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Publications - 6515

Analyzing the Leading Role of High-Performance Work System towards Strategic Business Performance

Publication Name: Sustainability Switzerland

Publication Date: 2023-04-01

Volume: 15

Issue: 7

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

HPWS is currently perceived as potential source of the competitive skills, capabilities and knowledge of human resources. This study aim to illustrate how high-performance work systems (HPWS) offer the foundation for strategic business performance (SBP) through the mediating function of organizational flexibility and contextualizing manufacturing firms of developing countries by providing an empirically tested framework for analyzing SBP. The current study is based on a quantitative research design. Data were gathered from manufacturing firms from the top, middle and operational management firms. SEM was used to analyze our 589 samples. Findings revealed that HPWS is the only component aiding manufacturing firms’ growth. The results illustrate that HPWS will take a long time to achieve SBP if organisational flexibility does not mediate the relationship between HPWS and SBP. Utilizing actual data, this study reveals practical strategies for enhancing the mechanism of business development performance among manufacturing organizations. Furthermore, this research helps to understand the relationship between HPWS and organizational flexibility in attaining SBP.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/su15075697

Comparative Analysis of Flexitarian, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: A Review

Publication Name: Elelmiszervizsgalati Kozlemenyek

Publication Date: 2023-03-31

Volume: 69

Issue: 1

Page Range: 4382-4389

Description:

Background: Healthy eating is one of the main factors of maintaining health. Certain diets such as flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan can be associated with a healthy lifestyle. These diets have recently become more common. Aim: This review aims to summarize the characteristics of a flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diet by comparing these specific nutritional trends through the processed literature. Methods: Electronic searches were performed on the Google Scholar database, Medline, PubMed, and Science Direct. The manuscript summarizes publications on flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets. Furthermore, it examines the relationships between different nutritional trends as well. Result: The summarized vegan (100% plant-based diet), vegetarian (plant-rich diet), and flexitarian (plant-based with high-quality meat consumption diet) have become the focus of results through this literature. Conclusion: Flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets contribute to a healthy lifestyle and sustainable agriculture by following nutritional recommendations. The common basis of diets is to appreciate natural values and maintain health.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.52091/EVIK-2023/1-4-ENG

Artificial intelligence-based expert weighted quantum picture fuzzy rough sets and recommendation system for metaverse investment decision-making priorities

Publication Name: Artificial Intelligence Review

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

Volume: 57

Issue: 10

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

There should be some improvements to increase the performance of Metaverse investments. However, businesses need to focus on the most important actions to provide cost effectiveness in this process. In summary, a new study is needed in which a priority analysis is made for the performance indicators of Metaverse investments. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate the main determinants of the performance of the metaverse investments. Within this context, a novel model is created that has four different stages. The first stage is related to the prioritizing the experts with artificial intelligence-based decision-making method. Secondly, missing evaluations are estimated by expert recommendation system. Thirdly, the criteria are weighted with Quantum picture fuzzy rough sets-based (QPFR) M-Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA). Finally, investment decision-making priorities are ranked by QPFR VIKOR (Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje). The main contribution of this study is the integration of the artificial intelligence methodology to the fuzzy decision-making approach for the purpose of computing the weights of the decision makers. Owing to this condition, the evaluations of these people are examined according to their qualifications. This situation has a positive contribution to make more effective evaluations. Organizational effectiveness is found to be the most important factor in improving the performance of metaverse investments. Similarly, it is also identified that it is important for businesses to ensure technological improvements in the development of Metaverse investments. On the other side, the ranking results indicate that regulatory framework is the most critical alternative in this regard.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1007/s10462-024-10905-0

Social Responsibility: Opportunities for Integral Assessment and Analysis of Connections with Business Innovation

