Strong Market Demand Research Articles

Mapping the Future Market Potential of Timber from Small-Scale Tree Farmers: Perspectives from the Southern Highlands in Tanzania

In the rapidly growing Tanzanian economy, increasing demand for timber and limited wood supply from industrial plantations and natural forests have opened a new livelihood opportunity for smallholder farmers in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, which is undergoing a tree-growing boom. In the absence of support services, research and statistics, the magnitude of the phenomena has remained unclear, along with the farmers’ capability to meet market demands, access the markets, and negotiate prices. Primary qualitative data were collected to clarify the role of smallholder tree growers in the forest transition process and wood value chain using 60 semi-structured tree farmer interviews in four villages, and through interviews of timber buyers and processors. The findings indicate that the strong market demand has created dual markets, where higher quality industrial plantations mainly supply larger industries, whereas micro and small enterprises source wood from lower quality smallholder plantations. While the markets’ quality criteria are expected to tighten, capacity building is needed to improve smallholder wood quality to ensure the long-run tree-growing livelihood and competitiveness of small-scale producers in the markets.

An investigation of skill requirements for business and data analytics positions: A content analysis of job advertisements

Presently, analytics degree programs exhibit a growing trend to meet a strong market demand. To explore the skill sets required for analytics positions, the authors examined a sample of online job postings related to professions such as business analyst (BA), business intelligence analyst (BIA), data analyst (DA), and data scientist (DS) using content analysis. They present a ranked list of relevant skills belonging to specific skills categories for the studied positions. Also, they conducted a pairwise comparison between DA and DS as well as BA and BIA. Overall, the authors observed that decision making, organization, communication, and structured data management are key to all job categories. The analysis shows that technical skills like statistics and programming skills are in most demand for DAs. The analysis is useful for creating clear definitions with respect to required skills for job categories in the business and data analytics domain and for designing course curricula for this domain.

Business model for integrating energy efficiency performance in manufacturing industries: railcar case study

The strong environmental policies, market demand and environmental sustainability has affected industrial firms, and forced them to create sustainable energy solutions. Improving energy efficiency is a key driver for sustainability, especially in high energy intensive industries that includes rail car manufacturing, which calls for implementation of energy efficiency initiatives in managing energy consumption, thus reducing energy costs and environmental pollution. The article proposes a business model that can be used by Energy Service Companies (ESCos) in creating, delivering and capturing value of energy (electricity) using canvas methodology.

Discovery of immunoglobulin T in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): A potential molecular marker to understand mucosal immunity in this species

Immunoglobulin molecules play an important role in the immune defense system in all jawed vertebrates, by protecting the organism from a wide variety of pathogens. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is extensively cultivated worldwide, with a strong established market demand. It constitutes one of the model species for the study of fish immunology and its genome is currently fully sequenced. The presence of the immunoglobulin M gene in this species is well documented, as well as its major role in systemic immunity. To date, the IgT gene from O. niloticus has not been identified and, therefore, no information is available on the role of this immunoglobulin isotype in the immune response in tilapia. In the present work, novel secreted and membrane immunoglobulin T isotypes and a fragment of IgM were isolated from tilapia head kidney lymphocytes. Their transcriptional profiles were analyzed by quantitative PCR in larval development and in different tissues of healthy or lipopolysaccharide/Edwardsiella tarda-challenged tilapia adults. The presence of IgT and IgM were detected in early stages of larval development. Additionally, these genes exhibited differential expression profiles in basal conditions and after E. tarda infection in adult tilapia, in accord with the proposed effector functions of these immunoglobulins in the systemic and mucosal compartments. Our results suggest the potential involvement of this new Ig in mucosal immunity in tilapia.

