bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Análise de 20 anos do modelo de remuneração do SUS para a radioterapia: precisamos mudá-lo?
Authors: de Arruda Felipe Teles , Viani Gustavo Arruda
Published: April 2018

Objective: To evaluate in the last twenty years the remuneration model of Brazilian health system for the radiotherapy trying to demonstrate that the current model does not take into consideration relevant variables to adequate and better it.

Methods: This observational study included the collected data of the budget and the number of radiotherapy procedures performed between 1995-2015 by the Ministry of Brazilian health. The model was tested to detected any relationship with the cancer incidence and inflation. The variables were tested for a linear, cubic, exponential and logarithmic relationship. To measure the power of the association between the variables the R-square was calculated with an R value > 0.75 and a p-value < 0.05 considered significant.

Results: A linear increase as in the number of procedures (R=0.94 e p<0.05) as in the total of radiotherapy budget (R= 0.82 e p<0.05) was detected in the last 20 years. Since 1995, it has occurred an increase of the spendings for the Ministry of Brazilian health with the number of RT procedures. In the last twenty years, the number of RT procedures and the RT budget increased around 4.5 and 7.5 times. Except in 2010, in all other years, the budget was increased in the total value and no in the unit value of the procedure. There was not any relationship between the cancer incidence (p>0.05) or inflation (p>0.05) with the increased spending. There was a deficit of R$ 90 million corrected by the accumulated inflation in 5 years and about R$ 350 million in 20 years.

Conclusion: In the last 20 year, the ministry of health increased as the quantity of RT procedures as the budget for the RT. The spending with RT was constant and linear during the period. However, the model does not attend the needings of Brazilian’s population, because this model does not take into consideration the cancer incidence, inflation and also because the increase in the value does not give in the RT procedure.
Reliability Analysis of High Rise Building Considering Wind Load Uncertainty
Authors: Zhang Yi , Yan Keqin , Cheng Tao
Published: April 2018

In engineering structures, the safety problems are always depending on the respond of structures to different types of load. The safety assessment of a high rise building is highly depending on the analysis of environmental load. Many codes and practices have proposed many requirements for engineers in the design works. These include safety factors, limitations on damage, maximum deflections and so on. When violations in these requirements occur, the structure is believed to be dangerous. But once the problem becomes complicated such as multiple unknown loads in one building, it requires reliability analysis in the design. It must take care of all the assumptions and uncertainties in the structural design. In probabilistic assessment, any input variable is considered as an uncertainty. However, the traditional way to deal with these problems may have problems when uncertainties are large. Many probabilistic safety measures need to be reconsidered in engineering work. This paper, we will provide reliability analysis on a high rise building with consideration of wind load. All the most commonly applied reliability methods are been utilized in this analysis and compared base on the performance. The statistical influences including correlation and distribution type are also discussed in the same reliability problem.
Simulation of Excavator Bucket Pressuring Through Finite Element Method
Authors: Suryo Sumar Hadi , Bayuseno Athanasius Priharyoto , Jamari J. , Ramadhan Gilang
Published: April 2018

Excavator bucket tool is one of the most important parts of an excavator. It is made of steel mixture. It is commonly equipped with protruding teeth on its cutting side to breakdown hard materials and also to prevent dryness and damage of the bucket. Excavator bucket tooth must have supporting geometrical shape to penetrate and to endure the digging process on the ground, gravels, stones, or any other abrasive field. It is because of the field’s natural characteristic when the bucket tool grinds the material. Mixed iron is common to be used as excavator bucket tool’s material because it is easy to get and economic. High hardness value is also needed on the surface that transports hard material such as mining equipment. Therefore, an accurate analysis should be done to determine the suitable material on this field. Design and analysis were done by using Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Abaqus 6.10 application to get the maximum tension as the result of loading. Analysis process to get the tension was done by adding 8285.06 N weight forces in static condition with the angle of 32o to the horizon. From the analysis it could be known that maximum tension experienced by excavator bucket tooth is 209.3 MPa, and it is still below the Maximum Equivalent von Mises stress so the design could be categorized as safe.
Behavior of Precast Prestressed Concrete Segmental Beams
Authors: Al-Sherrawi Mohannad Husain , Allawi Abbas A. , AL-Bayati Basim H. , Al Gharawi Mohanned , El-Zohairy Ayman
Published: April 2018

