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A situational approach to Industry 4.0 maturity assessment
No full textPurpose – This study aims to address the limitations of current Industry 4.0 evaluation approaches, which often rely on a one-size-fits-all philosophy. It introduces a novel situational evaluation method tailored to the unique contexts of organizations, with a focus on aligning Industry 4.0 initiatives with strategic goals.
Design/methodology/approach – A case study methodology was employed involving a large multinational company with over 30 subsidiaries in 14 countries across Europe and Asia. The company operates in three core EU industries: automotive, electric power transformers, and construction. The study involved the entire top management team (TMT) in order to comprehensively assess the effectiveness of the proposed evaluation approach.
Findings – The results demonstrate that the TMT highly valued the customized nature of the situational evaluation approach. The proposed Industry 4.0 evaluation approach significantly improved the alignment of the organization’s strategic objectives between TMT members.
Originality/value – The study provides a novel approach to Industry 4.0 evaluation that starts with selecting and structuring digital maturity dimensions according to the needs, context, and characteristics of a specific enterprisecontinues with evaluations of individual TMT use and completes with group discussion to achieve final strategic alignment and address common challenges in Industry 4.0 adoption (TMT alignment, workforce readiness, and technology integration).
Keywords Industry 4.0, Manufacturing strategy, Type of firm – multinational companies, Type of manufacturing process – continuous process,Data collection method – case study (including grounded theory, iterative-pragmatic, and deductive approaches), Data collection method – survey (in-person interviews and written questionnaires)
Paper type Research articl
Dynamics of skew-products tangent to the identity
No full textWe study the local dynamics of generic skew-products tangent to the identity, i.e. maps of the form with . More precisely, we focus on maps with non-degenerate second differential at the originsuch maps have local normal form . We prove the existence of parabolic domains, and prove that inside these parabolic domains the orbits converge non-tangentially if and only if . Furthermore, we prove the existence of a type of parabolic implosion, in which the renormalization limits are different from previously known cases. This has a number of consequences: under a diophantine condition on coefficients of , we prove the existence of wandering domains with rank limit maps. We also give explicit examples of quadratic skew-products with countably many grand orbits of wandering domains, and we give an explicit example of a skew-product map with a Fatou component exhibiting historic behaviour. Finally, we construct various topological invariants, which allow us to answer a question of Abate
Odnos osnovnošolcev do učenja glasbe na daljavo
No full textMusic education underwent significant adjustments during the Covid-19 pandemic, reflecting broader changes in education as a whole. Distance learning was the only way to organise learning to avoid the consequences of the pandemic. As part of this project, research was carried out in the 2021–2022 school year to determine primary school students’ attitudes towards distance music learning. A total of 503 seventh- and eighth-grade students from general education primary schools completed an online survey to collect the data. The results show that the majority of the students feel that they found suitable conditions for distance music learning, that their parents and school were supportive, that they were satisfied with the digital tools, and that they saw themselves as successful learners. The overwhelming majority of the students believe that they acquire the same knowledge through distance learning as they do at school, and that distance music learning does not require a lot of effort or cause stress. However, the majority of the students feel that there were not enough workshops and courses organised by the school and the local community in order to make distance music learning easier for them. Of the sociodemographic factors studied, only the variable related to home conditions for distance music learning proved to be partially predictive.Izobraževanje na področju glasbe se je med pandemijo covida-19 precej spremenilo, pri čemer so se odražale širše spremembe v izobraževanju na splošno. Učenje na daljavo je bil edini način organizacije učenja, da bi se izognili posledicam pandemije. V okviru tega prispevka je bila v šolskem letu 2021/22 izvedena raziskava, katere namen je bil ugotoviti odnos osnovnošolcev do učenja glasbe na daljavo. Za zbiranje podatkov so spletno anketo izpolnili 503 učenci sedmega in osmega razreda splošnih osnovnih šol. Rezultati kažejo, da večina učencev meni, da so našli primerne pogoje za učenje glasbe na daljavo, da so jih starši in šola podpirali, da so bili zadovoljni z digitalnimi orodji ter da se vidijo kot uspešne učence. Velika večina učencev meni, da z učenjem na daljavo pridobijo enako znanje kot v šoli in da učenje glasbe na daljavo ne zahteva veliko truda in ne povzroča stresa. Večina učencev pa meni, da šola in lokalna skupnost nista organizirali dovolj delavnic in tečajev, da bi jim olajšali učenje glasbe na daljavo. Od preučevanih socialno-demografskih dejavnikov se je kot delno napovedna izkazala le spremenljivka, povezana z domačimi pogoji za učenje glasbe na daljavo
Objektivizacija ocene obraznih izrazov pri parkinsonovi bolezni in depresiji
No full textBackground: Reduced facial expressiveness (hypomimia) is a cardinal sign of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that phenotypically overlaps with symptoms of depression, thus complicating differential diagnosis. This study investigated whether automated facial expression (FE) analysis could objectively discriminate between individuals with PD, depression, and healthy controls (HC).
