2,978 results match your criteria: "University of Ljubljana and Jožef Stefan Institute[Affiliation]"

To develop and evaluate graphene oxide/gelatin/alginate scaffolds for advanced wound therapy capable of mimicking the native extracellular matrix (ECM) and bio-stimulating all specific phases of the wound healing process, from inflammation and proliferation to the remodeling of damaged skin tissue in three dimensions. The scaffolds were engineered as interpenetrating polymeric networks by the crosslinking reaction of gelatin in the presence of alginate and characterized by structural, morphological, mechanical, swelling properties, porosity, adhesion to the skin tissue, wettability, and in vitro simultaneous release of the active agents. Biocompatibility of the scaffolds were evaluated in vitro by MTT test on fibroblasts (MRC5 cells) and in vivo using assay.

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The study aimed to develop a superhydrophobic coating on the aluminium alloy 2024-T3 surface. The desired surface roughness and low surface energy were achieved with SiO nanoparticles, synthesised via the Stöber method and modified with alkyl silane (AS) or perfluoroalkyl silane (FAS). To enhance particle adhesion to the alloy substrate, nanoparticles were incorporated into a hybrid sol-gel coating composed of tetraethyl orthosilicate, methyl methacrylate, and 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane.

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The importance of fluorine and aluminum in all aspects of daily life has led to an enormous increase in human exposure to these elements in their various forms. It is therefore important to understand the routes of exposure and to investigate and understand the potential toxicity. Of particular concern are aluminum-fluoride complexes (AlF), which are able to mimic the natural isostructural phosphate group and influence the activity of numerous essential phosphoryl transferases.

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Prenatal lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) exposure can impair neurodevelopment, targeting the central nervous system. This study investigated the effects of prenatal exposure to Pb and Mn on neurodevelopment in children at 18 months of age, using data from 607 Italian mother-child pairs enrolled in the Northern Adriatic Cohort II (NAC-II). All children born at term (≥37 weeks) were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition.

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Introduction: Contemporary data and knowledge management and exploration are challenging due to regular releases, updates, and different types and formats. In the food and nutrition domain, solutions for integrating such data and knowledge with respect to the FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) principles are still lacking.

Methods: To address this issue, we have developed a data and knowledge management system called NutriBase, which supports the compilation of a food composition database and its integration with evidence-based knowledge.

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Application of cold atmospheric plasma for decontamination of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins: a systematic review.

Front Microbiol

January 2025

Laboratory of Food Microbiology and Mycotoxicology, Department of Food Engineering, School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, Brazil.

Introduction: Microbial contamination remains a vital challenge across the food production chain, particularly due to mycotoxins-secondary metabolites produced by several genera of fungi such as , and . These toxins, including aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxins, and trichothecenes (nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, T2, HT-2). These contaminants pose severe risks to human and animal health, with their potential to produce a variety of different toxic effects.

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Signs of in-vivo aging of zirconia from explanted dental implants with porous coating after several years in function.

Acta Biomater

January 2025

MATEIS, UMR CNRS 5510, INSA, FR- 7 Avenue Jean Capelle, 69621 Villeurbanne cedex, France. Electronic address:

The present study investigated the in vivo aging of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) oral implants (ZiUnite®) removed after 37 to 181 months. These implants featured a porous zirconia surface to enhance osseointegration. They were placed in prospective clinical investigations and had to be explanted due to peri‑implant bone breakdown.

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Significance: Machine learning models for the direct extraction of tissue parameters from hyperspectral images have been extensively researched recently, as they represent a faster alternative to the well-known iterative methods such as inverse Monte Carlo and inverse adding-doubling (IAD).

Aim: We aim to develop a Bayesian neural network model for robust prediction of physiological parameters from hyperspectral images.

Approach: We propose a two-component system for extracting physiological parameters from hyperspectral images.

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Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing rapidly in recent years, driving pH and oxygen levels to record low concentrations in the oceans. Eastern boundary upwelling systems such as the California Current System (CCS) experience exacerbated ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) due to the physical and chemical properties of the transported deeper waters. Research efforts have significantly increased in recent years to investigate the deleterious effects of climate change on marine species, but have not focused on the impacts of simultaneous OAH stressor exposure.

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The physiological sequelae of pre-term birth might influence the responses of this population to hypoxia. Moreover, identifying variables associated with development of acute mountain sickness (AMS) remains a key practically significant area of altitude research. We investigated the effects of pre-term birth on nocturnal oxygen saturation ( ) dynamics and assessed the predictive potential of nocturnal -related metrics for morning AMS in 12 healthy adults with gestational age < 32 weeks (pre-term) and 12 term-born control participants.

