Search Results (124)

Consumer preferences in interior design are increasingly shaped by sustainability, aesthetics, and functionality. Wood flooring, valued for its natural appeal and durability, remains a preferred option, yet little research has explored perceptions specific to the Croatian market. This study investigates consumer behavior and preferences for wood flooring in Croatia, focusing on decision-making drivers, preferred materials and attributes, and differences between consumer and expert perspectives. Data were collected from 157 respondents via structured questionnaires using snowball sampling, focusing on their preferences, purchasing behavior, and evaluation of wood flooring attributes. The results were analyzed using the AHP and CRITIC methods to assess and compare the relative importance of nine selected product attributes from both consumer and expert perspectives. By integrating subjective and objective evaluations, the study offers insights into how both consumers and professionals assess wood flooring. The findings indicate a strong preference for classic, natural wood flooring, especially massive and multilayer parquet, driven by aesthetic appeal, quality, and durability. Although sustainability was positively viewed, it was not a top purchasing criterion. Notable differences in attribute prioritization were found between consumers and experts, particularly regarding price and prestige. The combined weights, which integrate consumer and expert evaluations, indicate that product quality, liability for damages, and durability are the most valued attributes, while price, ease of installation, and prestige are the least influential. Additionally, the findings aim to support manufacturers and retailers in aligning their strategies with market needs and advancing sustainable consumption practices. Full article

The property-liability insurance market in Taiwan has implemented three-stage deregulation on rate-making since 2002. This research investigates whether the rating liberalization brought about improvements in efficiency and productivity of the property-liability insurance market. Using data on property-liability insurers in Taiwan over 2001 to 2019 and employing data envelopment analysis, we show that technical, cost, and revenue efficiencies have improved after rating liberalization. Post-liberalization productivity has improved as well, and the decomposition of productivity change demonstrates that change in technology contributes most to productivity improvement at the inception of liberalization, and the contribution of efficiency improvement follows when rating controls are further released. Further analyses reveal that technical and revenue efficiency rose in the third stage of liberalization and cost efficiency improved in the second and third stages. Our findings suggest that the removal of price controls creates an operating environment with less restrictions and thus favors progress in efficiency of the property-liability insurance market. Full article

This paper investigates a supply chain setting in which a retailer exhibiting overconfidence invests in demand forecasting. Specifically, the retailer overestimates both the precision of the forecasting signal and the productivity of the investment. We analytically characterize the retailer’s investment behavior and show that overconfidence can lead to overinvestment in forecast accuracy. Beyond the investment decision itself, we examine how overconfidence influences the performance of both supply chain members and the system as a whole. When the retailer withholds forecast information from the supplier, overconfidence tends to harm both the retailer and the overall supply chain. However, under information-sharing arrangements, overconfidence can become beneficial—improving outcomes for the supplier and the system. Notably, when the retailer shares forecast with a sophisticated (strategically responsive) supplier, overconfidence may lead to a win–win outcome, where both parties gain from the retailer’s elevated investment in demand forecasting. These findings offer valuable insights into the conditions under which overconfidence shifts from being a liability to a strategic advantage, enriching our understanding of behavioral factors in supply chain decision-making. Full article

Starch digestibility and the content of resistant starch (RS) play a crucial role in human health, particularly in relation to glycemic responses, insulin sensitivity, fat oxidation, and satiety. This study investigates the impact of processing methods on potato starch digestibility and RS content, focusing on two modification techniques: autoclaving and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), followed by retrogradation at different temperatures. The research employs a comprehensive approach to characterize structural changes in starch samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In turn, semi-dynamic in vitro digestion experiments based on the INFOGEST protocol were conducted to assess starch digestibility, while RS content was evaluated through enzymatic digestion of the non-RS fraction. SEM, XRD, and FTIR measurements reveal thermal processing appreciably affected starch architectures while HHP had a marginal effect. Further, the FTIR 1045/1022R ratio was found to be correlated with RS content measurements while reducing rapidly digestible starch (RDS). The findings led to the stipulation that thermal processing facilitates amylose leaching and granular disruption. In turn, retrogradation enabled the deposition of the amylose onto the disrupted structures which delineated their subsequent liability to enzymatic digestion. Conversely, HHP had minimal effects on granular architectures and amylose leaching. Overall, this research provides valuable insights for processing starch-based food products with the goal of increasing RS content, which may have significant implications for the food industry and nutritional science. Full article

