The Ecuadorian electricity sector encompasses generation, transmission, distribution and sales. Since the change of the Constitution in Ecuador in 2008, the sector has opted to employ a centralized model. The present research aims to measure the efficiency level of the Ecuadorian electricity sector during the period 2012–2021, using a DEA-NETWORK methodology, which allows examining and integrating each of the phases defined above through intermediate inputs, which are inputs in subsequent phases and outputs of some other phases. These intermediate inputs are essential for analyzing efficiency from a global view of the system. For research purposes, the Ecuadorian electricity sector was divided into 9 planning zones. The results revealed that the efficiency of zones 6 and 8 had the greatest impact on the overall efficiency of the Ecuadorian electricity sector during the period 2012–2015. On the other hand, the distribution phase is the most efficient with an index of 0.9605, followed by sales with an index of 0.6251. It is also concluded that the most inefficient phases are generation and transmission, thus verifying the problems caused by the use of a centralized model.

This paper explores the distribution of educational resources from the perspective of public service equalization in China, with a particular focus on government responsibility and fiscal input. Initially, the paper reviews the theoretical foundations and empirical studies concerning the distribution of educational resources, analyzing the role of government in educational equity and the impact of fiscal expenditure. By employing quantitative analysis methods, this study utilizes data on provincial education expenditures over several years to examine the relationship between government fiscal input and the equalization of educational resources. Empirical results indicate that increasing educational fiscal input and optimizing the allocation mechanism significantly enhance the level of equalization in educational resources. Furthermore, through case analyses of several local governments, effective policy recommendations are proposed to promote the fair distribution and optimization of educational resources. Lastly, the paper discusses potential obstacles in policy implementation and suggests corresponding strategies.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) were established in Brazil at the beginning of this century, following a global trend of using these partnerships to stimulate investment in infrastructures, particularly in a framework of restrictive budgetary and fiscal conditions. Despite their growing importance and the expectation of an expanding role in the future, not much is known about the actual facts on the ground. The objective of this paper is to be a first step in the direction of filling this information gap by providing important stylized facts about the universe of PPPs in Brazil: the quantitative evolution of PPP adoptions; the characterization of the geographical distribution of PPPs by government level (federal, state, district, and municipal); the characterization of the PPP intervention areas, including the total value of contracts and the modalities of PPP concession (sponsored and administrative). This objective is rendered possible by the development of a new database that covers the entire process of PPP contracting from 2005 to 2022, including the opening of public consultation procedures, the publication of the official notice, and the signing of contracts, as well as multiple thematic, financial, jurisdictional, and regional indicators. In turn, we see the establishment of these stylized facts as a necessary first step in the direction of understanding the factors that may determine or condition their adoption. In general, having a clear picture of the universe of the PPPs in Brazil is fundamental as their use and their role are expected to significantly increase in the future as the country pursues a path of improved economic activity and well-being of the population.

Accurate temperature control during the induction heating process of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is crucial for the curing effect of the material. This paper first builds a finite element model of induction heating, which combines the actual fiber structure and resin matrix, and systematically analyzes the heating mechanism and temperature field distribution of CFRP during the heating process. Based on the temperature distribution and variation observed in the material heating process, a PID control method optimized by the sparrow search algorithm is proposed, which effectively reduces the temperature overshoot and improves the response speed. The experiment verifies the effectiveness of the algorithm in controlling the temperature of the CFRP plate during the induction heating process. This study provides an effective control strategy and research method to improve the accuracy of temperature control in the induction heating process of CFRP, which helps to improve the results in this field.

In today’s digital education landscape, safeguarding the privacy and security of educational data, particularly the distribution of grades, is paramount. This research presents the “secure grade distribution scheme (SGDS)”, a comprehensive solution designed to address critical aspects of key management, encryption, secure communication, and data privacy. The scheme’s heart lies in its careful key management strategy, offering a structured approach to key generation, rotation, and secure storage. Hardware security modules (HSMs) are central to fortifying encryption keys and ensuring the highest security standards. The advanced encryption standard (AES) is employed to encrypt graded data, guaranteeing the confidentiality and integrity of information during transmission and storage. The scheme integrates the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol to establish secure communication, enabling users to securely exchange encryption keys without vulnerability to eavesdropping or interception. Secure communication channels further fortify graded data protection, ensuring data integrity in transit. The research findings underscore the SGDS’s efficacy in achieving the goals of secure grade distribution and data privacy. The scheme provides a holistic approach to safeguarding educational data, ensuring the confidentiality of sensitive information, and protecting against unauthorized access. Future research opportunities may centre on enhancing the scheme’s robustness and scalability in diverse educational settings.

This research introduces a novel framework integrating stochastic finite element analysis (FEA) with advanced circular statistical methods to optimize heat pump efficiency under material uncertainties. The proposed methodologies and optimization focus on balancing the mean efficiency and variability by adjusting the concentration parameter of the Von Mises distribution, which models directional variability in thermal conductivity. The study highlights the superiority of the Von Mises distribution in achieving more consistent and efficient thermal performance compared to the uniform distribution. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis of the parameters for further insights. The results show that optimal tuning of the concentration parameter can significantly reduce efficiency variability while maintaining a mean efficiency above the desired threshold. This demonstrates the importance of considering both stochastic effects and directional consistency in thermal systems, providing robust and reliable design strategies.