Balance Method Research Articles

Formulation and evaluation of bioadhesive buccal Films of Domperidone co-crystals by using Tamarind kernel powder as mucoadhesive polymer

As solubility plays key role in drug dissolution and bioavailability lots of techniques to enhance solubility are evolved. One of the techniques is co crystallization. The main aim of the work is to enhance the solubility of domperidone by co crystallization using coformers like Para amino benzoic acid and succinic acid. The cocrystals were evaluated for melting point and solubility enhancement. these cocrystals were used to prepare buccal films by solvent casting method. In the preparation of buccal films Tamarind kernel powder obtained from the seeds of Tamarind is used as mucoadhesive polymer and Hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose as film former, Polyethylene glycol 6000 as plasticizer, dehydrated banana powder as super disintegrant, sodium saccharin as sweetener and mixture of ethanol and water as solvents. The mucoadhesive strength of Tamarind kernel powder was determined using modified physical balance method. Four buccal films were prepared in which PDBF1 and PDBF2 are the two buccal films prepared using cocrystals of domperidone and Para amino benzoic acid and other two buccal films SDBF1 and SDBF2 with cocrystals of domperidone and Succinic acid. The buccal films were evaluated for different tests like folding endurance, swelling index and Surface pH. In vitro diffusion studies were conducted by Franz diffusion cell using egg membrane as semipermeable membrane and phosphate buffer of pH 7.4. The buccal films prepared with cocrystals of domperidone and succinic acid at weight ratio 1:2 has shown 86%drug release. The work has concluded that there is fold increase in aqueous solubility of Domperidone and the optimized formula is SDBF2 and Tamarind kernel powder can be used as mucoadhesive polymer in novel drug delivery systems. Keywords: co crystals, solvent evaporation, muco adhesive, buccal films, solvent evaporation

Compensation Mechanism of Controllable Load Shifting during Peak-Down Period Based on Revenue Balance Method

Compensation Mechanism of Controllable Load Shifting during Peak-Down Period Based on Revenue Balance Method

A novel active cell balancing topology for serially connected Li-ion cells in the battery pack for electric vehicle applications

In a Battery Management System (BMS), cell balancing plays an essential role in mitigating inconsistencies of state of charge (SoCs) in lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells in a battery stack. If the cells are not properly balanced, the weakest Li-ion cell will always be the one limiting the usable capacity of battery pack. Different cell balancing strategies have been proposed to balance the non-uniform SoC of cells in serially connected string. However, balancing efficiency and slow SoC convergence remain key issues in cell balancing methods. Aiming to alleviate these challenges, in this paper, a hybrid duty cycle balancing (H-DCB) technique is proposed, which combines the duty cycle balancing (DCB) and cell-to-pack (CTP) balancing methods. The integration of an H-bridge circuit is introduced to bypass the selected cells and enhance the controlling as well as monitoring of individual cell. Subsequently, a DC–DC converter is utilized to perform CTP balancing in the H-DCB topology, efficiently transferring energy from the selected cell to/from the battery pack, resulting in a reduction in balancing time. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, the battery pack of 96 series-connected cells evenly distributed in ten modules is designed in MATLAB/Simulink software for both charging and discharging operation, and the results show that the proposed H-DCB method has a faster equalization speed 6.0 h as compared to the conventional DCB method 9.2 h during charging phase. Additionally, a pack of four Li-ion cells connected in series is used in the experiment setup for the validation of the proposed H-DCB method during discharging operation. The results of the hardware experiment indicate that the SoC convergence is achieved at ~ 400 s.

Optimal classification of radiant time series for cooling load calculation of building air-conditioning systems

Building cooling load is caused by complex thermal effect. Design cooling load determines the capacity of air-conditioning assembly units and systems to maintain stable thermal environment and high operating efficiency. The radiant time series method (RTSM) is applicable for design cooling load calculation in engineering application. The radiant time series (RTS) should precisely match various room types by improving their accuracy and practicality. The room construction types require more explicit identification. This study proposes RTS classification method based on heat balance method (HBM) and CatBoost to obtain the representative RTSs for various room types. A new quantitative indicator, interior surface heat storage coefficient, is introduced to quantify the construction type. An accuracy evaluation is performed on the representative RTSs and design cooling loads calculated using them. The results show that interior wall type, ceiling type and floor type are important parameters for RTS classification. Compared to the HBM, the representative RTSs cause relative deviations of design cooling loads within 5 % for over 90 % of the room samples, with mean deviations within 2 %. This has demonstrated accurate RTS classification in this study. The appropriate representative RTSs with refined construction type can ensure accurate cooling load calculation and facilitate extensive application.

