The Financial Literacy Of Clients – An Important Factor For Banks’ Successful Digitalization

The digitalization of banking operations and the opportunities it provides the clients with has been an important aspect of banking for decades. Banks are among the financial institutions that work actively so that they do not lag behind the global e-business which is moving forward. Successful banking digitalization depends on numerous factors whereas one of them is clients’ financial literacy which significantly predefines how the process of banks’ digital transformation would continue. The research is aimed at outlining banking digitalization’s dependency on the literacy level of clients and the policies to be implemented so that it is successful

Molecular networking-assisted flavonoid profile of Gypsophila glomerata extract in relation to its protective effects on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatorenal damage in rats

The aim of the study was to provide an in-depth characterization of the methanol-aqueous extract from the aerial parts of Gypsophila glomerata Pall. Ex Adams (Caryophyllaceae) (EGG) and to assess its protective potential on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver and kidney damage in male Wistar rats. Twenty-two flavonoid C-, O- and C,O-glycosides in EGG were annotated by mass spectrometry-based molecular networking; nine of them are reported in this species for the first time. Fourteen-day oral administration of EGG at a dose 200 mg kg–1 bm prevented significantly CCl4-induced liver injury, discerned by an amelioration of the markers of oxidative stress (GSH and MDA) and transaminase activity. EGG decreased the serum level of urea and creatinine as well. The observed improvement of biochemical parameters was supported by histopathological observations. The protective hepatorenal effects of EGG, rich in 2"-О-pentosyl-6-С-hexosyl-apigenin/luteolin/methylluteolin and their acetyl- and methoxycinnamoyl-derivatives, were comparable with the effects of the positive control silymarin

LC-MS analysis of phenolic compounds and oleraceins in aerial parts of Portulaca oleracea L.

Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) is a well-known edible and ethnomedicinal plant and it has been called “vegetable for long life” in the Chinese herbal medicine. The plant is recognized for the high content of polyphenols, including flavonoids and phenolic acids.In this study, hydromethanolic purslane extracts from Bulgarian and Greek locations were screened for polyphenolic content. Based on polyphenols, saponins and DPPH antioxidant activity, an orthogonaldesign L9(34) was performed in order to improve the ultrasound assisted extraction procedure of dry and fresh plant material. An UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS method in parallel-reaction monitoring mode was developed for the simultaneous identification and quantification of 14 compounds comprising hydroxybenzoic, hydroxycinnamic and caffeoylquinic acids, as well as 2 flavonol glycosides. The quantitative analysis was validated for curve fit, range, instrumental detection limit (IDL), instrumental quantification limit (IQL), LOD, LOQ, precision, recovery and accuracy. The UHPLC-MS quantification method revealed good linearity (r2 > 0.9950), LOD < 925.85 ng/g dw and LOQ < 3055.31 ng/g dw. Moreover, 11 cylco-dopa amides (Oleraceins A-D, N-Q, S, U and W) were tentatively identified through UHPLC-MS and their MS2 mass fragmentation was described

Kratkoročni učinci onečišćenja zraka na broj bolničkih prijama zbog bolesti srca i krvožilja i šećerne bolesti u Sofiji u Bugarskoj (2009. – 2018.)

