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Introduction: Preconception care practices include physical activity, which is identified as an important indicator of behavioural preconception health. A scoping review was conducted to examine the association between physical activity in preconception health and its long-term effects on the later life of the offspring. Methods: The literature was searched in databases CINAHL, ScienceDirect and PubMed, using keywords determined by the study objective. In total, 755 published manuscripts were identified. Two additional manuscripts were identified through manual searching. A total of 17 manuscripts was selected for the final analysis. The data were extracted and summarized using thematic analysis. Results: The selected studies were summarized in two categories: (1) studies associated with physical activity and preconception health behaviour (n = 8), and (2) studies associated with preconception physical activity, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes (n = 9). Conclusions: Despite limited evidence, other indirect scientific evidence shows that physical activity positively affects health, and is therefore strongly recommended during the preconception period. Policymakers, researchers, and healthcare professionals should join efforts in examining the impact of physical activity on preconception health, fertility and birth outcomes, and effectively translate the f indings into preconception health guidelines and public policies. Soavtorji: Boštjan Žvanut, Patrik Pucer, Ana Polona Mivšek, Petra Petročnik, Jouni Tuomi. Bibliografija: 254-255. Abstract.

Lipid droplets are dynamic organelles with a central role in fatty acid metabolism. They protect cells from lipotoxicity by sequestering excess fatty acids but also provide fatty acids for metabolic reactions and signalling events. Here we show that lipid droplet turnover in cancer cells is required for production of {omega}-3 and {omega}-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-derived inflammatory lipid mediators, including eicosanoids and specialised pro-resolving mediators. We show that incorporation of PUFAs into triglycerides mediated by diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), and their release by adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), are required for cyclooxygenase- and lipoxygenase-dependent lipid mediator production and cancer cell proliferation. The human group X secreted phospholipase A2 (hGX sPLA2) drives the delivery of membrane-derived PUFAs into lipid droplets, while ATGL promotes the incorporation of lipid droplet-derived PUFAs into phospholipids. The group IVA cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) acts on membrane phospholipids and complements ATGL in the regulation of PUFA trafficking between phospholipids and triglycerides. This study identifies lipid droplets as essential cellular hubs that control PUFA availability for production of lipid mediators involved in inflammation and tumorigenesis. Synopsis O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=125 SRC="FIGDIR/small/470010v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (19K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@13df1c6org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1cc25c8org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c47cc0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@da4508_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG This study shows that lipid droplets in cancer cells control the supply of {omega}-3 and {omega}-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for the production of lipid mediators, which in turn drive cancer cell proliferation. The esterification of PUFAs into triacylglycerols (TAGs) and their release from lipid droplets are necessary for PUFA entry into lipid mediator production pathways. O_LILipid mediator production induced by the human group X secreted phospholipase A2 (hGX sPLA2), which releases PUFAs from the plasma membrane and serum lipoproteins, depends on diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1)-mediated TAG synthesis. C_LIO_LIAdipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) liberates {omega}-3 and {omega}-6 PUFAs from TAGs and drives lipid mediator production via cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways. C_LIO_LIATGL promotes the incorporation of lipid droplet-derived PUFAs into phospholipids, which are targeted by the group IVA cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), thereby selectively supplying arachidonic acid for lipid mediator production. C_LIO_LILipid droplets are required for cPLA2-induced lipid mediator production also in cells that do not depend on ATGL for the supply PUFAs into lipid mediator pathways. C_LI

