Masaharu Fujioka, Yusuke Hayashi, Yuta Yamaguchi
et al.
This work presents the design space determination of freezing processes for human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cell-derived spheroids using hybrid modeling. First, a mechanistic model was developed considering spheroid characteristics and freezing phenomena. The developed model was then extended to calculate the cell recovery ratio after thawing using statistical modeling. The hybrid model parameters were estimated based on freezing experiments using hiPS cell-derived spheroids. The extension enabled the calculation of the cell recovery ratio and the number of living cells in the spheroid after thawing, as a function of the cooling rate and the average radius of spheroids. The application of the hybrid model was demonstrated in a case study. The design space of the freezing process was obtained under given constraints related to both quality and productivity. In this way, we could determine design spaces considering both quality and productivity toward industrial manufacturing of hiPS cell-derived spheroids.
The article, based on official statistical data of the Republic of Belarus for 2015–2023, provides an assessment of the interrelation between the level of development of the territorial-industrial segment of the national economy, investment provision of the food sector and the intensity of human capital accumulation. The peculiarities of the formation of the latter are due to the significant influence of natural, climatic, ecological and socio-cultural factors. Given the versatility of human capital, the specifics of its formation and development in the territorial-industrial section, the methodology of scientific search is based on acmeological approaches that reveal its essence in the process of continuous development. This fact allows us to theoretically and practically substantiate the influence of indicators of scientific sphere development on the intensity of human capital accumulation in the territorial-industrial projection of the Republic of Belarus. This makes it possible to comprehensively study the relationship between the trends in the development trends of the scientific sphere and human capital from the position of quantitative and qualitative parameters, including the gross value added (GVA) of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, the volume of investment in fixed capital in this sphere, productivity and capitalization of the food sector. The analysis of qualitative characteristics of the scientific potential of Belarus allows us to note its significant reduction in 2015–2023. The Republic of Belarus is characterized by a decrease in the qualitative composition of scientific personnel, expressed by negative trends in such indicators as the ratio of admitted to and successfully mastered scientifically oriented educational programs, the number of researchers, the number of doctors and candidates of science in various fields of science, and an intensive increase in the number of scientific workers over 60 years old. Labor productivity is considered as a qualitative indicator characterizing the relationship between the intensity of development of the scientific sphere and the rate of human capital accumulation. This indicator compiles the influence of investment and technological impact on the development of the food sector and socio-economic factors that determine the creation of GVA. Empirical research proves that a very high capital equipment of the agricultural segment acts as a restraining factor in the accumulation of human capital and causes a decrease in productivity in the sector.
Amaç: Uzaktan çalışma yöntemlerinin yaygınlaşmasıyla birlikte uzaktan çalışmanın sistematiğini, bileşenlerini, çalışanlar ve işverenler üzerindeki etkilerini, verimliliğini, avantajlarını ve dezavantajlarını tespit edip ölçmenin önemi de artmaktadır. Bu amaçla, çalışmada uzaktan çalışan bireylerin uzaktan çalışmaya ilişkin algılarını ve uzaktan çalışmanın üzerlerindeki etkilerini ölçmeyi amaçlayan E-Çalışma Ölçeği Türkçe’ye uyarlanmıştır.Yöntem: Çalışmaya konu olan ölçek, örgütsel güven, esneklik, iş-yaşam dengesi ve verimlilik olmak üzere çalışanların algı ve durumlarını dört alt boyutta ölçmektedir. Ölçeğin Türkçe’ye çeviri çalışmasında, beş aşamalı çeviri tekniğinden faydalanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çeviri sonrası, saha çalışmasından elde edilen verilerle güvenilirlik analizleri ardından açımlayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Daha sonra elde edilen verilere ilişkin fark testleri ile ölçek test edilmiştir. Fark testleri sonucunda, cinsiyet değişkeni ile örgütsel güven, iş-yaşam dengesi ve verimlilik; çalışma süresi ile verimlilik arasında anlamlı ve pozitif ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Özgünlük: E-Çalışma Ölçeği, bireylerin uzaktan çalışmaya ilişkin durumlarını ve algılarını ölçerek bireyler üzerinde farkındalık oluşturmayı hedeflerken aynı zamanda yönetici ve kurumlara uzaktan çalışmanın, çalışanlar, iş verimliliği ve iş performansı üzerindeki etkilerini tespit edip anlamalarına yardımcı olmaktadır. Ancak bu konuda sınırlı sayıda Türkçe ölçeğe bulunmaktadır. Dolayısıyla Türkçe’ye uyarlanan bu ölçek, Türkçe literatürdeki önemli bir boşluğu doldurmayı hedeflemektedir.
