The Implementation of Public E-services for Immovable Property Contracts in Lithuania: Legal Aspects

This article analyzes the implementation model of Public E-Services in The Immovable Property Contracts (PESIPC)between Lithuanian State Enterprise (SE) “Centre of Registries†(Centre of Registries) and notary, and its legalaspects. the PESIPC informational system in Lithuania was instituted to simplify the contract conclusion andregistration procedures by eliminating appearance in person of the interested parties directly in the Centre ofRegistries, because all contract procedures would be completed at the notary office. All the official informationconcerning registry and cadastre of immovable property required for concluding and confirming the contract, must bedelivered through the Internet directly to notaries and interested parties. Both the preparation of contract documentsand the registration of varied legal facts and contracts themselves in the register of immovable property shall becomeautomatic. This is one of the first the PESIPC systems introduced in Europe, thus it is especially important to analyzethe legal aspects of practice of the above-mentioned informational system

Mix design considerations of foamed bitumen mixtures with reclaimed asphalt pavement material

In the present work, a mix design parametric study was carried out with the aim of proposing a practical and consistent mix design procedure for foamed bitumen mixtures (FBMs). The mix design parameters that were adopted in the study are mixing and compaction water content (MWC), compaction effort using a gyratory compactor and aggregate temperature. This parametric study was initially carried out on FBMs with virgin limestone aggregate without reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) material and a mix design procedure was proposed. This proposed methodology was also found to apply to FBMs with RAP. A detailed consideration was also given to characterising the RAP material so as to understand its contribution to the mechanical properties of FBMs. Optimum MWC was achieved by optimising mechanical properties such as indirect tensile stiffness modulus and indirect tensile strength (ITS-dry and ITS-wet). A rational range of 75–85% of optimum water content obtained by the modified Proctor test was found to be the optimum range of MWC that gives optimum mechanical properties for FBMs. It was also found that the presence of RAP influenced the design foamed bitumen content, which means that treating RAP as black rock in FBM mix design is not appropriate. To study the influence of bitumen and water during compaction, modified Proctor compaction and gyratory compaction were employed on mixes with varying amounts of water and bitumen. By this, the work also evaluated the validity of the total fluid (water + bitumen) concept that is widely used in bitumen–emulsion-treated mixes, and found it not to be applicable

Predation on an Upper Trophic Marine Predator, the Steller Sea Lion: Evaluating High Juvenile Mortality in a Density Dependent Conceptual Framework

The endangered western stock of the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) – the largest of the eared seals – has declined by 80% from population levels encountered four decades ago. Current overall trends from the Gulf of Alaska to the Aleutian Islands appear neutral with strong regional heterogeneities. A published inferential model has been used to hypothesize a continuous decline in natality and depressed juvenile survival during the height of the decline in the mid-late 1980's, followed by the recent recovery of juvenile survival to pre-decline rates. However, these hypotheses have not been tested by direct means, and causes underlying past and present population trajectories remain unresolved and controversial. We determined post-weaning juvenile survival and causes of mortality using data received post-mortem via satellite from telemetry transmitters implanted into 36 juvenile Steller sea lions from 2005 through 2011. Data show high post-weaning mortality by predation in the eastern Gulf of Alaska region. To evaluate the impact of such high levels of predation, we developed a conceptual framework to integrate density dependent with density independent effects on vital rates and population trajectories. Our data and model do not support the hypothesized recent recovery of juvenile survival rates and reduced natality. Instead, our data demonstrate continued low juvenile survival in the Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords region of the Gulf of Alaska. Our results on contemporary predation rates combined with the density dependent conceptual framework suggest predation on juvenile sea lions as the largest impediment to recovery of the species in the eastern Gulf of Alaska region. The framework also highlights the necessity for demographic models based on age-structured census data to incorporate the differential impact of predation on multiple vital rates

The Effects of Handling and Anesthetic Agents on the Stress Response and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Northern Elephant Seals

