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The sustainability of the family business mirrors the business success and functionality of the family. Sustainability cannot be ensured without sufficient business profitability, solvency and financial stability. A company unable to pay its obligations on time is insolvent and, therefore, unhealthy. The paper’s main goal is to evaluate the impact of selected economic aspects on the sustainability of family farms in Slovakia. The Finstat database serves as the source of input data for the research. For the economic analysis of the family and non-family sets of companies, Grünwald's bonity index (GIB) was chosen for its universality. According to the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, family businesses can be considered less risky, especially considering the conservative way of management and the effort for long-term sustainability. However, the results of our research may differ. Family businesses show higher profitability of total and mainly equity capital but also low current liquidity and an undercapitalised state. The most increased non-credit current liquidity was achieved in family businesses in the pandemic years 2020 and 2021. The family businesses we monitored are more profitable than non-family businesses, they do not show an excessive increase in investments, and most of them seem to have a targeted and purposeful high level of short-term liabilities.

Rabies remains an infectious disease among humans and animals, and requires the development of an effective vaccine essential to prevent rabies. Advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to the development and improvement of many rabies vaccines. Before the third-generation of the vaccine, rabies vaccines were based on the virus itself. Thus, even if effective, these vaccines may not be completely safe, resulting in a strong demand for the development of effective subunit vaccines that do not raise concerns about virus replication and infection in the host. This study investigated the ability of the glycoprotein of the rabies virus to be expressed in tobacco plants (Nicotiana benthamiana) and to induce an immune response in mice. Using a transient transfection, a soluble glycoprotein was successfully expressed in N. benthamiana. Fusing of five histidine residues at the C-terminus enabled the glycoprotein to be easily purified by affinity chromatography. The glycoprotein expressed in the plants was found to be N-glycosylated post-translationally, and the mice immunised with this glycoprotein generated neutralising antibodies against the rabies virus. These results suggest that a glycoprotein produced in the endoplasmic reticulum of N. benthamiana is bioactive, and might be used to generate a subunit vaccine against the rabies virus.

Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth and development. A significant increase in skeletal muscle was observed in Mstn^-/- mice compared with wild-type mice. So far, there has been no report on porcine MSTN mutations leading to skeletal muscle hypertrophy. In this report a MSTN frameshift mutation missing 11 nucleotides in exon 2 was introduced into Meishan pigs by zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology. ZFN-edited MSTN^-/- Meishan pigs were successfully produced by a cloning method of somatic cell nucleus transfer. Results from slaughter experiments indicated that lean meat yield increased 16.53% in about 80 kg (10-months-old) MSTN^-/- Meishan sows compared with their corresponding wild-type counterparts. The lean percentage of carcass from MSTN^-/- sows was 61.20% vs 48.25% for MSTN^+/- sows and 44.67% for wild-type sows. The fat of MSTN^-/- sows was significantly lower than that of MSTN^+/- and wild-type sows. The loin eye area of MSTN^-/- Meishan sows (56.42 cm²) was greater than that of MSTN^+/- (37.39 cm²) and wild-type (26.26 cm²) sows. The muscle fibre area of longissimus muscle in wild-type Meishan sows (1 946 μm²) was significantly greater than that of MSTN^+/- (1 324 μm²) and MSTN^-/- (1 419 μm²) sows. Moreover the significantly increased skeletal muscle in these MSTN^-/- Meishan sows was mainly due to the increase in the number of myofibres rather than to hypertrophy. Compared with wild-type Meishan sows, it was noted that myofibres had transformed from type I to IIB in MSTN^-/- Meishan sows. Our present study demonstrated that frameshift mutation in MSTN by ZFN technology led to a significant increase in muscle mass and a significant decrease in fat content in Meishan sows.

