The role of stakeholders in managing polythene and plastic waste in coastal cities of Sri Lanka: a case study of the Dehiwala-Mt. lavinia municipal council region

High-density urban development with mixed land uses in Sri Lankan coastal cities generate large amounts of plastic and polythene waste (PPW). The limited capacity of city councils, the deficiencies of current waste management practices and poor awareness, a significant proportion of PPW is being released into the environment, which in turn has accumulated in the marine ecosystem through canal networks. This paper analyses the current practices of PPW disposal in one such coastal region based on a sample of 579 households, 182 commercial properties, and 103 institutions. Results indicate that out of 29 tons of PPW generated in the region, around 8% was disposed into the environment in the form of landfill, burning, and discharging into water bodies. Non-parametric correlations indicate a significant correlation between reduction of PPW (waste generators), private waste collection and awareness by local media. Qualitative analysis highlights the existing limitations of current practices of PPW disposal such as non-availability of practical and cost effective alternatives (government and industries), poor awareness of PPW impacts (waste generators, media, the local council, and researchers), negative attitudes of society, law enforcement (national government and local councils) and irregular waste collection of local councils.

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Multi-Country Scale Assessment of Available Energy Recovery Potential Using Micro-Hydropower in Drinking, Pressurised Irrigation and Wastewater Networks, Covering Part of the EU

Water ◽

10.3390/w13070899 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 899

Author(s):

Djordje Mitrovic ◽

Miguel Crespo Chacón ◽

Aida Mérida García ◽

Jorge García Morillo ◽

Juan Antonio Rodríguez Diaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Northern Ireland ◽

Energy Recovery ◽

Large Scale ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Value Added ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Net Energy ◽

Water Networks ◽

Scale Assessment

Studies have shown micro-hydropower (MHP) opportunities for energy recovery and CO2 reductions in the water sector. This paper conducts a large-scale assessment of this potential using a dataset amassed across six EU countries (Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain, and Portugal) for the drinking water, irrigation, and wastewater sectors. Extrapolating the collected data, the total annual MHP potential was estimated between 482.3 and 821.6 GWh, depending on the assumptions, divided among Ireland (15.5–32.2 GWh), Scotland (17.8–139.7 GWh), Northern Ireland (5.9–8.2 GWh), Wales (10.2–8.1 GWh), Spain (375.3–539.9 GWh), and Portugal (57.6–93.5 GWh) and distributed across the drinking water (43–67%), irrigation (51–30%), and wastewater (6–3%) sectors. The findings demonstrated reductions in energy consumption in water networks between 1.7 and 13.0%. Forty-five percent of the energy estimated from the analysed sites was associated with just 3% of their number, having a power output capacity >15 kW. This demonstrated that a significant proportion of energy could be exploited at a small number of sites, with a valuable contribution to net energy efficiency gains and CO2 emission reductions. This also demonstrates cost-effective, value-added, multi-country benefits to policy makers, establishing the case to incentivise MHP in water networks to help achieve the desired CO2 emissions reductions targets.

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Optimizing Pest Management Practices to Conserve Pollinators in Turf Landscapes: Current Practices and Future Research Needs

Journal of Integrated Pest Management ◽

10.1093/jipm/pmx012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jonathan L. Larson ◽

Adam Dale ◽

David Held ◽

Benjamin McGraw ◽

Douglas S. Richmond ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pest Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Needs ◽

Current Practices

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EFFECTIVE USE OF ROTARY FURNACE SHELL HEAT

Acta Polytechnica ◽

10.14311/ap.2014.54.0414 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 54 (6) ◽

pp. 414-419

Author(s):

Julius Lisuch ◽

Dusan Dorcak ◽

Jan Spisak

Keyword(s):

Waste Heat ◽

Cooling System ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Rotary Furnace ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Total Energy Expenditure ◽

Heat Losses ◽

Controlled Cooling ◽

Effective Use

<pre><pre>Significant proportion of the total energy expenditure for the heat treatment of raw materials are heat losses through the shell of rotary furnace. Currently, the waste heat is not used in any way and escapes into the environment. Controlled cooling system for rotary furnace shell (<span>CCSRF</span>) is a new solution integrated into the technological process aimed at reducing the heat loss of the furnace shell. Based on simulations and experiments carried out was demonstrated a significant effect of controlled cooling shell to the rotary furnace work. The proposed solution is cost-effective and operationally undemanding.</pre></pre>

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Punção Aspirativa de Nódulos da Tiroide: Vale a Pena Repetir?

