Production Value Research Articles

Effect of sward species diversity combined with a reduction in nitrogen fertilizer on the performances of spring calving grazing dairy cows

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of sward diversification combined with a reduction of chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer on the performance of spring calving grazing dairy cows within a farm systems experiment. Three farmlets were created; a monoculture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.; PRG) fertilized with 250 kg N/ha (PRG-250N), a PRG - white clover (Trifolium repens; WC) sward fertilized with 125 kg N/ha (PRGWC-125N) and a multispecies sward (MSS) comprising of grasses, legumes and herbs also fertilized with 125 kg N/ha (MSS-125N). Each farmlet had its own herd of dairy cows on a total area of 18.7 ha divided into 20 paddocks. Each herd was comprised of pure Holstein-Friesian (HF) and HF Jersey crossbred (JFX) animals and randomly assigned through the 3 treatments. For 3 years (2021 to 2023), the performances of both swards (grass yield, botanical composition, nutritive value) and grazing animals (milk production and composition, body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS)) were recorded. There were no significant differences in pasture production or sward nutritive value between sward systems and grazing season length was also similar (264 d). On average over the 3 years, PRGWC-125N contained 150 g/kg DM of legumes and the MSS-125N contained 160 g/kg DM legumes, 130 g/kg DM plantain and 40 g/kg DM chicory. Both individual cow milk and fat plus protein (Milk solids; MS) yield were lower for PRG-250N (5,018 and 452 kg, respectively), intermediate for PRGWC-125N (5,139 and 463 kg, respectively) and highest for MSS-125N (5,297 and 476 kg, respectively) while milk and MS production per hectare from grazing were similar during the study period (11,523 and 1,016 kg/ha, respectively). Breed also had a significant effect with the JFX having lower milk yield but higher fat and protein concentration compared with HF. This resulted in higher MS production per kg of BW for the JFX compared with HF (0.96 and 0.87 kg MS/kg BW, respectively). The results of this study highlight the possibility for more diverse pastures to reduce chemical N fertilizer input requirements and maintain pasture productivity while increasing animal performance within pasture-based spring calving systems.

Performance analysis of a pilot gasification system of biomass with stepwise intake of air-steam considering waste heat utilization

Although the fixed-bed gasifier is widely used because of their simple structure, easy operation, and strong adaptability to biomass type, its economy is weakened by their low bioenergy conversion ability and heat utilization efficiency. Therefore, a novel biomass gasifier with stepwise intake of air–steam is proposed, which also innovatively integrates the concept of multi-stage utilization of waste heat generated during the gasification process into its design. And a pilot system comprising the novel biomass gasifier with a biomass consumption of 30 kg/h has been built. A series of continuous air-steam gasification experiments on pine wood particles shown that, the high-temperature steam in the reduction zone enhanced the ring opening of aromatic hydrocarbons, decarboxylation, dehydroxylation, and the conversion of long-chain to short-chain hydrocarbons, thus increasing the yield of small-molecule gases. The steam reforming reaction played an active role in increasing the hydrogen content, the gasification gas's production and low calorific value. And the relationship among the reaction rates on the surface of char should be VC + H2O＞VC+2H2O＞VC + CO2＞VC+2H2. The minimum input temperature of steam was 350 °C, otherwise more char would be consumed in the oxidation zone to provide heat. The proposed steam-air gasification system achieved optimal performance with an air-to-steam mass ratio (A/S) of approximately 8, a steam temperature of 400 °C, and an air-to-biomass mass ratio (A/B) of 1.2. The average gas production could reach 2.67 m3/kg, with the average low calorific value of 5.1 MJ/m3. The average hydrogen content could reach 20 %, with the average H2/CO ratio of 2. The average effective gasification efficiency could reach 69.72 %. Compared with air gasification, the proposed air-steam gasification was equivalent to the use of 1 kWh of electricity to produce 2.4 kWh of electricity. Combining market research, the price of steam produced by the proposed system was approximately 70 CNY/t less than when using natural gas. This study aims to provide a technical reference for improving the performance of biomass gasification in practical applications.

