<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The purpose of this research is to investigate the extent to which the preconditions for the introduction of topics on death and other losses are met in primary schools. The aim was to examine the beliefs of primary school staff about teaching students on these topics and to examine their knowledge of the grieving process in children and youth. The sample consisted of 213 school staff from 13 primary schools in Zagreb and the surrounding area who met the <italic>Belief Scale on Teaching Students About Death and Other Losses</italic> and the <italic>Knowledge Test on the Grieving Process in Children and Youth</italic>. In this paper, the results of this empirical research are presented, which showed that primary school teachers have beliefs about higher self-competence for teaching students on the mentioned topics in relation to subject teachers. The results also showed the existence of a low positive correlation between beliefs about the usefulness of teaching about death and other losses and knowledge about the process of grieving children and young people. A low negative correlation was also found between the age of the participants and the results of the Knowledge Test. The conducted research brings practical implications that are important for further consideration of this topic and for the design of education for teachers and professional associates on the topic of grieving processes in children and youth.
</abstract>

Teaching students about death and other losses

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Using a systematic literature review and bibliography, this paper aims to map the research field of urban sustainability. The keywords “urban sustainability and urbanization” were used to search the Web of Science database. Following fair and unambiguous criteria, the most significant research in urban sustainability analysis has been chosen. The fundamental goal of this research is to provide a bibliometric analysis of nearly thirty years of urban sustainability research. In total, 787 articles were extracted from the literature database on the Web of Science. The literature was analyzed using VOSviewer, a scientific mapping software program. Incorporating multiple network analysis approaches such as keyword co-occurrence, co-citation, and bibliographic coupling, VOSviewer is used to determine prominent topic areas and to identify relevant authors, publications, and journals. The present state of urban sustainability research has been assembled to identify research gaps and propose future research paths.
</abstract>

Urban sustainability and urbanization: A review of research topics

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The proliferation of environmental awareness and the growing recognition of the significance of sustainability has resulted in a new trend of retailers embracing secondhand reselling from unsold or unwanted inventories. Their numbers are increasing while also leveraging various business models, strategies, and procedures. This study uses a survey data of 154 responses from retailers of second-hand clothing across four cities in Liberia to evaluate the used clothing sector in the country. Findings from the survey highlight that while the SHC value chain encourages sustainable consumption, it is also a promoter of economic growth, particularly for developing countries emerging from war. Its retail growth potential is closely tied to the level of economic development geared toward supporting subsistence activities. Findings also show that respondents strongly oppose banning the importation of used clothes and the notion that second-hand undergarments pose health challenges. These findings are essential for providing business owners with understanding of the retailing process and how they can strengthen their foothold in the used clothing sector. They also emphasize the used clothing industry’s significance in Liberia and create avenues for future research.
</abstract>

The Retail Second-hand Clothing Sector in Developing Economy: Case study of Liberia

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This conceptual paper re-evaluates the concept of niches in tourism markets. As many regions are now attempting to address niche markets in tourism as a development strategy, understanding of the dynamics of niche markets is crucial. Current approaches are often limited to seeing niche markets as simple subsectors of larger consumer markets. We argue for a broader view of market niches as forms of social rituals involving both consumers and producers with a mutual focus of attention. Based on the work of Randall Collins we examine how interaction rituals are produced and maintained, and how these are also reflected in niche markets, such as backpacking. We illustrate the how backpacking produces a mutual focus of attention and boundaries to outsiders, helping to sustain the niche over the longer term. This analysis has implications for producers hoping to tap into niche markets, as they too need to become part of the niche community.
</abstract>

Rethinking niche tourism: The example of backpacking

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Introducing a balanced scorecard system may assist managers in identifying four dimensions and recognizing cross-functional interactions, which can ultimately lead to better problem solving, decision making, and business growth. Monitoring a company's key performance indicators (KPIs) can improve organizational performance and enhance shareholder value. A survey was prepared and distributed to 60 managers from Croatian businesses to investigate the relationship between business success as assessed by a balanced scorecard system. The questions were based on the balanced goal system, a four-dimensional model for measuring business performance that covers financial performance, knowledge, and employees, processes success, and market performance. It was used to assess managers' perceptions of foreign and domestic businesses. Furthermore, a two-step cluster analysis was conducted. The results indicated that the respondents who are dominantly oriented towards the international markets share identical perspectives on the importance of the company's performance as those in the predominantly domestic markets.
</abstract>

