The neutron dose equivalent rate measurements by R3DR/R2 spectrometers on the international space station.

The data from two Bulgarian-German instruments with the basic name "Radiation Risk Radiometer-Dosimeter" (R3D) are discussed. The R3DR instrument worked inside the ESA EXPOSE-R facility (2009-2010), while R3DR2 worked inside the ESA EXPOSE-R2 facility (2014-2016). Both were outside the Russian Zvezda module on the International Space Station (ISS).

Remotely Sensed Phenotypic Traits for Heritability Estimates and Grain Yield Prediction of Barley Using Multispectral Imaging from UAVs.

This study tested the potential of parametric and nonparametric regression modeling utilizing multispectral data from two different unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a tool for the prediction of and indirect selection of grain yield (GY) in barley breeding experiments. The coefficient of determination () of the nonparametric models for GY prediction ranged between 0.33 and 0.

Novel Triple Stimuli Responsive Interpenetrating Poly(Carboxybetaine Methacrylate)/Poly(Sulfobetaine Methacrylate) Network.

The study reports the synthesis and characterization of novel triple stimuli responsive interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) based on two polyzwitterionic networks, namely of poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) and poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate). The zwitterionic IPN hydrogel demonstrates the ability to expand or shrink in response to changes in three "biological" external stimuli such as temperature, pH, and salt concentration. The IPN hydrogel shows good mechanical stability.

Sonochemically engineered nano-enabled zinc oxide/amylase coatings prevent the occurrence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), caused by biofilms, are the most frequent health-care associated infections. Novel antibiofilm coatings are needed to increase the urinary catheters' life-span, decrease the prevalence of CAUTIs and reduce the development of antimicrobial resistance. Herein, antibacterial zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were decorated with a biofilm matrix-degrading enzyme amylase (AM) and simultaneously deposited onto silicone urinary catheters in a one-step sonochemical process.

Nanoparticle-driven self-assembling injectable hydrogels provide a multi-factorial approach for chronic wound treatment.

Chronic wounds represent a major health burden and drain on medical system. Efficient wound repair is only possible if the dressing materials target simultaneously multiple factors involved in wound chronicity, such as deleterious proteolytic and oxidative enzymes and high bacterial load. Here we develop multifunctional hydrogels for chronic wound management through self-assembling of thiolated hyaluronic acid (HA-SH) and bioactive silver-lignin nanoparticles (Ag@Lig NPs).

Solar modulation of the GCR flux and dose rate, observed in space between 1991 and 2019.

The paper presents the solar modulation of the long-term galactic cosmic rays (GCR) flux and dose rates variations, observed during 14 space experiments by 10 Bulgarian build Liulin-type spectrometers (LTS) (Dachev et al., 2015a). They worked in near Earth space and in the interplanetary radiation environment between January 1991 and January 2019.

European Collaborative and Interprofessional Capability Framework for Prevention and Management of Frailty-a consensus process supported by the Joint Action for Frailty Prevention (ADVANTAGE) and the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS).

Background: Interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) is currently recommended for the delivery of high-quality integrated care for older people. Frailty prevention and management are key elements to be tackled on a multi-professional level.

Aim: This study aims to develop a consensus-based European multi-professional capability framework for frailty prevention and management.

Paratesticular leiomyosarcoma: A clinical case report.

We present you a Case of 62 year old man with Paratesticular leiomyosarcoma (LMS) localized to the right sctotal half. Detailed pathological and immunohistochemistry characteristic of the tumor was done. For staging was used the classification of French Federation of Cancer Centres Sarcoma Grading System.

Development of a highly sensitive liquid biopsy platform to detect clinically-relevant cancer mutations at low allele fractions in cell-free DNA.

Introduction: Detection and monitoring of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is rapidly becoming a diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tool in cancer patient care. A growing number of gene targets have been identified as diagnostic or actionable, requiring the development of reliable technology that provides analysis of multiple genes in parallel. We have developed the InVision™ liquid biopsy platform which utilizes enhanced TAm-Seq™ (eTAm-Seq™) technology, an amplicon-based next generation sequencing method for the identification of clinically-relevant somatic alterations at low frequency in ctDNA across a panel of 35 cancer-related genes.

Analytical validation of a next generation sequencing liquid biopsy assay for high sensitivity broad molecular profiling.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis is being incorporated into cancer care; notably in profiling patients to guide treatment decisions. Responses to targeted therapies have been observed in patients with actionable mutations detected in plasma DNA at variant allele fractions (VAFs) below 0.5%.

Genetic, Genomic and Epigenomic Studies of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (Ben).

