In performance analysis with tools such as data envelopment analysis,calculations of scale properties of the frontier points are studied using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.When the production process i...In performance analysis with tools such as data envelopment analysis,calculations of scale properties of the frontier points are studied using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.When the production process is a bit complicated,the calculation needs to be modified.Most existing studies are focused on a single-stage production process under the constant or variable returns to scale specification.However,some processes have two-stage structures,and,in such processes,the concepts of scale elasticity and returns to scale are inextricably related to the conditions of the stages of production.Thus,an evaluation of efficiency,scale elasticity,and returns to scale is sensitive to stages.In this study,we introduced a procedure to calculate technical efficiency and scale elasticity in a two-stage parallel-series production system.Then,our proposed technical efficiency and scale elasticity programs are applied to real data on 20 insurance companies in Iran.After applying our estimations to a real-world insurance industry,we found that,(i)overall,the total inputs of insurers in the life insurance sector should be reduced by 9%.Moreover,the inputs of nonlife insurers should be reduced by 50%.The final output in the investment sector must be increased by 48%.(ii)There are inefficiencies among all insurers in the investment sector,and to improve technical efficiency,the income from investments should be increased significantly.(iii)Finally,the efficiency and elasticity characterizations of insurers are directly subject to stages.展开更多
Water use efficiency(WUE),as a pivotal indicator of the coupling degree within the carbon–water cycle of ecosystems,holds considerable importance in assessment of the carbon–water balance within terrestrial ecosyste...Water use efficiency(WUE),as a pivotal indicator of the coupling degree within the carbon–water cycle of ecosystems,holds considerable importance in assessment of the carbon–water balance within terrestrial ecosystems.However,in the context of global warming,WUE evolution and its primary drivers on the Tibetan Plateau remain unclear.This study employed the ensemble empirical mode decomposition method and the random forest algorithm to decipher the nonlinear trends and drivers of WUE on the Tibetan Plateau in 2001–2020.Results indicated an annual mean WUE of 0.8088 gC/mm·m^(2)across the plateau,with a spatial gradient reflecting decrease from the southeast toward the northwest.Areas manifesting monotonous trends of increase or decrease in WUE accounted for 23.64%and 9.69%of the total,respectively.Remarkably,66.67%of the region exhibited trend reversals,i.e.,39.94%of the area of the Tibetan Plateau showed transition from a trend of increase to a trend of decrease,and 26.73%of the area demonstrated a shift from a trend of decrease to a trend of increase.Environmental factors accounted for 70.79%of the variability in WUE.The leaf area index and temperature served as the major driving forces of WUE variation.展开更多
A new unified constitutive model was developed to predict the two-stage creep-aging(TSCA)behavior of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys.The particular bimodal precipitation feature was analyzed and modeled by considering the primary ...A new unified constitutive model was developed to predict the two-stage creep-aging(TSCA)behavior of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys.The particular bimodal precipitation feature was analyzed and modeled by considering the primary micro-variables evolution at different temperatures and their interaction.The dislocation density was incorporated into the model to capture the effect of creep deformation on precipitation.Quantitative transmission electron microscopy and experimental data obtained from a previous study were used to calibrate the model.Subsequently,the developed constitutive model was implemented in the finite element(FE)software ABAQUS via the user subroutines for TSCA process simulation and the springback prediction of an integral panel.A TSCA test was performed.The result shows that the maximum radius deviation between the formed plate and the simulation results is less than 0.4 mm,thus validating the effectiveness of the developed constitutive model and FE model.展开更多
Trochoidal milling is known for its advantages in machining difficult-to-machine materials as it facilitates chip removal and tool cooling.However,the conventional trochoidal tool path presents challenges such as lowe...Trochoidal milling is known for its advantages in machining difficult-to-machine materials as it facilitates chip removal and tool cooling.However,the conventional trochoidal tool path presents challenges such as lower machining efficiency and longer machining time due to its time-varying cutter-workpiece engagement angle and a high percentage of non-cutting tool paths.To address these issues,this paper introduces a parameter-variant trochoidal-like(PVTR)tool path planning method for chatter-free and high-efficiency milling.This method ensures a constant engagement angle for each tool path period by adjusting the trochoidal radius and step.Initially,the nonlinear equation for the PVTR toolpath is established.Then,a segmented recurrence method is proposed to plan tool paths based on the desired engagement angle.The impact of trochoidal tool path parameters on the engagement angle is analyzed and coupled this information with the milling stability model based on spindle speed and engagement angle to determine the desired engagement angle throughout the machining process.Finally,several experimental tests are carried out using the bull-nose end mill to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.展开更多
Although phase-change random-access memory(PCRAM)is a promising next-generation nonvolatile memory technology,challenges remain in terms of reducing energy consumption.This is primarily be-cause the high thermal condu...Although phase-change random-access memory(PCRAM)is a promising next-generation nonvolatile memory technology,challenges remain in terms of reducing energy consumption.This is primarily be-cause the high thermal conductivities of phase-change materials(PCMs)promote Joule heating dissi-pation.Repeated phase transitions also induce long-range atomic diffusion,limiting the durability.To address these challenges,phase-change heterostructure(PCH)devices that incorporate confinement sub-layers based on transition-metal dichalcogenide materials have been developed.In this study,we engi-neered a PCH device by integrating HfTe_(2),which has low thermal conductivity and excellent stability,into the PCM to realize PCRAM with enhanced thermal efficiency and structural stability.HEAT sim-ulations were conducted to validate the superior heat confinement in the programming region of the HfTe_(2)-based PCH device.Moreover,electrical measurements of the device demonstrated its outstanding performance,which was characterized by a low RESET current(∼1.6 mA),stable two-order ON/OFF ratio,and exceptional cycling endurance(∼2×10^(7)).The structural integrity of the HfTe_(2)confinement sub-layer was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The material properties,including electrical conductivity,cohesive energy,and electronegativity,substantiated these findings.Collectively,these results revealed that the HfTe_(2)-based PCH device can achieve significant improvements in performance and reliability compared with conventional PCRAM devices.展开更多
