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From fast-growing plants, Miscanthus is a promising alternative energy source exploitable at regional level. The climatic conditions in the region also have a significant impact on the biomass production and also on the economic efficiency. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the influence of selected climatic parameters on the total production of the above-ground biomass of two Miscanthus genotypes in the Nitra region in the Slovak republic for the years 2015-2018. The method of monitoring climatic parameters an...

The regular mode of the 3rd kind (method of periodic heating) is one of the effective ways to measure a complex of thermal characteristics (thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and heat capacity) of gases and liquids (see, for example, the works of L.P. Filippov and S.N. Kravchun). Currently, this method has become widely used to study the thermal properties of solids. In our works, schemes of the process of heat transfer in the system of three contacting bodies ? the sample under study and two semi-limited (...

Historical province in south-eastern Romania, Dobrogea has been inhabited since ancient times as attested to identify objects belonging to Neolithic cultures Gumelnita and Hamangia. On the western coastline of the Black Sea have placed the Greek colonists from sec. VII i. Chr. In ancient times, Dobrogea was named Scythia Minor. The population has been long and constant, traditional occupation being agriculture, in the present share of arable land exceeding 2/3 of the total. The total area of the Dobrogea Plateau i...

The tremendously increased energy needs due to advancement in technology have put pressure on electric grids. The conventional grids cannot bear that extra load. Although the availability of renewable resources (solar, wind, hydro and biomass) at a large scale have great potential to offer environment friendly energy solutions, however, the compatibility of Distributed Renewable Energy Sources (DRES) with existing conventional grids in developing countries is a serious concern. Therefore, the issue of growing elec...

Thermal treatment of solid waste, carried out in a rotary kiln, is a complex process most commonly used for selected types of waste. These wastes are a very diverse group, among which hazardous wastes are most often mentioned. The process is subject to specific legal and technical conditions, which was described in the work. An important aspect of the work of a waste incineration plant is the preparation of waste for the thermal process, thanks to which it is possible to identify risks and optimize the process, wh...

The rapid developments of science and technology, as well as the restructuring of the extractive mining industry, have led to massive changes in the structure and complexity of mining equipment. Mining units must provide an advanced level of mechanization and automation, thus ensuring increased productivity and safety. The use of modern information technologies for surveillance and monitoring of high complexity technological facilities is a topical issue. By monitoring the main functional parameters of excavation,...

In this work, the high-bog peat was used for the production of monosaccharide as a biofuel source. As it is known, peat is one of the renewable energy sources which is widespread in the Central Region of the Russian Federation. Paet contains over 40% of such polysaccharides like cellulose and hemicelluloses. The study of the peat pretreatment methods for further hydrolysis is the main task for chemical and biotechnology. In the current work, the effectiveness of the ultrasonic pretreatment of the high-bog peat for...

The geotechnical characteristics of rocks influence their behavior in terms of their strength and stability. Changing the geotechnical characteristics of the rocks is the direct cause of the loss of the natural balance of the slope when the resistance forces defeated by the sliding forces. Influence factors, which may be of geological, hydrogeological, hydrometeorological, climatic, seismic, biotic, anthropic, mechanical or geomechanical nature and occur in time and space on rock massifs/deposits, determines the c...

Traditional agriculture is characterized by high indicators of economic efficiency, but the ecologic consequences of its implementation cause a decrease of soil productivity and environmental pollution. Soil productivity is determined by its fertility ? an ability of the soil to meet the needs of plants in the elements of nutrition, moisture, air, as well as provision of the conditions for their normal live to obtain stable yields. Rational use of land resources in agricultural production, the development and effe...

Riparian ecosystems play significant role both in the natural and man related activities. They are important part of the hydrological cycle and ecosystem services. They actively support many processes connected to the environment wellbeing, floods retention and mitigation, erosion reducing, river restoration. But under the climate and climate change specifics and anthropogenic works they are under continuous pressure, surely affecting their natural development. To safe and mitigate presented impacts various measur...

