Production Resources Research Articles

Isolation and Characterization of Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria Associated with Salvinia auriculata Aublet.

Salvinia auriculata Aublet is a floating aquatic plant, capable of absorbing the excess of nutrients and water contaminants and can be used in effluent treatment plants. The ability to survive in degraded areas may be related to the association with beneficial bacteria capable of promoting plant growth. However, little is known about the microbiota associated with this aquatic plant and its potential application to the aquatic environment. In this sense, this work aims to identify bacteria associated with S. auriculata that could be able to promote plant growth. Eighteen bacterial strains were identified by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, belonging to the genera Agrobacterium, Bacillus, Curtobacterium, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Siccibacter, and Stenotrophomonas. All isolates produced indole compounds, 12 fixed N2, and 16 solubilized phosphate. A new strain of Enterobacter (sp 3.1.3.0.X.18) was selected for inoculation into S. auriculata. For this purpose, 500 mL of nutrient solution and 1 g of the plant were used in the control and inoculated conditions. Enterobacter inoculation promoted a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in fresh plant biomass (17%) after 4 days of cultivation. In summary, the present study characterized 18 plant-growth-promoting bacteria isolated from S. auriculata with potential for biotechnological application, such as the production of bioinoculants or biomass resources, to protect or improve plant growth under conditions of stress.

Trend Analysis and Change Point Detection of Climatic Parameters in Ambedkar Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh, India

Climate change is one of the most serious challenges confronting humanity today, and its effects can be seen all over the world. The assessment of changes in the long-term weather trend is critical for developing water resource management strategies under climate change scenarios. Long-term trends for annual, monsoon, non-monsoon rainfall, rainy days, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature of Akbarpur, Allapur, Bhiti, Jalalpur, and Tanda stations in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar district were examined in this study. The Mann-Kendall test revealed a non-significant decreasing trend for annual and monsoon rainfall at Akbarpur, Bhiti, and Jalalpur stations with an average rate of 1.64 mm/year whereas, it shows a non-significant increasing trend for annual and monsoon rainfall at the Allapur and Tanda stations with an average rate of 3.168 mm/year. Non-monsoon rainfall showed an in-significant decreasing trend at Allapur and Jalalpur stations with an average rate of 0.415 mm/year, whereas a non-significant increasing trend was shown at Akbarpur, Bhiti, and Tanda stations with an average rate of 0.197 mm/year. Annual rainy days shows non-significant decreasing trend for all stations of Akbarpur district with an average rate of 0.117 day/year (one day decrease with in nine year). It indicates seasonal shift and increased possibility of high intensity rainfall. The impact of extreme events of rainfall on the trend was evaluated on the whole and partial series before and after the break point and it was observed that there was no significant climate change in Ambedkar Nagar district and non-significant changing year of precipitation data series was found in 1995. A significant increasing trend in maximum temperature was observed for all stations in the months of August and December, with an average rate of 0.02 0C per year, while Allapur station also shows a significant increasing trend in maximum temperature in September, with a rate of 0.012 0C per year. However, a significant decreasing trend was observed in minimum temperature in the month of May at Akbarpur, Allapur, Jalalpur, Tanda station with an average rate of 0.027 0C per year. Rainfall and temperature are a principal climatic parameter which regulates the environmental condition of a particular region by directly influencing the agricultural productivity and water resources.

Визуальная интерпретация парадигмы управления организационной системой c разнородными производственными ресурсами

The object of the study is developing a formalized mechanism for managing an organizational system that implements complex production activities, including different types of industrial production, and applies the corresponding heterogeneous resources. The subject of the article is an important intermediate stage of this development, which is an abstract interpretation of the optimal management paradigm of limited resources of such an organizational system, proposed earlier by the authors. The interpretation will allow reasonably forming a strict mathematical model of objects and control processes. The management mechanism in any subject area, providing for adopting management decisions by people authorized to do so, must have an ergonomic development and appropriate information support for these decisions. The so-called result information plays the role of such support, that is the information on the characteristics of the current and planned states of the management object in the problem being solved which is the productivity of the organizational system resources. It seems advisable to carry out such ergonomic and information development of the designed problem-oriented management mechanism in the form of a visual interpretation of its substantive concept. The prototype of such interpretation tools is graphic images used in modelling and designing technical systems, developed in this work in the field of management in organizational systems with heterogeneous resources. The article provides examples of their application, demonstrating the possibility of visual representation of the current state of the organizational system and the set of its possible controlled states.

