Terms Of Economic Productivity Research Articles

Valorization of lignocellulosic wastes for sustainable xylanase production from locally isolated Bacillus subtilis exploited for xylooligosaccharides’ production with potential antimicrobial activity

The worldwide availability of lignocellulosic wastes represents a serious environmental challenge with potential opportunities. Xylanases are crucial in lignocellulosic bio-hydrolysis, but the low enzyme productivity and stability are still challenges. In the current study, Bacillus subtilis (coded ARSE2) revealed potent xylanase activity among other local isolates. The enzyme production optimization revealed that maximum enzyme production (490.58 U/mL) was achieved with 1% xylan, 1.4% peptone, and 5% NaCl at 30 °C and pH 9. Furthermore, several lignocellulosic wastes were exploited for sustainable xylanase production, where sugarcane bagasse (16%) under solid-state fermentation and woody sawdust (2%) under submerged fermentation supported the maximum enzyme titer of about 472.03 and 485.7 U/mL, respectively. The partially purified enzyme revealed two protein bands at 42 and 30 kDa. The partially purified enzyme revealed remarkable enzyme activity and stability at 50–60 °C and pH 8–9. The enzyme also revealed significant stability toward tween-80, urea, DTT, and EDTA with Vmax and Km values of 1481.5 U/mL and 0.187 mM, respectively. Additionally, the purified xylanase was applied for xylooligosaccharides production, which revealed significant antimicrobial activity toward Staphylococcus aureus with lower activity against Escherichia coli. Hence, the locally isolated Bacillus subtilis ARSE2 could fulfill the xylanase production requirements in terms of economic production at a high titer with promising enzyme characteristics. Additionally, the resultant xylooligosaccharides revealed a promising antimicrobial potential, which paves the way for other medical applications.

Freely Associated Production as a Political Ideal

Abstract This paper offers a brief account and defense of freely associated production as a political ideal. I discuss its conceptual structure, specifying what is meant by free association in terms of economic production, the sense in which it is a value for political order, and its approximate place in an historical lineage of reflection on freedom. Given that our economic arrangements are constitutively determined by law and public policy, and involve relations of governing power, the values that legal authority must subserve bear directly on the productive sphere. One of those values – arguably the highest – is relational freedom. Reigning structures of production violate its demands. Without understanding the ways in which that violation occurs, we cannot effectively address some of our most urgent social crises.

Impacto económico de una implantación plena del Plan de Choque en Dependencia 2021-2023 en España

ObjectiveTo assess the impact on the economy of the implementation of the Action Plan on Dependency (APD), devised by the Spanish government as a first measure to tackle the major shortages in Dependency Services brought to light pursuant to COVID-19 pandemic. The APD establishes as priority areas the suppression of waiting lists, the improvement of dependency services, with a focus on home-care, and the professionalization and stabilization of employment. MethodTo achieve this goal, first, an estimate of the increased demand for benefits and services in 2023 has been carried out, supposing that all the priority measures established in the PCD in 2021 are fully implemented. Then, the impact of investment on the economy has been measured using multisector modeling. This analysis considers not only the direct economic impact on the sectors providing services to dependent population, but also the indirect and induced impact on the economy as a whole. ResultsThe total public investment required for the plan in 2023 will reach 13,962 million Euro, which represents around 1% of the GDP. The impact on the economy in terms of production is expected to reach 41,570 million, while the impact on gross value added will be 21,046 million, together with the creation of nearly 440,000 jobs. ConclusionsThe results reveal that, for the APD to be fully implemented, public funding needs to be increased way beyond the occasional allocation of funds established in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. These investments have a positive impact not only on the social and welfare sector, but also on the country's economy.

Green capitalism, climate change and the technological fix: A more-than-human assessment

Green capitalism is an approach that attempts to use free-market mechanisms to mitigate anthropogenic climate change. Its advocates argue that the market supplies the best means to innovate technological solutions that can compete with existing polluting practices. Using a relational, post-anthropocentric and materialist ontology, this article analyses the micropolitics underpinning the capitalist market economy in terms of production and market assemblages and the affective forces within them. This novel approach reveals previously overlooked more-than-human affects within these capitalist assemblages. These affects generate the unintended and inevitable consequences of a capitalist economic framework: growth, waste and inequalities. Based on this micropolitical assessment, the article uses the example of the electric car to conclude that green capitalism is inadequate to address the climate crisis, and offers an alternative approach.

When and Why Does Public Debt Become a Problem?

In this brief article we argue that questions regarding the sustainability of debt, in particular public debt, have been incorrectly debated in terms of economic production, whereas a more fertile ground for analyzing such questions is that of social ontologies.

