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A greenhouse study was conducted to test the effects of low herbicide dose exposure on different crops measuring visible damages, plant height, leaf area, and dry matter. Seven crops were tested: lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cv. Novosadska majska maslena, oil pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch) cv. Olivija, oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) cv. NS Ras, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cv. Kurtovska kapija, soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) cv. ZP Laura, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cv. NS Kruna, and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cv. Dunavski Rubin. Herbicide dicamba in the range of 0.14 to 1 155.6 g a.i. (active ingredient)/ha inhibited biomass, height, leaf area, and visual injury of all crops, while glyphosate doses from 0.48 to 3 840 g a.i./ha also reduced the growth of all tested species. A rate of 116 g a.i./ha mesotrione was needed to reach 80% visual injury in oilseed rape, while the same effects on lettuce only required 1.8 g a.i./ha of mesotrione. Tomato and oil pumpkin were also sensitive to low mesotrione doses, where only 1.3 g and 0.5 g a.i./ha of mesotrione was needed for 80% of biomass reduction, respectively. Lettuce was the most sensitive crop of all tested species; biomass was reduced by 80% by dicamba, glyphosate, mesotrione, and nicosulfuron at the low rates of 33 g a.i./ha, 19 g a.i./ha, 1.25 g a.i./ha, and 2.7 g a.i./ha, respectively. Among all herbicides, visible injuries were detected in dicamba at the lowest rates. Soybean was the most tolerant of glyphosate, mesotrione, and nicosulfuron. Based on the available literature and obtained results, herbicide off-target movement must be mitigated to maximise herbicide efficacy and decrease the negative influence on susceptible plants and the environment.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antimicrobial effect of propolis ethanol extract collected from the Tarsus district of Mersin province, Kilis province, Yayladagi district of Hatay province in southern Türkiye and Sarkoy district of Tekirdag province of northwestern Türkiye against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Helicobacter pylori (ATCC 43504), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213). Their chemical constituents were detected via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). They were used in a molecular docking approach to search the interactions between the propolis compounds. A total of 24 phenolic compounds were detected in all samples. 3–4 dimethoxycinnamic acid, caffeic acid and genistein were indicated to be the predominant phenolic compounds in propolis extracts by LC-MS/MS, while rutin was found in the lowest concentration. Phenolic compounds were detected in a high concentration of the propolis samples collected from the Tarsus district of Mersin province. The broth microdilution method determined minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values. MIC values ranged from 0.02 to 14 mg·mL^–1. E. coli and S. aureus examined were as susceptible to the propolis extracts except for Mersin and Tekirdag propolis samples. The propolis sample collected from the Tarsus district of Mersin province presented the highest antibacterial activity on P. aeruginosa with MIC values of 1 mg·mL^–1. Active substances in propolis were docked to the relevant target proteins (5LMM, 4NX9, 5YHG, and 5FXT) representing E. coli (ATCC 25922), H. pylori (ATCC 43504), P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and S. aureus (ATCC 29213), and with the help of molecular simulation. With this study, we indicated that the ethanol extract of propolis had a stronger antibacterial activity on S. aureus isolates than that of E. coli, H. pylori, and P. aeruginosa. Although each component of propolis contributed to the antibacterial activity, the contribution of the vitexin component to the antibacterial activity was found to be quite significant.

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB) and the western corn rootworm (WCR) are among the world’s most expansive insect pests. The aim of the study was to assess, for the first time in Poland, the levels of susceptibility to deltamethrin and tau-fluvalinate in the WCR and to determine the current status of susceptibility to those active substances in the CPB. In addition, the role of oxidative metabolism in the detoxification of pyrethroids was determined using piperonyl butoxide (PBO). The study found pyrethroid resistance in the CPB populations. The WCR populations exhibited “high susceptibility”, “susceptibility”, “low resistance” and “medium resistance” to the pyrethroids tested. Experiments using PBO showed that oxidative enzymes are involved in the deltamethrin detoxification mechanism in the CPB, although the effectiveness of this mechanism in Poland is decreasing. PBO was found to be highly toxic to the WCR populations. The findings from this study should be taken into account when developing a strategy to prevent the development of resistance in the pest species. The results for the toxicity of PBO to Polish WCR populations demonstrated that the enzymes inhibited by PBO are involved in important metabolic processes, which should be considered when developing innovative control methods for this pest.