For the district governance level, taking into account the medium- and long-term changes in the model of strategic spatial planning of marine activities (marine spatial planning) natural and environmental sustainability factors are one of the most important components, which is necessary to consider. Their importance is due to the fact that the geographical environment, being complex and comprehensive formation, has a strong impact on the development and preservation of ecosystems. At the same time, for the consid...

Ensuring the continuous production of housing and communal services, forms quality indicators of the human environment. The strategic orientation of the municipal management system allows enterprises to adapt to changing market conditions. In order to ensure the successful functioning and development of the industry, the classification and assessment of the probability of occurrence of negative events is carried out., which are a manifestation of latent or real threat to the safety of the human environment. With t...

In this paper a new type of Ru-containing catalysts based hypercrosslinked polystyrene (HPS) is proposed for cellulose hydrolytic hydrogenation to increase the selectivity to sorbitol. Also, we report the development of Ru-containing magnetically recoverable catalysts for cellulose hydrogenolysis to low alcohols, EG and PG. The use of the 1.0% Ru/HPS MN-270 catalyst allows achieving the total sorbitol and mannitol yield about 50% (245 °C, 60 bar H2, 30 mL water, 600 rpm, 0.028 mmol Ru on 1 g cellulose, process dur...

At the head of all the activities of society are human resources, they are making technological breakthroughs and the development of economic growth. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the development of new technologies is carried out at the expense of organizations working to improve the economy and technological development; organizations face the difficult task of stimulating human resources for a technological breakthrough. In this article, corporate social responsibility is considered as one of the tools...

Safety planning is an important part of the mechanism that helps overcome extraordinary events or crisis situations. A safety plan is a general planning document such as a crisis plan, emergency plan, flood plan, etc. that focuses on the safety of an area. The structures of individual safety plans are defined in various legal and methodological regulations in the Czech Republic. The content may include safety plans aimed at either preventing or responding to emergencies. Some safety plans have combined content and...

In the past decade significant attention has been given to the development of tools that attempt to measure the vulnerability, risk or resilience of communities to disasters. Particular attention has been given to the development of composite indices to quantify these concepts mirroring their deployment in other fields such as sustainable development. Whilst some authors have published reviews of disaster vulnerability, risk and resilience composite indicator methodologies, these have been of a limited nature. Thi...

The present paper aims to assess the microbiological water quality of the wetland La Tembladera?, Ecuador. The object of study is located in the southwestern Ecuador, canton Santa Rosa, in the province El Oro. Microbiological analyses included the determination of the sanitary-indicative microorganisms? number, such as total bacterial count, bacteria Escherichia coli, ?lostridium, actinomycetes and micromycetes. Water samples were collected two times per week during dry tropical season at three points with differe...

Human losses in Europe are mostly associated with meteorological and climatological hazards such as heat waves, heavy precipitation, river floods, windstorms and landslides. Economic losses are most significant for the industry, transport and energy sectors. Highest economic losses and annual numbers of affected people are caused mainly by geophysical and hydrological disasters. Landslides are natural hazards that cause fatalities and significant economic losses in various parts of Europe. Heavy precipitation even...

It is well known that the main purpose for all upscaling techniques related with homogenization of initial any heterogeneous property and substituting it with an effective value. Thus, the essence of upscaling is computing weighted average on the fine-grid to form coarse-grid considering representative elementary volume. The goal of this research work was experimental investigations of pore space distribution of carbonate rocks. Samples were collected from the Upper Permian ages core data. Samples bulk porosity we...

This work is about paleogeographic reconstructions on the basis of mineralogical and geochemical studies. Vanavar, Oskobinsk and Sobinsk formations of the Vendian age (Ilbokichskoe deposit in Eastern Siberia) were studied. The complex of research included data of XRD and ICP-MS. According to the obtained results, the mineralogical composition of the sediments was refined. Quartz, carbonate minerals, represented by magnesite, dolomite, calcite and siderite, and sulfates ? gypsum, barite, anhydrite are noted among t...

