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The article deals with research into the possibilities of creating a material that would be a combination of SEP with alkali-activated systems, which today are referred to as geopolymers. SEPs are secondary energy wastes, which are referred to as fly ash, slag and products of flue gas desulfurization technology. Geopolymers are complex composites whose binder component consists of aluminosilicates in combination with alkaline activators.

This study presents a new approach for predicting forest aboveground biomass (AGB) from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data: AGB is predicted from sequences of images depicting vertical cross-sections through the ALS point clouds. A 3D version of the VGG16 convolutional neural network (CNN) with initial weights transferred from pre-training on the ImageNet dataset was used. The approach was tested on datasets from Canada, Poland, and the Czech Republic. To analyse the effect of training sample size on model performance, different-sized samples ranging from 10 to 375 ground plots were used. The CNNs were compared with random forest models (RFs) trained on point cloud metrics. At the maximum number of training samples, the difference in RMSE between observed and predicted AGB of CNNs and RFs ranged from −2 t/ha to 5 t/ha, and the difference in squared Pearson correlation coefficient ranged from −0.05 to 0.06. Additional pre-training on synthetic data derived from virtual laser scanning of simulated forest stands could only improve the prediction performance of the CNNs when only a few real training samples (10–40) were available. While 3D CNNs trained on cross-section images derived from real data showed promising results, RFs remain a competitive alternative.

Surface structuring by ultrafast lasers is a promising technique to modify surface-related properties of materials to tailor them for specific applications. In the present study, we experimentally investigated the laser structuring of commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) using ultrafast pulses to understand the role of the laser input parameters on the development of surface morphology, optical properties, surface chemistry, and wettability behaviour. The processed surfaces were characterized by a scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman microscope, optical microscope, and sessile drop method. Laser-induced periodic surface structures decorated with nanodroplets were noted to be formed on the surface of the laser-structured CP Ti. The surface roughness measurements showed that the laser-structured surfaces had nanoscale roughness values. The EDX and the Raman analyses show that laser-structured surfaces of CP Ti have a thin oxide film. Different colours on different surfaces processed by different laser parameters were observed. The wettability assessment shows that CP Ti can transition from hydrophilic–hydrophobic and vice versa depending on the environmental conditions. This study shows that laser structuring can be utilized to modify CP Ti surfaces to obtain desirable surface properties that can find potential applications in different fields.

Monel ^® alloy 400 has excellent corrosion resistance and finds applications in marine industries. The processing of marine components requires high processing efficiency and a quality finish. Hence, this research aims to investigate the effects of the laser processing parameters such as laser fluence, scanning velocity, hatching distance, and the scanning pass on the ablation rates and efficiency, chemistry, and nanomechanical properties of the Monel ^® alloy 400 after pulsed picosecond (ps) laser ablation. From the experimental findings, the ablation depth increases as the laser fluence increases while decreasing as the scanning velocity increases. Surface roughness was noted to increase as the laser fluence increased. The findings demonstrated that the ablation rate increases as laser fluence increases while ablation efficiency decreases. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) showed that the elemental composition of laser-ablated zones is almost similar to that of the polished sample. X-ray spectroscopy (XPS) shows that the outer layer on the surface of Monel ^® alloy 400 is composed of NiO and CuO. The hardness and Young’s modulus of the laser-processed alloy were found to be less than those of the bulk material. This study can be used to establish optimal processing parameters for the ultrafast ps laser processing of materials to achieve high ablation efficiency with a high-quality surface finish for industrial applications.

This paper describes the application of eye tracking technology in the automotive industry in the context of vehicle assessment in customer clinics. The paper presents the mentioned technology, the applied experimental methodology and selected results. In particular, the hypotheses that were expressed during the research of the topic and during the preparation of the experiment are answered. In this way, the innovative technology of eye tracking can be used to reflect the "voice of the customer" in the vehicle design.

The research paper „Eye-tracking technology in automotive industry“ describes the implementation of eye-tracking technology into the development of new vehicles and their decision-making process. This objective technology tracks the eye movement of a participant, detects where the subject is looking during an interval of an experiment, and thus offers a wide range of applications. It can be used to detect distractions while driving on a simulator under a certain workload or to record objective data during an otherwise subjective customer-oriented clinic. In this topic, we evaluate areas of the vehicle which are the most interesting for customers, and therefore provide support and recommendations for new vehicle designs.

