Classical Indicators Research Articles

Robot Navigation System Assisted PFNA Fixation of Femoral Intertrochanteric Fractures in the Elderly: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

The incidence of hip fracture in the elderly is increasing. Robot navigation technology has the advantages of minimally invasive and accurate. To explore the difference between the clinical effects of proximal femoral anti-rotation intramedullary nail (PFNA) assisted by robot navigation in the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fracture and traditional PFNA in the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fracture in the elderly; analyze the advantages and feasibility of PFNA assisted by robot navigation in the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fracture in the elderly. From February 2021 to October 2022, the elderly (>65 years old) with femoral intertrochanteric fracture underwent surgery in our center. Divided the patients included in the study into 2 groups based on the surgical method. The surgical method of robot group was PFNA fixation assisted by robot navigation, while the surgical method of traditional group was classic PFNA fixation, Baseline data (general condition, Evans classification, time from injury to operation, preoperative hemoglobin) and observation indicators (intraoperative bleeding, operation time, the length of incision for mail nail insertion, postoperative hemoglobin drop, blood transfusion rate and the Harris score of hip joint 1 year after operation) of the two groups were collected to compare whether there were differences between the two groups. There was no statistical difference in baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The intraoperative bleeding in the robot group was 68.17±10.66 mL, the intraoperative bleeding in the traditional group was 174±8.11mL (P<0.001). The operation time in the robot group was 68.81 ± 6.89 min, in the traditional group, the operation time was 76.94 ± 8.18 min (P<0.001). The length of incision for mail nail insertion in the robot group was 3.53 ± 0.63 cm, the length of the incision for mail nail insertion in the traditional group was 4.23 ± 0.71 cm (P<0.001). 5 patients (13.9%) in the robot group received blood transfusion treatment, and 13 patients (36.1%) in the traditional group received blood transfusion treatment (P=0.029). The hemoglobin in the robot group decreased by 14.81 ± 3.27 g/l after operation compared with that before operation, while that in the traditional group decreased by 16.69 ± 3.32 g/l (P=0.018). The Harris score of the hip joint of the affected limb in the robot group was excellent in 25 cases, good in 8 cases and poor in 3 cases one year after the operation; In the traditional group, Harris scores were excellent in 18 cases, good in 11 cases and poor in 7 cases (P=0.021). PFNA fixation of femoral intertrochanteric fracture with robot navigation assistance has the advantages of minimally invasive and accurate, shorter operation time, less bleeding and lower blood transfusion rate than traditional surgical methods, and has certain advantages in reducing postoperative complications of elderly patients.

Detecting Mixed Gear Faults Using Scalar and Cyclostationary Indicators in an Industrial Settin

In this paper, an innovative approach is presented to enhance gear fault diagnosis using the cyclostationarity method. The first part of this study focuses on simulating gear signals under various conditions, allowing exploration of signal characteristics in vibration measurements. Spectral analyses and statistical calculations are performed to extract both classical and cyclostationary indicators. In the second part, the cyclostationarity method is applied to signals recorded at the gearbox bearings, clearly revealing the presence of faults. The results from these experiments demonstrate that cyclostationarity indicators can be leveraged to improve the prediction of signal roughness during the production process. This approach thus opens up new possibilities to enhance the reliability of vibration measurements and refine gear fault diagnosis.

Experimental and Theoretical Insights into a Novel Lightfast Thiophene Azo Dye

Thiophene ring-enhancing electron delocalization imparts unique properties to azoic chromophore tools. The novel TA-OH dye contains a push–pull π-electron system, including a thiophene-azo scaffold with a hydroxyl group at the ortho position to the azo bridge. The hydroxyl group is expected to lock the azo bridge in its trans conformation, concurring with the photostability and fastness of the dye. The single crystal analysis identified the molecule’s primary conjugation plane, and the theoretical analysis provided electronic pattern insights. The absorption behavior and the trans-to-cis conversion were examined from both experimental and theoretical perspectives. The effect of solvent polarity and the role of pH on the photophysical properties were explored. The solvent polarity strongly affects the absorbance spectrum of TA-OH, therefore potentially making NLO active. Additionally, TA-OH exhibited pH responsiveness akin to classic dichromatic pH indicators, with a noticeable color shift from red to blue observed as pH transitioned from neutral to alkaline. Absorbance titration experiments, along with experimental/theoretical determination of pKa, defined the pH sensing ability.

