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To supply more insights into the roles of putrescine (Put) in alleviating salt stress in wheat crops, we explored the effects of Put on ascorbate (ASC) and glutathione metabolism, photosynthetic performance, and ion homeostasis in leaves of salt-stressed wheat seedlings. Our results displayed that salt stress increased the activities of enzymes in ASC and glutathione metabolism, including ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, and l-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase, which increased reduced ascorbate (AsA), dehydroascorbate (DHA), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG), total ASC and total glutathione contents. Whereas, salt stress induced higher increases in the contents of DHA and GSSG than those of AsA and GSH, which led to reduced AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG. Meanwhile, salt stress reduced photosynthetic rate (P_n), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m), and the contents of chlorophyll and carotenoids, and destroyed Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis, which further inhibited plant growth. In comparison with salt stress alone, Put strengthened the activities of the above enzymes, which further increased the above metabolites contents, as well as AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG in leaves of salt-treated seedlings. In this way, Put reduced malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage. Besides, Put also increased P_n, F_v/F_m, and above pigments contents, and maintained Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis. Meanwhile, Put increased plant height and biomass of salt-treated seedlings. The present findings clearly implied that Put enhanced salt tolerance of wheat crops by strengthening ASC and glutathione metabolism, photosynthetic performance, and maintaining ion homeostasis in leaves. Therefore, Put can be applied to strengthen the salt tolerance of wheat crops in production and cultivation.

This work discusses the differences in the removal efficiency of heavy metals in soils along the China-Russia crude oil pipeline in different vegetation backgrounds. In this paper, two representative forest types, birch forest and larch forest, were selected for replicated sampling and experimental study in the soil of disturbed and undisturbed areas along the pipeline, respectively. The results showed that after ten years of vegetation restoration, the amount of heavy metals in the soil of birch and larch forests decreased, the Cu content in the soil under the background of the birch forest was higher than that of the larch forest, while the Zn, Mn and Pb contents were lower than that of the larch forest. The order of decreasing magnitude was Mn, Pb, Zn and Cu, and the overall decreasing rate of heavy metal content in larch forest soil was more obvious. The above conclusions indicate that vegetation restoration is an effective measure to alleviate soil heavy metal pollution.

Vegetables and their products have a low caloric value. Root vegetables are rich in bioactive compounds such flavonoids, polyphenolic acids, carotenoids. It also contains a some percentage of other functional components that can significantly affect human health.In order to achieve a high yield, excessive fertilization with nitrogen fertilizer is performed, which worsens the quality of vegetables. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact cultivation system on the content of total phenolics and flavonoids, as well as a comparative assessment of their antioxidant activity in selected samples of vegetables. The antioxidant activity was studied using DPPH, and ABTS assays. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of the extracts were determined using Folin-Ciocalteuand and Aluminium chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. The highest content of total phenolics was determined for parsley from conventional production (427.38 mg GAE/100 g fresh sample), parsley from organic production the richest source of flavonoids (54.92 mg GAE/100 g fresh sample). Other samples of vegetables from conventional production had a lower flavonoid content compared to organic production. It was confirmed that the antioxidant activity of the analyzed vegetables in the maximum correlation with the content of total phenolics (R2 = 1). Organic samples of vegetables were characterized by a significantly higher content of flavonoids compared to vegetables grown conventionally. Organic production could be a good method to increase the concentration of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties in vegetables.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, agricultural commodities had significant price increases, which inevitably implies high risk. In this article, we try to mitigate the extreme risk of corn and soybeans by constructing multivariate portfolios with developed and emerging European stock indices. We measured extreme risk via conditional value at risk. To address different goals that investors might prefer, we produced portfolios with the lowest risk and highest return-to-risk ratio. According to the results, corn and soybeans had relatively high portfolio shares. However, they are the riskiest assets because they have a very low pairwise correlation with the stock indices. Portfolios with emerging European indices had better risk-reducing results, considering both agricultural commodities because these indices are less risky than developed indices. In particular, the risk reductions of corn were 38% and 50% in the portfolios with developed and emerging stock indices, respectively, whereas, for soybeans, the results were 28% and 41%, respectively. In optimal portfolios, emerging European stock indices had the upper hand in most cases.