Above-ground biomass (AGB) is considered an essential climate variable that underpins our knowledge and information about the role of forests in mitigating climate change. The availability of satellite-based AGB and AGB change (ΔAGB) products has increased in recent years. Here we assessed the past decade net ΔAGB derived from four recent global multi-date AGB maps: ESA-CCI maps, WRI-Flux model, JPL time series, and SMOS-LVOD time series. Our assessments explore and use different reference data sources with biomass re-measurements within the past decade. The reference data comprise National Forest Inventory (NFI) plot data, local ΔAGB maps from airborne LiDAR, and selected Forest Resource Assessment country data from countries with well-developed monitoring capacities. Map to reference data comparisons were performed at levels ranging from 100 m to 25 km spatial scale. The comparisons revealed that LiDAR data compared most reasonably with the maps, while the comparisons using NFI only showed some agreements at aggregation levels

The outdoor thermal comfort of urban residents is negatively affected by heatwaves that are becoming more frequent and severe with the ongoing climate crisis. As such, the assessment of outdoor perception and comfort during heatwaves has become an important ingredient of successful urban adaptation strategies. However, systematic assessment of long-term thermal perception across a large number of places and large populations of people is difficult. In this study, we consider an approach to the assessment of long-term thermal perception that combines features of currently used approaches (i.e., use of rating scales of thermal perception, use of surveys, and the use of photographs representing places) and we provide some preliminary validation of this approach. Specifically, across three studies conducted in two Czech cities, we show that long-term thermal perceptions for a large sample of 1,856 urban places can be elicited in a large sample of city residents (total N = 1,812) using rating scales in off-site surveys complemented with visual representations of the target locations. In Studies 1 and 2, we partially validate this approach by showing that such long-term thermal perceptions can be traced back to average surface temperature, sky-view factor, and the presence of blue and green infrastructure, all factors that the literature relates to thermal perception. Moreover, we show evidence that observers can reliably glean these properties from the visual representation of places. In Study 3, we provide additional evidence of the predictive validity of such long-term thermal perceptions by showing that they predict place-related activities (waiting and walking) and the place preference of other people more than one year later. Thus, this approach to the measurement of long-term thermal perception related to heatwaves can be a useful addition to currently used approaches.

Synergies of optical, thermal and laser scanning remotely sensed data provide valuable information to study the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. One of the few fully operational airborne multi-sensor platforms for ecosystem research in Europe is the Flying Laboratory of Imaging Systems (FLIS), operated by the Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The system consists of three commercial imaging spectroradiometers. One spectroradiometer covers the visible and near-infrared, and the other covers the shortwave infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. These two provide full spectral data between 380–2450 nm, mainly for the assessment of biochemical properties of vegetation, soil and water. The third spectroradiometer covers the thermal long-wave infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum and allows for mapping of surface emissivity and temperature properties. The fourth instrument onboard is the full waveform laser scanning system, which provides data on landscape orography and 3D structure. Here, we describe the FLIS design, data acquisition plan and primary data pre-processing. The synchronous acquisition of multiple data sources provides a complex analytical and data framework for the assessment of vegetation ecosystems (such as plant species composition, plant functional traits, biomass and carbon stocks), as well as for studying the role of greenery or blue-green infrastructure on the thermal behaviour of urban systems. In addition, the FLIS airborne infrastructure supports calibration and validation activities for existing and upcoming satellite missions (e.g., FLEX, PRISMA).

During the spring of 2013, a relatively large rockslide with a total area of 96,952 m2 occurred in the eastern part of the Malá Fatra mountains. The anticipated depth of the slip surfaces was from 30 to 40 metres and the volume of moving mass was estimated to be 2,000,000 m3. The maximum movement of the rockslide on the first day in March 2013 was estimated to be 43 m. The front of the rockslide interfered with the projected D1 highway route. The paper presented here offers an analysis of the causes of the rockslide and its activity in association with the potential threat to the proposed highway.

