Production Value Research Articles

Overview of transcriptome changes and phenomic profile of sanitized artichoke vis-à-vis non-sanitized plants.

Plant tissue in vitro culture is increasingly used in agriculture to improve crop production, nutritional quality, and commercial value. In plant virology, the technique is used as sanitation protocol to produce virus-free plants. Sanitized (S) artichokes show increased vigour compared to their non-sanitized (NS) counterparts, because viral infections lead to a decline of growth and development. To investigate mechanisms that control the complex traits related to morphology, growth, and yield in S artichokes compared to NS plants, RNAseq analysis and phenotyping by imaging were used. The role of peroxidases (POD) was also investigated to understand their involvement in sanitized plant development. Results showed that virus infection affected regulation of cell cycle, gene expression and signal transduction modulating cellular response to stimulus/stress. Moreover, primary metabolism and photosynthesis were also influenced, contributing to explain the main morphological differences observed between S and NS artichokes. Sanitized artichokes are also characterized by higher POD activity, probably associated with increased plant growth, rather than strengthening of cell walls. Overall, results show that the differences in development of S artichokes may be derived from the in vitro culture stressor, as well as through pathogen elimination, which, in turn, improve qualitative and quantitative artichoke production.

Cell wall composition and nutritional quality through seasons of the saltgrass Distichlis laxiflora growing in halophytic and mesophytic meadows

The genus Distichlis comprises halophytic perennial C4 grasses which grow in very extreme conditions. It is distributed throughout almost the entire American continent. Despite these interesting characteristics, studies on these plants are relatively scarce, and their ecological and productive value deserves to be further explored. In this work, nutritional aspects, and composition of the cell walls of the aerial part (leaves and shoots) of D. laxiflora Hack were studied. Their changes over four samplings in different seasons, in two nearby sites: a halophytic meadow (H), and a mesophytic meadow (M), were analyzed. Photosynthetic efficiency and K/Na ratio were determined as stress indicators. Plants of sites H and M have similar cell wall content except for spring when plants from site H show lower values. Also, the spring samples present a markedly higher in vitro digestibility for site H. In agreement, samples from site H contain lower amounts of glucuronoarabinoxylans and β-glucans. The protein content is lower in site H, except for spring, and with a maximum in summer for site M. This work shows some changes in the cell walls of D. laxiflora in response to salinity, and these changes influence the digestibility of this material. Spring, coinciding with the regrowth cycle of this plant and with the worst stress indicators, is the season when plants of the halophytic site show the highest nutritional quality for grazing cattle.

Feasibility of sustainable reusability of Ni/char catalyst for synthetic gas production via catalytic steam gasification

Ni/char catalyst is one of the most promising catalysts for enhancing gas production, particularly syngas from catalytic steam gasification of biomass. In the current study, one unmodified (Ni/MMchar) and two modified catalysts (Ni/NaMMchar and Ni/NaAceMMchar) were utilized to investigate the reusability potential of Ni/char catalyst for catalytic steam gasification of bamboo in a two-stage fixed-bed reactor including the changes in catalyst characteristics. N2 adsorption-desorption by BET, scanning electron microscope connected with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were utilized for examining their characteristics. The findings indicated that the three catalysts could maintain the reusability potential in catalytic steam gasification of bamboo for twice cycles. The syngas reduction percentages in the second cycles of the catalysts ranged between 11.0 and 22.8 %. H2/CO ratios of all spent catalysts lined in the range of 4.10 − 2.45. The low heating values of syngas products were in the range of 8.83–8.19 MJ/Nm3. Considering the catalyst characteristics, the increasing cycles of catalyst operations induced carbon deposition, resulting in the reduction of specific surface areas. SEM-EDS images of the used catalysts appeared the coke layer and the Ni metal sintering on the surfaces. The uses of catalysts encouraged the transformation of Ni metal active site into NiO, Ni2O3 and Ni3C forms. These phenomena were the major causes of catalyst deactivation. The changes in the characteristics and catalyst activity controlled the gasification reactions, resulting in the catalyst deactivation and gaseous products.