Possibilities of Changes in Energy Intensity of Production Depending on the Scale of Farm Investments in a Polish Region

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the possibility of changes in energy intensity of production in the context of farm investment scale. The empirical section relies on unpublished FADN microdata. The study answers the question of whether investments and fixed capital growth can contribute to improvements in environmental performance of agricultural production. As it turns out, the group of farms with the greatest amount of investments saw an increase in energy consumption costs, though at a much slower rate than growth in production value. As a result, there was a drop in energy intensity of production, defined as the ratio between energy costs and production value. These findings corroborate the hypothesis advanced in this study, namely that upon reaching a sufficiently large amount of investments, farms can become capable of reducing the energy intensity of their production activity. Hence, higher levels of capital productivity are attained when the farms invest in more energy-efficient fixed assets. Conclusions cannot be universal, as the analysis involved a portion of selected farms. However, the research indicates a trend in the study of energy intensity of production depending on the scale of investment and the validity of the investment comprehensiveness approach. These conclusions provide a basis for recommendations for an agricultural policy which should include support for investments that are large and comprehensive (in relation to the farm’s assets) and go beyond the simple renewal of assets. Therefore, in its investment-oriented measures, the agricultural policy should take the innovativeness (including energy efficiency) criterion into account.

A localised perspective in educational policy studies: understanding actor interaction in a Hong Kong school through mohap

ABSTRACT Asia as Method, in decolonial thinking, endorses the value of local knowledge while concurrently recognizing colonial and global knowledges’ ongoing influence and potential value in knowledge production. The author takes such a decolonial approach to examine how actors interact in translating the Fine-tuning Medium of Instruction Policy in a Hong Kong school. To grasp the nuances of actor interaction, the Cantonese term mohap (wearing in) is employed. Three concepts from distinct traditions are used to explain mohap: meritocracy, harmony and agency. This study examines actors’ mohap process through three stages: How actors perceive the government guidelines, form the school-based policy, and develop the school-based policy. The findings show that actors’ mohap in the local context entails the meritocracy ideology, sought-after harmony, and actor agency. It reveals the need and the potential of localised approaches to educational policy studies in the Global South.

Sedimentation Analysis Study in Lake Tondano Due to the Development of the Surrounding Area

Background Population growth has increased the need for food, putting great pressure on the environment. This has triggered economic development and land use alternation, which have a major impact on the hydrological cycle. Natural and human factors have impacted the water catchment area of uncontrolled land cover changes in Lake Tondano, which is shallow from a depth of 36 meters to 14 meters due to soil erosion. Objective This research emphasizes the assessment of the lake, considering the efforts of conservation and analyzing its influence on the erosion rate and shallowing of the lake. The impact of land use dynamics on sedimentation is essential in providing alternative efforts for land conservation and, subsequently, optimum utilization. Methods The analyzing process requires rainfall data and land use maps, including soil type maps and land slope data, while the process itself is assisted by spreadsheets and GIS. In addition, the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) model deliver the expected result of the total sediment production entering the lake. Results The calculated total value of actual sediment production governs the thickness of sediment deposition at the bottom of the lake. Conclusion The research concludes that the thickness of sediment deposition at lake bottom can be resolved by the total value of actual sediment production, whereas the value is analyzed from the USLE and SDR models previously correlated to bathymetry measurement.

When and how it is good for fashion to look typical: visual prototypicality affecting product valuation and brand preference

PurposeAlthough visual prototypicality in fashion is an observed phenomenon, empirical examinations of the link between fashion products' design prototypicality and consumer evaluations still need to be included. The present study analyzes the influence of the visual prototypicality of fashion products on consumer-perceived product values and brand preference.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey adopting the fashion product images with significantly differing levels of visual prototypicality was used to collect data from 456 US consumers. The hypothesized relationships among visual prototypicality, product values and brand preference were analyzed through multi-group analysis.FindingsPerceived visual typicality of fashion product designs significantly increased the hedonic and utilitarian value of the product and only indirectly increase brand preference. The hypothesized positive relationship between visual prototypicality and the product’s social value was found to be significant only in the low-price levels but became insignificant in the high-price levels.Originality/valueThe findings of this study contribute to the extant literature by first providing an initial analysis of the mechanism of visual prototypicality in the fashion product design field. The results confirm that visual prototypicality indirectly influences consumers' brand evaluations by the product’s perceived value. This relationship was previously assumed but not empirically proven only in non-fashion product categories. The study also presents additional new points, further enriching the understanding of visual typicality. Additionally, the results show the complex relationship between the visual prototypicality of fashion product designs and the perceived social value of the product, which varies depending on the price range.

