Higher Technical Efficiency Research Articles

Environmental sustainability performance of US airlines: implications of financial performance and technical efficiency

Air transportation significantly contributes to global CO2 emissions. The US Aviation Climate Action Plan introduced in November 2021 aims to decarbonize the aviation sector by 2050. Aligned with this initiative, our study applies Data Envelopment Analysis and fixed-effect panel regression to empirically explore how financial performance and technical efficiency impact Environmental Sustainability Performance (ESP) in the airline industry. We curated panel data of nine US passenger airlines from 2010 to 2019 to examine three key areas: the impact of financial performance on environmental sustainability performance, the influence of efficiency on environmental sustainability performance, and the relationship between flight stage length and environmental sustainability performance. Our findings indicate that improved Financial Performance, higher technical efficiency, and longer stage lengths positively contribute to enhanced environmental sustainability performance. Our study provides valuable insights for managers and policymakers, emphasizing the pivotal role of financial stability in achieving environmental goals within the airline industry. It underscores the intricate connection between economic viability and sustainability, offering guidance for policymakers seeking to balance financial success with environmental goals.

Efficiency and somatic cell count: Unraveling Holstein cow productivity through stochastic frontier modeling

The yield and quality decrease due to high somatic cell counts caused by mastitis, and this also negatively affects the profitability, efficiency, and sustainability of dairy farms. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of somatic cell counts on yield, milk chemicals, and the technical efficiency of Holstein dairy cows. A total of 165 lactating cows were involved in the research, and all cows were fed the diets as a total mixed ration three times a day. Milk samples were collected each day during milking and analyzed for chemical composition and somatic cell counts (SCC). The daily milk production of each cow was obtained from the SCR herd management program, which is integrated with the parlor. In conclusion, it was determined that for each group, the efficiency scores, SCC, and milk yield of cows varied between 0.80 and 0.99, 322.000 and 557.857 cells/mL, and 33.13 and 48.90 Kg/d, respectively; they also differed significantly in each group. Considering the findings, milk production can be increased by 7% without changing any input. Additionally, every 1% decrease in SCC will increase the efficiency of milk production by 0.55%. Cows with low technical efficiency (TE) scores produced 2.87 kg/d/cow less milk compared to animals with high TE. Reducing the SCC of the group with a low TE (456.878 cells/mL) to a SCC of high TE (438.869 cells/mL) will increase milk yield by 2.87 kg/d/cow on average. In conclusion, minimizing losses due to mastitis is paramount for enhancing dairy farm efficiency. This research underscores the interplay between TE and udder health, providing a comprehensive understanding of individual cow performance. Addressing inefficiencies and promoting udder health can significantly contribute to sustainable and economically viable dairy farming practices. Keywords: Dairy farm; Mastitis; Somatic cell count; Stochastic frontier analysis; Technical efficiency

Microscopic FT-IR imaging-based meat and bone meal species discrimination using the screened matrix fragments-related spectral pixels and tableting pretreatment

This study proposes a novel microscopic FT-IR imaging-based analytical strategy for the discrimination of meat and bone meal (MBM) species. The feasibility of correlation coefficient and PLS-DA methods for the screening of bone and meat fragment-related spectral pixels in MBM microscopic FT-IR imaging was validated. Subsequently, PLS-DA models were established for MBM species-specific analysis based on the screened bone and meat fragment-related spectral pixels. Comparative analysis with the PLS-DA model using all FT-IR pixels demonstrated a significant improvement in the performance of the PLS-DA model based on the fused matrix fragment-related spectral pixels, achieving an accuracy of approximately 0.980. Furthermore, the proposed analytical strategy exhibited a time efficiency advantage with a consumption period of approximately 4.5 min, thereby ensuring high spectral technical efficiency. The findings of this study offer a theoretical basis for the spectral discrimination analysis of agricultural materials with complex matrix compositions.

