Pension entitlements for the base case

With the rise in awareness of energy efficient buildings and adoption of mandatory energy conservation codes across the globe, significant change is being observed in the way the buildings are designed. With the launch of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) in India, climate responsive designs and passive cooling techniques are being explored increasingly in building designs. Of all the building envelope components, roof surface has been identified as the most significant with respect to the heat gain due to the incident solar radiation on buildings, especially in tropical climatic conditions. Since ECBC specifies stringent U-Values for roof assembly, use of insulating materials is becoming popular. Along with insulation, the shading of the roof is also observed to be an important strategy for improving thermal performance of the building, especially in Warm and humid climatic conditions. This study intends to assess the impact of roof shading on building’s energy performance in comparison to that of exposed roof with insulation. A typical office building with specific geometry and schedules has been identified as base case model for this study. This building is simulated using energy modelling software ‘Design Builder’ with base case parameters as prescribed in ECBC. Further, the same building has been simulated parametrically adjusting the amount of roof insulation and roof shading simultaneously. The overall energy consumption and the envelope performance of the top floor are extracted for analysis. The results indicate that the roof shading is an effective passive cooling strategy for both naturally ventilated and air conditioned buildings in Warm and humid climates of India. It is also observed that a fully shaded roof outperforms the insulated roof as per ECBC prescription. Provision of shading over roof reduces the annual energy consumption of building in case of both insulated and uninsulated roofs. However, the impact is higher for uninsulated roofs (U-Value of 3.933 W/m2K), being 4.18% as compared to 0.59% for insulated roofs (U-Value of 0.33 W/m2K).While the general assumption is that roof insulation helps in reducing the energy consumption in tropical buildings, it is observed to be the other way when insulation is provided with roof shading. It is due to restricted heat loss during night.

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Computer simulation to evaluate the economics of landfill gas recovery

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1998.0139 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 201-208

Author(s):

M. W. Milke

Keyword(s):

Computer Simulation ◽

Computer Program ◽

Landfill Gas ◽

Base Case ◽

Simulation Tool ◽

Hypothetical Case ◽

Gas Recovery ◽

Fixed Set ◽

Key Variables ◽

Simulation Results

A need exists for tools to improve evaluations of the economics of landfill gas recovery. A computer simulation tool is presented. It uses a spreadsheet computer program to calculate the economics for a fixed set of inputs, and a simulation program to consider variations in the inputs. The method calculates the methane generated each year, and estimates the costs and incomes associated with the recovery and sale of the gas. Base case results are presented for a city of 500,000. An uncertainty analysis for a hypothetical case is presented. The simulation results can help an analyst see the key variables affecting the economics of a project.

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Autism Tsunami: the Impact of Rising Prevalence on the Societal Cost of Autism in the United States

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-021-05120-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mark Blaxill ◽

Toby Rogers ◽

Cynthia Nevison

Keyword(s):

Forecast Model ◽

The United States ◽

Population Projections ◽

Base Case ◽

Prevention Strategies ◽

Total Base ◽

Cost Categories ◽

The Cost ◽

The Impact ◽

First Time

AbstractThe cost of ASD in the U.S. is estimated using a forecast model that for the first time accounts for the true historical increase in ASD. Model inputs include ASD prevalence, census population projections, six cost categories, ten age brackets, inflation projections, and three future prevalence scenarios. Future ASD costs increase dramatically: total base-case costs of $223 (175–271) billion/year are estimated in 2020; $589 billion/year in 2030, $1.36 trillion/year in 2040, and $5.54 (4.29–6.78) trillion/year by 2060, with substantial potential savings through ASD prevention. Rising prevalence, the shift from child to adult-dominated costs, the transfer of costs from parents onto government, and the soaring total costs raise pressing policy questions and demand an urgent focus on prevention strategies.