The loss of soil particles due to erosion is one of the main problems of current agriculture. However, soil tillage may also contribute to the undesirable transport of soil particles. It is to note that the effects of particular working elements used on implements for soil tillage have not been described in a sufficient way. To determine the translocation of soil particles, measurements were done in the Central Bohemian region. Two basic machines for soil tillage were used for measurements: a disc harrow and a tine cultivator. Measurements were performed on sandy-loamy Cambisol after the harvest of a spring cereal crop. White limestone grit was used for the indication of soil particle translocation. Great translocation of soil particles was observed after soil tillage with a tine cultivator ‒ the most distant particles were found out at a distance of more than 1.50 m from the original location. After soil tillage with disc harrows, the most distant particles were found out at a distance of 0.90 m. The dependence of tracer weight on a distance from the original location could be described for disc harrows and tine cultivator by an exponential function.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) has been implicated in mammalian testicular and epididymal development. This study aimed to investigate ERK expression in the immature and mature testes and epididymides of bulls. We evaluated ERK expression using immunoblot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Immunoblot analysis revealed that immature bull testes and epididymides had higher phosphorylated ERK (pERK) expression than mature bull testes and epididymides. pERK immunoreactivity was higher in immature epididymides than in immature testes. pERK was localised mostly in spermatogonia, undifferentiated sustentacular (Sertoli) cells, and interstitial (Leydig) cells in immature testes, as well as in some spermatocytes and spermatids in mature testes. In immature epididymides, the body and tail had higher pERK expression than the head, whereas pERK was broadly distributed throughout the stereocilia, basal cells, and connective tissues. pERK distribution in the head of mature epididymides was similar to that in immature epididymides, whereas few connective tissue cells were expressed in the body and tail of mature epididymides. Collectively, these results suggest that ERK is expressed in the testis and epididymis of immature and mature bulls with varying intensities, and the role of ERK in male reproductive organs may include the specific function of its development.

This study analyses the perception of the relationship between forest certification and the production of ecosystem services by Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sustainable forest management (SFM) certification holders. In addition, the psychological constructs that govern the use of certification for ecosystem services are investigated. Specifically, online questionnaire surveys were submitted to a sample of Italian and German forest owners and managers to study reasons for and against and global motives to adopt certification for ecosystem services through the application of Behavioural Reasoning Theory (BRT). Results show that respondents believe that certification can better support ecosystem services related to 'regulation and maintenance' and the conservation of biodiversity. On the other hand, the application of BRT has only been partially useful in explaining the psychological factors towards the adoption of ecosystem services certifications. In any case, attitudes and reasons for certainly had a significant influence on the intention to adopt certifications. Apart from the scientific implications, these results have practical applications for policymakers who can focus on the dissemination of the certification of ecosystem services by trying to support through eco-policies, the attitudes and reasons for expressed by forest owners.

A 2-year-old, spayed female, Bichon Frise dog was presented with reluctance to exercise, back pain, and frequent sitting down. Multiple osteolysis, periosteal proliferation, and sclerosis of the vertebral endplates of T11–13 were observed in the radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The bacterial culture of the urine specimen, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the blood, and the antibody tests were positive for Brucella canis. Accordingly, discospondylitis caused by B. canis was diagnosed and doxycycline was administered. The clinical signs resolved and the culture and PCR results were negative afterwards. Doxycycline was discontinued after 6 months. The clinical signs recurred 2 weeks later, and the combination treatment of doxycycline and enrofloxacin was initiated. Though no clinical signs were observed after 9 months and the bacterial cultures and PCR were negative, the antibody titre remained at 1 :  200 or more. The dog will continue taking antibiotics until the antibody titre drops. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a clinical infection of B. canis associated with canine discospondylitis in the Republic of Korea. Although the clinical signs of brucellosis might improve with antibiotic treatment, the disease cannot be cured due to Brucella’s various strategies to evade host immune systems. Specifically, it can proliferate and replicate within the host cells, resulting in an environment that makes treatment less effective. Furthermore, owing to its zoonotic potential, owners and veterinarians should consider lifelong management or euthanasia.

