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The main part of companies in Bulgaria are built, however in the 70s, and upgraded last decade. The country supplies around 80 % of its supplies of paper, paperboard and pulp with own production. Integrated treatment of wastes is a priority for realizing closed life cycle of materials. The aim of the present work is to investigate the composition and other important characteristics of biomass wood ash wasted from paper industry. The correlations and associations among the chemical characteristics are also studied to find some basic trends and important relationships between two similar wastes from different enterprises. It was proved that all samples taken contained Ba, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, Al, Fe, Cu and Zn far below the legal limits for such type of products. A product has a certain anti-acidic effect. The other positive result was that the content of iron is between 34 to 60 mg per 1 kg dry waste. The microscopic photos confirmed that the particles are close to the nano-size materials. The content of the elements C, N, H is in good quantities and ratios, which is a prerequisite for their use as a soil improver. By the results of this study, it was confirmed that all samples produced as a result of the thermal treatment and final low water content achieved are free from pathogen microorganisms and different weed seeds, affecting the yield and soil sustainability. That allows determining the optimal ratio between the used components with a view to obtain products with desired thermal stability and physico-chemical properties as soil improvers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Rosa consists of more than 200 species. Among these Rosa damascena Mill belongs to the Damask group of roses which are known for their strong fragrance. R. damascena has been cultivated as garden rose in some west European collections but it is mainly grown for production of rose oil and rose water obtained after steam distillation of the rose flowers. It is considered that the oil rose originates from ancient Persia (today Iran) and has been later spread to Europe and Northern Africa. By the 14th century the Damask roses were already grown in West European rose collections as garden roses. Rose oil is mainly used in the perfumery and cosmetics industry as a base component of many of the modern perfumes but it also finds application in the food industry as a flavor additive. The main producers of rose oil are Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran and India. Smaller amounts of rose oil and mainly rose water are produced in the countries of Northern Africa. The price of the rose oil has been growing during the last years. The rose oil and rose flower extracts have been studied for a number of health-beneficial effects including antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity, anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties, relaxant effects on tracheal chains and anti-HIV activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the hope of rapid development of rural tourism in Bulgaria, how to innovate and optimize the marketing mode and successfully achieve marketing purposes is an urgent problem for the marketing of rural tourism destinations. Based on the analysis of destinations in Bulgaria like Botevgrad, Chiprovtsi, Radomir, etc., this paper has proposed suggestions on designing tourist products in the provinces of Bulgaria. The ambition is to encourage rural areas to make full use of local superior resources, including traditional folk culture, old churches and pastoral views to build traditional leisure agricultural projects, protect the precious historic and cultural heritage and promote the prosperity of local rural economy. The research is based on field research of the specific places with the cooperation of local authorities and different organizations. The paper begins with a literature review concerning the role of tourism in sustainable destination development, considering the specificities of rural tourism, and the contribution of this tourism to sustainable development of rural areas. The literature review is followed by a case study for 3 regions in Bulgaria. Via qualitative and quantitative approach, the case study identifies the views of diverse stake holders (visitors, public, private agents of supply, residents and consultants). The methodology and observations under the analysis are presented and open for discussion. The paper ends with some prescriptions and offers for marketing strategy creation. In conclusion there are some suggestions on how to make the rural area sustainable through marketing strategies on rural tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the possibility of transport development as a factor for the rural integration of a population of over 100,000 using the example of the city of Stara Zagora in Bulgaria. The analysis showed that improving the access of the rural population to the agglomeration areas can be done through the combination of inter-urban transport that connects the villages with the nearby city The purpose of developing this process is to increase the access of the rural population to the cities and, accordingly, to bring out the problems that the people of the villages have in terms of urban transport. Based on a proposed methodology, we propose to highlight the main public transport problems of the rural population. On the other hand, to propose different views and models to achieve higher efficiency of urban transport and its implementation in rural areas. In this paper, quantitative and qualitative analysis is used and the results are also used to assess the impact of price fluctuations on vegetable marketing channels including vegetable processing enterprises. Data on vegetable prices were extracted from the tempo on line database and the analysis was also based on interviews with key stakeholders in the vegetable processing chain. The results reveal a high coefficient of variation at the farm gate stage, which is also transmitted to the distribution and commercialization stage. The analysis was also carried out at the processing level and the results also show a rather high coefficient of variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the role played by organizational ambidexterity and open innovation in innovation outputs, considering business units with different levels of technological intensity (medium-high and high tech, and medium-low and low tech) for countries with different innovation profiles. The countries considered in this paper are i) Estonia and Slovenia as innovation followers; ii) Slovakia, Hungary, Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Norway, and Croatia as moderate innovators; and iii) Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania as modest innovators. In the empirical approach, the research hypotheses arise from the literature review and are tested using secondary data collected from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) 2010. The conceptual model is tested using the logistic regression method, which indicates suitable accuracy and reliability for empirical testing purposes. The evidence reveals that for innovation followers, ambidexterity has a greater influence on the practice of eco-innovation, marketing innovation, and product innovation. For moderate innovators, ambidexterity has a greater influence on the practice of product innovation, process innovation, and eco-innovation. Concerning modest innovators, ambidexterity has a greater influence on the practice of product innovation, process innovation, and eco-innovation. With regard to open innovation, for innovation followers, this has a negative influence on product innovation in medium-high and high-tech companies. For moderate innovators, open innovation has a greater influence in process, organizational, and ecoinnovation. In the case of modest innovators, open innovation is more significant for innovation outputs in product, organizational, and marketing innovation. Size is not always positively related to innovation outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dipsacus