SOME PROBLEMS OF THE TIMELY DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH ALLERGIC BRONCHO-OBSTRUCTIVE DISEASES

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The Interplay between Light Quality and Biostimulant Application Affects the Antioxidant Capacity and Photosynthetic Traits of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill).

This paper evaluates the combined effect of biostimulant and light quality on bioactive compound production and seedling growth of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) plants. Germinated seeds pre-treated with different concentrations (0.01%, 0.05%, 0.5%) of an amino acid-based biostimu-lant were grown for 4 days at the dark (D), white fluorescent light (FL), full-spectrum LED (FS), and red-blue (RB) light. Potential changes in the antioxidant content of sprouts were evaluated. Part of the sprouts was left to grow at FL, FS, and RB light regimes for 24 days to assess modifications in plants’ anatomical and physiological traits during the early developmental plant stage. The seed pre-treatment with all biostimulant concentrations significantly increased sprout antioxidant compounds, sugar, and protein content compared to the control (seeds treated with H2 O). The positive effect on bioactive compounds was improved under FS and RB compared to D and FL light regimes. At the seedling stage, 0.05% was the only concentration of biostimulant effective in increasing the specific leaf area (SLA) and photosynthetic efficiency. Compared to FL, the growth under FS and RB light regimes significantly enhanced the beneficial effect of 0.05% on SLA and photosynthesis. This concentration led to leaf thickness increase and shoot/root ratio reduction. Our findings demonstrated that seed pre-treatment with proper biostimulant concentration in combination with specific light regimes during plant development may represent a useful means to modify the bioactive compound amount and leaf structural and photosynthetic traits

MICROWAVE PLASMA FOR WOUND TREATMENT

-228-22

Manipulation of light quality is an effective tool to regulate photosynthetic capacity and fruit antioxidant properties of Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. ‘Microtom’ in a controlled environment

Light quality plays an essential role in setting plant structural and functional traits, including antioxidant compounds. This paper aimed to assess how manipulating the light spectrum during growth may regulate the photosynthetic activity and fruit bioactive compound synthesis in Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. ‘Microtom’ to improve plant physiological performance and fruit nutritional value. Plants were cultivated under three light quality regimes: red-green-blue LEDs (RGB), red-blue LEDs (RB) and white fluorescent lamps (FL), from sowing to fruit ripening. Leaf functional traits, photosynthetic efficiency, Rubisco and D1 protein expression, and antioxidant production in fruits were analyzed. Compared to FL, RGB and RB regimes reduced height and increased leaf number and specific leaf area, enhancing plant dwarf growth. The RGB regime improved photosynthesis and stomatal conductance despite lower biomass, favoring Rubisco synthesis and carboxylation rate than RB and FL regimes. The RB light produced plants with fewer flowers and fruits with a lower ascorbic acid amount but the highest polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity and SOD and CAT activities. Our data indicate that the high percentage of the green wavelength in the RGB regime promoted photosynthesis and reduced plant reproductive capacity compared to FL and RB. Conversely, the RB regime was the best in favoring the production of health-promoting compounds in tomato berries

LOCALIZATION OF PULMONARY THROMBOEMBOLISM - AN IMPORTANT PROGNOSTIC FACTOR

The prognosis of pulmonary thromboembolism is a serious challenge for the clinicians. A total of 967 patients with pulmonary thromboembolism, 511 males and 456 females at a mean age of 60,1 ±13,7 years were analyzed. A special protocol consisting of 52 parameters was used to define their prognostic value. A non-invasive diagnostic algorithm based on symptoms, ECG, pulmonary roentgenography, perfusion scintigraphy, spiral scan, pulmoangiography, or on autopsy was applied. A prognostic index was elaborated by means of multifactorial analysis of the parameters of prognostic significance concerning the risk of lethal outcome. The localization of the pulmonary thromboembolism as determined by using spiral C T can effectively be used for patients' risk stratification

Functional and structural leaf plasticity determine photosynthetic performances during drought stress and recovery in two platanus orientalis populations from contrasting habitats.

