bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of epoxy resin coating with improved fire resistance by the addition of modified tannic acid
Authors:   Faculty of technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, Živković Andreja , Tomić Nataša , Vuksanović Marija , Marinković Aleksandar
Published: November 2020

The paper presents a new process for obtaining eco-epoxide materials with reduced combustibility or completely non-combustible, which are synthesized from bio-renewable raw materials, whose production process consists of two stages. A particular aspect of multiple environmental significance is the use of bio-renewable resources and the reduction of the share of the toxic epoxy component in the production of epoxy materials. The first stage considers the synthesis epoxy resin components: epoxy functionalized tannic acid (TA) – ETA, and synthesis of phosphate derivatives of TA - glycidyl ester of TA modified by phosphoric acid (PGET). The second stage considers the synthesis of bio-epoxy resins using ETA and PGET that are used as a replacement of the epoxy resin component (A) – bisphenol A based epoxy in a ratio 25-100% as a reactive diluent to obtain products that can be used in the construction and other industrial fields and have reduced combustibility or completely non-combustible. The second part presents the results of thermal and mechanical tests for some of the obtained derivatives. The addition of 25% of TA derivate improved the toughness as well as the tensile strength of epoxy material. Thermogravimetry showed that samples containing tannin epoxide showed more residue left. Partial or full replacement of the epoxy component with a tannin component produces eco-friendly material with while significantly increased fire resistance (V-2 to V-0).
Broadkast of the film’s box office
Authors: Knyazeva Irina G. , Ivanova Daria M.
Published: November 2020

The film industry is a relatively young, but at the same time, promising and continuously growing branch of the world economy with a market volume of more than 100 billion US dollars. Russia is also an active participant in the global film industry. This is due to both the growth of film production and the growth of consumption of products of the world film industry. The possibility of obtaining high returns, which is accompanied by high risks, makes market participants, from producers to potential investors, to look for any ways to reduce the risks of investing in this industry. The film as an investment project has its own risks, profitability and other characteristics of any other investment project. That is why it is important to find a way to predict the success of this film project in the form of a forecast of its box office, as the main source of profitability. Because of the globalization process here are also importance of searching any universal tool for predicting the success of box office not only in the country of origin, but also beyond, in the territory of other countries. In this paper, the authors will select a universal tool for forecasting box office of both foreign films and films of domestic production in order to reduce investment risks of investing in the film as an investment project. According to the results of the research, the selected tool was tested in practice by creating an interface for its application in Microsoft Exel and then calculating the forecast of box office, finding the forecast error of two projects: the box office of a foreign film co-produced by the United States and Great Britain named "Three billboards on the border of Ebbing, Missouri" in the Russian film market and the film produced by Russian company "Ice" in the Russian and Chinese film markets.
Model and methods of forming the competencies of a flexible team
of a sustainable enterprise project
Authors: Apenko Svetlana N. , Romanenko Mikhail A.
Published: November 2020

In recent years, the concept of sustainable development has gained popularity, which
is also reflected in project management. For the development of sustainable project management, the task of forming a project team that is able to provide the criteria for sustainability-a
balance of economic, social and environmental indicators and effects, both in the current period of time and in the long term. The hypothesis proved in our study is that flexible teams are
best suited for sustainable projects. However, the scientific and practical problem is that there
are no recommendations on the competence of the flexible team of a sustainable project. The
purpose of the research is to substantiate the set of competencies of a flexible team of a sustainable project and suggest ways to form them. The research methods were a functional analysis of the activities of sustainable project teams and an expert survey of project managers. Functional analysis of activities was carried out in 16 project teams of 12 enterprises.155
managers and specialists of project teams of different enterprises in Russia took part in the
expert survey. A model of competencies that provide both classical project management functions and team functions for sustainable and flexible project management is proposed. It is
proved that in order to ensure project sustainability criteria, team members must have such
competencies as planning, monitoring and achieving environmental, social and economic
indicators of sustainability, the ability to promptly take into account the dynamic interests of
different stakeholders, and the ability to manage the project in the context of environmental
and social responsibility of business. It also shows the impact on the effectiveness of projects
of such competencies as the ability to combine different functions, be interchangeable team
members, timely and qualitatively modify their competencies to meet the dynamic factors of
the project environment. In other words, the role of team flexibility as a factor of project performance has been proven. There are defined the main directions of formation of these competencies through project communications, team building, formation of project culture and
project thinking, and formation of skills for sustainable project management.
Development of digital twins prototypes for management processes (on the example
of a new product offer)
Authors: Rodina Larisa A.
Published: November 2020

