scholarly journals Quality and Delivery Costs of Wood Chips by Railway vs. Road Transport

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (21) ◽  
pp. 6877
Author(s):  
Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski ◽  
Paweł Stachowicz ◽  
Waldemar Sieniawski ◽  
Michał Krzyżaniak ◽  
Ewelina Olba-Zięty

Forests are the main sources of wood chips delivered to the end customers by road or railway. This research analysed the impact of the quarter of the year: Q1 (January–March), Q2 (April–June), Q3 (July–September), Q4 (October–December) when wood chips were obtained over two consecutive years (2019–2020) and the type of transport used (railway and road) on the thermophysical properties of wood chips and the cost of their delivery. The mean moisture content in the wood chips was 38.28% and it was the highest (45.55%) in Q1, while in Q2 and Q3, this parameter was 8 and 17 percentage points (p.p.) lower. The mean lower heating value (LHV) of the chips was 10.46 GJ Mg−1. The chips delivered by road transport had a 4% higher LHV compared to those shipped by railway transport. The wood chips contained 3.42% d.m. of ash. The road transport at a distance of 200 km was found to be approximately 10% cheaper compared to the transport by rail for most of the study period, both with respect to 1 Mg of fresh or dry mass and 1 GJ of energy in the chips. The railway transport was cheaper in the winter (Q1).

Author(s):  
Maciej Ruciński

The article presents an outline of the law governing railway transport in comparison with the regulations for road transport. The comparison shows that railway entrepreneurs are much more encumbered with legal obligations than road carriers, which in part is due to the specificity of this branch of transport. The essential constraints to the competitiveness of railway transport relate to the cost of access to railway infrastructure and its condition. The article also points out the faulty legislation, disadvantageous to both modes of transport, and attempts to determine the impact of legal solutions for the development of rail transport.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-218
Author(s):  
Miloš Poliak ◽  
Juraj Hammer ◽  
Marek Jaśkiewicz ◽  
K. Zielonka ◽  
J. Stokłosa

Abstract In freight road transport, the price per unit of transport is not the same for each shipment for reason, that many factors influence the cost of shipping. An important aspect, in addition to cost inputs, which decides, how high will the shipping cost it is the destination where the transportation takes place. The purpose of this article is to identify the impact of the change of destination on carrier costs. Authors will not deal with specific costs related to the change of destination, which include, for example, charges for the use of the road network or travel compensation to the driver, but will only deal with the probability of vehicle back-up. If the carrier is unable to backhaul of the vehicle, the initial shipping costs increase significantly.


2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lachlan H Donaldson ◽  
Kathryn Brooke ◽  
Steven G Faux

A file review of patients presenting to the Emergency Department of St Vincent?s Hospital with fractures sustained in a road crash was completed to describe patterns of orthopaedic injury, acute intervention and separation as well as the cost of care for adult road crash victims. One-hundred and eighty-seven patients were included. 65.8% were male; 48.1% were pedestrians. Differing patterns of injury corresponded to the role of the patient in the road crash (eg, pedestrian, driver of vehicle, etc). The mean length of stay was 8.8 days. 35.2% of patients were prescribed a different analgesic at discharge to that which they had received in the previous 24 hours. 35.8% had a documented discussion regarding insurance matters, usually with a social worker. 11.9% were discharged to inpatient rehabilitation. 56.2% had orthopaedic follow- up arranged at discharge, while 4.8% were discharged to an outpatient rehabilitation clinic. The mean overall cost was $13 336, with patients aged over 65 costing the most. The quality of acute care for fractures sustained in road crashes could be improved with evidencebased analgesia management, increased screening for psychiatric sequelae, enhanced assistance with insurance matters and vocational issues, and closer follow-up. Further research into the impact of these factors on long-term recovery is warranted.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-52
Author(s):  
Łukasz Marzantowicz

