Production Resources Research Articles

Toward environmental sustainability: Is responsible consumption and production of natural resources amid green energy, green technology, and green finance achievable?

AbstractThe relentless devastating impacts of global warming and other climate change effects leading to incessant ecological damages have compelled governments across the globe to rethink the pattern of natural resource depletion. This has motivated policymakers, governments, international organizations, and research pundits alike to advocate for a transition to sustainable consumption and production of natural resources. Consequently, there is a growing call for sustainable production and consumption practices, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG‐12). This research probes how natural resource production and consumption facilitate or hinder environmental sustainability in G7 economies from 1996 to 2020. The empirical evidence incorporates green energy, green technology, green finance, environmental tax, financial development, economic growth, and population as control variables within the STIRPAT theoretical framework. Second‐generation estimating techniques are utilized for empirical verification. An outstanding contribution of this study among others is the estimation of the moderating effects of green energy in mitigating the ensuing impact of natural resources on environmental sustainability. The results indicate that both production and consumption of natural resources, particularly coal and oil negatively affect environmental sustainability. Furthermore, green technology, energy, and finance as well as environmental tax are found to play a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability. Green technology plays significant part in subduing the deteriorating effects of natural resources on the ecosystem. The robustness analyses further buttress the main analyses. Policy recommendations are proposed based on the empirical results.

Effect of fertigation scheduling and doses of NPK on growth, yield and quality of cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme) under protected condition

This study investigated the impact of different fertigation schedules on cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) cultivation in a controlled environment at TNAU, Coimbatore, India. A Completely Randomized Design with nine treatments and three replications was used, incorporating various combinations of soil application and fertigation with water-soluble fertilizers at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF). Critical parameters such as growth, phenological traits, yield, fruit quality, soil nutrient status, and plant nutrient uptake were evaluated. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, path coefficient analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA), were performed to assess treatment effects and identify relationships between variables. The results consistently demonstrated that fertigation with water-soluble fertilizers at 100% RDF (T3) yielded the best outcomes for most parameters, followed by 75% RDF fertigation (T4) and a combination of 25% soil application and 75% fertigation (T7). Significant improvements in plant growth, yield and fruit quality were observed with optimized fertigation compared to traditional soil application methods. T3 (100% RDF through fertigation) resulted in the highest plant height (263.95 cm), number of primary branches (15), leaf area (316.77 cm²) and dry matter production (96.85 kg/plant). Yield attributes such as fruits per plant (326.50), fruit weight (3.73 g), and total yield (23.95 t/ha) were also highest in T3. Path coefficient analysis indicated strong positive correlations between growth and yield parameters. PCA showed that the first principal component accounted for 85.9 % of the total variation. These findings highlight the potential for fertigation to improve resource use efficiency and productivity in cherry tomato cultivation.

Conducting water-energy-food nexus studies: what, why, and how

The increasing pressure on resources and the persistent failure to address global malnutrition are evident challenges. A significant contributing factor is the decline in the quality of production resources, particularly water. As a result, many countries and their experts have prioritized the need to balance resource consumption. To address the research gap regarding balanced and optimal resource use, various methodologies have been developed over time, culminating in nexus studies. This study aimed to investigate the what, why, and how of conducting water-energy-food nexus (WEFN) studies. The research employed a sequential mixed-methods approach, integrating content analysis with the Analytical Network Process (ANP). The findings reveal that the objectives of WEFN studies encompass a wide range of interests, which can be systematically categorized into seven principal domains: system sustainability assessment, integration of planning and decision-making processes related to resource consumption, optimization of resource use, management of resource consumption systems, development of theoretical frameworks for the nexus, evaluation of the impacts of resource consumption, and assessment of associated risks. Notably, the results indicate that system sustainability assessment is the most critical reason for conducting WEFN studies. Furthermore, the analysis of WEFN methodologies identified simulation as the most effective technique within the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework. In the context of the ANP technique, statistical analysis and simulation emerged as the most important methods. This research advocates for using a diagram to facilitate the selection of the optimal method for conducting a WEFN study.

