Financial management in a capital group is very important for its growth and operation. Liquidity risk management can be analyzed regarding their static and dynamic dimensions. The process can also be facilitated by cash management products offered by financial institutions. One of the mechanisms influencing the increase in cash management efficiency of a capital group examined in this article is cash pooling, notably multicurrency cash pooling. This type of product is based frequently on the virtual consolidation. Its essence is the consolidation of cash available on the accounts of individual system participants. Using this solution the capital group can manage surpluses and shortages achieving the “economies of scale” (cost reduction and maximization of interest income). Available one the banking services market solutions offer consolidation in USD, EUR, CHF, GBP. The article presents the definition of cash pooling and the essence of its operation. Based on the literature analysis, the article lists types of cash pooling and benefits associated with it. Following on from the solution described, the article presents a model of multicurrency cash pooling in a capital group, including steps necessary to implement it and proposed technical solutions. The solution is described, can be also successfully applied in capital groups of energy sector. Using multicurrency consolidation is very useful solution in deposits management for transactions concluded in international commodities exchanges.

In 2008, the European Union adopted the climate and energy package. It foresees the three most important goals to achieve by 2020 in the field of energy: 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 20% share of energy from renewable sources in total energy consumption in the EU, 20% increase in EU energy efficiency. Therefore, individual countries were obliged to move away from fossil fuels for renewable energy production. Depending on the capabilities of each country and the development of renewable energy, various goals have been set for individual countries. For Poland, the share of RES energy in total energy consumption has been set at 15% (Directive 2009). The Polish energy policy until 2030 includes state strategies in the field of implementation of tasks and objectives in the area of energy resulting from the need to build national security and EU regulation. The challenges of the current national energy industry include increasing demand for energy and implementation of international commitments in the area of environmental and climate protection (Policy 2009). Contemporary domestic energy is characterized by a high share of fossil fuels, mainly coal, in the production of electricity and heat, and the different share of RES energy in individual technologies and energy sectors. Poland has significant natural resources, which are a source of biomass for energy purposes. Large energy units dominate in the national consumption of biomass while the share of heating plants is still insignificant (Olsztyńska 2018). The aim of the article is to analyze, based on available data and own observations of the author, the share of biomass in the national energy and heat, as well as defining factors affecting the level of biomass use in the area of Polish power industry.

Hard coal sludge is classified as group 01 waste or it is a by-product in the production of a hard coal with variable energy importance. Pulverized lignite is not waste but a final product of drying and the very fine pulverization of lignite with a high calorific value. The study comprised the basic material before granulation such as coal sludge (PG SILESIA) and pulverized lignite (LEAG) as well as their prepared blends after the granulation on a pipe vibration granulator designed at AGH. The pulverized lignite of the LEAG company shows a low sulfur contents. In the analyzed samples its average content (Stot d) is 0.61%. An average value of this parameter in the analyzed coal sludge samples is 0.55%. The addition of pulverized lignite does not have a significant impact on the total content of sulfur and of analyzed toxic elements (Hg, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, and W) in the samples. The calorific value of coal sludge falls within the range of 11.0−12.4 MJ/kg (on a dry basis). For the coal sludge and pulverized lignite blends the calorific value clearly increases to values of 14.8−17.7 MJ/kg (on dry basis). The calorific value slightly decreases in the

The aim of the paper was to estimate how the value of 1 GJ of energy in coal with a calorific value of 5500 kcal/kg varies on the international coal market compared to 1 GJ of energy in coal with a calorific value of 6000 kcal/kg. The analysis of data from different ports was intended to answer the question of whether the pricing of coals of different producers according to their calorific value is convergent. The best-known price standard for thermal coal is 25.1 MJ/kg coal (6000 kcal/kg) and, until recently, coals with such quality parameters dominated international trade. Currently, coals with parameters other than considered to be standard parameters are traded on the coal market, hence it is necessary to price a unit of energy (e.g. 1 GJ) contained in these coals. The indices have been selected of the largest exporters of thermal coal for which data was available and referred to the same coal types (grades) determined on the same basis (FOB). Theoretically, the price differential between 6000 kcal/kg and 5000 kcal/kg coal (in USD/ton) should be (at least) as much as the difference in calorific value, i.e. about 9% per USD/ton. In reality, the price differential between these types of coal is greater, though. The overall conclusion of the analysis is that the price calculated per 1 GJ of energy fluctuated on average by 5.9% over the entire period considered. The analytical results obtained for coal from four countries are quite convergent, so it can be assumed that the calculated relationship between the prices of coal with different calorific values (6000 and 5000 kcal/kg) is a good approximation of the observed relationships in the international trade. The calculation results provide a simple formula allowing to estimate the price of coal with a calorific value other than the standard 25.1 MJ/kg (6000 kcal/kg) using the relationships from the international market.

