V zadnjem desetletju in pol je razmah mobilnih in digitalnih tehnologij omogočil razvoj mikroučenja, ki sega prek prvotnega koncepta učenja kratkih vsebin zaradi boljšega pomnjenja. Namen prispevka ...je raziskati potenciale tehnološko podprtega mikroučenja za visokošolsko izobraževanje; v primerjavi z usposabljanjem v podjetjih je namreč mikroučenje v visokošolskem izobraževanju manj raziskovano in manj razširjeno. Naše raziskovanje, ki temelji na pregledu literature ter lastnem raziskovalno-razvojnem in pedagoškem delu, v ospredje postavlja dva vidika potencialne uporabnosti mikroučenja za visokošolsko izobraževanje. Prvič, mikroučenje omogoča avtentično učno izkušnjo, ki je blizu realnim problemom in zdajšnjemu načinu usposabljanja v podjetjih ter načinu pridobivanja in uporabe informacij v digitalni družbi. Drugič, z ustreznim pedagoškim pristopom in smiselno integracijo tehnologije lahko učeči se z mikroučenjem pridobivajo poleg osnovnih tudi bolj kompleksne kompetence. Preliminarno raziskovanje avtorjev kaže, da je za razvoj kompleksnih kompetenc in motiviranje študentov posebej obetaven pristop, ki temelji na samostojnem študentskem kreiranju mikroučnih virov.
In spite of theoretical inferiority, a large majority of statistical institutes use non-probabilistic sampling techniques in price surveys. The main disadvantage of non-probabilistic sample design is ...that the risk of biased results is increased. Attempting to handle this risk in the domain of service producer price indices (SPPI) of professional services, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS) developed an innovative methodology and implemented it relying on the probability proportional to size (PPS) sample design. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the impact of the probabilistic sampling strategy on the quality of price indices as shown in the case of SPPI for professional services at the CBS. The paper outlines respective methodological upgrading of SPPI compilation at the CBS, including also the method for variance estimation. The effect of the probabilistic sampling on SPPI is analysed by comparison with traditional purposive sampling surveys. The quality of SPPI based on the probabilistic sample approach is examined by coefficients of variation and confidence intervals.
E-izobraževanje ima za izobraževanje odraslih pomembne prednosti, ki izvirajo iz večje prožnosti izobraževanja z vidika časa, prostora, tempa, vsebine in načina učenja. E-izobraževanje danes ponuja ...izjemno pestre in raznovrstne izvedbene programe, ki jih podpirajo različni pedagoški modeli, z različnim naborom tehnoloških orodij, različno vlogo menedžmenta izobraževalnih organizacij in v različnih institucionalnih okvirih. Pestrost, dinamičnost in kompleksnost e-izobraževanja pov- zroča, da so temeljne razvojne značilnosti skrite v množici pojavnih oblik in da je prepoznavanje ključnih razvojnih smernic oteženo. V prispevku bomo opisali razvojne značilnosti e-izobraževanja, analizirali stanje na področju e-izobraževanja za odrasle v Sloveniji ter predstavili dejavnike, ki se na današnji stopnji razvitosti e-izobraževanja kažejo v Sloveniji kot odloču- joči za uspešno in učinkovito vpeljevanje te možnosti v izobraževanje odraslih.
Background: There are several factors that lead to an improved level of competitiveness and increased net income of enterprises. Previous studies have shown that an appropriate use of statistical ...methods has positive effects on the level of competitiveness and on enterprises’ net income in general. Objectives: This study analyses the statistical methods use in Croatian small enterprises. The goal of this research is to establish whether most Croatian small enterprises use statistical methods and whether the enterprises that use statistical methods on average have greater net income than the enterprises that do not use statistical methods.
Methods/Approach: A web survey was conducted on the sample of 631 small enterprises in Croatia in 2012. In the analysis a complex survey design was taken into account. Results: The results have shown that in most Croatian small enterprises statistical methods are not used. The enterprises that use statistical methods on average have greater net income than the enterprises that do not use them.
Conclusions: The results suggest that even though the use of statistical methods in small enterprises leads to higher net income, they are not used in the majority of Croatian small enterprises. If Croatian small enterprises want to succeed on the demanding European Union’s market they should consider using statistical methods in their business.
