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Plants are sources of compounds with medicinal potential, an impressive number of medicines have in their composition compounds isolated from natural sources, many of them being used since ancient times, in traditional medicine. Aromatic and medicinal plants are sources of various nutrients and non-nutritive molecules, many of which exhibit antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. V. album extracts have a complex chemical composition, some of the identified compounds being responsable for their antibacterial and ...

Currently, a big problem is increasing the production of residual oil, for which so-called tertiary recovery methods are used. One common tertiary recovery method is the use of surfactants. The use of biological surfactants instead of synthetic ones can solve the problem of increasing oil production and reducing the toxic impact on the environment. To obtain biosurfactants, two strains of Bacillus mojavensis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens were used. These strains are characterized by the ability to produce biosurf...

The increasing frequency and intensity of flood events necessitate innovative approaches for effective monitoring and modeling to mitigate risks. This article explores the application of drone technology in flood risk management, highlighting its advantages over traditional methods. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and advanced sensors can rapidly collect spatial data, enabling detailed topographic assessments and hydrological modeling. Their ability to access hard-to-reach areas allows for real-time m...

This paper extensively explores the technology of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cells, delving into its theoretical foundations, operational intricacies, and its specific application in the HYDRIVE 1 bolide. The PEM fuel cell plays a crucial role in the vehicle's power ecosystem by converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, which is then utilized to energize the electrical system, telemetry, and engine. The drive system's specifications are meticulously presented, encompassing considerations o...

In the REPowerEU strategy, the European Commission proposes accelerating renewable hydrogen production by 2030 to produce more affordable, safer, and sustainable energy. Hydrogen energy has significant potential in the future of transportation. Its many benefits include reducing pollution, diversifying energy sources, having higher energy density than batteries, and being used for long-distance or high-tonnage transport. The present article proposes an analysis of the use of hydrogen energy in transport between po...

The work is dedicated to formalizing the process of designing embedded systems with distributed heterogeneous organization. The original model of representing a computational system as a set of computational platforms interconnected both hierarchically and within the same level is taken as the basis. The abstraction of a -design platform- is interpreted as a design solution that is fixed for reuse and provides an application interface for building an -upward- hierarchy of abstractions alongside specifications for ...

Reproducing the hydrological process of river runoff is a fundamental part of water resources planning and management. Finding a mathematical model to reproduce the runoff time series aims not only to extract maximum information from the limited available data, but also to extrapolate into the future by representatively generating the historical runoff process. Almost all management decisions are based on forecasts. Our present is characterized by the increasingly frequent occurrence of hydrometeorological process...

Arsenic (As) contaminated groundwater is a critical issue of concern, in view of its toxicity through drinking water and health impacts on the human body. In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO, 1993) has recommended 10 ?g/L for dissolved As concentration in water as standard value for drinking purposes. Special attention should be paid to the monitoring the quality of the groundwater, the chemistry and composition of arsenic-contaminated water are the major factors, determining the applied technologie...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is breaking through more and more into all sectors of the economy. A groundbreaking tool that can change several industries is still at the beginning of the journey and mass implementation, with questionable results. Sustainability and safety in the construction industry have been a priority for the last decades. Pursuing sustainable and safe implementation of construction projects brings several challenges regarding innovations and implementation in practice. This research solves the ...

Designing the multitude of technological applications in various activity fields of human society has without question had the direct result of increasing humanity-s quality of life. Nevertheless, besides the positive intended impact of technological advance several negative effects have emerged, especially regarding environmental pollution on different levels. In this regard a lot of debates have primarily started on a scientific level with the goal of finding the best strategies for trying to solve complex creat...

The paper presents the research and results obtained by authors concerning the reactor modeling of the catalytic cracking process using two methods: artificial neural network (ANN) and multiple linear regression (MLR). This study is structured in four parts. The first part presents the process description, and the existing models in the literature. The second part presents the multiple linear regression method, the reactor model obtained with this method, and the comparison between the output experimental data of ...

The European Green Pact launched a concerted strategy for a "circular", climate-neutral, resource-efficient, and resource-efficient economy. Yet globally, only about 20% of textiles are collected separately from the rest of the waste, with a truckload of textiles sent to incineration or landfill every second, and less than 1% of all textiles in the world are recycled into new textiles. In this context, the environmental impact (air, soil, water) due to the landfilling of these textile wastes is huge. In this regar...

Soil contamination near waste dumps is a complex problem, landfills are major contributors to environmental pollution, causing continuous degradation of land surfaces and significant environmental consequences. The challenge in question is to combat soil degradation and heavy metal pollution by implementing targeted soil protection measures and policies. Soil pollution disrupts the delicate balance of nutrients within the soil. This study focuses on assessing the impact of heavy metals by collecting soil samples i...

