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In recent decades, the interest of researchers has focused on the development of methods for obtaining alternative energy sources. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is one of the methods for obtaining a wide range of hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Ru, Ni, Fe and Co are the widely used catalytically active metals in FTS. To increase the activity of the catalyst, as well as increase the yield of target products, promoters are introduced into catalytic systems. In FTS, oxides of alkaline and rare earth metals, oxides of...

Human activities have significantly impacted aquatic ecosystems worldwide, especially in developing countries. Acid mine drainage from mineral extraction and wastewater containing xenobiotics pose substantial threats for lakes and marine ecosystems, introducing heavy metals and increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes. Despite the urgent need for effective solutions, many environmental liabilities remain without an adequate mapping unmapped or remediation plan, exacerbating risks for environmental h...

Due to the increase of global concerns over environmental degradation, the search for sustainable energy sources has led to increased utilization of renewable fuels such as biogas and biodiesel. Despite their advantages in terms of sustainability, challenges persist in their efficient utilization. An easy method to approach these challenges is addressing the characteristics of flames produced during these fuels- combustion. This study aims to address these challenges by developing a MATLAB-based flame analysis too...

Nature-based solutions harness the power of nature. Nature-based solution represent an innovative approach that can combine ecological and engineering elements with site security. Nature-based solusion encompass a wide range of measures to protect, restore or sustain landscapes such as watersheds and urban areas. Nature-based solution can be implemented on the basis of a risk analysis of the territory to ensure the safety of the territory, e.g. a municipality. An example of this is the construction of dry polders ...

This paper presents the results of laboratory processing tests conducted to explore the potential for beneficiation of a wollastonite mineral (calcium metasilicate, CaSiO3). The ore studied comes from a mineralized body located in the southern part of Sardinia (Italy), which has been studied in the past with geological surveys and sampling. In the investigated area the mineralization was very irregular. The encasing rocks consist of schist and the mineralized body is composed of wollastonite associated with limest...

In addition to excellent mechanical, physical and chemical parameters, magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) composites offer numerous environmental benefits, particularly with regard to the necessary reduction of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of Portland cement based building materials. However, the limitation to the wider use of MOC is its low water resistance. Therefore, the possibility of improving the water resistance of magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) composites by nano-adjustment u...

The soils from the central part of Sredna Gora Mountain in Bulgaria were studied aiming to establish the occurrence of contemporal soil forming processes occured in the forest ecosystem. Soils were analyzed to determine the carbon content, the soil organic matter composition and the total soil acidity. The precise soil classification based on the detail morphological diagnostic was carried out. The ecological conditions in forest ecosystem determine the mode of humic substances in the studies soils. Soils are char...

As the climate changes, the EU is experiencing heavier rainfall, harsher storms and rising sea levels. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), the consequences of fluvial, pluvial and coastal floods in Europe will overall worsen as a result of local and regional increases in intensity and frequency of flooding [1]. The article concerns the indication of the functionality of the available QGIS software in the identification of critical infrastructure objects in Poland and the Czech Republic along with t...

This paper presents the experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of a newly developed two-coat system (TCS) for the protection and repair of concrete. The optimized system consists of a penetrating layer of modified low-viscosity resin of BPA (bisphenol A) type and a top coat based on aliphatic polyisocyanate resin of HDI (hexametyl diisocyanate) type. TCS was applied to reference concrete specimens, which were subjected to various tests to evaluate their basic physical properties, mechanical strength, hygric ...

The sustainability, the digitalization and the generation renewal of the agricultural sector are the most important aims of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020. Among the horizontal goals of the European Agricultural Policy are the widespread of digitalization technology in the agricultural production, as well as, the education and the innovation. The key conditions are the widespread application of digitalization technologies in the agricultural production and food industry, the implementation of the invest...

