Interleukin-10 inhibits cytokine-mediated synergistic release of interleukin-6 in astrocytoma cells

Astrocytes respond to pro-inflammatory cytokines such as, interleukin-1 (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). However, the mechanisms in which IL-1beta and TNF-alpha mediate cell\u27s signaling need further investigation; In previous research, the effects of y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on IL-1 and TNF-alpha signaling pathway were studied. GABA was unable to suppress IkappaB-alpha degradation and the phosphorylation of p38 by IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. However, it was suggested that GABA may be able to inhibit IL-6 release by reducing the rate of IkappaB-alpha degradation; Another cytokine, IL-10, which is well known in literature to have anti-inflammatory effects, is investigated in this study. This study presents IL-10 effects on the NF-kappaB and p38 signaling pathways as well as IL-10 inhibition of IL-1 and TNF synergistic induction of IL-6 release. The effect of other signaling molecules, believed to act as antagonists for p38 activation, were also investigated and presented in this study. Previous studies indicate that both IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were able to stimulate the phosphorylation of p38 and the degradation of NF-kappaB inhibitor, IkappaB-alpha, with no change in IkappaB-beta. While IL-10 is unable to suppress the phosphorylation of p38 by IL-1beta or TNF-alpha or degradation of IkappaB-alpha, inhibitor of NF-kappaB, it is also suggested that IL-10 may inhibit cytokine-mediated synergistic induction of IL-6 in mechanistically similar way to GABA; Inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNF-alpha have repeatedly shown to phosphorylate p38 and activate NF-kappaB pathway. We also have shown their synergistic effect on release of extracellular IL-6 as well as synergistic increase in transcriptional activation of IL-6 mRNA. Anti-inflammatory effects of IL-10, GABA and p38 inhibitor SB203580 were also investigated. Experimental results suggest that neither IL-10 nor GABA can reverse p38 or NF-kappaB activation induced by IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. However, they inhibit synergistic release of IL-6 but have no effect on IL-6 transcriptional activation. Further, SB203580, inhibitor of p38, decreased synergistic mRNA transcript after stimulation with IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. Our findings may postulate that anti-inflammatory molecules such as GABA and IL-10 may have similar mode of action supposedly affecting post-translational mechanisms

Structural changes and labour adjustments in rural Bulgaria

The rural areas in Bulgaria cover more then 80% of the country territory and account for about 29% of the population. Their development depends strongly on agricultural sector. The paper examines structural changes in agriculture, labour market situation in rural areas and presents the main results of the survey performed in three region of Bulgaria. The study shows a substantial decline in the number of farm with economic size between 0,5 and 3 ESU and a stable increase in the number of large farms. Major factors having impact on farm restructuring are: improvements in economic situation, in particular the increase in real income, positive developments of land market, deterioration of age structure of rural population and the habits of rural population to keep some agricultural activity. An important development of subsistence and semi subsistence farms is observed indicating two opposite processes: a process of transforming of a small part of semi-subsistence into commercial farms or into higher economic size group and another part of them converged to subsistence farms. The number of subsistence farms with economic size 0,5 – 1 ESU also declined as the reduction is either due to reduction of farm activity or due to exit from the sector. The most important option for employment and source of income in villages studied is agriculture, but the earned income is much below the national average The most important factor having impact on a decision to start a job outside agriculture is “To ensure households leaving standards/ generate cash income”. Generally the respondents do not think that they will have possibility to start their self employed business outside agriculture in the next 5 years. Only 25% of them expect to stay in agriculture as nearly 50% of the commercial farms will keep operating and only 17% - 26% of small farms will remain in the sectorrural development, farm restructuring, labour markets, Community/Rural/Urban Development, J21, R23,

Automated System for Development of Doctoral Documentation

The article presents a web application through which doctoral study documentation can be prepared and developed. The main functions and characteristics of the various user roles involved in the development of the documentation are presented. An example of an adaptation related to the learning process is described. Several screenshots of the application are presented. Future plans for the development of the application are shared

Паразитоиди по инвазивната Nezara viridula (Linnaeus) в България

The southern green stink bug Nezara viridula (Linnaeus) is a polyphagous species that causes economic damages to many crops in Bulgaria. The aim of this study was to identify the parasitoid species that could suppress the populations of Nezara viridula. A lot of agricultural crops were inspected in the region of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for the presence of egg parasitoids and imaginal parasitoids of the pest. Egg masses and adults of Nezara viridula were collected during the field surveys in 2019-2021 in Southern Bulgaria. The only parasitoid species emerging from adults of the green stink bug was Trichopoda pennipes (Tachinidae), which is reported for the first time in Bulgaria. The rate of parasitism at field conditions ranged from 2.83% to 35% in the different generations of the host. The egg parasitoids were from family Scelionidae – Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), Eupelmidae – Anastatus bifasciatus (Geoffroy), and Encyrtidae - Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev). It was found that at field conditions the rate of parasitism of the eggs in 2020 and 2021 was respectively 7.77% and 0.25% in May, 34.32% and 17.23% in June, 72.3% and 80.51% in July, and in August – reaching 100% and 89.79%.Южната зелена дървеница Nezara viridula (Linnaeus) е многояден вид, който нанася икономически щети на много култури в България. Целта на това проучване е да се идентифицират видовете паразитоиди, които биха могли да потиснат популациите на Nezara viridula. Наблюдавани са много земеделски култури в района на Пловдив, България, за наличие на яйчни и имагинални паразитоиди по неприятеля. По време на теренните проучвания през 2019-2021 г. в Южна България са събрани яйца и възрастни на Nezara viridula. Единственият паразитоид, открит във възрастните на зелената миризлива дървеница, е Trichopoda pennipes (Tachinidae), койт вид се съобщава за първи път в България. Степента на паразитиране при полеви условия варира от 2.83% до 35% при различните поколения на гостоприемника. Паразитоидите по яйцата са от семейство Scelionidae - Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston), Eupelmidae - Anastatus bifasciatus (Geoffroy) и Encyrtidae - Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev). Установено е, че при полеви условия степента на паразитиране на яйцата през 2020 г. и 2021 г. е съответно 7.77% и 0.25% през май, 34.32% и 17.23% през юни, 72.3% и 80.51% през юли, и през август – достигайки 100% и 89.79%