Evaluation of marginal abatement cost and potential reduction in China's industrial carbon emissions: A quadratic directional output distance function approach

As a relevant indicator for quantifying the value of carbon emissions, the marginal abatement cost (MAC) of carbon emissions has received increasing attention from academics and policymakers. This study uses a quadratic directional output distance function to analyse the technical efficiency, potential emission reduction and shadow prices of China's industrial carbon emissions. The results show that the technical efficiency of China's industry gradually decreased during the sample period. From the perspective of regions with different carbon intensity and industrial output, regions with lower carbon intensity and higher industrial output gradually closed to the optimal frontier for the technology use level and had relatively high technical efficiency. Rising technical inefficiency and carbon emissions led to a potential emission reduction that also exhibits an upwards trend. In addition, the MAC of industrial carbon emissions exhibits a U-shaped trajectory, with 2011 as the turning point. Generally, in recent years, regions with lower carbon intensity and those with higher industrial output have a relatively high MAC for industrial carbon emissions. The empirical findings reveal that a carbon emission reduction policy should be formulated and targeted to each province, and the principle of ‘easy before difficult’ can be followed to promote emission reduction.

Connection patterns and resilience simulation of innovation network in the context of technology transfer: A case study of strategic emerging industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Technology transfer is crucial for the flow and reconfiguration of regional innovation elements. Besides, leveraging network methodologies effectively uncovers regional knowledge exchange and transfer patterns. Combining the “Buzz-Gatekeeper-Pipeline” model, this study introduces a comprehensive analytical framework that utilizes a patent transfer database to characterize innovation network types, identify connection patterns, and enable resilience loss simulation, elucidating regional technology transfer types and connection patterns from a network perspective, delineating the evolution and potential causes of network structural resilience loss, and finally establishing a list of differentiated and hierarchical innovation network management strategies. Focusing on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this empirical study reveals the following: 1) Technology transfer primarily occurs between different enterprises. However, on average, knowledge products from colleges/universities and research institutions boast relatively high technical contribution efficiency to enterprises. 2) The innovation network is driven by the “Technological Gatekeeper” as the main connector. Four types of innovation communities—isolated, insider, seeker, and networked—are formed based on different combinations of “Community Buzz” and “Regional Pipeline”. 3) A significant positive correlation exists between innovation network connection patterns and network structural resilience. The impact of different types of “Regional Pipelines” on network structural resilience varies significantly.

Effectiveness of the combined application of disinfectants and fertilizers against soybean diseases

To establish the most common soybean diseases, to determine their species composition conditions of Western Polissia. To develop ecologically safe elements of the technology for protecting soybean crops from diseases when using a mixture of chemical preparations with a probiotic fertilizer. Methods. Laboratory (carrying out a phytophatological examination of soybean seeds to establish the colonization of the culture by pathogenic and saprophytic mycoflora); field (for monitoring the phytosanitary condition of soybean crops). Results. As a result of the phytosanitary inspection the soybean sowing, the most common diseases were fusarium root rot, ascochitosis and bacteriosis. During the phytoexpertise, it was established that soybean seeds in the control variant were colonized by fungi of the genus Fusarium spp. – 4,7 %, Alternaria spp., and Mucor mucedo – 15,4 %. When treated with Maxim XL 035 FS, t.k.s 1 l/t, the seed infection was not detected. The cumulative population of microorganisms, when using organic fertilizer-probiotic Lianum, r., 2 l/t, decreased by 7.1%, and in combination with Maxim XL 035 FS, t. k.s., 1 l/t – by 15,2 %, with Sferiko, TN, 0.8 l/t – by 10,7 % compared to the control variant. In the conditions of a natural infectious background in the phase of ВВСН 70–79 the development of fusarium root rot was 13,2 %, ascochitosis – 14,3 %, bacteriosis – 22 %. Under the simultaneous use of Maxim XL 035 FS, t.k.s 0,8 l/t+ Lianum, p., 2 l/t, the soybean plants were without visible symptoms of ascochitosis, and the evelopment of root rot decreased by 11,3 % compared to the control variant, the technical efficiency was 100% and 83.1 %, and when using Sfepico TH, 0.8 l/t Lianum, p., 2 l/t, the technical efficiency against root rot was 65.2%, against ascochitosis 100%. Conclusions. Seed treatment is a necessary and strategically important method of soybean protection against Fusarium root rot and ascochitosis. Treating seeds with mixtures of preparations Maxim XL 035 FS, t.k.s 0,8 l/t+ Lianum, p., 2 l/t,and Sfepico, TH, 0.8 l/t Lianum, p., 2 l/t allows to obtain additional yield increase at the level of 0.86 t/ha and 0.66 t/ha. In addition, the composition of the preparations significantly reduces the population of the pathogens fusarium spp. by 3.8 and 3.3 % compared to a control variant and show high technical efficiency, both in laboratory and field conditions.

