Industrial Inputs Research Articles

Impact of Rooftop PV Shading on Net Electrical Energy Demand of Buildings in Pakistan

This work performs a quantitative assessment of the impact of rooftop PV installation on building’s net energy demand using model of roof structure and steady state thermal simulations. For this purpose, roof structure typically used in Faisalabad, Pakistan is modeled with and without the shading effect due to a 395 W commercial rooftop PV setup. The simulated parameters include the impact of PV module’s dimensions, mounting position/angle alongside roof size and ambient conditions on heat load of air-conditioning system to maintain a temperature of 25 °C within building’s top floor. During the daylight hours of July, the heat load added by the roof on average reduces from 150.87 BTU/h/m2 without PV to 118.16 BTU/h/m2 with PV structure. This 20.05% reduction in energy demand has been achieved with July’s maximum daytime solar and infrared irradiances of 792.2 W/m2 and 466 W/m2 recorded at an average ambient temperature of 35.5 °C and wind speed of 2.75 m/s. This study provides valuable data on optimization of roof layer structure during building’s construction in anticipation of PV system installation at a later stage. Also developed techniques/methods to reduce building’s energy budget due to PV installation, can be valuable input for construction industry as well.

Multivariate statistical analysis of potentially toxic elements in soils under different land uses: Spatial relationship, ecological risk assessment, and source identification.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of the most fragile and susceptible areas to climate change and human disturbances in the world. Here, a total of 48 soil samples were obtained from areas of different land uses within a typical basin in eastern Qinghai-Tibet, China. The selected potentially toxic elements (PTEs, including Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) contents were analyzed to explore their spatial patterns, ecological risks, and then the effects of land use types on these elements were assessed by self-organizing map (SOM) and random forest regression (RFR) models, and the main sources were revealed using positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. Results showed that mean concentrations of selected PTEs in surface soils were higher than local background values and those of subsurface soils. The low-degree ecological risk was obtained with comparatively high risks in the north and south of the study area. The results of the SOM and RFR models revealed that land use types affected the redistribution of PTEs in surface soil. The PMF model demonstrated that these PTEs were mainly derived from natural sources (46.7%), traffic emissions (31.2%), and industrial and agricultural inputs (22.1%). Natural sources were the essential contributors for these soil PTEs, especially for Cr. In addition to natural sources, traffic sources made great contributions for Cd, Pb, and Zn elements, while the enrichment of Cu was mainly related to industrial and agricultural activities.

The Dynamic Impact of Agricultural Fiscal Expenditures and Gross Agricultural Output on Poverty Reduction: A VAR Model Analysis

China was the first developing country to achieve the poverty eradication target of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 10 years ahead of schedule. Its past approach has been, mainly, to allocate more fiscal spending to rural areas, while strengthening accountability for poverty alleviation. However, some literature suggests that poor rural areas still lack the endogenous dynamics for sustainable growth. Using a vector autoregression (VAR) model, based on data from 1990 to 2019, we find that fiscal spending plays a much more significant role in reducing the poverty ratio than agricultural development. When poverty alleviation is treated as an administrative task, each poor village must complete the spending of top-down poverty alleviation funds within a time frame that is usually shorter than that required for successful specialty agriculture. As a result, the greater the pressure of poverty eradication and the more funds allocated, the more poverty alleviation projects become an anchor for accountability, and the more local governments’ consideration of industry cycles and input–output analysis give way to formalism, homogeneity, and even complicity. We suggest using the leverage of fiscal funds to direct more resources to productive uses, thus guiding future rural revitalization in a more sustainable direction.

