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The aim of the study was the analysis of subfossil Cladocera community of the Kotovo lake (Kharbey lakes' system, Bolshezemelskaya tundra) and the qualitative rating of the changes in it and in the region of study. The relevance of the work is associated with the increasing interest to the study of the climate change on the example of the North intact territories, along with the insufficient knowledge of the biota of the area being studied. The predominance of some species, zoogeography and biotopic attachments of...

Last winter, with respect to the most recent ones, was marked by severe cold spells and uncommon accumulation and persistence of snow cover in the non-mountainous areas of the country in January. These weather events provoked an intense media interest and raised up the debate about global warming. Actually, what type was the winter season of 2016-2017 compared to the previous years пїЅ normal, severe or extreme? In the presented climate assessment, a set of indicative climatic characteristics is explored on the ba...

Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. The increasing impact of natural disasters over recent decades has been well documented. This paper explores the possibilities of architectural design to benefit human condition, which encompasses physical environment of a safe life during the climate change era and predicted disasters. The first part deals with the problem of natural disasters and hazards during the climate change era and as a results human beings reacting to them. The s...

Feedbacks of soil ecosystems to climate change depend on its dynamics, thus soil ecosystems can directly and indirectly respond to climate change. Literature proved that warming directly alters microbial communities by increasing their activity. Also, climate change may also alter plant community, which consequently will impact indirectly, thus altering the soil communities that depend on their inputs. Thus, soil microbial community is responsible for a variety of soil provided ecosystem services, given their role...

According to research, global climate change is largely caused by excessive economic development and a consequence of CO2 emission and other gases as well as the production of heat caused by the urbanization of the world. It is estimated that 30% of the blame for causing global warming bears the building sector. The architecture has therefore in this respect unusual tasks to perform. Firstly, it is the task of creating new buildings and conversion of existing buildings in a way to maximize reduction of CO2 emissio...

The study of the soils buried beneath the Bronze Age kurgan mounds in the desert steppe zone of the southeastern part of the Russian Plain allowed establishing the features of the soil evolution and climate dynamics in the 3rd millennium BC. According to calibrated 14C data, the kurgans were constructed during period 2800-2100 cal yr BC: (Catacomb and Lola archaeological cultures). Morphological and chemical properties of buried soils and modern surface soils indicate that during the previous period (the end of Ea...

Rhythmic climate changes determine the necessity to refer to long time series to detect low-frequency vibrations of climatic parameters and their influence on the growth processes in ecosystems. Dendrochronological research of pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens Willd) in forest communities of the foothill forest-steppe (250-350 m a.s.l.) and core samples of buried wood in comparison with modern and reconstructed climatic conditions was carried out. The purpose of work was to develop regional tree-ring chronologies f...

Cultural heritage represent the way of living developed by humans and it is passed through time to a generation from another. It will always be a part from our history, and if we lose it we will lose our identity, that is why its preservation is very important. Preserving the cultural heritage is always a hard task which implies a lot of people, starting with archaeologists, architects, geodesic engineers and builders. Each of these people have to work together in order to achieve an optimum result. Photogrammetry...

The CO2 removal from N2 using unconventional techniques based on different (various) membranes has known a significant interest in industry. Mixed matrix membranes combine the advantages of organic (easily processable and low cost) and inorganic phases (high selectivity, mechanical resistance, chemical and thermal stability). In this study, membranes with polysulfone matrix and MCM-41 (silica) as filler were obtained, characterized and tested. The mixed matrix membranes were prepared by casting method. The effects...

Large amount of methane trapped in post-coal extraction gobs and galleries in abandonment hard coal mines could be valuable carrier of energy. Methane produced by vertical well could be used to generate both, heat and electricity. However there are many problems with efficiency production of this methane. In dependence of geological structure, coal seams layering and technology used to drilling vertical boreholes from the surface, coal mine methane (CMM) production could be profitable or gives economic losses. Wit...

