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Industrial convergence refers to the dynamic process in which different industries gradually form new industries through mutual penetration and cross. As an advanced form of industrial synergy, industrial convergence is crucial in building a modern economic system. Using a panel data set covering China's 30 provinces during 2006–2018, this study explores the impact of industrial convergence on regional high-quality development. The findings suggest that: (1) Industrial convergence is conducive to high-quality development, and this conclusion remains robust after a series of tests. (2) For heterogeneity, the positive impact of industrial convergence on high-quality development is greater in regions with optimized energy structure and high investment outward, as does the regions with reasonable financial structure and moderate economic agglomeration. (3) Productivity improvement and industrial upgrading are the mediating paths by which industrial convergence promotes high-quality development, and the former plays a greater role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global steel industry is rapidly transitioning towards energy decarbonization to address the climate crisis. Sintering is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions from steel mills. Traditional sintering processes use straight inclined chutes to feed raw materials into the sinter machine. However, this design suffers from insufficient horizontal momentum, resulting in poor segregation of the layered materials. This study proposes an improved charging chute design profile that uses a cycloid curve and rolls to enhance segregation, thus reducing coal consumption and increasing productivity. To achieve this, we first modeled a charging chute using the cycloid curve. Secondly, building upon the cycloid concept, we created a roll-type chute by strategically placing rollers along the cycloid trajectory. Finally, the cycloid roll-type charging chute, integrating the cycloid trajectory with the roll-shaped charging chute, was simulated. Pilot tests comparing the cycloid roll-type and straight chute models demonstrated a significant increase in dispersion for the cycloid roll-type design, with a 65% improvement in the Strand-ward segregation (Sw) index compared to the straight chute. Furthermore, actual filed implementation in a sintering process achieved a 2.9% increase in operational productivity and a 6% reduction in fuel consumption. This study is significant not only for proposing an optimal chute design, but also for successfully implementing it in a full-scale steel mill, contributing to a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon reduction in steel mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The temporal and spatial variation of cultivated land productivity in Anhui Province and variation trend was analyzed. [Method] Based on the data set of MOD17A3HGF net primary productivity from 2000 to 2020, the temporal and spatial differentiation characteristics and evolution trend of cultivated land NPP in Anhui Province were explored by using the methods of Theil-Sen Median trend analysis, Mann-kedall test, Hurst index and geospatial analysis technology. [Result] In the past 21 years, the NPP of cultivated land in Anhui Province showed a fluctuating increasing trend [0.331 g/（m~2·10 a）]. In terms of space, NPP of cultivated land mainly showed an increasing trend（93%）, and only 7% of that of cultivated land showed a decreasing trend. Compared with 2000-2010, 43% of trend change types of the cultivated land NPP were degraded in 2010-2020, mainly occurred in Chuzhou, Huainan and Bozhou, and 10% of the trend change types of the cultivated land NPP were upgraded, mainly distributed in Hefei, Xuancheng and Wuhu. In the future, 75% of the cultivated land NPP in Anhui Province will continue to show an increasing trend, which will be distributed in Hefei, Chuzhou, Lu’an and Suzhou. 5% of the cultivated land NPP will show a decreasing trend, which will be still distributed near the urban areas of various cities. 20% of the cultivated land NPP trend is uncertain, mainly distributed in most areas of Northern Anhui. [Conclusion] From 2000 to 2020, the NPP of cultivated land in Anhui Province showed an increasing trend in time and space. The spatial and temporal changes of NPP of cultivated land in cities such as Chuzhou, Huainan and Bozhou were sensitive, while cities such as Hefei, Chuzhou, Lu’an and Suzhou had great potential for cultivated land productivity improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Today, the importance of the health and productivity of organizational employees is undeniable. In this regard, the present study aims to investigate the impact of exercise activities combined with gamification on increasing motivation for participation in sports classes among public library staff in Tehran Province. Methodology: The research hypotheses were assessed using a semi-experimental method and covariance analysis with a 95 percent confidence level. After eliminating the impact of the pretest variable and considering the calculated F coefficient, a noteworthy distinction in the adjusted averages of preparedness dimension scores emerged in the post-test phase among members of the "proof and test" group (P>0.05). Consequently, based on the findings derived from the data analysis, it can be inferred that the integration of sports exercises with gamification significantly influences the motivation, success, preparedness, energy levels, and group orientation of public library employees. The impact on each of these aspects is in the order of 25, 12, 24, 29 and 35 percent, respectively, resulting in a modification of the total variance of these components. Findings: The research hypotheses were assessed using a semi-experimental method and covariance analysis with a 95 percent confidence level. After eliminating the impact of the pretest variable and considering the calculated F coefficient, a noteworthy distinction in the adjusted averages of preparedness dimension scores emerged in the post-test phase among members of the "proof and test" group (P>0.05). Consequently, based on the findings derived from the data analysis, it can be inferred that the integration of sports exercises with gamification significantly influences the motivation, success, preparedness, energy levels, and group orientation of public library employees. The impact on each of these aspects is in the order of 25, 12, 24, 29 and 35 