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Background: Parental input plays a central role in typical language acquisition and development. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by social communicative and language difficulties, parental input presents an important avenue for investigation as a target for intervention. A rich body of literature has identified which aspects of grammatical complexity and lexical diversity are most associated with child language ability in both typical development and autism. Yet, the majority of these studies are conducted with English‐speaking children, thus potentially overlooking nuances in parental input derived from cross‐linguistic variation. Aims: To examine the differences in verbal parental input to Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking children with ASD. To examine whether aspects of verbal parental input found to be concurrent predictors of English‐speaking children's expressive language ability are also predictors of the expressive language of Bulgarian‐speaking children with ASD. Methods & Procedures: We compared parental input to Bulgarian‐speaking (N = 37; 2;7–9;10 years) and English‐speaking (N = 37; 1;8–4;9 years) children with ASD matched on expressive language. Parent–child interactions were collected during free play with developmentally appropriate toys. These interactions were transcribed, and key measures of parental input were extracted. Outcomes & Results: English‐speaking parents produced more word tokens and word types than Bulgarian‐speaking parents. However, Bulgarian parents produced more verbs in relation to nouns and used more statements and exclamations but asked fewer questions than English‐speaking parents. In addition, child age and parents' use of questions were significant concurrent predictors of child expressive vocabulary. Conclusions & Implications: This is one of the first studies to conduct a cross‐linguistic comparison of parental input in ASD. The differences found emphasize the need to further study parental input to Bulgarian children and adapt naturalistic parent‐mediated interventions to the local language and its specific characteristics. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: A rich body of literature has identified the specific aspects of grammatical complexity, lexical diversity, and question‐asking that are concurrently and longitudinally associated with the language ability of children with typical development and of children with ASD. Yet, the majority of these studies are conducted with English‐speaking children. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge: The present study finds that there are specific differences in verbal parental input to Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking children with autism in terms of lexical composition and question‐asking. Bulgarian parents used more verbs than nouns, and the opposite pattern was found for English‐speaking parents. In addition, Bulgarian parents asked fewer questions but used more statements and exclamations. Nevertheless, parental question use was significantly correlated with children's language ability across both groups, suggesting that question‐asking should be further examined as a potential target for parent‐mediated language interventions for Bulgarian children with autism. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Most language and social communication interventions for autism are designed and piloted with English‐speaking children. These interventions are often simply translated and used in different countries, with different populations and in different contexts. However, considering that one of the defining characteristics of autism is language difficulty, more studies should examine (1) how these language difficulties manifest in languages other than English, and (2) what characterizes verbal parental input in these other contexts. Such research investigations should inform future language and social communication interventions. The present study emphasizes the cross‐linguistic differences between Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking parents' verbal input to their children with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrence after colorectal cancer resection is rarely documented in the general population while a key clinical determinant for patient survival. We identified 8785 patients with colorectal cancer diagnosed between 2010 and 2013 and clinically followed up to 2020 in 15 cancer registries from seven European countries (Bulgaria, Switzerland, Germany, Estonia, France, Italy, and Spain). We estimated world age‐standardized net survival using a flexible cumulative excess hazard model. Recurrence rates were calculated for patients with initially resected stage I, II, or III cancer in six countries, using the actuarial survival method. The proportion of nonmetastatic resected colorectal cancers varied from 58.6% to 78.5% according to countries. The overall 5‐year net survival by country ranged between 60.8% and 74.5%. The absolute difference between the 5‐year survival extremes was 12.8 points for stage II (Bulgaria vs Switzerland), 19.7 points for stage III (Bulgaria vs. Switzerland) and 14.8 points for Stage IV and unresected cases (Bulgaria vs. Switzerland or France). Five‐year cumulative rate of recurrence among resected patients with stage I–III was 17.7%. As compared to the mean of the whole cohort, the risk of developing a recurrence did not differ between countries except a lower risk in Italy for both stage I/II and stage III cancers and a higher risk in Spain for stage III. Survival after colorectal cancer differed across the concerned European countries while there were slight differences in recurrence rates. Population‐based collection of cancer recurrence information is crucial to enhance efforts for evidence‐based management of colorectal cancer follow up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary white supremacy often takes hold through strategies of racial disavowal. One strategy that political parties and regular citizens in Bulgaria use is what I call determined indeterminacy. Determined indeterminacy is a collective, institutionalized method of denying the ubiquitous systemic racism that undergirds social life. It allows people to naturalize white supremacy and render it adaptably persistent. This is the case especially in contexts of aspirational whiteness, such as Bulgaria, where whiteness is fraught and many people claim that their country has never been racial. Tracing Bulgaria's history of racial disavowal helps us understand how the local particularities of white supremacy naturalize, transform, and set in place long‐standing racial hierarchies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim s : Community‐ and school‐based lifestyle interventions are an efficient method of preventing type 2 diabetes in vulnerable populations. Many participants, however, fail to complete the necessary follow‐ups. We investigated factors affecting the continuous participation in follow‐up evaluations during the Feel4Diabetes‐study, a multilevel intervention programme implemented across Europe. Methods: Socioeconomic, sociodemographic and clinical factors were assessed for 2702 participants within six participating countries: Bulgaria and Hungary (low‐to‐middle‐income countries, LMIC), Belgium and Finland (high‐income countries, HIC) and Greece and Spain (high‐income countries under austerity measures, HICAM). Results: Statistically significant differences were detected with respect to sex, control group, education level, employment status, BMI and blood pressure measurements (systolic and diastolic blood pressure). Post hoc analysis revealed significant differences within socioeconomic regions. Higher levels of education were associated with significantly lower attrition in HIC (p < 0.05) and HICAM (p < 0.001), higher employment status was associated with lower attrition in HICAM (p < 0.001) and being female was associated with lower attrition in LMIC (p < 0.001). Surprisingly, the intervention group exhibited higher‐than‐expected attrition in HIC (p < 0.001) and HICAM (p = 0.003), and lower attrition in LMIC (p = 0.007). When tested together in the same multivariable predictive model, all sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables along with higher BMI retained their statistical significance, while systolic and diastolic blood pressure failed to remain significant. Conclusions: Key socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors along with BMI play a significant role in determining continuous participation in follow‐up evaluations during school‐ and community‐based intervention programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Families from migrant backgrounds are found to generally underutilize mainstream child and family support services and recourse more to their social networks and community‐based actors for support. This article explores the role of migrant community resource persons (CRPs). Drawing on the novel concept of welfare bricolage, the study sought to unravel CRPs' take on family support and their position in the family support landscape beyond the dominant framing as instrumental intermediaries. Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted with 27 CRPs in Flanders, Belgium, to which thematic analysis was applied. This thematic analysis was guided by key principles of welfare bricolage. The findings add to the existing knowledge that CRPs creatively and flexibly shape community‐based family support outside and independent of the predefined, mainstream pathways. CRPs seek to strengthen families and their communities by purposefully assembling and deploying a wide range of resources from various support systems. The findings expand the notion of family support, what it is and who provides it, and thus provide an impetus to reconsider child and family social work in superdiverse settings. This article therefore informs government authorities and formal and informal actors working to support family welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present drainage network of Bulgaria is the result of a complex Neogene and Quaternary evolution. Karst, which has developed on 23% of the territory, further complicates the hydrological pattern. Fresh waters of Bulgaria drain into the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea basins and can be roughly divided into the Danube (Middle and Lower Danube), non‐Danube Black Sea, East Aegean, and West Aegean hydrological regions. Phoxinus, a small leuciscid fish, has a mosaic distribution in all four of these regions, inhabiting small mountainous and semi‐mountainous streams. Based on morphology, it was identified as three species, Phoxinus phoxinus in the Danube, Phoxinus strandjae in the non‐Danube, and Phoxinus strymonicus in West Aegean region. Later, molecular data revealed Phoxinus csikii and Phoxinus lumaireul in the Middle Danube and P. csikii in the Lower Danube. Phoxinus has been the focus of many studies, showing a high molecular and morphological diversity, which is not entirely consistent with previous morphology‐only‐based taxonomic concepts. In this study, molecular (a mitochondrial marker and a nuclear marker) and morphological data from both historical and recently sampled collections were analysed to assess the applicability of the integrative approach in Phoxinus. The results showed a significant influence of the complex paleo‐ and recent hydrology on the currently observed genetic structure of the considered populations and species. Furthermore, the study also demonstrated a strong influence of phenotypic plasticity on the morphological analysis of Phoxinus and the lack of a clear differentiation between P. csikii and P. strandjae. A barcoded specimen was designated as neotype to fix the species named P. strandjae in the current taxonomic concept. Finally, a significant discordance between genetically delimited clades and phenotypic groups did not allow a proper delineation of the species distributed in Bulgaria, demonstrating that more molecular markers are needed for further taxonomic study of the Phoxinus complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia ofCharlevoix–Saguenay (ARSACS) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterizedby early‐onset cerebellar ataxia, peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy, and lowerlimb spasticity. We present clinical andgenetic data of the first Bulgarian patients diagnosed with ARSACS by wholeexome sequencing (WES). Methods: Variant filtering was performed usinglocally established pipeline and the selected variants were analysed by Sangersequencing. All patients underwent clinical examination and testingincluding the standard rating scales for spastic paraplegia and ataxia. Results: Five different SACS gene variants, three of which novel, have been identified inpatients from three different ethnic groups. In addition to the classicalclinical triad, brain MRI revealed cerebellar atrophy, linear pontineT2‐hypointensities, and hyperintense rim lateral tothalamus combined with retinal nerve fiber layer thickening on opticcoherence tomography (OCT). Conclusion: We expand the mutation, geographic, and phenotypic spectrum of ARSACS, adding Bulgaria to the world map of the disease, and drawing attention to the fact that it is still misdiagnosed. We demonstrated that brain MRI and OCT are necessary clinical tests for ARSACS diagnosis, even if one of the cardinal clinical features is lacking [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research done in Bulgaria demonstrated a fivefold reduction in mortality from COVID‐19 with increased doses of colchicine from two hospitals in the country. We report here a further 333 cases of COVID‐19 inpatients, treated with different doses of colchicine and its effect on mortality. Materials and Methods: A case‐control comparison from two additional hospitals was conducted between increased doses of colchicine and added bromhexine to standard of care (SOC) versus current SOC. Risk and odds ratio, as well as subgroup analysis, was conducted with newly reported data, alongside aggregate data from all hospital centers to determine the extent of mortality reduction in COVID‐19 inpatients. Results: There was a clear reduction in the mortality of inpatients with increasing doses of colchicine—between twofold and sevenfold. Colchicine loading doses of 4 mg are more effective than those with 2 mg. Despite these doses being higher than the so‐called "standard doses," colchicine inpatients experienced lower mortality than SOC patients (5.7% vs. 19.53%). This mortality benefit was evident in different age subgroups, with a 4‐mg loading dose of colchicine proving slightly superior to a 2‐mg loading dose. Colchicine led to an overall relative risk reduction of 70.7%, with SOC patients having 3.91 higher odds of death. The safety of the doses was not different than the reported in the summary of product characteristics. Conclusion: Inpatients in Bulgaria with added colchicine and bromhexine to SOC achieved better clinical and mortality outcomes than those on SOC alone. These results question the World Health Organization—recommended strategy to inhibit viral replication. We posit that our treatment strategy to inhibit the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 entry into the cell with inhaled bromhexine and the hyperactivated NLRP3 inflammasome with higher doses of colchicine, prevents the development of cytokine storm. The timing of the initiation of treatment seems critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Bulgaria on three seas" is a commonly used phrase in Bulgaria. It is used on national celebration days, around government election days, in populist campaigns, on TV shows, on social media, at folkloric concerts and gatherings and in simple everyday conversations. The phrase signifies a specific golden century of Bulgarian history characterized by the fact that Bulgaria reaches the Black, White and Adriatic seas. Today, the phrase is regularly used by Bulgarians when they talk about their country. This glorious time is also used as part of the political and public rhetoric where ideology has nationalistic character. It is present during political public debates about the country's reactions to both its past and its future. The phrase "Bulgaria on three seas" lifts the national spirit during moments of struggle. And all that raises questions about why Bulgarians constantly refer to this part of their history and what this regressive behavior demonstrates. This article aims to provide a psychological explanation, combining the concepts of regression (going back to the past), denial of the present and national inferiority complex (perceived helplessness and weakness) in order to analyze how a nation could respond to its own feelings of national group inferiority. It explains how regression is a response to one's own feelings of inferiority and it contributes to the studies of large‐group psychology established by Vamik Volkan by offering an alternative explanation. The work demonstrates that regression is the Bulgarian way of dealing with its own inferiority complexes when in denial about what is happening in the present. This takes place when group identity (or an aspect of it) is questioned. The article also provides a pathway to further exploration of how other nations deal with similar experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support for children's rights is greater among children raised in democratic environments. The present two studies examined children's endorsements and predictors of children's rights. Five democratic competences taken from the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture served as predictors. We tested the models in a sample of children raised in five European countries and a sample raised in an African country, seeking to extend our model beyond the Global North. In Study 1, we found four of these five competences, namely, higher valuing of cultural diversity, civic‐mindedness, cultural openness and empathy significantly predicted higher endorsements of