The Role of Innovation in Inventory Turnover Performance

How a firm utilizes technological innovation to improve operations management is an important research question in today's knowledge economy but lacks empirical evidence in the literature. We use a dataset of all non-service U.S. public firms from 1976 to 2005 to examine how a firm's innovation performance is associated with its inventory turnover performance. In particular, we measure a firm's innovation performance by the ratio of its patents (either citations or counts) to its research and development (R&D) expenditure. Our fixed-effect panel regression results indicate a positive relation between innovation performance and inventory turnover ratio, and such a relation varies across industries. By differentiating process and product innovation according to patent usages, we find that process innovation has a consistent and long-lasting effect, whereas product innovation has an immediate but short-lasting effect. We also find supporting evidence for industry spillovers by showing that firms in a more innovative industry are likely to better manage their inventory performance. Our results confirm the benefit of using innovation in logistics and operations management and point to the strategic importance of integrating technology and operations management.postprin

Insight into biochar properties and its cost analysis

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Biochars (BCs) are widely produced and used for the remediation of environmental contaminants as bio-sorbents. In this review, statistical analysis of different BC physico-chemical properties was conducted. It was observed that woody materials are the most suitable for preparing BCs, among many other potential raw materials such as food wastes and agricultural materials. Currently BCs are produced through a variety of thermal treatment processes between 300 and 900 °C, among which slow pyrolysis is widely used due to its moderate operating conditions and optimization of BC yields. Hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) is also an effective approach for BC production under certain conditions. As pyrolysis temperature is increased, the carbon content, ash content, surface area, and pore volume tend to be increased while the yield, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen content, and H/C and O/C molar ratios tend to decrease. The economic feasibility of BCs depends on a range of factors from raw material price to efficient production technologies. Thus, the overall cost equation of a pilot BC production plant together with the cost equation for BC regeneration has been proposed. The future research directions of BCs are also elaborated

Adsorptive removal of antibiotics from water and wastewater: Progress and challenges

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Antibiotics as emerging contaminants are of global concern due to the development of antibiotic resistant genes potentially causing superbugs. Current wastewater treatment technology cannot sufficiently remove antibiotics from sewage, hence new and low-cost technology is needed. Adsorptive materials have been extensively used for the conditioning, remediation and removal of inorganic and organic hazardous materials, although their application for removing antibiotics has been reported for ~30 out of 250 antibiotics so far. The literature on the adsorptive removal of antibiotics using different adsorptive materials is summarized and critically reviewed, by comparing different adsorbents with varying physicochemical characteristics. The efficiency for removing antibiotics from water and wastewater by different adsorbents has been evaluated by examining their adsorption coefficient (Kd) values. For sulfamethoxazole the different adsorbents followed the trend: biochar (BC)>multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)>graphite=clay minerals, and for tetracycline the adsorptive materials followed the trend: SWCNT>graphite>MWCNT=activated carbon (AC)>bentonite=humic substance=clay minerals. The underlying controlling parameters for the adsorption technology have been examined. In addition, the cost of preparing adsorbents has been estimated, which followed the order of BCs<ACs<ion exchange resins<MWCNTs<SWCNTs. The future research challenges on process integration, production and modification of low-cost adsorbents are elaborated

Sorptive removal of phenolic endocrine disruptors by functionalized biochar: Competitive interaction mechanism, removal efficacy and application in wastewater

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. Sorptive removal of six phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-tert-butylphenol (4tBP) by functionalized biochar (fBC) through competitive interactions was investigated. EDC sorption was pH dependent with the maximum sorption at pH 3.0–3.5 due to hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions as the principal sorptive mechanism. Sorption isotherm of the EDCs was fitted to the Langmuir model. Sorption capacities and distribution coefficient values followed the order E1 > E2 ≥ EE2 > BPA > 4tBP > E3. The findings suggested that EDC sorption occurred mainly through pseudo-second order and external mass transfer diffusion processes, by forming H-bonds along with π-π electron-donor–acceptor (EDA) interactions at different pH. The complete removal of ∼500 μg L−1 of each EDC from different water decreased in the order: deionised water > membrane bioreactor (MBR) sewage effluent > synthetic wastewater. The presence of sodium lauryl sulphonate and acacia gum in synthetic wastewater significantly suppressed sorption affinity of EDCs by 38–50%, hence requiring more fBC to maintain removal efficacy

Investigation of the behaviour of electronic resistive switching memory based on MoSe<font size=-1>₂</font>-doped ultralong Se microwires

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Progress in the biological and chemical treatment technologies for emerging contaminant removal from wastewater: A critical review

