MAGNESIUM IN PLASMA AND ERYTHROCYTES OF ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSIVE EPISODES

The present study covers a total of 13 elderly patients suffering from depressive episodes. They were treated in the Gerontopsychiatric Clinic of the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Varna. Magnesium levels in plasma and erythrocytes were estimated. In both compartments Magnesium was measured with atomic absorption "Perkin Elmer" spectrophotometer AAS-3030B. The results were compared with magnesium in age-matched healthy subjects. No significant changes of magnesium in plasma and erythrocytes of control persons and depressive elderly patients were found out

OUR EXPERIENCE IN TREATMENT OF CHILDISH ALLERGIC RHINOSINUITIS WITH HYDROCORTIS0N-PHON0PH0RESIS

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Analysis of fatigue behaviour of stainless steels under hydrogen influence

Three stainless steels – ASTM 304, 316 and 316L - used in hydrogen utilization equipment are under investigation at conditions of tension-compression, rotating-bending and fretting fatigue. Fatigue tests are carried out with hydrogen charged and uncharged specimens. Hydrogen charging includes cathodic type of charging and exposure to high pressure hydrogen gas. The experiments under rotating bending and tensioncompression fatigue are conducted under different frequencies in three different laboratories: at The University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia, Bulgaria; at Sandia National Laboratory, California and The University of Tufts, Medford, Massachusetts, USA; The HYDROGENIUS Institute at Kyushu University, Japan. The fretting fatigue tests are presented by The HYDROGENIUS Institute at Kyushu University, Japan. The obtained results are presented in Wöhler curves complemented by plots "Short fatigue crack length– Number of cycles" and “Tangential force coefficient–Stress amplitude”. The found fatigue characteristics are analyzed and compared at different loading conditions, showing the best performance of Steel 316L

EFFECTIVENESS OF DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS TREATMENT WITH LOW-DOSIS VENOUS INSULIN INFUSIONS

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On fatigue behaviour of two spring steels. Part II: Mathematical models

Symmetric fatigue in two spring steels is investigated in three groups of specimens. One of the groups (Steel EN10270-1SH/ DIN 17223C – C 0.82%, Mn 0.76%, Si 0.26%) has experienced rotating-bending fatigue in air, and the other two groups (Steel BS250A53/ DIN 55Si7 – C 0.56%, Mn 0.81%, Si 1.85%), torsion fatigue in-air and corrosion environment. All experiments include testing to fracture, applying acetate-foil replication technique, replica monitoring of short crack surface growth, length measuring of propagating cracks, a, at the corresponding number of fatigue cycles, N. Data obtained from replica monitoring are presented in plots “Crack lengths, a – Cycles, N”, and used for calculating fatigue crack growth rates, da/dN, and graphical presentations “Crack growth rates, da/dN – Crack lengths, a”. A mathematical description of da/dN – a is presented by introducing a parabolic-linear model in different versions for each of the steels. The model versions are verified through comparing the experimental fatigue lifetimes with those calculated by the proposed model version

On monitoring of mechanical characteristics of hot rolled S355J2 steel

Hot rolling normalization technology for producing sheets from a low-carbon steel, Steel S355J2, used in the Bulgarian Metallurgical Plant “STOMANA Industry SA” is under investigation. A newly introduced automatic application optimization procedure in this technology is an important step that leads to avoiding of traditional heat treatment, improving of steel mechanical characteristics, increasing of production efficiency, all resulting in high quality final products. On the basis of the final mechanical rolled-sheet characteristics - yield strengths, Re, ultimate tensile strengths, Rm, absorbed energies in impact tests, K, and elongations after fracture - some energy-stress and energy-stress-elongation constructions-spaces have been plotted. These spaces can be used for general evaluation of the applied rolling technology and for prediction of steel-sheet mechanical behaviour

On fatigue behavior of two spring steels. Part I: Wöhler curves and fractured surfaces

Symmetric fatigue in two spring steels is investigated in three groups of specimens. One of the groups (Steel EN10270-1SH/ DIN 17223C – C 0.82%, Mn 0.76%, Si 0.26%) has experienced rotating-bending fatigue in air, and the other two groups (Steel BS250A53/ DIN 55Si7 – C 0.56%, Mn 0.81%, Si 1.85%), torsion fatigue in-air and corrosion environment. Fatigue life-time data are obtained for both spring steels, and their corresponding Wöhler curves plotted and mathematically described. Surface short fatigue cracks are observed from origin to fracture by using acetate-foil replication technique, and their length, a, measured at the corresponding number of fatigue cycles, N. Those data are presented in plots “Crack lengths, a – Cycles, N” and a comparison made between both the steels. The fractured surfaces of all specimens have been studied and analyzed by the scanning-electron microscopy method