Abstract The goal of this article is to determine the relation between the price of fuel and the profitability of the company. For this purpose, the article defines the profitability of transport enterprises and points the source of the impact of changes in fuel prices on the profitability of companies in the road transport sector. The case of the ABC transport company shows the relationship between the costs incurred for the purchase of fuel and the cost of transport activities. To test the theoretical assumptions, case study method was used.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinevimbo Shiri ◽  
Angela Loyse ◽  
Lawrence Mwenge ◽  
Tao Chen ◽  
Shabir Lakhi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Mortality from cryptococcal meningitis remains very high in Africa. In the Advancing Cryptococcal Meningitis Treatment for Africa (ACTA) trial, 2 weeks of fluconazole (FLU) plus flucytosine (5FC) was as effective and less costly than 2 weeks of amphotericin-based regimens. However, many African settings treat with FLU monotherapy, and the cost-effectiveness of adding 5FC to FLU is uncertain. Methods The effectiveness and costs of FLU+5FC were taken from ACTA, which included a costing analysis at the Zambian site. The effectiveness of FLU was derived from cohorts of consecutively enrolled patients, managed in respects other than drug therapy, as were participants in ACTA. FLU costs were derived from costs of FLU+5FC in ACTA, by subtracting 5FC drug and monitoring costs. The cost-effectiveness of FLU+5FC vs FLU alone was measured as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). A probabilistic sensitivity analysis assessed uncertainties and a bivariate deterministic sensitivity analysis examined the impact of varying mortality and 5FC drug costs on the ICER. Results The mean costs per patient were US $847 (95% confidence interval [CI] $776–927) for FLU+5FC, and US $628 (95% CI $557–709) for FLU. The 10-week mortality rate was 35.1% (95% CI 28.9–41.7%) with FLU+5FC and 53.8% (95% CI 43.1–64.1%) with FLU. At the current 5FC price of US $1.30 per 500 mg tablet, the ICER of 5FC+FLU versus FLU alone was US $65 (95% CI $28–208) per life-year saved. Reducing the 5FC cost to between US $0.80 and US $0.40 per 500 mg resulted in an ICER between US $44 and US $28 per life-year saved. Conclusions The addition of 5FC to FLU is cost-effective for cryptococcal meningitis treatment in Africa and, if made available widely, could substantially reduce mortality rates among human immunodeficiency virus–infected persons in Africa.


1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 192-196
Author(s):  
Devindra Sood ◽  
Alka Pandey ◽  
Rajeev Sood ◽  
Nagesh Gupta ◽  
Ravinder Kumar Bajaj ◽  
...  

Aim: To study the medication costs of various topical glaucoma medications using data collected from real world use by patients.Methods: Patients with primary open angle glaucoma treated at glaucoma clinics in 5 hospitals (1 rural and 4 urban) in northern India from 1 January to 30 June 2008 were enrolled. The number of days each bottle of medication lasted was recorded, and the mean cost per day was computed from the maximum retail price and mean number of days each medication lasted.Results: 790 of 801 eligible patients completed the study. The mean number of days that a bottle of medication lasted was found to be highest for Xalatan® and Xalacom® at 35.23 days and 35.00 days, respectively. The brand name prostaglandin analogues all lasted for a mean of more than 30 days: Xalatan, 35.23 days (SD, 4.14 days); Lumigan®, 31.37 days (SD, 5.31 days); and Travatan®, 34.84 days (SD, 6.51 days), while the generic eye drops lasted for about 21 days: latanoprost, 20.69 days (SD, 3.69 days) and bimatoprost, 21.39 days (SD, 4.34 days). The cost of the generic medication was less than the brand name medication in all groups (for example, bimatoprost, Indian rupees 9.76 versus Indian rupees 12.33) except for brimonidine/timolol (Indian rupees 8.73 versus Indian rupees 8.66). Further analysis in 2009 showed that, for latanoprost, brimonidine and brimonidine/timolol, the difference between the brand name and generic medications decreased in 2009 over 2008 (in the latanoprost group, the cost difference over the year reduced from Indian rupees 592 in 2008 to Indian rupees 523 in 2009); the cost difference for bimatoprost increased from 2008 to 2009.Conclusion: When both cost and number of days a bottle lasts were considered over the long term, use of generic medications might not minimise the cost of glaucoma medical management by much when compared with the brand name medication.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. e005519
Author(s):  
Jing Yuan ◽  
Z Kevin Lu ◽  
Xiaomo Xiong ◽  
Bin Jiang

