PREMATURE NEWBORNS WITH VERY-LOW BIRTH WEIGHT - MEDICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES

The newborns with very-low birth weight (VLBW) present a high-risk group in terms of morbidity and mortality. In 1996-2000, a total of 264 newborns with birth weight below 1500g were treated in the Neonatology Intensive Care Unit of the Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Varna and in the Clinic of Obstetrics, Specialized Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Varna. Respiratory distress syndrome and infectious pathology were the leading causes for VLBW morbidity. The most widespread infectious agents were Enterococcus, E. coli, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacteriae. The mortality rate was highest within the first 24 hours. Most commonly, the respiratory distress syndrome, maternal- fetal infections caused by Gram-negative flora and perinatal asphyxia caused death. The intensive treatment included mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy, surfactants, parenteral nutrition, bioproducts, and antibiotics. Modern methods for noninvasive monitoring of blood gases and saturation, follow-up by ophthalmopediatricians, neurologists and psychologists, ultrasound and C T diagnosis of the central nervous system could decrease of the complications and damages of prematurity

Signs of interaction of the NGC 1275 nucleus with the high-velocity system according to 0.7 sec seeing observations

The nucleus of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1275 was observed in the B system on 1 December 1989 with seeing 0, 7 seconds using the Zeiss-1000 telescope on Mount Majdanak in Central Asia. Special methods of processing reveal low-contrast details. The nucleus and circumnucleus are stretched in NW-SE direction. There are two narrow filaments near the nucleus in position angles roughly 340 degrees and 320 degrees. The first is directed near the radio jet of the nucleus, the second has broken details curved to the NW or toward the high-velocity system of NGC 1275

Q2237+0305 source structure and dimensions from light curves simulation

Assuming a two-component quasar structure model consisting of a central compact source and an extended outer feature, we produce microlensing simulations for a population of star-like objects in the lens galaxy. Such a model is a simplified version of that adopted to explain the brightness variations observed in Q0957 (Schild & Vakulik 2003). The microlensing light curves generated for a range of source parameters were compared to the light curves obtained in the framework of the OGLE program. With a large number of trials we built, in the domain of the source structure parameters, probability distributions to find "good" realizations of light curves. The values of the source parameters which provide the maximum of the joint probability distribution calculated for all the image components, have been accepted as estimates for the source structure parameters. The results favour the two-component model of the quasar brightness structure over a single compact central source model, and in general the simulations confirm the Schild-Vakulik model that previously described successfully the microlensing and other properties of Q0957. Adopting 3300 km/s for the transverse velocity of the source, the effective size of the central source was determined to be about 2x10^15 cm, and Epsilon =2 was obtained for the ratio of the integral luminosity of the outer feature to that of the central source.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, LaTe

Risk Factors for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in Full-Term Neonates

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a clinically defined syndrome of disturbed neurological function in the earliest days of life in the term infants manifested by respiratory distress, subnormal level of consciousness, seizures and depression of tone and reflexes. The authors identified antepartum and intrapartum risk factors for HIE in full term newborns. Between January 1st, 2001 and December 31st, 2003, 54 term infants (gestational age >37 weeks) in NICU of the Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Prof. Paraskev Stoyanov Medical University of Varna were retrospectively studied. All of them met the criteria for moderate or severe HIE (seizures, abnormal consciousness (stupor, coma), respiratory distress, difficulty feeding, abnormal tone and reflexes). Birth prevalence of moderate or severe neonatal HIE was 4,42% term live births. More important antepartum risk factors for HIE were infections, preeclampsia, bleeding in pregnancy, and postmaturity. HIE incidence in infants born after 42 weeks is by 2,5 fold higher. Significant intrapartum risk factors for HIE were intrapartum asphyxia (24% of cases with HIE - OR=6,91), operative vaginal delivery (OR=l,65) and emergency Caesarean section (OR=3,78). The study of the significant risk factors for HIE contributes to prevention of neonatal morbidity and mortality

Super-Eddington accretion in the Q2237+0305 quasar?

The interband time lags between the flux variations of the Q2237+0305 quasar have been determined from light curves in the Johnson-Cousins V, R, and I spectral bands. The values of the time lags for filter pairs R-V, I-R, and I-V are significantly higher than those predicted by the standard accretion disk model by Shakura and Sunyaev. To explain the discrepancy, the idea of a supercritical accretion regime in quasars considered in 1973 by Shakura and Sunyaev is applied. This regime has been shown by them to cause an extended scattering envelope around the accretion disk. The envelope efficiently scatters and re-emits the radiation from the accretion disk and thus increases the apparent disk size. We made use of analytical expressions for the envelope radius and temperature derived by Shakura and Sunyaev in their analysis of super-Eddington accretion and show that our results are consistent with the existence of such an envelope. The corresponding parameters of the accretion regime were calculated. They provide the radii of the envelope in the V, R, and I spectral bands consistent with the inter-band time lags determined in our work.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Obtaining cyclopentanone from acidic wastewater of caprolactam production

It has been shown that adipic acid released from the by-products of caprolactam production is a promising raw material for the production of cyclopentanone. The thermal stability of calcium adipate was investigated by the derivatographic method and the conditions were selected that ensure the yield of at least 50% of the target cyclopentanone with a purity of at least 99%