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Abstract: Primary and secondary mineral resources are of strategic importance to the EU economy. Montenegro, as a country candidate for membership in the EU, is required to follow (and later to implement) European policies, strategies as well as initiatives, including those related to mineral resources and the mining sector. The importance of providing access to mineral raw materials in the future is recognized by the EU, as well as meeting the needs of European industry, maintaining employment and ensuring further development. Considering the overall economic situation in Montenegro, it is important to encourge the mining sector and other industries based on the use of mineral resources in making a greater contribution to the development and sustainability of society as a whole and also increase the share of national GDP. The potential for discovery and utilization of primary and secondary mineral resources in Montenegro is demonstrated. The most important metallic mineral resources are bauxite, lead and zinc, while conventional energy resources include coal (oil and gas potential has yet to be proven). In addition, there are abundant non-metallic mineral raw materials - industrial minerals and construction materials. Secondary mineral resources, especially aluminous red mud (bauxite residue), are also significant and have been the subject of research in recent years. Tailings from flotation processes at operating and abandoned lead and zinc mines might also be of interest for metal recovery. Bottom and flay ash from thermal power plants, slag from steel production, as well as marlstone and limestone from the hanging wall of coal deposits may also have potential. Waste rocks could be used particularly for secondary aggregate production. A database was developed and the most important deposits of primary and secondary mineral resources in Montenegro were mapped during the RESEERVE project. Mineral data were harmonised so as to be INSPIRE compliant. In addition, some novel geochemical exploration results of secondary mineral resources are presented.
Keywords: primary and secondary mineral resources, Montenegro, RESEERVE project, European geological data platform (EGDI), INSPIRE
Published in DiRROS: 16.11.2022; Views: 433; Downloads: 169
Full text (8,52 MB)

Abstract: Purpose: To develop quantitative molecular imaging biomarkers of immune-related adverse event (irAE) development in malignant melanoma (MM) patients receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) imaged with 18F-FDG PET/CT. Methods: 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 58 MM patients treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 ICI were retrospectively analyzed for indication of irAE. Three target organs, most commonly affected by irAE, were considered: bowel, lung, and thyroid. Patient charts were reviewed to identify which patients experienced irAE, irAE grade, and time to irAE diagnosis. Target organs were segmented using a convolutional neural network (CNN), and novel quantitative imaging biomarkers - SUV percentiles (SUVX%) of 18F-FDG uptake within the target organs - were correlated with the clinical irAE status. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to quantify irAE detection performance. Patients who did not experience irAE were used to establish normal ranges for target organ 18F-FDG uptake. Results: A total of 31% (18/58) patients experienced irAE in the three target organs: bowel (n=6), lung (n=5), and thyroid (n=9). Optimal percentiles for identifying irAE were bowel (SUV95%, AUROC=0.79), lung (SUV95%, AUROC=0.98), and thyroid (SUV75%, AUROC=0.88). Optimal cut-offs for irAE detection were bowel (SUV95%>2.7 g/mL), lung (SUV95%>1.7 g/mL), and thyroid (SUV75%>2.1 g/mL). Normal ranges (95% confidence interval) for the SUV percentiles in patients without irAE were bowel [1.74, 2.86 g/mL], lung [0.73, 1.46 g/mL], and thyroid [0.86, 1.99 g/mL]. Conclusions: Increased 18F-FDG uptake within irAE-affected organs provides predictive information about the development of irAE in MM patients receiving ICI and represents a potential quantitative imaging biomarker for irAE. Some irAE can be detected on 18F-FDG PET/CT well before clinical symptoms appear.
Keywords: melanoma, malignant melanoma, immune-checkpoint inhibitors, molecular imaging biomarkers
Published in DiRROS: 07.09.2022; Views: 533; Downloads: 153
Full text (9,65 MB)

Keywords: kemoterapija, rak debelega črevesa in danke, gastrointestinalni tumorji
Published in DiRROS: 14.07.2022; Views: 792; Downloads: 207
Full text (2,48 MB)

Keywords: melanom, rak kože, sistemsko zdravljenje
Published in DiRROS: 11.04.2022; Views: 577; Downloads: 161
Full text (429,44 KB)

Keywords: onkologija, melanomi, maligni melanomi, UV žarki, sončenje, sončne opekline, zaščitne kreme
Published in DiRROS: 18.03.2022; Views: 697; Downloads: 238
Full text (739,88 KB)