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Found 6342 publications
The role of organizational and individual-level factors for the inclusion of women managers in Japan
Publication Name: International Journal of Organizational Analysis
Publication Date: 2023-10-31
Volume: 31
Issue: 5
Page Range: 1384-1396
Description:
Purpose: This study aims to analyze and contrast the role of organizational and individual level factors in influencing the effective participation of women managers in decision-making in Japanese business organizations. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study based on 21 in-depth interviews with women and men in managerial positions in Japanese organizations is adopted. Findings: Results show that gender equality structures and practices are not effectively institutionalized within Japanese organizations. In particular, corporate social responsibility programs are perceived by women respondents to be formally adopted to gain legitimacy in the eyes of foreign investors. However, they lack effectiveness in giving the woman manager a “voice” in business decisions. Organizational practices such as leadership development and mentoring are generally not evident in the organizations analyzed. Conversely, the personal traits of the woman manager, such as determination, self-confidence and “being able to confront men colleagues” are the factors perceived to be crucial in influencing women’s participation in decisions. Social implications: The study suggests that to increase the weight of women managers in Japanese organizations’ decision-making, action is still needed within organizations to create a true diversity-culture. Additionally, action at the educational level has to remove women’s own self-segregation. Originality/value: The study offers novel evidence on the “glass ceiling” in Japanese businesses by investigating whether women’s access to management positions corresponds to effective decision power. The study also highlights the key enabling factors, therefore contributing to the analysis of how to create more effective gender “diversity” within Japanese businesses.
Open Access: Yes
Evaluation criteria for lifestyle applications - The role of MAUQ factors in satisfaction
Publication Name: Management and Marketing
Publication Date: 2024-09-01
Volume: 19
Issue: 3
Page Range: 498-519
Description:
The most common health-related apps are lifestyle apps, i.e., fitness, nutrition, diet, and meditation apps, which account for half of all m-health apps on the market. Mobile app-based interventions have been shown to be effective in improving diet-related health outcomes. The aim of this study is to map the usage patterns of lifestyle apps (fitness, diet, and relaxation apps) and identify the role of each factor in the usability of MAUQ (m-Health App Usability Questionnaire) factor - ease of use, interface satisfaction, and usefulness - in overall satisfaction. Data were collected through an online survey in Hungary with 348 users of various lifestyle applications, i.e., fitness (30.2%), nutrition (31.3%), and mindfulness (38.5%) apps. Respondents showed a preference for free apps over paid ones and predominantly used iOS operating systems. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method was used to identify the role of usability dimensions in overall satisfaction. The satisfaction of lifestyle app users is positively influenced by 'Ease of Use' and 'Interface and Satisfaction'. However, effectiveness (positive physical and mental health outcomes) negatively influences satisfaction. Research can be particularly useful for app developers, as usability and design (features) play a particularly important role in satisfaction, so these are primary considerations in development.
Open Access: Yes
Effect of Different Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria on Biological Soil Properties, Growth, Yield and Quality of Oregano (Origanum onites L.)
Publication Name: Agronomy
Publication Date: 2023-10-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 10
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Intensive agriculture uses continuous chemical fertilizers to increase crop yields, but excessive use of fertilizers leads to environmental pollution, permanent changes in physicochemical conditions in soil ecology, deterioration of soil biological health, leaching of nutrients, surface and groundwater pollution and eutrophication. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are becoming increasingly important for ensuring crop safety, increasing nutrient uptake and output, lowering fertilizer costs, preventing environmental contamination and promoting sustainable agriculture and agricultural resources. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate the effects of fifteen bacteria strains that were isolated from various acidic rhizospheric soils as biofertilizers on soil biological properties. Growth, yield and quality traits were analyzed, and various PGPR were identified using 16S ribosomal RNA of Turkish oregano. Fifteen bacterial inoculations with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, N2 -fixing, P-solubilizing and/or IAA-producing genes were used in the experiment, which was carried out in a randomized block design with five replicates (each with three pots) and a control without inoculation. Increased biological activity in soil inoculated with bacteria with multiple traits was confirmed by high C and N content in microbial biomass, urease, dehydrogenase and acid and alkaline phosphatase activities. Essential oil content, oil yield, thymol and carvacrol contents increased by 0.5–40.1%, 5.9–71.9%, 0.07–16.7% and 0.3–9.2%, respectively, as a result of bacterial inoculation. Oil content ranged from 2.02% to 2.83%; carvacrol (66.1–72.2%) was the main constituent, followed by thymol (14.5–16.9%) and linalool (1.38–3.68%). Two large PGPR groups were formed based on genetic distance analysis. Responses were variable and depended on the inoculant strain and the parameters being evaluated. The results indicate PGPR has clear potential for improving the yield of cultivated aromatic and essential oil plants, such as oregano.
