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Found 6374 publications
The Impact of a Science Center Student Lab Project on Subject Attitudes Toward STEM Subjects and Career Choices in STEM Fields
Publication Name: Education Sciences
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This research examines the impact of the project ‘Development of Science Experiential Education Programs and Science Experiential Centres’, implemented by the Mobilis Science Center in Győr between 2017 and 2021. The professional and societal relevance of the program and research lies in the growing importance of STEM disciplines and careers worldwide in recent decades, ensuring a long-term supply of skilled workers. A vital tool for this is the development of curricula that meet the needs of the 21st century, as well as the innovation of teaching methods in science subjects. The research involves a review of the literature on experiential science teaching and subject attitudes, the role of science centers, and relevant project documents. The present research, involving 592 students, focused on attitudes toward technology and science, openness to STEM careers, and the experiences and memories of participants in the student lab theme days. The results of the statistical data analyses confirm the effectiveness of the experiential education methods used in the theme day sessions, as the students’ openness to STEM careers is higher for those who participated in the sessions compared to the non-participants. There are significant differences in the attitudes of girls and boys participating in the program toward science subjects. The results suggest that the success in stimulating interest in science was mainly due to the experiential nature of the sessions. Moreover, the research found that the project led to the strengthening of the participants’ personal and social skills. This study is the first to look at the impact of the project. The results shed light on how teaching STEM subjects using experiential pedagogical methods can contribute to the long-term effectiveness of Széchenyi István University’s enrollment efforts and lead to the economic success of companies in a region facing a significant labor shortage in STEM careers.
Open Access: Yes
Optimizing the Artificial Aging Process of Lubricating Oils Contaminated by Alternative Fuel Using Design of Experiments Methodology
Publication Name: Lubricants
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study aimed to develop an experimental method for producing artificially aged oil with properties—such as coefficient of friction, average wear scar diameter, and antiwear additive content—similar to those of used oil contaminated with alternative fuel, sampled after 129 h of engine test bench operation. A design of experiment (DoE) methodology was applied to examine the effects of various parameters and identify optimal settings. Friction and wear tests were conducted using an Optimol SRV5 tribometer in a ball-on-disc configuration, while wear scars were analyzed with a Keyence VHX-1000 digital microscope. Oil analysis was conducted with an Anton Paar 3001 viscometer and a Bruker Invenio-S Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. The DoE results showed that the heating duration had a negligible effect on oil degradation. Aging time primarily affected changes in the friction coefficient and average wear scar diameter, whereas aging temperature was the primary factor influencing the anti-wear additive content. Gaussian elimination identified the optimal aging parameters as 132.8 °C and 103.1 h. These results were confirmed through surface analysis using a ThermoFisher NexsaG2 X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, which showed that the tribofilm composition of the used oil most closely matched that of artificially aged oils prepared at 120 °C for 96 h and 140 °C for 120 h. The strong correlation between the predicted and experimentally confirmed conditions demonstrates the reliability of the proposed method for replicating realistic aging effects in lubricating oils.
Open Access: Yes
Pollinator benefits of small-scale landscapes depend also on semi-natural habitat
Publication Name: Journal of Applied Ecology
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 62
Issue: 9
Page Range: 2249-2260
Description:
Farmland pollinators are influenced by landscape structure, including mean field size, floral resources, the amount of semi-natural habitats and crop type, but their relative importance and interactions for bumblebee colony performance are not well known. In our study, we focused on the concurrent role of crop type (oilseed rape vs. cereal), proximity to semi-natural habitats (close vs. far) and landscapes with small (average 2 ha) and large fields (average 17 ha) on experimentally exposed bumblebee colony fitness parameters; we also carried out a botanical survey and analysed pollen collected by the bumblebees. We conducted a homing experiment, with workers translocated 0.1–1 km from the colony, and measured the homing speed. We found a significantly higher colony traffic rate next to mass-flowering oilseed rape fields and close to semi-natural habitats. According to our structural equation model, higher traffic rates boosted colony growth rates, which in turn supported higher queen brood cell numbers. In the homing experiment, the relocated bumblebees returned to their home colony faster when it was located close to semi-natural habitats and when the flowering plant species richness was high. The homing speed was lower when semi-natural habitats were distant and flowering plant species richness was high, possibly due to fewer visual cues. Semi-natural habitats were more important for pollinators in large-scale than in small-scale agriculture. In small-scale landscapes, bumblebees returned more quickly when flowering plant species richness was low, presumably because the small-scale landscape structure (higher edge density) allowed for easier navigation by landscape visual cues. The abundance of flowering plants did not affect homing speed, presumably underlining the predominant role of orientation in small-field landscapes. Synthesis and applications: Mass-flowering crops and nearby semi-natural habitats enhance colony growth and queen production, emphasising the important role of abundant and diversified flower resources as well as neighbouring semi-natural habitats. Further, landscapes shaped by small-scale farming are crucial for sustaining and enhancing pollinator populations. Our results underscore the need to restore and maintain semi-natural habitats and to enhance floral resources. These efforts are especially effective in small-scale agricultural landscapes, which appear to improve bumblebee orientation and support biodiversity-friendly farming.
