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Following the devastating February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, tens of thousands of moderately damaged buildings were retrofitted and slightly damaged buildings were repaired. Since the retrofit and repair process is carried out by the inexperienced apartment managers on tender and contract management, they may be ineffective against unbalanced offers which may be submitted by experienced contractors. Moreover, contractors can have scope change requests accepted by the job owners and contract price can increase tremendously by abusing the high level of anxiety and fear in the people of the region after the earthquake. In this study, revised price practices that can prevent contractors from gaining excessive profits due to possible quantity increases based on unbalanced bids in retrofit constructions are proposed and the results are evaluated. The effectiveness of the revised unit price formula in the annexes of the public procurement law on the unbalanced bid and its application after a 0% to 20% work increase were examined. Furthermore, in order to achieve faster price decreases, the revised unit price formula has been modified by the power of the rate of increment. The application of the modified revised price formula is examined from 0% to 20% quantity increase. It is aimed to make the quantity increase of the work items unattractive by reducing the profit of the contractor who submitted an unbalanced bid. However, it is also aimed to protect contractors who submit balanced bids and prevent a rapidly falling unit prices which may cause heavy loss. According to the findings obtained in the case study, implementation of the modified revised unit price formula after the 10% work increase prevents the excessive profits of the contractor who prepares an unbalanced bid, while allowing a reasonable profit for the contractor who submits a balanced bid. In this study, it is aimed to ensure that the retrofit works are carried out fairly and safely by proposing a fair revised price application that is easy to implement and respects the rights of the parties. In this way, the job increase will not be attractive to contractors who submit unbalanced bids, and since job increases will not occur except for the necessary cases. Consequently, retrofit constructions will be carried out in a way that will not excessively affect the financial health of homeowners whose financial situation is weakened after the earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nigeria has a housing deficit of over 17.5 million. Over the years, the government has articulated several policies to encourage investment and development of the housing sector. However, the housing construction sector imports most of the building materials which is affected by the various government directives on foreign exchange policies, with significant impact on the cost of housing production. This study examined the impact of foreign exchange rates on the costs of residential building materials in Ibadan, with a view to proposing policy directives on the local production of building materials in Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted and the retrospective longitudinal approach was employed to obtain data for the study. It was revealed that two types of rates (the fixed exchange rate and the floating exchange rate) dominated the trend of foreign exchange in Nigeria. The prices of building materials indicate an upward price movement and correlations exist between changes in exchange rates and changes in the price of building materials. A unit increase in the foreign exchange rate affects the price of building materials as seen in this study, where the foreign exchange rate positively increased by 1 value, the interbank and the parallel market exchange rates rose by exchange rate values of 0,807 and 0,705, respectively. To reverse the current trend of dependence of prospective house owners on foreign materials for housing production, the use of quality-assured local building materials in housing development should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of BEÜ Ilahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Bulent Ecevit University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper studies the trade-restriction and trade-promotion effects that technical barriers to trade (TBTs) have on export performances of Chinese firms over the period 2001–2006. Different from tariffs and most traditional non-tariff measures, TBTs can impose both positive and negative impacts on exports. On the one hand, TBTs increase the compliance costs and have the trade-restriction effect. On the other hand, TBTs improve product quality and mitigate uncertainty, which enhances demand and promotes trade. We investigate how TBTs influence the extensive and intensive margins of a firm's exports and how the impact varies with the size, productivity, and ownership of a firm. Specifically, we look into a firm's entry and exit decisions, export value, unit price, and quantity. The estimated results show that TBTs decrease both the extensive and intensive margins of small firms, and they improve the export performances of large firms. The finding indicates that while small firms that cannot meet the technical standards will leave their markets, large firms will stay in their markets and expand their export volumes. The trade effects of TBTs also change by characteristics of the importing country and sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Behavioral economic drug purchase tasks quantify the reinforcing value of