1911. Remission of chronic urticaria in patients treated with omalizumabKlara Cvenkel, Mojca Bizjak, Julij Šelb, Mitja Košnik, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction: This study examined the remission probability and duration in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) patients resistant to second-generation H1-antihistamines (sgAHs) undergoing omalizumab treatment.
Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of 176 adult CSU patients exhibiting a significant pruritus component (≥ 8) of the weekly urticaria activity score (UAS7) despite four daily sgAH tablets and starting omalizumab treatment with 300 mg every 4 weeks. After excluding 13 nonresponders, we analyzed 163 omalizumab responders (mean age 51.8 years, 74.4% female). The intervals between applications were increased. Discontinuation was considered for patients that remained asymptomatic on a gradually reduced dosage (to 150 mg every 12 weeks) without sgAHs.
Results: Omalizumab discontinuation was possible in 25.8% (42/163). The duration of omalizumab treatment before remission ranged from 7 to 6 months. Twenty-one patients (50.0%) maintained complete remission until the end of the observation period (September 2021) for 8 to 68 months. Of the relapsed patients, 71.4% (15/21) effectively controlled CSU with sgAHs. Six patients (28.6%; 6/21) required omalizumab reintroduction after 6 to 40 months of remission, responding favorably.
Conclusions: The study shows that a quarter of severe CSU patients achieve long-term remission. In addition, sgAHs effectively
manage symptoms in a majority of relapsed cases, and those requiring omalizumab reintroduction respond favorably.
Keywords: urticaria, antihistamines, omalizumab, urticaria, remission, urticaria relapse
Published in DiRROS: 16.06.2025; Views: 403; Downloads: 232
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1912. High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric Radiant Panel (HIFREP) to impose fire equivalent heat fluxes on building elements with enhanced thermal boundary conditions accuracyFlorian Put, Balša Jovanović, Evelien Symoens, Andrea Lucherini, Bart Merci, Ruben Van Coile, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Bench-scale fire testing has gained popularity as a highly controllable and cost-effective solution, overcoming many of the shortcomings of traditional large-scale fire resistance tests. Whereas gas-fired radiant panels have demonstrated significant success in this area, the present study introduces a novel High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric radiant Panel (HIFREP). Utilizing electrically operated radiation emitters, it provides more precise and quasi-instantaneous control over the thermal boundary conditions. HIFREP delivers high and stable heat fluxes up to 105 kW/m2 , and, due to the low thermal inertia of the emitters, can rapidly adjust its output to changes in the input. In this regard, the time constant of the emitters has been found to be less than 1 s, both during heating and cooling. It eliminates gas combustion and hence avoids the need for extraction hoods when testing the fire performance of non-combustible materials, making it suitable for traditional structural testing laboratories. The presented High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric radiant Panel also provides a reliable tool for the validation of FEM simulation results by accurately replicating the thermal boundary conditions in structural fire engineering analyses.
Keywords: radiant panel, fire testing, heat transfer, radiation, heat flux, thermal boundary conditions
Published in DiRROS: 16.06.2025; Views: 396; Downloads: 82
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1913. Large high-temperature piezoelectric response of lead-free ▫$BiFeO_3–BaTiO_3$▫ originating from relaxor disorderAntonio Iacomini, Janina Roknić, Issa Sidibe, Marco Scavini, Mojca Otoničar, Hana Uršič Nemevšek, Tadej Rojac, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: To date, no piezoelectric material system has been developed that would match the piezoelectric performance of the group of lead-based relaxor ferroelectrics, such as Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PMN–PT). In the quest to f ind alternatives, continuous efforts have been made to understand the complex microscopic origins leading to the large macroscopic piezoelectric response of PMN–PT and similar lead-based perovskites with relaxor characteristics. Despite significant advances, it is still unclear whether those concepts can be efficiently used to develop lead-free relaxor ferroelectric alternatives. Here, a large piezoelectric response of BiFeO3–BaTiO3 (BFO–BTO) ceramics is reported, characterized by a d33 coefficient of 1200 pmV−1 measured at 325 °C, 1 kV cm−1 of driving field and 90 Hz of field frequency. While composed of multiple contributions, the large response is found to be dominated by a strongly nonlinear and hysteretic process, likely associated with the dynamics of hierarchically arranged nanodomain walls, thus resembling the mechanisms operating in lead-based relaxor materials. Although the response is triggered upon elevated thermal energy, the results provide valuable information about the microscopic behavior that can be potentially used to tailor the response of lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics and bring them closer to the highly performant lead-based perovskites
Published in DiRROS: 13.06.2025; Views: 433; Downloads: 145
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1914. Employing microalga Chlorella sorokiniana in the biosynthesis of paramagnetic and catalytically functional manganese clusterMarija Tanović, Milan Žižić, Milica Milenković, Zvonko Jagličić, Wilfred Hagen, Marina Stanić, Dalibor M. Stanković, Snežana Kovačević, Dmitry Karpov, Primož Šket, Uroš Javornik, Ivan Spasojević, Milena Dimitrijević, 2025, original scientific article Keywords: biosynthesis, manganese, microalgae
