large potential of pressure die casting as a low cost manufacturing process for carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composites. The influence of process parameters on the infiltration behaviour is investigated and compared to results gained by numerical simulation. [source] Debt Schedules of Tax-Exempt Bonds Using NICFINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 5 2001Bryan Stanhouse Municipal bonds are a large proportion of the total number of securities offered every year. The volume outstanding is more than that of all federal agency debt. It is important that the issuance procedure be as cost efficient as possible. This research develops a model to minimize the net interest cost of a municipal bond issue. Net interest cost remains a highly popular award criteria. The model incorporates the level and shape of the yield curve, the schedule of revenue to be received, and the segmented nature of the municipal market. [source] The economic burden of depression and the cost-effectiveness of treatmentINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003Philip S. Wang Abstract Cost-of-illness research has shown that depression is associated with an enormous economic burden, in the order of tens of billions of dollars each year in the US alone. The largest component of this economic burden derives from lost work productivity due to depression. A large body of literature indicates that the causes of the economic burden of depression, including impaired work performance, would respond both to improvement in depressive symptomatology and to standard treatments for depression. Despite this, the economic burden of depression persists, partly because of the widespread underuse and poor quality use of otherwise efficacious and tolerable depression treatments. Recent effectiveness studies conducted in primary care have shown that a variety of models, which enhance care of depression through aggressive outreach and improved quality of treatments, are highly effective in clinical terms and in some cases on work performance outcomes as well. Economic analyses accompanying these effectiveness studies have also shown that these quality improvement interventions are cost efficient. Unfortunately, widespread uptake of these enhanced treatment programmes for depression has not occurred in primary care due to barriers at the level of primary care physicians, healthcare systems, and purchasers of healthcare. Further research is needed to overcome these barriers to providing high-quality care for depression and to ultimately reduce the enormous adverse economic impact of depression disorders. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Cost Efficiency in South Asian Banking: The Impact of Bank Size, State Ownership and Stock Exchange Listings,INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF FINANCE, Issue 1-2 2007SHRIMAL PERERA ABSTRACT This study examines the cost efficiency performance of 111 commercial banks in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka over 1997,2004. The primary focus is to assess whether bank size, state ownership and stock exchange listing have significant effects on South Asian banks' efficiency performance. To this end, a translog-form composite-error cost efficiency model, which allows for exogenous environmental influences, is estimated. The results indicate that the overall efficiency of South Asian banks declined over 1997,2004. Larger banks and banks with widespread ownership through stock exchange listings were found to be relatively more cost efficient. In contrast, state-owned banks were less efficient. [source] Assessing patient category/dependence systems for determining the nurse/patient ratio in ICU and HDU: a review of approachesJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2004PG Dip., Renee Adomat BA (Hons) Background, A huge range of patient classification systems/tools are used in critical care units to inform workforce planning, however, they are not always applied appropriately. Many of these systems/tools were not originally developed for the purposes of workforce planning and so their use in determining the nurse:patient ratio required in critical care settings raises a number of issues for the organisation and management of these services. Aim, The aim of this paper is to review the three main assessment systems that are commonly used in critical care settings in the UK and evaluate their effectiveness in accurately determining nurse : patient ratios. If the application of these systems/tools is to enhance care, a thorough understanding of their origins and purpose is necessary. If this is lacking, then decisions relating to workload planning, particularly when calculating nurse : patient ratios, may be flawed. Conclusions, Patient dependency/classification systems and patient dependency scoring systems for severity of illness are robust measures for predicting morbidity and mortality. However, they are not accurate if used to calculate nurse : patient ratios because they are not designed to measure nursing input. Nursing intensity measures provide a useful framework for calculating the cost of providing a nursing service in critical care and can serve as a measure of nursing input, albeit a fairly basic one. However, many components of the nursing role are not ,accounted' for in these measures. Implications, The implications of these findings for the organization and management of critical care services are discussed. Careful consideration of these areas is vital if a cost efficient and cost-effective critical care service is to be delivered. [source] IMPACT OF FREEZING TEMPERATURE ON QUALITY OF FARMED ATLANTIC COD (GADUS MORHUA L.)JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 4 2007TURID MØRKØRE ABSTRACT This study evaluates the impact of freezing temperature (,10,,25,,40,,55 or,70C) on thaw exudates, liquid leakage during freeze-chilling, appearance, gaping and mechanical properties of farmed Atlantic cod fillets. Freezing temperature significantly influenced each of the characteristics studied. High temperatures (,10 and,25C) gave increased thaw exudates, and freezing at,10C gave the highest liquid leakage during freeze-chilling. Fillets frozen at,10C had the lowest gaping and the whitest appearance. The results indicated the highest degree of toughening upon freezing at,10 or,55C, whereas the degree of toughening appeared to be similar and lower for fillets frozen at,25,,40 or,70C. The impact of freezing temperatures on the quality of farmed cod therefore appeared to be complex, but no overall beneficial effects were found by decreasing the freezing temperature below,40C. