The article deals with the issues of transport provision of Almaty city by such type of public transport as metro. For this purpose, from the authors’ point of view, important indicators characterizing the accessibility of transport services by metro for the city residents were determined, such as: population coverage within the radius of transitional accessibility; daily passenger flow of metro by direction; average time loss while waiting for a train on the platform; average train speed; average travel time of a passenger to the intended station. In addition, in order to calculate some of the indicators, field studies were conducted directly at the metro stations. The results of the study may be of interest to all persons interested in the development of urban passenger transport. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

The worldwide trend in energy production is moving toward circular economy systems and sustainable availability of sources. Some advanced methods support the economic development of energy production by the utilization of waste biomass, while limiting ecological effects. The use of agro waste biomass is viewed as a major alternative energy source that expressively lowers greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural residues produced as wastes after each step of agricultural production are used as sustainable biomass assets for bioenergy production. Nevertheless, agro waste biomass needs to go through a few cyclic changes, among which biomass pre-treatment contributes to the removal of lignin and has a significant role in the efficiency and yield of bioenergy production. As a result of rapid innovation in the utilization of agro waste for biomass-derived bioenergy, a comprehensive overview of the thrilling highlights and necessary advancements, in addition to a detailed analysis of feedstock, characterization, bioconversion, and contemporary pre-treatment procedures, appear to be vital. To this end, the current status in the generation of bioenergy from agro biomass through various pre-treatment procedures was examined in this study, along with presenting relevant challenges and a perspective for future investigations. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Water scarcity poses a significant global challenge, particularly acute in arid and semi-arid regions with limited freshwater resources and high agricultural water demands. This study investigated the impacts of recycled wastewater irrigation using hybrid poplar trees as a model crop in the Kyzylorda region, characterized by extreme climatic conditions and water scarcity. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed to ensure robust comparisons between two irrigation treatments: the control using water from the Syrdarya River, and the experimental treatment involving biologically treated wastewater from the Kyzylorda Wastewater Treatment Plant. Chemical analysis revealed that the soil irrigated with wastewater exhibited higher pH levels (7.5 ± 0.3) compared to the control (7.0 ± 0.2), indicating increased alkalinity. Electrical conductivity, a measure of soil salinity, was significantly elevated in wastewater-irrigated soil (2.3 ± 0.2 dS/m) relative to the control (1.2 ± 0.1 dS/m), reflecting higher salinity levels. Moreover, organic matter content was substantially greater in wastewater-irrigated soil (3.5 ± 0.4%) compared to the control (2.1 ± 0.3%), suggesting enhanced organic enrichment. Nutrient levels, such as nitrogen (45 ± 5 mg/kg), phosphorus (30 ± 4 mg/kg), and potassium (189 ± 16 mg/kg) were markedly higher in the wastewater-irrigated soil compared to the control (27 ± 3 mg/kg, 15 ± 2 mg/kg, and 121 ± 10 mg/kg, respectively), highlighting the nutrient-rich nature of recycled wastewater. Seasonal dynamics in flora and fauna were also assessed. From January to March, both control and wastewater-irrigated plots exhibited a decline in species richness, reflective of winter dormancy. In January, for instance, control plots averaged 23 ± 4 species per square meter, whereas wastewater-irrigated plots had 18 ± 3 species per square meter. Fauna abundance followed a similar pattern, with both groups showing gradual increases from January to March, peaking in summer. The control plots consistently maintained higher fauna abundance levels compared to the wastewater-irrigated plots throughout the study period. Overall, this study provides insights into the complex interactions between recycled wastewater irrigation and soil health, crop performance, and ecological dynamics in arid environments. © (2024), (Polskie Towarzystwo Inzynierii Ekologicznej (PTIE)). All rights reserved.

The development of smart devices and the enhancement of the 5G network pose a challenge in the management of resources especially in the dynamic and high-density networks. This paper proposes a machine learning approach for the optimization of resource allocation for 5G Internet-of-things (IoT) networks. The framework integrates real-time data processing, dynamic routing and edge computing for the improvement of the network throughput and quality of service (QoS). The suggested methods have been developed and evaluated in MATLAB simulations have shown important enhancements in latency, bandwidth and energy efficiency. Through the overcoming the limitations of the conventional methods, this research offers the solutions for the resource allocation problem in the 5G-IoT networks which are scalable, adaptive and efficient. © 2025 IEEE.