a drug (i.e., demand). Although widely used to assess demand, drug expectancies are rarely accounted for and may introduce variability across participants given diverse drug experiences. Objectives: Three experiments validated and extended previous hypothetical purchase tasks by using blinded drug dose as a reinforcing stimulus, and determined hypothetical demand for experienced effects while controlling for drug expectancies. Methods: Across three double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject experiments, cocaine (0, 125, 250 mg/70 kg; n=12), methamphetamine (0, 20, 40 mg; n=19), and alcohol (0, 1 g/kg alcohol; n=25) were administered and demand was assessed using the Blinded-Dose Purchase Task. Participants answered questions regarding simulated purchasing of the blinded drug dose across increasing prices. Demand metrics, subjective effects, and self-reported real-world monetary spending on drugs were evaluated. Results: Data were well modeled by the demand curve function, with significantly higher intensity (purchasing at low prices) for active drug doses compared to placebo for all experiments. Unit-price analyses revealed more persistent consumption across prices (lower α) in the higher compared to lower active dose condition for methamphetamine (a similar non-significant finding emerged for cocaine). Significant associations between demand metrics, peak subjective effects, and real-world spending on drugs also emerged across all experiments. Conclusions: Orderly demand curve data revealed differences across drug and placebo conditions, and relations to real-world measures of drug spending, and subjective effects. Unit-price analyses enabled parsimonious comparisons across doses. Results lend credence to the validity of the Blinded-Dose Purchase Task, which allows for control of drug expectancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of PLANARCH - Design & Planning Research is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective To compare the actual protective performance, weight and price of radiation protective garments from three manufacturers.Methods In August 2021,all the radiation protective garments with good appearance and quality from three manufacturers（INFAB,HUAREN,and Medical Index GmbH） those began to be put into use by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University with similar time（from December 2018 to April 2019） were selected and numbered, then 10 protective garments from each of the three manufacturers were randomly selected by computer and divided into groups A,B and C.The situation of digital subtraction angiography radiation irradiation in the standing area of the first operative in clinical interventional surgery was simulated.The dose monitoring instrument was used to collect the incident dose rate of each radiation protective garment, and the weight of each protective garment was calculated.Finally, the cost was further compared by checking the purchase records.The difference of incident dose rate and weight of radiation protective garments among the three groups was compared by one-way ANOVA and back testing.Results The differences of incident dose rate and weight of radiation protective garments among the three groups were statistically significant（P<0.05）; the incident dose rate and weight of radiation protective garments in the group C were significantly lower than those in the group A and the group B,with statistical significance（P<0.05）,the purchase price of the group B was the lowest.Conclusion Among the three groups of protective garments, the group C has the best protective performance and the lightest weight, while the group B has the lowest unit price and the highest cost performance.When purchasing radiation protective garments, hospitals should consider their protective performance, comfort and cost performance. Objective To compare the actual protective performance, weight and price of radiation protective garments from three manufacturers.Methods In August 2021,all the radiation protective garments with good appearance and quality from three manufacturers（INFAB,HUAREN,and Medical Index GmbH） those began to be put into use by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University with similar time（from December 2018 to April 2019） were selected and numbered, then 10 protective garments from each of the three manufacturers were randomly selected by computer and divided into groups A,B and C.The situation of digital subtraction angiography radiation irradiation in the standing area of the first operative in clinical interventional surgery was simulated.The dose monitoring instrument was used to collect the incident dose rate of each radiation protective garment, and the weight of each protective garment was calculated.Finally, the cost was further compared by checking the purchase records.The difference of incident dose rate and weight of radiation protective garments among the three groups was compared by one-way ANOVA and back testing.Results The differences of incident dose rate and weight of radiation protective garments among the three groups were statistically significant（P<0.05）; the incident dose rate and weight of radiation protective garments in the group C were significantly lower than those in the group A and the group B,with statistical significance（P<0.05）,the purchase price of the group B was the lowest.Conclusion Among the three groups of protective garments, the group C has the best protective performance and the lightest weight, while the group B has the lowest unit price and the highest cost performance.When purchasing radiation protective