The Balanced Scorecard System: The Perspective of International Orientation

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The hotel industry undeniably holds strong market power. Its economic impact can affect the infrastructural, economic, and digital development of a particular region. In addition to numerous advantages, digital development has also posed certain challenges for the hotel industry, such as fierce competition and a struggle for market power, which in turn lead to constant searching for new beneficial solutions. Hotel websites need to be of good quality to have a positive impact on profitability. Quality websites are functional and useful, and innovation is a common factor observed when testing quality. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the innovation activity of Croatian hotel websites. Two methods were used for research purposes: the e-MICA framework and content analysis. Descriptive statistics and the significance of Chi-squared tests were used to analyse the results. Research findings suggest that Croatian hotels have adopted innovative features on their websites modestly: mostly, 5-star hotels, hotel chains, and foreign-owned hotels as well as hotels focused strategically on direct sales channels. The obtained results are important for future research which should analyse the issue in more depth. Furthermore, hoteliers could also benefit from these results, and use them to their advantage in order to revise and improve their existing strategies.
</abstract>

Innovation features in the hotel industry: Croatian hotel websites

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
In today’s business world, there is a growing recognition of the need for companies to be conscious of their social and environmental impact, aligning with the European Union’s goal of becoming a zero-impact continent by 2050. Businesses are now seen as key players in this transformation, moving away from traditional economic models. The contemporary framework underscores ignoring societal and environmental impacts is no longer viable. In this transformative era, a notable paradigm shift is evident as businesses shift from solely maximizing profits to optimizing them, balancing financial success with societal and environmental benefits. This change marks a departure from the traditional focus on just the bottom line, highlighting the dual role of companies as both profit-oriented and key drivers of positive societal change. This paradigm underscores a symbiotic relationship between profitability and positive societal impact, echoing the EU’s sustainable and responsible business paradigm vision. This narrative posits the EU as a trailblazer, spearheading a collective effort to harness the transformative potential of the business sector in realizing a zero-impact future by 2050. The paper aims to expand Elkington’s 3Ps model (People, Planet, Profit) and stakeholder theory by introducing ‘Purpose’ as a crucial fourth dimension, emphasizing the importance of a company’s underlying motives and values in shaping sustainable and responsible business practices. This paper reveals that integrating ‘Puropse’ into business models aligns with contemporary environmental and social governance standards and significantly enhances stakeholder engagement, fostering a more resilient corporate ecosystem. 
</abstract>

Navigating Corporate Responsibility: Unveiling the ‘Purpose’ as the Fourth P in Elkington’s 3Ps Model 

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This paper aims to provide results of empirical experiments on the accuracy of different machine learning algorithms for detecting spam messages, using a public dataset of spam messages. The originality of our study lies in the integration of topic modeling, specifically employing Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) alongside machine learning algorithms for spam detection. By extracting hidden topics and uncovering patterns in spam and non-spam messages, we provide unique insights into the distinguishing characteristics of spam messages. Moreover, the integration of machine learning is a powerful tool in bolstering risk control measures ensuring the sustainability of digital platforms and communication channels. The research tests the accuracy of spam detection classifiers on an open-source dataset of spam messages. The key findings of this study reveal that the Logistic Regression classifier achieved the highest F score of 0.986, followed by the Support Vector Machine classifier with a score of 0.98 and the Naive Bayes classifier with a score of 0.955. The study concludes that Logistic Regression outperforms Naive Bayes and Support Vector Machine in text classification, particularly in spam detection, emphasizing the role of machine learning techniques in optimizing risk management strategies for sustained digital ecosystems. This capability stems from Logistic Regression’s adeptness in modeling complex relationships, enabling it to achieve high accuracy on training and test datasets. 
</abstract>