Sustainability Assessment Indicators in Land Transportation

Transportation is vital to life in society; it enables economic, social, and environmental development through connections between areas, cities, and countries, facilitating interactions and integrations. However, transportation is one of the sectors that most impacts sustainability, causing, among other things, emissions of gases, noise, and accidents. Through an integrative bibliographic framework, this study aims to assess the indicators used to evaluate the sustainability of land transportation in various contexts. To this end, relevant papers were selected with intuition to present their main characteristics, and through correlations between the variables analyzed, a framework was built indicating the current situation and future perspectives of the study. In terms of results, some common points were identified among papers, and some categories were pointed out as priorities for a future research agenda, such as the lack of standardization of indicators regarding metrics and nomenclature to emphasize sustainability. A lack of studies covering sustainability as a whole was found, which limits the results of sustainability assessments by only focusing on classic indicators and their deficiencies in relation to social inclusion, political–legal issues, and civil and human rights, as well as the standardization of indicators in other specific sectors.

In-Situ Quantification of the Ageing Dynamics in Lithium-Ion Cells up to Failure-Near Conditions

Implementing end-of-life (EOL) lithium-ion batteries from automotive applications in stationary energy storages is of utmost relevance for a sustainable handling of scarce resources. Beneficial from an economic and ecological perspective, such second-life applications urgently require a guarantee for safe operation. Unlike the state of health (SOH), defined by classical performance indicators such as capacity and voltage, the state of safety (SOS) of an aged battery cannot be assessed straightforward. Its determination requires a plethora of cells to be tested which is a particular challenge for new technologies with limited access to EOL batteries.For providing cells with a defined SOH at a reasonable timescale, we herein propose a novel method of greatly accelerating the ageing process of lithium-ion batteries. In a preliminary test series, lithium-ion NMC pouch cells are exposed to incrementally increasing temperatures, current rates and/or states of charge (SOC), until thermal runaway is induced. In this manner, the critical state in proximity to cell failure is spotted for individual and combined stress parameters. Based on this knowledge, cell-specific test parameters for heavily accelerated ageing are developed. In this protocol, electrical abuse conditions are defined by over/under charging and high current rates. Typically, the cells are cycled utilizing a depth of discharge above 100 %.The accelerated aging dynamics under these critical conditions are monitored by systematic capacity, open circuit voltage and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. This enables a comparative assessment of the electrical behaviour, following conventional vs. heavily accelerated ageing. Such knowledge will in turn help to define the threshold to which cyclic ageing can be accelerated without changing the characteristic degradation mechanisms of lithium-ion batteries.

The Effect of Retinol Acetate on Liver Fibrosis Depends on the Temporal Features of the Development of Pathology

The effect of vitamin A on the manifestations of liver fibrosis is controversial and establishing the causes of its multidirectional influence is an urgent problem. In the work, the functional characteristics of the liver with Cu-induced fibrosis were determined after the restoration of vitamin A to the control level at the F0/F1 stage. In animals with liver fibrosis, classical indicators of physiology, functional activity of the liver, histological, and hematological characteristics were determined; the content of calcium and ROS was determined in bone marrow cells. It was shown that in the liver with Cu-induced fibrosis, the restoration of vitamin A content to control values after per os injections of a retinol acetate solution at a dose of 0.10mg (300 IU)/100g of body weight in the early stages of this pathology development (Fо/F1) was accompanied by: a decrease in the number of immunocompetent cells in the bloodstream to control values; normalization of the amount of calcium ions and ROS in bone marrow cells; restoration to the control level of activity of alkaline phosphatase; an increase in the number of binuclear hepatocytes; and restoration of the dynamics of body weight growth in experimental animals, even against the background of the ongoing action of the hepatotoxic factor. We came to the conclusion that the multidirectional action of vitamin A, which occurs in liver fibrosis, depends not only on the concentration of vitamin A in the liverbut also on temporal characteristics of cellular and metabolic links involved in the adaptive response formation. It was suggested that knowledge of the initial temporal metabolic characteristics and the amount of vitamin A in the liver, taking into account the stages of fibrosis development, can be an effective way to restore the altered homeostatic parameters of the body.

