Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency

Genetic variation among the Azerbaijani isolates of anamorphs of Cochliobolus spp., the causal agents of common root rot of wheat, was evaluated using pathogenicity assessments, sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) gene, as well as inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and inter-primer binding site (iPBS) markers. Twenty-eight isolates used in this study were obtained from diseased wheat plants in cereal growing regions of Azerbaijan in 2017. Bipolaris sorokiniana, Curvularia spicifera, and Curvularia inaequalis were identified. Bipolaris sorokiniana isolates were the most virulent on wheat seedlings, followed by isolates of C. spicifera and C. inaequalis. Phylogenetic analyses of a combined dataset of the ITS and GPDH regions grouped the isolates into three clusters, each of which contained isolates of one species. The dendrogram derived from the unweighted pair-grouped method by arithmetic average (UPGMA) cluster analyses based on the data of ISSR and iPBS markers divided the isolates into three clusters in concordance to their taxonomic grouping at species level, but without correlation to their geographic origins. Population structure of isolates was estimated based on Bayesian modelling, and this showed three populations (K = 3) supporting the separation of isolates in the dendrogram with the greatest mean value of Ln likelihood (-893,8). Utilization of the markers either separately or together produced a high level of polymorphism at interspecies level, which allowed for the separation of species. Although both marker systems had similar discrimination power to reveal genetic differences among the species, ISSR markers were more informative for eliciting intraspecies polymorphisms within B. sorokiniana and C. spicifera isolates. This is the first study on genetic diversity and population structure of anamorphic stages of Cochliobolus associated with common root rot of wheat using iPBS markers.

We have synthesized large scale, thin, transparent graphene oxide (GO) flakes by Hummer’s method and investigated their suitability for fabrication of transparent nanocomposites. The GO flakes were comprehensively characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Raman spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). X-ray diffraction displayed the peak of graphene oxide at 9°degree, which is characteristic peak of GO in agreement with the literature results. Scanning Electron Microscopy images revealed that thin, transparent, flake form GO with 14,8 µm lateral size and 0,31µm thickness were synthesized. The comparison with literature results show that for the first time, our group could synthesize large scale, thin and more transparent GO flakes by simple Hummer’s method using simple dispersed graphite. EDX measurements indicate the formation of layered structure with oxygen containing functional groups. The intensity ratio between D and G peaks in the Raman spectra proves that less defective GO flakes have been synthesized. The solution ability of the synthesized material indicate that high quality GO flakes were synthesized, which make them effective soluble material due to oxygen containing groups formed on the graphene plane during synthesis process.DSC results shows that these flakes are thermally stable till 200°C. Due to high solubility properties, large scale and transparency they can be very useful in fabrication of high optical transparent nanocompoties for replacement indium tin oxide transparent conductors in solar panels, biomedical applications and microwave absorbers for electromagnetic interference (EMI) environmental protection.

In the present study, understoichiometric TiZrCN, TiZrNbCN, and TiZrSiCN coatings were produced using the cathodic arc technique with a C/N ratio of approximately 0.5 to investigate their potential use in nuclear technology. The coatings were evaluated for their corrosion resistance in 3.5 % NaCl and neutron activation. The effect of adding Si and Nb to the quaternary TiZrCN system was also investigated. The results showed that the addition of Si (∼4.64 at.%) to the matrix of TiZrCN improved their electrochemical properties in NaCl solution, the protective efficiency was 92%, while the Nb addition (∼5.5 at%) lead to the decrease in corrosion resistance by 1.39 times comparing with TiZrCN. Furthermore, after fast neutron irradiation at a nominal power of 1450 kW, none of the coatings were activated, indicating good radiation resistance. It was determined from the structural analysis that the Ti6Al4V substrate before corrosion consists of hexagonal and cubic space groups with different lattice parameters. By adding Si and Nb, a small amount of ZrO2 and Si3N4 was detected along with the main phases in the TiZrCN structure.

The method for synthesis of corrected three-wavelengths spectrometers for trace gas components of atmosphere on the basis of development of mathematical model has been suggested. The classification table for possible structures of corrected spectrometers is considered. The synthesis allows to reveal some new variants for development of three-wavelength spectrometers for trace gas components of atmosphere. For experimental checkup of achieved theoretical results, a laboratory pattern of three-wavelength spectrometer is developed and tested.

