Varna Medical University Press: Journals
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The use of algae in dermatological practice for the treatment of skin diseases
Full text linkThe present study arises from the need to systematize existing knowledge regarding the application of algae in dermatology, in light of the growing interest in natural therapeutic agents for skin diseases.Its aim is to summarize and analyze the existing scientific data on the use of algae in dermatological practice, with an emphasis on their therapeutic potential in the treatment of various skin conditions.Materials and Methods: A search for scientific publications was conducted in the electronic databases Google Scholar and ResearchGate using the following keywords: algae, algae in dermatology, therapeutic use of algae, skin diseases and algae, algae-based treatment. The search period covers January 2010 to March 2025.Results: The review includes 15 articles presenting studies from the period 2010–2025 related to the topic of using algae in dermatological practice. The review of these 15 articles shows that marine algae and their bioactive compounds possess significant potential for application in dermatology, demonstrating anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, depigmenting, and regenerative properties, supported by data from laboratory, clinical, and review studies.Conclusion: Algae are a promising natural resource for the development of effective and safe dermatological products with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, depigmenting, and regenerative effects
Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis Secondary to Petrous Apex Inflammation in Pediatric Acute Otitis Media: A Clinical Case Report
Full text linkIntroduction: Cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is a rare but severe condition in childhood, presenting with a range of strokelike symptoms due to both the thrombosis itself and the accompanying elevated intracranial pressure. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature describing acute inflammation of the petrous apex of the mastoid bone during the course of acute otitis media leading to CST in children.Clinical Case: We present the case of a 12-year-old girl admitted to the pediatric clinic with complaints of diplopia, occipital headache, and right-sided otalgia. A contrast-enhanced CT scan of the head revealed cavernous sinus thrombosis and right-sided otitis media with involvement of the petrous apex of the mastoid bone. After consultations with an ophthalmologist and an ENT specialist, the patient was referred to an ENT clinic for surgical treatment. A mastoidectomy was performed, followed by prolonged antibiotic and anticoagulant therapy.Conclusion: Otogenic cavernous sinus thrombosis is a rare complication that should not be underestimated. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are crucial for a favorable outcome
Selected applications of high energy lasers
No full textHigh energy laser technologies are emerging as a key component of the modern Navies. These systems use concentrated laser beams to engage targets at the speed of light, providing high precision and rapid response. Their primary applications include air and missile defense, particularly against unmanned aerial vehicles and asymmetric threats. High energy lasers offer significant advantages such as low cost per engagement, reduced collateral damage, and integration with advanced sensor and command systems. In addition to combat roles, they support surveillance and secure communications. Despite challenges related to power requirements and environmental conditions, continued technological progress positions high energy lasers as a critical element of future naval defense strategies
Scenario-based simulation, analysis, and evaluation of safety and risks in offshore operations
No full textThe present study consolidates and builds upon the findings and conclusions reached so far, shifting the focus from the strategic level (standards, KPIs, centralized reporting, the role of subcontractors, and digital monitoring) to a more detailed methodological and operational layer.In the previous publication, it was shown that during the rapid growth of the offshore wind industry, frequency indicators (TRIR/LTIF) have remained relatively stable, while the absolute number of incidents follows exposure measured in total worked man-hours. This places the necessary needs reallocating working hours from high-risk to lower-risk processes, implementing real-time control, and harmonizing reporting criteria — including for subcontractors, for whom an ISM/SMC-like discipline and ISO frameworks (ISO 45001/9001/14001) were recommended to close the “safety chain.
Intravenous lipid emulsions as an antidote: A new hope for opioid overdose treatment?