Bulgaria has a very high incidence of cardiometabolic diseases and air pollution-related mortality rate. This study investigated the relationship between daily air pollution levels and hospital admissions for ischaemic heart diseases (IHD), cerebral infarction (CI), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Sofia, Bulgaria. We obtained daily data on hospitals admissions and daily average air pollution levels from 2009 to 2018. Pollutants of interest were particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO). Negative binomial regressions were fitted to study the effects of air pollution on hospital admission over the course of seven days prior to that event, accounting for autocorrelations and time trend in the data, day of the week, temperature, and relative humidity. Our findings confirm that higher air pollution levels generally increase the risk of hospital admissions for IHD and CI. For T2DM the association is less clear. Admissions often lagged several days behind and were more common in specific demographic subgroups or when pollution crossed a particular threshold. However, we did not expect to find the risk of hospital admissions increased in warmer rather than colder months of the year. Our findings are to be taken with reservation but do provide an idea about how air pollution could trigger acute episodes of related cardiovascular diseases, and our model may serve to investigate similar associations across the country.Bugarska ima izrazito visoku incidenciju kardiometaboličkih bolesti i mortaliteta koja je povezana s onečišćenjem zraka. Ovdje smo ispitivali povezanost dnevnih razina onečišćenja zraka s brojem bolničkih prijama zbog ishemijskih bolesti srca (I20 – I25), cerebralnog infarkta (I63) i šećerne bolesti neovisne o inzulinu (E11) u Sofiji u Bugarskoj. Na raspolaganju smo imali dnevne podatke o broju bolničkih prijama te o prosječnim razinama onečišćenja zraka za desetogodišnje razdoblje, tj. od početka 2009. do kraja 2018. Onečišćivala koja smo promatrali obuhvatila su lebdeće čestice (PM2.5 i PM10), dušikov dioksid (NO2), sumporov dioksid (SO2), ozon (O3) i ugljikov monoksid (CO). Kako bismo utvrdili učinke onečišćenja zraka na broj bolničkih prijama, oslonili smo se na modele binomijalne regresije, prilagođene za razdoblje do sedam dana uoči bolničkoga prijama, uzimajući pritom u obzir autokorelacije i vremenske trendove podataka, dan u tjednu te temperature i vlažnost zraka. Naši rezultati potvrđuju da veće onečišćenje načelno povećava rizik od bolničkoga prijama zbog ishemijskih bolesti srca i cerebralnog infarkta, a ta je povezanost sa šećernom bolesti nejasnija. Prijam u bolnicu obično je kasnio nekoliko dana za porastom onečišćenja te je bio učestaliji u pojedinim demografskim podskupinama odnosno nakon što bi onečišćenje prešlo određeni prag. Ono što, međutim, nismo očekivali jest da se broj bolničkih prijama (i povezani rizik) povećao za topla vremena, a ne za hladnih mjeseci. Dakako, naše rezultate treba uzeti s određenim oprezom, no i takvi daju dobru ideju kako onečišćenje zraka može potaknuti akutne epizode s njim povezanih bolesti srca i krvožilja, a naš model može poslužiti za istraživanje sličnih veza diljem Bugarske

MOLECULAR VIROLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSMISSION CLUSTERS AND RESISTANCE MUTATIONS OF HIV-1 SUBTYPE B IN BULGARIA (2012-2020)

HIV-1 infection in Bulgaria is known for its high level of genetic diversity. Previous studies have indicated that subtype B is the most common strain in Bulgaria, particularly among men who have sex with men, who are at a high risk of transmission. The primary objective of this study was to identify any transmission clusters and transmission resistance in individuals newly diagnosed with HIV-1 who have not yet received antiretroviral therapy (ART). To this end, we sequenced the HIV-1 pol gene in the samples from the study participants using either the Viroseq HIV-1 Genotyping Test (Abbott) and the Applied Biosystems 3130xl genetic analyzer or the TruGene DNA Sequencing System (Siemens Healthcare) and an OpenGene DNA sequencing system. We then subtyped the HIV-1 pol sequences, and further analyzed those that met the criteria for subtype B. The study included a total of 595 HIV-1 subtype B sequences. Our analysis revealed that the majority of those diagnosed with HIV-1 subtype B were male and lived in Sofia region. The most common transmission mode was through sexual intercourse among men who have sex with men, followed by heterosexual transmission. We also observed the presence of multiple transmission clusters , and a low percentage of transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRMs). Overall, our study confirms that HIV-1 subtype B remains the most dominant strain in Bulgaria