Primary production in the bays of the novaya zemlya archipelago (Kara Sea) in the contrasting glacial and non-glacial environmental conditions

Ongoing warming is leading to the accelerated shrinkage of glaciers located on Arctic islands. Consequently, the influence of glacial meltwater on phytoplankton primary production in Arctic bays becomes critically important in an era of warming. This work studies the spatiotemporal variation of primary production and chlorophyll a concentration in the bays along the eastern coast of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Data were collected during nine cruises performed from July to October (2013–2022). The effect of underwater photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and nutrients on primary production was assessed separately for bays influenced by glacial meltwater (glacial bays) and those without such influence (non-glacial bays). The median value of water column-integrated primary production (IPP) for all bays was 38 mgC m−2 d−1, characterizing them as oligotrophic areas. IPP in non-glacial bays was found to be 2.3-fold and 1.4-fold higher than that in glacial bays during summer and autumn, respectively. Underwater PAR was the main abiotic factor determining IPP during the ice-free period. In the entire bays nutrient concentrations were high, exceeding the limiting values for growth and photosynthesis of phytoplankton. It was concluded that the high turbidity from glacial meltwater runoff leads to decreased underwater PAR and, consequently, to a decline in IPP. This study demonstrates that rapid warming could have a negative impact on the productivity of high Arctic bays and their adjacent areas.

Effect of Reaction Conditions on Energy Yield of Pyrolysis Gas from Apple Tree Branches.

Although the annual branches of apple trees are substantial, most of them are discarded or incinerated, resulting in a significant waste of resources and environmental pollution concerns. Therefore, it has become necessary and urgent to recycle these branches. Compared with crop straw, apple tree pruning branches exhibit a relatively elevated lignin content, which makes them an optimal feedstock for generating high-quality pyrolysis gases. Energy yield can comprehensively measure the gas production and heat value of the pyrolysis gas. Herein, the effect of reaction conditions on the energy yield of the pyrolysis gas is systematically investigated. The single-factor experimental results show that the optimal conditions are 750 °C reaction temperature, 2 °C/min heating rate, and 120 min holding time. The central composite design test of the response surface establishes that temperature has the most impact, followed by heating rate and holding time. In addition, a regression model is constructed to predict the energy yield of the pyrolysis gas. The analysis of interactions between factors indicates that factors within the lower temperature zones, higher heating rate, and shorter holding time have a more significant influence on the energy yield. These findings provide crucial guidance for the efficient production of pyrolysis gas from apple tree branches.

Public food procurement and production: Evidence of the food acquisition program in Brazil

This study investigates the impact of the Food Purchase Programme (PAA), a Brazilian public food procurement initiative, on the production value of family farmers. Using a combination of Propensity Score Matching and Difference-in-Differences methods for the period spanning from 2007 to 2016, we observe a significant positive effect of 13.1% on the production value of participating family farmers compared to non-participants. This effect is particularly pronounced among farmers operating smaller and lower-income establishments. Our analysis suggests that increased productivity may serve as a potential mechanism explaining our findings. Additionally, we provide evidence that the PAA program contributes to stabilizing rural incomes and expenditures. Our results have significant policy implications for public food procurement policies, including the importance of focusing on small and low-income agricultural establishments, which may enhance production and alleviate poverty while contributing to family income.

Enhancing Atmospheric Monitoring Capabilities: A Comparison of Low- and High-Cost GNSS Networks for Tropospheric Estimations

