Production Values Research Articles

Production and Export Performance of Fresh and Dried Figs from Afghanistan vis-à-vis India

The study was conducted on the production and export performance of fresh and dried figs from Afghanistan and India. The study was based on secondary data on area, production, productivity, and export of figs from 2000-01 to 2020-21. The data were analyzed using tools such as compound growth rates, coefficients of variation, the Cuddy-Della Valle Instability Index, and Markov Chain Analysis. The results revealed that the growth rates of area, production, productivity, export quantity, and export value of fresh and dried figs from both countries were favourable, with the exception of non-significant growth for the area in Afghanistan and the export quantity in India. The highest fluctuation in both countries was reflected in the exports of the quantity and value of fresh and dried figs. In contrast, instability in terms of area, production, and productivity of figs in Afghanistan was higher than in India. India was recognized as the most stable market for Afghan fresh and dried figs, followed by the UAE. In contrast, the Maldives was found to be the most loyal market for Indian fresh and dried figs, followed by Hong Kong and the USA respectively.

Effect of fertilizer application methods and drip irrigation on the productivity of columnar apple plants on sod-podzolic soil

The field agrochemical experiment conducted in 2021–2023 was designed to study the influence of drip irrigation and two methods of mineral fertilizer application on the components of productivity of columnar apple plants when grown on cultivated loamy textured sod-podzolic soil in the conditions of Moscow Oblast. Drip irrigation, solid fertilizer application, and fertigation were found to have different eff ects on plant productivity indicators. Th e eff ects largely depend on the cultivar and weather conditions. Drip irrigation in conjunction with solid fertilizers increased plant productivity to the greatest extent. Thus, the ‘Ostankino’ cultivar yielded by up to 2.16 kg/tree more, i. e. the productivity rose by 27.1 % compared to the controls. In the ‘President’ cultivar, yield per tree increased by up to 2.18 kg/tree (by 35.4 % compared to the controls). The irrigated and fertilized variants of the experiment were distinguished by higher vegetation productivity values for the ‘President’ cultivar plants. For this cultivar, the highest total growth rate was in the fertigation-drip irrigation variant with an increase of up to 459.2 cm/tree in 2022. Th e average growth over two years was 16.5% higher than in the control group. In the ‘Ostankino’ cultivar, the total length value of shoot growth during irrigation and solid fertilizer application decreased compared to the control group by up to 245.2 cm/tree. On average, over two years it decreased by 15.7 % compared to the controls. In the fertigation-drip irrigation variant, there was a decrease in the ammonia nitrogen content in the soil compared to the other variants. As a result, the total mineral nitrogen content in the soil layer to a depth of 60 cm was minimal. Th e highest value of ammonium content and total nitrogen in the rhizosphere were observed in the variant with drip irrigation and solid fertilizer application.

Analisis Produktivitas Tenaga Kerja Dinas Kependudukan Kabupaten Ende terhadap Pelayanan Masyarakat

This study aims to find out how the productivity of the Population Service workforce is towards community services at the Ende Regency Population Service Office. Collecting data in this study are observation, interviews and documentation. This research uses a type of qualitative research with the analysis technique used, namely productivity with the Objective Matrix (OMAX) method with criteria for working hours and the products produced. The steps using the OMAX method are determining criteria, determining performance, determining realistic productivity values, determining weights, scores and values, determining productivity indices and determining performance indicators. The results showed that the productivity of the population service workforce towards community services at the Ende Regency Population Service office from April to December fluctuated (up and down). The highest DISPENDUK labor productivity value is in September which is at level 10 and the lowest productivity value is in April which is at level 0. Labor productivity indicators in this study are indicators of hours worked and products produced. The results of the study show that the public services of the Ende Regency Population Service in making KTPs, KKs and birth certificates are not yet responsive to the interests of the community as service users. Based on field observations, many complaints from the people of Ende Regency are related to the services provided by employees or employees of the population service which can lead to fights between employees and the community.

