1. Engineering Materials and Process Technologies : 2nd Conference of Programme Groups of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering University of Maribor, Book of Abstracts2025 Opis: The publication presents an overview of the research achievements of Programm Groups of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: P2-0424 Design of Novel Properties of (Nano)Materials & Applications, P2-0063 Design of Cellular Structures, P2-0120 Technologies of Metastable Materials, P2-0118 Textile Chemistry and Advanced Textile Materials, and P2-0196 Research in Power, Process, and Environmental Engineering from 2024 to 2025. Members of the program group present their research innovations and progress achieved within the framework of the program group's activities. Ključne besede: advanced textile materials, composites, nanomaterials, biotechnology, surface functionalization and modification, cellular structures, metastable materials, power, process and environmental engineering Objavljeno v DKUM: 03.11.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 2
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2. Urinary catheters : state of the art and future perspectives – a narrative reviewKristijan Skok, Uroš Bele, Špela Pintar, Zdenka Peršin Fratnik, Katja Kuzmič, Matej Bračič, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Uroš Maver, 2025, pregledni znanstveni članek Opis: Catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the most frequent healthcare associated infection, arising from microbial adhesion to catheter surfaces, biofilm development, and the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. Many publications have addressed CAUTI epidemiology, biofilm biology, or biomaterials for catheters in isolation, yet there is little literature that connects these areas into a coherent translational perspective. This review seeks to fill that gap by combining an overview of biofilm pathophysiology with recent advances in material based innovations for catheter design, including nanostructured and responsive coatings, sensor enabled systems, additive manufacturing, and three dimensional printing. Established approaches such as hydrophilic or antimicrobial impregnated catheters are considered alongside bio inspired surface textures, zwitterionic polymers, and multifunctional hydrogels. Each strategy is evaluated in terms of maturity, clinical applicability, and barriers to translation, with a focus on shifting from antibiotic dependent treatment toward prevention of biofilm formation. By bringing together knowledge from microbiology, engineering, and clinical urology, the review outlines pathways for developing the next generation of catheters that improve outcomes and reduce infection rates. Ključne besede: urinary catheters, urinary tract infection, antibiotic resistance, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering Objavljeno v DKUM: 15.09.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 1
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3. Nekovinski materialiIvan Anžel, Franc Zupanič, Mihael Brunčko, 2025 Opis: V skripti Nekovinska gradiva bodo študenti spoznali ključne vidike pomena nekovinskih materialov v sodobnem inženirstvu. Ti materiali so danes v številnih panogah postali nepogrešljivi pri načrtovanju in izdelavi izdelkov, v nekaterih primerih pa že povsem nadomeščajo kovine in zlitine. Kombinacija njihovih edinstvenih lastnosti omogoča razvoj tehnološko naprednih rešitev, ki so hkrati energetsko učinkovite in prijazne do okolja. S študijskim gradivom Nekovinski materiali bodo študenti pridobili poglobljeno razumevanje o zgradbi, lastnostih in tehnologijah izdelave polimernih, keramičnih in kompozitnih materialov. Ključne besede: nekovinski materiali, polimeri, keramika, kompoziti, zgradba, lastnosti Objavljeno v DKUM: 10.06.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 14
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4. New approach for adsorptive removal of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin: carboxymethyl-dextran-functionalised magnetic iron oxide nanomaterialsErik Mihelič, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Marjana Simonič, Sašo Gyergyek, Alenka Vesel, Silvo Hribernik, Matej Bračič, Ivan Anžel, Olivija Plohl, 2025, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Antibiotic residues in environmental media pose a significant health, social and economic problem and require effective removal strategies. This study presents a novel approach for the removal of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin from water sources using magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) synthesised by co-precipitation, and subsequently functionalised with the polysaccharide carboxymethyl-dextran (CMD). The prepared nanoadsorbent was characterised extensively by various physicochemical analyses, to evaluate its morphology, crystal structure, surface chemistry, electrokinetic properties, thermogravimetric properties and magnetic features. These analyses confirmed the successful functionalisation of the MNPs with CMD highlighting its potential for effective adsorption applications. The stability of CMD coating on MNPs was evaluated in terms of total