gmelinii is here reported as a new addition to the vascular flora of Bulgaria. It was recorded on Belene Island, in the Danube River. In the present paper, the species is described morphologically with an emphasis on carpomorphological characters. The distinctive differences from related species of the genus are also highlighted. Additionally, ecological conditions and floristic composition at the localities of the species, and phytosociological relationships of the communities in which it participates are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an algorithm for organizing and grouping data related to the expenditures by education levels in Bulgaria. The built database is used as a source from which the necessary information is searched depending on the entered indicators and time interval. The considered indicators include the public and private expenditures by education levels for the period2012-2020. The extracted subsets of elements are processed and analyzed. In this connection, four groups of variables are calculated and discussed. The results show that the expenditures in four of the education levels (primaryand pre-primary education as well as upper and lower secondary education) grow over the last five years (2016-2020). The quoted indicator inpost-secondary, non-tertiary education isreduced gradually in 2016-2019. During 2015, as compared to 2014, the expenditures in the considered 7 levels of education decreased in the range from 0.29% to 7.81%. This work calculates the share of expenditure for tertiary educationbachelor, master and doctor in comparison with the total expenditures for education in the indicatedtime period. The obtained value of the variable for this education level is the highest. It is 29.74%. The values of this variable are significantly lower for the following two levels of education - tertiary education-professional bachelor and postsecondary, non-tertiary education. They are 1.54% and 0.29% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compares physical and chemical characteristics of technogenic soil profiles at coal mine spoil from Maritsa-Iztok Mines. Sites with coniferous vegetation and without vegetation were selected. Brief comparison was made between physicochemical characteristics of studied soil profiles and those from other mine spoils. Relations with previous studies are also provided. The technogenic soil profiles have high cation exchange capacity and organic carbon content. Soil water repellency was measured and its correlation with studied soil characteristics of the Technosols was established. The water drop penetration time (WDPT) decreases sharply after heating of extremely hydrophobic soil samples. Before heating it correlates significantly with exchangeable cations of aluminium (R*WDPT-Al = 0.863) in the soil profile under pine and less with hydrogen in the profile without vegetation (RWDPT-H8.2 = 0.409). In the pine site, significant correlation was also found between the WDPT and the total organic carbon (R*WDPT-TOC = 0.711) as well as with fulvic organic carbon (R*WDPT-FOC = 0.824). In the non-vegetated soil profile, the correlation is significant with the fraction of unextracted organic carbon (R*WDPT-Cunextr. = 0.644). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal economic sector devoted to the breeding, raising, and production of farm animals is known as the livestock industry. There are precise standards for making high-quality feed in animal husbandry. Precision livestock feeding is a crucial component, with the potential to significantly impact the profitability of livestock; it permits the provision of diets to animals that are precisely tailored to their specific daily nutritional needs. Through simulation modeling, a single model can be created for automated systems to determine daily rations for farm animals. For the purposes of this document, precision livestock feeding refers to the practice of tailoring feed to individual animals or groups of animals, taking into account their changing nutritional needs over time and individual differences in terms of nutritional requirements. The practice aims to optimize animal health and performance while reducing feed waste. This paper presents a formal model for determining the quantities of components needed to achieve a minimum cost mixture that satisfies compositional and quantitative criteria. The present research calculates the amount of hay and silage required to feed an animal per day at the most economical cost by applying an optimization approach that involves defining and solving an optimization problem. The problem is solved using a well-known software package, which is necessary for the practical application of the resulting model. Real data from livestock production in Bulgaria are used to numerically test the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is to recount the birth and development of midwifery and maternal care education in Bulgaria after the Bulgarian Liberation at the end of XIX and the beginning of the XX century. The researchers set the following tasks: 1) to present the main reasons for the emergence of professional midwifery education in post-Liberation Bulgaria; 2) to show the place and role of the first professionally trained midwives in Bulgaria; 3) to outline the seminal work of notable personalities for the development of professional midwifery care. Historical method was used, secondary historical sources, documents and scientific papers were reviewed. Conclusions: Professional midwifery education helped the introduction and spread of modern Obstetrics/Gynecology medicine, which lead to decrease in maternal and infant mortality and slowly improved quality of life for Bulgarian women and children. Bulgarian nationals educated abroad brought to the country the scientific foundation and best practices in maternal health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall, with its intensity, duration, and seasonal distribution, is among the main factors causing soil erosion, which is a widespread environmental problem in Bulgaria. Rainfall erosivity shows the potential of precipitation to generate erosion processes and is an essential indicator of the climate vulnerability of a region. This paper aims to evaluate rainfall erosivity in a part of the Eastern Rhodopes Mountains, an area that is characterised by high-intensity erosion processes and high erosion risk. Local peculiarities of rainfall erosivity were revealed by the calculation of some precipitation indices based on the monthly precipitation for the period 2000–2021, such as the precipitation concentration index (PCI), Angot precipitation index, Fournier index (FI), and modified Fournier index (MFI). The analysis of the extremely wet and extremely dry months at the annual and seasonal (October–March and April–September) levels was performed to evaluate the susceptibility to erosion. The results from the study show that rainfall erosivity in the studied area varies from low to moderate in the northern part of the study area and from high to very high in the south. According to the MFI, high and very high erosivities have been observed mainly since 2012. The erosivity increases from north to south, to the area with a complex relief, where the combination of orography and atmospheric circulation make favourable conditions for the occurrence of extreme precipitation. The analyses of the calculated indices show that the precipitations in most of the studied area generally have from a low to a moderate erosivity, but this does not exclude the occurrence of cases with high and very high erosivities, which are characteristic of recent years and are related to the increase in annual precipitations and extreme precipitation months. The results of this study can contribute to the development and implementation of measures and preventive activities for the reduction and possible elimination of the negative impacts of extreme precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with a quantitative assessment of the production efficiency of the forestry sector in EU countries, which is largely neglected in the literature. Only a few studies have been conducted so far, processing data mainly in the first half of the last decade. In contrast to these studies, in this article we focus on the period between 2016 and 2020. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to compare the efficiency of the forest sector to fill the gap. The empirical results of this study show that the leaders in this sector are Germany, Finland, and the Czech Republic. These countries are fully efficient throughout the period under review. In contrast, Bulgaria lags far behind, with an efficiency score typically around 35%. The results of the cluster analysis show that although countries have similar characteristics, their efficiency scores are not necessarily at the same level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the paper is to analyze and evaluate the demographic development trends in Bulgaria as well as to identify demographically problematic rural areas and the consequences of their development. Based on information from the National Statistical Institute, the demographic processes in the rural areas of Bulgaria for the period 2011-2021 are analyzed. The obtained results show the high rate of population decline in some regions of Bulgaria and the unfavorable values of the coefficients for demographic dependence and replacement. Rural areas of our country are experiencing faster depopulation than cities. This leads to significant territorial disparities in the manifestation of the observed processes. The last part emphasizes the need to implement regional demographic policies aimed at stimulating families with children and reforming professional education. It is also recommended to implement a proactive immigration policy to attract Bulgarians living abroad and immigrants from third countries with the necessary educational and professional qualifications to reduce the negative effects of the labor shortage in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Nasopharyngeal cancers (NPC) are very aggressive, and the recurrence rate after radical therapy is high. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of brachytherapy (BT) also called interventional radiotherapy (IRT) in primary NPC in comparison with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) alone. Material and methods: A systematic search was performed in Scopus, Cochrane, and PubMed databases. Clinical query based on PICO framework was as follows: In patients with NPC (P), is EBRT plus IRT (I) superior to EBRT alone (C) in terms of local control (LC) and toxicity (O)? Full articles evaluating the efficacy of IRT as a boost after EBRT in patients with NPC were considered. Results: Eight papers, including 1,320 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The median 5-year LC for IRT group and no-IRT group was 98% (range, 95.8-100%) and 86% (range, 80.2-91%), respectively; the median 5-year overall survival (OS) for IRT group and no-IRT group was 93.3% (range, 89.2-97.5%) and 82.9% (range, 74.8-91.1%), respectively; the median 5-year DFS for IRT group and no-IRT group was 94.2% (range, 92.5-96%) and 83.9% (range, 73.3-94.6%), respectively; the median 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) for IRT group and no-IRT group was 96% (range, 94.5-97.5%) and 88.2% (range, 83.4-93.1%), respectively. G1-2 and G3-4 toxicities were similar in some articles, or significantly lower in patients treated with IRT in other papers. Conclusions: Data suggest that IRT may improve results of external beam radiotherapy in primary NPCs, especially when using new technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to present the need and the importance of using efficiently the energy and finding new ways to improve the transport based on renewable energy. The paper is based on a large number of official information sources which are structured and presented in the author's opinion. The main results emphasize that the Danube region is a large river basin and ecological corridor requiring a regional approach to nature conservation, spatial planning and water management. The environmental impact of transport links, tourist constructions or new energy production facilities must also be considered. Transport policy has been given a new direction: achieving a 'sustainable through flexibility' system, which means organizing transport in such a way as to optimize energy consumption. The development of the national transmission system shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of conservation and environmental protection and the rational use of energy. The protection of human life and the environment is a priority in all transport-related relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The National Sports Academy "V. Levski" in Bulgaria is a leading educational and scientific institution in Europe for producing specialised personel in the field of Wellness & Spa tourism. The majority of graduates students (Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral degree) immediately find high-paying jobs abroad and leave the country. Methods: This paper aims to discuss and analyse the ongoing brain drain in the Bulgarian Wellness & Spa tourism industry. The study examines changes in values and beliefs that have significant impacts on employment, labor, and human behavior. Results: The high salaries offered to specialized personnel in the field of Wellness & Spa tourism has resulted in an annual brain drain to countries such as Europe, the USA, and the Emirates. Despite historical traditions, Bulgarian Wellness & Spa businesses are struggling due to the shortage of well-trained personnel. Discussion: This paper discusses changes in lifestyle and the underlying causes for the permanent shortage of qualified employees in the Wellness & Spa tourism industry. The negative economic impact of brain drain on Bulgaria as a tourist destination is also emphasised. Conclusion: The brain drain in the Bulgarian Wellness & Spa tourism industry is affecting operational, managerial, and scientific staff. It is essential to implement policy changes to safeguard the sector. These policies should aim to attract and retain specialized personnel, as well as offer competitive salaries and benefits. Failure to address brain drain could lead to long-term negative impacts on the Bulgarian economy and the country's Wellness & Spa industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of public goods is associated with major challenges, such as trade-offs between environmental performance and farm profitability, time interval between action and impact, and potential mismatch between scales of action and effects. As a result, several public goods in rural areas, such as water and air quality, soil erosion control, carbon capture, animal and plant biodiversity and recreation, are characterized by insufficient provision. EU agricultural policy, has partially refocused its goal on providing public goods in rural areas, taking into account today’s societal requirements. The goal of this paper is to analyze possible implementation of different environmental contract solutions to improved delivery of agri-environmental public goods (AEPGs) in Bulgaria. The results of this study aim to search for innovative mechanisms enabling to boost farmers’ provision of agri-environmental climate public goods. The novelty of this study is the exploration of improved contract solutions and their future implementation in Bulgarian farms for fulfillment of lack of public funding and environmental deterioration. The analysis is based on the survey with 96 farmers conducted in the period January – March 2021. The result from the survey shows that Bulgarian farmers adopt to a highest extent measures regarding soil resources, where measures for water resources represent a very narrow percentage. However, future intentions of respondents show high willingness to adopt measures regarding water resources and carbon storage. From different environmental contracts analyzed in the paper, the resultbased contracts are the most well accepted among farmers and represent a future alternative for agri-environmental contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper studies data concerning consumer monetary expenditure