rights in children from Bulgaria, Italy, Norway, Romania and Spain (7–11‐year‐olds; N = 292). In Study 2, we found higher valuing of cultural diversity significantly predicted higher endorsements of rights in Nigerian children (7–14‐year‐olds; N = 84). Supporting Social Cognitive Domain Theory, children in both studies endorsed nurturance rights more than self‐determination rights. Inclusion of children from the Global North and South enabled us to determine whether patterns of rights endorsements were similar for children from both samples. Overall, this research presents novel findings on the salience of valuing cultural diversity in support for children's rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about potential earthquake sources is a key issue for seismic hazard assessment. This study presents the application of a phenomenological approach based on pattern recognition to determine the possible locations of strong earthquakes in the Bulgarian region. The technique assumes the origin of strong earthquakes in morphostructural nodes formed around the intersections of morphostructural lineaments identified by morphostructural zoning. For the territory of the Bulgaria and neighbouring regions, 178 nodes were defined in this work. The CORA-3 pattern recognition algorithm identified 59 seismogenic nodes analysing a set of geophysical and geological node's characteristics. The identified seismogenic nodes are capable to generate earthquakes with magnitude equal to or greater than 6 and are located at the boundaries between the largest tectonic domains: Rila, Pirin, and Rhodope orogens; the Serbian-Macedonian massif; and in the Stara Planina belt. The set of characteristic features of seismogenic nodes indicates that the vicinity of potential nodes is characterized by a high contrast of neotectonic movements of the Earth's crust and the presence of deep heterogeneities in the Earth's crust. About 40% of the recognized nodes are not associated with any earthquakes, while the rest of the recognized seismogenic nodes are characterized by an area with a radius of 25 km where earthquakes are known to occur. Part of these "non active" seismogenic nodes are close to the historical events with magnitudes higher than 5.5 since the magnitude and location of historical events have large uncertainties. Another part of the seismogenic nodes may slightly change the location due to the uncertainties in morphostructural zonation. Other nodes may indicate unknown historical seismicity or paleoearthquakes. Defined M6+ seismogenic nodes can fill the potential gaps in the recorded seismicity on the territory of Bulgaria, thus to improve the seismic hazard assessment of the studied region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stachys germanica L. (Lamiaceae) is a plant associated with a rich history in the traditional medicine of Iran, Turkey, and Serbia. However, researchers have not fully investigated the pharmacological potential of the herb, and scientific data on this plant species are limited. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) obtained from the aerial parts of S. germanica L. growing wild in Bulgaria and to perform a comparative analysis of the chemical composition of EOs obtained from the same plant species from other geographical regions. For the evaluation of the chemical profile of the isolated EO, gas chromatographic analysis with mass spectrometry was performed. The most abundant terpene class was oxygenated monoterpenes, which accounted for 59.30% of the total EO composition. The bicyclic monoterpene camphor, as a compound of this class, was identified as the major constituent in the EO, accounting for 52.96% of the total oil composition. The chemical profile of Bulgarian EO is quite different compared to that of EOs from other regions. It is the only one to contain more than 50% camphor. In addition, EO contains significant amounts of the diterpene geranyl p-cymene (10.49%). This is the first study describing the chemical composition of EO from Bulgarian Stachys germanica L., and our results reveal some future perspectives for the evaluation of the biological activity of EO from the studied plant species as a new therapeutic agent or natural remedy targeting different medical conditions. The EO has a promising potential to be used as a biopesticide and repellent as well, an environmentally friendly and safer alternative to standard pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the investment flows from Greek to Bulgarian regions against the context of COVID-19. Employing a mixed research method, it investigates the initial impact of COVID-19 on regional FDI flows from Greece to Bulgaria and intends to explore to which extent the pandemic acts as an impediment to firm relocation, by examining regional investment flows from 2013 to 2020. The effects of the COVID-19 macroeconomic shock are placed in the context of the existing conditions shaped by the 2008 global economic crisis. The paper also attempts to provide a critical insight of factors underlying investment flows. The results indicate that there was a limited investment halt but no disinvestment from the Greek to Bulgarian regions in the first year of the COVID-19 outbreak. Low and stable taxation, cheap labour and efficient regulatory regime attract Greek investments in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South‐Eastern Europe only recently was required to adapt their domestic law to adhere to European Union legislations and standards. As such, it forms an excellent case study on how and to what extent the 'Europeanisation' process is interacting with the development of special education needs (SEN) policy, particularly focusing on autistic children. This scoping review mapped autism and special education policies of Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia and investigated how Europeanisation interacted with autism and educational policy through a path dependence analysis. Our research shows that education for children with special needs started with segregation during communist time. EU accession since then has influenced disability policies and contributed to establishing inclusive education for all students. One particular Romanian policy resulted in children with special needs not having to compete with typical children for school submission. Ultimately, the majority of policies addressed special education needs in general. Only Romania adopted specific autism policy. Inclusive education is being developed in all countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of the impact of habitat loss on population density can be achieved by evaluating effects of both parameters within remnant habitat patches and parameters of the landscape surrounding those patches. The integration of predictors at the patch and landscape level is scarce in animal ecological studies, especially for reptiles. In this study, a patch–landscape approach was applied to evaluate the combined effects of within‐patch habitat quality, patch geometry and landscape configuration and composition on the density of remnant populations of the eastern green lizard, Lacerta viridis, in a highly modified landscape in Bulgaria. Landscape composition variables (proportion of different land covers) were measured at different spatial scales surrounding patches. Single‐scale models were built to evaluate combined effects of all predictors on density, when including all landscape composition variables at a specific spatial scale. Multi‐scale models were applied to analyze combined effects when including landscape composition variables at the scale of their strongest effect (scale of effect, SoE). Results showed that the SoE of proportion of cropland and urban areas was small (50 m), while for proportion of habitat was large (1.5 km). The overall effect of habitat loss was better explained by the multi‐scale model. Population density increased with patch area and decreased with patch shape irregularity and with the proportion of three land cover types surrounding patches—cropland, urban areas, and habitat. Combining patch and landscape parameters is important to identify ecological processes that occur simultaneously at different spatial levels and landscape scales, which would imply the application of multi‐scale approaches for the protection of wild animal populations. Results are contrasted with what is known about occupancy patterns of the species in the same region and approaches to integrate both occupancy and density, in the field design of animal ecological studies are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study investigates whether suspected child abuse/neglect (SCAN) training in dental school has increased dental student SCAN knowledge and, consequently, reporting. Materials and Methods: A 25‐question survey used to assess for SCAN knowledge in 2006 was readministered to a group of dental students at one US dental school in St. Louis, MO, which has integrated SCAN training into its curriculum for at least 3 years, and one dental school in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which