A regional disparity is becoming increasingly important growth constraint. Policy makers need quantitative knowledge to design effective and targeted policies. In this paper, the regional efficiency of healthcare facilities in Slovakia is measured (2008–2015) using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The DEA is the dominant approach to assessing the efficiency of the healthcare system but also other economic areas. In this study, the window approach is introduced as an extension to the basic DEA models to evaluate healthcare technical efficiency in individual regions and quantify the basic regional disparities and discrepancies. The window DEA method was chosen since it leads to increased discrimination on results especially when applied to small samples and it enables year-by-year comparisons of the results. Two stable inputs (number of beds, number of medical staff), three variable inputs (number of all medical equipment, number of magnetic resonance (MR) devices, number of computed tomography (CT) devices) and two stable outputs (use of beds, average nursing time) were chosen as production variable in an output-oriented 4-year window DEA model for the assessment of technical efficiency in 8 regions. The database was made available from the National Health Information Center and the Slovak Statistical Office, as well as from the online databases Slovstat and DataCube. The aim of the paper is to quantify the impact of the non-standard Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) variables as the use of medical technologies (MR, CT) on the results of the assessment of the efficiency of the healthcare facilities and their adequacy in the evaluation of the monitored processes. The results of the analysis have shown that there is an indirect dependence between the values of the variables over time and the results of the estimated efficiency in all regions. The regions that had low values of the variables over time achieved a high degree of efficiency and vice versa. Interesting knowledge was that the gradual addition of variables number of MR, number of CT and number of medical devices together, to the input side did not have a significant impact on the overall estimated efficiency of healthcare facilities.

The study seeks to explore and synthesize current issues in Slow Fashion and discuss potential future directions of the industry. While there are multiple definitions of the term, Slow Fashion typically describes long-lasting, locally manufactured clothing, primarily made from sustainably sourced fair-trade fabrics. It affords latitude to individual style, fosters education about clothing and emphasizes durability. While several challenges regarding the implementation of Slow Fashion principles in current society remain, the study offers an overview of the current state, and presents a fashion matrix-based framework for outlining the position of the Slow Fashion movement within industry-specific fashion segments and uses the matrix to present current knowledge and review future challenges. The support of networks serves as an indispensable tool for Slow Fashion designers, keeping them abreast of the competition.

The paper discusses the pilgrimage tourism as one of the oldest forms of tourism. Although it is often considered as marginal, the pilgrimage tourism is indeed one of the most widespread forms of tourism. Due to the historical context all the necessary prerequisites for the use of its potential are developed in Slovakia. There is a large amount of destinations and sites that are by their nature or historical value of interest for domestic and foreign visitors. Visitors from all over the world participating in significant pilgrimages bounded to these destinations. However deficiencies in marketing communication, infrastructure and other areas hinder the development of pilgrimage and religious tourism in Slovakia. To determine the current state of marketing communications in pilgrimage tourism questionnaire survey was conducted. In achieving the purpose of the research, two hypotheses were formulated. Because, the relationship between a dependent variable was examined, and the interval variable is one, Single Factor Analysis of Variance ANOVA was used. Homogeneity of variance was verified using Bartlett's and Levene's test. Recommendations for the development of communications strategy are formulated based on the results of the analysis

Research background: Cognitive computing and robotic technologies, enterprise digital twin system modeling, and sensory perception algorithms optimize industrial big data exchange and production collaboration, production floor management, and smart device 3D simulation and visualization in the Industry 5.0 metaverse and virtual shop floor environments. Enterprise metaverse business operations, multi-granularity cognitive computing, and industrial big data fusion simulation integrate virtual and augmented reality technologies, collaborative robotic and industrial cyber-physical production systems, and artificial intelligence-enabled edge computing and Internet of Everything devices in mobile edge computing environments. Cloud-based production and digital twin Internet of Things networks, 3D immersive virtual reality and realistic 3D scene construction technologies, and cyber-physical production and business process management systems articulate smart production engineering and management, artificial intelligence-driven physics simulation, and Internet of Things-based robotic manufacturing in highly realistic industrial product representations and 3D virtual spaces with regard to big data-driven business decisions. Purpose of the article: We show that 3D immersive virtual reality and digital twin metaverse technologies, spatial scanning modeling, and autonomous robotic and virtual factory simulation systems are pivotal in immersive 3D process management, industrial manufacturing production value, and knowledge accumulation in synthetic simulated environments. 3D simulation-based industrial processes and immersive experiences can be attained through cognitive computing and robotic technologies, multi-modal information fusion, autonomous intelligence generation, and multiple production process management in immersive 3D metaverse environments. Immersive, multisensory, and augmented digital experiences can be attained through 3D factory simulation and immersive extended reality technologies, cognitive robotic process automation, autonomous robotic and industrial machine learning systems, and task allocation optimization in computer-generated 3D virtual environments. Methods: We analyzed and synthesized common operations for the first 60 companies in industrial metaverse on ensun (AI-based supplier sourcing tool’s) website in terms of key takeaway, working industry, type of company, and specialized areas, and identified three main topics. Findings & value added: The main value added derived from our research is that industrial metaverse 3D simulation and modeling, digital twin and remote fault diagnosis technologies, multiphysics simulation and predictive maintenance tools assist industrial big data monitoring and management, Internet of Things-based robotic manufacturing, and multiple processing tasks in 3D digital twin factories. Collaborative autonomous manufacturing operations, artificial intelligence-driven physics simulation, and smart industrial devices and processes necessitate industrial metaverse decentralized federated learning, cognitive computing and robotic technologies, and cognitive digital twins in virtual shop floor environments, generating economic value. 3D simulation and visualization technologies, business intelligence and digital twin-based cyber-physical production systems, and big data-driven forecasting and real-time collision detection algorithms can be harnessed in robotic automation processes, intelligent manufacturing upgrading, and sustainable industrial value creation across 3D digital twin factories and distributed computing environments.