While nutrients are administered through various sources and combinations, herbicides are used for pre-plant and pre-emergence weed control in the tomato fields. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the effects of nutrient fertilisation through inorganic and organic sources along with farmers practice and the application of three herbicides, namely glyphosate, pendimethalin, and metribuzin, individually or in combinations, on earthworm activity in tomato crops. The herbicides caused a significant reduction in earthworm biomass and escapement to the lower 15 cm depth. Application of pendimethalin and metribuzin to soils inorganically fertilised with major and micronutrients resulted in low survival rates and a high ecological risk quotient. The effect was attenuated when farmyard manure was applied. The study suggests that when 2 to 3 herbicides are applied in succession and combined with inorganic fertilisers as nutrient sources, stringent measures like adding organic nutrient sources, applying the correct herbicide combination, etc., must be followed to reduce their toxicity to earthworms. This helps to protect and sustain earthworm activity and biodiversity in the soil.

Due to the earthworms’ implications in nutrient cycles through their burrowing and casting activity, earthworms are worth considering when urban biogeochemical cycles are analysed. Several chemical parameters and their relationships were analysed in earthworm casts of two urban parks, namely the pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (Nt), plant available phosphorus (P), plant available potassium (K), and calcium water soluble (Ca). It was statistically significantly found that the TOC, Nt, P and K are reciprocally determined in the earthworm casts: 74.4% of the pH variability is co-determined by the N, P, K, TOC, and Ca contents; 95.9% of the Nt variability is co-determined by the pH, P, K, TOC, and Ca contents; 95.4% of the P variability is co-determined by the pH, N, K, TOC, and Ca contents; 94.5% of the K variability is co-determined by the pH, N, P, TOC, and Ca contents; 86.6% of the TOC variability is co-determined by the pH, N, P, K, and Ca contents. This study revealed the complexity of the chemical relationships inside earthworm casts, their reciprocal dependencies, and highlighted the complexity of the earthworms’ contribution to biogeochemical cycles in urban areas. Our findings propose earthworms as indicators of the integrative conservation management of urban ecosystems.

The study was carried out in the agricultural landscape (mosaic of an urban environment, gardens, grassland, fields, small forests and semi-natural non-forest habitats) in central Europe (southeast Czechia) in 2021. A light trap was used for trapping (207 nights). A total of 485 moth species and 5 170 individuals were captured. Eurytopic species dominated the area, 72% of species and 89% of individuals. Fifty-nine species are considered pests (12%), representing 25% of individuals. The seasonal dynamics of selected harmful species were evaluated and discussed. Species of semi-natural dry and wet habitats were represented by 14%, i.e. a proportion comparable to pests, but with only 4% of individuals. The numbers of species and individuals recorded and the Shannon-Wiener diversity and evenness indices are lower than at natural sites. Yet, overall biodiversity is relatively high, including the presence of some rare, ecologically, or zoogeographically remarkable species.

Erratum in: Vet Med-Czech. 2024 Nov 29;69(11):401. doi: 10.17221/97/2024-VETMED

Asian sand dust (ASD), also called China dust or yellow dust, mainly occurs in East Asia during spring and autumn. Because ASD enters the body mainly through the respiratory system, it can cause respiratory disorders or worsen underlying diseases. Because of this, it has become an important health concern that threatens the well-being of humans and animals. In this study, we investigated the effects of 15 and 30 mg/kg of Pycnogenol (PYC15 and 30 groups), a pine bark extract, on ASD-induced pulmonary inflammation in mice. We evaluated the inflammatory cell counts, inflammatory cytokines, and matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression in animal models. PYC administration significantly decreased inflammatory cell infiltration into lung tissue; this was accompanied by a reduction in the levels of proinflammatory mediators including interleukin (IL)-1β (P < 0.01), IL-6 (P < 0.01) and tumour necrosis factor-α (P < 0.01) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of ASD-exposed mice (ASD group). Histological analysis revealed that PYC suppressed ASD-induced pulmonary inflammation. Moreover, PYC suppressed the levels of matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in the lung tissue of ASD-exposed mice, indicating that PYC reduced ASD-induced pulmonary inflammation by suppressing MMP-9. Together, these results indicate that PYC as the potential to treat ASD-driven pulmonary inflammation.

Various proportions of bentonite clay performing as co-catalysts were evaluated for the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil (WCO). The results showed that the use of bentonite as a heterogeneous co-catalyst could significantly increase the biodiesel yield by approximately 50% of the control. The heterogeneous co-catalyst of bentonite clay improved the properties of the produced biodiesel including acid number, free fatty acids (FFA), relative density, kinematic viscosity and flash point fulfilling with the standard ASTM limits and the European Biodiesel Standard (EN 14214). The use of bentonite clay in the transesterification of WCO could also enhance the conductivity of the produced biodiesel from 11 to 100 µS·m^–1.