Methods: Eighty participants (30 PD, 25 depression, 25 HC) performed four FE tasks (Spontaneous emotional expression, Voluntary emotional expression, Mimicked emotional expression, Reading) while being recorded. High-level Emotion features and low-level Action Unit (AU) features were extracted using an automated engine. Random Forest classifiers with Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOO-CV) were used to perform three-group (PD versus depression versus HC) and binary (PD versus depression) classification, and to predict hypomimia severity within the PD group.
Results: The models successfully differentiated PD from depression with high classification accuracy, achieving a peak LOO-averaged classification accuracy of 0.89 in the binary classification task (Reading task, Emotion features). High-level Emotion features consistently outperformed low-level AU features across most tasks. The three-group classification was more challenging (peak accuracy 0.68), with models struggling to distinguish HCs from the clinical groups. In contrast, predicting clinically-rated hypomimia severity within the PD group using FE features was unsuccessful, with models performing at or below chance. A separate model using clinical scales to predict hypomimia did not perform well (0.60 classification accuracy), with cognitive status (ACE-III) and depression (GDS-15) being the most important predictors.
Conclusion: Automated FE analysis is a viable tool for objectively differentiating PD from depression, providing a strong foundation for developing non-invasive digital biomarkers to aid clinical diagnosis. While group classification is promising, the challenge of predicting intra-group symptom severity like hypomimia highlights the need for future research using larger, independent cohorts and potentially integrating multimodal data.Izhodišče: Zmanjšana obrazna izraznost (hipomimija) je ključen znak Parkinsonove bolezni (PB), ki se fenotipsko prekriva s simptomi depresije, kar otežuje diferencialno diagnozo. Ta študija je preučevala, ali lahko avtomatizirana analiza obrazne mimike (OM) objektivno razlikuje med posamezniki s PB, depresijo in zdravimi preiskovanci (ZP).
Metode: Osemdeset udeležencev (30 s PB, 25 z depresijo, 25 ZP) je med snemanjem izvedlo štiri naloge OM (spontana, hotena in posnemana čustvena mimika ter branje). Z avtomatiziranim orodjem so bile pridobljene visokonivojske značilnosti čustev in nizkonivojske značilnosti obraznih akcijskih enot (OAE). Za klasifikacijo v tri skupine (PB proti depresiji proti ZP), binarno klasifikacijo (PB proti depresiji) in za napovedovanje stopnje resnosti hipomimije znotraj skupine s PB so bili uporabljeni klasifikatorji naključnih gozdov z navzkrižno validacijo z izpustitvijo enega (LOO-CV).
Rezultati: Modeli so uspešno razlikovali med PB in depresijo z visoko točnostjo klasifikacije, pri čemer so dosegli najvišjo povprečno točnost klasifikacije po metodi LOO-CV 0,89 pri binarni klasifikaciji (naloga branja, značilnosti čustev). Visokonivojske značilnosti čustev so pri večini nalog dosledno prekašale nizkonivojske značilnosti OAE. Klasifikacija v tri skupine je bila zahtevnejša (najvišja točnost 0,68), saj so se modeli težko spopadali z razlikovanjem ZP od kliničnih skupin. V nasprotju s tem je bilo napovedovanje klinično ocenjene stopnje resnosti hipomimije znotraj skupine s PB z uporabo značilnosti OM neuspešno, saj so modeli dosegali rezultate na ravni ali pod ravnijo naključja. Tudi ločen model, ki je za napovedovanje hipomimije uporabil klinične lestvice, ni dosegel dobrih rezultatov (točnost klasifikacije 0,60), pri čemer sta bila najpomembnejša napovednika kognitivni status (ACE-III) in depresija (GDS-15).
