General practice health promotion activities for infants

Introduction: Health promotion and disease prevention are the key elements of modern Primary Health Care (PHC). The objective of this study is to estimate the time allocated for health promotion activities in GP daily routine.Methods: An anonimous servey was conducted among 526 GPs in 5 regions from the Eastern part of Bulgaria: Varna, Burgas, Shumen, Dobrich, Ruse (June-August 2009).Results: The time allocated for disease prevention and health promotion activities is mostly estimated as `average` (n=257; 48.9%). 47.6% (n=20) of the medical professionals who have obtained two specialties - GP and Paediatrics, as well as those with Paediatrics - 44.3% (n=58), allocate `much time` for health prevention activities (χ = 41.03; р=0.002; Spearman`s ρ= 0.13, p=0.009). The majority of GP (72.4%; n=380) consider the allocated time of 20.6 (5.9; 5÷40) minutes for children health check to be also adequate for disease prevention and health promotion activities. 336 (63.9%) of the GP would assign these activities to the nurse they work with, while contact with breastfeeding consultants would be advised by 78.6% (n=81) of the GP acquainted with the BC duties; and 65.2% (n=260) of the GP who do not know these. The respondents who assess the health promotion activities for infants as `unsatisfactory` are 54.9% (n=259) with the main reasons for this being: poor organization of the children PHC, parents` passivity and untrained GP neglecting health promotion.Conclusions: PHC has been still focusing mainly on disease and its treatment. The study identified a necessity for dispatching the health promotion activities for infants to professionals trained to these (healthcare nurses, breastfeeding and nutrition consultants, etc.)

Influence of the Exercises with Sports Hammock on Functional Durability of the Postural Stability Muscles

INTRODUCTION: `Good posture` is the position of the body that imposes minimal stress on muscles and negligible load on joints in order to maintain balance. This is achieved by keeping the muscle balance necessary for proper development and functioning of the locomotor system.AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the influence of exercising with sports hammock on functional endurance of the postural stability muscles.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey was conducted between February 2014 and December 2015 among 200 children aged between 5 and 7 years in the city of Varna. The test of Matthiass, the test of Kiel and the test of sustained balance were used for the assessment of the functional endurance at the beginning as well as at the end of the survey. For one half of the children (n=100), exercising with sports hammock was applied, while the rest of the children remained as a control group. Descriptive methods and hypothesis testing (Student`s t-test) were used for data analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The differences between the initial and final means in all tests of endurance for the children of the intervened group are positive and statistically significant, i.e. all the tests demonstrate improvement (p<0.0001). Upon completion of the test of Kiel on static and strength durability of the abdominal muscles the best improvement is observed in the experimental group (exercises with sports hammock): +0.94 seconds (p< 0.0001). The improvement is significant also in comparison with the results of the children from the control group

Comment on "Can one predict DNA Transcription Start Sites by Studying Bubbles?"

Comment on T.S. van Erp, S. Cuesta-Lopez, J.-G. Hagmann, and M. Peyrard, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 218104 (2005) [arXiv: physics/0508094]

CROSS-CULTURAL TRANSFER OF GLOBALLY INITIATED HEALTH PROMOTION POLICIES

This paper refers to the issue of cross-cultural transfer of globally initiated health promotion policies. The purpose of the study is to explore the possibilities of cross-cultural transfer looking at the international language of health promotion and to assess its applicability in terms of transfer to Bulgaria. It also aims to identify aspects of cross-cultural policy validity, consideration of which might assist the process of health promotion global policy transfer. The Walt model for health policy analysis was used as a basic analytical framework. The Hofstede model of national cultures was applied as a guiding tool to assess the cultural constraints and possibilities for cross-national policy transfer. The analysis revealed major difficulties of global health promotion policies transfer to the Bulgarian realities. Ideas were advanced about the need for global policy language interpretation and adaptation to develop a better fit for the purpose of specific locations. The results can be drawn up to set an agenda for further essential work on the pragmatic issues of how to modify the global policy items of health promotion and develop an interpretation that is in line with the realities of the Bulgarian life

Healing Length and Bubble Formation in DNA

We have recently suggested that the probability for the formation of thermally activated DNA bubbles is, to a very good approximation, proportional to the number of soft AT pairs over a length L(n) that depend on the size $n$ of the bubble and on the temperature of the DNA. Here we clarify the physical interpretation of this length by relating it to the (healing) length that is required for the effect of a base-pair defect to become neligible. This provides a simple criteria to calculate L(n) for bubbles of arbitrary size and for any temperature of the DNA. We verify our findings by exact calculations of the equilibrium statistical properties of the Peyrard-Bishop-Dauxois model. Our method permits calculations of equilibrium thermal openings with several order of magnitude less numerical expense as compared with direct evaluations