While satellite remote sensing of ocean color is a viable tool for estimating large-scale patterns of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and global ocean primary production, its application in coastal waters is limited by the complex optical properties. An exploratory study was conducted in the Gulf of Trieste (Adriatic Sea) to assess the usefulness of Sentinel-3 satellite data in the Slovenian national waters. OLCI (Ocean and Land Colour Instrument) Chl-a level 2 products (OC4Me and NN) were compared to monthly Chl-a in-situ measurements at fixed sites from 2017 to 2019. In addition, eight other methods for estimating Chl-a concentration based on reflectance in different spectral bands were tested (OC3M, OC4E, MedOC4, ADOC4, AD4, 3B-OLCI, 2B-OLCI and G2B). For some of these methods, calibration was performed on in-situ data to achieve a better agreement. Finally, L1-regularized regression and random forest were trained on the available dataset to test the capabilities of the machine learning approach. The results show rather poor performance of the two originally available products. The same is true for the other eight methods and the fits to the measured values also show only marginal improvement. The best results are obtained with the blue-green methods (OC3, OC4 and AD4), especially the AD4SI (a designated fit of AD4) with R = 0.56 and RMSE = 0.4 mg/m³, while the near infrared (NIR) methods show underwhelming performance. The machine learning approach can only explain 30% of the variability and the RMSE is of the same order as for the blue-green methods. We conclude that due to the low Chl-a concentration and the moderate turbidity of the seawater, the reflectance provided by the Sentinel-3 OLCI spectrometer carries little information about Chl-a in the Slovenian national waters within the Gulf of Trieste and is therefore of limited use for our purposes. This requires that we continue to improve satellite products for use in those marine waters that have not yet proven suitable. In this way, satellite data could be effectively integrated into a comprehensive network that would allow a reliable assessment of ecological status, taking into account environmental regulations.

Statistics from different countries show a growing number of couples are postponing their decision to have children for several reasons. These may lie in career development or other life goals that influence their family planning. In Slovenia, every sixth couple is having difficulties conceiving, while on an international level it is estimated that every seventh couple is experiencing difficulties conceiving. Apart from age, there are several other factors causing a decline in fertility rate among men and women. These include environmental factors such as endocrine disruptors, and lifestyle factors such as eating habits, sleep habits and physical activity. According to data from the World Health Organization, the criteria for the normative quality of semen are getting lower with every year, which implies the reproductive ability of the human race is declining.

Objectives In healthcare, a variety of quality management practices are used. Although they are important sources for quality improvement initiatives, they do not focus on each particular process. On the other hand, ‘Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies’ (COBIT) offers a well-defined process representation structure for representing potential process improvements. The objective of this study was to adopt the COBIT structure for healthcare processes and assess the applicability of such process representations. Design A two-round Delphi technique was applied: in round 1, open-ended interviews were performed with the participants; in round 2, the participants responded to the web questionnaire. Settings The participants provided their opinion between 11 September 2018 and 26 June 2019. Participants It included 37 members of an expert panel from 8 European countries. Intervention N/A Main Outcome Measures In round 1, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats indicators of using the proposed structure in healthcare were identified. These were evaluated on a 9-point Likert scale in round 2. Results All participants noted that elements of the COBIT process representation structure were suitable for representing healthcare processes. The consensus was reached only for strengths and opportunities indicators. Conclusions A set of processes represented with the suggested structure has the potential to become a valid reference in healthcare quality improvements initiatives, as COBIT in IT domain. Despite the fact that the expert panel members confirmed the applicability of the COBIT process representation structure for healthcare processes, the identified weaknesses and threats cannot be ignored.

Statistics from different countries show a growing number of couples are postponing their decision to have children for several reasons. These may lie in career development or other life goals that influence their family planning. In Slovenia, every sixth couple is having difficulties conceiving, while on an international level it is estimated that every seventh couple is experiencing difficulties conceiving. Apart from age, there are several other factors causing a decline in fertility rate among men and women. These include environmental factors such as endocrine disruptors, and lifestyle factors such as eating habits, sleep habits and physical activity. According to data from the World Health Organization, the criteria for the normative quality of semen are getting lower with every year, which implies the reproductive ability of the human race is declining.