The structural behavior of Segmental Precast Post-tensioned Reinforced Concrete (SPPRC) beams largely depends on the behavior of the joints that connect between the segments. In this research, series of static tests were carried out to investigate the behavior of full-scale SPPRC beams with different types of epoxy-glued joint configurations; multi-key joint, single key, and plain key joint. The reference specimen was monolithically casted beam and the other specimens were segmental beams with five segments for each one. The general theme from the experimental results reflects an approximate similarity in the behavior of the four beams with slight differences. Due to the high tensile strength of the used epoxy in comparison to concrete, cracks at joints occurred in the concrete cover which was attached to the epoxy mortar.
Scale Effects of Footings on Geocell Reinforced Sand Using Large-Scale Tests
Authors: Shadmand A. , Ghazavi Mahmoud , Ganjian Navid
Published: April 2018

The scale effect on bearing capacity of shallow footings supported by unreinforced granular soils has been evaluated extensively. However, the subject has not been addressed for shallow footings on geocell-reinforced granular soils. In this study, load-settlement characteristic of large square footings is investigated by performing large-scale loading tests on unreinforced and geocell-reinforced granular soils. The effects of footing width (B), soil relative density of soil (Dr), and reinforcement depth (u) have been investigated. The test results show that the scale effects exist in geocell-reinforced soils, like unreinforced soils, and the behavior of small-scale models of footings cannot be directly related to the behavior of full-scale footings due to the difference between initial conditions of tests and the initial state of mean stresses in the soil beneath the footings having different dimensions. Large footings create higher mean stresses in the soil, resulting in low soil friction angle and initial conditions of the test approach to the critical state lines. The results of tests indicate that model experiments should be conducted on low-density soil for better prediction of the behavior of full-scale footings, otherwise, the predicted behavior of full-scale footings does not seem conservative.
Ultimate Lateral Load Capacity of Piles in Soils Contaminated with Industrial Wastewater
Authors: Karkush Mahdi O , Abdul Kareem Mahmoud S , Jasim Mustafa M
Published: April 2018

The present study devoted to determine the ultimate lateral carrying capacity of piles foundation in contaminated clayey soils and subjected to lateral cyclical loading. Two methods have been used to calculate the lateral carrying capacity of piles foundation; the first one is two-line slopes intersection method (TLSI) and the second method is a modified model of soil degradation. The model proposed by Heerama and then developed by Smith has been modified to take into consideration the effects of heavy loads and soil contamination. The ultimate lateral carrying capacity of single pile and piles group (2×2) driven into samples of contaminated clayey soils have been calculated by using the two methods. Clayey soil samples are contaminated with four percentages of industrial wastewater (10, 20, 40 and 100) % of the distilled water used in the soaking process, the soaking procedure of soil samples have been proceeded for 30 days. Also, two ratios of eccentricity to embedded length (e/L = 0.25 and 0.5) have been examined. The results obtained from two analytical methods are well agreed with those obtained experimentally. The ultimate lateral carrying capacity, Pu (analytical) /Pu (experimentally) ranged from (75-8) % and (77-80) % of single pile with e/L = 0.25 and 0.5 respectively. In the piles group the ratio ranged (67-80) % and (71-79) % for e/L = 0.25 and 0.5 respectively.
Experimental Study of Silty Clay Plane Strain Tri-axial Test under RTC Path and Modified Cam-clay Model
Authors: Cheng Tao , Zhang Yi , Yan Keqin
Published: April 2018

The character of geomaterials is affected by stress path remarkably. Under different stress paths, the stress-strain characteristics of geomaterials are difference. For the unloading path in existing engineering situation, the physical parameters and constitutive model is usually determined by loading test. The path to uninstall the actual project conditions which may be a larger error. Therefore, this work proceeding from the actual project, deep excavation of the lateral unloading condition is analysed. The tests of CTC path and RTC path on silty clay in Huangshi city of china by multi-path tri-axial plane strain are carried on in the geotechnical Engineering Laboratory of Huangshi Institute of Technology. Then, the phenomenon under the two stress paths are compared with each other and describing the differences between them. The mechanical properties in the RTC stress path is analyzed mainly. Based on the Cam-Clay model framework, then derived this material yield equation based on Cam-clay model, Laiding the foundation for the numerical analysis.
Experimental and Numerical Research on Steel Plate Shear Wall with Infill Plate Connected to Beam Only
Authors: Raisszadeh Amirhosein , Deylami Ardeshir , Rahai Alireza
Published: April 2018

