1. Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Matrix Solid Phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction for determination of bioactive compounds from sandy everlasting (Helichrysum arenarium L.) : a case of stability studyMilena Ivanović, Peter Krajnc, Aleš Mlinarič, Maša Islamčević Razboršek, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: In the present study, vortex-assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (VA-MSPD) extraction
was used to isolate the major bioactive compounds from H. arenarium. To reduce the negative environmental impact of the conventionally used organic solvents, four different choline chloride-based
natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) were investigated as possible eluents. The most influential
VA-MSPD extraction parameters: stationary phase (adsorbent), adsorbent/sample ratio, vortex time,
and volume of extraction solvent were systematically optimized. Ultrasound-assisted extraction
with 80% MeOH was used as the standard method for the comparison of results. The stability of the
obtained extracts was studied over a period of 0 to 60 days at three different temperatures (−18 ◦C,
4
◦C, and 25 ◦C). All extracts were evaluated both spectrophotometrically (determination of total
phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity by ABTS and FRAP assay) and chromatographically
(HPLC-UV). NADES based on choline chloride and lactic acid (ChCl-LA) was selected as the most
effective extractant, with a determined TPC value of its extract of 38.34 ± 0.09 mg GA/g DW (27%
higher than the methanolic VA-MSPD extract) and high antioxidant activity. The content of individual phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers, naringenin isomers,
and chalcones) in the ChCl-LA extract, determined by HPLC-UV, was comparable to that of the
conventionally obtained one. Moreover, the stabilization effect of ChCl-LA was confirmed for the
studied compounds: chlorogenic acid, naringenin-40
-O-glucoside, tomoroside A, naringenin-5-Oglucoside, isosalipurposide, and naringenin. The optimum VA-MSPD conditions for the extraction of
H. arenarium polyphenols were: florisil/sample ratio of 0.5/1, a vortex time of 2 min, and an elution
volume of ChCl-LA of 10 mL.
Keywords: matrix solid phase dispersion extraction, MSPD, natural deep eutectic solvents, NADES, extraction optimization, sandy everlasting, phenolic compounds, stability studies, antioxidant activity
Published in DKUM: 09.05.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 3
 Full text (2,47 MB)
This document has many files! More... |
2. Acute myotonometric changes in the masseter and upper trapezius muscles after upper body quarter stretching and coordination exercises or chewingMarša Magdič, Miloš Kalc, Matjaž Vogrin, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Pathologies in neck and masticatory muscles affect muscle tone and biomechanical and viscoelastic properties, necessitating precise assessment for treatment. This study evaluated the impact of two guided interventions—relaxing exercises targeting the neck and masticatory muscles (“Exercise”) and heavy chewing using six chewing gums (“Chewing”)—on the masseter and upper trapezius muscles. Twelve participants (aged 19–40 years) underwent myotonometric assessment pre- and post-intervention, measuring tone, stiffness, decrement, relaxation time, and creep. The results showed significant changes in the masseter muscle after exercise, with increased stiffness (14.46%, p < 0.001) and tone (7.03%, p < 0.001) but decreased creep (−9.71%, p < 0.001) and relaxation time (−11.36%, p < 0.001). Conversely, chewing decreased stiffness (−8.82%, p < 0.001) and tone (−5.53%, p < 0.001), while it increased creep (9.68%, p < 0.001) and relaxation time (9.98%, p < 0.001). In the trapezius muscles, tone decreased after both interventions (Exercise: −7.65%, p < 0.001; Chewing: −1.06%, p = 0.003), while relaxation increased (Exercise: 1.78%, p < 0.001; Chewing: 2.82%, p < 0.001). These findings reveal the distinct effects of exercise and chewing on muscle properties, emphasising the complexity of their therapeutic potential and the need for further investigation.
Keywords: exercise, mastication, muscle tonus, relaxation techniques, relaxation therapy, temporomandibular joint disorders, masseter muscle, trapezius muscle, bruxism, intervention studies
Published in DKUM: 13.02.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 3
Full text (3,96 MB)
This document has many files! More... |
3. Overview of social entrepreneurship development in SloveniaBarbara Bradač Hojnik, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: The aim of the article is to analyze public policies of social entrepreneurship in Slovenia and their developmental phases, the characteristics of social economy organizations, and to assess the framework conditions for social entrepreneurship by social enterprises. Since social entrepreneurship follows mainly social objectives, it needs the support of the ecosystem to develop properly. The EU allows the Member States to regulate social entrepreneurship itself, so Slovenia has formalized the social entrepreneurship domain through national-level legislation. In the article, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is applied, using primary data on social enterprises and a case study approach. The results of the analysis of social economy organizations in Slovenia indicate that the formal status of social enterprises covers a wide range of organizations and their share is low in the national context. The analysis of the case study organizations indicates that the legislation is considered as the main factor hindering the development of social entrepreneurship. Moreover, their assessment of public policies is rather judgmental and disapproving. In general, the results reveal that although the area of social entrepreneurship in Slovenia is developing, a vision and long-term strategy is still lacking and the implementation of supportive environment incentives is insufficient.