This chapter aims to shed light on university teachers' adoption and use of information communication technologies (ICT) at a university in its awareness/exploration stage of blended learning adoption. The goal was to identify how teachers' attitudes to innovation adoption influences the adoption of ICT for teaching/learning. An online survey showed substantial differences between first adopters and followers regarding the perceived importance of factors affecting ICT adoption (“financial support/stipend” and “the availability of online training for teachers”), and perceived usefulness of learning management system activities (quizzes, discussion boards, and assignments). Identifying first adopters and followers can assist universities in the awareness/exploration stage in recognizing the ways in which first adopters differ from followers and consequently help both groups to facilitate a strategic and optimal ICT adoption and implementation of blended learning.

In protecting ICT systems, user is still the weakest link and there is no technical solution for this problem. Solution is constant education, circular warnings and examination of users' level of risky behaviour. When testing ICT users, additional to the results of measured level of awareness and knowledge, detection of potential critical security problems regarding behaviour can be very important result. Additionally, participants involved in testing process also rise their awareness regarding information security and privacy protection, hence, becoming more careful in their behaviour. Additionally, statistically validated questionnaire is reliable measurement instrument. In Health information system, "leaking" of the patient's information can lead to irreparable damage to the patient's reputation, so the aim of this research was to translate existing questionnaire to Slovenian language for the future examination and education of the employees in the area of health in Slovenia.

Zaštita podataka u zdravstvenom informacijskom sustavu značajno ovisi o sigurnom ponašanju korisnika tog sustava sa njima dostupnim podacima. Među korisnicima zdravstvenog informacijskog sustava najbrojniji su zdravstveni djelatnici, stoga je stupanj rizičnosti njihovog ponašanja važan za stabilnost samog zdravstvenog sustava bilo koje države. Šteta nastala gubitkom (otuđenjem ili uništenjem) podataka može dovesti do materijalnih gubitaka, problema u liječenju pacijenata te u gubitku privatnosti i šteti ugleda kako pacijenata tako i zdravstvenih djelatnika. Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio ispitati taj stupanj rizičnosti u ponašanju među budućim zdravstvenim djelatnicima, odnosno studentima te također među njihovim učitelja i ostalim zaposlenicima zdravstvenog fakulteta.

Predšolsko obdobje je čas razmeroma hitrih in neenakomernih sprememb na vseh področjih razvoja hkrati. Razumevanje razvoja je zato ključno za ustrezno načrtovanje dejavnosti v vrtcu, kar vključuje tudi dodatno strokovno pomoč otrokom s posebnimi potrebami. V prvih letih življenja je zaradi učenja na konkretni izkustveni ravni v ospredju gibalni razvoj. Otrok lahko z gibanjem raziskuje svoje telo in svet okoli sebe in tako pride do optimalnih konkretnih izkušenj, ki mu omogočajo pridobivanje znanj in ustvarjanje novih možganskih povezav. S premišljeno in skrbno načrtovano gibalno dejavnostjo v vrtcu (in doma) lahko pomembno pozitivno vplivamo na kakovost in hitrost otrokovega celostnega razvoja. Pri otrocih s posebnimi potrebami, ki se že v najzgodnejšem obdobju srečujejo z ovirami, ki bistveno upočasnjujejo njihov napredek, je učenje prek konkretnih izkušenj, igre in gibanja še toliko večjega pomena. Cilj diplomskega dela je bil analizirati pomen izbranih materialnih, vsebinskih in kadrovskih dejavnikov za izvedbo gibalnih dejavnosti pri urah dodatne strokovne pomoči v rednih oddelkih vrtca. Rezultati so pokazali, da ni statistično pomembnih povezav med dodatnimi izobraževanji s področja gibanja ter količino načrtovanih gibalnih dejavnosti pri urah dodatne strokovne pomoči. Prav tako količina načrtovanih gibalnih dejavnosti ni odvisna od prostorskih pogojev. Polovica anketiranih izvajalcev dodatne strokovne pomoči namenja izvajanju gibalnih dejavnosti več kot polovico skupnega časa, polovica pa manj kot polovico skupnega časa, namenjenega nudenju pomoči predšolskim otrokom s posebnimi potrebami. Iz rezultatov je razvidno, da je delež načrtovanih finomotoričnih dejavnosti večji od deleža grobomotoričnih dejavnosti znotraj načrtovanih gibalnih dejavnosti. The preschool period is a time of relatively quick and different changes at all areas of the development at the same time. Understanding of the development is therefore crucial for proper planning of activities in the kindergarten, which also includes additional professional assistance for children with special needs. In the first year of life, the motor development is in forefront due to learning on a concrete experiential level. Through motion, the child can research his body and the world around him and so for the first time gain optimal concrete experiences, which enable him to acquire knowledge and create new brain connections. With thoughtfully and carefully planned physical activity in the kindergarten (or at home) we can have an important positive impact on the quality and speed of the child’s integrated development. In children with special needs, which are already in the earliest period facing problems that significantly slow down their development, learning through concrete experiences, playing and motion, is even more important. The purpose of the thesis was to analyse the importance of selected material, substantive and personnel factors for the execution of motor activities in additional professional assistance classes in regular kindergarten departments. The results showed that there are no statistically significant connections between additional education from the field of motion and the quantity of the planned motor activities in additional professional assistance classes. Precisely the quantity of the planned motor activities does not depend on special factors. Half of the questioned providers of additional professional assistance devote more than a half of their time for motor activities and the other half of the questioned devote less than half of the joint time for assistance to children with special needs. The results show that the rate of the planned fine motor activities is greater than the rate of gross motor skills within the planned motor activities.

