scholarly journals The Potential of Blockchain in Building Construction

Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakaria Dakhli ◽  
Zoubeir Lafhaj ◽  
Alan Mossman
Keyword(s):  
Transaction Costs ◽  
No Value ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Client Group ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Real Estate Company

Construction customers want more complex facilities delivered faster and at a lower cost. Transaction costs account for a significant proportion of each new or refurbished facility (a 2017 report from the Infrastructure Client Group in the UK suggests as high as 50%), yet they contribute no value to the customer. Blockchain is being suggested as a way to reduce transaction costs by eliminating the need for intermediaries to build trust as a prerequisite for successfully executed agreements. This study first describes the thinking that underpins blockchain technology, outlining how it works, and the potential limitations of the technology. Second, using a case study, reviews the potential cost savings from the use of blockchain for a real estate company. The results reveal a potential cost savings from blockchain deployment at 8.3% of the total cost of residential construction, with a standard deviation of 1.26%. Third, we explore the implications, risks and applications of blockchain technology for improving flow in the end-to-end design and construction process and we identify opportunities for future research on blockchain applications in construction.

scholarly journals Constrained Urban Airspace Design for Large-Scale Drone-Based Delivery Traffic

Aerospace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Malik Doole ◽  
Joost Ellerbroek ◽  
Victor L. Knoop ◽  
Jacco M. Hoekstra
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fast Time ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Horizontal Structure ◽  
Traffic Demand ◽  
Demand Patterns

Large-scale adoption of drone-based delivery in urban areas promise societal benefits with respect to emissions and on-ground traffic congestion, as well as potential cost savings for drone-based logistic companies. However, for this to materialise, the ability of accommodating high volumes of drone traffic in an urban airspace is one of the biggest challenges. For unconstrained airspace, it has been shown that traffic alignment and segmentation can be used to mitigate conflict probability. The current study investigates the application of these principles to a highly constrained airspace. We propose two urban airspace concepts, applying road-based analogies of two-way and one-way streets by imposing horizontal structure. Both of the airspace concepts employ heading-altitude rules to vertically segment cruising traffic according to their travel direction. These airspace configurations also feature transition altitudes to accommodate turning flights that need to decrease the flight speed in order to make safe turns at intersections. While using fast-time simulation experiments, the performance of these airspace concepts is compared and evaluated for multiple traffic demand densities in terms of safety, stability, and efficiency. The results reveal that an effective way to structure drone traffic in a constrained urban area is to have vertically segmented altitude layers with respect to travel direction as well as horizontal constraints imposed to the flow of traffic. The study also makes recommendations for areas of future research, which are aimed at supporting dynamic traffic demand patterns.

scholarly journals Elite connectivity and concerted action in French organization

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mairi Maclean ◽  
Charles Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Top Management Teams ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Concerted Action ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Business Elite ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore some of the distinctive features of organizing and organization in France which set it apart from organization in other nations, and which are fundamental to its modus operandi. In particular, this article is concerned with elite connectivity and concerted action by elite “connectors”. Design/methodology/approach – The research underpinning this article stems from a cross-national comparative project on business elites and corporate governance in France and the UK. This has three dimensions, being quantitative, qualitative and case study-based. Concerted action by the ruling elite is explored through two illustrative vignettes: the ousting from office of Jean-Marie Messier and State-sponsored expansion as pursued by EDF. Both examples shed light on the French business elite’s response to globalization and the development of international business. Findings – The paper finds elite cohesion to be achieved quite differently in the two countries. In addition, it finds that the ties that bind French connectors tend to be strong and institutionally based. Practical implications – The case of EDF suggests that the most ambitious of State-sponsored strategies can also be the most successful. It implies that elite ideologies in France have deviated relatively little from sentiments expressed by Rousseau and de Gaulle concerning the primacy of the national interest and the conviction that firms can serve as an (expansionist) instrument of the nation. The Messier case illuminates the pattern of close relationships among the French business elite. It demonstrates how a strategy of expansion may come unstuck when it is not grounded in the customary modes of business regulation. Originality/value – This research confirms a slight preference on the part of the French business elite for more homogenous ties. Against this, the paper demonstrates that a significant proportion of the French elite act as boundary spanners, brokering relationships with others from more distant parts of the wider network. The integration of the French elite in the Eurozone has potentially favored bridge-building relationships and weakened national embeddedness. This may contribute to the decline of indigenous interlocks, while promoting the further internationalization of top management teams. The implications of this for organizational strategy, firm survival and economic performance form an agenda for future research.

