1. TXM peptides inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, syncytia formation, and lower inflamatory consequencesTea Govednik, Duško Lainšček, Urška Kuhar, Marva Lachish, Sandra Janežič, Malan Štrbenc, Uroš Krapež, Roman Jerala, Daphne Atlas, Mateja Manček Keber, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: After three years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the search and availability of relatively low-cost benchtop therapeutics for people not at high risk for a severe disease are still ongoing. Although vaccines and new SARS-CoV-2 variants reduce the death toll, the long COVID-19 along with neurologic symptoms can develop and persist even after a mild initial infection. Reinfections, which further increase the risk of sequelae in multiple organ systems as well as the risk of death, continue to require caution. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is an important target for both vaccines and therapeutics. The presence of disulfide bonds in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein is essential for its binding to the human ACE2 receptor and cell entry. Here, we demonstrate that thiol-reducing peptides based on the active site of oxidoreductase thioredoxin 1, called thioredoxin mimetic (TXM) peptides, can prevent syncytia formation, SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells, and infection in a mouse model. We also show that TXM peptides inhibit the redox-sensitive HIV pseudotyped viral cell entry. These results support disulfide targeting as a common therapeutic strategy for treating infections caused by viruses using redox-sensitive fusion. Furthermore, TXM peptides exert anti-inflammatory properties by lowering the activation of NF-κB and IRF signaling pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokines in mice. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the TXM peptides, which also cross the blood-brain barrier, in combination with prevention of viral infections, may provide a beneficial clinical strategy to lower viral infections and mitigate severe consequences of COVID-19. Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Disulfides, Thiol-reacting compound, Spike, Anti-inflammatory activity Published in DiRROS: 06.02.2024; Views: 132; Downloads: 59 Full text (7,11 MB) This document has many files! More... |
2. Microfossils from Middle Triassic beds near Mišji Dol, central SloveniaKatja Oselj, Tea Kolar-Jurkovšek, Bogdan Jurkovšek, Luka Gale, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Middle Triassic beds exposed along the road between Mišji Dol and Poljane pri Primskovem (Posavje Hills) comprise marlstone, tuff, volcaniclastic sandstone, and thin- to medium-bedded limestone and dolostone. The succession was logged and sampled for conodonts. A relatively rich conodont assemblage was determined, consisting of Budurovignathus gabrielae Kozur, Budurovignathus sp., Cratognathodus kochi (Huckriede), Gladigondolella malayensis Nogami, Gladigondolella tethydis Huckriede, Gladigondolella sp., Neogondolella balkanica Budurov & Stefanov, Neogondolella cf. excentrica Budurov & Stefanov, Neogondolella constricta (Mosher & Clark), Neogondolella cornuta Budurov & Stefanov,Neogondolella sp., Paragondolella excelsa Mosher, Paragondolella liebermani (Kovacs & Kozur), Paragondolella trammeri (K o z u r), Paragondolella cf. alpina (Kozur & Mostler), and Paragondolella sp. The assemblage correlates with the upper Anisian and lowermost Ladinian assemblages from the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Ladinian at Bagolino in the Southern Alps in northern Italy. Along with conodonts, numerous specimens of benthic foraminifera Nodobacularia? vujisici Urošević & Gaździcki were recovered from the lowermost part of the succession. Previous research on this taxon is critically evaluated. Keywords: Dinarides, Sava Folds, Middle Triassic, upper Anisian, lower Ladinian, basin, volcaniclastics, conodonts, foraminifera Published in DiRROS: 15.01.2024; Views: 138; Downloads: 47 Full text (11,54 MB) |
3. Pseudofurnishius (Conodonta) from the Triassic Drežnica section, Bosnia and HerzegovinaTea Kolar-Jurkovšek, Carlos Martínez Pérez, Hazim Hrvatović, Dunja Aljinović, Špela Goričan, Ferid Skopljak, Bogdan Jurkovšek, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Triassic strata in the Drežnica section, Bosnia and Herzegovina have been examined biostratigraphically. The limestone and dolostone strata were deposited in deep pelagic environment. The conodont faunas are marked by prevailing elements of the genus Pseudofurnishius including clusters that enabled to distinguish the huddlei (lower Longobardian) and murcianus (upper Longobardian–?Cordevolian) Zones, the later fauna is characterized by the presence of Budurovignathus with rare representation of Gladigondolella and Paragondolella. This is the first report on recovery of Pseudofurnishius in the region. Keywords: Ladinian–?Carnian, conodonts, Pseudofurnishius, Budurovignathus, paleogeography, Dinarides Published in DiRROS: 06.09.2023; Views: 251; Downloads: 114 Full text (7,77 MB) |
4. Development of a simple gelatin-based sensing platform for the sensitive label-free impedimetric detection of SARS-CoV-2Alnilan Cristina Barros Lobato, Maja Šubic, Tea Romih, Lea Žibret, Dino Metarapi, Mojca Benčina, Roman Jerala, Kristijan Vidović, Samo B. Hočevar, Nikola Tasić, 2023, original scientific article Published in DiRROS: 07.08.2023; Views: 342; Downloads: 158 Full text (1,10 MB) This document has many files! More... |