Ultra-low emission of nitrogen oxide(NO_(x))is an irreversible trend for the development of waste-to-energy industry.But traditional approaches to remove NO_(x) face significant challenge s,such as low denitration eff...Ultra-low emission of nitrogen oxide(NO_(x))is an irreversible trend for the development of waste-to-energy industry.But traditional approaches to remove NO_(x) face significant challenge s,such as low denitration efficiency,complex denitration system,and high investment and operating cost.Here we put forward a novel polymer non-catalytic reduction(PNCR)technology that utilized a new type of polymer agent to remove NO_(x),and the proposed PNCR technology was applied to the existing waste-to-energy plant to test the denitration performance.The PNCR technology demonstrated excellent denitration performance with a NO_(x) emission concentration of<100 mg/Nm^(3) and high denitration efficiency of>75%at the temperature range of 800-900℃,which showed the application feasibility even on the complex and unstable industrial operating conditions.In addition,PNCR and hybrid polymer/selective non-catalytic reduction(PNCR/SNCR)technology possessed remarkable economic advantages including low investment fee and low operating cost of<10 CNY per ton of municipal solid waste(MSW)compared with selective catalytic reduction(SCR)technology.The excellent denitration performance of PNCR technology forebodes a broad industrial application prospect in the field of flue gas cleaning for waste-to-energy plants.展开更多
Trap-assisted charge recombination is one of the primary limitationsof restricting the performance of organic solar cells. However, effectivelyreducing the presence of traps in the photoactive layer remains challengin...Trap-assisted charge recombination is one of the primary limitationsof restricting the performance of organic solar cells. However, effectivelyreducing the presence of traps in the photoactive layer remains challenging.Herein, wide bandgap polymer donor PTzBI-dF is demonstrated as an effectivemodulator for enhancing the crystallinity of the bulk heterojunction active layerscomposed of D18 derivatives blended with Y6, leading to dense and orderedmolecular packings, and thus, improves photoluminescence quenching properties.As a result, the photovoltaic devices exhibit reduced trap-assisted charge recombinationlosses, achieving an optimized power conversion efficiency of over 19%.Besides the efficiency enhancement, the devices comprised of PTzBI-dF as athird component simultaneously attain decreased current leakage, improved chargecarrier mobilities, and suppressed bimolecular charge recombination, leading toreduced energy losses. The advanced crystalline structures induced by PTzBI-dFand its characteristics, such as well-aligned energy level, and complementaryabsorption spectra, are ascribed to the promising performance improvements.Our findings suggest that donor phase engineering is a feasible approach to tuning the molecular packings in the active layer, providingguidelines for designing effective morphology modulators for high-performance organic solar cells.展开更多
The increase in soil temperature associated with climate change has introduced considerable challenges to crop production.Split nitrogen application(SN)represents a potential strategy for improving crop nitrogen use e...The increase in soil temperature associated with climate change has introduced considerable challenges to crop production.Split nitrogen application(SN)represents a potential strategy for improving crop nitrogen use efficiency and enhancing crop stress resistance.Nevertheless,the precise interaction between soil warming(SW)and SN remains unclear.In order to ascertain the impact of SW on maize growth and whether SN can improve the tolerance of maize to SW,a two-year field experiment was conducted(2022-2023).The aim was to examine the influence of two SW ranges(MT,warming 1.40℃;HT,warming 2.75℃)and two nitrogen application methods(N1,one-time basal application of nitrogen fertilizer;N2,one third of base nitrogen fertilizer+two thirds of jointing stage supplemental nitrogen fertilizer)on maize root growth,photosynthetic characteristics,nitrogen use efficiency,and yield.The results demonstrated that SW impeded root growth and precipitated the premature aging of maize leaves following anthesis,particularly in the HT,which led to a notable reduction in maize yield.In comparison to N1,SN has been shown to increase root length density by 8.54%,root bleeding rate by 8.57%,and enhance root distribution ratio in the middle soil layers(20-60 cm).The interaction between SW and SN had a notable impact on maize growth and yield.The SN improved the absorption and utilization efficiency of nitrogen by promoting root development and downward canopy growth,thus improving the tolerance of maize to SW at the later stage of growth.In particular,the N2HT resulted in a 14.51%increase in the photosynthetic rate,a 18.58%increase in nitrogen absorption efficiency,and a 18.32%increase in maize yield compared with N1HT.It can be posited that the SN represents a viable nitrogen management measure with the potential to enhance maize tolerance to soil high-temperature stress.展开更多
In this paper,a wideband true time delay line for X-band is designed to overcome the beam dispersion problem in a high-resolution spaceborne synthetic aperture radar phased array antenna system.The delay line loads th...In this paper,a wideband true time delay line for X-band is designed to overcome the beam dispersion problem in a high-resolution spaceborne synthetic aperture radar phased array antenna system.The delay line loads the electromagnetic bandgap structure on the upper surface of the substrate integrated waveguide.This is equivalent to including an additional inductance-capacitance for energy storage,which realizes the slow-wave effect.A microstrip line-SIW tapered transition structure is introduced to achieve a low loss and a large bandwidth.In the frequency band between 8-12 GHz,the measured results show that the delay multiplier of the delay line reaches 4 times,i.e.,delay line’s delay time is 4 times larger than 50Ωmicrostrip line with same length.Furthermore,the delay fluctuation,i.e.,the difference between the maximum and minimum delay as a percentage of the standard delay is only 2.5%,the insertion loss is less than-2.5 dB,and the return loss is less than-15 dB.Compared with the existing delay lines,the proposed delay line has the advantages of high delay efficiency,low delay error,wide bandwidth and low loss,which has good practical value and application prospects.展开更多