percent, respectively, resulting in a modification of the total variance of these components. Conclusion: According to the results obtained from the research, it can be concluded that the integration of sports exercises with gamification in the sports classes of public libraries in Tehran province has a significant positive effect on motivation, success, preparedness, energy discharge, and group orientation. This combination not only increases the motivation for sports participation and increases coordination and cooperation in teams, but also contributes to organizational success by improving the personal performance of individuals. Promoting sports activities through gamification encourages employees to participate more actively in sports classes. As a result, gamification along with sports exercises in public libraries in Tehran province can significantly improve various aspects of job productivity and thus this combination can be used as a comprehensive strategy to improve physical, mental, and organizational conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the reverse osmosis (RO) process is widely used in the field of desalinating brackish water and seawater to produce freshwater, but the disadvantage of using this technology is the increase in the rates of electrical energy consumption necessary to manage these units. To reduce the rates of electrical energy consumption in RO desalination plants, geothermal energy and photovoltaic/thermal panels were used as preheating units to heat the feed water before entering RO desalination plants. The proposed system in this study consists of an RO desalination plant with an energy recovery device, photovoltaic/thermal panels, and a geothermal energy extraction unit. To evaluate the system performance, three incorporated models were studied and validated by previous experimental data. The results indicated that incorporating the geothermal energy and photovoltaic/thermal panels with the RO desalination plants has positive effects in terms of increasing productivity and reducing the rates of specific power consumption in RO desalination plants. The average saving in the specific power consumption for utilizing the thermal recovery system of PV panels and geothermal energy as preheating units reached 29.1% and 40.75% for the treatment of seawater and brackish water, respectively. Additionally, the economic feasibility showed the saving in the cost of freshwater produced from the RO desalination plants for incorporating both geothermal energy and photovoltaic panels with a thermal recovery system with reverse osmosis desalination plants of up to 39.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale public construction projects often become expensive white elephants requiring considerable postconstruction maintenance. Thus there is a pressing need to integrate construction and postconstruction stages into productivity measurement and analysis. However, previous studies of productivity measurement focused on the efficiency of the project delivery phase, but overlooked the utilization of the constructed facility. This paper developed a two-stage construction project productivity (CPP) measurement model by integrating site efficiency (SE) and utilization effectiveness to investigate strategies for improving the overall CPP. An as-usual setting, which delineates the measurement of CPP, was developed as the benchmark model. Given the relative nature of the productivity concept, two scenarios were considered for CPP improvement. The enhancement scenario was introduced by adding a requirement that CPP is enhanced compared with that in the benchmark model. Then a transcendence scenario was developed to ensure that CPP is better than SE. Strategies for CPP improvement were formulated and were analyzed using the analytical models developed. This study for the first time distinguished the substitutionarity and complementarity between facility occupation and facility management in the postconstruction stage, and claims that the opposite natures offer opposite strategies for CPP improvement. The empirical analysis revealed the law of diminishing marginal utility of facility management. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by extending the productivity measurement model from the construction stage only to the integration of the construction and postconstruction stages, and by offering two productivity improvement scenarios for strategy formulation. Methodologically, this paper offers a two-stage productivity measurement model and its improvement models in a mathematical way. Managerially, based on the developed models, this work offers the evidence and quantitative guidance for the policy makers and public clients to strategically improve CPP of public projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5S is one of the major foundations of lean concept along with total productive maintenance and standard work. 5S is the approach of improving business, establishing stability in operation by eliminating the root causes of wastes or defects in business process or operation and thereby making continuous improvement and sustaining it. 5S helps the organisations in establishing framework and roadmap to successfully follow the path of lean manufacturing for continuous improvement as it exposes visible and critical waste of the process. This paper presents the study of implementation of strategic 5S at plastic machinery manufacturing company in India and determines the relationship of 5S and productivity by testing hypothesis. This study is also an example for SMEs which reveals the prospective of 5S to achieve business performance parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial sustainability is an important attribute and becomes a parameter of the business success. Quality improvement with an indicator of increasing process capability will affect productivity improvements and lead to industrial competitiveness and maintain industrial sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to obtain a relationship between the consistency of the DMAIC phase to increase the sigma level in productivity improvement and industrial sustainability. This paper applied for a systematic literature review from various sources of trusted articles from 2006 to 2019 using the keywords "Six Sigma, Productivity, and Industrial Sustainability." A matrix was developed to provide synthesis and summary of the literature. Six Sigma approach has been successful in reducing product variation, defects, cycle time, production