Research background: Today, it is an m-commerce platform that provides brands with the opportunity to foster their sustainable image and communicate with environmentally and socially conscious consumers. Proper communication that respects the customer's interests, conducted through mobile marketing tools, can be a key to creating a competitive advantage. Therefore, it is essential, at the level of scientific research, to broaden the knowledge base in the field of consumer behavior. Purpose of the article: The research was aimed at assessing ten purchasing behavior constructs in terms of gender and generation characteristics, as well as inferring impact on and assessing the difference between generations (Generation X and Y) and gender in terms of purchasing behavior. Methods: The sample consisted of 765 Slovak respondents. The Wilcoxon Test was used for differences testing. Partial Least Squares ? Path Modeling (PLS-PM) was used to determine the general impact and the permutations-based method was used to assess the difference in impact between gender and generation characteristics. Findings & value added: The difference in purchasing behavior patterns between the categories of gender and generation was significant in most cases, with the most significant difference being seen in the Visual Appeal of an e-shop. The most striking general influences were recorded between Hedonic Browsing and Urge to Buy, also the impact of Portability on Hedonic Browsing and Utilitarian Browsing. These findings indicate the potential of retailers to communicate effectively with their customers not only about products, but also about sustainable practices and values while engaging consumers in purchasing processes. Proper optimization of marketing processes, in terms of impulsive and thought-through purchases too, positively influences the user experience and the satisfaction with the purchase process. These facts may positively influence the sale and, in a broader perspective, increase the competitiveness and overall value of the e-commerce entity. It is also worth emphasizing the long-term value for the customer, as the application of the model leads to better satisfaction of customer needs, thus to a stable growth not only of the organizations, but ultimately of the economy as a whole.

Research background: In the developed countries, the services sector, which also includes the accommodation services, is a significant source of the gross national product. Tourism can be perceived as an important determinant of countries' economies, so attention paid to the needs of clients is at least necessary and beneficial. Purpose of the article: The aim of the study is to assess the quality of services provided and the perception of the hotel from the point of view of the accommodated clients. This objective was fulfilled by determining the effect of selected indicators of perception of the quality of provided services (location, personnel evaluation, cleanliness, equipment, comfort, price/quality ratio of provided services, free Wi-Fi connection) on the indicator determining the perception of the hotel (polarity of sentiment). Methods: In the analysis of the above, 22,000 text-reviews of 117 five-star hotels of the Visegrad Group countries were evaluated. The hotel reviews were obtained from Tripadvisor.com and indicator rankings from Booking.com. The analysis made use of the regression analysis methods ? influence (regulatory models ? Ridge, Lasso, Elastic net, and multiple linear regression ? OLS). Findings & Value added: It has been found out that hotel equipment and cleanliness have the greatest effect on the polarity of sentiment. As could be expected, the trend has an upward tendency ? that is, as quality increases, so does the sentiment polarity ? the perception of hotel facilities. Overall, the analysed sentiment variables can be considered positive, as was confirmed by the positive coefficients of the coherence analysis (Spearman-?; Pearson-r), as well as the upward trend in the predictions under the regression analysis. Hotels should be strategically customer-oriented and, as the analyses show, pay the greatest attention to equipment and cleanliness. The services of accommodation facilities are dominant in terms of satisfaction with the destination in general, so in the long run, they should be given due attention. These findings are particularly beneficial for hotel services provided in the Visegrad Group countries, as no research studies have yet been carried out on customer evaluation of the quality of accommodation facilities using the presented methods.