1. Microstructure and surface topography study of nanolayered TiAlN/CrN hard coatingPeter Panjan, Peter Gselman, Matjaž Panjan, Tonica Bončina, Aljaž Drnovšek, Mihaela Albu, Miha Čekada, Franc Zupanič, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The microstructure and surface topography of PVD hard coatings are among the most
important properties, as they significantly determine their mechanical, tribological and other properties. In this study, we systematically analyzed the microstructure and topography of a TiAlN/CrN
nanolayer coating (NL-TiAlN/CrN), not only because such coatings possess better mechanical and
tribological properties than TiAlN and CrN monolayer coatings, mainly because the contours of the
individual layers, in the cross-sectional STEM or SEM images of such coatings, make it easier to
follow topographic and microstructural changes that occurred during its growth. We investigated
the effects of the substrate rotation modes on the microstructure and surface topography of the
NL-TiAlN/CrN coating, as well as on the periodicity of the nanolayer structure. The influence of the
substrate material and the ion etching methods were also studied, while special attention was given to
the interlayer roughness and influence of non-metallic inclusions in the steel substrates on the growth
of the coating. The topographical features of the NL-TiAlN/CrN coating surface are correlated with
the observations from the cross-sectional TEM and FIB analysis. Selected non-metallic inclusions,
covered by the NL-TiAlN/CrN coating, were prepared for SEM and STEM analyses by the focused
ion beam. The same inclusions were analyzed prior to and after deposition. We found that substrate
rotation modes substantially influence the microstructure, surface topography and periodicity of the
NL-TiAlN/CrN layer. Non-metallic inclusions in the substrates cause the formation of shallow craters
or protrusions, depending on their net removal rates during the substrate pretreatment (polishing
and ion etching), as compared to the matrix. Ključne besede: magnetron sputtering, nanolayer hard coatings, growth defects, surface topography, interlayer roughness, non-metallic inclusion, focused ion beam (FIB), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) Objavljeno v DKUM: 19.03.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 3
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2. Study of environmental impacts on overhead transmission lines using genetic algorithmsKristijan Šket, Mirko Ficko, Nenad Gubeljak, Miran Brezočnik, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: In our study, we explored the complexities of overhead transmission line (OTL) engineering, specifically focusing on their responses to varying atmospheric conditions (ambient temperature, ambient humidity, solar irradiance, ambient pressure, wind speed, wind direction), and electric current usage. Our goal was to comprehend how these independent variables impact critical responses (dependent variables) such as conductor temperature, conductor sag, tower leg stress, and vibrations – parameters crucial for electric distribution. We modelled the target output variable as a polynomial of a certain degree of the input variables. The precise forms of the polynomial were determined using the genetic algorithms (GA). Developed models are essential for quantifying the influence of each input parameter, enriching our understanding of essential system elements. They provide long-term predictions for assessing transmission line lifespan and structural stability, with particularly high precision in forecasting temperature and sag angle. It is important to note that certain engineering parameters, such as material properties and load considerations, were not included in our research, potentially influencing accuracy. Ključne besede: Overhead Transmission Lines (OTL), machine learning, modelling, optimization, genetic algorithms (GA) Objavljeno v DKUM: 10.03.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 3
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3. Effect of monomer type on the synthesis and properties of poly(ethylene furanoate)Johan Stanley, Zoi Terzopoulou, Panagiotis A. Klonos, Alexandra Zamboulis, Eleftheria Xanthopoulou, Savvas Koltsakidis, Dimitrios Tzetzis, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou, Apostolos Kyritsis, George Z. Papageorgiou, Dimitrios Bikiaris, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: This work aimed to produce bio-based poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) with a high molecular weight using 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) or its derivative dimethyl 2,5-furan dicarboxylate (DMFD), targeting food packaging applications. The effect of monomer type, molar ratios, catalyst, polycondensation time, and temperature on synthesized samples’ intrinsic viscosities and color intensity was evaluated. It was found that FDCA is more effective than DMFD in producing PEF with higher molecular weight. A sum of complementary techniques was employed to study the structure– properties relationships of the prepared PEF samples, both in amorphous and semicrystalline states. The amorphous samples exhibited an increase in glass transition temperature of 82–87 ◦C, and annealed samples displayed a decrease in crystallinity with increasing intrinsic viscosity, as analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. Dielectric spectroscopy showed moderate local and segmental dynamics and high ionic conductivity for the 2,5-FDCA-based samples. The spherulite size and nuclei density of samples improved with increased melt crystallization and viscosity, respectively. The hydrophilicity and oxygen permeability of the samples were reduced with increased rigidity and molecular weight. The nanoindentation test showed that the hardness and elastic modulus of amorphous and annealed samples is higher at low viscosities due to high intermolecular interactions and degree of crystallinity. Ključne besede: bio-based polymers, poly(ethylene furanoate), polycondensation, thermal properties, mechanical properties, oxygen transmission rates Objavljeno v DKUM: 13.02.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 3
