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Nanoparticles improve traditional Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods but face instability issues. Surface modification resolves these, making it vital to understand its impact on EOR effectiveness. This paper examines how surface-modified nanoparticles can increase oil recovery rates. We discuss post-synthesis modifications like chemical functionalization, surfactant and polymer coatings, surface etching, and oxidation, and during-synthesis modifications like core-shell formation, in-situ ligand exchange, and surface passivation. Oil displacement studies show surface-engineered nanoparticles outperform conventional EOR methods. Coatings or functionalizations alter nanoparticle size by 1-5 nm, ensuring colloidal stability for 7 to 30 days at 25 to 65 °C and 30,000 to 150,000 ppm NaCl. This stability ensures uniform distribution and enhanced penetration through low-permeability (1-10 md) rocks, improving oil recovery by 5 to 50 %. Enhanced recovery is achieved through 1-25 µm oil-in-water emulsions, increased viscosity by ≥30 %, wettability changes from 170° to <10°, and interfacial tension reductions of up to 95 %. Surface oxidation is suitable for carbon-based nanoparticles in high-permeability (≥500 md) reservoirs, leading to 80 % oil recovery in micromodel studies. Surface etching is efficient for all nanoparticle types, and combining it with chemical functionalization enhances resistance to harsh conditions (≥40,000 ppm salinity and ≥ 50 °C). Modifying nanoparticle surfaces with a silane coupling agent before using polymers and surfactants improves EOR parameters and reduces polymer thermal degradation (e.g., only 10 % viscosity decrease after 90 days). Economically, 500 ppm of nanoparticles requires 56.25 kg in a 112,500 m3 reservoir, averaging $200/kg, and 2000 ppm of surface modifiers require 4 kg at $3.39/kg. This results in 188,694.30 barrels, or $16,039,015.50 at $85 per barrel for a 20 % increase in oil recovery. The economic benefits justify the initial costs, highlighting the importance of cost-effective nanoparticles for EOR applications.

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The global transition towards clean and sustainable energy sources has led to an increasing interest in green hydrogen production. The present work focuses on the development and assessment of a solar-assisted green hydrogen production system. The basic objective of this work is to investigate the influence of solar radiation to drive the electrolysis process for green hydrogen production. The system design includes photovoltaic solar panel to capture solar radiation and convert it into electrical energy. This energy is further utilized to operate an electrolyzer with zinc electrodes that facilitates the water-splitting reaction resulting in the production of hydrogen gas. The solar panel outputs along with global radiation and other relevant climatic conditions are monitored. The hydrogen production is analyzed at three different voltages, i.e., 11 V, 12 V, and 13 V. After 60 min of operations, the maximum amount of hydrogen (2952 mL) is produced at 13 V. The fabricated electrolyzer has been found suitable and economically feasible.

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With the growing global concerns regarding sustainable development in the building and construction industries, concentration only on the engineering properties of building materials can no longer meet the requirements. Although some studies have been implemented based on the lifecycle assessment of lightweight cement-based materials, very few attempts have been made pertaining to multi-criteria optimization, especially when fly ash cenospheres are used as lightweight aggregates and nano additives are incorporated as modifying admixtures. This investigation utilized cenospheres as fine aggregates to produce green, sustainable, lightweight cement mortar. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes at 0.05, 0.15, and 0.45% were binarily added, together with 0.2, 0.6, and 1.0% of nano silica to improve the mechanical performance. Strength tests were conducted to measure the flexural and compressive behaviors, combined with a cradle-to-gate lifecycle assessment and direct cost analysis to assess the environmental and economic viability. Integrated indexes and the TOPSIS method were adopted to systematically evaluate the mortar mixes and determine the optimal mix. The outcomes show that nano additives worked synergically to enhance the mechanical properties of the mortars. The utilization of cenospheres effectively reduced environmental impacts and improved economic feasibility. Nano additives significantly affected the sustainability and economic viability; in particular, the utilization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes increased the material costs. To minimize the impact of the price of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, it is proposed to binarily use less expensive nano silica. In the multi-parameter optimization, the mix with 0.05% multi-walled carbon nanotubes and 0.02% nano silica was recommended to be the optimal mix.