The study of management modeling issues continues to be relevant for a number of
reasons: the need to provide information certainty when making management decisions (risk
management); visualization of management processes with the ability to compile and select
optimal solutions; acceleration of the verification process of management algorithms. At the
same time, active attention is paid, first of all, to technical, instrumental, and software aspects
of modeling, automation and, ultimately, digitalization of management activities. Of course, such
emphasis in research is justified due to the high level of technological complexity. However, the
issues of description, formalization, and regulation of the modeled object deserve no less attention. Internal logic and the ability to formalize most products, processes, and systems are an
objective prerequisite for creating their virtual model, which is not true of management activities. Thus, the aim of the research is to develop theoretical and practical aspects of management
activities in the context of digital transformation. The key objectives of the study are: identification of typical stages of the control algorithm (e.g., the creation and launch of new product);
and the formalization of the visualization model control processes by means of conditional
algorithms; application and implementation of the tools of digitalization in an algorithmic chain. The following research methods are used: theoretical (analysis, modeling) and empirical (observation, evaluation of information sources). The main scientific result of the research are
prototypes of digital duplicates of standard management processes. The field of application is
the management of economic entities of various industry affiliations with the justification of
information support for management decision – making in the conditions of digitalization.
الصياغات المعاصرة لوحدات فن القط العسيري كمدخل لاستلهام تذكارات سياحية في مجال المشغولات المعدنية
Authors: Korban Masouda
Published: November 2020

تتمتع منطقة عسير بالمملكة العربية السعودية بتراث غني تأثر كثيراً بطبيعة المكان الساحرة. وتتميز عسير بما يُعرف بـفن "القط العسيري" وهو عبارة عن خطوط ونقوش وتشكيلات جمالية يقوم برسمها نساء تخصصن في هذا المجال وحفظن هذا الفن عن نساء سبقنهن. ويمتاز النقش العسيري عن غيره من النقوش باستعمال الألوان الزاهية الطبيعية كالأزرق والبرتقالي والأخضر والأبيض والأسود. حيث تمثل منطقة عسير وجهة تراثية وسياحية هامة داخل المملكة العربية السعودية لعبت دورًا محوريا في إثراء المخزون الثقافي والإبداعي لا فقط الوطني السعودي بل وأيضا منطقة الخليج العربي. وهو ما دفع الباحثة إلى التعمق في تحليل الجوانب الإبداعية والفنية  للمشغولات المعدنية للفن العسيري وتخلصت باستعراض الرؤى في إمكانية صياغة الوحدات الإبداعية الفنية العسيرية صلبي تصميمات فنية معاصرة بغرض استغلالها في استنباط نماذج لمشغولات معدنية تسوق كتذكارات سياحية ترتبط إلى حد كبير ببنية الشكل، والمضمون الخاص بـفن القط العسيري، وتعتمد في فلسفتها الجمالية على المرجعيات التراثية والحضارية المرتبطة بالمكان وبنظرة الفنان نفسه لإنتاج مشغولات معدنية إبداعية ذات طابع جمالي يعتمد على الموروث الشعبي العسيري كأحد عناصر الاستلهام لإثراء الصياغات المعاصرة لتصميمات المشغولات المعدنية بالتربية الفنية. ولم لا التفكير في حمايته تحت مظلتي اليونسكو والمنظمة الدولية للملكية الفكرية الوايبو من ضمن المعارف التقليدية التي يقع حمايتها على الصعيد الدولي.
الصناعة في قرى قضاء غزة قبل هجرة عام 1948م: دراسة في التاريخ الشفوي
Authors: Abu dayyah Adnan Ahmad
Published: November 2020

يتناول هذا البحث الصناعة في قرى قضاء غزة قبل الهجرة القسرية التي حدثت في عام 1948م على يد العصابات الصهيونية. يوثق هذا البحث العديد من الحرف والصناعات التقليدية والشعبية التي عرفها المواطن الفلسطيني في تلك المرحلة، معتمداً على الروايات الشفوية التي تم جمعها من مواطنين عاشوا حياة ما قبل النكبة. وهي حياة طبيعية فيها الصناعات والتراث والحضارة التي كانت شاهدة على حياة رغيدة هانئة بعيداً عن ظلم وعدوان الاحتلال الاسرائيلي الذي قام على أنقاض القرى والبلدات الفلسطينية.
Paulo Freire y la Igualdad
Authors: Kohan Walter Omar
Published: November 2020

Este artículo busca dilucidar el sentido filosófico de la igualdad afirmado por Paulo Freire como una condición de una educación liberadora. En la primera sección, propone un examen detallado y conceptual de la afirmación "nadie es superior y nadie"; en una segunda, considera los significados que este examen proyecta para una vida educativa; estudia el significado de la igualdad en la relación pedagógica; en la siguiente, presenta las ideas de otro defensor de la igualdad, el francés Joseph Jacotot; luego, contrasta los ideales de Jacotot con los de Paulo Freire, destacando los puntos en común y las diferencias tanto en sus vidas como en sus pensamientos educativos; finalmente, presenta algunas conclusiones sobre el valor de la igualdad, inspiradas por la lectura de estos autores, en particular, con respecto a conocer y pensar sobre una educación dirigida a la emancipación.
Freire en Finlandia: trayectorias de la presencia de Paulo Freire en el Norte global
Authors: Suoranta Juha , Tomperi Tuukka
Published: November 2020

