Katalin Zsuzsanna Szabó

Mapping the geogenic radon potential: Methodology and spatial analysis for central Hungary

A detailed geogenic radon potential (GRP) mapping based on field soil gas radon and soil gas permeability measurements was carried out in this study. A conventional continuous variable approach was used in this study for GRP determination and to test its applicability to the selected area of Hungary. Spatial pattern of soil gas radon concentration, soil permeability and GRP and the relationship between geological formations and these parameters were studied by performing detailed spatial analysis. Exploratory data analysis revealed that higher soil gas radon activity concentration and GRP characterizes the mountains and hills than the plains. The highest values were found in the proluvial-deluvial sediments, rock debris on the downhill slopes eroded from hills. Among the Quaternary sediments, which characterize the study area, the fluvial sediment has the highest values, which are also located in the hilly areas. The lowest values were found in the plain areas covered by drift sand, fluvioeolic sand, fluvial sand and loess. As a conclusion, radon is related to the sediment cycle in the study area. A geogenic radon risk map was created, which assists human health risk assessment and risk reduction since it indicates the potential of the source of indoor radon. The map shows that low and medium geogenic radon potential characterizes the study area in central Hungary. High risk occurs only locally. The results reveal that Quaternary sediments are inhomogeneous from a radon point of view, fluvial sediment has medium GRP, whereas the other rock formations such as drift sand, fluioeolic sand, fluvial sand and loess, found in the study area, have low GRP.

Mapping geogenic radon potential by regression kriging.

Radon ((222)Rn) gas is produced in the radioactive decay chain of uranium ((238)U) which is an element that is naturally present in soils. Radon is transported mainly by diffusion and convection mechanisms through the soil depending mainly on the physical and meteorological parameters of the soil and can enter and accumulate in buildings. Health risks originating from indoor radon concentration can be attributed to natural factors and is characterized by geogenic radon potential (GRP). Identification of areas with high health risks require spatial modeling, that is, mapping of radon risk. In addition to geology and meteorology, physical soil properties play a significant role in the determination of GRP. In order to compile a reliable GRP map for a model area in Central-Hungary, spatial auxiliary information representing GRP forming environmental factors were taken into account to support the spatial inference of the locally measured GRP values. Since the number of measured sites was limited, efficient spatial prediction methodologies were searched for to construct a reliable map for a larger area. Regression kriging (RK) was applied for the interpolation using spatially exhaustive auxiliary data on soil, geology, topography, land use and climate. RK divides the spatial inference into two parts. Firstly, the deterministic component of the target variable is determined by a regression model. The residuals of the multiple linear regression analysis represent the spatially varying but dependent stochastic component, which are interpolated by kriging. The final map is the sum of the two component predictions. Overall accuracy of the map was tested by Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation. Furthermore the spatial reliability of the resultant map is also estimated by the calculation of the 90% prediction interval of the local prediction values. The applicability of the applied method as well as that of the map is discussed briefly.

Szervezeti képzések gyakorlata Magyarországon a nemzetközi adatok tükrében

Az elterő szervezeti kornyezetben (vallalatok es intezmenyek) folyo kepzesek es kulonosen a treningek hatekonysaganak ertekelese regota fennallo problemakor, amelyre a vezetők es HR-szakemberek hosszu idő ota keresik a megfelelő eszkozoket es modszereket. A szerzők cikkukben bemutatjak a 2016-ban tobb mint 400 magyarorszagi szervezet kozreműkodesevel (vallalatnal es intezmenynel) vegzett felmeresuk tapasztalatait, majd ezeket osszevetik a 2004-2005, 2008-2010 es 2015-16. evben folytatott, nemzetkozi, ugynevezett Cranet-felmeres soran kapott valaszokkal. Empirikus vizsgalatuk alapjan kovetkezteteseket vonnak le a magyarorszagi szervezeteknel folyo kepzesek es treningek jellemzőiről es az ott alkalmazott hatekonysagmeresi modszerekről.

A külföldi tulajdonú vállalatok emberi erőforrás menedzselésének jellegzetességei és sajátos kontingenciafaktorai Kelet-Közép-Európában

Ahogy azt az innovacios mozgalom atyja, Schumpeter (1950) mar a mult szazad kozepen jelezte, az uzleti eletben az innovacio a piaci siker kritikus eleme. Jol ismert tipusai (termek, technologia, piacok fejlesztese) melle mara a szervezetek sikeres műkodeset es novekedeset segitő uj mentalis es uzleti modellek jelentősege is felzarkozoban van (Tidd – Bessant, 2013). A folyamatos valtozasok eredmenyekent igy a szervezetek emberi erőforrasai es menedzselesuk is a szervezeti versenykepesseg kritikus elemeive valtak (Gomez-Mejia et al., 2014; Torrington et al., 2014). Ahogy arra szakirodalom megallapitasok es gyakorlati peldak egyarant ramutatnak, a kulfoldi cegek leanyvallalatai gyakran a helyiekenel fejlettebb (Hiltrop, 1991; Hoos, 2000) es komplexebb (Dowling et al., 2013) emberierőforras-menedzselesi munkat folytatnak. Lewis (2005) vizsgalatai szerint a felzarkozo kelet-kozep-europai orszagok eseteben ez a kulonbseg kulonosen szembeotlő. A szerzők celja e megallapitasok ellenőrzese Kelet-Kozep-Europaban műkodő leanyvallalatokra vonatkozoan. Ot orszag, ket időszakbol (2011/13 es 2015/16) szarmazo adatainak elemzese alapjan kepet adnak a kulfoldi tulajdonu cegek emberierőforras-menedzselesenek − a sajatosan ervenyesulő kontingenciafaktorok tukreben azonosithato − jellegzetessegeiről.