Respiratory problems in cats have a multifactorial character. Therapy without the detection of pathogen is often ineffective. Our study was therefore focused on the detection of important feline respiratory bacterial pathogens such as Mycoplasma felis, Chlamydia felis and Bordetella bronchiseptica and viral pathogens such as Felid alphaherpesvirus-1 and feline calicivirus. The goal of this study was to map the occurrence of these pathogens in cat populations in the Czech Republic with the aim of introducing rapid and highly sensitive methods into routine diagnostics and to provide consulting services to animal health professionals based on the acquired data. A total of 218 cats were investigated in the study: 69 were outdoor and 149 were indoor cats. Three groups of animals were compared: up to one year of age (60 cats), one to three years of age (68 cats) and more than three years of age (90 cats). Samples were taken from conjunctiva and/or the oropharynx. Samples originated from cats with various forms of respiratory disease or from healthy cats from different parts of the Czech Republic. Real-Time RT-PCR, multiplex Real-Time PCR, nested PCR and sequencing analyses were performed. Outdoor cats were infected more often (84 detected pathogens in 69 cats) than indoor cats (110 detected infections in 149 cats). More than one pathogen was detected in a total of 38 cats, and six cats were infected with more than two pathogens. The difference was statistically significant in the case of co-infections, but not for mono-infections (P < 0.05). Kittens and young adults up to the age of one year were the most common reservoirs of respiratory infections (only 19 cats out of 60 were negative and positive cats often harboured coinfections). The difference in age groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Concerning the site of the sampling, feline calicivirus, M. felis and B. bronchiseptica were detected more often from oropharynx than from conjunctival swabs. M. felis was slightly more common in clinically diseased animals (39.6%) than in healthy ones (26.1%). The obtained results reveal the frequency of individual pathogens and their co-infections in cats kept on the territory of the Czech Republic, data which can be used to make the treatment of respiratory infections and breeding measures more effective. Therefore, the diagnostic methods are now available to veterinary surgeons with the possibility of consultation and discussion of the results.

The bark beetle, Pityogenes scitus Blandford, 1893 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is one of the main pests in Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jackson, 1938 (Pinaceae) stands, and it has also been found on other Oriental Pinaceae species. This pest is aggressive and has caused significant loss of host trees, but little is known of its biology and ecology. Based on the field and laboratory observations, this study describes the detailed bioecology of P. scitus. This beetle pest overwinters in larval stage on blue pine (P. wallichiana) trees in Kashmir. After emergence, the adults fly to suitable trees and undergo maturation feeding for 4-6 days. Reproduction is polygamous type. After mating, each of the females makes one gallery with an average length 2.30 (± 0.41 SD) cm. The female lays 26.53 (± 6.32 SD) eggs on an average. The eggs hatch in 5 to 10 days. The larvae have 5 instars and complete their development in 18 to 28 days constructing larval galleries 1.76 (± 0.25 SD) cm in length. The larvae pupate for 13-22 days and finally the adults emerge to attack new suitable trees. The adults live for 28-40 days and the total life-span of this species ranges from 66 to 92 days. The seasonal distribution of various developmental stages and the number of generations were also recorded (5 generations (the last a partial one) per year in Kashmir). In general, the life cycle of P. scitus is similar to those described for other Pityogenes Bedel, 1 888 species.

Determining and mitigating landslide risk is a technical-scientific objective, particularly for the protection and proper territorial management and planning. The slope stability depends on the pore pressure distribution, which is influenced by the saturation front propagation through the unsaturated zone, whose monitoring is useful to understand any possible instabilities. Such monitoring may be undertaken by sensors based on the measurement of the relative dielectric permittivity. Reliable relationships between the measurement and the soil moisture are necessary. The main objective of this study is to assess a laboratory calibration protocol for a specific capacitance sensor (Drill & Drop, Sentek Sensor Technologies). Two monogranular sands have been selected for the calibration purpose. The laboratory tests were performed under three relative density values (D_R equal to 40%, 60% and 80%) for seven volumetric water content values (θ_v ranging from 0.00% to 36.26%). Based on the experimental measurements, the soil-specific calibration curves were determined at an assigned relative density value; in particular, a simple power law is adopted to describe the probe's reading as a function of the volumetric water content. The results point out that the relative density values slightly affect the tests, thus, the soil-specific calibration curves are derived based on a simple regression analysis fitting the whole set of the laboratory tests validated for each sand. The calculated coefficient of determination (R² = 0.96/0.99) and root mean square error (RMSE = 1.4%/2.8%) values confirm the goodness of fit. In order to propose more general fitting curves, suitable for both the investigated sands, multiple linear regressions are performed by considering θ_v and the mean grain size, D₅₀ as independent variables; again, the R² and RMSE values equal to 0.97 and 2.41%, respectively, confirm the suitability of the calibration curve. Finally, the laboratory calibration curves are compared with the manufacturer-supplied curves, thus, enhancing the need for the soil-specific calibration.

Dormant bud cryopreservation is a valuable tool for the germplasm of temperate trees preservation. Freezable water content, as an important cryopreservation characteristic, was analysed by DSC. Scions of modern apple tree varieties (Malus domestica) were collected during the winter season from orchards, freeze-dehydrated to 26-32% of water content at -5°C and cryopreserved by the two-step procedure. Samples were rehydrated in moist peat after 4 months of cryopreservation and grafted on rootstocks in a field. Regeneration by sprouting buds on rootstocks was evaluated. The varieties were divided into three groups according to their water content and percentage of crystallized water. The regeneration in the three groups decreased with decreasing bud water content. Regeneration was higher than 80% in most of the varieties and reached 100% in almost 1/3 of the tested varieties. In only one variety, was regeneration lower than 40%, which is still a high regeneration rate for considering apple genotypes as successfully cryopreserved. According to this study, the two-step cryoprotocol was successfully optimized for Central European conditions.

