Profitable Alternative Research Articles

Perception of photovoltaic energy consumption in the Spanish primary sector. An environmentally profitable alternative

Agriculture and livestock farming are activities that depend on energy consumption. Photovoltaic self-consumption systems can reduce the production costs of these actors, especially in periods of high-energy price volatility. This work aimed to determine the degree of implementation of photovoltaic self-consumption systems, their relationship with the economic impact of the energy crisis, and the perception of producers to use renewable energy sources in the Spanish agricultural system as it is one of the most important at European level. For this purpose, a survey of the Spanish agricultural and livestock system, involving 396 primary producers, was carried out between December 2022 and March 2023. The results suggest that self-consumption systems are in place in 49.1% of all farms and that these have had a positive effect in alleviating the rising energy costs suffered by the Spanish primary sector. In summary, Spanish primary producers generally have a favorable perception of the use of renewable energies on their farms, especially photovoltaic. However, the cluster analysis shows the fact that there are two types of producers, active and passive, from an environmental point of view. The characterization of this type of producers can help the Spanish Administration to improve the efficiency of its energy strategy, and can be a source of inspiration for the governments of other countries.

Performance, carcass characteristics and non-carcass components of Santa Ines and crossbred (Santa Ines x Dorper) lambs finished in different confinement strategies.

Genetic group, age at entry into confinement and at slaughter, are characteristics that have an important influence on lamb performance and carcass. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance, carcass characteristics and non-carcass components from different genetic groups (Santa Inês and ½ Dorper x ½ Santa Inês) sheep, submitted to different feedlot entry and exit strategies. Were used 72 lambs males and castrated; 36 Santa Inês (SI) and 36 crossbred (Dorper x Santa Inês-DSI), with 6 months of average initial age. The groups were established in a completely randomized experimental design, in a 2x3x4 factorial arrangement, from the combination of genetic groups (GG), body weight at the beginning of confinement (WBC) and length of stay in confinement (LSC). The body weight classes at the beginning of confinement were: light (25 kg), intermediate (28 kg) and heavy (31 kg), for Santa Inês and crossbreeds, respectively. Slaughters were carried out every 28 days of confinement, in four LSC: 0, 28, 56 and 84 days. The GG did not influence performance, carcass and non-carcass component traits of lambs (p > 0.05). There was an effect of the WBC on the weights: final (FW), metabolic (MW), body at slaughter (BWS), empty body (EBW), hot carcass (HCY) and cold (CCW), loin, shoulder, leg musculature; loin eye area (LEA) and loin fat (p < 0.05). There was also an effect on LSC, for FW, average daily weight gain (ADG), MW, weight and yield of body components, weight of cuts and tissue ratio components of cuts (p < 0.05). In non-carcass components, effect on full and empty weight of: omasum, rumen-reticulum, small intestine; empty large intestine, liver and kidneys, paws and skin, and perirenal, pelvic and inguinal fat (p < 0.05). Interaction double effect on the tissue muscle/fat:bone ratio (MF:B) and for the full omasal component (p < 0.05). And triple interaction effect for ADG, full omasum and perirenal fat (p < 0.05). Weight at the beginning of confinement and confinement time are the characteristics that most influence performance, quantitative characteristics of carcass and non-carcass components. Regardless of the genetic group and age class, the animals reach the same weight after 84 days of confinement. Thus, the confinement of heavier lambs (31 kg) can be a profitable alternative, as they presented the highest weights for the most commercially valued cuts (shank and loin). The confinement strategy must adapt to market situations.