Vitamin D status in children with myopia

Introduction. A dramatic increase of myopia worldwide has been observed in recent years. New risk factors for the development of myopia have been the target of numerous investigations. The basis of our research is the correlation between serum levels of vitamin D [25(OH)D] and myopia itself.Purpose: To find out the relationship between serum levels of 25(OH) D and myopia. Patients and methods: The study included 222 children with different refraction status. Full ophthalmologic examination, cycloplegic refraction, echobiometry were performed. The serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured by liquid chromatographic mass spectrometry (level of insufficiency < 80 nmol/L).Results: The average patients’ age (51% boys and 48,2% girls) was 11,7 y (SD ± 3,03). They were subdivided into two groups – children with myopia (84,7%) and those without myopia (15,3%). The mean serum 25(OH)D level of all tested was 61,48 nmol/L (16-140 nmol/L; SD ± 20,15); of myopia – 59,67 nmol/L (16-140 nmol/L; SD ± 19,30) and of the non-myopia group – 71,91 nmol/L (33-111 nmol/L; SD ± 21,79). There was a statistically significant difference in serum levels between the two groups (Р = 0,001). The risk of myopia was higher with the decrease of 25(OH)D values (OR = 1,028 ; 95% CI 1,008-1,048). Conclusion. In our investigation group we established low serum levels of 25(OH)D which indicated the need for conducting a population study of its status among Bulgarian children. The correlation between the higher risk of myopia and the vitamin D scarcity has to be further studied, also considering the factor of outdoor/sun-exposure time.

Crystals for neutron scattering studies of quantum magnetism

We review a strategy for targeted synthesis of large single crystal samples of prototype quantum magnets for inelastic neutron scattering experiments. Four case studies of organic copper halogenide S=1/2 systems are presented. They are meant to illustrate that exciting experimental results pertaining to forefront many-body quantum physics can be obtained on samples grown using very simple techniques, standard laboratory equipment, and almost no experience in in advanced crystal growth techniques.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figure

Dataset : Genetic diversity, reproductive capacity and alkaloids content in three endemic Alkanna species

This is an raw data for the manuscript "Genetic diversity, reproductive capacity and alkaloids content in three endemic Alkanna species "This data includes studies on three endemic species of Alkanet, Alkanna (Alkanna primuliflora, A. stribrnyi and A. graeca) from the family Boraginacea, distributed in Bulgaria. We have presented raw data (photographs, chromatograms and graphs) from embryological, genetic and phytochemical studies. The three Alkanna species are Balkan endemics and have a limited distribution on the Balkan Peninsula. The limited distribution of the species is often associated with problems in the reproductive capacity of the species, which is why the embryological examination was performed. The morphological features that distinguish the three species vary, they are unclear, and sometimes transitional forms are observed between the three species, which is why DNA extraction and Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) amplification product analysis were used. The data included GC of the crude mixtures of alkaloids of Alkanna primuliflora, A. graeca and A. stribrnyi and MS spectra of the identified pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). 1) For the embryological examination (male and female generative sphere, pollen viability and seed germ) a classical paraffin methodology was applied. For the embryological study, we collected flowers and buds at different stages of development from the three species from different populations. The material was processed according to classical methods and documented with photographic material. The main embryological structures and processes in the male and female generative sphere were established after observations using LM “Olympus” CX2. The microphotographs were made using an “Infinity lite” digital camera 1.4 Mpx. The presented photos are unprocessed and are used to describe the male and female and male generative spheres of the three species. The boards in the article are based on these photos. A description is provided to the attached photos in this document. 2) DNA extraction and Inter-simple sequences repeat (ISSR) amplification product analysis of the collected leaves of the three species and applied ISSR patterns of 15 Alkanna individuals belonging to Alkanna primuliflora (1-5), Alkanna graeca (6-10) and Alkanna stribrnyi 11-15) generated by primers (AC) 8YT (left) and (AG) 10C (right), respectively. The DNA marker is GeneRuler 100 bp plus. Based on statistical data processing (Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and Hierarchical Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) in GenALEx software) were conducted to show the genetic relationships among the Alkanna populations on the basis of Nei’s genetic distances. The DNA fragments were visualized under UV light and further analyzed with a video image analyzer (BioImaging Systems, Cambridge, UK). 3) Extraction of plant material and qualitative analysis of alkaloids. From GC-MS Analysis of alkaloids identified from Alkanna primuliflora, A. graeca and A. stribrnyi, chromatograms were used, which were not used in the article. They represent a crude alkaloid mixture of the three species. Based on mass spectral fragmentation with standard reference spectra from the database, alkaloids were identified in all three species