The subject matter of the article is quantitative assessment and adaptive decision-making for managing the safety state of potentially hazardous facilities using an integral security indicator. The goal is to develop a mathematical framework for selecting an optimal management action that maximizes the indicator under resource, time, and acceptable risk constraints. The tasks are: (i) to formalize the facility state as a normalized vector of indicators and construct the integral indicator A(t); (ii) to formulate a constrained optimization model for selecting the optimal action v*(t) based on maximizing A(t); (iii) to define a periodic update and feedback mechanism and an effectiveness measure η for evaluating actions across decision cycles. The methods used are multi-criteria aggregation in a normalized indicator space, constrained optimization, argmax-based decision rules, and iterative feedback evaluation. The following results were obtained: an indicator-based state model and integral security indicator were constructed for compact decision support; a constrained selection problem was defined for a discrete action set with cost, implementation time, and risk admissibility constraints; and an operational loop of reassessment, action application, and feedback was specified, enabling adaptive refinement of decisions and visualization of A(t_k) dynamics. Conclusions. Scientific novelty: 1) an integrated constrained-optimization scheme that maximizes an integral security indicator while jointly accounting for cost, time, and risk constraints; 2) a feedback-enabled adaptive control loop with η and periodic reassessment to improve action selection under changing conditions.

In this study, the crystal structure, surface morphology , and formation of free clusters in amorphous ribbons with Fe 93 Si 6 C 1 composition were investigated. Fe 93 Si 6 C 1 amorphous ribbon samples were produced using the melt spinning technology, which is widely used in the preparation of amorphous materials . This process prevents crystallization in the microstructure of the ribbon, thereby improving its magnetic, mechanical, and electrical properties. This paper examines the effect of irradiation with 2.5 MeV H + ions at doses of 2.5 × 10 13 , 2.5 × 10 14 , 2.5 × 10 15 ion/cm 2 on the microstructure of Fe 93 Si 6 C 1 amorphous ribbons. The results of the SRIM simulation showed that ions penetrate to a depth of ∼27.6 μm in the amorphous ribbon, causing the formation of radiation-induced defects up to this depth. Post-irradiation analysis with X-ray diffraction revealed significant structural changes. The Rietveld refinement method showed that the alloy consists of three phases: Fe (Fm-3m cubic), FeSi (P213 cubic), and Fe 2 C (Pnnm orthorhombic). Although the initial amorphization analysis revealed that the sample had approximately 81.7 % amorphous content, this value was found to decrease to ∼80.6 % after the maximum irradiation dose. The irradiation also resulted in an increase in free volumes, as well as spherical and cylindrical radius within the amorphous ribbon. • Fe 93 Si 6 C 1 amorphous ribbon samples were produced using the melt spinning technology. • It was irradiated with 2.5 MeV H + ions at doses of 2.5 × 10 13 , 2.5 × 10 14 , 2.5 × 10 15 ion/cm 2 . • Crystal structure, surface morphology, and formation of free clusters in amorphous were detected in all samples. • The alloy consists of three phases: Fe(Fm-3m cubic), FeSi (P213 cubic), and Fe 2 C (Pnnm orthorhombic).

The p-GaN gate high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with a <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2.0\times 10^{-{5}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm2 sensitive area as a UV photodetector (PD) has been designed and fabricated in this study. AlGaN/gallium nitride (GaN) heterostructure was adopted to get a 2-D electron gas (2DEG) as a conductive channel, resulting in a high photoresponsivity of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8.07\times 10^{{4}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> A/W, a sharp cutoff wavelength at 360 nm, high UV-to-visible rejection ratio of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.80\times 10^{{6}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, rise and decay time of 0.12 and 1.0 ms, respectively. The dark current of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5.44\times 10^{-{7}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> A, the photocurrent of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4.42\times 10^{-{3}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> A at 5 V, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 2.77% <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times 10^{{5}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>%, and the detectivity of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8.31\times 10^{{14}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Jones for the UV PD were determined under a low UV light intensity of 5 mW/cm2 at 360-nm UV illumination. The obtained results show that the performance of as-fabricated UV PD based on AlGaN/GaN HEMT is significantly improved compared to the literature. This device, which has lower noise equivalent power (NEP) and enhanced detectivity features compared to existing ones, is a promising candidate for military and space applications.

