Statistical Analysis Method Research Articles

The Effect of Financial Literacy and Credit Procedures on Credit Taking Decisions

Purpose: This study aims to determine the effect of Financial Literacy on Credit Decision Making. To assess the effect of Credit Procedures on Credit Taking Decisions. Moreover, to determine the impact of Financial Literacy and Credit Procedures on Credit Decision Making. Research Design and Methodology: The population in this study were debtors of Bank BRI Jayapura City Unit Office who applied for credit in 2021-2022, totaling 1,714 debtors. The sampling technique used in this study is proportional random sampling. Data sources use primary data and secondary data. The statistical analysis method used in this research is Multiple Linear Regression Analysis based on the T Statistical Test technique, F Statistical Test, and the Coefficient of Determination with the help of SPSS version 29 software. Findings and Discussion: The results showed that Financial Literacy has a positive and significant effect on Credit decision-making, and credit procedures have a positive and significant effect on credit decisions. Financial Literacy and Credit Procedures simultaneously affect the decision to take credit at BRI Bank Jayapura City Unit. Implications: This research is expected to significantly influence future studies in economics, particularly financial management. The results are also likely to serve as a reference and comparison material for further research related to credit decision-making.

Effects of nutritional education on metabolic syndrome parameters in a sample of adults in Subotica, Northern Serbia

The aim of this study is to assess the changes in metabolic syndrome parameters among adults after the implementation of nutrition education. The research was conducted as a prospective, longitudinal, quasi-experimental evaluation study from May to December 2022. The research sample included 31 employees at the College of Vocational Studies in Subotica. The study was conducted in three phases: Initial assessment (anthropometric, clinical, biochemical measurements and eating habits), Nutrition educations (onloine and face-to-dace) and Evaluative assessment (six months after the initial assessment). Data analysis included methods of descriptive and comparative statistical analysis. Nutrition education was conducted for 31 participants, but only 18 responded to the evaluative assessment. Two thirds (62%) of the participants were overweight ad had elevated cholesterol levels. Elevated triglyceride values were registered in more than a half of the participants and high blood glucose levels in 13% of participants. More than a third of the participants had three or four risk factors for the development of metabolic syndrome. After nutrition education, distribution of participants according io BMI significantly changed (I—normal: 37%; overveigt: 31%; obese:29%; E—normal:10%; overveigt:29%; obese:19%; p = 0,001). Significant changes in the distribution of total cholesterol levels (I: 5.7 mmol/l; E: 5.4 mmol/l) was determined at the evaluative assessment (p = 0.005). Statistically changes in the distribution of breakfast (p = 0.001) and vegetables (p = 0.013) intake were observed. There were not determined significant changes in other antropometric, clinical and biochemical parameters after nutrition education. Although the nutrition education intervention showed some changes in the prevalence of risk factors, significant changes require more intensive, long-term interventions tailored to individual needs.

Study of factors influencing psychosocial and professional characteristics of general practitioners (family doctors): validation of the international questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version)

Introduction. Professional activity of physicians is associated with high psychological tension, which leads to the development of emotional and physical burnout. The management of factors of potential impact on psychosocial and indirectly on professional characteristics of medical workers in health policy is an important part of providing quality of the medical care to the population. The purpose of the study. Identification of psychosocial predictors forming burnout syndrome in the professional activity of general practitioners (GPs), family doctors (FDs) with using the psychosocial questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version). Materials and methods. The methods of questionnaire survey, statistical analysis, and generalization of three hundred forty respondents’ answers were applied. The survey was conducted from May to November 2022 using the electronic Russian version of the international questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version), available on the website of the N.A. Semashko National Research Institute of Public Health. General practitioners (family doctors) of the outpatient and polyclinic level of Moscow health care institutions participated in the survey. Results. Factor analysis of new predictors of psychosocial tension in the work of GPS (FDs), was carried out on a considerable volume of statistical material, which formed a high level of professional burnout — 233.01 ± 82.39 (224.23; 241.80, p = 0.05) points. Research limitations. The study was limited to a representative sample of GPS (FDs) working in healthcare facilities in Moscow within the framework of testing the reliability and construct validity of the full Russian-language version of COPSOQ III (Long version). The results of the study as a whole are not interpolated to the problem area of working conditions of GPs (FDs) in the health care system of the Russian Federation, further research is required. Conclusion. The research has revealed new factors of the development of professional burnout of GPS (FDs) on the basis of their interview with the help of adapted psychosocial international questionnaire COPSOQ III (Long version).

