Investigations on Strategic Element Recovery by an Underground Membrane Pilot Plant from In-Situ Extracted Bioleaching Solutions

Focusing on the selective extraction of the critical raw materials indium and germanium from real bioleaching solutions, extended studies have been carried out using Europe’s first underground hybrid membrane pilot plant (TRL6). In order to transfer former laboratory experiments to pilot scale, NF99 (Alfa Laval) was used for the evaluation of membrane permeance and ion retention. A performance test of microfiltration (MF) and nanofiltration (NF) showed high permeances with low root-mean-square deviation under feed variation (5.2% for MF, 4.7% for NF). Depending on the feed load, a significant permeance drop of up to 57% for MF (3 bar) and 26% for NF (10 bar, 1.1 m s−1) was observed. The NF retention performance showed that, without regular chemical cleaning, the selectivity between the target elements degraded. By introducing acidic-basic cleaning steps, it was possible to keep the retention behavior at an approximately constant level (In 91.0 ± 1.3%; Ge 18.2 ± 5.5%). In relation to the specified target, the best results could be achieved at low pressure (7.5 bar) and a maximum overflow velocity of 1.1 m s−1, with a retention of 88.4% for indium and 8.8% for germanium. Moreover, the investigations proved the functionality and long-term stability of the underground membrane device.

Disclosure of innovation on sustainability report

PurposeThere are several studies on various aspects of the disclosure of companies but there is little research on elements related to the disclosure of innovation in particular. The work aims to fill this important gap by examining to what extent the companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, which prepare the sustainability report (non-financial declaration – NFS), disseminate information relating to innovative activities.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used to achieve the research goal has used multiple linear regression models (OLS), to study the factors that influence disclosure. The data were collected through the content analysis. The sample is made up of 171 companies listed on the Italian stock exchange which prepared a sustainability report for the period of four years 2016–2019 (Sustainability Reports and Integrated Documentation) and which contain information on innovative activity.FindingsThe research confirms a positive relationship between information on innovation and the economic variables of corporate investment. In addition, an important relationship emerges linked to the disclosure of innovative information and the business sector, innovation investments and R&D activity.Research limitations/implicationsThe work suffers from some limitations: the short period of observation subject to analysis, the lack of sustainability report 2020, the extension of the variables taken into consideration for the implementation of the regression models; it is desirable to consider a wider pool of variables in the future in order to implement further specific tests.Practical implicationsOn a practical level, the research suggests the adoption of a framework on the dissemination of innovative activity that allows easy reading of information (regardless of the sector and company size), built starting from the most representative keywords of the activities innovative, to be included in a specific section of the Sustainability Report. This work contributes to filling a cognitive gap connected to the disclosure of the innovative activity. There is much research on disclosure related to business activities, but no specific research regarding the communication of innovation.Originality/valueThe study conducted contributes to fill a gap in the literature related to the disclosure of the innovative activity. The latter is a strategic element for effective and clear communication with stakeholders.

Simulation Model Based Response Management Related to Railway (Earthquake) Disaster

Railway system as part of the general transportation system is a strategic element that supports the economy and the society. Its role is continuously rising with rapid industrialization, urbanization, and changes in the society expectations regarding sustainable systems. New and emerging technologies call and permit the augmentation of the railway systems’ disaster management. This paper deals with the development of an improved response management concept related to railways’ damage, caused by earthquakes. The paper synthetizes the latest technologies, engineering, and management methods in one improved response management system. After the concept inspiration, the paper describes the applicable novel models and introduces an improved response management being developed for railway systems, damaged by earthquakes. The concept is verified in simulation. The novelty includes a new approach in the identification of the critical infrastructure, the risk assessment, the prediction of aftershocks and the recursive application of the adaptive Markov process to the simulation supporting the response management concept.