In order to accurately forecast the main engine fuel consumption and reduce the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator(EEOI)of merchant ships in polar ice areas,the energy transfer relationship between ship-machine-p...In order to accurately forecast the main engine fuel consumption and reduce the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator(EEOI)of merchant ships in polar ice areas,the energy transfer relationship between ship-machine-propeller is studied by analyzing the complex force situation during ship navigation and building a MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform based on multi-environmental resistance,propeller efficiency,main engine power,fuel consumption,fuel consumption rate and EEOI calculation module.Considering the environmental factors of wind,wave and ice,the route is divided into sections,the calculation of main engine power,main engine fuel consumption and EEOI for each section is completed,and the speed design is optimized based on the simulation model for each section.Under the requirements of the voyage plan,the optimization results show that the energy efficiency operation index of the whole route is reduced by 3.114%and the fuel consumption is reduced by 9.17 t.展开更多
This study reviewed developments in provider utilization related to health care in the metropolitan area of the Syracuse hospitals between the twentieth century and the twenty first century with respect to major hospi...This study reviewed developments in provider utilization related to health care in the metropolitan area of the Syracuse hospitals between the twentieth century and the twenty first century with respect to major hospital services. In this study, a decline in the utilization of inpatient hospitals developed between 2020 and 2022. During this period, use of additional outpatient services such as ambulatory surgery, individual practitioners, outside hospitals, and the use of hospital emergency departments developed in the community. The study data demonstrated that between 2020 and 2022, the numbers of discharges from the combined hospitals declined for both adult medicine and adult surgery. Inpatient discharges declined by 2730 patients for adult medicine and 1961 patients for adult surgery. The data also demonstrated that between 2022 and 2024, the numbers of discharges increased by 1998 discharges for adult medicine and by 229 for adult surgery. As followup to this study, health care providers and payors should review approaches to efficiency in their communities and evaluate their impact on health care efficiency.展开更多
Ports are crucial to the economy of many nations;thus, numerous studies have been conducted on port efficiency and productivity. This study analyses the efficiency and productivity of some major global ports namely, P...Ports are crucial to the economy of many nations;thus, numerous studies have been conducted on port efficiency and productivity. This study analyses the efficiency and productivity of some major global ports namely, Port of Singapore, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Durban. The main objectives of this study are to determine the level of operational efficiency of the mentioned ports, measure and evaluate the ports’ productivity changes and lastly to investigate the factors influencing the productivity changes of the ports studied. To achieve these objectives, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA-BCC) model was used to determine the technical and operational efficiencies of the ports and Malmquist productivity index was employed to calculate the various productivity levels. The results of the study can guide stakeholders to formulate their operational strategies for port efficiency and productivity. The study also has policy suggestions that are uniquely targeted to Africa’s issues and potential.展开更多
Lexical analysis is a fundamental task in natural language processing,which involves several subtasks,such as word segmentation(WS),part-of-speech(POS)tagging,and named entity recognition(NER).Recent works have shown ...Lexical analysis is a fundamental task in natural language processing,which involves several subtasks,such as word segmentation(WS),part-of-speech(POS)tagging,and named entity recognition(NER).Recent works have shown that taking advantage of relatedness between these subtasks can be beneficial.This paper proposes a unified neural framework to address these subtasks simultaneously.Apart from the sequence tagging paradigm,the proposed method tackles the multitask lexical analysis via two-stage sequence span classification.Firstly,the model detects the word and named entity boundaries by multilabel classification over character spans in a sentence.Then,the authors assign POS labels and entity labels for words and named entities by multi-class classification,respectively.Furthermore,a Gated Task Transformation(GTT)is proposed to encourage the model to share valuable features between tasks.The performance of the proposed model was evaluated on Chinese and Thai public datasets,demonstrating state-of-the-art results.展开更多
This study reviewed a combination of health care programs in the metropolitan area of Syracuse, New York. They were designed to improve care, however a major purpose was to support efficiency. The study described a nu...This study reviewed a combination of health care programs in the metropolitan area of Syracuse, New York. They were designed to improve care, however a major purpose was to support efficiency. The study described a number of individual programs that were developed in order to improve the quality and the efficiency of care. These programs were implemented by a combination of local providers and payors. They included the development of outpatient services such as ambulatory surgery, as well as preventive care, case management, telemedicine, and mental health. The impact of these programs was a combination of these services, rather than individual efforts. The impact of these efforts was the product of a range of individual services, especially care management. Additional efforts should make it possible to extend these efforts among providers and payors in the Syracuse area. This approach should make it possible to extend the impact of health care efficiency further.展开更多
