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Savings
Kinds of Savings Terms modified by Savings Selected AbstractsSAVINGS IN THE ABSENCE OF FUNCTIONING PROPERTY RIGHTS1ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2007Nick Silver Nigeria is a prime example of a developing country with ill-defined property rights. However, people still manage to save, mostly through traditional and informal means, facilitated by strong family and community institutions. This paper argues that the government should concentrate on strengthening these institutions rather than weakening them by imposing an inappropriate, Western-style, formal pensions system on the country. [source] HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND LIFE CYCLE SAVINGS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 3 2007KAM KI TANG This paper studies investment in health and human capital in a life cycle model. Health investment enhances survival to old age by improving health from its endowed level. The model predicts two distinctive phases of development. When income is low enough, the economy has no health investment and little savings, leading to slow growth. When income grows, health investment will become positive and the saving rate will rise, leading to higher life expectancy and faster growth. A health subsidy can move the economy from the first phase to the next. Subsidies on health and human capital investments can improve welfare. (JEL I00, J10, H50, O10) [source] CHOICES AND RETIREMENT SAVINGS: SOME PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON SUPERANNUATION FUND MEMBER DECISIONSECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 3 2001MARILYN CLARK-MURPHY First page of article [source] Windfall and Socially Distributed Willpower: The Psychocultural Dynamics of Rotating Savings and Credit Associations in a Bengkulu VillageETHOS, Issue 1-2 2002Assistant Professor Daniel M. T. Fessler Rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) occur in myriad forms around the world. ROSCAs promote saving and make capital available. However, psychocultural factors distinct from monetary concern make both the existence of ROSCAs possible and participation in them attractive. This article analyzes the arisan, a ROSCA in Bengkulu, Sumatra. Psychocultural factors that inhibit mobility and prevent cheating make the arisan feasible. The arisan is popular because, through a process of socially distributed willpower congruent with familiar mechanisms of behavior regulation, it aids individuals in overcoming a weak ability to defer gratification. The arisan also allows individuals to sidestep prescribed sharing by exploiting the same values of reciprocity. Part of the arisan's appeal lies in its ability to create rewarding experiences by evoking both the culturally marked event of obtaining a windfall and the related thrill of gambling. This analysis demonstrates that economic behavior must be understood in the context of the culturally patterned motives that shape action. [source] Potential Savings from an Evidence-Based Consumer-Oriented Public Education Campaign on Prescription DrugsHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 5p1 2008Julie M. Donohue Objective. To estimate potential savings associated with the Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs program, a national educational program that provides consumers with price and effectiveness information on prescription drugs. Data Sources. National data on 2006 prescription sales and retail prices paid for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), ,-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-coA) reductase inhibitors (statins). Study Design. We converted national data on aggregate unit sales of drugs in the four classes to defined daily doses (DDD) and estimated a range of potential savings from generic and therapeutic substitution. Principal Findings. We estimated that $2.76 billion, or 7.83 percent of sales, could be saved if use of the drugs recommended by the educational program was increased. The recommended drugs' prices were 15,65 percent lower per DDD than their therapeutic alternatives. The majority (57.4 percent) of potential savings would be achieved through therapeutic substitution. Conclusions. Substantial savings can be achieved through greater use of comparatively effective and lower cost drugs recommended by a national consumer education program. However, barriers to dissemination of consumer-oriented drug information must be addressed before savings can be realized. [source] Investment Decisions for Retirement SavingsJOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2010HAZEL BATEMAN We conducted a choice experiment to investigate whether retirement savers follow simple portfolio theory when choosing investments. We modeled experimental survey data on 693 participants using a scale-adjusted version of the latent class choice model. Results show that underlying variability in response was explained by age and "risk profile" score and that preferences varied with income and age. Younger individuals were conventionally risk averse, but older, higher-income individuals may react positively to both higher returns and increasing risk, when risk is presented as widening ranges of possible outcomes. Respondents tended to choose among a few similar investment options. [source] A Framework for