Efficient Analysis Research Articles

Fog harvesting efficiency analysis of biomimicking surfaces: A review

With a rapidly increasing population, pollution levels and industrial water and energy demand are on a constant rise in the past century. Populations residing in arid and semi-arid regions have been victims of water shortage issues since decades. Efficient water harvesting techniques are becoming highly significant today for ensuring the availability of essential resources throughout the globe. Inspired from nature where certain creatures have attractive surfaces which can collect water from the fog or mist even in no rainfall conditions, researchers have developed high-efficient novel water harvesting materials that could effectively address water scarcity issues. Through an in-depth analysis of the wettability and water droplet transportation of these creatures in nature, novel bionic surfaces that combine desirable natures and properties have been developed through innovative fabrication and coupling techniques. This could achieve 2.5 to 5.3 times more efficient water harvesting than conventional superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces. The efficiency value increased by 250% to 600% by merging different morphologies like Desert beetle, cactus and Janus, compared to their individual uniform morphology surfaces. The review also presents current challenges and scope for future development in water harvesting materials.

Efficient image analysis with triple attention vision transformer

This paper introduces TrpViT, a novel triple attention vision transformer that efficiently captures both local and global features. The proposed architecture tackles global information acquisition by employing three complementary attention mechanisms in a unique attention block: Window, Dilated, and Channel attention. This attention block extracts spatially local features while expanding the receptive field to capture richer global context. By integrating this attention block with convolution, a new C-C-T-T architecture is formed. We rigorously evaluate TrpViT, demonstrating state-of-the-art performance on various computer vision tasks, including image classification, 2D and 3D object detection, instance segmentation, and low-level image colorization. Notably, TrpViT achieves strong accuracy across all parameter scales, highlighting its computational efficiency and effectiveness.

A Review of Passive Solar Heating and Cooling Technologies Based on Bioclimatic and Vernacular Architecture

The increase in global average temperature, mainly due to the high rate of greenhouse gas emissions, has triggered severe global warming and climate change. In Europe, the building sector accounts for a significant portion of emissions and energy consumption, prompting attention on nearly-zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) and zero-carbon buildings, as they play a pivotal role in reaching the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Passive systems offer a promising solution, optimizing energy usage by better adapting buildings to their local climates. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of passive heating and cooling techniques, exploring their contributions to contemporary architecture and showcasing their features and adaptability across different climates. Furthermore, the link between traditional and bioclimatic architecture is assessed. Recent years have witnessed a surge in publications on bioclimatic solar passive strategies, reflecting an intensified debate on climate change. Europe leads research in this area, aligned with initiatives like the Green Deal and Fit for 55. While dynamic simulation software is widely utilized for energy efficiency analysis, there remains limited integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and life cycle analysis (LCA) tools, which could enhance holistic assessments.

Evaluating AI-Generated Emails: A Comparative Efficiency Analysis

This study investigates the efficiency of large language models (LLMs) in producing routine, negative, and persuasive business emails for educational purposes within the context of Business Writing. Specifically, it compares the outputs generated by four widely-used LLMs (ChatGPT 3.5, Llama 2, Bing Chat, and Bard) when presented with identical email scenarios. These generated emails are evaluated using an elaborate rubric, allowing for a systematic assessment of LLMs' performance across three distinct email types. The results of the study show that the output with the same prompt varies greatly despite the rather formulaic nature of business emails. For instance, some LLMs struggle with following the requested structure and maintaining consistency in tone, while others have issues with unity and conciseness. The findings of this research hold implications for teaching business writing (rubrics, task instructions, in-class implementation), as well as for the integration of AI in professional communication at large.

Efficiency analysis of best management practices under climate change conditions in the So-okcheon watershed, South Korea

Best management practices (BMPs) are widely applied to address water quality degradation issues attributed to non-point source pollutants. The objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of two types of BMPs, vegetation filter strips (VFS) and wetlands, in reducing total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in a watershed, and to investigate whether the efficiency of the two BMPs is maintained under future climate scenarios by employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). A set of parameters was calibrated using the SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Program (SWAT-CUP) to ensure acceptable simulation results. Three BMP scenarios were developed by applying VFS and wetlands individually and in combination. Projected climate data from 18 global circulation models under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) were used to depict climate change conditions. VFS demonstrated 18.2% and 22.9% greater reduction efficiency for TN and TP, respectively, relative to wetlands. When the two BMPs were simultaneously applied, the reduction efficiency was even greater than that of single-BMP implementation (by 7.4% for TN and 6.8% for TP compared to VFS alone and by 25.5% for TN and 29.7% for TP compared to wetlands alone). To assess the effect of climate change, the model simulated results for the period of 2021–2,100. The differences in efficiency between the combined BMP scenario and the individual BMPs increased with greater intensity of climate change, especially in the distant future. Therefore, this study supports the effectiveness of nutrient pollution control by applying multiple BMPs rather than by applying individual BMPs. Furthermore, this research underscores the adaptability and reliability of natural-based solutions in mitigating non-point source pollution in a changing climate, which is essential for effective ecological restoration in complex urban-agricultural landscapes. The study provides valuable insights for watershed managers and policymakers seeking effective strategies to combat nutrient pollution in the face of a changing climate within the unique landscape of South Korea.