In order to valorize our natural resources especially dune sand, the physical and mechanical properties of adhesive mortars based on local mineral additions, have been studied in this present work. The experimental study was carried out on various adhesive mortars made with different contents of dune sand by partial substitution of cement. Adhesive mortars were made from Portland cement (PC; at 35%, 30% and 25%wt), Dune Sand (DS; at 60%, 65% and 75%wt), fillers and redispersible polymer powder (RDP; at 0.6%, 1.0% ...

A potentially explosive atmosphere exists when a mixture of air, gases, vapours, mists or dust combines in a way that can ignite under certain operating conditions. Hydrogen is the special gas in this context. Those who have knowledge of the properties and flammability of hydrogen will recognize that hazards due to explosive atmospheres must be assessed more and more frequently as the element is utilized, and, if necessary, appropriate protective measures must be taken. In this kind of atmosphere, special attentio...

Camphene and 3-carene are key atmospheric monoterpenes used in cosmetics, fragrances, and food flavouring. In order to assess their impacts on human health and the environment it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the degradation mechanisms involved in their reactivity. The present study aimed to investigate the OH radicals initiated atmospheric degradation of camphene and 3-carene under simulated NOx-free conditions. The experiments were conducted using facilities provided by the 760 L Environmental...

Remote sensing (RS) imagery is widely used to assess and detect environmental changes in various areas and the numerous methods resulting from natural and human activities. To understand landscape change, including the role of windbreaks in agricultural regions, RS datasets are essential. Detected by the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) project, agricultural landscapes have undergone changes such as an increase in complex cropping patterns by 164.19% and in pastures by 15.3%, but a decrease in coniferous forest by 10.19% a...

The article analyzes the mineral and raw material base of coal deposits of the Arctic zone of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), all of them were explored in the Soviet time in the middle of 40-50 years. The paper presents a comparative characteristic of the geographic and economic, mining and geological and geotechnological conditions of coal deposits in the basins of north rivers Jana and Indigirka. The qualitative characteristics of the coals have been studied, which showed that from the point of view of consumer...

In this work, I used the data from the geophysics portal of the Geological Institute of Romania (maps, sections), field measurements as well as the WGM 2012 model from the International Gravimetric Bureau. The measurements carried out in the south of the Southern Carpathians were represented by magnetometric measurements. Corroboration of geophysical information with geological and tectonic ones led to the confirmation of deep structures. The geological sources, which give geophysical samples specific to each geop...

Snow water pollution, especially from heavy metals, is a growing global environmental concern, as urbanization and industrial activities increasingly contribute to the contamination of precipitation. Snow, acting as a natural filter, accumulates atmospheric pollutants, which are subsequently released during snowmelt, entering stormwater systems and surface water bodies. This issue has been observed across Europe, North America, and other industrialized regions, where heavy metals such as nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu...

The increasing flow of traffic passing through cities on a daily basis, especially those cities that have a difficult situation with bypass, raises concerns about the air quality in sections of the transport corridors, as well as in the city as a whole. Heavy metal pollution is a serious environmental concern, especially in urban and suburban areas where vehicle emissions contribute to air and soil pollution. The aim of the study is to assess the extent of heavy metal contamination in snow samples collected at dif...

Annually, a city with 500,000 inhabitants generates approximately 115.5 million cubic meters of wastewater. The treatment of this wastewater is efficiently managed using activated sludge, which comprises a diverse community of protozoa, infusoria, lower crustaceans, algae, and microorganisms. These organisms facilitate the effective treatment of large volumes of wastewater in treatment plants. However, the activated sludge proliferates by consuming organic materials in the wastewater, resulting in the accumulation...

This study aims to evaluate the effects of foliar fertilization (FF) on the yield and quality of sunflower seeds. Foliar fertilization (FF) applied to sunflower crops can have significant impacts on seed yield and quality, influencing their chemical composition and nutritional values. Unlike soil fertilization, which delivers nutrients through the root system, foliar fertilization supplies nutrients directly to the leaves, ensuring a rapid and efficient absorption of essential elements during critical growth stage...

This study investigates the effects of foliar fertilization (FF) on the yield and quality of corn grains, utilizing Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to optimize foliar treatment applications. The PCA approach enabled the identification of the most effective FF formulation for enhancing grain production and quality. The experiments were conducted in 2022 and 2023 at the university's experimental field, evaluating seven treatment variants, each with distinct chemical compositions labelled from V1 to V7, along with...

Wind power is a source of renewable energy produced by harnessing the kinetic energy of the wind. Wind energy is converted into electricity using wind generators or wind turbines installed in wind farms. It is linked to the kinetic energy of the wind, which is produced when air moves. The energy can be used to create mechanical motion, such as the rotation of the rotors of a wind turbine. To harness wind energy, wind turbines or generators are installed to convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity. A...