Functioning of a canopy-dominated intertidal community during emersion: highly productive but heterotrophic at the annual scale

In order to address lack of data regarding coastal carbon budgets, we estimated the annual metabolic carbon budget of an intertidal rocky reef macroalgal community during emersion. This budget is based on direct in situ measurements during emersion and establishes the seasonal variations of the photosynthetic parameters of such a community. CO2 fluxes were measured hourly to study the response of community gross primary productivity (GPP) to irradiance and the variation of GPP and community respiration (CR) over the emersion period at different times of the year. These were combined together with existing monthly measures of GPP and CR hourly rates to model the variations of these fluxes as a function of irradiance and the tidal cycle throughout an entire calendar year. Daily, monthly and annual values of GPP, CR and net primary productivity (NPP) were calculated with a relatively low sensitivity to any of the parameters used. While GPP fluxes show comparable orders of magnitude to those measured in other systems, higher CR fluxes lead to a heterotrophic system during emersion, both under measured (NPP = −299 gC m−2 year−1) and theoretical irradiances (NPP = −119 gC m−2 year−1). This heterotrophy is directly linked to the light availability, varying according to combined daily, tidal and seasonal cycles, and to temperature at the seasonal scale. Measurements performed in situ at the community scale integrated interactions that are otherwise absent at the individual scale. This gives access to aspects of the functioning that cannot be otherwise identified.

Characteristics of Phytoplankton Productivity in Three Typical Lake Zones of Taihu, China

In lake aquatic ecosystems, which form the material and energy base of lakes, primary production is critical. The present study addresses the characteristics of primary phytoplankton productivity and its relationship with environmental physicochemical factors in three typical zones (algae-type, transition, and grass-type) of the eutrophic Lake Taihu. Seasonal sampling was conducted, and black–white bottle oxygen measurement was used to determine the primary productivity in different water layers in the lake. The results show obvious temporal and spatial differences in the physicochemical factors and phytoplankton productivity in Lake Taihu. The water column productivity and respiration conformed to the following seasonal descending order, summer > fall > spring > winter, and the following regional descending order, algae-type zone > transition zone > grass-type zone. The seasonal proportions of primary productivity were approximately 40% in the summer, 25% in the fall, 20% in the spring, and less than 15% in the winter. The highest values of water layer productivity and respiration were mainly at a depth of 0.2 m and decreased with the water depth. The percentage of productivity at different water layers was 23% (0 m), 31% (0.2 m), 23% (0.4 m), 11% (0.6 m), 7% (0.8 m), and 5% (1 m). The optical compensation depth for Lake Taihu was about 0.8 times the transparency (SD). Spearman correlation indicated that the temperature (T) and water depth (D) had an obvious impact on productivity in all three lake zones. Multiple stepwise regression suggested that T, D, SD, and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) can be used to estimate productivity in different seasons/regions. The main influencing factors on phytoplankton productivity are T, D, Chl-a, and SD in the algae-type and transition zones and T, D, and total suspended solids (TSSs) in the grass-type zone.

Cinematic TV drama

ABSTRACT Several television scholars have objected to the frequently made claim that TV drama in recent decades have become “more cinematic”, partly because cinematic-ness is such an ill-defined concept. This article seeks to make the concept less ambiguous and more useful by offering some basic distinctions between different meanings invoked by “cinematic”. I propose two meanings associated with production values, which are moderately evaluative, and two where “cinematic” serves as a higher compliment, one related to craft/skill, the other to notions of medium specificity. I also relate these meanings to the idea that TV series have grown increasingly cinematic. Here I argue that “film” and “television drama” are far too voluminous and heterogeneous categories to bear comparison in general, but that they can be meaningfully studied when framed as contingent creative practices grounded in time and place. The particular context for my discussion of “cinematic television” is American TV drama since the turn of the millennium. The article does not merely seek to clarify the connotations of “cinematic”, but to use cinematic-ness as a prism to through which important stylistic shifts in American TV drama can be examined. As such, the conceptual-theoretical discussion also serves historiographic purposes: The different meanings of “cinematic” highlight different industrial developments, which offer complementary perspectives on the aesthetics of American TV drama since the late-1990s.