Fenomen samoniklih prizorišč je v Sloveniji še vedno spregledan in njihov pomen marginaliziran. Magistrsko delo obravnava odnos množičnih medijev do samoniklih prizorišč, saj so mediji kot mediatorji med javnostjo in oblastjo tisti, ki pomembno vplivajo tako na javno mnenje kot na odnos institucij do določene problematike. V magistrskem delu raziskujemo medijsko poročanje o samoniklih prizoriščih in karakteristike njihovega odnosa z mediji, na primeru prizorišč v Kopru in Mariboru. Tako smo v osrednjem delu raziskave izvedli kvalitativno analizo medijskih objav o samoniklih prizoriščih v tisku, na televiziji in spletu. Na podlagi fokusne skupine z aktivistkami in aktivisti samoniklih prizorišč in intervjuja s kulturno urednico časopisa Večer smo raziskali faktorje medijske zastopanosti in ključne elemente odnosa med mediji in samoniklimi prizorišči. Raziskava je potrdila majhno medijsko prisotnost samoniklih prizorišč v obravnavanih medijih, predvsem v smislu globljega poročanja o delovanju. Novinarji v svojih prispevkih večinoma ne odražajo razumevanja problematike samoniklih prizorišč. Le ta pa so zaradi neurejene formalne in finančne situacije le delno vključujejo v razne oblike sodelovanja z mediji. The phenomena of independent venues in Slovenia is definitely a neglected subject in the society and the importance of such venues is marginalised. The master thesis deals with the relations between independent venues and the mass media, since the latter is an important mediator between the public sphere and the authorities: it has a big impact on the public opinion as well as on the institution policy. Our research focuses on media coverage of independent venues and on how the media is seen from the perspective of the activists in the venues – dealing with the case of Maribor and Koper. In the central part of the research a qualitative analysis of the media coverage is made, based on articles found in press, television and internet. Through a focus group with the independent venue activists and an interview with a culture editor of a known Slovenian newspaper we emphasized the key elements in this relations. The findings include small media coverage of independent venues, especially in terms of deeper reports on the issue. The articles do not show deeper understanding of the phenomena by the journalists, jet the venues do not intensely cooperate with the media, due to their inadequate financial and formal structure.

