In this study, we explored the potential of the payment-by-results approach in supporting the maintenance of High Nature Value (HNV) grasslands in a typical HNV farming system and Natura 2000 site in ...Slovenia (Europe) with a high share of small farms, fragmented land ownership and long-term process of land abandonment. We tested the applicability of a hypothetical result-based scheme (RBS) for the conservation of dry grasslands and a set of associated plant indicators, and identified key obstacles to its implementation. Based on a statistical analysis of a survey with 263 farmers and a thematic data analysis of 62 farmer interviews and 10 in-depth interviews and focus groups with researchers, public officials and agricultural advisors, we found that a majority of both farmers and experts support the introduction of RBSs. The selected plant indicators were well-known among the local farmers and monitoring of their presence was preferred over the current system, which demands keeping records on the implementation of farming practices. However, although the RBSs seem to be a superior alternative to the current management-based schemes, their introduction might not be enough to ensure HNV farming systems’ successful conservation. Our results indicate a lack of institutional capacity to implement RBSs on a larger scale, particularly in terms of data support and qualified staff in the advisory service and monitoring agencies. Furthermore, experience to date and mistrust among stakeholders indicate a questionable ability and motivation of authorities to develop locally-based, flexible and innovative agri-environmental measures. RBSs alone also do not adequately address some of the root causes for the disappearance of HNV grasslands, particularly: the lack of knowledge regarding the appropriate modern farming system(s) to ensure their sustainable management in line with conservation goals; specific needs of small farmers; and the need for a socially acceptable land policy reform to enable easier access to land. We argue that systematic investment in closing the existing data and research gaps as well as in increasing the capacity of key institutions at the national and local levels are needed, particularly in European regions of high conservation priority. Furthermore, better integration of nature conservation in different rural policies and a holistic developmental approach in (remote) rural areas are necessary to prevent further abandonment of HNV farming and enable the adoption of biodiversity-friendly farming models.
•A result-based scheme for Eastern sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands was developed.•Farmers recognised plant indicators well and most supported introduction of RBSs.•Lack of institutional capacity may hamper large scale implementation of RBSs.•AEMs alone are not enough to reverse the abandonment of HNV farming systems.•RBSs do not seem better suited than existing AEMs to address needs of small farmers.
Results are presented of the first airborne LiDAR survey ever flown in Europe for the purpose of mapping the surface expression of earthquake‐prone faults. Detailed topographic images derived from ...LiDAR data of the Idrija and Ravne strike‐slip faults in NW Slovenia reveal geomorphological and structural features that shed light on the overall architecture and kinematic history of both fault systems. The 1998 MW = 5.6, and 2004 MW = 5.2 Ravne Fault earthquakes and the historically devastating 1511 M = 6.8 Idrija earthquake indicate that both systems pose a serious seismic hazard in the region. Because both fault systems occur within forested terrain, a tree removal algorithm was applied to the data; the resulting images reveal surface scarps and tectonic landforms in unprecedented detail. Importantly, two sites were discovered to be potentially suitable for fault trenching and palaeo‐seismological analysis. This study highlights the potential contribution of LiDAR surveying in both low‐relief valley terrain and high‐relief mountainous terrain to a regional seismic hazard assessment programme. Geoscientists working in other tectonically active regions of the world where earthquake‐prone faults are obscured by forest cover would also benefit from LiDAR maps that have been processed to remove the canopy return and reveal the forest floor topography.
Am Gebirgsfluss Isonzo – auf Slowenisch Soča – verlief vom Frühjahr 1915 bis zum Herbst 1917 die Hauptfront zwischen dem Kaiserreich Österreich-Ungarn und dem jungen Nationalstaat Italien. Nachdem ...der italienische Generalstabschef Luigi Cadorna in elf Offensiven gegen die österreichischen Stellungen nur wenig Geländegewinn erzielt hatte, waren die Streitkräfte der Mittelmächte im Oktober 1917 in der Lage, die Linien des Gegners zu durchbrechen. Das italienische Heer musste sich 150 Kilometer weit nach Westen bis zum Piave zurückziehen. Für Habsburg erwies sich der militärische Erfolg als Pyrrhussieg. Rom begann, die Nationalitäten der Donaumonarchie im Kampf um die Eigenstaatlichkeit zu unterstützen. Die verlustreichen Materialschlachten am Isonzo sind eng verwoben mit Ereignissen von globalgeschichtlichem Rang: dem Zerfall der Habsburgermonarchie und der Errichtung des Mussolini-Regimes.
