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Financial and economic uncertainty in the United States during the COVID-19 crisis
Get PDFNegotovost predstavlja situacijo, ko subjekti ne morejo napovedati prihodnjih dogodkov ali oceniti njihove verjetnosti. Pandemija covida-19 je prinesla globalno finančno negotovost, ki je bila zaznamovana z visoko volatilnostjo na finančnih trgih in dramatičnimi spremembami v gospodarskih obetih. Finančni in gospodarski sektorji so pod vplivom krize covida-19 dosegli izstopajoče spremembe. Volatilnostni indeksi, kot je VIX, so se zvišali na rekordne ravni, kar je povzročilo povečano nezaupanje in strah med vlagatelji. Razglasitev pandemije je povzročila velike pretrese na finančnem trgu v ZDA, kar je najbolj očitno izraženo v znatnem padcu indeksa S&P 500 med februarjem in aprilom 2020. Stopnje brezposelnosti so aprila 2020 dosegle rekordne ravni, zlasti v gostinstvu. Gospodarska kriza in povečanje brezposelnosti sta postali prevladujoči temi po vsem svetu od začetka pandemije. V naši analizi smo podali pregled o brezposelnosti glede na panogo, starost, spol, stopnjo izobrazbe in raso. Povečanje cen trajnih dobrin in težave v dobavni verigi so prispevale k visokim inflacijskim stopnjam do sredine leta 2022. V okviru naše analize smo preučevali tudi fiskalno in monetarno negotovost med pandemijo covida-19, vključno s ključnimi ukrepi, ki so bili sprejeti z namenom blažitve gospodarskih vplivov.Uncertainty represents a situation where entities cannot predict future events or assess their probabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic brought global financial uncertainty, characterized by high volatility in financial markets and dramatic changes in economic prospects. The financial and economic sectors underwent significant transformations due to the COVID-19 crisis. Volatility indices, such as VIX, rose to record levels, leading to increased distrust and fear among investors. The declaration of the pandemic caused major disruptions in the U.S. financial market, most notably reflected in a substantial drop in the S&P 500 index between February and April 2020. Unemployment rates reached record highs in April 2020, particularly in the hospitality sector. Economic crises and rising unemployment became dominant global themes from the start of the pandemic. In our analysis, we provided an overview of unemployment by industry, age, gender, education level, and race. Increases in the prices of durable goods and supply chain disruptions contributed to high inflation rates through mid-2022. As part of our analysis, we examined fiscal and monetary uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, including key measures implemented to mitigate economic impacts
Life and work of composer Bojan Glavina (3 pieces for flute)
Get PDFMagistrsko delo z naslovom Življenje in delo skladatelja Bojana Glavine (3 skladbe za flavto) raziskuje življenje, delovanje in ustvarjanje skladatelja Bojana Glavine. Prvi del se osredotoča na ključne dogodke iz njegovega življenja, ki so ga privedli do njegove umetniške poti. Glavina je predstavljen kot vsestranski umetnik – skladatelj, klavirski pedagog, pianist, publicist, zbiratelj in predavatelj. Na vseh področjih predstavimo njegovo delovanje in se nato posvetimo njegovemu bogatemu opusu ter iz njega izluščimo skladbe, ki so napisane za flavto v različnih možnih sestavih. V drugem delu se z analizo posvetimo trem izbranim skladbam za flavto. Analizirane so skladbe FUNtazija za flavto in klavir, Devet nasmehov za tri flavte in Igra za flavto in klavir. Izvedbe izbranih skladb bodo predstavljene tudi na magistrskem nastopu.The thesis titled The Life and Work of Composer Bojan Glavina (3 Pieces for Flute) explores the life, career, and creative output of composer Bojan Glavina. The first part focuses on key events from his life that led him to his artistic path. Glavina is presented as a versatile artist – a composer, piano teacher, pianist, publicist, collector and lecturer. His contributions in each of these areas are highlighted, followed by an examination of his rich body of work, with a particular focus on compositions written fort the flute in various ensembles. The second part provides an analysis of three selected pieces for flute. The analyzed works are »FUNtazija« for flute and piano, »Nine Smiles« for three flutes, and »The Game« for flute and piano. Performances of three selected compositions will also be presented at the master\u27s recital
Comparison of the compliance of portfolio management tools with COBIT recommendations
Get PDFV sodobnih organizacijah se pojavlja vse večja potreba po učinkovitem upravljanju IT
procesov, predvsem zaradi hitrih tehnoloških sprememb, kompleksnosti poslovnih
operacij in naraščajočih zahtev po optimizaciji virov. Ogrodje COBIT 2019 ponuja
strukturiran pristop k upravljanju in nadzoru informacijske tehnologije, s poudarkom na
usklajevanju poslovnih in IT-ciljev. V diplomskem delu smo najprej predstavili ogrodje
COBIT 2019 in njegov jedrni model, nato pa smo se osredotočili na domeno APO
(Usklajevanje, Načrtovanje in Organizacija), natančneje na proces APO05 – Upravljanje
portfelja. V nadaljevanju smo analizirali različna orodja za upravljanje portfelja, pri
čemer smo podrobneje predstavili SharpCloud, Wrike in Monday, ter ocenili njihovo
uporabnost v kontekstu COBIT APO05. Na podlagi določenih kriterijev ocenjevanja smo
izvedli primerjalno analizo teh orodij po standardu COBIT. Zaključili smo z
ugotovitvami, katero izmed obravnavanih orodij se najbolj prilagaja standardu COBIT
pri upravljanju portfelja.In modern organizations, there is a growing need for efficient IT process management,
primarily due to rapid technological changes, the complexity of business operations,
and increasing demands for resource optimization. The COBIT 2019 framework
provides a structured approach to IT governance and management, with a strong
emphasis on aligning business and IT objectives. In this thesis, we first introduced the
COBIT 2019 framework and its core model, then focused on the APO (Align, Plan, and
Organize) domain, specifically the APO05 – Portfolio Management process.
Furthermore, we analysed various portfolio management tools, providing a detailed
review of SharpCloud, Wrike, and Monday, and assessed their usability within the
COBIT APO05 context. Based on predefined evaluation criteria, we conducted a
comparative analysis of these tools following COBIT standards. Finally, we concluded
with findings on which of the evaluated tools best aligns with the COBIT standard for
portfolio management
Integrating natural science and technical content with experiential learning in nature: a sample model for conducting activities within various forest enviroments
Get PDFOsrednja naloga magistrskega dela je bila raziskati pomen naravoslovnega in tehničnega izobraževanja v naravnem (gozdnem) okolju, s poudarkom na izkustvenem učenju in praktičnih aktivnostih. Sestavljena je iz teoretičnega in praktičnega dela.
V teoretičnem delu so predstavljeni vsebine predmeta naravoslovje in tehnika ter tudi pomembnost in vpliv učenja v naravi, vloga staršev in primeri dobrih praks. Velika pozornost se namenja učnim pristopom, kot so raziskovalno učenje, taborništvo, gozdna pedagogika in pustolovsko učenje, ki koristijo pri poučevanju v naravnih okoljih. Omenjen je tudi pomen gozda v izobraževanju.
Praktični del zavzema sklop nalog in opis treh aktivnosti (vezanje vozlov, izdelava gozdnega kolesa in gradnja bivaka), ki so bile izvedene na dveh osnovnih šolah v različnih naravnih okoljih. Enkrat v mestnem parku, drugič pa v klasičnem slovenskem gozdu. Aktivnosti so bile zasnovane s pomočjo učne priprave in predstavljene s pomočjo priročnika. Rezultati so potrdili večjo stopnjo motivacije, zanimanja, ustvarjalnosti in sodelovanja učencev pri izvedbi. Prav tako se je uresničilo, da je narava ponudila prostor, ki ponuja bogate možnosti za celostni in trajnostni razvoj vseh učencev.The main task of the Master\u27s thesis was to explore the importance of science and technology education in a natural (forest) environment, with a focus on experiential learning and hands-on activities. The thesis itself consists of a theoretical and a practical part.
The theoretical part presents the content of the school subject Science and Technology, as well as the importance and impact of outdoor learning, the role of parents and examples of good practice. Much attention is paid to learning approaches such as exploratory learning, scouting, forest pedagogy and adventure learning, which are useful for teaching in natural environments, like forests.