Applying bio-oxidation waste solution(BOS)to chemical-biological two-stage oxidation process can significantly improve the bio-oxidation efficiency of arsenopyrite.This study aims to clarify the enhanced oxidation mec...Applying bio-oxidation waste solution(BOS)to chemical-biological two-stage oxidation process can significantly improve the bio-oxidation efficiency of arsenopyrite.This study aims to clarify the enhanced oxidation mechanism of arsenopyrite by evaluating the effects of physical and chemical changes of arsenopyrite in BOS chemical oxidation stage on mineral dissolution kinetics,as well as microbial growth activity and community structure composition in bio-oxidation stage.The results showed that the chemical oxidation contributed to destroying the physical and chemical structure of arsenopyrite surface and reducing the particle size,and led to the formation of nitrogenous substances on mineral surface.These chemical oxidation behaviors effectively promoted Fe^(3+)cycling in the bio-oxidation system and weakened the inhibitory effect of the sulfur film on ionic diffusion,thereby enhancing the dissolution kinetics of the arsenopyrite.Therefore,the bio-oxidation efficiency of arsenopyrite was significantly increased in the two-stage oxidation process.After 18 d,the two-stage oxidation process achieved total extraction rates of(88.8±2.0)%,(86.7±1.3)%,and(74.7±3.0)%for As,Fe,and S elements,respectively.These values represented a significant increase of(50.8±3.4)%,(47.1±2.7)%,and(46.0±0.7)%,respectively,compared to the one-stage bio-oxidation process.展开更多
Exploring the factors driving the decoupling of China’s sulfur dioxide(SO_(2))emissions from economic growth(DEI)is crucial for achieving sustainable development.By analyzing the decoupling indicators and driving fac...Exploring the factors driving the decoupling of China’s sulfur dioxide(SO_(2))emissions from economic growth(DEI)is crucial for achieving sustainable development.By analyzing the decoupling indicators and driving factors at both the generation and treatment stages of SO_(2),more effective targeted mitigation strategies can be developed.We employ the Tapio decoupling model and propose a two-stage method to examine the decoupling issues related to SO_(2).Our findings indicate that:①DEI shows a steady and significant improvement,with SO_(2)emission intensity identified as the primary driver.②for the decoupling of economic growth and SO_(2)generation,energy scale serves as the largest stimulator,while the effect of energy intensity changes from negative to positive,and pollution intensity is first positive and then negative.③For the decoupling of SO_(2)generation and SO_(2)removal,treatment efficiency leads as the largest promoter,followed by treatment intensity.Based on these results,this study recommends that China focuses more on enhancing clean energy utilization and the effectiveness of treatment processes.展开更多
With the objective of investigating the basis of phosphorus(P)utilization efficiency(PUE),physiological and morphological traits,two P-efficient and two P-inefficient rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)cultivars were compared...With the objective of investigating the basis of phosphorus(P)utilization efficiency(PUE),physiological and morphological traits,two P-efficient and two P-inefficient rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)cultivars were compared at the seedling stage.P-efficient cultivars showed root morphological adaptation,high P uptake activity,and greater phospholipid degradation under low P stress.Improving root morphological adaptation and reducing lipid-P allocation could allow increasing PUE in rapeseed seedlings.展开更多
The integration of digital tools and effective knowledge management practices is critical for enhancing administrative efficiency and institutional continuity in higher education. This study investigates the relations...The integration of digital tools and effective knowledge management practices is critical for enhancing administrative efficiency and institutional continuity in higher education. This study investigates the relationships between knowledge modeling, institutional memory, leadership styles, technology, and administrative efficiency at the University of Cape Coast (UCC). The study sought to identify the challenges and opportunities in integrating digital tools into administrative processes and to provide actionable recommendations for improvement. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with qualitative thematic analysis of interviews. The findings revealed key challenges, including resistance to change, fragmented knowledge repositories, and inadequate funding, alongside opportunities such as centralized knowledge systems, cost-effective open-source tools, and capacity-building initiatives. The study highlights the importance of strategic leadership, robust policies, and investments in digital infrastructure to enhance administrative practices. Policy implications include the need for clear digital transformation guidelines and leadership training to foster innovation and collaboration. Recommendations include investing in scalable digital tools, implementing comprehensive capacity-building programs, and promoting stakeholder engagement to drive successful digital integration. These insights provide a roadmap for UCC and similar institutions seeking to optimize administrative efficiency through digital transformation.展开更多
Enhancing the efficiency of Rankine cycles is crucial for improving the performance of thermal power plants,as it directly impacts operational costs and emissions in light of energy transition goals.This study sets it...Enhancing the efficiency of Rankine cycles is crucial for improving the performance of thermal power plants,as it directly impacts operational costs and emissions in light of energy transition goals.This study sets itself apart from existing research by applying a novel optimization technique to a basic ideal Rankine cycle,focusing on a specific power plant that has not been previously analyzed.Currently,this cycle operates at 41%efficiency and a steam quality of 76%,constrained by fixed operational parameters.The primary objectives are to increase thermal efficiency beyond 46%and raise steam quality above 85%,while adhering to operational limits:a boiler pressure not exceeding 15 MPa,condenser pressure not dropping below 10 kPa,and turbine temperature not surpassing 500℃.This study utilizes numerical simulations to model the effects of varying boiler pressure(Pb)and condenser pressure(Pc)within the ranges of 12MPa<Pb<15 MPa and 5 kPa<Pc<10 kPa.By systematically adjusting these parameters,the proposed aimto identify optimal conditions that maximize efficiency and performance within specified constraints.The findings will provide valuable insights for power plant operators seeking to optimize performance under real-world conditions,contributing to more efficient and sustainable power generation.展开更多
