Interactive Optimization Systems

The existing software for nonlinear programming has been designed under two assumptions: that the user is a highly qualified programmer as well as a specialist in optimization, and the software will be utilized on the mainframe computer. Therefore, building application programs and solving real life problems is a rather complicated task. Due to growing popularity of microcomputers, it is necessary to make the optimization software available for users who are specialists in their application domain, but who are not well trained in software engineering. This paper presents the software system consisting of several modules which allow easy access to a rich library of optimization modules. The basic components of the system constitute tools for definition of the optimization problem using simple mathematical notation as well as symbolic transformation and gradient computation (module SYSTRA), editing numerical data (module EDITA) and interactive control of optimization process (module DIALOG)

Директна сеитба със зелено торене

Резултат - В началото растенията при директната сеитба имаха по-добро развитие. Но посева бе неизравнен (някои от растенията бяха във фаза 2-4 лист, други преминавали 8-ми лист). Мулчът задържа изпарението на влага. - При контролното поле в повърхностния почвен слой нямаше налична влага. Растенията са с леко завехнали и завити листа. Броят и растежът на растения е равномерен(фаза 3-4 лист). - Получените добиви (в свежа маса) са доста под очакваните. Добивът в контролното поле е по-висок: - контролно поле - 14,450 кг(от 0,6 ха), среден добив 24 083 кг/ха - тестово поле - 15,200 кг(от 0,7 ха), среден добив 21 714 кг/ха Практически препоръки - след прибиране на реколтата от предшественика(зърнени култури или рапица), през август направете обработка на стърнището - посейте житно-бобовата смеска - зимуващ фуражен грах и пшеница (тритикале), до средата на октомври - В края на май намачкайте смеската с цилиндров валяк- нож, след което засейте царевицата с почистващи устройства. Смеската, лежаща върху почвата, трябва да бъде добре изсушена преди сеитба - Мулчът намалява минерализацията, затова направете фокусирано (насочено) в редовете азотно торене Organic Farming Foundation "Bioselena" 36 "Vasil Karaivanov" Str. 4300 Karlovo Bulgaria Tel: 0335 9 20 38 ¨ e-mail: [email protected] www.bioselena.com/e

Direct sowing with green manure (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

Practical recommendations > After harvesting the main crop (cereals or rape), perform the stubble cultivation in August. > Sow the wheat‐legume mixture – winter forage peas and wheat (triticale) – by mid‐October. > At the end of May, grind the cover crop (mixture) with a roller crimper, then sow the corn with a direct sowing machine (drill). The mulch lying on the soil surface should dry before sowing. > The mulch reduces mineralization, so it might be better to use nitrogen fertilizer in the row

Comb harrow: efficient weed control in cereals (OK-Net Arable Practice abstract)

In the beginning, weeds with shallow roots were successfully eradicated by the harrow. Others (e.g., burdock and stork’s bill) were controlled to a certain extent. The results of FAO "Bioselena" show that the application of the comb harrow had a significant impact on the yield, with an increase of 12.7 % for wheat, 16.7 % for spelt and 23.4 % for ein-korn. The weeds decreased by 51.15 %, 58.14 % and 36.37 %, respectively. Practical recommendations • Drill winter cereals in rows with an increased sowing rate of 7-10 % compared to conventional cereal crops during the most appropriate period (September 25 to October 5 for Northern Bulgaria, 5 to 15 October for Southern Bulgaria). • When the crop is in the „3-leaf“ stage, control the emerging weeds with a comb harrow. • Repeat the procedure, when the wheat plants start tillering. • Use the harrow again at the earliest possible time in spring to destroy the soil crust and aerate the soil

Search for excess showers from Crab Nebula

The arrival directions of muon poor showers registrated in the Tien Shan experiment during an effective running time about I,8.IO(4)h were analyzed. It is shown that there is a significant excess of these showers coming the direction of Crab Nebula

Recombinant human activated protein C ameliorates oleic acid-induced lung injury in awake sheep

Introduction: Acute lung injury (ALI) may arise both after sepsis and non-septic inflammatory conditions and is often associated with the release of fatty acids, including oleic acid (OA). Infusion of OA has been used extensively to mimic ALI. Recent research has revealed that intravenously administered recombinant human activated protein C (rhAPC) is able to counteract ALI. Our aim was to find out whether rhAPC dampens OA-induced ALI in sheep. Methods: Twenty-two yearling sheep underwent instrumentation. After 2 days of recovery, animals were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) an OA+rhAPC group (n = 8) receiving OA 0.06 mL/kg infused over the course of 30 minutes in parallel with an intravenous infusion of rhAPC 24 mg/kg per hour over the course of 2 hours, (b) an OA group (n = 8) receiving OA as above, or (c) a sham-operated group (n = 6). After 2 hours, sheep were sacrificed. Hemodynamics was assessed by catheters in the pulmonary artery and the aorta, and extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) was determined with the single transpulmonary thermodilution technique. Gas exchange was evaluated at baseline and at cessation of the experiment. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance; a P value of less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: OA induced profound hypoxemia, increased right atrial and pulmonary artery pressures and EVLWI markedly, and decreased cardiac index. rhAPC counteracted the OA-induced changes in EVLWI and arterial oxygenation and reduced the OA-induced increments in right atrial and pulmonary artery pressures. Conclusions: In ovine OA-induced lung injury, rhAPC dampens the increase in pulmonary artery pressure and counteracts the development of lung edema and the derangement of arterial oxygenation