In this paper, we present the spatial distribution of sedimentological and geochemical characteristics of the bottom sediments of Vouliagmeni lake which is located in the SW Perachora peninsula extending into the eastern Gulf of Corinth, Greece. A total of nineteen (19) samples consisting of upper 1-2cm lake bottom sediments were collected and analyzed. Standard sedimentological analyses were carried out including grain size analysis and the measurement of calcium carbonate content (CaCO3), total organic carbon (T...

Seismic studies are used to solve a wide range of different tasks, such as studying the bottom profile of water bodies and bottom sediments, detecting sunken objects, designing various structures (pipelines, port facilities, etc.), estimating the thickness of sapropel deposits, calculating their reserves, etc. In terms of paleoclimatic reconstructions the importance of such studies is increasing. Lake deposits are sensitive archives that provide continuous and high-resolution records of environmental change. In th...

The American NASA Apollo missions to the lunar surface, between 1969 and 1972 greatly increased the knowledge of the Moon as well as that of our own Earth's age and origins. Part of the scientific research used geophysical techniques to help define the structure of the Moon, both deep and also regarding the near surface. One such experimentation that was carried out, on both Apollo 14 and Apollo 16, as part of the Apollo Lunar Seismic Experiment Package (ALSEP), was the Active Seismic Experiment (ASE). The ASE com...

The study is based on seismicity data analysis, using seismological data available from published local, regional and global earthquakes catalogues. Seismicity data for Romania, Bulgaria and the Western Black Sea have been compiled into a unique data-base and represented within a georeferenced framework. A large number of seismicity maps at various depths and depth intervals, as well as W-E, N-S and NE-SW in-depth seismicity graphs have been built. The regional structure of interest is the Intramoesian Fault (IMF)...

The Apuseni Mountains are located in the western part of Romania and are limited to the west by the contact with Pannonian Depression and to the east by the Transylvanian Basin. Basically To the south Apuseni Mountains are bounded by the South Transylvanian Fault and in the northern part by the North Transylvanian Fault. Apuseni Mountains represents an isolated massif inside Carpathian arch, consisting of complex folds and thrust belts formed in Cretaceous period as results of interactions between multiples microp...

During the exploitation of offshore deposits, earthquakes of technogenic nature may occur. Currently working geodynamic systems on the Korchagin and Filanovsky platforms in the North Caspian Sea were created and deployed. In addition, since 2007, for several years, periodic monitoring of local seismicity at the Kravtsovskoye field in the Baltic Sea has been carried out. As a result of seismological monitoring, it was found the presence of earthquake epicenters in the oil production region on the D6 platform and th...

In this paper the d-posterior approach to the problem of guaranteeing the statistical inference is used to estimate the average value ?? of the normal distribution under the prior truncated normal distribution of ??. It is assumed that the experimenter has prior information about the smallness of the mean parameter ?? of truncated normal distribution. Such statistical analysis scheme is applicable for example for estimation the percentage of rare elements or impurities in manufactured food or in other products. Th...

The Black Sea is the largest marine anoxic basin in the world, connected with the Mediterranean through the Bosporus Strait, Marmara Sea and Dardanelles Strait. During global ocean low-stands, the Black Sea basin was isolated from the Mediterranean evolving as a fresh-brackish giant water body. In the Late Pliocene ? Pleistocene times, the Black Sea experienced periodic influxes of water from the Caspian Sea through the Manych Corridor. These hydrological changes that occurred in the Black Sea basin had greatly in...

This work is related to the analysis of two complicated pipeline sections (section «A» and section «B»). Rheological properties (hydrometer MARS?II Haake) of produced and transported fluids. Hydraulic calculation of the technological process of fluid transportation from the well sites to the oil collection system was performed. Hydraulic modeling carried out with the help of PIPESIM software. The input data for process modeling were the results of investigations of rheological properties of transported fluids and ...

