Price Variation of Injectable Antibiotics Commonly used in Bharatpur, Chitwan

Introduction: High dispersion in price of injectable antibiotics makes choice of drugs difficult for the patients and increase economic burden. Thus, objective of this study is to find outrange of price variation of injectable antibiotics commonly used in Bharatpur, Chitwan. Methods: Descriptive observational study of 30 commonly used injectable antibiotics available in medical stores of Bharatpur, Chitwan was done. Range in price variation of the study items of different pharmaceutical companies was calculated in terms of price percentage difference and price ratio by selecting the highest and lowest price. The effect of rise in number of companies for the same drugs over the prices was also studied subjectively based upon graph. Results: We found that the price percentage difference was greatest (204.82%) for Ceftriaxone 500 mg. The maximum retail price (MRP) of the most expensive brand for Ceftriaxone 500 mg was almost three-fold higher than the MRP of the least expensive brand. The growing number of companies also increased dispersion in the price of drugs. Conclusions: There is wide range of price variation of injectable antibiotic commonly used in the Bharatpur, Chitwan. Increasing number of companies in the market has further widened the range. Policy to regulate the price of injectable antibiotic is needed.

Climate Change and Sustainability in Czech Wheat Production

The paper deals with the analysis of Czech wheat production and its determinants. We use the Just and Pope (1979) stochastic production function to estimate the effects of economic and weather variables, together with technological progress and climate change, on wheat yield in the Czech regions in the period 1961–2018. The results suggest that both economic and environmental factors play important roles in the wheat yield function. The output/input price ratio has a positive effect on the wheat yield. The effects of temperature and precipitation are month-specific and highly non-linear. Technological change also has a positive effect on yield, whereas climate change has a rather negative effect on wheat yield.

Prices, Availability And Affordability Of Essential Medicines For Non-Communicable Diseases: A Facility Based Survey In District Abbotabad

Background: Non communicable diseases (NCDs) are spreading like an epidemic worldwide. Essential medicines are crucial for prevention and control of NCDs. World Health Organization (WHO) has set a benchmark of 80% availability of essential medicines in public and private facilities. Availability being a predictor of access to medicines is low in Low and Middle income countries (LMICs). The objective of this study is to determine price, availability and affordability of essential medicines for NCDs in District Abbottabad. Methods: This study was based on the standardized protocol provided by WHO and Health Action International (HAI) for determination of availability, prices and affordability of medicines. A total of 50 medicines for NCDs that were enlisted in Essential Medicine List of district Khyber Pakhtun Khawa were selected for the study. Twenty seven medicine dispensing facilities belonging to public, private and other basic health units (BHUs) (managed by PPHI) sectors were surveyed in the district. Simple random sampling was employed to select facilities. Results: The mean overall percentage availability of essential medicines for NCDs was 0.1% for original brand and 1.9% for low price generic in public sector. Overall availability was better in private and other sectors (32.9% for OB and 13.8% for LPGs and 5.3% for OB and 11.1% for LPG respectively). The prices in public procurement sector were competitive. The median price ratio (MPR) in public procurement sector was 0.56. Prices were higher comparatively in private sector with MPR 2.83. Most of the medicines require less than a day wage to buy 30 days treatment. Conclusions: The availability of essential medicines for NCDs was poor in District Abbottabad. None of the sectors reached the benchmark of 80% with regard to availability of medicines. LPGs were not frequently available in the private sector. However, prices were reasonable in public sector and acceptable in private sector. Medicines were found to be affordable but affordability may differ for people living below poverty line of US $1.

Design and Validation of a Camera-Based Safety System for Fenceless Robotic Work Cells

A two-dimensional (2-D) camera system with a real-time image processing-based safety technology is a cost-effective alternative that needs optimization of the cell layout, the number of cameras, and the camera’s locations and orientations. A design optimization study was performed using the multi-criteria linear fractional programming method and considering the number of cameras, the resolution, as well as camera positions and orientations. A table-top experimental setup was designed and built to test the effectiveness of the optimized design using two cameras. The designs at optimal and nonoptimal parameters were compared using a deep learning algorithm, ResNet-152. To eliminate blind spots, a simple but novel 2-D image merging technique was proposed as an alternative to commonly employed stereo imaging methods. Verification experiments were conducted by using two camera resolutions with two graphic processors under varying illuminance. It was validated that high-speed entrances to the safety system were detected reliably and with a 0.1 s response time. Moreover, the system was proven to work effectively at a minimum illuminance of 120 lux, while commercial systems cannot be operated under 400 lux. After determining the most appropriate 2-D camera type, positions, and angles within the international standards, the most cost-effective solution set with a performance-to-price ratio up to 15 times higher than high-cost 3-D camera systems was proposed and validated.

Availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines: A cross-sectional survey in Hanam province, Vietnam

Objective To measure medicines’ prices, availability, and affordability in Hanam, Vietnam. Methods The standardized methodology developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International was used to survey 30 essential medicines (EMs) in 30 public health facilities and 35 private medicine outlets in 2020. The availability of medicine was computed as the percentage of health facilities in which this medicine was found on the data-collection day. International reference prices (IRPs) from Management Sciences for Health (2015) were used to compute Median Price Ratio (MPR). The affordability of treatments for common diseases was computed as the number of days’ wages of the lowest-paid unskilled government worker needed to purchase medicines prescribed at a standard dose. Statistic analysis was done using R software version 4.1.1. Results The mean availability of originator brands (OBs) and lowest-priced generics (LPGs) was 0.7%, 63.2% in the public sector, and 13.7%, 47.9% in the private sector, respectively. In private medicine outlets, the mean availability of both OBs and LPGs in urban areas was significantly higher than that in rural areas (p = 0.0013 and 0.0306, respectively). In the public sector, LPGs’ prices were nearly equal to their IRPs (median MPRs = 0.95). In the private medicine outlets, OBs were generally sold at 6.24 times their IRPs while this figure for LPGs was 1.65. The affordability of LPGs in both sectors was good for all conditions, with standard treatments costing a day’s wage or less. Conclusion In both sectors, generic medicines were the predominant product type available. The availability of EMs was fairly high but still lower than WHO’s benchmark. A national-scale study should be conducted to provide a comprehensive picture of the availability, prices, and affordability of EMs, thereby helping the government to identify the urgent priorities and improving access to EMs in Vietnam.

Evaluation of the acid-neutralizing capacity and other properties of antacids marketed in Morocco

Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) and other properties of antacid drugs marketed in Morocco. Methods. Samples of 12 antacids were collected from pharmacies and were subjected to the test described in the US Pharmacopoeia in order to measure their ANC. Other properties such as price and sodium content were also studied. Results. All the tested brands met the minimal requirement of 5 mEq. However, Aluminum hydroxide/Magnesium hydroxide combinations showed a superior acid-neutralizing capacity over other products and oral suspensions showed better results compared to other pharmaceutical forms. Regarding the cost of antacids, Aluminum hydroxide/Magnesium hydroxide combinations and calcium carbonate/magnesium carbonate combinations showed the most favorable ANC/price ratio. Some of the antacids studied contain a high amount of sodium. Conclusion. All the antacids marketed in Morocco meet the USP requirement regarding their ANC. However, the ANC value should be included in the antacids’ labels so that both patients and physicians can choose the most appropriate product. The ANC value should be evaluated according to the dose of the active substance instead of the minimum labeled dosage in order to allow a better result interpretation.

Predicting equity premium with adjusted dividend-price ratio: the USA and international evidence

Purpose This paper aims to achieve two main objectives. The first is to introduce a suitable adjustment to the conventional dividend-price ratio, which would address econometric concerns and improve the predictability of the equity premium. The second is to compare the predictive performance of the newly introduced adjusted dividend-price ratio with the conventional dividend-price ratio. Design/methodology/approach The authors hypothesize that the adjusted dividend-price ratio will have better predictive power and forecasting quality for equity premium compared to the conventional dividend-price ratio. To test the hypothesis, the authors predict equity premium with both variables on a sample of 11 developed and emerging market indexes over a period spanning June 1995 to March 2017. To accommodate time variation in parameter values or structural breaks in the data, the authors conducted a fixed window rolling regressions using both variables. A variety of forecast techniques including magnitude and sign accuracy measures are applied to compare the performance of forecasts. Findings The adjusted dividend-price ratio is shown to be stationary and has both lower persistence and variability compared with the conventional dividend-price ratio. The authors find that the adjusted dividend-price ratio provides superior out-of-sample (OOS) performance compared to the conventional dividend-price ratio, for both size and sign accuracy, in forecasting equity premium for the majority of the countries in the sample. Research limitations/implications This paper introduces an easy-to-follow modification in the conventional dividend-price ratio that can be replicated by researchers and practitioners alike. However, the study has a limitation in that it does not capture the impact of dividend-paying firms within each index on the predictive ability of the adjusted dividend-price ratio. Practical implications The knowledge of equity premium predictability is important in implementing market-timing strategies and could be beneficial for portfolio and risk management. The newly introduced variable is easy to construct using widely available data without the need for complex econometric estimation. Investors can use this variable to predict equity premiums in international markets, both developed and emerging. The findings of this paper will be relevant to financial analysts, portfolio managers, investors and researchers in international finance. For example, by using the adjusted dividend-price ratio, investors would see up to 0.5% improvement in their OOS monthly forecasts of the equity premium. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that proposes adjustment in the conventional dividend-price ratio based on the past observations of the most recent quarter. In this way, the paper offers fresh insight that dividend-price ratio is still useful to predict equity premium albeit, after some adjustments and modifications. The findings of the paper would result in renewed interest in using the dividend-price ratio as a predictor of the equity premium.