Development of new nanostructured carbon sorbents with desired properties is an important task. This corresponds to the carbon-containing sorbents, i.e. active alternative coals, because their usage puts forward increasingly stringent requirements to their strength and structural characteristics. Determination of active centers in sorbents, understanding of mechanisms, which form coal-mineral sorbents, allow to make process of synthesis controlled, and thus provides obtaining of carbon-containing sorbents with cer...

The area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin is covered by many coal-waste dumps, which are the side effect of long-term coal mining on this territory. Unfortunately coal-waste dumps have negative influence on the landscape and they pose a threat to the environment and public health. The control of hazard is very difficult, because it is often underestimated by officials of local and regional administration. Many geoenvironmental databases are incomplete and the credibility of some of their sources is sometimes quest...

The design of the new protection scheme in the EforieпїЅs area was done based on yearly averaged incident waves from the dominant NE wave energy direction, with associated preferred coastline, which agrees well with a natural behavior of the present shoreline. The sand nourishments were constructing the new overall orientation of the computed shoreline, now in post-construction period corresponding to a new orientation of the coastline. The present work presents the functional effectiveness of the model simulation...

The objective of this research is to study in laboratoryпїЅs materials such as: cationic bituminous emulsions, aggregates, fly ash, etc., in order to develop optimal and appropriate mix formula for "cold" waste asphalt recycling with the addition of slow breaking cationic bituminous emulsions, fly ash, cement and natural aggregates. The purpose of this approach is to obtain an "optimal combination" comprising the above-mentioned materials as well as the mixing of the wear layer on the surface of the road on which ...

Groundwater is one of the main resources for drinking- and industrial water supply in Bulgaria. Investigations of a number of groundwater sources indicate concentrations of toxic elements or metal ions, considerably exceeding the maximum contaminant values. Pollution with arsenic has been found in the region of Dimitrovgrad, Merichleri, Haskovo, Kyustendil. Increased content of manganese, iron and sulphates is available in some districts of Sofia, Dimitrovgrad, Haskovo, Svishtov. Presence of excessive concentratio...

Starting from the great potential of renewable resources existing in Romania, in order to harness and use these renewable resources, the current paper presents some research conducted at the Institute INOE 2000-IHP aiming at creating combined/hybrid systems for generating electrical and heat energy, and also targeting the development of energy storage technologies so that they can be used in any conditions regardless of their fluctuation, especially in isolated places. To do this, on the basis of extensive documen...

Due to climate change, the urban heat island effect and associated change in the microclimate becomes more and more of an issue in our cities. As the density of the built environment increases, green spaces are often reduced or altogether neglected, even though it is well known, that these green spaces are an effective way to improve the microclimate in urban areas. Adding green facades and rooftops thus represent viable ways to actively integrate plants into the building skin. At the same time the share of renewa...

Hydrological process modeling is used to predict the contribution from rainfall-runoff, infiltration, groundwater recharge and evaporation. For this, information related to the interception and movement of water within the soils is needed which requires accurate soil hydraulic characteristics. However, field or laboratory measurements canпїЅt provide practical solutions for them. In this paper an indirect method, pedotransfer functions (PTFs), are searched in estimating the soil hydraulic characteristics for Kuruk...

Increasing the possibilities to utilize fly ashes from power stations is one of the major strategic directions involved in the implementation of the waste directive imposed by the European Parliament, enabling the protection of natural resources and a reduction of the amount of waste stored. Investigations into fly ashes from power stations indicate such waste contains rare earth elements (REEs) in much higher amounts than their average content in earthпїЅs crust. It has resulted in an increased interest in the ut...

Recent years have brought rapid development of GNSS and supplementary SBAS and GBAS systems. Depending on the needs of a given real-time positioning domain, users can obtain several meters (GNSS + SBAS) or several centimeters (GNSS + GBAS) accuracies. Active (local) geodetic networks belonging to GBAS, through the permanent nature of the work and constant satellite observations recording, allow achieving even greater accuracies through post-processing elaboration. The paper presents in a uniform manner the charact...