Numerical investigation of triadic interactions during wave propagation over a submerged bar using a fully nonlinear numerical wave tank

This study models wave propagation over a submerged trapezoidal bar problem with a Higher Order Boundary Element Method (HOBEM) based on a two-dimensional fully nonlinear numerical wave tank (NWT). A Mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian technique is implemented, and the NWT is validated using the experimental results available from the existing literature. A numerical investigation is conducted on the individual wave harmonics as it propagates across the numerical wave tank over the submerged bar. The amplitude spectrum is obtained from the time histories of wave elevation across the tank at various locations over the trapezoidal bar and compared with the experimental results. The redistribution of the energy spectrum across the domain is recorded as the regular long wave propagates and undergoes deformations because of shoaling followed by de-shoaling. This phenomenon is investigated using a higher-order statistical analysis method viz. Bispectrum. The mechanics of the redistribution of energy among the harmonics is quantified through bispectrum analysis. Further, regular and irregular wave propagation over the submerged bar in the presence of the following and opposing currents is simulated. The effect of current is studied using the amplitude spectrum and the harmonic interaction for each case is compared using bispectrum analysis.

Comparison of central corneal thickness measured in myopic eyes by Pentacam, Sirius and IOLMaster 700

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlations and consistency among the central corneal thickness (CCT) of healthy myopic patients measured with three different anterior segment analysis systems. DesignThis was a retrospective study. The study included myopia patients who had undergone preoperative examinations in the refractive surgery department of our hospital between January 2021 and December 2023. The CCT was measured separately using Pentacam, Sirius, and IOLMaster 700. MethodsStatistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Correlations among the three groups of measured values were assessed using the Pearson method, and a simple scatter plot and fitting line were drawn. Bland‒Altman scatter plots and 95 % limits of agreement (LoAs) were used to evaluate consistency in the data among the systems. ResultsA total of 269 patients participated in the study, including 134 males (49.8 %) and 135 females (50.2 %). The CCT measurements by Pentacam, Sirius, and IOLMaster 700 instruments were found to be 541.63 ± 31.67 μm, 541.74 ± 33.36 μm, and 548.90 ± 34.19 μm respectively; significant differences were observed among these measurements (p < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed in CCT between Pentacam and IOLMaster 700 as well as between Sirius and IOLMaster 700 (p < 0.05). The CCT measurements by all three devices showed high positive correlation with all p values less than 0.001: Pentacam and Sirius, r = 0.972; Pentacam and IOLMaster 700, r = 0.966; and Sirius and IOLMaster 700, r = 0.962. The respective 95 % LoAs were -0.18∼0.18; -1.51∼-1.11; and -1.52∼-1. ConclusionThe results indicate that there is a high correlation in measuring CCT for healthy myopic eyes using three different anterior segment analysis systems. However, the differences in the values measured by the three devices were statistically significant. Therefore, in actual clinical practice, it is suggested that the same device should be used to measure and evaluate the CCT across visits.

Analysing traffic safety on the roads of the Kharkiv region during the period of martial law

Problem. The functioning of road transport in regions of long-term armed conflicts is associated with additional risks for road traffic safety. The degree of influence of additional risk factors can be investigated by analyzing traffic accident statistics in such a region. Goal. The purpose of the work is to study the impact of martial law conditions on road safety indicators in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine by comparing statistical data on accidents and road deaths due to road accidents. Methodology. To achieve the goal, the work uses methods of statistical analysis of data and construction of trends, methods of determining relative indicators of the severity of road accidents. Results. As a result of the analysis of statistical data on road accidents in the Kharkiv region, the distribution of accident rates for the period from 2019 to 2023 was obtained, which made it possible to reveal their significant differences during the period of martial law compared to previous periods. In particular, it was established that with a decrease in the total number of road accidents, there was an increase in the severity of the consequences of road accidents. This regularity was confirmed by analyzing the relative indicators of road accident severity. The identified differences in accident and death rates on the roads of the Kharkiv region in 2023 compared to the periods before the start of hostilities indicate a change in road traffic conditions. Originality. The paper investigated the impact of martial law conditions on road safety on the example of the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. As a result, the degree of influence of the risk factors that arose as a result of the deployment of the armed conflict on the increase in the level of danger for road users was established. Practical value. The obtained results can be used for planning and implementation of measures to ensure traffic safety on highways in regions that are the zone of long-term armed conflicts.