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4. Hybrid nanostructures of ▫$Fe_3O_4$▫ and Au prepared via coprecipitation and ultrasonic spray pyrolysisLan Kresnik, Peter Majerič, Darja Feizpour, Klementina Pušnik Črešnar, Rebeka Rudolf, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The coupled processes of coprecipitation and ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) were used to synthesize Fe3O4-Au hybrid nanostructures. The first coprecipitation method enabled the synthesis of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by mixing iron salts’ ions (Fe2+ and Fe3+) and ammonia as the base, and USP was used as the coating process of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles with Au. The formatted hybrid nanostructures consist of Fe3O4 nanoparticles that have Au on their surface in the form of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). AuNPs have a crystalline structure and range in size from 10 to 200 nm. Additional characterization techniques, including ICP-OES, TEM, SEM, EDS, DLS, zeta potential, and room temperature magnetic hysteresis loops, were used to determine the chemical, physical, and magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and hybrid nanostructures. It was found that USP produces separate AuNPs too (not just on the Fe3O4 surface), suggesting a bimodal formation of AuNPs. The zeta potential of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles showed poor stability (−15 mV), indicating a high tendency to aggregate, and the zeta potential of the hybrid nanostructures was also very low (≅0), which, comparatively means even worse stability. The saturation magnetization of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles was 35 emu/g, which is relatively lower than that of bulk Fe3O4, while the saturation magnetization of the hybrid nanostructures was significantly lower (0.1 emu/g) compared to the Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Ključne besede: magnetic NPs, gold NPs, transmission electron microscopy, magnetic properties Objavljeno v DKUM: 29.11.2024; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 13
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5. High contamination rates of shoes of veterinarians, veterinary support staff and veterinary students with Clostridioides difficile sporesJoanna Wojtacka, Beata Wysok, Aleksander Kocuvan, Maja Rupnik, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Clostridioides difficile is often found in animals and their environment. However, not much has been reported on veterinary clinics environment in terms of the spore load, prevalence and PCR ribotype diversity. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of C. difficile on shoe soles of veterinarians, veterinary support staff and veterinary students at the Veterinary Faculty campus. Altogether, 50 shoe sole swabs were collected, and the positivity rates ranged from 86.7% in swabs from veterinarians to 100% in swabs from support staff and students. Non-toxigenic and toxigenic strains representing toxinotypes 0, IV and XIX were isolated and distributed into 17 different PCR ribotypes, most common being 010, 014/020, SLO002 and 009. PCR ribotype 010 was the most prevalent and isolated from shoe soles sampled in 6/7 areas. Students' shoes had highest ribotype diversity (15/17 PCR ribotypes) but showed a low overlap with ribotype isolated from vets and support staff shoes. Veterinary students are likely the main vectors of C. difficile spores transmissions among veterinary teaching clinics and the hospital. Ključne besede: Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile, environment, footwear, One Health, transmission, veterinary clinic Objavljeno v DKUM: 22.10.2024; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 1
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6. Autolysis affects the iron cargo of ferritins in neurons and glial cells at different rates in the human brainSowmya Sunkara, Snježana Radulović, Saška Lipovšek Delakorda, Christoph Birkl, Stefan Eggenreich, Anna Maria Birkl-Toeglhofer, Maximilian Schinagl, Daniel Funk, Michael Stöger-Pollach, Johannes Haybaeck, Walter Gössler, Stefan Ropele, Gerd Leitinger, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Iron is known to accumulate in neurological disorders, so a careful balance of the iron concentration is essential for healthy brain functioning. An imbalance in iron homeostasis could arise due to the dysfunction of proteins involved in iron homeostasis. Here, we focus on ferritin—the primary iron storage protein of the brain. In this study, we aimed to improve a method to measure ferritin-bound iron in the human post-mortem brain, and to discern its distribution in particular cell types and brain regions. Though it is known that glial cells and neurons differ in their ferritin concentration, the change in the number and distribution of iron-filled ferritin cores between different cell types during autolysis has not been revealed yet. Here, we show the cellular and region-wide distribution of ferritin in the human brain using state-of-the-art analytical electron microscopy. We validated the concentration of iron-filled ferritin cores to the absolute iron concentration measured by quantitative MRI and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We show that ferritins lose iron from their cores with the progression of autolysis whereas the overall iron concentrations were unaffected. Although the highest concentration of ferritin was found in glial cells, as the total ferritin concentration increased in a patient, ferritin accumulated more in neurons than in glial cells. Summed up, our findings point out the unique behaviour of neurons in storing iron during autolysis and explain the differences between the absolute iron concentrations and iron-filled ferritin in a cell-type-dependent manner in the human brain. Ključne besede: ferritin, human brain, energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging, autolysis Objavljeno v DKUM: 20.03.2024; Ogledov: 228; Prenosov: 25
