1. Spremljanje bolnikov po zaključenem zdravljenju raka debelega črevesa in dankeIrena Oblak, Aleksandra Grbič, 2024, published professional conference contribution Abstract: Ob rasti incidence raka, vse kompleksnejšem zdravljenju in vse boljši ozdravljivosti ter eksponentni rasti prevalence bodo potrebe po spremljanju bolnikov z rakom le še naraščale. Običajno tradicionalno intenzivno pet- ali več-letno spremljanje (angl. follow-up) bolnikov po zaključku zdravljenja, ki se izvaja v rednih časovnih intervalih v ustanovi zdravljenja ter vključuje poleg kliničnega pregleda tudi različne slikovne in druge preiskave in merjenje tumorskih označevalcev, potrebuje nadgradnjo in spremembe. Izkazalo se je namreč, da tovrstno intenzivno spremljanje bolnikov nima vpliva na izboljšanje preživetja. Pri bolnikih z rakom debelega črevesa in danke vpliva le na zgodnejše odkritje ponovitve bolezni in več reševalnih operacij, vendar pa le-to nima vpliva na preživetje bolnikov. V okviru spremljanja bolnikov bi se morali bolj približati bolnikovim težavam in potrebam in jih obravnavati celostno od postavitve diagnoze raka, pa ves čas zdravljenja in po njem, in to ne le pet let po zaključku zdravljenja. Obravnava bi morala poleg psiho-fizičnih vidikov vključevati tudi socialnoekonomski ter poklicni vidik. Ob tem je nujna tudi opolnomočenost bolnika, saj mora skrbeti za zdrav življenjski slog, znati premagovati stres, depresijo in anksioznost, poznati svojo bolezen in zdravljenje, možne znake ponovitve bolezni, si želeti čim prejšnje vrnitve nazaj v svoje življenje. Vse to pa presega zmožnosti onkologov, nujna bo večja vključenost družinskih zdravnikov in ostalih strokovnjakov.
Keywords: bolniki, rak debelega črevesa in danke, spremljanje bolnikov
Published in DiRROS: 06.06.2024; Views: 85; Downloads: 34
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2. Characterization of micro-threaded stem taper surface of cementless hip endoprosthesesDrago Dolinar, Boštjan Kocjančič, Klemen Avsec, Barbara Šetina, Aleksandra Kocijan, Matjaž Godec, Marko Sedlaček, Mojca Debeljak, John T. Grant, Timon Zupanc, Monika Jenko, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: We investigated micro-threaded stem taper surface and its impact on premature failures, aseptic loosening, and infection in cementless hip endoprostheses. Our study focused on the fretting, and crevice corrosion of micro-threaded tapers, as well as the characterization of the microstructure and surface properties of two new and three retrieved Zweymüller stem tapers. The retrieved samples were selected and examined based on the head–stem taper interface being the sole source of modularity with a metallic component, specifically between the Ti alloy taper stem and the ceramic head. To determine the surface chemistry and microstructures of both new and retrieved hip endoprostheses stem taper titanium alloy, scanning -electron microscopy (SEM) was employed for morphological and microstructural analyses. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was utilized for characterizing chemical element distribution, and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) was used for phase analysis. The roughness of the micro-threated stem tapers from different manufacturers was investigated using an optical profilometer, with standard roughness parameters Ra (average surface roughness) and Rz (mean peak to valley height of the roughness profile) being measured. Electrochemical studies revealed no fretting corrosion in retrieved stem tapers with ceramic heads. Consequently, three retrieved tapers and two new ones for comparison underwent potentiodynamic measurements in Hank’s solution to determine the corrosion rate of new and retrieved stem taper surfaces. The results showed a low corrosion rate for both new and prematurely failed retrieved samples due to aseptic loosening. However, the corrosion rate was higher in infected and low-grade infected tapers. In conclusion, our study suggests that using ceramic heads reduces taper corrosion and subsequently decreases the incidence of premature failures in total hip arthroplasty.
