Mode Of Production Research Articles

On the optimality of stepwise policies for managing capacity, inventory and backorders

We consider the problem of simultaneously managing capacity, inventory and backorders in a multi-mode production environment modelled via Brownian motion. The presence of more than two production modes adds an additional level of complexity: not just when to change modes, but also which mode to change to. We show that, under the two assumptions that demand is the overriding source of variability in the process and that the cost to change from one production mode to another is proportional to the difference in the production capacities, a policy that moves stepwise among the modes minimizes the long-run average cost. Examples demonstrate that if either assumption is violated no policy that moves stepwise among the modes may be optimal. To focus on the complexity of identifying when to change modes and which mode to change to, we restrict our model to simple convex holding and backorder costs and linear processing costs and costs for rejecting demand and idling capacity. We adopt the economic average cost model that allows the manager to reject demand or idle capacity at any time. We demonstrate that under our two assumptions we may impose an ordering assumption on the relative value functions that dramatically simplifies the classic Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations. We show that under the economic average cost model a production mode that is initially unattractive may later become attractive as new modes are added. Our arguments are essentially constructive and lead to a practical algorithm for finding an optimal policy.

The synergy effect of agricultural dual-scale management on farmers' income: evidence from rural China

PurposeThis study aims to estimate the synergy effect of agricultural dual-scale management (ADM) on farmers' total household income, its heterogeneous effects and its mechanisms.Design/methodology/approachThis study constructs a theoretical analysis framework based on the division of labor and synergy theory, empirically assesses the impact of ADM on farmers' income, and further discusses the heterogeneity and mechanisms using the propensity score matching (PSM) and quantile treatment effect (QTE) models. Data is collected from 1,076 households across 4 cities in Liaoning Province of China in 2021.FindingsADM can improve the total household income of farmers, and the impact force is greater than that of the single-scale management mode. ADM is more conducive to improving the income of farmers with low income and low labor endowment. Moreover, ADM can improve agriculture production efficiency, increase net grain production income. Nevertheless, it has no significant effect on farmers' off-farm employment income.Originality/valuePrevious studies have mainly focused on the income effect of land scale management or service scale management. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to identify the synergy effect of ADM on farmers' income in China. It provides new insights into the process of agricultural production and management mode transitions in rural China.

Amazon Transition - Cerrado: Agricultural Frontier and Sustainability in The State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Objective: The present study aimed to demonstrate the relevance of agribusiness and highlight sustainable development actions in the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone, in the center-north of the state of Mato Grosso, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Theoretical framework: This topic sought to contemplate the aspects of sustainable food production, in a holistic view that minimizes environmental impacts, in order to stimulate sustainable management, efficient use of resources and inputs in the various sustainable economic activities. Method: Theoretical framework on the subject, research based on Web of Science and Google scholar, tabulation of data and elaboration of a table with sustainable initiatives and a map of the location of the Amazon-Cerrado transition zone. Results and conclusion: In parallel to the large-scale agro-export production mode, several initiatives of agroecological production, natural extractivism, integration between forest, crops and livestock were identified in the research using techniques that seek environmental sustainability and sustainable local development in the region of the study. Implications of the research: In line with the environmental theme, the study presents and discusses relevant initiatives in society associating agribusiness and sustainable development. Originality/value: Preparation of an unprecedented map of the municipalities of Mato Grosso that are located in the transition zone of the Amazon - Cerrado biomes and a table with organizations, activities and sustainable actions developed in the transition area and respective associations with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, with a discussion on proactive activities aimed at developing the region in focus.

Impact of next-generation Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) on international relations

The new generation of artificial intelligence technologies occurrence represented by ChatGPT is the beginning of the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) era. In contrast to the impact of weak AI technologies on international relations discussed in the previous era, AGI is no longer just a tool in the traditional sense. The human-computer integration facilitated by AGI technology will rapidly and deeply penetrate into all areas of social policy and economy. It also may change the mode of social production and economic development, influence international relations and geopolitics by transforming the comprehensive state capacity, and simultaneously force new challenges in global governance. The acknowledgement of a new generation of AGI technological qualitative changes’ impact on future changes in international relations is no longer the fantasy; the underlying AGI changes in labour productivity will certainly lead to a disruptive reconfiguration of future international relations.