The aim of the work is to achieve a successful replacement of the ribbed heat exchanger (evaporator) for later simulation of the loop thermosiphon performance for cooling the electrotechnical box. The Ansys CFD program will be used for simulation, which needs the simplest network for correct and optimal calculations. Because of the complexity and the large number of cells in the ribbed exchanger, there is just a replacement model. A porous model evaporator will be used as a replacement. For this purpose, several p...

The article describes an effective simulated model of international timber transportation, which is a part of support methodology for the selection of a transportation scheme of international timber transportation. The main objective of the developed model is to increase the economic efficiency of international timber transportation. Using the simulation method is due to its availability and cost-effectiveness. The initial data used in the model are experimental data (time spent on the moving from the loading poin...

The problems of meteorological (wind) loads modeling on high-rise structures are considered. Arising oscillations lead to technical risks and uncomfortable being in residential and office rooms of these buildings. Technogenic impacts from transport and construction work can also lead to the development of negative oscillatory processes in buildings. Models describing the reactions of the structures of a building to outer impacts transmitted through geophysical media are proposed. Using spectral methods, based on d...

The topicality of this study: The corporate social responsibility (CSR) became a particularly topical issue in the field of entrepreneurship since Latvia has joined the European Union in 2004, as well as for Bulgaria as the country joining the EU. All business companies are asked to undertake the strategy of social responsibility and to adopt the principles of social responsibility. In the context of this study, a sustainability strategy is adjusted to the specific economic, social, environmental and cultural fact...

World Economic Development in the Last Quarter of the 20th century has been marked by several major processes, which have been clearly expressed in spatial projection at global, regional and local levels. The active process of industrial restructuring, has grown into deindustrialization in a number of regions. The reasons for this were related to the depressing nature of a number of industries that, in changing economic conditions, failed to respond to the market trends. A number of demographic and social processe...

Traditionally, the rural areas are characterized by a lower level of social sphere development, a limited range of services offered, difficult access to part of the population, etc. The demographic resources of these territories have specific features and require target development policies that will limit the depopulation of the rural areas. The social entrepreneurship is seen as a mechanism for solving social problems in rural areas and social enterprises are seen as a way to promote the active integration of vu...

?Social futuring? labels a new, academic concept and approach tested to be exploited in the measurement of social entities? readiness for their prosperous futures. This novel approach was introduced by the Social Futuring Center (SFC) of Corvinus University of Budapest in the frame of an international and multidisciplinary research project launched in 2017. The planned outcome of the project is the Social Futuring Index (SFI) that will be employable to indicate countries? future-prone assets, capabilities and mind...

The dolomite problem is very popular among geologists, who are especially working with oil-saturated carbonate rocks. Probably, this is the most common type of diagenetic transformation of limestone. However, the problem of secondary dolomitization is still insufficiently discussed, as a process associated with oil migration and oil-charge. The main purpose of this study is the geological reconstruction of diagenetic changes for the Tournaisian and Visean dolomites based on the application of data from cathodolumi...

It is known that clastic material originated as a result of the transformation and translocation of rocks and minerals is the major constituent element of soil. Its genesis and petro-chemical composition essentially determines the formation of the soil of some or other taxon. The field and laboratory studies accomplished by us showed that soil-forming rocks in Interior Mountainous Ajara are andesite and andesite-basalt elluviums with intense magmatic instructive fracturing with various mechanisms and directions of...

The article deals with the problem of ownership of lands necessary for the operation of SHP by different entities. Several variants of solutions leading to the settlement of ownership relations to immovable property were elaborated. To ensure access, it was necessary to propose a range of service. The non-standard assessment also included solving problems related to the valuation of a flat in a small hydroelectric power plant, pricing and runoff and other engineering structures related to the hydroelectric power p...

In the environment are present heavy metals such as Cu2+ and Pb2+. Metal-processing industries, mineral processing, the manufacturers of inorganic products and large scale coal users, such as public utilities are the major sources of heavy metal pollution. These heavy metals are toxic, are non-biodegradable, and they pose potentially lethal risks at high levels. Chemosorption is emerging as a potential alternative to the existing conventional technologies for the removal and/or recovery of heavy metal ions from aq...

