Search results for "ECONOMICS"

Costs of Using Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure: Towards a General Framework

2012

Cloud computing infrastructure is a state-of-the-art computing as a utility paradigm, offering individuals and organizations instantly-available and scalable computing capacity. Organizations may deploy the cloud infrastructure in own data centers, as a private cloud, or use the public on-demand cloud infrastructure charged on a pay-per-use basis. The organizations may also adopt a hybrid solution, i.e. use public cloud capacity to complement the resources in the private cloud, e.g. during the periods of rapid growth in the demand. One of the important factors that affect the organizations’ decisions to adopt a hybrid cloud is the total cost of acquiring and managing the infrastructure. In …

Development of target cost – By the owner or together with Contractors - Target Value Design

2021

Abstract Cost growth and cost overrun of projects is a well-researched topic, but still a recurring problem. Some of the problems may be attributed to the difficulties of setting a realistic cost estimate in the early phase of the project. This paper aims to give insight o the challenge of setting realistic cost targets. We particularly focus on large and complex infrastructure projects in the context on the Norwegian construction industry. Four large infrastructure projects have been examined, all used a variation of target cost and was more or less successful in their implementation of this approach. Through interviews and document study we identified that when setting cost targets for pr…

Reproducible research practices, openness and transparency in health economic evaluations: study protocol for a cross-sectional comparative analysis

2020

INTRODUCTION: There has been a growing awareness of the need for rigorously and transparent reported health research, to ensure the reproducibility of studies by future researchers. Health economic evaluations, the comparative analysis of alternative interventions in terms of their costs and consequences, have been promoted as an important tool to inform decision-making. The objective of this study will be to investigate the extent to which articles of economic evaluations of healthcare interventions indexed in MEDLINE incorporate research practices that promote transparency, openness and reproducibility. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is the study protocol for a cross-sectional comparative ana…

Illegal fishing in Isla del Coco National Park: Spatial-temporal distribution and the economic trade-offs

2020

Abstract The Isla del Coco National Park, located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is rich in biodiversity and has a high concentration of pelagic species. This high marine biodiversity makes the Isla del Coco National Park (PNIC) a very attractive place for illegal fishers. We analyzed a dataset covering 8 years (2003–2010) of patrol records from PNIC with the aim of determining, a) the spatial-temporal distribution of illegal fishing, b) other areas that could be prone to illegal fishing but are currently undetected, c) the most profitable areas for this activity and d) the economic trade-offs of this illegal activity in relation to potential gains and the costs. Residuals Autocovariat…

Economic analysis of PV systems on buildings in Sicilian farms

2013

Abstract The photovoltaic sector in Italy in recent years has experienced a rapid growth also in the primary sector, thanks to substantial incentives guaranteed by energy policies, simultaneous reduction of investment costs and tax benefits. In order to better understand the growth of the PV industry in Italian primary sector, the aim of this paper has been to evaluate the economic convenience of four PV systems on farm buildings located in four different farms of the north-western coast of Sicily and realized during the second and fourth Italian feed-in schemes. For each feed-in scheme it has been considered a PV plant that sells the electricity to the grid and another in which the energy …

An Essay on the Social Costs and Benefits of Technology Evolution

2013

Pricing for Reclaimed Water in Valencia, Spain: Externalities and Cost Recovery

2015

The cost of reclaimed water and the tariffs paid by water users illustrate that the principle of cost recovery is not met in the majority of water reuse projects. However, such projects may also generate positive externalities, contributing to improved welfare of the entire society. This chapter describes the case of the Valencia region of Spain, referring to agreements among water stakeholders. It also includes a proposal of pricing for reclaimed water to be implemented in this area as a pilot case in order to develop a framework for costs and financial, institutional, and social arrangements for water reuse projects. A two-part tariff with a combination of a decreasing and increasing rate…

Economic comparison between offshore and inshore aquaculture production systems of European sea bass in Italy

2014

Abstract Offshore production system is predicted to increase in the near future driven by the lack of coastal space and lower environmental impacts. The aim of this paper has been to evaluate the economic performance of offshore production system respect to inshore one, by comparing net present value (NPV), discounted payback time (DPBT) and internal rate of return (IRR) of two Italian mariculture farms that produce European sea bass. Results showed a better economic profitability of offshore farm, even if sensitivity analysis revealed that financial indicators of both aquaculture production systems have been very sensitive to market condition changes. So, offshore production system could r…

Familial hypercholesterolæmia in children and adolescents: Gaining decades of life by optimizing detection and treatment

2015

Contains fulltext : 155263.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a common genetic cause of premature coronary heart disease (CHD). Globally, one baby is born with FH every minute. If diagnosed and treated early in childhood, individuals with FH can have normal life expectancy. This consensus paper aims to improve awareness of the need for early detection and management of FH children. Familial hypercholesterolaemia is diagnosed either on phenotypic criteria, i.e. an elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level plus a family history of elevated LDL-C, premature coronary artery disease and/or genetic diagnosis, or positive genetic testin…

Counselling toward reducing alcohol use, knowledge about its morbidity and personal consumption among students of medical and dental courses in north…

2021

Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is directly linked to high-risk consumption. Healthcare students have a crucial role to play in its prevention and management. The aim of this study is to analyse alcohol consumption, as well as to consider the knowledge and attitudes regarding morbidity, and the stage of change when providing assistance to quit AUD. Material and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among Dentistry and Medical students using specific and validated questionnaires in an anonymous and voluntary way. Initially, 925 students were invited to participate, of them 500 were reached. Results Among them 85.9% suffered from AUD of whom 75% were women (p<0.001), and it was …