Neoplasms account for approximately half of the deaths of dogs over ten years of age. This finding, associated with the fact that canine cancer patients will often suffer from the consequences of the systemic spread of the tumour and paraneoplastic syndromes, shows the importance of understanding palliative care by veterinarians and owners. In view of this, this review aims to address palliative care that can be used in veterinary medicine to promote the patient’s well-being and quality of life.

Machine learning can handle an ever-increasing amount of data with the ability to learn models from the data. It has been widely used in a variety of disciplines and is gaining increasingly more attention nowadays. As it is challenging to map soil and hydrological information that are characterised with high spatial and temporal variability, applications of machine learning in soil science and hydrology (AMLSH) have become popularised. To better understand the current state of AMLSH research, a scientific and quantitative approach was performed to statistically analyse publication information from 1973 to 2021 archived in the Scopus database using scientometric analysis tools, including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the open-source R package “bibliometrix”. The results show a significant increase in the number of publications on AMLSH since 2006. The major contributions were identified based on country origins (China, the USA, and India), institutions (Hohai University, Islamic Azad University, and Wuhan University), and journals (Journal of Hydrology, Remote Sensing, and Geoderma). The keywords analysis of the AMLSH research demonstrates four research hotspots: neural network, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and soil. The most frequently utilised machine learning (ML) methods are neural networks, decision trees, random forests and other methods for image processing and predictive analysis. McBratney et al. 2003 is the most highly cited article. Our research sheds light on the research process on AMLSH and concludes with future research perspectives.

The ability to adapt, survive, and compete with weeds of transgenic plants is the necessary evaluation content to release transgenic lines in target regions. We compared weediness and agronomic traits of transgenic maize lines G1F-8 and G1F-19 carrying the mcry1F gene with their near-isogenic maize inbred line Zheng 58 in the wasteland and cultivated field under natural conditions for two consecutive years. The results showed that there was no significant difference identified in the species, quantity, and relative coverage ratio (RCR) of weeds between fields with G1F-8, G1F-19, and Zheng 58, regardless of the sowing pattern in the wasteland. Compared with the vigour of weeds, none of G1F-8, G1F-19, and Zheng 58 showed survival advantages, and all showed weak growth potential with no final grain yield. Meanwhile, no volunteer seedlings were found upon investigation in the following year. The simulated seed overwintering experiment in the wasteland further showed that the three kinds of maize could not germinate in the second year. In cultivated land, G1F-8 and G1F-19 had the same growth stages, plant height, and RCR as Zheng 58 throughout two years. In conclusion, the transgenic lines G1F-8 and G1F-19 exhibited no adaptability risk in Gongzhuling, Jilin, China.

This experiment aimed to study the effect of Broussonetia papyrifera leaf meal (BP) on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal permeability, and caecal microbiota of growing rabbits. A total of 240 weaned Ira male rabbits were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of 10 rabbits each. The BP was added at 0% (CON), 3.0% (BP3), 6.0% (BP6), and 9.0% (BP9). All diets were isoenergetic, isonitrogenous, and isofibrous. The feeding trial lasted for 28 days. The results showed that adding BP had no significant effect on the growth performance of rabbits. Compared with the CON group, groups BP6 and BP9 showed the reduced serum diamine oxidase content (P < 0.01). The jejunal secretory immunoglobulin A content in BP6 was higher than in the CON group (P < 0.01). The addition of BP had no significant effect on the jejunal antioxidant capacity. The BP9 increased the abundance of the caecal Firmicutes; BP3 and BP6 increased Bacteroidota; BP6 and BP9 increased Proteobacteria (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the BP can be used as a roughage source to reduce intestinal toxic markers, improve the intestinal immune function and the abundance of caecal microflora in growing rabbits.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most important grain legume foods for the human diet. Common bean seed is gaining attention due to its content of secondary metabolites with positive effects on human health. The present work analysed the effect of common bean germination on the essential amino acid profile, active compound content, and expansion index after extrusion processing. The content of tryptophan (Trp) in raw common bean (RCB) and in germinated common bean (GCB) seeds was 6.1 and 7.9 mg·g^–1 of protein, respectively. The limiting amino acids in RCB were sulphur amino acids and Trp, and in GCB only the sulphur amino acids were the limiting amino acids. The germination process in beans increases the levels of quercetin and kaempferol and allows the synthesis of daidzein and genistein, and significantly increases the expansion index after extrusion processing. The germination of common bean could be used as a strategy to improve nutritional, nutraceutical, and processing properties.