An Integrative Approach Towards Recommending Farming Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture is rapidly emerging as an important discipline to meet societal needs for food and other resources by adopting paradigms of conserving natural resources while maximizing productivity benefits. This paper proposes an integrative methodological approach for critically analyzing Precision Farming (PF) paradigms and Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), providing sustainable farming solutions and achieving productivity and profitability. This paper analyses the productivity of crops in PF using various machine learning (ML) algorithms based on different soil and climatic factors to identify sustainable agricultural practices for maximizing crop production and generating recommendations for the farmers. When implemented on the collected dataset from various Indian states, the Random Forest (RF) model produced the best results with an AUC-ROC of 95.7%. The Juxtaposition of ZBNF and non-ZBNF is evinced. ZBNF is statistically (p&lt;0.05) observed to be a cost-efficient and more profitable alternative. The impact of ZBNF on soil microbial diversity and micro-nutrients is also discussed.

Comparison of PFAS soil remediation alternatives at a civilian airport using cost-benefit analysis

Contamination of soil and water systems by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) due to uncontrolled use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) at firefighting training sites at civilian and military airports is a universal issue and can lead to significant human health and environmental impacts. Remediation of these sites is often complex but necessary to alleviate the PFAS burden and minimise the risks of exposure by eliminating the hotspot/source from which the PFAS spreads. This study presents a probabilistic cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for evaluating PFAS remediation alternatives, which includes monetisation of both direct costs and benefits as well as externalities. The method is applied for a case study to compare five remediation alternatives for managing PFAS contaminated soil at Stockholm Arlanda Airport in Sweden. The social profitability, or the net present value (NPV), of each remediation alternative was calculated in comparison to two reference alternatives – ‘total excavation’ of the site (Alt 0) or ‘do nothing’. Sensitivity analyses and model scenarios were tested to account for uncertainties, including small or large PFAS spreading and simulating different values for the magnitude of annual avoided cost of inaction (i.e., aggregate benefit) from PFAS remediation. In comparison to total excavation, four of the five studied remediation alternatives resulted in a positive mean NPV. Excavation and stabilization/solidification of the hotspot on-site combined with stabilization using activated carbon for the rest of site (Alt 2) had the highest NPV for both spreading scenarios, i.e., Alt 2 was the most socially profitable alternative. Simulations of the annual avoided cost of inaction enabled estimation of the breakeven point at which a remediation alternative becomes socially profitable (NPV > 0) compared to ‘do nothing’. Alt 2 had the lowest breakeven point: 7.5 and 5.75 millions of SEK/year for large and small spreading, respectively.

Grain trade in Early modern Mantua and Venice: The role of Ashkenazi and Italian Jews

The economic role of Ashkenazi and Italian Jews in early modern Italy is traditionally associated with money-lending and second-hand goods retailing. Yet, fiscal and notarial sources show how beneath the surface of the charters signed between the minority and the local authorities, their business was far more diversified. In the northern and central Peninsula Jews had built a strong network based on endogenous and exogenous trust which permitted them to also engage in (inter)regional trade. From the early sixteenth century, when the establishment of the ghettos and changes in the economic system made banking far less lucrative, trading in commodities became a profitable alternative. The case studies of Mantua and the Venetian state show how this process was also strictly intertwined with the local political environment, as Jews had to resort to different sorts of informal and formal relationships with local power structures in order to take part in the grain trade.

Evolution of the wine market in Europe: trends and barriers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought considerable transformations to the worldwide markets, creating an economic and sanitary crisis. Distribution channels were disrupted, affecting supply networks and business models. With restaurants and bars closed down, banned airlines and travel restrictions implemented, the economic well-being of worldwide industries got disturbed. As global decreases in alcohol trade were registered, wine market was appraised an industry worthy of being taken under consideration, with focus on its market size, incurred revenues, price evolution and degree of embracing digitalization to adapt to the ongoing restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The latter one referring to traditional wine tasting rooms which were banned due to the lockdown, wine industry found online wine tasting as a profitable alternative. The presented metrics were analyzed in Europe, with a high focus on region’s main wine producers: France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Portugal, but not only. Research followed an exploratory approach to determine changes under pandemic restrictions, lockdown and finally economic crisis in the selected industry, by engaging international available data and statistics. The study, therefore, formulated relevant hypothesis based on market size and registered revenues, price evolution and adoption of online wine tasting strategies. Results of the paper highlight decreases in market size and revenues of European wine market, however, on the long-term, industry revival is forecasted. Prices slightly decreased mainly for prestigious wines (AOP labelled), showing consumer budget restraints brought by the crisis. European’s wine market digitalization show differences among countries, with Germany being a leader for engaging such technologies. Our paper brings a snapshot of current trends and barriers under the COVID-19 pandemic, acting as a future basis and guidance for researchers in the field.