Nursing clinical learning environments are particularly important for the achievement of good practice in clinical training of student nurses, and thus, for the nursing competence development. Hence, it is important to have an instrument consisting of reliable and valid criteria for assessing the clinical learning environment, applicable in different contexts, and translated in the respondents mother tongue. The goal of the present research was to test the reliability and validity of the Slovenian version of the “Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher evaluation scale”, and to compare it with the Croatian version. The data was collected between 10 March and 10 June 2015 at four Slovenian institutions, where nursing BSc study programmes are performed. The final sample consisted of 232 students (response rate 68.8%): 81.9% were females and 18.1% males, average age was 23. The translated instrument in Slovenian language resulted as reliable and valid, it reflects the expected five factors of the original version despite some minor problems in the factor structure and in test-retest. The most important difference between the Slovenian and Croatian version is in the factor structure regarding the implementation of roles in clinical learning environment.

Background. Functional erythropoietin (EPO) signaling is not specific only to erythroid lineages and has been confirmed in several solid tumors, including breast. Three different isoforms of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) have been reported, the soluble (EPOR-S) and truncated (EPOR-T) forms acting antagonistically to the functional EPOR. In this study, we investigated the effect of human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on cell proliferation, early gene response and the expression of EPOR isoforms in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods. The MCF-7 cells were cultured with or without rHuEPO for 72 h or 10 weeks and assessed for their growth characteristics, expression of early response genes and different EPOR isoforms. The expression profile of EPOR and EPOR-T was determined in a range of breast cancer cell lines and compared with their invasive properties. Results. MCF-7 cell proliferation after rHuEPO treatment was dependent on the time of treatment andthe concentration used. High rHuEPO concentrations (40 U/ml) stimulated cell proliferation in dependently of a preceding long-term exposure of MCF-7 cells to rHuEPO, while lower concentrations increased MCF-7 proliferation only after 10 weeks of treatment. Gene expression analysis showed activation of EGR1 and FOS, confirming the functionality of EPOR. rHuEPO treatment also slightly increased the expression of the functional EPOR isoform,which, however, persisted throughout the 10 weeks of treatment. The expression levels of EPOR-T were not influenced.There were no correlations between EPOR expression and the invasiveness of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, Hs578T, Hs578Bst, SKBR3,T-47D and MCF-10A cell lines. Conclusions. rHuEPO modulates MCF-7 cell proliferation in time- and concentration-dependent manner. We confirmed EGR1, FOS and EPOR as transcription targets of the EPO-EPOR signaling loop but could not correlate the expression of different EPOR isoforms with the invasiveness of breast cancer cell lines. Keywords: Breast cancer; erythropoietin; erythropoietin receptor isoforms; proliferation; gene expression

Arsenic trioxide (arsenite) was the first chemotherapeutic drug to be described and is now being rediscovered in cancer treatment, including glioblastoma multiforme. Arsenite toxicity triggers autophagy in cancer cells, although final stages of the process involve executive caspases, suggesting an interplay between autophagic and apoptotic pathways that awaits to be explained at a molecular level. We evaluated the contribution of the lysosomal cathepsins (Cat) L and B, which are upregulated in glioblastomas, in the mechanism of arsenite toxicity in human glioblastoma cells. Arsenite treatment induced autophagosome formation and permeabilization of mitochondria, followed by caspase 3/7-mediated apoptosis. The autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine protected from arsenite toxicity, whereas bafilomycin A1 did not. Furthermore, arsenite significantly decreased CatB levels and selectively inhibited its cellular and recombinant protein activity, while not affecting CatL. However, downregulation of CatL greatly enhanced apoptosis by arsenite. Our results show that arsenite toxicity involves a complex interplay between autophagy and apoptosis in human glioblastoma cells and is associated with inhibition of CatB, and that this toxicity is highly exacerbated by simultaneous CatL inhibition. The latter points to a synergy that could be used in clinical treatment to lower the therapeutic dose, thus avoiding the toxic side effects of arsenite in glioblastoma management.