Starting to elaborate complex activities as projects or recurrent work requires taking into consideration the relationship between effort and benefits which may gain different forms depending on the field of intervention. The most widely used and measurable context is referring to the effort, qualified as costs, and the benefits, viewed as added value gained by stakeholders regardless of the form: tangible and/or intangible elements. The analysis of efforts and benefits calls for a holistic approach for evaluating...

After assessment of supply of ecological (EKO) and Premium quality products (PQP) of bee-keeping in Lithuania in 2012-2014 it can be seen that the number of ecological bee-keeping farms sequentially decreased by 2 farms from 2012 to 2014. Amounts of honey (34.66 t), (32.14 t), (33.56 t) collected during the research period were similar; quantities of all bee-keeping products decreased, except for pollen: in 2014 their quantity increased by 1.8 times, comparing with the quantity at the beginning of the research per...

A complex ecological analysis of the building sector includes different aspects. When building constructions are scrutinized from the point of view of nature protection, it is advisable to consider the entire life cycle of a building structure. Among the most essential elements of an assessment is the possible recyclability of materials recovered after the demolition of a building. Striving towards a global reduction of the volume of waste, we are forced to implement such construction and technological solutions t...

This study focuses on petrophysical characteristics of flysch sandstones in the S-8 well section, located in the western part of the Polish Outer Carpathians (southern Poland). A number of laboratory tests were performed with application of the mercury injection capillary pressure, low field nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and pulse decay permeability measurements. Laboratory tests results were compared with the well logging interpretation. The laboratory analyses were conducted on core samples from ...

In many practical cases a composite column can be made-up as completely encased section or a concrete- filled section. In case of the composite steel-concrete members, the mechanism by which shear stresses can be transferred over the interface between the structural steel component and the encased concrete are adhesion, interface interlocking and friction, which are referred to as the natural bond. If the natural bond is not enough to achieve the required shear resistance there is the possibility of using mechanic...

Foundation construction issues have emerged from ancient times, since antiquity, along with the constructions of dams, canals, ports and buildings with different destinations. On the occasion of these constructions, practice has shown that are obtained a low strain and a high stability if are included in their composition a distinct part that is lowered below the natural ground. The construction of foundations by ordinary methods becomes even more difficult if is made under the underground water level. Also when t...

The aim of this paper is to highlight the significance threshold between the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of sports technique key elements used in dismounts and the performances achieved by junior gymnasts in uneven bars events. This scientific approach is part of the formative pedagogical experiment associated to the postdoctoral thesis, at the midway point, in the end of the competitive year 2014. The following research methods have been used for this purpose: bibliographic study of specialized literatu...

The aim of this paper was to obtain some fluid extracts from Romanian wild fruits such us, Cerasus avium L. Moench. (syn. Prunus avium L.), Morus nigra L. and Cornus mas L., with a rich content in polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals and an increased antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, which bring important benefits to our health in preventing many diseases arose from free radicals of oxidative stress action. Vegetal fluid extracts obtained from wild fruits, at concentrations 50% v/v ethanol were obtai...

Dry eye disease became an important problem of public health, because of its increasing incidence, caused by pollution, global warming and expanding work on video terminals. Under the actual circumstances in which the ocular tissue lubricant, commonly referred as artificial tears, market includes every day new comers, the authors were interested to find out how the various active pharmacological agents impact on the eye surface. This different impact on the eye might be able to help practitioners to better individ...

In the modern literature, various methods of qualitative and quantitative assessment of maxillofacial anomalies are described. They are reduced to determining the location of violations, describing the causes of their occurrence, considering the functional state of the dentoalveolar system, as well as quantitative expression of the degree of violations of face aesthetics, occlusion, morphology and function in various dentofacial and facial abnormalities. The method developed by us makes it possible to objectively ...

