Modal Analysis of Conceptual Microsatellite Design Employing Perforated Structural Components for Mass Reduction

Mass reduction is a primary design goal pursued in satellite structural design, since the launch cost is proportional to their total mass. The most common mass reduction method currently employed is to introduce honeycomb structures, with space qualified composite materials as facing materials, into the structural design, especially for satellites with larger masses. However, efficient implementation of these materials requires significant expertise in their design, analysis, and fabrication processes; moreover, the material procurement costs are high, therefore increasing the overall program costs. Thus, the current work proposes a low-cost alternative approach through the design and implementation of geometrically-shaped, parametrically-defined metal perforation patterns, fabricated by standard processes. These patterns included four geometric shapes (diamonds, hexagons, squares, and triangles) implemented onto several components of a structural design for a conceptual satellite, with a parametric design space defined by two scale factors and also two aspect ratio variations. The change in the structure’s fundamental natural frequency, as a result of implementing each pattern shape and parameter variation, was the selection criterion, due to its importance during the launcher selection process. The best pattern from among the four alternatives was then selected, after having validated the computational methodology through implementing experimental modal analysis on a scaled down physical model of a primary load-bearing component of the structural design. From the findings, a significant mass reduction percentage of 23.15%, utilizing the proposed perforation concept, was achieved in the final parametric design iteration relative to the baseline unperforated case while maintaining the same fundamental frequency. Dynamic loading analysis was also conducted, utilizing both the baseline unperforated and the finalized perforated designs, to check its capability to withstand realistic launch loads through applying quasi-static loads. The findings show that the final perforated design outperformed the baseline unperforated design with respect to the maximum displacements, maximum Von Mises stresses, and also the computed margin of safety. With these encouraging outcomes, the perforated design concept proved that it could provide an opportunity to develop low-cost satellite structural designs with reduced mass.

Dampak Program CSR Binaan PT Pertamina RU II Sungai Pakning: Analisis Social Return on Investment (SROI) dan Sensitivitas

The purpose of this study is to see the impact of the CSR program of PT Pertamina RU II Sei Pakning through the analysis of Social Return on Investment and sensitivity. This research is descriptive quantitative by utilizing primary and secondary data. Primary data consists of data obtained from processing observational data and secondary data obtained from various literature sources. Based on the results of the SROI calculations for the four programs, it can be concluded that the social investment made for each program is feasible because all programs have a positive SROI score (more than 1) during the program implementation plan. In accordance with the results of the SROI calculation analysis, four programs from PT Pertamina RU II Sungai Pakning have generated benefits that are greater than the program costs. However, there are still opportunities to increase and expand the scope of benefits from the four programs.

Dealing With Deadstock: A Case Study of Carnivore Conflict Mitigation From Southwestern Alberta

Livestock deaths are an unfortunate reality for livestock producers and dead livestock (i.e., deadstock) disposal options can have implications beyond the ranch itself. In Alberta, Canada, natural disposal (i.e., disposing of the carcass in a manner that allows for scavenging) has increased since the 2003 detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canadian cattle. Prior to BSE, rendering companies removed deadstock for free. However, rendering companies started charging producers to remove deadstock to offset costs associated with new regulatory requirements enacted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which has resulted in increased on-farm natural disposal of deadstock. This increase has ecological implications because deadstock are a major attractant for large carnivores. Carnivores feeding on deadstock are often near other agricultural attractants such as stored grain and feed, silage, and living livestock, which can exacerbate conflict potential and pose a risk to human safety. To help mitigate conflicts associated with deadstock, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve's (a local non-profit) Carnivores and Communities Program (CACP) supported expansion of community deadstock removal efforts beginning in 2009, including reimbursement of on-farm removal costs, bear-resistant deadstock bins, and a livestock compost facility (operational 2013–2014). Here, we present an evaluative case study describing the development, implementation, and results of the deadstock removal program, including the compost facility. We tracked the number of head of livestock removed each year, the number of participating landowners, the average cost per head, and total program costs. We also used an online survey to assess participants' perspectives of the deadstock removal program and future needs. To date, the CACP has removed >5,400 livestock carcasses, representing between 15.1 and 22.6% of available carcasses in the program area, and 67.3% of livestock owners indicated they currently use the deadstock removal program to dispose of deadstock. Average cost to compost an animal was significantly less than other removal methods ($36.89 composting vs. $79.59 non-composting, one-tailed t-test, unequal sampling variances: t = 4.08, df = 5.87, p = 0.003). We conclude by discussing both ecological and social implications for deadstock removal as a conflict mitigation measure and make suggestions for future management considerations.