Micro-nano Earth Observation Satellite(MEOS)constellation has the advantages of low construction cost,short revisit cycle,and high functional density,which is considered a promising solution for serving rapidly growin...Micro-nano Earth Observation Satellite(MEOS)constellation has the advantages of low construction cost,short revisit cycle,and high functional density,which is considered a promising solution for serving rapidly growing observation demands.The observation Scheduling Problem in the MEOS constellation(MEOSSP)is a challenging issue due to the large number of satellites and tasks,as well as complex observation constraints.To address the large-scale and complicated MEOSSP,we develop a Two-Stage Scheduling Algorithm based on the Pointer Network with Attention mechanism(TSSA-PNA).In TSSA-PNA,the MEOS observation scheduling is decomposed into a task allocation stage and a single-MEOS scheduling stage.In the task allocation stage,an adaptive task allocation algorithm with four problem-specific allocation operators is proposed to reallocate the unscheduled tasks to new MEOSs.Regarding the single-MEOS scheduling stage,we design a pointer network based on the encoder-decoder architecture to learn the optimal singleMEOS scheduling solution and introduce the attention mechanism into the encoder to improve the learning efficiency.The Pointer Network with Attention mechanism(PNA)can generate the single-MEOS scheduling solution quickly in an end-to-end manner.These two decomposed stages are performed iteratively to search for the solution with high profit.A greedy local search algorithm is developed to improve the profits further.The performance of the PNA and TSSA-PNA on singleMEOS and multi-MEOS scheduling problems are evaluated in the experiments.The experimental results demonstrate that PNA can obtain the approximate solution for the single-MEOS scheduling problem in a short time.Besides,the TSSA-PNA can achieve higher observation profits than the existing scheduling algorithms within the acceptable computational time for the large-scale MEOS scheduling problem.展开更多
文摘In performance analysis with tools such as data envelopment analysis,calculations of scale properties of the frontier points are studied using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.When the production process is a bit complicated,the calculation needs to be modified.Most existing studies are focused on a single-stage production process under the constant or variable returns to scale specification.However,some processes have two-stage structures,and,in such processes,the concepts of scale elasticity and returns to scale are inextricably related to the conditions of the stages of production.Thus,an evaluation of efficiency,scale elasticity,and returns to scale is sensitive to stages.In this study,we introduced a procedure to calculate technical efficiency and scale elasticity in a two-stage parallel-series production system.Then,our proposed technical efficiency and scale elasticity programs are applied to real data on 20 insurance companies in Iran.After applying our estimations to a real-world insurance industry,we found that,(i)overall,the total inputs of insurers in the life insurance sector should be reduced by 9%.Moreover,the inputs of nonlife insurers should be reduced by 50%.The final output in the investment sector must be increased by 48%.(ii)There are inefficiencies among all insurers in the investment sector,and to improve technical efficiency,the income from investments should be increased significantly.(iii)Finally,the efficiency and elasticity characterizations of insurers are directly subject to stages.
基金National Nonprofit Institute Research Grant of CAF,No.CAFYBB2018ZA004,No.CAFYBB2023ZA009Fengyun Application Pioneering Project,No.FY-APP-ZX-2023.02。
文摘Water use efficiency(WUE),as a pivotal indicator of the coupling degree within the carbon–water cycle of ecosystems,holds considerable importance in assessment of the carbon–water balance within terrestrial ecosystems.However,in the context of global warming,WUE evolution and its primary drivers on the Tibetan Plateau remain unclear.This study employed the ensemble empirical mode decomposition method and the random forest algorithm to decipher the nonlinear trends and drivers of WUE on the Tibetan Plateau in 2001–2020.Results indicated an annual mean WUE of 0.8088 gC/mm·m^(2)across the plateau,with a spatial gradient reflecting decrease from the southeast toward the northwest.Areas manifesting monotonous trends of increase or decrease in WUE accounted for 23.64%and 9.69%of the total,respectively.Remarkably,66.67%of the region exhibited trend reversals,i.e.,39.94%of the area of the Tibetan Plateau showed transition from a trend of increase to a trend of decrease,and 26.73%of the area demonstrated a shift from a trend of decrease to a trend of increase.Environmental factors accounted for 70.79%of the variability in WUE.The leaf area index and temperature served as the major driving forces of WUE variation.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2021YFB3400900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52175373,52205435)+1 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province,China(No.2022JJ40621)the Innovation Fund of National Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing Engineering Technology Center,China(No.COMACSFGS-2022-1875)。
文摘A new unified constitutive model was developed to predict the two-stage creep-aging(TSCA)behavior of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys.The particular bimodal precipitation feature was analyzed and modeled by considering the primary micro-variables evolution at different temperatures and their interaction.The dislocation density was incorporated into the model to capture the effect of creep deformation on precipitation.Quantitative transmission electron microscopy and experimental data obtained from a previous study were used to calibrate the model.Subsequently,the developed constitutive model was implemented in the finite element(FE)software ABAQUS via the user subroutines for TSCA process simulation and the springback prediction of an integral panel.A TSCA test was performed.The result shows that the maximum radius deviation between the formed plate and the simulation results is less than 0.4 mm,thus validating the effectiveness of the developed constitutive model and FE model.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U22A20202 and 52275477).
文摘Trochoidal milling is known for its advantages in machining difficult-to-machine materials as it facilitates chip removal and tool cooling.However,the conventional trochoidal tool path presents challenges such as lower machining efficiency and longer machining time due to its time-varying cutter-workpiece engagement angle and a high percentage of non-cutting tool paths.To address these issues,this paper introduces a parameter-variant trochoidal-like(PVTR)tool path planning method for chatter-free and high-efficiency milling.This method ensures a constant engagement angle for each tool path period by adjusting the trochoidal radius and step.Initially,the nonlinear equation for the PVTR toolpath is established.Then,a segmented recurrence method is proposed to plan tool paths based on the desired engagement angle.The impact of trochoidal tool path parameters on the engagement angle is analyzed and coupled this information with the milling stability model based on spindle speed and engagement angle to determine the desired engagement angle throughout the machining process.Finally,several experimental tests are carried out using the bull-nose end mill to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
基金financially supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)grant funded by the Korean government(No.2016R1A3B1908249,RS202400407199).