<p>The olive oil industry produces large volumes of by-products which, if not properly managed, can negatively impact water resources, aquatic ecosystems, soil quality, and the atmosphere. The extraction process generates several by-products that have previously been regarded as waste. Utilizing these residues as alternative feed ingredients aligns with the principles of a circular economy, making the agri-food system more sustainable, conserving natural resources, and reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production. Therefore, the proper use of industrial by-products is of great importance and requires continuous attention. Olive pomace, a major by-product of olive oil extraction, can be used in animal feed as an inexpensive yet nutritious residue. It consists mainly of pasty pulp, kernel, skin, and vegetation water. Once dried, it becomes a stable by-product suitable for feed use. Olive by-products can be incorporated into animal diets in several forms, such as fresh, ensiled, or dried material, or as components of concentrate pellets and multi-nutrient feed blocks. Among these, dried olive pomace is considered one of the most practical and stable options. Olive pomace, as a by-product of the olive oil industry, is rich in phenolic compounds and beneficial fatty acids that play significant roles in animal health and productivity. Hence, it is crucial to evaluate its potential as a feed ingredient; however, current understanding of its specific effects on livestock production remains limited. This review focuses on the influence of olive pomace inclusion in animal diets on milk production, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, feed efficiency, and overall health status. In general, dietary olive pomace has shown satisfactory results, serving as a low-cost nutrient source that can enhance both the productivity and the quality of animal-derived products.</p>
Carlos Albarrán Morillo, Micaela Demichela, John F. Suárez-Pérez
et al.
The new paradigm descending from Industry 4.0, known as Industry 5.0, emphasizes the significance of human-centric factors and ergonomics in industrial processes. Creating an ergonomic workplace involves considering not only physical aspects but also cognitive, environmental and organizational factors. This holistic approach is vital for enhancing human productivity, satisfaction, and safety. In the Industry 4.0 landscape, the integration of ergonomics with advanced technologies provides comprehensive data for accurately assessing occupational hazards. This paper proposes an ergonomic assessment method employing a set of non-invasive wearable devices to monitor workers' activities and physiological metrics, complemented by subjective self-assessment questionnaires, during their shifts. This approach is implemented in a real-world setting within the pharmaceutical sector, where manual work involves repetitive motion tasks, making workers susceptible to musculoskeletal disorders and high stress levels. The findings demonstrate that implementing ergonomic evaluations can help the organization identify risks, ultimately enhancing operator well-being, safety, and productivity.
Chemical engineering, Computer engineering. Computer hardware
Jose Refugio Parga Torres, Nelson Oshogwue Etafo, Gregorio Gonzalez Zamarripa
Mexico is the 9th largest world gold producer with 1016 tonnes in reserves as of 2024. 41 % losses of gold with an average consumption of 40 g/t, is due to the escape of fine AC particles because they do not have the scope to prevent the loss of particles below 0.40 mm. The recovery of gold in Mexico is becoming more important. Given the low quantities of this metal present in the mineral ore and the difficulty of its extraction due to its encapsulation in its mineralogy, recoveries are low. Adsorption processes with activated carbon (AC) in the mining-metallurgy industry include phases that diminish the particle durability, coupled with its nature as organic matter, which tends to deteriorate and disintegrate in the adsorption systems. In this study, Electrocoagulation (EC) technology is shown as a better option to increase the efficient recovery of gold impregnated in extremely fine AC particles, without the use of chemical reagents in the metallurgical systems, by recovering the fine particles loaded with gold, EC tests were done on a batch pilot scale, on AC particles of 0.106 mm and 0.053 mm, using iron and aluminum electrodes with the best variables determined, they were interpolated at an industrial level. The trend that has been noticed is that smaller particles stick together to generate larger particles that contain aluminum hydroxide species. This means that using EC to recover incredibly fine AC particles is viable. Finally, the EC system with aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) electrodes shows AC recoveries with gold were greater than 96 % and 88 % respectively. This study is a green technology for the effective recovery of gold, and cyanide in activated carbon thereby in increasing gold productivity in Mexico and the global market.