The practical part consists of a set of tasks and a description of three activities (knot-tying, water wheel making and building a bivouac) carried out in two primary schools in different natural environments. One in a city park and the other in a traditional Slovenian forest. The activities were designed using a teaching preparation and presented using a manual. The results confirmed a higher level of motivation, interest, creativity and participation of the pupils. It was also realised that nature offered a space that offered rich opportunities for the holistic and sustainable development of all learners
Infrastructure design for the Juliana hiking trail
Get PDFMagistrska naloga se osredotoča na razvoj trajnostne
infrastrukture in programov za podporo turizma ob
pohodniški poti Juliana. Izhajajoč iz analize
trajnostnih praks in referenčnih arhitekturnih
primerov naloga obravnava prostorski kontekst štirih
izbranih lokacij – Rabeljsko jezero, Naravni rezervat
Zelenci, Srednji Vrh in Dovje. Cilj je vzpostaviti sistem
souporabe koles, umestiti nove infrastrukturne
objekte ter razviti programe, ki spodbujajo trajnostno
mobilnost, aktivni turizem in ohranjanje naravnih
vrednot.
Na vsaki lokaciji je predlagan program, ki vključuje
kombinacijo lokacijsko specifičnih, montažnih in
dopolnitvenih objektov. Objekti so zasnovani z
uporabo trajnostnih gradbenih materialov in
tehnologij, pri čemer arhitekturni izraz črpa iz lokalne
alpske tradicije in ga preoblikuje v sodoben kontekst.
Zasnova poudarja minimalen vpliv na okolje,
izboljšanje uporabniške izkušnje ter povezanost z
naravnimi in kulturnimi vrednotami Julijskih Alp.The thesis focuses on the development of sustainable
infrastructure and programs to support tourism
along the Juliana Trail. Based on an analysis of
sustainable practices and architectural reference
cases, the thesis examines the spatial context of four
selected locations – Lago di Predil, Zelenci Nature
Reserve, Srednji Vrh, and Dovje. The goal is to
establish a bike-sharing system, introduce new
infrastructure facilities, and develop programs that
promote sustainable mobility, active tourism, and the
preservation of natural assets.
Each location features a proposed program that
includes a combination of site-specific,
prefabricated, and
complementary structures. The facilities are
designed using sustainable building materials and
technologies, with an architectural expression rooted
in the local Alpine tradition, reinterpreted in a
contemporary context. The design emphasizes
minimal environmental impact, enhanced user
experience, and integration with the natural and
cultural values of the Julian Alps
The impact of speech recognition errors on the quality of machine translations in speech-to-speech translation systems
Get PDFMagistrsko delo analizira vpliv napak avtomatskega razpoznavalnika govora na kakovost strojnih prevodov v sistemih prevajanja govora v govor. S prevajalnikom smo prevedli več izhodov razpoznavalnika govora, ki so se med seboj razlikovali v kvaliteti razpoznavanja, kot referenčne prevode pa smo vzeli prevod nabora povedi, ki je bil uporabljen na vhodu v razpoznavalnik. Tipi napak, ki smo jih obravnavali, so bili: vstavljanje, brisanje in zamenjava besede. V nadaljevanju smo jih še podrobneje razdelali glede na besedne vrste in obseg spremembe. Vpliv napak na kakovost prevodov smo ocenjevali z metriko BLEU. Ugotovili smo, da določene vrste napak bolj vplivajo na kakovost prevoda kakor druge.This master\u27s thesis analyzes the impact of automatic speech recognition errors on the quality of machine translations in speech-to-speech translation systems. We used the translator to translate several speech recognizer outputs that differed in recognition quality, and as reference translations we took the translations of the set of sentences that was used at the input to the recognizer. The types of errors we considered were: insertion, deletion, and word substitution. We further elaborated on them in more detail according to word classes and the extent of change. We assessed the impact of errors on the quality of translations using the BLEU metric. We found that certain types of errors have a greater impact on the quality of translation than others
Alginate coatings suppress unspecific protein adhesion on PVC
Get PDFThis study involved oxygen plasma activation of PVC and its effect on alginate coating adhesion, analyzed using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). The results demonstrated improved adhesion of alginate on plasma-activated PVC due to an increase of oxidized functional groups. Wettability measurements, conducted using optical contact angle goniometry and QCM-D, showed a significant increase in the wettability of PVC after alginate coating, with contact angles decreasing from 81.4 ± 1.1◦ to 37.3 ± 3.1◦ 3D-profilometry mapping revealed a uniform distribution of alginate on the PVC film. Real-time antifouling studies using QCM-D with two model proteins, bovine serum albumin and bovine fibrinogen, were performed to elucidate the surface interactions involved in protein inhibition. The results indicated a substantial reduction in protein adhesion on alginate-coated PVC. This reduction in protein adhesion is attributed to the high hydrophilicity of the alginate coatings and partial removal of the alginate, which together contribute to poor protein adhesion. This comprehensive approach advances the development of effective solutions for mitigating biofilm-related issues on PVC-based medical devices, offering significant implications for improving patient outcomes
