The composition of extracts isolated from black alder bark by ‘green’ microwave assisted water extraction in the temperature range of 70–150 °C was studied using the wet chemistry Folin-Ciocalteu method and Py-GC-MS/FID. The composition data were compared with those of the extracts obtained at the same temperature by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of bark. It was shown that microwave assisted extraction, compared with ASE, resulted in more significant transition of major cell wall components, including hemicelluloses and phenolics of lignin origination, into the solution. Depending on the microwave assisted extraction regimes, products with different portion of major cell wall components and secondary phenolic metabolites can be isolated that enlarge the possibilities of products valorisation. Thus, a significant promotion of secondary phenolic metabolites’ transition into extracts as a result of microwave extraction was observed at 70 °C. At that time the relative portion of carbohydrates in extracts was increased at high temperature extraction, combining dynamic and isothermal microwave heating. Water extraction of black alder bark in a microwave extractor revealed 25–50% lower specific energy consumption and 1.8–2.6 times higher productivity in comparison with the conventional extraction, that is beneficial in view of the upscale and practical application of this innovative biomass processing.

Honey is a naturally supersaturated sugar solution, which tends to crystallize. The crystallization of honey can lead to unwanted fermentation that can have a negative impact to honey quality. The production of honey powder could be an alternative method to prevent honey from fermentation. Honey powder could be used as alternative substitute to liquid honey that would allow to use this product more widely in the food industry. α-amylase activity is one of the most important parameters to evaluate the quality of honey. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of freeze-drying and spray-drying on honey α-amylase activity. Detection of α-amylase activity was carried out by spectrophotometric method. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the content of hydroxymethylfurfural in the powders. The obtained results showed that both drying methods had a negative impact to the enzyme activity in the samples. The lowest activity of α-amylase (8.3 DN) was measured in the spray-dried honey powder. Concentration of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the powders did not exceed required concentration 40 mg kgE−1.

The second half of the 20th century brought to light the consequences of human activity, when Humanity was confronted with demiurgical complexes and realized that the planet Earth was not only nature, but a complex system that today could no longer be operated by traditional methods and logic. While until the middle of the 20th century man used natural resources only to meet his needs, the 21st century poses new challenges for mankind to manage the consequences of human activities and to use them rationally and sustainably. The paper presents a study aimed at assessing the potential of ecosystem services development in the Nemunas Delta and anticipating their development directions. As a result of the research, the possible development directions of the Elderships were presented. It was done in two scenarios. The research was carried out in six municipality subdivisions (elderships) of the Nemunas Delta area in the framework of the Lithuanian Science Council project ‘Interaction of ecosystem services and human activities in the context of climate change’. Preparation of this paper was supported by funding from European Social Fund (project No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0178) under the grant agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT).

The increasing frequency and magnitude of adverse meteorological events together with the growing uncertainty in the upcoming future pose more and more challenges to agriculture. Therefore, the future sustainability of agriculture will increasingly depend on its resilience, i.e. the capacity to withstand various perturbations and to recover from them. The direct payment (DP) system of the EU Common agricultural policy (CAP) is the most financed EU support scheme for agriculture; however, research on its impact on the important phenomena of resilience is scarce and fragmented. In order to fill this gap, this paper offers an extensive overview of literature and a summarized list of factors that are mentioned most often as potentially influencing the agricultural resilience. Based on this, the possible impact of DP on agricultural resilience was analysed. In this paper, it is argued that this impact is transferred mostly through changing farms’ financial capabilities as well as farmers’ attitudes and behaviour, and is both positive and negative. Such phenomena as low crop insurance uptake and decrease in productivity may be due to the overcrowding effects of direct payments. These hypotheses are being tested in a survey, conducted in the meantime.

The culture industry and its human resources have been little researched in Latvia, yet research on the culture industry is important, because the industry makes a significant contribution to economic growth by promoting employment and the development of competitive regions. The culture industry encompasses libraries, folk art, theatre, music, museums, the creative industry and other sub-industries, yet in recent years those working in all the culture subindustries faced various challenges, including: a low remuneration and insufficient monetary and non-monetary bonuses, resulting in lower job satisfaction and a high personnel turnover. Accordingly, the aim of the research is to develop recommendations for hiring and retaining human resources by examining challenges in managing human resources in the culture industry. The authors conducted a survey among the personnel of the Board of Culture of Jelgava municipality. The survey found that the main challenges faced by the administration of the Board of Culture were an uncompetitive remuneration, the aging of the personnel and generational change as well as inefficient and insufficient motivation for working. The research has developed two scenarios for recruiting: ‘promotion of creativity and non-monetary motivation’ that aim to publicly appreciate human resources, so that they would feel important and significant as well as facilitate creativity, innovation and collective solidarity, while for the purpose of retaining human resources in a long-term and decreasing their turnover, the second scenario ‘competitive remuneration and the differentiation by position category’ aims to gradually raise the remuneration and differentiate it for all categories of personnel.

Company capital is essential in running business and creating value added for the stakeholders, including economy. How the view on company’s capital structure has evolved from theoretical perspective in the 20th century is needed to be assessed, in order to determine what concepts and theories, if any are relevant in the 21st century. Many theories have competed their way and transformed during the 20th century, while some, i.e. trade-off, signalling and stakeholder theories are still relevant in the 21st century. There are also new trends in the 21st century, new terms and quests shifting from determining and analysing optimal company’s capital structure to sustainable finance, taxonomy and also sustainability in capital structure. Therefore, the aim of this research: to establish existing main theories impacting and analysing company’s capital structure and to examine the theoretical shift of the theories based on the needs in the 21st century. Authors defined company’s capital structure and determined that during the years 1989–2020, number of research publications has grown significantly, thus validating the need to reassess theoretical background of capital structure theories in the 20th century, as well as to help to determine the trends still relative and emerging from the theoretical and practical aspects to company’s capital structure in the 21st century.

