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Found 6289 publications
Agrotechnical Research of Subsoil Chisel Tools
Publication Name: Strojnicky Casopis
Publication Date: 2024-11-01
Volume: 74
Issue: 2
Page Range: 65-70
Description:
In the course of the comparative investigation, energetic and working-quality tests were carried out with three frequently used soil-loosening implement types in field-land conditions - such as wide blade, duck-foot and chisel undercutting ('Paraplow') type loosening elements. When evaluating the results of the test, we qualified the implement-tools with the help an arbitrarily defined constructional factor; in this way, an order of the tool constructions was determined.
Open Access: Yes
Body Mass and Aerobic Capacity are Robust Predictors of the 2000m Ergometer Rowing Performance: A Laboratory Study
Publication Name: International Journal of Kinesiology and Sports Science
Publication Date: 2025-01-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 2
Page Range: 78-85
Description:
Purpose: Predicting performance in sports competitions is a popular topic in research. However, only a few studies exist in rowing sports, which suggest that some anthropometric and performance indices might predict performance in various situations. Methods: This work expands past research by examining the effects of five anthropometric measures, such as body mass index (BMI), height, weight, fat, and muscle, and three performance indicators, such as aerobic capacity, maximum speed, and force, while also considering the training history of 38 elite rowers (Mag e = 16.89 ± 1.85, range 14.7 to 22.6 years, 61% males) participating in a national championship. Results: Apart from BMI, all measures correlated statistically significantly with the 2000m rowing time. A bootstrapped forward multiple regression yielded the best model with only two predictors (R2 =.995), aerobic capacity and body mass, accounting for 99.5% variance in the 2000m rowing time. Conclusions: While the results support previous findings, such robust prediction has not been reported in the literature. We conjecture that the differences from other past works rest with the high-pressure 2000m performance preceding a national championship. If these findings could be replicated, their practical implication is substantial in preparatory training for rowing contests.
Open Access: Yes
Field-grown tomato yield estimation using point cloud segmentation with 3D shaping and RGB pictures from a field robot and digital single lens reflex cameras
Publication Name: Heliyon
Publication Date: 2024-10-30
Volume: 10
Issue: 20
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The aim of this study was to estimate field-grown tomato yield (weight) and quantity of tomatoes using a self-developed robot and digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera pictures. The authors suggest a new approach to predicting tomato yield that is based on images taken in the field, 3D scanning, and shape. Field pictures were used for tomato segmentation to determine the ripeness of the crop. A convolution neural network (CNN) model using TensorFlow library was devised for the segmentation of tomato berries along with a small robot, which had a 59.3 % F1 score. To enhance the accurate tomato crop model and to estimate the yield later, point cloud imaging was applied using a Ciclops 3D scanner. The best fitting sphere model was generated using the 3D model. The most optimal model was the 3D model, which gave the best representation and provided the weight of the tomatoes with a relative error of 21.90 % and a standard deviation of 17.9665 %. The results indicate a consistent object-based classification of the tomato crop above the plant/row level with an accuracy of 55.33 %, which is better than in-row sampling (images taken by the robot). By comparing the measured and estimated yield, the average difference for DSLR camera images was more favorable at 3.42 kg.
Open Access: Yes
New Buckling Curve for a Compressed Member with Cold-Formed Channel Cross-Section
Publication Name: Buildings
Publication Date: 2024-10-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 10
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The verification of a column made from a lipped cold-formed channel section, subjected to pure axial compression relative to the gross cross-section, often results in a combined verification of bending and compression due to the appearance of a shift of the centroid of its effective cross-section. Following Eurocode 3 rules, this requires the determination of two distinct effective cross-sections and various interaction factors. This paper, based on an analytic approach, offers a modification to the actual buckling curve, based on Ayrton–Perry formulation, to include the second-order effects raised by the eventual shift of the effective centroid due to local buckling of the compressed web plate. This eliminates the need to use an interaction formula. The modified buckling curve is verified based on a GMNIA analysis performed on a numerical parametric model, which was previously validated by laboratory tests. In addition, the results are compared with strength results provided by appropriate Eurocode 3 formulas and AISI Direct Strength Method for global-local interaction and with classic experimental results.
Open Access: Yes
Bananas, coffee and palm oil: The trade of agricultural commodities in the framework of the EU-Colombia free trade agreement
Publication Name: Plos One
Publication Date: 2021-08-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 8 August
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Generally, research and studies about commodities focus on price trends, analysis in terms of international competitiveness, market position structure, rate of net exports, market share, and concentration index. This paper has developed an analysis of the most influential agricultural commodities traded from Colombia to European Union, which are bananas, coffee, and palm oil. Analyzing the economic and commercial effects in two traditional agricultural commodities from Colombia (bananas and coffee) with the rise of palm oil as a commodity in the trade relation with its partner; the European Union. The structure draws from the overview of general aspects and the behavior of Colombian foreign trade, as diversification of export products and trade partners, to focus on the characteristics of the trade relationship between the European Union and Colombia. The aim is analyze the proportional relation between bananas, coffee, and palm oil exported to the EU, according to three indicators, the volume of production, exports share, and trade value, from 2008 until 2019, identifying the trends before and after the implementation of the free trade agreement. Finally, with the coefficient correlation, determine the agricultural commodity that has the strongest and positive relationship with the total agricultural exports value from Colombia to the European Union.