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Objective: To conduct an economic cost analysis and budget impact assessment (BIA) of implementing the Frailty Care Bundle (FCB) intervention nationally over five-years for hip fracture patients. The FCB was designed to reduce hospital associated decline in older hospitalised patients. Methods: The FCB was delivered in two Irish hospitals on two wards per hospital. A micro level cost analysis, from the Irish health service perspective was undertaken. Direct costs of the FCB were considered (personnel, training, resources), expressed in Euros (2020). For the BIA national population estimates for hip fracture and costs avoided were based on 18% difference in patients returning to their baseline capability in the post compared to pre-intervention group, valued using cost estimates of functional decline. Results: We estimated total intervention costs at €53,619 (89% for personnel) and the average cost per patient was €156.03. The expected costs of implementing the FCB nationally over 12-months was €57,274 per hospital (€72.92 per patient). The BIA for an expected targeted population (16,000 over 5 years), estimated that the cost of implementing the FCB (€1.2m) was less than the expected value of functional decline avoided owing to the intervention (€3.6m), suggesting a positive net effect (€2.4m). Conclusion: Investment in the FCB can be offset with more rapid patient return to baseline functional capability, reducing health care costs. Trial and Protocol Registration (retrospective): BMC ISRCTN 15145850, (https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15145850).

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Attracting and sustaining investment in Veterinary Services and animal health programmes from national government budgets, development aid and grants, and philanthropic donors requires economic rationale using relevant, reliable and validated analytical approaches. The complex interwoven relationships between animal health, livestock husbandry systems, national food security, global health security and environmental sustainability emphasise the importance of improving data governance and stewardship and applying economic analysis to understand animal disease burdens. These efforts should enable prioritised investment of limited resources and effective monitoring of the impact of programmes over time. Data governance and stewardship capacities are fundamental to development, implementation and performance monitoring of evidence-based policies in animal health. There are challenges in data availability for national and subnational livestock populations in different sectors, for disease incidence and prevalence, and for animal health expenditure in support of optimised allocation of scarce resources, be they finance, land, labour, or management attention and policy focus. Animal health data systems governance and stewardship and economic analysis are core skills for Veterinary Services in developing and applying evidence-based policy, but capability probably varies among World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Members. The WOAH Performance of Veterinary Services programme has several critical competencies that are relevant to economics of animal health and to data governance and stewardship, but these have not yet been targeted for coordinated capacity development. Implementation of publicâ€"private partnership approaches for animal health programmes creates increasing expectations of robust data and methods for prioritisation, options analysis, and assessing impacts and costs. Experience and examples from national systems in New Zealand, Australia, Ethiopia and Indonesia illustrate current challenges associated with prioritisation of animal health programmes using economic analysis. The Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme intends to support WOAH Members and partners to develop capacities for and standardise approaches to economic analysis and prioritisation in animal health programmes.