Long-term projections of economic growth in the 47 prefectures of Japan: An application of Japan shared socioeconomic pathways

Assessing climate change impacts on local communities is an urgent task for national and subnational governments. The impact assessment requires socioeconomic scenarios, including a long-term outlook for demographic and economic indices. In Japan, the National Institute for Environmental Studies developed the Japan Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (JPNSSPs) and presented regional population scenarios corresponding to five different storylines. However, there exists no quantitative information about changes in local economies under the population scenarios. This study examines the economic activities in Japan's 47 prefectures using statistical models and calculates changes in the major economic indices (e.g., production, capital stock, and labor population) until 2100. The economic projection is based on ten socioeconomic scenarios generated from the JPNSSP population scenarios and original productivity scenarios. The economic projection results clearly show that Japan's population aging and decline have catastrophic impacts on national and subnational economies. Even in the most optimistic scenario, assuming a massive influx of immigrants and fast productivity growth, the GDP growth rate becomes negative in the 2090s. In the most pessimistic scenario, the GDP growth rate becomes negative in 2028 and continues to decline. As a result, Japan's GDP decreases to the level of the 1970s by 2100. The improvement of productivity cannot offset the GDP shrink caused by demographic changes. Furthermore, the population aging and decline accelerate the wealth concentration in urban areas. The Theil index, calculated using the economic projection results, shows increasing trends in all the scenarios. Tokyo's presence in Japan's economy will continue to increase throughout this century. Meanwhile, Kanagawa and Saitama, which belong to the top five prefectures in terms of economic production, may lose their positions. The Tohoku region, already suffering from population decline, will face severe economic stagnation. Our findings suggest that the depressing future is inevitable unless Japan overcomes the population aging and decline.

Ecofriendly nonchemical/nonthermal methods for disinfestation and control of pest/fungal infestation during storage of major important cereal grains: A review

AbstractIn this review, numerous control methods for stored grain insects are discussed in detail with emphasis on the nonchemical/nonthermal methods. Grain infestation by insects and molds is one of the major problems that need attention as these pests deteriorate the quality of food grains and their products. A number of modern nonchemical methods have been found to be effective against insect pests, such as microwave and infrared heating. Besides those, nonthermal methods, such as ozone treatment and ultraviolet heating, are also gaining importance, as they prove to be much safer tools for the management of pests and molds. In a nutshell, these nonchemical/nonthermal methods have emerged as a plausible alternative to chemical fumigants which may have a deleterious effect on the food product quality from a nutritional point of view. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore the published research works on different control approaches applied on grains for protection against stored insect pests and molds. Three nutritionally and economically important cereal grains, wheat, rice, and maize, which contribute to the world economy in terms of production, are covered in the review. Also, the emphasis is given to the best physical nonchemical methods/nonthermal methods of disinfestation/disinfection of insects and molds: microwave, infrared, and ultraviolet heating as well as ozone treatment. Of all the nonchemical/nonthermal methods, microwave and ozone heating could be possible alternatives for achieving 100% mortality of insects and molds and 50–80% in the case of infrared and ultraviolet provided the grains are at the initial stage of infestation.

The impact of financial development and geopolitical risk on renewable energy consumption: evidence from emerging markets.

In the past three decades, the significance of large industrialized emerging economies has been highlighted. In terms of economic productivity and CO2 emissions, these markets play an important role in the global environment. Hence, to achieve global environmental needs, transition to renewable energy sources is essential. However, financial constraints along with geopolitical risks could act as possible barriers to the required transition. Thereby, in this paper, we aim to assess the impact of financial development and geopolitical risk on renewable energy consumption in emerging markets from 1996 to 2015. A two-step system GMM is tested, revealing a positive significant effect of financial development on transition to renewable energy. Moreover, contrary to the expected negative effect of geopolitical risk, our results reveal significant positive effect of geopolitical risk on renewable energy consumption. We highlight that the effects of both financial development and geopolitical risk are more pronounced in the long run. Finally, imperative policy implications are highlighted.