Green hydrogen is a promising energy vector for industrial applications. However, hydrogen leaks can occur causing greenhouse effects and posing safety risks for operators and local communities, potentially leading to legal liabilities. Industry 4.0 focuses on digital industrial modernization, while Industry 5.0 emphasizes collaborative, human-centered, and sustainable processes. This study developed and analyzed an Industry 5.0 proof of concept as an additional safety layer for hydrogen leak management. The proof of concept was implemented using Raspberry Pi microcomputers, integrated computer vision, and OpenAI GPT-3 for dynamic email communication. A legal liability analysis for Chile and Spain identified potential challenges in transitioning the system into a market-ready product. The findings suggest the system should act as a complementary safety layer rather than a primary detection system to mitigate legal liability risks, as operational deployment without full certification and validation could lead to malfunctions. This study illustrated how hydrogen detection and management can be integrated into Industry 5.0 smart systems. With growing global interest in sustainable engineering and AI regulation, as reflected in Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, legal considerations over technologies like the one presented in this study are becoming increasingly relevant. Full article

This study investigates the impacts of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the insurance industry from the viewpoint of insurance companies, highlighting the necessity for adaptation due to technological advancements. The research is motivated by the gap in understanding between traditional insurers and automaker-backed insurance services regarding AV implications. The purpose is to identify potential impacts, evaluate the level of concern among diverse insurance companies, and examine their differing perspectives. The methodology includes a literature review, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Spearman correlation analysis. The literature review clarifies the definition of AVs and their impacts on traditional insurance. The AHP assesses the level of concern among insurance companies, and Spearman correlation analysis explores the similarities and differences in perspectives. The findings show that insurance companies largely agree on the transformative impacts of AVs. The primary effects are in “Updates in Insurance Business Operations” and the “Emergence of New Risks”, with less impact on “Changes in the Insurance Market”. A major concern is the complexity of multi-party liability claims. Companies differ in their focus on specific impacts like legal frameworks or system malfunctions, but share concerns about multi-party liability, system malfunctions, and legal gaps. The study anticipates minor impacts on market dynamics and traditional insurance models. The conclusions emphasize that AVs will significantly impact the insurance industry, requiring innovation and adaptation to maintain competitiveness. This includes developing new products, optimizing processes, and collaborating with stakeholders. The study has several implications: customized insurance products, optimized no-fault claims processes, collaborations with automakers and tech firms, data-driven risk assessments, enhanced risk management, and adapting traditional models. Recommendations include building loss experience databases, adopting no-fault insurance, strategic partnerships, developing customized products, strengthening risk management and cybersecurity, monitoring regulations, adjusting traditional models, focusing on product liability insurance, and training professionals. Full article

Startups face significant challenges in balancing survival with sustainability, as approximately 90% of them fail. Sustainability is often perceived as a short-term cost, yet turbulent business environments—driven by climate change, environmental regulations, and evolving social expectations—are compelling startups to align their innovations with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. These efforts aim to attract investors, customers, and other stakeholders. Despite resource constraints and the liabilities of smallness and newness, understanding how startups leverage innovation to achieve sustainability performance is of both theoretical and practical importance, particularly within the framework of triple bottom line theory. This study empirically examines the roles of absorptive capacity, appropriability, and openness in mediating and moderating the relationship between innovation activities and sustainability performance in startups. Using data from the Korean Innovation Survey 2018—a structured tool aligned with global standards for tracking innovation activities—we analyze 278 young manufacturing firms. Regression analyses reveal that product innovation and organizational innovation are significantly associated with sustainability performance. Furthermore, absorptive capacity mediates the relationship between these types of innovation and sustainability performance. To explore the contingencies influencing these relationships, we test appropriability (measured by protection mechanisms) and openness (quantified by external partnerships). Moderated mediation analysis indicates that openness strengthens the direct relationship between product innovation and sustainability performance up to a threshold but weakens it beyond this point. Organizational innovation’s impact on sustainability performance is fully mediated by absorptive capacity, while appropriability moderates this mediation by enhancing absorptive capacity’s effectiveness when limited protection mechanisms are used. These findings contribute to sustainability research by highlighting that startups’ sustainability efforts are driven by innovation activities mediated by absorptive capacity and contingent upon specific factors such as appropriability and openness. The study confirms the paradox of openness in startup contexts pursuing triple bottom line objectives. Practically, this research provides actionable insights for corporate leaders and policymakers on fostering absorptive capacity through external knowledge acquisition while carefully managing appropriability mechanisms and collaboration strategies to enhance sustainability outcomes. Full article