Research on Optimization of Financial Performance Evaluation of Energy Enterprises under the Background of Low-Carbon Economy

The development of human society and the production and operation activities of enterprises have brought about global warming, resulting in frequent natural disasters. It has become the consensus of all countries in the world to develop a green and low-carbon economy. Under this background, enterprises, as the main body of economic activities, especially energy industry enterprises, should optimize and upgrade the traditional production and operation mode with high pollution, high consumption, and low output to a high-efficiency and low-pollution mode, and pay attention to the co-ordinated development of economic benefits, social benefits, and ecological benefits. Financial performance evaluation indicators have become the main basis for senior leaders of energy industry enterprises to make decisions and evaluate the low-carbon economic benefits of enterprises. This paper constructs a set of financial evaluation index systems of energy industry enterprises under the background of a low-carbon economy from four dimensions: profitability, asset quality, debt risk, and business growth. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to measure the comprehensive contribution of financial indicators of low-carbon production and operation. The purpose of this study is to provide scientific financial management decisions for energy enterprises to reduce costs and increase the efficiency and low-carbon operation under the background of a low-carbon economy. The research results show that the comprehensive evaluation index system after the traditional financial evaluation index of energy industry enterprises is integrated with the evaluation index of a low-carbon economy can help enterprises make more correct and effective financial decisions in the process of survival, development, and growth, and, at the same time, the financial evaluation index of a low-carbon economy should pay more attention to the indicators with a higher comprehensive contribution, so as to effectively promote the low-carbon operation efficiency of enterprise production, management, and sales. Compared with other research results, this paper innovatively constructs a financial management decision-making index system for measuring the low-carbon operation of energy enterprises in theory, which has important value in guiding energy enterprises to reduce costs and increase the efficiency and low-carbon operation in practice.

The “Boundary” of Technology, Culture, and Digitalization

Human beings use various techniques to change their mode of production and lifeworld. However, modern technology is becoming increasingly self-oriented and is threatening human subjectivity. The digital revolution, with its unprecedented “surpassing” capability, breaks through various boundaries of human social life and, in reality, increasingly escapes from human control. The digital mode of thinking involves both formality and power. When social beings and humanities become products and commodities, and when “artificial humans” such as electronic humans, robots, intelligent humans, and genetic humans can be mass-produced, “natural humans” seem to disappear. The social organizations, lifestyles, ethics, and legal systems that are composed and created by natural beings can no longer be maintained. If humans have always dreamed of enhancing their potential by integrating technology science with social ethics and humanistic values, the building of digital ethics and digital cultural values then becomes a must. And the basis for all of these is to acknowledge and maintain some basic boundaries. The most important one is the boundary between human nature/self and “non-human”—the boundary between human beings and the external world. If human nature resists digitalization, humans will never be “assimilated” by technology. The survival of human beings and the continuation of civilization require a balance among technology, digitalization, humanity, and ethics to secure human subjectivity over technocracy.

Enterprise service-oriented transformation and sustainable development driven by digital technology

The deep integration of digital technology and the real economy not only affects the production and operation mode of enterprises, but also becomes the promoter of service-oriented transformation and the driving force of sustainable development. Based on the text analysis method, this paper uses the data of Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises from 2011 to 2020 to study the impact of digital technology application on the service-oriented transformation and sustainable development of enterprises. It is found that digital technology application significantly improves the environmental performance and economic performance of enterprises by driving their service-oriented transformation and technological innovation, and then enhances their sustainable development. The improvement effect of digital technology application on the sustainable development of resource-based enterprises and capital-intensive enterprises is more significant. The conclusion in this paper provides micro-evidence for understanding the role of digital technology in addressing environmental issues and sustainable development.

Electrically Small, Near-Field Resonant Parasitic Monopole Antenna With Large Gain-Bandwidth Product and Harmonic Modes Migration

Electrically Small, Near-Field Resonant Parasitic Monopole Antenna With Large Gain-Bandwidth Product and Harmonic Modes Migration

Perkembangan Istana Budaya Sebagai Sebuah Panggung Negara di Malaysia (1999–2019)

