This article describes the process of competence-based curriculum development in nursing education at Western Balkan (WB) universities. Nursing education in the WB has been noncompliant with the standard educational approaches of the European Union's directive on regulated professions. The overall aim of the TEMPUS project "Competency-Based Curriculum Reform in Nursing and Caring in Western Balkan Universities" was to bring curricular reform for bachelor's nursing education in the WB region in line with competence-based education and professional standards to demonstrate compliance with all member countries of the European Union.

As the evolving communication standards would leverage on high data rates and low power consumption, future communication systems must be able to demonstrate these strengths. Space-time block codes (STBC) and quasi-orthogonal STBC (QO-STBC) including beamforming are multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) system design techniques used to improve data rates and reduce bit error ratio (BER). STBCs for larger antenna configurations use QO-STBC schemes which suffer from self-interference problems. The self-interference in QO-STBC systems diminishes the data rates and worsen the BER. In this study, we present three (3) methods of overcoming the self-interference problems in QO-STBC systems. We implement the interference-free QO-STBC systems with directional beamforming to improve the data rates and also reduce the BER. The results show significantly improved BER performance when the interferences are eliminated. An additional 3dB gain is achieved at 10-4 BER when the interference-free QO-STBCs are operated with directional beamforming. In terms of data rates, up to 6 bits/s at reasonably low power consumption are realized when the Hadamard-based QO-STBC is operated with directional beamforming.

Smart grids growing, with deployment of the renewables in European grids, active customers and new stakeholders’ roles in electric supply requires increase of secure and reliable data exchange, using public communication infrastructures. Data classification is important by designing of the sensitive data exchange. To meet these communication needs, ENTSO-E has developed a secure, confidential, comprehensive and accessible communication and connectivity platform – ECCo SP. It is designed to function as a highly reliable and secure messaging system. The ECP platform enables near real-time data exchange, including use case “Activation of DSO-connected resources for balancing purposes in market environment”. It has been demonstrated under world conditions in Slovenia.

Abstract Geopolymers are X-ray amorphous materials with appealing properties such as high flexural strength and high compressive strength. Yet, the influence of the heterogeneity and porosity on the constitutive behavior is not fully understood. We formulate a multiscale physics-based mechanistic model to describe the strength behavior of geopolymer composites. Using an energy-based approach, we derive novel solutions to describe the effective yield criterion of fiber-reinforced and particle-reinforced metakaolin geopolymers. We calibrate our theoretical model using nanoindentation tests and validate our theoretical framework via flexural strength tests on metakaolin-based geopolymer composites. Geopolymer composites are found to exhibit a pressure-dependent granular behavior. We subdivide the porosity into nanoporosity and microporosity. Our results indicate that the nanoporosity is solely influenced by the chemistry and is not influenced by the processing and the presence of reinforcement. Due tothe presence of nanoporosity, the strength-total porosity relationships are not unique. However, an approximate one-to-one correspondence exists between the strength and the microporosity. The nanogranular structure and the chemical composition at the nanometer scale have a profound influence on the effective mechanical response.Our conceptual framework is an important step in the mechanistic modeling of the behavior of geopolymer composites.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Von Willebrand factor (VWF) plays an important role in thrombogenesis and mediates platelet adhesion particularly under high shear stress. Such conditions are generally found in stenotic arteries and can eventually cause myocardial infarction or stroke. We aimed to study whether levels of VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) predict future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients suffering from carotid artery stenosis. METHODS Patients with atherosclerotic carotid artery disease defined by the presence of nonstenotic plaques or any degree of carotid stenosis were prospectively enrolled. Concentrations of VWF were measured by enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS VWF:Ag levels were more stable after 4 freeze-thaw cycles, when compared to VWF activity, and we showed similar concentrations of VWF in citrated plasma and serum (±4%). Levels of VWF:Ag predicted future cardiovascular events in 811 patients with carotid stenosis independent of known cardiovascular risk factors. Patients with VWF:Ag concentrations in the 4th quartile had a 44% event rate after an average 3-year follow up and a hazard ratio of 2.15 (95% confidence interval 1.46-3.16; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS High concentrations of VWF:Ag predict major cardiovascular events in patients with carotid stenosis, and given their high event rate may be useful for risk stratification of such patients.

The study investigated in vitro the effect of Porphyromonas gingivalis and its cysteine proteases (gingipains) on epithelial cell adhesion to titanium-zirconium alloy surfaces. Titanium-zirconium discs with a standard machined (M) or chemically modified hydrophilic surface (modM) were coated with lamin-5 and incubated with telomerase-inactivated gingival keratinocytes (TIGK). Three P. gingivalis strains or gingipains were either added simultaneously with TIGK or after TIGK cells were already attached to the disks. Adhered TIGK cells were counted at 24 h. All P. gingivalis strains clearly inhibited adhesion of TIGK cells to M and modM surfaces. Compared with bacteria/gingipain-free TIGK cell cultures, the number of attached TIGK cells was reduced by about 80% and 60% when P. gingivalis was added simultaneously or after TIGK cells were already attached to the disks (each p < 0.01), respectively. Counts of attached cells were similarly reduced when only gingipains were used. Adhesion molecules of TIGK cells, in particular E-cadherin, were cleaved by P. gingivalis. In conclusion, P. gingivalis and gingipains interfere with the adhesion of epithelial cells to titanium-zirconium alloy surfaces by cleaving adhesion molecules, while a chemically modified hydrophilic titanium-zirconium alloy surface did not yield any protection. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res B Part B, 2019.

