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Ratei Cave, with its 7,224 m length, provides a good opportunity to investigate the geology and tectonics of Leaota Mountains, the eastern end of the South Carpathians. The geological observations reveal that Ratei Cave is mainly developed in Upper Jurassic limestones, but siliciclastic and metamorphic rocks are encountered in different locations along the cave passages. The stratigraphic succession on the 69 m elevation range, which represents the positive vertical extent between the entrance and the cave end, co...

Cement is the second most-consumed resource in the world, with more than 4 billion tonnes of the material produced globally every year. The cement production is considered to be one of major polluters regulated by Best Available Techniques (BAT) both in Europe and the Russian Federation. At the same time, cement industry generates greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions both of the ?energy? and ?process? origin. In Russia, climate legislation is just being formed, but operators of cement installations have already begun ...

The positive effect of mineral additions in cementitious materials (concrete, mortars, composite materials), proven by several studies along time, encouraged a complex research at NIRD ?URBAN-INCERC? Cluj-Napoca Branch regarding the potential valorisation of mineral wastes or by-products, generated by Romanian local industry, in new innovative cementitious materials for the construction industry. The central focus of the research was targeted towards fly ash and its potential use in reliable, high performance ceme...

Radiation factors in the areas of mineral deposit extraction are often rather intense, and they require a detailed study. One of such areas is the Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets District of the Krasnoyarsk Region, Russia, the administrative center of which is located in the town of Dudinka where at present the water supply system is being upgraded. This study is focused on investigation of the radiation factors on the territory under upgrade. In the framework of engineering and environmental surveys the gamma background and...

This article describes the research aimed at analyses of the present state of indoor environment in historical building of State Theatre in Kosice. The representative building of the State Theatre was built in a Neo-baroque style according to projects of Adolf Lang during the years 1879-1899. The goal of research is to take measure the level of indoor air quality, improve the energy performance of building and its HVAC systems. The one of many partial tasks is also the analyses of air temperature stratification in...

In Poland there exist legal regulations concerning the protection of agricultural and forest land. The paper aims to investigate the changes in the area of agricultural and forest land in Poland since the accession to the European Union in the year 2004. The study was based on statistical data for the years 2004-2017 provided by Statistics Poland. Paper presents: (i) changes in the land area by land type, (ii) changes in the fallow land area, (iii) changes of agricultural land area resulting from land designation ...

The article examines the peat samples found in Tomsk Oblast. The peat samples were divided into two groups. The first group includes the samples of terrestrial, transition, and fen peat. The peat samples of the second group were thermally treated in order to alter their composition and properties. All peat samples were investigated by elemental, functional, and group analysis. The obtained data reveal the changes in such characteristics of samples as type and decomposition degree. According to the comparative anal...

The Kupa River, located in the west-central part of Croatia, is a 294 km long tributary of the Sava River, belonging to the Danube watershed. An extreme barium anomaly in sediments of Kupica and Kupa rivers was discovered during 2003 by Franciskovic-Bilinski. It originates from an abundant barite mine in Homer-Lokve area, from where it penetrated to Kupica River source. From there the Ba-anomaly in sediments was followed more than 120 km downstream along both rivers. This discovery has a big potential to be used i...

Landscape structure is the result of a process that continually taking place in the landscape during of historical development. The city of Kezmarok has held a very significant position in terms of settlement structure of the Poprad basin or the greater region beneath the High Tatras from the very beginnings of its development. The area demarcated by the current cadaster limits was witness to many changes to the landscape structure conditioned by a wide range of factors and conditions, out of which human involveme...

In millions of years, nature has created huge energy reserves in the form of fossil fuels, consumption of which is constantly increasing. The depletion of energy reserves stored in fossil fuels is becoming real. For this reason, as well as for the protection of the environment, it is necessary to look for and utilize the renewable energy sources that we encounter in everyday life. Such a source of energy is, for example, biomass, which has been used as a fuel by many generations before us. The combustion of biomas...