A transcriptomic investigation of digestive processes in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides, before, during, and after metamorphic development

The orange-spotted grouper (OG), Epinephelus coioides, is an ecologically and economically important species with strong market demand. However, larval rearing for this species is especially difficult, with mass mortality occurring at multiple stages including the period coinciding with metamorphic development. The aim of the present study was to characterise the molecular ontogenesis of genes that influence appetite, feeding, and digestion in OG larvae head and body tissue at 12, 18, and 50 days post hatch (dph), which coincides with the beginning and end of metamorphic development. The sequences of many transcripts involved in the regulation of appetite, feeding and digestive processes were detected from 12 dph in OG larvae, including those that were differentially expressed in body tissue in fish at different stages of development such as cholecystokinin, peptide Y, and meprin A. Of the transcripts encoding digestive enzymes, only the expression level of bile salt-activated lipase decreased as development progressed. In contrast, a dramatic increase in expression for other body-expressed transcripts encoding digestive enzymes and a proton pump subunit was observed at 50 dph, which is indicative of an increase in digestive capacity. In addition, we have provided evidence suggesting that various trypsinogen isoforms are present, and have differing expression patterns throughout larval development in whole body tissue. We also report on the presence of a prey-specific transcript encoding α-amylase that was present in the body-transcriptome. Taken together, these results give insight into the processes underpinning attainment of digestive capacity, and form the basis of a new transcriptomic database that will aid further study into the digestive development and dietary requirements of orange-spotted grouper larvae.

A Review of Inactive Materials and Components of Flexible Lithium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractFlexible Li‐ion batteries (LIBs) have a strong oncoming consumer market demand for use in wearable electronics, flexible electronics, and implantable medical devices. This market demand necessitates research on flexible LIBs to fulfill the energy requirements of these devices. One of the main areas of research of flexible LIBs is the active and inactive materials used in manufacturing these batteries. Active materials are those used in the battery electrodes to store lithium in their structure. The remaining materials in flexible LIBs, which do not directly contribute to energy storage, are inactive materials. Inactive materials and components—including electrode conductive materials, binders, separator, current collectors, electrolyte, and casing/packaging—make up almost 60% of the total weight of a LIB. Thus, they are important in the determination of energy and power density of flexible LIBs. This study reviews the inactive materials and components of flexible LIBs from two aspects. First, inactive materials and components used in flexible LIBs and their properties are compared. Then, the compatibility and stability of inactive materials and components are discussed. Overall, this article gives an extensive insight to researchers on inactive materials and components employed so far for flexible LIBs.

Hubs of Internet Entrepreneurs: The Emergence of Co-working Offices in Shanghai, China

ABSTRACTRecently, the Chinese government has announced the “Internet plus” national strategy to encourage the development of Internet industries, particularly “innovations at the grassroots level.” Supportive government policies at the national and local level, and strong market demand have led to the rise of “Internet plus” entrepreneurs. Many of them are not setting up their own offices but are using shared or co-working offices. This study examines the geographical factors, reasons, and processes behind the emergence of co-working offices for these Internet start-up firms through on-site observations and in-depth interviews with the management and users at major co-working offices in Shanghai, China.

Habitat characteristic of two selected locations for sea cucumber ranching purposes

Sea cucumbers face heavily overfished because of their high prices and very strong market demand. One effort suggested to overcome this problem is sea ranching. The objectives of present works were to determine biological, physical, and chemical characteristics of prospective location for sea ranching of sea cucumber Holothuria atra. Two location at Jepara Waters (Teluk Awur and Bandengan WateRs of Jepara Regency) were selected. The determination of chemical (salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen of water, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium of water and sediment, organic matters of sediment), physical (transparancy, sedimen grains size, water current direction and its velocity), biologycal characteristic (coverage of seagrass and its macroalgae associated, phytoplankton as well as chlorophyl-a and phaeopytin of water and sediment) ware determined. The result of present work showed that some characteristic were matched with requirement as sea ranching location of sea cucumber because the density of sea cucumber in the sea is a function of habitat features. For sediment feeding holothurians of the family Aspidochirotida, the biologycal characteristic act as very important considerations by providing sea cucumber food. High cholophyl-a and phaeopytin in sediment also represent a prosperous habitat for sea cucumber ranching.