Introduction/Background Aberrant Hedgehog (Hh) pathway signaling has been implicated in pathogenesis of several human cancers. Recent studies have indicated its active role in serous ovarian carcinomas. Smoothened protein (SMO), a transmembrane co-receptor in Hh pathway signal transduction, is inhibited in non-dividing cells, thus its disinhibition might be a trigger for uncontrolled cell proliferation and growth. Very few studies have explored the role of SMO in serous ovarian cancers. The aim of the study was to assess the expression of SMO protein and to explore the Smoothened gene promoter methylation in a cohort of serous ovarian carcinomas. Methodology SMO protein expression was immunohistochemically quantified in 40 high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC), 12 low-grade serous carcinomas (LGSC), 20 normal ovarian and 9 normal fallopian tube samples (controls). SMO gene promoter methylation status was analyzed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) in randomly selected HGSCs (n=10), LGSCs (n=10), and normal fallopian tube (n=9) samples. Kaplan-Meier survival plots were used to estimate the impact of SMO expression on patients‘ overall survival (OS). Results SMO nuclear expression was significantly higher in HGSCs and LGSCs compared with the fallopian tube samples (p=0.010 and p=0.003, respectively). LGSCs, compared with normal ovarian tissue, exhibited higher total, cytoplasmic/membrane and nuclear expression (p=0.000, p=0.001 and p=0.000, respectively). Comparing HGSCs and LGSCs, significantly higher total and cytoplasmic/membrane expression was found in HGSC (p=0.026 and p=0.030, respectively). SMO gene promoter was unmethylated in both LGSCs and HGSCs as well as in fallopian tube. In addition, the SMO protein expression had no significant impact on patients‘ OS (p=0.07). Conclusion Our data indicate the lack of SMO gene promoter methylation while a significant overexpression (particularly nuclear) of SMO protein characterized a substantial proportion of serous ovarian carcinomas. Further functional studies should elucidate the clinical relevance of these findings. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.

As the majority of cancers and gestational diseases are prognostically stage- and grade-dependent, the ultimate goal of ongoing studies in precision medicine is to provide early and timely diagnosis of such disorders. These studies have enabled the development of various new diagnostic biomarkers, such as free circulating nucleic acids, and detection of their epigenetic changes. Recently, extracellular vesicles including exosomes, microvesicles, oncosomes, and apoptotic bodies have been recognized as powerful diagnostic tools. Extracellular vesicles carry specific proteins, lipids, DNAs, mRNAs, and miRNAs of the cells that produced them, thus reflecting the function of these cells. It is believed that exosomes, in particular, may be the optimal biomarkers of pathological pregnancies and cancers, especially those that are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, such as ovarian cancer. In the present review, we survey and critically appraise novel epigenetic biomarkers related to free circulating nucleic acids and extracellular vesicles, focusing especially on their status in trophoblasts (pregnancy) and neoplastic cells (cancers).

Introduction/Background Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTs) account for 2–5% of all ovarian cancers and among them pure embryonal cell cancer is rare condition.1 2 3 4 Methodology Aim: To show successful pregnancy after unilateral salpingooopherectomy and chemotherapy in a girl with embryonal carcinoma of ovary (ECO). Results Case report: A 11 year old girl presented in January 2008. with pain in abdomen and abdominal wall hardness. CT revealed a 12 × 10 × 11 cm heterodense mass. Right sided salpingoophorectomy, omentectomy, biopsy left sided ovary was done. Histopathology examination and immunohistochemistry revealed embryonal cell cancer of ovary. Patient had FIGO stage III c disease. After the surgical removal of the tumour, the patient underwent six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin. Within eight year after the completion of chemotherapy she conceived spontaneously. At 39th gestational week, laparotomy as well as a C-section was done and the patient was managed successfully in giving birth to a healthy female baby (birth weight and lenth 3,430 gm/53 cm, Apgar score: 9/9). At the last follow-up visit (May 5, 2018), all the tumor markers were negative, and the control MRI and ultrasound examinations did not reveal tumor recurrence or pathological lymph nodes. Conclusion Fertility preservation surgery followed by chemotherapy may be considered as standard care of treatment in embryonal carcinoma of ovary in young girls, who want to retain fertility. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.

Abstract Localization of epileptogenic foci is an essential phase in surgical treatment planning using the earliest time detection of the seizure onset in the recordings of electroencephalogram (EEG). These recordings are defined as the areas of the brain which can be surgically removed to reach control of seizure. The characteristics of the brain area affected by partial epilepsy can be analyzed using focal and non-focal EEG signals. In this work, a method for the classification of focal and non-focal EEG signals is presented to compare different feature extraction methods combined with multi-scale principal component analysis (MSPCA) denoising and Random Forest (RF) as a machine learning technique. After de-noising, different feature extraction methods (EMD, DWT and WPD) are applied. The performance of RF classifier is measured according to accuracy, the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) and F-measure. EEG based focal region localization with Wavelet Packet Decomposition (WPD) feature extraction and RF classifier reach 99.92% accuracy. Hence, WPD combined with RF machine learning classifier can be used to differentiate the focal and non-focal EEG signals.

Manual surveillance of inaccessible areas covered in trees and foliage is a difficult, labor-expensive and challenging task. On the other hand, early discovery of forest fires signs is essential in the preservation of the environment, therefore, the need for fast and efficient methods is very important. The characteristic color of the forest fire can be classified with the specific image processing techniques, especially during the late spring and summer when the color of the fire is easily distinguished from the color of trees and foliage, or generally flora. In this paper, a new method for the detection of forest fires is proposed. The method combines several predetermined and fuzzy criteria for image segmentation. A hybrid technique consists of a combination of different components of different color spaces.