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Found 6334 publications
Peer education program to improve fluid consumption in primary schools—lessons learned from an innovative pilot study
Publication Name: Heliyon
Publication Date: 2024-03-15
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Background: Although it is widely recognized that more attention needs to be paid to children's fluid intake, there is little information on how to improve it. Peer education has been suggested as an effective approach to changing health behaviors among school children. As a new approach, our study piloted a peer education program to improve children's fluid intake in primary schools. Methods: University students were prepared for their role as peer educators in an elective university course, including the concept of peer education and different pedagogical methods. The peer educators evaluated the training process by completing a questionnaire. The intervention took place during a School Health Day led by the peer educators. An anonymous survey with a questionnaire on knowledge of fluid intake was administered two weeks before, at the end of, and 15 weeks after the intervention. Changes in hydration knowledge were tested using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The pilot program showed increased knowledge about fluid consumption (p < 0.001) in lower and upper primary school children (N = 326) at the end of the School Health Day compared to pre-intervention measures. A positive change was observed after 15 weeks only in upper primary students. Feedback from peer educators was useful for fine-tuning the program. Conclusions: This innovative program induced positive changes in knowledge about fluid intake in primary school children. The persistence of the changes differed between lower and upper primary school children. Based on the results, the intervention should be replicated to adapt the program to the needs of lower primary school children. Because the training of peer educators and the peer education program appeared to be successful, this program is worthy of international replication. This approach may also be suggested for other behavior change issues.
Open Access: Yes
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN THE PRACTICES OF CONVENTIONAL AND ISLAMIC COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE PAKISTANI BANKING SYSTEM
Publication Name: Vezetestudomany
Publication Date: 2024-03-14
Volume: 55
Issue: 3
Page Range: 44-57
Description:
The authors’ study explored the incorporation of the CSR concept followed by Western banks into the practice of Islamic-based dual banking. Their empirical research covered the listed commercial banks in Pakistan. They studied the CSR activities and their disclosure in reports of listed commercial banks in Pakistan during the period 2008–2018 and how they affected the financial performance of the banks. The results of the study revealed that the disclosure of CSR increased by an average of 15 percentage during the period under study: from 56.48% to 71.06%. The results of the study confirm that banks that consciously engage in CSR activities and communicate this appropriately achieve better financial performance. However, disclosure of CSR information has no significant impact on the market valuation of listed banks, as measured by Tobin’s Q ratio.
Open Access: Yes
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN CONFLICT ON THE ORGANISATIONS STUDIED
Publication Name: Vezetestudomany
Publication Date: 2024-03-14
Volume: 55
Issue: 3
Page Range: 14-28
Description:
In the last three years, the way the world works has changed more than in all the previous decades combined. The changes in market processes and systems have clearly been driven by two dominant phenomena: the pandemic crisis caused by COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. These two world events have changed fundamental norms, which has forced organisations to change their strategies. The question is: what are the organisations in question really planning? What is influencing their reactions? The aim of the authors’ publication is to show how organisations were thinking in the early stages of the two crises, and whether they are able to assess the expected impact and plan the appropriate measures. Their empirical research found that micro-enterprises tend to project their pessimism on the whole economy. Also, their services are less dependent on supply chain resilience. Furthermore, their various war-induced measures were related to their past external relations.
Open Access: Yes
FinTech credit using CBDC: Transformation of lending market
Publication Name: Exploring Central Bank Digital Currencies Concepts Frameworks Models and Challenges
Publication Date: 2024-03-07
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 158-168
Description:
The advancement of financial technology and the development of central bank digital currency (CBDC) are revolutionizing the lending market. FinTech credit and CBDC have disrupted traditional lending practices, providing new channels of financing for borrowers and increasing access to credit. This chapter explores the transformation in the lending market due to the advent of FinTech credit and CBDC. It analyses the impact of these developments on the lending market, borrowers, and financial institutions. The chapter also evaluates the challenges and opportunities presented by these innovations and the implications for regulators. Financial technology (FinTech) credit has rapidly emerged as a disruptive force in the lending market, and the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC) has the potential to further transform the lending market. This chapter aims to examine the potential impact of FinTech credit using CBDC on the lending market, analyse the benefits and challenges of this model, and provide recommendations for policymakers and market participants to foster its adoption.
Open Access: Yes
Multi-Span Box Girder Bridge Sensitivity Analysis in Response to Damage Scenarios
Publication Name: Buildings
Publication Date: 2024-03-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 3
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Due to their distinct features, including structural simplicity and exceptional load-carrying capacity, steel box girder bridges play a critical role in transportation networks. However, they are categorized as fracture-critical structures and face significant challenges. These challenges stem from the overloading and the relentless effects of corrosion and aging on critical structural components. As a result, these bridges require thorough inspections to ensure their safety and integrity. This paper introduces generalized approaches based on vibration-based structural health monitoring in response to this need. This approach assesses the condition of critical members in a steel girder bridge and evaluates their sensitivity to damage. A rigorous analytical evaluation demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach in evaluating the Szapáry multi-span continuous highway bridge under various damage scenarios. This evaluation necessitates extensive vibration measurements, with piezoelectric sensors capturing ambient vibrations and developing detailed finite element models of the bridge to simulate the structural behavior accurately. The results obtained from this study showed that bridge frequencies are sufficiently sensitive for identifying significant fractures in long bridges. However, the mode shape results show a better resolution when compared to the frequency changes. The findings are usually sensitive enough to identify damage at the affected locations. Amplitude changes in the mode shape help determine the location of damage. The modal assurance criterion (MAC) served to identify damage as well. Finally, the results show a distinct pattern of frequency and mode shape variations for every damage scenario, which helps to identify the damage type, severity, and location along the bridge. The analysis results reported in this study serve as a reference benchmark for the Szapáry Bridge health monitoring.