Acta Médica Portuguesa ◽

10.20344/amp.8215 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (6) ◽

pp. 472

Author(s):

Vera Fernandes ◽

Tânia Pereira ◽

Catarina Eloy

Keyword(s):

Fine Needle Aspiration ◽

Thyroid Nodules ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Needle Aspiration ◽

Fine Needle ◽

High Concordance ◽

Benign Nodules ◽

Cytology Result ◽

Undetermined Significance

Introduction: The fine-needle aspiration has a significant role in assessing the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules. There is uncertainty regarding the value of repeat fine-needle aspiration in benign nodules. This study aims to evaluate the concordance of results in consecutive fine-needle aspiration and to study the relevance of repetition in benign results.Material and Methods: Retrospective study of the 4800 thyroid nodules fine-needle aspiration held in Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto between January 1, 2014 and May 2, 2016. Of the initial sample, we selected the repeated fine-needle aspiration on the same nodule.Results: The first fine-needle aspiration result of the 309 nodules underwent revaluation was non-diagnostic in 103 (33.3%), benign in 120 (38.8%) and atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance in 86 (27.8%). The agreement between the first and second fine-needle aspiration was significantly higher in cases with an initial benign result (benign: 85.8%, non-diagnostic: 27.2% and atypia/ follicular lesion of undetermined significance: 17.4%, p < 0.005). The fine-needle aspiration repeating motifs in initially benign nodules (n = 78) were repetition suggestion in 58, nodule growth in 17 and suspicious ultrasonographic features in 3.Discussion: The fine-needle aspiration repetition in nodules with initial non-diagnostic and atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance result changed the initial diagnosis in a significant proportion of patients, modifying their therapeutic approach. The high concordance of results in initially benign nodules makes fine-needle aspiration repetition not cost-effective in most cases.Conclusion: The fine-needle aspiration should be repeated when the initial cytology result is non-diagnostic or atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance.

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An Economic Assessment of the Southern Atlantic Coastal Region’s Stormwater Management Practices

Water Economics and Policy ◽

10.1142/s2382624x18500236 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 04 (04) ◽

pp. 1850023 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James Wesley Burnett ◽

Christopher Mothorpe

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Stormwater Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Global Climate ◽

Stormwater Runoff ◽

Coastal Region ◽

Economic Assessment ◽

Optimal Level ◽

Retention Ponds ◽

Stormwater Management Practices

This study explores one of the least studied but most widely used instruments to control stormwater runoff — retention ponds. It is surprising that so little research within the economics literature has examined the efficacy of stormwater retention ponds. We address this gap in the literature by (1) offering a brief review of the existing literature; (2) discussing the nature of retention ponds as an impure public good; (3) extending a theoretical model to explain how stormwater runoff is currently managed; and (4) offering illustrative examples of governmental stormwater management practices in the coastal region of South Carolina. We posit that the current regulatory environment leads to a less than socially optimal level of management including a general lack of compliance enforcement and a misunderstanding of resource ownership. If sea levels continue to rise due to global climate change, then the mismanagement of stormwater runoff can lead to potentially severe adverse effects within coastal watersheds and estuarine ecosystems. We propose a combination of subsidy schemes and more-stringent enforcement actions to invoke a socially optimal provision of stormwater management services.

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Beyond ratios - flexible and resilient nurse staffing options to deliver cost-effective hospital care and address staff shortages: a simulation and economic modelling study

10.1101/2020.11.30.20240945 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Griffiths ◽

Christina Saville ◽

Jane E Ball ◽

Jeremy Jones ◽

Thomas Monks

Keyword(s):