University-industry collaborations in Pakistan: current challenges and future opportunities

PurposeThis paper aims to identify current challenges that hinder university–industry (U-I) collaboration in Pakistan and presents future opportunities for promoting such collaborations in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study presents new empirical evidence obtained from Pakistan via a questionnaire survey of 24 universities, 25 interviews with key stakeholders including industry managers and outputs from a high level workshop event.FindingsAlthough there is limited evidence of U-I engagement in Pakistan, the findings show that a lack of coordination between government, universities and industrial firms has hindered knowledge transfer between universities and industry. Such steps as utilising intermediaries to help broker effective collaborations and building trust-based relationships can help in socialising these types of scientific activities.Research limitations/implicationsAny overall conclusions drawn from this exploratory study can only be tentative, as the findings represent a snapshot of current U-I collaboration initiatives in Pakistan.Practical implicationsLess stringent policy interventions from government entities, as well as more universities willing to invite industry input on their board of studies might enable co-development of some university curriculums with industry partners. U-I collaborations could also help to boost innovation efforts in developing country firms.Originality/valueThis paper also offers awareness into benefits of teaching activity collaboration with industry partners, which has been an under explored area of past U-I collaboration studies. The findings should be of interest for both innovation policy and higher education policy researchers.

Theory, Practice and Challenges of Agroecology in India

ABSTRACT With the Green Revolution in Asia, the gap in agricultural yield with the developed world has been closed, while the gap in farm labour productivity has greatly widened. This reveals a deepening agrarian and environmental crisis in India. The industrial mode of production has led to the massive use of costly industrial inputs to increase yields and offset economies of scale that are almost impossible to achieve in this densely populated country. Such a development path is a trap for millions Indian micro-farmers and their natural capital. We then unveil the promises of a type of agroecology called ‘natural farming' that has developed in Andhra Pradesh, a State in South India. Andhra’s natural farming has pioneered the adoption of technical and organizational innovations that could lead to the first large-scale agroecological transition in the world. But in 2019, these local innovations were accused of following a regressive path and endangering the country’s food security. This attack reveals the current omnipotence of the industrial sociotechnical regime over science, as well as a conception of science and progress antithetical to agroecology.

A thorough investigation for development of hydrogen projects from wind energy: A case study

Increasing energy demand has led to a substantial growth in the use of wind energy across the world, which can be attributed to the low initial and running costs and rapid and easy deployment of this technology. The development of hydrogen from wind energy is an excellent way to store the excess wind power produced, as the produced hydrogen can be used not only as clean fuel but also as input for various industries. Considering the good wind potentials of Yazd province, the variety of industries that are active in this area, and the central location of this province in Iran, which gives it ample access to major transport routes and other industrial hubs, hydrogen production from wind power in this province could benefit not only this region but the entire country. Given these considerations, we conducted a technical, economic, and environmental assessment of the potential for wind power generation and hydrogen production in Yazd province. Overall, the assessments showed that the best locations for harvesting wind energy in this province are Bahabad and Halvan stations. For these two stations, it is recommended to use EWT DW 52-900 turbine to take advantage of its higher nominal capacity to achieve higher electricity and hydrogen output and emission reduction. For Abarkoh and Kerit stations, which have a low wind energy potential, it is recommended to use small turbines such as Eovent EVA120 H-Darrieus. Also, economic and technical assessments showed that it is not economically justified to harvest wind energy in Ardakan station. The results of ranking the stations with the Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) techniques showed that Bahabad station was introduced as the best place to produce hydrogen from wind energy.

Functional and Healthy Features of Conventional and Non-Conventional Sourdoughs

Sourdough is a composite ecosystem largely characterized by yeasts and lactic acid bacteria which are the main players in the fermentation process. The specific strains involved are influenced by several factors including the chemical and enzyme composition of the flour and the sourdough production technology. For many decades the scientific community has explored the microbiological, biochemical, technological and nutritional potential of sourdoughs. Traditionally, sourdoughs have been used to improve the organoleptic properties, texture, digestibility, palatability, and safety of bread and other kinds of baked products. Recently, novel sourdough-based biotechnological applications have been proposed to meet the demand of consumers for healthier and more natural food and offer new inputs for the food industry. Many researchers have focused on the beneficial effects of specific enzymatic activities or compounds, such as exopolysaccharides, with both technological and functional roles. Additionally, many studies have explored the ability of sourdough lactic acid bacteria to produce antifungal compounds for use as bio-preservatives. This review provides an overview of the fundamental features of sourdoughs and their exploitation to develop high value-added products with beneficial microorganisms and/or their metabolites, which can positively impact human health.

The impact of intra-specific diversity in the rhizobia-legume symbiosis.