In a market where footwear quality involves both health improvement and a better environmental protection, пїЅenvironmentally-friendly footwearпїЅ that minimizes environmental and health impact, guaranteeing a certain level of quality, may fulfill the requirements of today's consumer. Throughout their life cycle, from leather processing to the finished footwear, resulting waste and chemicals contained in some of the products may be harmful for health and the environment. In accordance to European law, waste from t...

Holmium (III) removal from nitrate solutions in a form of dodecyl sulfates using ion flotation and extraction methods was studied. Distribution and removal ratios as a function of equilibrium aqueous phase ?? value were received. Comparison of experimental results was conducted and conclusions on the effectiveness of each method depending on the assigned task were drawn. Comparative analysis of extraction and flotation methods for holmium (III) cations removal from individual water-salt solutions and in the compre...

The calculation program EnergoCost V.1 [8] was developed in order to choose a heating system that would generate minimal costs both in terms of initial investment and energy consumption over time. Thus, it is possible to determine the evolution in time of the energy costs for heating the building, using different energy sources and thermal devices. The results are displayed numerically but also graphically, being very intuitive, and any user of this program can easily interpret these results, choosing the final op...

The paper deals with processing the waste generated in paper recycling: initial waste of paper mill and sludge after wastewater treatment. The authors have analyzed characteristics of the waste of paper recycling generated in paper recycling plant near Kyiv (Ukraine): calorific value, moisture and ash content. The heating value of waste of paper recycling range from 6.5 to 24 kJ/kg and significantly depends on moisture content. Potential environmental impact depends largely on the physical and chemical characteris...

Natural resource management in the North of Russia has a centuries-long history which reflects the peculiarities of northern territory development. The specific character of natural resource management in the Arctic zone as well as in the North depends on cer-tain natural and social-economic conditions, limiting factors and environmental protec-tion measures. The Fennoscandia Green Belt is an international cross-border project. The primary goal of the ecological corridor is to provide sustainable use of natural re...

Carbonic materials are considered to be one of the most promising materials for hydrogen adsorption and storage; they have different applications and fuel cells technology may be considered the most important of them. By using metals for doping them, the adsorption capacity increases, thus approaching пїЅthe targetпїЅ of 6.5% weight ratio of H2 adsorbed in a substrate. A comparative research related to hydrogen adsorption capacity of poly-aniline (PANI) doped with Platinum (Pt), Ruthenium (Ru) and Iridium (Ir) was...

Although hydropower is one of the oldest energy sources used by man, it is still the leading green, nonpolluting and renewable source for electricity generation worldwide. Hydroelectric power generation is also the most efficient method of large scale electric power generation. Estimates show that there is a huge worldwide capacity of unutilized hydropower potential. Therefore, there are many opportunities for new hydroelectric power plants throughout the world, which makes the study and design of new and improved...

The purpose of the study was to present a case study on the parameters of photovoltaic systems installed on different types of roof. These research studies were conducted in the Laboratory of Renewable Energy at the University of Pite?ti.The case study analyzed the production of electricity for different photovoltaic systems, in terms of construction and placement.Mainly, the parameters of these systems were checked in the same weather conditions, such as: temperature, humidity, solar radiation and the unit of are...

In this paper consumer preferences for organic and traditional products are analyzed, regarding the level of consumer responsibility towards consumption which supports sustainable development. This study was conducted by a market research in Arad city, Romania, in 2016 on a representative sample, estimating the consumer preferences for organic products and traditional products. Arad county area is an important agricultural basin, with a rich tradition in traditional food products. These product categories are amon...

The connection of the building, which requires the use of traffic engineering infrastructure, is known as connection. Building connections in build - up areas for coordination purposes is very difficult. Technical infrastructure is in place under the public roads and any intervention requires traffic restrictions. The additional connection of buildings to technical infrastructure is therefore a very costly and expensive and requires adequate preparation focused mainly on the length of the building realization. The...

