Production Structures Research Articles

Impacts of in situ urbanisation on grain production: Evidence from the Yangtze River Delta, China

With the promotion of county-level urban–rural integrated development policies in China, counties in economically developed regions have achieved sound in situ urbanisation (ISU), resulting in changes in regional population and production structures. However, to date, relatively few studies have focused on the ISU process and the variation in regional grain production in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). This study evaluated the ISU rate (ISUR) at the county level using the entropy based TOPSIS model, introduced a super efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) model to calculate cropland production efficiency (CPE), and reflected the status of grain production from grain yield and CPE. Spatio-temporal dynamics of ISU and grain production were examined from 2000 to 2020, and the impact mechanism of ISU on the grain production were explored encompassing regional differences and spatiotemporal evolution. The ISUR of the YRD showed a high distribution in the east and low in the west, with all counties showing a continuous increase, and an average increase from 0.15 in 2010 to 0.33 in 2020. The most rapid increases occurred in northern Zhejiang, southern Jiangsu, and the coastal areas. The grain yield in the entire region was high in the north and low in the south, with a continuous increase in the north and a continuous decrease in the south. The CPE distribution changed from high in the south in 2000 to high in the north in 2020, with a higher growth rate in the north and a significant decrease in the south. The initial advancement of ISU promoted grain production. The plains with medium ISU levels showed the highest grain yield and CPE. Where the ISU level reached extremely high levels, it had a suppressive effect on grain production. In mountainous areas, the CPE and grain yield decreased during ISU. The findings of this study are of great value to policymakers in adjusting the regional agricultural production structure according to ISU stages to implement food security strategies in a regionally integrated manner.

Production network diversification and economic development

We provide empirical evidence and a theoretical analysis of the influence of production network diversification on countries' economic performance, reflected in their GDP per-capita levels. Using a panel sample of 55 countries, we find a strong positive association between the number of active links in the input-output network of a country and its GDP per-capita over time, even after controlling for several country characteristics. To complement and scrutinize our empirical finding, we advance economic theory on the link between network diversity and economic development by proposing a multisector model with input-output linkages, non-unitary elasticity of substitution in production, and a love of diversification in the bundle of intermediate inputs that rationalize our empirical results. In the long run, when labor and intermediates are substitute inputs, denser production structures enjoy higher productivity in the intermediate input bundle and also amplify positive shocks more strongly than less connected networks. Hence, our model predicts that economies with denser production structures display higher income.

Modelling the Reliability of Logistics Flows in a Complex Production System

This paper analyses the disruptions occurring in a production system determining the operating states of a single machine. A system with a convergent production character, in which both single flows (streams) and multi-stream flows occur, was considered. In this paper, a two-level formalisation of the production system (PS) was made according to complex systems theory. The continuity analysis was performed at the operational level (manufacturing machine level). The definition of the kth survival value and the quasi-coherence property defined on chains of synchronous relations were used to determine the impact of interruption of the processed material flow on uninterrupted machine operation. The developed methodology is presented in terms of shaping the energy efficiency of technical objects with the highest power demand (the furnace of an automatic paint shop and the furnace of a glass tempering line were taken into consideration). The proposed methodology is used to optimise energy consumption in complex production structures. The model presented is utilitarian in nature—it can be applied to any technical system where there is randomness of task execution times and randomness of unplanned events. This paper considers the case in which two mutually independent random variables determining the duration of correct operation TP and the duration of breakdown TB are determined by a given distribution: Gaussian and Gamma family distributions (including combinations of exponential and Erlang distributions). A formalised methodology is also developed to determine the stability of system operation, as well as to assess the potential risk for arbitrary system evaluation parameters.