文摘Although phase-change random-access memory(PCRAM)is a promising next-generation nonvolatile memory technology,challenges remain in terms of reducing energy consumption.This is primarily be-cause the high thermal conductivities of phase-change materials(PCMs)promote Joule heating dissi-pation.Repeated phase transitions also induce long-range atomic diffusion,limiting the durability.To address these challenges,phase-change heterostructure(PCH)devices that incorporate confinement sub-layers based on transition-metal dichalcogenide materials have been developed.In this study,we engi-neered a PCH device by integrating HfTe_(2),which has low thermal conductivity and excellent stability,into the PCM to realize PCRAM with enhanced thermal efficiency and structural stability.HEAT sim-ulations were conducted to validate the superior heat confinement in the programming region of the HfTe_(2)-based PCH device.Moreover,electrical measurements of the device demonstrated its outstanding performance,which was characterized by a low RESET current(∼1.6 mA),stable two-order ON/OFF ratio,and exceptional cycling endurance(∼2×10^(7)).The structural integrity of the HfTe_(2)confinement sub-layer was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The material properties,including electrical conductivity,cohesive energy,and electronegativity,substantiated these findings.Collectively,these results revealed that the HfTe_(2)-based PCH device can achieve significant improvements in performance and reliability compared with conventional PCRAM devices.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.92367107)。
文摘Ultra-low emission of nitrogen oxide(NO_(x))is an irreversible trend for the development of waste-to-energy industry.But traditional approaches to remove NO_(x) face significant challenge s,such as low denitration efficiency,complex denitration system,and high investment and operating cost.Here we put forward a novel polymer non-catalytic reduction(PNCR)technology that utilized a new type of polymer agent to remove NO_(x),and the proposed PNCR technology was applied to the existing waste-to-energy plant to test the denitration performance.The PNCR technology demonstrated excellent denitration performance with a NO_(x) emission concentration of<100 mg/Nm^(3) and high denitration efficiency of>75%at the temperature range of 800-900℃,which showed the application feasibility even on the complex and unstable industrial operating conditions.In addition,PNCR and hybrid polymer/selective non-catalytic reduction(PNCR/SNCR)technology possessed remarkable economic advantages including low investment fee and low operating cost of<10 CNY per ton of municipal solid waste(MSW)compared with selective catalytic reduction(SCR)technology.The excellent denitration performance of PNCR technology forebodes a broad industrial application prospect in the field of flue gas cleaning for waste-to-energy plants.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62275057)the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation(2023GXNSFFA026004 and 2022GXNSFDA035066)+2 种基金the Innovation Project of Guangxi Graduate Education(YCBZ2024034)Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo under grant(2022J149)Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo under grant(2022A-230-G)
文摘Trap-assisted charge recombination is one of the primary limitationsof restricting the performance of organic solar cells. However, effectivelyreducing the presence of traps in the photoactive layer remains challenging.Herein, wide bandgap polymer donor PTzBI-dF is demonstrated as an effectivemodulator for enhancing the crystallinity of the bulk heterojunction active layerscomposed of D18 derivatives blended with Y6, leading to dense and orderedmolecular packings, and thus, improves photoluminescence quenching properties.As a result, the photovoltaic devices exhibit reduced trap-assisted charge recombinationlosses, achieving an optimized power conversion efficiency of over 19%.Besides the efficiency enhancement, the devices comprised of PTzBI-dF as athird component simultaneously attain decreased current leakage, improved chargecarrier mobilities, and suppressed bimolecular charge recombination, leading toreduced energy losses. The advanced crystalline structures induced by PTzBI-dFand its characteristics, such as well-aligned energy level, and complementaryabsorption spectra, are ascribed to the promising performance improvements.Our findings suggest that donor phase engineering is a feasible approach to tuning the molecular packings in the active layer, providingguidelines for designing effective morphology modulators for high-performance organic solar cells.
基金supported by the Natural Science Fund of China(31771724)the Key Research and Development Project of Shaanxi Province(2024NC-ZDCYL-01-10).
文摘The increase in soil temperature associated with climate change has introduced considerable challenges to crop production.Split nitrogen application(SN)represents a potential strategy for improving crop nitrogen use efficiency and enhancing crop stress resistance.Nevertheless,the precise interaction between soil warming(SW)and SN remains unclear.In order to ascertain the impact of SW on maize growth and whether SN can improve the tolerance of maize to SW,a two-year field experiment was conducted(2022-2023).The aim was to examine the influence of two SW ranges(MT,warming 1.40℃;HT,warming 2.75℃)and two nitrogen application methods(N1,one-time basal application of nitrogen fertilizer;N2,one third of base nitrogen fertilizer+two thirds of jointing stage supplemental nitrogen fertilizer)on maize root growth,photosynthetic characteristics,nitrogen use efficiency,and yield.The results demonstrated that SW impeded root growth and precipitated the premature aging of maize leaves following anthesis,particularly in the HT,which led to a notable reduction in maize yield.In comparison to N1,SN has been shown to increase root length density by 8.54%,root bleeding rate by 8.57%,and enhance root distribution ratio in the middle soil layers(20-60 cm).The interaction between SW and SN had a notable impact on maize growth and yield.The SN improved the absorption and utilization efficiency of nitrogen by promoting root development and downward canopy growth,thus improving the tolerance of maize to SW at the later stage of growth.In particular,the N2HT resulted in a 14.51%increase in the photosynthetic rate,a 18.58%increase in nitrogen absorption efficiency,and a 18.32%increase in maize yield compared with N1HT.It can be posited that the SN represents a viable nitrogen management measure with the potential to enhance maize tolerance to soil high-temperature stress.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61971401)。
文摘In this paper,a wideband true time delay line for X-band is designed to overcome the beam dispersion problem in a high-resolution spaceborne synthetic aperture radar phased array antenna system.The delay line loads the electromagnetic bandgap structure on the upper surface of the substrate integrated waveguide.This is equivalent to including an additional inductance-capacitance for energy storage,which realizes the slow-wave effect.A microstrip line-SIW tapered transition structure is introduced to achieve a low loss and a large bandwidth.In the frequency band between 8-12 GHz,the measured results show that the delay multiplier of the delay line reaches 4 times,i.e.,delay line’s delay time is 4 times larger than 50Ωmicrostrip line with same length.Furthermore,the delay fluctuation,i.e.,the difference between the maximum and minimum delay as a percentage of the standard delay is only 2.5%,the insertion loss is less than-2.5 dB,and the return loss is less than-15 dB.Compared with the existing delay lines,the proposed delay line has the advantages of high delay efficiency,low delay error,wide bandwidth and low loss,which has good practical value and application prospects.
