Tomas Bata University in Zlín
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Medium-specific aspects of digital reading and their impact on reading comprehension
No full textThe paper analyses empirical research results comparing the impact of the medium (traditional, paper-based vs. screen-based) on the reading process and text comprehension. It focuses on two analytical approaches the first looks at the construction of cognitive maps of texts and the other the material aspects of the medium - which enable readers to orientate themselves and to explore and interpret the text more comprehensively. The paper discusses differences in how readers approach textual meaning according to experience of using digital technologies, the text, and reader experience and abilities. It concludes by arguing that strengthening these individual experiences and abilities is key to effective inference of textual meaning.Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic [VEGA 2/0026/21]; Slovak Research and Development AgencySlovak Research and Development Agency [APVV-19-0074]VEGA 2/0026/21; Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja, APVV: APVV-19-007
ZnO nanowires and nanorods based ZnO/WO3/Pt heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic degradation of estriol (E3) hormone
Get PDFIn this report, ZnO nanowires and nanorods based ZnO/WO3/Pt heterojunction were successfully prepared on a glass substrates via a facile hydrothermal growth method followed by spraying. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated by the degradation of estriol (E3) hormone under UV light irradiation (~365 nm) in a closed continuous flow reactor. The as-prepared samples achieved an excellent photodegradation rate in the range of 23-37% and 63-86% for the nanorods and nanowires morphology, respectively. This article provides a new insight into the construction of suitable geometrically optimized heterojunction for the remediation of persistent bio toxicants.IGA/CPS/2022/003; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMT: LTT20010, RP/CPS/2022/002, RP/CPS/2022/007Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic [LTT20010, RP/CPS/2022/002, RP/CPS/2022/007]; Internal Grant Agency of TBU in Zlin [IGA/CPS/2022/003
Changes in urban planning and recommendation for future planning in Ho Chi Minh City
No full textIn Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is one of the largest populous cities. This city is also a relatively young city with less than 300 years of history. With a population increasing each year rapidly, a total of 8,837,544 million (2019), along with the rapid pace of economic and urban development, HCMC is facing challenges concerning urban planning that come into direct conflict with conservation efforts of its cultural heritage (Dynamics, World population review, 2020). This study aims to investigate existing urban planning issues and provide planning guidelines for HCMC. In addition to the study of the historical development of the urban planning of HCMC, this study attempts to analyze the existing problems of HCMC and tailor an urban planning design that fits its characteristic urban profile. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
A comparative study of linear and nonlinear optimal control of a three-tank system
Get PDFIn this work, a laboratory scaled industrial interconnected nonlinear Multi-Input|Multi-Output (MIMO) three-tank system, was modelled to control the liquid levels. Ensuing the tradition in the process industry to apply linear controller to most control processes, a linear control scheme was developed for this system. However, since linear schemes are proximate to actual process models, they may not be adequate, especially for highly nonlinear systems. Therefore, a nonlinear control scheme was also developed and compared with the linear scheme. Specifically, optimal linear and nonlinear controllers were designed. In summary, the results of the two control schemes showed adequate performance. However, the linear controller had more robust control and required lesser computational demand compared to the nonlinear scheme. To enhance the computational demand of the nonlinear scheme, a third-party MATLAB toolbox, Automatic Control and Dynamic Optimization (ACADO) toolbox, that interfaces MATLAB with C++ to speed up computations was also utilised, and its results compared, and tentatively validate the earlier solved nonlinear control scheme. © 2022 ISAIGA/CebiaTech/2022/002; Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlín
The intensity of perception of selected personnel risk factors in the V4 countries
Get PDFResearch background: The intensity of the personnel risk perception in SMEs is a crucial factor contributing to the application of risk management practices. Purpose: The objective of the study is to identify the intensity of perception of personnel risks and their manifestation in the form of staff turnover, error rate, and employee effort to improve their performance in SMEs in the V4 countries. Research methodology: The 1,585 companies in the V4 countries were randomly selected and surveyed. The descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient (Chi-square and Z-score) were used for hypotheses verification. Results: The results show heterogeneity in the perception of personal risks in the V4 countries. Compared to the Czech Republic, the intensity of perception of personal risks differs in Hungary and Slovakia (p-value < 0.0001/0.0404). However, the perception of employee turnover is different in Hungary (p-value = 0.0078), but not in Slovakia and Poland (p-value = 0.5218/0.4268). Perceptions of employee skills differ in Hungary (p-value = 0.0253), while the differences in Slovakia and Poland are not statistically significant (p-value = 0.1104/0.2414). Performance improvement and competitiveness in the workplace differ in Slovakia and Hungary (p-value = 0.0134/<0.0001). Novelty: The study fills in the gap in the area of perceived personnel risks and their manifestations and provides valuable proposals for taking measures concerning the limitations of SMEs. © 2022 Zoltan Rozsa et al., published by Sciendo
Technological innovation outcomes: Does the internal ecosystem play a key role?