In Latvia, land is the key natural resource, and the use of it for production purposes is of great importance. The utilised agricultural area in Latvia totalled 1.93 mln.ha, of which 47% or 905 thou.ha was grassland. Meadows and pastures had a 70% proportion, while permanent grasses had a 30% proportion in the cropping pattern for grassland. Therefore, the overall aim of the present research is to identify the grassland area and the geographic locations of and the cropping pattern for grasslands in Latvia. To achi...

Soils are the foundation of food production and food security. Many agricultural practices can potentially mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Managed organic soils are the largest sources of GHG emissions from agriculture. In Latvia, organic soils have been little researched to date. Therefore, the overall aim of the present research is to identify the geographical locations, quality and uses of organic soils in Latvia. To achieve the aim, the following specific research tasks are defined: 1) to analyse the ...

Competition in air transport is growing and is a significant factor influencing airlines in the development of the strategy. In this article, we analyse the Bucharest-Tel-Aviv line which is operated by three airlines Tarom, EL AL and Blue Air, which are not allied and have no bilateral agreements. These companies are therefore direct competitors, and in our analysis, we are more closely examining their pricing policy over the reference period. By analysing the data we compared the possibilities of the aforemention...

The results of the field studies of heavy metals in snow cover presented in this work for urbanized territory of Almaty agglomeration first time. Seventy-five samples were collected during the period from February 5 to March 10, 2018 at 25 permanent monitoring sites. Samples of snow were analyzed for heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd) using ??S-7000 (Shimadzu). The obtained quantitative data were used to assess the nature of the spatial distribution of metals in the snow cover of the study area and based on them were p...

High qualitative and quantitative requirements for dimension stone on the building materials market make producers update the methods used currently to assess natural fracturing in areas of interest at various levels when prospecting potential zones. As most well-exposed areas are already being quarried, new areas are most efficiently prospected using statistical and mining-geometric methods and the data obtained are analyzed. Locating dimension stone prospects is a multi-stage process. Analysis of large areas per...

This paper describes the results of the project which uses information from core lab studies in reservoir simulation in order to improve the quality of the forecasting ability. Samples of core were selected for each of the rock type in order to study wettability. Studies on the determination of the contact angle of wetting were carried out by the device, which allows determining the surface tension and contact angle in the formation conditions. The obtained values were applied for each of the five rock types for f...

The Lublin Coal Basin (LCB) is situated in the eastern part of Poland. Bituminous coals occur in Carboniferous Layers under the thin overburden built from Jurassic, Cretaceous and Neogene sediments. Most attractive seams (8 -12 to 18 balanced seams), with the mean thickness of about 1,3 ? 1,7 m (rarely under 2 ? 3 m) appear deep, most often at depth 750 ? 1000 m. They are cut by rare net of faults. Within the surface 1 200 km2 eleven deposits were documented, of which the only one is exploited. Total resources of ...

Foresight has been on the political and research agenda already for decades, nevertheless there is still no common understanding up to which extent application of strategic foresight impacts environmental sustainability. This is also not sufficiently explored in the body of literature within the research community. Thus, the study aims to contribute to the identified gap by developing a framework for application of the strategic foresight for ensuring environmental sustainability in policy decision making. The stu...

During an earthquake, a strong ground motion arises not only in the focus, but it also extends over long distances. Strong motion data have to be used in the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) for a quick response of rescue services and monitoring of building structures. As the speed of the waves propagation in the ground is sufficiently high (about a few km/s), the warning time must be little, but sufficient to alert the people. Structural and earthquake engineers can use strong motion data to verify or improve desig...

The term smart growth is defined as developing an economy based on knowledge and innovations (EC, 2010). According to Eurostat (Eurostat regional yearbook 2014, Eurostat yearbook 2018, etc.), an expansion of the knowledge-based economy segment is observed in the European Union, which leads to a structural redeployment of the economy. Accordingly, growth in the knowledge-based economy segment becomes an important research problem in each EU Member State. The authors analysed this process in three Baltic States, pla...