Effective Spam Detection with Machine Learning 

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Tourism represents an important determinant of global recognition and regional growth and development of the Republic of Croatia, especially the coastal part of the country. However, there is no doubt that any tourism activity has strong economic, socio-cultural, social, and environmental effects. Mass tourism brings numerous advantages. However, the growing concentration of tourists also leads to negative effects, of which residents are the most affected. Šibenik is a tourist town whose development is primarily based on tourism, and this destination, due to its centuries-old history and geographic location, is attractive to tourists. This paper aims to investigate the extent to which tourism affects the quality of life of the local population based on a preliminary survey of a sample of residents of the city of Šibenik. This paper aims to investigate in detail the practical aspects of tourism. The respondents’ perceptions and tourism’s real, tangible, and measurable effects will be analyzed to draw valuable conclusions. This approach enables a deeper understanding of the impact of tourism on various aspects of society and the environment. 
</abstract>

Perception of the Local Population on the Effects of Tourism: A Case Study of the City of Šibenik 

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
The recession of the 1990s in Europe and the United States of America marked a defining moment for entrepreneurship. Business incubators emerged as a means of redistributing strategic resources and developing new tools for local and regional economies. In Croatia, most incubators are founded by cities and counties, with two private incubators also in operation. The Technological Innovation Center “Međimurje” (TICM) in Čakovec was established by Međimurje County in 2009 to incubate startup entrepreneurs, with the aim of supporting regional development and strengthening the entrepreneurial sector. With recent population emigration, the Međimurje County Development Plan until 2027 underscores the heightened importance of TICM as an entrepreneurial support institution. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the challenges, needs, and obstacles faced by beginner entrepreneurs working in the TICM incubator. It critically evaluates the extent to which TICM meets the needs of newly founded companies, identifies the challenges it faces, and proposes solutions. By analysing the survey responses, the research questions were answered, and guidelines for the potential future operation of the incubator were developed. Research shows unequivocally that there are numerous advantages of doing business in an incubator, primarily the possibility of survival in the market. The work determines the needs of beginner entrepreneurs, which can guide the building and redefinition of existing services, and also highlights the need to increase the incubator’s capacity. 
</abstract>

The Influence of a Business Incubator on the Business Success of a Beginner Entrepreneur: Case Study of a Technology-innovation Center in Međimurje County

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Text-to-image generation is a rapidly growing field that aims to generate images from textual descriptions. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the latest trends and developments, highlighting their importance and relevance in various domains, such as art, photography, marketing, and learning. The paper describes and compares various text-to-image models and discusses the challenges and limitations of this field. The findings of this paper demonstrate that recent advancements in deep learning and computer vision have led to significant progress in text-to-image models, enabling them to generate high-quality images from textual descriptions. However, challenges such as ensuring the legality and ethical implications of the final products generated by these models need to be addressed. This paper provides insights into these challenges and suggests future directions for this field. In addition, this study emphasises the need for a sustainability-oriented approach in the text-to-image domain. As text-to-image models advance, it is crucial to conscientiously assess their impact on ecological, cultural, and societal dimensions. Prioritising ethical model use while being mindful of their carbon footprint and potential effects on human creativity becomes crucial for sustainable progress.
</abstract>

Trends and Challenges of Text-to-Image Generation: Sustainability Perspective

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This paper examines information technology and information literacy of employees as one of the more essential prerequisites for creating smart hospitals, which are, on the other hand, a prerequisite for sustainable financial operations. Since nursing is the backbone of every hospital, research is focused on the nursing profession. Namely, if medical personnel do not know the basics of information and communication technology (ICT) and are incapable of recognizing, finding and structuring information into new knowledge and exchanging it with colleagues, an intelligent hospital is impossible, and the business is worse. For this reason, research was conducted to determine the state of computer and information literacy in the nursing field in hospitals in north-western Croatia. It was carried out in 2021, which determined the ratio of administrative work and health care and examined the level of ICT knowledge of nurses and technicians. Analysing the secondary, higher and higher medical school curriculum determined the current situation and required improvements. The research results showed that computer and information literate staff spend less time on administration; they estimate that there is not enough content on computer literacy in the existing curricula. The hospital's operations will also be efficient because the competencies of the nurses will enable better implementation of business processes and a better financial result for the hospital.
</abstract>

