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This study aimed to examine consumer satisfaction and repurchase intention for a chicken soup meal kit. Thus, this study was conducted on 135 Korean adults in their twenties and older who purchased a chicken soup meal kit from August 1 to August 31, 2021. In this study, after excluding 7 questionnaires who responded insincerely, the questionnaires of 128 people were finally analysed. For the collected data, frequency analysis, reliability analysis, factor analysis, and correlation analysis were performed using the statistical package SPSS 20.0, and multiple regression analysis was performed to test the hypothesis. Convenience (β = 0.442) and price (β = 0.337) among the selection attributes of chicken soup meal kit products had a significant effect on satisfaction, while diversity (β = 0.0.27) and quality (β = 0.047) were not significant. Also, convenience (β = 0.504) and price (β = 0.337) affected repurchase intention among the purchasing attributes of the meal kit. However, diversity (β = 0.101) and quality (β = 0.045) did not exert any significant effects on repurchase intention. Finally, it was confirmed that satisfaction with the meal kit had a significant effect on the repurchase intention. Therefore, this study predicts that enhancing convenience and price competitiveness rather than quality or variety among chicken soup meal kit purchasing attributes will increase consumer satisfaction and repurchase intention.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible stimulating effects of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) honey, natural Saudi Sider honey, and honeybee pollen to the in vitro maturation (IVM) medium of sheep oocytes on their subsequent development. Hence, immature oocytes were exposed to various concentrations of natural Nigella sativa (N. sativa), and Saudi Sider honey (5, 10, and 20%), as well as honeybee pollen (1, 10, 50 μg/ml) during an in vitro maturation period (24 hours). After the exposure time, the maturation rate, glutathione (GSH) concentration, and candidate gene expression (GDF-9, MPF, CMOS, IGF-1, and BAX) were evaluated. Our results showed that the maturation rate was higher in the groups challenged with the lowest level of the bee products (5% and 1 μg/ml) when compared with that in the control group; where the mean number of oocytes in the metaphase II stage reached 0.360 for the honeybee pollen-treated group, 0.293 for the N. sativa-treated group, and 0.203 for the natural Saudi Sider honey-treated group. The glutathione level was significantly increased in the group exposed to N. sativa honey when compared with the other groups. Concerning the gene expression results, the Saudi Sider honey treatment showed the best results for all the genes except the CMOS gene, which was significantly higher than the GI and GII groups and lower than the GIV group and the BAX gene which did not show a significant difference when compared with the other groups. In conclusion, the addition of natural honey and honeybee pollen at a low concentration to an IVM medium improved the in vitro maturation rate, increased the glutathione level, and gene expression of the in vitro matured ovine oocytes.

Biochar has been studied extensively in terms of its influence on soil hydrophysical properties, but only small part of results was obtained from the field experiments. In this study, the soil water content was measured in 5-10 cm depth at experimental plots which received 20 t/ha and 0 t/ha (control) of biochar amendment at the Malanta area (Slovakia). The experimental area was cultivated with maize in 2015 and spring wheat in 2016. Our field measurements show that the positive effect of biochar amendment (20 t/ha) on soil water content is strongly related to the type of the crop grown and not straightforward. Unexpectedly, during the monitoring campaign in 2015 the soil water content of the biochar-amended soil was lower than control. In 2016, negligible differences were observed in soil water contents at both experimental plots, especially during the dry spells. However, higher soil water content was measured at the plot with biochar amendment after the series of precipitation events during the physiological maturity of the spring wheat. Moreover, the biochar amendment did not increase the biomass production and yields of maize in 2015, but it significantly increased the biomass production and yields of spring wheat in 2016.

In a pot experiment, arsenic-hyperaccumulating Pteris cretica cv. Albo-lineata plant ferns were cultivated and exposed to low and high doses of arsenate (20 and 100 mg As/kg, respectively) for six months. Physiological and morphological changes of roots, as well as changes in soil quality of the root zone and bulk soil (water-soluble fraction of elements and activity of soil enzymes), were determined. The results showed that the accumulation of inorganic As, mainly in the form of As3+, did not significantly affect the yield of roots, but caused changes in root morphology (deformation of root cell walls due to lignification) and metabolism (decrease of auxin indole-3-acetic acid and 2-oxoindole-3-acetic acid contents). Although the soil quality results varied according to the As dose, there was a clear difference between the root zone and the bulk soil. The activities of enzymes in the root zone were greater that those in the bulk soil. The results showed a significant influence of the high dose of As (100 mg As/kg), which decreased the activity of arylsulfatase, nitrate reductase, and urease in the root zone, while a decrease in acid phosphatase and nitrate reductase was observed in the bulk soil. The water-soluble fractions of As, organic nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and organic carbon were significantly affected by the high dose of As.

