Tool For Production Research Articles

Generative AI in Education: Assessing Usability, Ethical Implications, and Communication Effectiveness

The rapid expansion of generative artificial intelligence tools for textual production, such as ChatGPT, has been accompanied by a proliferation of similar tools used for creating images, audiovisual content, and motion graphics. These tools, valued for their creativity, are increasingly employed in the fields of art, education, and entertainment to enhance content creation, particularly on social media, while also reducing production costs. However, their use is not without controversy, as they raise significant ethical concerns, including the potential for generating fake news and disinformation. This paper presents an analysis of higher education students’ perspectives on the use of generative artificial intelligence tools within the context of a university course. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 10 fourth-year students from the Department of Communication and Digital Media at the University of Western Macedonia. The study aims to provide an initial understanding of the impact of these tools in both education and communication, focusing on students who are future professionals in the communication field. The interviews explored the potential benefits of these technologies, which were valued highly, and the challenges presented such as privacy and credibility issues, which concerned the participants. Misinformation and deception were cited as the most significant risks, while these tools were evaluated positively in terms of communicative purposes, but still maintaining skepticism.

Quality of Medical Waste Management to Enhance Public Trust in Healthcare Facilities

Healthcare facilities serve as providers of health services for individuals or groups. Healthcare services involve activities that require materials or equipment, generating medical waste that must be recorded and reported. Public trust in medical waste management forms the foundation for maintaining clean healthcare facilities. A clean organization starts with honest and ethical personnel, as reflected in the routine and periodic quality of their work reports. High-quality medical waste management reports can serve as an evaluation and productivity tool for healthcare personnel handling and managing medical waste. This research is crucial as public health relies on clean healthcare facilities. Moreover, the sustainability of medical waste management depends on proper and continuous reporting. Hence, this study explores the quality of medical waste management in enhancing public trust in healthcare facilities. Using a qualitative, descriptive-analytic approach, this research involves informants such as the head of the sanitation department, the head of nursing wards, cleaning service staff, and medical waste handlers. Data collection tools include surveys, interviews, and documentation. Findings reveal that nursing wards producing medical waste need more work reports on medical waste management. Nursing wards must know the volume of materials or medical waste produced. Reports from the sanitation department are partial and not comprehensive, often failing to comply with standard operational procedures for proper medical waste management.

Blockchain and Traceability of Geographical Indication Products

Traceability plays a significant role in food supply chains by ensuring food safety through piloting risks and quality. It helps to ensure that all production steps meet specification and quality requirements. It is also a very important tool for geographical indication products as it proves the authenticity of products, indicates their origin and, consequently, prevents counterfeiting. The system must be efficient and have anti-tampering features. Using blockchain technology can render these systems nearly perfect

Nanotechnology for sustainability of agriculture and environment: Green synthesis and application of nanoparticles – A review

Moreover, with the continuous population increase worldwide, there is more demand of food and other daily necessities, which require double agriculture production to provide adequate food for humanity from the same available natural resources. Therefore, looking for new techniques to combat various challenges is instantly needed to sustain crop production and provide enough food for humanity. The use of nano-technology in agriculture field represents an important tool for consistent production of agriculture crops and assists farmers with new practice management systems such as precision agriculture systems, the aim of which is to increase productivity and reduce expenses. Nanotechnology plays an important role in altering agriculture food production. The particles ranging from 1 to 100 nm are accounted as nanoparticles, which usually have high surface energy, big surface area and quantum quarantine. Most notably, nanoparticles increase crop yield by increasing the effectiveness of agricultural inputs to enable site-targeted, controlled nutrient delivery, assuring the least amounts of agro-inputs needed. Additionally, the main aim in agricultural production is to facilitate plants' faster adaptation to the increasingly severe climate change factors, such as high temperatures, low water availability, salinity, alkalinity and environmental pollution with heavy metals, without jeopardizing the delicate ecosystems that are currently in place. This review illustrates the effect of numerous nanoparticles on diverse plants of many concentrations, sizes and shapes. The molecular and genetic response to NPs, their method of action and their interactions with biomolecules should be the main areas of study in the future.

