• Energy Research
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The growing interest in sustainable development is reflected in both the market’s sensitivity to environmental and social issues and companies’ interest in the opportunities that sustainable development objectives provide. SMEs, which account for most of the world’s pollution, have significant resource constraints for a sustainable development. Sharing their scarce resources can help them to overcome these constraints and to gain agility and organisational resilience against uncertainties, but the distrust inherent in belonging to different companies prevents them from sharing the necessary information for coordination purposes. This paper presents a coordination mechanism proposal with information asymmetry to allow independent companies’ resources to be sustainably shared as a technological driver. The proposed distributed coordination mechanism is compared to both a decentralised–uncoordinated and a centralised situation. The interest of the proposal is evaluated by a computer simulation experiment employing mathematical programming models with independent objectives in the Generic Materials and Operations Planning formulation with a rolling horizon procedure in different demand, uncertainty and product scenarios. Competitive improvement is identified for all members for their excess capacity use and their operations planning.

The study developed a PID-based automatic control system for travel speed based on the analysis of the entire machine structure of the 4UM-120D electric leafy vegetable harvester to enhance the operation quality of the harvester and lessen the workload of operators. Taking the system adjustment time during the process of starting and maintaining the travel speed of the harvester within ±2% of the set value as the main evaluation index, the Box–Behnken test method was applied based on the single-factor test, and the proportional coefficient Kp, the integral coefficient Ki and the initial value U of the travel motor drive voltage of the PID control algorithm were used as the test factors, and the PID-based 4UM-120D electric leafy vegetable harvester travel speed automatic control system operating parameters based on PID was studied in a three-factor, three-level experiment, and a multiple regression model of evaluation indexes on each factor was established to analyze the influence of each factor on system rapidity and to obtain the optimal operating parameters. The test findings demonstrated that the beginning value of the driving voltage of the travel motor U, the integration factor Ki, and the proportionality factor Kp had the largest to smallest influences on the system regulation time. When the initial value of the driving voltage of the travel motor was 1.81 V, the integration factor was 0.020, the proportionality factor was 0.127, the system regulation time was 2.14 s, and the relative error was 1.8% compared with the optimized value. The results of the study could provide a way to improve the operation quality of leafy vegetable harvesters and reduce the work intensity of operators.

Tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate (THPS) wastewater is a kind of industrial wastewater which is difficult to biodegrade. In this work, O3/Fe(II) was used to remove organic phosphorus from THPS wastewater. The operating conditions in this process were optimized using the Box-Behnken response surface method based on single-factor experimentation. A response model of the organic phosphorus removal rate considering the initial pH, reaction time, ozone concentration, and Fe(II) dosage was established. The results showed that the ozone concentration and initial pH had a significant effect on the removal rate of organic phosphorus, and the model fit well (R2 = 0.98). The maximum removal rate of organic phosphorus predicted by this model was 86.04%, while the deviation between the predicted and experimental values was 0.91%. We concluded that the quadratic model was an effective tool for optimizing the removal of organic phosphorus in the THPS wastewater by O3/Fe(II).

Raw algae waste naturally thrown on shores could pose serious threats for landfilling and its reuse for composting or further processing as added-value by-products require knowledge-based decisions and management for the sustainable development of local ecosystems. Raw marine waste containing salt (halite) and heavy metals that eventually accumulate in algae hamper their safe applicability in soil fertilization or in other exploitations. Here, the suitability of algal biomass for use as an environmentally safe fertilizer was investigated, thereby supporting sustainable coastal management. The simple extraction of the dry algal biomass of three abundant Mediterranean species, Enteromorpha intestinalis, Corallina elongata, and Gelidium pulchellum, in water containing sodium carbonate resulted in a greenish extract containing a reduced heavy metals content, and nutrients such as K+, PO43−, SO42−, NO3−, Ca2+, and Mg2+. UV-Vis and Raman techniques, including surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), were employed for the fast evidencing of polyphenols, carotenoids, and chlorophylls in the extracts content, while E. intestinalis extract additionally exhibited polysaccharide signals. Heavy metals analysis showed that the major metals in the extracts were Fe, Ni, Zn, and Cu; however, their levels were an order of magnitude lower than in the dry biomass. The extracts also showed a mild antibacterial effect. The combination option of aqueous extracts with powdered crustacean shells to obtain a novel, eco-friendly, solid biofertilizer complex was further shown, which could be pelleted for convenient use. The immersion of solid biofertilizer pellets in water is accompanied by re-solubilization of the compounds originating from algae extracts, presenting the opportunity for dry storage and easier handling and land applicability. In summary, aqueous extracts of marine algae waste present an environmentally safe and attractive way to recycle excessive algal biomass and to formulate a new, eco-friendly biofertilizer complex.

