7 research outputs found
Utilizing General Planners to Solve the Train Unit Shunting Problem Extended with Servicing
No full textWhen not in use, trains are stored at shunting yards, where they may need servicing. Planning for where the rolling stock should be parked during its stay at the yard is known as the Train Unit Shunting Problem (TUSP) and it is NP-hard. Algorithmic planners can assist with this computationally difficult task by providing a sequence of actions to be executed for the trains in the shunting yard. To output such a sequence, planners should be given a domain and an instance of it as input, both of which can be defined in the Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL). In this paper, we first formalize the TUSP extended with servicing and implement a domain for it in PDDL. Then, we compare four planners submitted to the International Planning Competition 2018 against 9 instances of the domain. The best of these planners reduces the problem to the Boolean Satisfiability Problem. We improve its performance with 31.5% by removing redundant clauses and an irrelevant computational element of the reduction.CSE3000 Research ProjectComputer Science and Engineerin
IMPROVING THE ‘PERLA’ RATING SYSTEM FOR DISTANCE MONITORING OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN BULGARIA
No full textСветовната банкова криза от 2007 година постави редица въпроси и предизвикателства пред банковия сектор. Един от аспектите на предизвиканите дебати бе свързан с въпроса за рейтинговите оценки и способите за обективното измерване на състоянието на банките и сектора като цяло. Този проблем рефлек-
тира и в отстояваната теза, че наличието на независима и отворена рейтингова система за оценка на банковия сектор способства за повишаване на дисциплината, конкурентоспособността и стабилността на банковия сектор. Настоящата студия си поставя за цел да оцени приложимостта на разработената през 2004 година от екип към катедра „Финанси и кредит” система за оценка на банковия сектор ПЕРЛА и да потърси начини за нейното усъвършенстване и повишаване степента на нейната познаваемост. Това се постига чрез анализиране на теоретичните основи на банковия анализ и изграждането на рейтинговите системи и оценка на приложимостта му в българските условия чрез усъвършенстване на рейтинговата система ПЕРЛА. В заключителната част авторът предлага усъвършенствана методика за оценка на състоянието на българските банки (АЛЕР(тс)). The global banking crisis of 2007 raised a number of issues and challenges in the banking sector. One aspect of the debates provoked was connected with the issue of the rating assessments and the methods for objectively measuring the condition of the banks and the sector as a whole. This problem is also reflected in the thesis statement that an independent and open rating system for assessing the banking sector helps to increase the discipline, competitiveness and stability of the banking sector. This study aims to assess the feasibility of the PERLA system for assessing the
banking sector, developed in 2004 by a team at the department of Finance and Credit, and to find ways for improving it and enhancing the degree of its recognition. This is achieved through analyzing the theoretical foundations of the banking analysis and through building rating systems, and evaluation of its applicability under the Bulgarian conditions by improving the PERLA rating system. In the conclusion the author offers an advanced methodology for assessing the state of the Bulgarian banks (ALER(ts)).The global banking crisis of 2007 raised a number of issues and challenges in the banking sector. One aspect of the debates provoked was connected with the issue of the rating assessments and the methods for objectively measuring the condition of the banks and the sector as a whole. This problem is also reflected in the thesis statement that an independent and open rating system for assessing the banking sector helps to increase the discipline, competitiveness and stability of the banking sector. This study aims to assess the feasibility of the PERLA system for assessing the
banking sector, developed in 2004 by a team at the department of Finance and Credit, and to find ways for improving it and enhancing the degree of its recognition. This is achieved through analyzing the theoretical foundations of the banking analysis and through building rating systems, and evaluation of its applicability under the Bulgarian conditions by improving the PERLA rating system. In the conclusion the author offers an advanced methodology for assessing the state of the Bulgarian banks (ALER(ts))
Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum supplementation on trimethylamine-N-oxide levels in 30 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A double-blind randomized controlled trial
Get PDFIntroduction: Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite produced by intestinal microbiota. It is well recognized as an independent risk marker for cardiovascular and renal diseases and mortality. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum GLP3 supplementation on TMAO levels in 30 patients with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease after 12 weeks of treatment. Materials and methods: Thirty consecutive male patients with a history of clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were randomized in the study. TMAO levels were evaluated in human plasma samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry and results were presented as the median (interquartile range). Microbiome sequencing analysis, focusing on bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus, was performed in 21 patients. Results: Patients receiving probiotic treatment showed a significant decrease in the TMAO levels [from 284 (139) µg/L to 202.5 (96.7) µg/L; p=0.044], with no significant change apparent in the placebo group after the treatment [from 176 (120) µg/L to 178 (150) µg/L; p=0.258]. Lactobacillus spp. % in the probiotic group was significantly increased after the interventional procedures [0.6 (0.14) before and 0.79 (0.6) after the treatment; p=0.041]. Conclusion: Probiotic supplementation with Lactobacillus plantarum GLP3 reduced the TMAO levels in very high-risk patients for cardiovascular diseases
