Performance Test Research Articles

Development of 'OXIS Classification' calibration website for dental researchers.

The variations in interproximal contact areas have been categorised open (O), point (X), straight (I), and curved contact (S). This is based on their shapes and termed as OXIS classification. The interactive OXIS calibration website was developed to assist researchers seeking appropriate knowledge, minimise the overload of material, optimise efficiency in calibration and, to provide repositories for clinicians, healthcare workers, and policymakers. The website was developed in two phases. The first phase of development included expert group discussion, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and the implementation of FGD recommendations. The second phase emphasised registration and development of the interactive web portal on OXIS classification. The developed website was subjected to user experience testing, functional testing, performance testing, security testing, device, platform testing, and then hosted. Calibrated students and faculties evaluated it with the help of Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) and System Usability Scale (SUS). Finally, after amendments, the website was evaluated by non-calibrated researchers and multidisciplinary experts. The total agreement was 74% for overall SAM category. Pooled mean total score of SUS was 52.7 (SD 7.17; range 45-67.5), indicating an average score. The content of the developed website has been evaluated as "satisfactory" and its technical quality as "of higher standards".

Design, Construction, and Performance Testing of a Collapsible Parabolic Dish Solar Cooker for Temperature Control

This paper proposes solar energy as a viable alternative to biomass fuels for cooking, introducing a collapsible parabolic solar cooker designed to regulate heat production. The collector is divided into three sectors, with a specific condition for effective convergence of reflected radiation. The total concentration ratio is 89.4, with the primary sector covering 42%, while sectors 2 and 3 occupy 29% each. In the analysis ASAE protocol was employed. The results obtained from the ASAE S580.1 test revealed a range of cooking power values, with a minimum of 215.5 W and a maximum of 280.9 W. The single measure of performance of the cooker was gauged at 234.17 W. Regarding the Standard Stagnation Temperature, it was observed that a reduction of the collector area by 0.343݉ଶ resulted in a temperature decrease of 59.5℃. The highest recorded SST for the entire solar cooker (when all three sectors were expanded) reached 279℃.

Micropatternable Ink Composed of MAX Phase ZIF-8 for Gas Sensing Applications

This work provides a detailed introduction to the preparation methods, structural characteristics, and various performance tests of the Ti3C2/ZIF-8 composite material. Initially, the composite material is obtained through the synthesis, mixing, and subsequent processing of MXene solution and ZIF-8 nanoparticles. The coating structure and properties were comprehensively characterized using SEM, TEM, and XRD. These analyses revealed the material's layered structure, high crystallinity, and surface activity. BET analysis of Ti3C2/ZIF-8 also shows excellent gas adsorption-desorption performance, having an especially high-efficiency adsorption capacity for VOCs. TGA further demonstrates the thermal stability and chemical stability of Ti3C2/ZIF-8 and its printability was tested indicating widespread application potential in coating preparation through ultrasonic spray technology. Finally, we show methods to regulate and control coating thickness and roughness for precision manufacturing. These analyses together emphasize the application value of Ti3C2/ZIF-8 in fields such as gas-storage, gas-separation, and environmental monitoring.

Establishment and validation of an artificial intelligence web application for predicting postoperative in-hospital mortality in patients with hip fracture: a National cohort study of 52,707 cases.

In-hospital mortality following hip fractures is a significant concern, and accurate prediction of this outcome is crucial for appropriate clinical management. Nonetheless, there is a lack of effective prediction tools in clinical practice. By utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, this study aims to develop a predictive model that can assist clinicians in identifying geriatric hip fracture patients at a higher risk of in-hospital mortality. A total of 52,707 geriatric hip fracture patients treated with surgery from 90 hospitals were included in this study. The primary outcome was postoperative in-hospital mortality. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, with a ratio of 7:3. The majority of patients, assigned to the training cohort, were used to develop the AI models. The remaining patients, assigned to the validation cohort, were used to validate the models. Various machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), naïve Bayesian (NB), neural network (NN), eXGBoosting machine (eXGBM), and random forest (RF), were employed for model development. A comprehensive scoring system, incorporating 10 evaluation metrics, was developed to assess the prediction performance, with higher scores indicating superior predictive capability. Based on the best machine learning-based model, an AI application was developed on the Internet. In addition, a comparative testing of prediction performance between doctors and the AI application. The eXGBM model exhibited the best prediction performance, with an AUC of 0.908 (95% CI: 0.881-0.932), as well as the highest accuracy (0.820), precision (0.817), specificity (0.814), and F1 score (0.822), and the lowest Brier score (0.120) and log loss (0.374). Additionally, the model showed favorable calibration, with a slope of 0.999 and an intercept of 0.028. According to the scoring system incorporating 10 evaluation metrics, the eXGBM model achieved the highest score (56), followed by the RF model (48) and NN model (41). The LR, DT, and NB models had total scores of 27, 30, and 13, respectively. The AI application has been deployed online at https://in-hospitaldeathinhipfracture-l9vhqo3l55fy8dkdvuskvu.streamlit.app/, based on the eXGBM model. The comparative testing revealed that the AI application's predictive capabilities significantly outperformed those of the doctors in terms of AUC values (0.908 vs. 0.682, P<0.001). The eXGBM model demonstrates promising predictive performance in assessing the risk of postoperative in-hospital mortality among geriatric hip fracture patients. The developed AI model serves as a valuable tool to enhance clinical decision-making.