costs, as well as increasing customer satisfaction, cost savings, profits, and competitiveness to maintain industrial sustainability. Extraction and synthesis in this study managed to obtain seven objectives value that found a consistent relationship between the DMAIC phase of increasing sigma levels, productivity, and industrial sustainability. The broad scope of Six Sigma literature is very beneficial for organizations to understand the critical variables and key success factors in Six Sigma implementation, which leads to substantial long-term continuous improvement, the value of money, and business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of organic compounds, including their absolute configuration, is extremely critical to the activity of medicines, aroma chemicals, and agrochemicals. Nearly all of these structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) analysis. However, it is widely believed that SC-XRD analysis is not versatile since it requires considerable crystal growth and expertise. Recently, crystal growth is becoming less critical by utilizing the microcrystal electron diffraction method (MicroED). However, there is still a gap between the two methods because MicroED has limitations with respect to crystal size and quality of the results. Moreover, modern instruments for SC-XRD analysis have evolved to analyze smaller crystals and are able to deliver a structure easier. Here, we propose a new approach to fill the above gap with the tool named "What is this? (WIT)". WIT is a fully automated process from evaluating the crystal to providing the 'structure'. This method assumes the situation where a researcher happens to obtain a shiny grain during a course of chemical synthesis and wants to know the structure of the molecule making up the grain. Therefore, WIT assumes no chemical information and collects a mere 60% of the full dataset to enable faster characterization of the molecule with enough quality to fulfill the requirement. To assess the utility of WIT, we compared the results obtained by MicroED on a crystal of the same compound and similar in size. In summarizing the results, we propose a possible functional classification of the analyzed structures. We have developed a new tool, "What is this?" (WIT) for the fully automated structure determination of small molecules concurrent with single crystal data collection and processing. WIT assumes the case where a researcher happens to obtain a shiny grain of unknown composition during a chemical synthesis and opts to try to determine the three-dimensional structure of the molecule making up the grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural fertilisers (NPKs) have been recognised as an alternative to make microalgae cultivation cheaper as well as simpler in terms of the preparation of the medium. Botryococcus braunii, a green microalga, has the almost unique capacity to accumulate and excrete large amounts of long-chain hydrocarbons and/or interesting groups of polysaccharides which can be further converted into bio-products. However, limitations in growth are currently hindering its industrial production. In this work, the use of different agricultural fertilisers (NPKs) was evaluated for the cultivation of two B. braunii races (A and B) in terms of productivity and final media labour and cost. Results corroborated that fertilisers-based media are easier to prepare and their prices are considerably lower compared to common culture media. At the same time, good growth performance and photosynthetic efficiency can be maintained and carbohydrate and hydrocarbon productivities can be further enhanced. However, special attention should be given to each particular strain since different behaviour in growth and metabolite production can be observed depending on the media composition. The significantly higher productivities obtained, together with the important reduction in media price when using commercial fertilisers and the advantages related to the easiness to prepare the culture media based on NPK fertilizers, represent an important achievement for the development of an industry based on these renewable products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Indoor farm creates stable environment where plant growth can be predicted. • Growth-response model (GRM) can accurately predict leafy vegetable shoot biomass. • GRM can be an auxiliary tool to cooperate with AI technology for growth prediction. • Appropriate GRM application can enhance seedling productivity in indoor farm. • Appropriate GRM application can increase the profit of indoor farm. An empirical growth-response model (GRM) that can accurately predict leafy vegetable (e.g., kailan) shoot fresh weight, in terms of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and certain cultivation duration counted from sowing, in an environment-controlled vertical farm, was developed. This GRM was constructed as the product of three independent models including light-time-biomass response model (LTBRM), dry-weight-based shoot/seedling ratio (DSSR) and shoot fresh/dry weight ratio (SFDR), which were established separately, through using various mathematical models to fit the experimental growth data and selecting the optimal ones, respectively. The robustness verification, and the validation tests on GRM proved that this model is qualified for precisely forecasting kailan shoot fresh weight at the seedling stage. The framework built in this study can be introduced as a universal modeling approach in indoor farming to (i) quickly assess seedling productivity throughout the farm once PPFD distribution and duration are known, (ii) cooperate with artificial intelligence technology for growth prediction, (iii) confirm the transplantation date according to designated transplanting criteria to minimize electric energy loss, and (iv) increase final productivity by 29.41% and profit by 12.99% in vertical farms using an appropriate strategy (taking kailan as an estimated example). GRM could thus act as an excellent auxiliary tool for monitoring plant growth; it can also be a strategy to boost vegetable production in resource-dependent regions to handle unexpected food supply chain disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marginal land refers to the land with low agricultural productivity and economic benefit and fragile ecology due to the prominent limitation of soil barrier, strong restriction of water and heat resources as well as harsh topographic conditions. In China, the existing marginal land is about 1.17 