Tomas Bata University in Zlín
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Simulation control of three-tank-system using 2DOF controller
No full textThe paper proposes an implementation of a 2DOF controller based on polynomial methods for control of a system of three serially connected tanks. A state-space model of the three-tank-system was figured out according to physical laws. Then an appropriate linear input-output model was computed from the state-space model. This model is related to the prime model, although it has a different structure. It can therefore be assumed that it describes the main properties of the controlled system in the same way as the prime model. The input-output model was then applied for design of the 2DOF controller. The system of three interconnected tanks has a nonlinear character and uncertain parameters. A description of its dynamical properties with the use of a linear model is appropriate just in a vicinity of a certain working point. The controller was then realized in an adaptive version with a recursive identification of an input-output model appropriate to the state-space model which was realized in Simulink environment and used for verification of the controller by simulation. Simulation results are also included in the paper
Crowdfunding agricultural ventures: psychological predictors of funding intentions and the role of climate change beliefs
Get PDFDespite the popularity of crowdfunding models, backers’ support for agricultural ventures continues to lag, and knowledge of the psychological and environmental factors shaping consumers’ propensity to support such ventures remains limited. Hence, the study proposes a model based on social exchange theory and examines the effects of perceived risk, rewards, and prosocial factors on funding intentions. The role of climate change beliefs was also explored, given the vulnerability of agriculture to climate change impacts. The model was tested on 257 crowdfunding backers in the Philippines following the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique. The findings indicate that altruism and warm glow predict funding intentions. High levels of climate change belief increase financial and emotional reward expectations and decrease altruistic drives and herding effects. Practical insights are provided into designing strategies for backer targeting and initiatives to assist farmers in adopting climate change mitigation strategies and sustainable practices.Internal Grant Agency of FaME through Tomas Bata University in Zlin [IGA/FaME/2020/002, IGA/FaME/2021/003]; Visayas State University in Baybay City, Leyte, Philippine
Color models in the process of 3D digitization of an artwork for presentation in a VR environment of an art gallery †
Get PDFThis study deals with the color reproduction of a work of art to digitize it into a 3D realistic model. The experiment aims to digitize a work of art for application in a virtual reality environment concerning faithful color reproduction. Photogrammetry and scanning with a LiDAR sensor are used to compare the methods and work with colors during the reconstruction of the 3D model. An innovative tablet with a camera and LiDAR sensor is used for both methods. At the same time, current findings from the field of color vision and colorimetry are applied to 3D reconstruction. The experiment focuses on working with the RGB and L*a*b* color models and, simultaneously, on the sRGB, CIE XYZ, and Rec.2020(HDR) color spaces for transforming colors into a virtual environment. For this purpose, the color is defined in the Hex Color Value format. This experiment is a starting point for further research on color reproduction in the digital environment. This study represents a partial contribution to the much-discussed area of forgeries of works of art in current trends in forensics and forgery.Internal Grant Agency of Tomas Bata University, (IGA/CebiaTech/2024/004
Occurrence of stress and burnout among nurses employed in a psychiatric hospital and a somatic hospital—A comparative analysis (Nursing Workload KEGA č. 011KU-4/2024)
Get PDFWork-related stress has been linked to various negative outcomes among healthcare professionals. For nurses, stress can arise from numerous sources, including their interactions with patients. It is often perceived that nurses working in psychiatric hospitals experience greater stress and occupational burnout compared to nurses working in somatic hospitals. However, there is limited research addressing this specific issue. To bridge this gap, a study was conducted to compare the stress levels of nurses working in a psychiatric hospital and a somatic hospital within the same city. Background/Objectives: The aim of this paper was to report on the prevalence of stress and burnout among surveyed nurses employed in a somatic hospital and in a psychiatric hospital. Methods: The study group consisted of a total of 379 nurses—189 employed at a somatic hospital and 190 employed at a psychiatric hospital. The primary test used for statistical analyses was the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test for assessing differences. Additionally, correlations between ordinal or quantitative variables were analyzed using Spearman’s rho coefficient. Results: Among respondents working at a somatic hospital, the average levels of occupational burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of personal accomplishment were moderate. Similar results were observed among respondents employed at a psychiatric hospital. Conclusions: The workplace does not significantly differentiate professional burnout or coping strategies among the nurses surveyed. Among nurses working in hospitals for somatic patients, levels of depersonalization, turning to religion, and seeking support increase with age and seniority. In contrast, psychiatric nurses show higher levels of emotional exhaustion and overall MBI burnout as they age
The physics of citation growth
Get PDFPurpose: This study investigates the physics of annual fractional citation growth and its impact on journal bibliographic metrics, focusing on the interplay between journal publication growth and citation dynamics.