This study included twenty-three samples of minor fruit species and twenty-three plum cultivars. First of all, the pomological properties of the plum cultivars were assessed, where the cultivar 'Aphrodite' was determined as the cultivar with the biggest fruits (56.6 g). The selected nutritional properties were subsequently determined in all forty-six samples. The highest value of the total soluble solids in the plums was 27.3 % in 'Stanley' (Prunus domestica) and 26.1 % in 'Krasavica' (Sorbus aucuparia) in the minor fruits; the highest total content of ascorbic acid in the plums was 83.3 mg/100 g in 'Stanley' (P. domestica) and 622.9 mg/100 g in 'Krasavica' (S. aucuparia) in the minor fruits; the highest total phenolic content in the plums was 429.8 mg GAE/100 g in 'Fortune' (Prunus salicina) and 45.3 mg GAE/100 g in the minor fruits and 983.9 mg GAE/100 g in 'Vydubecký' (Cornus mas); the highest total flavonoid content in the plums was 291.5 mg CE/100 g in 'Fortune' (P. salicina) and 544.7 mg CE/100 g in 'Nero' (Sorbus melanocarpa) in the minor fruits, and the highest total antioxidant activity in the plums was 809.5 mg TE/100 g in the hybrid 'SLE2014/2' (P. domestica × P. salicina) and 849.8 mg TE/100 g in 'Amfora' (Lonicera edulis) in the minor fruits.

The biological activity of polyphenol substances contained in food supplements prepared from Vitis vinifera can affect the microorganisms present in the digestive tract in terms of their representation and activity of the individual species. This study deals with resveratrol and two polyphenol-rich extracts (extract from V. vinifera canes and the commercial product Regrapex-R-forte) and their effect on selected gut microbiota (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Lactobacillus casei Lafti L-26, Citrobacter freundii DBM 3127, Escherichia coli DBM 3125). The effect of the studied agents on planktonic and biofilm growth of the microorganisms was determined as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC80) and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC80), respectively. The extracts induced metabolic activity as well as total biofilm biomass production in probiotic strain L. acidophilus LA-5 while successfully inhibiting the growth of opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms C. freundii DBM 3127 and E. coli DBM 3125.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the amount of nitrogen taken up from air, mineral fertilizers and soil by yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) and spring triticale (Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) in their intercropping cultivation. The factor examined in the experiment was percentage of yellow lupine seeds and spring triticale grain in sown mixtures: 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100, respectively. Yellow lupine yield was reduced by spring triticale when intercropped. In the yield of both plants the percentage share of spring triticale grain was larger and that of yellow lupine seed was smaller than in the sown mixture. Land equivalent ratio informs that yield advantage under intercropping of lupine and triticale was minor. The total protein yield was the highest in lupine cultivation when sown pure, and decreased with increasing share of triticale in their intercropping. The mean percentage nitrogen share from N₂ fixation, fertilizer and soil reserves in yellow lupine mass was: 65.2, 8.8 and 26.0%, respectively, while in the mass of spring triticale it was 10.1, 23.5 and 68.8%, respectively.

The three-year field experiment (2015-2017) with graded doses of magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S) was carried out at the Humpolec experimental station (49.5546239N, 15.3485489E; Czech Republic). The interactions between boron (B), Mg and S in the soil were studied. No boron was applied into soils. Contents of B, S and Mg in the soil were determined by the Mehlich 3 and NH₄ acetate methods. The crop rotation was: spring barley-oilseed rape-winter wheat. Three Kieserite doses (S and Mg fertiliser) were applied. Sulphur treatments were 10-20-40 kg S/ha to cereals and 20-40-80 kg S/ha to oilseed rape. The doses of Mg were: 13-26-52 kg Mg/ha to cereals and 26-52-104 kg Mg/ha to oilseed rape. A significant gradual decrease of B-Mehlich 3 was observed under Kieserite treatments during the experiment (from 1.24 mg B/kg in control in the 1^st year to 0.92 mg B/kg in the 3^rd year). On the contrary, B-NH₄ acetate contents in soils remained similar during 2015-2017 in control soils (0.33-0.39 mg B/kg) and significantly decreased under Kieserite treatments, namely by 55-57% in 2016 and by 43-48% in 2017. A significant decrease of B content in soils was noted since the second year of experiment after oilseed rape. The boron contents in soils were affected in several ways - by adsorption of B on magnesium oxides and other substances, exchange with SO₄^2- anions and possible leaching, and also by the uptake by grown crops, mainly oilseed rape.

