Materials and Applied Sciences

Abstract

Retaining walls are typical geotechnical engineering applications analyzed extensively in the literature. However, the optimal design of these walls is still unsolved due to the optimization problem's complexity and the unrecognized best solver that can be used. Most similar works present a single optimizer for this problem. This work used six metaheuristics to formulate and solve the optimal gravity retaining wall problem design. The comparative study was achieved among particle swarm optimization, grey wolf optimizer, artificial bee colony, dynamic differential annealed optimization, fertilization optimization algorithm, and whale optimization algorithm. The problem and its results were discussed in detail within the respective sections.

Abstract

This paper describes a novel hybrid technique with fractional order PID controller (FOPID) for simultaneously controlling the humidity of indoor air temperature and the direct expansion (DX) air conditioning (A/C) system. The proposed hybrid system is a joint performance of the butterfly optimization algorithm (BOA) and adaptive network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), hence forth it is called BOANFIS Technique (BOANFIST). The purpose of the proposed system is to disconnect the temperature and humidity control circuits. The proposed control is modeled and replicated on MATLAB platform and is assessed using existing systems. The statistical performance of the proposed and existing systems of mean, median and standard deviation is also evaluated. It reduces computational time up to 1.01 s and also reduces energy consumption to around 16.42 KWh/day. Furthermore, the simulation outcomes suggest that the proposed technique may efficiently and accurately obtain the optimal global solutions of the proposed technique compared to existing systems.

Abstract

In the recent trends of re-formatting the concept and definition of museums, the number of reached visitors is closely related to their interest in the collection and curatorial program and the quality of the museum buildings' physical spaces. Numerous studies have recently discussed the effect of spatial layout and topology in determining the pattern of visitors' movement, influencing their ‘path of cultural and educational experience.’ This research deals with the five current museums of Prizren in Kosovo. Direct observations and comparative analysis aim to provide factual data to assist museum managers, curators, and designers improve museum design solutions regarding space layout.

Abstract

The most flexible and reliable technological system is Wi-Fi, which is made possible by a wireless connection that transmits data using radio frequencies. Wi-Fi networks, however, encounter numerous issues related to power supply, availability, efficiency, and security as a result of the various access points. While relational waves describe the medical device, Wi-Fi radios produce radio waves that are very dangerous for patients. This document offers line-of-sight communication between the transmitter and receiver using LED technology. Li-Fi technology is a method that transmits audio data using LED light, which is faster and more efficient than Wi-Fi. Since it is practically ubiquitous, light can be used for communication as well. A cutting-edge technology called optical communication includes a subset called light fidelity. By sending out visible light, the Li-Fi device enables wireless intranet communication. This paper is an in-depth study and analysis of Light Fidelity (Li-Fi), a novel technology that transmits data at high speeds over a wide spectrum by using light as a medium of transmission. The research fields that are pertinent to Li-Fi networks are thoroughly analyzed and categorized in this paper: high speed data transmission, receiving, sharing, broadcasting through light in free space optical communication system by Li-Fi technology. In this paper, we followed some methods and developed a unique method to develop this study: VLC, OOK, a Lambertian discharge mechanism, LOS, NLOS, or a CMOS optical receiver. The proposed model tested transmits and receives audio, video, and other data, which is very high-rated and near the 2 GB/s range.

Abstract

The exhibition design of modern museums increasingly relies on the creation of space to display the unique intrinsic cultural quality and place spirit of the exhibition hall, and the exhibition space has become the focus of the design. The exhibition space has become the medium language for the dialogue between the display content and the audience, and the typical venue space presents the required information to the public. In the development process of the information age, display design complements other disciplines and provides a solid foundation for the research and development of space for pavilion design. Narrative design can help the public to seek emotional commonalities and spiritual touches when visiting museums, pursue the real experience of the scene space, and feel the atmosphere and situation created by the theme space.

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to supply updated air convective coefficients $h_a$ by means of three empirical correlations set forth by Zukauskas, Churchill and Hilpert for cylindrical bodies in cross-flow. In this study, low Reynolds numbers and air velocities within the range of $v=0.5-5\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$ were considered, hence, sundry values of convective coefficients were obtained and applied in a lumped heat capacity model. Finite element analysis simulations were implemented, exhibiting good conformity based on these correlations. The findings show that among the three methodologies, Zukauskas's correlation presents minimum standard deviation $sd=0.02$ and the maximum standard deviation is presented by Hilpert's correlation $sd=1.92$ , Churchill correlation presents a standard deviation of $sd=0.3$ . The results are reliable and can therefore be used for analyzing heat convection.

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of “The Yellow Pavilion” intervention by Architecture for Humans in reclaiming Rexhep Luci Street as a public space and promoting urban interventions in Prishtina. The temporary structure was installed for a week to transform the street into a public space, and the paper presents the findings of its impact on the neighborhood and city. By examining the effectiveness of temporary interventions, the article highlights the benefits and limitations of tactical urbanism while also considering the potential for this kind of intervention to create social connections, promote community engagement, and revitalize urban areas. Ultimately, this research contributes to understanding the value of temporary public spaces in urban design and planning.

Abstract

Increasing the number of electrical vehicles determine an increasing of electrical vehicle chargers number too. The best situation is reach when the zero emission vehicles are charged with electrical energy produced by solar panels or another green energy. This paper presents a solar electric vehicle charger system with energy storage capabilities. The system should be considered as a combination of three systems: solar energy production system, energy storage system and electric vehicle charger system. One of the novelty of the system is that for energy storage is used a 2nd life Nissan Leaf electric vehicle battery. The paper gives information about, simulation and measurement of the annual solar energy production of the system, measurements results of the currents, voltages and powers of the system, and a distribution of the maximum daily energy production.

Abstract

Visegrád is one of the smallest towns in Hungary with 1800 inhabitants, which was given the status of town because of its historical importance. Archaeological excavations revealed the remains of the medieval town's former main square and the surrounding buildings. Based on the archeological research the new town center was designed by the A+ Architect Studio and won the Pro Architectura and ICOMOS awards in 2016. Years later the need arose to expand the Áprily Lajos Primary School, which is located next to the site, and to accommodate new classrooms, special training rooms, and music school practice rooms in a new, modern building. The new three-story school building on the street frontage was constructed on the former place of a century-old, dilapidated building and was also designed by A+ Architect Studio.

Abstract

The paper presents the basic principles of static calculations of plates with discrete filling–ribs; the method is based on the analytical solution of the problem of the stress state of a ribbed plate. The bottom line is to use special discontinuous functions at the stage of writing the initial assumptions of differential equations, as well as in the process of solving them due to the nature and physical meaning of the problem.

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effect of winemaking technologies on the concentration of different biogenic amines in Chardonnay wines. Wines produced from sedimented, inoculated must with active dry yeast without malolactic fermentation were compared with wine produced from nonsedimented must spontaneously fermented with malolactic fermentation. Histamine and putrescine concentrations were not significantly different in either variant. The highest concentration of histamine was 0.055 mg L⁻¹, and the highest concentration of putrescine was 1.6 mg L⁻¹ in both variants. Statistically significantly higher values of cadaverine (from 0.06 to 0.07 mg L⁻¹), spermidine (from 0.8 to 1.4 mg L⁻¹), spermine (from 0.15 to 0.25 mg L⁻¹), and isoamylamine (from 0.40 to 0.46 mg L⁻¹) were found in the variant made from nonsedimented must, in which spontaneous malolactic fermentation was performed. The higher concentration of biogenic amines in this variant may be due to the different composition of lactic bacteria during the spontaneous malolactic fermentation. A simplified, unpublished HILIC method of chromatographic separation of biogenic amines without prior deprivation with MS-MS detection was used to determine individual biogenic amines.