The making of All That Is Buried: dialog, chronotope and decoloniality

ABSTRACT This article argues for the utility of Mikhail Bakhtin’s literary theories in developing dialogic and decolonial filmmaking practices. Using the example of our research-led documentary film, All That Is Buried, we challenge traditionally hierarchical structures of film production in which primary authorship lies with the Director/Producer, by implementing dialogic methods of co-creation between filmmakers, researchers and participants. We explain how Bakhtin’s work on dialogism, chronotope, transgredience, polyphony and participative thinking provides the production and filmic tools and methods to host the distinct and equal voices of the South African creatives featured in the film – Zizipho Bam, Sindiswa Busuku, Haroon Gunn-Salie, and Dizu Plaatjies – maintaining throughout a sense of shared and equal investment in the project, and ethical responsibility to the collective. All That Is Buried shows the four participants discussing their work, ideas and experiences as they move between their homes, places of work, sites of inspiration, and artistic installations in and around Cape Town over the course of a day. In both process and product, we demonstrate how our co-creative methods support, and are supported by, practices of decolonial filmmaking, and provide a model useful and replicable for capturing Arts and Humanities research on film.

Land Carrying Capacity in China: A Perspective on Food Nutritional Demand.

The sustainable and stable population support capacity of a country or region is of great concern. This study proposes a new method for evaluating the land carrying capacity (LCC) based on food nutrition demand and establishes a clear link between nutritional health and land. We delved into the evolving dynamics of food consumption and production structures in China between 1990 and 2020, with a focus on the spatial variations among its 31 provinces. The objectives of this study were to assess the status of LCC, identify the critical nutritional factors constraining LCC enhancement, and propose differentiated pathways for improving LCC. The results showed that: (1) There has been a steady increase in the annual consumption of animal-based products, while plant-based product consumption has declined. (2) Overall, food supply capacity has expanded, displaying an "east high, west low" trend, resulting in an imbalanced food supply level. (3) The LCC for energy and carbohydrates exhibited continuous fluctuating growth but displayed a declining trend after 2018. (4) The pressure on land carrying capacity has shifted from a state of "surplus" to "abundant surplus," signifying a safe food system level. However, significant spatial variations persist, leading to shortages and surpluses. Therefore, this work suggests that addressing these disparities requires the optimization of food consumption structures and increasing the supply of animal-based foods. This approach leverages regional advantages and reduces disparities in regional LCCs. This study provides a valuable reference for ensuring food security in response to unprecedented global changes in sustainable development.

EU Outlook for Biomass Flows and Bio‐based Products

SummaryThe Bioeconomy Strategy Action Plan calls for sustainable extraction, processing, and use of biological resources in Europe as a pathway to achieve environmental, social and economic goals. However, the transition towards sustainable food systems within and across countries is diverse due to the existing heterogeneous land patterns and agricultural production structures, the variety of potential industries competing for specific biomass feedstocks, and the national policy frameworks in place. Therefore, it is key for policymakers to understand how biomass is supplied, and how it flows through the economy and is used for alternative purposes. This calls for tools that can monitor and quantitatively analyse these aspects. BioMAT has projected the annual growth rate of the EU bio‐based chemical production from 2018 to 2030 to be four times higher than its fossil‐based counterpart. The associated net‐availability of industrial sugars in 2030 is quite balanced, but excess demands for starch and plant oils will increase to fulfil requirements of a growing bio‐based chemical sector. As a vast amount of biological feedstock for material use originates from non‐EU regions (e.g. palm oil), sustainable sourcing and a better use of biological residues should be emphasised. Scenario analyses are helpful to consider consequences of assessing different technical pathways or policies.

Labor cost, competitiveness, and imbalances within the eurozone

This paper examines the impact of the cost of labor on macroeconomic imbalances within the eurozone. For this purpose, we construct a three-country Stock-Flow Consistent (SFC) macroeconomic model in an open economy including the eurozone and the rest of the world. We show that internal devaluation is not effective as an economic policy for getting the eurozone economies to converge. Cutting labor costs cannot kick-start economic activity through a rebound in exports of those countries that do so. Instead, it involves the risk of locking their economies concerned into low-wage production activities. The fall in unemployment it entails is the consequence, then, of a downturn in labor productivity. In contradistinction, we defend the idea that the introduction of a new wage rule making monetary wages dependent on productivity gains and on the target for inflation set by the European Central Bank, together with a budgetary stimulation policy, would be conducive to initiating convergence among European economies. In particular, it would produce a convergence in living conditions by improving labor productivity but it would also bring production structures closer together.