Published in DiRROS: 13.06.2025; Views: 476; Downloads: 263
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1915. Exploring the development of Slovenian sociological science : ontology analysis of scientific bibliographical dataTamara Besednjak Valič, Erika Džajić Uršič, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: One way to demonstrate the research focus and progress in a scientific field is through scientific publishing. Scientific articles are a starting point for analyzing the main topics, concerns, and author networks within a specific domain. This way, we can track the development of the discipline. Through publications, researchers create narratives that reveal the direction and development of specific disciplines. These narratives help form scientific paradigms. The main goal of this article is to detect and discuss the development of predominant scientific topics in particular period of Slovenian sociological science. The analysis starts with the emergence of the transition process from non-democratic Yugoslavia towards the independent Republic of Slovenia and onwards to contemporary times. We analyzed 774 scientific articles published between 1984 and 2022 in the journal Social Science Forum, which had an impact factor of 0.175 in 2022. The findings indicate that Slovenian sociologists’ research interests reflect historical transformations – from the transition to independence to EU accession. We use ontology-based analysis with OntoGen to track these thematic shifts systematically. This positions our work as a localized application of established text-mining approaches. The method applied allows us to uncover patterns of knowledge production tied to key sociopolitical moments in Slovenian history.
Keywords: Slovenian sociology, bibliographical data, OntoGen, concept, ontology creation
Published in DiRROS: 13.06.2025; Views: 470; Downloads: 268
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1916. Emotional awareness : impact of social and technological transformation on group dynamicsPeter Ferfoglia, Tamara Besednjak Valič, Erika Džajić Uršič, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Social transformations can lead to complex changes with significant impacts on the effectiveness of work teams. Human resources departments are responsible for monitoring, understanding, supporting, and reassessing employees during organizational restructuring brought about by new cultural, social, and technological contexts. Based on semi-structured interviews with R&D employees, this qualitative case study examines emotional experiences during simultaneous social (M&A) and technological (AI integration) transformations. Key findings revealed initial fear, uncertainty, and later optimism, alongside challenges in emotional recognition. The article highlights the critical role of external HR consultants in fostering emotional resilience and adaptation within contexts of organizational change.
Keywords: AI, artificial intelligence, emotional awareness, group dynamics, M&A, organizational restructuring, social transformation, SME, technological impact
Published in DiRROS: 13.06.2025; Views: 457; Downloads: 280
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1917. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for hot-leg LOCA in two-loop PWRAndrej Prošek, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Overcooling and/or pressurization events have the potential to result in pressurized thermal shock (PTS) in reactor pressure vessels of pressurized water reactors (PWRs). PTS can occur during various overcooling scenarios, including loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs). Thermal-hydraulic calculations of overcooling scenarios provide an input to structural analysis. The purpose of this study is to perform advanced thermal-hydraulic calculations of a hot-leg LOCA with uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. A novel approach, utilizing a fast Fourier transform–based method (FFTBM) with signal mirroring (SM), is proposed for a sensitivity study to evaluate the influence of input uncertain parameters with low computational cost before performing an uncertainty analysis. For the analysis, a break size of 45.6 cm2 (equivalent to a 76.2-mm- or 3-in.-equivalent diameter) was selected in a two-loop PWR. A verified and validated RELAP5 input deck was used. In sensitivity study 30, one-at-a-time sensitivity calculations plus reference calculation were performed. These were followed by uncertainty and sensitivity analyses using the GRS (Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit) Software for Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analyses (SUSA) version 4.2.6 tool, varying 15 uncertain input parameters across 208 samples. The input uncertain parameters were derived from the European Union–funded Advanced PTS Analysis for LTO (APAL) project. Three figures of merit (FOMs), reactor pressure, liquid temperature, and reactor vessel wall temperature below the cold leg connection, were analyzed. The results demonstrated that FFTBM-SM effectively identified the four most influential parameters, aligning closely with the results from the global sensitivity analysis from SUSA, which utilized 208 samples from the uncertainty analysis. Although slight differences in parameter ranking were observed, the findings validate FFTBM-SM as a valuable prescreening tool for sensitivity studies. The limitation of the sensitivity study is that it adopts a local approach. Finally, the results of the uncertainty analysis provide tolerance regions for the selected FOMs that are comparable to those obtained in the original APAL study for a four-loop PWR.