in Bulgaria. They are structured and saved in several tables of a built data base. The considered objects are 10 different expenditures. A statistical analysis applied to these data on consumer monetary expenditure in Bulgaria is presented for the time period 2012-2021. The necessary information is searched and extracted from the indicated data base. As a result of the performed analysis of variance and Tukey's test four groups with statistically proven differences are obtained for the examined expenditures, average per household. A similar conclusion can be formed about the considered expenditures, average per person. As a whole, consumer monetary expenditure, average per household, increased in eight of the listed ten years. A quite small decline is found during 2016 as well as 2020. It is 1.36% for the first of the listed years and 1.32% for the second one. Approximately the same results are established for the consumer monetary expenditure average per person, where an insignificant decrease is calculated only for 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valorization of high-volume mine tailings could be achieved by the development of new geopolymers with a low CO2 footprint. Materials rich in aluminum and silicon with appropriate solubility in an alkaline medium can be used to obtain a geopolymer. This paper presents a study of copper mine tailings from Bulgaria as precursors for geopolymers. Particle size distribution, chemical and mineralogical composition, as well as alkaline reactivity, acidity and electroconductivity of aqueous slurry are studied. The heavy metal content and their mobility are studied by leaching tests. Sequential extraction was applied to determine the geochemical phase distribution of heavy metals. The studied samples were characterized by high alkalinity, which could favor the geopolymerization process. The water-soluble sulphates were less than 4%. The Si/Al ratio in mine tailing was found to be 3. The alkaline reactivity depended more so on the time of extraction than on the concentration of NaOH solution. The main part of the heavy metals was found in the residual fraction; hence, in high alkaline medium during the geopolymerization process, they will stay fixed. Thus, the obtained geopolymers could be expected to exert low environmental impact. The presented results revealed that studied copper mine tailing is a suitable precursor for geopolymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When designing and manufacturing machines and installations for processing, transporting and storing grain and seeds, it is necessary to know some of their basic physical and mechanical characteristics. They are also necessary for the correct selection of the operating modes of the facilities in the grain warehouses. In this paper, an engineering and technical classification of the mass-grown cereals, legumes and oilseed crops in Bulgaria is presented. For the most used varieties and hybrids, density of grains (seeds), hectoliter mass, angle of natural slope, and angle of friction on smooth materials are determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, climate change has become a critical global issue with far-reaching consequences for regional climates and ecosystems. While regional climate models provide valuable information, there is a growing need for high-resolution simulations to assess local impacts. This paper addresses this gap by presenting the first simulation of a 3 km convection-permitting (CP) scenario simulation for Bulgaria. The main aim of this study is to assess different precipitation indices and their future changes for Bulgaria under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario following the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment Flagship Pilot Study protocol. The simulations are evaluated against high-resolution observations. We downscale Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 Global Climate Model (CMIP5 GCM) data for historical (1995–2004) and future (2089–2098) periods using a regional climate model (RCM) at 15 km grid spacing and parametrized convection. We use these fields as initial and boundary conditions for convection-permitting kilometer-scale simulations. The 15 km grid spacing driving model is used as a reference to assess the added value of the kilometer-scale simulation. Additionally, the 3 km seasonal mean and projected 2 m temperature and the winter snow water equivalent are presented. The results show that the kilometer-scale simulation shows better performance of wet-hour intensity in all seasons, wet-hour frequency in the spring, fall, and winter, and extreme precipitation (99.9th percentile of all precipitation events, p99.9) in the winter and fall. The kilometer-scale simulation improves the projected precipitation distribution and modifies the signal of the precipitation frequency, intensity, and heavy precipitation change over some areas. A positive projected change in the wet-hour intensity is expected in all seasons (13.86% in spring, MAM, 17.48% in summer, JJA, 1.97% in fall, SON, and 17.43% in winter, DJF) and in the heavy precipitation in the spring (13.14%) and winter (31.19%) in the kilometer-scale experiment. The projected increase in mean winter precipitation is accompanied by a significant decrease in mean winter snowfall over lowlands (50−70%). The convection-permitting Regional Climate Model, version 4.7.1 (RegCM4.7.1) suggests an increase in winter snowfall over the highest parts of the country, but a significant increase in the 2 m temperatures there. The results of this study are encouraging and may be of interest to the community of climate scientists and users of climate data for making reliable estimates of the local impacts of future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institutional environment in Bulgarian agricultural sector is a complex system of relationships, dynamically changing under the influence of national and sectoral legislation. Over the last 16 years, was characterized as a difficult period for agriculture and land relations in Bulgaria -- because of insufficient legislation the Ownership and Use of Agricultural Land Act about 34 changes have been made to the Act, which are directed in the interest of agricultural users. The changes made concern the concluded contracts for the use and lease of the agricultural land. The dynamics and future changes in land relations are inextricably linked to changes in European and national policy. Receiving European subsidies and financial support to the income of Bulgarian farmers deforms the economic environment in our country. The European subsidies are a key motive and priority for farmers. The purpose of this paper is to describe the state in Bulgarian agricultural sector which is characterized by intensity and dynamics, more complexity and instability. The value of the gross agricultural output had declined during the last years. This research work is based on the following methodological approaches: complex, structural and comparative. The theoretical framework of this article provides a summary overview of the main institutional changes in the agricultural policy and the structure of land relations in Bulgaria. For the purposes of the research different information sources have been used - scientific journals, as well as the author's own research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the current state of production from cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats in the hilly, foot-hilly and mountain regions of Bulgaria, as well as the opportunities for its increase. Negative trend were observed in the populations of cattle, sheep and goats in the last two decades. 