Performance optimization and testing of a novel energy coupled actuated high-speed valve based on peak-and-hold driving strategy

Performance optimization and testing of a novel energy coupled actuated high-speed valve based on peak-and-hold driving strategy

OphthalMimic: A new alternative apparatus without animal tissue for the evaluation of topical ophthalmic drug products.

The necessity of animal-free performance tests for novel ophthalmic formulation screening is challenging. For this, we developed and validated a new device to simulate the dynamics and physical-chemical barriers of the eye for in vitro performance tests of topic ophthalmic formulations. The OphthalMimic is a 3D-printed device with an artificial lacrimal flow, a cul-de-sac area, a support base, and a simulated cornea comprised of a polymeric membrane containing poly-vinyl alcohol 10 % (w/v), gelatin 2.5 % (w/v), and different proportions of mucin and poloxamer, i.e., 1:1 (M1), 1:2 (M2), and 2:1 (M3) w/v, respectively. The support base is designed to move between 0° and 50° to replicate the movement of an eyelid. We challenged the model by testing the residence performance of poloxamer®407 16 % and poloxamer®407 16 % + chitosan 1 % (PLX16CS10) gels containing fluconazole. The test was conducted with a simulated tear flow of 1.0 mL.min-1 for 5 min. The OphthalMimic successfully distinguished PLX16 and PLX16C10 formulations based on their fluconazole drainage (M1: 65 ± 14 % and 27 ± 10 %; M2: 58 ± 6 % and 38 ± 9 %; M3: 56 ± 5 % and 38 ± 18 %). In conclusion, the OphthalMimic is a promising tool for comparing the animal-free performance of ophthalmic formulations.

Performance test of half-wave resonator (HWR) superconducting cavities

Performance test of half-wave resonator (HWR) superconducting cavities

Investigation of the Single-Particle Scale Structure-Activity Relationship Providing New Insights for the Development of High-Performance Batteries.

As electric vehicles, portable electronic devices and tools have increasingly high requirements for battery energy density and power density, constantly improving battery performance has become a research focus. Accurate measurement of the structure-activity relationship of active materials is the key to advancing the research of high-performance batteries. However, the conventional performance tests of active materials are based on the electrochemical measurement of porous composite electrodes containing active materials, polymer binders, and conductive carbon additives, which cannot establish an accurate structure-activity relationship with the physical characterization of microregions. In this review, in order to promote the accurate measurement and understanding of the structure-activity relationship of materials, the electrochemical measurement and physical characterization of energy storage materials at single-particle scale are reviewed. The potential problems and possible improvement schemes of the single particle electrochemical measurement and physical characterization are proposed. Their potential applications in single particle electrochemical simulation and machine learning are prospected. This review aims to promote the further application of single particle electrochemical measurement and physical characterization in energy storage materials, hoping to achieve three-dimensional unified evaluation of physical characterization, electrochemical measurement, and theoretical simulation at the single particle scale to provide new inspiration for the development of high-performance batteries. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Polyimide nanocomposites for high‐temperature capacitive energy storage applications by incorporating functional graphene oxide nanosheets: Design, preparation, and mechanism

