Studies on the Composition of Organic and Conventional Milk Products

The changes in the basic physicochemical characteristics and the lipid composition of Bulgarian organic and conventional dairy products (cow's yoghurt and cow's cheese) during the winter and summer period have been investigated. There were no significant changes in the basic physicochemical characteristics for organic and conventional milk products (fat content in dry matter, content of milk protein, dry matter, acidity, salt content) in the studied periods. Organic yoghurt has lower acidity in comparison with conventional yoghurt. Organic cheese is the only one with a degree of maturity (21.7% and 20.5%), corresponding to the regulated value in the Bulgarian state standards for cheese (not less than 14%). The lipids have identical fatty acid composition, dominated by saturated fatty acids (68.7% -74.5%) and that their content is higher in winter. During the summer period quantities of trans fatty acids in mono- (C18:1) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (C18: 2 and C18: 3) was higher than in winter. The content of tocopherols in the yoghurt fats is minimal, as their values in summer period is higher, such in the various trademarks cheese tocopherols not detected

Comparative study of total phenolic content and radical scavenging activity of conventionally and organically grown herbs

The aim of the present study was to measure the relative phenolic content in commonly available conventionally and organically grown herbs and to evaluate their antioxidant capacity. Sage (Salvia officinalis), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaves, corriander (Corriandrum sativum) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds were used in the present investigation. Total phenolic content (TPhC), measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method, and radical scavenging activity (RSA), using DPPH method were determined in infusions prepared from above mentioned herbs. TPhC ranged from 75.9 to 1126.5 gallic acid equivalents (GAE) mg/l infusion and RSA – from 7.03 to 91.65%. The obtained data also showed that infusions prepared from organically grown sage, peppermint and lemon balm were slightly higher than those obtained from conventionally grown herbs

Markers of inflammation in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and psoriatic arthritis

Introduction: The pathogenesis of psoriasis is complex. Genetic factors have a basic role, followed by immunological disturbances, which have been found to provoke a chronic inflammatory process affecting the skin and joints. The study aimed to establish and analyze the relationship between the inflammatory manifestations and vitamin D status in the patients with psoriasis.Patients and methods: We investigated 113 patients with moderate or severe psoriasis, divided in two groups for analysis: presence of psoriasis without psoriatic arthritis (n=73) and with psoriatic arthritis (n=40). Clinical data for inflammation were assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). At hospital admission samples were collected for C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood count, as well as for 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25(OH)D. The serum levels of 25(OH)D were tested with immune fluorescent method in 92 patients.Results: The patients with psoriatic arthritis compared to psoriatic patients without arthritis had higher C-reactive protein (31.77 30.61 mg/l vs. 4.13 4.19 mg/l, p<0.0001) and PASI (35.20 11.31 vs. 28.82 12.51, p=0.012) but lower 25(OH)D (10.66 8.73 ng/ml vs. 12.98 6.23 ng/ml, p=0.004). The significant correlation was found between the level of CRP and 25(OH)D, r= -0.2631 (p=0.012) and CRP and PASI, r=0.1993 (p=0.036).Conclusion: The serum level of CRP and 25(OH)D, the vitamin D deficiency respectively, could be accepted as markers for worse health condition according to the clinical manifestations of psoriasis, as well as the comorbid diseases

Organic foods trade – a criterion for ecological culture and challenges Bulgaria faces

The market of organic foods demonstrates a considerable development in the recent years – from a small niche serving a limited number of customers, today it is a market with increasing consumption. The demand of organic products is the result of consumers’ informed needs for healthy and safe foods and their ecological requirements. This is the most dynamic sector of the foodstuffs market in the world but the share of organic sales compared to the total amount remains around 2%. The paper examines in comparison the possibilities for development of organic agriculture and the organic foods market in Bulgaria in the period of accession to the European union. Based in the assumption that by buying organic products consumers take into account the need of sustainable development of the planet, ecological methods of agriculture in particular, the authors analyse the attitudes existing among Bulgarian producers and consumers of organic foods. The trends in the customers’ preferences and their ecological culture in Bulgaria are also studied. Conclusions about the state and the options of this market are drawn

Биологичното земеделие в България

В сравнение със страните от Европейската общност, където биологичното земеделие има вече десетилетни традиции, интересът към него в България е отскоро. Отчитайки особеностите на българското селско стопанство и природните дадености на страната, може да се каже, че производството на биологични продукти е подходящо за страната. Пазарът на биологични земеделски продукти и храни в страната е в стадий на зараждане. Целта на настоящото проучване е да представи развитието на биологичното производство и пазара в България и да идентифицира вероятни решения, свързани със структурирането, управлението и функционирането на веригата за доставки в страната.Проучването е проведено по метода Делфи, в които са участвали 26 български експерти