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7. Assessment of human exposure to electric and magnetic fields near transmission lines using FEMMBojan Glushica, Blagoja Markovski, Andrijana Kuhar, Vesna Arnautovski Toseva, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The intensity of ELF electric and magnetic fields near transmission lines is of particular interest in environmental and equipment protection studies. The use of numerical tools is the most efficient method for their assessment. In this paper, we numerically compute the electric and magnetic fields near different configurations of high-voltage transmission lines using the open- source software FEMM 4.2. Computed fields are compared with reference levels related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields. The accuracy of the applied method is validated with published, numerically computed and measured results. Ključne besede: finite elements method, transmission lines, electric field, magnetic field, electromagnetic computation Objavljeno v DKUM: 11.10.2023; Ogledov: 525; Prenosov: 8
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8. International transmission of conventional and unconventional monetary policy and financial stress shocks from the euro area to RussiaSilvo Dajčman, Alenka Kavkler, Sergey Merzlyakov, Sergey E. Pekarski, Dejan Romih, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: This paper studies the international transmission of the euro area´s monetary policy and financial stress to Russia. The results show that financial stress in the euro area damages Russian economic activity and stock prices, but not its trade balance. The contractionary euro area monetary policy shock decreases Russian GDP, leads to real appreciation of the euro against the Russian rouble, damages Russian stock prices, but does not significantly affect the trade balance between countries. We also found that the Central Bank of the Russian Federation adjusts to monetary policy shocks in the euro area. Ključne besede: conventional monetary policy, unconventional monetary policy, financial stress, Russia, international transmission Objavljeno v DKUM: 26.09.2023; Ogledov: 419; Prenosov: 41
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9. Virus prevalence in egg samples collected from naturally selected and traditionally managed honey bee colonies across EuropeDavid Claeys Bouuaert, Lina De Smet, Marleen Brunain, Bjørn Dahle, Tjeerd Blacquière, Anne Dalmon, Daniel S. Dezmirean, Dylan Elen, Janja Filipi, Alexandru Giurgiu, Aleš Gregorc, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Monitoring virus infections can be an important selection tool in honey bee breeding. A recent study pointed towards an association between the virus-free status of eggs and an increased virus resistance to deformed wing virus (DWV) at the colony level. In this study, eggs from both naturally surviving and traditionally managed colonies from across Europe were screened for the prevalence of different viruses. Screenings were performed using the phenotyping protocol of the ‘suppressed in ovo virus infection’ trait but with qPCR instead of end-point PCR and a primer set that covers all DWV genotypes. Of the 213 screened samples, 109 were infected with DWV, 54 were infected with black queen cell virus (BQCV), 3 were infected with the sacbrood virus, and 2 were infected with the acute bee paralyses virus. It was demonstrated that incidences of the vertical transmission of DWV were more frequent in naturally surviving than in traditionally managed colonies, although the virus loads in the eggs remained the same. When comparing virus infections with queen age, older queens showed significantly lower infection loads of DWV in both traditionally managed and naturally surviving colonies, as well as reduced DWV infection frequencies in traditionally managed colonies. We determined that the detection frequencies of DWV and BQCV in honey bee eggs were lower in samples obtained in the spring than in those collected in the summer, indicating that vertical transmission may be lower in spring. Together, these patterns in vertical transmission show that honey bee queens have the potential to reduce the degree of vertical transmission over time. Ključne besede: honey bee, suppressed in ovo virus infection, vertical transmission, virus resistance Objavljeno v DKUM: 18.08.2023; Ogledov: 457; Prenosov: 49
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10. Early spread of COVID-19 in Romania: imported cases from Italy and human-to-human transmission networksMarian-Gabriel Hâncean, Matjaž Perc, Jürgen Lerner, 2020, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: We describe the early spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the first human-to-human transmission networks, in Romania. We profiled the first 147 cases referring to sex, age, place of residence, probable country of infection, return day to Romania, COVID-19 confirmation date and the probable modes of COVID-19 transmissions. Also, we analysed human-to-human transmission networks and explored their structural features and time dynamics. In Romania, local cycles of transmission were preceded by imported cases, predominantly from Italy. We observed an average of 4.8 days (s.d. = 4.0) between the arrival to a Romanian county and COVID-19 confirmation. Furthermore, among the first 147 COVID-19 patients, 88 were imported cases (64 carriers from Italy), 54 were domestic cases, while for five cases the source of infection was unknown. The early human-to-human transmission networks illustrated a limited geographical dispersion, the presence of super-spreaders and the risk of COVID-19 nosocomial infections. COVID-19 occurred in Romania through case importation from Italy. The largest share of the Romanian diaspora is concentrated especially in the northern parts of Italy, heavily affected by COVID-19. Human mobility (including migration) accounts for the COVID-19 transmission and it should be given consideration while tailoring prevention measures. Ključne besede: coronavirus, COVID-19, transmission networks, human mobility, migration, nosocomial infections Objavljeno v DKUM: 16.12.2020; Ogledov: 903; Prenosov: 215
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