carbon content, an important, yet often overlooked factor. The adsorption performance of MNPs@CMD for ciprofloxacin was investigated systematically by studying the effects of adsorbent dosage, pH, initial ciprofloxacin concentration, ionic strength, adsorption time and kinetics, temperature, and reusability. Under optimal conditions, nanoadsorbent exhibited a satisfactory maximum adsorption capacity of 14.71 mg/g, and maintained a removal eff iciency of 79 % after four cycles, with minimal desorption of CMD layer on the MNPs. These findings demonstrate the potential of this magnetic polysaccharide nanoadsorbent for effective removal of ciprofloxacin from aqueous environments, enabling magnetic recovery and reuse. Ključne besede: Carboxymethyl-dextran-MNPs, ciprofloxacin, adsorption Objavljeno v DKUM: 26.05.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 17
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5. Keratinski nanodelci iz produkta hidrotermične razgradnje perja/volne in formulacija premazov na celulozne tekstilije : magistrsko deloTamara Gavrić, 2025, magistrsko delo Opis: V magisterskem delu je predstavljena sinteza delcev iz ekstrahiranega keratina iz odpadne volne oz. perja in kvaterniziranega hitozana. Cilj je, da dobimo nanodelce (velikost delcev do 100 nm), katere bi uporabili za medicinske tekstilije namenjene celjenju ran. Keratinske suspenzije smo še dodatno prečistili z dializo in filtrirali skozi 1 μm filter. Sintezo nanodelcev smo izvedli z metodo ionskega geliranja, kjer smo počasi dodajali hitozan v keratin pri pH=5, konstantnem mešanju in pri sobni tempraturi z namenom, da bi zamrežili keratinske karboksilne (negativne) skupine s hitozanskimi aminskimi (pozitivnimi) skupinami. Pri optimizaciji razmerij in sprotnem merjenju zeta potenciala je bila izbrana mešanica F v množinskem razmerju hitozan:keratin=1:5000. Ta je pri meritvah zeta potenciala skozi pH območje med 2 in 9, imela izoelektrično točko pri pH okoli 7 in s tem obdržala tako pozitiven kot negativen značaj, kar kaže na amfoterni značaj in uspešno zamreženje. S tem v delce doprinesemo antioksidativne kot protimikrobne značilnosti obeh združenih polimerov. Optimalni mešanici smo nanesli na bombažno tekstilijo in preverili antioksidativnost le te, ki je bila visoka. Nazadnje smo naredili test omočljivost tekstilije in izmerili ATR-FTIR spekter, s pomočjo katerega smo ugotovili, da pri sintezi premaza in premazovanju ni prišlo do spremembe glavnih funkcionalnih skupin, Ključne besede: ionsko geliranje, keratin, hitozan, nanodelci, celjenje ran, antioksidativnost Objavljeno v DKUM: 02.04.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 30
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6. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering : Research Guide2025, vodič Opis: The publication presents an overview of research activities and research achievements at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The following research areas are presented: Energy, process and environmental engineering, Construction and design, Materials technology, Mechanics, Production engineering, Textile materials and design, and Fundamental and general areas. Individual laboratories and centers of the faculty present their research equipment, service offerings for industry, collaborations with companies and other institutions, the most prominent publications, patents, national and international projects and the most important research achievements. Ključne besede: energy, construction and design, process and environmental engineering, materials technology, mechanics, production engineering, textile materials and design Objavljeno v DKUM: 01.04.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 2
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7. Significant fragmentation of disposable surgical masks—enormous source for problematic micro/nanoplastics pollution in the environmentAlen Erjavec, Olivija Plohl, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Julija Volmajer Valh, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The pandemic of COVID-19 disease has brought many challenges in the field of personal
protective equipment. The amount of disposable surgical masks (DSMs) consumed increased dramatically, and much of it was improperly disposed of, i.e., it entered the environment. For this reason,
it is crucial to accurately analyze the waste and identify all the hazards it poses. Therefore, in the
present work, a DSM was disassembled, and gravimetric analysis of representative DSM waste was
performed, along with detailed infrared spectroscopy of the individual parts and in-depth analysis
of the waste. Due to the potential water contamination by micro/nanoplastics and also by other
harmful components of DSMs generated during the leaching and photodegradation process, the
xenon test and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure were used to analyze and evaluate the
leaching of micro/nanoplastics. Micro/nanoplastic particles were leached from all five components
of the mask in an aqueous medium. Exposed to natural conditions, a DSM loses up to 30% of its mass
in just 1 month, while micro/nanoplastic particles are formed by the process of photodegradation.