Keywords: total hip arthroplasty, stem micro-threaded taper, taper surface morphology, microstructure, corrosion, Ti implant alloy
Published in DiRROS: 06.06.2024; Views: 79; Downloads: 67
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3. Distribution of toxigenic cyanobacteria in Alpine lakes and rivers as revealed by molecular screeningMaša Jablonska, Leonardo Cerasino, Adriano Boscaini, Camilla Capelli, Claudia Greco, Aleksandra Krivograd-Klemenčič, Ute Mischke, Nico Salmaso, Rainer Kurmayer, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: The increasing frequency of cyanobacteria blooms in waterbodies caused by ecosystem eutrophication could endanger human health. This risk can be mitigated by effective monitoring incorporating molecular methods. To date, most molecular studies on toxigenic cyanobacteria have been limited to microcystins (MCs), disregarding other cyanotoxins, to freshwater planktic habitats while ignoring benthic habitats, and to limited geographic areas (usually one or a few specific waterbodies). In this study, we used PCR-based methods including PCR product sequencing and chemical-analytical methods (LC-MS/MS) to screen many plankton (n = 123) and biofilm samples (n = 113) originating from 29 Alpine lakes and 18 rivers for their cyanotoxin production potential. Both mcyE (indicating MC synthesis) and anaC (indicating anatoxin (ATX) synthesis) gene fragments were able to qualitatively predict MC or ATX occurrence. The abundance of mcyE gene fragments was significantly related to MC concentrations in plankton samples (R2 = 0.61). mcyE gene fragments indicative of MC synthesis were most abundant in planktic samples (65 %) and were assigned to the genera Planktothrix and Microcystis. However, mcyE rarely occurred in biofilms of lakes and rivers, i.e., 4 % and 5 %, respectively, and were assigned to Microcystis, Planktothrix, and Nostoc. In contrast, anaC gene fragments occurred frequently in planktic samples (14 % assigned to Tychonema, Phormidium (Microcoleus), and Oscillatoria), but also in biofilms of lakes (49 %) and rivers (18 %) and were assigned to the genera Phormidium, Oscillatoria, and Nostocales. The cyrJ gene fragment indicating cylindrospermopsin synthesis occurred only once in plankton (assigned to Dolichospermum), while saxitoxin synthesis potential was not detected. For plankton samples, monomictic and less eutrophic conditions were positively related to mcyE/MC occurrence frequency, while oligomictic conditions were related to anaC/ATX frequency. The anaC/ATX frequency in biofilm was related to the lake habitats generally showing higher biodiversity as revealed from metabarcoding in a parallel study.
Keywords: cyanotoxins, planktic and benthic habitats, water quality monitoring, early warning, toxigenic cyanobacteria, European Alps
Published in DiRROS: 03.06.2024; Views: 97; Downloads: 49
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5. Microstructure and properties of an AZ61 alloy after extrusion with a forward-backward oscillating die without preheating of the initial billetAnna Dobkowska, Aleksandra Zielińska, Irena Paulin, Črtomir Donik, Maciej Łojkowski, Milena Koralnik, Bogusława Adamczyk-Cieślak, Krystian Paradowski, Marek Tkocz, Dariusz Kuc, Jiří Kubásek, Matjaž Godec, Wojciech Święszkowski, 2023, original scientific article Keywords: magnesium alloys, severe plastic deformation, microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion, extrusion, high deformation ratio
Published in DiRROS: 17.05.2024; Views: 138; Downloads: 126
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6. Bioresorbability dependence on microstructure of additivelly- manufactured and conventionally-produced Fe-Mn alloysMatjaž Godec, Jakob Kraner, Danijela Anica Skobir Balantič, Irena Paulin, Damjana Drobne, Veno Kononenko, Aleksandra Kocijan, Paul J. McGuiness, Črtomir Donik, 2024, original scientific article Keywords: Fe-Mn alloy, laser powder bed fusion, bioresorbable, microstructure, corrosion behaviour, biocompatibility
Published in DiRROS: 06.05.2024; Views: 197; Downloads: 139
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8. ReSurveyEurope : a database of resurveyed vegetation plots in EuropeIlona Knollová, Milan Chytrý, Helge Bruelheide, Stefan Dullinger, Ute Jandt, Markus Bernhardt-Römermann, Idoia Biurrun, Francesco de Bello, Michael Glaser, Stephan M. Hennekens, Mateja Germ, Aleksandra Golob, Janez Kermavnar, Lado Kutnar, Urban Šilc, 2024, review article Abstract: Aims We introduce ReSurveyEurope — a new data source of resurveyed vegetation plots in Europe, compiled by a collaborative network of vegetation scientists. We describe the scope of this initiative, provide an overview of currently available data, governance, data contribution rules, and accessibility. In addition, we outline further steps, including potential research questions. Results ReSurveyEurope includes resurveyed vegetation plots from all habitats. Version 1.0 of ReSurveyEurope contains 283,135 observations (i.e., individual surveys of each plot) from 79,190 plots sampled in 449 independent resurvey projects. Of these, 62,139 (78%) are permanent plots, that is, marked in situ, or located with GPS, which allow for high spatial accuracy in resurvey. The remaining 17,051 (22%) plots are from studies in which plots from the initial survey could not be exactly relocated. Four data sets, which together account for 28,470 (36%) plots, provide only presence/absence information on plant species, while the remaining 50,720 (64%) plots contain abundance information (e.g., percentage cover or cover–abundance classes such as variants of the Braun-Blanquet scale). The oldest plots were sampled in 1911 in the Swiss Alps, while most plots were sampled between 1950 and 2020. Conclusions ReSurveyEurope is a new resource to address a wide range of research questions on fine-scale changes in European vegetation. The initiative is devoted to an inclusive and transparent governance and data usage approach, based on slightly adapted rules of the well-established European Vegetation Archive (EVA). ReSurveyEurope data are ready for use, and proposals for analyses of the data set can be submitted at any time to the coordinators. Still, further data contributions are highly welcome.
Keywords: biodiversity, monitoring, species richness, vascular plants, vegetation dynamics
Published in DiRROS: 23.04.2024; Views: 194; Downloads: 80
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10. An experimental apparatus for bench-scale fire testing using electrical heating padsAleksandra Seweryn, Andrea Lucherini, Jean-Marc Franssen, 2023, original scientific article 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: 184; Downloads: 81
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