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The areas occupied by permanent grasslands constitute one of the most important ecosystems of the Earth, occupying almost half of it. The use of land covered by grasslands and climate changes are the main stressors of grass communities and implicitly of grassland ecosystems. Its multifunctionality (food source for ruminants, insect habitat, means of soil and water conservation, as well as outdoor activities, etc.) is gradually affected, thus diminishing the mentioned functions. The purpose of this paper is to anal...

Geomagnetic storms cause disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere, which differ in their spectral composition at different latitudes. The study of local spectral characteristics, both via remote sensing and ground-based data, provides valuable information on the dynamic processes in the Earth's magnetosphere and the longitudinal propagation of the corresponding disturbances. The local spectral characteristics of the moderate (G2) geomagnetic storm that occurred March 13-14, 2022, are obtained. A time series of da...

This paper examines sustainability reporting trends of 50 NZX-listed companies, focusing on their effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. As sustainability reporting remains largely voluntary, unregulated, and inconsistent, this study investigates the current status quo in ESG/sustainability reporting in New Zealand. As a result, it provides managerial advice on what currently constitutes effective sustainability reporting. This paper of qualitative nature explores reporting practices across five key crit...

Restrictions on the planet's carbon footprint are becoming a motivating measure to limit the use of fossil fuels in the European Union. One of the measures to decarbonize the economy is to reduce the use of hydrocarbon fuels (oil, gas, coal). Increasing the potential for hydrogen use in energy is a key point in the conversion of fuels into energy. How the concentration of hydrogen is reflected in the gas supply is an analysis that the energy sector must consider to determine the safe operation and quality of opera...

The article presents the possibilities of using retinal images for identification of persons using biometric technologies. The properties of the retina that are used for identification are completely unique to each person and do not change over time. The probability that two exactly the same retinal vasculature patterns will be mismatched is very low to zero. Therefore, the use of retina for biometric identification is rated as very accurate in contrast to the reliability of other biometric methods and is used in ...

Climate change affects everyday life, especially extremely high temperatures and longterm droughts alternating with intense rainfall. Changes in rainfall distribution and increasing temperatures force farmers to adapt to new conditions. In our contribution, we compared temperature deviations from the climatic normal and the percentage of precipitation from the climatic normal. For the complexity of the data comparison, a 60- year normal was created for 81 stations in Slovakia. Data interpolation created maps were ...

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...

Habitat fragmentation is a significant threat to biodiversity conservation and the establishment of protected areas has been proposed as one of the main strategies for mitigating its impacts. Romania has established numerous Natura 2000 sites to protect habitats and species of European importance, but their effectiveness remains unclear. In Romania, the Natura 2000 network was established in 2007. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Sites of Community Importance (SCI), part of Natura 2000 network in R...

From a lithological point of view, the studied territory - Central Heating System of Rovinari is made up of deposits and in the depression quaternary deposits are found, belonging to the holocene (gravel and sand). In the Jiu - Motru River the deposits contain 4-6 layers of lignite, of low thickness, so the area was affected by coal extraction. From the point of view of the hydrographic network, except those of the lower order, the waters passing through the region belong to the basin of Jiu and Tismana. These wat...

Evaluation of explosion-proof protected electrical equipment in scope of certification is extremely important considering the risk of explosion that has to be minimized in order to ensure life safety and health of workers and to prevent damaging of property and the environment, as well as free movement of goods when they meet the essential safety requirements at European level. Electrical equipment that operates in potentially explosive atmosphere, have characteristics specially designed for operation in this area...

In this study, magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) mortars reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene were prepared and analyzed. The lower CO2 footprint of MOC in comparison with the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) predestines MOC-based materials to be an environmentally sustainable alternative to OPC. However, the wider spread of MOC is hindered by its low water resistance. The combined influence of MWCNT and graphene as 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials on properties of MOC morta...

Several organizations warn of the increase in temperature and the associated extreme climatic conditions for life on Earth. The aim of this article is to point out the influence of climatic conditions on the development of walnut (Juglans regia L.) in the spring months (11.5. - 18.6.) in the years 2018 - 2019, which were above-normal to temperature-normal (compared to the climatic normal 1991 - 2020) and in the years 2021 - 2022, which were below normal temperatures. The impact of the amount of precipitation was a...

The aim of this research was to establish the influence of physico-chemical (biometric) characteristics and climate changes in different cultivation areas on three sweet cherry varieties: Van, Stella and Rubin, on the perception of food (fruit) quality. Several parameters (size, weight, soluble solids content, sugars, pH, firmness, dry matter) were measured and statistically processed using analysis of variants[15]. The results showed that the Van cultivar produced heavier fruits and the large diameter was above t...