En este artículo nos preguntamos si el pensamiento de Paulo Freire tuvo alguna influencia en Finlandia. ¿Existe una tradición reconocida de la pedagogía freireana en este país nórdico? Para dar respuesta a esta pregunta, trazamos la trayectoria de la recepción del pensamiento de Freire en las últimas décadas. Concluimos finalmente que, a pesar de que su impacto directo no se haya generalizado, ha habido múltiples e importantes conexiones y repercusiones del mismo. En términos más generales, vale la pena resaltar que la crucial renovación del sistema educativo finlandés que tuvo lugar desde fines de la década de 1960, fue contemporánea al espíritu freireano de justicia social y educativa. Nuestra contribución es histórica y teórica en su abordaje y metodología. La misma está basada en una profunda revisión de la literatura educativa finlandesa desde comienzos de 1970 hasta los años 2000. Para ayudarnos en la búsqueda de ejemplos de la presencia de Freire en el discurso pedagógico finlandés, también nos servimos de nuestros contactos con educadores de adultos veteranos en Finlandia. Finalmente, también recurrimos a nuestros trabajos previos sobre el tema.
ErotBERROCAL
Authors: Schargorodsky Emilio
Published: November 2020

Este ensayo fotográfico se basa en proponer, a partir de las esculturas de Berrocal, una serie de analogías en formato fotográfico. El conjunto revela y explora una dimensión erótica del universo de Berrocal conectando las obras con prácticas vinculadas al bondage y a la dominación.

Cuando revisamos la bibliografía fundamental* sobre Berrocal descubrimos que la mayoría de estudios y análisis sobre su obra están, en parte, atrapados por el gran truco del artista, i.e. la excelente (obscena) capacidad de esconder secretos eróticos justo delante de nuestros ojos.

La propuesta nos introduce en uno de los infinitos caminos de regreso al interior de la obra del artista eludiendo las ilusiones matemáticas y científicas del gran mago Berrocal.

Créditos: [Fotógrafo: Emilio Schargorodsky // Curator: David López // Modelos: Lucía G. Lara, Nelliel, Domina Ghalia, Necar, CPH, Gretchen y Tier  // Dirección de Fotografía: Quique Mañas // Edición de color y postproducción digital: Patricia Flores // Asistente de Dirección y fotografías making of: Belén Landa // Maquillaje: Estefanía Villalba ]
Toluene oxidation: UV irradiation vs. ferrates
Authors: Fašková Lucia , Pavúková Daniela , Mališová Emília , Štibrányi Ladislav , Híveš Ján
Published: November 2020

Novel technologies for organic pollutants degradation have been studied to cope with extensive water pollution. In this work, the use of ultraviolet degradation and potassium ferrate as possible oxidation tools for toluene, a widely used industrial chemical, degradation is proposed. In the experiment with ultraviolet irradiation, a low-pressure mercury lamp was used to generate a single line electromagnetic radiation with the wavelength of 254 nm. Maximal degradation efficiency achieved after 55 minutes of irradiation was 67.1 %. In the experiments with potassium ferrate, the highest degradation efficiency was 71.2 % at the concentration of 10 mg/L of ferrate (VI) anion.
Existence of solution for Mean-field Reflected Discontinuous Backward Doubly Stochastic Differential Equation
Authors: Saouli Mostapha Abdelouahab
Published: November 2020

In this paper we prove the existence of a solution for mean-field reflected backward doubly stochastic differential equations (MF-RBDSDEs) with one continuous barrier and discontinuous generator (left-continuous). By a comparison theorem establish here for MF-RBDSDEs, we provide a minimal or a maximal solution to MF-RBDSDEs.
Conflict Types in Hungarian Film History
Authors: Varga Balázs
Published: November 2020

The article introduces the collective research project entitled The Social History of Hungarian Cinema, 1931–2015, executed by the staff of Film Studies Department Eötvös Loránd University. This data-driven research aims to examine how and why Hungarian films have changed over time. Using the case study of conflict types in the plots of Hungarian films this study discusses the methodological problems of longitudinal explanations of change in Hungarian film history (periodization and dividing film between genre-based film and auteur films/art cinema). Based on the analysis of statistics and trends, the study presents the most important types of conflict in Hungarian film history. With respect to the political turning points and the periodization of Hungarian film history, the article states that each of the three broad periods (1931–1944, 1945–1989, 1990–2015) is characterized by its own distinctive set of prominent conflict types. The pre-1945 era is characterized by a massive number of love conflicts, the socialist period by the highest rate of political conflicts (and the lowest rates of love and crime conflicts), and the post-socialist period by a high rate of crime and generational conflicts. Furthermore, by analysing the connections between conflict types and genres, the study reveals recurring patterns and trends of shorter periods: it shows how the range of conflicts narrowed considerably over the 1970s and discusses the extent to which this is related to the dominance of auteur films in the era.
Hungarian Nationality Ethnic Minorities Living in Poverty and Social Exclusion in Ukraine
Authors: Czibere Ibolya , Loncsák Noémi
Published: November 2020

The purpose of the article is to give an overall description of the situation of Hungarian minority households with children in Ukrainian villages. The region is a marginal area both economically and geographically, being in a peripheral position with little attention falling upon it and even less of the development sources. Furthermore, there is a lack of information on welfare benefits, and no direct statistical data are available on the characteristics of the social policy system.