Alternatives to land grabbing: exploring conditions for smallholder inclusion in agricultural commodity chains in Southeast Asia

Smallholder engagement with export commodities in Southeast Asia potentially offers a more inclusive development pathway than large-scale plantation production, which has been associated with the phenomenon of land grabs. This raises three questions which we explore in this paper: What are the agro-economic factors favouring or obstructing smallholders relative to plantations? What are the incentives for agribusiness firms to contribute to smallholder production other than by direct control of land? Can smallholder production be broadly inclusive in the face of internal differentiation and encroachment by external investors? We compare smallholder involvement with four cash crops which have experienced strong market demand – rubber, oil palm, cassava and teak – based on fieldwork in six Southeast Asian countries. We conclude that smallholder production can be a viable and inclusive strategy, contingent on the case-by-case confluence of a number of key factors which we enumerate.

Structural-Ordered Flexible Polypyrrole Films Derived from Vapor Phase Polymerization Process As Ultrahigh-Rate Anodes for Li-Ion and Na-Ion Batteries

Recently, there has been strong market demand for thin, lightweight, flexible and bendable electrodes to make lithium ion batteries (LIBs) or lithium-polymer batteries that are lighter and more flexible than the existing ones, and thus more capable of satisfying for portable soft or bendable electronic devices such as roll-up displays, integrated circuit smart cards and wearable devices for durability in everyday use[1]. In this respect, the concept of all-polymer based batteries and supercapacitors, introduced almost three decades ago[2], has recently gained renewed interest mainly due to long cycle life, low self-discharge rate, endurance to over-discharge, low manufacturing costs, and shape flexibility of conductive polymers. Several important conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) [3], polyaniline (PAN) [4], and polythiophene (PTh) [5] and their derivatives have been proved to be used not only as the cathode but also as the anode for the secondary battery because they are stable in air and have good electrochemical properties.On the other hand, considering the limited and uneven distribution of lithium minerals, room temperature sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have received growing attention because of their low cost and abundant supply. SIBs and LIBs share the same architecture of battery design. One of the major challenges for SIBs is to discover suitable electrode materials with high and stable sodium storage capabilities. The lithium or sodium storage mechanism of the conductive polymers is reversible n-doped behavior[6]. During discharge process, the cations (Li+ or Na+) stored between the chain layers of polymers and combined with oxygen atom to form oxide[3]. Therefore, the distance between the chain layers is important for the cations insertion and extraction, especially for the sodium ions with larger atomic radius. Among the conducting polymers, PPy have drawn the most attention due to their redox properties, biocompatibility, good electrical conductivity, and chemical stability. However, to the best of our knowledge, very few PPy materials have been reported for Na-ion storage. In this work, we propose PPy thin films with stable chain-layer structure as anodic electrodes for LIBs and SIBs, which synthesized by an easy, inexpensive and scalable vapor phase polymerization (VPP) technique[7]. The ordered pyrrolic chains layer structure of obtained PPy film was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Raman spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) examinations. As a consequence, the PPy film demonstrates excellent rate performance and cycling stability as freestanding anodic electrode for both Li-ion and Na-ion storage. In particular, the PPy film anode exhibits an impressive increased reversible capacity of 204.5 mAh g-1 even after 400 cycles at 10 C charge/discharge rate for Li-ion storage. Moreover, a reversible redox capacity of 113.8 mAh g-1 through doping-dedoping reactions of Na-ions into/from the PPy chains is also achieved. The electrochemical Li-ions and Na-ions doping-dedoping behaviors of PPy film was investigated by ex-situ XRD. It was proved that PPy film electrode could be reversibly charged and discharged with lithium and sodium and the ordered pyrrolic chains structure can self-adapt the doped ions. The results may substantially contribute to the progress of the flexible polymer electrode for various ions batteries. Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation of China (51472161, 51472160, 21403139), the Shanghai Pujiang Program (No. 14PJ1407100), the Key Program for the Fundamental Research of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (15JC1490800, 12JC1406900) and the International Cooperation Program of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (14520721700). We acknowledge the support of the Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning (TP2014048) and the Hujiang Foundation of China (B14006).