Changes in genetic diversity of peas bred in the Czech Republic and in former Czechoslovakia since the mid-20^th century were analysed using 38 molecular marker loci, including retrotransposons and microsatellites, differentiating a total of 84 alleles. Both marker types were comparably effective in revealing the genetic diversity, with a high correlation (r = 0.81), although the pairwise genetic distances of each marker type differed. In total, 175 accessions, selected from the Czech pea gene bank collection and representing the pea cultivars collected or bred in the country, were divided into three groups according to their date of sampling or variety registration. The first group contained 70 old cultivars and landraces collected prior to 1961. The second group contained 46 cultivars released from 1961 to 1980. The third group contained 59 cultivars released between 1981 and 2004. In spite of the decline in several diversity measures, differences in allele frequencies and even allele loss in three microsatellite loci were recorded over the 70-year period, while these differences between the groups were not statistically significant. In addition, genetic heterogeneity was detected in 29 accessions (15%). This indicates that although no genetic erosion could be observed since then, it is important to monitor the genetic diversity, furthermore it highlights the vital role of germplasm collections for the crop diversity conservation.

This study was conducted in order to determine the antioxidant activities of certain apple varieties. 'Galaxy Gala', 'Scarlet Spur', 'Fuji', 'Pink Lady' and 'Granny Smith' were characterized in this study. The antioxidant activities among the varieties were determined via three different procedures. Antiradical activity figures of the apple varieties were between 0.592 ('Galaxy Gala') and 0.802 ('Scarlet Spur'). Inhibition levels of chelating activity with Fe⁺² varied between 40.20-55.50%; 'Scarlet Spur' and 'Pink Lady' extracts had the highest inhibition with 55.50% and 'Granny Smith' extract had the lowest with the level. Among the extracts showing H₂O₂ clearance effect, Granny Smith (62.54%) and Scarlet Spur (44.67%) extracts had the highest inhibition levels. In this study conducted on apple varieties, total phenolic matter levels were determined in 'Scarlet Spur', 'Pink Lady', 'Fuji', 'Galaxy Gala' and 'Granny Smith'.

We describe here a case study of a 16-month-old female European shorthair cat examined about 6 months after the osteosynthesis of a femoral fracture. Clinical examination revealed a non-weightbearing left limb, pain upon manipulation of the hip joint, complete immobilisation of the stifle joint and muscle atrophy in the left thigh. Low-field magnetic resonance images were acquired in sagittal, transverse and dorsal planes with T1-weighted spin echo, T2-weighted fast spin echo, T1-weighted gradient echo, gradient echo short tau inversion recovery and T1-weighted XBone sequences. Total examination time was 59 min 20 s. The obtained images revealed the presence of osteophytes on the surface of the femoral head, subluxation of the hip joint, atrophy and fatty infiltration of the quadriceps femoris muscle. The symmetry and size of callus in the fracture site were also evaluated. Based on the results of the magnetic resonance imaging exam, the patient was diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis, atrophy and fatty degeneration of the quadriceps femoris muscle with homogeneous and symmetrical distribution of callus in the fracture site. The results of this study confirm the high diagnostic value of low-field magnetic resonance imaging in diagnostics of musculoskeletal injuries in cats.

This study assessed both the soil and litter copper (Cu) levels and their relationships with soil microbial activity, in fruit-tree production areas of central Chile where Cu-based pesticides are intensively sprayed. Samples of soil (0-20 cm depth) and litter from a number of selected orchards (kiwi, table grape, plum, and cherry) were collected and analysed for their Cu content and C-induced soil microbial activity. Results showed that the mean total soil Cu level was 225 mg/kg and soluble soil Cu was less than 0.01% of total soil Cu, as expected from pH values of study soils (range of 6.33 to 7.93). However, leaf litter Cu content was 3-7 times higher than in soil (mean of681 mg/kg). Despite the soil and leaf litter Cu concentrations, no effect was observed on the C-induced soil microbial activity. We conclude that leaf litter exerts a protective role, preventing the entry of Cu into the soil and thus soil microbial toxicity.