5. Posebnosti anestezije pri morbidno debelem bolniku z rakom : prikaz primeraIztok Potočnik, Tea Nizič, Branka Stražišar, 2023, review article Abstract: Debelost je kronična bolezen, za katero je značilno čezmerno kopičenje maščevja v telesu. Debeli bolniki imajo pogosto številne pridružene bolezni ter anatomske in presnovne spremembe, ki so povezane z večjim tveganjem za zaplete v perioperativnem obdobju. Debelost tako pomembno vpliva na izbiro anestezijske tehnike in zahteva multidisciplinarni pristop. V prispevku predstavljamo primer 60-letne bolnice z rakom na debelem črevesu in indeksom telesne mase (ITM) 48,1 kg/m2. Perioperativno smo jo obravnavali v skladu s protokolom za hitro okrevanje po kirurškem posegu (angl. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, ERAS). Pred kirurškim posegom smo ocenili morebitna tveganja in jih upoštevali pri vodenju anestezije med kirurškim posegom. Po posegu smo bolnico obravnavali v enoti intenzivne terapije (EIT). V prispevku se osredotočamo na anesteziološke vidike perioperativnega vodenja. Čeprav je debelost nedvomno pomemben dejavnik tveganja kirurškega zdravljenja, pa v novejših raziskavah poročajo tudi o ugodnih vplivih debelosti z manjšo perioperativno obolevnostjo in smrtnostjo. Gre za t. i. paradoks debelosti, saj čezmerna telesna masa velja za zaščitni dejavnik, ki varuje pred zapleti kirurškega zdravljenja, kar smo potrdili tudi v našem primeru. Hkrati smo opredelili kritične točke pri anesteziji morbidno debelega bolnika in tista področja, na katerih lahko anesteziologi – ob upoštevanju protokola ERAS – pomembno prispevamo k bolnikovemu čim hitrejšemu okrevanju Keywords: debelost, indeks telesne mase, kirurgija Published in DiRROS: 27.07.2023; Views: 265; Downloads: 65 Full text (173,51 KB) |
6. Upper Miocene ostracods from the Krško Basin, SE SloveniaMiha Marinšek, Valentina Hajek-Tadesse, Marijan Poljak, Tea Kolar-Jurkovšek, Luka Gale, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the ostracod assemblage from a 43 m thick section of
the Bizeljsko Formation, which constitutes the middle part of the Upper Miocene Posavje Group.
The succession comprises sandstone, siltstone, and marlstone, deposited in a delta front environment. The determined ostracods belong to the families Cyprididae, Cytheridae, Darwinulidae, and Loxoconchidae. In total, 30 species were identified. Additionally, 8 morphotypes were determined at the genus level. The most common genera are Candona, Hemicytheria, and Cyprideis. The assemblage belongs to the Caspiocypris labiata subzone from the upper Pannonian.
The ostracod assemblage from the Krško Basin is similar in species composition to Pannonian ostracod assemblages from Croatia and Serbia. Keywords: Lake Pannon, Bizeljsko Formation, Pannonian, biostratigraphy, palaeoenvironment Published in DiRROS: 27.07.2023; Views: 274; Downloads: 139 Full text (8,96 MB) |
7. Tools for landscape analysis of optimisation problems in Procedural Content Generation for gamesVanessa Volz, Boris Naujoks, Pascal Kerschke, Tea Tušar, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The term Procedural Content Generation (PCG) refers to the (semi-)automatic generation of game content by algorithmic means, and its methods are becoming increasingly popular in game-oriented research and industry. A special class of these methods, which is commonly known as search-based PCG, treats the given task as an optimisation problem. Such problems are predominantly tackled by evolutionary algorithms. We will demonstrate in this paper that obtaining more information about the defined optimisation problem can substantially improve our understanding of how to approach the generation of content. To do so, we present and discuss three efficient analysis tools, namely diagonal walks, the estimation of high-level properties, as well as problem similarity measures. We discuss the purpose of each of the considered methods in the context of PCG and provide guidelines for the interpretation of the results received. This way we aim to provide methods for the comparison of PCG approaches and eventually, increase the quality and practicality of generated content in industry. Keywords: optimization, search-based procedural content generation, exploratory landscape analysis, Mario level generation Published in DiRROS: 24.02.2023; Views: 384; Downloads: 157 Full text (745,09 KB) |
8. Spathian (Lower Triassic) conodonts from the Tirolites cassianus beds in Paleotethys-issued North Dobrogea Orogen (Romania)Tea Kolar-Jurkovšek, Yanlong Chen, Eugen Grǎdinaru, Bogdan Jurkovšek, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The paper documents a conodont fauna from Lower Triassic deposits of Paleotethys-issued North Dobrogea Orogen. The studied strata exposed in the Tulcea Veche Quarry are characterized by the presence of diversified molluscs, including the ammonoid Tirolites cassianus (Quenstedt) and the bivalve Crittendenia decidens (Bittner). The site also represents the type locality of the coelacanth fish Dobrogeria aegyssensis Cavin & Grădinaru. The recovered conodont fauna is marked by Icriospathodus crassatus (Orchard), Neospathodus robustispinus Zhao & Orchard, Novispathodus abruptus (Orchard), Nv. brochus (Orchard), Nv. aff. brochus (Orchard), Tr. ex gr. homeri (Bender), Tr. hungaricus (Kozur & Mostler), Tr. ex gr. hungaricus (Kozur & Mostler), Tr. symmetricus (Orchard), Tr. aff. symmetricus (Orchard), and Triassospathodus sp. that is correlated with the Tr. symmetricus Zone. Keywords: biostratigraphy, Olenekian, Tulcea Veche Quarry, Romania Published in DiRROS: 06.02.2023; Views: 394; Downloads: 124 Full text (6,52 MB) |
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