Rhizobia - nitrogen-fixing, root-nodulating bacteria - play a critical role in both plant ecosystems and sustainable agriculture. Rhizobia form intracellular infections within legumes roots where they produce plant accessible nitrogen from atmospheric nitrogen and thus reduce the reliance on industrial inputs. The rhizobia-legume symbiosis is often treated as a pairwise relationship between single genotypes, both in research and in the production of rhizobial inoculants. However in nature individual plants are infected by a high diversity of rhizobia symbionts. How this diversity affects productivity within the symbiosis is unclear. Here, we use a powerful statistical approach to assess the impact of diversity within the Rhizobium leguminosarum - clover symbiosis using a biodiversity-ecosystem function framework. Statistically, we found no significant impact of rhizobium diversity. However this relationship was weakly positive - rather than negative - indicating that there is no significant cost to increasing inoculant diversity. Productivity was influenced by the identity of the strains within an inoculant; strains with the highest individual performance showed a significant positive contribution within mixed inoculants. Overall, inoculant effectiveness was best predicted by the individual performance of the best inoculant member, and only weakly predicted by the worst performing member. Collectively, our data suggest that the Rhizobium leguminosarum - clover symbiosis displays a weak diversity-function relationship, but that inoculant performance can be improved through the inclusion of high performing strains. Given the wide environmental dependence of rhizobial inoculant quality, multi-strain inoculants could be highly successful as they increase the likelihood of including a strain well adapted to local conditions across different environments.

Comprehensive source identification and apportionment analysis of five heavy metals in soils in Wenzhou City, China.

The source identification and apportionment of heavy metals (HMs) is a vital issue for restoring contaminated soil. In this study, qualitative approaches [a finite mixture distribution model (FMDM) and raster-based principal components analysis (RB-PCA)] and a quantitative approach [positive matrix factorization (PMF)] were composed to identify and apportion the sources of five HMs (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr) in Wenzhou City, China, using several crucial auxiliary variables. An initial ecological risk assessment suggested that the ecological risk level in the study area was generally considered low, with the greatest contamination contributions coming from Cd and Hg. The result of the FMDM showed that Cd and Pb fit a single log-normal distribution, Hg fit a double log-normal mixed distribution, and As and Cr presented a triple log-normal distribution. Each element was identified and separated from its natural or anthropogenic sources. A map of RB-PCA combined with an analysis of corresponding auxiliary variables suggested that the three main contribution sources in the entire study area were parental materials, industrial and agricultural mixed pollution, and mining exploration activities. Each element was discussed, using the PMF model, with regard to its quantitative contributions. Parental materials contributed to all elements (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr) at 89.22%, 7.31%, 35.84%, 84.81% and 27.42%, respectively. Industrial emissions and agricultural inputs mixed pollution contributed 2.94%, 80.77%, 15.93%, 4.79%, and 25.63%, respectively. Mining activities contributed 7.84%,11.92%, 48.23%, 10.40% and 46.95%, respectively, to the five HMs. Such result could be used efficiently to generate scientific decisions and strategies in terms of decision-making on regulating HM pollution in soils.

Development of an interactive industrial symbiosis query system with structured industrial waste database in Taiwan

Industrial symbiosis (IS) has contributed significant environmental and economic benefits in many industrial parks or regions, with inter-firm trade of wastes or by-products for reuse. To facilitate IS in more regions, information systems and tools could help identify the opportunities for more companies to mimic the successful cases of by-product synergies. A review of existing IS information systems showed that most lack sufficient quality data, are not operational, or are not publicly accessible. In addition, studies on the development of IS information systems have only limited descriptions of the programming approaches used to create the tools for matching companies and illustrating complicated network by-product synergies based on IS data. Based on Taiwan’s waste data, this work presents a well-established IS information system with three applications designed for target users, including the companies involved in IS, the facilitators seeking to grow IS in industrial parks or regions, and waste management authorities. This web-based system was based on massive amounts of detailed industrial by-product input and output datasets. In the by-products’ records of more than one metric ton per year, there are 1833 patterns of different by-products reused by various industries. A comparison with other IS information systems and data repositories shows the advantage of using a government-owned industrial waste database with detailed waste classification in identifying massive by-product synergies. Novel data visualization technologies are employed to interactively generate diagrams or networks in response to the user selection of by-products or industries of interest. A demonstration of the query on the sugar manufacturers using sugar cane presents ten by-products and potentially 222 reuses by different industries.

