Factors Determining The Dominant Role Of The Services Sector In Modern Economies

In the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the process of industrialisation was particularly large-scale and intensive and dominated the industrial sector. In the following years, however, complex processes of adaptation to a new model of development began to take place in the development of the Bulgarian economy. It is based on the global information revolution and the trend towards globalisation, as well as the transition to a market economy. One of the features of this change is the dynamic development of the services sector, which is increasingly beginning to dominate. This paper traces the factors that led to the transformation of most economies, including the Bulgarian and their transformation into post-industrial, as well as the similarities and differences of these changes until the beginning of the twentieth century in our country and in other economies

Sigma convergent analysis of the production structure of the Bulgarian economy

The article examines the structural convergence of production in the Bulgarian economy to the Eurozone using the σ analysis methodology. It first shows the dynamics of the aggregated divergence index and then of the dissimilarity and distance index. These three indices were calculated for each year of the analyzed period, and when interpreting their results, emphasis is placed on the direction and speed of their change over time

SOME ASPECTS OF THE REGIONAL COOPERATION IN THE BALKANS

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the political role of the state borders in the Balkans has changed. Gradually they began to transform from barriers into zones of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The common European integration includes the creation and development of Euro-regions. Within the context of reorganization of the new European space, geopolitical importance of South-East Europe has significantly upgraded. This fact reflects on the interests of the international community in security and development of this region. Despite that the Balkans constitute an indispensable part of the European continent, their incorporation into the new European architecture has been particularly difficult and problematic. They emerge as the most volatile and least integrated European region. There are significant variations among the countries concerning their territory, number of population, as well as the rate of the economic changes. The main forms of regional cooperation should be concentrated on the domains of transport, energy and communication infrastructure, trade and economic cooperation, environment and security. From this point of view, the economic growth and increase of living standard are the most important problems for all Balkan countries

PERIPHERAL BONE MINERAL DENSITY - NORMAL VALUES FOR HEALTHY BULGARIAN WOMEN IN THE BLACK SEA REGION

In the last three years in Bulgaria it became possible to determine the peripheral bone mass by x-ray absorptiometry (Osteometer DTX 100/200 ) and to perform screening examinations among women at risk of developing postmenopausal osteoporosis. As a reference database in our everyday practice we used the established criteria for Danish population. Keeping the study protocol of Osteometer A/S we summarized our data in order to define the age related variations of bone mineral density (BMD) and to determine normal values for healthy Bulgarian women. A total of234 women aged 20-70 years were included in the study. They were informed about the trial and gave their written consent to participate. BMD was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry at distal (D-BMD) and ultradistal (U-BMD) sites of forearm with Osteometer DTX 200. The attained peak bone mass in youth (at the age of 30) declined normally slowly and after the menopause the loss accelerated - both D-BMD and U-BMD. The accelerated bone loss after menopause changed the ratio (normal BMD: osteopenia: osteoporosis) and with age the number of women with osteoporosis increased. Screening the women near menopause and monitoring the postmenopausal bone loss is important to identify patients at risk (the so-called fast bone losers ) . It will enable to start early preventive therapy. The established normal values for age-related changes in BMD can be used as reference base for healthy Bulgarian women and will help for correct interpretation of the results

Rapid extraction of dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater and groundwater samples for radiocarbon dating

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution June 2012The focus of this thesis is the design and development of a system for rapid extraction of dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater and groundwater samples for radiocarbon dating. The Rapid Extraction of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon System (REDICS) consists of two subsystems – one for sample introduction, acidification, and carbon dioxide extraction, and one for carbon dioxide quantification and storing. The first subsystem efficiently extracts the dissolved inorganic carbon from the water sample in the form of carbon dioxide by utilizing a gas-permeable polymer membrane contractor. The second subsystem traps, quantifies and stores the extracted gas using cryogenics. The extracted carbon dioxide is further processed for stable and radiocarbon isotope analysis at the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometer Facility at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The REDICS system was tested using seawater standards collected at 470m and 4000m depth in the Atlantic Ocean and analyzing the extracted CO2. The results were compared to the results for the same standards processed on the current NOSAMS water stripping line. The results demonstrate that the system successfully extracts more than 99% of the dissolved inorganic carbon in less than 20 minutes. Stable isotope and radiocarbon isotope analyses demonstrated system precision of 0.02‰ and 3.5‰ respectively.Funded by the National Science Foundation as well as the MIT WHOI Joint Progra

The impact of the communist heritage on the destination image perceived by western tourists. The case study of Poland and Bulgaria