DNA Breathing Dynamics in the Presence of a Terahertz Field

We consider the influence of a terahertz field on the breathing dynamics of double-stranded DNA. We model the spontaneous formation of spatially localized openings of a damped and driven DNA chain, and find that linear instabilities lead to dynamic dimerization, while true local strand separations require a threshold amplitude mechanism. Based on our results we argue that a specific terahertz radiation exposure may significantly affect the natural dynamics of DNA, and thereby influence intricate molecular processes involved in gene expression and DNA replication

Неравенства в здравето и достъпа до медицинска помощ сред майките във Варненска област

През последното столетие е постигнат значителен напредък в сферата на здравеопазването, но въпреки това нивото на неравенствата между различните социални групи остава неприемливо голямо. Неравенствата по отношение на здравето са не само несправедливи, те имат огромна икономическа и социална цена. В тази връзка политическите документи на национално и международно ниво са насочени към осигуряване на равен достъп до здравеопазването и дългосрочна грижа за уязвими групи от населението като начин за намаляване на неравнопоставеността и за борба със социалното изключване

Manual adjustment of brain extraction parameters in a volumetric study

INTRODUCTION: Brain volumetry is a contemporary method used in scientific and clinical research in neurodegenerative diseases. The process can be fully automated but it allows some parameters to be manually adjusted in order to minimize errors. The purpose of the present study is to analyze the use of additional settings in the process of extracting brain tissue from the skull in volumetric assessments performed using FSL-SIENAX, to point out the most frequently used ones, and to provide recommendations for their application.MATERIAL AND METHODS: 3DT1 MRI scans of 51 patients with multiple sclerosis were processed. After conversion from the native format, brain tissue was extracted using the BET procedure. Multiple experiments were done using different parameters followed by a visual assessment of the results. Optimal values were chosen for each case. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed.RESULTS: Manual corrections of the default settings of BET were made in all studied cases. The most frequently applied parameter (100% of cases) was `-f`, which adjusts the aggressiveness of the algorithm, followed by `-B` (51%), which reduces bias field and neck voxels, `-R` (31,4%), multiple iterations of the algorithm, `-g` (25,5%), correction of the vertical gradient, `-S` (2%), removal of wrongfully identified optic nerves and eyeballs.CONCLUSION: The fully automatic volumetric assessment of the brain performed by FSL-SIENAX accelerates the workflow, but may lead to imperfections in the results. Manual adjustment trials may begin with the "-f" parameter, followed by "-Ð’", "-R", "-g", and combinations between them

Team and teamwork in modern european HR management

One of the major issues occurring in every contemporary organization is the issue of the efficiency of work and obtaining maximum results from work done. Most often when the issue of increasing the efficiency of work is laid the question of teams and teamwork in various projectя of the company comes to the foreground and frequently no proper differentiation is made between a “group of people” and a “team” and this brings to a large number of misunderstandings of managers and employees with regard to the designation and benefits of team organization of work. There are clear traceable differences between the perception of the concept of “team” and the implementation of teamwork by European and Bulgarian companies and it is good to make the differentiation between them with a view to the HR management

Assessment of the Subjective Visual Dysfunction of Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Using Specialized Questionnaires

Recently, the questions of the limited opportunities for measurement of the subjective and often subclinical visual dysfunction are very topical. NEI-VFQ, the questionnaire of the National Eye Institute in the USA and VFQ-25, its short version (25-item Vision Function Questionnaire) are validated for visual-specific assessment of the quality of life of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. MSVQ-7, a specific 7-item MS Vision Questionnaire is proposed, too. The authors used the VFQ-25 translated into Bulgarian, the MSVQ-7 and their correlation with the binocular visual acuity. These questionnaires were administered to 108 MS patients without history of optic neuritis and after optic neuritis as well registered in the MS Centre in Varna and to 30 healthy subjects. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0,0001) between MS patients and controls in all sub-scales and in the overall results from VFQ-25. The analysis of MSVQ-7 showed a statistically significant difference between the answers of question Nos 1, 2, 3 and 5  p<0,001 to p=0,015). The correlation of the results from VFQ-25 and the binocular visual acuity was moderate (Spearman's r=0,6;  <0,01). The application of questionnaires for assessment of visual function may contribute to the identification of less known and sought subclinical visual dysfunctions that appear in normal visual acuity. Our data confirm the possible usage of VFQ-25 and MSVQ-7 for effective measurement of the subjective visual deficit in MS diagnosis