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Soil contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is a widespread concern due to the high potential for human exposure through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. In this study, we compared the efficiency of three different methods for PAHs extraction from model samples, including ultrasonic (US), mechanical shaking and purification with commercial QuEChERS kit (Shq), and ultrasonic extraction coupled with QuEChERS (USq) by gas chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole tandem mass-spectromet...

In recent years, consumers, including domestic meat consumers, have been looking for new products with high biological and nutritional value, plus flavour. Consumer concern for a healthy diet has led to increased demand for low-fat, low-cholesterol products, coupled with growing interest in returning to traditional products as an option to advanced processing. Game meat could meet consumer needs and requirements as an alternative to meat from domestic animals, with the following recommendations: 1. low fat content...

The vibration study of the cycloidal gear and the prevention of vibrations are important issues in the field of mechanical engineering. Cycloidal gears are used in many different applications, including industrial machinery, industrial robots and medical devices. Vibration tests of the cycloidal gear consist in identifying the sources of vibrations and determining their characteristics. As a result of the conducted research, the sources of vibrations can be identified and strategies for their reduction can be deve...

Flash floods occur in small areas and in a short time after an extreme precipitation event - generally less than six hours. The intensity of the precipitation, the location and distribution of the precipitation, the land use and topography, soil type, etc. determine just how quickly Flash Flooding can occur. These types of floods are extremely dangerous and it is very important to pay special attention to their forecasting. Due to the complex nature of flash floods, in addition to the qualification and experience ...

As of 1.1.2023, a legal obligation under Decree No. 264/2020 Coll., Section 4, point 1 and Section 12 to calculate the total delivered energy for buildings with cooling, humidity adjustment and/or electricity generation by a maximum hourly step has been established in the Czech Republic. The current monthly calculations represented stationary thermal balances of losses and gains. The new hourly calculation is a dynamic model. The accuracy of the model increases significantly based on the solution of the differenti...

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...

An assessment of processes in forest stands requires the monitoring of many parameters. The annual dynamics and composition of precipitation show the impact of atmospheric depositions on ecosystems. Throughfall depositions play a significant role not only in the dynamics of canopy processes but also influence soil conditions through the interception processes and element changes in canopies. The study was carried out in two permanent sample plots located at different altitudes in the Western Stara Planina in Bulga...

The present study aimed to track the changes in microbial communities during home composting of biodegradable plastic products (PLA). 6 waste mixtures and controls were prepared, with C:N about 30, placed in containers. The amount of PLA compared to the compostable mixture is 1%. Different depositing methods were used - active composting and placing part of the material in biodegradable bags. Temperature, humidity, pH, C:N ratio were measured. The amounts of bacteria, actinomycetes, micromycetes were recorded duri...

Arid and semi-arid regions, including Cyprus, are increasingly experiencing severe weather events due to climate change. These events, characterized by prolonged droughts and flash floods, pose significant challenges to the environment, economy, and societal well-being. This paper aims to analyze the challenges of Flood Risk Management (FRM) in dry areas, focusing on Cyprus as a case study. It reviews historical data on temperature and rainfall patterns, flood types, and severity to propose effective, nature-based...

Wireless data transmission interfaces have advantages that ensure their wide and almost inevitable application in a number of tasks of creating modern automation systems, cyber-physical systems, Industrial Internet of Things, and sensor networks. However, there is a certain methodological gap between radiophysicists who are engaged in the design of wireless networks, and IT specialists who need to implement them into various computing systems. The gap is caused by the insufficiently high quality of documentation, ...

Because of the incoming mission of Artemis on the Moon, the extraction of water, oxygen, and metal from the lunar regolith is necessary, which involves intensive power requirements. To keep a mining unit operation running continuously, a technical solution known as the Tall Lunar Tower (TLT) claims to be able to capture sunlight 93% of the time through a solar panel structure. The composition of a typical panel is 76% glass, 10% polymer, 8% aluminum, 5% pure silicon, and 1% other metals. Fortunately, we just need ...

This paper presents the starting phase of a research project that aims to develop the technological demonstrator of a wind power generator system using a wind sail to capture the high altitude wind energy. The sail will capture the wind energy and will be raised to an altitude of minimum 100-200 meters to capture the stronger and more constant winds at this altitude. Flight attitude control will be done via an active control hub named WCU (Wing Control Unit) attached to the cable at about 10m from the sail. The gr...

