We present a case of a 59-year-old woman with bipolar affective disorder and idiopathic calcium accumulation in the basal ganglia (lenticular nuclei). Her physical and neurological examinations were without clinically significant abnormalities. Neuropsychological assessment shows mild cognitive deficit. Clinical and laboratory data meet the diagnostic criteria for Fahr’s disease. Discussions were held about the relationship between calcification of basal ganglia and the occurrence of the bipolar disorder.

Адрес за кореспонденция: Р. Владимирова; Клиника по психиатрия; УМБАЛ ”Александровска”; ул. „Св. Г. Софийски” № 1; 1431 София

Summary: We present a clinical case of a patient with treatment-resistant bipolar depres- sion in which we conducted a course of ketamine infusions without the concomi- tant antidepressant treatment to be discontinued. Unlike most of the cited cases, this kind of treatment led to sustained improvement. There were no identified risks of induction of mania and cycling, as well as signs of drug dependence. It was assumed that whereas the initial impact of improvement was due to the ketamine infusions, the long-term effectiveness of the therapeutic response was linked with the concomitant antidepressant treatment.

Summary: Affective disorders are widespread, often recurrent, socially significant diseases, therefore timely diagnosis and correct treatment are essential for their favorable course. Maintenance treatment, also known as prophylaxis is an important part of management of these conditions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of lithium prophylaxis in terms of long-term treatment. The design of the study is naturalistic, following up 34 patients with affective disorders with unipolar and/or bipolar course, who undergo therapy with lithium for at least 2 years with regular serum monitoring and adherence to therapeutic levels. The number of mood episodes after the start of lithium treatment is reduced more than 3 times, and suicide attempts are reduced approximately 12 times. These changes reach statistical significance (p < 0.001). Diagnosis regarding polarity does not have predictive value. More important is the presence of psychotic symptoms which are an indication of the lack of therapeutic response to lithium, and this fact has a statistical significance (p < 0.05). It is concluded that lithium prophylaxis has a high efficiency in naturalistic conditions in long-term treatment of affective disorders, with frequent visits and regular serum monitoring being important conditions for this result.

We have studied self-assembly properties of recently synthesized L-Valine and pyridine containing low-molecular compounds, in the presence of some metal ions. It turned out that availability of CuCl 2 in ethanol solution of these compounds leads to metal-organic framework (MOF) gel formation. Hydrogels including Na + and K + ions are also concerned. Here we present some topological features of such gels including Na + , K + and Cu 2+ ions in their structures.

A nitrocarburising treatment was carried out on a low alloyed Cr-Mo sintered steel (1.5%Cr, 0.2%Mo) to evaluate its influence on the bending fatigue resistance of the material. Fatigue performance was compared with that obtained by a conventional through hardening and a plasma carburising. Two different green densitise (7.1 and 7.4 g cm(-3)) and two different sintering temperatures (1120 and 1250 degrees C) were adopted during preparing the as sintered steels. Fatigue strength after nitrocarburising on 1120 degrees C sintered steels considerably increases. It is comparable with that obtained by through hardening and slightly better than that obtained by plasma carburising. On samples sintered at 1250 degrees C the fatigue resistance of the nitrocarburissed is worse than expected, because the microstructure is softer and less homogeneous.

La nitrocarburazione al plasma di acciai sinterizzati conferisce resistenza superficiale e limita le variazioni dimensionali. Mentre le caratteristiche microstrutturali degli strati nitrurati, in linea generale, dipendono poco dal processo di produzione dell'acciaio sinterizzato, le proprietà risultanti, che sono una sintesi delle caratteristiche del materiale base e delle modifiche introdotte dalla nitrurazione, possono esserne influenzate anche significativamente. In questo lavoro, acciai sinterizzati di interesse per il settore dei trasporti, sono stati prodotti con parametri diversi, e sottoposti allo stesso trattamento di nitrocarburazione. E' stata condotta l'analisi microstrutturale e sono state determinate le proprietà meccaniche, con particolare riferimento alla resistenza a fatica.

La nitrocarburazione al plasma di acciai sinterizzati conferisce resistenza superficiale e limita le variazioni dimensionali. Mentre le caratteristiche microstrutturali degli strati nitrurati, in linea generale, dipendono poco dal processo di produzione dell’acciaio sinterizzato, le proprieta risultanti, che sono una sintesi delle caratteristiche del materiale base e delle modifiche introdotte dalla nitrurazione, possono esserne influenzate anche significativamente. In questo lavoro, acciai sinterizzati di interesse per il settore dei trasporti, sono stati prodotti con parametri diversi, e sottoposti allo stesso trattamento di nitrocarburazione. E’ stata condotta l’analisi microstrutturale e sono state determinate le proprieta meccaniche, con particolare riferimento alla resistenza a fatica.

The concentration levels of heavy and toxic elements circulating in the environment increase due to various industrial activities. Now it is well understood that the environmental particles influence directly the cloud properties and atmos phere visibility, and indirectly change the global climate. Particles with aerodynamic diameter larger than approx. 10 m were collected by Bergerhoff’s method around metallurgical works “Kremicovtzi” in Sofia, Bulgaria. Samples of atmospheric particles smaller than approx. 10 m were collected by filter technique from the meteorological stations Milesovka and Kopisty, located in a highly polluted industrial region of the Czech Republic. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP AES) was applied in this study for quantitative determination of traces of elements after sample extraction with aqua regia according to ISO 11466:1995. The accuracy is ensured by the following ICP–AES methodology: (a) quantification of spectral interferences in the presence of Al, Ca, Mg, Fe and Ti as a complex environmental matrix around the prominent lines of the analytes, and (b) line selection for trace analysis. The content of some pollutants (As, Ba, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Al, Ca, Mg, Fe and Ti) was compared to the corresponding threshold concentration levels and to the results from the chemical analysis of hundreds of individual particles by using Electron Probe X–ray Micro -Analyses (EPXMA).