Geopolitical Turmoil and G7 Renewable Electricity Production: Impacts of the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict

This paper scrutinizes the transformation in the electricity production structures of G7 nations in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The inquiry centers on discerning shifts in the trajectory of energy production, particularly toward more sustainable and secure sources. With the imposition of economic sanctions against the Russian economy, an anticipatory transition from combustible fuels to renewable energy sources within G7 countries is envisaged. An empirical investigation is conducted utilizing panel data analysis of energy data across the G7. First and second-generation unit root tests have been used. Cointegration tests and the Vector Error Correction Model have been applied to see short-term and long-term relationships between renewable energy-sourced electricity production and combustible energy-sourced electricity production. Additionally, predictive modeling, employing SARIMA and Machine Learning model (Prophet) with Python, is employed to forecast future trends in energy production. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the profound impact of geopolitical events on the energy landscape of influential global economies. The results of the econometrics and predictive models show that there is a significant effect of Russia-Ukrainian conflicts on electricity production in favor of more secure and clean energy. This trend change in renewable energy-sourced electricity production should fortify more regulatory aspects.

НАУКОЕМКАЯ ЭКОНОМИКА КАК ФАКТОР УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ РЕГИОНА

The knowledge-intensive economy is considered from the point of view of the sustainable development of the Republic of Karelia. The transition to sustainable development of the Republic of Karelia requires significant changes in the strategy for the development of science and technology. The mobilization of scientific potential in alliance with production structures, state resources and private capital should be aimed at the technological rise of the region’s economic sectors. Objective indicators of the knowledge economy of the Republic of Karelia are represented by indicators of its resource endowment, including the following data: according to the indices «Scientific and technical potential» and «Regional innovation index»; by the number of organizations that carried out research and development; on the distribution of researchers by academic degrees and fields of science; by the number of organizations that developed advanced manufacturing technologies. Developing machine-building (shipbuilding) enterprises of the Republic of Karelia, which are capable of moving to a new technological order in a short time, are considered as growth poles. The purpose of the study is to assess the role of regional economic and industrial policies in solving the problems of the Republic of Karelia to increase the science intensity of the economy and innovation. We are talking about a knowledge-intensive economy based on the application of scientific knowledge in the manufacturing industry. Bringing scientific results to industrial application will contribute to the technological independence of Russia. Unresolved problems in the scientific and technical sphere are an obstacle to the transition of the economy to an innovative development path and determine the relevance of research aimed at developing a knowledge-intensive economy. There is a need for a set of measures aimed at consolidating efforts in activities in priority areas of development of science, technology and technology.

Commonality without convergence: An analytical framework Accounting for variegated financialisation in emerging economies

Financialisation is not a homogenous but a variegated process. However, the question along which categories this variegation happens is currently unanswered. We identify four variegation categories: financial sector structure, productive structures, the role of the state, and the growth model. We apply these categories to two seemingly similar emerging-economy contexts which have produced different financialisation experiences: Colombia and South Africa. Financialisation in South Africa is much more market-based, meaning it is led by the financial sector unfolding through financial markets and banks’ activities visible in their much larger size, activity, and international interconnectedness, than in Colombia. Hence, South African credit extension, bond markets, domestic pension funds, and stock market capitalisation are substantially larger than Colombia’s, while the Rand has experienced strong internationalisation since 2000. Nevertheless, there is evidence financialisation processes have been unfolding dynamically in both countries over the past two decades, reinforcing the view of variegated financialisation as a common tendency with significant heterogeneities across countries.