Geochemistry, a young earth science discipline, has evolved with chemical analysis techniques and is now integrated with environmental issues. Industrial development has increased the input of toxic elements into soil, water and air, potentially affecting the food chain. Geochemical tools investigate these sources and assess the risk of contamination. The combination of background enrichment indices and contamination indices provides a robust framework for understanding soil contamination. This dual approach enabl...

Modern information educational technologies open up a wide range of opportunities for teachers of general education institutions to develop students' key competences in geography and ecology lessons. According to the federal state standard for geography, the requirements for subject outcomes of the geography course at the profile level should reflect the ability to work with geographic information systems. The existing level of information technology development allows geographic information systems to be adapted ...

To enable effective operational decisions and combat mission execution on the battlefield during war, access to reliable, accurate, and timely data is essential. We propose utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze extensive datasets, as modern military operations rely on accurate spatial terrain mapping for command, control, communication, and coordination. This study introduces a terrain analysis approach tailored to military vehicle movement, focusing on assessing ground resilience to vehicle tr...

Raw materials are essential for Europe-s industrial base, as they are used to produce vital goods and technologies. The European Comission-s assessment identifies lithium and tin as critical and strategic raw materials due to rising demand. A PhD thesis aims to create a 3D geological model of the Argemela District in Central Portugal to provide vital information about the genesis of the hydrothermal tin and lithium mineralizations founded in the region. The study places emphasis on the very-low-frequency (VLF) ele...

In order to limit climate change, it is necessary to look for areas in each country where facilities for the production of electricity with renewable energy resources can be placed. In Latvia, agricultural and forest land areas are used for the realization of these goals. The aim of the study was to look for alternative areas, thus looking for opportunities to reduce the pressure on areas whose main purpose would be agricultural production. In the study, 297 geospatial analysis of land units on which municipal was...

The surface area of the studied area in the Artana 1 landfill is about 24,000 m2. Presented here are samples taken from 11 boreholes with survey designations S-6, S-8, S-9, S-11, S-12, S-16, S-19, S-20, S-24, B /Y-2 (S-Y-2), Y-5 (S-Y-5). Drilling wascarried out using the spiral survey method up to the base level of the soil. The workswere carried out by the Trepca-Karova institutions within the project of recycling wastefrom the ore flotation of the Artana-Kishnica mines. Samples were taken at each meter,the surve...

Rapid urbanization across Lagos, Nigeria has driven extensive land cover modifications with significant climatic impacts. This study analyzed interlinkages between land use land cover (LULC) transformations and land surface temperature (LST) shifts in the intensely developing Lagos suburb of Ikorodu from 1991-2021 utilizing robust geospatial techniques. Multi-spectral Landsat 5, 7 and 8 data enabled reliable LULC classification into five covers using a Random Forest algorithm. Subsetting the Ikorodu area facilitat...

This paper explores the application of augmented reality (AR) in spatial data and 3D model visualization, particularly in the context of smart cities and campuses. The term "smart city" refers to the concept of urban planning that optimizes city space by applying digital technologies to improve the quality of life. Smart cities include innovative solutions in traffic, urban planning, energy, communications and digital management of the city and buildings to provide efficient and sustainable development. We develop...

This article explores the challenges and opportunities presented by the integration of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models in higher education. It examines the implications for teaching methodologies, student engagement, and the potential risks associated with the reliance on AI tools in academic settings. It highlights the benefits of AI in providing personalized, efficient and flexible learning environments, enhancing student engagement, and supporting individualized learning. However, it also addres...

Global biodiversity decline is dramatic. Urbanization is a global trend that is often driving biodiversity loss. At the same time urban green spaces can maintain high levels of biodiversity. However, for urban Nature-based Solutions to maintain biodiversity they have to be designed and managed with this goal in mind. Furthermore, there are certain risks to biodiversity associated with the urban green infrastructure. These risks merit consideration when urban planning is undertaken. Approaches to green infrastructu...