Comparative Analysis of Various Topologies for AC and DC Power Distribution Systems on Efficiency Grounds

Efficiency is the factor that once wiped DC out of the power system at the birth of electricity, in nineteenth century. The battle of currents between AC and DC has reignited with the aggravating employment of DC in the sectors of generation, transmission, and utilization. This calls for cutting edge research in the field of comparative efficiency analysis of AC and DC, on distribution scale. The current research effort compares AC and DC distribution systems on efficiency grounds, for various topologies. The two systems are compared employing normal distribution technique for residential load profile. The varying efficiency of power electronic converters (PECs) with stochastic load profiles is modeled using MATLAB/SIMULINK, for each topology. DC takes the lead against AC with efficiency advantage for energy efficient load-based architectures. The architectures with variable speed drive-based loads, the efficiency advantage in favor of DC is between 1% and 2%, however, the efficiency advantage reaches to 12% with inherent DC loads. In contrast, AC takes the lead with conventional distribution, with an efficiency advantage between 4% and 5%. The findings of current research work can prove to be beneficial in making policy decisions for the adoption of DC at distribution scale.

Adaptive implicit–explicit method for robust and efficient failure analysis of composite materials

Despite numerous methods devised for the analysis of composite materials, substantial challenges persist in modeling the progressive failure process. Specifically, the damage-induced strain softening may cause convergence difficulty in implicit procedures, whereas lack of accuracy and restriction on time-step length are problems of concern for explicit formulations. Herein, we develop an adaptive implicit–explicit method (A-IEM) to enhance the robustness and efficiency of computational failure models. Initially, implicit algorithms are applied for non-linear analysis, during which critical nodes that hinder the convergence rate are identified through a concurrent monitoring algorithm. Upon fatal non-convergence, explicit constitutive law is locally enforced on the corresponding material points to evaluate the damage progression within current increment, and reversion to implicit scheme is subsequently enabled by A-IEM after resolving the numerical issues. The performance of A-IEM against conventional methods is verified via standard numerical examples and further demonstrated in the failure modeling of composite laminates.

Fast calculation and analysis of excitation inrush current peak of converter transformer under different remanence conditions

In order to solve the problems of fixed model parameters and low efficiency in the traditional numerical method and software simulation method for transformer excitation inrush current. In this paper, the response surface fitting method is applied to the calculation of the excitation inrush current, which realizes the efficient calculation and analysis of the peak value of the excitation inrush current with the change of the closing Angle under the condition of different remanence of the main column. Firstly, the generation mechanism of transformer excitation inrush current was theoretically analyzed, and the key influencing factors were extracted. Secondly, parameter modeling is used to establish the converter transformer model in this paper. Finally, the response surface model between initial winding current, closing Angle and excitation inrush current peak was fitted by response surface test design, and the accuracy of the response surface was verified. It provides technical reference for the fast calculation and analysis of transformer excitation inrush current and the digital twin technology of power transformer.

An efficient and precise stability analysis method for milling process

An efficient and precise stability analysis method for milling process

Investigating the Effect of Albedo in Simulation-Based Floating Photovoltaic System: 1 MW Bifacial Floating Photovoltaic System Design

Photovoltaic (PV) modules have emerged as a promising technology in the realm of sustainable energy solutions, specifically in the harnessing of solar energy. Photovoltaic modules, which use solar energy to generate electricity, are often used on terrestrial platforms. In recent years, there has been an increasing inclination towards the installation of photovoltaic (PV) modules over water surfaces, including lakes, reservoirs, and even oceans. The novel methodology introduces distinct benefits and complexities, specifically pertaining to the thermal characteristics of the modules. In order to accomplish this objective, a photovoltaic (PV) module system with a capacity of 1 MW was developed as a scenario in the PVsyst Program. The scenario simulation was conducted on the Mamasın Dam, situated in the Gökçe village within the Aksaray province. To conduct the efficiency analysis, a comparative evaluation was conducted between bifacial and monofacial modules, which were installed from above the water at 1 m. The comparison was made considering two different types of modules. Additionally, the albedo effect, water saving amount, and CO2 emissions of the system were also investigated. Albedo measurements were made in summer when the PV power plant will operate most efficiently. As a result of the simulations, it was found that bifacial modules produce 12.4% more energy annually than monofacial modules due to the albedo effect. It is estimated that PV power plant installation will save 19,562.695 and 17,253.475 tons of CO2 emissions in bifacial and monofacial systems, respectively.