Steel plate shear walls consist of thin infill steel plates attached to beams, called (horizontal boundary elements, HBEs), and columns (vertical boundary elements, VBEs) in structural steel frames. The thin unstiffened web plates are expected to buckle in shear at low load levels and develop tension field action, providing ductility and energy dissipation through tension yielding of the web plate. HBEs are designed for stiffness and strength requirements and are expected to anchor the tension field formation in the web plates. VBEs are designed for yielding of web plates and plastic hinge formation at the ends of the HBEs. This design approach may result in very large demand on boundary frame members, especially VBEs in most cases. Several methods such as using LYP, perforating the infill plate and omitting connection of infill plate to columns have been proposed to reduce the moment and axial force demands on the VBEs. Study the behavior of steel plate shear walls omitting the connection of infill plate and columns is the main purpose of this research. A classic analysis base on PFI method along with quasi static cyclic experimental study has been performed in order to investigate the behavior of such a system. The results of the experimental study are used to verify numerical models. Behaviors of proposed system (overall capacity and initial stiffness) were compared with those of the conventional SPSWs. Results show that both parameters are reduced in comparison to the conventional SPSWs.
A Study of Convergence to Control the Cost of Concrete Bridges in the Design Stages in Yemen
Authors: Al-Sebaeai Majed , Al-Bukhaiti Khalil Mohammed , Zheng Shixiong
Published: April 2018

This research deals with the subject of concrete bridges projects cost control during the design phase. This research falls within the framework of the road bridges projects where cost control is used as a tool to help design and decision making.The objective of this study is to develop a methodology to control the cost of bridge projects during the early design stages, by investing the database with any helpful software tool, the proposed cost control methodology is based on modeling the original elements and proposing a method of cost estimate based on the estimate of quantities from general parameters of origin and prices be updated periodically. The proposed methodology studies the various technical solutions chosen by the designer and evaluates them economically.In this paper, a study was conducted on (12) bridges within the capital Sana’a bridges project and (7 bridges) those carried out in Sana’a-Aden road, by using the statistical program (SPSS) as a specialized program in this field, logical and theoretical issues have also been taken into account. Results that require us to study the design of the bridges based on a controlled database and applied to the case of cost and time, and on the impact of implementation risk on the cost of the project during the design phase, and the various models necessary to design a database structure that was enriched with information collected from different bridge projects were presented in the Republic of Yemen.
Measuring the Influences and Impacts of Signalized Intersection Delay Reduction on the Fuel Consumption, Operation Cost and Exhaust Emissions
Authors: Flamarz Al-Arkawazi Shamil Ahmed
Published: April 2018

With the rapid urban expansion and economic development, vehicle fuel dissipation and exhaust emissions have been identified as major energy wastage and urban air pollutions in Kalar City and Iraqi Kurdistan Region in general. Traffic congestion is a growing problem in Kalar City and other urban areas. As it increases, the delay at the transportation network will increase. Any increase of the delay in the transportation network will reflect negatively by increasing the delay at the signalized intersections. Therefore, a study on delay and its relation to fuel consumption, operation cost and emissions at signalized intersection are necessary. This paper, studies the influences and impacts of signalized intersection delay reduction on the fuel consumption, operation cost, and exhaust emissions. A simulation is carried out to evaluate the existing conditions of selected intersections by estimating the intersection delay, operation cost, and emissions. The simulation results show that fuel consumption, operation cost, and emissions are high and directly proportional to the intersection delay. To reduce intersection delay, a signal timing optimization is carried out to the selected intersections. The optimization results show that the delay reduction has a significant influence and impacts in reducing; fuel wastage, operation cost, and exhaust emissions.
Spent Bleaching Earth Recovery of Used Motor-Oil Refinery
Authors: Sabour Mohammad Reza , Shahi Mahsa
Published: April 2018

Bleaching earth refers to natural or activated clay which has the capacity to adsorb colored materials and other impurities during oil purification processes. This research utilized the spent bleaching earth (SBE) in used motor oil purification process via thermal remediation (650 ˚C) and acid washing methods (1 M HCl). Then, the activated spent bleaching earth (ASBE) was characterized. The results obtained from the BET analysis show the specific surface area and pore volume of the ASBE, activated virgin bleaching earth (AVBE) and virgin bleaching earth (VBE). These parameters are 100.38 m2g-1 and 0.23 cm3g-1 for the activated spent bleaching earth, 100.82 m2g-1 and 0.22 cm3g-1 for the activated virgin bleaching earth and 83.34 m2g-1 and 0.19 cm3g-1 for the virgin bleaching earth. The BJH analysis indicates that SBE activation increases mesopores in ASBE. In addition, results obtained from the XRD and FTIR tests illustrate that activation of SBE does not affect the physical and chemical properties of montmorillonite clay. Furthermore, SEM observations indicate surface morphology improvement in ASBE. Hence, activation of earth enhances its adsorption efficiency in comparison with virgin bleaching earth.
An Experimental Study on the Simultaneous Phenol and Chromium Removal From Water Using Titanium Dioxide Photocatalyst
Authors: Faghih Nasiri Elaheh , Yousefi Kebria Daryoush , Qaderi Farhad
Published: April 2018