SNF1-related protein kinase (SnRK2) is a critical positive regulatory factor in the abscisic acid (ABA) signalling pathway. However, the roles of the HbSnRK2 gene family members in the rubber tree, especially in response to stress, have not been thoroughly characterised. Here, we cloned six HbSnRK2 genes from the rubber tree. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, the HbSnRK2 family genes were divided into three groups. The motifs and intron numbers of HbSnRK2 were conserved. Analysis of cis-regulatory element sequences of all HbSnRK2 genes identified ABRE and TC-rich elements in the prompter of all the HbSnRK2 genes, illustrating that HbSnRK2 could be adjusted by the ABA and stress responsiveness. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression patterns of the six HbSnRK2 genes differed in different tissues. The expression of these genes also differed under treatment with the plant hormone ABA, the HbSnRK2.2 gene was especially significantly expressed under the ABA treatment. Moreover, the HbSnRK2.2 gene responded to glyphosate, powdery mildew, heat stress and cold stress processes, which indicates that the HbSnRK2.2 gene plays an important role in phytohormone signalling and stress response in rubber trees. Taken together, the study provides valuable information to further define the role of the HbSnRK2 gene in rubber trees.

The Turn of the month (ToM) effect is a calendar anomaly when the majority of returns of an asset are concentrated into several days around the end of the old month and the start of the new one. Until now, the investigation of the ToM effect has mainly been focused on the stock markets. However, this paper investigates the presence of the ToM effect in eight key agricultural commodity markets (cocoa, coffee, corn, cotton, rice, soybean, sugar, wheat), using three different alternatives of the ToM window, during the 2001–2021 time period. The results show a statistically significant ToM effect in the rice, coffee, and sugar markets. Further results show that the ToM pattern changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that, in the case of commodities with a statistically significant ToM effect, the ToM effect can be efficiently used to beat the buy & hold investment strategy convincingly.

The aim was to study the evolution and severity of white striping and wooden breast myopathies and to carry out a study on the parameters of meat quality and allometric growth of male and female broilers at different ages. The experiment was conducted in a broiler house in a completely randomized design, using 960 one-day-old chicks of the Cobb^® strain, with 480 chicks of each sex. 96 birds per treatment were slaughtered weekly at the age of 21 to 49 days. The present study analyses the occurrence of myopathies, their scores, and their evolution over the age of the birds, comparing males and females. Further assessments included the allometric coefficient and meat quality analyses such as physical measurements (breast length, width, and thickness), pH, colour (L*, a*, and b*), drip loss, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and shear force. The results demonstrate that the sex of birds did not affect the occurrence of white striping and wooden breast myopathies. However, the degree of myopathies evolved with advancing age, suggesting the weight as a predisposing factor for these myopathies. The emergence of white striping myopathy occurred as early as in the third week of the birds’ life. Wooden breast did not develop as isolated myopathy, occurring only in the concomitant presence of white striping. The allometric coefficient demonstrated that regardless of the sex and age, broiler breast had positive heterogonic growth, i.e. late growth in relation to the other parts of the body.

Brachycephalic dogs are prone to a conformation-related respiratory disorder known as brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Due to its systemic consequences, BOAS should be considered a systemic disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), and plateletcrit (PCT) in patients with various grades of BOAS and non-brachycephalic dogs. The latter served as a control group. We included 106 patients with BOAS and 41 non-brachycephalic dogs. According to the severity of the disease, BOAS patients were classified into grade 1 (17 dogs), grade 2 (42 dogs), and grade 3 (47 dogs). Thrombocytosis was found in 46% (46/106) of all BOAS patients. High platelet mass was found in 62% (66/106) of all BOAS patients. We found significantly (P < 0.05) higher PLT, MPV, and PCT in BOAS patients of all grades compared to non-brachycephalic dogs. Our results suggest that platelets may play an important role in BOAS. Our results suggest that platelets may play an important role in BOAS. However, further studies are needed to clarify the role of PLT and platelet indices in BOAS and their relationship with inflammation and hypercoagulability.

