A légkör fosszilis tüzelőanyagoktól származó CO2 tartalmának meghatározása 14C és CO2 koncentráció méréssel Magyarországon = Determination of fossil fuel originated CO2 content of air in Hungary by 14C and CO2 concentration measurements

Nagypontosságú légköri CO2 koncentráció és 14C méréseket együttesen használva Debrecenben, Magyarország egy átlagosan iparosodott régiójában, meghatároztuk a belváros levegőjének fosszilis tüzelőanyagokból származó CO2 tartalmát havi átlagokban 2008 szeptembere és 2010 márciusa között. A kutatás keretében világviszonylatban is egyedi, terepi mintavevő és mérőrendszert fejlesztettünk ki. Az újszerű mérési összeállítás analitikai teljesítőképességét összeméréssel igazoltuk. A természetes háttérszint megállapításához Magyarország dunántúli régiójában, Hegyhátsálon párhuzamos légköri 14CO2 méréseket indítottunk. A háttérállomás megfelelőségét több mint 100m szintkülönbséggel végzett párhuzamos mérések eredményeinek összehasonlításával igazoltuk. 2009. januárjában Debrecen levegőjében 10-15ppm tartományba eső tél közepi jól fejlett légköri fosszilis szén-dioxid csúcsot mutattunk ki, mely összhangban van a más, hasonló méretű európai városokban közölt adatokkal. 2008. és 2009. év októberében jelentős fosszilis szén-dioxid tartalom kiugrások mutatkoztak (10-17ppm) a vizsgált városi levegőben, melyekre a helyi meteorológiai viszonyok speciális alakulása vagy a biogén szén hatása adhat magyarázatot. A 2009. év telén gyakorlatilag nem volt kimutatható a tél közepi fosszilis CO2 maximum a debreceni levegőben. A városi fosszilis CO2 hányad eredményeinket a légköri CO2 minták szén stabilizotóp eredményei is megerősítették. | Between Sept 2008 and March 2010 we used combined atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio and 14C observations to estimate the monthly mean fossil fuel CO2 amount in the air of Debrecen city, which is located in a moderately industrial region of Hungary. In the framework of this study we developed an internationally unique field deployable monitoring station. The novel monitoring unit has been validated by inter-comparison measurements. To measure the Hungarian reference level we started simultaneous atmospheric 14CO2 observations near Hegyhátsál in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. The relevance of the reference location was demonstrated by two elevation measurements executed at the station in parallel but with more than 100m elevation difference. During January of 2009 we observed a well-developed monthly mean mid-winter atmospheric fossil fuel CO2 peak in Debrecen city with the amplitude of 10-15ppm which was in agreement with the winter data reported from other European cities. We also observed significant local maximums (10-17ppm) in atmospheric fossil fuel CO2 during October 2008 and 2009 in the city which possibly could be explained by more detailed study of local meteorological conditions and/or special biogenic CO2 effect. During the winter of 2009 we did not detect a mid-winter atmospheric fossil fuel CO2 peak in Debrecen city. Our urban fossil fuel CO2 records were also confirmed by the carbon stable isotope results of the collected atmospheric CO2 samples

Case Study from Máza Brickyard (SW-Hungary): Paleoecology and Sediment Accumulation Changes in the Southern Part of the Carpathian Basin

The loess–paleosol profile of Máza brickyard in SW Hungary was investigated through multivariate analyses of malacofauna and sedimentological analyses. The aim was to reconstruct the complex developmental history of both sediment and malacofauna. Three age–depth models were calculated, and the best-fit model, the OxCal P-sequence, was chosen for further analysis. The profile overlays the MIS3 and MIS2, beginning at approximately 45,000–50,000 cal BP and ending at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary. The accumulation rates were two periods of intensive accumulation, equal to those observed in the Bácska Loess Plateau in Hungary, and two periods of decreased accumulation. Between ~38,000 and 31,000 cal BP, a decreased accumulation period was observed in Máza and other profiles from the Bácska Loess Plateau, indicating a common weak accumulation period at the end of MIS3. Correspondence and cluster analyses provided a higher-resolution paleoecological reconstruction, revealing a more detailed picture of the evolution of the studied section. The presence of thermophilous gastropod species with a high contribution to the correspondence analysis was significant in the sections. Although Granaria frumentum, Helicopsis striata, Chondrula tridens, and Pupilla triplicata were not significant species in the Máza malacofauna as a whole, their presence was associated with warming periods and the emergence of open vegetation

What qualities do government-owned venture capital investors seek in a new venture? A comparison of investment criteria across pre-seed, seed, and expansion stage startups

Private venture capital (VC) investors usually do not invest in early life-cycle stage startups such as seed and pre-seed companies, since investment size typically doesn’t reach investment thresholds. The entry of governments with fund managers to venture capital markets presents seed and pre-seed companies with the opportunity to receive funding. This paper examines the main investment preferences of Hungarian government-owned venture capital investors regarding pre-seed, seed, and expansion stage startups. Verbal protocol analysis enabled examination of the screening process in real-time in all three life-cycle stages. It is found that governmental VC funds mostly value financial indicators followed by market-related qualities while private VCs value these characteristics in alternate formation. However, in the pre-seed stage, the financial acumen and capabilities of management teams form the main criteria in similarity to angel investors. Governmental VCs also greatly seek innovational value in target firms

Exchange rate pass-through after the crisis: The Hungarian experience

Exchange rate movements influence prices through numerous channels. In this paper we provide empirical evidence on pass-through of exchange rate movements into consumer prices. The pass-through depends on a number of factors, and its size may vary over time. In recent years, prices have responded less to a depreciation of the exchange rate than would have been warranted by estimates conducted before the crisis. Before the crisis a 1 per cent change in the exchange rate resulted in a 0.3 per cent change in price level after two years. Currently, the pass-through is estimated to be in the range of 0.1-0.2 per cent over a two-year horizon. Both cyclical (subdued demand) and structural (decline in level of inflation) factors have contributed to the weakening of the relationship