Ensuring Transparency of ESG Transformation of Corporations (Using the Example of Retail Companies)

In recent years, companies in the retail sector have begun to introduce and incorporate the principles of sustainable development into their strategies and began to publish reports on sustainable development. ESG transformation of companies in the retail industry has its own characteristics. The purpose of the work is to determine the directions of ESG transformation in retail companies, as well as tools for ensuring transparency of activities in the field of sustainable development. The methodological basis of the study was the concept of sustainable development and ESG, methods of statistical analysis, a systematic approach, scientific works of leading domestic and foreign scientists in the field of sustainable development, ESG transformation of retail companies. In the course of the work the author has identified 6 areas of ESG transformation that are most relevant and consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals and the industry specifics of the retail sector. It was revealed that there is a problem of comparability of ESG ratings and rankings from various agencies, insufficient prevalence of the practice of publishing non-financial reporting by organisations from this segment.The set of non-financial indicators proposed by the author for retail companies are grouped by areas of ESG transformation, as well as by Sustainable Development Goals. The publication of the proposed indicators in the annual report or sustainability report is intended to help management and interested stakeholders evaluate the results of ESG transformation of retail companies in more depth and detail.

Exploratory factor analysis for machining error data of compressor blades based on dimensionality-reduced statistical analysis method

Abstract Various machining errors inevitably occur on aero-engine compressor blades, including leading-edge contour error, trailing-edge contour error, camber contour error, and more. The current complexity surrounding the numerous ma-chining error types and their obscure interrelationships imposes immense effort for aerodynamic analysis and hin-ders overall error control. Thus, elucidating error correlations to achieve error dimensionality reduction is imperative. This study pioneers a dimensionality reduction approach via factor analysis to conduct a comprehensive statistical analysis of 13 types of blade machining errors. The proposed technique can categorize the 13 errors into three groups, each dominated by a distinct common factor. To validate the accuracy of the extracted factors, the factor scores of the three identified latent factors are computed. Cluster analysis is then performed on the factor scores, and the clustering results are visualized by t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE). Furthermore, boot-strap resampling establishes the 95% confidence intervals for the factor scores. Capitalizing on the grouping struc-ture uncovered by factor analysis, multiple linear regression models are built for the errors within each group, and then, a preliminary conjecture is made about the potential key error types for each group of errors based on the re-gression coefficients. This hypothesis is then evidenced by the statistical analysis of cross-section profile error data of 28 blades. The present work can not only optimize machining processes but also relax tolerance requirements and diminish the effort of aerodynamic analysis.

Diversification of the concept of foreign economic activity of russian banks in the new economic conditions Yulia S. Polozhentseva1

Relevance. Russian banks actively participate in international trade and economic relations. However, taking into account geopolitical and economic changes, such as sanctions and changes in trade blocs, banks need to develop strategies for effective expansion of their activities at the international level. Business planning for the geographical development of foreign trade will help banks to adapt to new market conditions, determine optimal strategies and resources for the development of export-import operations, as well as minimize risks and increase competitiveness on the world stage..The purpose is to conduct a comprehensive study of the possibilities of geographical development of the foreign economic activity of Russian banks..Objectives: analyze regional markets for their potential; to determine the main advantages and disadvantages of the activity of foreign trade of Russian banks; will identify the peculiarities of the bank's exit to the new dawn within the framework of foreign trade, draw up a business plan and determine the criteria for the success of the project.Methodology. In the process of research, general scientific methods of logical and statistical analysis, field research, as well as qualitative and quantitative analysis were used.Results. 10 Russian banks, their foreign trade development strategy and future prospects were considered. The regions in which the opening of a bank branch will be the most successful for foreign trade have been identified: Tatarstan, Primorsky Krai, Kaliningrad Oblast, Yekaterinburg. A business plan for entering a new regional market for a bank with a focus on foreign trade has been drawn up, taking into account industry specifics.Conclusion. The foreign trade development strategy allows banks to expand their client base, increase their global presence and provide their clients with access to international financial services.