No full textThis study empirically investigates the causal relationship that exist between innovators and internal ecosystem factors driving technological innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the European region using the linear equation model. Our analysis is based on firm-level panel data from the European Innovation Survey conducted by the European Union from 2011–2018 with 296 SMEs across Europe. The results show that, human resources, research systems, financial support, firm investments, linkages, and employment impact was positively related to technological innovation performance. However, the outcome of an innovation-free environment and sales impacts as contextual factors had an insignificant influence on SMEs’ innovation performance. The results imply that effective human resource approach coupled with good governmental policies are important factors that can increase SMEs’ innovation performance. Based on this study results, SMEs’ managers can provide effective and sustainable policies that would provide both direct and support roles on the main drivers of regional and economic development. The outcome of this research indicates that firms need to pay greater attention to external factors such as governmental policies governing SMEs, considering customers’ needs, product specification and ensuring that they deliver quality product to satisfy consumers. © 2022 K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management
Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national economy of the Czech Republic
Get PDFThe paper deals with the analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on the economy of the Czech Republic. The Covid-19 pandemic is an extreme burden and crisis for our economy, and not just ours. The health crisis spilled over into the economic crisis at lightning speed. The paper focuses on analyzing and evaluating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy of the Czech Republic. The author's team focused on two variables, namely gross domestic product and unemployment in the Czech Republic. The dependence of macroeconomic variables is investigated through one of the primary statistical analysis methods - regression analysis. The paper aims to propose a model that explains the relationship between these two variables in the conditions of the Czech Republic through empirically determined data on the level of gross domestic product and unemployment. Based on this model, it will be possible to estimate/predict the further development of unemployment depending on the expected development of GDP. Attention will also be paid to estimating whether and, if so, how the described relationship is changing in connection with the current development of the Czech economy during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Copyright © 2022, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l
Revisiting competitiveness of hydrogen and algae biodiesel
Get PDFThere is a shared belief across latest literature that hydrogen and algae biodiesel are promising substitutes for fossil fuels. However, hydrogen infrastructure for everyday mobility is still in its early stage from a global perspective and there is no algae biodiesel refinery in operation. Despite all this, recent geopolitical developments have caused a tipping point to be reached in the EU and hydrogen mobility has become cheaper (7 euro/100 km) than conventional fossil fuels (15.6 euro/100 km) for the first time. In many other countries the breaking point is also approaching and recent methods in waste refining could make hydrogen production even cheaper (5.4 euro/100 km). Switching to algae biodiesel is less technically challenging for the industry. Nevertheless, technological barriers in scaling up commercial-scale algae production make the hypothetical price of algae biodiesel far from price-competitive (292 euro/100 km). At the present state of knowledge it is recommended to refine algae for non-energy purposes
Influence of curing system composition and aging on the performance of rubber magnets based on NBR and EPDM
Get PDFRubber magnetic composites were fabricated by incorporation of strontium ferrite in constant loading level in ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber. Different curing additives based on peroxide, sulfur and combined sulfur/peroxide systems were introduced for cross-linking of rubber matrices. Both sulfur and peroxide curing systems lead to the formation of cross-links with different length and structure, which subsequently results in different properties of rubber products. Moreover, due to various bonding energies of the formed cross-links, rubber articles exhibit different propensity to degradation factors as to thermo-oxidative aging. Therefore, the work was aimed at the investigation of curing system composition and aging on cross-link density and properties of rubber magnetic composites. The achieved results point out to close correlation between cross-link density and physical-mechanical characteristics with exception of tensile strength, which showed increasing tendency with increasing amount of peroxide in combined vulcanization systems. It can be stated that no significant changes in physical-mechanical and magnetic properties were recorded during aging.Slovak Research and Development Agency [APVV-16-0136, APVV-19-0091
Incorporation of the new anti-octadecaborane laser dyes into thin polymer films: A temperature-dependent photoluminescence and infrared spectroscopy study
Get PDFNew anti-octadecaborane(22) laser dyes have been recently introduced. However, their application in solid thin films is limited, despite being very desirable for electronics. Spectroscopic methods, photoluminescence (PL), and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), are here used to reveal structural responses to a temperature change in thin polymer films made of pi- and sigma-conjugated and non-conjugated polymers and anti-octadecaborane(22) and its tetra-alkylatedderivatives. It has been observed that borane clusters are not firmly fixed within polymer matrices and that their ability for diffusion out of the polymer film is unprecedented, especially at higher temperatures. This ability is related to thermodynamic transitions of polymer macromolecular chains. PL and IRRAS spectra have revealed a clear correlation with beta-transition and alpha-transition of polymers. The influence of structure and molecular weight of a polymer and the concentration and the substitution type of clusters on mobility of borane clusters within the polymer matrix is demonstrated. A solution is proposed that led to an improvement of the temperature stability of films by 45 degrees C. The well-known spectroscopic methods have proved to be powerful tools for a non-routine description of the temperature behavior of both borane clusters and polymer matrices.Czech Science Foundation [19-23513S]; Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations; national budget of the Czech Republic [CZ.1.05/2.1.00/19.0409]; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic-DKRVO [RP/CPS/2022/007]RP/CPS/2022/007; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMT; Grantová Agentura České Republiky, GA ČR: 19-23513S; European Regional Development Fund, ERDF: CZ.1.05/2.1.00/19.040