Promoting Retirement SavingsJOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2008JOSH WIENER This article identifies the constructs that influence an individual's intention to save for retirement and discusses how and when these factors can be changed by an agent trying to induce an individual to enroll in a retirement plan, increase his or her contribution to a plan, or purchase a particular retirement product. A broad array of psychological theories is used to develop a series of persuasive communications that can encourage a person to save. In addition, the persuasive communication approach is placed in the broader context of all efforts used to promote retirement savings. [source] Comments on "A New Method to Optimize Furnace Designs Using Daily Flow Rates to Maximize Energy Savings in the Steady Production"JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 6 2010Manoj K. Choudhary No abstract is available for this article. [source] Reply to the Comments on "A New Method to Optimize Furnace Designs Using Daily Flow Rates to Maximize Energy Savings in the Steady Production"JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 6 2010Shimin Liu No abstract is available for this article. [source] Regimes of Interest Rates, Income Shares, Savings and Investment: A Kaleckian Model and Empirical Estimations for some Advanced OECD EconomiesMETROECONOMICA, Issue 4 2003Eckhard Hein ABSTRACT The first part of the paper deals with the effects of an exogenous variation in the monetary interest rate on the real equilibrium position of the economic system in a Kaleckian effective demand model. Different regimes of accumulation are derived and it is shown that a negative relation between the interest rate and the equilibrium rates of capacity utilization, accumulation and profit usually expected in post-Keynesian theory only exists under special conditions. In the second part the model is applied to the data of some major OECD countries, the relevant coefficients are estimated and the relevance for an explanation of the course of GDP and capital stock growth since the early 1960s is discussed. [source] Latest news and product developmentsPRESCRIBER, Issue 5 2007Article first published online: 16 MAY 200 OFT wants PPRS reform The Office of Fair Trading (www.oft.gov.uk) says reform of the Pharmaceutical Price Regulatory Scheme (PPRS) would allow the NHS to re- invest £500 million in drugs it needs. Its investigation of the 50- year-old PPRS concludes that the scheme does not reflect the therapeutic value of drugs and, while providing a financial safety net for the industry, it mitigates against innovation. The OFT believes drugs should be priced according to their therapeutic value based on their cost effectiveness. Analyses would be fast- tracked for new drugs or, if there are insufficient data, a risk-sharing scheme should be adopted. The ABPI insists that its medicines offer the NHS value for money and believes the OFT's proposal for drug- by-drug pricing would delay access to new medicines. Switching saves money and is problem free Switching to cheaper alternatives within a drug class does not affect the quality of care and offers substantial savings, say UK researchers (Int J Clin Pract 2007;61:15-23). They switched selected patients from atorvastatin (Lipitor) to simvastatin and from losartan (Cozaar) to candesartan (Amias). Exclusion criteria included previous unsuccessful use, poor control of lipids or blood pressure, contraindications and potential drug interactions. In 70 patients switched to simvastatin, there was no change in mean total cholesterol after four months; one patient reverted to atorvastatin due to adverse effects. Of 115 switched to candesartan, seven reverted to losartan; in the remainder, blood pressure was slightly reduced after four months. The switch was not associated with adverse effects. Savings for the year 2005/06 were estimated at £12 716 for statins and £13 374 for antihypertensive drugs. Scotland gets donepezil for mild to moderate AD The Scottish Medicines Consortium (www.scottish medicines.org.uk) has approved the use of orodispersible donepezil (Aricept Evess) for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease in NHS Scotland. The decision conflicts with NICE advice that the drug is not appropriate for patients with mild disease. The SMC has not approved rimonabant (Acomplia) as adjunctive treatment for obese patients. Adherence threatens anticoagulation Patients find it difficult to adhere to anticoagulant treatment ,significantly impairing the quality of anticoagulation, US investigators have shown (Arch Intern Med 2007;167:229-35). Using electronic containers to monitor dose adherence over 32 weeks in 136 patients, they found that 92 per cent opened the container at least once too often or too little and one-third missed 20 per cent of scheduled openings. Patients with less than 20 per cent adherence were twice as likely to be undercoagulated compared with adherent patients. Those with overadherence were overcoagulated. Hypo risk greatest with glibenclamide Glibenclamide is associated with a significantly greater risk of hypoglycaemic events than other secretagogues, a new systematic review has concluded (Diabetes Care 2007;30:389-94). The review of 21 randomised trials found that the risk of experiencing at least one hypoglycaemic event was 52 per cent