Tamil Nadu ranks high in groundnut production in India. The yield prediction of the crop over Tamil Nadu will be highly useful in improving the efficiency of the production. This article aims to identify an efficient machine learning model to predict the groundnut crop yield and analyse the performance of the tested models. The study used the irrigation, rainfall, area and production data as factors for the groundnut crop yield across the districts of Tamil Nadu. This article identified the best set of features for training the models and studied various prediction models to evaluate the performance on the collected data. The trained and tested data were evaluated using various performance measures. The results of the study show that LASSO and ElasticNet provide the optimal results with the lowest RMSE and RRMSE values of 491.603 and 490.931 kg.ha^-1, 20.68 and 20.66%, respectively. The models showed the lowest MAE and RMAE values as well (333.154 and 331.827 kg.ha^-1 and 14.53%, 14.51%, respectively) when compared to other models. The identification of the right time to sow and area to irrigate through feature selection and the prediction of the yield will improve the yield of the groundnut crops. This helps farmers to make practical decisions and reap the benefits.

Sugar beet yield loss was predicted from early observations of weed density, relative weed cover, and weed biomass using non-linear regression models. Six field experiments were conducted in Germany and in the Russian Federation in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Average weed densities varied from 20 to 131 with typical weed species compositions for sugar beet fields at both locations. Sugar beet yielded higher in Germany and relative yield losses were lower than in Russia. Data of weed density, relative weed cover, weed biomass and relative yield loss fitted well to the non-linear regression models. Competitive weed species such as Chenopodium album and Amaranthus retroflexus caused more than 80% yield loss. Relative weed cover regression models provided more accurate predictions of sugar beet yield losses than weed biomass and weed density.

Groundwater in Saudi Arabia contains high concentrations of nitrates. Nitrates are respected as the main groundwater pollutant causing dangerous health and environmental influences. The removal of nitrate from groundwater in Al-Qurayyat, Saudi Arabia, was investigated in this work using palm wastes. Palm fibers (PFI) and palm fronds (PFR) were initially employed as feedstock for the manufacturing of adsorbents, which were activated by heating to 300 °C. The activation of PFI and PFR resulted in an increase in surface area. Batch tests were used to determine the best environment for nitrate adsorption on PFI and PFR. The best factors for nitrate removal were as follows: the contact time was 20 min, the initial concentration of NO₃^- was 20 mg/L, the dose was 2 g/L and the pH was 6. The adsorption capacity of the PFI and PFR was 72% to 77%. In terms of nitrate removal effectiveness under local optimal circumstances, comparisons with commercial activated carbon (CAC) and anion exchange resin (Purolite A 520E) revealed that PFI and PFR are inferior to CAC and Purolite A 520E. However, the PFI and PFR were able to remove nitrate economically even under the most basic operating parameters.

In order to increase the reuse of wastes and residues, as required by the Waste Framework Directive, the potential use of waste, residue and natural minerals as low-cost permeable reactive barrier (PRB) materials was investigated. The performance of a kitchen waste compost, sepiolite and steel slag was compared with that of volcanic slag, pumice and activated carbon in removing specific contaminants from landfill leachate. The experiments represented that the activated carbon removed 27% of the ammonium (NH4+), 75% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 100% of the phosphate (PO43-), zinc (Zn2+) and nickel (Ni2+) from the landfill leachate. Volcanic slag exhibited removal efficiencies of 50% COD and 100% PO43- and pumice exhibited removal efficiencies of 20% NH4+, 27% Zn2+, 65% COD and 100% PO43-. The reactive materials were also checked for their potential in releasing unwanted constituents and represented different levels of the solute (e.g., PO43-, SO42-, NH4+) release. Among the reactives, sepiolite was found to be the reactive material reflecting a minor release (e.g., Zn2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+), but also delivering removal efficiencies of 40, 50, 65, 95, 97, 98, 98 and 100% for Ni2+, COD, Zn2+, SO42-, Cl-, F-, NH4+ and PO43-, respectively. The results show that the studied materials have the potential as reactives for PRB systems treating high strength contaminant plumes.

