Irrigation scheduling for furrow-irrigated maize under climate uncertainties in the Thrace plain, Bulgaria

Research Paper: SW - Soil and WaterClimate change creates uncertainties for irrigation management. To cope with them, simulations were performed for the present and scenario-built weather conditions that include a pessimistic scenario of precipitation decrease in the next 25 years. In a former study, the irrigation scheduling simulation model ISAREG was calibrated for two maize varieties: the water stress-resistant hybrid Kn-2L-611 and the water stress-sensitive hybrid H708. Both are subjects of this study, which compares four irrigation scheduling alternatives: (1) refilling the soil reservoir and adopting a management-allowed depletion fraction (MAD) of 0.47; (2) refilling the soil reservoir and adopting MAD ¼ 0.33; (3) partially refilling the soil reservoir and adopting MAD ¼ 0.47; and (4) crop without irrigation. For the very dry year and the present climate all alternative irrigation schedules behave similarly but for the average year, alternatives 1 and 3, allowing a larger soil water depletion with MAD ¼ 0.47, require less water than the alternative with MAD ¼ 0.33. However, analysis of impact on yields using simulations relative to every year during 1970–1992 shows that alternative 2 leads to less impact on yields. The results of simulations were compared with irrigation schedules presently advised in the region and show that the latter do not fully cover crop requirements in dry seasons, when some yield decrease occurs. Simulations for the pessimistic scenario show that all three irrigation scheduling alternatives can easily accommodate the foreseen changes mainly by selecting suitable irrigation dates. The results of simulations do not allow selecting one among the three alternatives as the best irrigation scheduling strategy but are useful for later building an information system for farmers using actual weather data. Relative to the rainfed crop, the results indicate that yield impacts highly increase for the pessimistic scenario, particularly for the water stresssensitive hybrid H708. The results indicate that vulnerability to climate change is higher for non-irrigated crops and that coping with possible rainfall decreases requires adopting less sensitive crop varieties, including when deficit irrigation would be applied for water saving

Bleeding diathesis due to vitamin K deficiency in an infant with cystic fibrosis

AbstractWith the wide implementation of newborn screening for Cystic Fibrosis, infants are being diagnosed in the presymptomatic phase of the disease. Nutritional deficiencies (hypoalbuminemia) and fat soluble vitamins A, D and E deficiencies, due to pancreatic insufficiency and malabsorption, have been reported in the past at the time of diagnosis.1,2 Rarely, infants with CF present with severe bleeding disorder, secondary to vitamin K deficiency, in the first months of life.3 To our knowledge, this is the first case report illustrating bleeding diathesis in a one month old infant with CF. He was diagnosed by newborn screening and presented with a gastrointestinal bleeding due to vitamin K deficient coagulopathy

Composición lipídica de diferentes partes del fruto del aguaymanto (Physalis peruviana L.) y valorización de residuos de semillas y cáscaras

The consumption of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruit (CG), fresh or processed, is gaining popularity worldwide, due to its nutritional and medicinal benefits. This study was based on the analysis of the lipid fraction of different parts of CG fruit and on further valorization of the resulting CG waste. The content of glyceride oil in CG seeds, peels and seed/peel waste, as well as the individual fatty acid, sterol and tocopherol composition of the oils was determined. CG seeds and seed/peel waste were a rich source of oil (up to 22.93%), which is suitable for nutritional application, due to its high proportions of unsaturated fatty acids (up to 83.77%), sterols (campesterol, Δ5-аvenasterol, β-sitosterol) and tocopherols (β-, δ- and γ-tocopherols). Seed/peel waste and the extracted seed cakes contained macro- and microminerals (K, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) which are important for human and animal nutrition. Seed cakes had relatively high protein (24.32%) and cellulose (42.94%) contents, and an interesting amino acid profile. The results from the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the composition of CG fruit, and might be of practical relevance in the development of functional foods and feeds.El consumo del aguaymanto (Physalis peruviana L.), fresco o procesado, está ganando popularidad en todo el mundo debido a sus beneficios nutricionales y medicinales. Este estudio se basó en el análisis de la fracción lipídica de diferentes partes de la fruta y en una mayor valorización de los desechos resultantes. Se determinó el contenido de la fracción glicerídica en semillas, cáscaras y residuos de semillas/cáscaras, así como la composición individual de ácidos grasos, esteroles y tocoferoles de los aceites. Las semillas de aguaymanto y los residuos de semillas/cáscaras fueron una rica fuente de aceite (hasta 22,93%), adecuados para un uso nutricional, debido a las altas proporciones de ácidos grasos insaturados (hasta 83,77%), esteroles (campesterol, Δ5-avenasterol, β-sitosterol) y tocoferoles (β-, δ- y γ-tocoferol). Los residuos de semillas/cáscaras y los residuos desengrasados de semillas extraídos (tortas) contenían macro y microminerales (K, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu) importantes para la nutrición humana y animal. Las tortas de semillas tenían un contenido relativamente alto de proteínas (24,32%) y celulosa (42,94%), y un perfil de aminoácidos interesante. Los resultados del estudio contribuyen a una comprensión más profunda de la composición del aguaymanto y pueden ser de relevancia práctica en el desarrollo de alimentos y alimentos funcionales

The influence of Galactic aberration on precession parameters determined from VLBI observations

The influence of proper motions of sources due to Galactic aberration on precession models based on VLBI data is determined. Comparisons of the linear trends in the coordinates of the celestial pole obtained with and without taking into account Galactic aberration indicate that this effect can reach 20 $\mu$as per century, which is important for modern precession models. It is also shown that correcting for Galactic aberration influences the derived parameters of low-frequency nutation terms. It is therefore necessary to correct for Galactic aberration in the reduction of modern astrometric observations

Informational support of the investment process in a large city economy

Large cities possess a sufficient potential to participate in the investment processes both at the national and international levels. A potential investor's awareness of the possibilities and prospects of a city development is of a great importance for him or her to make a decision. So, providing a potential investor with relevant, laconic and reliable information, the local authorities increase the intensity of the investment process in the city economy and vice-versa. As a hypothesis, there is a proposition that a large city administration can sufficiently activate the investment processes in the economy of a corresponding territorial entity using the tools of the information providing. The purpose of this article is to develop measures for the improvement of the investment portal of a large city as an important instrument of the information providing, which will make it possible to brisk up the investment processes at the level under analysis. The reasons of the unsatisfactory information providing on the investment process in a large city economy are deeply analyzed; the national and international experience in this sphere is studied; advantages and disadvantages of the information providing of the investment process in the economy of the city of Makeyevka are considered; the investment portals of different cities are compared. There are suggested technical approaches for improving the investment portal of a large city. The research results can be used to improve the investment policy of large cities

Investigation of the effect of high strength strips steel modification with rare-earth metal (REM)

The present work describes the study on influence of modifying steel with rare-earth metals on metallurgical quality of ingots and finished steel. To achieve the assigned task, the laboratory melting of 08G2NMDFBT (Х100) pipe steel was carried as in open (UIP 100 – 2,4), so in vacuum induction furnace (ISV-0,01 - PI) with use of conditioning agents, which contain rare-earth metals. Next materials were used as conditioning agents: mischmetal (MM), which contain total amount of rare-earth metal (REM) up to 93 %, АlPCIr and RENTN which contain total amount of from 31 to 32,6 %