Comprehensive Scheme Research Articles

Comprehensive Compensation Scheme for Fetal Magnetocardiography Measurement

Comprehensive Compensation Scheme for Fetal Magnetocardiography Measurement

Overall plan optimization of BWB UAV based on comprehensive evaluation

Based on the shape and performance characteristics of the wing-body fusion layout UAV, a multidisciplinary comprehensive analysis model, comprehensive evaluation model and optimization model suitable for the overall scheme of the UAV in the conceptual design stage are established, and the corresponding tools are developed. The geometric, weight, aerodynamic and stealth characteristics of the overall scheme of the wing-body fusion layout UAV are analyzed by combining numerical analysis and engineering methods. The improved TOPSIS method is used to establish a comprehensive evaluation model from the perspective of the loading capacity, economy and adaptability of the UAV. The rationality of the analysis model is verified by taking multiple UAV schemes as examples. Using the parallel subset simulation optimization algorithm, the traditional multi-objective optimization is completed with the maximum cruise lift-to-drag ratio and the minimum forward RCS as the goal, and the scheme optimization based on comprehensive evaluation is completed with the strongest competitiveness as the goal. Based on all the schemes generated by the multi-objective optimization process, the parameter correlation analysis is completed, and the influence of the span, sweep angle and twist angle on the aerodynamic and stealth characteristics is verified. The RCS of the final multi-objective optimization scheme is reduced 41.6%, and the cruise lift-to-drag ratio is improved 3.5% ; the competitiveness score of the comprehensive evaluation optimization scheme is improved 44.0%.

A comprehensive theoretical scheme for understanding the core structure and the mechanical behavior of basal dislocations with solute atmosphere in Mg alloys

The basal dislocations play a key role in the deformation of hexagonal Mg alloys. However, its core structure and mechanical behavior have thus far not yet been understood adequately, largely owing to the fact that the basal dislocation, often decorated with segregated solute atmosphere and dissociated into two partials, cannot be modeled accurately. Significant discrepancies exist between theoretically calculated and experimentally observed structures for these dissociated dislocations. Here we present a comprehensive theoretical scheme to model them in the Mg alloys with alloying elements of Y, Zn, Al and Li, respectively. Firstly, solute–dislocation interactions were computed by appropriate first-principles calculations. Secondly, the statistic solute concentration at a dislocation is estimated by a Fermi–Dirac distribution. Finally, all these effects on dislocations are integrated into an improved two-dimensional Peierls–Nabarro model to predict their core structures and mechanical behaviors in Mg alloys. It is shown that although Zn, Al and Li atoms have little effect on basal dislocations, Y atoms can largely increase their dissociated width. Furthermore, when it moves from its ground state configuration, the dissociated dislocation can further be widened, such that its dissociated widths in a Mg–0.8Y (at%) alloy at 300 K can reach 12–36 nm, in rather good agreement with the experimentally observed values of 20–30 nm. Besides, the Peierls and yield stresses of Mg alloys shall increase with increasing added solute concentration, while they are decreased drastically with increasing the temperature from 300 to 800 K, but with the Mg-Y alloy as somewhat exception, which is again consistent with experimental observations.

Holistic opportunistic maintenance scheduling and routing for offshore wind farms

Despite the high growth of the offshore wind market, the economic benefits of wind energy sources are still being undermined by its high operation and maintenance expenses. On the one hand, high maintenance expenses are a direct result of offshore-specific challenges such as complex ocean meteorology, varying vessel accessibility, and shifting transportation requirements. Besides, component degradation and weather conditions largely limit the ability of turbine operators to estimate a workable maintenance time window. This study aims to develop a holistic opportunistic maintenance strategy to address the practical challenges of offshore wind farms. The proposed strategy starts by deriving the preventive maintenance interval of each turbine component based on its degradation trend and predictable cost rates. Then, each turbine is maintained in groups based on the maintenance opportunities arising from preventive maintenance, unexpected failures, and cable damage. Following that, given weather condition forecasts of key parameters (wind speed and wave height), the proposed strategy optimizes the daily allocations and vessel routes to maintain turbines in a timely and cost-effective manner. Finally, experimental results based on real-world data from an actual offshore wind farm demonstrate that the proposed strategy outperforms several universal maintenance strategies in key metrics. Compared to the simple, widely employed, and easy-to-implement strategies, it can help reduce the total cost by 85.9 %, 65.9 %, and 41.6 %, respectively. This work helps turbine operators implement comprehensive and cost-effective maintenance schemes, which can lead to tariff duction and wind farm promotion benefits in the long term.