Corrosion Mitigation Using Nonmetallic Piping for In-Plant Hydrocarbon Service

The underground hydrocarbon metallic lines are usually subjected to severe corrosion due to several reasons such as high water table in the area and due to intermittent bi-directional crude service or similar environmental factors. To meet the challenge, non-metallic underground crude transfer lines may be considered to carry oil from/to the bulk storage sites. Since there are not many non-metallic applications in HC services, it may become a challenge to get the necessary approvals from the various stake holders in terms of concerns for asset integrity and the costs. This report details the conversion of metallic crude pipeline application to a non-metallic one. Normally, the in-kind replacement will involve an internally coated CS line to reduce corrosion rate. However, engineering studies and assessments reveal that there are greater economic benefits when adapting to a non-metallic counterpart. For a generic case, hydraulics on a 1.7km crude transfer line with 48" diameter and the intermittent crude service revealed that 36" non-metallic version could do the job with less installation costs as minimal site activities will be required and there will be no requirements of non-destructive tests (NDT). Only a service test following the installation may be necessary to prove the operational integrity. Cost comparisons showed a 28% less project cost in using the non-metallic pipeline while meeting all other application requirements. The introduction of non-metallic line would take away the problem of the external and internal corrosion from the equation. Especially in the aging facilities where fatigue becomes an issue, the carbon steel line always requires additional maintenance activities and there was always a chance to develop an underground pin hole. Therefore, an extensive inspection program had its own costs to maintain the line. With the non-metallic pipe usage, not only the construction costs can be lowered but it could avoid major inspection and maintenance program costs. The Nonmetallic line is considered low to maintenance free, and additional long-term savings are expected. This application opens the door for the utilization of nonmetallic material in plant hydrocarbon processes. And given the size considered of this line (36 inches), this allows for further consideration to install nonmetallic piping on a wide range of applications. Also, non-metallics are especially effective for sluggish or intermittent flows and areas with high water table to avoid all sorts of erosion and corrosion issues internally due to process conditions or externally due to environmental conditions.

Why Do People Stay Poor?

There are two broad views as to why people stay poor. One emphasizes differences in fundamentals, such as ability, talent, or motivation. The other, the poverty traps view, emphasizes differences in opportunities which stem from access to wealth. To test between these two views, we exploit a large-scale, randomized asset transfer and an 11-year panel of 6,000 households who begin in extreme poverty. The setting is rural Bangladesh and the assets are cows. The data supports the poverty traps view—we identify a threshold level of initial assets above which households accumulate assets, take on better occupations (from casual labor in agriculture or domestic services to running small livestock businesses), and grow out of poverty. The reverse happens for those below the threshold. Structural estimation of an occupational choice model reveals that almost all beneficiaries are misallocated in the work they do at baseline and that the gains arising from eliminating misallocation would far exceed the program costs. Our findings imply that large transfers which create better jobs for the poor are an effective means of getting people out of poverty traps and reducing global poverty.

Health and Working Beyond Retirement Age: Exploring Racial and Gender Intersectionality

Little longitudinal research exists on health and working among older racial and ethnic minority adults. Following previous cross-sectional research, we examine the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (HABC) study comparing working vs. not working overtime among older adults. We hypothesize: 1) Black vs. White adults are more likely to work; 2) Black vs. White differences in working are greater among women than men; and 3) Working relates to fewer prevalent health problems than not working. We used gender-stratified descriptive statistics and generalized mixed-effects logistic regression with covariate adjustments to analyze the HABC cohort study, with community-dwelling, well-functioning Black (42%) and White older adults aged 70-79 in year 1 (n=3,069) to year 6 (n=2,091). We found support for all three hypotheses. Black vs. White adults were more likely to work overtime. Women were less likely to work overtime compared to men. White women were less likely to keep working compared to men and Black women. Lastly, older adults with fewer chronic conditions were more likely to continue working. Our study finds racial and gender differences among older adults working overtime. Intersectionality plays a role in older adults’ health and work disparities, leading us to explore the needs and/or benefits of working past retirement in specific groups. Our policy implication is for society to pro-actively invest in older adults’ health and productive activities, which may act as social determinants of health solutions to reduce disparities and growing social safety net program costs.