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An Experimental Investigation of Water Vapor Condensation from Biofuel Flue Gas in a Model of Condenser, (1) Base Case: Local Heat Transfer without Water Injection

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr9050844 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 844

Author(s):

Robertas Poškas ◽

Arūnas Sirvydas ◽

Vladislavas Kulkovas ◽

Povilas Poškas

Keyword(s):

Heat Transfer ◽

Water Vapor ◽

Flue Gas ◽

Waste Heat Recovery ◽

Waste Heat ◽

Water Injection ◽

Vapor Condensation ◽

Base Case ◽

Water Vapor Condensation ◽

Condensing Heat Exchanger

Waste heat recovery from flue gas based on water vapor condensation is an important issue as the waste heat recovery significantly increases the efficiency of the thermal power units. General principles for designing of this type of heat exchangers are known rather well; however, investigations of the local characteristics necessary for the optimization of those heat exchangers are very limited. Investigations of water vapor condensation from biofuel flue gas in the model of a vertical condensing heat exchanger were performed without and with water injection into a calorimetric tube. During the base-case investigations, no water was injected into the calorimetric tube. The results showed that the humidity and the temperature of inlet flue gas have a significant effect on the local and average heat transfer. For some regimes, the initial part of the condensing heat exchanger was not effective in terms of heat transfer because there the flue gas was cooled by convection until its temperature reached the dew point temperature. The results also showed that, at higher Reynolds numbers, there was an increase in the length of the convection prevailing region. After that region, a sudden increase was observed in heat transfer due to water vapor condensation.

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Impact of Passive Energy Efficiency Measures on Cooling Energy Demand in an Architectural Campus Building in Karachi, Pakistan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137251 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7251

Author(s):

Mushk Bughio ◽

Muhammad Shoaib Khan ◽

Waqas Ahmed Mahar ◽

Thorsten Schuetze

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Electricity Consumption ◽

Information Modeling ◽

Base Case ◽

Energy Efficiency Measures ◽

Efficiency Measures ◽

The Impact ◽

Cooling Energy Demand ◽

Campus Building

Electric appliances for cooling and lighting are responsible for most of the increase in electricity consumption in Karachi, Pakistan. This study aims to investigate the impact of passive energy efficiency measures (PEEMs) on the potential reduction of indoor temperature and cooling energy demand of an architectural campus building (ACB) in Karachi, Pakistan. PEEMs focus on the building envelope’s design and construction, which is a key factor of influence on a building’s cooling energy demand. The existing architectural campus building was modeled using the building information modeling (BIM) software Autodesk Revit. Data related to the electricity consumption for cooling, building masses, occupancy conditions, utility bills, energy use intensity, as well as space types, were collected and analyzed to develop a virtual ACB model. The utility bill data were used to calibrate the DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus base case models of the existing ACB. The cooling energy demand was compared with different alternative building envelope compositions applied as PEEMs in the renovation of the existing exemplary ACB. Finally, cooling energy demand reduction potentials and the related potential electricity demand savings were determined. The quantification of the cooling energy demand facilitates the definition of the building’s electricity consumption benchmarks for cooling with specific technologies.

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Evaluating the contributions of strategies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the healthcare setting: a modelling study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044644 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. e044644

Author(s):

Xueting Qiu ◽

Joel C Miller ◽

Derek R MacFadden ◽

William P Hanage

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Setting ◽

Stochastic Simulations ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Base Case ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Random Testing ◽

Weekly Basis ◽

Force Of Infection ◽

Effective Use

IntroductionSince its onset, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, with particularly severe outcomes in healthcare institutions and congregate settings. To mitigate spread, healthcare systems have been cohorting patients to limit contacts between uninfected patients and potentially infected patients or healthcare workers (HCWs). A major challenge in managing the pandemic is the presence of currently asymptomatic/presymptomatic individuals capable of transmitting the virus, who could introduce COVID-19 into uninfected cohorts. The optimal combination of personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and other approaches to prevent these events is unclear, especially in light of ongoing limited resources.MethodsUsing stochastic simulations with a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered dynamic model, we quantified and compared the impacts of PPE use, patient and HCWs surveillance testing and subcohorting strategies.ResultsIn the base case without testing or PPE, the healthcare system was rapidly overwhelmed, and became a net contributor to the force of infection. We found that effective use of PPE by both HCWs and patients could prevent this scenario, while random testing of apparently asymptomatic/presymptomatic individuals on a weekly basis was less effective. We also found that even imperfect use of PPE could provide substantial protection by decreasing the force of infection. Importantly, we found that creating smaller patient/HCW-interaction subcohorts can provide additional resilience to outbreak development with limited resources.ConclusionThese findings reinforce the importance of ensuring adequate PPE supplies even in the absence of testing and provide support for strict subcohorting regimens to reduce outbreak potential in healthcare institutions.