greater with glibenclamide compared with other secretagogues and 83 per cent greater than with other sulphonylureas. In three comparative trials with insulin, there was no significant difference in the risk of hypoglycaemia (though this could not be excluded) but only insulin was associated with weight gain. Glibenclamide was not associated with significantly increased risks of cardiovascular events, weight gain or death. Few major hypoglycaemic events were reported in these trials. Drug groups implicated in ADR admissions Four classes of drugs account for half of hospital admissions for adverse reactions, according to a new systematic review (Br J Clin Pharmacol 2007;63:136-47). Antiplatelet agents (16 per cent of admissions), diuretics (16 per cent), NSAIDs (11 per cent) and anticoagulants (8 per cent) were implicated in drug- related admissions according to a review of nine studies. Analysis of five studies also showed that adherence problems were associated with one-third of drug-related admissions. The authors suggest that focussing resources in these areas could substantially reduce admissions. Value of pharmacist MUR questioned Pharmacist medicines use review (MUR) for older patients does not reduce hospital readmission and is not cost effective by current standards, according to a study from Norfolk (Pharmacoeconomics 2007;25:171-80). A total of 872 patients aged over 80 who had been admitted as an emergency and discharged taking two or more drugs were randomised to MUR by a pharmacist or usual care. The pharmacist visited twice, providing education, removing out-of-date drugs and checking for adverse effects, interactions and the need for compliance aids. After six months, the admissions rate was not reduced among patients who received MUR and quality of life was not significantly improved. The estimated cost per QALY gained was £54 454 , above the conventional threshold for cost effectiveness of £30 000. MHRA review of LABAs The MHRA has clarified which aspects of long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) are being addressed in its current review. This full review of salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol, following advice issued in December last year, will consider recent research, whether the two agents differ significantly, dose-response relationships, the effect of concurrent treatment with inhaled steroid and how they are used in practice. Manufacturers have been asked to provide data by the end of March. Interventions for weight gain in schizophrenia There is not enough evidence to support the use of drugs to reduce weight gain associated with schizophrenia, a new Cochrane review has found (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD005148. DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD005148.pub2). Noting a lack of adequate trials, the review found that cognitive/behavioural interventions effectively prevented weight gain by a mean of 3.4kg and reduced established weight gain by a mean of 1.7kg. Drugs prevented weight gain by about 1.2kg. Switching anti-TNFs An analysis of a UK rheumatoid arthritis (RA) registry has shown that patients who stop treatment with their first anti-TNF agent should be switched to a second (Arthr Rheum 2007;56:13-20). Every UK patient with RA who receives an anti-TNF agent is included in the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register. Analysis of this database identified 6739 patients who started treatment, of whom 841 stopped within 15 months due to lack of efficacy and 1023 due to toxicity. Of these, 503 and 353 respectively were switched to another anti- TNF agent. Overall, 73 per cent of patients remained on their second drug by the end of follow-up, but patients were two to three times more likely to stop their second treatment for the same reason they discontinued their first. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Interface Ltd [source] Savings from integrating administrative systems for social assistance programmes in RussiaPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2003L. Jerome Gallagher Russian local governments now have primary responsibility for the administration of social assistance programmes thanks to a combination of decentralization of some responsibilities from higher levels of government and the transfer of certain administrative functions from state enterprises to municipalities. Over the past few years, there has also been a distinct shift to means-testing of social assistance. This article reports on the results of a pilot project undertaken to improve the efficiency of programme administration conducted in the city of Arzamas (pop. 110,000). The municipal administration promotes it as a programme to ease client burden and improve access to benefits. Specifically, the pilot introduced a unified application form for all the major social assistance programmes in the city and required, regardless of how many programmes are applied for, that applicants visit only one office and supply one set of documents verifying their eligibility for assistance. Benefit processing is also consolidated. Staff efficiency improvements are substantial: under the one-window system, 127 benefits are processed per month per staff member, while 85 benefits were processed per month per staff member under the old administrative system. Impressive time savings for clients were also observed: the statistically average client saves between 1.3 and 2.4 hours, depending on the degree to which a client was able to coordinate documentation collection and trips to the benefit agencies under the old system. The total potential time saved by clients as a result of the one-window reforms is between 4100 and 7600 person hours per month. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] How Useful Is the Genuine Savings Rate as a Sustainability Indicator for Regions within Countries?THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 4 2005Australia, Queensland Compared This article shows how macroeconomic indicators of sustainable development can be applied to the Queensland economy. While recognising the complex and contentious theoretical and practical issues in deriving the Genuine Savings Rate (GSR) to serve as such an indicator, we use the World Bank's methodology, which includes only mineral depletion, deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions as environmental terms, to estimate GSRs for Queensland for the period 1989 to 1999, and compare these to World Bank estimates of Australia's GSR for the same period. We find that Queensland has a higher rate of natural resource depletion and a lower GSR than the whole of Australia. We also examine how well the World Bank GSR performs as a ,headline' measure of overall sustainability, review criticisms of the GSR, and compare its implicit policy implications with those of net state savings, and of the GSR plus a suite of other indicators. [source] Retirement Incomes: Private Savings versus Social TransfersTHE MANCHESTER SCHOOL, Issue 5 2000John Creedy It has long been known, from the work of Samuelson and Aaron, that if (approximately) the sum of the population and real earnings growth rates exceeds the real interest rate, all individuals can be made better off by using a pay-as-you-go pension scheme. The basic overlapping generations model that is typically used to examine such intergenerational transfers makes no allowance for labour supply responses to taxes and transfers, and so cannot be used to examine optimal tax and pension levels. The present paper allows for labour supply effects, whereby a tax imposed to finance current pensions introduces distortions to labour supply and a reduction in the tax base. The optimal proportional tax rate, and therefore the optimal combination of private savings and social transfers, is derived in terms of the time preference rate, the taste for leisure, real interest and productivity and population growth rates. It is found that the condition under which the optimal tax is positive is the same as the Samuelson,Aaron condition. A crucial ingredient in obtaining this result is an assumption that pension levels are adjusted in line with the growth of wage rates rather than, for example, being held constant in real terms. This in turn is found to imply that earnings grow at the same rate as the wage, so long as preferences are such that leisure can be expressed as a proportion of full income. [source] The Z/I Imaging Digital Camera SystemTHE PHOTOGRAMMETRIC RECORD, Issue 96 2000A. Hinz Market needs for airborne and spaceborne imagery used in photogrammetry and GIS applications are changing. Fundamental changes in sensors, platforms and applications are currently taking place. Most recently, new high resolution spaceborne sensors have become available. Besides classical photogrammetry, new thematic applications will drive the future image market. Savings in cost and time, together with the need for higher and reproducible radiometric resolution or spectral information will push forward the change from analogue to digital imagery. High resolution satellites will compete with airborne film-based photography and digital camera systems. With the availability of a digital airborne camera, it is possible to completely close the digital chain from image acquisition to exploitation and data distribution. The key decision regarding the camera design in this case is whether a linear or area array sensor should be used. In view of the high geometric accuracy requirements in photogrammetry, Z/I Imaging has focused development on a digital camera based on an area sensor. An essential aspect of this decision was not only the aerial camera system, but also the entire photogrammetric process to the finished photographic or mapping product. If this point of view is adopted, it becomes clear that the development of a digital camera involves more than simply exchanging film for silicon. Aspects such as data transfer rates, in-flight data processing and storage, image archiving, georeferencing, colour fusion, calibration and preprocessing have the same influence on the economic assessment of a digital camera system. This paper describes current development activities and application aspects of a digital modular airborne camera system. [source] Costs of accessing surgical specialists by rural and remote residentsANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 9 2001Sarah L. Rankin Introduction: Access to surgical specialist services by rural and remote residents in Australia is limited. Little information is available on the cost to rural residents of accessing specialist treatment. The aim of the present study was to define the personal costs incurred by country patients in Western Australia when