Keywords: social entrepreneurship, public policies, social economy, case studies, Slovenia
Published in DKUM: 14.01.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 10
Full text (497,27 KB)
This document has many files! More... |
4. Kratek pregled platform za ADME testiranjeTina Maver, Boštjan Vihar, Uroš Maver, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: V zadnjem času je bil dosežen pomemben napredek pri razvoju ADME (absorpcija, distribucija, metabolizem, ekskrecija) modelov, vendar izziv ostaja vzpostaviti platforme, ki bi zmanjšale testiranje na živalih in stroške raziskav. Naraščajoča pomembnost farmakokinetičnih interakcij poudarja potrebo po zanesljivih in
ponovljivih ADME modelih, ki so vse bolj ključni za razvoj zdravil in zagotavljanje varnosti z željo po preprečevanju
resnih kliničnih zapletov in hospitalizacije.
Keywords: ADME, drug interaction studies, in vitro models, pharmacokinetics, multi-organ models
Published in DKUM: 07.01.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 23
Full text (405,16 KB)
This document has many files! More...
This document is also a collection of 1 document! |
5. Emotional intelligence of engineering students as basis for more successful learning process for Industry 4.0Slavica Mitrović Veljković, Ana Nešić, Branislav Dudić, Michal Gregus, Milan Delić, Maja Meško, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: The purpose of this paper is creating analyses for understanding the personality characteristics related to emotional intelligence and how can this define the development program of personal characteristics in the processes of education for Industry 4.0. The main research goal is to measure dimensions of emotional intelligence in the student population based on a quantitative survey (Emotional Competence Inventory) through dimensions of emotional intelligence: self-regulation, self-awareness, and attitude towards changes. Since the student population was the research target, a group of 338 engineering students was selected. The group was characterized by highly diversified geographic origin, having previously completed school and achieved success. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between all three dimensions of emotional intelligence. Namely, self-regulation and attitude towards changes (both directly and indirectly through self-regulation) are positively affected by self-awareness, while attitude towards changes is positively affected by self-regulation. Developing student emotional potential is one of the most important actuators of business for Industry 4.0, especially in countries with low educational attainment and low social and economic indicators.
Keywords: learning process, emotional intelligence, Industry 4.0, students, engineering studies
Published in DKUM: 06.01.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 7
Full text (561,03 KB)
This document has many files! More... |
6. Factors affecting attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination : an online survey in SloveniaLuka Petravić, Rok Arh, Tina Gabrovec, Lucija Jazbec, Nika Rupčić, Nina Starešinič, Lea Zorman, Ajda Pretnar Žagar, Andrej Srakar, Matjaž Zwitter, Ana Slavec, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: While the problem of vaccine hesitancy is not new, it has become more pronounced with the new COVID-19 vaccines and represents an obstacle to resolving the crisis. Even people who would usually trust vaccines and experts now prefer to wait for more information. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Slovenia in December 2020 to find out the attitudes of the population regarding COVID-19 vaccination and the factors that affect these attitudes. Based on 12,042 fully completed questionnaires, we find that higher intention to get vaccinated is associated with men, older respondents, physicians and medical students, respondents who got the influenza vaccination, those who knew someone who had gotten hospitalised or died from COVID-19 and those who have more trust in experts, institutions and vaccines. Nurses and technicians were less likely to get vaccinated. In answers to an open question, sceptics were split into those doubting the quality due to the rapid development of the vaccine and those that reported personal experiences with side effects of prior vaccinations. Although the Slovenian population is diverse in its attitudes towards vaccination, the results are comparable to those found in other countries. However, there are potential limitations to the generalizability of the findings that should be addressed in future studies.
Keywords: cross-sectional studies, intention, public opinion, trust, ordinal regression, COVID-19, vaccination, surveys and questionnaires, Europe, immune system, SARS-CoV-2
Published in DKUM: 10.10.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 10
Full text (2,15 MB)
This document has many files! More... |
7. Translating Answers to Open-ended Questions in Multi-lingual Surveys. A Case Study of the Cross-national Longitudinal Study: Older Audiences in the Digital Media EnvironmentUrša Marinšek, 2024, master's thesis Abstract: This thesis looks into the process of translating answers in multi-lingual longitudinal surveys. It provides a literature review on translation in similar studies, but more importantly, through qualitative interviews with researchers involved in an international longitudinal study, it explores concrete strategies and challenges.
The Cross-National Longitudinal Study: Older Audiences in the Digital Media Environment is investigated as a case study. The main working language in the study is English and the used questionnaire includes closed- and open-ended questions. Dealing with respondents’ answers includes translating answers to English from many languages.
Researchers in this study do not pay attention to translating answers to great extent, and some think open-ended questions are not necessary in quantitative research. Those who translated answers had problems with language comprehension and cultural backgrounds. They lacked certain guidelines which would help with solving any issues. This thesis identifies the challenges that researchers face and finds possible strategies, and improvements for translations.