Purpose: This review paper provides an inductive analysis on "Smart product service systems" in fashion industry by explaining how servitization as a form of service innovation is critical for sustainability, and the promise of digital technologies for smart fashion industry based on analysing current challenges, opportunities, and digital technologies for the implementation of Smart PSS in the fashion industry.
Methodology: The study employed an inductive analysis approach to identify the servitization domains, respective Smart PSS applications and the environmental sustainability results. The environmental sustainability results matched with the services were derived from the extensive literature by inductive coding of all identified Smart PSS applications through systematic literature review.
Findings: Fashion industry applications of Smart PSS were matched with the respective servitization domain, and the discussion were extended with the possible environmental sustainability results based on the literature content. Further research questions have been proposed.
Originality: Recent research calls for contributions about the effects of digitalization on different outcomes of servitization beyond financial performance and draws attention to the small number of studies addressing the environmental benefits of digital servitization to the circular economy. This study addresses the research gap for a scholarly discussion about the environmental sustainability results of digital servitization in fashion industry and provides a comprehensive future research agenda.
Amaç: Bu çalışma Türkiye ekonomisinde 1971-2019 yıllarını kapsayan dönem için ekonomik büyüme ile toplam faktör verimliliği arasındaki ilişkiyi zaman serisi analiz yöntemleriyle araştırmaktadır.Yöntem: Birim kök test sonuçlarına göre durağan olmayan değişkenler arasındaki uzun dönemli ilişkiler ARDL sınır testi yaklaşımıyla incelenmektedir. Ayrıca çalışmada seriler arasındaki dinamik ilişkiler Toda-Yamamoto (1995) nedensellik testiyle sınanmaktadır.
Bulgular: Eş bütünleşme test sonucuna göre değişkenlerin uzun dönemde eş bütünleşik olduğu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Uzun dönem katsayı sonuçlarına göre Türkiye ekonomisinde toplam faktör verimliliğindeki %1’lik artış büyümeyi %3 oranında arttırmaktadır. Nedensellik test sonuçları toplam faktör verimliliğinden büyümeye doğru tek yönlü nedensellik ilişkisini ortaya koymaktadır. Bulgular Türkiye ekonomisinde incelen dönem için toplam faktör verimliliğinin ekonomik büyüme üzerinde olumlu etkilerinin olduğunu göstermektedir.
Özgünlük: İncelenen dönemde ortaya çıkan ekonomik ve politik krizlerin oluşturduğu yapısal kırılmalar, bu kırılmaları modelleyen ekonomik yöntemlerle incelenmiştir. Çalışma Türkiye ekonomisinde büyüme ve toplam faktör verimliliği arasındaki dinamik ilişkileri kapsamlı bir şekilde ele alarak literatüre katkı vermesi beklenmektedir.
The increase of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mainly due to industrialization, has affected all the ecosystems. Current worldwide living standards are still heavily dependent on non-renewable fuels. The inevitable depletion of fossil fuels and the adverse climate changes push the scientific community to seek renewable and sustainable sources of fuel. In this scenario microalgae can be potentially exploited as renewable and environmentally friendly fuel resources. Wastewaters (WW) can be used as culture media minimizing the costs associated to their cultivation. Hence, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of agro-industrial WWs rich in organic nutrients on algal lipid content and fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) profile. For this purpose, the fresh water green algae Chlorella vulgaris was selected. This strain is able to thrive in a wide range of WWs with high biomass productivity and to shift its metabolism from autotrophic to hetero/mixotrophic one. C. vulgaris was cultivated in brewery (BWW), dairy (DWW), oil mill WWs and media supplemented with sugarcane molasses. High biomass yields were obtained when C. vulgaris was cultivated in BWW and DWW (1.76 g L-1 and 1.56 g L-1, respectively) compared to the control and the other WWs. The assessment of FAMEs composition (i.e. level of unsaturation) of algae cultivated under all the investigated conditions demonstrated that the former ones can be viably used as sources for producing biofuels.
Chemical engineering, Computer engineering. Computer hardware
O. M. Chechet, V. L. Kovalenko, O. I. Vishchur
et al.