Abstract

To explore the effect of sesamol on the cognition of APP/PS1 mice, 8-week-old APP/PS1 and wild-type male mice were divided into AD model group, AD + sesamol (50 mg kg⁻¹ bw) group, and Control group. Sesamol was orally administered once a day for 5 months. Morris water maze was used to evaluate the learning and memory ability of mice. The number of synapses in the hippocampal neurons was detected by Golgi staining. Nissl staining was used to observe the changes of Nissl bodies in CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Aβ, SIRT1, BDNF, and p-CREB/CREB in the hippocampus and cortex. Compared with the model group, sesamol decreased the latency period of APP/PS1 mice (P < 0.05) and increased the total number of neuronal dendritic spines in the hippocampal CA3 region, as well as increased the number of Nissl bodies (P < 0.05). Western blotting results showed that sesamol significantly reduced Aβ protein expression in the hippocampus and cortex, increased SIRT1 expression in the cortex, and increased BDNF expression in the hippocampus (P < 0.05). Sesamol improved the learning and memory abilities of APP/PS1 mice probably through increasing the density of neuronal dendritic spines and upregulating the levels of SIRT1 and BDNF.

Összefoglalás.

Gyógyszermolekulák kémiai szintézissel történő előállítása során előfordulhat, hogy a szintézisút toxikus vegyületeket tartalmaz, vagy szintézis során képződik toxikus melléktermék. Ezeket az anyagokat alacsony koncentrációszinten kell kizárni a gyártott végtermékben, hogy az adott hatóanyag törzskönyvezése sikeres legyen. Így a genotoxikus (megváltoztatja a DNS által tárolt genetikai információt), rákkeltő szennyezők analitikai kontrollja folyamatos kihívás elé állítja az analitikusokat. Erre a vizsgálatra a legelterjedtebb módszer a nagyhatékonyságú folyadékkromatográfia. Ennek egyik speciális változata, a nagyhatékonyságú ionkromatográfia alkalmas a kis méretű ionos vagy ionizálható molekulák, pl. szervetlen anionok és kationok, szerves savak, aminok, valamint hidrolizálható vegyületek vizsgálatára. A kéziratban bemutatásra kerül a nagyhatékonyságú ionkromatográfiás technika, valamint annak gyógyszeranalitikai alkalmazása.

Summary.

In the production of drug molecules, the synthesis pathway may contain toxic compounds, or a toxic by-product may be formed during synthesis. These substances must be excluded at low concentration levels in the final manufactured product in order for the registration of the active substance to be successful. The drug analytics task to quantify these contaminations. This part of the pharmaceutical industry involves a wide spectrum of analytical techniques, which together complement each other to give a complete picture of the product being manufactured. Measurement techniques range from titration to large instrumentation (mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry). Chromatography is one of the most widely used techniques. Lots of pollutant which must have quantified, have polar properties and its may present a risk for patients. The analytical control of genotoxic (altering the genetic information stored in DNA), carcinogenic contaminants is a constant challenge for analysts. Organic acids, amines, acid chlorides which are easily ionizable, hydrolysable are difficult to analyze at low concentration limits by the means of gas chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography. For the analysis of such contaminants, the high performance ion exchange chromatography method is a possible solution. In drug analytics, the ion chromatography techniques (ion exchange, ion exclusion, ion pair, ligand exchange) are not as widely used as the other liquid chromatography methods. In addition to inorganic anions and cations, ion chromatography is a suitable chromatographic method for the analysis of organic acids, amines, and hydrolysable compounds. In case of amines, this technique has better peak symmetry and theoretical plate height than gas chromatography. However, additional acidic API may cause the disappearance of these peaks. With this instrument, not only impurities can be tested, but also the counter ions of basic drug substances can be easily measured to verify the molecular composition of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The manuscript describes the applications of ion exchange chromatography through some examples from pharmaceutical industry. In some cases, the methods have been validated according to international guidelines to demonstrate the applicability of high-performance ion exchange chromatography for the analysis of ionizable organic/inorganic compounds in pharmaceutical production.

Summary.

The flood protection embankments of Hungary and Europe face challenges. Previously unprecedented droughts and low-water periods in the rivers are experienced. As a consequence, the water balance of the dikes can alter and desiccate in the long term. The most staggering fissures appeared on dikes built from clays susceptible to volume change. The safety aspects of these fissures are not fully understood. The concerns raised depend on the crack’s spatial extent, the material of the dike and the environmental effects, such as heavy rains and floods. The General Directorate of Water Management ordered a comprehensive survey of dike pavement cracks in Hungary. It was a nationwide survey. Hungary has about 4,400 km of primary flood protection embankments, out of which 1,250 km are paved. There are a number of reasons why the pavement of an embankment can crack. The main intention of this paper is to classify the primary and secondary sources of pavement cracks on flood protection embankments. The main features of crack patterns related to clays with shrink-swell potential are identified.

Összefoglalás.

Magyarország és Európa árvízvédelmi töltései számos kihívással néznek szembe. Az egyik legjelentősebb az éghajlatváltozás következtében jelentkező szélsőséges időjárás. Az elmúlt évtizedek során az árvizeket gyakran hosszan tartó aszályok követték, a folyóink vízállása az aszályos nyarak során rekord alacsony értékeket mutat. A vízhiány következtében a gátak óhatatlanul kiszáradnak, burkolt vagy burkolatlan koronájuk megrepedezik.

Mintegy 4400 km elsődleges árvízvédelmi töltés található hazánkban, ebből 1250 km burkolt. Számos hatás idézhet elő töltésburkolat-repedéseket. Jelen cikk fő célja az árvízvédelmi töltések burkolatrepedései elsődleges és másodlagos forrásainak osztályozása, a köztük lévő kapcsolatok feltérképezése. A zsugorodási-duzzadási potenciállal rendelkező agyagokhoz kapcsolódó száradási repedésminták főbb jellemzőinek meghatározása. A felmérés fontos hozadéka, hogy a repedés geometriája és a töltés anyaga következtetni enged a repedés kialakulását előidéző folyamatokra.

2018-ban országos felmérés készült a burkolatrepedésekről az Országos Vízügyi Főigazgatóság megbízásából. Az árvízvédelmi töltésburkolat-repedés felmérése, a töltés és a burkolatrepedés geometriai tulajdonságai mellett az adott szakaszok rétegrendjét, töltésanyagát és a kialakuláshoz vezető folyamatokat is dokumentálták a felmérők. Az eredményeket, a levonható konklúziókat és a felmérés korlátait is tárgyaljuk.

A repedéseket hat jól elkülöníthető kategóriába sorolhatjuk irányultságuk alapján, ezeket a tanulmány részletezi. A kialakulásuk három legfőbb oka a töltéskonszolidáció, az aszály következtében létrejövő száradási (zsugorodási) repedések, és az árvízhez köthető károsodások. A Tisza és mellékfolyóinak repedezett töltései szinte kizárólag kötött talajból épültek, míg a Dunántúlon sokszor átmeneti vagy szemcsés talajt is használtak a töltés építéséhez.

A hosszirányú komponenssel, illetve a repedés két széle közötti magasságbeli különbséggel rendelkező károsodásokat zsugorodás okozhatta. A térfogatváltozó talajok és a hozzájuk köthető zsugorodási burkolatrepedések a Tisza és mellékfolyóira jellemzők.

A feltárt repedések biztonsági vonatkozásai nem teljesen ismertek. Ez függ a repedések térbeli kiterjedésétől, a töltés anyagától és a környezeti hatásoktól, mint például a heves esőzések, árvizek. Az Országos Vízügyi Főigazgatóság által rendelt felméréshez hasonló átfogó adatgyűjtést Európában még nem végeztek, Amerikában is csak az egyes államok megyéire terjedtek ki útburkolat-repedés felmérések. A jelentősebb repedések évenkénti felmérése célszerű lenne, hiszen információhoz jutnánk a terjedésükről. Hány évvel a töltés vagy a burkolat átadása után jelennek meg? Egy aszályos nyár után nő-e a repedések kiterjedése?

Összefoglalás.