Value Engineering For the Optimisation of Micro-Hydro Power Plant in Kampung Assum, Sarawak

Most rural locations in East Malaysia are not electricity grid connected. These places rely heavily on high-cost diesel fuels for generating electric power, which can be environmentally unfriendly. Most of all, this situation hampered the potential growth in terms of economic productivity and developments in these rural locations. However, with the vast network of streams and rivers available in Sarawak, there are high prospective of constructing micro-hydro power plant as electricity generating alternative. Efforts and studies on micro hydro power plants have been put in place. However, there exists a gap in the field of study of optimized design and construction of micro-hydropower system. This project proposed a Value Engineering (VE) study in the civil and structure sections of micro-hydro plant in Kampung Assum, Sarawak in order to achieve high functional value for the facility. Based on the literature review several VE methodologies are adopted and modified in order to achieve the objectives of this study. VE Job Plan was utilized as the backbone of this research study framework. VE calculation modelling is produced and conventional micro-hydro power plant is designed using the modelling as control baseline design. Ideas to further optimise and improve the value of the micro-hydro system are generated and evaluated, which are then compared with the control baseline design. Several cycles using the proposed VE methodology are repeated to determine the most prominent idea, which can uplift the functional value of the micro-hydro system significantly. Determination of value for micro-hydropower system is dependent on the cost incurred and the efficiency of the civil and structural components as a whole. The chosen idea is then used to the next development phase which notable changes in parameters of micro-hydro civil structures are further determined to improve the value. In this study, evaluating the micro-hydro civil components as a whole with adjustments made to modify the overall output data are discovered to be the prominent idea. From this study, the optimisation proposed could improved the functional value of the micro-hydro power plant in Kampung Assum by a significant 17%.

Economic Obsession in Early Literary Imagination: Shakespeare, Jonson and More

That revenues, profits, wealth, valuables, properties and various forms of riches can be so attractive to most people is because these resources affect the operational mode of social economy and personal well-being. As a major driving force of social development, the desire to accumulate wealth affords people the prospect of leading a comfortable life. Yet the acquisition of which may bring down other people to become poorer and creating potential social injustice. Three interrelated concepts in money spending: consumption, fear of poverty and social justice/injustice are markedly shown in some of the great minds among English writers.
 In this article, Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Ben Jonson’s Volpone and Thomas More’s Utopia are used to demonstrate the concerns of the early modern English mentality. Some scholars have suggested that the first two playwrights reflected the fear that their London would come to be ruled by corruption, swindling, greediness, vicious competition and unethical business practices. In this pre-capitalist economy, people are seen to adopt unfair competition and reciprocal malice in order to accumulate wealth. Entrepreneurial liberation in economic affairs sets off the dark side of hu manity in which the playwrights were most probably implicated.
 To counteract this rapacious thinking, Thomas More offers his conception of a wealthy and happy worldly life. Not to attack the self-centered, bene fit gaining intentions, Utopia builds up a society that claims fairness, commonwealth, more obligations than privileges and the wiping away of vanity. Mercantilism is not denied, yet private property is contained. Written earliest among the three works, Utopia anticipates the two plays that dwell on social evils sparked by over concern for personal gains.
 Generally, the three works lay the foundation of positive and negative aspects of economy in terms of production, marketing, circulation, consumption and services of the English mind of that era. The social mood borders on the financial and political matters of the bourgeois class while providing a mega-worldview as well as micro-worldview of economic concern of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries England.

Reductions in quality of life and increased economic burden associated with mental disorders in an Australian adult sample.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a broad range of common mental disorders and their comorbidity on health-related quality of life and functional disability. Methods In all, 2734 Australians aged ≥18 years, recruited from the general community via Facebook during August-December 2014, completed an online survey assessing demographic characteristics, nine mental disorders, suicidal ideation and attempt. Outcome measures were health-related quality of life (assessed using the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL)-4D measure and functional disability (days out of role). Results Overall, 53.1% of the sample met criteria for at least one mental disorder. Participants with each of the 11 mental health problems had significantly lower mean AQoL-4D scores and significantly greater functional disability compared with not having the disorder (P<0.001). A monotonic decrease in quality of life and an increase in functional disability were observed with an increased total number of comorbid disorders (P<0.001). Accounting for disorder prevalence, annual economic burden for each mental disorder was estimated to be in the range of A$870 million-A$17 billion. Conclusions Mental disorders negatively affect health-related quality of life and functional disability, exacerbated by increased comorbidity. The economic burden to participants and employers estimated in this study is of concern, and highlights the importance of evidence-based treatment and prevention approaches. What is known about the topic? Mental disorders are associated with poorer health-related quality of life, increased functional disability and increased economic costs. What does this paper add? This paper furthers our understanding of the associations of nine mental disorders, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts with quality of life in an Australian setting, highlighting the considerable economic implications of these associations. Further, it reveals that comorbidity of mental disorders exacerbates reductions in quality of life and increased functional disability. What are the implications for practitioners? The economic burden associated with lost productivity and quality of life for individuals with mental disorders is considerable. Therefore, prioritising funding to prevention and treatment using evidence-based approaches will have significant effect in terms of economic productivity and personal well-being for individuals.