has not integrated SCAN training as a control. Results: Of 16 questions assessing for SCAN knowledge, group US students answered 14 questions correctly and performed better than US students surveyed in 2006. By comparison, group Bulgaria students with no SCAN training answered 15 questions correctly. When asked what their legal responsibilities were concerning SCAN, 96.4% of group US students knew they were required to report, whilst only half of group Bulgaria (48.9%) responded correctly. The results suggest that integrating SCAN training into the curriculum is effective in conveying this important message. However, in a question asking students whether they encountered a child at dental school who they suspected was the victim of child maltreatment and if so, how did they act, there were no indications that students at either school made any reports as the question was either answered "no" or left blank. The number of SCAN cases reported by campus authorities was also zero. Conclusion: The results suggest that classroom training in SCAN is not motivating students to report SCAN at their dental school, despite increased knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eastern European health system indicators (e.g., number of health workers and care coverage) suggest well‐resourced maternity care systems, but maternal health outcomes compare poorly with those in Western Europe. Often, poor maternal health outcomes are linked to inequities in accessing adequate maternal care. This study investigates access‐related barriers (availability, appropriateness, affordability, approachability, and acceptability) to maternity care in Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova. Methods: This cross‐country study (n = 7345) is based on an online survey where women who received maternity care and gave birth in 2015–2018 in Bulgaria (n = 4951), Romania (n = 2018), and Moldova (n = 376) provided information on their experiences with the care received. We used regression analysis to identify factors associated with accessing maternity care across the three countries. Results: Results show high rates of cesarean births (CB) and a low number of antenatal and postnatal care visits. Informal payments and use of personal connections are common practices. Formal and informal out‐of‐pocket payments create a financial burden for women with health complications. Women who had health complications, those who gave birth by cesarean, and women who gave birth in a public facility and had fewer antenatal check‐ups, were more likely to describe facing access‐related barriers. Conclusions: This study identifies several barriers to high‐quality maternity care in Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. More attention should be paid to the appropriateness of care provided to women with complicated pregnancies, to those who have CBs, to women who give birth in public facilities, and to those who receive fewer antenatal care visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advanced snakes (Alethinophidia) include the extant snakes with a highly evolved head morphology providing increased gape and jaw flexibility. Along with other physiological and morphological adaptations, this allows them to immobilize, ingest, and transport prey that may be disproportionately large or presents danger to the predator from bites, teeth, horns, or spines. Reported incidents of snakes failing to consume prey and being injured or killed during feeding mostly reflect information in the form of natural‐history notes. Here we provide the first extensive review of such incidents, including 101 publications describing at least 143 cases of mortality (including six of 'multiple individuals') caused by ingestion or attempted consumption of injurious prey. We also report on 15 previously unpublished injurious feeding incidents from the USA, Austria, and Bulgaria, including mortality of five juvenile piscivorous dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) from a single location. Occurrences are spread across taxa, with mortality documented for at least 73 species from eight families and 45 genera. Incidents were generally well represented within each of three major categories: oversized prey (40.6%), potentially harmful prey (40.6%), and predator's behavioural/mechanical errors (18.9%). Reptile (33%) and fish (26%) prey caused disproportionately high mortality compared to mammals (16%). Feeding can be dangerous throughout a snake's life, with the later stages of feeding likely being more perilous. The number of reports has increased over time, and the data seem biased towards localities with a higher number of field‐working herpetologists. We propose a standardized framework, comprising a set of basic information that should ideally be collected and published, and which could be useful as a template for future data collection, reporting, and analyses. We conclude that incidents of mortality during feeding are likely to be more common than previously assumed, and this hypothesis has implications for the ecology of persistence where populations are impacted by changing trophic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social distancing, mask‐wearing, and travel restrictions during the COVID‐19 pandemic have significantly impacted the spread of influenza viruses. The objectives of this study were to analyze the pattern of influenza virus circulation with respect to that of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) in Bulgaria during the 2021–2022 season and to perform a phylogenetic/molecular analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) sequences of representative influenza strains. Influenza infection was confirmed using real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in 93 (4.2%) of the 2193 patients with acute respiratory illness tested wherein all detected viruses were subtyped as A(H3N2). SARS‐CoV‐2 was identified in 377 (24.3%) of the 1552 patients tested. Significant differences in the incidence of influenza viruses and SARS‐CoV‐2 were found between individual age groups, outpatients/inpatients, and in the seasonal distribution of cases. Two cases of coinfections were identified. In hospitalized patients, the Ct values of influenza viruses at admission were lower in adults aged ≥65 years (indicating higher viral load) than in children aged 0–14 years (p < 0.05). In SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive inpatients, this association was not statistically significant. HA genes of all A(H3N2) viruses analyzed belonged to subclade 3C.2a1b.2a. The sequenced viruses carried 11 substitutions in HA and 5 in NA, in comparison to the vaccine virus A/Cambodia/e0826360/2020, including several substitutions in the HA antigenic sites B and C. This study revealed extensive changes in the typical epidemiology of influenza infection, including a dramatic reduction in the number of cases, diminished genetic diversity of circulating viruses, changes in age, and seasonal distribution of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Bulgaria the share of secondary production in GDP remained constantly low between c. 1870–1910. To explain the country's exceptionally weak growth, we use endogenous and unified growth theory. Gerschenkron and Palairet blame a self‐sufficiency‐oriented peasant economy for rising labour and raw material costs in industry, which destroyed the competitiveness of Bulgarian manufacturing and prevented industrialisation. We refute the existence of any long‐lasting cost increases in industry after 1878. Quite the opposite was true: the expansion of Bulgaria's secondary sector was restricted by detrimental changes on the demand side, for which peasants were not responsible. Recent research claims that, around 1910, Bulgarian textile production was significantly lower than in 1870. Our study brings to light new data and information that clearly disproves this view. Until around 1910, a booming modern manufacturing sector more than replaced the country's proto‐industries' textile outputs, which had plummeted dramatically during the early years of the newly founded Bulgarian state. However, as the rise of modern manufacturing in textile production coincided with the decline of the entire large sector of traditional manufacturing, secondary production as a whole stagnated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to assess the differences in the chemical composition of essential oil from biocultivated Lavandula angustifolia in the Thracian Lowland floristic region, Bulgaria, and commercially available products from Bulgarian markets. Following the analytical results conducted with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we have established some differences in the chemical composition of the tested samples. The essential oil of biocultivated lavender contained 35 compounds, which represent 94.13% of the total oil. Samples from commercial products contained 28–42 compounds that represent 93.03–98.69% of the total oil. All the examined samples were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons (1.68–12.77%), oxygenated monoterpenes (70.42–87.96%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (4.03–13.78%), and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (0.14–0.76%). The dominant components in all examined samples were linalool (20.0–45.0%) and linalyl acetate (20.79–39.91%). All the examined commercial samples contained linalool and linalyl acetate as was described in the European Pharmacopoeia, but in one of the samples, the quality of linalyl acetate is lower than that recommended in the European Pharmacopoeia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestication of the horse began possibly more than 5000 years ago in the western part of the Eurasian steppe, and according to the leading hypothesis, horses first spread from the Steppe toward the region of the Thracian culture, starting in the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE and flourished from the fifth to first centuries BCE, mainly located in present‐day Bulgaria. We analyzed 17 horse bone remains excavated from Thracian archaeological sites (fourth to first centuries BCE) in Bulgaria and successfully identified 17 sequences representing 14 different haplotypes of the mitochondrial D‐loop. Compared with the mtDNA haplotypes of modern horses around the world, ancient Thracian horses in Bulgaria are thought to be more closely related to modern horses of Southern Europe and less related to those of Central Asia. In addition, the haplotypes we obtained represented 11 previously reported modern horse mtDNA haplogroups: A, B, D, E, G, H, I, L, N, P, and Q. All the haplogroups contain modern and regionally predominant haplotypes occurring in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Our results indicate that Thracian horses in Bulgaria have had relatively high genetic diversity and are closely related to modern horse breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2021 was a turbulent political year in Bulgaria. Event‐wise, it saw three rounds of legislative elections, one presidential election, two caretaker cabinets and a lot of institutional struggles. In terms of results, 2021 saw the end of Citizens for a European Development of Bulgaria/Grazhdani za evropeysko razvitie na Bulgaria (GERB) dominance in political life, challenges to the links between the state and economic strongmen established during its government, and a new, reform‐minded, coalition Cabinet taking power. New parties made an entrance on the legislative scene: There Is Such a People/Ima takuv narod (ITN) led by Slavi Trifonov won one election (July) and then lost the next one (November), when a brand new party We Continue the Change/Prodalzhavame promyanata (PP) won a plurality of votes. Another surprising outcome was the acceptance of the Bulgarian Socialists/BSP za Balgariya (BSP) as a legitimate coalition partner after July 2021. The year also saw an inconsistent pattern of anti‐Covid‐19 policies, low vaccination and high death rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the emerging SARS‐CoV‐2 variants carrying mutations in the spike protein raises concerns about the possibility of accelerated transmission in the ever‐evolving COVID‐19 pandemic worldwide. AY.4.2, a sublineage of the Delta variant, was considered a variant under investigation (VUI) and also gained the nickname "Delta Plus," due to its extra mutations, Y145H and A222V. In this study, using genomic epidemiology, we provide the first insights into the introduction of AY.4.2 in Bulgaria and the AY.4.2.1 sublineage that found larger dissemination only in Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Russian pressure, Bulgaria voted for the successive packages of sanctions adopted by the EU without reservation and became, in May 2022, one of the first two states to stop receiving gas from Gazprom due to the government's refusal to pay for gas in roubles, in keeping with EU sanctions (Bedrov, 2022). V The (Informal) Veto on North Macedonia's Negotiations as a Domestic Political Problem Finally, turning to the foreign affairs front, the main issue dominating 2021 was Bulgaria's (informal) veto on North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations. After sketching the context of Bulgaria's path to the European Union, the first section discusses stagnation and backsliding that characterized the end of a decade of GERB ( I Grazhdani za Evropejsko Razvitie na Bulgaria i : Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) rule. [Extracted from the article]

Rowles (1988) is cited as the first author to advocate a distinctive rural gerontology, to promote progress in the research on ageing in rural environments. Moreover, rural gerontology is presented as "critical rural gerontology", in line with developments in the study of (rural) ageing in the present century (Bernard & Scharf 2007). Towards Critical Perspectives on Rural Ageing; Translocal Ageing in the Global East. The aim of the book, according to the editors, is to present "rural gerontology" as a distinctive rural sub-strand of gerontology. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Next‐generation sequencing (NGS)‐based method is being used broadly for genetic testing especially for clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders, such as inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) but still not routinely used for molecular diagnostics in Bulgaria. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a molecular diagnostic approach, based on targeted NGS for the identification of the disease‐causing mutations in 16 Bulgarian patients with different IRDs. Methods: We applied a customized NGS panel, including 125 genes associated with retinal and other eye diseases to the patients with hereditary retinopathies. Results: Systematic filtering approach coupled with copy number variation analysis and segregation study lead to the identification of 16 pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants in 12/16 (75%) of IRD patients, 2 of which novel (12.5%): ABCA4‐c.668delA (p.K223Rfs18) and RР1‐c.2015dupA (p.K673Efs*25). Mutations in the ABCA4, PRPH2, USH2A, BEST1, RР1, CDHR1, and RHO genes were detected reaching a diagnostic yield between 42.9% for Retinitis pigmentosa cases and 100% for macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and cone‐rod dystrophy patients. Conclusion: Our results confirm the usefulness of targeted NGS approach based on frequently mutated genes as a comprehensive and successful genetic diagnostic tool for IRDs with significant impact on patients counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Quality control and risk management in the field of dental services is an important part of improving patient safety as well as that of the dentists. The introduction of a risk management model would simplify and facilitate this process. Aim. The aim of the study is to gather information about the structurе and organization of work processes in Bulgarian dental practices, which will serve as a basis for building a risk management model. Material and Methods. A survey was conducted among randomly selected dental associations in Bulgaria-Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna, and Burgas through an anonymized questionnaire, containing 30 questions. The respondents meet the main criteria, namely, to be dentists and to practice in Bulgaria. The study includes demographic data, information on the attitude of Bulgarian dentists towards issues related to quality management, and safety and risk in respect to dental practice. The results have been processed and analyzed through descriptive and graphical analysis using the statistical program SPSS 20.0. Results. A total of 103 Bulgarian dentists took part in the study, out of which 25.24 % ± 4.28 % have acquired a specialty. Women are 52.43 % ± 4.92 % , and men − 47.57 % ± 4.92 %. The largest is the relative share of the respondents in the age range of 25-35 years − 63.10 % ± 4.75 % and with work experience of 6-15 years − 52.43 % ± 4.92 %. Most of the respondents do not define in writing the main tasks and activities − 52.43 % ± 4.92 % , and do not use checklists in their practice -54.73%. The majority of the respondents do not hold regular meetings with their teams − 50.49 % ± 4.93 % , as well as they do not conduct surveys among their patients − 68.93 % ± 4.56 %. The majority of the respondents − 41.75 % ± 4.86 % are guided by their personal judgment in respect to whether the written information provided to patients is comprehensible and accessible. The majority of dentists − 45.63 % ± 4.91 % take informed consent only for expensive procedures in written and oral form − 53.40 % ± 4.92 %. Out of all the respondents, 75.73 % ± 4.22 % have not analyzed the risk of slipping in their practices for the last two years. Conclusion. There is a lack of written definition of the main tasks and processes, as well as no use of checklists in the practices of most of the interviewed dentists. Meetings with teams are held irregularly. There is a lack of surveys among patients, as well as no objective feedback from patients regarding the