Redirecting National Identification by the Communist Regime in Bulgaria 1944–1950

The following publication presents part of the author’s research carried out under the Advanced Academia Programme of the Centre for Advanced Study Sofia. This programme is supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation, Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation

Actor, movement, space in Oskar Schlemmer‘s theatrical concept

The Theatre Concept of Bauhaus continued the main ideas of its founders. It found its shape in Oskar Schlemmer‘s ideas of triadic ballet, demonstrated in various theatrical experiments, which he directed as a leader of the theatre section of Bauhaus. His interest in the canons of movement led him to the concept of Design-in-Motion. The correlation, the color-sound movement of the actor in space is crucial to the comprehension of the overall impact on the senses of the spectator. It determines the concept of anti-mimetic theatre, which is inspired by dance and acrobatics. This theatre of the senses and ideas is based on the picture rather than the drama. It seeks for a holistic impact and metaphysical suggestions on the base of music, mechanics and mathematics. It renounces the drama, its linear narrative and the imitation. The analysis of the Bauhaus Theatre through the concepts of Oskar Schlemmer, shows their impact on contemporary dance, on Bob Wilson‘s theatre and performance

Synthesis, Structure and Cytotoxicity of Platinum(IV) Complexes of 3-Aminocyclohexanespiro-5-hydantoin and 3-Aminocycloheptanespiro-5-hydantoin

Two new platinum(IV) complexes of 3-aminocyclohexanespiro-5-hydantoin (achsh) and 3-aminocycloheptanespiro-5-hydantoin (achpsh) were prepared and characterized. Ab initio calculation of the structure and the measurements of IR and NMR spectra of complexes were also performed. The complexes were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity in murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells, clone F4N. The complexes exerted low in vitro toxicity, comparable with that of the corresponding platinum(II) complexes. </p

Neonatal invasive disease caused by Streptococcus agalactiae in Europe: the DEVANI multi-center study

Purpose: Group B streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of invasive disease, mainly sepsis and meningitis, in infants &lt; 3&nbsp;months of age and of mortality among neonates. This study, a major component of the European DEVANI project (Design of a Vaccine Against Neonatal Infections) describes clinical and important microbiological characteristics of neonatal GBS diseases. It quantifies the rate of antenatal screening and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis among cases and identifies risk factors associated with an adverse outcome. Methods: Clinical and microbiological data from 153 invasive neonatal cases (82 early-onset [EOD], 71 late-onset disease [LOD] cases) were collected in eight European countries from mid-2008 to end-2010. Results: Respiratory distress was the most frequent clinical sign at onset of EOD, while meningitis is found in &gt; 30% of LOD. The study revealed that 59% of mothers of EOD cases had not received antenatal screening, whilst GBS was detected in 48.5% of screened cases. Meningitis was associated with an adverse outcome in LOD cases, while prematurity and the presence of cardiocirculatory symptoms were associated with an adverse outcome in EOD cases. Capsular-polysaccharide type III was the most frequent in both EOD and LOD cases with regional differences in the clonal complex distribution. Conclusions: Standardizing recommendations related to neonatal GBS disease and increasing compliance might improve clinical care and the prevention of GBS EOD. But even full adherence to antenatal screening would miss a relevant number of EOD cases, thus, the most promising prophylactic approach against GBS EOD and LOD would be a vaccine for maternal immunization

Neurotensin(8–13) analogs as dual NTS1 and NTS2 receptor ligands with enhanced effects on a mouse model of Parkinson's disease

: The modulatory interactions between neurotensin (NT) and the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in the brain suggest that NT may be associated with the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). NT exerts its neurophysiological effects by interactions with the human NT receptors type 1 (hNTS1) and 2 (hNTS2). Therefore, both receptor subtypes are promising targets for the development of novel NT-based analogs for the treatment of PD. In this study, we used a virtually guided molecular modeling approach to predict the activity of NT(8-13) analogs by investigating the docking models of ligands designed for binding to the human NTS1 and NTS2 receptors. The importance of the residues at positions 8 and/or 9 for hNTS1 and hNTS2 receptor binding affinity was experimentally confirmed by radioligand binding assays. Further in vitro ADME profiling and in vivo studies revealed that, compared to the parent peptide NT(8-13), compound 10 exhibited improved stability and BBB permeability combined with a significant enhancement of the motor function and memory in a mouse model of PD. The herein reported NTS1/NTS2 dual-specific NT(8-13) analogs represent an attractive tool for the development of therapeutic strategies against PD and potentially other CNS disorders

Risk factors for death from invasive pneumococcal disease, europe, 2010

We studied the possible association between patient age and sex, clinical presentation, Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype, antimicrobial resistance, and death in invasive pneumococcal disease cases reported by 17 European countries during 2010. The study sample comprised 2,921 patients, of whom 56.8% were men and 38.2% were >65 years of age. Meningitis occurred in 18.5% of cases. Death was reported in 264 (9.0%) cases. Older age, meningitis, and nonsusceptibility to penicillin were signifcantly asso ciated with death. Non-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) serotypes among children 65 years of age, risk did not differ by serotype. These fndings highlight differences in case-fatality rates between sero types and age; thus, continued epidemiologic surveillance across all ages is crucial to monitor the long-term effects of PCVs

Atomic spectrometry update: Review of advances in the analysis of metals, chemicals and materials

There has been a large increase in the number of papers published that are relevant to this review over this review period. The growth in popularity of LIBS is rapid, with applications being published for most sample types. This is undoubtedly because of its capability to analyse in situ on a production line (hence saving time and money) and its minimally destructive nature meaning that both forensic and cultural heritage samples may be analysed. It also has a standoff analysis capability meaning that hazardous materials, e.g. explosives or nuclear materials, may be analysed from a safe distance. The use of mathematical algorithms in conjunction with LIBS to enable improved accuracy has proved a popular area of research. This is especially true for ferrous and non-ferrous samples. Similarly, chemometric techniques have been used with LIBS to aid in the sorting of polymers and other materials. An increase in the number of papers in the subject area of alternative fuels was noted. This was at the expense of papers describing methods for the analysis of crude oils. For nanomaterials, previous years have seen a huge number of single particle and field flow fractionation characterisations. Although several such papers are still being published, the focus seems to be switching to applications of the nanoparticles and the mechanistic aspects of how they retain or bind with other analytes. This is the latest review covering the topic of advances in the analysis of metals, chemicals and materials. It follows on from last year's review1-6 and is part of the Atomic Spectrometry Updates series

How pandemic measures alter theatre as a social-symbolic practice

Theatre is a social-symbolic practice, in which a theatrical performance is just one part of these praxes. If the audience is not present in the theatre, this does not necessarily mean that the contact between the viewer and the subject of the stage no longer exists. Nor does their encounter begin with the start of the performance. How do the COVID-19-measures change the theatre as social-symbolic practice? And how do they influence, for instance, the choice of the plays and the actors, of the form and her reception