The presented study examines the economic viability and optimization of a previously designed integrated process for producing liquid methanol. The annualized cost of the system method is applied for economic analysis. The optimization method includes a robust hybrid approach that combines the NSGA-II multi-objective optimization algorithm with artificial intelligence. Decision variables for the optimization are taken from a sensitivity analysis to optimize the exergy and energy efficiencies and the investment return period. Decision-making methodologies, including LINMAP, fuzzy, and TOPSIS, are utilized to identify the optimal outcomes, effectively identifying points along the Pareto-optimal front. Compared with the original design, the research outcomes demonstrate an over 38% reduction in the process’s investment return period post optimization, as evaluated through the TOPSIS and LINMAP methodologies. Additionally, the highest level of thermal efficiency achieved through optimization stands at 79.9%, assessed using the LINMAP and TOPSIS methods, and 79.2% using the fuzzy Bellman–Zadeh method. The process optimization in the presented research, coupled with the improved economic feasibility, mitigates energy consumption through maximizing efficiency, thereby fostering sustainable and environmentally friendly development.

Free hosting services have contributed to the development of the Internet or even acted as a catalyst thereof. This paper aims to answer the questions of what free hosting services represent for Internet users and why initiatives exist to archive content published on free servers. The empirical part of this study attempts to verify whether websites on free servers were designed in an archaic way, which could justify their discontinuation. Initiatives to preserve the content of vanishing web hosting sites are characterized based on a review of various source materials, including the academic literature and Internet resources. This empirical study involved 168 archaic websites, which were analyzed in three dimensions. Marketing components and design were assessed as well. Each assessment dimension was assigned diagnostic variables. The values of the diagnostic variables were standardized using zero unitarization. It was found that the owners of discontinued servers were not interested in creating and maintaining archives. Hence, numerous grassroots initiatives have emerged to salvage their content, although enthusiasm among the archive community seems to have dwindled. Many grassroots archives are available, but a considerable number are no longer supported. In this context, this paper proposes the term ‘vanishing hosting’. It provides a nostalgic and sentimental perspective on the termination of free hosting services. The authors noted that free hosting services have largely lost their past import. It is demonstrated that free servers traditionally hosted archaic websites, which justified their deletion from a business perspective. Moreover, the paper presents an outline of a method to revitalize the tourism sector based on changes brought about by global technology to the digital ecosystem. It is proposed that changes in search engine algorithms vicariously contribute to the revitalization of the tourism sector since they often drive the replacement of old websites with newer versions (latest technology and better quality). This leads to the improved online presentation of tourism service portfolios and the general quality of the content in search engine results.

The article discusses a range of economic issues related to the efficient use of the industrial potential of coastal territories (by the example of the Murmansk region) in the development of shelf deposits. A comprehensive analysis of the industrial complex and an objective assessment of conditions for the development of the oil and gas industry in the Murmansk region are given. Considerable attention is paid to the formation of organizational and economic mechanisms for using the industrial potential of regional enterprises in the implementation of oil and gas and large industrial projects in the territory of a new producing area.

Empirical research has aimed to substantiate the institution–food security nexus. However, institutional literature has largely overlooked the relationship between institutions and the sustainable development goal of zero hunger (SDG2). SDG2 is a multidimensional goal that extends beyond food security and requires comprehensive investigation. Therefore, this study explored the role of institutions in promoting SDG2 achievement using a panel dataset spanning 108 countries from 2000 to 2019. The institutional impact was evaluated using worldwide governance indicators, and the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG)’s political risk ratings. Simultaneous equation modeling was used as the estimation technique. According to the results, institutions showed a positive and highly significant association with SDG2 performance. All the dimensions of good governance promoted SDG2 performance. Except for maintaining law and order, all other dimensions of political risk indicators were found to improve SDG2 performance. This study also discovered significant evidence that voice and accountability, as well as the settlement and the prevention of conflicts, had the most substantial influences on SDG2 achievement. In developing countries, improving both the quality of governance and political stability had a comparatively higher impact on SDG2 performance than in developed countries. Furthermore, institutions showed a significant mediating impact on SDG2 performance via agricultural productivity and economic growth. Based on these findings, this study concluded that the pursuit of good governance and inclusive institutions could be instrumental in achieving SDG2.