Organic pollutants along with heavy metals and organic metal compounds may cause abnormal changes in physical and chemical parameters (acidity, alkalinity, salinity, color, smell and taste) of aquatic ecosystems and are among the serious threats of environmental health, especially the water resources. In this study, the effect of titanium dioxide photocatalyst with different concentrations (50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 mg/l) on the simultaneous removal of phenol and heavy metal (chromium) from aqueous solution of the closed system was investigated.  In order to determine the optimal concentrations of photocatalyst, all the tests were conducted in pH =7, using ultraviolet light with 100 watt power. The highest rate of phenol and chromium removal was observed at concentration of 100 mg/ml which was equal to 72.3% and 67.2%, respectively. Study of the reaction kinetics showed that the reactions of phenol and chromium removal were zero and first-order, respectively.
An Experimental Study on the Effect of Tire Powder on the Geotechnical Properties of Clay Soils
Authors: Akbarimehr Davood , Aflaki Esmael
Published: April 2018

With respect to the increasing production of tire wastes, the use of these wastes as an additive in civil engineering has always gained attentions of researchers due to their positive effects on material properties and reduction of environmental problems. Clay soils, as problematic soils, have always caused geotechnical problems including high Atterberg limits and consequently low workability. Tire powder, as one of the products of tire wastes, lacks clay cohesion and it can be effective in altering the plasticity of clay soils. As no comprehensive study has been conducted in this regard specifically on Tehran clay soil yet, this research studies experimentally the effect of adding different percentages of tire powder to clay soil at the Atterberg limits of clay soils with two different types of plasticity. More over according to previous studies, the effect of tire powder on other geotechnical properties of clay soils and the advantages and disadvantages of using tire powder in clay soils are discussed. The results indicate that addition of tire powder to clay soils has positive effects on reducing the Atterberg limits, increasing efficiency, and improving resistance, permeability, swelling reduction, and settlement properties, and reducing soil density and it can be used as an additive in improving clay soils.
Analysis and Evaluation of Traffic Congestion Control Methods in Touristic Metropolis Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Authors: Kadkhodaei Masoud , Shad Rouzbeh
Published: April 2018

One of the most important issues of urban transport management in metropolitan cities is the control of traffic congestion in the central parts of the city or other densely populated areas. Typical ways to control traffic congestion in metropolitan areas are to create a prohibited traffic area, alternate traffic plan (even and odd), and congestion pricing. In this paper, these traffic congestion control methods have been compared and evaluated. The methodology of this research is analytical hierarchy analysis (AHP). Based on the results, the most effective measures for assessing traffic congestion control methods in metropolitan cities were improving traffic conditions, social welfare, reducing environmental pollution and improving the safety of intra-urban travel. The best Traffic congestion control options were also priced for traffic congestion, roaming traffic (odd and odd), and the creation of traffic barriers. The results of analyzes and paired comparisons in analytic hierarchy analysis were also obtained using “Expert choice” software.
Evaluating the Relationship between Operating Speed and Collision Frequency of Rural Multilane Highways Based on Geometric and Roadside Features
Authors: Bamdad Mehrabani Behzad , Mirbaha Babak
Published: April 2018

Speed is one of the main functional factors that affect road safety in terms of both collision occurrence and collision severity. Previous studies have shown that several roadside and geometric features affect road safety and operating speed. This paper aims to evaluate the effects of roadside and geometric features on operating speed and collision frequency, simultaneously. For this purpose, the operating speed data of 103 segments along with their accident data and roadside and geometric characteristics were collected. Structural equation modelling (SEM) with latent variables was employed to model operating speed and collision frequency, simultaneously. Two latent variables including “geometric effect” and “roadside effect” were defined in SEM. The first latent variable is the combination of the natural logarithm of the segment length, longitudinal slope, the presence of a 2-meter paved shoulder, and curvature of the segment. The indicators of the second latent variable are the number of accesses and the presence of residential land use. The results show that the latent variable “roadside effect” increases collision frequency by a standard regression weight of 3.455; however, it reduces operating speed by a standard regression weight of –0.385. Also, the latent variable “geometric effect” causes an opposite effect on collision frequency and operating speed by the standard regression weight of –5.313 and 0.730, respectively. Besides, lower operating speed causes a reduction in the collision frequency by the standard regression weight of 7.734. The results of this study can be useful for designers and road safety agencies to improve road safety.
Optimization of Process Parameters by Response Surface Methodology for Methylene Blue Removal Using Cellulose Dusts
Authors: Sharifi Pajaie Seyed Hassan , Archin Saltanat , Asadpour Ghasem
Published: April 2018