BEN is a primary, chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis characterized with chronic anemia, absence of edema, xantoderma, normal blood pressure and normal findings on the fundus oculi. The disease is distributed in restricted areas in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia, Former Yugoslavia. Despite numerous studies on genetic and environmental factors and their possible involvement in BEN, its etiopathogenesis still remains elusive.

High dose rates obtained outside ISS in June 2015 during SEP event.

The R3DR2 instrument performed measurements in the European Space Agency (ESA) EXPOSE-R2 platform outside the Russian "Zvezda" module of the International Space Station (ISS) in the period 24 October 2014-11 January 2016. It is the Liulin-type deposited energy spectrometer (DES) (Dachev et al., 2015a).

Clinicopathological prognostic factors for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of clinicopathological factors including age, gender, tumor grade, tumor stage, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), tumor necrosis and previous history of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer on outcomes of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

Material And Methods: A total of 60 patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma at our institute between 2005 to 2012 were included in our study. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log rank statistics, the chi-square test and Cox regression models.

Overview of the Liulin type instruments for space radiation measurement and their scientific results.

Ionizing radiation is recognized to be one of the main health concerns for humans in the space radiation environment. Estimation of space radiation effects on health requires the accurate knowledge of the accumulated absorbed dose, which depends on the global space radiation distribution, solar cycle and local shielding generated by the 3D mass distribution of the space vehicle. This paper presents an overview of the spectrometer-dosimeters of the Liulin type, which were developed in the late 1980s and have been in use since then.

Kinase inhibitors with redox and anti-inflammatory activities.

The development of inflammatory immune response is related to an activation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling. The intracellular molecules from this pathway are sensitive to the alterations in the microenvironment. The changes in cellular redox state, proliferation, gene expression pattern and genomic stability during inflammation induce the activation of non-canonical and atypical NK-κB signaling increasing the crosstalk with molecules involved in neddylation, cell cycle checkpoints regulation and DNA repair.

First-in-human trial of a novel suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis.

Unlabelled: Retinal visual prostheses ("bionic eyes") have the potential to restore vision to blind or profoundly vision-impaired patients. The medical bionic technology used to design, manufacture and implant such prostheses is still in its relative infancy, with various technologies and surgical approaches being evaluated. We hypothesised that a suprachoroidal implant location (between the sclera and choroid of the eye) would provide significant surgical and safety benefits for patients, allowing them to maintain preoperative residual vision as well as gaining prosthetic vision input from the device.

Prevalence of and potential influencing factors for alcohol dependence in Europe.

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs), and alcohol dependence (AD) in particular, are prevalent and associated with a large burden of disability and mortality. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence of AD in the European Union (EU), Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland for the year 2010, and to investigate potential influencing factors. The 1-year prevalence of AD in the EU was estimated at 3.

Factors affecting perceptual thresholds in a suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis.

Purpose: The suprachoroidal location for a retinal prosthesis provides advantages over other locations in terms of a simplified surgical procedure and a potentially more stable electrode-neural interface. The aim of this study was to assess the factors affecting perceptual thresholds, and to optimize stimulus parameters to achieve the lowest thresholds in patients implanted with a suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis.

Methods: Three patients with profound vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa were implanted with a suprachoroidal array.

NGS nominated CELA1, HSPG2, and KCNK5 as candidate genes for predisposition to Balkan endemic nephropathy.

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a familial chronic tubulointerstitial disease with insidious onset and slow progression leading to terminal renal failure. The results of molecular biological investigations propose that BEN is a multifactorial disease with genetic predisposition to environmental risk agents. Exome sequencing of 22 000 genes with Illumina Nextera Exome Enrichment Kit was performed on 22 DNA samples (11 Bulgarian patients and 11 Serbian patients).

Towards in vivo regulon kinetics: PurR activation by 5-phosphoribosyl-α-1-pyrophosphate during purine depletion in Lactococcus lactis.

Short-term adaptation to changing environments relies on regulatory elements translating shifting metabolite concentrations into a specifically optimized transcriptome. So far the focus of analyses has been divided between regulatory elements identified in vivo and kinetic studies of small molecules interacting with the regulatory elements in vitro. Here we describe how in vivo regulon kinetics can describe a regulon through the effects of the metabolite controlling it, exemplified by temporal purine exhaustion in Lactococcus lactis.

Incidence and predictive factors of Balkan endemic nephropathy: a longitudinal study.

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a chronic kidney disease that progresses slowly. There are no known clinical markers to identify an early disease development. We evaluated the relationship between parental history of BEN and clinical markers as predictors of new occurrences of BEN.