billion mu (15 mu is equal to 1 ha), which is the most important resource of strategic emergency to deal with the cultivated land gap of 700 million mu. Marginal land storage is a major strategy for national food security. It has become a new international research trend to increase the productivity and ecological functions of marginal land by modulating the interaction between plant and soil microbial. This includes breeding high stress-tolerant plants, screening and application of plant growth promotion rhizobacteria (PGPR) to promote plant growth on marginal land, and strengthening soil microbial functions to improve soil quality and health. In view of the marginal land productivity expansion and ecological benefit improvement, it is necessary to formulate the overall action plans based on the principles of ecological priority and green development. We should carry out the marginal land R & D project with the idea of "plant first, soil-improvement as the base, water security, microbial control, and the integration of plant-soil-microbial ecological system". (1) We should build a national database of marginal land and formulate the protection and management zoning plan. (2) We should develop four aspects of basic theory research namely, stress-tolerant plants breeding and its adaptive mechanism, efficient utilization of water and fertilize, soil obstacle factor reduction and biological networks induction/acclimatization, and the interaction between plant and microbial. (3) Focusing on coastal saline-alkali land in north and east China, soda alkali-saline land in northeast China, saline-alkali land in northwest inland, yellow spongy soils slope on the loess plateau, red soil and purple soil slope land in south hilly region, we should build different types of ecological farmland by integrating various technologies and theories. This will promote the protection and sustainable utilization of marginal land resources, and support the timely launch of the efficient use of contiguous marginal land to achieve the goal of increasing productivity by adding 700 million mu of medium-high grade arable land. This will be also helpful to ensure the implementation of the strategy of "storing grain in land and technology" and rural vitalization, and the construction of ecological civilization in China's ecologically fragile areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lean Six Sigma is a data-driven and fact-based philosophy which helps to prevent the value defects over the detection of defects for better quality and improvements. Lean Six Sigma helps in achieving satisfaction of customer and core results by reducing waste, altering or variation in process, process cycle time, by the use of standardisation and flow and thus creates the competitive advantage for organisations. Lean Six Sigma is applicable at the place where variation and waste exist, and all employee or company staff should be involved. Lean Six Sigma is a combination of 'Lean' and 'Six Sigma'. Six Sigma helps to reduce the process variation whereas Lean helps to eliminate or reduce waste. Thereby, the principles of Lean Six Sigma help to improve the efficiency and quality of the process. This has been empirically investigated by various researchers. In this paper, an endeavour has been made to systematically compile the work carried out by the researchers in the area of Lean six sigma and Lean Manufacturing and its impact on Organisational Performance. Moreover, future research aspects in the Lean manufacturing scenario have also been explored. Abbreviations: SS: Six Sigma; LSS: Lean Six Sigma; LM: lean manufacturing; LT: lean tools; LP: lean production; TQM: total quality management; PDCA: plan do check act; TPM: total productive maintenance; OEE: overall equipment efficiency; SMED: single minute exchange of dies; FMEA: failure mode effective analysis; JIT: just-in-time; CELLMFG: cell manufacturing; DOE: design of experiment; DPMO: defects per millions opportunity; ANOVA: analysis of variance; DMAIC: define measure analyse improve control; VSM: value stream mapping [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Theory of Constraints (TOC) was proposed in the mid-1980s and has significantly impacted productivity improvement in manufacturing systems. Although it is intuitive and easy to understand, its conclusions are mainly derived from deterministic settings or based on mean values. This article generalizes the concept of TOC to stochastic settings through the performance analysis of queueing systems and simulation studies. We show that, in stochastic settings, the conventional TOC may not be optimal, and a throughput bottleneck should be considered in certain types of machines at the planning stage. Incorporating the system variability and improvement costs, the Generalized Process Of OnGoing Improvement (GPOOGI) is developed in this study. It shows that improving a frontend machine in a production line can be more effective than improving the throughput bottleneck. The findings indicate that we should consider the dependence among stations and the cost of improvement options during productivity improvement and should not simply improve the system bottleneck according to the conventional TOC. According to the GPOOGI, the managers of production systems would be able to make optimal decision during the continuous improvement process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grafting is a green, environmentally friendly, and sustainable way to prevent soil-borne diseases. Although artificial grafting is the main grafting approach used for grafting production, it has some problems which are low productivity, unstable operating quality and labor-intensive. Hence, some countries have been engaged in the development of grafting robots for the past two decades; however, the productivity of these grafting robots has no advantage when compared to artificial grafting. This study aims to develop a high-productivity grafting robot (HPR) for Solanaceae. To improve grafting productivity, this paper adopted plug trays to feed crown-removed rootstocks automatically and carried out multi-plant simultaneous grafting to improve grafting productivity and extensibility. Manipulators were employed to take out rootstocks, increase the distance between them, and transfer them to transfer cups for the simultaneous multi-plant grafting. At the same time, negative pressure mechanisms were designed for speeding up the auxiliary feeding of root-removed scions. Although the HPR was designed in a two-operator