Use of a Glaciogene Marine Clay (Ilulissat, Greenland) in a Pilot Production of Red Bricks.

Uplifted occurrences of fine-grained glaciogene marine sediments are found throughout the northern hemisphere. These sediments could be used to produce local construction materials, to rely less on imported construction materials from southern regions. In this study, a representative occurrence from Ilulissat, West Greenland, was investigated as a potential resource for local brick production. The study comprised three parts: (1) raw material characterization based on grain size distribution, major element chemistry, including total carbon, sulfur, and chloride concentrations, mineralogy, morphology, and Atterberg limits; (2) the production of test bricks at a Danish brickwork; and (3) testing of the bricks based on total shrinkage, water absorption, hygroscopic adsorption, open porosity, bulk density, compression strength, and mineralogy. The bricks produced proved to have excellent compression strength, low open porosity, and low water absorption. The shrinkage could be reduced by adding 10% chamotte to the marine sediment. Based on the investigated properties, this indicates that this type of clay is highly suitable as a resource for bricks.

SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL AND PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF UKRAINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS OF DIESEL CONSTRUCTION

In this work, an attempt is made to provide an assessment of the prospects for the development of automotive diesel engineering in Ukraine, the availability and preservation of scientific, technical and production potential for the continuation of the production of knowledge-intensive products of this domestic sub-industry in modern conditions. According to the authors, the manufacturers of vehicles in Ukraine quickly found the support of the State regarding the inclusion of the relatively most complex structural units of the car design - the engine and the chassis - in the list of imported components, since the manufacture of these parts requires high-tech processes that ensure the manufacture of low-quality parts. Other personal opinions of the authors have been expressed regarding the reasons for the absence of energy sources that ensure the economic development of the country and are considered science-intensive products in the modern domestic automotive industry. According to the results of the research, it was established that the list of developments of the domestic automotive diesel industry in recent years extends from the two-cylinder diesel engine of the ZIM-800D four-wheeled motorcycle, which was proven to be introduced into the series, and the ZIM-1901 and ZIM-1902 microcars, to the design documentation of the modern six-cylinder diesel engine 6DTNA2 with a four-valve cylinder head and electronic fuel injection system. As an example of the capacity of the domestic production potential, the production technology of the cylinder head of a four-cylinder diesel engine 4ChN 8.8/8.2 was worked out with the involvement of available production resources and the use of imported components. This approach makes it possible to significantly reduce the time for the manufacture and preparation of the production of structural elements of the domestically produced engine, which is a representative of the "Slobozhansky diesel" power series.

Determination of the biochemical methane potential of swine hydrolyzate

Swine farming generates remains of births and animals that die during the process. Implementing a plan to eliminate these materials by hydrolysis process results in an animal by-product called swine hydrolyzate. The treatment of this by-product through its application in the anaerobic digestion process can also represent its conversion into a resource for energy production. Thus, the present study focuses on this by-product as a potential substrate for anaerobic digestion, evaluating the methane production potential. The results show biogas production with an average methane content of about 70 %. Theoretical biochemical methane potential was 967.95 ± 0.11 mL g VS−1, which represented a bioconversion efficiency of 59.97 ± 3.54 % and 62.26 ± 0.43 %, considering the experimental results of 580.47 ± 34.29 mL g VS−1 and 602.67 ± 4.16 mL g VS−1, respectively. By comparing the experimental biochemical methane potential with the predicted value using the modified Gompertz model, it was possible to conclude that the maximum methane production rate was 73.46 ± 0.36 mL g VS−1 day−1, with a digestion time of 18 days to obtain 90 % of the methane production potential.

