Decision Agriculture

In this chapter, the latest developments in the field of decision agriculture are discussed. The practice of management zones in digital agriculture is described for efficient and smart faming. Accordingly, the methodology for delineating management zones is presented. Modeling of decision support systems is explained along with discussion of the issues and challenges in this area. Moreover, the precision agriculture technology is also considered. Moreover, the chapter surveys the state of the decision agriculture technologies in the countries such as Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Israel, Malaysia, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Sweden. Finally, different field factors such as GPS accuracy and crop growth are also analyzed

Ticagrelor and prasugrel: Two novel, most-promising antiplatelet agents

The need for safe and effective antiplatelet agents motivates scientists towards a non-ceasing research which has through the past few years provided patients suffering from coronary artery disease, submitted or not to percutaneous intervention or heart surgery with safe and life-saving pharmaca; after ticlopidine and clopidogrel and just recently, ticagrelor and prasugrel have been developed with the aim to provide adequate protection against thrombotic cardiovascular episodes and avoid significant bleeding events. Herein, we are presenting through an updated literature research and recent patents data the novel agents ticagrelor and prasugrel, which promise improved effectiveness combined with an increased level of safety. © 2010 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd

Classification and treatment of pneumothorax

Pneumothorax (from the greek words: πνευμο=air, θώραξ=thorax), the abnormal presence of air in the pleural cavity consists one of the most intriguing problems in the everyday practice of medicine. This is the case for three reasons: i) it can suddenly affect practically everybody, including young, healthy individuals, ii) it poses a direct threat to the patient's life, iii) it can often go unnoticed for a varied period of time before the right diagnosis is set and the proper therapeutic measures are undertaken. In this chapter we are going to analyze important features of this entity based on data from international literature and on our own personal experience. © 2013 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved

Heparin-coated extracorporeal circulation systems in heart surgery

Despite the progress accomplished in the field of off-pump heart surgery, the vast majority of cardiac operations are still performed with the use of extracorporeal circulation, otherwise known as "heart-lung machine." This valuable tool, however, is connected with various complications, partly deriving from the application of intravenous heparin, necessary for the extracorporeal circuits to function. In order to deal with these complications, which among others include postoperative hemorrhage and systemic inflammatory response, several extracorporeal circulation systems, which contain a heparin-coating on their blood-contacting surfaces, have been developed with patents. The philosophy behind the creation of these systems is that with the controlled absorption and interaction of this heparin with the blood elements, adequate intraoperative anticoagulation with lower doses of systemic heparin and fewer systemic complications can be achieved. The idea of the use of heparin coatings has also been applied in other settings, such as in renal dialysis catheters, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), MECC (minimized extracorporeal circulation) and left ventricle assist devices. © 2009 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd

Dopexamine after heart surgery: An uncommonly used, though useful inotropic agent

A great variety of inotropic agents with different effects on peripheral vascular resistance have been employed in the endeavor to treat heart failure after cardiac surgery. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine and dobutamine belong to the first-line, widely used drugs recruited to support and improve ventricular performance, although none of these agents can be described as the one having the most beneficial results with the least possible side effects. Herein, we are presenting a thorough review of literature with patents dopexamine, a useful, although not widely used inotropic agent, which also reduces peripheral vascular resistance and has beneficial effects on splachnic blood flow when administered after heart surgery. © 2010 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd

Classic and non-classic forms of mitral valve prolapse

Objective: To investigate the significance of the established distinction between classic and non-classic forms of mitral valve prolapsed (MVP). Methods: We included in this prospective study all patients examined in our preventive cardiology outpatient clinics during the biannual period October 2004-October 2006. We examined in total 10.818 patients, 238 of whom (2.2%) were diagnosed for MVP. We noted relevant demographic and clinical data (gender, age of diagnosis, symptoms, need for hospitalization) and performed statistical comparisons between patients with the classic and those with the non-classic form. Follow-up controls were performed three years afterwards. Results: Patients with the classic form had an earlier age of first diagnosis, more prominent symptoms, and more frequently diagnosis for other disorders (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) than the rest of the patients; however, there were no significant differences as far as certain major complications (stroke, death, submission to surgery) were concerned. Conclusion: The classic form of mitral valve prolapse is more tightly associated with morbid complications, and a more frequent follow-up control in this group of patients may be useful. (Anadolu Kardiyol Derg 2012; 12:2-4