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 ...

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the question of what the possible consequences will be on people and the building stock of a strong earthquake for the city of Varna. A seismic risk assessment methodology is used, which was approved by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria. The seismic impact is determined based on a detailed deterministic study of the seismic hazard. Initially, an assessment of the seismic vulnerability of the building stock is made based o...

The topic of sustainable mobility has been prioritized on the EU-s political agenda, with the goal of lowering CO2 emissions and air pollution. This goal entails the introduction of low-polluting cars, such as those driven by an electric battery (BEV), into the EU car market. The current investigation was guided by the theory of planned behavior (TPB): The three main TPB constructs-attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control-as well as the intention to purchase a BEV have been measured. In additio...

Aphids have grown significantly both in number of species and in number of individuals in populations, especially in green spaces in urban environments. By feeding, they affect the plants in the structure of the ecosystem at the foliar and floral level, therefore it is necessary to manage them so that they are numerically reduced but at the same time to avoid the application of pesticides. Through this work, 2 ways of management were tried for 5 months (April-August): by exploiting existing natural enemies and by ...

Determining the optimal trajectory of a manipulator is a mathematically complex part of control due to the time-consuming determination of inverse kinematics, the complexity of which increases as the manipulator's degrees of freedom increase. The control of manipulator actuators is based on algorithms focusing on the shortest possible control time and zero position deviation. Values such as power consumption, which affect the growth of the carbon footprint, are not taken into account. For this reason, alternative ...

This paper aims to synthesize in a logical and coherent approach the main control techniques used in managing and combating food fraud, as well as to discuss their effectiveness. Given the impact that food fraud can have on consumers' health and well-being, anti- fraud control techniques used throughout the food chain are an important and relevant topic, still insufficiently addressed and accepted in the relevant economic environment. The objectives of the article include presenting the current context of food fra...

Rapid development of the Spa and Wellness sector creates new opportunities for companies in the sector, but at the same time also new challenges. Sustainable development of the sector from both the environmental, economic, and social aspects is an important factor for the further success of the sector. The Spa and Wellness sector is a labor-intensive sector of the service industry, where the employees- impact on customer satisfaction is crucial. For employees to be able to successfully ensure the quality of servic...

Copper has a fantastic role in the organism, indifferent if its mammalian, plant, bacteria or yeast, functioning as a cofactor in enzymes involved in various processes. In agriculture, different copper compounds are used as fungicide to protect plants from fungal diseases. In humans the role of copper is also crucial, as it is an essential trace element being involved in many processes as well as a cofactor for several enzymes involved in antioxidant defense, iron metabolism, and neurotransmitter synthesis, playin...

Rock typing is an essential tool for reservoir characterization and management in the petroleum industry. It is the process of grouping portions of a rock sample based on their physical and chemical properties. This process is currently done by experts in the industry, which consumes valuable industry resources. Precise and efficient rock typing can build accurate geological models, optimize exploration and production strategies, and reduce exploration and production risks. This work proposes a deep learning metho...

The research examines creativity as an important factor in the production of ecological products and the promotion of sustainable development in the regional economy. The research aims to examine how to promote creativity in the regional economy, what tools should be implemented to develop creativity in individuals, and how creativity is associated with overall prosperity and economic growth in the country. Nowadays, the problems of exploiting natural resources and management of constrained natural resources in th...

The article considers the possibilities of using modern methods and tools in teaching the industry section of economic geography, in particular the geography of the fuel and energy complex. The authors propose to use methods and approaches that take into account the significant changes that occurred at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries during the transition from industrial to post-industrial society and the formation of modern information technologies. The article proposes to increase the involvement of schoolch...

The article deals with the topic of cyberterrorism committed with the help of social engineering. It lists the means and methods used by modern cyber-terrorists but mentions in more detail the less common ones, which have a greater chance of success because they are not widely known. In the case of cyber terrorism or cyber war, the damage can become global. It is in the existential interest of every state or company to have a sufficient level of prevention against threats to its digital space and adequate settings...

Since the inception of modern plant breeding, especially with the discovery of heterosis and the development of hybrids, which are known for their ability to enhance crop yields, plant breeders have consistently strived to advance and identify an efficient method for developing inbred lines. In this endeavor, breeders have encountered various challenges, including the complexity of requiring multiple generations to develop inbred lines and the struggle to find effective ways to optimize this process. In our resear...