Agrobiological substantiation of growing Hungarian vetch in mixed crops

The production of high-protein feed stays an integral part of the development of feed production. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological characteristics of Hungarian vetch when grown in agrophytocenoses using different types of winter cereals. Changes in the chemical composition of dry matter at different microstages of growth and development were studied, and the influence on the yield, nutrient content, and digestibility of plant material was determined depending on the stages of growth and development. The study was conducted using field, laboratory, laboratory-field, and statistical methods. It was found that to reach the full flowering phase, the sum of active temperatures should be 754°C, with precipitation of about 100 mm and daylight hours of 973 h. Observations of the growing season indicate the relationship between plants and the environment, which is important to consider when growing Hungarian vetch. Vetch plants reach a height of 100-104 cm in conditions of excessive moisture. The phytocoenotic balance of such mixtures, specifically vetch of the Orlan variety and winter triticale of the Bozhych and Bohodarske varieties, ensures sustainable productivity and nutritional value of plant material. The best harvesting time for high quality vetch is from the beginning to the middle of flowering, which ensures a crude protein content of 17-20% in dry matter. The effectiveness of mixed phytocoenoses has been confirmed by ecological tests of crop combination models in different soil and climatic zones of Ukraine, where yields of 36.2-51.8 t/ha of green mass and 7.1-11.5 t/ ha of dry matter were obtained over the years of use. The creation of a mixed crop allows producing high-quality plant material that is superior in energy and protein content to conventional vetch and oat mixtures. It was recommended to create such mixtures by sowing 2.5 mln/ha of cereal and 2.1 mln/ha of leguminous components after applying N45P45K45 to form a crop with high digestibility and nutrition. The system of mixed cropping of Hungarian vetch is promising for the production of silage and high-quality haylage in the face of climate change and as a precursor for post-cutting sowing of maize or sorghum crops

The changing narratives in Nollywood movie viewing through online streaming

The deployment of digital technologies for film production, distribution and marketing in the Nigerian film industry can be considered a giant stride, which has triggered drastic changes in the production values, quality and standards of the industry. This study examines the impact of these digital technologies on Nollywood film industry, howbeit, with particular focus on the changing narratives of movie viewing through online streaming. The study adopted the qualitative methodology, and the use of documents and visual media research instrument was utilized. Thus, different types of documents and other visual media like books and other publications, newspapers and the Internet were used to extract relevant data. Amongst other findings, movie viewing in Nollywood through online streaming has drastically changed the phase of the industry, as it has attracted new deals and secured production partnerships, locally and internationally; created new revenue streams for filmmakers and placed the industry on the global scale of vibrant film cultures. However, amidst these plethora of benefits, there are peculiar challenges that unless tackled, this development would not last. Consequently, this study concludes that, to sustain and maximize the gains of online movie streaming in Nollywood to deliver for the greater good, even in the long run, these loopholes in the system like issues bordering on content development, contractual agreements, cyber security, illegal downloaders etc. should be addressed. This study recommends the respective agencies of government and relevant industry stakeholders should leverage on this great advancement, and expedite action in tackling the issues that will truncate it.

ОЦЕНКА ПЛЕМЕННОЙ ЦЕННОСТИ КОРОВ СИММЕНТАЛЬСКОЙ ПОРОДЫ ПО ПОЖИЗНЕННОЙ ПРОДУКТИВНОСТИ В ЗАВИСИМОСТИ ОТ ВОЗРАСТА ВЫБЫТИЯ И ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЯ

The purpose of research is to study the variability of genetic assessments of cows of different origins for traits of lifelong milk production when varying the age of retirement in the population of Simmental cattle in Russia. The analyzed database included breeding cows of the Simmental breed that were retired in the pe¬riod 2001–2020; the total number of livestock was 47,868 head. Calculation of the breeding value of productive longevity was carried out using the BLUPF90 program based on the BLUP Animal Model methodology. The share of Simmental cows of foreign selection that were eliminated after the 1st and 2nd lactations was 61.2 %, and those lactating longer than 6 lactations was only 4.0 %, while cows of Russian selection were 12.3 % less eliminated during the first two lactation and are able to produce longer. Phenotypic values of lifetime productivity in Simmental cows for an equal number of lactations are significantly higher in animals of foreign selection: from 824 kg of milk when leaving after the 1st lactation to 4,210 kg when leaving after the 10th lactation, from 35.3 to 188.5 kg by lifetime amount of fat and from 27.3 to 190.9 kg by lifetime amount of protein, respectively. The maximum estimates of breeding value for the lifetime productivity of a cow of fo¬reign selection reach +115.7 kg of milk fat and +91.3 kg of milk protein for a productive life by the 7th lactation.In cows of Russian selection, the predicted maximum breeding value estimates are achieved by the 9th lactation with indicators of +111.0 kg of milk fat and +88.4 kg of milk protein during the period of productive use. Lifetime milk productivity is significantly higher in Simmental cows of imported origin (by +824...+4210 kg), as well as estimates of breeding value (by +27.5...+35.9 kg), however, domestic Simmentals had a longer use period – on average for 2 lactations.

The Effect of Different Orchard Ground Conditions on the Performance of A Mechanical Hazelnut Harvesting Machine

In this study, the values of harvesting efficiency, field productivity, kernel productivity, kernel losses, and foreign material separation efficiency of hazelnut harvesting machine with mechanical harvesting unit were determined under different orchard ground conditions (ground preparation before harvesting (OG1) and without ground preparation (OG2)). Also, it was observed how these conditions affect the operation of the hazelnut harvesting machine. For this purpose, the harvesting efficiency, field productivity, kernel productivity and kernel losses of the hazelnut harvesting machine in OG1 and OG2 plots at 265.50 kg ha-1 orchard yield, 1600 mm working width and 1.60 m s-1 working velocity in two different orchard grounds were 96.05%, 90.15%; 8.624 h ha-1, 9.839 h ha-1; 0.116 ha h-1, 0.102 ha h-1; 778.72 kg h-1, 739.76 kg h-1; 3.95%, 9.85%, respectively. The hazelnut harvesting machine with a mechanical harvesting unit can work independently from the ground conditions and we can say that it is an alternative to other hazelnut harvesting machines. The data obtained from the study will help the decision-making process for the best selection and use by providing the necessary technical information about the functional aspects of the machine. Complete mechanization of hazelnut harvesting will lead to a decrease in labor requirements, thus increasing product profitability through a decrease in production cost. The presence of machines with high-performance characteristics in hazelnut harvesting mechanization will shorten the time the product stays on the ground and increase the quality of the harvested product.

Water-Retaining Agent as a Sustainable Agricultural Technique to Enhance Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Productivity in Tropical Soils

Reducing fertilizer doses under sustainable agricultural management is possible by increasing nutrient utilization efficiency, which will decrease crop production costs and boost economic return. Soil amendments known as water retention agents (WRAs) are added to the soil to enhance crop growth conditions. We hypothesize that the addition of WRAs may support the soil-retaining nutrients given through fertilization and prevent them from leaching into tropical soils characterized by severe rainfall due to WRAs’ exceptional capacities to absorb and store water. Mango trees (Mangifera indica L. cv Tainong No. 1) aged 18 years were fertilized with 100% or 80% of the recommended doses of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). The experimental design included three treatments, i.e., complete recommended doses of N, P, and K (CRF), 80% of the complete recommended doses (RRF), and water-retaining agent (40 kg ha−1) + 80% of the complete recommended doses (WRARRF). Reducing the fertilization doses by 20% for mango trees in the studied tropical soil significantly (p < 0.05) minimized the nutrient availability in the soil compared to the complete fertilization doses. WRARRF compensated for the nutrient reduction by increasing the availability of N, P, and K. The addition of WRARR increased N, P, and K in mango leaf by 11%, 4%, and 7% in the first year and by 11%, 6%, and 7% in the second year, respectively, compared to CRF. The addition of WRARR increased the partial fertilizer productivity (PFP) value by 36% and 41% in the first and second years, respectively. The highest mango fruit output was achieved by the addition of WRARRF, which resulted in increases in mango fruit yield of 11.9% and 16.5% in the first and second years, respectively, compared to RRF. Fruit quality traits showed the descending order: WRARRF > RRF > CRF. WRARRF produced the maximum economic benefit (USD 7372 per hectare) compared to CRF and RRF. The polyacrylamide/attapulgite water-retaining agent exhibited remarkable improvement in mango fruit yield and economic profit by regulating the release of nutrients in tropical soils. Water-retaining agents are an effective strategy for overcoming the extensive fertilization used in mango orchards, which has resulted in numerous environmental contaminations and the inefficient use of fertilizers.

