Search the repository

A+ | A- | | SLO | ENG

Abstract: New methods for producing surfaces with suitable biocompatible properties are desirable due to increasing demands for biomedical devices. Stainless steel 316 L and cp- titanium specimens were coated with thin films of alumina and hafnia deposited using the atomic layer deposition method at two temperatures, 180 and 260 °C. The morphology of the films was analysed using scanning electron microscopy, and their surface energies were determined based on drop contact angle measurements. Biocompatibility assays performed using mesenchymal stem cells were evaluated by incubating the specimens and then exposing their extracts to the cells or directly seeding cells on the specimen surfaces. No detrimental effect was noticed for any of the specimens. Antibacterial properties were tested by directly incubating the specimens with the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, our data show that all prepared films were biocompatible. Alumina films deposited on cp-titanium at 260 °C outperform the other prepared and tested surfaces regarding antiadhesive properties, which could be related to their low surface energy.
Published in DiRROS: 18.04.2025; Views: 91; Downloads: 20
Full text (4,21 MB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: Purpose Cervicofacial lymphadenitis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a rare but increasing infection in children worldwide. The purpose of this study was to analyse and evaluate all microbiologically proven cases of NTM lymphadenitis in children under the age 14 years in Slovenia. Methods Between 2000 and 2020, we retrospectively reviewed laboratory and medical records for basic demographic and microbiological data. Different clinical samples were collected in medical centres and regional hospitals from all over Slovenia. Results In the period before mandatory BCG vaccination was discontinued (2000–2005), we did not observe any case of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis. After discontinuation of non-selective BCG vaccination of new-borns (2006–2020), we identified 55 cases of microbiologically confirmed NTM lymphadenitis in BCG-unvaccinated children with median age 26.0 months (range: 15.0–75.0 months). Mean annual incidence of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis accounted for 1.26 (range: 0.35–2.38) per 100,000 children. The main causative agents were Mycobacterium avium (38/55; 69.1%) and M. intracellulare (9/55; 16.4%). We did not find any M. chimaera isolate. Since 2006, each year we microbiologically confirm sporadic cases of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis, a condition not diagnosed before. Conclusions After discontinuation of universal BCG vaccination in March 2005, first cases of paediatric NTM lymphadenitis appeared. Several possible reasons could be attributed to observed trend and further multinational observational studies are warranted to explore possible causal relationships.
Keywords: cervicofacial lymphadenitis, paediatric lymphadenitis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium intracellulare, mycobacterial lymphadenitis
Published in DiRROS: 18.04.2025; Views: 72; Downloads: 0

Abstract: Molecular methods such as DNA/eDNA metabarcoding have emerged as useful tools to document the biodiversity of complex communities over large spatio-temporal scales. We established an international Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (ARMS-MBON) combining standardised sampling using autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) with metabarcoding for genetic monitoring of marine hard-bottom benthic communities. Here, we present the data of our first sampling campaign comprising 56 ARMS units deployed in 2018–2019 and retrieved in 2018–2020 across 15 observatories along the coasts of Europe and adjacent regions. We describe the open-access data set (image, genetic and metadata) and explore the genetic data to show its potential for marine biodiversity monitoring and ecological research. Our analysis shows that ARMS recovered more than 60 eukaryotic phyla capturing diversity of up to ~5500 amplicon sequence variants and ~1800 operational taxonomic units, and up to ~250 and ~50 species per observatory using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S rRNA marker genes, respectively. Further, ARMS detected threatened, vulnerable and non-indigenous species often targeted in biological monitoring. We show that while deployment duration does not drive diversity estimates, sampling effort and sequencing depth across observatories do. We recommend that ARMS should be deployed for at least 3–6 months during the main growth season to use resources as efficiently as possible and that post-sequencing curation is applied to enable statistical comparison of spatio-temporal entities. We suggest that ARMS should be used in biological monitoring programs and long-term ecological research and encourage the adoption of our ARMS-MBON protocols.
Keywords: 18S rRNA, COI, essential biodiversity variables, European marine omics biodiversity observation network, genetic monitoring, invasive species, ITS
Published in DiRROS: 18.04.2025; Views: 77; Downloads: 24
Full text (3,67 MB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: The role of the urban common (i.e. shared space and resources) in sustainable provisioning of goods and services to city dwellers is discussed in this paper. Focusing on tree-based green infrastructure, the study scope includes three categories of provisioning (woody biomass, food/fibre, and non-timber forest products, i.e. NTFPs), alongside three categories of supporting services (fresh water replenishment, soil nutrient restoration, building preservation). As a first step, prospects of utilizing the urban common as facilitator of nature-based solution to the earmarked provisioning services are evaluated through dedicated literature survey and expert elicitation on perceived impact of environmental change triggers and management interventions (planning and/or governance). This is followed by a structured review of the state of affairs in four European cities (London, Amsterdam, Sofia, Ljubljana), representing different macro-geographical regions with distinct socio-economic drivers in managing these provisioning services. The pan-European expert elicitation exercise noted active management of the urban common as positively impacting on the performance of the majority of provisioning services, while environmental change impacts were found to be overriding and adversely influencing the provisioning of material resources (mainly NTFPs and woody biomass). The four-city case study highlighted some regional peculiarities in connecting the city dwellers to the urban common and identified the need to overcome socio-cultural barriers for enhancing pan-European best practice sharing in the management of goods and services provisioning. This is deemed essential to pave way for an emerging perspective on sustainable utilization of the urban common as an enabler for nature-based solution, making it fit for purpose in meeting the astronomical demands of future urban living.
Keywords: urban forests, nature-based goods, forest services
Published in DiRROS: 18.04.2025; Views: 72; Downloads: 11
Link to file

Abstract: Three imidazole-based compounds (imidazole, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, and 2-mercapto-1-methylbenzimidazole) were studied as corrosion inhibitors of Cu, Zn, and a family of Cu-xZn brass alloys (x = 10−40 wt%) in 3 wt% NaCl solution. The composition of inhibitor layers on the surface was studied using X-ray photoelectron and infrared spectroscopies. The molecular adsorption modes on Cu and Zn were modelled using density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. Mercapto-based inhibitors act as efficient inhibitors on all materials studied due to the formation of inhibitor layer through bonding with nitrogen and sulphur atoms. In contrast, imidazole is a moderate inhibitor for Zn, while it is much less efficient for Cu.
Published in DiRROS: 18.04.2025; Views: 70; Downloads: 21
Full text (24,07 MB)
This document has many files! More...