This study was aimed to use Cellulose dusts (CD) produced in drying section of paper mills of paper making industry as a potential adsorbent to remove methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solution.  The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and X-ray Diffraction. The influences of the effective parameters including pH solution, adsorbent dosage, initial MB concentration, and contact time were optimized by CCD which stands for central composite design. The influence of these parameters on the adsorption capacity was analyzed using the batch process. The accuracy of the equation that is produced by CCD was affirmed by the variance analysis and also by calculating the correlation coefficient that connects the predicted and the empirical values of the percentage of removed MB dye. Maximum removal percentage of MB dye (98.05 %) which obtained at pH 9.84, adsorbent dosage 4.38 g L-1, MB concentration 75.50 g L-1 and time 208.13 min. Freundlich, Temkin, Harkins-Jura and Langmuir isotherms are used to analyze the empirical data. Results revealed that the data is in a satisfying agreement with the Freundlich isotherm (R2= 0.99). Pseudo-first order, Pseudo-second-order, Elovich and Intraparticle diffusion models were used to fit the kinetic data and it is found out that MB dye’s adsorption onto CD has a good agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results showed that CD can be an efficient and low-cost adsorbent for methylene blue adsorption.
Investigating Warm and Humid Climate with the Approach of Production of Quantitative and Qualitative Architectural Models
Authors: Bahoush Maryam , Salehabadi Amir
Published: April 2018

Climate change is one of the most significant threats facing the world today. Buildings are one of the largest energy consuming sectors in the world. Most contemporary buildings are highly dependent on air conditioning systems and electricity, reliant on fossil fuels and increasingly unable to adapt to a warming climate. Iran's hot and cold climatic regions are vast. With the advancement of technology, life in every weather condition is possible. Humans can provide living conditions. Passive design responds to local climate and site conditions in order to maximize the comfort and health of building users while minimizing energy use. The key to designing a passive building is to take best advantage of the local climate. Passive cooling refers to any technologies or design features adopted to reduce the temperature of buildings without the need for power consumption. Today been proven that seasonal fossil contamination causes irreparable damage to our planet's ecosystem, which is the result of global warming. According to studies conducted so far, the use of clean fuel cannot alone meet our needs in severe weather conditions. Eco-friendly architecture helps to save energy by avoiding energy losses. In this paper, with the careful analysis of weather information in Dezful, computer software solutions provide architectural solutions that can be measured and can be applied to each of the suggested patterns as Checked a number. Gaven Comfort conditions in this city without any static and dynamic system is 17.7% of the year, which can be increased by 78.8% of the year using static systems.
The Effect of Local Fuse on Behavior of Concentrically Braced Frame by a Numerical Study
Authors: Kachooee Ali , Kafi Mohammad Ali , Gerami Mohsen
Published: April 2018

The concentrically braced frames (CBFs) are one of the most widely used lateral load-resisting systems. Seismic performance of these structures has a weakness that is due to the brace buckling at a lower loading than the ultimate compressive loading capacity. In this paper, attempt is made to enhance the seismic response of CBFs through utilizing a local fuse. For this purpose, first the formulation of fuse area and length are presented. Then based on this formulation, several numerical models have been built and analyzed to examine the effect of implementing this fuse on seismic response of CBFs. From the analyses results, it is found that if the reduced cross-section fuse (RCF) is properly designed and also the end of brace is fixed, the CBFs with equal energy dissipation capacity, that are equipped with this fuse exhibit a better ductility than the customary CBFs.
Effect of Soil Types on The Development of Matric Suction and Volumetric Water Content for Dike Embankment During Overtopping Tests
Authors: Hassan Marwan Adil , Mohamad Ismail Mohd Ashraf
Published: April 2018

The resistance of dike materials has a great effect on the development of hydraulic engineering around the world. It helps to understand the mechanism of dike failure occurred due to the influence of hydraulics and Geotechnical parameters. The overtopping moment is one of the main failures that reduces the stability of the dike embankment through initiating the breach channel inside dike crest as a result of water flow above the downstream slope of the dike. Two spatial overtopping tests were conducted at in Hydraulic Geotechnical laboratories at the University Sains of Malaysia to observe the evolution of matric suction and volumetric water content for two soil types of sand and very silty sand soils. A pilot channel was cut in dike crest along the side wall of the small flume channel to represent the transition water flow from upstream into downstream slopes during overtopping test. The results indicated that the matric suction decreases due to the increase of volumetric water content during the saturation of dike body. The proportion increasing and decreasing of volumetric water content and matric suction is lower in very silty sand than those in sand soil due to the presence of fine particles in previous soil.
Technology Roadmapping of Emerging Technologies: Scientometrics, Time Series Analysis and SAO-based Approach
Authors: Bildosola Iñaki , Lezama-Nicolás René , Río-Bélver Rosamaría , Rodríguez-Salvador Marisela
Published: April 2018

