scholarly journals The High Cost of the Low-Cost Polybag System: A Review of Nursery Seedling Production Systems

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 826
Author(s):  
Diane Haase ◽  
Karma Bouzza ◽  
Lucy Emerton ◽  
James Friday ◽  
Becca Lieberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Performance ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Cultural Elements ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Nursery Production ◽  
Survival And Growth

An important strategy for meeting global landscape restoration goals is nursery production of high-quality seedlings. Growing seedlings with attributes that promote post-planting survival and growth can be dramatically influenced by the nursery container system. In many countries, nurseries produce seedlings in polybags filled with excavated soil. These seedlings often develop deformed roots with limited fibrosity which can lead to poor survival and growth after outplanting. Polybags are initially inexpensive but using these single-use plastic containers accrues expenses that are often untracked. Comparisons among nursery production systems must account for factors such as container longevity, labor efficiency, and seedling field performance. A more holistic approach to account for environmental, economic, social, logistic, and cultural elements in the cost–benefit equation that influences nursery production systems is needed. Converting to a modern container system requires concomitant adjustments in nursery scheduling and culturing matched to the new stock type. Doing so provides an opportunity to align nursery production techniques and resulting seedling attributes with anticipated field conditions. This article describes and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of nursery production systems and provides recommendations and case studies to aid nurseries in improving seedling quality toward meeting restoration goals in a cost-effective and timely manner.

scholarly journals Indirect Laryngeal Surgery in the Clinical Voice Laboratory: The Renewal of a Lost Art

2000 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 350-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman D. Hogikyan ◽  
Melissa Pynnonen
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
General Anesthesia ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Topical Anesthesia ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Laryngeal Surgery ◽  
Type Of Surgery

Since the advent of precision instruments and safe techniques for direct laryngoscopic surgery under general anesthesia, indirect laryngeal surgery has become very uncommon. A review of the recent literature finds that few authors advocate indirect surgery under topical anesthesia, and many otolaryngologists dismiss this technique as being either of only historical interest or an idiosyncratic method practiced only by a handful of clinicians. The societal mandate for cost-effective healthcare and the availability of relatively low-cost, high-quality endoscopes and video equipment warrant a renewed and broader interest in this type of surgery. In this article, we review a series of 27 indirect surgical procedures performed under topical anesthesia in the clinical voice laboratory. We discuss the indications, outcomes, advantages, and disadvantages of this surgery, and we present a brief analysis of its cost-effectiveness. We conclude that indirect laryngeal surgery in the clinical voice laboratory is an effective, safe, efficient, and less costly alternative to some procedures routinely performed under general anesthesia.

Field Evaluation and Cost Effectiveness of Crack Sealing in Flexible and Composite Pavements

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (12) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Momen Mousa ◽  
Mostafa A. Elseifi ◽  
Mohammad Bashar ◽  
Zhongjie Zhang ◽  
Kevin Gaspard
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Field Performance ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Field Evaluation ◽  
Asphalt Emulsion ◽  
Transverse Cracks ◽  
Crack Sealing ◽  
Composite Pavements

One of the most common methods used to treat longitudinal and transverse cracks is crack sealing (CS), which is categorized as a preventive maintenance method. Field performance and cost-effectiveness of this treatment widely vary depending on pavement conditions and installation of the material. The objective of this study was to evaluate the field performance and cost-effectiveness of CS in flexible and composite pavements in hot and wet climates such as Louisiana, and to develop a model that would quantify the expected benefits of CS given project conditions. To achieve this objective, 28 control sections that were crack-sealed between 2003 and 2010 were monitored for at least four years. These sections included flexible and composite pavements, sealed and unsealed segments, and varying traffic levels. The performance of these sections was evaluated for the random cracking index (RCI) and roughness index (RI). Based on the results of this analysis, it was concluded that CS only has a significant impact on random cracking. When compared with untreated segments, CS extended pavement service life (PSL) by two years. When compared with the original pavement, CS extended PSL by 5.6 and 3.2 years for flexible and composite pavements, respectively, if applied at the correct time. The cost-benefit analysis indicated that CS is cost-effective whether asphalt emulsion or rubberized asphalt sealant is used. A non-linear regression model was developed to predict the extension in PSL because of CS without the need for performance data based on the average daily traffic (ADT), pavement type, and prior pavement conditions.

