Search Results (798)

Demand Side Management (DSM) plays a crucial role in modern energy systems, enabling more efficient use of energy resources and contributing to the sustainability of the power grid. This study examines DSM strategies within a multi-environment context encompassing residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, with a focus on diverse appliance types that exhibit distinct operational characteristics and user preferences. Initially, a single-objective optimization approach using Genetic Algorithms (GAs) is employed to minimize the total energy cost under a real Time-of-Use (ToU) pricing scheme. This heuristic method allows for the effective scheduling of appliance operations while factoring in their unique characteristics such as power consumption, usage duration, and user-defined operational flexibility. This study extends the optimization problem to a multi-objective framework that incorporates the minimization of CO₂ emissions under a real annual energy mix while also accounting for user discomfort. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is utilized for this purpose, providing a Pareto-optimal set of solutions that balances these competing objectives. The inclusion of multiple objectives ensures a comprehensive assessment of DSM strategies, aiming to reduce environmental impact and enhance user satisfaction. Additionally, this study monitors the Peak-to-Average Ratio (PAR) to evaluate the impact of DSM strategies on load balancing and grid stability. It also analyzes the impact of considering different periods of the year with the associated ToU hourly schedule and CO₂ emissions hourly profile. A key innovation of this research is the integration of detailed, category-specific metrics that enable the disaggregation of costs, emissions, and user discomfort across residential, commercial, and industrial appliances. This granularity enables stakeholders to implement tailored strategies that align with specific operational goals and regulatory compliance. Also, the emphasis on a user discomfort indicator allows us to explore the flexibility available in such DSM mechanisms. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed multi-objective optimization approach in achieving significant cost savings that may reach 20% for industrial applications, while the order of magnitude of the trade-offs involved in terms of emissions reduction, improvement in discomfort, and PAR reduction is quantified for different frameworks. The outcomes not only underscore the efficacy of applying advanced optimization frameworks to real-world problems but also point to pathways for future research in smart energy management. This comprehensive analysis highlights the potential of advanced DSM techniques to enhance the sustainability and resilience of energy systems while also offering valuable policy implications. Full article

Effective building operation requires a careful balance between energy conservation and indoor environmental comfort. Although numerous methods have been developed to reduce energy consumption during the operational phase, their objectives and applications vary widely. However, the complexity of building energy management makes it challenging to identify the most suitable methods that simultaneously achieve both comfort and efficiency goals. Existing studies often lack a systematic framework that supports integrated decision-making under comfort constraints. This research aims to address this gap by proposing a decision-making tree for selecting energy conservation methods during building operation with an explicit consideration of indoor environmental comfort. A comprehensive literature review is conducted to identify four main energy-consuming components during building operation: the building envelope, HVAC systems, lighting systems, and plug loads and appliances. Three key comfort indicators—thermal comfort, lighting comfort, and air quality comfort—are defined, and energy conservation methods are categorized into three strategic groups: passive strategies, control optimization strategies, and behavioural intervention strategies. Each method is assessed using a defined set of evaluation criteria. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey is administered for the calibration of the decision tree, incorporating stakeholder preferences and expert judgement. The findings contribute to the advancement of understanding regarding the co-optimization of energy conservation and occupant comfort in building operations. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted critical vulnerabilities in urban logistics systems, particularly in last-mile delivery. To enhance logistics resilience and efficiency, the Korean government has initiated an innovative project that repurposes idle spaces in subway vehicle bases within the Seoul Metropolitan Area into logistics centers. This study proposes a comprehensive multi-criteria evaluation framework combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to assess the suitability of ten candidate sites. The evaluation criteria span four dimensions, facility, geographical, environmental, and social factors, derived from the literature and expert consultations. AHP results indicate that geographical factors, especially proximity to urban centers and major logistics facilities, hold the highest weight. Based on the integrated analysis using TOPSIS, the most suitable locations identified are Sinnae, Godeok, and Cheonwang. The findings suggest the strategic importance of aligning infrastructure development with spatial accessibility and stakeholder cooperation. Policy implications include the need for targeted investment, public–private collaboration, and sustainable logistics planning. Future research is encouraged to incorporate dynamic data and consider social equity and environmental impact for long-term urban logistics planning. Full article