Since the establishment of Istana Budaya (IB) in 1999 as the national theatre house of Malaysia, its function has changed from a production house to a receiving house. Up to 2019, IB had been administered by six different ministries and led by five different directors. Both these changes have influenced the type of performance and production mode at IB as a world class performing arts centre. In the field of theatre management, this article studies IB under the sub-field of management of a performing arts institution. This article focuses on the reason for a performing arts institution to change its function and how this change has influenced its’ operation as a national theatre. Thus, this article aims to answer the question “How does the changes of ministry and the leadership of IB influence its production mode as the national theatre?”. Data for this study were obtained by employing the historical approach and oral history method. The data were obtained from books, journals, theses, annual reports, meetings’ minutes and policy papers. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with some of the former directors and senior officers of the national theatre. Two major findings that were obtained from this study are the function of the national theatre transformed in accordance with the ministry that led the organisation. Visionary and adept leaders ensured its operation and productivity achieved the national theatre’s vision and mission. For the past two decades, the ministry responsible for the national theatre and its leadership had influenced its operation mode and productivity as the national performing arts institution of Malaysia.

Analysis of the Development Trajectory of Marxs Historical Philosophy

In his early years, Marx, inspired by Hegel, believed that history is a process of dynamic evolution. Therefore, he also paid attention to the replacement of social forms and the differences in social forms among different ethnic groups. While Hegel believed that the driving force of historical progress lies in spirit, Marx focused more on the role of material in it. Thus, in his theories of social forms and world history, Marx emphasized the historical progress brought about by changes in the mode of production. Based on this, Marx expounded his views on the evolution of social forms and the development status and prospects of world history. He consistently held a equality political inclination and continued to pay attention to the oppression suffered by backward nations. This paper summarizes Marxs social form theory, world history theory, and his related discussions on backward nations in his historical philosophy. It outlines the global perspective from the internal social evolution of nations to the coordinated development of the world, and then to Marxs humanitarian care for backward nations.

Feminist analysis of Rupa Bajwa’s: The sari shop

An analysis of the ‘The Sari Shop’ by Rupa Bajwa using Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Theory of women and economics has been attempted. The Researcher has analyzed the different ways and circumstances through which the women protagonists were made to leave productive modes of employment to take up reproductive employment and the benefits offered to them, the consequences and the intermingling of both capitalism and patriarchy to keep those women under subjugation along with the consequences of the rebellion lead by the protagonists which differed according to their class, family and educational background.

From the Realm of Freedom to Institution Building

Marx’s articles on freedom and necessity have aroused great interest and substantive debate, especially in volume III of Das Kapital. It is worth noting that fundamental questions of revolutionary change are at the core of these debates. For Marx, systemic contradictions in any given mode of production were bound to lead to revolutionary shifts. Within capitalism, for example, the contradictions between the productive forces and the relations of production develop to the point where the proletariat becomes aware of their alienated existence and subsequently overthrows the exploiting ruling class.

Ultrasonication followed by aqueous two-phase system for extraction, on-site modification and isolation of microalgal starch with reduced digestibility

Microalgae are new and sustainable sources of starch with higher productivity and flexible production modes than conventional terrestrial crops, but the downstream processes need further development. Here, ultrasonication (with power of 200 W or 300 W and duration of 10, 15, 20, or 25 min) was applied to simultaneously extract and modify starch from a marine microalga Tetraselmis subcordiformis for reducing the digestibility, and an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of ethanol/NaH2PO4 was then used to isolate the starches with varied properties. Increasing ultrasonic duration facilitated the partition of starch into the bottom pellet, while enhancing the ultrasonic power was conducive to the allocation in the interphase of the ATPS. The overall starch recovery yield reached 73 ∼ 87 % and showed no significant difference among the ultrasonic conditions tested. The sequential ultrasonication-ATPS process successfully enriched the starch with purities up to 65 % ∼ 88 %, which was among the top levels reported in microalgal starch isolated. Ultrasonication produced more amylose which was mainly fractionated into the interface of the ATPS. The digestibility of the starch was altered under different ultrasonic conditions and varied from different ATPS phases as well, with the one under the ultrasonic power of 200 W for 15 min at the bottom pellet having the highest resistant starch content (RS, 39.7 %). The structural and compositional analysis evidenced that the ultrasonication-ATPS process could exert impacts on the digestibility through altering the surface roughness and fissures of the starch granules, modulating the impurity compositions (protein and lipid) that could interact with starch, and modifying the long- and short-range ordered structures. The developed ultrasonication-ATPS process provided novel insights into the mechanism and strategy for efficient production of functional starch from microalgae with a potential in industrial application.