Comprehensive vs. standard remote monitoring of cardiac resynchronization devices in heart failure patients: results of the ECOST-CRT study.

Integrating remote monitoring (RM) into existing healthcare practice for heart failure (HF) patients to improve clinical outcome remains challenging. The ECOST-CRT study compared the clinical outcome of a comprehensive RM scheme including a patient questionnaire capturing signs and symptoms of HF and notifications for HF specific parameters to traditional RM in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices. Patients were randomized 1:1 to standard daily RM (notification for technical parameters and ventricular arrhythmias; control group) or comprehensive RM (adding a monthly symptom questionnaire and notifications for biventricular pacing, premature ventricular contraction, atrial arrhythmias; active group). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality or hospitalization for worsening HF (WHF). Six hundred fifty-two patients (70.4 ± 10.3 years, 73% men, left ventricular ejection fraction 29.1 ± 7.6%, 68% CRT-Defibrillators, 32% CRT-Pacemakers) were enrolled. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an early termination of the study, so the mean follow-up duration was 18 ± 8 months. No statistically significant difference in the primary endpoint was found between the groups [59 (18.3%) control vs. 77 (23.3%) active group; log-rank test P = 0.13]. Among the secondary endpoints, the MLHF questionnaire showed a larger share of patients with improvement of quality of life compared to baseline in the active group (78%) vs. control (61%; P = 0.03). The study does not support the notion that comprehensive RM, when compared to standard RM, in HF patients with CRT improves the clinical outcome of all-cause mortality or WHF hospitalizations. However, this study was underpowered due to an early termination and further trials are required. Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT03012490.

Eccentric compression behavior of CFRP-confined reactive powder concrete-filled steel tube slender columns

Ultra high and large-span structural components are needed in urban modernization construction to meet the engineering requirements. Reactive powder concrete-filled steel tubes (RPCFSTs) provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for optimizing space utilization in super high-rise buildings and enhancing the crossing capacity of bridge, which accords with such development. However, these components have inherent drawbacks in terms of local buckling and corrosion resistance. The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) confinement to suppress this innate deficiency has been proven to show great advantages in limited trial results. This article establishes a comprehensive test scheme to investigate the eccentric compression performance of CFRP-confined RPCFST columns. A total of 11 specimens were prepared and subjected to biased compression test by varying the component length (400, 800, 1200, and 1600 mm), number of CFRP layers (0–3), and load eccentricity (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mm). The results showed that the CFRP confinement could effectively enhance the bearing capacity and energy dissipation capability of RPCFST columns while delaying the local buckling of slender specimens with low slenderness ratios. The improvement of ultimate load due to CFRP confinement exceeded 42.5 %. However, in specimens with higher slenderness ratios and with increasing load eccentricity, the confinement effect of the steel tube on the core RPC tended to weaken. An N–M interaction model for slender CFRP-confined RPCFST columns was established, and this model was validated to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The conclusions drawn from this study might given a solid foundation for the future application of CFRP-confined RPCFST structures.