Over recent years the importance of destination image on tourists’ decision-making process has been increasingly analysed as an important factor. However, the researches into this topic are still maturing. As noted previously, the tourism industry in the Post-Soviet countries has not been a subject of great interest from scholars. However, the uniqueness of the cultural and historical background of these countries contributes to tourism flows which are important to explore. Therefore, this dissertation examines the impact of the communist heritage on the destination image perceived by foreign consumers, focusing on two the post-communist countries – Bulgaria and Poland, which have a long history connected to communism due to Soviet occupation in the years between 1945 and 1991. Drawing on theories of tourists’ perceptions, heritage tourism, and destination image conceptualization, an empirical study was conducted using mixed methods. The semi-structured questionnaires with mixed questions (open-ended questions, semantic, Likert scale) were distributed online (via Facebook, Viber, and e-mail) to Western tourists. The findings of this research showed that the respondents in both sampling groups had positive perceptions about the overall destination image of each post-Soviet country. However, regarding the communist heritage aspect, while Poland is significantly recognized as a cultural and heritage destination, Bulgaria's best-perceived elements as a destination, are its attractive scenery/natural landscape and good weather. The findings in the study contribute to a clearer understanding of the communist heritage of the post-Soviet states by empirically evaluating the main characteristics of Poland's and Bulgaria's destination image. Furthermore, significant implications for tourism managers and researchers are highlighted, including defining greater promotional endeavours that would increase Poland's and Bulgaria's brand recognition and value, and the development of new, more satisfactory tourist products.Nos últimos anos, a importância da imagem de destino no processo de tomada de decisões dos turistas tem sido cada vez mais analisada como um fator importante. No entanto, as pesquisas sobre este assunto ainda estão em desenvolvimento. Como observado anteriormente, a indústria do turismo nos países pós-soviéticos não tem sido objeto de grande interesse por parte dos académicos. No entanto, a singularidade do contexto cultural e histórico desses países contribui para os fluxos de turismo que são importantes para explorar. Portanto, esta dissertação examina o impacto da herança comunista na imagem de destino percebida pelos consumidores estrangeiros, concentrando-se em dois países pós-comunistas - Bulgária e Polônia, que têm uma longa história ligada ao comunismo devido à ocupação soviética nos anos entre 1945 e 1945. e 1991. Com base nas teorias de identidade de destino e percepção de imagem de destino, foi conduzido um estudo empírico usando métodos mistos. Os questionários semi-estruturados com questões mistas (questões abertas, semânticas, escala Likert) foram distribuídos on-line (via Facebook, Viber e e-mail) para visitantes ocidentais. Os resultados desta pesquisa mostraram que os turistas estrangeiros em ambos os grupos de amostragem tiveram percepções positivas sobre a imagem geral de destino de cada uma dessas repúblicas pós-soviéticas. No entanto, em relação ao aspecto do património comunista, embora a Polónia seja significativamente reconhecida como um destino cultural e patrimonial, os elementos mais bem vistos pela Bulgária como destino são os seus cenários atrativos / paisagem natural e o clima. Destacam-se implicações significativas para os gestores e investigadores do turismo, incluindo a definição de maiores esforços promocionais que aumentem o reconhecimento e o valor da marca da Polónia e da Bulgária, juntamente com o desenvolvimento de novos productos e serviços de turismo que sejam satisfatórios. As descobertas do estudo contribuem para uma compreensão mais clara da herança comunista dos estados pós-soviéticos, avaliando empiricamente as principais características da imagem de destino da Polônia e da Bulgária

Mediterranean Spotted Fever in Adults Aged Over 60 Years

Nowadays the distribution and course of Mediterranean spotted fever is characterized by an increasing number of severe cases and its complications worldwide. Age-dependent changes and processes of ageing influence to a different extent upon the course of the infectious diseases. The authors examined the course of the Mediterranean spotted fever in adults aged over 60 years. The study covered 90 elderly patients treated in the First Clinic of Infectious Diseases at St. Marina University Hospital of Varna during the period from 2000 till 2003. Of them, 58 were females (64,4%) and 32 males (35,6%). Their hospital stay was 8,5 0,12 days long (p<0,05) while that of 30 control persons aged between 18 and 57 years was 7 0,32 days long. Clinical patterns and biochemicalparameters were followed-up. The diagnosis was serologically confirmed in 28,8% of the patients. Some 79,2% of the elderly patients presented with accompanying diseases in contrast to 46,8% of the controls (p<0,001). Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases occurred most commonly followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumopathies, diabetes mellitus, etc. One and the same patient often presented with several accompanying diseases. Contact with dogs was reported in 64,9% but tick biting - in 22% of the cases. The etiological treatment included tetracyclines and chlornitromycin or quinolones of third generation as an alternative. Pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy was also administered along with treatment of the accompanying diseases. The authors recommended the hospitalization of the elderly patients with Mediterranean spotted fever and the antibiotic therapy with chlornitromycin or quinolones of third generation of the severe forms. General practitioners' attention should be paid on the risk in such patients with delayed diagnosis and treatment

Implementing a Web-based Application for Analysis and Evaluation of Heart Rate Variability Using Serverless Architecture

This article is devoted to the development of a web-based application for analysis and evaluation of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) using serverless architecture. Advancements in information algorithms and computing technologies have been playing an increasingly important role in cardiology, as continuous monitoring of patients’ health can be vital to their well-being.  One physiological parameter that can be easily measured and that can provide indispensable insight into the state of the human body is the HRV.  HRV analysis can assess not only the physiological state of the body but also provide the capability to monitor its dynamics and predict future diseases. As the research in the sphere of cardiology is constantly growing there is a multitude of new ways to assess the physiological state of patients and provide an early indicator to pathological conditions. Therefore, there is a need to bring these advances to a growing number of end-users (health-care professionals and patients) in the shortest possible time. To address this problem, this study proposes the development of a web-based application for analysis and evaluation of HRV by applying linear and nonlinear mathematical methods. The application is created using a serverless architectural approach, which allows for fast development time, as there is no need to manage server infrastructure, and for automatic scaling to dynamically match the number of requests. The developer can instead focus on implementing the logic for the HRV analysis algorithms and deliver new improvements at a faster rate. The proposed web application can be accessed by any device that is connected to the Internet and is optimized to handle both an intermittent and a consistent volume of requests. The algorithms implemented in the web application have been validated by examining two groups of subjects (young adults and older adults) using linear and non-linear models. The obtained results from the two groups can be compared with a set of reference values (only for the linear methods) and an assessment can be made whether each studied parameter is within the normal range or outside it (its value is too high or too low). To aid the assessment for HRV, the results obtained by the linear and nonlinear analysis are presented using a set of both graphs and tables

Severe Pertussis in an Infant

Despite high vaccine coverage, pertussis remains a global health concern. Recently, the incidence of infection has risen in Europe and other developed countries. Healthcare providers should be aware of the possibility of pertussis not only among unvaccinated infants but also among adolescents and adults, in whom pertussis often is misdiagnosed