Формирование маркетинговой информационной среды

The modern market environment is no longer based only on classical economic indicators of “supply-demand”, as it was, say, at the beginning of the XX century. Nowadays, the success of a company in the market is deter-mined by its marketing strategy and, moreover, by its ability to make a marketing assessment of both internal structures and competing companies. In this regard, the relevance of research in the field of marketing infor-mation systems increases, since they are the key to market success. The necessity of positioning the lawyer’s business is noted. It is concluded that in the absence of marketing, the law business rarely brings success, es-pecially given the competitive environment, which indicates the need to create a marketing strategy for the law-yer business.

How does urban heat island differ across urban functional zones? Insights from 2D/3D urban morphology using geospatial big data

The deteriorating urban thermal environment poses a huge impediment to sustainable urban development, which is closely related to the urban morphology under different urban functional zones (UFZs). By integrating remote sensing and geospatial big data, this work aims to reveal the divergent mechanism behind Urban Heat Island (UHI) across UFZs taking insights from 2D/3D urban morphology. The Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) indicator depicting 3D building distribution was introduced and integrated with the classic indicators. Their impacts on UHI were measured by ensemble learning and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) model. Taking Wuhan as the study area, the eighteen 2D/3D urban morphology indicators affecting UHI in different locations and UFZs were extensively examined and compared. The results reveal that: 1) The impact of 2D/3D urban morphology indicators on UHI significantly varies across different UFZs, with dominance in transportation zones exhibiting opposite polarity compared to the other types; 2) positive impacts have a decreasing trend from the urban center to the edge, while negative impacts exhibit opposite trend; 3) XGBoost outperforms other classic methods in interpreting the impact of urban morphology on UHI for all UFZ types. The findings improving knowledge of UHI across UFZs will provide a practical guide for urban planning.

A thermo-mechanical model for hot cracking susceptibility in electron beam powder bed fusion of Ni-base superalloys

Hot cracking is a major challenge in the additive manufacturing of Ni-base superalloys. Most cracking indicators only consider the alloy composition and its effects on solidification behavior, strength, and ductility. We propose a new model that extends these classical cracking indicators by additionally incorporating the transient thermo-mechanical state during melting and solidification. The model is derived from insights into the cracking of thin layers and is mainly based on the elastic strain energy available to drive crack opening in a critical temperature interval. The underlying thermo-mechanical process simulations are implemented in a custom computational framework designed to efficiently model powder bed fusion. The model predictions are validated against experimentally measured crack densities in CMSX-4 processed by electron beam powder bed fusion. The proposed model allows for rationalizing the dependence of cracking susceptibility on the thermal history, which is controlled by scan speed and beam power. Finally, the model is applied to develop a crack mitigation strategy by reducing the built-up strain energy density. This is achieved by heating the melting area to a high temperature before melting, thereby reducing the temperature gradient.

Clinico-biological-radiomics (CBR) based machine learning for improving the diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET false-positive lymph nodes in lung cancer

BackgroundThe main problem of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for lymph node (LN) staging is the high false positive rate (FPR). Thus, we aimed to explore a clinico-biological-radiomics (CBR) model via machine learning (ML) to reduce FPR and improve the accuracy for predicting the hypermetabolic mediastinal–hilar LNs status in lung cancer than conventional PET/CT.MethodsA total of 260 lung cancer patients with hypermetabolic mediastinal–hilar LNs (SUVmax ≥ 2.5) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were treated with surgery with systematic LN resection and pathologically divided into the LN negative (LN-) and positive (LN +) groups, and randomly assigned into the training (n = 182) and test (n = 78) sets. Preoperative CBR dataset containing 1738 multi-scale features was constructed for all patients. Prediction models for hypermetabolic LNs status were developed using the features selected by the supervised ML algorithms, and evaluated using the classical diagnostic indicators. Then, a nomogram was developed based on the model with the highest area under the curve (AUC) and the lowest FPR, and validated by the calibration plots.ResultsIn total, 109 LN− and 151 LN + patients were enrolled in this study. 6 independent prediction models were developed to differentiate LN− from LN + patients using the selected features from clinico-biological-image dataset, radiomics dataset, and their combined CBR dataset, respectively. The DeLong test showed that the CBR Model containing all-scale features held the highest predictive efficiency and the lowest FPR among all of established models (p < 0.05) in both the training and test sets (AUCs of 0.90 and 0.89, FPRs of 12.82% and 6.45%, respectively) (p < 0.05). The quantitative nomogram based on CBR Model was validated to have a good consistency with actual observations.ConclusionThis study presents an integrated CBR nomogram that can further reduce the FPR and improve the accuracy of hypermetabolic mediastinal–hilar LNs evaluation than conventional PET/CT in lung cancer, thereby greatly reducing the risk of overestimation and assisting for precision treatment.