This work proposes an approach which combines a set of quantitative methods to generate technological roadmaps, which draw on Science, Technology & Innovation data. The approach is designed to be applied to emerging technologies and its outcomes can be considered as inputs for competitive technical intelligence activities. It comprises five integrated methods within the tech mining field, namely: scientometrics, for the retrieving and structuring of scientific publications and patents; text mining, in terms of term-clumping and subject-action-object analysis, for topical analysis; hierarchical clustering, to identify the structure of the technology; time series analysis, to get a quantitative measure of the evolution and forecast of the technology; and technological roadmapping, to integrate all the information in a single picture. The approach was applied to the combined field of additive manufacturing in aeronautics. The data was retrieved from Patseer, Web of Science and Scopus databases and the application of the overall approach allowed us to understand both what ideas have dominated the evolution of technology, and which can do so in the near future. Findings were placed in a technological roadmap. In the initial years, it shows embryonic developments of the technology, such as prototypes manufactured by stereolithography. On the other hand, in the short-term future it reveals new products to be available in the market, such as 3D printed blisk blades and 3D printed acoustic liners. Future lines of research should consider the integration of webscraping to identify subject-action-object structures in specialized webpages.
Unveiling the potential of C-ITS: market research analysis
Authors: Zaldivar Ivan , Anoyrkati Eleni , García-Pérez Alexeis , Avarello Alba Lina , Bojkova Viara , Leal Xavier
Published: April 2018

The ITS market is changing rapidly shaping the near future of a brand new world. This paper aims to provide an understanding of this ever-changing world, analysing  current markets, trends and initiatives which will eventually contribute in developing new business models and incentives in order to accelerate the ITS deployment in Europe.
The paper provides a general ITS market watch including an overview of the market and it identifies the current needs and trends of ITS solutions. In addition to this, the research is based on four case studies both in terms of market analysis and stakeholders’ analysis 

The results presented in this paper have received funding from the European Un-ion's H2020 programme under grant agreement n° 723974 (project acronym: NEWBITS)
Real Time Remote Solar Monitoring System
Authors: Gupta Ambuj , Jain Rishabh , Joshi Rakshita , Saxena Ravi
Published: April 2018

The following paper proposes a solar metering system which can be accessed from anywhere for monitoring and analysis of solar setups. It monitors the solar output in real time with ease and therefore any interruption in the system can be immediately monitored. This IOT (Internet of Things) based system is best suited for remote areas where solar systems are setup due to ample availability of solar energy but regular access to the areas is difficult and is not cost efficient. With the demands of renewable and solar energy escalating, this system’s demand and usefulness will blatantly increase .The system comprises of Raspberry PI (a Microcontroller based Computer), MCP3008 (Analog to Digital Convertor), DC Voltage Transducer and current shunt. The system has been developed using Virtual Instrument Programming Language LabVIEW
Evaluating the New Zealand Individual Transferable Quota Market for Fisheries Management
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Kerr Suzi , Newell Richard , Sanchirico James
Published: April 2018

The New Zealand ITQ system is a dynamic institution that has had many refinements since its inception more than 15 years ago. Nonetheless, the basic tenets of the system - setting a total allowable catch and leaving the market to determine the most profitable allocation of fishing effort - have remained intact. This paper assesses the New Zealand system to identify areas of success and/or possible improvement or expansion within it. The reasons for doing so are to highlight beneficial features and to identify features of the New Zealand ITQ system that are relevant to other potential tradable permit markets.Beneficial features include simple standardized rules for quota definition and trading across species and areas; very few restrictions on quota trading and holding; relative stability in the rules over time; and low levels of government involvement in the trading process. We find evidence that supports the assertion that fishers behave in a reasonably rational fashion and that the markets are relatively efficient. We do not find major changes in participation in these fisheries as a result of the system. We find evidence that suggests that the ITQ system is improving the profitability of fisheries in New Zealand. In general the evidence thus far suggests that the market is operating in a reasonably efficient manner and is providing significant economic gains. These factors suggest that New Zealand would want to have non-economic justifications for any significant changes to the system.
Do Lower Expected Wage Benefits Explain Ethnic Age Gaps in Job-Related Training? Evidence from New Zealand
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Gibson John
Published: April 2018

Many studies show that individuals from ethnic minority groups receive low levels of job-related training, raising the question of whether lower expected wage benefits contribute to this lack of training. In this paper, unit record data are used to examine the effect of job-related training on wages in New Zealand. The results suggest that both the receipt of employer-provided training, and the number of training events, have larger effects on wages for minority workers than they do for white workers. There are no differences across ethnic groups in the wage benefits from other types of training.
Joint Implementation in Climate Change Policy
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Kerr Suzi , Leining Catherine
Published: April 2018