This study presents the development of an ontology-based customisation management system (Onto-CMS) for driver–vehicle interfaces (DVIs) in highly automated vehicles (HAVs). The objective of the proposed system is to enhance safety, minimise the probability of accidents and address legal liability concerns. The study highlights the importance of DVIs in automated vehicles and the need for safe and adaptable options for human drivers, while also considering the legal implications associated with the development of these interfaces. The research identifies the shortcomings of existing systems and proposes the Onto-CMS as a more effective alternative solution. The proposed system facilitates additional personalisation tasks and demonstrates higher performance compared to systems lacking ontological structuring. Indeed, the Onto-CMS allows dynamic adaptation to individual preferences while maintaining the integrity of standardised safety elements. It is distinguished by its ability to adjust to diverse contexts, such as those involving impaired drivers, without compromising critical safety standards. The onto-CMS reduces the need for recurrent revisions and improves operational productivity and overall usability. The results show that the Onto-CMS improves the configuration of DVIs by providing customised, scalable and context-aware alternatives. The study provides a basis for further research that could extend the system’s capabilities to cover a wider range of driver characteristics and requirements. Full article

Gold mining is an activity that has developed in Colombia due to the great availability of mineral resources geographically distributed throughout the territory. The extraction techniques used are linked to the domain of illegality and to armed actors who have generated notable landscape impacts. This study, focused on the Municipality of Ayapel, Colombia, identifies the landscape units and analyzes the changes in land use and cover resulting from gold mining between the years 1987, 2002, and 2022, applying the CORINE Land Cover methodology, an adapted legend for Colombia, using Landsat satellite images. For this, the recognition of the physical geographical characteristics of the area was carried out in order to group homogeneous landscape units through a cartographic overlay of various layers of information, considering variables such as topography, geomorphology, and lithology. This research identifies a total of 16 landscape units, 8 of which were intervened in 1987, mainly associated with denudational hills. However, in 2022, 13 landscape units were intervened, with a considerable increase in the affected area. Particularly noteworthy is the occupation of landscape units associated with alluvial valleys, with an average of more than 30% of their total area. This demonstrates that they are the most attractive and vulnerable areas for mining exploitation, as they are the zones with the greatest potential for hosting mineral deposits. This impact has worsened over the last decade due to the introduction of other extraction techniques with machinery (dredges, dragon boats, backhoes, and bulldozers) that generate higher productive and economic yields but, at the same time, cause deep environmental liabilities due to the lack of administrative controls. The changes in extraction techniques, the increase in the international price of the commodity, and the absence of government attention have been the breeding ground that has driven gold mining activity. Full article

For nearly a century, fundamental observations that prostate cancer (PCa) cells nearly always require AR stimulation for sustained proliferation have led to a unidirectional quest to abrogate such a pathway. Similarly focused have been efforts to understand AR-driven processes in the context of elevated expression of its target genes, and much less so on products that become overexpressed when AR signaling is suppressed. Treatment with ARSI results in an increased expression of the TLK1B splice variant via a ‘translational’ derepression driven by the compensatory mTOR activation and consequent activation of the TLK1 > NEK1 > ATR > Chk1 and NEK1 > YAP axes. In due course, this results first in a pro-survival quiescence and then adaptation to ADT and CRPC progression. This constitutes a novel liability for PCa that we have targeted for several years and novel approaches. Full article

This study examines the effect of the investment portfolio structure on insurers’ solvency, as measured by the Solvency Capital Requirement ratio. An empirical sample of 88 EU-based insurance groups was analyzed to provide robust evidence of the portfolio’s impact on the Solvency Capital Requirement ratio from 2016 to 2022. Linear regression and supervised machine learning models, particularly extra trees regression, were used to predict the solvency ratios, with the latter outperforming the former. The investigation was supplemented with panel data analysis. Firm-specific factors, including, unit-linked and index-linked liabilities, firm size, investments in property, collective undertakings, bonds and equities, and the ratio of government bonds to corporate bonds and country-specific factors, such as life and non-life market concentration, domestic bond market development, private debt development, household spending, banking concentration, non-performing loans, and CO₂ emissions, were found to have an important effect on insurers’ solvency ratios. The novelty of this research lies in the investigation of the connection of solvency ratios with variables that prior studies have not yet explored, such as portfolio asset allocation, the life and non-life insurance market concentration, and unit-linked and index-linked products, via the employment of a battery of traditional and machine enhanced methods. Furthermore, it identifies the relation of solvency ratios with bond market development and investments in collective undertakings. Finally, it addresses the substantial solvency risks posed by the high banking sector concentration to insurers under Solvency II. Full article