Music source feature extraction based on improved attention mechanism and phase feature

Music source feature extraction is an important research direction in music information retrieval and music recommendation system. To extract the features of music sources more effectively, the study introduces the jump attention mechanism and combines it with the convolutional attention module. Also, a feature extraction module based on Unet + + and spatial attention module is proposed. In addition, the phase feature information of the mixed music signals is utilized to improve the network performance. Results showed that this model was studied to perform well in music source separation experiments of vocals and accompaniment. For vocal separation on the MIR-1K dataset, the model achieves 11.25 dB, 17.34 dB, and 13.83 dB for each metric, respectively. Meanwhile, for drum separation on the DSD100 dataset, the model achieves a median signal-to-source distortion ratio of 4.36 dB, which is 2.91 dB better than that of the Spectral Hierarchical Network model. For the separation of the bass sound and the human voice, the model's in the separation of bass and human voice, the median distortion ratio of the model is as high as 4.87 dB and 6.09 dB, which is better than that of the Spectral Hierarchical Network model. This indicates the significant performance advantages in feature extraction and separation of music sources, and it has important application values in music production and speech recognition.

Evaluation of Totarol for Promoting Open Wound Healing in Dogs.

This study investigates the susceptibility of common pathogens to totarol and assesses its clinical effectiveness in promoting wound healing in client-owned dogs with open wounds. Twenty-three client-owned dogs with open wounds were divided into two groups: (1) the treatment group (T-group) and (2) the control group (C-group). Clinical samples were collected from the wounds for the bacterial identification and determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of totarol. In the T-group, wounds were treated with standard wound care together with the application at a dosage of 0.3 mL (two sprays) of commercial totarol product per 25 cm2 of the wound area. The C-group received only standard wound care. This in vitro study found that totarol exhibited antimicrobial activity against both standard pathogens and clinical wound pathogens. The MIC values of totarol dissolved in absolute ethyl alcohol were 4 µg/mL for Gram-positive pathogens and ranged from 256 to 512 µg/mL for Gram-negative pathogens. However, the MIC values of the commercial totarol product ranged from 512 to 1024 for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Clinically, the use of a commercial totarol product as an adjunctive therapy significantly improved wound healing, as indicated by a greater percentage of wound area reduction (p < 0.05). From day 2 to day 7 of the treatment, the percentage of wound area reduction differed significantly between the T-group and the C-group. At the end of the study, the average percentage of wound area reduction was 69.18% ± 18.12 and 41.50% ± 20.23 in the T-group and C-group, respectively. The finding of this study illustrates the antimicrobial properties of totarol and its product against prevalent wound pathogens. These results suggest the potential of totarol as an adjunctive option for canine wound care.

Current Challenges of Vaccination in Fish Health Management.

Vaccination is an essential method of immunological preventive care required for the health management of all animals, including fish. More particularly, immunization is necessary for in-land aquaculture to manage diseases in fish broodstocks and healthy seed production. According to the latest statistics in 2020, 90.3 million tons of capture fishery production was achieved from the aquaculture sector. Out of the above, 78.8 million tons were from marine water aquaculture sectors, and 11.5 million tons were from inland water aquaculture sectors. About a 4% decline in fish production was achieved in 2020 in comparison to 2018 from inland aquaculture sectors. On the other hand, the digestive protein content, healthy fats, and nutritional values of fish products are comparatively more affordable than in other meat sources. In 2014, about 10% of aquatic cultured animals were lost (costing global annual losses > USD 10 billion) due to infectious diseases. Therefore, vaccination in fish, especially in broodstocks, is one of the essential approaches to stop such losses in the aquaculture sector. Fish vaccines consist of whole-killed pathogens, protein subunits, recombinant proteins, DNA, or live-attenuated vaccines. Challenges persist in the adaption of vaccination in the aquaculture sector, the route of administration, the use of effective adjuvants, and, most importantly, the lack of effective results. The use of autogenous vaccines; vaccination via intramuscular, intraperitoneal, or oral routes; and, most importantly, adding vaccines in feed using top dressing methods or as a constituent in fish feed are now emerging. These methods will lower the risk of using antibiotics in cultured water by reducing environmental contamination.