Analisis Metode Balanced Scorecard Sebagai Pengukuran Kinerja Puskesmas Prambon

This research is in the background that a balanced scorecard is a management system used to implement strategies, evaluate performance not only from financial aspects, but also involving non-financial aspects. In addition, a balanced scorecard is used to convey the company's vision, strategy, and performance expectations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the performance of the Prambon Health Center seen using the balanced scorecard method. This research uses a descriptive quantitative approach and is conducted at the Prambon Health Center. The results of this study show that the performance of the Prambon Health Center is measured by the balanced scorecard method from a financial perspective on the economic and efficiency ratios in 2021 to 2023 showing good results, and on the effectiveness ratio seen in 2021 to 2023 showing poor results. From a customer perspective, measured using customer satisfaction from 2021 to 2023, it shows good results. From an internal business perspective measured using the ALOS indicator seen from 2021 to 2023 shows good results, The BOR indicator seen in 2021 to 2023 shows poor results, the TOI indicator seen in 2021 to 2023 shows poor results, and the BTO indicator seen in 2021 to 2023 shows good results. The conclusion from the data analysis from the Prambon Health Center measured using a balanced scorecard for the period from 2021 to 2023 is always increasing every year. In 2021 it showed quite good results, in 2022 it showed good results, and in 2023 it showed good results.

Frequency-Dependent Bouc–Wen Modeling of Magnetorheological Damper Using Harmonic Balance Approach

Magnetorheological dampers (MRDs) are of great interest in engineering due to their continuously adjustable damping characteristics. Accurate models are essential for optimizing MRDs and analyzing system dynamics. However, conventional methods widely overlook the impact of excitation frequency and amplitude. To address this issue, this work proposes a modified Bouc–Wen model that can be adapted to various excitation conditions. The model’s parameters depend on the current, excitation frequency, and amplitude. The mechanical characteristics of the MRD were analyzed by the tests. The parameters in the Bouc–Wen model were identified by combining the harmonic balance method and the genetic algorithm. The modified Bouc–Wen model was established by analyzing the variation of each parameter with current, excitation frequency, and amplitude. Finally, the agreement between the modified prediction model and the test results was verified under sinusoidal excitation of 80 mm and 1 Hz. The average relative errors were 3.87%, 2.82%, 2.45%, 2.19%, and 3.27% for current excitations of 0 A, 0.5 A, 1 A, 1.5 A, and 2.0 A, respectively. Since the MRD in this paper operates from 0.5 Hz to 2 Hz, the modified model was validated in the same range. Experiments demonstrate that the modified Bouc–Wen model efficiently and accurately describes the mechanical properties of the MRD under various excitation conditions.

Experimental, theoretical and optimization studies on multimode vibration reduction of floating raft system based on NES cells

Most of the studies on multimode vibration reduction of floating raft systems remain at the stage of theoretical analysis, while relevant experimental studies are rare. In this paper, an experimental setup for a scaled-down floating raft system is constructed. The vertical track nonlinear energy sink (TNES) cells are experimentally applied for the first time to suppress the multimode vibration of the floating raft system. To ensure the damping effect is not affected by additional mass, the TNES cells are always installed on the floating raft system. The TNES is able to achieve vibration suppression by allowing unrestricted movement of its vibrator. Two damping systems with different TNESs placement are proposed. Experimental modal analysis is performed on the floating raft structure to determine its response characteristics. Based on the results, different magnitudes of excitation force are applied to each order mode to effectively suppress the multimode vibration of the system. Meanwhile, the nonlinear system coupled with TNES cells is analyzed using the harmonic balance method (HBM) to obtain the approximate analytical solution. The system responses obtained from the analytical solution are compared with the experimental data results. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to obtain the optimal parameters of the TNESs for vibration suppression. The results show that the multimodal vibration of the floating raft structure is effectively suppressed by the TNES cells in both experimental and theoretical analyses. The vibration suppression effect for all modes is significantly improved by the PSO algorithm. In conclusion, the research content of this paper provides a practical and feasible vibration suppression solution for the design of floating raft systems.