Exploring the Photocatalytic Cleavage Pathway of the β-5 Linkage Lignin Model Compound on Carbon Nitride.

As a globally abundant source of biomass, lignocellulosic biomass has been the centre of attention as a potential resource for green energy generation and value-added chemical production. A key component of lignocellulosic biomass, lignin, which is comprised of aromatic monomers, is a potential feedstock for value added chemical production. The cleavage processes of the linkages between monomers to obtain high value products, however, requires significant investigation as it is a complex, non-facile process. This study focuses on the photocatalytic valorization of a β-5 lignin model compound, a key linkage in the lignin structure. It was found that greater yields of aromatic products were obtained from the photocatalytic conversion of β-5 lignin model compound using carbon nitride (CN) when compared to Evonik P25 titanium dioxide (TiO2). Products of the β-5 model compound photocatalytic conversion were determined and C-C bond cleavage was observed. It was also determined that the solvent participated in the reactions with the introduction of a cyano group to one of the products. Radical quenching experiments revealed that superoxide radicals participated in the CN photocatalytic conversion. These results reveal for the first time the products and possible mechanism of the photocatalytic transformation of β-5 model compounds using CN photocatalysis.

Impact of Material Consumption and Circular Economy on National Income in Europe – Chapter 1

Objective: This study investigates resource productivity by exploring the factors that influence it and the strength of their impact using sustainability statistics from Eurostat. Theoretical Framework: The research analyzes the interdependence between national income and material consumption, with a focus on the paradoxical effects of circular material use on these variables. Method: Data from bibliographic sources are analyzed using statistical methods, including regression and path models, to assess the relationships between material consumption, national income, and the use of circular materials. Results and Discussion: The study concludes that national income and material consumption are interdependent, with material consumption directly affecting national income. Notably, the use of circular materials, contrary to expectations, increases material use and decreases national income. The cases of Hungary and the Netherlands are specifically examined to illustrate these findings. Research Implications: The findings suggest that strategies to increase resource productivity and sustainability performance need to consider the complex and sometimes counterintuitive impacts of circular material use on national income and material consumption. Originality/Value: This study provides new insights into the relationship between resource productivity, national income, and material consumption, highlighting the unexpected effects of circular material use. It contributes to the broader understanding of sustainability performance, particularly in the context of Hungary and the Netherlands.

Impact of Material Consumption and Circular Economy on National Income in Europe – Chapter 2

Objective: This study investigates resource productivity by exploring the factors that influence it and the strength of their impact using sustainability statistics from Eurostat. Theoretical Framework: The research analyzes the interdependence between national income and material consumption, with a focus on the paradoxical effects of circular material use on these variables. Method: Data from bibliographic sources are analyzed using statistical methods, including regression and path models, to assess the relationships between material consumption, national income, and the use of circular materials. Results and Discussion: The study concludes that national income and material consumption are interdependent, with material consumption directly affecting national income. Notably, the use of circular materials, contrary to expectations, increases material use and decreases national income. The cases of Hungary and the Netherlands are specifically examined to illustrate these findings. Research Implications: The findings suggest that strategies to increase resource productivity and sustainability performance need to consider the complex and sometimes counterintuitive impacts of circular material use on national income and material consumption. Originality/Value: This study provides new insights into the relationship between resource productivity, national income, and material consumption, highlighting the unexpected effects of circular material use. It contributes to the broader understanding of sustainability performance, particularly in the context of Hungary and the Netherlands.

