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Found 6674 publications
The spatial dimension of liturgy: Historical and contemporary accounts of communio-space in Europe's Latin rite liturgical architecture
Publication Name: Epites Epiteszettudomany
Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Volume: 45
Issue: 1-2
Page Range: 173-213
Description:
The present study focuses on the spatial aspect of the liturgy, the raison d'être of church building. The topicality of this approach is explained either by the manner of international communication about sacred architecture, or by the work of German architect Rudolf Schwarz (1897-1961), who is cited anew, very often due to his unification of architectural praxis, scientific activity and a life of a devoted man deservedly still influential in the field. A church can be understood by its operative function. Throughout the most important liturgical reform movements of the 20th century, one can get an insight into the spatial concepts of the designers, which, consciously or not, reflect the achievements of these movements even today. In the contemporary praxis of Latin Rite liturgy, the divorce between the once close-knit aspects of the worship are palpable, thanks to these reforms on the one hand, and their late interpretations on the other. Inspired by autonomous readings, the sacrificial act of the Eucharist (sacrificium) and the symbol of the communal feast (cena) were associated with correspondent models of space. This problem shares root with the frequent contraposition of personal devotion and the communio: the former prevails in oriented spaces, while the latter appears in the central. Spatial concepts capable of respecting both religious devotion and the needs of the community in their primordial unity and theological profoundness, seldom can be found today. Following the terminology of Albert Gerhards and Walter Zahner, these are often referred to as communio-spaces (Communio-Räume). Albeit the proposition of this space type is clearly theoretical, it looks back to important antecedents from the 20th century, and defines a multiplicity of new directions. The story of communio-space spans from Rudolf Schwarz to the contemporary church architecture of Central and Western Europe as well as North America, and still influences the newest designs of liturgical spaces. In Hungary, this recent issue of spatial arrangement is not a question of a substantial debate up to now, yet even this limited number of experiments necessitate the idea and applied examples of communio-space to acquire more attention here as well.
Open Access: Yes
Improving the audio game–playing performances of people with visual impairments through multimodal training
Publication Name: Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Volume: 111
Issue: 2
Page Range: 148-164
Description:
Introduction: As the number of people with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) is continuously increasing, rehabilitation and engineering researchers have identified the need to design sensory-substitution devices that would offer assistance and guidance to these people for performing navigational tasks. Auditory and haptic cues have been shown to be an effective approach towards creating a rich spatial representation of the environment, so they are considered for inclusion in the development of assistive tools that would enable people with visual impairments to acquire knowledge of the surrounding space in a way close to the visually based perception of sighted individuals. However, achieving efficiency through a sensory substitution device requires extensive training for visually impaired users to learn how to process the artificial auditory cues and convert them into spatial information. Methods: Considering all the potential advantages game-based learning can provide, we propose a new method for training sound localization and virtual navigational skills of visually impaired people in a 3D audio game with hierarchical levels of difficulty. The training procedure is focused on a multimodal (auditory and haptic) learning approach in which the subjects have been asked to listen to 3D sounds while simultaneously perceiving a series of vibrations on a haptic headband that corresponds to the direction of the sound source in space. Results: The results we obtained in a sound-localization experiment with 10 visually impaired people showed that the proposed training strategy resulted in significant improvements in auditory performance and navigation skills of the subjects, thus ensuring behavioral gains in the spatial perception of the environment.
Open Access: Yes
Physicochemical and textural properties of gummy candies prepared with fruit vinegar
Publication Name: Applied Food Research
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 4
Issue: 2
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Foods with additional functional value derived from natural sources are becoming more and more in demand these days, including confectionary products. Therefore, the study aimed to develop a gummy candy recipe, enriched with different fruit vinegars and determine the components' effect on the products' mineral, acid, sugar, antioxidant, and polyphenol content, and texture of the confectionery products with analytical methods. In terms of macroelement content, potassium was present in the largest amount in the tested candies (167.87 and 178.83 mg kg-1) and liquid ingredients (57,71–306.93 mg kg-1). In the case of microelements, iron (4.81, 4.79 mg kg-1) and boron (4.62, 4.49 mg kg-1) were significant in the products, iron is also found in gelatin in significant quantities (3.51 mg kg-1), however, boron came exclusively from fruit-derived components (1.02–9.40 mg kg-1). Among the tested organic acids, malic acid (21.67–46.12 mg g-1), and acetic acid (47.74–50.06 mg g-1) were significant in both the raw materials and products, while the fructose content (2.44–439.35 mg g-1) was prominent among the sugars, but the glucose (75.99–163.44 mg g-1) and sucrose (73.61–157.00 mg g-1) content were also significant. Unfortunately, the polyphenol (1.37–1.46 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant (0.29–0.75 mg AAE/g) content of the products was not significant, maybe because of their heat sensitivity. In terms of the texture of the candies, the two candies prepared with different fruit vinegars had similar textural properties, however, in terms of hardness (3523.10 N/m2), gumminess (3266.25 N/m2), and chewiness (3425.33 N/m2) the gummy candy with apple cider vinegar proved to be better. Unlike many other confectionery products, the sugar content of the developed product is provided only by the used the apple concentrate, it does not contain added sugar or sweeteners. The addition of fruit vinegars has been proven to have a positive effect on the nutritional values of candies. By replacing gelatin with another gelling agent, the product can also be prepared in a vegan form.
