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Primary precursor B-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia (B-LBLL) of bone is uncommon neoplasm that accounts for less than 1% of primary bone tumors. It has been commonly reported in pediatric population but is rare in adults. We present a case of a 20-year-old man with multiple osteolytic lesions as sole presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, whose diagnosis was established by bone biopsy. A peripheral blood smear and the bone marrow aspirate showed no blast cells. The patient received treatment according to BFM 99 protocol and achieved complete response confirmed by F-FDG-PET/CT.

Velichka Andonova,1,2 Petya Peneva,1,2 George S Georgiev,3 Vencislava T Toncheva,3 Elisaveta Apostolova,4 Zhivko Peychev,5 Stela Dimitrova,6 Mariana Katsarova,6 Nadia Petrova,7 Margarita Kassarova1,2 1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Plovdiv, 2Technological Center for Emergency Medicine (TCEMED), Plovdiv, 3Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University “St Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia, 4Department of Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Plovdiv, 5Department of Medical Informatics, Biostatistics and e-learning, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Plovdiv, 6Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Plovdiv, Plovdiv, 7Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria Abstract: The purpose of the study was to investigate the stability and biopharmaceutical characteristics of ketoprofen, loaded in polymeric carriers, which were included into a bigel in a semisolid dosage form. The polymer carriers with in situ-included ketoprofen were obtained by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of the monomers in aqueous medium or a solution of the polymers used. The morphological characteristics of the carriers, the in vitro release and the photochemical stability of ketoprofen were evaluated. The model with optimal characteristics was included in a bigel formulation. The bigel was characterized in terms of pH, rheological behavior, spreadability, and in vitro drug release. Acute skin toxicity, antinociceptive activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and antihyperalgesic effects of the prepared bigel with ketoprofen-loaded polymer carrier were evaluated. The carriers of ketoprofen were characterized by a high yield and drug loading. The particle size distribution varied widely according to the polymer used, and a sustained release was provided for up to 6 hours. The polymer mixture poly(vinyl acetate) and hydroxypropyl cellulose as a drug carrier, alone or included in the bigel composition, improved the photostability of the drug compared with unprotected ketoprofen. The bigel with ketoprofen-loaded particles provided sustained release of the drug and had optimal rheological parameters. In vivo experiments on the bigel showed no skin inflammation or irritation. Four hours after its application, a well-defined analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antihyperalgesic effect was registered. The polymer mixture of poly(vinyl acetate) and hydroxypropyl cellulose as a carrier of ketoprofen and the bigel in which it was included provided an enhanced photostability and sustained drug release. Keywords: antihyperalgesic effect, antinociceptive activity, biphasic systems, carrageenan-induced edema, emulsifier-free radical polymerization

The pre-equilibrium proton induced emission of light complex nuclei with energies in the continuum has been studied comprehensively for many years. Double–differential cross sections and especially analyzing power distributions are typical of an intranuclear nucleon-nucleon multistep statistical reaction mechanism. The final stage of the reaction may be a result of a direct pickup or knockout of the ejectile. The discussion on this subject continues to be a hot topic for both theoretical and experimental investigations. In this paper the results from the latest studies of the inclusive (p→$\vec p$, α) reactions on 59Co to the continuum will be reported. The formalism based on the statistical multistep direct emission formulation of Feshbach, Kerman and Koonin is found to give a reasonably good reproduction of cross section and analyzing power distributions at various emission energies. Special attention will be paid to the details of the calculations.