Due to a scarcity of freshwater resources, agriculture is dependent on the use of poor quality water for irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions. Hence, the effective use of poor quality water requires pioneering water management and nitrogen fertilizer practices for increasing yield and resource efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of saline water levels, nitrogen fertilizer, and irrigation methods on eggplant yield, water productivity, NPK uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency. The experiment was conducted in 2019 and 2020 under drip (IM1) and surface flood irrigation (IM2). The treatments included three saline water levels i.e. canal water (SW1), ECiw=2.5 dS/m (SW2), and ECiw=5.0 dS/m (SW3) along with the three nitrogen levels of 75% (N1), 100% (N2), and 125% (N3) of the recommended dose of nitrogen. Application of saline water using IM1 reduced the ECe by 41.8% (SW2) and 34% (SW3) over IM2. The fruit yield, water productivity (WP), NPK uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was increased by 22%, 127.6%, 39.8%, 16.6%, 11.8%, and 23.8% under IM1 over IM2, respectively. A high saline water level under IM2 can cause more reduction in fruit yield, NPK uptake, and water use. Applying saline water through IM1 improves fruit yield, WP, and NUE by 13-32.8%, 104.1-147.3%, and 10.5-35.2% as compared to IM2. We found that saline water and N applied by drip improved eggplant yield, water productivity, and NPK uptake. It is concluded that irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer consumption are optimized when saline water is applied through drip irrigation.

Agriculture is one of the main contributors to carbon emissions and is also significantly affected by changing climate. This article investigates the impacts of agricultural support on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from agriculture in the European Union. Panel regression models were used to examine the influence of subsidies in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on reducing GHGs from agriculture. First, estimates show that direct agricultural subsidies encouraged agricultural-related carbon emissions. Second, the study concludes that the expansion of organic agriculture and the rural development expenditures contributed to emissions reduction in the member states. Finally, the CAP Health Check reform decreased while the Ciolos reform stimulated GHG emissions.

Development of methods for bioremediation of soils contaminated with petroleum products is one of the most urgent tasks of our time. This task is more difficult to perform in high-mountainous landscapes, at an altitude of more than 4 000 m a.s.l. Moreover, these high-mountain ecosystems are the most vulnerable to various kinds of anthropogenic impacts, and therefore the relevance of bioremediation is obvious. The research was conducted in the high-altitude ecosystems of the Kyrgyz Republic at the Kumtor mine. In this study was carried out on the bioremediation of oil contaminated soil using biostimulation, bioaugmentation and biostimulation + bioaugmentation remediation techniques for 90 days in the climatic conditions of high mountain region. The biostimulation treatment showed the highest total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) biodegradation percentage 62.78% compared to the bioaugmentation 50.63% and biostimulation + bioaugmentation 49.11%. Thus, the method of biostimulation proved to be the most effective method for bioremediation of soils contaminated with petroleum products. The application of this method could be one of the successful methods of recycling contaminated soils. This study demonstrated the possibility of restoring TPH-polluted soils using biological methods of soil treatment in climatic cold conditions of high mountains.

The authors present two cases of borderline ovarian tumours with microinvasion in bitches with variable clinical significance. The first case documents a four-year-old female Weimaraner diagnosed with a tumour on the right ovary during a veterinary check-up, using USG examination, which was then surgically removed. Histological examination revealed a clear cell borderline tumour of the ovary with microinvasion. The second case is represented by a necropsy sample from a 52-month-old female German shepherd which died a day before the planned hysterectomy due to undertreated pyometra. During necropsy, a developed form of bilateral ovarian tumour was found. An additional histological examination diagnosed a serous borderline tumour with microinvasion of both ovaries. This paper discusses the histopathological and clinical aspects involved in the prognosis of borderline ovarian tumours in bitches, This concerns the possibility of a change for a more aggressive form of the behaviour of these tumours and their immunohistochemical profile, then the risk of implant metastases and, finally, the time point of diagnosis, intervention and therapy. Even histologically verified well-differentiated forms of borderline ovarian tumours with microinvasion in bitches can show variable clinical significance and, therefore, in similar cases, only a good or only a bad prognosis of the disease should not be expected.

