This study explores the scale efficiency of four star hotels in a small tourist destination in Croatia. The number of overnight stays and the increase in hotel beds are two indicators of the development of a tourist destination. Among the accommodation facilities, hotels play a significant role in the development of a tourist destination, but they are increasingly facing a labor force crisis. Data envelopment analysis is used to rank hotels by efficiency coefficient. The aim of the paper is to investigate the efficiency of the hotel by taking certain inputs and outputs, which are explained in detail in the paper. The paper uses the CCR (Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes) and BCC (Banker, Charnes, and Cooper) models to calculate hotel scale efficiency and also presents an overview of previous research around the world.

Small watershed ecological compensation is an important economic means to solve the contradiction between protecting the ecological environment and developing the economy. Taking the Changtian small watershed in the Xixiu District of Anshun City as an example, this paper uses the ecological service function value method to roughly calculate the ecological service function value of the small watershed ecosystem: the ecological service function value of the Changtian small watershed is 913.586 million yuan, and the total amount of ecological compensation is 11.6245 million yuan, of which the farmland system compensation is 1.3194 million yuan, the forest system compensation is 7.5336 million yuan, and the water system compensation is 256,000 yuan, The compensation for the fruit forest system is 2,515,500 yuan. Based on the value of ecosystem service function, the compensated and non-compensated ecosystem service functions are distinguished, and the equivalent factors that different ecosystems can provide compensated ecosystem functions are expressed, so that the determination of ecological compensation amount is scientific and more accurate, and then provides a basis for the determination of ecological compensation standard of the small watershed.

An image adaptive noise reduction enhancement algorithm based on NSCT is proposed to perform image restoration preprocessing on the defocused image obtained under the microscope. Defocused images acquired under micro-nano scale optical microscopy, usually with inconspicuous details, edges and contours, affect the accuracy of subsequent observation tasks. Due to its multi-scale and multi-directionality, the NSCT transform has superior transform functions and can obtain more textures and edges of images. Combined with the characteristics of micro-nanoscale optical defocus images, the NSCT inverse transform is performed on all sub-bands to reconstruct the image. Finally, the experimental results of the standard 500 nm scale grid, conductive probe and triangular probe show that the proposed algorithm has a better image enhancement effect and significantly improves the quality of out-of-focus images.

Adult obesity is a significant health problem, with nearly a quarter of Hungarian citizens aged 15 years and older being obese in 2019 (KSH, 2019a). The use of mobile devices for health purposes is increasing, and many m-health apps target weight-related behaviours. This study uniquely examines the effectiveness and user satisfaction of health-oriented apps among Hungarian adults, with a focus on health improvement. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study identifies six key determinants of health improvement and refines measurement tools by modifying existing parameters and introducing new constructs. The principal objective was to develop a measurement instrument for the usability of nutrition, relaxation and health promotion applications. The research comprised three phases: (1) qualitative content analysis of 13 app reviews conducted in June 2022; (2) focus group interviews involving 32 students from the fields of business, economics and health management; and (3) an online survey (n = 348 users) conducted in December 2023 that included Strava (105 users), Yazio (109 users) and Calm (134 users). Six factors were identified as determinants of health improvement: physical activity, diet, weight loss, general well-being, progress, and body knowledge. The LAUQ (Lifestyle Application Usability Questionnaire) scale was validated, including 'ease of use' (5 items), 'interface and satisfaction' (7 items) and 'modified usefulness and effectiveness' (9 items), with modifications based on qualitative findings. This research offers valuable insights into the factors influencing health improvement and user satisfaction with healthy lifestyle-oriented applications. It also contributes to the refinement of measurement tools such as the LAUQ, which will inform future studies in health psychology, digital health, and behavioural economics.

This paper presents an effective method for performing audio steganography, which would help in improving the security of information transmission. Audio steganography is one of the techniques for hiding secret messages within an audio file to maintain communication secrecy from unwanted listeners. Most of these conventional methods have several drawbacks related to distortion, detectability, and inefficiency. To mitigate these issues, a new scheme is presented which combines the techniques of image interpolation with LSB encoding. It selects non-seed pixels to allow reversibility and diminish distortion in medical images. Our technique also embeds a fragile watermarking scheme to identify any breach during transmission to recover data securely and reliably. A magic rectangle has also been used for encryption to enhance data security. This paper proposes a robust, low-distortion audio steganography technique that provides high data integrity with undetectability and will have wide applications in sectors like e-healthcare, corporate data security, and forensic applications. In the future, this approach will be refined for broader audio formats and overall system robustness.

Economic growth is a pressing issue facing the global community transitioning to sustainable development. Sustainable development is impossible without rapid economic growth limited by imperfect technologies and social structure. Most often, the limit of economic growth is related not so much to the amount of natural resources as to the possibilities of the environment. The atmosphere, water reservoirs, and the earth are already at the limit of their capabilities. This forces us to look for ways to develop production in combination with the economic and environmental spheres. Advanced companies are the first environmentally oriented enterprises, because reducing the amount of primary raw and other materials and energy, switching to secondary raw materials, and processing them reduces the cost of production, and, most often, brings additional profit. This study evaluates socioeconomic approaches to the development of the environmental management system. The creation of an environmentally friendly enterprise’s field of activity is not only a solution to many economic and environmental issues but also one of the ways to transition to a normally functioning market system, given the financial capabilities of enterprises and the understanding of the necessity of state sustainable development by the company management and the population.