Zaključek: Avtomatizirana analiza OM je uporabno orodje za objektivno razlikovanje med PB in depresijo, kar predstavlja trdno osnovo za razvoj neinvazivnih digitalnih biomarkerjev v pomoč klinični diagnozi. Medtem ko je klasifikacija skupin obetavna, izziv napovedovanja resnosti simptomov znotraj skupine, kot je hipomimija, poudarja potrebo po prihodnjih raziskavah z uporabo večjih, neodvisnih kohort in potencialno vključitvijo multimodalnih podatkov
Vericiguat Therapy Is Associated with Reverse Myocardial Remodeling in Chronic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction
No full textBackground and aims: Vericiguat lowers cardiovascular death or heart-failure hospitalization in recently worsened heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but its effects on cardiac remodeling are less well characterized. Our aim was to evaluate whether the addition of vericiguat to guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) promotes reverse myocardial remodeling in patients with HFrEF and recent worsening. Methods: We conducted a prospective, non-randomized, single-center study enrolling 34 consecutive patients with HFrEF who had experienced recent worsening and were on stable GDMT for at least 3 months prior to decompensation. Clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic assessments were performed at baseline and at 6 months. Results: A total of 24 patients completed the 6-month follow-up (mean age 63 ± 9 years92% male), 96% of whom were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV. After 6 months of vericiguat therapy, right ventricular systolic function improved significantly, with an increase in tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) from 18.5 ± 4.3 mm to 21.4 ± 4.8 mm (p = 0.003). Left ventricular systolic function improved, with a numerical increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (30.1 ± 5.9% to 32.2 ± 10.5%p = 0.122) and a significant increase in left ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral (LVOT VTI) (14.8 ± 3.7 cm to 16.1 ± 3.8 cmp = 0.011). Functional improvements were accompanied by structural remodeling, including reductions in right ventricular internal diameter in diastole (RVIDd) (40.5 ± 5.8 mm to 37.9 ± 6.9 mmp = 0.002) and left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) (144.0 ± 40.3 mL to 132.4 ± 61.0 mLp = 0.031). N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels also decreased significantly (median 1829.0 ng/mL to 1241.0 ng/mLp = 0.03). Conclusions: In patients with HFrEF and recent worsening, the addition of vericiguat to GDMT may be associated with reverse myocardial remodeling
Timely justice as a determinant of economic growth
No full textWe investigate how timeliness in enforcing legal contracts affects economic growth across countries. We focus on judicial timeliness as a proxy for courts’ performance in a large panel of 169 countries over the 2004–2019 period. We show that, by raising uncertainty and promoting opportunistic behaviors in business transactions, slower courts hinder economic development. The relationship is robust to diverse model specifications and appears stronger for business environments more heavily relying on judiciaries such as economies undergoing rapid growth, countries characterized by low human capital and civil law jurisdictions
When faced with reality
No full textWe combine precise geolocation data on firms with detailed loan-level information to examine how an extreme weather event influences banks’ perceptions of climate-related risks. We focus on the severe flooding that occurred in Slovenia in August 2023 and analyse changes in the borrowing terms offered to firms situated in flood-prone areas that were not directly affected by the disaster. We find that banks revise their assessment of climate risk following the flood, as evidenced by tighter lending conditions for exposed firms. Specifically, high-risk firms experience a decline in outstanding loan amounts and an increase in borrowing costs. We also find some evidence that the impact is more pronounced for loans with short maturity and no collateral and less pronounced for firms with a relationship with a single bank
Exploring techniques for extraction of silver fir (Abies alba)
No full textContext: Silver fir (Abies alba) contains polyphenols and lignans with antioxidant and therapeutic properties. Efficient extraction methods are essential to preserve these compounds and maximize bioactivity. Objective: To compare extraction techniques and identify the optimal method for obtaining high-quality silver fir extracts with strong antioxidant activity and minimal cytotoxicity. Materials & methods: Extracts from bark and branches were prepared using subcritical water extraction (SWE, 70–200 °C), supercritical CO extraction, and high-pressure ethanol extraction. Extracts were analyzed for total polyphenol content (TPC), lignan concentration (HPLC), antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS assays), and volatile profile (GC-MS). Cytotoxicity and cell migration were evaluated in HaCaT and Caco-2 cell lines via MTS and gap closure assays. Results: The SWE bark extract at 100 °C (SWE-BA-100) showed the highest TPC (73.8 mg GAE/g), lignan content (secoisolariciresinol 204.7 µg/mL), and antioxidant activity (DPPH: 24.2, ABTS: 32.0 mg GAE/g). Bark extracts had superior bioactive profiles compared to branches, though branch extractions gave higher yields. All extracts were non-cytotoxic. SWE-BA-100 inhibited cell migration, indicating a complex interaction between composition and cellular response. Discussion and Conclusion: SWE at 100 °C is a promising green method for producing potent antioxidant extracts from A. alba. Bark extracts offer strong antioxidant potential and safety for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutritional uses. However, high lignan content may influence cellular behavior. Further studies should address the role of non-phenolic antioxidants and refine extraction strategies to balance efficacy and bioactivity
Norma in standard v prevajalskih praksah na šolah s slovenskim učnim jezikom v Italiji
No full textPrispevek obravnava stališča do jezikovne norme in standarda v slovenščini med osebjem, zaposlenim na šolah s slovenskim učnim jezikom v Italiji. Analiza je del širše raziskave o sporazumevalnih in prevodnih praksah v tem okolju. Izhodiščna teza je, da prihaja v kontekstu šol s slovenskim učnim jezikom v Italiji do (delno) odklonilnih stališč do standarda (značilne rabe) in norme (kodifikacije) slovenskega jezika. Z raziskavo ugotavljava, od kod ta stališča izhajajo oz. kaj jih povzroča.This article deals with the attitudes toward the language norm and language standard in Slovenian among the staff of Slovenian schools in Italy. The analysis is part of a wider study on communication and translation practices in this environment. The initial hypothesis is that in schools with Slovenian as the language of instruction in Italy there are (partially) dissenting attitudes toward the standard (typical use) and the norm (codification) of Slovenian. This study seeks to determine where these attitudes arise from and what causes them