Calcium-mediated modulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilm formation

Biofilm formation is usually affected by many environmental factors, including divalent cations. The purpose of the current work was to analyze how calcium (Ca2+) affects the biofilm formation of dairy Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates by investigating their growth, swarming motility, biofilm-forming capacity, extracellular polymeric substance production, and biofilm structures. Moreover, the regulation mechanism of Ca2+ involved in its biofilm formation was explored through RNA-sequencing analysis. This work revealed that supplementation of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mM Ca2+ significantly reduced the swarming motility of P. fluorescens strains (P.F2, P.F4, and P.F17), but the biofilm-forming ability and polysaccharide production were increased after the supplementation of 5 and 10 mM Ca2+. By the supplementation of Ca2+, complex structures with more cell clusters glued together in P. fluorescens P.F4 biofilms were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, and increased biomass and coverage of P. fluorescens P.F4 biofilms were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. In addition, RNA-sequencing results showed that P. fluorescens P.F4 showed a transcriptional response to the supplementation of 10 mM Ca2+, and a total of 137 genes were significantly expressed. The differential genes were represented in 4 upregulated Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways (nonribosomal peptide structures, quorum sensing, biosynthesis of siderophore group nonribosomal peptides, and phenylalanine metabolism), and 4 downregulated KEGG pathways (flagellar assembly, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, nitrotoluene degradation, and cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance). The results indicate that Ca2+ might serve as an enhancer to substantially trigger the biofilm formation of dairy P. fluorescens isolates in the dairy industry.

Assessment of Quality and Production Conditions of Local Beverages Produced in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Artisanal food production has been developing in recent years in African cities. However, the promoters of the artisanal food production structures do not always apply good hygiene practices (GHP) during their activities, which can lead to the production of food of unsatisfactory quality. Thus, this study was initiated to assess the quality and production conditions of local beverages produced in Ouagadougou. Twelve samples of four beverages (tamarind and pineapple juice, bissap, and toedo) were collected during different productions and then sent to the laboratory. Microbiological and physico-chemical analyzes were done using standard microbiological methods and Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods respectively. The evaluation of the application of GHP was carried out using a checklist. The results obtained show that for all the beverage samples, the pH varies from 2.44±0.02 to 3.55±0.00, The titratable acidity from 0.29±0.02% to 0.75±0.02% and the brix degree from 11.00±0.00% to 16.50±0.11%. Total mesophilic aerobic flora (TMAF) and yeast and mold loads were respectively from 1.00x103 colony forming unit per milliliter (CFU/mL) to 7.30x104 CFU/mL and from <10 CFU/mL to 9.00x102 CFU/mL. All samples had a coliform load less than 10 CFU/mL. Salmonella and Shigella were absent in all samples. This study shows that most of the beverage samples studied have a compliant pH and Brix level. Referring to all the germs studied, 8.33% of local beverage samples are of satisfactory quality, 41.66% of acceptable quality and 50.00% of unsatisfactory quality. GHP assessment showed compliance rates of 100% (raw material), 66.66% (labour), 66.66% (methods), 55.55% (environment) and 25% (equipment). The results of this study indicate the need for the establishment of a quality assurance system followed within local beverage production structures.

Music Education on YouTube and the Challenges of Platformization

In this paper, I critically examine platformized music education on YouTube. I suggest YouTube’s platform mechanisms influence music teaching and learning on the platform. The influence is present throughout the production, distribution, and monetization structures that YouTube-based music educators experience. I discuss how creators make videos with broad autonomy over what they produce but with a need to conform to platform affordances and to foment interaction with their content due to platform mechanisms such as datafication and commodification. Distribution is crucial to their work, yet YouTube’s algorithm and governance structures operate in powerful and opaque ways forcing music educators to navigate platform influences on their livelihoods and teaching. Finally, as creators earn money through their work, they encounter monetization structures and programs heavily entrenched in YouTube’s business model and have little agency or voice in shaping these structures and programs.