The friction properties of ackee apple (Blighia sapida) seeds at an 11.9, 17, 22, 27, and 32% (w.b.) seed moisture were determined, which are vital for designing their processing techniques and equipment to replace the present manual methods. The ackee apple grows in many West African countries, especially Nigeria. The ackee seeds were harvested at Lanlate, Oyo State, Nigeria, where ackee trees are predominant. Standard experimental methods were adopted to determine the properties. The data were analysed using an ANOVA and the least significant difference (LSD) at P ≤ 0.05. As the moisture increased, the static coefficient of friction on glass (27.6-36.40), aluminium (27.0-30.2), polyvinyl chloride (PVC; 27.9-32.8) surfaces and normal stress at 200 g (8.73-8.93 g×cm-2), 300 g (11.65-11.79 g×cm^-2) and 400 g (14.37-14.65) loads increased significantly and linearly. The shear stress linearly decreased at a 200 g load (1.62-1.25 g×cm^-2), but was non-significant at the 300 and 400 g loads. The coefficient of internal friction linearly decreased (0.744-0.588) implying that the wet seeds flow more easily than the dry ones, which should be considered in designing conveyors. The relationships between the ackee seeds' moisture and friction properties were expressed with regression models. Data for designing the handling techniques and machines for the ackee seeds were obtained.

To estimate the long-term performance and the optimal ratio of feldspathic sandstone with sandy soil, experiments with different ratios of feldspathic sandstone to sandy soil (0:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:5 v/v) was conducted. The physical properties as soil texture, water-stable aggregate (WR0.25) content, and the organic carbon content of the composited soil for 6 years, and corn yield for 9 years were determined. Our results showed that after the addition of feldspathic sandstone: (1) soil texture was notably improved, changing from sand loamy soil (1:2 and 1:5) to sand loam soil (1:1) and silt sand soil (1:1) over planting time; (2) content of water-stable aggregate (WR0.25) significantly increased: WR0.25 of treatments 1:1, 1:2 and 1:5 all increased (by 29.26, 31.47 and 11.56%, respectively) compared with that of treatment 0:1; (3) the organic carbon content of the composited soils increased with time in all treatments. After six years of planting, average organic carbon content in treatments 1:1, 1:2 and 1:5 were 1.64, 1.51 and 1.77 g/kg, respectively, which were higher than that of 0:1 treatment; and (4) among the three ratios, treatment 1:2 (12 984 kg/ha) had the highest corn yield, followed by treatment 1:1 (12 040 kg/ha) and 1:5 (11 301 kg/ha). In conclusion, with a good performance, 1:2 was the best ratio of feldspathic sandstone to sand in improving the sandy soil structure of the Mu Us Desert, China.

Modern dairy farming is characterised by high selection intensity and the use of a limited number of bulls-producers. This increases the likelihood of widespread genetic defects in livestock populations. Genome-wide studies have identified DNA loci associated with the disruption of foetal embryonic development and its death, which have been called "fertility haplotypes". The aim of this study is to analyse the occurrence of АН1 haplotype or rs475678587 in Ayrshire bulls (n = 186) used in the artificial insemination system of Russia and to evaluate the reproductive and productive qualities of their daughters. The proportion of genetic defect carrier bulls in the analysed sample cohort was 16.66%. Analysis of the proportion of carriers of unwanted haplotype depending on the place of birth of the bull for service showed that the highest frequency was observed in bulls of Canadian origin (26.66%). Based on data on 97 478 cow and heifer calvings, stillbirth and abortion rates were analysed and cow reproduction rates were based on an AH1 status for the bull-father and bull for service. We observed a significant increase (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001) in the incidence of stillbirths when crossing the daughters of AH1-C bulls with AH1-C bulls. There was no negative association of abortion rates and reproductive qualities with AH1 haplotype. The high incidence of AH1 haplotype among animals of Ayrshire breed requires regular screening for the carriers of this haplotype not only among bulls, but also in cows.