Implementation of the Sugeno Fuzzy Method in a Firefighting Robot Prototype with an All-Wheel Drive System

The purpose of this study is how to implement the Fuzzy Sugeno method to a fire-fighting robot prototype with all wheel drive system. Resculpts by transferring academic input to specific fields of knowledge, as many problems have become increasingly adaptable due to technology or the growth of AI, which is fast becoming the dominant productivity tool. Fuzzy method is a mathematical method used to overcome the problems of small uncertainties and imprecision. The first prototype of the fire-fighting robot which will be able to use all-wheel drive system is meant to mitigate the risk of large fire and to detect as soon as possible. Observational results verify that the Robot prototype follows its intended workflow as well as can complete its mission to both detect and eliminate fire hazards. The speed of the wheel is controlled on three levels slow (0 RPM), moderate (50 RPM), and fast (100 RPM) using Fuzzy Sugeno method. Also, in response time is set by using Fuzzy Sugeno method which is set to 1 second, 2 seconds, and 3 seconds

Working Condition Sensitivity Analysis and Optimal Structure Parameter Determination of IVT Based on CFD and Orthogonal Experiment

To address liquid accumulation in horizontal gas wells, a specialized internal vortex tool (IVT) was developed for use in the horizontal sections, functioning as a drainage gas recovery device. This tool operates by leveraging centrifugal forces generated during fluid swirl to separate liquid from gas. The study examined the performance of IVT under various operational conditions and sought to identify optimal structural parameters. Through a controlled variable approach, the impact of inlet velocity and the water-gas volume ratio on pressure drop range, MGV (maximum gas velocity), and MVFLP (maximum liquid phase volume fraction) was analyzed. The results indicated that when the inlet velocity is between 2-4m/s and the water to gas volume ratio is between 0.5-2m3/104m3, the smaller the inlet velocity and the smaller the water to gas volume ratio, the better the gas-liquid separation effect of the IVT. An orthogonal test was subsequently employed to fine-tune the tool's structural parameters for different conditions, culminating in the creation of a comprehensive optimization chart for IVT. This study can effectively design drainage gas production tools for gas wells under different working conditions, reduce energy loss during drainage gas production, effectively utilize downhole resources, and achieve the goal of increasing natural gas well production and reducing costs.

Evaluating Trichoderma-containing Biofungicide and Grafting for Productivity and Plant Health of Triploid Seedless Watermelon in California’s Commercial Production

Two field experiments were carried out in 2022 and 2023 within commercial watermelon fields in Stockton and Modesto, CA, USA. Two Trichoderma-containing products were applied to the grafted and nongrafted watermelon seedlings through tray soaking or field chemigation. All seedlings were mechanically transplanted into a split-split plot design with the Trichoderma product as the main factor and application method (tray soaking and chemigation) as the sub-plot. The sub-sub-factor included three interspecific hybrid squash rootstocks (Cucurbita maxima × Cucurbita moschata) ‘Cobalt’, ‘Flexifort’, and ‘RS841’ that were grafted with the commercial seedless watermelon scion ‘Summer Breeze’. All treatments were replicated four times. Vine health was visually assessed three times, and canopy coverage was assessed for a total of six measurements for each year. Harvest was conducted three times in 2022 and twice in 2023 to analyze yield and quality differences among treatments. Aboveground and root samples from defective plants were taken amid the harvest and shipped to the University of California, Davis Fungal Pathology Diagnostics Research Laboratory for identification of soilborne fungal pathogens to confirm or rule out their involvement in vine declines initially attributed to nonpathogenic factors. The laboratory diagnosis indicated that Macrophomina was morphologically identified from the foot and root isolations of 67% of the submitted nongrafted, non-Trichoderma-biofungicide–treated plants in 2022. Further sequencing results confirmed the primary pathogen, Macrophomina phaseolina, from 50% of those submitted plant samples. In addition, putative Fusarium root and stem rot (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radices-cucurmerinum) and Falciforme crown rot and decline (Fusarium noneumartii) from runners and roots of nongrafted, noninoculated plants in the 2022 experiment were also reported. However, no significant soilborne fungal pathogens were found in the 2023 experiment. In both trials, the effects of Trichoderma-containing biofungicides and their application methods on preventing vine decline, maintaining canopy coverage, and enhancing fruit yield and quality were not as remarkable as grafting. The average grafting effect contributed to 83% and 53% decrease of vine decline compared with the nongrafted plants in 2022 and 2023. Overall, grafted plants yielded 47.6% and 32.4% more than the nongrafted counterpart in 2022 and 2023, respectively. In addition, grafting exerted predominant influence on fruit firmness and rind thickness. The study results indicated that grafting onto multipathogen resistance watermelon rootstocks serves as an effective production tool to maintain fruit yield, quality, and plant health under both pathogenic and disease-free conditions. Further work is still needed to continue evaluating best practical application protocols of Trichoderma-based biofungicides and other biopesticides to enhance product effectiveness and end users’ confidence in reducing soilborne diseases and reliance on conventional fumigants.