Introduction: Healthy eating and physical activity are the determinants which are inseparably linked to adolescents' health. The aim of the study was (1) to evaluate the nutritional status and dietary habits of the third grade secondary school students in the Primorsko-notranjska region; (2) to study their physical activity habits and (3) to research the relationship between their body mass index (kg/m2) and eating habits. Methods: The study was conducted in the spring of 2015 among the population of the third grade secondary school students in the Primorsko-Notranjska region (n = 166). The participants' average age was 18.2 years. The data were collected through an anonymous questionnaire of the open source application 1KA, consisting of 44 questions. Descriptive and inferential statistical data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. Results: The study found that the students do not consume fruit and vegetables on a daily basis (74 % boys and 63 % girls). The overall intake of vegetables (151.3 g boys, 166.7 g girls) and legume (138.2 g boys, 141.8 g girls) is lower than that of fruit (172.4 g boys, 170.9 g girls). Only 5.4 % of girls and 4.5 % of boys meet the fish intake recommendations. The students also do not follow the recommendations as to their physical activity. Discussion and conclusion: Despite the numerous healthy eating policy measures, the students do not adhere to the recommended nutritious diet, including eating enough fruits and vegetables. Vegetables, legumes and fish should be more frequently included in school meals. For promoting physical activity among adolescents, sports should be presented and perceived as a value without competition, available to all the children and adolescents. Uvod: Zdrava prehrana in telesna aktivnost sta neločljivo povezani določilnici zdravja mladostnikov. Namen raziskave je bil (1) ovrednotiti prehranski status ter prehranjevalne navade dijakov 3. letnikov srednješolskega izobraževanja v primorsko-notranjski regiji in (2) preučiti navade njihove telesne aktivnosti ter (3) raziskati povezavo med njihovimi indeksi telesne mase (kg/m2) in prehranskimi navadami. Metode: Raziskava je bila opravljena spomladi 2015 na vzorcu dijakov 3. letnikov (n = 166) v primorskonotranjski regiji. Njihova povprečna starost je bila 18,2 let. Uporabljen je bil anonimni spletni vprašalnik 1KA s 44 vprašanji. S programom SPSS verzija 22 je bila izvedena opisna in inferenčna statistika. Rezultati: Dijaki ne uživajo sadja in zelenjave vsak dan (74 % fantov in 63 % deklet), pri čemer je primanjkljaj skupnega vnosa zelenjave (fantje: 151,3 g, dekleta: 166,7 g) in stročnic (fantje: 138,2 g, dekleta: 141,8 g) večji, kot je pri vnosu sadja (fantje: 172,4 g, dekleta: 170,9 g). Tudi uživanje rib je glede na priporočila premajhno, priporočene količine dosega le 5,4 % deklet in 4,5 %. Dijaki tudi niso dovolj telesno aktivni. Diskusija in zaključek: Kljub številnim ukrepom prehranske politike je med dijaki še vedno premajhen vnos sadja in zelenjave. Šolski obroki bi morali pogosteje vsebovati zelenjavo, stročnice in ribe. Za spodbujanje telesne aktivnosti bi morali mladim šport približati kot vrednoto, dostopno vsem mladostnikom.