Relationships between race-specific and race-non-specific resistance to potato late blight and length of potato vegetation period in various sources of resistance

Late blight is the most destructive potato disease, and there is consequently strong market demand for disease-resistant cultivars. However, potato resistance to P. infestans is strongly associated with late maturity. In this study, the relationships between race-specific and race-non-specific potato late blight resistance and length of the vegetation period were examined in three unselected progenies with various origins of resistance. The vegetation period and late blight resistance of 514 progeny clones were evaluated in laboratory and field tests. The relative area under the disease progress curve (rAUDPC) and auxiliary parameters for the delay of infection onset (ΔT) and disease progression rate (ΔA) were calculated based on field observations. In all examined progenies, late maturity was correlated with foliage resistance to P. infestans in field experiments, but not under laboratory conditions. Regardless of the resistance source, potato late maturity was always correlated with a low disease progression rate, which is typical for race-non-specific resistance. The mechanism underlying this relationship is likely physiological, and both traits are consequences of the same phenomenon, that is, the higher level of race-non-specific resistance resulting from a tendency for late maturation. Race-specific resistance appears to be unrelated to maturity because none of the tested R-genes against P. infestans, with the exception of R1, contributed to a longer vegetation period of the potato plants. However, late maturity of potato plants enhanced the efficacy of the R-genes under field conditions.

Anatomy of a boom: Cassava as a ‘gateway’ crop in Cambodia's north eastern borderland

AbstractThis paper examines how a boom in industrial cassava served as a ‘gateway’ to intensify capitalist relations in Cambodia's north eastern borderland. Situated on Cambodia's border with Vietnam, Mondulkiri province has experienced a rapid increase in cassava production and trade since 2006, with transformative consequences for the region's forests and farmers. Using field data from 2012 to 2014, we explore how the boom ignited and intensified over time, through a conjuncture of conditions. Alongside strong market demand for cassava, these included resource abundance (soil fertility, timber, land, labour), connectivity to markets and cross border networks, and facilitative governance conditions. Over time, the boom strengthened capitalist relations, particularly through farmer debt and the revalorisation and accumulation of land. However, unlike booms of tree crops elsewhere, we argue that it is the veryimpermanenceof cassava that is formative here, because the crop's short‐term nature and low overheads facilitate practices like land laundering and land mortgaging. Like the ‘gateway drugs’ that were believed to place users on a path to addiction and risk, this paper shows that gateway crops such as cassava may similarly place farmers on a trajectory of more intense competition and reduced choice in their engagements with capitalist modes of production.

The British Attempt to Manage Long-Term Interest Rates in 1962-64

The British monetary authorities tried to encourage lower long-term interest rates through their government debt management operations between 1962 and 1964, consistent with a recommendation of the Radcliffe report. The implementation of the policy was complicated by the need for the Bank of England to act as a market-maker in the government securities market, and beset by misunderstandings between the Treasury and the Bank of England. The policy was quietly abandoned when the conditions of strong market demand for bonds on which it depended changed. The paper describes how the policy was developed and implemented, and the impact of political preferences on it.

The British attempt to manage long-term interest rates in 1962–1964

The British monetary authorities tried to encourage lower long-term interest rates through their government debt management operations between 1962 and 1964, following the Radcliffe report's recommendation that they should have an objective for long-term rates, and with the intention of supporting the government's pursuit of faster economic growth. The implementation of the policy was complicated by the Bank of England's role as a market maker in the government securities market, and beset by misunderstandings among the monetary authorities. The policy was abandoned when the conditions of strong market demand for bonds on which it depended changed. The article describes how the policy was developed and implemented, and the impact of political preferences on it.