Techno-Economic Assessment of Solid–Liquid Biogas Treatment Plants for the Agro-Industrial Sector

The urgent need to meet climate goals provides unique opportunities to promote small-scale farm anaerobic digesters that valorize on-site wastes for producing renewable electricity and heat, thereby cushioning agribusinesses against energy perturbations. This study explored the economic viability of mono-digestion of cow manure (CWM) and piglet manure (PM) in small manured-based 99 kWel plants using three treatment schemes (TS): (1) typical agricultural biogas plant, (2) a single-stage expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor, and (3) a multistage EGSB with a continuous stirred tank reactor. The economic evaluation attempted to take advantage of the financial incentives provided by The Renewable Energy Sources Act in Germany. To evaluate these systems, batch tests on raw and solid substrate fractions were conducted. For the liquid fraction, data of continuous tests obtained in a laboratory was employed. The economical evaluation was based on the dynamic indicators of net present value and internal return rate (IRR). Sensitivity analyses of the electricity and heat selling prices and hydraulic retention time were also performed. Furthermore, an incremental analysis of IRR was conducted to determine the most profitable alternative. The most influential variable was electricity selling price, and the most profitable alternatives were TS1 (CWM) &gt; TS1 (PM) &gt; TS3 (CWM). However, further studies on co-digestion using TS3 are recommended because this scheme potentially provides the greatest technical flexibility and highest environmental sustainability.

Growth curve of early-weaned Hereford calves in a semidesert temperate zone (Patagonia, Argentina)

In semi desert environments, prone to droughts, beef cow performance can be improved by early weaning. This study aimed to evaluate the growth curve of early weaned calves in a semidesert temperate area such as Patagonia, Argentina, using a classical growth curve model. Hereford and crossbred (3/4 Hereford x 1/4 Aberdeen Angus) calves (n = 56), born in spring (September - November), from multiparous cows (4 to 8 years old), were weaned at 45–145 d of age, with 43–156 kg live weight and placed in a feedlot. After a period of adaptation, the calves were fed ad libitum with a diet of corn (48%), soybean expellers (12%) and alfalfa (40%), which was adjusted weekly for the previous week's intake. The animals were weighed weekly. The growth curve was defined by a Bayesian stepwise model selection process based on Richards’ growth curve. The resulting model is a Gompertz-like curve (near-zero shape parameter), in which females experience a change in growth rate at about 62.7 kg, from where their r increases from 0.0065 to 0.0121 becoming similar to that of males. The whole model had a high fit, with a generalized r2 of 0.8782. The average daily gain (ADG) was 0.804 kg/day for female calves and 0.934 kg/day for male calves. Female calves weighing less than 80 kg had an ADG of 0.672 kg/day, and those weighing more had an ADG of 0.847 kg/day. The current growth curve shows that it is possible to achieve high ADG in early weaned calves, confirming that early weaning is a viable alternative to make production systems more efficient in semi desert environments like Patagonia. Knowing the relationship between concentrate feeds and livestock prices, farmers will be able to decide whether early weaning is a profitable alternative or not is a profitable alternative. However, special care must be taken when weaning heifers that weigh less than 80 kg to achieve high ADG.