With the development of concrete technology, the polypropylene fibers have been extensively used in concrete structures for property and durability enhancement. The polypropylene fibers have significantly low cost compared to steel, the use of macro polypropylene fiber could achieve a similar level of reinforcement in concrete at a half price of using steel. The article focuses on the influence of polypropylene fibres of concrete properities. The aim is to compare the basic material properties of concretes with th...

As a member of the European Union, Romania must take measures to reduce CO2 emissions, in order to achieve the objective of Europe becoming the first neutral continent in terms of controlling carbon emissions. The paper analyzes the influence of ventilation systems with heat recovery in the process of dimensioning the heating systems related to buildings, both from the perspective of the calculation of heat requirement for sizing the equipment and the annual energy requirement for charging. The analysis simulates ...

Water pollution and climate change are two of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, and their interconnection is increasingly evident. Water pollution and climate change are interconnected in various ways. The release of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, is a significant driver of global warming. These gases contribute to the greenhouse effect, leading to rising global temperatures, which, in turn, affect water resources. Warmer temperatures exacerbate water ...

The energy sector is particularly important in the Romanian economy, both in terms of its size and in terms of the impact of developments in this sector on other branches of the economy. Developments in the energy sector, particularly in the electricity sector, also have social implications. As a result, the energy regulation institutions have been heavily involved in this area, using all the instruments at its disposal, both from a competition and a state aid perspective: investigation of possible infringements o...

From a geological point of view, Dobrogea presents a wide variety of rocks specific to all three major petrological categories. Plutonic magmatic rocks are found especially in the Macin Mountains, in the form of granites or granodiorites, rarely diorites. Basaltic volcanic igneous rocks are mainly found in the Niculi?el Hills. Metamorphic rocks outcrop in the South of Tulcea County as Micaschists, on the border with Constan?a County, in the well-known Altan-Tepe mining area, but also isolated, to the Southwest of ...

The method of fundamental solutions is a meshless method that belongs to the Trefftz class of numerical methods. The method needs only the boundary to be defined using the set of boundary collocation nodes; it is mathematically effortless to program. One of the imperfections in the context of MFS is the fictitious boundary without any rigorous definition. The other fact that MFS suffers from is the nature of the characteristic matrix that is non-symmetric and fully populated. This issue is overcome by adopting the...

The main scientific problem to which the study is devoted is to determine the relationship between such aspects of the quality of life of the population as: environmental quality, economic inequality and digitalization of households. The relationship between the three studied areas of household life is dictated by the processes of digital transformation, the formation of a green economy, while the phenomena of population differentiation by income is increasing. Nonparametric correlation coefficients were calculate...

Computer simulation has a significant application in the field of metallurgy. It is primarily an issue that deals with the issue of casting. The simulation of casting and solidification makes visible the foundry phenomena that take place in the gating system and the casting when the mold is filled with liquid metal and during its solidification. The article deals with the design of the gating system and the simulation of the filling and solidification of a real casting made of ductile iron. In the next production ...

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...

Climate change has precipitated severe issues such as soil erosion, intense precipitation and extended droughts, impacting not only agricultural sectors but also ordinary citizens globally. Unfortunately, human interventions frequently exacerbate, rather than mitigate, these problems. Our approach emphasizes the application of environmentally friendly blue-green infrastructure, recognized for its potential in mitigating climate change effects and enhancing living conditions for both the local populace and the indi...

Global heating is happening at an unprecedented speed. As a result, both human society and natural ecosystems are facing significant challenges. Numerous tools and policies are being implemented both for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Substantial amount of funding has been pledged by international governments and private corporations to support these efforts. One of particularly promising tools that tends to gain popularity for addressing climate change are Nature-based Solutions. These tools can be use...

Among the many factors affecting the average life expectancy and mortality of the population, along with the effective services of the health care system, an important place is occupied by the ecological condition of the environment, in particular, the quality of the security of its resources for human health. Providing the population with safe, clean, drinking water is one of the most important factors in the world and among them in Georgia. According to the data of the World Health Organization, almost 2 billion...

A study of the bioregion paradigm reveals that bioregions can be diverse. A bioregion is a construct of the human mind that evolves to resist the continued destruction of wild systems in an effort to restore ecological balance. Latvia has a diverse landscape, relatively rich biological diversity and cultural heritage, which provides a solid foundation for the creation of potential bioregions. The UN Sustainable Development Goals, the European Green Deal and other documents offer solutions to make our farming more ...