With drastic increases in the complexity of road vehicles, increasing environmental and cost pressures have led to the obsolescence of previous fixed-schedule maintenance systems. The aerospace industry, following the road vehicle industry, is also beginning to use the predictive maintenance method increasingly widely. A possible next step for critical breakdowns could be a predictive service. While preventive maintenance is able to be used more frequently, the possibility of preventive repair is also limited to the fault symptoms, and is unsuitable for preventing fast-running breakdowns. Due to the current state of technological development in this area, it will take a few more years for lower-priced cars to catch up to the sensor and data structures of current premium-series vehicles, such that the mass use of these methods in road vehicles can become widespread. Full article

The rapid growth of e-commerce has significantly increased demands on logistics providers, particularly in the areas of product handling and shipment. One of the most challenging and critical aspects of this process is the handling of dangerous goods (DG). This is a complex and time-intensive operation that requires safety measures and proper packaging and labelling, because mishandling DG can lead to severe injuries, property loss, and legal liability. This puts additional pressure on logistics providers to efficiently manage DG while maintaining speed and safety in the context of e-commerce. To meet this challenge, there is an urgent need to advance training programs and enhance the operational efficiency for DG handling. The use of mixed reality (MR) technology offers a promising solution. By seamlessly integrating virtual elements with real-world environments, MR has the potential to greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the training of DG handling. Earlier research has examined MR in various fields, while there is still a research gap in applying MR specifically to the training of DG handling. This paper seeks to address the current research gap by presenting a novel MR model, named “MRSafe,” for a training program on the safe handling of DG. The model offers users virtual experiences and comprehensive guidance to provide operational decision support. Full article

The aim of this article is to examine which selected internal factors influence the profitability (ROA) of companies in the energy sector in Poland and how they do so, over the period 2018–2021, taking into account two groups: all types of activities (984 companies) and electricity production (508 companies). This study uses Pearson correlation analysis, Wilcoxon pairwise rank test, descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression to build eight ROA econometric models, four for each group. The research shows that in the energy sector, in particular, variables relating to the capital structure (total equity/total assets, long-term liabilities/total assets, short-term liabilities/total assets and long-term liabilities/short-term liabilities ratios) have a statistically significant impact (positive or negative) on the profitability (ROA). The aforementioned ratios appear in various combinations in all eight ROA models. The use of equity to finance the activities of companies in this sector seems to be particularly beneficial, as the total equity/total assets ratio occurs in as many as seven out of eight models and, moreover, it always has a positive impact on the ROA. The remaining analyzed variables relating to the structure of assets (fixed assets/total assets ratio), financial liquidity (current ratio) and the age of the company appear in the models as statistically significant quite rarely, having a different impact on the ROA (positively or negatively). However, variables such as the fixed assets/current assets and total liabilities/total equity ratios do not have a statistically significant impact on the ROA at all in any of the studied groups of enterprises. The research results suggest that managers, in order to shape profitability (measured by ROA), should pay special attention to the capital structure, i.e., the proportions of the use of equity, long-term liabilities and short-term liabilities to finance the operations of energy companies as these independent variables appear most often in ROA models. Other analyzed factors, such as the assets structure (the share of fixed assets in total assets) or financial liquidity, also have an impact on the return on assets; therefore, their use in energy companies should also be considered. Moreover, the research shows a large diversity of factors shaping ROA in econometric models, the way they affect the dependent variable (positive or negative) and the degree of model fit (R²), both in individual years and in the two groups of companies studied. This proves that it is not possible to clearly and finally determine which factors and how (positive or negative) they affect the profitability. This influence can change over time depending on the circumstances, which indicates the need for the continuous involvement of decision makers in the management process and making decisions based on reliable and appropriate-to-the-situation analyses. Full article

Standard endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) has become the standard of care for treating infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in patients with favorable anatomies, while patients with challenging AAA anatomies, and those with suprarenal or thoraco-abdominal aneurysms, still need alternative, more complex, solutions, including custom-made branched or fenestrated grafts, which are constrained by production delay and costs. To address urgent needs and complex cases, physicians have proposed modifying standard endografts by manually creating graft fenestrations. This allows for effective aneurysm exclusion and satisfactory patency of visceral vessels. Although physician-modified grafts (PMEGs) have demonstrated high technical success, standardized creation processes and long-term safety data are still lacking, necessitating further study to validate their clinical and legal standing. The aim of this article is to illustrate the state of the art with regard to this surgical technique, summarizing its origin, evolution, and the main clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness. The paper also aims to discuss the main medico-legal issues related to the use of PMEGs, with particular reference to the issue of safety related to the standardization of the surgical technique, medical liability profiles, and informed consent. Full article