Astrophysical radio signals are excellent probes of extreme physical processes that emit them. However, to reach Earth, electromagnetic radiation passes through the ionized interstellar medium, introducing a frequency-dependent time delay (dispersion) to the emitted signal. Removing dispersion enables searches for transient signals like fast radio bursts or repeating signals from isolated pulsars or those in orbit around other compact objects. The sheer volume and high resolution of data that next-generation radio telescopes will produce require high-performance computing solutions and algorithms to be used in time-domain data-processing pipelines to extract scientifically valuable results in real time. This paper presents a state-of-the-art implementation of brute force incoherent dedispersion on NVIDIA graphics-processing units and on Intel and AMD central-processing units. We show that our implementation is 4× faster (8-bit 8192 channels input) than other available solutions, and we demonstrate, using 11 existing telescopes, that our implementation is at least 20× faster than real time. This work is part of the AstroAccelerate package.

We measured dynamics of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence at telluric oxygen absorption bands O2A and O2B in evergreen spruce and deciduous beech forests. Seasonal variations in fluorescence emissions were compared with NDVI. Daily changes in fluorescence emissions were compared with canopy shadow fraction (αS) dynamics, which showed impact of branch and leaf positions on detected fluorescence signals based on comparison with canopy height model. Absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) was recognized as a large determinant of fluorescence changes within the O2A band (SIFA), with R2 > 0.68. Fluorescence within the O2B band was more directly linked to NDVI. Although, the seasonal dynamics of fluorescence within the O2B band (SIFB) were similar to SIFA in the spruce forest. In the beech forest, SIFB showed different seasonal dynamics as compared with SIFA. SIFA in the spruce forest showed a relationship to gross primary productivity (GPP), with R2 = 0.48, and a relationship of R2 = 0.37 was estimated for the SIFA-GPP connection in the beech forest. SIFB was better linked to seasonal GPP in the beech forest, but with a negative slope in the relationship with R2 = 0.61. We have shown that measurements of passive fluorescence signals at telluric oxygen absorption bands can contribute to understanding to photosynthesis processes in forest canopies.

In this paper, the fatigue behavior of polylactic acid (PLA) material with bamboo filler printed by 3D additive printing using fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology at different infill densities and print nozzle diameters is investigated. The mechanical test results are supported by the findings from SEM image analysis. The fatigue behavior was tested at four consecutive 250 cycles at loads ranging from 5 to 20, 30, 40, and 50% based on the limits found in the static tensile test. The results of the static tensile and low-cycle fatigue tests confirmed significant effects of infill density of 60%, 80%, and 100% on the tensile strength of the tested specimens. In particular, the research results show a significant effect of infill density on the fatigue properties of the tested materials. The influence of cyclic tests resulted in the strengthening of the tested material, and at the same time, its viscoelastic behavior was manifested. SEM analysis of the fracture surface confirmed a good interaction between the PLA matrix and the bamboo-based filler using nozzle diameters of 0.4 and 0.6 mm and infill densities of 60%, 80%, and 100%. Low-cycle testing showed no reductions in the mechanical properties and fatigue lives of the 3D printed samples.

Landslides or landslide-induced impact waves in high mountain lakes represent a high hazard for society, calling for realistic assessments of rock slope stability responsible for the process chain initiation. This task is often hampered by complex interplays of triggers, which effects on slope stability may be delayed by decades or even millennia, while historical records describing slope topography or landslide occurrences are usually shorter and incomplete. This article builds on rarely available detailed historical data describing the site of the 2002 rock avalanche in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. It caused a dangerous impact wave in the Safuna Alta Lake resulting in a minor flood, but ongoing downstream development significantly increased the risk of a comparable event. Pre-2002 and post-2002 failure slope topography, 70 years long history of glaciation and landslide occurrences were combined with non-invasive field geological surveys and laboratory geotechnical analyses to characterize the distinct morphological parts of the failed slope with reliable engineering geological slope models. Slope stability was calculated for a series of environmental scenarios providing insights into the 2002 rock avalanche failure mechanism and dynamics as well as the role of glacier slope support for its stability. Results show that the rock slope stability is governed by discontinuous slip planes where rock bridges represent the most likely additional resisting forces. The effect of glacier support on the slope stability is limited under full-water saturation of the rocks and due to specific morpho-structural conditions. Importance of the long-term, progressive deterioration of the rock slope strength under paraglacial environment and repeated seismic shaking is illustrated by the fact that even the Little Ice Age maximum glacier extend only had minor positive effect on the pre-2002 rock avalanche slope stability. Despite of that, the slope remained without a major failure for decades or possibly even centuries. Its collapse in 2002 caused retrogressive movements of the adjacent slope, which remains highly unstable until now. Therefore the future safety of the lake would largely benefit from the implementation of a reliable slope movement monitoring system.