Capitalism and the ‘commercial determinants of health’: A more-than-human micropolitics

This paper argues that studies of the ‘commercial determinants of health’ (CDoH) need to acknowledge fully the part the capitalist mode of commodity production and exchange plays in producing negative health outcomes. This proposition is supported by recourse to a recent development in political economy that has established a more-than-human, relational and monist (or ‘flat’) ontology of capitalism, in place of the more conventional neo-Marxist perspective. This ontology reveals a dynamic to capitalism that operates beyond human intentionality, driven by the supply of, and demand for the capacities of commodities. This dynamic determines the production and consumption of all commodities, some among which (such as tobacco, alcohol and processed foods) contribute to ill-health. A case study of food consumption reveals how these supply and demand affects drive ‘unhealthy’ food choices by consumers. Ways to undermine this more-than-human dynamic are offered as an innovative approach to addressing the effects of commerce and capitalism upon health.

Capital is Dead. Long Live Capital! A Political Marxist Analysis of Digital Capitalism and Infrastructure

There is a growing literature suggesting that the digital economy is taking us out of capitalism. While this manifests most notably as a diagnosis of ‘digital feudalism’ or ‘techno-feudalism’, a differing voice is McKenzie Wark, who suggests we have entered an entirely new mode of production altogether: ‘vectoralism’. This paper historicises and theorises our current conjuncture in relation to the potential multiplicity of modes of production, and the materiality and imperialism of telecommunication infrastructures. We approve of Wark's development of new concepts, rather than turning to ahistorical regurgitations like ‘neo-feudalism’. However, we argue that the mode of production lens is not adequate to trace what we consider as more granular changes and that it risks packaging old wine in new bottles. For example, Wark's vectoral claims remain grounded in infrastructures such as undersea cables that are used by corporations and states as strategies of legal and economic imperialism reminiscent of the 19th century world order. Instead of examining this topic through a mode of production lens, we contend that these phenomena are better traced through a processual (rather than functional) and socially determined (rather than economically determined) method of historical materialism. In this regard, we adopt an approach closer to that of E. P. Thompson and Political Marxists, such as Brenner and Wood. To support our argument, we turn to both wider Marxist theory on the mode of production, which we then anchor in empirical works from contemporary critical infrastructure and communication studies.

Adjacent well casing damage caused by fluid pressure intrusion in multistage fracturing

Nowadays, the large cluster well factory production mode is widely applied, which means that multistage fracturing can cause casing damage not only to the construction well but also to the adjacent well. To explore the cause of casing deformation caused by fluid pressure intrusion in multistage fracturing, a three-dimensional model of multistage fracturing in two wells is established based on natural fractures. The new model has reached dimensions of 1500 m × 300 m × 100 m, essentially achieving a 1:1 scale modeling. In addition, on the basis of large-scale modeling, adjacent wells have been taken into consideration for the first time. The multistage fracturing construction is simulated through the Abaqus finite element model. Results indicate that the multistage fracturing construction of a well not only transforms the stratum near the well, but also the extended hydraulic fractures have a certain effect on the stratum of neighboring wells at a close distance, causing natural fractures near the neighboring wells to slip. In this study, the control variable method was used to evaluate different influencing factors, determine the relationship between influencing factors and adjacent casing deformation, and put forward optimization design suggestions, which provided a reference for preventing and controlling casing deformation caused by fluid pressure intrusion.

Research on joint scheduling method of order grading and machine maintenance

AbstractIn the multi‐variety and large‐scale order production mode, enterprises must balance delivery deadlines and maintain customer satisfaction while also considering the health status of machines. Therefore, the authors propose a method for jointly optimising production scheduling and machine maintenance. Before machine processing, an order value grading and sorting model and a machine health‐status group partitioning model are constructed to classify orders into different production value levels and machines into different health‐status groups, respectively. During machine processing, based on the Weibull distribution theory, a ‘health evaluation function value’ constraint machine preventive maintenance (PM) model and PM strategy are proposed to account for the changing health status of machines; these are integrated with the order allocation machine strategy as decision‐making elements in the production schedule. Finally, two case studies are used to verify the effectiveness of this proposed model and method. The results show that compared to general scheduling schemes, the proposed method can reduce total delay and improve customer satisfaction. Additionally, the PM plan proposed in this method can improve production efficiency and line stability compared to periodic maintenance.