Crop growth is a key factor that effects nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission in farmland soil. Clarification and quantification of the impact of maize growth on N₂O emission are important to guide maize planting and patterns, which is also useful for building model to simulate N₂O emission in an agroecosystem. In this study, we carried out a three-year (2013-2015) field experiment to evaluate the contribution of maize growth on N₂O emission using a split-plot design. The factors included planting versus not planting maize, and four rates of nitrogen (N) application (0, 150, 300, 450 kg N/ha). Our results showed the impacts of maize growth on N₂O emission decreased linearly with the growth of maize from the 43^rd day after sowing (y = -1.07x + 26.85, R² = 0.95). Nitrogen fertilizer application can reduce the impacts of maize growth on N₂O emission. The impact of maize growth on soil NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N are similar to N₂O emission, and they have a strong correlation. We concluded that maize growth reduces soil N₂O emission but N application can exert an antagonistic effect, and the impact of maize growth on soil NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N largely determines the impacts of maize growth on N₂O emission.

This research was to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and microbial profiles of Cola lepidota fruits. One hundred grams each of the fruit exocarp, mesocarp and endocarp were blended and analyses were carried out by the following standard methods. Active acidity and vitamin C contents were 5.5 and 6.34 mg 100 g^-1 in endocarp, 4.5 and 14.39 mg 100 g^-1 in mesocarp and 6.7 and 10.02 mg 100 g^-1 for exocarp. Moisture and carbohydrate contents of 12.31 and 68.72% were in the mesocarp while protein and crude fibre contents of 8.13 and 26.18% were in the exocarp and endocarp. Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) contents were 1.79, 0.27 and 0.57 mg 100 g^-1 in exocarp while lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) were absent in the endocarp. Predominant isolates were Aspergillus niger, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus flavus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas species. C. lepidota had no antimicrobial effect against the tested organisms. Tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, coumarins and anthocyanins were present while alkaloids, quinolones, glycosides, steroids and cardiac glycosides were absent. The fruit was observed to have antioxidant property by hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. This study presents C. lepidota as good for human consumption and can be exploited for animal feed production.

The resistive index (RI) is an indirect measurement of arterial resistance by means of a ratio between the peak systolic and end diastolic velocities recorded with a spectral Doppler device, especially used to evaluate the vascular damage in ocular diseases such as glaucoma. Some ocular variables such as the intraocular pressure (IOP), the choroidal thickness, the axial length and the ocular blood flow may be influenced by physical exercise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the exercise on the RI of the medial long posterior ciliary artery in dogs, and correlate the data obtained with the IOP values. Ten clinically healthy dogs were subjected to moderate physical exercise on a canine motorised treadmill at different speeds for 45 minutes. A colour Doppler examination was performed and the RI values were calculated for the medial long posterior ciliary artery at rest, immediately after the exercise, and after 60 minutes at the end of the exercise. At the same times, the IOP was recorded by applanation tonometry. The data were analysed by a two-way repeated ANOVA measurement in order to compare the RI and the IOP. Wilcoxon's test was applied for the post hoc comparison. Spearman's rank correlation for non-normal distribution was used to determine a relationship between the RI and the IOP. The at rest RI was 0.722 +/-0.022, IOP 12.38 +/3.21 mm Hg. A significant decrease in the RI was observed immediately after the exercise (0.697 +/-0.035) and during the passive recovery phase (0.682 +/-0.042). A significant decrease in the IOP (11+/3.39 mmHg) was recorded after 60 min of the passive recovery phase; at the end of the exercise, a slight decrease (12.29+/4.26 mm Hg) mm Hg was detected. During the test, a linear correlation between the RI and the IOP was observed. Our results suggest that exercise induces the modification of the ophthalmic blood flow in dogs, presumably related to the compensatory neuro-hormonal mechanisms.

The viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) causes high mortality in many marine and freshwater fish species, resulting in heavy economic losses in fish farming. Previously, cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-fused recombinant viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus glycoproteins (rec-VHSV-GPs) have been successfully expressed in tobacco, Nicotiana benthamiana. Here, we evaluated the potential of rec-VHSV-GPs as an oral vaccine against a live viral challenge. After immunisation of mice and fish (olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceous) with those antigenic proteins in a feed additive form, the antibody titres were increased statistically, especially in the primed groups (P < 0.0001) in both the mouse and fish. After the viral challenge under low water temperature culture conditions (below 18 °C), the immunised fish were protected successfully against the challenge, showing a significantly lower mortality rate (P < 0.05). This result suggests that this plant-based immunisation system could induce an effective immune response. It could be used as a candidate to develop an oral vaccine for fish.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a year of cultivation and three agronomic measures (pre-crop, soil tillage, application of fungicides) on the yield of winter wheat grown in the crop rotation without the livestock production. The results from the years 2011-2017, except for the year 2012, from the Žabčice Field Experimental Station (49°01'20''N, 16°37'55''E) were evaluated. The soil texture is clay loam soil and the soil type is fluvisol. In the field trial, winter wheat was grown after two pre-crops (winter wheat, pea). Two soil tillage technologies, namely the conventional tillage - CT (ploughing - at a depth of 24 cm) and the minimum tillage - MT (shallow loosening - at a depth of 15 cm) were used. Two fungicide treatments against leaf and spikelet diseases were used, and they were compared to the non-treated variants. The obtained results showed that the grain yield of winter wheat was statistically influenced not only by a year of cultivation, but also by the pre-crop, the application of fungicides, and mostly by the interaction of these factors with the soil tillage. The importance of pea as a suitable pre-crop for winter wheat was confirmed as the grain yield was higher compared to winter wheat as a pre-crop by an average of 0.49 t/ha. It was also found that the MT is a more appropriate technology than the CT, on average by 0.12 t/ha over the six years. The importance of fungicide treatment was also confirmed, where the grain yield of winter wheat was higher by 0.26 t/ha compared to the non-treated variant. The presented results brought a new knowledge for winter wheat management practice in dry conditions.

Czech hop cultivars were evaluated from 2010 to 2019. A total of 13 cultivars were assessed. The highest yield per plant was found out in cv. Kazbek (3.66 kg/plant), whereas the lowest in cv. Saazer (2.02 kg/plant). Rubín and Boomerang are the cultivars with the lowest variability of the yield per plant. On the contrary, the highest variability was shown by cv. Kazbek. Conclusively the highest content of alpha acids was recorded in cv. Gaia (13.81%), whereas Saazer is the cultivar with the lowest content (2.87%). Significantly highest content of beta acids were recorded in cvs. Gaia, Vital, Boomerang and Bohemie. On the contrary, the lowest content of beta acids was found in cvs. Saazer, Rubín and Bor (below 4%). Kazbek is the cultivar with the highest ratio of cohumulone (36.67% rel.). Cvs. Premiant and Harmonie show the lowest ratio of cohumulone (19.63% rel.). The lowest ratio of myrcene (18.91% rel.) and caryophyllene (8.26% rel.) was recorded in cv. Saazer. The highest ratio of farnesene was found in cv. Saazer (13.34% rel.) and cv. Saaz Late (10.22% rel.). A wide range was found in the ratio of humulene: from 2.15% rel. (cv. Vital) to 35.76% rel. (cv. Bor). Cv. Gaia has the highest ratio of selinene (19.77% rel.).

A survey of the pond system in Veľké Blahovo, Dunajská Streda district, Slovak Republic, confirmed the occurrence of tapeworms in carp with a prevalence of 63.5% and mean intensity of 1.7 ± 2.72. The species Khawia sinensis and Atractolytocestus huronensis were identified. We attempted to reduce the occurrence of tapeworms using a medicated feed mixture (granules) with 1% fenbendazole as active substance under controlled conditions. Faeces collected from carp (K2) were examined and the presence of tapeworm eggs was confirmed by the flotation method. Positive carp were divided into three groups; each group, labelled F1 to F3, included 15 individuals. The carp were placed in concrete pools (storage ponds) nourished by fish pond water at the peak of the vegetation period from August 7-17, 2015. The medicated feed mixture was administered to the first two groups (F1 and F2), while the third group was fed with a non-medicated feed mixture and served as the control (F3). A single dose was administered to the F1 group; tapeworm prevalence 24 hours after administration in the F1 group was 26.66% with a mean intensity of 1.3 ± 0.57. The F2 group was fed three times in total with 24-hour intervals between feeding. Tapeworm prevalence 24 hours after the last administration in the F2 group was 13.33% with a mean intensity of 2.0 ± 0.77. The prevalence in the control group was 66.66% with a mean intensity of 2.2 ± 1.62. Khawia sinensis tapeworms responded well to fenbendazole, while A. huronensis tapeworms responded poorly and, despite repeated administration of the active substance, this species remained attached to the intestinal mucosa. When compared with the control group, the reduction in the number of tapeworms was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) in the F2 group; however, it was not statistically significant in the F1 group.