Open Access: Yes
Impact of spontaneous ventilation with intubation on perioperative results in uniportal VATS lobectomy compared to general anaesthesia using a double-lumen tube
Publication Name: Journal of Thoracic Disease
Publication Date: 2025-02-28
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Page Range: 774-783
Description:
Background: Minimally invasive thoracic surgery is the most frequently used approach for lung resection to minimize surgical stress on the patient. To further reduce invasiveness, the non-intubated spontaneous ventilation method is applied on the anesthesia side. However, due to the unsafe airway associated with this procedure, this method is not widely adopted. This study analyzes the surgical results of our method, which involves spontaneous ventilation with double lumen tube intubation and uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lung lobectomies. Methods: Between 2015 and 2023, 302 patients underwent uniportal VATS lobectomy in two different periods, depending on the type of anesthesia. Between 2015 and 2019, traditional relaxation, double lumen tube intubation, and general anesthesia (GA) with mechanical one-lung ventilation were used for lobectomies in 210 patients (93 males, 117 females, mean age 64.3 years) (GA-VATS group). Between 2021 and 2023, 92 cases (44 males, 48 females, mean age 66.3 years) underwent lobectomy with spontaneous ventilation after a short relaxation period, double lumen intubation, and vagus nerve blockade (SVI-VATS group). Perioperative data from 66 patients in each group were analyzed after 1:1 sample propensity score matching (caliper 0.1). Results: Respecting all patients, in the GA-VATS and SVI-VATS groups, the mortality and morbidity rates were 1 (0.47%) and 0 (0%), and 52 (24.7%) (P=0.050) and 19 (20.6%) (P=0.32), respectively. The rate of grade IIIB complications was 13 (6.1%) in the GA-VATS group and 0 (0%) in the SVI-VATS group (P=0.01). The length of surgery was 91.1 vs. 86.4 min (P=0.10), duration of chest drainage was 4.64±4.58 vs. 3.39± 3.39 days (P=0.02), the rate of permanent air leak was 43 (20.4%) vs. 8 (8.7%) (P=0.001), reoperation rate was 11 (5.2%) vs. 0 (0%) (P=0.02), and the number of removed mediastinal lymph nodes was 12.7 vs. 12.7 (P=0.97) in the GA-VATS and SVI-VATS groups, respectively. After propensity score-matched analysis, there were no cases of mortality in either group. Morbidity rates were 19 (28.8%) and 15 (22.7%) (P=0.55), length of surgery was 99 vs. 86.7 min (P=0.003), duration of chest drainage was 5.1 vs. 3.8 days (P=0.02), the rate of permanent air leak was 15 (22.7%) vs. 8 (12.1%) (P=0.10), and the reoperation rate was 5 (7.57%) vs. 0 (0%) (P=0.058) in the GA-VATS and SVI-VATS groups, respectively. Conclusions: SVI-VATS lobectomy resulted in fewer complications, particularly those requiring correction under anesthesia (IIIb) and a shorter postoperative period than GA-VATS. The number of removed mediastinal lymph nodes was similar between the groups.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-24-1396
Conceptual Framework for Adaptive Bacterial Memetic Algorithm Parameterization in Storage Location Assignment Problem
Publication Name: Mathematics
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 12
Issue: 23
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Recognized as an NP-hard combinatorial challenge, Storage Location Assignment Problem (SLAP) demands heuristic or algorithmic solutions for effective optimization. This paper specifically examines the enhancement of SLAP through the utilization of evolutionary algorithms, as they are particularly suitable for complex cases. Among others, the genetic algorithm (GA) is typically applied to solve this problem. This paper investigates the Bacterial Memetic Algorithm (BMA) as a possible solution for optimization. Though the comparative analysis of the BMA with the previously well-used GA algorithm under certain test parameters reveals that BMA is suitable for SLA optimization, BMA failed to achieve better results. We attribute the unsatisfactory results to the parameter settings, as illustrated by a few specific examples. However, the complexity of the problem and the parameterization does not allow for continuous manual parameter adjustment, which is why we have identified the need for a concept that automatically and adaptively adjusts the parameter settings based on the statistics and fitness values obtained during the execution. The novelty of this paper is to specify the concept of adaptive BMA parameterization and rules.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/math12233688
THE INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 ON SENTIMENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS-PROSPECTS FOR THE SPREAD OF DISTANCE LEARNING
Publication Name: Economics and Sociology
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 3
Page Range: 216-247
Description:
Clayton Christensen’s theory of “disruptive innovation” describes how smaller firms, with access to far fewer resources, are still able to challenge and displace well-established industry leaders. Uber and Airbnb as startups were able to disrupt the global taxi and hotel industries despite the economic shock of the financial crisis (2007-2008). The COVID-19 pandemic is currently an even more powerful catalyst that is forcing businesses and institutions to define and adapt to the “new normal”. Higher education also finds itself at a critical crossroads where universities around world need to quickly adapt to the changing needs of younger generations, discover the optimal balance between traditional and online learning, find ways to reduce costs and avoid tuition escalation, and become better prepared for future health crises and geopolitical events. The COVID-19 pandemic has already significantly accelerated trends in education and a failure to adapt could spark the disruption in education that Christensen spoke of more than a decade ago. This research utilizes valuable feedback from a diverse group of international students to help educators better understand changes that occurred during COVID-19 and form recommendations regarding how to use technology to maximize learning outcomes.