Jelen tanulmány a kritikus infrastruktúrák körébe tartozó létfontosságú egészségügyi rendszerelemek informatikai adatvédelmét és a felhasználók informatikai munkavégzési folyamatainak könnyítését célzó újfajta technológiai megoldás kutatási folyamatának első mérföldkövét kívánja bemutatni. Kutatásunk céljául egy újszerű biometrikus azonosítási rendszer megvalósítását tűztük ki. Jelen tanulmányban bemutatásra kerülnek az alapvető fogalmak, a betegbiztonságot veszélyeztető, informatikai rendszerek (Muha 2008) elleni támadási trendek. A tanulmány ismerteti a létfontosságú rendszerelemek körébe sorolt fekvőbeteg-ellátási intézmények informatikai szakrendszereit használó személyekkel készített mélyinterjúk elemzéseit. Ezen eredmények megalapozzák a csökkentett paraméterezésű biometrikus hitelesítési technológia megvalósíthatóságának lehetőségét, alátámasztja annak létjogosultságát, valamint a magyarországi létfontosságú rendszerelemek körébe sorolt egészségügyi ellátó intézményekben olyan biometrikus hitelesítéssel támogatott folyamatok kidolgozását, amelyek nagymértékben képesek lesznek a stratégiai jelentőségű egészségügyi adatvagyon védelmét szolgálni. A tanulmány választ ad arra a kérdésre is, hogy mi az összefüggés a csökkentett biometriával támogatott rendszerhasználat, valamint a malware, ransomware és más jellegű támadások, adatszivárgások között. A technológia kidolgozása, majd bevezetése közvetett módon képes lesz támogatni az eltérő tudásszintekkel, eltérő kiberrezilienciával rendelkező fejlesztők, felhasználók és üzemeltetők kórházi informatikai szakrendszereinek eltérő üzletmeneteit.

Summary.

This paper presents the first milestone in a research process aimed at protecting the IT privacy of a critical health system element of critical infrastructure and facilitating the IT workflow of users. The objective is to implement a novel biometric identification system. The paper introduces the basic concepts and the trends of attacks against IT systems that threaten patient security. The paper presents an analysis of in-depth interviews with users of IT systems in inpatient care facilities classified as critical system components. The results provide a basis for the technological implementation of a reduced-parameter biometric authentication option and support its justification. The development of processes supported by biometric authentication will be able to provide a high level of protection for strategic health data assets. The study also answers the question of the correlation between reduced biometrics-enabled system usage and malware, ransomware attacks. The development and implementation of the technology will indirectly be able to support the use and development/maintenance of business processes of hospital IT systems with different levels of knowledge, cyber resilience. The protection of health IT systems must be strengthened with modern technological solutions beside human education.

Összefoglalás.

A biztonságföldrajz egy terület biztonsági rendszerét, környezetét befolyásoló katonaföldrajzi tényezőket vizsgálja, vizsgálati módszere pedig a geográfiában gyökerezik. Az elemzés nyílt forrásból elérhető információk gyűjtésén alapul. Az ehhez kapcsolódó adatbázisok gyorsan változó adathalmazok, így azok elemzése csak pillanatnyi állapotot mutat meg, de ha az adatállomány elég nagy, tömeges adatnak minősül, akkor alkalmas lehet a jövőre vonatkozó új összefüggések, következtetések levonására. A fejlesztés alatt álló biztonságföldrajzi elemzésekhez használható geoinformációs elemző-értékelő rendszer előre meghatározott változók – katonaföldrajzi tényezők – figyelembevételével egy definiált érdeklődési területről gyűjt adatokat folyamatosan. Az adatgyűjtés alapvetően algoritmusok alapján, változatos forrásból és formában előállított adatokból történik, hiszen napjaink új típusú katonai konfliktusai, újfajta veszélyek, kihívások – a proxy-, a hibrid- és aszimmetrikus hadviselés szerepének növekedése a konfliktusokban, a hadviselés újabb generációinak megjelenése, határokon átívelő természeti katasztrófák és társadalmi veszélyek – újszerű elemző szemléletet igényelnek a geoinformációs támogatásban is. Kutatásom várható eredménye lehetőséget teremt egy olyan geoinformációs elemző-értékelő rendszer létrehozására, ami megkönnyíti, hatékonyabbá teszi egy megfelelően lehatárolt válságtérség biztonságföldrajzi elemzését, bevezeti a Geoinformációs Válságindex fogalmát, ezzel segítve a Magyar Honvédség szakemberei által nyújtott hatékonyabb támogatást a parancsnoki döntéshozatali rendszerhez.

Summary.

New types of military conflicts, new types of dangers and crisis – the increasing role of proxy, hybrid and asymmetric warfare in conflicts, the emergence of new generations of warfare, cross-border natural disasters and social dangers – require a new analytical approach in geospatial support as well. The expected result of my research creates an opportunity to develop a geospatial analysis and evaluation system, which makes the security geography analysis of a properly defined crisis area easier and more efficient. It introduces the concept of Geospatial Crisis Index, thereby helping to provide more effective support to the commander’s decision-making system provided by the specialists of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

The purpose of my research is to examine the methodology for the preparation of current, open-source geo-information analyses at the Hungarian Defence Forces, and to propose the use of a geospatial analysis-evaluation system, with the aim of raising the standard of professional work.

In the course of my research, I reveal the shortcomings of the analytical and evaluation procedures and methods used so far for the security geography analysis of crisis zones at the Hungarian Defence Forces, and I propose the creation of a modern geoinformation analysis system.

I prove that the development of such a modern analysis system must be based on the investigation methods of military geography as an interdisciplinary science.

I make a proposal for the geospatial delimitation of crisis areas for security geography analysis. My further aim is to analyse the changes in the concept of space and spatial interpretation in warfare.

I study the possibilities of increasing the efficiency of the system to be created in this way, I examine the impact of the introduction of Geospatial Crisis Index on the results of the analysis and evaluation processes and formulate the criteria expected of Geospatial Crisis Index.

As a result of the research, I propose to transform the relevant domestic official professional regulations.

The user group targeted by the system to be developed is primarily the professional staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces dealing with geoinformation, through them its entire staff, as well as the staff of geoinformation evaluation users in the defence sphere. At the commanding level, the expectation is a fast, transparent result product that highlights the essence, accordingly, Geospatial Crisis Index, as well as thematic maps that professionally support the evaluation and show its results.

Összefoglalás.

A hallgatói lemorzsolódás az egyik legégetőbb probléma a felsőoktatásban. Ebben a munkában a lemorzsolódás előrejelzésén keresztül bemutatjuk, hogyan tudják segíteni a felsőoktatás résztvevőit a magyarázható mesterséges intelligencia (XAI) eszközök, mint például a permutációs fontosság, a parciális függőségi ábra és a SHAP. Végül pedig kitérünk a kutatás gyakorlati hasznosulásának lehetőségeire, például, hogy az egyéni előrejelzések magyarázata hogyan teszi lehetővé a személyre szabott beavatkozást. Az elemzések során azt találtuk, hogy a középiskolai tanulmányi átlag bír a legnagyobb prediktív erővel a végzés tényére vonatkozóan. Továbbá annak ellenére, hogy egy műszaki egyetem adatait elemeztük, azt találtuk, hogy a humán tárgyaknak is nagy inkrementális prediktív erejük van a végzés tényére vonatkozóan a reál tárgyakhoz képest.

Summary.

Delayed completion and student drop-out are some of the most critical problems in higher education, especially regarding STEM programs. A high drop-out rate induces both individual and economic loss, hence a detailed investigation of the main reasons for dropping out is warranted. Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the use of machine learning methods for the early detection of students at risk of dropping out. However, there has not been much debate on the use of interpretable machine learning (IML) and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) technologies for dropout prediction. In this paper, we show how IML and XAI techniques can assist educational stakeholders in dropout prediction using data from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. We demonstrate that complex black-box machine learning algorithms, for example CatBoost, are able to effectively detect at-risk student using only pre-enrollment achievement measures, but they lack interpretability. We demonstrate how the predictions can be explained both globally and locally using IML methods including permutation importance (PI), partial dependence plot (PDP), LIME, and SHAP values.