An adjustable stiffness vibration isolator implemented by a semicircular ring

Nonlinear vibration isolators with quasi-zero-stiffness characteristics offer broadband vibration isolations, while passive quasi-zero-stiffness isolators are unable to adapt to variable working conditions. To address the issue, a nonlinear semi-active vibration isolator based on a semicircular ring structure is proposed. As an elastic component, the semicircular ring exhibits nonlinear stiffness under a vertical compression at the centre. With a semi-active control of the horizontal distance between the two ends of the semicircular ring, a pre-deformed state is induced, and the stiffness characteristics are adjusted accordingly. A chained beam-constraint model is adopted to characterize the pre-deformed process and the vertical compression process, respectively. The adjustable nonlinear restoring force is accurately calculated and adopted for vibration analysis. A harmonic balance method is used to analyze the frequency responses of the isolator under different working conditions. The semicircular ring exhibits softening stiffness under a vertical compression, and the quasi-zero-stiffness region can be effectively adjusted by the pre-deformed process. With the vertical compression reaching a threshold, negative stiffness is presented along with a snap-through phenomenon due to the bi-stability. With the semi-active pre-deformed, the isolator demonstrates different resonant frequencies and different risks in the occurrence of the snap-through during vibration. To avoid the snap-through-induced impact, the control threshold of the pre-deformed is determined, depending on the payload mass, the excitation amplitude, and the damping coefficient. Experiments are performed to validate the adjustable stiffness and the frequency responses of the isolator, and both the jump phenomenon and the snap-through phenomenon are observed.

Minimizing confounding in comparative observational studies with time-to-event outcomes: An extensive comparison of covariate balancing methods using Monte Carlo simulation.

Observational studies are frequently used in clinical research to estimate the effects of treatments or exposures on outcomes. To reduce the effects of confounding when estimating treatment effects, covariate balancing methods are frequently implemented. This study evaluated, using extensive Monte Carlo simulation, several methods of covariate balancing, and two methods for propensity score estimation, for estimating the average treatment effect on the treated using a hazard ratio from a Cox proportional hazards model. With respect to minimizing bias and maximizing accuracy (as measured by the mean square error) of the treatment effect, the average treatment effect on the treated weighting, fine stratification, and optimal full matching with a conventional logistic regression model for the propensity score performed best across all simulated conditions. Other methods performed well in specific circumstances, such as pair matching when sample sizes were large (n = 5000) and the proportion treated was < 0.25. Statistical power was generally higher for weighting methods than matching methods, and Type I error rates were at or below the nominal level for balancing methods with unbiased treatment effect estimates. There was also a decreasing effective sample size with an increasing number of strata, therefore for stratification-based weighting methods, it may be important to consider fewer strata. Generally, we recommend methods that performed well in our simulations, although the identification of methods that performed well is necessarily limited by the specific features of our simulation. The methods are illustrated using a real-world example comparing beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors among hypertensive patients at risk for incident stroke.

Case‐Based Reasoning in Educational Ethics: Phronēsis and Epistemic Blinders

AbstractIn this paper Michael Vazquez and Dustin Webster consider the practice of deliberating about ethical case studies as a means to contribute to the professional development of educators. An ongoing debate is whether or not the study of ethical theory should be included in this practice. Vazquez and Webster argue that a popular strategy, known as the Phronetic Approach, is vulnerable to what they call “epistemic blinders” that arise in the absence of the scaffolding provided by theory. They then sketch an alternative approach to case‐based reasoning inspired by Barbara Herman's notion of middle theory. The middle theory approach naturally suggests a balanced method for using case studies in teacher professional development: expose educators to some theory, but only to the degree and at the level appropriate for the specific audience and in light of how frequent interactions with that audience will be.

Development of high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete for drilling wellbore walls in highly mineralized strata and its sulfate attack resistanceattack resistance

Metakaolin has been incorporated into high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete for wellbore wall drilling to enhance its durability in strata with highly mineralized water. This study established a benchmark, utilizing fly ash, slag powder, and metakaolin as the factors in an orthogonal test to assess the durability of concrete against sulfate attack. The range analysis and an integrated balance method were employed to optimize the mix proportion, the optimized mix proportion of high-performance concrete was determined as concrete: cement: fly ash: slag powder: metakaolin: pumping agents: gravel: sand: water: polyvinyl alcohol = 1: 0.2: 0.075: 0.05: 0.106: 2.767: 1.556: 0.371: 0.003. The apparent and microscopic morphologies before and after the erosion of both the benchmark group and optimized mix proportion group were investigated. The triaxial permeability tests were conducted on these groups under varying confining pressures to elucidate concrete permeability trends. Additionally, a damage constitutive model for concrete under a sulfate attack was formulated based on the durability tests. This study could provide valuable insights into the industrial utilization of concrete in deep shafts within highly mineralized water strata in Northwestern China.