This study evaluates the feasibility and visibility of electric vehicles (EVs) in Egypt, addressing critical research gaps and proposing actionable strategies to drive adoption. Employing a systematic review of academic, governmental, and industry sources, the paper identifies underexplored areas such as rural–urban adoption disparities, lifecycle assessments of EV batteries, and sociocultural barriers, including gender dynamics and entrenched consumer preferences. Its primary contribution is an interdisciplinary framework that integrates technical aspects, such as grid resilience and climate-related battery degradation, with socioeconomic dimensions, providing a holistic overview of EV feasibility in Egypt tailored to Egypt’s context. Key findings reveal infrastructure limitations, inconsistent policy frameworks, and behavioral skepticism as major hurdles, and highlight the untapped potential of renewable energy integration, particularly through synergies between solar PV generation (e.g., Benban Solar Park) and EV charging infrastructure. Recommendations prioritize policy reforms (e.g., tax incentives, streamlined tariffs), solar-powered charging infrastructure expansion, public awareness campaigns, and local EV manufacturing to stimulate economic growth. The study underscores the urgency of stakeholder collaboration to transform EVs into a mainstream solution, positioning Egypt as a regional leader in sustainable mobility and equitable development. Full article

Food safety regulations and their implementations are becoming increasingly complex due to various reasons such as diverse food sources, supply chain, processing technologies, distribution systems and environmental concerns. Additionally, it is crucial to address diversified consumers and their preferences. To address these multifaceted challenges, adopting an integrated unified management system is essential. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progressive food safety governance in the Sultanate of Oman. The country is transitioning from a multi-agency to an integrated food control management system. This integrated approach can enhance the coordination between different government agencies and other stakeholders, avoid duplication, identify required resources and ensure optimum use of the resources. The progress can enhance efficiency and effectiveness in managing food safety in Oman. It addresses the issues of the food safety management system, explores the legislative frameworks, risk-based assessment and their enforcement, and creates public awareness and required research for continuous improvement in food safety. This integration approach is expected to continue strengthening food safety governance in the country. Finally, future challenges in achieving food safety are envisioned, including new food sources and technologies, applications of artificial intelligence, and new sensors for quick identification of risks in foods. Full article

This paper explores the strategic implications of technological adoption within shipping logistics service supply chains, with a particular focus on blockchain technology (BCT). When integrating new technologies, supply chain stakeholders evaluate associated risks alongside complexity, profitability, and operational challenges, which influence their strategic behaviors. Anchored in the concept of technology trust, this study examines how different risk preferences affect BCT adoption decisions and freight rate strategies. A game-theoretic model is constructed using a mean-variance utility framework to analyze interactions between shipping companies and freight forwarders under three adoption scenarios: no adoption (NN), partial adoption (BN), and full adoption (BB). The results indicate that risk-seeking agents are more likely to adopt BCT early but face greater freight rate volatility in the initial stages. As the technology matures, strategic variability declines and the influence of adaptability on pricing becomes less pronounced. In contrast, risk-neutral and risk-averse participants tend to adopt more conservatively, resulting in slower but more stable pricing dynamics. These findings offer new insights into how technology trust and risk attitudes shape strategic decisions in digitally transforming supply chains. The study also provides practical implications for differentiated pricing strategies, BCT adoption incentives, and collaborative policy design among logistics stakeholders. Full article

Organic agriculture is a complex, knowledge-intensive system, deeply aligned with sustainability goals. While the field has seen promising growth and innovation, it still grapples with significant challenges, particularly in how knowledge is shared, applied, and supported structurally within sustainability-oriented frameworks. To fill this gap, a systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, screening publications from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. A total of 39 scientific studies were analysed using content analysis and a bibliometric methodological approach. Findings reveal a balanced geographical distribution of studies and a dominance of qualitative methodologies. While farmers, advisors, and researchers are frequently involved in data collection, broader stakeholder engagement is limited. Key actors—research institutions, advisory services, and sectoral organisations—emerge as central to driving innovation and enhancing farmers’ access to actionable knowledge. However, the analysis identifies three core challenges: tailoring knowledge and innovation to diverse farming contexts; strengthening the intermediary role of advisors to bridge science and practice; and integrating organic agriculture more explicitly within the frameworks of sustainability and agroecology. Future research should focus on improving participatory dissemination strategies and strengthening intermediary roles to advance sustainability-driven innovation in organic agriculture. Full article

Early medical traditions include those of ancient Babylonia, China, Egypt, and India. The roots of modern Western medicine, however, go back to ancient Greece. During the Renaissance, physicians increasingly relied on observation and experimentation to understand the human body and develop new techniques for diagnosis and treatment. The discovery of antibiotics, antiseptics, and other drugs in the 19th century accelerated the development of modern medicine, the latter being fueled further by advances in technology, research, a better understanding of the human body, and, most recently, the introduction of evidence-based medicine (EBM). The EBM model de-emphasized intuition, unsystematic clinical experience, and pathophysiologic rationale as sufficient grounds for clinical decision-making and stressed the examination of evidence from clinical research. A later EBM model additionally incorporated clinical expertise and the latest model of EBM patients’ preferences and actions. In this review article, we argue that in the era of precision medicine, major EBM principles must be based on (a) the systematic identification, analysis, and utility of big data using artificial intelligence; (b) the magnifying effect of medical interventions by means of the physician–patient interaction, the latter being guided by the physician’s expertise, intuition, and philosophical beliefs; and (c) the patient preferences, since, in healthcare under precision medicine, the patient will be a central stakeholder contributing data and actively participating in shared decision-making. Full article

