Heavy metals in bones from Harbour Porpoises Phocoena phocoena from the Western Black Sea Coast

During the last few years, the Western Black Sea coast has documented increase in the number of stranded marine mammals, particularly the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). This species is a subject to threats such as exposure to contaminants, fishery by-catch and introduced new marine species. The aim of this study was to analyse spatial and age trends in bone metal concentration in harbour porpoises from the Western Black Sea Coast. Selected heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Ni) were measured in bones of 33 harbour porpoises stranded along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast from 2017. Spatially, we found higher metal levels in the harbour porpoises stranded in the Northern region compared with those from Southern region. The effect of aging was evident only for Zn content – the levels were higher in juveniles than in adults. The obtained results suggested that heavy metal contamination represent an important threat encountered by harbour porpoises

Cetacean mortality along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast during 2017

The present study provides information on the stranding of cetaceans along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast during 2017. Observations were made trough covering transects along the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. A total of 198 cetaceans of three species were found - Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis). The most numerous were the harbor porpoise - 48% followed by the bottlenose dolphin - 15% and common dolphin - 8%. The most significant number of strandings was observed during July and August (54% of all cases). Cetacean strandings events were relatively highly concentrated in the area of Shabla, Varna and Pomorie

Antisemitismus in Bulgarien

Die Arbeit schafft zuerst einen Überblick über die unterschiedlichen theoretischen Auslegungen des Antisemitismus und seinen historischen werdegang bevor am Beispiel Bulgariens untersucht wird ob in der postsozialistischen Zeit in Osteuropa ein neuer Typus von Antisemitismus entstanden ist.The work gives an overview of the various theoretical concepts of antisemitism before asking the question whether a new type has developed in the post-socialist countries of Eastern Europe. A thorough case study of Bulgaria is performed to test the hypotheses

Pathomorphological Diagnostic Criteria for Focal Cortical Dysplasias and Other Common Epileptogenic Lesions—Review of the Literature

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) represents a heterogeneous group of morphological changes in the brain tissue that can predispose the development of pharmacoresistant epilepsy (recurring, unprovoked seizures which cannot be managed with medications). This group of neurological disorders affects not only the cerebral cortex but also the subjacent white matter. This work reviews the literature describing the morphological substrate of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. All illustrations presented in this study are obtained from brain biopsies from refractory epilepsy patients investigated by the authors. Regarding classification, there are three main FCD types, all of which involve cortical dyslamination. The 2022 revision of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) FCD classification includes new histologically defined pathological entities: mild malformation of cortical development (mMCD), mild malformation of cortical development with oligodendroglial hyperplasia in frontal lobe epilepsy (MOGHE), and “no FCD on histopathology”. Although the pathomorphological characteristics of the various forms of focal cortical dysplasias are well known, their aetiologic and pathogenetic features remain elusive. The identification of genetic variants in FCD opens an avenue for novel treatment strategies, which are of particular utility in cases where total resection of the epileptogenic area is impossible

Successful Pregnancy following Mixed Double Embryo Transfer in a Patient with Variable Window of Implantation

The process of embryo implantation is carried out during the receptive stage of the endometrium in the midluteal phase of the menstrual cycle, known as window of implantation (WOI). It has been assumed that the WOI is not a constant variable in all women and the determination of its displacement is of crucial importance, especially for patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Furthermore, in rare cases it could have different duration and position in the menstrual cycle even in the same woman but during different periods. Here, we report a 37-year-old woman with RIF, who was previously classified as idiopathic but has now been diagnosed as having a variable WOI. This interpretation was done after the performance of immunohistochemical and histomorphological analyses of endometrial biopsies taken in the midluteal phase during three sequential menstrual cycles. In order to solve the problem with pinpointing a variable WOI, a specific type of embryo transfer, called mixed double embryo transfer (MDET), was done where one Day 3 and one Day 5 good quality embryos were transferred simultaneously 7 days after ovulation. A viable single pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound scan and a healthy girl was born. This case showed a unique approach in overcoming the problem in RIF patients with variable WOI

Vertical Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Miscarriage in the Second Trimester: Report of an Immunohistochemically Proven Case

It is an acknowledged fact that SARS-CoV-2 exhibits tropism for the human placenta. A possible mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is via angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, which are expressed in trophoblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. The present study describes a case of spontaneous miscarriage in the 20th gestational week after maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. The placenta and various fetal organs were examined for structural alterations and expression of the viral nucleocapsid protein and several immune cell markers via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Histopathological examination of the placenta revealed acute chorioamnionitis, acute subamnionic placentitis, multiple intervillous thrombi, increased fibrinoid deposition, and necrotic changes of the chorionic villi. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein regions predominantly in the syncytiotrophoblast. Staining of the placental tissue for different markers helped elucidate the distribution of immune cells. Pathomorphological examination of the fetal organs demonstrated changes in microcirculation with the presence of sludge phenomenon and diapedesis haemorrhages, mostly in the lungs, brain, and myocardium. IHC staining of fetal organs revealed expression of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, which was detected to the highest extent in the brain, lungs, and liver. The findings of the present report support the hypothesis of possible vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from mother to fetus