Оценка обеспеченности человеческим капиталом аграрного сектора экономики

Abstract. The formation and use of human capital in the agricultural economy must meet modern economic requirements and the level of development of agricultural production. The assessment of the efficiency of the use of human resources and the quality of products plays a key role in adapting to changing market conditions. Therefore, it is important to constantly strengthen human resources to ensure a prompt response to market challenges. At the same time, agricultural production is currently undergoing changes in all key areas. This article analyzes the availability and efficiency of the use of agricultural enterprises' labor resources, based on statistical data for the Russian Federation. In this regard, the purpose of this scientific study is to analyze the availability of human capital in agriculture. The objectives of the study include carrying out a qualitative and quantitative assessment of labor resources. Methods. The methodological basis is based on the general scientific principles of a systematic approach. The analysis uses logical, factorial, comparative and strategic methods, as well as methods of qualitative research of the main trends in the presence and use of human capital in agriculture. Results. The analysis of the formation and use of human capital in agriculture in its quantitative and qualitative assessment in the Russian Federation is carried out: the dynamics of rural population density and the number of workers, the growth rate of wages of agricultural workers, the grouping of those employed in agriculture by level of education, gender and age is given. Scientific novelty. As a result of the research, new theoretical and practical conclusions were obtained, including: 1) identification and classification of socio-economic conditions that promote or, conversely, hinder the effective use and preservation of human capital in the agricultural sector; 2) comprehensive schemes for the formation of human capital in the agricultural sector are proposed, taking into account internal and external factors; 3) the need for the formation of a comfortable socio-economic environment in rural areas is justified; 4) confirmed the need to provide special support measures to attract highly qualified specialists to rural areas.

An Improved NSGA-III with a Comprehensive Adaptive Penalty Scheme for Many-Objective Optimization

Pareto dominance-based algorithms face a significant challenge in handling many-objective optimization problems. As the number of objectives increases, the sharp rise in non-dominated individuals makes it challenging for the algorithm to differentiate their quality, resulting in a loss of selection pressure. The application of the penalty-based boundary intersection (PBI) method can balance convergence and diversity in algorithms. The PBI method guides the evolution of individuals by integrating the parallel and perpendicular distances between individuals and reference vectors, where the penalty factor is crucial for balancing these two distances and significantly affects algorithm performance. Therefore, a comprehensive adaptive penalty scheme was proposed and applied to NSGA-III, named caps-NSGA-III, to achieve balance and symmetry between convergence and diversity. Initially, each reference vector’s penalty factor is computed based on its own characteristic. Then, during the iteration process, the penalty factor is adaptively adjusted according to the evolutionary state of the individuals associated with the corresponding reference vector. Finally, a monitoring strategy is designed to oversee the penalty factor, ensuring that adaptive adjustments align with the algorithm’s needs at different stages. Through a comparison involving benchmark experiments and two real-world problems, the competitiveness of caps-NSGA-III was demonstrated.

Comparative evaluation of the therapeutic effect of combined schemes for therapy and rehabilitation in acute respiratory infections with the inclusion of immunocorrective and sedative agents in children from 6 months to 6 years on the background of stress disorders in the conditions of war in Ukraine

