Regions Of Slovakia Research Articles

Bioenergy potential of agricultural phytomass production in Slovakia

Biomass is a highly versatile renewable energy source used on a global scale. The paper discusses the current state of biomass energy use in the EU and Slovakia. Residual biomass was found as a key feedstock for the European bioeconomy. Slovakia is one of the most forested and rural countries in the EU. Therefore, biomass energy has the highest technical potential from all renewables in Slovakia. The main objective of the paper was to evaluate the phytomass production of the selected crops and their energy potential in individual self-governing regions of Slovakia. It is focused on the production of usable post-harvest residues theoretically used for energy purposes from the following studied main crops: wheat, rye, oats, barley, maize, potatoes, oilseed rape and sugar beet. The results show the estimated production of usable post-harvest residues of the selected crops and their energy potential in individual self-governing regions in Slovakia in 2019. The total production of usable post-harvest residues from the studied crops was 4,854,017 t and their estimated energy potential was 68 PJ. This amount of energy would cover 10% of the total energy consumption in Slovakia. The top three productive crops were maize, wheat, and sugar beet. Maize had the highest energy potential of 28.1 PJ, followed by wheat at 19 PJ and sugar beet at 14.2 PJ. The highest yields of post-harvest residues, as well as energy potential, were found in the Nitra region.

Ventenata dubia (Leers) Coss. (Poaceae) in Slovakia: Distribution, habitat affinities and threats

This paper presents data on the distribution of Ventanata dubia in Slovakia. I recorded the species in 145 quadrants of the Central European mapping grid. The majority of these records occurred in the Pannonian region, especially in the phytogeographical districts of Podunajská nížina, Burda and Ipeľsko-rimavská brázda Region of southern Slovakia. In the Carpathian region, the species has a scattered to rare distribution pattern and is only found in the area associated with the pre-Carpathian flora, especially in the Štiavnické vrchy Mountains. Ventenata dubia most often occupies dry grassland habitats, but also frequently occurs in human-modified habitats (quarries, unpaved roads through agricultural fields and grasslands, vineyards). It rarely occurs on forest edges or in open forests. The grass was recorded on loessal, saline, quartzite, and limestone soils, but most often on shallow soils with high basalt (volcanic) rock content. At present, it is among the less threatened plant species of the Slovak flora (NT). URL: https://www.upjs.sk/pracoviska/botanicka-zahrada/odborne-aktivity/contents-abstracts/

Physical Activity Analysis and Comparison of Secondary School Students in Terms of Selected Regions of Slovakia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Accumulating evidence indicates that regular physical activity plays an important role in strengthening health, however, its absence causes a loss of physical fitness and organism endurance. Our study was aimed at analysing and comparing physical activity of secondary school students in terms of selected regions of Slovakia. A cross-sectional survey measuring (January – December, 2021) physical activity was conducted through intentional sampling with the survey size of 1829 secondary school students (aged 17.35 ± .82) who attended the last year (4th) of grammar and vocational secondary schools. Each answer of the survey group was analysed, compared and evaluated by using the chi-square test (χ2) with the significance level (α) of .01 and .05. After analysing the survey answers, on average, 54.24 % (n = 902) of the survey group indicated the recreational form of physical activity (p < .01). In terms of the main place of performing physical activity, the survey answer of “Indoor (Gym, hall...)” covered 43.95 % (n = 804) of the survey group (p < .01). Physical activity of secondary school students varies depending on the region, while it is necessary to apply effective out-of-school physical activity programmes to increase the volume of physical activity of secondary school students.

