The spatial distribution of rock landforms in the Pohořská Mountains (Pohořská hornatina), Czech Republic

Geomorphological mapping with an emphasis on rock landforms was carried out in the Pohořská Mountains (Cz. Pohořská hornatina) and the positional data acquired were further processed using statistical and cartographical methods. The spatial distribution of rock landforms was investigated in relation to lithology, slope, orientation, and elevation based on an analysis using ArcGIS 9.1. The spatial distribution of rock landforms was primarily determined by the index of distribution Wij = Xi / Yj, where Xi is the percentage representation of landforms in the appropriate category and Yj is the percentage quotient of this category in the entire area studied, and wassecondarily determined according to the sum (sum distribution) of the arithmetic mean and the average deviation

Application Perspective on Cybersecurity Testbed for Industrial Control Systems

The low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies, which enable cost and energy-efficient wireless connectivity for massive deployments of autonomous machines, have enabled and boosted the development of many new Internet of things (IoT) applications; however, the security of LPWA technologies in general, and specifically those operating in the license-free frequency bands, have received somewhat limited attention so far. This paper focuses specifically on the security and privacy aspects of one of the most popular license-free-band LPWA technologies, which is named LoRaWAN. The paper’s key contributions are the details of the design and experimental validation of a security-focused testbed, based on the combination of software-defined radio (SDR) and GNU Radio software with a standalone LoRaWAN transceiver. By implementing the two practical man-in-the-middle attacks (i.e., the replay and bit-flipping attacks through intercepting the over-the-air activation procedure by an external to the network attacker device), we demonstrate that the developed testbed enables practical experiments for on-air security in real-life conditions. This makes the designed testbed perspective for validating the novel security solutions and approaches and draws attention to some of the relevant security challenges extant in LoRaWAN

Geopolitical risks for Egypt wheat supply and trade

IntroductionSince 2005, Russia has established a stable position in Egypt's wheat imports, and after 2016, it became the largest global wheat exporter. The shift in Russian grain production has visibly affected wheat export destinations in favor of developing countries. This paper identifies the main determinants of wheat trade in Egypt concerning the primary risks associated with the war in Ukraine.MethodsThe paper utilizes time series analysis, index analysis, and an econometric model to define the statistical relationship between the quantity of wheat imported into Egypt and population development, wheat price, and wheat production.ResultsDespite increasing wheat production growth rates (1.9% p.a. over 2000–2020) and a growing population (2.01% p.a.), Egypt is unable to reduce its import dependence below 50% of total consumption. Undernourishment in Egypt remains at 5.2%–5.4% of the population. The econometric model shows that variables describing the evolution of production, population, and prices are statistically significant in relation to wheat imports. Egypt's wheat imports continue to increase even with rising prices, which is typical for developing countries. The war in Ukraine and associated commodity price increases have far-reaching implications for Africa's food security and supply systems.DiscussionEgypt's vulnerability to external influences, such as climate change, migration, rising commodity prices, and population growth, exacerbates the situation. Most African countries, including Egypt, struggle with the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also face rising food and energy prices, conflicts between the world's largest food producers, and increasing poverty rates. The research findings confirm that Egypt is among the highly vulnerable countries due to the war in Ukraine and the disruption of agricultural supply chains

The spatial distribution of rock landforms in the Pohořská Mountains (Pohořská hornatina), Czech Republic

Geomorphological mapping with an emphasis on rock landforms was carried out in the Pohořská Mountains (Cz. Pohořská hornatina) and the positional data acquired were further processed using statistical and cartographical methods. The spatial distribution of rock landforms was investigated in relation to lithology, slope, orientation, and elevation based on an analysis using ArcGIS 9.1. The spatial distribution of rock landforms was primarily determined by the index of distribution Wij = Xi / Yj, where Xi is the percentage representation of landforms in the appropriate category and Yj is the percentage quotient of this category in the entire area studied, and wassecondarily determined according to the sum (sum distribution) of the arithmetic mean and the average deviation

Response of two hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae species to mowing dates: implications for grassland conservation and restoration practice