Using global interpretations, we have found that the factor that has the greatest impact on academic performance is the high school grade point average, which measures general knowledge by taking into account grades in history, mathematics, Hungarian language and literature, a foreign language and a science subject. However, we also found that both mathematics and the subject of choice are among the most important variables, which suggests that program-specific knowledge is not negligible and complements general knowledge. We discovered that students are more likely to drop out if they do not start their university studies immediately after leaving secondary school. Using a partial dependence plot, we showed that humanities also have incremental predictive power, despite the fact that this analysis is based on data from a technical university. Finally, we also discuss the potential practical applications of our work, such as how the explanation of individual predictions allows for personalized interventions, for example by offering appropriate remedial courses and tutoring sessions. Our approach is unique in that we not only estimate the probability of dropping out, but also interpret the model and provide explanations for each prediction. As a result, this framework can be used in several fields. By predicting which majors they could be most successful in based on high school performance indicators, it might, for instance, assist high school students in selecting the appropriate programs at universities and hence this way it could be used for career assistance. Through the explanations of local predictions, the framework provided can also assist students in identifying the skills they need to develop to succeed in their university studies.

Összefoglalás.

Az archeogenetika dinamikus fejlődése Magyarországon új lehetőségeket nyitott az egykor élt népességek tanulmányozásában és személyazonosításában. A Magyarságkutató Intézet Archeogenetikai Kutatóközpontja célul tűzte ki magyar királyok és történelmi személyek azonosítását. Kutatásom témája, az archeogenetikai vizsgálatokkal összhangban, digitális arcrekonstrukciós technikával megjeleníteni a magyar történelem jelentős alakjainak arcát. Az arcrekonstrukció célja a lágyrészek visszaépítése a koponyára, annak jellegzetes vonásai és az anatómiai ismeretek alapján, amihez a genetikai adatok további, a fenotípusra vonatkozó információkat szolgáltathatnak. Dolgozatomban három olyan kiemelt jelentőségű esetet ismertetek, amelyek esetén a genetikai adatokra támaszkodva célom digitális arcrekonstrukciót készíteni.

Summary.

The dynamic development of archaeogenetic research in Hungary has given new opportunities in the study of past populations and personal identification. In an extensive research project, the Institute of Hungarian Research, Department of Archaeogenetics (IHR, DA) aimed to identify the lost remains of Hungarian kings and nobles. Related to this research project, I started a new investigation based on facial reconstruction techniques to visualize the genetically examined and identified important figures from Hungarian history. During this process, the face of an individual is built onto the skull based on unique morphological characteristics and anatomical knowledge. Besides, archaeogenetic data provide additional information concerning phenotypic characters that could not have been detectable on the bones.

In Hungary, most of the reconstructions were made with sculptural techniques. However, the development of IT tools has opened new perspectives, and the use of digital sculptural methods is spreading as they have several advantages compared to traditional sculptures (e.g., easier checking, corrections, and more effective reproducibility).

During my research, I had the opportunity to work with several remarkable cases I will visualize with the digital facial reconstruction technique. In this study, three of these cases will be introduced that represent the three main target groups of the investigation: kings, significant historical figures, and prominent cases of Hungarian archaeological and anthropological research.

The subject of the first case is the skull held in the Saint Ladislaus herm in Győr. In 2022, during the re-examination of the supposed skull of the Saint and Knight king, Ladislaus I, the genetic team of the IHR DA sampled the cranium and successfully verified its originality. The results highlighted the importance of creating a new reconstruction, as genetic data contains unique information concerning the appearance of the king.

In the second part, I introduce my results on the anthropological analysis of the supposed skeletal remains of John and Christopher Corvinus held at Lepoglava, Croatia. The anthropological data (age-at-death, sex, and pathological conditions) and the written sources certify that the skeletons belonged to the son and grandson of the great Hungarian king, Mathias (Hunyadi) I. Therefore, digital reconstruction can be conducted after the genetic analysis.

The third case is a high-ranked individual from the rich burial No. 1 of the 10th-century-CE cemetery of Sárrétudvari–Poroshalom. On the top of the skull, traces of an unfinished surgical trepanation were observed with a weapon-induced injury in the middle.

No similar phenomenon has been published until now; and thus, this case reveals rare information concerning past medicine.

The genetic analysis and reconstruction of this unique case provide valuable information about the Hungarian Conquest Period.

Összefoglalás.

Számos meglévő infrastruktúra-beruházás esetén – legyen az felújítás, rekonstrukció vagy fejlesztés – szükségessé válhat új hidak építése, ezek közül kiemelt kérdéskör azon beruházások, ahol az áthidalandó keresztmetszet bővül és a feszített vasbeton gerendás szerkezet helyett az öszvérszerkezetű híd gazdaságilag indokolttá válik. A híd építéstechnológiája forgalombiztonsági és forgalomszervezési oldalról kulcsfontosságú. Az építés ideje alatt a forgalmat biztosítani kell, amit a hagyományos építési módnál forgalomterelés mellett lehet megtenni. A kutatásom ezért a hídépítés miatt szükséges forgalomterelések közúti biztonságával foglalkozik, illetve az új, a problémát feloldó hídépítési technológiákkal.

Summary.

In the case of many existing infrastructure investments – be it renovation, reconstruction or development – it may become necessary to build new bridges. The investments where the cross-section is expanded and instead of the prestressed reinforced concrete beam structure, the use of composite bridge becomes more economically. The construction technology of the steel-concrete composite bridge is crucial from the point of view of traffic safety and traffic management. Traffic must be ensured during construction, which can be done with traffic diversion in the case of the traditional construction method. My research therefore deals with road safety, the traffic diversions required due to steel-concrete composite bridge construction, and the new bridge construction technologies that solve this problem. In the reconstruction of the M1 motorway, the prefabricated prestressed reinforced concrete beam structure could be built with intermediate support, but there are several arguments in favor of abandoning the intermediate support and building steel-concrete composite bridge with single span. The strongest of these is ensuring road safety. In addition to the existing traffic, in order to avoid traffic disruption, it is necessary to avoid an intermediate support, which reduces traffic jam and waiting time. I illustrate the impact of traffic diversion on traffic safety by analyzing a previous renovation work on the M1 motorway. During the research, I compare the traffic diversion accident data with the control section. The control section is the same road section, with the same length of time, before the renovation in this study. The comparison confirms that traffic disruption should be avoided during bridge construction. It is economically justified to build steel-composite bridges, but it is necessary to deviate from the cast-in-place on concrete construction of deck slab, because it requires traffic diversion. I present new construction technologies for the construction of steel-concrete composite bridges, which can be used to ensure road safety. Overall, the raising the degree of prefabrication results in the avoidance of traffic disruption. Among construction technologies, economic aspects are typically decisive, such as the availability of human resources, capacity utilization and reduction of construction time. We developed a new construction technology for achieve the deck slab of steel-concrete composite bridges with less human resources, in a shorter time, with the available capacities, more economical construction and without traffic disruption.

Összefoglalás.

A kibányászható foszfátércek fogyóban vannak. A nemzetközi kutatások alapján a felmerülő foszfáthiány enyhítésére megoldást jelenthet a szennyvíztelepeken spontán képződő, és ott üzemeltetési problémát is okozó foszfátásványok hasznosítása. A vizsgált szennyvíztisztítóban két foszfátásvány, a struvit ([NH₄]Mg[PO₄]·6H₂O^rombos) és a vivianit (Fe₃(PO₄)₂·8H₂O^monoklin) okoz problémát. A technológiai folyamatban azonosítottuk azt az egyik pontot, ahol ma – szándékolatlanul – szubmikrométeres vivianitkristályok nukleációja történhet. E ponton beavatkozva, vagy e pont után egy új műtárggyal tudatosan erősítve a kristályképződést mind a nyersanyag-leválasztás, mind az üzemeltetési probléma csökkentése lehetővé válhat.

Summary.

Based on the experience of the past decades, the 21th century is challenged with several environmental problems that call for a solution at a global level. One such problem of the foreseeable future is, according to scientific forecasts, the shortage in phosphate rocks. Phosphate minerals forming spontaneously in sewage plants and causing operational difficulties at the same time, with a proper technological design can alleviate the emerging problem of phosphate shortage.

We examined the phosphate mineral precipitation processes in a large-capacity sewage treatment plant in Hungary. Both the precipitated phases and phosphorus content characteristics of the sewage sludge were studied.

X-ray powder diffraction (XPD) was used to identify the minerals. The total phosphorus content (expressed as phosphate concentration) and the dissolved orthophosphate content of the sewage sludge samples were measured by molybdenate spectrophotometric method.