Open Access: Yes
Integrating Behavioral and Technical Competencies: An Exploratory Project Management Model for Automotive R&D
Publication Name: International Journal of Research in Industrial Engineering
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 4
Page Range: 669-704
Description:
The study addresses the growing demand for evidence-based methods to assess the effectiveness of project managers in engineering-intensive industries. An exploratory competency model was developed in a German automotive R&D service division, integrating both behavioral and technical dimensions into a quantifiable measure termed the competency coefficient (K). Ten project managers, classified as either superior or average performers, were evaluated across 20 individual competencies. Behavioral Event Interview (BEI) results revealed substantial differences between the two groups, with effect sizes exceeding d = 2.0 for competencies such as concern for order, customer orientation, and impact and influence, while core cognitive competencies Analytical thinking (AT), conceptual thinking (CT), information seeking (INFO) demonstrated significant but more variable effects (d = 1.2–2.0). Expert panel evaluations (n = 33) showed strong consensus (Kendall’s W = 0.59, p <.001), with average relevance scores above 80%. Sensitivity analyses of alternative weighting schemes for the K metric (e.g., 3–2–1; 4–2–1; 5–3–1) yielded highly stable rankings (Spearman’s ρ ≥ 0.97), indicating robustness of the results. Initial validation against project performance indicators suggested significant positive correlations (r = 0.65–0.88, p <.01) between K values and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Within the examined automotive R&D division, the findings suggest that individual competencies—particularly cognitive and INFO skills—were the most distinctive differentiators of high-performing project managers, whereas technical expertise alone did not explain performance differences. The competency coefficient provides a structured, quantifiable framework for linking competencies to project outcomes, though further validation across broader datasets and organizational contexts remains necessary.
Open Access: Yes
Opportunities for insect breeding and utilisation today Literature review
Publication Name: Magyar Allatorvosok Lapja
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 147
Issue: 9
Page Range: 555-569
Description:
This paper presents the tradition of insect eating and its rationale on Earth. The development and status of the insect-based food industry is described. Insects have been eaten by mankind since the beginning of history as an easily accessible, nutrient-rich source of protein, and there are still over 2,000 species of edible insects known to be useful in human nutrition. The orders Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera are the most commonly consumed genera. With population growth and increasing demand for food, edible insects may provide an alternative food source. Edible insects have excellent nutritional value, being high in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. However, there are cultural and psychological barriers to the adaptation of insect consumption. The article highlights the challenges for the insect-based food industry, such as food safety, consumer attitudes and infrastructure development. Their use in feed can increase the nutritional value of animal protein sources. Insects are easy and quick to breed. They can be grown quickly and cost-effectively due to their short life cycle and low-energy feed requirements. Insect production under industrial conditions requires fewer resources and can contribute to climate change mitigation. Insect farming promises to be more environmentally sustainable and efficient than conventional animal husbandry. Further research is needed on the utilisation of by-products and the application of the circular economy model for the sustainable development of insect-based food.