Flow cytometry (FC) is a very powerful method for the assessment of spermatozoa quality in multiple livestock species, including bulls. Nowadays, many flow cytometric tests are available for quality detection of bull sperm. These tests are based on fluorochromes (fluorescent tags or dyes) and the use of correct concentrations of fluorochromes is an essential aspect of the successful optimization of experimental methodology. Modern flow cytometers are much more affordable, such that spermatologists are now able to use FC methodology (and even image cytometry) in their studies. The present review aims to give a summary of current flow cytometric methodologies used to assess bull sperm quality by flow cytometry. Namely, we give here the concentrations of fluorochromes used in the studies related to bull sperm quality evaluation by flow cytometry published in the last three years (from 2021 to 2023). Importantly, in the present review, the concentration of fluorochromes is unified and presented using comparable molarity units. Furthermore, the rationale of each flow cytometric methodology for particular fluorescent tests, and the citation for the corresponding original methodology, are given. This review will help spermatologists shorten the time needed for the optimization of their flow cytometry methodology for the assessment of bull sperm quality.

Camelina sativa can be identified as a promising oilseed crop due to its short growth cycle, tolerance to drought and frost, low-input requirements, resistance to pests and diseases, feed, and non-feed applications. Compared to other Brassicaceae family plants, camelina is mainly distinguished by high levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant content. However, camelina contains secondary plant metabolites, such as glucosinolates, phytic acid, sinapine, etc., and their presence limits the use of camelina by-products (oil, seed or cake) in poultry feeding. The breakdown of these compounds forms complexes that can inhibit digestive enzymes, reduce the absorption of nutrients, and ultimately modify product quality. The content of these anti-nutritional compounds and plant seed quality can be modified by various techniques: hybridisation, mutation induction, gene engineering, etc. Moreover, methods such as infrared irradiation, multi-enzyme and copper supplementation, etc., can counter or mitigate the effect of plant secondary metabolites present in camelina seed or cake. In general, dietary inclusion of camelina seed or cake at high inclusion levels (> 10%) worsened the nutrient digestibility and thus reduced growth performances. However, carcass traits and meat proximate composition were comparable in birds-fed diets containing camelina by-products. The fatty acid profile of meat cuts and abdominal fat was significantly higher in alpha-linolenic acid and lower n-6/n-3 ratio, thus promoting the healthiness of products for human consumption. Also, the dietary inclusion of camelina did not modify the sensory profile of the products. The present article is a comprehensive and critical review of research carried out to improve the quality of camelina and its by-products to be used in broiler poultry feeding. This review gives information on the feeding value of camelina by-products, as well as a survey of the literature on their use in poultry diets to evaluate digestibility, performance, carcass traits, and meat quality.

White root disease is a significant disease of cashew caused by Rigidoporus sp. Five endophytic fungal isolates, namely AR31D (Fusarium proliferatum), AR42D (Penicillium citrinum), BR32C (Trichoderma asperellum), VNTB1 (Chaetomium sp.), and EAGS14 (Curvularia lunata), were assessed as the biocontrol agents against Rigidoporus sp. in vitro and in planta. The research objective was to obtain endophytic fungi that effectively control Rigidoporus sp. and their mechanisms. The in vitro test results showed that all isolates could inhibit Rigidoporus sp. and promote plant growth by producing volatile organic compounds, chitinase enzymes, and indole acetic acid. Meanwhile, only four isolates could solubilize phosphate with low-medium solubilization efficiency. The isolates successfully colonized the root of cashew saplings in 10–65%. The effectiveness of endophytic fungal isolates in controlling white root disease was determined by the mechanisms involved, such as resistance induction (increased activity of defense enzymes like polyphenol oxidase), chitinase enzyme production, indole acetic acid production, phosphate solubilization, and suppression of plant stress which observed from decreased malondialdehyde concentrations in saplings’ roots. Trichoderma asperellum and Chaetomium sp. were the best isolates with the highest control effectiveness and stimulating plant growth.