Background/Objectives: Telehealth enhances access to specialty care, but stakeholder perspectives are often overlooked. The objective was to evaluate participant and provider satisfaction with a novel telehealth-enabled home safety program. Methods: This is a sub-investigation of a non-randomized pilot study of a novel telehealth-enabled home safety program that enrolled 23 persons with Parkinson’s Disease (PwPs) at risk for falls and their respective care partners (CPs). Dyads participated in four to six televisits over three months, where they performed “virtual home tours” using a mobile platform (tablet mounted on a rolling stand) with a physical therapist to identify and mitigate environmental fall hazards. Satisfaction was assessed using PI-developed surveys and open feedback. Mobile platform usability was assessed with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Results: A total of 95.65% of dyads were very to extremely satisfied with the entire program overall, and the therapist indicated the same for 73.91% of the dyads. Additionally, 95.65% of dyads reported gaining new awareness of home fall hazards. Difficulties maneuvering the mobile platform, using a tablet, and connectivity issues were common challenges noted. The mean score on SUS for the mobile platform was 65, indicating poor perceived usability, and most dyads indicated they would have preferred using a smartphone for the program. Other priorities, including competing health and personal obligations, along with resistance to change, were the primary barriers to implementing program recommendations. Conclusions: Our novel telehealth-enabled home safety program was well-received by patients and the study therapist. Using a smartphone and troubleshooting connectivity issues might help further improve the usability and accessibility of this program. Full article

Background/Objectives: Ancient grains are increasingly recognized for their nutritional value, environmental sustainability, and connection to traditional agriculture. This study examines Italian consumers’ awareness, purchasing habits, and willingness to pay (WTP) for ancient grain pasta, focusing on the influence of product origin, price, and flour type on preferences. Methods: An online survey was conducted with 3020 Italian household grocery shoppers. Descriptive statistics assessed awareness and purchasing behavior, while conjoint analysis (CA) evaluated the relative importance of key product attributes (origin, price, and flour type) in pasta choices. The sample was segmented based on consumer knowledge of ancient grains. Results: A significant portion of respondents reported familiarity with ancient grains, perceiving them as “less refined” and “more digestible”; pasta emerged as the most purchased product. CA results indicated product origin as the most influential factor, followed by price, with flour type having comparatively lower influence. Notably, consumers more familiar with ancient grains showed a slight preference for ancient flour types and were less sensitive to price. Conclusions: While origin and price are primary drivers for pasta choices, knowledgeable consumers show greater valuation for flour type and accept higher prices. These findings provide strategic insights for stakeholders seeking to promote traditional, sustainable agri-food products through targeted marketing and transparent value communication. Full article

In the context of global e-commerce platform supply chains dominated by Alibaba and Amazon, power reconfiguration among tripartite stakeholders (platforms, manufacturers, and retailers) remains a critical yet underexplored issue in supply chain contract design. To analyze the strategic interactions between platforms, manufacturers, and retailers, as well as how platforms select the contract format within a tripartite supply chain, this study proposes a Stackelberg game-theoretic framework incorporating participation constraints to compare fixed-fee and revenue-sharing contracts. The results demonstrate that revenue-sharing contracts significantly enhance supply chain efficiency by aligning incentives across members, leading to improved pricing and sales outcomes. However, this coordination benefit comes with reduced platform dominance, as revenue-sharing inherently redistributes power toward upstream and downstream partners. The analysis reveals a nuanced contract selection framework: given the revenue sharing rate, as the additional value increases, the optimal contract shifts from the mode RR to the mode RF, and ultimately to the mode FF. Notably, manufacturers and retailers exhibit a consistent preference for revenue-sharing contracts due to their favorable profit alignment properties, regardless of the platform’s value proposition. These findings may contribute to platform operations theory by (1) proposing a dynamic participation framework for contract analysis, (2) exploring value-based thresholds for contract transitions, and (3) examining the power-balancing effects of alternative contract formats. This study offers actionable insights for platform operators seeking to balance control and cooperation in their supply chain relationships, while providing manufacturers and retailers with strategic guidance for contract negotiations in platform-mediated markets. These findings are especially relevant for large e-commerce platforms and their partners managing the complexities of contemporary digital supply chains. Full article