As for the total lack of prior statistics on poverty, this essay is meant to be exploratory to show the area’s poverty features, focusing on the children. By the use of combined data collection, including quantitative and qualitative techniques, we gained information by questionnaire surveys of about 253 children in 139 households. There were carried out 23 exploratory interviews as well. The core of our analysis is the specific labour market situation, the earning opportunities, and forms of employment that provide for livelihoods for the households with children. Besides the backwardness of the area studied in the research, the strategies and life situations that characterize the Transcarpathian Hungarians are also presented, which are beyond the known European forms of poverty.
Narrative Child Protection in Hungary. The Importance of Knowing the History of the Families in Need in the Social Work with Children
Authors: Rácz Andrea , Bogács Ernő
Published: November 2020

The study is reflecting on the nature and features of social work with families with children, attempting to discuss social work as assistance and apprehension and to detect whether there is any causal link between the efficiency of social work and the narrative approach and the “unstoried”, “faceless” condition of the families. We argue that professional attitude aimed at providing child protection support is not possible without knowing the story of families with children. Without a helping attitude, no real social work is possible, and thus the client remains invisible and faceless in the process of child welfare or child protection interventions. Besides the actual situations of story-based intervention in social work (micro level), narrativity is also important for the transparent and adequate functioning of the system (mezzo level); moreover, it can become a factor of paradigm shift in social and political discourse on social work and its target groups (macro level). The study is based on the research entitledChild Protection Trends Supporting Children’s Well-Beingcarried out within the Research Scholarship granted by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2017–2020). The research focused on the family concept of child protection professionals and their views of the clients that can be deducted from this concept. The research also examines the notion and functions of the family from the viewpoint of children, young people and their parents as well as the professional attitudes and interventions determined by these perceptions. Research results show that due to the diversity and complexity of the problems of families in the purview of the child protection system one cannot reflect on professional solutions along types of problems. Successful functioning and efficient child protection rely rather on revealing individual and specific needs. All this indicates that child welfare and child protection work is possible only if built on personal stories.
Comparative Study of Long- and Short-Stretch Woven Compression Bandages
Authors: Aboalasaad Abdelhamid R. R. , Sirková Brigita Kolčavová , Bílá Pavlína , Khalil Amany A. S.
Published: November 2020

Compression therapy using bandages or socks is the most common treatment for venous leg ulcers and edema. This article aims to compare the compression between long- and short-stretch bandages (LSB and SSB, respectively). Load-elongation curves, cyclic loading, and elastic recovery are investigated for both Cotton/Polyamide/Polyurethane and 100% bleached cotton bandages as LSB and SSB, respectively. Static (resting) and dynamic (working) pressures are measured on seven male legs, 31 ± 3.6 years old, using both two and three layers bandaging. Picopress pressure tests are performed on the ankle and mid-calf positions at gradual decreasing compression from the ankle to the knee. The deviation percentage between the experimental results by Picopress and theoretical calculations using Laplace's law and Al-Khaburi equations is compared. LSB recovered approximately 99% of its original length after stress-relaxation whereas SSB recovered only 93% of its original length after 5 days of cyclic load-relaxation. Moreover, SSB lost approximately 28.6% of its activity after wearing on the human leg for 5 days.
National business cultures: the influence of religion, and their role in the economic development of countries
Authors: Chebotarov Viacheslav , Chebotarov Iegor
Published: November 2020

The paper clarifies the conditions and factors of the development of the institutional environment through modern interdisciplinary analysis. The authors revise the studies of the problem under consideration in the history of science and reveal the decisive role of religion in the development of national business cultures. The study highlights the fundamental postulates, i.e. the canons of theology, and argues for the need to consider them in the context of the analysis of national business cultures. The authors put forward and prove theoretical and methodological principles of the determinant influence of national business cultures and religion on the development of countries (the socio-economic phenomenon of the “economic miracle”). The content of the category “Polish economic miracle” is revealed through analysis of the influence of Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism on other “economic miracles” known from history. The authors conclude that Catholicism currently encourages entrepreneurial initiative of both individuals and organisations, which contributes to the sustainable economic development of countries.
Editorial for the special issue: “Novel Solutions and Novel Approaches in Operational Research”
Authors: Drobne Samo , Dumičić Ksenija , Stirn Lidija Zadnik
Published: November 2020