In this paper, selected aspects of energy efficiency are shown. The European Union regulations in area of energy efficiency such as Directive 2012/27/EU, are discussed. The national legal regulations which describe energy efficiency such as the Energy Efficiency Act are presented. Principles concerning the obligation of energy savings and energy audits of enterprises are described. National, regional and local programs and measures concerning the improvement of energy efficiency are performed. These are horizontal measures and energy efficiency measures in: industry, transport, the buildings of public institutions and energy generation and supplies. National economy energy efficiency is shown. The energy intensity indicators (primary, final) and rate of their changes in last years are performed. Moreover, directions of undertakings connected with the possible future reduction in energy intensity of the national economy, are defined. An analysis of energy efficiency measures and solutions for the improvement of energy efficiency, especially in industry and households, is performed. The improvement of economy energy intensity indicators constitutes the most effective solution which brings significant economic, technical and environmental benefits such as an increase in economic innovation and its competitiveness, the improvement of the energy supply security level, a reduction in the consumption of natural resources and a reduction of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The conclusions contain an analysis of the present level of energy efficiency in Poland and the perspectives of its increase in the future along with the benefits connected with it.

The future and the development of power industry are the one of the major issues in the domestic and global policy. The impact of the power sector on the earth climate changes and the attention for sufficient funds of energy in the following years are the primary challenges which the power industry is facing. The article delineates the current state of the domestic sector of energy production. In the prospect of the next few years, it will draw on conventional power engineering nevertheless, with the growing involvement of renewable energy sources. However, it is important to develop the new energy strategy, which will point the direction of domestic energy production sector changes. What is more relevant, the new legal regulations connected with environmental protection will definitely restrict using fossil fuels in the power industry. In addition, the paper discusses the most important aspects involved in creating a country’s energy mix. The first aspect is the current state of the energy sector in Poland, i.e. the percentage of particular technologies in the present power and electrical energy balances, the technical state of the manufacturing sector’s infrastructure. Based on historical data of Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne SA regarding the energy consumption and demand, a mathematical estimation for electricity demand and its consumption forecast was performed. The obtained forecasts were then used to conduct a simulation of power and energy demand fulfillment in the national power system. Finally, several possible scenarios were presented, taking different factors affecting the energy sector in Poland into consideration.

The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the energy efficiency of the phytoremediation process, supported using energy crops. The scope of conducted work includes the preparation of a field experiment. During the evaluation, 2 factors were into consideration – total energy demand and total energy benefit. The case study, used as an origin of data, consists a 3-years field study, conducted with the use of 2 energy crops – Phalaris arundinacea L. and Brassica napus L. The area subjected to the experiment was polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and herbicides, classified as phenoxy acids (2, 4 D). The experimental design consisted of 4 groups of fields, divided according to the used plant species and type of treatment. For each energy crop, 2 types of fertilization strategies were used. Therefore the 1st and 3rd sets of fields were not treated with any soil amendment while the 2nd and 4th sets were fertilized with compost. The obtained data allowed to observe that the cultivation of P. arundinacea L. and B. napus L. allowed a positive energy balance of the process to be achieved. However, it should be noted, that the B. napus L. growth in the first vegetation season was not sufficient to fully compensate a total energy demand. Such a goal, in the mentioned case, was possible after the 2nd vegetation season. The collected results show also that the best energetic potential combined with the most effective soil remediation were obtained on the fields with the cultivation of P. arundinacea L. fertilized with compost. The number of biofuels, collected from the 1 ha of such fields, can reach a value equal even to12.76 Mg of coal equivalent.