Les investissements dans les Services vétérinaires et dans les programmes de santé animale à partir des budgets publics nationaux, des aides et subventions au développement et des fonds alloués par des donateurs philanthropiques peuvent être encouragés et pérennisés au moyen d'une argumentation économique solide fondée sur des méthodes analytiques pertinentes, fiables et validées. La complexité et l'imbrication des relations entre la santé animale, les systèmes d'élevage, la sécurité de l'approvisionnement alimentaire à l'échelle nationale, la sécurité sanitaire mondiale et la durabilité environnementale imposent d'améliorer la gouvernance et la gestion des données et de recourir à des analyses économiques pour mieux comprendre l'impact des maladies animales. Ces efforts devraient permettre de définir les investissements prioritaires dans un contexte de ressources limitées et d'assurer un suivi efficace de l'impact des programmes dans le temps. L'existence de capacités de gouvernance et de gestion des données est donc une condition essentielle pour concevoir et mettre en oeuvre des politiques de santé animale fondées sur des données factuelles et pour suivre leurs performances. Les données disponibles sur les populations d'animaux d'élevage des différentes filières aux niveaux national ou infranational, sur l'incidence et la prévalence des maladies ou sur les dépenses de santé animale sont parfois insuffisantes pour étayer une utilisation optimale de ressources limitées, qu'il s'agisse de moyens financiers, des terres, de la main-d'oeuvre, voire des efforts de gestion ou de la volonté politique. La gouvernance et la gestion des systèmes de données de santé animale et la conduite d'analyses économiques sont des compétences cruciales des Services vétérinaires, que ceux-ci mobilisent pour concevoir et mettre en oeuvre des politiques fondées sur des données factuelles ; il est néanmoins peu probable que ces capacités soient d'un niveau homogène parmi tous les Membres de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé animale (OMSA). Le Processus d'évaluation de la Performance des Services vétérinaires mis en place par l'OMSA définit un certain nombre de compétences critiques dans le domaine de l'économie de la santé animale et de la gouvernance et gestion des données, mais ces compétences n'ont pas encore été intégrées dans un effort coordonné de renforcement des capacités. Les stratégies consistant à confier la mise en oeuvre de programmes de santé animale à des partenariats public-privé suscitent des besoins accrus en données et en méthodes robustes pour l'établissement des priorités, l'analyse des options et l'évaluation des impacts et des coûts. Les auteurs mentionnent les expériences et exemples de systèmes nationaux en Nouvelle-Zélande, en Australie, en Ethiopie et en Indonésie pour illustrer les enjeux actuels liés à l'utilisation des analyses économiques pour définir les priorités des programmes de santé animale. Le programme " Impact mondial des maladies animales " vise à aider les Membres et les partenaires de l'OMSA à renforcer leurs capacités dans le domaine de l'analyse économique et de la définition des priorités des programmes de santé animale et à normaliser leurs approches en la matière.

Para atraer y mantener las inversiones en los Servicios Veterinarios y los programas de sanidad animal procedentes de los presupuestos de los gobiernos nacionales, la ayuda para el desarrollo y las subvenciones, así como de donantes filántropos, se requiere un razonamiento económico en el que se utilicen enfoques analíticos pertinentes, fiables y validados. Las complejas relaciones entre la sanidad animal, los sistemas de ganadería, la seguridad alimentaria nacional, la seguridad sanitaria mundial y la sostenibilidad ambiental ponen de relieve la importancia de mejorar la gobernanza y la gestión de datos y de aplicar el análisis económico para comprender el impacto de las enfermedades animales. Estos esfuerzos deberían permitir establecer prioridades para la inversión de los limitados recursos y realizar un seguimiento eficaz de las repercusiones de los programas a lo largo del tiempo. Las capacidades de gobernanza y gestión de datos son fundamentales para el desarrollo y la implementación de políticas de sanidad animal con una base empírica y para el seguimiento de sus resultados. Existen dificultades en cuanto a la disponibilidad de datos sobre las cabañas ganaderas nacionales y subnacionales de los distintos sectores, la incidencia y prevalencia de las enfermedades y el gasto en sanidad animal que plantean problemas a la hora de optimizar la asignación de unos recursos que son escasos, ya sean los recursos financieros, las tierras, la mano de obra o la atención a la gestión y la orientación de las políticas. La gobernanza y la gestión de los sistemas de datos zoosanitarios y el análisis económico son competencias esenciales para que los Servicios Veterinarios elaboren y apliquen políticas con base empírica, pero es probable que la capacidad varíe entre los Miembros de la Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal (OMSA). El Proceso de Prestaciones de los Servicios Veterinarios de la OMSA abarca varias competencias esenciales que son relevantes para la economía de la sanidad animal y para la gobernanza y la gestión de datos, pero que aún no han sido objeto de actividades coordinadas de desarrollo de capacidades. La aplicación de enfoques de asociación público-privada para los programas de sanidad animal aumenta aún más las expectativas de datos y métodos sólidos para el establecimiento de prioridades, el análisis de opciones y la evaluación de las repercusiones y los costos. La experiencia y los ejemplos de los sistemas nacionales de Nueva Zelanda, Australia, Etiopía e Indonesia ilustran los retos actuales asociados al establecimiento de prioridades en los programas de sanidad animal mediante el análisis económico. El programa sobre el impacto global de las enfermedades animales pretende ayudar a los Miembros y socios de la OMSA a desarrollar capacidades y armonizar enfoques para el análisis económico y el establecimiento de prioridades en los programas de sanidad animal.