Background. Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are one of the most common groups of diseases in the practice of pediatricians. Stressful factors affect the immune system, reducing its effectiveness and leading to direct impact on the nervous system and the occurrence of its disorders: sleep changes, the development of a post-traumatic stress disorder, a decrease in the quality of life, especially during the last years in wartime conditions in Ukraine. The latter requires improving the implementation of combined therapeutic approaches to increase a short- and long-term effect on the health of the youngest children. Aim of the study: to increase the effectiveness of treatment and rehabilitation of children from the youngest age group (6 months to 6 years) with ARIs against the background of stress disorders of the war in Ukraine by using comprehensive schemes with the inclusion of immunocorrective (the drug with immunocorrective properties contained a complex of ultra-low-dose dilutions of gamma interferon antibodies, histamine antibodies, CD4 antibodies) and sedative (the drug with sedative properties contained antibodies to the brain-specific protein S100) agents. Material and methods. The study involved 119 children aged 6 months to 6 years who had ≥ 5 episodes of ARIs (55 %) during the previous year and permanently lived in almost the entire territory of Ukraine (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kropyvnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Kryvyi Rih, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Poltava, Sumy, Berdychiv, Romny, Bila Tserkva). The study was carried out as part of the program for outpatient observation of children with various manifestations of ARIs against the background of stress damage to the nervous system who took drugs with immunocorrective properties (scheme (1)) alone and in combination with a sedative agent (scheme (1+2)). The drug with immunocorrective pro­perties contained a complex of ultra-low-dose dilutions of gamma interferon antibodies, histamine antibodies, CD4 antibodies, and the drug with sedative properties — antibodies to the brain-specific protein S100. The observation period was October-December 2023. Statistical processing of the results was carried out using GraphPad Prism 9.0 Software for Windows (USA, San Diego, CA). Results. The combined therapeutic approach of the scheme (1+2) showed a significantly better effect on fever, duration of low fever, sore throat, runny nose, bronchitis symptoms, manifestations of respiratory infection, assessed by the Wisconsin Questionnaire, as well as stress, sleep disorders, and changes in the quality of life on the 5th day of treatment and after 1 month of observation. The comparative evaluation of scheme (1) and scheme (1+2) showed a significant diffe­rence in favor of the effectiveness of the latter, which is ensured by its additional sedative and anti-anxiety action, resulting in a direct positive effect on stress-induced disturbances of the nervous system and an indirect — on the immune response, which in general increases the effectiveness of solving the problem of ARI therapy in children aged 6 months to 6 years, who for 2.5 years were constantly in psycho-traumatizing and socially oppressed conditions of the war in Ukraine. The analysis of satisfaction with the treatment effect according to the international IMOS scale during the observation period showed positive results and a high level of evaluation by both parents and doctors. Conclusions. The use of a combination of reme­dies with immunocorrective and sedative effects showed their high mutual enhancing effectiveness in the treatment and rehabilitation of children aged 6 months to 6 years, suffering from ARIs, and in the correction of stress disorders caused by the war in Ukraine.

Towards Integrated Safety Assurance Methodology for Autonomous Vessel Navigation Systems

Abstract Safety assurance remains paramount for the realization of autonomous vessels. A robust assurance methodology that can provide traceability throughout the design and verification process is necessary to demonstrate safety equivalence to that of conventional ships. However, there are few references that propose a holistic safety assurance scheme for autonomous ships, using actual engineering processes of ships as examples. This study proposes a design and development method for an autonomous navigation system that integrates Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and several verification methods including simulation-based tests to develop a comprehensive safety assurance scheme. This safety assurance scheme is being conducted as a case study for a newly constructed autonomous vessel. First, STPA can be performed on the conceptual design established by MBSE to extract additional safety requirements from the identified loss scenarios. Focusing on the process model in the loss scenario description leads to a deeper understanding of the system behavior. FMEA in addition identify potential component failure modes and their impact on system safety. The multi-level requirements that emerge from these activities are validated in test scenarios. Simulators are used to evaluate whether the autonomous navigation system’s safety can meet predefined pass criteria in some of the scenarios. These activities ensure traceability from safety goals to design decisions, allowing design changes and their impact on safety to be evaluated throughout the development lifecycle and allowing for more systematic ongoing monitoring during operations.

No shelter is safe: Syrian refugees and housing precarity in Beirut, Lebanon

Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, Lebanon has maintained an incomplete vision for its most recent wave of refugees, specifically through its “zero-camp” policy for displaced Syrians. However, it has provided no alternative shelter. In a country with no comprehensive affordable housing scheme, this has led displaced Syrians to seek informal ways of accessing spaces of refuge on their own and UNHCR to become the leading humanitarian organization in helping the most vulnerable refugees access shelter. The research reported in this field note, drawing on interviews, discussions, participant observation and analysis of secondary data, investigates how these displaced Syrians have accessed shelter and tenure in two upscale neighbourhoods in Beirut, navigating a delicate balance of legal, social, economic and spatial factors shared by both the displaced and local communities. The situation has been further complicated by Beirut’s historic sectarian divisions. The findings of the study provide an update on Syrian refugee self-settlement after the 2019 economic crisis in well-to-do neighbourhoods in Beirut, challenging the assumption that the shelter available to refugees in privileged areas might provide greater security in dire economic times.