Эффективность производства зерна в условиях изменения климата в Зауралье

Abstract. The economic efficiency of grain production is determined by the level of return on the resources spent by the cost of the products received. Weather factors play an important role. Climate changes in the Trans-Urals are primarily associated with the warming of the spring and summer months, increased aridity of the growing season and the expansion of the boundary of this process from the southeast to the northwest. The contrast in moisture availability of different years is combined with uneven precipitation in the region throughout the year. The profitability of farms in the production of grain crops is characterized by the same heterogeneity. The purpose of the study is to establish the economic efficiency of grain production in the context of climate change using the example of the Trans-Urals. The tasks are to analyze the impact of climate change on the yield of grain crops in the region, to analyze the efficiency of resource use by agricultural enterprises; using the example of the most highly profitable farms to identify factors to increase the efficiency of grain production. The methods of monographic and statistical analysis of data from scientific literature, open statistical sources, agronomic and economic reports of agricultural enterprises were used. The scientific novelty of the research consists in studying the efficiency of grain production in the context of climate change and in relation to the volatility of grain prices and means of production. The results of the study showed that since the early 2000s, despite a significant increase in the use of fertilizers, the growth of grain yields has stopped, which is primarily due to the deterioration of plant moisture conditions. At the same time, an increase in costs, although it leads to an increase in productivity, but to a lesser extent, as a result, the cost of grain increases, and the profitability of production decreases. Enterprises have been identified that, in the conditions of climate change and high volatility of grain prices and resources, have found ways to efficiently produce grain: replace solid fertilizers with liquid fertilizers, apply effective, including agrotechnical, methods of tillage and plant protection, use highly productive varieties, obtaining the highest profitability in the region.

Volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath: a promising approach for accurate differentiation of lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

Lung cancer subtyping, particularly differentiating adenocarcinoma (ADC) from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is paramount for clinicians to develop effective treatment strategies. In this study, we aimed: (i) to discover volatile organic compound (VOC) biomarkers for precise diagnosis of ADC and SCC, (ii) to investigated the impact of risk factors on ADC and SCC prediction, and (iii) to explore the metabolic pathways of VOC biomarkers. Exhaled breath samples from patients with ADC (n= 149) and SCC (n= 94) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both multivariate and univariate statistical analysis method were employed to identify VOC biomarkers. Support vector machine (SVM) prediction models were developed and validated based on these VOC biomarkers. The impact of risk factors on ADC and SCC prediction was investigated. A panel of 13 VOCs was found to differ significantly between ADC and SCC. Utilizing the SVM algorithm, the VOC biomarkers achieved a specificity of 90.48%, a sensitivity of 83.50%, and an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.958 on the training set. On the validation set, these VOC biomarkers attained a predictive power of 85.71% for sensitivity and 73.08% for specificity, along with an AUC value of 0.875. Clinical risk factors exhibit certain predictive power on ADC and SCC prediction. Integrating these risk factors into the prediction model based on VOC biomarkers can enhance its predictive accuracy. This work indicates that exhaled breath holds the potential to precisely detect ADCs and SCCs. Considering clinical risk factors is essential when differentiating between these two subtypes.

Modifikasi Produksi dan Biaya Bahan Bakar Minyak pada Kapal Ciremai

Some of the main research problems are the lack of fuel efficiency use, difficulties in loading and unloading process, the refueling process tardiness and the ships route’s delay of the determined and planned routes that could affect the Ciremai Ship’s On Time Performance (OTP). The research aims to determine and analyze the effect of production and fuel oil cost modifications based on the income of Ciremai Ship and its implications for its financial performance after “Three in One” modification. This research used Descriptive statistical analysis method and hypothesis testing using SmartPLS-3. The research sample was taken from the entire routes of Ciremai Ship over the last four years of 48 months. The secondary research data was taken from the financial reports related to production modifications, fuel oil costs, the income and financial performance of the ship. Research findings show that the production modifications have a direct influence on financial performance while fuel costs and income do not have a direct influence on it. The production modifications do not have a direct effect on income instead fuel costs have a direct effect on income and production modifications do not have an indirect effect on financial performance through income.