Extravascular lung water assessed by transpulmonary single thermodilution and postmortem gravimetry in sheep

INTRODUCTION: Acute lung injury is associated with accumulation of extravascular lung water (EVLW). The aim of the present study was to compare two methods for quantification of EVLW: transpulmonary single thermodilution (EVLW(ST)) and postmortem gravimetric (EVLW(G)). METHODS: Eighteen instrumented and awake sheep were randomly assigned to one of three groups. All groups received Ringer's lactate (5 ml/kg per hour intravenously). To induce lung injury of different severities, sheep received Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide 15 ng/kg per min intravenously for 6 hours (n = 7) or oleic acid 0.06 ml/kg intravenously over 30 min (n = 7). A third group (n = 4) was subjected to sham operation. Haemodynamic variables, including EVLW(ST), were measured using a PiCCOplus monitor (Pulsion Medical Systems, Munich, Germany), and the last measurement of EVLW(ST )was compared with EVLW(G). RESULTS: At the end of experiment, values for EVLW(ST )(mean ± standard error) were 8.9 ± 0.6, 11.8 ± 1.0 and 18.2 ± 0.9 ml/kg in the sham-operated, lipopolysaccharide and oleic acid groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The corresponding values for EVLWI(G )were 6.2 ± 0.3, 7.1 ± 0.6 and 11.8 ± 0.7 ml/kg (P < 0.05). Ranges of EVLWI(ST )and EVLWI(G )values were 7.5–21.0 and 4.9–14.5 ml/kg. Regression analysis between in vivo EVLW(ST )and postmortem EVLW(G )yielded the following relation: EVLW(ST )= 1.30 × EVLW(G )+ 2.32 (n = 18, r = 0.85, P < 0.0001). The mean bias ± 2 standard deviations between EVLW(ST )and EVLW(G )was 4.9 ± 5.1 ml/kg (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In sheep, EVLW determined using transpulmonary single thermodilution correlates closely with gravimetric measurements over a wide range of changes. However, transpulmonary single thermodilution overestimates EVLW as compared with postmortem gravimetry

Percutaneous management of acute necrotizing pancreatitis

OBJECTIVES: The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous necrosectomy (PN) performed under ultrasound control and of endoscopic necrosectomy through secondary sinus track (ENTSST) using nephroscope and cystoscope.MATERIAL AND METHOD: Puncture of fluid collections in the pancreas was performed under ultrasonographic control to 23 patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP). ENTSST using nephroscope and cystoscope was performed to 47 patients after open or percutaneous necrosectomy and persistent sepsis (without satellite collection of CT).RESULTS: Seventeen patients (74%) treated with percutaneous necrosectomy recovered without open surgery. Two of this group died. The average hospital stay was 42 days. Twenty-three patients required an average of two (range 1-4) ENTSST.CONCLUSIONS: Based on our initial results we believe that the percutaneous necrosectomy and ENTSST in well selected patients might be the better choice than open necrosectomy and postoperative lavage. Common solution for these methods has not been reached yet

Inhaled aerosolised recombinant human activated protein C ameliorates endotoxin-induced lung injury in anaesthetised sheep

Introduction We recently demonstrated that intravenously infused recombinant human activated protein C (APC) attenuates ovine lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury. In this study, our aim was to find out whether treatment with inhaled aerosolised APC (inhAPC) prevents formation of increased lung densities and oedema and derangement of oxygenation during exposure to LPS. Methods: Sheep were anaesthetised during placement of intravascular introducers. After one to four days of recovery from instrumentation, the animals were re-anaesthetised, endotracheally intubated and mechanically ventilated throughout a six-hour experiment where the sheep underwent quantitative lung computed tomography. Sheep were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a sham-operated group (n = 8) receiving inhaled aerosolised saline from two hours after the start of the experiment; a LPS group (n = 8) receiving an intravenous infusion of LPS 20 ng/kg per hour and, after two hours, inhaled aerosolised saline over the next four hours; a LPS+inhAPC group (n = 8) receiving an intravenous infusion of LPS 20 ng/kg per hour and, after two hours, aerosolised APC 48 µg/kg per hour inhaled throughout the experiment. Data were analysed with analysis of variance; P less than 0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: An infusion of LPS was associated with a reduction of well-aerated lung volume and a rapid fall in arterial oxygenation that were both significantly antagonised by inhaled APC. Pulmonary vascular pressures and extravascular lung water index increased significantly during exposure to LPS, but inhaled APC had no effect on these changes. Conclusions: Inhalation of aerosolised APC attenuates LPSinduced lung injury in sheep by preventing a decline in the volume of aerated lung tissue and improving oxygenation