Economic Aspects of a Resource Sharing Manufacturing Network under Turbulences

Nowadays, manufacturing companies face more difficulties than ever. Unrest in global supply chains triggered by fluctuating customer demand, raw material shortages and crises (Covid pandemic, global warming, wars) complicate the utilization of production resources necessary for economic success. Also, the rapidly changing environment causes existing production plans to be adapted, which results in order changes, causing additional costs for manufacturers. One solution to cope with these problems is cooperation and sharing resources: requesting capacity from partners when having shortages and offering them temporarily in case of excess capacity. In this paper, a platform-based resource sharing mechanism is investigated from the economic perspective. In the mechanism, requests and offers are matched by a central platform applying a complex matching logic. The platform provides valid alternatives based on the incoming ordersthat the requesting company can choose from. Companies are rating each other's performance after each interaction based on delivery accuracy;choosing between resource offers is made based on the cumulated rating about the offeror and the price of the offer. Within this paper, the aim is to investigate the resource sharing mechanism from the economic point of view based on an approach to the responsiveness of a supply chain structure to turbulence, to support decision-makers trying to cope with unexpected changes. For this purpose, here the mechanism is briefly introduced, and basic concepts about turbulences in supply chains are also presented. Cost types related to resource sharing manufacturing companies are distinguished, and the model is validated with agent-based simulation. A simulation experiment is performed to investigate the use-case of outsourced jobs having different price levels. Based on the experiment, it can be concluded that there is a price level limit in such a resource sharing federation, under which it is worth it to collaborate with partners by outsourcing certain jobs to them. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Valorization of hazardous plastic wastes into value-added resources by catalytic pyrolysis-gasification: A review of techno-economic analysis

Plastic waste pollution has grown exponentially since the 1950s. This situation was exacerbated when the volume of personal protective equipment (PPE)-based plastic waste surged after the COVID-19 pandemic. Plastic waste management such as landfills and incineration have adverse effects on the environment and human health due to the leaching of hazardous chemicals and the emission of toxic gases. Modern solutions such as biodegradable plastics and green brick technology are expensive and not well developed to valorize the current accumulation of plastic waste. This has led to the emergence of thermal degradation processes, which is faster and more realistic to solve the PPE-based plastic waste buildup. Pyrolysis and gasification systems to valorize plastic waste into hydrocarbons and fuels are discussed and compared with examples respectively. Scoping review approach is employed to conduct this study. To further increase the value of the final product of plastic waste management, the integrated pyrolysis system to upcycle plastic waste to carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and the factors affecting the production of non-condensable gases are critically reviewed. The importance of feedstock composition, catalyst type, pyrolysis operating condition (including gas condition and temperature profiles) based on various studies is discussed. The potential and limitation of an integrated pyrolysis system are assessed from kinetic analysis, economic analysis and life-cycle assessment. This review is expected to contribute to the industrial-scale development of sustainable upcycling of plastic waste and enhance the production of desirable gas components for CNM synthesis for environmental sustainability.

Mobile medical complexes in Russia

Pandemic of a new coronavirus infection is accompanied by advanced need for emergency medical care in Russia. However, this process is hampered by state of roads and no electricity sources in some cases. Mobile medical complexes are able to compensate this need. These ones include feldsher obstetric stations, complexes for medical examination, specialized medical complexes (Thyromobil, Mammography, mobile Diabetes Center and others), as well as convoys with diagnostic equipment (mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography) and fully equipped offices of various specialists (therapist, urologist, gynecologist, ophthalmologist, endocrinologist). However, spread of such medical complexes is currently difficult in Russia. The manuscript is based on the author's analysis of publicly available documents on the state and number of mobile medical complexes in Russia. Mobile hospitals are not used in all Russian regions. Nevertheless, there is a need for qualified preventive and therapeutic services, especially in the northern and mountainous regions of our country (Pskov, Arkhangelsk regions, the republics of Komi, Karelia, Dagestan and others). The authors analyzed current situation and experience of mobile medical complexes in the Novgorod, Rostov regions and the Republic of Tatarstan. Introduction of mobile hospitals in all Russian regions within the national health strategy will improve population health including working age people and reduce costs in health care system. Medical organizations cooperate with mobile hospitals to qualifiedly meet the needs of patients in diagnosis and treatment. However, projects of mobile medical complexes and their routine implementation in each region of our country are required. This is a priority task for the state and local health authorities of the Russian Federation.Copyright © R.N. ABDULLABEKOV, V.E. FEDORCHUK, T.V. MINNIKOVA.

