Achieving ambitious targets for energy efficiency, increasing the share of renewable energy and accelerating the transition to a climate-neutral society faces a number of technical, environmental and social barriers. Challenges include the difficulty of siting energy facilities, balancing public benefits, bottlenecks in energy infrastructure, fluctuations in the energy market and …
Dielectric materials are essential components of electronic devices and electric power systems. Consequently, the design and development of new materials with enhanced dielectric response remain of great importance. This dissertation examines three different approaches to enhancing the dielectric response: (i) percolative composites, (ii) polymer blending, and (iii) the induction of …
Knowledge of the pollution activity at the mining and smelting sites and assessment of contamination levels at different sites is not always sufficient for reliable conclusions regarding lead (Pb) provenance and contributions from sources. Pb isotopes have long been used as ‘fingerprints’ of the source of Pb recorded in environmental …
Environmental contamination by toxic metals—such as Pb²⁺, Cr³⁺, and Hg²⁺—and organometallic species like monomethylmercury (MeHg) presents one of the most persistent global challenges due to their bioaccumulation, long-term toxicity, and resistance to degradation. This thesis addresses this critical issue through a multidisciplinary approach combining nanotechnology, environmental chemistry, biosensor engineering, and …
This dissertation examines the ecological dynamics of phytoplankton communities in the northern Adriatic Sea, focusing on phenology, environmental drivers, and trophodynamics. The complexity of the region, characterized by the richness of phytoplankton communities, environmental variability and intensive human activities, is not seen as an obstacle but as an opportunity to …
Water scarcity is becoming a greater issue worldwide due to ever-increasing anthropogenic activity. A dedicated effort is required to recover and maintain the purity of our water resources and has created an environment for developing better technologies to tackle this issue. Low-pressure gaseous plasma, consisting of a complex mixture of …
The thesis investigates associations between the biomarkers of lead (Pb) exposure (and mercury (Hg), where applicable) and genetic variability in in vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and their newborns from Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia, as well as Slovenian men of reproductive age. The research utilizes data from the Public Health …
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic method that is used for broad range of hospitalized patient, emergency patients, chemotherapy treated and as well the patients that may have infectious diseases. Because the examinations of different patients are usually performed with the same equipment in the same environment, the surfaces …
Fabrication of electroceramics usually requires high sintering temperatures of 800 to 1400 °C, which can unintentionally lead to problems such as volatilization of species, formation of secondary phases and excessive grain growth. These problems can cause inhomogeneous microstructures, non-stoichiometric chemical compositions and limited material functionality. Therefore, there is a need …
Barium zirconate titanate-barium calcium titanate 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-BCT) ceramic exhibits a high piezoelectric response in the vicinity of room temperature. It is an environment-friendly alternative to Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 (PZT), the most used ceramic material in piezoelectric applications. Thin films meet the requirements related to the miniaturization of electronic components such as in …