Our findings point to two main phosphate minerals: struvite (Mg(NH₄)[PO₄] · 6H₂O^orthorhombic) and vivianite (Fe₃[PO₄]₂ · 8H₂O^monoclinic) formed as technologically harmful precipitates at the sewage plant (Figure 1). The two minerals occur downstream of the digester, at separate, well-defined points of the technological line (Figure 2). Both crystalline compounds are potentially suitable for the alleviation of the impending global phosphate shortage.

We determined the total P content (expressed as phosphate concentration) of sewage sludge samples, along with the quantitative distribution of the dissolved (liquid; orthophosphate) and solid (organic phosphate, polyphosphate, phosphate minerals) fractions of the sludge prior and after the anaerobic digester tanks (Figure 3). The total P content (expressed as phosphate concentration) – in full agreement with the expectations – has practically not changed during digestion (Figure 3; columns # K1 MW vs. 5 MW). Concerning the P forms present in the sludge we expected an increase of dissolved orthophosphate at the expense of bonded phosphate after the digestion (Figure 3; column # „elméleti”); however the actual orthophosphate content dropped by 80% in the sample after the digester (Figure 3; columns # K1 vs. 5). The misfit between the stable total P content and the decreasing amount of both the dissolved (ortho)phosphate and solid polyphosphate in the digester clearly indicates the formation of submicroscopic vivianite, confirming from the P speciation side the findings of Wilfert et al. (2018). That process is triggered by the addition of FeCl₃ into the digester. The more controlled FeCl₃ treatment and/or a new technological step (mineral separator tank) included right after the digester may help the separation of up to 50% or more of phosphorous from the sludge in the form of vivianite. By that step the spontaneous and harmful mineral formation, currently visible on the technological equipment following the digestion, could also be reduced significantly.

Összefoglalás.

Ez a tanulmány – a doktori kutatómunka részeként – egy módszertani kísérletet felhasználva mutatja be a tervezői szemléletmód (design thinking) üzleti gyakorlatba ültetésének lehetőségét az értékajánlat-tervezésben. Az empirikus vizsgálat olyan támogató metódus kidolgozására irányul, amely lehetővé teszi a növekvő mértékben diverzifikált ügyféligények személyre szabott kiszolgálását, különös figyelemmel a fogyasztói magatartás kontextuális megértésének módszerére. Az alkalmazhatóságot jelentősen befolyásoló aspektusok elméleti áttekintése után a tanulmány ismerteti a szokásos megközelítést, valamint annak hátrányait, majd vázolja az új módszer folyamatát, az eddig elért eredményeket és a hozzájuk kapcsolódó következtetéseket, továbbá a jövőben tervezett lépéseket.

Summary.

This study – as part of a bigger research study – uses a methodological experiment to present the possibility of putting design thinking into business practice in value proposition design. One of the goals of the design methods applied in the business environment is to explore solutions that satisfy diversifying customer needs. In order to create these innovative value propositions (products, services and systems), enterprises require an integrative, holistic vision, systems thinking and an experimental, creative spirit. Design thinking, a creative problem-solving methodology that integrates customer, business and technological aspects, can provide practical support in this regard.

In Hungary, the number of attempts to adapt design approaches to the value proposition design processes of large service companies is not very high, and not yet been investigated in the scientific context. The analysis of relevant cases is made possible only by participating in the projects. The empirical investigation is aimed at the development of a support method that enables the personalized service of increasingly diversified customer needs, with particular attention to the method of contextual understanding of consumer behavior. After a theoretical overview of the aspects that significantly affect applicability, the study describes the usual approach and its shortcomings, then outlines the process of the new method of actionable consumer empathy, the results achieved so far and the conclusions related to them, as well as the planned steps in the future.

Notwithstanding the level of design maturity defines whether a company is successful in monetizing design value on the long run, businesses often stop at using design methodologies in superficial ways just to seem innovative. This study discusses the factors that determine the success of applicability, such as (1) the transformation of the innovation environment, (2) the change in the nature of the problems, (3) the complexity of consumer decision-making, (4) the connection between design maturity and business benefit, (5) the technological development of data-based customer understanding support, and (6) consideration of legal restrictions and security compliance in exploiting personalization opportunities.

The study also investigates what are the similarities and the substantial difference between the segment and the persona approach, describes the common misconceptions around how to build personas and why the persona approach provides better insights to understand the consumer behavior.

Abstract

This article is directed on increase of the premise ventilation efficiency by using linear diffusers. The aim of the work was to carry out theoretical research, experimental investigations and numerical modeling of the linear diffuser air dynamic characteristics, to obtain the graphs and analytical equations for determination of the linear diffuser necessary parameters and to encrease of efficiency air distribution in the room. Graphs of air velocity dependence on current coordinate and plates angle have been created and approximated by empirical equations. There was established that air velocity decreases intensively with increasing current coordinate and decreases with increasing of the plates angle.

Abstract

Multi-agent simulation has received a lot of attention in recent years as an emerging design method. To improve the accuracy of the simulation results, the authors provide an optimization scheme that combines multi-agent simulation and visibility graph analysis. Investigate how to improve forecasting accuracy through model optimization.

Abstract

Growth of the world population and the globalization of trade are the origins of the fourth industrial revolution, called “Industry 4.0”. What engineers call systems are becoming more and more complex as businesses strive to stay competitive and meet ever-changing demand. While automation and information digitization and transmission technologies are increasingly becoming major assets in modern industries, the changes they bring are having an impact on the management of occupational health and safety.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the progress achieved in the understanding of complex systems and to test some of the published theory by comparing it to a case study. The major scientific databases were searched to retrieve the literature on complexity, and a large company in the steel products business was queried to determine how its complexity as perceived by its managerial staff compares to the theory of complex systems.

Our main conclusion is that, based on the data gathered in the case study, the perception that the managerial staff has of the company corresponds closely to the current definition of complex systems as proposed by researchers. However, it remains to be determined whether this correspondence holds over the range of business sizes.

Összefoglalás.

A tanulmány célja az információbiztonság vizsgálata a magyarországi kis- és középvállalkozások (kkv-k) körében. Tanulmányunk aktualitását az adja, hogy az Európai Unió Bizottsága által évente kiadott Digitális Gazdaság és Társadalom Indexe szerint a magyarországi kkv-kat alacsony adat- és információbiztonsági szint jellemzi. Kutatásunk során egyaránt alkalmaztunk kvalitatív és kvantitatív módszereket. Az előbbinél dokumentumelemzéssel megvizsgáltuk, hogy a hazai szakirodalom milyen fontosabb információbiztonsági kihívásokat azonosít, illetve interjúk segítségével feltérképeztük a kkv-k információbiztonsági gyakorlatait és kihívásait, az utóbbinál pedig egy online, nagymintás kérdőív révén vizsgáltuk a szektor vezetőinek információbiztonsággal kapcsolatos véleményét, fejlettségét.

Summary.

The aim of the study is to examine information security among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hungary. The relevance of our study is that, according to the Digital Economy and Society Index published annually by the Commission of the European Union, Hungarian SMEs are characterised by a low level of data and information security. In our research, we used both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the former, we conducted a document analysis to identify the main information security challenges identified in the domestic literature and mapped the information security practices and challenges of SMEs through interviews, while in the latter, we used an online, large-scale questionnaire to investigate the views and development of the sector’s managers on information security. The findings of our study are based on the responses of 150 SME managers and 31 IT professionals working in the sector. We divided our questionnaire into six sections: demographics, business profile, device usage, digital habits, information security awareness survey based on the international HAIS-Q, information security awareness in daily practice. In the present research we deviated somewhat from the international model, firstly because we had to adapt the model to the domestic requirements and our research objectives, and secondly because this model was only a part of our questionnaire. During the research we have clearly identified the need to develop and implement practice-oriented training programmes that can help managers and IT professionals in the domestic SME sector to develop their information security awareness and even to make the transition to Industry 4.0. Based on the responses to the interview questions, it can be concluded that, overall, SME managers and their organisations are increasingly starting to build cybersecurity solutions and information security measures around their organisation. There is still a need to develop and share information security good practices that can reach SMEs, as there is a need for training and exchange of experiences, but not all companies are fully committed to the issue, so the actual need for action and organisation is ultimately lagging behind. A small proportion of the organisations surveyed have been victims of a cybersecurity incident and a good proportion of SME managers believe that until an incident has happened to an employee or the organisation, they will not learn from it. Basically, there is a growing demand for increased security and the use of security tools and education in information security, but this is evolving as a slow process and not as fast as the world around us is changing, so it is questionable when an information security explosion will occur that may radically change the tools and attitudes of organisations.

