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Analysis of old cartographic sources provides an opportunity to create a retrospective picture of the past. One of these important sources for study is "Map of Gurjstani vilayet" published by Al. Aslanikashvili in 1953, The map (which) was compiled according to the Ottoman document of the 16th century. The document reflects the period when the southern part of South Georgia was part of the Ottoman Empire under the name of the province of Gurjistani Vilayet (Samtskhe-Saatabago). Today, the largest part of this terr...

The aim of this project is to compare the effectiveness of different neural network architectures and pre-trained models for the classification of forest flora and fauna. Experiments were conducted on a dataset containing images of selected plants and animals found in the forest. The project covers the basics of convolutional neural networks, and compares the architectures of the networks used in the study. The results of the experiments compare the effectiveness of different convolutional neural network architect...

The use of hydrogen as a fuel requires as much research as possible on the construction and functional parameters for the development of appropriate burners. The researches undertaken are addressed to diffuse flame burners with concentric jets of fuel and air. These burners cannot lead to flame return, the combustion being much safer, than for the case of burners with fuel-air mixture. The researches were carried out by numerical modeling through the ANSYS-FLUENT V.14.0 software. An important stage of the research...

On the way to a climate-neutral Europe and a cleaner planet in general, it is important to rethink energy supply and build a fully integrated energy system within the framework of the European Green Deal. According to research, renewable energies could provide a substantial part of the European energy mix until 2050. In this mix, hydrogen could represent up to 20%, respectively between 20-50% of energy needed in transport and between 5-20% of energy needed in industry. An economy based on renewable hydrogen can si...

Flood occurrences outline the Bulgarian Skat river catchment as especially floods risk vulnerable territory. The floods observed there cause serious damages. This indicates that additional preventive and mitigation measures are needed. Part of the measures proposed in the connected to the area Flood Risk Management Plan (FRMP) 2022-2027 envisage changes in the rules for the operation of existing dams. In help of this activity in this material are presented the results of a study aiming determination of the potenti...

Advancements in remote sensing technology have provided excellent opportunities for mapping the seabed and substrates. Pomorie and Nessebar are ideal for combining single-beam sonar, multi-beam sounding, and drone imaging to map seabed forms and substrates. This paper presents the final stage of the "Multidisciplinary study of Burgas Bay - MidBay" Project. The project aims to create a substrate map and identify different seabed forms. Recent systematic studies have shown that the seabed, beach, and shallowest part...

Building fires threaten not only human lives, property and animals, but also the environment. Their safety can be ensured by installing smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system and sprinkler stable fire extinguishing system. However, these devices can negatively affect each other. The procedure for avoiding this negative interaction is different in countries around the world. The aim of this research was to compare the approaches of selected foreign countries to solving the problem of the negative interaction of ...

At various stages of processing manganese ores, significant volumes of finely dispersed manganese-containing raw materials are formed. Development of technological solutions is required for their use in metallurgical processes. The aim of the study was to develop technologies intended to beneficiate manganesecontaining sludge with the fraction of less than 5 mm and to obtain pellets suitable to be melted into ferromanganese on their basis. The developed beneficiation process flow for manganese sludge includes the ...

In recent decades, small domestic wastewater treatment plants have become popular in rural areas of the Slovak Republic. The reason for the expansion of decentralized wastewater management is that many rural areas have scattered settlements, and a centralized wastewater disposal system is economically, technically demanding, and inefficient. The disadvantage of using small domestic treatment plants in terms of environmental protection is that these facilities have yet to be significantly monitored. Due to improper...

In recent years there has been an increase in interest in biodegradable polymers. Biopolymers are upcoming competitors for the synthetic polymers with their profound attributes like eco-friendliness and biodegradability. They can be classified as natural biopolymers, chemically synthesized biopolymers, and microbial biopolymers. One of the most widely used chemically synthesized biopolymers is aliphatic polyester polylactic acid (PLA). It is a thermoplastic derived from renewable, organic sources such as corn star...

