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Abstract: An important goal in toxicology is the development of new ways to increase the speed, accuracy, and applicability of chemical hazard and risk assessment approaches. A promising route is the integration of in vitro assays with biological pathway information. We examined how the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework can be used to develop pathway-based quantitative models useful for regulatory chemical safety assessment. By using AOPs as initial conceptual models and the AOP knowledge base as a source of data on key event relationships, different methods can be applied to develop computational quantitative AOP models (qAOPs) relevant for decision making. A qAOP model may not necessarily have the same structure as the AOP it is based on. Useful AOP modeling methods range from statistical, Bayesian networks, regression, and ordinary differential equations to individual-based models and should be chosen according to the questions being asked and the data available. We discuss the need for toxicokinetic models to provide linkages between exposure and qAOPs, to extrapolate from in vitro to in vivo, and to extrapolate across species. Finally, we identify best practices for modeling and model building and the necessity for transparent and comprehensive documentation to gain confidence in the use of qAOP models and ultimately their use in regulatory applications. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1850–1865. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
Keywords: Quantitative Adverse Outcome pathways, TKTD modelling, alternatives to animal testing, predictive toxicology, species extrapolation, prioritization of chemicals
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 34; Downloads: 29
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Abstract: Background. Awake craniotomy is a neurosurgical technique that allows neurophysiological testing with patient cooperation during the resection of brain tumour in regional anaesthesia. This allows identification of vital functional (i.e. eloquent) brain areas during surgery and avoidance of their injury. The aim of the study was to present clinical experience with awake craniotomy for the treatment of gliomas at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana from 2015 to 2019.Patients and methods. Awake craniotomy was considered in patients with a gliomas near or within the language brain areas, in all cases of insular lesions and selected patients with lesions near or within primary motor brain cortex. Each patient was assessed before and after surgery.Results. During the 5-year period, 24 awake craniotomies were performed (18 male and 6 female patients; average age 41). The patient’s cooperation, discomfort and perceived pain assessed during the awake craniotomy were in majority of the cases excellent, slight, and moderate, respectively. After surgery, mild neurological worsening was observed in 13% (3/24) of patients. Gross total resection, in cases of malignant gliomas, was feasible in 60% (6/10) and in cases of low-grade gliomas in 29% (4/14). The surgery did not have important negative impact on functional status or quality of life as assessed by Karnofsky score and Short-Form 36 health survey, respectively (p > 0.05). Conclusions. The results suggest that awake craniotomy for treatment of gliomas is feasible and safe neurosurgical technique. The proper selection of patients, preoperative preparation with planning, and cooperation of medical team members are necessary for best treatment outcome.
Keywords: awake craniotomy, surgery of gliomas, intraoperative neurophysiological testing, primary brain tumours, clinical experiences
Published in DiRROS: 25.07.2024; Views: 109; Downloads: 79
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Abstract: This research study concerns an experimental, budget-friendly, electricity- powered apparatus for bench-scale fire testing. The apparatus consists of various elements, of which the most important are ceramic heating pads, used to impose heat fluxes on exposed surfaces of specimens. The test method allows to control the heating pads’ temperature and to adjust the distance between the heating pads and the specimen to obtain well-defined heat fluxes up to 50–60 kW/m2. Higher heat fluxes and temperatures can be obtained by setting the heating pads in full power mode, with or without the use of a thermal shield, which can lead to heat fluxes up to 150 kW/m2. The heating and thermal boundary conditions imposed by the apparatus are characterised and discussed, and the thickness of the convective boundary layer at the heating pads’ surface is estimated significantly lower than in the case of gas- fired radiant panels. The performance of the apparatus is analysed for various conditions: controlling the temperature of the heating pads, in an open environment or with the presence of thermal shields, and in full power mode. A few examples of application of the apparatus to fire test typical construction materials (steel and glass) are also presented. These results emphasise the well-defined heating conditions in temperature-controlled mode. The study finally discusses the advantages and limitations of the apparatus, as well as many possibilities of future applications and improvement for future research studies.
Keywords: radiant panels, fire testing, heat transfer, heat flux, electrical heating pads, thermal boundary conditions
Published in DiRROS: 15.04.2024; Views: 291; Downloads: 130
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Abstract: Plant viruses pose a significant threat to agriculture. Several are stable outside their hosts, can enter water bodies and remain infective for prolonged periods of time. Even though the quality of irrigation water is of increasing importance in the context of plant health, the presence of plant viruses in irrigation waters is understudied. In this study, we conducted a large-scale high-throughput sequencing (HTS)-based virome analysis of irrigation and surface water sources to obtain complete information about the abundance and diversity of plant viruses in such waters. We detected nucleic acids of plant viruses from 20 families, discovered several novel plant viruses from economically important taxa, like Tobamovirus and observed the influence of the water source on the present virome. By comparing viromes of water and surrounding plants, we observed presence of plant viruses in both compartments, especially in cases of large-scale outbreaks, such as that of tomato mosaic virus. Moreover, we demonstrated that water virome data can extensively inform us about the distribution and diversity of plant viruses for which only limited information is available from plants. Overall, the results of the study provided extensive insights into the virome of irrigation waters from the perspective of plant health. It also suggested that an HTS-based water virome surveillance system could be used to detect potential plant disease outbreaks and to survey the distribution and diversity of plant viruses in the ecosystem.
Keywords: plant viruses, environmental water testing, high-throughput sequencing, agroecosystems, irrigation water, virome
Published in DiRROS: 29.03.2024; Views: 388; Downloads: 173
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Abstract: To determine the possibilities for the implementation of sustainable building indicators in Slovenia, testing of the first version of the indicators, developed in the CARE4CLIMATE project and based on the EU Level(s) framework, was carried out in 2022. Invited and interested stakeholders of the construction process were provided with video content and instructions on the Slovenian e-platform of sustainable building indicators. In addition, workshops and lectures with individual subjects were also performed. The final phase of the training and testing procedure included a questionnaire, which was used to obtain information about the participants' opinions regarding the indicators. The analysis of the results of the testing, which was focused on level 2, confirmed the key preliminary finding of the development group, namely that currently, due to the lack of certain knowledge, data, and tools, all indicators for this level are not yet feasible in practice. The research also highlighted the greater need for training and specialization of experts in this field. At the same time, it showed that the testing of the first version itself was a big challenge: only 30 experts fully participated and filled out the online questionnaire. This number seems alarmingly low at first glance, but compared to level(s) testing in the EU member states, it is much more than 50 times higher. However, for the further execution of the indicators in Slovenia, it will therefore be necessary to invest a lot of effort and engagement. It is likely that state support will also be needed, for example, in the form of financial mechanisms or incentives and/or legislative background.
Keywords: sustainability, building, indicators, implementation, testing, questionnaire
Published in DiRROS: 04.01.2024; Views: 437; Downloads: 164
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