High Technology Applications of Barium and Strontium Ferrite Magnets

2016 ◽  
Vol 881 ◽  
pp. 134-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Flavio de Campos ◽  
Daniel Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Barium Ferrite ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
High Technology ◽  
Strontium Ferrite ◽  
Metallic Alloys ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Technology Applications ◽  
Wet Condition

Ceramic magnets as barium ferrite or strontium ferrite have many applications in high technology. One of the reasons is the low cost when compared to competitor materials, as Alnico, MnBi, MnAl or NdFeB. In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of Ba and Sr ferrite magnets are discussed. One clear advantage is that ferrites are already oxides, and do not present the corrosion problems typical of NdFeB and other metallic alloys. As ferrites are oxides, the processing is much easier and cheaper. For example sintering can be done at air, and milling under wet condition. One of the main conclusions is the excellent ratio cost/benefit of ferrites, giving advantage in many applications. Special attention is given for application of ferrites in high efficiency motors.

scholarly journals Seed Priming: A Potential Supplement in Integrated Resource Management Under Fragile Intensive Ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Siva Devika ◽  
Sonam Singh ◽  
Deepranjan Sarkar ◽  
Prabhakar Barnwal ◽  
Jarupula Suman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Seed Priming ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Productivity Cost ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Set Up

A majority of agricultural activities are conducted under fragile lands or set-up. The growth and development of crops are negatively affected due to several biotic and abiotic stresses. In the current situation, research efforts have been diverted toward the short-term approaches that can improve crop performance under changing environments. Seed treatment or priming technology is in a transition phase of its popularity among resource-poor farmers. Suitable policy intervention can boost low-cost techniques to implement them on a larger scale in developing countries and to harness the maximum benefits of sustainable food production systems. Primed seeds have high vigor and germination rate that help in seedling growth and successful crop stand establishment under stress conditions. This review is attempted to assess different seed priming techniques in terms of resource use efficiency, crop productivity, cost–benefit balance, and environmental impacts. Moreover, a comprehensive study of the mechanisms (physiological and biochemical) of seed priming is also elaborated. A detailed examination of the applications of priming technology under diverse agroecosystems can improve our understanding of the adaptive management of natural resources.

023. Biotechnology and reproduction in mainstream animal industry - a perspective

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
G. B. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Small Ruminants ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Embryo Survival ◽  
Reproductive Process ◽  
Increase Productivity ◽  
Or Gene ◽  
Reproductive Events

This paper considers strategies to improve the reproductive performance of small ruminants in ways that lead to production systems that are ‘clean, green and ethical’. This view arises from feedback from consumers, particularly in attractive export markets, and from a need to refocus on the needs of Australian producers, most of whom operate large, extensive enterprises. These people cannot use ‘high-tech’ systems but need low-cost, low-labour solutions to their problems. First, to control of the timing of reproductive events, they can use the socio-sexual inputs of the ‘male effect’ to induce synchronised ovulation in females that would otherwise be anovulatory (seasonal, lactational, prepubertal). Second, they can use nutritional stimuli for ‘focus feeding’, in which short periods of nutritional supplements are precisely timed and specifically designed for individual events in the reproductive process: gamete production, embryo survival, ‘fetal programming’ and colostrum production. Third, they can use simple behavioural observations to genetically select for temperament – this will maximize offspring survival, product quality and animal welfare. All of these approaches involve non-pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous control systems of the animals and complement the detailed information from ultrasound that is now becoming available.1 The use of such clean, green and ethical tools in the management of our animals can be cost-effective, increase productivity and, at the same time, greatly improve the image of meat and milk industries in society and the marketplace. This does not mean, however, that they will not benefit from the opportunities that evolve from breakthroughs in reproductive technology or gene research. On the contrary, if this ‘high-tech’ research is done within the context of the needs of a ‘clean, green and ethical’ industry, first class science can have very direct and immediate benefits to our livestock industries. (1)Martin GB, Milton JTB, Davidson RH, Banchero Hunzicker GE, Lindsay DR and Blache D. (2004). Natural methods of increasing reproductive efficiency in sheep and goats. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 82–83, 231–246.