FERROPTOSIS IN CD4+ AND CD8+ T-CELLS IN THE SETTINGS OF HIV INFECTION

Introduction: Elevation of intracellular iron concentration triggers ferroptosis. Understanding the regulation and pathophysiological mechanisms of this process in HIV infection may contribute to antiretroviral therapy (cART) monitoring. Aim: To perform a correlation analysis of the intracellular labile-bound iron pool (LIP) in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in association with CD4+, CD8+ T cells absolute count (AC) and CD4/CD8 index in HIV+ individuals on continuous cART with sustained viral suppression. Material and methods: Peripheral blood samples (Li heparin, n=34) were collected in the course of the routine immune monitoring of HIV+ individuals at four time points during 24 months. Plasma HIV viral load (VL) was determined with the Abbott Real-Time HIV-1 test (sensitivity 40 copies/ml). AC and percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were determined by direct flow cytometry (Multitest, BD Trucount, FACS Canto II). The intracellular content of LIP in CD4 and CD8 T cells (LIP CD4, LIP CD8) was measured at the beginning of the study, using acetoxymethyl ester and subsequent incubation with a chelator (Deferiprone). LIP was quantified according to the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) (FACSCanto II, Diva 6.1.2). Results: In the settings of a higher LIP CD4 , high LIP CD8 correlated with increased CD8AC (Rho=0.70, p<0.05) up to 11 (min. 6, max. 15) months after LIP measurement., and decreased CD4/CD8 ratio correlated inversely with LIP CD8 in all consecutive measurements (Rho= -0.71, p<0.01 for all), Importantly, high LIP CD8 correlated with a lower CD4AC (Rho=-0.65, p<0.05) up to five (min.1, max.8) months after LIP measurement. Conclusion: The increased concentration of intracellular LIP in CD8 cells in HIV+cART individuals could indicate viral activity in the settings of undetectable HIV VL, directly associated with ongoing cell ferroptosis

Dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 spread in Bulgaria, 2020-2022

The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with high morbidity and significant mortality worldwide. The objective of this study was to track the circulation pattern of SARS-CoV-2 in Bulgaria over three consecutive years (2020-2022) and to analyze the involvement of SARS-CoV-2 in cases of co-infections. A total of 98 247 clinical samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using a Real-Time RT-PCR method and 25.2% of them were positive. The positive rate for SARS-CoV-2 was greater among hospitalized patients compared to outpatients (p<0.05). Approximately 48.3% of all SARS-CoV-2-positive cases were male and 51.7% were female (p<0.05). SARS-CoV-2 positivity was highest in the group of oldest adults (≥65 years) (average 40.6%), and lowest in the group of youngest children (0-5 years) (average 9.4%). Several peaks in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections were observed. Among the 1 463 SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples examined for the presence of other respiratory viruses, 109 (7.5%) cases of co-infections were found. The greatest variety of co-infections with SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses was detected during the Omicron wave. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is important to continue in the future in order not to miss the emergence of new genetic variants with increased infectivity, virulence or immune escape

SARS-COV-2 GENOMIC SURVEILLANCE IN BULGARIA INDICATES DIVERSE DYNAMICS DRIVEN BY MULTIPLE INTRODUCTIONS OF DIFFERENT VIRAL VARIANTS IN 2022

Background. Evolution of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants raises concerns about the possibility of accelerated transmission,  disease severity, diagnostic challenges, and reduced vaccine effectiveness in the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. Objectives for this study were to build a comprehensive national system for monitoring and genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2  and to identify the introduced virus variants in the country. Methods. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 infections in 7948 representative clinical samples collected in medical institutions in different  geographical regions of the country in 2022. Whole-genome next-generation sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 was performed on samples  from randomly selected SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals by using a modified ARTIC v3-tailed amplicon method. A bioinformatic and  phylogenetic analyses of the obtained sequences was carried out. Results. Significant dynamics was observed in the spread of viral variants in 2022, which is characterized by the introduction and  spread of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants. The phylogenomic analysis identified a high genetic heterogeneiety composed of a total of 152 different viral clades divided into 3 main supergroups: 114 (75.0%) of which were Omicron sub-variants, 35 (23.0%) Delta sub-variants, and 3 (2.0%) recombinant forms. Conclusion. Viral variants and their sub-clades with different potentials to impact disease severity were identified and the  information was immediately published for use by decision-makers and the scientific community. The global pandemic of COVID-19  has shown the importance of molecular biological surveillance, which is an indispensable element of the modern approach in the  fight against infectious diseases