The multiple therapeutic properties of Chelidonium majus are known and well documented in the bibliography, being used for a long time in Chinese homeopathic medicine [1]. At the level of the skin, in traditional folk medicine, C. majus is used to treat warts, condylomas, and papillae, which are due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infections [2, 3]. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the potential antitumor effects of C. majus extracts on human melanoma cells - A375 - and to evaluate it in terms of...

Composite materials are widely used in high-tech fields of industry, especially in the aeronautical and aerospace industry, land and water transport. Weight reduction, high creep resistance, very good damping deformations compared to traditional materials, represent some of the advantages for these materials- usage. The studies carried out aim to determine the evolution of the physical-mechanical characteristics of a composite material with a thickness of less than 1 mm, using descriptive statistics techniques. In...

The serious demographic crisis in rural areas of the country poses great challenges to the implementation of the strategic plan for the development of agriculture and rural areas for the period 2023-2027. This determines the purpose of the publication, namely to develop and build scenarios based on them to make recommendations regarding the need for urgent, complex and non-traditional measures to overcome the demographic crisis. The estimated values of the indicators were used to prepare the scenarios: the birth r...

The main objective of this study is to analyze the demographic structure and spatial distribution of Quercus canariensis populations in the Ouled Bechih forest in northeastern Algeria. Knowledge of these parameters is an essential step in their sustainable management. Sample inventory plots measuring 30m x 30m (900m2) were identified by random sampling. Tree diameter at 1.30 m above the ground and total height of Q. canariensis were measured for each tree in four inventory plots. The demographic structures were es...

Flash floods represent one of the most significant natural hazards in headwater catchments facing the lack of systematic hydrological monitoring. This study focus on the detection of flash floods on growth disturbances detected at trees of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) located in the torrential channel of the Holubi Potok stream in the Jizera Mountains (North Bohemia, Czech Republic). At the injured stems, flood scars were identified and core samples dated by tree ring analysis; the intensity of the disturba...

The Arctic Seas are of particular interest now in connection with the prospects for their development. At the same time, the construction of critical and industrial infrastructure at sea must be preceded by a thorough assessment of possible geohazards, including dangerous landforms, earthquakes, geofluid outflows, marine landslides, soil liquefaction, tsunamis, etc. The purpose of the study is to highlight various seismological applications of the records obtained recently in the Laptev Sea and other Arctic Seas o...

Estimation of floods is of extreme importance in designing hydraulic structures and systems, as well as in flood management, including ecosystem recovery. Accurate derivation of flood hydrographs in ungauged basins has additional challenges. The aim of this paper is to estimate flood hydrographs with different return periods using a semidistributed hydrological model, in the ungauged River basin of Benca, Albania. Benca River is part of Vjosa River, which is considered the last wild river of Europe. A frequency an...

The article aims to design optimized synergistic structures between additive materials from the category of industrial by-products, by applying experimental modeling, in order to achieve increase of performance parameters for the final products, in line with the needs of the building materials market and challenges to develop lower-carbon alternatives for reducing the climate impacts of the built environment. The experimental applications based on the integration of industrial by-products will results in defining ...

In 2011, it was decided that the carrying public transport system in Bratislava would be tram transport. Today's transport system is based on radials, it was created as part of Bratislava's first comprehensive transport concept in the ?70s. One of the disadvantages of Bratislava's public transport system is the few tram lines in the city centre, which, with a large number of radials, causes vehicles from different radials to cluster together at dense and poorly spaced intervals. The disadvantage of the radial syst...

The transition to sustainable pathways of economic development depends on the clear understanding of the sustainability principles, but it also needs ability to evaluate critically conventional professional practices and rethink them into sustainable one. However, the previous years of struggling for economic transformations have showed a serious issue - lack of action competence when it comes to the implementation of the sustainable solutions. The design thinking is a core of professional competency and high perf...

The article analyzes the problems of creating custom cyber-physical systems (CPS) and approaches to their design using computing platforms. The features and typical problems of the three main scenarios of creating a CPS are shown: 1) by applied specialists only; 2) by IT specialists only; 3) by applied and IT specialists jointly. The last scenario is considered in detail. The need for explicit allocation of interfaces for interaction between applied and IT specialists, explicit allocation of the CPS computing plat...

