Ocrelizumab versus Interferon Beta-1a in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

Supported by F. Hoffmann–La Roche

Ендоваскуларно лечение на пациенти с остър исхемичен мозъчен инсулт при тромбоза на средна мозъчна артерия – начален опит

Интравенозната тромболиза увеличава вероятността за добър функционален резултат при пациенти с остър исхемичен инсулт. Въпреки това, при част от пациентите, получаващи тромболитично лечение, не се постига желания резултат. Редица скорошни проучвания за механична тромбектомия показват, че това лечение може да бъде по-ефективно от тромболитичното при пациенти с оклузия на голям съд. В сравнение с пациентите, лекувани с медикаменти, пациентите, получили механична тромбектомия и оценени по модифицираната скала на Ранкин е по-вероятно да бъдат функционално независими. Смъртността и симптоматичните вътремозъчни кръвоизливи не се различават значително между двете групи. Механичната тромбектомия значително подобрява функционалната независимост при подходящо подбрани пациенти с остър исхемичен инсулт. Представяме нашите първи 4 случая на ендоваскуларно лечение при пациенти с остър исхемичен мозъчен инсулт в резултат на тромбоза на средна мозъчна артерия

Stroke care in Central Eastern Europe: current problems and call for action.

Stroke is a major medical problem and one of the leading causes of mortality and disability all over in Europe. However, there are significant East-West differences in stroke care as well as in stroke mortality and morbidity rates. Central and Eastern European countries that formerly had centralized and socialist health care systems have serious and similar problems in organizing health and stroke care 20 years after the political transition. In Central and Eastern Europe, stroke is more frequent, the mortality rate is higher, and the victims are younger than in Western Europe. High-risk patients live in worse environmental conditions, and the socioeconomic consequences of stroke further weaken the economic development of these countries. To address these issues, a round table conference was organized. The main aim of this conference was to discuss problems to be solved related to acute and chronic stroke care in Central and Eastern European countries, and also, to exchange ideas on possible solutions. In this article, the discussed problems and possible solutions will be summarized, and introduce 'The Budapest Statement of Stroke Experts of Central and Eastern European countries'

Trends in the properties and structures of the simple metals from a universal local pseudopotential

The properties of simple metals are fixed primarily by the equilibrium average valence-electron density parameter rs, and secondarily by the valence z. The simplest level of theory that can account quantitatively for these trends invokes a “universal” local electron-ion pseudopotential, defined for each pair (rs,z) and treated as a second-order perturbation. We construct this pseudopotential from two conditions: (1) The total energy should minimize at the equilibrium Wigner-Seitz radius z1/3rs. (2) The bulk modulus should equal the realistic rs-dependent prediction of the stabilized jellium model with effective valence z*=1. These conditions can be satisfied by an analytic local pseudopotential depending upon two parameters other than z; we show that the choice of the two-parameter form (evanescent core vs Heine-Abarenkov) is not important. Our universal local pseudopotential is applied to calculate realistic bulk binding energies, pressure derivatives of bulk moduli, Voigt shear moduli, and interstitial electron numbers, revealing their trends as functions of rs and z. Equilibrium crystal structures are mapped in the rs-z plane, where the Hume-Rothery rules for substitutional alloys are manifest. The effect of pressure on crystal structure is also examine