Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Social and Clinical Pharmacy Author: Duong Thuy Linh Supervisor: PharmDr. Jiří Klimeš, PhD., MBA Title of Thesis: The budget impact and cost-effectiveness thresholds in the context of other criteria in reimbursement decision making of medicinal products KEY WORDS: cost-effectiveness analysis, Willingness to pay threshold, medicines, MCDA - multi- criteria decision analysis OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to provide a structured overview of selected criteria that are / may be key to adopt new innovative technology in the reimbursement system, based on a retrospective analysis of selected decisions of the State Institute for Drug Control. It was investigated the relationship between the individual criteria (and scoring results) coming from the multi-criteria analysis and the value of ICER and BIA, for these medicinal products entering the reimbursed system. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of selected legally closed, published and publicly available administrative proceedings of the State Institute for Drug Control in the period January 2020 - May 2021. A total of 20 administrative proceedings were selected for the final analysis, of which 12 medicinal products that were selected, entered the permanent reimbursement and the...

Kontorshyresmarknaden i Stockholm har de senaste åren blomstrat med höga hyresnivåer, låga vakansgrader och en stabil ekonomisk tillväxt. Allt fler företag söker sig till kontor inne i Stockholm city vilket har lett till att hyresgästerna befinner sig i en position där det är konkurrens om utbudet på lokaler samtidigt som efterfrågan på mer flexibilitet i hyresavtalen har ökat. Hittills har få fastighetsägare i Stockholm börjat erbjuda mer flexibla hyresavtal till sina hyresgäster, istället har tredjepartsaktörer såsom coworking- och kontorshotellsbolag absorberat den marknad som möter hyresgästernas efterfrågan på flexibilitet. Den positionen fastighetsägarna i Stockholm befinner sig i just nu med höga hyror och låga vakanser gör att de inte behöver ta steget för att anpassa kontorsutbudet till hyresgästernas önskan om flexibilitet, men i takt med digitaliseringens utveckling, ändrade arbetsvanor och arbetssätt samt en potentiell annalkandelågkonjunktur kan detta komma att ändras. För de fastighetsägare som väljer att gå igenom processen för att anpassa lokalutbudet så att flexibla hyresavtal kan växa fram återstår dock frågan om hur lönsamt det kommer vara att erbjuda mer flexibla hyresalternativ. Detta arbete syftar till att undersöka betalningsviljan för flexibla hyresavtal rörande kontraktslängd, yta och service hos kontorshyresgäster i Stockholm CBD. För att fånga betalningsviljan har en kvantitativ enkätundersökning samt en kvalitativ intervjustudie genomförts, där hyresgäster med kontor i CBD varit respondenter i båda undersökningarna. Resultaten från studien visar att det finns en mycket stor andel hyresgäster i Stockholms primära affärsdistrikt som är villiga att betala ett premietillägg om 4% på marknadshyran för att få ta del av gemensam service i form av reception, konferensrum, omklädningsrum och cykelgarage i fastigheten. En stor andel av hyresgästerna är även villiga att betala ett premietillägg om 25% på marknadshyran för att hyra ett kontor i en fastighet där det även finns tillgång till coworkingyta och därmed möjlighet att hyra extra arbetsplatser. Undersökningen visade även att det finns en relativt stor betalningsvilja för nyckelfärdiga kontor med hyresavtal som löper på obestämd tid och har kort uppsägningstid där premietillägget var 50% på marknadshyran. Tidigare studier visar att en efterfråga på flexibla hyresavtal hos kontorshyresgäster finns, och resultaten från den här studien pekar på att det också finns en vilja att betala mer än marknadsmässig hyra för att få mer flexibilitet i hyresavtalet. För fastighetsägare som är villiga att erbjuda mer flexibla hyresavtal kommer det vara viktigt att diversifiera hyresgästportföljen för att minimera den risk som flexibla hyresavtal medför. Genom att erbjuda hyresgästerna en meny av kontrakt kommer en större mix av hyresavtal kunna uppnås. / such as coworking and flexible office companies have absorbed the market that meets the tenants' demand for flexibility. The current market that property owners in Stockholm is in with high rents and low vacancies has led to a situation where they do not have to take the step to adapt the office supply to the tenants' desire for flexibility, but in line with the progress of digitization, changed working habits and a potential prospective recession this can change in the future. However, the question of how profitable it will be to offer more flexible rental options remains for those property owners who choose to go through the process of adapting the office supply so that flexible leases can grow. The purpose of this thesis is to examine office tenants’ willingness to pay for flexible lease agreements concerning contract length, area and service in Stockholm CBD. In order to capture the willingness to pay, a quantitative survey and a qualitative interview study were conducted, where tenants with offices in the CBD were respondents in both surveys. The results of the study show that there is a very large proportion of tenants in Stockholm's primary business district who are willing to pay a premium of 4% on the market rent in order to benefit from shared service in the form of reception, conference rooms, changing rooms and bicycle garage in the property. A large proportion of the tenants were also willing to pay a premium of 25% on the market rent in order to rent an office in a property where there is also access to a coworking area and thus the opportunity to rent extra workplaces. The survey also showed that there was a relatively large willingness to pay for turnkey offices with lease agreements that run indefinitely and have a short notice period where the premium was 50% on the market rent. Previous studies show that the demand for flexible lease agreements for office tenants exists, and the results from this study also indicate that a willingness to pay more than the market-based rent to get the flexibility exists. For property owners who are willing to offer more flexible leases, it will be important to diversify the tenant portfolio to minimize the risk that flexible leases entail. By offering tenants a menu of contracts, a larger mix of rental agreements can be achieved.

This dissertation is an empirical investigation into the roles that different quantifiable and measurable perceptions play in defining individual behavior across a variety of decision-making contexts. In particular, the focus lies on smokers and the choices they make with regard to smoking and beyond. Chapter 1 analyzes a nationally representative sample of adults (23 years and older) in the United States, pertaining to the Annenberg Perception of Tobacco Risk Survey II (1999-2000). It is observed that three dimensions to smoking behavior viz., risk, temporality and addiction, interact to determine the smoking status of an individual. Although previous studies mostly looked into each of these dimensions in isolation, in this chapter, we empirically illustrate how perceptions on risk, time dimensions and addiction, jointly influence the smoking behavior of adults. Chapter 2 casts the smoker in the role of a parent and explores parental behavior towards the general health-risks facing their children. Using the dataset from a survey (2009), conducted in Orlando, Florida, on parents, having at least one child aged between 1 and 16 years, the chapter arrives at two findings relevant for policy: i) In each of the ‗smoker‘ and ‗non-smoker‘ parent categories, parents exhibit equal concern for themselves and their children, and ii) the level of concern shown by smoker-parents, towards health-risks faced by their children, is the same as that shown by their non-smoking counterparts. The analysis in this chapter also affirms the need to incorporate subjective risk assessment in willingness-to-pay (WTP) exercises to facilitate a deeper behavioral analysis of health risk valuation. Lastly, in Chapter 3, we focus on the issue of quantitative assessment of the perception of health risks from smoking. Particular interest lies in understanding how variants of a metric - namely, a survey question - have been employed in academic studies and industry-surveys, in order to measure smoking-related risk-perceptions. In the process of reviewing select tobacco-industry survey iv records, we analyze the implications of different features of this metric, (e.g., use of a ‗probe‘, the ‗Don‘t Know‘ option), and various interview modes (e.g. telephonic, face-to-face), for the estimates of perceived risk arrived at in these studies. The review makes clear that two aspects of health risks from smoking – the risk of contracting a smoking-related disease, as against the risk of prematurely dying from it conditional upon getting affected – have not been jointly explored so far. The dataset obtained from the Family Heart Disease and Prevention Survey (November 2010-March 2011), provides a unique opportunity to explore these two kinds of probabilities, particularly with regard to the risks of lung-cancer from smoking. Chapter 3 concludes by illustrating how individuals evaluate both these aspects of health-risks. While the probability of getting lung-cancer is found to be overestimated in conjunction with previous studies, the conditional probability of premature death is severely underestimated. Additionally, it is found that individuals‘ subjective assessments of either of these risk aspects predict smoking behavior in an identical manner. This calls into question the so-called ‗rationality‘ of smoking decisions with implications for policies designed for the control of tobacco consumption.