Application of Risk-Based Audit Approach by Sole Practitioners and Local Audit Firms: Towards Fully-Compliant Financial Reports

The study examined the factors influencing the implementation of the Risk-Based Audit Approach (RBAA). Key variables identified were auditor capability, availability of audit professionals, integration of information technology, job pressure on auditors, competitiveness of audit firms, and audit fees. The respondents included sole practitioners and employed auditors in local audit firms. The research used a quantitative method, employing structured questionnaires to capture respondents’ perceptions. The findings revealed that auditor capability is the most critical factor in applying RBAA. For effective implementation, auditors need industry-specific experience, sufficient training hours, balanced staffing leverage, investment in IT and productivity tools, compliance with firm regulations, and a good ratio of audit hours to risk areas and audit phases. Skilled auditors are more adept at identifying and addressing potential issues. Future research could explore factors affecting auditor capability and the availability of audit professionals.

A Review of the State of the Art 3D Generative Models and Their Applications

Ever since 2022, there has been a large number of 3D generative models that have been devised and published, such as AvatarGen, CityDreamer, and HOLOFUSION. Generally speaking, these models can perform tasks such as generating a 3D human model, creating an unbounded city scene, and constructing a 3D object. And it is not a surprise that 3D generative models are very popular these years because there has been a witness of huge need for 3D models in the global market and the models themselves also serve as both convenient and productive tools for the relevant industries. For instance, 3D generative models can utilize a combination of Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) or Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) or Diffusion Model to produce 3D human model; Autoregressive Model or Feature Extraction + Volume Rendering to generate 3D scenes; Diffusion Model or GAN + MLP to produce 3D objects. This paper tries to present a taxonomy of the main 3D generative models from the angle of the kinds of outputs and strategies employed by different models.

A Novel Thermostable Laminarinase with High Activity from Streptomyces albus and Its Catalytic Characteristics in Laminarin Degradation.

Laminarin oligosaccharides (LOSs) degraded from laminarin present nutritional functions. Laminarinases with high activity and good stability are significant tools for LOS production. OUC-SaLam66, a novel GH128 laminarinase from Streptomyces albus, was heterologously expressed. OUC-SaLam66 harbored a significant activity advantage up to 2294.80 U/mg at 45 °C and pH 4.0; meanwhile, it could preserve 80% activity at 45 °C for 12 h, indicating good stability. Significantly, its residual activity was over 75% after incubating at 100 °C for 1 h. Differential scanning calorimetry and molecular dynamic modeling revealed that its melting point and RMSD average point were 114.83 °C and 0.125 nm at 100 °C, respectively, which further proved its superior stability. Its apparent Km and Vmax against laminarin were 6.437 mM and 2.5 μg/min/mg, respectively. Hydrolysis products were mainly composed of laminaritriose and laminaribiose. The high activity and thermostability of OUC-SaLam66 make it a promising candidate for LOS preparation.