Impact of training methods and biostimulant applications on sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) yield and nutritional values: Under greenhouse condition

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important agricultural crop because of the nutritional value of the fruit and its economic importance. Various techniques have been practiced to enhance pepper's productivity and nutritional value. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the impact of different training methods and biostimulant applications on sweet pepper plants' growth, yield, and chemical composition under greenhouse conditions. For the training method, unpruned plants were compared with one stem and two stem plants. Unpruned plants had the fruit number of 33.98, fruit weight of 2.18 kg·plant−1, and total marketable yield of 1 090.0 kg·hm−2. One stem plant gave the best average fruit weight of 86.63 g, vitamin C content of 13.66 mg·kg−1 FW, and TSS content of 7.21%. However, two stem plants had the highest fruit setting of 62.41%, carotenoid content of 0.14 mg·kg−1 FW, and fruit chlorophyll content of 3.57 mg·kg−1 FW. For biostimulant applications, control plants were compared with the Disper Root (DR) and Disper Vital (DV). DR application significantly increased total sugar, carotenoid, fruit chlorophyll, and TSS contents compared to the control and DV applications. While, applying DV increased fruit setting, plant fruit number, weight, and total marketable yield. In addition, integrating one stem plant with the DR application improved fiber, vitamin C, and TSS contents significantly. Two stem plants, and the DV application improved fruit setting and carotenoid content. Thus, one and two stem training methods integrated with the DR and DV biostimulant applications could be considered for developing agricultural practices to obtain commercial yield and improve the nutrition values of sweet peppers, as unpruned plants without biostimulant applications have a negative impact.

Recent advances and fundamentals of microalgae cultivation technology.

Microalgae are considered to be a promising group of organisms for fuel production, waste processing, pharmaceutical applications, and as a source of food components. Unicellular algae are worth being considered because of their capacity to produce comparatively large amounts of lipids, proteins, and vitamins while requiring little room for growth. They can also grow on waste and fix CO2 and nitrogen compounds. However, production costs limit the industrial use of microalgae to the most profitable applications including micronutrient production and fish farming. Therefore, novel microalgae based technologies require an increase of the production efficiencies or values. Here we review the recent studies focused on getting strains with novel characteristics or cultivating techniques that improve production's robustness or efficiency and categorize these findings according to the fundamental factors that determine microalgae growth. Improvements of light and nutrient delivery, as well as other aspects of photobioreactor design, have shown the highest average increase in productivity. Other methods, such as an improvement of phosphorus or CO2 fixation and temperature adaptation have been found to be less effective. Furthermore, interactions with particular bacteria may promote the growth of microalgae, although bacterial and grazer contaminations must be managed to avoid culture failure. The competitiveness of the algal products will increase if these discoveries are applied to industrial settings.

Geospatial approaches for formulating multisystem silviculture in the tropical forests

The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) issued regulations that allow the use of multiple silvicultural systems throughout a single period of a forest management work plan, known as multisystem silviculture (MSS), to increase the productivity and economic value of forests. However, certain technical issues still need to be resolved before an MSS can be successfully implemented on-site, particularly in terms of scheming the silvicultural system and selecting the appropriate site. This study developed silvicultural systems based on the modelling of geospatial data on current land cover, forest function, slope, and erosion risk. In this study, forest harvesting techniques (prohibited, selective, and clear-cutting) and regeneration approaches (natural, enrichment, and line planting) were formulated by overlaying four thematic maps and applying modelling rules. For specific locations, overlay thematic modelling maps of forest harvesting and regeneration techniques have been verbalized as MSS, such as selective cutting with enrichment planting, selective cutting with line planting, clear-cutting with intensive planting, and many other systems. The results of this geospatial modelling will assist forest managers in creating forest management plans with MSS within particular forest objectives. Additionally, this study supports policymakers in rising technical procedures for implementing multisystem silviculture.