A reinforcement learning-based approach for solving multi-agent job shop scheduling problem

Wafer processing is the most expensive, time-consuming, and complex stage in semiconductor manufacturing. It varies significantly based on orders of customers (agents). Optimising the wafer processing flow in a multi-agent scenario can meet customised requirements, speed up delivery, and reduce costs. This work models wafer processing as a multi-agent job shop scheduling problem (MAJSP) with release dates. The objective is to minimise the total weighted makespan of agents. To address both dynamic and static scheduling scenarios in the MAJSP context, two deep reinforcement learning-based (DRL) methods are proposed. In a dynamic scheduling scenario, the statuses of orders and production resources can change at any moment. A DRL method called Graph Transformer Network (GTN) is proposed to rapidly generate high-quality solutions. In a static scheduling scenario, the production plan can be formulated based on predetermined demand and resource conditions. A novel hybrid method (GTN-DABC) that combines GTN with the discrete artificial bee colony algorithm (DABC) is proposed to provide high-quality production plans for manufacturers within an acceptable computation time. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed GTN outperforms existing heuristics, and the well-designed GTN-DABC is more competitive than other meta-heuristics.

Climate Change Adaptation Mechanisms for Smallholder Farmers in Côte d’Ivoire

This paper analyzes the adaptation mechanisms employed by smallholder farmers in Côte d'Ivoire in response to climate change. Using data from the World Bank’s CGAP survey (2016) and applying the Heckman’s probit model with sample selection, the study accounts for farmers' perception of climate change and its impact on adaptation strategies. The findings show that perception is a key factor in adopting climate-smart strategies, with access to agricultural information, cooperative membership, insurance, gender, education, and income levels being decisive variables. The study recommends policies that enhance advisory support, promote cooperatives, and ensure gender equality in accessing productive resources. These measures are essential for strengthening the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers in Côte d'Ivoire.

Multi-Scale Supply and Demand Relationships of Ecosystem Services Under Multiple Scenarios and Ecological Zoning to Promote Sustainable Urban Ecological Development in Arid Regions of China

Predicting and analyzing the supply and demand relationship of ecosystem services provides theoretical support for the improvement of the ecological environment. This paper takes Bortala, a typical oasis city with a fragile ecological environment in the arid northwest region, as a case study. Based on the GMOP-PLUS-InVEST coupled model, it predicts the coupling coordination and matching degree of the supply and demand connection of ecosystem services such as habitat quality (HQ), carbon storage (CS), water yield (WY), and soil erosion (SD) under four scenarios. The findings indicate that from 2020 to 2035, HQ, CS, and WY have basically achieved coupling coordination at both scales. However, there is a notable disparity in the supply and demand of water resource production and carbon emission production. To ensure the long-term balance of ecosystem service supply and demand (ESSD), the research area was ultimately divided into five ecological zones: ecological conservation zone, ecological agriculture zone, ecological moderate development zone, ecological improvement zone, and ecological protection zone. It could offer insights for guiding the sustainable growth of ecologically vulnerable zones in the future.

DOWN DRAFT GASIFIER TO PRODUCE SYNGAS BY BIO WASTE

Biowaste is a valuable resource for sustainable energy production. Through combustion, it generates thermal energy, while gasification a thermo chemical process which transforms solid fuel into gaseous fuel. This process, specifically through a downdraft gasifier, converts biowaste into a combustible gas known as producer gas. Utilizing biowaste as a fuel source plays a crucial role in reducing dependency on fossil fuels, providing a renewable, low-carbon energy alternative. Combining biowaste with other renewable sources like wind and solar power is an effective solution for small-scale, decentralized power generation. This approach not only meets local electricity needs but also supplies heat for rural development. Optimizing operating conditions and methodologies for maximum syngas production in biomass gasification is essential. The gasification system designed here includes a downdraft biomass thermo chemical conversion gasifier, a gas transport line with tar removal, and a fully enclosed combustion chamber—together, forming a robust setup for efficient, clean energy production. KEY WORD: Downdraft gasifier, biowaste, gasification, pyrolysis, syngas

A fine-scale atlas reveals the systematic imbalance between carbon emissions and economic benefits along value chain within China

In efforts to achieve the aspiring carbon mitigation goals, China is actively seeking to reconcile the economic development and carbon reduction with diverse regional conditions. Here, we firstly integrated a national-wide atlas on the labor division of production, and decomposed value added and carbon emission along China's domestic value chain during 2007–2017. We found that the value chain roles lead to a systematic imbalance between value added and carbon emissions across regions. Over 70 % of sufferers of the inequality were located at the north, most of which were in the upstream position to supply resource and energy intermediate products of higher on-site emissions and relatively less value added in comparison to the downstream manufacturing and service products production at the coastal regions. As a result, the northern inland suffered a great deal while part of coastal regions and southern inland were beneficiaries in the participation in domestic value chain. In particular, several regions inevitably undertake industries with higher emission intensity and less gains in a sound domestic industrial chain. These strongly call for a systematically policy- or price-based mechanism to explore fair strategy for emission reduction.

