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The study aimed to demonstrate how irradiation affects the chemical composition and amino acids of Spunta potato flour, and the sensory evaluation of biscuit samples partially composed of irradiated potato flour. The potato flour was irradiated with 50 and 150 Gy. Protein, fat, total dietary fibre, ash, carbohydrates, ascorbic acid, and amino acids were analysed. Sensory evaluation of biscuits was conducted after adding potato flour as a partial replacement for wheat flour at ratios of 5, 10, and 15%. The results showed that potato flour contained ascorbic acid, which was absent in wheat flour. Potato flour had less total protein and carbohydrate and more ash and fibres than wheat flour. Total essential amino acids appeared at the highest percentage, particularly lysine at 8.29 ± 0.02, compared with non-essential amino acids in the samples irradiated at a dose of 150 Gy. The biscuits were prepared with different ratios of the irradiated potato flour at dose 150 Gy to white flour. Sensory evaluation for biscuits with 10% of potato flour scored 8.61 ± 0.01, 8.33 ± 0.02, 8.77 ± 0.02, and 8.38 ± 0.00 for overall acceptance, colour, texture and appearance, respectively. This study recommends using 10% of irradiated potato flour at 150 Gy blended with wheat flour to produce biscuits.

Agronomic zinc (Zn) biofortification of crops could help to alleviate dietary Zn deficiency, which is likely to affect more than one billion people worldwide. To evaluate the efficiency of agronomic Zn biofortification of broccoli, four application treatments were tested: no Zn application (control); soil application of 5 mg/kg ZnSO₄.7 H₂O (soil); two sprays (15 mL/pot each) of 0.25% (w/v) ZnSO₄.7 H₂O (foliar); and soil + foliar combination. Soil Zn application increased Zn-DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) concentration by 3.7-times but did not affect plant growth or plant Zn concentration. Foliar Zn application increased stem + leaves and floret Zn concentration by 78 and 23 mg Zn/kg, respectively, with good bioavailability based on phytic acid concentration. Boiling decreased mineral concentration by 19%, but increased bioavailability by decreasing the phytic acid concentration. The entire broccoli could constitute a good nutritional source for animals and humans. An intake of 100 g boiled florets treated with the foliar treatment will cover about 36% of recommended dietary intake (RDI) of Zn, together with 30% of Ca, 94% of K, 32% of Mg, 6% of Na, 55% of P, 60% of S, 10% of Cu, 22% of Fe, 43% of Mn, and 35% of Se RDIs.

One of the important issues both in the political discussion about climate change and in forest ecosystem research is carbon sequestration. In this paper, we estimated soil carbon sequestration (SCS) in two Persian oak forest stands of different origin (seed and coppice). Soil samples were taken at two soil depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm) and locations (under the tree crown and open area) in each oak stand. Results showed that surface layers (0-15 cm) had the highest soil carbon sequestration ranging from 41.2 t.ha-1 to 47.9 t.ha-1 for both oak forests. The total SCS was higher (between 79.5 and 89.07 t.ha-1) in open areas of the two forest stands than under the crowns of oak trees. Finally, the amount of total SCS in seed originated forest (SOF) (86.52 t.ha-1) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than in coppice forest (CF) (77.70 t.ha-1). The results indicate that a relatively large proportion of C loss in CF is due to overgrazing, forest degradation and conversion to coppice forests in the study area.

Biomass nutrient loss and retention were studied at nutrient-poor forest site dominated by Scots pine where two methods of logging residues handling after clear-cutting were compared. The experiment was conducted on nutrient-poor pine-oak forest site on deep sandy-gravel unconsolidated sediments at the altitude of 255 m. There were three treatments established such as (i) control - no harvesting, (ii) whole-tree harvesting with ca. 10% of the slash retained unintentionally on site as processing residues and (iii) stem-only harvesting when small-diameter wood and slash were left on site. The third treatment was found to retain much larger amounts of nutrients in logging residues representing 16% of total above-ground dry mass which accounted for 58% of N, 32% of P, 56% of K, 22% of Ca and 28% of Mg left on site.

