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Utilizing Hirshfeld surface calculations, non-covalent inter-action (NCI) plots and the calculation of inter-action energies in the analysis of mol-ecular packing

Tan SL, Jotani MM, Tiekink ERT

Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun, 2019 Mar 01;75(Pt 3):308-318.
PMID: 30867939 DOI: 10.1107/S2056989019001129

The analysis of atom-to-atom and/or residue-to-residue contacts remains a favoured mode of analysing the mol-ecular packing in crystals. In this contribution, additional tools are highlighted as methods for analysis in order to complement the 'crystallographer's tool', PLATON [Spek (2009). Acta Cryst. D65, 148-155]. Thus, a brief outline of the procedures and what can be learned by using Crystal Explorer [Spackman & Jayatilaka (2009). CrystEngComm11, 19-23] is presented. Attention is then directed towards evaluating the nature, i.e. attractive/weakly attractive/repulsive, of specific contacts employing NCIPLOT [Johnson et al. (2010). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 6498-6506]. This is complemented by a discussion of the calculation of energy frameworks utilizing the latest version of Crystal Explorer. All the mentioned programs are free of charge and straightforward to use. More importantly, they complement each other to give a more complete picture of how mol-ecules assemble in mol-ecular crystals.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Fulltext The occurrence of patients presenting with broken/lost removable appliances

Tan, L., Awang, C.F.

Malaysian Dental Journal, 2007;28(1):59-62.
MyJurnal

An audit of broken/lost removable appliances was carried out. This study aimed to measure the occurrence of broken/lost appliances over a period of 6 months. It also assessed whether there was any difference in the occurrence rate between patients who paid for treatment and those who received it free of charge. The results indicated that the total number of broken/lost removable appliances was 183, from a total of 472 appliances issued. For paying patients, 59 of 177 patients had at least one broken/lost appliance, giving an occurrence rate of 33.3%. For nonpaying patients, 60 of 112 patients had at least one broken/lost appliance, giving an occurrence rate of 53.6%.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Fulltext Reliability based redundancy assessment of a cogeneration plant

Meseret Nasir, Wan Mansor Wan Muhamad, Raja Aziz Raja Maarof

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2019;27(1):225-246.
MyJurnal

Cogeneration systems are extensively used in Malaysia to produce power as a primary
source. However, in the event of cogeneration system failure, the customer or the client are
forced to use a redundancy to avoid power interruptions. There are two methods commonly
used as a backup in the cogeneration systems which are Generator set and public utility. In
order to choose the best redundancy for a particular cogeneration system, it is essential to
evaluate the economic benefit analysis by considering several factors such as Maximum
demand charge, installation cost and Discount interest. In the evaluation of economic
benefit, this study identifies the number of failure and associated downtime using reliability
and availability approach, and then present value method was applied. The result shows
that the usage of public utility as redundancy is beneficial if the cogeneration system
operates within five years period. However, if the cogeneration system operates more than
five years, generator set option would be a better option to minimize the total cost. This
research also addresses the effect of various factors such as installation cost, maximum
demand charge, fuel cost, discount interest rate and production capacity. In general, the
output of the research would be beneficial for the plant operator to select the appropriate
redundancy option based on the economic advantages.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Fulltext Valuing visitor’s willingness to pay to generate revenues for managing Putrajaya botanical garden

Izza Shazleen Abdul Aziz, Marek Kozlowski, Mohd Shahwahid Othman

Journal of Advanced Research Design, 2019;52(1):1-12.
MyJurnal

Policymakers and recreation site managers use changes in fee structure, either introducing park entrance fees or increasing existing ones, to generate revenues, improve services, and reduce damages associated with visitor’s overuse. The sudden increase in park usage fee, however, can make the park inaccessible to certain segments of visitors. Understanding park users' response to changes in fees and its implication on park use equity is, thus, important to achieving a park's full potential in a socially and environmentally responsible way. This information is crucial especially for developing countries, where the issue has received relatively less attention and underfunded. This paper contributes to the literature on park access fees by empirically assessing park use equity between and among international and local visitors visiting Putrajaya Botanical Garden, Malaysia and developing an approach for determining predictors and mean willingness to pay values for park entrance. Results of our survey-based approach show a positive willingness to pay values for park entrance and fee increases. Our results also show that it is possible to raise revenue without exacerbating existing park use differences.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Fulltext Regional impact of aging population on carbon dioxide emissions in China: Evidence from panel threshold regression (PTR)

Liang Y, Xinping H, Mazlan NS, Liang B, Ting L

PLoS One, 2023;18(9):e0290582.
PMID: 37708104 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290582

Carbon dioxide emission is a high-profile issue that can affect both the human economy and human existence, but few scholars have studied the relationship between these two. Therefore, this study constructs the panel threshold regression (PTR) based on the National Bureau of Statistics of China's panel data from 2002 to 2019 in 19 regions. One of the advantages of PTR is to leverage segmented functions, allowing for a more detailed analysis of the data. Besides, by introducing the idea of a threshold, PTR can effectively avoid structural changes in the data. The different between this study and other research is that this study divides 19 regions into two parts: Eastern China and Central China. Based on that, this study researches and compares the different influences of the aging population on carbon emissions in these two regions. The results show that although the Environment Kuznets Curve has been confirmed in both Eastern China and Central China, with the development of the economy, the carbon emissions will increase in Eastern China and decrease in Central China, respectively. In addition, the key factors affecting carbon emissions in Eastern China and Central China are trade dependence and urbanization rate separately. Hence, this study suggests that the regional governments in Eastern China may guide and encourage more international trading companies to move to Central China, and at the same time, the regional governments in Central China should issue more policies to attract these companies, such as: reducing land lease fees and building better transportation infrastructure. Apart from that, the governments in Central China should vigorously increase the rate of urbanization to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Search for displaced supersymmetry in events with an electron and a muon with large impact parameters

Khachatryan V, Sirunyan AM, Tumasyan A, Adam W, Bergauer T, Dragicevic M, et al.