The Potential of Dynamic Structures of Production of Space in Response to Socio-Cultural Context: Lessons from Mamboleo "B" Informal Settlement, Tanzania

The Potential of Dynamic Structures of Production of Space in Response to Socio-Cultural Context: Lessons from Mamboleo "B" Informal Settlement, Tanzania

Fates of extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge and plastisphere under sulfadiazine pressure

Microplastics, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent prominent emerging contaminants that can potentially hinder the efficacy of biological wastewater treatment and pose health risks. Plastisphere as a distinct ecological niche for microorganisms, acts as a repository for ARGs and potential pathogenic bacteria. Nonetheless, the spread pattern of extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) in plastisphere under antibiotic exposure was not yet known. This study aimed to investigate disparities in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production, extracellular and intracellular microbial community structures, as well as the transmission of eARGs and iARGs between activated sludge and plastisphere in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system under sulfadiazine (SDZ) exposure. SDZ was found to enhance EPS production in activated sludge and plastisphere. Interestingly, as SDZ removal efficiency increased, EPS content decreased in activated sludge and plastisphere collected from oxic zone, and continued to increase in plastisphere samples collected from anaerobic and anoxic zones. There were significant differences in microbial community structure between activated sludge and plastisphere, and the DNA fragments of potential pathogenic bacteria were detected in extracellular samples. SDZ exhibited a promoting effect on the propagation of eARGs, which were more abundant in the plastisphere than in activated sludge, thus heightening the risk of ARGs dissemination. Extracellular mobile genetic elements played a pivotal role in driving the spread of eARGs, while the microbial community induced the changes of iARGs. Potential pathogenic bacteria emerged as potential hosts for ARGs and mobile genetic elements within activated sludge and plastisphere, leading to more serious environmental threats.

Putting chaînes opératoires back in their workspace and tracking down their entanglements. The evolution of the Logardan workshop (Iraqi Kurdistan) at the end of the Early Bronze Age

Data from recent work at Logardan (Iraqi Kurdistan) makes it possible to approach the history of a vast ceramics workshop from a brand-new perspective. Indeed, not only do Logardan kilns and production structures constitute, at this stage, the largest Mesopotamian set of remains inherent to the manufacture of ceramics, but the extensive excavation of the workshop on several levels also offers the possibility of tracking the evolution of this workspace. This diachronic perspective was adopted on the basis of a techno-spatial analysis of the ceramic chaînes opératoires. First, in-situ ceramics were examined in order to reconstruct the different production techniques that were performed in the workshop. Then, the qualitative, quantitative, and spatial evolution of these different technical traditions were observed throughout the stratigraphic sequence and according to the location of the kilns and other work installations. The aim of tracing the history and spatial interaction of the techniques was to record the evolutionary dynamics of the relationships between the potters who worked at Logardan over several generations.

A methodology to characterize energy consumption in small and medium-sized enterprises at national level in European countries

The 25 million of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent 99% of businesses and account for the two thirds of total employment and a half of Gross Domestic Product. Thus, SMEs are considered as the backbone of European’ economy. The crucial importance of energy efficiency and its potential in SMEs is worldwide recognized. However, the energy use and consumption information of SMEs are very limited, and the disaggregated data between SMEs and large enterprises are often not available at national or European level. The aim of this work is to present a methodology for the energy consumption characterization of European SMEs at national level. The proposed methodology, based on the combination of official national energy statistics and energy consumption data according to the European Energy Efficiency Directive Article 8, has been developed and applied to Italy and Austria. Preliminary results show significant differences in the relative weight of SMEs’ energy consumption between the two countries mainly due to their specific productive structures. The application of this methodology to the available data on further five European countries provides useful insights on the impact of different national approaches to comply with Art.8. This methodology shows that harmonizing the different strategies to monitor energy audits obligation would significantly help to characterize the energy consumption of SMEs in Europe. Additionally, the knowledge of the distribution of energy consumption between large enterprises and SMEs would help in assessing the impact of mandatory and voluntary energy audits on potential savings in industrial and tertiary sectors.Graphical abstractCharacterization of energy consumption in SMEs: Problem and data availability identification, development of analysis methodology, and application to seven European countries (focused on Italy and Austria)

Ultimate strength and fatigue of stiffened welded tubular joints in floating energy production structures

