China will see off challengers in EV batteries

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Car Industry ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Critical Mineral ◽  
Wealth Generation ◽  
Global Transition

Significance The battery is the most expensive and performance-critical element of an electric vehicle (EV). China's dominance in the sector therefore has strategic implications, because the global transition towards EVs is key to achieving international targets to mitigate climate change, and to individual nations’ wealth generation prospects. Impacts The car industry worldwide will increasingly depend on access to cost-effective batteries, which in the short term means Chinese suppliers. China’s dominance of the battery supply chain and fast-growing EV market ties foreign automotive leaders to Chinese partners and markets. Extensive government support would be needed to compete with Chinese firms’ dominance in the battery and critical mineral supply chains.

Design and development of a bio-digester for production of biogas from dual waste

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Modestus Okechukwu Okwu ◽  
Olusegun D. Samuel ◽  
Omonigho B. Otanocha ◽  
Promise P. Balogun ◽  
Ogugu J. Tega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Cow Dung ◽  
Poultry Waste ◽  
Solid Waste Disposal ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Volatile Solids ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Chicken Waste

Purpose A novel cost-effective bio-digester was explored to convert biological waste into useful clean energy. The bioreactor was aimed to anaerobically digest locally sourced cow dung and chicken droppings. Design/methodology/approach The design consideration is a batch horizontal 267 L digester made from cast iron with centrally positioned four-impeller shaft to enhance mixing. The system operated with a retention time of 63 days and a substrate (cow dung and poultry waste) ratio of 1:2 and water substrate ratio of 1:0.5 in the gasholder system. The purification, compression and performance evaluation of the generated biogas were also conducted. Findings The total volume of gas produced for each substrate compositions designed over 14 days ranges between 49.34 and 52.91 mL/day. The optimal value of 52.45 ml using cow dung and poultry waste (w/w) 20:80 was obtained. The average ambient temperatures during the study were within the mesophilic range of 20-40°C. The pH values were stable and always in the optimal range of 6.5-8.0. The reductions in moisture content, ash content, total solids and volatile solids were from 80.50-0.20 per cent, 39.60-14 per cent, 18.50-5.90 per cent and 11.60-4.90 per cent, respectively. Originality/value The developed digester is cost-effective and would help minimize solid waste disposal. The estimated methane contents of the gas from cow dung and chicken waste after scrubbing were found to be 71.95 per cent and could be harnessed in solving the energy crisis in the developing nations.

BT Wholesale pilots online coaching and mentoring

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 20-22
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Pilot Program ◽  
Operations Planning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Effectiveness ◽  
Support Tools ◽  
Innovative Thinking ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a coaching and mentoring pilot program, using multimedia technology, at BT Wholesale.Design/methodology/approachExplains how the company tested “next generation” coaching and performance‐support tools during the three‐month pilot involving 80 consultants, project managers and support staff in the operations‐planning and central‐change team. Reveals the main findings from the pilot program.FindingsReveals that participants benefited in their personal effectiveness and ability to manage stressful situations. The pilot indicates that raising productivity by between 10 and 15 percent is feasible as a typical outcome. Results of the post‐pilot evaluation show that participants agreed program could support innovative thinking practices (76 percent), has the potential positively to affect leadership styles and behaviors (64 percent) and could underpin training programs and learning application in the workplace (70 percent).Practical implicationsIndicates that information technology can make it cost‐effective for a firm to spread the benefits of coaching and mentoring to a wider range of workers.Originality/valueShows that many participants believed that the coaching would add further value by underpinning other personal development, change and stress‐management initiatives.

scholarly journals The prospective applicability of the strengths-based approach to managing and developing employees in small businesses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chamila Kumudunee Wijekuruppu ◽  
Alan Coetzer ◽  
Pattanee Susomrith
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Employee Selection ◽  
Task Assignment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Employee Productivity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Individual Productivity ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThe strength-based approach is promulgated as a management practice that improves individual productivity and performance. This study's purpose is to explore the prospective applicability of the strengths-based approach to managing and developing employees in small businesses. The study focuses on four domains of practice: selection, training, performance evaluation and task assignment.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed semi-structured, face-to-face interviews to obtain data. The units of analysis were managers and employees of small businesses. Eleven managers and 19 employees were interviewed. Data analysis involved thematic analysis with the NVivo 12 software program.FindingsFirst, the small businesses used a strengths-based approach for employee selection during employees' temporary status of employment and in employee task assignment. However, managers did not employ a strengths-based approach to employee selection during selection interviews, training or performance evaluations. Second, the managers perceived strengths identification as a difficult task. Based on personal observations, they perceived employees' positive character traits, job-related skills and work-related efficiency as employee strengths.Practical implicationsThis study informs managers about a potential alternative to the traditional weakness-based management practice. The findings and conceptual arguments suggest that a strengths-based approach can provide a cost-effective alternative to the resource-intensive approaches commonly employed to enhance employee productivity and performance.Originality/valueThe study provides the first empirical evidence on the prospective applicability of the strengths-based approach to small businesses and explores conceptually the suitability of the said approach to this context.