Background: Translational medicine aims at transferring advances in basic science research into new approaches for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Low-grade gliomas (LGG) have a heterogeneous clinical behavior that can be only partially predicted employing current state-of-the-art markers, hindering the decision-making process. To deepen our comprehension on tumor heterogeneity, we dissected the mechanism of interaction between tumor cells and relevant components of the neoplastic environment, isolating, from LGG and high-grade gliomas (HGG), proliferating stem cell lines from both the glioma stroma and, where possible, the neoplasm. Methods and Findings: We isolated glioma-associated stem cells (GASC) from LGG (n=40) and HGG (n=73). GASC showed stem cell features, anchorage-independent growth, and supported the malignant properties of both A172 cells and human glioma-stem cells, mainly through the release of exosomes. Finally, starting from GASC obtained from HGG (n=13) and LGG (n=12) we defined a score, based on the expression of 9 GASC surface markers, whose prognostic value was assayed on 40 subsequent LGG-patients. At the multivariate Cox analysis, the GASC-based score was the only independent predictor of overall survival and malignant progression free-survival. Conclusions: The microenvironment of both LGG and HGG hosts non-tumorigenic multipotent stem cells that can increase in vitro the biological aggressiveness of glioma-initiating cells through the release of exosomes. The clinical importance of this finding is supported by the strong prognostic value associated with the characteristics of GASC. This patient-based approach can provide a groundbreaking method to predict prognosis and to exploit novel strategies that target the tumor stroma. Stem Cells 2014;32:1239–1253

