Development Process Research Articles

Developmental Language Disorder: Do Speech and Language Therapies Help to Address the Problem?

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a common language disorder affecting children (Laasonen et al., 2018). A child suffers from the disorder when the child exhibits difficulty in learning, understanding, and using a language. The disorder thus affects various aspects of a child’s development process, particularly those relating to speaking, listening, reading, and writing. As a language disorder, DLD affects the ability of a child to communicate due to difficulty in expressing meaning or interpreting communication from others. DLD can either be receptive, expressive, or both. A child suffers from receptive language disorder if they find it difficult to understand the meaning of the words used by others. It is expressive if the child finds it difficult to find the right words to help him/her convey meaning through talking. Based on its nature, several indicators can help show that a child suffers from DLD (Laasonen et al., 2018). Some of the common indicators include delayed ability to put words together to construct sentences, difficulty in learning new words and engaging in a conversation with peers, and general difficulty in following instructions due to poor interpretive ability to communicate messages.

The capability approach in rehabilitation: developing capability care.

To develop a multidisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation intervention for people with neuromuscular diseases (NMD) based on the capability approach: capability care for persons with NMD. The development process is described using a framework of actions for intervention development. It has been an iterative process consisting of a design phase based on theoretical insights and project group discussions, and a refine phase involving input from relevant stakeholders. Multidisciplinary efforts have resulted in the development of capability care for rehabilitation of persons with NMD. It can focus both on facilitating and achieving functionings (beings and doings), as well as looking for alternative functionings that fulfil the same underlying value, thereby contributing to the persons' well-being. To facilitate a conversation on broader aspects that impact on well-being, persons with NMD receive a preparation letter and healthcare professionals are provided with guiding questions and practical tools to use. We have shown that it is possible to develop a healthcare intervention based on the capability approach. We hope that rehabilitation professionals will be encouraged to use capability care and that other medical professionals will be inspired to develop capability care in their respective fields. Registered at trialregister.nl NL8946.

Clonal expansion in normal tissues.

Cancer originates from a single ancestral cell that acquires a driver mutation, which confers a growth or survival advantage, followed by the acquisition of additional driver mutations by descendant cells. Recently, it has become evident that somatic cell mutations accumulate in normal tissues with aging and exposure to environmental factors, such as alcohol, smoking, and UV rays, increases the mutation rate. Clones harboring driver mutations expand with age, leading to tissue remodeling. Lineage analysis of myeloproliferative neoplasms and der(1;16)-positive breast cancer revealed that driver mutations were acquired early in our lives and that the development of cancer takes decades, unveiling the previously unknown early process of cancer development. Evidence that clonal hematopoiesis affects various diseases, including nonneoplastic diseases, highlights the potential role of the identification and functional analysis of mutated clones in unraveling unknown pathologies. In this review, we summarize the recent updates on clonal expansion in normal tissues and the natural history of cancer revealed through lineage analysis of noncancerous and cancerous tissues.

The role of foreign MNEs in China’s twin transition: a study on the organization of green and digital innovation processes

Purpose The purpose of this study is to shed light on the twin transition in China in the organization of innovation processes in artificial intelligence (AI) and green technology (GT) development and to understand the role of foreign multinationals in Chinese innovation systems. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach is used by interviewing executives from German multinationals with expertise in AI and GT development and organization of innovation processes in China. In total, 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with companies, and the data were analysed with a thematic qualitative text analysis. Findings The findings show that AI applications for GT are primarily developed in cross-company projects that are led by local and regional authorities through the organization of industrial districts and clusters. German multinationals are either being integrated, remaining autonomous or being excluded from these twin transition innovation processes. Originality/value This paper aims to fill the gap in the literature by providing one of the first qualitative approach towards twin transition innovation processes in China and exploring the integration of multinational enterprises in cluster organizations. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the first twin transition studies from this perspective in emerging economies.

[Current status of pubertal sexual characteristics development of 2 704 girls aged 6-18 years in Tongzhou District of Beijing].