Paper deals by problems of nanoparticles and nanomaterials applicated in technical practice. Research on the use of nanoparticles has at present a great development. Their potential has a large of use. Particles of nano-size, i.e. below 100 nm exhibit other properties than larger particles and because this area is being explored in all possible sectors. The effect of adding these particles at different mechanical properties in coatings on various surfaces neat (separated on a band saw, milling work, ground roughness 800 and 80 polished) dependent on quality prepared nanoparticles by different conditions of milling. One of the possibilities for an extension of the duty cycle of tyre production molds is applying a protective coating. Due to the functionality of the desktop is needed a very thin coating layer. A suitable type of coating is thus a PTFE coating, which prolongs the service life of hundreds of percent. Better possibility how to improve an extension of the duty cycle is the addition of the coating titanium dioxide particles into the PTFE medium. This is the way how to create nanocomposite directly on the mold surface.

This article is devoted to the characterization of a new Co-W-Al alloy prepared by an aluminothermic reaction. This alloy is used for the subsequent preparation of a special composite nanopowder and for the surface coating of aluminum, magnesium, or iron alloys. Due to the very high temperature (2000 °C–3000 °C) required for the reaction, thermite was added to the mixture. Pulverized coal was also added in order to obtain the appropriate metal carbides (Co, W, Ti), which increase hardness, resistance to abrasion, and the corrosion of the coating and have good high temperature properties. The phase composition of the alloy prepared by the aluminothermic reaction showed mainly cobalt, tungsten, and aluminum, as well as small amounts of iron, titanium, and calcium. No carbon was identified using this method. The microstructure of this alloy is characterized by a cobalt matrix with smaller regular and irregular carbide particles doped by aluminum.

The aim of this study is to determine the influence of selected environmental factors on the dynamic changes in the landscape in the Czech Republic: 1) to detect land use changes between 1986–2013 along altitudinal gradients in two neighbouring Czech districts (Třebič and Znojmo), 2) to test if there is a relationship between the spatial distribution of the main changes and selected environmental factors, 3) to identify differences in the sizes of agricultural fields between 1953 and 2013, and whether they are associated with changes in agricultural land use. Satellite Landsat TM/ETM scenes for 1986, 1994, 2002 and 2013 were used to define land cover categories (arable land, grassland, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, mixed forest, urban areas and inland water). The association between the distribution of changes in land-cover with environmental factors such as gradient, aspect, altitude, topographic wetness index (TWI), less-favoured areas (LFA), main soil units and climate zones was determined. Only a limited proportion of landscape changes were dependent on environmental factors in the study area. Over the period 1994–2013 there was a decrease in arable land and increase in grassland, mainly in the LFA zone. Slope of the terrain was a dominating factor in landscape changes. The association with TWI values was most significant in permanent arable land and in grassland in transition to arable land. There was an increasing trend in the annual average temperature and sum of solar radiation in both the districts, Třebič and Znojmo. A change from small fields (1953) to large fields (2013) was recorded in the study area. Distribution of field sizes was different in LULC classes for different climatic zones and the main soil units.

The presence of Al-Si coating on 22MnB5 leads to the formation of large ferritic bands in the dominantly martensitic microstructure of butt laser welds. Rapid cooling of laser weld metal is responsible for insufficient diffusion of coating elements into the steel and incomplete homogenization of weld fusion zone. The Al-rich regions promote the formation of ferritic solid solution. Soft ferritic bands cause weld joint weakening. Laser welds reached only 64% of base metal’s ultimate tensile strength, and they always fractured in the fusion zone during the tensile tests. We implemented hybrid laser-TIG welding technology to reduce weld cooling rate by the addition of heat of the arc. The effect of arc current on weld microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. Thanks to the slower cooling, the large ferritic bands were eliminated. The hybrid welds reached greater ultimate tensile strength compared to laser welds. The location of the fracture moved from the fusion zone to a tempered heat-affected zone characterized by a drop in microhardness. The minimum of microhardness was independent of heat input in this region.