Open Access: Yes
Exploration Techniques in Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Vehicles †
Publication Name: Engineering Proceedings
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 79
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to revolutionize the transportation system by enhancing road safety, reducing traffic congestion, and freeing drivers from monotonous tasks. Effective exploration is essential for AVs to navigate safely and adapt to dynamic environments. Reinforcement learning (RL) enables AVs to learn optimal behaviors through continuous interaction with their environment. This paper reviews recent RL research on designing exploration strategies for single- and multi-agent AV systems. It categorizes exploration methods based on underlying principles and addresses the challenges. It analyzes key RL algorithms’ strengths, limitations, and empirical performance. By compiling and analyzing the current state of research, this paper aims to facilitate future advancements in AV exploration using RL, offering insights into current trends and future directions in this evolving field.
Open Access: Yes
Sustainable and cost-effective optimal design of steel structures by minimizing cutting trim losses
Publication Name: Automation in Construction
Publication Date: 2024-11-01
Volume: 167
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Since the beginning of the structural optimization field, the optimal design was characterized by the least-weight configuration. In this sense, all the researchers agreed on adopting the minimum-weight optimization statement as the most promising approach to achieve an optimized employment of material. However, especially for steel structures, this approach completely fails the primary goal of encouraging standardization of pieces during the production phase. Except for rare cases, increasing diversity among structural elements leads to a dramatic increase in the financial cost as well as the environmental impact of the structure because of the material waste generated during the cutting procedure. In this paper, a real-coded Genetic Algorithm has been adopted and the well-known one-dimensional Bin Packing Problem has been implemented within the structural optimization process. The Objective Function formulation lies in a marked change of the paradigm in which the target function is represented by the amount of steel required by the factory instead of the structural cost (e.g. weight). The proposed approach is tested on different steel structures moving from 2D truss beams to 3D domes. Addressing the optimal stock of existing elements leads to a significant waste reduction of 40% in almost all the investigated case studies.
Open Access: Yes
Perceptions and practices of academic excellence: Insights from university stakeholders
Publication Name: Knowledge and Performance Management
Publication Date: 2025-01-01
Volume: 9
Issue: 2
Page Range: 246-261
Description:
The study analyzes how academic excellence is conceptualized within Kazakhstani universities, focusing on two key internal stakeholder groups: faculty members and administrative staff. While academic excellence has become a global priority, little empirical evidence exists on how it is interpreted in emerging higher education systems. The paper addresses this gap by examining the Kazakhstani case, where government-led excellence initiatives are still in their early stages. A quota-based survey was conducted across 42 universities, producing weighted responses from 832 faculty and 155 administrators. Quantitative data were processed with IBM SPSS Statistics 25, employing descriptive statistics, Welch’s t-test, and two-way ANOVA to compare perceptions between the groups. Despite a broad consensus on the multidimensional nature of academic excellence (positive agreement averaged > 94%), the results reveal consistent differences in their interpretation of core parameters. Of the 32 indicators tested, only four showed no statistically significant difference between faculty and administrators: faculty numbers (p = 0.246), academic reputation and stakeholder recognition (p = 0.701), graduate employability and employer satisfaction (p = 0.106), and student enrollment (p = 0.588). Overall, administrators assigned systematically higher importance to institutional characteristics, enabling components, and barriers across all thematic blocks. Consistent with the conceptual framework integrating institutional and stakeholder perspectives, these patterns indicate that external policy pressures and role-specific responsibilities shape interpretations of excellence. These findings provide a data-driven basis for designing initiatives that couple system-level reforms with participatory governance and co-created metrics, thereby improving the translation of policy into practice.
Open Access: Yes
Renaming States—A Case Study: Changing the Name of the Hungarian State in 2011. Its Background, Reasons, and Aftermath
Publication Name: International Journal for the Semiotics of Law
Publication Date: 2020-09-01
Volume: 33
Issue: 3
Page Range: 899-927
Description:
A provision of the Hungarian constitution, adopted in 2011, has renamed the state. The name changed from the Republic of Hungary to Hungary, while the form of the state has remained “republic”. The purpose of this study is to explore the meaning, significance, and several consequences of this provision. The analysis consists of three main parts. The first one gives a general overview of the functions of the names of states. It claims that not only names but also changing or modifying names of states—taking place either by name-giving or by shaping convention—can serve certain functions. The second part focuses on the historical and constitutional details of renaming the Hungarian state, and summarizes the legal context that provided the framework for the 2011 renaming. The third part outlines the arguments for the change, takes a look at the official justification and actual reasons, and reveals some of the consequences of the name change in the past decade. The main contention of the paper is that the renaming of the Hungarian state that took place in 2011 lacked any overt and reasonable justification, and is best explained as an expression of anti-republican sentiment, which indicated, and partly paved the way for the transition into a kind of an authoritarian regime. Finally, the study raises a possible interpretation of the renaming of the Hungarian state in 2011, the point of which is that it adumbrated many later changes in public law and political systems.
Open Access: Yes