In the industrial production of broiler meat, optimal housing conditions are created to increase productivity and meat quality. To maintain the natural resistance of poultry, the technology of poultry must use probiotics and quality, safe disinfectants. This article deals with the discussion due to the research results on the integrated use of two probiotics and two disinfectants in raising broiler chickens. The scheme, modes, and terms of using probiotics and disinfectants for broiler chickens during their cultivation are offered. Doses and concentrations of the studied preparations are also generalized. The influence of the investigated preparations on hematological parameters, growth, and safety of poultry was analyzed. The results of the research showed that feeding with probiotics and disinfectants did not significantly influence the daily feed consumption of chickens but caused a 6.2 % increase in average daily gain and a decrease of 0.1 feed conversion rate in chickens of the experimental group. Production investigation has determined the modes of disinfection of poultry houses in the presence of broiler chickens when using a disinfectant, “Biolide”, based on hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid, and lactic acid. The bactericidal effect of disinfection of walls, floors, and feeding troughs of the premises with aerosol use of disinfectant “Biolide” and spraying of probiotic powder “Biozapin” 2 days after treatment, at the rate of 10‒30 g/m2 1 time in 2 weeks. There was an increase in the productivity of the studied poultry for feeding with probiotic feed “Biomagn” at the rate of 0.5 kg per ton of feed according to the scheme: from one day of age – seven consecutive days and 22 days of age – seven days in a row with constant water treated with disinfectant preparation “Diolide” based on chlorine dioxide, which made it possible to get quality products and cost-effective production. According to the research results, it is set that the optimal mode of aerosol disinfection of poultry houses in the presence of broiler chickens using 0.2 % disinfectant “Biolide” is 50 ml/m3 of the room at an exposure of 60 minutes. The safe and optimal concentration of the disinfectant “Diolide” during water treatment in the water supply system at a dose of 1.0 mg/l of chlorine dioxide corresponds to 0.0004 % concentration. The bactericidal effect of disinfecting the room's surface in the presence of poultry during its rearing after disinfection with the disinfectant “Biolide” and probiotic “Biozapin” was almost 100 %, which confirms its effectiveness. Under the action of the investigated preparations, a stimulating influence on the gas transport function of the blood of broiler chickens was revealed, especially in the older age of their rearing. In particular, at the age of 34 days, the concentration of hemoglobin was higher by 10.7 % (P < 0.05), and the number of erythrocytes at the age of 34 and 41 days – by 41.7 (P < 0.01) and 24.1 % (P < 0.01), respectively. At the same time, likely changes in the number of leukocytes and the ratio of their species in the blood of chickens of the experimental group concerning the control were not detected. These data indicate that aerosol treatment of premises in the presence of chickens is non-toxic and has no negative influence on the physiological state, confirmed by investigations of morphological indicators of poultry blood.
Andrey Solonkin, Olga Nikolskaya, Elena Seminchenko
Sour cherry (<i>Prunus cerasus</i> L.), having a rich composition of biologically active connections and antioxidants, is gaining increasing popularity among agricultural producers. Increasing the production of sour cherry fruits requires the introduction of modern technology, one of the elements of which is low-growing rootstocks. For many cultures, the use of low-growing rootstocks has been widely studied, but there is very little information on their use in cherry plantations. We studied new varieties and rootstocks of cherries in the conditions of the dry steppe zone, where this issue had not been studied before. Sour cherry (<i>Prunus cerasus</i> L.) varieties—Toy, Memory of Zhukova, and Loznovskaya—are the most adapted to the conditions in which the experiments were conducted. Russian breeding forms (Krymsk, Krasnodar region), which were taken as rootstocks, are widely used for sweet cherries (<i>Prunus avium</i> L.), but are practically never used for sour cherries (<i>Prunus cerasus</i> L.). The influence of rootstocks on such parameters as drought resistance, heat resistance, winter hardiness, and productivity was studied in variety–rootstock combinations. The study showed that they had the greatest drought resistance, and accordingly affected the grafted variety with rootstock, in the pedigree of which there are wild species. These rootstocks were of the VSL and RVL series. The study of the productivity of variety–rootstock combinations showed that in the grafted varieties the most rapid entry into the fruiting season and the greatest increase in the yield was facilitated by the rootstock forms of VSL-1 and VSL-2 (K5) which made it possible to obtain a yield of 5.8–8.1 kg/tree, depending on the variety grafted onto them. However, it is necessary to continue the research that has been started in order to fully determine the possible qualitative and quantitative parameters of the studied variety–rootstock combinations and to identify the most promising ones for further introduction into industrial production. This work was carried out within the framework of the topic of the state task of the Scientific Research Center of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 0713-2019-0009: “Theoretical foundations, creation of new competitive biotypes of agricultural crops with high productivity, quality, sustainability and varietal technologies based on the latest methods and technological solutions in a changing climate, including seed breeding and nursery breeding”.