‘Our Path from the Land’: Environmental Displacement and Anthropocenic Futures in Chinese Short Fiction

ABSTRACT As global warming imperils resource production and international security, nations around the world have been urged to develop sustainable, resilient infrastructure to curb and mitigate the worst effects of climate change. China has raced ahead in this process, commissioning hydraulic and green energy megaprojects to maintain the nation’s economic stability in the face of environmental precarity. However, these developments have come with a high cost for Chinese citizens, permanently forcing millions from their homes. Literary and cultural responses to displacement from Chinese authors abound, dividedly praising and critiquing the state’s technocratic, growth-centric response to climate change challenges. This article compares two such short stories, namely Liu Cixin’s ‘Yuanyuan’s Bubbles’ (2015) and Wang Ping’s ‘Maverick’ (2007) to consider the tensions surrounding green infrastructural transitions in contemporary China, where, on both sides of the polemic, the environmental migrant functions as a symbol of the nation’s uncertain social futurity.

Cultivation of chlorella vulgaris using aquaculture wastewater: Assessing its viability as a promising resource for biodiesel production

This study investigates the viability of utilizing Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in aquaculture wastewater as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The research involved scaling up the algal culture from 10 ml to 10 liters in a photobioreactor, optimizing growth conditions, and analyzing the water parameters of the aquaculture wastewater medium. The results showed successful growth of the algal culture, with the highest growth rate achieved on day 15 in the 10-liter reactor. The harvested biomass was converted into biodiesel through direct transesterification, and the produced biodiesel was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and fuel property tests. The FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups indicative of esterification, validating the successful conversion of the wet biomass into biodiesel. The fuel property tests revealed that the algal biodiesel exhibited marginally higher kinematic viscosity but a favourable flash point compared to established standards. Emission tests demonstrated an increase in CO2 and hydrocarbon emissions with higher engine loads, aligning with combustion principles. The findings highlight the potential of utilizing aquaculture wastewater as a sustainable medium for cultivating Chlorella vulgaris and producing biodiesel, contributing to the development of more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly biofuel production methods.

Adsorption of cadmium from wastewater with activated carbons derived from pig fur biowaste: A comparative study of in-situ and ex-situ activation routes

The environmental challenges associated with cadmium contamination in wastewater have necessitated the development of high-performing activated carbons (ACs) for effective wastewater treatment. Adsorption capacity depends on both the surface area and the adsorption-active functional groups developed on the adsorbent's surface during activation. Proper manipulation of key process variables using the appropriate activation route produces highly efficient and economically viable ACs. This research investigates the viability of pig fur biowaste as a novel precursor for activated carbons using two distinct activation methods—in-situ and ex-situ. Using a central composite design (CCD) of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the study systematically examines the effects of impregnation ratio, carbonization temperature, and carbonization time on the cadmium adsorption capacities of the resulting ACs. The optimal conditions for in-situ activation were found to be 691 °C, 175.11 min, and an impregnation ratio of 1.784 g/g, resulting in a cadmium adsorption capacity of 91.57 %. For ex-situ activation, the optimal conditions were 468.8 °C, 80.81 min, and an impregnation ratio of 2.915 g/g, which achieved a higher cadmium adsorption capacity of 91.21 %. Both types of activated carbons maintained high efficiency after five regeneration cycles, indicating they are suitable for long-term applications requiring repeated regeneration. Although both methods produced ACs with comparable cadmium removal efficiency, the ex-situ activation route proved to be more economically viable due to its lower temperature and shorter processing time. This study demonstrates the potential of pig fur biowaste as a sustainable and underutilized resource for AC production and highlights the ex-situ activation route as the more cost-effective approach for producing high-performance adsorbents.

CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION AS A NEW FORM OF SOCIAL ACTIVITY

The article examines the concept of conscious consumption as a new form of social activity, emphasizing its growing importance in the modern world. Conscious consumption involves conscious choice in order to minimize the negative impact on the environment and society, taking into account sustainability, ethical production and conservation of resources. This trend reflects a change in consumer behavior caused by increased awareness of global issues such as climate change, inequality and the depletion of natural resources. The study examines the role of individuals and communities in promoting conscious consumption practices and their ability to influence market trends and shape policy decisions. The social, cultural and economic aspects of conscious consumption are also analyzed, andits potential in forming a more responsible and sustainable society is emphasized.