accessing specialist surgical services in a rural or metropolitan setting. Methods: A random sample of 50 patients who attended a visiting rural surgical service between December 1998 and February 1999 inclusive was recruited. In a structured telephone interview patients were asked 40 non-clinical questions relating to their recent specialist consultation. The cost of accessing these services was determined from time lost from work, distance and travel expenses. The same formula was then applied to estimate the cost of attending a base metropolitan hospital. The need for an accompanying person was determined from a subset of 16 patients who had transferred to metropolitan specialist consultation in the previous 12 months. Average waiting list times for consultations and common surgical procedures for the visiting service were compared with those for a metropolitan-based service. Results: An estimated saving of AU$1077 was made per specialist consultation when accessing a local rather than a metropolitan service. Savings were observed in travel time, distance travelled, lost income, provision of an escort and waiting time. Conclusion: The present study shows that the personal costs and difficulties incurred by rural and remote residents when accessing specialist treatment can be reduced if a visiting specialist service is available. [source] Savings and technology choice for risk averse farmersAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2002Donna Brennan Farmers in developing countries have limited opportunities for borrowing to even out variability associated with risky farm income, but they can save. A dynamic programming model of savings is presented in the current paper which examines optimal savings strategies for farmers, using a case study of integrated rice,shrimp farms in Vietnam. It is shown that when savings are accounted for, the expected utility ranking of different risky farm choices may not differ that much between farmers with different levels of risk aversion. [source] Tax,preferred savings accounts and marginal tax rates: evidence on RRSP participationCANADIAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2002Kevin Milligan The effect of taxes on participation in Registered Retirement Savings Plans between 1982 and 1996 is studied. Interprovincial changes in the tax structure over this period provide identifying variation. Using this variation, I find that taxes influence households' participation decisions, but more weakly than previously estimated. A 10 percentage point increase in the marginal tax rate is estimated to increase the probability of participation by 8 per cent. This explains only 5.1 per cent of the trend in participation. I also find suggestive evidence that the carryforward mechanism may be used as an instrument for tax base smoothing. JEL Classification: H24 Comptes d'épargne fiscalement privilégiés et taux marginaux d'imposition : résultats sur la participation aux régimes enregistrés d'épargne retraite (REER). Ce mémoire étudie les effets du régime d'imposition sur la participation aux régimes enregistrés d'épargne retraite (REER) entre 1982 et 1996. Les changements dans la structure d'imposition d'une province à l'autre au cours de la période fournissent un éventail de possibilités. Utilisant cet éventail, l'auteur découvre que le régime fiscal influence les décisions de participer des ménages, mais plus faiblement qu'on l'avait estimé précédemment. Un accroissement de 10 pour cent dans le taux marginal d'imposition accroît la probabilité de participation de 8 pour cent. Voilà qui explique seulement 5,1 pour cent de la tendance dans la participation. L'auteur découvre aussi que le mécanisme de report dans le temps de la portion inutilisée de la contribution aux REER peut être utilisé comme instrument de lissage de la base de revenus imposables. [source] LazyBrush: Flexible Painting Tool for Hand-drawn CartoonsCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 2 2009Daniel Sýkora Abstract In this paper we present LazyBrush, a novel interactive tool for painting hand-made cartoon drawings and animations. Its key advantage is simplicity and flexibility. As opposed to previous custom tailored approaches [SBv05, QWH06] LazyBrush does not rely on style specific features such as homogenous regions or pattern continuity yet still offers comparable or even less manual effort for a broad class of drawing styles. In addition to this, it is not sensitive to imprecise placement of color strokes which makes painting less tedious and brings significant time savings in the context cartoon animation. LazyBrush originally stems from requirements analysis carried out with professional ink-and-paint illustrators who established a list of useful features for an ideal painting tool. We incorporate this list into an optimization framework leading to a variant of Potts energy with several interesting theoretical properties. We show how to minimize it efficiently and demonstrate its usefulness in various practical scenarios including the ink-and-paint production pipeline. [source] Mobile Construction Supply Chain Management Using PDA and Bar CodesCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2005H. Ping Tserng However, extending the construction project control system to job sites is not considered efficient because using notebooks in a harsh environment like a