scholarly journals Maritime Cluster Attractiveness Index

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Lagoudis ◽  
Eleftherios M. Madentzoglou ◽  
Ioannis N. Theotokas ◽  
Tsz Leung Yip
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Gravity Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Tool ◽  
Multi Attribute Utility Theory ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Logistics Performance Index ◽  
National Economies ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The role of clusters in the development and growth of local and national economies has been extensively studied and discussed in global literature. Different methodologies are used for analysing the impact these have in national and regional economies, such as the input–output (IO) and gravity models. This paper aims to detail the methodologies present in the literature and propose a new robust theoretical framework, which facilitates the evaluation and comparison among maritime clusters in terms of attractiveness assisting stakeholders to devise strategies, which will attract companies. Design/methodology/approach An index is created composed of five key categories, namely, infrastructure, financing, governance, manpower and institution/legislation. For the analysis of the index, multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) is used as a tool to evaluate the importance and performance of the different attributes using both quantitative and qualitative criteria. The methodology has been tested via the use the Piraeus maritime cluster. Findings The framework has been tested on its robustness and friendliness to the user providing useful insights to the stakeholders. Among the results has been the importance of the finance, manpower and infrastructure attributes, which appear to promote the cluster’s attractiveness. In addition, legislation and institutional partnerships, along with Government support, need to take place improve the performance of the cluster. Research limitations/implications A key limitation is the fact that the methodology has been tested in a single case. Applying the methodological framework in a wider sample of clusters will significantly improve the present work. Originality/value The proposed model takes further existing research in the field via adopting the philosophy of the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index. Among the benefits of the proposed index is that it offers the flexibility and robustness to compare among different maritime clusters globally and can be readily used as a benchmarking policy tool at national, regional and global levels at any given point in time and attribute dimension.

scholarly journals Recent studies on railway-track substructure at TTCI

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dingqing Li ◽  
Stephen Wilk
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Heavy Haul ◽  
Track Substructure ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Mud Pumping ◽  
Ground Penetrating ◽  
Good Drainage

Abstract Railway-track substructure is the foundation of the railway-track infrastructure and consists of four major components: ballast, sub-ballast, subgrade and drainage. Safety and performance of the track infrastructure, to a large degree, depends on the performance of the track substructure. Adequate support from the track substructure is the most critical element needed for good track performance. When properly constructed and maintained, the ballasted track is the most cost-effective track structure for railway operations, especially for heavy-haul freight operations. Good track-substructure support is characterized by good drainage and strong resistance of the ballast, sub-ballast and subgrade layers to excessive deformation and failures under repeated dynamic wheel loads. As the track substructure plays such important roles, research concerning track substructure has been broad and extensive around the world, with many universities and research institutes conducting various studies and investigations. This paper provides an overview of the recent research conducted at Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), in the following areas: ballast mud pumping and its effects on track performance, remediation of subgrade mud pumping, remediation of ballast pockets, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) for inspecting track substructure, and development of software tools with focus on track-substructure functions and management.

Risk analysis and mitigation for the city gas distribution projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atul Rawat ◽  
Sumeet Gupta ◽  
T. Joji Rao
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Financial Risks ◽  
Gas Distribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
City Gas ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The City

Purpose This study aims to identify the operational and financial risks associated with the city gas distribution project in India and suggest appropriate strategies to mitigate them. Design/methodology/approach This study aims to identify the operational and financial risks associated with the city gas distribution project in India and suggest appropriate strategies to mitigate them. The survey data is evaluated using factor analysis to understand the latent structure of the critical risk factors. Second, the author uses Situation, Actor and Process–Learning, Action and Performance framework to suggest the mitigation strategies for the identified operational and financial risk factors. Findings The research identified five critical risk factors and suggested 39 mitigation strategies to address operational and risk factors impacting CGD projects. The findings of this research will enable the CGD companies to formulate long-term strategies for their business and adopt proactive measures to mitigate the operational and financial risks causing delay and increasing project costs. This study also highlights the importance of government support in developing a conducive environment for CGD industry to thrive. Originality/value The CGD projects are critical for natural gas growth in India’s energy mix. The project delay leads to a rise in the total cost involved and increases the payback period for the CGD companies. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this research is first of its kind that identifies the critical operational and financial risks affecting CGD projects in India and suggests the mitigating strategies for them.