The Changing Role of External Providers of HRM: Empirical Evidence from Consecutive Cranet Surveys

This is a study based on comparative transnational survey evidence from across Europe. It examines recent trends in the use of external providers to manage human resources and how this use has changed since the global economic crisis that began in 2008. The study shows that the use of external HRM providers significantly decreased following the onset of the crisis; this would indicate that firms primarily perceived it as a luxury or something that could support discretionary managerial initiatives rather than a means for making firms more efficient or contributing to more added value. In addition, after 2008 a large number of firms abandoned their HRM function entirely, probably because of the increase in cheap, easily disposable labor in many national contexts. The study reveals that these trends were most pronounced in the emerging market economies of Central and Eastern Europe. The consequences of the crisis appear to have contributed to enhancing national differences instead of bringing the national contexts closer together.

Spatial relationship between the field-measured ambient gamma dose equivalent rate and geological conditions in a granitic area, Velence Hills, Hungary: An application of digital spatial analysis methods

In order to estimate the annual dose that the public receive from natural radioactivity, the identification of the potential risk areas is required which, in turn, necessitates understanding the relationship between the spatial distribution of natural radioactivity and the geogenic risk factors (e.g., rock types, presence of dikes, faults, physical conditions of soil, etc.). A detailed spatial analysis of outdoor ambient gamma dose equivalent rate was performed in the western side of Velence Hills, the largest outcropped granitic area in Hungary. In order to assess the role of local geology in the spatial distribution of gamma dose rates, field measurements were carried out at ground level at 300 sites along a 250 m x 250 m regular grid in a total surface of 19.8 km2. Digital image processing methods were applied to identify anomalies, heterogeneities and spatial patterns in the measured gamma dose rates, including local maxima and minima determination, digital cross sections, gradient magnitude and gradient direction, second derivative profile curvature, local variability, lineament density, 2D autocorrelation and directional variogram analyses. Statistical inference shows that different gamma dose rate levels are associated with the geological formations, with the highest level on the Carboniferous granite including outlying values. Moreover, digital image processing reveales that linear gamma dose rate spatial features are parallel to the SW-NE dike system and to the NW-SE main fractures. The results of this study underline the importance of understanding the role of geogenic risk factors influencing the ambient gamma dose equivalent rate received by public. The study also demonstrates the power of the image processing techniques for the identification of spatial pattern in field-measured geogenic radiation.

Stimulus-triggered enhancement of chilling tolerance in zebrafish embryos

Background Cryopreservation of zebrafish embryos is still an unsolved problem despite market demand and massive efforts to preserve genetic variation among numerous existing lines. Chilled storage of embryos might be a step towards developing successful cryopreservation, but no methods to date have worked. Methods In the present study, we applied a novel strategy to improve the chilling tolerance of zebrafish embryos by introducing a preconditioning hydrostatic pressure treatment to the embryos. In our experiments, 26-somites and Prim-5 stage zebrafish embryos were chilled at 0°C for 24 hours after preconditioning. Embryo survival rate, ability to reach maturation and fertilizing capacity were tested. Results Our results indicate that applied preconditioning technology made it possible for the chilled embryos to develop normally until maturity, and to produce healthy offspring as normal, thus passing on their genetic material successfully. Treated embryos had a significantly higher survival and better developmental rate, moreover the treated group had a higher ratio of normal morphology during continued development. While all controls from chilled embryos died by 30 day-post-fertilization, the treated group reached maturity (~90–120 days) and were able to reproduce, resulting in offspring in expected quantity and quality. Conclusions Based on our results, we conclude that the preconditioning technology represents a significant improvement in zebrafish embryo chilling tolerance, thus enabling a long-time survival. Furthermore, as embryonic development is arrested during chilled storage this technology also provides a solution to synchronize or delay the development.

Critical issues of human resource planning, performance evaluation and long-term development on the central region and non-central areas: Hungarian case study for investors

In human resource management practices of various nations, companies have to adapt to the local specifics. This claim is strongly supported by the results of the international Central and Eastern European International Research Team research. Based on the instances of research conducted in various countries, we can clearly see that only the ‘best practice’ is not enough when used exclusively, and a ‘best fit’ perspective has to support it, which optimizes the usage of resources to the local economical–social environment. Our notes revealed that non-central areas have many more employees per human resource (HR) specialist, which may result in excess tasks. In the case of companies from Central Hungary (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 region), one HR professional usually deals with 55 employees, while in non-central regions, this number may reach up to 112 workers. This means that in non-central areas, HR employees have double the work. Also, their daily operative work may bring in a huge overload, which concerns all functions of HR. Critical issues are HR planning, training, development and keeping talented individuals (talent management), which mean serious questions and problems for companies that are not in the Central Hungarian region.