Main Carotenoids Produced by Microorganisms

Carotenoids are the pigments present in plants, animals, and microorganisms which are responsible for a broad variety of colors found in nature. Their capacity as antioxidants mainly established their marketable success as health, food, and feed supplements, and cosmetics components. Currently, chemical synthesis dominates the worldwide market; however, due to the high biological value of natural carotenoids, the production scheme is moving towards microbial production as a profitable alternative.

Techno-economic optimization for grid-friendly rooftop PV systems – A case study of commercial buildings in British Columbia

High levels of non-dispatchable photo-voltaic (PV) generation integrated with the grid may disrupt its operation. Aligning the PV panels to follow local building demand can partially elevate this. We investigate the economic viability of alignment for buildings owners and grid utility. A bi-level optimization framework is built to determine the design of a building rooftop PV system. An upper-level optimizer selects panel design parameters to lower either cost or grid electricity imports of the lower-level optimization. The lower-level energy-economical model optimization sizes the panels to minimize building electricity cost given building demand, given grid pricing, available roof area, and other factors. A case study of commercial building archetypes in Vancouver BC finds that at the price of 1.25$CAD/Wp (50% reduction of current prices) PV is profitable. For all archetypes profitable alternative grid-friendly designs were found, however, for some buildings large increases in peak power are observed. For some archetypes, a profitable alternative was found that lowers the overall electricity imports (between 4 and 7%) and limits impacts on peak power exports (below 125% of original peak import). Our future work will look into the uncertainty and sensitivity of the framework, technology improvements, and alternative economical models.

A combination of artificial neural network and genetic algorithm to optimize gas injection: A case study for EOR applications

A considerable volume of oil remains in the reservoir after terminating the primary and secondary oil recovery stages. It is the target of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes to increase the overall oil displacement efficiency. Gas injection process is the most commonly used technique in EOR. There has always been a demand for optimizing the gas injection process through modifying the determining factors such as injection/production well placement, injection rate, composition of the injected gas phase, to name a few. In this study, a combination of artificial neural networks (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) was used to discover and then optimize the connections between different properties and variables of a reservoir which is undergoing a gas injection process. A commercial reservoir simulator was used to simulate the production performance of the target reservoir. A new objective function was also developed to optimize the gas injection process based on the final profits gained. According to the results, production maximization was not the best decision since it was not the most profitable alternative. However, a profit-based optimization considering the costs of gas injection and the oil price was proved to be a better solution to the optimization problem. For a five-year production period, employing the profit-based optimization for well productivity index calculation resulted in an earned profit of 5.7 × 109 USD, achieved through injection of 203,600 MMSCFD of gas. On the other hand, production maximization approach led to a lesser earned profit of 5.39 × 109 USD due to injection of much greater volume of gas (310,000 MMSCFD). The results of the ANN modelling demonstrated the ability of the hybrid smart model in predicting production performance of the target reservoir under gas injection process. In addition, the ANN model was capable of accurately predicting noise-containing data which makes it a highly reliable candidate to apply on real field data.

A dual colour FISH method for routine validation of sexed Bos taurus semen

BackgroundUsage of sexed semen that allows to choose the gender of the calves, is commonly practiced in livestock industry as a profitable breeding alternative, especially in dairy farming. The flow cytometric cell sorting is the only commercially available method for bovine sperm sexing. For validation of the sexing procedure several methods have been developed including sperm fluorescence in situ hybridisation techniques. Latter usually include the use of pre-labelled nucleotides for probe synthesis which is relatively expensive approach compared to combined application of aminoallyl-dUTP and chemical binding of fluorescent dyes. Here a sex determining dual colour bovine sperm fluorescence in situ hybridisation method is presented which is considered more cost-effective technique than the previously reported approaches.ResultsThe reliability of sex chromosome identifying probes, designed in silico, was proven on bovine metaphase plate chromosomes and through comparison with a commercially available standard method. In the dual colour FISH experiments of unsexed and sexed bovine sperm samples the hybridisation efficiency was at least 98%, whereas the determined sex ratios were not statistically different from the expected. Very few cells carried both of the sex chromosome-specific signals (less than 0.2%).ConclusionsA protocol for a dual colour bovine sperm FISH method is provided which is cost-effective, simple and fast for sex determination of spermatozoa in bull semen samples.