A systematic review on recent methods of scheduling and load balancing for containers in distributed environments

A systematic review on recent methods of scheduling and load balancing for containers in distributed environments

Modeling of Human-Induced Dynamic Bouncing Force Using a Self-Sustained Nonlinear Oscillator

This paper proposed a single-degree-of-freedom self-sustained nonlinear oscillator capable of precisely predicting the bouncing force induced by a person during bouncing activity on a flat and rigid surface. A bouncing person produces essential internal energy required to maintain its motion, so it can be modeled as a self-sustained oscillator that can generate (i) the stable limit cycle, (ii) the periodic bouncing force signal, and (iii) the self-sustained motion. A hybrid Van der Pol–Rayleigh oscillator added with two quadratic and one cubic nonlinear terms has been derived to yield desired softening and hardening effects as well as even and odd harmonics, as observed from the analysis of experimental bouncing force data. The force applied on the surface corresponds to its restoring force. The stability analysis of the oscillator has been performed using the energy balance and perturbation methods. The model parameters are extracted from the experimental bouncing force data resulting from a bouncing test on a group of seven subjects with shoe insoles at six different frequencies guided by a metronome. The bootstrapping method has been performed to examine the convergence of mean values of each model parameter by increasing the cardinality of the experimental set. The bouncing force signals produced by the proposed model and experimental results demonstrate an excellent agreement.

Methodology and Uncertainty Analysis of Methane Flux Measurement for Small Sources Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The top–down emission rate retrieval algorithm (TERRA) method for calculating the net flux out of a box has been employed by other researchers to assess large sources of methane release. This usually requires a manned aircraft drone with powerful performance to fly over the boundary layer. Few studies have focused on low-altitude box sampling mass balance methods for small sources of methane release, such as at maximum flight altitudes of less than 100 m. The accuracy and sources of uncertainty in such a method still need to be determined as they differ from the conditions of large sources. Nineteen flights were conducted to detect methane emissions from Chinese oil field well sites using a measurement system consisting of a quadcopter and methane, wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, and temperature sensors. The accuracy and uncertainty of the method are discussed. The average absolute relative error of the measurement is 18.5%, with an average uncertainty of 55.75%. The uncertainty is mainly caused by the wind speed and direction, and the background CH4 concentration. The main paths to reduce uncertainty and improve accuracy for low-altitude box sampling include subtracting the background concentration during flux retrieval, enhancing the accuracy of methane measurements, selecting a period of downwind dominant or wind direction change of less than 30 degrees, and ensuring a maximum flight height greater than 50 m with a horizontal distance from the pollution source center of less than 75 m. The results show that TERRA-based low-altitude box sampling is suitable for quantifying methane release rates from small sources.

Periodic response and stability analysis of a bistable viscoelastic von Mises truss

This paper examines the effect of viscoelasticity on the periodic response of a lumped parameter viscoelastic von Mises truss. The viscoelastic system is described by a second-order equation that governs the mechanical motion coupled to a first-order equation that governs the time evolution of the viscoelastic forces. The viscoelastic force evolves at a much slower rate than the elastic oscillations in the system. This adds additional time scales and degrees of freedom to the system compared to its viscous counterparts. The focus of this study is on the system’s behavior under harmonic loading, which is expected to show both regular and chaotic dynamics for certain combinations of forcing frequency and amplitude. While the presence of chaos in this system has already been demonstrated, we shall concentrate only on the periodic solutions. The presence of the intrawell and interwell periodic oscillations is revealed using the Harmonic Balance method. The study also looks at the influence of parameter changes on the system’s behavior through bifurcation diagrams, which enable us to identify optimal system parameters for maximum energy dissipation. Lastly, we formulate an equivalent viscous system using an energy-based approach. We observe that a naive viscous model fails to capture the behavior accurately depending on the system and excitation parameters, as well as the type of excitation. This underscores the necessity to study the full-scale viscoelastic system.

Optical solitons solution for the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger’s equation

In this manuscript, the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger’s equation (PNLSE) is considered, which has many implications in various fields such as ferromagnetic material, nonlinear optics, and optical fibers. The focus of this paper is to obtain soliton solutions of the perturbed nonlinear Schrödinger’s equation by implementing two analytical methods, namely, tanh–coth method and energy balance method. As an outcome, a various soliton solutions like, breather solitary wave, lump type soliton in periodic background, singular type soliton, and periodic soliton solution obtain via Mathematica. Additionally, the 2D, 3D, and contour plots are used to visualize the graphical propagation of the achieved soliton solutions by selecting appropriate parametric values.