The aim of the study was to elaborate a universal calibration for the near infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer to determine the moisture of various kinds of vegetable seeds. The research was conducted on the seeds of 5 types of vegetables - carrot, parsley, lettuce, radish and beetroot. For the spectra correlation with moisture values, the method of partial least squares regression (PLS) was used. The resulting qualitative indicators of a calibration model (R = 0.9968, Q = 0.8904) confirmed an excellent fit of the obtained calibration to the experimental data. As a result of the study, the possibilities of creating a calibration model for NIR spectrophotometer for non-destructive moisture analysis of various kinds of vegetable seeds was confirmed.

The presence of Epichloë endophyte can promote plant growth and increase the accumulation of host plant nutrients. We determined the dry matter (DM) and important nutritional indicators of E+ (infected by endophyte) and E- (not infected by endophyte) Festuca sinensis under the three-time repeated cutting. The results indicated that the total nitrogen, total phosphorus, crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF), crude ash (CA) contents, and DM of F. sinensis decreased with the repeated cutting increase and reached the minimum after the third time cut. The total organic carbon content of F. sinensis peaked at the second time cut. In addition, the DM of F. sinensis was significant (P < 0.05) positively correlated with its quality CP, CF, and CA contents, and the appropriate repeated cutting times of F. sinensis was 1-2 times. We concluded that the presence of endophyte and proper cutting frequency can increase the quality and biomass of F. sinensis in Western China.

A two-year-old spayed female American shorthair cat presented with a rough, circular, exophytic mass on the genital area. The clinical findings and histopathological examination revealed that the mass contained neoplastic mast cells and, thus, was diagnosed as a mast cell tumour. The anatomical location of the mass was not easily accessible for surgical intervention. We administered a targeted therapy using oral imatinib mesylate for eight weeks to reduce the size of the lesion and to facilitate the successful surgical removal. The tumour mass eventually reduced by 21% and was surgically excised. This is possibly the first study to use imatinib mesylate as a tumour reduction neoadjuvant to therapeutically address a feline cutaneous mast cell tumour located in a surgically inaccessible part of the body.

'Piel de Sapo' is one of the most consumed market class of melons in the Mediterranean area and it represents an important economic crop in Spain. The 'Mini PS' melon breeding line, which bears two main introgressions from the dudaim 'Queen's pocket' melon in the Piel de Sapo genetic background, was evaluated for its fruit quality traits in three environments. Some interesting commercial characteristics were detected, such as a notable decrease in the fruit weight and a rounder shape, compared with Piel de Sapo, while the other quality traits were not altered. Thus, this mini melon line, ideal as a personal melon, may be useful in the development of new melon cultivars.

Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus cultures are increasingly used as probiotics for humans and pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate if co-cultivation of porcine and human neutrophils with probiotics can lead to increased apoptosis in vitro. Ten adult Large white pigs and 10 healthy human donors were used in this study. Neutrophils were isolated by dextran sedimentation and cultivated with and without the lactic acid bacteria Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Enterococcus faecium for 2, 4, 24 and 48 h. Early and late apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry, and cell lysis was detected based on lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH). A significant (P < 0.05; P < 0.01) increase in apoptotic neutrophils and LDH was observed at 24 h and 48 h in vitro. All probiotics exerted their greatest effects on the early apoptosis of porcine neutrophils, while the effects of L. rhamnosus were most pronounced on late apoptosis and those of B. bifidum on LDH release of human neutrophils. The increased neutrophil apoptosis caused by probiotic bacteria can be beneficial for more efficient efferocytosis and faster resolution of inflammation and tissue regeneration. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the interaction of B. bifidum, L. rhamnosus, and E. faecium with human and porcine neutrophils leads to their apoptosis.

