ISI Master Journal List

In the conditions of the modern development of productive forces, research on the subject of corporate green investments (CGI) in the work of international companies, which in turn promotes the concept of environmental sustainability in the imple mentation of the Sustainable Development Goals, needs more and more actualization. The article aims to provide a compre hensive understanding of the factors that facilitate or hinder CGI practices in the work of international companies. The funda mental and problems within the paradigm of green investments are noted. An analysis of green investments in the activities of international companies was carried out, which includes an assessment of motivational factors, costs and profits from the imple mentation of green investments. The current trends in green investment and the impact on the countries that are their recipients are studied. The inflow of investments into the sectors of the economy of Ukraine was analyzed. The results of this study have practical significance, serving as a basis for formulating strategies related to green investments in international companies.

We assessed the effect of the investigated felling types on the abundance of the wild boar population in south Lithuania. The study was carried out in the southern part of Prienai forest, Punia pine forest, and Kalviai forest, all located in southern Lithuania. The data on the number of the wild boar population and the hunting dynamics were gathered from six hunting seasons, from 2008 to 2014. Our results highlighted that some types of felling had negative effects on the density of the wild boar population in south Lithuania. We observed that changes in the wild boar population were not only affected by the felling of the current year, but also by that of the previous year. Further analysis of data collected over a larger area is needed to check these findings.

Novel pyridone-based nucleotides were investigated for maintenance of DNA synthesis, carried on by representatives of different classes of polymerases. Five different nucleoside triphosphates of similar structure were addressed, demonstrating involvement in primer extension. The nucleotides containing 4-chloro- and 4-bromo-2-pyridone as a nucleobase were preferred by all DNA polymerases tested. These nucleotides were incorporated up to several instances in a row and unexpectedly failed to ensure DNA primer termination. Temporary polymerase stalling obeys kinetic constrain and is alleviated by availability of nucleotides readily acquired by the polymerase. Lack of inhibitory properties of 2-pyridone nucleobase confirms the processivity of DNA polymerases challenged by incorporated nucleotides.

Numerous yeasts produce toxic compounds to fight the competitors. Such compounds include small molecules (like antibiotics), antibiotic peptides, and also larger proteins, including killer toxins. Their ability to affect the cell depends on the host factors modulating the killing activity. Here we describe a robotics-based method to advance the genome-wide screening for the host factors affecting sensitivity of budding yeast to the killer toxins using the K2 system as the model. We demonstrate that arraying the mutant library on the agar plates containing the K2 killer toxin-producing strain and/or purified toxin (“survival” assay) increases the sensitivity and speed of the screen and decreases the costs compared to the traditional “killer” assay. We show the applicability of a new screening method of searching for the host factors using a killer strain isolated from agricultural plant environment. In addition, the “survival” assay allows identification of previously undetected factors that could be the “missing links” in the pathways of toxin-induced cellular responses.

The capability of organic (plant) sorbents: Club-rush and Lesser Bulrush (from the lake shore) for removal of petroleum products (PP) from runoff was investigated. Dynamic process was investigated using filters packed with these materials. The third material analysed, synthetic sorbent Fibroil, was chosen for comparing the results. The laboratory experiments were performed in two stages, with the following being filtrated: tap water with a diesel admixture, road runoff contaminated with PP, and also suspended solids. The significance of this work is due to high runoff filtering rate (~10 m/h) and high PP concentrations in the runoff (>50 mg/L) used in the experiment. In these cases the use of sorbents is limited. Schoenoplectus lacustris and Typha angustifolia fillers are quite efficient (92–98%) in PP removal from runoff at a 10 m/h filtering rate. Use of them for filtration was possible longer than Fibroil, it clogs up quickly. Schoenoplectus lacustris and Typha angustifolia are a natural source for the production of PP sorbents. The results obtained in this experimental work can be used in the design of equipment for the treatment of PP contaminated runoff.

This research study is dedicated to sustainable use of backwash residual from groundwater treatment plants. A high concentration of phosphorus ranging from more than 12 mg/l was detected after primary sedimentation of domestic wastewater and cannot be removed with the existing biological reactors at wastewater treatment plants (Vilnius, Lithuania). Previous research results showed that the high levels of nitrogen compounds are also connected with phosphorus substances. A new reused material is presented in this article for the removal of phosphorus substances from wastewater by use of iron saturated backwash solids obtained from groundwater treatment plants. The treated wastewater quality increased during the treatment that used the 1 g/l dosage of backwash residual from groundwater treatment filters: phosphorus compounds concentration decreased by 98%. All results obtained from this research can be used with the background of sustainable development approach, when backwash residuals from gravitational filters can be collected and used for the removal of phosphorus compounds from domestic wastewater.

Anthropogenic activities are a major source of groundwater contamination in semi-island regions, and evaluation methods developed for inland sites may not be appropriate for coastal sites. We investigated the feasibility of diversity a nitrate-affected groundwater source-fate system in a semi-island environment using comparative methods. The study site was a groundwater well-field in Neringa, Lithuania, where nitrogen compounds obtained in groundwater had increased from the origin thereafter treatment plants. We used ammonium ions and ammonium nitrogen / organic compounds ratios and direct evaluation of total nitrogen concentration to show that biological processes occurred in both source area and water treatment, and could increase nitrogen concentrations over time. The nitrogen compounds and organic carbon compounds rate was changing water quality from the place of origin aquifer, offering a possible means of preventing diversity of the nitrogen compounds by controlling reacting rate over the site. We conclude that biological processes are the real reason of nitrogen compounds diversity at this type of site.

Mining operations usually comprise a spread spectrum of environmental challenges, which are often unique to each mine site. This is due to the fact that mining activities, directly or indirectly, have an adverse impact on environment and ecology. For this reason, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process has been developed for evaluation of the possible impact of mine development and operations on the environment, including the natural, social and economic aspects. In this article, an EIA methodology based on analytic network process and fuzzy simple additive weight (SAW) is proposed to formulate the environmental risks pertaining to mining projects. In the system of the proposed model, the importance weights are calculated by an ANP process. Then, fuzzy SAW is employed to evaluate the preference ratings of the alternatives. The merit of using fuzzy logic is to handle the inherent uncertainty in modelling an EIA problem by simplifying the sophisticated structure of the problem under consideration. The proposed model is utilised to assess the environmental impact generated by zinc and lead mining projects located in Zanjan, Iran to shape the future industrial and mining structure of the region. Finally, the environmental impacts are ranked from the most to the least risky.

To demonstrate the potential application of the proposed model, a numerical example is illustrated and investigated. The results show that the proposed model has a high ability to prioritise the strategies of investing.

Vibrations of optomechanical convergence system of multiple-beam pumped optical parametric amplifier are analyzed in this paper. The case when exciting force frequency was less than natural frequency of optical table was studied. Obtained results show that the mirror becomes unstable at frequency of about 29 Hz if the amplitude is increased. Mirror remains stable at other frequencies.