Faculty of health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Msc (Med)Research Thesis. / Objective: To assess the relative cost effectiveness of moxifloxacin once-daily empirical monotherapy and ofloxacin/ metronidazole twice daily combination therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated pelvic inflammatory disease in adult female patients. Design: This is a retrospective cost analysis using data from a clinical trial in order to perform the economic anlysis from a funder perspective. The cost analysis is based on the clinical results of the MAIDEN study which is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicentre, multinational Phase III study comparing the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin 400 mg po od for 14 days with ofloxacin 400mg po bid plus metronidazole 400mg po bid for 14 days in patients with uncomplicated pelvic inflammatory disease. Decision analysis is used to characterise the economic outcomes between groups and provide a structure upon which to base the sensitivity analyses. Published 2004 cost values are used throughout. Cost values for moxifloxacin are based on the retail price of Avelon tablets in South Africa as appears on the Orderwise Retail Pharmacy Ordering System (September 2004). Cost values for the comparator, ofloxacin and metronidazole, are based on the cheapest available generics on the South African market i.e. Zanocin 400 and Metazol 400mg respectively. Method: The cost analysis is based on the clinical results obtained from the MAIDEN study. Patients were enrolled in either the moxifloxacin treatment group (Group A) or the ofloxacin / metronidazole comparator group (Group B). Resource utilization included: - cost for study antimicrobials (total number of doses for the study period) - treatment for adverse events occurring up to 7 days after stopping the study medication - treatment for failures (includes patients continued on antimicrobial therapy after the 14 day course of therapy) - cost of additional physician visits to treat adverse events and treatment failures The primary end-point is the overall cost of treatment per patient as determined by: Clinical response 7 to 14 days after the last dose of study medication (Test-of-Cure visit) Since the clinical findings from the MAIDEN study showed that moxifloxacin treatment was at least as efficacious as ofloxacin/metronidazole treatment, a cost-minimization analysis was performed and the results were analysed according to decision analysis. Decision analysis was used to characterise the economic outcomes between the groups and provided a structure upon which to base the sensitivity analyses. The outcomes were depicted on a decision tree which proportionately determined the cost of treatment per patient in the two treatment groups. Results: No significant differences in clinical success rates were detected. Differences were mainly due to the cost of treating adverse events in the two groups. Costs per patient in the monotherapy vs combination therapy comparisons were R10 847.00 for moxifloxacin and R16 630.00 for ofloxacin/metronidazole treatment. Sensitivity analyses revealed that moxifloxacin monotherapy can be cost effective compared with ofloxacin/metronidazole combination therapy in different situations. Conclusion: Per patient, the cost of drug treatment and treatment of adverse events and clinical relapses was R10 847.00 for treatment with moxifloxacin therapy and R16 630.00 for ofloxacin/metronidazole therapy . In comparison to ofloxacin/metronidazole combination therapy, moxifloxacin monotherapy was therefore cost saving.

This Diploma Thesis has been written and defended at the Université Catholique de Lyon in France under the Double Degree Agreement between the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, and the Université Catholique de Lyon. In accordance with the Double Degree Agreement, this Diploma Thesis is fully recognized as part of the MSc programme study at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.

Judicial Corruption has been one the most serious problems in Latin America and particularly, within the Peruvian state for a long period of time. Accordingly, many judicial reforms were attempted by different governments –democratic and non democratic- in order to definitively resolve the problem. However, none of such attempts succeed and judicial corruption is now chronic in the Peruvian society. Taking into account this scenario, the following investigation proposes the application of the Economic Analysis of Law in order to find concrete ways to fight and end judicial corruption. For that purpose we will mainly apply the economic concepts of incentives and human behavior in order to detect the causes of judicial corruption, the obstacles to achieve a real reform, and principally, to propose concrete measures aimed to address the problem.

Judicial Corruption has been one the most serious problems in Latin America and particularly, within the Peruvian state for a long period of time. Accordingly, many judicial reforms were attempted by different governments –democratic and non democratic- in order to definitively resolve the problem. However, none of such attempts succeed and judicial corruption is now chronic in the Peruvian society. Taking into account this scenario, the following investigation proposes the application of the Economic Analysis of Law in order to find concrete ways to fight and end judicial corruption. For that purpose we will mainly apply the economic concepts of incentives and human behavior in order to detect the causes of judicial corruption, the obstacles to achieve a real reform, and principally, to propose concrete measures aimed to address the problem.