© 2016 Elsevier B.V. This review focuses on the removal of emerging contaminants (ECs) by biological, chemical and hybrid technologies in effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Results showed that endocrine disruption chemicals (EDCs) were better removed by membrane bioreactor (MBR), activated sludge and aeration processes among different biological processes. Surfactants, EDCs and personal care products (PCPs) can be well removed by activated sludge process. Pesticides and pharmaceuticals showed good removal efficiencies by biological activated carbon. Microalgae treatment processes can remove almost all types of ECs to some extent. Other biological processes were found less effective in ECs removal from wastewater. Chemical oxidation processes such as ozonation/H2O2, UV photolysis/H2O2 and photo-Fenton processes can successfully remove up to 100% of pesticides, beta blockers and pharmaceuticals, while EDCs can be better removed by ozonation and UV photocatalysis. Fenton process was found less effective in the removal of any types of ECs. A hybrid system based on ozonation followed by biological activated carbon was found highly efficient in the removal of pesticides, beta blockers and pharmaceuticals. A hybrid ozonation-ultrasound system can remove up to 100% of many pharmaceuticals. Future research directions to enhance the removal of ECs have been elaborated

Industrial metal pollution in water and probabilistic assessment of human health risk

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd Concentration of eight heavy metals in surface and groundwater around Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) industrial area were investigated, and the health risk posed to local children and adult residents via ingestion and dermal contact was evaluated using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. Metal concentrations (except Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn) in Bangshi River water were above the drinking water quality guidelines, while in groundwater were less than the recommended limits. Concentration of metals in surface water decreased as a function of distance. Estimations of non-carcinogenic health risk for surface water revealed that mean hazard index (HI) values of As, Cr, Cu, and Pb for combined pathways (i.e., ingestion and dermal contact) were >1.0 for both age groups. The estimated risk mainly came from the ingestion pathway. However, the HI values for all the examined metals in groundwater were 1 × 10−4 for adult and children, respectively. Deterministic and probabilistic estimations of cancer risk through exposure to groundwater were well below the safety limit. Overall, the population exposed to Bangshi River water remained at carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health threat and the risk was higher for adults. Sensitivity analysis identified exposure duration (ED) and ingestion rate (IR) of water as the most relevant variables affecting the probabilistic risk estimation model outcome

Competitive sorption affinity of sulfonamides and chloramphenicol antibiotics toward functionalized biochar for water and wastewater treatment

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Competitive sorption of sulfamethazine (SMT), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfathiazole (STZ) and chloramphenicol (CP) toward functionalized biochar (fBC) was highly pH dependent with maximum sorption at pH ∼4.0–4.25. Equilibrium data were well represented by the Langmuir and Freundlich models in the order STZ > SMX > CP > SMT. Kinetics data were slightly better fitted by the pseudo second-order model than pseudo first-order and intra-particle-diffusion models. Maximum sorptive interactions occurred at pH 4.0–4.25 through H-bonds formations for neutral sulfonamides species and through negative charge assisted H-bond (CAHB) formation for CP, in addition to π-π electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) interactions. EDA was the main mechanism for the sorption of positive sulfonamides species and CP at pH  7.0 was regulated by H-bond formation and proton exchange with water by forming CAHB, respectively. The results suggested fBC to be highly efficient in removing antibiotics mixture

Application of disease burden to quantitative assessment of health hazards for a decentralized water reuse system

© 2016 Elsevier B.V. The aim of this article is to introduce the methodology of disease burden (DB) to quantify the health impact of microbial regrowth during wastewater reuse, using the case study of a decentralized water reuse system in Xi'an Si-yuan University, located in Xi'an, China. Based on field investigation findings, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella and rotavirus were selected as typical regrowth pathogens causing potential health hazards during the reuse of reclaimed water. Subsequently, major exposure routes including sprinkler irrigation, landscape fountains and toilet flushing were identified. Mathematical models were established to build the relationship between exposure dose and disease burden by calculating the disability adjusted life year (DALY). Results of disease burden for this case study show that DALYs attributed to E. coli were significantly greater than those caused by other pathogens, and DALYs associated with sprinkler irrigation were higher than those originating from other routes. A correlation between exposure dose and disease was obtained by introducing a modified calculation of morbidity, which can extend the assessment endpoint of health risk to disease burden from the conventional infection rate

Sorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants on functionalized biochar: Protagonist role of Π-Π electron-donor-acceptor interactions and hydrogen bonds

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. The sorption of five potent endocrine disruptors as representative hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) namely estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and bisphenol A (BPA) on functionalized biochar (fBC) was systematically examined, with a particular focus on the importance of π-electron-donor (phenanthrene: PHEN) and π-electron-acceptors (1,3-dinitrobenzene: DNB, p-amino benzoic acid: PABA) on sorption. Experimental results suggested that hydrogen-bond formation and π-π-electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) interactions were the dominant sorption mechanisms. The sorption of HOCs decreased as E1 > E2 > EE2 > E3 > BPA based on the Freundlich and Polanyi-Mane-models. The comparison of adsorption coefficient (Kd) normalized against hexadecane-water partition coefficient (KHW) between HOCs and PHEN indicated strong π-π-EDA interactions. π-π interactions among DNB, PHEN and HOCs were verified by the observed upfield frequency (Hz) shifts using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) which identified the specific direction of π-π interactions. UV–vis spectra showed charge-transfer bands for π-donors (PHEN and HOCs) with the model π-acceptor (DNB) also demonstrating the role of π-π EDA interactions. The role of π-electron-donor and π-electron-acceptor domains in fBC was identified at different solution pH