The adverse economic and social effects of the recent increases in food prices have prompted policymakers and academics to reconsider the potential causes of such increases. This paper contributes to the existing literature by investigating the causal effects of oil prices, fertiliser prices, global economic activity, and geopolitical risk on international food price volatility between January 1993 and December 2021. The research considers the aggregate food price index and the prices of various specific foods, including cereal, vegetable oils, dairy, meat, and sugar. The Glosten, Jagannathan, and Runkle-generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (1,1) [GJR-GARCH(1,1)] model is employed to estimate the food price volatility series, while the causality-in-quantiles test is conducted to identify the drivers of food price volatility for different volatility regimes. The analysis suggests heterogeneous results regarding the significance of causal linkages. More specifically, the aggregate food price volatility is affected by oil prices, global economic activity, and geopolitical risk under different market conditions. The causality analysis also indicates that the volatility of cereal prices is the most sensitive to the four considered variables. Likewise, geopolitical risk is the most critical factor affecting all food commodities during almost all market conditions, while oil prices and global economic activity have limited predictive power. Finally, there is strong evidence that most causal linkages are confirmed during normal market conditions. Policy recommendations are subsequently derived.

The aetiology of Crohn's disease and paratuberculosis are the subjects of intensive study and also frequently, of dispute. However, a number of other nosological entities have a similar history, namely type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, asthma, psoriasis, spondylarthritis, Blau syndrom etc. The zoonotic risk of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) has been discussed for more than one hundred years. "The problem remains open, further research is needed", is the sentence which seems to be obligatory in the conclusions of many scientific articles. A number of hypotheses have been suggested, all with a grain of truth in them. The infection hypothesis has many supporters and opponents, but it does not fit to all Crohn's disease cases. The contribution of the genetic factor has been admitted a long time ago and has been experimentally confirmed by recent excellent studies. An environmental factor is expected and has been often mentioned, but has yet to be discovered. Muramyl dipeptide, derived from peptidoglycans of the bacterial cell wall is one of the triggers, mentioned in connection with chronic inflammatory diseases. The immunomodulatory ability of this compound has been recognised for decades and is exploited in Freund's adjuvant. A critical amount of muramyl dipeptide can affect immunity during some bacterial infections but the long latent period between infection and onset of the clinical form of the disease could explain why a causative relationship between the primary infection and chronic inflammation is not considered. Different species of mycobacteria can be found in the environment, in water, dust, soil and aerosol. Although severe infections with mycobacteria have been described, these species are not thought to be typical zoonotic pathogens. Muramyl dipeptide derived from mycobacteria obviously plays a starring role as a bacterial trigger in the aetiology of many autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. Paratuberculosis in cattle and other ruminants is a source of enormous contamination of the environment but also of milk and meat by MAP. Muramyl dipeptide from mycobacteria, namely MAP, and Crohn's disease as a representative of diseases often called civilization threats, are important pieces of the gigantic puzzle. Mycobacteria in the environment and foodstuffs have to be acknowledged as a public health risk, which can never be completely eliminated. There is no reason to push the panic button, but we must learn how to live together with this microorganism, how the pool of immunomodulator sources can be diminished, and how the pathogenic relationship between triggers and target tissues can be disrupted. The dissemination of knowledge, the availability of rapid and inexpensive tools for identification of mycobacteria in different matrices, and the establishment of a maximal allowed limit for mycobacteria in milk and meat should contribute to food safety and consumer protection.

Neonicotinoids are one of the newest groups of systemic pesticides, effective on a wide range of invertebrate pests. The success of neonicotinoids can be assessed according to the amount used, for example, in the Czech Republic, which now accounts for 1/3 of the insecticide market. The European Union (EU) has a relatively interesting attitude towards neonicotinoids. Three neonicotinoid substances (imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam) were severely restricted in 2013. In 2019, imidacloprid and clothianidin were banned, while thiamethoxam and thiacloprid were banned in 2020. In 2022, another substance, sulfoxaflor, was banned. Therefore, only two neonicotinoid substances (acetamiprid and flupyradifurone) are approved for outdoor use in the EU. Neonicotinoids enter aquatic ecosystems in many ways. In European rivers, neonicotinoids usually occur in nanograms per litre. Due to the low toxicity of neonicotinoids to standard test species, they were not expected to significantly impact the aquatic ecosystem until later studies showed that aquatic invertebrates, especially insects, are much more sensitive to neonicotinoids. In addition to the lethal effects, many studies point to sublethal impacts - reduced reproductive capacity, initiation of downstream drift of organisms, reduced ability to eat, or a change in feeding strategies. Neonicotinoids can affect individuals, populations, and entire ecosystems.