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<p dir="ltr">As nations strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the transformation of energy-intensive industries will significantly impact job quality and worker well-being. This thesis investigates the critical intersection of employment opportunities and just energy transitions in the context of industrial decarbonization, focusing on the U.S. steel sector. We address the challenge of balancing economic, environmental, and social considerations in the shift towards low-carbon manufacturing processes. Semi-structured interviews inform the development of a choice-based conjoint survey of Indiana steelworkers, which helps quantify worker preferences for various job attributes such as shift patterns, overtime hours, and wages. The analysis employs willingness-to-pay models to elucidate the complex relationships between compensation and working conditions in the context of potential changes brought about by renewable energy integration and electrification of steel production. Key findings reveal significant disutility associated with increased overtime hours and an unexpected preference for night shifts over day shifts among respondents. The research also highlights the importance of sociotechnical solutions that account for worker needs in designing decarbonized manufacturing processes. While acknowledging limitations such as potential sample bias, this thesis contributes to the development of integrated modeling approaches that combine worker preferences with operational constraints and energy costs. The results inform strategies for achieving a just energy transition in the steel industry, emphasizing the need for policies that prioritize worker well-being alongside decarbonization goals.</p>

This study examined the effects of wet aging on water-soluble flavor compounds, descriptive flavor, consumer acceptability, and willingness-to-pay of beef strip steaks. Twenty USDA Select boneless beef loins (NAMP #180) were dorsally divided into four equal portions, which were randomized to receive either 0, 7, 14, or 21 d of wet aging. Short-chained peptide concentration increased from 4.11 mg/g on d 0 to 5.12 mg/g on d 7 (P = 0.011) and subsequently increased to 7.14 mg/g on d 21 (P < 0.001). Cooked beef contained 1.85 mg/g less short-chained peptides than raw beef (P < 0.001). Wet aging for 21 d increased the concentrations of amino acids, which are precursors for the Maillard reaction, including methionine, threonine, cystine, serine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine (P < 0.001). Wet aging decreased the nucleotide concentrations (P ≤ 0.003) and increased hypoxanthine concentration, a compound that imparts bitter flavor (P < 0.001). Flavor intensity of steaks was greater on d 14 than on d 21 (P = 0.009). Steaks that were not aged (d 0) had a more intense umami taste than those aged for 7 and 21 d (P ≤ 0.042); whereas d 7 steaks had less off-flavor, described as metallic, oxidized, and cardboard, than steaks from other aging treatments (P ≤ 0.038). Demand analysis indicated that 14-d steaks would be sold at 5.2, 5.2, and 6.7 units (0.454kg/unit) less (P < 0.001) than steaks aged for 0, 7, and 21 d if holding price constant at $14/0.454kg. Wet aging alters the content of water-soluble flavor compounds in beef, which contributes to flavor development during cooking. Wet aging for 21 d decreased umami taste and flavor intensity. However, amino acid concentrations increased during aging, which contributes to meaty and browning flavors that may be more prevalent in other direct heating methods such as grilling. In addition, results indicated that wet aging for 14 d was not sufficient to provide the flavor and tenderness improvements that were apparent after 21 d of aging since aging beef for 14 d decreased consumer acceptance and demand.