Technical efficiency in the Malaysian electric and electronic manufacturing industry: A stochastic frontier analysis approach

This study measured the level of technical efficiency (TE) that exerted a significant impact on the Malaysian electric and electronic manufacturing industry, which consists of 13 sub-industries, from 2010 to 2015. Unbalanced panel data from 1880 firms was obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. We used stochastic frontier (SFA) analysis with the transcendental logarithmic approach to estimate the empirical analysis parametric. The maximum likelihood estimated regression of the SFA parameters revealed a high total average TE of 0.944%. Both the manufacturing sub-industries for communications equipment (MSIC 263) and irradiation, electromedical, and electrotherapeutic equipment (MSIC 266) demonstrated the highest average TE value and consistency (0.989%). The consumer electronics manufacturing sub-industry (MSIC 264) yielded a notably lower TE level (0.846%). Changes in TE for all industries were monitored via standard deviation analysis. The low standard deviation (SD) for MSIC 263, 271, and 275 indicated continuous progress and demands for these industries, while the higher SD for MSIC 264, 266, 272, and 273 pointed out major changes that happened within the period. The findings demonstrated that studies on the TE levels indicate that the E&E manufacturing industry has highly expended and continuous efforts to update technologies and human capital innovations. Therefore, the practical implication is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 9 for sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation by 2030.

Agricultural socialized services empowering smallholder rice producers to achieve high technical efficiency: empirical evidence from southern China

IntroductionThis study emphasizes the importance of agricultural efficiency for food security and income generation, especially among smallholder rice farmers in southern China. Limited access to essential agricultural services hinders productivity in this region. The study highlights the significant potential of agricultural socialized services (ASS) in improving the technical efficiency of smallholder rice production.MethodsTo analyze the impact of ASS on technical efficiency in rice production, we focused on tillage, transplanting, crop protection, and harvest operations. We employed stochastic frontier analysis and collected data from smallholder farmers in Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang provinces. By estimating the technical efficiency of rice production, we aimed to assess the relationship between ASS and smallholder farmers’ technical efficiency.Results and discussionThe results of our analysis revealed that ASS significantly enhance the technical efficiency of rice production among smallholder farmers by supporting agricultural practices such as transplanting, crop protection, and harvest operations. However, we found that the impact of ASS on tillage operations was not statistically significant. Participation in ASS enhances smallholders’ access to modern production techniques, resources, and knowledge, leading to improved technical efficiency. These services also empower smallholder rice producers to adopt sustainable farming practices, access credit, financing, and market information, and promote collective action and cooperation, ultimately influencing technical efficiency.ConclusionThis study emphasizes the potential of ASS in improving the technical efficiency of smallholder rice production in southern China. Policymakers and agricultural organizations can use these insights to design interventions that promote efficient practices, enhance productivity, support livelihoods, and ensure food security in the region.

Determinants of Export in Boom and Bust: Evidence from the Indian Electronics Industry

India’s exports of electronics products underwent two major phases after 2000–2001. A boom phase from 2000–2001 to 2008–2009, where growth of Indian electronic exports increased significantly, and a bust phase from 2009–2010 to 2019–2020, with drastic decline in its growth. This gives us an opportunity to estimate and compare the factors that help firms to sustain exports in different phases of export growth. Using firm-level panel data and instrumental variable Tobit (IVTobit) model, this study shows that during the boom period, firms’ spending on research and development (R&D), imported technology and raw materials explain their exports. Firms’ age and multinational enterprises (MNEs) affiliation are also important for export in this phase. In the bust period, along with firms’ age, import of technology and raw materials, domestic raw materials, size, advertisement expenses and production efficiency of firms have emerged as important factors in determining export. These finding suggests that larger firms with high technical efficiency manage to export even during the bust period. Moreover, to export during the bust period, firms need to spend on domestic raw material, import of technologies and promotion of their products rather than spending on R&D activities. JEL Codes: F440, L6, L63, F140, L250, C240, C260

Impact of Microdosing Practices on Technical Efficiency: An Analysis Accounting for Selection Bias Among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Burkina Faso