Latvian municipal budget expenditures on transport infrastructure and production in the context of improving the local economy

The article aims to study Latvian municipal budget expenditures on transport infrastructure and production in the context of improving the local economy. The authors hypothesize that the comparative priority of municipal budget expenditures on two items is determined by the state of the local economy; in municipalities with a more developed economy it is ‘transport’ rather than ‘production’ budget expenses that are more likely to improve the local economy, and in municipalities with a less developed economy – vice versa. The authors tested the hypothesis based on data for 2021 and 2022 (the time after the reform of the territorial-administrative structure of Latvia) for 43 Latvian municipalities using various methods of statistical analysis. The results show that the comparative priorities in Latvian municipal budget expenditures are determined not by the state of the local economy, but rather by the geographical (or geopolitical/geoeconomical) location of the municipality. As a result of this, Latvian municipalities are grouped into territorial clusters, using the agglomeration effect from the concentration of transport infrastructure or production. Over the past year, there has been a tendency towards ‘transport-production’ economic restructuring of the territory of Latvia, the reasons for which may be geopolitical situation in the Eastern Europe.

The Effect of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation on Lipid-Related Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Obese Adults

Background: Studies have shown incompatible findings regarding the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of daily CLA supplementation on serum insulin and lipid- related CV biomarkers in obese adults. Methods: This randomized double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 54 adults categorized as class I obesity. The participants were randomly assigned into two groups (n=27) receiving a total of 3,000 mg/d of a 50:50 mixture of CLA isomers for three months in intervention group (IG) and 500 mg/d paraffin in placebo group (PG). Moreover, fasting serum levels of insulin, lipid profile, non-HDL-Cholesterol (non-HDL-C), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), total triglyceride (TG)/HDL-C, and cholesterol/HDL-C ratio were measured. The main statistical analysis method was independent t-test for changes. Results: Changes between the groups showed a significant decrease in total cholesterol (P=0.03), LDL-C (P=0.04), and non-HDL-C (P=0.03), and also a significant increase in AIP (P=0.04) in IG compared to the PG. A remarkable decrease was found in HDL-C and cholesterol/HDL-C ratio. In addition, a remarkable increase was observed in TG in this context. Serum insulin, VLDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio showed no significant changes during the intervention period. The use of CLA supplementation could help reduce some adverse fractions of serum lipid profile, particularly TC, non-HDL-C and LDL-C. Conclusions: Regarding the augmenting effects of CLA intake on AIP as a strong predictive marker for CVDs, it is difficult to confirm the beneficial effects of CLA supplementation in preventing CVDs.

ScaDA: A novel statistical method for differential analysis of single-cell chromatin accessibility sequencing data.

Single-cell ATAC-seq sequencing data (scATAC-seq) has been widely used to investigate chromatin accessibility on the single-cell level. One important application of scATAC-seq data analysis is differential chromatin accessibility (DA) analysis. However, the data characteristics of scATAC-seq such as excessive zeros and large variability of chromatin accessibility across cells impose a unique challenge for DA analysis. Existing statistical methods focus on detecting the mean difference of the chromatin accessible regions while overlooking the distribution difference. Motivated by real data exploration that distribution difference exists among cell types, we introduce a novel composite statistical test named "scaDA", which is based on zero-inflated negative binomial model (ZINB), for performing differential distribution analysis of chromatin accessibility by jointly testing the abundance, prevalence and dispersion simultaneously. Benefiting from both dispersion shrinkage and iterative refinement of mean and prevalence parameter estimates, scaDA demonstrates its superiority to both ZINB-based likelihood ratio tests and published methods by achieving the highest power and best FDR control in a comprehensive simulation study. In addition to demonstrating the highest power in three real sc-multiome data analyses, scaDA successfully identifies differentially accessible regions in microglia from sc-multiome data for an Alzheimer's disease (AD) study that are most enriched in GO terms related to neurogenesis and the clinical phenotype of AD, and AD-associated GWAS SNPs.