Job Involvement among ICDS Scheme Functionaries in India: Assessing Extension Needs for Enhanced Performance

Job involvement is psychological identification with one’s work as well as degree to which the job situation is central to person and his identity. Human behavior plays a pivotal role in maximizing organizational effectiveness irrespective of the technological support and their involvement in their job is critical for successful achievement of its objectives. ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) is a comprehensive scheme of Govt. of India enriches human resource and tackles malnutrition and health problems in children below six years of age and their mothers. The services to the beneficiaries, who are pregnant women, Lactating Mothers, children under 5 years, adolescents and adult women, are provided at Centre called as Anganwadi. The grass-root level functionaries at the center are called Anganwadi workers (AWW) who executes ICDS scheme as per the Government guidelines to raise the level of health and nutrition, create proper mental, physical and social development of children below six years; to reduce mortality and malnutrition and dropouts. Since job involvement contributes to overall availability of human resource, the success of the ICDS programme extents to effective and successful working of AWWs. The study was conducted to know the job- involvement of AWWs and AWHs – the grass-root functionaries of ICDS scheme. The conducted in one of the blocks of Faizabad District situated in Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh state. One hundred AWWs were randomly selected from 182 AWWs in the block and administered interview schedule and standardized Job Involvement scale by Dr. A.P Singh. The data collected revealed that AWWs were highly involved (47%), moderately involved (37%) and rest (16%) had low involvement. Analysis further found that job involvement and income of the workers; educational qualification and work experience are significantly dependent.

Research on Temperature Control of Mass Concrete for Multi-Tower Cable-Stayed Bridge Cap during Construction

In the construction process of mass concrete structures, the large temperature gradient due to exothermic hydration makes the mass concrete highly susceptible to cracking. This paper carried out research on temperature control methods of mass concrete for the purpose of ensuring construction quality based on the construction of Fengyi cable-stayed bridge caps. Firstly, the temperature and stress change rule in the concrete pouring process of the caps was analyzed though the finite element method (FEM). Then, targeted-oriented comprehensive temperature control schemes were formulated according to the structural characteristics and construction environment of the cap, including the optimization of the material ratio, the arrangement of crack-resistant reinforcing steel, the design of a water pipe cooling scheme and reasonable maintenance. Finally, the whole bridge cap construction process using the optimized water pipe cooling solution was monitored, and the temperature gap between inside and outside the concrete satisfied the specification requirements rigorously. In the concrete demolding session, the concrete surface was smooth and no cracks were found, which indicates the temperature control scheme is reasonable and effective. The research results have reference significance for the pouring and temperature control of mass concrete for bridge caps.

Privacy Protection in Mobile Big Data: Challenges and Solutions

The pervasive use of mobile big data has profoundly altered daily life, providing unprecedented convenience and efficiency. However, with the proliferation of mobile devices and the explosive growth of data volume, the issue of user privacy protection has become increasingly severe. Location information and semantic information, as the two core components of mobile big data, can directly reflect users’ behavioral trajectories and thought dynamics, underscoring the importance of privacy protection. Although existing technologies can protect user data to a certain extent, traditional methods struggle to address increasingly sophisticated attack techniques in the face of evolving privacy threats. A comprehensive privacy protection scheme for mobile big data was proposed in this study, with a focus on two main areas: the privacy protection of location-based and semantic-based mobile big data. For location information protection, an uncertain graph model was employed to effectively resist combined attacks by jointly protecting the user layer and the location layer. For semantic information protection, a hypergraph clustering method was used to structurally protect the user layer and the semantic layer, enhancing the privacy security of semantic information. This study not only addresses existing gaps but also provides new solutions for mobile big data privacy protection, offering significant theoretical and practical value.

