News



Tenth Jubilee Competition for the "Sofia Dance Grand Prix"

The Association of Dance Ensambles, headed by Acad. Krassimir Petrov, held the Tenth Anniversary Contest "Sofia Dance Grand Prix" on 22 and 29 April 2017. This competition has established itself as the only one in Bulgaria in this format. It includes teams for classical, modern, hip-hop dances and Bulgarian folk dances. About 15,000 dancers aged 10 to 18, as well as older dancers, participated in the contests so far.
Read more: Tenth Jubilee Competition for the "Sofia Dance Grand Prix"

Second place in international competition

Choir "Evmolpeya" (Plovdiv), founded and directed by Dr. Rada Slavinska, who was adopted for the corresponding member of BASA in April 2017, won second place in the prestigious international competition for children and youth work carried out in the town of Yekaterinburg - Russia from April 24 to 29, 2017.
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ACADEMIC IVANKA DENEVA WAS AWARDED IN SOFIA "FOR CONTRIBUTION TO BULGARIAN LITERATURE”

In the Ministry of Culture in Sofia at an official ceremony were presented the awards, distinguished on the eve of May 24 the creativity of Bulgarian writers, contributed to the development of our national vocabulary.
Read more: ACADEMIC IVANKA DENEVA WAS AWARDED IN SOFIA "FOR CONTRIBUTION TO BULGARIAN LITERATURE”

PROSE OF ACADEMIC IVANKA DENEVA PRESENTED IN ITALY

By decision of the editorial board of multilingual edition "Margyut" Italian readers can learn about the prose of writer Ivanka Deneva. It includes in its pages news from the European cultural life and different genres of art world - in five languages: English, Italian, French, German and Spanish.
Read more: PROSE OF ACADEMIC IVANKA DENEVA PRESENTED IN ITALY

Information: Bulgarian Medical FORUM

Bulgarian Academy of Science and Arts established a new "Bulgarian Medical FORUM" in 2015 to recognise the role of science in medical education and clinical practice. General aims of the FORUM are to catalyse connections of clinicians and students with scientists in the field of medicine and popularize the recent news in various fields of medical sciences. The FORUM is a component of our work with medical doctors and students for their activities and events. The debates during each forum may help for better understanding of medical news*. Face-to face debate could also provide exchanges of knowledge between specialists from universities and research centers.
Read more: Information: Bulgarian Medical FORUM

Medical Scientific Forum "Molecular and genetic mechanisms of osteoporosis"

INFORMATION
For the Medical Scientific Forum "Molecular and genetic mechanisms of osteoporosis"
Date: 15.04.2015, Sofia.
Organization: Bulgarian academy of Science and Arts (BASA)
Lector: Academic prof. Nadka Boyadjieva, MD, PhD, DSCi, Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, Medical University, Sofia
The lecture focused on news in the followings parts:
1. Definition and characteristics of osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease of bones. It causes bones to become weak and brittle. Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. Estrogens and androgens regulate bone development and bone loss.
2. Various molecular mechanisms play roles in development of osteoporosis: proteins SOX5, SO6 and SOX9 are important during development of bones. Various cytokines as well as proteins for apoptosis are involved in mechanisms of osteoporosis.Treatment stimulates osteoblasts, the bone building cells, and inhibits osteoclasts, the bone removing cells.
3. Genetic mechanisms of osteoporosis were demonstratyed:
A) Candidate genes that have been studied in relation to osteoporosis are the followings:
  • (RANK) receptor activator of nuclear factor κ B;
  • (RANKL) RANK ligand;
  • (OPG) osteoprotegerin;
  • (CBFA1) core-binding factor 1;
  • (PPARγ) Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ; (BMP2/4) bone morphogenic proteins 2 and 4;
  • (TGFβ) transforming growth factor β;
  • (IGF1) insulin-like growth factor 1; (LRP5/6) lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6; (SOST) Sclerostin; (CLCN7) chloride channel 7; (TCIRG1) T-cell immune regulator 1; (CATK) Cathepsin K. (CTR) Calcitonin receptor; (AR) angrogen receptor.
B) Collagen is an important part of bones. Collagen type 1 α I (COL1A1) along with collagen type 1 α 2 (COL1A2) make up bone collagen, which is the main structural protein in the skeleton. Mutations of both genes were determined, as followings:
  • Mutations in COL1A1 and COL1A2 cause a dominant monogenetic osteoporotic disease, osteogenesis imperfecta.
  • Polymorphisms outside the coding region but in an SP1 binding site in COL1A1 were reported to account for part of the variance in BMD in the normal population and to be associated with fragility fracture . Subsequent studies have not replicated an association between COL1A1 polymorphisms with phenotypes of bone mass.
4. New technology for early diagnosis of osteoporosis was discussed during the forum. Noninvasive diagnosis of osteoporosis currently relies heavily on measurement of bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) by imaging techniques.
5. The lecture presented various clinical characteristics of osteoporosis. Main symptoms are (by recent data from John Hopkins University, USA):
  • Loss of height as a result of weakened spine.
  • Fractured bones, especially hip bones.
  • Cramps in the legs at night.
  • Bone pain and tenderness.
  • Neck, spine, and lower back pain.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Tooth loss.
  • Rib pain.
  • Broken bones.
  • Fatigue.
  • Periodontal disease.
  • Spinal deformities become evident like stooped posture, an outward curve at the top of the spine as a result of developing a vertebral collapse on the back
6. Part of the lecture was on epigenetics of osteoporosis. Nutrition and osteoporosis was discussed. New directions for pharmacotherapy of osteoporosis were presented.