This study examined the effects of beneficial rhizobacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain AFS009 and entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana strain GHA against plumeria rust Coleosporium plumeriae. Two preemptive or three curative laboratory experiments and a curative field experiment were conducted to examine the effects of these commercially available biocontrol products. Treatments included the application of B. bassiana at 1.23 g/L and P. chlororaphis at 3 or 9 g/L. Systemic fungicide azoxystrobin applied at 0.12 g/L and water were included as positive and negative controls, respectively. While its effect was insignificant in the field trial, B. bassiana reduced the rust pustule development in one of two preemptive and two of three curative laboratory trials. In contrast, P. chlororaphis applied at 9 g/L suppressed the number of rust pustules in both laboratory and field experiments, demonstrating its potential biological activity against plumeria rust. In the field trial, the effect of P. chlororaphis was observed at 14 days post-treatment, suggesting that an application interval of 14 days on infected plants can take the rust under control.

Food security is of great importance to all countries. Correspondingly, agricultural price insurance is an important tool to maintain food security. This study adopts the traditional spider web model to establish a mathematical framework for exploring the internal mechanism of agricultural price insurance, which can ease the volatility of the agricultural market. Then, the influence of agricultural price insurance on the supply of agricultural products is examined. The findings show that the supply elasticity of most agricultural products is greater than the demand elasticity, with agricultural product markets presenting a natural divergence. Agricultural price insurance changes the supply curve of agricultural products by reducing their supply elasticity, subsequently positively affecting the reduction of price fluctuation and the stabilisation of outputs. Agricultural price insurance can even change agricultural product markets under certain conditions, allowing a shift from divergence to convergence. Moreover, by adjusting the insurance parameters of agricultural prices, the equilibrium yield and price can be changed, and the planting area and income of farmers can be maximised. The mathematical basis for agricultural insurance derived in this study can support food security strategies at the national level and further provide a theoretical basis to formulate policies and departmental measures.

Apples are available all year round since they can be stored for long time. However, the expression of the major apple allergen Mal d 1 can increase in the fruit during storage and incease so the risk of allergies in sensitive consumers. Therefore, we studied the change in the expression of the Mal d 1 gene during storage in the modern cultivar UEB 32642 (known under the brand name Opal^®) and the cultivar Gala Brookfield (cv. Gala) as a reference. The cultivars were stored under two different conditions, ultra-low oxygen (ULO) and standard cold conditions. The gene expression was evaluated both in fresh fruits and in fruits stored for four, six, and nine months. Nine isoforms of the gene Mal d 1 with the highest published expression were quantified using real-time PCR. The most expressed isoforms Mal d 1.01, Mal d 1.02 and Mal d 1.06A were found in the fresh and also in the stored fruits. The expression of the Mal d 1.03G and Mal d 1.06D isoforms was higher the sored fruits. Our study confirmed that (i) Opal^® had a lower overall expression of the Mal d 1 gene than cv. Gala, both in the fresh and stored fruits; (ii) standard cold storage is superior in preserving lower Mal d 1 levels in Opal^®apples compared to the ULO conditions; and (iii) less expressed isoforms may be responsible for the general increase in the Mal d 1 gene expression during storage.

This study explored the regulatory effect of temperature stress on fatty acid biosynthesis in the early stage of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) based on Δ6-fatty acids desaturase (Δ6FAD) and elongase-5 (ELOVL5) gene expression and fatty acid composition. One-day-old carp larvae were selected, and after seven days of acclimatisation at 25 °C, the larvae were subjected to temperature stress for 96 h in water at 32 °C or 10 °C. In the post-larval stage, 30-day-old carp juveniles were selected and, after seven days of acclimatisation at 25 °C, were subjected to temperature stress for seven days in water at 32 °C or 10 °C. The results showed that common carp larvae could rapidly and highly express Δ6FAD and ELOVL5 genes within 48 h at high temperature (32 °C) compared with the 0 h group (P < 0.05), while gene expression began to gradually increase after 48 h at low temperature (10 °C). There was a significant improvement in C22:6n-3 and C20:5n-3 after 96 h at low temperature compared with the 0 h group (P < 0.05). In common carp juveniles, the Δ6FAD gene in the intestine, brain and liver was sensitive to low temperature, but the ELOVL5 gene in the intestine, brain and liver of common carp was sensitive to high temperature. The low temperature increased the amount of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) in the common carp juveniles. The results indicated that temperature could regulate the expression of the Δ6FAD and ELOVL5 genes for HUFA production, as well as for participation in the biosynthesis of fatty acids in the body during the early development of common carp. The results of this study help clarify the regulatory effects of temperature on fatty acid biosynthesis during the early development of common carp.

