Tomas Bata University in Zlín
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Electrochemical performance of composite electrodes based on rGO, Mn/Cu metal-organic frameworks, and PANI
Get PDFBenzendicarboxylic acid (BDC)-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely utilized in various applications, including supercapacitor electrode materials. Manganese and copper have solid diamond frames formed with BDC linkers among transition metals chosen for MOF formation. They have shown the possibility to enlarge capacitance at different combinations of MOFs and polyaniline (PANI). Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used as the matrix to fabricate electrochemical double-layer SCs. PANI and Mn/Cu-MOF's effect on the properties of electrode materials was investigated through electrochemical analysis. As a result, the highest specific capacitance of about 276 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g was obtained for rGO/Cu-MOF@PANI composite.RP/CPS/2020/005; Tomas Bata University in Zlin, TBUM-era.Net 2019 call project "LiBASED Li-ion BAttery-SupErcapacitor Hybrid Device"; Technology Agency of the Czech Republic EPSILON Programme [TH71020006]; Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports of the Czech Republic-DKRVO [RP/CPS/2020/005]; Tomas Bata University in Zli
An insight into long-term effects of biochar application on forest soils
Get PDFProtection and appropriate management of forests is one of the key instruments for climate change adaptation. Soil amendments with biochar have shown to be promising in achieving this goal; however, the evaluation of its long-term effects on forest soils has largely been neglected. To assess the advantages and drawbacks of biochar in forest soils, data from relict charcoal hearths (RCH) can be a potent tool as they show changes in soil properties after up to several hundred years. RCHs can be found in places of former metallurgical hot spots and their presence leaves characteristic formations identifiable on a large scale using laser detection technologies. Forest soils with biochar amendment show an increase in base cations, shift towards more alkaline pH, smaller bulk density and seem to be especially beneficial to hostile environments. Sites with favourable conditions may show little to no improvement or may even be adversely affected. Still, with proper investigation, areas with affordable feedstock materials and poor forest soils—such as spruce monocultures of Central Europe—may benefit from biochar amendments and continue to do so in the long term. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, TACR: TL0200016
Classification of the key competencies of cluster managers using a Delphi approach: introducing insights from the Czech Republic
Get PDFRecent studies highlight the significance of a competent manager for the long-term development of a cluster organisation. However, the key competencies required for managers have not been adequately studied. The main objective of this study is to identify the key competencies of managers and construct a competency model. The data was gathered using the Delphi method with three rounds involving a group of experts with prior experience in management of cluster organisations. The results identified nine key competencies, to further develop an innovation-intensive ecosystem based on the managers’ abilities to manage, motivate, communicate, protect, analyse, and network. The final list of competencies provides practical implications for the selection and evaluation of managers and meet their development needs as well as those of cluster organisations, with insights from the Czech Republic. Additionally, the paper sheds some light on the theoretical overview concerning the management’s competencies in a collaborative environment. Copyright © 2021 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Hierarchically structured surfaces prepared by phase separation: Tissue mimicking culture substrate
Get PDFThe pseudo 3D hierarchical structure mimicking in vivo microenvironment was prepared by phase separation on tissue culture plastic. For surface treatment, time-sequenced dosing of the solvent mixture with various concentrations of polymer component was used. The experiments showed that hierarchically structured surfaces with macro, meso and micro pores can be prepared with multi-step phase separation processes. Changes in polystyrene surface topography were characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and contact profilometry. The cell proliferation and changes in cell morphology were tested on the prepared structured surfaces. Four types of cell lines were used for the determination of impact of the 3D architecture on the cell behavior, namely the mouse embryonic fibroblast, human lung carcinoma, primary human keratinocyte and mouse embryonic stem cells. The increase of proliferation of embryonic stem cells and mouse fibroblasts was the most remarkable. Moreover, the embryonic stem cells express different morphology when cultured on the structured surface. The acquired findings expand the current state of knowledge in the field of cell behavior on structured surfaces and bring new technological procedures leading to their preparation without the use of problematic temporary templates or additives.CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/19_073/0016941, IGA/CPS/2022/001, IGA/FT/2022/009; Grantová Agentura České Republiky, GA ČR: 22-33307S, RP/CPS/2022/001, RP/CPS/2022/003Czech Science FoundationGrant Agency of the Czech Republic [22-33307S]; project DKRVO [RP/CPS/2022/001, RP/CPS/2022/003]; TBU grant [IGA/FT/2022/009, IGA/CPS/2022/001]; OP RDE Junior Grants of TBU in Zlin [CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/19_073/0016941
Are fan tokens fan tokens?