Use of microalgal-fungal pellets for hydroponics effluent recycling and high-value biomass production

Hydroponic effluent (HE), enriched with inorganic nutrients, presents a viable, low-cost cultivation medium for microalgal biomass production and subsequent resource recovery. However, downstream processing, particularly biomass harvesting, remains a critical challenge for microalgal biorefineries. Therefore, the present study explored the potential of microalgal-fungal pellets (MAFP) in HE recycling for the production of biochemical-rich biomass. The optimized fungi-to-microalgae ratio (F:A) of 1:3 resulted in 100 % microalgal pelletization within 6 h. Surface characteristics suggested that metabolically active fungi with opposite charges facilitate microalgal pelletization. Further, MAFP exhibited a packed porous structure that was resilient to shear forces and had a high capacity for nutrient uptake. MAFP cultivation in HE demonstrated complete removal of ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃-N), phosphate (PO₄³⁻), and nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) within 7–9 days. The produced biomass was rich in biomolecules, including lipids (18.36 ± 0.12 % TS), protein (52.06 ± 2.1 % TS), and carbohydrates (28.95 ± 0.05 % TS). Besides, the high methane potential of MAFP (SMP ≈ 502.74 ± 19.1 mL CH4 g−1 VS, and TMP ≈ 817.68 ± 12.5 mL CH4 g−1 VS) indicated its suitability for biogas production. In essence, MAFP offers efficient HE recycling and biochemically rich biomass production, advancing towards a green and circular bioeconomy.

Algeria's pathway to COP28 and SDGs: Asymmetric impact of environmental technology, energy productivity, and material resource efficiency on environmental sustainability

This study examines the asymmetric effects of material resource efficiency (MRE), energy productivity (EP), and environmental technology (ENT) on environmental sustainability (ES) in Algeria from 1990/Q1 to 2022/Q4. Using a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model (NARDL), we find that both positive and negative shocks to both MRE and ENT contribute to ES, highlighting their effectiveness. Interestingly, positive EP shocks have a stronger mitigating effect compared to negative shocks. This suggests a magnified benefit during periods of efficiency gains. Additionally, asymmetric causality analysis verifies a causal link between MRE, EP, ENT, and ES. Given these results, it is recommended that Algerian policymakers should prioritize investments in MRE and ENT while emphasizing policies that enhance EP due to its magnified benefit on ES. Asymmetric policy responses for green practices alongside alignment with SDGs 7, 8, 12 and COP-28 objectives will optimize Algeria's ES.

Aboveground woody biomass estimation of young bioenergy plantations of Populus and its hybrids using mobile (backpack) LiDAR remote sensing

Woody aboveground biomass (AGB) including short-rotation Populus is used as a feedstock for renewable and carbon-neutral bioenergy. While woody AGB can be estimated with allometric equations requiring labor-intensive field data, remote sensing technologies like mobile terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) can estimate woody AGB quickly and accurately. Therefore, the goals of this study were to develop a model to predict woody AGB of 2-year-old Populus spp. from three taxa (P. deltoides, P. deltoides × P. maximowiczii and P. deltoides × P. trichocarpa) using allometric (height and diameter at breast height (DBH)) or LiDAR-derived metrics from a mobile terrestrial (backpack) system. Likewise, we sought to compare LiDAR-estimated tree height and DBH with field-measured values. We found that a taxa-specific model containing LiDAR-measured tree height, crown volume, and taxa interactions with the height of the 10th percentile, and the density of the lowest interval (density metric 0) explained 84 % of the variation in woody AGB with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 28.7 % and performed slightly better than the allometric model. The best model excluding taxa had a slightly higher RMSE but lower bias than the allometric model. LiDAR-derived tree heights were highly correlated with field-measured heights, but DBH could not be estimated accurately. Therefore, terrestrial mobile LiDAR systems can accurately estimate woody AGB and tree height of Populus in short rotation systems to aid in the fast and efficient quantification of woody bioenergy production and renewable energy resources.