634,466 cattle were raised in Bulgaria in 2001, 371,901 of which were dairy cows. Data for 2020 showed values of 568,700 heads of cattle, 365,500 of which were dairy cows and pregnant heifers. In this period, the number of sheep decreased from 1,571,410 in 2001 to 1,307,800 in 2020, and the decline in goats was even more noticeable, from 675,292 in 2001 to 253,400 in 2020. The decline in the breeding of farm animals led to a decrease in the volume of animal milk and meat products. For the positive development of the volume of agricultural production in the foot-hilly and mountain regions of Bulgaria, decisions are needed to improve the gene pool, health care, feeding, as well as the application of advanced modern technologies. The advantage of mountain and foot-hilly agriculture is in the creation of high-quality food products and for this reason it is necessary to support it through appropriate measures and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper presents a mathematical approach for evaluation of the purchased quantities of several types of meat average per household in Bulgaria. The investigated groups of data are stored in a relational database. They include the following eight considered elements - pork meat, lamb meat, minced meat, poultry meat, mutton and goat meat, edible offals and bacon. Certain set of variables have been calculated and analysed during the studied period (2010-2021). The pace of change of the indicated variables has also been discussed for the mentioned years. It significantly supports users in decision making and presenting the obtained conclusions about the examined objects. The share of average purchased quantities per household for poultry meat is higher in comparison with that for the other investigated types of meat for each one year of the period. The pace of change of the examined indicator for the pork meat is comparatively more intensive in 2019-2021. Only, the values of this indicator for edible offals decreased continuously for ten of the considered twelve years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The F-POD, an echolocation-click logging device, is commonly used for passive acoustic monitoring of cetaceans. This paper presents the first assessment of the error-rate of fully automated analysis by this system, a description of the F-POD hardware, and a description of the KERNO-F v1.0 classifier which identifies click trains. Since 2020, twenty F-POD loggers have been used in the BlackCeTrends project by research teams from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Türkiye, and Ukraine with the aim of investigating trends of relative abundance in populations of cetaceans of the Black Sea. Acoustic data from this project analysed here comprises 9 billion raw data clicks in total, of which 297 million were classified by KERNO-F as Narrow Band High Frequency (NBHF) clicks (harbour porpoise clicks) and 91 million as dolphin clicks. Such data volumes require a reliable automated system of analysis, which we describe. A total of 16,805 Detection Positive Minutes (DPM) were individually inspected and assessed by a visual check of click train characteristics in each DPM. To assess the overall error rate in each species group we investigated 2,000 DPM classified as having NBHF clicks and 2,000 DPM classified as having dolphin clicks. The fraction of NBHF DPM containing misclassified NBHF trains was less than 0.1% and for dolphins the corresponding error-rate was 0.97%. For both species groups (harbour porpoises and dolphins), these error-rates are acceptable for further study of cetaceans in the Black Sea using the automated classification without further editing of the data. The main sources of errors were 0.17% of boat sonar DPMs misclassified as harbour porpoises, and 0.14% of harbour porpoise DPMs misclassified as dolphins. The potential to estimate the rate at which these sources generate errors makes possible a new predictive approach to overall error estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines the predictive power of risk propensity as a personality tendency over emigration attitudes among young Bulgarians regarding their generational belonging and differences. Although the correlation between risk propensity and migration attitudes has been studied in some countries, to date, it has neither been examined in Bulgaria – an Eastern European economy in transition – nor scrutinized in the light of generational differences. As part of a national survey (N = 1,200) carried out in September-October 2021, young Bulgarians aged 18–35 years – Zoomers (N = 444) and Millennials (N = 756), we measured risk propensity both as a general tendency and as individual responses to different risk domains, using a revision of Jackson's Risk-Taking Scale (1994). We studied the emigration attitudes using an original 5-item Attitudes Toward Emigration Scale. The findings suggest that risk propensity, mostly in the social risk domain, is a powerful predictor of emigration attitudes among young Bulgarians, even more powerful for Millennials than Zoomers. The higher risk propensity is associated with more positive attitudes toward emigration. The findings have important interdisciplinary implications for psychological theory and demographic policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the textile industry trade competitiveness of nine European transition economies (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia), in parts and in its entirety, by using the following indicators: Revealed comparative advantage (RCA), Competitiveness growth index (RCA1), Index of net business performance (RCA2), and Michaely index (MI). The analysis focuses on the period between 1995 and 2018. The results of the analysis show that the textile industry of Northern Macedonia is internationally competitive, and that most countries have revealed comparative advantages. The textile industry contributed to the surplus in trade balance in North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania, while North Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia achieved some level of production specialization. It was also confirmed that these countries had statistically different levels of trade competitiveness. The top level of production finalization accounted for the greatest average value of competitiveness indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cattle infected with BHV 4 show respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal and postnatal genital disorders. The virus is a cofactor of bacterial infections. This paper reflects data on the prevalence of BHV 4 infections in several herds, among breeding animals and bulls from artificial insemination stations (AIS). One hundred and twenty six serum samples from bulls were investigated by MVNT and 45 (35.7%) were positive. Epizootiological and clinical studies on the prevalence of BHV 4 infections were limited to bovine farms with suspected infection with this virus. To establish seroconversion to the virus, double serum samples from 264 cattle - 165 native-born cows and 99 imported pregnant heifers were investigated by the microvirus neutralisation test (MVNT) and commercial ELISA for the detection of antibodies against BHV 4. Ninety-nine samples (37.5%) were positive in the MVNT and 110 samples (41.6%) - in ELISA. One out of the seven milk samples from cows with signs of mammary glands involvement was positive in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) performed to detect the gB and Tk virus genes. Four of the ten whole blood samples from acutely ill animals were positive for BHV 4 DNA by PCR. The results of the present study confirmed that the BHV 4 circulated within the Bulgarian cattle population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics that influence farmer's behavior and attitude toward risk should be identified in order to explain inconsistencies between the farmer's perception of risk and the accurate measurement of the probability of the occurrence of a risk event. The article investigates the various types of responses of farmers to risk-related decisionmaking. The paper's goal is to highlight various types of farm characteristics in terms of risk and on this basis to be prepared general conclusions. The following tasks were assigned to achieve the goal: 1) a literature review is associated with the risk perception; 2) application of methodology for research the farmer's behavior regarding their perceptions of risk taking; 3) determining and evaluating farm types; and 4) main conclusions and statements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris) is a hygrophytic plant uncommon to