Genotypic variation in resource exchange, use, and production traits in the legume-rhizobia mutualism.

Mutualisms, reciprocally beneficial interactions between two or more species, are ubiquitous in nature. A common feature of mutualisms is extensive context-dependent variation in fitness outcomes. This context-dependency is hypothesized to stem from the environment's mediation of the relative costs and benefits associated with mutualisms. However, traits related to the exchange of goods and services in mutualisms have received little attention in comparison to net fitness outcomes. In this study, we quantified the contribution of host and symbiont genotypes to variation in resource exchange, use, and production traits measured in the host using the model mutualism between legumes and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. We predicted that plant genotype × rhizobia genotype (G × G) effects would be common to resource exchange traits because resource exchange is hypothesized to be governed by both interacting partners through bargaining. On the other hand, we predicted that plant genotype effects would dominate host resource use and production traits because these traits are only indirectly related to the exchange of resources. Consistent with our prediction for resource exchange traits, but not our prediction for resource use and production traits, we found that rhizobia genotype and G × G effects were the most common sources of variation in the traits that we measured. The results of this study complement the commonly observed phenomenon of G × G effects for fitness by showing that numerous mutualism traits also exhibit G × G variation. Furthermore, our results highlight the possibility that the exchange of resources as well as how partners use and produce traded resources can influence the evolution of mutualistic interactions. Our study lays the groundwork for future work to explore the relationship between resource exchange, use and production traits and fitness (i.e., selection) to test the competing hypotheses proposed to explain the maintenance of fitness variation in mutualisms.

Population genetics of Macrognathus siamensis (Synbranchiformes: Mastacembelidae): Implications for non-migratory fishery resources in the Mekong River basin

The spotted spiny eel, Macrognathus siamensis is an economically important freshwater fish in the Mekong River basin, which is undergoing dramatic biodiversity changes due to anthropogenic impacts. The species is non-migratory, with a moderate larval duration that facilitates downstream genetic connectivity. Restriction site-associated DNA sequence datasets that includes 3736 and 1244 single nucleotide polymorphisms representing putatively neutral loci, from all geographic sites and without the Tachileik site, indicate strong population structure in this sedentary fish, with a significant isolation-by-distance signature. This structure reflects isolation of tributary populations and downstream dispersal of these distinct populations to mix in the Mekong mainstem and contributes to increased genetic diversity in the lower reaches of the Mekong basin. Genetic data indicates that the dispersal of eggs and larvae downstream is not impeded by Khone Falls and that the falls prevent upstream dispersal of eggs and larvae. Despite this downstream connectivity, there is a strong population structure among above- and below-Khone Falls groups. An analysis of outlier loci putatively under selection provides evidence that the difference between connected metapopulations above and below the falls is due to the fundamental differences in environmental regimes. We hypothesize that instead of a physical barrier, the falls simply represents a demarcation between previously recognized upstream limited-floodplain environments and downstream extensive-floodplain environments. These findings emphasize the need to monitor genetic diversity of key sedentary fishery species to assess whether proposed dams along the river could affect genetic diversity downstream. This genetic diversity is particularly important for the resilience of downstream populations because of the many environmental impacts caused by dams, land use, and climate change. Early detection of reduced downstream genetic diversity could trigger remediation programs to ensure resilience and continued fisheries productivity of important non-migratory fish resources.

