1501. Experimental evidence of long-term oceanic circulation reversals without wind influence in the North Ionian SeaAngelo Rubino, Miroslav Gačić, Manuel Bensi, Vedrana Kovacevic, Vlado Malačič, Milena Menna, Maria Eletta Negretti, Joel Sommeria, Davide Zanchettin, Ricardo V. Barreto, Laura Ursella, Vanessa Cardin, Giuseppe Civitarese, Mirko Orlić, Boris Petelin, Giuseppe Siena, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Under the emerging features of interannual-to-decadal ocean variability, the periodical reversals of the North Ionian Gyre (NIG), driven mostly by the mechanism named Adriatic-Ionian Bimodal Oscillating System (BiOS), are known as impacting on marine physics and biogeochemistry and potentially influencing short-term regional climate predictability in the Eastern Mediterranean. Whilst it has been suggested that local wind forcing cannot explain such variability, aspects of the alternative hypothesis indicating that NIG reversals mainly arises from an internal ocean feedback mechanism alone remain largely debated. Here we demonstrate, using the results of physical experiments, performed in the world’s largest rotating tank and numerical simulations, that the main observed feature of BiOS, i.e., the switch of polarity of the near-surface circulation in the NIG, can be induced by a mere injection of dense water on a sloping bottom. Hence, BiOS is a truly oceanic mode of variability and abrupt polarity changes in circulation can arise solely from extreme dense water formation events.
Keywords: physical oceanography, climate and Earth system modelling
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 372; Downloads: 243
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1502. The performance of the Xpert Bladder Cancer Monitor Test and voided urinary cytology in the follow-up of urinary bladder tumorsTomaž Smrkolj, Urška Čegovnik Primožič, Teja Fabjan, Saša Šterpin, Joško Osredkar, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Background: Cystoscopy in complement with urinary cytology represents the gold standard for the follow-up of patients with urinary bladder tumours. Xpert Bladder Cancer Monitor Test (XBC) is a novel mRNA-based urine test for bladder cancer surveillance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of the XBC and voided urinary cytology (VUC) in the follow-up of bladder tumours. Patients and methods. The XBC was performed on stabilized voided urine and VUC was performed on urine samples. The results were compared to cystoscopic findings and histopathological results after transurethral resection of the bladder lesion. Results. For the prediction of malignant histopathological result sensitivity, the specificity and negative predictive value were 76.9%, 97.5% and 93.0% for the XBC and 38.4%, 97.5% and 83.3%, respectively for VUC. For the prediction of suspicious or positive cystoscopic finding sensitivity, the specificity and negative predictive value were 75.0%, 95.2%, and 93.0% respectively for the XBC and 41.7%, 97.6%, and 85.4% for VUC. The sensitivities for papilary urothelial neoplasms of low malignant potential (PUNLMP), low- and high-grade tumours were 0.0%, 66.7% and 100.0% for the XBC and 0.0%, 66.7% and 42.9%, respectively for VUC. Conclusions: The XBC showed significantly higher overall sensitivity and negative predictive value than VUC and could be used to increase the recommended follow-up cystoscopy time intervals. Complementing the XBC and voided urinary cytology does not improve performance in comparison to the XBC alone.
Keywords: cystoscopy, Xpert BC monitor test, urinary bladder neoplasm, voided urinary cytology
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 380; Downloads: 166
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1503. Long term results of follow-up after HPV self-sampling with devices Qvintip and HerSwab in women non-attending cervical screening programmeTeodora Bokan, Urška Ivanuš, Tine Jerman, Iztok Takač, Darja Arko, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: We are presenting the results of the Slovenian human papillomaviruses (HPV) self-sampling pilot study in colposcopy population of National Cervical Cancer Screening Programme ZORA for the first time. One-year and four-year follow-up results are presented for two different self-sampling devices. Participants and methods. A total of 209 women were enrolled in the study at colposcopy clinic. Prior to the gynaecological examination, all women performed self-collected vaginal swab at the clinic; 111 using Qvintip and 98 using HerSwab self-sampling device. After self-sampling, two cervical smears were taken by a clinician; first for conventional cytology and second for HPV test. After that, all women underwent colposcopy and a cervical biopsy if needed. We compared sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of cytology (at the cut-off atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or more [ASC-US+]) and HPV test (on self- and clinician-taken samples) for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or more (CIN2+) after one and four years of follow-up. Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) assay was used for all HPV testing. Results. The mean age of 209 women was 37.6 years and HPV positivity rate 67.0% (140/209), 36.9 years and 70.3% (78/111) in the Qvintip group and 38.4 years and 63.3% (62/98) in the HerSwab group, respectively. Overall, percent agreement between self and clinician-taken samples was 81.8% (kappa 0.534) in the Qvintip and 77.1% (kappa 0.456) in the HerSwab group. In the Qvintip group, the longitudinal sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 71.8%, 75.0%, 83.6%, 60.0% for cytology; 83.1%, 51.3%, 75.6% and 62.5% for HPV test of self-taken samples and 94.4%, 57.5%, 79.8% and 85.2% for HPV test on clinician-taken samples. In the HerSwab group, the corresponding results were 71.7%, 46.7%, 61.3%, 58.3% for cytology; 75.0%, 47.7%, 62.9% and 61.8% for HPV test on self-taken samples and 94.3%, 44.4%, 66.7% and 87.0% for clinician-taken samples, respectively. Conclusions. The results confirm that HPV self-sampling is not as accurate as clinician sampling when HC2 is used. All HPV tests showed a higher sensitivity in detecting CIN2+ compared to cytology. Due to non-inferior longitudinal sensitivity of HPV self-sampling compared to cytology, HPV self-sampling might be an option for non-attenders to the National Cancer Screening Programme.