Abstract

Drones, specifically quadcopters, have increased in importance during the last years due to their wide range of applications, from civil applications to military employment. One of the most important issues in quadcopters is the efficient control system. While many researchers have dealt with building control systems for symmetric quadcopters, this work presents an efficient control system for asymmetric quadcopters using evolutionary computations. The problem is well-defined throughout the paper, and the methodology is explained in detail in the respective sections. A genetic algorithm is used to tune the weighting matrix of the control system after formulating the control system as an optimization problem. The genetic algorithm was fast and active to increase the performance of the proposed system.

Abstract

The manufacturing of cement liberates the green-house gasses into atmosphere. To overcome this problem so many alternative materials has been invented by researchers to minimize addition of cement. The incorporation of these alternative materials as cementitious material in concrete enhances the attributes of concrete. In this scenario metakaolin gained momentum as a substitution to cement in concrete. Most of the researchers studied the performance of concrete incorporating metakaolin as cementitious material in normal curing conditions. There is a need for analysing the impact of accelerated curing on properties of concrete by incorporating metakaolin as cementitious material. The current construction industry needs high early strength for removal of form work in early ages. The accelerated curing is a method which provides high early strength. In this study, different proportions of metakaolin are added as partial alternative to cement and cured in accelerated curing tank for 3.5 h. The strength parameters test, durability test, and micro-structural parameter tests are performed on these samples. Further, micro-structural analysis has been carried out using SEM, and EDX tests. Results depicted the incorporation of 15% of metakaolin as substitute to cement amplifies the overall performance of concrete in accelerated curing regime.

Abstract

A computational fluid dynamics numerical model addressed the problem of local scouring and deposition calculation for non-cohesive sediment and clear water conditions near single and double cylindrical piers. The numerical results of single cylindrical piers correlate very well with the physical model's results while are higher than the case of the double pier, especially when the large-eddy turbulence model, the van Rijn bed-load transport equation, and fine mesh size are considered. Additionally, the final numerical predictions are compared to experimental data after parameters effectiveness explores the range of results based on projected user inputs like the bed-load equation, mesh cell size, and turbulence model.

Abstract

The rapid technological development that is still taking place today, with increasingly interconnected IT tools, is introducing dramatic changes. The development of computer programs is rapidly transforming traditional processes and the systems that support them. It is therefore natural that the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) and its impact on Hungarian companies is one of the key topics of our time. We conducted an exploratory quantitative survey, asking 140 managers of Hungarian small, medium and large enterprises about their current situation in the context of Industry 4.0. We sought to find out to what extent the specific R&D and innovation potential of Industry 4.0 is accepted, and whether it has already been introduced in the companies. On a qualitative side, 2 case studies and 3 interviews were conducted, in which structured interviews were used to further explore the issue. We aimed to find out where SMEs stood in terms of digital preparedness and what advantages, possible disadvantages, and goals they managed to identify. Our research showed that an increasing number of companies have already decided to take the first steps towards industrial digitalisation, which will completely transform their internal processes.

Abstract

The gear is the most efficient and reliable portion of the transmission system. In machine tools, gears are utilized to handle heavy loads. These gears are used indefinitely if the prerequisites are met. Gear tooth bending stress for numerous spur gears has been examined in this research. The influence of changing the pressure angles on the spur gear tooth root stress has been investigated. The purpose of this study is to look for a new way of finding the stresses generated in the roots of the gear teeth as well as the effect of changing pressure angles on these stresses. Solidworks 2021 uses parametric formulation to model gears, analyzed for deformation and maximum bending stress in ANSYS. The airy stress function is used to conduct the nominal root tooth stress. The enhancement percentages of modified cases are 5.92%, 1.70%, 10.70%, 17.22%, 10.86%, 24.32%, 20.91%, and 26.15% for the cases 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively according to the stress function findings.

Abstract

The thermo convective instability of the Darcy-Benard problem (DB) using Robin (third-kind) thermal conditions is investigated here. We consider a viscous Newtonian fluid saturating a porous layer in which the layer is sandwiched between two impermeable boundaries. The upper and the lower walls are modelled in the form of the Neumann (second-kind) and the Robin (third-kind) thermal conditions, respectively. The difference in the temperature distribution between both phases allows the lack of a local thermal equilibrium model to be present. As a consequence, the third kind of thermal condition brings about one extra dimensionless parameter of the Biot number to the usual one of the inter-heat transfer coefficient and the thermal conductivity ratio. The normal modes method adopted in a linear stability analysis gives rise to perturbed governing equations. The eigenvalue problem is handled numerically as a result of the perturbed governing equations leading to the marginal stability condition.

Abstract

Production and consumption of chicken meat has increased considerably with the increasing world population, and will continue to increase, due to its health benefits and its economic value. Chicken meat is a sensitive food due to its characteristics and microbiological load. Traceability is very important to increase food safety and biosecurity. Freshness indicators are often used to monitor the presence of metabolites produced by microorganisms, mostly functioning through the colour change of the indicator. A developed natural, edible, biodegradable, purple coloured pH sensitive sensory pad was put inside a chicken meat package to observe the chicken meat spoilage with colour change due to pH changes in the meat.

Abstract

Usage of single use plastics has been rapidly increasing in the recent past and it is challenging to dispose of these plastics safely, since they are non-biodegradable. Especially, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) which is widely used in the form of water bottles cannot be easily recycled or reused. On the other hand, construction projects require sustainable materials having good strength, accordingly various studies have been conducted to reuse plastic wastes in the concrete and positive results have been obtained. In this study, the crushed PET bottles are partially substituted with fine aggregates and water hyacinth is added as a bio plasticizer in concrete. The concrete specimens are cast by substituting PET aggregates with the fine aggregates at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10% and water hyacinth is added at 10 & 20% by weight of water. The specimens are tested and it is noted that with the addition of PET aggregates up to 4% the strength of the concrete increases and beyond 4%, strength of the concrete gradually decreases, and addition of water hyacinth enhances the strength of the concrete.

Abstract

In this paper, a novel hybrid technique is proposed for transient stability analysis on grid connected Wind-Diesel-PV hybrid system. The proposed hybrid methodology is combination of the dwarf mongoose optimization algorithm (DMO) and the recalling enhanced recurrent neural network (RERNN) named DMO-RERNN. The main purpose of this work is to consider various elements on hybrid system for the analysis of transient stability according to different conditions. The voltage profile of hybrid system is enhanced using the proposed unified power flow controller (UPFC), which also has higher performance improving transient performance compared to the conventional ANN, PI and fuzzy-sliding mode controller. Considering the proposed technique, DMO is used to find the optimal global solution for the fault predicted by the RERNN approach. The proposed system is executed on MATLAB work platform; its performance with existing systems is analyzed. The result proves that the proposed hybrid technique based UPFC controller provides better results compared with other existing technique. The efficiency of the PI is 82.136, ANN is 77, Fuzzy Sliding Mode is 65.097% and proposed technique is 97.99038%.

Abstract

The design of the envelope in high-rise office buildings is a task of great importance as it can impact the entire building's energy performance. The study presented in this paper is an extension of a previous work reporting on the optimization of the façade and the shading systems of an east-west facing high-rise office building. This study aims to investigate the façade geometry design factors for other potential orientations, e.g., south, south-east, and south-west directions. The IDA ICE 4.8 complex dynamic building energy simulation program was used to assess thermal and lighting simulations. The optimization results revealed the best-performing façade configurations, appropriate for each orientation examined in terms of thermal comfort, visual comfort, and energy consumption.