Scientific research using advanced observation technologies and mathematical models aimed at estimating seasonal snow cover and its water equivalent (SWE) helps to reduce the costs of snow cover monitoring and improve the management of the soil-water-crop system. Following the above goals, this paper analyzes two approaches - the Community Land Model (CLM) producing own calculated data, and the ESA GlobSnow v.3.0 product based on the European Space Agency (ESA) GlobSnow project satellite data. The studies were car...

The use of digital twin models in immovable culture heritage enables better decisionmaking about preventive maintenance, heritage management, and interpretation, as well as accurate digital documentation. This publication discusses an approach for creating a digital twin using different methods of spatial data acquisition: close range terrestrial digital photogrammetry, aerial digital photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning. The "Holy Transfiguration" Church in Pomorie, Bulgaria which is the oldest functioni...

The agricultural area of the town of Sanicolau Mare is 18,836 ha, where the following types of soil were identified: aluviosols, 2,335.66 ha; chernozems, 7,553.24 ha; vertosols, 4,407.62 ha; gleysols, 94.18 ha; solonetz, 659.26 ha; and soil associations, such as aluviosols, chernozems, vertosols and solonetz, 3,786.04 ha. The town is in the low plain of the Aranca Canal. The plain is generally plane, but slightly fragmented as a result of water erosion during flooding by the River Mure? (no longer possible nowaday...

The purpose of the article is to analyze international legal documents regarding the possibility of their application for the purpose of environmental protection during armed conflict. Special attention was paid to the provisions of international humanitarian law. The gaps that exist in this area were identified. The topic is especially relevant nowadays, when we are witnessing the significant damage caused to the environment during the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Already now, the d...

Grasslands is globally important vegetation type for providing feed resources for grazing animals. An improved understanding of the factors affecting the long-term productivity of the ecosystems will be beneficial, as well as to developing a better understanding of the role these ecosystems play in global environmental change. Arid and semi-arid Mediterranean grasslands provide valuable forage for grazing animals in the eastern part of the Mediterranean area and have been subjected to long-term unsustainable grazi...

Bregovo is a small Bulgarian town located on the border with the Republic of Serbia. It is situated 6 kilometers from the mouth of the Timok River, which flows into the Danube River. Despite the proximity of the river, the town experienced some complications in its water supply. The purpose of the research is to to analyze and evaluate the water supply system of the town of Bregovo. The water supply in the municipality of Bregovo is taken care of by the operator "ViK Vidin" EOOD. The separate territory of "ViK Vid...

In the context of the global environmental crisis the development of new pedagogical models and teaching methods at the universities of Ukraine is aimed at the formation of socio-psychological competencies of future specialists as subjects of the implementation of the concept of sustainable development. The article presents the results of eco-psychological research of the level of formation of ecological thinking among engineering students. More than 300 students from three universities of Dnipro and Poltava have ...

The litterfall (fallen leaves, flowers, fruits and twigs) in the forests represents part of dead plant mass. The quantity and quality of litterfall in forests plays an important role in their state. Through it, a large part of chemical elements is returned to the cycle of the ecosystem, it is an essential carbon depot, it affects regeneration, soil moisture, fertility, composition, fauna and flora. The study presents data on stocks of chemical elements in annual literfall of Western Stara planina. The sample plots...

The paper presents the possibility of floating photovoltaic farms on the reservoirs of the Olt river in Romania. For the analysis, a database with the solar irradiance evolution for one year in the four possible locations was created, using the PVGIS-SARAH2 database. The locations were chosen according to the surface area of the reservoir, geographical position, and possibility of connection to the national energy system. After the analysis, it was observed that during the cold season, the solar irradiance is high...

One of the areas in Romania where the environment felt from human activities is Jiu Valley (Petrosani Depression), an area where the main activity was mining. This fact led to pollution of the area, pollution that affects both health of population and tourism, which is considered as a viable economic alternative. Investigation of environmental components, identification and analysis of impact sources on air and surface waters are the objective of this paper, which is a first step of a larger research, that will le...