Ensuring access to a stable supply of a number of raw materials has become a serious challenge for domestic and regional economies with limited production, the EU economy alike. Reliable and unconstrained access to certain raw materials is an ever more serious concern. In order to tackle this challenge, the European Commission has established a list of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) for the EU, which is regularly reviewed and updated. In its Communication COM(217) 490 final of September 13, 2017, the European Commission presented an updated list of 27 critical raw materials for the EU as a result of a third assessment based on a refined methodology developed by the Commission. Economic Importance (EI) and Supply Risk (SR) have remained the two main parameters to determine the criticality of a given raw material. The list of critical raw materials for the EU includes raw materials that reach or exceed the thresholds for both parameters set by the European Commission. The only exception is coking coal (included in the list of critical raw materials for the first time in 2014) which, although not reaching the economic importance threshold, has been conditionally kept on the 2017 list for the sake of caution. Should it not fully meet this criterion, it will be withdrawn from the list during the next assessment.

The article discusses the most important changes to the methodology used in the third review and their impacts on the coking coal criticality assessment. It presents the geographical structure of coking coal global production and consumption as well as the degree to which the EU is reliant on coking coal imports. Raw materials, even if not classified as critical raw materials, are essential for the European economy as they are at the beginning of manufacturing value chains. Their availability may change rapidly due to developments in trade flows or trade policy, which reveals the general need for the diversification of supply.

The paper presents an analysis of energy and economic effectiveness of the combined heat and power (cogeneration) technologies fired with natural gas that may be deemed prospective for the Polish electric power system. The current state of the cogeneration technologies fired with natural gas in Poland is presented. Five cogeneration technologies fired with natural gas, prospective from the point of view of the Polish electric power system, were selected for the analysis. Namely, the paper discusses: gas-steam combined heat and power (CHP) unit with 3-pressure heat recovery generator (HRSG) and steam interstage reheat, gas-steam CHP unit with 2-pressure HRSG, gas-steam CHP unit with 1-pressure HRSG, gas CHP unit with small scale gas turbine, operating in a simple cycle and gas CHP unit with gas engine. The following quantities characterizing the energy effectiveness of the cogeneration technologies were selected for the analysis: electricity generation efficiency, heat generation efficiency, primary energy savings (PES) and CO2 unit emission. The economic effectiveness of particular technologies was determined based on unit electricity generation costs, discounted for 2019, including the costs of purchasing CO2 emission allowances. The results of calculations and analyses are presented in a table and on a figures.

The paper presents an analysis of hard coal prices offered at the coal depots in Poland. Coal depots are one of the most popular forms of purchasing coal by Polish households. Prices refer to price offers for cobble coal (grain size: 60–120 mm) and their analysis is performed based on the regions rather than on all Polish provinces. From January 2010 to May 2019, there were two regions that were distinguished in terms of price spread: the S-W region and the N-E region. In the case of the S-W region, the difference between the province with the minimum price (Śląskie Province) and with the maximum price (Dolnośląskie Province since September 2017) ranged from PLN 53–83/ton, and in the N-E region the difference ranged PLN 64–130/ton. In the case of the remaining two regions, prices varied from a few to approximately PLN 80/ton for the N-W region, and from a few to about PLN 40 /ton for the S-E region. In order to determine how the origin of the coal affects its prices (domestic coal, imported coal), the analysis also included cobble coal price offers that are part of the Author’s own database created for several years. In the case of cobble coal from domestic producers, price offers varied betwwen PLN 14–33/GJ, and price offers for imported cobble coal stood varied between PLN 12–32/GJ. The N-E region attracted particular attention as the price offers for imported cobble coal reached a level similar to the offers from the S-W region, i.e. the region closest to Silesian coal mines. Price differentials within provinces belonging to a given region were influenced by the geographical rent. The paper also analyses average selling prices offered by domestic producers for various size grades of steam coal as well as selling prices for imported coal (free-at-frontier price).

To avoid of manipulating search engines results by web spam, anti spam system use machine learning techniques to detect spam. However, if the learning set for the system is out of date the quality of classification falls rapidly. We present the web spam recognition system that periodically refreshes the learning set to create an adequate classifier. A new classifier is trained exclusively on data collected during the last period. We have proved that such strategy is better than an incrementation of the learning set. The system solves the starting–up issues of lacks in learning set by minimisation of learning examples and utilization of external data sets. The system was tested on real data from the spam traps and common known web services: Quora, Reddit, and Stack Overflow. The test performed among ten months shows stability of the system and improvement of the results up to 60 percent at the end of the examined period.