Computer and Information Literacy in Nursing as a Prerequisite for Financial Sustainability

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Modified concretes and fiber concretes for rigid pavements have been investigated. Four-factor experiment was conducted. The amount of Portland cement, polypropylene fiber, metakaolin and polycarboxylate superplasticizer varied in the experiment. All mixtures had the same mobility S2.
The active mineral additive metakaolin increases the compressive strength of concrete and its tensile strength in bending. The amount of metakaolin at the level of 15.20 kg/m3 is rational. Due to a decrease in W/C with an increase in the amount of superplasticizer Coral ExpertSuid-5 to 0.9.1%, the compressive strength of concrete increases by 5.7 MPa, the tensile strength in bending increases by 0.5.0.6 MPa. Due to the introduction of polypropylene fiber, the tensile strength of concrete in bending increases by 0.6.0.9 MPa, the frost resistance of concrete increases by 50 cycles. Due to the use of a rational amount of superplasticizer and metakaolin, the frost resistance of concretes and fiber concretes concrete increases by 50-100 cycles. The use of a rational amount of modifiers and fiber reduces the abrasion of concretes by 40.45%.
The developed modified fiber concretes of rigid pavements, depending on the amount of Portland cement, have compressive strength from 55 MPa to 70 MPa, tensile strength in bending from 8 MPa to 9.5 MPa, frost resistance from F350 to F450, abrasion from 0.30 to 0.40 g/cm2. Such strength, frost resistance and abrasion resistance allow the use of fiber concretes in pavements with the greatest load and ensures high durability of the material and corresponds to the directions and tasks of the state scientific and technical program “National Transport Strategy of Ukraine for the period up to 2030”
</abstract>

Durability of Modified Fiber Concrete for Rigid Pavements

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The European Investment Bank (EIB), the primary financial arm of the European Union (EU) has become of central interest in the last ten years. The EIB has been increasingly solicited by the EU to bolster the European economy during the global crisis and support its recovery thereafter. Calls have recently been voiced for the EIB to contribute to the European Green Deal and the post-pandemic economic stimulus. This paper studies the EIB’s role in the European economy through its business model in the period from 2009–2019. The paper’s prime objective is to investigate what enabled the EIB to act in a countercyclical mode and how the EIB met the new economy needs in this turbulent environment.</abstract>

From a policy bank to a crowding-in bank: The development of the European Investment Bank in the last ten years, as seen through its business model

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Digital literacy is important in many areas of life, such as remote working, using public services on the Internet, communication, buying goods and services, education, participation in political and cultural events, entertainment and leisure. Digital literacy enhances employability of young people in the global labour market. It can reduce financial insecurity and increase access to information, finding advice and support. Digital literacy is also important for the elderly, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups because it enables equal participation in society, independent living, working, and reduces the risk of social isolation. Some of the goals of the Digital Literacy Development Network and the key goal of the working group for Digital Citizenship are digital inclusion of individuals from all age groups, improved quality of life and empowerment through digital technologies. In this paper, initial chapters describe the benefits of digital technologies and the Internet for vulnerable groups. The paper continues with a presentation of the basic idea, implementation and work of the Digital Literacy Development Network as part of the Digitalna.hr project. In this paper, the emphasis is on the description and implementation of the activities of the working group for Digital Citizenship, which deals with public opinion polls and the needs of digital inclusion of vulnerable groups and areas. The paper ends with recommendations for creating guidelines for national, regional and local decision makers. Once created, these guidelines can be used in future strategic documents with the purpose of actively including a particular population group in the digital society.
</abstract>

Digitalna.hr project – ideas, implementation and activities for integrating vulnerable groups into the digital society

Paper Template

Croatian Regional Development Journal

 „Croatian Regional Development Journal” (CRDJ) is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. The journal aims at encouraging regional development through a multidisciplinary and...

 „Croatian Regional Development Journal” (CRDJ) is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. The journal aims at encouraging regional...

Croatian Regional Development Journal

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