To investigate the effects of different sources of organic matter on soil biochemical properties and crop productivity and to find the best substitute for cow manure in the fields, a field experiment was carried out in a wheat-maize cropping system during 2012-2015. Three types of fertilizer applications, including a mineral fertilizer (CK), straw (S) and biogas slurry (B) were compared with cow manure (M) under an equal dose of nitrogen. In the 0-20 cm soil layer, the soil total nitrogen, microbial biomass nitrogen and carbon content of the M treatment was the highest, and the total organic carbon equivalent ratio of M decreased by 28.60% respectively, relative to S. Compared with CK, S and B, the urease activity equivalent ratio in the M treatment increased by 52, 12 and 21%, and the invertase activity equivalent ratio increased by 21, 20 and 26%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the hydrogen peroxidase activity among the four treatments. The annual crop yield and water use efficiency of the M treatment was significantly higher than other treatments, followed by S, B and CK. Our findings indicated that straw returning was the best substitute for cow manure.

This study is aimed at describing the ovarian follicular dynamics, corpora lutea and their hormonal control during early pregnancy in Saanen goats. The ovaries of pregnant goats (n = 10) were monitored daily for follicles (≥ 2 mm) and corpora lutea by transrectal ultrasound over the 35 days after mating. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture at the time of ultrasonography and were analysed for the concentrations of oestradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P₄), inhibin, FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). The pattern of follicular growth was characterised by five (n = 2; 20 %), six (n = 5; 50 %) and seven (n = 3; 30 %) follicular waves during early pregnancy. The first corpora lutea (size 6.8 ± 0.4 mm, mean + SEM) were detected at 5.0 ± 0.3 days after the mating with a maximum diameter (12.2 ± 0.3 mm) observed on day 24.0 ± 1.1 of pregnancy. The dominant follicle diameter of waves 1 and 4, and the duration of waves 1-4 and 7 were maximal during the early pregnancy period (P < 0.05). In addition, the inter-wave interval of the 5 waves was significantly (P < 0.05) longer compared to the six and seven inter-wave intervals (7.0 ± 0.1, 5.8 ± 0.1 and 5.0 ± 0.2 days, respectively). Although the number of small and medium-sized follicles did not differ with the days post-breeding, the number of large-sized follicles in the same period significantly decreased between 16 and 26 days and was negatively correlated with the period of pregnancy (P < 0.05). The plasma LH and E₂ concentrations were negatively correlated with the P₄ concentration. The inhibin concentrations were negatively correlated with FSH, but positively correlated with the number of large-sized follicles. These results indicate that ovarian follicular growth during the first 35 days of pregnancy in goats was characterised by a wave-like pattern and there was a close relationship between the number of FSH peaks and the number of follicular waves.

Sensory acceptability of the consumption of whole baked house crickets by assessors in the Czech Republic was investigated. The main aim was to observe attitudes to eating edible insects before and after their tasting and to assess the extent of the effect of prejudices. Hedonic evaluation of the overall acceptability of edible insects was carried out under laboratory conditions by trained assessors. Of the 98 panellists, 68 were willing to evaluate the sample visually and then by tasting. They showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.0001) in overall pleasantness before tasting (40 ± 22%) and after tasting (61 ± 17%). No statistically significant differences between male and female assessors were observed, either before or after tasting. Women and younger assessors were slightly more open to entomophagy, but there were no statistically significant differences between males and females or between the two age categories (18-25 and 26-45 years of age) in the results. The preferred methods of culinary preparation of edible insects that the respondents would choose were baking, roasting and frying.

The objective of this study was to determine the economic performance of alternative chipper choices for small-scale chipping based on unit cost (€ per chip-m3) and net present value (NPV) calculations. For the chipping cost and investment profitability analyses four tractor-powered professional or semi-professional disc chippers and two professional drum chippers mounted on a truck or powered by tractor were selected. Initial investment, operating costs, and the cost of outsourced chipping were the key elements for comparing the profitability of investment alternatives. The average purchase prices, cost factors, and technical details of the chipper units were acquired from machine dealers, specification sheets, a literature review, and interviews with chipping entrepreneurs. The results of the three tractor-powered professional chippers involved in the comparison were very close to each other. The profitable running of a truck-mounted drum chipper calls for high annual chipping volumes: the chipper type is therefore a feasible choice for an entrepreneur in large-scale chipping. Semi-professional disc chippers offer lower investment costs, but their economic feasibility is relatively poor.