Diese Dissertation quantifiziert die Zahlungsbereitschaft (ZB) der Konsumenten für die Verbesserung des Kraftstoffverbrauchs von Personenkraftwagen (PKW) und untersucht die Faktoren, die den unterschiedlichen Verbraucherbewertungen dieser Verbesserungen zugrunde liegen. Die Arbeit besteht aus drei eigenständigen Aufsätze, deren wissenschaftlichen Beiträge sowohl im inhaltlichen als auch im methodischen Bereich liegen. Auf der methodischen Seite nutzt die Arbeit verschiedene Datentypen und statistische Verfahren, um die ZB-Werte zu ermitteln. Inhaltlich werden in der Arbeit die Auswirkungen verschiedener Faktoren untersucht, von denen einige in der Literatur noch nicht oder nur teilweise im Zusammenhang mit der ZB für Kraftstoffeffizienz erforscht wurden. Der erste Aufsatz untersucht die Auswirkungen von Kraftstoffpreisen auf den Marktwert der Kraftstoffeffizienz. Dabei wird zwischen Änderungen im Budget für die Nutzung eines Autos mit niedrigerem Kraftstoffverbrauch und Änderungen im Budget für dessen Kauf unterschieden. Anhand offenbarter Präferenzdaten in Form aggregierter Marktdaten wird analysiert, wie sich die Unterschiede in den Fahrzeugattributen im Preis widerspiegeln und wie Änderungen der Kraftstoffpreise die ZB für den Kraftstoffeffizienz beeinflussen. Die Untersuchung im zweiten Aufsatz basiert ebenfalls auf offenbarten Präferenzdaten, aber auf individueller Ebene. Diese Art von Daten ermöglicht es, die individuelle Bewertung der Kraftstoffeffizienz zu ermitteln und die Heterogenität der Verbraucher bezüglich ihrer Zahlungsbereitschaft mit beobachteten verbraucher- und transaktionsspezifischen Merkmalen in Beziehung zu setzen. Der dritte Aufsatz quantifiziert die Unterschiede in den Präferenzen der Verbraucher für identische Verbesserungen des Kraftstoffverbrauchs sowie der CO2-Emissionen mit Hilfe von wahlbasierten Conjoint-Experimenten. Die Rolle der individuellen Merkmale in der ZB von Verbrauchern wird zusätzlich untersucht. / The present thesis quantifies the consumers' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for improvements in fuel efficiency of passenger cars with gasoline and diesel engines at the German automobile market and explores factors related to consumers' differences in the valuation of these improvements. The thesis consists of three self-contained essays with the contributions in both the conceptual and the methodological domain. Methodologically, the thesis exploits various data types and statistical techniques to elicit the WTP values, whereas conceptually, it considers the effects of various determinants, some of which have not yet or only partially been studied in the literature on the consumer valuation of fuel efficiency. The first essay investigates the effects of fuel prices on the market value of fuel economy while distinguishing between changes in the budget for driving a car with better fuel economy and changes in capital investments in better car quality. Revealed preference data, in the form of aggregate market data on vehicle prices and attributes for diesel and gasoline cars, are used to analyze how the differences in attributes of cars are reflected in their prices and to explore co-movements of the vehicle price sensitivity to fuel economy with changes in fuel prices. The investigation in the second essay is also based on revealed preference data, but from the observed car purchase transactions at the individual level. This type of data allows to recover the individual valuation of fuel efficiency and to relate the recovered heterogeneity in consumers' WTP for a reduction in fuel costs to the observed consumer- and purchase-related characteristics. The third essay quantifies the differences in consumers' preferences for identical improvements in FC and CO2 emissions using stated preference data. The role of individual characteristics in the consumers' WTP for these environmentally important attributes is additionally studied.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is an emerging technology to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants. In the wake of a rapidly changing German energy system, CCS can play an important role. By means of an online survey among 130 university students in Dresden, this paper investigates the level and influencing factors of social acceptance of CCS. Furthermore, the individual willingness to pay for CCS and renewable power delivery is measured and compared through a choice model. The survey results reveal that the attitude towards CCS is neutral. Moreover, it is shown that acceptance of CCS is an important factor for the willingness to pay. The level of willingness to pay for CCS technology is much lower than for renewable energy.