In the context of climatic change, more severe and long-lasting droughts will modify the fitness of plants, with potentially worse consequences on the relict trees. We have investigated the leaf phenotypic (anatomical, physiological and biochemical) plasticity in well-watered, drought- stressed and re-watered plants of two populations of Platanus orientalis, an endangered species in the west of the Mediterranean area. The two populations originated in contrasting climate (drier and warmer, Italy (IT) population; more humid and colder, Bulgaria (BG) population). The IT control plants had thicker leaves, enabling them to maintain higher leaf water content in the dry environment, and more spongy parenchyma, which could improve water conductivity of these plants and may result in easier CO2 diffusion than in BG plants. Control BG plants were also characterized by higher photorespiration and leaf antioxidants compared to IT plants. BG plants responded to drought with greater leaf thickness shrinkage. Drought also caused substantial reduction in photosynthetic parameters of both IT and BG plants. After re-watering, photosynthesis did not fully recover in either of the two populations. However, IT leaves became thicker, while photorespiration in BG plants further increased, perhaps indicating sustained activation of defensive mechanisms. Overall, our hypothesis, that plants with a fragmented habitat (i.e., the IT population) lose phenotypic plasticity but acquire traits allowing better resistance to the climate where they became adapted, remains confirmed

Study on the Effect of Cold Plasma on the Germination and Growth of Durum Wheat Seeds Contaminated with Fusarium Graminearum

Cold plasmais a potentially new method of controlling diseases caused by fungal pathogens. In this investigation the effect of treatment with cold plasma of durum wheat seeds contaminated with Fusarium graminearum on the germination and growth of plants was studied. Plants of 6 durum wheat varieties were pre-contaminated with spore suspension of Fusarium graminearum. The harvested seeds were treated with cold plasma in 4 variants%253A 1ndash%253B direct treatment with Argon plasma torch sustained by travelling electromagnetic wave%253B 2 ndash%253B treatment with the same plasma torch of seeds in 20 ml distilled water%253B 3 ndash%253B underwater diaphragm discharge treatment in the container with applied voltage of 15 kV electrode, denoted by %2B%253B 4 ndash%253B underwater diaphragm discharge treatment in the container with grounded electrode, denoted by ndash%253B. Two control variants were used ndash%253B dry not treated contaminated seeds and wet not treated contaminated seeds. After the treatment the seeds were placed in petri dishes for germination. Sprouted seeds were planted in pots with soil mixture and cultivated to maturity in green house conditions in Field Crops Institute ndash%253BChirpan, Bulgaria in 2017%252F2018 year. The effect of the treatment on the following traits were studied%253A germination rate, days to heading, plant high, parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence during the grain filling, spike length, kernel number per spike, kernel weight per spike, TKW and obtained ill (Fusarium graminearum) and healthy seeds. The results received were processed statistically via two-way ANOVA and Duncans multiple range test. The analysis of variance reveals that the genotype, treatment with cold plasma and the interactions between them have a statistically significant effect on the variation of the germination rate. The best germination rate (means from all genotypes) was obtained by treatment with cold plasma variant 1 - direct treatment with Argon plasma torch sustained by travelling electromagnetic wave and variant 3 - underwater diaphragm discharge treatment in the container with applied voltage of 15 kV electrode, denoted by %2B. After the germination the number of seeds contaminated with Fusarium graminearum was the lowest after variant 4 in the treatment of three of the studied varieties. Stimulating effect of the cold plasma treatment on the plant growth was found in 4 genotypes. Varieties Elbrus, Progres, Deni and Zvezdica were with higher PH during the grain filling. The results from the influence of cold plasma on the other studied traits will be processed after the plant maturation and will be included in the final version of the paper. Acknowledgments%253A This work was supported by Bulgarian National Science Fund under Grant No DH08%252F8, 2016

SURFACE-WAVE-SUSTAINED ARGON PLASMA TORCH FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

-23-2

Fast and Efficient Adaptation Techniques for Visible Light Communication Systems

Beam steering visible light communication (VLC) systems have been shown to offer performance enhancements over traditional VLC systems. However, an increase in the computational cost is incurred. In this paper, we introduce fast computer-generated holograms to speed up the adaptation process. The new, fast, and efficient fully adaptive VLC system can improve the receiver signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reduce the required time to estimate the position of the VLC receiver. It can also adapt to environmental changes, providing a robust link against signal blockage and shadowing. In addition, an angle diversity receiver and a delay adaptation technique are used to reduce the effect of intersymbol interference and multipath dispersion. Significant enhancements in the SNR with VLC channel bandwidths of more than 26 GHz are obtained, resulting in a compact impulse response and a VLC system that is able to achieve higher data rates (25 Gbps) with full mobility in the considered realistic indoor environment