Carbon-mechanic dual-control design decision model of prefabricated structural components

Prefabricated enclosure structures (PES) have become the key technology for low-carbon construction in the engineering field due to their low labor demand, fast construction speed, and low environmental pollution. In the context of low-carbon development, efficiently designing PES that not only possess high-strength but also demonstrate significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction benefits has become a critical challenge. The objective of this study is to address the challenges of automated design and scientific decision-making methods for PES components. First, the Carbon-mechanic dual-control assessment model (CDAM) is proposed, providing a novel evaluation dimension for the design of prefabricated components. Subsequently, based on the CDAM, an automated design decision-making process, and model for components are established using an improved genetic algorithm and parameterized method. Finally, under the constraints of actual engineering conditions, adaptive solutions were automatically generated for specific cases. These solutions were comprehensively evaluated and optimized using CDAM, resulting in design guidelines and optimal solutions for PES that balance environmental performance and load-bearing capacity. The case analysis results show that the optimal scheme based on the carbon-mechanic dual-control (CM) index is: the sectional dimension is 830 mm, the reinforcement ratio is 0.9 % and the cavity ratio is 45 %, which shows the ideal characteristics of low-carbon and high-strength. Compared with the single index decision scheme, this scheme achieve a maximum of 42 % GHG emissions reduction. The high comprehensive performance scheme is characterized by small sectional dimension, high reinforcement ratio, and high cavity ratio. Cavity ratio is a key parameter to achieve high performance design. The research findings provide an important theoretical basis and technical support for the low-carbon transformation in the engineering field.

Comparative Analysis of the Recovery of Cu2+ and Au from Washing Solution of Pyrite Concentrate Slag by Two Processes

A large amount of pyrite concentrate slag washing solution is produced in China every year, and this contains valuable components such as Cu2+ and Au. The traditional treatment method not only pollutes the environment but also wastes metal resources. For the washing solution containing Cu2+ 437 mg/L and Au 0.13 mg/L, two new processes comprehensive recovery schemes were developed and compared in this paper, namely iron powder replacement pore filtration and neutralization precipitation pore filtration. When the iron powder replacement pore filtration process was adopted, Cu2+ and Au were mainly comprehensively recovered in the form of a mixture of sponge copper and particulate gold. The test results showed that the replacement optimal conditions involved a pH of 3.0, iron powder dosage of 6 g/L, and replacement time of 3.0 h. After replacement, the filter cloth with below 1 μm pore size was used for filtration. The recovery rate of Cu2+ in the washing solution was 98.13 and the total recovery rate of Au was 95.83%. Otherwise, when the neutralization precipitation pore filtration process was adopted, Cu2+ and Au were mainly comprehensively recovered in the form of a mixture of copper hydroxide and particulate gold. The test results showed that sodium hydroxide was used as the precipitant and the optimum neutralization pH value was 6.5. After precipitation, the filter cloth with a below 1 μm pore size was used for filtration. The recovery rate of Cu2+ in the washing solution was 97.35% and the total recovery rate of Au was 93.54%. The economic benefit estimation of the two processes showed that the neutralization precipitation pore filtration process had the advantages of low material consumption, low cost and high economic benefit.

The Effect of Institutional Quality on Renewable Energy: Evidence from Developing Countries

Renewable energy has changed the development paradigm by prioritizing environmental sustainability in every stage of the country development. Therefore, this research specifically provides an overview of how the institutional quality is used as a basis for policy in developing countries. The research results show that the institutional quality with indicators of government effectiveness, voice and accountability have a significant effect, while regulatory quality and rule of law do not have a significant effect on renewable energy. Then, tax revenue, foreign direct investment, domestic credit have a significant effect, but government expenditure does not have a significant effect on renewable energy. These results are proof that every country must have strong quality institutions with a clear and comprehensive policy scheme considering that energy transition targets are not carried out easily, so they require large amounts of financing, especially from the private sector. The government fiscal space tends to be narrow, which is an obstacle in developing countries in allocating costs for the energy transition, so it must be directed at financing strategies contained in appropriate policies.