Effects of open innovation breadth on industrial innovation input–output relationships

PurposeOpen innovation breadth (OIB) considers the diversity of external collaboration partners for innovation. The authors investigate the moderating effect of OIB on the relationship between industrial innovation activities (innovation inputs) and industrial innovation results (innovation outputs).Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on secondary data from the Brazilian innovation survey, representing more than 30,000 innovative companies across 55 industrial sectors.FindingsThis study’s results show that OIB has different moderating effects regarding the several innovation input–output relationships. While OIB benefits some relationships, others are hampered by the diversity of collaboration partners.Originality/valueFew studies have addressed OIB at the macro level. Using the perspective of transaction cost economics (TCE), the authors discuss the contributions and limitations of OIB at the industry level.

An overview on the conversion of glycerol to value-added industrial products via chemical and biochemical routes.

Glycerol is a common by-product of industrial biodiesel syntheses. Due to its properties, availability, and versatility, residual glycerol can be used as a raw material in the production of high value-added industrial inputs and outputs. In particular, products like hydrogen, propylene glycol, acrolein, epichlorohydrin, dioxalane and dioxane, glycerol carbonate, n-butanol, citric acid, ethanol, butanol, propionic acid, (mono-, di-, and triacylglycerols), cynamoil esters, glycerol acetate, benzoic acid, and other applications. In this context, the present study presents a critical evaluation of the innovative technologies based on the use of residual glycerol in different industries, including the pharmaceutical, textile, food, cosmetic, and energy sectors. Chemical and biochemical catalysts in the transformation of residual glycerol are explored, along with the factors to be considered regarding the choice of catalyst route used in the conversion process, aiming at improving the production of these industrial products.

Validation of bacterial markers to discriminate against the source of nitrate contamination: a promising application within the EU Nitrates Directive

The European Community (EC) Nitrates Directive (ND) (Council Directive 1991/676/EEC) aims to avoid water pollution by nitrates from poor farming practices. Under the ND, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) have been defined as areas where the concentration of agricultural nitrates in surface or groundwater exceeds 50 mg/L. Groundwater is one of the main sources of drinking water in Europe, so ensuring its quality is of significant importance. Monitoring of water parameters, the identification of pollution, the development of good agricultural practice codes is included in ND as measures and action programs. ND provides for the attribution of areas affected by nitrate pollution to the NVZ in which farmers must comply with measures necessary to reduce nitrogen in excess and protect the quality of environmental matrices. However, in some cases the quality of water bodies remains poor, suggesting that some action measures are ineffective or need improvements. Nevertheless, nitrates in excess in groundwater might be related to industrial inputs, untreated waste discharge, and sewage spilling. Due to this, identifying non-agricultural contributions to nitrate groundwater pollution can be of great interest. With this aim, the employment of biomarkers such as microbes associated with the intestinal tract of a specific host is under study for identifying fecal pollution. This strategy is known, in scientific literature, as Microbial Source Tracking (MST)(Furtula et al. 2011)The amplification of 16S rRNA genes of host-specific Bacteroidales allows discriminating against human and livestock fecal sources in samples from nitrate polluted environment. The aim of this work is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these intestinal biomarkers in groundwater samples collected along with the Apulian Region (Southern Italy) in order to assess the applicability of the MST in the employ of ND. A preliminary study was carried out to validate the performance of seven markers for MST using two different approaches: Polimerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) assays. For both PCR and qPCR experiments selected primer sets were checked using fecal samples of known origin as positive controls. PCR assay was used for human (HF74 and Enterococcus faecalis) (Bernhard and Field 2000, Jackson et al. 2004), cattle (CF123) (Bernhard and Field 2000), equine (HoF597) (Dick et al. 2005), and pig (Pig163) (Dick et al. 2005) markers screening. Two additional markers were tested through Real-time PCR: human (Human- Bacteroides) (Seurinck et al. 2005) and zootechnical (BacPre I) (Kobayashi et al. 2012). The results indicate that biomarkers can be considered reliable in distinguishing human from animal pollution. Nevertheless, our studies show that the tests conducted with the human Enterococcus faecalis biomarker do not discriminate the zootechnical source from the human one. In some cases, PCR-tested biomarkers cannot determine the source of contamination in environmental matrices due to the detection limit. Animal and human fecal markers were widely detected on eleven groundwater samples through Real Time PCR, highlighting the prevalent source of contamination in the environmental matrix. This research provides evidence that MST technology is a valid tool for local authorities to identify the source of nitrate contamination and review uncertainties during the NVZs definition and the action program development required by the European Nitrate Directive.