the flora of Bulgaria. It is also a vulnerable species, with small and isolated localities in several parts of the country. This paper provides new data on syntaxonomy of the communities in which this fern participates, as well as on a new important locality near Pleven town, Danubian Plain. The paper also attempts to summarize the published and more recent information on the distribution of this species in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the Bulgarian vegetation have started a century ago, but for many reasons for a long time they were defined by the dominant approach. Within the last two decades, many syntaxa occurring in the country have been identified in the result of intensive field work and development of national and international databases, as well as after adoption of the standards of the European vegetation classification. The first complete checklist of the Bulgarian syntaxa under the Braun-Blanquet approach was compiled more than a decade ago and has been in need of updating in compliance with the latest national and international scientific achievements. The current paper aims at compiling an updated checklist of the Bulgarian high-rank syntaxa dominated by vascular plants. According to the results, Bulgarian vegetation features 68 classes, 135 orders and 259 alliances. These syntaxa account for 65% of the European classes, 45% of the orders and 23% of the alliances. A number of uncertain and insufficiently researched units illustrate the knowledge gaps and a need for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellow Water-Lily (Nuphar lutea) is a well-known aquatic plant for the flora of Bulgaria. However, presently it has very limited distribution. Many former localities have disappeared during the last century. This paper provides current data on some important populations of the species in Northwest Bulgaria, the municipalities of Byala Slatina and Boychinovtsi, and presents information on its distribution and syntaxonomy in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is an important sector in Bulgaria, especially in the rural areas where it is considered an important source of income and employment. Bulgarian agriculture has changed substantially over the past ten years, which has led to a transformation in production, farm, organizational and sectorial structures. The aim of the paper is to observe the regional differences in Bulgarian farm structure and outline main prospects for the next programming period, 2023-2027. The survey reveals a significant decline in the number of holdings in parallel with the decreased role of small farms. By contrast, the importance of large holdings is increasing. There are different patterns of agricultural transformation in the regions of Bulgaria. While large extensive producers dominate North Bulgaria, there is more balanced agricultural development in the South part of the country. The new CAP 2023-2027 is directed to more ambitious objectives related to climate, innovations and convergence. The subsidiarity principles could help Bulgaria to overcome some of these challenges if the agricultural policy is better targeted and oriented towards intensive sectors and more balanced and sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable agriculture is widely used to develop international and national policies for the sector. The European Green Deal, which promotes stable food supply, guarantees revenues for farmers and green living environment. Overcoming rural deprivation is usually the central topic of its implementation. The path to sustainable agriculture requires a holistic approach, considering the complexity of social, economic, cultural, technical, and environmental aspects. In this paper we explore the main preconditions to sustainable development of the agricultural sector in Bulgaria based on select indicators, structured in three main groups: economic, social and environmental. We prioritize certain critical challenges, matching them with appropriate interventions with a great potential for impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural and climatic conditions in Bulgaria are a prerequisite for the cultivation of quality fruits with unique taste characteristics, but after the country's accession to the EU, there is a permanent tendency to decrease the areas on which fruit crops are grown. The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in developed and developing countries is far below the recommended norms, and yet production in the country cannot satisfy the needs of the population with fresh fruits and the canning industry with raw materials. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of the fruit market in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the sources for the formation of Bulgaria's food resources is the production of food products from agriculture and the food industry. It provides raw materials for the processing industry, for export and for meeting the food needs of society. The extent to which national production can meet these needs in terms of quantity, quality and range largely determines national food security. The level and structure of food consumption is in turn important for the health status of both the individual and the nation as a whole. In recent years, the production and consumption of food products in the country have been evolving in a complex and dynamically changing environment, linked to challenges posed by overlapping crises (pandemic, economic). The aim of this paper is to examine the production and consumption of staple food products in the context of national food security and in the context of crises. For its realization, changes in the parameters of their production and consumption are consistently assessed, problems are highlighted on this basis and recommendations for their future development are substantiated. Special attention is paid to the competitiveness and sustainable development of Bulgarian agriculture as an important prerequisite for the country's food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of decentralization is currently of great importance in Bulgaria. It is related to a number of reforms in local self-government, which require broad public consent. This consent should be derived or obtained after conducting a large-scale information campaign to acquaint the Bulgarian public with the administrative, political and financial framework of the local government. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the awareness of the local community on some key topics in the area of municipal revenue. The main method used is the survey method. The obtained results show that the local community has not reached this level of awareness, which would provide a solid basis for civil participation in the local self-government reform process. The conclusion to be drawn is that the state authority must conduct large-scale information campaigns and organize discussions on the issues of decentralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The genus Microphor contains small to very small true flies (Diptera) well known for the kleptoparasitic behavior of females, often observed as "stealing" tiny prey from spider webs. Altogether, 22 species of the genus (including 5 described in this paper) are known worldwide, and our paper loosely follows a recent study from North America. It is quite surprising that we add five new species to seven already known from West Palaearctic, which is the most studied area in the world with respect to the Diptera. Microphor baechlii sp. nov. (Switzerland, Turkey), M. chvalai sp. nov. (France), M. nevadensis sp. nov. (Spain), M. pallipes sp. nov. (Italy), and M. turcicus sp. nov. (Turkey) are described and illustrated. The neotype of M. anomalus (Meigen, 1824) is designated. Males of all known Palaearctic species of Microphor are keyed, genitalia are illustrated for new species and species previously inadequately illustrated, and main diagnostic characters are discussed. Microphorstrobli Chvála, 1986 is newly recorded from Bulgaria, M. anomalus (Meigen, 1824) is newly recorded from Turkey, and M. holosericeus (Meigen, 1804) is newly recorded from Turkey and