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Solar-based desalination is one of the prominent contributors to overcoming the water scarcity problems in desert areas and a major alternative to fossil fuel-based desalination methods. The present study focuses on utilizing green almond shells (green almond shells) as energy storage materials in tubular solar still (TSS) to enhance water productivity, energy efficiency, and economic and environmental analyses. Further, this study discusses the yearly water output, annual energy efficiency, and economic and environmental analyses. Two different TSS were utilized which consists of conventional TSS (CTSS) without any storage materials and modified TSS with the inclusion of green almond shells (MTSS) in the climatic conditions of Chennai, India. The yearly distilled water output from the CTSS and MTSS was evaluated as 512 and 691.2 kg/m2, respectively. The yearly distilled water output from the MTSS is 26% higher when compared to the CTSS. Furthermore, the maximum monthly energy efficiency of the CTSS and MTSS was 14.4 and 19.44%, respectively. The annual energy efficiency of the CTSS and MTSS is 12.6 and 17.02%, respectively. The economic analysis of the system is also carried out, and the findings show that better economic feasibility is achieved in MTSS considering the INR 5 (Indian Rupees) cost of water. The payback period for MTSS was 12 months, while for CTSS it is calculated to be 20 months. Furthermore, CO2 emission and mitigation have also been evaluated, and the results indicate that the utilization of porous material has increased the emission for MTSS, while CO2 mitigation has been significantly higher as compared to the CTSS system.

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In this study, the effects of nanoparticle addition to internal combustion engines were investigated. Firstly, engine coolant was prepared by mixing nanoparticles with water in different ratios (0%, 0.15%, 0.3%, 0.5% and 0.6%). Nanoparticles were investigated by SEM and XRD techniques. Then, the prepared coolants with different ratios of nanoparticles were tested on the engine at different loads (2.5 kW, 3.8 kW, 6 kW, 9 kW and 10 kW), and their heat transfer performances were investigated. Then, an ANN model was trained using the results, and the optimal TiO2 nanoparticle doped mixing ratio (0.26%) was determined. At the last stage, the techno-economic analysis of the TiO2 added coolant determined with the help of ANN was carried out, and the payback period and cumulative net present value were determined. Unlike other studies, ANN and economic analyses were performed and a contribution to the literature for the use of nanoparticle doped liquids was presented. The results show that the highest improvement in heat transfer performance is in the case of 0.6% nanoparticle addition with 40.8%. According to the ANN study, the highest performance increase is with the addition of 0.26% nanoparticles. The economic analysis made according to the result of the ANN study shows that the payback period will be less than 4 years.

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Techno-economic assessment (TEA) of a valorization of bulking agent (BA) ratios on the food waste compost value chain is made to assess economic feasibility. TEA was performed with two plans (Plan A: existing composting facilities; Plan B: new composting facilities) and each plan was under four scenarios. The BA (i.e. corn stalks, garden waste, and watermelon seedlings) ratio of 5 % (S1), 10 % (S2), 20 % (S3), and garden waste with a ratio of 20 % (S4). Results indicate that S2, with a net present value (NPV) of 128.9 million, represents Plan A's most economically viable scenario. Although the total operating costs of S4 were 18.9 %-23.5 % higher, 25.6 %-42.2 % higher total revenue made S4 have an NPV of 92.9 million, making it the most viable scenario in Plan B. All scenarios show positive NPV within a ± 20 % fluctuation range. Organic fertilizer price, government subsidies, and processing capacity were the key factors influencing NPV.