On 18/19 June 2016, the manifestation of two severe supercell thunderstorms in the northern half of Moldavia caused unexpected losses exceeding 14 mil. EUR. Radar estimated hail sizes over 10 cm were recorded over large areas. On the ground level there was recorded hailstones with a diameter greater than 5 cm in some areas. This day?s situation was exceptional due to the synoptic context. There was a strong link between the low-pressure area centered over Southeastern Europe and the formation of a trough (a fusion...

During the experimental and theoretical studies of the sea surface in the infrared range, it was proved that the microbubble air layer of the sea surface discovered earlier can be used as an indicator of the magnitude of the heat flux on the border of the sea-atmosphere. The result was obtained by developing a method for the simultaneous determination of the reflection coefficients, temperature and wave state of the sea surface measuring the radiation of the sea surface and atmosphere in the infrared range in a wi...

Cut-off low altitude cyclones (COLs) are characterized by the presence of small cold air masses detached from the polar vortex as a consequence of Rossby waves development. Their displacement at a lower latitude is capable to induce higher atmospheric instability and they have a great influence on the amount of precipitation over Romania between April and September. This paper is based on the analysis from a synoptic point of view of the days when the precipitation amount was greater than 10 mm between 1961 and 20...

In 2015, zoobenthos communities in the river Yenisei (upper and middle course) and in its tributaries (rivers Abakan, Mana, Kan, Agul, Kungus) was studied. All watercourses are mountain rivers, in the bottom fauna of which lithoreophilic organisms predominate, populating stony soils in a large current, at low water temperatures and favorable oxygen conditions. In zoobenthos, 231 species of macroinvertebrates were found, widely distributed in the Palaearctic and Holarctic regions. Dominant complexes were characteri...

The health resort Duszniki-Zdroj is located in the south-western part of Poland in the Sudety Mountains. The southern part of the city ? the Spa area ? contains medicinal waters intakes. What is interesting, all of them are flowing wells. The spa part of Duszniki Zdroj is located at the northern edge of the Orlica-Bystrzyca Metamorphic Complex. At present, there are nine boreholes with medicinal waters, three of which are exploited. The total discharge from these intakes is 31.96 m3/year. The mean discharge over m...

Magnesium-based materials are very attractive as hydrogen storage media, due to their high hydrogen absorption capacity (theoretically, 7.6 wt.% H2) and low price. Some drawbacks of these materials, like slow hydrogen sorption kinetics and high absorption-desorption temperatures, can be overcome using different additives and high energy ball milling. In this study, the hydrogen sorption characteristics of the Mg-Ni-C composites, prepared by ball milling under Ar atmosphere, are investigated. Polyolefin wax (POW, a...

Thermal analysis is the sum of investigation methods in which the physical or chemical properties of a substance or mixture of substances are measured as a function of temperature or time. In order to perform these determinations, the temperature of the product is changed after a well-established and controlled program. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR) is a non-destructive technique that involves low analytical costs and fast responses. Thus, some physical phenomena such as melting, boiling, sublima...

Mushroom production generates a considerable amount of spent mushroom substrate, difficult to utilize at the site of production. The high amount of organic matter and nutrients in the waste justifies its environmental use. However, waste entering the environment undergoes transformations, the direction and intensity of which depend on, among other things, environmental conditions. Extreme environmental conditions (such as very low or high pH) can significantly change the properties of introduced material and, as a...

Static electricity as a result of friction and induction loading mechanisms is a phenomenon that occurs frequently in the industry, most of the time accidentally and unwanted. The electrostatic charges accumulated by workers during various activities may lead to electrostatic discharges, which, in the presence of an explosive atmosphere, cause explosion and / or fire risk. Theoretical and practical studies regarding the occurrence, formation and accumulation of electrostatic charges in the charging process with el...

In 2017, on the order of the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice, the study entitled "Identification of pollution sources affecting the chemical composition of water in the area of Natura 2000 The Cieszyn Tufa Springs PLH240001" was prepared. The unique karst area "The Cieszyn Tufa Springs" is located in the Western Carpathians, in the watershed of the Vistula and the Oder. The studied subslope, descending springs, with the discharge of 0.001-2.5 dm3/s (2017), drain the first aquifer, ass...