Phase Angle as a Risk Factor for Mortality in Patients Undergoing Peritoneal Dialysis

Phase angle (PhA) is measured using bioimpedance analysis and calculated using body reactance and resistance in the waveform at 50 kHz. Further studies are necessary to clarify the predictive efficacy of PhA in the mortality of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of PhA for predicting patient mortality and technique failure and compare the predictability of PhA with other risk factors. Our study had a retrospective cohort design. Our center routinely evaluates bioimpedance measurements for all prevalent PD patients (n = 199). The PhA was measured using multifrequency bioimpedance analysis. Our study evaluated patient and technique survival. There were 66, 68, and 65 patients in the low, middle, and high tertiles of PhA, respectively. The PhA values of the low, middle, and high tertiles were 3.6° (3.4–3.9), 4.4° (4.2–4.7), and 5.5° (5.2–6.0), respectively. The 5-year patient survival rates for the high, middle, and low tertiles were 100%, 81.7%, 69.9%, respectively (p &lt; 0.001). The 5 year technique survival rates for the high, middle, and low tertiles were 91.9%, 74.8%, 63.7%, respectively (p = 0.004). Patient and technique survival increased as the PhA tertiles increased. Both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated a consistent pattern. The prediction of patient or technique survival was better in PhA than in the other classical indicators. The present study demonstrated that PhA may be an effective indicator for predicting patient or technique survival in PD patients. Furthermore, it suggests that routine measurement of PhA and pre-emptive intervention to recover PhA according to causes of low PhA may help improve patient or technique survival in PD patients.

Improved Link Prediction Method for Maritime Silk Road Shipping Network Using Composite Index

The container shipping network has evolved with the development of trade, but the mechanism of its evolution is still not well studied. Link prediction model is one of the main methods used to study the network evolution. The classic indicators of the link prediction model only consider the structural characteristics of the network, but there are also real factors that can influence the evolution of the network. Therefore, this paper considers the structural characteristics of the network as an endogenous index, which includes common neighbors, Adamic–Adar, resource allocation, and so forth. Considering the factors that may affect the link between the ports, such as sailing distance, operation, economy, and political factors, this paper first develops different attractiveness models and determines an optimal attractiveness model in case analysis. After that, this paper proposes a composite index that combines endogenous and attractiveness indices. Taking the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) shipping network as an example, an optimal attractiveness index and then an optimal composite index are determined. It was found that the prediction accuracy under the composite index is improved compared with single indices, which confirms the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed index. Finally, from the perspective of the overall network, this paper discusses the possible future routes of the shipping network with the aim of providing a reference for the improvement of connectivity of the shipping network and planning new routes for shipping companies.