To cope with the increasing healthcare costs brought about by the universal health insurance programme, national volume-based procurement (NVBP) was implemented in China to reduce drug prices. However, the impact of NVBP remains unknown. We reported the effects of the NVBP pilot programme on medication affordability and discussed the challenges and recommendations for further reforms. A total of 25 molecules won the bidding in the NVBP pilot programme, and price cuts ranged from 25% to 96%. Medication affordability was measured as the number of days’ wages needed to pay for a course of treatment, and the medication was identified as affordable if the cost of a treatment course was less than the average daily wage. After the NVBP, the proportion of affordable drugs increased from 33% to 67%, and the mean affordability improved from 8.2 days’ wages to 2.8 days’ wages. Specifically, for rural residents, the proportion of affordable drugs increased from 13% to 58%, and the mean affordability improved from 15.7 days’ wages to 5.3 days’ wages. For urban residents, the proportion of affordable drugs increased from 54% to 71%, and the mean affordability improved from 5.9 days’ wages to 2.0 days’ wages. Implementing the NVBP substantially improved medication affordability. In future reforms, a multifaceted approach addressing all issues in the health system is needed to enhance medicine access.


Author(s):  
Ziedonis Miklašēvičs

The methodology in Latvia forest industry provide to determine the quality of energy chips only in long- term storage places before selling. Due to the lack of hard empirical data about the quality parameters of energy chips in different phases of manufacturing process, this research paper consists of: - the identification and analyses of the factors that influenced the values of energy chips quality features such as: bulk density, moisture content, ash content, higher and lower heating value according to actual moisture content and per dry mass of the chips; - the methodology for determination the quality parameters of energy chips by analysis the wood moisture content and by choice the method of the manufacturing of energy chips.


2018 ◽  
Vol 239 ◽  
pp. 03005
Author(s):  
Lidia Shkurina ◽  
Eugenia Maskaeva ◽  
Stanislav Maskaev

the authors reviewed the quality of operational work of railway transport in the cost management system, presented methods for assessing the impact of the quality of rolling stock on the current costs of transportation activities, considered the issues of the impact of the quality of operational work on the formation of freight market demand and of financial result of the transport company - the owner of infrastructure and traction rolling stock, represented methods of assessing financial and economic efficiency of improving the quality of operational work for the company - a participant of the freight market.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-16
Author(s):  
Pier-André Bouchard St-Amant

Background: Each year, the Canadian government assigns inspectors to visit firms and ensure compliance to the occupational health and safety provisions of the Canada Labour Code. This paper presents evidence supporting the hypothesis that assignments reduce the number of disabling injuries. It also presents a mathematical technique improving the performance of how firms are chosen for inspection. Methods: By combining two administrative databases covering worksites under federal jurisdiction, the impact of assignments on injuries is estimated using instrumental variables. The instruments are the exogenous part of the government’s assignment rule for inspectors. Results: The impact of one assignment on injuries is estimated to be -0.33 in the year following the assignment. Furthermore, by introducing a measure of diminishing marginal returns of assignments by sector, a more efficient assignment rule to help further minimize the number of injuries resulting from non-compliance with the Labour Code is suggested. This improved rule includes a reallocation of assignments across industries compared to the current allocation. In particular, assignments are transferred from the sectors of Air Transport and Road Transport to the sectors of Banking, Postal Contractors and Crown Corporations. Conclusions: A counterfactual experiment with the new allocation of assignments suggests an 18% decrease in the number of injuries for the same yearly average number of assignments. Based on available estimates of the cost of injuries, the suggested change in the targeting tool would lead to annual savings of 72 million dollars in workers’ compensation claims.


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