Get PDFFan tokens, digital assets providing privileges including rewards and promotions as well as voting rights in polls, recently became highly popular among the football clubs and the (fan) investors. Fan tokens differ from the stocks of football clubs with respect to ownership properties. Fan tokens might be associated with investor mood changes and reaction to match results. This paper aims to explore the impact of football match results on token prices of the clubs. We show that both the losses and wins in the most prestigious European tournament, UEFA Champions League affect the fan token abnormal returns, losses with an effect of a larger magnitude. Domestic matches and Europa League matches are not followed by similar reactions from the investors. Our results are robust to the use of alternative model specifications and various benchmark assets
Eating and lifestyle of university students during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFObjective: The aim of this article was to find whether the global COVID-19 pandemic could affect eating habits in the form of breakfast as the first meal of the day, and whether due to the global COVID-19 pandemic there was a change in body weight in selected university students studying in the Czech Republic. Design: Structured anonymous online questionnaire survey Participans: A total of 628 university students studying in the Czech Republic (68.95% women; 31.05% men) mostly aged 20 to 29 (63.38%) Methods: Mathematical-statistical methods were used to verify the established research questions, namely Pearson's chi-square test and to investigate the strength of the dependence Cramer's V. Results and Conclusion: There is a relationship between regular eating habits in the form of breakfast as the first morning meal of a day, before and during COVID-19 and gender and also the biological age of respondents. Furthermore, it was found that there is a statistically significant relationship between the change in body weight during COVID-19 and gender, as well as the biological age of the respondents
Current perception of a brand in Czech consumers' mind
No full textNowadays, the development and management of brands is a key element of strategic marketing management regardless of the type of market, regardless of the type of products we offer, regardless of which needs of which type of customers we intend to meet. The presented study analyzes managerial processes and decisions related to strategic development and management of a portfolio of brands, its synergic and multiplication effects, and specifies key factors influencing the increase in the value of brands in relation to the influencing of opinions and preferences of consumers regarding brand products. Last but not least, this study presents the results of primary representative quantitative research carried out at the turn of the year 2014 using a sample of 1028 respondents by the Department of Marketing Communications of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications of Tomas Bata University in Zlín. The main aim of the research was an analysis of opinions and preferences of Czech customers towards a brand and brand products, and of the identification of the influence of brands on the shopping behaviour of Czech citizens. The research was focused on branches of profit organizations emphasizing the importance and the customers’ ability to identify the producer and the country of origin. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG
Polypyrrole-coated melamine sponge as a precursor for conducting macroporous nitrogen-containing carbons
Get PDFMacroporous open-cell melamine sponges were coated with a conducting polymer, polypyrrole, during in-situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole. Two samples, differing in polypyrrole content, 8.2 and 27.4 wt%, were prepared. They were exposed to various temperatures up to 700 degrees C in an inert atmosphere. The macroporous structure and mechanical integrity were preserved after this process. This converted both the polypyrrole coating and the melamine sponge to macroporous nitrogen-containing carbons. The changes in molecular structure in the course of carbonization were followed by elemental analysis and FTIR and Raman spectra. The specific surface area of polypyrrole-coated sponge increased from ca. 90 to ca. 300 m(2) g(-1) along with accompanying increase in the porosity. The conductivity of the sponges was recorded as a function of compression in a newly developed apparatus. The sponge containing 27.4 wt% pyrrole had conductivity of the order of 10(-2) S center dot cm(-1) at 0.1 MPa pressure, which was reduced by four orders of magnitude when exposed to 400-500 degrees C and nearly recovered after the temperature reached 700 degrees C. The sponges were tested in electromagnetic radiation shielding and displayed both radiation absorption and, to a lower extent, radiation reflection proportional mainly to the samples' conductivity.RP/CPC/2020/005; Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, TACR: TH71020006; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMTMinistry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (DKRVO) [RP/CPC/2020/005]; M-era.Net project "LiBASED Li-ion BAttery-SupErcapacitor hybrid Device"; Technology Agency of the Czech Republic [Epsilon TH71020006
Higher education and innovation in the non-profit sector
No full textThe present study draws the attention to the still persistent problem of application of strategic marketing, targeted marketing communications, in the nonprofit sector, primarily to non-governmental, non-profit organizations, with its focus on the specifics of the present times. Marketing communications represent a set of tools for commercial and non-commercial communication with the market the common goal of which is to support the company’s marketing strategy in conjunction with the need to inform and influence consumers as effectively as possible. However, it is necessary for the non-profit entities to become fully aware that without professional marketing experts, they cannot achieve their victories in an increasingly concurrent struggle. Here, the role of higher education plays an essential role then, with an important aspect being the increasing permeability between the general (academic) and vocational training that helps universities reach new target groups and thus better meet the labor market expectations and demands. A part of the contribution is, based on the results of research surveys on the one hand with non-governmental, nonprofit organizations in continuity with the reflection of the perception of students of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, also the presentation of one of the options for the development of innovation activities in marketing and marketing communications in continuity with the creative approach of the students of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications at Tomas Bata University in Zlin. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Cyprinus carpio skeleton byproduct as a source of collagen for gelatin preparation
Get PDFByproducts obtained from fish processing account for up to 70% of their live weight and represent a large amount of unused raw materials rich in proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Recently, the management of the use of predominantly cold-water fish byproducts has become a priority for many processing companies. This paper describes the biotechnological processing of byproducts of warm-water Cyprinus carpio skeletons into gelatins. A Taguchi experimental design with two process factors (HCl concentration during demineralization of the starting material and the amount of enzyme during enzyme conditioning of the collagen) examined at three levels (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 wt%; 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2 wt% respectively) was used to optimize the processing of fish tissue into gelatin. Depending on the preparation conditions, four gelatin fractions were prepared by multi-stage extraction from the starting material with a total yield of 18.7-55.7%. Extensive characterization of the gel-forming and surface properties of the prepared gelatins was performed. Gelatins belong to the group of zero-low-medium Bloom value (0-170 Bloom) and low-medium viscosity (1.1-4.9 mPa center dot s) gelatins and are suitable for some food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. During processing, the pigment can be isolated; the remaining solid product can then be used in agriculture, and H3PO4Ca can be precipitated from the liquid byproduct after demineralization. The carp byproduct processing technology is environmentally friendly and meets the requirements of zero-waste technology.QK1920190; European Regional Development Fund, ERDF: CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0089European Regional Development Fund under the project CEBIA-Tech [CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0089]; National Agency for Agriculture Research of the Czech Republic [QK1920190