Objective: To understand the current status of pubertal sexual characteristics development of girls aged 6-18 years in Tongzhou District of Beijing and to compare the differences in sexual characteristics development among girls characterized as thin, normal, overweight, and obese. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2 844 girls aged 6-18 years in Tongzhou District of Beijing from September 2022 to July 2023. The developmental stages of breast and pubic hair were assessed on site, and menarche status was inquired. Weight and height were measured. The girls were subsequently characterized into thin, normal, overweight and obese groups. Basic information (including family and personal history) was obtained through questionnaires. Probit probability unit regression was applied to calculate the age of each Tanner stage of sexual characteristics development and the age of menarche. The χ2 test was applied to compare the counting data between two or multiple groups. Results: A total of 2 844 girls were surveyed and 2 704 girls met the inclusion criteria, resulting in a valid response rate of 95.1%. Among these girls, 1 105 (40.9%) were aged 6-9 years, 1 053 (38.9%) were aged 10-13 years, and 546 (20.2%) were aged 14-18 years. The of height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), and body mass index-for-age Z-score (BAZ) were 0.46(-0.23,1.16), 0.69(-0.16,1.67), and 0.67(-0.27,1.73) respectively. The prevalences of thin, overweight, and obesity were respectively 1.7% (45/2 704), 17.3% (467/2 704), and 19.9% (538/2 704), respectively. There were 45 girls in the thin group, 1 654 girls in the normal weight group, 1 005 girls in the overweight and obesity group. The age of Tanner stage breast 2 (B2), Tanner stage pubic hair 2 (P2), and menarche was 9.0 (95%CI 8.9-9.1), 10.5 (95%CI 10.4-10.6), and 11.4 (95%CI 11.3-1.5) years, respectively. The current status of breast and pubic hair maturity in girls with pubertal development shows that 64.6% (1 211/1 874) of these girls had breast development preceding pubic hair development, 32.4% (607/1 874) had concurrent breast and pubic hair development, and 3.0% (56/1 874) had pubic hairs development preceding breast development. The interval age between B2 and B5 was 4.7 (95%CI 4.6-4.8) years, between P2 and P5 was 4.5 (95%CI 4.4-4.6) years, and between B2 and menarche was 2.4 (95%CI 2.3-2.5) years. The ages of sexual characteristics development in overweight and obese groups were earlier than that in normal and thin groups. The ages of B2 in thin, normal, overweight, and obese groups were 10.0 (95%CI 9.5-10.6), 9.3 (95%CI 9.2-9.4), and 8.6 (95%CI 8.4-8.7) years, respectively. The age of menarche in thin, normal, overweight, and obese groups were 13.1 (95%CI 12.4-13.7), 11.6 (95%CI 11.4-11.7), and 11.1 (95%CI 11.0-11.2) years, respectively. The interval ages between B2 and B5 and between P2 and P5 was 4.5 and 4.1 years, respectively in the overweight and obese groups, and those in normal group and thin group was 4.7 and 4.5 years, 4.6 and 4.7 years, respectively. Conclusions: The ages of sexual characteristics development and menarche tend in Tongzhou District of Beijing to be earlier than that being reported of Beijing's survey 20 years ago. Girls characterized as overweight and obese not only start puberty at an earlier age than girls of normal weight, but also have a shorter developmental process.

Do we really need machine learning interatomic potentials for modeling amorphous metal oxides? Case study on amorphous alumina by recycling an existing ab initio database

Abstract In this study, we critically evaluate the performance of various interatomic potentials/force fields against a benchmark ab initio database for bulk amorphous alumina. The interatomic potentials tested in this work include all major fixed charge and variable charge models developed to date for alumina. Additionally, we introduce a novel machine learning interatomic potential constructed using the NequIP framework based on graph neural networks. Our findings reveal that the fixed-charge potential developed by Matsui and coworkers offers the most optimal balance between computational efficiency and agreement with ab initio data for stoichiometric alumina. Such balance cannot be provided by machine learning potentials when comparing performance with Matsui potential on the same computing infrastructure using a single Graphical Processing Unit. For non-stoichiometric alumina, the variable charge potentials, in particular ReaxFF, exhibit an impressive concordance with density functional theory calculations. However, our NequIP potentials trained on a small fraction of the ab initio database easily surpass ReaxFF in terms of both accuracy and computational performance. This is achieved without large overhead in terms of potential fitting and fine-tuning, often associated with the classical potential development process as well as training of standard deep neural network potentials, thus advocating for the use of data-efficient machine learning potentials like NequIP for complex cases of non-stoichiometric amorphous oxides.