Economic Aspects of Innovative Elements of Distance Learning Tertiary Education

The article focuses on a current topic in connection with the global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, COVID-19 disease, related emergency measures, in which distance learning at all levels of study was widely used in the Czech Republic. The main topic of the article is the evaluation of economic aspects of distance learning from the perspective of university students of social work and other helping professions at the University of Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic. A questionnaire survey was used to obtain responses, and the obtained data were evaluated using basic statistical methods. Students were asked to evaluate their savings, costs and their mental health following distance learning, which took place at universities in the Czech Republic from spring 2020 and throughout the school year 2020 - 2021. Students' savings in travelling, accommodation and food were found to be more significant than the cost of distance learning equipment. It was also found that the pandemic had a negative impact on the mental condition, especially of students in full time studies. The results of the study attach a personal and local part to the overall picture of the impacts of the global pandemic.

Estimating the Genuine Progress Indicator before and during the COVID pandemic in Australia

In the efforts to ensure the health of the Australian population during the COVID pandemic, social, economic, and environmental aspects of people's life were impacted. In addressing the pandemic risks, a number of governments prioritized people's health and well-being over GDP growth. The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) is used to account for factors that influence well-being. We used the GPI to assess the pandemic's impact on well-being and we examined our results in relation to the GDP. We estimated the GPI for the first 6 months of 2019 and the same period in 2020, during which the first stages of the COVID pandemic and the first nationwide lockdown in Australia took place. We examined two scenarios, in the first we found that in Q1 the GDP growth (1.4%) was accompanied by a significant GPI growth (5.3%), showing a positive relation to the GDP;but in Q2 the significant drop (-6.3%) in the GDP was not followed by the GPI, instead the GPI growth remained almost steady with even a relatively small increase (0.33%), indicating a negative relation to the GDP growth. Whereas in the second scenario, the GPI growths (7.12%) in Q1 and (-2.60%) Q2 were positively related to the GDP growths (4.6%) in Q1 and (−0.25%) Q2.We discuss the reasons for the divergence between the two indicators and one of the limitations of the GPI as a measure of well-being. Lastly, we discuss the behavioural and policy lessons of the lockdown and their relevance to what is proposed by degrowth economists. © 2022 The Author(s)

Application of Optimal Stopping Theory to Pandemic Lockdown Policies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments are facing challenges in determining the optimal time to exit the lockdown in their countries. A trade-off between health-related aspects and economic aspects should be achieved.This paper uses a discrete-time Markov Chain (DTMC) SIS model to find the optimal time to stop the lockdown. Two models are proposed: Model 1 assumes that the reproduction number R is constant over time, while Model 2 considers that R is time-dependent. The analysis of Model 1 leads to simple optimal policies. © 2022 IEEE.

Techno-Economic Aspects of the Wireless EV Charging System

Electric Vehicles (EVs) have become prominent on our roadways. They are cost-effective, save our precious time and create a pollution-free environment. High efficiency inductive wireless charging systems for electric vehicles (EVs) have proved convenient and user friendly compared to their wired charging counterparts. Wireless EVs (WEVs) are unusual in most countries due to the associated techno-economic problems. Hence, it becomes essential to study in detail about the same before deploying a WEV charging infrastructure. This paper examines the economic aspects of wireless charging systems (WCS) for EVs. The impacts of the COVID-19 and real-estate availability for constructing and commissioning various (WCS) are discussed. Additionally, the cost involved in converters/ inverters, coils, battery for WCS are enumerated.

CHANGES IN WORK OF TRUCK DRIVERS FROM THE ASPECT OF SAFETY AND PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS

Working environments are continually changing as a result of the introduction of new technologies, changes in the way work is organized and shifts in economic, social and demographic conditions. We can see rapidly advancing technologies, digitalization, robotics, and the use of nanotechnology, among others, have revolutionized the workplace and have an important influence on the safety at work. The occupational and operational risks arising from driver-vehicle interaction in the field of road transport are considered to be one of the most important health and safety challenges not only for workers but also for their surroundings. Current problems of traffic and carriers, lack and aging of drivers create the need to use new technologies. Countless goods are shipped around the world every day, hundreds of goods trucks continue to flow daily between countries but the biggest contributor to this is the industry, which has been suffering from a shortage of labour for many years. Alternative vehicles with new operating parameters are coming to the market, which respond to congestion, environmental demand andfacilitate driver work. Technological developments over the last 20 years have set new standards in the area of driver-vehicle interaction. This development, socioeconomic on the one hand, technological on the other, makes automotive ergonomics: Drivervehicle interaction an important topic to explore in this area. Also coronavirus crisis is changing the world, is affecting freight - transportation business and is bringing new risks at work;some truck drivers are putting in overtime without enough protection. The article is focused on the analysis of psycho-social risks and safety problems in the work of truck drivers and modern trends of solutions, actual problems of labour market in this area such as luck of drivers and their aging.