An Improved Decline Curve Analysis Method via Ensemble Learning for Shale Gas Reservoirs

As a clean unconventional energy source, shale gas reservoirs are increasingly important globally. Accurate prediction methods for shale gas production capacity can bring significant economic benefits by reducing construction and operating costs. Decline curve analysis (DCA) is an efficient method that uses mathematical formulas to describe production trends with minimal reliance on geological or engineering parameters. However, traditional DCA models often fail to capture the complex production dynamics of shale gas wells, especially in complex environments. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes an Improved DCA method that integrates multiple base empirical DCA models through ensemble learning. By combining the strengths of individual models, it offers a more robust and accurate prediction framework. We evaluated this method using data from 22 shale gas wells in region L, China, comparing it to six traditional DCA models, including Arps and the Logistic Growth Model (LGM). The results show that the Improved DCA model achieved superior performance—with an mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.0660, an mean squared error (MSE) of 0.0272, and an R2 value of 0.9882—and exhibited greater stability across various samples and conditions. This method provides a reliable tool for long-term production forecasting and optimization without extensive geological or engineering information.

Kanban method in digital data processing

AbstractCurrent digital education operates as a push-system, despite the content and subject characteristics suggesting a need for a pull-system. One of the features of the push-system is a tool-centered approach, where the focus on tools, including both hardware and software, is the belief that it is possible to build knowledge inventory. The consequences of the push digital education approaches are that (1) the fundamental concepts of Computer Science are not being transferred, (2) the lack of the development of supporting methods, (3) and education does not seem to be interested in revealing the root causes and to be open for fundamental changes. This paper proposes the extension of the theory of the industrial pull systems to present as a potential solution to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of digital education and reduce or eliminate data processing inefficiencies generated by undereducated but misled end-users. In addition to theoretical discussions, it also delves into the detailed analysis, design, implementation, and testing of a real-world data processing problem. The presented problem, its analysis, solution, and accompanying discussion reveal how one of the tools (kanban) of lean production can be adapted to support the Just-in-Time philosophy in digital education, focusing on end-user programming.

ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ БІЗНЕС-ПРОЦЕСІВ НА ОСНОВІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ ОЩАДЛИВОГО ВИРОБНИЦТВА

The article examines the issue of increasing the efficiency of business processes based on Lean Production technologies. Lean production is a modern management concept aimed at minimizing losses and optimizing enterprise resources. The article compares the efficiency of implementing lean production technologies to optimize business processes at enterprises and the impact of Lean technologies on cost reduction, improvement of the quality of goods and services, and productivity improvement. In particular, the main tools of lean production, such as 5S, kanban, kaizen, standardization of work processes, and their impact on reducing costs, improving product quality, and shortening production cycles are considered. It has been established that the application of Lean technologies helps to identify and eliminate actions that do not add value to the end user, thereby improving the performance of the entire technological production system. The importance of involving personnel in the process of implementing changes and forming a corporate culture focused on continuous improvement are emphasized separately. It has been established that the introduction of Lean Production tools improves the links of the technological cycle and ensures an increase in the efficiency of business processes at the enterprise. The choice of a specific tool depends on the strategic goals of the enterprise, the industry and the level of personnel training. It has been proven that in the national business environment there is a number of barriers that prevent the introduction of lean production technologies, such as: resistance to changes in personnel and management, personnel training, limitations in financial resources, insufficient flexibility of suppliers and untimely provision of resources, as well as instability of the national economy. The results of the study indicate that the implementation of Lean Production allows to significantly increase the efficiency of business processes, reduce costs, improve product quality and increase the flexibility of the enterprise in conditions of instability of the market environment. Key words: lean production, Lean Production, business process efficiency, cost optimization, product quality, production cycles, corporate culture.