Comparative Study of Building Performance Efficiency Analysis Methods using EDGE Rating Tools and Sefaira Energy Efficient Design Software

Comparative Study of Building Performance Efficiency Analysis Methods using EDGE Rating Tools and Sefaira Energy Efficient Design Software

A Pre-splitting Green’s Function based Hybrid Fast Algorithm for Multiscale Problems

Based on the splitting form of the Green’s function, a hybrid fast algorithm is proposed for efficient analysis of multiscale problems. In this algorithm, the Green’s function is a priori split into two parts: a spectrally band-limited part and a spatially localized part. Then, the fast Fourier transforms (FFT) utilizing the global Cartesian grid and the matrix compression method aided by an adaptive octree grouping are implemented for these two parts, respectively. Compared with the traditional methods which only employ the FFT for acceleration, the proposed hybrid fast algorithm is capable of maintaining low memory consumption in multiscale problems without compromising time cost. Moreover, the proposed algorithm does not need cumbersome geometric treatment to implement the hybridization, and can be established in a concise and straightforward manner. Several numerical examples discretized with multiscale meshes are provided to demonstrate the computational performance of proposed hybrid fast algorithm.

Merging Interest for Sustainable Agenda: Is There a Link between Sustainable Agriculture Practices and Farm Efficiency?

There is a global movement towards a sustainable agricultural system, given serious concerns for the food security of future generations. However, despite this push, adopting sustainable agriculture practices has been poor, given that their positive effect is not directly evident to the farmers. In countries like Fiji, where the majority of the land is leased, not undertaking sustainable agriculture practices can lead to a crisis of food insecurity and degraded low-quality land returning to the land owners and future generations. This study utilizes the latest Agriculture Census data from Fiji to construct a non-parametric production frontier from which to estimate the levels of efficiency of each farmer. These efficiency scores are then decomposed to farmers engaged in Sustainable Agriculture Practices vis-à-vis those not undertaking any Sustainable Agriculture Practice (SAP). The results from efficiency analysis provide efficiency and productivity scores for each farmer. Further decomposing it by SAPs reveals the marked difference in efficiency and productivity scores between farmers who undertake SAPs and those who do not. The results demonstrate that those farmers who undertake SAP have efficiency and productivity levels substantially higher than those who do not. To push the sustainable agriculture agenda amongst the farmers and landowners, policymakers must demonstrate to the farmers that undertaking SAPs will not only maintain the quality of the foundation input soil but will have a significant positive effect on their farm efficiency, productivity, and thus profitability. By doing so, the interests of all stakeholders are merged, making adopting sustainable agriculture practices easier on all farms.

Analysis of heat transfer performance and system energy efficiency of catalytic combustion heaters for low calorific value waste gas application to oil shale in-situ conversion

In this study, we explore the utilization of low calorific value waste gas for in-situ conversion mining of oil shale. Through simulation, we analyze the effects of variations in the parameters of the catalytic combustion heater's independent variables on the exhaust gas temperature, methane conversion rate, and system energy efficiency (dependent variables). The results demonstrate that larger values of the pore radius, gas injection flow rate, and pulsation flow rate parameters lead to reductions in the corresponding dependent variables. The system's energy efficiency remains stable between 21.94% and 22.46% with increasing gas injection temperature. Furthermore, an increase in the oxygen molar fraction results in elevated methane conversion rates from 0.64% to 58.2% and system energy efficiency from 0.4% to 21.51%. Conversely, an increase in the methane molar fraction causes a decrease in methane conversion from 76.17% to 7.18% and a decline in system energy efficiency from 32.83% to 7.18%. Notably, gas flowback occurs at downhole pressure conditions of 2 MPa. The variation in pressure stabilizes the system's energy efficiency between 21% and 22.10%. The simulation and analysis findings of this study provide significant reference value for subsequent practical testing efforts.

Optimization of the Zhou Tian Formula extraction technology based on AHP-CRITIC method and analysis of transfer efficiency of key components based on HPLC fingerprinting.