The application of thin monolayers helps to increase the endurance of a cutting tool during the drilling process. One such trendy coating is TiAlN, which guarantees high wear resistance and helps to “smooth out” surface defects. For this reason, a new type of weak TiAlN microlayer with a new composition has been developed and applied using the HIPIMs magnetron sputtering method. The aim of this study was to analyze surface-applied micro coatings, including chemical composition (EDX) and microstructure in the area of the coatings. Microstructural characterization and visualization of the surface structures of the TiAlN layer were performed using atomic force microscopy. To study the surface layer of the coatings, metallographic cross-sectional samples were prepared and monitored using light and electron microscopy methods. The microhardness of the test layer was also determined. Analyses have shown that a 2-to-4-micron thick monolayer has a microhardness of about 2500 HV, which can help increase the life of cutting tools.

Abstract In this work, we proposed a new data acquisition approach that significantly improves the repetition rates of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) experiments, where high-end echelle spectrometers and intensified detectors are commonly used. The moderate repetition rates of recent LIBS systems are caused by the utilization of intensified detectors and their slow full frame (i.e. echellogram) readout speeds with consequent necessity for echellogram-to-1D spectrum conversion (intensity vs. wavelength). Therefore, we investigated a new methodology where only the most effective pixels of the echellogram were selected and directly used in the LIBS experiments. Such data processing resulted in significant variable down-selection (more than four orders of magnitude). Samples of 50 sedimentary ores samples (distributed in 13 ore types) were analyzed by LIBS system and then classified by linear and non-linear Multivariate Data Analysis algorithms. The utilization of selected pixels from an echellogram yielded increased classification accuracy compared to the utilization of common 1D spectra.

The aim of this paper is to present a design and a development of a heat simulator, which will be used for a flow research in data centers. The designed heat simulator is based on an ideological basis of four-processor 1U Supermicro server. The designed heat simulator enables to control the flow and heat output within the range of 10–100 %. The paper covers also the results of testing measurements of mass flow rates and heat flow rates in the simulator. The flow field at the outlet of the server was measured by the stereo PIV method. The heat flow rate was determined, based on measuring the temperature field at the inlet and outlet of the simulator and known mass flow rate.

This article presents a mathematical model for barge transport planning on the river Rhine, which is part of a decision support system (DSS) recently taken into use by the Swiss company Omya. The system is operated by Omya’s regional office in Cologne, Germany, responsible for distribution planning at the regional distribution center (RDC) in Moerdijk, the Netherlands. The distribution planning is a vital part of supply chain management of Omya’s production of Norwegian high quality calcium carbonate slurry, supplied to European paper manufacturers. The DSS operates within a vendor managed inventory (VMI) setting, where the customer inventories are monitored by Omya, who decides upon the refilling days and quantities delivered by barges. The barge planning problem falls into the category of inventory routing problems (IRP) and is further characterized with multiple products, heterogeneous fleet with availability restrictions (the fleet is owned by third party), vehicle compartments, dependency of barge capacity on water-level, multiple customer visits, bounded customer inventories and rolling planning horizon. There are additional modelling details which had to be considered to make it possible to employ the model in practice at a sufficient level of detail. To the best of our knowledge, we have not been able to find similar models covering all these aspects in barge planning. This article presents the developed mixed-integer programming model and discusses practical experience with its solution. Briefly, it also puts the model into the context of the entire business case of value chain optimization in Omya.

Forest aboveground biomass (AGB) is an important variable in assessing carbon stock or ecosystem functioning, as well as for forest management. Among methods of forest AGB estimation laser scanning attracts attention because it allows for detailed measurements of forest structure. Here we evaluated variables that influence forest AGB estimation from airborne laser scanning (ALS), specifically characteristics of ALS inputs and of a derived canopy height model (CHM), and role of allometric equations (local vs. global models) relating tree height, stem diameter (DBH), and crown radius. We used individual tree detection approach and analyzed forest inventory together with ALS data acquired for 11 stream catchments with dominant Norway spruce forest cover in the Czech Republic. Results showed that the ALS input point densities (4−18 pt/m 2 ) did not influence individual tree detection rates. Spatial resolution of the input CHM rasters had a greater impact, resulting in higher detection rates for CHMs with pixel size 0.5 m than 1.0 m for all tree height categories. In total 12 scenarios with different allometric equations for estimating stem DBH from ALS-derived tree height were used in empirical models for AGB estimation. Global DBH models tend to underestimate AGB in young stands and overestimate AGB in mature stands. Using different allometric equations can yield uncertainty in AGB estimates of between 16 and 84 tons per hectare, which in relative values corresponds to between 6% and 37% of the mean AGB per catchment. Therefore, allometric equations (mainly for DBH estimation) should be applied with care and we recommend, if possible, to establish one’s own site-specific models. If that is not feasible, the global allometric models developed here, from a broad variety of spruce forest sites, can be potentially applicable for the Central European region.