文摘In order to accurately forecast the main engine fuel consumption and reduce the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator(EEOI)of merchant ships in polar ice areas,the energy transfer relationship between ship-machine-propeller is studied by analyzing the complex force situation during ship navigation and building a MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform based on multi-environmental resistance,propeller efficiency,main engine power,fuel consumption,fuel consumption rate and EEOI calculation module.Considering the environmental factors of wind,wave and ice,the route is divided into sections,the calculation of main engine power,main engine fuel consumption and EEOI for each section is completed,and the speed design is optimized based on the simulation model for each section.Under the requirements of the voyage plan,the optimization results show that the energy efficiency operation index of the whole route is reduced by 3.114%and the fuel consumption is reduced by 9.17 t.
文摘This study reviewed developments in provider utilization related to health care in the metropolitan area of the Syracuse hospitals between the twentieth century and the twenty first century with respect to major hospital services. In this study, a decline in the utilization of inpatient hospitals developed between 2020 and 2022. During this period, use of additional outpatient services such as ambulatory surgery, individual practitioners, outside hospitals, and the use of hospital emergency departments developed in the community. The study data demonstrated that between 2020 and 2022, the numbers of discharges from the combined hospitals declined for both adult medicine and adult surgery. Inpatient discharges declined by 2730 patients for adult medicine and 1961 patients for adult surgery. The data also demonstrated that between 2022 and 2024, the numbers of discharges increased by 1998 discharges for adult medicine and by 229 for adult surgery. As followup to this study, health care providers and payors should review approaches to efficiency in their communities and evaluate their impact on health care efficiency.
文摘Ports are crucial to the economy of many nations;thus, numerous studies have been conducted on port efficiency and productivity. This study analyses the efficiency and productivity of some major global ports namely, Port of Singapore, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Durban. The main objectives of this study are to determine the level of operational efficiency of the mentioned ports, measure and evaluate the ports’ productivity changes and lastly to investigate the factors influencing the productivity changes of the ports studied. To achieve these objectives, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA-BCC) model was used to determine the technical and operational efficiencies of the ports and Malmquist productivity index was employed to calculate the various productivity levels. The results of the study can guide stakeholders to formulate their operational strategies for port efficiency and productivity. The study also has policy suggestions that are uniquely targeted to Africa’s issues and potential.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.62266028,62266027,U21B2027,and U24A20334)Major Science and Technology Programs in Yunnan Province(Grant No.202302AD080003,202402AG050007,and 202303AP140008)+1 种基金Yunnan Province Basic Research Program(Grant No.202301AS070047,202301AT070471,and 202401BC070021)Kunming University of Science and Technology's"Double First-rate"construction joint project(Grant No.202201BE070001-021).
文摘Lexical analysis is a fundamental task in natural language processing,which involves several subtasks,such as word segmentation(WS),part-of-speech(POS)tagging,and named entity recognition(NER).Recent works have shown that taking advantage of relatedness between these subtasks can be beneficial.This paper proposes a unified neural framework to address these subtasks simultaneously.Apart from the sequence tagging paradigm,the proposed method tackles the multitask lexical analysis via two-stage sequence span classification.Firstly,the model detects the word and named entity boundaries by multilabel classification over character spans in a sentence.Then,the authors assign POS labels and entity labels for words and named entities by multi-class classification,respectively.Furthermore,a Gated Task Transformation(GTT)is proposed to encourage the model to share valuable features between tasks.The performance of the proposed model was evaluated on Chinese and Thai public datasets,demonstrating state-of-the-art results.
文摘This study reviewed a combination of health care programs in the metropolitan area of Syracuse, New York. They were designed to improve care, however a major purpose was to support efficiency. The study described a number of individual programs that were developed in order to improve the quality and the efficiency of care. These programs were implemented by a combination of local providers and payors. They included the development of outpatient services such as ambulatory surgery, as well as preventive care, case management, telemedicine, and mental health. The impact of these programs was a combination of these services, rather than individual efforts. The impact of these efforts was the product of a range of individual services, especially care management. Additional efforts should make it possible to extend these efforts among providers and payors in the Syracuse area. This approach should make it possible to extend the impact of health care efficiency further.
基金Project(52274348)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(2022JH1/10400024)supported by the Major Projects for the“Revealed Top”Science and Technology of Liaoning Province,China。
文摘Applying bio-oxidation waste solution(BOS)to chemical-biological two-stage oxidation process can significantly improve the bio-oxidation efficiency of arsenopyrite.This study aims to clarify the enhanced oxidation mechanism of arsenopyrite by evaluating the effects of physical and chemical changes of arsenopyrite in BOS chemical oxidation stage on mineral dissolution kinetics,as well as microbial growth activity and community structure composition in bio-oxidation stage.The results showed that the chemical oxidation contributed to destroying the physical and chemical structure of arsenopyrite surface and reducing the particle size,and led to the formation of nitrogenous substances on mineral surface.These chemical oxidation behaviors effectively promoted Fe^(3+)cycling in the bio-oxidation system and weakened the inhibitory effect of the sulfur film on ionic diffusion,thereby enhancing the dissolution kinetics of the arsenopyrite.Therefore,the bio-oxidation efficiency of arsenopyrite was significantly increased in the two-stage oxidation process.After 18 d,the two-stage oxidation process achieved total extraction rates of(88.8±2.0)%,(86.7±1.3)%,and(74.7±3.0)%for As,Fe,and S elements,respectively.These values represented a significant increase of(50.8±3.4)%,(47.1±2.7)%,and(46.0±0.7)%,respectively,compared to the one-stage bio-oxidation process.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China[Grant No.52270183].