A Technical Indicator for a Short-term Trading Decision in the NASDAQ Market

Purpose: The objective is to employ a stochastic model to develop a new technical analysis indicator that could compute the variation of any index. We demonstrate the superiority and applicability of our proposed model and show that our proposed indicator could help investors and market analysts to anticipate the market trend in the short term and make better trading decisions by using our proposed model to analyze the variation of the NASDAQ Composite Index (IXIC). Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a stochastic process without mean-reverting property to develop a stochastic model that could compute the variation of any index. To show the superiority and applicability of our proposed model in computing the variation of any index, we employ our proposed model to compute the daily closing values of the IXIC over 10 years and derive the variation of the IXIC index. Findings: Our findings indicate that, based on the mean absolute percentage error, the calibrated model we proposed provides a more accurate estimate of the short-term index that outperforms both the simple moving average and the MACD in predictive accuracy. It delivers a robust anticipation of the overall market trend by offering a 95% confidence interval for the value of the composite NASDAQ index. Practical Implications: Our proposed indicator could help investors and market analysts to anticipate the market trend in the short term and make better trading decisions. Our proposed model provides market analysts with a forecasting tool by using our proposed technical analysis indicator to anticipate the market trend, which outperforms some traditional indicators of technical analysis, including Simple Moving Averages and Moving Average Convergence Divergence. Originality/value: Our approach, results, and conclusions are original and new in the literature. Our proposed model is a new technical indicator for predicting any index based on a stochastic process, which has been found to outperform some classical indicators. This research makes significant contributions to the field of decision sciences because the indicator we have developed plays a crucial role. It enables better buying and selling decisions based on market trend predictions estimated by using our proposed model. In this way, the indicator offers added value to professionals in making investment decisions. The results of this research work contribute to the development of new technical analysis indicators. Here, the IXIC index is an example, the use of this indicator is wider and could concern any stock market index and any share. So, this work enriches the literature and opens up new avenues for any researcher who wants to use stochastic processes to develop new technical indicators for different financial assets.

Model Based Efficiency Analysis of Lighting Industry Organizations: Comprehensive View

Improving the efficiency of the financial activities of enterprises and the industry is relevant in a stable economic environment and a crisis. At the same time, traditional approaches aim to analyse the financial condition of the first case. The paper presents both classical and non-standard indicators of such an analysis. Also, it proposes a methodology based on a comprehensive analysis of an expanded set of financial indicators of enterprises with their subsequent classification. This makes it possible to single out enterprises with similar models of financial development. The financial analysis results can be used to identify bankruptcy threats and improve activity efficiency in management based on managerial accounts. Visualization of simulation results in the form of colour schemes of the “trafficlight” type allows for quick interpretation of the simulation results, highlighting financial and economic vulnerability factors. This approach was tested on a sample of lighting industry enterprises with revenue of more than 1 billion rubbles. Information about financial statements is taken from open sources. As a follow-up to the research, it is planned to develop a set of measures to improve efficiency based on a financial forecasting model with the identification of internal reserves for enhancing financial and economic condition and to consider a list of measures (detailing the efficiency improvement factors) that are proposed for implementation by lighting industry enterprises.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FROM THE SURGICAL DEPARTMENT OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY HOSPITAL IN DYNAMIC OVER 5 YEARS (2017-2021)

Many countries have actively implemented reforms over the last two decades to incrеase the productivity of their healthcare systems and the effectiveness of treatment and prevention activities. And the classical indicators of hospital performance such as the use of hospital beds and the quality of hospital care are the main indicators of good management in a hospital. Material and methods. The object of the study is the medical and statistical performance indicators of the surgical department and the surgical day hospital of the multidisciplinary hospital in Almaty for 5 years (2017–2021). As a source of information, an electronic database of the statistical department of the hospital was used. Medical statistical analysis was applied as a method of study. This type of study is a cross-sectional study based on a retrospective descriptive analysis of official statistics. Results. In terms of dynamics, the structure of those treated in the surgical department does not change. However, there is a significant decrease in the amount of planned surgical pathology compared to the slight drop in hospitalization (a decrease of -40%), possibly due to a decrease in the volume of government orders (a decrease of -43.4%). Within the framework of the state order, the indicator of the average length of stay of a patient in a hospital, in general, tends to decrease from 8,5 in 2017 to 8,2 in 2021. A higher level of surgical activity in the surgical department (76,4% vs. 62,6% in surgical departments in 2021), a lower postoperative complication rate (0,2% vs. 0,3%), and a lower postoperative mortality (0,7% vs. 1,1%) were stated as positive indicators of surgical service. In 2021, the frequency of emergency operations in the surgical department was roughly the same, at 19,1%; the total share of outpatient surgery (for all profiles) in the structure of all surgery was 11,3%. Conclusion. The identified deterioration in the use of hospital beds in the surgical department (decrease in bed turnover, increase in the average duration of one case of hospitalization, decrease in the planned number of bed days) requires improvement of the planning and control system for hospitalization. Perhaps this problem is relevant for many multidisciplinary hospitals