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals experience delays when passing through the atmosphere due to the presence of free electrons in the ionosphere and air density in the non-ionized part of the atmosphere, known as the troposphere. The Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique demonstrates highly accurate positioning along with Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) estimation. ZTD estimation is valuable for various applications including climate modelling and determining atmospheric water vapor. Current GNSS network resolutions are not completely sufficient for the scale of a few kilometres that regional climate and weather models are increasingly adopting. The Centipede-RTK network is a low-cost option for increasing the spatial resolution of tropospheric monitoring. This study is motivated by the question of whether low-cost GNSS networks can provide a viable alternative without compromising data quality or precision. This study compares the performance of the low-cost Centipede-RTK network in calculating the Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) to that of the existing EUREF Permanent Network (EPN), using two alternative software packages, RTKLIB demo5 version and CSRS-PPP version 3, to ensure robustness and software independence in the findings. This investigation indicated that the ZTD estimations from both networks are almost identical when processed by the CSRS-PPP software, with the highest mean difference being less than 3.5 cm, confirming that networks such as Centipede-RTK could be a reliable option for dense precise atmospheric monitoring. Furthermore, this study revealed that the Centipede-RTK network, when processed using CSRS-PPP, provides ZTD estimations that are very similar and consistent with the EUREF ZTD product values. These findings suggest that low-cost GNSS networks like Centipede-RTK are viable for enhancing network density, thus improving the spatial resolution of tropospheric monitoring and potentially enriching climate modelling and weather prediction capabilities, paving the way for broader application and research in GNSS meteorology.

Unpaid work, paid work and gender inequality: An analysis of time transfer accounts for Turkey

AbstractThis paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the total (market and non-market) gender-based production and consumption activities of Turkish men and women at different stages of their life-cycle. Turkey, one of the few emerging economies within the OECD, offers an interesting case-study as its female labour force participation rate is one of the lowest among OECD countries. Our results show that time spent by Turkish women on household activities is, on average, 30 h a week, basically three times as much as men. In fact, the women-to-men time use ratio for unpaid work is roughly twice as much as the OECD average. We estimate that the monetary value of women unpaid household production exceeds 29% of GDP, while the corresponding estimate for men is around 8%. Using the concept of life-cycle deficit, we also show that Turkish men are dependent on housework undertaken by women over their entire lifetime, which is an almost unique feature in comparison to the European and OECD countries. Finally, unlike other OECD countries that have introduced disincentives to early retirement, Turkish men continue to retire early but retain their acquired habits of not sharing the burden of household work.

Classification of Productive Subject Value with Vector Machine Support Method

This research aims to determine student competency obtained from productive subjects, one of the subjects that has an important role in measuring student quality. With the development of technology, student evaluations of productive subject grades can use data mining methods, one of which uses the Support Vector Machine approach. This method aims to build a classification of students' productive subject scores by identifying the variables that influence them. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the value of productive subjects at Public Vocation High School 1 Pasuruan can be predicted and evaluated using data mining techniques that utilize the Support Vector Machine algorithm. It aims to predict student grades in productive subjects by utilizing a logistic regression algorithm. The classification results illustrate that student grades in productive subjects are influenced by learning media variables, teacher teaching quality, classroom/laboratory facilities, interest, and motivation to learn. Apart from that, the Support Vector Machine algorithm has an accuracy value of 64.5001, precision of 56.0279, recall = 86.9952, and F1-Score = 67.882.

Analysing the impacts of a reform on harmful fishery subsidies in Spain using a social accounting matrix

The effects of discontinuing harmful fishery subsidies in Spain were analysed using a social accounting matrix. The study found that the removal of these subsidies would have negative consequences for the economy. Specifically, there would be a significant decline in the production value of marine resource industries, and industries dependent on fish and shellfish as inputs would experience increased production costs. The exports, mainly to EU countries, would also be impacted, and certain marine resource sectors would experience significant job losses. Fishing families would suffer the greatest reduction in income once subsidies are removed. However, there is potential to mitigate most of the negative impacts by redirecting the removed subsidies, as it is shown for the case of their redirection to research and development industries. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for EU policymakers in implementing specific policies to address the potential consequences on affected sectors, families, and employers as part of the next European strategy, Horizon 2021–2027.