Telecardiology for patients with chronic heart diseases during COVID-19 pandemic
No full textBackground: Telemedicine is an alternative to the standard consultation with a specialist during COVID-19 pandemic. Though their benefits are not well studied, the phone consultations are a potential effective resource for providing medical and psycho-social help to patients with chronic diseases during social isolation. Aim: To assess the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, who looked for cardiology help on the phone, and the most common reasons for these consultations. Material and Methods: We analyzed the data of 196 consecutive patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases, who called for cardiology consultation at the National Patients' Organization between 22.04.2020 and 31.07.2020. Results: The mean age of the included patients was 71,7 ± 11,3 years (17 ÷ 92), and 149 of them (76%) were above the age of 65 years (who we defi ned as elderly). 114 (58%) of the consulted on the phone were females. 96 patients (49%) called from Sofi a. The mean duration of the call was 8,5 minutes. The most common reasons for teleconsultation were unstable blood pressure – in 30% of the patients (n = 59) and anxiety – 17% (n = 33). Other reasons for seeking cardiology help were adjusting the therapy (different from the antihypertensive one) – 8%, chest pain – 7%, dyspnea – 7%, questions about follow-up of a chronic disease – 7%, palpitations – 6%, monitoring of INR – 4%, second opinion before an operation or a procedure – 2%, problems getting medications or protocols – 1,5%, administrative issues (TELK/LKK) – 1,5%. The most common chronic diseases of the consulted were: arterial hypertension (89%), heart failure (31%), ischemic heart disease (25%), diabetes mellitus (22%) and atrial fibrillation (15%). Conclusion: During COVID-19 pandemic the elderly and the women more often look for cardiology help on the phone. The suboptimal control of the blood pressure and the anxiety, caused by the pandemic, are the most common reasons for phone consultations of the patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases
CPAP Treatment at Home after Acute Decompensated Heart Failure in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
No full textBackground: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a condition with a high frequency of hospitalizations and mortality, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common comorbidity. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy at home can be a good adjunctive non-drug therapy for these patients. Methods: We conducted a single-center, prospective cohort study from 150 consecutive patients hospitalized for heart failure exacerbation in the cardiology department. Of these, 57 patients had obstructive sleep apnea. After discharge, CPAP therapy at home was offered. We divided them into two groups and followed them for 1 year. All patients received optimal medical treatment. At the end of the period, patients underwent a follow-up physical examination, a follow-up echocardiography, and a follow-up evaluation of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results: From 81 patients with sleep apnea, 72.8% (n = 59) had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and 27.2% (n = 22) had central sleep apnea (CSA). There was a statistically significant difference in body mass index (BMI), ESS, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF%) in the group with CPAP therapy compared to the no-CPAP group. The CPAP group had a median survival of 11.7 months vs. 10.1 months in the no-CPAP group (log-rank (Mantel–Cox) p = 0.044). Conclusions: This study suggests that obstructive sleep apnea is a common comorbidity in patients with acute decompensated heart failure. The addition of CPAP therapy in these patients improves the symptoms and the prognosis
Radiotherapy of the pleural cavity in patients with primary and secondary malignancies of the pleura
Get PDFBackground: Although there have been various attempts to find appropriate treatment from best conservative care to multimodal treatments, curative outcomes remain poor.
Materials and methods: 30 patients with primary and secondary malignant tumors of the pleura were treated in the Radiotherapy Clinic of USHATO during the period from December 2016 to April 2023. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and talc pleurodesis was performed in 18 patients (60%). In all patients, radiotherapy for the pleura was performed on a helical tomotherapy machine. In 21 patients (70%), normal fractionated radiotherapy was performed at daily dose of 1.8–2 Gy to total dose of 40 Gy (5 times a week), and in 6 patients (20%), integrated surdosage to 50 Gy was also performed for visible lesions. Hypofractionated radiotherapy (10 fractions of 3 Gy and 4 fractions of 4 Gy) was performed in 3 (10%) patients.
Results: Patients were followed up from 1 month to 57 months (median 14 months) or until death. The observed median survival for all patients was 19.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 11.5–26.9] (Fig. 3). The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates were 40%, 23% and 7% of patients, respectively. Malignant mesothelioma patients had 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates of 31%, 10% and 0%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates for patients with secondary malignancies were 54%, 45%, and 18%, respectively.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that helical tomotherapy is a feasible therapeutic option for patients with malignant mesothelioma or malignant secondary pleural involvement with a reasonable toxicity profile relative to other unaffected lung
