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Found 6327 publications
Impact of Information Communication Technology on labor productivity: A panel and cross-sectional analysis
Publication Name: Technology in Society
Publication Date: 2022-02-01
Volume: 68
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This article examines the contribution of information and communications technologies (ICT) to labor productivity using panel data approach. The study covers the period of 2000–2015 for a complete dataset of 98 countries as well for three selected groups: low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. The findings imply that telephone subscription and broadband subscription have a significant impact on overall labor productivity as well as labor productivity of service sector. The ICT affects the labor productivity, so investing in Information Communication Technology is necessary to increase the labor productivity.
Open Access: Yes
Brenneria nigrifluens Isolated from Aesculus hippocastanum L. Bark in Hungary
Publication Name: Forests
Publication Date: 2022-02-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 2
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
In Hungary, from the beginning of the 19th century, horse‐chestnut trees have been planted widely and are popular ornamental trees in public parks, along streets, and in gardens. In the summer of 2015, longitudinal cracks on the trunk and branches and the intensive oozing of brown liquid were observed from a wound in a horse‐chestnut tree in a park in Budapest. Some years later, in 2018 and 2019, the same symptoms were found in trees in other locations in Budapest. Several bacteria were reported that induce similar symptoms, including cracks and cankers on the bark of trunks and branches and sticky, white, red, brown, or black oozing. These pathogens belong to the genera Brenneria and Lonsdalea. Bark and exudate samples were taken with the aim of identifying the causal agent by conventional and molecular methods. Our results confirmed that the bacteria isolated from Aesculus hippocastanum trees belong to the genus Brenneria and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene region proved to have the closest phylogenetic relation with the Brenneria nigrifluens strains.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/f13020227
Spatial Variability of Soil Properties and Its Effect on Maize Yields within Field—A Case Study in Hungary
Publication Name: Agronomy
Publication Date: 2022-02-01
Volume: 12
Issue: 2
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
To better understand the potential of soils, understanding how soil properties vary over time and in-field is essential to optimize the cultivation and site-specific technologies in crop pro-duction. This article aimed at determining the within-field mapping of soil chemical and physical properties, vegetation index, and yield of maize in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2013, and 2017, respectively. The objectives of this five-year field study were: (i) to assess the spatial and temporal variability of attributes related to the maize yield; and (ii) to analyse the temporal stability of management zones. The experiment was carried out in a 15.3 ha research field in Hungary. The soil measurements in-cluded sand, silt, clay content (%), pH, phosphorous (P2O5), potassium (K2O), and zinc (Zn) in the topsoil (30 cm). The apparent soil electrical conductivity was measured in two layers (0–30 cm and 30–90 cm, mS/m) in 2010, in 2013, and in 2017. The soil properties and maize yields were evaluated in 62 management zones, covering the whole research area. The properties were characterized as the spatial-temporal variability of these parameters and crop yields. Classic statistics and geostatis-tics were used to analyze the results. The maize yields were significantly positively correlated (r = 0.62–0.73) with the apparent electrical conductivity (Veris_N3, Veris_N4) in 2013 and 2017, and with clay content (r = 0.56–0.81) in 2002, 2013, and 2017.