The identification and analysis of the dangers of accidental initiation/detonation of pyrotechnic devices with a technical purpose in the automotive field containing pyrotechnic articles of category P1 is carried out on the basis of the results obtained following the performance of specialized tests according to the applicable reverential SE EN ISO 14451. The evaluation of the safety quality of these types of products is of particular interest both for occupational safety in their manufacturing process because the...

The escalating intensity of climate change-induced storms necessitates efficient methods for surveying storm-damaged forests. This study conducted in Estonia employed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), equipped with compact cameras, to assess damage over a 16 square kilometer storm-affected area. We created digital surface models (DSMs) and orthophoto mosaics using two types of drones - a fixedwing and a multirotor. While both types had their distinct advantages depending on the terrain, a 70% x 70% overlap of image...

Nodule bacteria increase the resistance of host plants to abiotic stress factors; however, the role of the genetic potential of rhizobia in the formation of productive salt-tolerant plant-microbial symbiosis remains underestimated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the pool of genes responsible for the salt tolerance of the alfalfa microsymbiont, Sinorhizobium meliloti, using the DNA microarray technique, phenotype microarray (PM), NGS and NNGS-technologies and genome mining (antismash 5.0). As a result of the ...

Following the EC directives and corresponding National regulations under approval, the possibilities for deployment of marine energy conversion farms have been considered, with a focus on the floating wind generators as one of the most promising applications and advantages. The specifics of local climate, hydrology and geography along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast have been analyzed, based on long-term surveys, and three potential areas of deployment were recommended, keeping in mind restrictions imposed by the Na...

The extraction and utilization of planetary materials in situ are of utmost importance to establish a sustainable human presence on Mars. Among these resources, water stands out as the most valuable due to its potential for producing rocket propellants and supporting life systems for astronauts. This research delves into the water resources in Meridiani Planum, an equatorial region where the presence of hydrated sulfates has been confirmed. Leveraging data from the Opportunity Rover and its advanced instruments- t...

In this study, we aim to demonstrate the change in the topography of the sea floor as a result of the sedimentation of rivers. The study area is the Divjaka Bay, bounded to the north by the delta of the Shkumbin River and to the south by the delta of the Seman River, on the Adriatic coast of Albania. The method used is the Integrated Satellite Bathymetric Surveying method. The monitoring period extends from 2017 to 2020, based on 4 monitoring campaigns. The longitudinal bathymetric profile extends northsouth, in p...

Precipitation is the main source of recharge of water resources, thus guaranteeing their renewability. Not only hydrometeorological changes, but also anthropogenic factors exacerbate the above-mentioned effects. The increase in the level of investment seen especially in recent years in urban agglomerations through the intensification of development, increased development of impervious and paved surfaces, the use of vacant land, and thus the reduction of biologically active areas has resulted in an increase in rain...

The antibiotic resistance is a well-researched and of great interest subject for both veterinary and human medicine, not only due to the impact on human and animal health, but also for the effects that are triggered in the long run that are hard to specify at this moment. It is unanimously recognized the fact that the emergence of antimicrobial resistance phenomenon reduces the possibility of a large scale use of bacterial etiology diseases preventing and controlling means In the study was aimed both the isolation...

Indoor positioning systems have a wide variety of applications. They can be used to see and track user location, for real-time navigation and others. They are usually developed for a specific building or set of buildings and may use different positioning techniques to meet the user needs in terms of accuracy and budget constraints. For the current study free and open source data is used for development of the base map - OpenStreetMap and Leaflet library. The data for specific building is added, as the floor plans ...

In geodetic practice, the definition of spatial objects in relation to a uniform and reliable coordinate system is of paramount importance. In the Republic of Bulgaria by the Decree of the Council of Ministers No 153 of 29 July 2010 and Regulation No 2 of 30 July 2010 on the Definition and Maintenance of the Bulgarian Geodetic System 2005 (BGS2005). The points of the State GPS network (SGPSN), defined in the ETRS89 coordinate system, realization ETRF2000, epoch 2005.0 represent a realization of BGS2005 and their i...