Particle drift happens during herbicide application when droplets travel outside the intended site. Different nozzles produce various range of droplets, so they play a very important role in coverage and drift occasions. When nozzles produce small droplets, the potential for off-target movement is very high. Another important factor determining particle drift is the distance between crops. Wind velocity gives the energy to herbicide particles to move away from the target place. Therefore, a drift simulation of herbicide (mesotrione and rimsulfuron plus thifensulfuron-methyl mixture) was done in a wind tunnel, using different nozzles Extended Range (XR) and Turbo TeeJet Induction (TTI). The wind speed was set at 4.4 m/s, representing the least favourable conditions where applications are possible. In the wind tunnel, eight crops (cantaloupe, cotton, green bean, pumpkin, soybean, sunflower, wheat, and watermelon) were positioned at 4, 6, 9, and 12 m downwind distances from the nozzle, and drift was simulated. Following treatments, plants were returned to a greenhouse for 28 days, and biomass reduction was recorded. Artificial collectors (Mylar cards) and water sensitive cards were positioned alongside plants. According to obtained results, spraying with XR nozzle influences higher injuries than TTI nozzle. Tracer deposition was higher at all distances when XR nozzle was used. Accordingly, droplet numbers, covered area, Volume Median Diameter (VMD), and deposition were higher on water sensitive cards when spraying were done using XR nozzle. As a consequence, higher biomass reduction occurred using the XR nozzle. The most sensitive crops were cantaloupe, pumpkin and sunflower, while the most tolerant were soybean and wheat.

Phosphorus (P) deficiency significantly affects crop productivity, especially legume crops. Therefore, it is important to understand the P-acquisition strategies of different leguminous crops. In this study, we undertook a pot experiment with 11 legume crops (soybean, faba bean, pea, cowpea, common bean, lentil, adzuki bean, chickpea, grass pea, red kidney bean and common vetch) to investigate P-acquisition strategies related to root morphology, organic acid and acid phosphatase exudations, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonisation under low (4.4 mg/kg) and optimal (40 mg/kg) P conditions. The results revealed that P deficiency significantly decreased biomass and P accumulation, root length (10.5%), and root surface area (7.9%), increased organic acid exudation (80.2%) and acid phosphatase activity (16.8%), and did not affect root diameter or root AMF colonisation rate. Principal component analysis revealed a positive correlation between organic acid exudation and acid phosphatase activity, while root length and root surface area negatively correlated with organic acid exudation, acid phosphatase activity and root AMF colonisation rate. P accumulation positively correlated with root length, surface area, and diameter but negatively correlated with organic acid exudation, acid phosphatase activity, and AMF colonisation rate. These findings confirmed the following: (1) legume crops use a P-mobilisation strategy related to organic acid exudation and acid phosphatase activity to acquire P under low soil P conditions; (2) organic acid exudation coincided with acid phosphatase activity to mobilise soil inorganic and organic P, improving P accumulation; (3) a trade-off exists between the P-scavenging strategy related to root morphology traits and mobilisation strategy.

Sustainable intensification (SI) is a widely discussed concept that aims to increase agricultural production without harming the environment. This study assessed the process of SI that took place in the EU regions from 2004 to 2018 and the impact of structural and weather-related factors. In doing so, a single index based on DEA environmentally adjusted efficiency and kernel regression were applied to data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) Public Database and the Agri4Cast resource portal. The study found an overall positive trend of SI in the EU regions in which land and animal concentration had a significant impact on this process. Sun radiation, as the only significant weather variable, had a decreasing impact on efficiency due to potential droughts. The findings emphasise the need for political support for regions with a low degree of SI and for those particularly affected by climate change.