Open Access: Yes
A Theoretical Model for the Implementation of Social Sustainability in the Synthesis of Tourism, Disability Studies, and Special-Needs Education
Publication Name: Sustainability Switzerland
Publication Date: 2022-02-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 3
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This paper deals with the study of disability science, special-needs education, and psychology of special needs in the context of tourism. It is rare to find a link between these research areas in the literature. Accessible tourism has attracted widespread research interest in recent decades, but the number of studies focusing on tourism in the fields of disability studies, special-needs education, and psychology of special needs is very limited. Although there is growing literature on accessible tourism and related topics, the development of the research field is uneven, as most research focuses on specific subareas without considering the context of the whole spectrum of the topic. The interdisciplinary research aims to explore the situations of people with disabilities in terms of their participation in tourism. The data collected will be used to analyse the supply and demand side of tourism from a specific perspective. Among the external environmental impacts, the issue of sustainability will be highlighted, which will be addressed from a societal perspective by analysing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to the topic. The study includes a theoretical analysis through the processing of secondary sources, linking the fields of tourism, disability studies, special-needs education, and psychology of special needs, with the potential of social sustainability and the achievement of the SDGs. The paper presents a new model that illustrates the potential for achieving social sustainability from the supply and demand side of tourism. The model can be valuable, not only for those who want to extend their research into this new field, but also for tourism policy makers. The study also identifies key research questions on this topic that merit theoretical and empirical exploration in the future.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/su14031700
Development of High-Entropy Alloy Coating by Additive Technology
Publication Name: Frontiers in Materials
Publication Date: 2022-01-18
Volume: 8
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
In this research study, various additively fabricated coatings and bulk 3D-printed parts were prepared, using the mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties of CrMnFeCoNi (Cantor alloy) and AlCrMnFeNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs). The coatings were applied to an EN 1.0038 carbon steel substrate using direct metal laser sintering. We attempted to optimize the 3D printing parameters of HEA alloys. The effect of volumetric energy density (VED) on the microstructure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. We also examined the change of relative concentration of alloys in the direction of 3D printing (z-axis) as well as the volumetric failures (cracks and gaps). Standard salt spray tests were performed to test the corrosion resistance of various coatings after 3D printing. The use of both raw materials applied as thick films was successful; they retained their corrosion-resistant properties even with a change in their composition. Regarding the crystal structure, no difference was found between the base material and the material applied as a coating on the basis of X-ray diffraction investigations. Bulk HEA printing experiments need further optimization concerning their structural integrity and density in the case of the Cantor alloy. Bulk 3D printing experiments of the AlCrMnFeNi alloy did not yield satisfactory results because of the formation of dendritic microstructure and brittle BCC phase, and the residual internal stress resulted in part distortion and improper printing.
Open Access: Yes
Influence of microbial inoculants on co-composting of lignocellulosic crop residues with farm animal manure: A review
Publication Name: Journal of Environmental Management
Publication Date: 2022-01-15
Volume: 302
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The rapidly developing agro-industry generates huge amounts of lignocellulosic crop residues and animal manure worldwide. Although co-composting represents a promising and cost-effective method to treat various agricultural wastes simultaneously, poor composting efficiency prolongs total completion time and deteriorates the quality of the final product. However, supplementation of the feedstock with beneficial microorganisms can mitigate these negative effects by facilitating the decomposition of recalcitrant materials, enhancing microbial enzyme activity, and promoting maturation and humus formation during the composting process. Nevertheless, the influence of microbial inoculation may vary greatly depending on certain factors, such as start-up parameters, structure of the feedstock, time of inoculation, and composition of the microbial cultures used. The purpose of this contribution is to review recent developments in co-composting procedures involving different lignocellulosic crop residues and farm animal manure combined with microbial inoculation strategies. To evaluate the effectiveness of microbial additives, the results reported in a large number of peer-reviewed articles were compared in terms of composting process parameters (i.e., temperature, microbial activity, total organic carbon and nitrogen contents, decomposition rate of lignocellulose fractions, etc.) and compost characteristics (humification, C/N ratio, macronutrient content, and germination index). Most studies confirmed that the use of microbial amendments in the co-composting process is an efficient way to facilitate biodegradation and improve the sustainable management of agricultural wastes. Overall, this review paper provides insights into various inoculation techniques, identifies the limitations and current challenges of co-composting, especially with microbial inoculation, and recommends areas for further research in this field.