Open Access: Yes
Psychological Capital, Workplace Stress, and Mobbing in the Context of Workers’ Mental Health
Publication Name: Societies
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study examines how employees’ psychological capital relates to workplace stress and mobbing (also known as workplace bullying) across three European countries. Stress has become an increasingly dominant issue globally since the second half of the 20th century, moving from clinical contexts into public awareness. It is now recognized as a significant health risk factor, particularly in work environments. While positive forms of stress (eustress) can enhance performance, chronic workplace stress is linked to serious mental and physical health problems. This study investigates the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap), workplace stress, and mobbing among employees in Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Based on a cross-sectional survey (N = 89), the research applied validated instruments (PCQ, PSS-10, COPSOQ II) to measure PsyCap, perceived workplace stress, and experiences of mobbing. Results show a high average PsyCap level (M = 4.64, SD = 0.70) and a moderate perceived workplace stress level (M = 2.73, SD = 0.62) across the sample. A strong negative correlation was identified between PsyCap and workplace stress (r = −0.573, p < 0.001), while a moderate positive correlation was found between workplace stress and mobbing experiences (r = 0.323, p = 0.002). Although PsyCap moderated stress levels, it did not significantly moderate the relationship between mobbing and perceived stress. These findings emphasize the role of PsyCap in reducing workplace stress and underline the necessity of organizational interventions in promoting psychological resilience and mobbing prevention. The results also indicate a need to further examine the causal relationship between mobbing, stress, and PsyCap.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/soc15090244
Evaluation of Mobile Applications for Small Farms Using Fuzzy Methods
Publication Name: International Journal of Research in Industrial Engineering
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 3
Page Range: 426-444
Description:
This paper offers a practical model to help farmers choose the most suitable mobile application for their specific needs, improving decision-making processes in adopting agricultural technology. Given the wide range of applications available on the market, the need to select the one that best improves agricultural production motivated the research in this paper. To simplify the decision-making process for farmers, a methodology that applied the fuzzy approach was developed. Based on this, this research aimed to evaluate and identify mobile applications most suitable for the Farmino farm using a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach. A decision-making model that includes ten criteria and several mobile applications was applied. Farm employees, who are the intended users of these applications, evaluated the criteria and applications using linguistic terms. The methods of fuzzy Simple Weight Calculation (SiWeC) and fuzzy Logarithmic Percentage Change-Driven Objective Weighting (LOPCOW) were used to determine the weight of the criteria. These methods revealed that the criterion "Data accuracy" was more important than the others, while the importance of the other criteria was less. Finally, the fuzzy method Multi-Attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison (MABAC) was used to rank mobile applications, and the results showed that the A4 mobile application ranked highest, making it the best choice for Farmino farm.
Open Access: Yes
Numerical modelling of a solenoid optimization problem with a superposition-based model order reduction method
Publication Name: Computers and Structures
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 316
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This work investigates the application of a Model Order Reduction technique based on the Cauer ladder network method to the air cored solenoid geometry of the number 35 benchmark problem from the Testing electromagnetic analysis methods series, approaching both source and discrete radius optimization tasks. A projection-based reduced-order model was developed to accelerate the optimization process, achieving an average computational speedup factor of 35 compared to full-order finite element simulations. For discrete radius optimization, the problem was reformulated as a source optimization, enabling effective model order reduction application. The multiport Cauer ladder network approach reduced to a superposition of magnetic fields due to the simplicity of the problem. The reduced order model preserved consistency with the full order model when a small enough element size was chosen in the finite element model during its creation process. The error of the proposed methodology is an order of magnitude lower than the lowest objective function values in the optima, therefore it is suitable for multi-objective optimization.
Open Access: Yes
Effects of Enclosure Size on the Preferences of Juvenile Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)
Publication Name: Animals
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 17
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study investigated the cage size preferences of juvenile chinchillas using enclosures that allowed free choice between different dimensions. Three comparisons were tested: (1) small floor area (0.15 m2) vs. double floor area (0.30 m2) at constant height; (2) low height (0.4 m) vs. high height (1.0 m) at constant floor area (0.15 m2); and (3) small–low cage (0.15 m2 × 0.4 m) vs. large–high cage (0.30 m2 × 1.0 m). The juveniles consistently preferred the smaller or lower enclosures across all trials. In the floor area tests, chinchillas spent about 66–75% of their time in the small cage compartments (p < 0.001). In the height comparison, the low cage was preferred by 70% (p < 0.001). When both floor area and height were increased, the small–low cage was preferred by 79% (p < 0.001). Differences in preference were most evident during the daytime period. At night, however, cage utilization was more even. These results indicate that young chinchillas strongly prefer smaller, lower spaces. Based on these preference tests alone, simply providing larger cages (without other modifications) did not result in greater use by juvenile chinchillas. These unexpected results suggest that factors such as safety or familiarity drive juveniles to choose smaller enclosures. Further research is needed to clarify the motivation behind these preferences and to determine how best to incorporate them into improved welfare-oriented housing designs.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/ani15172483