scholarly journals 3D Printing of Rapid, Low-Cost and Patient-Specific Models of Brain Vasculature for Use in Preoperative Planning in Clipping of Intracranial Aneurysms

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1201
Author(s):  
Maciej Błaszczyk ◽  
Redwan Jabbar ◽  
Bartosz Szmyd ◽  
Maciej Radek
Keyword(s):  
3D Visualization ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Image Data ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Stl File ◽  
3D Printed

We developed a practical and cost-effective method of production of a 3D-printed model of the arterial Circle of Willis of patients treated because of an intracranial aneurysm. We present and explain the steps necessary to produce a 3D model from medical image data, and express the significant value such models have in patient-specific pre-operative planning as well as education. A Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) viewer is used to create 3D visualization from a patient’s Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) images. After generating the reconstruction, we manually remove the anatomical components that we wish to exclude from the print by utilizing tools provided with the imaging software. We then export this 3D reconstructions file into a Standard Triangulation Language (STL) file which is then run through a “Slicer” software to generate a G-code file for the printer. After the print is complete, the supports created during the printing process are removed manually. The 3D-printed models we created were of good accuracy and scale. The median production time used for the models described in this manuscript was 4.4 h (range: 3.9–4.5 h). Models were evaluated by neurosurgical teams at local hospital for quality and practicality for use in urgent and non-urgent care. We hope we have provided readers adequate insight into the equipment and software they would require to quickly produce their own accurate and cost-effective 3D models from CT angiography images. It has become quite clear to us that the cost-benefit ratio in the production of such a simplified model is worthwhile.

scholarly journals Curating Local Knowledge: Experimental Evidence from Small Retailers in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricio S Dalton ◽  
Julius Rüschenpöhler ◽  
Burak Uras ◽  
Bilal Zia
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Behavioral Constraints ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Outstanding Question

Abstract Business practices and performance vary widely across businesses within the same sector. A key outstanding question is why profitable practices do not readily diffuse. We conduct a field experiment among urban retailers in Indonesia to study whether alleviating informational and behavioral frictions can facilitate such diffusion in a cost-effective manner. Through quantitative and qualitative fieldwork, we curate a handbook that associates locally relevant practices with performance, and provides idiosyncratic implementation guidance informed by exemplary local retailers. We complement this handbook with two light-touch interventions to facilitate behavior change. A subset of retailers is invited to a documentary movie screening featuring the paths to success of exemplary peers. Another subset is offered two 30 minute personal visits by a local facilitator. A third group is offered both. Eighteen months later, we find significant impacts on practice adoption when the handbook is coupled with the two behavioral nudges, and up to a 35% increase in profits and 16.7% increase in sales. These findings suggest both informational and behavioral constraints are at play. The types of practices adopted map the performance improvements to efficiency gains rather than other channels. A simple cost-benefit analysis shows such locally relevant knowledge can be codified and scaled successfully at relatively low cost.

scholarly journals Optimizing Costs to Collect Local Infauna through Grabs: Effect of Sampling Size and Replication

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 410
Author(s):  
Lidia N. Álvarez ◽  
Sara García-Sanz ◽  
Néstor E. Bosch ◽  
Rodrigo Riera ◽  
Fernando Tuya
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Wiener Index ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Local Site ◽  
Optimal Sample ◽  
Size Accuracy