Smallholder maize farmers are currently confronted with the arduous challenge of managing limited financial resources while incessantly facing the issue of land degradation. To address this issue, an alternative solution has been implemented to optimize the use of chemical fertilizer by adopting microdosing. This innovative system not only helps them enhance their agricultural productivity but also allows them to protect the environment. However, it is unclear how microdosing adoption could increase the technical efficiency (TE) of maize production. Therefore, this research aims to assess how the adoption of microdosing affects the technical efficiency of maize production as well as identify the key factors that influence the technical efficiency of maize production in Burkina Faso. To achieve this goal, farm household survey data was conducted with 210 randomly selected farmers from the Plateau Central and northern regions of Burkina Faso. To account for potential selection biases that could result from both observable and unobservable factors, we used a sample selection stochastic production frontier model and a propensity score matching approach. A stochastic meta-frontier approach was applied to estimate TE differences and the technology gap between adopters and non-adopters. The findings showed that adopters of microdosing have an average efficiency of 68 percent, which is higher than the 53 percent estimated for non-adopters. Adopters of microdosing have been found to have high TE and better agricultural technology than non-adopters. The meta-frontier estimation revealed that the adoption of improved maize varieties would yield better returns. This study contributes significantly to the literature on how fertilizer microdosing affects maize productivity, as well as the policy implications of targeting and encouraging smallholder maize farmers in Burkina Faso to optimize the use of productive inputs and improve maize output by using microdosing.

STUDY AND ASSESSMENT OF THE OF THE TAEGRO WP APPLICATION ON STRAWBERRIES BIOLOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND PRIVATE FARMS

Today, throughout the world, the use of chemicals is the main method of combating plant diseases both before and after harvest. To date, there are certain problems with each fungicidal drug against "gray rot" in Ukraine. The solution to these problems can be the use of biopesticides, such as the researched drug Taegro, WP. Materials and methods. To achieve and evaluate the tasks, such scientific research methods were used as: the method of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction and systematization, natural experiment, physico-chemical, organoleptic, sanitary-microbiological, methods of statistical analysis and mathematical modeling. Research results and their discussion. The technical efficiency of the fungicide Taegro WP in suppressing the damage of strawberry berries by gray rot in plantations, with the rate of its use of 0.18 and 0.37 kg/ha, was 70.60 and 81.05%, respectively. The use of the Taegro WP with a application rate of 0.18 and 0.37 kg/ha helped to increase the yield of strawberries to 10.05, 10.34 t/ha, while the yield in the control variant was 8.65 t/ha. It was noted that after the application of the fungicide Taegro WP with a rate of 3.7 g/ 5 l of water / 1 acre, an increase in the level of total chlorophyll in the leaves of strawberries of the garden variety Alina was observed, which was 457.5-667.5 units, which is 68.5 % higher compared to the control. Conclusion. In a number of field experiments, it was established that the fungicide Taegro WP with application rates of 0.18 and 0.37 kg/ha in the conditions of industrial production and with a consumption rate of 3.7 g/ 5 l of water / 1 acre in the conditions of private auxiliary farms has a high technical efficiency against strawberry damage.

New approaches to assess and improve ship operating performance

The deterioration in the technical conditions of the main engine, hull, and propeller over time in service is natural and causes adverse effects on ship operating performance, so determining and overcoming this phenomenon is necessary. However, effectively solving this problem is not simple because it is affected by many complex and random factors such as engine deterioration, increased roughness of hull and propeller surfaces, changes in sea state and ship load, etc. In this study, our new approach based on the black-box method and detailed propeller diagrams provides an effective way to assess and improve ship performance both under specific operating conditions and after a period of service. This method was verified and validated with the test data of the Glory Star oil tanker and applied to the Duong River dry cargo ship in Vietnam to determine its performance degradation and provide solutions to overcome this problem. The results showed that after 5 years out of dry dock, the study ship's performance or propulsion efficiency was reduced by about 8.6%, resulting in an increase in fuel consumption of about 6.5% and a decrease in ship speed of about 14.7%. By applying technical solutions such as tuning the engine operating mode and choosing a practical propeller design point, the performance of this ship was greatly improved and brought about high economic and technical efficiency. Especially, the cutting of the propeller edges not only solved the torque-rich phenomena occurring on the study ship's main engine after 5 service years, but also saved 5.1% and 4.9% in hourly fuel consumption, and increased 3.9% and 4.9% in ship speed, calculated for ballast and full load sea trials, respectively.

Efficiency of biological insecticides against the main pests of winter wheat in the system of organic farming

Goal. To investigate the pest infestation of soft winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops and to determine the technological effectiveness of biological products against them in the system of organic farming.
 Methods. Field studies to record the number of major pests of winter wheat before and after 10 days after treatment with biological insecticides were laid out and conducted in a six-man rotation of organic farming: peas — soft winter wheat — chickpeas — hard winter wheat — oil flax — millet. The winter wheat crops were treated twice in BBCH 31 and BBCH 59. The technical effectiveness of biological insecticides was determined and compared with chemical insecticides, and the reliability of the results obtained was determined using the mathematical and statistical method in the Agrostat program.
 Results. The studies of 2021—2023 on the control variant (without treatment) of winter wheat observed an average of 1.1 copies/ m2 of the shell bug (Eurygaster integriceps Put.), 17.4 copies/stem of cereal aphids (Schizaphis graminum F.), 7.7 copies/ear of wheat thrips (Haplothrips tritici Kurd) and 4.5 copies/ m2 of bread beetle (Anisoplia austriaca Hrbst.), and on variants treated with biological insecticides — by 27.3—36.4%, respectively, 36.8—39.5, 40.6—50.7 and 33.3—46.7% less. The technical efficiency of biological preparations against the indicated pests in the years of research ranged from 10.0 to 68.8%, and that of chemical insecticides from 55.6 to 100.0% and depended on both the conditions of the year and the type of pest and the preparation. Among biological insecticides, the highest technical efficiency against the turtle bug and wheat thrips on winter wheat crops was provided by Bitoxybacillin-BTU, r. (10 l/ ha) — 31.6 and 53.2%, respectively, and against cereal aphids (37.5%) and bread beetle (47.5%) — Biospectr BT, r. (3 l/ha) with Metarizin BT, r. (3 l/ ha). Bioinsecticide Phytoimun Sintez, r. (1 + 1 l/ha) against the specified pests had somewhat lower technical efficiency — 23.3 and 45.3% and 33.8 and 33.0%, respectively.
 Conclusions. The use of biological insecticides Bitoxybacillin-BTU, p. (10 l/ha), Biospectr BT, p. (3 l/ ha) with Metarizin BT, p. (3 l/ ha) and Phytoimun Sintez, p. (1 + 1 l/ha) on soft winter wheat crops in organic farming rotation makes it possible to reduce the number of shell bugs and cereal aphids by 1.4—1.6 times, and wheat thrips and bread beetle by 1.7—2.0 and 1.5—1.9 times compared to the control.

Factors affecting exit intentions from dairy farming in the Pampas region of Argentina.

TThis article examines the factors which explain exit from dairy farming in the Pampas region of Argentina. A representative sample of dairy farms was used, of which 12 % indicated their intention to exit in the next five years. High technical efficiency and the existence of a successor reduce the likelihood of exit dairy farming; while age of farmer, hired labor, and climate risk exposure are positively associated with exit intentions. The small dairy farms are more prone to exit than large ones, albeit with a smaller marginal effect.

Investigating the Profitability of Government-Funded Small-Scale Broiler Projects in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The frequent failures of government-funded broiler enterprises raise concerns about the viability and wisdom of government funding for smallholders. This study therefore investigates the scope for the profitability of the small-scale broiler production and the range of socio-demographic and production issues that are implicated. The study area was the Northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province of South Africa, where smallholder broiler production is popular. A total of 75 randomly selected, small-scale broiler producers from three districts in Northern KZN, namely, King Cetshwayo, uMkhanyakude, and Zululand, participated in the survey out of the 134 small-scale broiler producers supported by the government. The analyses employed diverse descriptive analysis and included the calculation of the gross margin to proxy broiler chicken profitability. Three models were fitted for the empirical analysis, namely, the OLS, the Two-Stage Least Squares, and the Stochastic Frontier models, to determine the factors influencing profitability, correcting for endogeneity, and computing the technical efficiency and inefficiency of the small-scale broiler production system. The results show that the primary production and marketing challenges were the lack of infrastructure (abattoirs and refrigeration) and the lack of formal markets, including the lack of market information and high transport costs. On average, the sampled government-funded small-scale broiler enterprises achieved a positive gross profit margin of 31 percent, which is relatively low when compared to the small-scale farmers that work for a large-scale enterprise—the Commercial Chicken Farm, near Pietermaritzburg. It was revealed that the profits are significantly influenced by gender, farmgate price, access to market information, and access to extension services. The production system was also shown to be operating at a reasonably high technical efficiency, which is strongly influenced by flock size, feeds, and labour input, while age, gender, and educational level contributed to technical inefficiency. The recent crisis that was experienced by the poultry industry in South Africa linked to the outbreak of the Avian Flu and its devastating consequences point up the urgency for more investment in infrastructure to enhance bird safety at affordable costs. Although the government-funded small-scale broiler enterprises in Northern KZN were found to be viable, it is evident that they can be better, possibly through more capacity building and collective action to take full advantage of the economies of scale.