Economic Analysis of Sturgeon Farming and Caviar Production: A Case Study of an Italian Fish Farm

Sturgeon farming poses an interesting decision: give priority to highly prized caviar or meat. Indeed, sturgeons are mainly reared in aquaculture to produce caviar. However, the economic profitability of a sturgeon farm also depends on the existence of a meat market. Meat is still an important product for sturgeon farmers once the stock of caviar-producing females has been established. This paper takes a case study approach and analyses how an Italian producer addresses the trade-off, adopting a methodology that measures the value of the economic productivity of production inputs, e.g., the measure of the profitability of the inputs, and compares them with the costs of the inputs and the prices of the outputs. This analysis is the first attempt, to our knowledge, to adopt an economic analysis to address this choice problem, based on a very representative case study. This helps monitor whether the farm’s production choices are economically efficient and effective and whether and how those can be improved. The results show that the farm maximizes profit but does not reach its optimal production level. This implies that both (1) producing more output and (2) a further switch to caviar production for less meat are economically efficient production strategies.

Plant Design for the Production of Propylene Oxide by Isopropylbenzene 2-phenylpropane, or (1-Methylethyl) Benzene (Cumene)

Cumene is a colorless, volatile liquid with a gasoline-like odor. It’s also known as isopropylbenzene, 2-phenylpropane, or (1-methylethyl) benzene. It’s a natural component of coal tar and crude oil, and it can also be employed in gasoline as a blending component. Cumene hydroperoxide is produced by oxidizing cumene with benzene and propylene in the presence of air. As a result, the cumene hydroperoxide is changed to cumyl alcohol, which is then transformed to propylene without the use of oxygen. Propylene oxide is an organic compound produced through various methods such as the cumene process and the hydroperoxide process. The cumene method is preferred due to its low by-product production and high market value of co-products. The reactive distillation process is a feasible method for producing propylene oxide with high purity and reduced costs. Future work includes optimizing processes, developing new catalysts, and improving efficiency. Propylene oxide has practical applications in the production of polyurethane foams, coatings, adhesives, polyether polyols, and propylene glycols.

Variability and sustainability in sisal production: a study in the Eastern Seridó Micro-Region of Paraibano

This study analyzes the production of sisal (Agave sisalana) in the Eastern Seridó Microregion of Paraíba from 2012 to 2022, considering variables such as planted area, harvested area, quantity produced, average yield and production value. Using data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the Municipal Agricultural Production (PAM), the statistical analysis revealed significant variability in sisal production over the years. The planted area ranged from 3.500 to 4.200 hectares, while the harvested area varied between 3.300 and 4.000 hectares. The quantity produced ranged from 2.500 to 3.200 tons, with an average yield of approximately 794 kg/ha. The value of production varied significantly, with an increase of 5,92% in 2018, reflecting the sensitivity of the local economy to climatic, economic and technological factors. The methodology involved descriptive and inferential data analysis, using RStudio and Excel for data processing and MapChart for geographical visualization. The results suggest that improvements in management techniques and agricultural practices, as well as public policies and investments in technology, are essential to stabilize sisal production and promote economic and environmental sustainability in the region. This study provides a solid basis for future research and policy formulation that can improve sisal production and contribute to local development.

Paediatric computed tomography diagnostic reference levels in Africa: A systematic review.