In the pursuit of sustainable oil and gas resource extraction, the innovative integration of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as the most promising approach. During the CCUS process, intricate physicochemical interactions between the injected CO2, facilitated through various injection strategies (Water Alternative Gas: WAG/Continue Gas Injection: CGI) and the formation fluids and heterogeneous mineral assemblages within the reservoir trigger alterations in mineral structures, consequently impacting permeability and recovery factors, constituting a pivotal aspect. Precisely delineating and quantifying these interactions is paramount for optimizing process design and evaluating reservoir dynamics in the successful implementation of CCUS operations. This study has carried out qualitative and quantitative characterization of mineral heterogeneity, different pore types, and mineral combination characteristics from a low-permeability sandstone reservoir. Additionally, the effect on the physical properties of minerals from different development methods (WAG/CGI) was investigated using numerical simulation for CCUS applications. The results indicate that the saturated CO2 fluid selectively dissolves the potassium feldspar (orthoclase) in intergranular pores, while the intergranular pores are filled with illite and secondary precipitated clay minerals. It initially dissolves the sensitive mineral (ankerite) in the intergranular pores. The decrease of ankerite and increase of illite result from the prolonged contact period between saturated CO2 and minerals, which changes the mineral cementation to argillaceous type, thus affecting permeability in the context of CCUS. The spatial impact on reservoir physical properties depends on the spatial heterogeneity of the original sensitive minerals (ankerite, anorthite, illite, etc.) distributed in the study area. In the WAG scheme, the physicochemical interaction between saturated CO2 and reservoir minerals is more intense than in the CGI scheme for CCUS operations, significantly impacting cumulative production. © 2024 Sichuan Petroleum Administration

Abstract: The article studies the current stage of development of Kazakhstan’s agglomerations, the incentivized formation of which has become a state policy priority. Due to the lack of criteria, the boundaries of potential agglomerations are determined by 1.5-h isochrons of transport accessibility around cities with populations of 100 000 or more. Of these cities, eight centers were selected, based on a modified development coefficient that takes into account, in addition to urban satellites, villages with populations of more than 3000 people. A number of socioeconomic indicators were used to analyze the level of separation of cores of agglomerations from their suburbs and regions. The example of Kazakhstan has shown that the inherited structure of the economy and low level of comfort of the environments of cities do not contribute to the development of most agglomerations. During the post-Soviet period, their share in the population of the republic increased from 43 to 52%, while the administrative option of creating agglomerations works only when there are objective prerequisites and evolutionary work in progress. Among agglomerations fixed in government documents with the status of points of growth, the Almaty agglomeration has been deemed developed. The attraction zone of Shymkent includes mainly large villages, some of which have recently become towns. The metropolitan agglomeration of Astana is significantly inferior even to the neighboring Karaganda in terms of development. Aktobe is able to attract residents only form the northwestern regions due to low transport connectivity with the rest of the country. In socioeconomic development indicators, metropolitan agglomerations stand out, and third largest, Shymkent, dominates in the degree of tertiarization of the economy. The other agglomerations retain increased industrial employment, and population growth, owing to low attractiveness, comes from natural growth and intraregional migration. Except for Almaty, in surroundings of which there are features of suburbanization, core cities are growing faster than the zones of influence. The suburbs are distinguished by a lack of job opportunities, weak social infrastructure, and a lower level of household income. This situation, typical of the initial stages of development, hinders agglomerations from realizing their advantages. © 2023, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Prielbrusye National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia. In recent years internal tourism development, stimulated by restrictive measures (due to the COVID pandemic and geopolitical situation), resulted in significant growth of tourist flow to the national park’s territory. A surge in anthropogenic load on the park’s geosystems might degrade them and lead to environmental pollution. This research involved chemical studies of natural waters and snow from the south slope of the Elbrus and audit of the most popular tourist trails. The results have shown that in the snow alongside mountain hiking pistes to the Elbrus all the way up to 4,720 m above sea level (a.s.l.) oil stains concentration is up to 38 times higher than maximum acceptable concentration (MAC). Content analysis of heavy metals in snow cover on the Elbrus slopes and in the river Baksan has shown a significant rise in lead load over the period of 2015–2021 from the trace levels to 1.5 MAC, which is the result of increased anthropogenic load on the south slope of the Elbrus mountain. Ground observation of touristtrails has brought to light numerous patches of vegetation trampling, width extension and branching of the main trail, as well as campfire sites. The research results can be used as a rationale to take measures to reduce recreational load, to improve localgeosystems’ condition and to develop a plan of action on nature conservation within the park’s territory. © 2022, Russian Geographical Society. All rights reserved.