The food system and its impact on rural development: the case of the Slovakian regions of Košice and Nitra

At the moment, demographic trends indicate that rural populations are migrating to cities; as a result, rural areas are undergoing depopulation. To halt this downward trend, it is critical to create good prospects for the rural environment and population; one option is to focus on rural tourism and agritourism. However, the absence of an intervention strategy in the agricultural sector creates uncertainty and even existential problems for many farmers. The article focuses on the Nitra (NR) and Košice (KE) regions of Slovakia (SR), which are characterised by highly fertile land enabling the development of agriculture, especially the production of organic food, regional tourism, and agritourism. The author proposes connecting agricultural production with rural tourism. Both regions are well-known for their winemaking and grape cultivation. Unfortunately, their fertile land is being destroyed to build industrial parks. As a result, their natural resources are not being utilised for the intended purpose. The study described in the article is based on a comparison of economic indicators, such as GDP and the unemployment rate in agriculture. The two regions supply a significant percentage of products manufactured in Slovakia. Additionally, the development of rural tourism and agritourism could support agriculture and forestry, protect the environment and create and retain jobs in the Slovak countryside.

Βαρόμετρο Περιφερειακής Ευαισθησίας: Μελετώντας τις Επιπτώσεις της Πανδημίας στην Ανάπτυξη

The regional sensitivity barometer evaluates the region- al sensitivity of European regions and the regional needs amid the CoViD-19 health and financial crisis. In this paper qualitative and quantitative indicators were combined in European level and then an overall sensitivity index was calculated for each average European region. Demographic, economic, health, tourism-related and CoViD-19 pandemic-related data are taken into account, using differentiated weighting factors. Τhe statistical data used was last- ly evaluated on December 31st, 2020 in Eurostat database and processed in order to create the regional sensitivity for every country. The total index highlighted the final ranking between the European regions and formed the basis for the depiction of sensitivity on the European map. A series of conclusions came up; namely the existence of three groups of European Union (EU) member states in terms of regional resilience amid the CoViD-19 crisis, as well as the extreme sensitivity of regions that later faced significant difficulty in handing the health and financial crisis, such as Portugal, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom. In addition, Slovak Regions have shown preparedness to health threats. Comparing barometer results becomes clear that the sensitivity of a region is inextricably linked to its course over time, the chronic systemic pathogens and the readiness that has already developed in emergencies.

Employee motivation and job satisfaction in family-owned businesses

This study aimed to investigate the differences in motivational focus and sources of satisfaction between family and non-family employees in family businesses. Data from a questionnaire survey conducted between May and September 2021 were used to examine the relationship of work motivation between family and non-family employees. Data were collected via a questionnaire and interviews with 56 non-family employees and 148 family employees from family businesses of eight Slovak regions. To meet the stated aim, relevant quantitative methods such as the two-sample Fisher’s F-test, two-sample Student’s t-test with inequality of variances, and the Pearson correlation method were applied. Based on the established results, it can be assumed that it is possible to adapt the dealings with the employees of family companies more closely to their individual needs, and thus contribute to their performance. Non-family employees are more oriented towards economic benefits. Family employees show a more balanced orientation between economic benefits and moral satisfaction. This confirms that financial considerations are still an important factor of motivation for non-family employees. According to the results of the study, non-family employees tend to focus on content and activity, while family employees rather focus on success. A possible explanation could be that family members perceive the success of a company more than their own and feel more confident in the choice of activities they would like to carry out, so they take this fact more than for granted. AcknowledgmentThis paper has been supported by funds of the project VEGA No. 1/0240/20. This study was supported by the project GAAA 5-5/2020 “Development of family businesses in Slovak regions”, which has received funding from Grant Agency Academia Aurea and by project VEGA 1/0813/19 “Managing the development of innovative and start-up forms of businesses in international environment and verification of INMARK concept”, which has received funding from the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.

