Business Networks. An Analysis of Influential Businessmen within the Network of the FIDESZ Party in Hungary

AbstractUnderstanding the relations of business and politics is of profound importance. The paper aims to analyze business-related connections among people within the network of FIDESZ, the currently leading political party in Hungary. The authors study the business networks within the boundaries of FIDESZ and identify the most influential businessmen using network research methodology. The main hypothesis, reflecting common knowledge, is that Lajos Simicska is a central point within this business network. The database of ahalo.hu has been used as the main source of data. First the sample FIDESZ business network is analyzed, followed by an analysis of the four biggest business communities identified in it. The article is concluded with the identification of the most influential businessmen of these. The findings of the article fail to support the main hypothesis: according to our findings (1) Péter Kiss, (2) Zoltán Varga, (3) Antal Nagy, (4) Márton Szabó, (5) János Bertalan, (6) Zsolt Nyerges, (7) Lajos Simicska and (8) István Töröcskei are considered to be the eight most influential businessmen of the FIDESZ network (and not Simicska is the most important). Qualitative research carried out in parallel to analyze the business activities of the aforementioned businessmen reveals that the current research can only partially point out the most prominent members of the FIDESZ business network

Micromorphological investigations on two paleosol horizons of the loess/paleosol sequence of Madaras, Hungary

Abstract The loess/paleosol sequence near the village of Madaras is an outstanding record of Late Quaternary paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic changes in Hungary and the entire Carpathian Basin. The present study highlights the results of preliminary micromorphological investigations implemented on 24 samples taken from two pre-selected pedogenized horizons of the sequence. Our work yielded interesting results regarding the evolutionary history and modes of pedogenesis in the studied section

Climatic fluctuations inferred for the Middle and Late Pleniglacial (MIS 2) based on high-resolution (∼ca. 20 y) preliminary environmental magnetic investigation of the loess section of the Madaras brickyard (Hungary)

Abstract The Madaras brickyard section found at the northernmost fringe of the Backa loess plateau is one of the thickest and best-developed last glacial loess sequences of Central Europe. In the present work high-resolution magnetic susceptibility measurements (at 2 cm) were implemented on samples from the 10 m-section corresponding to a period between 29 and 11 KY cal b2K. One aim was to compare the findings with the ice core records of northern Greenland in order to establish a high-resolution paleoclimatic record for the last climatic cycle and with findings documented in other biotic and abiotic proxies so far. Our results revealed a strong variability of loess/paleosol formation during MIS 2. Millennial time-scale climatic events that characterize the North Atlantic during the last climatic cycle have been identified. From 29 ka up to the start of the LGM, the recorded MS values show a weak, negative correlation with the temperature proxy, and a weak positive correlation with the dust concentration of Greenland. A strong correlation was observed with the local paleotemperatures. Local climatic factors must have had a more prominent effect here on loess/paleosol development than the climate shifts over Greenland. During the LGM the same pattern is seen with a stronger correlation with the dust concentrations and a weaker correlation with the local temperature. Local climatic factors, plus dust accumulation, must have had a prominent influence on loess/paleosol development here. From the terminal part of the LGM a strong positive correlation of the MS values with the temperature proxy for Greenland accompanied by a strong negative correlation with the dust concentration values is observed. Correlation with local paleotemperatures is positive and moderate, strong. Here climate shifts over Greenland, as well as local endowments equally had an important role on the development of the MS signal

Ice Age Terrestrial and Freshwater Gastropod Refugia in the Carpathian Basin, Central Europe

Thanks to its unique microclimatic, geomorphological , hydrological conditions forming a mosaic-like environment present at all scales, numerous Late Tertiary and Pleistocene warmth-loving gastropod taxa managed to find refugee within the Carpathian Basin during the major-minor cold spells of the Ice Age. This complex system of refugia have been continuously functioning and evolving since the Late Tertiary through the entire Pleistocene and the Holocene. To understand the spatial and temporal evolution of refugia, detailed paleoecological investigations have been implemented, results of which are summed here. The high-grade fractal-like complexity of the environment led to the emergence of a so-called dual refugia, which is a unique feature of the Carpathian Basin. This temporally parallel but spatially differing presence of habitats for taxa of contrasting ecological needs was noted for paleotemperature gradients and temperate woodland and steppe habitat types as well. Furthermore, detailed geological and paleoecological analysis of a small Pleistocene hot-spring fed pond revealed information about the evolution of endemic thermophylous freshwater gastropod taxa within this microrefugia. This chapter is aimed to give an overview of the nature, evolution of temperate terrestrial and freshwater gastropod refugia present in the Carpathian Basin during the Ice Age

The environmental history of Fenékpuszta with a special attention to the climate and precipitation of the last 2000 years

This work presents the details of a multidisciplinary palaeoecological and geoarcheological study on the sedimentary sequences, including 2 undisturbed cores of the Little Balaton situated in the western part of Lake Balaton in Central Europe. The application of Quaternary palaeoecological analysis to peat and lacustrine deposits enables to identify long-term environmental changes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The principal aims were to shed light onto how former human societies and culture shaped and altered their natural environment on the one hand. Furthermore, to reconstruct the once existing environmental conditions within the framework of the natural evolution of the vegetation, soil, fauna and the catchment basin for the times preceding written historical records via the application of sedimentological, geochemical, isotope geochemical, palynological, macrobotanical, malacological and microfaunal analytical methods and approaches

”Mine works better” - Examining the influence of embodiment in virtual reality on the sense of agency during a binary motor imagery task with a brain-computer interface

Motor imagery-based brain-computer interfaces (MI-BCI) have been proposed as a means for stroke rehabilitation, which combined with virtual reality allows for introducing game-based interactions into rehabilitation. However, the control of the MI-BCI may be difficult to obtain and users may face poor performance which frustrates them and potentially affects their motivation to use the technology. Decreases in motivation could be reduced by increasing the users' sense of agency over the system. The aim of this study was to understand whether embodiment (ownership) of a hand depicted in virtual reality can enhance the sense of agency to reduce frustration in an MI-BCI task. Twenty-two healthy participants participated in a within-subject study where their sense of agency was compared in two different embodiment experiences: 1) avatar hand (with body), or 2) abstract blocks. Both representations closed with a similar motion for spatial congruency and popped a balloon as a result. The hand/blocks were controlled through an online MI-BCI. Each condition consisted of 30 trials of MI-activation of the avatar hand/blocks. After each condition a questionnaire probed the participants' sense of agency, ownership, and frustration. Afterwards, a semi-structured interview was performed where the participants elaborated on their ratings. Both conditions supported similar levels of MI-BCI performance. A significant correlation between ownership and agency was observed (r = 0.47, p = 0.001). As intended, the avatar hand yielded much higher ownership than the blocks. When controlling for performance, ownership increased sense of agency. In conclusion, designers of BCI-based rehabilitation applications can draw on anthropomorphic avatars for the visual mapping of the trained limb to improve ownership. While not While not reducing frustration ownership can improve perceived agency given sufficient BCI performance. In future studies the findings should be validated in stroke patients since they may perceive agency and ownership differently than able-bodied users