Up-to-date curetted task of the present geoinformation system is the processing of the remote sensing data. Image analyses in point of mathematical view bases on the theory of the image recognition where it is necessary identification of the input data to the appropriate classis of the objects. Beside with methods of fuzzy logic one of the advance methods of solution the foregoing problem is wide application of Neural Networks in the area. These methods have been taken an adequate instrument which can be described regulation of classification without application of the high accuracy mathematical value as it accepted term for understanding like "small", "significant" etc. There are two approaches of image recognition based on the spectral and spatial characteristics of the investigated class of objects. It is expedient the combination of the both approaches in order to increase an accuracy of recognition and classification of scanned area with complex relief (highlands, settlements, mixed forest, etc.). Each selected individual elements of landscape shall be found out based on the image fragment analyses, their forms, colors, correlation, and heterogeneity. Neural Network allows assessing interrelation of each selected individual elements of landscape. One of the advantages of the Neural Network is that all elements have an ability to operate in parallel that is essentially increasing the efficiency of problem solution, especially in the area of the image processing. Within the framework of this studies have been offered the approach of development of the Artificial Neural Networks with Back-propagation Error where there is a solution of the problem of creation decoding indicators based on superposition of spectral and spatial characteristics of image of Landsat TM satellite. During the study of classification of the object elements considered learning access is known as the indicator of identification of relation of the classes. It is required development of the Neural Network which has to be determining the relation of appropriate classes to the object. The number of parameters on spatial characteristic increase due to involving parameters calculated by horizontal, vertical and diagonal pixels taking part in process. As a result it can be find out an increase of a volume of computation process. The main aim of those research activities is development of methodology of high-performance classification of aerospace images using the Neural Networks for modeling of spectral and spatial images of the investigated class of objects. Integration in GIS Neural Networks is the suitable instrument for effective encouragement of decision-making. As an input and output data the Neural Network uses of GIS spatial data.

This study focuses on investigating carbonitride coatings, specifically CNTi-(Zr, ZrNb, and ZrSi), as promising candidates for enhancing the durability and efficiency of Ti6Al4V materials used in nuclear fusion technology. X-ray diffraction analysis identified distinct phases, including TiN, ZrN, ZrC, and TiC. The corrosion studies showed complete degradation of the TiN, ZrC, and ZrN phases in the TiZrCN coating after tests, while the TiC phase exhibited relative stability. The surface morphologies and elemental mapping analysis demonstrated the loss of homogeneity in element distribution after corrosion process. The addition of Si and Nb elements into TiZrCN significantly influenced the coatings' corrosion behavior, with breakaway corrosion observed in CNTi- (Zr and ZrSi) coatings and localized corrosion in CNTi-(ZrNb) coatings. Notably, the CNTi-(ZrSi) coating formed an oxide phase in the presence of NaCl, whereas the CNTi-(ZrNb) coating exhibited continuous resistance and a low corrosion rate. Irradiation was carried out for the generation of active isotopes, showing that no radioactive isotopes were formed in any of the investigated samples.

Brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis is endemic in the Republic of Azerbaijan but a complex mix of fiscal, political and technical constraints has impeded regulatory authority decision making for adoption of a sustainable national control programme. This paper reports a series of epidemiologic studies of the disease in animals and humans which we conducted between 2009 and 2020. A preliminary study and a subsequent larger study using vaccination of all non-pregnant female sheep and goats of breeding age and all females between 3 and 8 months with conjunctival Rev1 vaccine both recorded significant reduction in small ruminant seroprevalences. A case control study of winter pasture flocks found many case and control farmers used raw milk to make dairy products for sale, ate fresh cheese and sold dairy products in unregulated markets. Almost all farmers expressed willingness to pay a portion of the costs associated with elimination of brucellosis from their flocks. A pilot human study in 2009 led to a large study in 2017 which recorded an overall seroprevalence of 8.1% in humans. Persons in farm related occupations were at greater risk than urban persons and males were more likely to be seropositive than females. Risk factors included keeping small ruminants, using raw milk cheese and slaughtering animals whereas having heard education information about brucellosis and vaccinating against brucellosis were protective.

In the quest to secure energy supply and mitigate dependence on imported fossil fuels, nations are diversifying into renewable energy sources (RES). This study investigates the impact of renewable electricity production on economic growth, alongside the interplay with research and development (R&D) expenditures, through a comparative lens focusing on Norway and Brazil—both pioneers in the renewable energy arena. Analysis incorporates per capita R&D expenditures to gauge the nexus between renewable energy initiatives and R&D investment, employing data spanning from 2003 to 2014. The investigation reveals a notable divergence between the two nations. In Norway, no significant link was identified between the volume of renewable energy produced and per capita R&D expenditures. Nonetheless, a causal connection between economic growth and R&D investment was observed, with a robust correlation suggesting a profound influence of economic expansion on R&D activities. Contrarily, Brazil's scenario delineates a unidirectional causal relationship where economic growth positively influences the renewable energy sector, with no discernible association between R&D expenditures per capita and economic growth. These findings underscore the variegated impacts of renewable energy policies and R&D investments on economic dynamics within the context of Norway and Brazil, highlighting the necessity for tailored approaches in leveraging renewable energy for sustainable development.