In the present Case Study we explore the comprehension levels of relativity theory in prospective science teachers who take the introduction to physics lesson at the Faculty of Education. Special Theory of Relativity multimedia animation was used to illustrate basic relativistic consequences. The effect of it for learning was researched. In the research, a case study was used. Research data were obtained by interviews and using open-ended questions prepared by the researcher.

Algal biomass that is represented mainly by commercially grown algal strains has recently found many potential applications in various fields of interest. Its utilization has been found advantageous in the fields of bioremediation, biofuel production and the food industry. This paper reviews recent developments in the analysis of algal biomass with the main focus on the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and partly Laser-Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma techniques. The advantages of the selected laser-based analytical techniques are revealed and their fields of use are discussed in detail.

We analyze the dynamics of price jumps and the impact of the European debt crisis using the high-frequency data reported by selected stock exchanges on the European continent during the period January 2008 to June 2012. We employ two methods to identify price jumps: Method 1 minimizes the probability of false jump detection (the Type-II Error-Optimal price jump indicator) and Method 2 maximizes the probability of successful jump detection (the Type-I Error-Optimal price jump indicator). We show that individual stock markets exhibited differences in price jump intensity before and during the crisis. We also show that in general the variance of price jump intensity could not be distinguished as different in the pre-crisis period from that during the crisis. Our results indicate that, contrary to common belief, the intensity of price jumps does not uniformly increase during a period of financial distress. However, there do exist differences in price jump dynamics across stock markets and investors have to model emerging and mature markets differently to properly reflect their individual dynamics.

Laboratory spectroscopy in visible and infrared regions is an important tool for studies dealing with plant ecophysiology and early recognition of plant stress due to changing environmental conditions. Leaf optical properties are typically acquired with a spectroradiometer coupled with an integration sphere (IS) in a laboratory or with a contact probe (CP), which has the advantage of operating flexibility and the provision of repetitive in-situ reflectance measurements. Experiments comparing reflectance spectra measured with different devices and device settings are rarely reported in literature. Thus, in our study we focused on a comparison of spectra collected with two ISs on identical samples ranging from a Spectralon and coloured papers as reference standards to vegetation samples with broadleaved (Nicotiana Rustica L.) and coniferous (Picea abies L. Karst.) leaf types. First, statistical measures such as mean absolute difference, median of differences, standard deviation and paired-sample t-test were applied in order to evaluate differences between collected reflectance values. The possibility of linear transformation between spectra was also tested. Moreover, correlation between normalised differential indexes (NDI) derived for each device and all combinations of wavelengths between 450 nm and 1800 nm were assessed. Finally, relationships between laboratory measured leaf compounds (total chlorophyll, carotenoids and water content), NDI and selected spectral indices often used in remote sensing were studied. The results showed differences between spectra acquired with different devices. While differences were negligible in the case of the Spectralon and they were possible to be modelled with a linear transformation in the case of coloured papers, the spectra collected with the CP and the ISs differed significantly in the case of vegetation samples. Regarding the spectral indices calculated from the reflectance data collected with the three devices, their mean values were in the range of the corresponding standard deviations in the case of broadleaved leaf type. Larger differences in optical leaf properties of spruce needles collected with the CP and ISs are implicated from the different measurement procedure due to needle-like leaf where shoots with spatially oriented needles were measured with the CP and individual needles with the IS. The study shows that a direct comparison between the spectra collected with two devices is not advisable as spectrally dependent offsets may likely exist. We propose that the future studies shall focus on standardisation of measurement procedures so that open access spectral libraries could serve as a reliable input for modelling of optical properties on a leaf level.

In this work, we investigate the Model of Employment, Production and Consumption, as introduced in a series of papers by I. Wright [1–3] from the perspective of statistical physics, and we focus on the presence of equilibrium. The model itself belongs to the class of multi-agent computational models, which aim to explain macro-economic behavior using explicit micro-economic interactions.Based on the mean-field approximation, we form the Fokker-Plank equation(s) and then formulate conditions forming the stationary solution, which results in a system of non-linear integral-differential equations. This approximation then allows the presence of non-equilibrium stationary states, where the model is a mixed additive-multiplicative model.