Forecasting the Mexican craft beer market: an integrated consumer perception conjoint analysis approach incorporating price and product attributes

Purpose This paper aims to uncover patterns of Mexican craft beer consumers and guide companies’ decisions in the creation of new products, marketing strategies, advertising and promotion to increase craft beer sales and contribute to faster growth. Design/methodology/approach This is a conjoint analysis with a selection of attributes for new or renewed products, marginal disposition to pay for particular characteristics through brand-specific choice-based design, and market simulation. Findings This paper clearly demonstrates consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay in Mexico, with a cutting-edge market research technique combining the prioritization of preferred craft beer characteristics, and the price consumers are willing to pay for such product characteristics. Research limitations/implications The study's sample size of 501 responses is relatively small compared to the total number of craft beer consumers in Mexico. To enhance the validity and reliability of the findings, future studies should aim to obtain larger samples and compare their results with those of this study. Practical implications This study has important implications for craft beer producers, allowing them to develop targeted craft beers with appealing attributes for Mexican consumers, such as color, aroma intensity, alcohol degree intensity, bitterness, foam level and price. Social implications This study's market forecasting simulation technique is based on assumptions of consumer behavior and market dynamics. Although relevant variables were considered, unanticipated external factors or market changes could impact the forecasts' accuracy. This will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of craft beer consumer preferences in different markets and enhance the reliability of forecasting techniques. Originality/value This paper informs craft beer producers by providing valuable knowledge on customers’ preferences and willingness to pay to enhance craft beer companies’ product development processes.

The Use of Gamification for Learning SCRUM: Findings from a Case Study with Information Systems Students

Gamification has emerged in higher education as an innovative approach that engages and stimulates student participation and active learning, through the integration of game elements in the learning experience. This study presents a case study in the field of Information Systems, based on the use of gamification, through the use of Lego bricks, to learn SCRUM. The participants in the study include 12 first-year students, enrolled in the curricular unit of Information Systems, in the academic year of 2022/2023, at a Portuguese Higher Education Institution. The objective of the study is to analyze student’s understanding of the SCRUM approach, in regard to: (1) how students understand the different roles of SCRUM and the objective of each ceremony; and (2) how students understand the structure of the SCRUM framework. Findings from the study show that students who engaged in the gamified learning environment demonstrated higher comprehension of SCRUM roles, scoring significantly better on assessments compared to their non-participating peers. In general, students felt that the gamification experience achieved its objectives. Future work aims to bring the game closer to the reality of the software development process, making it more aligned with the lego4scrum methodology approach.

Inventory and Bill Management System

The modern business landscape demands efficient management of inventory and billing processes to ensure smooth operations and enhanced customer satisfaction. In response to this need, this research paper presents a comprehensive case study on the development and implementation of an Inventory and Bill Management System. This system was developed as a desktop-based application to automate various tasks, including invoice generation, inventory management, reporting services, and quotation generation. The case study focuses on the collaboration with Shri Swami Samarth Enterprises, Islampur, who sponsored the project and outlines the methodology used in the development process. Through this case study, valuable insights are provided into the significance and impact of such systems on business operations

Crosstalk between ROP GTPase signaling and plant hormones.

Rho of Plants (ROPs) constitute a plant-specific subset of small guanine nucleotide-binding proteins within the Cdc42/Rho/Rac family. These versatile proteins regulate diverse cellular processes, including cell growth, cell division, cell morphogenesis, organ development, and stress responses. In recent years, the dynamic cellular and subcellular behaviors orchestrated by ROPs have unveiled a notable connection to hormone-mediated organ development and physiological responses, thereby expanding our knowledge of the functions and regulatory mechanisms of this signaling pathway. This article delineates advancements in understanding the interplay between plant hormones and the ROP signaling cascade, centering primarily on the connections with auxin and abscisic acid pathways, alongside preliminary discoveries in cytokinin, brassinosteroid, and salicylic acid responses. It endeavors to shed light on the intricate, coordinated mechanisms bridging cell-level and tissue-level signals that underlie plant cell behavior, organ development, and physiological processes, and highlight future research prospects and challenges in this rapidly developing field.