Rolf Wörsdörfers Buch basiert auf Briefwechseln, Erinnerungen und Tagebuchnotizen von Soldaten, Krankenschwestern, Ärzten, Feldkaplänen, Journalistinnen, Politikern und Alpinisten. Der Verfasser wertet Texte österreichischer, deutscher, italienischer, slowenischer, tschechischer, kroatischer und ungarischer Herkunft aus, um sie vor dem Hintergrund des internationalen Forschungsstandes zu diskutieren. Auf diese Weise entsteht ein zugleich facettenreiches und realitätsnahes Bild der Völkerschlachten am Gebirgsfluss, die zu den bedeutendsten und folgenreichsten Großereignissen des Ersten Weltkriegs zählen.
This study draws on theory of dyadic morality and categorization to disentangle opportunistic behaviors from the perception by their victim that leads to the moral categorization of the perpetrator ...as an opportunist. We show that it is this moral categorization, not the behaviors, that determines the trust beliefs of the victim. Further, the effect of psychic distance on the process of perpetrator moral categorization as an opportunist depends on the form of opportunistic behaviors. Finally, this study questions the cultural universality of opportunism by showing that effects of opportunistic behaviors on categorization vary across national cultures—based on data sets of French and Slovene exporters.
The success of home telemedicine depends on end-user adoption, which has been slow despite rapid advances in technological development. This study focuses on an examination of significant factors ...that may predict the successful adoption of home telemedicine services (HTS) among older adults. Based on previous studies in the fields of remote patient monitoring, assisted living technologies, and consumer health information technology acceptance, eight factors were identified as a framework for qualitative testing. Twelve focus groups were conducted with an older population living in both urban and rural environments. The results reveal seven predictors that play an important role in perceptions of HTS: perceived usefulness, effort expectancy, social influence, perceived security, computer anxiety, facilitating conditions, and physicians' opinion. The results provide important insights in the field of older adults' acceptance of HTS, with guidelines for the strategic planning, developing, and marketing of HTS for the graying market.
Online implementation of suicide prevention interventions offers many advantages, facilitating the dissemination of large-scale suicide prevention interventions. An online tool iAlive aimed at ...raising awareness and increasing suicide prevention competences in lay people was developed and implemented in Slovenia.
To develop, implement, and evaluate the iAlive tool.
Following the development and implementation of the tool, a nonrandomized controlled study with 310 participants was conducted. One hundred fifty-six of them fully completed the study intervention group (used the iAlive tool):
85, control group (did not use the tool):
71. Perceived competences in engaging with a suicidal person were assessed in both groups at baseline and at follow-up (3-4 weeks apart), which also represents the time of the intervention.
A significant effect of time and condition
(1,149) = 6.62,
= .011, η
= .043 showed that the intervention group assessed their perceived competences on intervention exposure more positively compared to the control group.
Additional data on different populations and people's engagement with the tool in relation to perceived competences are needed.
The study suggests that the interactive online tool iAlive effectively increases perceived competences in engaging with a suicidal person. These results provide a background for further dissemination of the tool.
We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe COVID-19 during October 2021, using Slovenian surveillance data. For people fully vaccinated with any vaccine in age groups 18-49, 50-64, ≥ 65 ...years, VE was 86% (95% CI: 79-90), 89% (85-91), and 77% (74-81). Among ≥ 65 year-olds fully vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, VE decreased from 93% (95% CI: 88-96) in those vaccinated ≤ 3 months ago to 43% (95% CI: 30-54) in those vaccinated ≥ 6 months ago, suggesting the need for early boosters.
The aim of organized breast cancer screening is early detection and reduction in mortality. Organized screening should promote equal access and reduce socio-economic inequalities. In Slovenia, ...organized breast cancer screening achieved complete coverage in 11-years' time. We explored whether step-wise implementation reflects in prognostic factors (earlier diagnosis and treatment) and survival of breast cancer patients in our population.