The textbook economists' model of a tradable permit system cannot usually be applied perfectly at either the domestic or international scale because of the difficulty and/or expense of defining allocations to and monitoring emissions of some groups, as well as for political reasons. It may be impossible to bring these groups fully into a tradeable permit system but it is often possible to find compromise solutions to gain some benefits from trade. This paper explores this problem in the context of the Joint Implementation mechanism associated with the Kyoto Protocol. This paper starts by outlining the current international rules governing Joint Implementation. We provide a summary of key jargon for those who are unfamiliar with the complex Kyoto language. We then discuss two key international issues that are still unresolved: baseline development and monitoring. We then turn to domestic governance of Joint Implementation and how the private sector might engage in Joint Implementation. At this point we consider how Joint Implementation fits within the suite of Kyoto flexibility mechanisms, why sellers and buyers might choose to engage in each, and how the different mechanisms might interact in the market for tradeable units. We conclude with some thoughts about productive directions for future research.
Housing and Economic Adjustment
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Grimes Arthur , Kerr Suzi , Aitken Andrew
Published: April 2018

Housing is the most important component of wealth for many New Zealanders. Its location is fixed and its value is influenced by economic and other factors specific to that location. Hence when people live in owner-occupied homes their wealth is strongly associated with their local economic conditions. Housing is also a major factor in influencing migration decisions and, hence, regional mobility. To shed light on the behaviour of the New Zealand housing market, we examine the dynamic and long run responses of house values across spatial communities and across time to economic variables that impact on the local economy. We use a specially constructed QVNZ-sourced database for house prices and house sales, and a range of explanatory variables constructed consistently across TLA and Regional Council levels.
Economic Growth and the Size and Structure of Government: Implications for New Zealand
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Grimes Arthur
Published: April 2018

The work of Gwartney, Holcombe and Lawson (GHL, 1998) is cited in New Zealand debate to demonstrate that a larger government share of GDP is detrimental for economic growth. Their work is reassessed here. We find a number of omissions in their analysis lead to a considerable over-statement of the effect of government size on growth. More important for growth, according to other recent work, are the structures of government revenues and expenditures. The size and structure of New Zealand government flows are examined using recent IMF data. This analysis indicates that New Zealand has a relatively small government sector. However, the structures of both government revenues and expenditures warrant attention.
Long Run Trends in New Zealand Industry Assistance
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Lattimore Ralph
Published: April 2018

New Zealand has had a complex process of adjusting commercial policy since the economic reforms began in 1984. This paper reports on the results of a research project to estimate the trends in industry assistance over this period and the variance of assistance within 2-digit industry groupings.
Would Adopting the US Dollar Have Led to Improved Inflation, Output and Trade Balances for New Zealand in the 1990s?
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Hall Viv , Huang Angela
Published: April 2018

Deterministic simulations with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's core FPS model show how New Zealand's broad macroeconomic environment might have evolved over the 1990s, if a US nominal yield curve and US TWI exchange rate movements under a common currency arrangement had been experienced. Relatively looser monetary conditions would have prevailed, and led to modest short-run output gains, greater excess demand pressures, noticeably higher CPI inflation rates over the whole of the 1990s, and less favourable trade balance outcomes, especially for the late 1990s. These macroeconomic outcomes are overall less favourable than those obtained from simulating the equivalent Australian monetary conditions.
Migration and the Environment in the Galapagos: An analysis of economic and policy incentives driving migration, potential impacts from migration control, and potential policies to reduce migration pressure
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Kerr Suzi , Cardenas Susana , Hendy Joanna
Published: April 2018

From 1974 through 1997 the Galapagos experienced very rapid population growth, around six per cent per year. Sustained at this level, the population would continue to double every 12 years. Increased population brings an increased risk of invasive introduced species, which endangers the fragile ecosystems. On 18 March 1998, a Special Law was passed to protect the Galapagos. This law severely limits migration to the islands. We discuss the environmental problems that motivated the law, describe the law, and discuss anecdotal evidence on its operation and potential to date. We then theoretically assess the implications of limiting migration and empirically assess the history and drivers of migration to Galapagos. In particular we discuss distorted incentives arising from subsidies and inadequate regulations that exacerbate migration pressure. Finally, we draw on our analysis to offer some short and longer term policy solutions and ideas on how existing capacity could be enhanced to implement them.
Insolvency and Economic Development: Regional Variation and Adjustment
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Fabling Richard , Grimes Arthur
Published: April 2018