Extended Abstract Abstract The purpose of this article is to design a model for monitoring the productivity of Iran's automotive industry. The research population of this research includes 11 managers and strategists of industrial companies in the field of research subject (automotive industry). In this article, an attempt has been made to identify the most effective indicators affecting the productivity of the automotive industry, and by using an interpretive structural approach, the importance of each in comparison with each other is determined and finally a model for continuous monitoring of their productivity is presented. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed through content and Holstie validity. To identify the indicators affecting the productivity of the automotive industry and to provide a practical model to achieve the desired level of it, two companies Saipa and Iran Khodro have been studied and as a result, using studies related to the productivity of those companies and using Opinions of experts working in it, sixteen indicators to increase production productivity in five dimensions were identified and reviewed. The relationships between these indicators have been determined based on an interpretive structural model and a new model has been systematically formulated and presented. The result of the article indicates the significant importance of obtaining certificates and standards related to the introduced industry and their periodic monitoring. Introduction The automotive industry is a collection of the country's industries that use the most advanced technologies in the world. The automotive industry in our country can be a driving force for various economic sectors. Because this industry has a back and forth connection with many other industries. In terms of texture and structure of production and market formation; Automotive manufacturing in Iran is completely isolated from the global market competition and is over-supported by the government, and it can be said that automotive manufacturing in the world has all these possibilities. This has led to a bilateral monopoly on buying and selling, high car prices, low quality of products, pollution and high consumption of energy carriers in the country. Currently, transnational companies have full dominance in the global car market, and the automotive industry in the world is in the hands of a large number of major automakers. These transnational companies have reached their current position with the purchase and merger of other automakers in the world, as well as the establishment of assembly or parts manufacturing units in other countries, and in this competitive environment, many important and well-known global companies have not stopped competing. So it seems difficult to separate the car from this set. The most important reason for the integration and focus of the automotive industry is the economic scale; Because no other automaker with a low production scale is able to cover the costs of design and development, marketing and sales, and other items in this industry, and this issue has been considered in recent years in a way that is considered by the Iranian automotive industry; But it is not enough. Given that the increase in productivity and efficiency of this industry can lead to an increase in industrial production as a result of economic growth; Based on what has been said, this research will help us to develop effective long-term and medium-term strategies to improve productivity and ultimately the performance of these companies. Since in previous studies, the productivity of the automotive industry from an economic and accounting point of view has been studied, so the present research has addressed this issue from a managerial point of view. Case study The research community includes 11 managers and strategists of industrial companies selected in the field of research (automotive industry). Materials and Methods The method of data collection is structured by a questionnaire. Content validity (CVR) was used to ensure the validity of the questionnaire. This index is designed by Laushe. In this study, Holsti's method was used to calculate reliability. Structural-interpretive equation method was used to analyze the data. Discussion and Results Obtaining standards and certificates including OHSAS and ISO and certificates related to quality and environmentally friendly and ... Also, monitoring these standards and certifications in the automotive industry is the most basic and most influential indicator in productivity, while according to Figure (2), this index has the highest influence and least dependence and its position is at the highest level of the chart. (1) is located. After that, the other two indicators, entitled Optimal Planning for Raw Materials Supply and Training of Personnel in this industry, are at the next level, and at its lower levels, the optimal choice of suppliers is to increase the ratio of construction projects that have been approved for the first time. May their influence gradually diminish. In the last level of ranking indicators, there are factors called customer satisfaction, reducing the amount of returned product from the customer, increasing the level of sales and increasing employee satisfaction and increasing the ability to succeed in tenders, which have been influenced by higher level indicators. These indicators in Figure (2) have a very high dependence on other indicators and are the result of achieving all indicators of levels higher than themselves. Conclusion In order to understand the relationships between levels and indicators that are extracted from the structural and interpretive modeling method, both output of the penetration power analysis chart - the dependence of the indicators and the final model should be considered. The above results do not mean that indicators or processes such as customer satisfaction and reducing the amount of returned product are less important than other indicators, but rather indicate their significant impact on other processes in the organization. Proper planning and optimal principles of supply and preparation of raw materials and goods and the use of standard production methods, which are constantly monitored and maintained, and having a trained and expert force and advanced machinery in itself cause significant customer satisfaction, Decreasing the amount of returned product from the customer, increasing the level of sales, increasing the level of employee satisfaction and ultimately increasing the success of tenders will be.