Vitamin D status in patients with psoriasis

Introduction: Vitamin D may act as immune modulator in psoriasis and be related with disease characteristics. Our study aimed to evaluate the vitamin D status in patients admitted for diagnostics or exacerbation of psoriasis.Material and methods: 92 patients (50 male, 42 female, mean age 55 years) were included in analysis. Disease severity was assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Type of disease was classified according to age at presentation as early (up to 40 years) and late (above 40 years). Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25(OH)D, were tested with immune fluorescent method (ADVIA Centaur Vitamin D Total, Siemens).Results: The mean level of 25(OH)D in psoriatic patients was 12.07 ng/ml (30.18 nmol/l), found at low limit of insufficiency; related 95% CI range was 10.55 - 13.60 ng/ml (26.38 - 33.99 nmol/l). A total of 45 of 92 patients (48.9%) had vitamin D insufficiency (defined as 25 (OH) D level of 10 to 30 ng/ml), 44 patients (47.82%) had deficiency (< 10 ng/ml) and only in 3 patients 25(OH)D was assessed at level of sufficiency. Vitamin D level correlate with PASI (r=-0.508), but does not correlate with C-reactive protein. No significant difference in vitamin D status was observed in patients with obesity and early type 1 psoriasis.Conclusion: High prevalence (47.83%) of vitamin D deficiency in patients with moderate and severe psoriasis suspects the role of vitamin D in pathogenesis of disease exacerbation. Vitamin D therapeutic supplementation needs to be clarified by further studies

THE UNIVERSITY TV MU -VI.TV - A PLATFORM FOR PARTNERSHIP, NEW IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The development of the technologies in the modern world poses continuous challenges in front of the educational process. The technological innovations, the digitalization, the e-learning have changed the learning environment and the teaching methods. The university television has joined this new environment as a platform of information, science, partnership, new ideas and opportunities. In this text we will present MU - Vi.tv - the university television of MU - Varna, we will summarize what has been done so far and the forthcoming development. MU - Vi.tv is the unique educational television in Bulgaria with program profile medicine and healthcare. It operates on the territory of MU - Varna, broadcasting 24 hours program in internet of interesting own production and partner`s production on medical themes. The educational channel has two main directions - the first group for all different medical specialists, students and applicants and the second group - the wide audience of spectators, interested in the new guidelines in the healthcare sector

Development of two data bases with comments in Bulgarian language and application of supervised learning approaches on them for comparative sentiment analysis. А brief overview

The purpose of the current paper is to make an overview of the work done so far by the authors and make a summary of the results and reflections on the performed sentiment analysis on user comments in two different fields in Bulgarian language. As a starting point for the authors’ work is the development of two databases with users’ reviews and their preprocessing to become usable source of information for different types of analysis projects. As a result of the preprocessing is a revised Bulgarian language-driven algorithm for data preprocessing for Bulgarian language. The second part of the project is implemented into two steps: sentiment analysis using the supervised learning approaches developed for the two databases and a comparative sentiment analysis of the two databases, following their additional examination

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCES WITH VIDEO FILMS IN ONLINE LEARNING IN BULGARIAN AS FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The article discusses the linguo-didactic potential of video films in Bulgarian as a foreign language. The subject of the report is aimed at developing the communicative skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) of the students in Bulgarian  classes. The object is the role of the videos to achieve this competence.The authors present a description of the film work system aimed at developing not only the communicative skills but also the language skills of foreign students. The  authors discusse experience from the use of educational films in online  training is shared in the Medical University - Varna

Serum level of the human antimicrobial cathelicidin (hCAP18/LL-37) in patients with psoriasis vulgaris

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Human cathelicidin (hCAP18/LL37) has been elucidated recently as a modulator of inflammation in the affected skin. Vitamin D may induce expression of this antimicrobial peptide. Our trial aimed to study the circulating level of hCAP18/LL-37 and to explore its relationship with the severity of psoriasis.Material and Methods: 79 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis (PASI >10) were included in a retrospective analysis. Stored serum samples were used for assessment of 25-hydroxyvitamin D - 25(OH)D and to measure the circulating human cathelicidin (LL-37).Results: In a study group of 79 patients we assessed mean level of 25(OH)D of 30.25 nmol/l (95% CI 25.87 - 34.62 nmol/l). Mean circulating cathelicidin was 27.17 ng/ml (95% CI 21.52 - 32.83 ng/ml). Only 8.9% of patients had LL-37 level > 54 ng/ml. Although circulating LL-37 was lower in severe psoriasis than in moderate psoriasis (24.33 ng/ml vs. 31.14 ng/ml), the variation is nonsignificant. We further evaluated the association of LL-37 with both PASI score and 25(OH)D concentration in the subgroup of patients with vitamin D deficiency (n=39). It was interesting to find a significant correlation between the level of LL-37 and 25(OH)D (r=0.38, p=0.017) and inverse association between the level of LL-37 and PASI (r= -0.30, p=0.06).Conclusion: In this pilot trial we assessed low serum levels of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide in the patients with psoriasis. LL-37 may be discussed as related to PASI and 25(OH)D in a subgroup of psoriatic patients with vitamin D deficiency