Snemanje in analiza posnetkov EKG sta pomembna postopka v diagnozi srčnih bolezni. Postopek je še posebej priljubljen, ker ni zahteven za izvedbo, je neinvaziven, poceni in dostopen v primerjavi z drugimi postopki, za diagnozo srčnih bolezni. Poleg kratkih EKG posnetkov v kontroliranem okolju (ambulanti), pa pogosto snemajo tudi dolge (24-urne) EKG posnetke. Taki posnetki so uporabni predvsem za diagnozo različnih aritmij, lahko pa tudi za zgodnje odkrivanje srčne ishemije. Naše delo obravnava razpoznavanje različnih patoloških stanj (anomalij) v dolgih EKG posnetkih. Prva anomalija, ki jo obravnavamo, je srčna ishemija, ki se v EKG posnetkih odraža kot deviacija segmenta ST. V preteklih letih je bilo objavljenih veliko število člankov na temo odkrivanja prehodnih epizod segmenta ST. Težava opisanih pristopov je, da ne znajo razlikovati med ishemičnimi epizodami in nepatološkimi epizodami, ki nastanejo zaradi spremembe srčne frekvence. V našem delu predstavimo dva načina za razlikovanje med tipoma epizod. Prvi način je s pomočjo izbora atributov atributi, ki opisujejo spremembo srčne frekvence, atributi, ki opisujejo deviacije in spremembe morfologije segmenta ST in spremembo kompleksa QRS. S pomočjo izbranih atributov in različnih klasifikatorjev pokažemo, da je razlikovanje med tipoma epizod mogoče. Po zgledu metod uporabljenih v obremenilnih testih izpeljemo ST(HR) diagram za dolge EKG posnetke in iz njega odčitamo množico atributov, ki nam pomagajo razlikovati med tipoma epizod. Opazujemo diagram v dveh odsekih (podobno kot v obremenilnih testih) od začetka epizode do njenega ekstrema, ter od ekstrema epizode do njenega konca in definiramo maksimalen naklon diagrama, celoten naklon diagrama in kot ob ekstremu diagrama. Nakloni, dva celotna in dva maksimalna, se pokažejo kot relativno dobri atributi (po kriterijih za ocenjevanje kvalitete atributov), medtem ko kot ob ekstremu diagrama ni relevanten atribut. Tem novim atributom dodamo še vrednosti srčne frekvence ob začetku, ekstremu in koncu epizode. S pomočjo teh atributov klasificiramo epizode nekoliko slabše kot z atributi opisanimi v prejšnjem odstavku. Velika prednost te metode je, da je uporablja manj atributov, ki so lažje razumljivi in jih bolj enostavno izračunamo. Druga vrsta anomalij, ki jih obravnavamo, so aritmični utripi. V ta namen razvijemo postopek za detekcijo kompleksov QRS, ki temelji na diskretni Morsejevi teoriji in postopek za detekcijo aritmičnih utripov. Razviti postopek za detekcijo kompleksov QRS temelji na krajšanju parov sosednjih minimumov in maksimumov po postopku krajšanja v diskretni Morsejevi teoriji. Z dodatkom pravil o obliki kompleksa QRS, ki temeljijo na predznanju o EKG posnetkih, razvijemo uspešen in učinkovit postopek (v primerjavi z objavljenimi postopki) za detekcijo kompleksov QRS. Na podoben način razvijemo tudi postopek, ki hkrati poišče komplekse QRS in do 4 valove, značilne za utrip EKG ( P, QRS, T in U) med zaporednima kompleksoma QRS. S pomočjo originalne mere podobnosti med dvema krivuljama ocenjujemo podobnost med sosednjima utripoma. Ker se aritmije pojavljajo kot nenadna spremembe oblike in frekvence srčnega utripa, lahko kot atributa pri klasifikaciji utripov (aritmični ali ne) uporabimo podobnost med dvema zaporednima utripoma in razliko v dolžinah RR intervalov. Rezultati metode za odkrivanje kompleksov QRS so primerljivi z najboljšimi rezultati objavljenimi v literaturi. Zmogljivost postopka za odkrivanje anomalij je tudi visoka, predvsem na posnetkih, ki vsebujejo veliko število patoloških utripov (npr. PVC). Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the developed world. ECG signal recording and analysis is the easiest is the prime diagnostic procedure for early diagnosis of heart conditions. It is non-invasive, inexpensive and accessible when compared to other clinical procedures used in the diagnosis of heart disease. In clinical practice, short ECG recordings are usually used, which are recorded in a controlled environment, but long (24-hour) ECG recording (AECG) are also gaining popularity. AECG recordings are used mostly in the diagnosis of different arrhythmias, sometimes even in the diagnosis oh heart ischemia. Our work deals with the automatic detection of pathologic events in long ECG recordings. The first heart pathology we research is heart ischemia. It manifests as ST segment deviation in ECG signals. In the past years a large number of research papers have been published, dealing with the detection of transient ST segment episodes in AECG. The described ST segment episode detectors fail to differentiate between transient ischemic and transient non-ischemic heart rate related episodes. In our work we describe two methods to differentiate transient ST segment episodes. The first method uses a set of features features that describe heart rate changes, ST segment deviation and morphology changes and QRS complex morphology changes. Using a set of features and different classifiers we show that automatic classification of the two types of episodes can be successful. Following the example of the methods used in exercise ECG (EECG) we define a ST(HR) diagram for AECG. The diagram is used to calculate a subset of features that help us differentiate between ischemic and heart rate related episodes. Similarly as in EECG we observe the diagram in two parts from the beginning to the extreme of the episode and from the extreme to the end of the episode. We define two overall slopes, two maximal slope and the angle at the extrema of the episode. The slopes are good features (ranked with feature evaluation techniques) while the angle at the extrema is not a good feature. We also observe the heart rate at the beginning, extrema and end of the episodes. The performance of the classification with this set of features is worse than the classification with the set of features described in the last paragraph. The advantage of the classification with the ST(HR) diagram is that it uses a smaller number of features, the features are more comprehensive and easier to calculate. The second anomaly we study in our work is the detection of arrhythmic beats. Here we first develop a QRS detector based on the discrete Morse theory and then an arrhythmia detector. The QRS detector is based on cancelling neighbouring minima and maxima as in discrete Morse theory. With the addition of knowledge from ECG signal theory the performance of our QRS detector is very similar to the best performances published in the literature. Using a similar method as in QRS detection, we develop a procedure that simultaneously finds QRS complexes and up to four of the most significant waves (typical for ECG signals P, QRS, T and U) between consecutive R waves. With the help of a newly developed algorithm, that evaluates the similarity between two trajectories, we assessed the similarity between consecutive heart beats. Then we classify pairs of heart beats as normal of arrhythmic with the help of two features the similarity between the pair of beats and the difference between their RR intervals. The performance of the arrhythmia detector is high, especially on records containing a large number of very pathologic heart beats (e.g. PVC).