AbstractHerein, graphene oxide (GO) and its derivative, reduced GO (rGO) and p‐phenylenediamine (PPD) functionalized GO (GO‐g‐PPD) were first synthesized and selected as dielectric fillers, and then GO/polyimide (PI), rGO/PI, and GO‐g‐PPD/PI dielectric nanocomposites were fabricated through in situ polymerization‐composition strategy. Fourier transform infrared, Ram, and x‐ray diffraction analysis confirmed the success synthesis of rGO and GO‐g‐PPD dielectric fillers. The mechanical properties showed that GO‐g‐PPD/PI nanocomposites exhibited the highest tensile strength and elasticity modulus. TGA analysis revealed that the enhancement of thermal stability by addition of dielectric fillers. The dielectric constant of 2.5 wt.% GO‐g‐PPD/PI nanocomposites reached 25.05, which was 8.55 times that of pure PI (2.93). Energy storage performance tests showed that the energy storage density of GO‐g‐PPD/PI containing 2 wt.% filler reached 0.77 J/cm3, which was 71% higher than pure PI. These findings underscore the potential of GO derivative as a cost‐effective reinforcement for PI dielectric nanocomposites for high‐temperature capacitive energy storage applications.

Could self-reported physical performance help predict individuals at the highest risk of mortality and hospital admission events in clinical practice? Findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.

To consider how self-reported physical function measures relate to adverse clinical outcomes measured over 20 years of follow-up in a community-dwelling cohort (aged 59-73 at baseline) as compared with hand grip strength, a well-validated predictor of adverse events. Recent evidence has emphasized the significant association of physical activity, physical performance, and muscle strength with hospital admissions in older people. However, physical performance tests require staff availability, training, specialized equipment, and space to perform them, often not feasible or realistic in the context of a busy clinical setting. In total, 2997 men and women were analyzed. Baseline predictors were measured grip strength (Jamar dynamometer) and the following self-reported measures: physical activity (Dallosso questionnaire); physical function score (SF-36 Health Survey); and walking speed. Participants were followed up from baseline (1998-2004) until December 2018 using UK Hospital Episode Statistics and mortality data, which report clinical outcomes using ICD-10 coding. Predictors in relation to the risk of mortality and hospital admission events were examined using Cox regression with and without adjustment for sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. The mean age at baseline was 65.7 and 66.6 years among men and women, respectively. Over follow-up, 36% of men and 26% of women died, while 93% of men and 92% of women were admitted to hospital at least once. Physical activity, grip strength, SF-36 physical function, and walking speed were all strongly associated with adverse health outcomes in both sex- and fully adjusted analyses; poorer values for each of the predictors were related to greater risk of mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular-related) and any, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, any fracture, and falls admissions. SF-36 physical function and grip strength were similarly associated with the adverse health outcomes considered.

FDA-cleared home sleep apnea testing devices

The demand for home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) devices is escalating, particularly in the context of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The absence of standardized development and verification procedures poses a significant challenge. This study meticulously analyzed the approval process characteristics of HSAT devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from September 1, 2003, to September 1, 2023, with a primary focus on ensuring safety and clinical effectiveness. We examined 58 reports out of 1046 that underwent FDA clearance via the 510(k) and de novo pathways. A substantial surge in certifications after the 2022 pandemic was observed. Type-3 devices dominated, signifying a growing trend for both home and clinical use. Key measurement items included respiration and sleep analysis, with the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) and sleep stage emerging as pivotal indicators. The majority of FDA-cleared HSAT devices adhered to electrical safety and biocompatibility standards. Critical considerations encompass performance and function testing, usability, and cybersecurity. This study emphasized the nearly indispensable role of clinical trials in ensuring the clinical effectiveness of HSAT devices. Future studies should propose guidances that specify stringent requirements, robust clinical trial designs, and comprehensive performance criteria to guarantee the minimum safety and clinical effectiveness of HSATs.

Multi-Strategy Improved Dung Beetle Optimization Algorithm and Its Applications

The dung beetle optimization (DBO) algorithm, a swarm intelligence-based metaheuristic, is renowned for its robust optimization capability and fast convergence speed. However, it also suffers from low population diversity, susceptibility to local optima solutions, and unsatisfactory convergence speed when facing complex optimization problems. In response, this paper proposes the multi-strategy improved dung beetle optimization algorithm (MDBO). The core improvements include using Latin hypercube sampling for better population initialization and the introduction of a novel differential variation strategy, termed “Mean Differential Variation”, to enhance the algorithm’s ability to evade local optima. Moreover, a strategy combining lens imaging reverse learning and dimension-by-dimension optimization was proposed and applied to the current optimal solution. Through comprehensive performance testing on standard benchmark functions from CEC2017 and CEC2020, MDBO demonstrates superior performance in terms of optimization accuracy, stability, and convergence speed compared with other classical metaheuristic optimization algorithms. Additionally, the efficacy of MDBO in addressing complex real-world engineering problems is validated through three representative engineering application scenarios namely extension/compression spring design problems, reducer design problems, and welded beam design problems.