A Decision Support System for Undecided and Exploratory Students

Choosing a major can be a difficult choice for undeclared students, depending on personal interests, job markets, program costs, and the complexity of graduation requirements. The current procedure for exploring possible majors/minors involves a tedious and time-consuming exploration of static data presented in a convoluted format. This work considers the complexity of degree requirements and presents the design and implementation of an efficient decision support system (DSS) for exploring majors and/or minors. The DSS presents a tool that enables college students to map their already completed courses to degree requirements and then view the majors/minors that yield the shortest path for graduation. Secondly, the DSS system provides data visualization tools to assist students in selecting courses that satisfy the remaining requirements of a selected major/minor.

Impact and Return on Investment of the Take Kare Safe Space Program—A Harm Reduction Strategy Implemented in Sydney, Australia

Safe spaces are increasingly utilized to reduce alcohol-related harm, violence, crime and improve public safety in nightlife settings. This study aimed to determine the impact and return on investment of the Take Kare Safe Space (TKSS) program—a harm reduction program implemented to address alcohol-related violence and disorder in three locations in Sydney’s night-time economy between 2014 and 2019. TKSS ambassadors provided support at static safe spaces and patrolled designated nightlife precincts to provide practical assistance to vulnerable and intoxicated people. Ambassadors recorded information relating to these interactions including ‘client’ age, gender, perceived level of intoxication, time and length of engagement with the program. Costs of program implementation and benefits of major incidents averted were obtained to allow calculation of return on investment. From December 2014 to April 2019, 66,455 people were supported by TKSS ambassadors. Most users were male (62%) and aged 18–25 years (66%). Of 3633 interventions by ambassadors, serious risk of harm was averted in 735 cases (20%). The program’s return on investment is estimated at 2.67, suggesting that a $1 investment results in $2.67 in benefits. Safe Spaces are extensively utilized, particularly by young males with high levels of intoxication, and represent a positive return on investment. Despite the growth of such services, there remains a notable absence of rigorous, independent evaluation regarding the outcomes and/or social benefit of safe space programs. From a policy perspective, there is a need for more high-quality economic evaluations to better inform decisions about competing uses of limited resources.

Assessing cost-effectiveness of hepatitis C testing pathways in Georgia using the Hep C Testing Calculator

The cost of testing can be a substantial contributor to hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination program costs in many low- and middle-income countries such as Georgia, resulting in the need for innovative and cost-effective strategies for testing. Our objective was to investigate the most cost-effective testing pathways for scaling-up HCV testing in Georgia. We developed a Markov-based model with a lifetime horizon that simulates the natural history of HCV, and the cost of detection and treatment of HCV. We then created an interactive online tool that uses results from the Markov-based model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different HCV testing pathways. We compared the current standard-of-care (SoC) testing pathway and four innovative testing pathways for Georgia. The SoC testing was cost-saving compared to no testing, but all four new HCV testing pathways further increased QALYs and decreased costs. The pathway with the highest patient follow-up, due to on-site testing, resulted in the highest discounted QALYs (123 QALY more than the SoC) and lowest costs ($127,052 less than the SoC) per 10,000 persons screened. The current testing algorithm in Georgia can be replaced with a new pathway that is more effective while being cost-saving.

Case management intervention of High Users of the Emergency Department of a Portuguese hospital: a before-after design analysis

Background: Emergency department (ED) High users (HU), defined as having more than ten visits to the ED per year, are a small group of patients that use a significant proportion of ED resources. The High Users Resolution Group(GRHU) identifies and provides care toHUto improve their health situation and reduce their visit frequency to the ED by delivering patient-centered, case management integrated care. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to measure the impact in terms of hospital visits of the GRHU intervention. Additionally, we aim to compare the program costs against its potential savings or additional costs. Finally, we intend to study the impact of the intervention across different groups of patients. Methods: We studied The changes triggered by the GRHU program in a retrospective non-controlled before-after analysis of patients’ hospital utilization data on six and 12-month windows from the first appointment. The GRHU team provided the patients’ and cost data. Results: A total of 238 EDHUwere intervened. A sample of 88 patients was analyzed on the 12-month window as they fulfilled all inclusion criteria. This intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction of 51% in ED use and hospitalizations, and a non-statistically significant increase in the total number of outpatient appointments. Overall costs reduced 43.56%. We estimated the intervention costs to be€162,847.82. The net cost saving was€104,305.25. The program’s Return on Investment (ROI) was estimated to be€2.3. Conclusions: Patient-centered case management for EDHUseems to effectively reduce ED visits and hospitalizations, leading to the more appropriate use of resources.