Herbivorous ungulate diets affect population performance and overall forest health through balanced interactions on plant-herbivore relations; therefore, understanding them is critical. Faeces are frequently used in ungulate nutritional ecology because they can provide information about animals’ digestive efficiency. Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) have different morpho-physiological and ecological constraints, and these differences should be reflected in their faeces. On the other hand, the lack of information about the animal (sex, age, reproductive status, diet selection, etc.) may be challenging for such studies. This study aimed to detect species’ different susceptibility to these factors reflected in animals’ faeces. Thus, we hypothesised that near-infrared reflectance spectrometry (NIRS) could distinguish between the faecal nutrients of two cervids. We collected 94 usable faeces from both species along the forest transect in Bohemian forests in the Czech Republic, covering 2 500 ha. Roe and red deer overlap was determined using the four faecal nutritional components on two axes. No discrimination occurred, refuting our hypothesis and highlighting that out-of-control variables are critical for faecal studies in uncontrolled settings. Fibrous parts explained the most variance (48%), indicating animals’ strong reliance on nutrition quality. Apparently, uncontrolled supplementary feeding produced similar faecal nutrient outcomes during the nutrition-limiting winter, which was theoretically supported by the animal’s response to predation and hunting pressure. The inability of NIRS to identify the source of N in faeces may also explain the lack of discrimination.

The reduction of NaCl content in cheeses is nutritionally desirable but quite challenging due to NaCl's key role during cheese production and ripening. We focused on reformulated Dutch-type cheeses ripened for 120 days and their microbiological and sensory characteristics, including of determining organic acids (electrophoresis) and volatile substances (SPME-GC-MS analysis). Experimental batches contained 0.64, 0.90, and 1.19% NaCl or 0.77% NaCl together with 0.33% KCl. The influence of salts on lactose and citrate metabolism (the formation of lactic, acetic, and formic acid, ethanol, diacetyl, acetoin and 2,3-butanediol), proteolysis (the formation of glutamic acid), lipolysis and β-oxidation of fatty acids (the formation of 2-butanone, 2-butanol, hexanal, hexanoic and octanoic acid) was undetected. Contrarily, brining conditions affected the contamination of cheese surfaces with yeasts and halotolerant microorganisms and cheese consistency. While a typical consistency was formed only in the cheeses with 1.19% NaCl acceptable saltiness was declared in the cheeses with the content of salts 0.90% or higher. The partial replacement of NaCl with KCl caused metallic off-taste in the cheeses that ripened longer than Consistent acceptance seems to be the most limiting factor for the tested reformulation appears.

The efficiency of different conservation practices on soil loss from road side slopes is scarcely identified in the Hyrcanian forests of Iran, which could retard the implementation of these management practices. Sediment of 48 plots on the cut slopes and fill slopes of forest roads were collected to explore their responses to soil conservation practices, including straw bale (SB), living hedge (LH), dead hedge (DH), geo-cell (GC), geotextile (GT), and bare soil (BS). Moreover, the efficiency of conservation practices was evaluated to find a cost-effective approach. Sediment traps were installed at the toe of side slopes in the ditch and end of each treated plot. Sediment volume was measured monthly for six months. The results demonstrated that the lowest soil loss occurred in autumn and fill slopes treated with GC (5.05 g·m^–2) and the highest in winter and cut slopes treated with SB (41.81 g·m^–2). In all cases, soil loss from BS (126.74 g·m^–2) was significantly higher than in plots treated with conservation practices. GC performed well under certain circumstances due to two-dimensional protections of contiguous wooden lumbers. Moreover, it was found that in a short time there were not any significant differences between LH (28.78 g·m^–2), DH (36.01 g·m^–2), and GT (30.61 g·m^–2) in soil loss control ability. Regarding implementation and installation costs, GC (USD 16.67 per plot) was the most expensive, while LH (USD 3.33 per plot) was the cheapest. Regarding GC, it is necessary to conduct long-term research to determine economic efficiency, durability, maintenance, and repair costs. Until then, it is possible to use affordable treatments such as LH, which have yielded favourable results in efficiency.