scholarly journals Reducing vitamin D requests in a primary care cohort: a quality improvement study

BJGP Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. bjgpopen20X101090
Author(s):  
Veena Patel ◽  
Clare Gillies ◽  
Prashanth Patel ◽  
Timothy Davies ◽  
Sajeda Hansdot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Request Form ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Cost Modelling ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Primary Care Practitioners ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundSince 2000, vitamin D requests have increased 2–6 fold with no evidence of a corresponding improvement in the health of the population. The ease of vitamin D requesting may contribue to the rapid rise in its demand and, hence, pragmatic interventions to reduce vitamin D test ordering are warranted.AimTo study the effect on vitamin D requests following a redesign of the electronic forms used in primary care. In addition, any potential harms were studied and the potential cost-savings associated with the intervention were evaluated.Design & settingAn interventional study took place within primary care across Leicestershire, England.MethodThe intervention was a redesign of the electronic laboratory request form for primary care practitioners across the county. Data were collected on vitamin D requests for a 6-month period prior to the change (October 2016 to March 2017) and the corresponding 6-month period post-intervention (October 2017 to March 2018), data were also collected on vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate levels.ResultsThe number of requests for vitamin D decreased by 14 918 (36.2%) following the intervention. Changes in the median calcium and phosphate were not clinically significant. Cost-modelling suggested that if such an intervention was implemented across primary care in the UK, there would be a potential annual saving to the NHS of £38 712 606.ConclusionA simple pragmatic redesign of the electronic request form for vitamin D test led to a significant reduction in vitamin D requests without any adverse effect on the quality of care.

Track damage comparison between conventional and articulated trains operating on a Great Britain railways ‘classic’ mainline route and a high-speed route

2018 ◽  
Vol 233 (7) ◽  
pp. 743-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Rhodes ◽  
Geoff Hunt ◽  
Neil Harwood ◽  
Naim Kuka ◽  
Laurent Baron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Strategic Model ◽  
Design Characteristics ◽  
Architecture And Design ◽  
The Impact

The impact of train architecture and design characteristics on track deterioration accounts for a significant proportion of the whole-life costs of operating a railway. Introducing new train fleets with an expected life in excess of 30 years means that it is important to optimise train design to minimise track deterioration, maximise track life and realise long-term cost savings. Furthermore, higher traffic tonnage (from more frequent services) and increased train acceleration and speeds will cause increasing track deterioration rates; therefore, this issue is central to managing a sustainable railway in future. The track ‘friendliness’ of a train is determined by several ‘vehicle/track interaction’ parameters: train mass, axle load, number of axles, bogie unsprung mass, traction power, suspension ride forces and speed. The Vehicle/Track Interaction Strategic Model (VTISM) can be used to analyse the effect of these parameters on track forces and the resultant track deterioration and maintenance and renewal costs. This paper describes a study undertaken using the VTISM to investigate the impact of axle loads and train architecture on vertical deterioration and costs of ballasted track on a Great Britain railways ‘classic’ mainline route (up to 125 mph) and, following VTISM upgrading and validation, a high-speed route (up to 360 km/h). It identifies where potential cost advantages may be obtained when comparing conventional trains with new, alternative train architectures.