Open Access: Yes
Oil Sorption Properties of Centrifugally Spun Polyisobutylene-Based Thermoplastic Elastomer Microfibers
Publication Name: Polymers
Publication Date: 2024-09-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 18
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Fiber-based sorbent materials are an essential part of containing oil spills, thus preventing ecological damage. Poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) thermoplastic elastomer fibers were successfully produced by centrifugal spinning. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the fibers were bead free and smooth-surfaced, with an average fiber diameter of 5.9 ± 2.3 μm. Contact angle measurements proved the highly hydrophobic (water contact angle of 126.8 ± 6.4°) and highly oleophilic nature of the fiber mat. The sorption and retention capacities of the fiber mat were tested for various oils and benchmarked against polypropylene as the industry standard and polystyrene, which is widely used in the literature. The oil uptake of the fiber mat showed a strong correlation with the viscosity of the oil, resulting in sorption capacities of 10.1 ± 0.8 g/g for sunflower oil, 19.9 ± 2.1 g/g for motor oil, and 23.8 ± 1.8 g/g for gear oil. Oil–water separation tests were also conducted, resulting in ~100% oil removal. The thermoplastic elastomer fiber mat outperformed the industry standard; however, the polystyrene fiber mat demonstrated the best oil sorption performance.
Open Access: Yes
Advanced Numerical Simulation of Scour around Bridge Piers: Effects of Pier Geometry and Debris on Scour Depth
Publication Name: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Publication Date: 2024-09-01
Volume: 12
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Investigating different pier shapes and debris Finteractions in scour patterns is vital for understanding the risks to bridge stability. This study investigates the impact of different shapes of pier and debris interactions on scour patterns using numerical simulations with flow-3D and controlled laboratory experiments. The model setup is rigorously calibrated against a physical flume experiment, incorporating a steady-state flow as the initial condition for sediment transport simulations. The Fractional Area/Volume Obstacle Representation (FAVOR) technique and the renormalized group (RNG) turbulence model enhance the simulation’s precision. The numerical results indicate that pier geometry is a critical factor influencing the scour depth. Among the tested shapes, square piers exhibit the most severe scour, with depths reaching 5.8 cm, while lenticular piers show the least scour, with a maximum depth of 2.5 cm. The study also highlights the role of horseshoe, wake, and shear layer vortices in determining scour locations, with varying impacts across different pier shapes. The Q-criterion study identified debris-induced vortex generation and intensification. The debris amount, thickness, and pier diameter (T/Y) significantly affect the scouring patterns. When dealing with high wedge (HW) debris, square piers have the largest scour depth at T/Y = 0.25, while lenticular piers exhibit a lower scour. When debris is present, the scour depth rises at T/Y = 0.5. Depending on the form of the debris, a significant fluctuation of up to 5 cm was reported. There are difficulties in precisely estimating the scour depth under complicated circumstances because of the disparity between numerical simulations and actual data, which varies from 6% for square piers with a debris relative thickness T/Y = 0.25 to 32% for cylindrical piers with T/Y = 0.5. The study demonstrates that while flow-3D simulations align reasonably well with the experimental data under a low debris impact, discrepancies increase with more complex debris interactions and higher submersion depths, particularly for cylindrical piers. The novelty of this work lies in its comprehensive approach to evaluating the effects of different pier shapes and debris interactions on scour patterns, offering new insights into the effectiveness of flow-3D simulations in predicting the scour patterns under varying conditions.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/jmse12091637
Towards closed-loop concrete recycling: Life cycle assessment and multi-criteria analysis
Publication Name: Journal of Cleaner Production
Publication Date: 2023-07-15
Volume: 410
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