Portugal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentration levels of air pollutants may cause damage to plants, animals, and the health of some groups of human beings. Therefore, it is important to investigate different topics related to the high air pollution levels and to find reliable answers to the questions about the possible damages, which might take place when these levels exceed some limits. A few of the numerous questions, the answers of which are highly desirable, are listed below: (a) When are the air pollution levels dangerous? (b) What is the reason for the increased air pollution levels? (c) How can the air pollution levels be decreased? (d) Will the future climate changes result in higher and more dangerous air pollution levels? It is necessary to study carefully many issues connected with the distribution of air pollutants in a given region and with the reasons for the increases of the concentrations to high levels, which might be damaging. In order to do this, it is necessary to develop a Digital Twin of all relevant physical processes in the atmosphere and to use after that this tool in different applications. Such a tool, its name is DIGITAL AIR, has been created. Digital Twins are becoming more and more popular). Many complex problems, arising taking place in very complicated surroundings, can be handled and resolved successfully by applying Digital Twins. The preparation of such a digital tool as well as its practical implementation in the treatment of a special problem, the increase of some potentially dangerous ozone levels, will be discussed and tested in this paper. The Unified Danish Eulerian Model (UNI-DEM) is a very important part of DIGITAL AIR. This mathematical model, UNI-DEM, can be applied in many different studies related to damaging effects caused by high air pollution levels. We shall use it in this paper to get a reliable answer to a very special but extremely important question: will the future climatic changes lead to an increase in the ozone pollution levels in Bulgaria and Europe, which can potentially become dangerous for human health? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of dynamic events have taken place in recent years, leading to an uncertain global and national situation. One of these is the signing of the European Green Deal, which attempts to make Europe a climate-neutral continent. This, in turn, has further worsened the situation of some European countries, including Bulgaria. The presence of three active coal mining complexes in the country largely exposes it to serious challenges in the transition stages and hinders the finding of appropriate methods and instruments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The aim of the study is to explore the main socio-economic challenges in the transition to a low-carbon economy at a regional level and to present some of the author's views on limiting the negative impacts on regional development. The analysis of the available data shows that the sustainable dimensions of the three coal mining regions is highly threatened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines cooperatives from the Agricultural sector and the Manufacturing industry. The research focuses on the growth of cooperatives of different sizes and ages. The period of the research is 5 years. After an indepth study of the empirical data of the studied sectors, an analysis of the rate of change in net sales revenue and their productivity is made. The productivity, growth and age of the cooperatives are expected to be positively related for the period under study. Cooperatives with longer working experience are predicted to realize a higher rate of change in net sales revenue compared to cooperatives that have been operating for a shorter period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt is being made to analyze the geodemographic picture in the rural areas (RA) of Bulgaria within a tenyear period. The authors of the scientific publication are based on the fact that the human population located in the smaller administrative territorial units (neighbourhoods, villages and small towns in terms of area and population) is of key importance for the functioning of social activities, which are basic for economic development in the country. The purpose of the scientific research is to investigate and analyze the natural growth (NG) of the population in the RA of Bulgaria for the period between the two national censuses 2011-2021. The results will present the temporary geodemographic picture of rural municipalities. Methodology in the scientific article is based on the definition of RA in the EU and Bulgaria. It is applied to the NUTS classification for grouping the abovementioned regions of the country, calculation of the natural increase of the population by years is based on the methodology of the National Statistical Institute (NSI) of the Republic of Bulgaria. The visualization of the process - NG of the population in the RA is presented in tables and figures, in which the dynamics of the numerical values for a certain period in per million (‰) and their change during the study are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From their inception until now - the last 180 years - cooperatives are organizations that unite and balance the social and economic demands of society with the expectations of their members. Cooperative values and principles have been preserved for almost two centuries, which is proof of their sustainability and permanence. These values impress upon the societal values of freedom, equality and democracy. The aim of the present study is to study the social aspects of cooperative values in some types of cooperatives in Bulgaria. To achieve the goal, the following tasks are solved: (a) to examine the nature and character of cooperative values; and (b) to reveal the social aspects of these values by following their manifestation in individual Bulgarian cooperatives. To achieve the goal and solve the tasks, the methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, the structural-functional approach are applied. The main result of the study is that meeting the social needs of the member-cooperators in Bulgarian cooperatives occupies an important place, and for a significant part of the cooperators - a priority. From the analysis in this research, we can conclude that the social aspects of cooperative values in Bulgarian cooperatives makes them unique as a legal-organizational form, since these values are close to universal human values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a series of papers, the initiation and development of forest fires are described in terms of the cellular automata-based Game Method for Modelling (GMM), modelling a particular area as an orthogonal grid of square cells whose values are changing with respect to predefined rules. In the present leg of this research, the simulation of the wildfire that occurred in the Kresna Gorge in Bulgaria in August 2017 is presented, rendering an account of the wind, characterized by its direction and intensity, and evaluating the impact of the fire iteratively in terms of temporal intuitionistic fuzzy sets that maintain the information about the degrees of burnt and unaffected areas. The results from the software product FireGrid, implementing the GMM-model developed by the authors, are also compared to the results from the software application FlamMap. Additionally, the paper presents for the first time the basic properties of the defined operations and operators over temporal intuitionistic fuzzy pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to present some aspects of the evolution the development of spatial model of the national concept. Bulgaria has a convincing historical experience in centralized creation and management of spatial models for development at three levels - municipal, regional and national. With the abolition of centralism, Bulgaria moved to the other pole - complete deregulation of spatial development. Urban and rural areas are two main concepts affecting the balanced spatial development of the country. The choice of a model for spatial development is influenced by a