Level of Knowledge of Medical Practitioner of Diagnosing and Managing Swallowing Difficulties in Hospitalized Setting of Dhaka City

Aim: To have a clear idea and explore the existing practice of medical practitioner about the proper diagnostic system and management of patient with adult dysphagia in a hospitalized setting. Materials and Methods: This is a quantitative type of cross sectional survey study where 60 samples were assigned purposively from in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Enam Medical College Hospital, BRB Medical College Hospital. The self-modified a questionnaire was used for the study. Statistical analysis: Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistical analysis (SPSS= Statistics package for social science) method. Results: On average, most of the participants 67% (40) are males and 33% (20) are females. The maximum number participants, 82% (49) in the age range (23-34) years. The researcher has showed the area of specialty of the respondents according to the inclusion criteria. In the study 11.7% (7) participants are gastroenterologist, 10% (6) are orthodontist, 16.7% (10) are ENT, 41.7% (25) are medicine specialist and 20% (12) are neurologist. Maximum number of participants working station 46% (28) are in Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The duration of the study of the respondents on dysphagia out of the 60 respondents 30 studied for 2-3 hours. The respondents first encounter a patient with dysphagia. 46.7% (28) have seen in the period of 2012-2016. The frequency of the participants dealing with a patient having dysphagia the responses were categorized 46.7% (28) responded sometimes. The participants understand the role of SLT on diagnosing and managing dysphagia 52% (31) responded with yes. Conclusions: Dysphagia has emerged as a common complication due to stroke. More than 50% persons are affected by dysphagia after stroke (Smithard et al., 2007). This study consisted with medical practitioner from neurology, medicine, ENT, orthodontics and gastroenterology department. Both specialist and interns were part of this study. The referral level to SLT is also not satisfactory. Among 60 participants only 11 refer to SLT whereas 49 never or seldom refer to SLT. This showcases the lack of awareness on the role of SLT in diagnosing and managing of dysphagia. So, the proper collaboration of medical practitioner and SLT should be made so that the patient can get a proper treatment that will improve their condition.

Building a system of diagnostics of problem areas in the management of business processes of the organization

Aim. To develop and formulate an algorithm that allows timely diagnosing and eliminating problems in business processes.Objectives. To consider and systematize the main signs of problems in business processes; to determine the main sources, causes of losses and inefficiency; to formulate an algorithm that allows to assess the effectiveness of the process; to test the proposed algorithm for assessing the effectiveness of business processes on the example of a specific organization.Methods. The authors used the methods of descriptive literature review and statistical data analysis. The research includes the study and analysis of scientific articles, reports of scientific conferences and other publications related to the subject of the article. The analysis of statistical data is based on the performance of the organization, in particular the operator of urban mobility services. All data used for calculations are of a conditional nature.Results. In the process of research the works of modern authors related to the analysis of efficiency and diagnostics of problems in business processes are considered and generalized. In the mentioned works some theoretical aspects of the topic are widely and in detail studied, which are then systematized by the authors of the present study. As a result, an algorithm has been formed that allows in practice to monitor the efficiency of business processes of the organization, as well as to diagnose possible problems in a timely manner. When testing this approach in practice, in the context of the analysis of business processes in the organization, the following results were obtained: a number of critical problems in business processes that have a negative impact on the result of activity were identified; a plan to improve their efficiency was developed and implemented.Conclusions. The process approach is one of the most successful tools to improve the efficiency of the organization. Optimal operation of all key and essential business processes ultimately affects the company’s result. The operating conditions of an organization are constantly changing under the influence of a dynamic business environment. One of the most important elements of the efficiency management system for business processes, and consequently for the business as a whole, is a properly formed set of indicative indicators reflecting the progress of each process. The choice of indicators should be based primarily on the strategic goals of the organization, cascaded down to the level of individual processes. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the risks of efficiency reduction can be identified in advance and in a timely manner with the help of a correctly constructed system of simple control indicators. For these purposes, taking into account the concept of lean production and continuous improvement, as well as on the basis of the classification of losses set out in it, a questionnaire for express analysis of business process efficiency has been developed.