Improvements in computed tomography (CT) technology in terms of image quality and reduction in absorbed dose have increased its applications in medical imaging. Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) help to identify high radiation doses that are unusually delivered to patients undergoing exposure to ionising radiation. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of published studies by African researchers towards establishing paediatric CT DRLs in Africa. The search for articles was conducted using some relevant literature search engines including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar and Web of Science. Two reviewers were involved in the article selection process which involved a three-stage screening process of identifying; article titles, abstracts and full-test reading. One hundred and seventy-four articles were identified from the database, PubMed (30), Scopus (21), Google Scholar (53), Web of Science (25) and Science Direct (45). Fifty duplicated articles were excluded before screening. Twelve peer-reviewed articles were included in this study based on the inclusion criteria. DRL values in terms of computed tomography dose index volume of head for the age groupings 0-1, 1-5, 5-10 and 10-15 were 27, 36.6, 39.5 and 47.5 mGy while the dose length product values were 461.6, 664, 872 and 978 mGy.cm respectively. The DRLs were calculated as 75th percentile of the local DRLs reported by the 12 articles included in this review. This review has shown that only few of the African countries (19%) have published studies on paediatric CT DRLs. There were variations in the DRLs published by the various authors which indicate that harmonisation and standardisation of paediatric CT protocols is essential for the optimisation of paediatric doses.

Transcriptome analysis reveals activation of detoxification and defense mechanisms in smoke-exposed Merlot grape (Vitis vinifera) berries

A significant consequence of climate change is the rising incidence of wildfires. When wildfires occur close to wine grape (Vitis vinifera) production areas, smoke-derived volatile phenolic compounds can be taken up by the grape berries, negatively affecting the flavor and aroma profile of the resulting wine and compromising the production value of entire vineyards. Evidence for the permeation of smoke-associated compounds into grape berries has been provided through metabolomics; however, the basis for grapevines’ response to smoke at the gene expression level has not been investigated in detail. To address this knowledge gap, we employed time-course RNA sequencing to observe gene expression-level changes in grape berries in response to smoke exposure. Significant increases in gene expression (and enrichment of gene ontologies) associated with detoxification of reactive compounds, maintenance of redox homeostasis, and cell wall fortification were observed in response to smoke. These findings suggest that the accumulation of volatile phenols from smoke exposure activates mechanisms that render smoke-derived compounds less reactive while simultaneously fortifying intracellular defense mechanisms. The results of this work lend a better understanding of the molecular basis for grapevines’ response to smoke and provide insight into the origins of smoke-taint-associated flavor and aroma attributes in wine produced from smoke-exposed grapes.

Synthesis of P/Si liquid flame retardant via the covalent modification and in-situ dispersion strategies for improving comprehensive performance of epoxy resin

Maintaining the balance between thermal stability, smoke suppression and mechanical properties of flame retardant epoxy resin (EP) systems has been very challenging in industry and academia. Herein, we prepared a P/Si flame retardant fluid (KHDOPO) to modify expandable graphite (EG) through covalent modification strategy for flame retardant EP. The comprehensive performance of EP/KEG was further enhanced via the in-situ dispersion strategy. The covalent modification strategy provided a synergistic P/Si flame retardant effect for EG. The in-situ dispersion strategy further improved the dispersion properties of KEG in EP. Surprisingly, EP/KEG exhibits a UL-94 V-0 rating, limit oxygen index (LOI) value of 30.9 % and total smoke production (TSP) value of 15.5 m2 with an ultralow loading of 4 wt% KEG. Besides, EP/KEG maintains superior thermal stability and mechanical properties due to ultra-low addition and better dispersion of KEG.

Growing improved crops and social justice: A contextualisation of ubuntu principles for smallholder farmers

Improved crops are being promoted in many de­veloping countries to increase food production and realise economic benefits associated with them. The changes in farm­ing being introduced are affecting the social values in food production. The paper examines how the new crops affect the Ubuntu values important for the realisation of social justice of smallholder farmers. The study used mixed methods case study utilising a questionnaire, focus group discussion, and in-depth interviews. Three themes were the main focus with regard to Ubuntu as an analytic lens for social justice concerns of smallholder farmers: access to land, crops, labour and gar­dening, and food access and distribution. The findings show that Ubuntu values are being stifled with the commoditisation of farming processes and systems. At the same time, individ­ualism associated with growing improved crops is threaten­ing food access and distribution, as Ubuntu values of interde­pendence, solidarity, unity, compassion, empathy, and to­getherness no longer influence processes in food systems. The results suggest the need for the incorporation and recognition of the values of Ubuntu/Obuntu Bulamu in promoting im­proved crops. This will contribute to addressing smallholder farmers' social justice concerns.