Monotonic and cyclic loading experiments are performed on 1/6-scale stiffened steel joints representing the welded connection between the tubular braces and the vertical cylinders of a prototype offshore floating structure for combined wind-wave energy production. The structural behavior of the welded joints is investigated to determine their ultimate strength under monotonic loading and their fatigue life. The brace-to-cylinder welded connection is full penetration and semi-automatic, whereas the stiffeners are welded to the inner surface of the cylinder with fillet welds. High-frequency mechanical impact post-weld treatment is applied to five specimens. Experimental observations indicate two critical locations for fatigue crack initiation: the crown of the brace-to-cylinder weld and the fillet weld of the central stiffener. These locations are also verified by finite element simulations and fractographic examination of failed specimens. Post-weld treatment improves the fatigue resistance of the welded joints in the high-cycle fatigue domain but has negligible influence on the low-cycle fatigue response of the connection and its monotonic ultimate strength. Finally, one fatigue-cracked specimen is tested under monotonic loading exhibiting structural performance similar to the intact specimens.

Towards Instrumental Trainability in England? The ‘Official Pedagogy’ Of The Core Content Framework

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the structure and substance of the Core Content Framework (CCF), a controversial document which stipulates content that providers of teacher education in England must incorporate in their programmes. We identify both a concept of instrumental trainability and a lack of coherence in the CCF which suggests it is unsuitable as a guide to a curriculum for teacher education. Drawing on Bernstein’s work and its application by other sociologists of educational knowledge, we identify how the CCF embeds a ‘generic mode’ in teacher education that has roots outside of disciplinary structures of knowledge production and therefore foregrounds a type of official pedagogy that sees teaching as a technical performance and leaves gaps in the knowledge and understanding a new teacher requires to make sound educational judgements. Employing Muller’s distinction between conceptual and contextual coherence, we argue that the CCF is based upon an imaginary notion of instructional practice that does not fully grasp the context of teachers’ work. We illustrate the argument via an analysis of the language, structure, and three of the eight sections in the CCF.

Ecological and economic assessment of sustainable spatial land management in the context of global climate change: economic and mathematical modeling

This article emphasises that the degree of anthropogenic (ecodestructive) impact on the state of agricultural production is the main criterion for assessing the development of sustainable spatial land management under certain ecological and economic constraints. The aim of the study is to model the ecological and economic assessment of the transformation of the territorial-spatial management of agricultural land at different levels of management, taking into account the impact of anthropogenic (ecodestructive) factors to ensure sustainable land use in the context of global climate change. Thus, the methodology of territorial-spatial analysis of the efficiency of transformation of modern agricultural land use and use of land and resource potential is aimed at determining its holistic assessment as a systemic and complex phenomenon. An economic-mathematical model for calculating the optimal structure of sown areas by placing crops between production structures of different levels of management, taking into account their susceptibility to the action of a particular ecodestructive (anthropogenic) factor, is proposed. The allocation of agricultural production based on the presented model implies redistribution of production of certain types of products, taking into account minimisation of economic losses from anthropogenic (ecodestructive) factors, in particular, industrial air pollution. The paper considers the possibilities of quantifying the economic consequences of climate change in the system of agricultural land use. It is proved that the assessment of economic losses from climate change in the system of sustainable agricultural land use requires the development of a system of cost standards that correspond to the input climate parameters. This article presents natural indicators and regional adjustment coefficients of agricultural production in case of an increase in the average annual air temperature by one degree, with differentiation by regions of Ukraine. An algorithm for economic assessment of the impact of changes in the thermal regime of the atmosphere on the efficiency of the crop production industry is presented. The proposed modelling of the territorialspatial improvement of agricultural land use efficiency is a methodological approach to assessing the environmental consequences of transforming the efficiency of management in agriculture in terms of reducing and preventing economic losses from anthropogenic (ecodestructive) factors in the context of global climate change. So, the practical implementation of the presented methodological approach to the economic assessment of the impact of global climate change on agriculture will allow to substantiate recommendations for the formation of a system of actions that would allow to avoid or at least reduce the negative climate impact.