Materials and technical equipment, especially their external parts, are inherently subjected to the electrification process during their use. The electrification process of the materials and external parts of the equipment, especially the non-conductive ones, is responsible for the generation, through specific mechanisms, of significant amounts of electrostatic charges. The electrostatic charges generated as a result of the electrification process on the materials and external parts of the technical equipment used...

Pursuing sustainability in a rapidly changing global landscape has necessitated a paradigm shift in economic models. At the forefront of this transformation is the Circular Economy, characterized by the continuous reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of products and materials, which has gained prominence as a means to address pressing environmental challenges while fostering economic growth. This research explores the interplay between the circular economy, innovation, investment, and social responsibility. These...

Urban green infrastructure has historically been used for aesthetical purposes, making landscapes visually pleasant. More recently the green infrastructure in urban and sub- urban areas has started to be applied to help solve a broad range of problems that city dwellers are facing. These problems include natural disasters, overheating, excessive flows rainwater, biodiversity decline and food insecurity among others. Thus, implementation of green infrastructure as Nature-based Solutions has become increasingly popu...

The paper presents the cover of soils, their characteristics and the way of use according to the fertility and favorability of the soils identified in the Remetea Mare locality in Timis county. For this, a series of analyzes and field observations were carried out as well as comparisons of the initial data taken from previous studies and researches. Soil profiles were dug, 14 soil samples were collected in a disturbed structure to determine the main physico-mechanical, chemical and water indices, after which the d...

The number of transport units in cities is increasing every year. This trend contributes to air pollution problems in many rapidly urbanizing countries. Various heavy metals and other chemical elements, including aluminum, have been related to air quality degradation. Poor air quality affects people, especially young children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses, causing health problems and aggravating existing problems. The aim of the research is to find out which parts of the city of Jelgava have the ...

Climate change may increase the frequency and severity of floods in many regions of the world, including Poland and Slovakia. Crises may be caused by, among others: increased rainfall, rapid melting of snow, river floods, and floods in urban areas. The article focuses on the problems occurring in Poland and Slovakia, which will have to adapt their infrastructure and policies to cope with the changing climate and increased flood risk. The article concerns aspects of crisis management using geo-informatic tools in f...

Chitin and chitosan, which due to their wide applicability and abundance are of increasing interest to industries. Chitin is extracted from a wide range of living things by a variety of methods, which may be chemical or biological. Chitosan is obtained from the alkaline deacetylation of chitin by chemical or enzymatic processes. Due to their different polysaccharide chains, chitin and chitosan have different properties. Chitin is thus an insoluble polymer in most solvents, while chitosan is a soluble polymer in ac...

Urban railway transit is one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly means of transport in the modern European city. There is a significant incentive for municipalities in Europe to construct new urban railways as the latter combine high energy efficiency with high carrying capacity. One of the main arguments in opposition to expanding existing urban rail networks is the noise and vibration impact of the new line on the surrounding area. This paper addresses the issue by means of formulating a theoret...

Perlite is a naturally occurring siliceous rock of volcanic origins. When heated to more than 1000-C it expands up to several times its original volume and thus creating the premises of light weightiness and thermal insulating properties. The indoor comfortable climate of modern lifestyle requires large amounts of energy to be created and sustained. This, in turn, leads to large amounts of CO2 being released in the atmosphere. Continuous research efforts are invested in creating materials with good insulation prop...

The field of construction is currently one of the most stable and active fields of activity. It presents complex activities that are done in phase and chronologically until the end of completion execution stage. Realization of the foundation or its characteristic elements it includes a number of preparatory activities such as: land preparation and release of various tasks, shoveling and ground consolidation. The type of consolidation it is chosen according to the depth of the escape and It is about choosing a supp...

Bilberries selected from U.P. V. Higigel were investigated for their antioxidative potential using 2,2-dyphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging. In order to determine the total content of polyphenols, the method described by Tamas-Krumpe Octavia and collaborators in 2010 [1] was chosen, consisting in the use of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent 0.2 N and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and the use of gallic acid in different concentrations as a standard. The spectrophotometric determination method based on the formation of the...

Cyanobacteria are ancient photosynthetic organisms that under certain conditions (high temperature, eutrophication) can grow rapidly and form "cyanobacterial blooms". Very often, these blooms are accompanied by production of cyanotoxins, which in most cases are dangerous to the other organisms. Knowing the producers of cyanotoxins is of utmost importance, especially today when climate change has been shown to increase the frequency of toxic cyanobacterial blooms worldwide. The aim of the present study was to chara...