Even today, factories and production systems are primarily planned using established methods from lean production, developed in the 1990s, which only partially address sustainability. Industrial production significantly impacts climate change; in Germany, for instance, 70% (9.1 million TJ) of the primary energy requirement of 13 million TJ comes from industry, and around 28% of annual new land use is attributed to industrial expansion and new construction. This situation is no longer viable, given the European Com...

Nowadays, the use of supercomputing for solving almost any task ranging from industrial to the ecological ones has been increasing. It should be noted that this requires lots of energy, which negatively affects the environment and is costly. However, in a number of cases it is possible to achieve high performance calculations without the use of supercomputers but instead by relying on special processors, focused on a particular class of tasks. While optimizing the computational pipeline for a particular mathematic...

The main purposes of the project were to analyze the possibility of using waste from the energy sector - fly ash from the lignite combustion process - as a growing medium, as well as to use the electricity obtained from the photovoltaic panel to power the equipment located in the constructed greenhouse. In addition, the project involved the development of a connection of equipment to ensure proper air parameters for growing plants. The constructed and equipped greenhouse stand was used to perform vase tests on whi...

Forest ground vegetation biomass plays a significant role in carbon (C) storage and contributes to the overall carbon pool of forest ecosystems. Ground vegetation, including understory plants, shrubs, and grasses, not only affects carbon sequestration through photosynthesis but also contributes to the carbon cycle as it decomposes and release carbon into atmosphere and soil. This process adds to soil organic matter and affects it carbon dynamics. Understanding the above and below-ground biomass of forest ground ve...

During the mining, handling, and processing activities, the production of fines is inevitable due to breakage of large particles caused by compression, abrasion, attrition and impact of the ore particles with one another and the equipment during beneficiation and handling. The fines generated as a result, are generally high-grade feed stock materials and add value to processes. Many attempts to recycle these fines have shown some limitations because of the quality of binders used for agglomeration. Pyrometallurgic...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is well known as a robust technique that can support and improve the quality of human life. In the mining industry, the applications of artificial intelligence have changed the sciences and technologies as well as the performance of the mining industry through machine learning, autonomous technologies that provide many economic benefits to the mining industry by reducing costs, efficiency and improving productivity. In principle, reducing the exposure of workers to hazardous conditions...

Gypsum composites are promising building materials, but they have disadvantages such as low strength and water resistance. To improve these properties, a self-reinforcement method can be used, where the gypsum matrix is reinforced with crystals other than gypsum. One type of such crystals is ettringite. To obtain a self-reinforced gypsum composite, it is necessary to maintain a high pH environment and sufficient ions to form ettringite. In this work high-calcium fly ash, which is a waste product of coal combustion...

Most rivers in the temperate zone experience flooding due to snowmelt or heavy rainstorms. The lower Danube rivers has caused significant economic damages and in some cases even loss of human life. Understanding the relationship between the occurrence rate of Danube rivers flood events and climate change is crucial for flood risk management in Romania. Here we present a multiproxy and observational data set of floods from the lower Danube Basin Rivers over the last millennium. The results highlight that the lower ...

This study provides a characterization of the Holocene sedimentary processes in Lake Urasar (Lori plateau, Armenia). Lake Urasar is less than 0.1 sq. km with 8.5 m max. depth. 2 m -long sediment core was retrieved by using peat corer in the deepest part of the lake during summer 2023. Obtained core was a subject for detailed lithological description and XRF-scanning. Three lithological units are identified in the sediment sequence reflecting different sedimentation patterns. Unit I (200 - 164 cm) characterized by ...

Route search engines are essential tools in online applications that address a wide range of user needs. However, the distribution of such applications and simple search engines presents a diverse landscape with different outputs for the same routing tasks. Although they rely on well-established algorithms, the use of different datasets often leads to different results. This paper aims to compare selected route search engines, investigate the differences in their outputs, and provide useful recommendations to user...