Using population-based cancer registry and screening registry data on breast cancer cases from 2008-2018, we compared stage distribution and mean time to surgical treatment in (A) women who underwent at least one mammography in the organized screening programme, women who received at least one invitation but did not undergo mammography and women who did not receive any screening invitation, and in (B) women who were invited to organized screening and those who were not. We also compared net survival by stage in different groups of women according to their screening programme status.
Women who underwent at least one mammography in organized screening had lower disease stage at diagnosis. Time-to-treatment analysis showed mean time to surgery was shortest in women not included in organized screening (all stages = 36.0 days vs. 40.3 days in women included in organized screening). This could be due to quality assurance protocols with an obligatory multidisciplinary approach within the organized screening vs. standard treatment pathways which can vary in different (smaller) hospitals. Higher standard of care in screening is reflected in better survival in women included in organized screening (5-years net survival for regional stage: at least one mammography in the screening programme- 96%; invitation, but no mammography- 87.4%; no invitation or mammography in the screening programme- 82.6%).
Our study, which is one of the first in central European countries, shows that introduction of organized screening has temporary effects on population cancer burden indicators already during roll-out period, which should therefore be as short as possible.
We conducted a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentric study to investigate the influence of a synbiotic fermented milk on the fecal microbiota composition of 30 adults with ...irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The synbiotic product contained Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12, Streptococcus thermophilus, and dietary fiber (90% inulin, 10% oligofructose), and a heat-treated fermented milk without probiotic bacteria or dietary fiber served as placebo. Stool samples were collected after a run-in period, a 4-wk consumption period, and a 1-wk follow-up period, and were subjected to real-time PCR and 16S rDNA profiling by next-generation sequencing. After 4wk of synbiotic (11 subjects) or placebo (19 subjects) consumption, a greater increase in DNA specific for L. acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis was detected in the feces of the synbiotic group compared with the placebo group by quantitative real-time PCR. After 1wk of follow-up, the content of L. acidophilus La-5 and B. animalis ssp. lactis decreased to levels close to initial levels. No significant changes with time or differences between the groups were observed for Lactobacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, Bifidobacterium, or all bacteria. The presence of viable BB-12- and La-5-like bacteria in the feces resulting from the intake of synbiotic product was confirmed by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR. At the end of consumption period, the feces of all subjects assigned to the synbiotic group contained viable bacteria with a BB-12-like RAPD profile, and after 1wk of follow-up, BB-12-like bacteria remained in the feces of 87.5% of these subjects. The presence of La-5-like colonies was observed less frequently (37.5 and 25% of subjects, respectively). Next-generation sequencing of 16S rDNA amplicons revealed that only the percentage of sequences assigned to Strep. thermophilus was temporarily increased in both groups, whereas the global profile of the fecal microbiota of patients was not altered by consumption of the synbiotic or placebo. In conclusion, daily consumption of a synbiotic fermented milk had a short-term effect on the amount and proportion of La-5-like strains and B. animalis ssp. lactis in the fecal microbiome of IBS patients. Furthermore, both synbiotic and placebo products caused a temporary increase in fecal Strep. thermophilus.
The article puts an emphasis on cross-border cooperation between Slovenian municipalities and municipalities in neighboring countries of Croatia, Austria, Hungary and Italy. The aim is to analyze ...different paths and methods of cross-border cooperation Slovenian municipalities are using in order to further own development and somewhat escape financial crisis conditions autonomously. In Slovenia every third municipality is border municipality, which means that at least small part of their territory borders with the territory of municipality in one of the neighboring four countries. Since the central government does not rigidly regulate cross-border cooperation, but allows municipalities autonomy, each municipality can in its own way develop various forms and degrees of cooperation which are more or less intensively reflected in the proper functioning of these municipalities. In this sense we present our thesis that cross-border cooperation is becoming one of the important sources of investment and economic development of otherwise heavily crisis-affected local communities in Slovenia. Keywords: cross-border cooperation, municipalities, crisis, resources, Slovenia.
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