Publication Name: Sustainability Switzerland

Publication Date: 2023-03-01

Volume: 15

Issue: 6

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The paper proposes an approach to the integrated assessment of the social responsibility of EU countries with a combination of data from three international indices most relevant to the monitor-ing of social responsibility at the macroeconomic level: the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index, the Sustainable Development Goals Index and the Social Progress Index. Applying the method of taxonomic analysis on the example of index values for EU countries, we assessed the differences and leaders in ensuring social responsibility. The authors do not consider country-level social responsibility only as a consequence of the development of responsible practices at all levels. Taking into account that social responsibility should be a prerequisite for expanding opportunities in all spheres, in particular, in business, the authors conducted a correlational analysis of the relationship between the taxonomic indicator of social responsibility and the development of innovative business. As a result, we confirmed significant connections with “Business sophistication” indicators (as part of the Global Innovation Index) and the share of innovative firms of total SMEs (according to OESD statistics). The obtained results strengthen the grounds for considering social responsibility not only as an important socially oriented concept, but also as a reliable basis for the development of innovative business due to the created comfortable institutional environment of business development.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/su15065608

Temperature-Dependent Ferromagnetic Loss Approximation of an Induction Machine Stator Core Material Based on Laboratory Test Measurements

Publication Name: Energies

Publication Date: 2023-02-01

Volume: 16

Issue: 3

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The accurate measurement and modeling of ferromagnetic material losses are vital issues during the design and analysis of electrical machines. Higher loss values can describe the manufactured rotor and stator machine plates better than the catalog data obtained by standardized measurements using the Epstein frame. In this paper, different temperature-dependent models based on the loss-separation principle are introduced and compared with the measurements. The model parameters are computed from customized laboratory and standardized measurements. The customized measurements based on the stator part of an induction machine in the range of the automotive industry standard, i.e., in [−40 (Formula presented.) C, ⋯, 180 (Formula presented.) C]. The proposed model and measurement process can be used in the post-processing stage of numerical field analysis to obtain electromagnetic losses according to the agreement between measured and simulated results. During a numerically expensive optimization process, this model can be used to consider the temperature dependence of the losses more accurately. The study shows that more than 50% of loss increase can be measured, compared with the catalog data, if we use the manufactured, stator-based, customized measurements based on the estimation of the iron loss parameters.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/en16031116

Biocontrol Activity of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants and Their Bioactive Components against Soil-Borne Pathogens

Publication Name: Plants

Publication Date: 2023-02-01

Volume: 12

Issue: 4

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Soil-borne phytopathogens can have detrimental effects on both cereal and horticultural crops resulting in serious losses worldwide. Due to their high efficiency and easy applicability, synthetic pesticides are still the primary choice in modern plant disease control systems, but stringent regulations and increasing environmental concerns make the search for sustainable alternatives more pressing than ever. In addition to the incorporation of botanicals into agricultural practices, the diversification of cropping systems with aromatic and medicinal plants is also an effective tool to control plant diseases through providing nutrients and shaping soil microbial communities. However, these techniques are not universally accepted and may negatively affect soil fertility if their application is not thoroughly controlled. Because the biocontrol potential of aromatic and medicinal plants has been extensively examined over the past decades, the present study aims to overview the recent literature concerning the biopesticide effect of secondary metabolites derived from aromatic and medicinal plants on important soil-borne plant pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. Most of the investigated herbs belong to the family of Lamiaceae (e.g., Origanum spp., Salvia spp., Thymus spp., Mentha spp., etc.) and have been associated with potent antimicrobial activity, primarily due to their chemical constituents. The most frequently tested organisms include fungi, such as Rhizoctonia spp., Fusarium spp., and Phytophthora spp., which may be highly persistent in soil. Despite the intense research efforts dedicated to the development of plant-based pesticides, only a few species of aromatic herbs are utilized for the production of commercial formulations due to inconsistent efficiency, lack of field verification, costs, and prolonged authorization requirements. However, recycling the wastes from aromatic and medicinal plant-utilizing industries may offer an economically feasible way to improve soil health and reduce environmental burdens at the same time. Overall, this review provides comprehensive knowledge on the efficiency of aromatic herb-based plant protection techniques, and it also highlights the importance of exploiting the residues generated by aromatic plant-utilizing sectors as part of agro-industrial processes.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/plants12040706