comprehensibility of the information materials provided. Informed consent is obtained from patients mainly in written and oral form and only for costly manipulations. In the practices of most of the interviewed dentists, there has been no assessment of the risk of slipping and falling for the last 2 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report an efficient and short total synthesis of bulgarein (1), a natural compound from Bulgaria inquinans with cytotoxic activity. Key steps in the total synthesis are a Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling reaction of two substituted naphthalene derivates followed by a polyphosphoric acid (PPA) mediated condensation reaction to form the benzo[j]fluoranthene skeleton. Bulgarein (1) was achieved over 4 steps with an overall yield of 25 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines identity politics in Turkey through migrations from the Balkans in the early years of Cold War. Despite secularisation reforms in the 1920s and 1930s, Muslim identity remained a central component in the formation of Turkish nationhood. In the wake of WW II, Turkey chose to be a part of Western world whereas her two regional neighbours, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, remained in the Socialist bloc. Nearly 500,000 Turks, Bosnians, Albanians and Pomaks in Yugoslavia and Bulgaria were either forced, or "encouraged," to leave their lands after 1950. Despite ideological barriers and ethnic differences, Turkey welcomed these migrants to the country. Official records, recently available biographies and oral sources shed light on the discourses of identity politics through this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ibrexafungerp versus placebo for acute vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) treatment. Design: Global phase 3, randomised, placebo‐controlled superiority study. Setting: Study sites in the USA (n = 19) and Bulgaria (n = 18). Population: Female patients aged ≥12 years with acute VVC and a vulvovaginal signs and symptoms (VSS) score ≥4 at baseline. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to ibrexafungerp (300 mg twice for 1 day) or placebo. Main outcome measures: The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with a clinical cure (VSS = 0) at the test‐of‐cure visit (day 11 ± 3). Secondary endpoints included percentages of patients with mycological eradication, clinical cure and mycological eradication (overall success), clinical improvement (VSS ≤1) at test‐of‐cure visit, and complete resolution of symptoms at follow‐up visit (day 25 ± 4). Results: At the test‐of‐cure visit, patients receiving ibrexafungerp had significantly higher rates of clinical cure (63.3% [119/188] versus 44.0% [37/84]; P = 0.007), mycological eradication (58.5% [110/188] versus 29.8% [25/84]; P < 0.001), overall success (46.1% [82/188] versus 28.4% [23/84]; P = 0.022) and clinical improvement (72.3% [136/188] versus 54.8% [46/84]; P = 0.01) versus those receiving placebo. Symptom resolution was sustained and further increased with ibrexafungerp (73.9%) versus placebo (52.4%) at follow‐up (P = 0.001). Ibrexafungerp was generally well tolerated. Adverse events were primarily gastrointestinal and were mild to moderate in severity. Conclusions: Ibrexafungerp demonstrated statistical superiority over placebo for the primary and secondary endpoints. Ibrexafungerp is a promising novel, well‐tolerated and effective oral 1‐day treatment for acute VVC. Ibrexafungerp is statistically superior to placebo for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Ibrexafungerp is statistically superior to placebo for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. Linked article This article is commented on by KSJ Olah, p. 421–422 in this issue. To view this mini commentary visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ponto‐Caspian round goby Neogobius melanostomus is a fish well known for its invasion success in North America and Europe. Though it originates from eastern Europe, it is only native to a few rivers in this region. Since the species is physiologically tolerant of varying environmental conditions, rapid spread and establishment to adjacent water basins is likely. Establishment of the species is also associated with ecological consequences. It is therefore important to track its spread close to the native region, which is often overshadowed by reports from further away. Here we report the first evidence of alien invasion in the Aegean watershed by N. melanostomus following a regional monitoring program of the fish fauna. Size‐ and sex–related characteristics of the population are discussed in relation to its level of establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Нuman bocaviruses (hBoVs) are often associated with acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Information on the distribution and molecular epidemiology of hBoVs in Bulgaria is currently limited. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of hBoVs detected in patients with ARIs in Bulgaria. From October 2016 to September 2019, nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs were prospectively collected from 1842 patients of all ages and tested for 12 common respiratory viruses using a real-time RT-PCR. Phylogenetic and amino acid analyses of the hBoV VP1/VP2 gene/protein were performed. HBoV was identified in 98 (5.3%) patients and was the 6th most prevalent virus after respiratory-syncytial virus (20.4%), influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (11.1%), A(H3N2) (10.5%), rhinoviruses (9.9%), and adenoviruses (6.8%). Coinfections with other respiratory viruses were detected in 51% of the hBoV-positive patients. Significant differences in the prevalence of hBoVs were found during the different study periods and in patients of different age groups. The detection rate of hBoV was the highest in patients aged 0–4 years (6.9%). In this age group, hBoV was the only identified virus in 9.7%, 5.8%, and 1.1% of the children diagnosed with laryngotracheitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia, respectively. Among patients aged ≥5 years, hBoV was detected as a single agent in 2.2% of cases of pneumonia. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all Bulgarian hBoV strains belonged to the hBoV1 genotype. A few amino acid substitutions were identified compared to the St1 prototype strain. This first study amongst an all-age population in Bulgaria showed a significant rate of hBoV detection in some serious respiratory illnesses in early childhood, year-to-year changes in the hBoV prevalence, and low genetic variability in the circulating strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti‐fracking movement (AFM) in Bulgaria, was a successful grassroots local‐to‐national organizing effort to change public policy. The study draws on social movements, community psychology, and grassroots democracy theory to explore, describe and critique how participants in the AFM collectively constructed meanings and practices of organizing in interaction with the sociopolitical context as they expanded their efforts from the local to the national level of policy‐making. Data for the study were collected from semi‐structured interviews with activists, movement documents, and participant observations. Structured and open coding followed by qualitative analyses produced descriptions and explanations of grassroots democracy in the movement. The movement was based on a prefigurative vision and practice of an antihierarchical "civic society" and was also shaped by the demands of the Bulgarian political context. Power, consent, and participation had dynamic meanings and forms that secured both grassroots democracy and effective political action. Тhe AFM resisted well‐known mechanisms of hierarchization and co‐optation, but it also reproduced certain inequalities of power. The findings relate to recent trends for expansion of community organizing to the national level of politics, for expansion of the community organizing models outside the United States, and for a popular grassroots preference for anti‐organizational organizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now wide recognition that grassroots community organizing is a uniquely necessary approach for contending with the persistent and escalating socioeconomic inequities that manifest as disparities across many societal domains, including housing, safety, education, and mental and physical health. The articles in this special issue report findings from studies designed to increase understanding of community organizing processes and produce actionable knowledge that can enhance these and other similar efforts to create more equitable and just cities and regions. These studies examine a variety of community organizing campaigns, initiatives, and networks in North America, as well as one in Bulgaria, and one in South Africa. These groups are building social power and demanding economic, racial, educational, and environmental justice. In this introductory article, we highlight some of the themes that