Impact of the universities on regional development in the Slovak Republic

In contrast to the traditional view on economics, related to productivity and economic growth, we focus our attention on the development of modern technologies, services, and the knowledge economy. The fast pace of technology innovations requires higher-quality education. In this matter, the objects of the research are universities that influence the population and economic development as well as the regional development as one of the involved institutions. The paper deals with the contextual analysis of the university environment within the conditions of regions in the Slovak Republic upon the selected subindexes, such as macroeconomic performance and stability, innovation policy, institutional quality, and the quality of human resources. The differences between the regions are analyzed through the Index of the quality of regional university environment (IQRUE) that enabled to recognize these differences better. The ranking of the regions has been created according to a daily index when interpreting the results by the comparison of each region. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Spearman’s ranking correlation coefficient were used to testing the relationship between GDP and science and research expenses. The results are presented in the tables and graphs. The conducted research enabled the identification of the deficiencies of the university environment in every region of Slovakia. As a result, some universities are disadvantaged within the competition. Continuous elimination of deficiencies should not be a priority of universities only, however, the entire society should prioritize it. The state, local self-government bodies should play the leading role to create the conditions to improve the quality of the university environment and pay attention mostly to the disadvantaged regions.

Environmental and farm impacts of the EU RDP agri-environmental measures: Evidence from Slovak regions

Building on recent advances in the counterfactual impact evaluation, the paper illustrates the application of the area-based versions of the DID-matching and the Generalised Propensity Score Matching (GPSM) approaches to estimate impacts of the EU agri-environmental measures (AEM) on the quality of surface and underground waters, the GHG emissions from livestock as well as on economic results of farms supported by AEM in the framework of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) in selected two regions in Slovakia. The applied approach in combination with GIS and socio-economic (e.g. FADN) data allows to address several important sources of selection bias originated from disregarding important confounding site-specific factors that in majority of the AEM impact evaluations were treated as “unobservable” and from which many previous studies suffer. The approach is therefore highly relevant for assessing the impacts of the AEM in regions with diversified local site-specific characteristics. Another advantage of the applied approach is the coverage of the whole territory and calculation of impacts of the AEM support straightforwardly for the total area delineated by its territorial borders without an extrapolation of micro- results to regional/macro levels. Our estimates show that the effects of the AEM on the selected impact indicators were rather mixed but only in part favourable from a policy perspective.

Occupational Disease as the Bane of Workers' Lives: A Study of Its Incidence in Slovakia. Part 2.

The main objective of this article is to monitor the development of the number of occupational diseases related to selected physical factors in the working environment (noise, vibration and dust). Each region of Slovakia has its own specific social and economic conditions. Due to the existence of a strong correlation between the several regional variables observed, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the new variables. Cluster analysis was used to group regions with similar characteristics. A dendrogram was created using the average linkage method, which illustrated the similarity of the regions studied. The value of the cophenetic correlation coefficient (CC = 0.90) confirms the validity of the average linkage method. The result of the cluster analysis is the grouping of the eight regions into five homogenic groups (clusters). An analysis of the data shows that Slovakia’s regional differences significantly influence the incidence of occupational diseases in individual regions. It is shown that, in Slovakia, the development of the number of occupational diseases has seen a favourable trend in the long term.

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccination among Healthcare and Non-Healthcare Workers of Hospitals and Outpatient Clinics in the Northern Region of Slovakia.

The purpose of this study was to analyse attitudes, motivation, and reasons for hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) in northern Slovakia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 30 August 2021 and 30 September 2021. An anonymous questionnaire was administered. The study was completed by 1277 employees. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of COVID-19 vaccination status. A total of 1076 (84.3%) were vaccinated, and 201 (15.7%) were unvaccinated. Physician job type (OR = 1.77; CI95 1.13–2.78), history of COVID-19 (OR = 0.37; CI95 0.26–0.37), influenza vaccination at any time (OR = 1.97; CI95 1.12–3.46), compulsory vaccination for HCWs (OR = 9.15; CI95 2.92–28.62), and compulsory vaccination for selected groups (OR = 9.71; CI95 2.75–34.31) were the predictors significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. Non-physician HCWs, employees in hospitals, and employees without a history of COVID-19 significantly more distrusted the efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19. Results of our study confirmed that physicians have higher vaccination rates and lower hesitance to get vaccinated than non-physician HCWs. HCWs play an important role in influencing vaccination decisions and can be helpful in vaccine advocacy to the general public.