The physicochemical properties and the state of the microbial communities of the buried soils of the loess strata of the Khasavyurt plain (Eastern Ciscaucasia, Russia) were studied. The thickness of loess deposits was about 50 m. An exposed surface dark chestnut soil (Kastanozem) had a thickness of about 0.5 m, the next 3-3.5 m were almost pure light yellow loess. Buried soils were observed in the upper part of the loess. Palaeosol 1 at a depth of 5-10 m and a thickness of about 2 m was morphologically similar to ...

The compositions of polymer biodegradable films based on polyhydroxybutyrate and chitosan, cross-linked with calcium chloride, have been developed. New materials, which are promising for use in the field of medicine as wound coverings, suture materials and tissue engineering, have been obtained by casting method. The effect of prescription parameters such as the content of plasticizer and calcium chloride on the physic-chemical properties of polymer compositions has been studied. It is shown that by varying the co...

A promising source of Rare-Earth Metals (REM) is the mine refuses of Obukhov deposit?s zircon concentrate, which contain 3.53% of the sum of REM oxides. Chlorination is an effective method for transferring metals from crude ore to chlorides convenient for subsequent separation, purification and production of marketable products. The advantage of such method is absence of sewage and discharge of harmful substances into the atmosphere, which is an effective measure for environmental protection. The paper performs a ...

Forest value depends on multiple factors, as well as on prevailing market conditions. It is measured in natural units. The most popular approach in calculating the economic value of a forest is the discounted cash flow method. The most influential factor is an discount rate, since the value determination is based on the assumption that a forest life cycle is 120 years. Therefore, the overall aim of the present research is to evaluate an optimal discount rate for long-term forest management. The research showed tha...

Chromium spinel is identified as macrocrystals and rock-forming mineral of groundmass in kimberlites, composing the Manchary and the Aprelskaya pipes of the Khompu-May kimberlite field (Central Yakutia). Spinel assemblage of every pipe is individual. Chromospinellides of mesostasis of the Manbchary pipe crystallized in two stages. At the first stage, groundmass spinel crystallized until phlogopite was formed, at the second stage ? at the same time with mica, removing aluminum and magnesium form the melt. Kimberlit...

The modern world is characterized by significant economic and environmental inequality. Income inequality of population and the predominance of rich people in the consumption over others cause certain ecological and economic problems with negative impact to sustainable development. One of the main global problems according to Sustainable Development Goals is poverty. And the most challenging kind of poverty from an economic and ecological point of view is chronic poverty. It is reproduced systematically in several...

In 2050 more than 66% of the world?s population will live in urban areas. Some cities feature an extremely high growth rate, dense population and often a low level of management and economic development. Traditional economic theory fails to consider the positive and negative externalities arising from the interaction of economic, ecological and social city spheres. Externalities arise at interaction of economic and ecological, economic and social, and ecological and social components. The choice between environmen...

The article discusses the concepts and principles of the functioning of the Cittaslow small town network. Particular attention was devoted to its functioning in Poland. The concept of slow cities was formulated with the promotion of the assets of small cities and towns (urban centres with a population count of up to 50 000) in mind and is meant to use their unique local potential. The slow living lifestyle has found proponents in over 200 cities and towns all around the world, leading to the formation of national ...

The aim of the work is the analysis of multichannel images intended for medical research related to the classification of radiographs. Two methods of descriptor formation are proposed as a basis for constructing the rules of classification of multichannel raster images. Based on these descriptors, two groups of classifiers are built with the subsequent aggregation of decisions made by these classifiers. Descriptors are generated based on the analysis of the contours of segment edges of the corresponding raster in ...