Background and aims – Rhinanthus major (= R. angustifolius ) and Melampyrum nemorosum are very sensitive to mowing date. As they are annuals without a long-term persistent seed bank and with a poor long-distance dispersal ability, seed loss caused by an unsuitable mowing date could lead to rapid population decline. Since their populations have disappeared from productive grasslands, they have become a focus of conservational management. Rhinanthus is also used in restoration projects as a treatment for reducing biomass, where its permanent populations are desired. We aimed to determine the earliest suitable mowing date for these species in White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area to support its administration to plan the management.Methods – We conducted a mowing experiment with plots mown on 7 and 18 June and 5 July 2012. The number of parasites was counted in central plots before mowing and in the following growing season. The phenology of hemiparasites and co-occurring species was recorded to better understand the effects of mowing date.Key results – Melampyrum showed a significant population decrease after mowing on 7 and 18 June, while the 5 July mowing did not inflict any significant change. The effect on Rhinanthus was not significant, as it was probably obscured by seed dispersal from the close surroundings.Conclusions – Mowing in July is suitable for both species, while June mowing leads to population declines. Mosaic mowing (which includes early mowing in some parts of a site), could therefore gradually eradicate Melampyrum. Rhinanthus metapopulation could compensate for the seed loss by seed dispersal from neighbouring parts, but careful monitoring is necessary. When using Rhinanthus in restoration experiments, postponed mowing is essential to keep its population permanent. Our conclusions are widely applicable, but the particular mowing date must be determined separately for each region, species and ecotype

Where does the knowledge for knowledge-intensive industries come from? The case of Biotech in Prague and ICT in Ostrava

The primary aim of this paper is to contribute to current discussion, concerning the role of geography of knowledge sources in knowledge-intensive industries from the perspective of a post-communist country (the Czech Republic), with its specific cultural and historical heritage, as well as its specific institutional and policy context. The article analyses the extent, to which the theoretical conceptualization of analytical and synthetic knowledge bases could be relevant for the geography of knowledge sources, within the emerging ICT and biotech sectors, in two selected regions of the Czech Republic (Prague and Ostrava regions). Our findings confirm the existence of significant variation in the geography of knowledge sources, according to the type of knowledge base (analytical versus synthetic) and the type of knowledge itself (technological versus market knowledge). The article is an outcome of the international project “Constructing Regional Advantage: Towards State-of-the-art Regional Innovation Systems Policies in Europe?”.Web of Science197 (special issue)1303127

Response of two hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae species to mowing dates: implications for grassland conservation and restoration practice

Background and aims – Rhinanthus major (= R. angustifolius ) and Melampyrum nemorosum are very sensitive to mowing date. As they are annuals without a long-term persistent seed bank and with a poor long-distance dispersal ability, seed loss caused by an unsuitable mowing date could lead to rapid population decline. Since their populations have disappeared from productive grasslands, they have become a focus of conservational management. Rhinanthus is also used in restoration projects as a treatment for reducing biomass, where its permanent populations are desired. We aimed to determine the earliest suitable mowing date for these species in White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area to support its administration to plan the management.Methods – We conducted a mowing experiment with plots mown on 7 and 18 June and 5 July 2012. The number of parasites was counted in central plots before mowing and in the following growing season. The phenology of hemiparasites and co-occurring species was recorded to better understand the effects of mowing date.Key results – Melampyrum showed a significant population decrease after mowing on 7 and 18 June, while the 5 July mowing did not inflict any significant change. The effect on Rhinanthus was not significant, as it was probably obscured by seed dispersal from the close surroundings.Conclusions – Mowing in July is suitable for both species, while June mowing leads to population declines. Mosaic mowing (which includes early mowing in some parts of a site), could therefore gradually eradicate Melampyrum. Rhinanthus metapopulation could compensate for the seed loss by seed dispersal from neighbouring parts, but careful monitoring is necessary. When using Rhinanthus in restoration experiments, postponed mowing is essential to keep its population permanent. Our conclusions are widely applicable, but the particular mowing date must be determined separately for each region, species and ecotype