The results of the study of the dynamics of changes in the territory of the Kakhovka reservoir before and after the explosion of the dam on June 6, 2023 are presented. This led to the destruction of the Kakhovka reservoir and the sharp flooding of significant areas downstream of the Dnieper River, including the delta. The analysis was carried out on two indicators: the water surface area and the water level. As a result of the analysis of space images, it was found that the area of the Kakhovka reservoir decreased...

The special regime of nature reserve complexes allows for the protection and reproduction of local flora and fauna, local Red Data Book species, and the implementation of preventive measures against their extinction from the region. Military operations on the territory of these complexes have an irreversible impact on the further development of the region's natural complexes. The authors of the publication have studied the territory of one of the protected areas affected by military actions in the Kherson and Myko...

The analysis of the dynamic and fractal properties of the released seismic energy time series allows for the classification of the seismotectonic system that produces earthquakes as a deterministic-chaotic system. The dynamics of such systems suggests that relatively small changes can lead to significant (with one or more order large) jumps. At the same time, the size of these jumps and the intervals of time that separate them are irregular, and the possibilities for their prediction are limited or absent. In this...

In temperate climates, fruit crop yields are primarily determined by environmental conditions, especially during dormancy and in the early stages of their phenological development. Climate anomalies, with both warmer spring temperatures and greater temperature fluctuation, have altered phenology, leading to a greater risk of spring frost damage to orchards. The sweet cherry (Prunus avium), like other fruit species in the temperate climate, needs to accumulate a cultivar-specific quantity of chilly units during the...

Fine particles known as combustible dusts can cause explosions when they are suspended in the air under certain conditions. A dust explosion could result in severe fatalities, injuries, and structural devastation. The risk of such events can be reduced by knowing the flammability parameters and the physico-chemical analysis for combustible dusts, in order to take additional protective measures generated by the occurrence of these types of explosive mixtures. The purpose of this research was to identify the flammab...

This publication evaluates the yield of waste biomass from wheat and sunflower for the period 2008-2019. The method of regional factor analysis (RFSA) is applied, through which it is tracked in which direction and to what extent the raw material potential of straw is changing and sunflower stalks necessary for the development of the regional bioeconomy in the six planning regions of the country. It is emphasized that the use of waste biomass from plant substances does not lead to climate deterioration, which is a ...

The present work is the first case where the adsorptive removal of the most commonly used antibiotic - azithromycin from aqueous solution as a model of wastewater treatment plant effluent by acid-modified natural zeolite - clinoptilolite has been investigated. The adsorption processes were carried out under static and dynamic conditions. The acid-modified form of the above-mentioned natural zeolite were obtained with hydrothermal treatment by using 2M hydrochloric acid solution. In order to investigate the adsorpt...

Vacuum insulation panels (VIP) represent a group of super-insulation materials that make it possible to significantly reduce the energy consumption of building structures even in places where it is not possible to build in a greater thickness of insulation. Considering that the consumption of these insulators worldwide is increasing every year, it is necessary to look for long-term sustainable raw material sources, such as easy renewable raw sources. The contribution is devoted to the possibilities of using easy r...

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 ...

This article deals with the development of intellectual abilities of students in the process of using geoinformation technology. Digital technologies, in particular geographic information technologies, are increasingly introduced in the educational process of modern schools. They contribute to the learning of mapping skills, the formation of skills to compare, specify, abstract, summarize, establish cause-effect relationships, draw conclusions, develop critical thinking, contributing to the formation of key compet...

The knowledge-based bioeconomy has been prioritized through European Union (EU) research and innovation policies. In December 2017, the government approved the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030, which set the horizontal strategic goal of achieving -research excellence in traditional bioeconomy industries and efficient transfer of knowledge-. Therefore, the aim of the present research is to examine one of the submeasures -promoting research excellence and efficient knowledge transfer within traditional bioeconomy in...

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...

An essential part of the development of municipalities is an investment in a properly functioning technical infrastructure. In addition to today's standard connection to the development of electricity, new investments in technical infrastructure related to the aquatic environment are also required concerning the interests of nature and especially the ecological hairline of water components. Many smaller municipalities are still not solved by sewerage of residential houses and other buildings, especially agricultur...

Nymphoides peltata is a typical representative of higher aquatic plants. Despite its wide geographical distribution, N. peltata is a rather rare species. The development of effective measures to protect a species in any territory is possible only if there is complete information on the status of its populations. Study of the size and morphological structure of plants plays an important role in the system of population studies. The purpose of this publication is to characterise the dimensional values of N. peltata ...