Efficiency of control in regional self-government of the Slovak Republic

The importance of high quality public sector control is an obvious fact – without efficient and effective control system, the risk of wasting public funds is critical. The goal of this article was to evaluate efficiency of internal control systems on the level of regional self-administration in the Slovakia. The findings clearly document many problems related to the performance of regional control bodies and on this basis purposes and possible actions are proposed. From the point of view of "fiscal rules", the research, for example, pointed to an exceptionally poor situation in compliance with the rules and conditions of budgetary management in the Bystrica region in the period 2006-2009. The research also proves that one of the key problems of nonconceptual and non-transparent asset management of regions is confusing and disadvantageous asset sales. The quantitative analysis suggests that the efficiency (intensity) of the functioning of regional control systems does not have a direct impact on the monitored output indicators. The implemented DEA also indicates the low effectivity of the internal control systems of the regions. Our findings fully prove that there are no truly efficient systems of external and internal control at the level of self-governing regions in Slovakia. The factor of high autonomy of regions in the financial management and disposal of assets in connection with the identified high degree of failure of the regional control system generates a clear need to strengthen the system of internal control of regions, based on systemic and procedural changes.

Evaluation of the Financial Performance of the Municipalities in Slovakia in the Context of Multidimensional Statistics

In some studies, only financial aspects are emphasized, but we also see cases of assessing the financial health of municipalities through socio-economic indicators. Public organizations worldwide have had to increase their financial performance by adopting management practices. Nonetheless, financial performance might be mostly predicted by contingencies that are not within direct managerial control. The purpose of this paper is to identify clusters of municipalities on the basis of agglomerate cluster analysis, the results of which will point to the financial situation of the municipalities in the selected region. The main aim of this contribution is to identify the location of the municipalities of the chosen self-governing region of Slovakia using the clustering method by selected financial indicators. Individual clusters have similar properties and they differ from the characteristics of businesses in other clusters. The results show that organizational and environmental contingencies affect financial performance, but a significant amount of variation in financial performance is unexplained—indicating that management creates better financial health in the municipality and creates a clearer budget for the management, employees, and residents of the municipality.

Chemical Composition of White Wines Produced from Different Grape Varieties and Wine Regions in Slovakia

In this work, chemical parameters such as sugar (glucose and fructose) content, organic acid (total acids, malic and tartaric acids), total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of 12 white wines (chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot gris) from various wine regions in Slovakia were studied in order to identify differences among the varieties and wine-growing regions. The wine samples were examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-VIS spectrophotometry (for determination of total polyphenolic content (TPC) and total antioxidant activity (TAA)) methods. Content of alcohol ranged between 11.50% and 13.80% with the mean value 12.52%. Mean content of total acids varied between 4.63 ± 0.09 and 6.63 ± 0.05 g.L−1, tartaric acid varied between 1.62 ± 0.09 and 2.93 ± 0.03 g L−1, malic acid was found in the concentrations ranged from 0.07 ± 0.05 and 2.50 ± 0.08 g L−1 and lactic acid was present between 1.53 and 0.01 g L−1. The content of fructose was, in general, higher in the samples from the Južnoslovenská and Nitrianska wine regions and glucose was higher in the Malokarpatská wine region. Chardonnay wines showed the highest content of total polyphenols and the antioxidant activity in the samples ranged from 51.06 ± 027 to 72.53 ± 0.35% inhibition of DPPH. The PCA analysis based on chemical descriptors distinguished the Nitrianska and Stredoslovenská wine regions. According to similarities among the wine samples, four main classes were formed by cluster analysis.