mode, a one-operator mode can also be implemented by adjusting the control program. Tests were conducted by varying the artificial feeding speed to analyze the performance of the grafting robot. The results showed that the productivity of the robot in the two-operator mode was 2250 plants/h, and 1542 plants/h in one-operator mode; comparing the artificial feeding productivity with auto grafting productivity, it was found that the capacity of the grafting robot was higher than the feeding speed of the one-operator mode but lower than that of the two-operator mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powertrain electrification is one of the effective ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions for off-road mobile machines. However, the batteries in the electric mobile machine always go through frequent and large power shocks, weakening the machine's productivity. To improve the productivity of the battery powered wheel loader, an electric-hydraulic hybrid parallel propulsion system solution is proposed. The hybrid powertrain is reconstructed from a battery powered electric powertrain by introducing a hydraulic pump-accumulator subsystem. The hydraulic powertrain is coupled to the electric powertrain in parallel providing strong power assistance and hydraulic energy recovery. A torque distribution energy management strategy is developed to manage the power flows of two energy sources. With the proposed hybrid powertrain, the productivity of the wheel loader is improved by up to 17.4%. The energy efficiency and carbon emissions are analyzed. [Display omitted] • An electric-hydraulic hybrid drive solution is proposed to improve the productivity of an electric wheel loader. • A torque distribution energy management strategy is developed for proposed hybrid wheel loader. • The productivity of electric wheel loader is improved by 17.4% with proposed hybrid powertrain. • The energy efficiency and carbon emissions are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, lean techniques were utilized in a wood plastic composite manufacturer to eliminate waste of the production system. Measurements showed the production capacity of the factory was limited and had a lot of waste in many processes, so customer demand could not be met. Improvement of the real production line would be complex and may cause interruption in production. Therefore, computer simulation was used to show the system performances before and after improvement. Lean techniques such as Eliminate, Combine, Rearrange and Simplify (ECRS), quick setup, Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), and line balancing, were employed to eliminate waste and shorten cycle time. After improving by lean techniques, the result showed very high productivity, utilization, efficiency and profit. However, the capacity still did not reach the demand target. So, Theory of Constraint (TOC) with bottleneck consideration and optimization were utilized to identify the suitable resources of the system to achieve high performances and customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Existing productivity improvements activities such as inventory buffer, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and total productive maintenance (TPM) do not associate the throughput shortage with the process parameters. The paper aims to develop and validate an integrated model to recover the throughput shortage through adjustment of process parameters in a semiconductor assembly setting. Design/methodology/approach: The mathematical model of planned throughput as a function of process parameters in an integrated multiple-process line is developed. When the actual throughput does not meet the planned throughput, throughput shortage occurs. The planned throughput for the next day is summed with the throughput shortage from the previous day, and mathematical programming is used to search the adjusted values of the process parameters. Findings: The throughput shortage can be restored at the following day with the reconfigured process parameters. If throughput shortage still exists, the additional throughput shortage will be carried forward to the subsequent day of planning where mathematical programming is repeated to search the adjusted values of the process parameters. The proposed optimisation model is essentially a parametric model, where actual data of process parameters are fitted into distribution and is translated into a range of allowable values within the 95% confidence interval. Research limitations/implications: The process parameters subject to adjustment in this model are the cycle time of Die Attach, Wire Bond and Pre-Cap Inspection. Downtime and setup time are not subjected to adjustments because these parameters require more extensive efforts to be changed. Practical implications: The mathematical programming computes adjusted values of process parameters to restore the throughput shortage, where it quantitatively correlates the process parameters and throughput shortage, rather than the conventional method of production improvement activities that do not quantitatively correlate with the throughput shortage. Originality/value: The research addresses the adjustment of process parameters to recover the throughput shortage in integrated multiple-process line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel configuration of assembly lines was proposed in this research, namely parallel adjacent U-shaped assembly lines (PAUL). Typically, in a multiple Uline facility, each U-line is designed to work independently which may cause some workstations were not fully functioned. The PAUL aimed at increasing the utilisation of the whole facility by allowing cross-trained workers to work on the opposite legs of the adjacent U-lines (multi-line workstations). This configuration is easier to implement than parallel U-lines due to no restriction in terms of the lengths of U-lines to be paralleled and hidden expenditures that could be incurred in shop floor reconstruction. Since the line balancing of the PAUL is NP-hard and many conflicting objectives need to be optimised simultaneously, the evolutionary meta-heuristic which was the hybridisation of the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) and particle swarm optimisation (PSO), namely MOEA/D-PSO, was developed to effectively solve the problem. In addition, the decoding algorithm to convert the solutions obtained from MOEA/D-PSO into the PAUL's configuration was proposed. The performance of MOEA/D-PSO was evaluated against MOEA/D