Co-movement of commodity price indexes and energy price index: a wavelet coherence approach

This research sheds light on the causal link between commodity price indexes, i.e., the Agricultural Raw Materials Price Index, Industry Input Price Index, Metal Price Index, and Energy Price Index, in the global market, using wavelet coherence, Toda–Yamamoto causality, and gradual shift causality tests over the period 1992M1 to 2019M12. Findings from the wavelet power spectrum and partial wavelet coherence reveal that: (1) there was significant volatility in the Agricultural Raw Materials Price Index, Industry Input Price Index, Metal Price Index, and Energy Price Index between 2004 and 2014 at different frequencies; and (2) commodity price indexes significantly caused the energy price index at different time periods and frequencies. It is noteworthy that the outcomes of the Toda–Yamamoto causality and gradual-shift causality tests are in line with the results of wavelet coherence.

Spatial-temporal characteristics of industrial land use efficiency in provincial China based on a stochastic frontier production function approach

Improving industrial land use efficiency is of great significance for sustainable industrial development. This paper measures the industrial land use efficiency (ILUE) in China, and explores its spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors by using a stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method. A translog SFA model that characterizes the relationship between industrial land productivity and land input level is established to estimate the efficiency. The estimation results of the SFA model and related tests both show that the stochastic frontier method for ILUE measurement is suitable, and the contribution rate of technical inefficiency term to the mixed error reaches 66.9%. ILUE levels in China show an increasing trend from 2004 to 2017. The average efficiency in the east is the highest. ILUE in the west gradually surpassed that in the northeast in recent years. Reduction of the inter-group difference greatly contributed to the decrease in overall difference, but it is still the main source of overall difference. Results of the inefficiency function show that enterprise ownership structure produces negative impact on ILUE. The specialization of high-tech manufacturing industry, urbanization level and transportation condition have positive influence on ILUE, while the specialization of the chemical and rubber industry and the local financial pressure exert negative effects. Based on these, some policy recommendations for ILUE improvement are further proposed.

Quantification of individual Rare Earth Elements from industrial sources in sewage sludge

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are used in increasing amounts in technical applications and consumer products. However, to date, the contribution of industrial sources to the loads of individual REEs in wastewater streams have not been quantified. Here, we determine the REE contents in sludge collected from 63 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across Switzerland. To quantify the industrial fraction of individual REEs in the sewage sludge, we develop two complementary approaches, based on REE ratios and REE pattern fitting. Unspecific (background) inputs, with REE patterns similar to the averaged REE pattern of soils collected across Switzerland, dominate the REE budget of most WWTPs. A few WWTPs receive significant REE inputs from specific industrial sources. Based on population equivalents of Switzerland, we estimate a total annual load of 4200 kg Cerium (Ce, 0.5 g Ce year-1 capita-1), with an industrial contribution of 2000 kg year-1. The latter agrees with estimates of probabilistic mass flow models for engineered nanoscale CeO2 particles discharged to the sewer network. About 7 kg year-1 of Samarium (Sm,total for Switzerland: 184 kg year-1 or 0.02 g Sm year-1 capita-1) and 3 kg year-1 of Europium (Eu,total for Switzerland: 44 kg year-1 or 0.005 g Eu year-1 capita-1) are assigned to industrial inputs from single WWTPs. Gadolinium (Gd) is used in the form of a stable complex as contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging. Assuming 10% removal of Gd during wastewater treatment, we calculate an annual discharge of 90 kg of Gd from one individual WWTP to surface waters. WWTPs with exceptionally high industrial inputs of specific REEs warrant detailed investigations to identify the respective sources and to assess whether REE concentrations in effluents are elevated to the same degree.