The present study was conducted during the period 2019 - 2021 at the Institute of Agriculture, Kyustendil. The productivity, fruit quality, and sensitivity to codling moth of 10 apple cultivars and 9 hybrids were evaluated. Standard technology was implemented to grow the fruit-bearing trees, which were grafted on MM 106 rootstock and planted at a distance 4.5×2.5 m. The highest average yields were obtained from the cultivar Rosana (30.4 kg/tree) and hybrid 9 (28.3 kg/tree). Fruit weight ranged from 83 g (hybrid 2/4) to 248 g (Charden). Goldrush had the highest fruit flesh firmness - 10.0 kg/cm2 and hybrid 1/7 the lowest - 6.7 kg/cm2. No differences in the sensitivity to codling moth were observed among cultivars and hybrids. The percentage of damage ranged from 3.7% (hybrid 1/3) to 5% (Rosana) in 2020 and from 43.6% (hybrid 2/4) to 55.7% (Golden Resistan) in 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is to recount the birth and development of midwifery and maternal care education in Bulgaria after the Bulgarian Liberation at the end of XIX and the beginning of the XX century. The researchers set the following tasks: 1) to present the main reasons for the emergence of professional midwifery education in post-Liberation Bulgaria; 2) to show the place and role of the first professionally trained midwives in Bulgaria; 3) to outline the seminal work of notable personalities for the development of professional midwifery care. Historical method was used, secondary historical sources, documents and scientific papers were reviewed. Conclusions: Professional midwifery education helped the introduction and spread of modern Obstetrics/Gynecology medicine, which lead to decrease in maternal and infant mortality and slowly improved quality of life for Bulgarian women and children. Bulgarian nationals educated abroad brought to the country the scientific foundation and best practices in maternal health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The living environment of progressively increasing population worldwide is significantly encroaching on and occupying areas of wild nature. At the marginal zones where human activity and environment meet, biodiversity is subjected to the effects of agriculture and its modern intensification. The grasslands within human settlements serve as intersections where farm animals and wildlife meet and interact, sometimes directly competing for resources. One aspect of this interaction involves active management of encounters between wild and domestic animals in order to control animal health at both individual and herd levels, aiming to minimize economic losses and maximize productivity and sustainability of livestock production. On the other hand, wild animals are also directly and indirectly influenced by the type of animal husbandry practices developed in each region, often with adverse consequences for wildlife. Human-wildlife conflict is among the most urgent and well-researched issues for the creation and implementation of effective wildlife conservation measures worldwide. However, systematic knowledge of these conflicts remains insufficient. In order to explore the spatial overlap between livestock and wildlife leading to conflicts between them, this study aims to assess the incidence of wildlife poisoning cases and their relation to changes in the type of livestock farming by economic planning regions in the country. For this study, we analyzed variations in the number of farm animals raised in specific regions from 2000 to 2019, and the trends in structural changes of registered livestock facilities in Bulgaria. We examined the influence of the structure of livestock holdings and the intensification of animal husbandry on the rate of patient admissions to the „Green Balkans" Wildlife Rehabilitation and Breeding Centre in Stara Zagora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports injuries are common, although apart from high-level sportsmanship, sport is practiced mostly as a means of health prevention. Injuries in volleyball have been relatively widely studied, but it is of interest to us to establish the status of the problem in students who are not professional players, but are engaged in volleyball, primarily at the university level. The aim of the study is to determine the type of the most frequently received injuries and their causes in student-competitors in volleyball, by deriving relevant recommendations for their prevention in practice. A survey method was used to achieve the purpose of the study. 84 volleyball players from representative student teams from universities in the Republic of Bulgaria were included in the study. The results of the study show that the most common injuries are of the lower limb, namely of the ankle joint, followed by injuries of the knee joint. Upper extremity injuries are less represented than lower extremity injuries, with more than 80% involving the shoulder joint. The conducted survey outlines trends for the prevention of sports injuries at the university level, allowing recommendations to be made, especially for athletes and their coaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune phenomena are well known to complicate chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and occur in 10% to 25% of the cases. Although less common, non-hematological autoimmune manifestations have been reported. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction, characterized by fatigable weakness of the extraocular, bulbar, and limb musculature. The co-existence of MG and CLL is exceedingly rare and there are very few cases reported in literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 63-year-old female patient with a severe form of MG which is likely related to a relapse of CLL. Treatment with combined targeted and immunotherapy was initiated with acceptable tolerability. CONCLUSIONS: Targeted agents and monoclonal antibodies exert complex activities on the patient's immune system. It will be of interest to assess their role in managing autoimmune complications, accompanying CLL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]