The article presents methods for determination of technically recoverable resources from unconventional reservoirs in shale rocks. The gas flow in low-permeable unconventional deposits is a complex process, depending on rock parameters but also on the method of well stimulation. Significantly higher complexity of parameters affecting the operation process requires the construction of complex numerical reservoir models taking into account various gas flow mechanisms: flow according to the Darcy equation in fracture...

In the current landscape of climate change, characterized by a positive trend in temperature, there is a growing problem of adapting crops to the conditions that may arise. Through this study we try to aim for apple orchards, based on a series of climatic data (1961-2013), to make a set of predictions regarding phenophases periods or even the fact that some of these changes may expose the apple trees to a spring frost risk. Preliminary results show that increased temperatures occurs during the spring season which ...

We performed petromagnetic, elemental composition and mineralogical investigations of samples from lake Bolshoe Miassovo, Chelyabinsk region, Russia (55°9?59.89?N 60°20?51.82?E). Based on seismoacoustic investigation 5 long (up to 5.3 m) cores were collected by special hydraulical core extractor constructed in institute. For core sampling were choosen places with continuous sedimentation and absence of gas diffusion. Samples for laboratory investigations were selected layer by layer in intervals of 2 cm. The princ...

In order to reduce the amount of waste in the production process, the efficient use of raw materials and energy, the concept of a circular economy is increasingly being introduced. Its main goal is the rational use of resources and raw materials, and the reduction of waste in the production process. One of the reasons for introducing this concept is to limit the negative impact of economic development on the environment. The implementation of this idea is not easy. Especially nowadays when technology is dynamicall...

Building reliable electricity consumption forecasts is of particular importance for a number of reasons: technological, economic and environmental. The high quality of planning contributes to the formation of an effective operation mode of the Unified Energy System thereby minimizing the consumption of energetic resources and economic costs of forcing the ?generation-consumption? equilibrium. The task of the forecasting is computationally complex, and the development of a cloud solution that will assist in its sol...

An experiment of different application rates of biochar and biochar combined with nitrogen fertilizer was conducted at experimental field on a Haplic Luvisol located in Nitra region of Slovakia during the growing season of maize in 2015. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of biochar and biochar combined with nitrogen fertilization on the production of CO2 emissions from the soil. The treatments consisted of 0, 10 and 20 t ha of biochar applied in 2014 (B0, B10 and B20) and combined with 0, 160...

The article sets forth a rationale for the cognitive aspect in evaluation of translators? skills for international environmental projects. The authors make recommendations on compilation of test materials that help perform translator skills evaluation, including assessment of the translator?s cognitive ability. When screening candidates for the role of translators in international environmental projects it is necessary to use test materials that differ from those used in evaluation of students? translation works o...

The subject of cybernetics is the control processes occurring in complex dynamic systems. Such systems are constantly encountered in industrial activity, in natural science and society. The goal of cybernetics is the development and implementation of scientific methods of the managing complex processes to increase the efficiency of human labor, in order to find the most rational ways for the interaction of computer and natural intelligence. At the present stage, these processes have gained rapid growth in all sphe...

Forming a harmonious color environment is an important aspect in creating comfortable living conditions in northern cities. Currently, there is a problem of using bark waste in woodworking and rubble waste during its processing. Thus, the use of these materials, including the creation of coatings and the formation of certain colors of city buildings, is relevant. This article presents a study of the color characteristics of dry blends and composites based on environmentally friendly raw materials. The purpose of t...

One of the risk factors in skin cancer is unprotected exposure to UV radiation. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer but also curable if it is diagnosed in the early stages. This study uses a histogram analysis technique to investigate and classify two common skin lesions, nevi and melanoma. The colour feature investigated is the optimal threshold values in RGB space. Also, a boundary limit of the skin lesions is performed using a colour histogram analysis and the optimal threshold determination. A statis...

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that in conditions of debt load, the attraction of new bank loans by enterprises is unlikely, and may worsen the financial condition of the organization. Therefore, a bond loan is becoming a more popular and less risky alternative for enterprises. In this regard, this article is aimed at disclosing the features and technology of issuing commercial bonds, studying the dynamics of the Russian corporate bond market for 2014-2017, and justifying the attractiveness of this ...

