The refugee challenge: state policy and social attitudes in Bulgaria

The article examines one of the greatest challenges of our times: the migration of large masses of people fleeing wars, political persecution and terrorism; these refugees have become one of the most serious challenges to European countries and governments in the last decad

Problems of contemporary society in the face of global challenges and changes

Ours is a time of enormous progress being made in many spheres of the life of society and people, but it is also an age of vast challenges, for the effects of progress are not always positive. Very often, the advances made by society confront it with tough, at times seemingly unsolvable, contradictions and problems. This issue of the journal Research Result. Sociology and Management is devoted precisely to the problems that contemporary global challenges bring to societie

Safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary assessment of efficacy of mecasermin (recombinant human IGF-1) for the treatment of Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder mainly affecting females and is associated with mutations in MECP2, the gene encoding methyl CpG-binding protein 2. Mouse models suggest that recombinant human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) (rhIGF1) (mecasermin) may improve many clinical features. We evaluated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profiles of IGF-1 in 12 girls with MECP2 mutations (9 with RTT). In addition, we performed a preliminary assessment of efficacy using automated cardiorespiratory measures, EEG, a set of RTT-oriented clinical assessments, and two standardized behavioral questionnaires. This phase 1 trial included a 4-wk multiple ascending dose (MAD) (40–120 μg/kg twice daily) period and a 20-wk open-label extension (OLE) at the maximum dose. Twelve subjects completed the MAD and 10 the entire study, without evidence of hypoglycemia or serious adverse events. Mecasermin reached the CNS compartment as evidenced by the increase in cerebrospinal fluid IGF-1 levels at the end of the MAD. The drug followed nonlinear kinetics, with greater distribution in the peripheral compartment. Cardiorespiratory measures showed that apnea improved during the OLE. Some neurobehavioral parameters, specifically measures of anxiety and mood also improved during the OLE. These improvements in mood and anxiety scores were supported by reversal of right frontal alpha band asymmetry on EEG, an index of anxiety and depression. Our data indicate that IGF-1 is safe and well tolerated in girls with RTT and, as demonstrated in preclinical studies, ameliorates certain breathing and behavioral abnormalities

A classification of the torsion tensors on almost contact manifolds with B-metric

The space of the torsion (0,3)-tensors of the linear connections on almost contact manifolds with B-metric is decomposed in 15 orthogonal and invariant subspaces with respect to the action of the structure group. Three known connections, preserving the structure, are characterized regarding this classification.Comment: 17 pages, exposition clarified, references adde