CONTROL OF THE OF MAIN PESTS OF WINTER OILSEED RAPE IN THE CONDITIONS OF VINNYTSIA REGION

This article highlights the issue of improved and substantiated elements of the winter oilseed rape protection system against main pests in the Vinnitsa region, which is based on clarification of the species composition of phytophagy in winter oilseed rape, their harmfulness and limiting their numbers when applying seed treatment with insecticides and poisoners. spraying crops with drugs during the growing season of the crop. The species composition of the harmful entomofauna of winter oilseed rape was clarified and 22 species of insects belonging to 6 orders and 16 families were identified. The largest species diversity is characterized by the number of Coleoptera, the share of species of which was 60,2% of the total. The effectiveness of modern insecticides of poisoners against pests of winter oilseed rape and optimized methods of their application were evaluated. It has been established that the highest technical efficiency of insecticide poisoners is noted in versions with poisoners with mixtures of Force 200 SC + Cruiser 350 FS, consumption rate of 1,0+2,0 l/t. and Cruiser 350 FS, w.s.c. at the full consumption rate of 4,0 l/t is a highly effective method of controlling the number of cruciferous fleas. Initial efficiency during the first three days after emergence was 92,0% and 90,5%. During the growing season of winter rape during the testing of insecticides, the highest technical efficiency – 93,3% for spraying rape seedlings against cruciferous fleas was shown by Confidor 20%, w.s.c. Confidor, 20% of the national capital, it provided technical efficiency at the level of 95,3%. This ensured a yield of 3.46 t/ha, and the yield increase was conventionally 0,53 t/ha of the crop.

Numerical optimization of Lenalidomide immunomodulatory drug inside the supercritical carbon dioxide system using different machine learning models

supercritical fluids (SCFs) have been introduced as a reliable alternative for conventional organic solvents due to their unique gases-like and liquids-like behavior above the critical point. Nowadays, industrial-based employment of SCFs (especially SCCO2) for increasing the solubility of low water-soluble orally-taken medicines has increased significantly due to their noteworthy advantages like eco-friendliness, low carcinogenicity/toxicity, high technical efficiency, accessible critical points and affordable cost. The main aim is to design, optimize and modify the solubility of the Lenalidomide orally-administered immunomodulatory drug in SC-CO2 as a function of temperature (T) and pressure (P). Models are built as a novel model for using a variety of machine learning techniques, such as the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), and Support Vector Model (SVM). These models tuned on their hyper-parameters and then evaluated using different metrics. In terms of RMSE, LASSO, MLP, and SVM have error values equal to 9.978 × 10-2, 2.545 × 10-2, and 1.259 × 10-1, respectively. Also, the LASSO model has an R2 score of 0.9043, this score is 0.9950 for MLP and 0.9258 for SVM models. Accordingly, the MLP is the model that fits best on the solubility of Lenalidomide among these models and selected for rest of analysis in this study.