The research aims to examine the pace of growth of lodgepole pine, the amount of damage caused by biungulates and the quality of trunks for lodgepole pine provenances growing in the western part of Latvia in the areas around Ugale and Kuldiga, identifying the most damage-resistant and promising provenances for cultivation in Latvia. In Latvia, foresters and plant breeders have been working for years to increase the quality and productivity of local tree species, while assessing various forest stand management patt...

The parameters of strong ground motions necessary for seismic hazard assessing of construction sites have pronounced regional differences. In inaccessible and poorly studied areas, the development of a ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) requires determination of regional characteristics of the radiation and propagation of seismic waves, in particular, the quality factor of the lithosphere. This work is devoted to determination of the quality factor and its frequency dependence for the Lena Delta, one of the ...

Accurate 3D data from indoor environments play a crucial role in construction, indoor navigation, real estate management, and many more applications. Mobile scanning systems, including simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and mobile devices equipped with LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and modern techniques like Matterport, provide efficient means to create virtual models of measured objects (and even generate point clouds). However, it is essential to note that the quality of these methods often needs...

Rapid urbanization increases the vulnerability of cities to natural hazards, especially earthquakes, as unplanned growth can aggravate structural risks and strain infrastructure. This research is based on a project -Automatic urbanization monitoring for risk assessment by remote sensing and Copernicus data- which aims to improve the detection of urban growth patterns and identify areas with increased seismic vulnerability. This project-s main goal is to develop and test a prototype for automatic urbanization monit...

There is a growing social need to positively influence people's behaviour towards sustainable development. For this reason, the research community is increasingly addressing this reality. There is therefore the potential to achieve this positive influence through behavioural management tools, i.e. through the psychological and sociological aspects of society. The paper therefore explores the basic principles of a modern view of linking psychological and sociological influences to the field of sustainable developme...

Discovery of new chemosensors for M2+ cations represent a continuously and challenging issue for researcher because of their potential applications in nano and micro technologies. Among the other metals, zinc is the second most abundant transition metal ion in human body and plays a crucial role in many biological and environmental processes. In this work we present the design, synthesis and characterization of a Zn2+ chemosensors and its coordination complexes based on podants with benzimidazole - pyridine skelet...

The concept of Best Available Techniques (BAT) encompasses a set of technological, technical, and organizational solutions for preventing and controlling negative environmental impacts while improving resource efficiency. Within key technological processes, built-in solutions play a crucial role in pollution prevention, while end-of-pipe measures are applied to control emissions that cannot be prevented by primary solutions. In most countries, BAT applies to key resource-intensive sectors, including hydrocarbon ex...

The article considers challenges and opportunities of Best Available Techniques (BAT) in the food industry, analysing cases of intensive poultry rearing and milk production. Authors emphasise that the food industry is one of the primary sectors of the world economy. According to The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, by 2050, a 70% increase in world production will be required to meet the needs of the planets expected 10 billion population. The authors discuss the potential for further develo...

This paper outlines three key processes: 3D modeling based on the technical records, data mapping to objects in the Building Information Modelling (BIM) model, and data extraction from the model. Access to energy is a critical concern on the modern society, but equally important of how the energy is obtained. The methods used should be efficient enough to minimize adverse environmental impact, which holds significant importance in today-s energy production landscape. In the case of non-load-bearing subsoil, high s...

We are living in an information dense world, where the sustainability is key. Even though civil engineering projects are highly technical, they require precise planning and clear communication channels to be successful and achieve this purpose. For this, in recent years, all around the world, various entities and decision boards worked to put together a set of rules to define and standardize the interaction between all the involved stakeholders (e.g. investors, designers, builders, and operators). Using the BIM (B...

The research aims to identify changes in the biometric measurements and demographic structure of game ducks living on Lake Engure. Game management in Latvia as well as the entire Northern Europe is an important segment of the economy, which has rich and ancient traditions. Although a small segment of society perceives game management as the killing of animals, which is not the case, it should be understood that it represents an economic activity resulting in limiting the animal population, which can increase rapid...

In urban environments, human health is increasingly affected by air quality, particularly air pollution with particulate matter (PM), which contains various toxic chemical elements. Car traffic is one of the main sources of air pollution in urban areas, which not only raises dust from roadways but also emits micro particles from diesel engines and tire wear containing heavy metals. The aim of the study is to evaluate the ability of the lichen species Xanthoria parietina, commonly found in Latvia, to biomonitor and...

Biopolymer-based packaging materials are increasingly favored for their eco-friendly and biodegradable properties. Among the promising biopolymer materials, agar-based biodegradable films stand out since they are made from water and plasticizers like glycerol. However, they often suffer from reduced mechanical strength and higher moisture sensitivity compared to synthetic alternatives. To address these issues, this study explores the incorporation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into agar-based films using Aloe ve...