Objectives: An aging population and declining birth rates are among the challenges that smart cities currently face and will continue to face in the near future. In light of the above, this article seeks to answer the following question: Are older people (seniors) taken into account and described in the literature on smart cities, and if so, how? Methods: To answer this research question, a systematic literature review was conducted using the Bibliometrix package in R. In the process of systematizing the publications, the authors additionally used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method and qualitative text analysis. Findings: The research shows that relatively little attention is paid to seniors in smart cities in the literature on the subject. Among the few publications on smart aging, the technological trend dominates, in which researchers present the possibilities of using IT and ICT to improve medical and social care for seniors, and to improve their quality of life (Smart Living, Smart Mobility). In the non-technological trend, most analyses focus on the determinants of quality of life and the distinguishing features of senior-friendly cities. Implications: There is a clear lack of a “human” perspective on aging in smart cities and publications on Smart Governance and Smart People that would provide guidelines for making elderly people full and equal stakeholders in smart cities. It is also necessary to develop practical documents and procedures that define a comprehensive and long-term urban policy for elderly adults. The analyses contribute to diagnosing current and determining further directions of research on smart aging in smart cities. The results clearly imply the need to intensify social, humanistic, and governance research on the role of seniors in smart cities. Full article

Climate change, the consequences of which have been more intense than ever in the last few decades, makes the need for sustainable transportation even more imperative. The promotion of public transportation and the discouragement of private car use are among the main priorities of sustainable transport planning in modern urban areas. However, the selection of the most appropriate transport project, apart from significant opportunities, is also accompanied by significant challenges, especially under the demand of compromising—often conflicting—social, environmental, and economic criteria, as well as different stakeholders’ interests. The aim of the present paper is to provide decision analysts and policy-makers with a decision-support tool for the prioritization and optimum selection of public transport projects for an urban area within the framework of sustainability. For this purpose, a comprehensive inventory of criteria for the evaluation of urban public transport systems (alternatives), along with a standardized table with the relevant performance of the most common alternatives (i.e., metro, tram, monorail, and BRT) are provided based on international literature review. A multi-criteria decision-aiding methodology based on TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), allowing for the direct exclusion of an alternative not meeting certain “binding” criteria from further evaluation, thus saving time, effort and cost, taking into account different stakeholders’ interests and preferences, as well as the particularities and special characteristics of the study area, is then proposed and tested through a theoretical case study. Full article

Designing sustainable farming systems in mountainous regions is particularly challenging because of complex economic, social, and environmental factors. Production models prioritizing sustainability and environmental protection require integrated assessment methodologies that can address multiple criteria and incorporate diverse stakeholders’ perspectives while ensuring accuracy and applicability. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and multi-actor multi-criteria analysis (MAMCA) are two complementary approaches that support “eco-design” strategies aimed at identifying the most sustainable options, including on-farm transformation processes. This study presents an integrated application of LCA and MAMCA to four supply chains: rye bread, barley beer, cow cheese, and goat cheese. The results show that cereal-based systems have lower environmental impacts than livestock systems do, although beer’s required packaging significantly increases its footprint. The rye bread chain emerged as the most sustainable and widely preferred option, except under high-climatic risk scenarios. In contrast, livestock-based systems were generally less favorable because of greater impacts and risks but gained preference when production security became a priority. Both approaches underline the need for a deep understanding of production performance. Future assessments in mountain contexts should integrate logistical aspects and cooperative models to enhance the resilience and sustainability of short food supply chains. Full article

Sustainable economic decision making increasingly requires robust methodologies capable of withstanding deep uncertainty, particularly in volatile financial and resource-constrained environments. This paper introduces a unified optimization framework based on nonlinear scalarizing functionals, designed to support resilient planning under structural ambiguity. By integrating performance objectives with risk boundaries, the proposed model generalizes classical robustness paradigms—such as strict and reliable robustness—into a single tractable and economically interpretable formulation. A key innovation lies in translating scenario-based uncertainty into a directional performance index, aligned with stakeholder-defined sustainability criteria and encoded via a preference vector k. This scalarization approach supports behaviorally consistent and computationally efficient decision-making even in the absence of complete probabilistic information. A case study in multi-scenario portfolio allocation demonstrates the model’s capacity to maintain return stability while respecting predefined risk tolerances. Computational benchmarks confirm the framework’s scalability to larger problem instances, validating its practical applicability. Beyond financial applications, the model also holds promise for sustainable policy design, infrastructure planning, and resource allocation under deep uncertainty. This work contributes to bridging the gap between abstract optimization theory and applied sustainability challenges, offering a robust and adaptive decision-support tool for real-world implementation. Full article