Predicting the productivity of fractured horizontal wells using few-shot learning

Predicting the productivity of multistage fractured horizontal wells plays an important role in exploiting unconventional resources. In recent years, machine learning (ML) models have emerged as a new approach for such studies. However, the scarcity of sufficient real data for model training often leads to imprecise predictions, even though the models trained with real data better characterize geological and engineering features. To tackle this issue, we propose an ML model that can obtain reliable results even with a small amount of data samples. Our model integrates the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) to expand the data volume, the support vector machine (SVM) for model training, and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for optimizing hyperparameters. To enhance the model performance, we conduct feature fusion and dimensionality reduction. Additionally, we examine the influences of different sample sizes and ML models for training. The proposed model demonstrates higher prediction accuracy and generalization ability, achieving a predicted R2 value of up to 0.9 for the test set, compared to the traditional ML techniques with an R2 of 0.13. This model accurately predicts the production of fractured horizontal wells even with limited samples, supplying an efficient tool for optimizing the production of unconventional resources. Importantly, the model holds the potential applicability to address similar challenges in other fields constrained by scarce data samples.

Shifting agricultural land use and their unintended water consumption in the North China Plain

Agricultural land use (ALU) critically influences food production and water resource allocation. This study examines the dynamics of ALU in the North China Plain (NCP), an area marked by intensive agriculture and severe groundwater over-exploitation, with a focus on the multidimensional drivers and their implications for water management. By employing an elaborate classification scheme based on satellite imagery and extensive first-hand field data, we identified significant shifts in crop patterns. From 2013 to 2017, there was a notable transition from double crops (primarily wheat-maize) to single crops (primarily maize), covering 4600 km2 and accounting for 42% of single crops in 2013. From 2017 to 2022, there was a shift from single crops to economic forests, encompassing 3600 km2 and 22% of economic forests in 2017, including orchards, timber trees, and shelter forest belts. These shifts resulted in an 11% decrease in grain acreage (6800 km2) and an 11% increase in crop water consumption (6.3 km3) during 2013–2022. Notably, water consumption by economic forests increased by 126% (9.4 km3) during this period. This study highlights the critical need to balance competing demands for food and water security, providing valuable insights for similar agricultural regions worldwide.

Employability on vocational high school students in the ”3T” area Bawean Island

Vocational high schools in ”3T” area on Bawean Island have limitations in human resources quality, equipment, production or practice tools, and industrial partnership, which differed from the vocational high schools located in advanced and developed areas. This research objective is to discover the description of employability to the vocational high school students in ”3T” area in Bawean island. The research method applied was the qualitative method using the phenomenology approach. The data collection was obtained through semi-structured interviews. This research participant was eight students at vocational high school "X," "Y," "Z," and "W" schools in Bawean Island, which is one of the ”3T” area. The analysis method in this research was content analysis. This research result shows that students in the ”3T” area were showing their effort to prepare themselves in facing the job market by enhancing their employability in learning activities within the class or practice in the laboratory. The students' employability includes skills, knowledge, comprehension, personality, career identity, social and human relations, and personal adaptability. Students realize that they are in the "3T" area and must work harder to improve their work skills so as not to lose their jobs.

Analysis of Resource Use and Production Efficiencies of Broiler Farming in Punjab

The study was conducted and examined using primary data collected from 100 broiler farms, which were applied through a probability proportion sampling method across all the regions of Punjab state. The Cobb-Douglas production function was used to determine the factors affecting broiler production and resource-use efficiency. The coefficient of day-old chicks and broiler feed were positive and significant at a 1 per cent level and affected the gross return of all three categories and overall units. The miscellaneous items were positively significant at a five per cent level only on overall broiler farms. If expenditure on items comprising miscellaneous costs increased by one per cent, it may increase the gross returns by an average of 0.074 per cent. The efficiency indicators of broiler feed showed that feed was overutilized in all categories. The overall ratio of meat-feed was 1.70, which clearly showed that for every rupee spent on feed, it could return to 1.70. The large broiler farms were more desirable value in both feed conversion ratio and meat-feed or output-input ratio. The study suggested that broiler feed was over-utilized, and there is a need to stop wastage of broiler feed.