The Black Sea hydrological regime is impacted by external factors, which exerts effect on the sea surface in the process of interaction with the atmosphere and those confined to the lateral borders. The most pronounced features of the Black Sea thermohaline structure are large vertical contrasts in salinity (5 psu), temperature (20-C) and density (7 kg m-3); well-defined vertical asymmetry; existence of a cold intermediate layer during the warm half of the year with an absolute vertical temperature minimum, below ...

The paper describes the practical solutions and safety conditions of realizing the demolition of an industrial chimney and a cooling tower located in a former thermal power plant, having in the very close vicinity several civil constructions. The chimney has a height of 208 m and consists of the outer tubular structure of reinforced concrete and as well as of the inner chimney made of refractory brick masonry. The cooling tower height was 108.0 m and the base diameter of 82.00 m. For chimney, the chosen solution o...

An attack with a "improvised" explosive device (IED) is when someone uses a bomb and/or destructive device to cause damage, render someone helpless, harass, or divert attention. Terrorists, criminals, vandals, suicide bombers, and rebels all utilize IEDs. IEDs can take many different shapes because they are improvised; they can be as simple as a pipe bomb or as complex as a sophisticated weapon that can inflict significant damage and casualties. IEDs can be transported or carried in a car; they can also be deliver...

The blue-green infrastructure is a network of interconnected natural areas. Its development is particularly important for heavily urbanized areas, which are prevalent in metropolitan regions. Metropolises are densely populated urban areas. In the article focusing on the Gornoslasko-Zaglebiowska Metropolis (GZM), utilizing the Urban Atlas database, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing tools (Based on Sentinel 2 satellite imagery), an analysis of changes in blue-green infrastructure objects was c...

Biorefineries offer an advantageous and sustainable solution for managing by-products from the agro-industry while enabling the recovery of valuable molecules and biogas production from residual biomass. This study applied this approach to the beer industry's main by-products: Brewery-s Spent Grain (BSG). BSG is typically used as animal feed but shows potential for biorefinery applications due to its high protein content and favorable C/N ratio. By treating this biomass with an ionic liquid consisting of triethyla...

An ecological approach to construction and the Green Building concept force construction processes participants to meet specific requirements. In relation to designers and making designs of buildings, the requirements to be taken into account have also been defined. Above all, social, financial, and environmental benefits throughout the entire lifecycle of a building must be taken into consideration. It is significant to choose materials that ensure the safety and durability of the structure, as well as its therma...

Due to usage, handling, and improper storage, measuring tapes undergo changes in their condition over time. For this reason, regular inspection is necessary to ensure the desired quality of results, aiming to verify the accuracy of the tape and its usability in practice. During the calibration of measuring tapes, the position of the scale divisions on the tape is evaluated using a device known as a horizontal comparator. This device consists of a linear base on which a carriage with evaluating equipment, in our ca...

Hydrogen combustion is presented as a potential solution to cover the heat demand with renewable energies. However, current technologies do not allow the combustion of pure hydrogen and it must often be mixed with fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has proven to be useful for stabilizing hydrogen combustion, as has methane (CH4). Therefore, this research proposes the use of biogas as a stabilizer of pure hydrogen combustion. For this purpose, experimental tests were carried out, burning a lean biogas (BG 50% CH4) ...

A classical approach to the assessment of the available water resources for different users, including environmental, in Europe is the Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS). An assessment has to be made of the extent, to which natural runoff regime could be changed without affecting the sustainable functioning of the environment. The aim of the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction (RSA) is to identify over-abstraction in rivers and wetland sites and make the abstraction sustainable again. In this regard, t...

Reducing the risk of occurrence of phenomena such as poisoning, as a result of the untimely penetration of a certain amount of toxic gases, inside a ventilation installation, is a priority, regarding the health and safety of workers, material assets and the negative influence on the environment, due to the possible problems caused by the occurrence of toxic atmospheres, formed by mixing air with toxic gases and vapors. In closed or semi-closed industrial and non-industrial buildings, effective ventilation is the p...

Despite other sectors, agriculture faces the direct influences of the environment and climate. Today climate change represents a challenge for farmers around the world, not only for Romanian ones. The paper deals with this problem and agriculture resilience. It brings to attention the important issue of resilience and the challenges for agriculture and for farmers, especially for small farmers. The research is based on questionnaires applied to farmers focusing on their perception of risks, adaptation options and ...

The aim of the paper is to highlight the potential of old mining regions for the development of geotourism. The region of Central Spis was known for its long-standing mining and industrial activity. In the 1990s, a decline regime began, mining activities gradually ceased and the mines were closed. The region subsequently experienced an economic and social decline. The mining areas, mining buildings and facilities have been preserved in the individual villages. Mining landforms are also preserved, both on the surfa...