Incorporation of regulatory DNA elements within a viral vector improves recombinant protein expression in plants

Plants have significant potential as recombinant protein expression chassis, as they can produce complex post-translationally modified proteins that are unobtainable using prokaryotic production systems, with almost limitless scalability and substantially reduced costs relative to eukaryotic cell cultures. Transient protein expression reduces the time taken between transformation and recombinant protein extraction and purification, however low protein yields relative to conventional stable expression systems remain a major obstacle. Here, we have assessed the effectiveness of combining several established genetic components, including a promoter, 5’ UTR, 3’ UTR, double terminator, and matrix attachment region, to modify the TMV-based pJL-TRBO expression vector for improved recombinant protein expression in plants. Using enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) as a reporter, we quantified expression using fluorescence imaging in planta together with SDS-PAGE and western blotting and showed that our optimum construct resulted in a significant increase relative to pJL-TRBO-eGFP. This increase was exclusively due to the presence of the additional 5’ UTR. We anticipate that our expression constructs will be a useful tool for high-yield plant recombinant protein production and may serve as a template for further improvements.

Re-framing and enacting diversity in science education: the case of college chemistry classrooms

Abstract Scholarship about the effectiveness of programs related to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in college suggests that increasing the presence of marginalized students does not necessarily result in producing inclusion and a sense of belonging in science. Recruiting and retaining marginalized students in science-related fields and comparing them with students from dominant groups is assimilationist because the presence of different people does not inherently create a diverse school setting. The central goal of this viewpoint paper is to propose a holistic view of diversity at the university level. Particularly, I discuss a conceptual framework that frames diversity as a process that entails inducing, orchestrating, utilizing, valuing, and honoring the heterogeneity of ways of thinking, doing, and being of individuals to learn. To translate commitments to enact diversity in daily teaching practices, specifically in the chemistry classroom, I analyze culturally relevant pedagogy as a productive tool to encourage students and instructors to develop and leverage a robust repertoire of thoughts, practices, and identities to learn disciplinary concepts and solve problems that matter to students. To support the operationalization of diversity in science classrooms in higher education, researchers and practitioners should identify and value the coexistence of different thoughts, practices, and identities in the school to create a safe and intellectually challenging learning setting where thinking, doing, and being different is an asset toward learning.

Biocatalytic Tetrapeptide Macrocyclization by Cryptic Penicillin-binding Protein-type Thioesterases.

Cyclic tetrapeptides (CTPs) are a diverse class of natural products with a broad range of biological activities. However, they are extremely challenging to synthesize due to the ring strain associated with their small ring size. While chemical methods have been developed to access CTPs, they generally require the presence of certain amino acids, limiting their substrate scopes. Herein, we report the first bioinformatics guided discovery of a thioesterase from a cryptic biosynthetic gene cluster for peptide cyclization. Specifically, we hypothesized that predicted Penicillin-binding type thioesterases (PBP-TEs) from cryptic nonribosomal peptide synthetase gene clusters containing four adenylation domains would catalyze tetrapeptide cyclization. We found that one of the predicted PBP-TEs, WP516, efficiently cyclizes a wide variety of tetrapeptide substrates. To date, it is only the second stand-alone enzyme capable of cyclizing tetrapeptides, and its substrate scope greatly surpasses that of the only other reported tetrapeptide cyclase Ulm16. AlphaFold modeling and covalent docking were used to rationalize the broad substrate scope of WP516 in comparison to other PBP-TEs. Overall, the bioinformatics guided workflow outlined in this paper, and the discovery of WP516, represent promising tools for the biocatalytic production of head-to-tail CTPs, as well as a more general strategy for discovery of enzymes for peptide cyclization.

Using a seed impact mill to limit waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) seed inputs in Iowa soybean