Design of highly efficient 0D/1D TiO2 photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells by simple TiCl4 pre-treatment of titanate nanotubes

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) represent a promising avenue for sustainable energy conversion, with the efficiency of these devices heavily reliant on the performance of the TiO2 photoanode. Despite significant advancements, optimizing the photoanode material for higher efficiency remains a challenge. This study introduces a novel approach to constructing a highly efficient, multifunctional 0D/1D TiO2 composite by simply pre-treating the TiO2 precursor, specifically one-dimensional (1D) H-titanate nanotubes, with TiCl4. The TiCl4 treatment not only encourages the extensive synthesis of the one-dimensional nanostructures (i.e., nanorods) but also facilitates the in situ hydrolysis to generate small crystals that attach to the surface of the nanorods. The TiO2 composite offers several essential benefits, including the expanded thickness, high surface area for superior dye adsorption, efficient diffuse light scattering induced by the aggregate structures, and fast charge transport within the film matrix, making it an exemplary component for DSCs. The photovoltaic performance test revealed that TiCl4 pre-treatment increased power conversion efficiency by 36.3 %, rising from 7.63 % of untreated cells to a striking value of 10.4 %, which is a new record when N719 is used as a sensitizer and iodide-based redox shuttle employed as an electrolyte. This research provides an effective strategy for developing highly efficient photoanode material for DSCs.

Does Timed Testing Affect the Interpretation of Efficiency Scores?—A GLMM Analysis of Reading Components

AbstractThe efficiency of cognitive component skills is typically assessed with speeded performance tests. Interpreting only effective ability or effective speed as efficiency may be challenging because of the within‐person dependency between both variables (speed‐ability tradeoff, SAT). The present study measures efficiency as effective ability conditional on speed by controlling speed experimentally. Item‐level time limits control the stimulus presentation time and the time window for responding (timed condition). The overall goal was to examine the construct validity of effective ability scores obtained from untimed and timed condition by comparing the effects of theory‐based item properties on item difficulty. If such effects exist, the scores reflect how well the test‐takers were able to cope with the theory‐based requirements. A German subsample from PISA 2012 completed two reading component skills tasks (i.e., word recognition and semantic integration) with and without item‐level time limits. Overall, the included linguistic item properties showed stronger effects on item difficulty in the timed than the untimed condition. In the semantic integration task, item properties explained the time required in the untimed condition. The results suggest that effective ability scores in the timed condition better reflect how well test‐takers were able to cope with the theoretically relevant task demands.

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CAMPUS ROOM USE MONITORING APPLICATION BASED ON ANDORID WITH MAGNETIC DOOR LOCK IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATICS AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING UNM

The condition of campus room doors that are often open has the potential for misuse of campus rooms that do not comply with the schedule set in the room and affect the security of the room facilities. This research aims to produce an Android-based campus room usage monitoring application using magnetic door locks at JTIK FT UNM as well as knowing the results of functional testing and performance testing or system performance. This research uses the Research and Development method with the Rapid Application Development Development model with stages: needs analysis, system design, system building, validation, testing, and final product. The final product of this research is a system developed in an Android-based room usage monitoring application that is integrated with a magnetic door lock using the QR Code feature. In this case, the system utilizes the ESP32 microcontroller as a chip that receives and provides signals according to the program in the system. The test results obtained validation of the Android-based campus room usage monitoring application using magnetic door locks can be said to be valid and suitable for use.

Tailoring porous structure in non-ionic polymer membranes using multiple templates for low-cost iron-lead single-flow batteries

Porous ion-selective membranes are promising alternatives for the expensive perfluorosulfonic acid membranes in redox flow batteries. In this work, novel non-ionic porous polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoro propylene membranes are designed for iron-lead single-flow batteries. The membranes are prepared using a multiple template approach, involving simultaneously using polyethylene glycol and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as pore-forming templates. Their porous structure is finely tuned by adjusting the ratio of the two templates. As a result, dual-porous membranes bearing both macro and micropores are obtained. The H3520 membrane with modified porous structure attains a high proton conductivity of 43.5 mS·cm-1 and a relatively low ferric ion diffusion constant (8.61 × 10-8 cm2·min-1) and demonstrates the best balance between these performance-determining parameters (selectivity 5.04 × 105 S·min·cm-3, higher than that of the N115 membrane). Besides, performance tests of the iron-lead single-flow single cells equipped with the dual-porous membranes show a high energy efficiency, exceeding 87.2% at its rated current density, and outstanding cycling stability over 200 charge-discharge cycles. Altogether, the mixed template method presents a promising strategy to prepare high-performance and low-cost non-ionic membranes for redox flow batteries.