Analysis of Hydrous Ethanol Price Competitiveness after the Implementation of the Fossil Fuel Import Price Parity Policy in Brazil

Competition is a relevant element in any open economy. Public policies are necessary to induce economic efficiency and to create conditions to preserve or stimulate a competitive environment. This paper aims to assess the competitiveness of hydrous ethanol price in a period of political, social and economic crises, in 15 Brazilian state capitals between the years 2012 and 2019. We compared the ethanol–gasoline price ratio behavior in two different periods, before and after the import parity price policy implemented by Petrobras in 2016. Mann–Whitney and Levene’s tests, two non-parametric statistical methods, were applied to verify significant changes between these periods. The implementation of changes in Petrobras’ pricing policy from 2016 onwards caused a statistically significant increase in the ratio coefficient of variation in two-thirds of the distribution market and more than the half of analyzed retail markets. Second, overall, the cities that showed statistically significant changes in the median and coefficient of variation in the distribution market price ratio were followed by the retail market. Our findings suggest that government interventions in the fuel and byproduct final selling prices to distributors negatively impact competition between companies that are part of the fuel distribution and retail chain, also affecting the sale of biofuels in Brazil and discouraging the initiatives to use renewable fuels to reduce the emission of pollutants.

Price trends and price ratio in the COVID-19 pandemic: case analysis of some countries

The purpose of the article is to investigate based on a situational analysis, the dynamics of some price trends and price ratios in the agri-food market in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to develop a generalized forecast of their possible further development. Consider, according to the proposed hypothesis, how the price parameters of food products under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and related quarantine restrictions will undergo changes, depending on the effectiveness of economic policy and the adopted agricultural model. Research methods. It was based on a situational analysis of open data of price ratios and series of price dynamics for agricultural products and products of its processing. At the same time, the cost indicators were transformed at the current exchange rate of the NBU. Standard comparison methods, indices and logical analysis-synthesis were used. Some of the above positions were discussed with fellow scientists from foreign countries. Research results. Quarantine restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a decline in business activity and a reduction in export potential. This had a significant impact on the volume of GDP. However, the agrarian sector shows a significantly lower elasticity of operating and foreign economic activity. The price indices for agricultural products are showing some fluctuations, and recently a cautious upward trend. The total cost of the basket in Ukraine and Poland is close, but in Israel, it is 2.6 times higher than in Ukraine. This is due not only to significant differences in production conditions, but also to the different structure and organization of the industry. Scientific novelty. Consists of a study of the determinative effect of quarantine restrictions on price parameters and ratio in individual countries. Practical significance. Recommendations for strengthening the liberal component in foreign economic relations of agricultural circulation have been established. Tabl.: 3. Refs.: 12.

Optimization Model of Network-Level Pavement Maintenance Decision considering User Travel Time and Vehicle Fuel Consumption Costs

The maintenance management decisions of network-level asphalt pavements have long been a challenge to highway agencies, and a great amount of factors have been involved. In this study, a network-level optimization method was established by integrating the maintenance benefits into the zero-one programming optimization model. An optimized performance evaluation method of asphalt pavement was proposed which contains 11 different kinds of combinations. The benefit model quantifies the cost savings of user travel time and vehicle fuel consumption to the pavement condition index (PCI) and ride quality index (RQI), respectively. Based on the simplified evaluation method as well as the quantified maintenance benefit model, an optimization model was established by employing the zero-one programming. This optimization model aimed to maximize the improvements/price ratio of pavement maintenance for the whole pavement network. The calculation results present the optimal strategies of maintenance for every road section in the network. The applicability of the newly proposed model was validated by a case study. The methodology developed in this study helps to offer guidelines to highway agencies in managing and making decisions about network-level pavement maintenance.