The modeling of eddy currents in ferromagnetic materials is impossible without information about magnetic field induction dependence of it intensity (magnetization curve). Experimental definition of magnetization curves related to technical difficulties. As a rule, reference information of that curves contains a small amount of knowledge and not applicable for direct application. In this regard the transition from original magnetization curve to its approximation is relevant. The purpose of a research is in the ch...

Reservoir description is rapidly increasing with the help of advancing computing possibilities. Although machines become more efficient, it is necessary to have accurate input data and plenty of data points to achieve reliable results. However, in the case of both old Romanian hydrocarbon reservoirs and some of the new ones, not too many data points are available. In this situation, no matter the computing power of the machine or the computing algorithm, detailed reservoir description is limited. This paper extend...

In the automotive industry, but also in other sectors, since the 80s one of the most used methods of reconditioning is welding. In this way, various technologies have been developed for each batch taking into consideration their characteristics and use. To observe and determine the correctness and economic impact of these technologies, the samples must be checked by different types of destructive and non-destructive standard tests.The most demanding destructive testing on samples is the fatigue test with alternati...

The objective of this paper is to present time and space analysis of drought occurrence in the agricultural regions in Slovakia. It considers the most important natural environment factors influencing the occurrence, duration and intensity of this phenomenon. The analysis of the occurrence of meteorological and agronomic drought was performed for the period 1961 пїЅ 2014. The results detect the importance of dealing with the problem of drought in Slovakia. Drought occurred every year during investigated period exc...

Quality of trend-surface approximation of four sites on East European plain was estimated. The sites were selected under condition of location in the landform's regions with different genesis of Earth's surface according to Geomorphological map of USSR 1:2500000. This regions includes are initial plain (Caspian lowland), areas of moraine (Smolensk-Moscow upland) and erosional (Central Russian upland) relief, structural and erosional UralпїЅs foothills. Two types of approximation methods were used: 2D algebraic pol...

Numerical algorithms for constrained nonlinear optimization can be broadly categorized into gradient-based methods and direct search methods. Gradient search methods use first derivatives (gradients) or second derivatives (Hessians) information. Examples are the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) method, the augmented Lagrangian method, and the (nonlinear) interior point method. Direct search methods do not use derivative information. Examples are Nelder|Mead, genetic algorithm and differential evolution, and ...

The parameters of extraction from aqueous solutions into the organic phase of iron, aluminum, manganese and titanium are determined from the pH and concentration of the extractant when they are extracted with oleic and naphthenic acids, as well as olive and sunflower oils. The values of the thermodynamic functions of extraction equilibria with the participation of carboxylic acids and natural oils are taken as the basis for constructing the extractability series, which makes it possible to determine the thermodyna...

When coal preparation, particularly suitable for coking created considerable amounts of sludge. Most of the technological operations is taking place in water environment. Raw sludge at a time when technology was not yet at such a high level as today and emergency overflows were deposited in tailing ponds. This is practiced on coal districts in the Czech Republic and Poland. The purpose of this section was to analyze the possibility of another flotability of coal sludge deposited in settling ponds of company EKO CA...

Passive houses primarily belong to the category of buildings with very low energy consumption for object heating. Their overall energy performance is affected by a number of indicators, including in particular: solution of building structures and details on boundary of building heated space, characteristics of used materials and the choice of opening fillings. In the initial design phase of the building it is necessary to ensure maximum utilization of solar gains and internal gains from people and appliances. Howe...

A conveyor belt in regular operation is negatively influenced by a number of factors. This negative influence is the result of coming in direct contact with the transported material, which frequently causes serious damage and reduces belt lifetime. The scale and type of this damage depends on many factors, such as a beltпїЅs physical and mechanical properties and its design. The properties of the transported material and the design of the feed point are also of considerable importance [4]. When the damage is cause...