Abstract The purpose of this article is to present a system dynamics (SD) model for studying the ‎interconnections among human being weight, eating habit, exercise, body fat, take-in medication, drugs-uses, and the health problems in general. Due to the fact that all of these factors have direct and indirect impacts on the expenses that insurance company have to pay this author is proposing a ...

A consistent finding in the development literature is that average non-farm labor productivity higher than farm productivity. These differences are sometimes used to promote policies which advance sector. In this article, we analyze importance of two specification choices when comparing gaps, using detailed household panel data from Malawi. Importantly, able calculate both revenue products (ARP...

This paper explores empirical linkages between credit unions’ (CUs’) policies and their financial perfomance, as measured by loan delinquency and profitability, using a unique micro dataset of credit unions in three Latin American countries. The estimated translog profit function is generalized using a slack variable concept that parameterizes any systematic deviation from profitmaximizing beha...

The sensitivity of asset fixity conclusions, input adjustment rates, and elasticities to choice of functional form is examined using a dynamic dual model of U.S. agriculture. A very general initial specification allows tests of instantaneous adjustment to be performed for every input. Test results are mixed across functional forms for all inputs except real estate, which is consistently found t...

Background: Global resource needs estimation is a critical part of addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To generate these estimates knowledge of costs and cost structures is required. The evidence base for costs of HIV prevention programmes is limited. Even less is known about the existence of economies scale and whether, as economic theory suggests, average costs form a 'u'shaped curve as scale i...

Abstract Background Farm productivity on smallholder family-owned crop farms remains low despite several interventions to transform agriculture especially in developing countries. Farmers rural areas face serious constraints that impede their productive capacities for the principal dietary staple, notably maize. Smallholder farmers have access unprofitable markets turn make enterprises less pro...

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this study analyses the concept of cost functions for semi-automated straddle carrier (sc), rubber tyred gantry (rtg) and automated rail mounted gantry (rmg) container yard operating cranes. it develops a generic cost based model for a pair-wise comparison, analysis and evaluation of economic efficiency and effectiveness of container yard equipment to be used for decision-making by terminal pla...

with the development of restructured power systems and increase of prices in some hours of day and increase fuel price, demand response programs were noticed more by customers. demand response consists of a series of activities that governments or utilities design to change the amount or time of electric energy consumption, to achieve better social welfare or some times for maximizing the benef...