Economic Burden of Late-Stage Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Bulgaria, Germany, and the US

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating retinal condition that affects more than 200 million people globally, with the severe late-stage forms-neovascular AMD (nAMD) and geographic atrophy (GA)-affecting more than 11 million people globally. However, much is unknown about the economic burden of the disease. To estimate the economic burden associated with late-stage AMD in Bulgaria, Germany, and the US at the societal level. This study used the prevalence approach cost-of-illness economic modeling to estimate costs attributable to late-stage AMD. Data on health care resource utilization, well-being, and productivity were obtained via primary data collection. Additional data required for the model were sourced from available published literature. Data were collected from January 2021 to March 2022, and analyzed from April to July 2022. Participants older than 50 years residing in Bulgaria, Germany, and the US who were diagnosed with late-stage AMD (nAMD or any form of GA) in 1 or both eyes and caregivers who care for people diagnosed with late-stage AMD were recruited through ophthalmological clinics in Bulgaria and Germany and via online newsletters and social media in the US. The main outcomes were direct medical costs (disease-related health care expenditures), indirect medical costs (care support and assistive technology), well-being cost (loss of well-being), and productivity cost (loss in productivity due to the diseases for both patient and caregivers). Of the 128 individuals with late-stage AMD in this study, 80 (62%) were female, and 120 (94%) were aged 60 years or older. Of the 61 caregivers, 43 (70%) were female and 55 (91%) were aged 45 years or older. Estimated per-annum total costs attributable to late-stage AMD were €449.5 million ($512.5 million) in Bulgaria, €7.6 billion ($8.6 billion) in Germany, and €43.2 billion ($49.4 billion) in the US. Across all countries, 10% to 13% of the total cost incurred was attributed to direct medical costs. In Germany and Bulgaria, the biggest contributor to the total economic burden was reduced well-being (67% and 76%, respectively), whereas in the US, loss of productivity (42%) was the biggest contributor. The findings of this study indicate a substantial burden of late-stage AMD on patients and caregivers in the US, Germany, and Bulgaria. Across the 3 countries, reduced well-being and loss of productivity were relatively large contributors to the total economic burden. Implementing measures to reduce AMD incidence, delay disease progression, and alleviate humanistic burden may help reduce the economic burden of late-stage AMD.

The Elevation of the Grassroots Economy Based on Local Resources to Create High Value for Sales in the Modern Trade Market: A Case Study of Krasang District, Buriram Province, Thailand

The objectives of this research were to study the production problems, the factors influencing the production of community products based on local resources to enhance their value, and the strategies for elevating the grassroots economy based on local resources for sale in the modern trade market. The case study focused on Krasang District, Buriram Province. The sample group consisted of 50 community product entrepreneurs selected by purposive sampling and 100 consumers selected through the Taro Yamane formula. The tools used included questionnaires, and the statistical methods applied were percentage, mean, standard deviation, T-test, and F-test. The research findings revealed that the most common production problem was in the area of modern market sales (4.71), with the most critical issue being the distribution of products to purchasing markets (4.76). The factors influencing the production of community products based on production resources were generally rated at a high level (4.32). When examined in detail, the highest-ranked factor was consumer behavior, particularly the preference for unique, identity-driven products. The second-ranked factor was related to community products, specifically the creation of a brand reflecting the community's historical identity. Comparisons by gender and education level showed no significant differences in opinions, with statistical significance at the .05 level.

Spatial Politics of Cultural Production: Negotiating Workspaces and Resisting Displacement at Industrial Heritage Sites in Berlin

Derelict industrial spaces have been crucial spatial resources for artists and cultural production for decades, often forming vibrant cultural clusters. However, these spaces are increasingly threatened by speculative real-estate development and displacement through more “productive” creative industries. The case of Alte Münze in Berlin provides empirical insight into the politics, practices, and strategies essential for preserving these heritage sites in the long term for cultural use. This research underscores the need for supportive planning regulations that combine cultural policy with urban planning, advocate for public-civic partnerships, and promote public or community-based ownership models. The findings extend to small-scale manufacturers and businesses facing similar challenges in maintaining workspaces amid competitive urban land use pressures.