DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF REGENERATIVE DAMPERS

Each and every automobile in service or being developed in the industry is benchmarked on the basis of its efficiency in running real conditions. So in our project here we have tried to develop a complete new damper and spring setup which can be used in all sorts of suspension systems and in turn provides a feedback loop of voltage which can then be used charge the batteries and upscale the efficiency of bikes by (5-6)% & and for HUV or Sedans by (2-4)% (can even go higher) depending on the terrain. In this setup we harness the mechanical energy into electrical where earlier it was left as heat and vibrational losses. This setup is as cost effective as the earlier dampers where as providing an efficient output in minimal cost increase due to its novelty. The other Features include Electronic height adjustment & on demand suspension softness or stiffness. Keywords: Dampers, Automobile, Electromagnet, EV (Electric vehicle), Voltage, Magnetic flux, Suspension

In-Hospital Costs Associated With an Expanded Endonasal Approach to Anterior Skull Base Tumors

Objective: To determine in-hospital costs associated with performing an EEA to anterior skull base pathology and to identify drivers of cost variability for patients undergoing endoscopic anterior skull base surgery. Methods: All endoscopic anterior skull base surgeries performed over a period from January 1st, 2015 to October 24th, 2017 were evaluated. The electronic medical record was reviewed for patient factors, tumor characteristics, and cost variables associated with each hospital stay and univariate analysis was performed using Stata software. Results: An EEA was associated with an average total in-hospital cost of $44 545. Compared to patients undergoing a transsphenoidal approach to pituitary tumor resection, EEA patients incurred higher in-hospital costs across all variables including a total cost increase of $15 921 (95% confidence interval $5720-26 122, P = .002). Univariate analysis of all endoscopic anterior skull base surgery patients showed a cost increase of $30 616 associated with post-operative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak ($10 420-50 811, P = .004), $14 610 with post-operative diabetes insipidus (DI) ($4610-24 609, P = .004), and $11 522 with African-American patients relative to Caucasian patients ($3049-19 995, P = .008). Conclusions: Patients who undergo endoscopic EEA for resection of anterior skull base tumors typically incur greater in-hospital costs than patients undergoing a standard TSA. Post-operative complications such as CSF leak and DI, as well as ethnicity, are significant drivers of cost-variability.

Directly Measured Costs of Severe Maternal Morbidity Events during Delivery Admission Compared with Uncomplicated Deliveries

Objective To estimate the actual excess costs of care for delivery admissions complicated by severe maternal morbidity (SMM) compared with uncomplicated deliveries. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of all deliveries between October 2015 and September 2018 at a single tertiary academic center. Pregnant individuals ≥ 20 weeks' gestation who delivered during a hospital admission (i.e., a “delivery admission”) were included. The primary exposure was SMM, as defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria, CDC criteria excluding blood transfusion, or by validated hospital-defined criteria (intensive care unit admission or ≥ 4 units of blood products). Potential SMM events identified via administrative and blood bank data were reviewed to confirm SMM events had occurred. Primary outcome was total actual costs of delivery admission derived from time-based accounting and acquisition costs in the institutional Value Driven Outcomes database. Cost of delivery admissions with SMM events was compared with the cost of uncomplicated delivery using adjusted generalized linear models, with separate models for each of the SMM definitions. Relative cost differences are reported due to data restrictions. Results Of 12,367 eligible individuals, 12,361 had complete cost data. Two hundred and eighty individuals (2.3%) had confirmed SMM events meeting CDC criteria. CDC criteria excluding transfusion alone occurred in 1.0% (n = 121) and hospital-defined SMM in 0.6% (n = 76). In adjusted models, SMM events by CDC criteria were associated with a relative cost increase of 2.45 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.29–2.61) the cost of an uncomplicated delivery. SMM by CDC criteria excluding transfusion alone was associated with a relative increase of 3.26 (95% CI: 2.95–3.60) and hospital-defined SMM with a 4.19-fold (95% CI: 3.64–4.83) increase. Each additional CDC subcategory of SMM diagnoses conferred a relative cost increase of 1.60 (95% CI: 1.43–1.79). Conclusion SMM is associated with between 2.5- and 4-fold higher cost than uncomplicated deliveries. Key Points

Integrated optimization of multiproduct multiperiod transportation and inventory under a carbon cap constraint for online retailers

This study aims to solve the problem of multiproduct multiperiod integrated transportation and inventory optimization for online retailers. A carbon cap constraint and multitype of capacitated trucks are simultaneously incorporated into the proposed mixed-integer program. A simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is designed. CPLEX 12.9.0 is used to solve the submodel obtained from the neighbourhood search and is also used to get the optimal solutions for instances. Experimental results show that the simulated annealing algorithm can find satisfactory solutions within a reasonable time. When the problem size increases, the growth of the computational time of the SA algorithm is significantly smaller than that of the CPLEX. A sensitivity analysis for the carbon cap is also conducted. The results indicate that if the carbon cap is gradually tightened, the total cost increases first with a gentle slope, and then with a remarkable slope, same as for the total number of trucks used; the total carbon emissions first decrease with a gentle slope, and then decline with a significant slope. When the carbon cap is strict, only a few different types of trucks will be considered. The percentage changes of the total cost increase and the total carbon emission reduction are also compared. When the allowed carbon emissions are gradually reduced, situation of a higher amount of carbon emission reduction and a lower amount of cost increase can be achieved. Additionally, using multiple types of trucks in the integrated optimization of transportation and inventory decisions can achieve greater cost savings with lower increments of carbon emission.