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OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to design and develop an open-source model capable of simulating interventions for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) that incorporated the cumulative effects of risk factors (eg, cholesterol years or blood-pressure years) to enhance health economic modeling in settings which clinical trials are not possible. METHODS: We reviewed the literature to design the model structure by selecting the most important causal risk factors for CVD-low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), smoking, diabetes, and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a))-and most common CVDs-myocardial infarction and stroke. The epidemiological basis of the model involves the simulation of risk factor trajectories, which are used to modify CVD risk via causal effect estimates derived from Mendelian randomization. LDL-C, SBP, Lp(a), and smoking all have cumulative impacts on CVD risk, which were incorporated into the health economic model. The data for the model were primarily sourced from the UK Biobank study. We calibrated the model using clinical trial data and validated the model against the observed UK Biobank data. Finally, we performed an example health economic analysis to demonstrate the utility of the model. The model is open source. RESULTS: The model performed well in all validation tests. It was able to produce interpretable and plausible (consistent with expectations of the existing literature) results from an example health economic analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We have constructed an open-source health economic model capable of incorporating the cumulative effect of LDL-C (ie, cholesterol years), SBP (SBP-years), Lp(a), and smoking on lifetime CVD risk.

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In order to effectively utilize woody biomass, which has a low abundance density, it is necessary to develop a power generation system that can convert it with high efficiency even with a small capacity as less than 2 MW. For electricity generation, it is reasonable to use a small reciprocating engine. In the case of a naturally aspirated spark ignition reciprocating engine (SIRE), the amount of aspirated gas in one cycle is determined almost entirely by the displacement. The thermal efficiency of the SIRE generally increases with the power. Therefore, to improve the thermal efficiency, it is effective to make the low heating value (LHV) of the fuel higher to increase the power of the naturally aspirated SIRE. In this paper, three methods are used to increase the LHV of the bio-syngas: 1) reducing the nitrogen density of the bio-syngas (upgrade bio-syngas), 2) adding hydrogen to the bio-syngas, and 3) adding methane to the bio-syngas. Using these fuels, 1) the conditions for high power, and 2) the costs assumed for each condition, are evaluated through experiments and estimates. The results showed that the upgrade bio-syngas, obtained by gasification with oxygen-enriched air, had the highest power and the best cost-effectiveness.

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Optimizing the operation of photovoltaic (PV) storage systems is crucial for meeting the load demands of parks while minimizing curtailment and enhancing economic efficiency. This paper proposes a multi-scenario collaborative optimization strategy for PV storage systems based on a master-slave game model. Three types of energy storage system (ESS) application scenarios are designed to comprehensively stabilize PV fluctuations, compensate for load transfers, and participate in the frequency regulation (FR) market, thereby optimizing the overall operational strategy of PV storage systems in parks. The upper-level objective is to maximize the park operators' profit, while the lower-level objective is to minimize the user's power supply costs. Case studies demonstrate that this strategy can significantly increase the economic benefits for park operators by 25.8%, reduce user electricity expenditures by 5.27%, and lower curtailment through a load response mechanism, thereby promoting the development and construction of PV storage parks.

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OBJECTIVES: To conduct a cost-utility analysis of osteochondroplasty with or without labral repair compared to arthroscopic lavage with or without labral repair for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) from a Canadian public payer perspective. METHODS: A Markov model was constructed to compare the lifetime quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs of the two treatment strategies. The target population was surgical FAI patients aged 36 years. The primary data source was patient-level data from the Femoroacetabular Impingement Randomised Controlled Trial (FIRST), which evaluated the efficacy of the surgical correction of FAI via arthroscopic osteochondroplasty with or without labral repair compared to arthroscopic lavage with or without labral repair in Canada. Long-term data were extrapolated using a generalized gamma model. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), calculated by dividing the difference in costs by the difference in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) between osteochondroplasty and lavage, with or without labral repair. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses and one-way sensitivity analyses were used to characterize uncertainty of model parameters and assumptions. RESULTS: Over a lifetime horizon, osteochondroplasty, with or without labral repair, had a greater expected benefit (0.63 QALYs gained per patient) and lower costs ($955.89 saved per patient), as compared with lavage with or without labral repair. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the probability of osteochondroplasty, with or without labral repair, being cost-effective was 90.5% at a commonly used willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY in Canada. Across all one-way sensitivity analyses, osteochondroplasty with or without labral repair remained a cost-effective option. CONCLUSION: Over a lifetime time horizon, osteochondroplasty, with or without labral repair, is a cost-effective treatment strategy for young adults with FAI. Future research involving real-word data is needed to further validate these findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

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3D-printed vascular models can enhance flap harvesting efficiency in abdominal free flap breast reconstruction, reducing the use of operating room time. However, no economic analyses with respect to model use in this context have been conducted to date. As such, this study examines model cost-benefit tradeoffs for use in abdominal free flap breast reconstruction.