This special issue of Business Systems Research (SI of the BSR) is co-published by the Slovenian Society INFORMATIKA – Section for Operational Research (SSI-SOR) and highlights recent advances in Operations Research and Management Science (OR /MS), with a focus on linking OR /MS with other areas of quantitative and qualitative methods in a multidisciplinary framework. Eleven papers selected for this SI of the BSR present improvements and new techniques (methodology) in Operations Research (OR) and their application in various fields of economics, business, spatial science, smart mobility, higher education, human resources, environment, agriculture and social networks.
Deep Learning Predictive Models for Terminal Call Rate Prediction during the Warranty Period
Authors: Ferencek Aljaž , Kofjač Davorin , Škraba Andrej , Sašek Blaž , Borštnar Mirjana Kljajić
Published: November 2020

Background: This paper addresses the problem of products’ terminal call rate (TCR) prediction during the warranty period. TCR refers to the information on the amount of funds to be reserved for product repairs during the warranty period. So far, various methods have been used to address this problem, from discrete event simulation and time series, to machine learning predictive models.

Objectives: In this paper, we address the above named problem by applying deep learning models to predict terminal call rate.

Methods/Approach: We have developed a series of deep learning models on a data set obtained from a manufacturer of home appliances, and we have analysed their quality and performance.

Results: Results showed that a deep neural network with 6 layers and a convolutional neural network gave the best results.

Conclusions: This paper suggests that deep learning is an approach worth exploring further, however, with the disadvantage being that it requires large volumes of quality data.
Portfolio Optimization Efficiency Test Considering Data Snooping Bias
Authors: Kresta Aleš , Wang Anlan
Published: November 2020

Background: In the portfolio optimization area, most of the research is focused on insample portfolio optimization. One may ask a rational question of what the efficiency of the portfolio optimization strategy is and how to measure it.

Objectives: The objective of the paper is to propose the approach to measuring the efficiency of the portfolio strategy based on the hypothesis inference methodology and considering a possible data snooping bias. The proposed approach is demonstrated on the Markowitz minimum variance model and the fuzzy probabilities minimum variance model.

Methods/Approach: The proposed approach is based on a statistical test. The null hypothesis is that the analysed portfolio optimization strategy creates a portfolio randomly, while the alternative hypothesis is that an optimized portfolio is created in such a way that the risk of the portfolio is lowered.

Results: It is found out that the analysed strategies indeed lower the risk of the portfolio during the market’s decline in the global financial crisis and in 94% of the time in the 2009-2019 period.

Conclusions: The analysed strategies lower the risk of the portfolio in the out-of-sample period.
Improving Mental Wellbeing in Organizations with Targeted Psychosocial Interventions
Authors: Lipovac Dean , Hajdu László , Wie Sølvi , Nyrud Anders Q.
Published: November 2020

Background: Mental wellbeing of employees is crucial for successful organizations. Psychosocial interventions that target highly contagious individuals (i.e., individuals that can ‘transmit’ their wellbeing to others) could efficiently improve overall wellbeing in the workplace.

Objectives: Using the magnitudes of effects observed in existing studies on psychosocial interventions and the contagion of mental wellbeing, we aimed to examine how the wellbeing of a group (based on WHO-5 Well-Being Index scores) changes if interventions are provided to highly contagious people instead of randomly selected individuals.

Methods/Approach: Based on the data on mental wellbeing of 414 nursing home employees, we created a social network that includes individual levels of wellbeing and the strength of the connection between people. Simulation-based influence-maximization was used on the network and interventions were interventions were provided to either contagious or randomly selected individuals.

Results: Overall, mental wellbeing of the group increased slightly more when individuals had received a simulated psychosocial intervention in order of contagiousness compared to the cases in which interventions were provided to randomly selected individuals.

Conclusions: Selectively targeting highly contagious individuals could be an efficient approach to improving wellbeing in organizations, especially in social contexts, where the contagion of mental wellbeing is likelier.
Selection of Project Managers: An Overview
Authors: Kuliš Marija Šiško
Published: November 2020

Background: The project manager choice is one of the most important, complicated and multi-layered decisions in project management. Although the competence of a project manager is the subject of numerous studies, mostly in the field of economic sciences, there are still relatively few studies dealing with project manager selection.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to provide a useful overview of research on approaches, models, techniques, and competencies during the process of selecting project managers, in order to improve understanding an effective process of selecting project managers from academic researchers and practitioners’ point of view.

Methods/Approach: This article is a scientific review of previously published studies that are linked to competencies of a project manager and the process of project manager selection according to the traditional and the modern approach.

Results: The process of selecting project managers is not sufficiently investigated in Croatia, while most of the research is focused to traditional approach.

Conclusions: In this work, we propose a combination of the traditional and the modern approach to the selection of project managers, which would be based on the multicriteria decision making.
Pension Pessimism in the Young Generation: Basics or Instincts to Blame?
Authors: Kovács Erzsébet , Vaskövi Ágnes
Published: November 2020

Background: The area of pension expectations in Hungary is barely researched. However, the importance of adequate financial literacy and self-provision is becoming obvious at the economic, the decision-making, and the individual level.

