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The economic analysis of the subcontract distilleries is a less-explored area of literature. At present, there are approx. 140 commercial and 500 subcontract distilleries in Hungary, in the distribution of production, the former is about 2 million, the latter producing 9 million liters of 50% vol distillate. In the study we carried out an economic analysis of subcontract pálinka distilleries by simulation modeling. Prior to our study, we defined which distillery can be considered to be average in Hungary today and this was taken into account in the marginal conditions of the investigations. Calculations were made using @Risk 7.5 software package. The special feature of margin calculation compared to commercial distilleries that they do not have their own fruit base. It has been proven that the cost of distillation can vary from 331 to 1068 HUF/litre taking into account the extreme values of 1000 simulations, and the average of self-cost is 545 HUF/litre. Based on the empirical distribution of the simulations, it can be stated that 61.1% probability is that the cost below 550 HUF margin level is expected, what is to say the distilling is profitable. Increasing production can significantly reduce the cost of distillation production by up to 30% compared to the original value but practically not, or very difficult to implement. When examining the elements of the cost factors, it was found that four determinants (cost elements and production) that have a decisive influence on the first cost. Income per liter is closely related to the first cost. According to the simulation results, it can vary between -239 and + 150 HUF/litre at 90% probability. The most significant increase in cost is the specific wage cost, and the effect of changes in energy and general costs is only six-tenths of the wage cost. It is advisable to continue making pálinka as a part-time job. By simulation modelling, setting a 1% tolerance for the difference between revenue and expense, we found 29 cases where the production volume can be considered as a brake even point. By determining the simple arithmetic mean of these cases, we can declare that the brake even quantity is 13892 liters. By setting the minimum and maximum values, we have developed a model applicable to any payroll, which can be used for cost-benefit calculations. Generally, the pálinka making can be considered as a profit generator, but the resources, location, and demand have a great influence on this income-generating capacity.

Climate change takes more and more challenges to the water management. Future predictions show that the possibility of extreme floods and drought events are increasing, thus an additional task of the water management can be the fulfilment of the increasing water demands. These new extreme hydrological situations need to be properly handled in water management. The paper presents the first modelling results of the JOINTISZA project carried out on a selected sub-basin of the Tisza River, which is endangered by hydrological extremes. Our aim was to demonstrate the applicability of a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model to study the effects of the climate change. Future hydrological trends were introduced in the river basin and it was assessed how the results of climate models can be used for further hydrodynamic modelling. To address challenges of climate change and supply the stakeholders with an adequate amount of water, proper operation of the reservoir and the irrigation canals are needed. The use of hydrological modelling can be helpful to adequately distribute water resources.

Abstract Background Ventricular function has conventionally been characterized using indexes of systolic (contractile) or diastolic (relaxation/stiffness) function. Systolic indexes include maximum elastance or equivalently the end-systolic pressure volume relation and left ventricular ejection fraction. Diastolic indexes include the time constant of isovolumic relaxation – and the end-diastolic pressure-volume relation. Conceptualization of ventricular contraction/relaxation coupling presents a challenge when mechanical events of the cardiac cycle are depicted in conventional pressure, P, or volume, V, terms. Additional conceptual difficulty arises when ventricular/vascular coupling is considered using P, V variables. Methods We introduce the concept of thermodynamic phase-plane, TPP, defined by the PdV and VdP axes. Results TPP allows all cardiac mechanical events and their coupling to the vasculature to be geometrically depicted and simultaneously analyzed. Conclusion Conventional systolic and diastolic function indexes are easily recovered and novel indexes of contraction-relaxation coupling are discernible.

We present a molecular-scale model of Bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) binding to the chlorosome protein A (CsmA) of Chlorobaculum tepidum, and the aggregated pigment–protein dimer, as determined from protein–ligand docking and quantum chemistry calculations. Our calculations provide strong evidence that the BChl a molecule is coordinated to the His25 residue of CsmA, with the magnesium center of the bacteriochlorin ring situated\3 A° from the imidazole nitrogen atom of the histidine sidechain, and the phytyl tail aligned along the nonpolar residues of the a-helix of CsmA. We also confirm that the Qy band in the absorption spectra of BChl a experiences a large (?16 to ?43 nm) redshift when aggregated with another BChl a molecule in the CsmA dimer, compared to the BChl a in solvent; this redshift has been previously established by experimental researchers. We propose that our model of the BChl a–CsmA binding motif, where the dimer contains parallel aligned N-terminal regions, serves as the smallest repeating unit in a larger model of the para-crystalline chlorosome baseplate protein.