Given the growing worldwide tendencies of online shopping and increasing popularity of online grocery shopping, building customer-based brand equity for online grocery stores is gaining its popularity among business owners and marketers. Building good customer-based brand equity is considered to be one of the crucial goals for online businesses that lead to successful competition and good customer experience. The aim of this research is to determine customer-based brand equity dimensions for online grocery stores. To reach the aim, this paper adopts analysis and synthesis of scientific and practical literature in the field of customer-based brand equity and empirical research of three stages: field analysis, expert interviews and customer survey. 33 dimensions of customer-based brand equity for online grocery stores grouped in 8 dimension clusters were generated from the field analysis and expert interviews. Generated dimensions were provided for the evaluation during the customer survey. Empirical research proved 31 valid dimensions of customer-based brand equity for online grocery stores evaluated as very relevant, relevant and of average relevance. Main drivers of customer-based brand equity for online grocery stores that proved to be very relevant are: saving time, good price, fresh products, quality of service, and reputation of retail chain behind.

Nowadays, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flying at a low altitude in conjunction with photogrammetric and LiDAR technologies allows to collect images of very high-resolution to generate dense points cloud and to simulate geospatial data of territories. The technology used in experimental research contains reconstruction of topography of surface with historical structure, observing the recreational infrastructure, obtaining geographic information for users who are involved in preservation and inspection of such unique cultural/ heritage object as are mounds in Lithuania. In order to get reliable aerial mapping products of preserved unique heritage object, such photogrammetric/ GIS procedures were performed: UAV flight for taking images with the camera; scanning surface by LiDAR simultaneously; processing of image data, 3D modelling and generation of orthophoto. Evaluation of images processing results shows that the accuracy of surface modelling by the use of UAV photogrammetry method satisfied requirements – mean RMSE equal to 0.031 m. The scanning surface by LiDAR from low altitude is advisable, relief representation of experimental area was obtained with mean accuracy up to 0.050 m. Aerial mapping by the use of UAV requires to specify appropriate ground sample distance (GSD) that is important for reducing number of images and time duration for modelling of area. Experiment shows that specified GSD of 1.7 cm is not reasonable; GSD size increased by 1.5 times would be applicable. The use of different software in addition for DSM visualization and analysis is redundant action.

Experience saved in the construction industry shows that the timber portal frames with semi-rigid connections at knee joint exhibit permanently increase displacements at the knee and apex point. Normally, timber portal frame with semi-rigid knee joint connection is made with mechanical fasteners located in double circles and cannot be designed without relevant rotation at connection during structures’ exploitation time. The only way to increase connection rigidity is to rise distance from fasteners location at connection, but at the same time, the tension and shear stress become significant at the external section of members. The previous experience is obtained by a model testing showing that deformations at semi-rigid connections are non-linear. These were tests under short-term load and did not disclose creep effects, which can be significant. This study is aimed at the examination of increasing deformations with time under constant static load (creep effects) in semi-rigid dowelled connection. Experimental test models were made and set under long-term load in controlled environmental conditions (heated laboratory room). Results show a significant creep influence to decrease connection stiffness. Corresponding numerical test of orthotropic 3d model by Dlubal RFEM software tools was performed analysing the value of expected deformations. Results of the numerical test showed that friction between timber elements and extra nuts on bolts can increase connection stiffness. Research results in this stage show that the creep can affect connection stiffness more than expected. Also, experimental test results showed lower deformation values comparing with the ones obtained by the numerical test.

The socio-economic changes brought about by globalisation, the internationalisation and digitalisation of higher education, as well as the current demographic situation in Europe and Latvia, raise the issue of the competitiveness of academic staff in the context of multicultural higher education. The aim of the study is to provide a theoretical basis for the competitiveness of academic staff in the view of educational sciences, respecting the different trends and based on the conceptual approaches in personal/specialist competitiveness research. The following research methods were used: study, analysis and evaluation of scientific literature (theoretical research method); reflection of personal experience (empirical research method). As a result of the theoretical research, two trends for the substantiation of the concept of competitiveness in the educational sciences were identified. The first trend: the competitiveness of a person is substantiated through transfers from economic and management science, with a particular emphasis on specialist marketability and employability as a significant manifestation of competitiveness. The second trend: according to the new paradigm of competitiveness in educational sciences, the competitiveness of a human as a person and as a specialist is based on the perspective of pedagogy and psychology. The research results led to the conclusion that there are three conceptual approaches in the methodology of competitiveness research: 1) qualitative approach: identifies and lists competitive personality traits and qualities; 2) functional approach: describes the competitive behaviour of a person or specialist; 3) structural approach: competitiveness is substantiated as a complex combination of personal/ specialist qualities, identifying several structural components. All of these approaches are also characteristic to the research of competitiveness of academic staff. The following taxonomy should be respected in the substantiation of academic staff competitiveness: 1) substantiation of personal competitiveness; 2) substantiation of specialist competitiveness in the context of different industries; 3) the substantiation of the competitiveness of specifically academic staff in the context of the specifics of higher education.