Abstract

In the present study, antibiotic resistance profiles and biofilm forming abilities of 9 Listeria monocytogenes isolates obtained from out of 30 retail meat samples were determined, and the effect of commercial white vinegar on these virulence factors in isolates exposed to subMIC concentrations were investigated. All isolates were found to be resistant to cefotixin and oxacillin, 8 isolates (26.6%) to clindamycin, 1 isolate (3.3%) to rifampicin, and 1 (3.3%) isolate was found to show intermediate resistance against clindamycin. Biofilm formation was determined for all the isolates at 22 °C and 37 °C (24 h, 48 h and 72 h). MIC values of white vinegar samples were determined at 3.12% for all isolates. MIC/2 and MIC/4 concentrations of white vinegar increased the biofilm forming capacity of the isolates by 21.2% and 17.1%, respectively. After exposure to MIC/2 concentration of white vinegar for seven days, the antibiotic resistance status of the isolates to tetracycline, rifampicin, and clindamycin changed, and the biofilm forming abilities significantly decreased at 4 °C and 37 °C for 48 h and at 37 °C for 72 h (P < 0.05). The results showed that the use of subMIC concentrations of white vinegar should be avoided in routine sanitation applications.

Abstract

The pylon is an essential part of lower limb prosthetics. It is usually made of titanium, aluminum, and steel. However, it is expensive and difficult to be available in developing countries, especially for children who suffer from amputation. Moreover, they constantly need new pylon pieces during close periods due to the growth and increase in the child's length.

Abstract

Present study aimed to optimise stabiliser concentration and swelling time of oat in the production of oat milk using response surface methodology. The effects of independent variables (stabiliser concentration, swelling time) on dependent variables (rheological and sensory properties) were studied using a central composite rotatable design of experiments. Physico-chemical properties and colour values of samples were not significantly (P > 0.05) correlated to stabiliser concentration and swelling time. While stabiliser concentration affected the consistency index (P < 0.05), swelling time had no effect on the rheological properties. The stabiliser ratio affected the sensory texture of samples (P < 0.05). The sensory scores did not increase with increasing K value, on the contrary, the samples with the highest K value had lower sensory scores (P < 0.05). Considering the K value and sensory scores, the optimum stabiliser concentration and swelling time were determined as 0.102%, and 51.2 min, respectively.

Abstract

The aims of the present study were to detect Escherichia coli in chicken distributed in Birjand, to investigate the prevalence of ESBL and AmpC beta-lactamases producers among them, and to identify their antibiotic resistance patterns. The study was conducted on 150 chicken samples, and the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Phenotypic identification of ESBL and AmpC was performed by the combined disk test (CDT). The specific genes of ESBL and AmpC beta-lactamases were detected using two multiplex PCR (m-PCR) assays. According to our results, 116 out of 150 chicken samples were contaminated with E. coli. Moreover, the highest resistance of E. coli isolates was observed to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (46%), ampicillin (40%), and amoxicillin (29.33%). In the molecular confirmation step, among 17 (11.33%) beta-lactamase producers, five samples contained the bla _CTX-M14 gene (3.33%), two samples contained bla _DHA (1.33%) and bla _CTX-M3 gene (1.33%), and just one sample carried bla _CMY-2 gene (0.66%). The bla _SHV and bla _TEM genes were not detected in any strains isolated from the chicken samples. This study showed the contamination of chicken with antibiotic-resistant E. coli. Therefore, it is recommended that veterinarians be more precautious in prescribing antibiotics.

Abstract

Prying force formation at bolts is considered as an important problem in steel connection design. It affects the connection bearing capacity, ductility and serviceability negatively by increasing stresses induced inside connections. In the present work, behavior of steel connection under prying force is studied. A connection of steel beam-column has been modeled using software Revit program. Tension load is applied increasingly and the connection displacement has been measured until failure. Finite element simulation of steel angles under the effect of tension load and prying force has been studied. It is found that the connection has three phases of bearing behavior. Plastic hinge formation noticed increased with prying force presence.

Abstract

The common feature of streams in steep sloping watersheds is that there is a significant change from base-flow to flash-flood; sometimes two or three orders of magnitude. In Hungary, these streams are usually ungauged, with lack of available data, and models. The watershed features both urban and natural land use conditions, but the main area is quite homogenic.

This paper evaluates the impact of different model parameterizations, and rainfall duration on flash-flood events in the Morgó-creek watershed. The goal is to find the main parameters that can represent the uncertainty of a flash-flood sensitive area, and how the calibrated and determined parameters take effect on a model if these values are shifted on given intervals.

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of plastic is very widespread, especially in packaging materials. Most packaging materials are made from fossil-based polymers, which contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The unprecedented leakage of single-use plastic waste into the environment is a major problem, with negative impacts on both ecosystems and human health. In this study we examine the development of packaging waste and recycled packaging in the European Union over a period of more than 20 years, highlighting changes in the regulatory context; assess the achievements of Hungary so far and forecast the expected developing of packaging volumes and recycling rates; and consider recycling and waste reduction options, including alternative sustainable packaging options. Our forecast based on the evidence shows that Hungary (47.62%), Germany (61.46%), Malta (26.27%), Romania (58.64%) and Croatia (49.41%) are not expected to reach the target set (65% by 2025) in EU legislation. Out of the 27 countries surveyed, 6 (Belgium 88.2%, the Netherlands 87.81%, Luxembourg 76.96%, the Czech Republic 77.79%, Finland 78.75% and Denmark 83.7%) exceeded the expectations, so we show their waste management and waste recycling good practice, as they can serve as good examples for Hungary and other countries.

Abstract

In this paper, a comprehensive statistics-based review of islanding detection methods (IDMs) in microgrids (MGs) is presented. Islanding detection is the situation of isolating the MG from the main grid whether programmed as a result of load managing purposes or un-programmed due to the occurrence of faults. Islanding detection is a vital issue in MG's analyses due to the prevention of subsequent protection problems in the power system. In other words, when the MG's operation mode changes, the current passing through the protective devices changes subsequently and the protection system should be able to adapt the new settings to the protective devices. So, IDMs are vital for electrical engineers to overcome the abovementioned protection issue. This review paper surveys the existing literature in IDMs by concentration on total publications, type of publications (journal, conference paper, or book), five authors with the highest number of publications (including the affiliations), and five most published sources. Also, the five most cited publications and state-of-the-art IDMs are investigated in detail, utilizing some known and novel categorizations. This paper will be useful for the MG's researchers to know the most desirable IDMs, especially in recent years, and provides an insightful overview for future studies.

Abstract

The technical and economic effects of the two methods of retrofitting with buckling restrain bracing and using concrete shear wall were investigated. The results of this study showed that using reinforcement, the amount of target displacement in the models was significantly reduced and it was observed that the concrete shear wall had a greater impact on the structure in this regard. The reinforcement methods used in this research have a significant impact on improving the technical performance of structures, which has been more in the strengthening method with concrete shear wall. Also, the evaluations showed that despite the fact that the shear wall of reinforced concrete has a better effect on the performance of the structure from a technical point of view, but in terms of weight, it can be seen that using a buckling brace can be more economical.

Abstract

Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) is an important tree species that grows widely in Türkiye. In this study, Box-Behnken experimental design was created and optimised for ultrasound assisted extraction of bioactive components of Turkish red pine waste bark. Extraction yield, total phenolic content (TPC), total concentrated tannin (TCT), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) were determined at experimental points. As a result of the optimisation process, optimum parameter values were found at 34.8 °C temperature, 6.5 min time and 116.3 W ultrasonic power. Under optimum conditions, the extraction efficiency was 13.16%, TPC 103.09 mg GAE/g, TCT 13.29 mg CE/g, FRAP 602.14 mg TEAC/g, and ABTS 624.51 mg TEAC/g activity results were obtained. The extracts obtained showed low in vitro toxicity against healthy cell lines (HEK-293, human embryonic kidney), proliferation of CaCo-2 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma) and MIA PaCa-2 (human pancreatic adenocarcinoma) cancer cells was significantly reduced. It was also determined that this extract has lower activity against Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated AChE (acetylcholinesterase)-BChE (butyrylcholinesterase) than diabetes disease associated ɑ-glucosidase and ɑ-amylase. The extracts also showed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Escherichia coli.

