E-TESTING IN ENGLISH FOR PHARMACY

The aim of this paper is to describe and share the experience of the first e-tests in English for Pharmacy at the MU in Varna. The process of designing separate interactive activities for training students to deal with the e-test components will be clarified. Some advantages and disadvantages will be analyzed concerning the implementation of e-testing as an integral part of contemporary English for specific purposes teaching and learning

Natural recycling of grammar while teaching medical English

In the last few years Varna Medical University has introduced several new specialties, thus challenging lecturers to design new courses of English for health care management, dental medicine, pharmacy, obstetrics, etc. Each discipline has its own range of essential topics, terms and grammar to acquire. The structure of the language taught in these subjects, although very similar, still needs appropriate contexts to naturally recycle grammar items. students’ groups are traditionally mixed level in terms of language proficiency, and multicultural with diverse educational backgrounds. The materials designers and textbook authors have to focus on natural contexts from each narrow specialty in medicine. The aim of this article is to explore and demonstrate how one and the same grammar item is practised and revised in different contexts typical for the specific discourse of the medical specialty

Natural recycling of grammar while teaching medical English

In the last few years Varna Medical University has introduced several new specialties, thus challenging lecturers to design new courses of English for health care management, dental medicine, pharmacy, obstetrics, etc. Each discipline has its own range of essential topics, terms and grammar to acquire. The structure of the language taught in these subjects, although very similar, still needs appropriate contexts to naturally recycle grammar items. students’ groups are traditionally mixed level in terms of language proficiency, and multicultural with diverse educational backgrounds. The materials designers and textbook authors have to focus on natural contexts from each narrow specialty in medicine. The aim of this article is to explore and demonstrate how one and the same grammar item is practised and revised in different contexts typical for the specific discourse of the medical specialty

On monitoring mechanical characteristics of rolled electrolytic copper

AbstractRolling technology for producing high-electrical-conductivity-copper strips and their quality are under investigation. The technology is designed for and used in the Bulgarian Metallurgical Plant SOFIA MED SA, Sofia. The copper strips are produced in three different tempers – soft, half hard and hard – under different rolling and heat-treatment conditions. The copper strips from different tempers are subjected to specialized testing and their mechanical and high-electrical-conductivity characteristics analyzed. On the basis of mechanical rolled-strip parameters – yield strengths, Re, ultimate tensile strengths, Rm, Vickers hardness, HV, and elongation after fracture, A, – some Stress-hardness and Stress-hardness-elongation spaces have been plotted. These Spaces can be used as an instrument for general evaluation of the applied rolling technology and for prediction of copper-strip mechanical behaviour under given exploitation conditions

Extracting Patient-Related Description from Medical Records in Bulgarian

This paper deals with the extraction of medical information from hospital patient records. It proposes a cascade approach for the extraction of multi-layer knowledge statements because the subject is too complex. We sketch the Information Extraction view to text analysis, where patient-related facts are recognised using predefined regular expressions and templates. A laboratory prototype for patient status ex- traction is presented together with the first evaluation results

On Fatigue Behavior of Two Spring Steels. Part I: Wöhler Curves and Fractured Surfaces

AbstractSymmetric fatigue in two spring steels is investigated in three groups of specimens. One of the groups (Steel EN10270-1SH/ DIN 17223C – C 0.82%, Mn 0.76%, Si 0.26%) has experienced rotating-bending fatigue in air, and the other two groups (Steel BS250A53/ DIN 55Si7 – C 0.56%, Mn 0.81%, Si 1.85%), torsion fatigue in-air and corrosion environment. Fatigue life-time data are obtained for both spring steels, and their corresponding Wöhler curves plotted and mathematically described. Surface short fatigue cracks are observed from origin to fracture by using acetate-foil replication technique, and their length, a, measured at the corresponding number of fatigue cycles, N. Those data are presented in plots “Crack lengths, a – Cycles, N” and a comparison made between both the steels. The fractured surfaces of all specimens have been studied and analyzed by the scanning-electron microscopy methods

The adapted text on internal diseases in teaching students of medicine

The effective teaching of language for specific purposes to students of medical subjects depends on the accurate analysis of their communication needs, especially when obtaining medical education in a foreign language. The basic source of material for developing linguistic skills are the texts on internal diseases. This paper aims at analysing basic content, structural, language and compositional specifics of a type of text in academic literature for students who study medicine in bulgarian. Its practical application is to provide some criteria for adapting authentic texts for the goals of teaching languages for specific purposes. The analysis is based on more than 30 original texts from the chapter on endocrine diseases in the textbook Clinics of internal diseases. sample tasks of the practical implementation of summarised text specifics in the process of teaching both bulgarian and English as foreign languages to students of medicine have also been included