Manajemen Pembiayaan Bantuan Operasional Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Mutu Pendidikan Madrasah Aliyah di Lingkungan Kantor Kementerian Agama Kota Surabaya

In the Indonesian education world system, education financing is a strategic element that will determine the attainment of the stated educational goals for registration. In other words, the quality of education practice in Indonesia is strongly influenced by the share of education financing. Because education cannot be separated from the use of funds or expenditures in the provision of education, educational institutions must prioritize the management of these costs so that they can be allocated according to their registration. This research is a qualitative descriptive study, using observation and interview methods, the data obtained to describe the process of allocating, monitoring, and evaluating education funds provided by the School Operational Assistance for the Ministry of Religion Surabaya Office to be distributed to madrasas in Surabaya. The results of this study indicate that the management of school operational assistance funding in the Ministry of Religion Office environment starting from the distribution of funding for school operational assistance funds at madrasah has been implemented as technical guidelines have been made, which in distribution must go through several stages such as making madrasah activity plans, making letters. a cooperation agreement, each distribution is carried out in two stages. Supervision of the financing of school operational assistance funds is carried out in direct and indirect ways, direct supervision is carried out to observe, inspect, check directly on work and receive reports of realization or supervision. Indirect supervision is carried out by looking at and checking again from the accountability report that has been made by the madrasah.

Cost-Effective Fabrication of Fractal Silicon Nanowire Arrays

Silicon nanowires (Si NWs) emerged in several application fields as a strategic element to surpass the bulk limits with a flat compatible architecture. The approaches used for the Si NW realization have a crucial impact on their final performances and their final cost. This makes the research on a novel and flexible approach for Si NW fabrication a crucial point for Si NW-based devices. In this work, the novelty is the study of the flexibility of thin film metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) for the fabrication of Si NWs with the possibility of realizing different doped Si NWs, and even a longitudinal heterojunction p-n inside the same single wire. This point has never been reported by using thin metal film MACE. In particular, we will show how this approach permits one to obtain a high density of vertically aligned Si NWs with the same doping of the substrate and without any particular constraint on doping type and level. Fractal arrays of Si NWs can be fabricated without any type of mask thanks to the self-assembly of gold at percolative conditions. This Si NW fractal array can be used as a substrate to realize controllable artificial fractals, integrating other interesting elements with a cost-effective microelectronics compatible approach.

The Chancellor’s Leadership Style in Improver Lecturer Performance at the University of Muhammadiyah Jember

In the context of higher education, leadership is a very strategic element, because leadership has a role to encourage change in an organization. Leadership in higher education organizations, of course, the Chancellor is a real leader who plays a role in determining the performance of higher education organizations. The Chancellor as the highest leader in higher education institutions is one element that plays an important role in moving the performance of existing human resources. Besides that, one of the factors that becomes a benchmark for the success of a university is the performance of lecturers. With regard to these assumptions, it can be formulated that the purpose of this research has a concrete goal, namely to analyze and describe how the leadership style of the Chancellor of UM Jember in motivating, trying, and evaluating lecturer performance. The research method uses a qualitative approach with a case study design at UM Jember with data collection techniques through interviews, observation and documentation

PENGARUH KEPEMIMPINAN, BUDAYA ORGANISASI DAN DISIPLIN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA PEGAWAI PADA DINAS KESEJAHTERAAN SOSIAL KABUPATEN DEIYAI PROVINSI PAPUA