A point mapping strategy-based sparse grid integration method for statistical moments estimation and structural reliability analysis

The high-order moment-based method is an attractive non-intrusive approach for structural reliability analysis, while it remains a challenge to strike a balance between accuracy, efficiency, and versatility in estimating statistical moments of performance functions. In this paper, a point mapping strategy-based sparse grid integration (SGI) method is proposed for statistical moment estimation and structural reliability analysis, with improved efficiency while ensuring the accuracy. Firstly, a point mapping strategy (PMS) is developed based on the adaptive high dimensional model representation (HDMR), by which the traditional SGI is reconstructed as a sum of multiple integrations over the sparse grid point sets with different effective dimensions. With this new form of SGI, the estimation of statistical moments only requires the evaluation of the performance function at a small number of necessary reference points, once the effects of some interaction terms are negligible. The validity and feasibility of the proposed PMS-based SGI method for statistical moments estimation are verified by several numerical examples. Then, the proposed method is applied to structural reliability analysis with the aid of an improved maximum entropy method. Two engineering examples are investigated, including the strength failure problem of tubular tower K-shape connection joints and the fatigue failure problem of a marine riser resulting from the vortex-induced vibration (VIV). The results indicate that the proposed method provides a better trade-off between accuracy and efficiency in evaluating the first four order statistical moments and structural failure probability compared to conventional methods.

Optimisation of pervious concrete performance by varying aggregate shape, size, aggregate-to-cement ratio, and compaction effort by using the Taguchi method

ABSTRACT The porosity and compressive strength of pervious concrete are critical determinants of its suitability for various applications. Therefore, it is necessary to recognise the factors influencing the performance and its ranks to balance porosity and compressive strength ideally. This study evaluates the impact of aggregate shape, size, aggregate-to-cement ratio and compaction effort on previous concrete performance. The research involved varying aggregate sizes (5–12 mm, 12–18 mm and 18–25 mm), aggregate-to-cement ratios (3.0, 4.0 and 5.0), compaction efforts (0, 30 and 60 blows) and aggregates underwent revolutions in a ball mill (0, 200 and 1000) to change their morphological characteristics. A total of 81 mix designs were tested, resulting in 486 cubes for compressive strength and porosity testing. The acquired data underwent analysis using the statistical analysis and Taguchi method to discern the most influential factors and establish their ranking. The results indicate that revolutions, compaction, aggregate-to-cement ratio and aggregate size contribute 29.42%, 26.19%, 29.13% and 0.96%, respectively, to the compressive strength performance. Regarding porosity performance, revolutions and compaction emerge as significant factors, accounting for 39.95% and 26.91%, respectively. The influence of the aggregate-to-cement ratio and aggregate size on porosity performance appears less pronounced.

Effects of conservation agriculture technologies on soil macrofauna community attributes in rainfed agriculture system

AbstractInappropriate rainfed crop management, especially wrong tillage and crop residue management, led to reduce the diversity of soil biological quality, especially soil macrofauna community, in semiarid region. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of 5 year conservation agriculture operation techniques on the quality and the diversity indices of soil macrofauna community in the rainfed lands in the west of Iran. This experiment was carried out in the statistical format of split‐split plots based on a randomized completely block design with three replications. The main treatments include control or conventional tillage, compound tillage, chisel tillage, and direct cultivation (no tillage) with three sub‐treatments of plant residues (no residues, one‐third, and two‐thirds of plant residues) in rainfed wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotation with rainfed chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Changes in soil biological quality indicators, such as soil microbial respiration were measured. Also, the indicators related to the population of soil macrofauna, including biodiversity index, uniformity index, and species richness, were measured and the effect of treatments on the measured indicators were compared with the classical statistical method of analysis of variance and Duncan's mean comparison test. The results showed that conservation agricultural treatments, including no‐tillage treatment, have led to significant increase of 19% and 15% of macrofauna biodiversity index in wheat and chickpea, respectively. Also, keeping one‐third of the wheat residues has led to an 18% increase in the biodiversity index of the soil macrofauna during the evaluation period. Biodiversity index and taxonomic richness of soil macrofauna were generally higher in the years of wheat than chickpea, and on the contrary, the species uniformity index of soil macrofauna biological community was higher in chickpea than wheat.