DNA methylation undergoes dynamic changes and is a crucial part of the epigenetic regulation during mammalian early development. To determine the DNA methylation levels in bovine embryos, we applied a bisulfite sequencing based method aimed at repetitive sequences including three retrotransposons (L1_BT, BovB, and ERV1-1-I_BT) and Satellite I. A more accurate estimate of the global DNA methylation level compared to previous methods using only one repeat sequence, like Alu, could be made by calculation of the weighted arithmetic mean of multiple repetitive sequences, considering the copy number of each repetitive sequence. Satellite I and L1_BT showed significant methylation reduction at the blastocyst stage, while BovB and ERV1-1-I_BT showed no difference. The mean methylation level of the repetitive sequences during preimplantation development was the lowest at the blastocyst stage. No methylation difference was found between embryos cultured in 5% and 20% O₂. Because mutations of CpGs negatively influence the calculation accuracy, we checked the mutation rate of the sequenced CpG sites. Satellite I and L1_BT showed a relatively low mutation rate (1.92 and 3.72% respectively) while that of ERV1-1-I_BT and BovB was higher (11.95 and 24% respectively). Therefore we suggest using a combination of repeats with low mutation rate, taking into account the proportion of each sequence, as a relatively quick marker for the global DNA methylation status of preimplantation stages and possibly also for other cell types.

Surfactant deficiency, poor development of the lung structure and fibrosis as a result of inflammation are thought to play an important role in the development of respiratory distress syndrome in premature calves. Nebulised steroid (fluticasone), bronchodilator (salbutamol) and diuretics (furosemide) can be used in combination alongside standard treatment procedures for premature calves, and might improve viability as observed in infants, foals and horses with pulmonary disorders. Twenty-five premature calves with respiratory distress syndrome were used in this study. Oxygen and supportive treatment were administered to all groups. The first group was used as a control group (Group 1). The nebulised drug combinations were as follows: Group 2: fluticasone + salbutamol, Group 3: salbutamol + furosemide, Group 4: fluticasone + furosemide and Group 5: fluticasone + salbutamol + furosemide. During the 72-h time period of the study, fluticasone (15 µg/kg/12 h), salbutamol (0.025 mg/kg/6 h) and furosemide (1 mg/kg/12h) were applied for 5 min. Arterial blood samples were collected from the auricular artery at 0 h and at 1, 24, 48 and 72 h for blood gas analysis. Significant (P < 0.05) increases in arterial partial oxygen, oxygen saturation and peripheral oxygen saturation and decreases in arterial partial carbon dioxide, lactate and respiration rate were observed in all the nebulised treatment groups, while a statistical difference was observed only for arterial partial carbon dioxide in control group. When comparing the treated groups with the control, it may be concluded that nebulised drugs are highly effective in the therapy of premature calves with respiratory distress syndrome, while the different nebulised groups exhibited similar efficacies.

The effect of infrared radiation and microwave radiation on the moisture and thermal diffusivity characteristics of lentil seeds during infrared and microwave drying was investigated. Using mathematical equations, values and curves, moisture and thermal diffusivity were obtained. This study was to determine the moisture and thermal diffusivity of seed lentil with and without shrinkage at input temperatures 40°C and 60°C, infrared powers 1,000 W and 2,000 W and microwave power 270 W and 450 W, when the moisture content was reduced from 60 to 9% (d.b.). Drying rate was increased with increased air temperature, infrared radiation and microwave powers. Also drying rate decreased continuously with decreasing moisture content. The calculated values of moisture diffusivity by considering shrinkage were smaller than the values of moisture diffusivity without considering shrinkage. Moisture diffusivity with and without shrinkage decreased with decrease in moisture content of lentil seeds and thermal diffusivity with and without shrinkage decreased with increased moisture content. Both moisture and thermal diffusivity values decreased with increase in temperature.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a method of constructing density distribution charts in roundwood log based on the density values obtained with a resistograph. The problem of improving the performance properties of structures made of wood and wood-based composite materials and laminated products is particularly relevant for construction in the northern regions. The experience of building in Yakutia shows sufficient reliability and durability of structures made of larch wood, despite the fact that their use is associated with technological challenges: larch planks warp and crack during the drying process; rigidity of wood increases. These disadvantages are caused by the structural features of the wood material; the degree of their intensity is proportional to the index of wood density. This paper presents the methods and results of qualitative research on wood indices obtained in laboratory and field conditions, as well as the authors' methods of graphical representation of density distribution in the cross and axial sections of a tree trunk, which are based on measurements taken via the method of oriented drilling. In the experimental studies, we performed a comparative analysis of the two-dimensional charts of density distribution with the charts of velocity distribution of acoustic pulses produced by a sonic tomograph "Arbotom". The elaborated method of evaluating the quality indicators of forest resources contributes to the expansion of the boundaries of wood-based material utilization, reduces their cost and improves the quality of construction of wooden structures and buildings.

