CONTENTS
Editorial Board
i
- iv
Editor's comment
H. Najdenski
3-4
I.
MAN AND BIOSPHERE
K. Sharma, D.
Karamanev
5-16
Antisense
oligonucleotides and radionuclides –
perspectives
K. Popova, M.
Mincheva, M. Yavahchova, N. Goutev, D. Tonev
17-24
II. CLOSED ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS IN
EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS
Chr. Lasseur, M.
Mergeay
25-35
III. ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES
Gaseous
fuel obtaining via fermentation of organic
landfill waste
V. Hovorukha,
O. Havryliuk, G. Gladka, B. Iryna, Y. Danko, O. Shabliy, O. Tashyrev
36-48
Anaerobic digestion
of wheat straw and micobiological assesment of
the resulted digestate
H. Najdenski, L.
Dimitrova, V. Akivanov, V. Hubenov, S.
Mihailova, P. Grozdanov, M. Iliev, V.
Kussovski, L. Kabaivanova, I. Simeonov
49-60
IV.
BIOAUTOMATICS AND BIOINFORMATICS
Growth
models in microbial ecosystems - resource or
density dependence?
J. Harmand
61-67
V.
ECOLOGICAL AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
New developments in crop
rotation
A. Sadovski
68-77
VI.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND BIOLOGY
P.
Glogov, D. Dimitrov
78-82
ARTICLES
ABSTRACTS (In
Bulgarian)
83-85
VII.
SCIENTIFIC FORUMS
86-87
Seventh international
conference Ecological Engineering and
Environment Protection (EEEP'2021)
with
Youth Scientific Session and MELiSSA Summer
University, 30
September -3
October 2021, Varna, Bulgaria
with Youth Scientific Session and MELiSSA Summer University, 30 September -3 October 2021, Varna, Bulgaria
INVESTIGATING THE HISTORICAL CORRELATION BETWEEN ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION AND GLOBAL TEMPERATURE CHANGE
Kneev Sharma, Dimitre Karamanev
Abstract. Understanding the fundamental relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and temperature rise is essential for tackling the problem of climate change that faces us today. Misconceptions regarding the relationship are widespread due to media and political influences. This investigation aims to address the popular misconception that CO2 concentration directly and naturally leads to global temperature rise. While anthropogenic CO2 emissions seem to affect the rising global atmospheric temperature with a confidence of 95%, it falters when the historical relationship using ice core data is studied. This investigation uses two statistical approaches to determine an accurate range and direction for this important relationship. Through a combined approach, it was found that historically CO2 concentration in the last 650 000 years lags global temperature rise by 1020-1080 years with a maximum correlation coefficient of 0.8371-0.8372. This result is important for the investigation of climate change.
Keywords:
environment;
temperature rise; global warming; carbon dioxide
emissions.
ANTISENSE OLIGONUCLEOTIDES AND RADIONUCLIDES – PERSPECTIVES
Katya B. Popova, Maria Mincheva, Maria Yavahchova, Nikolay Goutev, Dimitar Tonev
Abstract. Over the past decade, antisense technology has successfully established itself as an entirely innovative platform for research and creation of new therapies. Significant advances in the design of antisense oligonucleotides, as well as a deeper understanding of their mechanisms of action, have led to their successful clinical application in many RNA-targeted therapies. In addition, their potential for in vivo imaging by radiolabeling has been identified. Here are discussed the prospects for the use of antisense oligonucleotides in nuclear medicine and highlighted some of the advantages and disadvantages of labelling them with radionuclides.
Keywords: Antisense
oligonucleotides, radionuclides, nuclear
medicine, radiolabeling, advantages, disadvantages
CURRENT AND FUTURE WAYS TO CLOSED LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: VIRTUAL MELiSSA CONFERENCE, GHENT (B) (3-5 /11/2020). A Review
Christophe Lasseur & Max Mergeay
Abstract: The 3-days international virtual MELiSSA conference (November 3 to 5, 2020) about the closed life support systems was organized by the University of Ghent and IDDUP in collaboration with ESA/ESTEC (European Space Agency) and MELiSSA Foundation, and welcomed around 150 papers. The first day addressed the welcomed contributions of the 5 major space agencies, the plants & photosynthetic microorganisms used for life support in space, the simulation of planetary ecosystems as well as MELiSSA inspired circular economy and education. The second day focused on Ground demonstration and analogue testing, Photobioreactors and photosynthetic microorganisms characterization, Modelling and Systems design, Organic wastes process and Metabolome where a real breakthrough was observed as well as in human microbiome in closed environments. The last day addressed: 1) the complex problematics of urine as a major source of nutrients, 2) Terrestrial synergies, and 3) some Physical, Chemical and Microbial contaminants linked to space research.
Keywords: MELiSSA
conference,
closed life
support system
GASEOUS FUEL OBTAINING VIA FERMENTATION OF ORGANIC LANDFILL WASTE
Vira Hovorukha, Olesia Havryliuk, Galyna Gladka, Bida Iryna, Yanina Danko,Oleksandra Shabliy, Oleksandr Tashyrev
Abstract. Fossil carbon-containing fuel is
currently one of the most common
in industry and economy. The rapid depletion of reserves
of this fuel makes it
necessary to search for the
alternative one. Landfills are a place
where methane is spontaneously synthesized due to the decay of organic waste.
Controlled and regulated fermentation of the landfill
organics can provide
biomethane as well as environmental
bioremediation. The aim of the work was
to study the patterns of methane
fermentation of multi
component organic
waste and optimize the process to increase the efficiency
of biomethane
synthesis and waste decomposition.
