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Povzetek: This paper presents key results on the laboratory testing of old girders removed from a flood-damaged bridge located near Ljubljana, Slovenia. The structure was widened in 1989 to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists by integrating prefabricated prestressed reinforced concrete T-girders. To assess the structural behaviour of the bridge, six girders were subjected to a rigorous testing program involving bending and shear tests in a laboratory setting. The tests were performed on girders with static lengths of 12.20 meters and 9.90 meters. The program aimed to evaluate the structural performance of the girders. Preliminary results indicate satisfactory structural behaviour of the prestressed T-girders under the applied loads, with insights into their performance under both bending and shear stresses. This study contributes valuable data for assessing the long-term behaviour of bridges. The outcomes are particularly relevant for optimising resource allocation in bridge rehabilitation projects and ensuring safety and functionality in transportation networks.
Ključne besede: laboratory testing, prestressed girders, assessment, load test, operational modal analysis, damage, acoustic emission
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 22.01.2026; Ogledov: 421; Prenosov: 264
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Povzetek: Total wood demand is projected by the FAO to increase by 49% between 2020 and 2050, despite deteriorating supply conditions such as deforestation and degradation due to fire and biological damage to forests. Service life extension and reuse of wood can help to mitigate this projected gap between supply and demand. Common construction timber species with moderately durable heartwood include Scots pine, Douglas fir and Japanese cedar. However, this durability varies widely among clones, growing sites and within tree trunks. The selection and utilization of highly durable clones or individuals within these timber species could contribute to extending the service life of building and civil engineering structures that are at greater risk of biodegradation, such as building façades and landscape engineering applications. The authors would like to advance the discussi- on on measures to utilize this selected timber with higher durability, including maintenance strategies and the complementary use of treated timber within the circular economy.
Ključne besede: circular economy, heartwood, natural durability, service life, carbon storage, laboratory decay test, standard
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 30.12.2025; Ogledov: 830; Prenosov: 558
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Povzetek: ewborn screening for Phenylketonuria enables early detection and timely treatment with a phenylalanine-restricted diet to prevent severe neurological impairment. Although effective and in use for 60 years, screening, diagnostic, and treatment practices still vary widely across countries and centers. To evaluate the Phenylketonuria newborn screening practices internationally, we designed a survey with questions focusing on the laboratory aspect of the screening system. We analyzed 24 completed surveys from 23 countries. Most participants used the same sampling age range of 48–72 h; they used tandem mass spectrometry and commercial non-derivatized kits to measure phenylalanine (Phe), and had non-negative cut-off values (COV) set mostly at 120 µmol/L of Phe. Participants mostly used genetic analysis of blood and detailed amino acid analysis from blood plasma as their confirmatory methods and set the COV for the initiation of dietary therapy at 360 µmol/L of Phe. There were striking differences in practice as well. While most participants reported a 48–72 h range for age at sampling, that range was overall quite diverse Screening COV varied as well. Additional screening parameters, e.g., the phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio were used by some participants to determine the screening result. Some participants included testing for tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency, or galactosemia in their diagnostic process. Results together showed that there is room to select a best practice from the many practices applied. Such a best practice of PKU-NBS parameters and post-screening parameters could then serve as a generally applicable guideline.
Ključne besede: phenylketonuria, newborn, neonatal, screening, international, survey, laboratory, methods, cut-off
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 04.12.2025; Ogledov: 3797; Prenosov: 342
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Ključne besede: fungal infections, Balkans, laboratory capacity, antifungal treatment, diagnostic methods
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 03.07.2025; Ogledov: 664; Prenosov: 457
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Povzetek: In the beginning of 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a crisis in which diagnostic methods for the genome detection of SARS-CoV-2 were urgently needed. Based on the very early publication of the basic principles for a diagnostic test for the genome detection of SARS-CoV-2, the first noncommercial laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) and commercial tests were introduced. As there was considerable uncertainty about the reliability and performance of different tests and different laboratories, INSTAND established external quality assessment (EQA) schemes for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 starting in April 2020. In close partnership in a scientific network, the EQA schemes were enhanced, especially the April, June and November 2020 terms. The enhancement included: (i) immediate provision of suitable virus including variants of concern at the beginning of the pandemic outbreak, (ii) short frequency of EQA schemes, (iii) concentration dependency of the testing and sensitivity check, achieved by using SARS-CoV-2-positive samples from a 10-fold dilution series of the same starting material, (iv) specificity check of the testing, achieved by using SARS-CoV-2-negative samples containing human coronaviruses or MERS CoV, (v) revealed samples for orientation on test performance during an ongoing or at the start of an EQA scheme using a pre-quantified SARS-CoV-2-positive EQA sample with a low viral RNA load of only 1 570 copies/mL assigned by digital PCR (dPCR) in June 2020 and (vi) quantified reference materials based on the experiences of the first two EQA schemes with dPCR-assigned values in copies/mL beginning in November 2020 for self-evaluation of the applied test system. This manuscript summarizes the results of a total of 13 EQA schemes for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 between April 2020 and June 2023 in which a total of 1 413 laboratories from 49 countries participated. The qualitative results for the detection of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples were between 95.8 % and 99.7 % correct positive, excluding extremely low concentration samples. For all SARS-CoV-2-negative EQA samples, the qualitative success rates ranged from 95.1 % to 99.4 % correct negative results. The widely varying values for the cycle threshold (Ct)/crossing point (Cq) reported for the different target genes and test systems were striking. A few laboratories reported quantitative results in copies/mL for several VOCs with an acceptable rate of over 93 % correct positive results in the majority of cases. The description of the enhanced EQA schemes for SARS-CoV-2 detection in terms of timing and scope can serve as a blueprint for the rapid development of a quality assessment of diagnostics for an emerging pathogen.
Ključne besede: COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, virus genome detection tests, reference materials, external quality assessment, laboratory medicine, epidemiology
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 18.06.2025; Ogledov: 988; Prenosov: 742
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