construction site is not particularly a conventional practice. Meanwhile, paper-based documents of the site processes are ineffective and cannot get the quick response from the office and project control center. Integrating promising information technologies such as personal digital assistants (PDA), bar code scanning, and data entry mechanisms, can be extremely useful in improving the effectiveness and convenience of information flow in construction supply chain control systems. Bar code scanning is appropriate for several construction applications, providing cost savings through increased speed and accuracy of data entry. This article demonstrates the effectiveness of a bar-code-enabled PDA application, called the mobile construction supply chain management (M-ConSCM) System, that responds efficiently and enhances the information flow between offices and sites in a construction supply chain environment. The advantage of the M-ConSCM system lies not only in improving the efficiency of work for on-site engineers, but also providing the Kanban-like visual control system for project participants to control the whole project. Moreover, this article presents a generic system architecture and its implementation. [source] Concepts for computer center power managementCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 2 2010A. DiRienzo Abstract Electrical power usage contributes significantly to the operational costs of large computer systems. At the Hypersonic Missile Technology Research and Operations Center (HMT-ROC) our system usage patterns provide a significant opportunity to reduce operating costs since there are a small number of dedicated users. The relatively predictable nature of our usage patterns allows for the scheduling of computational resource availability. We take advantage of this predictability to shut down systems during periods of low usage to reduce power consumption. With interconnected computer cluster systems, reducing the number of online nodes is more than a simple matter of throwing the power switch on a portion of the cluster. The paper discusses these issues and an approach for power reduction strategies for a computational system with a heterogeneous system mix that includes a large (1560-node) Apple Xserve PowerPC supercluster. In practice, the average load on computer systems may be much less than the peak load although the infrastructure supporting the operation of large computer systems in a computer or data center must still be designed with the peak loads in mind. Given that a significant portion of the time, systems loads can be less than full peak, an opportunity exists for cost savings if idle systems can be dynamically throttled back, slept, or shut off entirely. The paper describes two separate strategies that meet the requirements for both power conservation and system availability at HMT-ROC. The first approach, for legacy systems, is not much more than a brute force approach to power management which we call Time-Driven System Management (TDSM). The second approach, which we call Dynamic-Loading System Management (DLSM), is applicable to more current systems with ,Wake-on-LAN' capability and takes a more granular approach to the management of system resources. The paper details the rule sets that we have developed and implemented in the two approaches to system power management and discusses some results with these approaches. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] BENEFITS AND COSTS OF INTENSIVE FOSTER CARE SERVICES: THE CASEY FAMILY PROGRAMS COMPARED TO STATE SERVICESCONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 3 2009RICHARD O. ZERBE The foster care system attempts to prepare children and youth who have suffered child maltreatment for successful adult lives. This study documents the economic advantages of a privately funded foster care program that provided longer term, more intensive, and more expensive services compared to public programs. The study found significant differences in major adult educational, health, and social outcomes between children placed in the private program and those placed in public programs operated by Oregon and Washington. For the outcomes for which we could find financial data, the estimated present value of the enhanced foster care services exceeded their extra costs. Generalizing to the roughly 100,000 adolescents age 12-17 entering foster care each year, if all of them were to receive the private model of services, the savings for a single cohort of these children could be about $6.3 billion in 2007 dollars. (JEL D61, H75) [source] Local authorities, climate change and small and medium enterprises: identifying effective policy instruments to reduce energy use and carbon emissionsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Jaryn Bradford Abstract This paper discusses potential policy options available to local and municipal authorities, to achieve reductions in energy usage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Researchers conducted surveys with 112 SMEs, and the results have been used to disaggregate the category of ,SME' into sub-sectors based on industrial sector, two measurements of employee size and annual turnover. A statistical analysis identifies key characteristics and behaviours of the sub-sectors of firms and discusses the type of policy measure these groups of SMEs would