Forests play an important role in carbon storage and global carbon cycling. The processes of litter decomposition, movement within the soil, and incorporation into different soil layers play a crucial role in the functioning of forest ecosystems. These activities are important in regulating the cycling of soil organic matter and the storage and release of carbon into the atmosphere. Soil carbon and carbon input via litter has been well-recognized, however studied relatively less compared to other carbon pools, but...

This study explores the intricate relationship between Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) and landslide vulnerability within the context of Iasi City, Romania. UHIs are characterized by elevated temperatures in urban areas compared to their surrounding rural areas, primarily resulting from human activities and urbanization. The combination of these two factors, UHI and landslide vulnerability, poses critical challenges for urban planning, environmental sustainability, and public safety. The research employs a multi-discipl...

The ventilation network related to a mining unit for the exploitation of the useful mineral substance aims to ensure optimal microclimate conditions in underground. An ventilation network is made up of nodes and branches in order to establish its structure. In this sense, the mine ventilation must be seen as a source of life, in which the ramifications represent at the same time the arteries that transport the air to the working fronts and the evacuation of the poluted air to the surface. In order to establish the...

Urtica dioica L. is a multi-functional plant commonly known as stinging nettle, which has been used as wild vegetable for centuries. Stinging nettle is a highly nutritious vegetable due to its increased use in different food products and its health-promoting properties. Nettles are highly adaptable occurring in most common areas from unpolluted to highly polluted areas, along stream banks, farmland and also in highly disturbed areas. In hot areas, they prefer sites in partial shade, but accept to grow also in full...

The aim of the study is to look for ways for applying the principles of sustainable development in spatial planning through approaches that reflect modern trends in the field of ecosystem research, environmental protection and provide an optimal living environment. For this purpose, the regulatory documents for spatial planning in Bulgaria were analyzed, as well as the possibilities for applying within their framework approaches for objective assessment of the ecosystem-s state and their capacity to provide ecosys...

The paper deals with the ? + ? titanium alloys, due to their good properties such as low specific weight and high values of mechanical properties have found wide application as a construction material. Their disadvantage is high price and complicated production of the basic material - titanium but also alloying components (molybdenum, chromium), associated with high energy demand and undesirable effects on ecology. The inhomogeneity of the deformation with formation of deformation bands are typical for these alloy...

The presented paper deals with the targeted application of pre-emergent herbicides. The field experiment was established in 2022 and 2023; two plots sized 26 ha and 30 ha were selected and the accuracy of the application was tested. There were local outbreaks of weeds on selected plots of land, which had to be eliminated before sowing the main crop - soybeans. Both plots were monitored using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) - Mavic 3M with the multispectral camera. After the end of the monitoring, spectral analysi...

Disposal of by-products from the processing of plant foods is a major industry concern, but these by-products are also promising sources of compounds with technological or nutritional properties and are now being considered as a possible source of functional compounds. The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), which contains a high protein content, fiber, and other critical minerals for humans, is one of the most significant pulses in the world. The objective of this work is to exploit the properties of common bean...

Ventilation plays a key role in maintaining the indoor environmental quality of buildings. This contribution focuses on the significance of ventilation intensity as a crucial indicator of air quality within buildings. The aim is to analyze the impact of ventilation intensity on various aspects of the indoor environment, including thermal comfort, pollutant concentrations, and overall occupant comfort. The research is centered around methods for measuring ventilation intensity and ways to optimize this value to ach...

This chapter deals with the design of optimal ventilation of the Anna seam in the Ostrava - Karvina district, with regard to the parameters of the virgin mining field, depth of deposition, rock temperature, seam gasody and method of spreading. In the first part of the paper, the authors introduce a general description of the mining area, the then state of ventilation and microclimatic conditions. The second part of the paper describes the design of the method of dispersal of the Anna seam between 8-8/7 floors and ...

Hydrogen explosions can occur in industrial processes, in laboratories, in hydrogen production and storage processes, or in new combustion processes used in modern transportation. This gas presents a particularly dangerous potential due to its flammability properties. The combustion reaction of this gas mixed with air or oxygen is strongly exothermic, resulting in a rapid increase in temperatures and pressures developed. When these overpressures become too great to be supported by the vessels or enclosures where t...

A healthy indoor environment is becoming an increasingly important issue. As the use of various materials in inhabited interiors increases, so does the concentration of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in these spaces. The actual trend of reducing energy consumption in buildings, such as by using perfectly sealing windows and doors, contributes to this increase. Consequently, people moving around in these interiors experience a rise in health problems due to the elevated concentrations of VOCs. This study...