Political institutions and public administration (General)
Main objective of the article – assessment of problems and opportunities of speeding up of world economic growth in the context of the crisis phenomena and turbulence in economy. Complication and reformatting of the economic relations between the countries represents serious challenges for modern economic dynamics. Methodological approach of the authors is based on assessment of the defining influence of new factors on delay of economic activity and economic development. The thesis about the defining impact of international trade on economic growth is called into question. It was analyzed the value and a role of the international companies as growth catalysts in the conditions of new technological revolution. It is established that risks of development of the world economy continue to increase, and the main of them – in decline in labor productivity in the developed countries, uncertainty concerning interest rates and economic policy of the states, the universal growth of sovereign and corporate debt of the states. It is shown that China has the increasing problems with the growth; however the flexibility of its economic policy allows to connect additional mechanisms of speeding up of social and economic development. In the European Union economic growth depends on the solution of problems of consolidation of the budgetary process, decrease in a debt, and in general – on reforming of the existing model of social and economic development. Prospects of economic dynamics will depend in many respects on stability of trade relations between the countries, and on the effective international cooperation directed to overcoming imbalances of the modern world economy. Opportunities and problems of an exit of developing countries to a trajectory of sustained economic growth in the conditions of digitalization and digital transformations in the world economy are estimated. Aggravation of a problem of inequality in the conditions of digitalization of the world economy is possible to overcome, however a number of measures in the sphere of industrial, innovative and regulatory policy is necessary. Also at the international level serious reforms in the sphere of financial regulation and taxation are necessary. The conclusions received as a result of the research have important practical importance as overcoming the problems stated above and also trade political differences between the countries will make economic growth steady and inclusive.
This Paper has discussed the various employment laws in the country and the inherent defects in them that have impacted negatively on staff productivity. The Paper came against the background of the low productive output of the Nigerian worker that has adversely affected the growth of the national economy and created room for fraud and corruption in the public service as well as the private sector. The Paper has found that aside of defective labour laws, the mentality of Nigerian courts to labour disputes, the negative attitude of Nigerian workers and poor work ethics, and the poor conditions of service in the labour sector all contribute to low output and productivity. Therefore, the Paper has suggested ways that these negative trends can be reversed among them, the amendment of the extant industrial laws and improvement of the working conditions of the Nigerian employee.
Giovanna Maialle, Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, Ariana Fernandes Arantes
et al.
Abstract This paper identifies and characterizes the environmental maturity level of local and multinational high-technology corporations located in Brazil. This characterization is achieved by discussing the adoption of environmental management practices and considering aspects of the productive process stage. An eight-case study was conducted through data triangulation using interviews with employees in diverse organizational areas, direct observations and secondary data. The results indicate the differences in environmental positioning among the studied corporations with a predominance of preventive practices, i.e., an emphasis on eco-efficiency and compliance with legislation. It was also noted that environmental concerns in the corporations are related to internationalization and, in some cases, to the pressure exerted by corporations that represent the brand of the products produced in Brazil. Moreover, the adoption of environmental practices based on the productive process stage supported the environmental maturity classifications of the studied companies.
The minimization of the trade-off between the flux and the selectivity of membranes is a key area that researchers are continually working to optimise, particularly in the area of fabrication of novel membranes. Flux versus selectivity issues apply in many industrial applications of membranes, for example the unwanted diffusion of methanol in fuel cells, retention of valuable proteins in downstream processing of biopharmaceuticals, rejection of organic matter and micro-organisms in water treatment, or salt permeation in desalination. The incorporation of nanosheets within membrane structures can potentially lead to enhancements in such properties as the antifouling ability, hydrophilicy and permeability of membranes, with concomitant improvements in the flux/selectivity balance. Graphene nanosheets and derivatives such as graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide have been investigated for this purpose, for example inclusion of nanosheets within the active layer of Reverse Osmosis or Nanofiltration membranes or the blending of nanosheets as fillers within Ultrafiltration membranes. This review summarizes the incorporation of graphene derivatives into polymeric membranes for water treatment with a focus on a number of industrial applications, including desalination and pharmaceutical removal, where enhancement of productivity and reduction in fouling characteristics have been afforded by appropriate incorporation of graphene derived nanosheets during membrane fabrication.