Dynamic characteristics of the tip leakage vortex in an oil–gas multiphase pump based on vorticity decomposition theory

AbstractThe paper combines experimental and numerical simulation methods to investigate the tip leakage vortex (TLV) in an oil–gas multiphase pump. The study aims to understand the evolution and dynamic characteristics of the TLV. The vorticity decomposition theory is used to analyze the spatial–temporal evolution, transient behavior, and rigid vorticity of the TLV. The findings reveal that the TLV is formed near the pressure surface when the tip clearance jet passes through the shear layer. In one impeller rotation period, transient fluctuations of the TLV are attributed to pressure differences and velocity changes across the tip clearance, and the TLV undergoes two split–dissipation–recurrence processes within one impeller rotation cycle. The presence of the gas phase enhances the scale and strength of the TLV while prolonging its existence in the flow channel. Analysis based on the rigid vorticity transport equation shows that the growth of the TLV and collapse are primarily governed by the rigid vortex generation term. The Coriolis force term contributes to stabilizing the TLV, while the rigid vorticity stretching term affects its shape. Furthermore, the gas phase significantly increases the value of the Rigid vorticity Curl of pseudo‐Lamb vector Term (RCT), which plays a crucial role in the prolonged existence of the TLV under gas–liquid two‐phase conditions. From an inlet gas void fraction of 0%–20%, the RCT value increases by 4.8 × 106/s2, the entropy production value increases by 75.55%, and the hydraulic efficiency decreases by 16.29%.

Impact production in higher education: shaping future change makers through film education

This article considers impact production (using film and other forms of storytelling as the core of a social change strategy) as an important component of well-rounded film education programmes that seek to shape a new generation of socially and environmentally conscious film-makers. Through desk research, interviews and a survey, we found that opportunities to learn about impact production at higher education institutions are limited and expensive, while open-access resources are numerous, but can be overwhelming for those new to the field. We interview practitioners who specialise in: (1) raising awareness about what impact production entails; (2) practically implementing impact production strategies; and (3) educating film-makers in how to design impact campaigns. We analyse two case studies from Majority World countries to demonstrate strengths and weaknesses of existing impact teaching and training. The data gathered inform a theorisation of how impact production can be incorporated into formal educational practices worldwide. The article conceptualises what ‘impact production film education’ entails in a higher education context. This includes unpacking the interdisciplinary and practice-based nature of impact production. The intention is to shine light on the pedagogical value of impact production for shaping a new generation of film-makers who are technically equipped to tell compelling stories, and intellectually committed to using film as a tool for change.

KONTRIBUSI USAHA NIRA AREN YANG DIJADIKAN SOPI TERHADAP PENDAPATAN PETANI SOPI DI NEGERI HATUSUA KECAMATAN KAIRATU KABUPATEN SERAM BAGIAN BARAT

The aim of the research is to find out the contribution of sopi products to the level of income of sopi farmers and, to find out what factors influence the production and sales of sopi products in Hatusua State, West Kairatu Seram District. From the research results, the contribution of sopi is 66.84% or Rp. 561,497,810 per year. Meanwhile, income outside of beef production contributed 33.16% or Rp. 278,600,000 per year. From the results of the research and calculation of the contribution value to the income value of sopi production and income outside of sopi production. The income from sopi production in Hatusua Country has a very large contribution value, compared to the income contribution value outside of sopi production by sopi farmers. Factors that influence the production and sales of sopi in Hatusua State, Kairatu District, West Seram Regency, namely, factors that influence sopi production include weather, type of palm flower, age of palm trees and, type of mayang production level and, factors that influence sales. sopi is the status of a sopi which is still illegal.

Modeling and analysis of synergistic phenolic antioxidants in edible oil: Integrating molecular simulation and artificial neural network approach

Oxidation causes edible oil deterioration affecting nutrition and safety. Antioxidants delay aging, but selecting compounds experimentally is time-consuming and arbitrary. Thus, a rapid and rational screening method for synergistic antioxidants is essential. This study evaluates the antioxidant effects and mechanisms of four phenolic antioxidants on the oil matrix using multiscale simulation. Tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) exhibited the lowest dissociation energy (226.92 kJ/mol), followed by flavanol (TP) (233.00 kJ/mol). Syringic acid (CA) showed the smallest mean square displacement value. An artificial neural network (ANN) was established to analyze the synergistic and antagonistic interactions between TBHQ and TP, predicting optimal synergy at 3.6 mg TP and 1.8 mg TBHQ. The relative prediction deviation (RPD) value of the validation set was 3.91, and the relative error production (RER) value was 1.87 %. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments validated this synergy. This research establishes a screening system for compound antioxidants and models the synergistic effects of phenolic antioxidants in edible oil, offering theoretical and technical support for their application in the food industry.

