Optimizing fire station locations for the Istanbul metropolitan municipality

Copyright @ 2013 INFORMSThe Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) seeks to determine locations for additional fire stations to build in Istanbul; its objective is to make residences and historic sites reachable by emergency vehicles within five minutes of a fire station’s receipt of a service request. In this paper, we discuss our development of a mathematical model to aid IMM in determining these locations by using data retrieved from its fire incident records. We use a geographic information system to implement the model on Istanbul’s road network, and solve two location models—set-covering and maximal-covering—as what-if scenarios. We discuss 10 scenarios, including the situation that existed when we initiated the project and the scenario that IMM implemented. The scenario implemented increases the city’s fire station coverage from 58.6 percent to 85.9 percent, based on a five-minute response time, with an implementation plan that spans three years

Sexto reporte de eventos adversos con tratamientos biológicos en Argentina. Informe del registro BIOBADASAR

Objetivo: actualizar los resultados del registro BIOBADASAR sobre seguridad, duración y causas de interrupción del tratamiento luego de 8 años de seguimiento. Métodos: BIOBADASAR es un registro de seguridad de terapias biológicas establecido por la Sociedad Argentina de Reumatología. Se presenta la descripción de BIOBADASAR 3.0, una cohorte compuesta por 53 centros de Argentina seguidos prospectivamente desde agosto de 2010 hasta enero de 2018

Electrification of transport logistic vehicles: A techno-economic assessment of battery and fuel cell electric transporter

In order to minimize oil dependency and the negative environmental impacts as described within the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from all sectors of the global economy have to be reduced. Road freight transport is one of the fastest growing modes of transport and has an increasing share in the total GHG emissions of transport. Current concentration is mainly on incremental technology developments to reduce fuel consumption of conventional vehicles. However, there may be potential for (near) zero tailpipe emission vehicles that could result in the large-scale GHG reduction that is needed. In order to identify early (niche) markets for electric vehicle application, this paper gives an overview of current demonstration project activities in terms of powertrain technology implemented and transport task of investigation, with special focus on vehicles with a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes. Subsequently, current vehicle architecture and technology configuration is derived from an electric vehicle database created. Based on the insights gathered, and by the use of TACMO, a Transport Application based Cost Model developed at the German Aerospace Center, comprehensive techno-economic assessment was done. Data was collected and results were compared regarding different countries like Germany, Austria, Turkey, the United Kingdom and South Korea. The results show that battery electric vehicles may competitive throughout the countries of investigation and that fuel cell electric vehicles are by far, currently, not an economic solution mainly based on high costs of the fuel cell system and the high hydrogen prices per MJ energy carrier in comparison to electricity and diesel fuel prices. Purchase tax, energy prices and resale value are identified as main influencing factors of the relevant cost of ownership calculation. The analysis done, therefore, enables not only the discussion of current cost effectiveness in comparison to conventional vehicles but enables also the discussion relating to obstacles and further research needs

Cost of rheumatoid arthritis in a selected population from Argentina in the prebiologic therapy era

Erika Catay,1 Cecilia Castel del Cid,1 Lorena Narváez,1 Edson J Velozo,1 Javier E Rosa,1,2 Luis J Catoggio,1,2 Enrique R Soriano1,21Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, 2University Institute Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, School of Medicine, PM Catoggio Foundation, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaBackground: The present study aimed to estimate the cost of rheumatoid arthritis and its components in a university hospital-based health management organization in Argentina, during the prebiologic era.Methods: A one-year (2002) observational prevalence, cost-of illness study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis from the societal perspective was performed in a hospital-based health management organization population. Direct medical costs were obtained using administrative databases. Direct nonmedical and indirect costs were obtained from a semistructured questionnaire. Indirect costs included work absenteeism, permanent work disability, and housework lost for housewives, using the human capital approach. Costs are expressed in 2002 US dollars per patient per year.Results: A total of 165 patients (84% females), of mean age 61 ± 15 years and with a mean disease duration of 8.5 ± 8.3 years were included. Mean total direct medical costs were US$1862 (95$222 (95% CI 149–294). Mean indirect costs were US$1008 (95$3093 without biologics. Hospitalizations represented 73% of total direct medical costs while drugs and outpatient procedures represented 16% and 8% of total direct medical costs, respectively. Sixty percent of the total costs were related to direct medical costs, while indirect costs represented 33% of total costs.Conclusion: In our population, annual mean total costs in the prebiologic therapy era were mainly driven by direct medical costs. Even without the use of biologic agents, rheumatoid arthritis represents an important burden for society in developing countries.Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, economics, burden of illness, cost of illnes