Keywords: meta-methodological research, translation of answers, guidelines for translation in quantitative research, longitudinal studies
Published in DKUM: 03.09.2024; Views: 55; Downloads: 15
Full text (1,37 MB) |
8. Measuring religious costs and rewards in a cross-cultural perspectiveMiran Lavrič, Sergej Flere, 2010, original scientific article Abstract: The assumption of rationally motivated individual religious behavior was tested in a survey of undergraduate university students from four different cultural/religious environments: Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and the United States of America. In particular, an attempt was made to explain readiness to bear religious costs by the expectation of otherworldly rewards and some other variables, such as religious socialization, support in the upbringing of children, religious capital, satisfaction with religious services and the perceived social sanctions for possible religious nonparticipation. It was found that it is the otherworldly rewards in all the samples that explain by far the major part of the variance in the readiness to bear religious costs. These results suggest that individuals do tend to make rational choices even when it comes to religion. Based on their beliefs, they are ready to accept religious costs approximately to the level of their expectation of otherworldly rewards.
Keywords: medkulturne študije, racionalna izbira, religija, verski izdatki, verske nagrade, cross-cultural studies, racional choice, religion, religious costs, religious rewards
Published in DKUM: 02.08.2024; Views: 78; Downloads: 5
 Link to full text |
9. Novel magnetic iron oxide-dextran sulphate nanocomposites as potential anticoagulants: Investigating interactions with blood components and assessing cytotoxicityOlivija Plohl, Lidija Fras Zemljič, Boštjan Vihar, Alenka Vesel, Sašo Gyergyek, Uroš Maver, Irena Ban, Matej Bračič, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Examining the critical role of anticoagulants in medical practice, particularly their central function in preventing abnormal blood clotting, is of the utmost importance. However, the study of interactions between blood proteins and alternative anticoagulant nano-surfaces is still understood poorly. In this study, novel approach involving direct functionalisation of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) as carriers with sulphated dextran (s-dext) is presented, with the aim of evaluating the potential of magnetically-responsive MNPs@s-dext as anticoagulants. The physicochemical characterisation of the synthesised MNPs@s-dext includes crystal structure analysis, morphology study, surface and electrokinetic properties, thermogravimetric analysis and magnetic properties` evaluation, which confirms the successful preparation of the nanocomposite with sulfonate groups. The anticoagulant potential of MNPs@s-dext was investigated using a standardised activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) test and a modified APTT test with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) which confirmed the anticoagulant effect. Time-resolved solid-liquid interactions between the MNPs@s-dext and model blood proteins bovine serum albumin and fibrinogen were also investigated, to gain insight into their hemocompatibility, and revealed protein-repellence of MNPs@s-dext against blood proteins. The study also addressed comprehensive cytotoxicity studies of prepared nanocomposites, and provided valuable insights into potential applicability of MNPs@s-dext as a promising magnetic anticoagulant in biomedical contexts.
Keywords: dextran sulphate, magnetic nanoparticles, blood protein interactions, clot formation, anticoagulants, cytotoxicity studies
Published in DKUM: 25.07.2024; Views: 107; Downloads: 30
Full text (892,02 KB)
This document has many files! More... |
10. Fall risk in adult family practice non-attenders : a cross-sectional study from SloveniaNina Ružić Gorenjec, Zalika Klemenc-Ketiš, Rok Blagus, Tonka Poplas-Susič, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction: Not much is known about the fall risk among the adult population of those who rarely visit doctors. We wanted to determine the prevalence of increased fall risk in a population of family practice non-attenders and the factors associated with it.
Methods: We included participants from family medicine practices in this cross-sectional study. To be included in the study, the participants had to be adults living in the community (home-dwelling people) who had not visited their chosen family physician in the last five years (non-attenders). The identification of the eligible persons was done through a search of electronic medical records, which yield 2,025 non-attenders. Community nurses collected data in the participants’ homes. The outcome measure was increased fall risk as assessed by the Morse fall scale: increased risk (≥25) vs. no risk.
Results: The sample consisted of 1,945 patients (96.0% response rate) with a mean age of 60.4 years (range 20.5 to 99.7 years). An increased fall risk was determined in 482 or 24.8% (95% CI: [22.9, 26.8]) of the patients. The multivariate model showed a significant association of increased fall risk with higher age (p<0.001), lower systolic blood pressure (p=0.047), poor family function (p=0.016), increased risk of malnutrition (p=0.013), higher number of chronic diseases (p=0.027), higher pain intensity (p<0.001), lower self-assessment of current health (p=0.002), and higher dependence in daily activities (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Non-attenders may have an increased risk of falling which depends on their health status and age. The inclusion of community nurses in primary healthcare teams could be of use not only to identify the non-attenders’ health needs, but also to better manage their health, especially the factors that were identified to be associated with greater fall risk.
Keywords: fall risk, primary healthcare, family practice, non-attenders, cross-sectional studies
Published in DKUM: 17.07.2024; Views: 125; Downloads: 4
Full text (570,04 KB)
This document has many files! More... |