Keywords: HPV self-sampling, cytology, high-grade intraepithelial lesion, screening programmes
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 352; Downloads: 128
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1504. Integrated sea storm management strategy : the 29 October 2018 event in the Adriatic SeaChristian Ferrarin, Andrea Valentini, Martin Vodopivec, Dijana Klaric, Giovanni Massaro, Marco Bajo, Francesca De Pascalis, Amedeo Fadini, Michol Ghezzo, Stefano Menegon, Lidia Bressan, Silvia Unguendoli, Anja Fettich, Jure Jerman, Matjaž Ličer, Lidija Fustar, Alvise Papa, Enrico Carraro, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Addressing coastal risks related to sea storms requires an integrative approach which combines monitoring stations, forecasting models, early warning systems, and coastal management and planning. Such great effort is sometimes possible only through transnational cooperation, which becomes thus vital to face, effectively and promptly, the marine events which are responsible for damage impacting the environment and citizens' life. Here we present a shared and interoperable system to allow a better exchange of and elaboration on information related to sea storms among countries. The proposed integrated web system (IWS) is a combination of a common data system for sharing ocean observations and forecasts, a multi-model ensemble system, a geoportal, and interactive geo-visualisation tools to make results available to the general public. The multi-model ensemble mean and spread for sea level height and wave characteristics are used to describe three different sea condition scenarios. The IWS is designed to provide sea state information required for issuing coastal risk alerts over the analysed region as well as for being easily integrated into existing local early warning systems. This study describes the application of the developed system to the exceptional storm event of 29 October 2018 that caused severe flooding and damage to coastal infrastructure in the Adriatic Sea. The forecasted ensemble products were successfully compared with in situ observations. The hazards estimated by integrating IWS results in existing early warning systems were confirmed by documented storm impacts along the coast of Slovenia, Emilia-Romagna and the city of Venice. For the investigated event, the most severe simulated scenario results provide a realistic and conservative estimation of the peak storm conditions to be used in coastal risk management.
Keywords: sea storms, integrated web system (IWS)
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 348; Downloads: 228
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1505. Common gene expression patterns in environmental model organisms exposed to engineered nanomaterials : a meta-analysisMichael Burkard, Alexander Betz, Kristin Schirmer, Anže Županič, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: The use of omics is gaining importance in the field of nanoecotoxicology; an increasing number of studies are aiming to investigate the effects and modes of action of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in this way. However, a systematic synthesis of the outcome of such studies regarding common responses and toxicity pathways is currently lacking. We developed an R-scripted computational pipeline to perform reanalysis and functional analysis of relevant transcriptomic data sets using a common approach, independent from the ENM type, and across different organisms, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Danio rerio. Using the pipeline that can semiautomatically process data from different microarray technologies, we were able to determine the most common molecular mechanisms of nanotoxicity across extremely variable data sets. As expected, we found known mechanisms, such as interference with energy generation, oxidative stress, disruption of DNA synthesis, and activation of DNA-repair but also discovered that some less-described molecular responses to ENMs, such as DNA/RNA methylation, protein folding, and interference with neurological functions, are present across the different studies. Results were visualized in radar charts to assess toxicological response patterns allowing the comparison of different organisms and ENM types. This can be helpful to retrieve ENM-related hazard information and thus fill knowledge gaps in a comprehensive way in regard to the molecular underpinnings and mechanistic understanding of nanotoxicity.