Impact of Previous Concussion on Helmet Use and Risk Compensation

Impact of Previous Concussion on Helmet Use and Risk Compensation

Epidemiology of the Pennsic Wars 2007–2013: A Medieval Mass Gathering Event

Epidemiology of the Pennsic Wars 2007–2013: A Medieval Mass Gathering Event

Free-Standing SnO2/Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Films as High-Performance Binder-Free Electrodes for Flexible Lithium-Ion Batteries

It is currently urgent to develop flexible lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of the growing interest and strong market demand of flexible or bendable electronics. However, the large-scale use of flexible LIBs is mainly limited by our capability to fabricate high-performance flexible electrodes. Here, we develop a facile, cost-efficient, and eco-friendly strategy to prepare flexible SnO2/nitrogen-doped graphene films (SNGFs) for LIBs. Significantly, the obtained binder-free, conducting agent-free, and current collector-free flexible electrodes exhibited high capacity, excellent cycling stability, and superior rate capability. The outstanding Li storage performance of the SNGF is primarily ascribed to its specific structure, and indicates its great potential as an anode material for flexible LIBs. Our new approach for the fabrication of flexible electrodes can be applied to various other electrode materials, which may be useful in flexible or bendable energy storage devices.

Open access subject repositories: An overview

Subject repositories are open web collections of working papers or manuscript copies of published scholarly articles, specific to particular scientific disciplines. The first repositories emerged in the early 1990s, and in some fields of science they have become an important channel for the dissemination of research results. With quite strict inclusion criteria, 56 subject repositories were identified from a much larger number indexed in 2 repository indices. A closer study of these demonstrated a huge variety in sizes, organizational models, functions, and topics. When they first started to emerge, subject repositories catered to a strong market demand, but the later development of Internet search engines, the rapid growth of institutional repositories, and the tightening of journal publisher open access policies seems to be slowing their growth.

Transformation of smallholder beef cattle production in Vietnam

This research describes and analyses how smallholder crop livestock farmers in rural Ea Kar, Vietnam, were able to take advantage of the rising demand for meat in urban centres and transform cattle production from a traditional, extensive grazing system to a more intensive, stall-fed system that supplied quality meat to urban markets. The traditional grazing system produced low-quality animals that could only be sold for local consumption. Introduction of the concept of farm-grown fodder production enabled farmers to produce fatter animals, achieving higher sale prices, and reduce labour inputs by moving from grazing to stall-feeding. These benefits convinced farmers, traders and local government that smallholder cattle production could be a viable enterprise and so stimulated stakeholder interest. Within 10 years, the way that cattle were produced and marketed changed considerably. By 2010, more than 3,000 smallholders had adopted farm-grown forages and stall-feeding, and many produced high-quality beef cattle. Traders had been able to develop access to urban markets as farmers were able to produce animals that satisfied the stringent quality requirements of urban markets. In addition to the underlying driver of strong market demand for quality meat, several factors contributed to this transition: (i) a convincing innovation – the use of farm-grown fodder – that provided immediate benefits to farmers and provided a vision for local stakeholders; (ii) a participatory, systems-oriented innovation process that emphasised capacity strengthening; (iii) a value chain approach that linked farmers and local traders to markets; (iv) the formation of a loosely structured coalition of local stakeholders that facilitated and managed the innovation process; and (v) technical support over a sufficiently long time period to allow innovation processes to become sustainable.

Implementation strategy for downgraded flash-memory storage devices

In recent years, low-cost flash-memory devices have contributed greatly to the rapid growth of the flash memory market. Given that the most of the cost of such devices is the cost of the flash-memory chips, many vendors are managing the cost of such devices by using flash-memory chips of low quality, and they will continue to do so in the near future. Recognizing strong market demand, this work presents a set-based mapping strategy with an effective implementation and low hardware resource requirements for making downgraded flash-memory chips useable in products. A configurable management design for managing chips of various qualities with improved lifetime is presented. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is evaluated by performing a series of experiments and analyzed with reference to popular implementations in industry.