and multi-objective particle swarm optimisation (MOPSO). The experimental results reveal that MOEA/D-PSO outperformed its rival algorithms under the convergence-related performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facility layout can be defined as an arrangement of the equipment area in the industry or organization of the factory. The main objective of this project was to improve the existing layout in SMEs using DELMIA QUEST simulation. In this project, new layouts are proposed to reduce the waiting time in a production line and increase the productivity. This study focused on packaging production line of a coffee manufacturing company located in Tasek Gelugor Pulau Pinang. The problems identified in this production line are limited working space, some processes overlap and are stuck due to high demands of the products. This results in high lead time. The existing layout was studied and simulated to improve certain parameters such as labour, machines, and shape of the layout. The workstations were repositioned in the proposed layout before undergoing simulation process using DELMIA QUEST software. From the simulation results, the significant improvement was determined and the best layout was chosen in terms of machines utilization and total output. Based on this, a new layout is proposed to increase the productivity capacity and to meet customers' demands. Simulation data of the proposed layout showed its productivity had increased to approximately 41.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to improve the productivity for the air conditioner unit of for car manufacturers. The target production volume of the air conditioner unit was greater than 46 pieces per hour. The current capacity was insufficient, so the researchers studied the problems using a study of the assembly standard time. The study found the assembly line bottleneck standard time was 1.64 minutes per piece, representing a yield of 36 pieces per hour. The labor productivity was 1.84 pieces per person per hour. The operation two-hand chart and operation area check sheet analysis was applied to find the operations that should be improved because the standard time was over the takt time. After that the Eliminate, Combine, Rearrange, Simplify (ECRS) technique was used to propose a method for process improvement. After improvement, the bottleneck was 1.28 minutes per piece which represented a yield of 46.9 pieces per hour. The labor production rate was equivalent to 2.35 pieces per hour or an increase of 27.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolomics is the comprehensive analysis of metabolites in biological systems that uses multivariate analyses such as principal component analysis (PCA) or partial least squares/projections to latent structures regression (PLSR) to understand the metabolome state and extract important information from biological systems. In this study, orthogonal PLSR (OPLSR) model-based metabolomics approach was applied to 1-butanol producing Escherichia coli to facilitate in strain improvement strategies. Here, metabolite data obtained by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was used to construct an OPLSR model to correlate metabolite changes with 1-butanol production and rationally identify gene targets for strain improvement. Using this approach, acetyl-CoA was determined as the rate-limiting step of the pathway while free CoA was found to be insufficient for 1-butanol production. By resolving the problems addressed by the OPLSR model, higher 1-butanol productivity was achieved. In this study, the usefulness of OPLSR-based metabolomics approach for understanding the whole metabolome state and determining the most relevant metabolites was demonstrated. Moreover, it was able to provide valuable insights for selection of rational gene targets for strain improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified pyramid solar still with both v-corrugated absorbers plate and PCM, and the conventional pyramid solar still was designed, constructed and fabricated under the same ambient conditions of Tanta city, Egypt. The performance of the modified pyramid still with both v-corrugated absorbers plate and PCM (modified pyramid still with PCM) are compared to the conventional pyramid still, to describe the improvement in the performance of the modified pyramid still with PCM. The experimental results showed that the accumulated distillate yield for modified pyramid still with PCM is higher than that of conventional pyramid still. The accumulated distillate yield reached approximately 6.6 L m −2 d −1 for modified pyramid still with PCM while its value was 3.5 L m −2 d −1 for conventional pyramid still. The use of v-corrugated absorbers plate and PCM under basin improved the accumulated distillate yield of a modified pyramid still with PCM by 87.4% compared to the conventional pyramid still. Moreover, the modified pyramid still with PCM is superior in daily efficiency (86.41%–88% improvement) compared to the conventional pyramid still in the period from September to October 2016 under the Egyptian conditions. The estimated cost of 1 L of distillate water productivity reached approximately 0.0236 $ L −1 for modified pyramid still with PCM while its value was 0.0262 $ L −1 for conventional pyramid still. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Productivity is never an accident, it is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused approach,' the phrase by Paul J. Meyer, an American businessman, has everything explained within it. Various quality improvement tools and techniques along with their integration have been attempted in the past for enhancing productivity levels in large-scale organizations across the globe. Similarly, new unification of these techniques can bring positive results even in a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Authors, in this case study, use the synergy of two approaches, namely, 'Shainin system' and 'fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP)' to enhance the productivity of a system. Shainin system stands close to a set of instruments that are clear to understand and easy to be applied, whereas AHP technique has a proven potential in decision-making and evaluation. Results, after successful implementation, indicate a monetary saving of $100,000, which is substantial for a SME. Emphasis is put on a coherent step-wise implementation of both the strategies and linking them together to inculcate the best potential outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is