To examine the role of metabolites in wheat stamen and pistil development, metabolomic analyses of pistilloid stamens (PS), pistils (P), and stamens (S) from a novel wheat mutant homologous transformation sterility-1 (HTS-1) and controls from their sib-line CSTP were conducted using base gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Then, the metabolomic data were integrated with previously published transcriptomic data and analysed. In total, 141 annotated metabolites were determined from P, PS and S tissues by comparison with reference standards. A total of 90, 93 and 18 different metabolites were identified in S vs. PS, S vs. P and P vs. PS, respectively. Among the different metabolites, 80 may be associated with stamen and pistil growth. Using integration evaluations of both the previous transcriptome data and the 80 various metabolites, we found two perturbed pathways that significantly affect flower development in plants, namely, the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and cysteine and methionine metabolism. The ethylene synthesis pathway, one key branch of the cysteine and methionine metabolic pathways, could have a pivotal role in pistillody growth involving HTS-1. We found two key enzyme genes in the ethylene synthesis pathway (the SAM synthase gene and the ACC synthase gene) that have higher expression levels in stamens than in pistilloid stamens or pistils. We speculate, that the decrease in ethylene content during stamen development leads to pistillody traits in HTS-1. This study helps elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying stamen and pistil growth in wheat.

In the agricultural industry, many brokers exploit the benefits between farmers and customers and decrease the farmers' income. As the technology has developed, the internet has become the best advertising medium for many industries. In light of this, this study based on the Google Earth has designed an on-line Agricultural Products Navigation System operated by mobile devices which can easily exclude brokers, and build the bridge between farmers and customers in order to increase the farmers income and customer benefits. Moreover, based on the IS success model of DeLone and McLean, by using the qualitative methodology, it is expected that this model will be able to provide system developers with the knowledge to improve the success of their systems.

The present investigation was an attempt to compare the phytoceutic potential of ginger rhizome and ginger leaves of the Suravi variety. For this purpose, both rhizome and leaves were dried and used for the preparation of patties. After that, patties were assessed for colour tonality, texture, total phenolic content and hedonic response such as colour, taste, flavour, texture and overall acceptability. The results depicted that L* and b* values changed significantly during the storage interval; however, b* value was also affected by treatments whilst L* and a* values did not impart any momentous effect. For texture, the highest value was observed for patties with ginger rhizome powder (0.067 ± 0.0032 N) followed by patties with ginger leaf powder (0.060 ± 0.0029 N) and then control patties (0.057 ± 0.0026 N). For total phenolic content (TPC), maximum phenolic contents were observed as 84.80 ± 3.31 mg GAE 100 g^-1 in treatment T₂ followed by 75.68 ± 2.95 mg GAE 100 g^-1 in T₁ and 61.70 ± 2.41 mg GAE 100 g^-1 in T₀. For hedonic response, all the parameters changed significantly during the storage interval; however, flavour, taste and overall acceptability changed momentously with treatments. The findings of the current investigation demonstrated that ginger leaves have a higher antioxidant potential as compared to the ginger rhizome and control patties, and they should be incorporated into food products.

Atrazine is still widely used in China. Atrazine residue (1.86-1 100 mg/kg) in the soil has exceeded the allowable limit (1.0 mg/kg), affecting soil structure and soil aggregate composition. To understand the long-term application of atrazine on soil aggregates and the binding agent, four treatments were established in cornfield planted since 1998, including without atrazine applied (AT₀), atrazine applied (28% atrazine, 1 200-1 350 mL/ha/year) once a year from 2012 to 2018 (AT₆, 167 mg/kg), from 2008 to 2018 (AT₁₀, 127.64 mg/kg) as well as from 2002 to 2018 (AT₁₆, 102 mg/kg) with three replications. Along with the increase of atrazine application time, the mass fraction of soil aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm decreased significantly while the mass fraction of soil aggregates 0.5-2 mm and < 0.5 mm increased gradually, and the change of aggregate binding agents contents were the same as that of aggregates. The contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in the aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm were significantly negatively correlated with the years of atrazine application. Our results show that although atrazine residue in the soil does not increase with the increased yearly application, its concentration is still markedly higher than the permitted limit value and seriously affected the content of SOC and GRSP of aggregates > 2 mm, which can lead to a decrease of soil aggregate stability and soil quality.

Open-cast coal mining presents a big global issue because of the large areas the mines occupy, which get entirely changed. Their ecosystems lose most of their functions, and a huge amount of fertile soil gets utterly destroyed. Reclamation is a process of returning the functions of the soil after the excavation is finished, most commonly achieved by establishing vegetation, which can sometimes be very difficult. This happens due to the physical, chemical and biological changes that occur on these sites, which are described in this paper. Also, some directions for mitigating these problems are given. Once the vegetation is successfully introduced, natural cycles that were compromised by the mining are established once again, and the process of soil formation begins. Some trends and problems related to pedogenesis research on reclaimed mine sites are presented and discussed, along with presumptions of how the process of soil formation evolves on afforested clayey Technosols of central Europe. The potential future research which would confirm these presumptions is discussed, with the emphasis on the need of research performed on older reclamation sites, as well as sites with similar ecological conditions and different tree species cover.