Design/methodology/approach: We analyze bibliometric data from three prominent fluids journals—Physics of Fluids, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, and Physical Review Fluids—over the period 1999–2023. The analysis examines the relations among annual fractional journal publication growth, citation growth, and bibliographic metric suppressions.
Findings: Our findings reveal that the suppression of impact factor growth is significantly influenced by annual fractional journal publication growth rather than citation growth. All three journals exhibit similar responses to publication growth with minimal scatter, following a consistent functional relation. We also identify narrow, nearly Gaussian distributions for annual fractional journal publication growth. Furthermore, we introduce a new growth-independent dimensionless bibliometric metric, journal urgency, the ratio of annual fractional citation growth to the 4-year running average immediacy index. This metric captures effectively the dependency of citation growth on urgency and reveals consistent distributions across the journals analyzed.
Research limitations: The study is limited to three major fluids journals and to the availability of bibliometric data from 1999 to 2023. Future work could extend the analysis to other disciplines and journals.
Practical implications: Understanding the relation between publication growth and bibliometric suppressions can inform editorial and strategic decisions in journal management. The proposed journal urgency metric offers a novel tool for assessing and comparing journal performance independent of growth rates.
Originality/value: This study introduces a new bibliometric metric—journal urgency—that provides fresh insights into citation dynamics and bibliographic metric behavior. It highlights the critical role of publication growth in shaping journal impact factors and CiteScores, offering a unified framework applicable across multiple journals
Assessing the role of circular economy and green innovation in mitigating carbon emissions in the Visegrad countries
Get PDFThe shift towards a circular economy is an essential measure in achieving sustainable development because it seeks to separat e economic expansion from resource use and environmental deterioration. To meet the European Union green deal, waste management, and the net zero emissions targets various countries are developing and adopting prudent strategies. This study investigates the dynamic affiliation between circular economy (CIR), green innovation (INV), renewable energy (REE), economic progress (GDP), and urbanisation (URB) on carbon emissions (CO2) in the Visegrad (V4) countries, comprising the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Using the CS-ARDL technique and quantile regression, data curation from 1990-2022 was analysed after checking for cross-sectional, unit root, and cointegration. The outcome demonstrates that circular economy, green innovation, and renewable energy had a negative effect on carbon emissions. In addition, GDP and URB had an immaterially posit ive influence on carbon emissions. Lastly, the quantile regression confirmed that the study provides useful information for policymakers and stakeholders in the Visegrad countries. It emphasised how important it is to take a broad approach to circular economy initiatives, support eco-friendly innovations, carry out renewable energy projects, and manage the urbanisation process well to achieve long-term economic growth and environmental health.Slovenská Akadémia Vied, SAV; Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic; Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, VEGA, (1/0554/24); Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, VEGA; Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně, UTB, (IGA/FaME/2023/010); Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně, UTBMinistry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic; Slovak Academy of Sciences, VEGA [1/0554/24]; Tomas Bata University [IGA/FaME/2023/010]; Tomas Bata Universit
Kokia didžiausia įmonių baimė? Galimybės gauti paskolą: tarpkultūrinis tyrimas, paremtas tvarumu ir inovacijų veikla
No full textThe majority of businesses have a negative perception of their access to bank credit processes. The main reason for this problem is information asymmetry between lenders and borrowers. In this regard, the innovation performance of firms based on the innovation ability of Resource-Based View (RBV) can minimise their negative perception since implementing sustainable activities regarding innovation performance can send quality signals that reduce credit impediments. However, due to various political, legal, and economic systems of countries (Institution-based View formal factors), innovation performance and the access to bank credit of these businesses might differ. For this reason, this research aims to investigate whether the effects of product, service, marketing, and organisational innovation (the components of innovation performance) on access to bank credit differ depending on the firms’ country of origin. The results show that while innovation performance has a positive impact on the access to bank credit of Czech and Polish firms, it does not influence Slovak firms’ access to finance. Except for the marketing innovation, other innovations also do not affect the access to credit of Hungarian firms. The reason for these results may be related to Institution-Based View factors, including an informal factor, and cultural differences