Among Meliaceae derivatives, neem cake is usually used as a fertilizer; however its origin and industrial processing are often unknown, so that its effect on soil fertility is not predictable. In this study, the effect of soil incorporation of 6 commercial neem cakes and leaves of Melia azedarach L. on nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) dynamics was investigated in a 118-day laboratory incubation experiment. Neem cake at a rate of 8 g/kg of soil and melia leaves at 16 g/kg were incorporated into the soil and their net N and C mineralisation were evaluated 2 h after application and at day 1, 2, 6, 12, 26, 54 and 118, by analysing a 50-g soil sample placed in 250 glass jars. The apparent net N mineralisation was well predicted by N concentration and C/N ratio of derivatives. The derivatives with a C/N ratio < 24 caused a net N mineralisation, whereas those with a C/N ratio ≥ 24 caused net N immobilisation. C mineralisation ranged between 15% and 25% and was not related to chemical composition of the derivative. Neem cake with a C/N ratio < 24 can be used to add N, while neem cake with a C/N ratio > 24 can be used to reduce soil mineral N.

Assessment of carbon storage build-up in tree stems is a difficult task due to the lack of information on their carbon sequestration potential and allocation in different components. Similarly, high cost and complex methodology for accurate belowground biomass estimation make it in particular problematic. To this end, 18 Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindley) trees from two growth forms in western Iran were destructively sampled to develop biomass and carbon mass prediction. Sampling covered a range of ages (40-145-year-old), sizes (DBH 7-38 cm) and mean crown diameter (1.9-8.55 m). We examined biomass proportion and carbon sequestration quantity at individual tree and growth form levels, which were: coppice and high forest. One-way ANOVA was used to test the significant differences in carbon concentration, biomass and carbon pools between the components of the two growth forms. Results showed that there was a difference in average biomass and carbon sequestration of trees from the two growth forms. The biomass distribution pattern was similar in the two growth forms. Amounts of stored biomass in trunk, stump, branch, twig and foliage were 24.79, 6.01, 63.82, 2.53 and 2.93% of aboveground components for high forest and 16.4, 10.12, 65.83, 4.23 and 3.46% for corresponding coppice trees. The average biomass of the root-shoot ratio in high-forest and coppice trees was determined 0.72 and 0.88, respectively. A general decline in these proportions was detected as the size of trees increased. We recommend a root-shoot ratio of 0.80 to be adopted for Persian oak.

The susceptibility of field and laboratory strains against all instars larvae of S. littoralis to spinosad pesticide after a 24- and 48-h exposure and under laboratory conditions was investigated. As a result against 1^st instar larvae, the LC₅₀ values after 24 h were 12 and 0.275 µg/ml for laboratory and field strain, respectively. In addition, the resistance ratio (RR) of 1^st instar was 43.64-fold. In this interim, the 48 h LC₅₀ values were 8.7 and 0.18 µg/ml for laboratory and field strain, respectively and the RR was 48.33-fold, which revealed the field strain was more susceptible to spinosad than the laboratory strain. Distinctly similar trend was shown for later instar larvae stages. For instance, in 6^th instar larvae, the LC₅₀ values after a 24-h exposure to spinosad were 1100 and 105 µg/ml for the laboratory and field strain, respectively, and the RR value was 10.48-fold. Furthermore, after a 48-h exposure, the LC₅₀ values for laboratory and field strains were 500 and 42 µg/ml, respectively, with RR value being 11.90-fold. On the other hand, according to relative tolerance values, the 6^th instar larvae were the most tolerant instar of all the instars tested. The susceptibility of 6^th, 5^th, and 4^th instar larvae was comparable and significantly lower than that of 3^rd, 2^nd, and 1^st instar larvae. However, the 1^st instar was the least tolerant. The results implied that spinosad may play a potential role in the control of S. littoralis and, therefore, it is considered a promising tool in integrated pest management program to control Cotton leafworm which is becoming resistant to conventional pesticides in Egypt.