This article describes the design of a compact Wilkinson coupler with an operating frequency of 1000 MHz. This device belongs to the class of power dividers, which are widely used in various microwave systems. The classical design consists of two segments of the transmission line with a length of a quarter of the wavelength, which are connected through the resistance R with a nominal value of 100 Ohms. The presence of resonant segments leads to the fact that the device has large dimensions at low frequencies of th...

In this paper, an original design of a directional coupler with five connected quarter-wave plumes is proposed. This number of loops allowed to increase the bandwidth of operating frequencies, but at the same time the length of such a device becomes large. This leads to the fact that it is necessary to use more dielectric material on which the micro-plane couplers are made. In order to reduce the cost of manufacturing the device can be used miniaturization of microplane devices. In this article the design of the c...

Directional couplers implemented on two pairwise identical segments of the transmission line, have only one working bandwidth. In order to organize the performance of the structure on two ranges or more, it is necessary to make design changes to the standard device. For example, for operation at two frequencies, idle plumes are added to the design of the coupler. However, this has further increased the dimensions of the coupler, especially at low frequencies, and in some cases the design may be practically unsuita...

The theoretical analysis is based on the mathematical models of morphological patterns of the thermokarst plains and thermokarst plains with fluvial erosion in case of the ?synchronous start? of the thermokarst processes and little change of climate. The synchronous start means that the initial thermokarst depressions had appeared during a relatively short period and then only their size changed under thermos-abrasion or they disappeared due to their drainage by erosion streams (at the thermokarst plains with fluv...

The strength chart of rocks is an important characteristic in the development of minerals, the design of various geo-engineering structures. In its construction, the strength data of laboratory mechanical experiments are used, which include indirect or direct tensile, uniaxial compression, and triaxial compression according to the Karman's scheme. The necessary minimum information is the data from the first two types of test. Mohr-Coulomb circles are constructed for each specimen in the coordinate system "shear st...

Rapid urbanization encourages the transformation of natural zones into impermeable zones. Because of that, increasing in runoff and decreasing in water quality from urban areas have been appeared. As a solution of these problems, a plenty of technologies related to the stormwater management in urban areas have been developed. The main aim of these technologies is to minimize the environmental degradation. One of the developed solutions is Low Impact Development (LID) technology, which combines measures for polluti...

Investment environment is crucial for countries to attract investors and for economic growth. Baltic States regained independence in early 90-ties, their sizes are comparable and after almost 30 years as independent countries, it is substantial to judge their investment environment and lessons to learn from each other to ensure long-term sustainable development. The paper analyzes and compares investment environment among three Baltic States. The aim of the paper is to determine current investment environment of t...

We studied the effect of Cu and Ni nanoparticles on the plant Triticum vulgare. Observing the germination energy, we faced a decrease 16.7 times for Ni? and total suppression for Cu. These nanoparticles reduced the growth of seedlings and affected the placement of lateral roots, which grew like a ?goose-paw?. The total sum of reactive oxygen species ended up with an increase in the roots after exposure to Cu? (up to 35.8% compared to the negative control). Expressed statistically significant (in comparison with th...

The right to a favorable environment advocates the theory of law in the third generation of human rights that emerged in the second half of the twentieth century. Its creation required the need to protect the population from the threats posed by the postmodern era and the post-industrial society. This category is a generation of collective rights based on people's solidarity and the pursuit of a favorable environment. In international discussions, third-generation rights are controversial and not widely recognized...

An experiment on the differential use of nitrogen fertilizing for winter wheat on an area of 85 hectares in 110 rectangular field fragments in increments of 90 m was carried out. The NDVI values for each fragment were measured for 9 periods from October 2017 to July 2018. It was established that with high doses of fertilizers, NDVI is the same for different yields from 62.4 to 88.4 centners per hectare. In the absence or with low doses of fertilizers, NDVI is different for the same yield values - 49.6-51.1 centner...