This review focuses on the behaviour of four psychoactive compounds (carbamazepine, tramadol, sertraline and citalopram) in the environment. The review presents how they may directly affect freshwater systems, soils and living organisms and to which extent. The transformation of these very stable compounds in soils were controlled by oxidation, demethylation, decarboxylation and hydroxylation. Sorption to organic matter and clay particles controlled their mobility. Despite their expected sorption in soils, sediments and sludge, all compounds can be taken up by plants and by fish. In plants, all compounds and several of their metabolites were found in the leaves, indicating the mobility and transformation of the compounds within the plant systems. Factors that control the compounds mobility in plants were found to be the pH of soils and the xylem flow. As for fish, many of the compounds were found in the brain and muscles of fish, some of which, depending on the species, affected the behaviour of the fish. The implications of these compounds so widely present in the environment indicate the need for certain measures to be put into place to prevent these compounds from continuously entering plant and animal systems.

Forest management of durmast oak stands [Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.] is focused on the production of high-quality assortments for the furniture industry. Due to various forest management factors and impacts of climate change, their vitality and quality are often reduced. Sudden illumination of the oak trunk caused by management cuts can lead to epicormic shoot formation. This study compared two localities and nine long-term research plots at the stand age of 62–68 years in Slovakia. While one locality was affected by the massive dieback of oak in the past, the other was not. The epicormic shoot occurrence was monitored separately in the lower and upper parts of the trunk, depending on selected quantitative tree parameters and on the various management methods. The formation of epicormic shoot was influenced especially by DBH, crown width and crown volume. The occurrence of shoots was always markedly higher in the upper part of the trunk compared to the lower one. During a 35-year period, the development of the proportion of epicormic shoots in the lower part of the trunk in the locality with massive dieback of oak confirmed a higher occurrence on control plots compared to the managed plots with thinning interventions. It showed that the occurrence of epicormic shoots in durmast oak stands was influenced not only by different methods of management but also by the dieback effect in the past. Promoting more intensive thinning in early-stage oak stands is advised, as it prompts trees to develop larger crowns with limiting formation of epicormic shoots.

Land abandonment and the emergence of new forest areas create novel dynamics for forest ecosystems and landscapes. Modelling is often used to forecast tree species composition, age group distribution and spatial patterns in the future. The aim of this study was to develop three scenarios for changes in tree species composition, stand age distribution and spatial patterns of new forest areas and permanent forests using Latvia as a case study. We selected 19 study areas of the size 10 km × 10 km to sample the variety of forest cover patterns, tree species, and stand age. Using GIS tools, we developed three scenarios: baseline, commercial and conservation. Results showed that the conservation scenario resulted in the most even-aged group distribution. Scenarios predicted the increase of Picea abies area (reaching 29.3% in permanent forests and even 45.7% in new forests) and the reduction of Pinus sylvestris in most cases. Changes in the median patch area were the best indicator for evaluation of different scenarios with the largest patches of new forest areas for the conservation scenario (1.92 ± 1.23 ha). The existing structural and compositional integrity of sampled forest landscapes was best retained under the baseline and conservation scenarios, while the commercial scenario indicated more fragmented forest landscapes in the future.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of microwave radiation on the viability of Paenibacillus larvae spores and to study the relationship between the microwave power consumption, the exposure time and the number of spores in the examined suspensions. Sterile distilled water suspensions were made using larval detritus, to contain tens, hundreds and thousands of spores. The suspensions of all the dilutions were gradually exposed to a microwave radiation power of 170, 510 and 850 W. In all the cases, the exposure time was 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes. After cooling, 0.1 ml of each exposed suspension was inoculated onto three modified MYP (mannitol egg yolk polymyxin) agar plates and incubated aerobically at 37 ± 1 °C for 120 hours. The statistical evaluation of the spore counts decreasing with time was performed with the use of the nonparametric Friedman's variance test using the Unistat Statistical Package v6.5. The results showed that the rate of devitalisation of the spores is dependent on the microwave oven power consumption, but independent of the number of spores. Using a power consumption of 170, 510 and 850 W, the devitalisation of the spores occurred after 15, 3 and 2 min of exposure, respectively.