scholarly journals Potential economic impacts from improving breastfeeding rates in the UK

2014 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 334-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Pokhrel ◽  
M A Quigley ◽  
J Fox-Rushby ◽  
F McCormick ◽  
A Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Feeding ◽  
Disease Model ◽  
Acute Otitis Media ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Breast Feed ◽  
Breastfeeding Rates ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Tract Infections

RationaleStudies suggest that increased breastfeeding rates can provide substantial financial savings, but the scale of such savings in the UK is not known.ObjectiveTo calculate potential cost savings attributable to increases in breastfeeding rates from the National Health Service perspective.Design and settingsCost savings focussed on where evidence of health benefit is strongest: reductions in gastrointestinal and lower respiratory tract infections, acute otitis media in infants, necrotising enterocolitis in preterm babies and breast cancer (BC) in women. Savings were estimated using a seven-step framework in which an incidence-based disease model determined the number of cases that could have been avoided if breastfeeding rates were increased. Point estimates of cost savings were subject to a deterministic sensitivity analysis.ResultsTreating the four acute diseases in children costs the UK at least £89 million annually. The 2009–2010 value of lifetime costs of treating maternal BC is estimated at £959 million. Supporting mothers who are exclusively breast feeding at 1 week to continue breast feeding until 4 months can be expected to reduce the incidence of three childhood infectious diseases and save at least £11 million annually. Doubling the proportion of mothers currently breast feeding for 7–18 months in their lifetime is likely to reduce the incidence of maternal BC and save at least £31 million at 2009–2010 value.ConclusionsThe economic impact of low breastfeeding rates is substantial. Investing in services that support women who want to breast feed for longer is potentially cost saving.

scholarly journals Web-Face-to-Face Mixed-Mode Design in a Longitudinal Survey: Effects on Participation Rates, Sample Composition, and Costs

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Bianchi ◽  
Silvia Biffignandi ◽  
Peter Lynn
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Mode ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Mode Design ◽  
Cumulative Response ◽  
Sample Composition ◽  
The Uk

AbstractSequential mixed-mode designs are increasingly considered as an alternative to interviewer-administered data collection, allowing researchers to take advantage of the benefits of each mode. We assess the effects of the introduction of a sequential web-face-to-face mixed-mode design over three waves of a longitudinal survey in which members were previously interviewed face-to-face. Findings are reported from a large-scale randomised experiment carried out on the UK Household Longitudinal Study. No differences are found between the mixed-mode design and face-to-face design in terms of cumulative response rates and only minimal differences in terms of sample composition. On the other hand, potential cost savings are evident.

scholarly journals Oral health promotion: the economic benefits to the NHS of increased use of sugarfree gum in the UK

BDJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 220 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Claxton ◽  
M. Taylor ◽  
E. Kay
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
General Anaesthetic ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Primary Care Settings ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Introduction The effect of sugarfree gum (SFG) on the prevention of dental caries has been established for some time. With increased constraints placed on healthcare budgets, the importance of economic considerations in decision-making about oral health interventions has increased. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential cost savings in dental care associated with increased levels of SFG usage. Methods The analysis examined the amount of money which would hypothetically be saved if the UK 12-year-old population chewed more SFG. The number of sticks chewed per year and the caries risk reduction were modelled to create a dose response curve. The costs of tooth restoration, tooth extraction in primary care settings and under general anaesthetic were considered, and the effects of caries reduction on these costs calculated. Results If all members of the UK 12-year-old population chewed SFG frequently (twice a day), the potential cost savings for the cohort over the course of one year were estimated to range from £1.2 to £3.3 million and if they chewed three times a day, £8.2 million could be saved each year. Sensitivity analyses of the key parameters demonstrated that cost savings would still be likely to be observed even in scenarios with less significant increases in SFG use. Conclusion This study shows that if levels of SFG usage in the teenage population in the UK could be increased, substantial cost savings might be achieved.