Impact of Internal Carbon Prices on the Energy System of an Organisation’s Facilities in Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom Compared to Potential External Carbon Prices

Organisations attempt to contribute their share towards fighting the climate crisis by trying to reduce their emission of greenhouse gases effectively towards net zero. An instrument to guide their reduction efforts is internal carbon pricing. Next to choosing the right pricing tool, defining the exact value of an internal carbon price, especially against the background of potential regulatory external carbon prices, and assessing its impact on business units’ energy systems poses a challenge for organisations. The academic literature has so far not examined the impact differences of an internal carbon price across different countries, which this paper addresses by using an optimisation model. First, it analyses the energy system cost increase of a real-world facility based on an internal carbon price compared to a potential regulatory carbon price within a country. Second, we evaluate the energy system cost increase based on an internal carbon price across different countries. The results show that with regard to internal carbon prices the additional total system cost compared to potential external carbon prices stays within 9%, 15%, and 59% for Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, respectively. The increase in the energy system cost in each country varies between 3% and 93%. For all countries, the cost differences can be reduced by allowing the installation of renewables. The integration of renewables via energy storage and power-to-heat technologies depends on the renewable potentials and the availability of carbon capture and storage. If organisations do not account for these differences, it might raise the disapproval of internal carbon prices within the organisation.

National Maintenance Cost for Precision Diagnostics Under the Verifying Accurate Leading-Edge In Vitro Clinical Test Development (VALID) Act of 2020

PURPOSE: The proposed legislation Verifying Accurate and Leading-edge In vitro clinical test Development (VALID) clarifies the US Food and Drug Administration's authority to regulate laboratory-developed tests. Many stakeholders have pointed out that the lack of direct US Food and Drug Administration oversight has led to erroneous results that have serious patient consequences—in particular for patients with cancer. Technology Certification is a key provision proposed in VALID to navigate the balance between safety, patient access, and innovation; however, the maintenance cost of the proposed framework after implementation is unclear. METHODS: On the basis of 2019 retrospective data from a laboratory-developed test–based cancer diagnostics laboratory, we expressed laboratory complexity by the number and complexity of assays and in vitro diagnostic technologies. We estimated the national health care cost increase by modeling three stringencies of complying with the Act. We performed sensitivity analysis of our regulatory stringency model taking into account number of patients tested, materials, submission cost, and labor using extra cost per patient as the output. RESULTS: We estimate the national health care cost increase to range from $33M US dollars (USD) to $1,110M USD or $0.21 USD to $0.70 USD per employed person in the United States. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that regulatory stringency is the primary driver of extra cost per patient. Cancer testing does not reflect all areas of in vitro diagnostics affected by VALID; nonetheless, concrete cost models are paramount in informing the ongoing legislative negotiations. CONCLUSION: Our findings show the critical importance of clarity in the legislative language to ensure balance between VALID's goals of assuring high-quality test performance and the burden to laboratories and overall health care cost.

Effects of Increase in the Cost of Building Materials on the Delivery of Affordable Housing in South Africa

Adequate provision of affordable human settlements is a huge challenge in South Africa since its independence. This paper investigates the effects of the cost increase of building materials on affordable housing delivery in South Africa. With potential solutions for cost minimisation of building materials, with the aim of achieving affordable housing delivery in South Africa are provided. This study uses a sequential mixed methods approach, wherein surveys were conducted among the construction professionals (project managers, site managers architects, site engineers, quantity surveyors, contractors, building materials suppliers, and government workers) in the construction industry within Cape Town, South Africa, who were considered as the research participants. The qualitative data obtained from the survey exercise were analysed using content analysis, while the quantitative data were analysed using a descriptive statistical technique on SPSS. The findings attained show fluctuation in construction cost and a rise in maintenance cost (caused by poor workmanship) as significant effects in the cost increase of building materials for affordable housing delivery. Adequate application of the recommendations given in this study will minimise the effects of high cost of building materials and enhance affordable housing delivery. Appropriate handling of the findings given in this study will reduce the effects of the high cost of building materials and augment timely delivery of affordable housing and stakeholders’ satisfaction.

Improvement of total running time and wear resistance of tillage tools

On the basis of a system analysis of methods of total running time and wear resistance improvement of tillage tools it has been found that in 90% of cases their improvement is achieved by technological methods. In its turn, it requires the use of expensive hardening materials that results in production cost increase of final output. The solution to a problem cannot be based on using one group of methods, it requires a complex approach when using a range of available groups of methods. Correspondingly, the purpose of the research is to identify experimentally some feasible methods of total running time and wear resistance improvement of tillage tools with due regards to soil and climatic conditions of their operation. On the basis of soil and climatic conditions of tillage tools operation, the research identifies experimentally some operational, constructional and technological methods of wear resistance improvement of share and disk tools. The research results have been introduced at the agrarian enterprises of Zhytomyr oblast.