Keywords: gene expression, nanomaterials
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 293; Downloads: 236
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1506. Exploring the impacts of plastics in soil : the effects of polyester textile fibers on soil invertebratesSalla Selonen, Andraž Dolar, Anita Jemec Kokalj, Tina Skalar, Lidia Parramon Dolcet, Rachel Hurley, Cornelis A. M. van Gestel, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Polyester fiber is one of the most abundant types of microplastics in the environment. A major proportion of the fibers entering wastewater treatment plants end up in sewage sludge, which is used as a soil fertilizer in many countries. As their impacts in the terrestrial environment are still poorly understood, we studied the effects of polyester fibers on enchytraeids (Enchytraeus crypticus), springtails (Folsomia candida), isopods (Porcellio scaber) and oribatid mites (Oppia nitens), all playing an important role in soil decomposer food webs. We exposed these invertebrates in the laboratory to short (12 µm–2.87 mm) and long (4–24 mm) polyester fibers, spiked in soil or in food at five concentrations ranging from 0.02% to 1.5% (w/w) and using five replicates. Overall the effects of polyester fibers on the soil invertebrates were slight. Energy reserves of the isopods were slightly affected by both fiber types, and enchytraeid reproduction decreased up to 30% with increasing fiber concentration, but only for long fibers in soil. The low ingestion of long fibers by the enchytraeids suggests that this negative impact arose from a physical harm outside the organism, or from indirect effects resulting from changes in environmental conditions. The short fibers were clearly ingested by enchytraeids and isopods, with the rate of ingestion positively related to fiber concentration in the soil. This study shows that polyester fibers are not very harmful to soil invertebrates upon short-term exposure. However, longer lasting, multigeneration studies with functional endpoints are needed to reveal the possible long-term effects on soil invertebrates and their role in the decomposition process. This study also shows that polyester fibers can enter terrestrial food web via ingestion of fibers by soil invertebrates.
Keywords: microplastic, polyester fibres, soil ecotoxicology, Enchytraeid, springtail, isopod
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 362; Downloads: 203
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1507. The role of polymorpisms in glutathione-related genes in asbestos-related diseasesAlenka Franko, Katja Goričar, Metoda Dodič-Fikfak, Viljem Kovač, Vita Dolžan, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: The study investigated the influence of GCLC, GCLM, GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms, as well as the influence of interactions between polymorphism and interactions between polymorphisms and asbestos exposure, on the risk of developing pleural plaques, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma (MM). Subjects and methods. The cross sectional study included 940 asbestos-exposed subjects, among them 390 subjects with pleural plaques, 147 subjects with asbestosis, 225 subjects with MM and 178 subjects with no asbestos-related disease. GCLC rs17883901, GCLM rs41303970, GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null, GSTP1 rs1695 and GSTP1 rs1138272 genotypes were determined using PCR based methods. In statistical analysis, logistic regression was used. Results. GSTT1 null genotype was associated with the decreased risk for pleural plaques (OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.40% 0.98; p = 0.026) and asbestosis (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.28%0.93; p = 0.028), but not for MM. A positive association was found between GSTP1 rs1695 AG + GG vs. AA genotypes for MM when compared to pleural plaques (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.00%1.94; p = 0.049). The interactions between different polymorphisms showed no significant influence on the risk of investigated asbestos-related diseases. The interaction between GSTT1 null polymorphism and asbestos exposure decreased the MM risk (OR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.03%0.85; p = 0.031). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that GSTT1 null genotype may be associated with a decreased risk for pleural plaques and asbestosis, may modify the association between asbestos exposure and MM and may consequently act protectively on MM risk. This study also revealed a protective effect of the interaction between GSTP1 rs1695 polymorphism and asbestos exposure on MM risk.