Phys Rev Lett, 2015 Feb 13;114(6):061801.
PMID: 25723204

A search for new long-lived particles decaying to leptons is presented using proton-proton collisions produced by the LHC at √[s]=8 TeV. Data used for the analysis were collected by the CMS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1). Events are selected with an electron and muon with opposite charges that both have transverse impact parameter values between 0.02 and 2 cm. The search has been designed to be sensitive to a wide range of models with nonprompt e-μ final states. Limits are set on the "displaced supersymmetry" model, with pair production of top squarks decaying into an e-μ final state via R-parity-violating interactions. The results are the most restrictive to date on this model, with the most stringent limit being obtained for a top squark lifetime corresponding to cτ=2 cm, excluding masses below 790 GeV at 95% confidence level.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Child care services in Malaysia: an overview

Yusof K, Wong YL, Ooi GL, Hamid-Don P

Asia Pac J Public Health, 1987;1(3):11-6.
PMID: 3452401
Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Multi stakeholders of health and industries perspectives on medicine price transparency initiative in private health care settings in Malaysia

Sufiza Ahmad N, Makmor-Bakry M, Hatah E

Saudi Pharm J, 2020 Jul;28(7):850-858.
PMID: 32647487 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.06.003

Introduction: Medicine price transparency initiatives provide public or government on information about the product's prices and the components that may influence the prices, such as volume and product quality. In Malaysia, medicine price transparency has become part of the government's strategies in ensuring adequate, continuous and equitable access to quality, safe, effective and affordable medicines. Since the effect of medicine price transparency depend critically on how prices are presented, this study aims to evaluate the stakeholders' perspective of medicine price transparency practice in the private healthcare system in Malaysia.
Methods: This study was conducted as face-to-face, semi-structured interview. Respondents from private pharmaceutical industries, community pharmacists, general practitioners, private hospital pharmacists, governments, academicians and senior pharmacist were recruited using purposive sampling. Using phenomenological study approach, interviews were conducted, and audio recorded with their consent. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis with Atlas.ti 8 software and categorised as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).
Results: A total of 28 respondents were interviewed. There was a mixed perception regarding the price transparency implementation in Malaysia's private healthcare settings. The potential strengths include it will provide price standardization, reduce price manipulation and competition, hence allowing the industry players to focus more on patient-care services. Moreover, the private stakeholders were concerned that the practice may affect stakeholders' business and marketing strategy, reduce profit margin, increase general practitioner's consultation fees and causing impact on geographical discrepancies. The practice was viewed as an opportunity to disseminate the truth price information to consumer and strengthen collaboration between healthcare industries and Ministry of Health although this may become a threat that affect the business survival.
Conclusion: Price transparency initiatives would benefit the pharmaceutical industries, consumer and countries, but it needs to be implemented appropriately to prevent price manipulation, market monopoly, and business closure. Future study may want to evaluate the impact of the initiatives on the business in the industry.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges
Fulltext Patients' willingness to pay for their drugs in primary care clinics in an urbanized setting in Malaysia: a guide on drug charges implementation

Wan Puteh SE, Ahmad SNA, Aizuddin AN, Zainal R, Ismail R

Asia Pac Fam Med, 2017;16:5.
PMID: 28392749 DOI: 10.1186/s12930-017-0035-5

BACKGROUND: Malaysia is an upper middle income country that provides subsidized healthcare to ensure universal coverage to its citizens. The challenge of escalating health care cost occurs in most countries, including Malaysia due to increase in disease prevalence, which induced an escalation in drug expenditure. In 2009, the Ministry of Health has allocated up to Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) 1.402 billion (approximately USD 390 million) on subsidised drugs. This study was conducted to measure patients' willingness to pay (WTP) for treatment of chronic condition or acute illnesses, in an urbanized population.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study, through face-to-face interview was conducted in an urban state in 2012-2013. Systematic random sampling of 324 patients was selected from a list of patients attending ten public primary cares with Family Medicine Specialist service. Patients were asked using a bidding technique of maximum amount (in MYR) if they are WTP for chronic or acute illnesses.
RESULTS: Patients are mostly young, female, of lower education and lower income. A total of 234 respondents (72.2%) were not willing to pay for drug charges. WTP for drugs either for chronic or acute illness were at low at median of MYR10 per visit (USD 3.8). Bivariate analysis showed that lower numbers of dependent children (≤3), higher personal and household income are associated with WTP. Multivariate analysis showed only number of dependent children (≤3) as significant (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.27-5.44) predictor to drugs' WTP.
CONCLUSION: The result indicates that primary care patients have low WTP for drugs, either for chronic condition or acute illness. Citizens are comfortable in the comfort zone whereby health services are highly subsidized through universal coverage. Hence, there is a resistance to pay for drugs.

Matched MeSH terms: Fees and Charges