The aim of this study was to evaluate intravenous anaesthesia with alfaxalone for tracheal tube insertion in three species of agamid lizards. Alfaxalone, at a dose rate of 5 mg/kg, was administered intravenously to 80 inland bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), 10 Rankin's dragons (Pogona henrylawsoni) and 10 Chinese water dragons (Physignathus cocincinus) following 24 h of fasting. The righting reflex in inland bearded dragons, Rankin's dragons and Chinese water dragons was lost within 12-45 s (17.52 ± 8.80 s), 15-40 s (24.60 ± 9.61 s) and 12-40 s (21.70 ± 9.53 s), respectively. The mean tracheal tube insertion time for inland bearded dragons, Rankin's dragons and Chinese water dragons was 23.61 ± 10.91 s, 35.30 ± 14.71 s and 32.00 ± 14.32 s, respectively. Intravenous use of alfaxalone proved to be a suitable method for safe tracheal tube insertion and induction to inhalation anaesthesia in agamid lizards.

In this study, the presence of Arcobacter spp. was investigated in the faeces of cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and cloacal swab samples of chickens using the 16S rDNA-RFLP method. The prevalence of Arcobacter in these species was found to be 13%, 12%, 16%, 4% and 33%, respectively. On the other hand, Arcobacter spp. could not be isolated from rabbit faeces. A total of 78 (13%) Arcobacter spp. isolates were obtained from the 500 faecal samples and 100 cloacal swab samples examined in this study. From these 78 Arcobacter isolates, 24 (30.8%), 20 (25.6%), 11 (14.1%), 8 (10.7%), 4 (5.1%), 3 (3.9%) and 2 (2.6%) were identified by 16S rDNA-RLFP as A. cryaerophilus, A. butz- leri, A. skirrowii, A. cloacae, A. cibarius, A. halophilus, and A. nitrofigilis, respectively. All A. cryaerophilus (n = 24) isolates were found to be resistant to cloxacillin; all A. butzleri (n = 20) and A. skirrowii isolates were found to be resistant to penicillin/novobiocin, cefoperazone, tetracycline and cloxacillin. It was determined in this study that clinically healthy cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and chickens are reservoirs of Arcobacter spp.

The effects of heat stress on HSP90B1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the hypothalamus of chicken were investigated and HSP90B1 variations were detected. Females of two Chinese chicken breeds (Huainan and Wenchang) were used for the experiments. At 64 days of age, the ambient temperature (24 ± 1°C) was increased to 35 ± 1°C for 24 h (heat stress), then decreased to 24 ± 1°C for 24 h (recovery). Hypothalamus samples were collected at 0, 12, and 24 h during heat stress, as well as 12 and 24 h during recovery. The HSP90B1 mRNA expression increased significantly during heat stress and significantly decreased during recovery being higher in Huainan chickens. Fifteen primer pairs were designed to amplify the exons of HSP90B1 by a polymerase chain reaction, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected by Sanger sequencing. In Huainan chickens, we identified a SNP (NC_006088.3:g.6798G>A) in exon 14 of HSP90B1 which did not cause amino acid variation but caused a codon for glutamic acid change from GAG to GAA. The frequencies for genotypes AA, GA, and GG were 0.49, 0.27, and 0.24, respectively. Individuals with the GG genotype survived heat stress at 42°C for a longer time (248.2 ± 39.3 min) than individuals with GA and AA genotypes, which survived for 227.2 ± 44.5 min and 179.3 ± 36.5 min, respectively. The results suggested that the increased heat tolerance was associated with the higher expression of HSP90B1, and genotype GG could be used as a potential marker for heat resistance in chickens.