emerge from this set of studies and make recommendations for future roles that research can play in advancing collective understanding and the practical objectives of grassroots organizing initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article develops the notion of restless bodies to explore the interaction between regimes of social reproduction and freedom of movement. The notion captures the methodological difficulty to account for 'return migration' and goes beyond the isolation of a singular migration determinant. The author relies on two empirical cases. The first draws on one hundred interviews with 'return migrants' in Bulgaria. The second is based on fieldwork conducted between 2013 and 2015 in Germany. Both show how the political economy of movement is characterised by a contradiction between fixity and motion in the context of capital accumulation and fading welfare state. The concerns at hand are raised both because of their methodological importance but also as a potential instrument that could supplement ongoing policy debates in the field of EU social security portability coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Balkan Peninsula represents one of the most important human pathways into and out of Europe during the Pleistocene. Mishin Kamik cave, located in the karst region of Western Stara Planina, has a rich faunal content and shows promising features indicating a human occupation site with the discovery of potential bone artefacts and an intriguing accumulation of bear skulls and bones. Petrographic study and U‐series dating of a stalagmite and other calcite deposits in the cave provide an absolute chronological frame for the detrital infillings and their archaeological content and inform the environmental and climatic context of the cave evolution. Most detrital deposits in the cave were probably deposited before Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and the cave morphology and sedimentary deposits display current morphologies since ~135 ka. Consequently, the palaeontological and archaeological findings are older than ~135 ka. Calcite dated on and under the accumulation of bear skulls and bones suggests deposition during MIS 7. A first depositional contextualization of the bone accumulation does not allow us to discriminate between a natural or anthropogenic origin. The study emphasizes the added value of speleothem studies in archaeological sites and particularly in bringing a well‐constrained chronological and environmental framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignancy characterized by an aggressive tumor growth and significant mortality. Clarifying mechanisms responsible for immunomodulation are among the main challenges for the development of personalized approaches for the management of patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relevance of MICA and MICB to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma pathogenesis focusing on allele polymorphisms and the levels of soluble MICA and MICB molecules.Materials and Methods: 73 patients diagnosed with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and 149 healthy controls from the Bulgarian population were included in the study. MICA and MICB polymorphism was analyzed at high-resolution level using Next-Generation Sequencing. Serum levels of soluble MICA and MICB molecules were measured by ELISA.Results: Our results show significant protective association with MICB*002:01, while relatively rare alleles MICB*018, *019, and *020 were observed with statistically significant increased frequency in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma patients compared to controls. Additionally, a predisposing association was observed for MICA*008:01-MICB*019 haplotype. A correlation analysis between functionally relevant MICA polymorphisms and sMICA showed that homozygosity for MICA-A5.1 or 129Val in OSCC patients was associated with significantly higher serum levels of sMICA.Conclusion: This is the first study showing significant associations between MICB alleles and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and suggesting the possible role of MICB in immunosurveillance in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma development. Observed correlations between the levels of soluble MICA molecules and functionally relevant polymorphisms might represent a further step toward a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and developing strategies for therapeutic targeting harnessing effective immunosurveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broadly understood Taraxacum sect. Palustria was examined and found heterogeneous on the basis of a new ample material from the Balkan Peninsula. A group of eighteen species was recognized, characterized by achenes usually densely spinulose and abruptly to subabruptly narrowing in the cone, appressed or loosely appressed outer phyllaries numerous, often imbricate or subimbricate, with an evenly deep to dark olivaceous‐green abaxial surface and a conspicuous, very narrow whitish border, polliniferous anthers and triploidy. The relatively clear‐cut group is described as a new section, Taraxacum sect. Austropaludosa. Members of the new section are distributed in central and eastern Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, southernmost Ukraine, one species reaches Iran and Iraq; only a single species occupies a Central European geographical range. Two new species are described, T. (Austropaludosa) favorabile from Bulgaria and North Macedonia, characterized by a broadly winged petiole, outer phyllaries appressed to loosely appressed ovate‐lanceolate, dark olivaceous‐green, with a distinct but very narrow whitish border, and T. (Palustria) siticulosum from Bulgaria, a species allied to T. scaturiginosum and T. lilianae, distinct in having very numerous outer phyllaries, often distally erect‐arcuate, almost entire leaf lobes, and short achenes with a ± cylindrical cone only 0.5–0.8 mm long. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A goal of the WHO strategy on the elimination of hepatitis as a public threat is a 65% reduction in the attributable mortality. Deaths related to hepatitis B and C infections are mostly due to decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but accurately measuring mortality is challenging as death certificates often do not capture the underlying disease. The aim of this collaborative study between European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) was to assess a WHO‐developed protocol to support countries in implementing studies to collect data on the fraction of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma attributable to hepatitis B and C. Three sentinel sites (in Bulgaria, Norway and Portugal) collected data for patients first admitted or seen in their centres during 2016. Patients with cirrhosis or HCC were identified through patient files or healthcare databases using ICD‐10 codes. The proportion of patients with cirrhosis and HCC who tested positive for HBV and HCV were calculated to estimate the aetiological fractions. After the pilot study was completed, each site was asked about the feasibility and acceptability of the protocol. A total of 1249 patients presenting with cirrhosis and/or HCC were evaluated across the three sites. The prevalence of HBV and HCV among cases of cirrhosis showed that in Norway and Portugal, HCV was responsible for about one‐quarter of the cases, whereas in Bulgaria, HBV was more common. For HCC, HCV was responsible for more than one‐third of cases in Norway and Portugal, while in Bulgaria HBV was more frequent as the underlying cause. Results obtained during the pilot study were comparable to published estimates obtained through statistical modelling or meta‐analyses. Several challenges were reported from the sites involved in the pilot including the considerable time needed for reviewing the hospital records and extracting patient data. The pilot demonstrated the feasibility of collecting data on the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection among patients with cirrhosis and HCC in sentinel sites. This method can be used to estimate mortality attributable to HBV and HCV for elimination monitoring. Where easily implementable, sentinel studies are the best way to empower countries, get up‐to date data and closely monitor the changes in the attributable fraction at a country level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban development exacerbates urban heat island effects of cities and thermal discomfort of the residents worldwide. However, such urban effects vary with the geographical and climatic conditions of the respective cities. This study is the first to quantitatively estimate the impact of past (1878), present (2012), and future (2050) urbanization on surface air temperatures and human thermal comfort in Sofia, the largest city of Bulgaria. We used the state-of-the-art Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) climate model, with a 1-km horizontal resolution for three cases: LU1878, LU2012, and LU2050. We first