Unlocking innovation: Novel films synthesised and structurally analysed from poly (l-lactide-co-ethylene adipate) block copolymers blended with poly(lactic acid)
Get PDFThis study addresses the inherent shortcomings of poly (lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable polymer widely used in industries such as packaging and biomedical applications. The principal challenge of PLA resides in its low crystallinity, which detrimentally affects its mechanical properties and thermal stability. Additionally, PLA is prone to water and hydrolysis, which compromises its chemical resistance and can lead to degradation over time. To overcome surmount these limitations, the study focuses on the development of hybrid films through the blending of PLA with poly (l-lactide-co-ethylene adipate) (pLEA) block copolymers. The objective is to augment the crystallinity, mechanical performance, and chemical resistance of the resulting materials. The study employs a range of analytical techniques, including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), to thoroughly characterize the copolymers and blend films. By systematically selecting blending ratios and processing methodologies, the study demonstrates enhancements in the properties of the resultant hybrid films compared to neat PLA. Specifically, the structure of films significantly changed from amorphous to crystalline in a short duration - 5 min, of annealing., leading to better tensile strength, modulus and reduced wettability, which are crucial for applications requiring durability and resistance to environmental factors. Films made from 30 wt% of pLEA 97.5/2.5 with 70 % of PLA by fast cooling exhibited outstanding mechanical properties, with a tensile strength 20 MPa higher than that of neat PLA films. Additionally, the chemical resistance may be improved, as evidenced by a decrease in wettability by approximately 15° and a reduction in the polar component of the surface free energy by about 7 mN/m. Hydrophobic, water-repellent materials resist penetration by water and other polar solvents, reducing exposure to corrosive substances and enhancing chemical resistance through barrier protection. Overall, this research addresses the limitations of PLA through innovative copolymerization and blending strategies, offering valuable insights into optimizing the material\u27s properties for various practical applications
Study of a sensitive and selective electrochemical biosensor for glucose based on ▫▫ pyrochlore clusters combined with MWCNTs
Get PDFThe development of sensitive, selective, and reliable glucose biosensors remains a persistent challenge in clinical diagnostics. In this study, we exploited the advantageous (electro)catalytic properties of bismuth ruthenate (Bi2Ru2O7) pyrochlore clusters, known for their high surface activity and metallic-like conductivity, and the favorable physicochemical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by combining them with glucose oxidase (GOD) in a sensitive and selective disposable glucose biosensor. The integration of Bi2Ru2O7 enabled an enhanced and more reproducible response of the biosensor along with fast and improved communication between the supporting electrode and the upper biosensing layer. The architecture of the biosensor involves the deposition of an MWCNT layer on a ferrocyanide-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (FCN-SPCE), followed by the application of a biorecognition layer including GOD and Bi2Ru2O7 clusters. The voltammetric biosensor showed excellent electroanalytical performance, capable of detecting low glucose concentrations with a detection limit of 40 μM along with a linear response across the examined concentration range of 1.0–20.0 mM. The biosensor exhibited good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.2% and interference-free operation against several of the most common interfering compounds. The practical applicability of the biosensor was demonstrated by the determination of glucose in a real serum sample spiked with different concentrations of glucose
Harnessing environmental yeasts - Pichia kudriavzevii strain ZMUM_K002
Get PDFThe environment hosts a diversity of microorganisms whose potential for biotechnological applications has not yet been exhausted. The quest of our study was to find isolates of Pichia kudriavzevii from the environment that could be used as new biotechnological agents. Moreover, we aimed to explore the resource efficiency for microbial cultivation, in particular the efficiency of spent coffee grounds (SCG), an easily accessible waste coffee product with a high unutilized organic content. In this study, Pichia kudriavzevii strain ZMUM_K002, a yeast strain isolated from a grape pomace compost, was investigated. Antifungal susceptibility, particularly fluconazole susceptibility, was assessed, and the strain’s biotechnological potential by comparing its ability to utilize low-cost carbon sources, including SCG, with a natural isolate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain ZMUM_K003) was assessed. The P. kudriavzevii strain ZMUM_K002 exhibited higher fluconazole susceptibility and yielded more than 30% more biomass in optimized media formulations compared to S. cerevisiae ZMUM_K003. These findings demonstrate that P. kudriavzevii ZMUM_K002 has the potential for efficient biomass production in sustainable industrial biotechnology, particularly in processes requiring high biomass yields on alternative substrates