An application specific integrated design using Quadrature Linear Discriminant Analysis is proposed for automatic detection of normal and epilepsy seizure signals from EEG recordings in epilepsy patients. Five statistical parameters are extracted to form the feature vector for training of the classifier. The statistical parameters are Standardised Moment, Co-efficient of Variance, Range, Root Mean Square Value and Energy. The Intellectual Property Core performs the process of filtering, segmentation, extraction of statistical features and classification of epilepsy seizure and normal signals. The design is implemented in Zynq 7000 Zc706 SoC with average accuracy of 99%, Specificity of 100%, F1 score of 0.99, Sensitivity of 98% and Precision of 100 % with error rate of 0.0013/hr., which is approximately zero false detection.

In the past it was usual to exert a huge effort in the design, simulation, and the real time implementation of the complicated electronic and communication systems, like GNSS receivers. The complexity of the system algorithms combined with the complexity of the available tools created a system that is difficult to track down for debugging or for redesign. So, the simulation and educational tools was different from the prototyping tools. In this paper the parallel search acquisition phase of a GPS receiver was simulated and implemented on FPGA using the same platform and through a graphical programming language. So this paper introduces the fruit of integrating the prototyping tools with the simulation tools as a single platform through which the complicated electronic systems can be simulated and prototyped.

A detailed study about the suitable perturbation element shape and location for tunable BW dual mode microstrip filter which has circular ring resonator is presented. BW tuning is achieved by resonator geometry modification. The study explains the effect of a perturbation element on the stability of the center frequency during BW tuning. Different cases have been studied for two shapes of perturbation element; which one is a rectangular and the other is a radial. The treated cases discuss whether the perturbation element is located in the inner or in the outer circumference of the ring, and whether it is a patch or a notch. BW tuning simulation treated the case of FBW3dB increase for two and three times. The best case of perturbation element which has the best center frequency stability has been modeled, simulated, and fabricated at 2.4 GHz. Geometry modification of the filter took into account the RF MEMS modeling. The filter has an elliptic frequency response, and its FBW has been increased in five steps from 1.7% to 5%. The designed filters were evaluated experimentally and by simulation with very good agreement.

The propagation of EM waves in soil is defined by permittivity and permeability which are in turn affected by the soil parameters such as soil moisture and texture. Therefore, a suitable Dielectric Model like MBSDM is required for the channel characterization of WUSN. Effect of soil parameters and environmental conditions on signal propagation is modelled using Superposition Model. The simulation of these stages is done in MATLAB for UG-UG, UG-AG and AG–UG scenarios. The system is further implemented on the ZYNQ ZC–702 hardware platform.

Super-resolution image reconstruction utilizes two algorithms, where one is for single-frame image reconstruction, and the other is for multi-frame image reconstruction. Singleframe image reconstruction generally takes the first degradation and is followed by reconstruction, which essentially creates a problem of insufficient characterization. Multi-frame images provide additional information for image reconstruction relative to single frame images due to the slight differences between sequential frames. However, the existing super-resolution algorithm for multi-frame images do not take advantage of this key factor, either because of loose structure and complexity, or because the individual frames are restored poorly. This paper proposes a new SR reconstruction algorithm for images using Multi-grained Cascade Forest. Multi-frame image reconstruction is processed sequentially. Firstly, the image registration algorithm uses a convolutional neural network to register low-resolution image sequences, and then the images are reconstructed after registration by the Multi-grained Cascade Forest reconstruction algorithm. Finally, the reconstructed images are fused. The optimal algorithm is selected for each step to get the most out of the details and tightly connect the internal logic of each sequential step. This novel approach proposed in this paper, in which the depth of the cascade forest is procedurally generated for recovered images, rather than being a constant. After training each layer, the recovered image is automatically evaluated, and new layers are constructed for training until an optimal restored image is obtained. Experiments show that this method improves the quality of image reconstruction while preserving the details of the image.