validated the results of the control simulation (case LU2012) against actual observations. The model satisfactorily reproduced the diurnal variation of the observed monthly mean surface air temperatures for July (2011-2013) with a mean bias of ±0.6°C. We then estimated the potential impacts of past and future urbanization on surface temperature. Our results suggest that because of urbanization of Sofia, the surface air temperature at 0600 Local Standard Time (LST) has increased approximately 4.0°C in the past (1878-2012) and approximately 0.4°C in future (2012-2050). We also evaluated the impact of the urban thermal environment on human comfort levels. Considering the LU2050 case in the central part of Sofia, the temperature-humidity index during mid-afternoon (1400-1700 LST) is estimated to be 24-26, indicating that approximately 50% of the residents could feel perceptibly uncomfortable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on studies showing that arguments about the nature of intergroup prejudice allow members of privileged groups to 'perform' a positive social identity, the present study explores how arguments about the nature of prejudice are produced by targets of prejudice in order to consolidate or challenge their own social identity. We conducted interviews with Bulgarian Roma and, based on a discursive psychology approach, analysed the way participants contested being assigned to a Roma‐exclusive identity category, which they treated as produced by prejudiced beliefs of the non‐Roma high‐status majority population. Positive intergroup contact was used to demonstrate the absence of prejudice and counter Roma identity threat. Auto‐stereotyping and disidentification, in turn, revealed how one's own situation is distinguished from the group. We discuss how identity performances founded on prejudice constructions work to maintain or challenge intergroup boundaries. We conclude that studies revealing prejudice constructions of minority groups can explain the sedative effect of positive intergroup contact on ethnic activism and help to reflect on integration strategies that would be compatible with social change in favour of disadvantaged minority groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the example of Bulgarians who studied abroad, this paper explores the motives and practices of graduates regarding socially innovative knowledge transfer in order to deliver social benefits for the local community. The paper shows how both stayers and returnees act within a transnational social space, which develops and deepens during and after student mobility. Engaging in socially innovative knowledge transfer is motivated by altruistic stances, by a feeling of loyalty towards the home country and by the desire to lead a meaningful life. The effectiveness of knowledge transfer is related to framing conditions such as local knowledge and the existence of social networks, notably transnational social networks. The results show that the mobility of highly qualified young adults from and to Bulgaria aligns with major European mobility regimes, with an increase of circulatory mobility processes and thus an increase of circulating knowledge and social innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digitalization of education is a continuously developing process, aimed at the use of information and communication technologies. However, engineering education utilizes several forms of learning, with laboratory experiments being one of them. The use of digital learning materials (DLM) in labs is still limited due to numerous existing factors. This study investigates students' acceptance of using DLM during laboratory exercises in three universities located in Turkey, Poland, and Bulgaria. A questionnaire was prepared, and a survey was conducted among 625 learners. They were divided into eight categories, based on their engineering area and country. The survey results demonstrate that there is a strong correlation between the students' opinion on DLM and the use of DLM by their lab instructors, which means that their acceptance could be increased if more DLM are integrated in lab courses. The analysis of the questionnaire results also showed that there is a significant difference in the students' opinion on DLM, depending on the engineering area. Students of Food, Chemistry, and Electrical engineering rated the use of DLM quite high (above 4.0 out of 5), followed by the Civil engineering students with average results between 3.5 and 4.0. Respondents involved in Textile, Bio, and Machine engineering were the most skeptical (<3.5). Furthermore, their opinions covered a wide range from "Strongly disagree" to "Strongly agree." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent anthropological attention to more‐than‐human life has neglected the importance of race and racialization in human responses to environmental change. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork with waste management institutions and Romani waste laborers in urban Bulgaria, this article invokes the concept of the racialized Anthropocene to destabilize the unmarked whiteness upon which the turn to humans‐as‐a‐species—anthropos—is founded. Habituation is central to both EU waste policy and the generative strategies Romani street sweepers use to manage accumulated waste and the conditions of their racialized labor. I call these creative and quotidian strategies anthropogenic management. Anthropogenic management disrupts the resiliency paradigm that has become commonplace in analyses of how people respond to circumstances not of their own making. As such, it bridges the Anthropocene, marked by waste accumulation at a planetary scale, with the everyday conditions of racialization through the embodied labor of managing other people's trash. [waste, labor, race, Bulgaria] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel approach to evaluate European countries on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by means of Hierarchical Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis (HSMAA). HSMAA produces rankings with Monte Carlo generation of weights, overcoming the need to choose one specific set of weights. The main contribution of this paper lies in the possibility of quantifying the probability by which each country receives a given ranking. Furthermore, HSMAA allows to take into account the hierarchical nature of SDG measurement given that each of the 17 Goals also consists of several indicators. Our results show that Denmark outperforms other European countries, while lower levels of performance are observed in Romania and Bulgaria. In between bottom and top performers, we also find that many countries' rankings vary widely by the chosen set of weights, exemplifying the need to rank countries based on multiple weightings and to quantify the probabilities of each ranking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in Bulgaria, to characterize the genetic diversity of the RSV strains, and to perform amino acid sequence analysis of the RSV G protein. Clinical, epidemiological data and nasopharyngeal swabs were prospectively collected from children aged less than 5 years presenting with acute respiratory infections from October 2016 to September 2018. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction for 12 respiratory viruses, and sequencing, phylogenetic, and amino acid analyses of the RSV G gene/protein were performed. Of the 875 children examined, 645 (73.7%) were positive for at least one viral respiratory pathogen. RSV was the most commonly detected virus (26.2%), followed by rhinoviruses (15%), influenza A (H3N2) (9.7%), adenoviruses (9%), bocaviruses (7.2%), human metapneumovirus (6.1%), parainfluenza viruses 1/2/3 (5.8%), influenza type B (5.5%), and A(H1N1)pdm09 (3.4%). The detection rate for RSV varied across two winter seasons (36.7% vs 20.3%). RSV‐B cases outnumbered those of the RSV‐A throughout the study period. RSV was the most common virus detected in patients with bronchiolitis (45.1%) and pneumonia (24%). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the sequenced RSV‐A strains belonged to the ON1 genotype and the RSV‐B strains were classified as BA9 genotype. Amino acid substitutions at 15 and 22 positions of the HVR‐2 were identified compared with the ON1 and BA prototype strains, respectively. This study revealed the leading role of RSV as a causative agent of serious respiratory illnesses in early childhood, year‐on‐year fluctuations in RSV incidence, the dominance of RSV‐B, and relatively low genetic diversity in the circulating RSV strains. Highlights: We report circulation patterns of RSV in Bulgaria during 2016‐2018.All detected RSV‐A and RSV‐B belonged to the ON1 and B9 genotypes, respectively.Numerous amino acid substitutions, variable N‐ and O‐ glycosylation sites in the HVR‐2 of RSV G proteins were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This flash ethnography explores the Bulgarian concept of tuga, translated as sorrow, through the prism of new motherhood and immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]