Open Access: Yes
Comparison of the effects and efficiency of vertical and side tamping methods for ballasted railway tracks
Publication Name: Construction and Building Materials
Publication Date: 2022-01-03
Volume: 314
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The relatively high maintenance costs of the ballast track are related to the short lifecycle of the ballast layer. The current vertical ballast tamping technology (e.g., Plasser & Theurer, Matisa, etc.) causes high ballast destruction and is neither applicable for unconventional sleepers’ designs nor slab tracks. The side tamping method presents an alternative, ballast saving, and sleeper form independent ballast tamping technology. This paper compares the ballast layer compaction and its resistance to permanent settlements accumulation after the vertical and the side tamping methodologies. Scaled models of ballast layer and tamping units and scaled simulation with discrete element method (DEM) were applied for the comparison. In the laboratory tests, the ballast compaction along the sleeper was estimated using the measurements of elastic wave propagation. The settlements resistance for both tamping methods was estimated under the vibration loading. The tests’ results show 5–7% higher compactness of the ballast layer under the sleeper ends for the side tamping method. The settlement intensity of the ballast layer after the vertical tamping is higher than for the side tamping method. In discrete element modeling, the performed laboratory tests were simulated. The compactness of the ballast bed, as well as the residual stresses, were determined in MATLAB. The side tamping technology provided five times higher residual stresses in the ballast layer below the sleeper than in the case of vertical tamping, which can be explained by the more stable and dense layer resulting from the side tamping ensures higher interlocking between the grains. The simulation of the wave propagation shows an influence of the residual stresses on the wave propagation velocities. The simulated wave propagation velocity was more than two times higher for the side tamping than for the vertical one.
Open Access: Yes
EXAMINING A MENU ON THE BASIS OF THE KASAVANA - SMITH MODEL IN A HUNGARIAN RESTAURANT
Publication Name: Deturope
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Page Range: 111-127
Description:
Gastronomy is currently undergoing a renaissance, different gastronomic trends influence the way menus are set up. The purpose of this study is to investigate the menu of a restaurant in a Transdanubian city in terms of sold portions and margins. After an unstructured interview with the manager, the breadth and depth of the offer were investigated. Then the data were examined, based on the restaurant's menu selection, traffic and cost data with the help of time series analysis. During the processing of time series data, the analysis takes into account seasonality and compares the same terminology of the years studied. With the turnover and cost data, the Kasavana and Smith portfolio analysis method was used and based on the margin and the number of portions sold, the Menu engineering worksheet was used to create the data series for the presentation. The research provides a detailed picture of sales decisions for the period 2016-2019. The results of the examination show that reducing the selection and offering special dishes are in line with the gastronomical trends, but not necessarily with the location of the restaurant and the needs of its target audience. Using the model, seasonality was examined for the first time, which did not prove that restaurant guests were looking for seasonal food. With a well-selected menu – which is one of the most important marketing communication tools - the restaurant is able to influence guests' food choices. Proper use of colours, shapes and prices all affect the guest's subconscious mind, which is responsible for a large percentage of decisions. The character of the restaurant and its guests are usually determined by the dishes on the menu. In the case of the investigated restaurant the solution could be to tailor the prices to the target group and to strengthen the marketing communication. The restaurant — taking advantage of the large space — can be used to serve different target groups by sharing the room
Open Access: Yes
Real‐time lidar‐based urban road and sidewalk detection for autonomous vehicles
Publication Name: Sensors
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
Volume: 22
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Road and sidewalk detection in urban scenarios is a challenging task because of the road imperfections and high sensor data bandwidth. Traditional free space and ground filter algorithms are not sensitive enough for small height differences. Camera‐based or sensor‐fusion solutions are widely used to classify drivable road from sidewalk or pavement. A LIDAR sensor contains all the necessary information from which the feature extraction can be done. Therefore, this paper focuses on LIDAR‐based feature extraction. For road and sidewalk detection, the current paper presents a real‐time (20 Hz+) solution. This solution can also be used for local path planning. Sidewalk edge detection is the combination of three algorithms working parallelly. To validate the result, the de facto standard benchmark dataset, KITTI, was used alongside our measurements. The data and the source code to reproduce the results are shared publicly on our GitHub repository.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/s22010194