Thermal behaviour of a transformer mineral oil‐tank surface under incipient turn‐to‐turn short‐circuit fault

AbstractA slight turn‐to‐turn short‐circuit fault in the incipient stage does not trigger fuse protection, and the regular transmission and transformation functions of the transformer within the power grid are not affected very much by the incipient turn‐to‐turn short‐circuit fault. Therefore, the incipient turn‐to‐turn short‐circuit faults are often undetected, resulting in massive accidents. Incipient turn‐to‐turn short‐circuit faults lead to localized overheating in the transformer, which changes the transformer's oil‐tank surface temperature (OTST). A thermal simulation model (TSM) is presented. Based on the TSM, OTST data with different load rates and fault parameters are collected. The steady‐state and transient characteristics of OTST are analysed by extracting the OTST feature vector and the temperature difference of specific regions. The results show that the growth of the heat production value of faulty coils causes a rise in the OTST; higher faulty coils' locations lead to wider OTST differences; the temperature difference's area S can follow the incipient short‐circuit fault in the first 20 min after it occurs, which is faster than the top oil temperature. This study gives insight into the thermal behaviour of OTST, assisting in fault detection and location at the incipient fault stage.

How plant and insect host characteristics affect pepper weevil Anthonomus eugenii parasitism efficacy by the pteromalid Jaliscoa hunteri

The pepper weevil Anthonomus eugenii (Cano) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an economically important pest of both field and greenhouse pepper crops, Capsicum annuum Linnaeus (Solanaceae) in North America. Among its natural enemies is the parasitoid wasp Jaliscoa (= Catolaccus) hunteri (Crawford) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), whose potential control of A. eugenii appears promising but is currently unclear. We conducted controlled environment trials to quantify A. eugenii offspring emergence following exposure to J. hunteri, examining how parasitoid exposure period, weevil host life stage, pepper cultivar, fruit size and abscission status affect weevil-natural enemy dynamics. In pepper cultivar comparison trials, we identified a significant reduction in weevil offspring emergence from three different cultivars of ornamental peppers infested by A. eugenii, but no difference among them. In trials comparing wasp exposure period and weevil larval instar, pepper plants of one cultivar (Blaze) were exposed to A. eugenii adults, and subsequently to J. hunteri wasps for either three or seven days, when offspring weevils were either at the L1 or L3 instar. Offspring emergence was significantly reduced up to 62% when L3 but not L1 weevils were exposed to wasps for 7 days. Following this longer exposure period, significantly greater weevil suppression occurred in small (71.7%) versus large fruit (62.5%), with an additional 15.1% weevil suppression resulting from attached relative to abscised fruit. These results highlight the potential for J. hunteri as a biological control agent of A. eugenii on pepper crops, with particular value in commercial greenhouse production where wasp retention rates can be high.