Algoritma FP-Growth untuk Menganalisa Frekuensi Pembelian Gas Elpiji 3 Kg

The use of gas in Indonesia is a more profitable alternative, one of which is the oil conversion program, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). UD.Maju Bersama, which is a distribution agent for 3 Kg LPG gas for household needs, so far because of the many requests, of course LPG agents like this need to forecast the frequency of purchases to find out if the sales have been sold as optimally as possible and stocks can be provided well and supplies adequate for consumer demand. this problem can be solved by applying one of the Datamining techniques which is using the FP-Growth Algorithm method to find out the Frequency of Purchase of 3 Kg LPG Gas. Frequent Pattern Growth (FP-Growth) can be used to determine the set of data that most often appears (frequent itemset) in a data set. The results of data processing purchases at the Elpiji UD base. Forward Together the most sold or purchased values ​​at week 1 and 2 on each month with the highest value support 66.67% confidence 100.00%. the results can help base owners to make decisions on gas supply so that they can be used to increase the amount of supply from distributors to agents and increase profits with support and confidence.

Preliminary techno-economic analysis of non-commercial ceramic and organosilica membranes for hydrogen peroxide ultrapurification

Polymeric membrane cascades have demonstrated their technical and economic viability for hydrogen peroxide ultrapurification. Nevertheless, these membranes suffer from fast degradation under such oxidative conditions. Alternative membranes with higher chemical resistance could improve the ultrapurification process. Therefore, this work presents the preliminary techno-economic analysis of two non-commercial membranes (a ceramic one and a hybrid organosilica one). This analysis is complemented with further research regarding the competitiveness of these alternative membranes compared to polymeric ones. The results confirm the technical viability for both membranes, but the ceramic membrane is not appropriate when Na is considered as the limiting impurity (because it has too low rejection coefficient). The economic viability of the proposed ultrapurification processes is also probed, but not under competitive conditions, as the polyamide membrane appears to be the optimal choice. Nonetheless, improvements in the permeability of the hybrid membrane (an increase in the membrane permeability by a factor of 10) or the rejection performance of the ceramic membrane (an increase in the reflection coefficient above 0.85) could transform these non-commercial membranes into the most profitable alternative.

The Economic Feasibility of Adopting Mechanical Harvesters by the Highbush Blueberry Industry

Mechanical harvesters engineered for fresh-market highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) have the potential to relieve the burden associated with relying on human labor for harvesting a crop. However, such devices must be effective and maintain fruit quality to be economically viable. Results from an empirical economic model and a series of sensitivity analyses signal that shortening the gap between prices for the fresh and processing market would increase the likelihood of adoption, especially if prices for the fresh market drop by 26% and prices for the processing market increase by 63%. If changes in prices would occur at the same time, then prices for fresh-market blueberries would have to drop by 23% and for processing blueberries would have to increase by 9%. Increases in labor wages of 61% would make mechanical harvesters more profitable than hand harvesting. A 63% reduction in yield losses due to mechanical harvest in the field must occur for mechanical harvesters to become a profitable alternative. If only quality losses (e.g., presence of bruises on the external surface of the fruit) are reduced and yield losses are kept constant, then a 43% reduction in quality losses must occur for mechanical harvesters to become a profitable alternative. If both yield and quality losses are reduced, then a 20% reduction in yield losses and 29% reduction in quality losses would be required for mechanical harvesters to become profitable. We found that a mechanical harvester in its current incarnation is not yet a proven profitable alternative for fresh-market blueberries, given all initial assumptions considered in this study. The industry urges technical improvements to decrease harvest-induced loss from mechanical harvesting in the field and loss due to presence of bruises on the fruit external surface to ensure the massive adoption of mechanical harvesters, especially for fresh-market blueberries.