Measuring capital is a challenging task due to numerous conceptual dilemmas and practical problems. In this paper, we focus on the production side of capital measurement where the reliable ...measurement of capital services is of vital importance for derived production measures, such as multifactor productivity. While there has been a lot of debate regarding the choice of expected rate of return, the choice of expected capital gain, and the treatment of taxes in the user cost estimation when estimating capital, not much attention has been paid to the issues of appropriate price indices of assets. The use of inappropriate asset price indices results in a biased estimate of capital services index and, consequently, influences the estimate of the impact of capital on economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework of the impact of asset price indices on capital services and to test the impact by the sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis was carried out for the impact of construction prices on capital service index for the Slovenian manufacturing for the period 1995-2008.
Mjerenje je kapitala još uvijek izazovan zadatak zbog brojnih konceptualnih dilema i praktičnih problema. U ovom se članku fokusiramo na produkcijsku stranu mjerenja kapitala gdje je pouzdano ...mjerenje usluga kapitala ključne važnosti za izvedene mjere proizvodnje kao što je višefaktorska produktivnost. Dok je bilo puno rasprava koje su se odnosile na problematiku očekivanog stupnja naknade, problematiku očekivanog dobitka od kapitala i tretiranje poreza u procjenjivanju troškova korisnika, mnogo manje pažnje bilo je posvećene pitanjima odgovarajućih cjenovnih indeksa sredstava koji su potrebni u procesu procjenjivanja usluga kapitala. Primjena neodgovarajućih indeksa cijena sredstava dovodi do pristrane procjene indeksa usluga kapitala i prema tome utječe na procjenu učinka kapitala na gospodarsku rast. Svrha je ovog članka postaviti generalni okvir utjecaja indeksa cijena sredstava na usluge kapitala i testirati taj utjecaj pomoću analize osjetljivosti. Analiza je osjetljivosti bila izrađena za utjecaj indeksa cijena građevinarstva na usluge kapitala za prerađivačku industriju u Sloveniji za razdoblje 1995–2008.
Environmental or biomedical exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) can results in translocation and accumulation of NPs in the brain, which can lead to health-related problems. NPs have been shown to induce ...toxicity to neuronal cells through several direct mechanisms, but only a few studies have also explored the indirect effects of NPs, through consequences due to the exposure of neighboring cells to NPs. In this study, we analysed possible direct and indirect effects of NPs (polyacrylic acid (PAA) coated cobalt ferrite NP, TiO
P25 and maghemite NPs) on immortalized mouse microglial cells and differentiated CAD mouse neuronal cells in monoculture (direct toxicity) or in transwell co-culture system (indirect toxicity). We showed that although the low NP concentrations (2-25 µg/mL) did not induce changes in cell viability, cytokine secretion or NF-κB activation of microglial cells, even low NP concentrations of 10 µg/mL can affect the cells and change their secretion of protein stress mediators. These can in turn influence neuronal cells in indirect exposure model. Indirect toxicity of NPs is an important and not adequately assessed mechanism of NP toxicity, since it not only affects cells on the exposure sites, but through secretion of signaling mediators, can also affect cells that do not come in direct contact with NPs.
Aim
The effectiveness of vaginal progesterone for maintenance tocolysis after arrested preterm labor remains controversial. Myometrial contractility can be assessed objectively and non‐invasively ...after progesterone treatment by monitoring uterine electromyography (EMG). We examined the effects of vaginal progesterone on uterine EMG after successful acute tocolysis.
Methods
This was a randomized, double‐blind, single‐center study performed between 2012 and 2015. Thirty women who experienced preterm labor between 24 0/7 and 33 6/7 weeks were randomly allocated to groups administered either 400 mg vaginal progesterone or a placebo 48 h after acute tocolysis. EMG measurements were taken prior to and 1 h and 2 h following treatment. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare EMG power density spectrum peak frequency and peak amplitude, propagation velocity of EMG signals, and duration and number of EMG bursts in 30 min recordings between the groups (P < 0.05).
Results
EMG propagation velocity was higher in patients receiving the placebo compared to those treated with progesterone at 1 h (27.83 ± 10.66 vs 15.60 ± 2.94 cm/s) and 2 h (26.97 ± 13.39 vs 15.12 ± 2.58 cm/s) following treatment (P = 0.001). PDS peak frequencies were higher in the placebo compared to the progesterone group at 2 h following treatment (0.54 ± 0.11 vs 0.44 ± 0.06 Hz; P = 0.003).
Conclusions
Treatment of 400 mg of vaginal micronized progesterone as maintenance tocolysis significantly reduces the propagation velocity of electrical signals within the myometrium and is associated with a shift toward lower uterine electrical signal frequencies.