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS For the fish processing industry, it is important to define optimal freezing and frozen storage regimes that are cost efficient and at the same time preserve the fresh fillet quality. Farmed cod differ from their wild counterparts by having lower water content, lower muscle pH and thicker fillets. Hence, industrial guidelines for wild cod may not be transferable to farmed cod. This study showed no beneficial effects by decreasing the freezing temperature below ,40C. Freezing and frozen storage are usually separated commercially. Results from the present study give valuable contribution to future studies aiming at defining optimal combination of freezing and frozen storage temperatures for farmed Atlantic cod. [source] Strategic Positioning and the Financing of Nonprofit Organizations: Is Efficiency Rewarded in the Contributions Marketplace?PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 3 2001Peter Frumkin This article addresses the question of whether operational efficiency is recognized and rewarded by the private funders that support nonprofit organizations in fields ranging from education to social service to arts and beyond. Looking at the administrative efficiency and fundraising results of a large sample of nonprofit organizations over an 11-year period, we find that nonprofits that position themselves as cost efficient,reporting low administrative to total expense ratios,fared no better over time than less efficient appearing organizations in the market for individual, foundation, and corporate contributions. From this analysis, we suggest that economizing may not always be the best strategy in the nonprofit sector. [source] Promoting free online CME for intimate partner violence: What works at what cost?THE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 3 2009John M. Harris Jr. MD, MBA President Abstract Introduction: There is a need to provide practicing physicians with training on the recognition and management of intimate partner violence (IPV). Online continuing medical education (CME) could help meet this need, but there is little information on the costs and effectiveness of promoting online CME to physicians. This lack of information may discourage IPV training efforts and the use of online CME in general. Methods: We promoted an interactive, multimedia, online IPV CME program, which offered free CME credit, to 92 000 California physicians for 24 months. We collected data on user satisfaction, the costs of different promotional strategies, and self-reported user referral source. We evaluated California physician awareness of the promotion via telephone surveys. Results: Over 2 years, the CME program was used by 1869 California physicians (2% of market), who rated the program's overall quality highly (4.52 on a 1,5 scale; 5 = excellent). The average promotional cost per physician user was $75. Direct mail was the most effective strategy, costing $143 each for 821 users. E-promotion via search engine advertising and e-mail solicitation had less reach, but was more cost efficient ($30,$80 per user). Strategies with no direct cost, such as notices in professional newsletters, accounted for 31% (578) of physician users. Phone surveys found that 24% of California physicians were aware of the online IPV CME program after 18 months of promotion. Discussion: Promoting online CME, even well-received free CME, to busy community physicians requires resources, in this case at least $75 per physician reached. The effective use of promotional resources needs to be considered when developing social marketing strategies to improve community physician practices. Organizations with an interest in promoting online training might consider the use of e-promotion techniques along with conventional promotion strategies. [source] Enhancement of throughput and fairness in 4G wireless access systems by non-orthogonal signalingBELL LABS TECHNICAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009Joerg Schaepperle Besides having significantly enhanced throughput, fourth generation (4G) cellular wireless access systems are expected to be cost efficient and provide sufficient performance even at the cell edge. This paper proposes a new method, called radial space-division multiple access (RDMA) for improving the system's spectral efficiency significantly and providing fairness among users without increasing the number of antennas and without requiring fast backbone communication and synchronization between base stations. The basic idea is to approach the capacity of the multi-user channel under fairness constraints by exploiting not only the angular dimension of space, as in space-division multiple access (SDMA), but also the radial dimension. Non-orthogonal signaling for simultaneous transmission of multiple signals over the same radio resource and joint detection in the receiver are used. Significant throughput gains are achieved with low complexity methods requiring only long term channel statistics and no instantaneous channel state information at the transmitter. Detailed link and first simple systemlevel simulation results in the context of the evolution of IEEE 802.16/Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems towards 802.16m show that system throughput can be doubled without requiring more advanced analog hardware or increasing bandwidth or transmit power. © 2009 Alcatel-Lucent. [source] Cost Efficiency for Alberta and Ontario Dairy Farms: An Interregional ComparisonCANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2-3 2005Getu Hailu In this study, two non-homothetic translog stochastic meta-frontier cost functions,with and without local concavity imposed,are estimated using a nonlinear maximum likelihood estimation procedure to compare the cost efficiency of Alberta and Ontario dairy farms for the period 1984,96. The resulting cost efficiency estimates are not very sensitive to whether or not curvature is imposed. In contrast, the properties of the cost and input demand functions (e.g., elasticities) are sensitive to imposition of local concavity during estimation. The implication is that if an inappropriate model that does not satisfy the properties required by the economic theory is used, the estimated input demand functions may not be reliable. Average cost efficiency for the pooled sample, with local concavity imposed, is approximately 89%. This suggests some potential for improved performance in the sector. The results also suggest that Ontario dairy farms may be more cost efficient than Alberta dairy farms, but the statistical evidence is inconclusive. Dans la présente étude, nous avons estimé deux fonctions de coût métafrontières, stochastiques, non homothétiques de forme translogarithmique, avec et sans la concavité locale imposée, à l'aide de la procédure d'estimation du maximum de vraisemblance non linéaire pour comparer l'efficacité-coût des exploitations laitières de l'Alberta et de l'Ontario au cours de la période 1984,96. Les estimations des indices d'efficacité-coût ne sont pas très sensibles à l'imposition ou non de la concavité. En revanche, les propriétés des fonctions de coût et de demande d'intrants (ex. élasticités) sont sensibles à l'imposition de la concavité locale. La conséquence est que si on utilise un modèle incorrect qui ne respecte pas les propriétés requises par la théorie économique, les fonctions estimées de demande d'intrants peuvent ne pas être fiables. L'efficacité-coût moyen de l'échantillon total, avec la concavité locale imposée, est d'environ 89%. Ces résultats laissent supposer que certaines améliorations sont possibles dans le secteur. Ils laissent également supposer que les exploitations laitières de l'Ontario sont plus efficaces par rapport aux coûts que celles de l'Alberta, mais ces résultats ne sont pas statistiquement concluants. [source] | |||||||||||||