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized lipid bilayer particles released by various cellular organisms that carry an array of bioactive molecules. EVs have diagnostic potential, as they play a role in intercellular interspecies communication, and could be applied in drug delivery. In contrast to mammalian cell-derived EVs, the study of EVs from bacteria, particularly Gram-positive bacteria, received less research attention.

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Advancements in wearable robots aim to improve user motion, motor control, and overall experience by minimizing energetic cost (EC). However, EC is challenging to measure and it is typically indirectly estimated through respiratory gas analysis. This study introduces a novel EMG-based objective function that captures individuals' natural energetic expenditure during walking.

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Nematic liquid crystal flow driven by time-varying active surface anchoring.

Soft Matter

January 2025

Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

We demonstrate the generation of diverse material flow regimes in nematic liquid cells as driven by time-variable active surface anchoring, including no-net flow, oscillatory flow, steady flow, and pulsating flow. Specifically, we numerically simulate a passive nematic fluid inside a cell bounded with two flat solid boundaries at which the time-dependent anchoring is applied with the dynamically variable surface anchoring easy axis. We show that different flow regimes emerge as the result of different anchoring driving directions ( co-rotating or counter-rotating) and relative phase of anchoring driving.

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The recent discovery of ferroelectric nematic liquid crystalline phases marks a major breakthrough in soft matter research. An intermediate phase, often observed between the nonpolar and the ferroelectric nematic phase, shows a distinct antiferroelectric response to electric fields. However, its structure and formation mechanisms remain debated, with flexoelectric and electrostatics effects proposed as competing mechanisms.

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Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant with substantial risks to human and ecosystem health. By upward transport in tropical regions, mercury enters into the stratosphere, but the contribution of the stratosphere to global mercury dispersion and deposition remains unknown. We find that between 5 and 50% (passing through the 400-kelvin isentropic surface and tropopause, respectively) of the mercury mass deposited on Earth's surface is chemically processed in the lower stratosphere.

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Pathogen bacteria appear and survive on various surfaces made of steel or glass. The existence of these bacteria in different forms causes significant problems in healthcare facilities and society. Therefore, the surface engineering of highly potent antimicrobial coatings is highly important in the 21st century, a period that began with a series of epidemics.

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Epoxy resins have exhibited exceptional performance in engineering applications, particularly as a replacement for traditional mechanical joints in adhesive bonding. This study evaluates the suitability of two innovative adhesives, SikaPower-1511 and SikaPower-1548, in various graded configurations. The thermal curing behavior of the adhesives was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

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Studies on selenium (Se) and silicon (Si) foliar biostimulation of different plants have been shown to affect concentrations of phenolic compounds. However, their effects on olive ( L.) primary and secondary metabolites have not been fully investigated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on Kcoronene, a potassium-intercalated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, detailing its synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties while outlining a computational method to identify suitable PAHs for metal intercalation.
  • Coronene was selected based on a screening of its electronic structure and available void space, demonstrating stability when intercalated with three potassium ions per coronene molecule.
  • Despite structural changes and disorder caused by potassium intercalation, Kcoronene did not exhibit superconductivity, which contrasts with earlier findings and may be linked to the extensive structural disruption observed.
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Dynamically Assembling Magnetic Nanochains as New Generation of Swarm-Type Magneto-Mechanical Nanorobots Affecting Biofilm Integrity.

Adv Healthc Mater

January 2025

Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UPS), 205 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse, 31400, France.

Article Synopsis
  • Bacterial resistance is increasing, necessitating innovative strategies for effective antibiotic treatment.
  • Ultra-short propelling magnetic nanochains, designed to mimic natural bacterial movement, enhance the efficacy of antibiotics against biofilm-forming Staphylococcus epidermidis by converting resistant bacteria into sensitive ones.
  • These nanochains, activated by a low-intensity rotating magnetic field, operate by mechanically disrupting bacterial structures and working synergistically with antibiotics to completely eliminate biofilms.
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High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

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Distinguishing whether a system supports alternate low-energy (locally stable) states-stable (true vacuum) versus metastable (false vacuum)-by direct observation can be difficult when the lifetime of the state is very long but otherwise unknown. Here we demonstrate, in a tractable model system, that there are physical phenomena on much shorter timescales that can diagnose the difference. Specifically, we study the time evolution of the magnetization following a quench in the tilted quantum Ising model, and show that its magnitude spectrum is an effective diagnostic.

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This study aimed to compare the fascicular anatomy of upper limb nerves visualized using in situ high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) with ex vivo imaging modalities, namely, magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM), histological cross-sections (HCS), and optical projection tomography (OPT). The median, ulnar, and superficial branch of radial nerve (n = 41) were visualized in 14 cadaveric upper limbs using 22-MHz HRUS. Subsequently, the nerves were excised, imaged with different microscopic techniques, and their morphometric properties were compared.

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