文摘Exploring the factors driving the decoupling of China’s sulfur dioxide(SO_(2))emissions from economic growth(DEI)is crucial for achieving sustainable development.By analyzing the decoupling indicators and driving factors at both the generation and treatment stages of SO_(2),more effective targeted mitigation strategies can be developed.We employ the Tapio decoupling model and propose a two-stage method to examine the decoupling issues related to SO_(2).Our findings indicate that:①DEI shows a steady and significant improvement,with SO_(2)emission intensity identified as the primary driver.②for the decoupling of economic growth and SO_(2)generation,energy scale serves as the largest stimulator,while the effect of energy intensity changes from negative to positive,and pollution intensity is first positive and then negative.③For the decoupling of SO_(2)generation and SO_(2)removal,treatment efficiency leads as the largest promoter,followed by treatment intensity.Based on these results,this study recommends that China focuses more on enhancing clean energy utilization and the effectiveness of treatment processes.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2024YFD2301200)National Nature Science Foundation of China(32172662).
文摘With the objective of investigating the basis of phosphorus(P)utilization efficiency(PUE),physiological and morphological traits,two P-efficient and two P-inefficient rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)cultivars were compared at the seedling stage.P-efficient cultivars showed root morphological adaptation,high P uptake activity,and greater phospholipid degradation under low P stress.Improving root morphological adaptation and reducing lipid-P allocation could allow increasing PUE in rapeseed seedlings.
文摘The integration of digital tools and effective knowledge management practices is critical for enhancing administrative efficiency and institutional continuity in higher education. This study investigates the relationships between knowledge modeling, institutional memory, leadership styles, technology, and administrative efficiency at the University of Cape Coast (UCC). The study sought to identify the challenges and opportunities in integrating digital tools into administrative processes and to provide actionable recommendations for improvement. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with qualitative thematic analysis of interviews. The findings revealed key challenges, including resistance to change, fragmented knowledge repositories, and inadequate funding, alongside opportunities such as centralized knowledge systems, cost-effective open-source tools, and capacity-building initiatives. The study highlights the importance of strategic leadership, robust policies, and investments in digital infrastructure to enhance administrative practices. Policy implications include the need for clear digital transformation guidelines and leadership training to foster innovation and collaboration. Recommendations include investing in scalable digital tools, implementing comprehensive capacity-building programs, and promoting stakeholder engagement to drive successful digital integration. These insights provide a roadmap for UCC and similar institutions seeking to optimize administrative efficiency through digital transformation.
文摘Enhancing the efficiency of Rankine cycles is crucial for improving the performance of thermal power plants,as it directly impacts operational costs and emissions in light of energy transition goals.This study sets itself apart from existing research by applying a novel optimization technique to a basic ideal Rankine cycle,focusing on a specific power plant that has not been previously analyzed.Currently,this cycle operates at 41%efficiency and a steam quality of 76%,constrained by fixed operational parameters.The primary objectives are to increase thermal efficiency beyond 46%and raise steam quality above 85%,while adhering to operational limits:a boiler pressure not exceeding 15 MPa,condenser pressure not dropping below 10 kPa,and turbine temperature not surpassing 500℃.This study utilizes numerical simulations to model the effects of varying boiler pressure(Pb)and condenser pressure(Pc)within the ranges of 12MPa<Pb<15 MPa and 5 kPa<Pc<10 kPa.By systematically adjusting these parameters,the proposed aimto identify optimal conditions that maximize efficiency and performance within specified constraints.The findings will provide valuable insights for power plant operators seeking to optimize performance under real-world conditions,contributing to more efficient and sustainable power generation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.62101587)the National Funded Postdoctoral Researcher Program of China(No.GZC20233578)。
文摘Micro-nano Earth Observation Satellite(MEOS)constellation has the advantages of low construction cost,short revisit cycle,and high functional density,which is considered a promising solution for serving rapidly growing observation demands.The observation Scheduling Problem in the MEOS constellation(MEOSSP)is a challenging issue due to the large number of satellites and tasks,as well as complex observation constraints.To address the large-scale and complicated MEOSSP,we develop a Two-Stage Scheduling Algorithm based on the Pointer Network with Attention mechanism(TSSA-PNA).In TSSA-PNA,the MEOS observation scheduling is decomposed into a task allocation stage and a single-MEOS scheduling stage.In the task allocation stage,an adaptive task allocation algorithm with four problem-specific allocation operators is proposed to reallocate the unscheduled tasks to new MEOSs.Regarding the single-MEOS scheduling stage,we design a pointer network based on the encoder-decoder architecture to learn the optimal singleMEOS scheduling solution and introduce the attention mechanism into the encoder to improve the learning efficiency.The Pointer Network with Attention mechanism(PNA)can generate the single-MEOS scheduling solution quickly in an end-to-end manner.These two decomposed stages are performed iteratively to search for the solution with high profit.A greedy local search algorithm is developed to improve the profits further.The performance of the PNA and TSSA-PNA on singleMEOS and multi-MEOS scheduling problems are evaluated in the experiments.The experimental results demonstrate that PNA can obtain the approximate solution for the single-MEOS scheduling problem in a short time.Besides,the TSSA-PNA can achieve higher observation profits than the existing scheduling algorithms within the acceptable computational time for the large-scale MEOS scheduling problem.