One of the latest environmentally friendly methods in soybean production technology is the pulsed electromagnetic field of low frequencies (PEMP). The paper presents the results of the influence of electromagnetic stimulation of soybean seeds on grain yield, protein and oil yield, depending on different agroclimatic conditions, exposure time and frequency. In the 2012–2017 research period, the soybean cv. Valjevka was used in the Institute of Field and Vegetable Agriculture experimental field, Novi Sad, Serbia. Immediately before sowing, the seeds were subjected to PEMP treatment, with a pulse generator and a tape applicator, in the following variants: electromagnetic field frequencies of 16, 24 and 30 Hz, and exposure time of 0, 30 and 60 min. The most successful variant of seed stimulation for all three examined parameters was at 16 Hz and 30 min, where the research results show that this measure can increase the examined parameters by more than 10%. The average yield of grain for all years of research with seed stimulation was 4.85% (3 338 kg/ha) compared to the control (3 203 kg/ha). The average grain protein yield in the treatments with PEMP was 1 315 kg/ha, which was 4.26% higher compared to the variant without PEMP (1 260 kg/ha), and the treatment was 4% higher in the average oil yield, 703 kg/ha compared to the control 676 kg/ha. Also, the analysis of the mutual dependence of the indicators is in a positive correlation, which is essential for plant breeding and the development of new technologies, which have economic justification, are safe for use and have a positive impact on adverse effects such as drought.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of catalase (CAT) on the growth performance, antioxidation, and microbial metabolism of weaned rabbits. Dietary treatments consisted of control and CAT supplementation at 100 (T1), 150 (T2), and 200 IU/kg of diet (T3). A total of 240 weaned rabbits were randomly assigned to 4 groups with 6 replicates of 10 rabbits each. The feeding trial lasted for 28 days. Results showed that T2 and T3 increased (P < 0.05) body weight gain and gain/feed ratio, and decreased (P < 0.05) diarrhoea rate, compared to the control. Also, serum antioxidative parameters and oxidative stress products were beneficially regulated (P < 0.05) by the dietary CAT administration. Faecal microbiota including Bacteroidetes, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium in T2 or T3 was increased (P < 0.05). Dietary CAT with changed microbiota further influenced the metabolites from carbohydrates and proteins, evidenced by increased lactic acid, acetate, branched-chain fatty acids, and short-chain fatty acids, and decreased valerate, isovalerate, methylamine, tryptamine, putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and total amines. It is concluded that CAT can be used to improve growth performance by beneficially regulating the antioxidation, microbiota, and metabolites in weaned rabbits.

Chicken eggshells are a source of calcium and protein that can be added to restructured meat products, including patties. This study aimed to improve the chemical quality of beef patties with the addition of chicken eggshell nanopowder, including pH, protein content, ash content, fat content, antioxidant activity, calcium, microstructural quality, and identification of amino acid profiles. The method used in this study was a laboratory experiment arranged in a completely randomised design with five treatments: without the addition of chicken eggshell nanopowder as a control, the addition of chicken eggshell nanopowder 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7% (w/w) with five replications. Data were analysed using the analysis of variance. It was followed by Duncan's multi-range test when the differences were significant or very significant. The research results show that the addition of chicken eggshell nanopowder to beef patties had a very significant effect (P < 0.01%) on pH, protein content, ash content, fat content, antioxidant activity, calcium, microstructural quality through scanning electron microscopy, and several amino acids. The addition of 0.7% chicken eggshell nanopowder could improve the chemical quality of the beef patties. The patty matrix was uniform and compact, and the air voids were getting tighter with the addition of chicken eggshell nanopowder, which was increasing based on scanning electron microscopy observations. Moreover, beef patties had various types of amino acids to achieve the best treatment.

This study aimed to determine the nano-emulsion of virgin coconut oil (n-VCO) formula that can produce the best size and zone inhibition of antimicrobial activity. The VCO was formulated with the different percentages of Tween 80 (P1: 24%, P2: 25%, P3: 26%) and sorbitol (P1: 36%, P2: 35%, P3: 34%). The particle size of the n-VCO emulsion was observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antimicrobial activity test of the n-VCO was determined by a challenge test using Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. The data were analysed by a one-way ANOVA (P < 0.05). The significant data were furthermore tested by Duncan’s multiple ranges (SPSS v26.0). This study showed that the P3 formulation (26% Tween 80 and 34% sorbitol) produced the best n-VCO among all the treatments showing a particle size of 5–100 nm. Formulas P1 and P2 produced particle sizes of about 500–1 000 nm. The antimicrobial test showed that the P3 formula had a strong inhibitory effect on S. Typhi (7.442 ± 0.52 mm), S. aureus (8.380 ± 0.49 mm), and E. coli (6.490 ± 0.82 mm). This study concluded that the formula of the detergent strongly influences the particle size of the n-VCO. The n-VCO has enormous potential to be used as an alternative antimicrobial.