Palm oil is a superior product from Indonesia that is continuously and widely used for daily needs such as cooking, grooming, and manufacturing. However, this potential must be supported by oil palm business actors' performance to maintain its intensity and competitiveness. This study investigates how various factors affect Indonesia's crude palm oil (CPO) export intensity and competitiveness by employing panel regression and the basic gravity model. The panel data used here is a 20-year time series with cross-sections from five major importers from 1999 to 2018. The results show that the importer's gross domestic product (GDP) and quantity of export significantly and positively affect Indonesia's CPO export intensity, while the exporter's GDP and economic distance has a significant and negative effect. The factors that positively and significantly influence competitiveness are soybean's import value and Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification, while Malaysian CPO's export and population of importing countries negatively affect Indonesian CPO competitiveness.

The article describes the use of the recently commercially available technique of microwave induced plasma optical emission spectrometry with plasma gas (nitrogen) generation for the determination of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium in Mehlich 3 extracts. The specifics of the analysis of the agricultural samples for soil fertility assessment mean there are often a great number of samples to analyse in laboratory (the daily throughput of 500 or more samples). The analytical procedures were adapted to special requirements by the use of the new multielemental instrumental techniques. The detection limits were 0.43; 0.86; 0.20 and 0.06 mg/L; the precision for real sample analysis: 4.6; 1.0; 1.8 and 1.0%; the mean accuracy 97; 92; 107 and 100% for P, Ca, Mg and K, respectively, the real throughput reached 100 samples per hour.

Grey mould disease caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea Pers is widely distributed on strawberries as the dominant postharvest disease. Therefore, fruits have been treated using a pin-to-plate corona electrical field at a high voltage electric field (HVEF) intensity of 3.61, 4.56, and 5.13 kV.cm^-1 for 60 minutes. The result revealed that the corona discharge demolished the B. cinerea growth using 20 kV.cm^-1 for 10 min in the Petri dishes. In addition, the treated strawberries at 4.56 kV.cm^-1 had an average infection rate of 23.33% compared with non-treated samples rate of 45.33%. The HVEF-treated samples showed significantly lower mass losses. The analysis of variance showed that the HVEF did not significantly affect the total soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, and softness; however, the lower acidity affected the Botrytis cinerea growth. No significant differences were observed among the mean values in the colour change parameters and colour difference for 4.56 kV.cm^-1 compared with the control, while the lightness was significantly higher. The result show that the corona electrical field was able to demolish the B. cinerea growth, and an electric field intensity at 4.56 kV.cm^-1 was found to extend the strawberries' cold storage and to lead to a lower mass loss.

The aim of our research was to determine the effect of short pruning on the productive and vegetative characteristics of peach trees. The research was conducted on two cultivars, 'Redhaven' and 'Fayette'. Three short pruning treatments were applied, with heading of the bearing branches at 20, 30, and 40 cm in length and a control, without heading. The following characteristics were evaluated: the growth of the TCSA, the number of thinned fruitlets, the number of fruit and yield per tree, the average weight of the fruits and the diameter of the fruits. Based on our research, we made several observations: the pruning method did not affect the growth of the TCSA; the number of thinned fruitlets decreased with a reduction in the length of the bearing branches; the number of fruits and yield per tree decreased with a reduction in the length of the bearing branches. A higher average fruit weight and percentage of fruits with a bigger diameter were calculated from the trees with the short pruning, but with a different share depending on the cultivar.

Cultivating crops influences soil organic matter (SOM), but the effect of different crops remains unclear, particularly under long-term monocropping. The objective of this study was to identify how different crops influence the content and chemical structures of SOM under long-term monocropping. Here, soils were sampled (0-20 cm) under 27-year soybean and maize monocropping and separated into different physical fractions. The content and chemical structures of SOM in all fractions were determined. SOM contents were higher under soybean than maize in bulk soil and macroaggregates and their light-fractions instead of microaggregates and silt and clay. The difference in SOM chemical structure was observed in aggregates and density fractions rather than bulk soils and supported by the result of principal component analysis. The proportion of O-alkyl C in macro- and microaggregates and all free light fractions and that of aromatic C in mineral-associated fractions were higher, while that of carbonyl C was lower under maize than soybean. These results demonstrated that different crops monocropping influences the content and chemical structures of SOM, and the variations were mainly in the light-fraction SOM and highlight a higher sensitivity of physical fractions than bulk soil to different crops.