Factor-Mimicking Portfolios for Climate Risk

We propose and implement a procedure to optimally hedge climate change risk. First, we construct climate risk indices through textual analysis of newspapers. Second, we present a new approach to compute factor-mimicking portfolios to build climate risk hedge portfolios. The new mimicking portfolio approach is much more efficient than traditional sorting or maximum correlation approaches by taking into account new methodologies of estimating large-dimensional covariance matrices in short samples. In an extensive empirical out-of-sample performance test, we demonstrate the superior all-around performance delivering markedly higher and statistically significant alphas and betas with the climate risk indices.

Harnessing monocrop breeding strategies for intercrops

Intercropping is considered advantageous for many reasons, including increased yield stability, nutritional value and the provision of various regulating ecosystem services. However, intercropping also introduces diverse competition effects between the mixing partners, which can negatively impact their agronomic performance. Therefore, selecting complementary intercropping partners is the key to realizing a well-mixed crop production. Several specialized intercrop breeding concepts have been proposed to support the development of complementary varieties, but their practical implementation still needs to be improved. To lower this adoption threshold, we explore the potential of introducing minor adaptations to commonly used monocrop breeding strategies as an initial stepping stone towards implementing dedicated intercrop breeding schemes. While we acknowledge that recurrent selection for reciprocal mixing abilities is likely a more effective breeding paradigm to obtain genetic progress for intercrops, a well-considered adaptation of monoculture breeding strategies is far less intrusive concerning the design of the breeding programme and allows for balancing genetic gain for both monocrop and intercrop performance. The main idea is to develop compatible variety combinations by improving the monocrop performance in the two breeding pools in parallel and testing for intercrop performance in the later stages of selection. We show that the optimal stage for switching from monocrop to intercrop testing should be adapted to the specificity of the crop and the heritability of the traits involved. However, the genetic correlation between the monocrop and intercrop trait performance is the primary driver of the intercrop breeding scheme optimization process.

Fabrication and electrochemical properties of Mn, N, and S co-doped carbon fiber composite bamboo-based woodceramics electrodes

Prepared in this study, Mn, N and S co-doped woodceramics electrodes (WC@Mn-N/S) were prepared using waste bamboo as the base material, carbon fiber as the reinforcement fiber, KMnO4 and CH4N2S as dopants and activators. Mechanical analysis revealed a 68 % increase in the flexural strength of the matrix material reinforced with carbon fibers. Scanning electron microscopy observation indicated that WC@Mn-N/S retained the original natural pore structure of bamboo. The specific surface area (BET) analysis revealed that WC@Mn-N/S exhibited a specific surface area of 861.7 m2/g, with its pore size structure mainly distributed in the range of 1.3–3.8 nm. Electrochemical performance tests showed that the introduction of Mn, N and S elements endowed the bamboo-based electrode with pseudocapacitance characteristics. Additionally, the synergistic effect between these three elements imparted pseudocapacitance to the electrode material. WC@Mn-N/S performent a specific capacitance of 615 F/g, at 0.2 A/g with excellent capacitance retention (99.4 % after 5000 cycles). In the practical assembled in symmetrical capacitor the material showed high power density 500 W/kg and energy density 57.9 Wh/kg, indicating its excellent electrochemical performance.

Specifications and Performance of The Website-Based Self-Assessment Nurul Application Using GTmetrix

A student self-assessment application called Self-Assessment Nurul was developed. With this website-based application, students self-assess the sports practice video assignments they have made. This is called a form of self-assessment. Data source triangulation was applied to the student's self-assessment, where the teacher also assessed the students' assignments. Detailed specifications and performance testing of this website-based application are required. For this reason, descriptive research was carried out to explain the specifications and performance of this website. Testing was carried out using the GTMetrix application. Based on data analysis, it was concluded that the self-assessment application was in the "B" or Good category with a performance quality of 79%, and the application access speed was very fast, with an average of less than 3 seconds. This proves that this website-based self-assessment application can be used by students and teachers well without any significant problems in terms of both durability performance and access speed. This demonstrates the website-based self-assessment application's suitability for usage by students and teachers, as it exhibits excellent durability, performance, and access speed without any notable issues. However, it facilitates teachers' use during student exercises and enhances accessibility for students. It examines the performance of both the teacher and the students. Key Words: Self-Assessment, Gtmetrix, Website, Perfomance, Browse Timings