Apple trees of the cultivar ‘Sampion’ were planted at the Experimental Orchard of National Institute of Horticultural Research in Dąbrowice. In a three-year experiment (2019–2021) the following fertilization combinations were applied: AquaGel (commercial hydrogel), AquaGel combined with a consortium of beneficial bacteria, AquaGel combined with a consortium of beneficial filamentous fungi, organic compost alone, compost combined with a consortium of beneficial bacteria, and compost combined with a consortium of beneficial filamentous fungi. The presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was assessed both in the rhizosphere soil and in the roots of apple trees. The results of the study indicate the most advantageous effect of compost combined with bacteria or fungi on the degree of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the formation of their spores in the soil.

The estimation of the level of the soil organic carbon (SOC) content plays an important role in assessing the soil health state. Visible and Near Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (Vis-NIR DRS) is a fast and cheap tool for measuring the SOC. However, when this technology is applied on a larger area, the soil prediction accuracy decreases due to the heterogeneity of the samples. In this paper, we first investigate the global model performance in the LUCAS EU-wide topsoil database. Then, different clustering strategies were tested, including the k-means clustering based on the principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering, combined with the partial least squares regression (PLSR) models, and a clustering based on a local PLSR approach. The best validation results were obtained for the local PLSR approach with R² = 0.75, root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) = 13.38 g/kg and ratio of performance to interquartile range (RPIQ) = 2.846, but the algorithm running time was 30.05 s. Similar results were obtained for the k-means clustering method with R² = 0.75, RMSEP = 14.61 g/kg and RPIQ = 2.844, at only 4.52 s. This study demonstrates that the PLSR approach based on k-means clustering is able to achieve similar prediction accuracy as the local PLSR approach, while significantly improving the algorithm speed. This provides the theoretical basis for adapting the spectral soil model to the needs of real-time SOC quantification.

The effects of potato drip irrigation on soil nitrogen dynamics and potato yield was studied in small-plot field trials. The trials were evaluated at during three experimental times seasons (2016-2018). Four variants of irrigation were determined, ie non-irrigated, 60, 65 and 70 ASWC (Available Soil Water Capacity). At the same time, two pre-planting fertilization dates were set at a maximum of 120 kg N/ha a in divided i.e. 60 kg N/ha before planting and 60 kg N/ha by fertigation during vegetation. Pre-planting crop fertilization or in-season fertigation did not have any significant effect on the potato yields of most variants. In all studied parameters, the positive beneficial effect of irrigation was recorded and compared to the non-irrigated control. The mitigation of drought stress in plants during the growing season is the most important advantage of irrigation. In the trials, on average across all years and varieties, the yield of the irrigated variant increased by 41 % compared to the non-irrigated variant. Maintaining optimal soil moisture has a favourable effect use of applied fertilizers. The highest mineral nitrogen content in the soil was recorded for the variant without irrigation. Considering the increased use of nitrogen fertilizers, the subsurface drip line appeared to be optimal for the creation of suitable conditions for nitrogen availability to plants in the root zone.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of rumination time, eating time and season on milk yield and on milk component content in the context of milk recording. The experiment was carried out with two breeds – Czech Fleckvieh cattle and Holstein cattle – for one year. Vitalimetr 5P neck responders were used to monitor eating and rumination time. For statistical evaluation, the time of eating and rumination was divided into three groups according to the length of eating and ruminating, with each breed being categorised separately. The highest protein content, which was 3.6%, was calculated for the group with an average eating time. The fat content was highest for the group with a below-average eating time. On the other hand, the highest milk yield was statistically significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the group with the longest eating time. In terms of rumination, the trend was similar to that of the eating period. In the evaluation of the effect of rumination time, there was no difference in protein %, fat kg and fat % content. A significant (P < 0.05) increase of protein kg was observed with higher rumination time. Changes in milk yield and milk components also occurred throughout the year. During the winter months, the yield decreased, but there was an increase in milk constituent content. During the summer months, the reverse results were obtained. The findings of this study highlight the importance of evaluating eating and rumination time as a potential predictor of milk yield and milk solids content, which are important in milk monetization.