Objectives: Our research is conducted to investigate state pension expectations and certain aspects of financial literacy of the young generation, and to find a behavioral explanation for their pessimistic attitude.

Methods/Approach: Using a 14-question questionnaire, we collected answers from Hungarian financially educated, young people. Two hypotheses were investigated by the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Besides, a comparative analysis was conducted to connect the survey results with the ten instincts published by Hans Rosling in his book ‘Factfulness’.

Results: The outcomes are in harmony with prior expectations, i.e. i) students in finance major are aware of the connection between a longer working period and a higher retirement income; and ii) despite the unisex pension scheme there are gender differences in the expected pension age. In the comparative analysis with ‘Factfulness’, we identified five instincts that lie behind the general pessimism of respondents.

Conclusions: State pension expectations of the Hungarian young generation are overly pessimistic, the same attitude being found in international literature, as well. Pessimistic expectations can be explained using some of the ten instincts by Rosling.
Factors Influencing the Purchase of Energy-Efficient Appliances by Young Consumers in South Africa
Authors: Fatoki Olawale
Published: November 2020

Household appliances are the biggest contributor to household energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. One of the ways to reduce emissions and conserve energy is to increase the use of energy-efficient appliances (EEAs). Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the study investigated the factors that influence the purchase of EEAs by young consumers in South Africa. Young customers are the customers of tomorrow and can help to prevent global ecological collapse through sustainable consumption. The study extended the TPB by adding two individual constructs (moral norms and environmental concern) and two situational constructs (informational publicity and perceived benefits). In addition, the study examined the effect of purchase intention on purchase behavior. The cross-sectional survey method was used for data collection in the quantitative study. Data was collected from final year undergraduate students at two South African universities. The results indicated that the extended TPB model can be used to predict the purchase intention of EEAs. Also, purchase intention positively affects purchase behavior. Theoretically, the study extended the TPB to create a unique model of intention to purchase EEA. Practical suggestions focus on what business and government should do to improve the purchase of EEA.
Bilateral Co-authorship Indicators Based on Fractional Counting
Authors: Rousseau Ronald , Zhang Lin
Published: November 2020

Purpose

In this contribution we provide two new co-authorship indicators based on fractional counting.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the idea of fractional counting we reflect on what should be an acceptable indicator for co-authorship between two entities. From this reflection we propose an indicator, the co-authorship score, denoted as cs, using the harmonic mean. Dividing this new indicator by the classical co-authorship indicator based on full counting, leads to a co-authorship intensity indicator.

Findings

We show that the indicators we propose have many necessary or at least highly desirable properties for a proper cs-score. It is pointed out that the two new indicators can be used for countries, but also for institutions and other pairs of entities. A small example shows the feasibility of the co-authorship score and the co-authorship intensity indicator.

Research limitations

The indicators are not yet tested in real cases.

Practical implications

As the notions of co-authorship and collaboration have many aspects, we think that our contribution may help policy management to take yet another aspect into account as part of a multi-faceted description of research outcomes.

Originality/value

The indicators we propose cover yet another aspect of co-authorship.
Resilience measures to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic Evidence from Romanian micro and small enterprises
Authors: Păunescu Carmen , Mátyus Enikő
Published: November 2020

COVID-19 has created an un-precedent crisis for SMEs and challenged each single enterprise to reconsider its business operations and to adapt to the new unexpected circumstances. The present paper aims to explore the resilience measures that the micro and small enterprises in Romania can consider to dealing with the disruptions caused by the pandemic. A questionnaire-based survey was used to collect data from a sample of micro and small enterprises operating in the central part of the country. An exploratory factor analysis was employed to identify underlying variables that explain the pattern of correlations between the resilience measures for enterprises, which help them cope with the pandemic effects. There are seventeen resilience measures to the pandemic included in the analysis and further tested in the paper. In addition, a multiple linear regression was conducted to determine which of the resilience measures has the most impact on the enterprises’ overcoming illness. The results show that in order for the micro and small enterprises to better cope with the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic they should demonstrate, on the first place, openness to production innovation and adaptation and ensure a strong support for customers and communities. On the second place, efforts should be directed toward ensuring efficiency of their internal operational management and worker protection. While there exist external circumstances that lead enterprises to adopt several resilience measures to better respond to the pandemic, the motivations that are most relevant in this decision are generally internal in nature.
Working from home during COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and issues
Authors: Bolisani Ettore , Scarso Enrico , Ipsen Christine , Kirchner Kathrin , Hansen John Paulin
Published: November 2020