Understanding the absence of renewable electricity imports to the European Union

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Lilliestam ◽  
Saskia Ellenbeck ◽  
Charikleia Karakosta ◽  
Natàlia Caldés
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Renewable Electricity ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to analyse reasons for the absence of renewable electricity (RE) imports to the European Union, for which the authors develop a multi-level heuristic. Design/methodology/approach The heuristic covers three sequential acceptance levels: political attractiveness (macro-level), the “business case” (micro-level) and civil society perspectives (public discourse level). Findings Numerous factors on all three levels determine the success/demise of renewables trade. So far, trade has failed on the macro-level, because European policymakers perceive that targets can be achieved domestically with significant co-benefits and because exporter countries have rapidly increasing electricity demand, limiting the realisable exports. As policymakers deemed it unattractive, they have not implemented policy-supported business cases. Public opposition against trade has not been an issue as no concrete plans or projects have been proposed. Research limitations/implications The authors show that the factors determining whether a RE programme is successful are plentiful and extend far beyond potential cost savings. This suggests that future research and the energy policy debate should better account for how cost savings are weighed against other policy aims and explicitly include the perspectives of investors and the public. Originality/value This paper adds the first holistic analysis of success/failure factors for RE trade to Europe. The three-level, sequential framework is new to energy policy analysis.

scholarly journals Sugammadex compared with Neostigmine/Glycopyrrolate: An Analysis of Total PACU Time, Responsiveness, and Potential for Economic Impact

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Kayla Leigh Money ◽  
Yoon Jung Lee ◽  
Amber Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Neuromuscular Blockade ◽  
Acquisition Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Average Decrease ◽  
Article Type ◽  
Patient Responsiveness ◽  
Pacu Stay

Studies have previously shown sugammadex works faster and more effectively than neostigmine/glycopyrrolate at reversal of neuromuscular blockade by rocuronium and vecuronium. The purpose of this quality improvement study was to evaluate for differences in patient time spent in the operating room (OR), post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and patient responsiveness between the sugammadex and neostigmine/glycopyrrolate groups at a small surgical center. Additionally, a cost analysis was conducted to assess potential savings associated with sugammadex use, taking into account the differences in OR time, PACU time, and medication acquisition cost. We conducted a prospective analysis of OR time, PACU time, and responsiveness for a total of 152 patients, 76 patients receiving neostigmine/glycopyrrolate and 76 patients receiving sugammadex, undergoing planned surgery over an 8-week period. We identified an average decrease in total OR time of 6 minutes in the sugammadex group (neostigmine/glycopyrrolate [Mean: 86 min, Median: 77 min, Range 32-211 min] vs sugammadex [Mean: 80 min, Median: 77 min, Range 40-150 min]). Furthermore, there was an average decrease in total PACU time of 6 minutes in the sugammadex group (neostigmine/glycopyrrolate [Mean: 60 min, Median: 56 min, Range 32-154 min] vs sugammadex [Mean: 54 min, Median: 51 min, Range: 28-94 min]). Additionally, the percent of patients fully awake at the end of PACU stay was higher in the sugammadex group than the neostigmine/glycopyrrolate group (86% vs 79% respectively). Cost was evaluated for generating hypotheses. The additional cost of using sugammadex was estimated at $77 per person when compared to neostigmine/glycopyrrolate. However, if the use of sugammadex decreased the time in OR and PACU by an average of 12 minutes per patient, it is possible that it could provide a potential savings of $579 per patient after estimating a soft savings of reduced OR, PACU, and staff time. Overall cost saving per patient with sugammadex, which was calculated after subtracting additional medication acquisition cost, is $502. It is possible that if this value is extrapolated to 988 patients, this might suggest a potential cost savings of $495,976 per year. We hope this study provokes future research to determine if Sugammadex is a potentially viable economical option for the routine reversal of neuromuscular blockade.   Article Type: Original Research

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