Autologous ovarian platelet rich plasma treatment improves oocyte and embryo quality: a before-after prospective study

AbstractPlatelet-rich plasma (PRP) is used for successful regeneration of female reproductive tissues. However, little is known about the effect of ovarian PRP treatment on oocyte and embryo quality. The objective of our study was to assess the role of autologous ovarian PRP treatment on ovarian reserve and number and quality of oocytes and embryos in women with poor ovarian response (POR) undergoing in-vitro fertilization cycles. A total of 66 women with POR were treated with ovarian PRP injection in two subsequent menstrual cycles. The antral follicle counts, serum anti-Mullerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone levels, fertilization rate, number and quality of oocytes, and embryos were assessed and compared between the cycle before and after PRP treatment. Ovarian PRP treatment resulted in insignificantly lower follicle-stimulating hormone levels, significantly higher antral follicle count, anti-Mullerian hormone, number of retrieved oocytes, and insignificantly higher fertilization rate. However, the mean number of Day 5 embryos (2.19 ± 1.45 vs. 1.58 ± 1.30, p = 0.01), the percentage of high-quality oocytes (45.29% ± 42.40% vs. 15.21% ± 30.24%, p < 0.01) and the percentage of grade-I blastocysts (52.10% ± 37.94% vs. 12.86% ± 22.97%, p < 0.01) were significantly higher after PRP treatment in comparison to the pretreatment period. Moreover, the mean MII oocyte quality (1.60 ± 0.54 vs. 2.31 ± 0.63, p < 0.01) and mean blastocyst quality (1.53 ± 0.45 vs. 2.42 ± 0.63, p < 0.01) were significantly improved in the post-treatment period. In conclusion, the applied autologous ovarian PRP treatment in poor responders may significantly improve oocyte and embryo quality

Association between endometrial microbiome and implantation success in women with frozen embryo transfer: results of a prospective cohort study

AbstractThe aim of this prospective study was to compare the endometrial microbiome between pregnant and non-pregnant women after frozen embryo transfer (FET) with euploid embryos. Endometrial biopsies were collected from 30 women during the mid-luteal phase in a natural cycle. FET was performed with euploid embryos up to 3 months after the biopsy. Endometrial microbiota composition was analysed using 16S rRNA (v4-v5 region) next generation sequencing (NGS). The analysis of different clinical outcomes after the biopsy (no pregnancy (n = 14), and ultrasound confirmed pregnancy (n = 16)) revealed differences in the endometrial microbiome composition. In total, 271 distinct bacterial species and 668 bacterial genera were identified. The number of unique species found in non-pregnant women was 62 (22.88%), while in the patients who became pregnant after FET it was 39 (14.39%). Among them, bacteria with high frequency of occurrence such as Bacteroides spp., Cutibacterium granulosum, Isoptericola spp., Acetomicrobium spp., Marivivens spp. and Syntrophomonas spp. were found only in non-pregnant patients, while Bosea spp. was present only in pregnant women. The analysis of bacteria relative abundance revealed that Lactobacillus genus was not significantly different between the studied groups. In contrast, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus spp., Glutamicibacter spp. and Delftia spp. were significantly enriched in the non-pregnant group. In conclusion, specific bacteria taxa had higher relative abundance in the endometrium of patients with implantation failure after FET with euploid embryos. We hypothesize that an appropriate treatment for optimization of endometrial microbiome content in women with diagnosed microbiome dysbiosis could be beneficial for improvement of pregnancy rates

Hysteroscopy and female infertility: a fresh look to a busy corner

Hysteroscopy has evolved from the traditional art of examining the uterine cavity for diagnostic purposes to an invaluable modality to concomitantly diagnose and (see and) treat a multitude of intrauterine pathologies, especially in the field and clinics specialising in female reproduction. This article reviews the literature on the most common cervical, endometrial, uterine and tubal pathologies such as chronic endometritis, endometrial polyps, adenomyosis, endometriosis, endometrial atrophy, adhesions, endometrial hyperplasia, cancer, and uterine malformations. The aim is to determine the efficiency of hysteroscopy compared with other available techniques as a diagnostic and treatment tool and its association with the success of in vitro fertilisation procedures. Although hysteroscopy requires an experienced operator for optimal results and is still an invasive procedure, it has the unique advantage of combining great diagnostic and treatment opportunities before and after ART procedures. In conclusion, hysteroscopy should be recommended as a first-line procedure in all cases with female infertility, and a special effort should be made for its implementation in the development of new high-tech procedures for identification and treatment infertility-associated condition