Observations on the Terminology of Textile Tools in the Edictum Diocletiani on Maximum Prices

The Edictum Diocletiani et collegarum: The so-called Edict of Maximum Prices was issued in AD 301 as part of a comprehensive administrative and financial reform released in the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Diocletian came to power in AD 284 after a period in Roman history traditionally understood as a time of ‘crisis’, produced by a series of inter-related factors: a frequent turnover of emperors; problems with the economy in terms of production and coinage; incursions by various tribes on the edges of the empire; internal unrest; the rise of Christianity and periodic persecutions. Diocletian’s actions were arguably pragmatic responses to the situation he found the empire in on his accession. The Edict should be seen alongside a number of reforms during his reign and is regarded by some scholars as the most important inscription of Late Antiquity. Several editions and translations have been published thus far. In addition to the continuous publication of new finds of the text itself, commentaries on different aspects of the Edict abound.The main purpose of the Edict, at least according to its own preface, was to fix maximum prices for a wide range of services and products that had constantly been jeopardized by the avarice of some merchants and traders who were known to ask for prices up to 8 times the usual amount. According to the text itself, the main beneficiaries of the Edict were the soldiers of the Roman army with a fixed salary that would not have allowed them to purchase the above-mentioned products and services at such excessive prices. The prices mentioned regard transportation, food, wages for craftsmen as well as special goods such as marble and numerous clothing items and textiles. All in all, around 1300 items, wages, and services are mentioned. In detail, studies on specific materials mentioned in the Edict, like glass and marble, are well covered as are those on the different areas of production, services, and costs for transport. Some aspects of ancient textile technology and clothing have been treated in greater detail, such as the different types of purple mentioned, wool, clothing and cloth, as well as specific terminological questions related to clothes. Despite this interest in the range and types of clothing, scholarship has not yet focussed on the textile tools mentioned in the Edict. This contribution proposes to fill part of this gap. (Less)

Assessing the economic impact of a cultural heritage site using social accounting matrices

Heritage sites attract cultural tourists and represent a major source of revenue and employment for the destination’s economy. This article assesses a cultural heritage site’s economic impact on its environment via linear models based on regionalized social accounting matrices. The proposed methodology is applied to data gathered on the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba in the year 2013 to determine the heritage site’s contribution to the host economy in terms of production and employment.

Comparative cultural economy and game industries in Asia

This article examines the development of different models of Asian game industries. In Asia, globalization has meant the penetration of Western ideas and the cultural homogenization of culture. However, nowadays, the game industry in Asia has demonstrated new collaboration models in which game industries are dependent on Western cultural industries in alternative ways. There are also new economies that are independent of the Western cultural economy in terms of production, distribution, marketing, value chains, workforce, regulations, and more importantly, the notion of creativity. Based on interviews and empirical studies that were conducted in China, Japan, Korea, and SE Asian countries from 2012 to 2014, this analysis reveals a few alternative routes of collaboration and non-collaboration that contrast the type of cultural economy found in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Confident exploration beside women entrepreneur problems and issues availing credit support in micro, small and medium enterprises computing sector

Availability of timely and sufficient finance is the foremost important thing for the growth of enterprise sector. Micro, small and medium enterprises' (MSMEs) contribution to Indian economy in terms of production, employment and exports is very significant. To support MSMEs, a large number of commercial banks and financial institutions are operating in our country. There is a need to study the problem and issues behind obtaining credit support and subsidies from the financial institutions are another area were an attempt can be made to understand the complexity faced by the women entrepreneur owning micro, small and medium enterprises. Hence, this research is designed to study the above mentioned problems such as time, finance accessibility and insufficient commercial knowledge (ICK) related to women entrepreneurs.

Bodies with New Organs

“Transgender rights are the civil rights issue of our time.” So stated Vice President Joe Biden just one week before the November 2012 election. This article critically reframes calls such as this by foregrounding a historical trajectory not celebrated by national LGBT groups or media or explicitly theorized in most queer or trans theory: the move from the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act to the present moment of trans hailing by the US state. Such a trajectory helps map the ways that neoliberal mandates regarding productive, capacitated bodies entrain the trans body to recreate an abled body not only in terms of gender and sexuality but also in terms of economic productivity and the economic development of national economy. Rather than argue for a better form of discretion between the categories of trans and disability, this article analyzes the ontological irreducibilities of such categories, irreducibilities that dissolve them through multiplicity. In following the implications of such an argument, this article unfolds trans and disability studies' concerns within a broader analysis of the geopolitics of racial ontology.