On efficient modelling of radical production in cavitation assisted reactors

Process intensification by cavitation is gaining widespread attention due to the benefits that the intense bubble collapse conditions can provide, yet, several knowledge gaps exist in the modelling of such systems. This work studies the numerical prediction of single bubble dynamics and the various approaches that can be employed to estimate the changes in the chemical composition of cavitating bubbles. Specific emphasis is placed on the prediction of the radical production rates during bubble collapse and the computational performance, with the aim of coupling the single bubble dynamics to flow models for reactor hydrodynamics. The results reveal that the choice of chemical reaction approach has virtually no effect on the bubble dynamics, whereas the predicted radical production rates can differ substantially. It is found that evaluating the radical production only on temperature peaks, an approach commonly followed in literature, may result in the most erroneous estimations (on average 12.8 times larger than those of the full kinetic model), while a simplified kinetic model yields more accurate predictions (2.3 times larger) at the expense of increased computational times. Continuous evaluation of the bubble content by assuming equilibrium when the bubble temperature is above a certain threshold (≈1500K) is shown to be capable of predicting total radical production values close to those estimated by solving the kinetics of a detailed reaction model (19.8% difference), as well as requiring only 22.2% more computational costs compared to simulations without chemical reaction modelling. Such an equilibrium approach is therefore recommended for future studies aiming to couple flow simulations with single bubble dynamics to accurately predict radical production rates in cavitation devices, involving numerous bubbles following different flow trajectories. Furthermore, an algebraic expression that successfully approximates the full kinetic simulation results is proposed as a function of the initial nucleus size and the time integral of the liquid pressure when it is under vapor pressure. Such a model can be applied in modelling efforts that do not require local instantaneous radical concentrations, and paves the way for efficient closure modelling of radical production in CFD simulations of hydrodynamic reactors.

Investigation of Near Shading Losses in Photovoltaic Systems with PVsyst Software

Shading in photovoltaic systems is known to cause serious energy losses. However, predicting how much shading photovoltaic systems in living spaces will experience throughout the year and the resulting energy loss is not easy. In this study, the effects of near shading on the system efficiency of photovoltaic systems have been investigated with PVsyst software. Instead of standard shading elements, a mosque with a complex architecture was chosen to test the drawing capabilities of the software. A 20 kWp PV power plant is assumed to be installed in three different locations in the courtyard of the mosque. In Scenario-1, 2, and 3, the modules are located in the west, east, and north directions of the mosque, respectively. The annual energy production values obtained in these scenarios have been compared with the reference scenario without shading. According to the results, the annual production in the scenario without near shading was realized as 28.84 kWh. In Scenario-1, 2, and 3, the annual production was 20.43 kWh, 21.46 kWh, and 19.05 kWh, respectively. In the content of the study, sample geometries of shading for all scenarios are presented comparatively for critical dates. In addition, monthly energy production, performance ratio values, and loss diagrams have been presented comparatively.

Patient acceptable symptom state and treatment failure threshold values for work productivity and activity Impairment and EQ-5D-5L in osteoarthritis

ObjectiveTo estimate patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) and treatment failure (TF) threshold values for Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) measure and EQ-5D-5L among people with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) 3 and 12 months following participation in a digital self-management intervention (Joint Academy®).MethodsAmong the participants, we computed work and activity impairments scores (both 0–100, with a higher value reflecting higher impairment) and the Swedish hypothetical- (range: − 0.314 to 1) and experience-based (range: 0.243–0.976) EQ-5D-5L index scores (a higher score indicates better health status) at 3- (n = 14,607) and 12-month (n = 2707) follow-ups. Threshold values for PASS and TF were calculated using anchor-based adjusted predictive modeling. We also explored the baseline dependency of threshold values according to pain severity at baseline.ResultsAround 42.0% and 48.3% of the participants rated their current state as acceptable, while 4.2% and 2.8% considered the treatment had failed at 3 and 12 months, respectively. The 3-month PASS/TF thresholds were 16/29 (work impairment), 26/50 (activity impairment), 0.92/0.77 (hypothetical EQ-5D-5L), and 0.87/0.77 (the experience-based EQ-5D-5L). The thresholds at 12 months were generally comparable to those estimated at 3 months. There were baseline dependencies in PASS/TF thresholds with participants with more severe baseline pain considering poorer (more severe) level of WPAI/EQ-5D-5L as satisfactory.ConclusionPASS and TF threshold values for WPAI and EQ-5D-5L might be useful for meaningful interpretation of these measures among people with OA. The observed baseline dependency of estimated thresholds limits their generalizability and values should be applied with great caution in other settings/populations.