Service Engineering Methodology and Energy Services: Applicability Analysis and Case Study

In recent years, the economic and financial crises have been slowing down the growth of international markets. The resulting necessity to increase competitiveness has forced manufacturing industries to rethink their offer portfolio, also implementing servitization strategies. In particular, given the dramatic raise of customers’ awareness as regards environmental and energy problems, the energy industry is also considering the provision of Product-Service System (PSS) solutions (i.e. the bundle of energy services to energy efficiency related products) as a profitable alternative. However, the design of PSS and in particular of the service content of the offer is a challenging activity, mainly due to the fact that services are by definition characterized by high level of intangibility and perishability, and to the fact that standard tools and methodologies for service engineering are not available. The SErvice Engineering Methodology (SEEM) [1] aims at supporting companies in these design and implementation phases. The methodology is in its development phase and its applicability in industry has been mainly tested in one specific context. This paper deals with the application of SEEM in the context of Energy Services (ESs) where the design phase can be much more complex than in other areas due to the variety of industries offering this kind of services and to the number of stakeholders involved during the service provision. In particular, this paper refers to a specific ES (the provision of data elaboration and analysis to energy consumption monitoring and control purposes) marketed together with energy meters. The general aim of this work is to provide a first analysis and a general understanding of the applicability of this existing methodology to the ES field by the mean of a real case study. In the paper, main steps of the application of the SEEM to the case study are described and discussed, to highlight main criticalities. In the end, a critical analysis is provided in order to put the basis to generalize the insights of this work to additional Energy Services.

A new cost of ownership model for the acquisition of technology complying with environmental regulations

Firms in industries that pose environmental hazards are striving to acquire new technologies to meet tightened environmental regulations. Typically such firms have three main alternatives for obtaining technologies complying with the regulations: in-house development, purchasing a license, or merger and acquisition (M&A). In this paper, a new cost of ownership model that can assist selecting the best option to meet the regulation over the product lifetime is proposed. In order to forecast the demand for new products complying with environmental regulations, we apply Norton and Bass model. Our proposed evaluation model is applied to a case of heavy-duty diesel engine (HDDE) technology. According to our findings, purchasing a license is the most profitable alternative, while M&A and in-house development are sensitive to product lifetime and the expected lead-time for success, respectively. Our study is expected to support a firm's decision making process for selecting the best alternative for cleaner production.

Grand challenges in chemical engineering.