Colorimetric and potentiometric methods were used for pH
and Eh measurement. Volumetric and
chromatographic methods were applied to control volume and
composition of synthesized gas. Fermentation parameters
were calculated with
the use of mathematical and statistical ones. The achievement of high
efficiency of methane fermentation
of organic waste due to
the process regulation was shown. The
modeling of unregulated fermentation of organic waste in
landfills showed low efficiency of
the process. It took 69 days. Weight of waste
decreased only 5 times. Hydrogen yield
was 5 L/kg of
waste. Methane was not
synthesized. The regular mass transfer,
regulation of the process and waste grinding showed the greatest efficiency.
Weight of waste decreased 20 times during only 14 days. Hydrogen yield was 27 L/kg, methane yield was 12 L/kg of waste. Thus,
the absence of regulation caused long term decay of waste.
The high efficiency
is achieved due to regulation of the fermentation process.
The results will serve as
a basis for the development of
industrial biotechnology for the utilization of organic
waste to reduce the
volume of existing landfills and produce methane energy.
This will further
allow bioremediation of contaminated areas, obtaining an
alternative to fossil
fuel biomethane.
Keywords: methane,
hydrogen, multi component organic waste, fermentation,
landfills, environmental
biotechnologies
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION OF WHEAT STRAW AND MICOBIOLOGICAL ASSESMENT OF THE RESULTED DIGESTATE
Hristo Najdenski, Lyudmila Dimitrova, Veselin. Akivanov, Venelin Hubenov, Snejanka Mihailova, Petar Grozdanov, Mihail Iliev, Vesselin Kussovski, Lyudmila Kabaivanova, Ivan Simeonov
Abstract: A study on
the anaerobic digestion of wheat straw in a pilot
scale bioreactor with an organic load of 2, 5, 7, 10 and
20 g/l and a process
duration of 18 to 80 days was performed. The pilot
bioreactor used has a
computerized system for control and monitoring of
various operational
parameters – temperature, pH, biogas composition, etc.
Total solids, total
organics and volatile fatty acids were measured by
standard methods and gas
chromatography. Daily biogas yield and its main
components (CH4, CO2,
H2S) were analysed too. During the anaerobic
digestion, different species of
microorganisms have been isolated from the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Enterococcus
and Aeromonas, as well as the species Terribacillus
halophilus. With a known
pathogenic potential are described Pseudomonas
sp., Enterococcus
sp. and Aeromonas
sp. Studies on the
antimicrobial resistance of all isolated strains show
resistance to ampicillin, amoxicillin, bacitracin, ceftriaxone,
gentamicin and vancomycin.
The cellulose degrading activity of some of the
bacterial isolates, their
pathogenic potential and antimicrobial resistance are
discussed in detail in
the light of the data on the mechanisms of proven
resistance.
Keywords:
anaerobic
digestion, wheat straw, batch processes, organic load,
computer controlled
pilot-scale biogas plant, mesophilic bacterial consortia,
digestate
GROWTH MODELS IN MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEMS - RESOURCE OR DENSITY DEPENDENCE?
Jérôme Harmand
Abstract.
This paper aims at discussing the two main modeling
schemes that are used to
describe dynamically the growth of microbial ecosystems,
that are resource and
density-dependent growth functions, respectively. Monod
has been the first to
hypothesize that this growth is, before all, an increasing
saturated function
of the main limiting substrate concentration. Contois
assumed that the growth
is not only a function of the substrate but also of the
biomass density-itself,
and thus the name « density-dependent ». In re
examining their
respective experiments (species used, conditions of
experiments, mode of
reactor functioning, measurement techniques), we try to
understand the engines
for a density-dependent phenomenon to appear. In
particular, we refer to recent
experiments where it was shown that density-dependent
appeared as soon as the
biomass structures into flocs or in the presence of
filamentous bacteria even
at relatively low concentrations. Based on this historical
review of data, it
is shown that density-dependent kinetics is not
systematically a question of
biomass density but rather related to its structure within
the medium and to
the mobility of microbial cells.
Keywords:
modeling
growth rate, Monod, Contois,
microbial ecosystems, microbial interactions, mathematical
ecology.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CROP ROTATION
Alexander N. Sadovski
Abstract: Climate change is already affecting agriculture, with effects unevenly distributed across the world. These changes will undoubtedly lead to a reconsideration of the question of the necessary crop rotations on the territory of the individual continents and sub-regions. Many researchers have conducted field experiments with different crop rotations on several soil types and have received determined results, but still lack concrete unified numerical estimates of the influence of different crops in them. This article presents several new developments of the problem in crop rotation. Different approaches to assessing the influences of predecessors are illustrated. Therefore, it is necessary to apply advanced mathematical-statistical methods and models for obtaining more precise estimates. The application of asymmetry analysis and Procrustes analysis in the evaluation of different crop rotations are given in details. Some results about favorable and unfavorable rotation pairs are given.
Keywords: crop
rotation; sustainable agriculture; asymmetry analysis,
Procrustes analysis
Plamen Glogov, Dimitar Dimitrov
Abstract: The paper presents a comparative analysis of the data on the main climatic components for three periods: 1921-1945; 1965-1975; 2000-2015 and their connection with the distribution of Invasive alien plant species (IAS) on the territory of Lozenska Mt. Among the most important features of the mountain’s climate that favourably affect the spread of IAS are the two precipitation maximums and minimums and the period of drought. In response to climate and other environmental changes, IAS on the territory of the mountain are spread in two ways: by forming monodominant communities in extreme habitats or by integrating their populations into the local communities and gradually increasing their presence in them, accompanied by changing ecological conditions of the habitat.
Four PIAS have been identified: Opuntia fragilis (Nutt.) Haw., Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck ex Engelmann, Lupinus polyphylus Lindl., Impatiens baulfourii Hook.f., to which population monitoring and control measures need to be implemented.
Key words: adaptation,
climate change, Invasive Alien Species, flora, vegetation