Full text linkINTRODUCTION: Intravenous lipid emulsions (ILEs) have been used in clinical practice for over five decades as an essential component of parenteral nutrition (PN). Furthermore, ILEs have been recognized as a therapeutic option for poisoning caused by lipophilic compounds. Currently, ILEs are used as an antidote in treating local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST). Thus, there is a growing interest in their use as a lipid resuscitation therapy in the management of intoxications with other lipophilic substances. At the same time, acute opioid intoxication due to opioid abuse is a global problem resulting in thousands of deaths per year. Moreover, recent findings indicate that respiratory depression due to synthetic opioid overdose exhibits resistance to reversal by the conventional antagonist, naloxone. Therefore, this article aimed to present the current knowledge about the use of ILEs as an antidote, particularly in opioid overdose.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed in different scientific databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and ResearchGate.RESULTS: Specific data on the use of ILEs for opioid intoxications, as well as evidence for their efficacy, are limited in the scientific literature. Several studies reported beneficial effects of ILEs in opioid intoxications. Authors assumed that ILEs can sequester lipophilic opioids and affect their distribution.CONCLUSION: Considering new strategies for managing opioid overdose is urgent. Based on the outlined potential mechanisms of action of ILEs, it can be inferred that lipid resuscitation therapy might prove advantageous in cases of acute opioid intoxication
Strategies for the design of drug therapies containing engineered proteins
Full text linkDrug therapies based on engineered proteins introduced new paradigms in the treatment of diseases in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Today, engineered proteins are among the best-selling pharmaceuticals worldwide and are proving to be competitors, and in some cases significantly superior, to the drugs based on small chemical molecules. In the article, using documentary methods for analyzing published scientific data from preclinical and clinical trials of engineered proteins for therapeutic purposes, modern designs of therapeutic engineered proteins are considered in terms of increased affinity, specificity, stability, cell permeability and pharmacokinetics, as well as reduced doses in connection with possible unwanted immunogenicity. Different strategies for the design of engineered proteins, representing various structural modifications, are considered:1. Site-specific mutagenesis;2. Antibody–drug conjugates;3. PEGylation;4. Glycosylation;5. Fc synthesis;6. Synthesis of other proteins;7. Lipidation;8. Attachment of non-PEG polymers;9. Supercharging;10. Computational design.
Analysis of the causes of eyeball evisceration over a three-year period
Full text linkIntroduction: Evisceration is a surgical procedure to remove the entire ocular contents, preserving only the sclera. Afterward, it is necessary to place a prosthesis to ensure cosmetic rehabilitation in the operated patients.Aim: The present study aims to investigate the indications for evisceration, categorized by etiological groups, and to determine the surgical approaches used when performing the procedure at the Clinic of Ophthalmology in Pleven for a three-year period.Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical cases involving evisceration was performed, encompassing a period of 3 years (2022–2025) at the Clinic of Ophthalmology in Pleven. During this period, the surgical intervention was performed in a total of 24 patients.Results: During the period of the study, inflammatory diseases were the most common indication for performing evisceration. The second most common reason was a painful blind eye due to a secondary glaucoma process, followed by severe eye trauma.The cosmetic result in all patients was satisfactory, with well-adapted eyelids, good mobility, and no problems in retaining the prosthesis. Subjectively, patients reported relief of the main pain in the first week after placing the prosthesis.Conclusion: Evisceration is an effective ophthalmic procedure that is applied to incurably diseased, painful, or traumatized eyes. By preserving the sclera and eye muscles, it provides good cosmetic results and better mobility of the ocular prosthesis compared to enucleation
Administration of tacrolimus in patients with membranous nephropathy
Full text linkMembranous nephropathy (MN) is a chronic immune disease of the renal glomeruli, leading to significant proteinuria and thickening of the glomerular basement membrane caused by subepithelial deposits of immune complexes. It can be primary (idiopathic) or secondary, arising from infections, neoplasms, or drug treatment. The disease more often affects men between the ages of 30 and 40 and is the second most common glomerulonephritis in our latitudes, after IgA nephropathy.Treatment of MN with immunosuppressive drugs is initiated if there are risk factors for disease progression or if complications of nephrotic syndrome develop, such as acute kidney injury or thromboembolism. Tacrolimus inhibits calcineurin and suppresses T-cell activity, thereby reducing the immune response and stopping disease progression.We present our results in four patients with histologically proven membranous nephropathy, being followed up at the Nephrology Clinic at the University Hospital "St. Marina" in Varna. Tacrolimus was included in their treatment due to an insufficient response to clinical and laboratory symptoms, as well as the appearance of side effects from the initial pathogenetic therapy in some of them.After six months of observation, a reduction in proteinuria values and an improvement in eGFR, albumin, and serum cholesterol were reported
Antimicrobial activity of selected essential oils from the Myrtaceae family
Full text linkINTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important global problem affecting health care and leading to the inability to treat infections caused by pathogens. The increasing resistance and limitations of the number of antimicrobials increases the demand for new potential drugs from various sources.AIM: The purpose of the review article is to present knowledge about essential oils of the Myrtaceae family as possible alternatives to address AMR.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literature in PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect was searched and analyzed.RESULTS: Essential oils are natural products and because of their multi-component chemical composition, there is no evidence of emerging resistance of bacterial strains to them. They are a promising alternative to address AMR.CONCLUSION: The increase in resistance to almost all classes of antibiotics, combined with a limited number of new antimicrobial agents, leads to the need to search for and implement new therapeutic agents. Analysis of literature data from a scientific database shows promising antimicrobial effects of essential oils, proven mostly in experimental studies. A larger number of studies that investigate the activity of the multicomponent blend of essential oils, targeting the most abundant components they contain, are needed