Free-ranging animals often cope with fluctuating environmental conditions such as weather, food availability, predation risk, the requirements of breeding, and the influence of anthropogenic factors. Consequently, researchers are increasingly measuring stress markers, especially glucocorticoids, to understand stress, disturbance, and population health. Studying free-ranging animals, however, comes with numerous difficulties posed by environmental conditions and the particular characteristics of study species. Performing measurements under either physical restraint or chemical sedation may affect the physiological variable under investigation and lead to values that may not reflect the standard functional state of the animal. This study measured the stress response resulting from different handling conditions in northern elephant seals and any ensuing influences on carbohydrate metabolism. Endogenous glucose production (EGP) was measured using [6-3H]glucose and plasma cortisol concentration was measured from blood samples drawn during three-hour measurement intervals. These measurements were conducted in weanlings and yearlings with and without the use of chemical sedatives—under chemical sedation, physical restraint, or unrestrained. We compared these findings with measurements in adult seals sedated in the field. The method of handling had a significant influence on the stress response and carbohydrate metabolism. Physically restrained weanlings and yearlings transported to the lab had increased concentrations of circulating cortisol (F11, 46 = 25.2, p<0.01) and epinephrine (F3, 12 = 5.8, p = 0.01). Physical restraint led to increased EGP (t = 3.1, p = 0.04) and elevated plasma glucose levels (t = 8.2, p<0.01). Animals chemically sedated in the field typically did not exhibit a cortisol stress response. The combination of anesthetic agents (Telazol, ketamine, and diazepam) used in this study appeared to alleviate a cortisol stress response due to handling in the field without altering carbohydrate metabolism. Measures of hormone concentrations and metabolism made under these conditions are more likely to reflect basal values

A case study of radial jetting technology for enhancing geothermal energy systems at Klaipeda geothermal demonstration plant

In 1996 a geothermal energy project was initiated at Klaipėda, Lithuania, to demonstrate the feasibility of using low enthalpy geothermal water as a renewable energy resource in district heating systems. The Klaipėda geothermal plant is situated within the West Lithuanian geothermal anomaly with a relatively high heat flow density of 70-90 mW/m2 and contains two geothermal injectors and producers. The injectivity of the wells has been deteriorating ever since plant start-up due to chemical precipitation, fines mobilization and scaling. In November 2014, radial jetting technology was identified as a possible solution for enhancing injectivity of the wells. With radial jet drilling, several open hole laterals of 100 m maximum length and with a diameter of 0.03 m to 0.05 m are jetted from the main well bore in order to enhance the connectivity of the well to the rock and thereby the well productivity or injectivity. In one of the injection wells at Klaipėda, 12 horizontal laterals of around 40 m in length were jetted in a number of highly permeable layers present in the aquifer. Production data post drilling of the laterals suggest an improvement in injectivity of approximately 14%. A base case scenario was constructed based on the specifications of the radial jetting job at Klaipėda. For the base case scenario, assuming the laterals were all jetted according to the specifications, the increase in injectivity was estimated at 56%. An uncertainty analysis was carried out to investigate the impact of uncertainties in the length, positioning, diameter, inclination, and pre-existing near wellbore damage of the laterals on the water injection rate. The sensitivity of the injection rate to uncertainties in the lateral design parameters varies between 2.2% and 13.4% for the parameters evaluated

Stimulated emission of optically excited MOVPE grown ZnCdSe-ZnSe GRINSCH quantum well

International audienc

Impact of thinning on the growth and yield of Scots pine stands – a case study from Kazlu Ruda (Lithuania)

One of the main tasks for the forest managers is to form the highly productive stands, and it is mainly performed by applying intermediate cuttings during the stand development. As the impact of thinning on the premature Scots pine, commercially most important species in Lithuania, has not been sufficiently investigated yet, our objective was to evaluate the impact of such treatments on the growth and yield of the pine stands by using data from the long term experimental plots. The described thinning experiment was established in 1983 in Kazlu˛ Ru−da (54.760395°N, 23.517736°E), in the 30−years−old Scots pine forest, growing in oligotrophic site conditions. Four square plots with the size of 0.25 ha each were set. The first one (5) was left as a control variant with no thinning, while the others were subjected to the treatments of different intensity. In variant 5A (slightly thinned) 15% of the basal area compared to the control plot was removed. Accordingly, in variant 5B (moderate thinning) 25% and in variant 5C (heavy thinning) 40% of basal area was subtracted. No additional thinning was implemented further during the experiment. Plots were re−measured at least 4 times with the last measurement in 2016, when the stand was 63 years old. The main result of this study was that after the 33 years no evident effect of various intensity of silvicultural treatments can be seen as the growth and yield of the un−thinned forest stand was the highest compared to the thinned ones. Growth and yield in the most intensely thinned stand reached 86 and 85% compared to the control variant, respectively. The best productive results were found for moderate thinning (92 and 89% of growth and yield of the un−thinned stand), while the worst – in the slightly thinned 5A variant (77 and 83% of values for the control stand). Further on, the number of trees and competition level in all plots were very different when the experiment was established. Yet after 33 years, these differences were remarkably reduced. Accordingly, the diameter distributions, being very different at the beginning of the experiment, eventually became very similar in all experimental plots. Finally, the results showed that in un− −thinned forest stand, natural mortality (self−thinning) of trees adjusted its density just in time. Thus this stand managed to keep its growing energy in later periods, avoiding degradation or destruction predicted by some theories