This article proposes a quantitative decision-support framework for improving the effectiveness of systematic physical protection systems at critical infrastructure and special-purpose facilities with heterogeneous route architectures. The study is based on the premise that physical protection should be treated not merely as the accumulation of technical means, but as a route-sensitive management problem that explicitly accounts for adversary movement options, perimeter heterogeneity, and the integrated functioning of detection, delay, and response elements. The primary effectiveness criterion is defined as the route-level probability that the facility remains in a safe state, which enables the identification of vulnerable routes that may remain hidden behind average system indicators. The proposed framework combines formal system representation, simulation-based evaluation, grouping of noncompliant routes by latent characteristics, and regression-based inference for intervention selection. The methodological core includes a structural mapping between facility elements, threats, vulnerabilities, and protection mechanisms, allowing the synthesis problem to be formulated as a logically organized decision process rather than an ad hoc set of measures. Simulation modeling is used to estimate the safe-state probability for each route on the basis of segment-level detection probability, delay time, and response timing. Routes that fail to meet the required threshold are subsequently analyzed through factor-based grouping and full factorial design, after which regression coefficients are used to infer whether effectiveness is more strongly improved through detection enhancement, delay reinforcement, or a combined intervention portfolio. The results show that under heterogeneous route conditions, differentiated portfolio selection is more rational than uniform system-wide strengthening. Group-based interventions improve not only mean performance but also the lower tail of the route distribution, thereby increasing overall compliance with the required protection threshold while supporting more transparent and operationally implementable resource allocation decisions.

In this study on Azerbaijan, which is dependent on oil, the causality relationship between economic growth, foreign investments, total capital increases in the country and oil and gas sector revenues have been examined. As a result of the analysis made using the Granger method, a row of causality relationships was obtained. The data used in the analysis were obtained from the World Bank, an important data disclosure platform. The result of the analysis made for a period from 2000 to 2020 shows the importance of the oil and gas sector in attracting foreign investments in this country. As a result of the study, a bidirectional causality relationship was obtained between economic growth and foreign investments in Azerbaijan. In other words, while attracting foreign investments to the country supports economic growth, the realization of economic growth at the same time shows its own effect on the growth of the country's economy. Namely, these variables become the Granger causality of each other. Bilateral causality relationship has also been determined between foreign investments and the incomes obtained from the total oil and gas sector. At the same time, the development of this sector makes the country more attractive for foreign investors. Increases in revenues in the oil and gas sector also have an impact on the overall capital increase in the country. In other words, this variable is the Granger cause of capital increases.

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used for rare vegetation communities’ classification using remotely sensed data. Training of a neural network requires that the user specifies the network structure and sets the learning parameters. Heuristics proposed by a number of researchers to determine the optimum values of network parameters are compared using datasets. Training and test samples were collected for each class type (12 classes). After preliminary statistical tests for training samples, two modification algorithms of the classification scheme were defined: the first one led to creating a scheme which consisted of 7 classes, and the second one led us to creating of 5 class’s scheme. Testing results show that the use of ANNs on the based of 5 class’s scheme can produce higher classification accuracies than either alternative. The visual analysis of the results of the classification is described using Geoinformation Technologies in details.

The phyllosphere is an important microbial habitat and reservoir of organisms that modify plant health. Taphrina betulina is the causal agent of birch witches' broom disease. Taphrina species are dimorphic, infecting hosts in the filamentous form and residing in the host phyllosphere as non-infectious yeast. As such, they are expected to be found as resident yeasts on their hosts, even on healthy tissues; however, there is little experimental data supporting this supposition. With the aim of exploring the local infection ecology of T. betulina, we isolated yeasts from the phyllosphere of birch leaves, using three sample classes; infected leaves inside symptom-bearing branches, healthy leaves from symptom-free branches on symptom-bearing trees and leaves from symptom-free branches on symptom-free trees. Isolations yielded 224 yeast strains, representing 11 taxa, including T. betulina, which was the most common isolate and was found in all sample classes, including symptom-free samples. Genotyping revealed genetic diversity among these T. betulina isolates, with seven distinct genotypes differentiated by the markers used. Twenty-two representative T. betulina strains were selected for further study, revealing further phenotypic differences. These findings support that T. betulina is ubiquitous on birch and that individual trees host a diversity of T. betulina strains.