No description available.

No description available.

abstract: The global demand and trade for fruits and vegetables is increasing at national and international levels. The fresh fruits and vegetables supply chain are highly vulnerable to contamination and can be easily spoiled due to their perishable nature. Due to increases in fresh fruit and vegetable trade shipment volume between countries, the fresh food supply chain area is the highly susceptible and frequently prone to food contamination. The inability of firms in the fresh food business to have a good supply chain visibility and tracking system is one of the prominent reasons for food safety failure. Therefore, in order to avoid food safety risk and to supply safe food to consumers, the firms need to have an efficient traceability system in their supply chain. Most of the research in the food supply chain area suggests the implementation of a highly efficient tracking system called RFID (Radio frequency identification) technology to firms in the food industry. The medium scale firms in the fresh food supply chain business are skeptical about implementing the RFID technology equipped traceability system due to its high cost of investment and low margins on fresh food sales. This research developed two methods to measure the probability of food safety risk in food supply chain. These methods use the information gain from RFID traceability systems as a tool to measure the amount of risk in the fresh food supply chain. The stochastic optimization model is applied in this study to determine the risk premium by investing in RFID technology over the electronic barcode traceability system. The results show that there is a reduction in buyer (Type II error) and seller risk (Type I error) for RFID technology employed traceability system compared to electronic barcode system. It is found from stochastic optimization results that there is a positive risk premium by investing in RFID traceability system over the current systems and suggests the implementation of RFID traceability system for complex medium scale fresh produce imports to reduce the food safety risks. This research encourages the food industries and government agencies to evaluate alternatives to update supply chain system with RFID technology. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Agribusiness 2011

ABSTRACT Over the past 40 years, the economic development has enabled our country to shift from an agriculture-based society to an industry & commerce-based one. In recent years, we have even been ranked one of leading countries involved in external trade. Of the island-type economy, our country highly relies on import to provide the goods which we fail to produce or afford. To ensure our security, maintain the economic order and public interest, and be in line with international trade norms, the government often formulates a variety of measures to control the people¡¦s economic activities. As the enforcement of control strategy narrows the imported goods, the smuggling becomes an access to seeking the substantial profit. That gives rise to more and more rampant smuggling in our country. In response to the economic development, social pattern, market needs and entry into WTO, we have sharply changed both customs policy and tariff rate structure. Moreover, large quantities of articles smuggled are transformed from the past foods, Chinese herbal medicines, textiles and cosmetics to nowaday wine & tobaccos, agricultural products, high-tech products, poisons and weapons, and the way of smuggling, from crew member to container and fishing boat. The act of smuggling constitutes economic crime, which is the part of underground economic activities. The activity of smuggling disrupts the domestic order of economy, destroys the governmental policy of control and influences the income of tariff. The smuggling of poisons and weapons even endangers the people¡¦s health, social safety and national security. The damage resulting from smuggling crime is far more serious than other criminality. Thus, it is the most urgent to analyze the factors contributing to smuggling and further put forth the management strategy for the government¡¦s reference. In this study, I first gather the major cases of smugglers arrested over the past years, then make use of the approaches such as documentary analysis, deep interview and empirical analysis to analyze the factors contributing to smuggling and next focus upon the factors to explore the management strategy of smuggling and submit the proposal. The results of research reveals that the primary factors contributing to smuggling are inclusive of high tax rate structure, the governmental enforcement of control and the existence of underground economic market. In addition, the governmental poor execution and lack of anti-smuggling manpower and equipment enable the smuggling activities to increase. According to the empirical analysis, if the coefficient for the impact of smuggling act happening during the preceding first and second terms on current smuggling act indicates positive, the learning effect of smuggling act occurring during the preceding first and second terms exists but is not so conspicuous. The coefficient of criminal case uncovering rate is negative, meaning if the uncovering rate is high, the smuggling act will reduce but the degree of influence is unconspicuous. Furthermore, the coefficient for the impact of police administration expenses incurred during the preceding first, second and fourth terms on the current expense is positive, signifying the learning effect of police administration expense exists but is conspicuous for the preceding first term with the coefficient of over 5%. The coefficient of average real income per capita is positive but unconspicuous. That signifies police administration expense is affected by income as well but the degree of influence is unconspicuous. Research comes to the conclusion that the government should measure the domestic productivity and market needs to moderately lift the ban on more smuggled goods or lower tax rate and work out rent seeking problem arising from control or high tax rate through the economic means. Besides, the government should list the budget for arresting smugglers to strengthen educational training for anti-smuggling personnel, improve anti-smuggling equipment, properly amend the statutes to heighten the penalty of smuggling crime, map out the measures for arresting smugglers, apply the strategic management model to strategic planning, strategic implementation, strategic assessment, strategic review and amendment in order to exert the anti-smuggling effect to a great extent and restrain the act of smuggling.