"Tensions Between Government, Industrial Innovation, and Energy Efficiency in China"

In recent years, the Chinese government, motivated by rapidly increasing energy demand and limited oil and natural gas reserves, has promoted policies for energy efficiency and research investments in new energy-saving technologies. At the same time, China has also become home to distinct forms of industrial innovation, which often occur downstream in technology commercialization and redefinition (Brandt & Thun, 2010; Breznitz & Murphee, 2011; Ernst & Naughton, 2008). Some evidence suggests that these two themes could be synergistic; that is, despite having less stringent requirements in WTO negotiations (WTO, 1979), developing nations like China that receive large amounts of foreign investment may be able to successfully reduce pollution while contributing to industrial innovation (Wheeler, 2001). Given this context, this symposium unpacks the tensions between China’s governmental structure and policies, opportunities for industrial innovation by local and multinational firms, and the implications for energy efficiency and the environment. Together, the four papers in this symposium illustrate how general goals, such as adopting energy-saving technologies, can be achieved despite seemingly conflicting government and market goals and incentives, and emphasize the importance of both state and market forces in influencing China’s role in the global economy in terms of production, consumption, innovation, and the environment. Firm-level Energy Efficiency Gains Within China’s Industries: The Role of Ownership Presenter: Valerie Karplus; MIT Sloan Presenter: Cao Jing; Tsinghua U. State and Market: Institutions of Technology Standardization in China Presenter: Michael Murphree; U. of South Carolina Presenter: Dan Breznitz; Georgia Tech Contradictory or Complementary? Innovation and Manufacturing Policy in China’s Wind and Solar Se... Presenter: Jonas Nahm; MIT Sloan Will Subsidies Drive Electric Vehicle Adoption? Measuring Consumer Preferences in the U.S. and ... Presenter: John Paul Helveston; Carnegie Mellon U. Presenter: Yimin Liu; Ford Motor Company Presenter: Elea McDonnell Feit; The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania Presenter: Erica Renee Fuchs; Carnegie Mellon U. Presenter: Erica Klampfl; Ford Motor Company Presenter: Jeremy Michalek; Carnegie Mellon U.

Sustainability of the Hatchobaru geothermal field, Japan

The Hatchobaru power plant Unit No. 1 (55 MW) has been operating since 1977 and Unit No. 2 (55 MW) since 1990. The mean capacity factor of the power plant has reached about 90%. Considering that the long-term operation of the plant, over 30 years for Unit No. 1 and nearly 20 years for Unit No. 2, has been maintained with such a high capacity factor, sustainable development in terms of economic production has been achieved. To maintain a stable operation, systematic reservoir monitoring and reservoir simulation studies have been conducted. The monitoring of changes in reservoir pressure, temperature and gravity indicates that the reservoir is currently approaching a stable state. Results of a simulation study suggest that the sustainable power output of the Hatchobaru reservoir is approximately 120 MW, and each productive fault has the capacity to produce enough steam to generate from 11 to 55 MW. Therefore, it would be possible to maintain the rated power output of 110 MW by optimizing well alignments so that the mass production can be kept within the sustainable productivity of each fault, and the injected water does not cool the production zones.

La macroeconomía de los hidrocarburos en México y sus relaciones intersectoriales

Se integra y actualiza el balance de las contribuciones de Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) a la economía del país en términos de la producción, balanza de pagos, finanzas públicas, empleo y endeudamiento público. Se analizan las vinculaciones del sector hidrocarburos con las diferentes esferas económicas y con las otras actividades productivas a partir del diseño y construcción de una tabla insumo-producto bisectorial para 2003. Se comentan los principales problemas del sector y se realizan diferentes ejercicios para evaluar los encadenamientos del sector hidrocarburos con respecto al resto del sector productivo, los impactos de modificaciones en las exportaciones petroleras y de incrementos en los precios de los hidrocarburos.

Lugares comunes o apuestas para las políticas públicas la educación artística-Un acercamiento desde la modalidad de educación para el trabajo y el desarrollo humano-ETDH

El texto propone establecer nexos entre los sectores educativo, cultural y productivo, siempre desde la perspectiva de la hoy denominada Educación Para el Trabajo y el Desarrollo Humano. Indaga por esas dos dimensiones presentes en el decreto 2888 de 2007 preguntando ¿de qué desarrollo humano estamos hablando cuando nos instalamos en la dimensión de lo artístico y cultural? y ¿por qué la prevalencia de un trabajo visto en términos de la productividad económica, de las lógicas del mercado?Y, de manera crítica, señala cómo en las relaciones entre los sectores descritos se dan dos suertes de subordinaciones; por un lado la del sector cultural respecto del sector educativo y por el otro del paradigma estético respecto del paradigma científico.