number of factors - social, geopolitical, economic, climatic and others. As a conclusion, the National Concept Programme of Development (NCPD) adopts the approach to rural and cross-border areas of the Territorial Program of the European Union (TA 2020), which to the polycentric spatial and integrated urban development adds concern for the preservation of the vitality of small settlements. The comparative method with its concepts and categories is the main research method in the present work. The spatial model for the development of the national territory is multi-layered and synthesizes different layers with information, functions, processes and priority elements of different hierarchical ranks. In Bulgaria there are visible/intensive processes of spatial polarization and movement towards monocentric models of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulgaria has the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the European Union and the second-highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world. That is why we think it is important better to understand the reason for this situation and to analyse the development of the disease over time. In this paper, an extended time-dependent SEIRS model SEIRS-VB is used to investigate the long-term behaviour of the COVID-19 epidemic. This model includes vaccination and vital dynamics. To apply the SEIRS-VB model some numerical simulation tools have been developed and for this reason a family of time-discrete variants are introduced. Suitable inverse problems for the identification of parameters in discrete models are solved. A methodology is proposed for selecting a discrete model from the constructed family, which has the closest parameter values to these in the differential SEIRS-VB model. To validate the studied models, Bulgarian COVID-19 data are used. To obtain all these results for the discrete models a mathematical analysis is carried out to illustrate some biological properties of the differential model SEIRS-VB, such as the non-negativity, boundedness, existence, and uniqueness. Using the next-generation method, the basic reproduction number associated with the model in the autonomous case is defined. The local stability of the disease-free equilibrium point is studied. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over time, nursing practice has emerged as an independent profession based on theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and scientific justification. The professional duty of medical specialists corresponds to the rights of the patient. To be professionally responsible means to make decisions about what is good or bad, right or wrong, taking into account the final result of the actions - the greatest benefit to the patient. PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine the ethical aspects of professional duty in the nursing profession by analyzing international and national codes of ethics. METHODS: In order to achieve this goal, we have used general and private science methods and approaches, including documentary method, analysis and synthesis, comparative method. RESULTS: Various nursing codes of ethics were reviewed. The Nightingale Pledge, The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses, The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, The Code of Professional ethics for Nurses, Midwives and Associated Medical Specialists in the Republic of Bulgaria, Guidance for good medical practice. The codes were analyzed in a comparative aspect in terms of volume, content, and practical orientation. CONCLUSION: Codes of ethics are meaningless without professionals who are motivated to act morally in every situation containing ethical issue. Nursing students must understand their role as responsible future professionals and be familiar with the content of the Ethical code and the Guidance of good medical practice. The implementation of the ethical norms is controlled by specially formed bodies of the professional organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial revolution and economic activity have led humanity to unprecedented success in the production and development of technology, but also to a super-consumer society that has managed to consume more of the earth's resources than it is possible to reproduce on its own. We, humans, have changed the earth, the climate, and destroyed species faster than any other species. Bioeconomy is perceived as the innovative answer to the needed fundamental transformation of the production systems to overcome the present lock-in situation. In the recent years the European Union has given unappealable support to greening the economy across the Community. Policies, strategies, financial mechanisms are introducing the green practices and business models in key sectors and economies. A new era of economic revolution follows, in which Bulgaria also needs to take its role. The present paper tackles the emerging challenges and progress in moving towards the sustainability, which requires a fundamental shift in industry, education and science, institutions, and community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, companies are facing more and more types of risks with different levels of complexity. Inevitably this reflects also on the way how the risk is identified, evaluated and managed. One of the innovative risk management solutions is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence will create a foundation for more resilient, sustainable, adaptive, and well-prepared companies which could face environmental changes without being impacted so heavily. The purpose of the study described in this paper is to conduct empirical research to examine the progress of intelligent risk management implementation and the attitude towards it in companies from two sectors of the Bulgarian economy - services and gas. The two sectors will be compared and it will be statistically validated if there is a difference in how the companies from the gas and services sectors see the artificial intelligence and its benefits. Based on the results, at the end, a proposal for improved and innovative risk management will be made. The results of the survey and the empirical study will show what will be the future direction of the research in the field of artificial intelligence and its implementation in risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main task of the National Research Program "Smart crop production", supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria and approved by the Council of Ministers, is the development of a regional data center to facilitate the work of farmers. The regional data center is part of the implementation of a smart crop production environment called ZEMEL which provides personal assistants supporting the work of farmers. The environment provides intelligent services for crop analysis and prevention and assists farmers in performing basic tasks related to crop production. The objective of the proposed article is to present the implementation of the architecture, infrastructure, and data architecture of a regional data center in the Plovdiv region. In order to clearly present the results of this work, which are the architectural and physical implementations of a regional data center and the storage of dynamic data and background knowledge, a methodology consisting of several steps is followed: the system infrastructure of the data center and the data architecture are discussed; one of the local pieces of infrastructure, implemented in the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (IPGR) in the town of Sadovo in the Plovdiv region, is presented in detail, including the different types of sensors and their connection to the data center in wheat cultivation; the data repositories are discussed where dynamic data and background knowledge are stored. The paper pays special attention to background knowledge developed as ontologies for winter wheat cultivation. The results are summarized by drawing some conclusions and recommendations for the design of the local infrastructure of the center and the stored data to improve its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]