Sumber Daya Manusia (pegawai) merupakan unsur yang strategis dalam menentukan sehat tidaknya suatu organisasi. Pengembangan SDM yang terencana dan berkelanjutan merupakan kebutuhan yang mutlak terutama untuk masa depan organisasi. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis pengaruh kepemimpinan, budaya organisasi, dan disiplin kerja terhadap kinerja pengawai pada Dinas Kesejahteraan Sosial Kabupaten Deiyai Kabupaten Papua. Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini dalam bentuk penyabaran kuesioner. Kemudian jumlah sampel ditetapkan sebanyak 35 orang. Pengujian hipotesis dilakukan dengan menggunakan analisis linier Berganda dan untuk menjelaskan hubungan variabel yang dianalisis menggunakan uji statistik program SPSS 23.0 for windows. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat diketahui bahwa kepemimpinan mempunyai pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja pegawai. Budaya organisasi berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap terhadap kinerja pegawai. Disiplin kerja mempunyai pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja pegawai Dinas Kesejahteraan Sosial Kabupaten Deiyai Provinsi Papua. Berdasarkan hasil uji serempak diperoleh hasil bahwa kepemimpinan, budaya organisasi dan disiplin kerja mempunyai pengaruh secara serempak atau bersama-sama terhadap kinerja pegawai pada Dinas Kesejahteraan Sosial Kabupaten Deiyai Provinsi Papua. Human Resources (employees) are a strategic element in determining whether an organization is healthy or not. Planned and sustainable HR development is an absolutenecessity especially for the future of the organization. The purpose of this study was to determine and analyze the influence of leadership, organizational culture, and work discipline on the performance of employees in the Social Welfare Office of Deiyai Regency, Papua Regency. Data collection techniques in this study were in the form of questionnaires. Then, the number of samples was set at 35 people. Hypothesis testing is carried out using Multiple linear analysis and to explain the relationship of variables, the analysis uses the statistical test program SPSS 23.0 for windows. Based on the research results, it can be seen that leadership has a positive and significant influence on the employee performance. Organizational culture has a positive and significant effect on the employee performance. Work discipline has a positive and significant effect on the performance of employees of the Social Welfare Office of Deiyai Regency, Papua Province. Based on the simultaneous test results obtained that leadership, organizational culture and work discipline have an influence simultaneously or jointly on the performance of employees at the Social Welfare Office of Deiyai Regency, Papua Province.

Assessment of factors for the increase in the productivity of grain crops

Grain production is a strategic element of the agricultural and food complex in Russia, which predetermines its fundamental importance in food security. The task of the increase in the level of grain yields is still urgent, despite the full satisfaction of the needs of the domestic market of Russia due to the benefits from grain exports. The authors assess the influence of the intensification processes on yield level taking into account the elimination of the influence of scale factor. During the research such statistical methods as correlation-regression and cluster were used as analysis tools. The authors revealed a pattern that a higher level of production costs per 1 hectare of grain crops provided a correspondingly higher yield. In the context of total large grain-sowing companies with an area of crops from 4 to 11 thousand hectares, a relatively high elasticity of production costs was revealed (0.87), which was higher than in the group of medium-sized companies (from 2 to 4 thousand hectares) by 0, 37 points. The scale factor had a significant influence on the intensification process and on the yield respectively. The model of the relationship between the size of cultivated areas and the yield of grain crops was qualitatively described by a parabola with a high degree of stochastic relationship. The maximum yield value was reached by a group of large grain-sowing companies with an area of crops from 5 to 10 thousand hectares, while in very large agricultural companies the yield was lower and was at the average level for the region.

EVALUATION OF THE FACTORS CHARACTERISING HIGH-PERFORMING MAINTENANCE TEAMS IN THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Historically, the maintenance function of an organisation was viewed as a ‘necessary evil’; however, the view has shifted to seeing it as a strategic element within an organisation to accomplish its business objectives. For organisations to continue to be competitive, they need to harness the true potential of their people by evaluating ways for maintenance teams to achieve effective teamwork. In the light of this, the study was tailored to determine the factors that characterise high-performing maintenance teams in the petrochemical industry in South Africa. The study determined an importance ranking of these critical factors when implementing high-performance maintenance teams. A questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data from 69 respondents. Analysis of the data revealed that the most important factors for maintenance teams to achieve high performance were knowledge and motivation. It was also found that the most important performance indicators for maintenance were equipment availability, overall equipment effectiveness, and spares availability.