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Utilizing waste heat to drive thermodynamic systems is imperative for improving energy efficiency, thereby improving sustainability. A combined cooling and power systems (CCP) utilizes heat from a temperature source to deliver both power and cooling. However, CCP systems utilizing LNG cold energy suffers from low second law efficiency due to significant temperature differences. To address this, an "Advanced Power and Cooling with LNG Utilization (ACPLU)" system is proposed, integrating a cascaded transcritical carbon dioxide (TCO2)-LNG cycle with an Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for improved power generation and an absorption refrigeration system (ARS) for simultaneous cooling. This study evaluates the second law efficiency, net work output, and exergy destruction performance through a sensitivity analysis, optimizing variables such as heat source temperature, superheater temperature difference, ORC and CO2 turbine inlet and condenser pressures, evaporator temperature, and pinch point temperatures of heat exchangers and generator. Compared to previous studies on CCP systems, the ACPLU shows a superior performance, with a second law efficiency of 27.3 % and a net work output of 11.76 MW. Cyclopentane as an ORC working fluid resulted in the highest second law efficiency of 29.06 % and net work output of 12.27 MW. Parametric analysis suggested that heat source temperature significantly impacts net power output. The exergy analysis concluded that a high-pressure ratio and good thermal match between the heat exchangers enhance overall performance. Utilizing artificial neural network (ANN) to produce a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) objective function and performing multi-objective optimization (MOO) using genetic algorithm (GA), an improved second law efficiency and net power output by 28.11 % and 14.16 MW respectively, with pentane as the working fluid, is demonstrated. An average cost rate of 9.121 $/GJ was observed through a thermo-economic analysis. The ACPLU system is promising for medium temperature waste heat recovery, such as, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants.

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BACKGROUND: Unintentional injuries are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the under-5s, but undertaking home safety practices can reduce injury risk. Stay One Step Ahead (SOSA) is an evidence-based standardised home safety programme. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of SOSA versus usual care in Nottingham, UK. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness analysis from a National Health Service and personal social services perspective. SOSA activity data, injury occurrence and associated short-term healthcare costs were collected within a controlled before-and-after study from 2017 to 2020. The primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per additional home adopting three key safety practices (working smoke alarm, safe poisons storage and fitted stair gate). Secondary outcomes were ICERs per injury avoided and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. RESULTS: SOSA costs £30 per child but reduces short-term healthcare expenditure by £42. SOSA increased the number of homes with three key safety practices by 0.02 per child, reduced injuries per child by 0.15 and gained 0.0036 QALYs per child. SOSA was dominant as it was cheaper and more effective than current practice. ICERs were -£590 per additional home deemed safe, -£77 per injury avoided and -£3225 per QALY gained. Focusing on healthcare expenditure alone, SOSA saved £1.39 for every pound spent. CONCLUSIONS: SOSA is a cost-saving intervention. Commissioners should consider implementing SOSA.