Abstract Mounting cases of herbicide-resistant waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer] in the U.S. Midwest have renewed the interest in nonchemical weed management strategies. Field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to quantify the effectiveness of a commercial combine equipped with a seed impact mill in preventing A. tuberculatus seed return to the soil seedbank in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Amaranthus tuberculatus seed shattering before crop harvest was quantified. Amaranthus tuberculatus started shattering seeds during the last week of August in both years. Overall, 51% of A. tuberculatus seeds were retained on the plant at harvest on October 23, 2021, compared with 61% at harvest on October 7, 2022. Viability of shattered A. tuberculatus seeds ranged from 84% to 94%. Additional seed shattering occurred when plants were disturbed by the combine header during soybean harvest, which caused 15% and 9% shattering in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Amaranthus tuberculatus seeds passed through the impact mill were grouped in three categories: no damage, moderate damage, and severe damage. In 2021, A. tuberculatus seeds with moderate damage had 26% lower germination and viability than seeds with no visible damage. In 2022, seed germination and viability of no-damage seeds did not differ from seeds with a moderate level of damage. No severely damaged seed germinated or tested viable in either year. Altogether, impact mill treatment reduced the number of germinable seeds by 87% compared with the no–impact mill treatment. These results indicate that seed impact mills can be a useful tool in Iowa soybean production to help manage multiple herbicide–resistant A. tuberculatus populations. However, A. tuberculatus seed shattering before crop harvest reduces the overall effectiveness of seed impact mills in preventing seedbank replenishments.

INTEGRASI TEKNOLOGI LOKAL DALAM PEMANENAN RESIN DAMAR: STUDI KASUS BUDAYA PEMANENAN DI DESA PAHMUNGAN, LAMPUNG

Damar resin harvesting tools play an important role in the preservation of local community traditions and culture, economy and environmental sustainability. The purpose of the study was to examine the tools in the harvesting of damar resin in Pahmungan Village, Pesisir Barat Regency, Lampung Province. A qualitative approach is an option in this research. In-depth interviews, participant observation and documentation study were conducted for data collection, then examined to explain the production tools used by the community in damar resin harvesting. The results of the study show that harvesting activities start from the selection of trees to harvest. Harvesting is carried out at regular intervals, about 20 to 30 days, to ensure the resin produced is optimal and of high quality. Good harvesting techniques are carried out so that the quality of resin and the survival of resin trees are maintained. Resin harvesting is carried out using traditional tools. The tools used are axe, basket, ambon, and bebalang. Its use is part of a cross-generational culture that needs to be preserved for its sustainability. The use of resin harvesting tools is part of the community's culture, because it reflects its identity and knowledge. This is the result of interaction with their agroforestry land. Some of the tools have been changed, due to difficulties in obtaining raw materials and practical reasons; for example: the use of plastic buckets that replace basket made of rattan.

Agricultural waste-based lactic acid production by the fungus Rhizopus oryzae: a tool for sustainable polylactic acid production for agricultural use - a review

Agricultural waste-based lactic acid production by the fungus Rhizopus oryzae: a tool for sustainable polylactic acid production for agricultural use - a review

Study on the prehistoric decorated spindle whorls in Haidai region of China

Spindle whorls are a kind of spinning tools of crucially important in prehistoric period. Haidai region is one of the main historical and cultural areas of prehistoric China, and had a relatively developed textile handicraft production, where a large number of spindle whorls were unearthed, including many decorated ones. In order to make clear the uses of the decorated spindle whorls and the meanings of the patterns on them, the data of prehistoric decorated spindle whorls unearthed in archaeological sites of the period from Beixin Culture to Yueshi Culture in Haidai region of China were collected and analyzed, and the morphological data (dimension and shapes) of them were compared with that of undecorated ones. The patterns on the decorated spindle whorls were analyzed and classified, and the characteristics of the patterns in different cultural periods were studied, and based on this, the purpose of making decorated spindle whorls and the function and meanings of the patterns were discussed. The results showed that the range of morphological data of the decorated spindle whorls in Haidai region is consistent with that of undecorated ones belonging to the same period and unearthed in the same site, while compared with undecorated spindle whorls, decorated ones are more affected by regional culture and thus show different features from the ones unearthed in other archaeological sites belonging to the same cultural period. It is concluded that the most basic function of the decorated spindle whorls should be as practical tools for normal spinning production, and the patterns on them should have multiple meanings such as practical, decorative, distinctive and symbolic. The study of decorated spindle whorls can help us understand the prehistoric regional culture in Haidai region.