The effects of water restriction on rectal temperature, respiratory rate and selected blood variables in intensively reared Lacaune ewes were evaluated. The tests were carried out over the course of 28 days in spring on 30 lactating sheep divided into three groups of 10 animals each, matched by lactation status and body weight and allocated into individual boxes. The animal groups were as follows: control group W100 with drinking water for the whole day (24 h/24 h), while the two experimental groups each received 80% (W80 group) and 60% (W60 group) of the water ration of the control group, respectively. The feed, in according with physiological and production needs of the animals, was administered in three daily meals (08:00, 14:00 and 20:00 h). Water intake was recorded three times per day (at 08:00, 14:00 and 20:00 h) and the daily feed intake at 08:00 h, while the rectal temperature, respiratory rate were measured and blood samplings were carried out on Day 0, Day 14 and Day 28. In water-restriction groups (W80 and W60) a lower (P < 0.01) feed intake of meadow hay, and a lower ingestion of alfalfa hay pellet in the W60 group compared to W100 group were observed. In addition, the water restriction regimen resulted in a significant decrease of respiratory rate (P < 0.05) and an increase in serum total protein, urea, creatinine, sodium, chlorine, reactive oxygen metabolites, cortisol, haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (P < 0.05), red blood cell counts, and haematocrit (P < 0.01). These results show the important role of water, as limiting factor for animal breeding in low-water availability environments. Where possible, the management of low-dairy breeds should be well adapted to support the productive performance.

Taxonomical bias for the intensity of research in natural sciences is well documented but less data exists for crop protection, weed and phytopathology sciences. Here we test a hypothesis predicting a positive relationship between the number of pests recorded in various taxa ("pest-taxa") in the Czech Republic, their economic importance and numbers of persons engaged in research of crop protection, weed, and phytopathology. In contrast, we established an imbalance in the distribution of manpower and the number of pest species. The most counterintuitive result of this study was that the number of scientists was weakly inversely related to the average economic importance of particular taxa.

The chemical, microbiological, and texture characteristics and rheological properties of sourdoughs were studied in the course of fermentations at 25 and 35°C over a period of 72 hours. After 6 h of fermentation, pH decreased rapidly in the sourdough at 35°C. However, after 72 h the pH values were slightly lower in the sourdough at 25°C. To obtain sourdough with an optimum pH, 11 h were required at 25°C and 9 h at 35°C. Acidity increased more slowly in sourdough at 25°C. However, values were similar in both types of dough after 24 h, but higher in dough at 25°C after 72 hours. Counts of lactic acid bacteria were slightly higher in sourdough at 35°C after 6 h, but after 24 h the sourdough at 25°C showed higher counts. Sourdough evinced elastic behaviour, with a larger elastic modulus in dough at 25°C. Both the phase angle and the relationship between elastic and viscous modulus indicated that dough was an elastic solid that lost elasticity over time. The best mechanical characteristics were noted in dough fermented at 25°C during 24 hours. Bread made with sourdough was rated more highly.

Inter-rows in vineyards are commonly tilled in order to control weeds and/or to conserve water. While impacts of tillage on earthworms are well studied in arable systems, very little is known from vineyards. In an experimental vineyard, the impact of four reduced tillage methods on earthworms was examined: rotary hoeing, rotary harrowing, grubbing and no tillage. According to an erosion prevention programme, tillage was applied every other inter-row only while alternating rows retained vegetated. Earthworms were extracted from the treated inter-rows 10, 36, 162 and 188 days after tillage. Across dates, tillage methods had no effect on overall earthworm densities or biomass. Considering each sampling date separately, earthworm densities were affected only at day 36 after tillage leading to lower densities under rotary hoeing (150.7 ± 42.5 worms/m²) and no tillage (117.3 ± 24.8 worms/m²) than under rotary harrowing (340.0 ± 87.4 worms/m²) and grubbing (242.7 ± 43.9 worms/m²). Time since tillage significantly increased earthworm densities or biomass, and affected soil moisture and temperature. Across sampling dates, earthworm densities correlated positively with soil moisture and negatively with soil temperature; individual earthworm mass increased with increasing time since tillage. It was concluded that reduced tillage in vineyards has little impact on earthworms when applied in spring under dry soil conditions.