Open Access: Yes
Precision agricultural technology for advanced monitoring of maize yield under different fertilization and irrigation regimes: A case study in Eastern Hungary (Debrecen)
Publication Name: Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Publication Date: 2024-03-01
Volume: 15
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Precision agricultural (PrA) technology relies on the utilization of special equipment to access real time observations on plant health status, chlorophyll, nitrogen content, and soil moisture content. In this research new PrA technology (i.e., SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development), and UAV-based NDVI (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) were used to monitor maize yield based on different filed trials in eastern part of Hungary. Our study aimed to examine the utilization of PrA technology specifically SPAD and UAV-based NDVI measurements for monitoring maize GY under irrigated and rainfed experimental setups in Hungary with varied nitrogen treatment for the year 2022. The results showed that the SPAD increased in all treatments (14.7 %; p < 0.05) from V6–V8 in the rainfed treatments, decreased significantly (p < 0.05) by 13.9 % (R1) and 30.6 % (R3). However, implementation of irrigation significantly increased the SPAD values in majority of treatments. Also, results reveal that, under irrigated and rainfed conditions the highest UAV-based NDVI value (0.703, 0.642) was obtained in V12 (A120 treatment) and highest NDVI value (0.728, 0.662) was obtained in Vn (A120 treatment). Remarekedly, irrigation led to significant differences (p < 0.05) of UAV-based NDVI values compared with none irrigated. On the other hand, implementation of 120 kg N ha−1 before sowing led to highest GY, especially under irrigated conditions (8.649 Mg ha−1). The overall mean GY under rainfed treatment was 6.256 Mg ha−1, while under irrigated treatment it increased by 37.2 % and reached 8.581 Mg ha−1 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, PrA technology will support farmers in making informed decisions regarding fertilization strategies and timing, which will in turn maximize yield and minimize risk.
Open Access: Yes
Determinants of trust and purchase intention in social commerce: Perceived price fairness and trust disposition as moderators
Publication Name: Electronic Commerce Research and Applications
Publication Date: 2024-03-01
Volume: 64
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The study investigates the determinants of trust in sellers and products and purchase intention in the social commerce (s-commerce) context by considering the moderating effects of trust disposition and perceived price fairness. The data were collected from 416 individuals who have followed at least one seller on Instagram and analysed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. The findings revealed that review quantity, review quality, perceived symmetric product information, and responsiveness positively influence trust in seller. The direct influence of review quality on trust in products was confirmed. Trust disposition negatively moderates the impacts of review quality on trust in sellers and responsiveness on trust in products. Furthermore, perceived price fairness positively moderates the influence of trust in sellers and products on purchase intention. The findings extend the literature on s-commerce in several ways. The findings enable s-commerce sellers to formulate effective marketing strategies and boost purchase intention.
Open Access: Yes
Circular Economy Aspects of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Reluctance Machine Design for Electric Vehicle Applications: A Review
Publication Name: Energies
Publication Date: 2024-03-01
Volume: 17
Issue: 6
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Innovative technological solutions have become increasingly critical in addressing the transportation sector’s environmental impact. Passenger vehicles present an opportunity to introduce novel drivetrain solutions that can quickly penetrate the electric vehicle market due to their shorter development time and lifetime compared to commercial vehicles. As environmental policy pressure increases and customers demand more sustainable products, shifting from a linear business approach to a circular economy model is in prospect. The new generation of economically competitive machines must be designed with a restorative intention, considering future reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, and recycling possibilities. This review investigates the market penetration possibilities of permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance machines for mini and small-segment electric vehicles, considering the urban environment and sustainability aspects of the circular economy model. When making changes to the materials used in an electric machine, it is crucial to evaluate their potential impact on efficiency while keeping the environmental impact of those materials in mind. The indirect ecological effect of the vehicle’s use phase may outweigh the reduction in manufacturing and recycling at its end-of-life. Therefore, thoroughly analysing the materials used in the design process is necessary to ensure maximum efficiency while minimising the environmental impact.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/en17061408
Current trends in textile wastewater treatment—bibliometric review
Publication Name: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Publication Date: 2024-03-01
Volume: 31
Issue: 13
Page Range: 19166-19184
Description:
A bibliometric study using 1992 to 2021 database of the Science Citation Index Expanded was carried out to identify which are the current trends in textile wastewater treatment research. The study aimed to analyze the performance of scholarly scientific communications in terms of yearly publications/citations, total citations, scientific journals, and their categories in the Web of Sciences, top institutions/countries and research trends. The annual publication of scientific articles fluctuated in the first ten years, with a steady decrease for the last twenty years. An analysis of the most common terms used in the authors’ keywords, publications’ titles, and KeyWords Plus was carried out to predict future trends and current research priorities. Adsorbent nanomaterials would be the future of wastewater treatment for decoloration of the residual dyes in the wastewater. Membranes and electrolysis are important to demineralize textile effluent for reusing wastewater. Modern filtration techniques such as ultrafiltration and nanofiltration are advanced membrane filtration applications.
Open Access: Yes