Research on fabrication of non-metallic fiber reinforced concrete used in sea and island construction

Concrete is a brittle material with high compressive strength, tensile strength and low deformation capacity. In fact, concrete and reinforced concrete structures are often destroyed due to brittleness. To overcome this drawback, the research using a fiber-reinforced concrete in construction projects is receiving increasing attention. Short fibers such as metal fibers, synthetic fibers and natural fibers added to the composition of concrete will increase the tensile capacity, enhances the impact resistance of the structure, improving the durability and service life of the project. The research of non-metallic fiber reinforced concrete - an environmentally friendly material, to increase bending, tensile and impact strength, increase the corrosion resistance of concrete in aggressive environments...will increase the service life of the project. This paper introduces some research results that bring high economic and technical efficiency by using non-metallic fiber (Polyvinylal Alcohol Fiber) to manufacture fiber reinforced concrete for thin-walled precast components and construction in Vietnam’s island and coastal areas.

Impact of the workforce allocation on the technical performance of mental health services: the collective case of Helsinki-Uusimaa (Finland)

BackgroundLong-term mental health (MH) policies in Finland aimed at investing in community care and promoting reforms have led to a reduction in the number of psychiatric hospital beds. However, most resources are still allocated to hospital and community residential services due to various social, economic and political factors. Despite previous research focussing on the number and cost of these services, no study has evaluated the emerging patterns of use, their technical performance and the relationship with the workforce structure.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to observe the patterns of use and their technical performance (efficiency) of the main types of care of MH services in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region (Finland), and to analyse the potential relationship between technical performance and the corresponding workforce structure.MethodsThe sample included acute hospital residential care, non-hospital residential care and outpatient care services. The analysis was conducted using regression analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, fuzzy inference and data envelopment analysis.ResultsThe analysis showed a statistically significant linear relationship between the number of service users and the length of stay, number of beds in non-hospital residential care and number of contacts in outpatient care services. The three service types displayed a similar pattern of technical performance, with high relative technical efficiency on average and a low probability of being efficient. The most efficient acute hospital and outpatient care services integrated multidisciplinary teams, while psychiatrists and nurses characterized non-hospital residential care.ConclusionsThe results indicated that the number of resources and utilization variables were linearly related to the number of users and that the relative technical efficiency of the services was similar across all types. This suggests homogenous MH management with small variations based on workforce allocation. Therefore, the distribution of workforce capacity should be considered in the development of effective policies and interventions in the southern Finnish MH system.

Effectiveness of graminicide application in chickpea crops in the Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Goal. To determine the effect of herbicides, in particular graminicides with different active ingredients, on the weediness of crops and the yield of chickpea seeds in the conditions of the Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine.
 Methods. Field, measuring and weighing, statistical.
 Results. Under conditions of the Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, 27 species of weed plants were found in chickpea crops (annual cereals — 3 species, annual dicots — 17 species, perennial dicotyledonous — 7 species). Annual cereal weeds dominated in number (76.4%), and annual dicot weeds (44.3%) in terms of raw mass. The highest technical efficiency against annual cereal weeds, when applied during the budding stage of chickpea, was provided by the graminicide Lemur, EC (hyzalofop-P-tefuryl, 40 g/ l) — 1.5 l/ ha (by the number and raw mass of cereals, 99.2 and 98.3%, respectively), and the lowest efficiency was provided by the graminicide Selenite, EC (clethodim, 120 g/ l) — 1.0 l/ ha (79.4 and 71.8%, respectively). Tank mixture of soil herbicides Panda, EC (pendimethalin, 330 g/ l) — 3.5 l/ ha + Steals, EC (flurochloridone, 250 g/ l) — 2.0 l/ ha, which was applied in the pre-emergence period, controlled only the number of annual dicot weeds (technical efficiency was 62.1—79.0%), which was associated with a number of factors (the presence of resistant weed species in the crops, different soil moisture during the application period by years, the use of the minimum recommended doses of herbicides). The studied herbicides did not affect perennial dicot weeds. Combining soil herbicides with graminicides reduced the total number of weeds by 73.2—87.9%, and their raw weight by 22.4—43.0%. The highest economic efficiency (0.28 t/ ha) was provided by the composition of the preparations Panda, EC — 3.5 l/ ha + Steals, EC — 2.0 l/ ha (tank mixture) + Queen Star Max, EC (hyzalofop-P-ethyl, 125 g/ l) — 0.8 l/ ha.
 Conclusions. In the absence of the effect of the studied herbicides on perennial dicot weeds and the insufficient effect of soil herbicides on annual dicot species, despite the high effectiveness of graminicides against cereals, it was not possible to obtain significant increase in the yield of chickpea seeds (from 0.13 to 0.28 t/ ha).