Improperly treated DSMs pose a potential hazardous risk to the environment due to the release of
micro/nanoparticles and chloride ion content. Ključne besede: DSM, micro/nanoparticles, leaching, artificial weathering, environmental pollution Objavljeno v DKUM: 26.03.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 6
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8. Obtaining medical textiles based on viscose and chitosan/zinc nanoparticles with improved antibacterial properties by using a dielectric barrier dischargeMatea Korica, Ana Kramar, Zdenka Peršin Fratnik, Bratislav M. Obradović, Milorad Kuraica, Biljana Dojčinović, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Mirjana M. Kostić, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: This study aimed to obtain functional viscose textiles based on chitosan coatings with
improved antibacterial properties and washing durability. For that reason, before functionalization
with chitosan/zinc nanoparticles (NCH+Zn), the viscose fabric was modified by nonthermal gas
plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to introduce into its structure functional groups suitable
for attachment of NCH+Zn. NCH+Zn were characterized by measurements of hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential and AFM. DBD-plasma-modified and NCH+Zn-functionalized fabrics were
characterized by zeta potential measurements, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, the calcium acetate method
(determination of content of carboxyl and aldehyde groups), SEM, breaking-strength measurements,
elemental analysis, and ICP-OES. Their antibacterial activity was determined under dynamic contact
conditions. In addition to SEM, the NCH+Zn distributions on viscose fabrics were also indirectly characterized by measuring their absorbent capacities before and after functionalization with NCH+Zn.
Washing durability was monitored through changes in the zeta potential, chitosan and zinc content,
and antibacterial activity after 1, 3, and 5 washing cycles. The obtained results showed that DBD
plasma modification contributed to the simultaneous improvement of NCH+Zn sorption and antibacterial properties of the viscose fabric functionalized with NCH+Zn, and its washing durability,
making it suitable for the production of high-value-added medical textiles. Ključne besede: medical textiles, antibacterial properties, viscose, chitosan/zinc nanoparticles, dielectric barrier discharge Objavljeno v DKUM: 26.03.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 7
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9. First insights into the antiviral activity of chitosan-based bioactive polymers towards the bacteriophage Phi6: physicochemical characterization, inactivation potential, and inhibitory mechanismsOlivija Plohl, Katja Fric, Arijana Filipić, Polona Kogovšek, Magda Tušek-Žnidarič, Lidija Fras Zemljič, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The outbreak of the worrisome coronavirus disease in 2019 has caused great concern
among the global public, especially regarding the need for personal protective equipment with
applied antiviral agents to reduce the spread and transmission of the virus. Thus, in our research,
chitosan-based bioactive polymers as potential antiviral agents were first evaluated as colloidal
macromolecular solutions by elemental analysis and charge. Three different types of low and high
molecular weight chitosan (LMW Ch, HMW Ch) and a LMW Ch derivative, i.e., quaternary chitosan
(quart-LMW Ch), were used. To explore their antiviral activity for subsequent use in the form of
coatings, the macromolecular Chs dispersions were incubated with the model virus phi6 (surrogate
for SARS-CoV-2), and the success of virus inactivation was determined. Inactivation of phi6 with
some chitosan-based compounds was very successful (>6 log), and the mechanisms behind this
were explored. The changes in viral morphology after incubation were observed and the changes in
infrared bands position were determined. In addition, dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering
studies were performed to better understand the interaction between Chs and phi6. The results
allowed us to better understand the antiviral mode of action of Chs agents as a function of their
physicochemical properties. Ključne besede: bacteriophage phi6, bioactive polysaccharide biomaterials, chitosans, antiviral activity, dynamic and electrokinetic light scattering, charge, biointerfaces Objavljeno v DKUM: 26.03.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 5
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10. Economical chemical recycling of complex PET waste in the form of active packaging materialJulija Volmajer Valh, Dimitrije Stopar, Ignacio Selaya Berodia, Alen Erjavec, Olivera Šauperl, Lidija Fras Zemljič, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Since millions of tons of packaging material cannot be recycled in conventional ways, most
of it ends up in landfills or even dumped into the natural environment. The researched methods
of chemical depolymerization therefore open a new perspective for the recycling of various PET
materials, which are especially important for packaging. Food preservative packaging materials
made from PET plastics are complex, and their wastes are often contaminated, so there are no
sophisticated solutions for them in the recycling industry. After integrating the biopolymer chitosan,
which is derived from natural chitin, as an active surface additive in PET materials, we discovered
that it not only enriches the packaging material as a microbial inhibitor to reduce the bacteria
Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, thus extending the shelf life of the contained food, but also
enables economical chemical recycling by alkaline or neutral hydrolysis, which is an environmentally
friendly process. Alkaline hydrolysis at a high temperature and pressure completely depolymerizes
chitosan-coated PET packaging materials into pure terephthalic acid and charcoal. The products
were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance
spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The resulting reusable material represents raw materials
in chemical, plastic, textile, and other industries, in addition to the antimicrobial function and
recyclability itself. Ključne besede: chitosan, active packaging, PET, recycling, reusability Objavljeno v DKUM: 26.03.2025; Ogledov: 0; Prenosov: 9
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