written for the working professional who is interested in creating a workplace culture based on individual potential, continuous improvement, and productivity improvement. It examines the nature of feedback as a natural instrument for developing this workplace environment. Feedback when used appropriately should be welcomed by employees and used on a regular daily basis. It offers a training outline for those interested in developing a feedback-rich culture that distinguishes between 3 types of feedback, establishes foundation principles for giving feedback, and provides practical structured exercises for practicing giving feedback. It offers a ready to use tool for working professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A multi-stage continuous high cell density culture (MSC-HCDC) system makes it possible to achieve high productivity together with high product titer of many bioproducts. For long-term continuous operation of MSC-HCDC systems, the cell retention time and hydraulic retention time must be decoupled and strains (bacteria, yeast, plant, and animal cells) must be stable. MSC-HCDC systems are suitable for low-value high-volume extracellular products such as fuel ethanol, lactic acid or volatile fatty acids, and high-value products such as monoclonal antibodies as well as intracellular products such as polyhydroxybutyric acid (PHB), microbial lipids or a number of therapeutics. Better understanding of the fermentation kinetics of a specific product and reliable high-density culture methods for the product-generating microorganisms will facilitate timely industrialization of MSC-HCDC systems for products that are currently obtained in fed-batch bioreactors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study focused on the optimization of key process parameters for maximizing kefir grain biomass yield using statistical methodology. A response surface methodology (RSM) was developed to describe the effects of whey lactose and yeast concentrations, temperature and pH on increases in kefir grain biomass using cheese whey as a fermentation medium. Initially, one factor at a time was applied to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen sources. The results showed that the concentration of yeast extract significantly influenced the biomass increase. Then, a 2 full-factorial central composite design was used to optimize the process conditions. By using multiple regression analysis, the experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial model. RSM analysis indicated good correlation between experimental and predicted values. The most suitable combination of variables for higher biomass increase (76.13%) was 88.4 and 21.3 g/l, 5.2, and 20 °C for concentration of whey lactose, concentration of yeast extract, pH, and temperature, respectively. At these optimal conditions, biomass increased by 81.34%, which was close to the amount predicted by the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, to clarify whether a firm's voluntary approach to environmental protection is beneficial for both the environment and business, we analyze whether a firm's voluntary implementation of an environmental management system (EMS) simultaneously reduces its environmental impacts and improves its productivity. Using data on Japanese manufacturing firms for 2002–2008, we find empirical support for the view that the implementation of an EMS simultaneously reduces environmental impacts and improves productivity, and that a reduction in environmental impacts also improves productivity. However, in the context of this relationship, the direct effect of implementing an EMS on productivity is conditional. If various other activities designed to improve productivity implemented in response to market discipline are also taken into account, the effect of implementing an EMS is hidden by the effects of these activities. This implies that voluntary environmental management activities are merely a minor component of these activities. Therefore, the relationship between the implementation of an EMS and productivity improvement is not strong, although implementing an EMS indirectly improves productivity by reducing environmental impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper deals with the productivity improvement of knowledge work. The productivity of knowledge work is improved through innovations with knowledge creation. The author points out that knowledge is created through the knowledge worker’s mental activity involving the interaction of three important factors, i.e., information, knowledge and insight. Knowledge workers can augment their capability to exploit knowledge and information through their personal learning efforts and/or through access to appropriate external knowledge and information sources. Although importance of sharing information and knowledge has been widely discussed in earlier studies for knowledge management and social networking services, there were only few discussions on the importance of the third factor, insight. The author discusses that insight is the key for knowledge creation and it has a special nature different from the other two: it cannot be acquired through learning, but can become usable by activating undeveloped portions of native capabilities. Only knowledge workers who have good insight have the awareness to realize innovations necessary in business. These people are newly defined as Innovation Workers. In order to substitute for inefficient conventional on-the-job trainings to nurture innovation workers, a Timed-PDCA concept is proposed in this paper. The use of the Timed-PDCA concept makes it possible to visualize the progressive status of knowledge work as well as on-going thoughts of workers, and also periodically to enforce the worker for seriously evaluating the current situation and revising the action plan towards the final goal. Repeating such a process helps cultivate undeveloped portions of native capabilities of the worker. Visualization of work progress and worker’s thoughts enable supervisors to coach workers in a timely and appropriate manner. Thus, use of the Timed-PDCA concept makes it possible to pursue productivity improvement in the current works including nurturing innovation workers concurrently. Although its application can be usefully made on any knowledge works to be managed on the time axis, managing the business-to-business sales process was chosen as the first concrete application. The paper introduces the development details of the system and its managerial