A state of the art of required techniques for employing activated carbon in renewable energy powered adsorption applications

This paper reviews, for the first time, the measurement adsorption characteristics techniques to facilitate optimal testing of the validity of adsorbent materials in adsorption applications. Thermo-physical properties, adsorption characteristics and modelling techniques are presented. The characterisation of material thermo-physical properties includes true and bulk densities, specific heat capacity, surface area, pore volume distribution and thermal conductivity. The adsorption characteristics were categorized into adsorption isotherms and kinetics including experimental and theoretical equations. A range of models used in the simulation of adsorption cooling systems is presented and discussed. The paper highlights the conditions for which each measurement technique is most suitable and the limitations of modelling techniques, which is a vital element in the robust assessment of the performance of adsorption cooling units

Pneumonia and acute myocarditis revealing COVID-19 infection in histopathology

Засягането на сърцето е често срещано състояние сред пациенти, хоспитализирани с COVID-19, и е свързано с по-висок риск от болнична смъртност. От първите анализирани случаи в Китай е забелязан повишен сърдечен тропонин при значителна част от пациентите, което предполага увреждане на миокарда като възможен патогенен механизъм, допринасящ за тежко заболяване и смъртност. Лекарите трябва да обърнат внимание на възможността за миокардит в случаите на COVID-19. Представяме ви първи възможен случай на миокардит, свързан със SARS-CoV-2, потвърден с аутопсиен преглед. Припокриването с остър коронарен синдром, остра декомпенсирана сърдечна недостатъчност трябва да се вземе предвид при сегашното състояние на епидемията COVID-19. Cardiac injury is a common condition among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and it is associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality. Since the first data analyses in China, elevated cardiac troponin has been noted in a substantial proportion of patients, implicating myocardial injury as a possible pathogenic mechanism contributing to severe illness and mortality. Physicians need to pay heed to the possibility of myocarditis in cases of COVID-19. We present a first possible SARS-CoV-2 associated myocarditis case, confirmed by autopsy examination. The overlap with acute coronary syndrome, acute decompensated heart failure should be taken into consideration in the current state to COVID-19 epidemics

Invasive hemodynamic assessment of patients with cardiomyopathies

Инвазивната хемодинамична оценка на сърдечните заболявания придобива все по-голяма роля през последни- те десетилетия. Поради по-широката си достъпност и безопасност неинвазивните техники са основните методи, използващи се за оценка на сърдечната функция. Хемодинамичната оценка чрез сърдечна катетеризация се при- лага за решаване на диагностични проблеми, които не могат да бъдат решени чрез рутинните методики. Този тип изследване трябва да бъде индивидуализирано спрямо конкретните проблеми на всеки пациент и базирано на получените от неинвазивните изследвания резултати. Инвазивната диагностика се използва широко при оценка- та на пациентите с различни сърдечно-съдови заболявания, включително и кардиомиопатии. В настоящия обзор разглеждаме ролята на сърдечната катетеризация, нейните предимства и недостатъци като част от цялостната оценка на пациентите с кардиомиопатии.  Invasive hemodynamic assessment of cardiac diseases has become an important diagnostic tool in recent decades. Non-invasive methods are the main techniques used to assess cardiac function, due to their wider availability. Cardiac catheterization is useful when there are diagnostic problems that cannot be solved with routine methods. Cardiac catheterization should be individualized according to the specific problems of the patient and based on the results from non-invasive methods. Invasive diagnostics is used in the assessment of patients with various cardiovascular diseases, including cardiomyopathies. In this review, we consider the role of cardiac catheterization, its advantages and disadvantages as part of the overall assessment of patients with cardiomyopathies.

Acute viral infection encephalopathy linked to organic personality disorder

Introduction: Encephalopathy is a structural and/or functional disorder of the brain with multiple causes, one of them being acute viral infection. It is clinically presented with a variety of neurologi­cal and psychiatric symptoms - muscle weakness, poor concentration, seizures, changes in personal­ity, as well as lethargy or psychosis.Materials and methods: A 12-year-old patient is being presented, hospitalized in the past due to viral encephalitis. Symptoms included fever, nausea, drowsiness, apathy and confusion. A lumbar punc­ture was performed at the time with no pathogens found in the cerebrospinal fluid. After a psychi­atric assessment through an interview the patient was diagnosed with organic personality disorder. Therapy was conducted and after the full resolution of the patient`s condition he was discharged. An year and a half later a relapse of previous symptomatology occurred. The boy was hospitalized again in a psychosis-like state after an interview with a psychiatrist.Results: Beginning with fever the second episode included visual hallucinations, photophobia and disorientation, psychosis-like beliefs - believing his mother is not real (Capgras syndrome). Although fully managing the first episode a therapy with Aripiprazole and Finlepsin only lead to a partial im­provement and fluctuation of the condition during the relapse. A follow up and additional examina­tions were commissioned.Conclusion: Even though long term complications are rare the condition should be treated with care. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in the acute phase of viral encephalitis. In rare cas­es they may also reappear after recovery, especially in children. Symptoms may present as psychosis (35%), catatonia (33%), psychotic depression (16%), and mania (11%). Post-infectious structural and functional changes in the brain may lead to personality shifts, e.g. detachment from reality and dis­inhibited behaviour resulting in long-term disability and social isolation of the patient. Psychiatric consultation and follow-up should be requested for patients at risk without hesitation

Survival of patients with cardiomyopathies

Кардиомиопатиите са хетерогенна група заболявания. Основният патогенетичен механизъм е миокардна увреда, резултат най-често на генетични мутации. Те са една от водещите причини за развитие на сърдечна недостатъч- ност, внезапна сърдечна смърт и животозастрашаващи аритмии. Прогнозата при пациентите с кардиомиопатии се определя основно от наличието или липсата на определени фактори, асоциирани с неблагоприятно протичане, както и от етапа на диагностицирането им. Преживяемостта при отделните видове кардиомиопатии е различна, като водеща причина за повишена смъртност е късното откриване на заболяването и съответно забавеното за- почване на лечение. Основните кардиомиопатии, разгледани в настоящия обзор, са хипертрофична, дилативна, рестриктивна, ЛК некомпактност и аритмогенна деснокамерна кардиомиопатия. Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases. The main pathogenetic mechanism is myocardial damage due to genetic mutations. Cardiomyopathies are one of the leading causes of heart failure, sudden cardiac death, and life-threatening arrhythmias. Certain factors associated with poor prognosis determined the prognosis in this group of patients. Survival in different types of cardiomyopathies depends on the time of diagnosis and initial treatment. The types of cardiomyopathies discussed in this review are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilative cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, left ventricle non-compaction, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

Serum biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension

Налице са значими изследвания и научни разработки, свързани с патофизиологията на пулмоналната хипертония (ПХ), вследствие на което се увеличават възможностите за терапевтичното и повлияване. Традиционните методи за диагностика и мониториране на ПХ включват ехокардиография и дясна сърдечна катетеризация, допълнени от оценка на функционалния клас по NYHA и 6-минутен тест с ходене (6 MWT). Нарастващият брой циркулаторни биомаркери, които се повишават при ПХ може да подпомогне клиницистите както в диагностиката, така и при оценка тежестта на заболяването и отговора от лечението. In the fi eld of development of pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension, there are growing number of signifi cant recent advances, which leads to new therapeutic agents. Traditional methods of diagnosing and monitoring this condition have comprised echocardiography and right heart catheterization, in addition to functional measures, such as estimation of functional class and the 6-min walk test. An increasing number of biomarkers have been described that are elevated in pulmonary hypertension and which may assist the clinician in diagnosis and in the assessment of disease severity and response to treatment.