Composition Methods of the Soviet Architectural Avant-Garde

This paper explores the composition logic of the creativity of the Avant-garde masters and to identify the principles of the composition language of the architecture of modernism.To characterize the composition language of Avant-garde architecture, systemic, historical-genetic and semiotic methods of research are used. Architectural composition is interpreted as an activity that has its own semantic, morphological and syntactic features. In the example of Svoboda Square (the former Dzerzhinsky Square) in Kharkiv, the logical methods of artistic activity and thinking of the architects of the Soviet Avant-garde of the 1920-1930s are studied.At the beginning of the 20th century avant-garde movements were created artificially, consciously, by an act of will, and they strove to dictate their ideas, concepts and principles as universal and general. The architectural language of the Avant-garde is normative, ascetic and rigidly organized. Distinctive features of the artistic movements of the Avant-garde are the deep analyticity of thinking and the normativity of the declared requirements, abstract concepts and symbols. The logical principles of composition are often repeated thanks to stable semantic associations and are reflected in geometric structures and forms. Thus, the methods of compositional thinking of the Avant-garde form a monological system, i.e. they are internally holistic and normative, not allowing alternatives. It was possible to identify and show that the Avant-garde, as a monological language system, is characterized by the following features: internal integrity, self-sufficiency, normativity; stability of figurative language devices; restriction of freedom of artistic expression with the help of a concept, declaration, slogan, clear conceptual system.Researchers and designers should treat the phenomenon under study not as a “closed”, stylistically defined object, but see it as a complex historical process of structure formation based on an even more complex process of development of thinking and activity of architects and builders of a particular period.

Secondary School State Athletic Association Health and Safety Policy Development Processes.

The National Federation of State High School Associations provides recommendations regarding health and safety policies; however, policy development is governed at the state level. Given interstate differences in governance, the primary purpose was to describe processes that State High School Athletic Associations (SHSAAs) utilize to develop a new policy. The secondary objective was to determine what methods associations use to implement new policies. A cross-sectional survey requested SHSAA (n = 51) representatives to report how athlete health and safety policies are introduced, revised, approved, and implemented within their state. The 22-question survey was developed to gather variables for the aims of the study. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each survey item. Of states who responded (n = 33), most reported a 2-committee (n = 24, 72.7%) process for developing and vetting policies, with initiation from the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (n = 27, 81.8%), followed by an executive-level committee (n = 18, 66.7%). States reported total time from policy initiation to final approval ranged from 2 weeks to over 12 months. When a new policy was approved, most states indicated implementation began with an e-mail (n = 24, 72.7%) sent to Athletic Directors (n = 26, 78.8%). School principal or district superintendent were reported as the position in charge of compliance (36.4%, n = 12). Most SHSAAs use a 2-step process to write and review an athlete health and safety policy before approval. SHSAAs that require a longer policy development time could delay the implementation of important health measures. SHSAAs could consider additional communication methods to ensure information reaches all stakeholders.

IEP Team Members’ Experiences On the Process Of Preparing Individualized Education Program In A Secondary School

Phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in this research, which was carried out to determine the experiences, opinions and suggestions of the stakeholders in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) development team during the IEP preparation process. Nine families, 20 teachers and a school administrator who were in the IEP team and took part in the IEP preparation process participated in the research. Researcher diary, demographic data form, observation and semi-structured interviews were used in accordance with the principle of data triangulation while collecting data from the participants. The data obtained from the participants were analyzed by inductive analysis method. The data were analyzed with the QSR Nvivo 11 package program. As a result of the research, it was concluded that families should be involved in the IEP development process, but this would be possible depending on some preconditions, and one of these preconditions was family education. It has been observed that the stakeholders in the team have developed a communication system based on information sharing. It was observed that the stakeholders had difficulties in the IEP preparation process due to reasons such as insufficient training on the process, insufficient knowledge about the process and laws, and inexperience. According to another result of the research, it was stated that it would not be appropriate for individuals with special needs to take part in the IEP preparation process, but they could be included in the process if certain conditions were met. In addition, as a result of the research, various suggestions were presented on deep research and applications for the IEP development process.