Development of a New Strategic Framework for Improving the Productivity Benchmarking Practices in Road Project Operations

Primarily, this study highlights the knowledge gaps in the field for implementing systematic techniques to benchmark and improve productivity levels of critical construction activities in road projects. Accordingly, the study aims to develop a new strategic framework that can enhance the benchmarking practices related to the assessment of labour productivity compared to labour performance with the use of potential apprenticeship tools and systems in road construction operations. A series of literature reviews and expert consultations were conducted to build a new framework with the collection of potential models/tools/systems related to labour training, performance evaluation and productivity measures. The mechanism associated with the developed framework was systematically executed in nine road construction projects in Sri Lanka. The findings show the precise patterns of significant changes in labour productivity and performance index values, which have inspired new approaches in the planning procedures for construction projects. The results assure that proposed mechanisms can be applied with reliable, generalisable and sustainable aspects in their use. The study offers a fresh road map with constructive approaches for project managers, planners and engineers to raise the bar for benchmarking labour productivity and performance levels across a wide range of tasks. The results of the study will have considerable impacts on how other emerging countries and enterprises need to operate their workflows to achieve productivity-related benefits in the future circumstances.

Probability Calculation for Utilization of Photovoltaic Energy in Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the efficient utilization of natural resources across various facets of life. One such area of focus is transportation, particularly electric mobility in conjunction with the deployment of renewable energy sources. To fully realize this objective, it is crucial to quantify the probability of achieving the desired state—production exceeding consumption. This article deals with the computation of the probability that the energy required to charge an electric vehicle will originate from a renewable source at a specific time and for a predetermined charging duration. The base of the model lies in artificial neural networks, which serve as an ancillary tool for the actual probability assessment. Neural networks are used to forecast the values of energy production and consumption. Following the processing of these data, the probability of energy availability for a given day and month is determined. A total of seven scenarios are calculated, representing individual days of the week. These findings can help users in their decision-making process regarding when and for how long to connect their electric vehicle to a charging station to receive assured clean energy from a local photovoltaic source.

Enhanced Anti-Inflammatory and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Improvement Effects of Bacillus subtilis-Fermented Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertner

In this study, we investigated the enhanced anti-inflammatory activity and the effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) of fermented Fagopyrum tataricum (F. tataricum) Gaertner extract (FFT) through in vitro analysis. We utilized high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to analyze the non-fermented F. tataricum Gaertner extract (NFT) and the marker components, rutin and quercetin in FFT, to confirm changes in composition due to fermentation. The anti-inflammatory activity of NFT and FFT was evaluated using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cell inflammation model. Simultaneously, the NAFLD improvement effects were measured by evaluating lipid accumulation and the expression of lipid synthesis regulators in free fatty acid (FFA)-induced HepG2 cells. HPLC analysis confirmed an increase in rutin content after the fermentation of F. tataricum Gaertner. Upon treatment with NFT and FFT at a concentration of 400 μg/mL, LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production values in RAW 264.7 cells were reduced to 16.12 μM and 2.09 μM, respectively, indicating enhanced significant inhibition (p < 0.05) of NO production through fermentation. FFT demonstrated the significant inhibition (p < 0.05) of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein, and inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression through the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. In FFA-induced HepG2 cells, FFT significant suppressed (p < 0.05) lipid accumulation and the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1c, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)α proteins, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA. The results of this study suggest the potential utilization of FFT as a material for improving NAFLD.