Household economic burden of type-2 diabetes and hypertension comorbidity care in urban-poor Ghana: a mixed methods study

BackgroundNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) predispose households to exorbitant healthcare expenditures in health systems where there is no access to effective financial protection for healthcare. This study assessed the economic burden associated with the rising burden of type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension comorbidity management, and its implications for healthcare seeking in urban Accra.MethodsA convergent parallel mixed-methods study design was used. Quantitative sociodemographic and cost data were collected through survey from a random community-based sample of 120 adults aged 25 years and older and living with comorbid T2D and hypertension in Ga Mashie, Accra, Ghana in November and December 2022. The monthly economic cost of T2D and hypertension comorbidity care was estimated using a descriptive cost-of-illness analysis technique from the perspective of patients. Thirteen focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among community members with and without comorbid T2D and hypertension. The FGDs were analysed using deductive and inductive thematic approaches. Findings from the survey and qualitative study were integrated in the discussion.ResultsOut of a total of 120 respondents who self-reported comorbid T2D and hypertension, 23 (19.2%) provided complete healthcare cost data. The direct cost of managing T2D and hypertension comorbidity constituted almost 94% of the monthly economic cost of care, and the median direct cost of care was US$19.30 (IQR:10.55–118.88). Almost a quarter of the respondents pay for their healthcare through co-payment and insurance jointly, and 42.9% pay out-of-pocket (OOP). Patients with lower socioeconomic status incurred a higher direct cost burden compared to those in the higher socioeconomic bracket. The implications of the high economic burden resulting from self-funding of healthcare were found from the qualitative study to be: 1) poor access to quality healthcare; (2) poor medication adherence; (3) aggravated direct non-medical and indirect cost; and (4) psychosocial support to help cope with the cost burden.ConclusionThe economic burden associated with healthcare in instances of comorbid T2D and hypertension can significantly impact household budget and cause financial difficulty or impoverishment. Policies targeted at effectively managing NCDs should focus on strengthening a comprehensive and reliable National Health Insurance Scheme coverage for care of chronic conditions.

Agrarian Distress in Indian Agriculture: Causes, Socio-economic Consequences and Coping Strategies

Agrarian distress is the economic, political and social challenges faced by the farmers and rural communities due to factors such as low crop yields, fluctuating prices of agricultural produce, high input costs, indebtedness, and lack of access to credit, markets, and infrastructure. Over 8,00,000 individuals are dies by suicide each year because of various reasons. More over the suicides are happening in the families whose own land is less than 1-2 hectares, who are in debt, have been identified the most at risk for suicide. The present article aims at better understanding of the causes, consequences and possible coping strategies for the agrarian distress in India. Causes such as fluctuations in crop sales, weather and climate conditions, dependent on natural resources, etc. are discussed in detail. Consequences of agrarian stress are suicides of farmers, rural migration, food insecurity, environmental impacts and so on. Solutions such as strengthening the forward markets, comprehensive crop insurance schemes for the framers where the non-MSP (Minimum Support Price) crops also may be covered, assured price to the farmers are discussed. Many researchers argued that farmers suicides are increasing but the research is limited in the specialised area of interest. In addition to that, researchers are focussing only on the socio-economic variables rather than the psychological variables. In order to mitigate the risks out of agrarian distress, farmers should be encouraged by the government and extension service providers to take up the subsidiary occupations and secondary agricultural occupations which helps them in getting profits in the situations where the crop damages due to the extreme weather patterns. As rightly pointed out by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), distress of the framers should have a long-term potential solution such as major reforms in the existing agricultural laws rather than farm loan waivers which acts as the short-term relief to the farmers.

Feature selection strategy optimization for lithium-ion battery state of health estimation under impedance uncertainties

Battery health evaluation and management are vital for the long-term reliability and optimal performance of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) offers valuable insights into battery degradation analysis and modeling. However, previous studies have not adequately addressed the impedance uncertainties, particularly during battery operating conditions, which can substantially impact the robustness and accuracy of state of health (SOH) estimation. Motivated by this, this paper proposes a comprehensive feature optimization scheme that integrates impedance validity assessment with correlation analysis. By utilizing metrics such as impedance residuals and correlation coefficients, the proposed method effectively filters out invalid and insignificant impedance data, thereby enhancing the reliability of the input features. Subsequently, the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) modeling framework is constructed for estimating the battery degradation trajectories. The XGBoost model incorporates a diverse range of hyperparameters, optimized by a genetic algorithm to improve its adaptability and generalization performance. Experimental validation confirms the effectiveness of the proposed feature optimization scheme, demonstrating the superior estimation performance of the proposed method in comparison with four baseline techniques.