Individual types of retinal dysplasia - folds, geographic and detached, have different impacts on vision ability. The purpose of this study was to undertake a qualitative and comparative evaluation of retinal activity in the individual types of the retinal dysplasia - folds, geographic and detached. Dogs (n = 24) with an ophthalmoscopic diagnosis of retinal dysplasia (rd) underwent vision testing, ophthalmologic examination and electroretinography. A three-degree scale (mild, moderate and severe) was used to describe the severity of ophthalmoscopic lesions in the rd folds and rd geographic forms. Our findings indicate that retinal folds of mild and moderate severity, and the mild geographic type of the rd, have similar effects on ERG responses, while severe retinal folds give lower ERG responses than moderately advanced geographical rd. This study confirms that electroretinography may generate a more comprehensive view of an altered retinal activity in the course of rd, which is helpful in making decisions on qualifying or excluding a given individual from the breeding program.

Time consumption and productivity of a Valmet 890.3 8 wheel forwarder were evaluated on an Australian radiata pine clearfell site with a slope of 21 to 45% (12 to 24°). Cycle time was significantly related to extraction distance. Productivity was significantly related to extraction distance and load volume. Slope did not have a significant effect on cycle time or productivity. Productivity was considerably greater than that for many published studies, which was likely to have been the result of many factors at the study site affecting load sizes and cycle times, including the large load capacity of the studied forwarder, larger mean log volumes, larger log volumes per loading stop, fewer log assortments, potentially larger forwarder grapple volume capacity, log lengths suited to efficient loading and higher travel speeds.

In 4-year trials, soybean seeds were treated with the following biologically active substances: Lignohumate B (a mixture of humic acids and fulvic acids); Lexin (a mixture of humic acids and fulvic acids enriched with auxins); brassinosteroid (a synthetic analogue of natural epibrassinolide 24) and so-called 'Complex seed treatment' (a mixture of a saturated solution of sucrose, Lexin, the fungicide Maxim XL 035 FS and an adjuvant on the basis of pinolene). After harvesting soybean seeds from the individual treatments, they were analysed for oil, protein and fibre contents. The results show that the most effective method was the 'Complex seed treatment' which, compared to the untreated variant, significantly increased not only the yield but also the oil content of the seeds.

The objective of this study was to explore how retinoic acid (RA) attenuates oxidative injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC). Subconfluence BMEC were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates: the control group (incubated in serum-free medium without RA or H₂O₂ for 30 h), H₂O₂ group (pre-incubated for 24 h without RA, then for another 6 h with 600 μM H₂O₂), RA group (incubated with 1 mg/ml RA for 30 h without H₂O₂), and RA + H₂O₂ group (RA prevention group, pre-incubated with 1 mg/ml RA for 24 h and then for another 6 h with 600 mM H₂O₂). The results showed that the H₂O₂ treatment significantly decreased several measured traits, including the cell viability, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and thioredoxin reductase (TRXR) activities, selenoprotein P (SELP) content, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, total antioxidant capacity, and GPX1, TRXR1, and SELP gene expression, as well as GPX1 and TRXR1 protein expression. H₂O₂ treatment also increased the malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species contents and induced a marked increase of several measured traits, including the arachidonic acid (ARA) concentration, cytosolic phospholipase A2 and 5-lipoxygenase gene expression and activity, and 15-hydroxy twenty-four arachidonic acid and hydroxy peroxide tetracosenic arachidonic acid contents. RA pre-treatment prevented corresponding increases in parameters related to ARA metabolism and increased the activity of TRXR. Moreover, RA pre-treatment attenuated the phosphorylation levels of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase and effectively decreased the ARA content. These results suggest that RA protected BMEC from oxidative stress by elevating TRXR activity, which inhibited the MAPK signaling pathway and led to a decreased concentration of ARA.