Organic vs. Integrated-Production Agriculture Farming: Which Grapevine Stress-Responsive Genes Are Affected by the Application of Resistance Inducers and Elicitors?

With the rising prominence of organic farming systems in European Union countries, motivated by agricultural policies, there is pressure for effective disease management strategies. To address this challenge, the use of plant resistance inducers (PRIs) and elicitors has emerged as a promising approach. In this study, we compared the impact of integrated production with organic agriculture farming practices, specifically applying PRIs and elicitors in the latter, on the expression levels of stress-responsive genes in two grapevine cultivars, ‘Alicante Bouschet’ and ‘Trincadeira’. Our findings revealed that the organic farming system led to upregulation of eight of the 12 studied genes in at least one cultivar, indicating a significant influence of production mode. The upregulated genes were associated with plant stress-responsive genes (PR1, PR2, PR4, and TLP9), sugar metabolism (HT5), phenylpropanoids (STS1), enzymes related to jasmonic acid synthesis and response to biotic stresses, respectively (LOX, PER42). Also, the ‘Alicante Bouschet’ cultivar consistently displayed significantly higher levels of transcript accumulation on most of the stress-related genes compared to the ‘Trincadeira’ cultivar in both production modes. Our study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of PRIs and elicitors in increasing plant expression levels of stress-responsive genes, leading to greater resilience to pathogen attacks and emphasizing their position in organic agriculture.

Spatial characteristics and ecological wisdom of Amdo Tibetan traditional dwellings in western Sichuan

ABSTRACT Amdo Tibetans are an important part of the three major Tibetan areas in western Sichuan. Their production and life style rooted in the Ruoergai grassland pastoral area is significantly different from that of Kangba Tibetans and Jiarong Tibetans, which are widely distributed in the valley areas. However, due to the relatively small population size and distribution range, there is still a lack of research on the space of multi-Tibetan settlements in western Sichuan, which makes the unique spatial characteristics of grassland dwellings and their generation logic unclear. Based on a large number of literature studies and field investigations, this paper systematically analyzes its location pattern, spatial layout and material application from the perspective of ecological wisdom through spatial analysis, comparative analysis and other methods. The results show that there are obvious differences in spatial form between the Tibetan dwellings in Anduo grassland in western Sichuan and the Tibetan settlements in Kangba and Jiarong. The scattered siting model is used to cope with the impact of bad climate and the characteristics of widely dispersed production factors. The diversified, specialized and open yard space layout is adapted to the production mode of pastoral areas. Local materials such as manure are used to build settlement space according to local conditions. This study reveals the spatial characteristics and environmental adaptation wisdom of multi-Tibetan grassland dwellings in western Sichuan, complements and improves the Tibetan research system and content in western Sichuan, and provides theoretical guidance for the healthy and sustainable development of multi-Tibetan settlements in western Sichuan.

ACSICS: Joint Distribution Mode Integrating Agricultural Industry Chain Logistics Under the Background of Artificial Intelligence

The purpose is to study the new application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the Agro logistics industry distribution modes. This work summarizes the problems in agricultural logistics by investigating the current situation of the logistics distribution modes (LDMs) of Agro products and establishes a joint LDM integrating logistics and agricultural industry chain (AIC). An intelligent virtual center is established for the joint LDM according to the specific situation of Xi’an. Experts are invited to evaluate the proposed LDM. The results show that the existing third-party logistics (3PL), agricultural supermarket docking LDM, and company+farmer shared LDM have respective advantages and disadvantages. The virtual center for the proposed joint LDM multiplies the weight matrix [Formula: see text] and fuzzy evaluation matrix A to obtain a comprehensive fuzzy evaluation result. It evaluates the result according to the maximum membership criterion. Most experts have a relatively good evaluation of the joint LDM. In the comprehensive fuzzy evaluation results, the comprehensive “excellent” score is 0.3755, and the comprehensive “good” score is 0.2678. According to the principle of maximum subordination, the AIC logistics integrating Agro products logistics has an excellent performance, and the overall satisfaction level of performance has exceeded 85%. In addition, Yonghui supermarket adopts the joint LDM, and the price of fruits and vegetables is lower than that of other LDMs. Therefore, the proposed AI-based joint LDM can optimize the distribution route, improve distribution efficiency, and save logistics costs to a great extent.