Abstract

This study revealed the system of a lower limb exoskeleton created for knee rehabilitation. The exoskeleton has been extensively used in rehabilitation robotic device research, but its practical applicability is limited due to its high nonlinearity and uncertain behavior. As a result, the control technique is critical in increasing the efficacy of rehabilitation devices. For the rehabilitation and help of a patient with a lower-limb condition, a sliding mode control (SMC) with proportional derivative (PD) control approach are used as parallel loops. Active disturbances rejection control (ADRC) is used by these controllers to cancel any external influences. To overcome the degradation of disturbance rejection and robustness caused by a failure to fully adjust for the entire disturbance, a (SMC) loop was introduced to the control regulation. By assessing performance indices related to the estimated inaccuracy, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested controller. Simulink is used for simulation and analysis.

Összefoglalás.

A kutatás célja olyan n-3 zsírsavakra alapozott takarmányozási módszer fejlesztése, ami javíthatja a nagy teljesítményű tenyészkocák termelési mutatóit, és ezáltal gazdaságosabbá teheti termelésüket. A kifejlesztett kiegészítő takarmányok hatásainak vizsgálata nagyüzemi körülmények között, több kísérletben, különböző dózisokban és eltérő időszakokban etetve történt. Az eredmények pontosabb értékelése céljából a hagyományos vizsgálatok mellett gyorsvizsgálati módszerek (pl. elektronikus orr) alkalmazására is sor került. A kísérletek eredményei alapján olyan etetési stratégia kidolgozása van folyamatban, amely hatékonyan képes kiegészíteni a magyarországi sertés késztakarmányok esszenciális zsírsavkészletét, és hosszú távon eredményesen javíthatja a tenyészkocák teljesítménymutatóit.

Summary.

The research aimed to develop a feeding strategy based on n-3 fatty acids, which can improve the production parameters of high-performance breeding sows and thereby make their production more economically advanced. To earn this, the effects of the developed supplementary feeds on the performance of sows and their piglets in several large-scale swine farm experiments, at different doses and periods were investigated.

In the first trial, the effects of n-6 and n-3 fatty acid supplementation on the performance parameters of sows and the fatty acid profile of sow milk were examined. Besides traditional fatty acid analysis, a novel electronic nose method was also used. The control group received 10 g of sunflower oil-based supplementation rich in n-6 fatty acids per kg feed. Experimental animals received the same amount of fish oil as an n-3 fatty acid source. The diets were corn- and soybean meal-based. Supplementation of fish oil reduced the wean to oestrus interval (non-significantly) in the trial group and decreased the number of sows having oestrus later than seven days after weaning. The treatments did not affect the performance of the subsequent farrow of sows. Supplementation of fish oil significantly increased the amount of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5, n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5, n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6, n-3), in the milk (p < 0.001). The chemical composition of milk was not affected by the treatments. The electronic nose could separate milk samples collected from control and trial groups based on their odour profile.

In the second trial, the effects of n-3 fatty acid supplementation on the performance parameters of sows and their piglets were investigated in a special nutritional situation when α-linolenic acid (C18:3, n-3) was already high in the sows’ compound feeds. The control group received no supplementation during the trial, but experimental animals received 5 g of fish oil-based supplement instead of linseed meal-based supplementation. The diets were corn- and soybean, and linseed meal-based. Supplementation of fish oil during lactation reduced the weaning mortality of piglets in the trial groups (1st replication: p < 0.00; 2nd replication: p < 0.04). Wean to oestrus interval decreased significantly in the case of the trial group in the 1st replication (p < 0.019) but was not changed in the 2nd. The rate of late oestrus, conception, and farrowing were apparently improved in the trial group in both replications compared to the control. The results of the subsequent farrow were also better in the trial group, where the number of live-born piglets increased in both replications compared to the recent farrow.

Based on the results, a feeding strategy is being developed that can effectively supply Hungarian sow feeds with those n-3 fatty acids, which can improve the long-term performance parameters of breeding sows.

Abstract

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a dietary strategy that involves alternating periods of abstention from calorie consumption with periods of ad libitum food intake and has been shown to have beneficial effects in many ways. Recent studies have shown that IF attenuates neurodegeneration and improves cognitive decline, enhances functional recovery after stroke as well as attenuates the pathological and clinical features of epilepsy in animal models. Furthermore, IF induced several molecular and cellular adaptations in neurons that overall enhanced cellular stress resistance, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis. In this review, the beneficial effects of IF on central neurological disorders are discussed. The information summarised in this review can be used to help contextualise existing research and better guide the development of future IF interventions.

Abstract

Nattokinase (NK) is effective in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Cucumber is rich in nutrients with low sugar content and is safe for consumption. The aim of this study was to construct a therapeutic cucumber that can express NK, which can prevent and alleviate cardiovascular diseases by consumption. Because the Bitter fruit (Bt) gene contributes to bitter taste but has no obvious effect on the growth and development of cucumber, so the NK-producing cucumber was constructed by replacing the Bt gene with NK by using CRISPR/Cas9. The pZHY988-Cas9-sgRNA and pX6-LHA-U6-NK-T-RHA vectors were constructed and transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105, which was transformed into cucumber by floral dip method. The crude extract of NK-producing cucumber had significant thrombolytic activity in vitro. In addition, treatment with the crude extract significantly delayed thrombus tail appearance, and the thrombin time of mice was much longer than that of normal mice. The degrees of coagulation and blood viscosity as well as hemorheological properties improved significantly after crude extract treatment. These findings show that NK-producing cucumber can effectively alleviate thrombosis and improve blood biochemical parameters, providing a new direction for diet therapy against cardiovascular diseases.

Összefoglalás.

Napjaink kiemelkedő állat- és közegészségügyi problémája az antimikrobiális rezisztencia (AMR) kérdésköre. Az AMR terjedése szempontjából az egyik legnagyobb jelentőségű az Escherichia coli baktérium, amelynek plazmidon kódolt rezisztenciagénjei lehetőséget adnak a horizontális génátvitelre. A szerzők célul tűzték ki, hogy az AMR kevésbé vizsgált területeit térképezik fel. Egyrészt vakcinafejlesztés modellezéséhez kiválasztott törzseket, másrészt probiotikumkészítményeket vizsgáltak új generációs szekvenálással. Számos mobilis genetikai elemet, plazmidon és fágon kódolt gént sikerült azonosítani. Az eredmények rávilágítanak arra, hogy új vakcinák, valamint probiotikumok fejlesztéséhez érdemes a kiválasztott baktériumtörzsek rezisztenciagén szűrését elvégezni.

Summary.

The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public and animal health problem of our days, with the most conservative estimates suggesting that it could become the leading cause of death worldwide by 2050. The role of Escherichia coli is significant, as in many cases it creates the potential for horizontal gene transfer through antimicrobial resistance genes encoded as mobile genetic elements on plasmids. Authors have set out to map two less researched areas of potential involvement in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. One area is the investigation of potential vaccine candidate Escherichia coli isolates using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The other area is the investigation of commercialized probiotic products for farm and companion animals with NGS. Our results suggest that vaccine candidate strains may carry several mobile genetic elements encoded on plasmids or phages. Among these, there are genes clearly of public health importance (TEM-1, ampC, qnrS1, ugd) that may be responsible for the development of resistance to antibiotics classified as category B (3rd to 4th generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, colistin) by the AMEG (AntiMicrobial Expert Group); the presence of these genes as mobile genetic elements is of particular concern. The ampC gene is a gene responsible for beta-lactamase overproduction, whereas TEM-1 is an ESBL gene (extended spectrum beta lactamase), which has a significant role in public health mainly in nosocomial or multiresistant infections. In the case of probiotic products, those intended for farm animals are much better regulated, thereby mobile genetic elements were not found in our study. However, preparations intended for companion animals are not regulated at all, and we found resistance genes against aminoglycosides (APH(3’)-Ia) and tetracyclines (tetS) that might have public health significance as these were encoded on mobile genetic elements on plasmids. Our results suggest that it is strongly recommended to include a pre-screening step for antimicrobial resistance genes in bacterial vaccine development. As regards probiotics, preparations for companion animals should be subject to similar regulation as those for farm animals. It is in our common interest to prevent the further spread of antimicrobial resistance as widely as possible in the light of the One Health concept and to use and preserve antibiotics responsibly for future generations.