Knowledge of the issue of water movement in the soil is the basis for agricultural activity, but also for many other sectors. One of the basic indicators that is evaluated in soil science is the rate of water infiltration into the soil. The article specifically states how soil texture and soil moisture affect the rate of water infiltration. The results show that changes in water infiltration can be significant and certain trends can be traced. The rate of water infiltration into the soil is most affected by the sand fraction (soil particles 0.05–2 mm). The higher the percentage of these soil particles in the soil, the lower the changes in infiltration rate depending on the degree of saturation. The article further evaluates soil moisture in relation to texture. The results were obtained at several research locations within the period 2014–2021 in the territory of the Czech Republic. The above findings are primarily applicable to the region of Central Europe or can be used as comparative values for regions in the rest of the world.

This study was conducted to investigate the resistance of 4 wild eggplant species (Solanum aethiopium group Aculeatum, S. incanum, S. macrocarpon, S. linnaeanum), 3 cultivated eggplant varieties (‘Anamur F1’, ‘Pala’, ‘Yamula’), 1 eggplant rootstock (Köksal F1) and 34 interspecific hybrids to Verticillium dahliae Kleb. and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melongenae. Disease resistance of eggplant genotypes was determined by the pathogenicity test. The disease severity values varied between 0–80% for Verticillium and between 0–100% for Fusarium. Among the 42 genotypes, 18 genotypes were found to be moderately resistant and 1 genotype was found to be highly resistant to Verticillium. At the same time, 2 of the 42 genotypes were found to be moderately resistant and 22 of the 42 genotypes were found to be highly resistant to Fusarium. All hybrids with S. integrifollium, Solanum aethiopicum group Gilo as father were found to be highly resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melongenae. Solanum linnaeanum did not exhibit any disease symptoms and was found to be highly resistant to both disease agents. Present interspecific hybrid eggplant genotypes with known resistance to Verticillium and Fusarium wilt are expected to have significant contributions in developing new eggplant rootstocks and hybrid eggplant cultivars in the future.

Food surplus recovery is one of the priorities of modern society. Mass distribution allows one to reserve goods unsuitable for selling for organisations able to distribute them to people in need. This work contributes to this direction by considering a reward programme for donors. A methodology for supporting the cycle of the reallocation of the food surplus to people in need usingblockchain technology to support the traceability of the flows and to allow the exact evaluation of the rewards to be assigned to each retailer is described. A mathematical model is proposed for calculating the reward. An actual application of the methodology is also described.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of fat levels (200 g·kg^–1 meat and 500 g·kg^–1 meat) and types [lard, glycerolised lard (GL), and purified glycerolised lard (PGL)] on the quality and sensory characteristics of emulsion-type sausages. As observed, at the same type of fat, the low-fat sausage (200 g·kg^–1 meat) had a significantly higher L*-value (lightness) and lower cooking loss and total expressible fluid (P < 0.05) than the high-fat sausage (500 g·kg^–1 meat) and exhibited a denser and more homogeneous microstructure. Additionally, T₂₃ (relaxation time) of the low-fat sausage shifted toward a slower relaxation time, and higher A₂₃ (peak area) was found, which suggested the water mobility was restricted. However, at the same fat content, the low-GL and low-PGL sausages showed better textural properties and superior overall acceptability from sensory evaluation compared with the low-lard sausage (P < 0.05). Still, they have no significant differences (P > 0.05). Therefore, lard-based diacylglycerol could be effectively applied as a fat replacer in emulsion-type sausages with low-fat contents to produce healthier meat products.

In this study, LbCu/ZnSOD, LbFeSOD, and LbMnSOD genes were cloned, the role of strigolactones (SLs), a novel plant hormone that is ubiquitous in plants in modulating plant responses to abiotic stress, on the three superoxide dismutases (SODs) under polyethylene glycol PEG-6000 stress were researched in the petals of cut lily flowers. The results indicated that during the development of the lily bud, the expression levels of LbMnSOD gradually increased and those of LbCu/ZnSOD decreased, while the LbFeSOD expression remained at a very low level. When the cut lily flowers were subjected to 10% PEG-6000 stress, the relative water content (RWC) declined, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and relative electrical conductivity (REC) dramatically increased in the petals. However, when exogenous SLs were employed, the RWC were improved, while the MDA and REC were reduced. Meanwhile, the SLs significantly increased the activities of the total SOD (T-SOD), Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD, the expression levels of LbCu/ZnSOD and LbMnSOD, especially LbCu/ZnSOD, were markedly up-regulated in the petals. In conclusion, our research indicates that SOD enzymes, especially Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD, are involved in the drought stress tolerance; the application of strigolactones can enhance the activities of the two SODs, and may increase the expression of LbCu/ZnSOD and LbMnSOD via a positive feedback mechanism in the cut lily petals.