Community structure and ecology of soft bottom polychaetes in Vembanad estuary, a Ramsar site on the south west coast of India: A time scale evaluation

Coastal estuarine habitats are currently facing significant anthropogenic impacts, which have significantly influenced the biodiversity and ecosystem characteristics of benthic organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the community structure and composition of polychaetes in the Vembanad estuarine system, which is the largest Ramsar site on the southwest coast of India. An artificial salinity barrier, the Thaneermukkom Barrage (TMB), was constructed in the estuarine ecosystem in 1975, resulting in a division of the system into a northern estuarine sector and a southern freshwater sector. By comparing the main ecological parameters of the Vembanad estuary before and after the construction of the barrage, it was evident that salinity experienced a drastic change. Spatially, the southern stations exhibited an oligohaline condition, while the northern stations displayed a mesohaline condition. Over three decades, there was a threefold increase in the amount of organic carbon in the sediment. A total of 19 polychaete species from 13 families and 19 genera were detected in the surface sediment samples from the ten selected stations. The time-scale study unveiled a significant shift in the distribution of polychaete species in the estuary. In the southern low salinity zone, only seven species of polychaetes were observed, most of which are considered classic indicators of disturbances and are responsive to organic enrichment. The decreasing salinity and increasing organic matter, particularly in the southern zone, may have contributed to a reduction in polychaete species diversity over the last 30 years. Based on the findings, the study suggests the need for effective policy formulation to manage the operation of TMB and control the discharge of waste from agriculture fields, houseboat tourism, and other developmental activities in the Vembanad estuarine system. Such measures are essential to safeguard the ecological integrity and biodiversity of this vital coastal ecosystem.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Hyperpigmented Microcircles in Dermatoscopy of Non-Facial Non-Acral Melanomas: A Pilot Retrospective Study using a Public Image Database

Background: Grey perifollicular circles are a dermatoscopic clue to melanoma, especially in facial skin. So far, no other adnexal clues than follicular have been investigated in this diagnosis. Objectives: The study aimed to analyse the prevalence of hyperpigmented periadnexal microcircles (HMs) in melanoma and its common simulators at non-facial non-acral sites, analyse the relation between the presence of HM, regression and hypopigmentation, and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of this structure in melanoma. Methods: International Skin Imaging Collaboration (69,445 images) was searched in April 2020 for the pathology-confirmed dermatoscopic images with metadata including sex, age bin, and declared non-acral non-facial anatomic site. The final study sample (5,408 images, 1,326 of which were melanomas) was evaluated by expert dermatoscopist blinded to the diagnosis and labelled for the presence of ≥3 HM distributed centrally (cHM) or peripherally (pHM), hypopigmentation, and classic dermatoscopic regression structures. A subset of 40 images was labelled by 7 raters (2 residents, 5 experts) to assess interobserver agreement. We compared the presence of pHM with the presence of regression as well as performed a set of independent χ2 tests to evaluate the discriminatory power and its fragility. Performance of the models was assessed using measures of discrimination and calibration. Results: HM were significantly more prevalent in melanomas than in non-melanomas and nevi. Fair/good interobserver agreement for HM was reached for all the raters, and moderate/good for experts only (single rater/average, respectively). Regardless of regression/hypopigmentation status, pHM were significantly more common in melanoma than in non-melanomas or nevi and were observed significantly more often in melanomas on sun-damaged skin (upper extremity, posterior torso). No significant differences between the groups were found for cHM. pHM proved a high odds ratio in the tests as to the classical indicators such as classic dermatoscopic regression structures. Conclusion: pHM could be considered a novel dermatoscopic clue to melanoma.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS USED IN THE DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES: CASE STUDY FOR COMPANIES IN THE OIL AND BANKING FIELD