Today, humanity must deal with the consequences of ongoing climate change. The most observed manifestations of climate change include increasing temperatures, as well as increasing monthly and annual average temperatures. In the present work, the change in the number of days with temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius and above 35 degrees Celsius was compared. Meteorological data from 21 climatic stations on the territory of the Kosice and Presov self-governing regions (Slovakia) were provided by the Slova...

The village of Sag has an area of 8,664 ha, of which 8,419 ha is agricultural land. The deterioration of soil quality has negative repercussions on either one or all soil functions. From a geomorphological point of view, the territory of the village is located in the Banat- Crisana Plain, part of the Western Plain of Romania, the eastern extremity of the Tisza Plain, in the Timis-Bega interfluvium, a unit formed exclusively by the cumulative action of the Timis River. The sustainable use of the soil involves measu...

Kosovo has significant reserves of coal, where their exploitation began in 1922, coal is a mixture of organic mineral material produced by a natural process of growth and decay, or an accumulation of debris both vegetal and mineral with some sorting and stratification. Based on the geological map, the Kosovo Basin is mainly a tectonic area filled with tertiary sediments. Old rocks represent the Basin area, in the west Paleozoic age and in the east by Upper Cretaceous sediments. In the Coal Basin of Kosovo, along w...

It is well known that woodpeckers and their distribution is mostly affected by deadwood. However, in Latvia there have not been any studies about how other forest structural components like growing trees and vegetation can affect distribution of woodpeckers and their choice of habitats. In recent years estimation of ecosystem services has become popular in Latvia and it is used in nature conservation matters. The aim of the research was to analyse structures characterizing the habitats of broadleaf forests and ide...

This article outlines time series analysis of sea level data from Varna tide gauge stations, to solve for short and long term sea level variations. The period of observations span to 1928 - 2022. Monthly sea level data were processed using a linear regression model includes mean sea level, trend, annual, semiannual and decadal variations. Analysis of monthly sea level data for period 1928-2022 clearly indicates annual and decadal variations of mean sea level. Hourly sea level data of radar tide gauge include the p...

The issue of environmentally conditioned conflicts is extremely topical in the current geopolitical situation. The current, in many cases, uneven and unregulated economic and population growth, together with the ever-increasing global consumption, causes many countries to face a growing shortage of vital renewable resources, such as drinking water, arable land, pastures, forests, fish resources, etc. Depletion and excessive use of natural resources, combined with environmental degradation and climate change, is on...

Addressing environmental issues is related to the scientific, economic, social, and political issues of a particular country. Human impact on nature is increasingly strong to equal to the action of natural factors, resulting in an imbalance of forces between society and nature. Day by day, pollutants accumulate in some or other environmental object, some of which do not take part in the natural cycle and accumulate in the biosphere, causing adverse ecological consequences. Mining industry plays a special role in t...

Sustainability reporting landscape is evolving rapidly due to the expanding legislation worldwide. The new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive is challenging European companies to restructure their business models and processes and to enhance their corporate reporting. Considering the increasing number of reporting requirements, this paper aims at providing critical analysis of the current employers- demand on sustainability competences needed for setting up the relevant reporting processes. The empirical...

The development and testing of advanced materials for the protection and repair of concrete structures is the main objective of the presented research. Two types of synthetic resins have been developed, applied to concrete samples and their effectiveness in improving the durability of the samples investigated has been tested. Type A is an epoxy resin with non-reactive solvents, originally designed for thin-layer surface treatment to achieve a highly closed and cross-linked surface. Type 50 is a modified low-viscos...

The increase of the population also involve the increase of the consumption of raw materials. This requires the diversification and development of industrial processes in closed semi-enclosed or open spaces. The carrying out of human activities of an industrial nature involves the accidental use, handling or presence of explosive substances such as methane. The presence of this gas in closed or semi-closed spaces can generate explosion phenomena. The dynamics of methane discharge in closed enclosures, industrial o...