effects after deployment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The amino acid composition of CHO cell culture media for manufacturing an antibody fusion protein (B1) was optimized using data obtained through metabolic flux analysis. The metabolic flux analysis was performed using the metabolic rates derived from two semi-steady states of continuous culture. The amino acid composition was the same for media used in both the fed-batch and continuous cultures, which made the modification of amino acid composition suggested by the metabolic flux analysis applicable to the fed-batch culture. The flux analysis indicated that methionine, tryptophan, asparagine and serine were limiting, while alanine, arginine, glutamine and glycine were in excess at the semi-steady states. Based on this result, the limiting amino acids were increased while those in excess were reduced to obtain balanced amino acid composition in both the batch and feed media. The fed-batch cell cultures using the modified media generated less lactate and ammonia, and more significantly, increased peak cell densities by 55% and B1 protein titer by 27% without any impact on final sialic acid content, a quality attribute of the B1 protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) equipped with a solar absorber was designed for saline water desalination and integrated into a small unit, that possesses a combined solar absorber for an energy source and membrane distillation process for desalination. The proposed device performs at middle temperature (about 35–50°C) using hot saline water at the inlet associated with a constant cold stream inlet. The solar absorber is inserted between the glass cover and membrane to heat the flowing fluid which passes underneath the absorber plate. A two-dimensional mathematical energy model and a general numerical method are presented to obtain the water productivity, absorber plate and flow conduit temperature distributions. The results show that the theoretical predictions agree fairly well with the experimental results using a combination of Knudsen diffusion and viscous flow models for membrane coefficient estimation. The maximum trans-membrane flux increment in this study is obtained as 16.56% and the distillation ability potential is 4.1kg/(m2 h) with high purity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study focuses on the optimum solutions applied to improve the productivity in case of thick sections welding by increasing the deposition rate, decreasing the weld metal volume (narrow gap welding) and improving the duty cycle. The submerged arc welding process (SAW) variants and different techniques used for the deposition rate increasing such as Twin Arc, Tandem and other combinations (tandem - twin, synergic cold wire etc) are presented in this paper. Also, narrow gap welding (NGW) or narrow groove welding is presented as a great solution developed to weld thick components more economically. This welding procedure is suited for narrow joints with small angles, typically in the range of 2- 20°, which requires less weld metal and less welding time to fill, comparing with conventional V, Y and X - grooves welds. That means lower heat input and smaller deposited metal volume that reduce thermal stresses which induce less residual stresses and strains. Narrow gap techniques are applied in case of submerged arc welding (SAW), gas shielded metal arc welding (GMAW) and tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology for microalgae cultivation has potential to maximize biomass generation to production process and economic viability of microalgal production. Powerful tools that increase the production and value of microalgae are therefore of great significance. In this review, valid approaches involved in strain screening, microalgal cultivation, cell harvesting and disruption are discussed with regards to productivity improvements and energy efficiency. Particularly, current research in kinetic models, metabolic flux analysis and genetic tools are considered. Kinetic models of nutrient, light, temperature and cell quota to increase the biomass concentration and targeted products are discussed. Metabolic flux analysis, especially GC–MS-based 13C-metabolic flux analysis is discussed to describe how the central carbon flux to targeted products can be precisely and rapidly engineered. This approach is exemplified by Chromochloris zofingiensis under batch and fed-batch cultures. Molecular approaches including gene silencing methods and CRISPR–Cas9 are also discussed as these provide powerful tools for enhanced production of biomass and associated lipids and carotenoids. Finally, the huge potential of combined applications of the described tools are discussed. A better understanding of cell behavior in response to these tools will provide the means to improve microalgal production at a competitive cost. • Economic viability limits microalgal production due to unsatisfied productivity. • Valid approaches to improve each step in production are reviewed and discussed. • Tools for productivity improvements of microalgae are reviewed comprehensively. • Major molecular approaches for enhanced lipid production are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 90% of the world's natural gas hydrates (NGH) exist in deep-sea formations, a new energy source with great potential for exploitation. There is distance from the threshold of commercial exploitation based on the single well currently used. The complex structure well is an efficient and advanced drilling technology. The improvement of NGH productivity through various complex structure wells is unclear, and there is no more complete combing. Thus, in order to evaluate their gas production characteristics, we establish a mathematical model for exploitation of NGH, and then 13 sets of numerical models based on the geological parameters of the Nankai Trough in Japan are developed and designed, including a single vertical well, a single horizontal well, 1~4 branch vertical wells, 1~4 branch horizontal wells, and 2~4 branch cluster horizontal wells. The research results indicate that wells with complex structures represented by directional wells and multilateral wells can significantly increase the area of water and gas discharge, especially cluster wells, whose productivity can be increased by up to 2.2 times compared with single wells. Complex structural wells will play an irreplaceable role in the future industrialization of NGH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]