The Influence of Biospheric Values and Green Advertising on Green Product Purchase Intention with Green Product Values as Intervening

This research discusses the influence of Biospheric Values and Green Advertising on Green Product Purchase Intention, with Green Product Values as an intervening variable. Data for this research were collected using a quantitative approach with a questionnaire method. The data used were primary data from the responses of 110 residents in the Special Region of Yogyakarta selected through purposive sampling. Data collection was measured using a Likert scale and then analyzed using PLS in SMART PLS 3.0 software. The results of the study indicate that 1) Biospheric Values directly and significantly influence Green Product Purchase Intention, 2) Green Advertising directly and significantly influences Green Product Purchase Intention, 3) Green Product Values can act as an intervening variable in the positive and significant influence of Biospheric Values on Green Product Purchase Intention, 4) Green Product Values can act as an intervening variable in the positive and significant influence of Green Advertising on Green Product Purchase Intention.

Changing Consumer Preferences in the Prefabricated Housing Sector in Hungary: Construction Companies' Experiences and Statistical Data on Consumer Behaviour

The study aims to explore the consumer behaviour of prefabricated house owners, by analysing the insights of 12 managers of domestic construction companies in Hungary. These interviews reveal consumer behaviour and value considerations in purchasing decisions. The study’s strength lies in the relevance of the interviewed firms, representing 20.45% of production value in domestic single-family housing construction in 2022, according to the Central Statistical Office. Data from three housing-related censuses further complements the interview findings. Despite the ecological advantages of technology, the surveyed consumers are characterised as self-conscious, prioritising self-interest factors such as price, speed, predictability, reliability, and low maintenance costs in their choices. The research also indicates that consumer resistance to the concept of prefabricated housing is diminishing, something that is most likely to be due to generational shifts.

Upscaling ecological restoration by integrating with agriculture

Transformative change is needed to align common small‐scale ecological restoration approaches with expectations to restore millions of hectares of degraded lands globally. Currently, most restoration projects target small areas using costly manual methods that cannot be scaled up to meet global commitments. We propose that a judicious integration of agricultural practices into ecological restoration offers an opportunity to address this issue. This transformative process relies on three sequential and interconnected steps: (1) ensure that sufficient land is truly available for restoration; (2) compensate for the loss of agricultural production, income, or land value to encourage landholders to opt for restoration; and (3) develop scalable, affordable, and effective methods for restoring native ecosystems across the pledged hundreds of millions of hectares to deliver benefits to both nature and people. Large‐scale terrestrial restoration will require incorporating agronomic practices into the restoration toolbox to go beyond vague, ambitious promises and wishful thinking.

Highly porous carbon with rich inherent groups for ultrahigh adsorption of organic dyes from wastewater

Activated carbon from renewable biomass or its waste to purify various dyeing wastewater from textile industry is highly desired. In this work, porous activated carbon was prepared by using silk waste as precursor via a simple one-step carbonization process. The obtained SWC-1-800 had ultrahigh adsorption for anionic dye AR73 and cationic dye MB owing to its ultrahigh specific surface area (2774 m2 g−1) and rich functional groups. SWC-1-800 had an increased adsorption capacity reaching 1310 and 928 mg g−1 for AR73 and MB respectively as the initial concentration up to 1000 mg L−1. Moreover, the adsorption capacity was stable under a wide range of Na+ and SDS concentration. By adjusting the temperature and pH value, the maximum adsorption capacity reached 1337 and 1000 mg g−1 for AR73 and MB respectively, keeping the removal rate of AR73 and MB more than 80 % after 5 adsorption cycles. Besides, SWC-1-800 demonstrated quite good adsorption ability for many other kinds of dyes, which adsorption capacity as high as 1998 mg g−1 (Rh B). The adsorption mechanism was further proposed according to the structural characteristics, inherent functional groups and adsorption properties. Using silk waste-derived carbon to effectively absorb the harmful dyes in the wastewater shows dual value for cleaner production via a “waste-waste to clean products” model, which has great application potential in dyeing wastewater purification.