Listeria monocytogenes is not only a pathogen causing a serious food-borne disease in humans but can also occur as a saprophyte in the natural environment. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of L. monocytogenes obtained from the natural environment of the Czech Republic (hereinafter Czechia) and Slovakia in 2016–2018 and to compare the clonal relationship of strains circulating in the environment with the strains originating from the food chain and humans. Altogether, 217 samples of mud, surface water, vegetation and soil were collected in 61 locations. Samples were processed according to the modified EN ISO 11290-1 standard. The obtained L. monocytogenes isolates were characterised using serotyping, macrorestriction analysis, followed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, whole genome sequencing (WGS), and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. L. monocytogenes were detected in 8.8% of the examined samples and were isolated in 15 locations, mainly from the mud from the banks of the surface water sources. Altogether, 25 L. monocytogenes strains were obtained from 19 positive samples. Serotypes 1/2a, 4b, and 1/2b were detected among the strains. Twenty combined AscI/ApaI pulsotypes were obtained by macrorestriction analysis. Altogether, 12 sequence types (STs) were detected using Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) by WGS, with ST451 being the most frequent. The core genome MLST analysis revealed a heterogeneous population of environmental strains. No phenotype resistance was detected by antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Screening of antimicrobial-resistance genes using the platform ResFinder revealed the genes fosX in 24 isolates and blaTEM-116 in one isolate. The occurrence of L. monocytogenes in various samples from natural environments within wide altitude range during different seasons of the year may highlight this bacterium's remarkable adaptability and exceptional tolerance to external factors. Serotype distribution of the strains circulating in the natural environment of Czechia and Slovakia seems to reflect distribution in the human population more than in the food chain.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays numerous essential physiological functions in terrestrial animals. In mammals, NO production from l-arginine is catalysed by the enzyme NO synthase (NOS). In recent years, data have begun to emerge on NOS expression and the physiological significance of NO in ectothermic vertebrates such as fish. However, there are relatively fewer data compared to the mammalian system. Although it is already well known that animal molybdoenzymes can convert nitrate and nitrite into NO, there is almost no information on the content and properties of molybdoenzymes in fish organs in the scientific literature. In this regard, the objectives of the present work were to detect the activity of classical molybdoenzymes xanthine oxidase (XO) and aldehyde oxidase (AO) in the liver and to study their possible activity to reduce nitrate and nitrite to nitrogen monoxide. In this work, the intrinsic activity of XO and AO was examined by using their substrates. At the same time, their nitrate (NR) – and nitrite reductase (NiR) activity were determined. It was determined that XO and AO in the fish liver are mainly represented by the molybdenum-free forms. The presence of an additional source of molybdenum can activate both the intrinsic and the NR and NiR activities. The NiR activity of XO and AO was higher than their NR activity. The data shows that treatment at a concentration of sodium molybdate and glutathione of 1.0 mM increases all activities of XO and AO. The optimal conditions for maximum activation of exogenous molybdate for XO and AO were reached by heating at 70 °C for 5 minutes. The activity of XO increased almost 4.7 times, and the activity of AO 7.7 times compared with its intrinsic activity without heat treatment. NO is formed from nitrite by the enzymes XO and AO much more than from nitrate.

Optimising diagnostic methods in shelters so that they are as economical as possible for the shelter is especially important because shelters often have a significant lack of funds and so usually do not carry out preventive screening of cats. Dermatophyte fungi spread quickly and can infect shelter staff. The aim of our work was to identify the occurrence of Microsporum canis in shelter cats. It aimed to determine the prevalence of M. canis in cats at the selected shelter and compare the efficiency of detection using a Wood’s lamp and culturing on Sabouraud’s agar. All cats present in the shelter at the time of the study (n = 70) were examined with Wood’s lamp and hair sampling followed by subsequent culturing on Sabouraud’s agar. Identification of fungi was based on microscopic proof of macroconidia and microconidia. The prevalence of M. canis by diagnosis on Sabouraud’s agar was 64.29% of cats, with the help of Wood’s lamp 48.57% of cats showed positive fluorescence. The sensitivity of the Wood lamp examination was 71% and the specificity was 92%. Our study suggests that Wood’s lamp could be used by trained shelter personnel for the first examination of cats at reception and could significantly reduce the risk of spreading M. canis in shelters.