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Nurse Staffing ◽

Cost Savings ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

List Type ◽

Economic Modelling ◽

The Face ◽

Hospital Wards

AbstractBackgroundIn the face of pressure to contain costs and make best use of scarce nurses, flexible staff deployment (floating staff between units and temporary hires) guided by a patient classification system may appear an efficient approach to meeting variable demand for care in hospitals.ObjectivesWe modelled the cost-effectiveness of different approaches to planning baseline numbers of nurses to roster on general medical/surgical units while using flexible staff to respond to fluctuating demand.Design and SettingWe developed an agent-based simulation model, where units move between being understaffed, adequately staffed or overstaffed as staff supply and demand, measured by the Safer Nursing Care Tool, varies. Staffing shortfalls are addressed firstly by floating staff from overstaffed units, secondly by hiring temporary staff. We compared a standard staffing plan (baseline rosters set to match average demand) with a ‘resilient’ plan set to match higher demand, and a ‘flexible’ plan, set at a lower level. We varied assumptions about temporary staff availability. We estimated the effect of unresolved low staffing on length of stay and death, calculating cost per life saved.ResultsStaffing plans with higher baseline rosters led to higher costs but improved outcomes. Cost savings from low baseline staff largely arose because shifts were left under staffed. Cost effectiveness for higher baseline staff was improved with high temporary staff availability. With limited temporary staff available, the resilient staffing plan (higher baseline staff) cost £9,506 per life saved compared to the standard plan. The standard plan cost £13,967 per life saved compared to the flexible (low baseline) plan. With unlimited temporary staff, the resilient staffing plan cost £5,524 per life saved compared to the standard plan and the standard plan cost £946 per life saved compared with the flexible plan. Cost-effectiveness of higher baseline staffing was more favourable when negative effects of high temporary staffing were modelled.ConclusionFlexible staffing can be guided by shift-by-shift measurement of patient demand, but proper attention must be given to ensure that the baseline number of staff rostered is sufficient.In the face of staff shortages, low baseline staff rosters with high use of flexible staff on hospital wards is not an efficient or effective use of nurses whereas high baseline rosters may be cost-effective. Flexible staffing plans that minimise the number of nurses routinely rostered are likely to harm patients because temporary staff may not be available at short notice.Study registration: ISRCTN 12307968Tweetable abstractEconomic model of hospital wards shows low baseline staff levels with high use of flexible staff are not cost-effective and don’t solve nursing shortages].What is already known?Because nursing is the largest staff group, accounting for a significant proportion of hospital’s variable costs, ward nurse staffing is frequently the target of cost containment measuresStaffing decisions need to address both the baseline staff establishment to roster, and how best to respond to fluctuating demand as patient census and care needs varyFlexible deployment of staff, including floating staff and using temporary hires, has the potential to minimise expenditure while meeting varying patient need, but high use of temporary staff may be associated with adverse outcomes.What this paper addsOur simulation shows that low baseline staff rosters that rely heavily on flexible staff increase the risk of patient death and provide cost savings largely because wards are often left short staffed under real world availability of temporary staff.A staffing plan set to meet average demand appears to be cost effective compared to a plan with a lower baseline but is still associated with frequent short staffing despite the use of flexible deployments.A staffing plan with a higher baseline, set to meet demand 90% of the time, is more resilient in the face of variation and may be highly cost effective

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Implementation of a novel primary care pathway for patients with severe and enduring mental illness

BJPsych Bulletin ◽

10.1192/pb.bp.116.055830 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (6) ◽

pp. 314-319 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Frank Röhricht ◽

Gopal Krishan Waddon ◽

Paul Binfield ◽

Rhiannon England ◽

Richard Fradgley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Secondary Care ◽

Care Pathway ◽

Care Service ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Care Patient ◽

Care Models

Aims and methodNew collaborative care models with an emphasis on primary care are required for long-term management of patients with severe and enduring mental illness (SMI). We conducted a descriptive evaluation of clinical outcomes of the first 3 years of a novel enhanced primary care (EPC) service. Data from 2818 patients and staff survey results were analysed.Results2310 patients were discharged to EPC (508 not assessed as clinically suitable or patients/general practitioners declined the transfer); mean length of stay with secondary care service of the cohort was 9.8 years (range 0–24). 717 patients (31%) have been discharged to primary care only out of the EPC services and 233 patients (10%) have been transferred back to secondary care. Patient and staff satisfaction with the new EPC model was high. No severe untoward incidents were recorded.Clinical implicationsThe data suggest that EPC can be safely provided for a significant proportion of patients with SMI, who traditionally received long-term secondary care support. The novel EPC model can be utilised as a template for the provision of cost-effective, recovery-oriented and non-stigmatising care in the community.