An unwanted companion reaches the country: the first record of the alien mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) in Slovakia

BackgroundInvasive mosquitoes of the genus Aedes are quickly spreading around the world. The presence of these alien species is concerning for both their impact on the native biodiversity and their high vector competence. The surveillance of Aedes invasive mosquito (AIM) species is one of the most important steps in vector-borne disease control and prevention.MethodsIn 2020, the monitoring of AIM species was conducted in five areas (Bratislava, Zvolen, Banská Bystrica, Prešov, Košice) of Slovakia. The sites were located at points of entry (border crossings with Austria and Hungary) and in the urban and rural zones of cities and their surroundings. Ovitraps were used at the majority of sites as a standard method of monitoring. The collected specimens were identified morphologically, with subsequent molecular identification by conventional PCR (cox1) and Sanger sequencing. The phylogenetic relatedness of the obtained sequences was inferred by the maximum likelihood (ML) method. The nucleotide heterogeneity of the Slovak sequences was analysed by the index of disparity.ResultsA bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus, was found and confirmed by molecular methods in three geographically distant areas of Slovakia—Bratislava, Zvolen and Prešov. The presence of AIM species is also likely in Košice; however, the material was not subjected to molecular identification. The nucleotide sequences of some Slovak strains confirm their significant heterogeneity. They were placed in several clusters on the ML phylogenetic tree. Moreover, Ae. j. japonicus was discovered in regions of Slovakia that are not close to a point of entry, where the mosquitoes could find favourable habitats in dendrothelms in city parks or forests.ConclusionDespite being a first record of the Ae. j. japonicus in Slovakia, our study indicates that the established populations already exist across the country, underlining the urgent need for intensified surveillance of AIM species as well as mosquito-borne pathogens.Graphical

Renal Hypouricemia 1: Rare Disorder as Common Disease in Eastern Slovakia Roma Population.

Renal hypouricemia (RHUC) is caused by an inherited defect in the main reabsorption system of uric acid, SLC22A12 (URAT1) and SLC2A9 (GLUT9). RHUC is characterized by a decreased serum uric acid concentration and an increase in its excreted fraction. Patients suffer from hypouricemia, hyperuricosuria, urolithiasis, and even acute kidney injury. We report clinical, biochemical, and genetic findings in a cohort recruited from the Košice region of Slovakia consisting of 27 subjects with hypouricemia and relatives from 11 families, 10 of whom were of Roma ethnicity. We amplified, directly sequenced, and analyzed all coding regions and exon–intron boundaries of the SLC22A12 and SLC2A9 genes. Sequence analysis identified dysfunctional variants c.1245_1253del and c.1400C>T in the SLC22A12 gene, but no other causal allelic variants were found. One heterozygote and one homozygote for c.1245_1253del, nine heterozygotes and one homozygote for c.1400C>T, and two compound heterozygotes for c.1400C>T and c.1245_1253del were found in a total of 14 subjects. Our result confirms the prevalence of dysfunctional URAT1 variants in Roma subjects based on analyses in Slovak, Czech, and Spanish cohorts, and for the first time in a Macedonian Roma cohort. Although RHUC1 is a rare inherited disease, the frequency of URAT1-associated variants indicates that this disease is underdiagnosed. Our findings illustrate that there are common dysfunctional URAT1 allelic variants in the general Roma population that should be routinely considered in clinical practice as part of the diagnosis of Roma patients with hypouricemia and hyperuricosuria exhibiting clinical signs such as urolithiasis, nephrolithiasis, and acute kidney injury.

Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis Using TOPSIS and WSA Method for Quality of Life: The Case of Slovakia Regions

Quality of life can be expressed as a highly subjective measure of happiness, which is an important part of many financial and non-financial decisions. The issue of quality of life, namely its quantification, is a current topic, evidenced by a number of literary sources in both foreign and domestic literature. The paper deals with this issue in the conditions of the Slovak Republic and studies the quality of life for each region of Slovakia with respect to the given indicators. In this paper, we deal with the use of the methods of multi-criteria analysis in evaluating the quality of life in Slovakia. The aim of this paper is to highlight that it is important to monitor the level of quality of life at the regional level and that one of the indicators influencing the quality of life in the region may be its location in relation to neighboring countries.