Chemical Engineering—also referred to as process engineering—is the branch of engineering applying physical and life sciences, mathematics and economics to the production and transformation of chemicals, energy and materials. Traditionally, it consists of heat, mass and momentum transport, kinetics and reaction engineering, chemical thermodynamics, control and dynamic simulation, separation, and unit operations. Conventionally developed and applied for the petro-chemical and the heavy chemical industry, chemical engineering has rapidly evolved with applications in a multitude of fields, including climate change, environmental systems, biomedical, new materials and complex systems. In 2003, the report “Beyond molecular frontiers: challenges for chemistry sciences and chemical engineering” mandated by the National Research Council of the American National Academies and chaired by Professors Breslow and Tirrell was released (National Research Council, 2003). The study investigated the status of chemical science: where are we, how did we arrive at this state and where are we heading? It concluded that science has become increasingly interdisciplinary. It also identified a trend toward the strong integration from the molecular level to chemical engineering and “the emergence of the intersections of the chemical science with all the natural sciences, agriculture, environmental science and medicine as well as with materials science, physics, information technology and many other fields of engineering.” A decade later, this vision has been largely realized and so-called “molecular engineering” that integrates chemical engineering with all sciences is now a reality. These rapidly expanding intersections of a wide range of areas of science with engineering are the new Frontiers in Chemical Engineering. Frontiers in Science and Engineering are mobile, ever expanding in a nonlinear and stochastic fashion. Any attempt to map the frontiers of knowledge is a difficult exercise that is usually out of date before it is published. An arguably more profitable alternative is to challenge the frontiers: to push their boundaries until some reaction occurs: whether rejection by the community or some progress follows in incremental or quantum steps. Another approach to define the frontiers of chemical engineering is to consider the chemical reactions that have marked the development of humanity’s current standards of living and the topics currently critical to ensure that acceptable standards are distributed more equitably around the globe without catastrophic impact on global climate and ecosystems. What is the most important chemical reaction that has impacted humanity? And what will be the next one? What are the most significant chemical technologies needed to ensure expansion of acceptable living standards while minimizing environmental impact? To take just one of many possible candidates for the title of “Most Important Chemical Process,” the Haber-Bosch reaction, which produces ammonia by reacting atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen, has allowed humanity to pass the 2 billion population barrier and reach the current global population of some 7 billion (Smil, 1999; Kolbert, 2013). Ammonia is a key ingredient in fertilizer for good plant growth. Until the advent of the Haber-Bosh process in the 1913, agriculture operated under nitrogen-limited conditions with the cultivation of arable lands sufficient to feed only 2 billion people. Developing low cost fertilizer has enabled a new era of growth in both crop yields and human nutritional standards by escaping the limitations imposed by natural nitrogen fixation processes. An agricultural revolution has been the result. Another example of chemical processes with wide social significance are the development of antibiotics, vaccines and immunology which have given mankind much better control over microbial pathogens, allowing longer and better human lives. Yet a third area of chemistry is our understanding of semiconductor materials and how to mass produce them with extraordinary precision that is the basis of modern microelectronics, computer science and the World Wide Web. These chemical and electronic technologies have effectively decoupled the memory/storage function of the human brain from its analytical capability, thereby liberating its powers to focus on creativity and connectivity in ways that previous generations could not imagine. Increasingly sophisticated application of mathematical principles to the phenomena of physics, chemistry and biological sciences, from the atomic level to intergalactic scales, enable us to better understand natural and anthropogenic phenomena and to either control them, or to prepare for changes which are beyond our control. Langer and Tirrell, from MIT and Caltech respectively, have pioneered an engineering approach to biomaterials for medical application, even pushing the boundary of oncology and tissue engineering (Langer and Tirrell, 2004; Karp and Langer, 2011; Schroeder et al., 2011). Bird et al. showed that molecular engineering of surface affects not only the behavior of liquid droplets with a surface at equilibrium,

Assessing creativity of design projects: criteria for the service engineering field

An emerging thread of research is represented by the attempt of quantitatively assessing creativity, its dimensions, and how it influences the design process. The purpose of the task is to compare design options, thus allowing to select the most innovative and supposedly profitable alternative. The endeavor of previous works has consisted in the assessment of creativity concerning designers, methodologies, concepts, and products. As the scope of engineering design is expanding so to include not traditional aspects of the product development process, the paper proposes metrics tailored to evaluate the creativity of services. Such metrics are built as a result of the extension and adaptation of previously formulated criteria, including the evaluation of novelty and usefulness. A sample of successful innovative services is considered, giving rise to a considerable variability of creativity scores. The outcomes may represent a starting point for a wider discussion about which dimensions of creativity majorly impact the success of products and services in the marketplace.

How Relative Compensation Can Lead to Managerial Herding

In this paper we analyze performance-based remuneration for risk-averse managers in a Black Scholes-type model. We assume that the firm's performance is influenced by an industry and a firm-specific risk. A relative performance compensation which rewards a manager relative to the exogenous performance of the firms in his peer group, can filter out the industry-specific risk and lower the compensation costs to the firm. However, if all managers of the firms in the peer group receive an endogenous relative performance compensation, we show that the managers may herd in their investment decisions and choose an inferior investment despite the presence of a more profitable alternative. This herding behavior is driven by the managers' risk-aversion and the endogenous relative performance compensation.