The objective was to determine effects of equilibration length and freezing curve type as well as their interactions on motility and live spermatozoa proportion in bull sperm after thawing. The ejaculates of 6 sires were repeatedly collected. Fresh semen was diluted with one extender and divided into 3 groups equilibrated for 30, 120, and 240 min. Subsequently, half straws of each group were frozen using standard 3-phase or 2-phase freezing curve differing in the rate of temperature decrease. The spermatozoa motility (M) was evaluated immediately after thawing and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min of thermodynamic test (TDT). Live spermatozoa proportion was evaluated after thawing and at the end of TDT. Average of spermatozoa motility (AM), decrease of spermatozoa motility (MD), average proportion of live spermatozoa (ALS), and decrease of live spermatozoa proportion (DLS) through the TDT were calculated. Significant inter-sire differences in AM (0.45-17.0%; P < 0.05-0.01), MD (0.76-12.57%; P < 0.05-0.01), and ALS (0.99-23.8%; P < 0.01) were detected. The longest equilibration ensured the highest M during TDT and AM (+2.72 and +4.58%; P < 0.05-0.01), however higher MD (+4.06%; P < 0.01) compared to standard length as well. Straws freezed using 2-phase curve achieved higher M through TDT, AM (+7.3%; P < 0.01) as well as ALS (+11.77%; P < 0.01). The 2-phase curve presented higher M compared to the 3-phase freezing curve within all equilibration lengths. Significant differences in AM, MD, and ALS (0.45-6.78%, 0.62-5.35%, and 20.79-21.11%; P < 0.05-0.01) between equilibration length vs freezing curve interactions were determined. Results document the importance of equilibration length, freezing curve, and their interaction effect on live spermatozoa proportion and sperm motility after thawing as well as necessity of individual conditions for bulls semen processing and insemination doses production.

Plenty of studies have demonstrated that DIF has an effect on the fruit growth. To study the effects of day and night temperature differences on the strawberry sugar quality, an experiment using climate chambers was conducted. Five different differences between the day and night temperatures (DIF) were set, which were 6 °C (28 °C/22 °C, day/night temperature), 8 °C (29 °C/21 °C), 10 °C (30 °C/20 °C), 12 °C (31 °C/19 °C), 14 °C (32 °C/18 °C). The results showed the following indices peaked with a DIF of 12 °C, including the photosynthesis rate, glucose content, fructose content, sucrose content, soluble sugar content and sugar metabolic enzyme activity. The respiration rate increased with the DIF during the day and decreased with the DIF at night. The root dry weight peaked at a DIF of 10 °C, the stolon dry weight peaked at a DIF of 8 °C and the leaf dry weight peaked at a DIF of 6 °C; however, the fruit dry weight reached maximum values at a DIF of 12 °C. The Grey correlation analysis showed that the most important factor in our experiment affecting the fructose content was the sucrose phosphate synthase; however, for the sucrose, glucose, and soluble sugars, the most important factor was the photosynthesis. We found that a DIF of 12 °C (31 °C/19 °C, day/night temperature) was the most suitable for strawberry growth, especially for the sugar content accumulation.

This contribution presents a calculation method of indicators in agricultural transport. The tractor Zetor Forterra 8641 with a silage trailer was used. Calculations were performed with various weights of transported material: 2.5, 3.6, 5.8, 7.4 and 9.0 tons. The model was created concerning significant parameters of the transport set, engine characteristics and route. It considered splitting of the route into elementary sections, in which important route parameters were regarded as constant. Indicators were defined in every section (fuel consumption, emissions, etc.) and overall values were calculated as a sum. The set with 7.4 t of load reached the lowest unit costs 20.62 CZK.tkm^-1, transport output 79.51 tkm.h^-1 and unit consumption 0.14 L.tkm^-1. The set with the maximum load 9.0 t reached output 86.05 tkm.h^-1 but unit costs were 20.68 CZK.tkm^-1. Using the maximum capacity was not the most effective option. When the weight of a load increased (from 2.5 to 9.0 t), driving time extended from 0.28 to 0.46 h and hourly transportation output increased from 38.60 to 86.05 tkm.h^-1, unit consumption decreased from 0.24 to 0.13 L.tkm^-1. Total emissions significantly increased, but unit emissions decreased in average two times for each pollutant.