Evaluating The Role and Biases of Intuition in The Scenario Planning Process Through the III Approach

The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell recounts the story of the Getty kouros in his book, an ancient Greek statue acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1985. Although initial scientific tests deemed it authentic, some experts sensed it was a forgery based on subtle, intuitive cues, a suspicion later confirmed through further testing. This example highlights how expertise and intuition can lead to swift, accurate conclusions, even when analytical methods suggest otherwise. In scenario planning, intuition can be similarly potent for recognizing emerging trends and projecting future outcomes. However, it carries risks of bias and limitations shaped by personal experiences and cultural perspectives. Blending intuitive insights with structured analytical methods is recommended to counter these risks. The "III Approach" enhances intuitive scenario planning by incorporating interaction, introspection, and imagination. This process begins with brainstorming to generate potential scenarios based on intuitive insights. Next, assumptions are examined through reflection and introspection to uncover underlying biases and beliefs that may shape intuitive thinking—meditation and introspection further aid in recognizing emotional influences on judgment. Finally, creative imagination is employed to reassess assumptions and envision new possibilities. Individuals can perceive the future from fresh perspectives by transforming habitual thought patterns. The III Approach serves as a practical framework for managing the potential pitfalls of intuition-based decision-making, offering a balanced method to harness intuition for creating credible, alternative future scenarios. Intuition becomes a valuable asset in strategic foresight and scenario planning through this structured yet flexible approach. Keywords: , ,, , , , ,, ,

Can changes in land use in a semi-arid region of Brazil cause seasonal variation in energy partitioning and evapotranspiration?

Changes to forests due to deforestation, or their replacement by agricultural areas, alter evapotranspiration and the partitioning of available energy. This study investigated seasonal variations in the energy balance and evapotranspiration in landscapes under different levels of anthropogenic intervention in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Micrometeorological data was obtained from September 2020 to October 2022 for three areas of the semi-arid region: preserved Caatinga (CAA, native vegetation), Caatinga under regeneration (REGE) and a deforested area (DEFA). Here, we use the Bowen ratio energy balance method. Measurements were taken of global solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, vapour pressure deficit, rainfall, net radiation, latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, soil heat flux, evapotranspiration, volumetric soil water content and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index. Sensible heat flux was the dominant flux in both areas with 66% for preserved Caatinga vegetation, 63% for Caatinga under regeneration and 62% deforested area. The latent heat flux was equivalent to 28% of the net radiation for preserved Caatinga vegetation, Caatinga under regeneration and deforested area. The evapotranspiration in turn responded as a function of water availability, being higher during the rainy seasons, with average values of 1.82 mm day−1 for preserved Caatinga vegetation, 2.26 mm day−1 for Caatinga under regeneration and 1.25 mm day−1 for deforested area. The Bowen ratio presented values > 1 in deforested area, preserved Caatinga vegetation and Caatinga under regeneration. Thus, it can be concluded that the change in land use alters the energy balance components, promoting reductions in available energy and latent and sensible heat fluxes during the rainy-dry transition in the deforested area. In addition, the seasonality of energy fluxes depends on water availability in the environment.

Company Performance Appraisal Analysis Using Balanced Scorecard At Madjatea Shopperba

The problem that occurred at MadjateaMajalengka Department Store was a decrease in sales which resulted in a decrease in store turnover and income. This decrease is an evaluation of the use of the Balance Scorecard performance measurement method that is being tried to be applied.This study aims to determine the performance analysis of MadjateaDepartment Stores using the Balance Scorecard method. The variables used are a financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business perspective and learning and growth perspective. This study uses primary data from questionnaires and secondary data from MadjateaToserba's financial reports. The method used in this study is a survey method with a descriptive and verification approach. The sampling technique used is saturated sampling technique with a total of MadjateaDepartment Store employee respondents. The analytical tool used in this study is the Balanced Scorecard method with 4 approaches.The results of this study indicate that the performance of Madjatea Department Stores using the Balanced Scorecard method found that the financial perspective is categorized as healthy, the customer perspective is categorized as unhealthy, the internal business perspective is categorized as unhealthy and the learning and growth perspective is categorized as unhealthy. So it is necessary to increase the 3 unhealthy aspects by using the Madjatea Department Store performance measurement through the balanced scorecard method.

Balanced Cantilever Construction Method in Post-Tensioned Concrete Bridges

This article gives an overview of the history of, and the research on, the balanced cantilever construction method, with a focus on post-tensioned concrete bridges. In the introduction, the method and the history of cantilever construction in steel, concrete and post-tensioned concrete bridges is presented. Structural failure of two different bridges is shown as a motivation for a more detailed understanding of the performance and force transmission of these bridges. Recent experimental and numerical research on post-tensioned concrete balanced cantilever bridges is introduced. In conclusion, most of the research is done on already completed structures. For a better overview, the need to conduct numerical and experimental research on balanced cantilever bridges during construction is highlighted.