During the COVID pandemic, many companies, schools, and public organizations all around the world asked their employees to work from home i.e. to adopt what are called “smart working” modalities. This has and will presumably have a serious impact on both employees and employers, which still needs to be clarified and investigated: indeed, if smart working becomes a common working modality, this may have a significant impact on both organizations and employees. This paper reports the results of an online survey of “smart workers” in Italy during the COVID pandemic, when a great number of employees suddenly moved to working from home with no or little preparation. The study offers interesting indications about the involvement and usefulness perception of smart working by the sampled people and makes it possible to single out different categories of employees based on their attitude towards this modality. Also, it points out the potential impact on socialization among colleagues, and the consequent implications for knowledge sharing and knowledge management. From the collected responses, a fully positive or negative conclusion about working from home was not possible, nor a clear indication about the efficiency and effectiveness of this working modality. The analysis, instead, highlighted the presence of different but numerically similar groups of people, i.e. those who were not satisfied at all with the experience, those who were very satisfied, and those who were “undecided”. Furthermore, respondents underlined the importance and the difficulty to maintain working contacts and the intense use of communication systems made for this purpose. Lastly, collected opinions on positive and negative aspects of working from home provided some practical suggestions about how to successfully implement this solution.
Research Trends in Marketing Science Before COVID-19 Outbreak: A Literature Review
Authors: Maulana Noveri
Published: November 2020

The research trends after COVID-19 pandemic will be changing and more challenging. This study is aimed to review the trends of marketing research in the first semester of 2020. There are three parts of this analysis. First, review was made to summarize the trend of research domain and model. Second, the trend of data collection method is also synthesized. Third, trends of data analysis method are being categorized. Result shows that before COVID-19 outbreak, research model in marketing studies was dominated by Literature Review articles (systematic, integrative, and meta-analysis), and also Experimental Studies on various consumer behaviour topics. In term of data collection methods, Purposive Sampling and Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) are two approaches that popularly used by the researchers. On the trend of data analysis method, ANOVA, Regression, and Qualitative Analysis are three popular methods which used among the studies. Future research agendas after the pandemic are also discussed in this study.
The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior in retail banking. Evidence from Romania
Authors: Baicu Claudia Gabriela , Gârdan Iuliana Petronela , Gârdan Daniel Adrian , Epuran Gheorghe
Published: November 2020

The pandemic COVID-19 has severely affected the global economy. The strict lockdown measures have also changed the daily live, including consumer behavior in retail banking. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on consumer behavior in retail banking, with a special focus on the Romanian banking sector. To achieve our goal, we performed a survey among the Romanian consumers in retail banking, using as research method the field survey based on questionnaire. The final sample comprised 738 valid responses from the metropolitan area retail banking consumers. The research brings a fresh insight on retail banking services consumption during the pandemic and validates a conceptual model regarding the internet and mobile banking services acceptance. The research’ results highlighted, among others, that the variable concerning the perception of the COVID-19 pandemic effect on consumers’ lifestyle has a direct and positive influence on the variable regarding the attitude toward internet and mobile banking services, mediated by other variables like safety of internet and mobile banking use and trust in banks. Several social and managerial implications are also discussed, because it is possible that the tendency to use internet and mobile banking services will prevail even after the post pandemic stage, as new consumption behavior models are developing. Banks in Romania should increase their initiatives to offer financial education courses and online tutorials to familiarize customers with the use of digital channels. Banks should also improve communication with clients and design new products and services to increase the attractiveness of saving process. They should demonstrate flexibility in negotiating lending and refinancing conditions as well.
Application of Metrological Approaches in the Design of Calibration Equipment for Verification of Float Level Gauges
Authors: Kučera Ľuboš , Patin Branislav , Gajdošík Tomáš , Palenčár Rudolf , Palenčár Jakub , Ujlaky Miloš
Published: November 2020

The paper deals with a scientific approach for an increase of accuracy of measurement and possibilities for automation of the standard equipment for calibration and verification of float level gauges. They are applied in high-capacity fuel storage tanks, and they are intended to measure the level of stored liquid hydrocarbons. In the submitted paper, we describe original approaches towards metrological control of float level gauges. Firstly, we present and describe the current ways of control by means of the standard equipment of the first generation with a precision caliper and manual measuring wire with the application of modern scientific and developing processes. A new system, whose design is based on research and development, represents a fully automated measuring system which utilizes the incremental optical encoder with a precision graduated ring and a rewind pulley. The paper deals with the issue of a design of the standard equipment and its measurement system from the standpoint of metrology and construction. Based on scientific procedures, we solve reasons of errors in measurement and their reduction on concrete components of the measurement system. The result is that, following the scientific approach and mathematical description of the determination of measurement uncertainties, constructors are able to design suitable tolerances for the production of components of measuring devices and related materials and technologies.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Simply Noise-matched Receiving Coil for NMR Experiments
Authors: Andris Peter , Frollo Ivan
Published: November 2020