Open Access: Yes
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DYNAMIC CAPABILITY VIEW AND ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE: FINDINGS FROM A SYMMETRIC APPROACH
Publication Name: Problems and Perspectives in Management
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 22
Issue: 4
Page Range: 671-682
Description:
The COVID-19 outbreak has underscored the importance of strengthening an organization’s resilience and adaptive capability. In emerging and uncertain conditions, firms must adopt new capabilities to develop and survive unstable and unforeseen crises. The purpose of this study is to examine the difference between organizational resilience and the antecedents that are validated using a quantitative survey. The respondents consist of 157 top employees from 21 private service firms at the managerial level in Bangladesh. The proposed relationship is measured using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), a symmetric approach, using SmartPLS 4 software. The findings help to produce the path coefficient with organizational resilience that can lead to sustainable environments in highly turbulent conditions. The PLS-SEM analysis indicates that the antecedents of flexibility, agility, and redundancy have a strong and meaningful association with organizational resilience in response to disruptions. Therefore, this paper shows evidence that the measurement scales more effectively account for uncertainty in achieving resilience, supporting the role of the dynamic capability view.
Open Access: Yes
Psychological and anthropometric characteristics of a Hungarian Elite Football academy's players
Publication Name: Physical Culture and Sport Studies and Research
Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Volume: 73
Issue: 1
Page Range: 15-26
Description:
Due to the fact that neither physical nor physiological and anthropometric differences in adolescents can serve as definitive differentiating factors in terms of choosing successful and non-successful players, coaches are encouraged to focus more on thepsychological characteristics ofyoung players. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine football players' psychological skills in an elite football academy as related to age and position. Every young player at one of the most successful football academies in the country participated in this study (N=119, M=16.44±1.17). The sample was divided into four age groups according to the championship system (U16, U17, U18, U21), and into specific football positions (goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and striker). Basedonthe results, the young academy football players had a low level ofamotivation (1.45±0.68), a high level of extrinsic motivation (5.96±0.64), and can be characterized with a higher level task (4.02±0.62) than ego orientation (3.01±0.62). All of the results for coping skills were in the mid-range (M=3.00-3.41). There were no differences in motivation, perceived motivational climate, and coping among the football players regarding their positions. However, there were significant differences among the age groups in perceived motivation and coping skills. Older players were more egooriented and had a higher level of peaking under pressure, while younger players demonstrated higher level task, ego, and coach ability levels. Football coaches need to focus less on positions and more on age differences when dealing with motivation, perceived motivation, and coping.
Open Access: Yes
Applying clustered artificial neural networks to enhance contaminant diffusion prediction in geotechnical engineering
Publication Name: Scientific Reports
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This paper introduces a novel approach using Clustered Artificial Neural Networks (CLANN) to address the challenge of developing predictive models for multimodal dataset with extreme parameter values. The CLANN method strategically decomposes the dataset, derived from Finite Element Analysis (FEA), into clusters, each representing distinct diffusion behaviors, and applies specialized neural networks within these clusters. The CLANN model was rigorously evaluated and demonstrated superior accuracy and consistency compared to traditional methods such as the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and fuzzy expert systems. While these conventional models struggled to capture the full range of diffusion dynamics, particularly under extreme conditions, CLANN consistently provided predictions that closely aligned with the actual FEA data across all scenarios. The versatility of the CLANN approach extends beyond its application to soil contamination. Its ability to handle complex, multimodal datasets suggests that this methodology can be generalized to a wide range of scientific and engineering problems characterized by similar data structures. This makes CLANN not only a powerful tool for geotechnical engineers but also a promising framework for broader applications where traditional models fall short. The findings of this study pave the way for more accurate, reliable, and adaptable predictive modeling in diverse domains, enhancing our ability to manage and mitigate environmental and engineering challenges.
Open Access: Yes