Purpose- The purpose of this research lies in the general objectives of the companies that determine the creation of added value. The efficiency in the use of the resources of the economic entity generates results. These can be analyzed and diagnosed in order to have an overview of the economic and financial state of the company. This scientific research aims to present the objective realities, the mechanism of formation and manifestation of economic and financial phenomena and processes, as well as the causal links between them in the case of ten multinational companies in the oil and banking sector. In the banking system, credibility is the essential element, the foundation of the relationship between the client and the bank when analyzing the granting of a loan. Gaining trust is achieved through a process of documentation and analysis of the client, which aims to evaluate as clearly as possible the patrimonial and financial situation, to recognize the quality of the services provided, the relationships with partners, the professionalism of the managers of companies. Methodology- This research was carried out having as documents the reports and information published by companies on their own web pages, as well as the annual reports published by each company on the Bucharest Stock Exchange website. 10 companies in the oil and banking field were selected, and the analysis period was between 2019-2022. The research methodology was both quantitative and qualitative. Findings- The results of the research highlighted the economic indicators used in the diagnostic analysis of multinational companies and how these entities evolved during the analyzed period. Conclusion- The importance of the diagnosed elements on a hierarchical scale may be different depending on the priority informational needs of the one who makes the diagnostic analysis. When this is done by a financial institution that makes an analysis of the creditworthiness of the client, in order to approve a credit, a solvency and liquidity diagnosis, the degree of indebtedness or cash flows, In the first place, the manager will pay attention to the efficiency of the use of the resources employed in the company’s economic circuit and to the results of the activity. An investor who wants to invest in a company will be particularly interested in the performance of the entity on the stock exchange and the profitability of the invested capital Value is the major criterion for assessing the company’s performance by shareholders. Classical performance indicators have the disadvantage of providing information about the company’s past performance, Without taking into account the cost of the invested capital, highlighting only the result of its use. If the one who makes the diagnosis is limited to studying only the classical indicators, he will be able to conclude that the entity achieves performance, but the results of the analysis will not present the actual reality because it does not create value and can even consume the existing one. Keywords: Diagnostic analysis, multinational companies, indebtedness degree, financial statements, cash flows JEL Codes: F23, G21, M41

Virtual strain loading method for low temperature cohesive failure of asphalt binder

Cohesive failure is one of the primary reasons for low-temperature cracking in asphalt pavements. Understanding the micro-level mechanism is crucial for comprehending cohesive failure behavior. However, previous literature has not fully reported on this aspect. Moreover, there has been insufficient attention given to the correlation between macroscopic and microscopic failures. To address these issues, this study employed molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the low-temperature tensile behavior of asphalt binder. By applying virtual strain, the separation work during asphalt binder tensile failure was calculated. Additionally, a correlation between macroscopic and microscopic tensile behaviors was established. Specifically, a quadrilateral asphalt binder model was generated based on SARA fractions. By applying various combinations of virtual strain loading, the separation work at tensile failure was determined. Furthermore, the impact of strain loading combinations on separation work was analyzed. Normalization was employed to establish the correlation between macroscopic and microscopic tensile behaviors. The results indicated that thermodynamic and classical mechanical indicators validated the reliability of the tetragonal asphalt binder model. The strain loading combination consists of strain rate and loading number. All strain loading combinations exhibited the similar tensile failure characteristic. The critical separation strain was hardly influenced by strain loading combination. However, increasing strain rate significantly enhanced both the maximum traction stress and separation work of the asphalt binder. An increment in the loading number led to a decrease in separation work. The virtual strain combination of 0.5%-80 provided a more accurate representation of the actual asphalt's tensile behavior trend.

Adaptive isogeometric phase-field modeling of the Cahn–Hilliard equation: Suitably graded hierarchical refinement and coarsening on multi-patch geometries

We present an adaptive scheme for isogeometric phase-field modeling, to perform suitably graded hierarchical refinement and coarsening on both single- and multi-patch geometries by considering truncated hierarchical spline constructions which ensure C1 continuity between patches. We apply the proposed algorithms to the Cahn–Hilliard equation, describing the time-evolving phase separation processes of immiscible fluids. We first verify the accuracy of the hierarchical spline scheme by comparing two classical indicators usually considered in phase-field modeling, for then demonstrating the effectiveness of the grading strategy in terms of accuracy per degree of freedom. A selection of numerical examples confirms the performance of the proposed scheme to simulate standard modes of phase separation using adaptive isogeometric analysis with smooth hierarchical spline constructions.