Mining, oil and gas, exploration and other industries occupy a strategic place in the development of the economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Ensuring the smooth operation of these industries primarily depends on the quality of manufacturing and restoration of parts and components of technological equipment. Technological machines and equipment produced for the above-mentioned industries are characterized by high metal consumption and high labor intensity of their manufacture. The high quality of manufacturing and restoration of parts of these machines and equipment is largely determined by the finishing technology aimed at obtaining shaping, accuracy and the required quality indicators of the working surfaces of the parts. The most common of the finishing methods is magnetic abrasive treatment. A feature of this method is oriented abrasive cutting. The article examines the mechanism of influence of the composition and structure of technological means of lubrication and cooling (LCTM) on the process of magnetic abrasive treatment (MAT), in particular on the nature of metal removal from the machined parts. The mechanism of the adsorption-jamming action of polar molecules and the effect of the LCTM composition on the intensity of metal removal and, 8 accordingly, on the surface quality of the processed products have been studied. The results of the effect of LCTM dispersion on the efficiency of metal removal and roughness during magnetic abrasive treatment (MAP) were obtained, and a new composition of LCTM was proposed. © National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2024.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered as some of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems due to their high theoretical capacity and energy density. However, their practical application is hindered by challenges such as the shuttle effect, low conductivity of sulfur, and volume changes during cycling. A key factor to address these issues is the strategy used to incorporate sulfur into the carbon host, which significantly affects the cathode structure and electrochemical performance. In this study, we compare four distinct sulfur immobilization strategies - chemical precipitation (ChP), ball milling infiltration (BM), dissolution-crystallization (DC), and melt diffusion (MD) - using acetylene black (AB) as a conventional conductive carbon host. Each method yields AB@S composites with varying sulfur distributions, loading efficiencies, and interfacial characteristics. Comprehensive morphological and electrochemical characterization, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), confirms differences in sulfur content, particle morphology, and crystalline structure depending on the infiltration route. Electrochemical testing reveals that the synthesis approach is critical in determining the redox kinetics, reversibility, and cycling stability of Li-S batteries. Among the tested approaches, the AB@S cathode fabricated via the BM method delivers the most balanced performance, showing a comparatively high initial discharge capacity of 816 mAh g−1 at 0.1C, improved coulombic efficiency, and enhanced long-term cycling stability, retaining 68% of capacity, unlike DC and MD (about 60%) and ChP (55%) cells. © 2025 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

This paper discusses the concept of geotechnical seismic isolation (GSI) systems, characterized by new principles of action, to reduce seismic loads on buildings. The advantages and disadvantages of GSIs and their environmental and economic reliability are analyzed. The aim of the study is to develop a geotechnical seismic isolation system in the form of vertical barriers, using a rubber–soil mixture (RSM). The novelty of the work lies in the definition of effective structural and technical solutions of vertical seismic barriers made of RSM, characterized by reliability in providing seismic isolation. The ground and superstructure interactions are modeled in PLAXIS 2D software from 2021, using the finite element method, using the accelerogram of the Kobe and Northridge earthquakes. The results confirm the positive impact of using an RSM as an effective GSI geometrical. The results show that the GSI system using an RSM reduces horizontal accelerations by 60%. Significant acceleration reductions of 40–60% are also observed when the thickness and depth of GSI seismic barriers are increased. The results of the study contribute to the substantiation of methodology and scientific and technical efficiency of geotechnical seismic isolation as an economically favorable design alternative to the traditional seismic isolation system.