A novel composite matrix composed of Portland cement (PC) and municipal solid waste incineration ash (MSWIA) was developed for the simultaneous immobilization of three heavy metals - Ba, Pb and Zn. The main motivation for the research was to exploit and reuse MSWIA to design alternative composite matrix with the ability to immobilize hazardous pollutants, such as heavy metals, which might be used as filler for the cement-based construction materials. In composition of prepared composite matrix, MSWIA was used as a...

In the energy field hydrogen will be more obvious to use by certain technologies than by direct combustion. The paper presents a conceptual analysis on the use of hydrogen by hydrogen by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide with final product methane, by hydrogenation of carbon dioxide, with the final product of methanol and by injection in certain proportions into the natural gas network. A new application of carbon dioxide hydrogenation is the decarbonisation of flue gases. To this end, conceptual analyses have been ...

Even if the total amount of water in the world remains the same, we observe a constant deterioration of water quality, water ecosystems and the surrounding environment of water courses and reservoirs. At the same time, the costs of treatment of surface and underground water for drinking water. For this reason, the pollution limits for wastewater treatment plants of all types are constantly being tightened, which increases the already high costs of their operation and often increases in the increased prices for was...

Effective transportation planning must take into account urban factors and public space in order to achieve sustainable and efficient solutions to transportation problems in urban areas. Public space includes not only parks, squares, and markets, but also sidewalks and roads. Properly managed transportation in public space can help minimize traffic congestion, ensure efficient and safe movement of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, and overall improve its quality. The specific example which is frequently used in...

This study quantifies the elemental composition of soil, vegetation, and the level of trace elements in coals to identify the impacts associated with coal mining practices in the Longyearbyen and Barentsburg settlements, the Svalbard archipelago. The analysis is based on a data set that includes 26 chemical elements measured in 74 soil, 29 vegetation, and 4 coal samples provided by a catena-based survey strategy. The concentrations of lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), and vanadium (V) ...

In this paper will discuss the minerals present in pegmatites, seen as a way of storing chemical elements, important from an economic point of view. The study area is called Con?u - Negovanu, and is located between the two mountain massifs known as Cindrel (Cibin) and Lotru Mountains. Muscovite (seen as a possible indicator for lithium in Con?u - Negovanu pegmatites), one of the important minerals alongside quartz, spodumene, and albite cleavelandite variety, is probably the mineral that includes in its structure ...

An environmentally safe method - metal-vapor synthesis (MVS), was applied to produce iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs), which were conjugated with the drug methotrexate (MTX). The physicochemical properties and biological activity of the generated Fe NPs-MTX nanomaterials were analyzed. Transmission electron microscopy observations indicated that Fe NPs are stabilized in the form of aggregates with a size of 100 nm. The structure of these aggregates is similar to a -bunch of grapes-, which consists of metal particles ab...

Blasting and mechanical excavation systems are the main methods used in the excavation of rocks masses in mining and construction works. Mechanical excavation is insufficient in the case of very hard rocks masses. Therefore, blasting is widely preferred for the excavation of hard rock masses. Environmental parameters such as ground vibrations, air-shock and fly-rock occur due to blasting. The magnitude of these parameters depend on the explosive per delay, distance between the measurement- and blasting points, geo...

The paper describes examples of applying elliptic integrals in mathematical cartography calculations, i.e. related with cartographic projections and reference surfaces. Selected equations and algorithms used in calculating the meridian arc length on an oblate spheroid, meridian arc length on a tri-axial ellipsoid, the equation and length of the geodesic, and coordinate transformation on an oblate spheroid, have been applied. Examples of elliptic integral application for the construction of cartographic projections...

Along with the enlarging of post-mining towns, the use of abandoned mining areas for various purposes is gradually being approached. This raises the question of the safety of the closed shafts. The following article discusses the determination of attributes which can help to reveal stability problems of disused mine shafts with the increasing of mine water level in Ostrava Basin. The first part is devoted to the need to obtain the most relevant documents about each of the shafts. These documents include data from ...