Accessible tourism - current state in Slovakia

The number of people with disabilities in the world is growing every year. When traveling, they encounter various barriers. The article focuses on Slovakia, a country in which accessible tourism has not yet been examined. It is the result of extensive research carried out in the years 2016 to 2020. The scientific goal of the article is to examine the tourism demand and the degree of adjustment of the tourism supply for visitors with physical disabilities in Slovakia and to find out the connection between the accessibility of the tourism facilities and the destinations attendance. Article emphasizes the need to improve the country's accessibility in tourism for visitors with disabilities. Research is based on the theoretical research methods, exploratory statistics, and correlation analysis to evaluate the accessibility of the supply in all self-governing regions in Slovakia. It analyzes the demand of the visitors with disabilities based on the results of a qualitative survey carried out by the method of sociological questioning using the standardized interview technique with the representatives of associations for people with disabilities (19). The results of the research show that people with disabilities want to travel and urge the lack of accessibility of tourism attractions and facilities and on the various types of barriers. The research sample consists of 11,281 tourism supply facilities in Slovakia. The results of the research points to an insufficient rate of accessibility of the country (19.7%) for visitors with physical disabilities and the need for higher investments in debarierization of the environment, which can make the whole country more attractive and increase its importance on the international tourism market.

The Reception and the Fear of Kant in the Late Eighteenth Century

Through a wide range of sources, this study reveals the non-philosophical spread of the ideas of Immanuel Kant in the Slovak regions of Hungary. The flow of philosophical ideas can be demonstrated not only in the works of the Hungarian followers of Kant, but also in censorship sources documenting the import of Kantian texts in the 1790s. The critical debates in correspondences and published texts reveal anti-Kantian argumentations. Information about the advertisements of Kant’s works and subscriptions to them also help form an idea about their popularity. Research on private albums reveals how the philosophical legacy circulated, despite bans and repressions, in non-public communication networks and how its social area extended beyond the sphere of philosophy and education.

Micro-macro modelling of laminated composite rectangular reservoir

This article has a multidisciplinary character. It combines the scientific field of micro-macro modelling of reinforced polymer composite laminates applied in the seismic response area of a rectangular composite tank filled with liquid. The calculation of the seismic response of the laminate composite rectangular tank is carried out at three levels. Within the micro-level, the material characteristics are calculated using a fictitious periodic microstructure model. A classical theory of laminates is used to obtain effective material characteristics by using a representative laminate volume element at the meso-level. At the macro level, a seismic response of a laminate composite rectangular tank filled with liquid is solved for the region of Slovakia.

Techno-economically-driven identification of ideal plant configurations for a new biomass-to-liquid process – A case study for Central-Europe

The conversion of agricultural waste materials such as bark or straw into 2nd generation biofuels constitutes an auspicious way to meet part of the future fuel demand in a sustainable way. The number of possible production routes is diverse, and the techno-economic analyses of these routes have been conducted in very different ways. The route involving gasification, gas purification, and a subsequent Fischer-Tropsch synthesis enables the production of hydrocarbons that achieve current fuel standards after upgrading in the existing refinery infrastructure. To evaluate a promising biomass-to-liquid process, a methodology is presented that incorporates economic constraints into the process design, allowing identification of a regionally optimal process design. The production costs of the new concepts are estimated by setting up a detailed flowsheet simulation in AspenPlus® based on experimental data from the successful demonstration runs of the EU-Project COMSYN. In addition, an existing techno-economic evaluation methodology incorporated into the in-house software tool TEPET (Techno-Economic Process Evaluation Tool) has been extended to evaluate the processes’ performance in different European regions and to include transportation and refining costs. The approach enables the identification of regional sweet spots shown on a map for Central-Europe, indicating production costs and favorable process design for each region. Furthermore, the results of an automated mapping for the optimal process design depending on the heat and electricity market are presented. The performed analyses show that the techno-economic evaluation tends to expand the technology in regions with low feedstock costs, while the optimal process design is defined by the regional heat and electricity market. In this work, net production costs of less than 1.12 €2019/lbiofuel were determined for regions in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.