Integrating Floating Photovoltaics with Hydroelectricity

The transition process from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly renewable energy sources carries the risk of creating new environmental damages. Photovoltaic technology represents one of the alternatives with the least risk of harmful environmental impact. However, this technology has two important drawbacks: the significant land occupation for the installation of PV systems and the uncontrollability of production. By constructing floating photovoltaic plants on hydroelectric reservoirs, both of these problems can be reduced to an acceptable level. Some artificial reservoirs, originally built for hydroelectric power plants, have acquired a significant secondary function as recreational areas and fish breeding sites. Therefore, there is justified resistance from the local community to change the existing appearance and purpose of such reservoirs. This paper proposes a completely new concept of integrating the interests of the local community into such objects. In addition to preserving existing uses, the concept also offers new features. This can make the entire system environmentally friendly and sustainable. This paper details the technology behind the construction of floating photovoltaic power plants on artificial reservoirs and emphasizes their various advantages. These benefits include the non-utilization of cultivable land, the ease of assembly and construction, integration into existing power grids, and the potential to address electricity storage issues. For instance, Buško Lake, covering an area of 55.8 km2, may host 2.93 km2 of installed floating photovoltaic (FPV) facilities, enabling a total installed capacity of 240 MW. With an average of 5.5 h of daily sunshine, this totals 2007 annual hours, equivalent to a 55 MW thermal power plant. An analysis showed that, with losses of 18.2%, the average annual production stands at 302 GWh, translating to an annual production value of 18 million € at 60 €/MWh. The integration of this production into an existing hydroelectric power plant featuring an artificial reservoir might boost its output by 91%. The available transmission line capacity of 237 MW is shared between the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) and FPV; hence during the FPV maximum power generation time, the HPP halts its production. HPP Orlovac operates a small number of hours annually at full capacity (1489 h); therefore in combination with the FPV, this number can be increased to 2852 h. This integration maintains the lake’s functions in tourism and fishing while expanding its capabilities without environmental harm.

A lattice-based data sharing functional encryption scheme with HRA security for IoT

In the dynamic and resource-constrained landscape of IoT, securing sensitive data access is paramount. This paper introduces an innovative access control scheme (ACPRE) blending conditional attribute-based proxy re-encryption with inner product encryption, tailored for IoT security needs. ACPRE integrates attribute-based conditions, expands plaintext space, and restricts proxy privileges, bolstering access control. Leveraging inner product encryption, it confines decrypted information to inner product values, ensuring data confidentiality. By limiting proxies’ transformation abilities, ACPRE prevents unauthorized data alterations. It offers a secure, flexible solution for data access management, allowing only entities with specific attributes to utilize inner product values. ACPRE’s lattice-based construction enables resistance against quantum attacks and achieves honestly re-encryption attacks security, fostering robust, privacy-aware IoT ecosystems. Detailed security proofs and experimental validation underscore its efficacy.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN OPEN EDUCATION FOR DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP TRAINING

Digital transformation can be considered as an inevitable process of any organization to serve the increasing demand for creating new values based on innovation, creativity, and effectiveness in accordance with customer experience. In this race, all organizations, large or small, are in the process of implementing, and the more well-prepared, the more competitive advantage they have. Under the pressure of an environment that promotes culture to create new values of products and services, education, especially open education, must improve the quality to meet the needs of society in lifelong learning for the whole population. This article analyses the role of digital transformation in the national education system, the importance of digital transformation for open education in the current period, and the relationship between open education and digital citizenship. On that basis, the author proposes implementing digital transformation in open education to serve digital citizenship training.

Analysis of the effects of various light spectra on microgreen species

ABSTRACT Light conditions, such as spectral composition, intensity and photoperiod, can affect the photosynthetic apparatus and content of beneficial bioactive compounds. The experiments realised under randomised experimental design tested seedlings of 21 genotypes, including 12 genotypes of the Brassicaceae family, lettuce, amaranth, onion, spinach, fenugreek and two beet and two basil genotypes, which were cultivated in three light environments under narrow-band red and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and broad-band white LEDs. Responsiveness to light spectra was assessed based on fresh and dry weight, total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents and non-invasive assessment of specific compounds using fluorescence excitation ratios. In white light, we observed a higher fresh weight compared to that in monochromatic environments, especially compared to blue light. In most of the species, blue and white light had a positive effect on the concentration of chlorophyll and carotene in plants compared to red light. Blue light was associated with the highest values of chlorophyll excitation ratios, indicating a significant increase in flavonoids and anthocyanin contents. Individual microgreens responded differently in all assessed traits, especially in fluorescence ratios. We also observed the clustering of microgreens with similar responses to LED light spectra. In conclusion, in most plant species, multispectral white LEDs positively influenced quantitative and qualitative traits compared to the most frequently used red LEDs. Blue light slightly improved quality, but suppressed growth. Nevertheless, some species responded differently, emphasising the need to optimise the light to improve the microgreens’ production and nutritional value.