World champion exporter Czech Republic fundamentals and problems of an economic model
No full textThe Czech Republic is by far the most developed country in East Central Europe. Measured in terms of gross domestic product per capita, it is on a par with Italy and Spain and lags only slightly behind France. Exports have contributed to this to a large extent. In order for the past three years' of positive development to continue, something must change. Structural problems in the export sector mean that the Czech Republic is not fully using its economic potential. Companies under Czech ownership have failed or been unable to replace the still significant role of foreign capital, which in many branches maintains a dominant position. Prague politicians have also so far refused to put forward a suitable policy of investment promotion that would contribute to the Czech Republic reaching its full developmental potential. Without overcoming these problems, the country will not succeed in breaking through into the group of above-average developed countries within the European Union
Impact of solvolysis on the decomposition efficiency of poly(lactic acid) materials with insight into their non-uniform architecture
No full textA more recent insight into the structural differences of sustainable poly(lactic acid)-based materials was revealed through a solvolysis reaction under environmentally friendly conditions. The decomposition process clarified the heterogeneous structure of the investigation polymers. It was found that materials used for nanofiber production degraded 25 % more poorly compared to materials suitable for packaging materials. The resultant product, ethyl lactate, demonstrated high purity and yield (up to 900 mg·L−1, 98 %). The degree and effect of decomposition of the poly(lactic acid) were monitored by employing the gel permeation chromatic method, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. X-ray diffraction was conducted to assess differences between the crystalline portions of polymers. The yield and purity of the product were verified by gas and liquid chromatography. The kinetic studies evaluated the rate of polymers degradation connected with chemical structure and temperature. A structural difference was observed in the studied polylactides, with approximately a 15 % deviation in crystallinity. This observed variation resulted from differences in arrangement and chain lengths, as well as the terminal functional groups, leading to non-uniform degradation of both polymers. This study offers a new insight on the degradation efficiency of polymers highlights the non-uniformity of their structure. Converting biodegradable polymer waste into a suitable and reusable product as part of an environmentally friendly approach will contribute to the sustainability of polymer materials.European Just Transition Fund [CZ.10.03.01/00/22_003/0000045, CZ.02.01.01/00/23_021/0009004]; Centre of Polymer Systems, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, programme DKRVO - Ministry of Education Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic [RP/CPS/2024-28/002
Utilization of polyethylene waste for designing foamy oil sorbents
Get PDFRecycling low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in its original form presents several challenges, including limited interest from converters, poor market demand for recycled products, higher sorting and cleaning costs, and reduced quality in the final products. It happens because recycled LDPE often exhibits lower mechanical strength and diminished aesthetic appeal than its virgin counterpart, making it rarely suitable for its original purpose, especially in packaging. Therefore, new applications for LDPE recyclates are needed to overcome these barriers and extend the material’s lifecycle. One such solution involves converting LDPE waste into foamy sorbents for water purification. The presented study investigated two strategies for recycling LDPE waste by exploring the potential of the modified waste to remove free oil spills. The first approach involves preparing and characterizing robust, mechanically stable foams using recycled waste from LDPE packaging. The process is based on parallel foaming and crosslinking of LDPE by peroxides. The final foamy structure (Foam 1) possesses around 75 vol% of pores (46 vol% open pores) and rapidly absorbs various organic liquids quickly (hexane, diesel oil, crude oil) in multiple cycles. The second target deals with the screening, testing, and characterizing of LDPE-based foams that were initially used for various packaging and deposited as waste to explore their potential free oil sorbents. The foam that was used in this study has a significantly porous structure, having 96 vol% of pores and more than 89 vol% open pores (Foam 2). Whereas the sorption capacity of Foam 1 was 4–5 g/g, depending on the type of oil, Foam 2 absorbed those oils in the range of 8–12 g/g. The Foam 1 showed significantly better stability over multiple cycles and better mechanical performance.Qatar University [GSRA9- L-1-0520-22027]; Qatar National Research Fund under its GSRAQatar National Research Fund, QNRF, (GSRA9- L-1-0520-22027