Zhou Tian Formula (ZTF) is an antidepressant traditional Chinese medicine utilized widely in clinical settings for the treatment of patients with depression. However, shortcomings persist in its extraction technology and quality control. This study aimed to propose a methodology for ZTF extraction technology based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-criteria importance through intercriteria correlation (CRITIC) method and to establish a quality control framework for the efficient transfer of index components. Firstly, we analyzed the chemical components of ZTF and determined the optimal extraction technology. Secondly, we calculated the transfer efficiency of the index components during the conversion of water decoction to extract powder and subsequently to granules. Thirdly, we established HPLC fingerprints for 15 batches of ZTF water decoction, extract powder, and granules. We employed SIMCA software to analyze the chemicals responsible for variations in quality among different batches of ZTF granules. We determined the optimal extraction process. The average transfer efficiency of ferulic acid, puerarin, mirificin, isoferulic acid, and calycosin during the conversion of water decoction to extract powder and subsequently to granules exceeded 41%. The HPLC fingerprints of ZTF exhibited a similarity exceeding 0.890. Variable importance in projection values indicated that calycosin, ferulic acid, and puerarin were the primary contributors to quality variations. The AHP-CRITIC method, coupled with an orthogonal array design, could be used for exploring extraction technology. In addition, the rules governing the transfer of index components from water decoction to extract powder, and subsequently to granules, could be applied for the evaluation and quality assessment of ZTF.

Bridging the clinical-research gap: Harnessing an electronic data capture, integration, and visualization platform to systematically assess prospective patient-reported outcomes in mitochondrial medicine

PurposeOptimizing individualized clinical care in heterogeneous rare disorders, such as primary mitochondrial disease (PMD), will require gaining more comprehensive and objective understanding of the patient experience by longitudinally tracking quantifiable patient-specific outcomes and integrating subjective data with clinical data to monitor disease progression and targeted therapeutic effects. MethodsElectronic surveys of patient (and caregiver) reported outcome (PRO) measures were administered in REDCap within clinical domains commonly impaired in patients with PMD in the context of their ongoing routine care, including quality of life, fatigue, and functional performance. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and inter-measure correlations were used to evaluate system feasibility, utility of PRO results, and consistency across outcome measure domains. Real-time tracking and visualization of longitudinal individual-level and cohort-level data were facilitated by a customized data integration and visualization system, MMFP-Tableau. ResultsAn efficient PRO electronic capture and analysis system was successfully implemented within a clinically and genetically heterogeneous rare disease clinical population spanning all ages. Preliminary data analyses demonstrated the flexibility of this approach for a range of PROs, as well as the value of selected PRO scales to objectively capture qualitative functional impairment in four key clinical domains. High inter-measure reliability and correlation were observed. Between-group analyses revealed that adults with PMD reported significantly worse quality of life and greater fatigue than did affected children, while PMD patients with nuclear gene disorders reported lower functioning relative to those with an mtDNA gene disorder in several clinical domains. ConclusionIncorporation of routine electronic data collection, integration, visualization, and analysis of relevant PROs for rare disease patients seen in the clinical setting was demonstrated to be feasible, providing prospective and quantitative data on key clinical domains relevant to the patient experience. Further work is needed to validate specific PROs in diverse PMD patients and cohorts, and to formally evaluate the clinical impact and utility of harnessing integrated data systems to objectively track and integrate quantifiable PROs in the context of rare disease patient clinical care.

Bridging the gap: coordinating equity and efficiency in older people care resource allocation in China

BackgroundWith the increasing global aging population, how to allocate older people care resources reasonably has become an increasingly urgent international issue. China, as the largest developing country, has made many efforts to actively respond to the challenges of an aging population. However, there are still problems with uneven allocation of older people care resources and low efficiency of allocation. Therefore, this study evaluates the regional differences and dynamic evolution of the equity and efficiency of older people care resource allocation in China from 2009 to 2020, and explores ways to change the current situation.MethodsThe data used in this study were derived from the “China Statistical Yearbook” and the “China Civil Affairs Statistical Yearbook” for the period of 2010–2021. Firstly, the equity of older people care resource allocation was measured using the Gini coefficient, the Theil index, the Older People Care Resource Density Index, and the Older People Care Resource Agglomeration Degree. Secondly, the dynamic Slack-Based Measure data envelopment analysis method was adopted to evaluate efficiency. Lastly, the Z-score is used to normalize the equity index and perform classification matching with the efficiency value. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and hotspot analysis were conducted using GIS technology to examine the dynamic evolution process of older people care resource allocation equity and efficiency, as well as their spatial distribution patterns and coordination across provinces from 2009 to 2020.ResultsThe equity analysis showed that the spatial distribution of various types of older people care resources was uneven, and the differences were mainly due to internal differences within each region, with the largest equity differences observed in western provinces. Currently, older people care resources are mainly concentrated in eastern regions, while the total amount of older people care resources in western regions and some central regions is relatively small, which cannot meet the older people care needs of residents. The efficiency analysis results showed that the efficiency of older people care resource allocation has been improving over the past 12 years, and in 2020, 77.42% of provinces were located on the efficiency frontier with an average efficiency value of 0.9396. Finally, the coordination analysis results showed that there were significant spatiotemporal differences in the equity and efficiency of older people care resources allocation.ConclusionWith the development of society and economy, the total amount and service capacity of older people care resources in China have greatly improved. However, there are still significant spatiotemporal differences in the equity and efficiency of older people care resource allocation. The development of older people care services in central and eastern provinces is unbalanced, and there is a polarization trend in terms of equity and efficiency of older people care resource allocation. Most provinces in western regions face the dual dilemma of inadequate older people care resources and low utilization efficiency. It is recommended that policymakers comprehensively consider population and geographic factors in different provinces, establish relevant allocation standards according to local conditions, improve the redistribution system, and focus on increasing the total amount of older people care resources in underdeveloped provinces while promoting resource flow.