Optimizing Foamed Bitumen Bound Asphalt Mixture Design Using Neural Network

Publication Name: Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering

Publication Date: 2024-09-20

Volume: 68

Issue: 4

Page Range: 1040-1051

Description:

Effective design of bituminous mixes for road pavements requires a robust understanding of their mechanical properties to ensure durability and safety. Conventional experimental methods for assessing these properties are time-consuming and costly. To address this challenge, advanced machine learning techniques have gained prominence in predicting bituminous mix behaviour. In this study, we focus on predicting Marshall Stability (MS) and Flow (MF) of foamed bitumen bound asphalt pavements using essential input parameters: Temperature, Foam Content, Expansion Ratio, and Half-Life. Leveraging a neural network model, accurate prediction equations and surface analyses were developed for optimizing pavement design. Furthermore, integration equations are also introduced to enhance the accuracy of the methodology. Sensitivity and Parametric Analyses provide insights into parameter impacts, and R-squared measures model goodness of fit. The research work presented not only streamlines pavement design but also advances the understanding of intricate input-output relationships in bituminous mixtures.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3311/PPci.23898

Feeding Mixed Silages of Winter Cereals and Italian Ryegrass Can Modify the Fatty Acid and Odor Profile of Bovine Milk

Publication Name: Agriculture Switzerland

Publication Date: 2023-02-01

Volume: 13

Issue: 2

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The utilization of corn silage in animal diets is becoming a challenge, due to the crop’s reduced yield as a result of climate change. Alternative silage types, such as mixtures of Italian ryegrass and winter cereals, may be a good complement to corn silage in diet formulation. Therefore, it is important to investigate how these alternative sources influence milk fatty acid and odor profile, as well as how these quality parameters could be efficiently evaluated. In this study, a corn silage-based control (CTR) and four experimental (EXP) diets—which contained winter cereals (WC), as well as WC with Italian ryegrass (IRG) silages in different proportions—were fed to Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 32) in a single-blinded efficacy study during a series of 4-week periods, with 2 weeks of adaption to each feed before the main trial. Milk from each trial was subjected to fatty acid (FA) analysis and odor profiling through the utilization of gas chromatography and an electronic nose, respectively. The results show that milk FAs in the EXP-3 and EXP-4 groups (which contained mixed silages using WC) changed the most when compared with other groups. Moreover, with a 7 kg/day inclusion rate of WC + IRG and of the WC silages in the diets of the EXP-2 and EXP-3 groups, respectively, the milk from these groups had their n6:n3 ratio reduced, thus indicating possible health benefits to consumers. The odor variation between the milk of the WC + IRG and WC groups was greater than the variation between the milk of the CTR and EXP groups. The main volatile compound responsible for the odor of the CTR milk was ethyl-butyrate, whereas 2-propanol and butan-2-one dominated the WC milk; the milk samples of the WC + IRG groups were influenced largely by ethanol. The study proved that with a 7 kg/day inclusion of mixed silages including winter cereals plus Italian ryegrass, the FA and odor profile of bovine milk could be modified.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/agriculture13020381

Investigation of Track Gauge and Alignment Parameters of Ballasted Railway Tracks Based on Real Measurements Using Signal Processing Techniques

Publication Name: Infrastructures

Publication Date: 2023-02-01

Volume: 8

Issue: 2

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This paper deals with the time-frequency characteristic analysis for track geometry irregularities using field data recorded by a comprehensive track inspection train. The parameters of the track gauge and the left and right rail alignment are considered to identify their characteristic wavelengths and the locations of their waveforms. In addition to the conventional time and frequency domain analysis, auto-adaptive signal decomposition techniques are used on four pre-selected track sections. During the time series analysis of the track gauge, the cumulative difference from the mean value is calculated, which makes it possible to distinguish the track section constructed with non-standard initial track gauges. The sensitive wavelengths of the track irregularities are obtained from the proper allocation of wavelength ranges in the Fourier Amplitude Spectrum of the original signal and the Fourier transform of the components detected by the Variational Mode Decomposition. This analysis can elucidate the wavelengths and positions of track irregularities that affect vehicle responses.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.3390/infrastructures8020026