A combination of pathologies - facet joint synovial cyst, epidural lipomatosis and conjoined nerve root anomaly in the lumbar spine of a 45-year-old patient. A case report

Facet joint synovial cysts are abnormal fluid-filled cystic formations that develop from a degenerative process of the facet joints. Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a process of excessive accumulation of fat in the epidural space. Conjoined nerve root (CNR) anomaly refers to an anatomical variation in which two adjacent nerve roots share a common dural sleeve. The aforementioned three rare pathologies cause the same pathological process of stenosis, therefore compressing the nervous structures. A 45-year-old female patient was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery with severe low back and radicular pain, and numbness along her left leg. Antalgic posture, painful paravertebral muscle tenderness, L4 radiculopathy, and L5 and S1 dermatome hypoesthesia on the left as well as positive straight leg raising sign (Laseque) were present upon examination. CT and MRI scanning showed stenosis on L4-L5 level caused by bilateral synovial cyst formation. Microsurgical decompression by foraminotomy at L4-L5 level on the left with dissection of the synovial cyst and epidural lipomatosis was performed. In the course of the operation CNR anomaly was discovered. The complete decompression alleviated the symptoms and after 3 uneventful postoperative days the patient was discharged. Spinal stenosis causing compression upon nervous structures is a process that could be caused by a number of conditions. The incidence of rare pathologies and anomalies or even the more rarely occurring combination of them must be considered on daily basis in the clinical practice in order to make the correct diagnosis and plan the best possible treatment for the patient

Relation between emitted CO2, asset expenditures, produced energy from renewables and energy consumption. Evidence from Bulgaria

The paper explores the relation between emitted CO2 in the atmosphere, asset expenditure, produced energy from renewables and energy consumption. ARDL model was developed on the basis of data for Bulgaria (2000 – 2018). As a whole the increase in asset expenditures leads to increase in emitted carbon dioxide in the short-run and in the long-run. The increase in the produced energy from renewables leads to decrease in the emitted carbon dioxide in a long-run, while in the short-run the relation is insignificant. In a short-run the energy consumption and emitted carbon dioxide are in a positive relation: the increase in energy consumption leads to increase in the emitted pollutant

Teaching young learners with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

The aim of this seminar is to look at the special educational needs of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and how these needs impact on their learning. The participants will gain an understanding of ADHD and practical strategies for teaching learners with ADHD in their mainstream classroom. There will be resources that the participants will be invited to read or listen to, and there will be a number of exercises they will have to complete. At the end, a list of books and websites will be suggested for getting additional or more comprehensive information on the issue

The Libraries in Duel with Modern Values

The article is provoked by the section Duel in Livenews.bg where it was raised an interesting question for ballot: more money for libraries or for sport. The author considers a number of issues related to the current state of public li-braries in Bulgaria, the dimensions of the crisis in their services, personnel, funds, financing, etc. The emphasis is placed on the discrepancy between current attitudes of the younger generation, the marginalization of large groups, and the development of the knowledge economy. For example the main question in many publications is how the libraries can surmount the effects of chalga-culture or the mall-culture, which are the choice for majority of the younger population in the country. But essentially, the problem refers to the future of the libraries as active organizations in the information economy. It is undisputed that the use of ICT is growing both in different organizations (governmental institutions, educational institutions, businesses...) and in households. It could be argued that more Bulgarians already personalize their information space according to their individual needs. More importantly, the expectations of the younger generation are about a library founded on ICT and Internet. These expectations are not related directly to the effects of chalga- and mall-culture, rather with the level of technological development of libraries and technological preferences of many Bulgarians. Are the libraries ready for this challenge? The answer is "no" because the libraries are in an uncertain institutional environment on one hand, and on the other – in a market economy with intense competition on IT services. It is a fact that the market is dominated by technology giants like Google, Microsoft, etc., international publishers and distributors of IT products, local "players" or small suppliers, who are struggling, however, to attract the same customers. The success of libraries today largely depends on their positioning in the free market of information services (with or without support by the state). How the public libraries could meet the preferences of the users without clear governmental policy and with an insignificant financing? The author concludes that the public libraries have to prepare for three key trans-formations: (а) to orient their services for users through competitive technologies for the information access; (в) to change their internal structure and to take new activities (mostly related to the management of information flows in the computer networks); (c) to have sufficient qualified personnel in the areas of ICT

Teaching young learners with ADHD (continued)

This is the continuation of a lecture module designed for students who are training to become teachers and are interested in strategies for helping learners with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The first 4 strategies were targeted in a previous module. Four more strategies are suggested here, with the respective exercise to raise students’ awareness

Universal visual communication system design for a shopping center and other entertaining places and activities

The aim of this project is to create a sign / character that can be understood without any help / assistance by anyone, which explains an action with only a few strokes, in a way that the image looks as if it is moving. is not that simple as it seems. It requires knowledge in different areas. Designing a universal system for visual communication (in brief “pictograms”), requires basic knowledge in psychology, sensation (perception), associative and everything else that is related to the basic thinking and perception of a person. The purpose of my project is to create a system of visual communication that can be used for particular location such as a shopping center. And because some of the images are universal they can be used in other places as well. I limited my choice to images for a shopping center (including parkings, cinema, etc…