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286. Exploratory Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections: Are Daptomycin and Linezolid Favored over Vancomycin and Other Antibiotics?

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.330 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S143-S144

Author(s):

Michelle Vu ◽

Kenneth Smith ◽

Sherrie L Aspinall ◽

Cornelius J Clancy ◽

Deanna Buehrle

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Bloodstream Infections ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Drug Event ◽

Base Case ◽

Health Administration ◽

Research Support ◽

Methicillin Resistant

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (MRSAB) cause significant mortality and often require extended antibiotic therapy. Vancomycin, the most common initial MRSAB treatment, carries significant monitoring burden and nephrotoxicity risks. We compared cost-effectiveness of vancomycin and other antibiotic regimens as MRSAB treatment. Methods We estimated cost-effectiveness of intravenous antibiotics (vancomycin, daptomycin, linezolid, ceftaroline/daptomycin, dalbavancin) for Veterans Health Administration (VA) patients with MRSAB using an exploratory decision-tree model. Primary effectiveness outcome was composite of microbiological failure and adverse drug event (ADE)-related discontinuation at 7-days. Results In base-case analyses, linezolid and daptomycin were less expensive and had fewer treatment failures than other regimens at 4 and 6-weeks. Compared to linezolid, daptomycin incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were ~$45,000 (4-weeks) and ~$61,000 (6-weeks) per composite failure avoided, respectively. In one-way sensitivity analyses, daptomycin (4-weeks) was favored over linezolid if linezolid microbiological failure or ADE-related discontinuation rates were >14.8% (base case: 14.0%) or >14.3% (base case: 14.0%), respectively, assuming a willingness to pay (WTP) threshold of $40,000/ composite treatment failure avoided. Vancomycin was favored if its microbiological failure risk was < 16.4% (base case: 27.2%). In two-way sensitivity analyses, daptomycin was favored if linezolid microbiological failure and ADE-related discontinuation rates were >19% and > 16%, respectively. Linezolid, daptomycin and vancomycin were favored in 47%, 39%, and 11% of 4-week probabilistic iterations, respectively, at $40,000 WTP. Conclusion Daptomycin or linezolid are likely less expensive and more effective than vancomycin or other initial regimens for MRSAB. More data are needed to support safety of linezolid in MRSAB patients. Disclosures Cornelius J. Clancy, MD, Astellas (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Cidara (Consultant, Research Grant or Support)Melinta (Grant/Research Support)Merck (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Needham Associates (Consultant)Qpex (Consultant)Scynexis (Consultant)Shionogi (Consultant)

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Cost-effectiveness analysis of ranibizumab for retinal vein occlusion patients in China from the societal perspective

BMC Ophthalmology ◽

10.1186/s12886-021-01997-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Weiyi Ni ◽

Jia Liu ◽

Yawen Jiang ◽

Jing Wu

Keyword(s):

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Retinal Vein Occlusion ◽

Societal Perspective ◽

Laser Photocoagulation ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Gdp Per Capita ◽

Base Case ◽

Vein Occlusion ◽

Per Capita

Abstract Background Clinical trials in China have demonstrated that ranibizumab can improve the clinical outcomes of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). However, no economic evaluation of ranibizumab has been conducted among Chinese patient population. Methods To provide insights into the economic profile of ranibizumab among Chinese RVO population, a Markov state-transition model was used to predict the outcomes of ranibizumab comparing to laser photocoagulation and observational-only care from the societal perspective. This model simulated changes in patient visuality, quality-adjusted of life years (QALY), medical costs, and direct non-medical costs of individuals with visual impairment due to BRVO or CRVO in lifetime. The base-case analysis used an annual discount rate of 5% for costs and benefits following the China Guidelines for Pharmacoeconomic Evaluations. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the model. Results The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) comparing ranibizumab to laser photocoagulation was ¥65,008/QALY among BRVO patients and was ¥65,815/QALY among CRVO patients, respectively. Comparing to the 2019 gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of ¥71,000, both two ICERs were far below the cost-effective threshold at three times of GDP per capita (¥213,000). The deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses demonstrated the base-case results were robust in most of the simulation scenarios. Conclusion The current Markov model demonstrated that ranibizumab may be cost-effective compared with laser photocoagulation to treat BRVO and cost-effective compared to observation-only care to treat CRVO in China from the societal perspective.

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