Mathematical optimization strategy for online scheduling of complex manufacturing systems based on thermal energy optimization and fuzzy mathematical model

With the rapid development of the manufacturing industry and the advancement of the intelligent process, the scheduling problem of complex manufacturing systems becomes more and more complicated, especially in the aspect of energy management and optimization. This study aims to propose an online scheduling mathematical optimization strategy based on thermal energy optimization and fuzzy mathematical model, so as to improve the scheduling efficiency and resource allocation rationality of complex manufacturing systems under different production conditions. A scheduling model considering thermal energy utilization rate, production priority and real-time demand is established by using fuzzy mathematics. The model deals with the uncertain factors by fuzzy logic and solves them by genetic algorithm to realize the dynamic adjustment and optimal scheduling of production resources. Through the experimental verification of a complex manufacturing system, the improvement of scheduling efficiency not only reduces the operating cost, but also improves the flexibility and response speed of the system. The fuzzy mathematical model based on thermal energy optimization provides an effective on-line scheduling strategy for complex manufacturing systems, which can realize efficient scheduling and energy management in dynamic environment.

Cereal‐Based Intercropping Systems Improve Yield Advantage and Crop Yield Under Superabsorbent Application in Semiarid Conditions

ABSTRACTConsidering the yield advantage of cereal:legume intercropping in low nitrogen conditions, an experiment was laid out to examine the barley:chickpea intercropping treatments and their effects on biological yield and yield advantage of two plants under rain‐fed conditions as affected by a superabsorbent polymer (0, 50, 75, and 100 kg ha−1) in two cropping seasons. In both years, increasing the chickpea population increased the chickpea biological yield, total land equivalent ratio (TLER), competition index (CI), and barley and chickpea relative yields. Increasing the amount of the superabsorbent polymer to 100 kg ha−1 increased the chickpea competition ratio (0.86). The highest TLER (4.00) was related to 100:100 barley:chickpea intercropping without superabsorbent polymer application. In both years, the highest CI (0.21) was attained in the 100:100 barley:chickpea intercrop system in the first year. This was followed by the 100:100 barley:chickpea intercrop ratio (0.16) in the second year. The highest barley relative yields in the first year (3.91) and second year (3.57) were related to the 100:100 barley:chickpea plant ratio, which was higher than the yields for the 100:25 (38% and 35%), 100:50 (26% and 23%), and 100:75 (12% and 10%) ratios. Based on the results, the superiority of mixed cultivation, compared with pure cultivation, in the exploitation of production resources and integration of crop plants was observed.

A Flow Shop Scheduling Method Based on Dual BP Neural Networks with Multi-Layer Topology Feature Parameters

Nowadays, the focus of flow shops is the adoption of customized demand in the context of service-oriented manufacturing. Since production tasks are often characterized by multi-variety, low volume, and a short lead time, it becomes an indispensable factor to include supporting logistics in practical scheduling decisions to reflect the frequent transport of jobs between resources. Motivated by the above background, a hybrid method based on dual back propagation (BP) neural networks is proposed to meet the real-time scheduling requirements with the aim of integrating production and transport activities. First, according to different resource attributes, the hierarchical structure of a flow shop is divided into three layers, respectively: the operation task layer, the job logistics layer, and the production resource layer. Based on the process logic relationships between intra-layer and inter-layer elements, an operation task–logistics–resource supernetwork model is established. Secondly, a dual BP neural network scheduling algorithm is designed for determining an operations sequence involving the transport time. The neural network 1 is used for the initial classification of operation tasks’ priority; and the neural network 2 is used for the sorting of conflicting tasks in the same priority, which can effectively reduce the amount of computational time and dramatically accelerate the solution speed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by comparing the completion time and computational time for different examples. The numerical simulation results show that with the increase in problem scale, the solution ability of the traditional method gradually deteriorates, while the dual BP neural network has a stable performance and fast computational time.

러시아 연방의 기후 및 환경 문제에 대한 인식과 정책

Climate and environmental issues are one of the biggest threats to sustainable development of mankind. Russia is warming faster than the planet as a whole. In this process, climate and environmental policy in Russia is directly linked to national goals, strategic goal setting, and economic conditions, starting with the production of natural resources. As such, it has gone through several stages of coordination to ensure the rational use of resources. Russia’s national strategy is characterized by the fact that raw materials play an important role in the country’s economic structure. However, Russia is also bound to change due to climate and environmental change. In order to understand how Russia can shift its policy priorities in the process of climate and environmental change, it is necessary to study the current situation and policy changes in Russia.