The nuclear industry lacks a well documented, systematic procedure defining the requirements for power plant cycle selection and optimisation. A generic technoeconomic optimisation methodology is therefore proposed that can serve in the selection of balance-of-plant configurations and design conditions for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) power plants. The example of a cogeneration steam plant coupled to a pebble bed reactor, with or without an intermediate buffer circuit, was used in search of a suitable methodology. The following analyses were performed: • First order thermal hydraulic analysis • Second order thermal hydraulic analysis including cost estimation • Third order steady state analysis to evaluate part-load operation • Third order transient analysis to test operability and controllability The assumptions, level of detail required, modelling methodology and the type of decisions that can be made after each stage are discussed. The cycles under consideration are evaluated and compared based on cycle efficiency, capital cost, unit energy cost and operability. The outcome of this study shows that it is worthwhile spending the effort of developing a second order costing model and a third order model capable of analysing off-design conditions. First order modelling could be omitted from the methodology. The advantage of a second order model is that the cycle configuration can be optimised from a unit energy cost perspective, which incorporates the effects of both capital cost and cycle efficiency. The optimum cycle configuration differs from that predicted by first order modelling, which illustrates that first order modelling alone is insufficient. Third order part-load operation analysis showed operability issues that were not apparent after first or second order modelling. However, transient analysis does not appear justified in the very early design stages. To conclude, the proposed methodology is summarised as follows: • Evaluate the user requirements and design constraints. • Apply design principles from the Second Law of thermodynamics in selecting cycle configurations and base case operating conditions. • Optimise the operating conditions by performing second order thermal hydraulic modelling which includes component design and cost estimation. • Evaluate part-load operation with third order analysis. • Select the cycle with the lowest Levelised Unit Energy Cost (LUEC) and simplest operating strategy. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The nuclear industry lacks a well documented, systematic procedure defining the requirements for power plant cycle selection and optimisation. A generic technoeconomic optimisation methodology is therefore proposed that can serve in the selection of balance-of-plant configurations and design conditions for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) power plants. The example of a cogeneration steam plant coupled to a pebble bed reactor, with or without an intermediate buffer circuit, was used in search of a suitable methodology. The following analyses were performed: • First order thermal hydraulic analysis • Second order thermal hydraulic analysis including cost estimation • Third order steady state analysis to evaluate part-load operation • Third order transient analysis to test operability and controllability The assumptions, level of detail required, modelling methodology and the type of decisions that can be made after each stage are discussed. The cycles under consideration are evaluated and compared based on cycle efficiency, capital cost, unit energy cost and operability. The outcome of this study shows that it is worthwhile spending the effort of developing a second order costing model and a third order model capable of analysing off-design conditions. First order modelling could be omitted from the methodology. The advantage of a second order model is that the cycle configuration can be optimised from a unit energy cost perspective, which incorporates the effects of both capital cost and cycle efficiency. The optimum cycle configuration differs from that predicted by first order modelling, which illustrates that first order modelling alone is insufficient. Third order part-load operation analysis showed operability issues that were not apparent after first or second order modelling. However, transient analysis does not appear justified in the very early design stages. To conclude, the proposed methodology is summarised as follows: • Evaluate the user requirements and design constraints. • Apply design principles from the Second Law of thermodynamics in selecting cycle configurations and base case operating conditions. • Optimise the operating conditions by performing second order thermal hydraulic modelling which includes component design and cost estimation. • Evaluate part-load operation with third order analysis. • Select the cycle with the lowest Levelised Unit Energy Cost (LUEC) and simplest operating strategy. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.