Heat resistance of bacteria is a factor potentially limiting the production of safety foods. We focused on five Enterobacteriaceae strains related to cheese stretching and sub-pasteurisation experimental temperatures of 50–59 °C. Heat resistance was screened and obtained data were fitted to a classical log-linear model with D-values indicating highly heat-resistant strains used. For example in Klebsiella oxytoca S525, D(50)-value was 96.1 min and D(59)-value 5.1 min. In subsequent detailed measurements, the shape of inactivation curves was sigmoid with defined lag, log-linear and stationary phase. We suggest calculating refined D-values (D^r-values) using only data obtained in log-linear phases, namely D^r(temperature; lag phase). In K. oxytoca S525, the obtained results were: D^r(50; 80.9) = 61.7 min, D^r(53; 12.4) = 36.8 min, D^r(56; < 10) = 10.6 min, and D^r(59; < 3) = 4.3 min. The research of particular inactivation phases can provide interesting findings both in science and industrial practice, especially concerning the passage or persistence of hazardous strains in food processing plants.

This work aims to differentiate the rural land of Slovakia in view of the possibility of effective sunflower growing. The differentiation is based on pedo-climatic and production-economic parameters. Soil categorisation took into account the correlation between the site properties (soil and climatic conditions) and the biological and agrotechnical requirements of the crops. Sunflower requirements were included in yield databases using software filters such that a given site property excluded or limited sunflower growing, which was reflected in predicted production. The prediction was subsequently interpolated into four suitability categories: soils unsuitable for sunflower growing, less suitable soils, suitable soils and very suitable soils. A map of categories of soil suitability for sunflower growing was created using a Geographic Information System on the distribution of soil parameters in Slovakia. According to our calculation in Slovakia, 18.8% of farmland is very suitable for sunflower growing, 24.9% is suitable, 16.6% is less suitable, and 39.7% is unsuitable for sunflower growing. These categories are characterised and specified in detail in the paper in terms of geographical, soil, climatic, production and economic parameters. The analysis of the actual sowing of sunflowers between 2018 and 2021 showed that 51% of the areas were located in very suitable soils, 32% in suitable, 10% in less suitable soils and 7% in unsuitable soils for cultivation.

In this paper, empirical relationships between diameter at breast height (DBH), crown diameter (CD), and stem number per hectare (N) were improved in a Paulownia Shan Tong plantation. Various functions of these variables were defined, focusing on growing space (G_s) and stem number per hectare. The linear crown index between CD and DBH seems to be particularly important in predicting stem number per hectare. Based on an analysis of the relationships, a CD-DBH (R² = 0.7254) and a DBH-N graphic model (R² = 0.7302) can be applied widely in plantation forestry. Under suitable site conditions, the investigated Paulownia hybrid can provide a higher increment in DBH than most of poplar hybrids at a certain age. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between the G_s based on CD and DBH. These types of investigations are of fundamental importance in terms of the growing technology of tree plantations.

A public private partnership can be an effective approach to deal the projects with modern agricultural development in Sub Saharan Africa. A former financial analysis of a development project, carried out by the authors, showed that public and private partners can effectively join in a mutually satisfactory venture capital. The same project is now complemented with a bankability study, considering lenders options, equity allocation, collaterals and likely applicable interest rates, available cash flow and sustainable debt service repayment to provide a through financing scenario for each partner's perspective assessing the relevant Debt Service and Loan Life Cover Ratios. Cash flow and interest rates fluctuation impacts are eventually investigated with a sensitivity analysis to prove the robustness of the proposed scenario.

Understanding buying behaviour for sustainable products is important for food producers and distributors. This study aims to examine the effect of knowledge of the product, interest in sustainability, and characteristics of consumers on the frequency of buying sustainably produced butter using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. In this study, two different types of butter were used, one produced by a well-known brand and the other by a less-known dairy. Data were collected through a structured online survey of 825 respondents from Poland. The research found that knowledge about the product and the sustainability-related product attributes does not positively influence the frequency of purchasing sustainable butter. The results indicate that consumers living in smaller towns, having higher incomes and smaller households, are more frequent buyers of sustainably produced butter.