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Background: Parkinson's disease is a brain condition causing a progressive loss of co ordination and movement problems. Around 145,500 people have Parkinson's disease in the United Kingdom. Levodopa is the most prescribed treatment for managing motor symptoms in the early stages. Patients should be monitored by a specialist every 6-12 months for disease progression and treatment of adverse effects. Wearable devices may provide a novel approach to management by directly monitoring patients for bradykinesia, dyskinesia, tremor and other symptoms. They are intended to be used alongside clinical judgement. Objectives: To determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of five devices for monitoring Parkinson's disease: Personal KinetiGraph, Kinesia 360, KinesiaU, PDMonitor and STAT-ON. Methods: We performed systematic reviews of all evidence on the five devices, outcomes included: diagnostic accuracy, impact on decision-making, clinical outcomes, patient and clinician opinions and economic outcomes. We searched MEDLINE and 12 other databases/trial registries to February 2022. Risk of bias was assessed. Narrative synthesis was used to summarise all identified evidence, as the evidence was insufficient for meta-analysis. One included trial provided individual-level data, which was re-analysed. A de novo decision-analytic model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of Personal KinetiGraph and Kinesia 360 compared to standard of care in the UK NHS over a 5-year time horizon. The base-case analysis considered two alternative monitoring strategies: one-time use and routine use of the device. Results: Fifty-seven studies of Personal KinetiGraph, 15 of STAT-ON, 3 of Kinesia 360, 1 of KinesiaU and 1 of PDMonitor were included. There was some evidence to suggest that Personal KinetiGraph can accurately measure bradykinesia and dyskinesia, leading to treatment modification in some patients, and a possible improvement in clinical outcomes when measured using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. The evidence for STAT-ON suggested it may be of value for diagnosing symptoms, but there is currently no evidence on its clinical impact. The evidence for Kinesia 360, KinesiaU and PDMonitor is insufficient to draw any conclusions on their value in clinical practice. The base-case results for Personal KinetiGraph compared to standard of care for one-time and routine use resulted in incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of £67,856 and £57,877 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, respectively, with a beneficial impact of the Personal KinetiGraph on Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale domains III and IV. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio results for Kinesia 360 compared to standard of care for one-time and routine use were £38,828 and £67,203 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, respectively. Limitations: The evidence was limited in extent and often low quality. For all devices, except Personal KinetiGraph, there was little to no evidence on the clinical impact of the technology. Conclusions: Personal KinetiGraph could reasonably be used in practice to monitor patient symptoms and modify treatment where required. There is too little evidence on STAT-ON, Kinesia 360, KinesiaU or PDMonitor to be confident that they are clinically useful. The cost-effectiveness of remote monitoring appears to be largely unfavourable with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios in excess of £30,000 per quality-adjusted life-year across a range of alternative assumptions. The main driver of cost-effectiveness was the durability of improvements in patient symptoms. Study registration: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42022308597. Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Evidence Synthesis programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR135437) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 30. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Parkinson's disease is a brain condition causing loss of co-ordination and movement problems. Levodopa is the most prescribed treatment for early disease. Patients should be seen by a specialist every 6­12 months to assess their treatment needs. Wearable devices (like smart watches) may aid management by directly monitoring patients for disease symptoms including tremor and slowness of movement (bradykinesia), or side effects of treatment like involuntary movement (dyskinesia). This assessment considered the clinical and economic value of five wearable devices: Personal KinetiGraph, STAT-ON, Kinesia 360, KinesiaU and PDMonitor. We searched medical databases to find all studies of the five devices. We assessed the quality of these studies and reviewed their results. We found 77 studies of the devices. There was some evidence to suggest that Personal KinetiGraph can accurately measure bradykinesia and dyskinesia, leading to treatment modification in some patients, and a possible improvement in symptoms. The evidence for STAT-ON suggested it may be of value for diagnosing symptoms, but there is currently no evidence on its clinical value. There was insufficient evidence for Kinesia 360, KinesiaU and PDMonitor to draw any conclusions. An economic analysis was conducted to investigate whether using any of these technologies is economically viable. The economic analysis found that the quality-of-life benefits generated by remote monitoring devices were small relative to the additional costs of implementing them in the NHS. As such, none of the remote monitoring devices were good value for money when compared with the current standard of care.

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A model was developed to conduct techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) for reactive carbon capture (RCC) and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to methanol. This RCC process is compared to a baseline commercialized flue gas CO2 hydrogenation process. An ASPEN model was combined with existing TEA and LCA models into a larger TEA/LCA framework in Python. From preliminary experimental data, the model found a levelized cost of $0.79/kg methanol for the baseline process and $0.99/kg for the RCC process. The cradle-to-gate carbon intensity of the baseline process was 0.50 kg-CO2e/kg-methanol, compared to 0.55 kg-CO2e/kg-methanol for the RCC process. However, water consumption for RCC (10.21 kg-H2O/kg-methanol) is greatly reduced compared to the baseline (12.89 kg-H2O/kg-methanol). Future improvements in hydrogen electrolysis costs will benefit the RCC. A target H2/methanol mass ratio of 0.26 was developed for RCC laboratory experiments to reduce methanol cost below the baseline. If a ratio of 0.24 can be achieved, a levelized cost of $0.76/kg methanol is projected, with a carbon intensity of 0.42 kg-CO2e/kg-methanol.