Combining Servqual and Kano: Justification for Best Action and Its Selection Process

This study aims to enhance the existing literature on the integration of Servqual and Kano concepts by providing a comprehensive justification for recommending improvement actions to service attributes. By utilizing a theoretical service model that considers factors previously overlooked, such as the impact on revenue and cost, performance variability, diminishing marginal utility in consumption, and diminishing marginal product of resources, this study offers propositions and proofs for the best actions in each paired category of service attributes within the combined Servqual and Kano assessments. The findings are presented in the form of an evaluation table, which links each paired category of attribute with its respective optimal action. Importantly, this study introduces novel perspectives on the definition of the best action and the basis for its selection. Unlike previous works that solely focus on customer satisfaction, this research defines the best action from the perspective of the service provider whose primary goal is to maximize profit. The proposed procedure for determining the best action obtained in this study is more justifiable, as it relies less on the ambiguous process of correctly identifying the final categories of attributes in both models. To illustrate the new integration process, an example based on simulated data is also provided. Overall, this study contributes to the field by offering a comprehensive and justified approach to improving service attributes through the integration of Servqual and Kano concepts.

Sustainability and circularity assessment of the potential of a biofuel produced from black liquor as a substitute for conventional fuels

The European Bioeconomy Strategy aims to accelerate the deployment of a sustainable European bioeconomy to maximize its contribution to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as to the Paris Agreement on climate change. In this context, transport is considered as a key sector, with aviation and shipping playing an important role due to the need to meet its huge demand. In order to reduce potential emissions from the transport sector, the use of biofuels could be considered as a solution. However, with the aim of using biofuels to replace conventional fuels, it is important to assess their cost-effectiveness and feasibility, and in this aspect the valorization of waste streams for their production could help to meet this challenge. This is the framework of this research report, which is based on the use of black liquor (BL) from pulp and paper production to produce biofuel through a hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) unit. Three technological designs and production capacities were considered: full extraction of the oil phase and its upgrading by catalytic hydrothermal deoxygenation (Scenario 1, S1), partial extraction of the oil phase (Scenario 2, S2) and full extraction but without upgrading (Scenario 3, S3). Low (100 t/d), medium (300 t/d) and high (600 t/d) production capacities were regarded.From the modelling data, a life cycle perspective was adopted, taking into account both the environmental analysis (LCA) and the life cycle costs (LCC), as well as the circular potential using different performance, resource-flow circularity and economic indicators. In addition, a composite indicator, CILCA-LCC-CA, has been proposed to obtain a single score taking into account the three assessments: environmental, cost and circularity. The results obtained show that S3, with a production of 300 t/d, has the lowest environmental impact and the highest profitability corresponds to a capacity of 600 t/d. In terms of circularity, S3 also shows the best performance, mainly due to its higher resource productivity and lower energy intensity. These results are in line with those obtained for the composite indicator, and also show that higher production capacities and a simple but efficient process technology, such as S3, is the alternative with the highest potential for both sustainability and circularity.

AI Research for Power Grid Transmission and Environmental Energy Saving Using Fuzzy Evaluation

Given the increasing adverse impacts of climate change on ecosystems, the power sector needs to improve rapidly. One solution is to utilize efficient resources for energy production and processing. In terms of resource efficiency, although AI has not yet been fully utilized, AI-6G can play a key role in developing environmentally friendly and efficient energy saving systems that support a more environmentally friendly environment. This paper focuses on the utilization of 6G technology for power transmission, environmental protection and energy saving projects. The advantage of 6G technology is the faster communication between devices within the network. Fuzzy Integrated Assessment (FIA) is an effective assessment methodology applicable to power transmission, grids, retrofitting processes, eco-security and energy efficiency measures that can be used to assess the effectiveness of these programs. This paper focuses on sustainable energy production by integrating AI-6G with emphasis on maintenance, production planning, fault detection and incorporating green AI.