Holistic environmental flow assessment includes evaluation of chemical, biological, hydrological, and morphological changes predicted from disrupting a river flow regime. Using available water chemistry together with biological and hydrological surveys, we report and assess environmental flows of the Alijanchay River, an important tributary of the Kura River, at four monitoring stations located in Azerbaijan. The river’s natural flow regime has changed significantly due to the irrigation activities in the middle and lower reaches and further development is planned through construction of new reservoirs. Our methodology is based on the results of morphological, hydrological, and hydrobiological observations and analysis of the physical and chemical parameters of the river. Environmental flow was evaluated by six hydrological methods proposed in the literature, and a comparative analysis shows that its value has increased from 13.6 to 27.1% of the annual flow volume, consistent with increased pressure on this important surface water supply. Water Quality Indices (WQI) further show seasonal changes of water quality in this important water supply, impacting sustainable uses for drinking and agriculture. Parameters most affected by seasonal changes are turbidity, suspended solids, and dissolved oxygen. Further degradation of environmental flows of this important watershed in Azerbaijan are likely from the planned development. A more comprehensive holistic ecological flow can help support a sustainable plan for use of Alijanchay River basin water reserves, and, if resources are provided for other basins, can support development elsewhere.

Mobile technology advances have created additional opportunities for the banking sector and benefits for consumers. The paper examines the relationship between customer experience and satisfaction, usage intention and brand loyalty in the context of mobile banking. In particular, customer experience covers three aspects, namely enjoyment, personalization, and practicality of mobile applications. The methodological basis includes the theoretical principles of marketing and service management, as well as planned behavior theory and the technology acceptance model. The research methods of factor, linear and regression anayses were applied. The empirical basis of the study are the results of a survey of clients in ten Turkish banks. The initial sample was 411 respondents, of which 327 completed questionaires were received. The authors put forward a number of hypotheses about the impact of customer experience in mobile banking on the retention of banking services users. According to the results, all the hypotheses were supported. It was found that each of the three aspects of user experience, and practicality of mobile banking applications in particular, has a significant impact on customer satisfaction, intention to use, and brand loyalty. The findings demonstrate that mobile banking usage intention and customer satisfaction affect loyalty to the bank brand, and customer satisfaction influences mobile banking usage intention. Increasing the number of respondents and including more banks in the research are among the directions for future research.

The aim of the present study was to determine the phase relations in the Tl4PbTe3-Tl9TbTe6-Tl9BiTe6 section of the Tl-Pb-Bi-Tb-Te system. Based on a set of the methods of the physicochemical analysis (differential thermal analysis, powder X-ray diffraction method as well as microhardness measurements), the phase diagram of the Tl4PbTe3-Tl9TbTe6 boundary system, some isopleth sections, liquidus and solidus surfaces projections, as well as isothermal sections at 840 and 860 K, were plotted. Unlimited solid solutions with the Tl5Te3 structure (δ-phase) were found in the system, which are of interest as a thermoelectric materials.

Herein, the crystal structure, surface morphology, and magnetic and thermal properties of the BaFe 11.9 In 0.1 O 19 ‐substituted M‐type hexaferrite are investigated. This solid solution is fabricated using “two‐step” topotactic reactions. It is determined through the X‐ray diffraction method that the crystal structure of this solid solution under normal conditions has hexagonal symmetry with P6 3 /mmc space group (No. 194) with the unit cell parameters a = 5.8992(1) Å and c = 23.2275(7) Å. It is determined by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) researches that the average size of the grains is = 6 μm. It is determined by the vibration magnetometry that the ferrimagnet–paramagnet phase transition happens at around T C = 420 °C. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), it is found that air and water molecules leave the sample surface up to 420 °C and the resulting oxygen anions appearing as a result of a solvothermal reaction fill the oxygen vacancies in the crystal structure at high temperatures up to 800 °C. The thermal transitions repeated in the high temperatures are established. The oxidation behavior of this compound is determined from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in a wide temperature range.

Using the multipurpose genetic algorithm, the analytical models of phase diagrams of the Tl9SmTe6–Tl8Pb2Te6 and Tl9SmTe6–Tl9BiTe6 systems as temperature dependencies of compositions of the equilibrium phases were obtained. The boundaries of the uncertainty band for the liquidus and solidus curves of solid solutions are determined. According to the model of regular solutions of non-molecular compounds, the thermodynamic functions of mixing solid solutions depending on the composition and temperature are determined. It was found that solid solutions based on the Tl9SmTe6, Tl8Pb2Te6 and Tl9BiTe6 compounds are thermodynamically stabile in the whole concentration range