During summer-autumn 2023 hydrophysical, hydrochemical, and hydrobiological measurements had been done on six small upland Armenian lakes. For the first time colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and methane (CH4) - emission were observed. Studied lakes are on 1479-3312 m a.s., has maximal depth up to 12 m with groundwater springs input. Anoxic conditions were noticed on the lake bottom in August but changed to oxygen in October. Conductivity range was 0-231 ?S cm-1, TDS - 3-102 mg l-1, pH - 6.4-9.4 for surfaces...

In this work, the ionic composition of formation water of three oil deposits (C2vr, C2b, C1pr) was studied. The study of these deposits holds both practical and scientific interest. Due to their complex geological structure, they are difficult to develop. Productive deposits are characterized by the presence of widespread unconsolidated zones with high vertical and horizontal fracturing, high layered heterogeneity, the absence of significant regional reservoir-seal rock, and difficulties in cross-well section corr...

Hydrological droughts are formed by different processes, but how strong and heterogeneous they are, leading to different manifestation and characteristics of the droughts. Droughts have no distinct starting date, but different methods gives a course of action that may help to identify dry signals and possible drought conditions for early warning. We choose hydrological drought indices that are applicable for Bulgarian conditions. Using statistical methods, minimum flow, deficits and spatial characteristics can be ...

On the background of regional climate changes, an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme droughts has been observed in many regions of Europe in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue in the future. While common in southern Europe, including Bulgaria, drought can adversely affect human life and economic activities. Extreme droughts lead to water scarcity, restricting the availability of irrigation water for agricultural purposes. In the regions where irrigation is vital for sustaining cro...

In 2023, 18.3 GW of new wind energy conversion capacity was installed in Europe; most of them (79%) represent onshore capacities. Most of this energy production is achieved with horizontal axis wind turbines. For this type of turbine, the location of the transmission coupled with an electric generator or a hydraulic group, in the turbine platform, leads to a significant increase in the mass of the platform, and implicitly in the mass of the pillar that supports the turbine. In addition, turbine maintenance becomes...

The seismic hazard in Polish copper mines has remained continuously at a high level, generating a relatively large number of accidents and negatively affecting the continuity of the exploitation process. To minimize the threat, a number of preventive actions are taken to reduce the ability of the rock mass to accumulate stresses, which should ultimately result in a reduction in the number and energy of seismic phenomena. Unfortunately, as previous experience shows, the effectiveness of preventive measures is sever...

The certification requirements for electrical equipment used in potentially explosive environments are outlined in EU Directive 2014/34. In order to certify electrical equipment used in potentially explosive environments, the EU has set requirements. Certification and compliance requirements are outlined in EU Directive 2014/34. All electrical equipment used in potentially explosive environments must abide by this guideline. Electrical equipment makers and their authorized representatives are subject to the direct...

The high risk of natural disasters to which Ilha de Mocambique (IM) and its Buffer Zone (BZ) are naturally exposed and the demographic explosion it has suffered increased the loss of ecological wealth, biodiversity and the mischaracterization of the cultural identity it holds. Thus, there are required urgent measures for its values safeguard, preservation and valorization. The primary objective of this proposal is to improve the sustainability of IM and BZ enhancing its development trough landscape and urban plann...

Every day, human activities generate large amounts of solid waste. To ensure the quality of the environment, waste must be further treated to prevent it from accumulation in landfills. In the case of materials that cannot be recycled or reused, such as municipal solid waste, burning in waste incineration plants to generate heat or electricity appears to be the appropriate solution of such waste disposal. However, combustion processes generate residues, such as bottom or fly ash, which must be stored. Fly ash gener...

In contemporary agricultural practice, ensuring sufficient bioavailable macronutrients, particularly phosphorus, for plants in phosphorus-deficient soils remains a significant challenge. As a promising alternative, the application of phosphate-calcium-based nanofertilizers (NFs), with or without zinc, emerges as a suitable solution, offering targeted effects through foliar dispersion. However, current knowledge gaps persist regarding the development and colloidal properties of applied NFs and their impact on sunfl...