This study was aimed at comparing the postoperative analgesic effects of tolfenamic acid and meloxicam in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Ovariohysterectomy was performed in 24 female dogs. All dogs were administered pre-anaesthetic medication comprised of 0.02 mg/kg i.m. acepromazine, and general anaesthesia was induced with i.v. propofol (4-6 mg/kg) and maintained with 1.5-2.0% isoflurane. Dogs were divided into three groups (n = 8). Following induction of anaesthesia, group C received 0.05 ml/kg sterile saline i.m.; group T received 4 mg/kg tolfenamic acid i.m.; group M received 0.2 mg/kg meloxicam s.c. Heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, mean arterial pressure and arterial oxygen saturation of haemoglobin were monitored intraoperatively. Pain was assessed using the short form of the Glasgow composite pain scale (SF-GCPS) by two observers who were blinded to the treatment groups; pain was assessed at the time of pre-medication (baseline), and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 h after extubation. Rescue analgesia (0.2 mg/kg i.m. methadone) was administered to any dog with an SF-GCPS score of greater than or equal to six during postoperative monitoring. The pain score in group C was significantly higher compared with group T and group M at 4, 6 and 8 h, while there were no significant differences between the two treatment groups. The mean pain score in group C was also higher than that in group M at 2 h. Rescue analgesia was first administered at 4 h in group C. Rescue analgesia was required by significantly more dogs in group C (n = 8) compared with groups T (n = 0) and M (n = 1), but there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. Thus, tolfenamic acid and meloxicam provide adequate postoperative analgesia to similar degrees over 24 h in healthy dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.

From the aspect of probiotic properties and bacteriocins, Enterococcus faecium belongs to the most frequently studied species among enterococci. This study deals with testing the strain of the species Enterococcus durans ED 26E/7 in broiler rabbits. The strain ED 26E/7 isolated from ewes lump cheese produces an antimicrobial substance durancin. Forty-eight post-weaned rabbits (aged 5 weeks) of both sexes were divided into experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) per 24 animals each, and kept in standard cages, two animals per cage. EG group rabbits were additionally administered the ED 26E/7 strain (500 µl/animal/day) into water for 21 days. CG group rabbits were fed a commercial feed. The experiment lasted 42 days. Faeces and blood samples were taken on days 0-1 (experiment onset), 21 (after a 3-week application), and 42 (3 weeks after ED 26E/7 strain cessation). On days 21 and 42, rabbits were slaughtered and caeca and appendix were sampled. The rabbits' digestive tract was found to be sufficiently colonized by the strain ED 26E/7; the antimicrobial effect was demonstrated in caecum and appendix (e.g. decrease in coliforms). Reduction of Eimeria sp. oocysts in EG compared to CG rabbits was detected on day 21, when also a significant (P < 0.05) increase of phagocytic activity in EG was registered. Values of glutathione-peroxidase were lower in EG than in CG rabbits on day 21 implying that the ED 26E/7 application had not evoked oxidative stress. Biochemical blood parameters and quality of meat were not negatively influenced. First time tested in animals, E. durans ED 26E/7 seems to be a new candidate for use in rabbits husbandry.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of trehalose and cysteine on sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial activity and acrosome integrity during liquid storage of Merino ram semen. Ejaculates were collected using artificial vaginas from five Merino rams, microscopically evaluated and pooled at 37 °C. The pooled semen samples were diluted in a Tris-based extender, including cysteine (2 mM and 4 mM), trehalose (10 mM and 25 mM) and no antioxidant (control). Diluted semen samples were kept in tubes and cooled from 37 to 5 °C in a cold cabinet, and maintained at 5 °C. Cooled samples were evaluated for sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial activity and acrosome integrity at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Extender supplemented with trehalose (10 and 25 mM) and cysteine (2 and 4 mM) led to higher motility in comparison to the control at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of liquid storage (P < 0.05). Trehalose at the doses of 10 mM, 25 mM and 2 mM cysteine led to higher viability between 24-48-72 h and at 96 h of liquid storage (P < 0.05). Further, 4 mM of cysteine improved sperm viability rates at 24 and 48 h of storage compared to the control group (P < 0.05), and resulted in improved acrosome integrity rates compared to the control group at 72 and 96 h of storage (P < 0.05). Extender supplemented with 10 and 25 mM trehalose at 24 and 72 h and 4 mM cysteine at 24 and 96 h of storage led to higher sperm mitochondrial activity rates when compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings of this study show that trehalose and cysteine provided significant protection to ram sperm parameters during liquid storage.