Intranasal administration enhances size-dependent pulmonary phagocytic uptake of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles

BackgroundNanoparticles exhibit distinct behaviours within the body, depending on their physicochemical properties and administration routes. However, in vivo behaviour of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, especially when administered nasally, remains unexplored; furthermore, there is a lack of comparative analysis of uptake efficiency among different administration routes. Therefore, here, we aimed to comprehensively investigate the real-time in vivo behaviour of PLGA nanoparticles across various administration routes. PLGA-NH2 nanoparticles of three sizes were synthesised using an oil-in-water single-emulsion method. We assessed their uptake by murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells using fluorescence microscopy. To enable real-time tracking, we conjugated p-SCN-Bn-deferoxamine to PLGA-NH2 nanoparticles and further radiolabelled them with 89Zr-oxalate before administration to mice via different routes. Nanoparticle internalisation by lung immune cells was monitored using fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis.ResultsThe nanoparticle sizes were 294 ± 2.1 (small), 522.5 ± 5.58 (intermediate), and 850 ± 18.52 nm (large). Fluorescent labelling did not significantly alter the nanoparticle size and charge. The level of uptake of small and large nanoparticles by RAW264.7 cells was similar, with phagocytosis inhibition primarily reducing the internalisation of large particles. Positron emission tomography revealed that intranasal delivery resulted in the highest and most targeted pulmonary uptake, whereas intravenous administration led to accumulation mainly in the liver and spleen. Nasal delivery of large nanoparticles resulted in enhanced uptake by myeloid immune cells relative to lymphoid cells, whereas dendritic cell uptake initially peaked but declined over time.ConclusionsOur study provides valuable insights into advancing nanomedicine and drug delivery, with the potential for expanding the clinical applications of nanoparticles.

Application of Covalent Organic Framework-Based Solid-Phase Microextraction for Efficient and Direct Analysis of Neurotransmitters in the Striatum of Nicotine-Addicted mice

This study developed and validated a novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method based on covalent organic framework (COF) for the simultaneous analysis of 10 neurotransmitters (NTs) in mice brain tissue using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The synthesized COF was utilized as SPME fiber coating, exhibited a suitable pore size and macromolecule exclusion capability, ensuring excellent thermal stability and high adsorption efficiency for NTs. This allowed direct extraction from brain homogenates, eliminating the need for protein precipitation. And the COF-based SPME fiber exhibited good reusability throughout eight successive recycling cycles. The SPME-UHPLC method demonstrated excellent linearity (correlation coefficients > 0.99), low intra- and inter-day precision (RSDs ≤ 9.5 % and ≤ 10.6 %, respectively), and acceptable matrix effects (ranging 84.3 % to 117.3 %). The developed method was then applied to analyze NTs in the striatum of nicotine-addicted mice, and the statistical analysis revealed significant shifts in the concentrations of dopaminergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, addiction and deepened the understanding of addiction's neurobiology. This method offers a sensitive and efficient approach for extracting polar NT analytes in complex matrices, profiling NT alterations linked to addiction, and holds potential for early detection and treatment of addiction disorders. It could contribute significantly to addiction neurobiology and neurological disease research.

Analyzing tourism productivity changes with complex configurations

This paper explores the use of fsQCA in order to explain the productivity changes in two-stage analysis. In this way, the idea from Corne and Peypoch (2020) in the efficiency analysis framework is extended to the case of productivity indexes and indicators. An empirical illustration to the case of Chinese provinces emphasizes the complex configurations explaining tourism productivity and opens avenues for future research.