garments, hospitals should consider their protective performance, comfort and cost performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria are a vital part of global malaria control. Over the past decade, RDT prices have declined, and quality has improved. However, the relationship between price and product quality and their larger implications on the market have yet to be characterized. This analysis used purchase data from the Global Fund together with product quality data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) Malaria RDT Product Testing Programme to understand three unanswered questions: (1) Has the market share by quality of RDTs in the Global Fund’s procurement orders changed over time? (2) What is the relationship between unit price and RDT quality? (3) Has the market for RDTs financed by the Global Fund become more concentrated over time? Methods Data from 10,075 procurement transactions in the Global Fund’s database, which includes year, product, volume, and price, was merged with product quality data from all eight rounds of the WHO-FIND programme, which evaluated 227 unique RDT products. To describe trends in market share by quality level of RDT, descriptive statistics were used to analyse trends in market share from 2009 to 2018. A generalized linear regression model was then applied to characterize the relationship between price and panel detection score (PDS), adjusting for order volume, year purchased, product type, and manufacturer. Third, a Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) score was calculated to characterize the degree of market concentration. Results Lower-quality RDTs have lost market share between 2009 and 2018, as have the highest-quality RDTs. No statistically significant relationship between price per test and PDS was found when adjusting for order volume, product type, and year of purchase. The HHI was 3,570, indicating a highly concentrated market. Conclusions Advancements in RDT affordability, quality, and access over the past decade risk stagnation if health of the RDT market as a whole is neglected. These results suggest that from 2009 to 2018, this market was highly concentrated and that quality was not a distinguishing feature between RDTs. This information adds to previous reports noting concerns about the long-term sustainability of this market. Further research is needed to understand the causes and implications of these trends.

The case study is to explore the ditch cover with ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and mainly focuses on seven different contents of steel fibers (0, 0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, 2 %, 2.5 %, 3 %) as variables. The fabrication of the UHPC ditch cover was performed with 60㎝× 35㎝ ditch cover mold for UHPC casting and added wire mesh for 2 layers. The test parameters of the ditch cover included the spot welded wire mesh with iron or steel, the steel fiber content, the number of openings, and the thickness. The number of openings in the ditch cover model is 8 holes and 12 holes. The case study is to find a UHPC ditch cover that is strong enough to withstand the weight of a heavy vehicle. The purpose of the research is to develop a UHPC ditch cover, and compare the weight, load bearing, and unit price with zinc grid ditch cover, cast iron ditch cover, and FRP ditch cover. The results show that the compressive and flexural strengths of UHPC with 0–3 % steel fiber content can be rapidly increased by 40 % and 260 %, respectively. The study found that the UHPC trench cover is added with 3 % steel fiber, double-layer spot welded steel mesh, with a thickness of 4 cm and 8 openings, its load-bearing strength can exceed 11 tons, and the load capability/price (C/P) value is extremely high.

Copyright of Nihon Chikusan Gakkaiho is the property of Japanese Society of Animal Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We propose a comprehensive model for hedging risks at enterprises within the military–industrial complex on the basis of futures contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria are a vital part of global malaria control. Over the past decade, RDT prices have declined, and quality has improved. However, the relationship between price and product quality and their larger implications on the market have yet to be characterized. This analysis used purchase data from the Global Fund together with product quality data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) Malaria RDT Product Testing Programme to understand three unanswered questions: (1) Has the market share by quality of RDTs in the Global Fund's procurement orders changed over time? (2) What is the relationship between unit price and RDT quality? (3) Has the market for RDTs financed by the Global Fund become more concentrated over time? Methods: Data from 10,075 procurement transactions in the Global Fund's database, which includes year, product, volume, and price, was merged with product quality data from all eight rounds of the WHO-FIND programme, which evaluated 227 unique RDT products. To describe trends in market share by quality level of RDT, descriptive statistics were used to analyse trends in market share from 2009 to 2018. A generalized linear regression model was then applied to characterize the relationship between price and panel detection score (PDS), adjusting for order volume, year purchased, product type, and manufacturer. Third, a Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) score was calculated to characterize the degree of market concentration. Results: Lower-quality RDTs have lost market share between 