Antecedents of social media usage and performance benefits in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Odoom ◽  
Thomas Anning-Dorson ◽  
George Acheampong
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
And Performance

Purpose Despite the blossoming nature of social media marketing, the nuances and implications among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) appear to be under-researched in literature. The purpose of this paper is to progress knowledge and offer extended understanding of the motivations and performance benefits of social media accrued by SMEs with an empirical study from an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach Based on past research, the study hypothesizes that interactivity, compatibility and cost effectiveness are motivations germane to social media usage, which consequently offer performance benefits. Data from 210 SMEs (having Facebook and/or Twitter accounts) are employed to investigate the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling with sub-group analysis. Findings Finding from this study demonstrate that the interdependencies of social media motivations, as well as effects of social media usage are positive but erratic across product-based and service-based SMEs. Moreover, SMEs who offer physical products are more likely to employ social media based on cost-effective motives while service SMEs are more likely to consider interactivity as a key motivation. Additionally, findings from the study data suggest that in a tale of two sites, Facebook proved to edge Twitter in terms of engendering performance benefits among SME users. Originality/value The findings provide evidence to issues of potential research and managerial interest, offering insightful implications to the academic and practitioner communities. Evidently, irrespective of some usage bottlenecks, SMEs in emerging markets appears to be reaping enhanced social media benefits by deploying their marketing campaigns via multiple platforms.

The cost-effectiveness of insulin analogs and regular insulin for diabetes control: a case study in Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 323-331
Author(s):  
Mohsen pakdaman ◽  
Raheleh akbari ◽  
Hamid reza Dehghan ◽  
Asra Asgharzadeh ◽  
Mahdieh Namayandeh
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Regular Insulin ◽  
Diabetes Control ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Insulin Analogs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Patients With Diabetes ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost

PurposeFor years, traditional techniques have been used for diabetes treatment. There are two major types of insulin: insulin analogs and regular insulin. Insulin analogs are similar to regular insulin and lead to changes in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. The purpose of the present research was to determine the cost-effectiveness of insulin analogs versus regular insulin for diabetes control in Yazd Diabetes Center in 2017.Design/methodology/approachIn this descriptive–analytical research, the cost-effectiveness index was used to compare insulin analogs and regular insulin (pen/vial) for treatment of diabetes. Data were analyzed in the TreeAge Software and a decision tree was constructed. A 10% discount rate was used for ICER sensitivity analysis. Cost-effectiveness was examined from a provider's perspective.FindingsQALY was calculated to be 0.2 for diabetic patients using insulin analogs and 0.05 for those using regular insulin. The average cost was $3.228 for analog users and $1.826 for regular insulin users. An ICER of $0.093506/QALY was obtained. The present findings suggest that insulin analogs are more cost-effective than regular insulin.Originality/valueThis study was conducted using a cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate insulin analogs versus regular insulin in controlling diabetes. The results of study are helpful to the government to allocate more resources to apply the cost-effective method of the treatment and to protect patients with diabetes from the high cost of treatment.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Conventional Methods and Electrochemical Aptasensors for Mycotoxin Detection

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1437
Author(s):  
Jing Yi Ong ◽  
Andrew Pike ◽  
Ling Ling Tan
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Preventive Action ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Recognition Elements ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
And Performance

The presence of mycotoxins in foodstuffs and feedstuffs is a serious concern for human health. The detection of mycotoxins is therefore necessary as a preventive action to avoid the harmful contamination of foodstuffs and animal feed. In comparison with the considerable expense of treating contaminated foodstuffs, early detection is a cost-effective way to ensure food safety. The high affinity of bio-recognition molecules to mycotoxins has led to the development of affinity columns for sample pre-treatment and the development of biosensors for the quantitative analysis of mycotoxins. Aptamers are a very attractive class of biological receptors that are currently in great demand for the development of new biosensors. In this review, the improvement in the materials and methodology, and the working principles and performance of both conventional and recently developed methods are discussed. The key features and applications of the fundamental recognition elements, such as antibodies and aptamers are addressed. Recent advances in aptasensors that are based on different electrochemical (EC) transducers are reviewed in detail, especially from the perspective of the diagnostic mechanism; in addition, a brief introduction of some commercially available mycotoxin detection kits is provided.

scholarly journals Using Aerial and Vehicular NFV Infrastructures to Agilely Create Vertical Services

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1342
Author(s):  
Borja Nogales ◽  
Miguel Silva ◽  
Ivan Vidal ◽  
Miguel Luís ◽  
Francisco Valera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc Network ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Network Services ◽  
Network Function Virtualization ◽  
Mobile Environments ◽  
Network Resources ◽  
The Public ◽  
Network Function ◽  
And Performance

5G communications have become an enabler for the creation of new and more complex networking scenarios, bringing together different vertical ecosystems. Such behavior has been fostered by the network function virtualization (NFV) concept, where the orchestration and virtualization capabilities allow the possibility of dynamically supplying network resources according to its needs. Nevertheless, the integration and performance of heterogeneous network environments, each one supported by a different provider, and with specific characteristics and requirements, in a single NFV framework is not straightforward. In this work we propose an NFV-based framework capable of supporting the flexible, cost-effective deployment of vertical services, through the integration of two distinguished mobile environments and their networks: small sized unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs), supporting a flying ad hoc network (FANET) and vehicles, promoting a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET). In this context, a use case involving the public safety vertical will be used as an illustrative example to showcase the potential of this framework. This work also includes the technical implementation details of the framework proposed, allowing to analyse and discuss the delays on the network services deployment process. The results show that the deployment times can be significantly reduced through a distributed VNF configuration function based on the publish–subscribe model.

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