Export-sustained employment: accounting for exporter-heterogeneity in input–output tables

ABSTRACT Exports matter for domestic employment in both export-producing firms and upstream suppliers. Their total effect can be captured through an input–output-based indicator of export-sustained employment. However, as industry classifications used in regular input–output tables are based on product similarity, they fail to account for within-industry technological heterogeneity between exporters and other firms, which may lead to a bias in results for export-sustained employment. In this paper, we describe the breakdown of manufacturing industries into export-oriented and domestic-oriented firms in Belgian input–output tables and employment data based on detailed firm-level data for industry totals and input–output structures. Based on the resulting export-heterogeneous tables, we find that 585,000 jobs or 13% of economy-wide employment in Belgium is sustained by manufacturing exports. This is overestimated by 4% with regular tables. Moreover, we identify who contributes to and who gains from exports for groups of firms rather than aggregated industries.

Influence of lithium amount on vitreous enamel properties

Lithium is the lightest of all metals and the third element in the periodic table. Recent years, lithium salts have become an important input for the energy industry. Lithium carbonate and hydroxides are the basic building blocks of Li-ion battery production. The usage areas of lithium compounds are not limited to only energy; they are also utilized in heavy-duty machines, in the aluminum industry, in nuclear power plants and for glass, ceramics, frit, and coatings in industrial sectors. Lithium has also been found to be very useful in the development of harder, smoother, and more resistant low-temperature glasses, glazes, and enamels. It is also used in very-low-melting-point vitreous compositions like aluminum enamels, colors, fluxes, and glass-seals. The use of lithium also helps in the development of low-expansion bodies, glazes, and glasses. In this study, it is intended to explore the adherence forces in the steel sheet application of different amounts of lithium in enamel frit composition and to examine surface characteristics such as ease of cleaning, gloss, and color. For chemical characterization, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and color measurements were done with a Minolta CM-700d spectrometer device. Bond adherence tests were performed in accordance with the TS EN 10209 standard.

Words Matter: A Commentary and Glossary of Definitions for Microbiological Quality.

In the design, control, and regulation of the manufacturing and supply of microbiologically controlled devices (including sterile devices) and drug products (including cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization processing and/or aseptic process manufacturing), different terms and/or definitions are often used internationally for similar processes or applications. With product innovations (including combination products and cell-based therapy) and global regulatory influences, there is a growing need to harmonize these definitions. The objective of the Kilmer Regulatory Innovation microbiological quality and sterility assurance glossary is to clarify and harmonize the practical use of terms employed by the different parts of regulated health care product industries internationally and by regulators of the manufacturing and supply of microbiologically controlled health care products internationally. The glossary is expected to continue to evolve; and further industry, academic, and regulatory input is encouraged.

Contested Grasslands: Commons and the Unequal Land-Costs to Sustain Soil Fertility in Preindustrial Agriculture

AbstractMaintaining soil fertility was the most pressing problem in preindustrial agriculture. Prior to the arrival of industrial inputs, farmers relied on ecological soil replenishment processes and biological fertilizing techniques to sustain the productivity of soil. Central European farmers actively managed the cycling of nutrients by keeping livestock. Farm animals provided the means to recycle nutrients from crop production and to transfer nutrients from land-use systems dedicated for biomass extraction, such as grasslands. This article explores the unequal distribution of these vital resources in the Manor Bruck, Austria, and its impact on landlord’s and peasant’s abilities to meet the “land costs” of sustaining soil fertility. The article tests the hypothesis as to whether inequality was a major driver for unsustainable farming practices and the degradation of agro-ecosystems in the long run. Focal points are commons and communal land-use systems and their role in cycling nutrients through the agricultural landscape. Commons in the Manor Bruck comprised vast grasslands, which provided an important ecological buffer to balance the continuous export of nutrients from crop production for all actors. The aim is to demonstrate how social conflict emerging from the competition over commons guides us to the specific sustainability challenges faced by farmers.