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The production of coconut tree seedlings is an important step in the production process, as it substantially affects the productive performance of the adult plant, and the way of obtaining seedlings directly reflects the added costs. To minimize costs, the introduction of biostimulants can be considered a viable and sustainable technology. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of applying Bacillus cereus in promoting growth and reducing the costs of producing Brazilgreen dwarf coconut seedlings. The study has two stages, the first was an experiment carried out in a commercial nursery in the state of Pará-Brazil. The design was completely randomized, with two treatments: control with water (100% mineral fertilization) and B. cereus inoculation (50% mineral fertilization), with 10 replicates each. Biometric parameters and the quality of seedlings were evaluated. In the second stage, the production of stimulated seedlings was compared to that of commercial seedlings, and the effective operating cost (COE) and the total operating cost (TOC) were determined. Biostimulation with B. cereus promotes the growth of coconut tree seedlings, increases seedling quality, and reduces nursery time. In addition, the cost of production is reduced by 10%. Thus, microbial technology is a positive strategy for the production of Brazilian green dwarf coconut seedlings. Using B. cereus can guarantee obtaining seedlings with high performance and at a lower cost. These results may favor obtaining adult plants with high productivity. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12088-023-01163-9.

RESUMEN

This work evaluates the effects of economic conditions' variations on the costs and viability of floating photovoltaics, a novel solution where modules are installed on or above water. A sensitivity analysis of key economic criteria is conducted across multiple European countries, first generating country-specific baseline scenarios and then introducing systematic variations into the input parameters. The results show that capital expenditure and electricity prices, which have both experienced significant variations in recent years, have the largest influence on the net present value and the internal rate of return. Similarly, capital expenditure and discount rate are found to be the most influencing factors for the levelized cost of electricity. Overall, this study contributes to the literature by identifying the correlations between the economic variables and the viability of floating photovoltaics. The findings can be used to assess the effectiveness of potential government policies and support mechanisms and to evaluate the viability of this technology under varying national and international economic conditions.

RESUMEN

Bangladesh is blessed with an extensive range of solar energy generation possibilities; however, the primary impediment to attaining its full potential in the solar energy industry is the inadequate budget in the energy sector. As a result, determining the most economical and efficient solar module configuration for each specific scenario has become a critical necessity. This study offers a comprehensive techno-economic analysis and environmental impact assessment of four distinct solar modules: monofacial, bifacial, dual-axis solar tracker, and seasonal tilt solar module, in an open area of South Sakucia Union, Bhola district, in the southwest part of Bangladesh. By integrating energy-generation capabilities, financial metrics, and environmental benefits, this research provides a holistic evaluation framework to ensure optimal economic performance and minimal adverse environmental effects for sustainable solar solutions in Bangladesh. Utilizing PV*SOL, PVsyst, and System Advisor Model (SAM) software, this study assesses energy-generation capabilities and economic viability. Despite the dual-axis solar tracker exhibiting the highest average energy generation (149,070.3 kWh/year), its higher initial cost renders it less financially viable compared to other configurations. Financial metrics reveal that the seasonal tilt configuration is the most cost-efficient, with the lowest Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) at $0.0452/kWh and the highest Net Present Value (NPV) of $52,887.70. Additionally, it has the shortest Discounted Payback Period (DPBP) at 12.69 years, a favorable Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 9.460 %, and a Profitability Index (PI) of 1.459, indicating robust returns on investment. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both energy-generation capabilities and financial metrics when evaluating solar module configurations in the southern part of Bangladesh, serving as a valuable reference for policymakers. Moreover, meticulous environmental impact assessments assist in choosing configurations with minimal adverse effects on the environment.