On the reproducibility of electron-beam lithographic fabrication of photonic nanostructures.

Photonic nanostructures such as gratings and ring resonators have become ubiquitous building blocks in Photonics. For example, they are used in filters, they resonantly enhance signals and act as grating couplers. Much research effort is invested in using such structures to create novel functionalities, which often employs electron-beam lithography. An intrinsic issue in this field is the ability to accurately achieve a specific operating wavelength, especially for resonant systems, because nanometer-scale variations in feature size may easily detune the device. Here, we examine some of the key fabrication steps and show how to improve the reproducibility of fabricating wavelength scale photonic nanostructures. We use guided mode resonance grating sensors as our exemplar and find that the exposure condition and the development process significantly affect the consistency of the resonance wavelength, amplitude, and sensitivity of the sensor. By having careful control over these factors, we can achieve consistent performance for all the sensors studied, with less than 10% variation in their resonance behaviors. These investigations provide useful guidelines for fabricating nanostructures more reliably and to achieve a higher success rate in exploratory experiments.

Fatigue Testing Approach Utilising Machining Cutting Forces and Fixture Design

Abstract Background Traditional fatigue testing methods can be expensive due to the need of specialised equipment for engineering materials and structures. Thus, a new fatigue testing approach utilising machining cutting forces to induce cyclic stresses, enabling fatigue life assessment of engineering materials and structures, has been developed. Objective This research aims to develop and verify a new testing approach using machining processes to enable the fatigue life assessment of engineering materials and structures. This is achieved by the utilisation of machining-induced cutting forces to generate cyclic stresses into welded samples used in applications of wind turbine monopile structures. Methods The methodology employes the development of a fixture encompassed with strain gauges and purposefully designed machining operations to mimic the cyclic stresses experienced in real applications. The machining-based fatigue testing approach was demonstrated on welded samples by replicating cyclic stresses of offshore wind turbine monopiles subject to in-service loads. Results The results show that rapid fatigue testing of engineering materials and structures is possible by utilising existing machine tools and centres, which are widely accessible to industry. Cyclic stresses were induced in welded structural steel samples proving the concept of this method. Conclusion This novel fatigue testing method showed that cyclic stresses can be induced by machining cutting forces to address real application needs. The key advantages are that this method can be quickly set up in industry, enabling fast fatigue testing that can lead to reduction of lead times for product and process development of industrial components.

What Does It Take to Develop Structurally Complex Molecules by Total Synthesis? Rapid Process Development and GMP Manufacturing of E7130 Drug Substance for First-in-Human Clinical Study

What Does It Take to Develop Structurally Complex Molecules by Total Synthesis? Rapid Process Development and GMP Manufacturing of E7130 Drug Substance for First-in-Human Clinical Study

Centring or suburbanization? Changing locations of producer services in Shanghai

Producer services are a critical indicator of global cities in advanced economies, whose spatial-temporal dynamics reflect the trajectory of urban transformation. However, the growth of producer services in China cannot be fully explained by current theories (e.g. neoclassical, institutional, global city and human capital theories), especially regarding their development process and geographical contexts. This study developed a context-sensitive analytical framework to comprehensively examine the location of producer services in Shanghai, a global city. We used rigorous geospatial analytical methods and considered sectoral differences and local contexts, especially institutional factors and urban spatial structure. We found that producer services in Shanghai were still concentrated in the city centre, but a dispersion trend could be detected, and subcentres were emerging in suburban areas. Further analysis highlighted producer service firms’ significant sector differences and various underlying spatiotemporal locational determinants. We identified positive effects of agglomeration on the emergence of centres for IT and research services. However, the concentration of financial and real estate services needs diversity, and agglomeration had a negative impact on them. Also, access to public transit promoted the development of IT and research services. Our study suggests that none of the existing theories alone can explain the location of producer servicer firms in Shanghai, and that sectoral heterogeneity and spatiality of producer services should be seriously considered in policy development and future studies.