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The Islamic gold dinar: a hedge against exchange rate volatility

Managerial Finance ◽

10.1108/mf-12-2016-0351 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 722-738 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Calvin W.H. Cheong

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Exchange Rate Volatility ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Market Volatility ◽

Content Type ◽

Sample Country ◽

Islamic Financial Institutions ◽

Cost Efficient ◽

Lower Magnitude ◽

First Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of the Islamic gold dinar to hedge against two well-established foreign exchange (FX) risk factors namely, the dollar risk factor and global FX volatility innovations. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a combination of the Markowitz (1952) portfolio optimization, visual data representations and the classic Fama-Macbeth (1973) two-pass procedure regressions. Findings The findings show that the Islamic gold dinar can serve as a hedge against market volatility, outperforms a diversified currency portfolio, and through its inclusions into the diversified currency portfolio, improve said portfolio’s ability to hedge against market volatility. Research limitations/implications Due to the spread of the sample, country-specific factors could not be taken into account. Practical implications The Islamic gold dinar is a cost-efficient, cost-effective, and Shariah-compliant instrument that provides a solid hedge for investors and/or firms that have financial positions denominated in foreign currencies. Should these investors or firms find it costly to maintain a dinar-only portfolio, including the dinar into their currency portfolios also provides the same benefit, albeit at a lower magnitude. Originality/value This study is timely as the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions has recently for the first time recognized gold as a Shariah-compliant investment. The findings of this study provide the first look as to how investors and firms can benefit through the use of the Islamic gold dinar in their risk management practices.

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Bacterial Remediation of Phenolic Compounds

Biotechnology ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-8903-7.ch078 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1910-1943

Author(s):

Veena Gayathri Krishnaswamy

Keyword(s):

Phenolic Compounds ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Research Work ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Real Problem ◽

Comprehensive Information ◽

Treatment Technologies ◽

Biological Methods ◽

Micro Organisms

Environmental pollution has been an irrefutable fact of life for many centuries; but it has become a real problem, since the start of the industrial revolution. Discharge of these toxic compounds without treatment results in serious health risks to humans and the marine ecosystem. Several physical, chemical and biological methods have been employed for the remediation of the phenolics. Bioremediation is identified as the most efficient, cost effective and eco-friendly ways for treatment of phenolic compounds. This article is a comprehensive review on the sources of phenolic compounds, their hazards, and their fate once released into the environment; the treatment technologies employed and bioremediation of these compounds using both non-extremophlic and extremophilic organisms. The review, throws light on the enzymes involved in the remediation of phenolic compounds, highlights the importance of extremophilic organisms and biological treatment of phenol containing industrial wastewaters. Such comprehensive information on the research work performed for the remediation of phenolic compounds provide ways to explore the role played by micro organisms in the remediation of phenolic compounds, which could be applied in the remediation of phenol /contaminated sites even under extreme conditions.

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Ozone pollution around a coastal region of South China Sea: Interaction between marine and continental air

10.5194/acp-2017-988 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Hao Wang ◽

Xiaopu Lyu ◽

Hai Guo ◽

Yu Wang ◽

Shichun Zou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

South China ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Coastal Region ◽

Oxidative Capacity ◽

Atmospheric Composition ◽

Marine Atmosphere ◽

Ozone Pollution ◽

China Sea ◽

Coastal Cities

Abstract. Marine atmosphere is usually considered to be a clean environment, while this study indicates that the near-coast waters of South China Sea (SCS) suffered from even worse air quality than coastal cities. The analyses were based on concurrent field measurements of target air pollutants and meteorological parameters conducted at a suburban site (TC) and a nearby marine site (WS) from August to November 2013. The observations showed that the levels of primary air pollutants were significantly lower at WS than those at TC, while ozone (O3) value was greater at WS. Higher O3 levels at WS were attributed to the weaker NO titration and higher O3 production rate because of stronger oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. However, O3 episodes were concurrently observed at both sites under certain meteorological conditions, such as tropical cyclones, continental anticyclones and sea-land breezes (SLBs). Driven by these synoptic systems and mesoscale recirculations, the interaction between continental and marine air masses had profoundly changed the atmospheric composition and subsequently influenced the formation and redistribution of O3 in the coastal areas. When continental air intruded into marine atmosphere, the O3 pollution was magnified over SCS, and the elevated O3 (> 100 ppbv) could overspread the sea boundary layer ~ 8 times the area of Hong Kong. In some cases, the exaggerated O3 pollution over the SCS was re-circulated to the coastal inshore by sea breeze, leading to even aggravating O3 pollution in coastal cities. The findings are applicable to similar mesoscale environments around the world where the maritime atmosphere is potentially influenced by severe continental air pollution.

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