This paper examines the determinants of the rate of forced insolvency in New Zealand. The study incorporates two key features. First, we use regional as well as national data to explain insolvencies. The data cover six regions which have had a variety of economic experiences over the sample period (1988-2003). Second, we explain the total rate of forced insolvency in New Zealand, including both personal bankruptcies and involuntary company liquidations. We find that increases in regional economic activity and regional property values (the latter representing collateral effects) reduce regional insolvencies. An increase in credit provision (increased leverage) raises the rate of insolvencies. In a low-inflation environment, a rise in the inflation rate reduces insolvencies, but this effect disappears in a high-inflation environment. We show that interactions between economic activity, leverage and property price shocks provide a rich understanding of how region-specific shocks can compound into significant localised economic cycles.
Ideas for Growth?
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Maré David
Published: April 2018

There is much talk of the knowledge economy, and the central role of ideas and knowledge in generating economic growth. This paper provides a brief review of the economic literature on how skills/ knowledge/ ideas might contribute to higher output or higher rates of growth. Ideas are complementary inputs into production, in the sense that they raise the productivity of other inputs. Some of the complementarities may give rise to externalities-effects that do not have to be paid for. For investments in ideas to generate output growth, these complementarities must be particularly strong. I conclude with some comments on what policy makers can draw from the literature, which is some encouragement but little specific guidance.
Land Taxes and Revenue Needs as Communities Grow and Decline: Evidence from New Zealand
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Kerr Suzi , Aitken Andrew , Grimes Arthur
Published: April 2018

An efficient housing market is of critical importance for individual welfare and for a well-functioning economy. We test the efficiency of this market by estimating the factors that determine both the long-run and the dynamic paths of regional house prices. Our tests use a new quarterly regional panel data set covering the 14 regions of New Zealand from 1981 to 2002. The tests indicate that regional housing markets converge to an equilibrium consistent with consumer optimising conditions, and hence with long-run efficiency. However, some conditions required for short-run (dynamic) efficiency are violated. We find that extrapolative price expectations, based on past regional phenomena, lead to overshooting of house prices in response to new region-specific information. We also find that price dynamics are influenced by past regional house sales activity and that the dynamic adjustment process is asymmetric depending on whether house prices are above or below their long-run equilibrium.
What do Endogenous Growth Models Contribute?
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Maré David
Published: April 2018

Endogenous growth theory is one of the mainstream economics approaches to modelling economic growth. This paper provides a non-technical overview of some key strands of the endogenous growth theory (EGT) literature, providing references to key articles and texts. The intended audience is policy analysts who want to understand the intuition behind EGT models. The paper should be accessible to someone without much economics training.
Policy to Encourage Carbon Sequestration in Plantation Forests
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Kerr Suzi , Brunton Emma , Chapman Ralph
Published: April 2018

Carbon sequestration in plantation forests provides the main means by which New Zealand will meet its international climate change obligations in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012). However, without active policy, forests are unlikely to contribute as much in subsequent commitment periods. This research paper provides the background for examining policy measures for encouraging carbon sequestration in plantation forests in New Zealand. Part I focuses on providing factual information and positive analysis of: key domestic and international regulations; information on New Zealand forests, the forestry industry and forest profitability; discussion of land-use decision making, including the central question of what influences conversion of farmland to forestry; and forest carbon ecology. Part II moves on to normative analysis of policy design. It discusses how including considerations of the value of carbon sequestration and storage changes optimal land-use behaviour, and outlines key issues that need to be addressed when developing a policy to encourage sequestration and storage in a pragmatic way. Finally, the paper identifies a number of key areas where we need more information before we can make well-informed choices about policy design. Future work will endeavour to identify and evaluate policies that would effectively encourage sequestration.
Maori Incomes: Investigating Differences Between Iwi
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, Maré David , Sin Isabelle
Published: April 2018

This paper investigates several factors that may be important for improving Maori outcomes, and the extent to which their importance varies by iwi. Specifically, it examines the extent to which controlling for differences in characteristics of the European population and the populations of various iwi can account for the differences in income distribution between the groups. It finds that qualification levels are important-they account for an average of approximately 29% of the difference between iwi and European incomes. The differing age distributions and the proportions of the population with different work and labour force statuses also account for much of the difference. Residence in different types of urban or rural area appears less relevant, as does residence in different regional council areas. The sizes of the influences of the different factors vary considerably by iwi and sometimes by gender. This suggests that policies aimed at improving Maori incomes may be more cost-effective if they target specific iwi.
Quantifying Creative Destruction Entrepreneurship and Productivity in New Zealand
Authors:   Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, McMillan John
Published: April 2018

This paper (a) provides a framework for quantifying any economy's flexibility, and (b) reviews the evidence on New Zealand firms' birth, growth and death. The data indicate that, by and large, the labour market and the financial market are doing their job.