The adapted text on internal diseases in teaching students of medicine

The effective teaching of language for specific purposes to students of medical subjects depends on the accurate analysis of their communication needs, especially when obtaining medical education in a foreign language. The basic source of material for developing linguistic skills are the texts on internal diseases. This paper aims at analysing basic content, structural, language and compositional specifics of a type of text in academic literature for students who study medicine in bulgarian. Its practical application is to provide some criteria for adapting authentic texts for the goals of teaching languages for specific purposes. The analysis is based on more than 30 original texts from the chapter on endocrine diseases in the textbook Clinics of internal diseases. sample tasks of the practical implementation of summarised text specifics in the process of teaching both bulgarian and English as foreign languages to students of medicine have also been included

Antitumor activity of Bulgarian herb Tribulus terrestris L. on human breast cancer cells

Medicinal plants have been intensively studied as a source of antitumor compounds. Due to the beneficial climate conditions Bulgarian herbs have high pharmacological potential. Currently, the antitumor effect of the Bulgarian medicinal plant Tribulus terrestris L. on human cancer cell lines is not studied. The main active compounds of the plant are the steroid saponins.The present study aims to analyze the effect on cell viability and apoptotic activity of total extract and saponin fraction of Bulgarian Tribulus terrestris L. on human breast cancer (MCF7) and normal (MCF10A) cell lines. Antitumor effect was established by МТТ cell viability assay and assessment of apoptotic potential was done through analysis of genomic integrity (DNA fragmentation assay) and analysis of morphological cell changes (Fluorescence microscopy). The results showed that total extract of the herb has a marked dose-dependent inhibitory effect on viability of MCF7 cells (half maximal inhibitory concentration is 15 μg/ml). Cell viability of MCF10A was moderately decreased without visible dose-dependent effect. The saponin fraction has increased inhibitory effect on breast cancer cells compared to total extract. Morphological changes and DNA fragmentation were observed as markers for early and late apoptosis predominantly in tumor cells after treatment. Apoptotic processes were intensified with the increase of treatment duration.The obtained results are the first showing selective antitumor activity of Bulgarian Tribulus terrestris L. on human cancer cells in vitro. Apoptotic processes are involved in the antitumor mechanisms induced by the herb. This results give directions for future investigations concerning detailed assessment of its pharmacological potential

ANEMIC SYNDROME ASSOCIATED TO PARVOVIRUS B19 INFECTION IN PATHOLOGY PREGNANCY WOMEN

Viral infections during pregnancy on a world scale are one of the main reasons for severe complications and mortality of the mother and fetus. The post-infectious anemic syndrome is characterized by low serum iron and increased hepcidin, which is the cause for iron accumulation in the endothelial macrophage system and iron deficiency for the needs of erythropoiesis. Probably the increased hepcidin plays a protective role against the growth of microorganisms by reducing extracellular iron. On the other hand, the increased hepcidin may lead to iron deficiency and to inability for effective compensation upon oral supplementation because it suppressed intestinal iron absorption. This study aims to determine the involvement of parvovirus B19 in the anemic syndrome development in the course of/during pathological pregnancy. Materials and Methods: In total 47 serum samples of pregnant women with anemia hospitalized in University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital “Maichin Dom”,were tested. Three newborn babies were also included in the study. Serological (ELISA), molecular (PCR), and immunological (CLIA) methods were used. The statistical processing of the results is based on paired Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation. Results and discussion: 9/47 (19.1%) of patients showed presence of B19V-IgM antibodies. B19-IgG antibodies were detected in 19/47 (40.4%) women. The PCR analysis showed presence of viral DNA in all patients with positive B19V-IgM antibodies. B19V-IgM antibodies were proved in one of the newborn and viral DNA was detected. All three babies were positive for B19V-IgG antibodies. In four of the positive patients with the three diagnostic markers for acute infection, the anemia was determined as iron-deficiency according to the low serum levels of hepcidin 2.54 ± 0.4 μg/L compared to control group of pregnant women without anemia (21.7 ± 3.1 μg/L: P<0.001). In the remaining women with a proven acute B19V infection, we found a statistically significant increased level of serum hepcidin (65.3 ± 5.7 μg/L; P<0.001) compared to non anemic pregnant women. Conclusion: Assessment of the frequency and the grade of involvement of parvovirus B19 in the anemic syndrome development during pregnancy and determination of the serum level of hepcidin would contribute to the etiological clarification of the occurred anemic syndrome and would prevent improper iron supplementation by pregnant women