Investigating a Detection Method for Viruses and Pathogens Using a Dual-Microcantilever Sensor.

Piezoresistive microcantilever sensors for the detection of viruses, pathogens, and trace chemical gasses, with appropriate measurement and signal processing methods, can be a powerful instrument with high speed and sensitivity, with in situ and real-time capabilities. This paper discusses a novel method for mass sensing on the order of a few femtograms, using a dual-microcantilever piezoresistive sensor with a vibrating common base. The two microcantilevers have controllably shifted natural frequencies with only one of them being active.

A pictorial view on false positive findings of Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and their prognostic value in patients with prostate carcinoma after radical prostatectomy and undetectable PSA values.

Objective: Recently, gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 (Ga-PSMA-11) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has become a key imaging method in prostate carcinoma staging and biochemical progression, with varying sensitivities in different studies (from 40% to 80%). After four years of experience with Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, we found that it is possible to detect lesions with increased PSMA expression in patients with undetectable prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after radical prostatectomy. The key questions we wanted to answer were as follows: if those lesions were malignant and could the early detection of those malignant lesions have a role in patient management? We aimed to identify and follow up PSMA-positive findings for a period of 4 years in patients with prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy and undetectable PSA values at the time of the examination.

Comparison of fracture risk calculators in elderly fallers: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Objective: Elderly patients presenting with falls are known to carry an extremely high risk of future fragility fractures. Current osteoporosis guidelines recommend using fracture risk calculators such as FRAX, QFracture or Garvan to guide management. However, they differ considerably in their inputs and may therefore provide contrasting risk estimations in certain individuals.

Intraoperative Radiotherapy with Balloon-Based Electronic Brachytherapy System-A Systematic Review and First Bulgarian Experience in Breast Cancer Patients.

(1) Background: We aimed to analyze currently available studies with intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) as a choice of treatment where the Xoft Axxent electronic brachytherapy (eBx) system was used as a single-dose irradiation and an exclusive radiotherapy approach at the time of surgery in patients with early breast cancer (EBC). We also compared the results of the systematic review to the Bulgarian experience. (2) Methods and Materials: We performed a systematic review of the studies published before February 2021, which investigate the application of a single-fraction 20 Gy radiation treatment, delivered at the time of lumpectomy in EBC patients with the Xoft Axxent eBx System.

Lateral retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy: advantages and drawbacks.

Lateral retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (LRA) is performed mostly by urologists. It is gaining popularity among general surgeons because of the direct access to the adrenal gland. However, the management of large tumors remains controversial.

Diffuse Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis: Master of Disguise.

A 67-year-old woman presented with clinical symptoms, radiological findings, and preoperative work-up highly suggestive of advanced stage IV carcinoma of the gallbladder (CG). An extended cholecystectomy with the excision of adjacent liver segments and loco-regional lymphadenectomy was performed. Final pathology results revealed diffuse xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XG) with ruptured Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses with tumor-resembling adenomyosis without atypical or malignant cells.

Cushing's Syndrome: A Historic Review of the Treatment Strategies and Corresponding Outcomes in a Single Tertiary Center over the Past Half-Century.

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is associated with serious comorbidities and an increased mortality rate that could be reduced only if strict biochemical control is achieved. The aim of this study was to show the 50-year experience of a single tertiary center in the management of CS patients - the different treatment modalities used over the years and the corresponding outcomes. It was a retrospective study of a large cohort of patients from the Bulgarian CS database: 613 patients (374 with ACTH-dependent and 239 with ACTH-independent CS).

The impact of the extent of surgical resection on survival of gastric cancer patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the significance of the extent of gastric resection on the postoperative and overall gastric cancer survival.

Background: Resection with clean margins (4 cm or more) is widely accepted as the standard-ized goal for radical treatment of gastric cancer according to current guidelines, while the type of resection (subtotal or total) is still a matter of debate.

Patients And Methods: The study included 155 patients diagnosed and treated in the Department of Surgery, Aleksandrovska University Hospital between January 2005 and December 2014.

Clinical and pathological characteristics, and prognostic factors for gastric cancer survival in 155 patients in Bulgaria.

Almost one million new cases of gastric cancer were estimated to have occurred in 2012, making it the fifth most common malignancy in the world. It is also the third leading cause of cancer death of people of both genders worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate the significance of some prognostic factors for gastric cancer survival in 155 patients treated at Aleksandrovska University Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria.