The process of implementing blended learning, by using e-learning tools as a support for traditional classroom teaching, started at the University of Rijeka at the beginning of 2008, following general strategic principles adapted to local environment. The process has been constantly supported and assessed for quality, but up to now only from the institutional, teachers' and support services' perspective. Assuming that continuous and careful monitoring of learner's satisfaction is important for the success, feasibility and viability of e-learning, we conducted the research on students' perspective. As the student's perception regarding e-learning is one of the most important steps in developing and implementing a successful e-learning environment, we conducted the study of student's perception and e-learning acceptance, with three specific items addressed in the study: 1) student's perception of quality of already delivered e-courses, 2) level of importance for the specific elements of e-learning encountered, and 3) student's general attitude towards elearning and their needs with respect to quality of course materials, communication and support of the learning process.Participants in the study assessed the current state of e-learning elements implementation quite good; they agreed the educational materials were in most cases complete, organized and well designed, and they considered the ability of teachers to manage the e-courses well, communication regular as well as the provision of the feedback. The lower level of agreement was obtained on the use of multimedia, offering of the self-assessment tests, accessibility of digital literature and collaborative activities. This suggests teachers should be encouraged and trained to put more effort in designing and offering suitable multimedia elements to enrich their materials, selfassessment test to make students feel more comfortable in terms of examination expectations, and to design online activities for the students to enhance collaborative aspects in teaching.Material published as part of this publication, either on-line or in print, is copyrighted by the Informing Science Institute. Permission to make digital or paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that copies 1) bear this notice in full and 2) give the full citation on the first page. It is permissible to abstract these works so long as credit is given. To copy in all other cases or to republish or to post on a server or to redistribute to lists requires specific permission and payment of a fee. Contact Publisher@InformingScience.org to request redistribution permission.The study outcomes generally suggest the need to enhance teachers' competencies for online teaching, particularly in acquiring successful tutoring methods and learners' support methods, and together with continuous and careful monitoring of learner's satisfaction we hope to ensure the success, feasi...

BackgroundPrognostic and predictive significance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) is still controversial. The aim of the present study was to explore and correlate membrane and nuclear EGFR and cyclin-D1 protein expression with EGFR gene status of tumor cells.MethodsImmunohistochemical and FISH analysis was performed on 135 archival formalin fixed and paraffin embedded CRCs.ResultsStrong membrane and strong nuclear EGFR staining was detected in 16% and 57% of cases, respectively, and strong cyclin-D1 expression in 57% samples. Gene EGFR amplification was identified in 5.9% and polysomy in 7.4% of cases, while 87% showed no EGFR gene changes. A statistically significant difference was only found between tumor grade and expression of membrane EGFR, while nuclear EGFR and cyclin-D1 expression was not associated with the clinicopathologic characteristics analyzed. Tumor cells displaying gene amplification and strong protein membrane EGFR expression overlapped, while EGFR gene status showed no correlation with nuclear EGFR and cyclin-D1. There was no association between membrane EGFR and cyclin-D1, whereas nuclear EGFR expression was strongly related to cyclin-D1 expression.ConclusionsStudy results revealed heterogeneity among CRCs, which could have a predictive value by identifying biologically and probably clinically different subsets of tumors with the possibly diverse response to anti-EGFR therapies.

In patients undergoing spinal anesthesia, preoperative feeding 2 hours before surgery had no influence on the gastric emptying rate, indicating that preoperative feeding does not increase the risk of gastric-content aspiration and can be given safely.

AimTo determine the prevalence of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) classification criteria among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients; to determine disease activity and severity; and to investigate the correlation of classification criteria with disease activity, and of disease activity and damage index with disease duration.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study on 110 SLE patients from the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Centre Rijeka, Croatia in the period from September to December 2013 and determined disease duration and the total number of ACR and SLICC classification criteria. Disease activity was assessed by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) index and organ damage by Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) damage index.ResultsThe number of SLICC classification criteria met per patient was significantly higher than the number of ACR criteria (7 [IQR 6-8] vs 5 [IQR 4-6], P < 0.001). Moderate correlations were detected between the number of SLICC classification criteria and disease activity index, both in case of active (r = 0.48, P = 0.003) and inactive disease (r = 0.43, P < 0.001). We neither found a correlation between the number of ACR criteria and disease activity nor between disease activity and disease duration. However, there was a good correlation between SLICC/ACR damage index and disease duration (r = 0.63, P < 0.001).ConclusionNew SLICC classification criteria correlate with disease activity because they capture more manifestations also included in the SLEDAI index. Patients with longer disease duration had a larger damage index score.

The existence of different lipid domains in the monolayers of the human erythrocyte membrane was investigated at 4 degrees C by employing spin-labelled phospholipid analogues. Spectra of analogues located exclusively either in the exoplasmic or in the cytoplasmic leaflet of erythrocyte membranes were recorded. Spectra were simulated by variation of order parameter describing the average amplitude of motion of the long molecular axis of the nitrogen 2 p pi orbital of the spin label and of the respective correlation times. For both leaflets at least three components were required to fit the experimental spectra, differing mainly in the order parameter. While the parameters of each component are not very different between both membrane halves, the relative contribution of each component to the spectrum is different between the exoplasmic and cytoplasmic leaflet. The order parameter of the most fluid component, presumably resembling the lipid bulk phase, is smaller in the cytoplasmic leaflet in comparison to the exoplasmic one. The lateral coexistence of different lipid domains in the human red blood cell membrane is concluded. The molecular nature of those domains is discussed.