The article analyzes the sensitivity of unmatched receiving coil for the NMR scanner. Receiver of the scanner was investigated from the point of view of noise features. Theory of the noise figure has been modified to utilize the receiver for digitization of its own noise and the noise figure calculation. The resulting noise figure has been measured with different source impedances and the optimal value has been acquired. Influence of the noise figure on the resulting signal-to-noise ratio has been calculated for the sensitivity judgement. The output SNR has been investigated for constant input SNR as well as for constant input voltage. Many results are depicted in figures. Also examples of theoretical results are depicted graphically.
Playing the Trust Game Successfully in the Reputation Economy
Authors: Eckhardt Giana M.
Published: November 2020

Hunting for “stars”, the icons of the reputation economy, is a prerequisite for survival in e-commerce in general and on sharing platforms in particular. The key to understanding the rise of reputation is trust, and the ability of a platform to provide this trust has become crucial in the past decade. Social media managers are now key players in marketing departments. One of their most important jobs is the careful curation of digital reputations. Marketers need to engage in diverse forms of reputation management and master several challenges in designing the right systems and utilizing reputation information in optimal ways. Engendering trust is more complex than gaining star ratings or positive reviews on owned or third-party platforms. How platforms are designed – in terms of how people can make bookings or orders and how users rate each other – is the key issue. It needs to be managed in a sophisticated way, especially in an era when topics such as racial and ethnic justice are key societal concerns.
Thrilled or Upset: What Drives People to Share and Review Product Experiences?
Authors: Dieckmann Anja , Unfried Matthias
Published: November 2020

What drives people’s decisions to share product and service experiences? Several studies show that a sender’s emotional arousal is a relevant factor for social sharing. Experimental studies by the Nuremberg Institute of Market Decisions (NIM) confirm that increased arousal is associated with higher levels of social sharing. The results show that the emotional state of arousal, which was determined by voice analysis, should be a relevant variable for marketing managers to estimate whether or not consumers will share their experiences in social media. At least for spoken reviews, there is also an indication that higher arousal can even increase persuasiveness. To increase the chances of sharing positive reviews of a product or service, marketing managers should charge their brands and products with emotions, such as joy or surprise, as these activate more than pure satisfaction.
Stroke risk scores to predict hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure in atrial fibrillation patients
Authors: Ivănescu Andreea Cristina , Dan Gheorghe-Andrei
Published: November 2020

Introduction. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent hospitalized arrhythmia. It associates increased risk of death, stroke and heart failure (HF). Stroke risk scores, especially CHA2DS2-VASc, have been applied also for populations with different diseases. There is, however, limited data focusing on the ability of these scores to predict HF decompensation.

Methods. We conducted a retrospective observational study on a cohort of 204 patients admitted for cardiovascular pathology to the Cardiology Ward of our tertiary University Hospital. We aimed to determine whether the stroke risk scores could predict hospitalisations for acute decompensated HF in AF patients.

Results. C-statistics for CHADS2 and R2CHADS2 showed a modest predictive ability for hospitalisation with decompensated HF (CHADS2: AUC 0.631 p = 0.003; 95%CI 0.560–0.697. R2CHADS2: AUC 0.619; 95%CI 0.548–0.686; p = 0.004), a marginal correlation for CHA2DS2-VASc (AUC 0.572 95%CI 0.501-0.641 with a p value of only 0.09, while the other scores failed to show a correlation. A CHADS2 ≥ 2 showed a RR = 2.96, p<0.0001 for decompensated HF compared to a score <2. For R2CHADS2 ≥ 2, RR = 2.41, p = 0.001 compared to a score <2. For CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 2 RR = 2.18 p = 0.1, compared to CHA2DS2-VASc <2. The correlation coefficients showed a weak correlation for CHADS2 (r = 0.216; p = 0.001) and even weaker for R2CHADS2 (r = 0.197; p = 0.0047 and CHA2DS2-VASc (r = 0.14; p = 0.035).

Conclusions. Among AF patients, CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc and R2CHADS2 were associated with the risk of hospitalisation for decompensated HF while ABC and ATRIA failed to show an association. However, predictive accuracy was modest and the clinical utility for this outcome remains to be determined.
Influence of Waste Toothbrush Fiber on Strength and Freezing–Thawing Behavior in High Plasticity Clay
Authors: Isik Fatih , Akbulut R. Kagan , Zaimoglu A. Sahin
Published: November 2020

The use of waste materials in civil engineering applications has gained importance nowadays. Consuming limited natural resources and increasing waste disposal costs have led researchers to evaluate waste materials for different geotechnical applications. In this respect, some waste materials are used as reinforcement in soils to improve their engineering properties. The main objective of this paper was to investigate the usability of waste polypropylene fiber as a reinforcement material in high plasticity fine-grained soils. For this purpose, waste toothbrush bristle (WTB) was used as a polypropylene fiber reinforcement material and added to fine-grained soil at ratios of 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8% by dry total weight. The effect of WTB on freezing–thawing behavior and unconfined compression strength of unreinforced and reinforced clayey soil was evaluated. The results indicated that addition of WTB to high plasticity clay improved its behavior against freezing–thawing. Also, undrained shear strength increases with respect to increment in WTB ratio.