2009 and 2018, as have the highest-quality RDTs. No statistically significant relationship between price per test and PDS was found when adjusting for order volume, product type, and year of purchase. The HHI was 3,570, indicating a highly concentrated market. Conclusions: Advancements in RDT affordability, quality, and access over the past decade risk stagnation if health of the RDT market as a whole is neglected. These results suggest that from 2009 to 2018, this market was highly concentrated and that quality was not a distinguishing feature between RDTs. This information adds to previous reports noting concerns about the long-term sustainability of this market. Further research is needed to understand the causes and implications of these trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), food expenditures spike upon benefit arrival. We show the price component of expenditure is sensitive to benefit arrival: by the beginning of the fourth week of the benefit month, households pay 20% less on food items. This decline is not induced by changes in shopping behaviors (usage of SNAP, bulk purchases, on‐sale, branded, and discount stores) but rather concentrated among a subset of households with financial constraints and/or a preference for higher‐quality foods. Increased benefit adequacy and/or financial stability for participants could help households smooth their purchasing power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The back cover is mainly used to strengthen the display product strength, increase rigidity, and prevent product deformation and distortion during assembly, use or transportation. This thesis studies the influence of different back cover thickness, backplane material and stiffener position, number of stiffeners, and stiffener structure on the strength of the backplane. Good display support structures are required that not only can offer better sustentation results, but also can reduce the negative effect with lesser back cover materials. By simulating and optimizing the design of the backplane, the strength of the product is increased and the unit price of the product is reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand curve fitting is a method of data analysis for interpreting reinforcer consumption. These methods were established and validated by examining increases in unit price (UP) across sessions. An alternative experimental preparation is the progressive‐ratio (PR) schedule in which schedule requirements increase within a session. Although PR schedules provide an efficient alternative to traditional evaluations of UP, using demand curves to interpret data obtained via PR schedules has not been systematically evaluated in applied contexts. In this study, the experimenters compared demand curves constructed based on across‐ and within‐session increases in UP and evaluated correspondence between the two methods. Results indicated poor correspondence between demand curves constructed with the two methods. Furthermore, within‐session measures of responding suggest that higher rates of problem behavior and longer durations of postreinforcement pauses were more likely under PR schedules than fixed‐ratio schedules. Results are discussed in terms of implications for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of the impact of bilingual school designation on housing price by analyzing the case of school conversion from a monolingual school to a bilingual school in Melbourne. We find that house price within the pertinent school catchment area responds positively by 7.8%–8.7%. Moreover, we find no significant response in the unit market where residents are less likely to be households with children. Analysis with substituted control groups such as the test catchments with extended surrounding areas, other bilingual school catchment areas, and school catchment areas of public schools with a similar level of academic performance confirms that bilingual education is positively capitalized in the house submarket. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction cost as one of the most important project resources should be planned and use efficiently. Cost estimation can be analysed using standard of unit price analysis according to Indonesian National Standard (SNI 7394:2008). Related to unit price analysis for tie beam reinforced concrete, the standard mentioned a specific analysis that combine all materials requirement include reinforcement (unit price analysis No. 6.29). In such analysis, reinforcement requirement is stated as much as 200 kg/m3 of concrete. Considering the diversity of dimension design of building structure caused by geographical location and building function, a further study required to response these problems. This research is aimed to provide information to what extent the unit price analysis related to tie beam reinforced concrete can be enforced in cost estimating. Research process initiated with secondary data collection to building construction located in zone 10 and 15 based on earthquake zone map (SNI 1726:2012) in Province of Aceh. The results of analysis informed that the ratio of reinforcement requirement of tie beam in zone 10 is 198.03 kg/m3 to 217.26 kg/m3 of concrete with average ratio 209.83 kg/m3. For zone 15, reinforcement requirement ratio is 203.76 kg/m3 to 233.83 kg/m3 of concrete with average ratio 215.17 kg/m3. The Potential inaccurate of cost estimation appears in the two review zones. Such inaccuracies may have an impact on the insufficient costs for the work. Thus, the use of the standard unit price analysis needs further assessment for proper application.