A novel dual mode logic (DML) model has a superior energy-performance compare to CMOS logic. The DML model has unique feature that allows switching between both modes of operation as per the real-time system requirements. The DML functions in two dissimilar modes (static and dynamic) of operation with its specific features, to selectively obtain either low-energy or high-performance. The sub-threshold region DML achieves minimum-energy. However, sub-threshold region consequence in performance is enormous. In this paper, the working of DML model in the moderate inversion region has been explored. The near-threshold region holds much of the energy saving of subthreshold designs, along with improved performance. Furthermore, robustness to supply voltage and sensitivity to the process temperature variations are presented. Monte carol analysis shows that the projected near-threshold region has minimum energy along with the moderate performance.

Utilization of drones is going to become predominated in cellular networks as aerial base stations in order to temporary cover areas where stationary base stations cannot serve the users. Detecting optimal location and efficient number of drone-Base Stations (DBSs) are the targets we tackle in this paper. Toward this goal, we first model the problem using mixed integer non-linear programming. The output of the proposed method is the number and the optimal location of DBSs in a two-dimension area, and the object is to maximize the number of covered users. In the second step, since the proposed method is not solvable using conventional methods, we use a proposed method to solve the optimization problem. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed method has achieved its goals.

In cellular networks, cells are grouped more densely around highly populated areas to provide more capacity. Antennas are pointed in accordance with local terrain and clutter to reduce signal shadows and interference. Hardware parameters are easily set during installation but difficult to change thereafter. In a dynamic environment of population migration, there is need to continuously tune network parameters to adapt the network performance. Modern mobile equipment logs network usage patterns and statistics over time. This information can be used to tune soft parameters of the network. These parameters may include frequency channel assignment or reuse, and transmitter radiation power assignment to provide more capacity on demand. The paper proposes that by combining the frequency and power assignments, further optimisation in resource allocation can be achieved over a traditional frequency assignment. The solution considers the interference, traffic intensity and use of priority flags to bias some edges. An Edge Weight Power and Frequency Assignment Algorithm is presented to solve the resource allocation problem in cellular networks. The paper also analyses the performance improvements obtained over that of the Edge Weight Frequency Assignment Algorithm. The results show that the proposed algorithm improves the performance of the Edge Weight Frequency Assignment Algorithm depending on the initial structure of the graph.

The emerging potentials in the electronics field, which facilitate the creation of complex projects with innovative functionalities, while maintaining low costs, are becoming even more appreciated by designers and engineers. In this manuscript, a telemetry system was designed and realized for monitoring main parameters of a racing vehicle. A STM32 Nucleo board acquires data from sensors installed on vehicle and transmits them to a base station. Acquired data are both stored on a SD card and wirelessly transmitted, for ensuring robustness/reliability of operation. The carried out tests confirm the truthfulness and compatibility of acquired data related to the vehicle parameters.

The paper introduces a topology mutation – the novel concept in Moving Target Defense (MTD). MTD is a new technique that represents a significant shift in cyber defense. Traditional cybersecurity techniques have primarily focused on the passive defense of static networks only. In MTD approach cyber attackers are confused by making the attack surface dynamic, and thus harder to probe and infiltrate. The emergence of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technology has opened up new possibilities in network architecture management. The application of combined NFV and SDN technologies provides a unique platform for implementing MTD techniques for securing the network infrastructure by morphing the logical view of the network topology.

New optimized 2x2 slotted array antenna is designed using HFSS to operate at 28.1 GHz, using RT6010 substrate with height of 1.6 mm, tangent loss of 0.0023 and dielectric constant of 10.2 and overall dimension of 12x12 mm2, for 5G mobile applications. The 2x2 slotted linear array antenna achieved a high gain of 18.3 dB at 28.1 GHz with 10 dB bandwidth of 1.39 GHz, and with 83.21% of size reduction.

Waste management is a challenging problem for most of the countries. The current waste segregation and the collection method are not efficient and cost-effective. In this paper, a prototype is presented for smart waste management. It is also capable of waste segregation at the ground level and providing real-time data to the administrator. Impact and cost analysis of the deployment of smartbin is also presented considering one ward of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. It is clear from that deployment of this smartbin will save about 40% of the current expenditure for that ward.