In this study, a wide-ranging life cycle assessment and multi-criteria analysis for close-loop cycling of concrete are conducted. Considering six performance keys in the technical (compressive strength at short and long ages), environmental (human health, ecosystem quality, climate change, resources), and economic (costs), a solid framework is created and analyzed by three multi-criteria decision-making techniques, namely, TOPSIS, VIKOR, and EDAS. The weight that must be taken into account for each of the applied criteria depends on the specific application and the demands of the user. Nevertheless, two different weighted methods, namely, the equal performance method and the entropy method, have been employed in this work to optimize for various construction-related applications, specifically sustainable residential buildings and residential housing. The findings demonstrate that the concrete mixtures produced with 20% FA+12% SF and MRCA incorporation are the best in terms of the criteria used for all applied techniques and the two weighted methods. This study demonstrates that multi-criteria decision-making techniques are simple to apply, requiring minimal time and effort and focusing on the finished result, allowing users to choose the best concrete mixtures. The proposed framework recommends the closed-loop recycling of concrete by introducing supplementary cementitious materials for sustainable, economical, and performance-based design applications.
Open Access: Yes
Time of application and cultivar influence on the effectiveness of microalgae biomass upon winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Publication Name: Cereal Research Communications
Publication Date: 2024-09-01
Volume: 52
Issue: 3
Page Range: 1153-1161
Description:
The capability of microalgae had been studied for a long time; however, some basics of using microalgae as a biostimulant are still in question. In the present work, experiments were conducted to reply to questions such as (a) how does the application time affect the effects of microalgae treatments and (b) does variety or genetic variation cause differences in the effect of microalgae biomass application on the plants? The different times of application had different weightage on different parameters; however, when applied at the early reproductive stage the yield as well as the nitrogen % in grain was significantly affected. As per the comparison, the result suggested that varietal differences had negligible differences in biological yield, hexose content, and total phenol content. Furthermore, microalgae biomass treatment irrespective of the strain species or genus influences the biological photosynthate accumulation and nitrogen uptake or in short, the efficiency of uptake. Finally, the metabolomic analyses suggested the influence of the microalgae strains on the biochemical composition of the plants.
Open Access: Yes
Stability focused evaluation and tuning of special ground vehicle tracking algorithms
Publication Name: IFAC Papersonline
Publication Date: 2023-07-01
Volume: 56
Issue: 2
Page Range: 9282-9287
Description:
This paper deals with a special tracking problem when a ground vehicle should be tracked by a multicopter flying ahead of the vehicle. Pre-designed vehicle route is assumed and the UAV stops or slows down at every intersection to react to route changes. After introducing the problem, the methods applied in a real flight demonstration in the Smart City module of ZalaZONE proving ground are presented. Then new methods are introduced to possibly improve performance. The main focus of the article is the evaluation of the stability of the methods and the provision of tuning guidelines. All of the introduced methods is tuned based-on the guidelines considering real ground vehicle test data and the high fidelity simulation of the applied multicopter. The two best methods are compared in detail and guidelines of their applicability are provided.
Open Access: Yes
The Concept of Financial Stability in Theory and Law
Publication Name: Financial and Economic Review
Publication Date: 2023-06-28
Volume: 22
Issue: 2
Page Range: 54-76
Description:
State intervention in the functioning of the economy is necessarily based on some public interests, which may serve as a reason for restrictive state action against the individual, or their freedoms and rights. In legislation, financial stability can be identified as a form of public interest, whereby the need to define the substance of the concept is expressed as an expectation towards the legislator, all the more so because it forms the basis of significant administrative intervention of the public authority type. The study analyses how the concept of financial stability appears in the literature, in legislation and in legal enforcement. Although the concept of financial stability is strongly reflected in the theoretical literature and even in legislation and legal enforcement, its substance is difficult to capture and has evolved constantly. In view of the above, the author offers a definition for the general legal concept of financial stability.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.33893/FER.22.2.54