Keywords: polymorphisms, glutathione-related genes, asbestos, malignant mesothelioma
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 349; Downloads: 96
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1508. Ecological patterns of polychaete assemblages associated with the Mediterranean stony coral Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) : a comparison of sites in two biogeographic zones (Adriatic and Aegean Sea)Valentina Pitacco, Giorgos Chatzigeorgiou, Barbara Mikac, Lovrenc Lipej, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: The Mediterranean stony coral Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) is a well-known habitat builder, and as such hosts a diversified faunal assemblage. Although polychaetes are one of the most abundant and diverse macrobenthic groups associated with C. caespitosa colonies, our knowledge of their ecological features in this association is still limited. The aim of this paper was to gather and compare the most comprehensive data available on polychaetes associated with C. caespitosa in the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas, and to test for differences between these geographic areas. To this end, differences were tested in terms of: (i) richness and structure of polychaete assemblages; (ii) feeding and functional traits of assemblages; (iii) the main factors influencing those aspects, (iv) the relationship between polychaete assemblages richness and Cladocora colony size, and estimate richness. Differences were observed between the Adriatic and the Aegean Seas, in terms of richness, species composition and relative proportion of the dominant feeding guild (filter feeders most abundant in the Aegean and carnivores in the Adriatic) and motility mode (sessile most abundant in the Aegean and motile in the Adriatic). Conversely, cosmopolitan and Atlanto-Mediterranean species dominated the assemblages in both geographic areas, and the same Species-Area Relation model proved to be effective for richness estimation in both geographic areas.
Keywords: benthic ecology, habitat builder species, polychaeta, Mediterranean Sea
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 311; Downloads: 139
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1509. Stratification strength and light climate explain variation in chlorophyll a at the continental scale in a European multilake survey in a heatwave summerDaphne Donis, Evanthia Mantzouki, Daniel F. McGinnis, Dominic Vachon, Irene Gallego, Hans-Peter Grossart, Lisette N. de Senerpont Domis, Sven Teurlincx, Laura Seelen, Miquel Lürling, Špela Remec-Rekar, Tina Eleršek, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: To determine the drivers of phytoplankton biomass, we collected standardized morphometric, physical, and biological data in 230 lakes across the Mediterranean, Continental, and Boreal climatic zones of the European continent. Multilinear regression models tested on this snapshot of mostly eutrophic lakes (median total phos-phorus [TP]=0.06 and total nitrogen [TN]=0.7 mg L1), and its subsets (2 depth types and 3 climatic zones), show that light climate and stratification strength were the most significant explanatory variables for chloro-phylla(Chla) variance. TN was a significant predictor for phytoplankton biomass for shallow and continental lakes, while TP never appeared as an explanatory variable, suggesting that under high TP, light, which partially controls stratification strength, becomes limiting for phytoplankton development. Mediterranean lakes were the warmest yet most weakly stratified and had significantly less Chlathan Boreal lakes, where the temperature anomaly from the long-term average, during a summer heatwave was the highest (+4C) and showed a signifi-cant, exponential relationship with stratification strength. This European survey represents a summer snapshotof phytoplankton biomass and its drivers, and lends support that light and stratification metrics, which are bothaffected by climate change, are better predictors for phytoplankton biomass in nutrient-rich lakes than nutrient concentrations and surface temperature.
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 322; Downloads: 210
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1510. A phase Ib clinical trial of metformin and chloroquine in patients with IDH1-mutated solid tumorsMohammed Khurshed, Remco J. Molenaar, Myra E van Linde, Ron A Mathôt, Eduard A. Struys, Tom van Wezel, Cornelis J. F. van Noorden, Heinz-Josef Klümpen, Judith V. M. G. Bovée, Johanna W Wilmink, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Background: Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) occur in 60% of chondrosarcoma, 80% of WHO grade II-IV glioma and 20% of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. These solid IDH1-mutated tumors produce the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG) and are more vulnerable to disruption of their metabolism. Methods: Patients with IDH1-mutated chondrosarcoma, glioma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma received oral combinational treatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin and the antimalarial drug chloroquine. The primary objective was to determine the occurrence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Radiological and biochemical tumor responses to metformin and chloroquine were investigated using CT/MRI scans and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measurements of D-2HG levels in serum. Results: Seventeen patients received study treatment for a median duration of 43 days (range: 7–74 days). Of twelve evaluable patients, 10 patients discontinued study medication because of progressive disease and two patients due to toxicity. None of the patients experienced a DLT. The MTD was determined to be 1500 mg of metformin two times a day and 200 mg of chloroquine once a day. A serum D/L-2HG ratio of ≥4.5 predicted the presence of an IDH1 mutation with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 100%. By utilization of digital droplet PCR on plasma samples, we were able to detect tumor-specific IDH1 hotspot mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in investigated patients. Conclusion: Treatment of advanced IDH1-mutated solid tumors with metformin and chloroquine was well tolerated but did not induce a clinical response in this phase Ib clinical trial.
Keywords: metformin, chloroquine, cancer, isocitrate dehydrogenase, pharmacokinetics, glioblastoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, chondrosarcoma
Published in DiRROS: 19.07.2024; Views: 325; Downloads: 204
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