A Study of People Movement Index in Indonesia during Lebaran 2021

Eid al-Fitr or Lebaran is one of the biggest national holidays in Indonesia. It is a day in a year where most people, usually urban citizens, goes back to their parents or childhood home. In normal condition, this high mobility culture has many positive social and economic aspects, but in pandemic situation, it is the opposite. Mobility reduction is a key in controlling emerging Covid-19. Unfortunately, big events or big holidays tend to overcome the pandemic crisis in terms of people's mobility. In this study, we use movement range index data to analyze the dynamics of people's mobility in Indonesia around national holidays, especially Lebaran 2021. A deep learning approach is applied to create prediction of people's mobility based on past behavior and other variables such as Covid-19 daily cases and government regulation. It is shown that Eid al-Fitr effect on people's desire to move surpasses pandemic condition or even government regulation. © 2021 IEEE.

Evaluation of the Management and Prevention of Covid-19 Pandemic in Most Infected Countries via Fuzzy PROMETHEE Approach

Nowadays, the whole world is deadly involved with Coronavirus disease. The superpowers are placed at the top of the list of countries affected by this deathly virus. The main objective of this work is to compare totally fifteen countries with the highest number of populations infected with the disease to identify the countries which keep their healthcare superior to their economic aspects. In this research, fuzzy. PROMETHEE method was employed for the evaluation of management and prevention of this deadly disease caused by coronavirus (covid-19) in most infected countries taking into consideration several parameters such as total cases, total deaths, total recovered, active cases, critical and serious cases, total test and population. According to the outcome of the results, Germany was found to appear as the first country in the PROMETHEE Rainbow which was capable of managing to prevent and control its population against covid-19 infection, caring about healthcare more than the economy or military power, compared to that of other countries under study. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

The importance of networking for civil engineers both during and beyond Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic changed how civil engineers work, with increased virtual networking leading to greater collaboration and achievement of common goals – including sustainable development goals. This paper explores the importance of networking during the pandemic and the benefits it had in terms of inclusion, equality and sustainability. In particular networking appears to have enabled a greater focus on the social, environmental and economic aspects of civil engineering projects to ensure positive effects for society. The paper concludes that, in a post-pandemic environment, it is important for civil engineers to continue networking, both within the workplace and the wider profession. © 2022 ICE Publishing. All rights reserved.

Covid-19 and the dialectics of global pandemics in Africa: challenges, opportunities and the future of the global economy in the face of COVID-19

The prevalence of global pandemics has been timeless and universal. In 1918, the Spanish Flue grounded Spain and her neighbours. In 1997, 2014 and 2020, the Ebola virus wreaked havoc in West Africa in the same manner that polio had ravaged the globe. Since 2019, the Coronavirus has forced most economies onto a downward spiral. Despite concerted global attempts at observing World Health Organization guidelines, the Coronavirus has been changing peoples' lives, forcing most economies onto their knees, endangering lives and livelihoods, making a mockery of global medicine and causing the widespread despair and helplessness that has come to be known as 'the new normal'. Unlike the other pandemics, the mayhem, complexities and dialectics caused by Covid-19 have been matchless, requiring a systematic study and necessitating a volume like this one. The volume's 16 well-researched chapters argue that despite Covid-19's enormous lessons and predictions about even greater future pandemics, humanity can ill-afford to relent in its determination to conquer the pandemic in the same way that human resolve has defeated past pandemic. As such, the volume provides hope and direction to the global community on how best to deal with Covid-19 and pandemics of similar or even higher magnitude in the future.

Epidemiology and diagnosis, environmental resources quality and socio-economic perspectives for COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as a global issue of concern for public health, environment and socio-economic setup. This review addresses several aspects of epidemiology, and pathogenesis, environmental resource quality (air quality, hazardous waste management, and wastewater surveillance issues), and socio-economic issues worldwide. The accelerated research activity in the development of diagnostic kits for SARS-CoV-2 is in progress for the rapid sequencing of various strains of SARS-CoV-2. A notable reduction in air pollutants (NO2 and PM2.5) has been observed worldwide, but high air polluted cities showed intense mortalities in COVID-19 affected areas. The use of health safety equipment halted transportation, and work-from-home policy drastically impacted the quantity of solid and hazardous wastes management services. Wastewater appeared as another mode of enteric transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, wastewater-based surveillance could act as a mode of the data source to track the virus's community spread. The pandemic also had a substantial socio-economic impact (health budget, industrial manufacturing, job loss, and unemployment) and further aggravated the countries' economic burden.