Most ecological studies require a cost-effective collection of multi-species samples. A literature review unravelled that (1) large-sized grabs to collect infauna have been used at greater depths, despite no consistent relationship between grab size and replication across studies; and (2) the total number of taxa and individuals is largely determined by the replication. Then, infauna from a sedimentary (sandy) seabed at Gran Canaria Island was collected through van Veen grabs of three sizes: 0.018, 0.042 and 0.087 m2 to optimize, on a simple cost-benefit basis, sample size and replication. Specifically, (1) the degree of representativeness in the composition of assemblages, and (2) accuracy of three univariate metrics (species richness, total infaunal abundances and the Shannon-Wiener index), was compared according to replication. Then, by considering mean times (a surrogate of costs) to process a sample by each grab, (3) their cost-efficiency was estimated. Representativeness increased with grab size. Irrespective of the grab size, accuracy of univariate metrics considerably increased when n > 10 replicates. Costs associated with the 0.087 m2 grab were consistently lower than costs by the other grabs. In conclusion, because of high representativeness and low cost, a 6.87 L grab appears to be the optimal sample size to assess infauna at our local site.

scholarly journals Manual Borehole Drilling as a Cost-Effective Solution for Drinking Water Access in Low-Income Contexts

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1981
Author(s):  
Pedro Martínez-Santos ◽  
Miguel Martín-Loeches ◽  
Silvia Díaz-Alcaide ◽  
Kerstin Danert
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Unconsolidated Sediments ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Water Access ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages

Water access remains a challenge in rural areas of low-income countries. Manual drilling technologies have the potential to enhance water access by providing a low cost drinking water alternative for communities in low and middle income countries. This paper provides an overview of the main successes and challenges experienced by manual boreholes in the last two decades. A review of the existing methods is provided, discussing their advantages and disadvantages and comparing their potential against alternatives such as excavated wells and mechanized boreholes. Manual boreholes are found to be a competitive solution in relatively soft rocks, such as unconsolidated sediments and weathered materials, as well as and in hydrogeological settings characterized by moderately shallow water tables. Ensuring professional workmanship, the development of regulatory frameworks, protection against groundwater pollution and standards for quality assurance rank among the main challenges for the future.

scholarly journals Cost comparison of different treatment approaches of dacryocystitis and dacrocystocele

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 251584142092628
Author(s):  
Erin G. Sieck ◽  
Leonid Zukin ◽  
Jennifer L. Patnaik ◽  
Anne M. Lynch ◽  
Peggy Kelley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chart Review ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Operating Time ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Nasolacrimal Duct ◽  
Cost Comparison ◽  
Nasal Endoscopy ◽  
Surgical Approaches

Purpose: Congenital dacrocystocele with potential for dacryocystitis are common ophthalmic findings in children. There are multiple surgical approaches to open the mucocele. In this study, we look at the financial impact of these different approaches. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 17 patients with dacrocystocele or dacryocystitis was performed. We examined four approaches: (1) bedside nasal endoscopy with marsupialization of nasolacrimal duct (NLD) cyst, (2) surgically performed nasal endoscopy with marsupialization of NLD cyst, (3) NLD probe, and (4) a combination of procedures. Cost of the procedure and length of anesthesia were collected. Reoccurrence of symptoms and disease post-procedure were also collected. Results: The lowest cost billed procedure was bedside nasal endoscopy performed by an otolaryngologist (US$435; n = 1). A nasal endoscopy ( n = 2) performed in the operating room (OR) had an average OR fee of US$14,557 [standard deviation (SD): US$7598] for 108.5 (SD: 87.0) min of operating time. An NLD probe ( n = 5) performed by pediatric ophthalmologists resulted in an average OR fee of US$5540 (SD: US$1752) for 31.0 min (SD: 8.6 min) of operating time. A combination of both nasal endoscopy and NLD probing ( n = 9) had an average OR fee US$10,325 (SD: US$4137) for 69 min (SD: 34.5 min) of operating time. Conclusion: This is the first study looking at cost benefit of four different approaches to treating dacrocystoceles/dacryocystitis. A NLD probe was a low-cost OR intervention and had the shortest operating time. The combination procedure was more cost-effective than nasal endoscopy or NLD probing alone.

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