РОЛЬ СЕМЬИ В ПОЗНАВАТЕЛЬНОМ РАЗВИТИИ ДЕТЕЙ ДОШКОЛЬНОГО ВОЗРАСТА

The article describes a fragment of an experimental program aimed at developing responsible fatherhood and increasing the level of competence of modern fathers in matters of development of the cognitive sphere of preschool children. Based on the results of research by scientists in the field of cognitive development of personality, we tend to understand cognitive development as a complex, complex phenomenon that includes the development of such mental cognitive processes as perception, thinking, attention, imagination, which are different forms of human orientation, both in the surrounding reality and both in itself and those regulating its activities. Considering cognitive development as a process of transition from ignorance to knowledge, and relying on the conclusion of scientists that cognitive development is the result of the sociocultural development of a subject that has biological foundations and prerequisites, and also having analyzed the age characteristics, capabilities and patterns of cognitive development of the individual on basic levels of ontogenesis, as the most important condition for the optimal cognitive development of preschool children, we identify the family and cognitively oriented contacts with children purposefully organized by parents. Our research indicates that not all parents are focused on providing comprehensive conditions for the full cognitive development of their children. Based on the conclusion made and working in the mode of innovative activities on the problem of responsible fatherhood, as one of the basic topics of our developmental program of psychological and pedagogical support for the process of formation of responsible fatherhood among modern parents, we will highlight the topic “The Role of the Family in the Cognitive Development of Preschool Children,” which is not oriented only to develop in fathers a system of knowledge in the field of specific development of the cognitive sphere of preschool children, but also a system of skills and abilities to effectively interact with their children, which will optimize the process of cognitive development of their children, which, from our point of view, will contribute more conscious and responsible implementation by fathers of their social role of “parent”

BmATAD3A mediates mitochondrial ribosomal protein expression to maintain the mitochondrial energy metabolism of the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

ATAD3A is a mitochondrial membrane protein belonging to the ATPase family that contains the AAA+ domain. It is widely involved in mitochondrial metabolism, protein transport, cell growth, development and other important life processes. It has previously been reported that the deletion of ATAD3A causes growth and development defects in humans, mice and Caenorhabditis elegans. To delve into the mechanism underlying ATAD3A defects and their impact on development, we constructed a Bombyx mori ATAD3A (BmATAD3A) defect model in silkworm larvae. We aim to offer a reference for understanding ATAD3A genetic defects and elucidating the molecular regulatory mechanisms. The results showed that knockout of the BmATAD3A gene significantly affected the weight, survival rate, ATPase production and mitochondrial metabolism of individuals after 24h of incubation. Combined metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis further demonstrated that BmATAD3A knockout inhibits amino acid biosynthesis through the regulation of mitochondrial ribosomal protein expression. Simultaneously, our findings indicate that BmATAD3A knockout impeded mitochondrial activity and ATPase synthesis and suppressed the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway through B.mori mitochondrial ribosomal protein L11 (BmmRpL11). These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the inhibition of development caused by ATAD3A deficiency, offering a potential direction for targeted therapy in diseases associated with abnormal ATAD3A expression.

A vision of a more sustainable Slovakia in the light of participatory processes

The paper reflects the results of the ongoing discussion about sustainable development in Slovakia as an increasingly urgent topic resonating across scientific disciplines. Specifically, it deals with the participation processes, which were realized in 2022-2023 under the auspices of the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic (MIRRI), and the second part of which was implemented at the Institute of Management of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava using its expert and organizational capacities. The mentioned activities follow the strategic document entitled Vision and Development Strategy of Slovakia 2030 and are related to the preparation of the document Vision and Development Strategy of the Slovak Republic until 2050 – Slovakia 2050. In the light of the outputs from the participation processes, the paper deals, among other things, with the necessity of accelerating the transformation of regional economies from the industrial towards the post-industrial society, including sustainable innovation-oriented circular economy less dependent on raw materials and energy, with the simultaneous optimization of the system of decision-making and effective management, based on partnership and division of responsibilities between different levels and various actors of sustainable development. It also points out that discussions about this vision have the potential to significantly frame the creation of concepts of integrated territorial innovation-oriented clusters, the urgency of which - in parallel with the frustration of the ineffectiveness of fragmented development processes and activities - is felt at different levels by practically all participating subjects of the professional discourse analyzed in this paper. The results of the participation process fully confirm that Slovakia is not adequately prepared to respond to the challenges associated with all the necessary transformation processes.