Digitalization and the concepts of Industry 4.0 undoubtedly contribute to companies' competitive advantage, which can be achieved, among other things, by improving the efficiency and stability of the production process through their implementation. The main purpose of the article is to demonstrate the impact of digitization on the most important indicators of production efficiency using the example of a student project of a production line simulation system, implemented by the Student Scientific Circle of Manageme...

Approximately 5% of the area of Slovakia is made up of built-up areas and courtyards. These represent land where buildings and courtyards, motorways, roads, local roads, railways, airports, and water structures are built. To compare the influence of the urbanized part of the country on the daily air temperature, the city of Nitra, located in the western part of Slovakia, was selected. Meteorological stations are in the territory of the city, from which air temperature data were obtained. For the comparison of the ...

Urban areas are characterized by very intense and complex interactions between built objects and natural elements, especially in terms of the impact they have on the local microclimate. One of the most important aspects of this interaction is the way in which vegetation influences incident solar radiation, which has a major impact on energy consumption, comfort and the overall sustainability of urban areas. In this study, we focus on the city of Zagreb, where we conduct a detailed analysis of the impact of urban v...

The paper presents issues regarding impedance spectroscopy analysis for the identification of intrinsically safe circuits. The first part of the paperwork presents the explosion risk. In industrial applications, the presence of flammable substances leads to additional requirements for technical equipment used in such spaces. On the other hand, technical equipment used in such spaces must remain in working order even when the risk of explosion is high. For this purpose, equipment used in such spaces should be asses...

In today's fast-changing world, the link between engineering and environmental protection is very important for higher education institutions (HEIs). As global issues like climate change, resource loss, and biodiversity decline grow, there is an urgent need for professionals who have both technical skills and environmental awareness. These academic programs help create a skilled workforce that can design solutions focusing on ecological sustainability and promote teamwork, connecting engineering and environmental ...

Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) is a promising material whose structure is obtained by isothermal processing, i.e. isothermal decomposition of austenite in the bainitic range. It is used in various industrial fields. It is characterized by an excellent combination of tensile strength and ductility, exceeding the properties of quenched and tempered steels in the strength range of 800 - 1500 MPa. Its production is problematic because the ferritic or ferritic-pearlitic ductile iron (SGI), which is the basis for the pr...

This study investigates the relationship between users- comfort and energy consumption in an educational building located in a humid continental climate. Through a year-long monitoring program, we collected data on indoor temperature, humidity, lighting levels, CO2 concentrations, and natural gas consumption. Our analysis revealed that during the heating season, the average indoor temperature was 24.03 degrees Celsius while natural gas consumption reached 41.71 megawatt-hours (MWh). By analyzing the relationship b...

The present research evaluated a facade alternative to reduce the indoor temperature of buildings in the Ecuadorian Amazon (Yantzaza, Ecuador). Three scale models were compared: one with a gabion facade and leafy vegetables (onion, lettuce, basil, chamomile, and cabbage), one with a gabion facade only, and one with a clay brick (traditional) facade. Thermal data from inside the models were analyzed in March (warmest month) and January (coldest month). The results showed that between 13:00 and 15:00 in January and ...

While the interaction between the cement-based binders and different types of fillers is described sufficiently, the behaviour of composites, containing gypsum and any type of filler was studied less frequently and studies focused on the interaction between the composite binder and filler are rare. We studied ternary binder composed from gypsum, lime and silica fume in combination with several types of fillers (sand, expanded perlite, expanded clay and waste polyurethane). The strength of the composites was measur...

A series of platinum catalytic systems stabilized in aromatic polymers were obtained in this work. Commercially available styrene-divinylbenzene (MN100) and polymers synthesized by one-stage crosslinking by the Friedel-Crafts reaction from benzene, naphthalene, and an equimolar benzene-naphthalene mixture were used as polymers. The obtained systems were tested in liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions of benzene, toluene, and benzene-toluene mixture, as well as anthracene in a dodecane medium. The reaction products ...