Keywords: uncertainty analysis, sensitivity analysis, FFTBM-SM, advancedthermal-hydraulic calculations of a hot-leg LOCA
Published in DiRROS: 11.06.2025; Views: 491; Downloads: 279
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1918. Investigating efflorescence in salt-cement composites : the impact of surface inclination and salt waste types on resource-efficient construction materialsVesna Pungerčar, Yee Wu, Clarimma Sessa, Thomas Kränkel, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Disposing of excess salt from seawater desalination and the potash industry presents substantial ecological risks worldwide. This underscores the pressing need to explore reuse possibilities to mitigate environmental damage. One potential solution involves incorporating salt waste into building construction, especially in environments with low air humidity. However, this integration affects composite materials’ mechanical and hydrothermal properties and results in efflorescence on the material surface. This study investigates how different surface inclinations and two types of salt waste affect efflorescence in salt cement mixtures. The primary goal of this research is to design more resource-efficient building materials by reducing cement usage while improving understanding of optimized surface design in indoor construction applications. Experimental in-situ measurements employing Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and Macro X-ray fluorescence scanning (MA-XRF) were conducted to examine salt crystallization accumulation on the salt cement surface. Our findings indicate higher efflorescence on concrete- salt surfaces with steeper inclinations (30–60 %). Furthermore, salt waste from the potash industry exhibits greater efflorescence than desalination salts, attributed to its higher sodium chloride content. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the interactions among salt waste, cement, and surface characteristics, providing valuable insights for future advancements in construction materials science.
Keywords: salt waste, surface inclination, efflorescence sustainable concrete, non-destructive methods
Published in DiRROS: 11.06.2025; Views: 516; Downloads: 288
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1920. Samopostrežna izposoja v splošnih knjižnicah : sam do knjige v času pandemije COVID-19Andreja Dobrovoljc, Katarina Švab, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Namen: Zaradi pandemije koronavirusa so splošne knjižnice posegale po alternativnih oblikah izposoje, kjer izposoja poteka brezstično ali z minimalnim stikom. Namen prispevka je ugotoviti, katere tehnološke rešitve so za izposojo fizičnega gradiva uporabljale splošne knjižnice in ali je pandemija povzročila spremembe v gibanju izposoje na knjigomatih, kjer si je mogoče fizično knjigo izposoditi samostojno s pomočjo tehnologije. Metodologija/pristop: Uporabljena je bila kombinacija dveh raziskovalnih metod, in sicer analiza vsebine in analize statističnih podatkov. V prvem delu raziskave je bila narejena analiza vsebine, kjer smo za vire podatkov uporabili prosto dostopne spletne strani, letna poročila in družbena omrežja slovenskih splošnih knjižnic ter statistične podatke o delu slovenskih splošnih knjižnic BibSiSt. V drugem delu raziskave pa statistična analiza podatkov o izposoji gradiva za obdobje od januarja 2020 do maja 2022, v petih slovenskih splošnih knjižnicah: Knjižnica Mirana Jarca Novo mesto, Goriška knjižnica Franceta Bevka, Knjižnica Medvode, Mestna knjižnica Kranj in Cankarjeva knjižnica Vrhnika. Rezultati: Analiza podatkov je pokazala, da je pandemija koronavirusa povzročila velik upad izposoje gradiva na knjigomatih, kjer je bil zabeležen še večji kot upad kot pri drugih načinih izposoje. Kljub temu je pandemija knjižnice spodbudila, da so investirale v različne tehnologije, ki omogočajo brezstične načine izposoje, kot so knjigomati, paketniki in pametne omare. Omejitve raziskave: V vzorcu je bilo vključenih le pet slovenskih splošnih knjižnic, ki se med seboj zelo razlikujejo predvsem po številu uporabnikov. Da bi prišli do konkretnejših zaključkov, bi bilo smiselno vključiti večje število knjižnic z medsebojno primerljivim številom uporabnikov in podobno infrastrukturo.Izvirnost/uporabnost raziskave: Rezultati dajejo vpogled v uporabo knjigomatov ter njihove investicije v tehnološke rešitve za izposojo v slovenskih splošnih knjižnicah med pandemijo in so lahko v pomoč pri načrtovanju in implementaciji brezstičnih načinov izposoje v prihodnosti.
Keywords: splošne knjižnice, Slovenija, knjigomati, COVID-19, izposoja
Published in DiRROS: 11.06.2025; Views: 515; Downloads: 216
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