probably respond to. The key results of the research indicate that categories of firms differ in terms of energy use behaviours, internal constraints and attitudes toward possible policy options. The paper presents a ,policy matrix' to represent the most and least likely policy options to achieve energy savings from different categories of SMEs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Corporate social responsibility in Asian supply chainsCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2006Richard Welford Abstract This research provides an overview of CSR practices in Asia, evaluates the usefulness of codes of conduct, reviews the benefits of CSR in supply chains and reviews obstacles for companies wishing to adopt good CSR practices. In order to achieve this, interviews were undertaken with CSR managers, factory managers and other experts, conducted in confidence and anonymously. Codes of conduct and associated inspections and audits are common practice but in most cases flawed. Labour issues and the rights of workers are generally seen as the most important aspect of CSR in the region. Benefits of CSR include risk reduction, staff recruitment and retention, cost savings and building good relationships with stakeholders. Obstacles include a lack of resources and skills, a lack of awareness of stakeholders' demands and inefficient production techniques. It is noted that larger firms are more able to overcome such obstacles, with clear adverse implications for smaller companies. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Performance of the Panleucogating protocol for CD4+ T cell enumeration in an HIV dedicated laboratory facility in Barbados,,CYTOMETRY, Issue S1 2008Namrata Sippy-Chatrani Abstract Objective: To compare the Panleucogating (PLG) protocol with the routinely used four-color protocol for CD4+ T cell count enumeration. Design and Methods: One hundred fifty-three blood samples were randomly selected from samples received at the National HIV Laboratory for routine immunological monitoring. Samples were prepared using Coulter CYTO-STAT® tetraCHROME monoclonal antibodies and FlowCAREÔ PLG CD4 reagent for four-color and PLG, respectively, and analyzed on the Beckman Coulter EPICS XL flow cytometer. The PLG protocol used a sequential gating strategy where CD4+ T cells were identified using side scatter properties of cells and CD45 staining. The four-color protocol used CD45 and CD3 to identify CD4+ T cells. Results: Absolute CD4+ T cell counts and percentages ranged from 4 to 1,285 cells/,L and 0.9 to 46.7%, respectively. Linear regression analyses revealed good correlation of PLG with the four-color protocol (absolute counts, R2 = 0.95; percentages, R2 = 0.98) over the entire range including the clinically relevant range. Bland Altman statistics revealed no bias for CD4 counts <500 cells/,L and a slight underestimation by PLG for counts >500 cells/,L (Bias = ,32.7 cells/,L; 95% agreement limits = ,151.3, +86.0). CD4+ T cell percentages were the similar over the entire range (Bias = 0.6%; 95% agreement limits = ,1.97 ± 3.18). Conclusions: PLG is an accurate method for enumerating CD4+ T cells and has resulted in major cost savings to the Government of Barbados. This has implications for the sustainability of the National HIV containment program in Barbados and the other resource limited Caribbean countries. The PLG technique is now being routinely used in Barbados. © 2008 Clinical Cytometry Society [source] The Impact of Forecast Errors on Early Order Commitment in a Supply Chain,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 2 2002Xiande Zhao ABSTRACT Supply chain partnership involves mutual commitments among participating firms. One example is early order commitment, wherein a retailer commits to purchase a fixed-order quantity and delivery time from a supplier before the real need takes place. This paper explores the value of practicing early order commitment in the supply chain. We investigate the complex interactions between early order commitment and forecast errors by simulating a supply chain with one capacitated supplier and multiple retailers under demand uncertainty. We found that practicing early order commitment can generate significant savings in the supply chain, but the benefits are only valid within a range of order commitment periods. Different components of forecast errors have different cost implications to the supplier and the retailers. The presence of trend in the demand increases the total supply chain cost, but makes early order commitment more appealing. The more retailers sharing the same supplier, the more valuable for the supply chain to practice early order commitment. Except in cases where little capacity cushion is available, our findings are relatively consistent in the environments where cost structure, number of retailers, capacity utilization, and capacity policy are varied. [source] The Value of Production Schedule Integration in Supply ChainsDECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2001Lee Krajewski Abstract This study explores the value of integrated production schedules for reducing the negative effects of schedule revisions in supply chains involving buyer and supplier firms. A stochastic cost model is developed to evaluate the total supply chain cost with integrated purchasing and scheduling policies. The model minimizes the costs associated with assembly rate adjustment, safety stock, and schedule changes for all supply chain members. Through experimentation, the paper examines the impact of several environmental factors on the value of schedule integration. This study finds that schedule integration can lead to overall cost savings in a supply chain, but some firms may have to absorb costs in excess of those they would incur with independent scheduling. Environments with high inventory holding costs and long supplier lead times may not find it beneficial to adopt an integrated schedule. Forecast effectiveness plays a critical role in realizing the benefits of schedule integration. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research. [source] Sterile Versus Nonsterile Gloves During Mohs Micrographic Surgery: Infection Rate is not AffectedDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 2 2006BRANDON M. RHINEHART MC BACKGROUND: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is an outpatient procedure, which has become the treatment of choice for certain cutaneous malignancies. Although the major steps in this procedure are relatively standardized, one difference involves the use of sterile or nonsterile, clean gloves during the tumor removal phase. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective, chart review study was performed to evaluate whether infection rates are affected by the use of sterile versus nonsterile gloves in the tumor extirpation phase of MMS. METHODS: This study evaluated the surgical records of 1,810 consecutive Mohs patients, of which 1,239 Mohs patients (1,400 Mohs procedures) met inclusion criteria. Age, sex, tumor diagnosis, anatomic location, number of Mohs stages, area of defect, closure type, cartilage exposure, and sterile versus nonsterile glove use were recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty-five infections were identified. Statistically significant infection rates were discovered for patients with cartilage fenestration with secondary healing and malignant melanoma diagnosis only. There was no statistical difference in infection rates with all other measured variables to include the use of sterile or clean, nonsterile gloves. CONCLUSION: Our study lends support that clean, nonsterile gloves are safe and effective for use in the tumor extirpation phase of MMS, at a significant cost savings. [source] Strengthening Public Safety Nets from the Bottom UpDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 5 2002Jonathan Morduch Helping to reduce vulnerability poses a new set of challenges for public policy. A starting point is understanding the ways in which communities and extended families try to cope with difficulties in the absence of public interventions. Coping mechanisms range from the informal exchange of transfers and loans to more structured institutions that enable an entire community to provide protection to its neediest members. This article describes ways of building public safety nets to complement and extend informal and private institutions. The most effective policies will combine transfer systems that are sensitive to existing mechanisms with new institutions for providing insurance and credit and for generating savings. [source] Blood Cultures Do Not Change Management in Hospitalized Patients with Community-acquired PneumoniaACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2006Prasanthi Ramanujam MD Objectives: To determine if blood cultures identify organisms that are not appropriately treated with initial empiric antibiotics in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia, and to calculate the costs of blood cultures and cost savings realized by changing to narrower-spectrum antibiotics based on the results. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in an urban academic emergency department (ED). Patients with an ED and final diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia admitted between January 1, 2001, and August 30, 2003, were eligible when the results of at least one set of blood cultures obtained in the ED were available. Exclusion criteria included documented human immunodeficiency virus infection, immunosuppressive illness, chronic renal failure, chronic corticosteroid therapy, documented hospitalization within seven days before ED visit, transfer from another hospital, nursing home residency, and suspected aspiration pneumonia. The cost of blood cultures in all patients was calculated. The cost of the antibiotic regimens administered was compared with narrower-spectrum and less expensive alternatives based on the results. Results: A total of 480 patients were eligible, and 191 were excluded. Thirteen (4.5%) of the 289 enrolled patients had true bacteremia; the organisms isolated were sensitive to the empiric antibiotics initially administered in all 13 cases (100%; 95% confidence interval = 75% to 100%). Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae were isolated in 11 and two patients, respectively. The potential savings of changing the antibiotic regimens to narrower-spectrum alternatives was only 170. Conclusions: Appropriate empiric antibiotics were administered in all bacteremic patients. Antibiotic regimens were rarely changed based on blood culture results, and the potential savings from changes were minimal. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||